An Alternate Path

Chapters

Chapter 2: Locate
Chapter 3: First Shift
Chapter 5: Rhino's Shift
Chapter 6: Party
Chapter 7: Gear up
Chapter 8: Paint
Chapter 9: Lake
Chapter 10: Morning
Chapter 11: Journal
Chapter 12: A Day
Chapter 13: Together
Chapter 14: Chatting
Chapter 15: First Try
Chapter 16: Tagalong
Chapter 17: A Game
Chapter 18: It's Just a Natural Thing
Chapter 19: Spa
Chapter 21: New Additions
Chapter 22: The Pets
Chapter 23: Reveal
Chapter 24: Lust Relapse
Chapter 25: Source
Chapter 26: More Questions
Chapter 27: Birthday
Chapter 28: Birthday Meal
Chapter 29: Job Hunting
Chapter 30: The Hunt Continues
Chapter 31: Returning Past
Chapter 32: Nailing the Interview
Chapter 33: His Talent
Chapter 35: Dreams
Chapter 36: Call it in
Chapter 37: Things to Come
Chapter 38: Bath Time
Chapter 39: Race
Chapter 40: Beach
Chapter 41: Meet the Parents
Chapter 42: Messages
Chapter 43: Unveil
Chapter 44: One-on-One Time
Chapter 45: Date Night
Chapter 46: One Heck of a Night, Part 1
Chapter 48: Looming
Chapter 49: Redemption
Chapter 50: Magic Duel
Chapter 51: Those Who Would Intervene
Chapter 52: Exposed
Chapter 53: Gone
Chapter 54: Flick
Chapter 55: Luster
Chapter 56: Port
Chapter 58: Home Again
Chapter 59: Purple
Chapter 60: Yellow
Chapter 61: It Is Time
Chapter 62: A Ditzy Day
Chapter 63: How to Tell
Chapter 64: A Roommate's Day
Chapter 65: Twilight
Chapter 66: Out and In
Chapter 67: Chrysalis
Chapter 68: Birthday Adventure
Chapter 69: Progression
Chapter 71: In The Weeks Leading Up
Chapter 72: Wedding
Chapter 34: Second Attempt
Chapter 47: One Heck of a Night, Part 2
Chapter 57: Mimic
Chapter 70: Canterlot
Chapter 1: Arrival
Chapter 4: Second Morning
Chapter 20: Wake-Up Call

Chapter 2: Locate

Gel blearily opens her eyes, still half-asleep. Can't go back to sleep. Morning drills are a must. She rolls off her bed and approaches the door to her room.

Or, rather, where she thought it was. She walks into her closet door, eliciting a small yelp of shock. She backs up and looks around, confused. ...where am I? Oh, right, journal. Duh. She grumbles quietly, heading over to her bed and pulling a black journal from under her pillow. She flips through it, frowning softly. ...so I'm living here? That's interesting.

She puts on a fluffy blue robe and leaves her room, carefully walking down the stairs with her journal in magical tow. She enters the kitchen, getting herself a glass of apple juice and sitting at the table. She sips her beverage as she reads, smiling softly at the entries.

A short time later, the sound of a high pitched alarm clock can be heard from upstairs, followed by a thump and hoofsteps. Rhino slowly makes his way downstairs, his eyes half open and his mane going every direction. He walks past the mare in the kitchen and to the fridge, rustling around in it a moment before coming out with a gallon of milk. He pours himself a glass and takes one sip before he notices the other pony in the room. A moment passes as he stares at her before speaking. "...Good morning..."

She giggles, shaking her head. "Good morning..." She glances down at her book before looking back up to him once more. "...Rhino. Sleep well?"

He grunts an affirmative as he takes another drink. He rolls his eyes around in his head as he starts to properly wake up. It finally occurs to him exactly what he is seeing. "Nice robe."

She stands and does a little twirl, smiling playfully. "Thanks! I had somepony make it in Manehattan!" Need to make a note of that aspect of my disguise. She picks up a pencil and scribbles a note in the journal, nodding satisfactorily. She turns back to him and sits down, tilting her head a bit. "...Just how awake are you, Mister Rhino?"

He stiffles a yawn. "Enough to know I'd rather not be. It just takes me a bit, I'll slowly get more coherent."

She thinks for a bit, thinking about how, in her training, she was told most ponies were truthful when tired. And loopy at times, but that's besides the point. Gel swishes her drink about, trying to figure out the best way to phrase her thought. "...So...would you wake up easier...if I said there's a changeling behind you?"

He shrugs as he takes another drink. "Adrenaline at the prospect of stranger in my house would probably do the trick. Beyond that, it would be a very interesting morning."

She blinks at this, a small frown on her lips. ...I have no idea how to take that. Will have to ask him at another time. She shakes her head, returning her attention to her book. "...Well...what if your marefriend walked in...w-wearing only a see-through nightie?" She can't help but blush brightly at her own question, embarrassed it even pass over her lips.

The stallion hums in thought. "I would assume that would definitely wake me up. Never having it actually happen makes it hard to judge though." He takes another sip before he shakes his head and looks at her curiously. "You certainly are one for hypotheticals this morning. Is that what the book is for?"

"What book?" She glances at her journal. Her expression is blank for a few moments before it hits her. Gel squeaks, her face lighting up like a firefly. "N-no! I-it's my memory journal!" She holds it close to her chest, almost appearing to shrink in on herself. "...I-I just...l-like asking questions..."

"Well, since I answered a few of yours, how about you answer some of mine. What's a memory journal?" He turns to the fridge before looking back at her over his shoulder. "Also, do you want breakfast?"

The disguised changeling gulps softly, looking down at her little black book. "...W-well...every night, before I go to sleep...I-I write down the events of the day..." She sheepishly smiles, her ears flattening against her head. "...I-I have some...m-memory issues..."

Rhino averts his gaze. "Oh... well, if it's a sensitive subject, I'll drop it."

"...T-thank you..." She gently sips her juice, inwardly sighing in relief. Thank goodness. I don't think I could explain it, even if I wanted to. She glances out a window before turning back to him. "...as for breakfast...I-I already have all I want..." She swishes her drink a bit, smiling softly.

"Alright then." The stallion whips up a light toast breakfast. As he sits down to eat it, he keeps glancing back to Gel, but turns back to his food soon after.

She finishes her drink and puts the glass down, looking expectantly at him. "...May I help you with something, Mister Rhino?" She smiles softly, trying to diffuse any tension that might be in the air.

He twitches slightly at being called 'Mister'. "Well, first of all, please don't call me Mister. It's not my title, and I feel it's too formal for housemates. Just Rhino is fine. As for helping me with something..." He looks away as he clears his throat. "It's nothing really, I'm just not used to having company for breakfast... so I'm afraid I'm a bit prone to awkward silences." He sheepishly chuckles.

Gel blinks at this, surprised. "...Oh...um..." She rubs the back of her neck. Come on! You can think of something to break this silence! "...so...h-how did you do that thing yesterday?" She pulls up her book, briefly skimming the page. "...w-where you glided across the ground?" ...is that seriously the best I can do?

"You want the short and sweet answer, the long-winded explanation, or the cop-out excuse?" He says this with a completely straight face.

She stares blankly for a few moments. "...I don't have to go to work until noon...so the answer I'll probably understand the best...t-that's not the cop-out answer, please?" She sheepishly smiles at him. If the cop-out answer is "magic", I will scream.

He leans backwards as he puts his hooves behind his head. "Well, without going into too much detail: It's a spell I designed to manipulate surface tension. I just reduce it enough to where it's like gliding on air." He pauses a moment. "Just to let you know though, the cop-out excuse was going to be 'magic'. Still true, but not helpful at all."

Her eye twitches slightly. "...Please excuse me, Rhino." She stands up and marches out of the kitchen. Entering the den, she grabs a pillow and, placing it over her face, screams until she runs out of breath. She pulls it away, panting quietly. "...T-there...I feel better now..." She glances around, confused. "...Hey...where's my memory journal?"

Rhino was curious as to why the mare had left the room, but soon shrugs it off and stands up from the table. As he does so, he notices her memory journal sitting on the table, open to the latest page. He walks over to it and grabs it in his aura. "Oh, I guess she forgot it." He snaps it shut and levitates it next to him as he puts his dishes in the sink and walks out after her. "Angel? You forgot your book."

Gel blushes brightly, taking her book back. "...T-thank you...and..." She giggles, smiling softly. "...thank you for not reading it..." There's no way anyone could read that fast. My secret's safe...for now, at least. She sits down on the couch, pulling out a separate leaf of paper, carefully reading it once more.

He tilts his head in curiosity at the new paper, but decides not to ask. He heads upstairs and starts to get ready for work.

She nods quietly to herself before putting the page back in the book. She looks into the distance, getting lost in her thoughts. Before I go to work, I should at least check on one of the Elements. Don't know who, yet, but I'm certain that I'll know them when I see them. She bites her lip, her brow furrowing slightly. ...I also need to find a source of food...lust is fine for sustaining, but... She shakes her head, clearing her thoughts. Don't think about it. Just...don't.

Rhino comes down after about fifteen minutes, looking much better than before. His mane is combed, his fur is fluffy, and he seems ready to take on the day. His saddlebags levitate over and plop down on his back as he looks to the still robe-clad mare. "I'm going to head to work now. You can use the spare key on top of the fridge as your personal one. Anything you wanted to say or ask before I leave?"

She stares at him, a large blush on her face. "...S-sorry...c-could you please repeat the question?" She averts her eyes, embarrassed. Too close. I need to stay focused!

He repeats himself, making sure his words are understandable. "Is there anything you wanted to say or ask before I leave?"

"...N-not really...w-well, there is one thing I wanted to ask..." She turns to him, sheepishly smiling. "...D-do you know where the library is, Rhino?" Might as well have something to entertain myself when I can't look for the Elements.

He nods, pointing at the door. "Just turn right and head down the street, in about 10 minutes, look for the huge tree with doors and windows smack in the middle of town. You can't miss it." He turns back to her. "Oh umm, also I have a favor to ask, please respect my privacy and stay out of my room, okay? Nothing personal, I just like my private space."

Gel nods, slightly disappointed. Darn it. I guess I can't go in. Sometimes it sucks to be a nymph of my word. "Don't worry, Rhino. I won't go in your room." She stands up and moves over to him, giving him a one-legged hug. "...you have a good day...okay?"

He once again freezes at the contact. The recovery is quicker this time though, after which he awkwardly pats her on the back. "Erm... you too..." He has a small blush as he pulls away and walks out the front door.

She sits down on the couch once more, smiling brightly. This is perfect! I think he's starting to warm up to me! She stays there for a moment in silence before she bows her head, groaning softly. "...who am I kidding...I just made him feel awkward around me..."

"Hey, that's no reason to be sad. You just need to keep trying. He's probably still getting used to you."

Gel shrieks, clutching her robe closer to her body and staring at the pony that suddenly appeared next to her. "W-what are you...h-how are you...w-when did you..." She gulps quietly, holding a shaky hoof out to the pony. She pokes her gently, quickly pulling her hoof back as the mare giggles in response. Nope, not dreaming. Nor am I crazy...at least, I don't think I am. Best to greet her, I guess? "...um...h-hi?"

The pink mare smiles widely. "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie! What's your name?"

“...I-I'm G-" She quickly covers her mouth, eyes wide in shock. "A-Angel! M-my name is Angelic Grace! B-but please, call me Angel!" She averts her eyes, embarrassed. What the heck, Gel? You almost made a rookie mistake! She inwardly sighs. Guess that's one more detail to add to my disguise...

"That's a pretty name, it's nice to meet you!" Pinkie suddenly pulls out a clipboard and pink pen out of her mane. "Now, you're new in town, so I have a couple of questions for you."

"...Thanks...and sure...but..." She tilts her head, confused. "...w-where did you get those from? H-how did those fit in your mane?"

The pink mare only smiles. "Like you said, I got them from my mane. I got them to fit in there because I had to, my tail was full."

Gel opens her mouth to question this statement, but realizes she might not get a straightforward answer. She sighs, motioning with a hoof. "...Ask away, Miss Pie...I'll answer what I can..."

Pinkie nods once. "Good! Now, usually my policy is to spring ponies surprise parties when they move into town, but due to a recent series of ones that were a bit grumpy about it, I've started asking in advance. So, do you, or do you not want a party to celebrate coming into town?"

Gel blinks, completely baffled, now. "...H-how did you know I was new in town? I-I just moved in yesterday...and...a party?" ...this pony is excitable...wait... Her pupils shrink as the pieces start to fall into place. ...pink pony...party throwing...unexplainable behavior...this is Pinkie Pie...the Element of Laughter! She scratches her head, frowning slightly. ...I didn't expect to find the first one this soon, though...

The party pony giggles. "My Pinkie sense told me there was a new pony in town. I would have gotten to you yesterday, but Sugarcube Corner was packed, so I had to stay and help. Now, party or no party?"

She bites her lip, thinking a bit. ...A party seems like a place I could find the other Elements...especially if this one is throwing it... She smiles softly, nodding. "...Sure...a party sounds nice..." She glances to the door before she continues. "...I-I don't dance, though...f-four left hooves..." She nervously giggles, blushing softly.

"Woo!" Pinkie does a quick backflip, landing comfortably on the couch, clipboard still in her hooves. "I'm sure you'll love the party I'll put together! Three follow-up questions though: Do you want it at home or at Sugarcube Corner? What is the approximate size? And lastly, alcoholic or non-alcoholic?"

Gel tilts her head, confused. "...um...Sugarcube Corner...a-anyone who can attend...and...non-alcoholic, I think? I-I'm not sure if I'm old enough to drink..." She picks up her journal, scanning each entry carefully. What’s my age, again?

Pinkie makes three quick checks on her clipboard before stowing it back in her mane and pulling out a cupcake with an envelope stuck in the frosting. "Okie Dokie Lokie! Here's your complementary cupcake and the invitation to your party!" She springs off the couch and proceeds to bounce out the door as she calls back. "Don't be late~!"

Gel sits quietly, stunned into silence. "...This cupcake's frosting is perfectly done...how does that work? For that matter, how did she get in here?" She takes a bite of the dessert, smiling softly. "Who cares? Free cupcake."

***

Gel, still disguised as Angel and wearing a simple blue sundress, trots down the street, frowning slightly. A huge tree with doors? He's surely pulling my leg. There's no way such a building- She faces forward and freezes, eyes wide in shock. "...exists?"

Said unlikely building is looming before her. The large oak, showing clear signs of habitation through doors, windows, even lights and balconies, is in the center of a clearing in town. A sign sitting on the front lawn declares it to be Golden Oaks Library.

"...I guess it does...huh..." Tentatively, she steps up to the front door, knocking. ...wait, why am I knocking? It's a public library, isn't it? She sighs, resigning herself to waiting for someone to answer.

Before long, a young voice can be heard calling through the door. "Coming!" The door opens to reveal a small purple reptile. "Can I help you?"

Gel stares down at him in stunned silence. After about ten seconds, she finds the willpower to speak. "...A-are you a...d-dragon?"

He sighs as if this isn't the first time that question has come up. "Yes, I am a dragon."

She slowly breaks into a smile, giggling a bit. "That's so amazing! I-I never met a dragon before!" She crouches down, her face now at the same height as his. "I didn't know they were so...c-cute..." Ponyville has a dragon. This could mean trouble...

He blinks in surprise. "Really? Most ponies freak out, in the bad way, when they realize I'm a dragon. Thanks!"

A feminine voice from further in calls out. "Spike, why are you just standing there with the door open?"

He calls back over his scaly shoulder. "Sorry Twilight!" He moves out of the way so Gel can come in.

The disguised changeling steps in and glances around, curious. Twilight? As in, the faithful student of Celestia, and the Element of Magic? Interesting... She looks at Spike and, unable to help herself, scoops him up, hugging him happily. "So cute!"

Spike smiles happily at the hug, even as a polite cough comes from the lavender mare that has just entered the room.

Gel squeaks softly, gingerly putting Spike back down and turning towards the unicorn. "...H-hi...m-my name is Angelic Grace...b-but you can call me Angel...a-are you the head librarian?"

The other mare smiles. "Well, I'm the only librarian, so I suppose that would be correct. My name is Twilight Sparkle. So, was there a reason you came to library Angel? Besides to hug baby dragons of course."

She glances at the dragon next to her before leaning closer to the lavender mare, whispering to her. "...M-Miss Sparkle...d-do you have any...r-romance novels?" Her cheeks are flushed with color, so embarrassed to be asking for that kind of book from a library. "...a-and hugging Spike was just a happy bonus..." She giggles softly, a small smile on her face.

Twilight giggles as well. "It's fine, he's really warm to hug isn't he?" She clears her throat before motioning for Spike to leave them to their business. He does so, and she leans in to Angel. "Just to be clear, are you looking for romance novels or... 'adult' romance novels?"

She blushes a bit more, squirming slightly. "...T-the second one...i-if you don't mind..." The price I pay for my guilty pleasures...

The librarian nods understandingly. "I thought so, follow me." She leads the white mare over to the door to the basement and heads down the stairs. About halfway down the staircase, there is a small landing with another door. Twilight's horn flares into life as a series of clicks go off inside the door. Finally, it swings open and the lavender unicorn motions inside. "I have to keep these separate since foals can walk into the main area any time they want. Just help yourself like you normally do at the library and shut the door when you're done, it'll lock on it's own when there isn't anypony inside it. I'll be waiting upstairs."

Gel shifts through the books, her mind drifting elsewhere as she does so. Twilight seems like a decent pony. I don't see how she could ever pose a problem for our troops on her own. Maybe -

She stops, her eyes landing on a book. Not just any book though; this one had a title that caught her attention. ...“What Is Love”...is that...a book about changelings? In the adult romance novels? She carefully picks it up and flips through it, frowning slightly at the words. This pony doesn't know anything about changelings. And why are we the antagonists? She puts a hoof on her chin, thinking a bit. ...oh, right. We tried to invade their capital. They can really hold a grudge...

She sighs, grabbing the book and another couple of cross-species stories. I have a kink. Everypony does. She pauses halfway up the stairs, confused. ...Why am I trying to validate my preferences to myself? She shakes her head, continuing her ascension. I'm too used to the hive mind...

She returns to the library lobby to find Spike on a ladder, dusting the tomes on the upper shelves. Twilight is off to one side behind the one desk in the room, looking over what appear to be multitudes of lists. She looks up as she hears the basement door open. "Oh, did you find what you were looking for?"

"...um...y-yes..." Gel quickly rushes over, not wanting the baby dragon to see what she was checking out. She holds the novels out to the librarian, blushing brightly. "...t-these books, please..."

Like a machine, Twilight opens each book, scribbles quickly on the card inside, snaps the book shut, and scratches down a note in her records. It's all over so quickly, there was virtually no way Twilight knew what books the mare had checked out. Considering the contents, that's probably the exact reason she did it that way. The librarian slides the stack of books back over to the disguised changeling. "Here you go, the maximum length of time you can hold onto these without renewal is two months, after that the fees will start to pile up." Twilight lets out a large smile. "And thank you for having an interest in reading."

"...n-no problem..." She carefully slides them into her saddlebags, not wanting anyone to see them. "...t-thank you for your help...and I hope you have a nice day..." She turns and, glancing at the clock, squeaks in shock. How long was I down there?! I need to get ready for work! She rushes out the door, barely avoiding the ladder that held Spike. “Sorry!” She makes a beeline for the house.

Chapter 3: First Shift

Gel arrives at home, shutting the door behind her and closing the drapes with her magic. "...Okay...it'll be fine...you have at least an hour and a half before work..." She trots up the stairs and into her room, putting her saddlebags off to one side. "...Let's see...what do I wear to work, again?" She picks up her journal, reading yesterday's entry. She blinks and looks at the closet, an eyebrow quirked. "...seriously?"

She sighs, opening the door and pulling out the maid outfit. She puts it on, meticulously making sure everything was in the proper place. She frowns, tugging on the back of the skirt in an attempt to hide her flanks. "...This is too short...but the notes say that it's the perfect size..." She shakes her head, putting the journal in one of her pockets and heading down the stairs. "...I suppose this isn't all bad...the outfit's kind of cute..."

She glances at the clock, noting that it was almost noon. "...An hour of free time...what is there to do that won't ruin my outfit?"

The jingle of keys and the click of the lock draws her attention. Rhino walks in as he looks to the side, dropping his saddlebags in the corner. He calls out as he sifts through them. "Angel, I'm back!"

The disguised changeling giggles softly, leaning against a wall near the foot of the stairs. "No need to shout, Rhino. I'm right here." I wonder what he does, anyways. I don't think I ever asked him... She glances at his flank, noting the cutie mark there. Maybe something to do with...whatever that thing is?

"Oh sorry, I didn't..." he pauses as he lays eyes on her, "...see... you.." His eyes start to look over her until he bites his tongue so the pain allows him to focus back on her face. He opens his mouth to try to speak, but nothing comes out. A blush comes to his face as he looks away.

...That's interesting... She strides forward, smiling kindly at him. Soon enough, she's standing in front of him, looking up at his face. "...So...h-how was work? Did you...um..." She cranes her neck to look at his mark once more. "...t-teach kids...geometry?" Ugh, that sounded stupid. Great job, self.

Forced to look at her since she is now talking to him, he somehow manages to force out words. "Umm... No, I don't do that..." He averts his eyes to the ceiling as he takes a few breaths before looking back at her. "I'm actually a veterinarian."

She sits down in front of him, confused. "...a vet? How does that fit your cutie mark?" ...Am I mistaken about their cutie marks? Does a pony's talents not necessarily correlate with their job? She bites her lip, averting her eyes in embarrassment. I guess both sides have something to learn about the other...

He focuses more on the question and less on her, mostly because he actually knows how to deal with the former. "To put it simply, it doesn't. My talent is reflected in my hobby and knowledge, my career is mostly unrelated." He thinks a moment. "Actually, come to think of it, why are you so surprised? Does your mark match your job?"

"...Um...n-not really..." She turns to the side and pulls up her skirt, revealing the golden loop on her flank. "...I-it represents how I...w-want to help others..." Okay, now I'm just pulling stuff out of my plot.

Rhino however, had looked away with a severe blush the instant her hoof had gone backwards and was stubbornly refusing to look back. "I'll take your word for it..."

"...O-okay...s-sorry..." She lowers her skirt and moves over to the couch, laying down on it. He's still too awkward around me. This won't work at all for my purposes. She turns back to him, a small blush on her cheeks as she pulls a blanket over her form to hide her uniform from him. Maybe this will help him be more comfortable. "...S-so...w-what does your cutie mark mean, Rhino?"

He visibly relaxes once she is covered. Glancing back to his mark, a blue magic circle with runes within it as well as a heart in the center with veins extending to the circle’s edges, he explains. "My mark represents my talent with runes and arcane circles. It's how I perform any magic beyond levitation."

"...Runes...I've never heard of anything like that..." She puts a hoof on her chin, thinking to herself. ...Maybe learning more about him can help... She glances at the clock, frowning slightly. ...Do I have enough time to learn about it? I can't remember how long it takes to get to the restaurant...

Rhino looks at the pondering mare. "Something on your mind?"

She snaps out of her thoughts, smiling softly at him. "...Just wondering if I have time before work to hear more about runes...they sound fascinating..." She sighs quietly, pulling out her journal to look at the notes in it. "...I have to be there by one...but I don't know how long it'll take me to get there..." Why are you telling him this? You'll jeopardize the mission! She turns away, frowning softly. ...What does that mean? How would saying something like that be dangerous in the least? There's no response. I thought so.

The stallion waits until she seems to be done with her internal monologue before sitting down in a chair. "Well, I could probably go on for a good bit if I get into examples, but I can be brief." His horn lights up and two symbols appear in the air in front of him as if written by a quill with glowing green ink. "Runes are essentially an ancient way of performing magic. A way to guarantee consistent results without the variables that come from today's casting methods that are mostly mental and prone to shifts due to emotions or outside interference. Think of them as the... language of magic. Simple effects can be gained from knowing runes for things like..." the two flat symbols rotate so they are floating parallel to the floor, "light," the left symbol glows brighter and brighter, lighting up the room significantly," or fire," the first symbol goes back to normal as a small one foot tall tongue of flame is produced by the second, simply dancing in place before the stallion extinguishes it by dispersing the runes.

She watches this quietly, eyes wide in awe. "...Wow..." I...I can't believe it...this could revolutionize spells for us! She turns to look at him, blushing softly. ...I suppose they don't have to know...not yet, anyways... She stands up, the blanket falling from her as she does so, and moves over to stand in front of him, smiling kindly. "...T-thank you for that, Rhino..." She glances at the clock once more. "...S-sorry, but I have to run...I'll be back in a few hours, okay?" She giggles a bit, starting to head towards the door.

He blushes fiercely again at seeing her outfit, but manages to not avert his eyes this time. As she turns to leave he raises a hoof in farewell. "A-alright... stay safe."

She looks at him over her shoulder, blushing a bit more. "...T-thank you, Rhino...s-see you later..." She heads out, trotting along the street and hoping she isn't going to be late. I'm sure I'll have no trouble staying safe. I'd be more concerned about the ones trying to hurt me.

***

Gel stops in front of the restaurant, sighing softly. Okay, so it's only ten minutes away. That's good to know. She flattens out some wrinkles in her outfit before stepping inside. She freezes, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks. ...That's...that's a lot of ponies...

The restaurant is much more bustling than it was the previous day, only a few tables are unpopulated, and half of those are being cleaned. Maids dash back and forth as the wall of sound made by the large number of ponies conversing, accompanied by the clinking of silverware, blankets the building.

The hostess, the same mare from yesterday, recognizes Gel and immediately trots over to her. "What are you doing up here? You should have used the side door to get back to the employee area without having to go through the whole place!" She sighs. "Look, it's fine, just head back to where Silk's office is and talk to her, okay?"

She nods and rushes through the restaurant, embarrassed. Why wasn't that in the notes? I should write that down when I have the chance. Without bumping into anypony, she arrives in front of Silk's office and knocks on the door. "M-Miss Tease? I-it's me, Angel..."

The mare in question comes around the corner wearing a maid outfit like all the rest. She sees the white mare and waves her over. "Over here hun!"

Seeing her boss, she hurries over, still a little embarrassed. "...Um...I-I guess I'm...signing in for work?" She sheepishly smiles, still a little unsure of how to go about this job.

Silk nods, ushering Gel quickly into another room. It appears to be the employee lounge, but the clock-in clock-out machine on the wall shows it is multipurpose. Several maids are resting on the furniture as the two walk in.

The yellow mare holds out a card to the unicorn with her wing. "Here's your official time card, just punch it in the machine when you get here, and punch it again when you leave."

Gel nods, taking the card in her magic and punching in. Seems simple enough. "...o-okay...a-anything else you'd like me to do, Miss Tease?"

She waves a hoof. "No no dear, somepony will drop by and assign you some tables in a moment. I actually have to get back to my own, just because I'm manager doesn't mean I get to slack." She turns to leave. "Oh, but I believe the rest of the girls wanted to speak to you about something~."

The disguised changeling blinks at this, confused. "...Um...w-what do you mean by that?" She glances at the mares around her, starting to get worried. ...This can't be good...

The maid mares slowly form a circle around her with eerie smiles on their faces. One of them steps forward as a spokesmare. "So, you're the newbie, huh? Well, we've got a rule around here about new ponies."

She nervously squirms under their gazes. "...O-oh? W-what rule?"

Two mares walk forward with pink strips of cloth held in their hooves. Suddenly her tail is tugged as a small jingle comes from behind her. All the mares close in in a flurry of activity before they step back and all start to giggle.

She stares straight ahead blankly, somewhat confused. ...I guess it's not that bad...though I'm not entirely sure what they did... She looks at the spokesmare, tilting her head to one side. "...Um...w-what was that about?"

"Initiation of course." She motions to a mirror in the corner of the room.

"...I-initiation?" She approaches the mirror, glancing around curiously. Where is that jingling coming from? She looks at herself, her jaw dropping in surprise. "...W-what? W-why is there a pink bow in my mane?" I don't understand their thought process with this. Besides, I think I look better without the bow.

"Turn around jingle-flank~" More giggling.

She turns to look at them, jumping slightly at the jingling. "...J-jingle-flank? Y-you mean..." She glances over her shoulder, finally seeing the source of the sound - bells attached to a bow at the base of her tail, matching the one in her mane. ...Okay, this is officially bad.

"Just a little gift from us veterans so all the customers notice our newest little maid." All of them smile at her, though the intents behind the smiles are unreadable.

Gel begins to tremble, causing the bells to ring a bit. "...I-if you say so..." She shyly smiles at them, suppressing her anger. I can't believe they're getting away with this! Even if Silk is in on it, this is still a low thing to do!

The door swings open as yet another maid walks in with a piece of paper. "Angel! Your first table is ready! Follow me and I'll show you the ropes."

"...C-coming..." She gently bites her lip, heading over to the new maid, her bells jingling with every step. ...That jingling is starting to get annoying... "...S-so...w-what are the ropes?" They aren't going to tie me up, are they? Wait, what am I thinking?! She shakes her head to clear those thoughts away.

She is quickly hoofed a pad and a pen before the mare motions her to follow her again as they enter the restaurant proper. "Here's how this is going to work. You'll start off with one table, you do well on that and we slowly increase the number. Basic things to do: Welcome them, tell them your name and that you'll be serving them, take drink orders, leave, bring them back along with bread, repeat for appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Once they appear done, ask to be sure, then bring the check, take care of that and you're done." She looks back to make sure Gel is paying attention. "Most of this just flows well, so don't worry about memorizing it too much. I'll just be standing nearby for this one in case you need help."

Gel quietly nods, holding the pad and pen in front of her with magic. "...I-if you say so..." She looks out at the tables, curious. "...S-so...w-which table do I start with?"

At the table is a single mare looking across the restaurant. As Gel approaches, the jingle of her bow bells makes the mare turn to her questioningly... along with a good portion of the nearby tables as well.

She sheepishly smiles, a small blush on her face. "...H-hi...I-I mean, welcome!" Smooth. "M-my name is Angelic Grace, a-and I'll be your waitress." ...Not too bad. I think I can do this.

"Hey! Nice to meet you!" The manila colored mare brushes her light blue mane out of her face. "Nice bows," She says with sincerity.

She blinks at this, touching the one in her mane with a hoof. "...Really? I-I don't know if they look good on me...a-anyways..." She brings up her pad, giggling softly. "...What would you like to drink, Miss...um..." ...Well, I guess I'm not expected to know everypony's name...

The mare browses the menu quickly. "I'll have a sweet tea please, I'm still deciding on the food."

Gel promptly writes it down, nodding to herself. "Okay, then...I-I'll be back with your tea..." She walks off, trying to remember who to give the drink order to. ...One table really isn't that difficult, it seems...I do not look forward to having a lot of them to take care of, though...

As she jingles through the restaurant, a few stallions whistle appreciatively as they see where the bells are. One of them even woops out loud.

She lowers her head, blushing brightly from all the attention. Too bad I can't absorb their affection. It's tainted by lust. She sighs softly, approaching where she believes she's supposed to get the drink for her customer. She gives her the slip, patiently waiting for the drink order. "...S-so...did you have to wear the bell, as well? O-or is that just for waitresses?" She nervously laughs, rubbing the back of her neck.

Her trainer looks at her with a smile. "Well, mine was purple, but yeah, same thing. Drawing attention, placement meaning everypony's eyes are drawn to your flank, and of course them being able to hear you from a mile away, but hey, at least you get to keep the bells and ribbons."

What makes you think I want them? Gel nods quietly, looking at the crowd of ponies. "...S-so...i-is this meant for embarrassment? O-or am I misunderstanding?"

The trainer giggles. "Well, yeah, part of it is so the more experienced girls can have some fun at the expense of the newbies. On the other hoof, it's also like jumping into the pool instead of walking into it. So it's not all bad. Plus the stallions like it, both the customers, and the girls' coltfriends at home."

She sighs, looking down at her hooves. "...Coltfriends...wish I had one..." She shakes her head, blushing brightly. "S-sorry. Y-you probably don't want to hear that...a-anyways, y-yeah, I suppose you're right about that...b-better to know what I'm in for, right?"

The drink order is put on the windowsill as the other mare answers. "That's the spirit!"

She takes the drink and smiles kindly. "T-thank you." She grabs a basket of bread, nodding a bit before turning to head back over to the table she's serving. "...One sweet tea, right, Miss?"

The mare is startled out of the focus on whatever she is staring at across the restaurant again. "Oh! Umm, yes, thank you."

She smiles softly, carefully putting the bread and tea on the table for her. "...S-so...are you ready to order? O-or are you waiting for someone?" Idiot, why would she be waiting for someone?! It's not like she's on a date or anything!

The mare sighs. "Well, waiting for him in one way I suppose, but no, it's just me today." She consults the menu. "Can I get the Deluxe Garden Salad with extra tomatoes?"

Gel nods, writing down the order as fast as possible. "Sure thing." This mare...she has an air of loneliness about her...but also one of strong affection... She glances in the direction the mare was staring earlier, curious. ...is the one she has a crush on here? "I'll be back with your order, Miss." She turns and leaves, subtly examining the ponies, trying to figure out which one it was. ...There's a few stallions out there...but what if she's not into stallions? She sighs, stopping in front of the window to the kitchen and giving the order to the cook. Why do I even care? It's not like I'm playing matchmaker or anything.

The rest of her shift goes fairly smoothly. After finishing up with the first mare, she graduated to juggling two, and then three tables before she was done. There was almost a mixup with two orders, but she corrected herself before she got to the tables so nopony noticed. All that and a few good natured flirting comments from some stallions were the highlights of her first day on the job. Soon enough she was headed home as the sun is setting on the horizon.

Gel closes the door behind her, sighing softly. "...wow...that was...rather fun, actually..." She giggles quietly, walking towards the stairs. "...I'd better write everything down so I don't forget it tomorrow..."

A voice comes from the room down the hall. "Angel, is that you making that jingling sound?" Rhino opens his door and steps out into the hall.

She squeaks, her face flushing with color. How could I forget to take off the bells?! She turns around, trying to look at the bow to take it out. However, in her flustered state, she doesn't think to use her magic, and ends up spinning in circles.

The sight proves to be strange enough for the stallion to ignore her attire as he laughs while stopping her with a hoof. "Woah there girl. Need some help?"

She nods, looking at him in confusion. "...Why are there...three of you?" She falls onto her side, twitching slightly. Dizzy. Oh, so dizzy...can't stand...

"Oh dear..." he waits a moment to see if she'll snap out of it, but she doesn't. He looks down at her, worried. After a moment of thinking, he levitates her onto his back and walks her into her room, gently setting her on her bed and sitting down next to it, watching to see if she improves.

She groans, looking over at him. "...S-sorry, Rhino...I-I get disoriented a little too easily..." She nervously giggles, pulling out her journal and writing as quickly as possible without messing up. ...This feeling coming off of him...is that...affection? Friendship? Whatever it is, it’s helping me feel better... "...T-thank you for...h-helping me to my bed..." She blushes brightly, embarrassed. Did I really just say that?

He deliberately ignores her wording. "No problem. Just to let you know though, you do still have the bells on. Don't go getting yourself hurt getting them off okay?" He smiles at her. "Do you need anything?"

"...Um..." She slowly sits up, putting her book on her nightstand. "...n-not that I can think of...m-maybe some privacy?" She looks at her uniform, blushing slightly. "...I-I do need to change clothes, after all..."

Rhino's own blush flares into life full blast, as he quickly backs away from her. "Ah, yes, right. I-I'll just go then." He turns quickly and is rewarded by hitting his shoulder on the door frame before successfully making it out of the room and shutting the door.

Gel giggles at this, shaking her head. ...He's silly. I like that. She carefully takes off her bows and the rest of the uniform, no longer embarrassed by it without an "audience". Of course, friendship isn't the endgame for this relationship. She turns down the light, snuggling up in her blanket and closing her eyes.

I want more.

Chapter 5: Rhino's Shift

Rhino takes a deep breath, his patience wearing thin. “Sir, please hold still, we’re almost done here.”

The grey diamond dog he is working on only continues squirming as the vet tries to work. “No, green pony only trying to hurt me. We’ve been doing this for an hour now, why pony not done?”

The stallion moves the portion of his black mane with the blue stripe in it out of his face. He doesn’t respond as he actually manages to pry another gem shard out of the dog’s foreleg and drop it into the jar containing a sizable amount of blood-tipped shards he has already extracted.

The canine flinches mightily and yanks his hand away. “Enough! I came here to be helped, not hurt by some phony pony doctor.”

Rhino’s patience wears out, as does the will he was exerting to hold back his usual quirk of mimicking the manner of speaking of any being he was speaking to. His voice adopts the gruff edge the diamond dog’s own has. “Green pony has been trying to get this done as quickly as possible. You were offered a pain killer but refused. Now, stay still and let pony work, or you might end up losing leg!”

The patient shuts up quickly after that rather blunt bark from the normally calm stallion.

The last few fragments come out without incident and Rhino stitches up the few holes that required it. He quickly applies an ointment and wraps up the limb before nodding and smiling at the diamond dog, his speaking back under control. “Alright, you should be good to go now, sir. Just try to not perform any excessive activities with this arm for the next few days and it’ll be good as new.”

The canine flexes the injured limb before smiling satisfactorily. “Doesn’t hurt anymore. Thank you po- er, Doctor.”

Rhino nods. “You’re very welcome. Just go see the pony at the desk up front and tell her you’re all better before you leave.”

He nods and hops off the table before exiting the room and walking down the hall.

The green stallion cleans up a bit, a number of things were disturbed by the dog’s constant movements. After he’s done, he grabs the jar of gem shards in his magic and walks back to the front, setting it down on the desk up there and smiling at the pony behind it. “Well, that was certainly an interesting case. How often do diamond dogs drop by, Manila?”

The manila coated mare adjusts a lock of her light blue mane as she files some papers away. “We usually only see about one every three months. They only really come to us when they’re really hurt.” She giggles as she takes the jar. “Well, at least we don’t have to go through any payment arguments. I’m not sure they even use bits, but either way the leftovers from their accidents pay for them easily.”

He chuckles. “Well, if they don’t want to look at the reminders of them falling into piles of sharp gems, who are we to judge? Are they always so impatient though?”

The office manager shrugs. “Most of the time yeah, I think it’s just in their nature. Not everything can be as polite as Daisy Jo and the rest of the cows.”

Rhino nods. “True, but then again, the local herd and I talk all the time when I go to stock up, so I’m a bit biased there.”

As the two converse, the doors to the clinic open and a mare that looks very similar to the one he is talking to walks in. She is a slightly darker shade than the mare at the desk, as well as having her barely two-tone mane up in a bun.

The two ponies look up at the arrival.

The stallion raises a hoof. “Hello Doctor Goodall.”

Manila waves excitedly. “Hey Mane!”

The new mare smiles and waves at her coworkers. “Good morning you two. How was your shift Doctor Rhino?”

Rhino takes off his white coat even as Mane dons hers. “According to what Manila has been telling me, fairly normal. It did leave me with an appetite though.”

The mare in question perks up behind her desk. “Oh, that reminds me, I wanted to recommend a place for you the next time you go out to eat.”

He turns to her. “Oh?”

She nods and tells him the directions to it. “The waitstaff was really friendly, and the food was good too!”

Rhino is halfway out the door as he turns back and waves. “I’ll be sure to check it out! See you Monday!” He starts to turn back forward only to suddenly halt as his path is blocked by a grinning pink mare. “Oh, hello Pinkie.”

The party pony bounces in place. “Hiya Rhino! Mind if I talk to you on your way home?”

He raises an eyebrow at the unexpected question. “Sure, if you want to.”

“I do! That’s why I asked!” She bounces beside him as they progress through town. “So Rhino, what’s all this with you having a new mare in your house?”

Rhino sighs. “I’m not even going to ask how you know that. Suffice to say, she needed a place to stay and seemed nice, so I helped her out. Simple as that.”

Pinkie has a knowing smile on her face as she responds. “It never stays simple you know~. Anyway, the reason I brought her up is that I think,” she pulls a pink envelope out of her mane and sticks it in his saddlebag, “that you should come to her party tonight!”

His face is unsure. “I don’t know Pinkie... You know I turned down your offer for a welcome party myself because parties aren’t really my thing.”

She is undeterred. “Hmm... alright then, how about this: She’s your friend right?”

“Yes...” he responds, not sure where she is going with this.

“You’re also one of the few ponies she knows in town.”

“Right...”

“And because it’s the kind of stallion you are, you would go with her to this party if you knew that being there would make her feel more comfortable!”

Rhino thinks back to this morning and how down she had seemed. He would definitely do what he could to avoid seeing her like that again. Maybe I’m just being selfish by not going... this party is about her after all... It’s not like it would kill me to go, and I would feel better keeping an eye on her. He comes out of his thoughts as he turns to the party pony. “Alright Pinkie, I’ll attend the party with her.”

Pinkie’s bounces double in frequency. “Yay! I’m sure she’ll love having an escort! See you tonight!” With a puff of dust, she is gone.

Despite how used to her he thought he was, Rhino still stops and stares at where she had been for a moment before continuing on his way. “Her escort... it is a very noble thing to do to...”

***

Gel steps out of the bathroom, sighing softly. I really needed that cold shower. She blows at her still-damp yellow mane, rolling her eyes a bit as she feels it stick to her forehead. I'll just dry it off with some magic later. It's not like anypony's going to be here to see me like this, right? She heads down into the kitchen, moving over to the fridge to grab some apple juice.

To be fair, though, I was in there a long time... She glances at the clock, curious and confused. ...What time is it?

The universe proves to tell her what the time is in a different way as the lock to the front door click open. Rhino strolls in, lightly humming a tune under his breath as he tosses his bags into their usual corner. He calls out to the house at large as he makes his way to the kitchen for a snack. "Angel, you home?"

Oh. I guess it's almost noon, then. "I'm in the kitchen, Rhino." She takes another sip of her apple juice, turning towards the kitchen door. "How was work?"

"Pretty good. Usual collection of clients except for a surprise one at the end but-" He spots her damp form and has to stop himself from almost walking into a chair. He allows himself a few seconds to look at her before yanking his head away and continuing to talk. "So yeah... Mostly normal... Erm, do you want a towel or do you prefer to air dry?"

She giggles softly, seeing him blush like that. I'm not wearing a maid outfit this time...maybe he really does like me like that? She tilts her head to one side, raising a hoof to her chin. ...or maybe he's a bit of a pervert? This requires further study... "I actually dry myself in an...unusual way." She lights her horn up, a circle of blue flames appearing around her, floating above the floor. The water on her body quickly evaporates and she disperses the fire, sighing quietly and brushing her mane back into place. "Much better. So, you were saying something about a surprise client, Rhino?"

He looks to the now steaming mare, his eyes waver a moment before he clears his throat. "Yes, well, it was a diamond dog actually. He was my first physical one to work on so it was a bit of a milestone... How has your day treated you so far?"

"It's been fine. I almost got caught in the rain, and I met a couple of interesting mares." She glances at the clock, frowning slightly at the time. "I need to get ready for work, now. I'll see you when I come back down, okay?" She smiles softly at him, a small blush on her cheeks. Can't chance my mission by being late, can I? She brushes past him as she exits the kitchen, purposely giving him a teasing flick with her tail. I may not be able to tell him his feelings, but I can help him figure them out sooner. She ascends the stairs and enters her room, quickly getting ready.

The fur along his spine visibly rose for a moment as she flicked him and he seems to space out for a moment. Once he comes out of it, he walks over to where she had been standing when she dried off and runs a hoof along the ground. "Interesting technique..." he looks back towards the stairs, "then again, interesting mare..." He appears to be lost in thought as he goes through the motions of making a snack.

Gel sneaks back down the stairs once she is dressed and peeks into the kitchen. Seeing him with his back to her, she slyly smiles, eyes narrowed slightly. Time for test one. She quietly walks behind him and, giggling softly, gently brushes her side against his as she moves to stand next to him, looking at what he was doing. "What are you making, Rhino?"

His head turns so he can look at her with a soft smile. "Just a couple of tomato and daisy sandwiches." He lightly bumps her side. "Glad you decided to come back down so quickly. Did you want me to make you something too?"

He's not staring. So far, he doesn't seem to be a pervert. "No, thank you. I already ate." She glances around, trying to find something else to talk about. "...So, why did you have a diamond dog as a customer? I-I thought you only worked with pets and the like..."

"That's actually the most common misconception about my profession." He floats his completed snack over to the table. "Vets are actually responsible for pretty much every non-pony species. Including both pets and other sapients. In theory, we treat everything from rabbits to minotaurs." His hoof pulls out a chair and offers it to her.

She smiles at this, blushing softly as she takes the seat. "...Thank you..." Definitely a nice gentlestallion. Plus two karma points. She scribbles in her journal a bit before looking up at him, curious. "...What kinds of sapient species have you helped?"

"Well, the list is a bit short right now since I really only started practicing officially about two months ago." He sits in his own seat. "The diamond dog was the most unusual thing so far. Other than that it's been things like cows and sheep and such." He takes a large bite and swallows before continuing. "According to Doctor Goodall though, Ponyville tends to get a wide species variety of tourists, so the potential number of different species is fairly high."

"I see." She puts her journal down, closing her eyes for a few moments. She looks over at him, smiling brightly. "Thank you for being so open about yourself, Rhino. I feel it's rare to see a pony like that, nowadays."

"To be honest, it's rare for me too. I usually like to keep to myself." His smile matches her own. "But, I trust you, you're a good friend, and you're asking. How can I refuse? It's nice to have somepony to talk to." He squirms a moment. "So... you know... thank you for all that."

...Darn it, he's still referring to me as just a friend... She nods to him, blushing a bit more. ...Still, his affection is nice...it'll keep my strength up for now, so I don't have to worry about passing out from hunger... "You're very welcome, Rhino. I-I'd be willing to return the favor, if you ever want to ask me anything." Not everything, of course. I doubt he'd even consider me a friend if I did.

"I'll keep that in mind, though I probably won't come up with too many because it'll make me feel nosy..." He finishes off one sandwich. "Perhaps a test one: What made you decide to use fire to dry off instead of one of the usual methods? I won't deny the effectiveness, but it isn't the first technique one would think of."

Uh oh. She averts her eyes, nervously squirming in her seat. "...W-well...I-I lived in a location without modern conveniences, a while back...M-my fire magic seemed like a perfect way to help with that..." She rubs the back of her neck, sheepishly smiling.

"So you're an innovator then? Very interesting." He thinks for a moment. "I wonder if that qualifies you for that 'small town girl appeal'..."

She tilts her head to one side, confused. "...'Small town girl appeal'? What do you mean by that?"

His ears fold back as he rubs the back of his head with a hoof. "Umm, well, you know that stereotypical scenario where a mare moves to a place much larger than what she is used to. It is portrayed by the image of wide-eyed curiosity and innocence. She finds some local stallion who introduces her to things outside of what she has known... I am feeling increasingly stupid for even making that suggestion..." He thumps his head onto the table, avoiding his plate.

"Oh, I get it now!" She giggles, holding up a hoof as she continues. "That's a situation that leads one of them to fall for the other, but something keeps them from getting together!" She pauses, putting the hoof on her chin. "...But we aren't living in a romance novel, are we, Rhino?" As much as I wish we were...

He replies while still with his head on the table. "It wasn't meant to go that far into it. It was more of a failed joke saying that somepony who knew about the whole 'small town' thing might find you attractive because of it.... I would appreciate if we moved past that abysmal attempt at humor."

She frowns softly at this, getting up and moving over to sit next to him. "...it's alright, Rhino...for what it's worth, I think it's funny, now that I get it..." She gently nuzzles his cheek, smiling kindly. "...please cheer up..."

The fur along his spine stands straight up as she nuzzles him and stays like that afterwards. He stands up quickly and starts to clean up his dishes, speaking at a faster pace than usual in his flustered state. "Its fine, I'm fine. Just didn't move my head off the table. You are very persuasive by the way. Yes, thank you."

She blinks at this, surprised by both his hastened actions and words. "...You're welcome?" She glances at the clock, eyes wide in shock. "Oh my! I-I'm going to be late! S-see you!" She rushes out the door in a panic.

After a minute his actions slow to their normal pace and his fur lies down again. He reflects on when she nuzzled him, unsure what to think.

Chapter 6: Party

Gel sighs, closing the door to the house behind her. That was rather...interesting. She steps into the kitchen, grabbing herself a glass before opening the fridge. "...Why are there three gallons of milk in here?"

Rhino, who had heard the door, walks into the living room and hears the question. He walks into the kitchen and answers. "Because I just restocked when you were out. I was running low."

She stares blankly at him, stunned. "...You like milk that much?" In most places, I'm certain that's called an addiction. She pours herself some apple juice before closing the door, sitting down at the table. "...glad you restocked, though...I love this apple juice..." I probably shouldn't throw that word around so lightly.

"Well, glad I can keep you happy." He seems to be generally comfortable around her in her uniform now. "How was work?"

"It was...interesting..." She sighs, loosening the apron strings around her barrel. "...one stallion was leering at me a bit, but I suppose that's to be expected..." She holds up a bit bag, beaming at him. "I got paid today, though, and he gave me a big tip!"

Rhino grunts as his eyes narrow. "I'm not sure how I should respond to that... so I don't think I'll say anything about it." He puts on a clearly forced cheerful face. "So, first paycheck huh? Any special plans?"

"...Not sure, to be honest..." She puts a hoof to her chin, thinking a bit. "...Maybe we could go somewhere tomorrow? I have a place in mind..." She moves her hoof to his shoulder, smiling softly. "...It'll be fun...I promise..."

He smiles. "Sure, I'm interested to see what you have in mind for a Saturday." He replays what she said in his head, his smile turning into a smirk. "You know, the way you worded that almost sounded like you were asking me on a date. If it ends up being dinner, I think I might get suspicious of your intentions."

"Not dinner." She giggles, waving a hoof playfully at him. "More like a game. You'll have to get the proper protection before we can do it, though!" She freezes, an eye twitching slightly. "...s-sorry...I-I didn't mean it the way it sounded..."

He chuckles. "You dirty mare you..."

She lowers her head, ashamed. "...Rhino..." He can't possibly know, can he? "...w-why do you say that? I-I've never even been with a stallion like that..." As Angel, of course. Or my true self, but they'd probably run away or even attack me if I was in that form...

His whole body seems to droop as he drowns in guilt for making her feel bad. His voice is a whisper. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean anything by it... please don't be sad... I'll umm, go away if you want me to... I truly am sorry..."

She wraps a foreleg around one of his, shyly looking up at him. "...I-it's fine...please...s-stay..." She averts her eyes, blushing softly. "...y-you make me feel...better..."

He looks away from the contact but doesn't make a move to end it. "Well, I'm glad about that... now if only I would stop making you feel bad in the first place." He takes a few deep breaths before looking back at her. "Feeling a bit better now?"

"...Yes..." She leans against him, gently nuzzling his soft fur. "...if you don't mind, though, I think I'll be going to bed, soon...it's getting kind of late..."

He shivers at the nuzzle, but manages to keep his thoughts straight. "I doubt Pinkie Pie will appreciate you skipping out on your party."

She looks up at him, confused. "...party? Is that today?" She pulls out her notebook, flipping through it carefully. "...I don't have a time written for it...when is it at?"

Rhino's horn lights up and a pink envelope floats out of his saddlebags. "According to this, it starts in... 20 minutes."

"What?!" She leaps to her hooves, frantically racing about the room. "I-I don't know where it's at! W-what should I wear? W-who all did she invite?" I have no idea what to do! "Wah!" She trips over her own hooves, falling flat on her face.

He races over and nudges her with his head. "Angel? Are you hurt? Do you need the first aid kit?"

She shakes her head, her words muffled by her mouth being pressed against the ground. Talk about embarrassing... She looks at him with one eye, a blush creeping onto her face. ...but, sometimes...being embarrassed is fine...

The stallion gets down on one knee and offers her his other hoof. "If I may?"

She gulps quietly, tentatively taking his hoof. ...definitely fine...

He pulls her up and nods. "Now then, if I may alleviate some of your concerns. Wear whatever you want, most of her parties are casual, so whatever you want is fine. On average, she invites about 30 ponies. As to not knowing where it is..." He does a little bow. "Milady, it would be my honor to be your escort for this gathering, including getting you there and home safely."

E-escort?! She blushes brightly, fidgeting a bit. "...I-I'd like that, Rhino..." ...my sundress. I-I'll wear my sundress. "...p-please excuse me...I-I need to go change my clothes..." She leaves the room, rushing up into her own.

He heads up the stairs at his own measured pace. "I suppose I should freshen up a bit as well... maybe I'll wear my jacket..." He comes back down a few minutes later with a simple dark jacket as his attire, and sits on the couch as he waits for the mare to finish getting ready.

Soon enough, Gel descends the stairs, taking measured steps to not appear eager. She looks into the living room, giggling softly. "...You look handsome in that, Rhino...I wonder if some lucky mare is going to...well, you know..." She playfully winks at him.

"Well, it'd be a shame for them since I am already taken for tonight." He winks back. "You look lovely, guess I'll have to keep an eye out for stallions trying to steal you away."

She giggles, bumping her side against his. "They'd be out of luck, Rhino." She wraps her tail around his, fighting back a blush at her own actions. "Since I'm also taken for tonight."

He chuckles even through his own small blush, treating this like some fun game as his own long tail wraps around hers. "Well then, as one-half of tonight's pair, I say we should get moving before we are late." He opens the door for her.

She blushes brightly, feeling the affection coming off of him. "O-of course."

***

The two arrive outside Sugarcube Corner. Rhino announces as they near the door. "And here we are, one of the most identifiable buildings in town."

Gel blinks, putting a hoof on the doorframe. "...Is this...a gingerbread house?"

He lets out a quick laugh. "Yes, it's a bit unusual, but it does almost scream 'I'm a bakery!'"

She laughs along with him, shaking her head a bit. "...It definitely fits Miss Pie..." She moves the hoof to the door but pauses, unsure. "...D-do I knock?"

Rhino shakes his head. "No, I think you just walk in."

"If you say so..." She pushes open the door, walking inside next to him. "...Why is it so dark?"

The stallion doesn't get a chance to answer as the lights suddenly all turn on at once and dozens of ponies scream out:

"Surprise!"

Gel squeaks in surprise, freezing in place for a moment before sighing in relief. "...O-oh...i-it's a surprise party..." Glad they didn't try that when I wasn't disguised. Otherwise... She shakes her head, not wanting to think about that any further.

"Yep!" Pinkie appears next to the two. "It justs goes to show that even if you know about a party ahead of time, it can still be a surprise! Now come on everypony, LET'S PARTY!"

With the word given, the music starts up and ponies cheer as they mingle, dance, go to the snack table, or any combination of the three. Pinkie bounces off happily, leaving the two ponies at the door on their own.

Gel stands in the doorway, looking at the activities around them. "...She seems to do well with planning these...I didn't think she'd be able to guess my favorite colors..." She glances up at the deep blue and green streamers hanging from the ceiling. "...not to mention use them in a way that's...actually quite energizing..."

Rhino nods as he too looks around. "I had heard that Pinkie was the best at what she does. Guess that wasn't an exaggeration." He turns to her and gestures to the party at large. "Well then, Angel, the night is yours. What would you like to do?"

She gulps softly, squirming a bit. "...A-anything but dancing...please..." She rushes over to the snack table, looking at all that was available. "...c-cream puffs? Oh..." She grabs a few in her magic, happily eating them. Delicious!

Rhino, in the meantime, looks like a fish out of water as he walks around the party trying to find Angel. He doesn't try making conversation with anypony, focusing solely on his mission. Eventually he finds her still at the cream puff end of the snack area. He sighs in relief. "Phew, lost you for a bit there. Guess you have a bit of a sweet tooth."

She swallows the food in her mouth before responding. "...N-not really...j-just a weakness for cream puffs..." She sheepishly smiles, even as her magic brings a few more next to her. "...S-so, do you know anypony here?"

"Hmm..." He grabs a cup of punch with his magic to fiddle with as he thinks. "A few come to mind: Twilight the librarian, Rarity, who made me a very nice fedora and is lovely to chat with, Applejack run the local farm where the cow herd lives, everypony knows Pinkie, Lily, Daisy, and Roseluck the flower trio..." He points out each pony as he lists them.

She nods, glancing at the farmer for a few seconds. Applejack, Element of Honesty. Kicked drone twenty in the head and fractured the carapace. She shakes her head, looking off to the side. ...That's the mare from my first day at work... She follows her line of sight before returning her own gaze to the mare. ...interesting...

“There's probably a few more around, but I'm having trouble telling with the shifting crowd." He turns to Gel. "So, you said you were tired earlier, is that still true?"

"...sort of..." Gel turns back to him, nodding her head towards the mare she saw. "...What about her?"

He follows her gaze as recognition dawns in his eyes. "Who, Manila? Yeah, she's a coworker of mine. Very nice, perky, a bit like Pinkie I suppose, but more toned down."

...Definitely interesting... "...are there any other coworkers of yours around here, Rhino?" She glances around curiously, a small smile on her lips. ...Now I've seen every one of the Elements...right? She blinks, realizing something. ...No...I haven't seen all of them...where is the Element of Kindness?

"Hmm... Mane should be around here somewhere if Manila's here..." He narrows his eyes as he peers through the crowds. "Ah, there she is! It looks like she's talking to Fluttershy. She's an animal caretaker of sorts."

That's her! She whips herself around, trying to follow his line of sight. "F-Fluttershy? Y-you mean that famous model?" ...Why do I remember that detail?

He shrugs. "I think I saw her on a magazine at one point so, maybe. I don't really keep up with that sort of thing."

"...O-okay, then..." She sheepishly smiles, rubbing the back of her neck. "...um...a-anything you'd like to-" She stops mid sentence, staring at the lavender unicorn in the middle of the dance floor. "...is...is that even a dance?"

Rhino looks towards the dance floor where Twilight Sparkle was giving her all. About half the ponies in the room were either giving her a wide berth or amused stares. "I don't think that's an official one, but if I had to give it a name I would call it 'Random Flailing'. I suppose you can't fault her enthusiasm though."

"...Sadly, I think it's better than I could even do..." Gel sighs, shaking her head. "...I think I'll just go get some air...I can't think of anything to do here..." She silently takes a few more cream puffs. "...aside from eating these...I-I'll be right back..." She turns and starts to walk off. ...This is just plain embarrassing...

He walks after her. "Umm, do you want some company? Parties... aren't really my thing."

She turns to look at him over her shoulder, eyes wide in surprise. She smiles softly, nodding a bit "...S-sure...I-I'd like that..." ...Time alone with Rhino...this can't be more perfect... She faces forward and continues to walk, giggling to herself. Nothing could ruin this moment!

Suddenly, the path forward is blocked by a purple mare with a drink in one hoof and a stagger in her walk. "Hey..." she says as she sways, "you're that new mare...I got something I wanna say to you..."

Rhino tenses up behind Gel.

Gel blinks, looking at the mare in confusion. "...um...o-okay?" I can smell the alcohol on her breath. What is this mare up to?

The mare walks closer. "Pucker up sexy." She drops her drink and forces her lips onto Gel's own, her tongue seems to be trying to force itself in as well. The disguised changeling freezes up at the action, whereas Rhino springs into it.

His horn flares to light and none-too-gently rips the drunk mare away from his roommate. He marches up to the mare with a ticked off look in his eyes. "Berry, go home. You're drunk."

The white unicorn behind him, on the other hoof, is smoldering with embarrassment, smoke coming off the top of her head. "...D-did she just...k-kiss me?" Of all the...I wanted Rhino to be the first to kiss me in this form! She groans, silently walking out of the building before her emotions got too hard to control.

Rhino, on the other hoof, was setting Berry in a corner after she passed out. He let Pinkie know about what happened and where the drunk was before he went back to look for his friend. Not seeing her anywhere, Rhino makes his way outside, looking back and forth worriedly as he calls out. "Angel? Angel are you out here?"

She watches him from the top of the building, sighing softly. ...Can't face him...n-not after that... She sniffles, rubbing her nose with a hoof. ...Why did that mare have to do that?

The stallion continues searching for her, slowly making circles around the building. After the third lap he stops and sighs. "Okay okay, focus. Maybe she went home? If I check there and she isn't though, then what?" He sighs again, muttering calculations to himself. After a moment, he becomes understandable again. "Okay, twenty Blinks to get home, I can be there and back in five minutes if she isn't there... One more lap, then I'll try it."

Right at that moment, a book hits him on the top of the head.

Gel gasps, her pupils shrinking down to pinpricks. W-why did I bring that with me?!

"Ow!" Rhino rubs his head as he looks down to see what hit him. "Hey... isn't that Angel's journal?" He floats it up to his face. "It is... wait, how would this have gotten up there?" A glow forms on the underside of his hooves as he walks to the nearest wall then starts walking up it like it was just more ground.

She shrinks into as small a ball as she can on top of the large cupcake, starting to get nervous. H-how can he do that?! She groans softly, holding her head in her hooves. I can't even check to see if that info's in my journal!

Rhino reaches the top of the main floor of the building and looks around. He even tilts his head to look up on the tip of the top floor but still doesn't see a sign of the missing mare. With another sigh, he sits down on the roof and looks out over the dark town. "Come on Angel... where'd you go? I'm worried something happened to you..."

She bites her lip, slowly standing up. ...I just...can't stand to see him upset... She leaps, landing next to him. "...I-I'm here, Rhino...p-please cheer up..."

His eyes light up at seeing her while his arms grab her in a hug. "There you are! I thought something horrible happened to you!"

She squeaks, eyes wide in surprise. "...R-Rhino..." She smiles softly, calming down as she returns the embrace. "...I'm sorry...I was just so ashamed..." She blushes brightly, remembering what just happened. "...I didn't know how to react...so I...I tried to hide..."

He leans back so he can looks her in the eyes. "Hey, it's not your fault. Berry was just really drunk, ponies do crazy things when that happens. I'm just glad you're safe..." He looks back out at the darkened town before swiftly scooping her up onto his back. "I think I've had enough excitement for one night. Do you want to head home?"

Gel quietly nods, nuzzling the back of his neck. "...Yes, please..." ...Such a gentlestallion...if only I...

"Alright, here we go." The green glow of his magic appears on the bottom of his hooves again as the same glow is seen from an arcane circle that appears on his back. He walks to the edge of the roof and transitions back to the wall, the magic making sure he stayed attached to the wall while she stayed attached to him.

She blinks at this, confused. She opens up her journal and looks through it, trying to understand what's going on. "...Um...i-isn't this your spell for decreasing surface tension? H-how are you walking on walls with it?" ...This unicorn keeps getting more and more interesting...

He continues walking down the wall, turning to avoid a window. "Since it's a spell of my own creation, I know everything about it. I designed it so that with minimal alteration, I can reverse the effects. The spell itself I call Res for short, with the version I'm using now as Hi-Res and the other variant as Low-Res."

The mare puts a hoof to her chin, thinking on this a bit. "...This is one of your rune spells, isn't it?"

They reach the ground. The glow on his hooves flares a moment while the one on his back remains. "All of my spells are rune spells. Beyond basic levitation." He barely lifts off the ground and starts skating down the road at a leisurely pace.

"...All of them?" There's more than this one? She sighs, shaking her head. Further investigation is required.

"Yes, it's the way I use magic. This spell isn't the only one I know, it's just the one I use most often." They skate along further. "If you want, I could show you another one when we get closer to the house."

She tilts her head, curious. ...or he could just show me. That works too. "...s-sure..."

"Hmm... we should be close enough in a moment. There might be a slight bit of disorientation for you." His horn flares for about a half-second before the two disappear and reappear about 25 meters ahead of where they were. The house could be seen ahead of them for the split second before they disappeared again and reappear inside the living room, a single drop of sweat on Rhino's brow.

Gel rests the side of her head against his neck, groaning softly. "...I don't...f-feel so good..."

Rhino levitates over a trashcan and sets it below her as he speaks. "Sorry, I thought it would be only minor disorientation. Ponies who aren't used to my kind of teleporting tend to react that way."

"...I'm not used to...a-any kind of teleporting...ulp..." She grabs the trashcan in her forehooves, falling off his back in the process. She holds her head above it, not wanting to chance getting sick all over the floor.

Not actually having done this before, but hearing about it from other ponies, Rhino gathers her mane with his magic and holds it behind her head so it doesn't get messy. "Do you want something for your stomach?"

"...I-I don't know...m-maybe?" She gulps, trying to think. "...w-what would help with that?" Why can't love help heal my nausea?! This sucks!

"I believe I have some ginger ale in the pantry. Do you think you'll be alright without me while I go check?"

"...I-I think so..." She breathes deeply, steadily, trying to calm her rebelling belly. "...p-please hurry, though..."

The stallion nods before disappearing and reappearing in the kitchen. He quickly rifles through the cabinets. "Ah ha!" He pulls out a green bottle and pours a generous amount into a glass before rushing back into the living room. "Here, try this, just drink it slowly and it should settle your stomach. It used to work for me when mine wasn't agreeable either."

She gratefully accepts the glass, sipping it carefully. She pulls it away from her face, grimacing a bit. "...it...it tastes weird..."

He rubs the back of his head. "Yeah, it's more of an acquired taste, but it does help. At least it tastes better than most medicines."

She glances up at him, then back at the glass. ...Nothing to lose, I suppose... She continues to drink, closing her eyes tightly as she forced through the taste.

"Sorry if this crosses a line, but I think this is what you do for ponies in this situation." He puts a hoof on her back and rubs up and down.

She lowers the glass, sighing softly. "...I wouldn't know...I've never had to do this before..." Nice save. "...it feels nice, at least...so thank you..."

"Your welcome." They remain like this for ten minutes before he speaks up again. "How does it feel now?"

"...B-better...a lot better..." She smiles softly at him, setting the empty glass down. "...S-so...you ready for tomorrow, Rhino?"

He smiles back. "I look forward to seeing what you have in mind."

A playful grin crosses her lips. "...Trust me...it's going to be fun..."

Chapter 7: Gear up

Gel slowly wakes up, rubbing her eyes. "...Hngh...journal..." She grabs it, flipping through it carefully. "...I see..." She grins, bounding out of her room. "Today's the day!"

She rushes over to Rhino's door, pushing it open and entering. "Rhino! It's time to wake up!"

The stallion however, does not hear her call. He is sleeping on his side, facing the door with a small pillow held in his forehooves. His breaths come even and slow, out like a rock some might say.

She blinks at this, slowly approaching the bed. "...Rhino?" She gently pokes his cheek, confused. "...is he a heavy sleeper?"

His forelegs curl tighter around the small pillow, but other than that he doesn't react.

She grins, a blue flame coming off one side to reveal one of her wings. "...This might be fun." She brings the tip of it to his nose, tickling it teasingly.

His nose twitches at the tickling. After a moment indiscernible mumbles come from his mouth as one hoof sluggishly swipes in front of his nose. Said hoof lazily hangs over the edge of the bed after its exertions.

She moves the wing to his hoof, giggling happily. "...He's so cute like this..." She gently strokes his mane, smiling softly. "...so fluffy...I like it..."

A smile slowly grows on his face at the touch to his mane. His whole body seems to relax and deflate as he leans into the hoof.

She nuzzles his cheek, continuing to rub his mane. "...Definitely cute..."

Suddenly his hooves shoot out and wrap around her. He pulls her in close with one swift movement and nuzzles her cheek as he lets out a content sigh.

Gel squeaks, surprised at this. W-what is he doing?! She squirms, trying to get out of his grip while blue flames once again disguise her wing.

He frowns at the feeling of her pulling away. With a grunt, he shifts his arms to bring her against his chest. At the same time, he flicks the covers higher up over the two of them with a bit of magic. After a little more shifting, he settles down again, keeping her close to him.

She trembles, unsure of what to do. ...I suppose...this isn't all bad... She smiles, gingerly nuzzling his cheek. ...this means he at least thinks highly of me deep down...right?

The stallion freely continues the back and forth nuzzle fest, though his are slower due to his unconscious state. His tail coils around hers as one of his hooves starts trailing in little circles on her back as they lay in silence.

She sighs softly, looking up at him. "...Well..." She leans up, her cheeks burning with her blush. "...s-since we're like this..." She gently presses her lips against his, her heart fluttering in her chest.

Surprisingly, he pushes back with pressure of his own. His forelegs shift from the grip he had, to a more gentle hug. The two kiss for a short time until he breaks it, resting his forehead on hers afterward with a smile on his face.

On the other hoof, Gel has frozen from shock. ...kiss...h-he just...kiss... She laughs for a few moments and passes out, an ecstatic smile on her face.

Her sudden lack of means to keep herself on the bed, along with Rhino's loosened grip, results in her slowly but surely sliding off, landing with a thump. Said thump causes Rhino to grunt and blearily open his eyes, blinking slowly. "Gruh?"

She lays on the floor, her left hindleg twitching slightly from the impact.

He steps out of bed like he does everyday, only to trip and land on the floor next to the mare. He groans as his brain warms up enough to identify the white shape next to him. Once he does, he nudges her face with his nose. "Angel?"

She groans softly, holding her head. "...That hurt..." She turns to him, smiling softly. "...hey, Rhino...s-sorry for...w-well, being in here...I was just excited for today..." She sits up, leaning against his bed.

He remains where he is on the ground as he lets out a yawn. "You're a nice thing to wake up to after a nice dream..."

"...a nice dream?" She looks off to the side, blushing softly. "...Um...m-may I ask what it was about?"

His eyes look upward as he tries to recall. "The more I try to think about it, the more it slips away... It was soft, warm, there was cuddling involved... There might have been a kiss at the end, it's slowly becoming more and more blurry."

...That sounds perfect... She clears her throat, standing up and offering him a hoof. "...S-so...you ready for my surprise?" She grins playfully, a twinkle in her eye.

He takes her hoof, almost pulling her over whenever he gets up. After cracking his neck he looks at her with increasingly awake eyes. "Lead the way."

"First, let me get dressed!" She giggles, rushing out the room and into her own. I hope he'll like it!

Still slightly spaced out, Rhino sits down and plays with his tail as he waits.

Soon enough, the door opens, revealing a pony dressed in an all-black body armor suit, it looks to be made of a thick fabric with reinforcements on areas like shoulders, chest, and others. Their face is hidden by a smooth helmet. The pony waves excitedly at Rhino.

He blinks, not expecting anything remotely like this. He tries to crack a joke to cover for himself. "You do not look nearly as approachable in that getup."

The helmet lifts up, revealing the white mare's face. "...Sorry...I just thought you'd like one of my favorite pastimes..." She lowers the mask, pointing a hoof off into the distance. "Paintball!"

He laughs. "Really? Paintball? Alright, I officially did not see that coming. Wow... I haven't played paintball since high school..."

"Oh? You've played before?" She tilts her head to one side, somehow bumping the helmet against the wall with a 'bonk'. She flinches, rubbing the spot that was hit. "...I should be more careful..."

"Well, that's what the umm..." he gestures to her outfit, "...armor is for. I've only ever played twice though, and I have never seen this full outfit before."

She titters nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. "...W-well, I really like paintball...s-so I bought the best armor I could find...don't want to get hurt playing, right?"

Rhino winces. "True, my friends and I only played with helmets... had welts for weeks."

"Don't worry, Rhino." She walks over to him, playfully bumping his side with hers. "I'll be sure to buy you a set once we get there!"

He shakes his head. "You don't have to do that, I can buy it myself. No sense in you wasting your bits."

"...A-are you sure?" She fidgets slightly, turning her head away. "I-I mean, I'd be happy to buy it for you...really, it's no trouble..."

Seeing how much this means to her, he relents. "Alright alright, you can buy it... No more sulking though, it kills me every time you do that."

"Deal!" She giggles, trying to nuzzle his cheek, only to bonk their heads together. "...oops...s-sorry..."

His rubs the injured cheek with a hoof. "It's fine, might as well start getting the pain tolerance up now. So umm, do we just head out? Do you already know where it is?"

"I sure do!" She heads over to the door, looking over her shoulder at him. "It's in a clearing in the Everfree!"

Rhino smiles while muttering under his breath. "Oh joy..."

***

The two arrive at the relatively isolated clearing on the outer edges of the Everfree. Gel has a spring in her step and a rustle in her armor while Rhino simply walks along smiling at her antics. They head toward the only building in the area, the mare taking the lead since this is her world.

"This is the place, Rhino!" She motions a hoof towards the building. "That's where you'll get your armor." She moves on to the area around them. "And this is the place where we'll be playing. By the way..." She tickles his nose with her tail, giggling softly. "...I've never lost."

He blushes and zones out a moment from the tail, before shaking himself out of it. "Well, that works out nicely then, I've never won." He looks at the building warily. "So... do I just go in or...?"

"Go on in. I'll buy your outfit once you're ready." Good thing stallions enjoy a shy mare. I should be able to afford anything he'd want to buy! "I'll wait out here for you." She sits down, looking around to see who else is there.

Rhino nods and heads inside.

After a few minutes, a semi-familiar voice calls out to Gel. "Hey, AJ!" Rainbow Dash swoops in while clad in every piece of the armor but the helmet, a rainbow stripe down the side. She hovers in place before noticing the helmet has room for a horn. She looks closer at the yellow tail sticking out of the suit before her eyes drop slightly. "Oh, you're not Applejack..."

...Well, we do both have blonde tails. I can understand how she got confused. Gel lifts up the helmet, smiling kindly. "Hey, you're that mare from yesterday, right? The one that gave me directions to Carousel Boutique?"

Recognition flashes in the pegasus' eyes. "Oh yeah, huh, didn't peg somepony going to Rarity's one day would be one I'd see here the next. You play?"

"Of course!" She giggles, waving a hoof nonchalantly. "It's a great way to unwind."

"I hear that, sister. It's a shame more ponies don't play regularly, usually I have to bring a pony so I can play one on one." She motions over to a dark grey pegasus with blue mohawk talking to one of the employees.

She glances at the stallion before looking back at Rainbow, confused. "...Is he your coltfriend or something?"

"Thunderlane? He wishes. Nah, he's just a friend." She looks in the immediate area around Gel. "What about you? Here with somepony?"

"Yeah." She gestures towards the building. "He's inside getting some armor at the moment." She glances at the stallion, frowning slightly. ...Strange...I can certainly feel some love in the air...but I can't tell where it's coming from... She shakes her head, dismissing the thought. "So, you going to win against him?" She grins playfully, motioning towards Thunderlane.

"Of course, nopony beats Rainbow Dash!" She puts a hoof to her chest in pride, before cracking an eye open and looking at the stallion. "He does get closer than most though, but it's difficult to bring out his competitive side."

...There's an idea... "Hey, maybe you'd like to do a two-on-two type game?" She giggles, tilting her head to one side. "I know you have plans with him, but I figure it'd be more fun with more ponies, right?"

Rainbow thinks about this for a few seconds. "Sure, sounds awesome! Bigger groups are always more fun. Let me just go tell Thunderlane that the plan's changed." She turns and bolts off with her final sentence trailing behind her. "Meet us by the field registry okay?"

"Sure thing!" This will be interesting. She lowers her helmet to hide her smile, heading over to the building. I'd better tell Rhino as soon as possible.

Inside the building, Rhino has just completed his quest to find the parts of the outfit in his size and with colors he likes. His outfit is basically the same as his roommate's, with the addition of a green stripe down the sides and a green 'V' on the visor. The additional bulk of the getup along with his height make for an intimidating appearance when you can't see the expression on his face.

"Hey, Rhino!" She rushes in, stopping in her tracks when she sees him. "...Um...w-wow..." She rubs the back of her neck, turning her head away. "...y-you look amazing...m-more so in the suit, I mean..." Stop being distracted by the sexy. Tell him the news, already!

He chuckles. "Thanks, it took a small bit to get it all on, but I do like the feel of it." He smiles bigger as something occurs to him. "You know, this is looking like when I first saw you in your uniform, though the roles are reversed."

"...I-I suppose it is..." She shakes her head, looking up at him. "A-anyways, Rainbow Dash and her friend are going to be playing with us. Or should I say against us, considering?" She puts a hoof on her chin, thinking about this for a moment.

"Oh, well that's good. I was worried we might have to fight each other... would not have enjoyed that..." He looks over himself. "I guess I'm mostly all set, I still need the actual weapon though. Do they rent those or something?"

"No need, I have three of them." She opens her saddlebags, pulling all of them out with her magic. "Do you want the blue one, the black one or the green one?"

He raises an eyebrow at her. "Take a guess."

She quietly gives him the green one, glad her helmet hides her blush. "...T-there you go...a-and here's your extra ammunition..." She floats a bottle of paintballs over to him.

He smiles. "Thank you. Let me guess... you're going to use the... blue one?"

"Both, actually." She lifts up her helmet, grinning at him. "I'm an expert with these things."

"In that case..." He salutes her, "What are your orders, Captain?"

"Colonel." Her eyes widen before she slams her helmet back on, hiding her panicked expression. Why did you say that?! He didn't need to know that! You're going to blow your cover! Not to mention you're thinking in second pony. Stop that now. "J-just be careful out there, and don't be afraid to use that teleporting spell if you need to."

"Ma'am yes ma'am." He says with a casual air and a cheeky smile.

"Let's go register then." She turns to leave before turning towards the register, nervously giggling. "A-after I pay for your outfit, I mean." She rushes over to it, embarrassed.

Rhino simply smirks as she pays for the outfit before they make their way out to the field registry. The two pegasi are waiting for them, fully geared except for having their helmets off and held with one wing.

Rainbow waves as they get near. "There you are! Okay, I've got it all straightened out with the workers and we have the field to ourselves for the next two hours. Sound good?"

"Sounds great!" She giggles, turning towards the pegasus stallion. "Are you excited?"

The mohawked stallion smiles. "Sure, sounds like fun. I hope you're alright with losing though." He jerks his head in Rainbow's direction. "Dash here gets a bit competitive."

Gel looks at Rainbow, eyes narrowed behind her visor. "She does?" I'd better be careful around her. I don't want my winning streak tarnished.

Dash turns to Thunderlane, frowning slightly. "I am not compe-" She breaks herself off, laughing. "Okay, I couldn't say that with a straight face!"

The group chuckles together at the pegasus. After a moment, Rhino turns to the other stallion. "I don't think we've been introduced." He holds out his hoof. "Rhino. Nice to meet you."

The pegasus bro-hoofs him. "Thunderlane. Likewise."

"Sweet name, Rhino!" The pegasus mare glances at Gel, smirking playfully. "Does your marefriend have a name like that?"

She squeaks, shifting awkwardly. "...w-we're not...I mean..." She holds out a trembling hoof, lowering her head. "A-Angelic Grace. N-nice to meet you, Miss Dash."

Rainbow bumps hooves, shaking her head at this. "Same. Don't call me 'Miss', though. It's not a cool name."

Rhino raises a hoof. "Since I'm fairly certain I'm the newbie here, mind if I ask if there are any general rules or specific rules for our battle that I need to know?"

"Hit others, don't get hit yourself, and anything goes." The chromatic pegasus shrugs, grinning as she puts on her helmet. "The first team to have both players out loses. Once we get to our sides, it's time to start!" She waves a hoof, turning her head away. "Hey, I'm feeling generous today. You choose where you wanna have us fight first."

Gel nods, starting to walk over to the area with a labyrinth-like layout. With the glass ceiling over the top of it, it's the perfect place to ambush pegasi. Anywhere else is open to aerial attacks. That, and the angular pattern requires almost constant turning, making sure they can't run or fly fast inside.

The two unicorns walk into the maze and find their way to one of the larger spaces inside. They begin making final checks on their armor and weapons. Rhino looks around at the mossy stone walls before his gaze lands on Gel.

With a final 'click' he finishes preparations and walks over to her. "Any final thoughts you want to share before this goes down?"

"Don't let your guard down, and feel free to walk around as you like." She turns to look up at the plexiglass, a fire in her eyes. I will not lose! Bring it on, Rainbow Dash! She turns to him, nodding a bit. "Good luck, Rhino. Not that you'll need it, right?"

He looks away coyly. "Well, I guess I can trade out my usual luck for support instead." He gives her a knowing look. "I'll do my best."

A voice echoes through a megaphone from outside the arena. "The match will start in ten seconds."

Gel nods, checking her guns one last time to make sure they're working. Perfect.

"Five. Four. Three. Two. One."

Let's do this.

BZZT.

Chapter 8: Paint

As the match begins, Rhino immediately walks into the shadow of the nearest wall. Underneath his helmet, his ears are swiveling in all directions. He doesn't hear anything suspicious, so he makes a quick motion to Gel so she focuses on him. With a hoof, he points to himself, then to the wall, then upward.

She tilts her head, confused. ...What does he mean? Whatever it is, I'd better agree. She nods before it dawns on her. Oh, his Res spell! Duh! She facehoofs silently before cautiously entering the maze, every sense on the alert for any sign of their targets. Come on out, little pegasi. I've got some paint here for you.

A familiar glow appears on the undersides of Rhino's hooves as he scales the labyrinth wall. As he nears the top, he stops and peeks his head over, trying to spot anything. Seeing nothing, he cranes his neck to check on his partner. Seeing her enter the maze proper, he quickly makes his way over to her, running just below the tops of the walls at an angle perpendicular to them.

Gel continues to walk along, glancing around each bend carefully, making sure she was safe before she moved on. Eventually, she reaches an unusually straight stretch of hall. She stops at the very edge of her hiding spot, peering out at the path. ...I can't just go out there...I'd be a sitting duck for anyone who came by, or snuck into one of the side corridors...maybe a small trick to lure them out... She concentrates, a single wisp of blue fire forming in front of her. She sends it on ahead, drifting slowly down the hall. Will-o-wisp. Stare too long and you'll find yourself drawn by it's flame...

Rhino watches from above, intrigued by the flame. He flares up his horn and a neat glowing green script appears on the wall next to Gel. 'Impressive trick. I'll guard you from above if you guard me from below. Deal?'

She looks up at him and gives a quick salute, showing that she understood. I wonder what runes allow him to do that. Or is that just his magic? She glances around the corners, eyes narrowed slightly. ...they should be here by now...not that I'm complaining about getting a small breather, of course...

A sudden flutter of feathers causes the stallion's head to snap towards the sound, revealing a charging Rainbow Dash with eyes and weapon trained on him. As her hoof pulls down on the trigger, his horn lights up and he disappears, leaving the paint pellets to zoom through the space he had been in. He reappears attached upside down to the plexiglass ceiling and takes aim at his assailant. As his first shot rings out, the pegasus jukes to the right and glides down into one of the mazes corridors, quickly rounding a corner and becoming lost to sight.

Gel frowns slightly at this, dispersing the blue wisp. That's obviously not going to work. Need a back-up... She carefully steps out of the alcove to see pellets coming right at her. She rolls her eyes, creating a flame-shield in their path, destroying them on contact. It's not cheating if it's part of your talent, right?

Meanwhile, the ceiling-clinging stallion spots Thunderlane as he backs up after taking his shots at the mare. As the unicorn lines up the shot, pellets start whizzing by his head from a returning rainbow blur. Rhino releases his spell and fires a trio of shots at the other stallion as he falls, only to growl as they land in the dirt around him. His horn lights up and he teleports right side up on one of the walls, only to light it up again and appear next to Gel.

She jumps, glancing at him before turning towards the gray pegasus. "...that still startles me..." She trains her guns on the stallion, her helmet hiding her smirk. One down, one to go. She fires three shots in rapid succession, expecting that he'll be hit by at least one of them.

One shot of the burst misses, one grazes him, and the other zooms through the feathers of Thunderlane's wings. Since none of them actually burst on him, he isn't out. He levels his gun at the unicorn team and fires two quick shots down the long corridor. Seeing them coming from so far away, Rhino lights up his horn and wraps his aura around the pellets to simply stop them in mid air. The pegasus stops at this move and puts his hooves in a 'T' shape. "Time out!"

The others look at him quizzically before all convening to his location.

Rainbow lands on the ground next to her friend, lifting up her helmet. "What's up, Lane?"

Gel removes her own helmet, purely confused by the current situation. ...Why did he call time out? Was it something we did?

The pegasus stallion removes his helmet as well, leaving Rhino as the only helmeted pony. The grey pony points to the other stallion. "I would like to make a new rule: no directly influencing pellets. I'm fine with everything else because with our wings it balances out, but we have no match for you just catching them with magic."

Rhino looks back at the pellets on the floor before levitating them back to the other stallion. "Sorry, reflex."

The white mare places a hoof on his shoulder, smiling softly. "Don't worry about it, Rhino. You'll do fine." I'll have your back, though, just in case.

The chromatic pegasus nods, flexing her wings a bit from restlessness. "Yeah, glad we got that settled. Now can we get back to the game, Lane?"

He nods, before speaking very quickly. "Ten second immunity starting now!"

With that, Rainbow swiftly flies off, leaving the three of them there.

Gel panics, ducking behind a wall, keeping an eye on Thunderlane and Rhino. Let's see how this turns out. Not to mention who will be left standing...

The two stallions stand in the exact spot where they had been during the time out. Thunderlane tilts his head at the unicorn. "You realize you only have six seconds left right?"

Rhino responds simply. "Three."

The pegasus raises his gun. "Two."

The unicorn's horn lights up under his helmet. "One."

As Thunderlane starts to put pressure on his trigger, a large arcane circle suddenly appears on the ground underneath him. His hooves all slide out from under him in different directions, leaving him splayed out on the floor. Rhino simply angles his own gun downward and shoots a quick triple burst into the pegasus' back, every one of them splatting all over his armor.

"You're out."

Gel grins, throwing her hooves up in the air. "That was amazing, Rhino!" She giggles, covering where her mouth would be with a hoof. "We're closer to winning. Not so bad for our first time playing this together, huh?" She steps forward, playfully elbowing him in the ribs.

He nods, knowing smiles wouldn't do anything since they can't be seen through helmets. He reaches a hoof down towards the fallen pegasus. "Hey, no hard feelings?"

Thunderlane takes the offered hoof. "It's fine, dude. You got me fair and square." He's pulled up. "Nice trick by the way."

"Thanks, guess you get to go above and watch now." The unicorns nods towards the exit and the glass ceiling.

"Yep, looking forward to seeing how you do against Dash. Good luck!" The grey pegasus flies up and above the maze and is soon out the door.

Gel watches him leave, moving a bit closer to Rhino. "I'm glad he's not a sore loser."

Behind them, a certain mare trains her sights on the white unicorn. "Gotcha." She fires at her, certain that she can't dodge the pellets.

As he hears the pellets being fired, Rhino reflexively tackles Gel out of the way. The two tumble across the floor a short distance before stopping. As he gets up, Rhino notices a bright blue streak on the ground leading to him. Looking down, he sees it's from a couple of fresh paint splotches along his side.

Rainbow laughs from her spot in the air, pointing a hoof at the stallion. "You're out!"

The white unicorn stares at the paint on Rhino's side, silent. ...he got hit...by that braggart? She trembles, her head lowered. ...thank you, Rhino...I won't let your sacrifice be in vain! She glares up at the mare, a fire visible in her eyes through her helmet's tinted visor. "Now I'm fired up!"

As Rhino leaves the arena to spectate from on top of the ceiling, the pegasus simply smirks as she levels her weapon. "Hey, no need to be mad, you'll be joining him soon enough." She fires.

"Wrong!" She yells, her body being engulfed in blue fire from her rage. The pellets evaporate as soon as they even get close to the flames. She laughs, training her guns on the pegasus. "You're going down." She fires, but her flames cause her own shots to evaporate. She blinks, staring at her paintball guns in silence. ...I guess my flames are a double-edged sword, here...

Rainbow, who had ducked down at the burst of flames, peeks her head back up and laughs. "Sorry pyro pony, you aren't going to win that easy!" She dives into the long corridor Gel is in and quickly gains speed as she flies just above the ground. Just as she's about to ram the other mare, she pulls up and soars just over her head, creating a massive wave of wind that buffets the unicorn.

Gel slams her forehooves into the ground, keeping herself from flying backwards from the gust. Unfortunately for her, though, the wind extinguished her flames. She grits her teeth, turning and firing at Rainbow before she got too far away. I will not lose!

The prismatic pegasus gracefully arcs upward, the shots zooming just behind her. As she reaches the apex of her loop, she flips right side up and performs a quick strafing run at Gel before diving back into one of the neighboring corridors.

Gel shoots each of the pellets, knocking them away from her. She blinks at this, surprised. ...well, that was lucky. I was trying to hit her.

She shrugs, ducking down one of the paths as well, running along it as fast as possible. She enters one of the larger rooms and skids to a halt, looking around. ...this looks like a smaller version of the large tree fort outside. I could use this to my advantage, but I have to be careful not to set it on fire... She grins, rushing up the stairway to the tree. Using another will-o-wisp, she lights up the darkened path ahead of her, keeping it a decent distance ahead of her.

Her opponent spots the light moving in the tree from where she was skulking in the maze. With a quick flap of her wings, she quietly glides over the maze and to the top of the tree. The only sound she makes is the slight rustle of leaves as she burrows into them to wait.

The white mare hears the rustling and glances around, eyes narrowed. ...come on...all I need is a glimpse of that rainbow stripe on your side, and you're done... She climbs up the tree, her training allowing her to move noiselessly. From what I know about that pegasus, she's probably near the top. That's where the sound is coming from, anyways...

Neither seeing nor hearing the other mare, Rainbow starts to get restless. "Come on... get up here already..." Finally, the urge to move gets the best of her and she slowly creeps out of the foliage, weapon first and trained in front of her. She makes a few careful sweeps but growls when she still sees nothing.

Gel notices this, keeping low and out of sight. In a flash of inspiration, she sends her will-o-wisp down to the ground underneath the tree. ...come on, little pony...take the bait...

Rainbow notices the light down on the ground and grins. She slowly extends her wings like a bird of prey about to swoop, an apt metaphor given the situation. With a 'woosh' she goes into a dive heading for the light with a triumphant smile on her face.

The disguised changeling smirks, shaking her head. Checkmate. She silently moves along the treehouse path to a section where she can clearly see her blue flame. She trains her sights on the area through a small window. She's almost in the perfect position. Just a little more...

As Rainbow closes in, she looks around expecting to see the other mare following the light. When she doesn't, she stops and hovers in place looking around for her opponent by slowly rotating around. "Where are you..."

Gel sees this and fires, nodding to herself. Game over, Dash.

Hearing the shot too late, the pegasus only has time for her pupils to shrink before a series of splats hit her back. She groans as she lands dejectedly. As she touches down, she calls out. "Alright... you got me..."

"Yes!" The unicorn rushes down to where the chromatic mare landed, not even bothering to try and hide her hooffalls. "That was fun!" She holds out a hoof, lifting up her helmet and smiling kindly. "Good game, Miss Dash."

Rainbow grumbles a moment before holding out her hoof and smiling. "Yeah... it was a good game. Probably the best I've had in a while. I'd forgotten what losing felt like..."

Gel nods, putting her paintball guns on her back. "It's a good thing to lose every once in a while. From what I understand, it's how you learn, right?" She shrugs a bit, looking up at the see-through ceiling. It also teaches humility, which this mare needs to learn. Not that I'd tell her that, of course.

Above them, Rhino and Thunderlane are watching. The unicorn rears to celebrate his teammate's victory while Thunderlane simply hovers and smiles. They motion for the two to meet them at the entrance, Rhino pawing at his helmet as they walk off.

Gel and Rainbow quickly exit the labyrinth thanks to their directions. The chromatic pegasus takes off her helmet, grinning widely at Rhino. "Your marefriend sure is skilled. But only a bit more than me." She winks at him, pointedly ignoring the blush on the white unicorn's face.

Gel squirms a bit, pawing at the ground with a hoof. Calm down. She's obviously saying that to get a reaction out of him.

The stallion seems tense as he answers. "This is the first time I've seen this competitive side of her... it's very interesting." His magic surrounds his helmet but he doesn't take it off. It disperses and a smaller glow can be seen on the back of his helmet, but still nothing comes of it.

Rainbow shrugs, shaking her head. "Eh, this game can do that to ponies."

The white pony moves closer to Rhino, curious. "...Rhino? What's with that glow?" She moves behind him, staring at the back of his helmet. Is this one of his rune spells?

Thunderlane offers his observations. "He's been doing that the whole time we've been out here. That and hitting himself in the helmet."

Rhino huffs. "I am not hitting myself. Just... doing something..." He fiddles with the base of the helmet with one hoof while the small glowing area on his helmet moves around, almost like it's searching for something.

The mares stare at him blankly for a few moments before the chromatic pony speaks up, bemused. "It's stuck, isn't it?"

His head turns to the side as one hoof scuffs the ground. "Maybe..."

Gel steps forward, grabbing the helmet with her magic. "Don't worry, Rhino. I'll get it off for you." She tugs carefully on it, making sure she wouldn't hurt him.

The helmet only moves an inch before stopping. Rhino mutters to the group. "A salespony helped me get it in. I think there's a latch or a snap or something that I'm missing but I cannot for the life of me find it. I really really need to get this off."

The white mare looks down, finally noticing a series of latches near the bottom of the back of his helmet. How did we miss that? She reaches up with a hoof and turns each one, her magic ready to take it off as soon as she was able to. Just one more, and...there! She pulls off the helmet, but, not expecting it to come off as easily as it did, she lost her grip on it momentarily, hitting his horn with it on accident. "...um...s-sorry..."

Rainbow laughs, shaking her head. "For such a paintball wiz, you sure are clumsy!" When the unicorn lowers her head, she frowns softly, moving forward to put a hoof on her shoulder. "It was a joke. I didn't think you'd take it seriously."

Rhino's appearance reveals exactly why he wanted the helmet off so badly. His fur and mane are absolutely soaked with sweat and condensation lines the inside of the helmet. One could almost see the steam coming off him as he sits on the ground rubbing the area around the base of his horn ruefully. "She seems to take some things to heart. Haven't quite figured out how to avoid it yet..."

Gel sighs quietly, leaning against his side. "...I'm sorry, Rhino...I just...I have trouble understanding when ponies are joking, sometimes..." I really need to find a book on that, or something. This is getting out of hoof...

The chromatic mare slowly nods, backing away a bit. "Right...let's go, Lane. I think these two need some time alone."

After the two leave, Rhino looks down at the mare. "Careful about leaning on me. Crude as it may sound, I am covered in sweat and I'm not sure if the suit has absorbed any or not. I wouldn't want you to unintentionally get it on yourself."

She looks up at him, smiling softly. "...I don't mind...besides, you look cute when you're sweaty..." She giggles, playfully sticking her tongue out. "...not that I'm into that, or anything..." ...why did I add that last sentence? It's pretty much a given, right? She turns her head away, mentally sighing. ...I can only hope he doesn't think that I'm some kind of pervert...

He notices her turning away and nudges her with his nose. "Hey, no being sad. Look, paintball! It's what you wanted and we did it so you have no excuse to be sad. Should you disregard that and become sad anyway, I cannot be held responsible for what I do."

Gel turns back to him, confused. "...what do you mean, Rhino?" What would he do? I'm honestly a little curious...

He sticks his own tongue out at her as he chuckles. "Now why would I tell you? Half of it is a surprise and the other half is spontaneous."

She pouts, her cheeks puffed out in indignation. Rude. She walks away from him, picking up her saddlebags and putting her paintball guns inside, along with her helmet. "...well, that was a good use of half a day..." She looks over her shoulder at him, somewhat hopeful. "Would you like to do anything else today, or are you tuckered out?"

He mulls the question around in his head as they walk. "Hmm... would you be opposed to some time at one of the less populated lakes? I know of one nopony else really goes to and I really feel like throwing myself in the water to cool off."

She tenses up momentarily but nods, sheepishly smiling. "...s-sure..." She bites her lip, glancing off to the side. If it makes him happy, just do it.

Chapter 9: Lake

The two make their way to the lake, Rhino leading. He leads them out of the Everfree and into Whitetail Woods. From there, he goes off the beaten path towards the destination. The entire trip is made in comfortable silence.

As they near the lake, Gel looks over at him, nervous. She finally breaks the silence between them, gently bumping his side. "...s-so...i-is there a reason why no one goes to this lake, Rhino?"

He looks at the sky as he thinks. "Well, I don't know for sure, but I have a few theories. First, there isn't a path to it. You either have to stumble across it or already know where it is."

She quietly nods, ducking under a branch as they pass by. "...that makes sense...what are your other theories?"

He continues. "There's also the fact that there are two or three other lakes near the park that ponies usually go to. Added to the fact that compared to the other lakes, both the water and the beach size are significantly smaller, and it's more like a private than anything else. I would assume that because of any combination of these factors, ponies just don't come here."

"...okay, then..." She blinks and holds up a hoof, trying to stop a glare from going into her eyes. That must be the reflection of the sun off the water. She trots faster, wanting to see the lake that Rhino considered best for just them.

The lake is smaller than most bodies of water of this classification, about a half-acre in size. Trees overhang on half of it and another section is only about knee-high. The water is a pure blue with a rock formation on one edge hosting a small waterfall. Finally, there is a small sandy beach shore.

Gel looks at the scenery, her jaw dropping in shock. "...Rhino...this...this is..." She bites her lip, unable to continue. ...so beautiful...how did he find this place?

"Amazing what you can find when you decide to take a walk some days huh?" He says as he starts taking off his armor.

She numbly nods, removing her own and putting the pieces into her saddlebag. "...s-so, I'm just gonna...s-stay in the shade..." She rushes over to the tree, laying down underneath it. She sighs softly, resigning herself to watching the waterfall.

The stallion hangs his gear and bags on a branch. After that, he approaches the water as his hoof bottoms glow as they so often do. When he puts one hoof on the water's surface, instead of just sinking through, it instead finds resistance just as the rest of his hooves do as he begins leisurely 'water skating' towards the center of the lake. "Suit yourself, the water's great!"

She stares at him, unsure of what to think. "...um...I-I'll take your word for it..." A small smirk tugs at the corner of her lips. "...not sure how you're planning on cooling off if you don't get in the water..."

"Who said I wasn't?" He reaches the middle of the lake and stands there a moment before the glow on his hooves disappears and he simply drops down into the water.

Gel has to physically keep herself from jumping in to save him, causing her whole body to tremble in anxiety. He'll be fine. He knows how to swim, right? She shakily nods, pulling out one of her library books and beginning to read. I have some time. He won't see what the story I'm reading is, anyways...

Rhino surfaces after about a minute, near the edge of the lake where Gel is. He shakes his head rapidly back and forth as he lets out a breath. "Ah! Much better!" He turns back to the mare as water drips off him. "You sure you don't want a piece of this?"

She moves her book away from the water's edge, sheepishly smiling. "...I-I'm sure...don't stop having fun on my account..." She turns back to her book, resuming her read.

He shrugs before quickly teleporting to the top of the small rock formation and diving off. He surfaces a moment later and leisurely starts floating on his back, kicking his rear hooves to propel himself.

She glances at him, biting her lip gently. ...he sure looks like he's having fun... She shakes her head, turning her attention back to the book. ...focus on the story...how come things go so much smoother for Sir Fang and Lady Ruby Star?

Rhino peeks over at her. I wonder what she's reading about? He decides not to worry about it as he dives from his current position, not increasing his speed or position so that he is swimming upside down just below the surface. A trail of disturbed water is seen above his position as he moves throughout the lake.

She continues to read, a blush steadily growing on her cheeks. ...s-so detailed...w-who researched dragon anatomy for this? She squirms slightly, steam starting to come off her head from how hot her skin was getting.

As he surfaces again, Rhino peeks back over at her, seeing how into the book she is. That must be a really good book...is that... steam, coming off her? He flips over and sinks down into the water until only his nostrils and above are not underwater. Like a green alligator, the stallion slowly approaches.

She swipes at the air with a hoof, unsure of what to do. ...t-there's too much steam...I-I can't read any more of it... She groans softly, putting the book off to the side and laying her head on the sand. She closes her eyes, trying to calm herself down.

Rhino gets as close to her as he can without raising any more of himself out of the water. His horn lights up as words appear on the sand in front of Gel. 'Hey, need to cool off?'

What he doesn't realize is that her eyes are closed, so she can't read his words.

After he doesn't get a response, Rhino eases up closer. He quietly creeps out of the water and onto the beach. Still no reaction from her. He creeps until he is right in front her her face and lays down with his hooves folded under his chin, waiting.

Sensing a presence in front of her, her eyes flutter open. Seeing him, she squeaks, leaping back and away, yelping as she trips over her own hooves and falls on her back. Smooth. She stares up at the tree, too embarrassed to try and look at him.

He goes over and stands above her. "Didn't expect quite that big of a reaction..."

"...s-sorry..." She averts her eyes, her gaze falling on her book. "...I-I was kind of...w-worked up from my book..."

He tilts his head. "Emotional section?"

"...y-you could say that..." She rubs the back of her neck. "...I-I kind of had to put it down..." She squeezes her hindlegs together, hoping he wouldn't notice her little problem. I just had to get aroused. Stupid sexy story...

He smiles down at her. "Gotta love stories that give a keen sense of immersion." He offers her a hoof. "Do you want me to help you back to it, or just bring it to you?"

"...um..." She takes his hoof, blushing brightly. "...I-I suppose either way is fine..." Please don't look at the book. I don't think my heart could take it...

"Well then..." He guides her over and plants her in front of the book. "I'll leave you two alone to have your fun." He starts walking back into the water.

"...b-but..." She sighs, resting her head on top of the book. ...I wish I could join him...but I have no idea what would happen if I did... She shakes her head, turning her attention back to the waterfall. ...it's so relaxing...

As Rhino reaches the water, he looks back to Gel and smirks before dipping his tail in and flicking water at her, being careful to avoid the book.

She squeaks as the water hits her, evaporating on contact. ...well. I suppose that answers what would happen if I touched cold water in this form. That sucks.

The stallion is surprised at the reaction of the water. "Huh... I guess all that pyromancy of yours has some side effects."

"...y-you could say that..." She nervously giggles, embarrassed. "...I-I guess I'm still a bit worked up? I-I don't know..." She fidgets anxiously, poking at a dandelion nearby with a hoof.

He lies down in the shallow water to talk. "Must have been some action scene. I'm surprised you aren't eager to get back into it."

"...i-it's not exactly...an action scene..." She shyly smiles at him, her face now resembling a cherry. "...I-I'm not entirely sure you'd be interested in it...a-and I can wait to read it later..." Preferably while I'm alone.

He tilts his head at her. "Now what would you think I wouldn't be interested in?"

"...n-nothing..." She quickly stuffs the book in her saddlebag, not wanting him to read it. "...n-nothing you need to concern yourself with, I mean..." She lays down on her belly, trying to forget about the saucy story.

"Somepony's being secretive~" He says in a sing-song voice. He waves a hoof a moment later to show he doesn't mean anything by it. "It's fine, you're entitled to your secrets." He swims around a bit more before tossing a question her way. "Would you mind if I performed a little experiment involving you before we leave?"

She blinks, confused. "...um...I-I guess I don't mind?" What kind of experiment, I wonder? Her mind starts to drift but she shakes her head, straightening out her thoughts. I can't start thinking of A Scale and A Feather now! I'll never calm down if I do!

"Alright then. Let me know when you want to head out." He flashes her a smile before goign back to his swimming.

She lays there quietly for a few minutes, watching as he swims. ...he's got a nice form...and his swimming technique isn't that bad, either. She giggles at her own thoughts, wishing she had someone else to laugh with her.

Eventually, she finds that she's gotten enough of the outdoors. "...Rhino?" She stands up, staggering a bit from the blood rushing from her head. ...I hate when that happens...

He hears her call and sees her standing up, thus he makes his way towards her. As he walks out of the water, Rhino shakes himself like a dog, starting from his head and going all the way to his tail tip. After he stops shaking, his fur is half-fluffed and damp. He walks towards her and settles himself right next to her. "Time for the experiment."

She stares at him, a worried expression on her face. "...a-about that...w-what is this...experiment, Rhino?" Damn, he looks cute when his fur's fluffed like that...

He closes his eyes and maintains a small smirk. "Simple, I'm going to see if that hot body of yours only affects you, or if it has an area of effect. If it does, I'll dry faster."

"...o-oh..." ...I can't tell. Is he saying I'm sexy, or that I'm really warm? She shakes her head, sighing softly. "...I-I don't know if that'll work...I-I need to be worked up for that to work..." She giggles quietly, looking up at him. "...I just spent the last five minutes calming back down..."

He blows a small raspberry. "Darn. Oh well, I'll just have to dry out the old fashioned way." He floats all his belongings back down and sets them on his back. "Shall we retire to our abode?"

Gel tenderly nuzzles his cheek, blushing a bit. "...I'd like that, Rhino..." She puts her own bags back on, starting to walk off, a subtle sway to her hips. She looks back at him, smiling softly. "...you're making dinner, right? May I know what's on the menu?"

He puts a hoof to his chin in thought. "Well... since you've given me such a lovely day, I think I'll treat you to my famous lasagna." He catches up to her and lightly flicks her with his tail. "As long as you're good that is."

Her blush grows from his teasing gesture, and she jerkingly nods. "...I-I'd like that..." She smiles shyly at him, playfully bumping up against him. Between them, some steam rises up where they come in contact.

"Well then, I'll just have to pull out all the stops won't I?" He looks at the steam forming between them. "Fascinating..."

"...t-that's a good 'fascinating'...r-right?" She averts her eyes, biting her lip, embarrassed by her own words.

"If there's a bad 'fascinating' I haven't heard of it."

"...r-right..." She lapses into silence, staring at the ground as they walk. I just had to say something stupid. I can't think of a way to recover from that!

Rhino nudges her, more steam occurs. "Hey, no getting sad remember? This was your warning for this time."

She doesn't seem to pay attention, too lost in her thoughts to even realize that he was talking to her.

He frowns at the lack of response and nuzzles her. "You have five seconds to cheer up before I take matters into my own hooves~."

She blinks, looking up at him in confusion. "...I-I'm sorry, w-were you saying something?"

He looks straight ahead. "You have three seconds to become not sad."

She tilts her head, curious. "...what will happen if I don't?"

"Last chance~."

She sighs, shaking her head as she marches on ahead. It sounds like he's bluffing. Shame, really.

"Sadness not dealt with. Initiating countermeasures." He starts running towards her.

She blinks, looking back over her shoulder at him. ...well, then. Time to run. She rushes forward, quickly putting some distance between them. Hooves, don't fail me now!

Rhino rolls his eyes as he simply teleports next to her and keeps running alongside her. "You know, you really did bring this on yourself."

She squeaks, and, in her panic, lights up her horn. Flames form near the bottom of her hooves, firing out and giving her an extra burst of speed. She sees the house quickly approaching in front of her, smiling brightly. Almost home free! Just a little more...

The stallion allows himself to slow down as he eyes up the distance left. Just as she is about to reach the house, he does a quick cast of his teleport spell, appearing halfway there before then appearing right in front of the door to the house facing her. She quickly puts on the brakes but isn't quick enough to stop in time. "Surprise hug!" He grabs her and laughs.

She squirms in his grip, positively glowing with her blush, now. "...i-is this...w-what you meant?" ...what's that smell? It's almost like burning fur...

He continues laughing. "Well, at first the plan was a tickle attack, but this works too. You don't get to be let go until you are happy."

She looks down at where they're in contact, seeing smoke, not steam, curling around their forms. "...e-even if your fur's turning black?"

His eye twitches once before he calmly sets her down and walks over to the water hose. With some quick magical movements he sprays himself down with it, his mouth open in a soundless scream of pain.

She scuffs at the ground with a hoof, ashamed. "...I-I'm sorry...I-I didn't mean for that to happen..."

He turns off the water and walks over to her, still wet. His arms wrap around her for another hug, the layer of water on him protecting him until he lets go and boops her on the nose. "No. Being. Sad."

She smiles softly, blushing a bit from his gesture. "...o-okay, Rhino..." ...he's willing to chance getting hurt...just to cheer me up... She sighs, leaning forward and tenderly nuzzling his cheek. ...he really is special...

"Good, now if you excuse me," he looks down to the singed fur on his chest, "I need to see what I can do about all this. Think you can avoid burning down the house, little Miss Holy Flame?"

She giggles, bumping his side playfully as she enters the house. "Don't worry, Rhino. It'll probably grow back in a week or so." She lays down on the couch, sighing softly. "...and the house will be fine, as long as I don't get worked up again..."

The stallion walks into the downstairs bathroom and comes out with a towel hung around his neck. "And how exactly would we prevent that?"

She shrugs, looking at her saddlebags. "...I'm not sure...but I probably shouldn't read that book, for a bit..."

"If it's really that good, I would think your imagination would try to make up for it."

She blushes brightly, squirming a bit on the couch. "...i-it's really...d-detailed..." Please don't say anymore, Rhino. I can barely keep the thoughts back, as it is!

"You know, I am really curious about whatever book that is now..." he turns and starts heading up the stairs, "maybe I should ask about borrowing it or reading it with you sometimes."

She leaps off the couch, eyes wide in panic and her face as red as a tomato. "N-no!" ...great. Time to recover. Again. "I-I mean, I-I don't think you'd like it. It's sort of a...female-oriented genre..." She sheepishly smiles, a small squee coming from her.

"Hmm..." he raises an eyebrow at her, "Well, I guess I can bury my curiosity, but no telling if it'll resurface again later. A little advice though: don't ever wear blush, your natural version of it looks perfect on you." He heads up and into the bathroom after that statement.

She sighs in relief, lowering her head. "...oh, thank goodness..." Time to answer the siren song of sleep. She curls up on the ground, closing her eyes and letting herself drift off, exhausted from the day's activities.

Chapter 10: Morning

Celestia's sun peeks through the window of Gel's room. It reveals the changeling, still in her disguise of Angel, tucked into her bed comfortably. She blearily opens her eyes, rubbing a hoof over them as she wakes up. ...what happened? Where's my journal? She gets up carefully, stumbling over to her bags. ...I hope I wrote everything that happened down...

She pulls out her black book, flipping to the last page. ...I don't have much in here for yesterday...it stops after a few events at some lake... She puts it back in the saddlebag before exiting her room, heading over to Rhino's. ...it says he's a heavy sleeper...so maybe... She quietly pushes open the door and sneaks up to his bed, gazing at his face.

Rhino is sleeping much like he was yesterday, on his side with a pillow in his forelegs. The blankets are pinned underneath the arm that's not underneath him so they don't get pulled down. It is said that security conscious ponies sleep on the same side he does; closest to the door and facing it.

She smiles softly, using her magic to lift up his foreleg and the blankets. She moves the pillow out of his grip and lays down in front of him, facing away. ...if I'm right... She lets her aura dissolve from around his leg and the covers. ...then he'll pull me close to him...but, this time, I'll be ready...

The leg flops limply when it lands at first, before reflexes start to kick in. As if moving of it's own accord, the limb gropes for the covers and pulls them back up to about shoulder level. It then dives down under them and curls reflexively around the mare, bringing her up against his chest. Rhino's body shifts for a moment as it contours to hers, and settles down into stillness after.

She sighs, happily letting him embrace her. ...this is just...perfect... Her eyes drift closed, allowing her to focus on the feeling of his fur. ...so soft...I like it...

The stallion's nose twitches as he gets a whiff of her mane. His head tilts forward to pursue the strange smell, causing his breath to start wafting over her neck.

She shivers at the sensation, her cheeks swiftly heating up. ...n-not good...n-need to calm down... She gulps, trying to force her heart to slow down from it's current rabbit's pace.

His hoof shifts until it lies over her pounding heart, as if drawn to it. The hoof that had lain under both of them curls upward to embrace her as well.

She places a hoof over his, smiling softly. "...oh, Rhino..." She turns her head enough to see his face, giggling a bit. ...he looks so cute while sleeping...

He mumbles a bit in his sleep, almost as if he's responding to her.

She tilts her head to one side, confused. ...what did he say? She thinks about it for a bit and sighs, shaking her head. ...it probably doesn't concern me...either way, I'll just stay here until he wakes up... She snuggles closer to him, her body pressing up firmly against his.

The two lay like this for a time until Rhino's eyes crack open. They take a moment to focus before seeing the large white and yellow shape in front of them. His brain is just awake enough to know that this is probably not the first thing he should see. "...What?"

Hearing his voice, she turns onto her back, smiling brightly at him. "Oh, you're awake!" She giggles, gently touching her nose to his. "You know, you're a really heavy sleeper."

He blinks, confused. "Yes... um... you're... in my bed..." He doesn't sound mad, simply like he is trying to figure out if he's hallucinating or not.

She rubs the back of her neck, her eyes focusing on the ceiling. "...um...y-yeah...I kinda snuck in here earlier this morning..." She shrugs, sheepishly smiling. "...I can't help it...you're really fluffy, and it just felt...right..."

It takes him a moment to process this as he simply looks at her. "...Okay... just wanted to make sure I didn't accidentally stick you in my bed last night instead of yours when I tucked you in."

"Oh, so you put me to bed?" She looks back at him, surprised. "Why did you do that? I wasn't drunk or anything, was I?"

He frowns at the word 'drunk', but manages to put on a small smile after a moment. "No, you were just so tired that you curled up on the floor downstairs and went to sleep. Since you were still there when I came down to check on you, I brought you to your room."

"Oh, well that was kind of you." Gel blushes, nervously tapping her forehooves together. "I ask because...w-well, I don't know what happened after we visited the lake yesterday..."

"That memory issue of yours is really something isn't it?" He shifts around a moment. "Do you actually remember what happened at the lake? Or can I just start afterward?"

"I actually wrote down everything while we were at the lake." She giggles, pointing a hoof in the direction of her room. "It's why I generally have my journal on me at all times. Whatever happened next was apparently too intense for me to have any free writing time, though..."

He flips over onto his back and folds his forelegs behind his head as he stares at the ceiling. "Well, let me give you the short version. We were chatting on the way back about dinner, which you fell asleep too early for so 'm just going to make it tonight. You got sad after you made a comment, I told you not to be or I would take action. You ignored my warnings, so I started chasing you. You tried to escape using some fire boost on your hooves, but I just teleported in front of you when we got here and gave you a surprise hug. Unfortunately, this is when we found out that you were apparently so worked up that your pyromancy made you hot enough to singe my chest. I gave you a hug anyway after soaking myself with the hose and you finally cheered up, we came inside, and you fell asleep. So here we are the following morning, you in my bed, and me with half an inch off my chest fur."

She blinks at this, confused. "...so...no specifics on what we said?" She sighs, her horn lighting up. "...darn...I like my entries to be as detailed as possible..." As soon as she finishes that sentence, the book floats in the doorway, followed by a pen. "...at least it's something..." As soon as it gets close to her, she opens it up and scribbles everything down, the words rapidly forming on the page.

"Sorry, the specifics didn't stick well on such a full day." He gives her a cheeky smile. "But thanks for not getting that hot body of yours all worked up this morning. I don't think it would have done anything to the sheets, but I don't really want to have to lose any more fur than necessary."

She blushes brightly, embarrassed. "...I-I apologize for hurting you like that..." She sits up, placing a hoof on her chin. "...there has to be some way to make it up to you..."

He shrugs. "It's fine, and I don't really have any ideas. I would be interested in seeing what you would come up with on your own for that though." He rolls over to face her. "Unless you’re interested in more pillow talk, you could always think on it while I go downstairs and make hashbrowns."

She nods, smiling at him. "...I'd like that, Rhino...i-is it alright if I stay here for a bit?"

He nods as he gets out of the bed. "Sure thing, just set my snuggle pillow back on one of the other pillows before you leave okay?" He heads downstairs.

She waits for him to leave before she leaps under the blankets, taking a deep breath. ...oh...it smells so good...just like him... She jerks upright, embarrassed by her own actions. ...good grief, I'm acting like a mare in heat...

She shakes her head, leaping out of his bed and kicking his pillow up into her mouth. She gingerly lays it down between the pillows before turning to look at the room. ...let's see...something that will give me an idea for later...something to help make it up to him...

His room is decently furnished with a bookshelf, desk, chest of drawers, a few poster and pictures on the wall, and an armoire. There is also a closet in one corner. The desk looks to be actively used, with the usual layout of lamp, cup of writing tools, and papers. There is also a large empty space in the center to use. The book seems to be fully used, all shelves except for the top two are filled with books, mostly fiction with a few books on various species' anatomy. The top two shelves are less defined, with the top one being all pictures in frames and the other shelf being nicknacks.

She stares at the bookshelf, frowning in concentration. ...I can almost see getting him a book...but he already has so many...I could just get him a pet, or something...then again, I have no idea where to do that... She sighs, resting her head on her hoof. ...maybe I should just lay down on his bed with rose petals surrounding me. She giggles at this thought, entertained enough to imagine the words she'd say in that situation. Oh, Rhino! You have no idea how much I longed for you. Take me! She chuckles, shaking her head. "...that sounds like a corny romance novel. No way am I using that."

She wanders out of the room and down the staircase, upset that her search was fruitless. ...I can't get too nosy...I'm sure he'd be able to tell if something was messed with... She rolls her eyes, her journal floating in the air next to her. ...well, at least there's breakfast out of all this...

In the kitchen, Rhino is tending a hissing skillet on the stove. He hums a tune to himself, his tail flicking lightly to the beat while he stirs with a spatula.

Entering the kitchen, she sees him preoccupied with the food. Smirking slightly, she sneaks up behind him. ...this will be interesting... She leans forward and, hesitating slightly, gently kisses the back of his neck, hoping to get a reaction out of him.

Immediately the fur on along his spine sticks straight up as he freezes. His tune catches in his throat as his magic he was using to hold his utensil sends it flying upward. It lands a moment later on a plate he had set out.

She blinks at this, stunned. ...okay, not the reaction I was hoping to get. "...R-Rhino? Are you alright?"

His face is revealed to be bruning with a blush as he turns to the side to grab the utensil. "N-never better... was that what you decided on?"

"...um...m-maybe?" She steps up next to him, blushing as well. ...please don't be mad at me... She leans up, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "...t-that's the rest of it...I-I'd kiss you where you were burnt, b-but I doubt that'd be comfortable for either of us..." She coughs nervously, moving away and sitting down at the table.

He adds a smile to his blush. "That was plenty, I assure you." He continues tending the food. "You are a very affectionate mare... do you know that?"

She taps the table with a hoof. "...um...w-well, not with most ponies...j-just really close friends..." I just had to use that word, didn't I?

He smiles wider as he brings the plates of hashbrowns to the table, along with forks, their usual drinks, and a big bottle of ketchup. "Well, glad you feel we're close too." He raises his glass in his magic. "Cheers."

She clinks her glass against his absently, her eyes focused on the condiment. "...Rhino? What's with that red liquid?" She takes a sip of her apple juice, trying to hide her unsureness.

He gives her a look. "What do you mean? It's ketchup."

She stares blankly at him. "...What's ketchup?"

His mouth drops open. "You're... serious? Wow..." He leans back in his seat. "Okay umm... do you know what a condiment is?"

"...not really?" She glances away, embarrassed. "...I've never had 'condiments', before..." Mostly because I've only really eaten love, before.

Rhino covers his eyes with his hooves. "Wow... ok, umm... how to explain this..." He takes his hooves off his face and looks at her. "Okay, think about a dress. Now think about a scarf that goes with it. The dress is food and the scarf is a condiment. You can wear the dress without the scarf and it would be fine. Some ponies just prefer to wear the scarf with the dress because they feel it just ties the outfit together. The same concept goes for the relationship between foods and condiments. Understand?"

"...I think I do..." Gel looks down at her food, picking up a forkful of hashbrowns. "...I'm sure it'll taste fine without...whatever ketchup is...what's it made out of?" She eats the morsel, looking up at him with eyes full of curiosity.

He puts a generous spiral of the red goop onto his own plate of browned, shredded potatoes. "Mostly tomatoes, a little bit of vinegar and a few others things. Apparently it tastes 'sweet and tangy' but to me it just tastes like ketchup."

"...interesting..." She takes the bottle, putting a small dot of it on one side of her food. Here goes nothing. She scoops it up into her mouth, swallowing before her eyes widen to the size of dinner plates.

"Heh, this should be good." He puts down his fork and looks at the mare with a smile of anticipation. "So, what do you think?"

She doesn't answer, grabbing the bottle and emptying the contents on the potatoes. She then buries her face in it, scarfing the food down with zealous fervor. Where has this been all my life?! It's almost heavenly!

Rhino braces himself with one hoof on the table and another on his forehead as he bursts out laughing. He looks back at her only to renew his laughing, unable to eat his own food. He slowly calms down enough to comment. "I would suggest moderation next time, but I guess I can let this one slide." A few chuckles slip out. "I'm wondering how you'll respond to other condiments now..." He clears his throat. "Here, let me get you a... half-dozen napkins..."

She finishes eating, a small blush on her face, not to mention a decent amount of ketchup. "...I-I'm sorry...i-it was just so good..." She cradles the bottle in her forehooves, holding it protectively to her body. ...I have to know how other food tastes with this...

"We'll, usually it's good on fried, charred, grilled, or other foods fixed like that... " he leans in conspiratorially, "but there are a few others I've found it works well on over the years." His eyes narrow at her. "No putting it on my lasagna though." He points a dramatic hoof at her as a smirk makes its way to his face. "Got it missy?"

She nods, smiling softly. "...got it..." She giggles, downing her apple juice before standing up and heading towards the stairs. "...if you need me, I'll be taking a shower..." She stops in the doorway, looking back over her shoulder at him with a playful smirk. "...try not to imagine me dripping wet, okay?" She winks and exits the room, quietly laughing to herself. I bet that got him flustered.

Indeed it did, a blush quickly grows on his face. Curse you vivid imagination... He breathes slowly before going back to his food. The blush is still evident, but not as severe.

A few minutes later, she returns, dry and with a blue towel hanging around her neck. "...so, Rhino...what did you have planned for today?" She steps into the kitchen, smiling kindly. Maybe he could show me around Ponyville. That sounds nice.

He shrugs as he washes the dishes. "I didn't have too much planned. Probably a shopping trip just for some quick things. Other than that I was probably just going to do things around the house. You?"

She shrugs, leaning against the doorframe. "...I figured I would just explore the town...there's so much I haven't seen here, after all..." ...and, come to think of it, I need to see if there's any anti-changeling defenses around here...

He turns off the water. "Hmm... would you want to combine your little exploration with my errand by simply tacking on some shopping at the end? It would probably be more interesting for both of us."

She rushes over to him, ending her charge with a tackle-hug. "Yes! I'd love that!" She pauses a bit before continuing. "...I-I mean, since you've been here longer, it'd be like a tour. I love tours." She pulls away, sheepishly smiling. ...please tell me he bought that...

He smirks while raising an eyebrow. "Sorry, not buying it. It's fine if you just enjoy that we're going to hang out. You can just say that instead of making excuses."

She sighs softly, lowering her head. "...s-sorry, Rhino..." And thank you for giving me an excuse. "...s-so, are you ready to go?"

He shakes his head. "Nah, I still need to grab a quick shower." He heads towards the door but pauses as he's about to go up the stairs. He half turns his head so he can see her. "Try not to imagine me dripping wet." He chuckles before heading up the stairs.

She frowns, resting her head on the table. I wish my imagination was that vivid.

He returns a short time later, freshened up. He levitates his saddlebags over from the corner and sets them on his back before turning to her. "Ready?"

She nods, holding her journal for him to see. "Ready, Rhino. So, where are we heading, first?"

Chapter 11: Journal

Later on that day, the two housemates are strolling down a path to the heart of Sweet Apple Acres after a day out. Rhino turns his head to the mare beside him. "This is a nice peaceful walk to round out a day out, huh? Between just strolling around the streets, passing by town hall, and of course braving the market, this is probably the quietest it's been for a while."

"Is that so?" She glances at him, a playful smirk on her lips. "Is it normally loud?" She bumps his side, giggling a bit. "I'll admit, it's been really enjoyable. I'm glad you decided to give me company."

He flicks her with his tail in revenge for the bump. "The same thanks to you for keeping me company. Though if you don't mind me asking, why were you acting a little off when we dropped by the flower trio's stand?"

She pouts, turning her head away from him. "...I didn't like how that green-maned mare was acting..." ...being all flirty with him...she made it really hard to survey the surroundings. "...I'm not entirely sure what it was...but it didn't sit well with me..."

"Really? I guess I must have missed it since I didn't notice anything." He looks ahead of them "We should be able to spot something besides the endless groves of apple trees before too long."

She tilts her head, looking at him in confusion. "...what do you mean by that? Why are we even out here, if I may ask?"

"Well, the barn of course. It's why we're coming out this far after all. I'm picking up a few more gallons of milk." He looks back to her. "Like how we got those two gallons of apple juice for you from Applejack earlier when she and her brother were working the stand."

"Oh. Okay, then." She walks along beside him quietly for a bit. Eventually, she speaks up once more. "Her brother seemed nice. And just as tall as you, too." She presses her side against his, smiling softly. "I doubt he has a coat as fluffy as yours, though."

He nods. "Yeah, Big Mac strikes me as more of a 'solid mass of muscle' type of stallion. Plus if he was as fluffy as me, which I doubt, he would probably have to keep it short because it would make him too hot when he works the fields."

"I suppose that makes sense." I also suppose that Big Mac would be a pony we wouldn't want as an enemy. I'd better take note of that. Gel pulls out her book and starts to jot the words down as quickly as possible. As soon as she's done, she looks ahead, seeing a large red building nearing them. "Is that the place, Rhino?"

He nods his head as he heads for the large doors. "That's the place. Some of the ladies are probably out in the pasture, but a few of them are always at the barn."

She follows closely, her face buried in her journal. "...okay, then..." So he gets the milk directly from the cows. Not sure if that's cutting out the middle pony or if it's slightly suggestive...yeah, I'm gonna lean towards the former.

He quickly stops as they reach the barn and knocks three times with a hoof.

Not paying attention, she bumps into him. She falls backwards, unprepared. "...um...s-sorry..." She quickly gets up, moving next to him, a visible blush on her cheeks.

Rhino clicks his tongue a few times. "Trying to feel me up before asking me to dinner? Shame on you." He sticks out his tongue to let her know he's kidding.

Her blush only grows, steam starting to come off her head once again. "...L-like I'd do that...I-I have some restraint, you know..." She smiles at him, showing that she knows he's teasing her.

One of the large red doors opens and a brown and white spotted cow pokes her head out. "Who is it?"

The green stallion raises a hoof. "Hey Daisy Jo."

She smiles at him. "Rhino? Back so soon? You just came by two days ago."

He shrugs. "Yeah, I know, but I was out getting groceries and figured I'd drop by just to pick up a little extra."

The bovine nods and opens the door wider for them. "Alright, come on in then and we'll get you what you need." She turns to head in. "Bring your friend too!"

Gel leans closer to him, whispering as they enter the building. "...how often do you come here?" They're really friendly with each other. I'm guessing he comes here quite often, but I'm not sure exactly how much.

He looks around, waving to a few of the cows. "Oh, at least twice a week. These ladies were some of the first beings I made contact with here in Ponyville."

She quietly nods, giggling to herself. "...you love milk that much?"

One of the cows answers for him. "At four gallons a week, he drinks more by himself than any household in town. If he doesn't love it, then he's fooled all of us, and we know milk lovers." All of the ladies giggle at the joke.

She rolls her eyes, playfully bumping his side. "Well, I'm definitely learning more about you, now." I wouldn't be surprised if he had a specific cow whose milk he preferred to drink.

He flicks her back again as he responds sarcastically. "Yes, I'm sure 'Rhino enjoys milk' will make for a thrilling read in your journal."

"I'd say so." She sticks her tongue out at him, flicking him right back with her own tail. "I want to remember everything, and this book is the key to my memory." She scribbles a few words down, making sure everything is detailed. I hate it when I forget to write in this. I'd have to go to others to figure out just what happened.

Daisy Jo comes back and addresses the stallion. "Rhino, could you come with me? We need to know how much you want and I also wanted to speak to you about something in private."

He turns to Gel. "Would you mind if I went to talk with her?"

She nods, smiling softly. "Go right ahead. I'll just look around a bit." ...this seems like a good time to do some recon...

He nods and offers a parting comment as they walk off. "Try not to miss me too much!"

"That won't be easy!" She blinks, standing there for a moment before facehoofing. Did I really just say that? She sighs, heading off to one side of the barn. Whatever. I need to go do my duty. She pauses in front of a window, glancing around to make sure no one was watching her. ...it's strange, not hearing anyone laugh when I think that word...

Shrugging she slips outside, unnoticed, leaping noiselessly between the wall and a nearby tree. Soon enough, she lands on top of the roof, able to see a fair portion of the farm. ...okay... She starts sketching in her book, doodling a fair representation of everything she can see.

In short, trees. Lots of trees. There's a clubhouse in the distance, as well as the farmhouse nearby and a couple of vegetable patches, but mostly trees.

Gel sighs, resting her head on her hoof. "...Not really much I need to take note of, here..." She shakes her head, looking over at the farmhouse. "...Considering that's where the Element of Honesty lives, I'd have thought there'd be more defenses...Do they not think that my kind is a threat?"

She shakes her head, looking around. "...Wait, how am I going to get down?" She thinks for a bit before letting her wings out. Certain that nopony was there to see her, she quickly glides down onto the ground. As soon as she lands, her wings vanish with a flash of blue flame. And nopony is the wiser. She giggles quietly, heading over to the entrance of the barn.

Rhino exits the barn laden with a few gallons of milk right as she is about to enter. His head is half turned backwards as he says goodbye to the cows. "See you in a week ladies!" The door closes as he turns and sees Gel in front of him. "Nice girls, aren't they?"

She nods, smiling kindly at him. "Sure seem like it." She moves next to him, brushing her side against his. "So, what did Miss...um...Daisy Jo, want to talk to you about?"

He starts walking down the road as he answers. "Oh you know, how much I wanted, discussions of bulk discounts, and questions about the charming mare that arrived with me."

She stumbles momentarily, surprised. "...I-I'm sorry, what was that?"

He nods. "Oh yes, they really wanted the details on you. After all, last they heard about it, I lived on my own."

"...I-I see...I suppose that's a fair request..." She focuses on the road, biting her lip nervously. "...s-so...what did you tell them?" Does it even matter? It's not like he said anything embarrassing about you, right?

"Oh, just the basics: general description, shy personality, affectionate, kind, fire magic user, slightly accident prone... All that good stuff that I can say without giving anything too personal away."

...guess I thought right. Huh. She turns back to him, gently nuzzling his cheek. "...thank you for that...but I have to ask..." She tilts her head, looking up at him. "...what do you mean by 'personal'? Did I tell you anything like that about me?"

He looks down at her. "Well, for one, I didn't want to go spreading around about your memory issue and subsequent journal writing. It's things like that I avoided."

"...right...t-thank you for that..." She rubs the back of her neck, walking along in silence for a bit. ...well, I'm glad he's thoughtful enough to do that... "...s-so...where to, next?"

"Does home sound like an appropriate destination? I figured I'd better get started on dinner if we want to have it ready to eat at a decent time." He motions to the other parts of his saddlebags with various groceries in them.

She nods, smiling playfully at him. "...I can't wait to try that much-touted lasagna of yours..." She pulls out her journal, skimming through it. "...especially since you keep mentioning it, apparently..."

He puts on a mock offended face. "Hey, I've only mentioned it two or three times... and well deserved I think."

She rushes ahead of him, teasingly brushing her tail over his face. "We'll see." She walks in front of him, purposely swaying her hips. I'm positive this'll get a rise out of him.

He mutters as a blush covers his face again. "You know, if it was anypony else, I might think you were trying to tell me something..."

She looks back at him, an eyebrow quirked. "What makes you think that, Rhino?"

He looks up at her and her slightly swaying hips, looking away quickly. "Call it a hunch..."

She shrugs slightly and continues on her way. Darn it, I can't tell if this is working right now. This may call for some drastic measures...but let's hope it doesn't come to that...

***

Rhino walks back from putting the food back in the oven. "There we go. Only forty-five minutes and it'll be done."

Gel looks up from where she lay on the couch, putting her novel off to the side. She pouts, giving him a sad look. "...why did I have to wait in here? I could've helped..."

He pats her head. "Because I wanted it to be a surprise, and this is one food prep that requires you to know exactly what you are doing. You get to help next time I make it."

She sighs, rolling her eyes. "Alright, Rhino." She carefully sits up, patting the spot next to her. "...so, anything you wanted to do while we wait?"

He sits down with a poker face. "Yes. I wanted to ask what you wanted to do while we wait."

She looks up, putting a hoof on her chin. "...I can't think of anything...by the way..." She tugs at her other hoof, a little uncomfortable. "...y-you kind of sat on my leg..."

The stallion leaps up as if he sat on a hot coal. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!"

"...i-it's fine..." She pulls her leg up against her body, shyly smiling at him. "...I know you didn't mean to...thank you for getting up, though..." She rests her head on her hooves, closing her eyes to relax a bit. I'm glad I got to a more tame part of the book. I doubt that he'd want me to heat up his furniture.

He sees her novel off to the side. “So... how was the book?”

"...i-it's fine..." She rubs the back of her neck, embarrassed. "...I-I'm almost done with it...and the climax was handled rather masterfully..." ...good grief, that was a terrible innuendo...

He lies down on the floor in front of the couch. "Really? Care to tell me about it?"

Gel gulps, squirming slightly. "...w-well, it's about a pegasus...who falls in love with a dragon...but, due to their upbringings, Lady Ruby Star is unable to confess her feelings for Sir Fang publicly..." She averts her eyes, blushing brightly. "...i-it's pretty much a story of star-crossed lovers..."

He nods understandingly. "Ah, romance book, gotcha. I thought those were usually cliche, how was the climax so impressive?"

"...um...well..." She sighs, lowering her gaze to the couch. "...I can't explain it...I'm sorry...I wish I could..."

He tilts his head. "It can't be put into words? Wow, must be good." He glances back at the clock. "Still twenty-five minutes to go. Any other way you want to kill time?"

She shakes her head, leaning up against him. "...I can't think of anything else...well, maybe...I could hear a bit about you?" She gently nuzzles his neck, giggling softly. "For example, why a vet? Why not a teacher, or a doctor?"

He smiles down at her, used to her affection by now. "Well, for one thing, teacher's salaries have never really been enviable. That and being around bullies all day and being limited to what you can do about them would probably drive me crazy. Doctor was a consideration, but I just find animals much easier to understand and deal with than ponies sometimes. Plus, vets are in higher demand than doctors, many ponies know about themselves, few know about everything else."

She leans closer, eyes wide and full of interest. "So you don't like bullies? May I ask why?" As she asks this, her book is floating behind her, and she jots down notes on all of what is said.

He looks away, his voice reflecting his dropping mood. "That... is a long explanation... for now, let's just say it's because of a combination of personal experience and impersonal observation."

"...o-oh..." She frowns softly, upset. "...I-I'm sorry, Rhino..." She leans up, tenderly kissing his cheek. "...let's move on to something else...why did you decide to live to Ponyville?"

"To be completely honest? Because it's pretty much the opposite of Canterlot, where I used to live." He looks towards the ceiling as he lists the reasons. "It's smaller, friendlier, quieter, less stuck-up, not everything is white and gold, no class-segregation, a nice mix of ponies, it's surrounded by nature, and of course, it's not suspended on the side of a freaking mountain which is good for ponies like me who are afraid of falling from heights."

She giggles, playfully bumping his side with a hoof. "You mean a tall pony like you is afraid of heights?"

He nods rapidly. "When I'm not in complete control of my own safety? Yes, very much so. You have no idea how much force I use whenever I am attaching myself to something. My legs would probably detach from me before they detach from the surface if I don't want them to."

She blinks at this, thinking back a bit. ...then...when he came after me... She flinches, hit by a pang of guilt. "...I-I'm sorry, Rhino...I-I mean, I ran off at the party and you...climbed up Sugarcube Corner after me..."

"Oh that? I wasn't worried then. I said I get worried when I'm not in control of it. Trust me, you'll know if I'm worried about the height." He rubs a hoof on the back of his head. "Rapid breathing, minimal movement, flinching at the slightest bit of instability under my hooves, occasional panic attacks... yeah, it's pretty obvious..."

"...I-I see..." I guess flights in a pegasus carriage are out of the question... She sits quietly for a few moments, just focusing on the feeling of his body against hers. "...Rhino...do you ever get...lonely?"

His expression melts into a thoughtful one. "Before you came around? Yes. As much as I enjoy time to myself... I did."

"...and now that I'm here?" She looks up at him, a hopeful gleam in her eye.

He grabs her in a soft hug. "What do you think?"

She smiles softly, returning the embrace. "...I think you enjoy having me around..."

"Yep..." he looks at her, his own hopeful and curious face on, "can the same be said for you?"

She gives him a playful smirk, gently touching her nose to his. "Absolutely."

*Ding*

"Oh, that's the oven!" He lets go of Gel but sees that she hasn't let go yet. "Did you want to come with me or have you just forgotten to let go?"

She sticks her tongue out but lets him go, smiling softly. "...you go do what you need to, Rhino..."

He gets up. "Alright, but feel free to come in when you want. It’ll be cool enough to eat in five minutes." He enters the kitchen and removes the sizzling lasagna from the oven and places it on the stove to cool. He begins setting the table.

Gel finishes transcribing their conversation in her journal and stands as well. She trots after him, watching as he starts to set up the table. "...do you want help with that?"

As he sets the plates and utensils, he turns to her. "You could fix drinks if you want. There's not much else left."

She salutes him, a silly smile on her lips. "Will do, chef." She hurries over to the fridge and grabs the milk and apple juice. She turns to him, playfully poking him with the dairy drink. "Is this the one you prefer?"

He puts a hoof to his chest. "Why Miss Angel, you know me so well!" He floats over the glasses before grabbing a spatula, cutting two significant chunks out of the food, and setting it on their plates.

She rolls her eyes, pouring their beverages into the glasses before returning the containers to the fridge. "Is that all you wanted me to do?"

He shrugs. "Only one thing left to do." He pulls out her chair. "Take a seat, have a bite, and tell me what you think."

She smiles, sitting down as directed. "Will do." She takes up her knife and fork, carefully cutting out a bite-sized piece of the lasagna. "Of course, you should probably do those first two, as well." She winks at him, bringing the morsel up to her lips.

He makes his way back to his seat, but keep his eye on her the whole time, not wanting to miss her reaction.

She eats the food but pauses, her eyes widening in shock. ...t-this is...

Rhino leans forward in his seat, excitement clear on his face.

"So good!" She bites her lip, physically restraining herself from pouncing on the food like she did earlier that morning. "...I-I never had anything that tasted as good as this..." Of course, love doesn't exactly have a flavor...

The stallion does a quick hoof pump. "Yes! I knew you'd like it! Well, feel free to eat as much as you want and go back for more, there's plenty. Now, if you excuse me..." He starts quickly eating his own serving of the succulent dish.

Seeing that he wouldn't mind, she grabbed the rest of her portion on the end of her fork, shoveling it into her mouth and swallowing it whole. ...you think I'd have to worry about choking, but there's a plus to being able to change one's body...

Rhino chuckles as he sees her chow down. "At least you're not one of those mares that starves themselves."

She smirks at him, rolling a hoof. "I never understood those mares in the first place. You don't need to starve yourself to look good!" She lifts up the spatula, reaching over to the lasagna.

"Exactly, you're a shining example of that!" He gestures to her body.

She stops, the spatula dropping to the table from her magic. "...um...t-thank you..." She blushes softly, picking the utensil back up and grabbing another helping before responding. "...I'm glad you think so highly of me..." She winks at him before turning back to her meal.

He winks back. "No need to thank me for the truth." He gets up to grab himself another piece.

She coughs, having food go down the wrong pipe from shock. Wow, that smarts! "...w-wow...d-didn't expect you to say that..." She nervously giggles, rubbing the back of her neck.

He pauses eating to look at her quizzically. "What do you mean? You didn't expect me to compliment you like that?"

"...well, yeah..." She looks at her food, poking at it with a fork. "...I-I'm not that pretty...if anything, I'm just average..." Too late to back out of this now. Good job, self.

He sighs as he sets down his fork and leans back. "You're really gonna make me do this aren't you? Alright, but bear in mind that you brought on this coming blush of yours."

She blinks at him, confused. "...I'm sorry, but what are you talking about?"

He gives her a flat look and clear his throat before gesturing at her. "Your mane and tail are long and flowing, both of them silky soft as I've felt more than a few times now. Your fur is a snow-white many noble mares would be jealous of. Your eyes are the sort of blue that stallions would get lost in, forever staring into their expanse. Your body is not too thin, not too thick, that sort of just right that befits the rest of you. You say you are average, but that would be something only a pony who gave you a passing glance would say. If they stop and take a second, all of your features, including your personality, combined create a truly lovely picture."

She stares at him for a moment, saying nothing. After a while, a large blush forms on her cheeks, enough that steam starts to come off her head. ...I...I can't believe he thinks that about me... She lowers her eyes, a small smile on her lips. "...thank you, Rhino...you always know just what to say..."

He chuckles. "Not always, but I like to think I have a fairly good percentage. Besides, that dainty tongue if yours has spouted some gems too..." He looks at her with a smirk. "If you want me to stop showering you with truthful compliments before you pass out from the blood rushing to your head, let me know."

She quivers softly, her eyes starting to roll back. "...too late..." With that, she faints, falling out of her chair and onto the floor. Her book lands in front of her, the quill she was writing with laying on top of the page.

Instead of being worried, Rhino just shakes his head. "And here we are again..." He quickly finished his food and drink before heading over to the sink. He puts a little bit of water on his tail before walking over to her and leaning over her while flicking droplets on her face. "Wakey wakey, sleeping beauty."

The water evaporates on contact, but she slowly stirs. "...hngh...what happened?" She looks up at him, blinking for a moment before her blush flares up anew. "...um...R-Rhino...y-you know I can see you, right?"

He tilts his head. "Well it's not like I expected you to be blind after that fall, but I guess it's good to know your eyes work."

"...um...n-no...I mean..." She shakes her head, quickly standing up. "...n-never mind...I-I'll just go take a cold shower, now..." She rushes out of the room, embarrassed.

"Wonder what that was about..." He shrugs before turning around and seeing her journal on the floor.

She enters the shower, letting the cold water wash over her. She sighs as it all turns into steam, quickly filling up the bathroom with the condensation. ...he's such a nice stallion...I wonder if... She shakes her head, groaning quietly. ...no, there's no way that'd happen...

Rhino cranes his head to look at the journal. His eyes start to read the words before he even realizes they are doing it.

Rhino is such a sweetheart. He helped me write down the previous day's events because I fell asleep before I could do it yesterday. He even mentioned that I accidentally burned some fur off his chest from being too aroused.

I know he sees me as a friend, but I can't help wondering whether he actually thinks of me as more. I suppose time will tell. Until then, I'll just have to keep experimenting.

What follows this entry are today’s events.

His thoughts race at the new information. She burned me because she was aroused? Wait, not the important part. She wonders if I like her as something more than friends? And she's experimenting to find out? ...I... don't know if I like her more than a friend... I hadn't really thought about it... I'll definitely have to give it some thought now... He focuses back on the book. It doesn't actually definitively say that she likes me that way or not... I'll have to carefully pay attention to how she speaks and acts while I figure this situation out...

"...Rhino? What are you doing?"

He jumps away from the book and looks up at her. "Oh um, hey... Angel..."

She looks at him, then at the book and back, a hurt expression on her face. "...Rhino...did you read my journal?" She steps forward, gingerly lifting the book off the ground and closing it.

His ears fold back as he looks away in shame. "Yes, the page that was open... I didn't realize I was reading it until it was too late, then I finished the page... It was never my intent to invade your privacy... But I did."

She sighs, gently nuzzling his cheek. "...it's fine...I'm glad you were honest with me..." She playfully bumps his side, giggling a bit. "...I wouldn't want a...friend...who'd lie to me..." There's nothing too damaging on that page. I don't think my cover's been blown.

He notes her hesitance at the word 'friend'. "Yeah... Umm, are you feeling better? You seemed a bit flustered when you first woke up."

"...i-it's nothing, really..." She sits down on the floor, sheepishly smiling. "...c-can i have that lasagna for lunch tomorrow? I wouldn't want it to go to waste, after all..."

He smirks. "Why do you think I made so much? We eat it till it's gone. If you get tired of it, that just means more for me."

She rolls her eyes, bumping his shoulder with a hoof. "I doubt I'll ever get tired of your lasagna, Rhino." Or you.

Chapter 12: A Day

The familiar sound of the clinic doors opening causes Rhino to look up. A yellow pegasus mare with purple mane walks in with a small pet carrier on her back. She approaches the desk where the stallion is sitting, since Manila doesn’t come in until later.

The vet straightens his white coat before addressing the mare. “Good morning ma’am. How may I help you?”

She gives him a winning smile. “I was just bringing in Mittens for her first checkup.” She motions to the carrier on her back where a tiny ball of fur can be seen curled up inside.

Rhino nods as he looks at the little one. “A calico is it? Alright.” He brings out a form and starts scribbling down information before looking back up at her. “Your name, Miss?”

“Oh, my name is Silk Tease.” She answers.

He scribbles down a few more things before standing up and coming around the desk and offering her a hoof. “Good to meet you ma’am, I’m Doctor Rhino and I’ll be performing the examinations this morning.” As they shake hoofs, he continues. “Alright Miss Tease, if you would follow me, we can go ahead and start on Mittens.”

He leads her back to the examination room. Once there, she sets the carrier on the table and lets the tiny calico kitten out to wander around. As the unicorn pets the kitten while listening to her heart, Silk speaks up. “So... do you run this place all by yourself?”

Rhino nods as he checks the kitten’s limb movement. “Only in the early mornings, one of my coworkers gets here in about an hour. So, is this your first kitten?”

“No no, I have cats before.” As he works she looks him over. “It’s just been a while, and I figured she would help with how empty the house feels.”

“Ah, I know how that feels.” He takes a look in the feline’s ears. “It’s not good for a pony to be alone in a house. They need companionship.”

Observing how gentle he is with her pet, Silk smiles as her eyes narrow slightly. “Oh I couldn’t agree more...but there are always ways to combat the loneliness.”

Rhino chuckles as Mittens swipes at him playfully. “Indeed there are.” He speaks to the cat. “You’re a feisty one aren’t you?”

The yellow mare giggles. “Surely that’s not a bad thing?”

For the first time during the examination, he looks up at her. “Not at all, it’s perfectly normal.”

The rest of the examination goes smoothly, and soon they are back up front. As she pays him, Silk’s tail flicks once. “So, when will I see you again, Doctor?”

He makes note of a few things before smiling and answering. “You’ll need to come back in a few weeks for the next round of boosters. Is that alright?”

She nods. “Definitely,” she waves coyly to him as she leaves, “I look forward to our next appointment...”

***

Gel arrives through the side door, making her way to the employee lounge. Time to clock in. She takes her card and punches it before putting it back in its slot. I suppose I should get my table assignments for today. Where is Miss Tease? She glances around, confused. Isn't she supposed to be working with the rest of us today?

One of the other waitresses notices Gel looking around and walks over to her. "Hey, Angel! If you're looking for the boss, she took the day off to take care of a personal errand."

She blinks in surprise, staring at the other mare. "...oh. I didn't know that." She rubs the back of her neck, sheepishly smiling. "...so...where do I get my assignment for today?"

"Well, apparently, the higher-ups took another look at the budget and controversially decided that we would take a few bits out of our lace fund to splurge on..." she motions to the wall behind her, "a chart!" As the sarcasm practically drips from her exasperated tone at how long it took them to get the new wall decoration, the layout of the restaurant can be seen clearly marked with a server's name tacked to each table and spares of each name in a small container to the side.

Gel stares blankly at this for a few moments. "...seriously." Well, I won't have to consult with Miss Tease for my assignments, anymore...even though I enjoyed talking with her. She takes a closer look, frowning slightly. "...um...w-why am I assigned to one of the private booths?"

The other maid shrugs. "Probably because you needed to get experience with those too. Only one things different with those: always knock before you go in. Trust me, it's just better for everypony that way."

"...if you say so..." She nods, straightening her headpiece before stepping out of the room. First stop, the so-called 'couple's booth'. She stops in front of it, knocking softly. Here's to hoping there's someone in there, if only so I don't look like a fool.

Whispering happens behind the closed door before a mare's voice calls. "Come in!"

Gel enters the room, smiling softly at the mares sitting at the table. "...um...h-hi, my name is Angelic Grace...I'll be your waitress this afternoon..." She pulls out a pad and pen, holding it up. "...m-may I take your drink request?" So far, so good.

The blue and pink maned beige cream colored mare raises her hoof. "I'll have a sweet tea please."

The mint colored unicorn next to her nods afterwards. "And I'll have a lemonade."

Gel nods quietly, writing them down as quickly as possible. "I'll be back with your drinks soon." She bows before exiting the room and heading over to the drink area. It's nice that those two aren't afraid of what other ponies would think of their relationship. I have to wonder why they're here, though...maybe one of them is testing the other's commitment? I dunno...

She gives the order to the drink pony and heads off to her other table, her notepad floating in the air next to her. She stops next to the stallion, smiling kindly. "...h-hello...my name is Angelic Grace, and I'll be your waitress...m-may I take your drink request?"

The dark brown stallion looks her up and down. "Well, hey there, sweet cheeks! Start me off with a strong root beer!" He gives her a slightly unsettling smile.

She nods, writing it down. "...w-will do, sir..." Ignore the smile and it'll go away. She turns and hurries off, shivering slightly. That stallion just had to be a horndog... She stops by the drink pony, sighing softly. "...h-here you go..."

The mare couple's drink clink as they are set out on a tray for her to take.

Gel quickly takes up the drinks and heads over to the private booth. She puts a hoof on the handle before recalling the other waitress's words. ...oh, right. Knock first. She raises the hoof away and knocks gently on the wood.

This time, instead of whispering, a shuffling sound is heard before the mare's voice sounds. "C-come in!" As the door opens, the two mares both have bright smiles on their faces, but their manes seems slightly messier than when they were last seen.

She blinks at this, silent for a few moments. ...I think I'm glad that I knocked... "H-here are your drinks." She floats a glass of dark liquid over to the cream-colored mare. "Sweet tea." She gives the other to the unicorn. "And lemonade. A-are you ready to order your food?"

They nod as the earth mare answers. "Yes, we'll just have one of your mixed vegetable dishes to share please." The mint mare nudges her a few times and motions to Gel with her eyes. "Oh right, and umm... would you mind if i ask where this place gets the uniforms?"

She looks up from her pad, intrigued by the question. "...um...honestly, I don't know...m-maybe I could ask for you, though, Miss?"

"Bon Bon, and yes, that would be great." She smiles winningly at the waitress.

...I suppose that may be part of the reason they're here. Huh. "I'll be sure to do that, Miss Bon Bon." She smiles softly. "For you and your friend." She turns to leave, glancing at the pad and flinching. ...I actually wrote down 'a uniform' on this? What was I thinking?

After dropping the order off, she speaks to one of the other waitresses. Apparently the uniforms are made by a little shop in Canterlot. They give her the shop's business card before sending her back to the stallion's table.

She stops next to the stallion, carefully putting his drink in front of him. "A, um...strong root beer..." She brings up her pad, smiling softly. "...are you ready to order?"

"Almost, let me just take a look here..." He holds the menu in front of him, glancing from it, to her, and back again. After he has his fill of looking at her, he puts in down. "Just give me the special, and maybe a wiggle or two on your way back." He gives her a wink.

She blinks at this, confused. ...did he really say what I think he did? "...o-of course, sir..." She walks away, trying to keep herself from accidentally giving any signs of attraction. I have to get him his food. It doesn't mean I have to enjoy it.

She grabs the food for the couple and heads over to the both, knocking as usual. This time there is only pleasant chatter for a second before they tell her to come in.

She enters, smiling kindly. "Your mixed vegetable dish, Miss." She places the plate between them and bows politely. "Oh, and I found out where we get the uniforms. It's from a little store in Canterlot." She pulls out the card, giggling a bit. "It's all right here." I'll write down the address in my journal before I take that stallion his special. Who knows if I'll ever need to go there.

"Thanks for doing this for us." The cream mare says.

The unicorn nods. "Yeah, maybe they make some other things too..." her eyes go glassy as she gets a goofy smile on her face.

A thump from under the table and a flinch from the mare show that her friend had kicked her as she hisses. "Lyra!"

Lyra blushes and rubs the back of her head. "Right, fantasize at home."

Gel giggles, waving a hoof at this. "I'll give you two your privacy for fantasizing. I'll be back in a bit to see if there's anything else I can help you with." She smiles softly as she leaves, scribbling down as much as possible in her journal while walking over to get the stallion's food. Those two seem like a lovely couple. And, with all that love coming off the both of them, I doubt they'll be breaking up any time soon.

She gets the stallion's food and heads over to his table, this time he is watching as she approaches and apparently enjoying every second of it.

She blushes brightly, starting to feel warm. N-not good. T-there's too much lust coming from him. I have to keep myself in check! She puts the plate in front of him, keeping a bit of distance between them. "H-here's the special, as you requested, sir...w-will there be anything else?"

More of his unsettling smile. "How about an address? A guy could get used to seeing a mare like you whenever he wanted."

Uh oh. "W-well, I don't know...m-my roommate might not like that..." She steps back a bit, unnerved. I do not like that smile. Not his overall demeanor.

"I think I got enough in me to take care of two fine mares." He looks around. "Which one of these girls lives with you?"

"Actually, he doesn't work here. He's a veterinarian." Here's to hoping that it deters him.

"He?" The stallion frowns. "Looks like somepony beat me to it. On your way then, minx." He waves her off like she is not worth his time anymore.

She turns away and rolls her eyes. Yeah, definitely don't like that kind of pony. At least I didn't have to lie to that sleazebag. Hate being a liar. She arrives at the kitchen, looking at another waitress there. "...that stallion was kind of...rude..."

The other waitress peeks around her to see who she is talking about. "Oh... him... yeah, he's one of those bad ones, but he isn't the worst. He's tried all his sleazy moves and all of us at one point, but once he figures out he doesn't have a chance, he moves on. It's the persistent ones you gotta look out for."

Gel shivers slightly, uncomfortable with those words. ...I hope I never have to worry about a persistent one... "...t-thank you for explaining that...I'm glad he won't be trying that any more with me..." ...I have to wonder, though...did he come here today because he heard there was a new waitress? She shrugs, returning to her tables to take care of her customers.

***

Gel arrives home and enters the building, sighing softly. ...I'm glad that's over...I never thought work would be so trying... She takes out her journal and writes down the events of the day, not wanting to chance falling asleep beforehoof. She moves into the living room and lays down on the couch as she finishes. She sighs quietly, looking around a bit. ...where's Rhino?

The stallion in question comes down the stairs as if he was summoned. He looks over the mare as he speaks. "I thought I heard you get home... rough day at work?"

"...you could say that..." She takes off her headpiece, looking up at him. "...some stallion tried to hit on me today...but he backed off when I said I had a stallion as my roommate..." She rolls her eyes and lays her whole body on the couch, her hooves dangling off the edge. Sleazebag. He isn't a thing like Rhino.

A series of unreadable expressions cross Rhino's face before he settles on a neutral one. "Was he respectful?"

"...when I said you were a stallion, he said, and I quote, 'Looks like somepony beat me to it. On your way then, minx.'" She shakes her head, frowning. "I don't think he was concerned with being respectful."

A deep growl echoes from the stallion's chest. "I see..." He closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths. "Was the... rest of the shift more enjoyable?"

"Oh, definitely!" She giggles, recalling the couple she waited on. "There were these two mares who were eating in a private booth. They were so nice, and they gave me a nice tip, too. Of course, I did give them the location of the shop where the restaurant got these outfits. In fact, the address is in my journal!" She pulls it out and turns it to the page, showing it to him. "See?"

He chuckles a bit at the address. "Heh, that's the same district as my dad's house. Never knew there was a shop like that around there." He looks back up at her. "I'm glad most of your day was pleasant."

"So am I." She gently leans over and nuzzles his cheek, precariously perched on the edge of the couch. "I'm enjoying it more now that I'm with you, though."

When you say things like that, it makes me wonder... He nuzzles her back a moment before asking quietly. "And why would you say that is?"

"...um..." She squirms a bit, nervous. ...do it...just confess, already! "...b-because you're my...b-best friend..." She mentally facehooves. We have to agree with the judge from Stalliongrad on this one. One out of ten.

He carefully keeps his face blank. That may be the current state of affairs, but is it where you wish to stop? He smiles down at her. "Are you tired? Do you want a blanket to take a quick nap or something?"

She shrugs slightly, quickly jotting down a few notes in her journal. "...sure...but..." She looks up at him, smiling softly. "...would you mind joining me?" She blushes softly, looking up at him with wide, hopeful eyes. Please agree, Rhino. It'll make this day that much better...

His eyes lock with hers. "Well... since you asked so nicely..." He walks off and comes back with a thin blanket. "Sure."

She smiles softly, sitting up slightly to look at him better. "...thank you, Rhino...so..." She glances at the couch beneath her for a moment, confused. "...h-how is this going to work? S-should I get up so you can lay down?" Embarrassment, thy name is Gel.

He scratches the back of his head with a hoof. "That would probably be best... if I was to sit down second, I would probably squish you..."

She silently nods, standing up and motioning to the couch. "...a-after you, then..."

Rhino nods and settles himself up against the back of the couch so there is room for her. He shuffles around a moment before stretching out, his rear hooves almost going off the edge. "Your turn..."

She lays down on the couch, her belly pressed up against his and their faces next to each other. She giggles softly, gently kissing the tip of his nose. "...is this a good move, Rhino?" How corny of a line can I say? That, apparently...

...Not what I expected... At this point I'm starting to feel blind for not noticing any of this before... I guess it’s clear how she feels... He blushes heavily and doesn't move as he responds. "That depends on your perspective... It looks great to me..."

She blushes a bit, draping one of her forelegs over his chest. "...I'm glad..." He's blushing. I can only hope that means he's starting to see me in a better light. "...hey, Rhino?" Her other foreleg moves up to his cheek, rubbing it in tiny circles. "...I never got to ask...how was your day?"

He gulps from the attention, having to steady his thoughts before he can respond. "Oh, umm... you know... the usual clients, had a new mare who came in with her kitten... nothing too big. This is by far the most... interesting part of my day so far..."

She giggles, pulling him a little closer to herself. "...I'm happy to hear that..." I wish I could make it more interesting, but I worry that it would push him away. I suppose I'll make do with the rising affection, for now. Besides... She rests her head under his, sighing softly, accidentally starting to think out loud. "...this is just...perfect..."

As he feels her tucked up against him, Rhino's thoughts all seem to align. The clamor of his mind quieted, by a single unanimous thought. It is wonderful... but perhaps it is time I start think about making it truly perfect... for both of us... His tail wraps around hers as he slowly lets out a breath, simply enjoying her presence.

Soon enough, her even breathing is replaced with quiet snoring. Her journal falls to the ground behind them, as she had been writing in it until she fell asleep.

His horn quietly lights up as he levitates the book, giving the cover a glance before making sure it is shut and putting it on the end table. No need to read that, anymore... I know all I need to...

Chapter 13: Together

Gel wakes up, groaning softly and quickly picking up her journal, skimming the pages. ...so Rhino's becoming more open to the idea of us? She smiles softly, standing up and heading out of her room. ...I'll have to test that theory... She quietly nudges open the door to his room, glancing around cautiously.

Once again, the green stallion is snoozing peacefully in his usual position. His small alarm clock is sitting on his bedside table, silent for now.

Smiling slyly, she sneaks up to his bed. She lifts his foreleg and moves the pillow away, quickly laying down with her back to his belly. ...oh, he's so soft... She gingerly lowers his foreleg back down, slowly squirming back against his body. ...I know we aren't a couple, but...this seems so right... She flicks her tail a bit, almost teasingly brushing it against his hindlegs.

The hindmost twitches in response to the touch. The rest of his body does its usual contortions to accommodate her presence. A small murmur comes from his mouth. "Angel..."

She tenses up, eyes wide in shock. ...did...did he just... She blushes brightly, a fluttering sensation forming in her stomach. ...he did...h-he said my name... She glances over her shoulder at him, frowning softly. ...I would give anything to know what he's dreaming about right now...

A thought occurs to her. Smiling slyly once more, she turns around, laying her muzzle next to his ear. "...oh, Rhino...tell me...tell me how much you like me..." This always works. Well, in the novels it does, anyways.

His ear twitches before he responds. "...more than I thought I did... and more every day..." A small smile grows on his face.

She giggles softly, nibbling his ear a bit. "...you have no idea...how much that means to me..." She leans back, gingerly pressing her lips against his. ...he loves me...he really loves me...this is absolutely wonderful! Her eyes flutter closed, letting her enjoy the moment even more.

Suddenly, a high-pitched repetitive beeping comes from the small alarm on the bedside table. As if possessed, the arm that is draped over the mare comes to life and flops onto the clock. It shifts around before a small click announces its success at finding the switch.

Rhino lets out a small groan as he shifts, his lips twitching from the pressure on them. He cracks open his eyes slowly as he wakes.

She quickly backs away enough so that their lips aren't touching any more. She touches her nose to his, shyly smiling. "...g-good morning...s-sleep well?" ...well, you tried your best, but your face has 'guilty' written all over it...

He takes a moment to gather his thoughts. "Yes... Would you have had anything to do with that?"

"...I-I'm not sure..." She glances down between them, embarrassed. "...I-I suppose it depends on whether or not it was just the last few minutes or not..."

"Time is almost impossible to tell in dreams..." He gives her a quick lick on her muzzle. "But thanks for whatever you did... And for making waking more pleasant."

She giggles softly, tenderly nuzzling his cheek. "...glad I could be of service..." She moves to get out of bed, starting to turn as red as a cherry. "...s-so, y-you should get ready for work, right?"

"Well, I'm sure there's a saying somewhere about not forgoing beautiful mares in one's bed, but I suppose you’re right." He slips out the other side of the bed. As he heads to the bathroom he turns back to look at her. "Feel free to stay in there as long as you want though." He gives her a wink then leaves the room.

She smiles softly at this, heading down the stairs. ...he definitely has stronger feelings...but they're not to the right level...not yet... She looks at her journal, taking care to read what she can. ...okay, so, before I go to work, I need to return 'Of Scales and Feathers' to the library...that should be simple enough...

After about 15 minutes, Rhino comes downstairs in his work-ready form. As he fixes a small breakfast for himself he looks over to the mare. "Anything you want?"

"...I don't really know..." She shrugs slightly, smiling playfully at him. "...surprise me?"

He nods before turning back to the counter. After a few minutes, he walks to the table and slides her a plate of what appears to be sliced cheese slightly melted onto toast. "Here you are. It's simple, but I think you'll like it." He takes a quick bite of one of his own slices.

She takes a cautious bite, nodding slightly at the taste. "'S good." She eats it quickly, yet slow enough to enjoy the flavor of the food he made for her. It's a simple gesture, but I still like it.

"Glad you like it." He puts his dishes in the sink and rubs her head as he goes towards the door. "Take care of yourself while I'm at work."

She leans into his hoof, sighing softly. "Will do." She gets up and stretches, putting her own dishes in the sink. I should head out, soon. I have no idea when that library opens up. She grabs her saddlebags and, putting the romance novel in it, heads out the door. Well, this weather seems nice. Glad it's not raining, or anything. She walks down the street towards the library, taking note of her surroundings.

The sound of fluttering wings from behind her announces the presence of a pegasus. "Excuse me! Wait a moment please!"

She blinks, turning around to look at the gray pony. "...may I help you, Miss?" Who is this?

The golden-eyed pegasus gives a small salute. "Ditzy Do, mailmare, at your service!" She giggles as she puts down her hoof. "And yes, you can help me. I just wanted to make sure of something."

She smiles kindly at the mare, nodding a bit. "...yes? What was it you wanted to ask?"

Ditzy smiles as she responds. "Well, I just wanted to see if you had registered with the local office. I've seen you come out of Rhino's house for about a week now, but we don't have it registered of him living with anypony else. I am clarifying this oversight. So... are you Mrs. Rhino?"

"N-no!" She blushes brightly, shaking her head frantically. "M-my name's Angelic Grace! Rhino's just a...f-friend." She sheepishly smiles, rubbing the back of her neck.

The mailmare's eyes cross momentarily before they snap back into position as she smiles. "Oh, okay! I'll just register that name to the house so all your mail can get to you! Nice to meet you, and remember that you can always count on the local mail to get your letters and packages wherever you need them!" She salutes again before flying off, narrowly avoiding a lamppost.

Gel stares at this, unsure of what to think. ...she was...nice, I guess? She shakes her head and turns back around, heading off to the library. I hope she's alright to fly, though.

Soon enough, she arrives at the library. She knocks and waits for someone to show up. ...well, I didn't run into anypony else...whether or not that's a good thing remains to be seen...

The rhythmic clicking of class of wood floors is heard before a familiar drake answers the door. He has a bored expression at first but tightens up when he sees who it is. "Hey Angel! You know you don't have to knock since it's a public library right?"

"...y-yes...b-but it's also a house, isn't it? I mean, that's what I've heard, anyways..." She shyly smiles, embarrassed. "...s-so may I come in?"

He nods and opens the door wider for her. "Sure! Twilight's upstairs studying today, so I get to run the place myself. First rule I made was an extended lunch break."

Gel giggles, stepping inside. "Always a good rule to have." She stops next to the table in the middle of the room, thinking for a bit. ...should I wait for Twilight? After a few seconds she shrugs, shaking her head. It should be fine. As long as he doesn't try to read it, at least. "S-so, are you able to check in books, Spike?" She looks at him, smiling softly.

"Of course! Let me just get Twi's list..." He walks over to the desk and disappears behind it as the sounds of frantic digging erupt. Over the clamour, his voice rings out. "So what book are you returning anyway?"

She keeps her face as neutral as possible, even as her mind races. "...i-it's 'Of Scales and Feathers'." She pulls the book out of her saddlebag, walking over to the desk. ...well, at least it's one of the few romance novels with an ambiguous cover.

"Scales huh? Any dragons in that book?" He moves a few pages to the side as he keeps looking for the right list.

"...yes, actually...one of them is the male protagonist..." She squirms slightly, becoming less sure of her decision by the second.

"Really? I might have to look at that one sometime. You don't find many books with dragons as protagonists." He shuffles through a few more lists before huffing and coming back up with a smaller one. "I'll just mark it down on the 'recent' list and find the genre one later." He holds out a claw for the book.

She gives it to him, if a bit hesitantly. "...s-sorry if this seems random, but...how old are you?" She sheepishly smiles, rubbing the back of her neck. That question could've been handled better.

He gives her a strange look. "Ten, why?"

She blinks in surprise, tilting her head to the side. "...ten? That doesn't sound like the age of a baby..." She giggles a bit, gently hugging him close. "...you're still a cutie, though..."

He chuckles at the hug. "Yeah, I know. I'm a baby in dragon terms, not pony terms."

A voice calls from upstairs. "Spike? Can you bring me some of our extra quills?"

Gel lets go of him, smiling softly. "...you go do what you need to...I did what I needed to do..." She thinks for a bit before a idea comes to her. "...you know, I was wondering if you'd like to meet sometime outside the library...I'd like to know more about you, since, to be honest, I've never seen a dragon before..." ...well, at least not one that didn't try to kill me.

"You know, you’re the second pony to say that to me in this town, but the first to ask me to hang out. Sure, we can do that!" He writes down the book's title and runs upstairs with the quills. "Sorry for the wait, had to check-in a book!"

Gel sighs softly, smiling happily as she leaves. I think I just gained a new friend! Maybe having him on my side would be something useful later on... She shrugs, heading back home to get ready for work.

***

The white unicorn enters the house, smiling brightly. That was a great day. Not that big of a lunch rush, and no ponies who were trying to get under my skirt. Returning home to Rhino is a definite plus. She takes off her headpiece, looking around curiously. "Rhino? Are you home?"

"In the kitchen!"

She enters the room, quietly setting her bag off to the side. "So, may I ask what you've got cooking?" She smiles shyly, sitting down in the doorway.

He turns to her from his position halfway in the fridge. "Nothin cooking, just putting away the last of some stuff I picked up at the market today." He holds up a container of lemonade. "Just a few little things to give us some options."

She blinks at this, curious. "...so...that's lemonade, right?" She gets up and walks over to him, staring at the container. "...is it the sweet kind or the tart kind?"

He pours a glass of it. "The sweet kind. Do you want some?" He holds it out to her in his magic.

She nods, gingerly taking it in her own magic. "I'll try it. I've never had the sweet kind, before." She sips it, letting the taste rest on her tongue for a moment before smiling at him. "...that's really good...a bit too sweet, but I can deal with it..." She leans up and gently kisses his cheek, giggling a bit. "...thank you for buying it..."

He blushes as he scuffs the ground with a hoof. "It's no trouble... though I do really appreciate the thanks." He hesitates a moment before giving her a quick peck on the cheek. "There's one for you."

She blushes brightly from the kiss, a dreamy look coming to her face for a moment before she snaps out of it. "...that's sweet, Rhino...almost as sweet as this drink..." She gives him a wink before she turns to walk away, playfully brushing her tail over his chest.

The stallion shivers as the tail caresses him, but manages to still make a quip. "Well, at least I'm not too sweet like the drink."

She stumbles a bit, surprised by the words. She turns to look at him, confused and curious. "...I-I'm sorry?"

He waves a hoof. "Sorry, just a joke. You said the drink was too sweet, then you said I was also sweet... so you know... at least I'm not too sweet..." He laughs, a little embarrassed.

She nervously giggles, rubbing the back of her neck. "...o-oh..." I can't believe I thought he was talking about me. She jerkingly brings her glass up to her lips, hoping to hide her own embarrassment.

Instead, she splashes herself in the face with the liquid.

She yelps in shock, holding a hoof over her left eye. "W-why did I do that?!" She slams the drink onto the table and braces a hoof against the surface, groaning. Sweet Tartarus, that hurts!

Rhino rushes over, concern etched across his features. He holds her up with one hoof as he leans down and moves her mane out of her face with a careful swipe of magic. "Careful now, how bad is it?"

"...i-it feels like...a thousand needles in my eye..." She grimaces, trying to keep herself from showing any more pain. ...Rhino...he's always so...caring... She looks up at him with her good eye, whimpering softly. "...w-what do I do?"

He gently guides her over to the sink. As he wets a washcloth, he gently speaks to her. "Keep your eye closed for me, just let the tears come if they want to, it'll help." He wipes the area around her eye with the cold washcloth before setting it over her eye. "How's that?"

She gulps softly. "...i-it's...it's starting to feel better..."

He frowns. "Letting it sit in there is a bad idea... here, let's try this." He turns on the water in the sink and guides her over to it. "Alright, what I'm going to do is flush out your eye with the water, it'll feel weird and you'll try to close your eye, but resist the urge as much as you can. Okay?"

She turns to his voice, smiling shakily. "...o-okay, Rhino...I-I trust you..."

He uses one foreleg to support her barrel as he gently tilts her head under the stream of water so that it runs directly onto her injured eye. He has her hold it there for about thirty seconds before bringing her out of it and turning off the water. A soft dry cloth levitates over in his green aura as he gently wipes off her face and eye. "There... how about now?"

She blinks experimentally, brightening up significantly. "...it...it doesn't hurt, anymore. Rhino, you did it!" She hugs him happily, planting a kiss on his lips. She smiles at him, tenderly touching her nose to his. "...thank you..."

He tilts his head down so their foreheads touch, their horns crossing as he does so. "I'm just glad you aren't hurt..." He kisses her on the lips in response to her one a moment ago.

She blushes profusely, surprised that he kissed back. She looks up at him, her eyes shimmering with hope. "...R-Rhino?"

He moves a strand of her mane that had fallen in front of her face with a hoof. "So... I've been giving it some thought... and I was wondering if you might be interested in being... more than friends?"

Her jaw drops as she stares at him. "...y-you mean...like..." She trembles slightly, her hooves rubbing along his back. "...a-a couple?"

He nods, a small blush on his face. "If you're willing of course..."

She gently moves a forehoof to his cheek, smiling kindly. "...Rhino...y-you have no idea...how much I'd like that..." She kisses him lovingly, tears of joy streaking down her face.

He plops down into a sitting position, unprepared for her more forceful kiss. He responds in kind, but still stays gentle, not wanting to hurt her. After a time, they separate, both of them breathing deeply as they catch their breath. "So... um... what do we do now?"

"...I-I'm not sure..." She rubs the back of her neck, embarrassed. "...e-each of my novels has a different way things progress..." ...did I seriously just say that? Do I want him to know my little secret?

He nuzzles her lovingly. "Well, romance novels tend to portray things various ways... but I suppose one way to start out would be to actually go on dates."

She nods quietly, happily nuzzling him back. "...that sounds like a good idea..." ...w-wow...there's so much love coming from him...m-more than I've ever had, before...

"Well..." he gestures around them, "we still have most of the afternoon. Is there anyway you want to spend it in light of this new development? We could stay at home, do things here in the house..."

She squirms a bit, blushing brightly. "...um...w-well, could we...c-cuddle, for now?" ...well, it is an enjoyable activity, with him...

He smiles at her. "Well, I guess it would be interesting to see how different it is now that we've figured out how we feel. Your place or mine?"

"...your place, of course..." She giggles, nuzzling his cheek. "...and your bed..." ...I wonder if I can tempt him...maybe see how far he's willing to let me go? She hurries up the stairs ahead of him to hide her sly smile, purposely lifting her tail to reveal her panty-clad rump.

His face burns like a fire at the sight as he makes his way upward, averting his eyes from the sight and running into a door frame because of it. He chuckles it off and makes his way up to his room.

As he enters, he sees her laying on her back on his bed, trying to get the socks of her maid uniform off her body. As it is, her magic is causing her to flinch and bite her lip, trying hard not to laugh. She looks down over her belly and sees him, causing her to blush a bit more. "...h-hi?"

His blush intensifies. "Hi yourself... Having trouble?"

"...um...y-yes..." She squirms slightly, embarrassed. "...I-I don't want to get my outfit wrinkled...b-but my magic can't...n-not without..." She hides her burning face with her forehooves, visibly trembling.

He tilts his head. "It won't work for some reason?"

She groans, flailing her hindlegs. "...i-it tickles too much..."

A snicker escapes Rhino before it grows to a chuckle a finally to a full grown laugh. He gives her a cheeky look as his magic grabs the tips of her socks and suddenly slides them off. "Better?"

"...um...y-yes...t-thank you..." She shyly smiles at him, before sitting up and slipping off her maid uniform. She giggles as she lays there in her panties, patting the bed next to her. "...care to join me?"

His ears lay back on his head while his pupils shrink dramatically. His face is giving off tangible heat as he gulps. "I... Um... I..."

She tilts her head to one side, confused. "...what's wrong? I-is it the panties? I-I can take them off, if you want..."

"No, no, they're umm, wonderful... It's just that I... Well I've never... really... done something like this before..." He gulps again before slowly approaching her.

She carefully sits up, giving him her best 'innocent' look. "...like what, Rhino? Cuddling?" She giggles, playfully booping his nose. "...we've done that a few times, now...it's nothing to be worried about, right?"

"I... suppose not..." He settles on top of the bed, next to her. He looks at her questioningly for the next move.

She gently moves him onto his side and flips herself over, carefully pressing her back against his belly. She grabs his forehoof and holds it to her chest, sighing softly. "...I hope you don't mind...I-I kind of enjoy feeling you around me like this..."

His tail reflexively intertwines with hers as the rest of him shifts to get comfortable. He notes the feeling of her body against his. "Aside from the little fabric addition... this feels very familiar... and very right."

She giggles, teasingly wiggling her rump against his hips. "...I'm glad...you like this, as well..."

A shiver goes down his spine. Unnoticed by him, certain parts of his anatomy decide they don't need permission to do what they were born to do. They slowly rouse themselves. Meanwhile, Rhino has gotten past the initial awkwardness of the situation and is smiling happily at the mare's antics.

She looks over her shoulder at him, smiling softly. Even as she does this, she continues to gently grind against him, wanting to see how long it would take for him to notice.

He lets out a small chuckle as her rubbing tickles him. The other parts though, are only encouraged to further their rebellion against his conscious mind as they become more and more enticed by the mare's movements.

She takes his hoof on her belly, slowly rubbing it in circles with her own. ...this is actually quite nice...I'll have to ask him about belly rubs later on... She giggles at her own thoughts, absently continuing her gyrations. ...wow, he really is aroused at the moment...does he even notice that?

The answer to that question is no. Rhino is so focused on Gel that he still does not notice his stallionhood showing its own attentions to her. He chuckles as he continues the circular rubbing on her stomach. "You really are giggly, aren't you?"

"...sorry, laughing at some thoughts I just had..." She glances back between them, eyes wide in surprise. "...w-wow...y-you're really...b-big..." Her cheeks are starting to literally burn with her blush.

"Hmm?" He follows her eyes and finally realizes the sensation going through his lower half. His eyes widen in shock as he pushes himself away from her and thus, off the bed. On the floor, he flips over onto his stomach with his face as red as a tomato. "I am so sorry about that... I didn't even realize it happened..."

She moves over to the edge of the bed closest to him, gently nuzzling his cheek. "...i-it's fine, Rhino...I kind of...i-instigated that reaction...s-so it's my fault..." He's still too shy...why is that?

The stallion looks up at her. "It's... fine... cuddling will probably be awkward now though... sorry."

"...really, it's fine..." She leans forward and gently kisses him. "...if we need to, we'll just ignore it...after all, I value the time we cuddle because I'm with you...nothing will change that..." She smiles lovingly at him, resting her head on her forehooves. "...okay?"

"...Okay..." He gingerly makes his way back onto the bed, but is still staying stomach down. "Did you want to try it differently?"

"...well, since you have your 'little problem'..." She winks playfully at him. "...how about we just lay side-by-side?"

He nods. "That sounds nice..."

She pats the spot next to her. "...feel free to join me, love..." She squeaks, covering her mouth in embarrassment. "...t-that just slipped out...I-I'm sorry..."

His eyes soften as he looks at her. "Don't be... it's a bit sooner than I expected... but I don't mind." He shifts over until he is right next to her. "At least I'm not the only one who got embarrassed."

She rests her head against his neck, sighing softly. "...I-I guess that's a good thing..." His love is so good! I can't even understand why...wait, he's still aroused...why is there no lust in his love? She closes her eyes, focusing on him. ...maybe he really is special...

Chapter 14: Chatting

Gel sits beside Rhino's bed, leaning over him. She glances at his clock, preparing herself. According to my notes, his alarm sounds around this time. She smiles slyly, lowering her head and gently pressing her lips to his. This should be the way he wakes up. Her eyes flutter closed and she allows herself to start getting lost in the kiss.

As she gets more and more into the kiss, Rhino's eyes slowly crack open from the pressure on his lips. Once he sees what it is, he closes them again and responds in kind. As they kiss, one of his hooves slowly slips out from under the sheets and around her, not making contact yet.

She eventually breaks the kiss, gasping softly for air. ...this is just...great...I'm happy that we're finally together... She leans a little further, tenderly nuzzling his cheek. "...Wakey wakey, Rhino..."

The hoof that had been working its way around her suddenly closes in and sweeps her onto the bed next to him. He opens his eyes fully and gives her a beaming smile. "Good morning to you too."

She squeaks, blushing brightly. "...g-glad to see...that you're up..." She rests her head under his chin, making little circles in his fur with a hoof. "...s-so...did you sleep well?"

He shrugs. "Oh, nothing really memorable. It served its purpose." He rubs her back with a hoof. "I did enjoy the wakeup call though. Speaking of which," he clicks off the alarm with magic, "don't want that ruining the moment."

"But of course." She giggles, a playful thought coming to her mind. "...say, Rhino...you said you liked how I looked..." She gently kisses his neck, her horn rubbing against his cheek. "...is that part of the reason you're dating me?" She slyly smiles, trailing up along his jaw, subtly moving her circling hoof lower on his body. ...let's see how much you'll let me get away with, now...

He thinks for a moment before looking back down and smiling at her as she lies halfway on his chest. "Well, it was part of the reason, yes. The deal breaker for me though, has always been personality. Many wise ponies have said, you have to love what's on the inside, because the outside can change."

She stops, staring up at him with wide eyes. ...h-he can't possibly know, can he? She softly sighs, kissing him once more. ...I doubt it, but it's a nice sentiment... "...that's sweet, Rhino...thank you..." Her hoof trails even lower, teasing the area right above her goal.

He smiles softly at her. "I'm just telling the the truth. What about you? What made you want to date me?"

"...Well, you're a kind pony...one that I feel cares for others before himself..." She blushes a bit, averting her eyes. "...not to mention you gave my interests a chance...despite sweating heavily..." She giggles, kissing along his neck once again, her hoof gingerly touching his sheath. ...being so handsome helps a little, too...

He doesn't notice where her hoof has wandered due to her other actions. "It's just the kind of pony I am." He nuzzles the side of her head. "I just wanted to make sure you were happy."

She smiles softly, looking up at him. "...that's why I like you...but I also want to make sure you're happy..." Her hoof starts to tenderly rub him, trying to coax his little friend out even as she lovingly kisses him.

The repetitive movement starts to register in his brain. He looks down at her with a quizzical face. "What are you up to?"

Busted. She sheepishly smiles, carefully moving her hoof away. "...um...n-nothing..." She bites her lip, turning onto her back to avoid his gaze. ...here's to hoping he doesn't get annoyed or upset...

He turns onto his side to better see her in her new position. "Is something wrong? Is there something I can do?"

She shakes her head, smiling softly at him. "...there's nothing wrong...I just..." She trails off, unsure how to continue that sentence. I just what? Want to arouse him again so I can see that perfect example of virility? I can't say that! She groans quietly, covering her face with her hooves.

He frowns and gently takes her hooves off her face. "Ok, now I know something's wrong. You can tell me you know. Whatever it is, I'll help if I can."

She blushes brightly, her eyes darting about for a bit before she forces them to look at him. "...I-I'm sorry, Rhino...I just..." She closes her eyes, steeling herself. "I'm really aroused right now and I'm having trouble controlling myself!" She covers her face once more, burning with shame.

He blinks but otherwise doesn't react. "Oh, is that it? That's fine, it happens." He removes her hooves from her face again and plants a small kiss on her forehead, just under her horn. "Nothing to be ashamed of."

She stares at him in shock. "...Y-you're sure?" I'm surprised he isn't reacting to my scent...then again, he does seem to have a great deal of self-control... She traces tiny circles on his chest, still uncertain. "...e-even when I just...tried to make you aroused, too?"

He raises an eyebrow. "Is that what you were doing? Didn't you get a good enough view last night?"

"...W-well...I just..." She squirms uncomfortably, embarrassed. "...w-wanted to make you feel good..."

He chuckles and gives her a quick kiss on the lips. "You're doing that right now." His eyes flick over to the clock. "Unfortunately, I should probably start getting ready for work." He turns back and nuzzles her. "Think you can stand to be away from me in your state?" He smiles teasingly at her.

She looks down at her hooves, nervous. "...honestly...I'm not sure..." Steam starts coming off the top of her head, and her hindlegs start rubbing together. "...I-I don't think I've been this aroused, before...e-except that one time at the lake..."

He stays silent as a few things click. "Oh... that was one of those romance books..." He gently slides out of the bed before turning back and waving a hoof through the steam coming off her head. "Probably not the most subtle sign of it, now that I think about it..." He focuses back on her face, his own starting to burn with a blush. "Umm... do you just need one of your books and some alone time or...?"

She bows her head, ashamed. "...I-I'm afraid it's not that simple...I-I can't really...p-pleasure myself..." She groans softly, gripping the covers with her forehooves. "...I-I just...don't know how...so I kind of...wait it out a bit..."

Rhino rubs the back of his head as he looks down to the ground. "Umm... well... I don't really know what else... I mean, do you want to take a cold shower? Maybe something else? I'm not sure what to do here, to be honest."

She leaps up, clopping a hoof against the floor. "That's it! A cold shower!" She rushes out the door, brushing against him as she heads off to the bathroom. "Thanks, Rhino!" With that, she closes the door and starts up the shower, letting the cold water rush over her body, quickly turning to steam and filling up the room. ...might not be the best idea, but it's helping me calm down, a bit...

The stallion, slightly shell-shocked from the mare's rapid departure, shakes his head to clear it. "Well, that's one situation avoided... but now the only bathroom open is the downstairs one... and all my stuff's in the one she just went into..." He puts a hoof to his forehead. "I need milk..." He goes downstairs to fix himself a nice tall glass of cool nirvana.

Soon enough she's out of the shower and heading down the stairs, still dripping wet. "...that's better...I hope he's alright with me using his shampoo..." She glances into the living room, curious. "Rhino? Where are you?"

He calls from his spot at the table where he is nursing his drink. "In the kitchen!"

She walks in, smiling softly at him. "...um...sorry for taking up the bathroom with your toiletries..." She moves closer, lovingly nuzzling his cheek. "...next time, I'll leave the door open...is that fine with you?"

He clears his throat as she brings up yet another blush. "Er, umm, no that's... that's fine, I needed to get a drink anyway... Are you better now?"

She nods, smiling brightly. "Definitely! I really needed that cold shower." She puts a hoof on her chin thinking to herself a bit. ...I'm not sure how long my arousal will stay down, though...

He chuckles before getting up. "Well, now that you're wet in a more controlled way, I need to go do the same thing. Try not to drip too much okay?" He winks before heading into the bathroom himself.

She blushes a vibrant red, embarrassed by his words. ...I can't let him get the last word...I need to say something to tease him right back... She follows him up the stairs, slyly smiling. "Don't worry, I can dry myself off just fine. I'm just wondering if you'll be in there fantasizing about my drenched body." That should do it. With that, she heads back down the stairs, using her brilliant blue flames to dry herself off.

Rhino stumbles from her words as the image floods his brain. Darn it, I thought I won that one... Ok, come on, focus, you need to get ready for work. The image of her wet body floods his brain again. Not gonna be easy...

***

Gel enters the employee lounge, sighing softly. "...some of those stallions sure are grabby..." She approaches the board, searching for her name. ...don't know why they changed the system...I like chatting with Miss Tease...at least, that's what my journal says...

The mare in question enters the lounge, fluffing some of her frills. She spots the unicorn and walks over with a smile. "Afternoon Angel, how's the board treating you?"

She smiles back at her kindly, nodding a bit. "...It's nice, Miss Tease..." Not entirely sure if this is better than the old way, but I digress.

The older mare waves a hoof. "Now now, enough of that formality. Call me Silk, unless I call you into my office for official business, casual is fine. We're all friends here after all."

Gel nods, embarrassed. "...o-okay, Mi-" She cups a hoof over her mouth, blushing a bit. "S-sorry, I mean Silk." She pulls out her journal and starts to jot down this new info. Don't want to forget that...huh, my journal's almost full. I guess I'll need to get a new one.

Silk giggles. "There you go, not so hard is it?" She consults the chart. "How've the tables been treating you? Got any questions?"

"...Um...I just have one..." She scuffs the ground with a hoof, her nerves getting to her. "...w-what should I do...if a customer gets hooves-on?" Please tell me there's something that can help with that!

"Well that depends on if you want it or not. If you don't, tell him to stop. If he doesn't..." she motions to the lounge where some other waitresses are, "just whistle and all the mares that aren't serving will come and... sort the situation out. That's the reason we always have more staff on hoof than we actually need, so we always have spares to help out with that."

Gel blinks, stunned at this answer. ...okay, I did not expect that. "...um...t-thank you for letting me know...I-I'll try not to whistle while I work..." She giggles shyly, transcribing the conversation in her journal. That was a terrible pun. I should feel bad...and I do.

"The girls can generally tell between a normal whistle and a help whistle, so don't worry if you end up doing that." The manager moves a few names around on the board. "So how have things been going while you're not at work? I don't think you've ever really talked about that kind of thing."

"O-oh, um..." What can I say that won't be trouble later on? "...I-I played some paintball this weekend with a few ponies...m-my team won against Dash's..." ...well, it might not be too much trouble, I guess. She looks up at the board, noticing her name on the couple's booth again. ...this'll be interesting...

The yellow pegasus raises an eyebrow. "Really? I wouldn't have pegged you for the paintball type. Just goes to show that ponies have all kinds of interests." She adjusts a few more names before turning fully to Gel. "We should talk more when your break comes around, it's nice to chat with new ponies."

"A-agreed." She shyly smiles as she slowly backs away. "I enjoy our chats, Silk. I-I'll just go work at my tables, now." She turns and leaves the room, feeling embarrassed by her own words. Why can't I ever just be comfortable around friends?

Soon enough, she's at the first table of the day, pen and pad at the ready. "H-hi, my name is Angelic Grace, and I'll be your waitress today...can I get you something to drink?"

***

Gel picks up her customer's bill, taking it straight to the mare in charge of the bits. Break time. There isn't a better pair of words in the world...at least, not one I can think of, at the moment. She enters the lounge, laying down on the couch and writing some notes down in her journal. ...let's see...a nice red stallion who didn't talk much...extremely nice...met once before with Rhino...a single gray mare... Her thoughts trail off as she continues the short list.

Soon enough, she's done writing, closing her book and putting it back in her uniform. There we go. Five normal tables and two couples, each with about a two bit and four bit tip, respectively. She giggles, blushing softly. The way things are going, I'll be able to afford it for sure...

The other mares in the lounge seem to be in their usual places. A couple are taking power naps while another group are playing cards and laughing. As Silk walks in, they all give her a quick wave before going back to what they were doing. The boss spots a comfy looking spot on the couch across from Gel's and settles herself on it, a few small clinks from her tips jingling in her pockets.

She looks over at the disguised changeling. "Nicely paced day right? Not too fast, not too slow."

The white unicorn smiles, nodding kindly. "...I'd say so...and I didn't need to whistle at all..." She rests her head on her hooves, thinking a bit. She really is a kind, smart mare. She could've easily been a boss somewhere else. Even at the weather factory. She looks up at her, blue eyes wide in curiosity and nervousness. She keeps her voice low, so only the pony across from her could hear. "...this may be odd, but...w-why did you decide on this job, Silk?"

She sighs wistfully. "Well, it's less of a case of me choosing the job and more of the job choosing me. I didn't open this place you know, I started right where you are. Pegasus or not, weather work just never really appealed to me all that much." She slides up her skirt slightly to reveal a cutie mark of a circle of lace. "I figured I'd wait tables for a bit while wearing a uniform I'd love and find a better job while still having income. Over time though, nothing seemed as appealing as the place I already was. So, I focused on my work and when you do that, the boss notices and you get additional responsibilities, promotions, then one day you look up and realize you're running the place."

"...Wow..." Gel stares off into space, thinking a bit. ...that...almost sounds like how I was with my corps... She shakes her head, smiling softly at her. "...I'm glad you enjoy working here...I enjoy working here, too...but..." She sighs softly, resting her head on her hoof. "...sometimes...I wish I could do more...help others on a bigger scale, you know?"

Silk nods. "You aren't the first pony to have that thought, honey, and you won't be the last. I found my place here, just as each pony that's made a difference has found theirs. I won't pretend to know what to tell you other than to find what it is that you can do. You find that, work from there, and I'm sure we'll see your name in the papers in no time." She winks. "For now though, you'll have to get used to seeing yourself in one of my uniforms."

"...Oh, I'm used to it..." She absently plays with one of the frills, a blush slowly growing on her cheeks. "...and so is my coltfriend...I can still get him to blush, though..." She giggles quietly, picturing his flustered face. I can't wait to see him after work, today...

The other mare's tail flicks almost predatorially as her eyes narrow. "Oh? What's this new bit of gossip? A coltfriend... now what kind of stallion could go and capture the heart of a sweet little thing like you?"

"...um...a-a kind one..." She curls up into a small ball, intimidated by the look her boss is giving her. "...h-handsome...caring...a bit silly, sometimes..." ...of all the times for my brain to lack words to describe Rhino...

Seeing her employee shrink into herself, the yellow mare laughs. "Relax Angel, I was just eager to hear about all this. Sounds like he's a real tongue-tier too."

"...y-you could say that..." She nervously uncurls her body, resting on her side. She glances at her journal, frowning softly and thinking out loud. "...only two pages left...need to get a new one, soon..."

"You sure like your notes, don't you?" Silk looks to the journal. "You could always go pick up some blank ones at the bookstore down the street. They've got all kinds of supplies like that."

Gel blinks, looking at her. "...um...I-I kind of need them..." She shyly smiles, rubbing the back of her neck. "...I-I have some...memory issues..." I suppose I should've mentioned this in the job interview.

Her boss shrugs. "Well, you haven't made any mistakes yet so it seems you've got it well handled." She gets a sly smile. "Though I wonder how much that stallion of yours would find out about you should you ever decide to share with him."

...buck, I didn't think of that. "...I-I'm not sure I could share this with him...t-there's some...personal stuff in here..." She blushes brightly, a wisp of steam coming off her head. ...I just had to remember that fantasy, didn't I?

Silk giggles again. "I understand completely, honey. I didn't mean you have to show him, I just wanted to see what your reaction was when you thought about it."

"...o-oh..." Gel glances up at steam currently coming off of her. "...I-I guess you know, then..." She nervously smiles, writing down as much as possible without using too much space. "...C-could I possibly have a longer break? I-I don't want to be accused of smoking in the restaurant..."

The other mare puts a hoof to her chin. "Alright, I'll give you that. Steamy moments are really supposed to stay confined to the private booths anyway."

"...T-thank you..." She sighs in relief, resting her head on her hooves. "...it’ll take me a bit before I can calm down...s-sorry..."

Silk gives a short laugh. "Honey, if you'd have seen some of the drama queens that have tried to work here, you'd know just how much I don't mind. You aren't nearly as bad them, so take the time you need." She gets up and straightens one of the bows on the outfit. "We'll talk more another time. Good luck with your stallion!"

"...I-I will..." She tilts her head to one side before holding up a hoof, curious. "...I-I know this might be strange, but...w-would you like to meet outside of work? I-I like talking with you, even with the teasing..." She nervously giggles.

"Sorry, hon, it's in my name so you should have seen it coming." She gives her a smile. "If you want to hang out sometime, it's fine by me. It's good to have some mare time with friends."

The white mare smiles, looking down at her hooves. "...friends...I like that..." She looks back up at the pegasus, smiling kindly. "...maybe we could meet this weekend? At the spa?"

"Sounds like fun."

Chapter 15: First Try

Gel enters the house, her pockets full of bits and her bags filled with blank journals. With this many, I won't have to worry about running out anytime soon! She pulls a fluffy pink one out, frowning softly. ...I could do without this one, though. I can't believe I let that mare pressure me into buying one labelled ‘diary’...

She shakes her head, walking into the living room. Whatever. I need to rest my hooves. She shrugs off her bags and lays down, letting her eyes slowly drift closed. ...what I wouldn't give to have Rhino with me, right now...

The stallion in question, as usual, comes downstairs after hearing the door. He sees the mare on the couch and, thinking she’s sleeping, walks over quietly and gives her a peck on the forehead.

She shifts slightly, a small, playful smile growing on her lips. "...that was nice, Rhino..." She opens an eye halfway, giving him what was effectively half a lidded look. "...mind if I give you one in return?" She pulls him close by the back of his neck, lovingly kissing him on the lips.

"Mmph!" His eyes shoot open in surprise before softening again. After a moment, he pulls away from the kiss to give her a smile. "I take it you missed me?"

"You have no idea..." She wistfully sighs, rolling onto her back. "...I wanted so badly to come back here..." She flicks her tail, trying to draw his eyes lower along her body with the movement. "...to relax...and cuddle with you..." She arches her back, passing it off as an innocent stretch by extending her hooves. "...possibly loosen up a bit..." ...wait, what? She blushes brightly, realizing what she said, and how it could be taken the wrong way. I wasn't trying to say that! Oh, I just wanted to tease him... She turns her gaze to the couch, too embarrassed to keep looking at him.

He chuckles as he gazes down at her. "You know, you really are cute. Especially when you're wearing that outfit, then manage to embarrass yourself without me doing anything." He leans down and nuzzles her burning face.

She pouts, her cheeks puffed out cutely in indignation. "...glad to see you enjoy that..." She rolls back onto her belly and gets off the couch. I'll figure out a way to excite him, even if I have to pull out the big guns! She heads over to the stairs, teasingly flicking his face with her tail as she passes. "...I'll be right back...I want to get into something a bit more...comfortable..." She winks at him before ascending the stairs, trying to figure out what she wants to use first.

He smiles as he shakes his head and mutters. "Frankly I've always been one to say the most comfortable thing is your own fur, but let's see what she has in mind..." Images flash through his head, causing him to blush. "Hopefully I can control myself..."

She sifts through the clothes in her closet, examining each one. "...no...no...why do I even have a Royal Guard uniform? Ah!" She giggles, pulling out a few articles of clothing. "Perfect..."

She soon comes back down the stairs, stopping in the doorway. She shyly smiles, raising a hoof off the ground just so. Here we go. "...w-what do you think, Rhino?"

The white mare stands there in a simple outfit of socks and a pair of panties, but these articles of clothing are specifically made to excite. The striped blue-and-gold socks cover her legs up to her body, the pattern drawing the gaze down and back. She also wears a pair of royal blue panties, edged with light blue lace and fit to perfectly hug her curves.

Seeing the outfit, Rhino freezes where he stands, staying silent for a full minute before responding in an awed voice. "Er... wow..."

Gel blushes, slowly walking over to him. "...s-so...you like it?" She tenderly nuzzles his cheek before trailing kisses down his neck. Please say yes. "...i-it's what I wear to bed, sometimes..." She backs away a bit, tugging at one of the socks that had started to slip, pulling it back up to her shoulder like the others. "...I-I know it's silly...but it makes me feel...p-pretty..."

A bead of nervous sweat appears on his head. "W-well, it does make you look exquisite..." He tenses up before suddenly laying down on his stomach on the floor. "I hope you aren't forcing yourself to do something you're uncomfortable with just to make me happy..." His eyes slowly look up and down her socks before he yanks them away.

She lowers herself to the floor in front of him, smiling kindly. "...Rhino, it's fine...I enjoy making you happy..." And your little friend, but I can play with him another time. She gently places a cotton-clad hoof on his cheek, tracing small circles in his fur. "...and I'm glad you like it...even if it did rile you up a bit..." She playfully winks, letting him know she recognizes his predicament. "...maybe I could...help with that?" This is the moment of truth. Let's hope he responds how we want him to...

His face blushes more than she has ever seen as he struggles to come up with an answer. "I... er... you.. umm... what exactly are you... suggesting... but... we... I mean..." His thoughts struggle to become coherent enough to be understood as his eyes are locked with hers.

She giggles, placing a small peck on his cheek. "...I want to make you happy...so..." She moves her hoof from his cheek to his mane, stroking it tenderly as she touches noses with him. "...I-I'd like to pleasure you...I don't even need anything in return..." She pushes forward, passionately kissing him as her tongue gently presses against his lips, silently requesting access.

He takes a hoof and gently presses against her chest so that she stops kissing him. "I-if you're certain this is what you want..." He gulps. "I... guess we can do this..." He looks her in the eye, his voice a little more stern but still gentle. "But I don't want to go too far, okay?"

She smiles softly, tenderly nuzzling his cheek. "...I won't do anything you're uncomfortable with...but first..." She gives him a lidded gaze, rolling a cloth-covered hoof. "...I'd like to see what I'm working with..." ...this is unreal...I-I can't believe I'm getting to do this with him!

He looks to the floor. "I... okay... Just... give me a moment..." He lights up his horn and window by window, all the shutters close to give them privacy. A side effect of this is to make it darker, though this is unintentional. He looks back up at her. "Umm, so do I just..." He makes a rolling motion with his hoof.

She nods, giggling softly. "...of course, Rhino...I believe it's the safest option..." She gently kisses him once more, trying to reassure him. "...don't worry...you're going to enjoy this..." Especially with all the 'practice' I've had...of course, Angel's supposed to be a newbie at this, so I have to make it at least somewhat believable...

**Warning: Sexual Content. If you wish to skip, scroll down until the next large space**

He nods slowly before easing himself from being on his stomach, to rolling onto his back. Once he does so, he looks purposefully at the couch to avoid looking at the mare or his pride. It stands tall, obviously in proportion with the rest of his form.

She circles around him, purposely stepping in front of the couch and wiggling her heart-shaped rump to tease him a bit more. She positions herself between his hindlegs, her mouth inches from her goal. She pants softly, as if she's nervous, letting her breath waft along him. ...pause for a moment...and kiss. She leans forward, gently pressing her lips to his tip, shivering softly in anticipation. ...m-maybe it's a good thing that he doesn't want to go to far...h-he'd likely split me in half with that... She gulps quietly, looking up at his face to see how he's reacting.

He looks on, wide-eyed as she acts. He manages that particular combination look of both nervous and curious. He had sucked in a breath when she made contact and is now slowly letting it out.

She sighs in relief, slowly starting to pepper kisses along his length. As she does this, her hooves lovingly caress along it, stopping at the base each downstroke to gently grind around it before going back up. ...okay...so we're up to romance novel knowledge, now...

His breathing becomes ever so slightly heavier as his length twitches every other kiss. His eyes seem to momentarily glass over occasionally as she continues administering this new sensation for him.

Gel smirks at this, glad that she was getting a positive reaction out of him. She kisses back up to the tip before licking it gingerly. A shiver goes up her spine, and she pants quietly. ...wow...he even tastes good... She continues to lick it, from base to end, enjoying every moment of this. ...his love is so delicious... She slowly begins to lose herself, her actions slowly becoming more purposeful, seductive. ...and so is his lust...

Rhino watches on, not noticing the change just yet. To him, this being his first time for this, it seems like she is just warming up or something. His breathing is deepening to audible levels.

She giggles, moving back to the very top of his pride. "...sit back and relax, love...I'll take care of you..." She slowly lowers her head, her mouth slowly wrapping around him. She bobs slowly, teasingly, keeping her lustful gaze on his face the whole time.

The stallion lets out a grunt and grits his teeth at the new technique. As he does so though, he gets a good looks at her eyes. A small part of his mind wonders at what he sees, he doesn't know what it is yet, but something seems... different about her.

She begins to move faster, licking fervently at him, wanting to make him reach the pinnacle of pleasure. She strokes the part she couldn't fit in her mouth with her hooves, the cotton-clad appendages moving swiftly yet firmly over his length.

He is fully panting now, his breath hissing between his clenched teeth as she works. The muscles in his forelegs give in and he simply lies back on the floor, mind becoming increasingly clouded by the pleasure. He cranes his neck forward to look at her, but it is getting more difficult to focus.

Seeing him in such a state, she pulls off of his pride with a small pop. Panting, she crawls up and lays on top of him, her treasure pressing against his base. She grinds her hips teasingly, rubbing along him as she leans over to whisper in his ear. "...you could have me, if you wanted...all it'll take is a quick thrust..." She gently nibbles his ear, too lost in her passion to care what she was saying anymore.

**End of sexual content**

One can practically hear the 'snap' as Rhino's thoughts, eyes, and expression all sharpen in an instant. "No." His horn lights up as he lifts her off him and plops her onto the couch. Ignoring his lower half, Rhino rolls to his hooves and looks to the mare with a clearly unamused face. He takes a slow breath before speaking, his tone leaving no room for discussion. "We'll talk in 15 minutes or so, neither of us are in a state to have a civil conversation." Without another word, he teleports up into his room, shuts and locks his door, and kneads a hoof against his head as he tries to focus.

Gel blinks, confused. ...what just happened? She thinks for a bit, trying to remember the moments just before, but found her memory fuzzy. ...that's strange...it shouldn't be this hard... She gasps, eyes wide in shock. ...no...oh, damn it, no... She groans, slumping on the couch, tears forming in her eyes. "...damn it, Gel...y-you should've taken care of this problem a long time ago..."

After the allotted time has passed, Rhino returns downstairs, visibly back to normal. He doesn't say a word as he goes to the kitchen and retrieves a glass of each of their favorite drinks. He goes back into the living room and sits down in a chair facing the mare as he levitates her glass in front of her. He takes a sip of his own before speaking. "So... let's talk."

Hearing his voice, she lifts her head up off of her hooves and looks at him. She sniffles and turns her tearstained face away, ashamed. "...I-I'm sorry...I..." She can't finish her sentence, breaking down into sobs once more, clutching pitifully at the sofa cushion. I'm such an idiot! Why didn't I see the signs?!

A pang runs through the stallion's heart as he sighs and moves over to the couch with her. He gently lays a hoof on her shoulder, but doesn't say anything as he cringes with her every sob.

She hugs him tightly, crying into his chest. It takes a few minutes, but she eventually calms down enough to speak through the tears. "...I-I messed up...p-please don't hate me, R-Rhino..."

He wraps one foreleg around her. "I don't hate you... but I do want to understand you..." He brings over a tissue and offers it to her.

She graciously takes it, dabbing her tears away. She cleans herself up as much as possible, tears and mucus alike, before turning to him, brow furrowed in confusion. "...w-what do you mean...u-understand me?"

He motions to the two of them. "We had agreed not to take things far. You seem greatly distressed that you attempted to break that agreement. Thus, it seems to me, you were either overloaded by your hormones at the time, or perhaps something else. It was a mistake, so I want to understand why it happened."

She squirms, uncomfortable with this question. What am I supposed to say? 'Oh, I just relapsed on my lust addiction?' He'd never like me then! She lowers her head and bites her lip, unable to meet his gaze. "...I-I was...o-overloaded by my hormones...I-I've been aroused for...m-most of the day, now..."

Rhino hums in thought. "Alright then, so I know that it wasn't you in your right mind." He brings her closer to his chest. "I don't hold it against you. We'll just... figure something out."

Gel sighs softly, gently nuzzling him. "...t-thank you..." She finally notices the drink he'd brought for her and grabs it with her magic, bringing it close and sipping it. "...delicious..." She quickly downs it, trying to get rid of the bile she tasted in the back of her throat.

They sit and drink in silence for a bit until something occurs to the green pony. He looks down at Gel with a neutral expression. "You... may want to change into something else. I'm not sure how comfortable that getup is for you."

She blinks, confused for a moment before she looks down at herself. Her blush rises up anew, a small wisp of steam coming off her head. "...I-I'm fine...t-they're my sleep clothes, after all..." She nervously chuckles, bumping his side with her own. "...at least it's not a see-through nightie or something like that, right?"

He chuckles, even as a small blush crosses his face. "Well, the nightie is a bit more elegant, but I think your getup gets the point across." He looks to the clock. "Wow, still earlier than I thought, yet both of us are in our sleeping outfits." He gives her a peck on the forehead.

She giggles, giving him a quick, chaste kiss on the lips before carefully getting off the couch. "...if you'll excuse me, I need a bit more apple juice...it helps wash down the embarrassment..." She strides out of the room, her rump swaying with each step.

She stops mid-step in the doorway, looking back at him with cheeks as red as cherries. "...um...s-sorry..." She swiftly exits the room, rushing into the kitchen and to the fridge. This is going to be harder than I thought...

Smiling, Rhino finishes his glass of milk as he ponders their relationship. Taking into account how they met, how long it's been, the fact that they live in the same house... these and other factors create a very odd puzzle in his mind.

She walks back into the room with a skein of juice, returning to her seat next to him. "...so...do you feel like doing anything?" She shyly smiles, a little hopeful.

He raises an eyebrow at her. "Did you have something in mind?"

She stares at him, her smile evaporating into a deadpan expression. "Anything but what we just tried." For now, anyways.

A proud smile adorns his face. "Sounds like a plan to me."

She sighs in relief, resting her head on his shoulder as a stray thought crosses her mind. "...i-if you don't mind me asking...w-why did you get so upset, yourself?"

He sighs. "Because I didn't want things to go too far, too fast... I wasn't ready for what you almost did. Frankly, the only reason I agreed to what you were doing, was because you brought it up yourself, I trust you, and... this relationship hasn't exactly progressed like most would think. I mean, we live together already. If somepony were to take how long we've known each other they'd think we're moving fast, but since we've spent the vast majority of our time together since we've met, it seems like natural progression to us. Bearing that in mind is why I consented in the first place." He realizes he has gone on a tangent. "But back to the original point. I don't feel that large of a step should be done lightly. It's a bit old fashioned, but I'm a pony who only wants to give themselves fully to one they intend to spend the rest of their life with."

She stays silent for a moment, thinking before she speaks up with a quiet voice, almost sounding unsure. "...you mean...you want to save yourself until...after you get married?" That's unusual. Mares are the ones normally associated with that mindset...

He nods. "Well, that is the general thinking on this sort of thing. It's not like it's stale until then though, couples have fun all the time without having full-blown intercourse."

She blushes softly, poking at the mug in the air next to her nervously. "...l-like we tried to...b-but I kind of ruined that..." ...marriage...that doesn't sound half-bad... She looks up at him, smiling softly to herself. ...especially with this stallion...

Rhino rubs the back of his head with a hoof as he tries to make light of it. "Well, I heard first times for this kind of thing are usually awkward for everypony anyway. It was just for a slightly different reason."

She blushes even more in embarrassment and attempts to hide this by gulping down her apple juice. She soon has to stop, having finished it off in mere seconds. ...that wasn't enough juice... She sighs, lowering the empty mug next to her on the couch. "...w-well..." She bites her lip, her mind going into overdrive. Several voices start to speak to her at once, each and every one her own. One, however, sticks out among the others. ...is it too early to say you want to stay with him? Even if it isn't, will he ever truly accept you? She trembles slightly, her nerves getting to her. "...I-I guess you're right..."

He takes in her trembling and responds by hugging her tightly as he nuzzles her. "You better not be getting sad on me again. It just isn't right for mares in sexy clothing clothing to act depressed."

She pushes on his chest with a cotton-covered hoof, smirking playfully. "You like when I'm sad because you like to cheer me up." ...wait, did I really say that? What was I thinking?!

He shakes his head. "It's not nearly as simple as that. I have a very... potent sense of empathy paired with a vivid imagination. Basically, I feel it more both when you are sad and when you are happy. Thus, I keep you happy, because aside from the usual reasons for doing that, it also makes me happy."

She stares at him in surprise. "...I've...never met any pony with a...'potent sense of empathy', as you said..." She puts a hoof to her chin, thinking a bit. ...is this why I feel a strong connection to him? Did I mistake that for... Her thoughts trail off as she suddenly realizes something. ...my panties are...uh oh... She slowly gets up, covering her treasure with her tail. She sheepishly smiles, backing out of the room. "...p-please excuse me...I-I need to...powder my nose..."

As soon as she's left the room, she races up the stairs and into her bedroom, closing the door tightly behind her. ...t-that could've ended badly...I-I can't believe he didn't smell that...

Rhino tilts his head to one side. "She certainly zipped off quickly..." His eyes drift downward as he sees a small wet spot on the couch. "Oh... I see..."

Chapter 16: Tagalong

Gel sneaks into Rhino's room once more, giggling softly to herself. I can't wait to see his reaction... She stands in front of him, her hindlegs twitching a bit. ...I know he doesn't want to do...that...but that doesn't mean I can't tease him a bit... She turns to the side and brushes her tail over his nose, smirking a bit. Her new journal floats next to her, a pen poised to record his reaction.

Rhino's nose twitches as the tail hairs drift across his muzzle. He sniffs as a hoof lazily comes up and swipes the air in front of him. His nose however, keeps sniffing at the small scent that comes from the tail.

She nods silently, writing in her journal. The sensation of my tail against his nose causes the expected reaction of a hoof trying to brush it away. He's sniffing the air, though, so that might be good... She moves herself closer to him, carefully bringing a section closer to the base of her tail near his muzzle.

As the source of the smell moves closer to his nose, his whole head tilts to get a better angle to smell it. His nose lightly burrow into her tail, ever searching. Finally, his mouth opens partially and grabs her tail, lightly tugging on it before letting go as he returns to sniffing.

She covers her mouth with a hoof, trying to muffle her squeak as he tugs her tail. ...h-he seems to be attracted to my scent...definitely a good thing... She takes a half-step back, watching him over her shoulder. Now for a final test... She lifts her tail, laying it on her back so her treasure is exposed to him, mere inches from his snout. She gently bites her lip, realizing that his actions had caused her to become a little more wet. I just had to get even more aroused, didn't I? She sighs softly, shaking her head. ...I'm gonna need a cold shower after this...

As if sensing the source of the smell, the stallion takes a single large sniff, the hormones in the smell doing their job. Suddenly, he closes in and sticks his tongue out, taking a quick lick of the source.

She sharply gasps, thrown from her thoughts by the action. She blushes brightly, realizing what just happened. ...oh my...I-I didn't expect that... She starts to shuffle her hooves nervously. ...I-I don't know if he'd be happy about this...I-I should end this before it goes too far... She takes a step away, trying to lower her tail. To her dismay, her tail refuses to budge, staying up in the air. ...of course it won't lower...great...

Rhino's nose has started up again, seeking out the smell that has become faint. He lets out a grunt as he stretches his neck off the bed and towards the mare. He pushes past the point of no return, causing his body to flop out of the bed, his head hitting the carpet with a muffled thump. A groan comes from his now rapidly awakening form as it lays on its side.

She squeaks in shock, quickly fretting over his prone form. "R-Rhino! O-oh my goodness!" She gingerly lifts up his head and moves behind him, effectively resting his head on her lap. "H-how badly are you hurt?" I can't believe that just happened! I need to be more careful around him!

His eyes slowly open as he smacks his lips. He looks around a moment before seeing her above him. He gives her a small smile. "Good morning, beautiful."

She sighs softly, glad he's not hurt too badly. "...good morning, Rhino...d-did you have a nice dream?"

He rolls his tongue around in his mouth before responding. "I... don't really know... Must have been some dream though, for me to end up on the floor. It does have better company than I expected though..."

She tilts her head to the side, confused. "...thank you, but...why are you doing that thing with your tongue?"

He shrugs. "This just seems to be one of those mornings where you wake up with a strong taste on your tongue. I can never identify it, but this one tastes much better than usual..."

She blushes brightly, quickly turning her gaze to the bed. "...t-that's interesting..." He likes my taste. I can't even...I don't think I should tell him what it is...he'd probably freak out... She takes his sleeping pillow in her magic, placing it under his head and moving next to him. "...y-you might want to be careful...you fell out of bed and hit your head..."

He lets out a quiet laugh. "Look at you and your rhyming." He puts a hoof to his head. "I feel fine... just a small headache." He shifts deeper into his pillow before reaching out and bringing her down next to him. He closes his eyes and snuggles up against her, almost like he is going back to sleep.

She squeaks once more, positively glowing with her blush, now. "...i-if you're sure..." ...well, this position is uncomfortable...I can't move my hindlegs, and my rump is sticking up in the air. She stay like this for a while, unable to pull away without disturbing him, before speaking up. "...R-Rhino? I-I know this might be odd, but...m-may I accompany you to work?" There we go, a plausible reason to be in his room so early - wanting to ask before he's getting to leave. She smiles softly at him, even through her embarrassment.

He cracks his eyes back open again. "Right... work..." He lets her go as he yawns. "Sure... you can come along if you want... should be fun..." He groggily gets to his hooves as he staggers towards the bathroom. "Should get ready..."

She squeals in joy, leaping forward and happily hugging him. "Thank you! Oh, I should go get ready, too!" And take a cold shower. I'm still aroused... She brushes her tail against his back as she rushes past him and down the stairs to the other bathroom.

***

They arrive at the clinic, Rhino checking his watch as they do so. "Good thing we left early, it took an extra ten minutes to get here." He quickly looks to her. "And before you apologize for that, I expected it to happen and it's fine. It's just the result of our different travel methods."

She nods quietly, looking up at the building. "Y-yeah, I guess." She bumps his side with hers, giggling softly. "Can't exactly do that spell of yours, can I?" ...so this is where he works...it looks nice, in all honesty...did they have some work done on it? She steps forward and pushes on the door. Let's see the inside, shall we?

Inside is a fairly normal waiting room/lobby. Smooth lighting, comfy chairs, central desk at the other end, the whole nine yards. Pictures of various pets and different species of Equestria dot the walls, most are simple pictures, but some are more anatomical in nature. Rhino flicks on the rest of the lights as they enter, strolling towards the hallway next to the desk. "I just need to get my stuff from my office and we'll be all set."

Gel blinks, following quickly behind him, curious. "What stuff, if I may ask?" She glances at a picture of a Minotaur's skeletal system as they passed, surprised at the detail. ...I know they tend to more than just pets here, but I didn't expect that... She lowers her head, deep in thought. ...do they ever take care of changelings? I don't remember hearing anything about that, if they did...

He takes out a key and unlocks a door, revealing a fair sized office. It too looks fairly normal, though it shows that its owner has not had it long due to the small amount of personal touches present. In fact, the only thing showing that this is his office is the plaque on the desk and the degree on the wall. "Oh you know, mostly the uniform, stethoscope, and the few things I keep in my pockets." He deposits his bags behind the desk and takes a pristine white coat off a stand on the corner, slipping it on. A few items float from the shelf beside it and into his pockets as a stethoscope drapes over his neck. Finally, a small book levitates from inside his bags to one of the larger pockets of his coat.

She stares at him for a few moments, blushing softly. ...r-right...a vet is an animal doctor... She gulps, giving him a nervous smile. "...y-you look good in that..." She bites her lip, carefully tucking her tail between her legs. ...I just had to have a thing for doctors, didn't I?

He smiles. "Thanks, it's nice for you to finally see my uniform after I've had the privilege of seeing you in yours so much." He winks as he opens the door and holds it open. "After you."

She silently nods, quickly rushing past him and out into the hall. I'd say something back, but my tongue is pretty much tied up at the moment... She walks ahead of him back down to the lobby, unconsciously swaying her hips with each step. ...I have to figure out a way around this...mental barrier...I can't just stay silent every time I see him like this...

He catches up and bumps her lightly with his side as he passes her. As he sits down he motions around them. "That was pretty much most of the tour right there. he only other place I could show you would be the examination room. The other few rooms are off-limits."

She nods, glancing at him before quickly turning away, her blush flaring up once more as she barely squeaks out an answer. "...o-okay..." She looks back at the hallway, wondering for a moment what the exam room is like. Probably sterile and warm at the same time. Need to make sure pets are healthy and calm, after all. She sighs softly, pulling out her journal and writing down everything she just learned into it.

Rhino smiles as he sees her write. He takes out his own book and sets it on the desk before settling in the chair behind it. "So, now we have reached the end of the tour, any questions or requests?"

She looks at him, shaking her head slightly before pausing, a hoof raised to her chin. "...um...a-actually, do you have a tissue?" Please don't bleed yet, I can't answer the question that might come from that...

He nods and pulls out a box of them from under the desk, setting it in front of her. "You don't have any pet allergies do you?"

"...I-I don't think so..." She takes two of them before backing away towards the hallway. "...I-I'm just going to be in your office for a bit...b-be right back!" She rushes off, tail still between her legs.

He tilts his head as she leaves. "Huh, wonder what that was about..."'He shrugs and starts reading his book.

She quickly enters the office, bringing a tissue up to her nose. Of all the times to get a nosebleed... She pulled it away carefully, noting the blue staining the white. ...I'm going to have to stay in here for a bit, aren't I? She sighs softly, leaning her head forward and applying pressure to the tissue. "...buck me..."

After 15 minutes, Rhino is officially very concerned. He walks to his office door and knocks. "Angel? Are you alright in there?"

"I-I'm fine! J-just a nosebleed!" She quickly tosses the tissue away in the wastebasket, sniffing experimentally. ...it seems to have healed...thank goodness for his love... "I-It's healed, now."

He smiles in relief. "Alright, just come out when you're ready. Glad you're okay!" He makes his way back to the front.

She sighs quietly, squirming slightly. ...still aroused, though...hope he doesn't notice... She quietly exits the room, heading back to the front as well. She sits down next to him, forced to move her tail to one side so she didn't sit on it on accident. She keeps her gaze on the desk, unsure of what to do. "...s-so...w-what do you normally do about now?"

"Honestly, I usually just sit around and kill time until the clients start coming in." He looks down at where she is sitting on the floor. "You know, you don't have to sit down there. I could always pull over a chair for you, we could share my seat.... I'm sure there are other options but those are the ones that come to mind first."

She squirms a bit more on the floor, a small wisp of steam coming off her head. "...I-I'm fine here, Rhino...r-really..." ...great...I really can't control myself, can I?

He folds his forelegs as he looks down at her with an eyebrow raised. "Angel... you don't sound fine..."

She whimpers, lowering her head. "...y-you know me too well..." She looks up at him, the beginnings of tears in her eyes. "...I-I can't help myself...I-I have a thing for doctors..." She blushes brightly, feeling her cheeks heat up from embarrassment and excitement. ...now what do I do? I can't stay out here, like this...m-maybe I could hide in his office until I calm down...

He cringes at the small tears. "Please don't cry... you just have a very healthy libido..." He rubs the bridge of his nose with a hoof. "I take it you are having trouble controlling yourself? How do you want to handle this?"

"...I-I don't know..." She sniffles softly, rubbing a hoof across her snout. "...b-but I don't think...y-your customers would like this..." She nervously laughs, trying to dispel the tension she feels is in the room.

"A crying mare? No, I don't think they would. It's not doing wonders for me either." He groans as he leans forward with his head in his hooves. "Why are you crying anyway? To be blunt, you're horny, so what?"

"...w-well..." That's a good question. Why am I worried? "...w-what about the pets? D-don't they have a strong sense of smell?" ...okay, I have no idea where I'm going with this. "W-what if one of them smells my...m-my..." She bites her lip, too ashamed to finish that sentence.

"First, eww. Second, most owners keep a handle on their pets. Third, if they try, don't let them. You worry too much sometimes, you know that?" He pats her head.

"...I-I know..." ...I really do have a problem, don't I? I'd better clean myself up... She gets up and walks past him before pausing, confused. She turns back to him, embarrassed. "...um...i-is there a bathroom in here? I-I kind of need to..." She glances at her own flanks, and the tail that suddenly refused to lower. ...well, that's a problem...

Not noticing her tail, he points to a door just before the hallway. "Right there, take the time you need to do what you need to do."

She sighs, shaking her head. "...I-I'll just be cleaning up...as much as possible..." She quickly rushes into the bathroom and starts gingerly cleaning herself, trying not to stimulate herself any more than she already was.

Rhino shakes his head as he goes back to reading his book.

She steps back into the waiting room and sits back down next to him. "...I-I think I'm better..." She rests her head on his lap, sighing softly. ...it's fine...just don't focus on it too much...

He floats his book to one side as he smirks down at her. "You know, I still say a chair would be more comfortable than the floor. Plus, can you imagine what ponies would say if they saw you in the position you are now, relative to me?"

She looks up at him, honestly confused. "...what are you talking about Rhino?" She shakes her head before laying it back down. ...I don't understand...I like how comfortable his body is... She gently nuzzles his leg, rubbing her mane into his belly by the same action.

He cringes slightly. "Ok, this is a little awkward for me..." He levitates another chair over before lifting her up and setting her on it as he places it next to his own. "There we go."

She frowns softly at him, upset. "...I like how warm and fluffy you are..." She leans over, resting her head on his shoulder, looking at the book. "...whatcha reading?"

"One book of my favorite series. It's a little difficult to put into words, but let me give it a shot...." He gathers his thoughts. "It's an adventure book I suppose. It centers around a great walled settlement, populated by peaceful creatures. In each book, there is an evil group that roams the land and threatens this place. They, along with their neighbors, band together and defend their home, what they hold dear. It is a tale of good and evil, of peace and battle, tales of individuals among the stories of groups, you learn to feel for the characters and their struggles. You cheer for their victories and mourn for their losses. There's a reason this is at least my fifth time reading this."

"...I see..." She closes her eyes, trying to figure out whether or not such a book would be worth reading. ...if he likes it, chances are I will... She leans closer, gently kissing his cheek before returning to her previous position. "...maybe I should read it, sometime..."

He flips back to the front of the book. "Well, I'm not that far in and we do have time to kill... Unless you had other ideas or course."

She smiles softly, nodding a bit. "...I'd like to read it together...if that's what you're offering..."

After a time, the doors to the clinic open and Manila walks in humming a little tune. She stops as she sees the two ponies reading behind the desk. With a sly smile, she approaches. "Well well, what do we have here?"

Gel looks up at her, blinking in surprise. "...hey, I know you...you were my first customer..." Wow, there's a lot of love coming off of her...did she just meet up with her coltfriend? She sits upright, tilting her head to one side. "...a-are you here for an appointment, Miss?"

Rhino chuckles. "Easy there Angel, she works here. Right where we're sitting actually."

She looks at him, confused. "...she works with you?" She glances suspiciously at her before standing up and walking over to her, smiling softly. "H-hi. You probably know me, already, but I should introduce myself again." She holds out a hoof. "M-my name is Angelic Grace, but you may call me Angel." ...so this is what jealousy feels like...huh...

The other mare smiles. "Nice to see you again! I'm Manila." She shakes the offered hoof. "So what brings you here?" She looks over to Rhino and raises and lowers her eyebrows suggestively.

"J-just seeing where, um...D-Doctor Rhino works." She giggles, rubbing the back of her neck. "Meeting one of his coworkers is a nice plus." ...nothing to be worried about, I think. That's good to know.

The stallion in question raises an eyebrow at the use of his title, but otherwise does not do anything. Manila simply continues wearing that knowing smile of hers. "Just seeing where he works huh? And I suppose getting to snuggle up close to him while reading was just a plus too?"

"O-of course." To Tartarus with dancing around the subject. She moves back over to Rhino, tenderly nuzzling his cheek. "...h-he is my coltfriend, after all..." She blushes brightly, looking shyly at the other mare. "...y-you have one too, right?"

The earth mare takes on a small blush. "Well, I mean not yet, but I'm working on him!" She clears her throat as she does a quick circle around Angel. "So you’re the one who finally caught his eye huh? I hope you're treating him right~."

She flinches, turning her gaze to the floor and pawing at the ground with a hoof. "...I-I'm trying...I-I've made a mistake or two..." She sighs softly, sitting back in her chair and resting her head dejectedly on his shoulder.

Rhino puts a foreleg around her while giving Manila a meaningful look. She nods as she continues. "Well, the important thing is to try. Mistakes happen, he forgives you, so who am I to say anything?" She shakes her head quickly before coming out of it with a genuine smile. "But enough of me being protective of our stallion. Good on you for bagging him. He's a keeper."

The stallion rolls his eyes while smiling at the mare. "Always gotta play wingmare, don't you?"

Gel smiles, turning Rhino's head so they're looking at each other. "...you don't have to tell me that, Miss Manila...he's absolutely wonderful..." She leans up, gently kissing him. ...and that's not being fair to him...

He chuckles. "Well, you know you're pretty exceptional yourself..."

Manila giggles. Alright alright, if you want to keep that up, you can just go to his office, I need my desk."

The white mare pulls away from him, blushing brightly. "...um...s-sorry..." She moves to head down the hallway, a small trail of steam following her. Just had to get excited...though I'm surprised I got that way from a simple kiss...maybe I'm missing something...

The earth pony tilts her head at the other mare before her eyes suddenly shoot open and her jaw drops. She quickly gathers herself and pushes Rhino towards the other mare using her head.

Confused, he asks. "Woah, hey, what's the big idea?"

The receptionist responds simply. "Trust me, she needs you right now, and I'm not even sure she knows it yet."

She closes the door to his office behind her, sighing softly. "...I need to figure this - ow!" She collapses on the ground, holding her stomach. "...w-what was that?" ...strange...I could've sworn that I suddenly got a cramp...but why would that happen? She shakes her head, moving over to sit by the desk. ...I'm definitely missing something, here...

Rhino enters the office, closing the door behind him as well. He sees Gel sitting by the desk and walks over. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"...I-I don't know..." She glances up at him, eyes wide in worry. "...I-I'm getting easily aroused...m-my stomach's cramping..." She groans, resting her head on her hooves. "...I-I can't figure out what's going on with me..."

He hums in thought. "Well... can you remember another time when this happened?"

She puts a hoof to her chin, thinking quietly to herself. "...w-well, there were a few other times this past year...but those were-" She cuts herself off, realizing what he was getting at. "...oh, dear Luna...I-I'm in heat..."

Rhino's ears lie flat against his head as his eyes shrink. "Oh dear..."

Chapter 17: A Game

Gel opens the door, putting the letter she wrote into their mailbox and quickly closing it. She sighs softly, stepping into the living room. "...t-there...I-I just sent a letter to work...explaining the situation...my boss will probably give me a few days off..." She lays down on the couch, resting her head on her hooves. "...s-sorry I had to hide in your office, Rhino..."

He nods from where he is sitting in one of the chairs. "It's perfectly fine. I understand that these can be... trying times for some mares."

She huffs softly, her horn lighting up. "...you can say that again..." I need my potion. Hopefully, I can get it from here...

Rhino sighs as he leans back and gives her an analyzing look. "Unfortunately, that is pretty much the extent of my knowledge on this type of thing. I have non-existent experience with dealing with a mare in this state while being in a relationship with her. What um... what happens during this time, both to you, and to us?"

She blushes softly, squirming a bit on the couch. "...Um...w-well, I-I guess I just get a...h-higher libido?" There's a clink from the doorway as a clear bottle with a pink liquid inside it bumps into the frame. She visibly relaxes at the sight of it, bringing it closer to herself. "...thank goodness..." She pops the cork and carefully drinks it, feeling the effects right away. Thank goodness. That cramping was starting to get bothersome.

He eyes the bottle curiously. "I take it that’s a specialty potion to... help with some aspects?"

"...p-pretty much..." She blushes a bit, poking at the now-empty container with a hoof. "...t-the only thing it doesn't help with...i-is the increase in libido...s-so I used to hide in my room when I went into heat..." Thank goodness it helps with the other symptoms, though. I doubt he wants to worry because of them...

"Well," he responds, "I guess that's technically an option now as well... However, I'd probably get worried about you, and you would probably go stir crazy."

"...y-yeah, I suppose you're right..." Especially with a stallion just down the hall...I suppose it's not all bad, though... She flicks her tail, looking over at him and blushing brightly. ...I won't be alone, this time... "...s-so...w-would you like to do anything, right now? A-a board game, maybe?"

He brightens up. "Actually, that sounds like a great idea." He gets up and walks to one of the hall closets, calling out as he shifts some things out of the way. "I hope you know we're not done talking about this. Awkward as it is, there are some things about it I think we should discuss for both our sakes."

She nods, sighing in relief. "...I kind of figured..." She pulls out her journal, writing in it as she waits for him to return.

He returns from the closet with five boxes behind him, two of them significantly smaller than the other two. "Ok, I've got checkers, chess, Othello, dominoes, and a pack of cards." He moves his chair closer to the coffee table in the middle of the room and sets the boxes down. "Ladies' choice."

Gel glances at each of them, frowning softly. ...I've never even heard of Othello, so that one's out...don't know how to play dominoes...so that leaves three... She picks up one of the larger boxes, smiling softly. "...how about chess?"

"Alright then," He gently takes box in his own aura and arranges the board and pieces, black for him and white for her. "How about we each ask a question when it's our turn, just to make this interesting and not so one-sided."

She nods, taking her white knight up in her magic. "...um...B1 to C3..." She moves it, looking up at him nervously. "...s-so...y-you've never had to...w-worry about a mare in heat?"

He shakes his head. "No, never. I really don't have much to work off either." His horn lights up as he moves his own piece. "G7 to G5. How would you say couples usually deal with heats?"

"...I-I guess it depends on whether or not they want a foal...if they don't want one, they...s-satisfy their urges through other means..." She picks up her knight once more. "...C3 to E4...h-how old are you?" She shyly smiles, embarrassed. "...I-I don't think I've asked you that..."

"Twenty-one." His eyes dart over the board. "F7 to F6. What about you? If I may break one of the important rules about talking to mares in order to ask that question."

She blushes softly, squirming a bit in her seat. "...um...I-I'm eighteen..." ...did I just blurt out my real age? I have to add that to my notes... She quickly scribbles down that thought in her journal before turning back to the game. "...E2 to E3...a-are your parents nice?" ...wow, I'm seriously asking random questions now, aren't I?

He nods. "Very nice, Mom's quite a bit chattier than Dad and I, but it's just one of those things." He thinks for a moment. "A7 to A6. Eighteen huh? I didn't think you were quite that young, but I don't mind. So, you never did answer, how are we going to deal with your heat, in a general sense?"

Gel squirms slightly, nervous. "...I-I can probably control myself, most of the day...b-but it'll get more difficult in the evenings..." Especially with him here. I'm afraid I'm going to jump his bones, if this goes on too long...it's already been three months since the last time... "...F1 to D3..." She lowers her head, looking at her hooves silently for a few moments. "...i-if it gets to be too much...c-could you possibly help me...r-relieve my tension?" Her face resembles a cherry from how flushed her face is.

His own face soon resembles hers as he locks his eyes onto the board. "What.. umm... what exactly do you mean by that? G8 to H6."

She sighs, propping her head on a hoof. He's going to make me say it, isn't he? "...I-I mean...I was hoping you could stimulate me...h-help me to pleasure myself..." She averts her eyes, embarrassed. "...I-I've never tried to do...t-that to myself..." Never had the need to. Not telling him that, though... "...G1 to H3...s-so..." She bites her lip, looking at him hopefully, almost pitifully, unable to bring herself to ask the question a second time.

"...G5 to G4..." Rhino takes a deep breath as he puts a hoof to his head. "I... don't know... I... you..." He steadies himself. "Ok, umm... how... how bad is it?"

She lowers her gaze, ashamed. "...i-it's taking a lot of will...just to not leap over the board and t-tackle you to the ground..." She gulps softly, looking at the board silently for a few moments. "...H3 to F4...d-does me...being like this...u-upset you?"

He looks up at her. "Why would I be upset? It's just a severe hormone shift doing this to you, you don't really have that much control over it. D7 to D5." He stays quiet for a moment. "If I say yes... would you be willing to cooperatively establish ground rules ahead of time so I know when your hormones are clouding your judgement?"

She nods quietly, smiling softly to him. "...y-yes, Rhino...I-I'll do that..." Thank goodness. I was worried he would refuse... She looks at the board for a moment before picking up her knight once more. "...F4 to H5..." ...almost there... "...w-would you mind if I...d-dressed up for it?" She giggles nervously, rubbing the back of her neck.

He tilts his head to one side. "I... guess not." He picks up his rook. "H8 to G8. I guess I can help you then... what is the first rule you want to establish?"

She looks up at him, a serious expression on her face. "...if I get too...hooves-on...flick me across the snout...E1 to G1 and H1 to F1..." She castles kingside, smiling happily. "...so, do you have any rules you want to establish, Rhino?"

"Castling, interesting. C8 to F5. I'm not going to strike you in any way, even if you ask. That light flick you mentioned is excluded from that." He pauses before continuing. "Do you... mind that I have zero experience with this?"

She giggles, shaking her head. "What do you mean? You're doing great at this...F2 to F3..."

He rolls his eyes. "You know what I mean. The umm... thing we have planned..." He moves another piece. "B8 to C6. So...?"

"...o-oh..." She blush quickly flares back up. "...I-I suppose...we'll wing it when it happens?" She sheepishly smiles, embarrassed. "...E4 to F6...check...s-so...y-you seemed...surprised, yesterday...i-is that because it was the first time somepony else touched you there? O-or..." ...what am I thinking? Of course he's done that by hoof, before - almost every stallion in Equestria has.

He nods, averting his eyes. "Yes, it was... the first time somepony else did that. I can't even remember the last time I did it. E7 to F6." He considers her last question. "It doesn't bother you that I was... and am... a bit shy about this sort of thing... right?"

She giggles, resting her head on her forehooves. "...are you kidding? I think it's cute..." She playfully winks before she takes his bishop with her pawn. "...F3 to G4...um...I-I'm kind of running out of questions to ask..." She nervously smiles, tapping her hooves together. "...w-when's your birthday?" ...seriously? Why was that the one I went with?

He replies nonchalantly. "Next Friday actually. Just a few days before summer starts." He smiles as he takes her pawn. "H6 to G4. When's yours?"

"...mid-summer...during the Summer Sun Celebration..." His birthday's soon? I-I should get him a gift soon, then... She takes his bishop with her own. "...D3 to F5...w-what would you say..." A teasing smile crosses her lips as she gives him a lidded look, resting her head on her left forehoof even as she blushes brightly. "...is your naughtiest fantasy?"

"Hmm..." He moves his piece while he thinks. "F8 to C5. I don't know actually... I've never actually thought about it. Nothing violent or involving anypony besides myself and the one I'm with, I know that much for sure. Is there anything else we need to discuss regarding your heat?"

"...j-just that my imagination runs wild during this time..." She pokes her king. "...y-you would be surprised at some of them...F5 to H7..." She shifts a bit. "...w-what do you think of...r-roleplaying?"

"I enjoy games of that nature. As for what you are probably referring to though, it seems like it could make things interesting..." Images flash through his head causing him to blush as he moves. "D8 to E7." He decides to ask something that was bothering him. "Was it your heat that made you so eager to go farther in this relationship?"

She squirms slightly, shaking her head fervently. "N-no!" She bites her lip softly, moving her queen. "...D1 to F3...I-I wanted to go further because..." She starts to tremble, embarrassment causing her to start to lose her nerve. "...d-do you remember seeing me...d-during the Canterlot Wedding incident?" Might as well put this out there. Got nothing to lose, right?

"You were there then? Hmm... I'm not great at remembering faces, and a lot happened that day..." He thinks as he moves his king. "E8 to C8 and A8 to D8. Could you narrow down where I would have seen you?"

"...um...y-you ran into me in the market...r-right after they broke through..." She sighs, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. "...I-I guess it's okay...I-I'm not the most noticeable pony..." She moves her bishop back a couple of spaces. "...H7 to F5...check..." She turns and quietly writes in her journal, her ears flat against her head. "...I was swept away by the changelings right after, anyways..." ...they needed me on the front lines...I do have a duty to my queen...

"Sorry, I generally kept my head down in the market there. Mostly a 'go in, get what you need and get out' approach due to all the snobs. For what it's worth, I'm sorry about the changelings getting you. Some ponies were just unlucky like that, but you seemed to have come out of it alright." He moves his piece. "C8 to B8. You forgot to ask a question by the way, so I won't ask one either."

"...F5 to G4..." She removes his knight, resting her head on her hooves, staring quietly at the board. "...you think I did...but that's the last day I can remember clearly...without my journals..." She shakes her head, trying to clear her head of those thoughts. "...s-sorry about the sudden mood shift...um...h-have you ever had any pets?"

"When I was young colt I had a dog and a turtle, nothing recently though." He shifts a pawn. "D5 to D4. So that's when this memory thing of yours started... trauma certainly does manifest in a variety of ways... "Have you ever had a comfort item, like a blanket, or a stuffed animal?"

"...not really..." Mimic would've had me courtmarshaled for that. She moves a rook one space to the left. "...I've never even considered it...F1 to E1..." She pulls out a smaller journal from her bag nearby, looking from it to him, unsure. "...t-to be honest...I-I'm glad that you're the last pony I remember..." She opens the notebook, smiling fondly at the contents. She stays like that for a moment before she blushes brightly, realizing that she just zoned out. "...f-forgive me...I-I guess I got lost in my thoughts, there...s-so..." She rubs the back of her neck, nervously putting the blue book away. "...w-what were your thoughts on that day's events, and the group who caused it?" Moment of truth time...please don't be a bad thing...

His brow furrows as he answers in a quiet voice. "Well, one doesn't exactly tend to look kindly on a group that invaded their home, tried to usurp one of their rulers, imprisoned their victims, and assumed the forms of loved ones to fight you. It wasn't a nice day for anypony, or any changeling for that matter. It's not like I'm going to go attacking a changeling without provocation, but unless I actually speak with one or see that they can behave differently from the ones that attacked, I'll likely be uneasy around them." He takes her bishop with his rook. "G8 to G4. I'm sorry if all that sounds harsh, but I'm really treating them the same way I did griffons for a while when I first saw one and it intimidated me. How about a simple question: favorite color?"

"Forest green and blue." ...I'll see that it happens... She giggles, shaking her head. "I can't decide between them...F3 to G4...is it me, or are we claiming the most pieces on that one spot?" She takes his rook, playfully sticking her tongue out.

"It does appear that way, doesn't it?" He claims one of her pawns with his own. "D4 to E3. Has this game been as good for you as it has been for me?"

She picks up her own pawn and takes his giggling softly. "I'll say it has. I learned a lot about you. D2 to E3." She rolls onto her side, her tail flicking idly. "I'd like to know more, though. Are there any ideas you have for our next date?" She smiles at him, hopeful. "I ask because I want to make sure you get to choose at least one of them."

"I was thinking maybe a nice walk in the park. Not very exciting, but it's a more quiet and comfortable date." He moves his bishop to take her pawn. "C5 to E3, check. You say our 'next' date, but what did you consider our first?"

She blushes softly, looking at a nearby pillow as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. "...t-the paintball game..." She quickly takes his bishop with her own, smiling brightly. "C1 to E3. Would you mind going with me to get a pet? I hear they're better than stuffed animals." I'll get myself a pet, as well as the one that seems attached to him for him. It's the perfect plan! She tilts her head to one side, looking to the ceiling as she thinks to herself. ...assuming that I notice it, anyways...

"Sure, I wouldn't mind helping you out with that. As long as you know how much work they are, pets are very good for keeping ponies happy." He slides his rook. "D8 to D4. You do realize though that with a pet, there will be a little less romance time right?"

"E3 to D4. And I suppose...but that would make the time we do get a bit more special, right?" She smiles softly, reaching over the board and tapping his horn with a forehoof. "I enjoy being with you...and, the way I see it, having pets is like expanding our family, right?" She inwardly winces, nervous about her own words. ...I wish I could've thought of a better way to say that...

He smiles. "Yes, yes it is." He scoots his pawn forward. "F6 to F5. Hmm... I guess Fluttershy's would be the place to go for a pet... did you have an idea of when you actually wanted to go and look for one?"

"...could we go tomorrow? Or Sunday, maybe? I-I'm meeting somepony at the spa on Saturday..." She moves her queen to the far side of the board. "G4 to G8. Check. So...w-what kind of pet do you think I should get? A kitten? A cute little mouse, maybe?" She looks off into space, idly daydreaming about her perfect pet.

"Either day works for me. As for the kind of pet, since there are so many kinds, to me it's better to just go and see what you like, as well as what likes you." He moves his knight back to defend. "C6 to D8. Meeting somepony at the spa huh? I expect you'll come back lovely, relaxed or both. Remind me to go there with you sometime to see what all the fuss is about. What are your thoughts on a stallion going to the spa?"

"If he's secure in his masculinity, it shouldn't be a big deal...E1 to E7." She knocks over his queen, giggling quietly. "Personally, though...it'd be my first time at a spa..." She bites her lip, glancing nervously at him. ...should I invite him? She shakes her head, sighing softly. No, I don't think Silk would like the unexpected company... "...well...um...h-how do you feel...about Manila's unrequited crush? I mean, d-do you think she'll get the courage to confront the pony?"

Rhino blows air out his mouth as he is backed into a corner. "Oh, I think she'll probably work herself up to it eventually. That, or somepony who knows her will get fed up with waiting and do something to send her on a blind date with the pony or something." He nudges a pawn. "B7 to B6. Do you find yourself more of a night pony or a morning pony? I probably know the answer, but I want to hear it from you."

"Morning pony, I suppose. D4 to E5." She looks at the board, tilting her head to one side. "...is that check? I can't tell..." She rubs her eyes, yawning softly. ...what time is it?

"No, dear, it's not. B8 to B7." He looks up at her. "Do you want something to help you through the rest of the game? It shouldn't last much longer."

She waves a hoof, smiling softly at him. "...it's fine...I can do this...E5 to C7..." She shakes her head, trying to focus her eyes. "...w-what time is it, Rhino?"

He looks at his watch. "Oh wow, it's a little past eight. I didn't realize how late we started." He turns back to the board. "D8 to C6. You sure you don't want something?"

"...m-maybe some apple juice...E7 to E6..." She quickly starts to write in her journal so she doesn't forget anything that was said. "...have you ever considered...going out to find a changeling? T-to talk to them like you mentioned earlier, I mean?"

"Not really, I wouldn't even know where to begin looking. Unless one pops up, there's really nothing I can do. Besides, I'm not really the type of pony to go seeking that type of interaction without a very good reason anyway." He takes her bishop with his king. "B7 to C7. One moment..." He goes into the kitchen and comes out with a glass of cold apple juice. "Here you go."

"Thanks." She takes a sip, smiling softly at him before moving her queen. "G8 to F7. Check. What would be your first question for a changeling, if you met a friendly one?" This could be important for later. I should make sure to write this down...

"Hmm... I'm not really sure... I guess I'd ask them their name." He gives a sheepish smile. "C7 to D8. You've got me on the ropes now."

"E6 to C6." She removes his last knight. "...I suppose that makes sense...what would you ask after that?"

"B6 to B5. Um... 'How are you?' I guess... I'm not just going to start badgering them with questions, that'd be rude."

"...I didn't think about that...huh..." She slides her rook, knocking over one of his few remaining pawns. "C6 to A6." She continues to drink her juice, looking at him, waiting to see what he'd do.

He looks at the board a moment before chuckling. "Alright, alright, I see where this is going." He tips over his king and smiles at her. "Congratulations, you win. What do you want as your prize?"

She smiles, leaning forward off the couch to gently kiss him. "...For now...I'd actually like to sleep in your bed...with you..." She giggles, blushing softly. "...don't worry, I'll be wearing panties...so nothing accidentally happens..." She crosses her forelegs on the edge of the cushion, resting her head on top of them. "...is that alright with you?"

He chuckles again. "Now how did I know that's what you wanted? Alright, we can do that."

"...Good...now..." She squirms slightly, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "...c-could you help me upstairs? M-my hindlegs kinda...fell asleep..."

"Of course..." He dips his head under her and slides her onto his back. He turns out all the lights as they head upstairs. Once there, he stops in the hallway. "We need to detour to your room?"

"...Yes...or you could put me on your bed while you choose out your favorite pair..." She laughs softly at this, shaking her head. "...s-sorry...I kinda get loopy when I'm exhausted..."

"Heh, you're not alone there." He brings her to her room and sets her down on her bed, turning his back to her. "I won't look, so you can have your privacy."

She quickly puts on a pair of unadorned blue panties before sneaking over next to him, teasingly whispering in his ear. "...what if I wanted you to look?" She gently nips his ear, giggling a bit.

A shiver runs down his spine as he shakily answers. "T-then I'd say that you're loopier than you thought... Do you need me to carry you to my room?"

She nuzzles his cheek, smiling softly at him. "...Please do...if you wouldn't mind..." Next time, remember to get up and stretch for a bit. I hate this pins-and-needles feeling. Her horn lights up subtly, a single item coming over to her from her nightstand. She hides it in her mane, making sure he doesn't see it. ...heehee...I hope he likes the surprise...

He obliges, scooping her up and bringing her to his domain. He gently slides her down onto his bed before going around the room and straightening a few things as well as shutting the curtains.

As he does this, she pulls out the accessory and puts it on, smiling playfully. Let's see if he's into this... She lays down on the bed, forehooves curled up against her chest and her lidded gaze focused on him.

The stallion turns around to find the sight of her belly up, with her head propped up by the pillows. A pair of rimless glasses is perched on her face. His eyebrows and ears shoot up at the unexpected sight. He swallows before speaking. "Y-you certainly know how to get me flustered, don't you?"

She giggles, her tail swishing in her enjoyment. "...what can I say? I like how cute you are when flustered..." She spreads her legs slightly, revealing the soft, cotton-covered hill between them, as well as a tiny damp spot. She doesn't seem to notice this, though, as she pats the bed beside her, a kind smile on her face. "...care to join me, Rhino?"

He takes a deep breath to steady himself before nodding and making his way onto his usual spot on the bed. As he settles down, he sniffs lightly as he smells something in the air, but after being unable to identify it, shrugs it off.

She presses herself against him, blushing a bit from how forward she must seem. "...s-so...h-how would you like us to sleep, love?" She bites her lip, looking up at him with hope-filled eyes. ...I hope he doesn't mind I called him that...but it's true, isn't it? She gently kisses him, her cheeks now tinted a rosy pink.

Despite his blush, he keeps his voice light-hearted. "Isn't this your prize for winning the game? You're the one who gets to choose. As long as I can get comfortable, which I can easily do, it doesn't matter to me."

She thinks for a bit before scooting a bit closer, resting her head under his chin and her horn safely on top of his neck. "...how about this?" She smiles softly, tenderly wrapping her forelegs around his chest. Perfect...absolutely perfect... She slowly rubs a hoof along his side, closing her eyes as she feels his heart beating, starting to be lulled to sleep by the sensation. ...I don't know if I would move, if I could... With that thought, she enters the realm of the dreaming, breathing quietly, her breath gently brushing over his fur.

Smiling softly down at her, Rhino lights up his horn as he removes her glasses and sets them on the bedside table. He wraps one foreleg around her as the other brings up the sheets over both of them. His eyes close as he consciously slows his breathing to find his own way into dreamland.

Chapter 18: It's Just a Natural Thing

“So, how is it?”

Rhino looks over to Manila as a griffon that had come in for a checkup leaves. “What do you mean?”

She huffs lightly. “Your marefriend, her situation?”

Trying to keep Gel’s privacy, he plays dumb. “I still don’t know what you mean.”

The mare sighs as she slumps in her seat. “I know she was in heat you know. So, I ask again, how is it? Does she act like a mare with an unquenchable thirst for you, ready to pounce at a moment’s notice?”

Seeing her attempts to tease him, Rhino does his own teasing. “Oh, she has a potion to keep most of the effects under control. We actually spent most of the evening playing a game.”

Manila grins. “Good job, Rhino, making it interesting in the bedroom already!”

He blushes as he replies. “Not that kind of game, we played chess.”

“...What...” She looks at him, flabbergasted. “You have a mare like that, shy, in heat, and you... play chess?” She facehoofs. “Ugh, you are such a buzzkill sometimes!”

The stallion grins. “I know. Now then... since you seem so interested in my relationship, tell me Manila, how go your own attempts?”

She sighs as she puts her head on the desk. “No progress yet... I just... can’t figure out how to approach him...”

“Have you considered the direct approach?” He offers.

She shakes her head quickly. “I can’t just walk up to him! What do I say? ‘Hey, I’ve been watching you for a while now -I’m not a stalker- and I was wondering if you wanted to go out because you’re hot and nice and....” she trails off.

Rhino blinks before responding. “Perhaps work on your lines a bit...”

She gives him a look. “I don’t suppose you have any advice on how to make a relationship happen?”

He shrugs. “Sorry, mine just sort of happened.”

Another sigh. “Figures...”

As they continue, a red pony walks in. In his mouth is a basket, a brown muzzle sticking out over the edge. He stops in front of the two, patiently waiting for them to end their conversation.

Rhino notices their company first. “Oh, hey Big Mac.”

At the name, Manila’s head whips up. Seeing the large red stallion, she lets out a quick squeak and forces her eyes down onto the desk. “U-umm... How may I help you sir?”

The stallion sets the basket down on the ground, frowning in concern. “Something’s wrong with Winona. She’s hardly touching her food, and doesn’t run around like she used to.”

The green stallion frowns at this. “Oh dear... that doesn’t sound good...” As Manila starts scribbling away at the bureaucratic sight of the job, he motions to the basket. “Would you mind if I carried her to the examination room? You are free to come along, of course.”

“Nope.” He glances at the mare before stepping forward, moving to follow the other stallion.

She keeps her eyes averted as she scribbles expertly on the pages. After a moment, she glances back up, her eyes meeting his before she blushes and ducks her head down lower than it was before.

Big Mac doesn’t seem to respond to this, keeping a straight face as he goes down the hall. He enters the examination room, finally allowing a trace of emotion to show through - concern. “Is she alright, Doc?”

Rhino has the collie up on the examination table. She appears to be fine, the usual happy face and wagging tail that make her kind so lovable in full effect. However, at a closer look, from the fact that she is lying down and the slight slowness to her movements, there does seem to be something at least a little off.

The unicorn does the usual things, checking her teeth and throat, moving her limbs. “She seems mostly fine... it may just be an upset stomach but that usually doesn’t last more than a day...” He starts checking various muscles and stops when he gets to her abdominal region. “Hmm...” He brings up his stethoscope and starts listening to various points on her body.

He stands off to the side, watching with a hint of anxiety. “So what is it, Doc? Will she be okay?”

Rhino smiles as he confirms something by listening to her. “Oh, I’m sure she’ll be back to normal and better than ever in about six weeks.” He straightens up and turns to the stallion. “Until then, as the prospective grandpa, you’ve got some things to prepare for.”

He stares blankly, the sprig of wheat dropping from his mouth as his mouth gapes slightly. “What?”

The unicorn chuckles. “Sorry, that’s a bit of a joke in my family. ‘A pet is like your foal.’ So, by grandpa, I was telling you that Winona here is pregnant. There’s at least four or five of them in there, it can be a little difficult to tell their heartbeats from one another.”

For the first time since he arrived, Big Mac smiles. “That’s great, Doc. The family will be pleased to hear that, Ah reckon.”

The two stallions make their way to the front, Rhino giving the farmer a pamphlet on dog pregnancy and birth preparation as they walk. Manila gets the payment settled and gives the red stallion a small wave as he leaves.

Rhino looks over to her as soon as Big Mac leaves. “If you haven’t asked him by the time he brings the pups in for their first exam, I might have to take drastic measures and call in reinforcements.”

She blushes and sputters out quickly. “D-don’t you have a marefriend in heat to worry about?”

He looks upward. “True... I wonder how she’s doing?”

***

***Warning, Sex. Might as well skip the rest of the chapter if you don't want to see it.***

Gel paces her room, her tail flicking restlessly. "...oh...this heat is unbearable..." She stops in front of her bed, biting her lip and rubbing her hindlegs together. ...h-how do mares deal with this?! She thinks for a bit, trying to figure out what to do. ...I-I guess I have no choice...

She lays belly-down on her bed, her hindlegs planted firmly on the floor. She reaches a hoof back, touching her treasure softly. ...m-maybe I'm supposed to press a little harder? She closes her eyes, bring both hooves back to firmly rub against herself. ...I-I think it's working...

She works for what feels like hours, but her arousal just won't leave her alone. She groans, her cheek pressed against the cover as she attempts to look at herself over her shoulder. This is pointless. All I'm doing is making my forehooves soaked! She stomps a hoof against the floor, frustration setting in. Bucking heat!

Rhino arrives home just in time to hear the frustrated hoof stomp. "Well, I guess I know where she's at." He hums quietly to himself as he goes through his usual ritual of dropping his bags and taking a few things out.

The white unicorn shifts from one hindleg to the other, trying to see if it was her positioning that was giving her trouble. Sadly, this didn't help in the slightest. ...damn it, nothing's working! She starts to trail a hoof slightly higher, desperate to try anything at this point. She strokes her taint, her groans of sexual tension growing louder. Please, just let this work!

Rhino's ears perk at the sound of groaning. He calls out, but the groans drown him out. Concerned, he quickly climbs the stairs and makes a beeline for her room. He opens the door quickly and enters. "Angel, are you alright-" he cuts himself off as he processes what he is seeing.

She freezes, blushing as red as a cherry as she sees him standing there. She makes no move to cover herself, as her drenched hooves are already covering most of her. ...t-this is...awkward... She shifts her hips slightly, squirming a bit from the uncomfortable silence before trying to break it. "...um...h-hi..."

He trembles a moment before one of his forelegs snaps over his eyes. "I-I'm sorry, I-I just heard you groaning and I thought something was wrong! I-I didn't mean to walk in on... this..." He starts backing away. "I'll just go back downstairs or something..."

"N-no!" She turns to look at him, teary-eyed. "...p-please...y-you said you would help me..." She bites her lip, squirming slightly. "...I-I've been...t-trying to do something...a-about this...b-but I can't..." She covers her face with her forehooves and turns away, ashamed. "...p-please...I-I need you..." Her flagging tail twitches slightly, unable to lower over her now-exposed glistening slit.

He groans under the leg that is covering his face. "Oh come on, not the sad voice... I can't take the sad voice..." He takes a breath. "O-ok... just don't start crying or anything, I wouldn't be able to take it..." He feels his way over to the bed and slowly removes his leg so he can bring his face down to hers. "Umm, what... what do I need to do?"

She whimpers softly, looking back at her legs. "...I-I don't know...I-I need to release...s-so I guess...s-stroke it a bit?" She averts her eyes, frowning a bit. ...but I've been doing that for a while, now...maybe... She glances at her bookcase, almost completely full of romance novels, as her blush returns full force. "...m-maybe...o-one of those c-could help?"

He looks over to the bookshelf and brings a few over with levitation. He lays them out in front of her. "Will one of these work?"

She reads the titles before picking one up in her magical aura. "...t-this should work...'Winning Love'..." She opens the book to the table of contents, carefully reading the chapter titles. "...t-this story progresses quickly..." She shyly holds it up in front of him. "...t-the first sensual scene...i-is in chapter five..." I guess it's one I've never read...but I was sure I read them all...

"Umm... alright..." He quickly skims through the specified chapter about the act between a unicorn mare and a pegasus stallion. Obviously, some things are impossible for him to do, lacking the appendages, but he gets the general idea. After about two minutes since he started, he closes the book. "Ok... I think I know what to do... Beyond basic guidance, this mostly seems to be instinct anyway..."

She nods, her flanks rising up in the air as her hindlegs extend as much as possible in her spread stance. "...o-okay...b-but please hurry...i-it's starting to hurt..." She groans softly, turning her head to look at him and behind her. Why must heat be so painful? It just doesn't make sense to me!

His looks at her sympathetically. "Ok... let me see what I can do..." He gulps as he moves around her and finally get a full view of her glistening treasure. The smell of her arousal wafts into his muzzle, dulling his hesitation as hormones within his own brain are released. He sits down behind her, one hoof coming up to slowly stroke down the inside of one of her thighs.

She gasps softly, trembling from his touch. W-what's he doing? W-why's he moving away from it? She watches him in confusion, waiting to see what he'll do.

He shifts his weight so that he can use both his hooves. After raising the other and placing it opposite of his first, he begins having them make their way towards her slit, stroking up and down as they close in.

She softly coos, enjoying the ministrations of his hooves. ...this is...actually kind of relaxing... She sighs softly, only to squeak when he moves over a sensitive spot in the middle of her thigh. G-great. I have a ticklish spot.

He pauses at her noise, licking his lips once. He then stops his inward progress for the time being and begins circling around the sensitive spot on her right leg. He moves faster than he had been going and purposefully goes right over the spot every other rotation.

Gel giggles, helpless to stop him from exploiting her weak spot. She tries to move her leg away, but ends up pushing his hoof against the mirroring spot on her left leg. She squeals, a tingle going up her spine from his movement. ...t-that's not a ticklish spot...

He smiles at her squeal, now switching his attention to the new spot on her left leg. He rubs all around and over it with a hoof, never slowing down. As he does thus, his other hoof begins to continue its journey towards her treasure, constantly rubbing and inching closer.

She pushes her hips back towards him, trying to suppress her quiet moans. ...h-he's amazing...h-how did he... Her train of thought trails off as she starts to lose herself in the pleasure, a clear, fragrant fluid trailing out of her flushed slit and down her legs.

He lightly pushes back in response to her. He applies a little more pressure to the spot on her leg. After a moment, his other hoof reaches the very edges of her outermost lips. It stops its inward progress and begins circling, barely maintaining contact with the soaking petals.

She moans a bit louder, her eyes drifting closed to enhance the sensations. "...R-Rhy..." She bites her lip, enjoying the affection coming off him. ...such pure love...e-even in the middle of this... As she's lost in her thoughts, her delicate flower spasms slightly, briefly flashing her supple pink flesh at him.

Rhino tilts his head at the convulsion, but focuses back on his task after a moment. He begins rapidly going back and forth across the spot on her leg, never giving her a moments rest. Likewise, his seeking hoof also quickens its ministrations. In its haste, it inadvertently grazes a small hidden nub ever so slightly.

She throws her head back, crying out in ecstasy as she squirts onto him. Her head falls back onto the bed, her eyes rolled back in her head and her tongue lolling out onto her forehoof as she slowly starts recovering from her orgasmic high. "...s-so good..."

He looks down at his now soaked hooves, his nose sniffing rapidly before he shakes his head. He idly flicks the excess of a hoof as he finds his voice for the first time since they began. "Feel... better?"

Gel looks over at him, her eyes unfocused. "...y-yes...m-much better..." She takes a breath, trying to slow her hammering heart. She touches her sensitive slit, pulling away with a soaked hoof. "...w-wow...I-I didn't know I was a squirter..." She nervously giggles, carefully moving to get off the bed. "...t-thank you, Rhino..." She leans up, gently pulling him into a slightly-lazy french kiss.

She blinks as her leg bumps into something. She looks down and freezes, seeing his pride standing at attention. ...at ease soldier...I don't think I can handle you, at the moment... She shyly turns back to Rhino, coughing politely before pointing at his predicament. "...i-it seems like...l-little Rhino wants some thanks, too..." She giggles, blushing brightly from her own joke.

He blushes, but after everything that just happened, doesn't turn away. "What can I say? You had a very... inspiring performance..."

She gives him a sultry look, lowering herself onto her belly in front of him. "...maybe you'd like a followup?" She gently puts a hoof on his length, feeling the warmth coming from it. She forces her gaze away from it, looking up at him in embarrassment. "...i-if you want me to, I mean..."

The hormones in the air from their recent activity keeping his thoughts stable, he averts his eyes as he speaks. "Well, I mean... Are you sure you're up for anything so soon after..." He gestures to the puddle on the floor.

She puts a damp hoof to her lips, thinking about this a bit. She pulls it away, quietly licking it as she does so. "...w-well...I want to return the favor..." She slowly stands, wincing at her sore leg muscles. "...m-maybe I can just treat you to dinner tomorrow?" She gently touches noses with him, smiling kindly. "...does that sound good, Rhino?"

He smiles softly at her. "Sounds fine to me."

"Good." She pulls him into a passionate kiss, her eyes fluttering closed. ...this is nice...but dinner can't be all I can do... She pulls away and nestles her head under his chin, hiding her sly smirk. ...I think I know what I can do...

He is slightly dazed after the kiss, but a peculiar aftertaste draws his attention. He rolls his tongue around in his mouth as he tries to place it. It tastes like what was in my mouth the other morning... But where would she get that- His eyes widen. She licked her hoof... So that taste was... Oh, you dirty mare...

She moves to her dresser, pulling out a pair of white cotton panties, a pink bow adorning the front of it. She carefully slips it on before heading over to the bedroom door. ...I really am tired...I should head to his bed before I pass out, or something... She brings her journal with her as she exits the room, wobbling down the hall. "...good night, love...I'm going to go sleep..."

He looks to his watch. "Wow, it's only two o'clock and she's that tired? She's either gonna be really energetic if she sleeps until the morning, or she's gonna be up half the night..." He shrugs as he heads downstairs. "I guess we'll see what happens."

Chapter 19: Spa

Gel woke up, blinking in confusion. ...it shouldn't be this dark...why did I fall asleep so early? She lays on the bed silently for a few moments before bolting upright, eyes wide. ...w-wait...m-my memory...it's still there! She grins widely, carefully getting off the bed so as to not wake Rhino, glancing at him for a moment before sneaking out into the streets, her journal following her as she writes and walks.

She steps out into the street and glances around, curious. She ducks into the forest behind their house and shifts into her original form, blushing softly when her panties became a little loose. ...forgot I had those on. She shakes her head as she removes the clothing before taking to the skies, her journal following her as she surveys the town. First stop, Mane Street.

The town itself is as quiet as one might expect in the middle of the night. As she head down the road, she soon arrives at one of the most recognizable silhouettes in the village, city hall. The fair height and large space all around make it an excellent vantage point.

Gel stares quietly at it for a few moments, admiring the design before moving to the highest balcony. She lands, looking around at the streets below. ...it's so peaceful...maybe I should fly around here at night more often... She quickly scribbles some notes down before a thought occurs to her. ...I've seen parts of the city during the day...but what is Ponyville's nightlife like? She taps a hoof, concentrating. ...what would there be to do this late in a small town like this?

She glances at a clock, noting the time. Eleven twenty-one...definitely in the night-owl time period... She circles along the top of the building, looking around curiously. "...maybe Ponyville just isn't that active at night...but it is the weekend, isn't it?"

Suddenly, her ears pick up a slight spike in sound. One of the few buildings with lights on has it's door open and two ponies spill out. Both are stallions, one a caramel colored earth pony and the other a blue unicorn, and by the slight sway in their walks, both are a little drunk. They seem to be the fun kind though, as they laugh together while heading to the more residential district of town. They even start up a little song of their own, though their words are so slurred it's impossible to tell what they are saying.

She blinks, slowly nodding in understanding. "...that must be a bar, or maybe even a club..." She frowns, scuffing the floor beneath her with a hoof. "...either way, I'm too young to have fun in there..." She sighs, flitting down to the building, landing on the hoof and listening. ...can't hear anything...maybe it's a soundproof spell? She glances at the stallions and, after a brief deliberation, decides to ask them about it.

She quickly glides over to an alley ahead of them, changing back into Angel before stepping out into the street. She smiles kindly at them, waving them over. "H-hi, there. Um...m-may I ask you two something?"

The unicorn chuckles as he nudges his friend. "Hey Caramel, you seeing the same thing I am? Must've drank more than we thought to start seeing mares come out of nowhere. What do you wanna ask us, Miss Illusion?"

"..a-actually, I'm Angel...Angelic Grace..." She coughs softly before motioning towards the building they just exited. "W-what kind of place is that?"

"What, the Watering Hole?" He looks back at the building. "It's a nice little old place, good for drinking, but it ain't like one of those rough and tough places. Barkeep keeps it civil. All about laughing, playing, and having fun."

Caramel speaks up as he sways. "And the booze is good, too."

She puts a hoof on her chin, thinking a bit. "...so...there's fun stuff to do there, even if one's too young to drink?" Maybe I can witness this town's nightlife for myself...

Caramel scratches his head. "Well, there's darts and cards and such, but most of it is usually done with a drink in hoof. It ain't the liveliest place in town at night, but it's the one we like, ain't that right, Pokey?"

The unicorn nods. "Yep."

...or not. She sighs, smiling softly at them. "...sadly, I'm only eighteen...thanks anyways..." She turns around, waving at them over her shoulder. "...I hope you two have a good night..." She heads down the street, looking for some other places that she might be able to experience and write about in her journal.

She walks around town for a little longer, noting down a few things, when a suddenly shift of light around her causes her to look up and see a pegasus moving a cloud. It had crossed the moon a moment, which is why it drew her attention. The pegasus shifts the cloud until it seems to have it perfect before darting off once again towards another batch of clouds.

Why is somepony moving clouds this late at night? She sits down on the ground, calling up to them. "Hello? What are you doing?" ...I'm still Angel, right? She holds a hoof up in front of her face, noticing the bright color of it. I think I am, yeah.

The flying form stalls at the call and starts heading towards her. The familiar form of Thunderlane is revealed as he closes in before hovering in front of her. "Hey Angel, just pulling the night shift. What brings you out so late?"

"...um...I-I couldn't sleep..." She blushes brightly, shyly smiling at him. "...s-so...why do you have the night shift?" She giggles, giving him a playful wink. "...I'd have thought having Rainbow as your marefriend would make your job easier..." She scribbles in her journal as she waits for his response to her teasing.

He chuckles. "She's not my marefriend, she's my friend and boss. If anything, I'd expect she'd work any coltfriend of hers harder than anypony else. I'm just on the night shift because that's just the way it worked out this week. I don't mind, it means I get tomorrow off and I'm exempt from doing it again next week."

"That's good for you...Lane was it?" She smiles kindly, moving to pass by him. "...I'll leave you to your work, now...enjoy your day off, tomorrow..." She smiles, glad she learned something new. She quickly writes it in her journal, following the lonely street.

She continues walking through town, noting things of interest. Finally, she finds herself at the base of the town clock tower. As if it had been waiting for her, the minute hand finally completes its journey back to twelve. The tower chimes out twelve deep tones to signal the midnight hour.

As the final chime sounds, her mind goes blank, her journal dropping unceremoniously to the ground. Her eyes glaze over as she stands silently, facing the tower but not recognizing it.

After a couple minutes she blinks, shaking her head to clear the fog in it. She glances around in confusion, brow furrowed. "...what...what am I doing out here?"

She notices her journal on the ground.

She picks it up, opening it carefully. "...I couldn't sleep? Why couldn't I-" She stops seeing the earlier segment. Her cheeks flush with color as steam trails off the top of her head. "...o-oh...m-maybe I should head back home...wherever that is..." She glances at the address in the front of the book, carefully navigating the streets before finding their house.

She walks inside, sighing softly as she enters Rhino's bedroom. "...there he is..." She approaches the bed, tentatively pulling back the covers to his lower stomach before stopping. She momentarily considers pulling it down further but shakes her head. "...p-probably better to wait...a-at least it'll be over in two days..." She climbs into the bed, laying belly-to-belly with him.

As her fur brushes against his own, his body makes it usual adjustments. A foreleg stretches out and brings her closer as his tail winds itself around hers. As he snuggles against her, he lets out a content sigh.

She giggles, placing a hoof around his back. "...absolutely perfect..." She lays her journal on the bedside table and nestles her head under his chin, smiling softly to herself. Right before she drifts back off to sleep, she whispers quietly to him. "...I love you, Rhino..."

***

Gel enters the kitchen, rubbing her eyes as she groggily opens the fridge. I really wish I didn't wander around town last night...I didn’t want to wake up this late... She grabs a glass and gets herself some milk, looking at it skeptically. ...might as well see why he likes this, so much... She raises the glass to her lips, psyching herself up for her first taste of the white liquid.

Rhino, who had lain awake for a while but had simply chosen not to get up until she did, watches on. Seeing exactly what she is about to do, he puts on an expectant grin and crosses one leg over another as he leans against the kitchen doorway.

She takes a tentative sip and pauses, letting the flavor sink in. ...interesting...I prefer apple juice, but this is just fine, too... She looks up at him, smiling softly. "...I like it..." She pushes her glasses back up her nose, blushing a bit. "...and I can see why you like it, too..."

"Well then..." He pours himself his usual tall glass of it and holds it out to her glass. "Cheers to the white stuff." He gives a cheeky smile.

She blinks before shyly averting her eyes, clinking her glass against his. "...w-we're talking about milk, right?" She drinks the rest of her beverage, hoping to hide her awkwardness.

"Of course." He quickly chugs the entirety of his glass, the liquid flowing down his throat. "What else would I be talking about?" He blinks as her appearance hits him. "Ok, clarification is needed, that was a toast to the cold white stuff." He raises his empty glass into the air. "Clink. That one was to the hot white stuff." He looks pointedly at her, still with a grin.

She chokes on the last of her milk, not expecting that. She coughs, hitting a hoof against her chest in an attempt to clear her airway. "...w-wow...I-I didn't think you would say that..." She breathes softly, recovering from her little episode, staring up at him, her cheeks beet red. "...t-thank you, Rhino...”

He smiles, walking up and nuzzling her. "You're very welcome." His eyes focus on her glasses and he chuckles before flicking her lightly with his tail. "You do seem to like your outfits, don't you?

She squeaks, blushing a bit more from his actions. "...w-well, you seemed to like it...s-so I thought I could wear it for you, today..." She leans up and kisses him softly, giggling a bit. "...I want to make you happy, after all..." She flutters her eyes at him, playfully smiling.

He gives an almost rumbling laugh. "So I've learned." He softens his eyes to an almost half-lidded state, even with a playful smile. "Of course, you know I want to make you just as happy." He wraps a hoof around her and brings her close.

"...you've done plenty for me, yesterday..." She bites her lip as her gaze trails up and down his form for a moment. "...I want to return the favor, sometime soon..." She winks, placing a hoof on his chest, gently rubbing circles in his fur. She moves closer, her muzzle mere inches from his ear. "...I was thinking tonight...if you feel up for it, of course..."

The fur along his spine flares upward for a moment as a shiver runs down his body. His face flushes as he answers. "W-well, you know... you have to feel up to it too of course..."

"...oh, I'm certain I'll feel up for it..." She sits down in front of him, staring down at her hooves in embarrassment. "...I need to make up for blue balling you twice..." I still can't believe I just went to bed after that...I don't want to look selfish...

He nudges her with his nose. "You don't have to make anything up to me..."

"...you say I don't...but I want to..." She tenderly nuzzles his cheek before pulling back to look up at him. "...please..."

A knocking at the door interrupts any answer he might have had. Rhino looks toward the door curiously. "Now who could that be?"

"I-I'll go check." Thank goodness I'm just wearing the spectacles. I can't even remember what happened to my panties... She walks over and opens it, smiling politely. "Hello?"

The form of her boss answers her. "Good morning Angel! I hope you don't mind me dropping by, but since you took off work, we never actually discussed when we were going to the spa today."

"Oh!" She blushes brightly, embarrassment quickly settling in. I can't believe I didn't think of that detail. Good thing she came by! "...um...w-we could go now, if you'd like...I'm ready to go..."

Silk tilts her head with a small smile. "Got your 'spa going' glasses on and everything?"

"Oh, these?" She flicks her head to the side, flinging the glasses onto a hook by the door. "N-nothing to worry about. J-just forgot I had them on." She steps out and closes the door behind her, glad she kept her journal on her at all times, now. "L-lead the way, please."

The yellow mare blinks. "Wow, you must have been really ready to get out of the house..." She turns and starts heading into town. "Ah well, just more of you for me I guess."

Gel stumbles, surprised by her words. "...um...I-I'm sorry?" Damn my mind! She shakes her head, trying to cover her little slip-up. "...I-I just really need to relax..." She nervously giggles. Please just accept my sad excuse.

Silk nods as they continue walking. "Oh I bet you do honey, don't worry, it's not far. Just look at how tense you are, and I bet that heat doesn't help either."

"...you're definitely right about that...but..." She smiles, her eyes looking off into the distance. "...I did get a little help, yesterday..."

"Ah, some nice steamy stallion action eh?" The pegasus giggles. "Best cure there is." The two walk along for a few more minutes. "Ah, here we are, Ponyville Day Spa. Come on in!" Silk opens the door and makes her way inside.

The white unicorn follows her inside, staring at the decor. "...this place seems...interesting...w-what do you think we should do first?" She turns to her friend, smiling shyly.

The other mare looks over the board. "Let's see... they have saunas, mud baths, hooficures, massages, seaweed wraps, mineral water baths... I believe I know the order." She looks to the blue mare behind the counter, "Start us off with the sauna please."

The spa pony nods eagerly as she waves them both back towards the spa itself.

Gel tilts her head, confused. ...sauna? What's a sauna? She quietly walks into the spa section, unsure of what to do. Why didn't I study this? Or even have a previous ponysona that went to a spa? She bites her lip, fidgeting nervously as she looks around.

Silk nudges her. "Relax dear, the spa isn't going to do you any good if you go and get tense about even being here. Just follow my lead and enjoy yourself." They near some racks of various fluffy robes. "Robe?"

She nods, taking a vibrant blue one and putting it on. Glancing at the cyan mare in front of them, she leans over to the pegasus and whispers to her, too curious to resist. "...I-I know this may sound strange, but...w-what's a sauna?"

As they reach a wooden door set in the wall, Silk whispers back. "Steam room, hon." This statement proves true as the door is opened as steam billows out of it. The spa pony and pegasus both walk in, gesturing for Gel to follow.

She does so, sitting on a ledge that she assumes is a seat. "...I see...or, I would, if...n-never mind, that's a bad joke..." She coughs, trying to change the subject. "...s-so...y-you know a bit about my personal life...m-may I ask about yours, Silk?"

"Sounds fair to me." The pegasus stretches out her wings as they sit. "What did you want to know about little old me?"

"...um..." She taps a hoof on her chin for a moment before a question comes to her. "Oh! H-have you had any coltfriends?" She sheepishly smiles, a small 'squee' coming from her as she does.

Silk nods. "Oh, I've had a few before, none of them ever really seemed to stick though. I've actually got my eye on another one now for the first time in a long time and he seems like a keeper."

Gel giggles, playfully pushing her with a hoof. "That sounds great! I hope you'll be happy with him!" I wonder who she's interested in? That Caramel stallion I met last night? Thunderlane? She shakes her head, smirking slightly. I suppose it'll just be a surprise. I don't want to impose on that subject any further.

Soon enough, their time in the sauna is over and they move on to the next portion. "Massages next." The blue spa pony nods and has her pink counterpart get them ready. She guides them over to a pair of tables, where she directs them to lie down. As they do so, she picks up a file in her mouth at points it at Gel's horn. "Horn filing miss?"

She blinks and nods, confused. "...um...s-sure..." ...if the professionals are offering it, who am I to argue? She rests her head on her forehooves, glancing over at Silk to see how she's doing.

The mare in question is speaking to one of the other employees about her massage. After a moment, they both nod and the pony moves to her side. She starts using a great deal of force to bear down on the knots and Silk seems to love every second of it. Meanwhile, the pink spa pony has started run the file across Gel's horn at a moderate speed, it's tiny teeth grinding across the protrusion.

...good thing my horn isn't sensitive without magic in it...otherwise I'd be moaning like all get out... The white unicorn sighs softly, letting herself get lost in her thoughts. I can't exactly ask about Silk, right now, since she's in her own little world at the moment...maybe I could write in my...no, that would require magic, and I can't use that, at the moment... She closes her eyes, unsure of what to do, even as her hindlegs press closer together as she subconsciously tries to hide her heat.

The filing soon stops and the mare addresses her again. "Alright miss, do you know what kind of massage you want? If you don't know the names, just tell us relatively how hard or how soft you want it."

She looks up at her, smiling kindly. "...c-could I please have a...medium-soft massage, Miss?" I sure hope that's a thing...

"Certainly." The pink pony motions to her blue counterpart who walks over and stands next to the prone mare. She rears up onto her hindlegs and half-closes her eyes in concentration as she places her hooves on Gel's back. She begins working in slow circles on the muscles, applying a little more weight than just setting her hooves on them would do, but working them at all the right angles to do what she needs to. She begins working towards the shoulders, plying her craft.

She coos softly, enjoying the sensations of her first massage. ...this is wonderful...I should learn this for Rhino... A small smirk forms on her lips. ...I bet I could make it even more enjoyable for him than it is for me...

The masseuse then begins working her way back down the mare's body. She passes the point she had started at and begins working the lower muscles.

Her hindleg twitches at this, but she makes no move to stop it. ...I had no idea somepony could cause this...pleasant feeling without touching an erotic area... She practically melts into the table, unable to think any more from the bliss the blue mare is giving her.

The blue pony ends her downward journey just above the cutie marks. She works that area for a time until she slides her hooves off the body and gently grabs one of Gel's hindlegs, extending it to the side. She then begins working the muscles of the limb itself.

This grabs the unicorn's attention, a bright blush adorning her face. Please don't touch my inner thigh...I-I don't know if my response would be welcome... She bites her lip, silently bracing herself just in case.

Luckily, the pony working on her doesn't ever go that far. She kneads her hooves all over the top and side of the leg, but never goes underneath. After a while, she finishes and begins to repeat the process with the other hindleg.

Gel sighs in relief, relaxing completely. ...thank goodness...what was I worried about? These mares wouldn't do that...they're professionals... She glances over at Silk once more, curious as to how her friend's massage was going.

Her boss is currently in a world of her own, a goofy smile on her face as her masseuse works the area around her wing bases. As Gel watches, the pony slowly extends the wings and begins to preen them, setting each feather where it should be.

Gel giggles, seeing the silly look on the pony's face. That must be one hay of a massage...did I look like that? She brings her journal up, writing down her experience so far. Maybe I should bring Rhino here...yeah, probably not...I got jealous when I saw his coworker...who knows how I'd act if another mare actually got hooves-on with him... She shakes her head, frowning slightly. ...maybe I could just replicate the more pleasurable aspects of this for him later...yeah, I think that's a good idea...

They finish up their massages and the pink mare, who Silk finally has the mind to introduce as Aloe, leads them to the next area. She stops next to two bins, one of seaweed and the other of green goop. “Alright, now before we get you into the mud baths, did either of you wish for a facial or seaweed wrap?”

The white mare blinks, unsure. She looks to Silk, sheepish. "...um...w-what do you think?" It's time like these that I wish I studied stuff like this more often...maybe I could find a book on spa services at the library?

Silk shrugs as she gestures to both bins. "Why not go for the full treatment? Might as well, right?"

"...i-if you say so..." I hope Rhino likes this. Of course, this is also time to spend with one of my few friends here... She smiles softly at the pegasus. ...so I suppose I can stand to do what she wants me to...

Given the go ahead, the spa workers immediately slather on a nice layer if facial mask on their faces, topping it off with cucumbers on the eyes. They then wrap seaweed on almost every inch of the two mares' bodies. They even add little bows of seaweed at the bases of the tails, though that was probably just for fun. The two mares are then led by hoof to edge of the mud baths, one hoofed placed in for them, but nothing else so they are free to go in when they wish. A squelching sound from her side lets Gel know that Silk has already decided to take part.

Gel decides to follow her friend's example and steps in, shivering slightly at the sensation of mud around her body. ...this seems really counterintuitive, to me...why would one get dirty to get clean? Or is this just for relaxation? She sighs, abandoning her train of thought before she became any more confused than she already was.

The pegasus mare lets out a relaxed sigh as they lay in the mud. "So, anything on your mind, Angel?"

"...w-well..." She tilts her head to one side, thinking a bit. "...I-I was wondering...how often do you come here?"

"Oh, not too often. Not much fun to come by myself. I only come in every other month or so for a hooficure, maybe try another service while I'm here. This is only the second time I've done the whole package." Since her eyes are covered, the mare doesn't bother turning her head to Gel, since neither of them would get anything out of it.

"...I see...t-thank you for doing this with me..." Gel giggles softly. "...I have to wonder if stallions ever come in here...what do you think, Silk?"

The mare thinks before answering with a laugh. "The way I hear it, most stallions stay clear of places like this. There might be some that don't, but I haven't met them yet. I think most of them just see it as too girly."

"...oh...t-that's interesting..." She smirks, even though she knows her friend wouldn't see it. "...I believe my coltfriend offered to join us...but I didn't know if you wanted him here..." ...I may be remembering that wrong...oh well...

Silk giggles. "Well, I would suggest coming here with him alone first. Be sure to tell me how he reacts to everything though, I'm very curious what a stallion's perception of all this is once he gives it a chance."

"...I'll be sure to do that..." She hears the sound of hooves approaching, smiling softly, unable to help but feel relieved to get out of the mud.

The spa attendants carefully lead the out of the tubs. The goopy masks are wiped away, and the mud comes off with the seaweed. The mares are lead to one of the final parts of the treatment: a nice giant tub of steaming mineral water.

Gel blinks, looking at the tub in front of her. ...well, at least I don't have to worry about causing it to get hot, or anything...I hope it's not too deep, though... She carefully steps into the tub, sighing softly. ...this is amazing...

The water comes up to about neck height. Silk spreads her wings and waves them slowly through the water to get them clean, causing some small waves as she does so. "If I know spa etiquette, and I have no idea if I do or not, I believe this is where most of the chatting happens. Since we've been doing that pretty much the entire time though, anything else we should talk about while we're alone?"

"...w-well..." She puts a hoof to her chin, thinking a bit. "...maybe you could tell me...w-where you're from? I-I've been curious about that, for a while..." Her notebook floats behind her, ready to jot down everything that's said. ...come to think of it, where did I say I was from? She tilts her head to one side and smiles softly, keeping her inner monologue to herself for the moment.

The pegasus dunks her head in the water and comes back up, flicking it out of her face before answering. "Oh it's not all that interesting. I'm from the land of poofy whiteness incarnate, Cloudsdale."

"Cloudsdale?" Gel smiles brightly, clapping her hooves together. "I hear that place is absolutely stunning! Oh, I'd do almost anything to see it, myself!" She stops mid-gesture, blushing brightly at how eager she'd sounded. "...um...s-sorry about that outburst..."

Silk tilts her head. "Perfectly fine, but why so interested?"

"...I-I just...want to know what it's like to walk on a cloud, I guess..." She turns her head away, embarrassed beyond words, now.

The other mare smirks, splashing a little bit of water onto Gel. "If that's all you wanted, just talk to a unicorn that knows the cloud-walking spell and then talk to somepony on the weather team. It seemed to me like a bit more than just wanting to walk on clouds though."

"...w-well..." She taps her forehooves together, hesitant. "...I-I heard that a famous author lives there...b-but the main reason..." She sighs softly, turning to look at Silk once more. "...i-is to see how a sunset looks from there...w-with my love...I-I figured it would be so romantic, you know?" She sheepishly smiles.

Silk's smirk softens to a smile. "Ah, romance fantasies... A sunset is a good thing to take in while you're there, they seem to look different in every city." She leans back to where she is partially floating in the water. "Ahh..."

Gel sits quietly, looking over the other mare's form for a moment. "...Silk...have you ever...y-you know...been with a stallion?"

"Ah, at that point in mare talk are we?" She flips up so that she can face the mare. "To answer the question, yes."

"...I-I see..." She bites her lip, clenching her hindlegs together slightly. "...d-did you love him?" Why am I asking this?

She shakes her head. "No, we were a couple and decided that we would do that. No feelings really came of it and we had a mutual breakup a few weeks later. I don't regret it," her feathers ruffle, "woo, do I not regret it... He wasn't my first, but he was my last."

"...oh..." The white mare sits quietly, her pen still blazing words across the pages. ...I don't know what to think of that...she didn't have a stallion as her first? Gel shakes her head, smiling softly. "...t-thank you for sharing that...especially since you didn't have to..."

As she turns to see that spa ponies returning, Silk smiles back at Gel. "Hey, no problem. Now, what do you say we get to the final part?" That mares are lead out of the tub and to some cushions. "Hooficures!"

"...um...s-sure?" She carefully lays down on one set, wondering what this one will be like. ...I guess I'm about to find out, huh?

The attendants each take one hoof from each pony and brandish files similar to the one used on Gel's horn. They begin smoothing out the edges and any imperfections on their hooves.

...well. I worried for nothing. This is actually quite relaxing. She closes her eyes, sighing softly as she lets the mares do their job.

It seems Silk is equally relaxed. As the spa ponies work through each hoof, not a word is said. The comfortable silence persists even as they apply a small bit of oil to give the hooves a bit of protection from chipping while making them glossier. Soon, the treatment is done and the two mares are lead back up to the front.

"...thank you again for coming here with me, Silk..." She giggles, playfully bumping her side with her own. "...I don't know if it would've been as fun without you..." She glances at the attendant, hoping they didn't take offense at that.

They didn't, the spa pony smiles at them, cheerfully exchanging pleasantries as they each pay for themselves. As they exit the building, Silk turns to the young mare. "Alright hon, think you can make it home to that stallion of yours by yourself?"

"...I-I think so..." Gel smiles softly, holding out a hoof to the older mare. "...have a nice day, Silk...and good luck with that stallion you have your eye on..." She winks teasingly.

The Pegasus smiles as she shakes the offered hoof. "And good luck not jumping the stallion you already have." She winks before spreading her wings and flying off.

The white unicorn stands there for a moment, a bright blush on her cheeks and steam rising off her head. "...h-he'd be sure I wouldn't..." She sighs, turning and heading off to return home. ...I wonder what Rhino's doing... She stops mid-step, eyes wide in shock. ...I forgot to tell him I was leaving...

By the time that thought went through her head, she was already racing to get back home to her stallion.

When she arrives home, she immediately bursts in the door. Rhino teleports in front of her almost instantly and grabs her in a hug. "There you are, I was worried about you!" As he hugs her, small signs of his distress can be seen. A particular section of carpet looks as it it was walked on excessively, a plate and glass can be barely seen on the kitchen table, both seemingly used multiple times, and finally, there is a tired look in his eyes.

Seeing him in such a state, she hugs him back, trembling softly. "...I-I'm so sorry, Rhino...I should've told you I was heading off to the spa..." She gingerly strokes his cheek with a hoof, smiling reassuringly up at him. "...I'm here, though...so you don't need to worry any more..." She kisses the tip of his nose.

He cracks a small smile, but it is difficult to tell the emotion behind it. "I remembered you saying something about the spa, so I hoped that was where you were..." He hugs her tighter. "I just didn't know for sure... I told myself that I needed to just wait and see if you came back... but I had to find ways to distract myself from going insane in the meantime..." He gives her a passionate kiss. "I'm just glad you're safe..."

"...thank you for being so concerned..." She kisses him back, sighing softly. "...I-I still feel bad for causing you...so much strife..." She looks up at him, her eyes shining with love and concern. "...i-is there any way...I can make it up to you, Rhino?" She puts a hoof on his lips before he can say anything. "...before you say that I don't have to...I want to...please, tell me what I can do..."

He brings her back in for another hug, whispering into her ear. "Just... stay near me... at least for a little while..."

She smiles softly, whispering back. "...I can do that...I'll stay near you as long as you want me to..." She gently embraces him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Chapter 21: New Additions

As the couple finish up breakfast, Rhino looks over to Gel with a slightly teasing smile. "So... if I remember right, somepony mentioned something about wanting to go see about getting a little critter companion today. Would you still be interested in that?"

She giggles, nodding. "Of course. You said that would be at..." She opens her journal, quickly scanning the entries. "...Shutterfly's cottage? Is that right?"

"Fluttershy's cottage," he corrects, "I'm fairly certain anypony named Shutterfly would be a photographer or something."

"...you're probably right..." She edits that entry, closing her book. I must've been really tired when I wrote that... "...so...where, exactly, would her cottage be?"

He thinks for a moment as he recalls. "From what I've been told, she lives on the outskirts of town off the path that leads to the Everfree Forest. We'll be able to tell when we're close by all the animals running around near it."

She tilts her head to one side, confused. "...so her cottage is an animal shelter?" Every city and town has one, right?

He shrugs. “I’m not really sure... from what I understand, it seems to be some sort of shelter, first aid station, wild animal sanctuary cross. It’s difficult to classify.”

"...huh...I suppose it must be better than an animal shelter, then..." She shrugs and stands up, moving over to his side of the table. "...have you met her, before?" She tenderly nuzzles his neck, taking a moment to enjoy the feel of his fluffy fur against her own silky fur.

He shakes his head before nuzzling her back. "Not personally, I've only heard stories. I think I only hear as much as i do because of my profession, she tends to keep to herself."

Gel puts a hoof on her chin, thinking a bit. I guess that's fine. Why worry about a mare that hasn't met Rhino, yet? She nods, turning to the door and brushing her tail against his chest almost by habit, now. "...well, then...why don't we go meet her?"

"At once, milady." He teleports over to the door and opens it for her with a bow.

She smiles softly at him, nuzzling his cheek as she passes. "Such a gentlecolt." She winks, stepping outside and looking around. "...not that many ponies out today, are there?"

He shrugs as he locks the door behind them. "Sunday mornings are slow for some ponies I guess." He starts off in the direction of their destination.

"...makes sense to me..." She hurries to catch up to him. As soon as she does, she entwines her tail with his, blushing a bit. "...s-so...want to talk about anything while we're on our way?" She looks up at him hopefully while having to keep a slightly faster pace to match his stride.

"Hmm..." He thinks as they stroll. "Did you enjoy the little relaxing two part date we had yesterday evening?"

She giggles, fondly reminiscing on it. "...absolutely...w-which did you prefer, though? Dinner or our walk through the park?" As always, her journal and a quill float in front of her, ready to take notes on what he says.

"Both have their merits I suppose." He answers. "The walk has that sort of relaxed feeling as you observe the beauty of your surroundings, usually making a comparison to your company, it also has the tendency to clear one's head. The dinner of course, is relaxed in it's own way in that you don't move much and you receive sustenance. It allows a greater chance to focus on your company. I don't know if I could pick between them, I've never been that good at picking favorites."

She nods as she finishes writing, smiling a bit. "...I'm glad to hear that...and I agree on each of your points..." Except the food part. I get that all the time when I'm with you. She glances at her notes before her eyes drift to her pen, a thought occurring to her. ...I've been able to stun him with a touch, but...have I ever tickled him?

She smiles as plans come to her mind but, before she can act on them, she sees they're on a path she doesn't remember. "...where are we?"

He motions ahead. "Almost there, would be a correct answer. This is the split in the path that leads to her house. The other way leads to the Everfree, not someplace I really wish to go."

"Really?" She looks down the second path, curious. "Why would you say that is?" Why does it give me a familiar feeling? Maybe I should investigate it later...

He speaks in a light tone. "Oh you know, a canopy that makes it dark, the dense, easy-to-get-lost-in forest, the dangerous creatures, and of course the dangerous plants. You never know what you can find in there, but I've rarely heard of it ever being good." His tone dropped from light to serious as he spoke.

"Sounds like fun." She rolls her eyes, playfully smiling at him. "Too bad we have other plans, huh?" She heads down the safer of the two routes, whistling a jaunty tune to herself. ...I have no idea where this came from, but it's extremely catchy. Darn you, memory!

After about a minute of her whistling, an almost echoe-like version of it can be heard. A small feathered form swoops down, revealing itself to be a small red bird, whistling a response to her.

Rhino looks on in amusement. "I had heard she has a trained bird chorus, this must be one of them."

Gel smiles, shaking her head softly. "...I'm already learning more about her...and I haven't even met her, yet..." This seems to be quite promising. I wonder if I can somehow become this pony's friend? That would help out a lot... She glances over at the stallion, a wave of guilt hitting her. "...s-so...definitely in the right place, then?"

He nods. "Nopony else lives this far out. Well, aside from the Apples, but they don't count since their farm is part of the town." Animal activity becomes noticeable as more birds are seen flying and little ground creatures come out as well. "We must be getting close."

She nods, stepping closer to him as they pass by a sleeping bear. ...you can't tell me she also takes care of that...it's easily twice the size of him!

She blinks, feeling a pair of hostile eyes on her. She looks down, seeing a white rabbit apparently scowling at her. "...um...h-hi?"

The rabbit just stares at her and Rhino. He looks between the two of them before holding two fingers to his eyes, swiveling his paw to where the digits are pointing at the ponies, then swiveling it back to point at his eyes again. He then quickly hops off, his message delivered.

Rhino blinks at the odd display. "I feel like we just met the gatekeeper or something..." He shakes his head as they round a bend and finally see the house.

It looks like something straight out of the landscape, an almost grass-like roof to it. Bird houses adorn almost every tree, and burrows can be seen in the hills. There is an almost constant buzz of sound from the various critters running around and making their various noises.

Gel can only stare in stunned silence for a few moments. "...she really loves animals, doesn't she?" She giggles quietly, slowly approaching the house so she can take in her surroundings. She sees a couple chestnut-colored chipmunks chase each other up and down trees, smiling softly at the sight. ...aww...how cute is that?

"So it seems..." He looks around, smiling as well as he observes all the creatures. "Shall we see if she's home?" He gestures to the door.

She nods, finally reaching the door and knocking on it. I wonder what she's like...all I can remember is her modeling period and how she shied away from fighting during the invasion...

A barely perceptible 'coming' is heard as they wait. The sound of clicking locks comes from the other side of the door before it cracks open and one aqua eye peers out. The voice belonging to it is soft and quiet. "Umm, yes? Can I help you?

Gel nods, giving her best polite smile. "Hi, there. My name is Angelic Grace, and this is Rhino. We were interested in possibly...getting a pet?" She silently curses, upset that she couldn't keep her sociable tone up. Always with the nervousness...

As if those were the magic words, the door snaps open, revealing a butter yellow pegasus witha pink mane and tail almost exactly like Gel's blond variant. "Oh, how wonderful, I'm sure I'll be able to find something just perfect for you! Here follow me to the back and we'll start finding you a match!" She comes out, shutting the door behind her, and quickly flutters around the side of the house towards the back yard.

The white unicorn blinks in confusion but follows her. This is supposed to be a shy pony? She glances at Rhino, wondering what he thinks about this.

He shrugs. "She likes what she does, I guess."

She slowly nods before turning to the other mare. "...so...what kinds of animals do you have, Miss Fluttershy?" ...why do I have a bad feeling about that question?

The pegasus mare answers happily. "Anything and everything you could possibly want." She seems to be humming a song under her breath. "Now, did you have any ideas for what you wanted?" She stops dead in her tracks momentarily as she hides behind her mane, her voice becoming very quiet. "Umm, that is, if you don't mind answering that of course..."

Gel taps a hoof against her chin, thinking for a bit. "...do you...have a cute, fluffy one? Preferably young?" She recalls the sleeping mountain of fur in front of the house. Maybe a normal pet. I don't think I could handle raising a bear...

She smiles softly, keeping her thoughts hidden for now as she turns to Rhino, playfully bumping his side. "...what kind of pet do you have in mind, l-" She cuts herself off, blushing brightly. ...d-does he want her to know about that? I-I didn't bother to ask...

He doesn't say anything for a moment as he gently pets a small brown bunny that had come up to him. It scurries of after a moment and he replies. "This is your pet, it should be exactly how you want it." His ears flick as the sound of Fluttershy's quiet humming approaches.

She is practically bouncing in the air as she comes over, a small group of animals following her around. "You'd be surprised what fluffy things you can find." She motions and two of them come forward. "This otter has some of the softest fur I've ever seen on one, the same goes for this ferret."

Gel lowers herself onto her belly, smiling softly at the two creatures. "...they're both cute, I'll admit..." She glances at the other animals, pausing when she notices one of them apparently uninterested in what's going on. She looks up at the pegasus as she nods her head towards the silver-gray animal, confused. "...may I ask about that one?"

Fluttershy turns around and sees the critter in question. "Oh, she's actually a Russian Blue kitten." She picks up the feline and sets her down gently in the grass in front of the couple. "What do you think?"

Gel and the kitten stare into each others' eyes for a few moments. The cat steps forward, rubbing her body against the unicorn's hoof as she purrs contentedly.

The mare smiles, enjoying the show of affection. "...I think I'll take her..." She glances over at her coltfriend, wondering what he thinks. She pauses, blinking in surprise at the scene unfolding in front of her.

The green stallion has garnered the attention of quite a few creatures. As he lays down on the grass, two puppies a snuggled up against him while he strokes what appears to be their mother with a hoof. A few bunnies are chasing each other around his form, while a solitary bluebird perches on his horn. Finally, a few more animals watch on as a black squirrel is running up and down his back. Throughout the entirety of this activity, the stallion simply smiles the smile of a content pony, enjoying the moment.

She giggles, finding the scene unbelievably cute. Even so, her mind is trying to analyze it at the same time. ...that's great, and all, but which of them is the one for him? She turns to Fluttershy, smiling kindly. "...I think he made some friends, too..." She slowly starts to approach the group, stopping a yard or two away to make sure she didn't disturb them. ...maybe I should let him stay like that...he seems to enjoy having animals around him...

The pegasus approaches and stands beside her. She observes the scene with a slight giggle, her shyness coming out again. "Oh my... they do seem to be enjoying themselves... Should I tell them to leave him alone?" She looks again at the scene. "He certainly is good with them... gentle..."

"...he is gentle...he wouldn't have his job if he wasn't..." She lowers herself onto her belly once more, simply watching them with a small smile. She feels a pressure appear on her back and turns to see the kitten curled up in a ball. Her heart simply melts at this. ...yeah...definitely a keeper... She turns back to the other unicorn, blinking at a movement behind him. ...what was that?

Suddenly, a small silver fox leaps into the fray, startling the bird and bunnies away. He starts darting around the puppies, yipping at them, hoping to get a response. As the puppies start barking at it in response, their mom apparently doesn't approve of this situation and picks both of them up by the scruff of their necks before walking off. The little fox seems undeterred as it then rushes up to the stallion, rubbing itself on the underside of his chin before darting away.

A small rustle of movement is seen in Rhino's mane as the small head of the squirrel pokes out, the only creature left. The stallion looks upward at it. "You alright up there little buddy?" The squirrel seems to nod as it slowly climbs down onto the ground next to him, looking as the fox runs off. Rhino pets the small creature with a hoof almost by reflex.

...well. That makes things easier. Gel turns to the pegasus, smiling softly. "...I think we'll take that cutie there, too..." She stands up, making sure the feline on her back wouldn't fall, and moves towards Rhino, gently nuzzling his cheek. "...is that alright with you?"

He nuzzles her back before looking down at the little creature. Upon closer inspection, one can see that it is in fact, a flying squirrel, and that it is solid black except for white black lines going from the tips of his ears to the end of his nose, forming an arrow on his face. The little squirrel looks up at him with hopeful eyes. Rhino's heart melts as he scoops the critter up in a hoof. "Mine."

Fluttershy practically beams at the prospect of getting a home for two of her animals. "Oh, how wonderful! I'm so glad you each found a friend!"

So am I. She turns to the other mare, tilting her head to one side. ...does it cost anything? I think I remember hearing that it does in larger towns... "...so...d-do we owe you anything, Miss Fluttershy?" I'm certain I can pay her, if we need to.

The pegasus shakes her head rapidly. "Oh no no no, I could never ask ponies to pay for my friends, I just want them to have good homes." She looks as if she just remembered something. "Speaking of which..." she flies off and returns with two bags. "Here's some food for each of them to get you started."

She takes the bags in her magic aura, smiling softly. "...thank you..." She blushes softly, unsure of what else to say. Turning to Rhino, she gives him a nervous look, hoping he would be able to say what she couldn't.

The squirrel climbs up and onto Rhino's head as he stands. The stallion gives Fluttershy a smile. "Well, I guess we have a pet supply store to get to now, thank you very much Miss Fluttershy."

She nods. "Y-you're welcome." She addresses the two critters. "Have fun you two."

Gel smiles softly, giving a small nod of her head as they turn to leave. "Pleasure meeting you." On instinct, her tail entwines with Rhino's. I suppose this can't be an early birthday present...it'd be mean for the little guy to think of himself like that...

They head back down the path in almost complete silence. She looks up at him, smiling softly. "...if I may ask, what are you planning on naming your new friend?"

He looks upwards at his passenger. "Hmm..." He mumbles a bit, shaking his head every so often before finally nodding. "I think I'll call him... Specter." The newly named pet makes a series of rodent noises that sound like an agreement.

The unicorn giggles, gently nuzzling his neck. "I think that's a great name." She glances back at the kitten on her back, thinking a bit. "...I'll call her...Selena..." She hears purring, smiling a bit more. "...I'm going to assume that she likes it..."

Suddenly, Specter starts chattering away. Rhino looks upward to see him pointing behind them. The stallion turns and sees the same little silver fox from the cottage following them on the road. As the kit gets to them, he runs in between both ponies' legs happily.

Rhino chuckles as he leans down to the silver critter. "Now now, little one, you really shouldn't wander off from home like that."

Gel blinks, unsure what to make of this. Selena cracks open an eye for a moment before closing it disinterestedly. The mare reaches out a hoof, gently stroking the kit's back. "...should we...return him, Rhino?"

"It's the responsible thing to do." He levitates the kit onto his back. "Come along, you." They quickly make their way back to Fluttershy's, finding her still in her backyard. Rhino walks over to her. "Sorry for the unexpected return, but this little one decided to follow us."

The pegasus takes the fox from his back. "Oh, thank you, I would have been so worried when I couldn't find him."

The stallion nods and leans down to the kit. "You be good now, okay?" The two ponies make their way back around the house. Before they can get 10 steps from the front door, the sound of tiny steps and wingbeats approach them quickly from behind, revealing the silver fox chasing after them with Fluttershy in pursuit of it.

The white unicorn can only stare in surprise at this. ...that little kit is really persistent, isn't he? She smiles softly at the fox, lowering herself onto her belly to be at a more even level with him. "...hello again, little one..."

The kit reaches her and touches his nose to her own, making a light purring sound. He then goes over to Rhino, who had leaned down as well, and rears up onto his hind legs, setting his front paws on Rhino's nose and looking him in the eyes.

Gel thinks for a bit, looking up at the other unicorn. "...Rhino...I think he wants to come with us..." ...I really hope that's the case...he's such a cutie, and who's to say our family can't have another member?

"I'm getting that vibe..." The kit continues to stare into the stallion's eyes. "Please stop giving me that look, you're killing my heart by making me feel guilty..." More staring. "Help..."

She taps the fox, giggling quietly. Here goes nothing. "...would you stop staring if we...took you home with us?"

The kit lets out a little yipping sound as Fluttershy looks on. "Oh my, you really would be willing to take him too?"

Rhino gives her an amused look as the kit climbs over his face and onto his back, lightly pushing the squirrel out of the way. "I don't really have a choice, he guilted and cuted me into it."

Gel beams, clapping her forehooves together. "This is great!" She turns to the pegasus, tilting her head to one side. "I don't suppose you have some more food for him, do you?"

She nods. "Being an omnivore, he has a few options, but he does seem fond of berries..." She flutters away and comes back with another sack. "There's also some grains, and a fish for when he's good." She gives the fox a motherly look. "You behave yourself mister."

The white mare takes the bag, nodding appreciatively to Fluttershy. "Thank you, again. I hope you have a nice day." She turns to leave, heading along the path with all three bags in her magical aura, as well as her journal and quill, jotting everything down.

Rhino bids farewell to the happy animal caretaker as well, catching up the Gel quickly. "So... we came away from that with way more than I thought we would..."

"I suppose we did..." She giggles, playfully bumping his side with her flank. "On the bright side, we have three new members of our family!" She hums quietly to herself, a bouncy little tune she'd heard once before.

He chuckles. "Heh, that we do... Now for the next step of heading to the pet supply store and dropping plenty of bits on things for Specter, Selena, and... Mercury."

She blinks, thinking about this name for a bit. "...Mercury..." She smiles softly, nodding a bit. "...sounds like a perfect name for him..." She turns to the fox, gently nuzzling his little head. "Do you like that name, little one?"

The silver vulpine purrs in response.

Rhino stays silent for a moment before commenting. "You know, you and Fluttershy were very similar in some regards."

Gel stops in her tracks, staring at him in confusion. "...what do you mean?"

"Well, for one, your manes and tails were the same style" He begins. "Second, you both are shy and slightly awkward in social situations. Plus there's the fact that both of you tend to forget that shyness for a time when you talk about or do something that you really enjoy."

Gel thinks about this for a bit, curious. ...I suppose that's true...but why is that? Is it just a coincidence? She continues walking, thoughts running through her mind too fast for her to keep track of. "...I never thought about that...I guess some ponies are similar in ways that can't be explained..." She nervously giggles, hoping that the subject would be dropped. My head's starting to hurt...

He nods. "Just an entertaining coincidence. Now..." He looks back to the three passengers. "How are we going to set you little ones up at the house..."

Chapter 22: The Pets

Gel slowly wakes up, her nose twitching as something brushes against it. She raises a hoof to brush it away, frowning deeply. Corporal, if you're trying to prank me, again, I will tan your hide... She doesn't get a response back, piquing her interest enough for her to open her eyes.

All she can see is silver.

She blinks in confusion, trying to understand what's going on. ...did I get new sheets? She strokes the object, feeling it under her hoof. ...no...it's too warm for that...and fluffy...what's going on?

The silver object lets out a purr to the touch. A pair of orange eyes attached to a vulpine face turn sleepily to her before they close again. A small pink tongue sticking out of the muzzle.

...too cute... She coos softly, happily nuzzling the creature in front of her. ...how did you get here, little one? She pulls her journal off the nightstand and skims it, blinking in surprise. ...three pets? I suppose this one's really cute...but where are the other two?

A purr from behind her answers half of her question. Turning her head as far as she can to look behind her, she sees a small ball of gray-blue fur. ...aww...that must be Selena...now all that's missing is Specter... She looks over to Rhino, giggling a bit. ...maybe I should wake him now... She reaches forward, gently shaking him with a hoof so she doesn't squeeze the fox between them.

The shaking doesn't wake the stallion, but his mane moves on its own. After a moment, a piece of it separates, revealing itself to be the squirrel in question. He peers at the mare with his small golden eyes as if to say, 'Why did you wake me up?'

She sheepishly smiles, her hoof still on the other pony's shoulder. "...s-sorry, Specter...I-I was trying to get Rhino up...h-he has work today, after all..." She moves a lock of her mane behind her ear, embarrassed. "...s-so...d-did you sleep well?"

The squirrel sleepily nods. He looks down at the stallion a moment before crawling over onto Gel near the other sleeping balls of fur. He curls up next to her, flicking his bushy tail over himself.

She blinks, feeling the emotions from the animals. ...I didn't know they gave love, too...of course, I don't think I ever had a pet, before... She sighs softly, letting her eyes drift closed for a moment before a thought occurs to her. ...how do I get them off without upsetting them?

The answer comes from above, literally. The light of Celestia's sun, taking advantage of the unclosed curtains, shines a pure beam over the five forms in the bed. Gel, being turned on her side away from it, doesn't get the full force, but Rhino does. He shifts on the bed, letting out a small groan and throwing a hoof up to block the light. The movement proves to be enough to stir the pets into a semi-awake state as they each partially raise their heads.

The mare sighs in relief, carefully moving around the kit between them to kiss Rhino on the cheek. "...morning, love...have any pleasant dreams?" I hope they don't do this every night. Otherwise, it'd be hard to have any fun with him...

He rubs his eyes with a hoof as he answers. "You know, you always ask me what I dreamed about. I think I'll turn the question to you today. How were your dreams?"

"...well, I'm a lucid dreamer..." She blushes brightly, averting her eyes. "...s-so I...chose to dream about us, last night..."

He chuckles. "Sounds fun. I've heard about lucid dreamers, but never actually met one..." He yawns. "I might have to ask you about that sometime when I not laying here about to keel over." He slides out of the bed and onto shaky hooves, taking in the scene of the mare and pets. "Awww..."

Gel playfully rolls her eyes. "...yes, it's cute...but I kinda have things to do, today..." She holds out a hoof to him, giving him a small smile. "...care to help a mare out of bed?"

He smiles softly at her as he gently levitates all the pets off her and onto the bed itself. Once he has them off, he grabs her hoof and pulls her out of bed. By the time this is done, all the pets are fully awake and walking towards the edge of the bed closest to the ponies. The stallion chuckles as he leans down to nuzzle each of them, even if Selena pretended she didn't want it.

She giggles at this, leaning down to do the same, nuzzling Rhino immediately afterwards. "...you really do have a way with them, don't you?" She tilts her head, raising a hoof to her chin. "...when do you suppose they'll get to see you at work?"

As she's distracted, the kitten decides to leap onto her back. As soon as she's there, she curls up into a ball and falls back asleep.

He looks at her curiously. "Why would the pets need to see me at work? I'm not against it, I'm just curious as to your reasoning."

She facehoofs, realizing how indirect her words were. ...I really don't want to worry the pets...I hear some animals have a fear of his kind of workplace... She slowly lowers her hoof, giving him her best blank look. "...you tell me, Doctor...isn't it normal for a newly-acquired pet to visit you?"

It dawns on him. "Oh, that's what you mean. Well, I suppose I could bring them in today if I wanted. It's really just a checkup with maybe the first of a few boosters. What do you think?"

"That sounds good. Like I said, I need to take care of a few things before I go to work." Mostly minor stuff around the house, but I digress. She glances around, trying to see if she forgot anything. ...oh, yeah. I should probably get something for his birthday...what would he like, though?

He nods before leaning down to the furry trio. "Alright then little ones, let me get cleaned up and then you'll be coming to work with me today." He looks over to Gel. "Would you mind putting some of the toys we got them in my saddlebags while I'm in the shower? Also a bit of each of their foods, we have to make sure they get the nutrition to keep growing."

"I'll be sure to do that." She carefully sets Selena on the ground before turning to gather the toys. ...let's see...what all did we get them, again?

A tug on her tail causes her to jolt in surprise. Turning to look, she sees the kitten batting at her tail and jumping on it. ...aww...I'd put that toy in Rhino's bag, but I kind of need that... She giggles at her own joke before putting the toys she figured they'd enjoy the most into the bags.

Mercury decides that since everypony is busy, it's time for breakfast. So he scampers off towards the stairs in his little silvery streak. Specter watches this before simply gliding down and landing on the saddlebags, burrowing a little into them as he peeks to see what's inside.

She smiles at him, shaking her head a bit. "...curious one, isn't he?" She grabs a bit of each of their pet food, putting them in separate bags and marking them with their names. Okay, so Specter has the herbivore mix, Selena has the carnivore mix and Mercury has the omnivore mix...which is pretty much the herbivore and carnivore mix mixed together... She smirks, putting the smaller bags into the other saddlebag. ...this reminds me of a logic puzzle...always love to do those...

Eventually, Specter too, goes downstairs to get breakfast. Selena has the idea as well, but she decides on a different approach. She lightly paws at Gel's legs meowing cutely.

She leans down to her, cooing softly. "...would you like me to get you some food?" She happily nuzzles the kitten, enjoying the affection coming from her.

The blueish-grey kitten simply meows in response. She does her best adorable face, which at this point in her life is pretty darn effective.

Gel giggles, lifting the cute cat onto her back. "Let's go get your food, hmm?" She heads downstairs, humming a slow, graceful tune even as the lyrics play in her head. This day is going to be perfect... She pauses at the foot of the stairs, confused. ...where did that song come from?

Another meow sounds from her passenger. Accompanying that is the subtle dual sounds of rustling food from the other two small eaters in the house.

She sheepishly smiles, heading into the kitchen to get her food. She consults the journal for a moment, frowning slightly. ...okay, so her food is in the pantry... She opens the cupboard, pulling out a scoop and getting some of the food. ...and the silver bowl is hers... She looks at the three bowls, seeing that one of them was a lot fancier than the others. ...she apparently requested that while we were purchasing their items...huh... She pours the food into the fancy bowl, smiling softly. "...there you go, Selena...please enjoy..."

She lets out a single pleased meow before gracefully dismounting and starting to daintily eat her food. Contrastly, Mercury is going all out to scarf down his food, and Specter is sitting up and holding each piece in his paws while he eats it. All three tiny critters look content as they munch away.

Gel lays down and watches them, smiling softly. "...you're all so interesting in your own ways..." She sighs, resting her head on her forehooves. ...I wish I could converse with them...

After a few more minutes, Rhino comes down the stairs, smiling at the three little ones just finishing up their meals. He remarks to Gel. "You know... I think we're going to do just fine raising them."

She looks up at him, nodding a bit. "...so do I..." She moves over to him and gently nuzzles his cheek. "...you'll make sure they get what they need, right, love?"

"Of course." He nuzzles her back before turning to the pets. "Alright little ones, I'm gonna go ahead and grab some breakfast myself before we head out. Go ahead and say goodbye to Mom while I'm doing that."

She blushes brightly, a wisp of steam coming off her head. ...Mom? She shakes her head, trying to dispel her embarrassment. "...I'll see you all later, alright?" She strokes each of them with a hoof, smiling kindly at them.

They all crowd around her, rubbing on her with affection. They each make their various noises as they look up at her with their eyes.

She blinks, starting to feel woozy. ...wow...t-that's a lot of affection...I-I should head out... "...um...I-I'll be right back...see you later..." She trots out of the kitchen and leaves the house, her head still swimming a bit. ...first stop...nausea medicine...second...a gift for Rhino's birthday...here I go! She heads down the street, a bright grin on her face. This should be the best present he's ever gotten!

Rhino chuckles. "From never having a pet to having three, I guess it can be a bit overwhelming..." He chomps down the last few bites of his breakfast. "Alright fuzzies," he kneels down, "load up." The three climb onto him, Specter taking his spot on the head, Mercury in center back, and Selena above the cutie marks. The stallion carefully settles his saddlebags on and leaves the house himself, locking it behind him. "And away we go."

***

Gel frowns, raising first one earring then another, trying to figure out which to wear. "What do you think?" She turns to the silver fox, tilting her head to one side. "Would he like the diamond studs better, or the gold hoops?"

Mercury swishes his tail as he looks between the two. After a moment, he noses towards the diamond stud, giving the gold hoops a small growl.

The mare smiles, leaning down and happily nuzzling him. "Thank you, my little kit." She turns back to the mirror, putting the smaller pair in her ears. "...dear Luna, I'm so nervous...I hope the restaurant is fancy enough..." She puts on her frameless glasses as she smooths out her blue sundress. She does a little spin, giggling at how the dress billows behind her before a thought occurs to her. "...I'm not overdressed, am I?"

The kit rolls his eyes as he walks up to her and rubs her leg to reassure her. After about a minute of this he goes behind her and starts nudging her towards the door out of her room.

She blushes brightly, embarrassed. "R-right, I should see how Rhino's doing." She steps into the hall and up to his door, hesitating for just a moment before quietly knocking. ...I wonder how he looks, right now...

Rhino looks up from where he had been finishing buttoning up his deep red shirt. "One second." He looks over to the bed where Selene is sitting next to a red and black striped tie. He levitates it over and starts trying to tie it correctly, unfortunately, being out of practice, this goes less than stellar. "Umm, go ahead and come in, I'm just finishing up."

Gel enters, blinking in surprise at his outfit. "...w-wow...y-you look...really handsome..." She sheepishly smiles, stepping forward and taking his tie in her magic. "...l-let me fix that for you..." Thank goodness I've had practice with this before...

He smiles sheepishly at her. "Thanks Angel, I've never been really good with these." He looks her over. "You look beautiful by the way."

She blushes brightly at this, smiling kindly. "...t-thank you, love..." She finishes with his tie, nodding satisfactorily. "...that should do it..." She leans forward and tenderly kisses him, giggling a bit.

He chuckles as well. "Excellent, now I can finish getting ready." He floats over a suit jacket and slips it on, buttoning the two buttons at the bottom. "And the final piece..." A black fedora with red ribbon around the base of the dome slides towards him on the bed. The brim lifts to reveal Specter underneath it, offering it to him. "Thanks Specs." Rhino dons his hat then turns back to the mare. "How do I look?"

She stares in stunned silence, a wisp of steam forming from the top of her head. "...a-amazing..." She coughs, shyly averting her gaze. "...w-we might want to leave, soon...I-I think the reservation's at eight..."

He nods. "Alright..." He looks hesitantly at the gathered pets. "Are you sure they'll be alright while we're gone?"

"I'm absolutely sure, love." She gently nuzzles his cheek. "We need to trust them. Besides..." She leans close, whispering in his ear. "...I think Specter might keep them in line..." She turns to leave, brushing her tail against his chin playfully. "...let's go, Rhino..." She waves to the two on the bed. "See you later, little ones."

She turns to the doorway, seeing the silver fox in the middle of the hallway. She smiles kindly, leaning down to nuzzle him. "You, too, Mercury."

He purrs as she nuzzles him, going into the room and climbing up to Rhino's bed with the others after. The stallion looks at the little critters a moment before leaning down and wrapping all of them in a hug. "You guys be good and be safe while we're gone." He turns and follows Gel.

Once the owners are out the door, all the young pets look at each other. Mercury flips over onto his back and idly paws at the air. 'Well, I'm bored, anything you two had in mind to do before I go crazy and just start doing whatever pops into my head?'

Selena rolls her eyes, curling up into a ball. '...as irresponsible as always, I see...' She flicks her tail over her nose, uninterested in the kit's words.

The fox flips over and crawl over to her. 'Come on, Selly, haven't you ever wanted to be a little wild? You can't be refined all the time.'

Specter interjects. 'There is such a thing as too wild you know.'

Mercury scoffs. 'Yeah and then there's you, I'm not sure you have any wildness in you.'

The kitten opens one eye, looking at the two of them with mild annoyance. 'Can you two keep it down? I'm trying to catch up on my beauty sleep.'

Specter winces. 'Sorry Selena, I'll try to keep him quiet.'

The kit scoffs. 'Good luck with that. I'm grabbing Bubbles and we're going exploring.' He jumps off the bed and goes through the toys until he comes up with a squeaky rubber fish. He turns and squeaks it derisively at them before walking out of the room, head held high.'

She stares after him before turning to the squirrel, bemused. 'Where, exactly, does he plan on exploring?'

His nose twitches. 'Well, we've only been here a day, no way we've seen everything. Though... I hope he doesn't mean to go out into the backyard, Rhino would have a fit.'

Selena sighs, uncurling herself. 'Agreed.' She stretches momentarily before gracefully leaping onto the floor. She looks up at him, a weary tone in her voice. 'I suppose we'll have to see what he's up to.'

The sudden sound of a rattling cabinet from what sounds like the downstairs bathroom makes the squirrel nod. 'Agreed, and quickly.'

The two make their way downstairs, Specter simply gliding down while Selena has to take the stairs. They reach the bathroom door which is being held open by the fish toy to keep it from shutting. A shuffling sound can be heard from inside.

The kitten enters the bathroom, sliding for a moment before righting herself. She carefully approaches the cabinet, hearing the noise coming from it. She sits outside it, tail twitching slightly. 'We know you're in there, Mercury. Now be a dear and come out, hmm?'

The cabinet cracks open, revealing a pink nose with the rest of the face covered in a fluffy white towel. 'I am the towel ghost! Beware!'

Specter snickers but still manages to get a comment in. 'I think if anyone has the right to be a ghost around here, it's me.'

Selena groans, holding a paw over her eyes. 'Why must you disorganize their linens?'

'Oh lighten up, kitty.' A balled up washcloth comes soaring out of the cabinet, bonking the kitten on the head before unfolding and draping over it. 'I wonder what else is in here...'

'If you keep that up, darling, then you'll be finding trouble.' She pulls the cloth off herself, frowning at the fox. She doesn't realize that her fur has become filled with static electricity. 'I implore you, please leave their towels alone.'

'Never! The realm of the great Silver Lord shall never be conquered!' He peeks his head out. 'Though visiting princesses are welcome.' Specter is unable to speak at this due to trying to hold in his laughter.

The kitten brushes her fur back into place, her head down to hide a small smile. 'I'm glad we both agree on one thing.' She paws at his nose, smirking coyly. 'You are coming out, though, one way or another.' She purrs, turning and sauntering towards the bathroom door. 'A princess always gets her way.'

The squirrel looks at the kit. 'I think she has something planned for you, and I am both curious and afraid to find out what it is.' He climbs up to one of the towels hanging off the rack on the wall. 'I'll watch from way up here, in the safety of the sky towel fortress.'

Selena puts a paw on the fish, eyes narrowed. 'I wonder how Mom and Dad would react to finding you in here, and their towels all messed up?' She raises the paw, licking it as she watches the fox disinterestedly.

Mercury looks away. 'I'd just employ your strategy and pass off everything I do as cute so that they don't have the heart to so anything but coo over me.'

Selena frowns at this, realizing that she was losing the debate. 'Touche.' She turns to leave, nose turned up in distaste. 'Fine. Have your petty victory.' She glances over at the kit, a twinkle in her eye. 'I'm still their precious princess.' She exits the bathroom, heading up the stairs.

The kit looks at the spot where the feline just was, a smile slowly forming on his face. Specter shudders at this. 'I don't like what i see in that look of yours...'

A vulpine face turns to him. 'Good, then you'll agree when I say that you should probably go get an alibi so she doesn't think you were in on what I'm about to do.'

The squirrel's ear twitches. 'Is that my blanket calling? I'd better go check on it, bye!' He scampers off quickly, at first just running to a different part of the house, but turning back and heading to the room he knew Selena would be in just so he can make sure things don't get out of hand.

The fox gathers up the biggest towel he can find and starts quietly creeping up the stairs with it folded on his back. Peeking into one of the bedrooms, he sees Selena curled up and trying to sleep. Stealthily, he creeps up to just below her, flipping over on his back and setting the towel on his feet. With a sudden push, he launches it into the air, where it unfolds like a canvas and quickly envelopes the feline.

For a moment, there is no response. Slowly, building like a snowball rolling down a snowy hill, a growl comes from under the towel. She leaps off the pony-sized bed, landing on top of the fox and pinning him, the large cloth easily covering his form. 'I may not be one for fighting, but I can handle myself when I need to.'

She daintily steps off, heading over to her fancy pet bed. 'Next time, dear, don't mess with a lady.' She curls up on her purple silk cushion, enjoying the shade of her gazebo.

Specter decides to use this moment as he glides down and lands on top of the covered form. He puts one knee up in a victorious pose. 'The Silver Lord is conquered, crushed by the wall of his own fortress! Now begins the reign of the Black Knight!'

A voice comes from under the towel. 'The Silver Lord shall rise again!'

The squirrel brings over the fox's blankets and piles it on top of him. 'Not today he won't.'

Selena opens an eye, looking at the two of them. 'Unless you both want the wrath of the Gray Princess on you, you'll be quiet while she naps.'

A loud squeak from underneath the pile of cloth causes Specter to look under it in curiosity. Mercury puts on an innocent face as he points to the squeaky fish next to him. 'Don't look at me, it was Bubbles.'

Soon enough, the front door opens, the couple returning from their date. Gel frowns slightly, sitting down in the hallway. "...well...that was...unexpected..."

The stallion nods. "Yes... I don't think I could have ever seen that coming... I'll admit I'm a bit conflicted as to whether we should go back or not."

She shrugs, giggling a bit. "Well, at least we got a free dessert out of it." She steps further into the house, starting to take off her earrings. "I would go back for more of that gelato, but that's about it."

"Fair point." Rhino unties his tie and unbuttons his jacket. "I'm about worried about how the little ones faired." He starts up the stairs.

"I'm sure they're just fine." Even so, she follows him, nudging open the door to their bedroom.

Selena steps through the gap, looking up at them and mewing happily.

Rhino sits down and brings the kitten into a hug. "There's my little girl. Where are the two other rascals at?"

The bluish-gray kitten points into the room, indicating the white towel in the middle of the room, which is currently draped over something.

He walks in, grabbing one end of the towel in his magic and lifting up. He smiles when it reveals the two male pets lightly dozing, the fox using his fish toy as a pillow. "Awww..." He motions Gel over so she can see.

She walks over, putting a hoof to her chest. "...aww...that's so cute..." She blinks, looking at the towel in confusion. "...isn't this one of your beach towels, love?"

He takes another look. "Huh, so it is. I guess they got into the towel cabinet..." He chuckles. "I guess they had their own fun while we were gone."

She giggles, quietly leaning against his side. "...it sure seems so..." She sits quietly for a moment before looking up at him, blushing a bit. "...have you ever...wondered what they think?"

He nods. "I've always been one to say that pets are smarter than we give them credit for. But they seem content with their lot in life, so I don't think we need to treat them any differently than we already do."

Gel quietly nods, looking down at the kitten currently weaving between her legs. "...I suppose you're right..." She yawns softly, starting to take her dress off. "...I think it'd be best for us to go to sleep, soon..." She playfully pokes his shoulder, smirking a bit. "And you should join me...no fun tonight, though." She places her glasses and earrings on her nightstand, hanging up her dress and pulling out a set of socks.

"I find that ironic as you just start stripping in front of me in my room." He shakes his head as he starts taking off his own formal wear. "Besides, the little ones are present, no way I'd let us do things like that while they're watching."

She rolls her eyes, slipping the socks on and sliding into bed. "I wouldn't do that, even if I was in heat." She smiles as Selena leaps onto the bed and curls up in the center of the mattress, up against Gel's belly. "...it seems our little princess just swiped Mercury's spot..."

He chuckles as he sets the other two pets on the end of the bed, where they begin to stir. "I'm sure they'll find their own spots." As he settles into the bed as well, Specter climbs up onto one of the pillows, draping himself over Rhino's head. Mercury makes his way up and curls himself into the crook of the stallion's foreleg. "See? Everyone's comfy."

She giggles, leaning forward and tenderly kissing him. "...good night, love...good night, little ones..." She closes her eyes, sighing softly as she lets herself drift off to sleep.

Chapter 23: Reveal

Gel enters the house, groaning softly. ...I can't believe how many ponies showed up at the cafe today...I swear that I even saw a gryphon... She takes off her headpiece, sighing quietly as she moves over to the couch. ...I just want to sleep until morning... She lays down, sighing softly as she closes her eyes.

A moment later, she feels a multitude of furry bodies pressed against her. Among these, is one set of hooves slowly running up and down her back as a gentle kiss is given to her forehead. "Rough day at work?"

...this is nice...so much love from my family... "...you have no idea, Rhino..." She smiles softly, opening up her eyes to look up at him. "...it's much better, now that you're all here with me..."

He nuzzles her. "Well, you know the little ones and I all love you very much."

She tenses momentarily, hearing his words. ...he loves me...but... She squirms a bit, averting her eyes. "...I-I know that...but what I want to know...is..." She blushes brightly, her words trailing off.

He leans inward. "What do you want to know?"

She wraps her foreleg around his head, pulling him close to kiss him tenderly. "...did you mean it...when you said you love me?" She looks up at him, her eyes wide in hope.

He stays quiet a moment, thinking. He soon look back up at her, his eyes resolute. "Yes... Yes I do..." He gives her quick kiss. "I love you, Angel." He gives her a beaming smile as his love for her, finally confident in itself, floods out like a tidal wave.

Gel stifles a gasp of shock, her eyes fluttering closed. ...s-so much love...I-I didn't expect this to happen... She shudders a bit, trying to keep herself under control. ...n-need to keep it together...

The pets scamper off her because of the shuddering. Meanwhile, Rhino leans down and nuzzles her with concern. "Are you alright, love?"

He's talking to you. Respond! She peeks open one eye, sheepishly smiling. "S-sorry, Rhino...m-must've been something I ate..." Almost too much of something.

Rhino's eyes slowly widen as he looks into her eye. Instead of her pony eye, there is now her changeling eye in its place. The stallion's eyes harden as his smile turns into a frown. His teeth begin to bare as the fur along the his spine stands straight up.

Gel, seeing his sudden change in demeanor, shies away from him, worried. "...R-Rhino? I-is something wrong?"

His horn lights up as a threatening growl rips from his throat. His aura envelopes her form, holding her in place. He asks simply, each word dripping with malice. "Where. Is. Angel."

Oh no... She gulps, trembling in fear. "W-what are you talking about? I-I'm right here..."

"LIAR!" Rearing up on his hindlegs, he throws her bodily into the wall on the other side of the room. He teleports next to where she impacted, lifting her up by her throat and leaving just enough pressure so she can speak as he pins her to the wall. "I know what you are changeling, even if you soil my love's memory by taking her form. You made the biggest mistake of your life by taking her away from me. Now avoid making the second biggest mistake and TELL ME WHAT YOU'VE DONE WITH HER!"

She whimpers, closing her eyes tightly. ...he knows...m-might as well tell him the truth... "...I-I am her...and...I-I am also a changeling...p-please, let me down...I-I need to take this off before I can show you..."

He snorts in disbelief, but lowers her down. "I'll let you down, but only so I can see you for what you are, instead of who you are trying to replace. If you try to run... I start snapping limbs." A brief spike of magical pressure occurs on each of her legs to emphasize his point.

She squeaks in fear, trembling slightly. "...I-I'm not replacing anypony..." She starts to remove her maid outfit, sadness weighing deeply on her heart.

He growls at her. "Stop trying to trick me. Get out of my marefriend's form. Unless you have proof to back anything up, you are simply an obstacle between me and getting her back. Not a wise place to be."

Gel sighs, bracing herself. Here goes nothing... A gentle blue flame appears at the tips of her hooves, slowly crawling up her body. As it goes, snow white fur turns into navy blue carapace. Eventually, the flame ends at the tip of her horn, leaving behind her true form. She brushes a lock of her mane behind her ear, unsure. "...w-what do you want me to do...to prove that I'm her?"

His eyes had widened at the blue flame magic. "Fine, if you insist on that story... I'll ask you questions, you answer them. When Angel and I first met, I ran into her cart. What broke?"

She stares at him, head tilted in confusion. "...what do you mean, Rhino? We first met in Canterlot...you just didn't...notice me..."

He hums in thought. “Ok...” He seems less hostile. “Which pony did I compare Angel to recently?”

She taps a hole-filled hoof against her chin. "...I believe that would be...Miss Fluttershy..."

Rhino regards her curiously. "Good... which pet did I bring to work with me?”

She appears to roll her eyes, a playful smile on her face. "All of them, of course. You're pretty much their doctor, after all, right?" She giggles, even though it comes out as a bright hum.

He nods, his face becoming neutral now. "What did Angel do on Saturday that made me worry about her?"

Gel flinches, a look of guilt crossing her face. "...I...forgot to tell you...t-that I was leaving for the spa..." She grimaces, turning her head away. "...s-sorry about that, again..."

You can almost see the anger draining out of him as he speaks. "Ok... last test question... what did I say I wanted, when you came back that day?"

She sniffles quietly, giving him a weak smile. "...y-you asked me...to just stay with you...s-something I was happy to do..." She turns away, sadness weighing heavily on her heart. "...but now...y-you found out the truth...y-you must hate me..." ...after all...who could ever love a changeling?

He stays silent for a full minute before responding, his voice quiet. "I think... I think I believe you when you say Angel was always you... and you were her... if that is the case... I have one important question..." He looks up at her, his eyes full of emotion, but it is difficult to tell which emotion it is. "How much was real... and how much was a lie?"

She refuses to look him in the eye, pawing at the ground with a hoof. "...t-the only thing I lied about...w-was my name...b-but even that held a grain of truth..."

His voice has a slight tremble to it. "So... everything we did together... everything we said... when you said you... loved... me... that was real?"

She nods, finally turning back to him, her eyes filled with tears. "...it was...it is..."

He groans as he slumps to the ground, legs spread eagle. His eyes go glassy for a minute as he reconciles his mind to this new information.

Gel watches him for a bit before sighing, her gaze falling to her hooves. "...I'll just...go..." She walks around him, feeling a pain in her chest. ...this must be...what heartbreak is like...

He turns his head towards her. "What's your name?"

She squeaks, not expecting him to say anything. "...G-Gel...m-my name is Gel..."

He lets out a chuckle. "I guess I did sort of know your name already... Well, Gel, why are you leaving?"

She blinks at this, confused. "...I-I thought...d-didn't you want me to leave?"

He shakes his head. "No, I never said that." He sits up, carefully looking over her form. "If what you've said is true... then... you're still the mare I fell in love with... you just... look different than I thought. Sort of like you took off your makeup."

She blushes profusely, her carapace tinting a brighter shade of blue. She smiles shyly, kissing him softly, her small fangs accidentally poking his lips for a moment. "...y-you have no idea...how much that means to me..."

He rubs his lips before smiling and laying his forehead against hers, their horns crossing. "I'm just glad I didn't lose you..."

She sighs softly, letting her eyes drift closed. "...so am I..." ...I was wrong, before...this is perfect...

Out in the hallway, a certain kitten pulls back from the doorway. She turns to the squirrel next to her, confused. '...did you see that coming? Because I sure didn't.'

Specter is just easing up from where he had flattened himself on the ground. 'She may look different, but that's still Mom, right? I'm just glad Dad isn't angry anymore... that was scary...'

Selena nods, idly rubbing a paw over her ear. 'I agree. Dad's really protective though, so we can't fault him for that.' She shakes her head, heading back up the stairs. 'Mom still smells the same, too. We'd better go tell the brave ruler there's nothing to worry about.'

The black squirrel follows. 'I do admire his talent in the art of fleeing.'

They reach the stallion's bedroom, looking for their sibling. His hiding place becomes obvious as his shaking blanket lies in a corner.

The feline rolls her eyes, approaching the quivering lump. 'There's no need to be hiding. Everything turned out fine.' She prods the blanket with a paw. 'Now come out.'

The blanket eases towards the door, but the kit makes no move to come out of it. 'I'll come down, but I'm not coming out!' He lightly bonks his head on the door frame before making it to the stairs and starting down them.

Selena shakes her head, a small smile on her face. 'It's a start.' She grabs a small ball and follows the fox, jingling with each step.

With Specter bringing up the rear, the three pets are soon back at the bottom of the stairs. Mercury has stood up and slid the blanket back so he is now wearing it like a hood so he can see. He watches as the pony and changeling simply smiles and lean on each other in the center of the room.

The bluish-gray kitten approaches the pair, dropping the ball at their hooves. She looks up at them, mewing for their attention.

Rhino looks down. "Oh, hey Selena." He crouches down to be on her level. "Are you and the others alright after that little misunderstanding?"

She rubs up against his cheek, purring happily.

Gel giggles, watching the scene in front of her. "I'd say they are..." She glances at the hooded pet, tilting her head to one side. "...mostly, anyways..."

She approaches the fox, laying down and tenderly nuzzling his head. "...are you alright, my little kit?"

The fox's nose sniffs rapidly at the changeling. After a moment, he rears and places his paws on her nose, nuzzling her head.

She coos softly at this, smiling brightly. "...that's my Mercury..."

***

Later that night, the unusual couple are laying together in their bed. The undisguised changeling gently strokes her love's cheek, smiling as he lies still, trying to fall asleep. ...he looks so peaceful...maybe it really was a good thing...him finding out the truth... She lays her horn across his, letting her eyes drift closed. ...good night, Rhino...

Gel finds herself in an open field. She looks up into the sky, watching as a few clouds lazily drift past.

She shakes her head, a tree sprouting out of the ground next to her for her to lean against. "...this is a nice dream...I have to wonder if all of them are like this..." She smacks the tree, catching the apple that fell with her hoof. "Might as well enjoy it, for now..."

As she enjoys the experience, a new large green mass pops up to next to her. At first glance, it appears to just be another large bush. After a moment, more details come into being, a mane and tail as well as a head starts to form while hooves form curled underneath it.

She blinks in surprise, watching this for a few moments. "...Rhino? Is that you?" I didn't imagine him, did I?

The stallion's ears twitch from the voice. He stretches as his eyes open to take in the world around him. "What the... where am I?"

"...um...y-you're in my dreamscape..." ...if my mind generated him, he wouldn't be asking where he is... She slowly approaches him, hesitantly nuzzling his neck.

His brow furrows. "Dreamscape? What is... How would I have..." He kneads a hoof against his forehead.

Gel stands quietly for a few seconds before piping up. "...I think I might know how..."

He gives her a pleading look. "Please share your theory before my brain looks too much into this and I go insane trying to figure it out."

"...w-well, it's really quite simple..." She sheepishly smiles, rubbing the back of her neck. "...I-I think I formed a...psychic link with you, somehow...I-I don't know why, exactly, but we're sharing a dream..." A flower grows between them and she plucks it, holding it out to him. "...lily?"

He takes a bite of the flower. "Does dream food count as brain food if it's all in our heads?" He swallows, chewing giving him time to come to terms with the situation. "So... we're in a dream... Well, Miss Lucid Dreamer, what should we do with this new opportunity?"

"...um...I-I dunno..." She looks down at her hooves before a pair of striped socks appear on them. "...w-what would you like to do?"

Rhino takes a long look at her. "Well, if you are willing to humor me, I would like to learn more about you."

"...I-I don't mind..." She sits down on the grass, patting a spot next to her. "...w-what do you want to know?"

"Everything." He lies next to her. "But, if what you say is correct, we won't just have tonight and it's not like I'm limited to only asking in dreams. I'll just go with a few questions tonight." He thinks a moment before his eyes settle on her again. He reaches out a hoof and begins toying with her mane. "It doesn't feel like hair... what are your manes made out of?"

She bites her lip, looking at a rose growing in front of her. "...i-it's...several strands of membrane...I-I'm one of the few that have it..." She sighs, resting her head on her hooves. "...it's, quite literally, an extension of my body..."

"Membrane? I guess that explains the holes in that Queen Changeling's mane and tail. Yours appears to be more like many thin strands instead of a few thick ones like hers. Can you do anything with it?" He continues running it through his hoof.

"...well..." She ensnares his hoof with her mane, smirking slightly. "...I can do this...grasp some things...but it's not really that strong..." She lets go, leaning against him just to feel his fur against her carapace.

He transfers his hoof from her mane to her shell, gently rubbing it. "Not actually what I meant, but good to know. I meant can you style it, given what it is?"

"...oh...no, I can't..." She sighs, shaking her head. "...tried once...cut one strand and couldn't continue...t-too much pain..."

"You know, you don't have to cut it to style it. Maybe I should help you with that some time..." He nuzzle her neck. "If you're willing of course."

"...s-sure...i-if you want to..." She blushes, poking at the rose with a cloth-covered hoof. "...I'd feel bad if I couldn't go out with it, though...n-not everypony is...accepting...of changelings, after all..."

His hoof freezes as a flurry of thoughts hit him. "True... hardly anypony would just not panic or overreact at the sight of you... I guess you'll just have to stay 'Angel' in public." He gives her a quick peck on the cheek. "But I'm quickly growing to like this look of yours, so I want you to never be afraid to stay like this when you're at home."

She turns to him in surprise, accidentally bopping their noses together. Wincing slightly as she rubs her snout, she looks at him in confusion. "...y-you really mean that, Rhino?"

He wrinkles his own nose from the discomfort of the hit. "Of course, this is the true you after all. I'm quickly replacing my mental image of you with this look instead of Angel. I want to see you for what you are, that, is what I fell in love with."

She blushes even more, a wisp of steam forming off her head. "...um...t-thank you..." She sighs and turns away, staring down at the rose. "...even so...I really am not that pretty...hay, I apparently copied off Miss Fluttershy's appearance because...I don't see how I could be considered an equal..." As she speaks, the flower's bloom starts to droop, wilting with her self-deprecation.

He leans down and nudges her head with his own. "You remember when I made you pass out from compliments when you looked like Angel? I'm going to do the same now if you don't cheer up~."

She huffs, resting her head on her hooves. "...I'll try...but I don't see how you'd be able to do that, if I didn't..."

"Hey, I managed to make you smile one way or another every time you were sad. That record should speak for my capabilities by itself." He rubs his nose where her ribs would be.

"...point taken..." She looks back at him, confused. "...why are you rubbing my side? If you're trying to tickle me, it won't work, there..."

He huffs lightly but smiles at her. "Well, can't blame a guy for trying. I'm sure I'll find a sensitive spot somewhere, I just have to explore enough."

She rolls her eyes, muttering to herself. "...you already found one, last Friday..." She makes a couple of glasses appear, one of milk and another of apple juice. She levitates the former over to him as she drinks her sweet beverage.

He regards the milk glass a moment before shrugging and downing it. "So what do you normally do in these dreams of yours? It's not all sitting on grassy knolls talking to handsome stallions is it? I'm not knocking that mind you, just saying there's probably more to it."

She puts a hoof to her chin, thinking a bit. "...honestly, I'm not entirely sure...ever since the wedding, I've never remembered a single dream I've had..." She bumps his side, giggling softly. "...I'm certain you're the only stallion I've chatted with in my dreams, love..."

"Hmm..." He puts a hoof to his chin. "I thought that maybe it was something trauma related back when I thought you were abducted by the changelings then. Obviously that didn't happen, yet you still have this issue... What could be causing it..."

She sighs, shaking her head in sadness. "I haven't the sli-"

A single booming tone echoes through the dreamscape, as if they were inside a massive town clock. Rhino covers his ears from the almost deafening sound. Gel's eyes fog over and stare at nothing as her mouth hangs slack. As if in a trance, her whole body goes limp and she slumps over, the world around them disintegrating. The stallion notices and moves protectively closer to the fallen changeling. Grass evaporates, the sky ceases to be, the single tree crumbles into empty space. Rhino, seeing the oncoming erasure, holds Gel close to him and closes his eyes, bracing for what is to come.

After he doesn't feel anything, he opens his eyes, seeing nothing but himself and the changeling next to him. Everything else is simply whiteness. They appear to be standing on some solid surface the same color of everything else, but that is their only grace.

The changeling blinks, slightly dazed. "...what happened? W-why-" She suddenly realizes that someone had her in their grasp. With a yelp of terror, she grabs a foreleg and flips him over her shoulder.

Stunned, Rhino doesn't say a word, the wind rushing out of his lungs when he hits the ground heavily. His eyes spin in their sockets as he groans.

Realizing who it was, she squeaks, quickly moving to help him up. "I-I'm so sorry! I-I didn't know it was..." She trails off, seeing that her hooves are navy and filled with holes. "...R-Rhino? W-what's going on?"

"Apparently you just lost your memory." He rubs his head as he looks at her. "Though 'lost' seems inaccurate from what I saw... it was more like it was being erased..." He shakes his head. "I guess you don't exactly have your journals with you to explain, so do you want the basics of what happened?"

She shakily nods, unsure of what to think. "...p-please tell me..."

He describes the day's events to her, including the reveal of what she was. He make sure to include his acceptance of her, also telling her of what she and he talked about during the dream.

"...I-I see..." She looks down once more, her hooves quickly being covered by blue-and-white striped socks once more. "...I-I guess the only thing I want to know about...is why my m-memory keeps being erased..."

"I don't know... what I do know is that there is no way something like that is natural..." He walks over and hugs her. "Don't worry, we'll get through this okay? If nothing else, I'll just be here to remind you of anything you forget."

"...thank you, Rhino..." She gently nuzzles his cheek, giggling quietly. "...you're really protective of your loved ones, aren't you?"

He nods derisively. "You're darn right I am. 'You protect what is important to you.' That is something passed down through both teachings, and supposedly genetics, in my family. That sense of empathy I told you about tends to exacerbate that reflex as well."

She sighs, leaning close and gently kissing him. "...just another part of you to love..." The white area around them flickers momentarily, causing Gel to pout cutely. "...and I was just about to give you a treat, too..."

He looks around them, confused. "Huh, what treat? And why can't you give it to me?"

"...well, we're about to wake up...and the treat was-"

Gel sits up quickly, gasping softly. She groans, muttering under her breath. "...darn it...I thought I was going to get lucky..."

Chapter 24: Lust Relapse

Rhino yawns as he stretches his forelegs out. Seeing Gel awake, he smiles sleepily at her. "Well, that was an interesting night, huh?"

She turns to look at him and smiles softly, leaning over to tenderly kiss him. "...you bet it was..." She stands up and stretches much like a cat would before floating over her glasses and putting them on. Might as well. He seems to enjoy them, after all...

His eyes widen as he looks at her. "...I think I just heard you in my head... You said you might as well put on the glasses because I enjoy them..."

She blinks, looking at him for a few seconds before giggling, shaking her head. "...I forgot to mention...that's one of the things the psychic link does..." She winks playfully at him, walking to the door with a sway in her step. It's very helpful, is it not?

He hesitantly thinks his response. "I... guess so? He looks down at the three pets who were roused awake by the movement on the bed. "At least you three are exactly as I remember you." He pets all of them fondly.

What I mean is... She exits the room, heading to the downstairs bathroom. ...we can talk without talking...within a certain distance...

Selena purrs, pawing playfully at Rhino's hoof.

Hmm, I guess that can be useful. He pets the kitten gently with a hoof while the moving the one she is pawing at just out of her reach to tease her. While he is doing this Specter dives onto his face while Mercury latches onto his tail. Rhino smiles widely as he thinks, Oh no, they got me, I'm going down! He dramatically flops over as if the pets had taken him down.

Gel giggles, shaking her head as she morphs into Angel. ...I wish I could see that... She pauses, putting a hoof to her chin. ...you're not trying to talk through the link with them, are you? Because I think it's only between us...pity, because I'd like to hear their thoughts...

The kitten leaps onto Rhino's side, curling up on his side.

Let's try and figure out how it happened between us before we try and do it to others. The stallion scratches lightly behind her ears, just enjoying the moment. "You little ones are lucky I'm a softy, you know that?"

She meows, looking at him before leaning into his hoof, smiling happily.

If you say so...though, honestly, changelings have that innate ability... Gel peeks out the front door, glancing around before going back inside. ...the big question should be when...I guess I forgot that, last night...

As the other pets pile onto his chest, Rhino continues the conversation. Would it have been possible for you to link mentally with me unconsciously when we were going to sleep last night? He scratches all of them, trying not to spend more time on any of them than another.

...I suppose it's possible... She grabs a glass of apple juice, sitting at the kitchen table. ...I have to wonder whether my superior would be mad about this... She jolts, eye twitching slightly. "...did I really just think that?"

Rhino's body stiffens slightly. The pets take notice. What do you mean... your superior?

She squirms, realizing the mistake she just made. ...w-well...do you remember when I...c-corrected you at the paintball area?

He does. I jokingly called you a captain and you said you were a... Colonel... His eyes widen as he smacks his face with a hoof. I'm in love with a military mare... I'm going to end up a house husband somehow, I just know it...

...i-it's not that bad... She sighs, slowly climbing back up the stairs. ...besides...m-maybe I can get them to let me stay?

Right... I guess being military, you would be here on a mission... His mind starts running scenarios. Wait... let you stay? You could be ordered back... Do you... you do want to stay right? I'm not just some fling or source of love while you're here right?

"O-of course not!" She claps a hoof over her mouth, embarrassed. ...I-I don't want to leave...I can't stand the thought of losing you... She opens the bedroom door in front of her, looking at him with the pets on top of him. ...I really do love you, Rhino...please, don't ever doubt that...

His body goes limp as he sighs. "I guess I'm just being paranoid... I do that sometimes, but I feel it does help me prepare..." He looks at her. "You're sure you're willing to go from military to domestic life? Even for me? Will you be happy?"

She moves forward and gently kisses him, blushing softly. "...for you? For them?" She looks at the pets, smiling softly. "...I like to think I'm gaining more than I'm losing." She giggles a bit before a thoughtful expression crosses her face. ...I'll probably exercise in my spare time...don't want to get too lax, after all...

"Then if I ever get fat, it's up to you to see me back in shape. The way I get around is good exercise, but like other wizards, I can shut myself in the house when I'm onto something and not think about it." He says this with a simultaneously joking yet serious manner.

She laughs, gently pushing against his side. "...of course, love...maybe I could even...make a game of it..." She winks playfully before turning to the door, brushing her tail against his cheek. ...one that would be...quite pleasant, for us...

Well, that is one way of getting exercise... He looks over at the clock and then back down to the pets. "Sorry little ones, as much as I'd love to just lay here all day with you, I do need to start getting ready for work."

Selena mewls softly, giving Rhino her best pleading expression.

Gel giggles, watching the scene in front of her. It seems as though I'm not the only one that finds your fluffiness enjoyable...

Ladies love the fluffy stallion... He gets a good look at the kittens face before groaning and throwing a hoof over his eyes as he flops down onto the bed. "Don't give me that look, it only makes this harder..."

The white mare rolls her eyes before gently levitating the kitten off of him. Better? She places Selena on her cushion, where the feline promptly curls up and goes to sleep.

He peeks at the other pets on his chest. "You two aren't going to try and guilt me into staying with cuteness too are you?"

Specter shakes his head while Mercury looks thoughtful. The squirrel notices this and nudges the kit, who gives him a dirty look before shaking his head as well.

Gel smirks a bit, opening the door. You get ready. I'll try my hoof at cooking...anything you'd like to request?

He looks at her with a smile as he rolls off the bed. A sexy changeling cook with a side of a kiss.

She squeaks, pausing at the entrance as a large blush takes over most of her face. ...um...i-is it alright if I replace that changeling with a unicorn?

Meh... he sighs resignedly, I suppose... You owe me for this though. Next time, I want my changeling. His tone, once again, manages to be joking yet serious.

She stiffly exits the room, trying not to betray her embarrassment. ...maybe...and maybe it can be an...enjoyable evening, tonight?

Selena opens one eye, looking at the other two pets. 'Ever wonder if they're keeping something from us?'

They nod at her as Specter speaks for them. 'Of course they are, but we keep little things from them too don't we? As long as nobody gets hurt, it's fine.'

Rhino send a final thought out as he enters the bathroom. Surprise me.

'I suppose you're right.' She closes her eye, sighing softly. 'It's all about keeping the family happy. Even if we are an unusual one.'

As Mercury curls up in his blanket, he corrects her. 'Not unusual, interesting.'

***

Gel knocks on the door to the private booth, sighing softly. Thank goodness it's a slow day, today. The only table I have to worry about is this one.

A mare's voice calls out from within. "Come in~" As Gel enters, she sees the occupant is a blue-green unicorn mare with cherry red mane. She winks as she sees the waitress. "Well, hey there cutie."

The white mare blinks, surprised at the sheer amount of lust coming off the other pony. ...this could be bad... "...h-hi, my name is Angelic Grace, and I'll be your waitress today..." She smiles kindly, pen and pad poised and ready. "...m-may I take your drink request?"

"Sweet tea on the rocks, sweetie." She smiles at her. "Be sure to hurry back~"

Gel nods and quickly exits the room, unsure of what to think. ...well, that was new... She heads over to the drink counter and gives the order to the mare there. ...first time a mare flirt with me as Angel, as far as I know...

The mare who fixes the drinks looks at her curiously. "Something up, Angel? You look like something's got you thinking?"

She shrugs, giving a small half-frown. "...sort of...I, well...just got hit on by a mare..." She scratches her head, confused. "...does that normally happen around here?"

The drink mare shrugs. "Not quite as often as the stallions, but yes, it does happen. Usually they only stop being subtle if they go into heat or something. Watch yourself around those." She hoofs over the drink.

"...will do..." She takes the drink, smiling softly at the mare. "...thank you for the advice..."

Gel arrives back at the booth, knocking on the door. This should be easy. All I have to do is resist her lust until she leaves.

"Feel free to come in whenever you want~" The blue-green mare focuses on Gel, her tail swishing behind her. After the waitress sets down the drink, the mare takes it up with her magic, slowly sipping it as her eyes never leave the disguised changeling.

The changeling in question squirms slightly, focusing her attention on her notepad. Yeah, she's definitely in heat. "...s-so...h-have you decided what you'd like to eat?"

"Oh, I know exactly what I want to eat... As for food though, how about a nice pasta with Alfredo sauce?" She winks again.

...well, I walked right into that one. "R-right away, Miss." She scribbles the order down as she leaves once more. ...the pasta I can give her. The other item? Not a chance. She shakes her head, going to the kitchen to place the order.

On a slow day like this, between servings there really isn't anything to do besides be alone with one's thoughts. This is exactly the situation Gel finds herself in before she is roused by the arrival of the food.

"T-thank you." She smiles shyly at the chef before heading back to the booth and knocking politely on the door.

"Come in, I missed you~." As Gel enters and gives her the plate, the mare takes a sample bite. A noodle flicks some of the creamy white sauce onto her lips, which she licks off slowly. "It's delicious... Do you really have to go running off so soon? I'm sure I'll have plenty of room for... dessert." Suddenly her horn lights up and Gel feels a squeeze on her flanks.

She squeaks, tensing up from the action. D-did that mare just... Her thoughts trail off as the atmosphere starts pressing on her mind. ...wow, that's delicious...what...what was I thinking, earlier? She gives a small smile as her gaze becomes lidded. ...who cares? This mare is just giving me free love... "...well, you are my only customer...maybe I can stay a little longer..."

The heat-stricken customer claps her hooves together happily. "Goody! I'm sure we'll have all kinds of... fun." She takes another bite of her food before blowing a kiss at Gel.

She giggles, watching the mare in front of her. "...I like the sound of that..." ...I think I'll enjoy her love...and that delicious lust... She blinks, thinking about that last thought. ...why did that last statement seem...off?

Time passes as the two mares enjoy each other's company. As the red-maned mare finishes her meal, she looks sultrily at the other mare. "Now, for dessert..." Her horn lights up and the pressure is back on Gel's flanks. It swirls around, groping and massaging.

The blonde coos softly, her eyes fluttering closed from the pleasure. ...this is simply divine... "...anything...specific you'd like, Miss?"

The mare's expression turns almost hungry as she answers. "Everything." She licks her lips before starting to lean towards her.

Suddenly a loud knocking comes from the door. Silk's voice makes its way through. "Angel, are you in there? Is everything alright?"

Gel quickly pulls away, eyes wide in horror. ...oh, dear Luna, what just happened!? "...y-yes, Ma'am, I'm in here...I-I'll be right out..." She turns and gives the mare an apologetic smile before heading over to open the door. "...s-sorry, Silk...I-I lost track of time..."

Her manager gives her a look before nodding. "It's fine,'we've all gotten caught up in a conversation before." She looks over the mare again. "You feeling alright, hon?"

"...n-no, I'm not...c-could I please have the rest of the day off?" She sheepishly smiles, even as her body trembles from trying to keep herself in check. I-I need to get home to Rhino. M-maybe he can help me...

Seeing the shaking mare, Silk nods. "Go ahead sugar, things are slow anyway, can't have you being sick on days when we actually are busy."

"T-thank you!" She briefly hugs the pegasus before rushing to the break room to clock out. Have to hurry!

Silk looks over to the unicorn in the booth, who has a severely disappointed look on her face. "Was the conversation really that good?"

The mare sighs. "Almost physically pleasurable..."

***

Gel swiftly closes the door to their house, stripping off her uniform and hanging it on the hook nearby. "Rhino, where's Rhino..." She morphs into her original form, glancing anxiously around the room. "...curtains are open...I-I should close those..." She quickly draws them, making sure no one could see in.

Hearing the commotion downstairs, Rhino descends. "Gel? What are you doing home so early? Is everything alright?"

As soon as she hears his voice she spins to face him, a gleam in her eye. Mine! She leaps at him and tackles him to the ground, passionately kissing him and embracing him tightly.

His mouth otherwise occupied, and his mind rapidly getting fuzzy, Rhino sends out a thought quickly. Woah! Somepony missed me... He kisses her back, his hooves wrapping around her.

You have no idea... She separates momentarily, giving him a lidded look. ...I need my stallion...to give me some loving... She leans forward so that her lips are mere inches from his ear. "...are you up to the challenge?"

A shiver goes down his spine as he thinks a response. Gel... are you alright? You almost seem like you're in heat again...

I'm just fine, love. I- She smacks herself across the snout, whimpering softly. ...I-I'm sorry...I-I almost lost control of myself... She reluctantly pulls away, sitting on his hindlegs.

The stallion frowns, his brow furrowing. "I'm confused... You bust in all amorous, you start passionately kissing me. Then I ask you if everything's alright, you say yes, you hit yourself, then say you almost lost control... I don't know how I'm supposed to react to any of this..."

"...I-I..." She sighs, lowering her gaze. "...I want to be amorous...b-but I...have a small problem..."

He pulls her back down into a kiss. "I'm listening..."

"...I-I'm a...r-recovering lust addict..." She groans, covering her face in shame. "...I-I was...exposed to a lot of l-lust, today...s-so that's why I was being so...o-overtly seductive..." ...he probably hates me, now...

He tilts his head to one side. "Perhaps the species difference lessens the impact, but that doesn't seem like a big deal to me. Although, I suppose it could be bad if you got this way towards others, but I trust you enough to control yourself. I don't think I could ever hate you, love."

She sniffles, pulling a hoof away to look at him. "...r-really? Y-you aren't upset?"

He smiles at her. "For what? Kissing me? I've got no complaints."

She blushes a bit, letting her hooves drop onto his lap. "...t-thank you for...helping me feel better..." Her hooves trail lower as a playful smile grows on her lips. "...maybe...I could help you feel better..." She winks, her chitin tinting a brighter blue. "...i-if you're up to it, of course..."

He blushes as well, but still smile sheepishly at her. "Well... I'd be lying if I said that sudden assault of yours didn't leave me in the mood... It'll be nice to finally see what it's like with the real you..."

***Warning, Sensual Content. Skip to next space if you wish to not read.***

"...well..." She finally touches his sheath, giggling softly. "...I'm here to cater to your every whim...so..." She licks her lips, never letting her gaze move from his face. "...how may I serve you, love?"

He chuckles nervously, looking away as he rubs the back of his head with a hoof. "I... don't really know... This is my first time having this done," he gives her a look, "while I'm conscious. Perhaps you can just do what you think is best and I'll comment if I'm uncomfortable with something or if I want you to do it more?"

She smirks, tenderly stroking to coax his pride out. "As you wish...although..." She looks to one side, blushing a bit more. "...I-I'd like to...try role playing, next time...i-if that's alright with you..."

As the tip of his length begins to show, he nods. He has to gulp before he can speak. "Sure... Any requests?"

She shakily nods, scooting back along his legs to lean close to her prize. She pauses, glancing from the tip to his face, embarrassed. "...c-could you...p-possibly wear your doctor's coat?" She sheepishly smiles. "...I-I kinda have a...t-thing for doctors..."

His pride grows slightly, as if responding to her presence. He starts breathing deeper in anticipation as he responds. "Serendipitous... I'll make it happen..."

She smiles kindly at him. "...thank you...now..." Her gaze shifts back to his length as she moves closer. "...let's see what I can do for you..." She lowers her head, tenderly kissing the very tip of his length.

His whole body flinches as he sucks in a breath at the contact. His eyes dart around in their sockets, unsure what to focus on at the sensation. His pride suddenly starts shooting up in length, a far cry from the slow build it had been at.

She moves her head to one side, letting him grow along her cheek. She peppers it with kisses, careful to avoid nipping him with her fangs. You seem so tense, love. Relax, you'll enjoy it more... She giggles, slowly licking him from base to tip, circling the head with her tongue teasingly.

This in turn, causes his muscles to tense even more. He hisses through his teeth, unused to this sort of thing. E-easy for you to say... He braces himself on his forehooves.

She appears to roll her eyes, wrapping her forehooves around the base of his pride. Then you're going to have one tiring orgasm. She pulls his tip into her mouth, humming softly as she positions her hooves properly. The notches on the inside of her legs each form one half of a circle, perfectly snug around him.

Rhino rolls his eyes upwards, breathing through his nose to try and relax. With each pump of his blood, his muscles slowly ease up. After about thirty seconds, he has just laid back, most of him limp except for his pride.

Seeing this, she springs into action, easily sliding another few inches into her mouth before pulling him down her throat. Smiling inwardly, she tenses the muscles in her throat, even as she starts sliding her makeshift ring along the part outside her mouth. ...you know, I hear that a marehood feels better... She winks playfully. ...just something for you to look forward to...

I-I don't know how you manage to keep enough of your mind clear to make comments like that... Regardless... somethings are all the better for the wait... As he sees her take more of him in her mouth, he grows concerned. Hey, I don't want you choking yourself ok? And before you say 'it's worth it' or something like that, you should know that seeing you hurt will probably be the biggest turnoff possible.

She pulls off enough for her to breath, looking him in the eyes. Rhino, it means so much to me that you care so much... She narrows her eyes slightly, bobbing her head in time with her hooves. ...but I hope you realize I see that as a challenge. With that, she swiftly plunges back onto him, taking his whole pride into her mouth, up to the band of his sheath.

He suddenly sits up. His eyes unfocus as he gasps, the feeling overwhelming him. For almost a solid five seconds his brain is unable to form even a single though. He slumps back down onto the ground. Wow... His length is literally throbbing with every beat of his heart.

See? You're enjoying it. She begins to bob her head once more, never letting the head pop out of her throat. It really is a blessing, not having a gag reflex...too bad Angel doesn't share that... Her horn lights up, enveloping the orbs below her. She tenderly caresses them, watching his reactions and enjoying every second.

His eyes keep threatening to roll back in his head as she proceeds. The repetitive movement of her throat up and down his shaft slowly clouds his mind. His hips begin bucking up and down ever so slightly with her movements. He seems to be unable to produce a coherent thought.

She pulls off him enough to renew the air in her lungs before lowering her head halfway down his shaft. She stops there, wanting to see if he'd do what he did the other night.

He grunts from the lack of movement. A growl comes across the mental link as he thrusts upward and into her throat.

Her eyes widen in shock, not expecting him to growl like that. She trembles softly and closes her eyes, tensing her muscles to make her throat tighter around his pride. ...he's really enjoying this...that's great...

He starts thrusting in and out of her throat. No words are spoken by him, whether by mouth or mind. His eyes are rolled upwards as it seems his instincts have taken over.

She pulls off him, quietly gasping for air as she keeps his hips in place. She thinks for a bit before locking her forehooves around his pride, backing up as she watches him thrust through the ring. ...you having fun, Rhino?

A low growl is her only answer.

She hums thoughtfully, regarding his response. ...you're really something, love... She leans forward and licks the tip of his length, continuing to move her ring along him. ...please...release for me...let me see how much you enjoy this...

His thrusting begins to have more force and speed, almost forcing it into her mouth again due to her positioning. His breath rushes in and out, a delayed echo to his hips.

She lets her mouth drop open, his tip barely resting against her lips. ...come on, Rhino...you're almost there... She squeezes her legs tighter together, trying to increase his pleasure faster.

He continues thrusting for a few more minutes before his speed suddenly increases dramatically for a few thrusts. Then, with one final thrust his seed starts to erupt from the tip and into her waiting mouth.

She wraps her lip around the head, happily taking all she is able. ...that's right, Rhino...give me everything you can...

He does so. The volume doesn't match the other morning due to not having been built up as much. It is still a good amount though as it splashes into her. After about 30 seconds, the flow stops and his pride begins the task of slowly trying to fit back into his sheath.

She slowly swallows his seed, savoring every drop. ...delicious...just like last time... She licks her lips, moving around him and tenderly nuzzling his cheek. "...so...w-what did you think?"

***End of Sensual Content.***

His eyes finally roll back forward as he shakes his head. As the memories of what he can recall transpiring run through his mind, he puts on a thoughtful expression. He begins to adopt a shamed face. "I... hope I can maintain better control next time... I suppose it felt good, physically, but I sort of zoned out... which took the emotion out of it. That's something I don't like... Maybe it'll be better now that this first one is out of the way..." He quickly raises his hooves. "This is all on my part though, for your part you did magnificently. I just need to learn how to keep my head in it, so to speak, I prefer there to be an emotional connection during this kind of thing."

She smiles, kissing him gently. "...I think that's a lovely sentiment..." She giggles and playfully bumps his side. "...I did try to keep your mind on me, though...so please, don't get sad on me..." She grins, eyes narrowing slightly. "...or I'll have to take extreme measures..."

He raises an eyebrow. "Oh? And if I decide to lay back and dramatically throw my hoof over my face as if in the throws of depression?" He does so.

"Oh, I don't know...maybe..." She places a hoof on the top of his head, starting to rub it in circles. "...this?"

A pleased groan rumbles in the back of his throat as a goofy smile grows on his face. He leans into the hoof, almost nuzzling it as it rubs his head. Touche'...

Chapter 25: Source

The blank canvas of a dreamscape has infinite possibilities. The only limit is the mind it is connected to. A certain changeling's dreamscape begins to take form. A dark sky rolls over the rapidly forming land. Trees pop up to form a dense forest. Plants of all kinds arise from the soil. Finally, as if erased by the swirl of a brush, a spot is cleared. This point, is where she appears.

She opens her eyes and glances around, confused. ...this is odd...where am I? She slowly turns around, scanning her surroundings before her gaze lands on a patch of blue nearby. ...is...is that... She leans down, looking at the spot in confusion.

A splash from a nearby pond announces the arrival of something else. The large green head that emerges and spits out water reveals it to be Rhino. He huffs a bit of water out his nose before wading to shore and shaking like a dog to rid himself of the excess moisture.

Gel doesn't look up, tentatively prodding the sticky substance. "...glad you could join me, love...I take it you were making friends with the wildlife?" She finally looks in his direction, and the fish on his tail.

He feels the tug on his tail and gives the fish a dirty look. With a flare of his horn he plucks it off and plops it back into the pond. He responds as he turn to the nymph. "A thoroughly one-sided relationship, I assure you."

"I could tell." She giggles before looking around, curious. "...do you know where we are? All I can tell is it's a part of the Everfree." She stares back at the spot, frowning slightly. "...apparently, a spot I crashed...possibly after the wedding incident..."

He shakes his head. "I don't really come in here often... I think I've been here less than four times total, and never this far in."

She sighs softly, shaking her head and standing up. "...that's not good news...maybe I could fly up and-"

A loud roar interrupts her thought process, followed by a crash.

She squeaks, surprised by the din. "...w-what was that?"

Rhino, who had crouched down in response to the noise, perks his ears up. "It sounds like a lion... so it's probably a manticore." Another crash sounds. "An angry manticore."

She quietly nods, heading in the direction of the sounds. "...if it's angry, we need to calm it down." She pushes through the undergrowth, sidestepping a patch of blue flowers by habit.

He follows her. "I suppose dream or not, empathy remains the same." The two trude through the forest, pushing aside plants as they go. Every once in awhile, there is a patch of blue liquid.

Gel frowns, seeing the drops. "...I must have been hurt...why else would I have been bleeding?" She pushes aside a branch and stops, jaw dropping in shock. ...this is...h-how did...

Rhino catches up to her. "Is something wrong..." His voice trails off as he sees what has stunned her.

In front of them, a large manticore swipes at a blue blur. It misses, smashing a tree to pieces.

The blur skids to a halt behind the creature, revealing that it is a younger form of the changeling. She holds up a hoof, eyes wide in panic. "Please, stop! I-I don't want to hurt you, b-but I'll have no choice if you continue!"

The only response is a roar, forceful enough for her mane to be blown back.

The stallion's eyes widen. "This isn't a dream... this is a memory..." He looks to the changeling beside him. "But you don't remember this?"

Gel slowly shakes her head, her eyes never leaving her doppelgänger. "...not in the least...is...is this even the day of the wedding? It seems...early in the day..."

As she talks, the memory continues. The changeling scowls at the manticore, eyes narrowed dangerously. "So be it."

The leonine creature leaps at her, paw brought back to attack. She doesn't move, lowering her stance as it moves to swipe her.

A split second before it hits, she flips over the limb. At the peak of her jump, she lashes out, hitting the top of its foreleg and making it let out a yowl of shock.

Before it could do anything else, she rushes up close, unleashing a few well-placed jabs into its torso. She leaps back, watching with a blank face as the manticore falls onto its back, unable to move. She sighs, her gaze falling to her hooves. "...I'm sorry...you gave me no choice...at least I only hit your pressure points..." She turns and wanders off, wobbling a bit. "...you'll be fine, in an hour or so..."

Rhino looks to the nymph next to him with an open mouth. "Well... you certainly know how to defend yourself... Toppling manticores the day after getting launched out of a city..."

She sheepishly smiles, blushing slightly. "...w-well...t-they trained me well..." She clears her throat, starting after her memory-self. "...w-we should follow her...me? Either way, I want to know what happens...the wedding is the last day I can truly remember..."

He tags along again, separating a bush for her to walk through. "Of course, I said I would help you to remember any way I could right? This counts. Maybe we'll discover something that'll help us figure out why you can't remember."

"I sure hope...so..." She stares in stunned silence, her expression matching her past self's. "...R-Rhino? Is that...w-what I think it is?"

In front of the memory Gel, lies the form of a fallen changeling. It appears to not have fared quite as well due to either the fall into the forest or the wildlife. The pool of green around it makes that readily apparent.

The stallion reaches out a hoof and brings Gel closer to him. "It looks like it..."

She whimpers, leaning into his embrace. "...I...I can't believe it..."

The younger version of herself slowly leans forward, tenderly nuzzling the other changeling. "...rest in peace, Lieutenant...no..." She chokes up, letting her eyes close in a futile attempt to keep a tear in. "...d-dad..."

Rhino's heart goes out to the changeling. "Oh, Gel..." He holds her tight. "I didn't know... I'm so sorry..."

She sniffles, shaking slightly as she watches her past self arrange rocks around the still form. "...I-I didn't even know...I...I can't believe I forgot..." She shakes her head, tears freely flowing down her cheeks. "...w-what kind of daughter does that?"

"One who did so of no will of her own." He supports her as she cries. "That you didn't remember this, proves that whatever first caused your memory issue, happened today." He wipes her tears with a hoof. "As a final gift to you, seeing him here has brought us that much closer to helping you."

She sobs, hugging him close. ...t-thank you, Rhino...

The memory continues, the changeling running a hoof along the makeshift grave. "...I promise...I'll remember your words..."

Gel stops crying immediately, eyes snapping open in horror. "...w-what?"

He tilts his head to one side, looking at the memory. "Well, at least you'll be reminded once we fix things, right? This is a good thing."

"...m-maybe..." She looks over at the other her, watching as she walks further into the undergrowth. "...s-should we follow?"

He nods resolutely. "Definitely. We can't lose her, um... you, because we might miss something important."

Gel smiles softly, nodding as she moves to follow her past self. "...you're absolutely right...who knows? Maybe we'll find out just what caused my memory issues..." She pushes a branch to one side, motioning for him to go ahead of her.

The two continue following the memory. Deeper and deeper into the forest they go, seemingly just as lost as the one they are following. From the brief glimpses of sun, it is early evening when they come across something. Memory Gel stops, as do the two following her. Before them, standing solitary in a clearing with the trees around them appearing to lean away from it, stands a statue. It is an odd thing, composed of the parts of many different animals to form the whole. It appears to be recoiling in its frozen state.

The changeling next to the stallion stares in confusion, unsure of what to think. "...Rhino...what is that thing?"

The slightly younger of the two changelings steps forward, running a hoof over the surface of the statue. "...this is one of the strangest things I've ever seen...who designed this?" She laughs, shaking her head. "They must've been a master of modern art. I wonder what message they were trying to convey?"

An echoing voice sounds from no evident source. "Chaos..." Unpleasant laughter rumbles from the statue. "Finally someone comes across me despite Celestia's best efforts..."

Rhino's hackles raise as he narrows his eyes at the statue. "Discord..."

Gel whimpers, hugging her stallion close.

The double tilts her head to one side, curious. "...no, that can't be right...why would it have the horrified expression? It must be how...chaos never prevails in the face of harmony..." She blinks, frowning slightly. "...who is this? I've never heard your voice before...what's your name and rank, soldier?"

"Soldier?" More laughter. "Little changeling, I am not a soldier. I am far greater than that. As for my name, well I just don't feel like telling you. After all, you've done nothing for me... yet."

She scratches her head in confusion. "...you're not a soldier? Then how are you talking to me?" She starts to pace, brow furrowed. "You can't be here. After all, it's just me and this statue, and, last time I checked, stone can't talk."

"Such an orderly mind you have. Well, let me just fix that." A flash comes from the statue's fingers that momentarily dazed the changeling.

She shakes her head, scowling at the statue. "What was that? What do you mean, 'fix' my 'orderly mind'!?"

The laughter echoes once more. "Oh, just a little something to keep a constant source of chaos in the world so I can actually break out when I want to next time. I'd tell you more, but once tomorrow comes you'll just forget." The laughter surrounds them one final time before slowly fading into silence.

She slams a hoof against the forest floor, outraged. "Whoever you are, you'd better not mess with my eidetic memory! You hear me? I'll smash that statue to pieces if you do!" She pulls out her field journal, furiously scribbling in it as she storms away from the statue.

The statue remains silent as Rhino turns to his Gel. "Well, this was certainly informative... Before we dive into the serious implications though, I have to say this military side of you is interesting to watch. I prefer my version of you though."

She sheepishly smiles, embarrassed. "...I-I get like that...w-when I'm angry...t-thankfully, I don't get angry often..." She rubs the back of her neck, looking of to the side. "...I-I'm actually a well-liked officer...a-at least, they prefer me to the General..."

He chuckles. "Good to know." He turns back to the statue, frowning at it before leading her a short distance away. "Well... that certainly clears up why your memory is the way it is... Hmm... how to counter it..." He puts on a look of intense thought.

She sighs, letting her gaze fall to her hooves. "...what can we do? I don't know what he even did...was it a spell or a curse? Was it even magic?"

"From what I understand, as much as one can understand an embodiment of chaos, it is easiest just to classify it as 'Discord's magic'." He scratches his chin with a hoof. "The only incident of it I know of was when he escaped last time. It was all reversed when he was defeated by...the Elements... Hmm..."

"...does...does that mean...I have to be...hit by the Elements?" She grimaces, looking up at him. "...that doesn't sound very pleasant..."

Rhino shakes his head. "No, I don't think we need that. That was for battling monumental forces... Let's see... the Elements work on friendship... so... maybe something similar..." A loud bell echoes through the dream. "Oh no... well, here goes nothing!" He grabs onto Gel and hugs her tightly, pouring as much love as he can into her.

She winces, her face contorting from the strain of two separate forces pulling on her. ...Rhino...I-I... She squeezes her eyes shut and embraces him back, passionately kissing him. ...p-please...I-I don't want to forget you...to forget this...happiness...

Their surroundings slowly start to erase as they have done before. The trees and sky disappear soon enough, the whiteness also envelopes the statue in the clearing. As the erasure approaches the two embracing forms, it slows down as if struggling against something. It grinds to a complete halt in about a 20 foot radius around them. After about a minute, the pressure has stopped and the two are left in a patch of green grass amongst the white.

She pulls away from him, panting softly. "...R-Rhino? W-what happened?" She glances around, confused. "...why do we seem to be standing on an island in a sea of white?"

He looks around. "I guess the memory erasure didn't go all the way through? Can you remember anything?"

She taps her chin, thinking a bit. "...well...I remember coming home early...something about wanting love during lovemaking...and I think...you finding out I was...technically still am, military..." She giggles nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. "...d-does that help?"

He smiles at her. "I should be the one asking you that question. From what I've come to understand, you normally can't remember anything. The fact that you remember things is great!"

She smiles back, blushing a bit. "...and I have you to thank for it..." She tilts her head to one side, appearing to look at her horn as she concentrates. "...right?"

He chuckles as he nuzzles her to break her concentration. "I prefer to think of it as a group effort."

She giggles, tenderly kissing him. "...of course, love..." She glances up as a replica of the statue appears, frowning slightly. "...if you'll excuse me, I have a stand-in to smash." She approaches it with a small smile on her face.

He waves a hoof. "Take your time, love, I'll just be over here." The sounds of smashing rock start up as he lies on his side, simply enjoying the show. ^

Chapter 26: More Questions

Gel walks alongside her stallion, back in her guise of Angel. "...t-thank you for taking me to your work...m-maybe I'll get to see what you do, this time..."

Rhino chuckles as he gives her a quick nuzzle. "True, last time things were slow work wise weren't they? I just forgot what with the... news... we found out at the end. I will tell you one thing though, between your glasses and the new bow, you might actually give some of the pets a run for their money on cute."

She blushes and rolls her eyes, playfully bumping his side. "Flatterer." She watches a couple of birds chase each other overhead. ...aww...love birds...how cute!

The vet looks up and smiles. Yes, I'm sure in a few months we'll be hearing the sounds of little birds chirping for their food. Such is one of nature's beauties.

Shame I've never seen it, myself... She turns her attention back to the path, attempting to keep a neutral expression even as her face turns a brighter red. ...is it really as painful for mares as...certain stories...make it out to be?

He coughs and turns away. Well, according to my mother? Usually the answer is yes. Of course, that's what painkillers are for. A thought occurs to him and he scrunches his face in conflicted emotion. Technically I'm qualified to help with non-pony births, but as wonderful as an experience like that would likely be, I'm a bit nervous for when the first time comes up.

She giggles, a sly twinkle in her eye. I'm sure most feel that way, too, but you shouldn't be worried. You're a natural, after all... She glances over at him, waiting to see his reaction. ...wouldn't you agree?

He looks over at her, his eyebrows raised high in surprise. At assisting birth? I honestly have no idea where you get that idea...

She turns to him, a brow raised slightly. ...when did I suggest we were talking about births? She teasingly trails her tail along his side, humming softly to herself. I was considering the part that...leads to that...

His face burns bright red as he realizes what she is implying. Oh... I umm.... well... thank you... He clears his throat in an attempt to buy himself enough time to get his head together for a response. Well, I'm... definitely more nervous about what you were talking about than what I was talking about... your confidence is reassuring though...

Well, you're a vet. I have no reason to doubt your skills with pets, or any other sapient being, for that matter. She notices the approaching building, smiling brightly. As for sex, I'm sure you'll be gentle with me, our first time...

He stumbles at her blunt statement. You umm... you certainly are in a good mood this morning...

I'm finally able to remember events of another day. She squeals, gaining a bounce to her step. I'm stoked! She accidentally skips into the closed door, falling onto her flanks and whimpering. ...and in a bit of pain...

He shakes his head at her usual danger-prone trait before lifting her up. I thought I told you I don't like seeing you hurt. He kisses her nose where she hit it. Better?

She blushes brightly, nodding quietly. ...b-better...t-thank you, love... She returns his kiss with one of her own, placed delicately on his lips.

He smiles and resists the urge to continue the back and forth affection. "Why don't we head inside where it's more private?" He unlocks the door and holds it open for her. "Let's head for my office."

Gel giggles, winking as she passes by. Kinky.

He flicks her with his tail for that comment as she passes him. The two stroll down the hall and Rhino unlocks the door. He heads inside, doing his usual routine of throwing some things off and putting others on until he stands before her in his medical professional uniform.

She stares at him for a few moments before tearing her gaze away. ...um...y-you look nice... She squeaks, holding a hoof to her nose. "D-darn it!"

He steps forward worriedly. "What is it? Are you alright?"

She quickly nods her head, refusing to lower her hoof. "Y-yes, I'm fide." She pauses, thinking over what she just said. ...fine. I'm fine. Just a small nosebleed, that's all.

He shakes his head with a small smile. "Always something isn't it?" He grabs a tissue and walks over, putting a hoof around her shoulders and offering it to her. "Let's get that taken care of."

She hesitates slightly before sighing, lowering her hoof to reveal a trail of blue down her muzzle. ...i-is it bad?

He raises an eyebrow as he takes a look. "Well, I just learned that your blood is blue, but no, it looks like just your average bleed." He wipes her face before putting it to her nose. "Lean forward for ten or fifteen minutes and it should be fine."

O-okay... She does as she's told, turning her gaze to the ground. ...s-so, you're doing well with your first changeling patient... She nervously giggles.

He nuzzles her lovingly. "Well, I do have a vested interest in this particular patient. Though, you do bring up a good point that technically, vets would be the doctors for changelings..." He looks down in thought. "That... would be difficult, given that we pretty much know nothing concrete about your physiology... it's all speculation."

She looks up at him, curious. ...what if...I could help you?

He looks down at her. I'm not sure if I should make a joke about you being willing to help me learn more about the changeling body...

...I'd love to teach you more about mine, but that can wait another time... She winks playfully before becoming serious once more. ...I-I used to be a field medic...not the best, mind you, but still pretty good...

Mind if I probe that wonderful mind of yours while we have time to kill today then? His eyes have a cheerful anticipation of knowledge behind them. I promise to stop if you tell me I'm getting too nosy.

She smiles kindly, nodding. For you, my mind is an open book. She thinks a bit, tilting her head to one side. ...almost literally, in fact.

He leans down to take a look at her nose. Just let me know if there are any restricted chapters.

I'll be sure to do so. She stands as still as possible, letting him check her. Anything you'd like to start out with? Maybe a subject that's on your mind, at the moment? She bats her eyelashes at him, trying to get him to laugh.

He chuckles at her. Didn't anypony ever tell you not to flirt with your doctor? He eases her hoof away. "Ok, it's stopped bleeding, just don't mess with it for a bit and it'll seal up." He looks at the bloody tissue a moment before a rune appears under it and he burns it. Shouldn't take the risk of anypony seeing that. Ok, first question, is all changeling blood blue?"

...I don't think so... She taps her chin, thinking a bit. ...let's see...green...red...yellow...no, I can't think of another changeling with blood my shade of blue...

He rubs his chin. Interesting... He shakes his head and opens the door for her. "Before I forget let's head to the front. In the meantime... what are the names for your genders?"

She steps through the doorway, a small smile on her lips. "Generally, we're called nymphs and drones." She pauses for a moment to brush her tail across his nose. "Care to guess which one I am?"

His eyes cross for a moment as a shiver runs down his spine. "I think I can guess which name applies to you... some might say in more ways than one..." They make their way to the front where he settles in the chair. "No sitting on the floor this time. So... exoskeleton and no bones?"

She nods, looking closely at him. ...not sure how your kind deals without an exoskeleton, but I digress... She shrugs, sitting on his lap. ...no sitting on the floor, right?

He blushes and shifts a moment, finding a comfortable position for both of them. Right... sometimes I feel like you just want to be near me or touching me every second of the day... which I am completely fine with. Do you want to just randomly spout a piece of information on your species while I gather my thoughts?

She thinks a bit before nodding. When love is willingly given, whether to a facade we create or to our true forms - apparently - the source doesn't become weaker. At least, it seems that way, with what I've seen of us... She smiles, gently kissing his nose. How's that?

He raises up his forelegs to hug her. Good, though it does bring up the question: you say willingly given... does that mean it can be taken?

She winces, averting her gaze. "...um...y-yes...i-if we take the place of a pony's loved one..." She sheepishly smiles, shrugging slightly. "...t-that's kind of what the Queen tried to do, in Canterlot..."

"Hmm..." He rubs noses with her. What about your fangs? What are they used for? Are you omnivores?

She blinks, actually surprised by this question. "...um...I-I'm not entirely sure...w-we don't use them for eating, generally, since we eat love..." She rubs the back of her neck. "...m-maybe they're meant to intimidate?"

"Perhaps, they might be more defense than utility..." He starts playing with her mane with a hoof. "So... eating. I assume you can eat food, but does it do anything for you? Nutritionally, I mean, or is it all for the pleasure of it?"

She giggles, shaking her head. "...you and your wording...to answer your question, no. It's mostly to help with our cover...we can still taste it, though. And your lasagna is easily the tastiest I've ever eaten." She smiles, tenderly kissing him. "...anything else you'd like to ask, love?"

He gives her lips a light lick. "I think that'll do for now. I'll probably need the subject directly in front of me next time. You know, so I can examine her and see if I notice anything I need to ask about..."

She smirks, her gaze lidded. "...are you sure that's all you want of her?" She strokes his chest with a hoof, leaning forward. "It sounds like you want to be more...intimate...with her..." She lets her fangs out, teasingly nipping his neck.

As he shivers, his fur and ears stick up. He looks away and talks in an aloof, strained tone. "Well, to perform my job fully, I do need to know all the intimate details. How you interpret that is your business."

Gel rolls her eyes and trails kisses up his neck. You know as well as I that you'd love to be with her. She stops right at the base of his ear, whispering softly. "But we'll have to wait until later for that...a lot later..." She nibbles on his ear, giggling softly.

He lets out a quiet growl at the nibbling, shifting in his seat more. "Well, you certainly found another use for those fangs of yours... are you always so creative?"

"...you'd be surprised..." She pulls away, her gaze turning towards the door. She hums a bit, unsure of what to think.

As she stares, manilla strolls in whistling a little tune. She spots to two unicorns and waves. "Good morning you two! Everything good?"

Gel smiles and waves, moving to get off her stallion's lap. "Couldn't be better, I think." She glances at Rhino. ...well, maybe one thing to make it better, but that's about it.

Rhino answers similarly. "Just another calm, cheerful day here." He looks to her. One thing huh? Do tell.

Manila nods happily. "Good! Now then, first thing's first." She looks pointedly at the stallion. "You, out of my chair." She sticks her tongue out at him.

Well, it'd be my memories. She moves out of the way so he can stand. I don't want to miss out on something special because midnight rolls around.

The stallion vacates the other mare's seat, which she happily dives into. Hey, you've been doing better on that. With the bits you do remember, plus your journals, plus me, I think you've got it covered.

...I suppose you're right about that... She giggles, gently nuzzling his cheek. ...and smashing Discord's statue was really therapeutic...even if it was just a dream...

The day continues as normal, a few patients coming in and being cared for. After a time, all three ponies are back in the lobby. They chat for a bit when a small rumble can be felt through the floor. It slowly grows in power.

Gel glances around, unease welling in her chest. ...Rhino? I-Is this a normal occurrence, around here?

Not... at... all... He eases towards the door to see what all the commotion is.

Suddenly the doors burst open and a flood of Pinkie Pies washes into the clinic. Bouncing in and repeating the word 'Fun!' over and over, they quickly run to all corners of the building. A few start playing leapfrog on the waiting room seats, others starts playing around with the mops in the cleaning closet, a group breaks into the examination room, coming out with q-tips and tongue depressors all in their manes, and one even has a doggy treat in her mouth.

The white mare can only stare in shock, an eye twitching from the whole scene developing in front of her. ...so...many...Pinkies... She shivers, unsure of what to do.

As the rattle of Pinkies trying to break into his office rises above the din, Rhino rushes down the hall. "No, no, no..." As he sees three Pinkie all looking intently at the keyhole, he speaks to them "Hey! You can't go in there!" They ignore him and continue.

Gel rushes past him and through the Pinkies, sending them flying as she tries to pull the door open, whimpering. She can't even think with all the pink party ponies around her, unable to comprehend the level of insanity that could ensue.

The three pink ponies stunned, Rhino quickly levitates them and dashes to the front door, tossing them outside where they hop off somewhere else to join the many that are already out there. He darts back to his door and opens it for the changeling.

She kisses him as she rushes in, her thoughts a flurry as she tries to keep herself from actively thinking about the situation. She recites songs, does math problems, anything to keep her mind occupied.

Meanwhile, the stallion tries to just take on each small situation as it comes along because thinking about the big situation will just drive him insane. He and Manila are currently working on prying a Pinkie's head out of the treat jar where she had shoved it. Once done, she is tossed out onto the street to bounce away with other Pinkies. As the two workers turn and see the dozen Pinkies left, their eyes twitch.

He looks to her. "Ideas?"

She looks to him. "Leashes?"

He nods as they run back to the storage room.

Gel, on the other hoof, is curled up in a ball in a corner of his office. ...Pinkies...Pinkies everywhere... She whimpers, covering her eyes with her hooves. "...m-make it stop..."

In the hall, the other two ponies each have three Pinkie on leashes, slowly dragging them towards the door as they all try to bounce as they shout the only word they seem to know. At this point, the stallion is pretty much running on autopilot for the sake of his sanity, he barely registers what he is doing anymore. They drop this load of Pinkies off outside and quickly round up the last bunch. Unknowingly to them, one escapes into Rhino's office. It creeps up quietly on the shivering mare before saying a single word.

"Fun!"

She yelps, lashing out and kicking it square in the face.

It squeaks, but seems uninjured from the impact as it flies into the hall to be caught by the other two ponies and tossed out the door. With a surge of magic, Rhino lifts Manila's heavy desk and barricades the door with it. He places his back up against it before slowly slumping to the ground with a dazed look on his face as what just happened catches up to him and the logical part of his mind goes into shock.

Gel slowly approaches him, concern written all over her face. "...Rhino?" She places a hoof on his shoulder, hoping to garner some reaction from him.

He mutters a single word as if it would haunt his dreams. "...pink..."

She tilts her head to one side, surprised. ...oh, Rhino... She tenderly nuzzles his cheek, smiling softly. ...it'll be fine...we're safe, now, and that's what matters...

After a few minutes, he stirs, groaning as he pushes himself into a sitting position. "So... that happened..."

Manila, who had been taking shelter in one corner with a broom in her hooves, nods. "Yes, yes it did..."

"...well, at least nothing too destructive happened..." Gel shrugs, glancing at Rhino. ...feeling better now, love?

He nods. Thanks to a combination of repression and compartmentalization, yes. Such is the way one stays sane in times like these.

She nods, pecking his cheek before moving over to Manila. "...s-so...are you okay, Miss Goodall?"

She shakily nods, her voice quiet. "Oh yes, just fine... you know, probably just take off early today... I got the broom in case they come back..."

"...if you say so..." She gives her a small hug before turning back to Rhino. ...maybe you should drink some fluids...I hear it helps with shock...

He nods. Right, I need a tall glass of milk after all that.

Chapter 27: Birthday

Gel wakes up, blinking silently. ...okay, so Rhino is possibly still asleep... She slowly gets up out of bed, backing towards the closet door. ...I hope I have enough time to get ready...at least the pets are in the other room... She carefully opens the door, flinching when it creaks and glancing over at him nervously.

The heavy-sleeping stallion doesn't react the the noise. Instead, his hoof starts to wander around the space where Gel once was, wondering where she went. After a moment it find the other pillow and pulls that towards him to fill the spot for a time.

She giggles softly, seeing this scene. ...aww...that's just so cute... She turns to the closet and pulls out a blue and white two-piece outfit, smiling a bit. ...he did say he wanted to exercise...right? She flips through her journal, frowning quietly as she puts on the tight-fitting clothes. ...maybe I paraphrased...oh well...

She finishes with the main outfit, nodding satisfactorily. She grabs a set of hoofbands and leg warmers from her drawer to put on, glancing at him once more as she does so.

The stallion shifts slightly as he snuggles the pillow, his deep breathing showing he is still well asleep.

She smiles, walking around the bed to his side. "...wake up, Rhino..." She leans forward, playfully nipping his neck. "...it's time for you to get up..."

His fur bristles at the nip of her teeth. He mumbles quietly. "Gel..."

"...come on, Rhino...I have a surprise for you..." She leans in further, grabbing him in her forelegs and rubbing his chest. "...you don't want to miss my gift for your birthday, do you?"

He lets out what sounds like a satisfied growl as his eyes crack open blearily. He raises a hoof to his mouth as he yawns. "Good morning love... What was that about a surprise?"

She giggles, softly nuzzling his neck. "...if you'll turn around, you'll see it..." She pulls away, readjusting one of the blue legwarmers. "...I got this outfit a while back, but I thought you'd like it..."

He rolls over to see what she is talking about. His eyes slowly widen as he blushes while taking in the new picture of her. "I hope nothing I said made you think you were fat, you've got a body most models would kill for."

She blushes brightly, quickly averting her gaze. "...n-not at all...I-I figured we could have a bit of...fun..." She turns back to him, smiling shyly. "...a-after all, I hear yoga helps one wake up..." ...and what comes after might be enjoyable... She coughs into a hoof before rising up onto her hindlegs, stretching up towards the ceiling and revealing her surprisingly trim form. "...c-care to join me?"

His eyes trace up and down her body before he speaks. "As long as I still get to watch you." He rolls out of bed, stretching to crack a few joints before he stands in front her her, mimicking her pose, but with less flexibility. He lets out a small chuckle as he can barely touch the ceiling.

She blinks at this, surprised. "...I knew you were tall, but that's just...incredible...and you're not even fully stretched..." She tilts her head to one side, thinking a bit. "...how about this pose?" She leans her front half as far down as possible before letting her hindlegs slide, effectively doing the splits, her whole torso up against the ground. "...d-don't worry if you can't do this...just try to do as close as you can..."

He winces as he looks at her pose. "Yeah... that pose isn't really recommended for most males..." He sets down his front legs and lets his rear one slide outwards, only going about halfway down before they jolt to a halt. His front half shifts as he tries to move them. "Yeah... I can't go any farther that this... and I think I'm gonna have to use magic to push myself over or something to get out of it."

"...really?" She stands up, circling around him. "...you're sure you can't get out of that pose naturally?" She pauses right behind him, ideas forming in her head.

He tries to move, only to have his hooves slide down about two centimeters more. "Yeah, no, I'm stuck." He sticks his tongue out in amused frustration.

She giggles, leaning forward and teasingly nipping his flank. "...okay, then...I guess I'll help you out of that, then..." She moves around to his side, putting her head under his side. "...don't squirm, and this will go smoothly..."

His tail flinches from the nip as he cranes his neck to look at her. "What are you doing back there?"

"...well, at first, I was going to try giving you some pleasure, but this doesn't really seem like the right time for that..." She lifts up, her head pushing up on his belly to get him back on his hooves. "...maybe I should just do the poses, myself...I don't want you getting hurt because of me..."

He bends his legs to ward off the slight tingling from how they were positioned. "Well, I've always been more stiff than flexible anyway. I guess I'm demoted to audience until I get closer to your level."

She sighs, tenderly kissing him. "...it's fine love...I'm just naturally flexible..." She pushes her forehooves off the ground, planting them solidly on the floor. The positioning caused her body to arc upwards, the tight-fitting fabric showing the smooth curve of her body. She widens her stance slightly, her tail swishing underneath her. "...not everypony can do this pose...I believe it's called the 'Bridge'..." She can't see him at the moment as her lower half is currently facing him. "...and this isn't even the full extent of my flexibility..."

His eyes are wide as he takes in the view. It takes him a moment to find his voice. "Please, by all means, feel free to show me..."

She smiles, leaning even further forward and resting on her chest. She hooks her forehooves around her hindlegs, looking up at him from between her own legs. "...what do you think of this? And before you ask, no, this isn't hurting me." She giggles, winking playfully at him.

He raises his eyebrows at her. "Impressive... very impressive..." One of his forehooves lifts a moment before he forcefully puts it back down.

***Sensual section begins***

She smirks slightly, seeing this. She twists herself around so that she's back on all fours before lowering her front half, her tail flagging to reveal the cloth molding perfectly to her soft mound. She looks over her shoulder at him as she shakes her rump, blushing a bit. "...like what you see?"

His head nods as a bit of blood starts diverting to other areas of his body. "Very much so... exquisite..."

She giggles, turning to him and gently kissing him. "...glad to hear that, love...maybe I could do some more of that for you, later..." She winks and heads over to the bed, laying on it, her flanks raised in the air on purpose and her tail still raised. "...right now, I think I'll just relax on the bed..."

His ears fold back in disappointment before a thought occurs to him. He slowly approaches her. "Surely you aren't worn out after just a little bit of stretching..."

She peeks open an eye, looking over her shoulder at him. "...of course not...why do you ask?" She flicks her tail to one side, blushing softly.

He reaches the edge of the bed, absentmindedly licking his lips. "Oh, I don't know... something is just telling me that you might still be up for a bit of exercise... Would I be right?"

She nods, playfully brushing his nose with her tail. "...oh, I would..." She pushes her hindquarters up a bit more, the spandex visibly darker around her mound from her current level of arousal. "...what do you have in mind, love?"

A small bit of sweat appears on his brow. "I... don't know exactly..." He lets out a small growl. "All I know is that I want to do something to you... you sexy, sexy changeling..."

She smirks, giving him a lidded look. "...well, love...I'm all yours..." She puts a hoof on one of her leg warmers, slowly lowering it. "...so maybe I could show you what I have to offer..."

He halts her hoof with his own. "Umm... maybe I can do that?"

She blushes brightly, surprised by this. "...um...s-sure..." She removes her hoof, placing it back on the bed. She flicks her tail, nervously awaiting what he'll do.

He brings his hoof back to the top of her leg warmers. Slowly, he slides one down, inch by inch, until it slips all the way off. He gently repeats the motion with the other, leaving her legs bare to the air. As her tail brushes his nose again, he blushes and rubs the back of his head. "Ok... umm... what to do..."

She takes his hoof in her magic, moving it to her hip and the hem of her shorts under her shirt. She shyly smiles, blushing a bit more. "...d-do what you think is best, love..."

He blushes brightly as his hoof slowly drags the hem down, his magic undoing the snap securing them above her tail. He slides them down off her back and just below her tail. He hesitates at this point, knowing what things would be next to be revealed.

Gel giggles, wiggling her hips teasingly. "...take as much time as you need...or, rather, that you can afford..."

He gulps before speaking. "Well, good thing you woke me up so early then..." His instincts cheering him on, he slowly reveals the prizes underneath the cloth as he drags it down to her ankles. His eyes gaze upon the light blue flesh that is transitioned from the navy carapace on the rest of her body. Two small mounds slightly higher on her belly reveal another anatomical similarity with ponies. "Similar... yet different... exotic..."

She squirms a bit, embarrassed. "...g-glad to hear it...I-I know I'm small..." She sheepishly smiles before turning her head forwards, wincing from her own words.

He tilts his head, confused. "I'm... not sure what you mean by that..."

"...m-my teats..." She lowers her gaze, embarrassed.

He shakes his head, standing up and walking to her side to lightly nip her ear with his teeth. "Teats are teats love, all that matters is that they are yours. Frankly, I think I would be weirded out if it turns out you had cantaloupe-sized teats."

She shivers, looking at him in mild surprise. "...r-really? Y-you don't..." She trails off, gazing into his eyes for a moment before draping a foreleg around his neck, pulling him close and kissing him tenderly.

He kisses her back gently before a few ideas hit him. He suddenly wraps his forelegs around ehr and rolls onto the bed, his momentum carrying her with him to where they end up stomach to stomach, him on top. Careful not to put all his weight on her so as not to hurt her, he lies there continuing to kiss her, his tongue licking her lips for access.

She blushes softly, opening her mouth for him. She wraps her hindlegs around his waist, the shorts dangling off one leg now draped over his back. ...you really are talented with this, love... She giggles, pressing further into the kiss.

As their tongues dance together, he responds. I just try things as I think of them. After making sure they won't hurt you of course. His back half lowers down to a more comfortable level on its knees, pushing their fronts together.

...well, I'm always open to experimentation... She breaks the kiss momentarily, panting softly. "...w-within reason..."

As he raises up on his front legs, leaving his back ones folded on either side of her, he looks down at her. Her mane is spread around her like an aura on the bed, framing her. He smiles softly and lightly presses the tip of his nose to her. "You truly are a goddess, you know that?"

She stares up at him, eyes wide in confusion, blushing brightly. "...w-what do you mean, Rhino? H-how could I be a goddess?"

He smiles down at her. "How does one describe what one sees as perfection?" He kisses her nose. "One thought at a time I suppose..." He kisses her forhead. "Your eyes are pools that I dive into every time i see them, never needing or wanting to come up for air..." He kisses the tip of one ear. "Your mane is like a gentle river, the way you lay now it looks like it's flowing around you..." He kisses her neck. "Your face is one I can't see myself without, and one I hope to see for many years to come..." He kisses the lowest part of her neckline before the shirt covers it. "What can I say to describe it all? Your personality, your charm, your looks, everything is perfect to me... Thus, love, you are a goddess..."

She flushes even more, her cheeks starting to burn from his words and actions. "...t-that's so sweet...t-thank you..." She smiles, gently nipping his neck. "...you're amazing, yourself...m-makes me wish I had your way with words..."

He shifts a little as they lay together. "I would say you have quite a way with actions, so between us, we should be able to make some beautiful things..." He leans towards her ear and whispers. "Do you want the next move?"

Gel looks up at him, her eyes lidded. "...beautiful things, hmm? Does that include..." She leans up and pecks his cheek before whispering back. "...making beautiful music together?" As she says this, a hoof quietly trails down between them, rubbing tiny circles in his fur.

He grins as he nuzzles her neck. "I'm sure both of us could find ways to make the other... sing."

She grins, gently nipping his neck. ...I'd like that... She pauses, thinking to herself for a bit. ...we won't wake the pets, will we? I don't want them interrupting us, as much as I care for them...

They did a good job of insulating this house, works wonders for both temperature and sound. He slowly licks up her neck. They'll only hear quiet muffled noises through the doors and walls, they'll probably sleep right through it. Plus... a flare of his horn and a click of the door occur, the door's locked. They'll be fine.

She shivers, quietly looking up at him. ...o-okay, love...I-I guess I'm yours to do with as you please for the next... She glances at the alarm clock. ...hour and a half...

He continues smiling. I'll be sure to make the most of every second... One of his hooves starts making little circles, similar to her own hoof that lays between them. How to begin the bliss...

Her hoof goes lower before bumping into his pride, and she realizes that he's already excited. "...m-maybe I could...w-we could...try something new..." She goes silent, trying to figure out what would be the best thing to attempt first as her hoof continues stroking his fur, just barely avoiding his sensitive flesh.

His pride pulses a moment from the touch. He leans down and nuzzles her again. "I'm open to ideas... let's see what you have in mind.."

She smirks slightly, her horn lighting up and grabbing his length. ...first, a question...do you want us belly to belly...or to you want to have your belly to my back? She licks the tip of his nose, giggling softly. ...it'll help me to decide...

He hums as he thinks. Well, as instinctual as it is to be on your back, for now, I would rather be looking at your eyes. He licks her nose as she did his.

She nods, wrapping her hindlegs around his waist. ...I hope this is alright with you... She maneuvers his length so that it's between their bodies, the head reaching past her teats with ease. The turgid flesh stays in place, allowing her to release her magical grip on it. ...i-it's the first thing I thought of...

I think it's wonderful, love...Let's see how it feels for you. He moves slowly up and down once, the length of his pride rubbing both her treasure and her teats as it moves. He pauses to observe her reaction.

She bites her lip, stifling a moan even as her back arches from the pleasure. ...t-that feels...amazing... She struggles to keep one eye open, her own mind threatening to blank out.

A pleased growl rumbles in his chest. It does... He leans down to her and he starts to move again. Mind if I make one request? Make as much noise as you want... it turns me on...

She gasps softly, feeling him moving once more. She finally succumbs to the sensation, her eyes squeezing tightly shut as her mind almost shuts off. A low moan escapes her lips, and her hips start to move in time with his.

He echoes her moan with a groan of his own. His strokes up and down her are long and full, almost hilting himself against her teats before withdrawing until they are teased by the tip. As he continues moving, he locks his lips with hers again. His tongue pokes out, asking for its partner.

She instinctively kisses him back, barely having the presence of mind to keep her fangs from poking him. Her moans grow louder, more lustful with every second, every thrust of his hips against hers.

Rhino smiles in his mind as he realizes that he is maintaining his mentality during this session. He pours out love with every movement as he slides over her. He stops supporting himself on his front hooves and instead embraces her with them. This in turn, settles his lower half more fully into her, more pressure now being applied by his pride as it rubs harder onto her.

She clutches onto him with her forehooves, her mouth opening in a silent cry of ecstasy. Her mind finally manages to form a coherent thought, a single word. ...m-more...

Of course, love... His thrusts start to have more power and speed behind them. With every stroke he pulls and pauses a millisecond before thrusting back in, his orbs slapping against her slit.

Gel smiles at him, her eyes gaining their familiar lidded expression, as well as a glazed quality to them. Her hindlegs tighten their grip on his waist, feeling the coil tensing up in her belly. She moans lustfully, grinding herself against his body in an attempt to get him closer to his own release.

He speeds up with every moan she makes, as if they cheer him on. The side of his length is now partially in her slit every time they move, it ensures that it remains slick. As they continue, he makes out with her hungrily, pouring all his passion into it.

She kisses him back just as fervently, not even thinking about it, anymore. She can feel herself right at the peak, her juices soaking their bellies and her flanks now. She pulls away from the kiss to nip his neck, her fangs sinking slightly into the fur. ...R-Rhino...

Gel... His thrusts begin to have a feverish pace, going faster and faster as he approaches his own release. He grips her body tightly as this continues for another blissful minute. Suddenly, he presses deeply into her as he starts to release.

She coos, feeling his release and finally allowing her own wash over her. She sighs blissfully, her eyes drifting shut. ...that feels...amazing...t-thank you, Rhino... She leans up, tenderly kissing him as a hoof moves to his nape, letting her hold him close with ease.

He kisses back, gentle as he was before. Well, you know I wasn't the only part of this. So, thank you too... His length twitches from where it is sandwiched between them. He glances over to the clock and looks back down to her. "Still over an hour before I have to get ready..." He leans down and speaks in a whisper. "So if you're up for it, I don't think we're nearly done..."

She shivers, excited from his words. "...a-absolutely, love...a-after I recover a bit..." She bites her lip, glancing off to the side. "...I-I'm not very...good, stamina-wise...I-I mean..." Her voice trails off before she just covers her face, embarrassed. "...n-never mind..."

***End of sensual section***

He kisses her on the nose. "You're still cute when you're embarrassed... " He rolls over so they are both on the bed, front to front. "Did you want to do anything while we recover?"

She lays quietly for a moment, her eyes focused on his chest. "...m-maybe...I could answer some more questions of yours?" She giggles softly, nuzzling his neck and simply enjoying the fluffiness.

His tail entwines with hers as they cuddle. "Hmm... well, how do changelings reproduce? I mean, you have a queen who is larger than the rest of you, your appearance is insectlike to a degree... does the comparison continue in this regard?"

"...um...n-not exactly..." She sheepishly smiles at him. "...w-while it's true that our queen gives birth to the most changelings...t-there are times when more are needed..." She rubs the back of her neck, unsure. "...w-we are able to reproduce amongst ourselves, but doing so outside of royal decree is taboo..."

"Ah..." He thinks a moment. "So... are you a... queen-born?"

Gel shakes her head. "...n-no, I'm not...I-I was born to a normal nymph and drone...o-outside of royal decree..." She looks down at her hooves, not sure how he'd react to that. "...w-why did you want to know?"

"Mostly curiosity. So the actual birth... is it through eggs like insects, or mammalian birth similar to ponies, or something different entirely?"

She stares at him incredulously. "...eggs? Really?" She shakes her head once more, sighing softly. "...we're born alive, just like ponies...in fact, we have a...really adaptive reproductive system...I-I'm actually quite certain that we could...y-you know...with ponies, gryphons...a-any being with mammalian birth..." She taps her chin, considering that a moment. "...at least, I'm fairly certain..."

He raises an eyebrow. "You can hybridize? Good to know... What do baby changelings look like then? Are they pretty much like baby ponies?"

"...m-maybe...I-I've yet to see a baby pony..." She thinks for a bit before her horn lights up, pulling a fuzzy, yellow-green ball out of the closet. "...are foals that small?"

He blanches. "As a tennis ball? No no, not unless they come out early. More like... two-thirds the size of the average bowling ball." He looks back at the tennis ball. "So tiny... I bet they're cute..."

She giggles, rolling her eyes playfully. "...yeah, they're cute...they'll also nip at their caretakers if they get the chance..." She sighs, looking wistfully at the ball. "...it's how they show they care..."

He chuckles. "I guess that explains all the nipping you do to me..." He thinks for a moment. "Well, you've been answering my questions... do you have any for me?"

She sits in silence for a moment before looking up at him, a flicker of doubt in her eyes. "...d-do you...want a foal of your own?"

He smiles at her. "Of course, probably two or three actually."

She smiles back, clearly nervous. "...w-would you...p-prefer them to be fully-pony?"

His eyes soften, knowing what she is getting at. "I would think it the greatest thing in the world if my foals were a true combination of my love and myself."

Her eyes widen in surprise. "...w-what? E-even if...our bodies have different structures?" She touches his hoof with her own, the blue carapace rubbing against the soft fur. "...I-I don't have bones...o-our child might be...t-troubled, due to this..." She groans quietly, unable to keep herself from thinking negatively about this.

He nods. "I considered that. The ways that two species can combine are almost infinite, but these things can be dealt with. Chances are just as likely that they get benefits from both of us too." He rubs her back. "Hay, they might even combine in ways we don't expect. The fact remains though, they would be ours, purely ours. To me, that's what counts."

She grimaces, ashamed. "...I-I'm sorry...I can't believe I didn't think of that..." She gently nuzzles his neck, sighing softly. "...you're right...our foals would be just that - ours...that's the important thing..." She looks up at him, shyly smiling. "...you always know just what to say, don't you?"

He chuckles, "I try, you know my jokes fail sometimes, but I try very hard to say the right thing. Of course, it's funny that we sit here casually discussing foals without discussing the steps in between." He kisses her. Besides the obvious one anyway.

She blushes softly, gently kissing him back. ...w-what other steps could there be?

He chuckles. Oh, you know the old song: First comes love, then comes marriage, then come the babies in the baby carriage. He sung that last part in his head.

...you really have this planned out, don't you?She giggles, leaning forward and playfully nipping his ear. ...maybe rings could be the way to go...I hear unicorns tend to use those, though I wish it were a bit more personal...

He growls playfully at her, kissing her neck. That's why I want to design it myself. I suppose you're right, we could go the ring route. I'll still need to figure out some sort of symbolism to represent you... something blue obviously but what... I'll have to think on it.

...a symbol...hmm... She closes her eyes, thinking for a minute. ...my first thought would be a flame...but that doesn't sound aesthetically appealing... She sighs, looking over at the closet briefly. ...maybe one of my outfits could give us an idea? Wait, how would that even work? I mean- She cuts herself off, embarrassed. ...n-never mind me...j-just thinking silly thoughts...

You'd be surprised what one can gain inspiration from. he kisses the base of her horn and nuzzles her neck. But we don't need to decide quite now, there are still other steps, plus this is our time, we can always do that when the pets are around.

R-right. She rests her head against his chest, just listening to his heart beat for a bit. ...y-you know, you still have another present from me...w-would you like me to get it?

He thinks before answering. Only if i get to show you my... appreciation... afterwards. He seems to try to shrink slightly after that. Sorry if that's too forward...

...n-no, it's fine... She smiles softly, leaning forward and kissing him briefly. ...I'm glad you're being more forward... She slowly gets up off the bed, pulling her journal close to her. "...where did I hide it at, again?"

Rhino, in the meantime, looks down at the state of himself and the bed. A little messy and damp aptly describes both of them. He shrugs, no big deal if they get messier, they'll all just get clean later. He directs his attention back to the mare, curious what she would have gotten him.

She snaps the book shut, beaming brightly. "Got it!" She approaches the foot of the bed, reaching underneath and pulling out a small jar. "...i-it was kinda hard to find...d-do you like it?" She holds up the container, showing off the dark pink contents.

His eyes widen as he gingerly takes the jar in his magic. He looks up at her, amazed. "How... how did you find this? I've been on the lookout but I hadn't found a place that sold it..." He twists the lid, listening as it pops the airtight seal. He brings a small amount out with magic and plops it into his mouth, instantly breaking into a smile as he enjoys the taste.

"...i-it was simple, really...I-I just ordered it from Canterlot..." She giggles, glad he likes it. "...it took a few days, but it was worth it..."

He takes a few more mouthfuls of the substance before sighing happily and placing it to the side. "How did you even know I liked this?"

"...w-well..." She rubs the back of her neck, embarrassed. "...w-when you bumped into me in Canterlot, you actually had a jar of it with you...i-it fell on the ground, and you scrambled to pick it up..." She clears her throat, moving back onto the bed next to him. "...honestly, I just guessed..." She playfully sticks her tongue out.

He gives her a loving embrace. "Well, that little guess of yours was exactly right. I love strawberry applesauce, it's my favorite snack!" His eyes narrow. "Of course, I'm going to have to reward you appropriately..." He growls seductively. "I hope you're ready..."

She quietly giggles, tenderly nuzzling his cheek. "...I look forward to it, love..."

***Sensual section begins***

He starts by nibbling her neck, moving up and down it as he goes. At the same time, his foreleg has moved to embrace her, making small swirling motions on her back as it curls around her. His tail wraps around hers and pulls it just enough to where they can both feel a slight pull on their tails.

She coos, consciously trying to keep her mind in it, this time. Her gaze falls upon his horn and, with almost no hesitation, she leans forward and licks it, hoping that it was as sensitive as her books led her to believe.

He instantly tenses as he gasps. His whole body seems to contract as his foreleg and tail pull her in as close as possible. With a slightly out of breath voice he asks, "I... well, that was a first..." He seems slightly stunned.

She giggles, kissing the base of his horn. ...I see the books didn't lie... She moves up a bit so she's facing it head-on. ...time to see...what I can do with this...

Unable to move his head, lest he interrupt her, the stallion instead goes to thinking about what he can do with his new position of being eye-level about halfway down her body. He decides to focus on her wings and reaches his hooves around her to slowly massage around their bases.

She squeaks, surprised at his action. ...I-I didn't know those were...that sensitive... She shakes her head before turning back to his spire, tenderly caressing it with her tongue, tracing the spiral groove as she moves further onto it.

He shivers at the contact, unintentionally sending a bit of magic through his horn and letting out a groan as it gets even more sensitive because of that. As he clenches his forelegs, it puts more pressure onto her back.

She quietly moans, only able to reach halfway down his horn before she stops. She wraps her lips around him, slowly bobbing her head along the glowing rod. ...this tastes rather...metallic...is all magic like this?

Ah... I have no idea... I've never done something like that myself... It's not a bad taste is it? He works his hooves around the carapace just around the bases of her folded insectoid wings, barely feeling the muscles beneath.

...not at all... She moves a little faster before pulling off it. She doesn't waste any time, though, licking along the arcane bone as she recovers her breath. ...as a matter of fact...I kind of enjoy it... She pauses her actions to kiss his blunt tip, giggling softly. ...I still prefer your other horn, though...

He blushes from her words and actions as he continues his own work. He moves his hooves carefully around until he gets to a set of mirrored spots just in between the wings basses. As he passes this spot, his hooves suddenly press down from less resistance, as if the muscles here were lower or smaller.

Her wings immediately flare up, and Gel blushes brightly. ...um...I-I meant to do that... She quickly gets back to bobbing along his horn, slowly taking more and more into her mouth in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

Oh really? He tries to use his magic to gently stroke her wings, but the sensations around his horn prove to render that idea impossible. He instead tries to work his hooves on the fragile looking appendages. He gently caresses them along their edges, waiting for her reaction.

She shivers softly, trying to focus on his pleasure. She pauses briefly as the bone bumps the back of her throat, realizing that she only took two thirds of its length. She groans, bobbing faster on him, making sure to stop just before it reaches her throat each time.

He stops playing with her wings, unsure of what else he can really do there. He ponders a moment, trying not to move his head. A smile forms on his face as he has an idea and slowly snakes a hoof down in between them. He directs it to give the lightest of touches to the two mounds slightly lower down on her front.

A squeal escapes her lips around his horn. She arches her back, eagerly pushing her mounds up against his hoof even as she continues to suck and bob on him.

As he obliges, Rhino begins to feel a small buildup in his head. It's not like a headache... but it does remind him of the magical discharges he used to have as a colt. This one feels... different, not destructive. As he teases her mounds with light touches of his hooves, he sends a thought to her. Gel... I think... something's happening with my magic...

She pulls off his horn, panting softly and tenderly licking along its length. ...w-what do you mean, love? She silently wonders if this was covered in her books, happily continuing her ministrations.

I... don't know... it's like before I figured out how to use my magic and I would have surges... but different... He twitches as she licks. I think we'll find out soon enough. He ends his statement with a light flick of one of her nipples.

Gel's body tenses, feeling herself getting closer to her climax. She forces herself to calm down, wanting to give him pleasure before she receives it. She licks and kisses the bone fervently, dragging her tongue over the tip and through the ball of light forming there, hoping that would be enough.

Rhino's eyes cross as he tips over the threshold. His magic surges, but more in a stream than an explosion. A fountain of light and sparks erupts from the tip of his horn and into her mouth. This flow continues for a minute before subsiding. He stays silent for a moment before commenting. "Well, that was interesting..."

She pulls away, licking her lips for a few moments before thinking to him. ...it sure was...tasted like iron...well, before my mouth went numb, at least... She gently kisses his cheek, smiling softly. ...was it...good for you, love?

***End of sensual section***

He rubs his head with a hoof. "A bit odd... I would almost expect to have a headache after that, but it's more like... I don't know... Like the feeling of releasing a lot of magic at once... Mentally tiring, but good." He looks down, idly noticing his pride at attention. "Appears to not do anything physically..." He looks beach up at her and nuzzles her, "which is good, because I noticed you didn't get anything from that and I wanted to ask if you had something else you wanted to try."

She taps her chin, thinking a bit. ...well...not at the moment... She shrugs, glancing off to the side. ...I-I guess I...could entertain one of your fantasies, if you'd like...um... She squirms in his embrace, blushing brightly in embarrassment. ...d-do you have any you'd like me to...act out for you?

He ponders a moment before shrugging. "I've never really put much thought into fantasies of this nature before... but how about this: We started with me on top, then we were both on our side, to round it out, how about you be on top and we see where that leads?"

She blinks in surprise at this, entirely unsure of how to respond. "...ah you shuwe?" She covers her lips quickly, embarrassed by the lisp her numb mouth gave her. ...I mean...are you sure? I-I don't want to...well, y-you know... She averts her eyes as she shyly smiles at him.

He tilts his head. What, give in to the lust or something? We've been going at this for a while now, love. I'm sure it would have happened by now if it was going to.

...but...you haven't been giving off any lust... She sighs, nestling herself up against him, her head up under his chin. ...maybe...it's because you were able to keep your mind focused? I don't know...but I don't want to chance breaking my promise...I-I don't want to forget losing my virginity... She jolts, bumping her head against his chin when she realizes what she just revealed.

Rhino flinches to the side, thankfully avoiding her horn but still getting a nice conk on his chin. He groans as he leans back on the pillow, nursing hsi now aching jaw. ARGH! Son of a- He hisses through his teeth as he mentally cuts himself off. He stays silent for a few moments until he can think straight. He looks at her. So, virgin. I take it that was a secret?

...um...y-yes... She shrinks in on herself a bit, her face a much brighter blue than normal. ...I-I'm a v-virgin...t-technically...

He raises an eyebrow, a bit more blunt than usual from the pain. What's wrong with that? So am I, remember? What do you mean, technically though?

...w-well...I-I've had to...s-seduce...some ponies, before... She rolls over, not wanting him to see her ashamed expression. ...t-though I mostly...g-gave them pleasure...their lust would get to me, and... She groans, quietly, covering her face with her hooves. ...a-anyways, I'm still a virgin...b-because, in my culture, w-we retain that status until...w-well, until we 'do it' as our true selves...

Ah... He ponders this new information, sorting out his thoughts and feelings on it before speaking again. Ok, well, above all, I'm honored that you seem to be planning on saving yourself for me. He uses his hooves to roll her back over and onto him. As for everything else, we've been very good about keeping your lust level under control. I don't really see those other ponies as being with you, because it wasn't you. All the same though, I'm probably going to avoid thinking about that. He kisses her deeply, passionately for a good ten seconds before breaking it and finishing his thought. I only care about you... about us... I think we saved ourselves for the right ones.

Gel looks up at him, eyes glistening with tears as she leans closer to him. ...y-you're right...t-thank you, Rhino... She suddenly moves to the side, playfully nipping his ear. ...you'll have to wait until tonight for more...I'm afraid that I can't think of anything that would fit in the time we have left...but don't worry... She kisses him deeply, teasingly grinding her hips against one of his hindlegs. ...I'll make it worth the wait...after all, it's your birthday, isn't it?

He growls lightly at her with a smile on his face as his length twitches from her grinding. Happy Twenty-Second Birthday to me... He wraps his forelegs around her. I'm at least getting cuddle time out of this.

Chapter 28: Birthday Meal

Another satisfied table and another dozen-bit tip. Gel sighs softly to herself, straightening out her maid outfit before moving on to her next group. That family sure was nice. I don't know why they brought the filly here, though... She shrugs a bit. Oh, well, if they think it's fine, who am I to judge? For now, I think I should be more concerned with my gift for Rhino...maybe I can convince him to do some more roleplaying with me...maybe I can get him to wear his white coat... She stumbles, squeaking as she falls onto the floor outside the private booth. ...m-maybe I should focus back on work... She quickly stands up and knocks politely.

One of the stallions, a brown unicorn, winks at the waitress. "A round of hard ciders for me and my buddies here, and keep them coming!" As the other stallions cheer, he gives Gel a lewd smile before tugging one of her socks partially down and laughing with the others.

She quickly pulls the sock back up as she writes it down. "...I-I'll get right on it..." Honestly, I'd cut you off right now, but I'm not in charge of that... She leaves the room and heads over to the drink mare, sighing softly and giving her the slip of paper.

As the gushing of the tap starts to sound she leans against the wall, looking out to the restaurant. As she is looking, the front door opens and three ponies stroll in. Not just any three ponies though, the familiar forms of Rhino, Manila, and Doctor Goodall are the ones arriving. The mares are smiling and leading the stallion into the restaurant and to the hostess.

Gel smiles to herself, seeing her coltfriend at her workplace. ...I suppose it was about time for you to see where I work, love... She giggles, shaking her head.

His ears flick from the unexpected voice in his head. He turns and spots her, giving a bright smile. I didn't expect this to be the place the girls treated me to. The uniforms are a giveaway though. Here's hoping you get to serve us. He winks in her direction just before he follows the rest of his group to a booth.

She blushes softly before looking at the booth, a small pout on her lips. ...phoo. I'm not your server, today...my boss is... She turns to the drink mare, taking the beverages and heading over to the private booth. And here I was hoping I could chat with you and your coworkers a bit... She knocks and waits for an answer.

Before the group of stallions answer, he sends one last message to her. Well, we can still talk, it'll just probably be really distracting for both of us considering we'll have ponies already talking to us.

As her coltfriend's statements ends, the door to the private booth opens and Gel is greeted by wolf-whistles, cat-calls, and lewd eyeing. The stallion from before addresses her again after chugging half of his cider. "About time, you were gone for minutes! Bring us back a table's worth of hay fries and then why don't you join us? You can have a seat, right here!" He pats his crotch.

Meanwhile, Silk has arrived at Rhino's table and has introduced herself. Recognizing the stallion, she gives him a flutter of her eyelashes, which he seems to not notice. She pouts for a moment before cheering up and continuing. "So, what can I get all of you to drink?" Rhino orders milk, Manila gets pink lemonade, and Doctor Goodall has tea. The yellow mare writes all this down and addresses the stallion, who is sitting on the edge of the booth seat. "I'll be right back~." She winks and flicks her tail as she walks off.

Back at the booth, Gel stares at the stallion in shock, her mind trying to come to terms with what was said. ...did...did I hear that correctly? She snaps out of her daze, smiling sheepishly at them. "...um...I-I'll be right back with your food..." She rushes out the door, blushing brightly. She shakes her head before writing the order down and hurrying off to the kitchen.

Inside the booth, the unicorn narrows his eyes before turning to his friends, smirking slyly. "Yeah, she wants some of this." He bellows out in laughter, slamming a hoof against the table. "Get ready to pay up!"

Another of the group, a sky-blue earth pony, beams hopefully at him. "Mind sharing her with us?"

The brown unicorn snorts, glaring at him. "No way in Tartarus! I'm gonna pop that mare's cherry, and I don't want any of you trying to horn in on my action!"

At the table across the restaurant, Manila looks at Rhino with a smile. "See? I told you they were friendly here! You're just lucky they don't do birthday songs or I would have you so red from embarrassment!"

The other mare nods. "My sister's right, though I do have one question: How come you aren't already red just from their outfits? Was my first impression of your wrong?"

Rhino shakes his head. "You're more right than you know, but having a marefriend who works here and wears the uniform tends to give a pony a tolerance for it." He looks between the two of them. "Thanks again for treating me to this little surprise lunch you two."

The two mares simply giggle as Silk returns with the drinks. "Alright, here are your drinks." She looks pointedly at the stallion. "So, do you see anything you like?"

He looks down at the menu. "Umm, yes actually, can I have the tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich?"

She writes down the order. "You can have anything you want, I assure you." Her wings ruffle as she turns to the others to take their orders.

Gel sees her boss heading over to her and gives a small smile. "...how are you doing, Silk?" ...that's...a lot of love hanging around her...huh...

The yellow mare puts a hoof to her chin before answering with a slightly forced smile. "Optimistic, testing the waters to see if I can get a ship sailing." She giggles. "I do like a challenge."

The white mare tilts her head to one side, curious. ...what could she mean by that? "...i-if you say so..." She notices the food for the booth is done. She carefully takes the large plate of hay fries, nodding to her friend. "...I-I should head off, now...g-good luck?"

Silk returns to waiting for her own food order, a smile and distant look on her face. "You too, hon~!"

She giggles softly before heading over to the private booth. Knocking, she hears someone say to enter and does so.

The brown pony grins at her, waiting for her to put the fries on the table before speaking again. "Thanks, doll." As his friends dig in, he motions her closer, patting a hoof on his lap. "Care to join us?"

She blushes brightly, glancing around for an excuse to avoid that. "...um...I-I'm not sure I should...I-I have other tables to take care of..."

He shrugs, leaning back against the seat in an unattached manner. "No problem. Just be sure to come back soon, alright?"

Gel shakily nods before carefully backing out of the room and closing the door. Once she has, she shivers. ...that was...rather odd...

The stallion turns to his friends, noticing the smirks on their faces in spite of his inebriation. "What?"

The blue one speaks up again, shaking his head. "You're freaking her out. There's no way she's gonna leave with you!"

He growls, glaring at the earth pony. "You want to see how much she wants me? Fine. I'll get her to give me a direct answer when she returns." He chuckles, turning his gaze to the door. "You'll see..."

Meanwhile, Gel arrives at a table near Rhino's, looking as if she was checking for a tip. ...so, are things satisfactory, love?

He looks out over the restaurant to excuse himself from speaking to the two mares he is with. Friendly staff, good atmosphere, excellent company both physically and mentally... yes, I'd say things are going very well for us. Is the same true for you?

She pauses in her 'search', a salt shaker held in her magical aura. ...well...I just got hit on...but he seemed to back off...

Rhino instantly tenses, his eyes narrowing slightly. Was he respectful?

...he seemed like it, I guess? She continues straightening up the table, unsure. He did ask me to come back soon...I suppose he might want something else to eat...

The stallion takes a sip of his drink to distract himself. The dozens of spidery cracks in his glass afterward from his magical grip show that it didn't work. His mental voice becomes forced. Yes... I'm sure that's what he meant... let me know if there's trouble...

...um...o-okay, then... She walks away, somewhat worried by his behavior. She dismisses that thought for the moment as she heads over to a group that was about to leave.

The other two mares in Rhino's group notice his glass as he sets it down. Manila asks the question. "Rhino, what happened to your glass?!"

He looks down and notices it for the first time. "Oh... I guess I just put too much pressure on it while I was thinking..."

Mane responds. "What, watching some other stallion hit on your marefriend as she waits on them?" The look on his face takes the wind out of her sails. "Oh... well, I'm sure it'll be fine. You need to relax and be happy, this day only comes once a year after all!"

He closes his eyes for a moment before coming up with a small smile. "I suppose you're right... maybe I'm just being paranoid..." A sideways look back at where he had seen Gel betrays his lingering thoughts.

She arrives back at the private booth, silently dreading what might await her on the other side. Hesitant, the disguised changeling knocks on the door before entering.

As she does, every eye turns to her. She squirms, rather uncomfortable from this. She glances at the half-full plates before sheepishly smiling. "I-I guess you're not done yet. I'll be back later, then." She turns to leave...

...only to run into the door. She falls on her rump, gingerly holding her snout. ...oh...I hope I'm not bleeding...

Glancing over her shoulder, she realizes the brown pony has approached her, a lecherous grin on his lips. "You can stop making excuses, gorgeous. I know you want me."

She trembles, trying to back away from him. "N-no I don't. P-please, m-maybe you should lie down for a bit? L-let the alcohol wear off?"

He shakes his head, following her to the corner she was backing into. "Stop lying to yourself." He places a hoof on her cheek, leaning in. "No mare can resist the Hammer." With that, he nips at her neck.

Gel whimpers, unable to move while fighting off the sheer amount of lust coming off this stallion. What made it worse for her were the other three ponies watching without making a move to help.

In a desperate move, she reaches her mind out to her love. R-Rhino...h-help...

The green stallion acts immediately. In an instant, he teleports to the space just in front of the door to the booth he had seen her go in. Emotion outweighing control, he grips the door and rips it open, tearing off one of the hinges in the process. As he sees the other pony nipping at Gel neck as she whimpers, the blue stripe in his mane and tail turn blood red as he shouts. "Get away from her!" He grabs the brown pony's arm in his magic, wrenching it away at an unnatural angle, causing him to cry out in pain. As the stallion holds his hoof, Rhino moves protectively in front of the mare, his eyes constantly going between the other ponies, his protectiveness at its highest level.

He glares up at him, annoyed. "What the fuck?! You almost broke my foreleg!" Before he can say anything else, he notices the white mare clinging to the taller pony's barrel. He snorts, turning to the broken door as he mutters to himself. "Just perfect. I had to pick the day her brother was eating here."

Gel, meanwhile, is on the brink of tears. ...R-Rhino...t-thank you...I-I didn't k-know what to do...h-he reeks of...a-alcohol and lust...i-it was almost too much...

Rhino turns so one of his eyes can see her. As soon as he does, his heart twinges from seeing her so scared, and he turns back to the other pony even angrier than before. His voice, whether mental or physical, is deep and sounds almost like a growl with every word. I will protect you... His horn light sup as his aura yanks the brown pony back towards them. "Apologize."

He huffs, staring defiantly at the pony, too buzzed to be scared. "What for? She was asking for a piece of me, being all flirty like that!"

She holds Rhino even tighter, frantically shaking her head. N-no, I wasn't! I-I was just being polite!

The blue pony raises a gangly foreleg, confusion clear on his face. "Does this mean you lose the bet, Hammer?"

He spins around, scowling at the pony. "Shut up, Frost!"

A growl forms in Rhino's throat. "Bet..." His eyes narrow at the stallion. "Vermin..." His magic yanks the pony's head back around to face him, likely giving him a small case of whiplash in the process. "I don't care about whatever excuses you have. Apologize to my marefriend, or the red sauce covering your friend's hay fries won't be ketchup."

He takes a moment to recover from the room spinning before sneering, moving to walk around the taller stallion. "Big words from a psycho. You hurt me here, especially after gathering so much attention," he nods to the majority of the restaurant outside, most of whom are craning their necks to watch, "and you'll be sent to jail. Besides..."

Gel looks up, realizing that his gaze had fallen on her.

He chortles, shaking his head. "She's obviously not much of an Angel if she's working here. So just back off, cunt." He walks through the doorway, certain that he'd won.

He was sadly mistaken. Before he could get all the way out of the booth, the mare grabbed his tail and yanked him back in, a fire in her eyes. "You do not speak like that to him! I swear to Luna herself, if I hear another snide remark or stupid retort out of you, I will personally roast your flank until it looks like two ugly lumps of coal I wouldn’t even want in my furnace!" She holds up a hoof, a will-o-wisp appearing above it. "Have I made myself clear?"

The brown pony gulps, shrinking in on himself, frightened by the sudden personality change in the mare. "C-crystal."

She smiles brightly and nods. "I'm glad! Now, be a good pony and pay for your food, please." She puts a hoof on her chin. "Did you want any dessert?"

He shakes his head.

She shrugs, giggling quietly. "Suit yourself." She exits the private booth, thinking to herself. ...I should get an apple...might help calm me down...

Rhino gives the stallions in the booth a final parting warning look before following the mare. Well, that was all kinds of unpleasant. Good job back there though. He nuzzles her affectionately as his stripes turn blue once more.

...well, that’s the benefits of being an ex-drill sergeant...but what I’m curious about... She looks up, staring pointedly at his mane. ...was why your mane and tail suddenly changed like that...

He looks out to the rest of the place, starting to feel a bit self-conscious. A conversation for later perhaps... want to come back to my table? I think we could both use a moment to collect ourselves.

She thinks for a moment before nodding, smiling softly at him. ...I’d enjoy that... She glances at the mares at his table, worried. ...they won’t be scared by what I said, right? I-I mean, I don’t know if they heard me, but still...

Rhino looks at the sisters. I don’t think they heard exactly what was said, but they probably had a pretty good view of the reactions... it should be fine...

Mane and Mania scoot over to make room for the couple, waiting a moment for the restaurant to rise back to its usual sound level before speaking. Manila, as usual, is the one to speak her mind first. “Are you two alright? That didn’t look like it was any fun for anypony...”

“W-we’re fine...” She tenderly nuzzles her stallion’s cheek, blushing brightly. “...thanks to Rhino...i-if he didn’t step in, I don’t know what would’ve happened...”

A low growl comes from the stallion as he envisions exactly that, but the timely arrival of Silk interrupts those dark thoughts.

Her eyes widen in surprise as she sees Gel. “Angel? Are you taking a break?”

The white mare squirms slightly, uncomfortable. “...um...n-not exactly...y-you see...I...” She glances around the room, trying to figure out a good way to word what happened. ...I-I can’t just let her know that...can I? She turns her gaze to her hooves, going silent.

The pegasus looks at her strangely before shaking her head and muttering. “I’m sure you’ll tell me later.” She turns to the other three. “Here are your orders~!” She tilts her wings forward so that the plates balanced on them slide easily onto the table before turning her flank towards Rhino and flicking it at him so that his bowl and plate skip off it and in front of him. “Hope you enjoy it!” She turns around, fluttering her eyelashes. “Anything else you want, anything at all?”

Gel looks up, her eyes moving between the pegasus and her stallion. She tilts her head to one side, giving her a confused expression. “...Silk? A-are you...h-hitting on Rhino?”

The mare gives her a ‘duh’ expression. “Well, at least one of you noticed... I swear he doesn’t react to any hints!”

Her eyes narrow dangerously, ire welling up in her once more. “...oh really? So he’s the one you have your eyes on?” She tenses, trying to keep herself under control.

The sisters and stallion hold their silence as the two mares converse. Silk nods at Gel. “Yep, this is the one! Quite a catch, too! At least, if I actually manage to catch him.”

Gel’s fur bristles at this. She quickly puts on a sickly-sweet smile, her voice taking a purposely melodic tone. “Sorry, but he’s actually taken!” She gives a small pout, looking up at her friend. “Didn’t you know?”

Behind the pegasus, some of the other maids are rapidly talking before sending one of their group to their boss. As the waitress approaches, Silk continues the conversation, a surprised look on her face. “What? By who?!”

The white mare wraps her forelegs around one of Rhino’s, giggling brightly. “By me, to be honest. We’ve been together for...” She trails off and turns to him, blushing brightly. “...h-how long has it been, again?”

He nuzzles her. “So much has happened... but I think it’s been about two weeks now."

Gel nods, directing her attention back to the pegasus. "...a-about two weeks. Like he said."

Silk's eyes widen as she silently stares at the couple. The maid who was walking over arrives and taps the boss on the shoulder. She whispers into her ear and gestures towards the private booths. The pegasus' eyes narrow as she continues looking at the two ponies.

The smaller unicorn shifts in her seat, nervous. "...i-is something wrong, Silk?" W-why do I have a bad feeling about this?

The yellow mare straightens herself up, sniffing before looking at the disguised changeling. "Miss Grace, for damages to property and threatened damage to customers, your employment with us is terminated, effective immediately. The uniform is yours to keep." She whips out a pad and scribbles into it before laying it on the table and addressing the earth pony mares. "This is your bill, the hostess will take care of it when you're ready." She marches off with the other mare in tow.

She stares at the paper for a moment, her mind shutting down. Briefly, almost a flicker of a thought crosses her mind. ...fired?

The weight of all that happened to her in the last five minutes suddenly comes down on her. Growling angrily, she rushes after her former boss, grabbing her shoulder and whipping her around, snout-to-snout and a fire in her eyes. "...you're firing me...because a stallion tried to rape me, and my coltfriend broke the locked door down to rescue me?" A lick of blue flame appears at the top of her head, hardly able to contain her fury. "How the fuck is that fair?! Oh, I'll pay the damages!" She tosses down a bag full of bits at the other mare's hooves. "I got plenty of bits from tips, and a whole mess more at home! I just can't believe you're letting a case of broken-heart syndrome destroy our friendship!" She huffs and turns away, heading back to her table. "And to think, I considered you a decent pony. I guess you proved me wrong."

As Gel arrives back at the table, almost literally fuming, Rhino looks at her with a surprised face. As the mare mutters, the stallion looks over to the pegasus with an apologetic face, mouthing 'I'm sorry.' She takes this rather well, smiling brightly at him before continuing on her way.

***

Gel quietly enters the house. She trudges to the living room, collapsing onto the couch. She doesn't make any attempt to move so her face isn't pressed into the seat cushion.

Rhino sets his bag in its usual corner, hanging up his lab coat on the coat rack by the door. He walks ver to the couch and settles on one of the arms, rubbing a hoof on the disguised changeling's back in a soothing manner. He debates making a remark, but decides that this is one of those times where it would be best to follow his reflex to be silent until she speaks.

She shudders as he touches her, whimpering. ...I-I can't believe...I-I just lost my only friend... She turns her head to one side, revealing the wet trail down her cheek. ...w-was I...w-wrong to lash out like that?

He chooses his words carefully. Reactions were... understandable for all those involved... He thinks back on how Silk had been acting. She may have acted like that... but her feelings were genuine... and heartache can make ponies lash out. This is true for both friends and crushes... She technically did have the grounds to fire you... especially after your outburst... but your actions were not unwarranted... He finally can't take seeing her like this anymore and scoops her up into a sitting hug with her back to his stomach. It'll be fine... we'll get through this...

She sniffles, trying her best to calm down. ...I-I guess you're right...like always... She bitterly chuckles, shaking her head. ...I'm sorry your birthday turned out like this, love...

He nuzzles her from his position behind her. It's just a day, there are good ones and bad ones. It's just snuck up on me some years anyway, gone before I knew it. It usually ended up being more about the days all around my birthday anyway. Even with all this... I can still see this day ending happily...

Gel blinks, turning to look at him in confusion. ...w-what do you mean by that? H-how do you see this day...having a happy ending?

He stays silent before letting a line project to her from his head. You... He starts humming a tune, a beat of about-walking speed. His sounds lift and fall as if telling a story until he gets to the part he wanted. He opens his mouth and sings.

"My wish for you
Is that this life becomes all that you want it to
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small
You never need to carry more than you can hold

And while you're out there gettin' where you're gettin' to
I hope you know somebody loves you
And wants the same things too
Yeah, this is my wish”

She smiles softly, turning herself over in his embrace and gently kissing him. "...how'd you know one of my favorite songs, love?"

He kisses her backs softly. "I just always liked that song... and I thought it would help in this situation. Just so you know though... I don't sing for just anypony... in fact, you're the first pony to hear me sing besides those who manage to hear me hum a few words to myself."

She giggles, tenderly nuzzling his cheek. "...thank you for that honor...though, honestly, I think you sing rather well..." She closes her eyes, letting herself get lost in the warmth of his fur. ...it may not be the best I've heard, but it's still pretty good...

As long as it helped... it was perfect. He slides down into a prone position on his back so that he's more comfortable. She ends up on his chest. He lets out a sigh and kisses the tip of her nose. Certainly an eventful day...

...I wish it could be more eventful... She playfully winks before becoming somber. ...sadly, I...kinda lost the mood to do that back at the restaurant... She stays silent for a moment before looking down at his face, a hopeful gleam in her eyes. "...can we just...sleep down here, for tonight? Please?"

He smiles. "You know I can't resist that face... we could probably use an early night anyway after our early morning. We just need a few things..." He whistles towards the stairs and the sounds of stampeding little feet approach before the three pets scamper into view and immediately glomp the two ponies.

Gel giggles, feeling the soft fur of her favorite feline brush against the center of her back. ...it seems like our little princess has claimed the top spot... She shakes her head before resting it underneath his chin. ...see you in our dream, love...

Chapter 29: Job Hunting

Gel slowly enters the kitchen, grumbling quietly to herself. ...need...apple juice... She opens the fridge, rummaging through it in search of her favorite drink. Not seeing it in the front, she leans in further, half her body in the fridge as she attempts to peer behind the rows of milk jugs.

A barely coherent voice echoes through her head. Gel? Where... where did you go?

I'm in the kitchen... She yawns quietly, blinking her bleary eyes in an attempt to clear her vision.

It takes a good ten seconds of silence before he responds. If you're looking for your juice... I moved it to the door so you wouldn't have to dig for it... Will you come back to the couch? His mental tone has a slight pleading voice to it at the end.

She blushes brightly, embarrassed. ...oh...um...s-sure... She starts to pull herself out of the fridge, but gets jammed between the milk and the top of the fridge. ...um...I-I think I'm stuck...R-Rhino?

He sighs. One second, let me get Mercury off my nose... After a moment he walks into the kitchen to see her backside hanging out of the fridge. I... don't even know how you managed to do that... He walks up behind her and starts chuckling at the situation. Seriously, the first thing you do this morning is get stuck in the fridge? He laughs out loud as he sticks his own face into the fridge to see what she is stuck on.

...I don't even know... She pushes against the back of the cooling device and finally gets herself out with a large amount of force. The momentum causes her to fall back against the table, making the furniture flip over on top of her. ...it's like today's just not my day...

Rhino shakes his head before lifting the table off her and setting it where it was. He walks over and sits down, using his lap as a pillow for her head. Want me to kiss it better?

She blushes brightly, looking up at him. I-I'd like that...

He leans down to kiss her forehead.

She quickly tilts her head up, capturing his lips with her own. ...you're right, love...I needed that... She giggles softly, tenderly nuzzling his cheek.

He smiles, giving her neck a small lick of affection. You seem to be awake now... I take it more couch time is out of the question?

Gel blinks, thinking about this a bit. ...I'd say no...but I needed to be up, anyways... She sighs quietly as she gets back up on all fours, her horn lighting up subtly. ...I need to get a job...I mean, I could live off the bits I still have, but...I want to keep them in case of emergency...oh, by the way... She looks to the kitchen doorway, as a small bag of bits floats in. ...half the rent, right? She drops it on the table. That should cover it.

He doesn't make a move to take the bits. Good job remembering... but... he nudges the bag of bits away, that was the agreement for a roommate. Things have changed now... I'm not comfortable asking my significant other for bits. He looks at her. "I understand if you want to find a new job, but don't force yourself into one you hate."

She frowns softly. "...but...I-I want to make a contribution..." She rubs the back of her neck, her gaze falling to her hooves. "...I-I have so many bits...please..." She nudges the bag back over. "...think of it as...a late birthday present...and a thank you gift, all in one..." She looks up at him, a small smile on her lips. "...sound fair?"

He has a small frown as he sighs and takes the bag. "I'm still not comfortable with this... but, I don't want to see you down if I don't do it. You already gave me a wonderful birthday and I have no idea what you would be thanking me for. I'll just put this in the funds and try not to think about it too much, it sits easier on my mind that way."

She gently kisses his cheek, giggling a bit. "...thank you, love...I think I should go, now..." She winks, heading towards the door. "...a job isn't going to find me, right?"

He smiles as he waves to her. "Good luck!" As she leaves, he sighs as look down at the three pets that have come in and are all looking up at him with big eyes. "Alright, alright, looks like all of you get a day with Dad."

Gel arrives at her first stop, staring up at the fancy building in front of her. ...here goes nothing... She clears her throat and knocks on the door, putting on her best friendly smile - not too small, not too overwhelming. ...it's not a bad thing to arrive ten minutes before she opens, is it? She thinks for a bit, confused. ...I should've practiced a bit...

She hears a voice approaching the door. "Now who could that be this early in the morning..." The door opens to reveal the alabaster fashionista. Her eyes focus on Gel a moment before she smiles. "Miss Angel, you're a little early, but do please come in and I'm sure I can help you."

"T-thank you, Miss Rarity." She follows her inside, glancing around curiously. ...it doesn't seem any different from when I described it in my book...well, aside from a few new dresses and a few more sales, obviously...

Rarity seems to debate flipping her sign to open, but chooses not to for the moment. She turns to the other white unicorn and smiles. "So dear, to what do I owe the pleasure of this little visit? Another dress fitting, a potential purchase, maybe just small talk?"

She flinches, her attention snapping back to the white mare. "...a-actually, I wanted to ask you something." She smiles softly, tilting her head to one side. "Are you...currently hiring?"

The dressmaker tilts her head to one side. "Hiring? Oh dear... ummm, well, I suppose I've always run the shop by myself..." She looks to one side, muttering to herself as looks at a stack of papers. "Business has been good lately... I could maybe use a helping hoof..." She turns back to the mare. "I could maybe use help with a few things."

"That would be great!" Gel blushes bright pink, averting her eyes in embarrassment. "...um...s-sorry about that...w-what would you like help with, Miss Rarity?"

She looks at the clock. "Well, since I open in a few minutes, while I finish setting up, can you do me a favor and sort out those order forms?" She points to the stack of papers. "Just filter them into separate stacks by article of clothing so that I can get through them easier when I get into the zone." Rarity's horn begins to glow as she shifts the dress models to the display windows while organizing the others in a particular way.

The blonde pony nods, smiling brightly. "...I think I can do that..." She heads over to the stack, quickly picking them up and glancing over each one of them. Got it. Three orders for dresses, two for capes, seven for socks and one for a...coll..ar...I'm gonna pretend I didn't see that... In a blur of magical speed, the papers fly into four stacks. She quietly giggles, nodding to herself. Score one for memory.

Rarity looks over and sees the papers done as she flips the sign to open. "Excellent work, darling." She looks around the shop a moment before looking to Gel with a serious face. "Now, your next assignment may seem... well... unusual. However, I assure you it is very important. I need you to find my cat, Opalescence. You don't need to bring her here or disturb her in any way because she is very picky who she takes to, I simply need to know where she is." She lets out a ladylike cough. "It's a precaution that has started serving me well."

She blinks at this but slowly nods. "...okay...m-may I ask what she looks like, first?"

The alabaster mare realizes she forgot to include that tidbit. "Oh, silly me, she's a white persian cat with a bow in her hair."

"T-thank you. I-I'll look for her now." She sheepishly smiles and rushes off, trying to find the feline. Shouldn't be too hard, right? I just have to locate a cat and report that info to Rarity... She slows down as her thoughts trail off, realizing something. ...this is exactly the thing I did for my hive. Huh.

She searches room to room in both the shop and living areas of the building. She makes attempts to call the cat's name, but feels foolish after the dozenth time. Finally, on a whim, she checks the laundry room. There laying on top of a basket of clothes fresh from the dryer as most cats will do, is her quarry. The cat looks up at the new mare with an indifferent look before settling down back into the designer fabrics.

Target acquired. She stops, tilting her head to one side. ...why did I phrase it like that? She's just a cat... She thinks about it for a bit and shrugs, heading off to find the other white mare.

As she re-enters the main shop, Gel quickly has to duck a tape measure as it flies around the room. Rarity is humming to herself as sewing instruments of all kinds float around the room while a dress forms on the mannequin in front of her. She seems to have entered her 'zone' as she called it.

She stares at this a moment, worried. ...how do I get my message to her? It's not like I can just give my psychic link to her...I don't even know how to do that, with ponies... She puts her hoof to her chin, a small smile coming to her face. ...maybe I could float a note over to her. That way, I don't have to worry about being hit! She quickly locates a scrap of paper and a pencil, both from her journal supplies, and, writing down her message, carefully levitates it to the busy mare. ...she'll see it, right?

As the single object covered by another unicorn's aura floats in front of her, Rarity stops and looks at it curiously. She glances quickly back to Gel. "Thank you Darling, now quickly, before I lose my inspiration, fetch me the Sunset Orange velvet from the closet there, would you?" She points to the closet off the main shop before resuming her work.

Gel beams, heading off to the closet. Sunset orange. I think I know that color... She opens the door and stops cold, jaw agape in shock. ...t-that's...a lot of orange... She stares at the pile, looking up at the numerous colors of fabric. ...why are they all on the bottom? She sighs, carefully examining the labels on each of them. ...sherbert...sienna...ah! Sunset! She gleefully pulls it out and turns to the other mare, re-examining it in the light. ...that's strange...I thought bolts were rectangular, not spherical...wait, what's that rumbling sound?

The rumbling sound, as it turns out, is the sound of almost all the stacked orange cloth balls shifting at once. A single fluffy ball falls to the ground in front of the mare before they all practically leap toward her because of the upset of balance. She doesn't even have time to scream as she is soon buried in orange and carried along in the center of the shop. The flood of fabric soon overtakes the unsuspecting fashionista as well, sweeping her hooves out from under her as she shrieks. The wave takes out the dress she had been working on and only finally stops its rampage as it hits the far wall.

She pokes her head up above the tide of tangerine, sheepishly holding up the sunset sphere. "...um...h-here you go, Miss Rarity?"

Rarity looks up at the ceiling, unsure whether she wants to shout or cry. She stays silent for a moment before sniffing and saying quietly. "Miss Angel, it appears I was too hasty in hiring an assistant. This is causing... a bit too many flashbacks of some of my younger sister's attempts to... help me. If you would, please show yourself the door while I compose myself. I still welcome you as a customer and delightful conversationalist, but I think I'm going to go back to working on my own..."

Her ears fold back against her head, but she nods, politely smiling at her. "...I understand...t-thank you for the opportunity, though..." She quietly wades through the balls and, opening the top half of the door, slips outside, leaving the fashionista alone in her sea of orange.

***

Gel arrives at the tree-house, staring up at it once more. ...here it is...Golden Oaks Library... Her eyes drift to the side, and she furrows her brow in confusion. ...do they realize they have a bee's nest attached to their home?

She shakes her head, dismissing that thought while stepping forward. Why bother them with it? It's obviously not a problem, if it's been there for so long without an incident... She raises a hoof and knocks on the door, a small smile forming on her lips. ...I hope I'm correct about who's going to answer...

The rhythmic clicking of nails on wood floor premeditates it being opened by the small familiar draconic form. He instantly brightens up upon seeing her. "HeyAngel! I was wondering when you were going to come by again!" He stands back to let her inside with a wave of his claw.

She smiles brightly, giving him a quick hug before stepping inside. ...how do I go about this? She takes a deep breath before turning to him, her smile now nervous. "...s-so, Spike...h-how's it been?"

He shrugs as he closes the door. "Meh, it's living with Twilight. It's full of schedules, mental stimulation, and literacy. Although I have been slowly convincing her to give me time off some days, so that's a good thing."

She nods. "...always good to have some time to yourself..." A thought occurs to her, making her visibly brighten up. That's it! "...maybe I could...help you get even more time off?" She clears her throat. "You see, I'm looking for a job...I was thinking I might be able to have one here...i-if that's alright, I mean..."

Spike crosses his arms in thought for a minute before nodding. "Ok, that last time we got a new assistant was a bit bumpy, but I like having him around now. Plus, this will really help me to be able to get out of the house." He turns to go upstairs but turns to look at her as he reaches the first step. "One second, let me just go put in a good word with Twilight."

A short time later and the two unicorns are heading down the basement stairs. Twilight chats as they go. "I must admit, I never really gave much thought to hiring another pony to help out around here." She laughs a moment. "Spike did make a compelling case for you though, how did you manage to convince him?"

She shrugs, keeping her eyes on her hooves so she doesn't accidentally trip. Definitely don't want a repeat of this morning... "...I figured he could use some more time to himself...and I decided to help him out...after all, what are friends for?"

Twilight nods happily. "Exactly, friends help each other out!" They reach the landing overlooking the basement as Twilight turns to the 'adult literature' closet. "Now, for your first assignment, you remember this closet. Well, we just got a few books back..." she levitates them out of her bag, "...and this section needed to be reorganized anyway." She opens the door. "Just sort them by author, alphabetically, then by pairings."

"...author, alphabetically, then by pairings...I think I can do that..." She nods before remembering something. "Oh! That's right!" She pulls a couple of books out of her bag, sheepishly smiling. "I-I was going to return these yesterday...b-but I forgot about it..."

Twilight tilts her head to look at the books before her horn lights up and what appears to be a 'mobile librarian's kit' floats out of her bag. She scribbles on a few pieces of parchment and stamps the book before floating it back over to the mare. "There you are, all set! Let me know when you're done and if you want to take out any more!" Twilight unlocks the door to the closet and heads back up the stairs.

"Will do!" She waltzes into the room, staring at all the books. ...let's see... Her horn lights up and half of the books fly off the shelves and into the air around her. ...'Making Sweet Music'? That should go under pony with pony...'Hands of Fate'? I've never heard of that, before... She flips open the book to read the description on the inside of the dusty jacket. ...oh...wait, what's a siren?

In short order, she quickly sort through all the books, putting them in the proper order. ...well...that was easy...and I still have time left over... She puts a hoof to her chin before stepping out of the room. ...maybe I should ask Twilight if- hey, what's that? She quickly heads down the stairs to the basement, curious about the glimmer she saw.

Among the various machines of unknown uses and origins strewn about the floor, one relatively small one rests on the center table with bits and pieces around it. It is a simple-looking thing from the outside, pretty much a metal box with a few controls on it, topped with a glass dome containing a green gem.

She tilts her head, approaching the device and poking it with a hoof. "...what is this thing?"

As she touches it, the gem starts to glow brightly. A small siren starts to go off from the box, echoing through the room.

Gel claps her hooves over her ears, falling over in pain. "Make it stop! Make it stop!"

The sound of running hooves comes from the stairs before a single click shuts off the sound. Gel Feels herself being lifted back onto her hooves with magic. "Sorry sorry sorry, I didn't realize I left that on!"

She groans softly, shaking her head in an attempt to get rid of the ringing. "...w-what was that?"

Twilight blushes and smiles sheepishly. "It's... Well... It's just a little... changeling detector I've been working on... It still has a few kinks though, it goes off at almost everything right now, sorry again..."

If the white mare could pale, she would've at those words. A-a changeling detector? I need to report that r- She cuts that thought off, realizing something. ...oh, right. I decided that I'm staying here...I should probably mention this to Rhino, though... She refocuses on the other mare, sheepishly smiling. "...s-sorry, I just realized I can't work here because...I'm allergic to oak trees! If I rub up against it, I break out in hives. Please tell Spike I'm sorry!" She nervously giggles before running up the stairs.

Twilight blinks, stunned for a moment as she responds to the mare that is no longer there. "Umm... ok then..."

Chapter 30: The Hunt Continues

Gel stops at the front desk of the post office, unsure. ...I guess I could do this job...it's the same as relaying a message, right? You just...have it written down, instead...and aren't allowed to read it... She sighs and, ringing the bell, smiles kindly.

A light blue earth pony stallion comes from the back, he has on a customer service smile with more sincerity behind it than one would usually expect. "Welcome ma'am, how can I help you?"

She blinks, stunned by the smile. "...um...h-hi. I-I'm looking for a job, and I was hoping I could...apply for one, here?"

"Oh? What specific job were you looking for? Do you have any experience?" He looks over her quickly as if to gauge her ability.

"...well...I've delivered packages, before...and letters, too..." She puts a hoof to her chin, thinking a bit. ...it could be true...I don't remember all of my past... "...or maybe I could try sorting? I'm also good at that..."

He thinks for a moment. "Well, unfortunately, we are fully staffed when it comes to sorters..." He consults a piece of paper. "Some of our carriers were asking about alternate routes or package specific couriers though..." He jolts upward. "Oh, where are my manners?" He holds out a hoof. "My name is Post Haste. It's nice to meet you."

She shakes it, smiling shyly. "A-Angelic Grace...b-but you can call me Angel..." She leans forward, interested. "...y-you said something...about a courier?"

He nods as he writes down her name. "Yes ma'am. You see, we normally have the mail and packages carried by ponies going to the same neighborhood, but this can cause delays if ponies aren't home or are asleep. So, what I'm going to do is give you a little test to see if this will work, and if you have what it takes." He goes to the back and brings back an official mail satchel with about a half dozen packages in it. "This is a light day so it's an excellent one to do this on. Simply bring these to their destinations, retrieve a signature if they are home and leave a note if they are not." He sticks a pad in at the last part of the sentence. "Any questions? Oh, by the way, no you don't get the cool postal hat," he flicks at the one he is wearing, "until you are officially employed by us."

She slowly nods, carefully floating the bag onto her back. "...o-okay, then..." I bet I could get one for myself from that place in Canterlot. "...I-I can't think of anything off the top of my head...s-so I guess I'll be going, then?"

He smiles and waves a hoof. "Good luck Miss Angel! If any dogs bother you, there are treats in the side pouch!"

Gel waves back as she leaves, reading the list for her first assignment. ...let's see...my first stop is...my house? Oh, hey, it's from Canterlot - Rhino's parents must have sent him a birthday present! She giggles, skipping off. Maybe he's still there?

She arrives at the house and pushes open the door, glancing around curiously. "...Rhino? Are you there?" She steps inside, looking back and forth.

He descends the stairs with a squirrel asleep in his mane and a smile on his face. He doesn't say a word before he take one of her hooves and twirls her once before dipping her down and kissing her. After he breaks the kiss he still holds her above the floor as he says, "Welcome home, love."

She blushes brightly, smiling softly at him. "...that was a warm welcome..." She gently kisses his cheek. "...um...I-I have something for you..."

He tilts his head. "Oh?" He sets her back down on all four of her hooves. "What is it?"

She pulls out the package, holding it in front of him. "...it's from Canterlot...I think your parents sent it..."

He takes the package and slits it open with magic, removing two cards from the inside. He reads them quickly as a small smile forms on his face. "Heh, no matter how far apart they live, they still like to package the presents as one..." He opens the box properly to reveal a small gem on a necklace as well as a collection of larger gems. He chuckles happily. "They always know what to get..."

Gel leans in, looking at the items in confusion. "...um...w-what are those, Rhino?"

He turns to her with a knowing smile. "These Gel, are part of what I do." He holds up the necklace. "This is enchanted." He gestures to the gems. "And these are full of potential. I'll definitely be working on some of this in the next few days. If you're curious about what I can do with my mark, you are welcome to sit in and learn."

She smiles back, nodding a bit. "...that sounds...fun...I think I'd enjoy that..." She is about to say more, but her stomach growls. She stares down at herself, confused. "...what...was that? Why does my body do that, in this form?"

He raises an eyebrow. "Have you been forgetting to eat? That's not good for you, you know. Plus it makes me worry." He turns to the kitchen. "I guess I'll just have to fill you up."

She places her mailbag to one side and follows him, ears flat against her head. ...you forget to eat just one meal... She sighs, shaking her head.

He sends his own thought back. Think of it this way, I can whip you up something that needs ketchup. How about... a nice daisy sandwich and hay fries? It's not the fanciest meal, but it's good for a quick feed..

She brightens up immediately, leaping over and tackle-hugging him. "Yes! That sounds fantastic!"

Meanwhile, a certain silver vulpine has made his way down the stairs and is now sniffing the new bag on the floor. He scratches at it with no results before sitting down in front of it and thinking.

'Don't even think about it.' A grayish-blue feline steps next to him, giving him a disapproving look. 'You know none of that is yours.'

He looks back at her. 'They left it on the floor so I have a right to explore it.' He quickly climbs up and into the bags, his swishing tail now the only visible part of him.

'You realize you'll be in trouble if something gets broken.' She glares at his tail, her own flicking idly.

'Relax it'll be fine- Uh oh...' The bag starts to tilt back and forth before finally falling over and spilling it's contents out, including both packages and fox. He lays sprawled out among the boxes. 'I'm okay...'

'Not for long.' She backs away, not wanting to get in trouble for this. 'I think Dad heard that...'

The green unicorn pauses as he puts the completed plate onto the table in front of Gel. "Did you hear something?" It all stays quiet so he shrugs it off.

The white mare looks up, her mouth full of sandwich. ...I'm sorry, hear what?

Selena grumbles, crouching on the floor. '...you got lucky this time.'

Mercury springs up. 'And now to celebrate my luck by doing more snooping!' He starts sniffing and pawing at each individual package. Even climbing up and seeing if he can tip some over.

‘You're a fox, not a rabbit.' She sighs, shaking her head. 'Your luck is bound to run out...'

He rolls his eyes, reaching for a package that's long and narrow. 'Yeah, yeah...' He paws at the side of the package until something inside clicks. Suddenly, a buzzing noise starts coming out from the package, spooking the fox and causing him to scamper away. 'It's cursed, run!'

Selena stays right where she is, looking at it in confusion. '...why does that sound familiar?'

Gel's ears twitch, and she looks to the hall in time to see the silver kit running away. "...I wonder what caused him to act so scared...and what is that noise?"

Rhino pokes his head out of the kitchen and sees the vibrating box closing in on them. He notes the shape of the box, causing his ears to fold back slightly. "Oh dear..."

She peers out, her head below his as she stares at the package. "...um...i-is that...what I think it is?"

He grimaces as he looks at the package. "If you think that's a package meant for intimate times, then yes... it does seem that way..."

She picks it up in her magic, looking at the address. "...strange...there doesn't seem to be a name anywhere on here..."

He looks at her. "I guess maybe the label came off at the post office... Is there a way you can turn it off?"

"...n-not without opening...it...o-oh my..." She blushes bright red, a wisp of steam coming off her head. "...I-I have to deliver this...i-in the middle of town..."

"You can't deliver it remember? You have to bring this back to the post office to see where it goes." He cringes. "And... ponies will hear it as you walk... making them think that..." He blushes heavily. "Yeah... you see where this is going..."

"...I think I'm...gonna go..." Her eyes roll up in her head and she falls forward, just barely missing the kitten sitting there.

Rhino catches her with his magic just before she hits the floor. The vibrating package bumps him on the leg, causing him to reflexively kick it back into the pile where it continues buzzing. As he strokes Gel's mane waiting for her to wake up he ponders what to do.

***

Gel quietly groans, cracking an eye open. ...that was a weird dream... She shakes her head before looking up at the silver form above her. She smiles softly, raising a hoof to gently pet him. "...how's my little kit, today?"

"I think he's wondering how you are, as are the rest of us." Rhino says from off to the side. He is sitting in the chair with Specter on his head and Selena in his lap, gently purring as he pets her.

She stares at the stallion for a moment before groaning, covering her face with her forehooves. "...it wasn't a dream, was it?"

He glances over to the still buzzing package. "No... no it wasn't..."

She jumps up, catching the fox in her magic before he flew too far. "That's it. I can't handle this job! I don't want to be delivering packages like that!" She gestures towards the parcel. "...I still have to return the packages, don't I?"

He nods solemnly. "Yes," he brightens up, "but, thanks to this little one," he points to the squirrel on his head, "I have an idea." He nods towards the small pile of towels he put next to the bag. "Just stuff those in there around it and it should muffle the sound enough for you to get minimal glances. Just put them in your own bag before you leave the post office."

"...that's a fantastic idea!" She hugs him happily, giggling brightly. "I should do that right away!" She runs to the mailbags and, putting the towels and packages in her bag, rushes out the door, elated

Selena looks up at the squirrel, bemused. 'She realizes she took Mercury with her, doesn't she?'

He shakes his head in amusement. 'I'm sure she'll figure it out eventually.'

Soon enough, the white mare arrives at the front desk, sighing softly. ...thank goodness no one stared... She rings the bell. ...wait, how do I give the packages back if I take away the sound dampeners? Would the vibrating package cause him to be curious?

Post walks in from the back, but stops as he sees something over the mare's shoulder. "Umm, Miss Angel... why do you have a fox with you?"

She blinks, looking over her shoulder and smiling brightly. "Oh, hey, Mercury! Did you follow me here?" She gently nuzzles him, giggling softly.

The kit hugs her face happily as the postal pony clears his throat. "Umm, alright then, how did your route go? You seem to have most of the packages still in your bags, was there trouble?"

She turns back to him, blushing softly. "...k-kind of...y-you see, I...well, fainted, during my route..." She pulls off the mailbags, discretely pulling the towels out and shoving them into her saddlebags. "...I-I just...don't think I'm cut out for this..."

Post shakes his head but still comes back up with a smile after he stashes the bag. "Very well, Miss Angel. I'm sorry things didn't work out, but I do hope you feel better."

"...t-thank you..." She smiles kindly before she turns to leave. "...have a nice day, Mister Haste..." She looks at the fox on her back, giving him a small kiss on the forehead. "...come on, little one...let's get you back home..."

***

Later that day, Gel and Applejack are walking down the path towards the barn in Sweet Apple Acres. The orange mare shakes her head as she looks at the unicorn. "Ah gotta admit, Ah'm still a might surprised you came to ma family for a job. Nothin' personal, Ah just wouldn't peg ya fer this kinda work at first glance."

"...neither would I..." She sighs, looking down at the ground. "...but I'm running out of ideas..."

The earth pony gives her a hearty pat on the back. "Hey, nothin' clears yer head like hard work, so Ah reckon this'll be good fer ya."

She smiles, nodding a bit. "...thank you, Miss Applejack..."

Applejack smiles knowingly as they reach the barn. "Don't thank me yet." She walk into the barn and walks out with baskets on her back. "We've got a lot of work to do, and if ya ain't bone tired by the end of it, ya'll be doin' somethin' a bit different than thankin' me."

She blinks, lifting the baskets off her new employer's back with her magic. "...if you say so..." ...this should be easy...maybe one day I should thank the General for his intense training regimen...

They proceed out into the orchards. "Alright, since it ain't quite Applebuck season yet, we've just got a small section of the orchard to do." She positions herself in front of the tree. "Just grip with yer hooves, rear up and..." Her hooves thud into the tree, resulting in a shower of apples neatly in the baskets. "See?"

Gel stares blankly at this, confused. ...how does that work? Is it because the apples are heavier than the leaves? She taps her chin before nodding, smiling softly. "...I think I understand..." She sets herself up at the next tree. Gauging her shot, she rears up her hind legs-

And immediately falls flat on her face. "...ow..."

Applejack laughs as she offers a hoof. "Yeah, that happens to everypony first time around..." She pulls the unicorn up. "Ya gotta find yer balance. Ah'm sure you'll get the hang of it. After all..." she gestures around them, "we still got about a hundred early bloomers to take care of."

The white mare's eye twitches slightly. ...this is going to be a long day, isn't it? She sighs, setting herself up once more and kicking the tree with both hooves. Half of the apples fall, and she frowns softly. "...I was...expecting more than that..."

Applejack calls after she perfectly bucks another tree. "Hey, yer doin' better than most! Just try to aim for the baskets so the apples don't get brusied!" She points to where half of the apples had missed the baskets.

"O-okay!" She bucks a few more trees before a thought occurs to her. ...why can't I just use my magic to pick the apples? She turns to her boss, sheepishly smiling. "...um...m-might I be able to use my magic, Miss Applejack?" As she asks, she bucks the next tree. All but one apple fall into the baskets, and that one lands on her horn, impaled there. ...well, isn't that just dandy?

The farm mare stops and thinks about this. "Ah suppose... most ponies just say that the magic needed to pick all the apples at once is above them. That and the fact that using magic like that usually tuckers them out as much or more than not using it, usually means that they pick applebucking, but feel free to try it yer way. Maybe ya'll will get lucky."

She shrugs, turning to the next tree and quickly picking every apple out of it with her magic. "...I think I can handle it...I use magic a lot, after all..." Though I don't think fire magic would be a bright idea, here...

She picks a few more trees clean with her magic before she starts to feel the drain on her stamina. A few more trees later and she has resorted to picking the fruits one at a time. She lets out a huge breath as she turns as sees the many many trees still left.

Applejack has moved farther down the row of trees, effectively doubling Gel's output.

...maybe I overestimated my magical stamina...how will I catch up, now? She flexes her hindlegs, thinking a bit. ...I could try my flame boost...but that might tire me out even more...but I suppose it's better than nothing... She sighs, stomping her hooves against the dirt and lighting them up with blue flames. I just have to be sure to disperse them before I hit each tree. No big deal, right? She lowers her stance, eyes narrowed. Here I go! She leaps, spinning so one hindleg propels her while the other strikes the tree, landing after hitting ten in a row. ...wow, I feel dizzy...how did I do?

Every apple on the tree neatly falls into the baskets... Except for one stubborn one at the very top of the tree.

"...you've got to be kidding me..." She facehooves, groaning quietly. "...fine, you stubborn fruit..." She picks it out of the tree with her magic and places it in a basket. "There. Now to do the...rest..." She shakes her head, stumbling over to the other tree. "...w-what's going on? W-why's everything...spinning?"

She feels increasingly light-headed as she steadies herself by placing a hoof on the tree. The hoof however, gives way and she crashes into the dirt. She lies there, trying to catch her breath and sense of balance.

The sound of hooves makes her look up and see the apple farmer above her. "Ya'll okay, partner?"

"...I...could be better..." She gulps, holding up a hoof. "...do you...have any water?"

Applejack goes over to her bags she had set down and brings out a bottle. She walks over and sets it in front of the mare. "Apple juice alright?"

"Even better." She takes it in her forehooves and gratefully drinks it. "...y-you know...I might not be cut out for this..." She leans against the tree, finally taking the apple off her head. "...especially since I just don't have the endurance for it..." As a pony, at least. I could probably take care of this whole section in five hours, as a changeling...oh, well...

The orange mare waves a hoof. "Eh, Ah understand. Not everypony's cut out fer this. Besides, ya've got a healthy taste fer apples, and that's good enough fer me."

She nods, smiling kindly at her. "...thank you, Miss Applejack..." She gets up and walks off, wobbling a bit. "...h-have a nice day..."

Chapter 31: Returning Past

As the sun rises, Gel sits up, instinctively reaching for her journal. ...I really have to consider sleeping in...especially with all that happened yester...day... She pauses, blinking at this. ...that's...strange...I can remember everything from yesterday... She opens up the book, looking through all the details there. ...yeah, everything...I can't believe it...my memory's fine again! She squeals in excitement, hugging the book close to her chest. This is just fantastic!

As she has this realization, images start flooding her mind. One after the other, like a movie played at ultra fast-forward, they flicker in and out before she can even process them. As more and more pile up in her head, the pressure of so many things at once starts to press on her brain. Still they come, they press down on her consciousness, all trying to get in at once as even more come in. As the pressure mounts even further, Gel lets out a scream before passing into blissful dreamless unconsciousness.

The changeling slowly opens her eyes, letting her glassy gaze move about the room. She doesn't speak, doesn't even think as she takes in her surroundings.

Rhino is at her side, replacing the cool damp towel on her forehead. The pets are at the foot of the bed, looking on. The stallion notices as she opens her eyes, his expression anxious, but his tone soft. "Love? Can you hear me?"

"...end the senseless hate..."

His eyebrows knit worriedly. "Love? What do you mean?"

She sits up, shaking her head. "...m-my dad's last words...'end the senseless hate'... I remember everything I’ve ever forgotten..." She looks up at him, frowning slightly. "...I...I think he meant the distrust...between ponies and changelings..."

Rhino gently pushes her back down into a prone position with a hoof. "Woah there, lie back down, just in case you're still a little weak. Now, why would your dad say something like that? I'm not saying it's bad, it's just very... well, let's just say I guess I know where you get it from now..."

"...it really is...maybe the first step is...to get ponies to be more open-minded?" She hugs him close, nuzzling him back. "...oh, yeah...on a related subject, I forgot to mention...Twilight is making a changeling detector..."

He flinches. "Oh dear... that's not good... Knowing her reputation, she'll probably get it working, though, I guess she'll never know unless she actually has a changeling to test it on. Regardless, maybe it's best that you minimize your time at the library from now on... one of the worst things that could happen would be you being exposed before we're ready." He shakes his head. "As for what the first step would be... do you realize what a massive thing this would be? I mean, accepting one changeling would be difficult... but getting forgiveness for an entire species? This is big love..." he raises a hoof to his head, "I... I don't even know what to say..."

"...then...I guess we'll have to work on that first step, first..." She taps her chin, quietly thinking. "...I don't know...what I do know is that I'd like to have a job, soon...but nothing in this town seems to work for me..."

Rhino puts a hoof to his chin. "Well, I might have an idea on that... We can always come back to the previous subject another time. Anyway, well, maybe I can have you work with me?"

She blinks, looking up at him. "...a-are you sure? I-I mean, your co-workers wouldn't be upset?"

He tilts his head. "Why would they be upset? They like you, they know I like you. You seem like you would be able to pick it up quickly. Lastly, there are three ponies working at the clinic, total. Hay, you've seen that it's just me in the mornings. If anything, we could use more staff, we just don't like to advertise it because we do well with what we have."

She sighs softly, holding him close. "...you have no idea what that means to me..."

***

The pony and changeling happily sigh as they cuddle on the stallion's bed after a nice lunch. The pets have all crashed on the couch downstairs for their usual post-food naps. All-in-all, this could be considered a lazy day for them. Gel simply wants to relax around the house after running around all the previous day and her little mental overload this morning. Rhino, being the laid-back pony he is, is all too willing to join her.

...I'm glad we have some alone time, love... She giggles, happily cuddling closer to him. ...I needed to have some time alone with you...

He chuckles, his laugh rumbling in his chest to her through their entwined bodies. What, did you miss me? He kisses her forehead. Not that I mind of course, if you did.

Of course I missed you. She looks up at him, playfully pouting. Why wouldn't I, after hardly spending any time with you the past two days?

He smiles and kisses her pouting lips, thinking in a playful tone. Yes, shame on things like work keeping us apart... He looks down. Good thing we have team players like the bed here.

She grins, grabbing him and rolling so she's on top of him. ...good thing...because I'm not planning on letting you out of this room until dinner... Her eyes narrow slightly as one of her hooves draws little circles in his fur. ...you see, I have a plan for us...it was supposed to be for your birthday, but...well, we all know how that turned out... She frowns, looking down from where she's sitting on his lap.

He boops her nose with a hoof. Hey, you know how I feel about you getting sad.

***Warning, Sensual Scene***

She looks down at him, a glimmer in her eyes. ...maybe I want you to cheer me up... She slowly grinds her hips against his, leaning down so her face is mere inches above his. ...maybe I could convince you to wear that coat of yours...while I cheer you up...

He shivers. Well, I don't think you'll have to work very hard to convince me... He wraps his hooves around her and brings her into a kiss. Let's see if I can start with cheering you up... He continues kissing her, slowly becoming more passionate, avoiding her fangs purely out of reflex now.

She smirks, pulling out of the kiss momentarily to nip his neck. ...you're doing quite well with that, love... She resumes the kiss, continuing to gyrate atop his lap.

Inevitably, his pride begins to make itself known due to her actions. The slowly stiffening rod scrapes her chitin as she grinds. At the same time, Rhino's tongue asks if it's partner was home, Gel's mouth muscle responds and the two begin their dance.

She breaks the kiss, panting for breath. ...so, love...what would you like me to do? She smiles, giving him a lidded look. ...I'm yours to do what you want with, this afternoon...

He shifts uncomfortably as he lies on his back. Love... you know I'm not really good at being... well, assertive in these situations... He averts his eyes. It just seems... selfish... Let me just put on the coat like you wanted...

She sighs, rolling off of him. Of course, this leads to her falling to the floor, flat on her back. "Oof!' She slowly stands up, shaking her head. ...well...that could've gone better...

He is instantly at her side as he slips on the coat. Are you alright, Gel? He looks over head and runs his hoof along her back. Anything hurt?

She pulls her wings close, grimacing. I-I'm fine. Really. She moves to walk around him, blushing softly. ...I can't let this get in the way...and I forgot he can read my mind. Fuck.

He narrows his eyes and grabs her gently but firmly in his magic. I heard that. He lays her stomach down on the bed. Let me see what's wrong.

She groans, carefully extending her left wing. ...really...i-it's nothing...just some mild pain...

He carefully starts running over the base of her wing. Where exactly is the pain? He keeps his touch gentle as he works.

As he reaches the middle of her wing, she yelps and retracts it, blushing even more. ...um...I-I'm ticklish?

He straddles her in order to keep her still. Are you sure? That yelp sounded a little off... He reaches for the wing to gently extend it again.

She grits her teeth, refusing to make a sound. ...i-it's nothing...p-please, just leave it alone... She squirms underneath him, trying to pull her wing away.

He pulls his hooves away. Ok... I won't force you into anything... He sits back down with his ears pulled back. He gingerly places a hoof on her back and starts to rub. Is this okay?

She sighs softly, starting to relax. ...that feels nice...thank you...

He still looks subdued as he continues rubbing her back. Sorry for hurting you... I just thought you were being stubborn through pain...

...well...that's sort of true... She looks over her shoulder at him, clearly embarrassed. ...I was trying to get you to...be more assertive...it sort of worked... She giggles, shaking her flanks at him. ...you got on top of me, after all...

He blushes as he realizes their positions, as well as his pride barely out of its sheath. Oh... I umm, I suppose I did... He stays quiet a moment, unsure what to say. So... do you like the coat?

Oh, I love it... She grins, moving her tail to tickle at his stomach. ...Doctor Rhino...say...I think I have something you could help me with... She winks at him. ...if you catch my drift...

He blushes even harder as he realizes what she is doing. O-oh... "Umm...what seems to be the trouble?"

She curls her hooves up underneath her, instinctively putting on a shy persona. "...D-Doctor...c-could you please take a l-look at my..." She trails off, too embarrassed to say it. "...i-it's warm and wet..."

He slowly de-mounts her, her tail spring up as he does so. His face burns as he lays down behind her. He clears his throat to hide his nervousness. "Are there any other symptoms you can tell me?"

"W-well..." Her tail flicks as she looks back at him, blushing brightly, her treasure glistening from her arousal. "...i-it's really...s-sensitive..."

He looks on, entranced by her now visible treasure. "You don't say..." His nose eagerly takes in her scent as he raises a hoof. "Tell me... how does it feel when I do... this?" He strokes slowly down the part of her that is just to the side of her slit.

She coos softly, her rump moving against his hoof on instinct. "...i-it feels...absolutely amazing..."

His shaft twitches at her noises as he forces himself to maintain a professional demeanor. "And this?" He takes his other hoof and runs it down her outer lips.

She cries out in pleasure, straining to raise her rump for him. "...yes...oh, yes...so good..." She blinks, her face burning bright blue from her own actions. "...s-so...w-what do you think it is, Doctor?"

Her steadily rising rump forces him to stand up to keep level with it. "Well, in my professional opinion... you my dear, are aroused." And frankly, so am I...

"A-aroused?" She squirms under his gaze, accidentally brushing her tail across his nose. "...w-what can I do about it?"

His eyes flutter from the swish of her tail. "W-well, usually... you either wait it out... or you satisfy it... either yourself or have someone else do it for you..."

"...Doctor...c-could you please...s-satisfy it?" She bites her lip, letting her tail flag high, draping over her back. "...I-I can't do it, myself...a-and I don't think I can bear it, much longer..."

His eyes widen as he forces his voice to be steady. "There are a... variety of techniques one could use... There are those I used earlier..." He rears up and places his hooves on her flanks to steady himself. He bends his knees so that he leans over her back to get closer to her ear. "Are there any others you've heard about?"

She trembles underneath him, looking over her shoulder at him. "...w-well...m-maybe you could...m-mount me..." ...with a minor modification, of course?

"That... would certainly do the trick..." He simply adjusts his hooves slightly and he is in the proper position. His shaft lies against her treasure, the tip poking past her teats. Modification?

Just this. She squeezes her legs together, effectively locking them around his length. "...um...just...do what feels natural?"

Rhino swallows before pulling back and pushing forward once. This one stroke shows that in this position, he rubs the entirety of her slit, between her teats, and all the flesh in between. Her legs locking around him also create a constant pressure as well as keeping his pride from going anywhere they don't want it to go. He goes in and out once more, his breath tickling her ear. Wow...

She groans softly, feeling so much pleasure from that one movement. ...that's right, love...just like that...

He pumps again in response to her groan. His hips slap against her own as he increases speed. His pride stays slick from her leaking juices. He leans down and licks her neck as they continue.

She begins to moan, losing herself in a sea of ecstasy. "...yes...m-more...p-please..." Her hips begin to move in time with his, pushing back with every thrust forward.

"With... pleasure..." He pushes in and pulls out faster and faster, slowly increasing the force behind it. He starts to bend his hind legs as he pulls out and straightens them when he goes in, pushing into her underbelly and grinding against it.

She cries out as his sudden force causes her to rapidly reach her peak. "...I-I'm almost there..." Her legs tighten around him as that familiar coil tenses in her belly.

He increases his efforts, his own release approaching, though not quite as fast. With bend and straightening his knees, her back end is starting to be literally lifted by his thrusts. He legs swing on the upper peaks of his grinds against her sensitive flesh.

She throws her head back, her mouth open in a silent scream of pleasure as she hits it. Her juices squirt out onto his shaft, soaking it even as her legs squeeze him even more.

Unfortunately, the extra pressure from her legs combined with the lubrication, causes him to slip out out her leg lock. As he slips out, she starts to fall to the bed with him supporting hr back half. Likewise, he begins to fall forward without her to lean on. The result of this is that his pride finds its way quickly into her treasure, stopping as it hits a barrier a few inches in.

She yelps, forcing herself to stay completely still. R-Rhino! W-what did you... She looks over her shoulder at him, eyes wide in shock. ...y-you almost...

He backs out quickly, laying down on his stomach. I am so so sorry, I did not mean to do that! Everything just slipped and the next thing I know... that happened! Are you okay?

She tenderly places a hoof on her flank, wincing slightly. "...I-I think I'm fine...just...s-startled me..." She lays there for a few more moments before turning away, blushing bright blue. "...I-I don't think I'll be moving for a while..."

He crawls up next to her. "What do you mean? Is this a call back to when you said you wouldn't let me leave the room until dinner?"

"...n-not really..." She looks back at her hind legs, embarrassed. "...m-my legs aren't responding, at the moment..."

"Ah... I have heard of that happening..." He thinks a moment before looking at her. "I think if I get the blood flowing and the muscles unclenched they should get feeling back fairly quickly... would you like me to try?"

"...if you would, please..." She sighs, resting her head on the bed. "...I-I'd greatly appreciate it...a-and maybe I could return the favor sometime...Doctor..." She giggles, pointing to the coat still on him.

He blushes. "I'd umm, I'd like that..." He stands up, his length hanging below him quite obviously, but apparently forgotten for the moment by its owner. Rhino walks back behind Gel and sits down. He puts both his hooves on one of her thighs and starting a crude massaging motion up and down it.

She coos and closes her eyes, happy to feel him massaging her. "...that's really good..." She peeks one open, a small smirk on her lips. ...I wonder... Her horn discretely lights up.

He doesn't notice her horn, focused as he is on making her feel better. He switches to her other thigh and starts to repeat the process he performed on her other one, hsi large hooves working as well as they can into the muscles below the hard chitin.

She giggles, trying to pull away but unable to at the moment. "D-Doctor! I-I'm ticklish, there!" Even as she says this, her magical aura slowly starts to form around his length, doing nothing but existing at the moment.

He grins. "Well the, I guess when you're able to pull away, that means you've got the ability to move your legs back." He really gets into the massage, working into the muscles below the surface.

She laughs, her forehooves clawing at the covers even as her hind legs just stay there. She shakily solidifies her aura, starting to stroke it along his pride as a retaliation.

His body stiffens as he feels her magic. He smiles playfully. "Ah ah ah, if this is the ticklish spot then this must be the other one..." He moves one hoof to the mirroring spot on her other leg even as his first one continues on the ticklish one.

She gasps, her body torn between the two responses. The result is a high squeal of ecstasy, even as her magic becomes firmer and faster. I-I won't...lose this race...

He grunts as he works her legs. Oh, now squealing is just cheating... you know how that gets to me... His grips unintentionally tighten as they move up and down her.

...i-it's not like I can help it... She looks over her shoulder at him, flicking his nose with her tail. ...starting to get feeling back...so we best make this count... She grins before a soft moan escapes her lips, her magic spreading down his shaft and to the orbs underneath, tenderly caressing them as she works his stallionhood.

Well, I guess it would be good for us both to be fresh for the next round... He works her legs as he has been, but doesn't resist the mounting pressure in his loins. He grunts as she moves her magic. Not much farther... but... won't I just make a mess on your back?

...I don't mind, love...and, to be honest... She giggles, giving him a lidded gaze. ...I actually welcome it...

Well, I guess it isn't that much different that our stomachs... He grits his teeth as a few pulses go through his pride. Almost... He presses both of her sensitive spots at once again.

She squeals once more, her hips reflexively pushing back towards him. ...y-you're really a natural at this... She squeezes his rod twice before stroking it even faster, a little faster than they was going earlier.

He doesn't respond to her thought, as that last squeal of hers was what he needed to push himself over the edge. As her strokers speed up, he growls and begins to release. His seed shoots out of his length in waves as it twitches. After a time, the flow stops and he breathes heavily in the afterglow while his pride waits to see if it will be needed again.

She giggles, shaking her hips at him. "...did the view do that for you, Doctor?" She winks before realizing what she did. "...oh, hey...I can move my legs again!"

He smiles. "Excellent. Of course, now the question is: What are you going to do with this newly rediscovered movement?"

"This." She flips over and wraps her legs around his head, pulling him into the valley between her teats. She smirks, looking down at him. "...what do you think of that?"

He takes a moment to collect himself from the rapid movement. He looks up, his eyes remaining on her teats a moment before he looks at her face and gives her a cheeky smile. "Well, I'm happy I get to see your eyes the whole time again."

She sticks her tongue out before letting go, carefully getting off the bed. "...well...that was really nice, love..." She nuzzles his cheek, giggling softly. "...it makes me wonder what we'll do for my own birthday..."

He blinks rapidly at the sudden change of attitude. "Wait, what? Is that it?" He blushes heavily as he stands up on the bed. "I mean you said... And then I said... I mean... Is that the end?"

She looks over her shoulder at him, flicking her tail slightly. "...oh? Did you want something, Doctor?" She slyly smiles, giving him a lidded gaze. "...something...specific?"

He seems to be fighting himself as he shrinks back a moment before straightening up and nodding. "Well, I don't know if I have... Anything specific in mind yet... But perhaps it's time we discussed payment?"

She tilts her head, looking up at him with wide eyes. "...payment? B-but...I don't have any bits on me..."

He walks over and nuzzles her. "I never said anything about bits... besides..." He walks back to the bed and slowly crawls onto it, offering her a quick view of his pride before laying on his stomach. "I'm sure we can figure something out."

The changeling blushes brightly, her tail starting to rise on its own. "...um...o-okay, Doctor..." She slowly approaches him, stopping at the foot of the bed and nervously shuffling her hooves. "...w-what did you...h-have in mind?"

"Well, as the patient, you do have your choice of payment. Why don't you start with a down payment and we can discuss other options or continuing that one." He lets his eyelids drop as be smiles at her.

She gulps, moving forward and shyly kissing him, really unsure as to what he'd like her to do. She gently places a hoof on his shoulder, her eyes drifting closed as the kiss begins to deepen.

As they kiss, he gently grabs one of her hooves with one of his own and guides her onto the bed. When she settles down into a prone position on her stomach, mirroring him, he entwined his tail in her own, giving it a playful tug once it's secure.

She squeaks, breaking the kiss to turn her head away in embarrassment. "...w-was that alright? O-or did you...w-want more?"

He just smiles as he brings her gaze back to him with a guiding hoof. "And what exactly would you do if I said I wanted more?"

She smiles softly, leaning forward and tenderly nuzzling his cheek. "...I would ask...w-what, exactly, you want more of..." She bites her lip, her cheeks flushed bright blue.

"Well, I would think that is obvious..." He lies down, bringing her with him so that they are both lying on their sides, front to front. "...I want more... of you." He plants a light kiss on her neck.

She gasps before happily leaning her head back, allowing him better access to her neck. "...oh, Doctor...I-I'll gladly give myself to you..." She carefully wraps her forelegs around his neck and plants a kiss on his forehead, just below his horn. "...every part of me..." She giggles, moving one of her hindlegs over his hip and pulling him closer.

He snakes his forelegs around her back so that she can't back away as he continues planting his lips slowly down her neck. "I'm honored to hear that..." The two are almost touching now, there is only a small space between them. His pride, that he hasn't given a thought to for a bit, remains at attention, feeling its time will come soon enough. Rhino bares his teeth and gives a gentle nibble when he reaches the bottom of her neck.

She whimpers softly, her hips closing the distance and grinding against his. "...p-please...I-I can't take the teasing anymore..." She looks up at him, eyes wide and pleading.

He looks down at her with half-lidded eyes and a smirk. "Oh? And what exactly were you expecting to happen?" He leans down closer. "Tell me..." He kisses the tip of her nose.

She whines, biting her lip quietly. "...um...I-I was hoping..." She turns away, a small frown on her lips. ...what am I thinking? I can't ask him to do that...not to mention how much it hurt when he just bumped my hymen... She sighs, her ears flattening against her head. "...n-never mind..."

He nibbles the end of one of her ears gently. "Now now, no secrets..." He looks her in the eyes with his own understanding ones. "As your doctor," And coltfriend. "you know you are able to tell me anything." He smiles reassuringly.

She gulps, focusing her wavering gaze on him. "...I-I...w-wish to offer you my...v-virginity..." She blushes brightly, her eyes quickly turning away as soon as she finished her piece. "...I-I mean...I-I know it will hurt...b-but...I-I trust you..." She closes her eyes, bracing herself for whatever might happen.

His eyebrows shoot up as his character shatters. "G-Gel... but... we said..." He leans backwards, trying to recover after this little bomb she dropped. "I mean... You're sure...? This is a really big deal..."

She bites her lip, thinking about it for a bit. "...I...I don't know...I want you to have it...b-but I know you...w-want that moment to be special..." She blushes brighter than before, looking up at him nervously. "...i-it's up to you...d-do you want to...a-accept my present? O-or...d-do you want to have it later?"

Rhino looks away as he ponders this choice. His lower head voices its obvious vote, but its bias is well known. The stallion looks up and down her body once more before sighing and looking into her eyes. "I think... I'm going to take a raincheck. While it would make one of the, if not the greatest present, you're right. I do feel like saving that special moment, for an equally special time."

She sighs softly, kissing him. "...I'll stand by that..." She smiles, looking up at him with a gleam in her eye. "...but I hope you'll make that night memorable..." She winks before nestling her head under his chin.

He whispers into her ear. "You'll never forget it..." His whisper turns into a lick and then a nibble of her ear. "Of course... I plan on making every session memorable... Including this one."

She shivers but turns to look at him, coyly smiling. "...oh? And how do you plan on doing that, love?"

He smirks. "Well, details are sketchy, but I'm going to end this... with a scream." He locks his forelegs around her and aggressively locks lips with her.

Her question gets lost in the moment as she eagerly kisses him back, pulling him just as tightly to herself as he does her. She opens her mouth, her tongue pressing against his lips tentatively.

His mouth opens and his tongue darts out, quickly wrapping around hers. His hooves squirm against her back, one of them tilting upward so that it is stroking her mane. At the same time, his tail fidgets also, providing a small constant pull on hers.

She squeals, blushing brightly from his tail pulling. ...n-not fair...would you like it if I did this? She immediately places a hoof on top of his head, stroking his mane firmly.

Immediately, the rest of his muscles start to move sluggishly. I... like that... but in a... different way... He manages to gather enough strength to roll the two of them so he is on top. Keep doing that... and I'll collapse onto you... your move...

She smirks, removing her hooves from his head. ...brilliant move...just one flaw... Her tail whips up and around the base of his pride, the silken membranes gripping him tightly. ...you left yourself exposed... She winks, sticking her tongue out at him.

He immediately envelopes her mouth and tongue with his own. Well my dear... you do seem to appreciate me being a little more assertive right now... so I see your tail, and raise you some magic. His horn light up as two points of pressure appear on opposite sides of her slit.

She squeaks, surprised at his assertiveness. ...o-okay, you win... She breaks the kiss and looks up at him, panting softly. ...w-what...would you like me to do? And don't be afraid to ask... She giggles, her eyes gaining a lidded quality to them. ...for you, I'll do anything...

His own eyes go half-lidded as he sees her with her mane spread out underneath her like he enjoys. He slowly moves one of his hooves down her body. Alright then... don't hold anything back. His hoof reaches her teats and lightly flicks them a few times before going even further south.

She gasps, her back arching, pressing herself further against his hoof. Oh! Her tail, still around his length, clenches tighter in response to the stimulation.

He grunts through their still-locked lips as she squeezes. His hoof is now well slick with her juices. He runs it up and down the center of her slit, barely applying pressure.

She moans, her hips starting to move of their own accord. ...p-please...m-more... She deepens the kiss, trying to entice him into doing just that.

He obliges. They lay there, him with one foreleg underneath her back, his lips on hers, and one hoof on her other set of lips. All the while, she squirms from his touch. He puts a little more pressure to his hoof so that it dips slightly in her petals now. Nothing too far, but enough for her to feel the edge of his hoof in her.

She cries out softly, bucking up against him. ...yes...oh, yes... Her head rolls back, her tongue lolling out from the pure pleasure that he's giving her. ...y-your hooves are amazing...

His length twitches heavily from him watching her react, pulling at her tail as it does so. Atta girl... He kisses her throat as she leans back, his hoof going slightly deeper into her and swirling around inside.

She only becomes louder, more needful. ...R-Rhino...I-I'm... Her eyes squeeze shut, and she bites her lip, attempting to keep herself from going over the edge.

He only smiles. I did warn you love... I was going to end this... with a scream... He suddenly removes his hoof from her slit and presses down on the small nub just above it. At the same time, he uses his other hoof to pull her head back toward his and uses a kiss to muffle what is to come.

She screams in ecstasy, though the noise is stifled by his lips. At the same time, she hits her climax, her juices squirting out and drenching the sheets. As soon as it's over, she collapses onto the bed, panting for breath, her mind shorted out from the bliss.

He smiles down fondly at her. "You know... you are without a doubt, the best patient I have ever had." He lies down next to her and cradles her in a soft hug as she recovers.

She smiles wearily up at him, leaning up to touch noses only to nuzzle his cheek. "...t-thank you, Doctor..." She blinks, shaking her head slightly in confusion. "...y-you're going to wash that before work tomorrow, right?"

He chuckles. "Of course, love. Same as I have to change the sheets so we can go to sleep tonight."

***End of Sensual Scene***

***

Time passes and night falls over the town. Unbeknownst to the residents, a new visitor approaches. A blue pegasus stallion with a white mane lands just inside the forest borders. A moment later, in a green flash of flame, there stands a changeling. He stretches, having been disguised for the entirety of his journey. The words of his commanding officer echo in his mind, literally, seeing as the officer in question was repeating them to him over the hive mind. 'Find Colonel Gel and retrieve her report. Do not be discovered.' The drone nods before assuming his disguise once more and finding a nearby tree to wait until morning so that he could more easily spot his target.

Chapter 32: Nailing the Interview

Gel peeks open an eye, glancing at the clock before squealing in glee. "Yes! It's Monday!" She stops, buzzing in midair for a moment with a hoof to her chin. "...I think that's the first time anyone's ever said that..." She shrugs and lands on the ground, shifting into her favorite disguise as she approaches the closet, rummaging through it for the perfect outfit.

Rhino groggily works up the brain power to speak from the bed as the pets snooze on. "Ugh... it's not morning already... is it?"

She turns to him, smirking slightly as she pulls on his hoof. "Come on, Rhino! I need your help with my outfit!" She holds up two dresses, tilting her head at him. "What do you think? Semi-formal or casual?"

He groans as he flops back onto the pillows. "No make me use brain..." He rolls over to go back to sleep. "Just a few more..."

She pouts, walking around the bed to face him. "...you had no problems getting up on Friday..." She leans down and kisses his cheek. "...please, Rhino...for me? I just...want to make a good first impression..."

He sighs as he rouses himself. "Love and guilt... apparently better motivation to get up than coffee." He sits up in bed, trying not to wake the pets. "Hmm... casual dress would likely be sufficient seeing as most ponies would go into the interview with nothing on... I suggest semi-formal to show that you are serious about wanting the position..." He covers his mouth with a hoof as he yawns to end his contribution.

"Semi-formal it is!" She gives him a quick peck as she puts on her rimless glasses. She pulls on her blue silk dress, turning her back to him and looking over her shoulder. "...could you zip me up, please?"

He thinks a moment. "I could use magic, but why waste the opportunity?" He gets up and uses his teeth to drag the zipper up her back until it fastens at her neck. He uses his position at the end to give her neck a quick kiss.

She shudders softly from the action and playfully flicks him with her tail. "Tease..." She sighs, turning to look at him curiously. "...so...w-what do you think I should expect?"

He cracks his neck. "Well... Mane and Manila are coming in earlier today... Manila moreso. As the office manager, she handles most of the non-medical stuff, including interviewing potentials. So you'll be dealing with her."

"...o-okay..." She looks out the window at the rising sun, unsure. "...how...how did they react...t-to my outburst at the cafe?" She turns to him, her eyes clearly conveying her worry as it starts to overwhelm her. "...d-do you think...t-they might be upset at that?"

He quickly gives her a long kiss to calm her down. When he feels her breathing normalize, he breaks the kiss. "It'll be fine, you pretty much shouted out why you did it, and anypony could understand." He stifles another yawn. "Any other concerns I need to alleviate before I have my morning milk?"

"...does this dress make me look fluffy?" She turns to her side, looking back at herself before winking at him. "Just kidding. I should be fine, love." She heads out of the bedroom and down the stairs. Let me get you your drink.

He smiles at the thought of the white drink, taking another step to clear his head. He stops as he feels a weight on his tail. His head cranes around to find Selena with her claws locked in the hairs, giving him a cute look. He chuckles as he swishes his tail back and forth to try and dislodge her. This only serves to make her climb up the tail so that she ends up near the top, still as fixed to it as she was at the bottom.

She mews, looking up at him with wide eyes, almost pleading for him to let her stay.

He groans as he looks away. "Why do I have to have a weakness to cute things..." He turns back to her, giving her a nuzzle. "You're lucky I don't need a shower this morning."

She climbs up onto his back and curls up, purring happily. Her tail flicks over her nose as she starts to take a catnap.

He smiles softly at the kitten, leaning over and nuzzling her very softly. "Well, at least one of us gets to sleep..."

At that moment, Gel returns with the glass in her magical aura. She pauses in the doorway as she sees this scene, smiling softly. "...that's so cute..." She floats the glass over to him, giggling quietly. "...your drink, Doctor..."

He raises it as he takes it. "My compliments to the chef." He sips the cool liquid with a smile as it goes down. After less than a minute, he's drained the glass and licked his lips. He looks to the little one on his back. "I guess I have a passenger for now." He begins to walk around the room, gathering the few things he needs for work.

She stays in the doorway, watching him as he bustles about. "...you cleaned your coat last night, right?"

He nods. "It should still be in the dryer..." He gather up the items in a ball of levitation and starts heading down the stairs. "I'm just gonna grab an apple or something for breakfast, do you want anything?"

"...I could use an apple." She follows him down, smiling to herself. "...and maybe some of your love..." She winks at him before leaning over and playfully nipping his neck, her fangs exposing themselves for this.

He shivers as he smiles back at her. "Shame on you... doing things like that when I can't defend myself or retaliate because of a passenger... I guess I'll just have to love you into submission." His eyes soften as he lets a large amount of his feelings for her suddenly rush to the surface.

She trembles, trying to keep the sudden influx from overwhelming her. "...R-Rhino...y-you can't do that...n-not while I'm in a dress...at least, not this one..." She closes her eyes, barely able to steady herself.

He stops the emotion assault as he tilts his head. "What would you being in a dress have to do with this?"

"...w-well...t-this is flammable..." She blushes, turning away. "...I-I don't want to burn it up on accident..."

His eyes widen in understanding. "Ah... right... that little quirk of this form..." He raids the fridge with his magic as levitates one red and one green apple out. He levitates the red over to her. "Apple to cool you off?"

"...t-thanks..." She grabs it and quickly stuffs it into her mouth, trying to keep herself from saying anything else embarrassing.

Rhino takes a bit of his own, more tart apple, chewing through a few bites before speaking again. "So... onto the next obstacle..." He motions his head towards his furry passenger.

She looks at the kitten for a moment. continuing to chew her own food. ...there's nothing against a vet bringing a pet to work, is there?

Well, I mean, no there isn't... He looks towards the stairs. What about the boys though? Isn't it unfair to let Selena come and not them? Or would they appreciate a day at home? I don't know...

...well, I suppose we can bring them. She giggles, heading out of the kitchen. Who knows? They might make the place a little livelier between appointments...

A short time later and the little family of five arrive at the clinic. Rhino is wearing his jacket, Gel is her semi-formal dress, Specter on the stallion's head, Selena still asleep on his back, and Mercury parked on Gel's back. The little ones all look up at the slightly familiar building as Rhino does his usual routine of opening it up and holding the door open for Gel. "After you."

She smiles at him and steps inside, caressing his cheek with her tail. "Such a gentlestallion."

He dumps his bag into his office and comes back to the front, checking the clock before turning to her. "Alright, Manila should be here any minute now, so anything last minute that you want to address?"

She taps her chin, looking at the fox on her back for a moment. "...will she be surprised we brought our pets here with us?"

He chuckles. "Probably, she didn't get to see them last time because after I gave them their shots they just stayed asleep in my office the whole time. She loves cute animals though, it'll be fine."

"Okay, then..." She glances around before pointing at a white box on the wall. "...is that a first aid kit, or something else?" She sheepishly smiles before sighing, rubbing the back of her neck. "...I can't think of any other questions, at the moment..."

The sound of the door sliding open causes Rhino to look towards it. Well, lucky you, you don't have to think of any others.

Manila waves as she sees the two ponies. "Hey you two!" She tilts her head as she gets closer. "Or should I say, you two plus a few." She giggles at the rhyme.

Gel smiles, nervous. "H-hi, Miss Manila...um..." She stands there for a second, her mind blanking on the words. She looks at the stallion, a bright blush on her cheeks. ...h-help?

He thinks the words to her. You want to know if you could apply for a job.

T-thanks. She quickly turns to the other mare, embarrassed. "...I-I was wondering...m-may I apply for a job here?"

The earth pony's ears fold back after a moment. "Oh... right... after last Friday..." She shakes her head and looks over Gel. "Hmm... one moment!" Manila dives behind her desk and the sounds of drawers, cabinets, and papers filling the air.

The white mare blinks at this, looking at her coltfriend once more. ...she really is that energetic, isn't she?

He nods. When she wants to be.

The other mare pops back up, a folder in her hooves and a professional demeanor on her face. She walks over to some of the seats and sits down, motioning to one of the spots in front of her with the pen in her mouth. "Have a seat."

She quietly nods and does as she's told, still blushing softly.

The green stallion shoots her a smile. You'll do great, love.

Manila clears her throat as Rhino sits a few seats away from Gel. The manila colored mare speaks seriously as she cracks open the folder and clicks the pen. "Alright then Miss Angel, tell me, why do you wish to work here, what positions are you looking at, and what prior experiences do you have?"

She nods, thinking to herself for a moment before responding. "...I-I'd like to work here...because I feel I could help out around here...I-I was hoping to be a...nurse, I guess? I-is that what you are?" She sheepishly smiles.

Manila lets a small smile through. "Technically, my title is office manager, but I do a variety of things around here. Mostly the job is paperwork, running the front desk, interacting with clients, but yes, when needed, we can function as nurses. Is that the job you are asking about?"

"Y-yes, please." She tilts her head to one side, thinking a bit. ...prior experiences...hmm... "...um...d-does being a...f-field medic count...i-if I've helped out gryphons and the like? O-or are you looking more along the lines of a...s-secretary? B-because I've been both..."

"Hmm.." The other mare jotts down a few notes. "It always helps to have both lines of experiences. So, you said you worked with griffins, any other non-pony sapient species?"

"...well...I've been around manticores..." She looks down, almost as if visualizing the creatures as she taps a hoof with every species. "...diamond dogs...minotaurs...several changelings...and I believe I met a cockatrice once...heard the call and closed my eyes until it left..." She shrugs as if it was nothing.

Manila had been scribbling down the list until they got to a particular item and her pen halted. "You said... changelings?"

"...um...y-yes..." She squirms in her seat, nervous. "...w-why do you ask?"

The mare clears her throat. "I umm, I assume this was during the... Canterlot invasion?"

She grimaces before turning her head down, unsure. "...n-not exactly...t-they were nice, and one of them was injured...I-I couldn't not help her...i-it would've been awful of me to do that..."

Manila stays quiet a moment. "Huh... I guess there's different ones in every group..." She scribbles down more notes. "Preferred hours and residence at which we can contact you?"

"...preferred hours?" She glances at Rhino for a moment, a small smile on her lips. "...the morning shift...and I believe you have my residence already..." She giggles, finally starting to feel relaxed.

The earth pony smiles. "And a very influential reference. Actually, on that note, there are a few things I should mention: we are fairly laid back on employee interactions here, given our small staff, but we ask that any interactions not related to work, not interfere with it. In short, if we have customers, watch yourselves, if we don't, feel free. Any questions about that or anything else?"

She stares at her for a moment. "...just a couple...what would you recommend a mare going through heat to do?" She holds her hooves up, blushing softly. "C-completely hypothetical, of course."

Manila waves a hoof. "It's alright, we all go through it. Well... there isn't a specific rule set, but I'd say just take whatever precautions you wish, and if you feel yourself getting overwhelmed while you are here, you may excuse yourself if you are with a patient to take whatever actions you need to get yourself under control again, as long as you have somepony cover for you or don't take too long."

"...okay...t-thank you for that..." She taps her chin, thinking a bit. "...my other question...i-is about work attire..."

The mare tilts her head. "Ah yes, well, generally for the non-doctors we have scrubs in a few different colors. Does that answer your question?"

Gel nods, smiling softly. "...I think it does...and that's all the questions I had..."

"In that case, I have only one thing to say to you Miss Angel," Manila suddenly pulls out her camera from behind her.

"Smile!"

The white mare reflexively does as she's told, giving a small smile.

*Click*

Manila smiles as the picture scrolls out of the camera. She pops it into the folder and snaps it shut as she prances happily back to her desk. The sound of a typewriter comes from behind it as she motions down the hall. "Storage is the last room in the hall, please go there, strip, and find a set of scrubs that fit while I finish up a few things here. I should be all set by the time you come back"

She nods, even as she rushes down the corridor. ...that was...interesting... She looks ahead, noticing the door in question.

Rhino walks around to watch over Manila's shoulder as she works. True, but she did get all the important information... including some even I didn't know.

...yeah...I suppose I should've mentioned those when my memory came back... She opens the door and enters the closet. She rummages around for a moment before stopping, surprised. ...huh. They have two in exactly my size...both of my sizes... She giggles as she slips one on, the sky-blue fabric hugging her body perfectly. Aw, it even has cute little clouds!

Selena leaps off of Rhino's head and onto the desk next to the typewriter. The feline looks up at him and mews softly, almost looking expectantly at him.

I can't wait to see you in it. He leans down to the kitten. "Tired of observing? Or did you want something?"

She cranes her neck, staring pointedly at the bag with their food.

Gel nods and, putting the second set into a bag, heads back down the hall, glancing at the examination room as she passes. ...just out of curiosity...is there anything I should avoid saying around pets?

Nothing I can think of, every pet can have a different trigger word so there's no way to tell the pattern. He sees what the kitten is looking at. "Oh, right! You guys haven't had breakfast yet because you usually eat at home after I leave..." He pets Selena and Specter, who has been observing. "I'm sorry, it slipped my mind." He starts to get out each of their bowls and prepares the food.

Selena purrs, watching him do this for a moment before being distracted by the one she dubs "the Silver Menace". '...Mercury, what are you doing?'

At this moment, the white mare walks into the lobby, pausing at the entrance to the hall for a moment.

'...Nothing...' The silver fox creeps slowly up on Manila's unsuspecting back. He had scampered back towards the main area when Gel had started changing. The kit's tail swishes as he gets to a spot for prime pouncing.

'You're going to get in trouble.' She sniffs, turning up her nose. 'Stop being so uncouth before you do something you'll regret.'

'It'll be fine-' He is cut off by the sound of his food hitting the bottom of his bowl. He immediately stops his intended assault and walks quickly over to his bowl, his small teeth buried in the omnivore chow almost instantly.

Selena sighs softly, turning to look at the office manager nearby. She mews, walking up and rubbing up against her briefly.

Gel giggles, watching this scene. "...it seems our little princess has taken a liking to you, Miss Manila..."

The earth mare seems to shiver as she quickly finishes up her work. "That's good... but I need to finish before I can..." she suddenly slaps the folder shut as she reaches the end of the paper, "done!" She scoops up the kitten and rubs her nose with her own. "Oh my goodness aren't you a sweet little thing!"

The small ball of bluish-gray fur purrs happily, enjoying the attention being lavished upon her.

The disguised changeling just watches this, bumping Rhino's side with her elbow. ...isn't that a cute sight, love?

Rhino tears his eyes away from watching the two male pets eat. Hmm? Aww... yes it is... He starts to turn back to the other but gets a glimpse of Gel, drawing his attention. Well... hello~ nurse...

She blushes brightly, her gaze turning to him. ...um...t-thanks for your approval... She flicks her tail across his snout as she approaches the desk, casting a lidded look over her shoulder at him. Maybe I'll wear something similar for our next 'fun time'.

His face burns brightly with a blush as the images flood his brain.

While Rhino struggles to reboot his brain, Manila sets Selena down on her desk to pet her while she slides a nametag over to Gel with her picture on it. "There you go, all set. I just need to discuss something with Sis and we'll be all set."

Gel stares blankly at her for a moment before it hits her. "Oh, you mean Doctor Goodall...o-okay, then..." She picks up the nametag and heads back over to her stallion, gently kissing his cheek. "...Doctor..."

He smiles at the kiss, even as he continues blushing. "Y-yes?"

"...w-what would you like me to do?" She glances around, curious. She notices their kitten climbing onto the typewriter and curling up, a small smile on her lips. ...um...regarding our pets, I mean...

He chuckles as he looks at the little ones. "I don't see anything wrong, I figure we let them play." Manila walks over to the two other pets and they begin to try to climb her. "See? Manila agrees."

...i-if you say so... She coughs politely, giving her best polite smile. "...s-so...h-how was your weekend?" ...I wonder if I need to work on my small talk...

Manila turns from the pets for a brief moment. "In a word? Lazy." She giggles before going back to the fuzzy creatures.

At that moment, the door to the clinic opens up and Doctor Goodall walks in. "She's right, but we all need a lazy weekend now and then."

Gel snaps to attention, smiling nervously at the new arrival. "G-good morning, Doctor Goodall!" ...why am I so jumpy today?

The vet smiles. "No need to be nervous..." she quickly peeks at the nametag, "...Angel. Sorry, I just wanted to make sure of what to call you. Anyways, yes, good morning!" She takes another look at the unicorn mare, noticing the outfit. "Did I miss something?"

Manila nods, pushing Rhino next to her sister and pulling Gel next to herself. "Everyone, meet our new official in-training co-office manager as well as Doctor Rhino's assistant, and the unofficial Changeling expert of the clinic." She turns to Gel quickly. "Bear in mind though that the last title is of an advisory role, all actions must be done by Mane or Rhino due to legal reasons." She squeezes Angel in a hug. "Welcome to the crew!"

Rhino and Mane give hoofstomps of applause as Manila pins the tag on the mare's scrub shirt.

She gives them a small, forced smile, her eye twitching slightly. "T-thank you. I-I couldn't ask for a better place to work." ...Rhino? I think I'll need that first aid kit, now...

He cringes as the sisters start talking quietly and rapidly in a huddle. The pin got you didn't it? Well, the rule is to leave it in until you can deal with it, so can you hold on for a minute until we can get away from these two?

...I guess I can... She walks over to the desk, where Selena is pouncing on the keys, typing up some random gibberish on the paper inside it. ...aw...with a little practice, I bet she could write a message to us... She giggles, shaking her head.

I wonder what she would say... The sisters wave a hoof for him to join the huddle. One second love... Apparently I'm being summoned. He joins their hushed conversation.

The odd mare out looks over at them, tilting her head to one side. ...you know, it's times like these I wish the psychic link would pick up what you're saying and hearing... She sighs and glances at the other two pets, smiling softly at them. "...did you enjoy your meal?"

She doesn't notice the kitten leaping off the desk and heading towards her own bowl.

Specter nods as he nibbles on the nut he is still holding. Mercury goes up to Gel and starts curling around her hooves, peeking his head out towards the group of whispering ponies in curiosity.

The white mare giggles, happily petting the kit. "...are you wondering what they're saying, too, my little fox?"

Suddenly, the whispering stops and all three ponies turn to face her. Manila claps her hooves together. "Alright, last minute announcements: Due to a 33% increase in number of employees, the staff shall now be divided into two teams. Morning Squad will consist of Doctor Rhino and Angel, where Afternoon Squad shall be Doctor Goodall and myself. Morning shall work until lunch, Afternoon shall come in a little before lunch to allow overlap time in case of overflow of patients. Questions?"

Gel blinks, her mind slowly catching up with the other mare's words. She shakes her head, smiling softly. "...I-I don't think so..."

"In that case, Mane and I are going to go be lazy for a few hours before we have to come back. Anything you need to know is on the various instructions located on the desk, and I'm sure Rhino will answer any questions that may come up. If anything doesn't get solved with either of those, ask me when we get back." She and Doctor Goodall are already halfway out the door, happy to have mornings off now. "Have fun you two!"

Rhino waves to them before suddenly dipping his head and sliding it underneath Angel so that she slides onto his back sideways. "Time to deal with my first patient of the day."

She blushes, trying to keep her eyes off of him. "...o-okay, Doctor..."

The three pets watch the retreating ponies a moment before they all head over to the desk and start climbing all over it and the chair.

Meanwhile, Rhino heads down the hall to the examination room and grabs the first aid kit with his magic along the way. He arrives at the examination room and slides her onto the metal table. "Now, let's take a look at that wound."

She sighs softly, pulling off the shirt and removing the pin in one smooth motion. As soon as she does, a drop of blue starts to form on her chest. "...it's...not too bad, I guess..."

He parts her coat so he can get a clearer view. "Clean entry, no tearing, a little deep for my tastes but it's not too bad..." He uses a tissue to wipe the blood off before disinfecting the area, drying it off again, putting some ointment, and finally ending it with a kiss on her lips. "There you go, it should be forgotten by the end of the day."

She blushes brightly, giving him a sly look. "...why, Doctor...do you treat all your patients this way?" She playfully nuzzles his cheek before sliding her top back on. She stares at the pin, and the blue liquid on its tip. "...so...d-do you know how to put it on...without being jabbed?"

He simply grabs her shirt in his magic, pulls it out slightly, and pushes the pin through a wrinkle he creates. When he lets go of the shirt, it simply drapes back onto her chest, nametag in place. "Now if only you had one that said 'Has a protective coltfriend' we'd be all set."

Her cheeks flush even more. "...um...I-I'd hope we wouldn't need it...b-but that's just my opinion..."

He smiles as he gives her a kiss on the cheek. "I feel the same, but as a slightly paranoid pony about some things, I don't dismiss the possibility of needing that." He holds out a hoof to help her off the table. "Shall we see what the little ones are up to?"

She gratefully takes the hoof, nodding quietly. "...s-sure..."

He helps her off the table and the two head back towards the front, their tails unintentionally entwining. They walk into the lobby to and entertaining sight. Selena is playing around on the typewriter again, scribing more gibberish onto the page. Specter is playing with the cup of pens, taking each one out and swinging it in an almost sword-like motion. Finally, Mercury has gotten into some of the drawers and is popping his head out of them like a meerkat before diving back in and coming out of a different drawer.

Gel smiles, shaking her head. "...I can't believe how cute this all is..." She looks at the squirrel, confused. ...is he...fighting an invisible enemy, or is it just me?

Rhino smiles. I think it's more like he's testing different weapons. Either way, that's your desk they've taken over.

She tilts her head to one side, thinking about this a bit. ...I suppose it is, huh? I don't have the heart to tell them to stop, though... She sighs, leaning against his side.

They stay silent a moment before he send a thought her way. I feel like we're both going to be pushover parents...

Probably. She looks up at him, an eyebrow raised. Do you think I'll have to pull drill sergeant if they get out of line? Because I don't like doing that...

He thinks a moment. Only if it gets really bad. Generally harshness is only required in extreme circumstances. Besides, I can muster up my stern side if I need to... the problem is keeping it.

She nods, turning to look at their pets for a few more seconds. ...I suppose we'll find out when it comes to that...

***

The couple drop the little ones off at home after work, the pets falling asleep after an active day. Rhino and Gel then head out to do some errands, ending with a trip to the dairy barn at the farm. As Rhino heads in to get the supplies, Gel is left leaning against the barn wall outside with her thoughts.

She sighs, unsure of what to do. ...I suppose I could just...no, I've had enough apple bucking to last a lifetime...their apples are still good, though...

The sudden sound of flapping wings draws her attention upward. A blue pegasus stallion with white mane and tail lands close and looks appraisingly at her before a familiar pressure presses against her mind.

She frowns at him, an eyebrow raised as she actively resists the sensation. "...can I...help you?"

He blinks in confusion before looking around. Seeing nopony else near, he says a single word. "Colonel."

She flinches, leaning close and lowering her voice. "...enough of that...my target is nearby, so he might overhear..." She clears her throat before smiling softly at him. "...call me...Angel...okay?" Even as she does this, she wonders what to do about this situation. ...should I call for Rhino? No, this soldier would get suspicious if I did... "...this...might not be a good time...he's really...protective..."

The disguised changeling looks toward the barn before nodding and speaking quietly. "Very well, ma'am. I'll approach again at a better time. Do you have any suggestions?"

"I'm not sure..." She taps her chin, thinking a bit. "...maybe in a couple of days...but until then..." She gives him a quick salute. "Keep on your guard, soldier." ...I really wish I knew who this was...or his rank, at the very least...

He gives her one in return. "Yes ma'am. Sergeant 273 out." He takes off and after a few seconds is indistinguishable from any other pegasus out for a flight.

Gel blinks, following the retreating changeling with her eyes for a few moments. "...I suppose that settles that, then..." She shrugs and looks around, curious. "...now...where is that stallion of mine?"

Said stallion exits the barn a moment later, laden with his usual load of pure dairy product. "Ready to head home, love?"

She smiles softly, happily nuzzling his cheek. "...definitely..."

Chapter 33: His Talent

The sounds of sizzling breakfast are the tune of the household in the mornings. Rhino and Gel's house is no exception to this rule. The stallion hums to himself as he slides the last bit of scrambled eggs onto the plates and sets them on the table for himself and the changeling. He looks over to make sure all the pets are eating, which they are, before setting the bottle of ketchup on the table. "There we are. Try not to drown it too much in the ketchup, love."

She smiles brightly, grabbing the ketchup in her magic. "No promises." She winks at him before drawing a smiley face on the eggs and digging in. Delicious! My compliments to the chef. She puts the bottle back down between them.

He smiles as he puts a swirl of ketchup on his own eggs. It's times like these where I am tempted to buy a 'Kiss the Cook' apron. He takes a swig of milk before digging into the food himself.

The white mare giggles, shaking her head. I enjoy these little insights I get to your mind. She takes another couple of bites before a thought occurs to her. ...oh, yeah...yesterday, while you were getting milk, the strangest thing happened...

He looks up from his plate. Oh? Did you see Applejack eating a pear?

No. She looks up as well, frowning slightly. ...one of the sergeants showed up...he didn't have a name, so I feel safe in assuming he's not one of the elite...

It takes Rhino a moment to process this newest information. Wait, there's another changeling in Ponyville and he knows you. What does he want?

She scratches her head, frowning slightly. ...he...he didn't say...

He frowns. Hmm... I don't like this... Half of me says find out what he wants so he'll leave, but the other half doesn't even want you talking to him for safety.

She quietly nods, looking down at her plate. She silently eats for a bit before sending another thought. I already told him to wait a couple of days...for all I know, he might take that seriously, as opposed to the dismissal I meant for it to be...

He sighs and leans back. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see... I just have a bad feeling about this... Like everything so far has been a nice dream and suddenly harsh reality is here... Or maybe my thoughts are just brooding right now.

Hey, no brooding. She narrows her eyes at him, holding up a hoof. Or do you want me to do something about it?

He looks at the ceiling for a few more seconds before looking at her with a sheepish face. Umm, I could actually use some reassuring... brooding is like a pit for me, easy to fall into and hard to climb out of.

Well, then... She slowly walks around the table, smiling coyly. ...let's see what I can do about that. As soon as she reaches him she places a hoof on his head and starts to rub, giggling softly. Gotcha.

He lets out a quiet growl as his body relaxes in the seat, slumping slightly. He closes his eyes as he sighs contently. Perfect... you're amazing, you know that?

She blushes, gently pecking his cheek as she continues rubbing. ...you tell me that quite often, love...

He sluggishly rotates his head and kisses her lips. I've only said the truth... He tries to get up but fails to get his forelegs to do more than flop around. Well... it appears it's up to you whether to let me up or not...

She puts a hoof to her chin, appearing to think for a bit before removing her hoof, smiling kindly at him. ...we do need to go to work, after all... She glances at the pets, tilting her head to one side. ...do you think we should bring them with us again?

He thinks for a moment. Well... we probably got lucky yesterday since it was so slow... If we get a few patients at once it might be difficult to keep track of them... He looks down at them and his face softens. I do hate to leave them alone though... especially at this young bonding age...

She shakes her head, her smile morphing into a small smirk. I guess we'll be taking them, again. I'll just take care of them at the front desk...simple, right?

He nods. That sounds good... I suppose I do need to focus when I'm working. It does mean I'm going to smother them with attention during the downtime though.

Gel laughs at this. I wouldn't expect anything less, love.

***

That evening, the couple is playing a game from the closet in the living room. They finish close, but it is Rhino who comes out victorious.

The changeling looks up from the game board almost immediately, her eyes shining with excitement. "So, when were you planning on showing me your special talent?" She looks at his cutie mark, as if it would make her question clearer.

As he starts to put away the board, he looks at her with a raised eyebrow. "Wow, you were barely holding in that question for a while now, huh?"

"Yeah!" She covers her mouth with a hoof, embarrassed. "...i-it was on my mind for most of the day..."

He chuckles as he puts the lid on the box and floats it to the closet. "Thinking about my flank most of the day? Well, I suppose you probably snuck quite a few glances too." He shakes his hindquarters twice as he heads towards the stairs.

"...um...y-yes..." She quickly buzzes above him, trying to keep herself from looking at his back end. "...y-you probably did, too..."

"What? Looked at my own flank?" He cranes his neck around to look at it. "It's not exactly one of those things that's comfortable on the neck if you look at it too long."

She lands in front of him, giving him a bemused look. "You know what I mean, Rhino." She turns around and shakes her rump at him, smirking at him over her shoulder.

He blushes as he directs his gaze to the floor. "Ok ok, point taken." They arrive in his room and he directs her to lie down on the bed. While she does that, he goes over to his closet and pulls a few small boxes out of the bottom, including the package from his parents, and sets them on his desk. "Here we are."

She looks over at them, raising an eyebrow slightly. "...so...what's with the other boxes?"

He points to the biggest one. "Well, this is sort of the 'everything' box." He pulls out some sheets of paper, a new quill to replace the worn one on the desk, and a pair of safety goggles. "These are just what I need out of it right now." He points to the package. "Of course you know what's in this one." He points to the last and smallest box. "This one though, this one... is the most important." He opens the box and pulls out the entirety of it's contents: two simple books.

She leans forward, eyes wide in interest. "What are those? Are they novels?" She puts a hoof to her chin, frowning slightly. "...wait, that wouldn't make any sense..."

He smiles at her. "Not quite." He holds up the green one with the rhombus on the front. "This... is my runic dictionary that I made myself." He flips it open and sets it down on the bed. "It has all the runes I've discovered by various means, as well as what names I call them and what they do."

"Really?" She leans over, trying to look at the contents of his book. "...so...if those are runes...how many have you found? How do you use them?"

"Hmm..." he flips through the book quickly, "...well, I'd say I have just short of a hundred runes in here right now. Some ponies collect stamps, I collect runes. You'd be surprised where you can find these. As for how I use them..." He holds up the other book, showing it to be a blue one with a circle on the cover. "That's where this one comes in." He sets it open on the bed. "This is my collection of completed arcane circles that I've made. There are about... 25 in here right now. These are just the ones complicated enough to warrant circles. The simple two runes combinations are noted in the dictionary."

She stares blankly at him for a few moments. "...so...what would you classify Res as? And that teleporting...thing?"

"Blink, I call it Blink." He flips to the first two pages of the book, each one dominated by a single circle. The first has a fair number of runes in a few layers and even has what looks like a shard coming out of the center of the circle. The second looks smoother, but has more layers. "These love, these are Res and Blink. The two spells I use the most, and are the most proud of."

She slowly nods, looking at them with clear confusion. "...can you...explain how you came up with them? Because they look custom-made...if that makes sense..."

He tilts his head. "Well, I did say I made them. So, yes, they are custom made. I'm not sure what you want to know when you ask how I came up with them though."

"...well...why did you make them in the first place?" She shrugs, looking down at the pages.

He shuffles his hooves before responding. "Well... it was sort of a necessity... with that way my magic works..."

She blinks, tilting her head to one side. "...not exactly what I meant, but you've caught my interest...care to elaborate, love?"

He rubs the back of his head with a hoof, unused to sharing the information. "Well, umm... how to put this... do changelings have unstable magic when they are very young?"

"...well...only the strongest do..." She tilts her head, putting a hoof to her chin. "...why do you ask?"

"Well," he continues, "young ponies, until they get a hold of their magic, are prone to fizzling, explosions, surges, and a few other negative side effects. I had these as well, but by the time we started general magic education, I still really couldn't get a hold of my magic. Luckily there weren't any explosions, but anything beyond basic levitation just sort of slipped away and usually gave me a splitting magic feedback headache. This was happening no matter the spell." He gestures to the two books. "I discovered runes by complete coincidence one day and it sent my mind into a rush as the possibility of an alternate way of casting was shown to me. I looked into it and found that the structure given by casting through arcane circles reigns in my magic and enables me to do other spells."

Gel blinks, trying to wrap her mind around this. "...so...to help with your magic, you discovered a new form of magic?" She grimaces, feeling embarrassed at her lack of knowledge.

He mulls this over before nodding. "Technically it's very old magic, but yes. Because the way everypony else uses magic wash possible for me, I adopted a new technique."

"Makes sense to me..." She glances at the boxes, curious. "...but how do the crystals come into this?"

He levitates over a few of the gems. "Well, a side effect of learning about arcane circles and runes is that I also unintentionally taught myself how to do enchantments. Gems are excellent catalysts for magical formulas and energies. That's why most enchanted items have jewels as part of them."

"...oh." She puts a hoof to her chin, thinking a bit. "...I'm surprised I didn't put it together, before..."

He rubs her mane fondly. "Well, enchanting itself isn't exactly a common thing anyway, so I wouldn't expect you to know everything about it." He levitates the necklace out of the package. "That's why they sent me this, it's a small enchanted necklace. I'm going to copy down the formula on it and add any new runes or combinations to my records. If I learn any new runes, I can use them in combinations later on to see if they produce any useful or interesting effects."

She pouts, looking away and muttering to herself. "...and here I thought it was an engagement present..." She sighs, looking up at him with a small smile. "...so you're going to copy the enchantment? Mind if I watch?"

He smiles. "I would be honored. Fair warning though, I'll probably be muttering a lot." He levitates up his dictionary and the necklace as he holds it up to see it better. "Let's see..." His horn lights up as symbols start appearing in the air next to him as he says them. "Basic dimming rune so it doesn't light up when in use... one time charge symbol, only lasts a year... rune for containing a magic sample... so this must be a tracking rune... not one I've seen before though..." His tongue sticks out of the corner of his mouth as he consults his book and a few more runes appear behind him. "Not the usual one where the item itself is drawn to the target... the rest of the runes help access the consciousness, so is it a mental pull then?" He slips the necklace briefly onto a hoof, his eye darting to one side of the room as he does so. "Yes... a definite mental pull... a bit strong, likely why it didn't sell well..." He takes it back off and looks at it again. "I think that should be everything... so... this one," The runes behind him float away from a particular one, leaving it on it's own. "This one is the key." He nods succinctly and sets the necklace down, going over to the sheets of paper and drawing a detailed sketch of the rune, making sure to get the shape perfect before letting his magical scribing of it disappear, leaving him with the paper one. "Looks like I got lucky, a new rune for the dictionary that I get to experiment with."

She blinks, too stunned to react for a moment. "...how...how did you do that? W-with all those symbols floating in the air? I-I mean, h-how did you get the precise..." She holds her head, groaning softly. "...I don't even know anymore..."

He walks over and kisses her forehead. "I believe I've made the language comparison before, but it still works well. If you have a large vocabulary, you can infer the meaning of new words through the context of those around them that you do know. It used to take me days to take apart enchantments when I was first starting. Now that I'm more experienced, it doesn't take as long if it's just one new symbol. Plus this is a fairly simple little trinket. It's the possibilities I'm interested in."

She sits in silence, considering this. "...that makes sense...but..." She tilts her head, looking at the paper. "...what if you made even a tiny error? I mean, I saw a symbol that looks almost exactly the same in there, but just one less line..."

He nods. "That's why I have the dictionary and arcane log. Some of the similar symbols are almost identical. I keep them noted down so I can check my work. To be honest, Res and Blink are the only two spells I have fully memorized, despite their complexity. They were the first two, and I have slowly perfected their design and use over the years. The others are spells that i have, but I need my book to ensure that I cast them correctly. As to what would happen, well..." He pulls over the dictionary and flips it to a page, pointing out to symbols. "Take these two, the basic fire and light elements. You'll notice that they are similar, well, if I used the fire element instead of light in say... a flashlight spell circle. Instead of a beam of light, I would get a stream of fire. Just as with any science, precision is key to avoid terrible mistakes."

Gel shudders, shaking her head. "...w-well, I'm glad you aren't the kind to make that type of mistake..." She returns her attention to the symbol, curious. "...so...what can you do with this one? And what is it called?"

He rubs his chin as he looks at the newly acquired symbol. "Hmm, well, I don't use official names unless I happen to find them. This appears similar to a tracking rune I found a few years back, but it's... different. It doesn't pull you to something, it's more of a rune to imbue your mind with this... sense of where something is. Sort of like an itch at the back of your mind. I think I'll call it... Link."

"Link?" She scratches her head, confused. "...you mean like...our psychic link?"

He nods, smiling. "Actually yes, it is sort of like that, though more subtle." He takes another look at the symbol, nodding to himself as he flips the dictionary to where the blank pages start. He begins scribing down the rune, it's name, and possible uses and combinations.

She watches over his shoulder, fascinated. As soon as it seems he's finished, she speaks up once more. "...so...what does the necklace do, other than look pretty?" She smiles at him, playfully bumping his shoulder.

He nudges the trinket with a hoof. "Well, as far as I can tell, it's just a simple piece designed to constantly let the wearer know where the matching accessory of the set is. You wouldn't notice it if you had both on, but this one makes sure you don't lose the other. Purely a utility enchantment."

"...then...who has the other half?" She grabs it in her magic, considering putting it on to find out.

He shrugs. "That's impossible to know. It really only gives you a direction, and by the strength of the itch, distance. All I know is that what it's connected to is in Canterlot. Odd, considering my mother is the one who purchased this part of the gift and she lives in Cloudsdale these days, which is where she bought it."

The changeling tilts her head, confused. "...are your parents separated? Or is there somepony else they might have given the other half to?”

He nods as he settles into a comfortable position lying next to her with the books in front of him. "They've been divorced since I was four. Like i said though, Mom probably bought this specifically so I could learn from it. She usually just picks stuff like this up when she sees it then sends them to me for holiday presents."

Gel blanches momentarily before realizing that he didn't seem upset by their separation. "...okay, then..." She scratches her head a bit, trying to figure out some more questions she could ask. "...have you ever...enchanted something, before?"

He eyes peruse the rune again as he floats over a few of the gems. "A number of times actually, usually only by request or when I'm experimenting. Although, funnily enough, most of them tend to be situational, so the one that's seen the most use was the night-light crystal I made for one of my little cousins. I hear they usually give it to whatever foal in the family needs it now, so it's good to know they appreciate it."

She quietly nods, thinking about this a bit. "...that makes sense...though I have to wonder..." She nuzzles his cheek, giggling softly. "...when do you think our little family could use that?"

He blushes heavily as he loses his breath a moment. "W-well, I umm, we, er..." He seems to zone out as he thinks on her question.

She smiles softly, tenderly kissing him to regain his attention. "...I was teasing, love..." She rests her head on her forehooves, closing her eyes. "...besides, I've yet to meet your parents...not to mention get married..."

His face starts to cool down as he looks down and fiddle with one of the blue gems. "Right... yeah... still those things to do..."

She watches him for a few seconds before she speaks up. "...Rhino, have you sent them a thank-you letter for these gifts?" She takes the necklace in her magic and puts it on top of his dictionary.

He blinks before responding. "Erm... no, I suppose I haven't... I guess I forgot..."

"Perfect!" She grins brightly. "You can write them to thank them for the gifts and invite them to come over!" She giggles, bumping his side with her own. "Does that sound like a plan, love?"

He rubs the back of his head and nervously chuckles. "Yeah... I guess it does..." He looks up at her. "You do realize if I even hint at the fact that I have a marefriend, let alone the fact that she is living with me, they'll be here within a week right?"

She shrugs, a small smile on her lips. "The way I see it, the sooner the better." She rests her head against his neck, trying to hide the look of concern growing there. "...do you think they'll like me? S-should I disguise myself?"

He tenses as he plans the delicate situation. "I think they'll love you when they get to know you... which is why I think maybe you should be 'Angel' at first until we get you and them talking for a bit. I do want them to see the real you while they are here though. I think Mom should be easy to convince, Dad's the wildcard."

She quietly nods, considering his plan. "...okay, Rhino. I'm sure you're right...I just have to make sure I don't do anything off..." She sighs, feeling herself relax. "...thank goodness Angel's not that different from me..."

He nuzzles her neck lovingly. "Yeah... I guess... in a way... this is sort of what your dad wanted, right?"

She smiles softly, nodding as she nuzzles him back. "...it is..."

***

As Luna's orb runs it's nightly course, the little family of five settle down for the night. Rhino gets in first, since everyone else seems to sleep relative to him. Gel gets in next, scooting close to her stallion and laying her head and foreleg on his chest. Specter climbs up onto Rhino pillow and settles into the valley between the top of the green pony's head and the pillow. Selena daintily steps her way over to Gel's back and snuggles against it. Finally, Mercury slinks upwards and burrows in between the two larger figures, enjoying the warmth of their bodies. The stallion, surprisingly, is the first to drift off to enter dreamland, falling asleep almost the instant he closes his eyes.

Rhino opens his eyes to find himself lying on an invisible surface floating in a void of shifting colors. Indistinct noises float through the air, bringing comfort by preventing total silence. He looks around, confused. "What... where am I?"

A distance to his left, a familiar form appears. She glances around in confusion, muttering to herself. "...that's odd...I could've sworn his mind had more structure..."

As he turns around in a circle, he sees Gel and quickly walks over to her. "Is something wrong, love? You're dreams seem a bit... different tonight."

She smiles, shaking her head. "This isn't my dream, Rhino..." She playfully taps his nose. "...it's yours."

His eyes cross momentarily. "Oh... I didn't know we could go into my dreams..." He looks around again. "I guess since I've never really lucid dreamed before... I don't exactly know how to, well, do anything in here."

"It's simple, love." She looks around before pointing to a spot in front of them. "You know we're in a dream, so that step is done. Now, just imagine something." She moves next to him and bumps his side. "You're good at that, aren't you?"

He chuckles as he lightly flicks her with his tail. "I suppose I am." He tries to think of something to imagine and a waterfall about as tall as their house appears a short distance away, pouring into a small, grass-lined pool.

She blinks, tilting her head to one side as she gazes at the scene. "...this...looks a lot like that pool we went to...the first weekend I was here..."

He nods. "It does look similar, though if it was that pool, a lot of details are missing." He sits near the edge of it and looks around again with a neutral look. He makes a rock appear and lazily tosses it into the water. "Umm... so... what now? I'm at a bit of a loss with... you know, the sudden control over reality."

She frowns slightly, tapping her chin a bit. "...well, that's the thing, isn't it? You get the chance to have anything, but end up wanting nothing..." She sighs, laying down in the grass. "...well...maybe you could ask some more questions...you seem to enjoy that..." She winks, smiling coyly at him.

"Well, I guess I do my best bouts of daydreaming when I don't think about it, maybe distracting me with question will help me sort of get the hang of this." He rolls onto his side and brings her into a hug with his forelegs. "Hmm... what little things do I do to you do you like best?" He nuzzles her neck as an example as the waterfall starts to give off a mist that floats around them.

She bites her lip, blushing brightly. "...I-I like when we cuddle...w-when you nibble my neck..." She wistfully sighs, wrapping her forelegs around his neck and pulling him closer. "...when you make feel like the most special nymph in the world...with just your words..."

He smiles softly at her, rubbing her nose with his own. "Speaking of your neck, how... sensitive, is that chitin of yours? I assume it's your exoskeleton, so it's hard, and yet you act like a pony would when I do things like nibble or nuzzle."

"...w-well..." She blushes a bit more. "...i-it's kind of sensitive...b-but more so, in certain areas..." She averts her eyes, embarrassed. "...i-it helps with blending in..."

He tilts his head, well, as much as one can tilt one's head when lying down. "Blending in? What would the sensitivity of your chitin have to do with blending in?"

"...well..." She sighs, turning onto her back and looking up at the white sky. "...most changelings have limits to how much they can change...so their chitin has to be properly sensitive, in case their concentration slips, or something like that..." She waves a hoof in the air, almost as if in demonstration. "...it would be bad if a pony tried to tease them and they didn't feel anything, you see...and, well, we elite inherited that trait..."

He flips over on his back as well, idly frowning at the sky before it turns to a normal shade of blue with a few clouds drifting by. There is a lack of an actual sun, but since the entire dream is lit up anyway, he makes no move to add one. "Well, there is a part of your statement I want to come back to, but what about the holes in your hooves or the fact that I could feel fur when you were Angel? That's changing your whole body right?"

"...yeah, it is changing my whole body...what I meant was that only a few of us have the ability to turn into something other than ponies, though...or change gender, for that matter..." She stares at her hole-filled leg, frowning slightly. "...the holes are there to keep us from being too heavy...the chitin in our lower legs is rather dense, after all..."

He grabs her hoof with his own. "I was wondering what these were for, I just hadn't asked" He squeezes lightly with his hoof before laying their hooves down between them. "So... what do you mean, 'elite'? and you're one of them?"

"...y-yes, I'm one of the elite..." She sighs, turning to look at him, a small frown on her face. "...they...we...are a number of changelings with...unique abilities..." She nervously giggles. "...i-in fact, we make up the highest ranks of our army..."

He stays silent as he absorbs this information, a red rose blooming in between them. "I see... is yours being a little pyro pony, or was that just Angel's thing?" He grows a blue rose next to the red one and rubs his chin as he looks between them.

She pokes the blue rose, uncertain. "...actually, I have a couple of talents...the fire magic is one..." She opens her mouth, showing her fangs right before enveloping them in a blue flame. As the fire disperses, the fangs are gone with them. "...I believe I'm the only one who can shift parts of my body separately..."

He frowns as he looks at her fangless state. "It just doesn't look right without them..." He turns back to the two roses. "I'm trying to figure which of these would look better on you, what do you think?"

She looks down at them before poking the blue rose once more. "...I like this one...it's much more...exotic..."

He smiles before he gently nips the stem and grabs the thornless rose in his teeth, placing it behind one of her ears. "There you go, pretty as a picture." He thinks a moment before the sparse area around them suddenly and literally blooms into life as they suddenly find themselves still near the pool, but now beyond that are surrounded by rolling hills of flowers of all types.

She stares at this in shock. "...I...y-you..." She shakes her head before turning to him, blushing softly. "...i-it's beautiful, love...t-thank you..."

He simply smiles and kisses her briefly before pulling back as he lies on his side, facing her. "Only complementing what was already there. Umm, stop me if you don't want to answer this, but... was there... anyone special in your life... before me?"

She stares blankly at him a second. "...you mean like...someone I had...romantic feelings for?"

He looks down sheepishly and nods.

She shakes her head as she reaches over and strokes his cheek, smiling softly. "...no...I can honestly say you are my first and only love..."

Once she stops, he reaches over and tucks a lock of her mane behind her flower. "Well... I'm honored." A sudden rustling makes him look down and realize the grass they had been laying on has turned into a dark green silk. "Umm..."

Gel sees this as well. She rubs a hoof across it, curious. "...Rhino, just what were you planning?"

He blinks as he shifts on the fabric. "I have no idea why my subconscious made this... it is very comfortable though..." He shifts around a bit more before he looks down the hill and starts chuckling to himself. The whole hill they are on and a good portion of the area around the base turns to silk. He looks over to her. "Feel like doing something silly?"

She props herself up and tilts her head, smiling kindly at him. "...sure...what do you have in mind?"

He shifts his position 90 degrees. "I was thinking a foalish roll down the hill. Care to join me, my lady?"

She says nothing for a moment, just looking at the hill. She turns to him, smirking a bit. "I'd like that. One two three go!" She quickly starts rolling down the hill, laughing brightly all the while.

"Oh it's on!" He quickly pushes himself down the hill with a hoof, closing his eyes and simply enjoying the feel of the hill. He hears the laughing mare getting closer as they roll. Suddenly, he feels himself hit her before they both do a quick tumble and land in the soft silk, none the worse for wear. He opens his eyes to find himself on his back and her with her eyes closed, sprawled across his stomach.

"...wow...it's been so long since I've just goofed off like this..." She giggles, peeking open an eye to look at him. "...thank you, Rhino..." She gently kisses him before leaning down and teasingly nipping his neck with her fangs. "...maybe I could return the favor...outside of a dream, of course..." She winks and moves to climb off him.

He looks to the side and sees the world starting to fade as they begin to wake. "Well then, I have one last thing to say." He suddenly flips them to where she is on her back with him on top of her. He leans down and gives her a peck on the lips. "Good morning."

Gel awakes with a start, gasping softly. She sits up and groans, looking around quietly. ...darn it...always wake up before it gets really good... She glances off to the side and sees something tenting the sheets. ...is...is that Specter? She quietly yawns, reaching out a hoof to stroke the lump. ...when did he get under the- She touches it and stops, blushing brightly. ...that...that's not our squirrel...

Chapter 35: Dreams

Later that night, the stallion once again enters the dream realm first, and gains the host privileges that come with that. This time, he is slightly better prepared. Instead of a swirling void, he now appears on a small grassy hill topped with a single oak tree, a small river running at the base of the hill. "Well, this is an improvement already."

As he says that, his nymph fades into view next to him. She looks around, surprised. "...wow. You got the hang of this quickly, didn't you?"

"It does appear that way." He lies down in the shade of the tree and pats beside him. "I was thinking I would try a few things tonight, but in the meantime, I was going to say you should be the one asking questions tonight."

She blinks. "...you...want me to ask you questions?" She joins him, looking at her surroundings in an attempt to keep her eyes off him. "...I-I don't know where to begin..."

He blows a stream of air at her ear. "Well, I find that looking at the subject tends to help. As I recall, you do enjoy looking at me..."

She shivers, shyly turning to him. "...I-I do enjoy that..." She bites her lip, thinking a bit. "...w-well...I suppose I have one question..." She recalls the circles she saw before, quickly scratching them into the ground before them. "...why these? I mean, you could've done something to make light...or maybe even fly..." She taps them with a hoof. "...why Res? Why Blink?"

He smiles as he thinks back, a small screen showing a young Rhino appearing on the grass in front of them. "Well, teleporting was actually the first spell I managed to cast once I learned about runes. It's what got me my cutie mark, despite not being able to do anything other than levitate for years. It was a crude piecing together of the spell at that point, but I improved it. Now it is my own, a means to accomplish something with the same results but through different means." The screen shows his colt self looking through books of strange symbols. "Res was actually the first spell I created without anything to base it off."

The picture shows a slightly older version, not come into his height yet, but quickly becoming fluffy. "Some kids in my school pulled a prank on pretty much everypony that went down a hallway that day. They greased it up. Well, in short, many ponies fell for it, but it gave me inspiration. Over the next few years I learned more about both physics and runes until the primitive form of Res came to be." Yet another slightly older version is shown, his horn glowing as a less complex circle is shown on a slanted surface, stopping a ball he had set rolling above it. "They are just a part of me. To your examples though, I've shown you I can do a few things with light, as for flight though... Yeah, having a fear of falling doesn't exactly inspire one to leave the ground too often."

She flinches, embarrassed. "...oh...I-I didn't think about that..." She clears her throat, glancing away. "...w-well, I'm glad you're adaptive like that..." She sits there a moment, trying to think of her next question.

He watches her as she thinks, a smile forming on his face as he thinks of something. He suddenly disappears and reappears above her head, about as small as a tennis ball, but still keeping the proportions he had. He lands in her mane and pokes his head down so that he is looking into her eyes upside down. "What are you thinking about?"

She squeaks, startled by his shrunken state. "...Rhino?" She grabs him in her forelegs, smiling brightly. "You're so cute!"

He laughs as she hugs him. "All according to plan. I swear, you make anything smaller and suddenly it's adorable." He sighs happily as he enjoys being held.

She giggles, playfully nuzzling the top of his head. "Naturally, more so since you're the size of a newborn..."

That particular fact dawns on him. "W-well, that wasn't my intention, but I guess this does match your description of changeling baby sizes... So... umm... did you have another question... or did you want to fawn over me some more?" He taps his hooves together as he averts his eyes, a little embarrassed.

She tilts her head, curious. "...dated?" She shakes her head blushing brightly in embarrassment. "...v-various circumstances, you say? May I hear an example of one?"

"I'm afraid it's not that interesting... I think jobs were the most frequent reasons." He curiously pokes his head into one of the holes in her hooves. "What other questions do you have for me, love?"

She squirms, pulling that hoof away. "...R-Rhino, that tickles..." She puts the hoof on top of his head and starts rubbing, distracting him while she thinks. "...were you more an athlete or a scholar, in high school? And does using Res like that make you stronger?"

He sprawls out on his stomach from her rubbing his head. It takes him about a full minute to respond. "Scholar, though that probably isn't the word some might have used." He thinks about her second question. "I guess technically skating around using Res gives one more exercise than walking. I know it at least convinces me to go more places because I know it's fun to get there and that i get there in a decent amount of time."

She smiles, giggling a bit. "I suppose that makes sense..." She sits down, placing him in the grass in front of her. "...maybe I could convince you to exercise with me, this weekend?"

He narrows his eyes at her. "Exercise in what way? I know you have a least a few different definitions of it."

"A race around the park." She pulls him up against her belly. You should be able to handle that, right? And who knows..." She smirks playfully, narrowing her eyes as well. "...maybe the winner can request something of the other..."

He Blinks and appears on her muzzle. "Is teleporting cheating?"

"Of course." She rolls her eyes, lifting him off. "And so would interfering with the other during it, so no Hi-Res."

As he floats there in her magic, his thoughts turn to the reward for the winner. He blushes appropriately. "Umm, on the subject of the... reward... might I make my request now? Just so it's out there?"

She blinks and nods slowly, curious. "...sure, love...what would it be?"

He taps his tiny hooves together again, not meeting her eyes. "Well... you know how last time... we did that bit of roleplaying... and you had me take the lead? I... well... I was wondering if we could do roles again... but maybe you take the lead this time?"

She stares at him a moment before blushing brightly. "...a-are you sure? I-I mean, I'd do it, but..." She glances away, embarrassed. "...I-I like it when you're in charge...i-it's a change from how I normally am...y-you know, with my troops?"

Still levitating, he seems to try and make himself even smaller by folding in his hooves. "I know you like it... a-and I like it too... but I just thought, you know... I thought it would be interesting to see how it would be different if you took the lead..."

She nods, putting a hoof to her chin. "...I suppose that makes sense..." She giggles, shaking her head a bit. "...if I'm to be honest, I was wondering if it's because you were secretly a sub..."

He sticks out his tongue as he returns to normal size next to her. "Bleh, no. I've never been one for all that 'Master' stuff. It would just make me feel awkward if I was on the receiving end and ashamed if I was on the giving end." He nuzzles her neck.

She sighs, gently kissing him. "...I'll be sure to remember that..." She taps her chin, thinking a bit. "...any other turn-offs in roleplaying, for future reference?" She nibbles his neck and licks where she nips him, trying to see if he'd like that.

His fur on his spine sticks up as he shivers, lying down on his side with his back up against her. He looks up so he can see her face. "No violence, I'm not into hitting in any sort of way whether doing it or receiving it. Frankly, if I ever accidentally hurt you, I think it would kill my sex drive for days just from the guilt."

She smirks, hugging him tenderly. "That's fine by me. I'll have to get rid of my dominatrix outfit, of course, but I'm sure i can find somepony to buy it." She pauses a moment before adding "That was a joke. I don't have that kind of outfit."

He breathes a sigh of relief. "Ok good, I was a little worried. I'll take the apron over leather any day." An apron appears and falls in the grass beside them. "Cheeky subconscious..."

She giggles, standing up and grabbing the apron. "For you, and your subconscious..." She slips it on, tying the string securely around her waist. "...I'll indulge this fantasy." She flips him onto his back and straddles his stomach, giving him a lidded gaze. "...so, Rhino...enjoying the view?"

His eyes are wide as he takes her in. Nodding slowly he licks his lips before uttering a single word. "Lovely..." One of his hooves starts to raise, but he pushes it back down with the other one.

She giggles, taking his forehooves in her own. "...don't be shy..." She moves them to her hips, blushing brightly. "...you're free to touch..."

He doesn't make any advances, simply moving his hooves to her hips and slowly moving them up and down her sides. He seems to relax as he simply gazes at her, his eyes soft. Not a word comes out of his mouth, he simply smiles.

Gel smiles kindly at him, leaning down and gently kissing him. "...this is perfect...just being with you like this..." She sighs, closing her eyes. "...if only there was more time in the night for this..."

He kisses the tip of her nose. "I don't think we're nearly done for tonight, dreams can last any amount of time you know. If that doesn't convince you, think of it this way: we have every night for the rest of our lives. An extra part of the day that we can spend together however we want."

She considers this a moment, a smile slowly growing on her lips. "...you're right...we have a whole future together..." She rests her head underneath his chin. "...more than enough nights to do whatever we want..." She smirks, certain he wouldn't see it. "...and I mean anything..."

A tiny book appears next to his head as he writes something down in it. Once he finishes he pops it out of existence again and rests a hoof on her back as they lay there. "I am very curious what you had in mind when you said that..." His tongue sticks out and flicks the tip of one of her ears.

She squirms on top of him, blushing even more. "...Rhino...t-that's ticklish..." She traces tiny circles in his fur, trying to muster up her courage. "...I...I was just thinking...w-we might be able to have some...fun...in here...i-if we're unable to, before bed..."

He nods as he realizes her point. "Good idea, times alone like this will probably invaluable once the foals come into our lives." He summons the tiny book again, double checking a few things in it before dispersing it again.

She looks up, watching this with no small amount of confusion. "...Rhino? What is that book you keep pulling out?"

He blushes as he realizes he is caught. "Oh, umm... well... It's just... It's something I like to call... the plan. I was just adding something to it..."

Her ears perk up and she moves to look down at him, eyes full of curiosity. "...the plan?" She smiles, gently booping his nose with a hoof. "...may I hear what it is, love?"

He squirms under her gaze. "Erm, it's one of those things that's easier to show than tell... Do you want me to show you?"

She nods, smiling eagerly. "Of course, Rhino. As long I don't have to move." She nuzzles his chest, reveling in the feel of his fur. "...you're just too comfortable..."

"My thoughts exactly." The ground beneath them slowly sinks until it gets just below the level of the river. The water partially diverts and flows around and under the couple. As Rhino starts to float on his back, the land rises again, causing the water to flow back into the river, carrying the stallion and nymph with it. The two begin floating downstream.

She looks around, surprised at the change of scenery. That's not to say she didn't like it - she was actually feeling elated at being on water like this.

He quirks an eyebrow at her. "What's got you all giddy?"

She looks at him, sheepishly smiling. "S-sorry, I've never been on the water, before..."

He nods in recognition. "Oh right! You never did come swimming with me when you were Angel... I get that it was because of her heating tendencies, but what's your excuse?"

She grimaces, turning her head away and muttering her answer, barely loud enough for him to hear. "...I-I never learned how to swim..."

He smiles at her. "Oh, is that it? Well we can fix that easily!" He leans back in the water, half dunking his head in. "We have a nice lake, we just need to put some time in..." His voice trails off as something occurs to him. "Umm... I don't suppose you would want to get a swimsuit for this... given your enjoyment of clothing?"

She giggles, sitting up on his waist. "...sure...would you do the honors?" She motions to her apron, winking playfully at him.

He blushes heavily at the thought. "I-I meant in the non-dream world... I-I could give it a shot though..."

Her cheeks flush bright blue in embarrassment. "...o-oh...m-my mistake..." She rubs a foreleg with her opposite forehoof, unsure of what to say. "...well...this is a dream...m-maybe we should just enjoy it..."

He looks confused. "I... don't know if you were answering my question or ignoring it..."

"...what I mean..." She leans down, gently kissing him. "...is that I'd love that...especially if it'll make you blush like that..."

The apron dissolves into little white wisps of smoke as he blushes even more while they drift. "Umm... S-should I put it on you or just... leave it for you to put on when you want?"

"I don't know..." She sits up once more. "...I think, since this is a dream..." She raises her forelegs over her head, smiling coyly at him. "...that you'd prefer me like this..."

He eyes gaze upon her, roaming up and down her form. "...Good... point..." His hindlegs shift as his blood threatens to divert itself.

She giggles, looking at the river around them. "...so...how do I begin?"

He's confused again. "Begin what?"

"Swimming, of course." She tilts her head at him. "...what else could I have meant? Building that house?" She motions to a building downstream.

He tilts his head backwards so that he sees the house, though upside down. "Oh! That's the plan actually." He looks back up at her. "Ready to see it up close?"

She blinks in surprise before grinning in excitement. "Absolutely!"

A willow tree comes down the bank, its drooping leaves forming a curtain that they soon pass through, revealing the scene beyond. The house, two stories but still fairly wide and certainly at least double the square-footage of their current one, sits in a sizable yard with a number of trees. As the river runs next to the house, they stop floating and remain in place as the front door opens and a number of shapes come out.

The first is what looks like an almost fully grown silver fox. He scampers out into the yard before stopping and looking back at the door. The second is a young dark green colt, his mane the inverse of Rhino's own mane and tail colors. One can see that he has a few pointed teeth, his horn has a slight upward curve to it, and his coat seems to be thick and shiny, but he otherwise appears normal for a young unicorn. The next four shapes are revealed at once, two of them being Rhino and Gel themselves, happy and perhaps a few years older. An Older Specter can be seen, still in his favorite spot perched on top of the stallion's head. The smallest shape is riding on top of Gel's back, a light aqua colored filly with what appear to be dragonfly wings. She doesn't appear to have a horn to speak of, but this doesn't stop her from giggling as her father plays fondly with her mane. Lastly, the lithe form of Selena is seen at the rear of the group, watching them all with a small feline smile.

Gel watches all of this in awe, holding her hooves over her mouth. "Rhino, that's...oh, it's almost perfect..." She bites her lip, looking over at him nervously. "...d-do you mind if I...want three foals, love?"

He chuckles as he looks on the scene fondly. "Hey, we ended up with three pets didn't we? Might as well make it a thing. Why don't you design this one?"

She blinks, caught off-guard. "...um...o-okay..." She thinks, wondering how to do that. "...well...I'd like our firstborn to be a filly...pink and magenta all over...she'd be as bright as her father, and unicorn, just like him..." She giggles, winking at him. "...how does that sound, Rhino?"

He smiles and gestures to the scene, where the filly in question appears on her father's back. She looks for all the world like she'd stay up there all the time if she could. Her green eyes sparkle as she reaches over to play with her baby sister. "I wasn't sure where the changeling genes would kick in for her, so I didn't put any for now. I figure it'll be a surprise when it happens."

She squeals in delight, hugging him tightly. "Thank you! Oh, it's just perfect!"

He hugs her back as they gently beach on the shore on the opposite side of the river a small distance away from the scene. "Then it looks like we have something to work for now... Of course, I won't mind if the foals don't turn out exactly like that. It was just me taking guesses after all." He kisses her deeply, breaking it after a few seconds. "I'm sure it will be wonderful, no matter the details."

She smiles softly, gently kissing him. "...so am I, Rhino..." She rolls over, bringing him with her. She looks up at him, blushing brightly. "...so...a-anything you'd like to do before we wake up?"

He leans down and nips her neck before whispering in her ear. "You know me, I tend to prefer to just see where things go naturally..." He nips a spot just below her ear.

She coos softly, wrapping her forelegs around his neck. "...s-sounds like a plan..."

He smiles and captures her lips with his own. He takes one forehoof and gently strokes it down her side where he knows the edge of her wing is. The happy scene in the background fades as the sky darkens and stars appear.

She looks up at him, her eyes wide in amazement. "...w-wow...t-this is so...romantic..."

He adds a final touch, a small number of fireflies silently flying around. "There we go. Just us out here." He kisses her chest, making sure not to hit her chin with his horn.

She gasps in surprise, her face practically glowing with her blush. "...R-Rhino...t-that's sensitive..."

He replies back with a teasing tone. "You say that, but I don't think I’ve found a spot on you yet that wasn't sensitive to things like this." He kisses her chest again, right on the center of one of her chitin plates.

She giggles, pushing on the top of his head. "S-stop, my r-rings are ticklish..." Even as she says this, her tail curls around her body, gently stroking along his belly. "...I-I believe ponies are the same...a-around their ribs..."

His eyes shoot open and he flinches away from her tail at the touch. He seems to be fighting off some chuckles as he stretches himself as high as he can above her to avoid the tail.

She smirks at this, wrapping her hindlegs around his waist. "...it seems as if I'm correct..." She leans up and kisses him, tickling him with her tail at the same time.

"Mmph!" His voice is muffled by the kiss as she tickles him. With her legs wrapped around him, he is unable to do anything but squirm and stomp his front hooves as the assault, though his lips seem to be content to continue meeting hers.

She giggles, leaning up to his ear. "...just to let you know...this is just a taste of me being in control..." She squirms her hips a bit, blushing brightly at what she feels poking her. "...and...y-you really seem to enjoy it, big boy..."

"You know you enjoy it too." He takes advantage of her positioning and nips her neck a few times in quick to make her gasp. He then uses his size to roll them onto their sides, him laughing all the way. Once they are lying in the grass, he uses his newly freed forelegs to bring her in close as he smiles at her. "Your move."

***Warning, Sensual Content.***

She rolls him onto his back, sitting on his stomach. "...sure...one question, though..." She glances behind her, eyeing his stallionhood yearningly. "...does it count if it's in a dream?"

His pride twitches mightily at this statement as he knows exactly what she means. His face burns bright enough to where you would think it would give off light. "U-umm, w-well, I-I suppose not... if we didn't have this connection... I'd probably dream about... that... before it actually happened..." He thinks as much as he can with that image in his mind. "I mean... these are our mental interpretations, so the sensation is probably not as strong as it will be... so we still have something to look forward to right?" He makes a decision. "Do... do you want to?"

She blushes softly, nodding. "...y-yes...I-I do..." She slowly grinds herself against him, her expression quickly turning seductive. "...but what I'd like most...is for my big stallion to take me...make me his mare..." She leans down, touching noses with him. "...to take charge of this situation..."

His eyes widen as he nods, his blush fading slightly. "Ok... but... one last question... front to front, or back to front?"

"Your choice, love." She giggles, winking at him. "This is your dream, after all...you could have me any way you want..."

"I think... I want to see your face while we do this..." He gently rolls them over so he is on top again. He shifts his hind legs back while looking down at her, his nervousness still betrayed by his eyes, but he pushes on despite it. He pulls back and drags his length down her stomach, until it rests just below her teats and above her flower. He looks back up at her, silently asking with his eyes.

She bites her lip and nods, just as nervous as he is. ...go ahead, love...I-I trust you...

He lines up his pride with her treasure, slowly sliding it in. His breathing gets faster as he goes further into the tight space, before he finally hits the small barrier. He looks up to see how she is doing.

She whimpers quietly, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. She pants quietly, not used to this sensation. ...g-gently...p-please...

He gulps, steeling himself for what he is about to do. With agonizing slowness, he increases his force against the barrier. He feels it warping as he pushes more, the warm wet walls squeezing around the small part of his pride in her. Finally, the thin wall gives way and he suddenly goes in another inch from his pushing against it. He instantly looks up at her as he feels something warm flowing against his length.

She cries out in pain, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. I-I'm fine. J-just a sting. She cracks an eye open, looking up at him. ...just...d-don't move, yet...o-okay?

He nods as he leans down and nuzzles her neck, trying not to move his hips. Just say when.

She smiles weakly at him, trying to focus on him, instead of the pain. Slowly, it ebbs, eventually leaving her with the feeling of him inside of her. ...o-okay...I...I think I'm ready...

He kisses her gently as he starts to move again. A long grunt escapes his lips as his pride works into her virgin passage. Slowly, bit by bit, he goes deeper into her. Both of them are breathing heavily through their noses, new to the sensation. He softly continues going forward, feeling her every heartbeat.

She squeaks as he hits her deepest depths and lets loose a small groan of pleasure. ...I-I think that's my limit... She looks between them, and her eyes immediately snap wide open. ...oh, dear Luna...y-you're not all the way in...

He cringes, even as he grits his teeth from the feeling of her gripping his most sensitive part with her own. Sorry love... I think it's just the proportions of both of us... He squirms a bit, groaning from the feeling again. So... what do we do?

She gulps, her cheeks flushing with color. ...j-just...do what you did when we roleplayed...y-you know... She bucks her hips upwards, gasping as it causes him to pull out a bit. ...m-move your hips...

He mutters as he starts to pull back out of her, the air cold on his now wet shaft. "That's... not what I meant..." When he is almost completely out, he start back in again, still slow and gentle. He pushes until he again hits her deepest depths. Some part of him groans in disappointment for not being able to hilt himself in her, but he knows there's nothing he can do. Regardless of that part of him though, everything else is screaming out in pleasure at their joining. He smiles down at her as he pulls out slowly and starts to push back in with a tiny bit more force.

She moans, her eyes fluttering closed from the sensation. She bites down on one of her forehooves, trying to muffle her noises. ...s-so good...so full...oh, Rhino...

He looks down and notices her muffling herself. Pleasure clouding his mind as he continues going back inside, he leans down and pulls away her hoof with his own mouth. Remember what I said... about your noises? He pants as he reaches her depths again and starts pulling out. He leans down and gathers her lolling tongue with his own as their lips meet. Make all the noise you want...

She moans into their kiss, wrapping her forelegs around him and pulling him even closer. ...m-more...f-faster, love...please... Her hips start moving in time with his, her back arching in ecstasy.

He obliges, going in slightly faster with his next pump. He bumps into her depths and just uses the bounce to start on the way out. His mind is in a constant fog of pleasure as he moves. Gel... His kiss increases in ferocity as they continue.

She returns the passion, feeling the familiar tightening in her belly. R-Rhino...I-I think I'm close...

Me... too... It's... too good to last long right now... Hen continues his pumping, still slow, but definitely faster than he had been when they started. He makes sure to always do full strokes, going as deep into her as possible, and leaving the part of himself out that he couldn't fit, before drawing almost all the way out. He feels his own pressure mounting. Soon...

She hardly has the chance to think before she breaks the kiss, letting out a cry of bliss as she topples over the edge. She hugs him tightly, her hind legs holding him close as the waves wash over her.

With her holding him inside her, he feels every convulsion as she rides out her climax. This quickly sends him past the brink as well, his pride pulsing to match her as it begins unloading his seed into her. The combination of her convulsions, plus the feeling of her fluids all trying to get past his pride as he stuffs her, causes his own climax to last longer than usual. He makes smaller pumps in and out of her as he unloads more seed into her.

She coos softly, trying to pull her gaze to him. ...so warm...so good... She tries to kiss him, but is so out of it she pecks the corner of his mouth. ...t-thank you, Rhino...

He doesn't reply for a time as they both slowly finish riding out their climaxes. He stops pumping but stays inside her as he looks down at her lovingly. You were wonderful... you know that?

She blushes brightly, finally able to focus on him. ...s-so were you... She smiles softly. ...if that's only a taste...I have to wonder what the real thing feels like...

He nods. Something to look forward to... but we can always do things in here if waiting becomes too much for you again... Something occurs to him. Although... won't you be a virgin every time we dream? I don't think I want to put you through the pain every time...

...well, I like thought of it being the first time every time...but... She giggles, winking at him. ...there's a plus to being able to control your dreams...

I suppose that's true... you could change that if you wanted... His pride pulses insider her again as he shifts to get more comfortable. Well... at least this should sate your curiosity for a while right?

...oh, most definitely... She looks around, noticing the dream shift about them. ...I think we're about to wake up, Rhino...

He simply smiles at her. Well, might as well stay like this then...

She sighs, closing her eyes to open them seconds later. She blinks, realizing that she's still looking up at him. ...Rhino? A-are we awake?

The slow-waking stallion cracks open his own eyes. Seeing the changeling below him his eyes slowly widen. I... guess we rolled around? He glances down in between them as he shifts his hips. Ok, phew, we aren't, well, you know...

Thank goodness... She gently kisses him, blushing softly. ...I didn't want to miss our first time...

Definitely...

Chapter 36: Call it in

The day proceeded normally relatively normally. After dropping the pets off at home once they got off work, Rhino and Gel started around town on some small errands. The only notable thing is that Gel sticks very close close to Rhino the entire day, on the lookout for 273. They approach the last thing on their list, the library.

She turns to him, fluttering her eyes playfully. "Care to join me in the romance section, love?"

He chuckles, flicking her with his tail. "I would love to, if I didn't think all those ideas would be too tempting for you in a small space with me." He winks at her.

She blushes softly, smacking his side with her tail. "In a public place? Scandalous!" She laughs, shaking her head. "Oh, I needed that. Anyways, if you need me, I'll be down in the basement." She heads towards the door, purposely swaying her hips with each step, teasing him.

He smiles with a light blush at the view, following her into the library. He looks around as he walks inside, always interested to see the living live-in tree house. He gaze finds Gel chatting with Twilight and motioning towards the basement. Twilight nods as her horn lights up briefly before giving Gel the go ahead.

She notices him and winks before heading downstairs, leaving the two of them alone.

Twilight tilts her head at Rhino, silently asking if he needs any help. He shakes his head and motions that he is just browsing. She nods and goes to one of the desks to read a bit of her own current literary piece. The library is silent for a few minutes until the door opens, causing both ponies to turn their heads.

In the doorway, stand the familiar and unwelcome, at least in Rhino's eyes, form of 'Cold Snap'. Rhino resists the urge to glare at him and instead forces out a polite greeting. "Ah, hello Mr. Snap. What brings you here?"

The disguised changeling looks around before stepping into the library proper. "Oh, the same thing that brings everypony here I would imagine, just looking for something to read."

Twilight speaks up from her book. "Be sure to let me know if you need anything!"

The pegasus nods as he begins to browse.

Gel's thoughts travel up to Rhino, a bit disgruntled. ...the stories featuring changelings down here are grossly misinformed...we do not lay eggs...or have an ovipositor...

He lets out a mental chuckle. Well, work with what you got and fill in the blanks yourself I guess. His mental tone grows serious. We may have a problem though, the other changeling is here.

Sergeant 273? Her tone is surprised. He must be after that report...what do we do?

I don't know! Is there anything around you can use? Rhino takes his eyes off the sergeant for a moment as Spike comes down the stairs.

The little dragon stops as he sees the two ponies in the library. "Wow, the one day I get to sleep in and we get swarmed!"

The green stallion chuckles as he looks back to keep an eye on 273, but doesn't see him where he left him. He looks around the room quickly but still can't find him. Gel, we have a problem, I lost him. I think he's on his way down to you! Do you want me to come after him?

Yes please...in fact, there might be something you could do...you know that device I told you about? It's in the lab here in the basement...I'll distract this drone in the meanwhile...

Rhino goes over to the dragon. "Spike, I'm just gonna head downstairs to see how Angel's doing. Tell Twilight if she asks alright?" He heads towards the stairs.

Spike smiles as he shakes his head. "Ok bro, but she's not gonna ask." He looks over at the mare who is so engrossed in her book she hasn't lifted her head or said a word in the time that all her customers had vacated the room.

Rhino closes the door to the basement quietly behind him. Ok... I'm on the stairs, has he reached you?

She glances at the door, seeing the figure silhouetted there. ...he's made contact... She forces a smile. "...hello, sergeant...to what do I owe this pleasure?"

The disguised changeling talks to her from the door. "Like I said yesterday ma'am. I do need at least something from your report so I can show command that I am trying to complete my mission."

Rhino quietly makes his way down the stairs, seeing the changeling in front of the door Gel is in. He narrows his eyes before he Blinks and appears further down the stairs, past the two. He looks back from the shadow he appeared in, narrowing his eyes at the other male yet again, before heading down the stairs. Ok, I'm almost at the bottom of the stairs... now what?

Look for a book-sized box with a meter and a large red button. She smiles cordially at the officer, motioning for him to enter. "Come on in, Sergeant. Don't want anypony hearing us, right?"

He nods once, taking the few steps necessary to enter the hall book closet fully. The door swings shut behind him.

In the lab, Rhino is flitting around looking for the contraption she described. The center table is no longer there so he is searching anywhere he can think of. Finally, he finds something that fits her description off to one side of the room, as if it had been put on hold for a time. Green crystal in a dome on top?

That would be it. She taps her chin, looking around the bookcases. "I hid my report around here, somewhere...now if I could only remember where..." Can you try to sneak up on this guy?

Easily. Rhino carefully takes the box in his magic as he approaches the wall opposite the stairs. He looks up before his horn briefly glows and he appears on the ceiling. He quickly and quietly makes his way towards the book closet. I'm close... what's the plan?

Gel subtly lights up her horn, a piece of paper and a quill behind the changeling starting to float. Simple. I give him a report saying that ponies here are stringent about detecting changelings, and that my skill is the only thing keeping me hidden. More than one might be more easily noticed. Then you come in with the device. She looks over at the sergeant just as she finishes the false report. "Oh, there it is!" She walks over, giggling softly. "Isn't it always just the last place you look?"

The drone nods as he takes the paper and stows it under a wing. "If I may speak freely ma'am, it was very difficult to get you alone so we could talk. I'm glad to have something to report."

Rhino crouches on the wall just above the door. Just come in with it? Do I need to press a button or anything?

"I can imagine." She turns to the side, muttering quietly. "...especially since I've been avoiding you..." Twilight did say she turned it off...maybe press the red button? A small wisp of smoke comes out of each of her ears. Sorry in advance, love.

Rhino nods, pressing the red button. A small light comes on the display. He gets down from the wall and opens the door.

The drone turns around and gives the stallion a small glare for his interruption. "What are you doing down here?"

The green stallion smiles as he raises the box while he walks towards the two. "Just wanted to show Angel this contraption I found."

A blaring siren erupts from the box, echoing in the small room. Both stallions cry out in pain as they squeeze theirs eyes shut. Rhino drops the box as he crouches down, covering his ears as best he can. Taking the opportunity, 273 jumps over the stallion and into the stairwell.

No! He's getting away! She rushes to the door but stops at seeing Rhino. She looks at him then at the fleeing changeling, torn. She takes a deep breath and hits the button once more, turning the device off. She helps her stallion to his hooves, frowning softly. ...I'm so sorry, Rhino...I didn't mean for you to get hurt...and now he's getting away...

The stallion groans from the floor, his ears ringing and all sound muffled. The siren had blanked his mind when it went off. He simply lies there for a time as he tries to get any thought to project to her.

Around this time Twilight starts running down the stairs. She sees the mare worrying over the stallion, as well as her device at the base of the stairs where it had bounced. Her eyes widen as she comes to conclusions. "Did... did that stallion run off as soon as the detector started the alarm? Did he hurt your colt friend on the way out?"

Gel looks at her, nodding solemnly. "...h-he did run...b-but it was the alarm that got him..." She gently nudges him, trying to get him to respond. "...I-I just don't know what happened...h-he got close to that device and b-bolted once it went off..."

Twilight's eyes widen as she starts muttering to herself. "But I got the detector working with the sample the princess sent me... if he didn't even stop to help..." Her eyes seem to be threatening to pop out of their sockets as she suddenly turns and dashes up the stairs. "Spike! Did you see where that pony went?!"

On the floor, Rhino has pieced together enough of his mind to try and speak to Gel and he taps his hoof on the ground, trying desperately to hear it. Loud... Love... are you... okay...

I'm fine... She sighs, hugging him close. ...I put a layer of chitin in front of my eardrums...it blocked most of the sound... She gently kisses his nose, whimpering softly. ...oh...why couldn't ponies heal with love, like my kind?

He grunts, but frowns as he can't hear himself do it, which is very disturbing. He works his way up on his hooves, his ears constantly flicking and turning every which way to try and pick up a sound. He grimaces as he rubs one ear. So much ringing... at least we... can still talk... He shakes his head to try and clear the fog in it, but only gives himself a headache. Where did he go...

...I-I don't know...h-he vacated as soon as it went off...but I think we have bigger issues... She glances at the device, nervous. ...according to Twilight...the detector is functioning properly...

Should leave here then... He starts to head for the door, his ears flicking wildly as he looks down and taps his hooves against the floor before sighing. He looks back, waiting for her to follow.

She smiles kindly, walking over and gently entwining her tail in his. Don't worry, Rhino. Your hearing will come back, soon. She nuzzles his cheek as they carefully make their way upstairs. I have to wonder what this means for this town, though...

They make their way into the main library area where Twilight is frantically listing items and Spike is dutifully writing them down. The couple quietly make their way over to the door. Rhino's stance becomes guarded as they get to the portal. He peeks outside first before they proceed. He looks around as they start walking away. You said something about him getting away when the alarm went off... wasn't that the plan though? To drive him away?

I suppose it was, but I have this odd feeling... She shakes her head. ...maybe I'm just being paranoid...

He looks ahead. Maybe... I don't think there was much we could have done that we didn't anyway... you said yourself, they would notice if he didn't come back, like if we captured him...

She sighs, looking up at him. ...you're right...I can't believe I even considered knocking him out... She taps her chin, thinking a bit. ...still...what if something goes wrong? What if they don't fall for my false report?

He sighs, then grunts at how he can't hear the sound. I don't know... I just don't know...

***

The changeling had split the instant the alarm went off, his takeoff and flight afterwards were a little shaky from the hearing damage, but not as severe as Rhino's was. He circles back and observes as the couple leaves the library, noting the stallion standing watch the whole time and covering the mare. He soon lands back in the clearing he had been using as a base.

He lands and ruffles his feathers, shaking loose the 'report' he had been given. He looks it over. "Stringent measures? Not from what I saw..." He looks up as he thinks. "Push a cloud around to a particular point and everypony thinks you're a weather pegasus without so much as a second glance. Why would she give me this?" He thinks back to what he saw, his eyes widening.

He searches through the hive mind as he locates his commander. Sir, I think we have a problem.

Elaborate.

He continues. I believe our agent is compromised, requesting assistance. He projects what he has seen.

...granted.

***

The sound of thumping hooves echoes through the stairwell as Port flies through the hollow center upwards. The tall, lanky orange-tinted drone's mind was buzzing as the report of an exposed high-level changeling passed through the hive mind. While exposures themselves were uncommon, they were generally on low-priority missions, and would do little damage to simply extract the agent. This case of it happening on an important mission was unheard of.

This of course meant that even if they weren't the ones taking action yet, the higher-ups still needed to be informed. Especially since the highest was allowed to slightly distance himself from the hive mind in order to serve their queen more effectively.

This is the only reason Port would actually go in to meet with his superior without being summoned. Being one of the most bureaucratic changelings of this hive meant that he was able to handle most everything on his own when it came up to him in the chain of command. His superior had... other skills.

He reaches the top of the tower and brings his wings in as he lands. The thumping is louder now as he parts the thin membranous door and it seals again behind him. Inside he sees a well-built red-tinted drone, training against a few different punching bags made of various materials. They range from the weak but springy slimeballs to the strong and unyielding chitin pillars.

As the red changeling pauses for a moment, the Lieutenant General clears his throat. "General sir, there is something you should be aware of."

He snorts in annoyance, staring down at his inferior. "Well, Officer Port, it must be important if you felt justified in cutting into my training."

The orange changeling doesn't bat an eye at the attitude. "Well, sir, there's a situation regarding Colonel Gel's assignment."

The normally stoic drone narrows his eyes at this. "The greenhorn in that Special A-Class mission? What happened?"

Port checks his notes, since it helps to have the facts written down when the hive mind can muddle some thoughts. "Intel was difficult to obtain sir, but our agent sent to retrieve her report states some... worrisome things. Firstly, he had difficulty even getting the Colonel alone to retrieve her report, her target was always seen nearby even in the brief times she was alone, and would always check in within five minutes of the agent arriving. Secondly, when the Colonel finally did submit a report, it was barely considered that, and the intel on it was incorrect, as seen by the retriever. Lastly, in the latest encounter, her target used some kind of device that sounded an alarm when it got close to the our agent. Luckily, he was able to escape, but the Colonel was not as fortunate and was seen being escorted home by her target later. He was described as watchful, paranoid, and guarded."

The General scowls, turning to his punching bag of chitin. "That's...unfortunate." He places a hoof on it, considering this information. "The way I see it, there are two explanations for this. One, the target found her out and used a spell to enslave her, make her his little plaything. Two, she fell for the target and is deserting." He turns his gaze to the Lieutenant General. "For her sake, I hope it's the former. Because if she is going AWOL on us..." He punches the pillar, a web of cracks radiating from his forehoof. "...then she will be punished most severely."

Port shows his first emotional response at all by moving his head back marginally from the other changeling direction. "The retrieval agent stated that the target only ever called the Colonel by her cover's name, only ever seems to be seen with her in that form, and the instant the Colonel heard him coming, she changed into it. The Colonel also seemed... oddly calm and bubbly at times despite the seriousness of not turning in a report."

Mimic blinks, surprised. "Is that so?" He taps his chin, silently examining the pillar. "I'm afraid that she truly is under his control." He smacks a hoof on the ground, leveling his gaze at Port. "Gather a group of soldiers and start prepping them. We need to rescue the greenhorn as soon as they are ready."

***

The sun begins to set on yet another day, the colors fading as several families and couples retire to their homes. The couple we are interested in, however, have already been home. Despite one's lack of hearing, they had spent much of the afternoon playing games, entertaining their pets and just enjoying each other's company.

At the moment, they are resting on the couch after their supper, the stallion's head laying upon the changeling's lap. She smiles down on his face, watching his ears as they slowly stop twitching, a single hole-filled hoof tenderly tracing circles on his chest. ...feeling better, Rhino?

His ears twitch as they had been doing all afternoon, though with steadily less frequency. Yes... not back to 100% but definitely better than nothing. A good night's sleep will probably be what it takes to get over this, but I'm not in a rush. He growls lightly from her hoof on his chest. Love what you're doing there, by the way...

She giggles, moving her hoof to his side. How about this? With those words she begins to tickle him, keeping him from squirming away with her other foreleg.

He tries to hold it in, but soon enough he seems to be trying to almost sink into the couch as he laughs. His hind legs kick as he wiggles around, trying and failing to get away from her hooves.

She slowly stops, carefully maneuvering herself to lay next to him. She gently kisses him. So you're ticklish in real life, too... She smirks, touching their noses together. ...good to know...now...what would you like to do? She pulls away and winks, but keeps her belly pressed up against his side.

He thinks for a moment before speaking. "Well, actually I-" He cuts himself off as he realizes that while he can hear himself now, it's all muffled so he can't actually understand himself, which is very distracting. He switches back to their mental speak. Actually, I wanted to talk about something we discussed last night in the dream.

She blinks, tilting her head to one side in confusion. ...did you...want me to imagine myself as a librarian, next time?

His face scrunches up in confusion. What? I don't know what you're referring to, but I was talking about your little swimming inexperience.

She nods, smiling nervously. "...y-yes..." She pauses before thinking her answer at him. ...y-yes, I do...e-even if I'm a little apprehensive... She trembles fitfully, causing her to cover her face with a hoof. ...okay...I-I'm terrified...fire and water don't mix, after all...

He smiles softly as he embraces her. That may be true, but you are a living thing right? You survive on water, and parts of you are made of water. Besides, you never know, you might like it!

Sure, shallow water is fine - it's impossible for me to lose control there! And I get it's a part of life... She peeks at him through a hole. ...but deep water? There's no telling what could be down there...or whether or not I'd sink! She cringes, hugging him tightly. ...thank goodness for showers and waterfalls...

He blows a stream of air out of his mouth. Definitely going to have to start slow... He thinks back to what they spoke about on this subject in the dream. Well, let's not focus on what you don't like about it... what if we got you a nice swimsuit to wear? To take your mind off things?

She huffs, rolling her eyes. I already have one, but it wouldn't help...it's a tacky little thing I got as a gift from someone I don't even know... She rests her head on his shoulder, pouting quietly. ...and we can't get one here...who knows how Miss Rarity would react to a changeling?

He quirks an eyebrow. Yeah... I'm not exactly gung-ho for exposing you to one of Twilight's best friends either, but I think I have an idea that should be simple enough to work. Though i admit, you do have me curious about this one you already have.

She shakes her head. No way are you seeing me in that! It's just embarrassing...and a little tight... She sighs, looking up at him. ...s-so...what's this idea of yours?

He shrugs. Simple, use the reason most mares have for getting slightly small swimsuits. Go in as Angel and say you're getting one for swimsuit season in anticipation of losing some weight. He holds up his hooves. Not that Angel or you are in any way unshapely, this is purely to have an excuse for the size difference between the two. A stray thought comes across. Still curious about your current one...

She squirms, blushing brightly. ...you really want to see me in a bathing suit, don't you? She playfully nips his neck, giggling quietly. "...maybe I'll wear it for you, one of these nights..." She licks where she nibbled on him. ...I suppose I can do that...I'll have you know that both of my forms are fit without being muscular...

Having no idea what she said out loud to him, he simply smiles at what she said in their heads. I never said otherwise, in fact, I think I have mentioned quite a few times my fondness for your looks, among other things. He hums to himself as some ideas occur to him.

Seeing him distracted, she lets her hoof start to trail down his chest, stopping in the middle of his belly to trace tiny circles. ...I think I'll ask about a single piece swimsuit...one that'll cover every inch of my torso...maybe even... She leans close, gently nipping his ear. ...hug a certain area...a light color, so you can see everything I want you to...

He gulps, a little flustered from her tone and actions. T-that... that sounds lovely... His mind starts trying to show him images of her in a swimsuit and he shuts his eyes tightly as he pushes them back. After a moment, he opens his eyes and lets out a breath. There's umm... actually something I wanted to ask you... while we're on this swimming subject...

She rolls on top of him, looking down in curiosity. Oh? What would that be, love? She smiles kindly, pausing her teasing for the time being.

He tries to figure out a way to word what he is wants to say. Well... I know you take showers... but since you don't seem to like deep water... have you ever taken a bath? If not, that might be a way to slowly introduce you to the concept...

She blinks, slowly shaking her head. ...I don't think I ever have...I...suppose it sounds fine... She bites her lip, showing her uncertainty.

He notices this. What's wrong?

She turns away, embarrassed. ...i-it's a silly little thing...

He nuzzles her neck. Hey now, come on, tell me... Please?

She sighs, her ears flattening against her head. ...I don't know how a bath works...

He blinks, a little stunned. Ah... well... I suppose that makes sense... we'll really have to start at the beginning then. It's really not that bad you know... just fill the tub with water at the temperature you want, get in and soak while you clean yourself. It's mostly about relaxing.

She quirks an eyebrow at him. ...Rhino, I play paintball to relax...I don't think what you're imagining will come easy to me... She taps her chin, thinking a bit. ...maybe...you could take it with me?

His face slowly warms up with a blush. U-umm... okay... I guess we can do that... good thing the tub downstairs is extra big...

Why are you bl- Suddenly what she just said hits her, causing her own cheeks to flare up with color. ...o-oh...s-sorry for the...implication...

He fiddles with his hooves. It's fine... umm... should we just... go ahead? The pets are asleep after all...

She quietly yawns, blinking a bit. ...considering what happened today, I'm amazed I'm still awake... She tenderly kisses him, giving him a lidded gaze. ...can we sleep down here, tonight? Maybe try the bath tomorrow?

He gently kisses her back. As you wish... His horn lights up as he brings some blankets over from the closet, casting a glance over to the pets sleeping in a little pile of fur and blankets in the chair. I guess everyone is ready...

His only answer is soft snoring, coming from the changeling on top of him. She nuzzles his chest, squirming slightly in an attempt to get more comfortable.

He simply smiles, enjoying the weight and warmth of her on his chest as he closes his eyes.

Chapter 37: Things to Come

Rhino slowly eases his eyes open, smiling at the source of the familiar and welcome weight on his chest. He lightly kisses the changeling's nose. "Rise and shine my little firefly~."

She doesn't respond at first, just laying upon him. A small blush form on her cheeks, though, from the nickname, betraying the fact that she is awake.

He smiles wider as he rubs noses with her. "Since when are you the sleepy one in this relationship?"

She peeks open an eye, embarrassed. "...o-only because of what happened yesterday..." She sighs, absently flicking her tail across his hind legs. "...I'm still a little drained from that...as well as mentally, from last night..." She winks playfully at him.

He raises an eyebrow. "Oh? Since when are you so worn out from our usual little dream adventures?" He looks at the clock. "At least we managed to wake up on time..." He smirks as he raises a hoof to her ribs. "Come on you... you know what you have to do..."

She rolls her eyes and climbs off him and the couch. She pauses momentarily, stretching her forelegs out, her tail naturally raising at the same time. This would've been considered an accident, if she didn't give him a sultry smile over her shoulder.

He blushes at the view, hoping he never takes it for granted. His lower half shifts under the covers as he gazes at her. "I-I take it you're feeling a bit... warm this morning?"

She immediately straightens up, embarrassed. "...m-maybe...t-thankfully, I'm not in heat..." She glances back at herself, frowning at her flagging tail. "...now if only my tail would get the message..."

Rhino politely looks away. "Well, ignoring our apparently same minded nethers... umm, actually you bring up something I had a quick question about... you were in heat not long ago... do changelings have the same heats as ponies?"

"That depends on what you mean by 'same heats'." She puts on her glasses, going into 'tutor mode'. "The sensations are the same for both of us, but last a shorter amount of time for changelings - about half the length - but happen more often." She shrugs a bit. "I told you about the potions I use to control most of the symptoms." She turns away, muttering quietly to herself. "...need to get more of those before my next one..." She looks back at him, curious. "Is there anyone here who makes potions?"

He thinks a moment. "I think Manila mentioned something about an herbalist zebra in the Everfree... but first... how often are we talking?"

She waves a forehoof dismissively. "Oh, every three months. Now, this zebra..." She narrows her eyes slightly, leaning close to him. "...when can we go see her?"

He grimaces at the thought of having to go into the Everfree. "Umm... I guess whenever you want? We'll just have to be careful..."

She smiles softly, kissing him tenderly before turning back away, taking the blanket off him and folding it. "...okay, love...how does Sunday sound?" She heads towards the hallway, ignorant of her still-flagging tail.

He blushes again. "Umm... you might want to act on it now..."

She opens the door to the hall closet, putting the blanket away. Figuring she's too far away to be heard, she uses their link. What do you mean, love?

He rolls over onto his stomach to cover himself. Umm... your... tail...

She glances over her shoulder, frowning slightly. ...oh, that...like I said, the potion doesn't really help with libido...so it's stuck like this until I calm down or take a cold shower... She re-enters the living room, her scrubs following her moments later. She pauses mid-step, seeing his current position. "...do you need one, too?"

His face is red as he shoves it into the couch. Well it's not like you're exactly helping... why did you have to be sexy...

She quirks an eyebrow at this, her tail lowering over her plot. "...I'm going to take that as a compliment." She sighs, walking over and gently nuzzling his cheek. "...well...the good news is your hearing's back..."

He smiles, nuzzling her back before a sound outside causes his ears to perk up. "Is that... wings?" He turns to the window and peeks out the curtains they keep closed so Gel can walk freely. "Oh, it's the mailmare."

Gel sighs, quickly shifting into Angel in a burst of flame. Quickly putting on her scrubs, she makes her way to the door, opening it just as the pegasus was about to knock. She gives a surprised look before smiling kindly. "Good morning..." She glances at the rising sun, honestly confused. "...may I ask why you're here so early?"

The grey pegasus smiles. "I'm just trying my route backwards for a while, keeps things interesting. Plus I get to see all the ponies I'm usually too late to see!" She dips her head into her bags and comes up with two letters. She takes them out of her mouth with a wing so she can speak. "Here you go! Two letters for the Rhino residence!"

Gel nods and smiles kindly, taking the letters in her magic. "Thank you, Miss Doo. You have a nice day, okay?"

Ditzy's eyes cross momentarily as she gives a salute. "The same to you Mrs. Rhino!" She takes off, heading down the street.

Gel blushes brightly. "...Mrs. Rhino..." She smiles softly as she closes the door. "...I like the sound of that..." She enters the living room, mail in tow.

Rhino is still laying on his stomach, but has procured himself a glass of milk to focus his mind. He looks up as Gel walks back into the room. "Anything good?"

She glances at the envelopes before looking up at him, surprised. "...they're for you...one from Cloudsdale..." She shifts through them, blinking quietly. "...and one from Canterlot..." She floats them over to him.

His mouth twitches in an unreadable expression. "I bet I know who these are from..." He slits them open with magic and reads them one after another, his expression unchanging. "Yep, I was right..." He looks up. "Well, good news... My parents are coming into town..."

She beams brightly at him. "That's great news!" She falters, seeing his lack of expression. "...i-is...something wrong, Rhino?"

He shifts to a sitting position before slowly letting out a breath and leaning back. "No no, it's nothing." He puts on a smile. "I'm sure it'll be fine... no stopping it now..."

She quirks an eyebrow, bemused. "...you know, we eat love...but we can sense other emotions, too..." She falters, glancing away momentarily. "...well, experienced or gifted changelings can, at least..." She nervously clears her throat. "...a-anyways, you seem worried...anxious..." She places a hoof on his back. "...please...tell me what the matter is..."

He covers his eyes with his hooves as he groans. "The matter is that I'm paranoid... I've got countless scenarios running in my head from this that if I even tried to vocalize more than one would make me sound like a gibbering idiot! Every constant, every variable runs through my head as I try to envision things but the bad are the ones that come up the most because they are what I fear!" He hunches forward. "I just..." His speech devolves into inscrutable noises until he finally yanks a pillow off the couch, buries his face into it, and screams. Afterwards, he comes back up gasping for air.

She stares, completely stunned by this. "...usually that doesn't happen, in my novels..." She clears her throat. "...so you just...fear the worst..." She rubs the back of her neck, unsure of what to say. "...well...I'm certain they'll be happy for us...even if they aren't..." She places a hoof on his chin, turning his head to face hers. "...that's not the end of the world...I'll still love you, no matter what others say...even if they are your parents...or even the whole of Ponyville..."

He averts his eyes and sighs. "Sorry... I just tend to bottle stress... even if most of the time I'm minimizing the stress itself." He hugs her, resting his head on her shoulder. "It... probably won't be as bad as I was thinking... it's the fact that it could that scares me... and the fact that I won't be able to give us the best life possible if it does..." He sits up and takes a long drink of his milk, until the glass runs dry. He sets it down and looks over to her. "Sorry again... and... thank you." He nuzzles her lovingly. "I really do love you, you know that? I feel like I don't say it enough sometimes..."

She smiles, gently nuzzling him back. "...I know, love..." She wraps a hoof around his shoulder and pulls carefully on him. "...it's time to get ready for work, though...so no more lounging about..." She winks playfully at him.

"Alright, alright..." He gets up, sorting out his thoughts. "A nice walk will be good for clearing my head anyway." He begins his usual ritual to get ready for the day.

***

The day thankfully passes by normally and without stress after that. The usual boredom associated with a slow flow of customers in the early morning, is eagerly filled by the antics of the little pets and idle conversation. Partially during the shift, Rhino is in the back taking stock on the usual shots for pets while Gel mans the front desk. The door slides open, announcing the entrance of a familiar purple-maned yellow pegasus.

The white mare looks up, smiling kindly and reflexively speaking. "Hello, there! How may I help-" She cuts herself off, finally recognizing the pony in front of her. "...S-Silk?"

Her former employer's smile doesn't waver, but she does raise an eyebrow at seeing Gel. "Angel? What a coincidence. Do you work here now?"

"...um...y-yes, I do..." She averts her eyes, shame starting to fill her. "...listen...a-about the other day..." She rubs the back of her neck. "...s-so much had happened...I-I guess the stress of it all just got to me...what I mean is..." She quietly sighs. "...I'm sorry for exploding at you like that..."

Silk's smile stays but something about her tone is... off. Her words are kind but it's as if... the intent is not as perceived. "Yes well, it was a stressful day for everypony. I would apologize and perhaps offer you the chance to earn your job back, but I somehow think you've found a better place, especially considering if your boss is who I think it is." Her tongue sticks out a moment as she wets her lip.

Gel gives her a small frown, hurt at the negative emotions coming off the pegasus. "...Silk...I'm trying, here..." Her gaze falls to the desk. "...please...I-I want us to be friends, again..."

The pegasus simply keeps smiling away. "I suppose we'll have to see what happens then, won't we? But enough chatter." She takes the pet carrier from her back and places it on the desk, letting the kitten out. "Mittens has an appointment."

She sighs, searching for the folder. Rhino, there's another patient waiting for you. "You'll have to wait a little bit. Doctor Rhino is on his way..."

Silk nods. "Very well." She turns towards the hallway and simply waits.

Meanwhile, a certain gray-blue kitten walks around the typewriter, tilting her head curiously at the other cat. 'Hello. Who might you be?'

The calico kitten tilts her head curiously at the other feline. 'Mittens, who are you?'

'Selena.' She looks over at her owner, watching as she pulls out the right folder before continuing, holding a paw out. 'Charmed.'

Mittens looks at the offered paw before slowly raising her own paw and touching the outstretched one. 'Umm, nice to meet you.'

Rhino comes out from the back and sees the client. "Ah... hello Silk. Is mittens ready?" As a vet, he has the excuse to focus more on the pet than the owner.

Silk nods as she gathers up the calico and follows the stallion to the examination room.

Mittens meows in protest. 'Hey! I was in the middle of a conversation!'

'Hey!' Selena leaps off the desk and chases after the retreating ponies.

The group arrives at the exam room and Silk sets Mittens on the table as Rhino begins his examination. "So, any problems lately?"

Silk's smile is more genuine now. "No, but thank you for asking."

Mitten's back arches as the stallion starts rubbing her down to check her muscles. 'Oh~ that feels good~.'

The gray-blue kitten leaped up onto the table, smiling brightly. 'Isn't it just? Dad's great when it comes to this.'

The calico purrs as the rubbing ends. 'This is your dad? Lucky.' She looks up at the ponies talking when suddenly Rhino goes to one of the jars and comes back with a fish-shaped treat, putting it in front of Mittens. 'Hello tasty!' She looks over to Selena before crunching the treat into two pieces and sliding one over.

She purrs, smiling softly at the other kitten. 'Thank you so much.' She leans down, gratefully taking the tail piece offered.

Mittens munches on her own treat before replying. 'You're welcome! I wonder why he gave that to me anyway-' Suddenly she is held in place by magic. 'Uh oh... I don't like this part...' She braces herself as Rhino comes over with the shots.

Selena gently places a paw on one of Mittens'. 'Don't worry. He'll be done before you know it.' She looks up at Rhino, mewing at him.

He looks down at the mewing kitten. "Awww, supporting your friend Selena? That's my girl." He pets her before getting back to work. He quickly gives the calico her few shots and then lets her go after giving her a new treat.

Mittens meows as she shakes her slightly sore rump. 'Ow... I'll be glad when I don't have to get these anymore...'

'You and me both, friend.' Selena pauses to lick her paw before looking at the other feline, curious. 'We are friends, right?'

Mittens tilts her head. 'Well of course we are! The only thing we haven't done is share a ball of yarn!'

The gray-blue kitten smiles, nodding happily. 'That does sound exquisite. I'm sure we have one around here, somewhere...' She looks off into the distance, thinking a bit. 'It'd be so much easier if we could just communicate with them.'

Mittens snickers. 'Yeah... but how would we ever do that?'

She shakes her head, sighing softly. 'I haven't the slightest idea.'

At that moment, Gel turns to put a paper in the typewriter but stops, curious. There, already written on a piece of parchment, was some words. She tilts her head to the side, reading them out loud. "...the quick silver fox jumped over the drowsy blue mare..." She puts a hoof to her chin, pushing the 'z' key. Nothing happens. "Oh, I see. It's broken." She turns away, muttering to herself. "I should see about getting that fixed...but who typed that?"

***

The appointment goes as well as can be expected. Mittens and Selena pal around while Silk says polite things while thinking other things. Rhino maintains neutrality but switches to comfort mode afterwards. Luckily the rest of the shift goes normally and the two drop the pets off at home as usual before heading out on their errands, the only one for today being at Carousel Boutique.

Gel walks alongside her stallion, pressing her side against his as she leans on him. She spent most of the walk brooding and the last three minutes thinking to him about Silk. ...I feel terrible, and she still... She groans in exasperation. ...you know?

He nuzzles her to convey his feelings. I know, love... I know... At least she's not hostile though, right?

She sighs, giving him a half-smile. ...I guess... She looks up at the building in front of them, playfully bumping him. You'll help me try them on, right?

He lightly blushes. Umm... well... I mean if you have trouble getting them on I suppose I could help.. but it might give the wrong impression...

She giggles, moving ahead and brushing her tail along his cheek. It'll be fine, love. Trust me.

His nose huffs as the tail hairs cross it. He smirks at her. Alright then, lead the way.

She leads him to the door and knocks before realizing what she did. She groans, covering her face with a hoof to hide her embarrassment. ...I did it again...

He quirks an eyebrow as he can hear the owner of the shop calling out that she is on her way. Did what?

Knocked on a public building. She lowers her hoof, looking at him. I do that far too often.

He shrugs. It's just polite.

The fabulous alabaster unicorn answers the door. "Hello, oh Angel! Good to see you darling, come in come in!" As she stands aside she sees Rhino behind the mare. "Of course you are welcome in as well, sir!"

"Thank you, Miss Rarity." She steps inside and turns, smiling kindly at the mare. "I was wondering, what styles of swimsuits do you have in stock?"

Rarity's smiles lowers a small amount. "Oh... my apologies Angel, but I'm afraid with it being the beginning of summer, the initial rush took most of my premade stock... Honestly I was about to start restocking it on my next slow day..."

Gel blinks, stunned by this. "...oh...okay, then..." She turns to Rhino, nervous. ...I-I didn't plan for this...w-what are we going to do?

He smiles calmly at her. Don't worry. He turns to the fashionista. "Miss Rarity, though we have not met, I do know of your reputation. Would you be willing to do a custom order swimsuit?"

Rarity's eyes light up. "Oh, that could be fun! I would be most willing to do that Mister... Oh dear me, I never asked your name, how rude of me."

He supplies it with a small bow. "Doctor Rhino, ma'am. A pleasure to meet you."

She giggles. "Oh, a gentlecolt... Very nice to make your acquaintance as well..." She looks over in Gel's direction and whispers. "Dare I assume this is the stallion you spoke of all those weeks ago?"

She blushes brightly, nodding and smiling softly. "...y-yes, he is...a-and my coltfriend..."

Rarity's eyes practically sparkle at that information. She giggles before responding with a fire in her eyes. "Oh, we'll have to make that swimsuit something to really astound him then!" She goes back to her normal volume, her red glasses floating over onto her muzzle. "So, darling, did you have anything specific in mind?"

She blushes even more, nervous. "...something...f-form fitting...light blue primary color...maybe a size small, because...I-I want to lose a bit of weight before swimsuit season..." She glances at Rhino before leaning in close, whispering into the other mare's ear. "...and...c-could you add a snap, please?"

The dressmaker nods understandingly. "Oh yes, I see. Certainly, dear." She gives Angel a once over before nodding again and stepping into her workshop and starting to have her materials dance around her. "Was that all you needed today?"

"...well..." She taps her chin, thinking a bit. "...I can't think of anything, at the moment..." She turns to Rhino. "...what about you, love?"

He puts a hoof to his chin as the materials float around them. "No thank you, I'm content with what I have."

Rarity quickly whips up a base suit on one of the mannequins. It's a simple solid light blue, one piece swimsuit with the snap in the back for easier putting on or removal. She levitates it off and over to Gel. "Here you are, Angel. Let's get the size right first, and then we can worry about the design."

She nods, heading over to one of the changing rooms. ...care to join me, love?

He starts heading over. Alright, but let me make it look less odd for Rarity. He stands with his back to the screen. "Let me know if you need any help."

A white foreleg reaches out and pulls him into the tiny room. She spins him around, revealing that she'd changed back into her normal form, aside from one leg - the one she pulled him in with. "I could really use your help." She quickly yet carefully slips the outfit on, closing the snap with a burst of magic. "...so, w-what do you think?"

His gazes washes over her. "Hmm..." He walks around her, making sure to see all of it, even if once he passed her backside he had a blush. "The neck seems a bit loose... Flanks are a bit tight..." What do you want to do about your wings?

She nods quietly, taking the swimsuit off. "Thank you, Rhino..." There's a good thing about having thin wings. They can fit right up against your sides. She puts the outfit on his back as she calls to the dressmaker. "I think that's about it, Miss Rarity."

Rhino walks out and passes the garment to the fashionista. She shifts it in her magic as she looks at it from different angles. "I heard what you said about it, let me just make the appropriate adjustments..." She doesn't bring out a mannequin but instead simply holds the swimsuit as she adjusts it. After a moment, the needles, thread, and scissors ceasing moving and she passes it back to him. "Here, see if this fits any better."

He smiles as he takes it back ."Thank you very much Miss Rarity." He re-enters the dressing room with the swimsuit and holds it out to Gel.

The changeling takes it and puts it back on. She smiles brightly, doing a little spin. "This is perfect! Miss Rarity, you are amazing!" She looks to Rhino, giving him a lidded look. "Don't you agree, love?"

He smiles and nods appreciatively. "Perfect." I can't wait to see it once it's finished.

She smiles, nodding as well. Neither can I. She carefully takes it off and moves to exit the changing room.

Rhino's eyes widen and he grabs her shoulder with his magic. Woah! You can't go out there like that!

She blinks, looking at him in confusion. Why not? Ponies go about without clothes all the time, right?

He sighs. Yes love, but you aren't, and certainly don't currently look like, a pony.

She finally glances down at herself, blushing brightly in embarrassment. ...o-oh... She quickly changes back into Angel. She rubs the back of her neck. ...s-sorry, I was a little...e-excited, there...

He shakes his head. It's fine, but you need to be careful, love, I don't want to lose you.

She nods, gently kissing his cheek. ...I'll be more careful...I don't want to lose you, either... She steps out into the main room, smiling kindly at the other mare. "...s-so, when do you think it'll be ready?"

Rarity takes the basic suit from her. "Darling, don't you know? For orders like this, I can do them while you wait. In fact... I think I already have a plan for what I want the design to be. You're welcome to watch while i fix it up." Her horn lights up and all the pieces of the room begin to slowly rotate around her. Golden fabric flows like a river towards the main piece. Scissors glide along various parts as the shape is refined. Needles flit like hummingbirds as they dive into the fabric. All in all, one can see that this is truly the mare's element. After a mesmerizing few minutes, she covers the completed piece with a cloth and turns to the stunned couple. "Ready to see the completed piece? I dare say it turned out better than I hoped!"

Gel nods numbly, still too shocked for words.

Rarity whips off the cloth to reveal the suit. The base color is still obviously the light blue, but now there is far more to it. The neckline has plunged into a v-neck. At the point of the neck are the beginnings of two golden stripes that glide back over the shoulders and slim out to non-existence just before reaching the cutie marks. The bottom also has similar swishes of color, though these are dark blue and instead of flowing down the body, it runs down the sternum and flows out into branches that circle into the holes for the legs. The whole thing has that sleek and sexy look, designed to accentuate the curves while still maintaining a sleek figure. Finally, of course there is the snap at the back above the tail so that the garment may be put on head first instead of tail first.

Gel, seeing this, beams, rushing forward in excitement. "Miss Rarity, this is simply divine!" She turns to her, eyes shining with awe. "You are truly an artist of clothes!" She realizes how bold she's being and shrinks back a bit in embarrassment. "...um...w-what I mean is...thank you..."

Rarity does a ladylike titter. "I'm glad you like it dear. Much better than a premade one don't you agree?" She takes her glasses off as her smile becomes more business-like. "Now, about payment..."

Rhino raises his hoof. "I'll take care of that."

The blonde unicorn turns to him, shaking her head. "No, love, I'll pay it." She turns to Rarity, tilting her head to one side. "...how much is it?"

The other mare puts a hoof to her chin as she thinks. "Well... considering fabric cost, labor, custom order fee..." She walks over and says the number in a low tone so Rhino can't hear.

Gel nods slowly. "...that seems reasonable...more than I expected, but not too much..." She pulls out a medium-sized bag of bits, pulling one out before giving her the rest. "That should be the right amount..."

Rarity levitates the coins and shakes the bag once before nodding. "That it is, did you want me to wrap it up for you?" She heads to a chest in the corner and puts the bits in it.

She shakes her head, smiling softly at her. "No thank you..." She gently nuzzles her stallion's cheek and giggles softly. "...he already knows what his surprise is...so I'll just take it home in my saddlebags..."

The fashionista smiles knowingly. "Very well darling." She levitates the suit over to Gel who promptly stows it in her saddlebags. "Well, thank you very much for your patronage." She opens the door and holds it for them. As the two pass by her, she whispers to Gel. "Be sure to let me know if you ever find out he has a brother." She winks.

She smiles back, nodding kindly. "You'll be the first." She sidles up next to him, entwining her tail in his. ...do you have a brother? Or any siblings, for that matter?

He chuckles as they begin their journey home. Sorry, only child. So, looking more forward to swimming lessons now that you have an outfit for it?

...not really... She averts her eyes, her cheeks flushed with color. ...I still have a...strong aversion to standing water...

He nuzzles her gently as they walk. Well, good thing we're starting off small tonight, huh?

She tenses, an eye twitching slightly. ...oh, right...

Chapter 38: Bath Time

The afternoon passes and evening begins. Rhino hasn't mentioned the impending water teaching again, so the two relaxed and killed time as they usually do.

After a time, they are lying on the couch relaxing when the stallion suddenly taps the changeling. "Alright love, let me up. It's time I got the bath ready."

She grips him tightly, shaking her head. "N-no thanks, I'm good." She sheepishly smiles at him. "T-thanks for the offer, though." She closes her eyes, pretending to fall asleep.

He rolls his eyes. "Come on now, you're not getting out of this. I'll be with you the whole time remember? I'll keep you safe." He nuzzles her neck.

She lets out a small snore, but otherwise doesn't respond.

He narrows his eyes before smirking. He takes a long lick from her collarbone to the base of her ear.

She moans softly, trembling from the action. She still doesn't move, aside from her hips grinding gently against his belly.

"Well... that didn't work..." He thinks for a moment. "Plan B: if you don't get up, I'm going to tickle you until you do."

Not if I tickle you first. Right as she thinks this, her forehooves and tail immediately go after his sides.

He immediately starts laughing as he squirms underneath her. "Y-you forget... I have free hooves this time!" His hooves wrap around her as his horn lights up and grabs her tail. "Now... Then... Are you going to come along quietly?"

She squirms, trying to escape his grasp for moment before going limp, sighing softly. "...we're gonna do this the hard way, aren't we?" She disappears in a blue flame - or so it seems.

She slides off the couch and scampers off, now the size of a mouse. Good luck finding me!

He blinks as she disappears. I... didn't know you could do that... but it still won't stop me. He rolls off the couch and Blinks up to his room, grabbing a certain silver-chained sapphire necklace which he slips on. His gaze immediately shifts towards the linen closet downstairs as he smiles and starts to make his way towards it.

She curls up underneath a thick towel, smirking to herself. Do your worst. It won't be as bad as a bath.

He stops outside the closet, the necklace pointing him to her exact spot within it. His horn lights up as he sends an unnoticeable amount of magic to explore the inside of the closet to find out what's around her. After the quick scan he smirks. You really are blowing this out of proportion you know. Suddenly he grabs both the towel and her, wrapping her up in the fabric like a swaddled foal. He swings the door open and levitates her out into one of his forelegs. He boops her tiny nose lightly with a hoof, her head the only part not wrapped. It'll be fine, I promise.

She sighs, turning her head away. "...fine...and don't you dare make fun of my voice right now..." She huffs, her ear twitching irritably. "...I know it's high and squeaky..."

He coos and bring her closer so he can nuzzle her. "Awww~, why would i make fun of something so adorable?" He starts walking toward the bathroom, carrying her in one foreleg.

"Because I like being thought of as sexy, instead." She flutters her eyes at him. "...it's hard to do that while your voice sounds like a chipmunk..." She glances at the top off his head. "...no offense..."

Rhino tilts his head. "Huh?" He rolls his eyes upwards and can barely make out a dark shape on his head. "Specter? When did you get up there?"

The squirrel chitters at him, which of course, he can't understand.

"Ah, ok... well... would you mind going to play with your siblings while your mom and I have some time alone so I can help her?"

Specter salutes before gliding off his head.

She takes this distraction to slip out of the towel and buzz onto the floor. She walks underneath him, trying to sneak away.

Of course, the gem on his neck immediately alerts him that she started moving and he looks down, spotting her. He wraps her back up in the town again. "Ah ah ah, you aren't getting away that easily."

She pouts, wanting to try and guilt him into letting her go. "...come on, love...you're not going to put little old me in a big bathtub, are you?"

He continues to the bathroom, almost at the door now. "Of course not, at this size it would be like an ocean for you. You need to be normal size first." He opens the door and enters the bathroom with its large tub, high enough for a pony to stand in and the water go all the way up their legs. "And it's not like i'm going to toss you in at that point anyway, I'm going to coax you in."

She sighs, turning back to her own size. "...good luck with that..." She pauses, sniffing at the air. "...do you...smell that?"

He tilts his head in confusion as he sniffs, walking towards the door to put himself between it and Gel. "Smell what?"

"...something burning..." She looks down, seeing the towel smoldering at her hooves. "...oops..."

He sighs and shakes his head. "Well, I guess you had to slip up at some point... at least it wasn’t one of the nice towels..." He simply picks the woel up and puts it in the sink, running a bit of water on it, causing it to hiss.

"...I suppose I should've asked the swimsuit to be fireproof, just in case..." She sighs, laying down on the floor. "...either way, I'll just stay here..."

He shrugs as he locks the door. "Suit yourself, I need to fill up the tub anyway." He walks to the edge of the tub and sits down, twisting the handles of the faucets so that water starts gushing out. He puts a hoof under the stream as he looks back at her. "How hot did you want the water?"

"...I don't care..." She seems almost listless at this point.

That tone strikes a chord in his heart. He takes a last look at the now barely steaming stream of water and moves the faucets so that it stays at that temperature as it fills the tub. He moves back towards her and lies down on the floor next to her. He puts a hoof over her and brings her into a one-armed hug. "It'll be fine... I promise."

She sighs, leaning into him. "...I know you're right..." She looks up at him, nervous. "...it doesn't stop me from worrying, though..."

He nuzzles her comfortingly as the water continues to fill the tub. "And that's why we start small... in familiar surroundings, with familiar company."

She smirks leaning close and nipping his neck. "Can't get more familiar than you, can I?"

He simply smiles at her. "I don't think so..." He stretches his neck to check the water level, seeing as it's almost there, he gets up and walks over to the tub. He gives it a few more seconds before turning off the water and making large swirling motions in it with a hoof. "Ah, nice and hot to relax in." He turns back to her. "The moment of truth is here, so... how would you feel most comfortable doing this? One hoof at a time? Me going in first and guiding you in?"

She thinks for a bit before moving up against him. "After you, love." She pushes him, sending him sprawling into the tub and laughing playfully. "You'll never take me alive!" She rushes the door, tugging at it in an attempt to escape.

He surfaces, hissing at the sudden dip into the hot water. His eyes narrow as he yanks the changeling away from the door with magic and plops her down next to the tub. He waits a moment for his body to get more used to the temperature before talking. "First rule: when I make the waters like this, don't just jump in. First of all, you get water everywhere." He motions to the floor where a bit of water is now pooling. "Second of all, you have to ease in or the sudden heat will hurt for a second."

"...s-sorry..." She shrinks in on herself, ashamed. "...I-I didn't know..."

His face softens. "It's fine love, I know you didn't know." He moves a hoof around in the water. "See though? It's not bad. Why don't you join me?"

"N-no thanks." She nervously smiles, backing away. "I don't like getting my hooves wet."

He facehooves before sighing. "Still with the excuses, really? Come on love," he slips his head under the water before surfacing again, the water dripping off him, "the water's great!"

"I-I'm not making excuses." She holds up a hoof, staring at the holes. "...I don't know why...but these are very sensitive...more so to water and other liquids..."

He raises an eyebrow. "Sensitive in what way?"

"...well..." She rubs the back of her neck. "...I don't really know how to explain it..."

He huffs as he settles into the tub. "Is it painful or ticklish?"

"...a mix of the two...but more ticklish..." She moves closer, dipping a hoof into the water and shuddering quietly. "...it just feels...weird..."

He moves his hoof to touch hers under the water. "All new things feel weird. You get used to them." He smiles warmly at her. "Want to dip another one?"

She nods, biting a lip as her other foreleg moves into the water. "...it's like something's moving in my legs...it's disturbing..."

"I can only imagine what that feels like..." He takes her new foreleg with his other one. "But one step at a time, it isn't overwhelming. Besides, surely something similar occurs when you fly around and the wind goes through them."

"...maybe...but it's not a constant presence like this..." She bites her lip, swishing her hooves in the water. "...this is actually rather nice...I'm going in!" She leaps and splashes him as she dives in.

He waits, dripping, until she surfaces. "Didn't I just say something to the effect of 'no jumping in'?" He turns concerned. "Are you okay? It's not too hot is it? I ran it like I run mine whenever I take them, almost as hot as it can go."

She blinks, tilting her head to one side. "...really? It just feels warm to me..." She holds up a hoof, frowning in disdain. "...I still don't like this sensation, though..."

He gives her cheek a peck. "But you're in, and that's a huge step! Now, all we have to do is get you to associate water with good things." He reaches over towards the soap and shampoos.

She quirks an eyebrow at him, confused. "...how do you plan on doing that?"

He smirks as he puts a bit of shampoo on a hoof. "I figure we seem to make enough good memories naturally that I could just do things that feel right and the rest would fall into place." He motions to her mane. "Mind if I wash it?"

She shakes her head, closing her eyes to keep the suds from getting in them. "...feel free, love..."

He sits in front of her, reaching up to her membranous mane. He gently starts working the shampoo into her strands. He massages her scalp before slowly running his hooves down her long locks. He repeats the motions, a content smile on his face.

She sighs contentedly, leaning into his hooves. ...this might not be so bad...if this is what I'm treated to, each time... She leans forward, attempting to blindly kiss his lips.

He chuckles as she successfully manages to kiss his nose. "And we're just getting started." He continues working her mane for a minute before stopping. "Ok, now we need to rinse, would you rather dunk your head, or have me dump the water over you?" He cups her face with a hoof and kisses her lightly just below the horn.

Her eyes snap open wide in horror. "...um...d-dump it over me..." She sheepishly smiles. "...I-I don't want to chance...you know..." She pushes him onto his rump, sitting on his lap and facing away from him. "...does this help?"

As the water slowly starts to settle from the disturbance, he takes a deep breath before replying. "It's fine, just... Try not to wiggle too much." He scoops up a blob of water with his magic and holds it above her head before letting it slowly drain onto her, running off her mane and taking the suds with it. He repeats this two more times, never just dumping it on her and instead letting it flow onto her. He wipes her eyes with the fur of his foreleg. "Okay, take a look and tell me how your mane feels, I tried a volumizing shampoo."

She looks over her shoulder at him, confused. "...take a look? How?" She rubs a hoof through her mane, her eyes slowly widening. "...w-wow...it feels so soft..." She raises her other hoof to it, blinking in surprise. "...is it me, or does my mane have more...body?"

He smiles. "That's the idea." He rummages around in one of the drawers under the sink before pulling out a small mirror. He levitates it at eye level in front of her. "Do you like it?"

She gapes in awe, seeing her reflection. "...it...it looks amazing..." She runs her hooves through it, enjoying the silken feel of it. "...I can't believe it..."

He smiles, happy that she is happy. "I'm glad you like it." He levitates over the soap and a washcloth as he sets the mirror back. "Shall I keep working my way down?"

She sighs softly, nodding and leaning forward. "...yes, please...it feels so good..."

He lathers up the soap on the cloth before turning his attention to the mare in his lap. Starting at her neck, he begins rubbing down her chitin in small circles. Slowly, he moves down from her neck to the bases of her wings, always washing. Is there something in particular i need to do to get your wings clean? He begins rubbing the spot between the wing bases.

J-just...be gentle...please? She squirms nervously, looking over her shoulder at him. ...they're rather...fragile...and I don't know if I can grow them back...

He looks horrified at her. Why would you even say that?! I would never do that to you! He tries to shake the image out of his head. Ugh, just... ugh! He notices something on his neck. Oh hey, something to distract me... Apparently I forgot to take my necklace off... silly me. He slides it off and sets it on the counter before turning back to her. Ok, now then... He gently works her wing bases and extends her thin flight limbs. He takes the cloth and softly runs it from their bases to their tips in smooth long strokes. He repeats this with the other one before reaching his forelegs around her so that he can clean her front.

...necklace? She glances at it, immediately recognizing it. That's how you found me, earlier! She sticks her tongue out at him. Cheater.

He rubs her plates with the cloth as he smirks. Says the previously mouse-sized nymph.

I was honestly scared of taking a bath! She flings her forelegs into the air, exasperated. Give me a break!

He gets down to where the water level meets her stomach. Hey, I'm already giving you a rub down, what more do you want?

Oh, I don't know... She gives him a lidded expression, slowly grinding her rump against his hips. ...maybe some loving?

He gives her a quick deep kiss. I'm pretty sure that' a constant between us. He breaks the kiss and motions to her. Alright, lift up your flanks so I can get at your back half.

Absolutely. She stands up and lifts her tail, teasingly shaking her hindquarters at him. Like this?

He blushes heavily, but smiles. That will do nicely... He puts some more soap on the rag and begins to massage just above her tail base, swirling around down towards where her cutie marks would be. His rubbing is almost like a massage.

She coos softly, her forelegs trembling slightly from the pleasure he's giving her. ...y-you know...I'll have to return the favor, right?

Well, if you want to get me clean, I won't complain. He listens to her noises for a few more seconds before commenting as he moves down her legs. You are really sensitive once you get riled up huh?

You have no idea... She flicks her tail across his nose, smirking slightly. ...and I'll be very thorough while cleaning you... She winks playfully at him, even as she moves her ticklish leg away.

He smirks as he finishes cleaning the outside of her legs. He brings up some water to rinse her off before leaning forward and nipping lightly with his teeth where her cutie mark would be. Amazing what a good cleaning does for your attitude. From terrified to alluring.

She turns around and kisses him passionately. She breaks the kiss, panting softly and smiling coyly. "...not to mention unbelievably aroused...but we can handle that in our dream..." She brings over the shampoo and squirts some onto her hoof. Her eyes quickly widen as some of it goes into one of her holes, causing her to flail it wildly. "C-cold!"

He grabs her hoof with his own and shoves it into the warm water, swishing it around a bit to clean it out. "There you go, but you know... you did jump the gun a bit. I still had a few places to clean..."

She blinks, confused. "...r-really? W-where?"

He takes the shampoo from her and does a circling motion with his hoof. "Turn around and I'll show you."

She tilts her head at him but does as she's told, turning around and looking at him over her shoulder once more.

He slathers some of the shampoo on his hoof before starting to work it into the base of her tail. "Like I said, you got a little over eager little firefly." He runs his hoof through her tail strands, resulting in a constantly light tugging motion on them. Once it is soaked in sude he begins sliding his hooves all the way down the length of her tail, making sure to clean every inch.

She quietly moans, resting her head against the edge of the tub. "...s-so good...h-how is that possible?" She tries to lift her head back up but another tug causes her to gasp softly and lower it back down.

He raises an eyebrow as he begins to rinse the tail. "I'm starting to think you have a thing for having your tail pulled. Still have one section left to clean by the way."

She flicks her tail, giving him a questioning look. "...what section is that, love?"

He says the answer steadily, but his blush betrays him. "Lower stomach and inner thighs of course..."

She smirks at this, moving to the edge of the bath, leaning back against the wall. With this, her belly and legs are exposed to him. "...does this help, Rhino?"

He blushes even brighter as he makes the effort to keep his eyes purposefully north of the most tempting thing to look at. "Yes... otherwise it would have been just a lot of awkward reaching..." He grabs the soapy rag and approaches her, keeping his eyes on her stomach. He takes the washcloth in hoof and starts to rub in slow circles on her lower stomach.

She coos softly, enjoying the feeling of his hoof on her belly. "...now I know...why the pets love this so much..." She closes her eyes to enjoy the sensation some more, her hindlegs unconsciously spreading for him.

He slowly goes lower and lower, keeping his eyes averted from her lower regions. He stops the journey just before her teats and switches to cleaning the insides of her thighs with the same circling motion.

She laughs as he goes over her ticklish spot, squirming away. "R-Rhino!"

He leans over her, his face directly in front of hers and his hooves remain where they are. He has a half-lidded expression as he asks with an innocent tone. "Yes?"

"...y-you know I'm ticklish, there..." She averts her eyes, embarrassed.

He simply smiles at her. "I know. I also know what the opposite spot does, but I don't think I'll be hitting that one." He gives her a quick kiss as his hooves finish up. "Care to join me back in the water to rinse off?"

She pouts softly, whining at him. "Rhino, you missed an opportunity, there..." She pauses, putting a hoof to her chin and muttering to herself. "...doesn't mean I have to miss it..." She carefully lowers herself into the water, bringing over the shampoo. "...now may I clean you, love?"

He sits back down in the water, it reaching just under halfway up him in this pose. "Feel free, love."

She smirks, putting some of the cleansing liquid in his mane before scrubbing it. "Now, if this gets to be too much, let me know."

He hums in appreciation. "Like I'd ever tell you to stop doing that..." His tail swishes happily in the water, creating small waves. "How does your tail feel by the way, I used the same stuff as on your mane."

"It...actually feels a bit heavier..." She applies some more pressure, making sure that she thoroughly cleans it.

Rhino sinks a little bit at the increased pressure meets his increasingly relaxed muscles. "Oh yeah..."

***Warning, sensual scene***

She pushes him up against one of the walls, smiling even as she continues this scrubbing. "...glad you're enjoying it...maybe I can help you enjoy it some more?" She removes her hooves, her magic keeping up the pressure as she lowers herself down in front of him. She tenderly strokes his inner thigh, seeing how he'd react before going forward.

His pride, which had been only partially poking out, twitches mightily as he groans at the touch.

Gel smirks slightly, leaning forward to kiss along his stomach, even as her hoof moves to his sheath, caressing the tip of his length. "...tell me how much you like this..."

His eyes shut from the sensations on both his heads. "Very... much..."

She giggles, lowering her own head. "...good..." She licks the part of it sticking out of the water, watching as it continues to grow. "...I want you to have as much pleasure from this as possible..."

One of his forehooves gently presses on her forehead to make her look up at him. "U-umm... if I may, can we try not using your mouth on that this time?"

She blinks, looking up at him in confusion. "...then...what would you like me to use, instead, Rhino?" She tilts her head to one side, waiting for his answer.

He grabs one of her hooves to bring her back up to his level. "I figured I'd let you decide that, but I feel sort of selfish when you do that with your mouth. So this time, I wanted to still be able to show you how much I appreciate it, while you were still doing it." He dips his head forward to nibble her neck like she enjoys.

She softly coos but pulls him away, looking up at him. "...you say that...but I enjoy giving you pleasure...really..." She smiles softly, gently kissing him.

He responds in kind before breaking it to respond. "I know... but I just feel like there's something I could be doing at the same time... for you."

She frowns softly, pondering this for a moment. "...but...I don't know of anything I can do for mutual pleasure...not without both of us lying down..."

He thinks for a moment as he strokes her mane. "Well... I guess we could always treat you cleaning me and foreplay... I'm sure we could both tease each other during that. By the time we get done, the anticipation will probably make the act that much better right? We'll just drain the water at that point, do what we by that point we will absolutely need to, since we'll be so worked up. Then we just shower off afterwards."

She smiles kindly, nodding a bit. "...sounds like a plan, love..." She starts to massage his shoulders, leaning forward and nipping his neck. "...and I can definitely tease you..."

He growls quietly. "Yes, but you also have to get me clean, whereas I am free to plan on how to tease you back." He gently closes his teeth on the tip of her ear as it sits in front of him.

She whimpers softly, her tail slowly starting to rise on its own. "...so be it..." She starts scrubbing down his chest, pulling out of his mouth's reach as a result.

He smirks as he braces himself with one forehoof while the other snakes around her to start rubbing on her wing bases again.

She squeaks, pulling his hoof away with her magic and rubbing it against his head. "Ah ah, not going to let you do that." She stops at the waterline, looking up at him expectantly. "...care to sit back so I can get the rest of your underside?"

He obliges, laying back into the water so that he is on his back and the only part of his head out of the water is the end of his muzzle. Before you freak out, I'm fine, this is actually very comfortable.

If you say so... She eyes his pride for a moment before gingerly taking it in her magic, moving it straight up before she continues cleaning, her hooves making sure to cover every inch yet just avoiding his most sensitive areas, purposely teasing him. ...how's that, love?

An echo-like groan can be heard from the water. Tantalizing like I would never have believed... His forehoof slip out of the water as it starts rubbing on the inside of one of her hind legs.

She giggles, flicking at his hoof with her tail. That's my ticklish spot. She takes his forehoof and begins to scrub it, cleaning it while she has the chance.

My mistake. He smirks while his other hoof raises up and suddenly starts rubbing her mirroring leg.

She squeals, her hindlegs collapsing and making her sit on his stomach. ...you're not making this any easier, you know...now give me your other hoof so I can clean it...

He gives her the hoof while he responds. Think of this a my response to all the teasing you do to me, showing my appreciation, if you will.

She rolls her eyes, meticulously scrubbing his foreleg. ...maybe you can show me your appreciation later...in full...

Small ripples form in the water as his chest shakes while he chuckles. Ah ah ah, that wasn't the plan. We're supposed to drive each other crazy until you get done, that way when we get to the good stuff, it's even better. His tail twines into hers and gives it a small tug.

She squeaks, blushing brightly. ...if you tease me any more, I'm likely to get us messy again... She carefully gets off him, her tail twitching wildly. ...y-you might want to wash off, now... She places a hoof on his length, tenderly caressing it. ...or I might not be able to wait until later...

He shudders before he rolls over in the water into a lying position on his stomach. "Halfway there, love." He sneaks a quick kiss. "And I bet the wait is getting to both of us."

She giggles, gently kissing him. "...you have no idea..." She begins to gently scrub his back, her hooves working into the muscle. "...I can't wait to see what you have in mind later, though..." She winks as she walks around him, working her way along his body.

He rolls his shoulders as she hits his muscles. "Me too. Of course, you can be pretty creative about this stuff yourself." He nibbles her neck when she comes in range.

She smirks, her tail wrapping around his pride as she works. "...you have that right..." She continues to clean as her tails slowly rubs along his length, teasing him.

He cringes as the feeling of her tail works him. "Y-your lucky I'm restraining myself when I'm teasing you..." He shudders as she keeps going.

"And you don't think I am?" She giggles as she moves behind him, kneading his flanks playfully. "Trust me, you haven't seen all that I can do..."

His tail flicks around, unintentionally mimicking her own's frequent action by caressing her face. "Even more reason to look forward to it..." He licks his lips as he thinks of how to tease her next.

She shakes her head. "You know we can read each other's thoughts, love." She caresses his orbs, smiling softly. She rubs her hooves around them, using the thin excuse of cleaning to play with them.

He instantly tenses up. "Woah!" He grits his teeth as he gets his thoughts back in line. "Oh... I am so gonna get you for that..." He sends a quick light wave of magic over her teats to prove his point.

She squeaks, her blush flaring back up. "...y-you really know what I like, don't you..." She smiles as she finishes up his body, gently stroking his pride with her tail once more. "...I think all that's left is your tail..."

He mumbles as he shivers from the stroke. "You're lucky it's not yours..."

"...maybe...but that doesn't mean I won't enjoy it..." She giggles, moving so she can get at the full length of his tail. She starts to lather it up with her hooves as her horn subtly lights up. "...how does it feel, so far?"

He continues facing forward as he answers. "Like you're foaming up my tail, why?"

"No reason..." She narrows her eyes as her magic grabs his length, giving it a firm squeeze. She continues to clean, even as her aura starts to slowly move along his pride.

He gasps as she squeezes. "H-hey now... that seems like a bit more than foreplay..." His tail flicks in her grasp, giving her a little spot of suds on her nose.

She sputters, brushing the bubbles off her nose. "...I told you, I'm having trouble being patient..." She continues to clean his tail, starting to rinse it off. "...we're almost done...please don't put any more of that on my snout, though...it's distracting..."

"Well, maybe it's time I up the ante then." His horn lights up and a bit of magic tugs on her tail and brushes her teats at the same time. He also blushes as he shakes his flank a little at her.

***End sensual part***

She squeaks, taking all of this in at one time. "...um...I-I should get out of the bath..." She hurries over to the edge, trying to climb out but unable to get a good grip. "...stinking...lathered up...hooves..."

He chuckles as he swishes his tail around in the water to finish rinsing. "Well, i guess it's time to end this little water adventure." He cleanly removes the plug and the water starts to drain out with small gurgling sounds. He looks over to where she is still trying to get out and shakes his head. His horn lights up and two fluffy towels float closer to them. "So, since I may have done a little too much then, I'll leave it up to you: should we proceed wet or dry?"

She doesn't turn to look at him, holding a hoof over her nose. ...m-maybe another time...

He tilts his head and sees a small bit of blue liquid on the edge of her hoof. "A nosebleed? Again?" He brings over the box of tissues and starts to pour more love into her. "Let's see how fast we can get this healed..."

She blushes brightly, embarrassed. ...I'm so sorry, love...you just looked so...sexy...a-and you did those things... She sighs, lowering her hoof, a single drop falling into the water below. It splashes into a blue mist, dissipating in the draining fluid. ...i-it shouldn't take too long for me to heal...

He pats her back as he sits down in the tub next to her as the water level goes down to almost nothing. "It's fine love... i was just trying to tease you and keep you in the mood... I guess I pushed too far and did the opposite."

...m-maybe... She rests her head on his shoulder, sighing quietly. ...maybe we can try this again...tomorrow...n-now that we know our limits...

He joins her in sighing. "Yeah... I suppose... I was going to suggest maybe a dip at the lake after our little race tomorrow."

She smiles, gently nuzzling his cheek. "...you know what? I think I'll take you up on that offer..."

He beams back, gives her a kiss on the forehead. "Glad to see you're willing to get wet this time."

Chapter 39: Race

The couple walks along a path through Whitetail Woods, though a different one than Rhino has ever been on. He looks around as they continue and remarks to the disguised changeling. "Are you sure the pets will be okay at the finish line by themselves? I don't want anything to happen to them..."

"I'm sure they'll be just fine." She turns around and boops his nose, giggling softly. "You really do worry too much." She sees the white line for the race, slightly surprised. "...you'd think it'd be gone by now, considering..."

He looks around her and sees the line as well. "Why would you think it would be gone?"

"...well..." She scratches the side of her head, thinking a bit. "...isn't this track used only during the Running of the Leaves?"

He shrugs as they walk. "Don't know to be honest, moved here in the middle of this spring remember?" He looks around more. "It does have plenty of trees to qualify for a Running of the Leaves track. Actually, on that note, why are we racing here now instead of around the park like we said?"

"That's simple. I want to go all out in this." She smirks, flicking her tail against his flank. "If you want to win that favor, then you'll have to earn it."

He flicks her back with his own tail. "On that note, perhaps we should discuss rules."

"Of course. First off, your hooves have to touch the whole length of the track." She shrugs. "I figure that covers flying and Blinking." She pauses, holding up a hoof. "The spell, not the bodily action."

He huffs but has a cheeky smile on his face. "Darn, I swear more and more ponies catch that loophole these days. Small technicality though, When I use Res in the usual way, my hooves aren't actually making contact with the surface, they are making contact with the magic between them and the surface, is that acceptable?"

"...I suppose that's acceptable." She giggles, shaking her head. "Second rule, no interfering with the other racer, magic or otherwise." She sighs, shrugging dejectedly. "...this includes teasing..."

He does a fake pout. "Ah well, no show for me, even if it did make me lose. Any other rules?"

"Other than that, I can't see anything else to add." She smiles, gently nuzzling him. "...what about you, love?"

"Well, no rules, but how about a quick summary of the route?" They stop as they reach the starting line.

"Just along the path, following the signs. One last question..." She turns to the finish line, smirking playfully. "...are you ready to lose?"

He quickly stretches each of his legs and cracks his neck. "I don't think I'll be losing. But in the event I do, I look forward to find out what you'll use your prize for." He crouches down and his horn has a dim glow to it. "Ready when you are, love."

"Go!" She launches off, quickly racing down the track. She doesn't bother to use her magic, believing that she is fast enough on her own.

Rhino frowns as the familiar glow appears on his hooves and he starts as well. He quickly catches up to her, skating across the ground using Res. He looks at her as he passes her, an eyebrow raised and a neutral expression. "Not even a countdown?"

"Figured you wouldn't need it." She uses her magic to speed herself up, passing him once more. She slides underneath a branch before using her flames to give herself an extra boost. This has the adverse effect of lighting said tree limb on fire.

He frowns again as he snaps off the branch with a quick flick of magic so that it will fizzle out on the path. He smoothly skates around it as he crouches down and puts more power into each stroke of his hooves to give him more speed. It takes some time to get up the speed, but he eventually gets to a point where he is slowly inching his way back towards her position.

She glances over her shoulder, seeing him slowly catch up. She looks forward and smirks, seeing a turn. "You're too slow!" She holds a foreleg out to the side, releasing a sudden large flame and launching herself down the path. She giggles, wondering just how her stallion was going to handle that sharp a turn.

He sees how sharply she goes around the turn and prepares himself appropriately. He leans inward as he approaches the turn and almost scrapes the ground as he whips around the corner. If one thing can be said, it's that he can maintain his speed.

She blinks, watching him tackle the turn with ease. She turns around and huffs, crossing her forelegs over her chest and pouting cutely. Even as she does this, she leans back and propels herself with fire from her hindhooves. "...you really are good at this..."

His eyes widen at her posture that she maintains while still running, though it does slow her down enough to where she isn't pulling ahead of him anymore. "How... how are you doing that?"

"Strong abs." She pats her stomach. "Benefits of working out regularly." She giggles and flips back over, putting more force behind herself, slowly pulling ahead once more.

She blinks, almost hesitating at the sight before her. "...why does it have to be that?"

A river runs right across the path, dry most of the year, at the end of spring it flows due to all the rain. It's depth is unknown, but it is a definitely respectable width. The water rolls as it barrels down it's channel.

Gel narrows her eyes, speeding up quickly and skimming over the surface. She grins when her flames make the water turn into steam, letting her flames disappear and running for a while. "There's no way he can cross that without swimming. I'll win for sure!" She makes the next turn, seeing the finish line at the end of a long stretch. "Almost there!" She sprints down the trail, grinning happily.

Rhino smiles as he sees Gel cut over the river. "Good to see she doesn't let water stop her." He mentally makes the slight adjustments necessary to the circles on the bottoms of his hooves and glides smoothly across the water. "I wonder if I should take her water skating sometime... maybe I'll try it this evening..." He leans into the next turn and whooshes around it, seeing Gel ahead of him and no longer using her fire magic to boost herself. He focuses and gives it as much as he can, closing in on her.

She glances over her shoulder, eyes wide in shock as he nears her. She faces forward, cursing her luck. "Of all the times to run out of magic..." She puts her all into it, straining her legs in a last attempt to cross the line before him.

He notices her increasing her speed so that his gain on her slows. He grunts, knowing he can't go any faster. He looks ahead to try and gauge the distance left and how fast he is catching up, but he shakes his head as all he knows is that it will be close. He keeps putting all he can into each stroke of his long legs.

The competitors approach the finish, each going as fast as they can. Three little shapes are jumping up and down on the sidelines just past the finish line, cheering both of them on. Rhino steadily gains on Gel as the distance to the end grows shorter and shorter.

She looks back, seeing how close he is and tries to flare up her horn and magic for one last boost. Her only reward is sparks. "Come on..."

Rhino closes in more, his eyes narrowed on the finish. His legs pump back and forth as he skates, like pistons.

More sparks emit from Gel's horn as she breathes harder, the effort of the race catching up to her. "Come on..."

The stallion is at the tip of her tail now, and slowly moves next to her.

She looks over to him, her eyes wide as he continues focusing on the end. She squints as she tries to force enough magic for the winning burst.

Nothing.

The pets cheer as Rhino crosses the finish line half a pony in front of Gel. The two skid to a halt, both panting as the pets run over and jump onto their legs excitedly.

She groans softly, resting her chin on the ground. "...congratulations, love...you're the first to beat me at any competition..." Her tone is upset, but the smile on her lips shows that there are no hard feelings.

He crouches down and nuzzles her lovingly. "Hey... you saw how close it was. If any circumstances had been different, it could have gone either way."

"...maybe...we don't really know that..." She slowly gets up, ignoring the burning in her legs. "...what I do know...is that I owe you that favor..." She giggles, gently kissing him. "...and here I was going to ask if you would let me name our first filly..." She sighs, shaking her head.

He tilts his head. "You know you can still do that right? I had preliminary names for the other two, but since the pink one was your wish, I would have asked you first anyway." He boops her nose. "You know we don't have to race to ask favors."

She blushes softly, embarrassed. "...I-I guess we don't..." She shakes one of her legs, trying to regain feeling in it. "...and I definitely don't want to do that, again..."

He nods. "Well, it's a good thing everything else we're doing today is relaxing, huh?" He motions to the pets and they are start climbing aboard him.

"Definitely." She smiles and takes a step before falling on her rump. "...well...at least it's not my face..." She tries to move her hindlegs, frowning softly. "...I can't move them...again..." She groans, covering her face with a hoof. "...why does this happen to me?"

He shrugs as the pets all climb off for a moment while he scoops her onto his back. They all climb right back on once she is settled. "Maybe you just know how to use them so well, that you use them up." He starts on the way home.

"...maybe...all I know is that I really could use a cooldown..." She gently nuzzles his neck, giggling quietly. "...I think that lake we've been to before sounds good, right about now..."

He smiles as he turns around to look at her. "Well, what a coincidence. That's where we're going once we drop these three off."

She smiles back, nodding cordially. "I can't wait."

***

The two drop off the pets and pack up pretty much everything one would need for a trip to the lake. Essentially, this means towels, Gel's swimsuit, some drinks, and some snacks. Rhino leads them on the familiar off-the-beaten-path trail, and soon they are within a few minutes walk of their destination.

She glances around, nervous. "...Rhino? Do you think it's safe, now?"

He looks around as he thinks. "Hmm... yeah, I'd say so. We're a good 15 minutes of walking from the path if you know where you're going. Plus, like I said, no pony comes out this far. I actually see hoofprints from the last time I've been to the lake, every time I go, and there's never any extra."

She sighs in relief, quickly changing back into her normal form. She flutters her wings slightly. "...so, before we get there, I wanted to ask..." She playfully bumps his side. "...when did you want me to fulfill my part of the agreement?"

He flicks her with his tail in retaliation. "Whenever you feel like it, I suppose. Sooner rather than later of course."

"What?" She smirks, pulling ahead of him a bit. "Are you afraid somepony might walk in on your reward?"

He tilts his head. "Why? Plan on trying to seduce me in the middle of the street?"

She rolls her eyes, sighing softly. "...no...I plan on doing it at the lake..." She looks over her shoulder at him, winking teasingly. "...I think I have an idea on how to do it with what we have..."

He forms a small blush even as he ponders this. "Hmm... I look forward to seeing how you manage to be the one who pushes things forward when I'm the one who's the swimming instructor."

She giggles, brushing her tail along his cheek. "You'll just have to wait and see, love."

They make their way through the last bushes and onto the sandy beach part of the lake. "Well, I don't think it'll be too long..." He shrugs off the bags and starts digging through them. He pulls out the two biggest towels and lays them out flat on the sand, prime lounging position.

Meanwhile, she slips into her swimsuit, carefully snapping it closed before moving to her towel, smiling softly at him. "...thank you..."

He beams at her as he sets the bags in between the towels. "You're very welcome. So... how did you want to do these lessons? Shall we just start heading in the water?"

She waves a hoof at him, rolling over onto her back. "...in a minute...I just want to relax for a bit..."

He lays down on his own towel as he remarks to her. "Okay, but if you start giving me other excuses to not get in the water, just know that I'm onto you."

"I understand..." She yawns softly, shaking her head a bit. "...just gonna...close my eyes..." She slowly starts to drift off, enjoying the warmth of the sun.

He reaches over and grips her hoof lightly to try and keep her awake. "Hey, don't go to sleep okay? I don't know the next time we'll have time like this, so I would rather you not just sleep through it, okay?"

She blinks her eyes open, looking up at him. "...you're right..." She sighs, slowly sitting up. She rubs her eyes with a hoof, trying to wake herself up. "...s-so...what is the first thing, again?"

He simply points a hoof at the lake. "Water."

"...oh, yes..." She turns her gaze to it, scowling slightly. "...my mortal enemy..."

He gets up and holds out his tail to her. "Come on, I'll walk in with you and be right there the whole time."

She sighs but smiles up at him, standing up and entwining her tail in his. "...well then, love...let's get our hooves wet..."

He leads them into the shallows, the water splashing around their hooves. Adjusting his grip on the shifting bottom, he looks back to check on her.

She's trembling, in intense discomfort from the cold water in her hooves' holes. "...t-this is great...s-spending time with you...w-why is this water so cold?"

He looks up, noticing the tree over them. "Because we're in the shade. Here, follow me." He leads her into slightly deeper water, about the height of the bath water and with a direct line to the sun, so the water is pleasantly warm but not near as hot as the bath was.

She pouts, splashing a hoof in the water. "...it's still a little cold..."

He raises an eyebrow at her, splashing the water around himself before looking back at her. "It's actually normal temperature... maybe it's a body temperature difference... either way, I'm sure you'll get used to it once we get moving. Ok, so, first things first, you need to get comfortable with the water being higher up on you." He crouches down in the water so that it now goes over his back, leaving only his head and neck above it. "Try this."

She sits down in the water, smiling softly. "Is this good?"

His tail, still entwined with hers, tugs once. "Come on now... all the way. You can do it."

She frowns, fervently shaking her head. "No. There is no way I'm getting my head closer to that lake."

"This is why we came here love, to work on that." He lets go of her tail and swims around her, his neck and head the only things above water the whole time. "We're not going any deeper than this today, we're not rushing. It's just like the bath yesterday. You were moving around fine then, right?"

"Yes." She speaks slowly, an ear twitching slightly. "But then there was the option to drain the body of water just in case." She motions around them with a hoof. "I don't see how we can do that with this place."

He sighs as he comes to a stop next to her. "Look, love, it isn't even that deep." He stands all the way up to where the water doesn't even reach his body, then crouches down until his is lying on the bottom, his head and half his next still poking out of the water. "I'm not even asking you to lie down like I am, just bend your legs a little." He leans over and kisses her on the neck. "Please?"

She whines but does as he asks, bending her forelegs so her upper body slowly lowers into the water. "...this feels so strange...I-I'm not sure if I like the feeling of wet cloth on my body or not..."

"Swimsuit cloth doesn't really get wet that much love, water really just sort of runs off it. It only really soaks in after a while. Besides, this is what it's made for. That and to make you look beautiful." He gets in front of her and starts backing away towards the shore, going through the sunny patches instead of the shady ones. "Think you can follow me back to the shallows? You have to stay as far down in the water as I am as we go, okay?"

She blushes softly, slowly paddling along after him. "...I suppose...it shouldn't be that hard..." She bites her lip, nervously trying to keep up with him.

"It only gets easier, love." The water gets shallower and shallower as the two move, meaning it goes lower and lower on them until it only goes about a third of the way up their legs and they are pretty much walking. "There see? That wasn't bad."

She smiles softly at him, shivering a little. "I-I guess not...I-I could do without the cold, though..." She starts to move forward but stops, quickly sitting back down in the water with a vibrant blush.

Chapter 40: Beach

***Warning, Sensual Content.***

He approaches her quickly. "What’s wrong, love? Just realized that by now it's even colder when you get out of the water?" He says the last part jokingly but his face shows he is slightly concerned.

"...y-yes...I-I also learned some parts of the body...r-react the same, no matter the species..." She glances down at her forehooves, embarrassed.

He tilts his head at her. "Umm... okay... not quite sure what you mean by that... but how does it keep you from getting out?"

She turns her head away, biting her lip softly. ...m-my teats got hard...f-from the cold...i-it makes it...uncomfortable to walk...

A small blush forms on his face. Ah... I see... I would assume that goes even more so when you have a fabric rubbing on them, swimsuits being as tight as they are...

...y-you have no idea... She shyly looks up at him. ...m-maybe you could help with this?

He blushes even harder. Umm... exactly how would I help? It's just a temperature thing right? Shouldn't you be able to stand up and let it wear off?

"With the fabric rubbing against it?" She carefully stands up, gingerly making her way to her towel. "No. In fact, it's actually...stimulating me. Not enough to debilitate, but more than enough to arouse." She lays on her back, smiling coyly at him. "...so, care to help a fellow beach-goer?" She winks playfully at him.

He follows her up onto the beach, standing next to her as she lays there. He looks off to the side coyly, even as his blush remains. "I'm not sure what you mean. How am I supposed to help you with this... predicament?"

She giggles, spreading her hindlegs for him to see her teats straining against the fabric. "First off, handsome, you'll have to undress me." She flicks her tail idly. "That won't be a problem, will it?"

His face burns as he shakes his head. "Not for one as lovely as you..." He walks around until he is in front of her tail. He lays down on his hooves and stops, wondering exactly how to go about getting at the clasp underneath her.

She smirks, moving a leg onto his shoulder. "Maybe this will help." She moves the other hindleg so they're both on him, her back end raising off the ground as a result. Her hips also move closer to his face, her slit and teats clearly visible through the fabric. "How's that, hot stuff?" She flinches inwardly at that, embarrassed. ...um...s-sorry...it's been a while since I've taken lead like this...

I don't think you need to change your personality... just.. well... move things along yourself. One wonders if they can feel the heat off each other as he bends his head down and around her tail, breathing against the tight fabric. His horn lightly rests against her as he neatly nips the clasp undone, a small bit of fabric falling downward but the important parts of the suit now just draped over her nethers.

...maybe you're right... She sighs softly, wrapping her legs a little tighter around his neck, pulling him closer. "Now use your teeth to move the flap. And do be careful where you put your horn."

He nods as he grabs the end of the fabric in his teeth, pulling it slowly upward, the slightly damp cloth peeling away from her chitin and flesh. His horn almost rubs her teats as he does so, but he has the presence of mind to adjust it to where it moves just above them. He cranes his neck and folds the fabric onto her belly, moving his head back to see the now exposed areas of her. "Beautiful..."

She gives him a lidded gaze. "Glad you like the sight, but I want to know your thoughts on taste." She gently rocks her hips, starting to get aroused. "Be a dear and lick for me. After you get a taste, I'd like you to continue undressing me." She brushes some sand off her forehoof with her magic. "It'd be a shame to get it messy, don't you agree?"

His face burns bright enough to where it might give off light. "B-but I've never done... that... to you before..." Would you mind if I started somewhere else first?

She pouts softly. ...I suppose you can...but where? She tilts her head to one side, wondering what he has in mind.

He steels himself before leaning his head forward, his nose taking deep breaths of her arousal. He sticks his tongue out and takes a long lick of one of her teats.

She squeaks, struggling to keep herself together. ...w-wow...I-I didn't realize I was that sensitive there... She smiles softly at him, her cheeks bright blue from her blush.

He smiles back. "Well... not much of a taste at all, but the feeling is intriguing." He focuses back on her partially folded-upward suit. "Now... I believe you wanted me to get the rest of this off you?"

She giggles, hooking her hindlegs under his torso. ...you might want to brace yourself... She lifts her front half, even as her hindlegs stay exactly where they are. She smiles down at him, gently kissing the blunt tip of his horn. "If you would be so kind. I've even made it easier for you."

He blinks at his sudden view full of only her cloth-clad chest. He shivers at her kissing his horn as he once again grabs her suit in his teeth. He arches his neck and tilts his head upwards as he slowly drags it up her body, exposing more and more of it until he reaches her forelegs and looks up at her face expectantly.

She smirks before lowering herself back down, her back curved in a way that the suit easily slides off. She coyly smiles at him, slowly bringing her hooves down along her sides. "So now my body is bare for you." She giggles and winks at him. "What's your next move?"

He looks her in the eyes as he answers. "Well, I'm afraid it's not very specific, but I was thinking of..." he leans over her and whispers into her ear, "ravishing you with whatever I do..."

She shivers slightly but narrows her eyes, licking her lips. "I look forward to it." She darts forward, quickly capturing his lips with her own in a passionate kiss.

He kisses back, but with not quite as much passion as he works his way to that point. His lower half starts to react to everything while his tail swishes side-to-side, its end dragging across her sensitive areas.

She coos softly, breaking the kiss to get some air. "You really should put more effort into it. But it'll do for now." She swiftly flips them over, landing on top of his belly. "Of course, I could always show you." She slowly turns around, her tail brushing across his nose. "I'll play with this fine thing," she wraps a foreleg around his still-flaccid length, carefully coaxing it out of its sheath, "and you work your magic on my respective area." She flicks his horn. "With your tongue, mind you."

His face, which had slightly cooled down from the last time she suggested that, flares right back to where it was before. He opens his mouth to respond, but a few quicks whiffs of her arousal shut him down. As a bit more blood gets diverted to both his face and pride, he mentally prepares himself as he leans toward the body sitting on his chest. He starts off with a lick to her particular spot on the inside of her leg, opposite her ticklish one.

She softly coos, smiling to herself. "That's a start." She turns her attention to his pride, which has been steadily growing larger. She leans forward and eagerly licks it, reveling in the scent of his musk.

His length gladly responds to her treatment, speeding up its growth. Rhino, meanwhile, has moved his focus a bit more inwards towards her ever-calling treasure. However, he is stilling working himself up for that, so he instead begins to slowly lick the flesh around it, which he figures might very well start tasting like the inside of her soon enough.

She sighs happily at this, wiggling her hips at him. She wraps her lips around him, her tongue circling his sensitive head as she bobs along a few inches of his length.

His eyes widen a bit as he takes in her taking him in before he gets his head back together and continues his own efforts. He circles his tongue around her prize, not unlike he did with his hoof at other times. When he reaches the part of her treasure towards her belly, he spies the small bit of flesh slowly growing there. He makes sure not to touch it directly, but also ensures that when he slowly circles closer to her slit, he always runs right across the skin that the nub is housed in.

She gasps, her hips pushing back in an attempt to make him touch her treasure. She pulls off him, glancing at him over her shoulder. "I believe that's enough time to prepare." Her tail wraps around the back of his head, pulling him close. She giggles as she turns her attention back to his pride, closing her eyes as she dives back onto it, easily taking in six inches of it into her mouth.

With her tail pulling him in so close, Rhino takes a deep breath. He sticks out his tongue and gives a light, gentle lick up the entirety of her slit, the muscle widening so that it glides over the area.

She moans softly, her flower moistening ever so slightly. She moves a little faster, starting to lose herself. She pauses and blinks, realizing this before it got too far. She sighs quietly, working to make sure he is satisfied first.

As Rhino brings his tongue back in, he smacks his lips before talking to Gel. "T-two things: One, did you know you taste a bit like a mixed berry fruit drink? Two, I'm up for continueing after the first release from each of us, what about you?"

She pulls off of him, looking incredulously at him over her shoulder. "...in reverse order, I'd be lucky if I didn't pass out after the first one, it's been so long, and...well, no, I've never been able to taste myself." She blushes brightly, averting her eyes. "...that doesn't mean I haven't tried, before..."

He shrugs, "Well, curiosity makes us all do odd things... as to your first comment... I guess I'll just have to draw this out so you can get the most out of it..." He turns back to her treasure, swirling his tongue on her outermost lips and running over the skin over her nub twice as often, but doing it slow enough to where nothing sets her off, just ever building.

She squeaks, blushing brightly from his words. She smiles coyly, eyeing his shaft. "You won't have to worry about that." She wraps her forelegs around it, the notches forming a tight ring around the base. She gives the flared tip a teasing lick before shaking her hips at him. "I don't want you going off too early. We've only just begun." With that, she takes him in her mouth once more, until he bumps the back of her throat.

He grunts from the feeling. "A-agreed... that doesn't hurt you... does it?" He continues smelling her arousal with every breath, causing him to stop and look at her treasure with a small smile. With less hesitation, he gives the entirety of her slit another flat lick. "Let me know if you want to change positions or anything..."

Oh, I'll let you know. She pushes even further, the tip starting to push down her throat. And no, it doesn't hurt. I wouldn't do this if it did. She slowly starts to bob her head, pulling him further and further into her mouth.

He stiffens as she goes deeper, wrestling his mind back under control so that he can control when he goes off. He gazes at the slit in front of him again. Well... here we go... He presses his tongue against her treasure and slowly increases the pressure until his mouth muscle starts to slip inside.

She squeaks in shock, not expecting his tongue to do that. R-remember, not too deep. Her thought's tone is nervous, even as she starts to grow wet, eagerly bobbing on him. I'm sure I don't have to say why. Her tail twitches a bit, brushing against his horn.

He withdraws his tongue after its first tentative exploration. Sorry... I wasn't really sure where else to go with this... would you rather me do something else? He feels the tail brushing his horn and adjusts it with a quick bit of magic so that it hangs over the back of his head.

She pauses, pulling off him. "I'm not sure." She tenderly strokes his shaft, thinking a bit. "I suppose that would be up to you." She glances over her shoulder at him, eyes twinkling in curiosity. "What would you suggest?"

He tilts his head at her. Aren't you supposed to be the one leading this time? I was just asking if you wanted to change any of the parameters you set.

She blushes brightly, embarrassed. "...r-right...I kind of forgot...." She bites her lip, fighting back a thought before continuing. "Honestly, I mostly wanted you to consciously choose to taste me." She giggles, shaking her hips at him teasingly. "I think I accomplished that goal."

He blushes heavily as he absentmindedly licks a drop that starts to leak out of her. Yes... I suppose you did accomplish that... so the question is though... what next? You looked like you had an idea... or maybe a few.

She squeaks, quickly facing forward. "N-nothing big. You realize you don't have to think at me anymore, right?" She quickly starts to work her hooves along him, gently kissing the flared head.

"Woah there girl, no rush." His length twitches, almost as if annoyed by his interruption. "Come on now though, with a squeak like that you've got me really curious." He slowly smirks as his sticks out his tongue and licks around her treasure, making sure to get as close as possible without actually touching it. "Tell me~."

She pants and groans, pushing her rump back, upset by his teasing. "P-please, Rhino. I-I need it." She licks and kisses along his length, trying to entice him to go further.

Despite her flower sending it's scent into him, he resists as he continues teasing. "Giving up your power already? Tsk tsk."

Her ears twitch at this. "...f-fine...I wanted to change positions." She moves so she's laying on top of him, gazing down at him with lidded eyes. "...though, honestly...I wouldn't mind that..." She slowly grinds against him, his hard shaft sliding against her flower, spreading the petals slightly. "...a big, strong stallion like you...having power over a smaller changeling like me..." She moves faster, panting lustfully as her thoughts come spilling out of her. "...bending me over the bed...licking me until I'm soaked..." She shudders softly, the very thought enticing to her. "...and then you'd mount me...claim me as yours as you become my one and only...the perfect balance of love and lust…”

His imagination runs wild with the scenario she described. It takes him a good twenty seconds to knock himself out of his head to focus back on the present after that. He notices his hips are making a slight thrusting motion as the side of his shaft rubs against her, but can't really bring himself to care. "Wow... you... paint an enticing picture..." He growls at her while one eye twitches as he fights off various urges in his mind.

She blushes softly, averting her gaze. "...I've spent...quite a while imagining it...a-at least a week..." She shyly smiles, despite her hips still gyrating on his. "...it's amazing what...one can imagine...with so many...r-romance novels..." She giggles, leaning forward and eagerly kissing him, her eyes fluttering closed.

He kisses her back with just as much gusto. His hips continue their light thrusting as his forelegs shakily rise up and start to curl around her. Shakily though, not from lack of muscle control, but excess of it. His whole body easily feels tense as he asserts his will over it, purposely slowing it's movements and denying taking control of the situation.

She pushes even further against his lips, her tail wrapping around his waist to pull it closer. Come on, love...you don't have to hold back... She finally breaks the kiss, panting softly and smiling teasingly. I'm not made of glass.

He gulps as he continues keeping his muscles in check. V-very true... but you're supposed to be the one calling the shots here... He licks his lips. Besides... this is nice...

...I'm supposed to be the one calling the shots, hmm? Well then... She narrows her eyes at him and takes his forehooves in her own, moving them to her hips. ...I say I want you to give this your all...I want to feel this in the morning, the sensation of being completely sated by my stallion... She winks playfully at him. "Think you can handle that?"

His eyes narrow as his smile widens as he suddenly whips his forelegs around her and flips them both over. He leans down and passionately starts making out with her, almost overwhelming her tongue as his hips perform their own dance. He grinds forcefully up and down her, his length's side pushing into her slit as it grinds across her nub and teats in long strokes.

Her eyes widen in surprise at this, but that feeling is quickly replaced with the strong sense of pleasure. She moans lustfully, pushing her hips against his in perfect unison. She can barely think, she's enjoying this treatment so much.

He leans back with a grin as he looks down at her. "Well, I think I've seen this scene somewhere before..." As she tries to get her mind back from the pleasure, he moves down, giving her nipples a couple of licks before coming back up and nibbling on her neck as he grinds into her a bit more. He leans forward and whispers into her ear. "How to make it better..." He shifts his hips so they grind side to side for a moment instead of up and down.

She bites her lip, whimpering softly. ...p-please, Rhino...f-faster... She looks up at him, her eyes glazed over from the pleasure. ...I-I want you...a-all of you...

His eyes soften as he leans down and kisses her. I know you do, love. I know you do... His eyes narrow once again as he embraces her as close as he can before his hips start up again. His orbs hit the area below of the base of her tail as he grinds heavily against her. Even though he keeps her mouth and tongue occupied, his ears still appear perked for any sound she could make.

She coos softly, spreading her legs a bit more for him. Even in her lust-filled haze, she can feel all of the love coming off him. She still wants more, though. Slowly, she pulls herself up along his body, her magic tenderly caressing his sack. Her mind stays blank from the sensations coursing through her, which is either good or bad, considering what she's attempting to do.

He doesn't notice her shifting as he continues his motions, his forelegs rubbing her back as they squirm on the beach. He leans down and nibbles her neck up and down as they continue.

She squeals in excitement, waiting until she was far enough up his body before arching her back so her body presses even further against his. This has the effect of shifting her rump higher on one of his backstrokes. Unfortunately, she overshot her motion, putting his pride's flared tip in front of her other hole. However, she was too lost in lust to care or even notice at the moment.

As he thrusts forward again, he encounters a much different feeling than he had been. His length, well slicked by her juices, presses hard against her taint before barely slipping into the tight hole. Rhino stops as the difference knocks his out of his rhythm.

She squeals in shock, her eyes snapping wide open. She looks up at him, blushing brightly as her mental clarity quickly returns. "...R-Rhino...d-did you..." She shyly averts her eyes, biting her lip softly.

Feeling the tightness around his tip, Rhino looks down between his legs. Seeing her treasure empty, he figures out what happened. "I... guess... I don't really know how to react to this... Does it hurt? Are you okay?"

She stays silent for a moment before nodding. "...y-yes...I-I'm okay...i-it's a little strange..." She looks down between them, brow furrowing in confusion. "...i-it's like...a pressure..." She slowly shifts her hips, her eyes fluttering closed as this makes his shaft slip in a little further. "...oh...i-it feels so...g-good..." Her body tenses as she tries to keep herself from moving further, embarrassed by her actions.

His brow furrows. "You really like the feeling of it... in there? It's going to be tight... and you'll have to learn how to relax those muscles..." His pride twitches, the small part inside her pressing against the wall between her canals.

She nods, her body trembling slightly from the sensation. "...y-yes...p-please..." She pushes her hips further in her desire, another inch going into the tightly-clenching rosebud.

He gulps, but his clouded mind makes the decision relatively quick. "Okay..." He slowly begins to press his hips forward. The muscles in her resist, but with the shaft slowly pushing into them, the eventually relax and allow it passage. His length proceeds more and more into the unfamiliar hole.

She moans sweetly, putting a hoof to her lips, biting gently to muffle her sounds of bliss. She moves her hips with his, enjoying the sensation of being spread by his pride, the taboo nature of the act making her excitement quickly build. "...R-Rhino..." She bites her lip and, steeling herself, swiftly pushes her hips up, making him hilt her in her haste.

He hisses as more than half of his pride suddenly slips into her at once. His mind completely blanks for a moment before he remembers to breathe and kisses her purely on reflex as he stays hilted deep inside her.

She happily kisses him, enjoying the sensation of fullness. Her hindlegs wrap around his waist, trying to pull him even closer. She can't think, every throb, every small movement giving her pleasure-addled mind another burst of bliss. Her hole tightens around him, the knowledge that he was actually inside her making her climax come early, her juices squirting onto onto his stomach.

He just continues kissing her as she rides out her orgasm. Still inside her, he breaks the kiss and smiles down at her once she stops after a good 30 seconds. "Well... I guess you were pretty wound up." He still hasn't moved his hips since he hilted in her.

She nods shyly, embarrassed. "...y-yes..." She looks down at their hips, her cheeks still flush with color. "...b-but...you're still not satisfied..." She gyrates her hips slowly, her gaze becoming seductive. "...and neither am I...so why don't you show me what you can do, hmm?" She winks playfully.

He grunts as she moves. "But... it's so tight... won't it hurt you if I move?" His eyes widen as she continues.

She giggles, slowly moving on his shaft. A moan escapes her lips, and she throws her head back in pleasure. "...d-don't need to...worry about that, love...j-just...do what feels right..."

Emboldened by her sounds, he nods. His hips start to move he he pulls back, she grips him all the way. As he reaches the point where only his tip remains inside her, he starts to move back in faster than when he came out. Her hips rise as more of her is impaled on him. He hilts her and takes a moment before starting the process over again.

She openly moans in pleasure, her body squirming under his. She eagerly matches his actions, wanting him to enjoy this just as much as she does. ...y-yes...s-so good...

He leans down and once again envelopes her lips with his own. His hips continue pumping into her, slowly gaining pace and force. His orbs slaps against her tail base with every hilting, and her muscles are constantly squeezing.

She squeals in ecstasy, her legs tightening their grip around him. She breaks the kiss to cry out, her tongue lolling out of her mouth from the pleasure. Yet it's still not enough. ...f-faster...h-harder... She closes her eyes, a low, lustful moan escaping her lips.

He shifts his legs to get a better grip on the ground. His thrusts increase in tempo and force again. They are at about a walking pace now and send a ripple of force up her body with every time their hips meet. He greedily takes her lips in his own again as his horn lights up and his magic plays with her teats.

She kisses him passionately, her lips opening and her tongue timidly pressing against his lips, requesting entrance. She tilts her hips slightly, making his pride actually go a little deeper. She coos as he toys with her nipples, enjoying the sensation on her sensitive skin.

His tongue snakes out and grabs hers as it has done time and time before. He continues pounding her, a pressure building in his loins making him go even faster and harder than before. A large vibration runs through both of them when their hips meet, and the arousal he can still smell from her only drives him further as they start to dig a hole in the sand under the blanket with the force from his thrusts.

She clenches her teeth, feeling her climax rapidly approaching once more. She quietly hopes he's nearing his own, as well. ...R-Rhino... She moans sweetly into the kiss after a particularly hard thrust. ...i-inside...p-please... An idea comes to her, a rather kinky one that makes her cheeks burn with a blush. The tone of her thoughts turns playfully submissive. ...mark me as yours...n-now and forever...

The pounding continues for another few minutes before he can't take it anymore. He pulls back and thrusts into her fully a few more times before hilting one final time as his seed starts to unload inside her, locked in by his flared tip.

She coos softly, enjoying the flood of warmth inside her. Her peak hits hard, causing her to break the kiss to cry out in utter bliss, her eyes rolling back as the pleasure overwhelms her. She drenches the towel underneath them and goes limp, nearly insensate.

Rhino had continued lightly thrusting into her as his seed spilled into her, and still did so for a short time once she had rode out her own climax. Once finished, his mind pieces itself back together. Still inside her, though the lack of movement has started to make his pride regress, he leans forward and nuzzles her before planting a kiss on her cheek. "Love?"

Her eyes flutter open, and she turns to look at him, her gaze unfocused. "...w-wow...y-you were...amazing..." She carefully raises a shaky hoof to his cheek, tenderly caressing it. "...t-thank you, love..." She smiles softly at him, her cheeks still flush with color.

He rolls over onto his side, taking her with him. Their horns cross as he rests his head against hers. "The same to you... Are you okay? I know I got a bit rough at the end..."

She bites her lip, shyly looking into his eyes. "...y-yes...I-I really enjoyed that..." She leans forward, gently nuzzling his cheek. "...I like when it's gentle as well, of course..."

As blood pulses through his pride, he realizes they are still joined. He blushes as he looks down. "Umm... would you like me to umm... you know..."

Immediately understanding what he means, she shakes her head, smiling softly. "...no...let's leave it in, for now..." She giggles quietly, giving him a quick peck on the lips. "...unless you don't like being connected like this..." She winks, playfully sticking her tongue out.

He kisses her back, smiling as well. "Well, when you put it that way... Actually, speaking of putting something in a way, what did you mean earlier when you said to 'mark you as mine, now and forever'?"

She squeaks, turning her head away. "...um...I-I thought it would sound...s-sexy..." She gulps, closing her eyes in shame. What was I thinking? Novels aren't like real life...

He chuckles. I heard that. It's nice sentiment, regardless of where it came from. I'd just never heard of it before. They lay there happily for minute before he speaks up again. "You know... I think we're getting better at well, the intimate part of our relationship."

She nods shyly, still embarrassed. "I-I'd like to think so...we've done quite a bit, together..." She looks up at him and smirks coyly, her eyes narrowing slightly. "...and we're getting to know each other's quirks and preferences..." She quickly starts to rub his mane, giggling a bit. "Don't you agree?"

He lets out a light growl as his head flops onto the towel. "Right..." It takes him a moment to recall what he was going to say. "Though, I have to admit, this little experiment of you being in control didn't go quite as i expected."

She shrugs a bit, moving closer to him and resting her head under his chin. "...what can I say? I lose control when we're together like this..." She goes quiet for a moment. "...that sounded so much better before I said it..."

He embraces her with all four legs and tail. "I think I know what you mean... though I still look forward to a time when you lead the roleplay. I'm sure you have some outfits back at home that you really want to try."

"...that depends on your tastes..." She smiles softly, playfully nipping his neck. "...we can worry about that later, though...for now, I'd like to just...cuddle with you...is that fine with you, love?"

He nods. "Of course it is... just remember that we need to clean up before we head home..."

"...of course..." She sighs happily, letting her eyes drift closed.

Chapter 41: Meet the Parents

As the couple walk down the well worn path through the Everfree forest, Rhino's head and ears are constantly swiveling around. The fur along his spine has been slightly raised since the moment they entered and his teps have had a force more akin to marching than walking. How much further in do you think we need to go?

"Not that much more, love." She looks over her shoulder at him, smiling softly. "And like I said earlier, you don't have to worry. I can take care of anything that might pop up." She thinks for a bit before facing forward once more, hiding the teasing expression on her face. "Or is this about something else?"

He faces forward. If you are referring to my episode about my parents... I've gotten over that. Likely through a combination of denial, optimism, and rationalization that I don't care to know the percentages of. Secondly, even if you say that you can handle them, it will be much easier if we stay alert.

"If you feel that way, then I won't argue." The white mare slows down until they are side-by-side. She leans up against him, gently nuzzling his neck. "Could you please speak, though? She might think it's odd if it looks like I'm having a one-sided conversation..."

"Fair enough..." After a few minutes he lets out an imperceptible pulse of magic from his horn, as he had been doing periodically to scan for lifeforms. He sense a single pony-shaped form a short walk ahead of them. "We're almost there."

She beams, starting to rush ahead. "Great! I can't wait to meet her..." She slows to a halt, blushing brightly as she remembers herself. "...t-to learn about her trade, I mean...and see if she can make me some potions..."

He raises an eyebrow. "You're free to make friends with her too, you know. I assume that's what the initial enthusiasm was about."

"...um...y-yes..." She quickly resumes walking, ducking her head to hide her burning cheeks. "...s-so...do you have any potions you'd like to ask her about?"

"Not really..." He looks around them before amending his statement. "Ok,given our surroundings, maybe it would be prudent to see if she stocks poison ivy treatments... That and things like it are the only things I'm allergic to."

She quirks an eyebrow in confusion. "Wouldn't it be simpler to ask her for an antihistamine? Or something to impede the allergic reaction?"

He shakes his head. "Not really, I can get those myself. Even with all that it is still far from pleasant or short, I assure you. From what I hear though, if there's a potion for something it's usually much more effective than general medicine."

She slowly nods, cresting a hill. "I suppose that makes sense..." She looks forward, blinking in surprise at the sight before her. "...well...I didn't expect that..."

Before them lies a gnarled tree, not unlike the others of the forest. What makes this one stand out though is the fact that, similar to Twilight's tree, this one comes with a door and windows. There also appear to be various masks strewn about the base as well as potions hanging from a few branches.

Rhino crests the hill as sees the sight as well. "You know... I'm starting to think living in trees is actually not too uncommon and I just haven't seen them before I moved here."

She scratches her head, pondering this a moment. "...maybe...but I can't remember seeing any before, either..." She hurries down the hill, eager to see the building up close.

He follows dutifully, giving the masks a curious glance as they pass them.

The disguised changeling stares at a mask, tilting her head to one side. "...I feel like I'm looking at art...like this has some meaning that I just don't understand..." She turns to Rhino, smiling softly. "...you know what I mean, love?"

He stays silent for a moment before responding. "Art is subjective, it can mean everything to some and nothing to others. To truly know what an artist saw in something, you would have to be them. You can only see things to the limits of your own mind." He shrugs. "that's always been my opinion on art, anyway. This doesn't look like random decor though, so yes, I do think it means something."

She stares at him, jaw agape. "...um...w-wow...I didn't expect that thorough of a response..." She clears her throat, moving towards the door. "...is it bad that I wanted to try it on?" She knocks as she waits for his answer.

He nods. "Probably, these look more decorative."

The door is soon opened by the zebra they had heard about. She looks at the two quizzically, but with a smile. "Hello there, to what do I owe this visit from stallion and mare?"

Gel blinks, surprised. ...I could swear she just rhymed at us... She nervously smiles at her. "H-hi, you must be Zecora. M-my name is Angelic Grace, and this is Rhino. We were hoping you could sell us a few potions." She gasps quietly, having said all of that without thinking to breathe in her anxiety.

The zebra smiles again as she turns and gestures into her home, the light reflecting off her neck bands. "It appears my reputation precedes me, come in so you can tell me what your needs be."

She sighs in relief, stepping inside. "T-thank you so much..." She looks over her shoulder at Rhino, smiling playfully. Care to come in?

He nods, following her but standing back so that she can do most of the talking.

The two enter the household, it's insides filled with shelves upon shelves of potions and ingredients. In the center of the room is a cauldron of boiling water, as well as a few more masks scattered about.

The white mare steels herself for what she's about to say. "S-so we were hoping you could make...a poison ivy remedy..." She mentally facehooves. "Y-you see, he's allergic to it and other plants like it..." I can't say it...I barely know her!

So throw me under the bus huh? It's the reason we came here, love. Think of what will happen if you don't get it. He nods. "Yes, the normal medicines help, but I still would rather avoid two weeks of scarring and itching."

The herbalist nods. "An elixir like that, for some, may be tough, but for one such as me, it is simple enough." He goes over to one of her shelves and pulls down a medium sized pink vial. "Do note however, this is not a potion to drink, instead, locate the infected area and apply the pink."

She nods quietly, taking the vial. "Thank you..." She shifts her stance, increasingly nervous. "...t-there's...one other thing..."

The mohawked zebra patiently waits for her to finish.

Gel fights with herself for a moment before sighing, letting her head bow, embarrassed. "...I-I need a few potions to help prepare for my heat..." If they could see her face, they would've seen it was rose red.

Zecora nods knowingly. "Ah yes, for a young mare, nothing is quite as intense as that time, I know it was so true for me, sometimes I almost forgot to rhyme." She goes over to a locked cabinet and pulls out a key, reaching in and taking out a few familiar purple potion bottles before locking it again. "I have to keep these protected, for I must make sure I have them around for when I too, am affected."

Gel gratefully takes them, putting them in her saddlebags. She smiles kindly at the zebra, nodding a bit. "...thank you...h-how much do we owe you?" She pulls out a small pouch with her magic.

The zebra stops a moment. "Payment for services rendered... 80 bits, should be appropriate tender."

Gel nods, pulling five bits out of the bag and giving the rest to her. "There you go." She puts the rest in her bag, smiling kindly to her. "Thank you so much, Zecora. You have no idea what this means to us."

Zecora sets the bag on a shelf. "It is no trouble at all, if you and your stallion have any more potion needs, be sure to call." She walks around and opens the door for them.

She walks outside, her smile still on her face. ...we should leave. Quickly.

Rhino bows his head to Zecora, who returns the gesture. The stallion leaves, following the disguised changeling. Something up?

I-I'm not sure... She glances at the trees around them, nervous. I just...have the strangest feeling...l-like we're being watched...

He looks around. Do you want me to Blink us out of the forest?

...no... She sighs quietly, leaning up against him. ...let's just act natural...maybe they'll just go away...

His tail curls around hers as they start making their way down the path. His eyes are always scanning the path ahead as his ears rotate to try and hear anything.

Gel bumps his side with her shoulder, an amused smile on her lips. Are you sure being nervous is natural for you?

I was anxious on the way in, I can be anxious on the way out. The two make their way along the path, sticking close to each other. Though Gel still feels something watching them, they successfully get out of the forest without incident.

She giggles, gently nuzzling his neck. ...that went better than expected...

He nods, smiling now that they are free of the woods. Yep... now to tackle the rest of the day...

As they near the house, Gel pulls ahead and turns around, walking backwards in front of him. "So, we go, put these up and then we go pick up your parents. Correct?"

He nods. "Right, Dad's coming in by train and Mom should be flying in at around the same time."

They turn the corner, her still walking backwards towards the house. "Right. That sounds simple enough." Gel giggles, a hint of nervousness in her voice. "A-and how do we go about...sleeping conditions?" She averts her eyes, biting her lip in embarrassment.

He tilts his head. "Well, I figured we'd move all the pet beds into my room, which is more like 'our' room these days, and those two can have your room, since the guest bedroom is still more like storage at the moment. Knowing those two, some nights one of them will end up on the couch just because of their different sleeping habits."

She nods, smiling softly. "Sounds like a plan." She spins around, ready to run home, and promptly crashes into another mare, both of them falling to the ground in a tangle of limbs. "...o-ow...s-sorry about that..."

The other mare, a bright red pegasus, shakes her head to gather herself. "I'm sorry, it was my fault, I was looking for somepony..." A green aura covers both of them and sets them back on their hooves. The mare rustles her feathers and brushes a hoof through her straight brown mane. "Oh thank you-" she cuts herself off when she sees the green stallion, a smile quickly growing on her face, "Rhino!" She promptly hugs the large stallion, who returns it.

He smiles down at the mare. "Good to see you, Mom."

Gel stares at this, one eye twitching a bit. ...I ran into Rhino's mom...bloody brilliant...

Rhino breaks the warm hug. "What are you doing here, Mom? I thought you were going to meet us at the station when we picked up Dad."

The red mare laughs. "I was, but then I thought I might surprise you at home! Of course, once I found you weren't home I let my thoughts wander and the next thing I know I'm one half of a pony pile-up."

Gel nervously laughs, rubbing the back of her neck. "M-my bad..." She holds out the hoof, sheepishly smiling. "H-hi. M-my name is Angelic Grace...b-but you can call me Angel, for short..."

The pegasus shakes the offered hoof. "Nice to meet you Angel. I'm Mist Scribe, but just call me Mist." She looks at the white unicorn a moment before turning to Rhino and then back. "I don't suppose you're the wonderful marefriend my son finally found and was telling me about? He seemed to forget to include a name." She peers over her shoulder at the stallion, who looks away.

She nods, glancing at Rhino curiously. "...I am..." Though I'm curious about why he didn't put a name... She directs her attention back to the pegasus. "...did he mention...how long we've been together?"

She shakes her head. "No, in fact he was very stingy on any details beyond how wonderful you were. Spoke like he dared Celestia herself to say otherwise."

The white mare blushes vividly, embarrassed. "H-he's the wonderful one. I-I'm just average." She quickly heads to the door, hoping to avoid further flattery for fear of passing out.

Mist giggles. "Oh, I don't know... He's a pretty good judge of character once he's known a pony. You've gotta be something special to catch his eye."

Rhino nudges his mother. "Alright Mom, let her go before she ends up as red as you."

Too late. She falls forward onto her cherry-red face, her leg twitching slightly. It appears as though all of the compliments were too much for her.

Rhino instantly teleports to her side as Mist asks, "Oh dear, is she alright?"

The stallion nudges the prone mare's head with his own. Love? Are you okay?

She doesn't seem to respond, but is definitely still breathing. Her eyes are rolled up in the back of her head, though, which gives a fairly clear indication of what happened to her.

He frowns as he lifts her onto his back. "She fainted. She should come back around relatively soon, it happens sometimes when she gets too flustered." He takes her into the house and sets her on the couch as the pegasus follows.

She too, frowns. "I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to make her do that... It was how you wrote the letter though."

He sits beside his marefriend. "I know, it's fine."

"I mean, ponies don't normally pass out just from compliments so I didn't expect-"

He cuts her off before she gets on a roll. "Mom. I know. Let's just wait until she wakes up, okay?"

It takes a few minutes before the white mare comes to, groggily raising her head. She looks between the two of them and sighs quietly, letting her head bow. "...I fainted again, didn't I?"

He smiles, kissing her on the forehead. "Yes, but at least it wasn't for long this time."

Mist coos from where she sits. "Aww... so cute..."

Gel blushes brightly, embarrassed. "...s-so...y-you wanted to know how long we've been together, Miss Scribe?" She carefully gets off the couch onto wobbly legs.

Mist waggles a hoof. "Ah ah ah, I said call me Mist. Yes, though, I do want to know, but I'm sure there's a reason Rhino didn't tell me in his letter." She looks at him out of the corner of her eye. "He always has these little ulterior motives to everything he does."

Rhino clears his throat. "Ahem, yes, well, I would rather do the inevitable question and answer session when both you and Dad are here so I don't have to repeat myself."

The red mare nods. "Fair enough, I'll let you have that one. It just means I'll have more time to think of things to ask."

The green stallion mutters under his breath. "Joy..."

Gel tilts her head a bit, confused by this exchange. I don't get it. Why does her thinking of questions make you so... She pauses, searching for the word. ...despondent? Is that right?

Because I swear they never stop, and half of them get repeated about four times... she is very persistent... He looks at the clock. "We should probably start heading to the station if we want to be there to meet Dad."

Mist nods. "Good point, we should be there to pick up Bio."

"...um...y-you should go ahead..." She looks down at her unstable legs. "...I-I don't think I'll be able to make it there and back...b-besides, I need to put these away..." She nudges her saddlebags, causing the vials inside to clink together loudly.

His face morphs into one of brief panic before he catches it and puts it back to a pleasant smile. "Nonsense." He levitates the bags upstairs to their room before scooping her onto his back. "I wouldn't want to let them miss any time for getting to know you." And for the love of Luna there is no way I'm being alone with them until we can answer their questions. My mind can't take the interrogation!

She blushes brightly, embarrassed by how he's carrying her. "...o-okay..." She reorients herself so she's sitting sideways on him. "...l-let's go pick up your dad..." She silently prays that Mist doesn't notice the steam coming off her head.

The pegasus mare smiles as she follows them out the door. "Good to see I raised you to become such a gentlecolt. Though I do wonder if she's only half the reason you're doing this..."

He continues toward the train station, making sure to keep his eyes forward. "Just being considerate..."

The trio make their way to the station, only a few ponies glance at the mare being carried, but all of them shrug it off after a moment. Ponies carry each other for various reasons every now and again after all. Soon enough, they arrive and climb onto the boarding platform. Rhino makes no effort to put Gel down, perfectly comfortable with her where she is.

She wouldn't have gotten off him, anyways. She feels as if he was treating her like a princess, and was pleased with that idea. She glances around before turning to the other two, confused. "...s-so...how will we recognize him?"

As he continues looking down the track, Rhino responds. "Dark blue coat, dark grey mane and tail, thick mustache, unicorn, about half a head shorter than me, slightly more muscular build... oh, and a flaming biohazard cutie mark."

She blinks, surprised by that last detail. "...r-really? H-how did he get that?" She pauses before holding up a hoof, sheepishly smiling. "I-if you don't mind sharing, I mean."

Mist answers this one. "Well, from what he told me... he got his mark from when he kept his class safe and helped put out a chemical fire when he was younger."

"...w-wow..." She thinks for a bit, curious. ...how does one put that out, anyways? She stretches up, trying to look as far down the track as possible. "...s-so...is he a chemist, then?"

Rhino takes the answer ball. "In a manner of speaking, I suppose. He's the Chief of the Hazmat division of the Canterlot Fire Department."

Gel's jaw drops in shock. "...r-really?" She turns to the other mare, glancing at the stack of books she had for a cutie mark. "...s-so...a-are you a...lawyer for some fancy law firm?" She sheepishly smiles, embarrassed that she asked such a thing. What am I thinking? She's too nice to be a lawyer...

Mist laughs heartily at the accusation. "Oh my, hehe, no dear, nothing like that. I'm the office manager up at a physical therapy clinic in Cloudsdale." She turns to display her cutie mark. "This mark of mine tends to be multi-faceted for jobs like that."

Gel slowly nods, trying to understand how the two correlate. "...and...how did you get yours, Mist?" She did say to call her that.

The pegasus laughs. "Oh, you know... read a lot of books when I was little, had a nice grasp of book and record keeping, and spontaneously decided to organize the elementary school library when I realized nothing was sorted in any way... Pretty much the way one might expect."

The white mare smirks softly, shaking her head. "You should meet the librarian here. I think you two would get along splendidly." ...was that rude of me? She puts a hoof on her chin, thinking to herself as a whistle sounds off in the distance.

As the sounds of the train get closer, the machine itself soon comes into view as it rounds the bend. The marvel of technology chugs along smoothly as some of its passengers poke their heads of the windows to feel the wind in their manes. The group and the few other ponies on the platform take a step back as the mass of metal comes to a halt in front of them, a gust of air bursting from its brakes. The doors open and the usual flood of ponies begins spilling forth.

Gel clings tightly to Rhino's neck and back, using the extra height from sitting on him to crane her neck and see over the crowd. I-I can't see him, yet. C-can you?

Not quite, a few too many bodies right now. Rhino's size lets him stand still while the crowd parts around him. He has protectively reached over and brought Mist closer to him so nothing happens to her. The crowd washes around them and soon there are only a few ponies left.

The disguised changeling looks around curiously, before gently nudging the stallions cheek with her nose. I-I think that's him to our right...h-he's the only one here with a mustache...

Rhino looks over and sees the stallion. There he is. He walks over and hails the pony with a raised hoof.

The dark blue stallion notices and walks over with a smile, only pausing momentarily to look at the mare on the green stallion's back with a curious expression. "There you are, Rhino!" The two embrace in that traditional one-armed hug males tend to do. "Good to see you, the passenger is a surprise though."

"H-hi." She holds out a hoof, shyly smiling. "M-my name is Angelic Grace...b-but please, call me Angel..." She tilts her head slightly, curious. "...y-you're Bio, right?"

He smiles and shakes the offered hoof. "Bio Blaze, at your service. It's very nice to meet you, Angel." He looks to Mist, motioning with his head towards the white mare. The pegasus nods and Bio smiles wider.

Rhino ignores this exchange, knowing exactly what it meant. "Well, since Mom decided to drop by early, I guess we're all here. Shall we head home so you can drop your stuff off?" He gestures to the suitcase his father brought.

The other stallion nods. "That'd be great."

Gel stays on Rhino's back as they head back off, the older stallion's suitcase in her magic. She glances at her stallion's parents before looking back at him, confused. ...they both seem really nice...but how did they even meet? I mean...don't they come from different cities?

They continue walking as Rhino recounts the tale. Well, Mom has worked quite a few jobs in a few different cities in her life. When she was younger, she worked as a waitress for a time. Dad and his friends visited the place often, and she was their server for a few number of times and eventually they hit it off.

She blinks, thinking about this a bit. ...huh. I didn't know she worked as a waitress, too... They turn onto their street, but Gel leans a bit more into Rhino, gently nuzzling his neck. ...you really are fluffy...I could stay up here all day... She smiles playfully. ...maybe I will...

Well, you are certainly free to, but don't you think the pets will get jealous? Rhino unlocks the door with a bit of magic and holds it open as his parents go inside, looking around at all aspects of it.

I suppose you're right... She blinks, a thought occurring to her. ...they aren't allergic to them, are they?

No no, they've both had pets before, and we don't have anything too exotic. Although, we should actually introduce them. Do you want to call the little ones? He floats the luggage upstairs to Gel's room.

She hears the sound of paws scampering on the floor, causing her to smile softly. ...I don't think I have to...

Rhino turns to his parents. "Remember how I said I had gotten some pets? Well, it looks like you're about to meet them."

The pets rush into the foyer, skidding to a halt in front of the ponies they see as strangers. The blue-gray kitten sits down, her tail flicking as she watches the ponies.

Meanwhile, the silver fox simply walks up to them and rolls over, pawing at the air.

Gel giggles at this, shaking her head a bit. He's just too cute, sometimes...

As Specter slowly crawls towards the pegasus, Rhino smiles. "Mom, Dad, meet Selena, Mercury, and Specter." He gestures to each pet in question as he says their names. "The smallest members of the little family."

As Mist scoops up the squirrel and kit to start cooing over them, Bio raises an eyebrow at Rhino. "I always saw you as more of a single pet kind of pony, maybe two, but definitely not three."

"I-I kind of influenced that..." She smiles as Selena moves up to her, leaping onto Rhino's back next to her. She gently pets her, enjoying the happy purrs of the feline. "...and I don't regret it one bit...we're just one big family..." She tenderly nuzzles the kitten, giggling softly. "Isn't that right?"

Selena mews happily, rubbing her body up against Gel's hip.

Mercury relishes in the attention he's getting, a content smile on his foxy face.

Specter, too, warms up to the pegasus mare quickly and enjoys himself, climbing up onto her shoulders.

"Speaking of family..." Mist begins, "I think now might be a good time to answer some of the questions yours has, since you weren't very detailed in your letters."

Rhino smiles, but not quite as nervously as he expected. "Well..." he turns to the mare on his back, "is that alright with you?"

"I certainly don't mind." She gestures to the chairs and couch, smiling cordially. "Perhaps you'd like to take a seat?"

Mercury climbs up onto the pegasus's back as well, pawing playfully at her wings.

Bio chuckles as he sees the couch. "I see you're still getting use out of that old thing."

Rhino laughs along with him. "Hey, there's a reason i said not to throw it out when you got the new one. This one still works its magic." He lays down in the center of the floor with Selena and Gel still on his back as Bio and Mist settle on the couch with the other two pets still on the mare.

The red mare leans back. "So, would you like to volunteer any information up front or do you want to wait until I ask for it?"

Gel looks at Rhino, curious. ...what do you think? Do you have anything you'd like to say, first?

Nothing that I feel wouldn't bias them in some way for anything I say afterwards.

...I don't understand, but okay... She turns to the other mare, shaking her head. "We can't think of anything, at the moment..."

Mist nods. "Well, first, you said that you two and these little ones are 'one big family'. Do some of them live with you, Angel?"

She blinks, confused by this. "...well...yes..." She glances at Rhino, tilting her head a bit. "...they don't know?"

Bio simply smiles as he puts more fuel on the fire that is Mist's interrogation. "We don't know much at all, other than how he described you to us, and even then he didn't give any physical description."

The pegasus leans forward. "So then... what don't we know?"

Rhino adopts a sheepish expression as he looks down at the floor.

She rubs the back of her neck, slightly nervous. "...um...w-well...we sort of...live together..." She blushes softly, a little embarrassed.

Bio's eyebrow raise. "Wow."

Mist tilts her head. "At that point already?"

Rhino scratches the back of his head with a hoof. "Well, actually, it sort of started out like that... I rented out the spare bedroom to her and well... things happened... and we started dating..."

"...and while it's a little unusual..." She leans over and tenderly nuzzles his cheek, smiling softly. "...I'm happy it happened that way..."

The parents smile at the affectionate display. Mist brings Mercury down to her lap and tickles his stomach with a wing as she asks the next question. "And when exactly did this happen?"

Rhino opens his mouth to respond, but furrows his brow as he turns back to Gel. "Erm, how long has it been? It's a bit distorted for me..."

"We've been together for three weeks and five days. Living together for four weeks, three days." She pauses. "Sorry, eidetic memory."

Rhino thinks cheekily at her. Yeah, now.

Mist looks incredibly at her son. "You waited a month to tell us about her?!"

The stallion simply distracts himself with one of the paintings on the wall.

"To be fair, we were a little distracted with everything." She waves a hoof. "You know, pets, losing my job, him helping me get a new one...all of those type of things..."

Bio decides to ask a question. "What do you do for a living anyway, Angel?"

"Well..." She taps her chin, thinking a bit. "...I was a waitress...now I'm an office manager at the veterinary clinic..."

The red are raises an eyebrow. "As in... Rhino's veterinary clinic?"

The stallion nods.

Mist hums to herself. "Well, you two are together all the time aren't you?"

"Of course." She shrugs, smiling happily. "It's a welcome relief from active duty." She freezes, an eye twitching slightly. ...did I just say what I think I said?

Rhino's head twists around to give her an incredulous look.

Bio's eyes widen. "Wait... you're a military mare?"

"...um...I-I was..." She turns her head away, ashamed. I'm so stupid! What was I thinking? "...I-I was more of a...field medic, though..."

Mist eye's are just as wide as Bio's and Rhino's. "Wow... I really didn't see my son getting together with a military mare... but I suppose if you're not in active service that does make you more his type..."

Rhino laughs nervously. "Yeah... it was a bit of shock to me too when I found out..." He clears his throat. "So umm... are those all the questions?"

His mother answers without skipping a beat. "For now."

Thank goodness. Gel collapses on the floor, falling off Rhino's back. "...ow..." She gets up and shakes herself off. ...so...what do we do now? Do we show them their room?

Yes. He nuzzles her as he stands up with Selena still on his back. "Why don't you two come with us and we'll show you where your room is."

The parents nod as they get up, Mist setting the two male pets on the floor, where they scamper quickly over to Gel and onto her back.

She smiles at them and follows Rhino, making sure to stay right up against him, if only to feel his coat against hers. They all walk up the stairs and Gel moves forward, opening the door. "Here we are. I know it's not that fancy, but the bed should be big enough for both of you."

They looks around the room and soon locate their suitcases. Mist turns back to the couple. "This is will do nicely. Though, if I'm not mistaken, this is your room, isn't it Angel?"

"...um...i-it was..." She blushes brightly, shrinking in on herself a bit. "...R-Rhino and I...um...s-share a bed..."

At the looks his parents give him, Rhino blushes. "What? It's comfortable..."

His mother and father give a knowing smile. "I'm sure it is."

Chapter 42: Messages

The expanded group of four ponies and three pets arrives at the clinic. Gel is already wearing her scrubs as usual. Rhino fishes the key out of his bag and lets the collective group inside.

As he flicks on the lights, his parents look around. His mother nods approvingly. "Very nice. A little small, but probably the perfect size for this town. They really let you run the place by yourselves?"

Rhino nods. "Yep, only in the early mornings though."

Bio chuckles. "Ironic that you pick the early morning shift when you're such a night pony."

The green stallion smiles as he rolls his eyes. "Yes, who would have thought it. Let me go fetch my stuff from my office."

As he turns around, Mist grabs his shoulder. "Why don't we all come with you? I'd love to see your office!"

Rhino blinks for a moment before responding. "Umm... ok..."

They reach the office and he lets them all in, his mother almost instantly remarking as she looks around. "You really need to personalize this place... make it your own." She turns to Gel, who is carrying the pets. "Maybe you could help him with that?"

Gel blinks, confused by the pegasus's words. "...me? H-how could I help?" She puts the pets down, and they quickly scurry off to their usual spots.

All but Mercury, who looks up at the white mare with pleading eyes.

She smiles, playfully smiling. "...oh, alright, my little kit..." She giggles and leans down, nuzzling him as he does the same back, purring happily.

Rhino dons his usual work attire as Mist responds. "You know... pictures of you and him, maybe tiny gifts for each other, seems like every pony with an office has some kind of coffee mug they like... little things like that really help to make a place feel more homey. Though... I suppose since you essentially bring the entire population of your house with you to work... maybe that's enough for now..."

She nervously laughs as the kit climbs onto her back and curls up. "...I-I guess so..." She clears her throat, quietly backing out the door. "...I-I'll just head to my desk..." She turns tail and hurries off to the front.

Rhino fishes getting ready and turns around to show his parents his uniform. Both of the older ponies smile as Mist walks over and straightens his jacket. "Well, don't you look handsome..." She hugs him. "That's my colt..." She breaks the hug and the three of them head back towards the front, closer to the sound of Selena playing on the typewriter again.

Rhino looks to the desk where the critters and Gel are. "I miss anything interesting in the last few minutes while you were up here?"

She tries her hardest not to look at him, nodding to the typewriter. "...just that..."

The kitten isn't just hitting random keys on the machine. She is actually typing out a full sentence, apparently enjoying herself all the while.

Rhino walks closer as his dad asks the obvious question. "What does it say?"

Gel pulls her glasses out of her scrubs' pocket, reading it out loud. "'This is a rest.'" She blinks, scratching her head a bit. "...rest? Did she mean test?"

Rhino blinks, astonished. "Maybe... That's... very impressive... has anypony stopped to give an animal a typewriter before? Then again... I guess it could be just a coincidence..."

As he says this, the kitten continues pressing keys, eventually typing up another sentence.

The white mare giggles at it. "Daddy is the best letter." She shakes her head, trying to control her laughter. "I d-don't think it's a c-coincidence..."

Mist giggles. "I guess my little quirk about calling pets like foals was more accurate than I though." She grabs Bio by the hoof. "Why don't we go explore around town a bit? It'll be nice." She turns to Rhino. "You said your co-workers come in just before you get off at noon right?" When her son nods she smiles. "Alright, see you later! Be sure to tell us if the grandpets say anything about us!" With that, the two exit.

Rhino just looks after his parents a moment before turning to their apparently almost perfectly literate kitten. "I'm guessing that's supposed to say 'petter'." He starts to prove the sentence true by gently stroking the kitten. "Thank you Selena."

She purrs happily, leaning into his hoof.

Gel smiles at this scene, gently nuzzling Rhino's cheek. "...I wonder if they're all able to do something similar..." She glances at the squirrel on Rhino's head.

The stallion glances upward as well. "Well? Do you have some astonishing way of communicating with us that we haven't seen yet?"

The squirrel thinks for a moment before giving him a thumbs up.

Rhino chuckles. "Cheeky..."

Gel laughs, shaking her head at this. "Come on, you two. We should probably get to work." She playfully bumps Rhino's side, winking a bit.

He smiles cheekily at her. "What? You don't want to give Mercury a shot?" He motions to the kit.

"I know he's intelligent." She smiles at the fox. "How else could he use his cuteness to avoid getting in trouble?" She turns to Rhino, holding up a hoof. "Once or twice, I can see as a coincidence, but every single time?"

Rhino just shakes his head. "Fair enough." He looks down at the kitten stretched beneath his petting hoof. "Any words from you then before we get down to work?"

She looks up at him before pawing at the keys once more. She finishes quickly, looking up at him.

Gel reads it closely, giggling before reciting it to the stallion. "'Do you think of ne as your princess, like mom does?'"

He smiles as he leans down to nuzzle the kitten. "Of course I do. Your mom has the sole title of Queen though."

Gel flinches at this, momentarily tense before relaxing. "Thank you for that, love." She gently kisses him.

He simply smiles. "Anytime."

The workday proceeds smoothly. Patients proceed in and out with their usual frequency. Selena plays around on the typewriter some more, though none are direct messages, she seems to be trying, unsuccessfully, to work on her typoes. Mercury took to watching her and pawing at the keys as she played on them, but after she bopped him on the head, he went back to exploring the nooks and crannies of the desk fortress.

As noon looms in the near future, the door to the clinic opens and Rhino's parents troll in laden with bags of groceries and a few trinkets. It is evident where Rhino gets his common expression of looking pleasant while the mind is occupied elsewhere during mundane tasks by that same expression being seen on his father now. Mist is used to this though, and happily trotts in with the stallion tagging along behind her.

She waves to Gel. "Hello! We miss anything?"

The white mare shakes her head, smiling kindly. "Nothing of note." She glances at their bags, an eyebrow quirked. "...did you two have fun?"

Bio nods. "It was actually quite relaxing."

Mist motions to the bags. "I actually found some nice souvenirs, including a windchime I think will look lovely on my porch. The rest of this is really just food. I saw last night you were short on a few things so I figured I'd pick them up and while we were at it, I could pick up some things to whip up a little something."

Gel nods, a thoughtful expression on her face. "That sounds like a lovely idea. And I'm glad you found some trinkets to remind you of Ponyville."

The front door to the clinic opens again as two more ponies walk in. This time it's the Goodall sisters. Mane greets the two bag-laden ponies as she sees them. "Oh, good morning! Are you two being helped at the moment?"

The disguised changeling answers for them. "Oh, they aren't customers, Miss Goodall." She motions toward the other ponies, smiling softly. "They're Doctor Rhino's parents, Mist Scribe and Bio Blaze." She smiles brightly as she reaches out to her stallion with her mind. Rhino, you might want to head up front. Our coworkers are here.

Hmm? What? His answer was delayed from his focus on what he was doing, likely paperwork. Oh, umm... sure, I'll be right up. A few seconds later and his hoofsteps can be heard coming down the hall. As he comes into the main lobby, he stops and sees all the ponies in it. "Wow... everypony's here..."

Manila giggles at his words as she turns to his parents. "So you're the two responsible for this stallion?" She shakes both of their hooves. "Nice to meet you! I'm Manila and this is Mane!"

Bio smiles. "The pleasure ours. I'm glad you gave my colt a chance to work here doing something he loves."

Mane responds. "It's not trouble, between him and his marefriend, we've doubled our staff and have way more time off than we used to be able to have."

The two sets of ponies continue conversing about things of this nature as Rhino turns to Gel. "Well... seems like everypony's getting along."

She nods, sighing softly in relief. "That's always a good thing. On another note, Selena wrote something else." She holds the paper up for him to read.

He reads it out. "'My laws keel slipping.' Well, yes, I can see that." He turns to the kitten and pets her fondly. "I guess you either need to get used to that or get a proofreader."

She purrs softly, rubbing her body against his hooves. She then looks up the squirrel on his head, mewing in protest.

Gel giggles at this, lifting the kitten onto her own head. "There you go. Now you have no need to be jealous." She gets soft purrs in response.

Rhino chuckles as he reaches up to pet Specter. "Do you think Mercury ever wants to ride up there?"

The white mare shrugs a bit. "He seems content riding on my back. I guess I never thought about it before, though..."

As he opens his mouth to respond, Rhino notices how quiet it's gotten and looks over to see that the other four ponies have stopped talking and are now all looking at the couple with smiles on their faces. "What?"

They all look away. "Nothing."

He narrows his eyes at them. "Okay..." He looks to the clock. "Well... it looks like it's about that time." He raps on the desk. "Time to go, Mercury."

The fox pokes his head out of the top drawer, looking at them before leaping out and scrabbling up Gel's side, curling up contentedly.

The mare in question smiles at this, gently nuzzling him before heading to the front door. We should head off soon. From the looks of it, your mom is planning a feast for us, tonight.

She waves to the sisters, nodding respectfully. "I hope you two have a nice day!"

Rhino decides to just say 'hay with it' and wear his coat home. As his parents begin following them while he waves to the sisters, he remarks to Gel. If you think that's only going to happen tonight, you are mistaken.

Gel shifts in her seat, a little nervous. It's halfway through the meal and she is still surprised by the somewhat elaborate setup of the table. ...this meal is delicious...but I'm actually starting to get full...I didn't even know that could happen...

Rhino takes another bite of the smothered potatoes as he responds. You've gotten full on love before right? Same concept. At least Mom serves everything at once, unlike some high end places that keep bringing you more courses one at a time so you never know when it's going to end. He swallows and passes Gel the macaroni and cheese. "Get yourself a little of this and I have a way I think you'll enjoy eating it."

She forces a smile, shakily scooping herself a small portion of it. "I suppose you can..." ...but, honestly, her cooking's so good, already...what could possibly make it better?

Well... it's a little something I found out when I was little. If you like it to have a bit more tang to it... He slides a particular red bottle towards her with a wink. "Try this."

Her eyes widen at this. Before anything else could be said, she eagerly grabbed the bottle and doodled a smiley face on her mac and cheese with the tangy substance. She happily eats a forkful, a shiver going up her spine. Oh dear Luna, you made it better. She gladly eats the rest, a small blush on her cheeks.

He smirks as he watches her enjoying it. Heh, I'm starting to think you like that stuff almost as me as you like me.

Meanwhile his parents are watching with bemused expressions. His mother shakes her head. "Oh dear, he's teaching his habits to her."

Bio gives his input. "It figures he finds one who likes ketchup just as much, if not more, than he does."

She blushes in embarrassment, a wisp of steam coming off her head. "...um...t-thank you for the meal, Mist...I-I'm not sure I can eat another bite." Don't be silly. I could never love anything as much as you... She glances over at the pets, sitting off to the side to eat their own food. ...though the little ones do come close...

Mist nods understandingly as she finishes as well. "Thank you Angel, and don't worry, I understand you can't eat anymore. Rhino has always eaten more than any of us."

As the ponies start to wind down to the end of their meal, the pets wrap up theirs and turn their attentions to their owners' table.

Mercury hurries over to the pegasus, looking up at her with big eyes, hoping for a bite of their food. Selena does the same to Rhino, but for a different reason.

Gel carefully wipes her mouth with a napkin, putting it down before smiling coyly at her stallion. "Somehow, that doesn't come as a surprise..." She turns to the red mare, giggling softly. "After all, growing ponies need to eat - taller ones, more so, right?"

Bio holds up a cautionary hoof to Mist as the kit rears up onto her chair. "Don't feed him anything, otherwise he'll expect it every time."

She looks down at the kit. "I know... but he's so cute..." She tries to distract herself by commenting back to Gel. "Yes, we weren't really that surprised when Rhino ended up taller than either of us." She looks at the her son, who has pulled the kitten onto his lap and is petting her with a hoof while he finishes eating. "But he's a big softy really... in more ways than one."

"Oh, I know." She leans over, gently nuzzling her stallion's cheek. "And that's why I love him...or at least a big part of it..." She feels a paw on her leg, looking down to see her fox looking up at her pleadingly. "...I'm sorry, my little kit...you can't have this food..." She blinks as he runs out of the room, confused. ...I could swear he just pouted at me...

Rhino spots Specter running out after the kit. He probably was. He'll get over it.

Mist however, caught a particular word Gel said. "You 'love' him, hmm?"

The white mare turns to her, smiling kindly. "Of course I do. I love him with all my heart." She moves closer to the stallion in question, simply pressing her body against his, blushing softly.

Mist processes this before turning to the green stallion. "And... you feel the same way?"

Rhino nods as he puts a foreleg around Gel, his other one still occupying Selena. "I can't imagine my life without her."

Gel blushes even more, flattered by his words. She smiles and leans up, gently kissing him.

Mist thinks on this before smiling. "Well, Rhino did always say he would let things go at the pace that felt right. I'm glad both of you found each other."

The white mare nods, looking at her with a kind smile. "Thank you, Mist."

***

Night falls over Equestria, but there are always some who stay awake. One such example is the changeling known as 273. He has remained in his hiding place in Whitetail woods ever since, only venturing out once to spy on Rhino and Gel as they exited the Everfree forest. A presence in his mind causes him to exit the abandoned burrow within the roots of a large oak tree he had been using as a base. He looks up and sees a shape dive for him.

The shape morphs as it closes in, a pegasus mare turning into a changeling as it lands in front of him, saluting almost immediately. Nymph 314, Corporal. Are you Drone 273?

273 nods, saluting back in response. "Good to see you Corporal, I take it you are one of the squad sent to help deal with the... situation?"

"Yes, sir." She lowers her hoof. "I was ordered by the Sergeant Major to bring you back to camp."

He nods again, his wings stretching out. "Very well, lead the way."

She nods, quickly taking flight. They both travel for a while, taking a direct route over the forest. They arrive in a secluded clearing. On one side the last three changelings stand. Two don't make a move to acknowledge them, while the middle one salutes. "Sergeant. Glad you made it."

273 salutes his superior. "Thank you, sir!" As the two changelings lower their hooves, the drone continues. "Sir, do you require any more information on the situation in order to come to a decision on how it will be handled?"

"We already have a plan." He gestures to a letter on a nearby table. "Our orders are to free Colonel Gel from the control of her target. However," he slowly walks over to the table, a deep frown on his face, "if the situation turns out otherwise, supplementary orders have been given." He picks up the letter and gives it to the drone. "Any new information you have will be greatly appreciated, of course."

The Sergeant slits open the envelope with a fang and quickly reads the two plans. His eyes are unreadable as he nods. "Understood. Honestly sir, there isn't much else to report other than the newest possibility that the Colonel may be being controlled by a potion of some sort. I witnessed her and her target returning from a trip to the local zebra, laden with potions clinking in their bags."

He slowly nods, turning to look off in the distance. "For her sake, I hope that is the case."

Chapter 43: Unveil

The morning goes smoothly, Rhino and Gel go to work while Mist and Bio go around town to do their own things. After, of course, Rhino made his mother promise not to buy more food, to which she laughed and agreed. The day is rather slow at the office, so when Rhino calls Gel to the back for something, she doesn't think twice about leaving the front desk under the sole custody of the pets.

Selena doesn't seem to take notice of the mare's absence, as busy as she is typing on the typewriter. She pauses momentarily to read what she wrote, sighing quietly in annoyance. 'Why must the p's and q's be so far away? It's completely throwing off my rhythm.'

Mercury pokes his head out of a drawer. 'What could you possibly need so many q's for?’

She turns to the fox, frowning slightly. 'It's not about needing it so much. I just have to pause my flow to stretch and hit it so I don't slip and hit 'a', instead.'

Specter looks up from the wooden block he likes to chew on. 'Actually, I've been meaning to ask about your interest in that machine. I thought at first you just liked the sounds it made, but did you plan on using it to talk to Mom and Dad from the start?'

'Actually, I learned by watching Mom.' She smiles slyly. 'She likes to talk to herself while she types. I think she believes it helps.'

The squirrel chews idly on his block. 'I didn't ask how you learned, I asked why you learned.'

She sniffs, licking a paw idly. 'It seemed like something a refined feline like myself should know.' She smacks the top of the foxes head as he laughs at her. 'Besides, I think we could use a way to send clear messages to Mom and Dad.'

Specter tilts his head. 'Like what?'

Mercury pops his head up next to the typewriter and reaches out a paw. 'Like: We want table food!'

Selena rolls her eyes. 'They still wouldn't do that, but that's the general idea.'

Specter sets down his block and walks over, trying to see what’s on the paper. 'You've been working on this one for a while now... anything important?'

'No, just some practice sentences.' She scratches a claw through the last one. 'It's a little harder than it looks.'

The kit jumps in front of the machine. 'What's so hard around jumping around on buttons?' He reaches onto the typewriter and pushes random keys.

Selena looks at the paper, bemused. 'You wrote complete gibberish. I can't even say what you just wrote, it's so jumbled.'

'See?' He smiles smugly at the kitten. 'Exactly what I meant to put on there.'

She smacks him in the back of his head. 'We're trying to communicate with them, not confuse them.'

'Ow!' He rubs the back of his head. 'What could be so important that you would need to hurt me for it?'

She pushes him away from in front of the typewriter. 'If you don't have anything to say, please don't mess with the machinery.' She quickly types up a sentence saying who wrote the part above. 'There.'

Specter walks up. 'He does raise a good point though, you do seem determined to tell them something. Is it anything in particular?'

'Maybe.' She playfully bats at the fox's ear. 'I figure we could use it to ask for specific things, like pettings or snacks.'

The fox gets in one of his remarks. 'Or not so small things?'

She narrows her eyes at him. 'What are you getting at?'

He simply smiles at her. 'What do you think I'm getting at?'

Specter face palms.

Selena shakes her head. 'No. No matter what you say, I'm not going to ask them to give you some of their food.'

Mercury puts a hoof to his chest, as if wounded. 'I'm hurt by your accusation! Do you truly think food is the only ambition I have? Besides, maybe I was hinting that you could ask for bigger things. Of course, we aren't limited to actual things, maybe favors, actions, anything!'

Selena holds up a paw, bemused. 'I intend on using this skill for reasonable requests. I don't think we should expect too much, anyways. After all, they could always say no.'

He waves a paw. 'Oh please, between us we probably have enough cute to get anything we want.'

Specter shakes his head. 'Don't count me in your crazy plans, I'm quite happy.'

'And all I want are pettings.' Selena sniffs, pushing the carriage to one side, locking it in place.

The kit's tail swishes as he smirks. 'Yarn.'

The gray-blue feline scowls at this before smirking as well. 'They already provide me with that, Mercury.'

His eyes pop open. 'Wait what? When did this happen? Where was I?'

She tilts her head at him. 'Since they came home last week.' She purrs, her tail swishing in her contentment. 'Your move.'

He sputters as he tries to come up with something before he raises a paw. 'Ah!' He saunters up to Selena before suddenly taking his tail and rapidly flicking her nose with the tip of it before diving back into one of the drawers.

She rubs her nose, frowning at the drawer he dived into. 'How uncouth.' She turns to the squirrel, nodding towards where the kit made his exit. 'I'm so glad you aren't like that. I don't think I could handle two of him.'

Specter shrugs. 'He's not all bad. He makes things interesting at least.' He looks back at her page. 'So is this just a day for practice or are you going to leave them a message?'

'Just practice.' She smiles at him, eyes narrowed slightly. 'Unless you want me to leave one for you, of course.'

He thinks for a moment. 'Can I ask for a hat? I like that one Dad has.'

'Sure.' She nudges the carriage once more, unlocking it and quickly starting the message. As she stretches to hit the 'p' key, she asks him, 'Did you want it the same color, or a different one?'

'Black and red both look good on me so same color is fine.' He pats his head as he imagines that hat. 'If this works, remind me to tell you to get yourself a dress or something to reward yourself.’

She finishes up and turns to him, frowning slightly. 'Dresses are uncomfortable.' She purrs, her gaze going off into the distance. 'If I were to wear something, it would be a collar, like Miss Opalescence wears. Except with a moonstone instead of an opal. Oh, I hear they're so radiant!' She catches herself, licking at her back to appear nonchalant. 'Of course, that's only if I were to ask for something.'

Specter frowns. 'I remember that cat from one time when she came to Fluttershy's...' He shivers. 'I didn't like the way she looked at me...'

Selena grimaces, looking awkwardly at her paws. '...you were probably wise to stay in your tree house. Just saying.'

'Agreed.' His ears twitch as the sounds of the two ponies approach. 'About time they came back, I was starting to wonder.'

Gel smiles at Selena, stopping in front of her desk. "Have you been having fun?" She glances at the typewriter, blinking in surprise and, pulling the paper out, reads it carefully. "...Rhino, I don't think all pets are a natural at typing...or, at least, not Mercury..." She puts it down on the surface next to Specter so the stallion beside her could see it. "Maybe Selena learned it from somewhere?"

Rhino smirks. "Well, either Fluttershy has a secret pet education program, which I wouldn't put past her, or our little blue princess has been watching you."

"Oh?" She turns to Selena, gently petting her. "Is that right? Have you been watching me work?"

Selena simply purrs, giving a small nod. She taps the paper with a paw.

"Something else you wanted me to see?" She giggles, looking back at the paper. "...huh. Love, did you know Specter would like a little fedora like yours? In the same color pattern, even?"

He blinks. "I... did not know that. I guess that explains why he's always playing in it." As the squirrel climbs back up to his favorite spot on Rhino's head, the stallion suddenly smiles. "I have an idea, why don't I go see if Rarity would be willing to copy my hat for him? It's probably wouldn't take that much since it'll be such a small hat. In the meantime, you and my parents can relax or coo over the other two little ones."

"...well...sure.." She smiles playfully, bumping his side with hers. "...but only because it might not take that long..."

Selena watches this exchange before turning to the squirrel, a small smile on her lips. 'Maybe I will ask about that collar, next time...'

***

Later that day, both stallion and squirrel walk through the streets of Ponyville looking quite dapper in their fedoras. Specter rides on top of Rhino's while he fiddles with his own while wear a happy smile.

Rhino looks up at the squirrel. "You know, I'm surprised Rarity was so agreeable to this request. Though, I suppose with the minimal fabric investment it is actually a very good thing from a business perspective." He recalls a certain scene that happened just before they left. "Not sure if Opal is looking forward to being the model for her owners latest inspiration though..."

Specter says nothing of course, but the look on his face suggests he is completely fine with the discomfort of a pet that likely sees him as prey.

"Doctor! Doctor Rhino!"

The stallion's ears perk up as he seeks out the owner of the voice, revealed to be a blue female pegasus with green mane and tail. "Yes?"

The green-maned mare stops in front of him, panting slightly. "Thank Celestia I found you! You have to help me!"

He goes into professional made as he answers. "Of course Ma'am. What's wrong?"

"It's my poor little puppy!" She sniffles, tears in her eyes. "I don't know what's wrong with him, but he hasn't moved at all! I-I tried petting him, but he yipped in pain!"

His eyes widen considerably. "Oh no..." He looks up. "Specter? Can you make it home on your own?" The squirrel nods, leaping off and taking both hats with him as he scurries down the street. Rhino turns back to the distraught mare. "Lead the way."

She nods, flaring her wings and taking off, making a beeline to the treeline. She apparently wants to get there as soon as possible with the speed she's going.

Rhino's hooves glow with the familiar light of Res as he begins speeding after her, his eyes narrowed and focused as he keeps track of her. His thoughts are already racing with probable reason for the case.

They move for a while before the mare lands at a campsite. She turns and points at the tent, whimpering softly. "H-he's in there."

He nods, quickly making his way over and walking inside the tent. Inside though, there is nothing, not even a sleeping bag. Rhino stops, confused. "What? Where did it go?"

Instead of a verbal response, like he expected, he receives a sharp blow to the head as the tent collapses on top of him. Outside, a changeling stops by the mare, saluting. "It is done."

She smiles at this, a sea green flame covering her form and revealing the nymph underneath. "Excellent. No pony can escape that snare." She chortles, turning to look at the writhing mass of fabric. "Now let's hope the Sergeant is having as easy a time."

Meanwhile, at the Rhino household, Gel feels a familiar presence pressing on her mind. In the corner of her eye, she also sees 273 in his Cold Snap disguise land in the back yard.

She groans, refusing the connection once more before heading outside. "Hello again, Sergeant. I could've sworn you headed back to the hive after the incident at the library." Where's Rhino when you need him?

Both changelings stay in disguise as the drone responds. "Unlikely ma'am. Given that you have been incredibly efficient on all previous missions, yet it took you a month to give a poor excuse for a report on this one, we figured out what was wrong and you should be happy to know we are taking steps to free you."

She blinks, thoroughly confused. "...free me?" She narrows her eyes at him, scowling slightly. "Explain yourself, soldier."

The drone smiles as he sees some of her military attitude coming back. "I'm not surprised you can't remember much ma'am. It does seem like separating your target and captor from you is helping you regain control of yourself though. Don't worry, we'll have you back to yourself soon."

"Captor?!" She growls, jabbing him in the chest. "Take me to where you're keeping him. And that's an order!"

273 considers this for a moment before smiling. "Well, I'm under orders not to follow your orders until you can be proven free of his influence, but I can understand why you would want to see the one that held you against your will for so long." He turns around and flares his wings. "I'll show you where he is."

Gel nods and lets out her wings, her scowl still on her face. "That will be greatly appreciated, Sergeant."

As they take off, her mind goes out to the stallion. ...don't worry, love...I'm coming...

Meanwhile, back at the campsite, the changelings notice that the stallion has stopped thrashing in the tent.

The nymph narrows her eyes at this before signaling to the other changeling to check it out.

The officer nods, carefully approaching the canvas, horn lit and ready. He leans forward and cautiously pokes the material with a hoof.

The material instantly flops to the ground, no longer having an occupant to retain its shape. The rustle of leaves causes heads to turn and see the green unicorn leaning against a nearby tree, gingerly rubbing his head with a hoof.

314 growls, pointing at the stallion. "Get him!"

The drone immediately complies, rushing forward and pinning the stallion to the tree. He opens his mouth, speaking in a flat tone. "By order of the General, you are under arrest. Any last words before I take you in, criminal?"

"Considering I don't know what I'm being accused of... nah." His horn flares and the drone is blasted away from him, skidding and bouncing across the ground. Rhino winces as that move makes his already present headache flare a bit. Gel... can you hear me?

"Hey!" The Corporal scowls, wings flared in anger. "What do you think you're doing, resisting arrest?" She races forward, horn lowered in an attempt to stab him.

She doesn't get within fifteen feet before a figure lands between them, gripping the changeling's head under her foreleg and twisting, sending the officer flying and rolling off to the side.

The dust clears, revealing a familiar blue nymph, eyes narrowed dangerously. Loud and clear.

Rhino gives Gel a half-smile, the other half of his mouth a grimace. Good to see you, love... Ow... His eyes unfocus a moment and he stumbles as the knot on the back his head gives a painful twinge from the abuse it took.

The other drone makes a beeline for the stallion. "He still has her under his control, get him!"

Rest now, love. She gives him a quick hug before turning to the rushing changeling, eyes burning with anger. "Under his control? I'll have you know my mind's the clearest it's been in a long time." She smirks, lowering her stance. "Do you want me to prove it by whipping your flank again?"

The drone bares his teeth. "That was practice sparring, this is a mission." He surrounds himself with magic as he adjusts to aim for Gel. At the last second, he dives towards the ground, tensing his legs as he hits it in order to try and spring upward to catch her back surprise.

She simply spins and kicks him in the chin with a hindhoof, sending him flying up and into a nearby tree. He impacted so hard, the top breaks off and falls to the side. Gel scoffs, lifting herself onto her hindlegs and holding her forehooves up defensively. "You forget, I taught you all you know."

273 arrives in his natural form to a tense scene, having been left behind by the faster form of Gel when she sensed Rhino halfway through the flight. One of the drones is dusting himself off while the other groans from the base of a tree. The corporal is in a defensive stance and the Sergeant Major is nowhere to be found. As the recon Sergeant looks back at Rhino and Gel, he notices something radiating from them that makes his eyes widen. "They're... they're giving off love!"

Gel huffs, turning to look at her inferior. "About time you noticed." She holds out a hoof, speaking in her most authoritative voice. "Leave us alone now, maggots, or I'll whip your flanks so hard that meringue will look at you and feel sorry!"

The enemy changelings' wings buzz in agitation as 273 looks around. "I guess we have to enact the alternative plan then..."

Gel scoffs, lowering her stance, even as blue flames trail up her spine, the chitin shifting to better suit her current bipedal fighting style. "It seems as if you wanna do this the hard way." She smirks, narrowing her eyes at them. "So be it."

The four changelings look to each other and nod. They each use their wings to launch off the ground and are soon circling the blue nymph.

The Elite stands in the center, watching them try to surround her. "What's the matter? Too scared to attack me?"

The Corporal, the least experienced of the group, falls for this taunt, diving straight at her.

Gel smirks and leaps, flipping in the air. At the peak of her jump, she catches her inferior's head between her hindlegs, continuing her spin and slamming her rump into the ground, and the nymph's face along with it.

She quickly gets up, revealing the Corporal's head is stuck in the forest floor. She gestures at the rest with a hoof, the corner of her mouth twitching in a smile. "Anyone else want a piece?"

The remaining foes growl as they all decide to attack at once and at various points. One drone goes for a full body tackle, his body engulfing in magic, as another drone aims for her head. Finally, 273 dives lower for a leg sweep. All of them come in from different directions.

Gel holds out three of her hooves, lighting each of them on fire. Each of her forelegs stop the MPs while she simply kicks the Sergeant off to the side with a hindleg. She narrows her eyes at them, shaking her head almost condescendingly. "I thought I taught you better." She slams the drones together and tosses their unconscious forms away. "Don't telegraph your attacks if you don't want them countered."

At that exact moment, she gets flattened against the ground. The drone on her back looks down haughtily at her, his forehooves crossed over his chest. "Thanks for the tip." He turns to the Sergeant, who was still conscious, albeit injured. "Get the collar. We're taking her back."

He salutes. "Yes, Sergeant Major!" As he darts over to the bags, the Corporal begins wiggling and soon yanks her head out of the ground, gasping.

She turns to the blue nymph squirming under the drone. "Not so tough now are you?" She back hooves Gel across the face, causing a small crack in her chitin.

She yelps in pain, glaring up at the changeling in front of her. "...you wouldn't...be so cocky...if I was...free..." She groans softly, having difficulty breathing. "...Sergeant...Major...lay off the...extra helpings...will ya?"

He snorts at this, turning up his nose at her. "My chitin is dense. More so than yours, traitor."

273 approaches with a thick collar, the metal it is made of cold to the touch and seems to warp the air around its dark surface. "Now hold still... just need to make sure you can't pull any surprises..."

She spits a blob of slime on his face, still defiantly scowling at them. "This. This, right here, is why I want out." She struggles, growling in anger. "Oppression of any changeling with even the slightest thought of independence. Of finding love."

The changeling on top of her pushes her face into the ground. "And traitors like you are the reasons we have these measures." He looks up to 273. "Stop stalling and put it on her!"

The scouting Sergeant tries to wipe the goo off his face and only successfully gets enough of it off to see. As he tries to lift the collar back up with his magic, it fizzles out, causing him to growl. "Darn her and her slime..." He picks up the collar with a hoof and starts forward again, this time with the other changeling holding her head into the ground and still.

She continues to resist them, trying to get free even as she's forced to breath dust. She realizes that she's completely helpless, whimpering softly as a single word crosses her mind. ...R-Rhino...

The stallion, who had been watching the entire fight through blurry eyes and fuzzy mind from his head wounds, focuses as he hears this word. Seeing the scene before him, he grits his teeth and summons his magic, despite the hammering in his head. His horn glows brightly as a ring of his magic suddenly appears around the neck of the changeling pinning Gel and squeezes hard enough that spidery cracks instantly appear on the chitin there. The Sergeant Major gurgles and grabs at his neck before being suddenly picked up by it and tossed heavily into 273, the two of them narrowly missing the Corporal as she looks wide-eye as they fly past her and not into, but through a nearby tree.

Gel gasps for air, standing back up on shaky hooves. She looks to 314, a cocky smile on her lips. "This is the part where you give up." She holds up her forehooves, ready to fight, re-energized by her stallion's love. "One way or another."

The Corporal hisses as she slowly back away, grabbing one of the unconscious MPs and dragging it over to the pile with the other insensate drones. She rouses 273, the only other relatively able-bodied changeling left and between the two of them, they carry the other three changelings off, the two of them looking back to give the couple a last dirty look before they are lost to the forest.

The blue changeling sighs in relief before rushing over to her stallion, tenderly embracing him. "...oh...I-I'm so sorry, Rhino...I-I didn't mean for this to happen..."

The stallion eases himself onto the ground. "It's fine love... we didn't know something like this would happen... but we got through it..." He reaches a hoof to the abused spot at the back of his head and flinches in pain when he touches it. "Yeah... that's gonna suck for a day or two..." He brings his hoof back around and sees it has a bit of red on it. "Figures..."

Her eyes widen in shock. "O-oh no. Y-you're bleeding." She hefts him onto her back, gritting her teeth from the exertion. "C-come on, we need to get you home. Y-your parents can help."

He dismounts her groggily. "I'm sure the skin just split or something... can't be sure since I can't see the back of my own head, but I'm fairly certain I'm right..." He takes a few shaky steps forward. "Just... a bit unstable, maybe just help me steady myself?" He smiles hopefully at her.

She sighs, gently pressing her side up against his. "...if you're sure it's not that bad...then I'll believe you..." She entwines her tail with his, giving him a peck on the cheek. "...come on...let's go home..."

***

The two slowly make their way through the woods, each leaning on each other, and each happy to give aid to the one that needed it. They angle their journey so that they eventually come out behind Rhino's house, from the secluded tree-laden border that had been so useful to them. As they approach, Rhino holds back and gestures to Gel. She understands and backs away from him a moment to resume her form of Angel. The two then cross the border into the yard.

They stop in front of the back door. Making sure he wouldn't tip over, Gel carefully raises a hoof and knocks on it. "Mist? Bio? W-we need help..."

Mist's voice can be heard approaching from the other side of the door. "Oh, there you two are, we were wondering why you ran off in such a hurry and-" The red pegasus cuts herself off as she opens the door and sees the two of them, Rhino especially. "What happened?! Quickly quickly, come inside." She ushers them in.

The white mare carefully leads him over to the couch, gingerly helping him up onto it. "...h-he's hurt...a-and bleeding..." She tears up, sniffling softly. "...I-I don't know what to do..."

Rhino sighs as he lays down on his stomach on the couch. "It's just a head injury... it's probably not that bad..." Not that those words stop his mother from instantly darting over and starting to separate his mane trying to look through it to the wound.

She calls over her shoulder as she finds it, causing Rhino to flinch as she touches it. "Bio, get down here with the first aid kit!"

Gel bites her lip, fidgeting slightly, feeling like she wasn't helping. "...i-is there...a-anything I can do?"

Bio just shakes his head as he gently pushes Mist to the side. "I've got basic medical training, let me see..." He pulls out some supplies and starts cleaning the wound.

Mist looks back at Gel from her side. "How did this happen?!"

She squeaks, caught off-guard by the question. "...I...I-I..." She bites her lip, averting her gaze. ...damn it...what should I tell her?

Don't ask me-OW! He flinches as his dad dabs at the spot.

Bio puts a little ointment on the injury. "There we go... not much else we can do with that, btu the blood made it look worse than it was. He is going to have a nasty knot there for the rest of the day and maybe a bit of tomorrow."

"...oh..." She quickly walks up to Rhino, tenderly nuzzling his cheek. "...I should've been there...I-I should've stopped them sooner..."

Mist approaches her. "Stopped who? Who did thi-" She stops as she sees a blue liquid leaking from Gel's cheek. "What... what is that on your cheek?"

The white mare blinks, touching a hoof to the spot, pulling away with a sticky blue substance on her hoof. She grimaces, floundering for an excuse but unable to come up with any. ...I...I think I'm bleeding...a-and your mom saw...it...

Love... my head was recently leaking... I am in no shape to think of excuses. He sighs as he shifts on the couch to allow room for one more. This may be the decreased cognitive function... but... should we tell them?

...I...I guess we have no choice...they need to know, anyways... She turns to the two of them. "...you want to...k-know the truth?"

The two parents nod resolutely. "Yes. It's much better than telling us a lie."

As soon as you're transformed... lay next to me... it'll help. Rhino watches tensely.

She sighs, stepping back from the couch a bit. "...here goes..." She closes her eyes, a circle of blue fire forming at the bottom of each hoof. As the parents watch, they slowly climb up her body, white fur being replaced with blue chitin as it goes. Eventually, the circles ebb away, ending their path at the tip of her horn and tail. She opens her eyes, nervously looking at them and laying next to her stallion, gently nuzzling his neck as she braces herself for what the older ponies will say.

As he sees the synapses in his parents brain slowly connecting the dots, Rhino protectively puts a foreleg over Gel.

Bio is the first to react, understandably, as his horn lights up and he adopts a fighting stance. "Changeling! Get away from my son!"

She whimpers, turning away and burying her face in his chest. "...I-I knew this would happen..."

Mist's wings flare as she too goes defensive. "Rhino, get away from her!"

The stallion simply continues holding the nymph. "No."

Bio growls. "What do you mean, 'no'? You saw what they did in Canterlot! You helped me fight them off from the house, we barely got out of there!"

Rhino simply continues speaking calmly. "I know."

"P-please stop yelling." Gel looks up at them, despite her nervousness. "I-I know what happened in Canterlot. I-I was there." She bites her lip, lowering her head. "...I tried to stop them...I knew it was madness...but when the General gives an order..." She trails off and visibly shudders, not wanting to continue that thought.

Bio swipes a hoof in the air, approaching threateningly. "Liar! I saw every single one of you changeling laughing and smiling the entire time you were destroying, terrorzing, and abducting that day. None of you were the least bit repentant! Why should I even consider trusting a creature like you!"

Rhino raises his voice for the first time, his normal deep gentle voice adopting an edge harsher than a knife and a force like a wall. "BECAUSE I DO!"

Both parents take a step back at their son's sudden outburst as they see him angrily look at them.

"...h-he knows I'm a changeling...a-and he loves me, anyways..." She frowns softly. "...i-it's not about how one looks...or even their heritage..." She stares at them, resolute. "...it's about who they are."

As Mist opens her mouth, Rhino cuts her off. "If you're about to say something like 'how can I know she's not just using me', think on this: These injuries were caused by changelings that came to take me because they thought I was controlling her. She took them all on, and beat them. She didn't have to, she chose to because she cares about me just as much as I care about her."

Mist's wings slowly start to fold down as she puts on a thoughtful face. Bio, though, shakes his head as he remains in his threatening pose. He looks back to the couple and shakes his head again, before putting his gaze on them once more. He takes a few deep breaths before gruffly announcing. "I'm going for a walk."

As he heads quickly to the door, Rhino calls after him. "Dad. Tell, no one."

Bio exhales deeply before replying without looking back. "...fine." With that, he is gone.

Gel simply trembles, her heart hammering in her chest from fear. ...i-is it over? W-will they stop giving off so much...r-rage?

Rhino nuzzles her as his mother sighs. I don't know, love...

Mist shakes her head slowly as she looks back at the couple. "He... needs some time to calm down and process all this..." She looks at Gel specifically. "For now... thank you for saving my son..." She gives a small smile.

Gel shyly smiles, nodding a bit. "...n-no problem..." She sits quietly a moment before holding out a hole-filled hoof. "...m-my name is Gel...if I'm to be completely honest with you..."

Mist looks warily at the hoof before slowly reaching out her own to touch it. "Just Gel, huh?" After a moment of touching the hoof, she becomes more relaxed with the idea. "Well... it's... good to meet you... again..."

She giggles, starting to calm down, herself. "Same. Though...I assume you have some more questions, due to this." She motions to herself, glancing at Rhino. "He certainly did, when he found out."

"Yes... but," the pegasus mare shakes her head, "I think this is enough to think about for one night... we can talk tomorrow..."

Rhino smiles as he lifts his mother up with magic and brings her over to nuzzle her. "Thanks Mom..."

Mist giggles as she nuzzles him back before standing up as he sets her down. "Well... you know I always said I'd support you whether you fell for unicorn, pegasus, earth pony, or even zebra." She starts to head upstairs. "This is the same thing really... just not one I saw coming."

Gel watches her leave before sighing softly, resting her head on her forehooves. "...I'm glad your mom took that well...but I'm still worried about Bio..." She nervously chuckles. "...for a moment there, I was sure I'd find myself up against a wall, again..."

Rhino nuzzles her lovingly before kissing her forehead. "I wouldn't have let that happen. I told you, love, I'll keep you safe..."

She smiles softly, letting her eyes slowly drift closed. "...I should never have doubted you..."

Chapter 44: One-on-One Time

Morning comes to the Rhino household. As with every morning, a beam of light shines through the mostly-drawn curtains, inexplicably shining on the closed eyes of the blue changeling.

She quietly groans but gets up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "...Rhino...wake up..." She puts a hoof on his shoulder, gently shaking him. "...we don't want to be late for work, do we?"

The stallion groans as he opens his eyes, one hoof reflexively going to the back of his head, but a flinch and a quick withdrawing of the hoof shows he immediately regrets that action. He grunts as his eyes blink rapidly while he wakes up. "It's days like this that I wish was I was less responsible and could just take the day off..."

"But you are responsible." She smirks, carefully pushing him toward the edge of the bed. "So get up. We don't want to keep your parents waiting, right?"

He braces himself with a hoof on the bed so that his movement stops. "Alright... alright... I'm getting up..." He stretches his hooves towards the ceiling as he yawns. "Are the little ones all present?"

"I think they're waiting for their food...all but one, at least." She motions to a spot next to his head, where a certain black creature patiently waits for him to stand.

Rhino turns and looks at the little squirrel, smiling and petting him on the head. "That's my boy..." The stallion rolls out of bed and cracks his necks before a small weight lands on his back and the feeling of tiny claws making their way up his neck announce Specter gaining his usual spot. Rhino offers his tail to Gel. "Shall we?"

She smiles softly, taking the offered tail in hers. "We shall." With that, they exit their room, Gel not bothering with her disguise for the moment.

The two enter the kitchen, currently only occupied by Mercury and Selena. At Gel's questioning glance, Rhino explains. "Well, it was an eventful day yesterday, I'm not surprised they want to sleep in. They'll probably be down before we leave."

She quietly nods, moving forward and quickly pouring the pets their food. Still, I can't help but be worried. What if Bio accidentally said something? He did seem really upset... She nuzzles the two on the floor, smiling softly at them as they start eating. ...I don't want to make you an outcast, because of me...

He chuckles as he starts to get out the stuff for a quick breakfast. You know me, I'm not that social of a pony anyway.

She sighs a bit, sitting down at the table. ...but what about your job? She rests her head on the flat surface, using her magic to pull out some plates and silverware. She sets the table, though her mind is elsewhere.

He sighs, walking over and nuzzling her, Specter jumping into her mane and doing the same thing. It'll be fine, love, I asked him not to tell anypony, and he wouldn't have. If need be, I'll talk with him today and I'll make sure he sees you as I do by the end of it.

She smiles softly, leaning up and tenderly kissing him. ...thank you, Rhino...it'd be good to know that both of your parents approve of us...

After a few minutes, Mist walks in with a yawn. She's wearing an oversized shirt and her normal straight mane is frizzy. She mutters to them as she passes. "Good morning..." Rhino smiles knowingly as he passes her a steaming cup of tea he had been making in the event she came down. She takes the cup gratefully and sips at the warm liquid. "Thank you, dear..."

Gel smiles kindly, nodding to the pegasus. "...good morning, Mist...did you sleep well?"

The red mare takes another sip of her tea before responding. "Once I got asleep, yes, I have a bit of a problem turning my mind off enough to sleep sometimes. What about you?"

She blushes softly, glancing at Rhino before responding. "...um...y-yes...I had a very...enjoyable...dream..."

Mist is too out of it to notice the glance. "That's good... Bio never came to bed last night... I think he slept on the couch."

Rhino comments as he takes a bite of toast. "Well, it wouldn't be the first time. No big deal."

The stallion in question enters the kitchen at that moment. He nods to the room at large, looking at Rhino when he starts to speak. "Do you still not have coffee?"

The green stallion shrugs apologetically. "Sorry Dad."

Bio exhales. "Ah well, plan B then." He fixes himself a coffee mug of milk and leans against the counter as he drinks it.

She blinks at this, surprised and mildly curious. ...Rhino, did you get your enjoyment of milk from your Dad, or am I assuming wrong? She smiles at the darker stallion. "G-good morning, Bio. D-did the couch treat you well?"

Rhino quickly thinks back the answer. Yes actually, and he got it from his dad. Mom actually can't stand milk.

Bio answers curtly, not aggressively, but not happily either. "It did."

She flinches at this, unnerved. "...y-you know what, I'll just...g-go get ready for work..." She gets up and quickly rushes out the room, hurrying up the stairs and into the bathroom. It was clear she feels too awkward to be in the kitchen, at the moment.

Rhino looks at his father with a steady stare. Bio notices this and responds. "What?"

"You know what."

The older stallion sighs. "Look, it's not like I'm yelling at her to get out anymore or trying to attack her. I guess I'm still... wrapping my head around the idea..."

Mist comments. "I suppose thats a start..."

Rhino looks at the clock before finishing his milk and turning back to his father. "We'll talk later." He heads out of the room after Gel.

The changeling in question is currently sitting on the bed, dressed up in her scrubs. She looks up at the door as it opens, sighing and holding a white hoof up to her chest in relief. "...for a moment...I thought you were someone else..."

Rhino walks over and sits down next to her. "I told you... it'll be fine. He's at least improved since last night, right?"

She slowly nods, sighing softly. "...I know...but still..." She bites her lip, nervous. "...I feel a...sense of unease..." She shakes her head, groaning quietly. "...I don't know...maybe I'm still a little jumpy from yesterday..."

He embraces her warmly, trying to comfort her. "How's your cheek by the way? i know it got cracked yesterday..."

“It's fine now. See?" She turns her head, showing the unblemished white fur. "All of your love last night healed it up rather nicely."

He smiles and kisses it softly. "Good. I don't like seeing or thinking about you getting hurt." He looks at the clock on the nightstand. "Well, we'd better get ready. Try to resist the urge to sneak into the shower with me." He lightly flicks the tip of her nose with his tail as he heads into the bathroom.

She giggles, quickly moving forward and playfully nipping his neck with her fangs. "Try not to have fun without me, love." She winks as she passes him, heading downstairs to wait for him.

He shakes his head as she exits. "Even when I try, she always gets the last laugh…”

***

The house is quiet later that day a little after noon. The only activity can be seen in the kitchen, where both Mist and Gel stand wearing crisp white aprons. Various ingredients can be seen around the kitchen.

Mist looks around and nods approvingly before turning to Gel. "Alright, ready?"

She squirms nervously, nodding a bit. "...I-I think so...I-I've only cooked once, before...and I...burnt it a bit..." She coughs, feeling a bit awkward. "...but I have to ask...why did you make Rhino and Bio leave?"

Her eyes twinkle. "Well, those two needed to talk anyway, and I felt this was some time we could use to relax and get to know each other while making some little things for our favorite stallion."

She tilts her head to one side, slightly confused. "...you mean Rhino, right? Because I only like Bio as family." She shyly laughs, rubbing the back of her neck.

Mist giggles. "Of course I meant him. Bio will probably enjoy this as well, though." She claps her forehooves together. "So, how much experience do you have with desserts?"

She shrugs a bit, playing with her hooves to distract herself. "...honestly? Eating them is the only experience I have..."

The mother smiles. "And how much of that experience do you have?"

"Quite a bit." She giggles, blushing a bit. "They gave me some free food at the cafe I used to work at...I always ate desserts..." She sheepishly smiles. "...they were just...so delicious..."

Mist smiles understandingly. "Well, today i thought we would tackle two different desserts. So, we'll be doing banana pudding, and the classic chocolate chip cookies. So, let's get started!" She directs Gel to the counter and slides her some bananas, chopping one in a few roughly bit-sized slices before sliding her a knife and continueing using her own with a wing.

Gel nods, getting to work cutting the fruit up. "I don't think I've had either of those before. I can't wait to try them out!" She fantasizes about what they might taste like, a little drool forming in the corner of her mouth.

"Careful now, don't want to drool on the food now do you?" She thinks about this statement for a moment. "Changelings feed on love right? But you were eating food last night, so... I guess either works for you? Could you survive entirely on food?"

The changeling sighs, shaking her head. "...no...but I wish we could..." She quickly moves through the bananas, the knife flashing at the rapid pace she set. "...ponies only know us as love-eaters...or as insects...all of the books in the library portray us as sadistic, when we're only doing our duty!" She stops, having reached the end of the current banana and less than an inch away from hitting her hoof. "...that could've been bad..."

Mist stays silent for a moment. "Ok... this has obviously been bothering you a while..."

"...sorry..." She whimpers, her ears flattening against her head. "...I just...I want my kind to be treated as equals...not villains to be defeated..." She goes silent, scooping up the slices and putting them to the side.

The pegasus stays silent a moment before quietly commenting. "I see... well, on a more positive change of subject, I think we're done with these." She puts the bananas aside and brings over a bowl that she puts various ingredients in. "Would you like to help me stir the pudding?"

She nods, though she appears unsure. "...um...h-how do I do that?"

Mist points to a wisk with a wing. "Just take this and stir at a decent speed until it all looks the same." As Gel starts to do this, Mist observes her a moment before speaking again. "So... what made you pick my son? Out of all the stallions in Equestria?"

She squeaks, splashing herself in her surprise. "...aw..." She grabs a nearby washrag, carefully cleaning herself as she answers. "...w-well...d-during the...Canterlot incident...I tried to sneak off..." She tosses the cloth to one side, blushing softly. "...I...I ran into him in front of his house...I found this out later, when he ran inside..." She rubs the back of her neck as she averts her gaze. "...I-I was smitten...there's no two ways about it..."

The other mare hums to herself. "Just by appearance? That's all it took?" She adds the dry ingredients to the mixture and motions for the changeling to keep stirring.

"...n-not all..." She resumes mixing, a distant look in her eyes. "...I can...sense...emotions...not just love, either..." She softly bites her lip. "...I felt a strong wave of determination...compassion...and, unlike everypony else there..." She turns to look at the mare. "...he was brave...set, I believe, on protecting his family..."

Mist nods. "You know... I asked why he did that... why he stayed and fought when everypony else seemed to run and hide. The question was actually to Bio at the time, but Rhino was the one that answered. Would you like to know what he said?"

She stops her actions, turning to her in curiosity. "...what did he say?"

"He said: 'What would be the point in running? I was already at home, which is where I would have gone. You have to protect your home and the ponies in it. Hiding wouldn't have done that, they were breaking down doors and dragging ponies out. There was really only one option.'"

Gel's jaw drops and she stands there in stunned silence. "...w-wow...I-I mean, it sounds like him, but still...to hear such motivational words from him..." She blushes brightly and turns back to the bowl, stirring once more. "...and all I've ever done is shout at soldiers..."

Mist pats her back. "Everypony goes about it differently. He always said those words weren't meant to be inspirational anyway, he just told me what his train of thought was." She checks the mixture. "Almost there. So... have you discovered anything new about him that reaffirmed your initial feelings?"

She giggles, smiling softly. "...he's sweet...smart...strong...a little over-protective, at times, but I'm thankful for that..." She sighs quietly, continuing to mix the ingredients and move a little faster, muttering to herself. "...we would've lost each other if he wasn't..."

The pegasus stops her with a wing. "Woah there, that's enough. You don't want it to get runny." She sets the bowl to the side as she pulls the bananas and a box of vanilla cookies towards them. "All we do now is layer them, starting with bananas, then pudding, then cookies, then repeat until we get to the top." As she puts the first layer down she looks over to Gel and winks. "Back on the other subject though, it does sound like he's got you hooked, and from what I saw the reverse is true too."

The nymph's cheeks positively burn with her embarrassment. "...y-yes, that's right..." She starts to do as the mare does, layering as told. Her mind roams, and one of those places wasn't a pleasant memory. "...though...there was a moment...I worried he'd fallen out of love with me..."

Mist looks to her questioningly. "I don't really see how that would happen... it would take something pretty drastic to shake his feelings. His emotions are very strong."

She gives the pegasus a flat look. "He found out I was a changeling."

The red mare's ears lay flat. "Ah... but he seems fine with you being a changeling..."

"Yes, now." She groans, holding her head in her forehooves. "I had to convince him I wasn't an imposter, and that my feelings were genuine. He didn't say anything at first, so...I thought he wanted me to leave..." No need to bring being pinned to a wall into this.

Mist nods as she puts a comforting hoof on Gel's shoulder. "I can see how that would have worried both of you... but it all turned out for the best right? You're together and happy. The silence was probably just him thinking, he gets quiet when he does that, as you've probably noticed."

She nods, smiling coyly. "Oh, we've found a workaround to that." She turns her attention back to the dessert, using her magic to be as precise as possible with the layers.

Mist raises an eyebrow. "Do I want to know?"

Gel waves a hoof dismissively. "It's just a psychic link. Not too big a deal."

The pegasus stops. "Wait what?"

"A psychic link." The nymph turns to her, not breaking her magic's actions. "It's simply a way to communicate without using words. It came in handy once, back when I was working as a waitress..." She flinches, focusing on the dish once more. "...my last day as a waitress."

"Umm..." Mist thinks about this. "Is that a... changeling thing?"

She nods, starting to near the top of the dish. "It is. I apparently formed one with him that night, completely by accident." She turns to look at the mare, her all-blue eyes focusing on her. "...can I ask you a question, Mist?"

The mare nods. "I've been asking a lot of them, so it's only fair that you get to ask them too."

Gel lifts a blue, hole-filled hoof up, staring at it for a moment. "...does my species...my background...make you uncomfortable?" She looks up at her, frowning slightly. "...can someone with a face like mine...be truly accepted in pony society?"

"Well..." Mist puts the final cookies on the finished dish. "I admit... you are new, and new things are approached differently by different ponies. I'd imagine there was just as much going against griffins, minotaurs, and especially dragons when ponies first met their species, and look what happened to them." She looks at the changeling a moment before giving her a hug. "I think, now that I've gotten to know you, that ponies would accept you, if they give you a chance."

She smiles softly, gently hugging her back. "...thank you, Mist..." She pulls away, giggling softly. "...I think I know where Rhino's compassion comes from..."

The separate as the pegasus responds. "Oh, his father has it too, it's just covered right now." She carefully puts the pudding in the fridge. "Now, how about we start on those cookies?"

"Sure!" She grins brightly in excitement before remembering herself. She blushes brightly, shrinking in a bit on herself in embarrassment. "...b-but you'll have to teach me that, too..."

Mist giggles. "Don't worry, I'm more than happy to. Maybe I'll tell you more things if you answer more of my questions."

She nods, smiling kindly. "...I think I'll take you up on that offer..."

***

"So she can read your thoughts, and you can read hers?" Bio looks questioningly at Rhino as the two stroll through Whitetail woods, an excellent place for not being overheard.

The larger stallion nods. "Just the surface ones, we can still have thoughts to ourselves as long as they are a little deeper than that. It at least lets us talk privately."

"I suppose..." The mustached unicorn thinks before asking his next question. "Has being with her put you in any other dangerous situations?"

Rhino shakes his head. "No, this was the first, and hopefully the last." He looks along the path they are walking. "Next time though... I'll be more prepared... Do you remember that rune i got from when i visited the Crystal Empire?"

His father's eyes widen. "Ah... I see... well, just be careful with that spell." He thinks again before asking another question. "Why didn't you say she was a changeling in the first place?"

Rhino sighs. "Because I knew if it wasn't handled correctly, it would turn out like it did last night. I was planning on getting all of you together, doing a little speech praising her and how much I care for her and trust her. Then, and only then, I would have her reveal herself. It would still be a little bumpy, but I would have thought waiting for the right time would have helped it go smoother."

Bio shakes his head. "Isn't that the same excuse you used for procrastinating when you were younger? 'Waiting for the right time'? Seems some habits are hard to break." He looks ahead of them. "You say you trust her... but how can you trust a species that survives by deception?"

His son looks at him. "Because I know her. She is completely honest with me and I see proof in everything she does. She may have to have a cover to go around town, but it's the same as ponies wearing hats to cover balding heads. It's to make things go smoothly."

His dad looks down at their hooves. "You really do care for her... don't you?"

Rhino nods resolutely. "I do. I have plans for us."

Bio raises an eyebrow, the tension working out of his body with every step and replaced by curiosity. "Oh, and what exactly are these plans you have for this one?"

The green stallion hesitates before steeling himself. "I'm going to marry her."

The blue stallion instantly stops in place as he regards his son. He doesn't say anything as he looks into Rhino's eyes and sees the determination behind them. As the two silently communicate, a smile slowly crawls across the older stallion's face. "Well... she's the one, huh?"

Rhino nods. "She is."

They start walking again as Bio continues. "You do realize what all needs to happen though, don't you? Even for a normal marriage, you need the proposal item, a date, the paperwork... afterwards you'll need a house... though I guess the one you've got right now will work."

The large stallion rubs the back of his head with a hoof. "Erm... no actually... it won't. Not enough room you see..."

His father raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean, not enough room-" His eyes almost bug out of their sockets. "Wait... you mean to tell me... you and she can..."

Rhino simply nods with a smile on his face.

"Wow..." Bio exhales loudly. "Well... that's gonna make it an interesting future..." He shakes his head. "But let's focus more on the immediate. You heard what all I said will be needed right?"

Rhino nods again. "Yeah... I'm actually working on two of those... I actually have a design in mind for a proposal necklace.... It took me a bit to come up with it, but I think it'll be great."

His dad nods. "You never have been a fan of horn rings... but, are you sure? You've only known her for a month..."

He nods. "I know. I think of it this way though: most couples start dating and hang a maybe a few hours every few days. Gel and i have been around each other almost 24/7. We have maybe ten times as much exposure to each other as other couples would have by this point, plus with the added benefit of knowing that we can enjoy living together."

Bio looks down in thought. "I guess that's true..."

Rhino continues. "Even yesterday she proved she would put herself in harm's way for me... I can't think of anything else that I would need to know to make this decision."

"Well..." his dad starts, "when were you planning on starting down this path?"

The green stallion rubs his head. "Well, actually I was going to go ahead and get the thing ordered as soon as I got out of the house without Gel, since it's a custom one I can't just take it home the same day, you know."

Bio looks around. "Well, she's not here now is she?"

Rhino eyes widen. "No... no she isn't..."

The blue stallion motions with a hoof. "Well... why don't we head to the jewelers then?" Rhino smiles and begins to follow him as he asks one final question. "You said you had two parts of the plan you were working on?"

The green stallion nods. "Yes, the other part is something I've been keeping an ear out for..."

Chapter 45: Date Night

Another day passes by, and in the light of the evening sun, the forms of Rhino and Gel, disguised as Angel, can be seen. They walk with their usual entwined tails down one of Ponyville's many streets.

Rhino turns to Gel, taking in her blue blouse, yellow shaul, and sky-blue beret to top it all off. "You know... I don't think there's been an outfit yet that you've looked anything short of radient in."

She blushes softly, playfully bumping her side against his. "You really enjoy flattering me, don't you?" Her eyes glance over his clothes as she bites her lip. "...and you look stunning, yourself..."

The stallion looks down at his own outfit, a deep blue button up shirt along with his usual black dinner jacket and fedora. "Well, thank you. I debated wearing my black stetson, but I decided to just go with the fedora."

She giggles, gently nuzzling his neck. "I would've liked it, either way." She glances around, curious. "So where are we going, anyways?"

"Well," he begins, "it's actually a place I spotted when Dad and I were out yesterday. It's called Sprout Town. It's a cosy little place that has that balance of casual and formal to where it's a nice place, but it's still comfortable enough for families."

She smiles brightly before a look of confusion crosses her face. "...I've seen that place, in passing...isn't it halfway across town?" She tilts her head to one side. "...what were you two doing over there?"

Rhino shrugs as he answers nonchalantly. "Oh... You know sometimes when you just walk and don't really have a destination in mind? That's what happened."

She quirks an eyebrow at this but drops it, sighing softly. "...okay, Rhino. I'll take your word for it."

He nudges her side playfully. "Hey now, no sighing, this is supposed to be a happy night." He thinks for a moment. "You're not still brooding any over my parents right? Dad seemed fond of you once we got back yesterday."

"No, I'm not brooding." She looks up at him, smiling softly. "Though it did come as a happy surprise he wasn't as...well, cold as before."

He nuzzles her neck. "See? It's like you wanted, before they left, they had both accepted you. To different degrees likely, but still, the point stands." They arrive at the restaurant. "And now, we begin the night all about us." He opens the door and holds it open for her. "After you.”

She giggles, gently pecking his cheek as she walks by. "Such a gentlestallion..."

The restaurant definitely paints a scene as it's name would describe. Murals of sunsets overlooking fields blanket the walls as booths and table with vines carved into the legs dot the interior. A few families, couples, both young and old, and even the odd single pony can be seen, all with content smiles on their faces.

The hostess, in a sundress of mellow yellow, smile serenely at them. "Welcome to Sprout Town! Table for two?"

Gel nods, smiling kindly at the mare. "Yes, please."

The mare gestures for them to follow her and soon the two are settled in one of the quieter and less populated sections of the restaurant. She hoofs them both a menu, still heavily nature inspired, and says to them, "Your waitress will be with you in a moment."

Rhino nods in thanks as they both crack open their menus while the hostess goes back to her post. "Well, I like this place so far, what about you?"

"I like it, too." Gel nods, examining the vine-decaled menu a moment before opening it. They really do stick to their theme, huh?

Well, nature is a pretty universally accepted theme, especially in an earth pony town. Rhino sees a shape moving towards them out of the corner of his eye. "Ah, that must be the waitress."

A familiar grey pegasus walks up, clad in a powder blue sundress with a gold ribbon around the middle. Her usual wind-swept blonde mane is braided with a light blue flower behind her ear. She looks at them with her golden eyes smiling just as much as her mouth. "Hello! My name is Ditzy and I'll be your server today!"

The white unicorn stares at her in surprise. "H-hello, Ditzy. I didn't expect to see you working here."

Ditzy's eyes cross momentarily as she looks the white mare over. They snap back into place as she beams as she recognizes her. "Oh! Hello Mrs. Rhino!" She looks around. "Yeah, I just work here part time to earn a little extra money... I like it though, I get to wear this pretty uniform!" She motions down to her dress.

Gel blushes at the name once more and smiles softly. ...yeah...I like that name, already... "Well you do look absolutely radiant in that dress. Of course, I'll bet you'd look beautiful normally, too." She giggles brightly.

The pegasus giggles while she wears a blush. "Oh, that's nice of you to say..." She clears her throat and straightens up with her pad held in a wing. "So, what can I get you two to drink?"

Rhino answers as one would expect. "Milk, please."

"Apple juice for me, please, Ditzy." She smiles softly.

She nods, seeing as her mouth is currently occupied with hold her pen as she writes. Once done she takes it out of her mouth so she can speak. "Ok then, I'll be back with your drinks in a moment!" She walks off, her braid swaying as she does so.

The stallion watches as she leaves. "Well, that was unexpected."

"It certainly was." She scratches her head, confused. ...does being a mailmare not pay that well? Or does she have a family I've yet to see?

Rhino chuckles. "Well, yes, I suppose her working here was unexpected as well, but that's not what I meant. I figured I'd have to think of some conversation pieces but just listening to the two of you talk gave me a few good ones to start with." I'm not sure, I only ever see her occasionally when she delivers the mail, never outside of that.

She looks at him, her head tilted to one side. "...what do you mean?"

He simply smiles cheekily at her. "Well, let's tackle these one at a time. First off: Do I have to worry about competition from mares now?"

The white mare blinks at this before giving him an even look. "No. I may have been with mares before, but I only have eyes for you." She brushes her tail along his side, out of view of the rest of the customers. "You have my word on that, love."

A shiver goes down his spine. "You're lucky we got a corner booth so you can scoot closer when you want to." He nuzzles her briefly before leaning up to speak again. "Now the other thing I wanted to talk about... Mrs. Rhino huh? Now where would she get an idea like that?" He raises an eyebrow at her but the smile on his face shows that he is amused, not mad.

She blushes brightly, averting her eyes in embarrassment. "...um...w-well, she came by one day...a-and, well...s-she just assumed..." She quickly holds up her menu, taking a sudden interest in the soup section.

He simply smiles smugly at her. "Oh? Enjoyed it too much to correct her?"

She squeaks, burying her face in the entrees even as a wisp of steam forms off the top of her head. "...t-the daisy and daffodil sandwich looks good..."

This only makes him smile more. "I'm fairly certain you were imagining something other than a sandwich when you neglected to correct her..."

She groans quietly, lowering her menu down and looking at him softly. "...yes...yes, I did enjoy it...the thought of being Mrs. Rhino made me elated..." She lowers her gaze to her hooves. "...but I've had that notion since I bumped into you in Canterlot..."

He scoots closer to her and kisses her on the cheek. "And I think that's adorable... and flattering." He leans back up as he continues. "But I doubt you'll want my personal name as your last one."

She thinks a bit. "...maybe...do you have a family name?" She nuzzles him before looking up at him, eyes shining with curiosity.

He answers simply. "Nexus. You?"

She blinks, scratching the side of her head in confusion. "...34? Hive 42?" She sighs, shaking her head. "...I...don't think we have family names..."

He shrugs. "Well, that's not a bad thing, not every pony family has them either. I've become quite fond of simply 'Gel'."

She blushes brightly, playfully pushing his side. "Flatterer."

Their waitress arrives a moment after Rhino chuckles from Gel's push. "Here you go, one apple juice," she sets the glass in front of Gel with a wing, "and one milk-woah!" The glass slips through her feathers as she brings it over the table. She quickly scrambles and catches it by bringing her other wing into play and catching it between them, but not before it had rotated slightly so that when it suddenly stops, a quarter of it splashes onto the white unicorn, a light hissing occurring as it makes contact. Ditzy, now flustered, quickly grabs a napkin. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry-" She cuts herself off as she sees that the spot where the milk had fallen was dry, her eyes crossing in confusion. "Oh... huh... I guess white milk on a white coat really isn't that big of a deal... it's like it never happened..." She smiles. "Well, that's good, good thing it landed on fur and not your blouse!"

Gel gives a small smile, waving a hoof at the other mare. "I couldn't agree more." Glad she doesn't suspect anything. I thought for sure the hissing would give it away...

The serving mare straightens up as she sets the glass in front of the stallion. "I'll bring you another one when I come back with your food. Speaking of which..." She takes the pen in her mouth and looks expectantly at them.

She folds up her menu and puts it off to one side. "May I please have a daisy and daffodil sandwich?"

Rhino does the same. "The garden salad sub, please."

Ditzy nods. "Right, be back soon!"

She watches as the mare leaves before brushing a hoof across her face, pouting slightly. "...now I smell like steamed milk..."

The stallion simply smiles. "Well, I can honestly say I've never smelled that before." He takes a peek around and notices anyone within a line of sight to them is otherwise occupied. Seeing this, he lightly sniffs her. "Smells... fresh... to me." He quickly licks her lightly where the milk had landed. "Tasty too."

She squeaks at the feeling of his tongue, her face positively burning with a blush. "...s-somehow, I knew you'd say that..." She clears her throat, struggling to fight down her blush. "S-so...h-has the swelling gone down?" She grimaces at her choice of topic, quickly lowering her head in embarrassment.

His smile fades from the bright version to the barely there variant. "Yes, I can only barely tell what was there now..."

She smiles sheepishly, tenderly nuzzling his neck. "...don't worry, love...we've proven we're able to handle anything they throw at us..." She pauses a moment, a thought occurring to her. "...well...almost anything...but still..."

He raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'almost anything'?" He catches himself and reminds himself of where they are. "If it's appropriate for these surroundings."

She bites her lip, poking at the flowers in the center of their table with a hoof. ...I've...told you about the Elite...right?

He quirks an eyebrow. You've mentioned they exist... but I suppose you bring it up now because their name is not unwarranted?

She sighs, nodding quietly. ...I believe I said I am one...but I'm the least experienced of the Elite... She looks up at him, worry clear on her face. ...Rhino...the rest of them are Generals...

Ah... He sinks back into the seat, the serious nature of the conversation a far contrast to the earlier lightheartedness. I see... I take it their title is not given for no reason?

Absolutely not. She glances around, almost as if paranoid. They're really secretive. I'm just one rank out and I only know that they each specialize in a specific element. Still, that's more than what other changelings know. She sighs, sipping her apple juice. ...y-you can understand why I'm worried...r-right?

He thinks about this for a moment. Umm... in the unlikely event that they decide to do a random invasion... or more likely... that you're worried they will try what failed a few nights ago, again, but with better troops. I don't see them devoting the highest ranked among them to fetch a single changeling though.

Generally, I'd believe you... She scratches the back of her neck. ...but I'm not an ordinary changeling... She glances up, noticing the gray mare returning. We'll continue this later, love.

Their waitress is heading over with their food and Rhino's extra drink, the plates on her back and the glass in a wing. As she gets closer, her hoof trips on the edge of a rug, causing her to squeak as her face quickly heads towards the ground. As she catches herself, her momentum combined with the angle of her back serve as a catapult to her cargo, which flies towards the table. Rhino and Gel sit stunned as the foods hurtles towards them... only to simply skid to a halt perfectly in front of the ponies that ordered it. Rhino smiles and gives a small bit of applause as Ditzy blushes and gives him his drink. "Sorry... That tends to happen a lot."

Gel giggles, giving the mare a kind smile. "It's perfectly fine, Ditzy. I'm just glad you didn't hurt yourself." Or splash me again, but that's a minor thing.

Rhino smirks at her. You and your picky notions about how you get wet.

The pegasus shakes her head to clear her thoughts and also get her eyes back in place after they had gone skewed from the fall. "Thank you... umm... do you need anything else?"

The white mare glances at the menu a moment. "Not right now, but we may be interested in dessert, later."

Ditzy nods and leaves.

The green stallion, meanwhile, takes a long drink to finish off his first glass of milk. Licking his lips appreciatively afterward, he remarks to Gel. "I really like this place, we should come here again."

She nods, giggling softly. "Agreed." She lifts up her sandwich and takes a small bite. She pauses, taking in the taste a moment before frowning slightly. "...needs ketchup."

Rhino snickers as he picks up his sub sandwich. "I knew it was a good idea to introduce you to that." He takes a bite of his sandwich and chews it thoughtfully before swallowing and commenting. "Huh... roses... usually don't put those on sandwiches... I might start now though."

She thinks on his words, an idea forming in her head. She smirks coyly, bringing her drink up to her lips to hide this. "I might have to try that the next time we're here..." She takes a gulp before sighing, looking up at him. "...so...anything you'd like to talk about?"

"Something pleasant would be nice..." He takes another bite as he mulls this over. "I suppose we could always talk about you... Ah, I have an idea. So, are you up for the next swimming lesson this weekend?"

She blinks, her cheeks slowly filling with color. "...um...I-I suppose so..." She nudges her sandwich with a hoof, her tone anxious and hopeful. "...w-would we be doing...e-everything we did, last time?"

He blushes as well, looking down and focusing on his sandwich. "W-well, I suppose if you want to... I wouldn't be opposed to it..."

She squeals happily, hugging him tightly in excitement. "Thank you! Oh, I can't wait!" She kisses his cheek before letting go, quickly eating more of her sandwich, a large, happy blush on her cheeks.

He clears his throat and tries to put on a stern voice. "But I want to make it clear, you don't get a reward until after the lesson. No seducing your way out of it."

She stops mid-bite, eyes snapping open. She swallows and sighs, her gaze falling to the table. "...fine..." She turns to him, a playful smirk on her lips. ...but it'd better be worth the wait...and you're taking lead, again...

He raises an eyebrow. Weren't you the one taking the lead last time?

She giggles, even as her cheeks turn cherry red. Not by the end of it...

His own cheeks burn as he eats. Fair enough... the next time we do roles, you're the one leading though, just because I feel like I cheated you out of your turn.

Not true. She takes a sip of her juice, averting her eyes. I willingly gave it up. After all... She brushes her tail against his right hindleg, smiling playfully as the tone of her thoughts turns teasing. ...I enjoy the thought of you being in control, remember?

Right... His tail curls around hers. I admit... I like that too, but I also said that I like the new experience of seeing what you do when you take the lead, or at least guide the events. His thoughts pause for a moment before continuing. Actually, you know how you have all those outfits? I was wondering... if maybe you should break one of those out next time... you know, if that's ok...

She smiles, tenderly nuzzling his neck. I'll be sure to use one, next time...I'll even let you choose which one we'll use. She pulls back, winking at him. Sound like a plan?

He leans over and kisses her on the lips. We'll see... depending on my mood, I may want it to be a surprise.

Gel hooks her foreleg around his neck, pulling him back into the kiss for a few more seconds. When she breaks the kiss, she giggles, a twinkle in her eye. Well then...I guess we'll have to see, won't we?

As the two sit there looking into each other's eyes, Ditzy comes back. "Aww~." She giggles as the two turn to look at her. "You two are so cute together, did you decide if you wanted dessert? I see you've been enjoying the sandwiches."

Gel blushes, opening her mouth to respond...only for nothing to come out. Her eyes seem to glaze over and she falls face-first onto the table, her breaths quickly becoming labored.

Rhino quickly lunges for her, leaning her back as Ditzy's wings flap in alarm. He takes in her struggling breaths and opens her mouth with magic, only to immediately see the problem. He turns to the waitress. "Ditzy! Her throat's closing up! Does the restaurant have any emergency adrenaline shots?"

The frantic pegasus speaks very quickly. "O-oh ummm... shot shots shots... Oh! Shots! Right, they showed us those in employee training! I'll go get one!" She bolts off towards the back as Rhino does what he can to keep Gel's airway straight so she can breathe as much as she can. Ditzy runs out of the back with a small cylinder held in her mouth and another employee on her tail.

As she slows down Rhino takes the shot from her mouth with his magic and quickly injects it into the white mare. His eyes are wide as he holds her hoof while his other foreleg supports her head.

After thirty tense seconds, Gel's eyes slowly flutter open. She turns to look at him, her eyes unfocused. "...R-Rhino?"

"I'm here, love..." He embraces Gel gently, his body still tense. "How are you feeling?"

She carefully hugs him back, closing her eyes. "...like...my throat is tingling..." She shakes her head, looking up at him. "...w-what happened?"

He explains. "You went unconscious after your throat closed up. I think you were allergic to something."

The female earth pony that had arrived with Ditzy nods. "That's what I thought it was, it's happened before when ponies accidentally eat something they're allergic to. Did you want me to call the hospital?"

Rhino quickly shakes his head at her. "No no, that won't be necessary." He turns back to Gel. "I didn't know you had allergies... But what could it have been to?"

She blinks in confusion, trying to think. "...c-could it have been...m-my sandwich?"

"Well..." Rhino thinks. "It wasn't the bread, because you've had that... it was a plain sandwich so the only other things on it were the daisies and dandelions... have you had either of those before?"

She scratches the side of her head. "...I've had dandelions, before, so...does that mean it's the daisies?"

The stallion turns to the other mares. "Was there anything else on that sandwich?" They shake their heads. "Well... I guess that was it then... you're allergic to daisies..."

She smiles sheepishly, shrugging a bit. "...well, then...I guess I just...won't eat daisies, from now on...simple as that, right?"

"I suppose... though I might see about getting you an adrenaline shot to carry around with you just in case..." He turns to the mares. "Can we have our check? I think we'd like to head home."

The earth mare shakes her head rapidly. "Oh no, we couldn't possibly charge you after that!"

Rhino blinks for a moment. "Umm... well, if you're sure..." He takes a small bag of bits out of his bag and levitates them to a surprised Ditzy. "Here, a nice big tip for all your help in saving her."

She shakily takes the bag. "It was no trouble really... just helping a friend..."

Gel sits up, giving the mare a kind smile. "...t-thank you, Ditzy...I-I don't know what would've happened if you weren't here..." She taps her chin, thinking a bit. "...hey...maybe we could invite you over to our place, sometime? You know, as friends." She nods genially.

The grey pegasus shuffles her wings a moment before nodding with a smile. "Okay... if you're sure... I'd like that..."

Rhino nods as well, before gently picking up Gel and putting her side-saddle on his back. "Alright, well, I'm going to go ahead and get her home, so we'll see you around, Ditzy." He looks at her seriously. "And again, thank you." The couple exits to a few stares of the crowd that had witnessed the event, but are soon alone on the darkened streets.

***

'The Silver Lord gazes out over his empire. There is no war, no strife, ever since he brought the two nations together in peaceful negotiation. He-'

'More like ransom.'

Mercury blinks, looking up at the kitten on top of the cat tree.

She continues, lazily swinging a paw over the edge of the platform. 'What negotiations could ever allow the capture of a princess?'

The fox rolls his eyes at this. 'Okay, so the negotiations didn't go as smoothly as he'd like. May I resume narrating, please?' When he didn't get a response, he faced forward. 'I'll take that as a yes.'

'He tried to reason with the King, but the monarch was unsatisfiable. So, knowing that he wouldn't attack the place his daughter resided, the Silver Lord took the Gray Princess, putting her in the highest room of the tallest tower. With that one act, peace fell over the feuding nations.'

Suddenly, a figure emerges on top of one of the nearby mountains. Though it is distant, as it points its weapon at the Lord's tower, he knows who it is.

'The Silver Lord growls, readying his own weapon. He smirks as the figure draws closer, eyes narrowing slightly as it is revealed to be the Black Knight. "Ah, so the King's lapdog has come to steal the Princess back, has he?" He motions to the steadfast soldier to his right. "First, he'll have to deal with the catapult!" '

With that, Mercury tosses a ball of yarn at Specter.

The brave knight nimbly dodges the projectile, his training in the forest instead of in the yard like other knights serving him well. He quickly cross the fields and arrives near the base of the tower, hailing its ruler. 'Release the fair maiden, tyrant! We have played this game before, and your attempts to make her your own have never lasted long!'

'The mighty Lord calls down to the foolish knight from atop his main gate. "'Tis not to have her as my own! 'Tis for the betterment of our nations!" He turns to his loyal soldier once more. "Unleash the beast!"'

'The protector salutes and pulls the lever, releasing the fury of a monster that no foe has ever overcome!'

The fox flings a toy octopus at the squirrel, watching as its arms wrap around his body much like it would their owner's hoof.

The creatures many limbs quickly engulf the knight, it's suction cups latching on and refusing to let go. The knight battles furiously with the kraken, it's body being not meant for land but still providing a battle for the ages. Slowly things get dark for the already dark knight, his paw slowly moving towards his sheathed weapon on his back. Finally, just as the creature blocked out the last bit of light with a tentacle cocoon, the knight draws his weapon. Pressing it flat against the kraken, he pushes even as the creature holds on. Slowly the knight gains the room to breathe, and eventually, the room to swing. He bats the writhing limbs away, the creature squeaking in dismay as one by one, it's limbs are rendered numb until finally, it lies motionless on the land.

The valiant knight looks upward. 'Your monster couldn't stop me, and neither can you!' He grips his weapon in his teeth and begins the ascent of the tower, one paw at a time.

'A normal ruler would be worried at this stage, but not the Silver Lord. He instructs his best soldier to fend off the knight. He readily agrees, throwing himself bodily at his opponent.'

Mercury whaps Specter's head with his fish squeaky toy as the kitten above them watches on, bemused.

The knight winces as the minion assaults him, unable to defend himself and climb at the same time. 'Bubbles! Why do you continue to serve that fiend?! Can you not see he is using you?'

'Bubbles pays-'

The fox stops mid-narration, watching as his toy falls to the floor. '...I should not have spoken.'

Selena giggles at this, shaking her head. 'It appears as though Bubbles has seen the truth in the Black Knight's words and, in his shame, decided to throw the fight.'

As the knight start to climb again, he speaks. 'Do not worry Bubbles, i will ensure you have a place within the kingdom for your help.' He finally reaches the platform and flips up onto it, his weapon pointed at the Silver Lord. 'Now, surrender yourself and the princess.'

'The ruler growls angrily, holding his staff at the ready. "Don't you see what I'm doing is for the best?" He crouches, getting ready to atta-'

He yelps in surprise as Selena pounces on his back, causing him to drop his wooden dowel as he is laid flat. She licks her paw and looks at Specter, a sly smile on her face. 'Thank you for rescuing me, my brave knight.' She moves forward and nuzzles his cheek. 'I'll make sure my father rewards you handsomely for my return.'

Mercury pouts, propping his head up on a paw. 'To think, that the Silver Lord was beaten by the Gray Princess when his back was turned.'

'Never underestimate the fairer gender.' The knight holds a paw out to the silver being. 'Now then, are you willing to return, my friend, and try to obtain true peace?'

He stares up at him for a moment before sighing, taking the paw. '...fine. But the King is nearly impossible to negotiate with.'

After he pulls up Mercury, the knight then turns to the princess, holding out his paw. 'Milady, it would be my honor to escort you home.'

She puts her paw in his, purring softly. 'It's my honor to have such a brave knight escort me home. Just one question...' She peers over the edge, actually looking nervous. '...how do I get down from here?'

Specter tail flicks as he leads the kitten over to the edge and points her to one of the lower platforms. 'Simply follow me, my princess, and you shall be safe.' He nimbly jumps down to the lower platform and looks up expectantly.

She hesitates momentarily before letting herself drop down, her claws out and gripping the fabric she lands on in her panic.

Specter pats the kitten lightly. 'Come on now, you got up here, surely down isn't so bad?'

She scoffs, turning her head away. 'Easy for you to say. You have the ability to glide.' She retracts her claws, bracing herself for the next platform.

This goes on for three more floors of the cat tree, Selena following Specter down each step of the way. Once they are on the ground, the kitten pulls him into a hug, happily nuzzling him. 'Oh, thank you, sir Black Knight!'

The squirrel's tail sticks straight out as he freezes from the unexpected affection. 'I.... umm... you're welcome...'

She pulls away, giving him a questioning look. 'What? We aren't playing the game, any more?'

He looks back at her, 'Wouldn't a knight thank a princess for a hug?'

'He would be honored.' She paws at his still-straight tail, smiling playfully. 'Not stunned.'

Specter grumbles as he tries to get his tail back to it's usual curl. 'The two aren't mutually exclusive...'

Before the feline can respond to this, the door opens, revealing the two other occupants of this house. Gel smiles at them from her place on her stallion's back, weakly waving a hoof. "...hello, little ones...did you have fun while we were gone?"

Chapter 46: One Heck of a Night, Part 1

The brief remainder of the evening passes by as one might expect. The pets hang around their owners, giving away nothing of what they had been up to, and Rhino treats Gel like a queen, cautious because of the incident earlier. As the two get ready for bed, he tosses another look towards the changeling to make sure she's still doing alright. This does not go unnoticed by her.

She sighs, walking over and putting a hoof on his shoulder. "...I told you, Rhino, I'm fine...a little tired, but that's what sleep's for, right?" She smiles coyly at him, heading over to the bed. She purposely sways her hips as she goes, causing her nightie to flutter with each step. "...that and other things, of course..."

He happily observes her with a blush. "I know love... I'm just making sure. You know how I worry." He climbs into bed as well, the pets following and arranging themselves around the two larger figures. The stallion wraps his usual foreleg around the changeling as he pulls her towards him. "I love that nightie by the way... very very... sexy." He growls the last word to her as he nibbles her neck.

She blushes brightly, cooing quietly at the action. She touches noses with him, giving him a lidded gaze. "That's why I wore it, love." She kisses him gently before resting her head under his chin, sighing happily as she starts to fall asleep. "...give me a minute...before you fall asleep, okay?"

He nods. "No problem, I've got plenty of eye-candy to indulge on before I go to sleep." As her breathing gets lighter and finally to the point where he knows she's asleep, Rhino simply smiles softly at her, hugging her close to him. After a minute, he closes his eyes as well and consciously slows his breathing in order to get himself to sleep. His mind calms and quiets until finally, he enters the realm of dreams.

He arrives in a luxurious room, spacious if not for the four-posted bed and the couch taking up a fair amount of space. A glance out one window shows the night sky. Out the opposing one shows the side of a mountain.

Humming and sighing comes from behind the drawn curtains of the bed. It has a musical tone to it, as well as a distinct echo to it.

"Well... this is new..." Rhino takes a few steps towards the bed. "Gel? Is that you in there?"

"Yes it is, Rhino." She giggles, still hidden by the bed. "Care to join me?"

"Well, I've never really been one to deny a request from a beautiful nymph..." Rhino closes the distance and slides the curtain open enough to where he can see inside.

***Warning, Sensual Content.***

She gazes up at him from where she lays, her forelegs folded against her chest. This wouldn't be that unusual, were it not for the clothes she is wearing, and the rose petals scattered across the comforter and her form. She giggles, running her sock-clad forehooves along the sides of her see-through nightie, briefly spreading her hindlegs to give him a teasing glance of her sky-blue panties. "Like what you see, love?"

His eyes shoot open as he gazes upon her. He doesn't respond immediately, but his pride already starting to show itself pretty much says what his mouth won't at the moment. He licks his lips as his eyes are still locked onto her form. "Wow..."

She giggles, taking notice of his reactions. "I see you do." Her tail flicks up between his legs, teasing the tip of his length. "What would you like to do, first? After all, this dream is all about you."

He slowly crawls onto the bed until he is lying next to her. "Well... nothing big at first... I am definitely going to ravage you when the time comes. For now though..." He lightly kisses her neck. "I'm going to be here enjoying the incredible sight you are..." He wraps his forelegs around her and brings her in close as he dives in with a kiss, his tongue going straight to her lips.

She eagerly kisses him back, her lips opening, allowing their tongues to dance together as they embrace each other. She coos at the very thought of him taking her once again, her hindlegs clenching together in an attempt to hide her sudden flare of arousal.

His hooves roam all over her as they passionately kiss, up and down her back and chest, one of them even so daring as to squeeze her flank once before moving on. The two roll a bit as they continue, stopping as they reach their sides again. He breaks the kiss, his eyes half-lidded as he miles down at her and nibbles some rose petals off her nightie-clad chest.

Her cheeks burn with her blush and she pants heavily, wanting to express her desire for him. However, her word keeps her from halting his actions, though with how sensual he's being, she doesn't see that as a bad thing. She smiles shyly up at him, even as her hindlegs start to rub together, eager to see what he has planned next.

He comes back up to her face, simply smiling down at her. After a moment, he goes higher and gives her slightly curved horn a lick from the base to the tip before pulling back to see her reaction.

She moans softly, her eyes appearing to actually cross from the unexpected stimulation. One of her legs twitches slightly as she struggles to regain her senses.

He leans down to her ear and nips the tip lightly before whispering into it. "Well... it seems you enjoyed that..."

She whimpers softly, nodding to him. "...y-yes...I-I did..."

He leans down to her ear again as his hoof traces shapes on her chest. "So tell me... you designed this room... what other ways were you expecting to... enjoy yourself?" He nibbles her neck again.

She blushes brightly, glancing at the fancy sofa in the middle of the room. "...c-couch..." She bites her lip, finding it hard to say more.

He nods and suddenly grabs her in his magic as he starts to head over to the couch, but levitates her on her back next to him so that they are kissing the whole way. When they reach the couch, he lays down on his side and she floats down next to him. He reaches a hoof down and lightly pulls the waistband of her panites upward before letting go. "Here we are..."

She squeaks at the last action, her eyes flickering from him to her hooves and back. "...p-please...s-sit up..."

He complies, but not before giving her one last kiss on the lips. Afterwards, he shifts until his back is against the back of the couch.

She smiles at this, moving to sit on his lap. "Now..." She rubs herself against him, pinning his rod between them. "...how fast do you want this to go?"

His rod pulses as he answers. "Well... we have all night... so it's up to you love... we've only just begun."

She bites her lip, slowly bucking her hips. "...but I want you to decide...I-I want this to be special..."

He holds his hooves up and gestures to her. "You think this isn't? Look at yourself! The outfit, the atmosphere, it's already special. But if you really want me to decide... how's walking pace sound?"

She nods, pulling him into a gentle kiss as she begins to rock her body against his, about the speed of a normal trot. She moans softly into the kiss, the base of his pride rubbing up against her sensitive slit through her panties as the rest of his shaft slides along her belly.

His hooves reflexively embrace her as she moves, sliding under her nightie and rubbing around her wing bases. His pride twitches in time with her movements, pressing against her as much as it can.

She giggles, giving him a lidded gaze. "You really like this, don't you?" She speeds up just a little, idly wondering how this would feel with him actually inside her. "You like it when I'm on top of you?"

"You know as well as I do that I'm happiest when I'm simply with you..." He can start to feel a bit of wetness seeping through her panties as she continues. "I see the same applies to you as well."

She blushes, leaning down to nip his neck. "It's true...I'm happiest when I'm with you..." She carefully stands up, positioning herself over him. "...but that doesn't mean I don't like doing things with you..." She hooks one edge of her panties, pulling it to the side to reveal her treasure, glistening from her arousal. She slowly lowers herself until the tip of his shaft touches the sensitive flower, shivering slightly.

His tip flares as it touches, twitching rapidly as it waits to enter her. He swallows before speaking. "I see you want to get to it..." he leans forward, "But when it comes time to take them off... that's my job." He nips her neck again as she holds herself above him.

She trembles at his actions, already panting before he's even inside her. She eagerly nods, showing her agreement before she continues lowering herself. She softly cries out as it spreads her open, throwing her head back in pleasure. She looks down at him with lidded eyes full of desire, realizing that only the head of his pride was inside of her. She smirks slightly as she works him inside of her, biting her lip, her blush becoming brighter with every inch she manages.

His eyes widen and slightly roll back into his head as she slides down on him. Her tunnel is warm, and their pulses can be felt at their joining. Her treasure is tight of course, she has to slowly work his length in, convincing her muscles to let him inside. He simply holds onto her hips, not pushing her at all as they approach the final inches of him.

Before those last two inches can enter her, though, he bottoms out inside her. She squeaks as he bumps the end of her tunnel, and, looking down between them, pouts slightly. "...I-I can't believe...I'm still not big enough..."

He raises an eyebrow even as he breathes deeply. "What? Did you expect yourself to get deeper?"

"...m-maybe..." She puts her hooves on his, moving them to her flanks. "...b-but this will do..." She giggles, gently kissing him on the nose. "Ready for a ride, love?" Before he can even respond, she gives a quick bounce on his pride, forcing a moan out of her lips.

His eyes bug out as she moves. His breath hisses in through his teeth as his hooves grip her flanks. Obeying instinct, his hips thrust upward slightly in response to her.

She squeals in ecstasy, her eyes squeezing closed tightly as she continues to slowly buck on top of him. She pauses every so often to gyrate her hips before resuming, going a little faster each time.

Rhino leans his head back as he focuses on her ecstasy-filled face. His hooves begin pulling down on her hips with every bump. With every bounce he goes as deep as he can, the final few inches always eluding them. His hips always make sure to thrust upwards to meet hers.

She is almost completely lost to the pleasure, her eyes glazing over and her tongue lolling out of her mouth. Her hindlegs are working on autopilot, moving her rapidly on his pride.

The friction starts to get to him, a familiar pressure building in his loins. "Oh boy... Already almost there..."

This doesn't make her stop. If anything, this makes her move even faster, her lust-hazed mind focused on having his seed inside of her.

He squints his eyes shut as she successfully starts milking his seed, the substance shooting into her from his pride. His hooves bring her down hard as far as she can go and hold her there while he empties into her.

The sensation of his warm seed filling her causes her climax to hit, her head being thrown back in a cry of ecstasy. Her tunnel squeezes even tighter around him, keeping every drop inside of her. As she comes down from her blissful state, she collapses against his chest, panting softly as she tries to recover.

He gently kisses her nose as they both recover. "Well, that was a good start, wasn't it?" He embraces her gently, neither of them separating.

She blinks blearily before nodding, a small smile on her lips. "...there's...more?" She tilts her head to the side, wondering just what he would come up with.

"Well, I certainly think so." He says. "I don't know about you, but I think I got off quick from that. You just feel so wonderful love, that and the first shot tends to fire the fastest." He looks around them. "I think we deserve a couple of minutes of relaxing foreplay before we start again though. Out of curiosity, were there any other plans you had when you made this room?" He rubs his head along one of her socked hooves, enjoying the feel of it.

She thinks for a bit before motioning to a nearby door. "...there's a shower in there..." Then she motions towards the double doors behind her. "...and there's a balcony with a staircase over there...just a few different locations I was hoping you'd...like to try out..." She blushes brightly, fidgeting with the hem of her nightie.

He nips a rose petal in her mane before he answers. "Wow... you were into trying all kinds of things tonight weren't you?" He tilts so that they are both laying down as he massages around her wings while he hugs her. "I'm thinking the shower next... you?"

"...I-I actually...hadn't thought about that..." She closes her eyes, cooing softly at his motions on her back. "...that feels...really good..."

"Good." He continues his massage. "That's what all this is about, making the other feel good..." He gently kisses her on the lips as he slowly draws out of her, the panties pressing against his shaft as they try to snap back into place.

She moans softly as he moves out of her, her eyes fluttering a bit. When he finally removes his pride, her panties snap partially back onto her treasure, causing her to squeak in surprise.

He licks her neck in response to the noise. "You know... I really love all these noises you make..." He utters a low growl at her.

She blushes even more, tapping her hooves together shyly. "...I-I'm glad you do..."

He nuzzles her. "Anything I do that you like? In particular I mean."

She giggles, tenderly kissing him. "...I like it when you nuzzle..." She leans forward, playfully nipping his ear. "...when you play with my neck...my wings...and...on a more sensual note..." She squirms slightly, biting her lip for a moment. "...I-I like when...y-you squeeze my flanks..."

He raises an eyebrow. "Really?" He gives them a test squeeze to see her reaction. "I haven't really done that at all before now though..."

She squeaks, trembling in his embrace. "...I-I know...i-it's a little strange..." She glances over her shoulder, realizing that her tail is now flagging. "...oh...t-that's just perfect...n-now I can't lay on my back..." She holds her head in her hooves. "...and I wanted you to be on top, next..."

"I'm pretty sure that can still happen... I have some ideas." He gets up and squeezes her flanks one last time with magic as he heads towards the shower. "Care to join me?" He heads through the doors and into a wide spacious bathroom, well, as much of a bathroom one can call a room with only a large glass shower and counter. He turns around to wait for the nymph.

She blushes brightly as she follows him, her tail still raised in the air from her rekindled arousal. She stops by the counter, reaching a forehoof up to start pulling off her sock.

He stops her forehoof with his own. "May I?"

She blinks and nods, tilting her head to one side in curiosity as she starts to lower her hoof.

Starting with her same hoof. He gently lifts up her leg and slides off the sock in one fluid slow motion. He repeats this, methodically, with each of her other legs, giving her a quick kiss of the lips each time. After he is done, he eyes her nightie meaningfully before leaning his head forward and slipping off the straps with his nose. He takes a step back to look at her again.

She stands there in her see-through clothes and sky-blue panties, trembling slightly in anticipation. Though the straps on her forelegs are off, her night dress still hangs loosely off her body, almost as if teasing him by stubbornly staying on her small form.

"So beautiful..." He steps forward and kisses her on the lips again before shifting his target and grabbing the collar of her nightie in his teeth and slowly dragging it down her body. Over her back, wings, and even her flagged tail as he guides the fabric all the way to the bottom of her hindhooves, getting himself a nice whiff of her arousal in the process. He walks back next to her and whispers in her ear. "You know what comes next don't you?"

She whimpers and nods, moving to brace her front half on the counter, looking at him over her shoulder.

Instead of using magic or hooves, he again uses his mouth to grip her waistband before slowly bringing it down her flanks. The fabric sticks to her wet slit before coming free, as well as releasing a large waft of built of scent that had been held in. His nose grazes her treasure as he pulls past it and down to the floor.

She squeals at the contact, pushing her hips back at him. She pants lustfully, her body wanting more, her shimmering treasure winking in her need.

"Ah ah ah, love..." He steps away from her with a teasing smile. "Not yet..." His horn light up as the shower turns on and water starts to pour from the head, already hot as shown by the steam.

She whines, shaking her hips at him. Hearing the shower turn on, she quickly enters the glass enclosure, hoping this would speed the end of her torture of desire. She rears up, a forehoof securely placed on the wall opposite the door as she looks at him, panting softly, her treasure purposely turned towards him. It's clear that her mind is almost lost in her wont.

He enters at a normal pace after her, the shower barely giving him enough room to turn around and shut the door with her taking up half of it widthwise. Still in a teasing mood, he goes next to her and nibbles the tip of one of her ears. "So... you really want it huh? But you also want me to be on top this time?"

She nods fervently, whimpering a bit. "...y-yes...p-please..." She looks at him, her eyes glazed over and lidded. "...t-take me..."

"Well... since you asked nicely..." As the water continues to fall on them in warm streams, he takes her hips in his hooves and guides her so that she is in the same position, but on the back wall of the tub, the water at their backs. He rears up and plants his hooves on her flanks, giving them a light squeeze as his pride now rubs its base on her flower while the area below its tip teases her teats.

She squeaks, blushing brightly at this. She turns her head to look at him, a look of mixed confusion and desire on her face, even as her hindlegs, slick from her arousal and the water running over them both, squeeze gently around his length's base.

He suddenly pulls back and enters her at a decent speed, but not with too much force, her tunnel's walls, already gripping before he even got in, provide increased resistance and thus, increased pleasure as he goes in as much as he can.

She cries out as he stretches her once more, her body trembling underneath him in bliss. She feels him hit the end of her passage, but doesn't feel his hips against her, groaning softly as she realizes that he still didn't get all the way inside her.

He leans down over her until he is next to her ear. "Ready, love?" One of his hooves slips around to her front to play with her teats while the other stays on her flank, periodically squeezing.

She moans in pleasure, pressing her cheek against the shower wall. When he doesn't start moving right away, she begins rocking her hips, moving him in and out of her body. She watches him with a lustful gaze, her tongue hanging out and her hips attempting to make each one go deep into her needy body.

"I'll take that as a yes..." He begins pumping in and out of her, starting at about the pace they were going earlier. With each pump his hooves squeeze both her flank and teats, as well as pushing her face into the cool wall of the stall. The water run over his shoulders and down onto her as they move.

She moans loudly, lustfully, her hips eagerly moving in time with his, limited as it is with her front half pressed up against the tile. She doesn't mind, though, biting her lip with each jolt he sends through her. "...y-yes..."

Her moans driving him crazy, he pumps harder and faster into her as he leans forward and engulfs her mouth in his. Their tongues start wrestling as his orbs now start bumping against her nub with every pounding movement.

She happily kisses him back, moaning and squealing into it with every thrust. Her thighs starting to ache from so much use, she's forced to rest, letting the force behind his hips rock her body.

The force from his thrusts moves her towards the wall, thus actually sliding her higher up it due to their angles. Responding to this, he steps closer to her, which only makes them flatten more and more against the wall until they can't be any straighter as they continue. With every thrust now, he almost lifts her off her hooves.

She pants heavily, feeling herself starting to get close to her peak. However, due to their positions, she's helpless to influence his pace. Not that she'd want to, with how quickly he's pounding her tight hole. She leans her head back onto his shoulder, bracing herself for what may be a stronger wave of bliss than before.

Her leaning back provides even more pleasure for both of them as it presses his pride at a greater angle inside her. As he continues his passionate love-making, her hooves really do lift off the floor with every thrust, just as her chest rubs against the slick wall. He is practically bouncing her on his length as he cranes his neck to envelope her mouth again.

She squeals into the kiss, her body tensing up as she hits her climax. Her tunnel squeezes him rhythmically, trying to milk him of his seed.

Unfortunately, the stallion was not to that point yet. Her efforts are indeed appreciated as he continues pumping her while she rides out her orgasm. He fondles her teats and squeezes her flank in order to try and maximize the length of her release.

She moans sweetly, her tongue lolling out of the corner of her mouth. It's clear that she's having trouble focusing, but the utter bliss filling her mind and body makes that feel like a minor issue. With his powerful thrusting, and his hooves masterfully teasing her most sensitive areas, it doesn't seem like she'll be coming down from it any time soon.

He doesn't know how long she goes on, all he knows is that eventually her juices flood her passage so much that the pressure eventually starts to make it's way out around his shaft, even with so much still left in there. He simply leans forward, nibbling on her neck and continuing, his own end not in sight at the moment.

She groans softly, her flower starting to become more sensitive as her climax winds down. She whines softly, realizing that he hadn't hit his own peak yet. She looks over her shoulder at him, lustful, pleading. "...R-Rhino...p-please..."

He looks at her questioningly. "What? Ready to go again so soon? I'm impressed." He kisses her gently.

She kisses him back tenderly, rocking herself on his pride with her hindlegs. "...y-yes...please, m-more..." She pants softly, gently licking the tip of his nose. "...I-I want your seed...i-inside me...a-and I want your love..."

He smiles at her. "You always have my love, more than you'll ever need." He starts to pull away from the wall so she can slide back down onto her hooves. "As for the other thing... I'm not quite there yet... sorry..."

She frowns softly, lowering herself down on all hooves. "...t-then...w-why are we stopping? D-don't you want to...f-finish inside?" She pushes back against him, gently biting her lip and blushing profusely.

He averts his eyes with a blush. "Well, yes... but if you aren't enjoying it then it's like I'm using you. So I figured if you wanted to change positions while we were in here, we could." A throb goes down his length to cut off anything else he wanted to say.

She blinks at this, raising a hoof to her chin. "...w-well...could we do the same as before...except...f-facing each other? I-I'd like to...h-hold you...while we're doing this..."

"Ok..." Thinking about how exactly to shift to this position, he take a few steps forward again, which pushes her up against the wall and back on two hooves. About halfway to where they were, he stops stepping and instead grasps her with his hooves and a little bit of magic before spinning her 180 degreees while still impaled on him. The sensation of this actually makes his eyes roll back into his head and takes him about 30 seconds to recover from. When he does, he takes another step forward and realizes they are supporting each other in this position, she allowing him to stay standing by leaning her back against the wall, and he allowing her to stay where she is by his length and hooves, despite her freely swinging legs due to her being well off the ground now.

She blushes softly as she wraps her forelegs around his neck and her hindlegs around his waist, a small smile on her lips. "...perfect..." She pulls him into a passionate kiss, gyrating her hips a little to see if it'd get a reaction out of him.

She does, his hips buck into her on reflex as the two perform their tongue dance. His mouth muscle keeps the two between the mouths, never letting one fully move into the other's. He moans as she keeps gyrating, a deep rumbling one as opposed to her own high-pitched moan.

Seeing how this affects him, she smirks into the kiss, pausing her movements to simply pivot on his pride, squealing a little into his lips from the pleasure. She switches between the two every so often, wanting to give him all she can in this position.

Every time she squeals, his pounds her with another thrust, showing fully how much he loves her noises. Her tunnel is well slicked by her juices, and a small bit of his from earlier, smoothing the journey of going in and out of her. This angle also provides some new stimulation. While he normally fills her up completely and indeed this is still the case, now his head and length grinds along her treasure's wall towards their stomachs. It was really only a matter of time until he grinded along a particular section.

Her eyes snap open as he pushes against a certain sensitive spot inside her, throwing her head back in a loud cry of ecstasy.

His ears practically ring from her shout as he pulls almost all the way out of her and stops. "Are you okay, love?"

She groans, trying to push herself back onto his pride. "Y-yes! P-please, d-don't stop!"

He complies, plunging into her once more. He has the sense to start doing full and powerful thrusts, but has the unintentional side effect of grinding that spot on almost every entry now.

She moans sweetly, the sensations flooding her body in pleasure. She barely has the presence of mind to keep one eye partially open, her lidded gaze focused on his face, despite being pushed up the wall with each thrust.

Rhino feels the pressure building within him again in response to both the feeling and sounds of the nymph. "Almost there, love..." His thrusts bump into her harder and faster, her back never stopping as it slides up and down the wall. He leans forward and captures her mouth with his own again.

She eagerly kisses him back, moaning and squealing into it with every thrust. She absently remembers to move as well, pivoting around his pride at the peak of his thrust.

Suddenly, he thrusts, hard, one last time as he groans. He pins her both to the wall and in the air as his seed begins flooding into her, defying gravity with it's force as it shoots up into her, pressed against her deepest depths.

She coos softly, her eyes fluttering closed from the sensation. Her hooves grip him tightly, almost as if afraid to let him go.

Though his body is tense at the beginning of his release, as it goes on, he relaxes. His continuous kissing becomes more tender as opposed to passionate. His shaft continues unloading into her for a time, until finally the last spurt comes out, the falling water washing away the bits that make it out of her.

They stay like that for while, simply kissing under the flow of water. She eventually breaks it, panting quietly, a small, shy smile on her lips. "...that was...amazing, love..."

"Yes... it was..." His breathing is heavy as he nuzzles her. "How are you feeling?"

She nuzzles his cheek, giggling softly. "...a lot better, now...still a bit aroused, maybe...but that doesn't matter, right now..."

He lightly kisses the tip of her nose. "Oh? And what does matter right now?"

"That you reached your peak." She smiles as she states this in a matter-of-fact tone. "I want you to be happy, after all." She leans forward, playfully licking his nose.

He chuckles as he licks her back. "And I want you to be happy... So what would make you happy right now?"

She smiles coyly, nodding to the main room. "How about the bed? I could use some cuddling..." She winks, blushing slightly.

He nods. "Sounds good to me... let's get you down from here..." His horn lights up with magic and slips her off him, flipping her back over onto her hooves as his pride flops out in it's semi-erect state. He gently sets her down on the floor as he opens the door. "Ladies first."

Chapter 48: Looming

Rhino walks back to the front of the clinic, having just finished taking inventory of a few things. He looks to the desk with a smile as he sees Gel and the pets. "Having fun?"

The white mare looks up at him and giggles, her hoof continuing to rub Mercury's tummy. "I'd like to think so." She smiles kindly, nodding at him. "How about you?"

He shrugs, motioning to his clipboard as he sets it down on the desk. "Statistics, not the most engaging thing in Equestria."

She playfully pouts at him. "Aw, poor Rhino." She nuzzles him, letting out her fangs for a moment to teasingly nip his neck. "I could see about doing something special to help you feel better, if you'd like." Kind of like last night. She winks at him before turning to the clipboard.

I don't know whether to be scared or impressed that you're still up for anything after a night literally filled with it. He looks to the door. "I'm never sure how to feel about slow mornings like this."

Honestly, my mind and body are satisfied...if a little exhausted. She starts typing on her typewriter, Selena mimicking her with her own smaller one. "Well, it does give you time for catching up on the tiny things you miss, right?"

He nods. "I suppose so... Speaking of tiny things, you never did tell me where you managed to find that little typewriter for Selena."

"Oh, your mom and I got it at a school supply store." She waves a hoof nonchalantly. "Fillies and colts use them for the paper, and they had a few extra ones. So we just got it at a discount, too."

"Ah..." He looks at the kitten enjoying herself. "Heh... she sure does look like she's having fun... has she written anything interesting today?"

She shakes her head. "Not really. She's just copying what I write." She taps her chin, thinking about this a bit. "Maybe she's trying to get used to the smaller keys?"

Rhino shrugs as the door to the clinic opens and a familiar lavender unicorn walks in with an owl on her back.

Gel brightens up immediately, waving a hoof at her. "Hello, Miss Twilight!" She cranes her neck slightly before calming down a bit. ...aw...Spike isn't here with her... She clears her throat, smiling sheepishly. "H-how may we help you?"

Twilight smiles as she recognizes the two ponies. "I'd heard you worked here from Applejack, Rhino, but I didn't realize Angel worked here too. Nice to see you both again. I'm just here to get Owlowiscious a checkup." She motions to the owl on her back.

The white mare nods and turns to the filing cabinet, pulling out a folder with the lavender unicorn's name on it. "Here we are. Twilight Spar-" She pauses, staring at the name on the file. "...why is your assistant's name here, Miss Twilight?"

The librarian giggles nervously as she scratches the back of her head with a hoof. "Well... Spike may have been feeling a bit under the weather one day... and I may have checked pretty much every medical facility in town to try and find out what was wrong... The other doctor helped me that day."

She quirks an eyebrow at this but doesn't push it. "O-okay, then." She starts typing on a piece of paper, the kitten next to her copying every motion. "I-if you'll follow Rhino, he can help you with the checkup."

The two unicorns head to the back. As they get into the room, Rhino motions to a stand they have for bird patients and the owl promptly flies to it. Rhino gets out a few items as he starts to speak. "So, did anything prompt this visit?"

Twilight shakes her head. "Not really. Spike found a few of Owlowiscious' feathers and wondering if he was losing them, but I told him he was fine. This lead to Spike asking when was the last time Owlowiscious was ever seen by a vet and I couldn't answer so here we are."

Rhino nods as he puts the stethoscope on the bird's chest, causing it to shuffle its wings before settling down. "I see..." He takes the ends of the stethoscope out of his ears and shines a flashlight into the owl's wide eyes as he looks into them.

The mare watches for a time before speaking again. "So... I wanted to talk about what happened in the library last time we met."

Rhino remains casual as he raises one of Owlowiscious' talons and checks each claw. "What about it?"

Twilight continues. "Well... you know that alarm that went off and spooked that stallion?"

Rhino nods. "I do."

She tries to word her sentence carefully. "Well... that was a changeling detector that he set off... so he wasn't a stallion at all."

Rhino puts his acting skills to the test as he looks up in surprise. "He was a changeling?"

She holds up her hooves. "Don't worry, it hasn't gone off since, so i think he left town!" She clears her throat and composes herself. "I've adapted the detector now, it doesn't make that siren anymore since it's far too obvious... plus you know.. it tended to disable ponies..."

Rhino doesn't have to fake the wince he does as he remembers the evening of being mostly deaf. "Yeah... improvement was necessary. Out of curiosity though... how will you know when it goes off if it doesn't make a sound?"

Twilight explains. "I'm actually working on setting up a network of detectors strategically place around the town. When one of them goes off it will alert a central hub and tell me which one went off. I have a mini-scanner to carry and tell me when I'm close to one." She smiles at him. "Don't worry, no more changelings will be sneaking into Ponyville."

"Ah... good to know, Miss Sparkle." As the vet begins checking the bird's wings, he changes the subject. "Additionally Twilight, if Spike has any issues again, you might considering looking up a specialist. Dragons being as rare, secluded, and potentially dangerous as they are, general vets aren't trained for them."

"Oh!" Twilight's ears perk up at this new information. "Thanks, I'll be sure to do that!"

The stallion finishes up his examination quickly. "Alright, everything seems to be in top shape. A picture of perfect owl health... textbook, one might say."

The mare seems particularly fond of this complement. "Thank you very much. Do we just go up front to handle payment?"

Rhino nods. "Exactly." He brings his clipboard with him as he follows her back to the front.

Gel looks up as they return, smiling brightly. "Hello again, Miss Twilight. Everything go well?"

The purple unicorn nods. "Yes, everything went by the book." She giggles a little at her phrase.

She smiles at this, nodding and glancing at Rhino. "Glad to hear that." How much does an owl checkup cost? I don't think I've had to deal with one of those, before.

He thinks back to her. Standard pet fee chart, subsection: birds, subsection: predatory.

She nods and closes her eyes, quickly recalling the chart. She opens her eyes and smiles, nodding satisfactorily. "That will be thirty bits, Miss Twilight."

Twilight pays the required bits and waves goodbye as she leaves.

Rhino waits about a minute after the lavender mare exits before thinking a single sentence to Gel. We've got a problem.

***

Later, they're back at their home. Gel sits on their couch, eyes wide in shock and staring at the stallion standing in front of her. "...s-she...i-improved the detector?"

"Well... 'altered it' but yes..." He sits down next to her and puts a comforting hoof around her.

She trembles, leaning into the embrace. "...t-this isn't good...I-I mean, it is good, for them...b-but not for us..." She groans, holding her head in her forehooves. "...w-what are we going to do?"

He holds her tightly as he answers. "I don't know love... I have no idea what to do for the long run... In the short term though, Twilight was very specific about how her machine worked. Plus she said it isn't set up yet. We've at least got some time to think."

She sighs, pulling a hoof away to look up at him. "...I-I suppose that's always a good thing..." She closes her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder. "...we could use all the time we can get..."

He rubs her back with a hoof as he looks down at her with concern. "What do you think we should do?"

"...I-I don't know..." She bites her lip, trying to think. "...m-maybe...w-we can get somepony else on our side?" She rubs the side of her head. "...t-to attest to the fact I'm not dangerous? I-I don't know...t-the stress of this development is getting to me..."

He embraces her again. "Shh... it's alright, we'll get through this... We just have to think it through. We have to make sure we do it right. But... what do you mean, 'get somepony else on our side'? You mean reveal yourself?"

"...m-maybe..." She groans once more, shaking her head. "...I-I don't know...it sounded good when I said it..."

Rhino sighs. "I guess it was going to happen someday... Maybe we can ease a few ponies into it? Like Mane and Manila? They know you, and they're nice ponies."

Her ear twitches at this, and she looks up at him. "...m-maybe...i-it'd be nice to let some others know..." She flicks her tail, thinking a bit. "...b-but...w-what if they freak out?"

He looks down. "We can only try to talk them down... I'm worried about this because it's a gamble. We can't predict how ponies will react... even the ones we know best..."

"...s-still..." She sighs, gently nuzzling his cheek. "...i-it's better than just sitting around doing nothing, right?"

"Right..." His voice and face betray his worry. "But we shouldn't rush into this... there are precautions to take for everything."

"But we can't wait too long, love." She sits up, looking at him in concern. "Who knows when Miss Twilight will get her system running?"

"I know, I know..." He rubs the bridge of his nose. "But not preparing is just as bad as waiting too long... and we don't know when the perfect time is... Regardless, I think for now it would be best to avoid Twilight if we see her, and I mean at all. She's supposed to have a portable version of the detectors that can home in within a small radius... there's no telling when she'll have it on her..."

She quietly nods, sighing once more. "...you have a point, love...though I suppose she didn't have it on her, earlier today..."

He nods. "Yes... at least we got that grace..." He thinks for a bit. "What if we told Mane and Manila next Friday?"

She taps her chin, thinking about this a moment. "...I suppose that would be a good day...you promise you'll stay with me no matter what happens, love?"

He kisses her before answering. "Nothing can take you away from me."

She blushes softly, gently kissing him back. "...and I'll stay with you...you have my word on that..."

***

The group of five changelings finally see their destination in sight. What was normally a one day flight had been extended to a multi-day walk as 273 and 314 carried their three comrades for the first day until they could walk on their own. The Sergeant Major had to scrounge together a medicinal herb collar to place on his injured neck, the bright green makes a striking contrast to his dark chitin. After a few days of trekking, they had arrived at what appeared to be a spire of rock no different than any of the other sandy-colored rocks in the area.

But things aren't always as they appear.

The changelings instead see past the illusion because they know exactly what the tower really is. As they close in on it, the tower appears to shimmer in their eyes before becoming a glossy and dark monolith of chitin. The group walks into the opening on the lowest part of the tower.

Inside, sitting at a table, they see a changeling similar to many of the highest ranking officers in that he is an elite. His overall appearance has a yellow tinge to it, his wings are noticeably larger than those of normal changelings, though his horn is smaller and his frame is thinner.

The soldiers salute their superior. "Brigadier General Flick, sir!" The Sergeant Major doesn't say anything due to his injury preventing him from doing much other than gurgle.

The changeling salutes them briefly before smirking, tilting his head to one side. "It appears the target has more spunk than you expected, hmm?" He motions to the Sergeant Major, chuckling a bit.

273 looks down. "It... wasn't just him, sir. His capture was actually going fairly smoothly when there was a... complication."

"Oh?" He quirks an eyebrow, the smirk dropping from his face. "You have me intrigued, Sergeant. Tell me, what is this complication of yours?"

He nods. "It's the Colonel, sir. She wasn't under her target's control. In fact, it appears she fell for him and is there of her own free will. Astoundingly sir, it appears he feels the same for her, as he wasn't surprised when he saw her normal form."

He stands there quietly for a moment before nodding. "That is...unfortunate. We'll have to relay this intel to the other Generals before we can decide what needs to be done." He turns away, sighing quietly. "Good work, soldiers."

273 coughs lightly as a bruise on his ribs pains him. "Umm, sir? If I may ask, we were wounded in this last battle, some more severely than others, might we take a few days to recover here at the outpost before heading back to the hive?"

He quickly spins around, smirking slightly. "You can recover here, but you aren't going to leave. Not yet." He walks over to the opening, tapping the side of it with a hoof. "We might need you to debrief us on everything that happened. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

Chapter 49: Redemption

After wandering around town for a bit, the couple arrives at a small house near the center of town. The disguised changeling cranes her neck to see the number on the mailbox and nods, putting down the fruit basket in her mouth. "...this should be the place..."

Rhino nuzzles the mare lovingly. "Just so you know, no matter what happens, I'm very proud of you for continuing to try and be friends with Silk... especially on a Saturday morning."

She sheepishly smiles at him. "T-thanks." She quickly picks the basket back up and walks to the front door. I just hope she won't try to hit on you again. She knocks on the door before taking a step back next to her stallion to wait.

A voice calls from within the house. "Coming!" A sequence of hoofsteps can be heard approaching the door as well as a little muttering. "Now I wonder who that could be..." The door opens to reveal the familiar form of the purple-maned yellow pegasus. She looks genuinely surprised as she looks at the two of them. "Oh! Hello..."

Gel puts down the basket, shyly smiling. "H-hi, Silk. I-I know it's unexpected for us to be here, but...um..." She trails off, her nerves getting the better of her. She shakily pushes the container forward. "F-for you."

Silk looks down at the gift with wide eyes. "Oh my..." She gives the fruit a sniff. "These smell delicious..." She straightens back up as she looks at the mare and stallion. "What's the occasion?"

Gel smiles softly, waving a hoof. "N-no real reason. J-just wanted to see a good friend, right?" She turns to Rhino, her eyes pleading as she realizes she still feels too awkward around her former boss.

Rhino clears his throat. "May we come in?"

Silk hesitates before answering. "Oh, yes! Come in." She takes the basket in her teeth before heading back into her home and leaving the door open for the two ponies.

The white mare sighs softly before walking inside, glancing around the house quietly. ...this place is rather...cozy...if a bit small...

Single mare, probably doesn't need much when it's just her and her kitten. Rhino takes up the rear of the three pony congo train until they reach the living room.

Silk motions to the couch. "Please, makes yourselves at home." She sets the basket down on the coffee table while she settles in a comfy chair next to a basket of what looks like knitting supplies.

Gel sits herself down, quiet for a few moments before nervously speaking up. "N-nice place you have here, Silk."

Silk looks at the disguised changeling a moment before looking back down at the basket. "Thank you... Mittens and I are very comfortable here." Her ears perk up as she looks beside the couch. "Oh, speaking of which..."

The kitten in question looks up curiously at the two extra ponies in his home. His eyes focus on Rhino as he mews and jumps up into his lap, rubbing against one of his forehooves.

Silk giggles, less tense than she was. "Sorry, I guess he likes you." She frowns for a quick moment as she mutters barely perceptibly. "Not that I could blame him..."

Gel obviously misses this, smiling at the cute little feline. "...he's adorable..." She giggles, just watching him for a moment before turning to the other mare. "...s-so...h-how have things been?"

Silk feathers ruffle as she shrugs. "Oh... you know... the usual really... The cafe's doing well..." She plucks a bunch of grapes from the basket with a wing and pops one into her mouth. She looks like she has something to say, but isn't ready to spit it out yet.

In the meantime, Rhino has begun petting the kitten as he observes the scene and Mittens is purring up a storm because of it.

The disguised changeling sighs in relief. "That's always good to hear. I was worried I..." She trails off, clearing her throat sheepishly. "A-anyways, I-I was wondering if...w-well..." She bites her lip, finding it hard to finish her thought.

Silk eats another grape as she looks up at the other mare and her stallion. She sees the mare's honest face and sighs, her whole body seeming to droop. "Angel..."

She squeaks, looking up at the pegasus, her whole body tense. "Y-yes, Silk?"

The pegasus suddenly begins fiddling with her wings. "No no, sorry, you were going to say something... you first..."

She quirks an eyebrow at this but holds out a hoof, smiling kindly. "W-what you have to say matters more, right now. P-please, you first."

Silk's eyes are sad as she looks at the offered hoof. Suddenly she blurts out, "I'm sorry!" She hides under her wings afterwards.

This catches Gel off-guard, causing her to stare for a moment before responding. "...w-what?"

Silk's voice comes quietly from behind her wings. "I'm sorry... "I'm sorry for everything... "I'm sorry I fired you... I'm sorry I tried to steal your stallion... I'm sorry I was mean to you... I'm so so sorry..." A sniff follows this little episode.

For a moment, there is no reaction. Then a pair of hooves gently wraps around the pegasus. Gel smiles kindly, rubbing the mare's back. "...I forgive you, Silk...we all make mistakes, after all..." She tenderly nuzzles the mare's cheek, giggling softly. "...it just takes a better pony to acknowledge them..."

Silk sniffs again. "You and being nice... you could drown a pony in that stuff with how much you heap it on them, you know..." She sighs as she wipes her eyes with her feathers. "Good thing I haven't put my makeup on yet..." She giggles lightly.

The white mare rolls her eyes playfully. "I believe I've told you before..." She bumps her shoulder with a hoof. "...you don't need makeup..." She turns to Rhino, smiling softly. "Don't you agree?"

Rhino smiles warmly, still petting the kitten as he looks on at the scene. "Well, I'm a bit biased by I've always been more of a fan of the natural look."

Gel nods at this before turning to her former boss. "...Silk...the real reason I came here was...to ask if you'd be my friend, again..." She smiles softly, holding her hoof out once more. "...will you?"

Silk sniffs one more time before giving a hopeful smile. "Even after everything I did... you still want to be friends? Why?"

"Because I knew you were acting out of pain." She puts a hoof on top of the pegasus's. "I've seen how kind you are. How generous. I can forgive a spur-of-the-moment action for my best friend."

Silk embraces Gel with hooves and wings. "Best friend huh? I guess only a best friend would be as wonderful as you've been... Thank you..." She leans back a bit so she can look the mare in the face. "You know, you could have your old job back, if you wanted..."

Gel thinks about this for a moment. "...well, I'm happy with my job...but I suppose...it'd be nice to have a bit more income..." She looks to her coltfriend a moment. Do you think weekends could work? I mean, it would mean less time together...but the bits would help with raising a family, right?

Rhino frowns ever so slightly, his thoughts come out slowly, as if he were wording them carefully. Well... I admit I've gotten used to having you around all the time... and I like to think, as a doctor, I can support us even if you were to not have a job at all. As much as I love the uniform... you know I can get a bit jealous and protective of you... I don't know how to feel about others hitting on you... He shakes his head to clear it. But, considering the possible exposure threats right now, I'm not comfortable having you away from me at the moment... maybe we could discuss this at a later date?

She nods at him before turning back to Silk. "C-can I please get back to you on that?"

Silk nods as she waves a hoof. "It's a standing offer so don't feel pressured into answering." She fidgets a bit, but smiles. "It's... good to be friends again..."

"Agreed." She nuzzles her one last time before heading back over to her seat beside Rhino. A thought comes to her. "...hey, maybe you'd like to come over one of these days?" She motions to the kitten on her stallion's lap. "I know Selena would like to see her friend again."

Mittens decides this is the time to switch ponies as he jumps off Rhino's lap and walks over to his owner, mewing.

Silk picks up the little calico and starts petting him as she answers Gel. "I think that would be wonderful..."

She beams, clapping her hooves together. "That's wonderful! How does Wednesday afternoon sound?" She smiles, pulling out a notebook and preparing to write this down.

The pegasus simply shakes her head and giggles. "Always with the journals... Sure, Wednesday afternoon sounds lovely." She picks up the kitten and holds him in front of her face, "Isn't that right, Mittens? You want to see your friend?"

The kitten mews happily.

Gel nods, sighing softly and jotting this down. "Perfect!" She puts it away before turning to Rhino, smiling kindly. "Anything you'd like to add?" She keeps herself from saying a certain word, not wanting to agitate their rekindled friendship.

Rhino holds up his hooves. "I'm good. This was about you two, and I'm very happy you were able to get past everything."

Gel nods before standing up. "So am I." She thinks a bit before turning to the pegasus. "I can't think of anything else, so I guess we should go. He's going to teach me how to swim." She blushes slightly, embarrassed she just blurt that out.

Silk eyes twinkle as she raises an eyebrow and speaks in a suggestive voice. "Oh is he now? Well, I would want to keep you away from that." She giggles. "Do actually try to learn, no partially drowning just see he can give you mouth-to-mouth."

The white mare looks mortified at this. "W-what? I-I wouldn't do that!" She turns her head to the side, muttering to herself. "He doesn't like the thought of me being hurt..."

The pegasus just continues giggling. "Just a joke, dear. He just seems like he'd enjoy playing the hero." She winks. "Well, I guess you've something you need to do, and I should start getting ready for work. I'm looking forward to Wednesday though!" She leads them back out of the house and waves goodbye as they start to walk away.

Gel waves over her shoulder, smiling softly. She turns to Rhino, her smile turning into a playful smirk. I have to wonder if she's onto something there, love. You do seem like that type. She winks at him, her tail entwining with his.

He looks away coyly. Maybe I've entertained the thought or two about saving my beautiful maiden from unknown dangers... but the thought of her being in danger in the first place usually sobers the euphoria right up and makes... other... emotions more prevalent.

Her smile quickly fades and she tenderly kisses his cheek. Well, that means I have another roleplaying option we won't do. I want to be sure they don't upset you, after all.

Well, now don't go throwing it out the window yet. He nuzzles her lovingly. I said I still like the thought of saving, just not the thought of what I'm saving you from. It just needs to be played right.

She blinks at this, tapping her chin as she considers this. If you say so... She giggles, pausing and turning his head to peck his lips. ...who knows? Maybe you could play a knight rescuing his princess.

***

Later, the two are at their little private lake again. Rhino is setting up the towels and basket while Gel is pulling her swimsuit out of her bag. As the stallion finishes setting up, he looks over to the nymph who still hasn't donned her suit. "Do you want me to look away or something so you can change?"

She blinks, turning to look at him, sheepishly smiling. "S-sorry, I guess I was...lost in my thoughts..." She clears her throat and gestures for him to turn around. "I-if you could be so kind."

He obliges, turning around and resisting the urge to have his ears turned around so he can hear her getting dressed.

She sighs softly and quickly starts to get dressed. With a quiet snap, she finishes and turns to him. Suddenly, a thought occurs to her and, with a playful smirk, she quietly walks forward and nips his neck, giggling softly. "Ready, love."

He jumps a little bit, but laughs all the same. "So I see... but ready for what, I wonder." He winks before starting into the lake and motioning her to follow.

She quickly follows him, stopping when the water reaches her stomach. She hesitates for a moment, unsure what to do.

He immediately hears when her journey through the water stops. He turns around and heads back towards her. He takes one of her hooves in his own. "Don't worry love, we're not going any deeper than we did last time."

She shakily nods, gripping his hoof. "...o-okay, Rhino...i-if you say so..."

He leads her into the level of water they were at last time, where it just covers their backs. Well, her back, since his is higher. He lets go of her hoof and steps a short distance away from her in the same level of water. "I've got two things planned today, first we're going to get you used to moving in water this deep. Just walk towards me, I'll keep moving around but if I see you having trouble, I'll zip in to help, alright?"

She slowly nods, making her way over to him. She shivers at the sensation of water flowing through her legs. She takes a few seconds, but she eventually reaches him, giving him a small smile.

He quickly kisses her on the lips before moving away again. "Come on, keep coming. You can do it."

She follows him as quickly as possible, starting to get used to the sensations.

The two continue this for a time, until she can follow him almost as quickly as he can move backwards through the water. He beams and embraces her as she reaches him again. "You're doing great, love! Do you feel up to being taught one way to swim now?"

She blinks at this, thinking a bit before smiling softly and nodding. "...s-sure...a-as long as you'll help me if I fall..."

"Of course." He moves away from her and moves a short distance away, but toward noticeable deeper water. He stops at a point where the water is halfway up his neck, so Gel would be treading water when she gets to this point. "Alright, now just come out to me, and when you feel your hooves leave the ground, just keep acting like you're walking. Don't flail, it'll only tire you out."

She shakily nods, starting to move towards him. She reaches the point where her hooves have to leave the surface and her face falls into the water. Spluttering, she pushes with her hooves, gasping softly and hacking a bit, forcing herself to stand on her hindlegs as she recovers.

Rhino immediately zips towards her and holds her as she catches her breath. "It's okay, it's okay. I've got you. Though something does occur to me that we need to make sure of before we try that again."

She breathes heavily for a few seconds, letting her heart rate go back down before responding. "W-what is that?"

"Well..." His voice is a bit sheepish. "I probably should have made sure you're actually buoyant before getting you into deeper water..."

She stays silent for a few moments, thinking about this. "...I-I never really thought about that...c-chitin is rather dense..."

He nods. "Well, yes, but bones can be dense too. I've carried you so I know you don't way too much... but it's the net amount of liquids less dense than water plus the gases inside you that determine if you float or not. So... what are your insides like, for lack of a better way to say that."

She taps her chin, thinking about this a bit. "...well...we have muscles, organs...we have most of the same parts as ponies..." She raises a hoof. "We do have less volume for the same amount of weight. Does that make a difference?"

He thinks. "Technically that makes you more dense, and as much as I would like to sit here and discuss the various differences such as the fact that your muscles likely attach to your exoskeletons in order for you to move because you don't have bones to attach them to like ponies, I think there is a simple way to check if you are buoyant or not... but you might not like it."

She shivers slightly, still a little nervous but nods with a small smile. "O-okay, Rhino. I-I trust you."

He dips his head in the water and comes up under her in a way that flips her onto her back while laying on his. "Ok, what I'm gonna do is slowly crouch down into the water, as we get lower, you should eventually start to float on your back, if the water gets all the way up your body and halfway up your head, just tap my side and I'll stand back up. Okay?"

She nods at this and he slowly starts to lower himself. She can feel the water climb up the sides of her body, causing her to tremble in anticipation. It eventually covers her body, causing her heart to hammer away in her chest as the level starts to go up her neck. She whimpers but holds still as the water continues to climb. Just before it reaches her jawline, she feels him pulling away, her body not sinking any further. She blinks, unsure what to think of this.

Rhino's head pops out of the water next to her. "Well, there you go. You can float. Remember that if you ever find yourself wondering which way is up." He lightly pushes her in the direction of the shore and chuckles as she floats that way. "Lying on your back is also a good way to rest."

She nods and gasps softly, finally remembering to breathe. As she does this, the water level actually falls around her body, revealing a bit of her chest. "...t-that's good to know..."

He swims up to her. "Are you still up for learning the basic doggy paddle swim?"

She thinks about this for a moment before nodding, wrapping her forelegs around him. "S-sure...as long as we can cuddle afterwards..." She smiles playfully at him, leaning up and kissing the tip of his nose. "Deal?"

He smiles at her. "Like you even need to ask."

Chapter 50: Magic Duel

Rhino and Gel are enjoying their Sunday at home with their pets. Specter and Mercury are currently pinning him to the ground while Gel is playing with Selena, when suddenly a deep loud 'thud' echoes from all around.

The changeling squeaks, quickly standing up and rushing over to a side window. "W-what was that?" She pulls the shade open slightly, leaping back at the sight. "...R-Rhino...w-why is there a glass wall outside our house?"

"What?" Rhino flips over as he approaches the window and looks out it. "Please tell me one of our neighbors just decided to build a greenhouse or something..."

She rushes over to the kitchen, throwing open the curtains there. She stares up at the sky, her jaw agape. "...n-not unless the greenhouse includes...a-all of Ponyville..." She points a shaky hoof towards the window. "...l-look..."

Rhino looks and sees she's correct. A giant dome of glass encompasses the entire town, it's edge landing squarely in their backyard. Even as they look, dark clouds begin to appear at the top of the dome. "That doesn't look good..."

Gel can only nod in silent agreement.

***

The two quickly leave the house, Gel disguised as Angel, and heads towards the center of town where everypony seems to be going. When they get there, they see the Element Bearers, minus Twilight, holding each other as a blue unicorn mare with a strange necklace goes around forcing ponies to do her bidding. She makes them hang up post, bring her things, and overall makes them miserable.

The mare steps over to a red-headed mare, sneering at her. "Where are the blue roses? The Great and Powerful Trixie demands you give them to her!"

The cream coated mare cowers from the loud unicorn. "I'm sorry! I don't have any! I have to special order those!"

The unicorn snorts, turning away from the poor pony. "Have them by the end of the day."

The mare raises a hoof after the blue pony. "But I can't! It takes them a week to get here!"

"Then I guess you'll spend time in the dungeon until they get here." She swiftly points at Rhino, frowning slightly. "You! Get to work on my dungeon!"

The stallion is taken aback, already frowning at the mare from how she was treating Roseluck. "What? Why would I listen to you?!"

She scowls at him, marching forward and glaring up at him. "Because, if you don't, I'll turn you into a foal and banish you!"

Gel grits her teeth and steps in front of her stallion, glaring daggers at this rude mare. "Nopony talks to him like that." She growls, narrowing her eyes dangerously. "No. Pony."

Trixie rolls her eyes, annoyed by the interruption. "You first, then." She blasts the white mare, grinning as the magic takes effect. Her smile starts to fade when the blonde pony doesn't stop shrinking, ending up the size of a tennis ball. "...well. That was unexpected." She turns and leaves, pointing a hoof at Rhino in warning.

Rhino growls as he watches the mare leave, one part of him screaming to go after her and hold her down demanding she turn Gel back. Another part makes him look at the little foal in front of him. He knows what he has to do and quickly takes little Gel in his mouth and heads back to the house.

They arrive quickly, Rhino shutting all the blinds and locking all the doors before going back to the living room and setting Gel down on the floor in front of him. His eyes are full of concern as he strokes her tiny mane with a hoof. "Couldn't let her turn me too... who would take care of you? I wonder if you're stuck as Angel or if you can still change..."

Almost as if answering his question, a cobalt blue flame envelops her tiny form. She looks up at him with vibrant, pure-blue eyes partly hidden by a short mane. She coos and takes his hoof in her smooth, navy hooves, nibbling on it with fangs no larger than their kitten's. She seems content with this, her short blue tail flicking behind her.

"Well, I guess that answers that." As she continues nibbling his face slowly changes to that of a fatherly figure. "I suppose this isn't so bad..." He picks up the tiny pupa and holds her in his forelegs as she continues chewing on his hoof. "Awww... just as cute as I thought you'd be..."

She squirms around in his grip, flipping over and climbing up his foreleg, her tiny wings buzzing in brief intervals, as if trying to take off. The whole time she coos and laughs, as if he was one big jungle gym.

He chuckles, unable to not laugh with the infant. "Well, at least you're happy." As she reaches his shoulder, he carefully lays down on his stomach to make sure she doesn't fall from too high if she slips. "What are you going to do up there anyway?"

She crawls to the center of his back and curls up, a small smile on her lips. Then she speaks up, talking in the most adorable little voice a changeling can. "...mister pony soft..."

"Awwww..." He coos due to her voice. "Now why do you have to go back there and say things like that? I can't hug you for them when you're back there..."

His only response is some light snoring as the tiny blue changeling falls asleep on his back.

He sighs as he shakes his head. "And here I was starting to enjoy this..." He carefully stands up and starts to head upstairs. "Let's at least put you on the bed so you're comfortable." As he enters his room, all three pets already occupying it all turn to look at him. "Oh... right..." He slowly lifts up the nymph with magic and sets her snuggly on a pillow. "Can you three stay quiet for a bit? She needs to sleep."

Selena nods before turning to give the other two a questioning look.

Specter nods as well, but Mercury gives them both a look that very clearly says 'How are you two not more concerned about this?!'.

Selena rolls her eyes. 'Have you seen what's been going on, outside?'

Mercury tilts his head. 'No, I was asleep, what did I miss?'

Specter shakes his head. 'In short, crazy stuff.'

The kitten nods in agreement before turning to the ball of cute currently curled up in the middle of the pillow. 'Let's hope that whatever this is isn't permanent.'

Rhino carefully lays down with his head on the pillow next to Gel's. He exhales loudly. "Well... what do you three think about all this?"

Selena bounds over to her typewriter and quickly puts forward a single word - "uncanny".

Rhino raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

She types some more. 'She smells like Mom, but she looks entirely different.'

The stallion leans back more into the pillow. "Yeah... that actually is your mom, dear... Some power-crazy unicorn did this and I don't know how to reverse it... but I figured we just needed some privacy for now."

The kitten begins to nod before stopping, staring up at his mane in surprise.

At that exact moment, a tiny pair of fangs sink into his horn.

Rhino's fur stands on end as he quickly grabs the tiny changeling and sets her on his chest. "Phew... you're lucky your fangs are tiny... that could have really hurt..."

She coos happily, rolling around on his fur before running up and tapping his nose. "Boop!" She leaps off the bed and runs out of the room, giggling excitedly all the while.

He blinks as he looks after her for a moment. "Talk about a power nap..." He quickly roll off the bed and exits the room to try and keep track of the energetic infant.

When he reaches the hallway, the little changeling is already out of sight, hidden behind a potted plant and peeking out at him when she thinks he isn't looking.

As he looks around, he spots the little bit of movement out the corner of his eye. With a small smirk, he puts a hoof to his chin as he speaks. "Now where could she have gone? I don't see her anywhere." He slowly starts walking down the hall towards her hiding spot.

She covers her mouth with a hoof, giggling to herself.

He stops, standing right next to the plant. "I wonder where I should look next... maybe..." he suddenly dips his head down and peeks around the pot, "here!"

She squeals and runs down the hall, laughing happily. She stops at the stairs, eyes wide in surprise at how large the steps are.

Rhino walks up and lays down next to her, just looking down the stairs like she's doing. After a moment, he nuzzles her affectionately, just because.

She smiles brightly, wrapping her forelegs around his head and hugging him happily. "Rhino fun."

His heart practically melts at this as he gently hugs her back with a foreleg. "Well thank you Gel, and you are probably one of the most adorable things I've ever seen." He looks down the stairs again. "Did you want to go down there?"

She nods, looking at him hopefully. "Yes, peas."

He picks her up by the scruff of her neck and sets her on his back before walking down the stairs, the pets watching curiously from the top of them. As they reach the bottom, he looks back at her to see where she wants to go.

She points to the door, smiling happily at him. "Outside!"

He flinches. "Oh, umm... that's not the best idea, little one... we can't let anypony see you..." He turns around and heads towards the back. "Maybe just the backyard?"

She pouts at him, upset for a moment before sighing. "...outside peas, Rhino..."

He cringes. "Please don't look at me like that... it breaks my heart. The backyard is still outside you know."

She nods, smiling playfully. "I know, Rhino."

He raises an eyebrow at her as they heads towards the back. "If you know, then what was the guilt trip for?"

She nuzzles the back of his neck, giggling happily. "Rhino cute when nervous."

Rhino rolls his eyes as he sighs exasperatedly. "Even as a foal..." He opens the door and walks out into the yard with his passenger. "Ok, now what?"

She points to the top of a tree, grinning excitedly. "Res!"

He makes sure the tree is leafy enough to cover them once they get up there before nodding. "Ok, hold on." His circles appear on both the bottom of his hooves and on his back under her. He starts walking up the trunk, side-stepping branches and before long they are at the top, his grip noticeably stronger than it was when they started.

She cheers, flailing her forelegs happily. "Thanks, Rhino!" She turns and grabs one of the fruits nearby before biting into it, humming happily.

He chuckles. "Anything for you little one... I didn't know you liked pears though. I would have thought the love I've been giving you would have filled you up."

"Too young for love." She takes another bite, as if her response would be good enough, before continuing a few seconds later. "That's what daddy says."

"Oh.... good to know." Rhino looks back out over the town, frowning as he sees the still present dome, now filled with dark clouds. Throughout the town he can see red banners and even a few statues of the mare who did this to Gel.

She looks at him before turning to follow his gaze, frowning slightly. "...Trixie is a mean pony."

"Yes... yes she is... but she'll get what's coming to her, you'll see. Then you'll be back to normal." He nuzzles her again. "But in the meantime, I enjoy this little form of yours."

She giggles, gently nipping the tip of his nose. "Happy you say that."

He chuckles as he touches the tip of his nose to hers. "You are a little nipper sometimes, you know that? But maybe that's just the foal habit of putting things in your mouth."

"Pupa." She playfully licks his nose. "I like you." She glances out over the city before spotting a gray mare flying nearby. "Look, Miss Ditzy!" She waves happily, grinning widely. "Hi, Miss Ditzy!"

Rhino instantly tenses as he grabs Gel and tucks her close to his chest. He ducks down in what small leaf coverage there is and hopes his coat helps him blend in enough while his mane doesn't give him away.

Gel wriggles in his grasp, confused and a little worried at the action. She does hear the flapping of wings coming closer, though.

Ditzy smiles as she hovers next to the tree. "Hi Rhino! Why are you in a tree? Did Trixie put you there?"

Realizing he was spotted, but Gel wasn't, Rhino pops his head out. "Umm, no, she didn't, but I'm glad she didn't do anything to you."

The pegasus giggles. "Yeah, I think she was thinking about it but then my eyes crossed and when I uncrossed them she was walking away saying something about not tempting fate."

Gel tries to escape his grip, wanting to talk to the mare. "What did she mean?"

Ditzy shrugs before she puts on a thoughtful face. "Wait... who said that?"

Rhino quickly responds. "Nopony."

She giggles, shaking her head. "You're right, there..."

Ditzy wings flap faster for a moment, causing her to bob in place. "There it was again!" She narrows her eyes at the stallion. "Are you trying to mess with me?"

Rhino shakes his head. "Of course not."

The young changeling finally gets free and climbs up on top of his head, beaming brightly at the mare. "Hello, Miss Ditzy!"

The mare's eyes cross for a moment before she smiles. "Aww, hello cutie!" She looks down at the unicorn. "Rhino, who is this?"

Rhino panics for a moment before he comes up with a brilliant plan. "Well, this is... Angel. Trixie zapped her earlier and now she's... like this."

She holds up a hoof, giggling happily. "You look cute confused, Miss Ditzy!"

Ditzy giggles as she touches hooves with the tiny changeling. "Why thank you, it's nice of you to say that."

"You're welcome!" She then leans forward and starts nibbling on Rhino's horn once more.

The stallion winces once before he gets used to the sensation. "She can talk, and yet she still bites things..."

Ditzy giggles. "Yes, they do that. Well, I need to get back to my house to make sure everypony is alright. Good luck!" She flies off.

She waves at the mare before letting go, giggling happily. "That was nice."

Rhino waits another moment sticking the pupa back onto his back. "Yes, it was also too close for my liking. We can't chance anypony else seeing you." He starts back down the tree. "We're going back inside." A small random thought occurs to him as he turns back around to see her. "Just to make sure, you don't need diapers or anything right?"

She thinks for a bit. "...well...I don't think so..." She sticks her tongue out at him. "When I'm older, I'll explain."

"That... is a very strange sentence..." Rhino walks back inside and closes and locks the door, instantly relaxing as he completes this. "Well... I don't know about you... but I need a drink after that."

"May I have some apple juice?" She looks up at him, giving his doe eyes. "Pwetty peas?"

He looks away quickly. "Alright alright, just stop with the weaponized cuteness!" He sets her down on the counter as he digs the drinks out of the fridge. He pours himself his usual tall glass and pours a small cup of juice for her. "I don't have any sippy cups so just try to not spill as much as you can, okay?"

She tilts her head to the side, confused. "...sippy cups? What are those?"

He explains. "Spill-proof cups for young ponies to prevent messes."

She gives him a bemused look, gesturing to herself. "Rhino, I'm cup-size. We couldn't hold those."

"Oh..." He looks to the cup he poured and realizes it's actually slightly bigger than her. "Right... erm... oh!" He digs in one of the drawers and emerges victoriously with a straw. "Here we go." He angles the bendy straw and places its end in the cup.

She beams happily, sucking happily at the straw, her neck craned so she can reach it.

Rhino observes quietly how the changeling does a sort of licking and sucking hybrid movement that reminds him of a suckling youngling of many species. The sight makes him smile fondly.

She pulls away, wiping her mouth off with a hoof. "Thank you, Rhino!"

He leans down to the little one no bigger than one of his eyes. "You're welcome Gel." He nuzzles her again and she clamps onto his muzzles with her hooves. He chuckles as he lets her stay there. "So, what did you want to do next?"

She taps her hoof against his cheek, thinking a bit. "...I don't know...play make-believe?" She smiles winningly at him, hoping he will say yes.

He smiles at the tiny nymph on his nose. "I always thought that was a wonderful game." He stand up and lets her stay on his nose while he brings her over to the couch. "So what are we make-believing?"

"Maybe you can be a knight!" She giggles, hopping off his muzzle and onto the sofa cushion. "And I'll be a princess!" She does a little curtsy before falling on her face, laughing playfully. "Silly pupa."

"I see you still have your love of roleplay." He bends down in a bow. "What would you have your knight do, my princess?"

"The princess would like her loyal knight to..." She thinks for a bit before a sparkle comes to her eyes. "Bring her cream puffs!"

"I accept this quest gladly!" Rhino proclaims with a determined voice. He marches into the kitchen and quickly locates the pantry where Gel has kept a small supply of cream puffs since she found them at Pinkie's welcome party. He returns with one of them, easily about half Gel's current size, on a plate and sets it next to her. "I have returned, milady. Does this please you?"

"Verily." She giggles and bites into the pastry, a small amount of cream leaking out of one side. "Thank you, my knight. You may join me in feasting upon this..." She trails off and shakes her head, blushing softly. "...I'm not good with this...the words are having difficulty coming out..."

Rhino chuckles. "It's fine Gel." He takes a small bit of the treat and pops it into his mouth. "It's make believe, so you make the rules."

"...no, I mean..." She taps her chin. "...I'm having trouble with the words, themselves...in my...head..."

Rhino tilts his head. "I'm... not sure what you mean..."

She groans, shaking her head. "...I can't even explain it..." She picks up the light pastry and continues to eat it, upset.

The stallion gently grabs the pupa and her pastry, cradling them in his arms. "Shh... I've got you... it'll be okay..."

She blushes brightly, pulling the pastry out of her mouth. She opens it as if to speak but apparently decides against it, sucking on the treat once more.

Rhino waits patiently, simply holding her until she finishes the treat. He strokes her tiny mane gently as he looks at her questioningly. "Feeling better?"

She nods, patting her full belly. "Much better."

He nuzzles her. "And your head?"

"Still fuzzy." She sighs, resting her head on her forehooves. "...it's like my mind is having a hard time with words...I'm glad I could speak when I was this age..."

He playfully tickles her belly. "Me too, though the baby sounds are awfully cute." He takes note of her appearance. "As is the fact that you managed to get a good amount of that cream puff on you..."

She shrugs. "It's sweet and cold. I like it."

"Fair enough... but I do need to clean you up, especially before I put you on anymore of the furniture." He carries her in his foreleg and walks on his other three to the kitchen.

She tilts her head at this, curious. "What are we doing in here?"

"Cleaning you, like I said." He brings her over to the sink and sets her on the counter next to it before turning on the water and bringing out a washcloth.

"No! No baths!" She tries to run off, her sticky forehooves getting the counter messy.

Rhino neatly picks her up with his magic. "I know, no baths. I'm going to do something different." He runs the water until there is just short of an inch of it in the sink before he turns it off. He swishes the washcloth around in the water before bringing the pupa over and hovering her above the water. "See? It's more of a clean puddle than anything else."

She glances at it then back up at him, still a little hesitant. "...i-if you say so..."

He sets her down in the water, the level barely reaching the tops of her tiny legs. Rhino brings up the wet cloth as he looks to her. "Ready?"

Her ears fold back against her head but she nods, closing her eyes to keep anything from getting in them.

The stallion gently wipes everywhere on the pupa, the cream coming off easily. He dips the cloth in the water a few times before going back to wiping her down. Within about two minutes, he is done. "There we go, that wasn't so bad was it?" He lifts her out and sets her on a dry towel.

She shakes herself dry, smiling softly at him. "...I suppose not..."

He brings up the towel and dries her more thoroughly so she isn't damp. "Good, but since you were mopey,what do you want to do next?"

"I want to play in the park." She frowns, her ears drooping slightly. "...but we can't go there, right now..."

He nuzzles her. "I'm sorry about that... you know it's dangerous... maybe I can bring whatever part of the park you wanted here?"

She blinks at this, confused. "...w-what do you mean, Rhino?"

He sits down in front of the tiny nymph on the counter. "Well, what did you want to do at the park?"

"Have a picnic, lay down in the sun, try and see if Trixie's there to give her a what-for...that sort of thing..." She smiles brightly at him, hoping he doesn't pay too much attention to her list.

Unfortunately for her, he does. "Well, you're pretty stuffed right now, we were already outside in the sun, though there seems to be less and less of it as those clouds build up, and I sort of agree with you on that last one, but I don't want to risk you for revenge, not when something worse could happen." He picks her up in his forelegs and hugs her again. "Gotta keep you safe now more than ever."

She sighs softly, gently hugging him back. "...you're right...I hope this ends soon, though..."

He smiles. "What? Tired of being tiny already?"

"...no..." She grabs his hoof, nuzzling it longingly. "...tired of not being able to hold you properly..."

He looks down at the pupa with curiosity. "Well... you were talking like a baby earlier, but I swear your speech is getting back to normal as time goes on... maybe that's a good sign?"

"...hopefully..." She sighs, her mind drifting and absently nibbling on the tip of his hoof.

The day slowly passes, the two staying in the shelter of their home and Gel slowly getting more and more well-spoken, though still retaining her form. After a while, the two find themselves in the familiar position of Rhino laying on his back on the couch with Gel curled up on his chest.

She sighs contentedly, nuzzling his fur happily. "...this was nice...a day alone..." She looks at one of her hooves, frowning slightly. "...wish it was under better circumstances..."

"Yes... hopefully our next one won't be quite so odd..." Neither of them notice as the glass dome over the city disappears.

"...you know...this would go great as another entry in my journal!" She beams before her smile falters slightly, a thought occurring to her. "...I wish I could use magic for that..."

He idly strokes her mane. "Well, I would offer to scribe for you, but I feel your journals are your thing so you probably want to be the one to write in them."

She shakes her head. "...no. You should help with them." She motions to herself. "At least, until I'm back to normal."

As soon as she says this, the light of the sun peeks through the blinds and hits her, showing the lack of clouds in the sky. As the pupa looks up at the window, there is suddenly a popping noise and she is back to her normal size.

She blinks, dazed from the sudden change. "...n-never mind..." She falls off him and onto the floor, the sudden change in blood flow getting to her. "...pretty stars..."

Rhino rolls off the couch next to her. "Woah there love, take it easy, let yourself adjust back to normal..."

She shakes her head, holding a hoof to her temple. "...o-okay, love..."

The two wait for a few minutes before he checks on her. "How are you?"

"...much better..." She slowly gets up, leaning against him for support. She stands quietly for a few moments before looking at him, smiling softly. "...you know...I remember everything from today..."

He raises an eyebrow. "Oh? And what have you to say about it?"

She smirks, tenderly nuzzling his cheek. "...you'll make a great father, love..."

He smiles, nuzzling her back. "Well, thank you very much... little one." He chuckles.

She blushes brightly but doesn't lose her smile. "...I feel bad for you telling a half-lie to Ditzy, though..."

"We'll just apologize when she finds out the truth, right? She seems sweet enough that she won't mind." This is probably the first time he's sounded optimistic about telling anypony.

She sighs and nods, climbing onto his back and simply laying there. "...if you see Trixie...ask her for an apology...mkay?" She yawns softly, resting her head on his neck. "...I'll just...sleep until then..." She's soon breathing softly, a small, content smile on her lips.

Chapter 51: Those Who Would Intervene

Monday morning, for many ponies it's the start of the work week and thus something not always to be looked forward to. It means no longer getting to relax, looking towards five straight days of it, and of course Monday can also mean extra work for some. This last scenario is the case at the vet clinic this particular day, which is why Rhino, Gel, and the pets have the pleasant company of Manila this morning.

As she and Gel sit close to each other in the normal desk seat and the extra one Manila pulled up, the two are going over the last month's records. Considering it also marked the first month that Gel had been working here, this is doubly important. Right now, the light blue maned mare is humming as she goes through the paperwork, smiling and nodding all the while.

Gel presses the keys on the typewriter, making sure to add any information needed. She glances at the other mare, thinking a bit before speaking up. "...so...did you have a nice weekend?"

Manila nods as she flips through a few more pages with her usual carefree smile. "Yep, Mane had a date that didn't work out so I decided to spend my Saturday just out enjoying myself. I went to see a movie, fed ducks at the pod, did a little pony watching... a very nice weekend overall. You?"

She beams brightly, remembering Saturday. "I reconnected with my best friend..." Her smile falters as she remembers the previous day. "...and then I got turned into a filly."

Manila cringes. "Ah right... Mane told me there was crazy stuff happening yesterday... honestly I missed it all." She rubs the back of her head with a hoof. "I may have stayed up too late Saturday night then totally crashed and slept through most of Sunday..."

"Oh?" She tilts her head to one side, looking at the tan mare curiously. "Why did you do that?" She smiles playfully, giggling a bit. "Have your coltfriend over?"

Manila slows down her work as her voice goes a bit quiet and she has a bit of a blush. "No... I don't have a coltfriend... "

Gel blinks at this surprised. "What? A nice mare like you doesn't have a coltfriend?" She taps her chin, narrowing her eyes at her. "...who is he?"

The earth pony looks shifty. "Who's who?"

"The one you have a crush on, silly!" She playfully bumps her shoulder.

The mare blushes more. "What?! Who said I have a crush?"

"You just did." She smirks, tapping her nose. "By not denying it. That, and blushing so much you look like an apple."

At the word 'apple', she blushes even harder. "Oh... woopsy."

She sees this and her jaw drops in shock. "...no way...you're in love with Big Macintosh?"

Manila burns brighter as she simply lays her head down on the desk and nods into it.

Gel smiles, patting a hoof on her friend's back. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone else." As long as I don't have to give my word, this might end well...maybe I can figure out if he feels the same way about her!

Manila looks up. "Well, if it's any consolation... I'm pretty sure Rhino already knows... he did say he was going to do something about it if I didn't approach him myself..."

She nods, a hoof to her chin. "...is that so..."

At that moment, the door to the clinic opens and who else walks in but the big red himself, along with the basket containing an obviously very pregnant Winona.

Gel immediately sits up, beaming brightly at the stallion. "Hello, Mister Macintosh!" She glances at the canine in the basket. "Here for a check-up?"

He nods. "Eeyup."

Meanwhile, Manila has slowly slid down behind the desk, trying to make herself as small as possible.

Gel picks the retreating mare up by the waist, giggling softly. "Miss Manila here will be happy to help you and your dog. I have to go find Doctor Rhino. Be right back!" She hurries over to the hallway, making sure to keep herself from grinning in glee.

Manila looks after the retreating mare with wide eyes before she slowly turns back to the patient stallion. "Umm... Ok... Let me just get her file here..." She averts her eyes and ever-present blush as she quickly digs through the desk.

Big Macintosh waits silently, only turning his head away once to check on his dog when she shifted. He recalls seeing this mare a few times around town, but only ever speaks to her here.

Manila comes up with his file and opens it. "Here you are Mister Macintosh..."

He speaks in his deep voice. "You don't need to call me 'Mister' Macintosh, Miss Manila."

She blushes more as she nods her head quickly. "Okay... and you don't have to call me 'Miss' Manila... deal?"

He chuckles as he switches his sprig of wheat he holds in his lips to the other side. "Deal."

As the two smile at each other, a certain couple peeks around the corner. The white mare giggles, looking up at her stallion. They seem to be getting along, well.

He smiles too, but his mental tone is thoughtful. Yes... but she still hasn't made a move yet, this is all still cordial stuff. I still wonder if she'll need a push...

Maybe...but how do we do that? She taps her chin, considering this a moment before a radical idea hits her. ...I think I have a plan...

He looks down at her. Oh? Do tell.

She glances at the two before shaking her head. It can wait. You have an expectant mother to diagnose.

Right. Rhino straightens up and walks into the front. "Good morning, Big Macintosh. Go ahead and follow me to the back so we can make sure our future mother is healthy."

The red stallion nods, following him.

Gel watches them leave before turning to her co-worker, smiling playfully. "I can see why you like him."

Manila twiddles her hooves. "You are very observant about these things. What could you have possibly realized from that one conversation?"

Gel quirks an eyebrow, an amused smile on her lips. "I can tell you're still too shy to tell him your feelings." She bumps her side. "You should try at least talking with him." She holds up a hoof before she says anything. "Outside of work."

Manila squirms. "I know.. I usually don't have trouble talking with ponies... but I see him and I just fall apart!" She sighs. "I just end up giving up halfway through every time... whether I'm trying to talk to him at his stand or just on the street..."

Gel taps her chin, considering this a moment. "...you didn't seem to have that much trouble just now, though..."

"That's because you forced me to do my job!" She throws her hooves above her head. "I at least have a sort of script I can fall back on here when my normal words fail. I don't have that safety net out there."

She holds up her hooves defensively. "Sorry! I didn't know you would clam up like that!" She sheepishly smiles, backing up a step.

Manila deflates. "Sorry, I just... it's so frustrating... I can talk to most ponies normally because I can just be myself and laugh off anything silly I do... but I don't want to take the chance with him, so I get too lost in my head and I end up doing nothing..."

The white unicorn stares at her a moment, bemused. "...you really should be yourself..." She puts a hoof on the mare's shoulder, smiling softly. "...if you don't, he won't actually know the real you...and what's the point of that?"

The earth pony thinks about this before sighing and coming up with a smile. "I guess you're right... Now I just have to not let myself get distracted by thoughts about him and I'm golden." The sounds of hoof prints can be heard coming from the back.

Gel turns to the hallway, whispering to the other pony. "You'll do fine." She beams brightly at the stallions as they round the corner. "Everything turn out alright?"

Rhino nods. "Perfectly fine. I just advised him on a few things he should do to prepare for the puppies' arrival, start feeding Winona puppy food for the extra nutrients, prepare a whelping area, makes sure she's getting plenty of water, things like that."

"Eeyup." Big Mac confirms.

"But there is one thing," Rhino continues, "since the puppies are expected anytime within the next week, it'll be good for him to have a point of contact within the clinic so he can call us for help if they feel they need it."

The disguised changeling immediately perks up at this. "I know who will be just perfect for the job!" She turns and gestures for the other pony to come over. "Manila, you should be Big Mac's point of contact!"

"Oh! Well I don't...." She looks between Gel and Big Macintosh before continuing. "Ok... sure... I can do that..." She fetches a small piece of paper and starts to write down her information on it.

As she does this, Gel leans in close to the red stallion and whispers to him. "You could probably contact her for other stuff, too. Maybe more personal stuff?" She steps back next to her stallion, fighting to hide the cat-like grin on her face.

Big Mac gives Gel a curious look before turning back to Manila, who hoofs him the piece of paper.

"Here's my address." She explains. "Just umm, you know, drop by when you need me..." She sheepishly smiles.

He nods as he stows the paper under his large collar.

The white unicorn waves her hoof, catching Manila's attention. She nods towards Big Mac, trying to urge her into action.

Manila seems to fight herself for a moment before she speaks again. "...and... you know... maybe we could... go somewhere... and do something... sometime?" She shrinks after she says this.

Big Mac regards her with an analyzing look for a minute before he smiles and says simply. "Eeyup."

The mare freezes at his response while Rhino waves off any notions of payment he had. "Don't worry about it. This one was free because we didn't really do anything but check if things were still going fine."

The red stallion nods as he turns to leave, but not before looking at Manila and saying one last thing. "See ya around, Manila." With that, he is gone.

Gel grins widely, playfully pushing on the mare's shoulder. "Now was that so hard?"

Manila pushes her back. "Hush you, like you had it so easy confessing to yours."

"Well, yeah." She sheepishly smiles, rubbing the back of her neck. "...I had to accidentally splash my eye with lemonade...b-but still!"

The other mare giggles. "Well, I guess you helped me not to have to resort to personal injury, so, thank you. For everything."

Gel giggles, tilting her head to one side. "What are friends for?"

***

Things were quiet in the land around the desert outpost. As the sun set, all was still. Well, all except three roughly equine shapes flying quickly in formation towards the hidden tower. Smoothly, they all swoop down towards the opening in the base of the outpost, but instead of landing outside it, they all glide inside and alight in the center of the floor, giving them minimum time to be spotted outside of it.

Waiting for them is the familiar form of the Brigadier General. He salutes smartly, though a smile tugs at the corner of his lips. "Generals. It is an hon-" He blinks as the only nymph among them pushes past him, a crate floating behind her in her magic. He watches her hurry up the staircase before turning to the remaining two, finding it difficult to keep himself from raising an eyebrow. "An honor for you to come here to help."

The orange-tinted changeling nods. "It was decided that this incident was of enough priority for us all to see that it was resolved."

"I agree." The last, a red-tinted drone, solemnly steps forward, past the others and towards the stairs as well. "I...need to plan."

Flick stares in stunned silence as he leaves. He slowly turns to his superior, a little unnerved. "Permission to speak, General Port?"

"Granted." Port focuses back on the yellow tinted changeling. "But for the sake of clarity while we are here since all of us are Generals of various ranks, let us just use names for now."

"Thank you, Port." He gestures towards the doorway. "I'm confused. Has Mimic ever been...hesitant, before?"

Port shakes his head. "Not that I have seen, but these are not normal circumstances either. You know our law, no changeling may ever leave the hive. Every once in awhile, one of the lowest drones or nymphs tries, and they are returned, one way or another. To have one of our own, one of the elite, turn traitor, is... unprecedented..."

Flick sighs, nodding sadly. "Yes. It is." He turns towards the stairs. "If I may, I'll show you your quarters for the time being."

Port nods and follows. "So, was there any information you didn't mention over the hive mind about this case?"

He pauses at the entrance to the next floor, trying to think of a way to word this. "Colonel Gel...fell in love with her target."

The orange changeling stops, confused. "Once again... this is something we would expect from a rookie... definitely not an officer..."

"I have to agree." They go through the second floor to the next door. He opens it, muttering to himself. "I don't really understand the layout of this outpost. Why can't there be one solid stairway connecting all the floors?" He shakes this off and climbs up the next set.

Port answers. "I believe it was once a way to have multiple security levels that one would have to pass through in order to reach the top."

"Learn something new every day." Flick immediately stops at the top of the flight of stairs, staring at the shiny silver door to the next room. "Luster certainly made herself at home, didn't she?"

His companion nods. "Well, out of all of us, hers is the most... tangible element. At least she can set up or take her things down quickly."

"No doubt about that." The yellow-tinted changeling pushes open the door, revealing the room beyond.

Metal coats every surface, pillars forming every few steps. In the middle of the room sits a single, indigo-hued changeling. Her body is past toned and edging on muscular, most notably in her legs. Every other part of her looks like a normal changeling, except for her larger fangs.

She instinctively tenses, a hoof on the black metal staff next to her. Upon seeing who it is, she relaxes, sitting back down on her self-made throne. She gives the lower-ranking officer a stare, silently wondering why he bothered her.

Flick holds up a hoof defensively. "Don't mind us, Luster. I'm just showing Port to his quarters."

She scowls at him, pointing fiercely at the door behind her.

"All right, we're going." The drones walk around her, the younger of the two shaking his head. "I swear, she got more demanding after she lost her voice."

"She never had much patience to begin with." Port looks back at the nymph before turning back to the front. "Being easily misunderstood likely makes her even less patient if subordinates stand around once they actually figure out what she is saying." He thinks for a moment before adding. "Still, she does train some of the best silent squads that I've seen come across my desk. Well, those that get through her training anyway."

"I still feel bad for that one recruit that couldn't keep silent." Flick shakes his head, shuddering softly. He opens the second door and starts up the next flight of stairs. "Anyways, your quarters are on the next floor. I even had a couple soldiers bring up some extras for you."

The next floor is actually quite pleasant. It contains the desk and materials one would expect from such a bureaucratic changeling, but there are also many tasteful waters displays such as fountain and pools that line the sides of the room.

Port lets out a breath. "Thank you, Flick. These should work wonders."

The yellow-tinted changeling smiles, nodding genially. "Only the best, right?" He turns to head back downstairs, frowning slightly. "If only the same could be said of this building's layout...what I wouldn't give for a window or two..."

Chapter 52: Exposed

The sun leisurely goes about its journey over the land. On this fine afternoon, the familiar forms of Gel and Rhino can be seen strolling down the path from Sweet Apple Acres back to town, having gone on their usual every few days trip to get more milk for the green unicorn's palette. The two walk side by side, their tails curled around each other as they simply listen to nature.

Gel smiles softly, looking around at the trees and the birds fluttering about in the calming breeze. This is just perfect, isn't it?

Rhino nods as he too looks around. Yes... it's times like these I'm glad Ponyville isn't as industrialized as cities like Manehatten. I much prefer this.

She giggles, leaning up against him. So do I...

As they make their way back into the town itself, the two can't help but notice a few machines placed around in various spots.

Gel frowns slightly, staring up at a metallic tower placed near Sugarcube Corner. ...this is really...unusual...they look a lot like the radio towers in Manehattan...

Rhino looks up at it with a curious gaze. "I've only heard about those though... aren't they much larger? These are barely larger than the lampposts... I wonder what they are?"

"They are much larger than these...so these must be something else..." She taps her chin, thinking about this a bit. "...still...so much for Ponyville not being industrialized, huh?"

They continue down the street. "Until they start taking down Whitetail woods, I'm going to remain optimistic..." He mumbles under his breath, "and redouble my efforts into my little surprise..."

One of her ears twitches and she looks at him, curious. "What was that, love?"

He simply smiles at her. "Nothing you need to worry about, love, just thinking out loud."

As the two continue walking through town, they see Twilight quickly exit her library ahead of them. She doesn't see them though, considering her nose is buried in a small device she holds in front of her with magic.

Gel immediately stops in her tracks, an eye twitching nervously. ...Rhino...d-didn't you say Twilight's detector had a...h-hoof-held device?

He nods as his eyes widen. Right... for narrowing down the search once her... network of detectors had found something... He looks up at another of the small towers with growing realization. We need to go, now! He starts pulling Gel nonchalantly through a nearby alley, hoping to not be noticed.

The disguised changeling follows him, doing her best to act natural. Considering her heritage, this is rather simple for her. She notices a broken mirror near the end of the alleyway facing them, bumping his side and nodding towards the reflective surface.

He subtly grabs two of the smaller shards with magic and brings them along without breaking stride.

As Gel grabs one of them, the two look into the mirror and see Twilight pass the far end of the alley. They sighs in relief as they turn back onto the street.

They're walking towards the market when Gel begins to slow down, a small frown on her lips. ...that was...too easy... She quickly glances into her looking glass, groaning softly as she sees the lavender unicorn emerge from the alley they had come from, about a quarter mile away. Of course she doesn't give up. She puts it in her mane and looks up at him, nervous. What are we going to do?

Rhino sees the lavender unicorn try a few different directions for a few steps before starting towards them. I don't know... I don't know the range of it... He looks ahead of them and sees the usual traffic of ponies. We can at least not let her know it's us... They head into the flowing groups of ponies.

Gel tightly holds his tail in hers, not wanting to lose him in the crowd. She glances around, as if looking at the stores around them. That's the thing. We also don't know how accurate it is...

He looks back but can't see the unicorn anymore, his plan to remain unseen works both ways. She seems to have to test directions before going to them... my guess is it's a standard hot and cold sort of detector... The crowd starts to thin and they head down another alley. You could get away you know, give yourself some wings of some sort and fly away, she'd never catch you.

It's clear she's not going to give up the search that easily, and a pony taking off in this crowd would look suspicious. She's going to find me eventually... She shakes her head before pausing, a thought occurring to her. ...but that doesn't mean she has to find Angel.

He turns to her. What do you mean? You're not going to go into you normal form are you?

No, of course not. She pulls him towards a secluded alcove, leaving him at the entrance and smiling slyly at him. I'm just going to give her a different target. As soon as she says that, a blue flame covers her form, white fur giving way to burgundy and yellow mane turning sienna. She looks at him with olive eyes, smiling softly. What do you think?

He tilts his head. Well it's certainly a contrast from Angel's light colors... Do I even want to know how you thought of this one? He notices she has also discarded her horn in favor of wings.

She shrugs, fluttering her newfound wings slightly. A stallion I met in Manehattan. He looked like a mare, for some reason, but I'm not one to judge. She glances at her flank. I decided to avoid the confusion and go full mare, though...I realize that I don't seem to have a cutie mark, but that's fine, I think.

The two see Sparkle at the end of their alley and quickly make their way into the crowd, having to stay at a distance from each other so Gel can slip away. Unfortunately, they are forced to walk to avoid suspicion, while Twilight has upped her speed to a trot.

Gel glances over her shoulder, noticing the mare quickly closing in on her. I guess that it's about that time. She sighs and slows to a stop in front of a shop, staring at it in confusion. ...who sells only quills and sofas?

Wait, you're not giving up are you?! Rhino tries to find her in the crowd but can't.

It's not like she's going to take me away, right? She moves forward and enters the hat-shaped shop next to it, curiosity getting to her. I'm just going to see what this store has for...wow, that's a lot of pranking supplies...

Rhino's concern easily shows in his mental voice. Gel...

Suddenly, Twilight enters the shop and looks around before turning back to her device. She slowly starts walking up and down the aisles, looking at the few ponies present with suspicion.

Gel holds a strange blue sphere in her forehooves, wondering what it does. Have you been in here before, love?

His voice is almost frantic but he is keeping it in check. I don't know where you went! How are you so calm right now?!

Twilight actually passes next to Gel in her disguise, going onto the next aisle before tossing a look in her direction and checking her device before nodding to herself.

I'm in that joke shop next to Quills and Sofas. She picks up a hoof buzzer, smiling softly. ...I might just buy some of these...they're not that expensive...

The unicorn puts her device away as she plants her hooves, narrows her eyes, and charges her horn with a spell. She fires a beam of purple light at the disguised changeling, her cover melting away to reveal her true form. "I've got you now, changeling!"

Gel squeaks, eyes wide in horror. She holds up a hoof, nervously smiling. "C-can't we just...t-talk this out? P-please?"

Twilight's horn lights up as she advances on the exposed nymph. "I'm not falling for any of your tricks! You're coming with me!"

She looks around, trying to find a way out. Then she notices the sphere still in her hoof, immediately throwing it on the floor. "Smoke bomb!" As soon as it goes off, she runs past the mare, tossing five bits onto the counter as she flees the store. She quickly flies away, heading towards the Everfree Forest.

Rhino breaks through the crowd just in time to see ponies running out of a smoking store, Twilight included. Not seeing Gel with them, he sighs in relief. Love... can you hear me?

Yes. I think I'm just barely in range. She peers out of the tree she took refuge in, panting softly. Bad news is, I just lost a few bits. Got a hoof buzzer out of it, though. She giggles, shaking her head.

Joy buzzer... why would you... nevermind. He quickly performs a quick series of Blinks and ends up at the house. Think you can make it home?

I think so. She slowly climbs down the tree and turns back into Angel, sighing softly. That was really...close... She trembles as she walks, trying hard not to think about it too much.

Soon enough she arrives at the back door, pushing it open with a shaky hoof. "R-Rhino, I'm...h-home..." She falls to the floor and covers her face, sobs racking her form.

Rhino is almost instantly at her side, picking her up and embracing her. He strokes her mane as she cries into him. He doesn't say a word, just letting her cry it out.

She hugs him tightly, not wanting to ever let him go. ...s-she...I-I can't...

The stallion's heart hurt as he sees her cry. Shh... it's alright, love... you got away... I've got you...

...but... She looks up at him, tears streaming down her face. ...h-how long until...s-she catches me?

He doesn't respond for a minute, just continuing to hold her. He finally responds. I won't let that happen.

Gel gives him a small, sad smile and kisses him tenderly. ...I'll take your word on it...

He gives her a smile back, but his eyes betray his worry. We'll find a way to get through this... at least the house seems safe for now...

She nods, thinking about this a bit. ...from what I saw...the towers were built every thirty yards...but there isn't one within fifty of our house... She scratches her head, starting to calm down. ...maybe...we're out of range?

It seems that way... He gently picks her up, brings her to the couch, and sits beside her. It looks like we're out of time... I'm not sure we can risk you going out anymore... I'm sorry... I just don't want to lose you...

She gapes at him, shocked. "W-what? Y-you really think she'll keep me away from you?" She frowns, taking one of his forehooves in her own. "If anyone is capable of that...it's the..." She trails off, shaking her head before turning to him. "N-never mind about that. I just...I don't think Twilight will keep me from you..."

He frowns as he sighs. "Gel... Twilight was in the center of the invasion... I wouldn't put it past her to hold a grudge... but who else did you think of? I want to know all possible threats to us."

She shrinks in on herself, nervous. "...t-the Elite..."

He shifts and she ends up with her back against his chest. "Maybe it's time you tell me about them... you have mentioned them a few times..."

She sighs, shaking her head. "...what is there to say? Even I don't know much about them...just their elements..."

He sets his head on hers. "Elements?"

"They've each mastered one of several elements." She lights up her horn, bringing a journal down from their room. She flips it open, pointing to one of the earlier entries. "See, these are what they use - wind, metal, water, and...one I honestly don't know..." She scratches her head, upset. "...the General always did seclude himself from the hive..."

He looks curiously at the journal. "General? How high ranking are these elite?"

"Honestly?" She turns to look at him, frowning slightly. "They're all above me...and all different ranks of Generals..."

He nods. "Ok... and why do you think they would be the ones to keep you away from me?"

She gives him a grave expression. "Because they're all stronger than I am." She puts the journal down, sighing quietly. "...ranks are given based on strength and experience."

"Well, I figured that..." He says. "But I meant, why would they keep you away... I mean, the previous changeling were after me right?"

"They were..." She gently nuzzles his cheek. "...but they know I love you...and that I'm staying here of my own will...to them, that's deserting...a crime, in the military..."

"Oh..." The two are silent for a time before Rhino decides to try a change of subject. "So... been keeping up with your journals huh?"

"...yes...I-I have..." She squirms a bit, remembering some of what she wrote in there.

He notices her discomfort. "Something wrong?"

"...I...I just..." She goes silent for a moment before sighing, turning to a drawing of Sweet Apple Acres. "...there's something you should know..."

He hugs her around her midriff. "What is it, love?"

"...I...I may not want to go back...but I still did what I was sent to do..." She flips the page, showing a list of observations on Ponyville's nightlife. "...and that was...collect data..."

He doesn't show a particular reaction to this. "Ok..."

"...so...I-I need you to hide this..." She closes it and shoves it in his arms, nervous. "I-I may have given them my word to collect data, but I never said anything about giving it to them!"

He looks at the books curiously. "Well... two questions... could you ever see yourself using this information yourself... and how damaging could it be in their hooves?"

"I-I don't need the information. I-it's all in my mind. But if they got it..." She drops her gaze to the floor, somber. "...then Ponyville would be lost..."

He regards the books again. "Well, you could always just destroy the books. Simple and definite."

She leaps up, her hooves placed on his chest. "N-no!" She blushes softly, slowly lowering herself back onto her side in front of him. "...t-that would be like going back on my word...I-I never go back on my word...e-ever..."

"Wow... You really mean that, don't you?" He stays quiet before speaking again. "I think I could find a box in the far back of some closet where they can be forgotten and their pages erased by either time... But this at least gives me some comfort..." He kisses her on the cheek. "Because you said you'd never leave..."

She blushes even more, tapping her forehooves together. "T-thank you, love..." She stays quiet for a moment. "...c-can we...c-cuddle for a bit, Rhino?"

"Always..." They shift until they are cuddling snuggly. Did you want to just sit here quietly or was there anything else on your mind?

...there is one thing... She wiggles back a bit more into his embrace. ...what are we going to do about work?

I think you and the pets will just have to stay here. We can't test our luck and hope the clinic isn't on the grid too... so we have to take what we can get. If anypony asks, I'll just say you're at home sick. He sighs. I wish I could stay here with you, just to make sure nothing happens... maybe I could send a last minute letter to Mane and Manila...

I'll be fine Rhino. She places a hoof over one of his, tracing small circles in the soft fur. You can go ahead and work. I'll be here when you come back, okay?

A thought occurs to him about something big that he has planned that is about to come to fruition. Ok... but just to let you know, I'll probably be a few minutes late getting home. There's something I need to pick up after work.

She smiles, her ears twitching slightly. You have me intrigued...may I ask what it is?

He nuzzles her fondly. You can ask, but all I'll say is that it's a surprise... and I know you'll love it.

She sighs softly, a small blush on her face. I'll take your word for it, Rhino.

Chapter 53: Gone

The next morning, Gel and Rhino are sitting in the kitchen. The changeling broods, her head resting on the table. "...I know I shouldn't leave the house...but I don't like the thought of missing work..."

Rhino reaches across the table and strokes her mane. "And I don't like the thought of you getting caught, so I win. It's for your safety, love..."

She quietly sighs, nodding reluctantly. "...I know...at least I have company..." She turns to look at the kit next to her, smiling softly. "Isn't that right, little one?"

Mercury yaps once before rubbing himself on the changeling as the other two pets eat.

She pets his head, giggling happily. "Glad you agree." She turns to Rhino, smiling softly. "You'll have a good time without us, won't you?"

He sheepishly smiles. "Honestly... no... I'll probably be bored and constantly wishing to get back to all of you..."

She rolls her eyes, putting a hoof on his. "Well, when you get back home, we'll have some fun. Is that alright?"

He nods. "No problem... you'll be able to get your surprise too..."

She giggles, leaning over and gently kissing him. "I can hardly wait, love."

He kisses her back lovingly. "Good." He gets up from the table and sets his dishes in the sink. "Now, I need to get going. See you soon, love." He dons his saddlebags and walks over to give her another kiss.

She wraps a hoof around his neck, deepening the kiss a moment before breaking it. "See you soon."

***

The day passes by slowly and unremarkably for the stallion. Running the clinic by himself, clients going in and out, the usual blur of paperwork, and the ever present checking of the clock. With a brief comment to the sisters that 'Angel is at home, sick' he is out the door and onto his one, but vitally important, errand.

With a quick Res across town, Rhino soon arrives at the jewelry store. The grey coated stallion running the place is polishing some of his wares. Rhino clears his throat to get the jeweler's attention. "I had a custom designed engagement necklace that was due to arrive today."

The jeweler nods, bringing out a black box. "You're in luck. It literally just arrived." He opens it up to show the necklace to him. "I believe everything is exactly how you specified it."

The green stallion smiles widely as he carefully lifts the necklace out of the box and checks every detail. "Perfect... Thank you, sir. This is going to make her very happy."

"You're quite welcome." He nods once more before returning his attention to the ring he is polishing. "You have a good time with your mare, you hear?"

Rhino nods as he puts the box safely in his bags. "I will, and I'll probably be back at some point with her to pick out more pieces." He leaves the shop with a skip to his step, despite one of Twilight's towers reminding him of yesterday's events. He quickly powers up Res and heads towards home.

The house looms in the distance and Rhino can't help but look forward to being welcomed home. He unlocks the door and steps inside, half expecting Gel to be on the couch reading or something. Unfortunately, the sight that greets him is quite different.

The living room is a mess. Spots of water can be seen throughout the room, accompanying some burns marks also strewn about. He slowly walks through the room, noting the tipped over chair and the discarded book. "Ok... keep calm... maybe there was just a small accident with her magic..."

The silence that has been greeting him ever since he entered the house does little to ease his worries. Weakly telling himself that he will probably find Gel upstairs, he heads towards the staircase. Before he gets there, a small splash of blue catches his eye. He turns to it and sees a single strand of mane-like tissue hanging on a splinter in the door frame.

Now thoroughly disturbed, Rhino calls out as he quickly ascends to the second floor. "Gel? Gel, are you here?"

As soon as he calls out, there is the hurried sound of pattering paws running in the bedroom. The pets run into the hallway and straight to the stallion, the squirrel clinging to his neck and the other two tightly hugging his forelegs.

Rhino relaxes a small amount when he sees the house is not uninhabited, but he is still worried. He leans down and wraps the pets in a hug. "Hey little ones... what happened downstairs? Was there an accident?" He sincerely hopes the answer is yes.

The darkest one lets go and drops to the floor, chattering and motioning frantically at the unicorn.

The kit and kitten look at each other before rushing back into the bedroom.

Although he can usually get the gist of what Specter is getting at, Rhino is perplexed at the complex motions. "I'm sorry Specs... I don't know what you're saying."

He groans as the other two return, pushing the typewriter ahead of them. Selena begins typing, her paws flying over the keys. 'He says someone took mom. He saw the whole thing!'

Rhino freezes as he reads the message, all gears in his head grinding to a halt. As his brain tries to spark itself back into working, he simply stares straight ahead. Finally, after a full minute, his mind gets enough working to make him say a single phrase. "Tell me..."

Specter immediately starts hurriedly talking, gesturing enthusiastically. Selena tries to keep up, but she actually has to stop and put a paw on the squirrel's shoulder, mewing softly at him. He visibly forces himself to calm down before continuing. As soon as he's done, the Russian Blue nods and steps back from the typewriter, allowing the stallion to see the words.

'Mom was reading downstairs when this strange pony that looked like her, but orange, snuck in through the back. He used magic and made some kind of water bubble appear around her head. Mom tried to fight back but kept missing with her fire. He kept the bubble on her, then she passed out. He took her and left.'

This new information doesn't help Rhino's mental state. Instead of trying to get his mind straight, every time he gets a bit of willpower, it automatically subconsciously goes into showing him a flash of his nymph, overriding what his eyes see in order to show him what his mind and heart do.

Gel being happy.

Gel and he being together.

Gel reacting to the necklace still in his bag.

The vision they had of their future life together.

All of these things in his mind are suddenly taken over by tendrils of darkness, transforming them into new images.

Gel struggling to breathe.

Gel fighting against an assailant and ultimately losing.

Gel being taken away by shadowy figures.

Gel crying, and him being unable to reach her.

The stallion puts his hooves to his head as he groans, trying to reign in his rampant mind.

Gone.

Taken.

Failed to protect her.

The single strand of her mane on the door frame.

...they took her...

Things slowly start to click into place in his mind, but not in their usual fashion.

They took her.

His eyes harden, his usual smile is replaced by a neutral frown.

They took her!

The streak of blue in his mane and tail is taken over by a blood red.

"I'll get her back."

His voice isn't loud. The emotion behind it is undeniable though, as was the intent. It was a voice that said not even the princesses themselves could stop him.

As the pets watch on, Rhino moves quickly into his room and grabs the necklace he had made to keep track of her. He dons it and immediately his eyes dart towards Whitetail Woods, knowing she is in the direction but feeling her distance slowly increasing. He levitates a set of saddlebags out of the closet, though this is a survival set instead of a storage set. A leftover from the few years he spent in Colt Scouts, they even include a built-in water pack with a tube that hangs over the side so one can drink hooves free. He packs a few more basic tools before turning to his desk and the two books sitting there.

He levitates his spellbook up and flips to the second-to-last page. There lies a spell he had made just in case about a year ago, but had hoped he would never have to use. The urgency of the situation lending clarity to his mind, he quickly commits the formula to memory but stows a copy of the spell in his bag along with a few other spells in case he needs them.

He looks to the set of saddlebags he usually wears, tossed to the side as he entered the room. He slowly walks over and takes out the box containing Gel’s necklace. He pops it open and looks at it solemnly for a minutes before closing his eyes and snapping the lid shut. He sets it back in the bags before stepping over the pets and heading downstairs to pack food and water.

As Rhino is filling the water pack in the bags, he hears a knock at the door. He narrows his eyes as one of the kitchen knives floats of the drawer and follows a short distance away from him as he goes to the entrance. The knife floats, unseen, above the door as he opens it suddenly to see a familiar purple maned pegasus with her hoof raised to knock again.

Silk blinks at the sudden movement. “Oh, hello...” She notices the stripe in his mane and its new color. “Rhino...” She clears her throat before organizing her thoughts as the stallion simply stares at her. “I know I’m a bit early, but I thought since I was around, maybe we could all hang out?” Mittens can be seen on her back, poking his head around curiously.

The green stallion’s expression doesn’t change as he lets out a grunt and the knife quickly flies back to the kitchen before Silk sees it. “That isn’t possible.” He turns around and sees the pets at the top of the stairs before adding, “... though you could help me with something. Come in.”

She follows the stallion in, slightly unnerved by his attitude. “Is something wrong?”

He answers bluntly as he levitates a sheet of paper and pen, starting to write. “Yes.”

She flinches a bit. “Well, maybe I should come back later-”

“No.” He cuts her off, turning around as he folds the paper and seals it in an envelope. “I need you to feed the pets for a few days.”

Silk hesitantly nods. “Ok… but why? Are you and Angel going somewhere? Where is she anyway?”

Rhino tenses visibly every time she is mentioned. “...not here… I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone…” He droops for a moment. “Just… take care of them for me…” His head shakes and he regains his purposeful movements.

The mare reaches out a hoof, but thinks better of it and backs off. “I will… Rhino… what’s wrong?”

He doesn’t say a word as he grabs his bags and the envelope. Rhino goes over to the three pets and hugs them one last time before leaving out the front door. He pops the envelope into the mailbox as he passes it, a note saying he’ll be gone from work until further notice. The stallion checks the necklace on his neck is secure before lighting up his hooves with Res and quickly heading in the direction of Gel.

The journey is mind-numbing for the stallion. Hours pass by as he reflexively makes a beeline for Gel, dealing with whatever terrain is in his way. He skates over open land and water, never breaking stride. He winds through the trees of the woods. Sunglasses protect his narrowed eyes as branches whip past his face. As he comes across things that would require a massive detour for most travelers, fallen trees, holes, and one thin part of Ghastly Gorge, he simply Blinks past them, not letting them slow him down. A few times after a couple of hours of moving, he slows down to a power walking speed in order to drink, eat, and recover, but he never stops moving towards her.

Worryingly for him, the whole time he travels, Gel maintains the same distance from him. While he is happy she isn’t getting farther away, he knows that it means her captor is making just as much progress as he is… and with a head start. Night falls and Rhino keeps going, being a night pony anyway along with the added adrenaline and focus means that he ignores sleep for the time being. As the moon is well into the second half of it’s journey across the sky, Rhino notices that he has been slowly gaining ground on Gel, as if her captor reached his destination. He sighs in relief.

As dawn breaks on a new day, about four hours after Gel had stopped moving, Rhino stops as he reaches a rocky plain. In the distance, he can see a spire of rock, easily the tallest among the other rocky outcroppings, but otherwise unremarkable.

If it wasn’t the source of where Gel’s signature was coming from.

He initially thinks maybe she is just on the top of the rock, but after circling it’s entirety from a distance, Rhino can tell the necklace is pointing a bit lower than that… almost as if the stone is hollow. Cautiously, Rhino Blinks closer, behind some rocks large enough to cover his form as he closes in. As he passes a certain radius from the spire, Rhino pokes his head out and spends a good minute trying to look at it and find out what he is missing. As the 60th second of his staring passes, the area in front of his eyes shimmers and suddenly the tower of rock is replaced by a dark chitin version with an obvious opening at the bottom.

Rhino gets within his Blinking range of the tower and charges up his horn to go in, only to stay in the same place, confused. The tower seems to be negating his ability to simply bypass its walls. He growls as he slides down into a sitting position and chugs water before reviewing his spells one last time. After hiding his things in the cracks between a few rocks, Rhino approaches the entrance.

He enters to find three of the changelings from before playing a card game. The nymph among them lays down her hand, grinning widely. “Full house!” The others grumble as she gathers up the bits, chuckling to herself.

But one of the drones stops, who wears a green scarf around his neck and is the only one facing the entrance. He slams a hoof on the table and points at the door, speaking in a rough, gravelly voice. “You!” The other soldiers quickly jump up, realizing just who the pony is.

The Corporal steps forward, a sly grin on her face. “Hello, there. What brought you to our humble outpost?”

Rhino, his stripes still red after almost twenty hours, narrows his eyes dangerously at them. “Take a guess.”

The smaller drone huffs, stepping forward, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. “How did you even find this place? It hasn’t even been that long since the Colonel’s been here.”

The stallion keeps switching his eyes between the changelings, making sure none of them gets the drop on him… and subconsciously comparing various ways of taking them down and debating how much he wants it to hurt. “Irrelevant, let her go.”

“We can’t do that.” The Sergeant Major shakes his head almost condescendingly at him. “She broke our number one rule - no one leaves the hive. Period.”

“I don’t care about your rules. She is leaving with me.” His eyes narrow more and his voice gains an edge. “Now… Let. Her. Go.”

The mare walks up to him, poking him in the chest. “Make us, mule.”

His horn almost instantly lights up and the hoof she poked him with suddenly snaps forty-five degrees in a direction it was never meant to. She yelps in pain, instinctively grabbing her broken leg. This has the side effect of her taking her eyes off of him. His horn lights up again and he roughly tosses her into the table, it and her tumbling toward the wall even as Rhino has not moved a muscle.

The drones immediately react, the larger of the two running to a nearby door while the other blitzes Rhino, trying to knock him to the ground.

As the changeling charges toward him, Rhino’s horn simply lights up again as he forces the changeling’s head into the ground, causing him to tumble end over end past the stallion. Rhino neatly picks up the changeling with his magic and tosses him onto the pile with the nymph and table before dropping a few of their chairs on them for good measure. He turns to the retreating changeling.

Only for it to turn out that he wasn’t retreating. He returns with a dagger held firmly in his magic, glaring fiercely at the stallion. “You won’t beat me that easily, punk.”

Rhino simply maintains his expression as he simply lights up his horn, once again, and his aura appears around the changeling’s neck, lightly squeezing. It’s enough to cause severe pain, but not enough to knock out… or worse.

The Sergeant Major scowls and bites his tongue, grabbing another dagger from a hook behind Rhino and smacking the unicorn’s horn with it. He pulls away from the aura, losing his scarf in the process, panting quietly and putting a hoof up to his neck. His magic presses the dagger against the stallion’s throat. “Leave now, or else. This is your last warning; the ones waiting for you will not be as kind.”

Rhino shakes his head and curses himself for taking it easy on him. He stares evenly at the changeling. “Neither will I.” Instead of using his horn, one of Rhino’s forehooves whips up and delivers a punch straight into his opponent’s injured neck.

The drone’s eyes widen in shock, his hooves clawing at his throat. He silently gasps for air but receives none, quickly losing oxygen due to his closed windpipe. He falls to the side with a loud thud, unconscious.

Rhino gets up, looking at the dagger that was against his neck and kicking it away, irritated. “Sloppy. Need to focus. Decency in a fight gets you killed…” He starts towards the set of stairs he can see. “This is too important to lose…”

Chapter 54: Flick

As Rhino walks onto the second floor of the tower, he is met by a very disorienting sight: a sky full of clouds. Given his natural fear of heights and the sheer unlikeliness of him being at the top already, he pauses at the top of the stairs, not moving off them as he tries to process what he is seeing.

Standing in the center of the apparent sky is a single, yellow-tinted changeling. As soon as it sees the stallion, he waves a hoof eagerly. "Hey, you gotta check this out!" He points to a spot next to him, grinning widely. "Stand right here and look around. Your mind will be blown!"

The pure confusion of the situation and the changeling's friendly demeanor disrupt Rhino's thoughts enough to where he idly walks over the designated spot. As he looks around, he is amazed to find that what he thought was real sky, was actually painted. Every inch of wall and ceiling looked like a normal day of scattered clouds at noon. Even the floor has been decorated to seem as though one were hovering above a forest.

The changeling laughs jovially at the stunned look on the unicorn's face. "I knew you'd be impressed!" He gestures around them. "I couldn't have windows, so I figure this is the next best thing!"

Rhino nods as he looks around, his mind still in a sort of lull. "Did you do this yourself?"

"Yep! Every single square inch of this was painted by yours truly!" He holds out a hoof, smiling kindly. "Brigadier General Flick. What's your name, son?"

Reflexively Rhino shakes the offered hoof. "Doctor Rhino... nice to meet you."

He blinks, raising the hoof to tap his chin. "Rhino? Isn't that the name of that pony Colonel Gel fell for?"

The stallion starts to get a bit wary. "Yes..."

"Ah." He seems to look uneasy, shifting from one hoof to the other. "I'm awfully sorry, but I'm under orders to keep you from going further." He sighs, rubbing a hoof on the back of his neck. "Honestly, if I had a choice, I wouldn't fight you, but orders are orders. If I don't follow them, Major General Luster would kick me to next Tuesday."

Rhino nods as he backs off a bit. "I understand, and thank you for being cordial about all this. Unfortunately, I have orders from myself and if I don't get past you, I'll be kicking myself for the rest of my life. If it's any consolation though, you are now officially my second favorite changeling, and I will do my best to not damage your lovely room... within reason of course."

Flick nods, smiling genially. "Thank you kindly, Doc." He braces himself, shaking out his hooves and flaring his large wings. "Word of warning for the next room - Luster probably will attack you on sight." He pops his neck, sighing in relief. "You ready?"

The stallion stretches out one of his hindlegs until it lets out a loud and satisfying pop. Rhino sighs. "There we go, been needing to do that." He adopts a combat stance. "Let's go."

The changeling nods and leaps off to the side, grabbing a brush from his art supplies. Bringing it up in his magic, he chuckles brightly. "Let's begin!" He swipes the brush, almost as if painting in mid-air.

Rhino, who relies on counters and surprise much of the time, looks confused for a moment until he sees a thin line of yellow quickly approaching. He jerks to the side, but it slices off a small bit off the edge of his mane. Rhino quickly activates Res on his hooves and starts to approach the changeling in a serpentine pattern.

Flick quickly picks up three more paintbrushes, moving them all in perfect concert, never using one more than the others. As he does this, he continues to talk with him. "Again, sorry, but this is for your own good. I don't think any of the others are as...well, nice as I am."

Rhino dodges a few more color blasts. "Honestly, I expected all of them to be just as aggressive as those ones downstairs. Seeing one like you is a nice change, even if it does throw off my game a bit." He decides he's not just going to dodge all day and suddenly Blinks in front of Flick and uppercuts him with his right hoof.

The changeling rubs his chin, frowning slightly. "Now that's not very nice. And not all of us are sadistic soldiers." He grimaces, turning to the side and muttering. "At least, I hope we aren't. Are we?" He shakes his head and spins around, his wings stretched out to the sides.

Rhino quickly blinks back a few feet to avoid the swinging appendages. What is curious though, is the audible sound of them cutting through the air he had previously occupied, betraying than they seem much stronger than Gel's wings.

Flick grins, flexing his wings proudly. "Like it? My wings are capable of cutting through most materials." He taps his chin, thinking a bit. "I've yet to try them against jewels, though." He shrugs and picks up a thick brush, swiping it in the stallion's direction, loosing a wide wave of yellow at him.

Rhino slides out of the way as he responds. "Did you consider sculpture?" He suddenly reappears in front of flick, punching with with a quick cross to the side of the head before blinking away.

He shakes his head, acting as if he hadn't just been hit. "I did, but my wings were too large for the fine details." He swirls a brush in front of him, as if mixing two colors, before flicking it at Rhino, a large yellow sphere right at the unicorn's head.

The sphere impacts the stallion, causing him to take a few steps back as he shakes his head, thanking that it wasn't a solid ball and was instead, a liquid guided by air. The ball remains intact as Rhino focuses back on the fight. Remembering one of the extra spells he packed, his horn lights up and a simple circle forms in front of him before a jet of flame roars out of its center towards the changeling.

Flick's eyes widen in horror and he glances at the landscape behind him. Gritting his teeth, he stands his ground, wings flared, and, taking a deep breath, he fires a concentrated blast of air into the middle of the fire, dispersing it. He pants softly, shaking his head slightly. "...too close..." He turns to Rhino, actually looking a little annoyed. "Watch the art! I don't go around destroying your jewelry, do I?!"

Rhino raises an eyebrow. "Well no, but I don't particularly own that many pieces of jewelry, so I don't know why you use that comparison... and besides, you're the one that's flicking paint everywhere, I figured maybe you had it protected in some way, maybe some polish or something." His horn lights up as his aura partially envelopes some of the brushes, trying to take them away.

"Polish? You've got to be kidding!" He gestures to the floor. "A matte painting is supposed to look realistic! Polish would give it an unnatural sheen, rendering any realism moot!" He realizes the stallion's magic is on his brushes and yanks them away, deeply frowning. "I'd like it if you would just stop that and listen, Doc."

Nonplussed, Rhino sits down and looks expectantly. "Ok, I'm listening. Please tell me about how you manage to fling paint around, and that's fine, but fire is bad. I am genuinely curious."

"Well first, look around." He walks over to the wall behind the unicorn. "None of the paint actually touched. You see..." His large wings flare, and he raises a hoof to brush the underside. "...my element is air. I'm capable of manipulating all of the gases in this room, and that allows me to keep my attacks from harming it. Fire, however, consumes oxygen, rendering the thin barrier I made useless." He motions to the stallion with a hoof. "Come on, feel for yourself."

Rhino walks over and tries to press a hoof to the wall, encountering thickening air just before he can actually touch it. It thickens to a point where he can't actually make contact. "Wow... impressive, you know, again, but in a different way this time."

"Glad you appreciate it." He chuckles, puffing his chest out in pride. "It's an art, after all!" He glances at one section of the sky-painting, frowning once more. "Not that Luster would agree...that self-righteous witch..."

Rhino pats the changeling on the back. "Everyone has a critic."

He nods, quietly sighing. "...yeah...but not all of them have one that's their sister..."

Rhino flinches. "Ouch. Yeah... I hear those can be either the harshest or softest, depending on who it is."

He sighs once more. "Ain't that right." He scratches his chin, thinking a bit. "Say, when you get up there, would you mind giving her a good knock on the noggin? It might get her to be less choleric to have her take a small nap, you know?"

Rhino nods. "Sure thing. I don't suppose you'd be up to letting me just pass now and say that I beat you if anyone asks so that you don't get in trouble?"

He shrugs, a small smile on his lips. "Sorry. I'd need another hit in the head for that to be plausible."

Rhino tilts his head. "You sure? What if I actually do manage to hit you in the head again?"

"Then I'd quietly lay down and give you the key to the door." He laughs brightly. "Of course, that's if you can even touch me!"

Rhino nods with a smile. "Deal!" He walks back towards the center of the room and turns to face flick again. Adjusting one step farther, he thinks out loud. "Ok... I was about this far relative to you... Ready when you are!"

Flick picks up his brushes, grinning widely. "Begin!" He immediately swishes four brushes in a crosshatch pattern, sending a yellow square at him.

"And suddenly I'm getting geometry flashbacks." Rhino Blinks right up into Flicks face and swings his hoof, hoping to end this quickly.

Surprisingly, the stallion's hoof goes right through the drone's face, as if passing through a fine mist. He chuckles, shaking his head. "Didn't I mention it'd be hard to hit me?" He smacks his hoof into the stallion's chest, pushing him back. "Glad you're using that spell of yours. The floor would've been scratched up, otherwise."

Rhino smoothly glides back because of Res on his hooves. He blinks, confused as to what just happened. "No problem..." He looks at the hoof he swung with for a moment before shaking his head and getting ready. He closes in without Blinking this time, trying to keep Flick distracted by vying for control on some of his brushes.

Flick shouts indignantly, wrestling his brushes back. "Hey! Those don't belong to-" His eyes widen as one of his paint balls darts right at him. "...oh buck." He quickly ducks, avoiding the yellow sphere. It hits the barrier in front of the wall before being funneled back into the bucket it came from. "That could've been bad."

Rhino doesn't say anything as he uses the distraction to get closer to Flick. On a whim, he decides to keep his hoof forward after he punches this time, to see what happens. He pulls back and unleashes the blow.

Flick phases out from the punch but, when Rhino doesn't pull it back, quickly steps to the side. "You know, it really is impolite to hold your hoof in someone's face."

"Just testing a theory." Rhino suddenly throws another punch.

He rolls his eyes and backs up, avoiding the attack before sending a straight right hoof into Rhino's jaw. Due to his rather weak muscles, though, this doesn't really do much except get more yellow paint on Rhino's face.

Rhino backs off and sticks his tongue out as a bit of paint gets on his tongue. "Bleh, as much as I like having a completely yellow face, I really hope I find a place to wash it off before it dries."

Flick shrugs nonchalantly. "It's latex paint. It should be able to peel off." He pauses, a thought occurring to him. "...you're not allergic to latex, are you?"

"No," Rhino wipes the uncomfortable stick part of his coat and grimaces as all he comes away with is paint on his leg, "your concern is appreciated though." He straightens up and narrows his eyes at the friendly changeling, thinking of how to finally end this. His eyes light up at the same time as his horn when he hatches a plan.

The drone tilts his head, curious. "What're you up to?"

Rhino smirks. "Depends on when you ask, I'm usually up to something or other." His green aura suddenly invades the brushes again, purposely causing them to flail towards the changeling, but he is able to put more force into them now that he isn't using Res at the same time. His horn also picks up one more item, unknown to Flick.

The changeling frowns, trying to grab his brushes. "Hey, stop that! You'll get paint everywhere!"

"I thought your little air trick will protect it?" Rhino still fights with the brushes as the other item gets into position.

"The walls, yes, but not the floor!" He actually attempts to grab the handles in his mouth, wanting to keep them from getting his forest messy.

"Ah right, I'll just do this then." Rhino suddenly lets go of the brushes, which leaves Flick off balance since he had been pulling. He smiles as he quickly guides the paint bucket he had been holding right into the back of Flick's head. The result is a good sized 'thunk' but he makes sure not to put too much force into it.

The drone blinks, stunned for a moment before he bursts out laughing, shaking his head. "You got me good, boy!" He grins, pulling a key out of his mane and giving it to the unicorn. "There you go. I think you earned it."

Rhino takes the key with a smile. "Thanks! You know... this was actually pretty fun, it reminded me of sparring with one of my old friends."

"Oh?" He chuckles, shaking his head. "Remind me to ask you about that the next time we meet. If there is a next time, I mean. For now," he lays down and rolls onto his side, sighing quietly, "I'm going to take a small nap. That much magic at once can sure wind a changeling..."

Rhino nods as he starts to head towards the stairs. "You do that, but... one thing." He turns his head to look at Flick. "I'm getting Gel out of here. When I do, if you want, you've got an open invitation to come with us."

The yellow-tinted changeling smiles, closing his eyes. "...I may just take you up on that...good luck, Doc..."

Rhino nods, his expression turning grim as he reminds himself of exactly what he is doing here. He makes his way up the stairs purposefully, to whatever challenge awaits next.

Chapter 55: Luster

Click for Music

Rhino can hear what he assumes is his next obstacle long before he can see it. Strangely enough, the sound is that of a medium-slow violin piece. He crouches down and tries to be stealthy as he approaches the entryway that seems to lead to the source of the music. He peeks in and sees a room that appears to be made, or at least coated, in metal, and a single changeling is its sole occupant.

The purple-tinted nymph is seated on her ornate throne, playing an instrument of pure metal. Her eyes appear to be shut in the relative darkness of the room. To her side is a long, dark metal staff, but she doesn't seem to pay it any mind, favoring her violin and the somber music she's playing.

Rhino spots the doorway to the next floor behind her. After muttering a few curses in his mind to the ones who designed the tower, he slowly creeps into the room as he debates the merits between avoiding a fight and leaving his back open, or launching a surprise attack.

His choices are stripped away as soon as he enters, and a couple of stomps can be heard from the changeling's direction. She glares at him, having jumped to her hindlegs. She points her bow at him and then at the doorway he just entered.

Rhino quickly looks behind himself to make sure he isn't being flanked. Seeing nothing there he turns back to the nymph with a questioning look.

She stamps the ground once more, fiercely pointing at doorway, scowling at him.

Her meaning clicks in his mind and he shakes his head. "I'll leave, but only when I have her back."

Click for New Music

She appears to roll her eyes and begins to tap her hooves across the metal floor. She brings her bow back up and pulls it across the strings, a long, slow note at first, accompanied by the unusual percussion her hindhoof provides.

As she does this, the room appears to ripple around her, distorting with the sound of the music.

Rhino braces himself, unsure of what she is doing, but having a distinct feeling he isn't going to like it.

She starts playing a medium paced song, smirking at him. On the first short note, a spike of metal pops up right in front of him, jabbing the tip of his nose.

He quickly backsteps with a grunt, the spike not quite having broke the skin, but succeeding in making him extremely worried. He directs a wave of magical force with his horn, it sweeps into the purple changeling's rear hooves, hopefully knocking her down or at least disrupting her balance.

On the contrary, she incorporates the stumble it causes into her song, quickly sending a flurry of spikes at him. The whole time she dances and plays, as if performing some strange concert for one.

He growls as he focuses, using his mind's previous torture of itself with Gel's predicament to motivate him. He Binks past the wave of spikes and then Blinks again to appear behind her with his back to her. He braces both of his forehooves and bucks her with both of his hind ones.

She doesn't move, pausing her music to tap at her chest. The nymph shakes her head and kicks him to the side, not even pretending to be holding back. With the well-developed muscles in her hindlegs, this sends him flying through one of the many pillars and into a wall. She doesn't even turn to look at him as she continues playing, now at a much slower part of the song.

Rhino groans as he picks himself off the ground, shaken by the strength of his opponent. He watches her play for a moment before getting a small idea and powering up his hooves with Res. He lets the song flow through him as he listens for the likely notes that will signal her attacks and prepare to dodge them.

She starts to stomp once more, the tempo quickly picking up and the spikes starting to rush at the stallion from nearly every direction.

Still in time with her beat, he Blinks out of the spike trap and reappears to her side. He summons the same circle he used on Flick and a large gout of flame launches toward her.

She simply stomps, a large wall of metal rising up out of the floor and blocking the attack. The wall turns bright red, superheated from the fire and, with a single note, a spike pushes out at him from it.

Rhino immediately kicks backwards to avoid it, still irritated that he hasn't managed to even scratch her yet. He spots her staff still laying untouched and wonders if that could be of any use. As he continues to dodge her rhythmic spikes, his horn lights up and his aura appears around the staff, only to fizzle out.

Click for Last Music

She smirks, shaking her head. She narrows her eyes and starts a new song, the notes coming fast and the sound of her hoof against metal steady. The metal of a nearby pillar turns into a liquid snake, the girth giving it a large form, almost one and a half times the size of the stallion's body. It slithers forward, its sword-like fangs bared eagerly at him.

Rhino eyes widen as he quickly retreats from the snake. Thinking fast, he calls upon other of his spells that he thought might be useful. He quickly Blinks into the center of the room and lights up his horn, an arcane circle appearing in front of him. He Blinks away behind of one the pillars of the room just as the circle flares with light almost as bright as the sun, filling the room with light and pitching any shadows into the deepest darkness.

The nymph covers her eyes, her mouth open in a silent scream of agony. With no music playing, the snake solidifies, a silent silver guardian of the incapacitated changeling.

The flaring circle continues for a few more seconds before popping out of existence. Rhino uses this opportunity to Blink right next to the nymph's staff and grabs it with a foreleg. He leans back and uses his weight to swing it around in a viscous arc right at the changeling.

Luster raises a hoof and stops the heavy pole in its tracks. Her ears twitch for a moment before she grips it and uses it to swing Rhino, still on the other end, into a pillar. Her eyes are still closed, so it's clear she can't see what is happening and is possibly waiting for her eyes to recover.

Rhino picks himself up again, thankful he keeps hitting walls with his back because that's probably the part of him that can take it the best. As he brings a hoof up to wipe a bit of sweat off his face, he realizes he still has a nice coat of yellow on it, so he peels it off like Flick said he could. This gives him a moment to think. After he discards the dried paint, his horn lights up again as he makes two more waves of magic, one at her head height and the other aimed for her rear hooves. They are both on opposite sides of her. He launches them.

She swiftly swings her staff, intercepting both waves with it and dispersing them on contact. She flips the pole up and grabs onto it, hanging from the ceiling a moment before bending her back half up and pushing off, intending to bring the pole down on top of his head. This whole time, a purple gem in the center of the pole glows brightly, illuminating a circle carved into the metal.

Rhino quickly sidesteps the swipe to a resounding 'clang' as it impacts the floor. He throws a hoof into the side of the changeling's head, hoping it would do something, but he Blinks away right after the impact just in case it didn't.

She ducks underneath it and swings where he was, the staff striking a pillar. She frowns, her ears swivelling as she tries to hear where he went. She stomps once, causing several spikes to jut out of the metal every few yards, as if testing to see where he went.

Luckily, Rhino hadn't Blinked to the floor, but to the ceiling. He stays completely still as he tries to figure out a strategy that would actually work. A few possibilities come to mind and he decides to try them. His horn lights up and multiple fire circles appear in the air around and above the nymph. All at once, the infernos race at her.

Her ears twitch and she stomps, metal racing up to cover her body. It covers her a split second before the flames reach her, quickly turning red-hot from the heat. As soon as they finish, she slowly turns around, the metal moving from her eyes. The indigo spheres glare up at him and the nymph stomps, aiming a spike right at his abdomen.

Rhino Blinks away again, something he knows is probably getting on her nerves but is saving his flank so he has no intention of stopping. He lands on the floor a short distance away and light up his horn for the next idea he has. The floor around the nymph is suddenly lit up with his Res circle, making it slick. As her hooves slide from under her and she is briefly laying on the ground, Rhino switches the circle to the other form of Res and sticks her to the surface. His horn continues glowing as the fire-launching circle again appears directly above her, but this time it is more than double the size of the other times he's used it, and he is prepared to maintain it for longer as well. With an eerie orange glow the circle finishes and releases a column of flame down at the changeling.

Luster watches the oncoming flames with an eerie calm. She smirks at him as she sinks into the floor a second before the fire hits, a smoldering wisp of smoke left on the floor.

"What the..." Rhino ends the spell quickly to not use too much energy as he looks at the spot where she disappeared. He realizes after a moment that the room is covered in the material she went into and starts Blinking around at random intervals, hoping to not be caught by surprise but having no idea where to look for her.

In the middle of one of his Blinks, spikes push out of every surface, long and thin with barely enough room for a pony between them. If one were to be hit by one, it's doubtful it wouldn't pierce them through.

When Rhino reappears, he comes out of the teleport mostly between the spikes, but one of them goes up his side. If he were a pegasus, that would have gone straight through his wing, but being a unicorn, he just got a nasty scratch up his ribs.

As soon as he appears, more spires erupt from the metal, and branching thorns off of those. This effectively pins the stallion in place, and sends a few more barbs into his side.

Rhino doesn't move so as not to make things worse. The scratches sting, but he's had worse, not quite in this number, but still. He stays in place for a moment as he thinks, trying to find a way out. He could Blink, but the spikes are still a problem not matter where he goes. After a bit more pondering, he has a crazy idea. He would normally like to test this first, but one must take circumstances into account. His horn glows and the runes for Res appear, but not in an arcane circles. Instead, they appear all over the stallion's body, up his legs, across his back, and even on his face. He activates low Res and hopes. A series of creaks make him smile as his body and the metal push away from each other, not much, but enough to where they aren't touching, which at least lets him move.

The nymph slowly emerges from a spike in the ceiling, frowning deeply as her masterpiece of a battle strategy keeps getting interrupted by this unicorn, this tasteless brute. A glimmer off the stallion's neck catches her eye, a sly grin gracing her lips. She narrows her eyes and concentrates, the chain around his neck shrinking until it's a choker and then becoming smaller still.

Rhino coughs as the tightening chain overpowers his small all-over forcefield of Res. He barely consider simply breaking the chain with a quick snap of magic, but rejects that idea, both from an unwillingness to part from the thing tying him to Gel, and form the thought that Luster would probably just keep the necklace there anyway. He redirects Res to concentrate on his neck area leaving a minimum amount everywhere else on his body, the spikes around him thankfully staying in place due to the nymph concentrating on this other task. His runes on his body glow brighter as he fights the mare's powers for time as he tries to think of a way out of this.

Hoping to break her concentration until he thinks of something better, a ball magical force forms just above and behind his opponent. As he continues to fight for his right to breathe, he launches it and it impacts with the back of her head.

Not expecting the blow, the nymph staggers, her focus failing and the spikes all falling back into the walls. She lands on the ground behind him with a loud thud, quickly getting back up and grabbing her long pole, not ready to give up the fight. She immediately knocks his hindlegs apart and swings the tip of the staff up, trying to hit him where it would really hurt.

Luckily Rhino Blinks away in time so that all she hits is air. He reappears a distance away from her, his body still covered in Res. With how hard this mare hits, he decides to keep it on himself, thinking that any cushion to her blows would be appreciated. The now luminously tattooed stallion forms two more magical force balls behind her and launches them, hoping to gauge their effectiveness.

She spins and swings her black metal staff, actually deflecting the balls into two columns. She plants it on the ground and taps it with a hoof, smirking haughtily at him.

Rhino groans as he lightly pants, the constant intensity of this fight plus his long journey before getting to him. "I... don't suppose we can talk about this?"

Her eye twitches, annoyed by this. She throws down her pole and furiously points at her throat, acting as if what she was indicating was obvious.

He stares for a moment before something occurs to him. "I... don't suppose you're mute and what I said actually sounded incredibly insensitive? If so, sorry about that, honest unfortunate turn of phrase."

She quirks an eyebrow at him, tapping her hoof at this. She rolls her eyes and, deciding to change the subject, gestures at his shoulder, where one of his runes lay, a curious look on her face.

He looks to the shoulder in question before turning back to her. "Yeah, bit of a crazy idea there, wasn't sure it would work. Glad it did though, might have some interesting applications once all this is done but for now it does a decent job of saving my flank in certain situations. Never tried using runes in anything but circles before..."

She shakes her head and stomps on one end of her staff, flipping it up into her grip. She turns it around and motions to the gem and the glowing markings, as if trying to show it to him.

He nods, seeing the inscriptions. "Yes, I suppose enchanting isn't always in circles, but I haven't really seen that many applications of enchanted items that aren't... you know..." he gestures at his necklace, "small and with the the enchantment completely based inside of a gem." He looks back to the staff. "Plus I mean, at least mine come off, items tend to be stuck with their enchantments unless somepony bothers to dispel everything, and most don't." He looks curiously at the runes before his eyes light up in recognition. "Ah, magnetism. Excellent complement to your skills."

Luster actually smiles a little at this, bowing gratefully at him. She pauses mid-action, frowning slightly. She gestures up and then taps her chest, following it up with a slice motion across her neck and then shivering slightly.

Rhino frowns as he straightens up into a more casual stance. "You know, Flick said that exact same thing. Frankly, it seems to me that if you made it this far in the military, surely you've proven your loyalty that one mistake shouldn't get you killed. Well, I don't think anything should get you killed but you know what I mean."

She shrugs, nodding in agreement. She taps her chin, tilting her head as something occurs to her. She points down, and then to her mouth, her curious look returning.

Rhino goes on instinct to understand what she is conveying. "Assuming I'm understand you right... Yes, Flick and I did speak while we fought. You were actually mentioned a few times, if your name is Luster."

She slowly nods, her eyes narrowing slightly. She motions for him to continue, wondering what the drone had said.

He thinks on how to word this. "He expressed that you both had... differing tastes in art."

She stomps her hoof and starts gesturing wildly, pacing in front of her ornate chair, her lips moving in a silent rant. She goes about this for a few minutes before pulling some metal from her throne and shaping it into a violin, playing some notes in an attempt to calm herself down.

Rhino waits until it sounds as though she's through. "Is it really that big of a deal to have different opinions? He's into painting, you're into music. It doesn't seem like that should forge such a rift between siblings... On a side note though, you do play beautifully, and I've heard some of the best symphonies in Canterlot a time or two."

She falters, fumbling the bow and causing a screech in her surprise. She blushes softly, rubbing the back of her neck. She shrugs as nonchalantly as possible, given how flattered she is, before returning to her violin, her hooves shaky as she starts tuning it.

He tilts his head. "What? Surely somepony... or changeling... has complimented you on your ability before."

She shakes her head, frowning sadly. She doesn't make any move to expand on that thought, as it is hard for one without words to do so.

"Well that is just shameful." He takes a few steps forward. "I think you could rival the best with that. And the ability to play one out of pure metal is impressive in its own right." He thinks for a moment. "Is that how you try to convey your more complex thoughts? I mean I guess you could always write them, but music would probably speak to their souls instead of their minds so I could see why you would go that way."

She appears to giggle, her shoulders moving with the action. She nods and plays her violin once more, sitting down on her throne to give her hindlegs some rest. She does tap her hoof against the floor, giving him a little questioning look.

He tries to understand what that means, but ultimately fails. "Umm... I'm sorry, but I don't really understand that one... Are you asking about my opinion on the room?"

She facehooves and stands up once more. She continues to play, tapping her hoof against the floor in various ways, each one producing a unique sound, varying from drum beats to a short, hollow note.

It hits him. "Oh! You're asking about the percussion... Yes, that is impressive as well, especially considering you can do such a wide array of notes." He observes her a bit more before continuing. "It seems like the way you cause the sounds also makes it look like you are dancing... you are just full of performance abilities aren't you? Actually... the fact that you then combine them into your fighting style adds to it as well... you are just more and more impressive the more I think about it..."

She bows deeply, if only to hide her vibrantly blushing face. She stands in front of him, feeling a little awkward, wanting to thank him but unable to do so properly.

As he sees her standing there, one hoof idly scraping the ground, he decides to take the first step. "Was there something else you wanted to... tell/show me?"

She taps her chin and, deciding that there isn't much else she can do to show her gratitude, pulls a small, metal key out of her mane, giving it to him. She smiles kindly at him, sitting down on the floor.

He looks down at the key, his runes fading off his coat. "Wow... thank you... you really want to give me this for a few truthful statements?"

Luster nods at him, a tendril of metal picking up her staff. As it starts to coil itself like a spring, she gives him a small salute and closes her eyes, her body tensing slightly.

His eyes widen as he quickly steps forward and pulls her away from the staff. "Woah woah woah, no need to hurt yourself!"

She blinks her eyes open, staring up at him in a mixture of curiosity and confusion.

He lightly taps her head. "I don't want a friend to damage her talent, especially for me. Surely there's a better way?"

She scratches her head, thinking for a moment. She nods and lays down on the ground, the silver tentacle gingerly placing the rod by her head, as if it was dropped after knocking her out.

He smiles, crouching down to speak with her on her level. "Thank you... And you know... when I leave here... you're welcome to come along. Maybe we could find you a way to show the world how amazing you are."

She smiles and shrugs, holding out a hoof for him to shake.

He shakes her hoof, once again surprised by her strength, shown this time in her grip. "I'll see you when I'm coming back down... think about it, alright?" He lets go and heads towards the door, unlocking it with the small key. As he steps onto the first stair he looks behind him and smiles softly at the nymph, lying prone with her eyes closed. He turns and heads up the stairs to the next likely interesting encounter.

Chapter 56: Port

Rhino approaches the next floor as stealthily as he can, both in an effort to surprise whatever opponent is up there, and because he doesn't hear any sound at all other than water running. He pokes his head into the entranceway to see a room with minimal decoration, at least compared to the last total makeovers. The personalized touches to this floor seem to be entirely water-based. A few fountains and even a few small pools dot the edges of the room. In the center of it all though, is a rather large chitinous desk.

Sitting in front of that desk is a large, orange-tinted changeling. He seems a bit lankier than the last two, as if he doesn't exercise as often as they do. This is hard to tell, however, since his head is resting on the desk, his barrel rising and falling in the even pattern of sleep.

Two particular memories got through Rhino's head as he quietly approaches the changeling. One recent one of both Luster and Flick bringing the keys he needed out of their manes, and the other of a particular note written by his pets describing the one who took Gel. As he stand to the side of the changeling, he looks down at it with hard eyes as he debates whether to search his mane with magic... or throttle him with it. He smiles grimly as he realizes they aren't mutually exclusive and lights up his horn as a ring of magic appears around the changeling's neck.

What he didn't expect was for a hole-filled hoof to slam into his jaw.

Rhino stumbles back, the blow luckily not as strong as Luster's, but getting hit in the jaw by anything tends to stagger a pony. He shakes his head and glares back up at the changeling.

The drone sits up, yawning quietly before turning to him, frowning deeply. "I was taking a nap. Why did you wake me up?"

Rhino growls at him. "Because you took someone from me, and now you have something I need."

He furrows his brow, confused. "Someone from...are you talking about Colonel Gel?"

The stallion's eyes practically flash at the name. "Yes. I've come to get her back."

The changeling glances at a clock on the desk, noting the time. "It's probably too late for you to do anything, honestly. She's to be executed at high noon." He yawns once more, shaking his head. "She may be one of the Elite, but even we aren't above the law."

Rhino eyes snap wide open as his fur stands on end. "Executed?!" He looks down for a moment before looking back up at the drone, determined. "All the more reason for me to get there quickly. Will you give me your key to the next floor?" He figures he might as well try the direct approach.

He stares at the stallion a moment, perplexed. "Give you the key? That's against protocol, and punishable by psychological torture. Where did you get an idea like that?"

The unicorn answers simply. "Because after fighting through three floors, though the first wasn't much of a fight, I thought I might try to see if I could avoid one. I take it that was a 'no'?"

He stands up, pushing the desk and its contents off to the side with his magic. "I'm not going to commit treason for one nymph's life."

Rhino changes to a combat stance. "Then you are just another obstacle to overcome."

The drone doesn't seem to respond to this, his face in a neutral expression. "Then it is my duty to stop you." He lowers his stance, his horn glowing the same orange as his mane. "I'm Lieutenant General Port, and your journey ends with me."

The stallion doesn't say anything, his own horn glowing green. He tries to simply end this fight quickly as he grabs the changeling's neck in his magic and squeezes.

The drone does the same, enveloping the pony's head with a bubble of water from a nearby pond.

Rhino holds his breath as he tightens his hold on the changeling's neck. His enjoyment of swimming over the years making him not too concerned by feeling underwater.

Seeing this isn't affecting him the same as the nymph before, Port focuses, forcing the water into the stallion's nostrils, hoping it will break his concentration.

His eyes widen as the water starts flowing into his nose, the usual burning sensation associated with such things making him cough and break off his hold on the changeling to reform his Res runes on his body, concentrated on his face. The spell pushes the water out and away from him a few inches, and since it covers his horn as well, the few inches from the tip of it allow a break in the bubble so air can rush in. Rhino breathes gratefully as he glares at Port through the distorting water.

The drone narrows his eyes at this but doesn't comment on it, instead turning his gaze to the fountain. A pillar of water slowly forms from its surface, swirling around as if caught in the pull of a drain. He takes this moment to strike up a conversation. "I do enjoy my job, but sometimes, I just want to relax." He motions to the mini-typhoon, the corner of his lip turned up almost imperceptibly. "What better way than a good feature film?"

Rhino looks where the stallion motions, but his vision is still obscured by the water. "The effect is a bit lost when I can't tell what it is." He turns back to port. "At least orange stands out nicely." He prepares a few balls of magic force around the changeling, planning to buffet him with them.

The drone rolls his eyes, sending the water spout at Rhino and dispersing the bubble once it is upon him. "Everyone's a critic."

The typhoon immediately picks the stallion up and starts throwing him around within its walls. Icicles and hail form among the waters, buffeting the stallion's body.

The still-intact Res spell around Rhino's face prevents the water from rushing down his nose or mouth and protects it from most of the damage. However, his body is not so lucky, he now is starting a collection of bruises to match the scratches and paint splotches from his previous fights. As soon as he can get his head straight, Rhino Blinks out of the vortex to appear on the other side of the room, sopping wet. He looks angrily at the changeling and forms a large fire circle pointed directly at him. Rhino wastes no time in launching the torrent of flame at his opponent.

Port glances at him briefly before a wall of water separates them, absorbing most of the attack and turning into steam. He shakes his head, like he is disappointed. "Everypony has a temper..." He points at a pool behind the stallion just as a shark head made of water pops out and attempts to chomp on the green pony.

Rhino quickly Blinks out of the way again, this time next to the changeling with his back to him. Rhino braces himself and bucks both of his hind hooves at the changeling's face.

The drone quickly ducks under the kick. Frowning slightly, he picks some water up in a hoof and smacks the liquid shield into Rhino's knees, forcing the pony's hindlegs to move over the rest of his body.

The stallion's eyes widen as he is forced to walk on his forehooves for a few steps to avoid flipping over. After he rights himself, he growls and turns to face the changeling yet again. He covers his entire body in the Res runes and quickly starts charging at the drone.

Port quirks an eyebrow and steps to the side at the last moment and slamming the shield into Rhino's side, taking note of the slight resistance it encounters. "I see." He leaps back, the gears in his head visibly turning. "You're more of a threat than I expected."

The unicorn simply snorts as he orients himself towards the changeling and scuffs a forehoof on the ground threateningly. A few more ideas pop into his head, some of them unorthodox but that's half of what's been keeping him up these fights. He lights up his horn and the flaring light spell that was effective on Luster forms once more. Just before it releases, Rhino Blinks behind and under the desk, the only source of shade in the room.

The changeling covers his face and turns away, erecting a wall of water just in case it was a physical spell. When he doesn't feel anything pressing against the fluid, he peeks open an eye, seeing his shadow being formed on the wall in front of him, made due to the harsh light shining on his back. He doesn't give off any emotion, his face still blank. "Impressive." He turns to Rhino as the flare dies down, eyes narrowed slightly. "Were I any slower, that would've blinded me. Kudos."

Rhino mentally curses his inability to harm this stallion yet. He switches to his next crazy idea, replacing the Res runes on his body with those of the light spell. He begins emitting light from all over his body, but since he is the source of it, he isn't affected by it himself. The light isn't as bright as the flare, since it's constant, but it still hurts to look at. He skates closer to the changeling, but always in a serpentine pattern so he isn't very predictable.

Port tries to follow his foe's movements, but the light is taking its toll on him. He turns away and puts a hoof to his head, groaning at the migraine starting to form.

The stallion notice this and takes the opportunity to quickly move in and deliver an uppercut right to the changeling's head. Not wanting to waste this moment, Rhino follows it up with more punches, hoping to get in as much damage as he can.

He grunts with each blow delivered, trying to focus on the pony in front of him. He's forced to close his eyes before long and bring his shield up, absorbing the punches for him. At the same time, he brings more water around Rhino's hooves before it snaps up against his sides as a large feline's head.

Rhino yells in pain as the tiger's teeth pierce his flesh. He reflexively Blinks away, his reappearance across the room freeing him of the jaws. He now has a perfect set of puncture wounds along his barrel to match everything else. The light spell on his flickers from his lapse in concentration as he catches his breath while blood drips out of the punctures. Out of anger, Rhino readies one ball of magic force and slams it into the top of the drone's head, hoping to force it to hit the ground.

Port, feeling the blow hit the back of his head, closes his eyes and lets the force knock his head down through a yellow-rimmed circle he forms in the air. At the same moment, a red one appears above the stallion's head, leading to a strong headbutt through them.

Rhino rears back as he yells in pain again, holding his face. Luckily both males' horns had stayed out of the equation, but the result was still extremely painful. Rhino lightly shakes his head as he blearily looks at the drone through the headache he now has.

Port chuckles and shakes it off, used to blows to the head. "You have tricks. I do, too." He directs his attention back to the water on the floor. It quickly rises up into the shape of a dragon, roaring fiercely at the stunned stallion.

Rhino though, instead of getting scared, just groans as he sees the new obstacle. He forms the fire circle in front of him, acting as though he's going to just turn it to steam, but not putting much magic at all into the circle. However, at the same time, his magic envelopes the desk off to the side, the furniture lifting up slightly off the ground.

The dragon's tail swiftly lashes out, striking the stallion into the wall between the fountains behind him.

Rhino grunts as he impacts the wall and slides down into a heap on the floor. His magic had fizzled out from the impact of the tail. However, as he lays on the floor, he lights his horn up again, the desk once again in his grasp. He quickly builds up his strength and tosses it through the at at the side of the drone.

He cries out in pain, sliding on his side across the floor and into a pool. He gets up on shaky legs, pushing the soaked piece of furniture out of the water before climbing out, himself. He stands up on his hindlegs, creating a shield and sword. "This is going on longer than I expected." He narrows his eyes, raising up his weapon as a wave washes over his form, giving him a suit of armor. "Too long, I think." He rushes forward, quickly closing the distance and swinging the hard water sword at the stallion's face.

The unicorn is still working himself back to his hooves after the whole dragon incident, which was luckily dissolved when Port's concentration was shattered by the desk. Seeing the changeling approaching him so quickly, Rhino decides to try something a little different and promptly lights up his horn. He brings up his Blink spell, but instead of using it himself, decides to use it instead to teleport the drone across the room and up against the ceiling, meaning he crashes to the floor about half a second later.

Surprisingly, the orange-tinted changeling brings his shield down, the armor absorbing the force of the fall. Port launches himself off the ground with the water on the floor, bringing him sailing high through the air, his hindlegs aimed at Rhino's chest.

More prepared this time, Rhino is actually standing up and waiting. He tracks and gauges where the drone will end up before preparing a nice fire spell to welcome him. The circle forms and points right along his angle of descent, firing its pillar of flames at the leaping changeling.

His eyes widen in shock and he tries to protect himself, but it's all for naught. He yells as the flames envelope him, leaving nothing behind when it ends.

While surprised at the effectiveness of his attack, Rhino isn't complaining as he moves over to the floor where the drone was defeated. His eyes scour the ground, trying to find the key he needs.

What he finds, instead, is a hoof straight to his cheek.

Not prepared for an attack, Rhino stumbles to the side and falls. He looks up and sees Port climbing out of the pool he had been knocked into by the desk.

The drone gives him an even look. "Did you really think it'd be that simple?" Another changeling, mirroring the first, climbs out next to him. "Water is the source of life. If I can make other things out of it, it is no trouble to make more of myself." A yellow-edged circle appears between them, and a red one between Rhino's forelegs. They both punch a hoof through the former, striking him in the center of the chest.

The stallion, having only half-managed to stand up before he was struck again, collapses back onto the floor. He glares at the two drones, launching a quick ball of magic at one, only to have it pass through as the changeling melts into a puddle of water, making the whole act useless.

Port shakes his head, sighing quietly. "I really should end this soon. The General would be upset if I didn't show up for the execution." He punches into the air, the portals rearranging right as he does so, allowing him to hit a different part of the stallion's body. He repeats this action multiple times, striking the unicorn's paint-covered face, his barbed-spike wounds, the bite marks, anything and everything that could be hit. "Again, nothing against you. Just doing my job."

Rhino's eyes blaze as he responds, grunting or hissing with every hit. "As... am... I..." He suddenly Blinks a few feet away, leaving behind a high Res circle on the ground. As the changeling's hooves strike the place where the stallion once was, both of his forehooves become stuck fast to the ground, unable to pull back, and thus leaving him unable to close the portals around them. Rhino stands up and starts to approach the changeling with a menacing look.

Port struggles a moment, futilely trying to free his hooves. After a few moments he realizes he's not going anywhere.

His horn glows and a mass of water rises out of the pond behind him, holding a knife in the corner of its mouth, a wild grin on its translucent face. It approaches the stallion, laughing as it goes. "Why. So. Serious?"

Rhino gives the drone a flat look before harshly kicking him in the head, making sure most of the force landed on his horn. He follows it up with another kick to the side of his head just to make sure he breaks the changeling's concentration, all the while his hooves are still stuck on the other side of the room.

Port groans, hanging limply from his own portals. He stares evenly at the stallion, drawing in shaky breaths. "You are...better than I..." He lowers his head, closing his eyes in acceptance. "...go ahead...finish me off..."

Rhino responds evenly, his voice neutral. "As much as I am severely tempted to just snap your neck and be done with it... I won't." His magic rifles through the stallion's mane, finding the small key inside. He regards the defeated drone carefully. "I can't maintain my spell forever though..." He brings over the desk, swinging it experimentally. "Logically... I should just knock you out so you don't attack me from behind when I'm dealing with..." he gauges the distance the necklace is telling him Gel is from him, "the last floor of this place." He looks down at Port. "I won't kill you... so I guess this is the only way..."

"...last floor?" He chuckles, shaking his head. "...good luck...the General's tougher than I am..." He looks up at him, frowning slightly. "...you don't have to knock me out...I'm almost out of magic, myself..." He turns to the portals where his legs are. "...it takes an ungodly amount of power to hold these open...and I'm tired...besides..." The drone looks at Rhino once more, a small smile on his lips. "...you beat me...fair and square...despite going through two others...you, of all ponies...deserve your happy ending..." He chuckles, lowering his head, anticipating the blow against his skull.

Rhino blinks before killing his magic and letting the drone's limbs go. They snap back to their owner and the portals close. "You really do like your movies don't you?" He rolls his shoulders as he sets the desk down, his body definitely starting to feel the strain of all this. "It was a tough fight... you did well..." He heads towards the stairs. "But I've got a rescue to complete," he turns partially back to Port, "see you on the way back down."

Chapter 58: Home Again

It's Friday morning, the sun having only just risen over the horizon as the group of four arrive in Whitetail Woods. The two changeling escorts travel for a short time until they can start to see buildings through the trees. Flick nudges Rhino awake with one of his wings.

The battered unicorn groans as he moves for the first time in about 16 hours. His eyes slowly open as he looks around, recognizing where they are. "Almost home..." He looks across at Luster and Gel as he tries to get off the yellow drone. "How is she?"

The indigo nymph glances at the one on her back. She nods and turns to him, her mind reaching out to him, forming a pressure in his head once more.

Rhino pushes back as the temporary link between their minds is formed once more.

She seems to be faring better, though she’s still asleep. The group lands on the forest floor behind his house.

Well… I hope she wakes up soon… Rhino successfully dismounts Flick and stretches his legs before looking around to get his bearings. “Alright… home should be… this way.” He heads at an angle towards the rows of houses.

The drone stretches his wings a moment, slightly frowning. “But we heard that she was discovered before Port picked her up. Won’t the three of us be easier to discover?”

Rhino sighs and nods, the wind taken out of his metaphorical sails at the mention of the problems they still have to deal with. “Yes… but we have some small graces at least. Our house has the good fortune to be in a blind spot in the web. She wasn’t completely exposed anyway, her disguise is still usable.”

“Ah. Well, that makes things a whole lot better.” The changelings stop, glancing at each other curiously. “...do you think we need one, sis?”
She shrugs, letting her metal boxes rest on the ground behind her. I guess so. It’d be bad if we couldn’t find a way to blend in, considering.

Rhino thinks aloud as they reach the edge of his yard, lowering his voice in case of prying ears. “Perhaps we can look around later, me from the ground and you from the air, to see if there are other spots or, preferably, paths that are not in the detector web. But… if you do need disguises, perhaps you could say you are Angel’s relatives and go from there?” He steps into the yard and crosses it.

The changelings nod to each other and quickly shift their forms. Flick becomes a chestnut pegasus stallion. He runs a hoof through his brown mane, grinning widely. “This is good. What do you think, Luster?”

He turns to the yellow mare, but she strides forward, ignoring his question. We have disguises, but we can’t put one on her. Sorry about that. Her cyan eyes lower to the grass beneath their hooves, a confused expression on her face. ...I would’ve expected there to be trees all the way up to the backdoor. Interesting.

The unicorn fishes a key out of his bags. They leave space for a nice yard, but we still have a few separating us from the other houses, so we have privacy. He continues outloud for Flick’s benefit. “You don’t have to worry about disguising her, I usually encourage her to be herself inside the house. Speaking of which, I assume you two will be staying with us until we think of a plan. I have a spare bedroom downstairs and this will finally give me the reason to move the boxes out of it.”

“That would be greatly appreciated, Doc.” He chuckles, turning to the tree line a moment. “I think I’ll have to go back for my art supplies later, but I suppose it can wait.”

“I understand…” He opens the door and walks in, flicking on a light. “Right now, i just want to have a chance to sit down and-” What he sees cuts him off.

There in the living room, staring at the four arrivals, is Silk, playing with Mittens, Specter, Mercury, and Selena. Her eyes are wide as she spies Gel on Luster’s back as well as Rhino’s bandages.

They all stand silently for a moment before Flick speaks up. “Hi, there, Miss.”

Silk’s mouth opens and closes silently a few times before she speaks. “H-hi… Rhino… who are these ponies…” she raises a shaky hoof and her voice pitch, “and why do you have a… changeling, of all things, with you?”

Rhino tries to think of a good excuse, but having just woken up, isn’t exactly in his craftiest of states. “That… might be easier for you to hear once she’s actually awake…” He directs Luster to set Gel on the couch, the pets instantly running to the nymph’s side as she is lain down. “Thank you for taking care of the pets while I was gone…” he looks around the room, “...and for tidying up, apparently.”

She edges slowly away from the couch with a wary look on her face. “Did… did it do… that to you?” She motions to his wounds.The green stallion shakes his head. “No… it’s… complicated, but she definitely did not hurt me.”

Flick raises a hoof. “My sis might have, but she didn’t really do much, I think.” He looks at the sole earth pony in the room, tilting his head to one side. “Right?”

She shakes head, a remorseful look on her face.

Silk still looks uneasy. “I… don’t understand…”

Rhino sighs. “Look… Silk… everything will be explained, I promise. It’ll just be much easier once she’s awake.” His stomach rumbles oddly as a particular thought hits him. “Actually… there’s something I need to do really quickly…” He heads into the kitchen and comes out a moment later with what appears to be almost a quart of milk and chugs down about half of it in a few seconds. “There we go…”

Luster shakes her head, smiling playfully. That explains how you were able to...well, you know, not have any bones broken.

He sips more of the liquid as he sits on the couch next to Gel’s prone form. True… I guess there’s actually a good amount of weight to my claim of not having broken a bone in my life now.

The brown pegasus glances between the two of them before frowning slightly. “Come on, Doc, I know she can’t speak up, but I hate being out of the loop!”

The yellow pegasus still looks rapidly from one pony to another. “What are you talking about now?!”

Rhino looks to her. “Well, you see…” He fails to come up with a way to explain what he’s doing and looks quickly to Flick. “Look, you aren’t missing anything too big, it’s just chatting.”

Silk raises her hooves in the air. “But you didn’t say anything!”

Flick chuckles, stepping forward. “Not audibly. See, my sis is a mute, but she can talk telepathically. Does that make sense, Miss?”

Her eye twitches. “But… but… I’ve only ever heard of unicorns doing that! And only ever really old ones and only amongst themselves! She’s an earth pony!”

He opens his mouth to respond, but can’t figure out anything to say. He looks to Luster, sheepishly smiling. “She’s got us there, Fiddlesticks.”

The blue maned mare scowls at this, striding forward and smacking him upside the head.

Flick laughs, rubbing the sore spot. “Yeah, I suppose I deserved that.”

Silk is just looking at Rhino at this point, giving up getting an answer from the other two.

He rubs the back of his head with a hoof. “Yeah… sorry… like I said, when she wakes up, I’ll explain what I can.”

As if waiting for those words, the blue changeling stirs, her eyes fluttering open. “...ow...my chest…” She looks up, brightening immediately at the sight of the mare in front of her. “Silk! I can’t believe it!” She leaps up in an attempt to hug her but falls short, landing on her face. “...my snout…”

Silk pretty much pinned herself to the wall as soon as Gel awoke. “How does she know my name? Why would she know my name?”

Rhino, meanwhile, immediately starts helping the nymph back onto the couch, leaving his hoof holding hers once he is done. You look like yourself right now… just so you know…

She looks down at herself and squeaks, blushing brightly. ...o-oh...t-thank you, Rhino… She looks up at the mare pressing herself against the wall, carefully standing up and taking a single step forward. “P-please don’t freak out, Silk. I-I know I may seem scary, but I won’t hurt you.” She holds a hoof over her chest, smiling kindly at her. “You have my word on that. And I never break my word.”

The pegasus mare still looks warily at the nymph, but stops pinning herself against the wall quite so hard. “How do you know my name?”

She looks hurt at this. “Why wouldn’t I know my best friend’s name?”

“What?” The mare blinks. “But… the only one who thinks of me as their best friends is…” Her eyes widen.

Gel shyly giggles, rubbing the back of her neck. “Surprise?”

“But… you can’t be… you’re a… and she’s a…” Silk mumbles to herself, shaking her head every once in awhile.

Seeing this little scene, the two siblings slowly back towards the nearest door. “...we’ll just...leave you three alone, okay?” They duck into the guest bedroom, closing the door behind them.

“I-I know it’s a little...strange...but it’s still me.” She sits down on the floor, shuffling her legs a little in her anxiety. “I just...took off my makeup.”

Silk observes as Rhino eases off the couch, setting his milk on the end table as he sits next to the nymph, wrapping his hoof around hers and nodding to confirm everything she said. The mare slowly moves to a normal standing position, eyeing the changeling. “What happened this past Saturday that was important for both of us?”

Gel smiles, holding out a hoof to her. “We became friends again. I even gave you a little gift beforehoof before we came in and chat a bit. And then, at the end, I invited you over to our place for a little pet playdate.”

Silk simply looks at the changeling for a full minute before mumbling. “You… did… I mean… I guess you are…” She sits down heavily. “Ok… my best friend is a changeling… did not see my day going like this…”

“I got attacked by my commanding officer.” The nymph dryly laughs. “I think your day’s been better than my week.”

“Oh dear…” She looks at the stallion. “Is that where you got… you know…” She gestures to his bandages.

He nods. “In short, yes, when I asked you to take care of the pets two days ago, I was going to get her back.”

Silk’s eyes are wide. “Wow…”

The changeling sits awkwardly for a moment before offering the pegasus her hoof. “M-maybe I should re-introduce myself. M-my name is Gel...Colonel Gel, if you want to be specific, but I dropped the ranking the moment the General tried to use me against Rhino.”

The mare winces a little. “I… don’t think I need to know specifics… but then… who were those two other ponies?”

“Friends from my old hive.” Gel giggles, shaking her head before noticing the look they’re giving her. “What? They’ve used those disguises for a while, now.”

Rhino raises an eyebrow at her. “Well… that’s one thing I don’t have to explain. Do you also know why they are here with us?”

“Not a clue.” She looks at him, an eyebrow quirked. “I assume you do, though?”

He nods. “I gave them the same opportunity you have. They accepted, and they helped me.”

Gel blinks, blankly staring at him. “...Flick, I can see doing that...but Luster? How’d you get her to help you?”

He simply smiles at her. “I just talked to her. That was all it took.”

The nymph opens her mouth to reply but can’t find anything to say. She closes it and nods slowly. “...I’ll take your word for it...” She turns to the mare in front of her, brushing a lock of her blue mane from her face. “...so...d-do you have any questions, Silk? Considering...” She gestures to herself, sheepishly smiling.

“I… I don’t know… it’s still sinking in really…” She looks down at Mittens, who is pawing at her leg. She picks him up as she continues. “I’m sure we’ll talk again soon… you two probably want to relax after everything that happened.”

“Probably a good idea.” The nymph taps her chin, thinking a moment. “...you won’t...tell anypony about this, will you?”

She shakes her head. “No… I know why you keep it a secret, especially these days… I won’t tell unless you want me to.”

She smiles softly, leaning forward and gently nuzzling the pegasus’s cheek. “Thank you.”

Though she stiffens at first from the chitin’s contact, Silk hesitantly nuzzles back lightly. “You’re welcome… I’ll see you around, okay?” She takes Mittens on her back and waves as she heads to the door.

Gel waves back as the pegasus exits before turning to Rhino, frowning at his bandages. "...I-I'm sorry you had to...go through that..." She rests her head against his neck, upset. "...I-I'm glad we're back home, though...we still have to worry about Twilight..."

He nuzzles her, drying her tears with his fur. "Hey now... considering what we had to deal with these past few days, I think we can afford to be happy for a bit." He lightly kisses her on the forehead. "And actually... I think I have a little something that should do the trick. Remember that surprise I had to pick up on Wednesday?"

She blinks in confusion but nods, a curious look on her face. "Yes...what was that, anyways?"

He boops her nose. "Stay right here with the little ones, and I'll go get it." He heads upstairs, glad his sides are numb right now or climbing the steps would suck. He returns with his saddlebags in his teeth and sets them down to his side as he sits down in front of Gel, his hooves shuffling as his nerves start to get to him.

She tilts her head to the side, now more confused than anything. "...Rhino...what are you..."

He clears his throat and shakes his head. "Sorry... I just want to do this right..." He breathes deeply for a moment before speaking again. "Gel... Some of what I'm about to say might sound cheesy, but it doesn't make it any less true. You trusted me, by showing me who you truly are, and in return, I trusted you by opening my heart. I have never regretted that decision. When I'm around you, I feel... like I never want to be away. When you were taken, I didn't hesitate to go after you, and I've never been more relieved than the moment I got you back. I love you, for who you are. I don't think I could ever be with anyone else... because they wouldn't be you. So... in light of that, I have something I want to ask you."

He pulls a small black box out of his bag and opens it toward her. Inside is a beautiful necklace. It's amulet is a large emerald heart, in the center of a fiery circle of sapphires, with two entwining ribbons of green and blue metal going outward until they seamlessly flow into the golden segmented chain.

"Will you marry me?"

The nymph covers her mouth with her hooves, surprised by this. She looks at him, then at the necklace and back, tears in her eyes. "...R-Rhino...I-I..." She lowers her forelegs, revealing her elated smile, and pulls him close, kissing him passionately. When she pulls away a few seconds later, she nods, crying joyfully. "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you."

He beams as he hugs her while he levitates the necklace out of its box. "Shall we see how it looks on you?" He kisses her again, just because he wants to.

She smiles, turning around and pulling her mane to the side, allowing him to put it on easier. "If you wouldn't mind, love."

He gently puts the jewelry around her neck, fastening it in the back. It fits nicely on her, not loose enough to swing, but only tight enough so that it stays in place.

She runs a hoof over it, smiling softly. "...thank you, Rhino...it's beautiful..." She nervously giggles, rubbing the back of her neck. "...now I wish I'd gotten you something, earlier..." She nuzzles him but then a thought occurs to her. "...so that's how you knew about that restaurant...it was across the street from the jewelers!"

He chuckles. "I guess you found me out." Their necklaces clink together as they nuzzle. "I'm so glad you said yes..."

"I'm glad you asked me." She giggles, gently kissing him.

While the couple enjoy each other's company, two ponies peek out at them. The pegasus quietly chuckles, shaking his head. "I suppose Drone 273 was telling the truth. I've never seen so much love from a pair in my life."

Luster looks up at him, quirking an eyebrow.

Flick sighs. "Okay, so there was that one time in Canterlot...but this is really close to that!" He taps his chin, thinking a bit. "I wonder if I could find a mare to love me like that..." He completely misses the look of disgust on the yellow pony's face, as she likely doesn't want to think of her brother in that light. The two quietly close the door, giving the stallion and his nymph their privacy.

The two continue nuzzling until the feeling of tiny paws interrupts them. The three pets all look up at them with big eyes, not having gotten to see the both of them for two days now.

Rhino chuckles as he leans down to their level. "Sorry about that, little ones, but we're back now."

Gel smiles softly, carefully picking up the three of them with her magic and putting two of them down on the couch and their squirrel on the stallion's head. "I missed you all so much." She kisses the forehead of each in turn. "I'm glad I'm back home."

Rhino kisses her cheek. "You aren't the only one..." He looks toward the spare room. "Perhaps our new guests need to be addressed, wouldn't want them cooped up in the room all day."

"Maybe...Luster can get a bit restless without some form of metal, nearby...and Flick likes to at least be able to see the sky..." She tilts her head, hearing some music coming from the bedroom. "...well, one of them seems to be faring well, at least..."

He nods as his ears flick. "True, but she can play while she fights. Why don't we get them out here so they can chat with us?" He walks over to the door and waits until there is a lull in the music before knocking.

The music stops immediately, and the same melodic voice from before can be heard in his head. Come in.

Rhino looks towards Gel and motions to the door as he opens it. "Come on, we've been invited in."

She frowns slightly, immediately knowing what just happened. "...as long as she doesn't enter our dreams, I suppose I don't mind her speaking with you like this..."

They enter to see Flick sitting in front of a window, watching a bluejay perched outside, and Luster sitting on the edge of the bed, her metal violin resting on her leg and a curious look on her face. May I help you?

Gel blinks, confused. "...where did she get the metal for that?"

"That's a good question..." He addresses Luster out loud so Gel and Flick can hear his answers. "We just wanted to check on you two, see how you're settling in, make sure you aren't fighting, you know, typical things."

"Could use my art supplies, but Fiddlesticks, here, decided not to get them, even though she brought her instrument through the window." Flick gestures to the window on the other side of the room, which was open and pointing towards the back yard.

The yellow mare narrows her eyes at this, tucking her violin back under her chin and playing once more. A mass of metal shoots through the open window, beaning the pegasus in the back of the head. It opens up to drop said supplies on top of him before moving off to the side and nestling itself among the boxes still in the room. We could use a little more space, to be honest.

Rhino laughs sheepishly as he starts levitating the boxes. "Right... sorry, I thought you guys wouldn't come in here until after I got the boxes out." He leaves and quickly shoves them into one of the closets in the hall. "There you go. Now... unfortunately, there is, as you can see, only one bed in here. If you're not comfortable with that, we also have a couch, and I've got a spare sleeping bag or two."

The siblings glance at each other a moment before Flick speaks up once more. "Us sharing a bed might be a bit awkward." The blue-maned pony next to him silently nods in agreement.

Gel taps Rhino's shoulder, tilting her head to one side. "What about my room? One of them could have it, right?"

He responds frankly. "Well, it is your room so I wouldn't presume to know what you wanted to do with it. I know half of your stuff is in my room by now, but I didn't know if you were comfortable in someone else staying in your room for the foreseeable future."

"It's fine. There's not really that much left in there." She shrugs slightly. "Just some romance novels."

The chestnut stallion raises a hoof. "I call this room."

Luster gives him a small look of confusion before sighing and rolling her eyes, grabbing her violin in her teeth and gesturing to the ponies in front of her. Please, lead the way.

As they head up the nearby stairs, Rhino poses a question to Gel. Come to think of it, do you even use your room for much anymore? If you don't have much in there, I suppose you could always move all the way into my room. Officially make it 'our' room, you know?

I've already moved my important items into your room. She taps her chin, thinking a bit. The only things I have yet to move are my paintball supplies and the majority of my wardrobe.

Luster looks from one to the other, curious about what they're thinking but knowing not to pry.

As he opens the door to her room and stands to the side, motioning the nymphs in first, he continues. So... is that a yes?

Yes, it is. She giggles, nuzzling his cheek. Though I feel as if it's been our room for a while, now.

The yellow mare steps inside, glancing around before nodding a bit. This will do just fine. Thank you for offering your room to me, Gel. She turns to the blue nymph, smiling softly around her instrument in her mouth. She notices how odd this must look and quickly places it on the bed, her smile now sheepish.

Rhino turns to the blue nymph. "She says thank you." He turns to Luster. "You know, you can drop the disguise if you want to. Like I said, I prefer Gel to be herself here, the same goes for you."

The mare blinks at this but hesitantly nods, turning back into her indigo-colored self. She glances around before her eyes fall on a pair of sky-blue panties, confusion soon covering her face. ...what is this for?

Rhino coughs and blushes, embarrassed. "Ah, erm, Gel? You appear to have left some things out..." He motions to the undergarment.

The action is hardly complete before a blue aura covers the clothes and it zips out of the room. The nymph next to him blushes brightly, nervously laughing. "Ah hah...s-sorry about that..."

Luster shrugs nonchalantly and sits down on the bed, picking up her violin and playing once more. She closes her eyes as she gets lost in her music.

Rhino scuffs his hoof against the ground, not looking at the purple nymph. "So... welcome to the house... let me know if you have any requests for dinner, be nice to the pets, and remember we are all your friends here." He clears his throat awkwardly. "Any questions?"

She doesn't respond, the only hint she heard him is a small twitch of her ear.

***

The night of the day they had gotten back from their harrowing journey, all seems peaceful in the couple's household. Gel and Rhino are currently getting ready for bed, the latter having shaved down the fur on his face to about half its original length to get the burnt parts off. He's now unwrapping his slightly blood-stained bandages in order to change them for the night.

He finishes getting all of them off and winces slightly, the pain medication Flick had given him wearing off some hours ago and the unicorn had not taken anymore because he didn't want them wearing off halfway through the night.

The nymph looks over at him, blinking in surprise. "...you're...less injured than I remember..." She taps her chin, thinking a bit before pointing said hoof at him. "Did Flick give you some medicine?"

Rhino nods as he cranes his neck back and separates his fur to see the extent of his injuries. "Yes, though it was supposed to be general painkillers and things to keep them clean. You probably just thought they were worse because they were actively bleeding last time you saw them. The scratches aren't even noticeable now unless you part the fur." He eyes the massive feline bite mark on both sides. "That however... is very much there."

She grimaces, scratching the side of her head. "...I wonder how you're going to explain that bite to Doctor Goodall..." She clears her throat. "A-anyways, I asked because...well, he has this special medicine that accelerates healing...I thought he put that on you..."

Rhino looks back down at the burn on his chest now. "Maybe... I was halfway out of it at that point... he may have. We'll have to ask. It'd be nice if that's what he did." He picks up a fresh roll of bandages. "For now though, I still have to wrap myself to make sure nothing gets infected, or bleeds on the sheets if the scabs crack." He starts trying to figure out how best to do this.

She takes the gauze in her magic, smiling softly. "Don't worry, love. I'll take care of it." She carefully wraps his wounds, making sure not to agitate them on accident. As she does this, she decides to strike up a conversation. "...so...it's been an eventful week, hasn't it?"

He concurs. "Crazy... got a massive threat to getting discovered, you getting... taken, me going after you, getting you back, we got two new housemates, we got engaged... Yeah... I'll be happy if the weekend goes by without a hitch..." He looks to her necklace, which she hasn't taken off since he put it on her. "Though, I do actually like that last thing on the list."

She giggles as she finishes up thrice-wrapping his torso. "So do I." As she clips it in place, she quietly sighs. "Too bad I can't go out and buy one as good as this for you, right now..."

He nuzzles her lovingly. "Hey, I've got you as all the proof I need that I'm engaged. We'll think of something."

She nods, smiling softly at him. "...okay, Rhino..." She tenderly nuzzles him back but pauses, pulling back and looking at him, slightly upset. "...it feels strange when your fur's short like this..."

He averts his eyes. "I know... I know... it should be back within a week. My neck is still fluffy though." He smiles at her before a thought occurs to him. "You aren't hurt or anything after all this, right?"

She giggles, shaking her head. "I believe I mentioned that your love is quite potent, haven't I?" Even as she says this, her hoof absently strokes over where her one injury from the whole ordeal was. "...maybe I should consider finding a way to toughen my chitin...just in case..."

He walks around her like he is thinking on this idea, before leaning over and nibbling lightly on the end of her ear. "Will it still be sensitive and smooth?"

She squirms, blushing brightly. "...I-I suppose I could always...alter my chitin when it's needed..." She shyly giggles, playfully flicking the tip of his nose with her tail.

He smiles as he flicks her back with his own tail, even as he kisses her neck before rubbing it with his own. "It's so good to have you back..."

"It's good to be back..." She yawns softly as she starts to climb in the bed, pulling the cover back so she can better settle herself down. "...now, though, I'd just like to sleep..." She pats the empty space in front of her, winking at the stallion. "...with my fiance."

"Well, how can I say no to that?" He looks to the side of the room where all the pets are asleep in their respective beds, having probably not gotten much sleep at all without the couple around. He smiles at them before sliding into bed next to Gel, instinctively wrapping his forelegs snuggly around her before he even gets settled.

She sighs happily, embracing him a little tighter and nuzzling his neck. "...thank you, love..." They stay like this a moment before she speaks up once more. "You do realize we aren't going to have any 'fun', tonight. Not with your injuries."

"Yeah, I know." He leans down and gently nibbles her neck. "Doesn't mean I can't be affectionate while we lay here though."

She coos at this, blushing brightly. "...I-I suppose that's true..."

His tail wraps around hers comfortably as he lies on his back in his usual sleeping position when they are together. "So... you don't mind that I got us two more housemates, right?"

"Not at all." She playfully nips his neck and licks where she bites. "It's nice to see my old friends again...I just hope they don't interrupt us when we finally have fun together, again..." She presses her body up against his side, mindful of his injuries.

He shivers as he runs his hooves down her back. "True, but we could always just ask them to go for a walk or something, that or invest in sound proofing."

"...sound proofing...I think Luster has a spell for that..." Gel taps her chin, thinking a bit. "...maybe we could ask her to help with that?"

He nods. "Sure, we can probably do that without having to answer too many... awkward questions. Maybe Flick has some more of that medicine of his, too."

She nods, yawning softly. "...I think he keeps them...in his art supplies..." She closes her eyes, her exhaustion getting to her.

He smiles down at her. "Well, that's all things to worry about in the morning." He kisses her lips lightly. "Good night, love."

"...good ni..." Her voice trails off into quiet breathing, as she falls asleep in the middle of her sentence.

Chapter 59: Purple

Saturday morning comes at its usual calm pace. As Rhino and Gel hang around in the kitchen, the former making breakfast, the unicorn poses a question. "Are Flick and Luster awake yet? Breakfast will be cold if they aren't down here soon."

"I don't really know." She finishes placing the plates on the table. "From what I remember, though, Flick just skips breakfast. Something about how it's unnecessary?" She shrugs, shaking her head. "I wasn't really paying attention at that point. As for Luster..." There's the click of hooves on the floor. The blue nymph looks up to see the other walking into the kitchen, her eyes closed and appearing to mumble to herself. "...she's not exactly a morning changeling..."

"Yeah well, I know how she feels there. If it wasn't for you and my job, I'd sleep half the morning away." He moves to the side and waves his hoof so that the smell of the hashbrowns he is making wafts towards the purple nymph. "Let's see if this gets her awake..."

Luster sniffs the air, wandering over to the stove in her morning stupor. She stops right in front of it and grabs a piece up in her magic, eating it without any hesitance. She blinks her eyes open and turns to the stallion, nodding in acknowledgement.

Gel giggles, shaking her head. "I think she means 'good morning'."

Rhino looks down at the obvious chunk out of the mass of shredded potatoes. "So it seems..." He looks up and smiles at Luster. "Good morning to you too." He walks with the pan over to some plates. "Care to join us for breakfast? There's plenty more where that first bite came from."

She smiles and nods before glancing over at the blue changeling. She pulls out a notepad and a pen, writing down a few words. She turns it towards them, letting them see what she wrote. 'May I repay you for this later, with some of my own cooking?'

He nods. "Sure, I'm interested to see what you'll whip up for us." He places their plates on the table as he points a mock-stern hoof at Gel. "And you, no spoiling it for me if you know what it is." He winks before passing her the ketchup.

She playfully rolls her eyes as she takes the bottle. "I wouldn't know, love." She pauses, noticing the indigo nymph flinch slightly. "...was it something I said?"

The former General shakes her head and quickly starts to eat. Despite what she gestures, her chitin becomes a shade brighter.

Rhino chuckles as he takes a sip of milk before commenting. "You changelings and your rainbow of blushes." He looks at extra nymph before realizing something and quickly getting up. "Sorry, I forgot, do you want something to drink or to put on your hashbrowns, Luster?"

She shakes her head once more, smiling kindly at him. The pen flies across the page as she puts voice to her thoughts. 'No, this is more than enough, Rhino.'

He smiles at her but his expression is still thoughtful. "Well... Here," he sets a glass of water in front of her, "just in case you want to wash it down." He takes the ketchup as Gel offers it and uses it on his own food before starting to eat.

Luster shrugs and grabs the drink, sipping at it. She nods and continues to eat, the room lapsing into a slightly awkward silence.

Rhino, as is his habit during awkward silences, asks a random question in hopes of sparking conversation. "So... How'd you sleep?"

She glances up at him for a second before writing her response. 'I slept well. The bed was quite comfortable.' She pauses a moment before continuing. 'What about you two?'

He nods as he takes another bite. "It was nice to be able to have a normal night's sleep in my own bed. It almost felt like nothing ever happened."

She glances at his side before focusing on her meal. 'Almost. Again, I apologize for my' - she pauses, trying to come up with the word - 'actions. Hopefully it'll go away, soon.'

Gel coughs softly, picking up her empty plate and moving over to the sink. She clearly doesn't want to think about her friend hurting her fiancée.

While her attention is elsewhere, Rhino feels something brush up against his leg. The nymph still at the table casually drinks from her glass of water, unsuccessfully trying to hide her brighter cheeks.

Rhino tilts his head at the purple changeling. "Hey, no need to be embarrassed about what happened. We both ended up making assumptions about the other, but we came out better for it. If it makes you feel any better, the ones you caused are almost completely gone. It's just Port's and Mimic's I need to heal up from now." He smiles at her. "So don't worry about it," he reaches over and puts a hoof on her shoulder, "alright?"

She tenses at his touch and nods quickly, nervously smiling at him.

Gel passes by the table, apparently in a hurry. "I'll be right back. Just...forgot something up in our room, love." She waves before exiting, leaving the two of them alone.

The unicorn watches her leave, forgetting his hoof is still on Luster. "I wonder what that was about..."

The nymph squirms a bit before simply backing up a step to break the contact. She quickly writes a response. 'I wouldn't have any idea.' She stands up and takes her dishes to the sink, carefully cleaning it. The pen continues to write, despite the distance she is from it. 'What I have planned for lunch is a little difficult for one changeling. Would you be willing to help me out when you're done?'

He chuckles as he quickly finishes his portion. "It would be my pleasure. Though, two things: One, if I like it, can I have the recipe? Two, you might want to do your little thing where we talk in my head when we work on it, it would probably go smoother." He walks over and patiently waits for her to finish in the sink so he can do his own dishes as well as the pan.

She nods, finishing up and moving to the side to let him do his dishes. She reaches her mind out to him, patiently waiting for his response.

He pushes back and opens the link almost immediately as he washes his things. He thinks in a playful tone. Testing, one two three, can you hear me?

Loud and clear, Rhino. She smiles brightly at him, a small, light laugh echoing in their minds. And yes, I'd be willing to share the recipe. She starts to move around the kitchen, pulling a few items out as she finds them. Though, honestly, you could probably buy the same thing from the family at Sweet Apple Acres.

He waves a hoof. Meh, it's more fun to make it yourself. Gives more room for personalization and experimentation. That's how Mom got most of her recipes, and I've always been hard pressed to find some things as good as she can make them.

She blinks at this, staring blankly. ...but this is an Apple Family recipe...you're supposed to follow the instructions exactly or else it won't be as good...

He dries the dishes. Don't worry, I only experiment once I've perfected making a dish as instructed. You're the head chef today, so I am yours to command.

She is visibly taken aback by this. She quickly turns away, hiding her burning cheeks and glad he can't see her thoughts. I'll get to work on the filling. If you could, please start working on the crust. We're going to be making a pie.

Pie for lunch? I like it already. He starts digging in the pantry and comes up with a few basic items before bringing out a bowl and pie tin. Just a basic dough?

Not quite. She grabs a few apples and starts to slice them up. You'll need to add brown sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Mix it thoroughly to prevent the spices from collecting in any one spot in the dough.

Roger that. He does as she asks, his magic swirling in and around the ingredients. How did you learn this recipe anyway?

She pauses momentarily, a thoughtful expression on her face. She nods and starts her story, continuing her work on the filling. When I was younger, I wandered away from my hive. I traveled for days, and I eventually made it to a place called Ghastly Gorge. She pauses as she pulls out a pan. As it turns out, I wasn't the only one there.

Rhino listens quietly as he works. His interest very peaked.

There was this filly... She shakes her head, a small smile on her lips. She wandered away from home, wanting to 'make it big' as a cellist. She tried to play for some ponies in her home town, but they just turned up their nose at her. Felt that a simple farm pony wouldn't be a success... Her thoughts go quiet for a moment, working on the pie on automatic. ...I told her I knew a way she could fulfill her dream, but then I asked...did she really want to cause her family heartache, running away like that?

Rhino's ears are folded down as he finishes the dough and simply looks at Luster as she continues.

A small smile forms on her lips. She said no, she didn't. So I struck a deal with her - she'd let me take her place, and I'd help her to overstep the limitations society put on her. She silently sighs, looking over at him. I stayed with her family for about a month before she returned, still in the disguise I made for her. At least she had the good sense to wash it.

He simply looks at her with an unreadable expression before speaking. Ponies really got you changelings wrong, didn't they? You probably changed that filly's life... He smiles softly. You are far better than some would give you credit for. That was a beautiful story.

Luster nods, finishing up with the filling. I suppose I did... Her smile falls, and her gaze with it. ...but what followed...almost made me regret my decision...

His ears fall again. Come on... why can't things just have a happy ending and leave it at that?

Not every story has a happy ending. She shakes her head, absently raising a hoof to her neck. Thankfully, it was only me who got the bad one, there...I heard she went on to become a well-respected member of the classical genre. She turns to him, tilting her head to one side. You probably heard of her. Gray fur, black mane?

Octavia... wow... He takes a step towards her, his eyes concerned. Well, it's good that she turned out well... but... what happened to you? You don't have to answer if you don't want to.

They attacked me. I... She closes her eyes. ...I lost my voice, that day. That's all I want to say about that.

He hesitates before raising a hoof. Can I ask one thing? You said Mimic was part of the reason you lost your voice, what did you mean?

She tenses and opens her eyes, glaring at the wall in front of her. Because that bastard was among the crowd. He ratted me out, and I've yet to hear a good reason why. She bares her teeth, lowering her head, her body trembling. He was the one who made me break the rules and leave. He was the one who caused the town to turn against me. He can burn in Tartarus for all I care.

Rhino puts a hoof on her trembling shoulder. Woah woah, easy there. In the end, you were part of what spared him. You're far better than he could ever hope to be, take pride in that. He's in the past now, let him stay there... and rot. Though if it comes down to it... I'm glad I've got you to have my back if he ever manages to crawl back.

She looks up at him, unsure of what to think for a second. ...you’re right... She smiles softly, moving closer and tenderly hugging him. ...thank you... She pulls away, laughing brightly in their minds. ...no wonder Gel likes you so much...

He rubs the back of his neck, a small blush on his sheepish face. I'm just a nice guy, you girls just seem to appreciate that.

Maybe. She appears to giggle, though the sound is clear in his mind. Still, I'd be lucky to find someone like you. She turns to the items in front of them. We're almost done with the preparations. Ready for the next part?

He nods as he stands next to her. Ready.

Luster nods and they both get down to business. With the nymph's expert directions, they easily put together the pie and slide it into the oven.

Right after they do that, Gel arrives in the doorway, in her guise of Angel. "I'm just going to put this letter in the mailbox for Flick, and then I'll be working a bit in the backyard." She turns to her stallion and nods towards Luster meaningfully before leaving them alone once more.

The nymph in question gives him a questioning look. ...do I want to know what that's about?

He shrugs, unsure. Honestly, the vast majority of that confused me. Who would your brother be sending a letter to, and what could she possibly be doing in the back yard?

I haven't a clue. She scratches her chin, thinking on this a moment. I guess it's not that important. Anyways, we have a while for the pie to finish. Anything you'd like to do until then?

Actually, there is something. He gestures for her to follow him upstairs. Gel and I were talking last night and she mentioned you might be able to help soundproof our room.

She gives him a confused look as she follows him. ...I can...but why would y- She cuts herself off, eyes widening as realization sinks in. ...oh. She turns away, her cheeks burning brightly. As a result, she walks right into his backside when he stops in front of the door.

Rhino's eyes snap open as he quickly turns around, his own face blushing a bit in embarrassment. Sorry about that, I must have stopped too quickly. You okay?

She quickly nods, stepping next to him. I-I'm fine. She sheepishly smiles, gesturing towards the door. After you?

Mares and nymphs first. He opens the door and lets her in. I wasn't sure whether we had to be inside or outside the room.

Inside, with all doors to the room shut. She stiffly walks to the foot of the bed, glancing around. Windows, too. The spell will cover every flat or relatively flat surface of the room, and it needs to be unbroken to be set. As she says this, she sits down, purposely putting on a businesslike demeanor. She lets it slip a moment to give him a small smile. Would you like to watch?

He nods. Sure, always interested in new magic. He does as she asks, closing the doors and windows. I'm curious to see your technique. He sits on the bed a normal distance one sits away from another. Ok, now what?

Luster nods and closes her eyes, her horn lighting up with her purple aura. Sit back and watch. Afraid it's not much of a show, though. The glow slowly spreads out like thin tendrils, covering the walls, floor and ceiling, staying there a moment before working their way into the very material. She sighs and opens her eyes, swaying a bit. ...it is done... She collapses against him. ...I forgot...how much that takes out of me...

He steadies her with a hoof so she doesn't fall off the bed, concerned. Are you alright? Do you need anything?

...just a...little woozy... She puts a hoof on his chest, but makes no move to sit back up. ...happens when I'm...low on energy...I just need some... She looks up at him, blushing brightly, her eyes shining with an unknown emotion. ...love.

She wraps a hoof around his neck and pulls him close, kissing him tenderly.

His eyes go wide as he works his hooves in between them and pushes her chest so that they are back to their original distance. Woah woah woah! What are you doing?!

She blinks, looking at him in shock for a second before turning away. ...j-just...trying to get some love...sorry I freaked you out like that. She inaudibly sighs, shaking her head and appearing to mutter to herself.

He tilts his head, trying to figure her out. If that was all it was... I overreacted, and I'm sorry. I was just surprised. However, I know Gel survived for a while on just absorbing love without contact, so it's not strictly necessary. Would you like to say anything else?

She flinches, realizing she is caught. She lowers her head in shame. ...I was hoping you...loved me like Gel...you're the first pony I've been comfortable around in a long time... She blushes a bit more, nervously tapping her forehooves together. ...and I'd heard Ponyville might still allow herding...not that the Apples ever followed it...

Rhino coughs in surprise at the word 'herding', visibly flustered. W-well, it's not common, but you do see it every once in a while... Wait, no, that's not the point. He takes a deep breath. Ok, look... I'm flattered you think of me that way... and because you suggested... that... instead of telling me to leave my fiance, I'm not mad. I'm glad you're comfortable around me, because I do think of you as a good friend and I did feel that you trusted me. If I might ask though... are you sure you aren't just latching onto me because I'm the first pony you've been comfortable with? What if another were to come along?

...if someone else were to come along...then I'd probably be happy with them... She looks up at him, sheepishly smiling. ...I'm glad you aren't mad...though you have me curious... She tilts her head to one side, arching an eyebrow. ...what would you have done if I hadn't suggested herding?

His mind rattles off the answer very quickly. I would have clarified that you were implying I should leave Gel. If you said yes, I would have probably just left the room without a word so I didn't do anything too rash. You would probably be hurt by this and our friendship would be damaged as I become distant for the next day or so. After that, one of us would probably confront the other and resolve it in some way.

She blinks at this, stunned. ...that...that sounds like a soap opera...but, for the record, I would never do that to Gel. She shakes her head. It's rare enough for me to make friends. I wouldn't want to lose one over what's most likely a fleeting crush.

He smiles as he gives her a one-armed hug. Good. That makes this go much smoother, then. Fair warning though... I'll probably let Gel know this happened, but I'll make sure I explain everything so she understands, okay?

She nods as she hugs him back, slightly embarrassed. That's fine, I suppose. I just hope she won't be upset by it. She looks up, smiling playfully at him. It's clear you love her, though. Just mentioning her name causes the air around you to fill with love... Her thoughts get quieter as she says that, the very last word almost a whisper.

He looks at her warily. Not quite sure what emotion was behind that last statement, but I do want to say something. I know you guys do feed off love, and I also know I produce too much for Gel to handle on her own most of the time. So, feel free to skim off what you need, as long as there are no side effects I need to be aware of.

...well, it's not as strong...but that could work...it wouldn't cause any negative effects, either... She smiles, nodding in agreement.

Well, sounds like a plan then. Use that for the majority, and if you need to, supplement with a bit of love. He sniffs the air as a scent tickles his nose.

She breathes deeply, her smile growing wider. And that is the cue to check on the pie. She carefully gets off the bed, stretching her legs to get the kinks out. Care to join me?

He smiles as he gets off the bed as well. Of course.

Chapter 60: Yellow

Sunday morning finds both Rhino and Gel still in bed, both are actually awake, but neither want to get up yet. The two of them content themselves to simply lazing about right now, enjoying each other's company.

Rhino smiles happily as he plants another light kiss on the neck of the nymph in his embrace. "Now, this is definitely a way to spend the early morning."

She coos softly, nuzzling the top of his head. "I couldn't agree more." She teasingly nibbles the tip of his ear before whispering into it. "Too bad you're still injured...I wanted to test the soundproofing..."

He chuckles as he blows a bit of air onto her neck. "I'm sure I'll be well enough by next weekend or so if I keep up at this rate. Though I do need to get more medicine from Flick since everytime I mention it he just applies it instead of giving me a supply to use myself." He voice goes a bit quieter as he continues. "Though... there was an... incident during the soundproofing I do need to tell you about."

She stops her actions, pulling back to give him a concerned look. "...what is it, love?"

"Well..." He stops and looks at her seriously. "First off, promise you won't leave the room until I tell you the whole story. I don't want you running off with only half the information."

She tenses a bit but nods, albeit hesitantly. "...you have my word, Rhino."

He hesitates before speaking. "Ok... so... it turns out Luster... has or maybe had is the better word, I'm not sure how she feels at the moment, a crush on me. I found this out... when she acted on it... and kissed me." He quickly holds up his hooves. "Now, I pushed her away quickly, so nothing happened, but I thought you deserved to know. We talked afterward, and I helped her realize that just because I'm the only pony she's been comfortable with in many years, doesn't mean she loves me. When I brought the possibility of her getting comfortable with more ponies, she backed off and said maybe I was right. Now, I just want to make sure you know, she never told me to leave you, she only ever wanted you to be happy. She was glad we talked and she was fine with the plan we went with where I think of her as a close friend, and she can occasionally skim off a bit of my love for you if she needs it." He goes quiet and waits for her reaction so far.

She blinks, trying to register all of this. After a few moments she giggles, shaking her head. "That certainly sounds like her." She rolls a hoof as she begins to explain. "When we were younger, there was this nymph she had a crush on. The day after she told me, after she figured this out, she marched up to her and kissed her. Turns out the nymph wasn't interested, but she didn't hold a grudge." She shrugs. "The only time I've seen her upset is when Flick teases her or someone interrupts her music. Anyways, I suppose she's as direct now as she was back then. Nothing to be upset about."

Rhino quirks an eyebrow. "Ok... you are taking this far better than I thought you would..."

"She's an old friend, and it was in the past. If I held things against others, I wouldn't have any friends." She smiles, tapping him on the nose. "I don't forget things. I choose to overlook minor mistakes."

Deciding to tease her, Rhino looks up with a thoughtful hoof tapping on his chin. "Hmm... maybe I should have taken her up on that 'herding' offer..."

She squeaks, eyes widening and a blush flaring up on her cheeks. "H-her-eek!" She falls backwards off the bed in her shock, trying to back up to see him.

He neatly lifts her up and sets her back down with her back to his chest with magic. He embraces her from behind as he comments. "Something wrong? I did say she wanted you to be happy, and that was the plan she proposed so that both of you would be."

"...w-well...it's a nice thought, but..." She sighs, shaking her head. "...I don't know...the idea seems taboo to me..."

He chuckles. "Relax, love, only teasing. She did actually suggest that, but the main point point still stands. I'm sure she'll find someone who'll make her happy, and as her friends, we'll support her." He runs his hoof lightly over her proposal necklace she's wearing. "In the meantime, we'll be happy too." He nibbles lightly on her neck.

She shyly giggles, pushing her back against his belly. "I'll say we will."

He playfully growls as he hugs her tighter to him. "Careful now, I might just decide to take some pain meds and test the soundproofing anyway."

She squeaks, giving him a smoldering look over her shoulder. "I say..." She brings his forehoof up to her lips and starts nibbling on it. "...we find Flick...and see if he'll finally give you a vial of that medicine..."

He sighs. "Fine... but I am going to get you good once I'm better."

***

Later that day, the couple are making their way to the backyard. Gel looks up at him, her eyes shining with excitement. "It took me a while, yesterday, but I made the backyard much more exciting for the pets!" She opens the door, still looking up at him. "Keep in mind, it's not finished, but..." Her voice trails off as she finally takes a look at the scene before them.

The yard has multiple pieces of playground equipment set up in sensible locations around the yard, each modified slightly to allow the smaller pets to access them easily.

That's not what has her stunned, though - that would be a certain goldenrod changeling standing in the middle of it all, painting away on a large, fluffy white cloud. He doesn't seem to notice the two of them.

Rhino looks on, impressed. "Wow... I didn't know one could paint clouds... I always thought they had to use light or liquid rainbow if they wanted any color that wasn't fluffy white or storm gray."

"That is where you're wrong, Doc!" He turns and grins at them, gesturing them closer. "I found a way to do it without either of those! The answer?" He points to a paint set next to him. "Watercolor!"

The stallion facehoofs at the simplicity of it. "Genius."

"Yep! Just look at the one I did earlier!" He points straight up.

Gel follows the direction of his hoof, confused at seeing an empty sky. "...I don't get it."

Rhino looks up to before guessing what they're looking at when Ditzy flies overhead and disappears for a moment. "You didn't happen to paint one to blend in with the sky did you?"

"Precisely!" He laughs jovially, shaking his head. "I love optical illusions! Hiding something in plain sight, changing one's perceptions from reality - it's just so much fun!" He steps to the side, showing the cloud he was working on. "See for yourself!"

The fluffy white material seems normal, at first glance, but, on closer inspection, it appears as though there's a tree in the middle of it. It has the same appearance from every angle, despite the fact that there isn't a tree growing out the top, like it appears.

"Wow..." Rhino says, awed. "That's amazing! You could really turn some heads with that talent."

He chuckles, patting the side of his easel. "That's a plus when working with clouds. I can paint the center of it and just put the rest back when I'm done!" He blinks, Rhino's words finally reaching him. For the first time, he becomes hesitant. "I could, I suppose. It might be better to wait for ponies to be more accepting of our kind, first." He forces out a laugh. "I don't think they'd appreciate knowing that a changeling likes to work with illusory art."

Rhino rubs his chin as he thinks out loud. "Hmm... note to self: order custom clouds for wedding to promote friend's new business."

Hearing this causes Flick to grin, wrapping a hoof around Gel and hugging her. "Congrats! I know I didn't get to say that, before, but come on!" He gestures to the unicorn. "You have the perfect stallion for you - one who'd put himself in harm's way to make sure you're safe! Who wouldn't be impressed?" He lets her go and grabs his cloud, turning into his pegasus disguise. "If you'll excuse me for a moment, I've got a pony to prank."

Gel watches as he flies after a mare with a chromatic mane before turning to Rhino. "...he has no idea what he's getting into, does he?"

His tail wraps around hers as he responds. "I sense either serious retribution or a prank war on the horizon. Let's hope either way she holds off until we get the stuff from him."

"Agreed." She winces as Rainbow crashes into the cloud, making Flick immediately freak out at his art being ruined. "...I guess he didn't count on that, huh?"

The stallion tilts his head to one side. "Frankly, I'm not sure what he expected to happen. She looked like she was either going somewhere or training, so she was either going to go around it or through it."

"Maybe he wanted her to get startled and swerve out of the-" She grimaces as the mare lands a solid left hook on the brown stallion's eye. "That has to hurt..."

Rhino winces. "Ouch, yeah... I think he'll need of bit of medicine himself now. Should make broaching the subject easier though."

"Maybe..."

The stallion wobbles his way back down to the ground. He looks at Rhino, sheepishly smiling. "Got an ice pack I could borrow?" He gestures to the right side of his face. "Because I need to stop the swelling before it gets too bad."

Rhino motions to follow him. "Come on, I'll trade you some ice inside for enough of that medicine of yours to last me a week." He turns to Gel. "Oh, and by the way, love what you did with the yard. I can't wait to see how the little ones like it."

She giggles, waving to them as they go back inside. She turns to a few unopened boxes off to the side, smirking slightly. "Time to get back to work."

Flick follows him inside and to the kitchen, a bottle in his magic. "I suppose it's a fair trade. Especially if you want to make love to your fiancee sooner." He holds up a hoof to stop Rhino, a playful smile on his lips. "Lucky guess, before you ask."

The stallions lightly frowns. "It's not just that you know. I also don't like walking around town looking like I got into a fight with a manticore. It tends to draw attention... something I've never been fond of anyway." He rubs his side ruefully. "Plus, you know, throbbing pain when you least expect it after the stuff wears off."

"Yeah, puncture wounds tend to do that, Doc." He glances at the unicorn's side. "You're actually quite lucky. None of your organs got damaged...unless you count that zap to the head." He places the bottle on the table. "There should be enough in there to speed your recovery right up. I'd say you'll be back to normal in about a week, given how deep the wounds were."

Rhino nods. "Thanks for the estimate. Doctor or not, it's hard to give a diagnosis when you can't get a good look at the wounds on yourself." He brings out some ice from the freezer, pops it into a plastic bag, then wraps that in a thin towel. "Here you go, you can take the towel off if you want, it's mostly for cushion."

"The towel's fine." He gingerly holds it to his eye, chuckling a bit. "And glad to be of service." He turns his one good eye to the half-eaten pie in the fridge. "I could've sworn you ate that whole thing, Doc."

The stallion raises an eyebrow. "I'm a larger-than-average fluffy pony, not a pig. I always offer guests food as well, changelings just don't ever seem to want to eat much."

"We eat love after we reach pony size." He shakes his head and sits down. "Pony food's not exactly needed, after that."

Rhino picks up the bottle and peruses it to see if there are instructions. "Gel seems to like pony food, I figured it must do at least something."

"Well, I suppose that has to do with taste." He taps his chin, thinking a bit. "Maybe with her element, in part. Possibly as fuel for her fire?"

He shrugs. "I certainly don't know. She might not either, but I suppose I won't know until I ask." He sets the bottle down. "Speaking of asking, I'm curious how you and Gel know each other. I mean, I know you were in the same military, but I mean was there anything other than that?"

He blinks, caught off-guard by this. "How I know Gel?" He rubs the back of his neck, trying to think. "...well...she and sis were friends before they were drafted into the army...and she was assigned to my platoon." He smiles a bit, shaking his head. "She was easily the best of the bunch, yet never resorted to killing. Believe it or not, we actually found her after the Canterlot fiasco in the Everfree Forest, crying over a manticore she thought she killed. As it turns out, it was only unconscious. Apparently, their heartbeat slows down to save energy or something like that." He pauses, embarrassed. "Sorry, got off-track, there."

Rhino waves him off. "It's fine. It does help sort of the timeline a bit, thankfully. Besides, the survival evolutions of some species are always fascinating, manticores being one of the more subtle ones once you get past looks."

He stares blankly before realization dawns. "Oh, right, you're an animal doctor." He clears his throat and continues. "Anyways, our platoon was sent out on a training exercise." His smile falters momentarily. "...it would be the last one for our little group."

The unicorn goes quiet as he folds his hooves in an attentive posture.

Flick focuses on the floor, appearing depressed. "...the exercise ran into the night...we made campfires to keep warm and light up the area around our flag..." He groans, covering his face with his hooves. "...somehow...the forest caught on fire...I was certain it was the work of the other platoon, fighting dirty, trying to distract us...I ordered everyone to stand their ground, to protect the flag..." He coughs, the memory actually starting to hurt him. "...G-Gel pulled me away...and I saw the flag slowly burn up before I passed out..." He looks up at the stallion, remorseful. "...I was too focused on victory...too narrow-minded to realize the severity of the situation...if it wasn't for her, I'd..." He chokes on the lump of emotion in his throat, finding it hard to continue.

Rhino twiddles his hooves before commenting. "There's not really anything I can say to that. It was a horrible experience, and many were lost. You have my sympathies, but I feel after all this time those would be a moot point, seeing as you've likely heard that statement countless times by now... Do you want some time alone?"

"No." He swallows, chuckling softly. "It may be a painful memory, but I've grown used to it." He shakes his head. "Ever since, I've made a point not to be too serious, or ignore possible solutions in front of me." He clears his throat. "Shortly after, we went our separate ways. I was elated that she became so high a rank, but I feel as though she could've been more, if it wasn't for her memory issue."

The stallion nods. "I was impressed she got as high as she did even with that. I'm just glad we got it cured."

He blinks, surprised by this. "Cured? When did that happen?"

"Right after we started dating." Rhino says all this casually. "Over the course of a week, she would slowly remember more and more of each previous day until she could remember everything and all that she had forgotten came rushing back. Somehow we broke the curse, not sure how, but we're thankful we did."

He nods, blankly staring at him. "...well, then...congrats on healing your fiancee." He grins, bumping the stallion's shoulder.

"Heh, thanks." He looks at a clock. "Huh, been longer than I thought. I should go check on her." He gets up from the table. "Feel free to get more ice if you need it."

"Will do. One last question, though." He smirks coyly at him. "How loud is she?" He chuckles at this.

Rhino blushes even though he's turned away. "We had to soundproof the room..."

"Ah, a screamer!" Flick can't help but to laugh at this. "I certainly didn't expect that from her!"

The stallion simply quickly exits the room without a word, Flick still laughing. He goes to the back door and opens it to check on his fiance.

He finds her tangled up in a half-assembled swing set. She stops struggling to get free as soon as she sees him, a bright blush. "...h-hey..."

He shakes his head as he walks over and starts walking around her, trying to find the easiest way to get her free. "Just can't leave you alone, can I? How long have you been stuck like this?"

She hangs her head, ashamed. "...fifteen minutes...I don't know why this one's giving me trouble..."

He smirks as he moves behind her and quietly leans forward as he responds. "No big deal, love." He quickly nips her neck a few times.

She whimpers, looking over her shoulder at him. "...I-I know my tail being pinned to my back looks nice, love... b-but I'm not a fan of bondage..." She squirms a little more, trying to escape the constricting chains.

"I can honestly say I wasn't looking there, and don't worry," he pulls on a few links before sliding the chain off her once it comes loose, "I'm not into bondage either. I just wanted to see you react to that when you weren't expecting it."

She sighs in relief, turning around and tenderly nuzzling him. "...thank you, love..." She pulls away, giggling softly. "It's nice to feel your fluffiness coming back..."

He smiles as he nuzzles back. "Now you've got me curious to how you would react if I let my beard grow out."

She blinks, tilting her head to the side. "...what's a beard?"

Rhino openly stares at her before he slowly facehoofs. When he pulls the hoof away though, he is chuckling. "You know, as amazed as I am everytime you say something like that, I never get tired of it. It's fun getting to teach you new things." He thinks a moment. "Ok... so you saw my dad's mustache right? Think of something like a cross between that and a mane, and it covers the jaw and chin." He rubs his face to show emphasis. "Mine can actually go up until it merges with my mane and is very thick. Haven't you ever wondered why I use a hair trimmer on my face every morning but the fur on it is never less fluffy?"

She nervously laughs, averting her eyes. "I always thought it was to keep yourself from looking like that one pink pony in town..."

His eyes narrow. "No... I've been doing that since long before that... newcomer moved into the library after the towers got set up."

"...oh..." She rubs the back of her neck. "...are you sure you haven't met her, before?"

He nods as he organizes the pieces to the swingset a little more, his eyes still narrowed. "I'm certain. I've been able to grow a mustache since a little before my first year of high school. So I've been trimming since then."

She moves up next to him, confused. "Then why is the thought of her making you act odd, love?"

His face is serious. "Because she is a threat to my fluffy status. She redefines the word with her poofiness, and there is no way I can compete with that." His face softens as he scrapes a hoof on the ground. "I like being able to be called fluffy..."

She rolls her eyes as she laughs, hugging him softly. "...a pony once literally got lost in her fur. She's too fluffy. You?" She kisses him. "You're perfectly fluffy. Okay?"

"Okay..." He holds up the instructions to putting the swing set together. "Shall we see if we can tackle this?"

She nods, holding up a few pieces. "Ready when you are."

The two get to work on putting the equipment together, snapping pieces together in a wonderful showing of teamwork. As they get the basic frame up and standing, something occurs to Rhino that makes him chuckle. "You know... this sort of reminds me of that old swingset my dad put together for me when I was a little colt. I guess it's a good thing we're getting practice before the little ones come along, right?"

She nods, trying to untangle the chain from around her hoof. "...not again...um...y-yes, practice makes perfect..."

He stops her and gets her free, again. "Somehow, I feel that you won't be getting into knitting as a hobby."

"No, and I don't mind that. I hate needles." She quickly attaches the links to the proper hook, nodding quietly. "What else did you do as a colt?"

He shrugs. "Oh, the usual things. Went to school, read books, was socially awkward, and according to Mom, cheeking her before I knew more than a hoofful of words."

Gel giggles, playfully bumping his side. "Hey, sounds better than my youth."

He smiles at this. "You know... You never have told me about your younger years, and I actually have questions about pupae from that time you became one."

She blushes, waving a hoof at him. "Sure, I'll answer your questions about pupae. What did you want to know?"

He notices her evasion, but doesn't mention it. "Well... why don't they need love?"

"They're too young to go out looking for it." She shrugs. "They take whatever food they're given and completely break it down. No need for diapers, and a good thing, considering how many pupae are generally born at a time..."

He pauses in hanging another chain to look at her. "Erm... how many are we talking... and how many come from each mother?"

"Anywhere from fifty to one hundred." She assembles a seat, pushing it gently to test it. "The queen normally gives most of those births, though. A breeding nymph would birth five to eight nymphs at a time and then regular nymphs..." She puts a hoof to her chin, thinking a bit. "...there's only been one incident like that recorded...about nineteen years ago...two of the Generals back then had a pupa outside of a royal decree - the only reason a soldier or worker would be allowed to do so..." She holds up a hoof. "Just one."

Rhino still looks slightly concerned. "And... what defines a 'breeding nymph'?"

She rubs the back of her neck. "...well...after we finish going to primary school...we're tested on our intelligence..." She pushes on the next swing, frowning when one side comes loose. "...the smartest are drafted into the military...the ones of average intellect become workers..." She sighs, finishing the middle seat. "...and the ones who are deemed unintelligent become breeders...drone and nymph alike..." She looks at him, giving a half frown. "Guess who got the short end of the stick in that caste?"

He frowns. "I can plainly see the answer to that, but it wasn't quite what I was asking." His expression goes back to curious. "You said breeders give birth to about half a dozen pupae at a time... If that's not actually a specific genetic trait and is instead regulated by social norms... should I be expecting six little ones to come out of you at once when the time comes instead of just one?"

"Oh, no!" She waves her hooves frantically. "See, they give them this special substance that causes that. They don't really give it to other changelings."

The stallion wipes his brow with a hoof. "Phew, that's a relief... I was sort of hoping to start with just one you know, six was a bit much..."

"I can see that." She giggles, shaking her head. "One sounds good to me, too...at least, at the beginning..." She leans down to inspect a leg of the set to her left, much further than needed. She teasingly brushes her tail under his chin, trying to hold in her laughter.

He shivers at her tail's touch. "Yeah... I have a feeling by the time I get better, we'll both be more than ready..."

"Oh, that's definitely true, but until then..." Gel gives him a lidded gaze over her shoulder, wiggling her flank at him. "...I'll just enjoy teasing you like this."

"You know I can tease you almost as much." He smirks as he leans down and grips her tail in his teeth, giving it a light tug.

She quickly clamps a hoof over her mouth, muffling her squeal of delight. R-Rhino! W-what if they hear?!

He chuckles as he nuzzles her before going back to putting the last few pieces on the swing. Then I'll just tell them I tickled you. He winks. Sorry love, your just so beautiful that sometimes I just can't keep my hooves off you.

She frowns for a moment before a sly smile forms on her lips. And I can't keep mine off you. Right after he puts the last piece in place she uses her magic to flip him over on the soft grass, sitting down on his stomach. Or any other part of me, for that matter. She leans down and kisses him passionately, her hindlegs keeping her weight off his torso as their kiss deepens.

He eagerly kisses back, wrapping his hooves around her but resisting the urge to squeeze her closer to him. Their tails twine together even as his tongue licks her lips to see if hers is willing to mimic the other appendages' dance.

She breaks the kiss, a coy look on her face. The beauty of teasing...is stopping to see your love's reaction...so that's what I'm going to do. She giggles, tenderly pecking along his jaw.

His eyes roll back slightly as he lets out a deep whine when she breaks the contact. Seeing as it's all he can work with at the moment, his hooves starting massaging up and down her back.

Don't worry love... She grabs his hoof and moves it to her flank, gently nipping his neck. You'll be able to play with this again, soon...you'd like that, wouldn't you?

He licks his lips. Who says I can't play now?
She quirks an eyebrow at him, curious. Oh? And what did you have in mind?

I have no idea. He slams a determined hoof into the ground. But darn it, we're going to drive each crazy this way. Even if it's just intense cuddling, there's got to be something.

She sits quietly for a moment, pondering what to do. ...love making in our dreams, tonight?

He nods. Definitely. Still looking forward to the actual physical version though.

There will be time for that when you're healed. She sits up, curious. ...how long will that take, by the way?

He lightly caresses her flank as he responds. Flick thinks I should be good by this weekend.

She narrows her eyes, a playful smile on her lips. It's a date.

Chapter 61: It Is Time

The silence of Monday morning is shattered as Rhino is roughly tossed from sleep by his high pitched alarm clock. He groans as he rolls over and flails his arm in the clock's general area to try and shut it off.

Gel clicks the button on the alarm, pulling him back to her. "...do you have to go to work, love?"

Rhino groans a little more, seeing as talking requires a more awake brain than flailing one leg. "Not really... Haven't told them we're back yet... but probably responsible thing to do..." He nuzzles her lovingly. "Don't want to though..."

"...but you should..." She kisses him gently, smiling softly at him. "...and who knows? Maybe I'll be able to give you a treat, later..." She playfully winks and sticks her tongue out at him.

He holds her tighter as he responds. "Hesitant to go back... Especially considering what I came home to last time..."

"...but you're needed, Rhino..." She pulls herself up the bed to look him directly in the eye. "...besides, there's three of us here, now...and you gained Port's respect, so he probably won't do it again..."

The stallion sighs. "Ok... promise to be here when I get back?"

The nymph nods, touching noses with him. "You have my word."

He kisses her deeply before smiling and getting out of the bed to get ready. "Alright, now I just need to think of an excuse for the bandages when Manila asks."

She taps her chin, trying to think of one for him. "Say...I accidentally got too excited?" She sheepishly smiles, aware of how strange that sounds.

He raises an eyebrow. "I don't see how that would lead to burns and bite marks..." He unwraps a small bit of the cloth, glad it only covers a smaller portion of his body than it did a few days ago.

"Well..." She scratches the side of her head for a moment. "...what about a timberwolf?"

He nods as he continues speaking as he heads into the bathroom. "Good idea... Though one thing, since obviously our plan to tell them Friday didn't work out, when did you want to tell Mane and Manila... you know, your secret?"

She tilts her head to the side, thinking about this a moment. "...Wednesday, maybe?"

"Sounds good." The sound of the sink running water starts. "Shall I just bring them home after work?"

"Probably best." She sighs, glancing towards one of the closed windows. "I can't exactly go to them...the path has two towers along it..."

"Yeah... maybe between them and Silk, we can find a way to where you aren't pretty much under house arrest." A short time passes and Rhino emerges in his usual work-ready state. "Alright, I guess I'm gonna grab a quick bite then be off." He walks over and nuzzles her.

She returns the gesture and then nips his neck, smirking teasingly. "Be back soon, okay?"

He smiles. "Will do, love."

***

Rhino arrives at the clinic and smiles as he realizes he beat Manila there. He unlocks the door and heads inside to get ready. As he dons his white coat, he debates wearing it closed instead of open like it usually is, if only to keep ponies from noticing the bandages on his chest as quickly. He shakes his head as he knows he'd only be scratching at the fabric as it rubbed his chest. Rhino makes his way to the front and begins perusing the files that occurred while he was gone in order to kill time until Manila arrived.

Soon enough, he spots the mare in question through the clear front doors. She stops in surprise as she sees the clinic unlocked and running already. Rhino waves casually to her as she enters. "Morning!"

The earth pony mare blinks in surprise at him. "Rhino? You're back?"

He smiles at her. "Miss me?"

The mare nods with a still slightly stunned look on her face as she takes her seat. "Well, yes. First you say Angel's sick then the next day we just get a letter saying that something came up and that you both were going to be gone for an unknown length of time. We didn't know what happened!"

He rubs the back of his head. "Yeah... sorry for the short notice, but it was an emergency."

"What kind of emergency-" She cuts herself off as she sees the bandages on his chest. "Oh Celestia, what happened to you? Is that why you had to leave?"

Rhino hesitates before realizing that she is technically correct. "Yes, actually. There was an incident with a timberwolf..." His voice trails off, letting her fill in the blanks for herself.

She gasps and covers her mouth with a hoof. "Oh my! You were attacked by a timberwolf?! I knew you lived on the edge of town but I didn't think they came out that far from the forest... Was Angel hurt too?"

He shakes his head quickly. "No no, I made sure she didn't get hurt. She's been helping take care of me while I heal up but she's still dealing with some things, which is why she still isn't coming to work."

Manila has a pitying look. "Poor dear... I hope she wasn't traumatized by what happened to you..."

He waves a hoof. "We're doing fine, we got through it and even got a few new friends, so it all turned out well." He sets down the last of the files he was reading to catch up. "But actually, we were hoping you and Mane would join us at our house on Wednesday once your part of the shift is over. She wanted to explain herself about why she's been gone."

"Oh!" Manila takes this news with a smile. "We'd love to! I'm sure I can get my sister to come, we've both been worried."

Rhino nods.'"I'll bet... Well, aside from worrying and these patients," he taps the stack of files, "anything else happen?"

She blushes as she scuffs the floor with a hoof. "Well, I actually do need to thank Angel when we come over... Because of her, Big Mac actually called this weekend and asked to hang out!" She does a little squeal of excitement. "Oh, it was nothing fancy, just going for a walk through the park, but it was so nice... I was a little tense at first but after about the fifth time he told me to just relax I was finally able to. The best part is that at the end, he said we should do it again sometime!"

He smiles. "Glad to hear it, I think you two would make a cute couple. Isn't this much better than just watching him from afar?"

She giggles. "Yep! Now I get to watch him from up close!"

The two laugh and begin their work day properly, waiting for the next client to walk through the doors.

They don't have to wait long. A yellow filly runs through the door, eyes wide in panic. She pants heavily, showing that she had been running for quite a while.

Rhino walks over to the filly. "Woah there, what's got you in such a hurry?"

She looks up at him, taking a moment to breathe before replying. "It's time!"

He tilts his head. "Time for what? Who are you?"

"I'm Apple Bloom, and we have to hurry!" She grabs his forehoof and starts trying to pull him towards the door. "Big Mac says the puppies are coming!"

His eyes widen as he neatly picks up the filly with magic and sets her on his back. He looks back to Manila who is already closing down the clinic. She tosses him a vet bag, which he catches in his magic before heading out onto the street, the mare not far behind. "Alright Apple Bloom, where are we headed?"

She points a hoof away from town, towards the rows of apple trees. "Sweet Apple Acres! Winona and Big Mac are in the barn!"

The stallion and filly quickly make their way to the farm, Manila right on their tails. Rhino slips through the open barn door, the filly jumping off his back as he surveys the scene before him.

Big Mac stands next to a box, staring inside it with genuine concern on his face. Winona lays within it on a generous layer of towels, eyes closed. The filly walks up to the scene, her expression mirroring her brother's.

Rhino walks up and kneels down next to the dog as Manila comes in the door. The canine's stomach is large and convulsing as she pants heavily. He peeks under her tail and quickly gives a diagnosis. "Yeah, they'll start coming out any minute now." He turns to the Apples. "The important thing is to stay calm, we don't want her getting overly excited. We're just here to let nature do its job, and help where we need to."

Manila walks next to the red stallion and looks on before turning to him. "Don't worry, it'll be fine."

He glances at her, nodding in acknowledgement. He turns back to watch the others for a moment. "Thank you, Manila."

As Winona lets out a whine and small howl, Rhino nods. "Here we go." The next 20 minutes crawl by as the vet slowly takes the small forms as they exit the mother. He wipes them off as best he can before setting them next to her, where they huddle for warmth as they whine. Soon enough, the ordeal is over and there are five new fuzz balls next to the tired new mom. There are three girls and two boys with variations of patched white, brown, and black coats. Rhino smiles as he backs up a few steps while Winona cranes her head back and starts to lick her pups. "Perfect."

Apple Bloom peeks over the side, smiling brightly at the little ones. "They're so cute!" She looks up at the two standing off to the side, hopeful. "We can keep them, right?"

Manila looks to the red stallion. "Generally you can't separate them from their mother for over a month anyway, so you do have time to decide."

Big Mac nods, smiling a bit. "We don't need to wait." He chuckles. "They're family."

The filly cheers in delight, rushing over and hugging him. "Thank you!" She turns to the mare, beaming up at her. "And you, too!"

Manila scuffs her hoof against the ground. "I didn't really do anything..."

"What are you talking about?" Apple Bloom's smile falls slightly. "You didn't have to come, but you did!" She embraces her, giggling softly. "You've also been here for Winona, so you've gotta be a kind mare, right?"

The mare blushes as she takes the compliments with a smile. "If you say so..."

Rhino chuckles as he looks on while gently moving the pups so they can nurse. As Winona licks him, he smiles as he comments. "Don't thank me yet girl, you've got your own little pack now. It's gonna be eventful from now on."

The yellow pony nods, still smiling brightly. "Besides, Applejack says you're going to be part of the family, soon!" With that, she walks out the door, whistling a small tune to herself.

With her face almost matching Big Mac's natural color, Manila sputters. "W-what?!"

Big Mac keeps his expression neutral, though he turns a shade brighter. He glances at Rhino for a moment.

The unicorn aides his fellow male. "Meh, you know young ones, sometimes they misinterpret things."

The mare calms down a little. "I guess you're right... We should probably be getting back to the clinic anyway..." She turns to the red pony. "Will I see you around?"

He smiles kindly at her. "Eeyup."

***

The Badlands, one of the only places in Equestria not named for ponies in some way. Aptly so, it is named that way simply because it is not a place for ponies. A barren land fills of rocks and shrubs, one can take one look at the place and just turn around, thinking that there is nothing of value there. Even if there was, who would be crazy enough to go into a place where all your sustenance would have to be carried with you?

This is the place no one goes, and thus, it is the perfect place to be hidden. Among the mountains of stone, among the cave mouths dotting them, only a select few will lead one to the biggest secret of this land. Stone turns dark and shiny as it transitions to chitin, and further down one will find the central hive of the changelings.

A maze of tunnels, windows, and spires. This place holds more changelings than anywhere else. It is also the center of almost everything for them. Thus, when the small returning squad from the outpost came home, they each knew where they had to go.

The three lower ranked changelings headed straight to the nearest infirmary to get well needed treatment. Meanwhile, Port escorts a blindfolded and magic-suppressing ring wearing Mimic. They both know that due to his cracked horn, the ring on the red changeling is more of a mercy than anything else since it prevents the lances of pain when he would try to use magic by not letting it flow at all.

Their trip is long but purposeful, taking the one path that no erring changeling would want to go down. They pass through the majority of the hive, heading further into the ground. The trip ends in front of a large set of doors. Clearing his throat, the orange drone knocks on the door, the very sound causing the changeling next to him to flinch in fear.

A few seconds pass before a single female voice calls out loudly, echoing around them. "Enter."

Port pushes on the door, opening a smaller, more practical one hidden inside the inlay. He uses his magic to tug the reluctant former-general into the room, leading him through the long room and in front of the throne. He bows respectfully, his head almost touching the floor. "My Queen. I have some rather...unsettling news."

Chrysalis raises a hole-filled hoof and places it on her forehead, just below her massive jagged horn. She sighs as she replies. "I really am growing tired of hearing that there is even more unsettling news." She shakes her head before leveling her eyes seriously at Port. "Report, General."

He stands up, keeping an expressionless face. "The pony that was Colonel Gel's target came and took her after beating the rest of us. Major General Luster had the strength left to head up the stairs, trying to help, but, as it turned out," he gestures to the changeling next to him, "General Mimic had used forbidden magic on the Colonel. When I awoke, I found a letter saying so, and the remains of what appeared to be a collar. There was also no sign of Brigadier General Flick or Major General Luster anywhere in the outpost." He sighs, unsure but keeping that hidden for now. "What do you recommend we do?"

She hums in thought, but it has edge to it that shows she is troubled. "Was there anything suggesting what happened to Luster and Flick?"

He nods. "The metal coating Luster's quarters was gone, as was Flick's art supplies. Knowing them, they wouldn't just let anyone take those. Though to be honest, I can't see a pony simply taking the metal."

Her eyes narrow. "I see... And you said a single pony managed to beat the four strongest of our military in single combat?"

He nods once more, frowning slightly. "I'm afraid so, my Queen."

She rubs the bridge if her muzzle, restraining herself. "Let's... come back to that. You stated that Mimic used the forbidden spell. Was there anything else hinting at this other than the letter and collar? Any suspicious behavior?"

"I...I can't really say." He glances at the red changeling, thinking a bit. "He did seem in a bit of a hurry when we first arrived, and he was supposed to hold the trial for the Colonel. He didn't appear to follow through with that, though."

Her eyes sharpen as she looks at the red changeling. "Foregoing trial? What exactly did he do instead? Feel free to let him speak for himself if you don't know, Port. Any lies will only worsen his situation."

Mimic can feel her harsh glare, flinching in fear. "I-I used the spell in an attempt to reform her. I felt it would be unreasonable to lose one of our best if we could get her to forget about her target. About that pony she fell for."

"So she did fall for him... I thought she might be above such things." She shakes her head before yanking off the blindfold and staring angrily into Mimic's eyes. "However that does NOT give you the right to take away her free will and make her your puppet! What did you make her do in this 'reform program' of yours? What were you going to make her do!?"

He averts his eyes, ashamed. "I made her...attack her target. She broke free and tried to attack me. I was going to make her...swear loyalty to the hive. She can't bring herself to break her word, after all."

She huffs. "You know as well as I that those wouldn't even have been her words, simply your words spoken through her. She would not have honored them. What did you do when she broke free?"

He grimaces, shuffling his hooves. "I...I knocked her unconscious."

She sense something more behind those words. "And was that your intent?"

"...no." He sighs, hanging his head. "I was trying to kill her. I didn't want our secrets getting out."

She hisses. "The decision to execute is reserved for me, and me alone! So let's go over this again shall we?" Her voice is like honeyed venom. "Usage of the forbidden spell, inhibition of justice by skipping trial and performing punishment that you decided, and now, going above the queen and attempting murder. Anything else I should add to this list?"

He shakes his head, unable to say anything in the face of her anger.

She turns and quirks an eyebrow at Port. "Have you anymore to say on this issue before we deal with it and move onto others?"

The orange drone frowns slightly. "I have nothing else to add, my Queen."

She nods. "Well then, follow me." She leads them over to a wall where she touches the chitin with the tip of her horn. It melts away and reveals a staircase going down.

The two drones follow her, one wondering what was down there and the other dreading what might come.

They descend down a stairwell lit by green-flamed torches, deeper and deeper. Finally they arrive in a small room with only a tall mirror on a raised platform. Chrysalis walks over and stands next to it. "Bring him forward."

Port grabs the other drone's horn in his magic and pulls him forward, causing the dishonored general to grit his teeth in pain.

Mimic stares up at her, eyes wide in fear. At that moment, with him shaking and shrinking in on himself, he looked like a lost pupa cowering in front of a timberwolf.

As the drone stands before her, the Queen looks down at him. "Mimic, you stand accused of a number of crimes, proven by both witness and your own testimony. You are to be sentenced accordingly." She gestures to the mirror. "You will not be killed, instead, you will be exiled. As you know though, no changeling is allowed to leave in order to maintain our secrets. Thus, you are being exiled to a place where you can do us no harm, and maybe even redeem yourself."

He lowers his head, accepting his fate. "...I-I understand...but..." He glances up at the mirror in confusion, keeping his head bowed. "...where am I being sent to?"

"Put simply, you are being sent to another Equestria. There are other changelings there, perhaps you can start over with them." She laughs. "And I do mean 'start over'. You will have nothing, and to them, you will be no one. You will start as the lowest of the low. Perhaps you will climb back, perhaps you will die. Your life is in your hooves, we no longer care what happens to you." She lifts him up with her magic and faces him towards the mirror, removing his magic inhibitor ring. "Any final words?"

He stares at his reflection, seeing the pain in his own eyes. He nods solemnly, bowing his head. "...my only regret...is that I acted out of love, and not reason..."

She replies simply. "One cannot only use one or the other. Find balance." With those last words, she tosses him into the mirror, and he disappears into it. She motions for Port to follow her and the two walk in silence until they are back in the throne room.

He moves to stand in front of the throne, respectfully turning towards her and bowing. "You handled that issue expertly, my Queen. I do have one question, though." He looks up at her with his stoic gaze. "What do we do about the unexpected decrease in officers?"

She sighs as she thinks. "Well, considering our other officers are simply missing instead of dead or otherwise unable to return, their positions shall remain empty for now. As for you though, I believe you have earned a promotion, and seeing as the only position above yours just opened up... Congratulations, General."

He bows respectfully. "I'm humbled, my Queen." He straightens up, trying to hide his curiosity. "You mentioned something about other issues?"

"Of course," she smiles but her tone is definitely not happy, "aside from you, every one of my highest ranking changelings, elites no less, have either defected or gone AWOL. If my suspicions are correct, then all three of them are defecting. This cannot stand. As of this moment, those three are the biggest threats to our entire species' existence!"

He blinks, a little concerned by the pure rage coming off her form. "Then...what do you propose we do?"

She stand up. "The time for subtlety is done, with all of them out there, time is now of the essence. I shall go myself to either retrieve them... Or otherwise make sure they are silent. You shall accompany me."

He nods, bowing respectfully. "As you wish."

Chapter 62: A Ditzy Day

Specter rides atop Gel's head, curious as to why she left Selena and Mercury to sleep while she picked him up and said she had a surprise. He hangs down in front of her eyes and tilts his head at her.

She giggles at this, winking at him as they reach the back door. "Trust me, you'll love it." She pushes it open, gesturing to the yard beyond. "Do you like it?"

It's a veritable paradise for active animals. There are slides, swings, a jungle gym, and even a climbing wall off in the back. Everything in the front is scaled down for the pets, though there are boxes of unassembled equipment right next to the tree line.

Specter is stunned for a moment as he takes this all in. After he gets his wits, he hugs the changeling's head and springs off, gliding towards one of the slides. He lands near the top and braces himself on all fours before sliding down, his bushy tail trailing behind him.

She smiles, watching him for a second. "I'll take that as a yes." She glances at a clock inside before closing the door, moving forward and laying herself down in front of the slide. She gently nuzzles him as he reaches the bottom. "We can stay out here as long as you like."

The squirrel grabs onto her nose and nuzzles her fondly before scampering over to the jungle gym. He starts to weave in and out of the bars, poising his head out and chittering away at random times.

She sighs, resting her head on her forelegs as she watches him. "...that looks really fun...I wish I could join you..." Her ears perk up, and she thinks about this. "...actually...what's to say I can't?" She looks at him, a playful smile on her lips. "What do you say, little one? Would you like me to?"

He tilts his head at her, not sure what she is getting at. He stops playing and walks over to her, curious.

She engulfs her body in a quick burst of flames, soon looking up at him with a kind smile. "I may be smaller than you, now, but we can still play together, right?"

He looks at her with wide eyes before shaking his head and chittering to himself. He looks back to her and nods with a smile as he heads toward the swings and motions with his tail for her to follow him.

She does so, looking around curiously. "I never realized how large everything must look to you...n-no offense, of course..."

He seems to chuckle before quickly climbing to the top of the swingset and showing how high he is before coming back down and sitting down on a swing.

She moves behind him, smiling kindly. "Would you like me to push you, little one?" She pauses before giggling, gently rubbing his back. "Is it alright for me to call you that when you're taller than I?"

His tail twitches in thought before he nods. When she reaches a spot just below his neck though, his whole body shivers in delight.

She giggles, rubbing her hoof playfully over the spot for a second. "Do you like that, Specter?"

One of the squirrel's hind legs starts to kick as he enjoys the touch. He leans into it, a smile on his face.

Gel shakes her head, her own smile still on her lips. "Just like your father, aren't you?" She stops this to push him, moving a little off to the side so she won't get hit.

His tail streaming behind him, Specter focuses on just enjoying the feeling of the swing. After a few pushes, his momentum is enough to keep him going. He looks back to Gel and points quizzically at the other swing.

She politely declines. "Thank you, but this is for you little ones." She steps back, watching him for a moment. "Speaking of you little ones, I've noticed you have been spending more time with Selena..."She covers her teasing smile with a hoof. "...anything you'd like to say about that?"

He stiffens before chittering quietly and focusing back on swinging, his tail twitching.

She tilts her head, curious about this reaction. ...it's times like these I would like to be able to read their emotions... She shrugs slightly, shaking off that thought for the time being. This is time for playing, not worrying.

***

Time passes and Gel finds herself in the living room, idly writing in her journal. Her ear twitches and she looks up at the door, a small smile on her lips. "Right on time." She heads over to the window, peeking outside.

The sound of flapping wings gets closer, as does a familiar form. Soon enough, the golden-eyed mailmare lands next to the mailbox and begins rummaging in her bag.

The white mare nods and walks over to the front door. She opens it, a look of surprise crossing her face for a second. "Oh! Hello, Ditzy!"

The grey pegasus looks up and smiles. "Good morning, Angel!" Her head dives back into the bag but emerges a moment later with a few envelopes, which she takes with a wing. "There we go, mail!"

Gel giggles, gratefully taking the letters in her magic. "Thank you. Before you leave," she holds up a hoof, keeping her trepidation hidden expertly, "I wanted to ask you if you'd...like to visit, this afternoon?" She shyly smiles, hopeful.

The mare looks at her with a happy but curious face. "Really? I'd love to, but what's the occasion?"

She tilts her head, confused. "Does there have to be an occasion to have a friend come over?"

"Well... No... There's just usually a reason." She smiles sheepishly. "But it's fine if there's no reason other than seeing friends. What time should I come over? Should I wear anything, bring anything?"

Gel giggles, shaking her head a bit. "There's no need to dress up. It's just a get-together, not a fancy party." She taps her chin, thinking for a second. "Maybe bring some food. I'll try to cook, but...I'm not exactly good at that..." She blushes softly, embarrassed. "A-anyways, is two good for you?"

She nods. "That's fine! Oh, before I go, I just wanted to say that's a pretty necklace you have on."

The unicorn beams brightly, giggling in excitement. "Isn't it just? Rhino gave it to me!"

Ditzy looks closer at the jewelry. "It looks so special... I've never seen anything like it."

Gel rubs the back of her neck, slightly sheepish. "Well, it is special...he proposed to me with it..."

The pegasus gasps. "Really!?" She suddenly hugs the unicorn. "Congratulations! Oh, I'm so happy for you!"

The white mare giggles softly, patting her friend on the back. "Thank you. I'm glad to hear that."

"Do you have a date set yet?" Ditzy's eyes shine with excitement.

She blinks, realizing that she actually didn't. "...um...n-not yet?" She blushes softly, averting her gaze. "...I guess we just didn't think about it..."

The pegasus hugs her again. "Aww don't worry, no rush. I was just curious." She looks up at the sun before exclaiming. "Oh! I should get back to my route, but I'll see you later, alright?"

Gel nods, smiling shyly. "See you later, Ditzy."

***

Rhino smiles as he arrives back at the house for the second time today. The first was after work but was short lived because he realized he needed to go on a milk run. Still, two in the afternoon is a bit later than he is used to getting home. He cracks open the door and enters. "Gel, I'm home!"

She doesn't respond immediately, but there is the sound of frantic hoofsteps coming from the kitchen. She pokes out her head, the white fur slightly singed, and gives him a nervous smile. "H-hi, love...um...d-do we have any air fresheners?"

He blinks as he responds. "There's... A few sprays in the bathroom cabinet... What happened?"

She hesitates a moment before sighing softly. "...I messed up while cooking, again..." She walks out of the kitchen, hurrying towards the bathroom.

"Well... They say you learn best from mistakes." He starts walking into the kitchen. "What happened and how bad was it?"

There appears to have been an explosion of bread in the kitchen. Dough is on the walls, floor, and ceiling, all coming from the pan laying on the counter. Flick is off to one side, funneling the smoke still coming from the oven out an open side window, not noticing the stallion enter.

Rhino simply stares at the mess, stunned. "Ah... that bad."

She carefully pushes past him, her head bowed in embarrassment. "...yes...thankfully, he was here to help...speaking of..." She turns to look at him, curious. "...I don't remember it taking an hour and a half to get milk...where did you go?"

He looks away casually. "Oh... you know, went some places, did stuff. Maybe, if you're good, I'll show you the results of what I was up to next time we're out and about." He smiles cheekily at her.

She rolls her eyes, playfully bumping his side. "You and your secrets..." She moves further in, her magic starting to carefully remove the sticky mess, spraying the air freshener around the room generously. "I can't let Ditzy see this mess..."

He tilts his head. "Why? I mean, I know it's not great, but I doubt she'll think less of you."

She continues cleaning, slightly frantic. "Because, right now, it's a disaster zone! I can't reveal my true self to her now, because she...she..." She pauses a moment, tapping her chin a moment. "...I don't know...maybe I am being a little unreasonable...still, I don't like messes..."

Rhino holds up a hoof. "Woah woah, hold up. You're planning on revealing yourself to her... today? I thought we were just inviting her over to hang out."

She blinks, finally returning her attention to him. "You said yourself, she would probably be open to me being a changeling..." She taps her chin again before shrugging. "I may be paraphrasing."

He slowly runs a hoof down his face. "Ok... Well, it's your idea, so, it's your call. I'll support you either way." He helps her clean up the last of the mess.

After they finish up, she nuzzles him gently, blushing a bit. "...remind me to never try making a souffle again..."

He chuckles. "Yeah... Maybe start with soup. It's pretty hard to mess that up irreversibly."

"I'll keep that in mind." The doorbell rings, causing her to immediately brighten up. "That should be her!"

Rhino puts a hoof on her shoulder. "Hey, before you go, I wanted to ask you something." He motions to the few bandage wraps he still has to wear. "Do you think I should wear a shirt or something to cover this?"

She tilts her head, thinking about this a moment. "I don't know. I suppose you could wear a jacket, if you feel it's necessary." She smiles kindly before heading out the kitchen and to the front door.

She opens the front door to find the friendly gray pegasus. She looks like she usually does, but she seems to have freshly washed her mane and even has a small bubble mane clip in it.

"You look nice, Ditzy." Gel giggles, moving to the side. "Please, come in."

She giggles as she walks in. "Thank you! And thanks for inviting me!"

"It's no problem at all!" She motions to the seats, smiling kindly. "Would you like to take a seat? Rhino should be joining us, soon."

Ditzy nods, fluttering her wings to get comfortable as she sits. "Thanks... again. So, how have things been?"

Gel takes a seat on the couch. "A little worrying. It's a little upsetting not being able to leave one's house..." She trails off and clears her throat, embarrassed. "W-what about you?"

She blinks in surprise. "Well, everything's normal for my family... What do you mean you can't leave the house?"

She rubs the back of her neck. "...w-well...it's a bit complicated..."

As she focuses on Gel, Ditzy doesn't notice as Rhino enters the room, a jacket on his form. She looks at Gel seriously. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I-I don't really know what could be done..." She gulps quietly, glancing at Rhino and beaming, hoping she found a way to change the subject. "H-hello, love! You remember Ditzy, right?"

He feigns surprise. "Oh! You mean the mare who helped save your life at the restaurant? I think I recall her." He winks at Ditzy. "Always nice to see you again."

The grey mare blushes. "I keep telling you it was nothing..."

"And that humbleness makes it that much more special." Gel giggles, patting the spot next to her as she turns to her stallion. "Care to join us?"

He takes her up on that offer. "Well, how could I say no?" He sits down and straightens her proposal necklace a bit.

This makes Ditzy perk up. "Oh, since I've only had a chance to say it to Angel so far, congratulations on your engagement!"

Rhino chuckles. "Thank you very much." He puts a hoof around the white mare. "We're very happy, and only plan on getting happier."

She blushes, tenderly nuzzling his cheek. "I like that thought." She looks to the other mare, tilting her head a little. "You'll come, right?"

The pegasus tilts her head. "To what?"

"The wedding." Gel blushes a bit more, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I should've been more specific..."

"Oh..." She beams. "Of course I'll come! It'd be an honor to!"

Gel giggles, playfully tapping Rhino's nose with a hoof. "We still have to set a date for it, of course, but that can wait for now."

He nods. "Right, there are some things to deal with first, but I don't want to wait too long."

Gel sighs, shrugging a bit. "I can wait until then. It's not like I'm going anywhere, right?" She sticks her tongue out at him teasingly.

Ditzy nods. "Yeah... I remember when my husband and I got married. We didn't want to wait too long but we didn't want to rush it... In the end, we just sort of went with what felt best."

The disguised changeling looks at her in surprise. "Husband?" She tilts her head to one side, curious. "Learn something new every day. Do you think we could meet him, sometime?"

"Sure!" She nods happily. "I'm certain I could drag him away from his shop to meet you two!"

Gel giggles, nodding a bit. "We would appreciate that." This is nice. Not sure how to let her know, though... She turns to Rhino, smiling softly. "Isn't that right, love?"

He nods. Perhaps start with when she saw you as a pupa?

She tilts her head, thinking on this a bit. If you're sure that'll work... She directs her attention to Ditzy, slightly nervous. "Hey...do you remember Sunday, last week?"

She puts a hoof to her chin. "Yeah... that was the day the town went crazy, or some might say crazier, because of that one unicorn."

Gel nods, nervously shuffling her hooves. "...do you remember...how I looked, back then?"

She nods. "Yeah, you were a cute tiny changeling."

She flinches slightly but nods. "...what if I told you...t-that I was turned into...m-my younger self?"

Ditzy's eyes cross in confusion. "You were a tiny changeling when you were young?"

Gel nods once more, still a little hesitant.

The pegasus frowns. "But... You're a pony. You look nothing like a changeling. Unless..."

She closes her eyes. "...you guessed it..."

Ditzy looks at Gel. "... So what do you really look like?"

The white mare shifts nervously before getting off the couch. She takes a deep breath before letting her blue flames travel over her body, once more replacing white fur with carapace. She braces herself for what might be said, the circle of fire going over her horn.

The grey mare stays quiet for a moment as she looks Gel over seriously. After a few seconds, she comments. "You know, I think the necklace looks better on you like this than when you're a unicorn."

The nymph's eyes snap open in surprise, and she stares at her in confusion. "...you aren't...upset?"

Ditzy giggles. "Why would I be upset? It was just something you hadn't told me yet. I only assumed you were a pony. You never said anything about not being a changeling."

She blinks, considering this a moment. "...I guess I didn't...huh..." She sighs in relief, smiling softly. "...thank goodness...I was really worried..."

The pegasus rubs her hooves together as she wiggles in place. "This is so neat! I've never had a changeling friend before!"

She giggles, shaking her head. "You're really excited about this, aren't you?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Something occurs to her. "Wait, so you guys are like a pony and changeling couple? Has that ever happened before?"

"To my knowledge, I don't think so." She glances at Rhino, gently nudging him. Feel free to speak up, love.

He simply reaches over and brings her closer so he can nuzzle her. Ditzy 'awww's as he think to her. I don't really know what to say yet, so I'll stick to actions.

Alright love. She pecks his cheek before turning back to the mare. "...um...y-you don't mind not telling anyone, do you?" She sheepishly smiles, rubbing the back of her neck.

"I don't mind." She says brightly before she seems to dim. "Oh... Twilight's towers... That's why you can't leave the house..."

Gel nods, frowning slightly. "That's correct...our house is in one of only three blind spots on her grid..." She shakes her head, giving Ditzy a warm smile. "...thank you for keeping this secret..."

"Well, that's not good..." She crosses her forelegs. "You can't just stay in here forever, how would you have a wedding?"

She scratches her head, thinking on this a bit. "...well...there's no towers in Whitetail Woods...maybe we could have it there?"

Rhino raises a hoof. "Why don't we call that the backup plan? I've been thinking and... I can't believe I'm saying this... Maybe we should go to Twilight on our own to try and talk to her?" He had to practically force that last sentence.

The nymph looks at him incredulously before her expression turns ponderous. "...do you think she'd be willing to listen and not try to capture me again?"

"Well, it's not like you're going alone." He clarifies. "Though whether we should go in a large or small group I'm not sure of."

She taps her chin, considering this for a moment. "...maybe just you, to gauge her responsiveness? Besides, I'm fairly certain three changelings are going to cause her to panic..."

He raises an eyebrow at her. "Well, frankly I would have never brought all you there at once for that very reason. I was saying I wasn't sure whether it should just be me and you, or if we should bring ponies who know you and what you are as backup. But I didn't want her to feeling bullied or peer pressured into accepting you, which is why I'm not sure."

Ditzy raises a hoof. "Wait, there's three of you?"

"...um...yes?" She shyly smiles, nervous. "They sort of...joined us a few days ago..."

She tilts her head. "Are they nice?"

"Generally, yes." The nymph holds up a hoof. "Just don't mess up any of Flick's art pieces or interrupt Luster while she's playing her music...or mention her...um...quietness..."

"Oh... Ok!" A rumble comes from Ditzy. "Whoops, sorry, I haven't had my midday muffin yet and my stomach isn't happy."

"Oh! Well," she gestures towards the kitchen, "we have the ingredients for them, I believe. We could make some..." She trails off before sighing, lowering her head. "...or maybe I'll just sit off quietly to the side..."

Ditzy grabs one of the changeling's hooves and starts bringing her to the kitchen. "And kick you out of your own kitchen? That would just be mean. You can help."

"Wha...but...I..." Gel turns to Rhino, shrugging demurely. ...what can I do? It's impossible to say no to such a nice pony...

He smiles as she is dragged into the kitchen. Then just go with it, it's a free cooking lesson.

...fine. Her magic tugs on his forelegs. But you're coming with us. I don't want everything to explode, again...

Chapter 63: How to Tell

After a morning of work, Rhino gives himself a pep talk as he heads towards the library. "Ok, mix it in with small talk, don't be direct, you're just here to get a feel for her thoughts." He sighs as he shakes his head. "Hopefully we can make it over this last big hill and everything will fall into place. I've got too much planned to let it be wasted now."

He knocks on the door and only has to wait a few seconds for it to be encased in a pink aura and opened by a lavender unicorn. She quirks an eyebrow at him. "Should I even bother telling ponies they don't have to knock?"

He chuckles. "Sorry, as long as you live where you work, some of us will always knock."

She shakes her head and lets him in. "So, anything I can help you with?"

He shrugs. "I'm just here to browse, maybe chat a little."

She smiles as she heads back to her desk. "Alright then."

As he peruses the shelves, Rhino gives it a minute before talking. "So, I would ask what you have been up to, but I think the sporadic towers that appeared in town sort of answer that question."

She snorts. "They are not sporadic, they are meticulously placed to provide the greatest amount of coverage as possible in order to serve their function."

He nods. "Ah, my mistake. Out of curiosity though, what function would that be? Is it some sort of experiment?"

She shuffles a bit. "In a manner of speaking. They are a system built to detect changelings based off the unique signature of their magic so that they can be found whether they are disguised or not."

He looks over at her. "But to do that, you would have needed a sample of changeling magic..."

She nods. "I tried to do without it for the longest time, but I actually had to get a sample of that from the Princess. She had a few things left over from the invasion that still had the residue."

He tries pressing a bit. "Why do all that though, expecting another invasion?"

She rapidly shakes her head. "No no no, nothing like that! Don't go around saying things like that either! You know how the rumor mill is in this town..."

He holds up a hoof. "Alright, you have a point. But... If you aren't invasion paranoid, then... Why?"

She looks around a moment before quickly answering. "It's umm... You know, for safety, yeah! I have the detectors set up so that I can make sure nopony gets replaced and that no changelings are spying on us! Those are the only reasons!"

He forces down the eyebrow that threatens to raise itself. "Ah, alright then... How very civic minded of you." He starts perusing the books again. "So, where's Spike? I expected him to be around."

She grabs onto the change of subject. "Oh, that’s actually a very interesting story. Right now he should be coming back from a trip he went on to bring a baby phoenix back to its parents. He'd been raising it for a while now, but with it getting bigger he said he wanted to make sure it grew up right so he volunteered to bring it back himself!"

He lets the eyebrow raise. "A phoenix in a library?"

She giggles. "You know, that's the first thing everypony says... " she looks at the clock, "Oh, I need to get going to pick him up from the station, would you mind cutting this a bit short? I need to lock up."

He waves her off. "No problem." He leaves as Twilight begins grabbing a few things before exiting herself. Rhino heads home, unsatisfied with his findings and a little worried now.

***

Later, back at the house, things are relatively quiet. Luster and Gel, in their disguises, currently occupy the kitchen. Thanks to the former's guidance, things had progressed rather smoothly, and they're now pulling finished dumplings out of a pot on the stove.

Gel giggles, excited. "These look delicious! I'm sure they'll love these!"

Rhino walks in for where he had been playing with the pets in the living room, his nose sniffing rapidly. "Mmm, something smells good..."

Gel leaps over to him, a dumpling in her magical aura. "Apple dumplings! Try one, love!"

Luster's eyes widen and she holds up a hoof, trying to stop them.

Unfortunately, Rhino's attention isn't on Luster at the moment. He pops the dumpling into his mouth and his eyes shoot open instantly. His mouth contorts as the hot dumpling sears the inside of his mouth. He pulls all sorts of faces as he rolls it around, trying to coat it in cool saliva. He eventually succeeds and swallows, panting as soon as his mouth is empty.

Luster rolls her eyes and quickly brings him a glass of milk.

He chuckles as he gratefully takes the glass. "Only a few days here and you know me so well." He drinks down the entire glass thankfully.

Gel lowers her head, ashamed. "I-I'm sorry, love. I didn't realize it was that hot..."

He laughs and nuzzles her. "Trust me love, it wasn't the first time I've scalded myself on hot food, and it won't be the last."

She nods, if hesitantly. "I-if you're sure..." She glances at the tray before turning to the other mare. "Could you bring them into the living room when they've cooled down?" The earth pony nods and Gel smiles in response. "Thank you."

Rhino lifts up one with his magic and blows on it before popping it into his mouth. "Mmm, excellent."

Luster smiles, giving a little bow of gratitude. Before anything else could be said, there's a knock on the door.

"Ah, that must be them." He looks at Gel. "Shall I get it or do you want to?"

"You can." She giggles, playfully winking at him as she makes her way to the couch. "You were the one to invite them, after all."

He just smiles and shakes his head as he makes his way to the door. He opens it to find the Goodall sisters on the other side, the similarities in their appearance really coming out when Mane doesn't have her white coat on. "Hey you two, welcome to our little home." He steps to the side and holds the door open for them, glad that his wounds are healed enough to where he doesn't need bandages, even if it's still sore and can be seen if you know where to look.

Manila almost bounds in as Mane walks calmly inside, the two of them noticing Angel almost immediately. Manila bounces over and hugs her tightly. "Angel! I haven't seen you in what feels like forever!"

The white mare hugs her back, smiling kindly. "It's good to see you again, too." She pulls away, smiling playfully. "How are things with Big Mac?"

Manila blushes lightly as she twiddles her hooves. "Fine, you know, just the one time hanging out so far, but we talk now when I pass his stand, so that's good."

Gel nods, gesturing towards the seats nearby. "Would you like to rest your hooves?"

The mare giggles. "Yes, we are absolutely exhausted after the fifteen minute walk!" She sticks out her tongue to show she is kidding as they sit. "So, what's new with you?" She looks at the necklace.

Noticing her look, the white mare beams, raising a hoof to touch the gem. "Well, we gained a couple of roommates, Rhino saved me from great peril, and then he proposed to me." She taps her chin, pretending to think. "All in all, things have been nice." She playfully winks at her stallion.

The two mares latch onto the last item in the list and speak simultaneously. "He proposed!?" They look at the stallion accusingly. "Why didn't you tell us!?"

He laughs nervously. "Umm... it never came up?" He phrases it as if he's asking if that is a valid excuse.

The mares narrow their eyes at him.

Gel waves a hoof, smiling nervously. "H-hey, now. He wanted both of you to know, but I wanted to be the one to tell you." She taps her hooves together, averting her eyes. "S-so please don't be mad at him..."

Mane waves a hoof. "It's fine dear, we're only teasing. Congratulations though, both of us are so happy for you!"

She blushes in embarrassment, leaning over to peck Rhino's cheek. "T-thank you, Doctor Goodall. W-we're really happy, too."

The doctor nods. "Normally I would ask how he did it, but you already sort of told us. What was all that about saving you from peril? My sister said something about a timberwolf and it keeping you from work?"

She nervously laughs, rubbing the back of her neck. "That's what he said? Well, um..." She glances around the room, trying to come up with a way to explain the real reason.

At that moment, a certain yellow earth pony walks into the room, a tray full of apple dumplings held by the edge in her teeth. She places it on the end table and moves to head upstairs.

Manila raises a hoof quickly. "Wait! Don't go! Who are you? And thanks for the dumplings!"

She stops, turning to look at the mare in confusion. She points a hoof to herself, trying to be sure she meant her.

The mare nods. "Of course I mean you, silly! I didn't see anyone else bring dumplings."

The yellow pony turns to face them, uneasy. She puts a hoof to her throat, shaking her head dejectedly.

Gel speaks up, realizing what her friend means. "This is Luster. She's...well, she can't answer your questions." She sheepishly smiles. "She hopes you like the dumplings, though."

Rhino leans forward and looks at the mute changeling. "I could help translate for you if you want to chat with all of us."

She nods, smiling kindly as her mind reaches out to him once more.

As he pushes back to open the link he comments. Just be sure to do enough motions to where it looks viable that I'm translating.

That shouldn't be a problem. Luster sits on the floor between the couch and Manila's chair. She looks around, unsure of what to do.

The receptionist looks at her excitedly. "So, who are you, how do you know them, and how did you convince them to share their love nest?"

She blinks, tilting her head to one side. Share their love nest? What does she mean by that? She shakes her head and raises a hoof before pointing at Gel. I'm Gel's friend. As for who I am... She points to herself before pointing to a violin nearby. I'm just a simple musician.

Rhino translates. "She's Angel friend, a musician, and she's a little confused about that last comment."

Manila giggles. "It's just that most couples don't exactly open their homes to friends especially when they just got engaged. I was just wondering what you had to do to get them to let you in."

Luster gives her an even look, gesturing to Rhino's torso. I helped him with his fight. She points at his face and pats her chest. He was the one to offer it to me. I just accepted.

Rhino relays the message again. "She helped me out during the fight, I offered her a place to stay afterward."

Mane hums. "It seems many things happened because of that timberwolf encounter..."

The yellow mare turns to Rhino, an eyebrow quirked. Seriously? That's what you told them? She points to his chin. How did you explain the burns?

He gestures to it himself. No one had seen it! It was covered by bandages!

The two guests look curiously between the two mental conversationalists.

Then I suppose that explains why they didn't see the bite mark, either. She points to his side. And probably a good thing, too. As a pet doctor, I'm sure they'd be able to recognize the difference between a tiger's bite mark and a timberwolf's. She glances at the sisters, gesturing towards the plate. Aren't you going to try some?

He looks to them as well. "She asked why you haven't eaten any yet."

"Oh!" They both quickly pop a dumpling into their mouths and hum appreciatively. Manila sums it up quite nicely as she reaches for another one. "Our compliments to the chef!"

Luster smiles, nodding gratefully. Thank you. It's an Apple family recipe.

"She says thank you."

As Mane finishes her dumpling, she looks curiously at the burn on the stallion's chest. "Rhino, were you using fire to fight the timberwolf?"

He blanches. "Erm, well, not exactly..."

Luster notices his hesitance and rolls her eyes, elbowing him in the side and gesturing to the sisters. Just tell them the truth! The worst that might happen is they get disappointed at you lying to them before!

He looks at her seriously before his face softens and he looks towards Gel. "Perhaps it's time to air out the secrets? Want me to build them up to it?"

She somehow manages to pale with a white face but nods, hoping things don't turn out badly.

Mane looks at the curiously. "What's going on here?"

Rhino waits a moment until he finds the words. "Well, Mane, Manila. We called you here to tell you something important. Now, you both know Angel, and you like her right?"

They nod.

"Well... Angel doesn't naturally look like this..." He trails off.

Manila waves a hoof. "That's okay, lots of ponies use makeup or dye their manes a little. We don't care."

He grimaces. "It's a bit more extreme than that... But just keep in mind your feelings for Angel, ok?" He turns to Gel.

Much like the previous day, the white mare stands up and, moving into the center of the room, slowly strips away her disguise. The blue flames flow along her body in a slow, meticulous manner, trying to make the shift less jarring for them. As it finishes, she opens her eyes, fear and hope filling the pure-blue spheres as she looks to the sisters.

Manila however, has always been one to obey her flight or fight response. She shrieks and points at Gel. "Ahhhhhhhh! Changeling!" She tries to bolt but is left hanging in the air as Rhino's magic holds her in place.

Mane meanwhile, is simply staring at Gel, her head tilted to one side.

At her coworker's scream, Gel's ears flatten against her head and a soft whimper escapes her throat. She hangs her head, saddened that she reacted in such a way.

Seeing the changeling's reaction gives the panicking mare pause. She takes another look at Gel and mutters. "Aww, I didn't mean to make you sad..."

Mane is still silently looking at the changeling with an unreadable expression.

The nymph waves a hoof half-heartedly. "I-it's fine...you didn't mean anything by it..."

This doesn't settle the mare' feelings. "You even sound like Angel does when she gets sad... Now I feel really bad..." She slumps in the air, still held by Rhino.

Gel looks up at her, feeling a mix of hope and fear. "...if Rhino lets you down...do you promise not to run?"

She nods. "I promise."

The blue changeling turns to her stallion, nodding. Her gaze turns towards the yellow mare off to the side, who immediately moves to pick up her violin.

While Mane still looks at Gel, Rhino releases Manila, who sits in place and looks at the ground. The stallion looks curiously at Luster. "And what did you lunge for that for?"

She nonchalantly shrugs. Just a precaution.

The nymph steps forward, gently tilting the mare's head up. "Please don't be so down..." Her kind smile turns playful. "...or I'll have to use a technique Rhino taught me to cheer you up."

She looks up slightly. "What?"

Gel immediately starts tickling her co-worker, giggling the whole time. Luster, meanwhile, watches this in confusion, turning to Rhino, hoping for an explanation.

He shrugs. "What? I used what worked."

Manila meanwhile, is in hysterics as she squirms beneath her tickle torture. She tries to form words but they are always overrides by laughter.

The nymph grins, stopping for a moment. "Ready to cheer up, Miss Manila? Or do you need a bit more?" She wiggles her forehooves at her.

Manila holds up her hooves. "No! No more! I give! I'll cheer up!" She lets out a few more laughs before she calms down. "So... changeling huh?"

Gel nods, sitting on the floor in front of her. "Yes. I know it's a bit shocking, but...well, I trust you." She glances over at the other sister, smiling softly. "Both of you."

Manila looks over to her sister. "Mane? You haven't really reacted to any of this..."

The doctor gets and up approaches Gel, getting right up in her personal bubble as she stares at her face. Suddenly she raises a hoof and barely touches one of her protruding fangs. "Fascinating..."

Gel blinks, surprised by this. "...um...t-thanks?" She squirms a bit, uncomfortable from her being so close but finding it hard to ask her to back up.

Rhino stands up as Mane takes Gel's mane in her hoof and looks at it closely. "Definitely not mane... membrane perhaps..." She bends it a few different ways.

Gel winces as the doctor tugs her mane on accident. "...y-yes, it is...i-it's also a bit sensitive..."

A light growl comes over her mental link with Rhino. It's also mine...

The nymph giggles, playfully winking at him. "Calm down, love. She's just curious."

He narrows his eyes despite this.

Luckily, Mane realizes exactly what she is doing. "Oh, oh my, I'm sorry, I just got so caught up in being able to see an undocumented species up close."

Gel quirks an eyebrow at this. "We may be another species, but we have the same needs as you." She moves over to Rhino, tenderly kissing him to help him become calmer.

As he wraps a protective foreleg around her, Mane quirks an eyebrow as she regards the two of them. "For different reasons I think... But anyway..." She straightens up. "I guess this explains your mysterious qualification of changeling experience."

She nods, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yea, I was a combat medic. Had to learn a lot to make sure my fellow soldiers didn't perish unnecessarily."

Manila smirks. "I imagine Rhino is becoming quite the student of changeling biology as well."

Gel blushes brightly, embarrassed by the mare's words.

Before anything else could be said, the door to the guest room opens, revealing a certain yellow-tinted changeling. He's looking down at a tube of acrylic paint as he enters the living room. "Rhino, next time you're in town, could y-" He stops as he looks up, seeing two mares that aren't normally there. Of course, he feels the need to joke about this. "We're having guests over? If you'd told me, I'd've put on my face!" He laughs at his silly little joke.

"There are more!?" The mares exclaim, though while Manila is astonished, Mane is ecstatic.

"Yep!" Flick grins at the mares before turning to Rhino, confused and curious. "More what, exactly?"

Luster simply facehoofs at her brother's actions.

Rhino follows Luster's example. "It's a good thing we already got the initial shock out of the way..."

The drone suddenly realizes what they mean. "Oh, more changelings..." He turns to the sisters, grinning wolfishly. "Either of you seen a drone, before?"

They shake their heads. Mane looks him over. "Another colorful one... What differences are there between drones and... females?"

He gives her a flat look. "What's the difference between stallions and mares?"

Gel pipes up from her spot next to Rhino. "I-I'm called a nymph, Doctor Goodall..."

She smiles. "Just making sure there wasn't anything more than that."

He nods, smirking teasingly. "Are you sure you didn't just want an excuse?"

Rhino coughs. "If we could reel this all back in to Gel's revealed identity..."

Flick shrugs. "Fine by me. I'm just saying I'd be up for the good doctor to examine me." He winks at her before motioning for Rhino to continue.

He nods. "Ok, so, you two know Gel is a changeling now." They nod. "And you realize why that means she can't come to work right now." More nodding. "Okay. In that case, I'm going to pass out for like an hour. You guys have fun." With that, he falls over onto the couch, unconscious.

The changelings stare at this in shock. The drone rubs the back of his neck, catching a glimpse of red in the stallion's fur. "...I suppose he must've agitated one of his wounds, somehow..." He glances at Mane, sheepishly smiling. "Could you help me with his wounds?"

"Oh dear..." Mane walks over quickly. "I was wondering when Manila said today was the first day he had started skating everywhere again since he got back. I guess it was a little early."

"Probably." He parts the fur, revealing one of the deeper teeth marks had indeed opened back up. "Damn, Port really did a number on him...I didn't realize just how deep these bite marks went..." He turns just as his first aid kit arrives, floating in his magical aura.

She nods. "They look like they have been healing... They might have started bleeding further down but I can't tell...sorry, we are 'everything but pony' doctors..."

"It's just the one." He gestures to the specific one. "It's from a tiger - the canine went deeper than the rest. It would take longer to heal." He looks up at the blue nymph, frowning slightly at the state of shock clear on her face. "Maybe your sister could escort Gel away for a bit? Maybe into the kitchen?"

Manila gently starts guiding Gel away. "Come on, lets get you some tea or something..." She looks to Luster. "Do you want to stay or come with us?"

The yellow mare glances at the other two before following them into the kitchen.

Gel trembles slightly, her gaze focused on her hooves.

Manila looks around and soon has a hot cup of tea that she sets in front of the changeling. "Here, try this... Changelings like tea, right?"

She takes the glass, staring at the liquid inside. She looks up at her coworker blankly, almost as if she's unsure of what to do.

Manila pats her carapace hesitantly, but more comfortably after a moment. "Don't worry, he'll be fine, it's nothing too bad. It just likely happened when he was still on something that dulled the pain so he didn't know to stop."

She tenses, wincing slightly. "...F-Flick's medicine...oh, dear Luna..." She glances at the drink. "...c-could I have some...a-apple juice?"

Manila switches out the cup with one of apple juice and keeps the tea for herself. She sits next to Gel and puts a foreleg around her. She looks over to Luster. "Well? Come over here and get in on this girl group hug."

The mare blinks in confusion but does as she's told, walking over and draping a hoof over Gel's shoulder, if a bit awkwardly.

Gel tentatively sips the juice, unsure of what to expect it to do, at the moment.

Manila speaks. "Umm... Angel? How are you feeling?"

"...w-worried..." She sighs, looking at her friend. "...I-I'm the reason Rhino's injured..."

Manila peeks back into the living room. "Well... Maybe you want to go check on him? They didn't have much to do."

She shakily nods, slowly getting up. "Y-yes. I should do that." She walks out of the kitchen in a mild daze, leaving Manila and Luster alone in the kitchen.

Manila glances to the yellow earth pony and dryly remarks.'"I don't suppose you're a changeling too?"

She looks at her with a flat expression. With a quick burst of purple flames, she becomes her indigo self, fangs and all.

The mare is unmoved. "Yeah, saw that coming. Rhino's not one, is he?"

She shakes her head.

"Just making sure." She quickly drinks her tea before setting the cup down. "Shall we check on them?"

She nods, gesturing towards the door.

The two arrive back in the living room to find Flick and Mane putting the first aid kit away. Gel is laying on the couch next to a still unconscious Rhino. The stallion looks no worse for wear, but now sports a small wrap of bandages over the opened wound.

Flick notices the newcomers, smiling warmly at them. "Don't you worry none. Doc should be feeling much better, come morning." He turns to Mane, chuckling a bit. "Thanks for your help, again, Miss..." He trails off, curious.

She answers the implied question. "Doctor Mane Goodall."

He laughs, shaking his head. "Another Doc! That makes things a little confusing." He tilts his head, smiling kindly at her. "May I call you Mane?"

She smiles at him. "You may." She turns to the nymph on the couch. "Now, you understand that this was just a small scare right? He's still fine and is recovering normally, it was just a bit early to push himself."

Gel nods, tenderly nuzzling her stallion's cheek. "...I know...but I don't like seeing him hurt like this..."

Manila nods. "I understand... Since this kind of killed the mood, I think we'll be heading out. It was good to see the real you, and I hope you can come to work safely soon."

Flick rolls his eyes, motioning to the indigo changeling. "Let's give them some privacy, sis." She nods and follows him towards the stairs.

The remaining nymph holds up a hoof to the sisters, nervous. "Y-you won't mention this to anyone...will you?"

They shake their heads, Mane speaking for the two. "You have our word." They leave quietly, leaving only the couple left in the room.

She gently strokes Rhino's mane, smiling softly. "...and you have my word, love...I will do everything to keep you, and our family, safe..." She snuggles up against him, closing her eyes to rest with him.

***

About two hours later, the green stallion's eyes open. He groans lightly as he thinks out loud. "Ugh... What happened?"

"You accidentally opened a wound." The nymph in his embrace giggles, gently kissing him. "Everything else went well."

He smiles. "Even when I'm unconscious, I still end up making sure you're close to me, huh?"

"Maybe." She smirks, winking at him. "I don't mind it, though."

He sighs before kissing her gently, but not pulling away.

She breaks the kiss, playfully nipping his neck, a hoof tracing tiny circles in the fur on his chest.

His eyes are soft as he looks down at her. As his tail wraps around hers, he leans down and lovingly nuzzles her neck.

She laughs, playfully pushing on Rhino's chest with a hoof. "Remember, love, not until you're fully healed." She teasingly winks at him.

He smirks. "I didn't insinuate anything. I'm just laying here loving you." He nibbles up and down her neck.

"...you say one thing..." She smirks right back, giving him a lidded gaze. "...but your love has a small amount of desire in it...just a small amount..."

"Doesn't seem like a bad thing to me. It just means I find you sexy." He pulls her closer and kisses her again.

She happily kisses him back, blushing brightly. She pulls back a second, looking up at him with worry on her face. "...you really should take it easy for a bit. That means no using Res for a bit...not until your body is completely ready. Okay?"

He huffs. "I suppose Blinking is out of the question?"

She raises an eyebrow at this. "Doesn't that spell wear you out if you use it too much?"

"Well..." he begins, "technically I suppose, but I was more thinking on the fact that I use it by compressing my body into a tube between two points that would probably irritate the injuries."

She stares at him in horror. "...p-please don't describe that to me again..." She shudders, silently wishing she could forget things. "Y-yes, you're forbidden from Blinking, as well...the spell, I mean..."

He sighs, but nods. "Alright, but only because you asked." He nuzzles her again, rubbing one hoof behind her head in her mane.

She sighs in relief, content to just lay there with him a bit.

Of course, some things just had to be addressed. "Rhino? Where did you go after work?" She peeks an eye open, curious.

He lets out a light growl knowing that he has to back up a bit in order to speak to her face, and he was quite comfortable with their heads resting together. "I... went to see Twilight."

She blinks, surprised at this. "...really? What about?" Her nervous tone tells that she has a good idea of what he said.

He continues. "If you were to ask her, I came to browse and chat. Really though, I was trying to get a feel for her thoughts and attitude regarding her devices and changelings. Results were... Inconclusive."

"Oh." She frowns, a little disappointed. "Well, I'm sure you tried your best...but this doesn't change the fact that we have to tell her, at some point..."

He sighs again, the mood well and truly dead. "I know... It's one of those things... We have to do it... But there's so much that could go wrong..."

"But that's life." The nymph nuzzles his cheek, smiling warmly. "You have to take chances to get somewhere...it's what brought us together...and it's what lead you to rescuing me..." She sighs softly, resting her head on his chest. "We just have to have faith..."

He hums in his chest as he thinks. "I suppose so... Doesn't mean we can't prepare, though."

She glances up at him, curious. "...what did you have in mind?"

He nuzzles her as he speaks. "Just a few little things... Don't let her go on a paranoid rant, emphasize that you are not invading and have not replaced anypony, express that you only want to be able to live your life... Things like that."

She giggles, playfully tapping his nose. "You say that like I wasn't going to do those things anyways..." She trails off before sighing softly. "...okay, so I didn't think of that first one...but still!"

He simply kisses her lightly on the nose. "Just making sure, love. We only get one shot at this..."

"...you're right..." She nods, simply holding him for a moment. "...we need to be careful...and...maybe we could have some backup?"

He sighs. "I was debating that... but I also worry that too many would make her feel threatened."

"...I suppose that's true..." She groans, shaking her head. "...but how many would be enough?"

He thinks. "Perhaps just one extra... Silk perhaps?"

She smiles, nodding once more. "...I think she'd be a big help...she should definitely come, at the very least..."

He nods. "Ok... Anything else?"

"...not sure..." She scratches her head, thinking a bit. "...should we bring Flick and Luster? Or do we just want to tell Twi about them?"

"Let's get her used to the idea of one changeling and maybe mention them later on." He rests his forehead against hers. "The question is how much to tell her... I don't think she needs to know about the outpost incident, but it does sort of come up when the other two are mentioned..."

Gel giggles, gently kissing him. "I'm sure you'll figure it out. For now, though, you need to rest..."

He chuckles. "I just woke up, no way I'm tired. Plus... it'd be shameful for me to ignore you." He brings her closer to him.

She blushes brightly, tapping her forehooves together. "...i-if you say so..."

He raises an eyebrow as he moves a lock of her mane out of her face. "Would you rather I stopped?" He gives her a peck on the lips.

She quickly shakes her head. "N-no. P-please, keep going..." She shyly smiles up at him, her blush growing ever brighter.

He smiles as he leans down toward her again. He nibbles her neck gently while his hooves run through the back of her mane. All the while he has her as close as possible, their bodies pressed together.

She coos softly, her tail wrapping around his waist to keep him close. She teasingly licks his horn as he nibbles, knowing how it makes him react.

His whole body shivers at the action. This cause him to lean up, smirking, as he mimics the action on her horn.

She squeals, her back arching in response, pressing her body further up against his. She moves a hindleg slightly, gently rubbing her thigh against his most sensitive area, and teasingly nips his neck.

He shivers again as he feels his blood diverting. He leans down and gently nips the tip of an ear before whispering into it. "Nothing too strenuous... Right?"

She nods, giggling softly. "...nothing too strenuous..."

"Well then..." He levitates a blanket next to them. "Should we just cover ourselves to avoid awkward situations, or move things up to the room?"

She smirks, pulling the blanket over with a hoof and draping it over them. She immediately pulls him into a passionate kiss, her legs wrapping around his waist.

His own forehooves wrap around her back as he licks her lips with his tongue, eyes closed.

They continue on like this for a while, kissing, cuddling, caressing. They know better than to let it go too far, so they make no attempt to do so.

Chapter 64: A Roommate's Day

The next day is absolutely perfect. There is hardly a cloud in the sky, but there was no need for a breeze with how cool the temperature is. Everypony who can is out enjoying the nice weather.

Silk flies through the Ponyville skies, looking around. After receiving a curious letter from the male changeling living in Rhino's home, she had opted to grant his request and meet above the range of the towers. With a curious attitude, she had set off for the appointment, only to soon realize that she wasn't quite sure where in the skies to find him. Luckily they are clear enough today for her to see almost anything around her as she cruises.

It is this assumption that causes her to crash headlong into what appears to be thin air.

She reels back as she shakes her head to recover from the soft crash. "What was that?"

There's the sound of muffled hoofsteps and a hole appears in the sky. There, grinning cheekily at her, is the same brown pegasus she met the other day. "Hey, there. I heard you knock." He chuckles before stepping to the side, gesturing with a hoof. "Would you like to come in? It's really quite comfortable."

Her mouth falls open as she flies around, only seeing the entrance to the hole from that one angle, almost like a two dimensional opening in the sky. "How are you... What?"

"Neat, huh?" He scoops up a bit of the wall's material, presenting the light-blue fluff to her. "It's a cloud painted to match the sky! It took a while, but I really couldn't stand being cooped up in Doc's house all day. I know better than to just sit out in the open, though."

She takes the cloud and rolls it in her hooves. "Painted cloud..." She remembers his offer and flies inside, placing the cloud back knot the rest of the mass and staring as it almost seems to disappear in front of her eyes. "Wow..."

He smirks, smoothing the entrance back up and secluding them from prying eyes. He turns to look at her, a small smile on his lips. "I'm glad you liked that." He clears his throat and offers her a hoof. "My name is Flick. Of course, you likely know that, already, from my letter. May I ask your name, Miss?"

She smiles at his politeness. "Silk. Silk Tease." She shakes the offered hoof.

He chuckles, letting the hoof lower to the cloud-floor. "A beautiful name for a beautiful mare." He playfully winks before turning to a medium-sized basket on one side of the 'room'.

She laughs. "Well, I would say the same but since I've only seen this illusion of yours, I'll just say you have a nice name too."

He pauses with a hoof on the lid of the basket, turning to her with a curious expression. "Would you like to see my real self?"

She tilts her head as she smiles. "Well, I think it would be a good thing to see that, yes."

He nods and, with a swift burst of gold fire, turns into his goldenrod form. "Not much to look at, I'm afraid. Just your regular yellow changeling."

She observes his slender form. "Considering Gel is blue and every other changeling I'he heard of was charcoal, being yellow does make you stand out. I think it works for you though."

He laughs, shaking his head. "You're too kind!" He playfully bumps her shoulder with a hoof before pulling a plate of apple dumplings out of the basket behind him. "Hungry?"

"Oh, umm, sure." She takes a dumpling with a wing, still curious about the whole thing, but warming up the the friendly drone.

"I hope you like it." He shrugs, taking one as well. "I'd take credit for it, but I feel my sis would find out and beat me senseless." He chuckles, shaking his head. "Sorry, you probably didn't want to hear that, did you? I tend to ramble when I'm in the company of a beautiful mare, and I'm doing it again aren't I?" He nervously laughs, rubbing the back of his neck.

Her eyes narrow, but her smile is still genuine as she takes a bite. "It's delicious, and I do appreciate the intent, even if you didn't make them yourself. I assume your sister is that... other changeling?"

"If you mean the mute one, then yes." He shrugs, sitting down on the floor. "Luster has a...bit of a painful past. She doesn't like to talk about how she lost her voice due to that." He pauses to eat a little before gesturing to the mare. "So, Silk, I invited you here to answer any questions you may have about my sis and I. I know Gel didn't exactly cover that, last week."

"Oh, is that all?" She raises an eyebrow but shrugs it off. "I suppose I could come up with some... but it's not like a mare exactly has a list of questions to ask a species she knows nothing about."

Flick chuckles. "I figured that would be the case, and I don't mind if you just want to chat, instead."

She nods, munching on the dumpling a little more. "So... how are Gel and Rhino? The two seemed so exhausted before I left last week."

He waves a hoof nonchalantly. "Oh, they've been getting along swimmingly. They let a few more ponies know that she's one of us, they got engaged a little after you left, Friday, and Gel made a little playground in the backyard for their pets."

Silk almost chokes on her dumpling. She pounds her chest with a hoof as she coughs a few times before gasping out. "They got engaged!?"

"Yes, they did. Why did that stick out to you?" He smirks playfully, bumping her side. "Are you jealous of them?"

She has a slight blush as she pushes him. "Well, she is my best friend and that's a huge thing! I mean as for everything else I figured they might tell a few more ponies and the fact that she built a tiny playground is adorable, but I didn't expect him to pop the question right after I left!"

He laughs, holding up a hoof. "Whatever you say, Silk. I won't judge. Though I'm a little curious." He stretches his wings out, antsy, and lets one calmly drape over her back. "Are you blushing because you had a crush on Gel or a crush on Doc?"

She looks down and digs lightly into the cloud with a hoof. "Rhino..."

"Hey, now, I said I won't judge." Flick uses his other wing tip to tilt her head up so she's looking at him. He smiles warmly at her. "Everyone has a crush at some point in their life. Some linger on it longer than others." He chuckles, pulling the wing tip away. "It shows strength of character to be able to give that up for your best friend. Don't you agree?"

"Yes..." She looks at him curiously. "You wouldn't happen to be one of those artists that's always spouting wise saying, would you? Or is this something that just happens occasionally?"

He laughs, shaking his head. "Nah, I just have my moments." He rubs his neck. "So, you have any hobbies, Silk?"

She smiles. "Well, though it may be usually associated with those above my age group, I enjoy knitting and needlework."

Flick smirks, eyes narrowing slightly. "Yes, I could see why a young mare like you likes stuff like that." He pauses and holds up a hoof, embarrassed. "That last part came out wrong. Sorry."

She tilts her head. "In what way? I've heard a few jokes but that one I don't understand."

He sighs, shaking his head. "I meant to say that I see why you're concerned with letting others know about that."

She waves him off as she grabs another dumpling. "Oh, I'm not concerned. I'll tell anypony who asks. After all, I just have to show them the uniform designs that I gussied up a bit at the maid cafe and it shuts their mouths pretty quickly."

His ears twitch and he looks at her with great interest. "Maid cafe, you say?" He grins wolfishly. "I'll bet you're the most beautiful one there."

She grabs an approximately newspaper-shaped bit of cloud with a wing and bops him on the nose with it. "No looks like that in this small space, mister!" She smiles regardless. "But thank you, it's nice to know that I can turn heads even as the manager."

He rubs his nose, chuckling softly. "What can I say? You're the most beautiful mare I've met." He clears his throat, gesturing to her with a small smile. "So, have you come up with any questions?"

"Yes." She waves the cloud at his nose. "Are all of you as flirty as you?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Mostly when they're trying to woo a pony. However..." He gives a little forced laugh, turning away. "...generally, we're a lot more successful. I suppose I just..." He sighs, shaking his head. "Never mind that. Was that a satisfactory answer?"

She nods, putting the newspaper away. "Feel free to keep the compliments coming, by the way. I just wanted to establish that I know you are flirting." She winks. "Though try branching out from just repeatedly saying I'm beautiful."

He chuckles, his chitin turning a shade brighter in his embarrassment. "Well, you can add smart to that list." He looks at her, trying to be serious. "Honestly, though, you really are simply stunning. I've seen hundreds of mares." He takes her hoof with his own, his nervousness showing. "None of them can even compare to you."

She giggles. "Don't beat around the bush, do you?" She laughs a little more before pouting at him. "But are looks really what you care about most?"

"No. I care about personality." He smirks, his eyes narrowing at her. "That's actually why I invited you here - to get to know you better. I'm not the kind of drone who simply falls for any pony that I come across."

She narrows her eyes as well. "Oh? Planning on falling for me, are you?"

"Maybe." The wing on her back playfully strokes her fur. "Or maybe I'm looking for someone to love and love me back." He chuckles, winking at her. "I'm a little jealous of Gel and Doc, too."

She grins even as her eyes are still narrowed. "You're lucky you have your words, otherwise I might take offense to that wing you had on me." She suddenly turns away and walks slowly and gracefully to the other side of the room, keeping her back to him as she speaks. "But perhaps I should set a 'look but don't touch' rule." She turns and winks.

He folds his wings to his side with a bit of difficulty, nodding to her. "I suppose I'll be fine with that." He grins, taking a step forward. "Of course, that implies that I'll be seeing you more often. Is that a correct assumption?"

"I would certainly hope so." She walks back over, a sway in her hips. As she passes him, she extends a wing and brushes it over his back. "This was a lovely lunch." Her wing tucks a small slip of paper underneath his. "Feel free to call on me again." She slips out of the cloud and flies away, swaying on the breeze.

He watches her leave through the hole she made, smiling happily. "Everything went better than expected." He chuckles, putting his disguise back on before leaving the cloud, heading back towards Rhino's house.

***

Later that day, the changelings siblings and three pets are all in the living room. This unlikely grouping was brought about by Rhino and Gel heading out to swim, the stallion having to be only slightly dragged away by his fiancé after he went into worrying-dad mode over the pets being cared for by someone else. The group of five are left staring at the door after the couple has just closed the door behind them.

The drone and nymph look at each other, then down at the pets. Flick chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, what do you three want to do?"

Mercury crouches down, his tiny teeth bared at the drone. 'You're not Dad.'

The yellow changeling blinks at this, unsure of what to do. His sister, on the other hoof, lays down to get on the fox's level, giving him a kind smile. She gently nuzzles him, trying to show that she doesn't mean any harm.

Selena watches this from her spot next to the squirrel, ready to interfere if the kit lashes out.

The fox almost immediately nuzzles her back, a tiny purr coming from him.

Specter just face palms at this. 'Yeah... Saw that coming.'

The gray feline looks to him, purring softly. 'At least he's not going to hurt them. Mom wouldn't like that.'

Luster smiles a bit more, moving up and gently kissing the fox's forehead. See, Flick? All you needed to do was show them a little kindness.

The drone rolls his eyes, turning away. "I could've sworn that's what I was doing..."

Looking away from Mercury, who is climbing up Luster's long mane, Specter remarks to Selena. 'Speaking of Mom, I found out the other day that she can become around our size. Did you know that?'

The kitten gives him a surprised look. 'No, I didn't. That's interesting to know.' She glances at the changelings, tilting her head to one side. '...do you think they could do that?'

Luster appears to laugh happily, if silently, as the fox reaches the top of her head.

'I have no idea.' He cautiously approaches Flick and sniffs one of his hooves, analyzing the scent.

The kit meanwhile, is happily purring as he buries himself in the purple membranous mane.

The yellow changeling smiles down at the squirrel, standing still for him. "Hey, little buddy. What are you up to?"

As everyone's attention is elsewhere, Selena narrows her eyes, crouching as her eyes focus on the darkest of them.

Specter sniffs the drone, his nose going rapidly. His tail twitches a few times before he nods and places one paw on the muzzle in front of him.

Flick chuckles, enjoying the moment before the feline tackles the pet. He blinks, turning to watch as they roll along the floor.

They come to a stop, the kitten pinning the squirrel down. Selena playfully smiles at him, a twinkle in her eye. 'Surprised?'

He stares up at her, slightly stunned. 'A bit, yes... but in a good way.'

She purrs happily, nuzzling him for a second before letting him go. 'Good.' She turns and walks away, content with herself.

The changelings, meanwhile, stare at this in confusion, entirely unsure of what to make of that situation.

Mercury still contents himself with Luster's lustrous mane while the squirrel calls over to Selena. 'Do I get to know what that was about?'

She looks over her shoulder at him, smiling slyly. 'What? I can't play with my favorite squirrel?'

He tilts his head. 'Dare I ask what game that was?'

'Catch and release.' She nonchalantly licks a paw. 'Is that a problem, Specter?'

'No...' He slowly gets to his paws, a smile on his face. 'But do I get a turn?'

The kitten stops mid-lick, confused. She turns to look at him. 'What do you-'

He pounces on her, just as she had done to him. The three other being in the room rotate their heads to follow the squirrel and kitten as they roll until they stop, him on top this time. He smiles cheekily down at her.

Selena stares up at him in surprise a moment before smiling softly. 'Well played. Now what do you plan to do?' She purrs, eyes narrowing slightly at him.

He falters. 'Umm... I don't know...'

The drone interrupts what the kitten was about to say. "Just nuzzle her already!" He flinches as his sister smacks him in the side. "What?"

Specter gulps before leaning down and rubbing his nose against the kitten's, backing off her quickly afterward.

She rolls over, smiling coyly at the squirrel. 'Why are you nervous? I won't bite.'

He narrows his eyes at her, their audience still silent and attentive. 'Why do I think that's a lie?'

'I don't know.' She gets up and moves forward, quickly closing the distance between them and nuzzling him again. 'Why do you?'

His tail flicks around wildly as he blushes, looking down. 'I don't know... You seem the type I guess?'

She smirks, putting a paw on his cheek. 'Why Specter, are you blushing?' She leans down, whispering in his ear. 'Is there something you want to tell me?'

His whole body freezes except for his tail, which twitches once. Suddenly, he curls up into a tight ball, wrapping his tail around himself afterwards so he is nothing but a ball of fluff.

Selena blinks, looking down at the ball known as Specter. She purrs, putting a paw on him and rolling him a bit. 'Are you sure you want to be a ball around me?'

He doesn't say anything, but the kitten can feel a slight increase in heat coming from him.

She shrugs and pushes him, rolling him along the floor and into the kitchen.

Flick, now a little worried, turns to his sister. "I'm going to go check on them. You alright here?" She nods slowly, trying to not disturb the fox on her head. "Great. Be right back!" He rushes into the kitchen.

He's greeted with the sight of the kitten batting at the black fur ball, mewling pleadingly. 'Please? I just want to play with you...'

The ball tightens and shifts around before a set of golden eyes peer out of it. 'You and your voice that makes me guilty and confused...' He uncurls and slumps on the floor. 'And yet it still feels like a good thing...'

She smiles kindly, gently nuzzling his cheek. 'Cheer up, Specter. I...' She hesitates a moment before shaking her head. '...it hurts me to see you upset.'

He smiles at the nuzzle. 'I know... I think I feel the same when your upset but...' He shakes his head. 'It also makes me feel weird... and confused...'

Selena leans forward and touches noses with him, purring softly. 'We'll figure this out together. Alright?'

'...ok.' He stands up and smiles at her.

Flick coughs, drawing their attention. He smirks, gesturing towards the living room. "You know, you two are missing out on bonding time." He glances over his shoulder before leaning down, a frowning slightly. "Hey, could you possibly help me? Sis is holding the fact she made fast friends with Merc over me. You have no idea what that's like, from her..."

'Yeah... And I'd guess Mercury is milking that for all it's worth.' Still, he tilts his head at the drone, asking him what he means.

He shakes his head. "Trust me, it's better if you don't know."

Specter shrugs as he turns back to Selena. 'Shall we get back in there?'

She nods, smiling softly at him. 'After you.'

Chapter 65: Twilight

Friday morning passes both fast and slow for Rhino. Today was the day he and Gel decided they would go see Twilight. They had already sent a letter to Silk and would pick her up after he got home from work. Soon enough, they were in front of the yellow pegasus' house, and were knocking.

She answers readily enough, shutting the door behind her. She turns to the couple, "Ready for this?"

Gel nods, her feathered wings rustling a moment. "Ready as we'll ever be...how can you pegasi handle these? It's like my sides are constantly being tickled..."

Silk tilts her head. "It's really weird seeing 'Angel' with wings instead of a horn. Anyway, if they're tickling you, they likely just aren't folded in perfectly.... That or they need to be preened. Either way, a good flight will take your mind off it until we land."

She nods, unfolding her wings. "I'll take your word for it." She turns to Rhino, gently pecking his cheek. "We'll see you at the library."

He nuzzles her in return. "Stay safe." He walks off towards the library.

She smiles and turns to Silk, flapping her wings once experimentally. "Shall we fly off, now?"

The mare nods and the two take off into the sky at a leisurely pace, knowing that getting there before Rhino would only result in them having to wait. Once they reach a nice cruising altitude above the range of the detectors, Silk looks over at Gel and her necklace. "So, I heard you got that lovely piece of jewelry there just after I left last week."

The white mare blushes, smiling softly. "Y-yes, I did. I guess Flick told you about it?"

She rolls her eyes. "Only that it happened. Stallions are terrible for details on these things."

Gel giggles, shaking her head. "Rhino proposed to me. We've yet to come up with a wedding date, though..." She goes silent a second. "...actually, I wanted to ask you something..."

"As long as I get to ask you exactly how he proposed, feel free." Silk winks.

Gel rolls her eyes before smiling kindly at the mare. "Would you be my maid of honor?"

The mare misses a wingbeat and dips down before quickly recovering. She gapes at Gel. "I... I would be honored! Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." The white mare grins at her. "You are my best friend, after all. It makes the most sense for you to be my maid of honor."

Silk giggles. "Well, how can I say no to that? I can't wait to see what the bridesmaid outfits look like. Now then, tell me how he asked."

"He sat down in front of me..." She smiles softly, her gaze becoming distant. "...said the sweetest things...how he didn't hesitate to rescue me...how he couldn't imagine not having me in his life...and then he-" She suddenly crashes into something, cutting her off mid-sentence. She flails her hindlegs, only the back half of her body visible and muffled words coming out.

Silk laughs. "I guess Flick forgot to clean up his cloud." She decides to tease the changeling a bit and flies closer. She rubs a hoof on Gel's cutie mark. "Mmm, I can see why Rhino wants to keep you all to himself..."

Even through the fluffy layer of cloud, her squeak could be heard. Her tail promptly covers her flank, pushing the other mare's hoof out of the way.

Silk laughs flies behind Gel and grabs both her hindlegs. "Come now dear, no time for fooling around." She pulls backwards.

With a bit of wriggling and the yellow pegasus' tugging, Gel pops free of the cloud, a bottle of apple juice in her mouth. She idly drinks it as she continues on her way, putting a hoof on the cloud so she doesn't bump into it again.

Silk raises an eyebrow. "Now where did you get that?"

Gel pops the bottle out of her mouth, holding it in a forehoof as she replies. "The basket inside this cloud. Dunno why it was in there, though."

The mare huffs. "He really didn't clean up. I'll have to speak with him about that." She looks down and realizes where they are. "Oh, we're here," she points down, "and there's your future hubby."

She blushes, pushing the mare with a hoof. "Oh, you." She blinks as the hoof on the cloud loses its support, causing her to stumble sideways momentarily. She glances around, confused, but shrugs before beginning her descent.

Rhino smiles as the two land, giving Gel a nuzzle as he speaks. "Alright, now we just need to get you in normal Angel form then... do this."

She nods, glancing around before ducking behind her stallion. With a quick burst of blue flames, her wings switch out for a horn. She sighs, glancing at her sides. "Thank goodness. No more tickling..."

He chuckles. "For a minute there, I thought I was going to have to learn how to preen wings so I could help you."

She gives him a lidded gaze, touching noses with him. "Maybe you still should. I'd like to see how it'd feel..."

Silk gives a polite cough. "Let's try to focus on why we're here. For the record though, trust me, you do want him to do that. You definitely do."

Gel giggles, nodding before pushing on the door. They did say not to knock... She blinks, seeing a certain dragon with a towel wrapped around his waist. ...maybe I should've knocked...

Spike looks at the three ponies in the doorway before bolting into the bathroom and coming out a moment later without the towel. "Sorry about that, you caught me in an awkward moment. Good to see you again Angel, it feels like it's been forever."

She smiles kindly at him. "Likewise. How have you been?" She moves closer and lays down, wanting to give him her full attention.

Rhino and Silk move into the tree, the former on the lookout for the currently unseen librarian.

The dragon happily continues his conversation. "Oh, you know, keeping the library in livable condition. I actually just got back from bringing a friend to his parents."

She tilts her head to one side, curious. "What friend would that be?" For the life of her, she couldn't think of anyone that would require something like that.

He responds casually. "Pee Wee, a baby phoenix I was taking care of."

Her eyes grow wide in wonder. "A baby phoenix? I've never seen a baby phoenix, before!" She leans close, an excited grin on her face. "What was Pee Wee like?"

He chuckles. "Exactly like you would expect a baby phoenix to be: smart, warm, glow in the dark, he was sweet too. Think of him like a candle to the campfires that were his parents."

"Sounds like somedragon has been reading about metaphors." The lavender librarian descends the stairs.

Gel squeaks, leaping to her hooves and nervously smiling to the librarian. "H-hi, Twilight. H-how are you doing?"

She smiles. "Fine, Angel, you?"

The white mare shrugs, sighing softly. "Glad to be back out of the house. I wasn't feeling well for a few days, there..."

"Oh, well, I'm sorry to hear that." She turns to the dragon. "Spike, now that you're done with your bath, before you take the rest of that day off, I want you to organize the second floor bookshelf."

"Sure thing, Twilight!" He salutes and waves to Gel as he darts upstairs.

With only the four ponies left in the room, one can see the stallion tense slightly as his hackles raise slightly at the sight of their goal.

Gel, meanwhile, nods kindly. "Thank you for the sentiment." She glances around for a moment, trying to figure out a way to approach the subject. "...s-so, the library seems quite orderly. Did you and Spike do this, yourselves?"

She nods. "It's just us living here so we're the ones that maintain it. Though, Spike does plenty of it so I can pursue other studies and experiments at the same time."

She blinks, tilting her head in curiosity. "What subjects are you focusing on, at the moment?"

"Non-pony species." She goes to her desk where she has a few books on things like griffons, minotaurs, and zebras. "I'm fascinated by the differences that there are between our species and others."

Gel follows, glancing at each of the books in turn. She frowns slightly, noticing that there's a species missing from them. "...do your books have nothing on changelings?"

Twilight shakes her head. "No... I've been trying to find out all I can on them since the invasion of Canterlot but efforts have been... less than successful."

"Really?" She looks at Rhino, her brow furrowed. ...what do you think?

I suppose I could ease into it here. He clears his throat. "You said that you were studying their natural magic so you could track them with your towers, right?"

"Among other things... Yes." She looks to be keeping her thoughts to herself right now.

Gel tilts her head to one side, confused. "...what 'other things', if I may ask?"

"I'm afraid I have to keep that to myself." She smiles apologetically. "I can't let that get out until I have a... well, until certain things happen."

"Like what?" She takes a step forward, growing more curious. "Until you successfully catch a changeling?"

Twilight's eyes widen but she keeps her mouth shut.

The white mare blinks, stunned. "...I hit it on the head, didn't I?"

Twilight's horn flares as she locks the doors and shuts the windows. She looks around quickly as she speaks. "Nopony was supposed to find out! How did you learn that?"

Gel gives her a flat stare. "...let's just say I have first-hoof experience."

"What?" She takes in Rhino's guarded stance as he steps next to Gel while Silk does the same but with a worried expression.

"Never mind that, for now." She gestures towards the librarian with a hoof. "Just answer me this - what would you do if you did manage to catch one?"

The unicorn quickly waves her hooves. "Don't misunderstand, I don't mean any harm to it! But I mean, the details of what I would do are still better not said right now."

Gel narrows her eyes slightly. "Then why did you say what you did in the Joke Shop the other day?"

Twilight stops and looks at Angel with slowly narrowing eyes. "But... I don't remember seeing you in the joke shop..."

Gel sighs, shaking her head. "You did...maybe this will help you remember." With that, she is enveloped in a cerulean flame, her white fur replaced with blue-tinted carapace, her small fangs growing, and her horn becoming curved. She smiles shyly. "Hello again."

Twilight's pupils shrink as she sets sight on the changeling. Her horn lights up and she crouches down, but she is clearly fighting two different reactions. She looks confused as Rhino steps partially in front of Gel. Her voice shakes slightly but is otherwise strong. "What do you want from me?"

The nymph holds up a hoof as if trying to calm her down. "I want to talk. That's all."

The mare relaxes about halfway before suddenly tensing again, muttering under her breath. "No... Too good to be true... Can't be taken in again..." She raises her voice. "Why should I believe you?"

"For one thing, I revealed myself to you. That's strictly against the rules of the hive. Two," she turns and nuzzles her stallion, "Rhino wouldn't be trying to protect me like this."

Twilight shakes her head. "The second one is irrelevant! Your queen had my brother under a spell to control him too!"

Rhino looks flat at the mare. "Do I really look like I am anything but in my right mind?"

She falters. "Your eyes look normal... No signs of control..."

Silk steps forward. "Please, she doesn't mean any harm, she just wants to talk."

As she sees Rhino lightly nuzzle Gel back before still staring at her with narrowed eyes, Twilight takes a few steps back. Her horn dims a bit, but doesn't go completely out. "What do you want?" Her voice is more normal volume now.

Gel smiles softly, holding a hoof out amicably. "The chance to prove that there are good changelings out there. Changelings like me."

Twilight stares at the hoof for a full minute before slowly reaching toward it. She immediately withdraws her hoof as she sees Rhino tense up when she gets close to it.

The nymph sighs, shaking her head. "Sorry. He's been a little overprotective since we returned Friday...though, honestly, I can't blame him, considering what happened."

Twilight tilts her head. "Did something happen?"

Gel winces, rubbing the back of her neck. "...well...I sort of got attacked...and that's all I'd like to say about that..."

"Oh..." As she sees Rhino still hasn't taken his eyes off her, Twilight slowly cuts off the magic to her horn. Once it is completely powered down, he steps back to Gel's side. Twilight approaches again and gives him one last look before reaching out and touching the outstretched hoof with her own, her eyes widen at the contact.

She giggles at the reaction. "First time touching chitin calmly?"

"Yes..." She puts her hoof back on the ground. "I have some questions before we go any further. Was there ever a pony named Angel that you replaced, and how have you avoided my detector network for so long?"

"Honestly, no. I made Angel, myself." She taps her forehooves together shyly. "...and our house is outside of your network..."

Twilight face hoofs. "I knew running out of towers was going to bite me in the flank..."

Gel blinks, honestly confused. "...is that the reason Sugarcube Corner isn't on your grid, either?"

Twilight shakes her head. "In a manner of speaking. I was running short and decided to get an extra one by skipping there, I figured none of them would want to go near Pinkie and even of they did, between her Pinkie sense and her knowledge on everypony, she'd figure them out quickly."

The nymph stares blankly at this. "...I suppose that's true...but I have one question..." She scratches her head, confused. "What do you mean by 'Pinkie Sense'?"

The unicorn deadpans. "Don't ask, I don't like to think about it too much."

She nods quietly. "If you say so..." She tenses and glances around, half-expecting the mare in question to show up. When she doesn't, the nymph breathes a sigh of relief.

"So..." Twilight begins. "Just to clarify: you are here of your own free will, and in no way wish to harm, invade, or replace anypony in this town?"

Gel looks horrified by this last accusation. "I just want to live here in peace." She glances at Rhino, entwining her tail in his. "With the pony I love."

The lavender unicorn looks confused for a moment as she looks between the couple. "That's all you want?"

Silk speaks up. "The entire time she's been here, she has done nothing but live her life. She works a job, she has a home, and she has friends."

Rhino takes the conversation ball. "We came here, because your towers and subsequent pursuing have made a normal life almost impossible for her."

Twilight looks at him. "And you and she are... together?"

He nods resolutely. "We are engaged."

She sighs. "Putting those towers up was so much work..." She suddenly gets a crafty smile, turning to the nymph. "I think I'd be willing to help you out, if you're willing to settle for a few conditions."

Gel quirks an eyebrow but nods, taking a step forward. "I'm listening."

Twilight rubs her hooves together. "Excellent! Now, I only have two conditions. The first is that you reveal yourself to the town. I'm not saying just go outside and do it, this needs to be done properly in order to avoid panic. I'll send a letter to the princesses and we can organize an official announcement or something to that effect. Sound good so far?"

Rhino leans over and comments to Gel. "Well, I did want to marry the real you, this would be a way to help make that happen."

The nymph nods, keeping an even look. "That's fine by me." Though I have to wonder whether that extends to Flick and Luster... "By your tone of voice, I assume there's more?"

She nods, her smile going almost Pinkie status. "The next condition is that you help me with my book!"

Gel blinks, confused. "...your...book?"

"Yes!" She exclaims. "I mentioned I've been doing studies of non-pony species, but what I've been trying to concentrate on is changelings." She looks as if books insulted her. "The problem is that no matter how many books I look through from any source, I can barely find a single sentence on changelings, and it's usually just rumors..." She peeks up again. "So, I thought, if there isn't information on changelings, then it is my duty as a student to gather it and publish it so that everypony can know about them! The truth, I mean, not just guesses."

Gel considers this for a moment before nodding. "I suppose that's a fair trade. Truth for peace. Just one question." She holds up a hoof, smiling slyly. "Would you like two more primary sources for your book?"

This pokes a small hole in Twilight rapidly inflating happiness. "W-what? There are three of you here?" She quickly patches the hole and doubles the inflation rate. "Great! More sources always equal better data! Oh, just to let you know in advance, I may get a bit personal with my questions, especially when I start delving into your relationship with Rhino. Purely for educational reasons of course."

Silk laughs nervously. "Oh boy... What have we let out..."

Gel smiles, shaking her head playfully. "I don't mind. Rhino, on the other hoof..." She leans over, gently nipping his neck. "...well, some things are best kept between us."

He shivers, but smiles. When he looks to Twilight with a businesslike expression. "As Gel's doctor I'll be happy to answer what questions I can if that will help you."

Twilight nods. "That's great! Oh! If you want, between the two of us, we could co-author the biology part of the book, then you could submit that separately to the veterinary higher-ups. I would ask Gel to do it, but they tend to want qualified licensed doctors to support these things. They always want to stay up to date on new sentient species for their education and training programs. Actually, if I'm correct, which I'm fairly certain I am, when that happens, you would be recognized as the first pony changeling doctor."

The nymph frowns slightly and turns away, muttering just loud enough for Rhino to hear. "...a field medic is still a doctor..." She pauses a second before raising a hoof to muffle a giggle. You definitely have more knowledge of a nymph's body than any other pony. She winks at him, teasingly sticking her tongue out.

He blushes lightly as he replies. yes, I suppose I do... Anyway, I'll make sure to put your qualifications on the document when the time comes, okay?

Thank you, love. She turns to the librarian, a small smile on her lips. "Anything you'd like to ask while I'm here?"

Twilight prances in place. "I don't know... and that's the thing, this is going to be about everything! Culture, history, biology, day to day life... Everything!" She coughs and collects herself. "But it's not like this is going to be a quick endeavor. This will likely take months of short question and answer interviews." She pulls out a scroll. "In the meantime, let's go ahead and see about getting you able to go about your life. I think I'll just stop responding to the towers, which should allow you to live normally and leaves them up in cases I have use for them later. I'll start drafting letters to the princesses and send them out tomorrow."

Silk tilts her head. "Well, this went fairly smoothly. Maybe Rhino worried for nothing."

Twilight laughs nervously. "Well, remember my other plan was to catch a changeling and question it while slowly trying to make it my friend, so he may not have been that far off."

Gel blinks, holding up a hoof. "Hey, is that a good idea? I mean, you said you identify a changeling's magic signature to alert you, right?" She rubs the back of her neck, nervous. "Is it possible to make some signatures be registered as exceptions, instead? Or am I misunderstanding this?"

Twilight taps a hoof to her chin. "Well... Technically it is just set to identify basic changeling magic that seems to be present in all of you... I suppose if I got a sample of magic from each changeling that was good, I could add them as exceptions." She looks at Gel. "Why?"

"Security measures." She glances at Rhino, trying to hide her worry. Don't want to have a repeat of last week, do we?

His only answer is a light growl just outside Twilight's hearing.

The librarian nods. "It should be fairly simple. When did you want it done?"

"I'd have to ask my friends, first...and hope one of them doesn't have a previous engagement..." She glances at the sole pegasus in the room. "But we could do my signature right now if it's simple, right?"

Silk smiles. "Hey, I came here for you, hon. You do what you need to do."

Twilight goes down into her lab and comes out with a small blue gem. "Just touch this with your magic and we're done."

She blinks, surprised. "...I'll take your word for it." She turns her attention to the gem, grabbing it in her magic. She lets go of it almost a second later. "And that wasn't what I meant, Silk." She gives her a coy smile, playfully winking.

The pegasus smiles. "I see. But his schedule's clear when it comes to me right now."

Twilight nods approvingly as she takes the gem and sets it on the desk. "It'll take me a few hours to go around to every tower and adjust them, but I'll just ignore the signals until we have the exceptions set up."

Gel smiles softly, nodding a bit. "I understand...hey, maybe you could just come by, sometime? All of us are pretty much under one roof." She brightens up as an idea comes to her. "Maybe you could come over for dinner." She turns to Silk. "Both of you. If it's alright with Rhino, I mean." She turns to him, sheepish.

He smiles and rolls his eyes while shaking his head. "We seem to be entertaining an awful lot of guests lately..."

She giggles, bumping his side with hers. "You know you enjoy it."

He thinks to her. As long as there's always alone time to balance it out.

She nods, her chitin turning a shade brighter. You have my word, love.

Silk nods. "I'd be happy to come over."

Twilight agrees as well. "I figured it would be best to do the interviews in the comfort of your own home anyway."

Gel beams, happy at this. "Great! Of course, we'll have to get back to both of you on the date for it." She nods respectfully. "Thank you. We should probably get back to the others to share the news." She quickly shifts back to Angel and heads towards the door. "You both have a nice day, okay?"

The two nod as Rhino follows her out the door.

Chapter 66: Out and In

The next morning Gel wakes up as usual. She quietly slips out of bed, heading down the stairs and towards the front door. She opens it and, after a furtive glance around the street, walks to the mailbox. Please be there... She pulls the box open and is met with...nothing.

The white mare groans, resting her head on the metal box. ...of course. Why can't it be here already?

The sound of flapping wings draws her attention to the sky, where the mailmare can be seen heading towards the house. She waves as she gets closer, alighting on the grass. "Good morning!"

She gives her a tiny smile, waving back. "Hello, Ditzy. Might I say, you look positively radiant, this morning."

Ditzy giggles. "Aww, you!" She starts digging in her bag. "Your so nice with all these compliments you pay me!" She pulls out a few letters and the usual Saturday coupon book. "Here you go!"

Gel takes them in her magic, flipping through them for a moment before sighing. "...it's still not here..." She lowers her head, dejected. "Thank you for the mail, Ditzy."

She's digging in her opposite saddlebag. "No problem..." She comes up with a small box. "and here's your package!"

The unicorn immediately perks up, her eyes shining with hope. "Package?" She carefully takes it and opens it, beaming at the contents. "It's here! It's actually here!" She rushes forward and hugs the other mare, giggling in excitement. "This is absolutely perfect! Thank you!"

Ditzy's eyes cross in confusion. "Umm, you're welcome! I hope everypony else is as excited for their mail!" She starts flapping her wings to take off.

Gel waves as the pegasus leaves. "Have a nice day!" She turns and enters her house, giggling brightly. I certainly plan to.

***

Later that morning, the couple are out for a nice walk on the outskirts of town. Rhino looks over to Gel with a smile. "I figured you would take the first opportunity to get out of the house this weekend. Looks like I was right. Though, I'm not quite sure why you brought your saddlebag."

She giggles. "It's a secret!" She winks at him, playfully sticking her tongue out.

He chuckles. "Speaking of those, I half expected you to want me to show you my secret while we were out, since I did promise to."

She nods, smiling softly. "That did cross my mind. Could we do that first?"

He nods, tugging their entwined tails in a direction. "I think so. We're not that far actually." He leads her for about fifteen minutes until they come to a stop. "Here we are."

It's a relatively unremarkable piece of picturesque landscape. The river runs nearby and Whitetail Woods borders one side. The whole place is a flat grassy plain with a few trees dotting it. If one was to look around, one can only barely see houses in the distance.

She glances around, her brow furrowed in confusion. "This place...it seems so familiar, but...I know this is my first time being here...how can that be?"

He simply smiles wider. "Well, what if I told you a few things? What if I said to imagine a house here? A nice big house... Maybe some little sets of hooves inside?"

Her eyes widen and her jaw drops as everything falls into place. "...y-you mean...t-this is..." Her voice trails off, the hope clear in her voice.

He nods. "It took a while, I had to find the right bit of land and then negotiate the price, but buying land with nothing on it that nopony else had their eye on yet gets you a good price. Everything from where we stand, to the river, a small bit of the woods, and a little bit behind us, is all ours to do with what we please. I made sure to get a good chunk of property so we have a nice big yard and plenty of room."

Before he knows it he's tackled to the ground, the nymph on top of his chest hugging him tightly and openly crying in joy. "T-thank you, love...t-this is just...p-perfect..."

He embraces her back and nuzzles her as a way to dry her tears with his fluffiness. "You're welcome, love. I'm glad you like it." He kisses her gently on the lips, licking his lips at the slightly salty taste.

She giggles, eagerly kissing him back. "So am I...but now, it's my turn to give you a surprise." She blushes softly, her hoof tracing tiny circles in the fur on his chest.

He chuckles. "I can't wait to see what it is."

She nods, getting up and walking away, purposefully swaying her hips. "Well then, we'd best be on our way." She winks at him as she heads back into the woods.

He follows her with a smile, wrapping his tail around hers when he catches up. The two go deeper into the woods until she leads him through some bushes and into a clearing.

She looks up at him, gesturing to their surroundings with a large smile. "What do you think, love? It's a secluded clearing..." She leans closer and teasingly nips his neck. "...and you've been so patient, waiting for your sides to heal..." She smirks slightly, hidden by the fluff of his fur. "...I think you deserve a reward...don't you?"

He shivers as he whispers into her ear. "You had something in mind?"

She giggles, nodding a bit. "A couple of ideas, actually...but first, something I wanted to give you..." She takes off her saddlebags and opens one side, pulling out a black-velvet box. "...in return for the one you gave me..." She floats it over to him, blushing brightly. "...I may like literature, but words fail me when I try to explain how you make me feel...you risked everything to save me...you accepted me for who I am, and even loved me more because of it..." She gives him the box, shyly averting her gaze. "...this feels like the least I can do..."

He takes the box in his hooves and opens it. His eyes widen. "Gel..."

Inside is a simple yet elegant necklace. The center jewel, a shimmering blue sapphire, has a small, deliberately placed flaw in the shape of a flame, the smooth surface putting it on display for all to see. This gem is inlaid in gold, surrounded by small emeralds.

The nymph blushes a bit more, nervous. "...d-do you like it?"

Rhino lifts the necklace up by its silver chain. "I think it's wonderful." He puts it on and finds it fits comfortably, much like her own necklace. "Looks like I've got a bit of jewelry I'll never take off now." He kisses her gently on the lips. "Thank you, love."

She giggles, happily kissing him back. "You're welcome...but now, it's time for your other reward." She playfully winks and gestures with a hoof. "Turn around, and no peeking."

He closes his eyes and turns around, his ears half swiveled back so he can try to figure out what she is doing.

Gel smiles and opens the other bag, pulling out a blanket and laying it on the ground. She quietly pulls the outfit out of her first bag, grimacing slightly and muttering to herself. "...he said he wanted to see it..." She sighs and puts it on, squeaking when the elastic snaps against her flanks. She takes a deep breath and sighs, turning to the side slightly. "Y-you can look, now."

He turns around and opens his eyes.

She's wearing a pure navy swimsuit, form-fitting and, for some reason, keeps her tail from lowering. She flushes bright blue in embarrassment, fiddling with one of the straps on her shoulder. "...p-personally, I prefer my new one..."

He chuckles as he walks forward and nuzzles her. "You can barely tell you have it on, it blends in with your chitin." His eyes look toward her flank. "But I think they put the tail hole a little high."

She nods, glancing back at her tail. "The seamstress wasn't that talented...though I avoided using this as much as possible, so it didn't bother me back then..."

He smiles again but his eyes slightly narrow. "Well, now that I've seen it, if it bothers you that much, I guess I'll have to take it off you." He nibbles on her neck as she is turned away.

She squeaks, her blush flaring up once more. "I-I'd like that..." She looks up at him, smiling shyly.

He slowly pulls the straps off her shoulders, whispering as he does so. "You wouldn't happen to have brought any other outfits, would you? Just yes or no, I want the details to be a surprise." He starts peeling the fabric off down her torso.

She nods, pretty much the only thing she can do in her current embarrassment. She shivers as the fabric slowly leaves her carapace, knowing what this will lead up to and eagerly awaiting it.

"Hmm..." He licks the back of her neck as he rolls the swimsuit until it meets the base of her tail. "Then I guess the only question is if you want to get dressed now or later... Though you'll probably end up a bit undressed either way."

She bites her lip, thinking over his words. L-later. I-I want to...fulfill your fantasies...one by one... She squeezes her hindlegs together, her arousal quickly growing just from his teasing. The only question would be...what order you want to go in... She looks over her shoulder at him, winking playfully.

I did say I wanted them to be surprises. He leans over her as his magic pulls down her bathing suit. As it falls inch by inch, he kisses her neck lower and lower until he reaches her shoulders and the suit is completely off her.

***Warning, Sensual Content***

She coos softly, pushing her hips back on instinct. She tries to control her body, trembling slightly. "N-now that my body is bared before you..." She shivers softly, turning to look at him, longing in her eyes. "...w-what do you plan to do with me?"

He leans over her again. "You know I've always been one to take your opinion into account. What do you vote for?"

She gulps, feeling his body over hers. "...I-I..." She blushes brightly, mumbling her answer as she tries to push back against him.

His slowly growing length touches the inside of her thighs as he whispers. "What was that, love? I couldn't hear that."

She squeaks, feeling the warmth of his pride on her carapace. She turns her head slightly, giving him a smoldering look. "...p-please...t-take me..." Her tail wraps around his length, slowly raising it until the head presses against her glistening slit.

He hesitates as his length grows to its full size, pressing against her. "Are you sure? I mean... At this point, I'm willing... I just want to make sure you won't regret it."

She nods, giving him a warm smile. "I'm sure, love. I've been sure for a while, now." She gently kisses him. "I want you to be my one and only." She faces forward, closing her eyes and bracing herself.

He gulps and shifts a little to get in the proper position. With his forelegs wrapped around her barrel, he slowly begins to push forward and enter her. He immediately inhales sharply. "Ah! It's tighter than in the dream..."

She whimpers softly, trembling from just this. "...s-so big...h-how much is in me?" She tries to look back at him but finds she can only turn her head part way.

He looks down. "Maybe a little over an inch... Do you want me to keep going?"

Her eyes widen in shock. "...j-just an inch?" She grits her teeth and faces forward, nodding in determination.

Rhino starts pushing once more, progress is agonizingly slow since he has to fight her muscles every step of the way. Eventually he reaches resistance, well, more resistance, in the form of a wall. He leans over her, curling his neck around hers so their faces are side by side. He continues, pushing against the walls of her tunnel as well as the barrier. Suddenly it gives way and he jerks forward a small bit before stopping himself.

She bites her lip, muffling the cry of pain. D-dear Luna, it's more painful than in the dream! She takes a shuddering breath, trying to ignore the ache. "...p-please, don't move...l-let me just..."

He just tilts his head to kiss her on the cheek.

She turns as much as she can towards him, tenderly kissing him. Slowly her pain goes away, his love speeding her recovery. After what feels like forever to her, the pain ebbs into a dull ache. She breaks the kiss, panting softly. With a small smile, she moves her hips a little, letting him know she was ready.

He nods and leans back up again. He starts his journey deeper into her once more, loving the feeling of her walls gripping him as much as they are. They can feel every beat of their hearts as the blood pulses through them. More and more of him goes in.

She gasps and moans with every inch, her eyes fluttering as the pleasure courses through her body. She's jolted from this when his hips clap against her rump, causing a squeak to escape her lips. "...i-it fit?"

He looks down, equally surprised but smiling. "I guess you underestimated yourself."

She shyly laughs, looking down at her hooves. "I-I suppose I did..."

He leans down and whispers into her ear. "Ready for the good part then?"

She nods, trembling in excitement. "Y-yes, I am." She giggles, pushing her rump back and grinding against his hips. "But can you handle it?" She playfully winks at him.

He chuckles as he starts to pull out, quickly changing to gritting his teeth. "I'll admit, I'm not sure how long I'll last with you gripping me like this..."

She moans deeply, her legs trembling. "N-neither am I...y-you're rubbing so...p-pleasantly against..." Her voice trails off as her forelegs collapse, her face falling onto the blanket beneath them, a soft coo coming from her.

He reflexively lets go of her and catches himself by planting his forelegs on the ground. Her rump is still in the air, though whether it is because of her legs or him, he has no idea. He continues pulling out as he leans down and nudges her. "Are you alright? What were you saying?"

She turns her head to the side, having a little trouble focusing on his face. "...s-so good..."

He simply smiles, rearing back up and focusing on the feeling of her. He pulls all the way out except for his tip before shifting his weight and sending it back in at double his original slow speed.

She squeals in pleasure, her tunnel squeezing him a little tighter as he returns, hitting even more sensitive spots due to the change in angle. She appears to already be close, if her blissed-out face is any indication, though she is clearly trying to keep herself in check.

He leans down and kisses her neck. "Stay with me, love." He hilts again and immediately starts to pull out, still slow but the enjoyment is only prolonged as they both feel every bit of him rubbing inside her.

She moans and coos softly, absently nodding. ...o-okay, Rhino... She takes a steadying breath, her tail wrapping around his waist. ...this is just...amazing...I-I never thought...it would feel like this...

His eyes roll back in his head a moment as her sounds assault his ears and send a tingle down his spine. He continues pulling out, his breathing becoming rapid. He starts thrusting back into her harder with a long grunt as soon as he gets to the tip, back almost a quarter inside her before either of them realize it.

She squeaks in surprise, her treasure clamping down on him briefly. She pants softly, her tongue lolling out in pleasure. ...y-yes, Rhino...j-just like that...p-please...

He reaches as far as he can go again, holding it there and pressing in as deep as he can. After a few seconds he starts to pull back out again. "I'm close..."

She's trembling now, nodding as well as she can. S-so am I...p-please, don't hold back...

As he gets all the way out again, he shifts his weight. He then forces his way back into her, pushing back her protesting muscles. He grits his teeth and lets out a groan before thumping as far as he can go and holding it, pulsing inside her on the brink of release.

She moans softly, pushing back against him. Her tunnel flutters around his pride, needing a small push to reach her own peak.

Fortunately, that fluttering of hers is all it takes for Rhino to go over the edge. He grips her barrel tightly as he starts doing small fast pumps into her, his seed shooting out the whole time.

She cries out in ecstasy, her eyes closing on instinct and her tunnel clamping down on him, milking him for every drop it can get. In the part of her mind still capable of rational thought, she notices that he's spraying directly into her womb, figuring out that he actually fit perfectly inside of her. That thought is soon washed away by the bliss, cooing softly as the pumps slow down.

He pumps a few more times before stopping and just holding himself inside her. It takes about a minute before the fog clears from his mind and he leans down to nuzzle her and kiss her cheek.

She sighs happily, turning and gently kissing him back. "...thank you, love...that was better than I thought it would be...so much better..." She giggles, blushing brightly.

He nods. "Yeah... I'm glad I actually fit now..."

"So am I..." She blushes a little more. "...and so perfectly, too..." She sighs, resting her head on her forelegs. "...I thought that only happened in stories..."

"I guess we just got lucky..." He tilts his head. "What makes you think it was a perfect fit though?"

She squeaks, tensing slightly. "...um...I-I could feel your seed...g-go directly into me...a-and I could feel your flare...i-it was almost the exact spot..." She covers her face, embarrassed that she said that out loud.

"Ah... Well that'll come in useful when we're ready for foals and you're in heat." He props himself up on his forehooves while wiggling a bit to see if he should pull out yet.

She gasps, feeling his pride slide out a bit. She looks at him, glancing at her bag a moment. "...I-I suppose so..."

He looks at the bag, not removing himself yet. "Something interesting in there?"

"...m-maybe..." She smiles playfully. "...why? Interested in what I might have?"

He nips her ear. "You know I'm always interested in you." He wiggles his hips side to side.

She squeals, feeling him shift around inside of her. "I see. Though it seems as though you're interested in being in me." She teasingly sticks her tongue out. "Of course, if you want to see your next surprise...well, you'll have to turn away again..."

"Alright... I suppose I could let you go this one time..." He slides out of her then lays down on his stomach next to her, nuzzling her.

She sighs softly, tenderly nuzzling him back. "...thank you, love...now remember, no peeking..." She giggles, getting up and walking over to her saddlebags.

He closes his eyes again as he lays his head on his hooves. "I'll be honest, I'm glad you can still walk after that. I was a little concerned on that."

"Honestly, so am I." She laughs as she slips into her next outfit and pulls out a clipboard. She clears her throat and, stepping in front of him, gets in character. "Good afternoon."

He opens his eyes and instantly smiles at her scrubs. "Well, hello nurse."

She smiles back. "I'm glad that the patient is recovering well." She gives him a lidded gaze, rolling her hoof. "If you'll flip over, we can begin the physical exam."

He raises an eyebrow, but smiles and complies. His pride is mostly back in its sheath at this point, but halts its retreat as soon as it is exposed.

She takes notice and leans in close, a curious expression on her face. "Oh, my. We have to take care of this before we can begin the exam." She settles herself down between his legs, stroking the portion still outside the sheath. "Don't worry, I'll take care of your little..." Her eyes grow wide as his pride gains length, wondering how it even fit inside her. "...b-big friend, here." She licks her lips, her gaze becoming one filled with longing.

His tail swishes back and forth once as he speaks. "What seems to he the problem, nurse?"

She blinks, quickly getting back in character. "Nothing at all." She leans down and gently nuzzles his shaft, a hoof moving to gently caress his orbs. "You're simply a prime example of stallion virility. That's something you should be proud of." She kisses the flared head before giving it a small lick, wanting to get a rise out of him.

He lets out a breath as his length twitches, waving up and down as it does so. "If we have to do this before the exam... I can't wait to see what the exam is like..."

She giggles, shaking her head. "You'll find it enjoyable." She kisses along his pride, enjoying the musk coming off him. She takes a hoof and starts to stroke along his length as she continues to lick and pepper it with kisses.

His stallion-hood sticks straight up as it is serviced. Rhino's breathing becomes audible as his pride begins to twitch at a slow tempo.

She smirks as she pulls away, nodding to herself. "This should do quite nicely. It's definitely hard enough for the physical exam." She blows air on the now-wet appendage, still attempting to keep a professional demeanor.

Rhino leans his head back as he responds. "This seems pretty physical to me..."

She stands over him, smirking playfully as she carefully pulls her pants down below her knees. "You are about to be surprised." She quickly positions herself and pushes herself down, his flared head pressing against her tight rosebud a moment before sinking an inch inside, causing her to gasp in pleasure. "Y-you see..." She slowly lowers herself along him, cooing in delight. "...I need to test...your endurance...and your strength..." She pauses halfway, panting softly from the sensations. "...it's also to...c-check how healthy your heart is..."

He consciously tries to steady his breathing as he looks at the nymph, the show blocked from his view except when she had first started, making a sort of hidden show. This doesn’t make it any less arousing for him though, as he speaks. "I'll admit... I'm surprised you are using this tool when you just got that new one in..."

She bites her lip, sinking down even further. "N-needed a test that compared to the control." She smacks her rump against his groin, finally working all of him inside of her. She stays still for a moment, panting softly. "Now...the test begins..." As soon as she finishes her sentence, she places her hooves at his sides and immediately bounces on his lap, moving at a moderately fast pace.

He grunts with each descent, her pants keeping her hindlegs from spreading too much and resting on either side of him. Her tail tickles his orbs each bounce and yet he can't see anything now except for a bouncing changeling. His only hint that she is on him is the feeling surrounding his shaft.

She smiles coyly at him, leaning forward and touching noses with him. Her hindquarters continue to move, turning short, fast strokes into long, slow ones. "What's the matter? You don't seem to like the treatment."

His hips start bucking upward to meet hers as she descends. He pants as he answers. "What... gave you that idea?"

She squeals, enjoying the contributions he's providing, now. "J-just that you weren't acting until just now."

He hisses through his teeth. "I didn't want to interrupt the exam..." Fair warning though, love, I'm not sure you'll get anything out of me so soon after the first, no matter how good it feels. Males aren't exactly made for rapid fire releases.

She smiles, nuzzling him gently. That's fine with me. I want this to be enjoyable for both of us, no matter how long it might take for you to finish. She starts to move faster, keeping the long strokes and moaning loudly, her eyes fluttering closed from the pleasure. T-that doesn't mean I won't make the most of this, though.

His length throbs inside her as they continue. "So... Is there anything else I need to do for this exam?" His forehooves are gripping the ground for leverage.

She smiles, nodding quickly. "Y-yes. L-like I said, this is to test your strength, right?" She pauses a moment with just his tip inside her, in spite of her body yearning to have him back inside. "S-so you could just...use your muscles."

Not quite sure what she means, he raises his forehooves and grips her hips. Preparing to slam her down, he pauses. "Like this?"

She smiles, leaning back into an upright position, putting her forehooves over his. "Almost. You definitely have the right idea."

Still not quite getting it, he decides to just be blunt. "I'm afraid I still don't quite understand... Perhaps you could guide me through the process?"

She gives him a flat look. "I want you to move your hips so you thrust upwards."

"Oh... I thought I was already doing that..." He averts his eyes sheepishly as he grips her hips. He then strongly pulls her down at the same time as he bucks his hips upward.

She cries out in ecstasy, throwing her head back. "Y-yes! J-just like that!"

His ears fold down at her volume but he smiles at hearing how much she is enjoying this. He raises her up on his shaft before slamming her down once more and continuing this pattern.

She squeals and moans with every movement. Her rosebud welcomes him back every time while remaining tight, squeezing him much more when he pulls out, as if wanting him to stay. She realizes he can't quite see what's happening so, stopping him when he's all the way inside, she pivots on top of him, squealing at the sensations as her tail instinctively raises out of the way. She glances over her shoulder at him, giving him a lidded gaze. "Better?"

He smiles. "Yes, though I hope you don't mind if I let my hooves wander..." One of his forehooves slowly moves toward the base of her tail and wraps around it, holding it in place so that when she raises up, it pulls.

She squeaks, blushing brightly from the sensation. She giggles softly, moving her own hooves between his legs, caressing his orbs as she starts bouncing along his pride once more, gasping and moaning in pleasure.

As they continue, Rhino send a mental message to Gel. You know... doing this is actually giving me some ideas for positions later...

She glances over her shoulder at him, stopping with him all the way inside and gyrating her hips. That's good. I'd love to see what you come up with. She playfully winks at him. You're choosing the positions for next part, after all.

Fair enough, I'm fine with alternating control. I'm interested to see if you do anything else with this... exam of yours. He gives her tail another little tug for emphasis.

She squeals, her rosebud squeezing his pride a little tighter in response. "I'm glad you're...enjoying the exam..." She bites her lip, starting to move again, faster than before. "For now, though...why don't you keep moving?"

"As you wish, nurse." He braces his back and hindlegs to give himself more power with each thrust of his hips. His hoof on her hips pulls her down harder with each bounce.

She gasps and moans, her eyes fluttering closed from the bliss. R-Rhino...I-I'm about to... She furrows her brow in concentration, trying to keep her climax at bay.

Whenever you're ready love. His length twitches inside her as he makes her bounce even faster. His hoof wrapped around her tail pulls every time she hilts on him. He raises her up high onto the very tip of his shaft before slamming her back down on it.

It only takes two of these hard thrusts before she can't hold back any more. She tilts her head back, crying out in sheer ecstasy as she flies over her peak. Her tight rosebud clamps down on his pride, as her flower squirts him with her juices, soaking his thighs and orbs.

Though his pride twitches wildly at this, the stallion is not near his peak, so nothing comes of it. He simply enjoys the show as she runs like a river.

It takes about fifteen seconds for her to come down from her climax. When she finally does, she falls back against his chest, her head resting against his shoulder. ...s-so good... She blearily blinks, moving her hips a bit, feeling his shaft still stiff inside her. ...y-you didn't...reach it? The tone of her thoughts is upset, as she worries that she didn't do well enough.

I did give you a fair warning love. It was a fantastic show though, and it did give me some ideas that I may apply later if they can be used. He kisses her cheek affectionately.

She blushes softly, turning her head and gently kissing him back. ...I-I'm glad you enjoyed it...but I suppose we'll just...wait for the next scenario to finish... She giggles, happily nuzzling his cheek.

He chuckles. I can't wait to see what else you packed.

She smiles and slowly stands up, honestly amazed she can at this point. Her magic flares up and her clothes start to come off. To make sure he doesn't peek as she puts on her next outfit, she playfully tosses her scrubs on his face and quickly changes into the new set.

He just laughs as he lays there with her shirt over his eyes, waiting and very visibly excited to see what comes next.

There's a small jingle and then a melodramatic gasp. "Oh, this simply won't do!" She pulls the nurse outfit off his face and puts it back in her bags, bowing to him. "Terribly sorry, sir. I should really be more careful with my belongings."

Gel is wearing her uniform from her time at the maid cafe. A lace maneband dons her head while white cotton socks adorn her legs, small blue bows at their tops. Her wings are under the main portion of the fabric, a light blue cloth with white lace trim everywhere you could imagine. It even comes with an attached apron tied around her waist and drawing the eye to her light blue skirt with its own lace trim. She looks for all the world like a maid one would find in a well-off manor of a noble.

The stallion's eyes go wide as he takes this all in. "Wow... been a while since I've seen that outfit..."

She blushes softly, bowing in respect. "You flatter me, sir." She looks at him, tilting her head to the side in curiosity. "May I ask what I'm to do out here, sir?"

He shifts into a sitting position and puts a hoof to his chin. "Well, what are your qualifications?"

She smiles, nodding a bit. "I'm good at cleaning, and I live to please." She taps her chin, a look of innocent curiosity on her face. "Does that help, sir?"

He nods. "I believe that makes you perfectly qualified." He takes quick walk around her and pauses when he sees the pair of small lacey panties under the skirt. "Maybe overqualified..."

She blushes a bit more, trying to follow his movements. "I'm glad I fit the bill, sir." She continues to watch him, slightly confused. "I'm still not sure what I'm supposed to do, though."

He thinks and realizes something important about where his pride last was. He sits down in front of her. "Well, why don't we start with something simple? Your first task is to clean my staff, must make sure it is sanitary of course."

She nods, turning to her bag and pulling out a small cloth. She turns to him, smiling warmly. "Where is this staff, sir?"

He points his eyes downward. "Right under your nose."

She looks down and squeaks, staring at his pride with wide eyes. "O-oh my." She blushes brightly, bringing over the cloth and carefully cleaning him, averting her gaze from embarrassment. "P-please excuse me, sir. I-it's my first time seeing...t-that."

He nods knowingly. "Ah, I understand. There's no need to be embarrassed though, it's completely natural."

She nods, still keeping her head turned away. "I-I know, sir." She finishes up, putting the sullied handkerchief in the bag opposite the one with her clothes. "W-will that be all?"

He raises an eyebrow. "Well, I certainly hope not. I'm grown quite fond of your company." He leans a little closer to her.

She smiles nervously, shuffling her hooves a bit. "I'm happy to hear that, but...w-what else could I do for you, sir?" She bows to him, knowing better than to question his desires.

He leans down and looks at her on her level. "Well, you could stop averting those pretty eyes of yours."

She blinks in surprise, shyly looking up at him. "Y-you think my eyes look...p-pretty, sir?"

He puts a hoof under her chin and brings her back up to a standing position. "Of course. They're not all that's pretty, though."

She blushes a bit more, a hoof drawing circles on the ground. "Y-you flatter me, sir."

He just continues smiling, his voice smooth as he walks around her again. "Look at you... Beautiful eyes, silky mane, excellent curves, cute voice...." he stands at her side and leans right next to her ear, "and of course such an alluring outfit." He plants a kiss on her cheek.

She squeaks, her cheeks now positively burning from her blush. "T-thank you, sir, for the compliments." She looks up at him, nervous. "I-is that all you'd like from me? J-just my appearance?"

He chuckles as he continues. "Well, I'm not sure if voice counts in appearance, but I see your point. I do like what I've seen so far of your personality, so sweet... but, I wouldn't mind getting to know more of how you are... inside." He slowly licks up her neck.

She shivers in anticipation, a small moan escaping her lips. "F-forgive me, sir, b-but I'm not sure where you're going with this."

His face inches closer to hers. "Don't worry... it's just a natural thing." He gently kisses her lips.

She freezes at the touch, eyes wide in shock. She blinks, blushing brightly as she lowers her head, shyly looking up at him. "S-sir, that...f-felt nice..." She pokes the blanket underneath them with a hoof. "M-may I have another?"

"You may." He cups her cheek in a hoof and goes in for a longer kiss.

Her eyes close as their lips touch. She happily kisses him back, letting herself fully enjoy it. Of course, it's still a chaste kiss, one a couple would share in public. She seems content with leaving it like this, for now.

He, however, decides to move things along at a decent pace. His hoof trails along her body, playing with the various straps and ribbons. Meanwhile, his tongue gives a light lick of her lips before her backs off, still smiling.

She squeaks when he licks, backing away with a quiet jingle. "S-sir?" She looks at him in confusion, her face almost sky-blue from her blush and her breaths coming in soft pants.

He simply looks at her with a curious expression. "Is something wrong? I have a few other things I could do instead if you would prefer." He chuckles.

She shakes her head, averting her gaze. "N-nothing's wrong, sir. I-I just...w-wasn't expecting that amount of...t-tenderness." She glances up at him. "...i-it was as if...y-you loved me...s-sorry for questioning you, sir..." She bows deeply, letting her forehead touch the cloth below. How am I doing so far, love?

He chuckles in his mind. How you manage to make a cute maid such a temptress, I'll never know. Though it does remind me of when we first started dating... if a bit accelerated.

I'm glad you're enjoying it.There's a quiet giggle in their minds. Before we continue, though, is there a certain way you'd like me to address you?

Sir is fine, just... don't call me master. It makes me feel uncomfortable and brings bondage to mind. He shudders. Tossed me slightly out of the mood just thinking about it...

Sir, it is... She moves forward and, hesitating a second, tenderly nuzzles his cheek. "Sir? I-is everything alright?" She gives him a worried look. "Y-you were just...s-staring for a while, there..."

He steps forward and nuzzles her. "Just thinking... but your concern is touching. Perhaps just another reason I can't stop thinking about you." He licks her neck again.

She moans softly, trembling from his touch. "T-thank you...m-my lord." She shyly smiles at him, rubbing a hoof against her foreleg.

A certain smell reaches his nostrils. "Well... it seems you are more grateful than I thought. Are you really holding such thoughts? Naughty girl..."

She squeaks, blushing brightly. "M-my apologies, my lord. I-it's hard for me to...n-not entertain such thoughts..." She turns her head away, embarrassed. "Y-you're just...s-so kind...and gentle..."

"Am I now?" While she is turned away he quietly sneaks around behind her. He reaches his head down under her skirt and lightly licks the damp fabric over her mound, withdrawing quickly afterwards.

She squeals, blushing even more when her tail raises by itself. She looks over her shoulder, fighting to hide the desire in her eyes. "W-why did you do that, my lord?"

He licks his lips before he answers. "Because I thought you might enjoy it, not to say I didn't. Was I wrong?"

She shakes her head, gently biting her lip before answering. "N-no, you weren't. I-I liked it a lot..." She glances at her hindquarters and tries to lower her tail, unable to do so but causing a jingle to resound from the action.

Rhino smiles as he looks to the source of the jingle, a ribbon with bells tied around the base of her tail. "Well well, what have we here?" He leans closer, his head under her skirt and his breath on her nethers.

She gasps and moans, the feel of his warm breath and the fact he was so close to such a personal area arousing her greatly. "I-I thought you would like that little touch. W-was I wrong, my lord?" She bites her lip, feeling her lace panties dampen a little more from her arousal.

"Not... at... all..." He touches his nose to the damp spot on the cloth before withdrawing and coming back around to face her.

She trembles visibly, finding it hard to keep herself from jumping him. She gives him a nervous smile. "I-I'm glad, my lord." She clears her throat, trying to keep the waver out of her voice. "W-will there be...a-anything else?"

His eyes narrow but his smile remains. "That depends. "Tell me if you think there should be anything else... anything more. I know my thoughts... but tell me yours."

She blushes even more, unsure. "I-I don't know, my lord. I-I mean, nothing comes to mind..." She looks up at him, curious and hopeful.

"Well then... why don't I try something?" He leans forward and kisses her again, but with a little more force so that it pushes her back into a sitting position. He sits down at the same time so that he is in front of her, still kissing her the whole time.

She eagerly accepts the kiss, pressing back against him once they're both sitting. She still doesn't seem to take it further, possibly waiting for him to do so.

He slowly wraps his forelegs around her before lowering her backwards onto her back. They end up with him crouched on top of her as they continue to kiss. He eventually breaks the kiss and smiles as he looks into her eyes.

She pants softly, looking up at him, her eyes shining with love. "T-that was...r-really nice, my lord..." She leans up and nuzzles him a second, momentarily forgetting her persona.

He doesn't seem to mind as he nuzzles her back, whispering in her ear as he does so. "It only gets better." He kisses the tip of her nose before slowly moving down her, dragging a hoof lightly down her chest as he goes.

She cranes her neck, watching him in curiosity. "S-sir?" Her hindlegs press together in an attempt at modesty.

As he reaches her waist, he makes sure that his hoof goes right over her sensitive parts as he passes them. He stops at the base of her skirt and peeks up to see how she is doing.

She's panting at this point, her forelegs folded up against her chest. She bucks her hips up, whimpering softly in need. "W-why did you stop, my lord?"

He smiles. "Just taking a look at your eyes again before I dive in." True to his word, he lifts up her skirt and dips his head under it, folding it back over his head so she can't see what he is doing and has to rely on feeling. He grins as he sees his lacey prize, inching towards it and blowing his breath lightly on the wet area.

She squeals, instinctively pushing her hips towards him with a small jingle. It upsets her that she can't see his actions, but she finds that the sensation so far seems to be making up for it.

He shivers at her squeal. A forehoof reaches up towards the waistband of her panties, stopping just before it and rubbing the two matching mounds under the cloth there.

Gel coos softly, her legs moving to lay across his back. "M-my lord. I-it feels so...s-strange...i-in a good way..."

His head goes further up her skirt, his tongue sticking out and slowly dragging up the soaked fabric as he moves.

She gasps in surprise before moaning softly, bucking her hips up against his tongue. "M-my lord...p-please, m-more..."

He chuckles as he reaches the top of the panties. He reaches a hoof up and slowly starts to drag them down. He stops them when the waistband is about level with her slit. He smiles wide as he leans down and swirls his tongue around her teats.

She squeals from the sensation, her back arching as the pleasure courses through her. She pants as she lifts her hips even more, her skirt starting to slip off his head.

He feels the skirt slipping and fixes it with a quick flick of magic. He licks each teat a little more before locking his lips around one and sucking while flicking the tip inside his mouth.

She moans loudly, finding herself enjoying his actions. "M-my lord...d-do you like them that much?" She giggles a bit before cutting herself off with a small cry of joy, her head falling back onto the blanket underneath them.

He continues his actions for a short time before letting the teats go. "Indeed I do." He then starts to repeat the actions on the other teat.

She smiles, working to speak through her moans. "I-I'm glad to...h-hear that, my lord..." She places a hoof on his head, cooing softly and gently stroking his mane through the fabric of her skirt.

He ends his time on her teats with a light flick. He presses his tongue against her and drags it down slowly as he moves toward her treasure.

She starts to tense up, anticipating what he's about to do. Even though she knows what he's about to do, her persona doesn't and she acts accordingly. "M-my lord? W-why did you stop?"

He chuckles. "I haven't, I've only gone to the next step." His tongue flattens and he glides it over her folds, pushing into them with a constant pressure so that it doesn't enter her, but feels like it's always about to.

She gasps, her eyes closing on instinct. She bucks her hips against his muzzle, whimpering softly. "M-my lord...t-that feels...unbelievable..." She tries to look at him, panting quietly.

Still hidden under her skirt, he is only able to see her quivering legs and petals and hear her noises. He licks his lips with her familiar berry taste before placing his lips lightly on her nub atop her petals in a kiss.

She cries out in bliss, her hindlegs wrapping around his head to keep him there. "Y-yes...t-that's great, my lord..." She keeps enough of her wits about her to keep herself from going off too early, though she's still panting from how close that was.

He sense how close she is as smiles. His tongue darts out again as he sticks it just inside her folds and swirls it around her walls.

That is too much for her. She shouts in ecstasy and hits her peak, her tunnel fluttering around the tip of his tongue and her juices squirt out and onto his mouth and tongue. She quickly collapses, panting heavily, her hindlegs now loosely wrapped around his head. "...m-my lord...t-that was...amazing..."

He doesn't respond at first, busy as he is, licking his lips and swallowing the last of her juices. He then starts licking the excess juice off her flower.

She squeaks in embarrassment, realizing what he's doing. "M-my lord, y-you shouldn't...y-you'll get messy..."

He rolls his eyes, though he knows she can't see it. "I was at point blank range when it happened, I think I can't get messier than I was. Besides, I'm cleaning up nicely, just need to finish up." He gives her petals a few more licks to clean them before wiping off his face and emerging from her skirt.

Her cheeks positively burn from her blush, knowing that she's the cause of the darker fur around his muzzle. She averts her gaze, unsure of what to do. "...i-is that all, my lord?" There's a hint of disappointment in her voice, as if she was hoping for more.

"No." He leans forward and gives her a small kiss. "Since I just helped you, I think it's time you returned the favor."

She blinks, confusion clear on her face. "W-what do you mean, my lord?"

He just smiles as he gets off her and gets in a sitting position. "Why you come come here and sit with your back to me... oh, and leave these," he reaches down and twangs the waistband of her slightly pulled down panties, "where they are."

"A-as you wish, my lord." She carefully gets up and turns around with a bit of difficulty due to her panties before sitting as he told her. She bites her lip, feeling his stiff pride pressing up against her back. "L-like this?"

"Hmm... not quite." He shifts a bit and suddenly his length is sticking up from between her legs. "There we go."

She stares down at it with wide eyes. Unable to help herself, she brings her hoof up and tenderly circling the flared tip. She can feel his pulse through it, making her blush even more. "I-I don't understand, my lord. W-what will this accomplish?"

"Everything's a process." He wraps his legs around her and suddenly falls backward, taking her with him so that they both end up on the ground, him on his back and her on her back on his chest.

She squeaks, surprised by this action. She turns her head to look at him, nervous. "M-my lord, what are you planning?"

"Something both of us will enjoy." With his forelegs, he pulls her higher on him, using one hoof to tilt her head towards his. His gently kisses her as his horn lights up and his magic tilts his pride back so that the tip rests at her entrance.

She kisses him back, not paying attention to anything else. Until she feels his staff touching her treasure, that is, eliciting a surprised gasp from her.

Taking the opportunity, his tongue darts into her mouth and starts rubbing her own waggling muscle. His tongue tastes of her juices as it rubs all over hers.

She eagerly lets him deepen the kiss, her eyes drifting closed. Her tongue dances with his and she wraps her tail around his waist.

Suddenly, Rhino's magic whips off her panties, flinging them so that they land on her saddlebags and leave her bare to the air. He slowly starts curling himself inward, thus inserting his pride into her. At the same time, he starts pushing her down with his forehooves that are wrapped around her.

She moans loudly, placing her forehooves on his. She trembles slightly, feeling him trying to push into her tight little flower. "M-my lord...y-you're so big..."

He doesn't say anything as he looks down while easing his way into her. At the angle they are at, one can actually see how far into her his member is by seeing it move beneath her flesh before it transitions to chitin. That too, can be seen being pushed outward at the places her has entered to.

She pants heavily, seeing what he is. She places a shaky hoof on top of the bulge, stroking it idly. I-I really can't believe...that it's doing this...

At least it's only slightly. From what you've told me though, think of it as practice for pregnancy, right? He continues putting more and more of himself into her.

She squeals, writhing on top of him. O-okay, love... She attempts to kiss him but pecks his jawline instead, her eyes unfocused.

He realizes what she was trying to do and captures her lips in his own as he approaches the last bit of his pride. Soon enough, he hilts inside her and the two just stay merged like this as they kiss.

She coos into the kiss, deepening the kiss for a few seconds before pulling back, breathing softly. "M-my lord...i-it is an honor to...have you be my first..." She smiles warmly, purposely flexing the muscles of her tunnel to get a reaction from him.

His eyes almost bug out as she grips him in her already tight hole. "The honor... is mine..." He pants lightly, knowing that he's going to be fighting his release the whole time, but knowing that the longer he holds it, the bigger it will be.

She giggles and kisses him once more, licking his lips hopefully. Her hips pivot slightly, keeping him completely inside her all the while. She wants to please him, feeling that this is the way to do so.

He groans into her mouth as he begins uncurling and pulling out of her, all the while his hooves continue embracing her to his chest. One of his hooves starts slowly works it's way down her, playfully drawing circles on her chest right now.

She moans sweetly, putting a hoof on top of his, doing nothing to stop it. "M-my lord...y-you're so gentle..."

"Of course... though I may get a little more forceful near the end..." He gets halfway out of her and keeps going, his hoof at the top of her skirt.

She whimpers softly but nods. "O-okay...I-I trust you, my lord..." She tenses a bit, squeezing him in response.

His hoof finally get down to it's destination and flips her skirt up onto her chest so they both can see what is happening below more easily. At the same time only his tip is left inside. His whole body tenses up as he prepares to thrust into her.

She whines, feeling him pause. "M-my lord, are you done already?" She tries to push her hips back against him, clearly wanting more.

He responds by suddenly thrusting into her, far more quickly than he had been, but not too fast so as not to hurt her. He is already halfway in her after only a few seconds.

She squeals, her eyes closed tightly. She reflexively flexes her muscles, squeezing his pride more than normal.

Soon enough he is once again fully inside her, then again on his way out. His hoof that had flipped her skirt makes its way lower and hovers just above her perky teats. It starts swirling around them even as he pumps in and out of her. Meanwhile, he tilts his head back towards her and begins passionately kissing her.

She kisses him back with just as much fervor, trying not to go over the edge from the overwhelming sensations on her body. ...l-love...I'm almost there... She spreads her legs, making her tunnel tighter for him as a result. ...p-please...I-I want to reach it with you...

That's great... but let's see how long we can hold out... let me know when you can't take it anymore, and I'll finish you... He continues sliding in and out of her, reaching a decent pace now despite the tightness of her hole, though it does mean there's a good amount of force behind each thrust. His hoof presses down on her teats and massages them in a circle.

She bites her lip, doing her best to keep herself in check. I-I'll try...b-but you know just the right buttons to push... She moans lustfully, capturing his lips with her own in a fiery kiss. I really don't know how long I can last...

He slows his hoofs assault on her teats but his pounding of her flower remains the same. Their tongues dance rapidly together as if in a frenzy.

She squeals and moans into the kiss, spreading her legs even more. She reaches back with her tail, wrapping it around his and gently tugging.

He grunts as that causes him to thrust into her harder. He reminds her in their mind. Remember love... let me know when you can't take it anymore... and I'll set you off.

She continues deepening the kiss, feeling herself nearing the edge as he pounds into her sensitive folds. After a while it starts to be too much. I-I can't hold it back...I-I'm about to hit it...

Alright then... He suddenly thrusts deep into her as far as he can go. At the same time, his hoof moves from her teats and presses down on her nub above her petals.

She breaks the kiss as she arches her back, crying out in sheer ecstasy. Her flower tightens even more around him, attempting to milk him of every drop of seed it can get.

Her shriek and tightening finally allow him to let loose what he had been holding back, as he begins rapidly emptying his seed into her. With small pumps in and out, it flows into her, mixing with her own juices, the volume almost twice its normal amount.

Gel can feel him filling her womb, too lost in her pleasure at first to respond. After what feels like a few minutes, she coos happily, gently stroking her belly. "M-my lord...i-it's so much...so warm..."

He kisses her cheek. "And the reason I hired you... to treat you as you deserve, lovingly."

She blinks, turning to look at him in confusion. "M-my lord, what do you mean?"

He smiles, playing out the scenario. "The reason I hired you, was to get close to you so that I could confess. I have have loved you since we were small, and it simply took me this long to say it."

Her eyes widen in surprise. "O-oh my goodness...i-is it really you? T-the young colt I was friends with so long ago, before I moved?" She tries to look at his body, but isn't able to see it from her current position.

He chuckles. "I think you're pretty stuck at the moment, but yes, it's me." He kisses her cheek. "Welcome home." He gives it about thirty seconds before replying. "Well, that was a fun bit of roleplay there huh?" He laughs as he moves her torso a little, feeling himself still inside her.

She nods, giggling brightly. "I'd say so. Thanks for humoring my request." She nibbles his jawline, smirking playfully. "Especially that little bit of improv at the end, there..."

He nips her ear as he responds. "I just figured it deserved a nice closing since you played it so well."

She blushes a bit, smiling shyly. "Well, I do take pride in my performance ability..." She kisses him. "You weren't so bad yourself, my lord." She teasingly winks at him, sticking her tongue out.

He laughs as he starts to pull out of her. "Glad you approve. Shall we clean up? We're a bit sticky."

She nods, sheepishly smiling. "Probably a good idea."

Chapter 67: Chrysalis

Sunday dawns and partially through the morning finds the inhabitants of the Rhino household all gathered in front of the door to Golden Oaks library. Surprisingly enough, this group also includes the pets who, to quote Rhino, 'cuted their way into coming along'. The three changelings are in their usual disguises as the pets ride on the couple's back. Gel knocks to let Twilight know they are there.

The lavender unicorn answers the door while holding a fragrant cup of coffee in her magic. "Oh! Good morning." Her eyes glance over the group. "I take it these are your... friends that we spoke of?"

Gel nods. "Yes, they are. May we come in?" She notices the look on Flick's face and frowns, quirking an eyebrow at him.

He sheepishly smiles, shrugging a bit. When she turns away, he mutters to himself. "What? Bookish mares are cute..."

Twilight nods and leaves the door open for them as she steps back in the main room, sipping her coffee as she does so. The group enters, the five sets of eyes unfamiliar with the place are looking around curiously.

Turning to Twilight, the white mare levitates the pets off her back. She glances at her friends, nodding.

Seeing this, all three of them quickly change to their normal forms. Luster takes the staff off her back and holds it in a hoof, returning to looking at the shelves curiously, and, when she reaches the music section, starting to read a few.

Flick simply stares up at the sun painted on the ceiling. "...you ponies sure love your princesses, don't you?"

Twilight looks over at him curiously. "Does the same not apply for changelings and their queen?"

He shrugs. "We respect her. Love her? I suppose there are some that do."

"Hmm..." She doesn't say anything more on the subject as she starts to head down to the basement. "Let me go get the gems, I'll be right back."

The drone nods before glancing around. He turns to the unicorn still there, confused. "Hey, Doc, where did Gel go?"

Rhino looks around quickly. "She did come in with us, right?"

He nods, scratching his head. "I'm certain she did..."

In the next room, a baby dragon is putting books back on the shelves. A pair of eyes watch him from in front of a closed door for a few moments before lifting a few of the books up to him from the pile on the floor.

Spike reflexively reaches out with a claw and takes the books, sorting them before it occurs to them what happened. "Wait, who?" He goes to turn around.

He finds himself being embraced by a blue-gray form, a giggle in his ear. "So good to see you again, Spike! How's my favorite dragon?" She pulls away, smiling brightly at him.

He smiles as he recognizes the voice. "Hey Angel! Did you know there's a slight buzz," he turns around and his words slow down as he sees the changeling, "to... your words... today..."

She sheepishly smiles, rubbing the back of her neck. "...surprise?"

Spike looks at her for about a minute before muttering quietly. "And here I thought Twilight was delirious when she started going on about you being a changeling..."

She squirms in her spot in the air, her wings buzzing to fill the second of awkward silence. "...well...I am one...t-that doesn't change things between us, does it?"

He shakes his head quickly. "Well... no. It does raise one question though."

She blinks and tilts her head to one side, confused. "What question would that be?"

He smiles. "Can you turn into a dragon like me?"

She smiles and nods, landing on the ground and letting her cerulean flame envelop her form once more. As it disperses, a hint of yellow appears. She looks up at him with red eyes, her body slightly larger than his but maintaining a similar shape, if noticeably slimmer. She giggles, spinning so the light reflects off her gold and fire-red scales. "Does this work, Spike?" She stops and touches her mouth with a claw, her expression unreadable.

He chuckles as he looks at her. "Yeah, I just wanted to see what another dragon would look like at my age. Thanks... erm, Gel, right?"

She nods, tilting her head a bit. "I assume Twilight told you my name?" She frowns slightly, eyes crossing in an attempt to stare at her mouth. "...how do dragons deal with long tongues?"

He smiles as he reaches into a nearby basket, flicking a ruby out of it and snapping it out of the air with his tongue. "We learn to use them," he says around a mouthful of gem.

She laughs softly, walking over to him. "I see." She looks in the basket, curious. "...so you can actually eat these?"

"Yep!" He swallows what's in his mouth. "I get a small allowance of them when I help Rarity out at her digging fields."

She nods slowly, picking up a sapphire. "These are nice. A few flaws, but they could still fetch a high price." She brings it close, sniffing it. "I wonder how they taste to a dragon..."

"It's hard to describe..." He puts a claw to his chin before shrugging. "Why don't you find out?"

She blinks, staring at the gem in her grasp. "...I suppose a taste won't hurt..." She gives it a small lick, letting the taste rest on her tongue for a moment before shivering. "T-too sweet...I'm sorry, Spike..."

He shrugs again. "Meh, maybe you have to be raised on it. So what are you doing here?"

She brightens up. "Oh, we're helping my friends input their magic signatures as exceptions in Twilight's network." She smiles, hugging him gently. "I'm also here to see you...to let you know my true self...but Twilight took care of that, didn't she?"

He laughs as he hugs her back. "Yeah, but I didn't believe it until I saw you. When she's up late and I hear the information when she gunners it to me like a mad pony when I make the mistake of asking, I tend I have to take what she says with a grain of salt."

Gel giggles, nuzzling him. "I don't blame you." She looks at her claws, thinking a bit. "...I should change back before I check on them, though..." A thoughtful expression crosses her face. "...I wonder how Rhino would react to my current look..."

He chuckles more. "Why don't we go see?"

She smirks, letting go and heading over to the door. "That's a good idea..." She pushes the door open slightly, peeking into the room beyond.

Inside the main room, Flick is watching as Twilight fiddles with some gems and a small machine. On the other side of the room, a small pile of music books is sitting next to Luster who watches Rhino pace back and forth with a look on his face that keeps switching between forced calm and paranoid worry.

She nods to herself and enters the room, smiling warmly. "How is everything going?"

Luster looks up at her and raises an eyebrow questioningly. Her brother glances at her but doesn't really seem to notice her appearance.

Rhino notices the two looking and directs his glance to Gel as well, his brow furrowing in confusion. "I didn't realize Spike had a girlfriend..."

Gel, seeing the chance to play a joke on him, smiles sweetly and hugs Spike. "No, we're just good friends." She giggles, nuzzling the baby dragon's cheek.

Spike stands still with a confused look on his face, not knowing what to do. Rhino meanwhile, simply nods. "Well, good to know he isn't the only baby dragon in town."

She blinks, giving him a blank look. She shakes it off and shrugs, walking up to him, smiling playfully. "Though to be honest, I prefer my dates to be more...mature." She teasingly flutters her eyelashes at him.

He backs up a step, confusion on his face. "Umm, well, I'm flattered, really, but... I'm engaged... and apparently a magnet for other species..."

She giggles, winking at him. "I know that, Rhino." She rocks on her feet, humming softly as she idly wonders how long it'll take him to connect the dots.

He narrows his eyes at the female dragon. "...Gel? Is that you?"

"Bingo!" She grins, pulling her necklace out from behind her back. "I told you I could change into species besides ponies, remember?" She wags a claw at him in mock-scolding. "I'm surprised it took you that long, love!"

He winces slightly. "Could you maybe say that in your normal form? It's a bit odd having your words come out of a baby dragon..."

She huffs but smirks, nodding a bit. "Sure." She shifts back in a quick burst of flame. "To be fair, I was trying for a teenage dragon..." She sighs softly. "...but I don't know what those look like..."

Spike comments simply. "Taller, gangly, wings... jerks..."

She looks at him, her expression softening. "...oh..." She moves over and smiles at him. "I prefer my good friend Spike to a jerk, any day." She places a small kiss on his forehead.

He laughs nervously as he scrapes a foot on the ground while casting a worried glance in Rhino's direction. He relaxes a bit when the stallion simply nods. "Thanks!"

Gel nods, giggling softly. "I'm just saying what I feel is true." She turns to Rhino, glancing at Twilight a moment. "So, has everything gone well?"

Luster starts putting the books back where they belong, but the ear turned to them shows she's listening.

The unicorn nods. "Yep, I've been monitoring the towers and only two signatures were seen on your way here." She looks up and points at Flick and Luster. "You two, I assume. So this means the exception is working. I was just tweaking the system a little bit and now I've got room for a number of exceptions, and room to expand should the need arise." She sweeps her hoof over the purple and yellow gems on the table. "I figure matching them to your colors would make things easier to identify in a hurry. If you would just pick them up...."

The drone nods, quickly picking up the yellow gem. He stares at it a moment before turning to the librarian, confused. "What was I supposed to do, again?"

She waves a hoof. "Just levitate it or something, anything that touches it with your magic."

"Oh." He lifts the gem in his magic and puts it back on the table. "That was easy."

The indigo changeling finishes reshelving and hefts her staff over her back. She walks over and glances at the purple gem, wrapping it in a bright purple aura briefly. She looks to Twilight, as if asking whether that was it.

Twilight nods as she insert the gems into the box, two lights turning green above the slots she put them in. Afterwards, she looks curiously at the staff, tilting her head. "What kind of staff is that? I can't seems to sense any magic from around it..."

She appears to sigh, pointing at her throat and shaking her head.

Flick clears his throat. "Miss? My sis can't talk. She, ah...she's mute."

Twilight blinks before covering her mouth with a hoof. "Oh... oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't know!"

She waves a hoof at this, pulling her staff off her back with a hoof and presenting it to the unicorn.

"She said 'it's fine', and 'go ahead and take a look'." He shrugs a bit. "She's at peace with it. Should be, after nine years..."

Twilight tries to take the staff with her magic, only have it fizzle out. She looks at the staff in confusion as she takes it in her hooves. "Only one material I know of is able to diffuse magic so completely at touch..."

The drone rolls a hoof at this. "Please, do go on. Sis hasn't exactly let me know what that thing is made of, and I'd like to know what it is."

She goes on as she slowly draws a hoof along the metal. "Mythril... incredibly rare ore that expands greatly when smelted into metal. When cooled, it becomes impervious to all outside magical influence..." Her hooves trace the runes as Rhino takes a step closer and looks over them with a critical eye now that he knows the material. "And yet it looks like somepony enchanted it... using this gem as a power source... But how..."

Rhino tilts his head as he reads the runes along its length. "I didn't understand the intricacies before, but from what I can see..." he rotates the staff slightly to look at the bottom, "it appears to generate a magnetic field around the staff, but it prevents the field from actually touching the staff itself. Unless you wear wearing metal on your hoof, you would never be able to tell..."

There's a soft stamp on the wooden floor and they all turn to the nymph. She holds out a hoof, but slightly bent, as if asking for the staff but not demanding it back.

Meanwhile, a look of understanding crosses Flick's face. "So that's what she was doing for a year...trying to figure out a proper rune sequence to inscribe into that pole!"

Rhino head snaps over to Luster as Twilight gives the staff back. "You did all those yourself? From scratch? With no previous training?"

She starts to nod then pauses before shaking her head. She glances at a book on the table and taps it.

He nods. "Ok, not quite from scratch, you found an instruction manual."

She nods, smiling a bit. She takes the staff and slings it over her back. She turns to the bookcase once more, staring longingly at the books of sheet music.

The stallion notices this. "Those are probably for rent you know, you could always borrow them."

She snaps her attention to him, then looks to Twilight, a hopeful look in her eyes.

The mare smiles. "Well, they are books, and this is a library. Same rules as always: have a card, a bring them back when you're done."

Right as she finishes that sentence, the indigo nymph glomps her, hugging her excitedly.

Gel giggles, shaking her head. "If she's not careful, she might hurt her...don't you agree, S-" She turns to look to her left and stops mid-sentence. She glances around, confused. "...has anyone seen Spike?"

At that moment, Spike strolls back up from the basement with a recently used feather duster in his claws. He wipes some dust off his stomach as he looks over to the group and points a thumb over his shoulder. "Hey Twilight, I think your system is acting up. It's showing two blips out near the edge of town."

Gel pales, slowly turning to the mare in question. "...Twilight? I-is that possible?"

The mare shakes her head as she stands up. "No... sometimes the signatures linger... but..." she runs over to the basement and runs back out a moment later, "these are in a sector you guys never went near!"

The changelings tense up at this, but Gel snaps out of it first and rushes over. She stops inches from Twilight's face, anxiety clear on her own. "Where?"

Twilight points in a direction as Rhino walks over to his fiance. "Gel, who could it be? I mean, the strongest of you are here are defeated, right?"

"...not the strongest of us." Flick steps forward, actually appearing upset. "There's one more."

Rhino's eyes widen. "No... no, no she wouldn't... not herself... right?"

He sighs, shaking his head. "She lost four of her five finest. She's likely desperate, Doc."

Twilight looks between the others. "Wait... you don't mean..."

Gel shakily nods, her voice coming out as almost a whisper. "C-Chrysalis."

Spike asks the all-important question. "So... what are you gonna do?"

Flick sighs, shaking his head. "I dunno. What do you think, sis?" He turns and stops, staring at the empty space his sister used to be. He glances at the door, seeing her stand there in silhouette of the opening.

She looks back at them, an even expression on her face. She nods towards the direction Twilight indicated. We confront her. If necessary, we will fight her, but only as a last resort.

Gel blinks, tapping the side of her head a moment. "...w-wait, did you just...when did you do that?"

While you were worrying, your minds reached out instinctively. She smirks slightly. I simply reached back.

Rhino takes a step toward her. And you're going out... like that?

I don't see why not. She quirks an eyebrow at him. The longer we wait, the closer to the center of town they get. And, if we do get in a fight, Flick and I would have to switch back to help you and Gel. That's precious seconds.

But... A sigh echoes through their minds. Fine... how are the four of us going to get through town? He levitates the pets all down to the floor next to Spike.

Twilight walks around her desk. "I hope you aren't thinking about leaving me behind."

Rhino huffs. The five of us then...

Simple. She turns, marching out the door. We walk. The town has to find out about us sooner or later, right?

Rhino looks to Twilight. "How would we get across town with the least amount of panicked ponies?"

She thinks quickly. "Umm... full speed, you and I on either side of the changelings, that way they don't think we're captured on anything."

"We'd better hurry, then!" Gel rushes forward, hurrying out the door. "She's already heading down Mane Street!"

Flick quickly follows, gritting his teeth slightly and mentally cursing his sister for her stubbornness.

She proceeds to curse him back.

Twilight and Rhino looks at each other, each with matching expressions of both worry and determination. They rush after the changelings, Rhino listening to the changelings speak while Twilight is stuck out of the mental loop.

The odd group of five run through town and turn more than a few heads. Luckily their speed and formation server to only allow time for confusion rather than panic. They make a beeline for where Chrysalis was last sensed, and there they find a familiar couple of forms. One of a grey pegasus mare, and the other a brown earth pony stallion.

Gel slows to a stop in front of them, confused. "...that's strange..." She narrows her eyes slightly, staring at them for a few seconds. Rhino, what do you think? Did we miss them?

He doesn't respond immediately, instead turning to the mare next to him. "Twilight?"

She pulls out a small device and points it at the two ponies, pointing it away, then pointing it back at them. "It's them."

Gel goes silent for a moment, trembling softly. Concerned, Luster reaches out to her, but the other nymph steps away. She glares at the 'ponies', a fire in her eyes. "...get out of those disguises. Now."

The mare and stallion look at her. They look like they are about to protest, but a second later the mare starts to laugh with a voice that doesn't quite match. To the ever widening stares of the onlooking civilians, her form is engulfed in flame and grows in size until it reveals the form of the changeling queen. Next to her, Port also discards his disguise. The queen shakes her head. "And here I thought we'd be able to slip in unnoticed..."

"You. Thought. Wrong." She grits her teeth, eyes perpetually slits at this point. "Why couldn't you just leave us alone?"

Chrysalis lowers her head, her horn pointed at the nymph. "Because I can't let you leave."

"Seriously?" She snorts, shaking her head and her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Mind telling us why, your highness?"

"You should know well, why!" The changeling's wings flare aggressively as she takes a step forward. "But all that matters is that you are coming back, one way or another."

Gel laughs, closing her eyes. "You forget, you're outnumbered." She gestures to the ponies and changelings behind her. "Five against two. Do you really want to cause trouble?"

Twilight's horn lights up in its magenta aura, the radius of the glow showing the power behind it.

Rhino conjures his two crystal daggers and draws the Res runes along his entire body, like they are warrior's tattoos.

Flick's wings snap out as a small gust of wind flows outward. The wings flick through the air, making almost the sound of a sword slicing through the wind.

Luster pulls some metal from a nearby lamppost, quickly sculpting it into a helmet and bracers. She adds some to the end of her staff, forming a sharp, curved blade, much like a scythe.

Gel simply stands there, a blue phoenix of fire forming around her body. She stares up at the Queen through the air waving from the heat, dead serious. "Because you won't like the consequences."

As Port looks on calculatingly, the queen's smiles fades to a scowl as she sees the forces in front of her. The crowds of ponies watching from the relative safety between houses gasp as the monarch growls and straightens to a less offensive stance, knowing she would lose. This doesn't mean her eyes aren't still glaring daggers at the group.

"Good." Gel lets the flames die down for now. "I didn't want to hurt someone I respect." She glances at the drone behind Chrysalis. "And I know he's only following orders." Her eyes move back to the taller changeling. "So let's be sensible about this. Talk about it like I'm sure ponies would."

Chrysalis mutters vehemently. "Feh, as if ponies would know what we have to live like..."

"That's the problem!" She grits her teeth, turning away for a moment. "We need to-"

Chrysalis cuts her off. "Need to what?! Just because you managed to find the one-in-a-million pony to somehow have the ability to tolerate a changeling's presence, let alone care for one, does not make it a solution! There will always be far more that would cut off our heads and be done with us, if not simply starve us to death!"

"...one in a million?" Gel giggles, shaking her head. "That's a laugh." She smirks, gesturing around them at the town. "In addition to Rhino and Twilight, I've met four more ponies who are perfectly fine with me being a changeling. What do you have to say about that?"

"Lies!" Chrysalis rears and stomps her hooves into the ground. "Ponies hate us, both for what we are and what we do!"

Four mares step out of the crowd and move to the group of changelings and ponies standing against the queen. Mane, Manila, Silk, and Ditzy each look to their friends and nod.

The blue nymph stands tall in front of the queen, fearless. "I don't lie. You know that just as well as anyone I've met."

As Chrysalis seethes, a loud voice calls down from above. "It appears there are a few more changelings than we were informed of." Everypony looks up to see the dark form of the Princess of the Night who had spoken. She lands with a few flaps of her wings, her sister alighting besides her. Many ponies have the reflex to bow, but most don't give into it given that there are potential threats in their midst and the fact that they are not directly in front of the princesses. A few Royal Guards land next to the diarchs as more hover in the sky.

Twilight smiles as she sees her mentor. "Looks like they got my letters..."

Gel stares up at the alicorns in awe. "...the princesses...I can't believe it..."

The orange changeling beside Chrysalis frowns slightly, muttering to himself. "Any chance of getting our officers back just went down the drain. Pity."

Celestia sees how tense Chrysalis as and how restless her wings are. "There's no point in trying to flee, Chrysalis. As you can see, we have the skies covered, and this time, both of us are here. There will be no avoiding this."

The queen backs a step away from the sisters before whirling around and taking a step away from the assembled group of ponies.

Luster, quiet as she was, had snuck behind her and now stands in her way. She frowns in disappointment, shaking her head at her and making a circle in the air with a hoof. Turn around and face your betters. Or do you lack the honor for that simple an act?

The changeling queen hisses as her eyes dart around, trying to find a way out.

The blue changeling finally snaps out of her daze and bows to the taller ponies. "I-I'm sorry, Princesses. I-I accidentally led her here..." She scowls slightly at the matriarch. "...I want a simple life, but she won't let me leave the hive."

Chrysalis shifts her weight, her whole body tense as her eyes still dart around. "Can't let you leave..."

Celestia speaks. "It is new for us to be bowed to by a changeling, but you should not blame yourself. I had a feeling the changeling queen would find her way into the light again."

She blinks, looking up at her in a mix of surprise and confusion. "Really?"

Flick clears his throat, approaching the queen. "With all due respect, I think we should focus on something more important." He gestures to the taller changeling. "Why can't you let us leave? We aren't causing any harm living away from the hive."

Luster stamps the pommel of her scythe into the ground, still frowning. And do try to stay on subject. No avoiding the question.

Chrysalis backs away again, like a cornered animal. "It's too dangerous..."

"Dangerous?!" Gel growls, eyes narrowed angrily. "The only time it's been dangerous was when you tried to foalnap Rhino!"

The queens eyes narrow as well as she focuses on the nymph, all eyes watching. "It was necessary to get you to return!"

"I don't want to return!" She gestures to her stallion. "I want to live here, in peace, with my fiance!"

Luster facehooves. Say that a bit louder, why don't you? I don't think Cloudsdale heard, yet.

Rhino sweats a bit as whispers start among the crowd and even Luna raises her royal eyebrow.

However, all of them are silenced as Chrysalis snaps out. "It's either you or our entire species!"

Gel stares at her a second before smirking. "Finally got you to just say it. Now, care to expand on that thought?"

The queen straightens up. "You really think it's all that simple? Just find a life, leave, and live it? Well it's not! Think for one second! We changelings survive on love that we steal from ponies. If one changeling is captured, or even worse, goes rogue, and they give away our secrets, our techniques, anything... that's it! We're done! Wiped out in the span of a few generations! If they know us, they can find us, if they find us, we can't go about and gather love, if we don't get love, we die! Plain. And. Simple. That any single changeling would go for their own happiness above their entire species, is the height of selfishness!"

"...you think I'm being selfish?" She grits her teeth, the air around her heating up significantly. "I've been trying to help our kind be welcomed in Equestria. Rhino, Ditzy, Silk, Mane and Manila...they've been accepting of who I am." A small fire forms at the tip of her mane, but she pays it no heed. "We don't even have to steal love. Ponies can give it to us of their own free will, and we can love them back - be happy among them!"

Chrysalis scoffs. "And you really think that would work? We survive how things are now. It's far from perfect, but at least we are alive. Are you really willing to bet our entire species on a risk? On a plan that might work? Do you even have a plan? Or were you just hoping this would work out?"

"We can...we..." She trails off, unsure for the first time during this entire confrontation. She turns to Rhino, her eyes full of hope. Help?

Rhino swallows before stepping up next to her and facing Chrysalis. "We've already proven that she and the others won't come back with you, no matter what. It isn't pleasant to come to terms with it, but change is coming, you're old way won't work for much longer. Perhaps it's time to put your own thoughts toward a new way, instead of forcing others to come up with it."

Chrysalis thinks on his words and slowly deflates. "There never has been another way... this is the way we have lived before even I was born... this is how we survive... this is how we live..."

Rhino responds with a simple question. "Is it really living?"

The queen stays silent.

Gel nuzzles Rhino, smiling softly. Thank you, love...

At that sign of affection, Celestia smiles and speaks again. "And I think that, right there, is your solution, Chrysalis."

The queen looks to the Solar Princess with suspicion. "What do you mean?"

Luna answers. "Simply live. Make friends, spend time with family, find loved ones, surely changelings could live off that?"

Chrysalis looks downward begrudgingly. "Technically, I suppose it's possible, but nothing is ever so simple. Would you really just allow us to start inhabiting your towns?"

Celestia shakes her head. "Well, not exactly. You are right, it is a little more complicated and work will have to be put in on both sides. But I think, given time and a few examples, these things may come to pass."

The queen raises ay eyebrow. "What kind of examples?"

Luna looks at Chrysalis with a smirk whereas Celestia turns her smiling gaze to the three other changelings and, more specifically, Gel and Rhino.

The blue nymph blinks, pointing at herself in confusion. "...I-I don't quite know...what you mean, either, Princess..."

Flick raises a hoof. "If we're being asked to form relationships, can I still be with the mare I like?" He glances at the ponies behind him with a small smile, but it was so quick, no one could be quite sure of who he looked at.

The indigo changeling simply facehooves before lighting her horn up. The metal she borrowed quickly returns to its lamppost, sealing up the hole perfectly, almost as if it hadn't been touched.

The Princess of the Day looks around at what appears to be the whole of Ponyville watching them. She turns back to the centers of attention. "Let's see if we can take care of some things now, yes? Queen Chrysalis." The large changeling straightens up. "You and a portion of your subjects are responsible for an attack made on Equestria, that was at least partly done so that you would have a better source of food for your kind?"

The queen nods, not denying her actions. "Yes."

Luna continues, after looking at her sister and nodding. "Are you willing to turn yourself in and take responsibility and the repercussions thereof, so that your subjects may have the chance to better their lives?"

There is a slight hesitance, but she nods again with a bit of trepidation. "I am..."

Celestia nods. "Good, now, to accomplish many things at once. I believe the best course of action, is rehabilitation. You, will live among ponies, under supervision, and see for yourself, the opportunity that will be given to your subjects. You will be given the chance, to live and interact with others, as yourself."

Gel holds up a hoof. "P-pardon me, but...where would she even stay? B-because our house can't quite handle another guest." She nervously smiles, stepping a little closer to her stallion. I hope they don't hold that incident against me, too...

Rhino mutters so only Gel can hear. "Yeah... I'm not up for turning my home into a royally sanctioned changeling boarding house... and I'm pretty sure my landlord would have a fit."

She giggles and kisses his cheek. If you want, we can start building the plan next weekend. Does that sound good, love?

As the two talk in their minds, Flick turns to the princesses. "You think there's a pony who'd be willing to let her stay with them?" He glances out at the crowd but they quickly look away, not wanting to be volunteered.

Celestia smiles. "I think I have somepony in mind, one who would be ideal for teaching friendship, and who has a direct line to us so she can send progress reports."

Twilight's eyes widen. "But, Princess, I already have somepony in my house that... you know, I'm trying to find alternative lodgings for..." Her voice trails off as she looks next to her, at said pony.

The pink, fluffy pony only smiles, looking up at the changeling queen with eyes full of curiosity.

Gel stares blankly at this pony, confused. ...Rhino, isn't that...

Rhino's eyes narrow at the pony most describe as 'a walking ball of fluff'. Fluffle Puff...

The crowd suddenly lets out a gasp as the fluff ball shuffles over to the changeling queen and stares right into her eyes with an ever-widening smile.

Chrysalis looks at the pony warily as she looks back at the Princesses.

Celestia only smiles. "I think your first friend may be easier than you think."

"Oh joy..." The queen deflates but still siphons off a bit of the energy coming from the pink pony.

Twilight looks back to her mentor. "I'll do as you ask, Princess."

The solar pony nods. "I thought you might, my faithful student. Now, onto the changelings themselves..." She looks to the group again.

The three friends stand next to each other, looking up at the princesses. The blue-tinted one waves nervously at them, wrapping her tail around Rhino's for assurance. The goldenrod drone simply smiles, looking at them in interest and a little excitement. The indigo one keeps a neutral expression, watching them quietly.

Luna takes up speaking again. “Considering these changelings have ponies to vouch for them and their merit, we believe it to be only right that they are allowed to live as they have fought so hard for."

Celestia nods. "Of course, after we make it official and we start all the political aspects of this, other changelings will be given the choice as well. This will go smoother as long as Chrysalis behaves."

The three bow to them respectfully. Gel sighs softly in relief, turning to her stallion with tears in her eyes. "I-I get to stay...this is a dream come true..." She embraces him, crying in joy into his shoulder.

The other two watch this with a small smile on each of their faces. "Ain't that cute, sis?" She nods, appearing to giggle happily.

Rhino hugs Gel back, but makes sure to keep an eye on Chrysalis and the Princesses.

The queen is standing and facing the Princesses like a ruler facing an equal. "And what will happen to my hive while I am forced to stay here?"

The orange drone beside her clears his throat, catching their attention. "If it's all the same with you, my Queen, I could take care of the hive while you're...otherwise occupied."

She turns to him and smiles. "That... would actually take much off my mind Port... thank you."

He bows deeply to her, his horn touching the cobblestone beneath their hooves. "It is my pleasure, my Queen."

Luna's wings flap once. "Well then, I believe that is enough for one day." She turns to one of her royal guard. "Keep an eye on things for a few days just to make sure Chrysalis behaves." He salutes. "Good, I shall meet you back in Canterlot, sister." She takes off and half the royal guard follows her.

Port has a few last words with his queen before taking off himself, heading back home to tell them of what has transpired.

Celestia looks to the crowd around them. "I think you can all go back to your lives, my little ponies." She approaches the group, Fluffle Puff and Chrysalis following. She looks to Gel and the others. "Did you have anything to add before I see the newest resident of Ponyville to her home for the time being?"

Gel shakes her head, as does Flick. Luster thinks for a moment before nodding a bit. She points to the ponies still hiding between houses, giving the princesses a sad frown.

Celestia looks toward the citizens before leaning back down to the purple changeling. "I'm afraid I can't do much more, I can't order them to like you. But if they attempt to do anything more than what is legal, you are still protected by our laws. Will that work for now?"

She appears to consider this a moment before nodding, her expression back to neutral.

The alicorn turns to her student. "Alright, Twilight. Let's get your temporary housemate settled in, shall we?"

The group of four leave, meaning the changelings and Rhino are all who are left. The stallion looks to the rest of them. "I guess we should get the pets and head home then... I think we have a bit to celebrate." He hugs Gel to him.

She giggles, tenderly nuzzling his cheek. "...I say we do..."

Luster smirks slightly, turning back towards the library. How does apple bramble sound?

The others start following her as Rhino questions her. I assume you don't mean an apple thornbush?

She gives him a flat look over her shoulder. It's a crumble cake.

Oh... Sorry, had never heard one called that before. He hugs Gel closer to him still, glad to be able to hold her in public now. The nymph leans against him, smiling softly despite looking like she’s about to faint at any moment.

Then this will be a learning experience for you. She shakes her head, a small smile on her lips as the group heads off.

Chapter 68: Birthday Adventure

A week and a half passes and Wednesday morning comes to show that time goes on, despite whatever monumental things may happen. This morning though, the house is quiet as Rhino's alarm goes off. His hoof reaches over and clicks it off before even a second has passed, the stallion looking down and smiling when he sees that it didn't wake Gel. He slowly and smoothly eases his way out of her grasp while prying her hooves off him and replacing his form with a pillow for her to hold. He silently Blinks down to the kitchen and gets to work.

A short time later he comes back in through the door to the bedroom, a tray and glass held in his magic. On the plate is eggs and toast while the glass is her favorite apple juice. He walks over to her side of the bed and leans over, gently kissing her on the cheek. "Rise and shine, sleeping beauty."

She blinks her eyes open blearily, relinquishing her grip on the pillow to rub one with her hoof. "...Rhino...you're up early..." She softly yawns and sits up, swaying a little as she's still tired.

He chuckles. "True, but it is an important day after all." He nuzzles her. "Happy birthday, love."

She sits quietly for a moment before blushing softly. "...is it strange that I...completely forgot about my own birthday?" She nervously giggles, rubbing the back of her neck.

He laughs as he sets the tray in her lap. "Not at all, sometimes these things sneak up on us. Breakfast in bed sound nice?"

She smiles and pats the spot next to her, winking playfully. "Only if you join me."

He smiles as he walks around the bed and slides next to her. "Well, I actually ate while I was making this, but I suppose I could keep you company and maybe take a few bites if you want me to." He raises up a fork in his magic and scoops some eggs onto it before floating it up in front of her mouth. Now why don't you open up so I can see if you like it?"

Gel happily opens her mouth for the food. She chews for a few seconds, letting the taste rest on her tongue, and swallows. She giggles, nodding. "It's good. Really good." She kisses him gently. "Thank you for this, love."

He rubs his nose against hers. "Anytime love, but especially on your special day."

She nuzzles him back before pulling away, looking down at the food before her. She frowns for a moment before picking up her glass. "...would you believe that this is the first time someone else celebrated my birthday?" She takes a sip of the juice, feeling better right away.

He tilts his head. "Are birthdays not a big thing for changelings?"

She shrugs. "When a large number share the same birthday, it loses a lot of the sentiment." She munches on a slice of toast, seemingly content with her answer.

He hugs her gently. "Well, you're the only one I care about, so we are celebrating it every time it comes around. This is your day love." He kisses her cheek again.

She giggles, pulling him close and kissing him deeply. "You really are quite the charmer, aren't you?" She nips his neck, actually purring in contentment.

He simply nuzzles her back before raising up the fork again for her.

The two finish their morning, the lack of presence of both Flick and Luster curious, but not really worrying. Soon enough they are on their way to work, both of them getting into their uniforms at home and walking to work in them.

Gel takes a deep breath before sighing happily. She glances around at the ponies and buildings they pass. She waves at a mare who waves back after a moment of hesitation. You know, this is rather nice. She leans up against him, closing her eyes and letting the morning sun warm up her chitin. At least they aren't actively avoiding me any more, right?

True, that was a bit awkward at first, but at least it wasn't anything too bad. Both of their necklaces glint in the sunlight as they walk through town. I expect the Princesses will make the official changeling announcement soon.

I sure hope so... She pauses momentarily, turning her head slightly to look behind her. ...I must've been mistaken. She shakes her head and hurries forward to catch back up with her stallion. It is rather strange though, isn't it? I could've sworn we'd at least see Ditzy, this morning. She glances at a mailbox with the red flag up. When did she start working so early?

Rhino shrugs and keeps a neutral face. She's the mailmare, usually she's come and gone before most ponies wake up, right? Maybe she's adjusting her route again. They spot the clinic in the distance.

I suppose that could be it... She glances up at him, a cat-like smile on her lips. So, what did you get me, love?

He gives her a coy look. What? Is a day dedicated to you not enough? He sticks out his tongue at her.

She blinks, pausing in front of the closed front doors. ...there's a thought. She giggles softly, deciding to keep her idea a secret for now. She pushes the door open, staring at the darkness in confusion. "...I thought this place had windows...shouldn't there be some light?"

Window shades are a wonderful thing... Rhino reaches over and flicks on the light switch.

Suddenly, many voices all shout out at once. "Surprise! Happy Birthday Gel!"

Gel, startled by this, turns into her smaller form and flies into Rhino's mane. Things are quiet for a moment, then her voice filters out of the hair. "H-hi, Specter. Come here often?"

The stallion bursts out laughing, as does the room at large. After things quiet down, he speaks. "Well, I guess we succeeded at surprising you, huh?"

She pokes her muzzle out of the middle of his blue stripe. "Y-yes, you did...I'm just going to stay in here until my embarrassment dies down...at least Specter will keep me company..."

Manila, one of the group of friends at the party, smirks. "Oh will he now? Specter, I have some nuts for you~!"

The squirrel leaps out of Rhino's mane and lands next to the earth mare, his tail twitching.

Gel pokes her head out completely now, pouting at the mare. "That wasn't very nice..." She sighs dejectedly, sliding down until she's laying along her stallion's horn. "...you're not going to let me wallow in pity, are you?"

Silk smiles at the tiny changeling. "Pity for what dear?"

"My self-pity for being so easily startled..." She groans, lowering her head in shame.

Ditzy giggles as she stands between Flick and Luster. "Hey, everypony... or changeling... can get startled. I know at least half the parties Pinky usually throws scares the pony they're for. At least it's just us, right?"

She squirms a bit but makes no move to get up. "...well...I suppose it is..."

Flick speaks up from his spot next to the yellow pegasus. "Don't make me break out the embarrassing story, Gel. You know the one."

The tiny changeling squeaks and quickly hops off Rhino, turning back to normal. She frowns half-heartedly at the drone. "You're never gonna let me live that down, are you?"

He simply grins. "Nope!"

Rhino looks between the two. "Is this a story I want to hear?"

Flick waves a hoof nonchalantly. "I might tell you later." He walks off down the hall, leaving a vibrantly blushing Gel standing next to Rhino, among all those ponies.

Mane just smiles. "Well, now that that little business is over and our guest of honor is herself, shall we get started?" She gestures over to a table that had been brought in. Big mac sips from a cup of fruit punch as Mane shows what they have. "We have drinks, snacks, and of course, presents."

She looks over the table and smiles brightly. "Cream puffs!" She quickly closes the distance, happily eating puff after puff.

Luster blinks, looking at the nymph next to her. I blinked. Was she really that fast?

Rhino chuckles. "They are her favorite dessert after all... I guess it's time for cake then, unless you don't want cake?" He directs that last part to Gel.

The nymph in question turns to look at him, a puff halfway in her mouth. "Mmph?"

Rhino points over to the snack end of the table, which Ditzy is eyeing meaningfully. There, on the end, is a large round chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Nineteen blue candles rest in its top, all lit.

Manila waggled a hoof. "You know the rules: no one can have any cake and you can't have any presents until you blow out the candles."

She blinks, swallowing the treat in her mouth before responding. "A-actually, I don't know the rules...this would be my first birthday party..." She nervously giggles, slowly stepping sideways towards the cake.

Manila huffs. "Well that's not right. Here..." everypony gathers around the cake, with Gel at the head of the table, "all you do is try and blow out all the candles at once, and make a wish! Keep the wish silent, and don't worry if all the candles don't go out at first, it's the attempt that counts."

She stares at the candles for a second before looking at the ponies around her. She closes her eyes and smiles, thinking to herself. What do I need to wish for? I have friends, my love, our family...I guess there's one thing I could wish for... She takes a deep breath and tries to blow the candles out.

She succeeds, and all the ponies applaud as smoke rises from the extinguished wicks... just before they each spark and are suddenly lit again.

Gel blinks, confused by this. "...well, there's always the other method..." She sighs and lights up her horn, picking the candles up with her magic. She carries them over to the sink and, getting a cup of water, douses each flame inside it.

She returns and puts the candles on the table. "Sorry about that. I really want to know what this cake tastes like."

Rhino blows a small razzberry. "Spoilsport... usually ponies at least try a few times before figuring out that you need to use water..." He picks up the server knife anyway. For that though, I'll want to know what your wish was. He slices off the first piece of cake and presents it to Gel before starting to divvy up more to everyone else.

She quirks an eyebrow at him. "Fire's my element. I could tell when a flame is influenced." She carries her plate over to one side of the room. ...sure, love. I wished for our family to be healthy and happy. She smiles and brings a fork over to herself but pauses. ...Rhino? What is Ditzy eating?

He looks over to the gray pegasus. It appears she is... scooping up bits of her chocolate cake with a pickle then taking a bite... ew... never seen that before...

She nods to herself, placing her cake on the desk and walking over. She taps the mare's shoulder, smiling warmly. "Hi, Ditzy. How have you been, lately?" As she waits for her reply, she subtly extends her empathy, wanting to check something.

The mailmare takes another crunch of her pickle before replying. "Great! I've been feeling good." One wing absentmindedly rubs her stomach. "I've got good reasons..."

She can feel the love coming off her friend, as well as a sense of security. Without this, she could figure out the same from the pony's actions. She gulps, leaning in and lowering her voice. "...Ditzy...are you...pregnant?" The last word is almost a whisper, not wanting to draw attention to them.

She giggles and nods as she blushes lightly with a large smile. "How'd you guess? I didn't want to bring any attention to it... but yes... we've got a little one on the way..." She rubs her stomach again. "Turner and I were so happy when we figured it out..."

She hugs her gently, smiling warmly. "You weren't exactly hiding it...I mean, you were eating cake and pickles." She pulls away, playfully sticking out her tongue.

Ditzy points at her with the half eaten pickle. "Hey, when you get pregnant, you'll see exactly how there is no way to argue with how delicious they make odd things sound."

She blinks, tapping her chin with a hoof. "I suppose I can't argue with that...any plans for names?"

She shakes her head. "No, not yet. But, I mean I'm not even close to halfway there yet, so I've got time."

Gel nods. "I suppose you're right..." She glances over at Flick, watching him chat with her best friend. "...I wonder what they're talking about..."

Ditzy shrugs. "They're friends, right? So, I guess they hang out and chat a lot..." She tilts her head to one side. "It might be the hormones talking, but maybe there's something more?"

"I think you may be right..." She narrows her eyes, watching as the drone casually touches the pegasus's foreleg with one of his own.

Silk looks down at the foreleg then back to the drone, who slowly removes the appendage. This is followed by the yellow mare giggling then pushing him lightly before walking off with a slight sway to her hips.

He smirks as he turns to head over to the drink table, pausing to purposely watch the pony's stride for a second.

Gel sighs, shaking her head. "...he always was a Cassanova..."

Ditzy comments after taking another bite of her pickle. "Or a giant flirt, hard to tell which with some ponies, or changelings, I would guess." She swallows before continuing. "Hey, I saw Rhino walking into a few of the fancier buildings when I was flying around the other day, sorry if this is prying, but judging from what they were, it looked like he was browsing for wedding planners. Have you two decided on one yet? Or a date?"

She shakes her head. "Not a specific wedding, yet, but we did decide on a date."

The gray mare's eyes light up and one drifts slightly before she wrangles it back into place. "Oh? Do tell."

She smiles, pulling her cake over from across the room. "September 3rd." She scoops a bit up with her fork, mumbling to herself. "Should be a day or two after my heat..." She eats what she took off, keeping herself from saying anything else.

The two stay quiet for a bit until Ditzy perks up again. "Hey... I know this may sound like an odd question... but... Do you think, in the future I mean, if you have foals, would they play with mine?"

Gel swallows what she has in her mouth before smiling warmly at her. "I'd like to think so. In fact, I hope they become great friends!" She giggles, nodding a bit.

The sounds of hooves tapping together loudly echoes over everypony talking. All look toward the source, Manila. "Ok, enough delays! Present time! Get over here, birthday girl!"

She sheepishly nods but does as told, silently hoping she doesn't do something to embarrass herself while the attention is back on her. She looks over the presents, unsure which to open first. She picks one up with apple-themed wrapping paper. "...I wonder who brought this one..." She glances at the red stallion next to Manila. "Was it you?"

He adjusts the sprig of wheat in his mouth as he smiles. "Sorta."

Manila explains. "Actually, this is sort of a combination gift from Mane, Big Mac, and I."

She smiles softly, carefully turning the long, flat box in her magic. "Thank you all..." She quickly removes the paper without ripping it and opens the container, peeking inside.

Inside are three sets of jewelry. Each of them is identical except that one has rubies, one has sapphires, and the other has emeralds. Each set contains a pair of earrings, a mane clip, and a solid band to be worn on the base of the tail.

She blinks, stunned at the gifts. "...I...w-wow...these are beautiful..." She looks up at her friends, smiling warmly for a second. ...I hope they didn't spend too much for these...even though they are amazing...

Rhino comments. Small gems like that tend to look nice and not set ponies back much financially.

She nods, carefully putting them off to one side. That's good... She walks over and hugs each of them in turn. "You really have no idea how grateful I am, you guys..."

Mane giggles. "We couldn't decide on a color, so we just decided to get all of them. We figured this way you could match them to almost any outfit."

Gel laughs softly. "You were right...good thing I like outfits, huh?" She looks down at her scrubs and then the sapphires. She quickly floats the mane clip and puts it on, the earrings following suit. She pauses, staring at the tail band before putting it back in its box, blushing brightly. ...maybe later...

Manila giggles. "The tail clip isn't dirty in any way, it's just a fashion choice. You can always try it later though. So, which one do you want next? You've got four left."

She tilts her head, thinking a bit before grabbing one that was simply flat and rectangular. "...this is a big one..." She carefully opens the lid and gapes in shock. "...o-oh dear Luna...this is..." She gulps quietly and turns to Rhino, holding it up so he can see it.

What he sees is a painting. Not just any painting, though - this one was of the couple. It showed them laying down on the couch, Gel on his chest and the two of them tenderly embracing each other. The detail of it was astounding, almost as if they were looking at a photograph.

He whistles before something occurs to him and his head snaps to Flick. "Please tell me you did that from memory and not from the model."

The drone nods, grinning cheekily. "From memory? Yes. Not from the model? I'd be lying if I didn't have to look at you two at first." He shrugs, ignoring the mortified look on the blue nymph's face. "I thought you two sleeping like that was cute, so I figured I'd paint it. Remember that day?" He gestures towards the painting.

The birthday girl looks down at it, confused for a moment before spotting a bit of white on her stallion's side. "...this was from...the day Mane and Manila came over...that's why there's a bit of gauze on Rhino's side..."

The stallion tilts his head and sees the details. "Good catch, That and your necklace do set this apart from all the other times we end up sleeping on the couch."

Flick chuckles, turning to the mare next to him. "So, Silk, which one of them is yours?" He elbows her side playfully. "I bet you got her something amazing, am I right?"

The pegasus laughs as she bats the back of his head with a wing. "Well, I don't know about amazing..." she points to an average sized package, "but I have a feeling she might get some use out of it, even if she doesn’t share exactly what it is..." There's a mischievous glint in her eye.

Gel watches this exchange with no small amount of confusion before turning to said package, opening it up carefully. She glances inside, wondering what it could be.

Inside is a book, but it's the title of the book that draws Gel's eye. The book is titled 'Preening for Non-Pegasi: Couple's Edition'.

She tilts her head, curious, before pulling it out and flipping it over, looking at the back cover. "...'Couple's Edition'...for preening? I don't..." She looks over at Silk, hoping for an explanation. "...I don't get it...are you giving me one of your books?"

Silk giggles. "Not quite, hun. I don't need a book to tell me what I need to know about my wings. I just remembered something you two may have said that day just before you talked to Twilight... remember how I said you really wanted him to learn? This is why."

She nods quietly, looking at the book for a few seconds. "...thank you, Silk..."

As she turns back to the table, the drone leans close and whispers into her ear. "I'd like to try that with you, sometime." He chuckles, letting a membranous wing unfold slightly and reach out between them to brush against her own feathered one.

She traps his wing in hers with a quick rustle of her feathers before whispering back. "Only when I say so. Let's see if you keep playing your cards right." She winks.

He smirks slightly, shrugging a bit. "If you say so. I'm not the kind to simply fold, though." His wing wraps around hers, as if they were a replacement for holding hooves. "And I think I'll keep calling, for now."

"You forget," she begins as Gel selects another present, "they say the house always wins."

"I still like my chances." He watches her pick up one that appears to be wrapped in blue and grey paper. "Besides, from what I've seen, the reward is worth it."

The nymph slowly opens it, blinking as a set of silver bands fall out. She catches the long, cylindrical items with her magic and stares at them, unsure of what to do with them. "...um...thanks for the...shoes?"

Luster shakes her head. Those are bracers, Gel. They protect your forelegs when fighting or using a bow. She appears to giggle. I know how much you enjoy your marksmanship.

She squeaks, blushing in embarrassment. "...b-but I..." She trails off and sighs, smiling softly. "...thank you..."

Rhino tilts his head even though he perfectly heard both sides of the exchange. I don't get it...

The indigo nymph looks at him with a neutral expression. Simply put, Gel likes ranged equipment. I'm sure you've seen an example of this at some point, right? She glances at her friend, seeing her put the items on and admiring them for a moment.

He shakes his head. Not at all actually... I'm fairly certain I've only ever seen her fight in close combat...

She tilts her head at him. Really? You haven't seen any bows, any weapon that can hit from a distance?

Gel quickly turns to pick up the last present, a checkbook-sized item. She turns to the mailmare, smiling softly. "Can I assume this is from you?"

He shakes his head again. Not a single thing, and why would that warrant a blush?

The gray mare nods. "Yep! I made it myself!"

I honestly have no clue. She closes her eyes, trying to think on this a bit. Maybe you should ask her?

The nymph blinks, looking down at the item in her forehooves. "You made it?" She opens it up, wondering what it could be.

Inside is what looks like, for all intents and purposes, a checkbook. However, instead of a bank or checks, the cover has a picture of a muffin and an envelope and the title 'Ditzy Book'. Inside are coupons, some for things like overnight mail, and some more fun ones like a free muffin basket of your flavor choice. There are even small disclaimers like 'no more than one muffin basket may be ordered in the same week unless ordered two weeks in advance'.

Rhino nods. I'll have to do that.

Gel blinks, trying to understand what she's looking at. She flips through it, trying to see if there is an explanation on the inside. "Ditzy, thank you for this..." She finishes and closes it up, turning to the mare. "...I hope it's not rude of me to ask what it's for." She nervously laughs, rubbing the back of her neck.

Ditzy tilts her head. "What do you mean? It's what it looks like! A custom coupon book for services from yours truly." She puts a hoof on her chest and salutes with a wing. "I only give it to good friends!"

Finally understanding, she smiles warmly, walking over and hugging her. "Thank you..." She turns to everyone gathered, fighting back a lump of emotion in her throat. "...all of you. I couldn't ask for better friends."

Manila stands on her hind hooves and reaches out her forelegs. "Group hug!"

Gel giggles, pulling the other mare close and hugging them both at the same time. Soon, everyone else joins in, everyone enjoying the moment.

The party winds down after a bit and everypony besides Gel and Rhino heads home or to work, leaving the two to their own jobs. A normal and happy day follows until they get home.

Once there, Rhino opens the door for her and bows. "After you, love. We have the house to ourselves, and I believe I did say something about the day being yours. I still have two more things to give you."

She smiles softly and gently kisses his forehead in passing. "I can't wait to find out what they are." She walks inside, happy to be home after such a long day. She glances down at her scrubs, idly rubbing the fabric. "I'm glad Rarity was able to fit this for me. I've grown too fond of this cloud pattern." She giggles, shaking her head.

He nods. "I'm glad she reacted so well after finding out you were Angel. Didn't she say something about 'loving that other species enjoyed her works'?"

She nods, fluttering her wings slightly. "She did, and I believe she was going to see if Chrysalis wanted an outfit." She nods, fluttering her wings slightly. "It was also nice of her to add these slits for me."

He sets her bags, which he had been carrying since they were full of presents, down. He glances inside and chuckles. "I suppose it would be odd to hang a painting of us on the couch, above the couch."

She shrugs, thinking a bit. "How about on a wall in the bedroom?" She moves over to the couch, the metal bands clinking against each other.

He just laughs. "Maybe..." He spots her on the couch and lights up his horn, a small cubic present floats down from upstairs. He levitates it in front of him and shuffles his hooves nervously as he offers it to her. "ow... umm, I've never really been good at picking out presents, so this may not stack up to some of the other things you got, and it may not seem like much, but I thought you might like it. I'm trying to make up for it with everything else I'm doing so I hope altogether, everything makes a good present..." He says all this very fast and with his eyes averted.

Gel laughs, holding up a hoof. "Love, you don't have to be so flustered. I'm sure I'll like it." She takes it in her forehooves and carefully unwraps it, not wanting to damage it on accident.

Inside the box is a simple snowglobe, one of Canterlot.

Rhino continues averting his eyes. "You know... where we first met and all..."

She stares at it for a moment, jaw agape in shock. "...R-Rhino..." She picks it up in her magic, not trusting her hooves with such a fragile item. "...it's beautiful..." She looks up at him, smiling warmly as her eyes well with tears. "...t-thank you..."

He looks up and smiles. "Well... I'm glad you like it... Are you sure it's enough?"

She pauses, her gaze falling to the treasure in her magic. "It's great...but I still want foals." She laughs, winking at him. "I can wait for a bit on that gift, though." She shakes the snow globe, watching as the flurry goes through it before becoming sheepish. "Sorry, had to do it at least once."

He leans forward and nuzzles her. "What? The foals comment or shaking the globe?"

"Shaking the globe." She gingerly places it on the end table before stretching out along the couch. "...speaking of foals...please don't mention this to anyone else, but Ditzy's got a bun in the oven..."

He smiles. "Ah, that does explain things... I won't say anything, but I bet in a few months, everypony will know. I hope she's very happy." He sits near her head and begins slowly stroking her mane as he sits on the floor.

She coos softly, her eyes drifting closed as she leans into his hoof. "...I'm sure she is...and thank you for not spilling the beans..." Her ear flicks when his hoof gets close. "...you said two things, right?"

"In a manner of speaking," he explains, "I thought I would make this evening special for you by letting you know that this evening, your wish is my command. Anything you want me to do, from cooking you something, to playing a game, to just snuggling, whatever you want me to do, I will."

She considers this a moment, a cat-like smile growing on her lips. "Whatever I want, love?"

He nods, "No matter how small, big, or silly."

She beams, suddenly sitting up and grinning at him in excitement. "I want to play make-believe!"

He raises an eyebrow at the statement. "Huh... deja vu... Ok, what did you have in mind?"

She taps her chin, thinking deeply, her brow furrowed. "...what to act out...hmm...it should be clean...nothing strenuous..." She holds up a hoof. "N-no offense...I-I'm still trying to recover from Sunday..."

He nods understandingly. "I understand, it was another one of those odd days... I don't suppose you're going to go for your usual 'princess' one? Seems to be one you use plenty."

She shakes her head, giggling playfully. "No, I think we should try something different..." She brightens up and pumps a hoof into the air. "I got it!"

He pauses stroking her mane. "I'm listening."

Gel leaps up and rushes out of the room. "Meet me in the woods behind our house in a few minutes!" She hurries up the stairs, if the stamping of hooves on carpeted wood is any indication.

Rhino shakes his head as he starts to take a few things out of his bags. "Sometimes I wonder what she would do if we didn't live near woods..."

A short time later, Rhino is leaning up against on of the trees just outside their yard. He checks his watch before shrugging and sinking down into a sitting position with his back up against the trunk.

Right at that moment, his vision is filled with navy. "Boo!"

"Ah!" He falls over to one side in surprise.

Gel giggles, continuing to hang from her branch by her tail. "I didn't know you were scared that easily." She sticks out her tongue at him teasingly.

He mumbles as he picks himself up, though he is smiling. "Scared and startled are two separate things."

"If you say so." She lets herself drop, landing on her forelegs. She turns and counts the arrows in her quiver, making sure she didn't drop any. "Either way, you looked cute." She frowns when she realizes that she actually did lose one. She quickly searches the ground, trying to find the stray.

The stallion quirks an eyebrow. "Huh... I guess Luster was right. You really do practice marksmanship... i was starting to doubt her."

She blinks, turning towards him. "Of course I do. If done right, it's a great way to disable an opponent." She smirks, pulling off her bow and spinning it around a hoof. "Top of my class."

He chuckles. "I somehow recall your close combat being admirable as well..."

She shakes her head. "It's not as good as Luster's, though."

"Well then," he walks over and kisses her cheek, "I guess I'll see you in action with this idea of yours?"

"Hopefully." She shrugs before she grins excitedly and points out towards the woods. "Let's head out! The temple should be close by!"

He begins to follow her, asking a quick question. "So... are we jumping straight into roles or do I actually get to know what mine is?"

She glances over her shoulder at him. "I'm your guide. Aren't you Professor Clydesdale, the famous explorer?"

Still pressing her for details so he knows what to do, he continues. "Am I? It's your world, love."

She rolls her eyes playfully. "You are him, and we're trekking through the jungle to find the Heart of Jong." She notices his look. "A mystical artifact carved out of a ruby. Or at least it is, in this story."

He mutters quietly. "It's times like these I feel warrant monocles..." He straightens up and assumes his role by clearing his throat and speaking in what sounds like a gruffer voice. "So, I don't believe I caught your name, miss."

She giggles, pausing to bow respectfully. "My name is Starry Trail, but you may call me Star." She opens up her one saddlebag and pulls out a single lens attached to a chain. "And I believe you dropped this, Professor."

Silently cheering, Rhino dons the blank prescription lens and puffs out his chest a bit. "Thank you, Star, I just don't feel right without it. Now then, how far did you say we were from the temple?"

She glances at the trees around them before nodding and heading a little to their left. "We should be about a mile out."

He nods in acknowledgement. "Ah, shouldn't be long then. Now to decide whether to pass the time in silence or not."

Her ear twitches, and she looks around fretfully. "I think we might need to postpone that decision. We have company."

Out from behind the trees, a few large cats step out, staring at the pair. One of them, the largest, roars at them, baring its canines.

Rhino, a bit skittish around felines any larger than a house cat ever since his encounter with Port, Blinks behind Gel out of reflex. A second later, it registers to him that the inside of the mouth of the one that roared, was metal. Still, even if he had suspicions of the culprits, the realism of the fake cats and staying in character does cause the appropriate reaction. Shaking from a little honest fear, he remarks to Gel. "I-I hope you know how to use that bow of yours..."

She blinks and nods, surprised by his reaction. "...w-well, yes, I do..." She quickly takes off her bow and grabs an arrow. She notches it and glances around, waiting for a sign. She hears the beginning of a roar and quickly reacts, shooting the one on their left straight in the mouth. It appears to freeze in place before falling over, still as a statue. ...thank goodness that isn't a real puma...

There is a slight tremor to his mental voice as he responds. L-looks close enough to the real thing to me... please kill the rest...

She nods and quickly downs the rest of them. She turns to him and nods. "We should hurry, before any others show up."

His response is short and quiet as he tries to straighten up. "Erm, yes, quite..."

She giggles, bumping his side with hers. "Why'd it have to be pumas, right?"

He chuckles nervously as he looks around. "Yeah... heh... Erm, good job, you know, back there..."

"Thank you, Professor." She turns back to start heading off again. "You had some nice reflexes back there, too."

He follows her as he responds. "Yep... good old survival instinct..."

"Maybe you'll be able to show some that aren't hiding?" She sticks her tongue out at him playfully.

He gives her a genuine chuckle. "Perhaps... perhaps..." They pass through a thick bunch of bushes.

She pushes a branch out of her way and holds it there, waiting for him to pass by it. "Don't want you to get hit, right?"

He nods to her gratefully. "Why thank you, you certainly do earn your pay, don't you?"

She blinks, surprised at this. "I'm getting paid?"

He raises an eyebrow. "Well, yes. I assumed you knew. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you accompanied me regardless and I do enjoy your company, but one doesn't exactly ask friends to go into a dangerous jungle without some sort of reward."

She blushes brightly, embarrassed. "I-I didn't think about that...I just wanted to help you..."

He just laughs as they enter a clearing. "Well, there's an unexpected bonus for you then. Hostile territory, ancient artifacts, rewards for finding them, and of course new friends along the way. We seem to have everything."

She giggles, shrugging a bit. "I suppose that..." She trails off, looking in front of them at the large manticore in the middle of the field. "...I...did not expect that."

The manticore, still being made of mostly large cat, causes a similar reaction to the one the cats caused earlier. Rhino freezes in place, but at least doesn't hide behind Gel this time. "Erm... nice kitty?"

It narrows its eyes at him, growling angrily. It pads over to them, circling them as if figuring out whether or not they were a threat.

He instinctively moves closer to Gel, shaking slightly, but holding himself together. "Well, not outright hostile... that's good..."

She nods, draping a wing over his back. "...indeed..." She watches the feline lean in close to Rhino's face, sniffing him a bit before licking him. She falters a bit, confused. ...okay, did not expect that either.

Rhino almost immediately smiles and raises a hoof to scratch behind the creature's ear. "Aww... aren't you a nice one?"

Gel squeaks, realizing something as the creature licks Rhino with its orange tongue once more, purring softly. ...R-Rhino...that's a real manticore...

He responds as he laughs from the tickling cat tongue. Yeah, I kinda figured that when it licked me and I got a glimpse down its throat. He looks at the large creature curiously. "What are you doing all the way out here in the middle of Whitetail woods? Aren't you guys usually closer to the Everfree border?"

It doesn't respond, aside from looking around for the forest in question.

The nymph next to him thinks for a bit, confused. "...do you think...he was visiting someone and got lost?"

Rhino shrugs. "I do hear Fluttershy deals with these occasionally. Her, maybe? Unless you mean like an animal friend, in which case I have no idea."

"I meant Fluttershy..." She watches as it takes to the skies and heads off, frowning slightly. "...aww...I was enjoying his company..."

Rhino nods. "Me too... I guess it had something to do... bit of a surprise for your trip huh?"

She nods as well, slowly working her way across the field. "We should be nearing the temple at any moment, Professor."

He nods. "Excellent, I look forward to seeing what sort of place the artifact was housed in."

As they near the other side, a building appears in front of them as if by magic. It is an odd looking temple, taking its main design from the eastern countries.

She looks up at it and nods, turning to him. "This is the place."

He looks up at it with appropriate awe. "Interesting..." He begins chuckling after a moment before turning to her. "I don't suppose we should look out for traps out of some Daring Do novel, should we?"

She blinks, staring at him in confusion. "...Daring Do? I heard she's an explorer like you...I didn't know she had a novel, though."

Rhino has to reconsider his joke since apparently Daring was not a fictional character in this little role play. "Well, similar in many ways I suppose. You'd be surprised the number of ponies who like to hear of a good adventure."

"I see. Well, you do have one thing she doesn't." She steps into the building in an attempt to hide her small blush.

He tries to keep his mind from going dirty places as he enters after her. "Well, I do have a horn..."

"Well, that, too." She giggles, flicking his nose teasingly with her tail. "I meant that you have humility. You aren't afraid to ask others for help, after all. Right?"

Ignoring his usual reflex when she brings her tail into play, he answers. "Fair enough, she does usually tend to prefer to fly solo... Not sure why though, personally I like the company."

She continues forward, muttering softly to herself. "...and I'm sure the company likes you..."

Rhino takes a torch off the wall and lights it with a quick bit of magic. "One thing I find is always a source of fascination is that some early ponies just never saw the benefit of windows..." He floats the torch forward to light the way in the rooms that don't have skylights.

She glances around. "...I see that...honestly, I think I'm going to need some light, myself..." She creates a small ball of fire in front of her, lighting her way. "...this is my first time inside this place, after all..." She squeaks when her hoof sinks into the floor, eyes wide. "...uh oh..."

Rhino stops in his tracks. "Ok... just remain calm..."

She trembles softly, extremely worried. "...P-Professor...w-what do I do? I-If I move..."

Rhino looks around and sees some holes in the wall. "Dart trap... Star, don't take your hoof off the pressure plate. Keep your hoof on it and come toward me as much as possible." He reaches a hoof out to her.

She nods, slowly stretching herself forwards. Her hoof struggles to stay on it as she pushes herself closer to him, her free hoof almost reaching his.

Suddenly, he reaches forward and grabs her hoof, yanking her towards him and off the pressure plate. Rapidly, darts fire out of the walls and over where she once stood, thudding into the opposite wall.

She hugs him tightly, her heart hammering away in her chest. "T-thank you..."

He blushes lightly as he embraces her. "You're quite welcome..."

She holds him like that for a few moments before remembering herself and pulling away, coughing in embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry about that. W-we should continue, right?"

He nods, ignoring the slight pang from letting her go. "Right... let's just watch our steps."

She nods once more, carefully stepping forward. "...y-you're really fluffy, you know that?"

He chuckles. "So I've been told... and you are smooth."

She blinks, turning to look at him. "...um...t-that's a compliment, right?"

He passes her with a sly smile. "Just a compliment to your own texture, as you commented on mine."

She blushes brightly, following him. "...oh...t-thank you..."

"You're quite welcome." He raises his torch and peers down the hallway where an arch can be seen. "Ah, that appears to be the entrance to the central chamber. Right at the end of this mysteriously unremarkable hallway..."

She nods, fluttering her wings a bit. "...I could try flying us across..."

"That would likely be best... most places aren't designed for indoor flying intruders..." He thinks for a moment before looking back at her. "But how would that even work?"

"Like this." She picks him up around his waist, holding them both in the air for a moment. "This should be fine...if we move fast..."

Rhino swings his hooves a bit. "Again, you impress me, this time with your strength..."

She quickly starts flying forward. "Don't be too impressed...I'm having a bit of a hard time..." She squeaks as a bar of iron suddenly juts out, making her have to swerve around it. "Too close!"

"I'm afraid there's not much I can do here, Star... It's up to you to get us through..." Rhino faces forward as they fly.

"O-of course, Professor." She hurries as fast as she can, dodging obstacles that pop out of the walls almost randomly. "How am I even tripping these?!"

"Ancient unicorn magic?" Rhino offers.

"Maybe!" She reaches the end of the hall, watching as an alligator pops up out of the floor and approaches them. "...I guess they somehow kept that fed, all these years..."

Rhino eyes the gator carefully. "Does it seem hostile to you?"

She moves a hoof closer and leaps back when it snaps at her. "I-I think so..."

"Hmm..." Rhino's hoorn lights up and a Res circle appears below the alligator, sticking it in place. There's an unseen one within his mouth to keep it shut as well. "There we go."

She blinks, tilting her head to one side in confusion. "Professor, what did you do?"

He explains simply as he passes the incapacitated lizard. "I stuck its mouth shut then stuck its body to the floor. I'll unstick it on the way out."

"...okay, then." She looks ahead, her jaw dropping in shock. "...that's it...the Heart of Jong..."

In front of them, on a pedestal, sits the largest ruby seen by either of them. It is nearly flawless, the few lines on its surface seeming to pulse with a violet glow.

"Exquisite..." The unicorn approaches the prize. "This is going to make a museum very happy..."

She grabs him by the tail and yanks him back. At the same time, a spear shoots out of the ground, narrowly missing his head. "...that was definitely too close..."

A bit of sweat drops off Rhino's face. "Indeed..."

She glances down at where he stood, seeing a depressed stone. "...I think we have to watch our step in here, too..."

He looks at her. "I don't suppose you're up for more flying?"

She shakes her head. "...sorry...my wings aren't that strong to begin with...and I'm sure they have better aerial traps in this room..."

"Well..." He rubs his chin with a hoof. "I do have a few other options... i could teleport us over..."

Her eyes widen and she quickly shakes her head. "I-I'm fine staying here." Sorry, love...I don't like the thought of being squeezed through a tube... She shudders at this.

He looks back at the jewel. "I don't suppose it would be as easy as just levitating it over..." His horn lights up and his aura surrounds the jewel.

A piece of metal comes flying out of the wall and whacks him on the horn, disrupting his concentration.

He rubs his horn ruefully. "Ok... that's not an option..."

She gestures towards the tiles in front of him. "Maybe you should solve the puzzle?"

He looks down at the pattern. "I wonder..." He sees a winding path of similar tiles going through all the different ones. He places a hoof on the tile and nothing happens. He nods and proceeds to slowly cross the tiles one at a time.

Gel grins, excited. "That's it, Professor. You're doing it!"

Rhino responds slowly as he makes his way across. "So it appears..." Though it occurs to me I could have simply teleported myself over and come back, it didn't seem like the spirit of the challenge..." He reaches the base of the small stepped pedestal holding the gem. He smiles as he reaches toward the gem and lays a hoof on it.

Nothing bad appears to happen, but there is a pulse of magic that goes into his body.

He lifts up the gem and holds it to his chest as he quickly makes his way back over to Gel. He shows it to her as he gets close. "Success!"

She beams, hugging him happily. "I knew you could do it!" She gives him a small peck on the cheek.

He blushes brightly. "Erm... Star?"

She looks up to him, smiling warmly. "Yes, Professor?"

He looks down at her embracing hooves. "You... kissed me..."

She blushes, letting her head lower slightly. "...i-it seemed right...s-sorry..."

He laughs nervously. "I didn't say it was a bad thing... but maybe wait until we're out of the temple..."

She nods, embarrassed. "R-right." She moves to the side and gestures to the hallway. "A-after you?"

"Right..." They make their way back down the hallway with no further incident, Rhino releasing the alligator after they get a decent distance away. Before long they feel the grass under their hooves as they reach the bottom of the temple stairs.

She moves up next to him and lays her wing across his back. "S-so...about that kiss..." She fidgets a bit, a hopeful look in her eyes.

He simply chuckles and kisses her lips.

She kisses him back before pulling away, blushing even more than before. "...P-Professor?"

He smiles at her. "Yes?"

She sits down, nervously tapping her hooves together. "...d-do you like me? O-or am I reading a bit too much into the kiss?"

He nuzzles her lightly. "I like you very much..."

"...like me how much?" She looks up at him shyly.

He smiles. "Like enough to ask you to come back with me."

She blinks, confused by this. "C-come back with you...where?"

He explains. "Well, I live in a quaint little town, and I know you live out here in the wilds. So, I'm asking if you want to come back with her on the airship I used to come here."

She stares at him with shock. "...y-you want me to...live with you?"

He waves his hooves. "Not with anything untoward, I assure you. I just know my place would likely be better than any inn you would find... Plus you know... it'll be nice to have you around..."

She considers this a moment before nodding, a small smile on her lips. "...I think I'd like that...and, to be honest..." She leans up and nuzzles his cheek. "...I'd miss you if I didn't..."

He chuckles as he finally breaks character. "I guess we can't help but let certain things bleed over into our roles, huh?" He kisses her neck.

"I guess not..." She giggles, gently kissing him. "So, what did you think of this little adventure?"

He smiles. "It was much more fun than I anticipated... though I didn't take into account that you might have... helpers."

She squeaks, embarrassed. "W-well, I wanted it to be memorable..." She taps her forehooves together nervously. "...it wasn't too obvious, was it?"

He just laughs. "Metal is hard to hide sometimes, but I'm good at immersing myself. The manticore was unexpected though."

I thought we did a decent job. The siblings step out of the temple, though the drone appears to be wearing a pith hat.

He grins, shrugging a bit. "I was a bit rushed, so it wasn't my best work. My apologies, Doc."

Rhino waves a hoof. "Oh, don't get me wrong, the only thing that gave it away was the insides of their mouths. That's when I got into it though. Applause to the scenery crew for all their hard work." He applauds them sincerely by stomping his hooves.

They both bow to him. "Well, thank you kindly, Prof." He snickers, pointing to the monocle on Rhino's face.

Rhino just counters by pointing to Flick's hat and Gel's bow and quiver. "Hey, I'm not the only one who likes a prop to help get in character." He chuckles.

"Hey, I'm proud of this hat!" He takes it off and holds it to his chest. "It was the first thing I won in a fair. Granted, I was in disguise, but still!" He and his sister start walking off. "So, some manticore, huh?"

The unicorn nods. "Yeah... but at least he was one of the nice ones."

They all nod in agreement as they head back home, the temple melting behind them and forming a cube, following them closely.

Chapter 69: Progression

Another week and a half passes and the weekend welcomes all those who appreciate it. Saturday morning creeps by as the sun works its way through the tiniest gap between the shade and the border of the window in the couple's room. With both of their housemates gone for their own reasons this morning, the nymph and stallion have blissfully slept in, the pets only too happy to follow their example. The solitary strip of sunlight, as is customary of it's kind, manages to find it's way right onto the eyelids of the green stallion.

His brain starting to warm up as the light disturbs his sleep, Rhino entertains a brief wisp of thought as to how the light always manages to find him despite his best efforts to make the room completely sealed off from it when he wants it that way. His mouth and eyes twitch as he lets out a brief noise of discomfort. He purposefully shifts lower on his pillow to dodge the beam of light. However, what his not-yet-fully-functioning brain did not take into account, was that as the biggest thing in the bed and what most of the inhabitants of it, including Gel, we sleeping on in some way, his shifting doesn't usually tend to go without notice.

The nymph mumbles, wrapping her hooves around his head and hugging him closer. This presses his snout against her chest, and his horn bops her nose. She squeaks in surprise, eyes snapping open. "...oh..." She blushes brightly, realizing what just happened.

He snuggles closer to her, still in denial about having to wake up. He nuzzles her chest as he wraps his arm firmly around her.

She sees this and smirks playfully. She sticks out her tongue, giving his horn a single, long lick.

His eyes shoot open as his whole body shivers, his fur sticking up on end. "Woah..."

She giggles, stroking his cheek with a hoof. "Good morning, sleepy head." She gives him another lick, this time circling the blunt tip of it. "Are you excited for the weekend?"

He shivers again as he looks up at her. "You know I always enjoy weekends... but I think you've got the 'excited' part covered already." He sticks out his tongue playfully.

Gel smiles, leaning down and kissing him gently. "...good to know...because I wanted to try something out..." She blushes softly, glancing over her shoulder at the book on her nightstand.

Rhino gently levitates Mercury and Specter off him and to the foot of the bed so he doesn't squish them. He rolls over to see what she is looking at. "Is that another one of your romance books?"

She shakes her head. "...not exactly..." She picks it up and turns it towards him, showing off the cover - 'Preening for Non-Pegasi: Couple's Edition'.

It takes him a moment, but he remembers her birthday. "Ah, right. Silk's present to you. I take it you skimmed it or something?"

"...I did...and...I want to try it out..." She sheepishly smiles, embarrassed. "...would you like to give it a try?"

He sits up and stretches his forelegs upward until he hears a slight crack that causes him to sigh contently. "Ok... I have to admit, I'm interested. Mom, always did her own preening and I never understood why she didn't ask for help."

"Maybe she didn't want to bother your dad?" She steps off the bed and turns into a navy pegasus mare, a virtual pony version of herself. She looks at him, tilting her head to one side. "Or maybe she was worried your dad wouldn't do that well. A pony's wings are a sensitive part of their body, after all." She flexes her wings, letting herself get a feel for the feathered appendages.

"I actually meant during the times I lived with her and she and dad were divorced, but it's not important." He looks her over and nods approvingly. "So... what does it say?"

She pushes the book closer to him on the bed, smiling coyly. "Why don't you have a peek, love?" Her ear twitches and she glances over to see the pets exit the room. "...I'll go feed the pets while you do..." She walks out of the room, leaving him alone with the book.

He tilts his head to the side but shrugs and cracks open the book, starting to read.

She returns shortly after, closing the door behind her and slowly approaching the bed. She gives him a lidded gaze as she climbs onto the mattress, her hindlegs hanging off the edge. "So, is it a good read?"

He nods as he shuts the book. "A bit, had to skip to the actual instructions and they treat it almost like a massage really... Though they do provide many suggestions that don't seem to have much practical purpose... I feel like I missed some context..."

She shrugs before resting her head on her forehooves, smiling sweetly at him. "I'm sure you'll do fine." She extends her wings slightly, laying them on the bed. "Ready to get started?"

He nods and thinks a moment. "Ok it suggested two particular positions as staples. One was both of us sitting, with me behind you and yours wings flared outward in the air. The other was with you laying flat and your stomach with wings spread, as I'm over you. Which one do you want to do?"

She giggles, flapping her wings. "Considering I'm already laying down, could we do the second one?"

He smiles. "Ok then..." He stand over her and settles himself to one side of her, just behind her left wing. He peers at her wing quizzically and asks with teasing suspicion in his voice. "Did you purposefully mess up some feathers so I would have something to do?"

She looks over at him, a flat look on her face. "Selena decided to help us out. She leaped onto my back and ruffled my feathers..." She shrugs and closes her eyes, feeling that was enough explanation.

"I'll be sure to thank her later then..." He recalls that the book explained he is basically just realigning feathers and taking out any loose ones. With the mental image of how the wings should look, he begins from the innermost feathers near the base. He decides to not do the suggested extra movements until he sees he can do the basics. Using a combination of his lips, teeth, and tongue, his slowly works each feather into place, making minute adjustments as he goes.

A pleasant tingle travels up her spine, and she has to fight back a tiny shiver. She can feel each little movement due to the sensitivity of her wings.

As he eventually moves up her wing, he has to start working his tongue between feathers so that he can set them individually. A slightly dirty part of his mind brings to light the only other times his tongue has had to wriggle around like this. He places a hoof gently on the base of her wing to keep it steady, as the book suggested.

She quietly coos, her wing twitching underneath his hoof. ...his tongue is...moving just like when he... She bites her lip, the thought making her aroused.

Poomf.

Rhino rears back a bit as his nose is suddenly buried into her wings as it pops up to a 45 degree angle, despite him trying to hold it down. He huffs a small bit of feather fluff from his nose as he looks toward her head to see if she'll give an explanation.

She blushes brightly, her wings sticking out rigidly. "...s-sorry...it felt really good..."

"Well, I must be doing something right, then." He pokes her stiff wing with a chuckle before getting back to work. The book said to try rubbing their wing base if their wings stiffened, so he does. He continues rubbing the base with a hoof as he comes across a patch with scattered loose feathers. Gripping the base with his teeth, he neatly pulls them out one by one, hoping that they are coming out clean enough to not hurt her much.

She flinches and sighs at each one, feeling some relief when they're gone. She eventually relaxes enough that she can let her wings lay flat again. You know, we may have to do some more bonding after all this...if you know what I mean... She giggles, playfully sticking her tongue out at him.

Someone's feeling frisky... He continues along her wing. Feeling he's got the basics down well enough, he begins applying the... supplemental actions the book suggested. The thing he tries first is a gentle nipping along the edge of the wing as he finishes a spot, before moving to the next one.

She coos softly, feeling a jolt of pleasure strike her like lightning. Careful, love... She trails her tail along his belly. ...I've not even begun being frisky...

Well, maybe that's a good thing, considering I still have an entire wing left... unless I decide to double-check my work of course. He nips out a few more feathers as he nears the end of the wing, taking one hoof and massaging the base in the motions suggested by the book.

Her body goes limp, her tongue lolling out as the sensations overwhelm her mind. So good... Trying to keep herself aware, she lets her horn reappear, the curved arcane appendage lighting up. One of the free feathers floats up and starts tickling her stallion's side.

He snickers and slowly starts to laugh despite his best efforts as he finishes up her left wing, his rapid breath going straight to the skin beneath the feathers due to how close his face is to her. H-hey, what's the big idea? He leans up, still laughing, as he finishes her wing.

She breathes heavily, trying to calm herself down. "...n-not my best idea..." She leans over and gently kisses him. "...s-sorry, love...I-I was starting to lose my mind..." She blushes, her tail tucking between her legs. "...and my control..."

He just raises an eyebrow at her as he smiles and stands up so he can move to her other wing. "That good huh?"

She nods, glancing underneath him. "...you seem to have enjoyed yourself, too..." She giggles softly, playfully shaking her head.

He takes a step over her as he responds coyly. "I have no idea what you're talking about..." He settles down differently than when he was dealing with her left wing by folding his hind legs on either side of her so that he rests on her back just above her hips. This way, he can reach either of her wings if he needs to, and he won't have to move again. He leans over her right wing but doesn't bring his mouth to it as he starts rubbing over particular pressure points the book suggested around the base of her wing.

She moans sweetly, her head falling onto the comforter as her eyes flutter closed. She bites her lip, purposely teasing him by muffling her sounds.

His tail swishes as he listens to her. Trying to keep his mind focused, he half lays over her back as he begins to preen the feathers on her wing, nuzzling them apart before putting them in place. He keeps one slowly slowly rubbing up and down her back exactly between her wings.

She coos softly once more before her tail moves up and gently tugs his tail. She smirks slightly as she goes silent, knowing that her noises are what he enjoys the most and wanting to see his reaction if he doesn't get that.

His tail reflexively tugs back at hers while he looks upward at the sudden lack of noise. He narrows his eyes as he loosens his neck before diving into the preening at double his previous speed, switching to nibbling from the base to the very tip of her wing every few seconds, determined to get a noise out of her.

She struggles to stay quiet but it quickly overwhelms her. She squeals in ecstasy as he nears the end of her wing, her body shivering underneath him. She covers her mouth with a hoof, hoping that he didn't hear it.

His perked ears deny her hopes though, as they had picked up her small noise. That and her silence afterward only convince Rhino to try and force noises out of her. After nibbling the tip of her wing when he reaches half done with her feathers, he suddenly leans down and wriggles his tongue down in the plumage and slowly draws his tongue across the skin below.

She tenses up, shocked at the sudden motion. She looks over at him with hazy eyes, stubbornly refusing to make a noise. W-what are you doing? W-won't that undo your work?

First off, I'm going with the grain, secondly, it's in the part I haven't done yet. He slowly licks toward the edge of her wing again.

She barely stifles her moan with her hoof, her wing twitching underneath his tongue. She scrunches her face up, her horn lighting up once more, using feathers to his horn and tickling it as a way to make it harder for him.

Not to be inhibited, he lights up his own horn and fights her magic so the feathers stop bothering him. He continues preening her now, despite both of their attempts to tease the other. He still keeps her on edge through as his hoof plays around the base and he leans over to nip the tip of her wing at random times.

She is nearing her limit, but she's not about to simply give up. She grits her teeth and in one last attempt, she brings her tail around his waist and wraps it around what she knows is still there, stroking it firmly with her silky strands, even as she keeps her feather attack up.

He stops what he is doing as he looks at her face. Hey now, no direct touching, I'm just giving you a massage after all. Shame on you, cheating like that.

She breathes deeply, her heart about to pound out of her chest. S-sorry...I-I almost...l-lost it...

He smiles cheekily as he leans down to nip the tip her her ear before returning to her wings. But I am glad you're enjoying it. Although I'm telling you now, I will get you to make more sounds before I'm done.

...you really like hearing them that much? She giggles softly, winking playfully at him. I'm not one to back down from a challenge, love...so you'll have to bring your best.

Well, I've only got half a wing left, so we shall see. He moves back to fixing her feathers, putting special emphasis with his tongue by slowly wiggling it between her feathers and using it to place them before circling the flesh around her with it. His hoof pokes the sensitive spots on the base.

She bites her lip, pressing her back against his stomach. And what does the winner receive? Her preened wing slowly rises due to her idle thoughts, her other staying flat by the weight of his hoof and mouth.

I guess we'll see... He raises up his mouth and nibbles the tip of her wing as his hoof traces the edge of it.

She covers her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut as she tries to focus on anything other than the pleasant sensations going through her body. She is determined to win this contest, since he's won the other one. She trembles beneath him, certain that he'll be done soon enough. The only question is how soon...

He starts back on her feathers, nipping out the loose ones and straightening the others. He actually moves both his hooves to her wing bases and works both at the same time as he approaches the final feathers.

She tenses underneath him, holding her breath as the anticipation fills her. Almost there...

He goes agonizingly slow for the last few feathers, taking his time and constantly adjusting them with his tongue to prolong the experience.

She's breathing softly, forcing herself to stay calm and quiet in spite of the immense amount of pleasure swimming in her mind. His going slower, oddly enough, actually helps to clear her mind a bit.

Of course, going slow was a strategy, one that he finishes as he completes the final feather. As soon as his mouth releases the feather, he suddenly swings his head around and clamps his mouth gently around the base of her wing and swirls his tongue around his quickly, darting it every which way.

She squeals in ecstasy, caught off-guard by his sudden movement. With his mouth no longer holding her wing down, it springs up and smacks the side of his face on accident.

He lets go at the impact, but doesn't do more to comment on it than grunt. Instead, he smiles as he leans down on her back and nips her ear once before whispering into it. "There's one of those sounds I love..."

She pants softly, feeling a little lightheaded. "...g-glad you enjoy them...b-but I still won..." She sluggishly pumps a hoof into the air, decidedly tired after resisting so long, yet energized by her victory. "Go me..."

He grabs onto her ear and hangs onto it as he speaks around it. "Awww... all tired out?"

She smirks, tightening her tail around the spot it's been resting this whole time. "...not tired enough...to miss out on my prize..." She giggles, slowly stroking him. "...you won't deny me what I won, will you?"

He just leans down and nibbles her neck. "And what exactly did you have in mind for a prize?"

She coos softly, teasing him for a moment before responding. "I suppose asking you to give me a hard rutting is out of the question?"

His tail flicks down to tease the area under hers. "Now what makes you think that?"

She gives him a lidded gaze, continuing to stroke him. "Because I want you to pound my tight little holes...all three of them..." She leans back and nibbles along his jawline. "...I want to feel your love as you make me feel like a mare...and while I'm in this form..."

His head rears back as he gives her a surprised look. "I... don't think I've ever heard you talk that dirty before..."

She pants softly, squeezing her tail tightly around him. "I've never talked dirty. Then again, I've never denied myself release, either." She leans close and touches noses with him. "You were that good, love...but now I want more." She gives him a tiny lick before facing forward, letting go of him while she does so. "Mind humoring my simple request?"

He starts to shift position. "Well, you did 'win' after all."

***

A bit later that morning than they originally planned before certain activities delayed them, Rhino and Gel are out picking up a few groceries they are running low on. They wave goodbye to Big Mac after getting some apple juice from him and Manila, who was keeping him company. Turning forward, they notice the square is not nearly as crowded as it usually is on a Saturday.

Rhino is the first to comment on this. "Where is everypony?"

Gel glances around, curious about this. "...is there something we missed? Some major event outside of town?"

The stallions thinks as they walk. "Not that I know of... but you know how I let the less well known events slip my mind."

"Yes, and I normally pick those up..." She sighs shaking her head. "I don't know, maybe-" She stops mid-sentence and in the middle of the road, staring down one of the side roads with a stunned look on her face.

Rhino follows her gaze and sees exactly where everypony is. All of them are apparently crowded around something, but the crowd is too thick to tell what. The babble of their combined voices can be heard from here.

"Hold on tight." The nymph wraps all four of her hooves around his body and flies off, bringing him above the crowd to see just what this is all about. "There. Better va-" She cuts herself off with a squeal, seeing just who it is. Oh my goodness, I can't believe it!

Below them, within the center of the dense crowd but still given a respectful radius of space, is none other than Princess Luna herself. The dark blue alicorn has a small smile on as she tries to address the multitude of voices directed at her.

In a flash, Gel has placed Rhino down and landed next to him in the open area, staring up at Luna in awe. "Princess Luna! It's an honor to meet you!" She falters slightly. "And...actually have a chance to talk, I mean." She sheepishly giggles, rubbing the back of her neck. "S-sorry, I'm a little nervous. You're my favorite princess, after all!"

The Princess of the Night's eyes light up. "Ah, just the changeling I wanted to speak to." Her eyes dart to the crowd as she clears her throat and speaks with what one might describe as a half-Royal Canterlot Voice. "Subjects!" The crowd instantly quiets down. "We, ahem, I appreciate the attention you have given, but I must be off on royal business. Please return to your normal day." She quiets her voice to a whisper as she speaks quickly to Gel while spreading her wings. "Quick, grab thy stallion and let us be off!"

She nods and does as told, not wanting to disappoint her. She grabs Rhino securely and they both take to the skies, much to the displeasure of the majority of the ponies below them.

They arrive back at the house, Gel setting down Rhino as Luna looks around and sighs in relief at the lack of townsfolk. She turns to Gel. "We, er, I do adore my subjects, but their presence does make conversation difficult sometimes."

She giggles, waving a hoof at this. "Completely understandable, princess." She steps a bit closer, pulling a small book out of her bag. "May I have your hoofprint, please? I-I know it's a strange request, but I like collecting them..." She blushes softly, holding up the book with shaky hooves, open to a blank page across from Spitfire's.

The alicorn looks surprised at this, looking between the nymph and book before laughing a little. "Certainly." She puts her hoofprint on the desired page. "It reminds me of when young Pipsqueak asked me to do the same thing. I am still unused to such...adoring subjects."

Gel squeals happily before putting the book away and clearing her throat, quite embarrassed. "I-I see. Well, you'll always have someone who adores you, in my opinion." She goes quiet a moment before tentatively holding up a hoof. "...you can dream-walk, right? D-do you visit specific ponies' dreams?"

Luna shuffles her wings before replying with a smile. "We-I don't usually plan on which dreams I enter. I patrol the realm of dreams and occasionally pop in on dreams that interest me or require my attention, usually those of children or troubled minds. Still, I find that visiting normal dreams keeps my senses sharp to sense what is abnormal."

"...and...have you ever visited my dreams?" She positively glows from her blush as she says this, knowing what she might've seen.

The princess sees the nymph's blush and connects the dots. She shakes her head. "Nay, i do not intrude upon such private dreams, luckily they can be felt before one enters them, so unless a dream goes that way while I am inside, I can avoid them and respect my subjects' privacy." She tilts her head as she looks at Gel intently. "Also, I notice that thou and thy stallion tend to have lucid dreams, which are another type i tend to avoid. The dream-realm being my domain, I have certain amounts of control, but when that starts fighting a lucid dreamer's natural all encompassing control, it has been known to cause mental fatigue as the two try to fight the other. You would be surprised the amount of force it takes sometimes to even maintain my form in such dreams."

The changeling blinks dumbly at this, trying to wrap her mind around it. "...um...while I can recite that to you verbatim...I don't really know what you mean...does the fight for control really cause that much trouble?" She scratches her head, frowning slightly. "That's upsetting...I wanted to chat with you more often..." She blinks, holding up a hoof. "What about Luster? Or Flick?"

Luna answers and explains. "I have observed the dreams of your male companion, but not yet of the female. I did not make myself known though, so I believe he is unaware I was there. As for your request, as I said, I usually do not enter lucid dreams, but then, I have never really been spoken to about being invited into a dream. This could perhaps be done, though I wish thou to know that I cannot promise when this will happen since my duties do override any personal bias I may have for the dreams I visit." She smiles. "I believe I shall see if I can though. The combined dreams of you and your..." she looks at Rhino, "slightly petrified stallion, are very rare."

"Yea, it's unique, I think..." She glances at him, starting to get worried. "...love? Are you okay?"

Rhino eyes are a bit glassy as he moves his hooves so that they dig into the dirt. His voice is quiet as he answers. "Yeah, you know... just... not fond of heights... remember?"

She rolls her eyes, gently draping a wing over his back. "Rhino, I'd never let you fall. You have nothing to worry about..." She gently nuzzles him. "...but, if it'll make you feel better, I won't carry you like that, anymore."

He relaxes a bit at her touch. "It's fine, just... warn me next time."

"I can do that..." She glances at the princess, curiosity on her face. "...you said you were looking for me. May I ask why, now that he's responsive?"

Luna nods as she looks toward the front door, since they've just been standing on the lawn. "Yes, it involves your other two housemates as well. Do you know if they are home?"

"I believe Flick is out with Silk...Luster should be home, though." She walks inside, intent on finding her friend. Glad he's not here. Wouldn't want him hitting on the princess, would we?

Rhino follows, heading into the kitchen to drop off the groceries. I think Silk would have a word with him if she found out about that. I'm pretty sure I saw a dirty look she gave him the last time he flirted with Mane.

So she does have feelings for him! She giggles, shaking her head. When will she just go out on a date with him? They've been hanging out for weeks, now... She heads up the stairs, trying to find their wayward friend.

At the same moment, a certain indigo changeling steps in the back door, glancing around curiously. Hello? Anyone home?

Rhino hears Luster's mental call and quickly calls back. We're here Luster, and we have a special guest that had something to say to us, you included. He pokes his head back in the living room where Luna is standing and looking around. "Do you need anything, Princess?"

She shakes her head. "No thank you. I appreciate th offer, regardless."

Who is this guest? She rounds the corner and sees the princess standing in the middle of the living room. Oh. She taps her hoof against the floor to catch her attention and waves, smiling kindly.

Luna smiles at the purple changeling. "Ah, you are... Luster, yes? Twilight informed us your condition so that there were no, as she put it, awkward moments. Tis good to see you and the rest of our subject changelings are well."

She bows respectfully, reaching her mind out to the guest. I wish you would've told me one of the princesses was coming over. I'd have at least put a hat on.

Rhino comes out of the kitchen and looks at the nymph questioningly, answering just as Luna is added to the mental conversation. You wear hats?

Luna, thinking the question is directed at her, raises an eyebrow. When did we start talking of headwear?

My apologies. That was directed towards me. She lights her horn up and pulls the emergency metal from underneath the couch and, forming it into a fedora, puts it on her head. Better. Back on the previous subject, I'm honored to meet you and know that you visited us.

The dark alicorn nods appreciatively. I thank thee, and admire thy mastery over metal.

Meanwhile, Rhino's horn lights up as he starts to bring his own fedora down from upstairs. Far be it from me to miss an opportunity to wear this.

His hat comes down the stairs, but in the teeth of a certain changeling, as well as his magical aura. Get back here! Where are y- She stops when she realizes she's in the living room, and at the stares she's receiving. "...um...hi?"

Rhino just shakes his head and chuckles as he takes his hat from her and places the fedora on his head. "Sorry, love. Luster decided to make it a hat meeting. Didn't mean to have you chase it down the stairs."

Luna, meanwhile, has actually covered her mouth with one hoof as she tries to hide her snickers at how Gel looked.

She rubs the back of her neck, embarrassed. "...I-I see...sadly, I don't have a hat, at the moment..." She squeaks as a metal colander is placed on her head. "...why do I have a strainer on my head?"

Luster shrugs, smirking playfully. I felt you needed something silly to help you feel more at ease.

The princess is positively giggling behind her hoof before she manages to calm herself and say with a straight face. "Good thing i already have my crown to satisfy the hat requirement."

Gel takes the metal bowl off her head, revealing her horn is glowing bright blue. "Absolutely." She floats a folded piece of paper, wearing it as a hat instead. "So, since as many of us are here as possible at the moment, may we ask what this is about?"

Luna straightens up as she remembers why she even came to town today. "Ah yes, to business then. As you know, the official announcement of the intention to allow changelings to become official citizens of Equestria with all rights associated with that, was announced a few days ago."

The changelings nod but Luster is the one to reply. Is there an issue with that, your highness? Or is this more about taking tests to become citizens?

The princess thinks before going on. "I suppose it is an issue, but not as you might think. You three, that is, you two and your male changeling friend, are currently the only actual full changeling citizens thanks to your pony character witnesses as well as those forms that were given to you by Twilight Sparkle. Incidentally, those forms have been filed and approved so things went smoothly there. Now, as you might recall, the process is not quite so simple for any other changelings who wish to come forth. Chrysalis, is essentially under a non-standard combination of house arrest and parole due to her previous crimes. Any other changelings who wish to become citizens must do certain things: freely admit if they were part of the Canterlot invasion force, come forward as themselves and not under disguise, any character witnesses must be proven free of mind alteration, official paperwork, trial periods, and so on and so forth with all that was listed during the press conference. Now, here is where we arrive at the issue I have come to bring before you."

Gel is dumbfounded. "...what could we possibly do? What do you even need?"

A way to let them know. The indigo changeling tilts her head to one side. That's what you need - someone needs to let the hive know about the announcement. They're secluded, after all...am I right?

Luna nods. "Correct. While announcing all these policies to our ponies is well and good, it does not do any good if the changelings it is intended for never hear it or get an inaccurate version. We have also, out of respect, not asked any of you the location of your hives as we do not want them to be public knowledge until an official peace treaty is put forward and approved. To both these ends, one key element is needed: a changeling ambassador." She looks seriously at both Gel and Luster. "We wanted to extend the offer to our three changelings that we already know can be trusted."

The navy nymph frowns softly. "...I'd like to help, but...I don't want to leave my love again...and no ponies are allowed there, unless the Queen says so..."

The hive mind is extremely cluttered, so my thoughts won't be easily heard. Luster points to her throat. Other options for me aren't viable. And my brother doesn't want to leave Ponyville, at the moment. He's been trying to win the heart of a mare for almost a month, now.

The alicorn's wings ruffle. "I see... the travel between the hives and the office in Canterlot would likely not be agreeable as well, given your reasons. Very well, I respect your decisions. Perhaps you know of some other viable candidates for the position? Your input would be most welcome."

The two think for a moment before turning to each other, nodding in agreement. Port.

Luna tilts her head to one side slightly. "Pardon?"

Gel smiles brightly, gesturing to her stallion. "A changeling that Rhino fought a while back. He respects anyone that can beat him in what he calls a duel."

The alicorn turns to Rhino. "Do you have anything to add to this?"

"Well..." he begins, "Port did seem to have a mostly logical and objective based mind. He also seemed to be used to working at a desk and with paperwork and as far as I could tell, may have actually enjoyed it, judging from his office I saw." He looks to the nymphs for confirmation.

Luster nods. That is quite accurate. Port loves paperwork, but, for the life of me, I have no idea why.

Luna nods approvingly. "He sounds good so far... How do you feel he would do as a politician? Knowing how his people think and being able to represent them?"

"I believe he'd be a trustworthy politician." She shrugs slightly. "He doesn't seem to be the kind to lie on purpose, and he's never been overly ambitious...if anything, he's overly humble. Follows any instructions he's given by a superior...which, I suppose, would be the Queen, now."

Luna's smile only gets bigger. "Excellent... Now, finally, would he be willing to spend part of his time in Canterlot, working from there, and does he know how to contact the entirety of the changeling population for announcements such as this one?"

He's the General, now. The nymph waves a hoof. He'll find a way. He has to, to prove himself. And I'm sure he wouldn't mind, if it'd save the Queen some trouble.

The alicorn nods. "Perfect. Do you have some way to contact him to let him know of this offer?"

Gel nods. "...there is one way...but I don't know if she'll be cooperative, as she is..."

Luna immediately understands. "Ah, I see. Well, so far she hasn't been troublesome in her time here, and furthering her subjects well-being is a good motivator. I shall see what we can do. Well, this seems to have turned out rather well." She looks at the clock. "Did any of you have anything you wanted to ask before I start seeing to contacting our potential ambassador?"

Luster smirks slightly. My brother would have several, which makes me glad he's not here. Personally, I'd just like to know how you first reacted to reading Twilight's letter weeks ago.

"Honestly?" he asks. "Both my sister and I were very surprised. Of course we had always hoped to eventually find the changelings and negotiate peace, but to have them approach us was not quite expected. We were also glad Sparkle handled the situation as well as she did, considering how fervently she was about putting up her detection system at one point."

They decide to stay quiet about this for now. "...um...I can't think of anything...but you're welcome to visit our dreams...when they're safe, I mean..." She blushes softly, averting her gaze.

Luna laughs lightly. "I shall try, Gel. Farewell, all of you." She turns to leave before something occurs to her and she turns back. "Out of curiosity, you haven't had any trouble with how ponies have treated you because of the fact that you are changelings, have you?"

The nymph blinks, confused by this question. "...not that I've noticed...why?"

"Just curious." She continues. "Ponyville I didn't see having too much trouble, but a portion of the elite in Canterlot were quite... vocal in their opposition to changelings being allowed to live among them. We are doing our best to deal with them so that changelings will have nothing to fear."

Gel flinches, worried about the ponies there. "I see...I suppose I'd have to be in disguise to visit, then?"

Luna hesitates to answer. "You by no means have to disguise yourself, you are free to be yourself after all. However, given the attitudes of some there, as well as a few comments from Sparkle on how protective your fiance can be of you..." she pointedly looks at how Rhino puts a foreleg around Gel at this statement, "it may make your journey smoother if you disguise yourself. Much like how some celebrities take to wearing cloaks."

"Then that's what I'll do." She nods decisively, heading up the stairs. "I hope I have some clothes that still fit Angel..."

The princess looks to the two remaining subjects in the room. "Well, as I said before, I must be off to see Chrysalis. Good day." She lets herself out and takes off as soon as she is clear.

Luster watches her leave before turning to Rhino with a wry smile. I can honestly say this was a first for me. I didn't expect a princess to be so nice. She giggles in their minds. It was a pleasant surprise.

That it was... He chuckles. And then you went and made it better by breaking the tension with hats.

The nymph shrugs, laying down on the couch. As my brother would say, it's the least I could do.

He nods. Still, thank you. Let me know if you ever need my help with something, okay?

She smirks, taking off her hat and holding it to her chest. Thank you, Rhino. I'll keep that in mind.

***

Later that day, all the inhabitants of the house are accounted for. Gel is relaxing on the couch while Rhino is chopping up carrots for dinner as Luster and Flick play cards at the kitchen table. Rhino ears flick as a sudden loud knocking comes from the front door.

"I'll get it!" Gel stretches and gets up, heading over to the door. She opens it with a kind smile, tilting her head to one side. "May I help you?"

The grey earth pony stallion at the door snorts as soon as he sees who answered the door. His white mane hangs down over one eye as he narrows the other at Gel. "Your act won't work on me, changeling!"

Her smile drops, shifting into a look of confusion. "I-I'm sorry?"

The pony's voice raises as he continues. "I had heard you lived in this neighborhood. Good thing I took the liberty of going around and warning the neighbors about the threat you and your kind pose. Yet here you are, the threat itself!"

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, the raised voice has caught Rhino's ears and all his movement stops as he listens.

She backs away slowly, unnerved by this pony. "I-I assure you, I'm not a threat. P-please calm down..."

"I will not be taken in by your lies!" He only seems to be starting. "You may have others fooled, but I will never trust a monster like you!"

At the word 'monster', red starts trickling into Rhino's stripes and soon completely overwhelms the blue as he shifts his magical grip on the knife.

Luster, seeing this, quickly grabs the handle in her teeth, trying to keep him from attacking the pony. Flick, on the other hoof, peeks through the doorway at the stranger.

Gel is shaking at this point, tears welling in her eyes as she shrinks in on herself. "...I-I'm not a monster...p-please...I-I just want to live with my love in peace..."

The pony snorts again. "As if parasites like you could feel anything! I know what happened at Canterlot: how your queen controlled the captain of the guard. The only reason you can stay now is because you've decided to abandon your usual ways of abducting innocent ponies and replacing them for your needs, is because now you've decided to do the worse thing by just controlling ponies into thinking they care for you!"

Tugging harshly on the knife, Rhino's eyes are blazing as he starts to head towards the living room.

She stares in horror, shaking her head. "I-I'd never do that! I-" She squeaks when someone leaps in front of her. She stares up at her friend, seeing her with her staff over her shoulder and a scowl on her face.

I do believe you were about to leave. She taps the floor with her pole, eyes narrowing slightly. But first, I believe an apology to Gel is in order.

Meanwhile, Flick has taken up the mantle of holding Rhino back, covering the stallion's ears to keep him from hearing anything else and keeping a firm grip on the knife handle with this teeth, attempting to hold his horn to keep him from using his magic.

The stallion doesn't hear Luster, but he does feel her attempts to access his mind. He flinches and backs off a few steps but smiles grimly. "Hah, I knew it! Even now you try to silence me by warping my mind! You're all the same, all of you! Nothing but insects that think of ponies as a food source! You should just leave our town before you are run out of it!"

Unfortunately for Flick, the stallion's volume is such that Rhino can still clearly hear him. The unicorn has really stopped caring about the knife while he works against the yellow changeling's hold as he slowly but surely steps toward the living room, intent on the pony at the door.

Luster, sick of this stallion's attitude, lights up her horn. Her emergency metal comes out from underneath the couch, floating above her head and morphing into words. 'I'm mute, you prick. I was trying to form a line of communication.' She turns and places a reassuring hoof on her friend's back. 'And if we didn't respect ponies, do you think we'd be taking this ill-informed verbal abuse?'

He scuffs the ground aggressively. "A likely excuse. The only reason you haven't responded to my claims is that you know as soon as ponies see you attacking me, they'll realize the truth!"

Rhino has found a rhythm of moving now. He plants one hoof and then drags all his weight toward it. He finally gets a step out of the kitchen as he slowly slides in, seeing what the pony at the door looks like, and only furthering his efforts because of it. Fortunately, the stallion at the door is too focused on the two changelings before him to notice the unicorn with thoughts of wringing his neck.

The indigo nymph's ear twitches and a wry smile forms on her lips. 'Attacking you? We'd never do that. Rhino, on the other hoof,' she glances over her shoulder, 'would be tearing you a new one if my brother wasn't holding him back.'

The stallion looks around the two nymphs to finally see the livid unicorn edging his way towards him. He actually seems a bit unnerved about this as he takes a step back. "A-another lie. You just want him to attack me because two ponies fighting wouldn't raise suspicion for you..." He blanches and takes another step back as Rhino's horn lights up while he drags Flick across the floor. Luckily, the drone lightly twangs the horn to disrupt Rhino's magic, but this doesn't stop the green stallion from getting closer and closer.

'Trust me, while some changelings might enjoy that,' she shrugs shaking her head, 'we don't. And Gel here doesn't want her love to get in trouble. Isn't that right?' She turns to her friend but finds her over next to the stallion.

The navy nymph gently touches noses with him, despite the fact she's still shaking. "P-please love, calm down...i-it hurts me to see you like this...h-he isn't hurting anyone..."

Rhino actually stops moving for a moment to gently bring a hoof to Gel's face before pulling it back to show her the tear on it. His voice is low and growling. "This says otherwise..." He looks straight into the other stallion's eyes with his intentions very clear on his face.

The grey pony's shakes slightly as he backs off. "Fine, I'll leave. Don't think this has changed anything though. You're still parasites, and I'll find some way to make sure everyone else knows it." He runs off quickly with one backwards glance to the angry unicorn.

The group stares at the door for a moment before Luster closes it, breathing an inaudible sigh of relief. Thank goodness he's gone. I was worried something terrible would happen...

Gel puts a hoof on his chest, shaking her head. "It's not worth it, love...if you hurt him, it'll only give those like him more reason to despise us..."

He stops and seems to relax slightly but still mutters. "Not if they don't find him..."

That would be even worse. Luster shakes her head, frowning slightly. They'd assume we had something to do with it, considering he's been going around to houses all morning.

He says nothing, but still glares at the door as he tries to calm down.

Gel gently nuzzles him, smiling softly. "...it'll be fine, love...I'm still here, with you..."

Rhino's stripe fades back to blue as he lets out a breath before nuzzling her back. "I just want to keep it that way..."

She looks at her friends, smirking slightly. "I think we've got that covered. I'm not going anywhere."

Luster taps her hoof against the floor, catching their attention. Not to ruin this moment, but I'm kind of hungry...and didn't you have a pot of water on the stove before all this?

The stallion starts heading back toward the kitchen. "Ah right, I've got stew to make!"

The others follow him, hoping to enjoy some of the meal before something else happens.

Chapter 71: In The Weeks Leading Up

A week after Rhino and company had gone to Canterlot, Silk stands outside her house, wings slightly spread to enjoy the warmth from the sun. She made sure to primp herself up slightly more than usual today, nothing fancy, just a little extra work on the mane, the tiniest hint of perfume, all subtle things. Today was important to her after all, today was the last day she gave Flick a chance before she just boiled over and shoved all her worries, concerns, and frustrations out into the open. She really wanted to avoid that if possible.

At the moment the clocktower strikes ten, a familiar goldenrod form strolls up the road. His head is held high, and his moves show purpose. He sees her and smiles brightly, waving a hoof at her. "Hey! You ready to hang out?"

Her smile twitches slightly at the words 'hang out' but she waves nonetheless. "Always am."

He bows, gesturing with a hoof. "If I may?" He unfolds one of his wings, smiling warmly at her.

She beams brightly as she giggles. "You may." One of her feathered wings unfolds and laces his membrane one in it.

He chuckles as they start to walk. "I'll never get over how soft your feathers feel." He glances around, watching as the buildings start to become spread further apart.

Her wings ruffle from the compliment. "Why thank you, it's nice to know you appreciate them." Her tail flicks to barely touch him.

Flick smirks, turning to her as they pass the last house. "So, how has work been? You get any new customers?"

She nods. "A few, you get used to a certain flow of customers in a restaurant, but you start to notice certain ones that come regularly." She looks to him with a cheeky smile. "What about you? Still out of work?" She winks.

His smile falters momentarily. "Yes, but I'm making some headway with my art." He shrugs. "Ponies like matte paintings."

She bumps his side. "Hey, it'll be fine, I can't think of artist who was instantly a success anyway. You've got to keep at it. Have you put any more thought into that suggestion you told me Rhino made? The one where you sell custom clouds?"

He taps his chin, thinking a bit. "Well I tried..." He scowls, shaking his head. "...then that prism-maned mare destroyed the three I made."

Silk frowns. "Well that's awfully rude... unless you were making them the same color as the sky again and she didn't see them. Was that it?"

He shrugs. "Only the first one she smashed."

"Oh dear..." She thinks a moment before her wing that isn't holding his fluffs up angrily as something occurs to her. "It wasn't because you're a changeling, was it? Because if it was, hon, I will go have a talk with that young mare myself and... Oh i don't know what I'll do but it won't be pleasant!"

"Woah, there." He places a hoof on her shoulder, frowning softly. "That wasn't it at all. She just assumed it was another prank. After she calmed down enough, I explained it all to her." He chuckles, shaking his head. "She said she'd bring me some leftover clouds from the next rainfall."

"Oh..." She blushes lightly but still points her nose in the air like she is above it. "Well... good."

He narrows his eyes slightly. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that flare of anger had something fueling it." He turns and points to the gazebo. "Let's rest for a bit."

"Well, I suppose I could, if I'm going too fast for you..." She separates their wings and moves to the gazebo ahead of him, a sway in her steps.

His eyes follow the motion of her hips, his cheeks turning a shade brighter. He shakes himself out of it, heading after her and laying down on the grass. "You're not going to fast. My hooves are just aching a bit."

She settles next to him with a small amount of space between them. "Well, alright, since you're so sore..." She lays her head down on her crossed forelegs and slightly extends her wings again.

He looks back at the movement and sees a feather out of place on her wing. Frowning slightly, he leans back and takes it in his mouth, carefully moving it back into place. He pulls away, satisfied. "There we go."

Silk, meanwhile, had frozen the instant she felt his mouth on her wing until he was done. Her tail swishes happily as she smiles to herself at his actions. She moves a tiny bit closer to him since he is being perfect so far today.

He looks at her, a small smile on his lips. "And I thought your feathers were soft." He moves a leg slightly, showing that she was barely touching him. "At least I know you live up to your name."

She giggles. "Well, do you live up to yours?" She leans closer, her eyes lidded.

He blinks, giving her a confused look. "What do you mean by that?" He realizes how close they are and quickly turns his head, clearing his throat softly.

She frowns and huffs as he turns away. "So close..." She flicks him purposefully with her tail to get his attention back on her.

He yelps, covering the spot with his own tail. He gives her a hurt look. "What was that for, Silk?"

She smiles coyly at him. "What? Can't handle a little 'flick'?" She sticks her tongue out cutely at him.

He stares at her for a moment, his eyes slowly drifting to her lips. He struggles with himself a moment, conflicting emotions visible on his face "...all in..." Before she can react he leans forward and gently kisses her, pulling away after a second.

She hums appreciatively with her eyes closed. Slowly she opens them as she smiles at him. "About time."

He gapes at her, eyes wide in surprise. "...before I say anything else, what did you mean by that?"

She pokes his chest lightly with a hoof. "Honey, it's been over a month of us 'hanging out'. Frankly I was starting to wonder when you would start considering them 'dates'. I was starting to get impatient."

He chuckles nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "...I suppose now would be a bad time to say...I've almost always considered them dates?"

She looks shocked for a moment before her wings suddenly flare out aggressively as she speaks with her eyes narrowed. "Then why always call it hanging out?! Why flirt with other mares when you were on dates with me?!"

He frowns, hurt. "...because I didn't want to move too quickly..." He sighs, resting his chin on his forehooves. "...I 'flirt' by habit. It's a quick way to get a small burst of affection from ponies." He closes his eyes. "I called our dates 'hanging out' because I was worried you wouldn't feel the same I did."

She cools down quickly as one wing folds in and the other goes over him as she snuggles close. "Well, I think you'll get more from flirting with me than from anypony else." She kisses his cheek lightly.

He stays silent for a moment before he looks up at her with his golden eyes. "I think I would." He smiles softly, gently placing a hoof on hers. "Care to make it official?"

She looks at him, confused. "What do you mean, make it official?"

He gently kisses her cheek before moving to her ear, whispering into it. "Announce that we're a couple. Start actually calling these dates. That sort of thing."

She giggles. "Oh, I'm all for the second. But who exactly will we be announcing this to?"

He blinks, actually having to think about that for a second. "...how about Gel and Doc? I'm sure they'd be happy for us."

"Fair enough, I'm sure our friends will be happy for us." She nuzzles her affectionately. "For a moment there, you had me worried when you called it an 'announcement'."

He quirks an eyebrow at her. "What else could I have meant?"

She shuffles her hooves. "It doesn't matter... what does matter is that I can do this now." She suddenly embraces him and gives him a big smooch on the lips before snuggling into his chest. "By the way, feel free to touch all you want from now on..."

He laughs, tenderly stroking her mane. "Don't you worry none. I'll be taking you up on that offer often." He pauses, his hoof stopping on the top of her back. "Within reason, of course."

She hums in contentment. "Good stallion, you still have restraint. Of course..." her voice is seductive, "there's always a time and place for restraint... but out in public is obviously one." She winks.

"Yes, obviously." He nervously chuckles, averting his gaze. "Not that it's the only reason to show restraint..." He clears his throat, trying to distract from what he just said. "So, since we're officially a couple, is there anything you'd like to do?"

She rubs her head on his neck as she responds. "Well, nothing comes to mind immediately..." She kisses him again. "But I'm sure I'll think of something..."

He smiles playfully, tracing little circles in the the fur on her back. "I'm sure you will." He rests his head on top of hers, happy to simply lay there with her.

Silk giggles after a few minutes as something occurs to her. "Does this mean we're going to be interviewed by Twilight now?"

"Maybe. Not much to share, yet..." He gently nibbles her ear. "...but maybe we'll be able to make memories to share."

Her wings flutter as she giggles. "Speaking of which, I wonder how Rhino and Gel are doing with that interview they have today..."

***

Back at the house, Twilight, Rhino, and Gel are in their usual arrangement for these interviews. Twi is in the chair with her hair in a bun and some pointy glasses on her face. Rhino and Gel are sitting next to each other on the couch. A quill and scroll levitate in front of Twilight as she asks her questions.

She scratches a few notes on the scroll before she begins. "So, today, I hope I'm not going into too personal of an area, but I thought we might discuss you two in the future."

The nymph blinks, confused. "...um...sure. What did you want to know?"

She continues. "Well, you two are getting married right? I was wondering what you had planned regarding... foals."

"Oh!" Gel beams, gesturing with a hoof. "Rhino and I are going to have three, right?" She turns to him, a tinge of nervousness in her voice.

He nods as he nuzzles her. "Of course, love."

Twilight's quill pauses. "You mean.. actually, physically have foals?"

She squirms slightly but nods, her cheeks bright blue in embarrassment. "W-we're compatible, if that's what you're wondering..."

Twilight scratches furiously. "Well, I had my suspicions about being physically compatible... but your genetic material is as well?"

Rhino whispers to Gel. "I'll leave this explanation mostly to you, since you know it best, but I'm here if you need me."

The nymph nods and turns to Twilight. "Truth be told, my kind is genetically compatible with almost every sapient being there is...us Elite more so than the rest."

The student writes all this down. "What do you mean by 'more so'?"

"I'm not quite sure how to explain that..." She taps her chin, thinking a bit. "...I guess we have offspring that more closely resemble the other species?" She shrugs slightly, turning her gaze to the cushion beneath her hooves. "It's only happened once before..."

Twilight nods. "Can you tell me about that time? What was the pairing? How did it turn out?"

She grimaces slightly. "...I was really young...a worker had come across a pony and...they spent the night together..." She shakes her head. "...I don't know the details...but the pupa...the foal...she was very weak..." She goes quiet, obviously not wanting to continue.

"Oh... I'm sorry..." Her quill zooms across the paper. "So, you know you're compatible, but you aren't exactly sure of what the outcome will be?"

"No, I'm not..." She takes a deep, calming breath. "...but even so, I will hope for the best."

Twilight quill pauses. "This might need to go in a separate book... Actually, if you're okay with it of course, when you do have children, would you allow me to see them and stay up to date on any abilities or health irregularities they might have?"

Gel tilts her head to one side. "...I don't see why that would be an issue."

The unicorn smiles. "Excellent! Actually, on that note, since hospitals are equipped to deal with pony births, is that where you plan on delivering?"

Rhino interrupts at this point. "Actually, I was planning on just getting whatever we might need and overseeing the birth myself, here at the house, with Mane on standby in case we need her."

Twilight pauses a moment. "Really?" She turns to Gel. "And you would prefer this over a hospital?"

She nods, leaning against her love. "I would. I trust him, and he knows more about my kind than normal doctors do."

Twilight smiles. "Well, I wish you both the best of luck and look forward to the first documented cases of pony/changeling hybrids." She puts away her notes and leans back in the chair. "You know, the first book is actually coming along very nicely. Chrysalis is actually proving quite the font of knowledge."

Gel stares at this, eyebrows raised in surprise. "I didn't expect that."

"Neither did I, to be honest." She laughs to herself. "But Fluffle Puff has proved quite useful in that regard. She sticks near the queen almost every minute and all it takes is for her to distract Chrysalis while I ask questions so she's too preoccupied to avoid answering them."

The nymph covers her mouth with a hoof, hiding the coy smile on her lips. "Is that right?"

Twilight continues. "Yes, and despite what Chrysalis says, I think she really enjoys the attention Fluffle Puff gives her." She leans forward whispers. "I caught the queen using Fluff as a pillow more than once."

She's actually struggling not to laugh at this point, using both hooves to keep herself quiet. That's so cute, yet so unlike her. How is it believable!

Fluffle Puff is persistent, perhaps she wore away at Chrysalis until she relented. Rhino is holding back his own chuckles.

Trying to calm herself down, she motions towards Twilight. "S-so, she's not too much to handle, then?"

The student thinks. "Well, I'm not going to say she's nice to me, or that she isn't needlessly argumentative sometimes, but she's getting better and she hasn't tried anything bad."

Gel nods, smiling kindly. "That's always a plus."

Twilight continues. "I expect the Princesses will release her near the end of the year to go back to her hive. If things keep up at this pace anyway. She definitely cares how her changelings are doing though, since she always checks with me to see if any letter i get is an update to how things are going for them."

The nymph blinks, curious. "...she does?"

Twilight nods. "Anytime she hears about a pony who's anti-changeling, she hisses and leaves the room, but she smiled when she heard Port had been appointed ambassador."

She taps her chin, thinking to herself a moment, muttering quietly. "...perhaps I misjudged her..."

The student offers a theory. "Before anything, she is still your queen, so you are her subjects. She cares for what happens to you, even if sometimes she has to sacrifice the few for the many."

"...I see..." Gel closes her eyes, resting her head on Rhino's shoulder. ...maybe I should apologize...for blaming her for my dad...

He looks down at her. You did that? I mean... she did organize the invasion so that he died from it is technically her fault...

...I did...I don't know what to think, anymore... She sighs softly, gently nibbling along his neck. ...I'm glad I have you, though...

And I, you. He nuzzles her gently.

Twilight clears her throat from her chair as she gets out of it. "Well, I think that's enough questions for today. I'll let you two know if I need another interview, okay?"

Gel nods, smiling sheepishly. "S-sure. H-have a nice day, Twilight."

Twilight leaves with a wave and closes the door as Rhino takes the opportunity to finally stretch out on the couch instead of sitting. "Ah... that's better."

His nymph takes this opportunity to lay down on his chest, happily cuddling up against him. "...I'll say so...care to join me for a nap?"

He kisses the tip of her nose. "With pleasure..."

***

Another week passes and the annual Ponyville Music Festival arrives. Musicians from all over Equestria, both famous and upcoming, arrive to show off their music to all who attend. However, something distracts from this traditional gathering in the Rhino household. A certain purple nymph had been disappearing and coming home at odds times as of late, and a particular couple decide that it's high time they got to the bottom of it.

As they eat lunch, they spot Luster leaving out the back. Rhino looks to Gel as soon as Luster closes the door.

She nods to him. "I think that's our cue to follow her." She carefully gets up and puts a few bits as a tip on the table. "Remember, we have to be subtle about this. She's a master of silent actions and detection."

Rhino remarks dryly. "She's also purple. I think we'll be able to see her."

She tilts her head to one side, confused. "Twilight's purple. Amethyst Sparkler is purple. Silk's mane is purple. What's your point?"

As they head after her, he clarifies. "Ok, I meant she's a dark purple, not a common color, so we can maintain a little distance but still see where she is."

"What if she sticks to the shadows?" She glances around and, tapping his side, nods towards the direction of the stage, where a familiar form is heading.

They subtly follow as best they can, aiming for the stage. Up on the stage, a blue-maned white unicorn mare is at a DJ table and ponies are dancing to the beats she weaves and drops. Her purple shades are almost the same color as their quarry.

Gel watches as Luster slips past the bouncer for the backstage area, frowning slightly. "...I don't see how we can follow her, now..."

"Hmm..." Rhino thinks a moment. "Maybe we can just watch both exits and see which one she comes out?"

She shakes her head. "For all we know, she's sneaking in there for a reason. I don't want to be left in the dark." She strides forward, heading towards a gate near the guard and subtly sets the napkin next his sandwich, on a table next to him, aflame. When he panics and tries to put it out, she sneaks inside and dispells the flame. She quietly hurries around a corner before the poor stallion knows what happened.

Rhino thinks to Gel. Is there a space large enough for me to Blink to?

Yes, just around the corner I turned down. There's a sense of urgency to her thoughts. Hurry, I can still see her!

Rhino quickly Blinks next to Gel, making sure to give her enough room so he doesn't hit her. His eyes focus in the dim light, trying to find Luster.

His nymph takes his chin with her hoof and turns it toward one of the darker niches. "She went down that way. I heard a voice coming from there, so she's clearly meeting someone..." She looks up at him. "...are you ready to find out who?"

Rhino nods and the couple sneaks forward to look around the corner. What they see is... not what they expected.

Luster and a gray earth pony mare and entwined in more ways than one. Their mouths are connected and small moans can be heard coming from both. Their arms and legs are embraced around each other as they lie on the ground.

Gel's eye twitches and she turns to Rhino, silently asking him if he was as confused as she was.

As she does, the other nymph breaks the kiss, slowly trailing more along the mare's neck. Her hooves stroke along her sides, clearly wanting her to let loose another moan.

Rhino averts his eyes toward the ground with a slight blush as the two females continue, but his ears still pick up every sound.

The dark-maned mare lets out another quiet moan before speaking to Luster. "Mmm... you always know exactly what to say..."

The indigo changeling smiles at this, pulling away to stare into the mare's eyes, tenderly caressing her cheek.

Rhino's nymph pouts cutely, staring at this scene. I wanna hear what she's thinking...

The stallion responds. I'm fairly certain I know the gist of it... although it'll probably take a slightly different tone as soon as that mare opens her eyes as sees us peeping...

Gel sighs quietly, shaking her head. I suppose...

Luster's ear twitches and she turns her gaze to the entrance. She blushes softly, glances between the couple and the mare beneath her for a moment before her horn lights up, bringing a spare sheet of metal over, removing some of it to form stencil-like words. She places it between them as she resumes kissing the mare, the light from her horn illuminating the sentence.

'Do not disturb.'

Rhino looks at the metal, nonplussed. Yeah... probably should have seen that coming...

Gel sighs, walking up and knocking on the metal "door". "We already saw you. You can stop trying to be secretive."

The green stallion facehoofs. "Real subtle, love..."

"She already saw us." She shrugs slightly. "No use trying to hide, after that."

He shakes his head. "Well, if we would have left we wouldn't have spoiled the mood, but judging by the fact it got quieter, I think we might be past that point..."

The words in the metal rearrange. 'We always get interrupted before we get too far.' The sheet moves to the side, showing the bemused expression on the former-general's face.

Gel sheepishly smiles, taking a step back. "Oops?"

Rhino speaks frankly to Luster. "You do have a room, you know, you could always try there instead of dark corners where you could be caught... unless you're into that of course."

She quickly turns away, clearly embarrassed and blushing vibrantly. 'She is, actually. I just thought I'd give it a shot.'

The navy nymph blinks, surprised by this. "...well. I didn't expect that."

The grey mare on the floor has a slight blush as she looks up at the watchers. "We all have our dirty little secrets, this just happened to be one of mine she agreed to explore."

"...I see." She clears her throat, holding out a hoof. "No need for this to be awkward, right? My name is Gel. What's your name?"

The mare shakes the offered hoof from her position on her back on the floor. "Octavia, and I assure you, if I hadn't already been told a bit about you, this would be very awkward..." She looks to the nymph on her chest. "Maybe it still is..." She giggles to herself.

Luster rolls her eyes playfully before leaning down to nip her neck.

She lets out a little moan as her tail thrashes. "Oh... you are naughty, aren't you?"

Rhino's blush is quiet vivid at this point, and it has also occurred to him that his own little liking for sounds has rendered his tactic of averting his eyes as 'not helpful at all'.

Gel clears her throat. "If you could be so kind as to calm down, I'd like to ask you something." Calm down, love. You're starting to show.

The other nymph silently groans, reluctantly getting off the mare and sitting down to face them. She glances at Rhino and immediately turns away, her face almost fuchsia now.

They're not helping! He thinks frantically to her. I'm doing my best here, but males aren't exactly subtle! I'm having to fight my instinctual side with my logical side to keep it down as is! He squirms in place, torn between moving to cover himself, and staying still to avoid being noticed.

Love, I hate to tell you this, she gently places a hoof on his shoulder, but they've both noticed your 'little soldier', if their blushes mean anything.

The stallion immediately drops to the ground to hide himself and hisses loudly in pain as he lands on part of his sensitive area. He lets out a shaky breath as his face burns in embarrassment.

The indigo changeling starts at this, snapping her attention to him. Her mind reaches out to his, concern clear on her face.

The other nymph turns to Octavia, sheepish. "Sorry about that. He's...excited by sounds of pleasure." She pauses and holds up a hoof. "I wish I could've worded that better..."

Octavia, still blushing, clears her throat. "It's, ah, it's fine, and a little flattering. As I said... we all have little secrets..."

Rhino accepts Luster's offer of a link as he hides his head in his hooves, but all that can be heard from him both inside and outside his mind are groans of embarrassment and a bit of pain.

Do you need any ice? She places a hoof on his head, gently stroking his mane. I could get you some, if you'd like.

Gel quietly nods, blushing as she reflects on their previous intimate moments. "That's definitely true...a-anyways, may I ask how you two met?"

He shakes his head. No no, just... just give me a minute... to get rid of both the pain and the cause...

Octavia smiles. "Well, we met actually when we were very young. She... well, she changed my life. We recently found each other again a few weeks ago in Canterlot after one of my recitals. She was just there, in her disguise, smiling at me from the back row."

Gel blinks, tilting her head to one side. "May I ask how she changed your life? Or at least what recital that was?" She smiles through her slight blush. "Sorry, I just love a good story, especially one with romance in it."

The grey mare fiddles with her bowtie a moment before speaking. "She allowed me to pursue my dream, but not completely abandon my family. As for the recital, well, it was just another of my solo cello performances. It was realizing I finally had her as an audience that made it special..."

She smiles, giggling softly. "That's so sweet. I'm glad you two found each other." She glances at the other nymph a moment before leaning in, whispering softly. "When did things get so...physical between you two?"

Octavia blushes, but still smiles as she whispers back. "Oh, I'd say about the third time she came to visit. It's a bit quick, but we're both comfortable with it, so why not?"

Gel smirks slightly, turning and heading back towards her love. "I suppose that makes sense." She leans over and gently nuzzles his cheek, purring softly. "Well, we found out why she keeps sneaking off...and I'm perfectly fine with it. Would you like to head off, now, or do you still have your 'little problem'?"

Little? Luster appears to scoff, moving over to her mare. No one could call him little, from what I saw...

Rhino's face burns brighter as he unsuccessfully tries to bury it further into his forelegs.

The navy changeling, seeing this, turns to the other two, smiling nervously. "...do you know where we could find another secluded area around here?"

Octavia points a hoof. "There's bathroom with a lock around the corner."

She nods and turns to Rhino, giving him a lidded gaze. "Feel like joining me in there, love?"

One of his ears flicks, but his voice is quiet as he answers. "I don't want you to feel like you have to... I could just, you know... stay here and pretend I don't have it until it goes away..."

She giggles, tenderly kissing him. "I don't have to...I want to."

He squirms a bit before looking up at Luster and Octavia. "Umm... could you turn away, please?"

They nod and turn away, respecting his desire for decency.

Gel just smiles, gently stroking his cheek with her tail. "I'll be waiting." She walks out of the niche, purposely swaying her hips to tease him.

He eases himself up and follows her quickly.

As his hoofsteps fade away, Luster glances over her shoulder. Seeing that they're alone now, she turns to the mare, smiling softly. I think we've rubbed off on them.

They arrive at the thankfully sparkling bathroom, Rhino rushing in quickly after Gel and locking the door behind them with a sigh of relief.

He turns to see Gel leaning over the sink, smiling at him over her shoulder. "Feel like making our own music, love?" She flicks his nose teasingly with her tail, sticking her tongue out at him.

Wordlessly, he walks over and captures her tongue in a kiss. He breaks it after a moment and leans his head against her. "Alright, but I don't know how soundproof this room is."

"I don't hear any music. Considering who's playing, that's saying something." She pulls him into another kiss, smiling coyly. "And, according to the setlist, she's going to be up there for another half hour. Plenty of time, don't you agree?"

He chuckles as he wraps a foreleg around her. "Enough for a quicky maybe..."

***

***Warning, Sensual Scene***

Another week passes and the wedding can be seen on the horizon just as assuredly as the sun can be seen on it this Saturday morning. The pets decided to wake up early this morning and went to visit the other changelings in the house, Mercury went to Luster's room while Selena and Specter went to Flick's. Of the two beings left this morning in the couple's bedroom, a pair of solid blue eyes are the first to awaken, and they immediately lock onto the green fluffy mass in front of them.

A grin slowly spreads on their owner's face as she slowly, carefully pulls the cover back, exposing inch after inch of her stallion's body. Her eyes twinkle in excitement as the prize she's looking for is revealed. She giggles, leaning down and gently nuzzling it, whispering softly to herself. "...this is going to be fun...just like old times..."

His sheathe moves, as if sensing her presence.

She brings a hoof up, massaging his orbs as she begins to lick and kiss the area around his sheath. "...come on out...I want to play with you..." She gives him a small sniff, moaning softly from the smell of his heavy musk.

Responding eagerly, his pride emerges and starts to grow to its full size.

She smiles lustfully, licking and kissing along his length as it grows, her warm breath caressing the now-wet flesh. "...good boy..." As it reaches full length, she settles between his hindlegs and slowly pulls the tip into her mouth, lovingly sucking and licking it as she massages the rest with the frog of her hooves, wanting to see his reaction before continuing.

She can see the muscles in his lower chest tense up as she works. A moment later, he lets out a long groan while his length twitches repeatedly in her mouth.

She giggles softly at this before slowly pulling more into her mouth. Her hooves move to his orbs and tenderly rubs them as she reaches halfway down his pride, stopping right as she reaches the medial ring. She flicks her tongue out, licking him as she psychs herself up to start taking him into her throat.

He hums appreciatively as she licks him, his hips bucking lightly on instinct.

She takes a deep breath and quickly dives down on the rest of his length, moaning softly as she reaches the base. She doesn't slow down, bobbing her head happily along him, her hooves continuing to stroke him and her magic gently tugging his tail.

He grunts as she continues, a smile on his face. However, all the different sensations serve to activate enough of his brain that he starts to wake up. His eyes slowly open as he tries to piece together what woke him up.

Seeing him waking up, she gives his tail another small tug as she speeds up her motions. She idly wonders how long it'll take for him to realize what's going on.

The pleasure serves to quicken his awakening as he blinks rapidly before letting out another groan. He looks down at her with a surprised face. "Well... good morning to you, too."

She giggles, pulling off his pride with a small 'pop'. "Good morning. I just wanted to make your awakening as pleasurable as possible." She gives him a long lick, moaning softly and trembling from his musk. "Did I do a good job?"

"Yes, you did." He smiles at her. "I guess you're a little frisky this morning?"

"Oh, you have no idea." She smirks, pulling his length closer with a hoof and licking along it seductively, eyes lidded. "You don't mind if we spend the day inside, do you? I'd like to give those outfits a proper first try."

He shivers at her touch. "You won't hear any complaints from me about getting to spend the day with you."

"Wonderful." She grins lustfully, getting up and crawling over him. She grinds her now-damp flower along his pride, leaning over and whispering into his ear. "Because I plan to spend it all in bed with you."

He leans up and nips her ear before whispering into hers. "An excellent plan." He grabs her rump with a hoof and squeezes.

She squeals at the sensation, pulling away to sit next to him. She looks down at him, eyes twinkling in playfulness. "So, which one would you like to do first?" She tenderly strokes his shaft, eyeing it almost longingly. "I want to make this special..." She bites her lip and forces her gaze back to him, her thighs clenching together and her tail flicking behind her in excitement.

"Hmm..." He thinks a moment as he slowly rubs a hoof on her thigh. "How about one I picked out: the sexy nurse outfit with her little bag?"

She moans softly, nodding eagerly. "With pleasure, love." She giggles and, turning her attention to the closet, floats the outfit over. She happily puts it on in front of him, putting a small clip with a cross on it in her mane as a final touch before turning to him, her tail teasingly brushing up along his sides. "Will you be a patient...or a doctor?"

He eyes up the form fitting outfit with its slightly poofy skirt. "Patient, please."

She smiles, gently putting a hoof on his head. "And how has the patient been?"

He smiles cheekily at her. "Always better when you're around."

She giggles, playfully pushing on his chest. "Oh, you flatterer." She blinks, looking down at the lump beneath the bedsheet. "What have we here?" She gingerly touches it, feeling along it curiously.

He stiffens in more ways than one at her touch, a small blush on his cheeks. "Sorry about that... it happens sometimes..."

“Oh?" She pulls the covers back, eyes widening at the sight of his pride. She turns to him, a small smile on her lips. "Maybe I should help take care of this..." She starts deliberately stroking it, never taking her gaze off his face. "...what do you think?"

His eyes unfocus a moment before he reigns them in. "Would that really be professional?"

"Maybe not...but for you..." She blushes softly. "...I wouldn't mind bending a few rules...besides..." She leans down, tenderly kissing him. "...you've been so sweet to me since you arrived...this is the least I can do to repay you..."

"Well, alright, nurse..." He lays his head on the pillow more comfortably. "Feel free to perform your examination and tests."

She smirks, pulling out a stethoscope. "I will. You just relax, for now." She puts it on, carefully putting the metal disc on his chest. She listens for a moment, her hoof stroking his length to keep him aroused. "Your heart sounds very healthy, if a little fast, but that's understandable, given the circumstances." She lowers it so it's around her neck, turning her gaze to the stiff muscle in her hoof. "And you clearly have excellent blood pressure." She pulls her hoof away, noting her saliva had caused her chitin to shine. "Wet, reason undetermined."

He smiles. "Do you have a diagnosis on what's happening and what has to be done?"

"Yes." She pulls her glasses down a little, looking at him over the lenses. "You are irrefutably aroused. The cure is simple. You need to take care of your libido." She turns around, flicking her tail and wiggling her hips at him. "I'm more than willing to help you with that." She giggles as she raises her tail, knowing her thigh-length skirt is just long enough to keep her treasure hidden, teasing him even more.

His length twitches noticeably as he eyes her skirt longingly. "I look forward to it."

She looks back at him, raising an eyebrow. "I meant right now, Mister Nexus." She pulls out a thermometer, a naughty twinkle in her eye. "Of course, I can wait as long as I have to." She gives the sterile object a long lick, mentally thanking that it was a plastic prop. She pops half of it into her mouth, moaning softly yet dramatically, hoping this would get a good reaction out of him. If it doesn't, though, her hoof moving rhythmically between her legs beneath the concealing cloth of her skirt likely would.

Fortunately, he seems to be enjoying both parts of the performance. His ears are standing straight as she moans while his eyes are glued to the movement in her skirt, looking at it with such intensity that he looks to be trying to see through it.

She smirks around the stick in her mouth, moving it to the side with her tongue. "So what will it be, Mister Nexus? Lay there and weather your issue," she teasingly tickles the tip of it with her tail, "or go ahead and take the first step towards the remedy?" She pulls the thermometer out with her magic and brings her now-shining hoof to her lips, giving it a tiny lick and him a small moan. "It's up to you. If you don't decide soon, I'll just take care of my own needs until you're ready...and I have more than enough stamina for that."

He lets out a small whine from her teasing. "I thought I was confined to my bed? And yet you're just out of reach..." He reaches out a hoof for emphasis.

She bites her lip, having to think for a bit before responding. "You're being checked out of the hospital today. Didn't I tell you?" She takes the plastic prop and starts moving it to her hindquarters. "Clock's ticking, Mister Nexus."

He quickly rolls out of the bed and approaches her, but stops just before he reaches her, wanting to see exactly what she's going to do with that thermometer.

She bites her lip, knowing what he's expecting. She shakily brings the thermometer up underneath her skirt, gasping softly as it sinks into her folds. "Y-you took too long, M-Mister N-nngh...Nexus." She starts to thrust the prop-turned-toy into herself, panting softly, her tongue lolling out and her eyes rolled back in her head. "T-too bad."

He simply smiles as he stealthily moves forward and dips his heads under her skirt, watching the show. Suddenly, he sticks out his tongue and flicks her nub just above her flower.

She squeals, surprised by the action. She glances back at him with her glazed-looking eyes, smiling teasingly at him. "So, finally decided to join in?" The toy moves out of her petals and starts to wave in front of his nose, trying to fill his nose with her scent.

The action isn't really needed, seeing as his face is so close to her that he can feel the heat from her nethers, but the scent invades his head nonetheless. He sticks his tongue out again and gives her lips a long slow lick from bottom to top.

She moans sweetly, pushing her hips back towards him. "So good." She wraps her tail around his head, pulling him a little closer. "Do you like the way I taste?" She blinks, fumbling to get back in character. "I mean, does your medicine agree with you?"

He withdraws his head from her skirt and looks at her lovingly. "Indeed it does. Is it applied any other way?"

She thinks for a bit before smiling coyly at him. "Yes, it is." Her magic grips his pride, stroking it tenderly. "It works best when applied directly to the affected area."

"Well then..." He rears up onto her back, lifting her skirt with him. "Nurse's orders." the tip of his length barely brushes her entrance.

She quietly coos, spreading her stance slightly. "Be sure to rub it in vigorously. Don't stop doing it until I tell you you're good."

He slightly raises an eyebrow at this bit of assertiveness but shrugs it off. He enters her at a moderate pace, slipping in easier than he expected just from the sheer wetness of her tunnel. It grips him with a warm embrace as it welcomes him further in.

Her eyelids flutter at the sensation, a low moan escaping her lips. "Yes. Just like that." She pushes back into his thrust, wanting him even deeper inside of her.

Before either of them expect it, their hips are pushing directly against each other as he reaches as far into her as he can go. He squeezes both sides of her rump as he pulls out before diving back in.

She bites her lip but that doesn't keep her lustful moans from escaping her. She tries to push back against his thrusts, her tunnel fluttering around his pride in her need. "More. H-harder. Faster!"

He obliges, forcing his way into her more quickly with each thrust, their hips making a slapping sounds with every hilting. He doesn’t even pauses between thrusts now as he grips her around her middle to brace himself for more power.

"Yes!" She moans even louder, not even trying to stay quiet any more. "Don't hold back! Give me everything you can!" Her tail wraps around his, pulling it. "Fill me with your seed! With your love!"

He comments as he braces himself to go faster as he feels his pressure building. "You are very intense this morning..." He nips the tip of one of her ears to try and give her more pleasure.

She almost purrs, feeling him getting close. "Yes! Just a little more!" She slams her hindquarters back against his hips, panting heavily. "Breed me!"

He freezes as he hilts inside her again. "Woah woah, what was that?" He looks down at her, waiting for her to turn her head to face him.

She whimpers, trying to move against him, struggling to reach that bliss. "W-why did you stop? P-please, I need this! I need to bear your foals!"

He refuses to let her move as he puts things together. "We agreed we would wait until we get married and a few other things were done... you've been very horny this morning... Wait... Gel, are you in heat?"

"No! Yes! I don't know!" Her front half falls to the floor, whining as her body starts to come down from her high. "I-it's hard to think, this morning..."

He slowly pulls out of her as he tries not to set her off again, with her mindset, she might just jump him purely because of hormones. "It has been three months..."

She turns and pounces on him, tackling him to the floor. She actually growls, even as her slit presses up against his pride. "I need this!" She slams her hips down, groaning as she takes the whole thing in at once. She looks down at him with lust-hazed eyes as she starts to move, her tongue hanging out and her mind focused only on the pleasure.

As he can feel himself building up again, Rhino tries to reason with the lust crazed nymph. "Gel... if I get you to release, will you promise to calm down? After all, we just started, right? Wouldn't want to kill your drive after the first round."

She slows down, staring at him curiously. "Like I said before, I've got plenty of stamina." She giggles as she starts to pick the speed back up. "Maybe I'll just have you cum in my soft little pussy. Or maybe I can convince you to fuck me in the ass, doggy style. Or," she leans down, giving him a predatory smile, "Maybe I'll have you cum in all of my tight. Little. Holes." She punctuates each of her last three words with a strong slam onto him, gyrating her hips as she sits back up.

He winces and groans as she rides him, muttering to himself. "Apparently your mouth went into heat too..." He knows he won't last more than a few minutes if she keeps this up. "O-ok ok, why don't we try that second option then?" He grabbed onto the first thing she suggested that could buy him some time.

She stops, staring down at him with undeniable scrutiny. "You aren't going to try anything funny, are you?"

He tilts his head at her. "What exactly would I try?"

"Not telling you." She boops his nose and gets up, heading over to the bed. She turns and gives him a smoldering gaze as she rests her front half on the mattress. "Come and get me. Unless you want me riding you hard again." She wiggles her hips, the nurse's skirt unable to hide how wet the chitin on the inside of her legs has gotten. "Your choice."

He gets up and winces a little as he walks over. She wasn't exactly gentle. He carefully keeps his thoughts from bleeding over to her mind as he plans. He just has to finish inside her to delay his next round, and getting her off will let him do what he needs to in order to get her to take her potion. He once again rears up and over her, his shaft lined up with her other hole this time. A little intimidated by her, he doesn't play with her ears or neck and instead just gets straight to the action in order to get this over with. His flared head presses against her tight rosebud as he leans forward.

She coos softly, bracing herself against the bed. "Good choice. Take my tight ass hard and fast." She smirks slightly, pushing back against him in an attempt to speed his entrance.

He quickly pushes in and reaches as far as he can go, the friction between her walls and his shaft going to be plenty to get him off, even with his mind elsewhere. He only hopes he can get her off too. He starts pounding into her at a quick pace.

She moans lustfully, pushing her cheek against the soft comforter. "Y-yes. Don't be afraid to play with my body." She flutters her wings, giggling impishly. "You know I want you to enjoy this time, too." She clenches down on his pride, wanting to get a rise out of him.

He groans as she clenches, forcing himself to hold back his release until he knows she is going to as well. His hooves shift downward, one to her teats, and one to her lower lips. They both begin to play with their respective areas even as he continues rutting her.

She frowns, feeling the lack of heart behind his actions. ...is this worth it? She presses her face into the mattress, trembling silently. Even if her body desires this, she just can't truly enjoy it if he's not. "...please, stop."

He pauses all of his motions, looking towards her head curiously and with a speck of hope.

She turns to look at him, tears flowing freely down her face. "...y-you don't have to continue...I didn't want this...this emotionless act..." She pulls herself completely onto the bed, sliding off his shaft. Her horn lights up, and a familiar bottle floats over from the closet. She stares at it a moment, at the reflection of her face. "...I just...wanted this to be memorable...but now we'll remember it for the wrong reasons..." She sighs dejectedly and, popping the cork off, downs the potion in seconds.

***End Sensual Section***

He sighs in relief before crawling up onto the bed next to her. After she sets the bottle back down he nuzzles her as he pours his love into her. He nudges her head up until she is looking him in the eyes, then smiles softly at her before kissing her gently on the lips. "I'm proud of you, love."

She smiles softly, feeling the warmth she longs for filling her body. Still, she can't help but be confused by his words. "P-proud? What for?" She turns away, grimacing slightly. "I hurt you...let my desire get the best of me...that doesn't seem very good to me..."

"You conquered yourself, love." He explains. "I've heard stories of mares that completely spend their stallion during their heat, even if he passes out. You fought it, despite your body screaming at you otherwise, you won." He wraps his forelegs around her and brings her against his chest as he kisses her neck. "You did great."

She squeaks, playfully pushing him away. "Sweet talker." She smiles lovingly at him, her body relaxing as the potion begins to take effect. She sighs in relief as the tingling sensation in her flower, the all-consuming need to be filled, goes away. "...still...I am starting to feel better..." She averts her eyes, ashamed. "...wish the same could be said about your hips..."

He chuckles with a slight grimace. "It was just a little rough, I'll probably be sore later, but I can't really feel it right now." He pulls her towards him again. "And you're not getting away so easily, you know how I like to hold you."

She starts to struggle, actually becoming a bit worried and somehow turning around in the process. "N-no, you forget that I-" She squeaks as his pride pokes her in the middle of her lower back. "...s-still have a high libido..." She tries to pull herself away, mortified.

He does a small pouting face as she pulls away. "I seem to recall helping you with that libido when your heat hit you and we were dating. Have the rules changed now that we're a week from being married?"

"...w-well, no..." She squirms, uncomfortable with thinking she disappointed him. "...I-I just...thought you wouldn't be in the mood..."

He draws her back closer, slower this time. "Well, not really for rutting..." With her back resting against his chest, he rests his head on her shoulder and kisses her cheek. "But you know both of us are always up for snuggling, and later... I think a little love-making would be perfect. Gentle," he kisses her neck, "drawn-out," he kisses the tip of an ear, "wonderful-feeling," he nuzzles her, "love-making, just the way couples do."

His words turn her on more than she had thought possible, enough for a sweet, melodic moan to escape her lips. "...t-that sounds...heavenly..." She turns and tenderly kisses him, smiling warmly at him. "...would you really be willing to do that, love? Make me feel like the luckiest mare in the world?"

Their horns cross as he leans his head against hers. "Always."

They stay like that for a while, simply stroking and embracing the other. Gel eventually voices one of her personal thoughts. "...we'll still have kids, right? N-not right now, I mean..."

He nods against her. "Of course, love. I just figured we would wait until we were married, got moved into our house, and enjoyed our time until your next heat."

She smiles, leaning up and kissing him once more. "...I'm glad...and I'll make sure to control myself, next time." She sheepishly giggles, blushing brightly and averting her gaze.

He chuckles. "Good. You got just a little wild for me when you got going today..."

"And you wonder why I prefer you to be in charge." She sticks her tongue out at him.

He just smiles and kisses her neck. "Fair enough... to backtrack slightly though. I did mention the wedding..." He leans over her and embraces her a bit tighter. "Are you excited that it's almost here?"

She nods, pressing her body up against his. "...I can't wait...the first public wedding of any changeling in history..." She winks at him. "Definitely a momentous occasion."

He looks to the ceiling. "Yeah, I suppose that's true..." He looks back down to her with a smile. "But what's more important, is that it's our wedding."

She smiles right back, resting her head on his shoulder. "Absolutely."

He puts a stray bit of mane behind her ear as he whispers to her. "Just you and me, vowing to spend the rest of our lives together... though i hear that first night is usually one to remember."

"Really?" She gives him a lidded gaze, tenderly stroking his cheek with her hoof. "Well, I suppose we'll be proving them right, won't we?"

"Well..." he cups her cheek as he tenderly kisses her lips before continuing, "I like to think we can make anytime, a time to remember."

She blushes brightly, fidgeting slightly. "I guess that's true...but...could one of those times be now?" She nervously taps her forehooves together, embarrassed.

His voice is quiet as one hoof starts to slide part of her nurse outfit off her shoulder. "I believe we did say something earlier about spending the day together..."

She trembles under his touch, softly panting in anticipation. "...w-we did...say that..."

"Well then..." He grabs her maneclip and slides it off her mane before tossing it on the floor. "Shall we get started?" He leans in and takes her lips in his own.

She happily returns the kiss, breaking it for a brief second. "Please."

Chapter 72: Wedding

The day has arrived. Those friends and family with invites to the wonderful occasion arrive at the place of it's hosting, scenic Sweet Apple Acres. The day is beautiful and made even more beautiful by a few colored clouds scattered about thanks to Flick. The bride and groom are separated of course, as is tradition.

In the barn, a happy but slightly nervous Rhino paces back and forth across the floor. He's wearing the traditional tuxedo and is looking particularly sharp today. As he turns for another lap of anxious pacing, the buzzing of wings makes him turn towards the door.

A familiar goldenrod head pokes in, glancing around the room for a moment. "Just checking in. Everything seems to be secure, so far."

Rhino nods. "Good... good... Big Mac have any problems?"

He shakes his head. "Not that he's told me about." He glances down and steps inside, closing the door behind him. "You okay? You're starting to wear a trench in the floor."

The stallion chuckles sheepishly, "Well, I thought it was a good alternative to beating my head against the wall as I'm forced to sit in here and wait. They already build this day up enough throughout your life... having an anonymous vague threat today doesn't exactly help with the nerves."

Flick shrugs, sitting down on the ground. "Hey, we've got your back. All of us do." He smirks, nodding towards the door. "Besides, private property, right? Anyone who tries to enter and do damage will be thrown in jail. Not that they'd even get that far."

"Yeah..." Rhino lets out a breath. "Yeah, that helps..." He actually smiles as he looks at the drone. "Thanks Flick."

"That's what I'm here for!" He grins, pointing towards the floor. "You're fixing that before the reception, by the way."

The stallion looks down at the floor. "Meh, two minutes with a shovel and rake and you won't even know it was there." He checks his watch. "Well, I guess it's that time. Can't keep the princess waiting... and Luna too, I suppose."

The drone simply rolls his eyes and flares his wings. "I'll just be off, then. Make sure no ponies try to sneak in from the skies and all that jazz."

As the two males head off to their positions, inside the farmhouse, a select group of females are gathered to assist the blushing bride.

Mist finishes putting on the final part of Gel's wedding dress. "There you go, what do you think?"

The dress is, of course, white. Tall white socks can be seen under her long dress that hangs entirely over her tail. The upper part of the dress cinches fittingly around her waist, but is slightly poofy as it approaches her neck. The collar goes halfway up her neck and has a thin ribbon tying it. Of course there are indiscernible slits so that her wings are showing, but her chitin doesn't show through the holes. Her mane is also styled in a ponytail so that it hangs off one side of her neck. Finally, a white lace-bordered headband holds her mane out of place, as well as having the veil attached to it, currently flipped over the back of her head.

The nymph looks at her reflection, eyes wide in awe. "...wow. It looks amazing!" She does a small spin, trying to look at herself from every angle. "I love it!" She giggles, blushing softly.

Silk nods as she puts away a few extra pieces of fabric she had brought just in case they would have helped. "Good, because now you get to show off your radiance to everypony, including that soon-to-be husband of yours, who you know is waiting eagerly."

She squeaks, eyes wide in panic. "E-everypony? O-oh my..." She bites her lip gently, eyes flitting about the room in search of some semblance of stability. "...y-you know, maybe it's not too late to just get a marriage license?"

Mist puts a hoof around her shoulders. "It's just last minute nerves. Just focus on thoughts of that handsome son of mine and you'll do fine, it's just a walk and a few words after all."

Silk comments. "Besides, once you've got the dress on, it actually is too late to back out."

Gel stares at her best friend in disbelief. "...s-somehow, that doesn't help."

Silk walks over in her light blue mare of honor dress. "Hey, what's there to worry about? This is going to be one of the greatest days of your life."

"Yes, and I want it to be perfect!" She sighs quietly, shaking her head. "I know how cliche that sounds, but it's true. This is one of the most important days of my life...of our lives."

Mist smiles as she gestures toward the door with a wing. "What's not perfect? The weather is perfect, the location is perfect, you aren't stressing anymore than brides usually do, which is perfect, the dress is perfect, even the food will be perfect." She shifts her voice to determined. "And even if something isn't perfect, you are going to march right that aisle with your beautiful head held high because this day is about you, and nothing will stop being perfect unless you let it ruin the day."

She gives her a flat stare. "And I suppose I'm supposed to simply ignore the threat we got?"

Mist rolls her eyes. "You didn't ignore it, dear. You got your friends to keep an eye out, and the newsponies are keeping enough distance away so that none of them can annoy you or be a threat. You just worry about getting married." She motions towards the window where a shape can be seen. "Your purple friend is the one who worries about the threat, and I think she can handle anything that comes her way."

She glances at the other nymph, noting that she's still carrying her staff in spite of the crisp suit she's wearing. "...I suppose you have a point." She sighs, carefully lowering the veil over her face. She heads towards the door before pausing, turning to her. "By the way, her name's Luster. Just thought you should know."

The wedding begins and all parties are assembled. White chairs have been set up in one of the open areas between the farmhouse and the fields. Apple trees form the background to the picturesque scene. Rhino stands next to the altar, underneath the ivy covered archway, with Manila behind him as his best mare. Luna stands center while Silk stands in her place as mare of honor. Fluttershy is off to one side with her bird choir for the one all important song.

In the audience can be seen every one of their friends: Mane, Big Mac, Flick, Luster, Octavia, Ditzy, her baby bump, and her husband, Bio, Mist, and even Twilight and Spike are attending.

Above it all, a half blue, half green heart can be seen.

A white-clad figure arrives at the end of the aisle. She looks at all of her friends, relaxing at the sight of all the familiar faces. She takes a deep breath and starts to approach the altar in spite of the shaking of her legs. She calms her beating heart, almost missing the wonderful tweeting of the pegasus's birds.

Rhino positively swells as he looks down at his bride. He smiles softly at her as she approaches, his own heart hammering in his chest. You look beautiful, love... an angel if I've ever seen one.

She shyly bows her head, blushing brightly. She eventually stops right next to him, giving him a small smile in return. Thank you. I think you look better, though. As she finishes that thought, she faces forward, paying attention to the alicorn before them.

Luna spreads her wings fully as she speaks loudly so all can hear her. "Citizens of Equestria, we are gathered here today, to witness the bonding of the nymph Gel and the stallion Rhino of the Nexus clan. Through their actions, they have proven their love for one another, and today, they proclaim this to all, now and forever."

The princess continues. "Yours is not a common bond, whether emotional or physical. The step you take here today, represents hope for the future cooperation of both of your races. May others learn from your example, to love both what is inside and out."

She turns to Rhino. "Do you, Rhino of the Nexus clan, take this nymph to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, through better and worse, now and forever?"

He nods once, proudly as his voice rings out. "I do."

She turns to Gel. "Do you, Gel, take this stallion to be your lawfully wedded husband, through sickness and in health, through better or worse, now and forever?"

The nymph doesn't hesitate, raising her head and looking directly into the princess's eyes. "I do."

Luna smiles as she faces center. "Bring forth the rings!"

Apple Bloom happily steps forward, holding the pillow with the rings on her back.

The little Apple filly walks down the aisle and presents the couple with the rings. Rhino picks up the gold one, and Gel picks up the silver. Enveloped in Rhino's green aura, the gold band slips easily onto Gel's curved horn, coming to a rest at its base.

The nymph takes the silver one and tries to put it on his horn, fumbling slightly before successfully sliding it on. She gives him a sheepish smile.

Luna starts to speak again. "Then, by the power invested in me, I proclaim you wedded. You may kiss."

Gel, eager to do just that, carefully pulls her veil back and pulls him into a long tender kiss. Her eyes flutter closed and her ears twitch at the cheering of their friends.

The Princess smiles as they break the kiss and stand side by side in front of the audience. "May I present, for the first time, Rhino and Gel of the Nexus clan!"

The crowd cheers as the couple turn to Luna as she continues. "To conclude, would the couple and their witnesses please sign the certificate?"

All four ponies, the couple and the pony they chose to stand next to them, sign the document to the sound of the third and final cheer from the assembled ponies.

Gel turns to her love, happily nuzzling him. We did it. We're officially married! She giggles, pulling away to look up at him. What do you have planned for the honeymoon?

He chuckles sheepishly as they walk towards the barn for the reception. Honestly I have no idea... my parents offered to pay for whatever we choose but I've never really had a vacation before...

She stares at him in surprise. Never? She taps her chin, thinking a moment. We'll just have to fix that, then. She entwines her tail in his, smiling sweetly. Let's go somewhere we can have fun...in every sense of the word. She winks teasingly at him as they stop in front of the barn door. Does that sound good to you?

He kisses her cheek as they open the doors. I think that sounds wonderful.

The couple lead the way for everypony else into the barn. The walls have actually been painted an off-white for the occasion, to where one could hardly tell they were in a barn. Tables of food line the walls, small round tables for sitting are scattered around, and in the center there is a large space for dancing. Octavia breaks off from the group and hops onto the stage to join the rest of her ensemble, grabbing her cello and giving a nod to the rest, who immediately prepare to play. Above it all is a banner stating 'Congratulations'.

The newlyweds head over to the towering cake from sugarcube corner with their likenesses atop it. As one, they cut the first slice and hold up a bit of it in their magic to feed to the other.

She giggles, giving him a lidded gaze. Say 'aah'.

Rhino opens his mouth a bit.

She moves forward as she slides the piece into his mouth. As soon as it's in, she kisses him tenderly, secretly sneaking some tongue into it.

His own tongue blocked by the cake, Rhino can only enjoy the brief kiss before swallowing the cake and remarking. "Mmm, tasty." The cake was pretty good too. Your turn. He raises his bit of cake.

Flatterer. She smiles softly and opens her mouth, closing her eyes in a display of trust.

He pops the cake into her mouth, but saves a small dollop of icing that he sticks on her nose when she closes her mouth. He leans forward and cleans the small bit of icing off with a light kiss, licking his lips afterwards.

Gel blushes profusely, her whole face turning bright blue. Before anything else could be said, a lump of icing flies from the cake and, splitting in two, hits them both in the face, somehow avoiding their outfits.

Rhino wipes enough of the icing off so he can see the culprit, a very guilty looking yellow drone. The groom narrows his eyes a moment before shaking his head and laughing with the rest of the crowd as he and Gel wipe their faces off.

The music starts in earnest and the reception begins. Everypony does any combination of dancing, eating, sitting, and mingling that their heart desires, including the couple of the day.

The lucky nymph sits at the table closest to the stage, happily eating another slice of cake. She glances at her love next to her and smiles softly, playfully poking his shoulder. Why so serious? This is supposed to be a joyous occassion!

Rhino smiles as he looks at her. I was just thinking, and I'm definitely happy, no need to worry about that. He leans over to give her another kiss on the cheek.

She giggles, snuggling up against him. What were you thinking about?

He puts a foreleg around her, enjoying the feel of her soft dress. You'll find out later, it's a surprise.

She rolls her eyes playfully. I suppose I'll have to wait, then.

Over at the door to the barn, a red-maned orange unicorn mare approaches the party with a calm look, but a determined stride. Her eyes are locked onto the couple at the head table as she marches into the barn.

Luster, seeing this and reading the air of animosity around the pony, stops her with a hoof. Some metal floats in the air in front of the mare, bending and warping to form words. 'Who are you?'

The mare grimaces at Luster's hoof and makes sure it doesn't touch her. "None of your business, insect." She attempts to walk around the purple nymph.

She steps in front of her, eyes narrowed. 'Did you seriously just call me an insect?'

The unicorn snorts as she stops. "Yes, I did, do you not own a mirror? Now out of the way, I'm on an important mission."

'Oh?' She stands tall, looking down on the mare. 'Please, do share. I love a good story.' Even written, the sarcasm in the words is quite clear.

Just because it is clear though, does not mean it is acknowledged. The mare narrows her eyes as she gestures towards the couple. "I'm here to talk that stallion out of this abomination he calls a wedding and get him to come to his senses about that blue vermin."

Luster's eyes twitches and she flares her wings. 'Did you just call my friend vermin?' She takes a step forward, her very aura emanating malice. 'My kind, pacifistic friend who has never done a single thing to you? Am I hearing you correctly?' A spare metal chair to the side of the barn liquefies and slithers over to the nymph, forming a puddle around the nymph. 'You'd better hope my ears aren't working.'

The mare backs off a step in order to maintain a distance from Luster, but maintains her expression. "I don't particularly care what your kind think, bug, but I won't let this travesty continue any longer than it has."

'Sure you won't.' She turns her attention to a nearby red stallion. Sorry to interrupt your chat, Mac, but this mare needs to be escorted off the premises. The metal under her flows up into a wall, stopping the unicorn as she tries to sneak around her. Parts of the metal sink inwards, forming more words. 'Don't think I forgot about you, Miss.'

As the mare tries to walk around the wall again, she suddenly find her vision blocked by red. "Nope." Big Mac then literally, pushes her out the barn by simply constantly walking toward her and not letting her get around him. The two are soon lost among down the path to town.

Luster nods at this, turning to the happy couple and saluting smartly. Threat neutralized.

Mac comes back a few minutes later and motions Luster over. "Ah, don't think she was the only one thinking of trying something, and Ah don't think we've seen the last of her. Ah'm gonna shut the doors so we don't have any more wedding crashers today."

Gel nods, smiling warmly at the two of them. "Thank you..." She turns to Rhino as the other two go to secure the perimeter, giggling softly. "I'm glad that's over...even if it's just for now."

Rhino doesn't say anything, he just looks at where the mare was and draws Gel closer into his protective embrace. "Let's just enjoy the rest of the party..."

The party goes on without a hitch after that, fun is had by all. Rhino even dares to go on the dance floor, despite a heavy blush and a complete lack of dancing skills aside from some simple slow dance knowledge, which is the only type of song he would dance for. The day rolls on, and the party eventually starts to wind down to groups of ponies chatting.

In the lull between songs, there's a loud crash. Everyone turns to see a certain drone as he stumbles away from the table he tipped over. He wraps his foreleg around Silk, chuckling happily. "You're sexy, you know that? You and that wonderful gift you've got here." He moves a hoof to tap her forehead but ends up booping the mare's nose. He doesn't seem to notice this, taking a swig from the mug floating unsteadily beside him.

Silk giggles nervously as scrunches her nose a little. "Umm... what gift are you referring to, hon?"

Rhino, meanwhile, looks closely at the mug. What is he drinking?

"Your mind of course!" He laughs heartily, pulling her close and dipping her low, kissing her passionately despite all the ponies watching. He breaks it and grins down at her, pressing his forehead to hers. "Anyone would be lucky to have you. I'm luckier to be with you!"

Gel takes the skein in her magic, easily pulling it out of her friend's aura before bringing it close and sniffing it. It smells like apple juice...but a bit more bitter, I think?

Silk's wings flutter happily as her eye stay half closed while her face blushes heavily. "Well... you know... I'm pretty lucky too..."

Rhino sniffs the drink once before flinching away. Cider...

Flick pulls her back up into a standing position, reaching a hoof back towards his pocket. "What I'd like to know is..." he fumbles the box for a moment before grabbing it in his magic, looking up at her with sincere eyes and a face flushed bright yellow - whether that was from alcohol or nervousness is unsure, though. "...would you make me the luckiest drone on Equis?"

Gel's eyes snap to her friends at this, wide in surprise. I-is he...

Silk freezes as she sees inside the box. "Are you... you are... you want..." She shakily takes the necklace out of the box and holds it gingerly with a hoof as her eyes shimmer. She sniffs loudly before grabbing Flick in a crushing hug and peppering him with kisses. "Yes! I will, I will, I will!"

The entire barn erupts into applause and congratulations.

He chuckles, hugging her back and kissing her deeply. "...I'm glad you said yes..." He falls to the side, collapsing on a table, unconscious.

Gel blinks, glancing around the room quickly. ...love? He only had one glass... She glances down at the half-full mug. ...and not even all of it, at that.

I... Rhino does a slow facehoof. I don't even know... I'm just gonna be happy for them and ignore how it happened. It's easier that way...

Probably for the best. She watches Luster take her brother out of the barn on a makeshift gurney, pegasus in tow. ...someone's probably got to tell him what happened, huh?

Rhino chuckles. I'm fairly certain the pegasus that's going to be snuggled next to him will explain it wonderfully.

You're right. She giggles, shaking her head. Her ear twitches as another slow song comes on, and she gives him a playful smile. Care for one more dance?

He gets up and offers her a hoof. Sure.

The party eventually ends, as all parties must. As the newlyweds head home with promises from their friends that the wedding presents will be brought to the house later, Rhino immediately scoops Gel onto his back as they walk. He looks back at her with a smile. "I know the tradition is to carry you over the threshold, but you don't mind if I carry you a bit before that, right?"

She giggles, shaking her head. "I don't mind at all, love." She leans forward and nuzzles his neck, blushing softly.

As they walk through town, taking some of the unused routes to avoid drawing too much attention in their wedding apparel, they chat a bit. "So... finally married. Feels a little surreal, doesn't it?"

She nods, closing her eyes. "It's like a dream...yet I know it's not, since you'd have wings." She laughs to herself. "But then you wouldn't be the perfect stallion I know and love."

He chuckles. "And you wouldn't be the lovely nymph in the beautiful dress on a lucky stallion's back." They walk a bit more until they've almost reached the house, when Rhino speaks to her again. "Hey, remember how I have that surprise for you?"

She nods, rubbing his side with a hoof. "I do. I also remember what we had for breakfast our first morning together." She sticks out her tongue at him.

He flicks her lightly with his tail. "Alright, Miss Perfect Memory, what I was getting at, is that this surprise actually requires you to do a little something to make it work."

She blinks, tapping her chin as she thinks. "...do I have to...roleplay as the princess, tonight?" She teasingly winks at him, giggling softly.

He blushes a little as he responds. "I would think you would be more excited to play the role of the bride on the wedding night."

"I would." She smiles, gently kissing his cheek. "I just love to make you blush like that."

He sees they're getting closer to the house so he goes back to his point. "Anyway love, what I need you to do for this surprise is to close your eyes until I tell you to open them, ok?"

She nods, closing them completely. "I can do that."

He looks back at her playfully. "Promise?"

She sighs, peeking open an eye at him. "You have my word, love, that my eyes will stay shut." She closes them once more. "Starting now."

He smirks as he slowly changes his path from heading towards their house, and instead passes by it completely. Their walk is going to be a little longer than she thought.

She frowns slightly, tapping his shoulder. She doesn't try to open her eyes, wanting to keep her promise. "...Rhino? I know your strides are longer than mine, so we're not heading towards the house...where are we going?"

He only chuckles before answering in a sing-song voice. "It's a surprise~."

She huffs softly, resting her head against his neck. "...fine..."

They reach their destination after a few more minutes of walking, and Rhino comes to a stop. "Alright love, are you ready for your surprise?"

She nods, nuzzling into his fur as she does so. "Yes, please."

"Alright then," he gives her a brief kiss before pulling his head back, "take a look."

She opens her eyes, gazing upon the scene in front of them.

In front of them, in the middle of a grassy plot of land is a house. Two stories, with brick that transitions to painted wood siding just before the second story, it is easily one of the biggest houses in Ponyville. Dark green accents outline the off-white siding, and the number of windows show that there are a number of rooms. Finally, a covered front porch can be seen with a beautiful deep blue door.

Gel's mouth drops open in awe, simply taking in what she is seeing for a few moments. "...Rhino...it...it's perfect..."

He kisses her cheek. "I thought you'd like it. I had to call up my dad and get him to pull some strings with some friends, but we got it done. It's not much right now, mostly just the shell, but all our stuff is in there, and I've got some spouts to start sprucing up the yard."

She turns to him, tears of joy welling in her eyes. "...thank you, love...this is a wonderful surprise..." She gently places a hoof on his cheek, leaning in to kiss him passionately.

He accepts the kiss and they stand there like that for a minute until he breaks it. "Now then, shall I carry you over the threshold of our home?"

She smiles softly, nodding. "Please do."

He walks up to the door and, with a key he pulls from his tux pocket, opens it goes inside, flicking on the lights as he does so. The front room is very much and entrance hall, with the stairs to the second floor centered and rooms off to either side and behind them.

She looks around, taking in every detail of the hallway with foal-like curiosity. "...wow...this is amazing...almost like a mansion..." She tilts her head, staring at a blank wall for a second. "...do you think Flick might be able to supply us with a few paintings? It might give this place a bit more character..."

He nods. "Between that, furniture, curtains, and any other things we need for this place, we've got plenty to get. Not all at once of course, just as we think of it and find something we like."

She nods, sliding off his back and moving around the staircase. She stops and waves him over. "What's this door for?"

He walks over and sees the door she's talking about. "Ah, that one. That's actually the door to the basement, which also functions as my protected runic research workspace, so I can experiment and not have to worry much about if anything goes wrong."

She stays quiet for a moment before turning to him, grinning in excitement. "May I watch?"

He nuzzles her, touched by her interest. "Of course love, you're welcome to watch when the time comes."

She squeals in excitement, hugging him happily. "Thank you!"

He chuckles as he hugs her back. "Why do I think there's going to be a lot of happy squealing from you in our new home?"

"Because you know me so well." She giggles, sticking her tongue out at him.

"True." He kisses her forehead. "So, any other rooms you want to see?"

She thinks for a bit, tilting her head to one side. "...well, I think I should see our bedroom last..." She smirks, giving him a lidded gaze. "...so we can have a little fun, of course." She shrugs a bit. "For now, how about some more of the 'new' rooms?"

"Well..." he thinks a moment, "most of the rooms are bedrooms, but aside from bathrooms, utility, kitchen, and dining room, I think there are two other ones you should see. First," he gestures to another door, "Come see the new living room."

She nods, turning and draping a wing over his shoulder. She smiles softly as they head over to the door.

He opens it and they see into the room itself. "As with most of the rooms, a little bigger that what we had and definitely needing more than the couch and chair, but the main thing I'm looking forward to," he points, "is the fireplace. I love fireplaces. They're great for warmth, atmosphere, light, and so many other things. We're going to be enjoying that when it starts to get cold in a few months."

She looks around the room, noting the height of the ceiling. "I could see us putting up a tree in the corner for Hearth's Warming Eve." She points to the corner in question and steps forward, closing her eyes. "I can almost hear the delighted laughter of our foals...oh, it's going to be so wonderful..."

He steps forward and nuzzles her lovingly, the fabrics of their outfits rustling against each other. "I'm glad we're thinking along the same lines there..."

She giggles, happily nuzzling him back. "So am I..."

He gently grabs one of her hooves and pulls her towards the door. "The last one I think we should see is upstairs." They walk through the house again and he stops at a door on the second floor. "Now, it's not quite as exciting as the last room, but I think you'll still like it." He opens the door to reveal a room with two solid walls of bookshelves, their books already on them but plenty of room left. "I'm planning on this being our own little library and study. The foals can do homework or we can do work in here, or maybe just enjoy some nice reading."

She stares at this in silent awe before moving forward and putting one of her romance novels on a top shelf. She turns towards him, sheepishly smiling. "D-don't want the foals to read that one..."

He just chuckles before walking over and flicking her with his tail. "Naughty nymph."

She squeaks, blushing profusely. She bows her head, embarrassed. "M-maybe I am...but so are you, Doctor." She looks up at him and playfully winks, sauntering her way over to the door and watching him over her shoulder. "Now, I believe we have a bedroom to see?"

"That we do..." They travel a few doors down and he opens it for her. Inside, the bedroom is twice the size of the one they had, and they have more than enough room to walk or anything else, even with all his bedroom furniture in the room. He motions over to a side door as he remarks as a side note. "The closet's a lot bigger too, it's actually a walk-in now."

Gel simply grins, walking over and opening it. "...there's enough room for me to change in there..." She giggles, ideas already going through her head. "...and we could even add a couch in our room, if we like..." She turns towards a window, seeing their relatively empty backyard. She taps her chin as she contemplates this for a moment. "...maybe I should ask Luster if she could help us move the playground equipment over here..."

He nods. "Probably a good idea. We were lucky we managed to sneak the rest of this stuff over here when they took you away to get ready this morning."

She tilts her head to one side, curious. "...'this morning'? 'We'?"

He looks at her. "Well, yeah, we slept in our bed last night so it obviously wasn't here. As soon as Mom and Silk came and got you this morning, Luster and Flick helped me load everything up and haul it over here before we went over to Sweet Apple Acres for the ceremony."

Her face shows understanding, and she turns back to the yard. "...well, then..." She strolls over to the bed, giving him a sensual smile. "...anything else you'd like to say before we...consummate our marriage?"

He feigns thinking a moment before walking over and gently touching noses with her. "I think I'll go with a classic. I love you... with all my heart, and I'll never stop." He gently kisses her lips.

She returns the kiss happily, smiling warmly at him. "...and the fire of my love for you will remain eternal...faring the weather of life and remaining strong..." She tenderly touches noses with him. "...you have my word on that..."

***

Unknown to the couple, they had an observer when they had arrived at their love nest. A small filly-sized and shaped form had watched them from the nearby woods through silver eyes.

She growls, eyes narrowed as they disappeared from her view. "You will regret this day, boy." She slowly backs away, eventually disappearing within the cover of the undergrowth.

Author's Note

For those of you who noticed and even more for those of you who didn't, yes that 'completed' status is correct. This is the end of this story. I just want to say thank you for all who loved to read this tale, the first one I've gotten to completion so far. I'm glad so many of you enjoyed this fun tale.

Now, a few words from my co-writer and friend, EnigmaMystere, without whom I couldn't have done this.

"Hey! This story has been so fun to write, and, while I'm sad that it has to end, I'm stoked about the next story in this series! I'll let Rhy tell you about that, though."

Yes, you read that right folks. Just because this story is over, doesn't mean we're done. May I present to you... the sequel!

The Start of Something New

Small side note though, all mature scenes will be in this story: The Start of Something New: Private Moments

Chapter 34: Second Attempt

Gel opens the back door, glancing around quietly. "...well, might as well get this done..." She closes the door only to open it back up, a pencil and clipboard floating in the air nearby. "...good thing the air's starting to cool down...I can finally inspect the yard for the little ones..." The changeling glances to her back, smiling softly at the critter there. "...thanks for joining me, Specter...I know you didn't have to come along..."

The squirrel stops his gawking at the trees keeping the yard from peering eyes of any of the neighbors and responds by chittering at her, giving a thumbs up, and hugging her neck.

She giggles, gently nuzzling him. "Time to go to work!"

She's soon flitting about, taking careful note of anything that might be dangerous. Every so often, she would offer her passenger some nuts or a bit of water.

After a few minutes, the shape of a pony approaches from the trees, but doesn't leave the treeline. It is clearly a stallion, and a pegasus. He freezes as he sees the changeling. Gel doesn't see him yet, when a sudden pressure presses on her mind.

Gel sighs, resisting the sensation and calling out to the forest. "Sergeant, I know you're there. Just come out and talk to me." She pauses before adding "And that's an order."

The form quickly approaches with a military march and pauses just in view. The disguised changeling seems to be in slight awe at his superior. "Ma'am, I must ask, why are you breaking protocol and walking around undisguised?"

She blinks at this, cursing in her mind. "No one is going to see me back here." She looks at her pet, smiling softly. "Besides, I hear pets can detect insincerity. I wouldn't want him to act scared." ...he doesn't know about pets, right?

He narrows his eyes at the squirrel, who does the same to him. "Hmm, I didn't know that. I'll have to remember that for my next cover. Regardless ma'am, my mission was to come and retrieve your report of your time here."

She gives him her best even look. "I'm afraid I don't have it put together, yet. You'll have to wait a bit longer, Sergeant." As she says this, she reaches her mind out to the stallion in the house, nervous. Rhino? T-the changeling's back...c-can you come out to the backyard? And please, be sure to call out my pony name so he doesn't suspect anything...I-I'm not exactly disguised...

The mental link stays silent before a single line comes from Rhino's mind. On my way. A few seconds later a voice comes from inside the house, getting closer. "Angel? Are you in the yard?"

She quickly levitates the squirrel off her back, shifting into the familiar white unicorn. "Y-yes, I'm out here, and so is Specter." She carefully puts him back down on her back, looking at the other disguised changeling expectantly.

He lets out a growl of annoyance. "Ma'am, I need something to report to command by tomorrow, no matter how small." He sees the door opening and shifts his face to a friendly expression.

Rhino approaches with a slight smile. "Hello, can I help you with something?"

Gel motions to the lower-ranking officer, smiling softly at her stallion. "Rhino, this pony just wanted to talk with me a bit." She turns to the pegasus, smiling apologetically. "...w-what did you say your name was, again? I don't have the best memory..."

The drone doesn't hesitate with his cover. "Cold Snap, ma'am." He turns to the stallion. "I'm just gathering the opinions of some citizens for my report to the Cloudsdale weather factories. Just making sure everypony has their comments about the weather heard."

Rhino nods. "It's been a bit warm lately, but what else can you expect from summer?"

The changeling smiles. "I understand sir, well, I won't take up any more of your time." He bows his head before taking off and winging away.

The white mare watches him leave, keeping herself from frowning at him. ...great...now I need to make a report for him to give command... She sighs, turning to look at her stallion. ...what should I do?

Though still wearing his forced smile, Rhino lets out a growl at the retreating false pegasus. I'm not the best one to ask right now... I was half tempted to bring a kitchen knife out with me... plus I don't really know much about military things...

She balks, eyes wide in horror. A knife? I'm glad you didn't! She shudders, shaking her head. If he didn't return, or came back with wounds, they would've sent one of the elite out here! And not a nice one like me!

He sighs. Yeah... I figured it would have repercussions like that... plus I really didn't know his exact intentions yet... I guess I just got protective because I thought they would take you away from me against both our wills... He rubs his forehead with a hoof. Good thing it was a reflex thought and nothing more...

Agreed. She walks towards the back door, brushing her tail teasingly against his side. Let's go inside, hmm? It's getting late. She giggles, walking inside.

Rhino looks one last time at the point where the other changeling had disappeared. He narrows his eyes at the spot before heading inside.

Unbeknownst to them, once he had flown far enough away, 273 had returned and had observed them from a cloud vantage point. He hums in thought as he takes off after seeing them go inside.

***

Later that evening, the nymph is working cheerfully in the kitchen. Gel puts down the cookbook, curious. "...he's been up there for awhile...well, the instructions say to let it cook for twenty minutes..." She takes off her chef's hat and buzzes upstairs. She slowly opens the door, poking her head inside.

The stallion in question is sitting at his desk, head leaned over as the small sounds of him fiddling with something can be heard. He sets whatever he is working on to one side as he brings a few sheets of paper over to himself and starts looking intently at them.

Wanting to know what he was doing, she quietly walks inside. She moves until she is behind him and to his right. She cranes her neck, trying her best to look at his project.

To his right, she can see a simple necklace with a sturdy silver chain and a sapphire slightly smaller than a bit with the chain connected to it. On the sheets in front of him, she can barely make out a few different arcane circles. They look slightly similar, but have differences. The stallion himself hasn't noticed her and is wearing a look of determined concentration.

She sits quietly, trying not to disturb him, but her curiosity quickly gets the better of her. "...Rhino? What are you doing?"

He jumps a bit as he rapidly blinks, as if coming out of a trance. He looks to his right and sees her. "Oh, hello love. I didn't hear you come in..." He looks back to his work. He looks between the two most complete circles before filling in the runes in one and crumpling the other up and tossing it into the wastebasket next to the desk. "Just finishing up a little... project."

She quirks an eyebrow. "...okay, Rhino..." She picks up the paper, looking over it. "...what kind of project is it?"

He averts his eyes. "Well... the changeling earlier got me thinking... and a bit paranoid... about having you taken away. So... I'm using that rune I learned yesterday to make... well... a Gel tracking necklace." He flicks the necklace with a hoof. "You know... so I can always find you..." His voice is quiet, as if a little embarrassed.

She blinks, looking at him in confusion. "...that's sweet...but...how would this track me?" She stares at the circle, as if doing that for long enough would make it reveal its secrets. "...does one of these symbolize me?"

"In a way I suppose." He points to one that looks like a fishing net. "This one takes a sample of a magical signature, the linking rune uses that as a base."

She slowly nods. "...I think I understand...so...you need a bit of my magic?" She frowns, putting a hoof to her chin. "...how are you going to do that?"

He looks over his circle again. "Well, I've got this all planned out, so give me one second." He brings over the necklace as his horn lights up. On the face of the sapphire, a tiny version of the sketched circle appears in the green color of his magic. Once he ensures every single line is as it should be, his horn and the circle pulse once before he let's the magic go and they both go out. "There, just cast a little bit of your magic on this, even if it's just lifting it up, and it'll take an unnoticeable sample."

"...okay..." She picks it up, bringing it close to look at it. "...it's really quite beautiful..."

"Well, I was really going for a simple look since I'll be the one wearing it, but simplicity has it's own beauty I suppose." He gently takes the necklace from her and slips it on, closing his eyes to see that it worked as intended. Sure enough, in the back of his mind there was a constant itch telling him where she was relative to him. He opens his eyes and smiles. "Perfect."

She smiles softly, nodding a bit. "...I'm glad to hear that..." She turns to the door, looking at him over her shoulder. "...come on, love...I made you a small surprise for dinner..."

He finally gets a good look at her, standing there in a crisp white apron as she looks back at him. He quickly puts his spell-working materials in their boxes and follows her out of the room. "I don't know... I'm enjoying this surprise right now..."

She flicks his nose with her tail, blushing softly and smiling coyly. "Flatterer." She looks ahead, hurrying down the stairs. ...I hope I didn't burn it...four hundred for eighteen minutes, right?

He thinks back as he follows her. Why are you asking me? You made this as a surprise for me, so I have no idea what it is. He sniffs the air. Something does smell well cooked though.

She sniffs as well and immediately panics, running down the stairs and into the kitchen. She swiftly yanks open the oven, releasing a small cloud of smoke. She pulls out a black-and-yellow disc, on the verge of tears. "...w-where did I go wrong? I-I followed the instructions perfectly...i-it's only been twelve minutes..."

He walks into the kitchen and looks at the food. He smiles and kisses her on the cheek. "It's fine, love, it's just burnt around the edges. You're not the first pony to make a little blacker pizza than they were going for. Hay, I've eaten pizza blacker than this before. It's fine." He nuzzles her affectionately.

She sniffles, looking up at him. "...t-thank you, Rhino..." She sighs, putting it down on a plate she had set up. "...I wish I knew what happened, though..."

He gets out a knife and starts to slice up the pizza. "Why don't you check the instructions on the package, to see if you misread or missed anything?" He sneaks a quick bite of a slice, setting it on his plate afterwards.

She quietly nods, grabbing her cookbook and looking at the directions. "...no...everything seems to be just as I remember...wait..." She brushes a hoof against the page and immediately groans, falling face-first in the book. ...it wasn't eighteen minutes...it was ten minutes...a bit of oregano made the zero look like an eight...

He finishes serving the meal and walks over to her, leaning down and nuzzling her neck. "See, not your fault, just a sequence of coincidences. Now come on my sexy chef, we still have a meal to enjoy." He gives her neck a single nibble for emphasis.

Gel blushes brightly, nodding a bit. "...o-okay..." She moves to her seat, brushing her chitin against his coat as she passes him.

As the two start eating, Rhino pauses a few bites in. "Thanks for making dinner tonight, by the way. Love the apron too..." He winks at her.

She giggles shyly, waving a hoof at him. "It's the least I could do. You've done so much for me, after all."

He thinks on that statement. "I don't think I've done anything out of the ordinary... just being me I think. Well, you do get treated better than anyone else because you're my marefriend, but other than that I mean."

"...you got me a job...cared for me like no one else has before..." She smiles softly, nodding a bit. "...I couldn't ask you for anything more...except maybe a foal..." She winks and returns to her meal, embarrassed by her own words. ...you're also a lot better at putting things into words than I am...

He stays silent for a moment before responding. "True... but we talked about he steps before that... Actually, come to think of it, you have a very mature mind about, well, having foals. Most young couples tend to shy away from subjects like that but with us it seems like it's one of our most comfortable subjects. Nothing wrong with that of course, it's just something that occurred to me."

She blinks, thinking about this. ...are you saying that because I'm eighteen, or because we're still a young couple?

He raises an eyebrow. I don't see those as mutually exclusive. Again, I'm also not saying it's a bad thing. I'm just saying not everyone takes this approach.

She shrugs, returning to her meal. ...I suppose not...then again, not every mare is a nymph... She looks off in the distance, a thoughtful expression on her face. ...maybe...I just want to know what it's like to have one...or maybe it's something in my subconscious... She swallows, redirecting her attention to him. "I don't really know, myself."

He grabs another slice. "Well, I suppose we'll have more to talk about on that subject once a few other things happen..."

Chapter 47: One Heck of a Night, Part 2

***Warning, Sensual Content***

She giggles, teasingly wiggling her hips at him as she exits. She saunters over to the bed, pausing with her forehooves on it. "Rhino, could you lay down first? I'd like to lay on top of you." She blushes brightly, her gaze fixed on his face.

He smiles as he climbs up onto the bed and lays down on his stomach. "Careful now, you've already got me wishing you had the clothes back on, just so I could unwrap all over again..."

She blinks from where she stands, staring at him through the spectacles she just put on. She smiles shyly, moving over him and gently kissing and nipping his neck. "...I'd like that...too bad all I've got on are these glasses...and this headband." She puts on a white band, pulling her hair back from over her face.

He turns his head to where he can see her through one eye. "Well, it's not what I had in mind, but I'm not going to complain." The fur along his spine bristles under her as she nips his neck again.

She smirks, kissing and nipping her way up to the top of his head. She stops and rests her head on his, having scoot up his body to better reach this. "Well, what did you have in mind?" She playfully licks the upper side of his horn as she waits for his response.

"I just meant clothing-wise, love. You know, that feeling of knowing that you've seen something before but seeing it covered and packaged so beautifully that you just want to savor it before unwrapping it again?" He simply lays there enjoying the feeling of her on his back. "This is fine though, it's something new so I'm more than willing to try it.... makes you look a bit bookish actually."

She pauses her actions, giving him a flat look. "Bookish, you say?" While her expression doesn't say anything, her tone is obviously curious to see where he's going with this train of thought.

He quickly explains. "Not a bad thing, mind you. It just reminds me of sort of that cliche image of a college mare... you know... glass, mane pulled back, white socks on rear hooves, skirt, shirt, maybe a vest and scarf... it's a cute look."

She blushes softly, understanding what he means. With a small smile she uses the dreamscape to give herself another outfit. She nibbles on his ear, giggling a bit. "That's an interesting thought. Maybe I'll try that outfit on, sometime. Or..." She nuzzles his neck before leaning in close, whispering in his ear. "...maybe I'll wear it, now."

His ears stand straight up as his head quickly turns around, taking in her appearance. With the white shirt, yellow vest, golden skirt, and white socks in addition to the white headband and black glasses, she looks exactly as he described. He simply stares at her as his tail and legs shift. "Wow... everytime I see you... you just look more lovely..."

She giggles, gently kissing him before moving to lay next to him. "You're just saying that." She shakes her head, her face bright blue from her blush. "...even so...t-thank you..."

He leans over and nips the back of her neck like she did to him. "I thought we already discussed me being honest with my compliments." He licks his lips as he looks her over and darts in for a quick kiss.

She happily kisses him back, a small smirk on her lips. "...why Rhino...is that lust I'm sensing from you?" She winks, sticking her tongue out teasingly.

He blushes as he shuffles his hooves. "Guilty... you're just so sexy that I can't help it..."

Gel shakes her head, leaning up against him. "I didn't say I was upset." She places a hoof on top of his, smiling softly. "I actually find it flattering...but when we make love, this time...could we actually...make love?" She bites her lip, embarrassed, wishing that she could've worded that better.

He smirks as he responds. "Well, considering I'm pretty sure we got most of your lust out of you with the last two sessions... I think we can make this one the most memorable. Wish granted, love." He nuzzles her lovingly.

She sighs happily, returning the affectionate gesture. "...just one question..." She averts her eyes, feeling a mix of shame and curiosity. "...h-how do we...d-do that?"

He gives her a look. "You're asking me? I'm fairly certain the only difference is that it's slower and more sensual. We just do what we want, and make each other feel... wonderful."

She lowers her head, hiding her burning cheeks. "...um...o-okay, then..." She flicks her tail over her back, tenderly trailing it along his side. "...though, honestly...I-I don't know what to do..."

"Well, i know what I want to head towards as my goal, but for now..." He leans forward and grabs her gently in his hooves, rolling over so that she is laying on his stomach. "Why don't we just see where things go?" He brings his head up and kisses her as he rubs her back.

She coos softly, gently kissing him back, smiling shyly. "...I-I like the sound of that..."

They continue kissing, their horns crossing. One of his hooves moves up to cup her head and strokes her mane as they continue. Their tails naturally entwine as the fabric of her outfit rubs between them.

She places her forehooves around his shoulders, deepening the kiss slightly and pulling him a little closer.

He lightly licks the outside of her lips to ask permission to go to the next step. His hooves continue rubbing across her mane and back, never still.

She opens her mouth, though she isn't entirely sure what to do. She closes her eyes, letting herself enjoy the sensations of his hooves roaming her body.

He notices the lack of her own tongues involvement, so his decides to go inside and visit. His muscle lovingly lifts hers up, coaxing it around even as his own explores her mouth.

She takes this moment to push her slightly longer tongue into his mouth, the forked tip brushing up against as much as it can possibly reach.

His tongue stays inside her mouth, fully entranced as it gently rubs up and down her sharp fangs. He alternates between them, the curious teeth warranting exploration.

The changeling giggles softly, finding the thought of how fascinated he was with her fangs amusing. She pulls her tongue back and wraps it around his, keeping them between their mouths as their kiss gets slightly deeper. The sensualness of the act, how gentle he was being, lights a fire in her belly. She holds herself back, keeping her desires in check, wanting nothing more than to go at the pace he wants to go.

His hooves on her back find her wings as they poke through the holes in the outfit. His hooves work on their bases before reachign the bottoms of the wings themselves, gently lifting them so that the wings flare out. Once they do, he bgeins lightly rubbing up and down them.

She squeaks in surprise, blushing brightly at the sensation. She breaks the kiss, biting her lip softly. "...I-I forgot...h-how good that feels..."

"That's the point..." He leans up and nibbles from her neckline all the way up to her head.

She coos, holding his head in her forehooves. She smiles softly, pecking his lips before trailing kisses up, between his eyes and to her current goal. She gives the base of his horn a tiny kiss, her hooves tenderly stroking the top of his head.

He shivers at the contact. His hooves freezing momentarily an her wings. His tail twists tighter around her as he licks her neck. He grabs the topmost button of her shirt in his teeth, but doesn't do anythign with it yet.

She smiles at his reaction, gently licking the hard bone. She moves further up, her tongue tracing the spiral groove before she kisses the blunt tip of it.

A few green sparks fountain from the tip of his horn as his eyes cross momentarily. His teeth grip, snaping the button in their grip open and exposing a new section of her neck and chest, which he eagerily indulges in with nips and licks.

She trembles at the feeling of his mouth on her, her legs clenching around his chest as a spike of arousal hits her. She ignores it, for now, slowly wrapping her lips around his horn, pulling more and more of it into her mouth, bobbing along the length of it.

Conscious of her on his horn, and thoroughly enjoying it, Rhino wonders what else he can do from this position without moving his head. As a few more sparks erupt from his horn, he speaks. "I think I'm sort of out of moves at the moment, love... Do you want to pick the next position shift for us to continue from?"

She pulls off of him, licking her lips as she thinks. "...no...I want to see what you come up with..." She giggles, winking playfully at him.

"Alright then..." He locks his forelegs around her before rolling them both until he is on top of her. He leans his neck down and nips all but one of her vest buttons open. "I think this will do nicely..." He moves upward and start doing to her small curved horn what she had been doing to his, swirling his tongue around it and kissing the tip.

She moans softly, one of her hindlegs twitching with the pleasure of his actions. She struggles to keep her focus on him, her hooves unable to find purchase on his body and thus forced to grip at the covers of the bed.

He looks down at her, smirking. "Hmm... and here I thought you liked my chest... guess I was wrong." He lightly flicks the tip of her horn with his tongue.

His words make their way into her hazy mind, causing her to lean up and lick at his fluffy chest. She acts on instinct, kissing and nibbling the fur there as he continues to play with her horn and make her thoughts unfocused.

He stops his work on her horn and switches to her ears, licking on the outside of them, nibbling the tips, and of course, whispering things into them. "Tell me love, are you enjoying yourself?"

She eagerly nods, panting with her arousal now. "...y-yes, Rhino...v-very much so..."

"Good, you can still speak." He moves down and nips open the last button on her vest, causing it to fall open but not off since she does have her forelegs through it. "Can't have you paralyzed while I'm working after all... plus I don't want you to get bored with nothing to do..."

She blushes profusely, her curiosity growing at his words. "...w-what do you...p-plan on doing?" Her lack of concentration leads her hips to buck up on instinct, rubbing the cloth of her skirt against his stomach. She bites her lip, turning away in embarrassment.

"You know I don't end up planning specifics on these things much..." He unbuttons another button on her shirt. "Generally speaking though... my goal is to unwrap my present... and then play with it to show you how much I appreciate it." He lightly kisses the newest exposed part of her chest and ribs.

She shivers softly underneath him, her excitement growing even more with his words. "...s-sounds like a...g-good goal..."

"And what about you?" He moves up and kisses her lips again. "Surely you have some goals too?"

She kisses him back, blushing a little more in embarrassment. "...i-it's a silly one...y-you don't want to hear it..."

"You forget, I am very curious... I still remember that swimsuit you don't want to show me but said you would at some point." He slowly licks up her neck. "So let's hear it..."

She turns her head away in shame, gently biting her lip. I want to...have you completely inside me. She covers her face with her forehooves, trying to hide her burning cheeks.

"Ah... But unless you can somehow alter your insides... I can really only do that if..." His voice fades to quiet but his meaning is clear. "Is... that what you want?"

She nods shyly, still unable to bring herself to look at him. "...y-yes..."

"...okay... but would you mind if we saved that for a bit? There were still some things I wanted to do and they sort of naturally fall before we get to that point." He quickly adds. "Of course you are free to do things in the meantime as well, whatever you want to either of us."

She slowly moves a hoof away from her face, looking up at him with a small, nervous smile. "...o-okay...I-I'll try my best..."

He leans next to one of her ears. "That's all I can ask... Your move, love. I'm almost halfway through your shirt." He kisses her neck before nipping the spot lightly with his teeth.

She squeaks, her hooves folding against her chest on instinct. "...b-but...I-I don't..." Her voice trails off, her hooves moving to the top of his head, gently rubbing in small circles.

His eyes flutter closed as he hums appreciatively. His hooves plant themselves next to her in order to support himself. He stops moving entirely except for leaning into her hooves.

She giggles at this reaction, gently kissing him as she presses down a little harder, happy to see him enjoying the sensations. "...almost like a big, lovable doggy..." She shakes her head playfully, trying not to laugh at this thought.

He mutters quietly. "Woof." He grows a cheeky smile on his face as he quickly licks her nose.

She squeaks in surprise, her blush immediately flaring back up. "...I-I didn't mean it literally...unless..." She puts a hoof to her chin considering something for a moment before shaking her head. "...no...I don't think you'd like that..." She glances at the door, frantically motioning for the figure there to leave. "...d-darn my mind..."

His eyes open as her hooves are removed when she waves the figure away. "Just a joke, love." His tail lets go of hers and flicks under her skirt before wrapping back around hers. "Besides, I think you prefer a stallion."

She blushes brightly, nodding shyly at his words. "...not just a stallion, though..." She leans up, kissing him gently. "...my stallion..." She smiles up at him for a moment before giggling, covering her mouth with a fetlock. "Oh, Luna! Even though it's true, it's still so corny!"

He chuckles. "Well, I thought it was sweet. Thank you." He unwraps his tail again, running it up and down her inner thighs above the socks. "Now... how can I repay you for that sweetness..."

She coos softly as his tail trails over her erogenous spot, her thighs instinctively clamping down on it. She squirms, struggling to keep from laughing as this makes the hairs brush up against her ticklish thigh. "...m-maybe you can s-start...by telling me what you'd do with..." She bucks her hips up against him, pressing against his belly more firmly. "...these clothes in the way..."

"Well, I thought that was obvious..." He reaches down with his mouth and undoes another button on her shirt with his teeth, leaving only one left. "I simply have to move them out of the way..." He smiles as he looks down at her. "I think the vest is the only part I'll take completely off though."

She turns her head away, trying to fight down her blush. "...i-if you say so..." She pushes her glasses back up her nose from where they slid down, trying to find something to do with her idle hooves.

He notices her fiddling with her hooves. "Something wrong, love? You seem restless..."

"...I-I just...don't know what to do..." She sighs, turning to look into his eyes. "...n-none of my...p-previous experiences...were as sensual as this..."

Rhino stops as he looks down at her with curiosity. "Well... I admit I'm happy I'm making this special for you... but is this really so foreign of a concept?"

She laughs nervously, tapping her forehooves together. "...t-they usually fell asleep after I...g-gave them oral...y-you're the first to actually...y-you know..." She blushes fiercely, shyly looking up at him.

"Ah... well... I'm honored." He leans down to nuzzle her. "Don't worry so much about what you should or shouldn't do. This is all about hwo we feel, so just do what feels right, whether it's to me... yourself... the bed... it doesn't matter, as long as it feels right. Though if I may insert some personal bias, I do like it when you touch me in any way, simply because it's you." He gently kisses her lips.

She kisses him back, wrapping her forelegs around his neck and back. She pulls him up against her body, the sensation of his fluffy form against her smooth carapace feeling natural to her. She pulls back slightly, giggling softly. "...I'll keep that in mind, love..."

As his tail wiggles from where it is still trapped between her legs, Rhino undoes her last shirt button with a bit of magic, not wanting to disrupt her hug by moving down to get it with his mouth. "There we go... mind if we get this troublesome vest off?"

She shakes her head, releasing him from the embrace. "...I don't mind at all..." She teasingly licks the tip of his nose before letting herself fall back down onto the bed.

He gently manipulates one of her forelgs back through its hole in the yellow vest, letting the garment fallf lat on the bed afterwards. He then slowly moves the vest from under her, to the other side of her, where it slips nicely off her other foreleg, leaving her upper half clad only in a fully open shirt. He blows a bit of air onto her bare stomach to see how she reacts.

She shivers at this, biting her lip. "...t-that's cold..." Despite saying this, she smiles playfully at him, a hoof moving down to the button of her pleated skirt, as if attempting to hide it from him.

He sees this and looks teasingly at her. "No need for that..." He traces small circles on her hoof with his own. "I'm no going for that anyway... I'm going to leave it on you..." He plants a cluster of light kisses on the center of her chest.

She coos at the kisses, though what he says confuses her a bit. "...t-then...h-how will you..." Her voice trails off in her embarrassment.

His tail wiggles and flicks again, its tip grazing her panties. "Need I say more?"

She squeaks in surprise, eyes wide at the implication. She can't deny how enticing the idea sounds, though, so she smiles, her hooves moving to the fringe of her clothes, slowly starting to pull it up, revealing just a bit more of her thighs. "...I think you've said all you need to..." She winks at him, pausing her actions to tease him.

His semi-blush that has been present, brightens a bit. "There you go... you're getting into it now." He leans down and whispers into her ear, making sure to actually down down on her with enough weight so she can feel him, but not all of it so he doesn't squish her. "Good... this is a two pony activity after all..." He ends his statement by lightly biting the tip of her ear.

She whimpers softly, bucking her hips up against his, actually pushing the skirt a little further up. In an attempt to return the teasing, she brings her tail up between his legs, playfully brushing up against the orbs and sheath there.

Rhino can feel the blood diverting as his eyes widen and he shivers. He narrows his eyes at her as he kisses her on the lips, then the neck, then slowly works his way down her chest until he reaches the waistband of the golden skirt. He puts a hoof to his chin as he pulls a false thinking face. "Hmm... should I go any lower..."

She doesn't say anything, smirking at him. She pulls up her skirt until just the faintest hint of white is shown to him, certain this would make the 'decision' for him.

His lower head shows it's approval of her plan, but the upper one seem like it wants to tease her some more. "But if I go down any lower... what will there be left for you to play with... hmm..."

She bites her lip in anxiety, whining in need. She raises her hips up at him, revealing even more white, and that the part shown before was actually darker, damp from her excitement.

He smiles as he reaches down with a hoof and pulls her skirt back down to where everything is covered. "Ah ah ah, not until you tell me what you'll be up to when I..." he licks his lips, "well, I'll keep that to myself and leave it to your imagination for now."

She bites the tip of her hoof, a groan of desire escaping her lips. She can't think of anything she can do aside from putting her hooves on his head, but that doesn't sound like the answer he's looking for. Unable to say anything, she squirms nervously, rubbing her thighs together in an attempt to relieve her arousal, even though she knew it would be futile.

He simply watches her with a smile, one hoof playing with the hem of her skirt. "Well... I suppose if you can't answer that, maybe you can answer this: if I was to... turn around so I could access you from a different angle, would you want to be on me or over me?"

Her cheeks burn with her blush, shyly up at him. "...u-under you...i-if that's alright..."

He smirks at her. "Alright, I'll be sure to do that in a moment... now then..." He continues toying with her skirt. "Should i finally see what you've been hiding under here? I hear it's something special..."

She shyly nods, spreading her legs a bit more to give him a little easier access.

He slowly lifts up her skirt about halfway, the angle making it to where the fabric blocks her from seeing what expression his face has, or what he is doing. He gazes upon the simple white garment, a small cute blue bow on the upper front and a wet patch on the bottom. His nostrils flare as the small of her arousal wafts at him in waves. "Well well... what have we here?" He blows a bit of air directly onto her wet spot, knowing it would drive her crazy.

She moans sweetly, trying to wrap her hindlegs around his shoulders, to pull him closer to her treasure. "...R-Rhino..."

"Well, I think we've waited long enough." He eases himself around 180 degrees, his back half now toward his other half. His pride swings below him as he moves. He settles down just above her, his hoof pulling up her skirt before he plants a kiss on the small bow.

She gasps in surprise, gazing up at the length resting on the tip of her nose. She smiles coyly, gently licking the flat head, letting her breath brush over it as she moves along it.

His pride twitches mightily at her touch, quickly heading back towards its fully extended state from the partial state it had been in. Meanwhile, Rhino focuses on his on goal as he moves his nose up her skirt and hooks it under her panties, his breath wafting into them as he slowly moves them down centimeter by centimeter.

She squeaks as he noses over the area between her teats, her legs tensing slightly in anticipation. She decides to step it up a notch, moving forward and wrapping her lips around the flared tip of his pride, playfully licking and sucking on it to see his reaction.

The muscles in his thighs tense, causing his length to almost pull away from her, towards his stomach where it points to. He inhales sharply as his tail thrashes while she tends to him. After he gathers himself, he focuses on the two perky mounds right in front of him. His nose keeping her panties pulled down enough to where he can reach them, he sticks out his tongue and swirls it on and around her nipples.

She squeals in pleasure, her back arching, pushing her chest against his. Not to be outdone, she tilts her head back and pushes herself even further on his pride, shallowly bobbing along it as her tongue continues to lick as much of it as possible.

He shivers, the vibrations going all the way down to his length to add to the pulses already going through it with each beat of his heart. Deciding to try and ignore her increasingly pleasurable actions, he instead locks his lips around one of the teats and gives it a suck.

She cries out in bliss, her mouth relinquishing its hold on him as she does so. She moans quietly, wrapping her forelegs around his hips and pulling him closer, tenderly kissing and nuzzling his length and the orbs right behind it, having a little difficulty breathing from the tremors going through her body.

He sucks on the teat another moment before letting it go with a lick. Of course, he's not giving her a break, he switches to the other one. As he locks his lips around he so far untouched nipple, his hooves begin moving and start lightly drawing circles on her flanks. He sucks once more, even licking the teat as he sucks it.

She pauses her ministrations, cooing softly. "...R-Rhino...s-so good..." She nips the inside of his thigh before stretching slightly, pulling just the underside of his base into her mouth and sucking gently, putting a hoof up to hold his pouch away from her horn, just to be careful.

He grunts as his thighs squeeze in reflexive movement. Meanwhile, he continues focusing on her teats, sucking on one then the other in repetitive motions. His hooves begin rubbing harder into her flanks.

Gel whimpers, finding it harder and harder to focus on giving him pleasure, so lost she is in the bliss she's receiving. She doesn't want to disappoint him, though, so she soldiers on, forcing herself to work through the haze. She quickly licks the flare of his pride, teasingly tracing around the head as her hooves roll and massage his orbs. She can only quietly hope she's doing it right.

The clenching of his muscles all around and in his orbs and length shows her his appreciation. He actually comes up panting from his work on her teats as he looks back at her. "I see... you're getting... creative... want me to start working on the main event down here?"

She nods her head, yet she makes no move to stop her work. If anything, she moves faster.

Rhino takes his hooves off her flanks for a moment, having another use for them. He brings them to the small bit of white soft fabric and hooks them underneath it. Smoothly, he slides the cotton garment a small distance down her navy legs, stopping far shorter than she would have thought. He lets them stay with the top only a couple inches below her slit, about halfway down the top half of her legs. He smells happily as her petals glisten.

She squeaks, blushing brightly when she realizes he's just staring at her treasure. Embarrassed as she is, she can't help but tease him about this. "...l-like what you see?" She giggles before leaning up, slowly drawing her tongue along the whole of his length, mind slightly fuzzy from the musk coming off of him. Just to further tease him, she winks the lips at him.

His voice is low and slow as he answers. "Very much so..." Her scent driving him forward, he leans down and delivers a kiss to her flower. He licks his lips afterwards. "Still tastes like berries..."

She whines, her hindlegs pushing her hips up, attempting to press her slit back against those soft lips. She pants softly, her breath caressing his wet pride as she tenderly kisses and strokes it, her tail flicking anxiously underneath her.

He squirms as she continues making noises, his length twitching with every sound she makes. As her hips rise, he smiles as he delivers a feather-light kiss to the nub at the top of her treasure.

She cries out in pleasure, her legs trembling as she tries to keep herself up. She moves more frantically over his shaft, feeling her climax approaching and wanting him to have his first. She holds the feeling back as best as she can.

He stops at the feeling of his pleasure increasing at such a pace. He turns his head around to look at her. "Woah there, love. It's not a race..."

She pulls off him, whining softly. "...b-but...I-I didn't want to finish before you..." She blushes and immediately turns away, realizing how childish that sounds. "...I-I was...I-I mean..."

His tail flicks and lays across her mouth. "Shh... I understand. This is about extending the pleasure though. I'm making sure I don't do anythign that drives you over the edge. After all, you did request somethign special to do that." He winks. "I only have a few more things to try, why don't you experiment with new things to do while I do that, okay? You're doing great so fay by the way."

She blinks, looking at the large shaft and orbs in front of her, confused as to what she could do. Then her gaze falls upon the tail covering her mouth. She grips it in her teeth and gently tugs, wondering whether or not he'd like it.

Rhino's head jerks up as he inhales sharply. "Woah... what the?" He turns around, seeing his tail in her mouth. "Ok... that's new... and very strange feeling..." He doesn't say whether to continue or not though as he turns his attentions back to her flower, gently kissing it for longer than the first time.

She smirks around the hairs in her mouth, moving her forelegs to his sides. As she places them there, his kiss lands, causing her to grip him tightly and yank her head back by reaction, moaning around the hair.

"Ow!" Rhino winces as he rubs his tail base ruefully. "Ok... I think I have a verdict on tail-pulling... I kind of like it in these circumstances, but only if it's not too hard." He turns to her. "And before you say you're sorry, it's not your fault, so you don't need to. Let's just pretend it didn't happen."

She nods in embarrassment, spitting the tail out and using a hoof to remove a few loose hairs. As soon as that's done, though, she puts her hooves on his sides and starts tickling him, kissing and nuzzling his pride at the same time.

Still having not gotten back to her treasure since the last time he kissed it, Rhino immediately starts squirming and laughing. He reflexively starts trying to roll off her and end up on his back, next to her, chuckling as he comes down from his fit.

She playfully pouts, sitting up and looking down at him. "Darn. I was sure that would work." She giggles, shaking her head a bit.

He lets otu a few more chuckles as he answers. "Ticklishness tend to overpower most other feelings... unless we were at the height of pleasure, it osrt of blocks everythign else out..." He smiles weakly. "Sorry love..."

She smiles, gently nuzzling his cheek. "It's fine, love. I just wanted to see if it'd work." She glances at his pride, gently poking it with a hoof. "You seem to still be aroused, though...so it wasn't too bad..."

He narrows his eyes at her with a playful smile. "Yes... not too bad... except you kept blocking me from getting back to you..." He licks his lips. "So... shall we continue? I still had one more thing to do."

She tilts her head to one side, curious. "...one thing?" She squirms a bit under his gaze, actually able to feel herself getting more wet from it. "...w-what would that be?"

To answer, he sticks his tongue out straight and wiggles it around before putting it back in hi mouth and raising a questioning eyebrow at her.

She stares at him, wide-eyed for a minute before turning away, covering her snout with a hoof. "...d-damn nosebleeds..."

He groans as he leans back with a hoof covering his face. "Really? Can't you just dream it away?"

She nods, turning back to him with a luminescent blush. She lowers the hoof, all signs of a nosebleed gone. "B-better?"

He nods. "Much. Nothing against you, but blood tends to be a bit of a mood killer for me."

She nods, smiling softly. "...I'll be sure to remember that...now..." She lays back on the bed, her forehooves folded against her chest. "...y-you said...you had something to do?"

"Indeed I do..." He moves back onto her, lifting up her skirt again and licking his lips as he sees her treasure again, its lips glisten as her white panties are still just low enough to give him access but would probably impede her if she tried to walk. He moves his muzzle closer, his warm breath caressing the sensitive area.

She whimpers, her eyes shut tightly, wiggling her hips in an attempt to entice him into action. "...p-please, love..."

He concedes. "Alright, alright, since you've been good... mostly..." Lowering his muzzle, he takes the metaphorical and literal plunge as his tongue tip starts to probe her folds.

The changeling squeals in ecstasy, her back arching from the sensation. "Y-yes!"

This only encourages him, as he directs his tongue not to go deeper for a moment, but to instead go horizontal all the way to the bottom of her berry-tasting flower. In the end, his tongue has entered fromt he top and the tip can be seen poking out the bottom.

She gasps and moans, writhing from the unexpected move. "R-Rhino...d-deeper, please..." She raises her hips in an attempt to have him do just that.

The stallion focus completely on the movements on his tongue, wriggling the flexible apendage within her. He folds his tongue downward and begins to go deeper into the nymphs love tunnel, enjoying every single noise she makes and moving his tongue appreciatively every time.

She bites a foreleg, trying to muffle her moans of pleasure. She starts to wonder if it's uncomfortable for him and decides to try and help. Of course, with their position and the panties keeping her from spreading her hindlegs, there's not much to do, aside from hold as still as possible for him.

He pauses for a moment, his tongue withdraw from her and back into his mouth. "Love? You know how I have that rule about making all the noise you want? I'm making a new one for wriggling or squirming all you want."

She trembles underneath him, finally opening her eyes to stare at him in confusion. "...b-but...w-wouldn't that make it...h-harder for you?"

He turns around to see her face. "I'm pretty sure I can hold still what I need to." He winks. "Plus I love seeing, and feeling, how much you enjoy whatever I do."

"...w-well..." She smiles shyly at him. "...o-okay, Rhino...f-for you..."

"Now... where was I... oh yes, I was in here." His mouth muscle quickly finds its way back into her. Rhino works the muscle slowly around her walls before going deeper and repeating, even performing a lickign motion while inside her at times.

She cries out in shock at the sudden entry, her hips bucking needfully against his tongue as her forehooves dig into the comforter. The pleasure was intense, already overwhelming her mind due to his unorthodox yet effective technique.

He withdraws his tongue to lick around her outer lips before slowly working his way in again, keeping all his movements smooth and steady so as to not set her off. He continues this for a few more minutes before leanign his head downward lightly kissing her lower lips while his tongue still works inside.

She moans sweetly this entire time, eventually pushing up a little faster against his mouth, wanting to feel the relief of climax. "...y-yes...a-almost there, love..."

Instantly his tongue zips back into his mouth. "Well, I guess it's time to stop then." He slowly gets up off her, but makes sure to leave all her clothing as it is.

She stares up at him, eyes wide in horror. "...w-what? Y-you aren't going to...e-end it?" She bites her lip, trying to figure out what he has planned, the slowly-fading pleasure clouding her mind making that more difficult than she expected.

He smiles tenderly down at her as he leans down to nuzzle her. "Don't worry love... we'll both get release... but I figured you wanted to end this a different way..."

She blinks, trying to understand his words. "...w-what do you mean?" She tilts her head, showing her confusion.

He folds his hooves under him as he smiles knowingly. "Well... I recall you saying something a bit ago about wanting to feel me all the way inside you? I had an idea where maybe we could combine that... and your little thing for doctors."

She blushes brightly, her legs trembling at the very thought of it. "...w-what did you...h-have in mind?" ^

He simply continues smirking. "I'm fairly certain you've had at least one naughty thought about how to use the examination room at work, right?"

She gulps, nervously nodding. "...y-yes...I-I have..." She glances around curiously. "...d-does that mean...y-you want me to change this scene?"

He kisses her lightly. "If you want to of course. If possible though, keep you clothes the way they are."

She smiles at him as the scene around them changes, turning into a perfect replica of the examination room. Another detail changes at the same time, the stallion gaining a certain article of clothing.

Seeing him in this causes her to squeak and avert her eyes, her face burning with a blush. "...I-I hope this is alright, love..."

He looks down and takes himself in. "What? It's just my work jacket." He sees her where she ended up, on the examination table. "Is it alright where you ended up?"

She nods, still avoiding eye contact. "I-I'm fine up here." She closes her thighs, trying to hide her sudden wave of arousal.

He tilts his head. "Something wrong, love? Anything I need to... examine?"

She squeaks, her blush becoming even brighter. "M-maybe..." She starts breathing slightly faster, excited by what he’s about to do with her.

He walks over to where he is standing behind her head. He looks down at her. "So... shall we get started?" He leans down and kisses her.

She happily kisses him back, shyly smiling up at him. "Y-yes, Doctor Rhino." She lays flat on the table, her heart pounding in her chest.

He slowly walks around to her other half, her legs still pressed together and the panties slightly pulled down while her skirt blocks most of the view. "Well, this won't do, I won't be able to see what I'm doing." His horn lights up and she finds herself levitating. He flips her over and sets her down on her stomach, her legs sticking straight off the table from how far inward he set her. "There we go."

She covers her face, her legs squeezing even closer together in her embarrassment. It appears as though he'll have to work to get her to open up to him - in more ways than one.

He smiles as he walks back around. Once he reaches her covered face, he gently pries her hooves away with his own. "This is what you came here for isn't it? Why so closed off now? I remember just a short minute ago, you were practically begging for release..." He kisses her lovingly. "Is that no longer the case?"

She kisses back, biting her lip gently. "...n-no, I still want it..." She glances at him and shivers slightly, stifling a quiet moan. "...y-you just...r-really hit my doctor...a-admiration...on the head..."

"Well, let's see what the doctor can do then." He walks back around her again, looking at her flat body with a tilted head. "First I think we need to make one last adjustment." He suddenly reaches up and grabs her with his hooves and pulls her towards him until her hips and legs and hanging freely off the table. He holds her there by her flanks and he nods. "Perfect."

She moans sweetly, pushing her rump into his hooves with her forelegs, enjoying the feeling of him pressing down into her firm posterior. "W-what test is this, Doctor?" She purposely flags her tail, exposing her puffy, glistening slit and, a little higher, her near-pristine rosebud, slightly wet from a small amount of the nymph's juices.

A thought occurs to him and he voices it. "Now... your vagina has seen a lot of use recently... how is it feeling?"

Surprised by this question, she doesn't know what to say except the truth. "...r-rather...t-tender, honestly...w-why?"

"Well, it appears you need to release, but we don't want to hurt you after all. So I don't think that route is an option. Have you considered... alternative methods?" His pride is standing tall, knowing exactly what the stallion is thinking.

She squirms in his grip, nervous. "...m-maybe once or twice...w-where are you going with this?" Even though her words express innocence, the increase of juices coming from her flower shows that she knows what he's getting at, as well.

"Why don't I show you..." Rhino rears up and grips her flanks with his forehooves. He steps forward and begins slowly rubbing his length on her dripping slit. The positioning of her panties prevents her legs from opening anymore, so he squeezes his pride in between her legs as he coats the length of it. This action does provide a good measurement for how lubed he is, though.

She gasps at this, not expecting him to do that. The slick shaft between her legs does feel good, though, so she doesn't complain, resting flat on the surface as she lets herself simply enjoy the sensations, for the moment.

Once his shaft is nicely slicked, which does not take long, Rhino pulls it out and lines it up. He looks up towards her head. "Ready?"

She nods eagerly, wiggling her hips a bit. "Y-yes, Doctor. I-I'm ready."

He slowly pushes into her rosebud, the grip of its muscles similar but different to those of her other tunnel. He doesn't stop until he's hilted in her, their hips pressed against each other and his orbs pressed into her flower.

She moans softly at the strange sensation, her legs twitching a bit. Even so, she takes pride in finally having all of him inside her, her tail tenderly wrapping around his waist.

He leans down onto her back and nuzzles her neck as he begisn to withdraw. He is unable to draw all the way out due to this position, but he feels the tradeoff is worth it. He then thrusts back into her as he lightly nibbles on her neck.

She squeals in pleasure as he begins to move, feeling the love coming off him fill her very soul. She pushes back when he moves forward, speeding his return into her.

Her squeal motivates him to up the ante. One his hooves moves from her flank and instead curls below her to her teats. The appendage begins playing with the sensitive mounds as he continues thrusting into her, all the while peppering her neck with kisses.

She gasps and moans, her body starting to get overwhelmed once more. She bites her lip, tensing her muscles to make herself a little tighter for him, hoping it would give him more pleasure.

He groans as he feels her walls tighten around him. He moves his other hoof around her as well now, both of them being worked up for so long meaning he can move forward quickly. His hoof starts gently sliding along and around her slit now, even as the other one plays with her teats. He is both embracing and pleasuring her as he lays upon her back, ever thrusting.

She squeaks, momentarily surprised by all the different actions being done to her. Soon enough she's at the peak of pleasure, throwing her head back as it washes over her. She falls forward, laying in a puddle of bliss, her tongue lolling out and her body completely limp underneath him aside from her rosebud clenching his pride, greedily trying to keep it inside.

Rhino pumps into her one last time, the intense clenching combined with the sounds of feeling of her releasing serve to push him over the edge as well. He squeezes her with his forehooves as he pushes into her as far as possible, pinning her on the table as he releases into her.

She squeals, feeling his warm seed inside of her. She pants quietly, laying there for a moment before turning her head to look at him. "...t-that was...I-I mean..." She bites her lip before tenderly kissing him, smiling softly. "T-thank you, love."

He kisses her back but parts with a confused face. "For what?"

She blushes brightly, playfully licking the tip of his nose. "For everything."

Right at that moment, the dream starts to flicker out, leaving Gel gasping and glancing around their room. She sighs, slightly upset that the dream ended there. She squirms around, trying to see if she could get back to sleep when her hindleg rubs against a wet spot. She blushes brightly, immediately knowing what it is. ...w-well...t-that goes to show how enjoyable last night was...

Chapter 57: Mimic

Rhino enters the final floor, expecting some elaborate personalization similar to the last three. The reality though, is severely underwhelming. The room is actually quite plain, the black chitin of the tower makes up the vast majority of it. Grey clouds are swirling around near the ceiling, what appears to be a holding cell can be seen on one side of the room, and at the other end of the floor is a large throne-like structure with two figures near it.

Rhino approaches quickly, his necklace telling him Gel is in the direction of the two figures. As he closes in, they become more distinct. One figure is sitting on the throne. He, for it is definitely a drone, is red tinted and well-toned. His expression is one of a commander. The second figure is on the floor to the side and slightly in front of the throne. Rhino's eyes light up as he recognizes the downcast form of Gel, a red collar contrasting her otherwise blue form.

The stallion's approach quickens at the sight of his nymph, the vision of the collar fueling his anger and making him head straight towards the red drone, hoping to end this with one blow so he doesn't have to risk fighting what would probably be a grueling fight in his state. As he closes in though, a tug in his mind makes him reconsider. The necklace is pointing him straight to the drone on the throne.

Confused, Rhino slows down and regards the two figures carefully, but the necklace still stubbornly points him to the red changeling, saying that it is actually the one he came for.

As he hesitates, the blue changeling holds up a hoof and sends a bolt of red lightning into Rhino's chest.

The stallion almost instantly falls onto his front knees, a bit of smoke coming from the now charred spot on his chest. He groans as he looks back up at the two figures.

The one that attacked stands up and chuckles, shaking her head as a surprisingly masculine voice escapes her. "I'm surprised." She moves over to the drone and taps his head, his form immediately becoming enveloped in blue flames. They quickly disperse, revealing a familiar nymph wearing a red collar, just like the one next to the throne. "I was certain you'd attack the Colonel, here."

Rhino stands back up, glaring at the changeling. "How'd you know I was coming? All the rest were surprised."

"There was a roar of a dragon from below." Red fire trails over her form - or more accurately, his form, as he turns into the changeling that Gel was disguised as. "Unless one somehow found the entrance, it wasn't hard to guess someone came for her." He turns to Gel, his horn glowing.

She immediately gets off the throne so he can sit upon it and moves to his left side, her gaze falling blankly on the stallion. ...R...Rhino?

At the sounds of her voice in his head, the stallion's heart swells. I'm here love... I'll get you out of here, I promise. Just one last thing to deal with.

The drone glances between the two of them, confused for a moment. "Are you-" He throws back his head and laughs, shaking his head. "I don't believe it! The Colonel actually succeeded in making a psychic link with a pony! I didn't think that was possible!" He kicks her flank, his smile morphing into a frown. "Now stop thinking to him. I'm trying to monologue."

She jerkily nods, lowering her gaze. "Yes, master." Like Tartarus I will! Magic doesn't control thoughts, you poor excuse for an officer!

A feral growl eminates from Rhino as the red changeling hit Gel. Seriously rethinking my non-lethal rule. He takes a threatening step forward.

"Stop right there." The General smirks at him, eyes narrowed slightly. "If you attack me, you condemn the Colonel to death. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

"You already scheduled her execution in a little less than two hours." Despite his confident tone, the stallion doesn't make a move. He runs through the various techniques that seemed to have an effect on his previous opponents, trying to put together a winning strategy.

He looks affronted, eyes wide and a hoof to his chest. "What, you think I was going to kill her? Heavens, no!"

For the sake of Luna! Gel trembles slightly, the grip of the spell starting to wear off as close as she is to Rhino. Stop acting so innocent, Mimic! No one's buying it!

His chitin doesn't look as dense as Luster's... I could definitely get some use out of my spell here... As he continues buying time while he thinks of a plan, Rhino directs his thoughts to Gel. Are you okay, love? I'm sorry it took so long.

I'm fine. All he did was trap me inside my own body. She actually turns her eyes to him, her mouth twitching slightly. I'm glad you're h-

"No," he yanks on her collar with his magic, interrupting her thoughts and making her squeak, "I wanted her for my own. And if she'll stop thinking with you, I'll tell you why."

The fact that the drone had Gel is his grip at that moment was the sole reason Rhino didn't just try to squeeze his skull with all the magical power he had left until it imploded. His whole body visibly tenses and his fur stands on end as his eyes are glued to those of the General's.

He chuckles, shaking his head. "Surely you've noticed how bright she is, right?" He taps a hoof on the floor, stroking the stationary nymph's mane with a forehoof. "That kind of genius comes only a hoofful of times a changeling generation." He grins, gesturing to himself. "I'm another example of that. Try and guess my age. Really, try."

"Thirty-six." Rhino mutters a guess off the top of his head, his voice low.

"Nope. Nineteen." He laughs jovially, as if that were the punchline of a joke. "Can you imagine? Someone my age becoming the General of the Queen's army! And this changeling next to me was in the same grade as me!" His hoof trails down to the center of Gel's back, rubbing tiny circles on the chitin. "As a matter of fact, I had a crush on the Colonel, here. I confessed, once, but she turned me down, for some reason."

It was because you reeked with lust, you pig.

"But that's in the past, and now I'm ready to make her mine...by any means necessary." He leans down and nibbles her, ear, causing her to shudder. "You like that, don't you, pet?"

"Y-yes." No! Please, Rhino, do something!

Fueled by his rage, Rhino produces a giant fire circle and prepares to completely incinerate the drone, leaving not even a pile of ashes. The spell charges up as he is about to release it.

He waves a hoof dismissively. "Colonel, intercept the attack."

She hesitates momentarily before leaping up right as the blast is released. She inhales the flame, taking every single ember that comes at her as if it was just air. As soon as she's done, she falls onto her flank, giving a small burp.

Mimic chuckles, patting the nymph on her back. "Wonderful, isn't she? She no longer has those mental barriers that kept her from her full potential." He points at the stallion, glaring darkly. "Why don't you give him a first-hoof experience with them?"

Rhino growls. "Bastard! What are you-"

"Kill him."

The nymph nods, if shakily, and rushes forward, her hooves covered in blue flames. No! Dear Luna, I don't want to do this! She punches, but her aim is off, sending a pillar of fire to her stallion's right. At this distance, he can see the tears forming in her eyes.

His heart aches at her distress, and he will definitely never raise a hoof against her. The stallion Blinks behind her, heading straight for her puppet master.

The drone doesn't bat an eye, his glance going to the side just as Gel flies in from that direction, tackling Rhino to the ground. They roll for a few seconds before she comes out on top, sitting on his stomach. She's freely crying now, the tears falling onto his chest and soaking his fur. I-I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. She closes her eyes and holds up a hoof, blue flames quickly surrounding it. Even like this, she still hesitates, her mind fighting for control of her body.

Rhino thinks desperately at her. Gel, please! You're better than this! You can fight him! He covers himself in Res and neatly slips out from under her, the flaming hoof impacting the floor with a 'crunch' a moment later. The stallion switches to just fully pinning her with magic, her body unable to move. Come on, love! You're still you!

I-I'm trying! She continues to struggle, her body starting to light up with her fire. I-I'm not strong enough! She looks up at him, desperation in her eyes. P-please, you have to knock me out! I-I don't want to hurt you!

You know I would never do that! Not even now! He switches the hold on her from ful-body to just her hooves so that he can apply more force. Changelings get strength from love right? Just use mine to get yourself to full! Take it!

She nods, focusing on trying to take what he's giving. Almost immediately her body collapses from the sheer volume, making her knees buckle from the overdose.

Yet it's still not enough. Without her actively trying to hold back, her body bursts into flames, and what appears to be a phoenix spreads its firey wings, ready to launch itself at Rhino. Through it all, the nymph tries to absorb even more love, gritting her teeth in her intense focus.

The stallion backs away a few steps, if only to give himself a little more time to try and dodge the possible shot. The entire time though, he hopes against all odds that she'll break free. Come one, love... you can do it! Just... break free. Break free and we can go home!

Home... Her eyes slowly close, her body trembling as it's being told two different things. ...our family... She growls, her eyes snapping open, shining with determination. I will not give that up! Her flames turn up even hotter, burning the collar off her neck. She turns to the drone, scowling angrily. "General Mimic. I have half a mind to report you to the Queen. Using magic like that against your own kind is the highest crime one can commit!" The phoenix rises up, about to crash down on top of the officer.

He rolls his eyes and points a hoof at her. "How disappointing." He shoots out a blast of red lightning, striking her in the chest and stopping her cold. "You would've made a wonderful lover." He turns away, ignoring Gel as she falls to the floor. "Though I suppose making sure this pony doesn't have you will have to do."

Rhino's heart skips more than a few beats as he lets loose an unearthly scream while he rushes to the changeling's side. He breathes rapidly as he supports her head in a foreleg while he puts his ear above her mouth. After a moment he sighs in relief, feeling the small wisps of her breath.

He gets up from her side, gently picking her up and placing her to the side of the room, out of harm's way. He narrows his eyes at the red drone. His horn lights up and a circle appears on the ground below his foe, sticking him in place as he charges, eyes blazing.

Mimic stares at him, bemused. "Seriously?" He flares his wings out and sends a wave of electricity through the chitin of the floor, zapping Rhino as he passes over it, leaping from the floor to his body. "You'll have to try better than that."

Rhino Blinks a distance away before summoning a group of fire circles to surround Mimic. The writings glow an eerie orange just before they unleash their payloads.

At the same time, he disappears in a burst of red flame.

Rhino cuts off the flames quickly after he fails to hear anything coming from within them. He narrows his eyes to try and see anything.

A voice comes from next to him. "Tell me, does the term 'combat chameleon' mean anything to you?" Before the stallion can reply, he gets an electric-charged hoof across the face.

Rhino goes flying a short distance before coming to a halt with a new hoof-shaped pattern of burnt fur on his cheek. He growls as runes begin to cover his body as he starts emitting light in the same way he did in the previous fight against Port. His eyes scan the newly lit room, looking for the slightest distortion.

"No, not invisibility. Good guess, though." A large weight lands on the unicorn's back, forcing him to the floor. "No, I can copy something after seeing it once. Within reason."

Rhino cranes his neck backward, his body starting to voice its protests at the stream of abuse it's taking. His eyes widen as he sees... himself. A fresh version of himself, free of the mementoes of this trip, and with a cocky smile that is almost never seen on his face. Rhino's horn light up as he tries to get a quick magical hit in on his doppelganger's jaw.

The stallion on top of him scoffs and kicks Rhino's horn down, making the tip smack against the ground. A circle immediately lights up underneath the arcane bone, pinning it there. "You should be flattered. Nopony has ever witnessed this...technique of mine." He kicks the stallion's gut, frowning deeply. "And lived, that is. You see, I actually have to turn into the being I'm copying the technique of." He laughs, shaking his head. "You should have seen this one unicorn I saw fighting, once. She looked a lot like your precious love's pony form, but with a different mane. And shades. Can't forget those shades." He sits down on Rhino's back, acting as if the stallion wasn't a threat to him.

His horn aching, Rhino forces another spell through it, ignoring his copy's voice. Runes start forming on his body, but this is a strange combination of runes. On the fly, Rhino combines the runes for Res and for his fire spell. Similar to how Gel did not too long ago, flames erupt from around Rhino's body. The addition of Res makes it to where he isn't on fire himself, but he can definitely feel the heat, and thus can't keep it up long.

The copy yelps, immediately leaping off his body. He rolls around on the floor, trying to extinguish the flames on his flanks.

Rhino, meanwhile, groans as he quickly turns off the impromtu spell, a minor throb going through his form from the heat, but the brief exposure doing little. He wrenches his horn from the floor as his copy id distracted and works his way back onto his hooves. His horn lights up and a circle appears below the rolling stallion, sticking him on his back as Rhino approaches, rearing up to stomp on the offender's head.

He blinks before Blinking out of the way. "As I was saying." He kicks him in the back of the head before shapeshifting once more, turning into a gray earth pony. "She had a friend who looked just like this." The apparent-mare flips her black mane with a hoof. "Now she was a force to be reckoned with. Didn't even need a weapon." She punches him, sending him sprawling across the floor. "Just used her strength. Took ten changelings to simply pin her down."

Rhino once again works his way to his hooves, noticeably slower this time. He pants as his horn lights up once more, his aura wrapping around one of Mimic's forelegs and trying to wrench it until it breaks.

"You seem to be losing your grip, there." She giggles and marches forward, smacking his horn with a hoof. "All of the fights starting to get to you?"

The stallion staggers, going cross-eyed at the blow to his horn. Damn it... come on... think... I don't think I have enough energy left for my last spell... Rhino stops thinking for a moment to concentrate on regaining his balance. He focuses back on his opponent, his horn lighting up as a low Res circle appears beneath him/her.

She yelps in surprise and falls flat on her face. She groans, quickly getting up and rubbing her muzzle. "...okay, that was new..." She narrows her eyes and punches him across the face, smirking pridefully. "But you're on your last leg. There's nothing you can do to really harm me, so why d-" Her ear twitches, causing her to tilt her head in confusion. "...what's that noise?"

As Rhino falls to the ground from the latest hit, he can only hope that whatever the sound it, it is something that will help him out.

Faintly, yet steadily growing louder, there is the sound of a violin playing. Out from the shadows steps a certain indigo changeling, frowning at the mare even as her hooves continue to move. Following behind her are two large metal boxes, floating briefly before landing on the chitin floor with a thud.

The earth pony growls at the nymph, eyes narrowing dangerously. "General Luster, what are you doing up here? If this stallion beat you, then you'd best be at least unconscious!" When she ignores her and walks over to the fallen stallion, Mimic stomps her hoof, fur bristling. "What's that supposed to mean!?" The nymph simply turns and glares at her. "Well excuse me, princess!"

Luster rolls her eyes and helps the stallion up, pulling her staff off her back and pressing it against his chest with a hoof, taking one of his in her magic and pressing it against the glowing gem.

The energy stored in the gem, normally used to power the staff's runes, instead now flows into the stallion. A bit at a time, it restores his energy. His wounds don't heal, but he gains the energy to work past them. He definitely isn't back up to full strength, but far closer than he has been for a while. Keeping one hoof on the gem to take its last remaining dregs of energy, he looks up at Luster with emotion in his eyes. "Thank you..."

She smiles softly, nodding kindly to him. She glances at the drone in front of them, having dropped his guise in annoyance, before opting to try something out. She reaches her mind out to the stallion next to him, a gentle hoof on his.

Rhino feels the small pressure on his mind coming from the direction of the nymph. In curiosity, he pushes back and the pressure disappears. I wonder what that was...

A melodic voice fills his head. I'm glad you accepted the link. There's a sound like a giggle, though all the nymph next to him does is smile a little more.

He looks at her curiously. Well, I didn't expect that... you do have a lovely voice... He shakes his head as he tries to get his thoughts back on the task at hand.

Thank you. I'm glad to hear that. She glares at the drone. He's the reason I lost it, in the first place. But that story can wait. She looks at him, tilting her head to one side. You know he copies abilities by seeing them, correct?

He.. informed me... of that. I tried the light trick I learned when I fought Port but he just went above me... He glares at the red changeling as well. Do you think what I used on you might work? I've got maybe a spell or two left but I definitely do not want him getting a hold of the last one.

I think the secret... She finally notices Gel off to one side of the room. ...is to not let him see it coming...is she alright?

Breathing, that's all I know right now, I'll take whatever small graces I can get... she went through a lot. He cracks his neck as his horn lights up, a single large rune appearing on his forehead. I am past ready to be done with all this. He offers a final thought as his hooves light up with Res on their bottom. Can you make sure she stays safe through all this? No telling what he might try to pull.

Luster nods, a determined look on her face. I'll do my best. She quickly stands up and rushes over to the unconscious nymph, one of the metal boxes following her.

Rhino begins to skate toward the drone in a serpentine pattern much like he did with Port. The rune on his forehead still glows but has no noticeable effect at the moment.

Noticing the stallion approaching, the drone grins, readying himself. "Finally! I was getting bored for a moment, there!" He holds up a hoof and starts to shoot lightning at him, no longer caring for accuracy as long as the fight was going. In fact, it seems as though the prospect of a tougher fight was making him more excited.

Rhino barely dodges two bolts of the lightning before Blinking to dodge a third. He reappears literally with his face inches from Mimic's. His eyes close as all the magic he had been pumping into the light rune on his head is used at once in a point blank flare directly into the drone's eyes.

He yelps in pain, covering his now-burning eyes, reflexively punching the stallion in the face with a lightning-charged hoof. "Fuck!" He starts to charge up a hoof, pointing it in the direction he assumes the stallion landed in. "You're going to pay for that!"

Rhino smiles as he watches from where he had moved, knowing Mimic would follow up his attack. His horn glows as he concentrates on his last spell. Two complex circles appear on either side of him, parallel to the floor. From these circles, two shapes quickly grow, forming into two identical crystalline daggers. Formed from his magic, Rhino doesn't need to hold the daggers as they float around him, connected to him by what they are made of. He watches Mimic fire and one dagger, knowing his thoughts, slashes the outstretched hoof.

He yelps, his hoof raised off the ground to keep himself from injuring it. He grits his teeth, knowing he's as blind as a bat. Steeling his resolve, he reaches towards the storm clouds, concentrating his magic. "Thunder!" He summons a bolt of electricity from the cloud, striking the spot to the right of the stallion. Mimic tsks, shaking his head. "My attack missed. Maybe I should've used a summon..."

The daggers floating around Rhino point at the changeling as images flash through their owner's mind. His teeth are bared as he remembers every single terrible thing of the last 24 hours, but now he has something to take it out on. He straightens up as he sends one dagger to crack its hilt harshly against Mimic's horn.

Through the pain, Mimic manages to smash an electrified hoof against the crystal weapon, shattering it on impact. This still doesn't help him figure out where the stallion is, so he sends a pulse through the floor, still attempting to look around. "Where are you, little pig."

Rhino watches as the magic he used to form the dagger returns to him upon its destruction. The other dagger floats over to the changeling opposite side and suddenly plunges into the top of his hindleg.

The drone cries out in pain and smashes that knife, too. He turns to the stallion, barely able to make out his shape. "Enough of this!" He zaps the unicorn, not enough to kill but enough to paralyze.

Rhino twitches as his muscles lock up. His face doesn't appear too concerned though whether this is from the muscles in it not working or from his genuine thoughts isn't known.

Mimic grins, holding up his forelegs to the clouds above them. "Thundaga!" All at once, there is a charge building up in the clouds, centered above the immobile stallion. Static electricity builds in the air, making everyone's hair stand on end, and it is clear he's building up to something big.

Rhino’s horn lights up, magic not requiring muscles, and a low Res circle appears underneath Mimic, causing his bipedal stance to collapse when his hooves slip from under him. As he tries to get his muscles to move, Rhino also grabs the changeling's injured limbs in his magic, squeezing and yanking them with as much force as he can muster.

The drone grits his teeth, ignoring the pain and looking up at the clouds, noticing how they were glowing. With one last flare of his magic, he unleashes his attack, the whole room being lit up by the lightning bolts it summons.

Rhino's eyes widen as the bolts shoot all around the rooms, most of them fizzling harmlessly against the ground but a few coming way too close for comfort. Eventually, one looks like it's going to fire straight at him. He quickly relights his horn and Blinks Mimic above him and holds him there with magic, intercepting the bolt.

He grins down at him, eyes narrowed. "You think this is going to stop it?" He places a hoof on Rhino's head, channelling the electricity into him. "WRONG!"

The stallion can literally see the electricity in his eyes and taste it in his mouth as it courses through him. His muscles unlock and scream at him as he falls to the floor, but at least might be able to move them now. Deciding to gamble on a desperate ploy, Rhino lights up his horn and casts a quick unseen spell, but makes sure to have the light from his horn flicker and taper out once this is done. He puts on a distressed face as he rolls his eyes toward his horn.

Mimic narrows his eyes at this, leaping back and landing on the wall. He flaps his wings to stay in place, charging up his electricity in a hoof once more. "You're out of spells and out of time." He laughs, getting ready to rush towards the stallion.

Rhino chuckles as he looks at the drone's two limp legs. "Don't look so hot, yourself."

He rolls his eyes and runs down the wall, leaping off it at an angle and racing directly towards him. "You won't be talking so big when you're cut in half!" As he says this, the electricity from his hoof stretches out, forming a sword of pure lightning.

Rhino calmly waits on the ground as the changeling gets closer and closer. As Mimic raises the blade above his head and Rhino can see it's light reflected in his opponent's eyes, he leans ever so slightly. A blur of green zips out from under the stallion, revealed to be another crystal dagger he had hidden, and buries itself up to the hilt in the drone's neck.

Mimic stops moving, eyes wide in shock. Gritting his teeth, he shifts into the blue nymph, the electricity dispersing in place of heat. He quickly removes the knife and cauterizes the wound, breathing softly in relief. "...that was...too close..." He looks up and blinks, glancing around in confusion. "...where did he go?"

Much like Mimic himself did before, Rhino lands on the changeling's back, forcing him to the ground. He stomps on the drone's head, causing it to crack painfully against the ground, and even then he doesn't stop. The stallion stomps repeatedly on the horn of his opponent until he hears the tell-tale sound of the appendage cracking and sees the web of cracks expanding with every stomp.

The changeling cries out in pain, using his forelegs to protect his damaged horn. "Enough! Please, I give!"

Rhino places one hoof on the back of the drone's head and another on the back of his neck. He presses down lightly as he speaks with a growl. "Get out of her form." It was not a request.

"I can't." He whimpers softly. "T-that requires magic."

Rhino releases the hoof on his head, but not the one on his neck. "You can still put magic through that horn, even if it causes excruciating pain. Do it. NOW!"

He trembles, but does as he's told, changing back into his own form despite the white-hot pain in his horn. "T-there. It is done." He groans and passes out from the agony.

Rhino snorts. The discarded dagger, still covered in a bit of Mimic's blood, floats over and rests the blade on the back of the drone's neck. Rhino looks over to Luster. "I'm torn... what do you think I should do?"

She glances at the fallen officer and shakes her head. Leave him alive. Everyone here knows of the crime he committed, so he'll be exiled. She walks over to him, Gel draped over her back, and puts a hoof on his shoulder. You'll never have to worry about him again.

Rhino sighs as he steps off the drone, his legs almost buckling underneath him. "Good... good..." His eyes fall on the blue nymph as his stripe returns to it’s usual blue. He walks over to her and gently nuzzles her, enjoying the feeling of her chitin and mane as he expresses his relief.

Luster watches this, feeling a pang of envy. Still, she smiles, motioning towards the doors. We should get you two home. I'm fairly certain my brother would like to join you...and... She falters momentarily. ...I was hoping I could, too. Is that alright?

Rhino smiles as he decides to just let himself go for the moment and hug the purple nymph around her neck. I extended the invitation, and you've done more than enough to earn it.

She smiles softly, leaning into the embrace. ...thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me. She reaches down and picks up her staff in her mouth, not wanting to upset the changeling on her back.

He chuckles as he lets go and they start heading down the stairs. I'm sure we'll have plenty of time for you to try and express that while I just sit there saying that it was nothing. For now though, let's go pick up Flick and get a decent distance away from here before I pass out... and trust me... I really want to pass out.

I'm sure one of us could carry you if you do pass out. You'd have about eighteen hours to rest after that, too. They pass by the form of Port, but she pauses to write him a note. Need to let him know just what the honorable General did. He'd step up after Mimic's banished, anyways.

Rhino nods. He's a good soldier... He rubs the large bite marks on his side. Accepted his defeat with grace and humility.

That certainly sounds like him. She finishes the letter and places it on the now-dry desk on the side of the room. With that done, I believe we're good to go. She moves back to Rhino's side, glancing at the wounds and grimacing slightly. I think Flick has some medicine in his room. I'm sure he'd let you use some of it on those.

They proceed downward as they speak. That'd be nice... though unless it's magic I think I'm going to be in bandages a while... He brushes the burnt fur on his face. At least I can always just trim this off and have it grow back in like a week.

She gives him a curious look. A week? Doesn't that usually take longer for ponies?

Rhino responds simply. It didn't burn all the way to the skin, so it's not like I'm shaving it all off. I can grow a full beard in about two weeks. Plus, in case you hadn't noticed... I'm fluffy.

No, I didn't notice that. She glances at his back. I was a little more concerned with...other stuff, at the moment. She grimaces slightly, ashamed at her actions. Sorry about that. If I'd have known you were such a nice pony...

He pats her side as they arrive at the door to her floor. Hey, things happened, we talked, now we're friends. He stops for a moment as they enter the room. Umm... where did all the metal go?

Those boxes on the top floor. She glances over her shoulder, where said metal cubes were floating. Or maybe I should say behind us?

Oh... convenient. He looks at Gel again as they start down the stairs to Flick's room. When do you think she'll wake up?

I don't know. She taps her chin, thinking on this a bit. Mimic did the same thing to Flick, once...it took him about a day to recover.

Rhino sends a bit more love her way as they open the door to Flick's room. Well, here's hoping she wakes up as soon as possible... I might have to explain you and Flick being with us depending on her mood.

I guess you might. She looks down at the staff in her mouth, then up at him. Do you know where I can find a soul gem?

The drone inside looks up at them, surprised. "Hey! I take it you beat Mimic?" He grins widely, his wings fluttering slightly in excitement.

A soul gem? No. But I can probably recharge that gem you have there with a bit of magic, you know, when I don't need it myself. Or, alternatively, I could actually make you a custom gem for it. He turns to Flick. "Yes... though it wasn't easy. Enjoy your nap?"

I'm going to ask you about that later. Luster smiles at Flick, waving kindly.

"Yes, I did." The yellow changeling glances at her, then at Rhino, confused. "How did...why isn't she..."

He smiles. "Well... she and I had a battle, then a discussion, then she saved my flank, so... she's coming along, too."

Flick laughs jovially, shaking his head. "I did not expect that! So, before we go," he gestures to his wounds, smiling genially, "would you like me to help you with that?"

Rhino nods rapidly. "That would be fantastic. Do you have stuff for..." he looks to his sides, "scratches , both shallow and deep, puncture wounds, deep," he looks down at his chest, "burns, and of course I still think I have a few bits on paint on me somewhere, but I'm not too worried about those."

"I have some gentle disinfectants for the puncture wounds and scratches." He uses his magic to pull a medical kit out from behind his paint cans. "I think I also have some aloe vera for the burns."

Luster taps the stallion's shoulder, giving him a curious look. Rhino? Do you know you have paint on your flank?

Hmm? He looks back further and sees he indeed had a yellow smear on his backside. He gives Flick a small dirty look before his horn lights up and he quickly peels off the substance. Thank you, it would have been awkward finding out that was there later.

You're welcome.

Flick ignores Rhino's expression as he tends to the wounds, making sure they're sterile before wrapping the gauze around him. "You'll need to change it every so often, but you're good to go."

Rhino regards his now wrapped barrel and chest, the coolness of the medicine already working wonders. "Ah... working already. We do need to get moving though, the pain was half of what was keeping me going. You're coming with us, right Flick?"

"Of course!" He laughs, shaking his head. "Wouldn't miss this chance for the world!" He turns to the metal boxes, then to the purple nymph, smiling kindly. "You wouldn't mind carrying my art supplies in there, would you?"

She rolls her eyes but nods, a bemused look on her face. Why not. You'd probably want to stop to paint if I didn't, anyways. She grabs them in her magic and puts the items in her containers, much to her brother's glee.

The group of four start heading down the final set of stairs, Rhino nuzzling Gel once more before a thought occurs to him. "Umm... what do you guys think we should do about those three here on the bottom level? I was pretty rough on them..."

"They should be fine." As they get to the bottom floor, they notice the Sergeant Major in the middle of the floor. "...mostly...did you do that?"

Rhino rubs the back of his head with a hoof. "Well... they aren't exactly as durable as you guys... I'm fairly certain he's alive at least..."

"Well, they were probably just trying to do their job." He taps his chin, thinking a bit. "They'll definitely heal, but what they'll do after all is said and done...that's something I can't say for sure."

Rhino nods as they head out the opening into the sunlight. He angles towards some particular rocks and digs out his saddlebags of supplies. Reflexively he sticks them on himself, but immediately winces and hisses as they rest right on his injuries. Despite this, he still heads towards the vague direction of Ponyville. "Let's... at least get to the cover of the trees... I don't... have much left..."

Flick grabs the saddlebags and puts them on. "You're not going to injure yourself on my watch, Doc." He grabs Rhino and puts him on his back. "There. Now, let us know where your house is, and we'll take both of you there. Okay?"

Rhino's legs try to continue the motion of walking a moment before he realizes that he's being carried. "Just... go to the outskirts of Ponyville... Whitetail Woods... Wake me... at... that... point..." With a 'thump', the stallion's head falls to the drone's back, his whole body out of it.

The two changelings nod and, wings flaring, take to the skies. They make a beeline for Ponyville, careful to not jostle or drop their passengers.

Chapter 70: Canterlot

During the next week, the group of housemates receive an invitation to Canterlot for, as the invite put it, 'the appointment of a new ambassador'. They immediately knew they couldn't miss it. When the day arrives, Gel, Luster, and Rhino all board the train and ride towards the capital. They approach it after about a half hour and know they'll be there in about another 20 minutes.

Gel, disguised as Angel once more, fidgets slightly in her seat. She nervously watches the landscape pass by, playing with the hem of her sky-blue sundress. "...this feels so strange, being back in this form..."

Luster, appearing as the yellow mare from before, simply leans back against the wall of their private booth, her white hat covering her face as she naps.

Rhino, wearing his nice jacket and a blue button-up shirt the same color as his mane stripe, sits next to her. He wraps one hoof around hers to stop her fidgeting. "At least you had something that still fit and made you look even more lovely, right?"

She blushes softly, giving him a shy smile. "...I-I guess so...still..." She sighs, looking up at the city on the side of the mountain, frowning slightly. "...I'd prefer to just visit as myself...not as a character I made..."

He squeezes her hoof. "You know I'll support you if you want to walk around as yourself."

She shakes her head. "...no. I don't want us to be outcasts in your dad's town..." She blinks, remembering something. "...speaking of which, do you think that letter made it to your mom on time?"

He nods. "I've found over the years that for some reason, it's quicker to get letters to Cloudsdale than from it. She'll be there."

The white mare rests her head on his shoulder, sighing softly. "...good...I want both of them to be there..." She giggles quietly. "...wouldn't want to repeat ourselves, right?"

He chuckles. "Yeah... especially since they're the ponies who will want the most details."

She smiles, snuggling a little closer to him. "...speaking of details...did you want to hear something I overheard Silk say?"

He smiles coyly. "Well... I'm not usually one for gossip, but..." He lets the sentence trail off.

She nods, waving with a hoof. "So get this...I was walking around town on Sunday..."

***

Silk finishes her business at the Sweet Apple Acres cart and walks away, humming a little tune to herself. Before she makes it a full block, she feels a slight tug on the back of her tail and turns to see what it is.

The yellow filly she sees lets go of her tail, smiling brightly at her. "Hi there!"

Silk turns to address the bow-wearing foal, a friendly smile on her face. "Oh, hello there. You're Apple Bloom right?"

"That's me!" She giggles before raising a hoof, pointing at the mare's flank. "May I ask how you got your cutie mark?"

Silk reflexively looks back at her flank. "Well, ok, but it's not that great of a story..." She trails off as she sees a particular drone walk by the flower stand and wink at the mares there.

The filly follows her gaze, tilting her head in confusion. "...isn't that your coltfriend? What's he doing?"

Her tail swishes irately before her head slumps a bit. "Not my coltfriend... not exactly anyway..."

"Why not? Miss Gel says you hang out with him a lot..." She scratches her head. "...and Applejack saw you two at one of those fancy diners. Wouldn't that be a date?"

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" She sighs. "But apparently we're just good friends right now..."

"But why?" She turns and watches the drone as he waves at them in passing. She waits for him to get a decent distance away before continuing. "You clearly like him, right? As more than friends, I mean?"

Silk thinks a moment before nodding. "Yes, and at first I thought he wanted that too. Especially with all the shameless flirting he does with me..." She shakes her head. "But then, every time I start to think that we're starting to date and not just 'hang out' he goes and flirts with some other mare while we're together..."

Apple Bloom frowns slightly, tilting her head to one side. "...why don't you just ask him?"

Silk looks at her, confused. "Ask him what?"

"If he likes you, too." She gestures to the drone getting further away. "Or at least tell him how you feel?"

She sighs. "I don't know... I mean, I've thought about telling him... telling him how every time I think we start to get close he goes and treats another mare the same way he's been treating me, making me feel like I'm not special at all... How even if he somehow miraculously actually calls what we've been doing 'dating' that he shouldn't be flirting with other mares then? I mean, I know couples that allow their partners to flirt with others, but that's only when they know nothing will come of it. That's after they've already been together and know each other well enough that they are comfortable with letting the partner have that verbal fun. You... you just don't do that at this point! It's not right! We don't have that security yet!" She's stomping a hoof by the end of her little speech and has to take a moment to compose herself. "I just... i don't know how i would tell him all that..."

"...maybe he doesn't know?" The filly taps her chin. "I mean, he is a changeling, after all. Or maybe he's just oble- obvi- dense."

"Maybe..." The mare looks at the retreating drone before looking back at the filly. "Do you really think it could be that simple?"

"You never know." She shrugs, glancing over to see an orange mare waving. "Oh, gotta run! Applejack wants me!" She rushes off as fast as her little legs can carry her, waving goodbye to the purple-maned pegasus.

Silk waves goodbye as she thinks to herself out loud. "I'll give him a little more time... if he keeps screwing up and i still stick with him... maybe I'll try to tell him..."

***

"...and after she left, I nonchalantly walked out of the alley I'd hidden in and headed home." She pauses, pulling away to look up at him. "...what do you think of that?"

He looks across to Luster. "To be blunt, I think a certain sister might want to put some thought into putting some sense into a certain drone so that he and his potential marefriend can be happier."

That certain sister has tried numerous times but he still won't get it. She tilts up her hat, giving him a deadpan look. He just likes to flirt way too much.

He raises an eyebrow. "Have you tried bluntly telling him that if he doesn't cool it that's all he'll ever do and never anything more?"

No. She shuffles uncomfortably, letting her hat fall back down over her face. That would require me thinking of the 'anything more'. And that gives me the willies.

"Fair enough." He pulls Gel back towards him and strokes her mane with a hoof. "Should we do anything then? Or just leave it to them?" The question is directed to both nymphs.

His nymph closes her eyes, enjoying the feel of his hoof on her mane. "...I say we should wait for now..."

...and intervene, if it's absolutely necessary. Luster sighs, getting ready to go back to sleep.

He continues stroking Gel's mane as a question comes to mind. "Hey, at this event we're going to... are we planning on staying the entire time, or just a portion of it?"

She leans up and gently nips his neck, coyly smiling. "...as long as necessary...or as long as is expected...depends on the crowd...I want to go see a certain shop before we leave..."

He raises an eyebrow as he trails his hoof down her neck before stroking her mane again. "Oh? This is the first I've heard of this side trip..."

"...I wanted it to be a surprise..." She giggles, pulling away enough to look up at him. "...but I suppose I'll have to settle for getting your help to try outfits on..." She winks, playfully sticking her tongue out.

He takes her tongue and kisses her briefly. "I look forward to it."

She blushes softly, pulling him close and kissing him deeply. I'm glad we're in a private booth...I can kiss you as much as I want without worry...

He kisses back lovingly. I'm sure Luster being asleep helps.

Yes, that does help. She smiles, breaking the kiss to tenderly nuzzle his cheek. ...and while we may not have that much time, right now...I'm going to make up for it later...

Well, I'm not going to turn you down... He nips her ear. But I honestly have no idea what you would be making up for.

Not being able to have a long enough cuddle session with you. She gently pushes him onto his back, snuggling up against his side on the seat. I know how much you enjoy it...and you know I enjoy it just as much...

Right on both things, love...

The two snuggle until the hissing of the airbrakes and the slight lurching of the train announces their arrival. Well, those and the captain's voice calling back. The three depart the train and look around as they move onto the platform.

Gel motions toward the castle, nervously smiling. "The invite said it's going on there, right?" Dear Luna, I hope we're not underdressed...

I doubt it, the invite said semi-formal. He looks around and tugs his and Gel's entwined tails toward the street. "Let's start heading there, just in case there's a line. Plus we don't draw as much attention if we stay moving."

She nods and the trio start traveling up the street. The two disguised changelings look around at the buildings in awe.

Rhino chuckles at the two awestruck nymphs. "Never had a chance to just walk around and appreciate the scenery?"

Luster looks at him. Not in Canterlot, no. Especially considering the last, and only, time we've been here. Gel flinches slightly, mortified.

He nuzzles the white mare. Hey, it's fine. No one knows. He goes back to the conversation. "Yeah, the upper parts of the city like this are always impressive to those who don't live here."

"...I'd like to visit here more often..." She glances around, smiling softly. "...it just seems so friendly...so welcoming..."

Rhino's expression falls a bit. "Give it a moment..."

Luster turns to him, frowning in confusion. What is that supposed to mean?

As her attention was held by him, she ends up bumping into someone. She quickly backs up and bows her head in response, thinking her apology to him, forgetting that he likely wouldn't hear it. My apologies. I didn't see you there.

The stallion she had bumped into is stunned for a moment before he composes himself and adjusts his spectacles, which had almost fallen off during the impact. As he straightens up and looks over Luster in her disguise, one can rapidly tell he is of the upper class from the way he looks down his nose at her before speaking condescendingly. "Hmph. Has this district really sunk so far as to allow ruffians like you here?" He eyes her staff, from which a small bag of her luggage is hanging. "One would think even hobos would have some manners, but it appears that isn't the case."

Luster's fur bristles as she scowls at the stallion for a moment before regaining her stoic expression. I didn't realize that a pony could be so much of an ass and still look like a unicorn. The yellow mare smirks slightly as Gel tries her hardest not to laugh at the barb.

Rhino and Gel, being slightly behind and to the side of the altercation, watch as the fancy stallion continues. "Still nothing to say? I wonder if you are a coward or simply too dumb to respond."

The green unicorn steps forward, adjusting small things about his stance and drawing himself to his full height. He taps the offending stallion's shoulder and looks down at him with the sort of disgust a noble might have for a stall vendor then mixed with a bit of burning anger. "The only idiot here is you, though I suspect you'll prove your own cowardice well enough given time. She is mute, something the world would likely benefit from if you yourself were struck with it, given how you've chosen to use your voice so far."

The upper class pony flinches as he takes a few steps away from the imposing unicorn. "I.. now see here, do you know who I am?"

Rhino responds flatly as he maintains his expression. "No, nor do I care. If you were really important then you wouldn't have bothered talking to her because you would have been on your way somewhere, as clearly you think she's not worth your time. So what will it be? Prove yourself an ass and less important than you've puffed yourself up to look like, or prove yourself a coward and leave?"

The stallion sputters a few more times before turning tail and walking very quickly off.

Gel walks up to Rhino, smiling warmly. "You handled that flawlessly, love." She glances at the watch on his foreleg. "We should hurry off, though. We're cutting it close, as is."

Rhino looks to Luster before they head out. "You okay?"

She nods, keeping her expression neutral. I'm better now, thanks to you. She shrugs slightly, facing forward. I doubt he's learned his lesson, though.

They continue walking. "Probably not. But, thankfully they do make up the minority of the population of the city. Meetings with them just seem to stick in your mind afterwards. I much prefer the outskirts where I lived. First of all, you actually get to have a yard."

Gel smiles, her mind starting to drift to an image of a young Rhino. "That sounds nice...I look forward to seeing your foalhood home..."

He turns back to Luster as they walk. "Will you be accompanying us all day? You're always welcome, but I don't want you to get bored, and we can always drop by places you want to go."

The earth pony shrugs. I don't know. I figured I'd let the chips fall where they may. She goes quiet for a moment before turning to him. Does Canterlot have a casino?

As they continue walking, he responds. "Erm, yes actually. There should be one down..." he points a hoof, "that street. I didn't know you were the betting sort."

I’m not. My brother is. She shakes her head. Let’s be glad that he opted to housesit while we’re here.

The group makes their way to the castle, approaching the main gate which is flanked by the usual golden-clad guards. The green stallion doesn’t even appear to notice them as they walk up to the gate and cross the threshold into the castle grounds. Luster acts the same.

Gel, on the other hoof, slows slightly, nervously glancing at the armored ponies as she passes them. Once inside, she lets out a small sigh of relief. ...thank goodness...I was worried that... She pauses, looking at her hoof a moment. ...why was I worried? I look like a pony...

He bumps her side lightly. Because you’re silly. Even if you look like a changeling, they are technically welcome. The guards would probably just be nervous.

That helps my self-confidence so much, love. She sticks her tongue out at him.

He chuckles sheepishly. Sorry, kinda fell through halfway on that bit of comforting…

She rolls her eyes and presses up against him, gently nuzzling his neck. You’re just too sweet, you know that? Even when you mess up.

Glad you think so. Ah, here we go. The couple suddenly stops as they come to the ornate doors leading into the castle itself. Just through here and follow the signs.

What are we waiting for? The yellow mare passes by them, pushing the door open. We’ll barely make it if we hurry. Doubt they’ll let us run in the castle, though.

“Fair point, we should hurry.”

The trio quickly make their way through the castle and into one of the banquet halls, where the event is to take place. When they get in, the room is already crowded with a variety of species and nobles. The room is filled with small round tables and obviously based around the stage at one end.

Gel glances around, surprised. “...wow...I didn’t expect so many ponies to be here...”

Luster frowns almost imperceptibly. I could have sworn that few ponies in this city liked our kind, considering.

Rhino responds in their heads to maintain privacy. Admittedly, liking you likely has nothing to do with it. This is an official announcement and a gathering of ambassadors from various species and many ponies of power were invited as well it seems. For those playing the political game, it would be a waste to miss this opportunity.

The white mare glances at a few regal-looking gryphons chatting off to one side. I suppose that makes sense...yet it makes me feel disappointed. She sighs, shaking her head. I was hoping that they’d like us of their own choosing, not for some social convention.

Rhino responds, trying to be both comforting and logical. Well, perhaps they will over time. It’s not like they’ve actually had the opportunity yet. Port is really the only changeling living here for now, as far as I know.

I guess that’s true. She glances around, blinking in confusion. ...where did Luster go?

Oh dear, lost her already… He tries to look around and find her, but to no avail. Well, I’m sure she can take care of herself…

I know she can. I’m more worried about those she come across. She turns her gaze to a familiar orange changeling approaching them. Look who it is...

The drone stops in front of them, nodding cordially to the stallion. “Hello, again.” He glances at Gel. “Is this your sister?”

Rhino chuckles, partially going into the sort of formal attitude one picks up over years of living in this town. “Not quite, Ambassador.” He gestures to Gel. “You remember my fiance? You two did meet after all.”

“Oh.” He nods, taking a cup of tea from a passing waiter. “I didn’t recognize her with that outfit on. Among other things.” He sips his drink, glancing around.

Ignoring the few looks the are starting to be directed at them for so casually chatting with a changeling, Rhino continues. “Are you looking forward to your official appointment to office? I wonder how your people reacted to the news.”

“Shock, mostly. One young nymph actually cheered a bit, but she was silenced by her classmates’ stares.” He puts his drink down on a nearby table, glancing at the stallion’s side. “I see you healed rather nicely.”

The stallion nods, maintaining discretion. “Indeed, it took a short time, but I’m glad to have seen the last of that unpleasant incident.”

“Agreed.” He glances over his shoulder towards the stage. “I believe I’m to go on in a few minutes. Sorry to cut the conversation short. Maybe you should check on your date.” He motions to the food table, where Gel is currently staring hungrily at a plate of cream puffs.

As Port walks off, Rhino approaches Gel and sends a questioning thought. When did you sneak off? and why didn’t you say anything to him?

When he brought up your wounds, and I didn’t have anything to say. She picks up a small puff, frowning slightly. Why are these so small?

He smiles. Welcome to fancy eating, dear, where everything is about half the size it should be.

Suddenly I’m glad we live in Ponyville. She pops the pastry into her mouth, chewing it as she glances towards the stage. ...aw, the band’s leaving the stage. I liked their music...

Rhino looks up as the last member of the group, a grey earth pony cellist, exits the stage. It was nice… I guess that means this thing’s about to start then.

The room goes quiet as Princess Celestia takes the stage and stands behind the podium. “Lords and Ladies, Ambassadors from our many neighbors, it is my pleasure to introduce to you, the first envoy of his kind: Changeling Ambassador Port.”

The orange drone walks onto the stage amid scattered and polite applause sprinkled with much whispering. He dips his head to the princess, who does the same as she walks backstage while he takes the podium. He keeps his even expression as he looks out over the crowd. “Greetings. It is my pleasure to be here, in front of all you ponies. I will be honest though, I come from military, so I am unused to giving speeches. I will simply say that I am here to work for the benefit of both my kind and of the ponies that have graciously asked me to take this position. The floor is now open to questions, should any have them.”

A mint-colored mare raises her hoof. “What led to you becoming an ambassador?”

Port nods and answers simply. “To put it simply, they needed one, and I was recommended for the job by colleagues.” He looks at Gel knowingly before looking around for more raised hooves.

A griffon raises a claw next. “Will your appointment mean that Equestria should expect an influx of changelings to start living in its cities?”

“Most of the hive didn’t seem excited at the thought, though whether that was from peer pressure or their true opinions, I’m not sure.” He glances around and points at a tall white stallion. “Yes, you.”

The blond unicorn sneers. “Does it not bother you to be working peacefully in a city your kind invaded not so long ago?”

Port gives him an even look. “That wasn’t a question. That was a snide remark hidden behind a question. But, to answer it, I’m not bothered, as that is behind us.”

A mare raises a hoof this time. “What do you think and what do you plan to do about the potential discrimination against changelings that do decide to live freely among ponies?”

He glances at Rhino for a split second before responding. “I think that my brethren are free to do what they want with their lives. I’ll do what I can to help them with whatever they choose.” He straightens his tie, turning to the rest of the crowd. “Next question, please.”

As Port listens to the question of another unicorn stallion, this one with mustache and monocle, Rhino turns to Gel, who had finished a few of the tiny cream puffs and now seemed to be just looking around. Bored?

Yes, actually. She sighs, fidgeting a bit. I’m happy he’s handling things well, but...I can’t help but worry. That one stallion proved that there are ponies who still dislike us. What if they become more vocal?

He holds her hoof with one of his own. you mean like right now, or just in general?

...I mean at all… She closes her eyes and, taking his hoof, heads towards the door. On second thought, I’d rather not think about it. Let’s check out that shop.

He catches up to her quickly to avoid slowing her down. Alright, I was bored too, to be honest. I’m just better at hiding it. The two quickly but casually make their way out of the castle and out into the main city. Eventually they make it to the market district, where Rhino looks questioningly at Gel. You do know where this place is, right?

She shakes her head, pulling out her journal and flipping through the pages. I only know the address. I have a general idea of the city’s layout, but...well, I didn’t get a chance to memorize the street names. She finds the part she’s looking for and floats it over towards him. Think you could help me find it?

He peruses the directions, but avoids looking at the type of place because he wants it to be a surprise. After about a minute of looking, he looks around them. It should be about three blocks down the road. The two quickly head to the location.

They find themselves in front of a building simply called ‘Spirit’. Gel beams, nodding to herself. “This should be it.” She moves forward and opens the door, looking back at him and motioning him to follow.

He does so, and with great curiosity.

Inside, the shop looks like a clothing store at first glance, but the second glance is when it gets interesting. There never seems to be more than three of any outfit, but the sheer amount of outfits is staggering. One might think of it as a costume shop, if not for the quality of the works. Everything from job uniforms, to military, things like socks and accompanying lingerie, suits, a few dark leather outfits, lacey things of all forms, undergarments, overgarments, and everything in between. Above it all rests a sign proclaiming ‘custom orders accepted and welcomed’.

Gel squeals in delight, rushing forward and searching through the clothes racks for something her stallion might like. She comes back up with a set of midnight blue regalia. "This looks interesting. What do you think?" She turns to him, smiling coyly.

He chuckles lightly. "I think it reminds me of a certain princess we met not too long ago."

She giggles. "That's the idea, love." She playfully winks at him, sticking her tongue out. She grabs a few more out, glancing around curiously. "I wonder where the shopkeeper is..."

As if on cue, a middle aged pink unicorn comes around one of the racks to smile at the couple. "Good afternoon, you two. Looking for something specific?"

Gel squeaks, standing straight at the voice. "J-just browsing." She glances around, trying to think of a way to word her question. "...um...w-well, there is one thing I'd like to know..."

The mare laughs. "Don't be shy dear, I've seen and heard all kinds of things in the years I've had this store. Nothing is too odd."

The white mare relaxes slightly, glancing at Rhino before getting the courage to ask. "D-do you serve changeling customers?" She sheepishly smiles, silently berating herself for not wording it better.

Undeterred, the mare just laughs again. "Well, I haven't yet, but I expect I might soon, given that announcement they made." She looks Gel up and down. "I don't suppose you'd be my first one? Or are you asking just out of curiosity?"

She gulps, letting her true eyes flash through her disguise momentarily. "I-I'd be your first."

The pink mare doesn't even flinch as she smiles. "Well, happy day then, of course you get the first time customer discount of 15% and I have to say, I look forward to seeing what your tastes are like."

She shyly nods, grabbing a few more clothes before turning to Rhino. "F-feel free to look for a few for yourself while I try these on. It's my treat." She kisses his cheek and hurries off to the back, steam trailing behind her from the top of her head.

The stallion looks around, his own blush deepening as the shop owner titters but leaves him be. He spots a few things he likes, but some of them he's too embarrassed to pick up and walk around with, so he decides to just hang near them and wait for Gel to return.

She returns soon enough in her normal form, wearing the regalia replicas. The chest piece is too big, covering most of her chest and part of her forelegs. "...do they have a smaller size?"

The owner nods. "That we do dear, let me see if I can get you one that isn't quite the actual princess' size." She wanders through the racks and goes into a door.

As she waits, she looks over at the rack next to Rhino, curious. "...find anything you like?"

The stallion continues blushing, scuffing a hoof on the ground in embarrassment for some of his choices. "A few things..."

She tilts her head, gently putting a hoof on his shoulder. "May I see them?"

He leads her first over to the accessories section and motions to a few things, specifically panties, bows, socks, and saddles.

She blinks, looking over the items before giggling softly. "That's very sweet love, but I meant for you." She takes a few of each intimate apparel, putting them into a basket. "Still, I'd like to see what else you had your eye on." She winks playfully, leaning close and teasingly nibbling his neck.

He blushes even harder, but distracts himself by kissing her once on the lips. "Well, you know I usually don't dress up really... I just have my work outfit you sometimes have me wear... I did see one more thing I thought would look good on you, and maybe you could pick stuff out for me then? Since you have a better eye for this stuff, I mean." He nods his head towards a rack of 'sexy nurse' apparel, complete with a bag of props.

Her eyes widen slightly as she nods, her cheeks now sky blue from her blush. "S-sure. I-I could do that."

He nods as she takes the outfit. "Erm, were there things you had your eye on?"

She glances at the men's section, a coy smile on her lips. "I'm sure I'll find something. For now..." She picks out a white nurse outfit, nodding towards the back. "Let's see how well this fits, hmm?"

He nods as he puts his back to the wall outside the dressing room. "I'll wait out here until you come out... unless you had other ideas?"

"Maybe I do." She flutters her eyelashes at him. "Would you be willing to entertain them?"

He raises an eyebrow at her. "I'm not sure I've ever actually denied you anything."

"True." She takes his hoof and pulls him inside with her, closing and locking the door behind them.

He cheekily thinks to her. Alright, liking this idea already.

I sure hope you do, love. She giggles, turning around and swishing her tail, teasing him with brief glimpses as she removes the regalia. As well as the show.

Very much so. He sits down against one wall to enjoy the proceedings.

She brings a skirt over to herself, slowly pulling it up over her hindlegs. As it reaches the middle of her thighs, she raises her tail over her back. She shakes her hips at him before quickly pulling them up and buttoning them around the base of her tail. She leans down to pick the matching top out of the pile, swaying side to side as she takes her time searching, the medium-length clothes doing nothing to hide the shape of her flanks. "Now where could that shirt be?"

Rhino licks his lips as he watches. "I have no idea..." He ruffles her skirt with small wave of magic.

"Ah! Here it is!" She comes up with a sailor-style shirt, putting it on without trying to tease him. "And now, for the finishing touch." She pulls out a collar with a bell on it, putting it on and, focusing for a few seconds, gives herself a few long, white whiskers. She turns to the mirror and gives a cat-like grin, her tail swishing behind her. "Perfect."

He raises an eyebrow. "Well, I certainly didn't see that coming. Not that I'm complaining of course."

She giggles, sticking her tongue out at him. "You know this turns you on." She turns away and lifts up her skirt, slowly revealing inch after inch of chitin, speaking with exaggerated worry. "Oh, no! I forgot to put on panties today!" She stops with her hoof on her flank, holding the fabric just low enough to conceal herself.

His squirming in place as his eyes are glued to that last inch tells all.

She actually purrs, starting to lower the cloth back down. "Darn. I thought you'd be more...enthusiastic." She winks teasingly at him.

He almost vibrates in place before springing into action. He aggressively takes her and pins her back to the wall as he kisses her passionately.

She smiles slightly as she eagerly kisses him back. She tenderly wraps her forehooves around him, pressing her hips against his. She deepens the kiss, licking his lips in a request for entrance.

He obliges, opening his mouth as his own tongue probes for hers. His hooves roam all over her sides and back as he embraces her.

She eventually breaks the kiss, breathing softly. "...glad to see you...so interested..." She smirks slightly, wrapping her hindlegs around his waist. "...now the question...is what you'll do next..." She grinds herself against him, excited by his actions.

He leans forward and nips her neck, his smile almost predatory as he speaks. "Oh... I would do so many things... but we are in a public place after all... and don't you have more outfits to try on?" He presses her against the wall a little more despite his words. "Still... I don't really want to let you go..."

She bites her lip, feeling herself becoming aroused from his words. "...I don't want to be let go..." She leans forward and nuzzles his cheeks, her whiskers sending tingles down her spine. "...and...I don't mind that we're in public...so please..." She pulls back, looking up at him with love-filled eyes. "...do what you like..."

His eyes narrow as he licks his lips.

Suddenly a friendly voice calls from outside the changing room. "I'm leaving the regalia outside the room, and remember dearies, you get your fluids on it, you buy it~!" The shop owner can be heard walking away as she giggles to herself.

Rhino would normally be worried by this, but considering his position, he has other things on his mind. "Well, you heard her, we have to get you out of that..." He leans down and licks her neck just above her collar. "Maybe just a little fooling around, nothing too big and think of it as just making it better later, right?"

She moans sweetly, nodding enthusiastically. "R-right." She strokes his back, a small smile on her lips. "Care to help me out of this, love?"

He smiles as he cranes his neck down, careful not to hit her with his horn. He grips the bottom of her shirt with his teeth and starts to pull it up.

She can only let go of him and arc her back, making it easier for him.

Of course, he makes sure to trail his tongue up her chest as the shirt exposes more and more of it.

She coos softly, closing her eyes and pressing her chest against him a bit more. She places a hoof on his head, gently stroking his mane as he works.

The shirt slips off her, leaving only the skirt and collar left. Gently, he works the collar off s with his teeth, his breath on her neck the whole time as she is suspended in air by him.

Her breath hitches a second at this, a soft whine escaping her lips. She gently kisses his horn, smiling coyly. "...one piece left..."

"Mmhm..." He kisses her briefly before leaning his forehead on hers and smirking. "But, I think you might have to let me go so I can get it off your legs..."

She blushes brightly, carefully lowering her hindlegs to the ground. She nervously giggles, averting her gaze. "W-well, this fits nicely...I-I'm going to buy it..." She taps her chin, thinking a bit. "And the other ones I've tried on fit comfortably, as well...so..." She smirks deviously, giving him a lidded gaze. "...does that mean we have to worry about 'fluids'?"

"I guess not..." He leans over and nips her ear before whispering into it. "Of course, there are still things you haven't quite tried on yet, and I wouldn't want you to be too tired to put them on..." He plays with the waist of her skirt with a hoof as he continues. "Maybe if you're good, once you've tried everything on..."

She whines, nodding excitedly. "P-please do...I want it so badly..." She touches noses with him, her whiskers twitching slightly. "...you won't deny me that, will you?"

Rhino smiles nostalgically as he and Gel pass through the gates heading out of the main city. Immediately the difference is seen as white and gold towers are suddenly replaced the trees and grass of one of the flat areas around the hanging city. He leads her down a few roads into an area that actually looks similar to the area around their house in Ponyville, if not for the tall buildings and wall always within sight overhead. They turn off at a gravel road and he points ahead as they break through a line of trees.

There, among bushes of azaleas, is the house. Unlike their home, this one is only a single story, but it over twice as long with a generous yard. Woods border one side and trees are scattered through the yard. A light can be seen in the kitchen window, which oddly enough, is the room the front door leads into.

Gel looks at this for a moment, mouth agape in awe. "...w-wow...this place is beautiful..."

Rhino nods. "Yeah... it was actually built by my great uncle and my dad bought it from him..."

She nods silently, poking a hoof at the ground. "...too bad we still have a ways to go with our home...then again, we could try borrowing the style for it..." She looks up at him, smiling softly. "What do you think?"

He looks at the house. "Brick sides changing to wood siding near the top? Yeah, we can probably do something similar... though since ours is two stories it'll be a little different."

She smiles, nodding once more. "That's the point of making a house, right? It'll be everything we want...and special because we did so."

They walk up to the door as he answers. "Exactly. What colors were you thinking though?"

She giggles, rocking on her hooves. "Oh, I don't know. How does green and blue sound?"

He smiles knowingly. "I think there might be a theme here..."

"Maybe." She winks at him, knocking on the door. "Still, I want to make sure everything's perfect..." She taps her chin, a whirlwind of thoughts going through her head. "...I think I'll have to write this all down."

A familiar blue unicorn answers the door. He smiles at the couple. "Hey you two, find the place okay?"

Gel nods, smiling warmly. "Thanks to Rhino, here." She pats his side with a hoof.

Bio raises an eyebrow. "Finally got something to stick in that terrible sense of direction?"

Rhino chuckles. "After living here for years, I sure hope so."

The white mare nods, glancing around a bit and seeing no one around. "...may we come in, please?"

"Of course." Bio leaves the door open as he goes back into the kitchen and leans against a counter, Mist can be seen sipping tea at the table.

Gel walks inside, placing her purchases off to one side. "I'm glad to see you're both here." She sighs softly, putting a hoof to her chest and causing a slight clink underneath her dress. She stiffens slightly. ...I hope they didn't hear that...I-I'm not ready for questions this early...

Rhino raises an eyebrow. Why? That's the main reason we're here, right?

I know...but I have to psych myself up for it... She takes a deep, calming breath before turning to the other two, smiling kindly. "How was the trip, Mist?"

The red pegasus smiles. "Tiring, I'm not as good with these long flights as I used to be. Still, it's worth it."

She nods, stepping forward and sitting in a chair. "I'm glad it went well." She looks around the kitchen, trying to distract herself with the interior design.

Rhino chats with Bio as Gel delays. "So, made any additions to the house since I left?"

His father laughs. "Not, not quite. Everything's pretty much like you left it, though your old room has pretty much become the storage room."

Rhino chuckles. "I thought it might..."

Gel blinks, turning to Rhino. "Speaking of houses, should we tell them about ours?" She nervously smiles at him, hoping she said the right thing.

Mist raises an eyebrow. "Oh? Are you doing something with the house you're renting?"

"...um...in a sense, I suppose..." She rubs the back of her neck, unsure. "...I mean, if moving counts as something..."

Mist sets down her tea. "You're moving? Is it to another town.... or did a better place come on the market?"

"...Rhino, maybe you could answer that?" She quickly grabs one of the cream puffs she hid in her bags and stuffs it into her mouth in an attempt to avoid speaking.

The stallion looks to his father and smiles briefly before clearing his throat. "So... Gel and I are moving... because we are building our own house."

Bio just smiles as Mist gasps. "Really?"

Gel nods, sighing in relief and laying her head down on the table. Thank you...I didn't know how to word that...

Rhino continues despite the incredulous looks. "That's not the only big announcement we have..."

The disguised changeling squeaks, bolting upright. This results in a slight jingle, causing her to blush deeply in turn.

The parents' eyes widen as they wait for Rhino to drop the bomb.

He pulls out his necklace as he beams brightly. "We're getting married!"

His mother's squeal actually causes him to fold his ears as she grabs onto Gel and hugs her tightly.

The poor nymph can't bring herself to try and break away, letting the mare embrace her for a bit. After a while, though, she starts finding it hard to breathe and does what comes to her first - she shrinks down to her smaller form, leaving Mist holding her dress as she attempts to replenish her oxygen, buzzing in the air in front of her.

Mist binks as she looks at the empty dress she's holding. She quickly spots Gel and embraces her gently with her wings despite her small size. "Oh, I can't believe it!" She brings Rhino into the hug too. "My little colt getting married!"

Bio comes over and pats Rhino's back as the couple and mother embrace.

The tiny nymph giggles softly, nuzzling her stallion's cheek as his mom held her. "I'm glad you both are happy about this...because we need to get everything ready soon. It's on September third, after all..."

"So soon?" Mist holds them at arm's length. "But that's in a month! Will everything be ready?"

She taps her chin, thinking a bit. "...well...we could use some help..."

The pegasus perks up. "Oh, the dress! Have you picked a dress yet? You know you can't have Rhino be there for it, it has to be a surprise."

Gel shakes her head. "...honestly, I hadn't thought about the dress...I just thought of the bouquet..."

"Well, one of these days, you, me, and your bridesmares need to go out and pick both your dress and theirs." She wraps a wing around Gel's shoulder. "Think of it like a girl's day out where we all gush about how good you look."

She blushes brightly, starting to feel a little faint at the thought. "...o-oh my..."

Mist laughs. "That's the right attitude! Happy and a little embarrassed!"

"...o-okay...I'll just..." She passes out and falls with her head against Rhino's chest. Her eyes appear to be replaced with cartoon swirls.

Rhino just shakes his head at both his parents' surprised looks. "She gets so worked up sometimes... hopefully she keeps it together on the big day..."

They nod in agreement.

Gel eventually wakes up to a nice cup of tea and a relaxing few hours with Rhino and his parents. However, the time does come for them to leave so they can catch the train home, and rhino was worried a bit since they hadn't seen Luster since the announcement. They make their way back into town and find Luster waiting patiently for them at the station. The three chat and are soon on the train home.

Chapter 1: Arrival

The areas throughout Equestria are numerous and varied. Whether they are the frozen peaks of the north, the dense Everfree Forest, even the San Palomino Desert, there remains one place that nopony in their right mind goes willingly: the badlands. Within one of the many spires of stone dotting this barren land, there resides a large structure of black and green. Holes dot the sides as small insect-like forms dart in and out on various business. At the core of this structure, Hive 42, lies a throne room not unlike that of the diarchs of the pony kingdom. Where Celestia’s room is grand, gold, and majestic though, this room gives a feeling of power, dark, and foreboding to those who were not raised around structures made with similar design choices. Upon the charcoal colored throne sits a changeling, larger and stronger than any other in the hive, as befits a queen. Currently, she appears to be taking a moment to herself, her eyes closed and her breathing quiet. Suddenly, her green eyes snap open.

Queen Chrysalis projects her voice so that she can be heard in the hall outside the throne room. "Nymph 34, enter."

A changeling strides into the room, her head held high. Like all nymphs, she is distinguishable from the male drones by a more defined figure, subtle, but enough to tell her gender. The particular nymph is also distinguishable from all other changelings in her hive by the blue tint to what is usually grey chitin. Her whole being seems to share this blue trait, from her longer-than-most tail, to the mane female changelings have instead of the fin-like versions the males do. Even her eyes, wings, and colored carapace, blue on the other changelings of the hive, seem to have more saturation on her. She stops in front of the throne, bowing respectfully. She holds her tongue, knowing that one does not simply address the queen.

The queen floats a form in front of her from the small stack next to her. "Colonel Gel, you are requesting assignment to Ponyville to become our resident agent, as well as the specific target of one unicorn stallion by the name of 'Rhino'. Is this correct?"

She straightens up, saluting smartly. "That is correct, my Queen."

The queen nods as she looks down at the nymph. "Do you have anything you wish to add to your request before I make my decision?"

Gel nods, lowering her hoof. "As you know, my Queen, the Elements of Harmony call Ponyville their home. We have no idea what defensive measures they have in place. Due to this, I humbly request to go undercover and send reports when I've figured out what they have to ferret us out." She glances at the red-tinted changeling next to Queen Chrysalis before returning her attention to her queen.

Chrysalis makes a note on the form as she comments. "A deep cover mission..." she turns to the changeling next to her. "What say you, General Mimic?"

He salutes as he barks out his answer. "My Queen, given the lack of information on the Bearers or any counter-measures they may have against us, I agree with this cautious approach."

The queen hums appreciatively as she turns back to the nymph. "Very well, your assignment is accepted. Severing of your link to the hive link is authorized." A flash of magic from her horn signs the paper with her seal. "Good hunting."

Gel smiles at this, bowing once more. "I'll make preparations to leave for Ponyville at once, my Queen." She turns and leaves, her mind abuzz with her thoughts.

Changelings have many options available to travel undetected. Gel prefers flying quickly at night in her true form, and making progress on hoof during the day while disguised. With these techniques, and the love she was given from the hive’s stores to see her through the travel, soon enough she crests a hill overlooking the quaint town.

Gel looks around from the shade of her cover within a cluster of trees on the hill, smiling at the townsfolk. This is perfect. I'll finally get the chance I've wanted since Canterlot. With a quick flare of her horn, her connection to the hive is severed, silencing the background buzz of voices at the back of every changeling’s mind. A sigh erupts from her throat as she relaxes, knowing there was no longer a chance of some higher ranked changeling deciding to peek in her mind to make sure she was obeying orders and protocol. She is enveloped in a blue flame, walking out on the street as a white unicorn. This form is her chosen one, with long blonde mane and tail, blue eyes, and a small halo cutie mark.

She walks through town, looking around curiously. No anti-changeling measures, so far. Now, what's needed for a 'new pony in town'? She stops in front of a restaurant, thinking to herself. I suppose a job is a pressing issue. I need to get money before I can get a place to live. She unhitches herself from her cart and enters the building.

The building, unassuming from the outside, is bustling inside. The place seems to put forth a feeling of lightness and warmth. It seems fairly normal, tables and booths line the restaurant, one unusual addition are some sectioned off areas in the back, revealed to be private booths when a waitress opens the door to come out. The waitress also reveals the most notable thing about the establishment, the staff. Every single visible staff member is a mare outfitted in a maid outfit. The outfits have everything, lace tiaras, socks, frilly skirts, tiny aprons, and every other part of far too complex maid attire.

The hostess, dressed in a maid outfit just like the waitresses, approaches the unicorn with menu in hoof. "Hello! Welcome to Ponyville Maid Cafe! How many in your party?"

The disguised changeling blinks at this. "...um...I-I was actually wondering...i-if there was a job opening..." She sheepishly smiles, entirely unsure how to go about applying for a job since changelings are assigned them.

The mare instantly sets down her menus and looks up and down the white unicorn. After a minute of this she nods. "Would you be interested in a position waiting tables? I'm afraid it's all we have open at the moment."

Gel smiles softly, nodding a bit. "...I'd like to take that job...i-is there anything I need to know about it?"

The hostess shakes her head. "I'm not the one to ask, but follow me and I'll take you to the pony who can answer any questions you have." She turns and leads the unicorn around the very edges of the restaurant until they reach a door in the back with the simple golden plate saying 'Manager' on it. The mare holds open the door for Gel. "Here you go, good luck!"

"...T-thank you..." She enters the doorway, nervously standing in front of the wooden desk. She looks at the chair turned away from her, confused. "...h-hello?"

As the door shuts, the chair swivels around to reveal a bright yellow pegasus with purple mane. Her light blue eyes scrutinize the unicorn before her. "Yes? How may I help you?"

Gel squirms a bit under the pony's gaze. "...um...I-I'd like to apply for the waitress position...I mean, I think I am...d-did I already get it? O-or am I mistaken?" She can't bring herself to look the pegasus in the eye, embarrassed by her own words.

The yellow mare laughs as she stands up out of her seat. "Ah, a shy one. That could definitely work..." She closes in on the unicorn, her smile still present. "Well dear, you're not a waitress yet, but let's see if you have what it takes." She circles around the white mare, her eyes scanning up and down the potential employee. "Oh yes... very nice..." She stops and heads to a locker behind her desk, pulling out a maid outfit and tossing it to Gel. "Go put this on and come back so I can see how it fits you. Chop chop!"

She blinks, looking down at the outfit before turning to go change. Arguing with your boss is a good way to lose your job. Follow her orders and things will go easier. Soon enough Gel returns, blushing in embarrassment. She tries to pull the short skirt down further, attempting to hide her rump. "...C-can I ask...w-what the job requires, miss? A-and why this outfit is so...s-short?"

"Well hon," The mare begins as she once again circles the disguised changeling, "you will be a waitress. As with any other waiting job, you take orders, bring those to the kitchen, and bring the food when it's ready. You ensure the customers have what they need." She suddenly grabs two strings near the waist and tightens them so that the outfit is more form-fitting. "But our customers don't just come for the food, they come for the experience." She undoes the neckline to allow it to plunge. "To be surrounded by lovely mares." She pulls up one of the lacey socks. "And last but not least," she flicks Gel's rump with her tail, "they come to enjoy the view."

She squeaks from the flick, her blush growing even darker. How humiliating. "...s-so...w-why did you say me...b-being shy would work?" She glances back at herself, unsure that the outfit would suit her.

The yellow pegasus laughs. "Relax, I just mean that there are ponies who like all kinds of personalities. Some like feisty, some like flirty, some like shy. We try to cater to all of them as best we can." She puts an arm over Gel's withers. "All I'm saying is 'be yourself, you'll do fine.' What's your name?"

Uh oh. "M-my name? It's...ah..." She frantically thinks, her eyes darting about the room. Think, Gel! She gulps, throwing caution to the wind as she comes up with a name off the top of her head. "...A-Angel...I'm Angel..." She sheepishly smiles, silently hoping she'd buy it. "...a-and your name is?"

The other mare smiles as she lets go of 'Angel' and holds out her hoof. "Silk Tease. Very nice to meet you Angel."

"Y-you, too, Miss Tease." She nervously shakes her hoof, inwardly sighing with relief at her name being taken so easily.

"Politeness, always essential." Silk walks back to her chair and sits down, looking straight at the unicorn. "So, I have one more question for you Angel. Do you still want to work here?"

Gel gulps quietly, thinking it over a bit. ...I do need a job...and the free food makes it that much better... She turns back to the pegasus, smiling a bit more confidently. "Yes, Miss Tease. I do."

"Good to hear, hon. Now then, shall we discuss the boring business parts?" Silk brings out a piece of paper and pen.

Gel stands at attention much like in her military past as her new boss goes on about the specifics of her job. After a short amount of time, the ground rules are set. She works the shift that starts just after noon starting tomorrow, she gets one free meal per day at the end of her shift, and she has to bring the uniform to and from work. The two shake again, the white mare much more comfortable now, and even more so when she gets to remove the test uniform and is given one that fits her better, which she stows in her bags.

Gel steps out of the restaurant, sighing softly and looking at the paper in the air in front of her, signifying her new employment. "...That was rather...interesting..." She glances around, thinking to herself. I should start looking for my target. Where could he be? She steps out into the street, heading over to her cart, lost in her thoughts.

Just as she's about to reach her cart, a sudden shout causes her to turn her head and see a large green stallion skidding towards her. She squeaks in fright and freezes up. He swerves to avoid hitting her, only to run straight into her cart. The cart itself is undamaged, but the stallion's momentum causes him to perform a flip over it, landing squarely on his backside.

Gel, wide-eyed in shock, rushes over to him. "O-oh my goodness! A-are you alright?" She attempts to help him get back up, carefully touching his face to look for anything broken. "D-do you need anything? I-I could spare some ice, if you need it..."

The stallion, his horn making it obvious he is a unicorn, seems dazed. He lets out a small groan before shaking his head and standing up. As his eyes set on Gel, he immediately backs away and looks from her to the cart. "Oh dear, my apologies, I wasn't paying enough attention to where I was going. I didn't hurt you or break anything of yours did I?"

"...Um...I-I'm not sure...a-about the cart, I mean...you didn't hit me..." She nervously giggles, slowly backing towards the cart. "...I-I'll just go check real quick..." She turns to look, thinking about what he hit and inspecting the point of impact. "...nothing seems to be broken...that I can see, at least..." She glances back at him, concerned. "...w-what about you, Mister...um..."

He dusts himself off before straightening up and giving a small bow. "My name is Rhino. Once again, I am very sorry for this... incident. I'm glad nothing was broken."

R-Rhino? That's my target! She quietly nods, her horn lighting up almost imperceptibly. "M-my name is Angel...a-are you sure you aren't hurt?"

He smiles and nods. "Yes ma'am, nothing that won't be forgotten in an hour." He checks his watch. "Well, I guess I'll just be going now. It was very nice meeting you... despite the circumstances." He smiles sheepishly before his horn lights up and he skates off, despite not wearing skates.

Gel stares after him, confused. "...How is he doing that?" She shakes her head, frowning softly. What are you doing? Your mind is clear of voices, yet you still can't think clearly? You have to find a way to get close to him! You have to - oh, hey, a bit pouch! She picks it up, smiling brightly. It must be my lucky day! Where did this even come from? She looks down at the spot where it was, thinking about it. Well, it's right here...and this was where Rhino landed...

She blinks at this, a small smirk slowly growing on her face. "It looks like we have a winner."

***

Gel groans softly, unhitching her cart about twenty yards from the house her target went into. She tries to calm down her breathing, having rushed after the stallion. "...How...does he move...so fast?" It is a medium sized house, similar to many others in the town. From the outside one can tell that it has two stories and a rear that faces the nearby woods. She trots over to the front door, rethinking her plan in her head. It'll be fine. You just give him back the bit bag, ask him a few questions, and be out of there before you know it. You will not choke. First impressions are key to success. She stops on the stoop, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "...okay...you can do this..."

She knocks on the door and waits. Before long, the sounds of hoofsteps approaches and the door opens to reveal the same green stallion. He looks at her with curiosity. "Oh, hello Miss Angel..." his face becomes worried, "Umm.. is this about the crash?"

"...Um...sort of...y-you see..." She pulls out the bit bag she found, smiling sheepishly. "...you kind of left this back there...I-I just thought I should return it to you..."

His eyes widen as he takes the bit bag with his magic. He looks to the side as he checks his saddlebags, finding a hole in one side. "Well.. thank you very much ma'am." He appears uncomfortable in the following silence, before he breaks it. "Erm... would you like to come in? I could make you something to drink." He takes a step back and holds the door open.

She blinks, surprised at this offer. "...S-sure..." She tentatively steps inside, standing awkwardly in the front room. What am I doing? When did going into this pony's house become part of this stage of the plan?!

The house is decently furnished, though it does have a lot of empty space. In the front room are a couch and two chairs, all comfortable looking. There are a few paintings on the wall, along with a clock. From the front room, one can see entrances to both a kitchen and a small hall, as well as a set of stairs leading upward.

Rhino shuts the door behind her as he tosses his bit bag into his saddlebags. He then gestures to the couch with a hoof. "Please, make yourself at home. Do you want something to drink?"

"...Um...m-maybe some apple juice?" She sits down on the couch, unsure of what to think at the moment. "...t-thank you for your hospitality...I-I didn't really expect you to do this..."

He talks from the kitchen as he fixes the drinks. "Well, it didn't seem right to just send you off after you were nice enough to bring my bit bag back. I figured this would be the least I could do." He walks back in with two glasses levitating in his green aura. One floats over to the mare as he sits in one of the chairs with his own glass.

She takes it in her own blue magical aura, sipping it quietly. "...I-I guess that makes sense..." She glances around, curious. "...S-so...d-do you live here alone? O-or do you have a roommate?"

He sips his own glass. "It's just me here. The house is a bit larger than I needed, but between location, pricing, and a few other things, it was the best option."

"...I-I see..." She gulps down half her drink before turning to him, sheepishly smiling. "...c-can I stay here?" Wait, what? What am I saying? "I-I kinda need a place to stay...I-I'm new here, after all..."

The stallion doesn't respond at first, simply blinking at the sudden question. "Well... umm... Sure, I guess. It's a bit sudden, but if you don't have a place to stay, I'll gladly help you out." He chugs the rest of his drink before setting the glass down. "Splitting rent is usually how the roommate setup works right? Would that be alright, starting next month?"

"Yes! Thank you!" She leaps forward and hugs him, elated. ...I suppose I just solved two issues at once. A place to stay and a way to get close to Rhino. She realizes that she's still hugging him, pulling away and blushing softly. "...um...s-sorry..."

He had frozen when she hugged him, and is now shaking himself out of it. "N-no problem..." He turns away from her and looks towards the door. "Did you need help with your things?"

"...I-I'll be fine...I-I couldn't bother you with that..." She gets up and heads towards the door, intent on bringing her few boxes in as quickly as possible.

A few things click in Rhino's head. "Uh oh, I need to get all the stuff out of the second bedroom and into the spare so she'll have room." He quickly trots up the stairs and comes back down with a few items levitated. He stows these in the downstairs room and heads back upstairs to make sure he didn't miss anything.

Gel returns, three boxes and her apple juice in her magical aura. She looks around, curious and confused. "...Rhino? Where are you?"

At her voice, a thump followed by a yelp comes from upstairs. The stallion in question comes down a moment later, a hoof rubbing the top of his head ruefully. "You called?"

"O-oh my goodness!" She quickly pulls out a small pack, placing it on top of his head. "E-enchanted ice. S-should help with your bump." She looks down at her hooves, ashamed. "...one you probably wouldn't have gotten if it weren't for me...I'm sorry..."

He adjusts the pack on his head as he looks at her. "Hey, it was just a coincidence. I've done this before even when nopony is around. I just brought my head up too quickly when I was under some shelving, no big deal, just a small knot to remind me not to do it again for a while."

"...O-oh..." She blushes brightly, embarrassed. "...um...I-I'll just...t-take this up to my new room..." She rushes up the stairs and opens the first door on her left.

Rhino, who had followed her up, chuckles as she makes it halfway through the door before realizing it was a bathroom. "Well, you are free to live in the bathroom if you want... but just in case, your room is..." he opens a door on the opposite end of the hall with a quick burst of magic, "that one."

She squeaks softly, backing out of the bathroom. "...t-thank you..." She rushes down the hall, her tail between her legs and the boxes in hot pursuit. As soon as she's in her room, she closes the door, sighing quietly. "...that...could have gone better..." She opens up one of her boxes, pulling out a few novels.

The stallion chuckles again as he makes his way to his own room. He flops down onto his bed, adjusting the ice as he does so. "Somehow I get the feeling she's going to make things very interesting..."

Chapter 4: Second Morning

Gel yawns, slowly descending the staircase as she reads her journal again. ...Not sure what to do today before work...maybe I could...no, I doubt anypony in this town likes that game... She sighs, sitting down at the table and continuing to read her notes. ...Only one day left of love...I need a source before then...or else... She shakes her head, closing her eyes. "...No...I can't think of that...i-it has to work..." She concentrates on her book, a small frown on her face.

Almost identical to yesterday morning's ritual, beeps followed by a thump then hoofsteps precede Rhino's appearance. This time though, he looks to Gel as he enters the kitchen with a tired smile on his face. "Morning Angel, need anything from the fridge?" He barely manages to complete the sentence before letting out a yawn.

"...N-not really..." She looks up at him, a thought crossing her mind. ...He's half-asleep...surely he won't be able to object to... She smiles slyly to herself, standing up an approaching him. "...Rhino, I have to know...d-do you have a special somepony that..." She gently plants a kiss on his cheek, blushing brightly. "...has done that?"

The stallion unknowingly releases a pulse of love at the kiss, even as he chuckles while turning to the fridge. "Unfortunately no, there's nopony like that for me right now. I'm not saying I wouldn't welcome it, but I'm not too worried. I have a feeling I'll find the one for me." He takes a long drink of milk after he's done speaking.

Gel turns her head away to hide her disappointed frown. I should've expected that. Still, love is love. It'll last me for a bit. She looks back at him, giggling softly. "...M-maybe you'll both find each other...or maybe she's right in front of you..." She playfully rolls her eyes, scribbling down the new development in her journal. Maybe she should be more direct. Sadly, directness is something she can't afford to use, at this time. She also needs to stop referring to herself in the third pony.

He gives her a strange look as he considers her words. After a moment he responds. "Hmm... maybe..."

Gel blinks at this, her mind racing with thoughts on what he could mean by that. ...I-is he talking about me? I-is he talking about a coworker? Oh, even worse, what if he fell for one of the Elements?! What she didn't realize was, throughout this whole thought process, she was blankly staring off into space, her cheeks flushed with color.

Rhino sips for a moment as he wakes himself up completely. She is still staring after he's done, so he asks, "Bit for your thoughts?"

"...W-why do dragons breathe fire and not water?" Gel blinks, frowning slightly at her own words. ...just what train of thoughts led to that? And why did I not think before I spoke?! She groans, holding her head in her hooves, causing the front half of her body to fall to the floor without anything to support it. ...I can be such an idiot, sometimes...

He immediately walks to her side and leans down towards her. "Are you alright?" He offers her a hoof.

"...Y-yes..." She shyly takes his hoof, her gaze lowered to avoid his eyes. "...s-sorry for the silly question..."

"Hey, it's fine. It is a random question, but it is interesting to think about." He gently pulls her to her hooves, but he still looks concerned. "Are you sure you're alright? And I don't mean just from the fall. You seem a bit... off. A little more down and introspective than usual. Anything I can do?"

"...I-I'm fine...r-really..." She nervously laughs, bringing her book up in front of her. "...I guess...I'm just thinking about things..." About us. But I'm not about to tell him that...it'd be likely to ruin any chances I have for this to work...

He still looks unsure, but starts to head towards the door to the rest of the house. "Alright... if you're sure." He pauses at the doorway and looks over his shoulder. "If you need somepony to talk to though, let me know okay? It's what friends are for." He heads upstairs to get ready.

As soon as she thinks he's gone far enough away, she slams her head against the table, groaning to herself. ...friends. That's all he'll ever see me as, isn't it? Just a friend. She sighs softly, her face still against the flat surface. I'll have to do something about that. I can't complete my goals if I'm stuck in the friendzone.

After a short time, Rhino comes back down, ready for work. He looks to where she is still leaning with her face in the table. Still concerned, he walks over and hesitates a moment before putting a hoof on her shoulder. "I've got to head out now... Are you gonna be okay here?"

"...Sure...I'll be fine..." She lifts her head up, giving him a weary smile. "...go have fun saving pets, Rhino...I'll just wander around town a bit...maybe see a pony about something..."

If anything her words seem to make him even more suspicious, but he keeps that to himself as he forces a smile as he heads out. "Alright... take care." The door closes behind him.

Gel sighs, shaking her head. "...I might as well see about something...maybe I'll try to get one of my dresses refitted..." She trudges up the stairs and into her room, browsing her clothes. "...Let's see...librarian's outfit...waterproof one-piece swimsuit...full-body armor...ah, here we go!" She pulls out a simple, sky-blue sundress, smiling brightly. "...one of my favorites..." She looks at the tag, frowning a bit. "...Why does it have to be a size too small?"

She shrugs, folding it neatly and putting it into one of her saddlebags. "...Now that I have that, I can be on my way!" She trots down the stairs and out the front door, beaming brightly.

Then a thought occurs. ...I have no idea where to go to have this done...

***

As she wanders down the street, Gel idly notices that there are less ponies around than there were yesterday. She ignores it though, simply enjoying the shade provided by the cloud cover. However, soon her walk is interrupted by a gust of wind and a voice.

"Hey you, the white unicorn!"

She blinks in confusion, looking up at the pegasus above her. ...multi-colored mane...tomboyish demeanor...this is probably Rainbow Dash... "...C-can I help you, Miss?"

The chromatic pegasus tilts her head as she hovers lower. "Help me? Nah, I'm good. What about you though? Didn't you hear we've got some emergency showers scheduled in about ten minutes? They aren't going to last long, but most ponies wouldn't want to be out in it."

S-showers?! "N-no, I didn't. B-but I want to get somewhere before it starts." She sheepishly smiles, rubbing the back of her neck. "D-do you know where I can find a pony to help me with a dress?"

The light blue mare nods. "Yeah, I don't go there myself since it's not cool enough for me, but if you want something related to dresses, you want Rarity. You've gotta be new if you haven't heard of Carousel Boutique." She points down the road. "Just look for the purple carousel building, you can't miss it. Better hurry before you get wet!"

She stares blankly at her for a few moments. Carousel Boutique? Really? "T-thanks, Miss!" She rushes off, looking up at the clouds with concern. Don't rain...can't stand rain... She sees the building steadily growing in front of her, smiling brightly. "There it is! Almost t-" She stops mid-sentence, tripping over the front step and slamming her face against the door. She slides down to the stoop, whimpering quietly. ...why am I getting hurt so much today?

A set of dainty hoofsteps can be heard approaching the door. It opens to reveal an alabaster unicorn with a fabulous purple mane and tail. She has her eyes closed at first as she recites. "Welcome to Carousel Boutique-" She cuts herself off when she doesn't see anypony at the door. A groan from the floor soon has her gasping she see Gel sprawled on her doorstep. "Oh my! Whatever happened to you, darling?"

She carefully get back up on her hooves, shakily smiling at the mare. "...I-it's nothing...j-just tripped over your front step...n-no big deal..." I remember this mare...drone fifty got punched across the face by a unicorn just like her...this is Rarity, the Element of Generosity... "...M-may I come in? I-it's about to rain, and I don't like getting wet like that..."

The fashionista nods quickly as she backs away to let the mare in. "Oh yes, how rude of me, do come in." Gel does so and Rarity closes the door behind her just as the pitter patter of rain begins. "Now, I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you before. I am Rarity and this is my boutique. May I ask your name and why you decided to visit?"

"...M-my name is Angelic Grace...b-but Angel is just fine...i-it's nice to meet you...as for why I'm here..." She pulls her sundress out of her bag, shyly holding it out to her. "...C-could you help me get this to fit me again? I-I kinda grew out of it..."

Rarity nods knowingly. "Ah, some things just seem to not fit after a while don't they? Tell me, can you still fit into this at all? Or is this more a case of where you can't even get it on anymore?"

"...I-it's a tight fit..." She looks around the building in an attempt to not look at the mare. "...I-I could barely get in if I wanted to...a-and even when I do, my fur kind of...bulges around the hems..." She sighs softly, staring at the dress with a wistful expression on her face. ...it needs to fit...it's part of the plan...

A pair of red horn glasses float over and land over the fashionista's eyes as she examines the dress. "Very well dear, how about this? I'll let it out in small amounts all around so it's at least bearable to wear. After that, you can have it on so we can make adjustments afterwards."

"...That sounds like a good idea..." She nods, relaxing a little. "...so...w-what should I do while I wait, Miss Rarity?"

She waves a hoof as she turns to her needles and thread. "Oh, whatever you want darling. Look at the stock, tell me about any changes you want to make to this dress while I'm working on it, or simply chat with little old me." Various shades of blue thread levitate around her as a half-dozen needles begin diving in and out of the fabric.

Gel nods, looking around the store in silent curiosity. ...So she doesn't just do dresses...she also does socks and suits...that last one I can understand, but socks? Why would anyone buy those?

"And complete." The alabaster unicorn holds up the dress in her magic. "It should be able to fit moderately comfortably now." She levitates the blue ensemble to the other mare and points to a corner of the room. "The privacy screen is over there for you to change behind."

She smiles softly, taking the dress and going behind the screen. Certain she wouldn't be seen, she quickly shifts back into her original form and slips into the dress easily. She changes back into Angel, subtle blue flames traveling across her body to make sure there wasn't a visible light. She steps out, grimacing slightly at how it pinched her shoulders, ribs and waist. "...a-almost perfect...j-just a little bit off...hard to breathe..."

Rarity quickly ushers her onto the platform in the center of the room. "That my dear, is exactly why you are here. So we can fix that." She floats over a few mirrors that she strategically places around the stage as she loosens certain threads. After a few minutes work, the dress hangs loosely off the white unicorn's frame. The fashionista begins around the shoulders, working the fabric to her will with needle and thread as her instruments. "Now, I know it can be boring for some clients while they stand up here, so why don't we chat? Is there a special reason you need this dress to be ready?"

Gel gently bites her lip, a blush growing on her cheeks. "...T-there's this stallion I like...but...I-I can't tell if he likes me back...T-the last time I talked with him, h-he called me his friend..." She takes a breath to steady her heartbeat, embarrassed. "...I've only known him for about two days, but...I-I want to...be more than just friends with him...W-what do you think I should do?" She squirms on top of the platform, eyes closed as she waits for the unicorn's response.

Rarity retracts her needles quickly. “Careful darling, I need you to stay as still as possible so I don’t accidentally jab you.” Once the mare complies she continues. "Hmm... Well, if he considers you a friend after only two days, I think you're on the right track. The direct approach is all well and good for some mares, but I feel those who take that approach are either supremely confident they will be accepted, or they don't actually know what they want so they are trying to figure out if trying with the stallion is a waste of their time." She finishes cinching the chest of the dress and moves more towards the ribs. "Many a stallion have not considered a mare as a potential love until they get to know them. Friendship offers the best opportunities for that. After all... it only takes a small interest to warrant dating. That is where you really get to know each other."

The dress-clad mare blinks at this, stunned beyond belief. "...Wow...you're really knowledgeable about this..." So I do have to wait? Well, at least I know I'm on track, considering... "...What if he blushes around me, but averts his gaze? Does that mean anything to you, Miss Rarity?"

Rarity takes a needle she was holding in her mouth. "Well, there could be a number of reasons... it all depends on the stallion really. What are you doing when he acts like this, dare I ask?"

"...Um..." Her face turns as red as a tomato as she recalls that time. "...M-me...i-in my maid cafe uniform..." Can't believe I'm just telling this to one of the Elements! "...a-actually...h-he always blushes when he sees me in it..." Stop talking, self!

She stops as she looks Gel in the eye. "You... work there... No, no, nevermind. To each their own career choices. I won't judge you." She resumes her work. "Well, it could be just that your stallion is unused to seeing mares dressed like that. Though you would have to see him react to others dressed similarly to be sure. Then of course, there is the other option for why he is acting that way..."

I guess I could've searched for other available jobs, but that's not the point! Gel gulps quietly, trying to keep herself from trembling. "...W-what is...the other option?"

"Well... and I'm afraid this is going to be speculation on my part... It could very well be that he only blushes when he sees you in it because he does have special feelings for you. He may not even realize it himself if it hasn't fully manifested into romantic feelings. Seeing you like that may make it to where he doesn't actually know how to act, thus he looks away." Rarity begins working on the flowing fabric near the tail. "Some stallions may just need a push, or maybe even just the right circumstances to sort out how they feel. Though, as I said before all of this is speculation since all stallions are unique. It's just easier to sometimes have general ideas to work off."

The disguised changeling sighs softly, lowering her head. Of course it isn't that simple. She turns to Rarity, smiling kindly. "...Thank you for the advice, Miss Rarity...it helped out a lot..." She looks at her saddlebags, realizing something. "...Um...h-how much is this going to cost?"

"Cost? Oh no, darling, it's a little policy I have here." She performs a final snip and steps back to look at her work. "The first one's free. As for the advice, you're quite welcome. I do so love being able to help out couples when I can." She waves a hoof at the mirrors. "So, how do you like it?"

C-couple?! Her mind swimming, she turns to look at the mirrors. Her jaw drops, seeing the outfit on her form. "...I-I don't know how you did it...b-but you actually made it look better than before..."

Rarity waves a hoof. "Oh it was just a few little things. A little shaping around the hips, flare past the tail, ensure a nice flowing line down the whole body... a few tricks I've learned. I think this stallion of yours should be quite pleased."

"...I-I hope so..." She steps off the pedestal, smiling brightly. "Thank you, Miss Rarity. You have no idea what this means to me."

The fashionista looks out the window to see the rain that had been pattering against the window start to slow down. "Oh not a problem, dear. Just be sure to drop by again if you or he ever need anything, I'm sure I could probably make a nice matching suit and dress."

She giggles softly, shaking her head. "...oh, Miss Rarity...you're too generous..." She heads towards the door but stops about halfway, turning back to the other unicorn. "...M-may I ask you something?"

Rarity gives a ladylike titter. "Darling, we've been playing twenty questions with each other for a while. I don't see a reason to stop now."

"...Well...I just wanted to know..." She rubs the back of her neck, unsure. "...h-how do you know all of this? D-do you have a coltfriend? O-or a marefriend?" ...that was smart...why not ask her if she's still a virgin, while I'm at it?

The fashionista's smile does not falter, though she does gain a slight blush. "Well, one can always learn from a variety of sources... chatting with customers, friends, hearing the local gossip, some romance novels... all kinds of places really. But no, I'm afraid I don't have a stallion of my own. I'm still searching for that special prince charming..."

"R-really?" She frowns slightly, looking at her with eyes full of confusion. "I-I thought a mare as pretty as you might have had at least one relationship...w-was it wrong for me to assume that?"

"Not at all, darling. Since you've been so forthcoming with your own relationship, I'll be honest." She looks off to the side, reminiscing. "While it is true that I have been on my fair share of dates... None of my suitors have really proven to be what I wanted in a relationship yet."

Gel blinks in surprise, tilting her head to the side. "...What exactly...do you want your love to be like?"

Rarity waggles a hoof. "Ah ah ah, I think that's all you'll be getting out of me today Miss Grace. Fair is fair after all, and I believe I gave as good as I got." She winks.

She sighs softly, smiling in reply. "...I suppose you're right, Miss Rarity...if you don't mind, though, I'll be heading off towards home..." She turns, giggling quietly. "...I need to get ready for work..."

"Tah tah! I wish you luck!"

Chapter 20: Wake-Up Call

***Warning, Sensual Content. Pretty much the whole chapter.***

Gel slowly wakes up, blinking in the early morning darkness. ...well, it seems my sleep cycle has normalized, again... She carefully sits up, looking at the stallion next to her.

He seems to be taking on a new sleeping position half the time now. Instead of lying on his side, he now sleeps on his back, usually with her next to him with her head on his chest. One of his forelegs is still behind her, loose at the moment, but it can be curled up to bring her close at any time. His tail is currently intertwined with hers, as he often does when they are close. The sheets are down to about midway down his chest, the result of usual slight sleep movement.

She smiles softly, gently nuzzling his cheek before an idea comes to her. ...he's not going to wake for quite a while...maybe... She slowly smirks, pulling down his sheets carefully, trying her hardest not to wake him up. She stops once they are down to the middle of his thighs, eyeing his sheath. ...how am I going to do this? If I try to approach this from the sides, I won't be able to reach up high enough... She gently strokes him, trying to rouse his little friend. If I sit between his legs, then I'd have to pull him down, and that might wake him up...so that leaves... She blushes brightly, her tail slowly lifting from how arousing the thought is. ...I-I guess I'll have to...

She crawls on top of him, facing his pride while her rump is under his face. ...o-okay...I have to be careful...don't want to wake him up, yet... She resumes her ministrations, leaning down to gently lick around the tip of his sheath. ...come on, junior...it's time to play...

The sheath twitches once before its occupant starts to show itself. Its tip is the only part showing as a slow pulse begins going through it.

She quietly giggles, moving closer before she licks the tip of it. Her tail continues to rise, now straight up in the air as her own arousal starts to build. ...just a little more...

Pulse by pulse, his pride grows. Ever lengthening, but also widening to an extent. It twitches again, it's size making the action much more evident now as it approaches its maximum growth.

She carefully points the tip towards her mouth as it grows, feeling it push further past her lips with every pulse. She smiles inwardly as she circles her tongue around it, bracing herself right before it bumps into the back of her throat. ...he's a stud...I-I can't believe it's not all in, yet... She closes her eyes, slowly pushing herself further onto it, eyes watering as she attempts to get as much of him in her mouth as possible. ...s-stupid gag reflex...w-why do ponies have that?

Finally, it reaches it's potential. It lies in her throat, radiating a slight warmth as the blood pulses through it. Rhino lets out a low growl as one of his hindlegs twitches and his hips raise slightly.

She slowly bobs her head along his pride, moaning quietly. ...t-this is getting easier...but I can't keep this up for long... She thinks for a moment before her horn lights up, her aura enveloping the section of his stallionhood just out of her reach. ...m-maybe if I did something to help him along... She gently begins to massage him with her magic as she continues to move along him. After a few more seconds, she's forced to pull off enough for him to exit her throat, greedily inhaling fresh air through her nostrils. ...n-next time...get a bigger lungful of air... She sighs before resuming her actions, pulling him back deep into her throat, the muscles tightly wrapping around him.

The stallion's breathing starts to get deeper, his breath wafting across her nethers. His hips raise and lower every few strokes. Each movement is timed to be in sync with hers.

She moves faster, her eyes fluttering closed as she feels the warm air on her rapidly-moistening slit. ...he isn't awake...b-but he still teases me... She pauses every other bob, purposely trying to get him even further down her throat. She pulls back to breathe once more and then some, her tongue circling the head of his sensitive rod before the very tip of her tongue flicks against the tiny white drop at his tip. ...that tastes absolutely wonderful... She continues to tease him with her flexible muscle, wanting to see if she could get him to purposefully thrust in his sleep. She wiggles her flanks on his chest, wishing she could push her hips back to get him to smell her scent once more, even if only a bit.

The sudden lack of stroking activates biological reflexes. His breathing deepens as his hips start raising and lower with greater frequency. His nostrils flare as her wiggling hips emit her aroused scent. This in turn, causes his hips to jerkily thrust, instead of just lifting.

Her eyes snap open as his first thrust pushes his pride back down her throat, past the point she'd gotten to earlier. Her eyes unfocus slightly as she moves her head forward when he pulls his hips back, wanting to let him go even deeper. She looks down, seeing, under the long, dark shaft currently pushing into her mouth, something that made her desire even stronger. Her horn lights up once more, lovingly fondling his orbs with her magic. ...come on, love...release your tension for me... She moans lustfully as she begins rocking her positively drenched treasure against his chest and neck.

At her ministrations, he begins thrusting even more. His forelegs slowly rise up and fold over her on his chest, gripping her and keeping her in place. His body assuming the natural position for this act, his head and neck curl downward, his nose getting deep breaths of her arousal. This only further drives him, as his grip slightly tightens, his thrusts increase, and he leans down further to where his nose is scant centimeters from her slit.

Gel can only hold her breath, his stallionhood now completely bottoming out in her mouth with every thrust. Her magic continues to fondle him, doing all her hazy mind can think of to bring him to his climax. ...p-please, Rhino...I-I don't know how much longer I can hold out... A familiar clenching is slowly forming in her belly, and she feels herself losing the battle to keep a clear head.

He continues for about 30 more seconds before drawing back, hesitating, and thrusting in one final time. As he bottoms out and holds it there, his forelegs grip tightly while his seed starts releasing into her. The excess created but not used during their previous sessions makes itself known as it all floods down her throat.

...s-so much... She pulls off of him, wanting to taste his seed before he completely drains himself. She pants softly, feeling him spurt onto her tongue. ...I was right...he's delicious... She moans, her lips wrapping tightly around him as she begins sucking, eager to taste even more of his seed.

Her moaning only seems to drive him further as more of his whiteness comes out. His forelegs grip more and his nose closes the distance with her treasure, making contact with the wet area and filling his head with her scent. He greedily sucks for air, stimulating the area he rests against as he does so. Even as all this happens, he performs minor thrusts as his load continues pumping.

She squeals, trying to squirm out of his grip. C-can't climax. H-he'll wake up! She attempts to pull her hindquarters away from him, even as she continues to swallow his seed. H-how much does he have?! This is preposterous!

Finally, the flow begins to ebb, as both his breathing and thrusting slow. His forelegs loosen from around her, though they still rest where they are, they no longer grip. Rhino's whole form seems to relax as he leans back onto the pillows. His pride is still standing tall, but no longer flows.

She gasps for air, starting to feel light-headed. Oh thank goodness it stopped... She carefully climbs off him, rolling onto her back beside him. ...I-I guess he's sated...even if his little friend seems to be saying otherwise... She sighs, staring up at the ceiling as her arousal slowly starts to die down.

Well, I guess I now know how a stallion feels when he's blue balled...

Rhino's forelegs flop to the sides as they slide off him. The one towards Gel idly gropes around, as if looking for her. A small frown appears on the stallion's face as he rolls to his side, his foreleg still searching.

She pulls up her journal, writing in it all that just happened. ...I'm glad that I finally got to give him pleasure...I was starting to worry that he'd be pent up for another day, or something... She feels something drape over her hips, causing her to look down in confusion. "...wha - eek!" She blushes brightly as she's pulled close to his body, her back to his belly and her flank in his face. ...t-that was...unexpected...

He leans down and nuzzles her cutie mark with a smile on his face. His nostrils start flaring again with the smell of her not fully extinguished arousal. He shifts to get more comfortable, unknowingly poking her in the back of the head with his pride.

Gel blushes even more, feeling his stallionhood against her head. ...not sure what to think of this, exactly... She squirms slightly, her tail flicking across his forehead in response to his breaths on her flanks. ...of all the nights to not wear panties...

The tail movement sends another waft of her scent at him, causing him to try and seek it out. He sniffs, slowly following the scent to its source. It leads him right to her treasure. His nose hovers right in front of it, simply breathing and taking in the scent coming from it.

She trembles, feeling her arousal slowly mounting once again. ...w-what are you doing, Rhino? She bites her lip, trying to deter him by lowering her tail over her treasure. ...t-this was about you...n-not me...

Rhino's nose twitches as the tail passes over it. In response, he burrows his nose into the tail to get back at the scent, inadvertently rubbing the tail into her treasure.

She gasps in shock, her back arching from the unexpected jolt of pleasure. ...o-oh my...I-I almost lost it there... She blushes brightly, letting her tail move to one side. ...well, he does like my scent...might as well let him indulge...

His nose once again leads him to her sweet nectar. His breath once again wafts across her, before his head dives down to where she is dripping down. His tongue snakes out of his mouth and slowly licks up the trail of juice on her inner thigh.

She shivers from the sensation, a quiet moan escaping her lips. ...w-wow...I-I guess he likes my taste, too...

Like a pony licking the dripping ice cream as it melts, Rhino continues. He licks from the lowest point of the drops, all the way to the top, only barely touching her treasure.

She whimpers, her hips pushing back against him. P-please, Rhino...s-stop teasing me... She blinks, shaking her head. What am I thinking?! I have to escape his grip! I-I don't want to wake him up! She slowly drags herself down, trying to leave over the foot of the bed.

As she slips in his grip, he grunts and puts more pressure behind his licks. One such lick goes right over the sensitive spot on the inside of her left leg.

She squeals, feeling herself about to topple over the edge. In one last burst of adrenaline, she pulls herself away and flips herself over. Right at that moment, she climaxes, her juices splashing out onto the carpet. ...t-that was...too close...w-why did I have to be a squirter? She touches her soaked slit and stares at her now-damp hoof. ...I wonder... She slowly climbs back onto the bed, making sure that her head was towards the headboard. She holds up the hoof to his nose, letting the fragrance drift to him.

He immediately starts sniffing and inches closer to the hoof.

She smiles softly, moving her hoof closer to him in response. ...go ahead, Rhino...you know you want to taste it...

As she moves her hoof closer, his nose touches it. His tongue then follows suit and pokes out, licking slowly across the bottom of her hoof to get the juice off.

She giggles softly, letting him lick her hoof, finding the fact that he was enjoying it quite enticing. She blushes brightly and looks away, embarrassed by that thought.

As he finishes licking off the juice, his tongue slides back into his mouth. He groans softly as he stretches out his hooves and cracks open his eyes. He simply stares at Gel as she looks down at him. After a moment he notices both the taste in his mouth and his at-attention pride. He looks at the mare with a raised eyebrow. "I feel like I missed something..."

She smiles playfully, putting a hoof to her chin. "...you could say that, love..." She clears her throat, rolling off the bed and onto her forehooves. "...so, did you have a nice dream?"

He gives her a suspicion filled look and says in a teasing voice. "Yes, though how much was actually a dream remains to be seen..."

She blinks, her cheeks quickly adopting a vibrant red hue. "...i-if you say so, Rhino...though I'm curious as to what the dream is..." She shyly smiles, sitting by the bed and resting her head on the folded forelegs on the edge. "...care to share?"

He looks upward as he recalls. "The details are fading, but from what I remember... It involved you, me, and writhing around in grass with a bit of carnal activity sprinkled in."

Gel sits quietly for a few moments before a wisp of steam forms off the top of her head. "...um...t-that sounds...interesting, to say the least..." Please tell me he's not onto me!

He gives her a simple look with a raised eyebrow. "Angel... why do I taste you in my mouth?"

...he's onto me. She sighs, rubbing the back of her neck. "...i-it's kind of a long story...I-I'm not sure if you'd believe me..." She plays with a lock of her mane, ashamed.

He leans back on his pillow. "It's too early for long stories... Fairly certain that I basically know what happened and I'm not mad. Just tell me how far things went, in brief please."

"...j-just our mouths..." She blushes brightly, turning her head to the side. "...t-that's all..."

"Ok, maybe a little less brief. What about our mouths?"

"...I-I pleasured you...w-with mine...and you licked my..." She squirms, finding herself unable to complete the sentence.

"Ah..." His face flushes brightly. "Definitely what I expected to wake up to... or to wake up and find already happened... Maybe wake me up next time so I can make sure you don't hurt yourself, okay?"

She quietly nods, keeping her gaze on her hooves. "...o-okay, Rhino..."

He leans up and nudges her so that she is looking at him. "So... do you want to cuddle or something? Or should we get on with our day?"

"...c-could we cuddle a bit?" She shyly smiles at him, hopeful. "Please?"

He nods, leaning back on his pillow. "Sounds good to me." He looks down at his pride. "You might have to tolerate that until it goes away though."

She giggles, getting back onto the bed and laying next to him. "...I don't mind, Rhino...I enjoy just being with you..." She kisses him softly, a loving kiss.