Virtue and Vice: Equestria

by enigmaMystere

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Maud Pie, Sex, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, DJ P0N-3, Original Character, Octavia, Comedy, Other
Length: 160721

Based (loosely) on the JLA/JSA storyline of the same name, this recounts what happens before and during the most troublesome time in the history of Equestria's specialized taskforces.

The Elements of Harmony. The faces of inspiration that keep Equestria safe. It always helps morale for the public to know the ones that protect them... or so they think.

The Elements are not the only team keeping Equestria safe. They are merely the one that all of the kingdom knows. There are others, each made up of members just as varied, normal, and yet all are still protectors. Outside of the public eye, they are free to keep the kingdom safe from threats only a few would even know about. Each and every one of them is just as much a hero to ponies as the Elements are.

Of course, this means they are subject to the same fears. A wise man once said: "Who guards the guardians?"

Perhaps it is time they found an answer.

A collaboration between Rhino, RLYoshi, and myself, told in the style of two simultaneous comic series. Thanks for all the help, guys! :twilightsmile:

Story image temporary and by paradox-a-go-go (fun name to say!). Oh, and we're not jumping straight into the title arc. Trust me, you understand why when we get there. :raritywink:

Published 2014-04-02 13:20:03 UTC
Last updated 2015-07-03 22:07:18 UTC

Stealthy Shades #32

The fire flickers in the hearth, its warmth serving to combat the slight chill of a mid-autumn night. Here in this room of Canterlot Castle adorned with a theme of the nocturnal princess, in a tower only privy to a select few, five forms lounge around, awaiting the arrival of the rest of their group.

The first form is that of a sea-green unicorn stallion, his yellow and black mane and tail looking like he just got out of an argument with a few volts of electricity. He lies sprawled out on one of the multiple couches in the room, half of his body hanging off, threatening to take the rest with him as his slow breathing betrays his unconscious state.

The second is a black pegasus nearby, his green aviators glinting in the light of both the window and the fire. With precise movements, he finishes looking over a sword hilt in his hoof before stowing it in one of the many pockets of his vest and extending one wing to begin inspection of that as well. Every once in a while, if one were able to see his eyes, they would see them flick over to the unicorn, as if he is just waiting for something.

Another pegasus across the room sits comfortably near the fire. Though the body type and long eyelashes might cause one to think this burgundy pony is a mare, any look at the undercarriage would soon prove one wrong. The feminine stallion tweaks another small part on the strange metallic device he’s wearing before settling a little more into the chair as he moves a bit of dark orange mane out of his face, picking up a book and cracking it open.

The last two beings sit together on another couch. While one is your average looking bowtie-wearing earth pony mare, the other would have raised quite a few eyebrows not a decade ago. The purple chitinous form of a changeling nymph stays still as its owner watches the mare next to her. The grey mare, completely comfortable with this particular changeling even if it weren’t for the treaty that had been in place for years that lead to the shape-shifting species’ integration, draws an instrumental bow through the air. At times she seems to be playing an instrument, and at others she whips it through the air, her charcoal mane flowing as gracefully as the rest of her as she wields it like a weapon.

It is quiet, just as it had been for the past couple hours. The book in the red pony’s grasp gets flung to the side, an impatient growl escaping his throat. “Okay, what’s taking him so long?”

The other pegasus in the room shrugs. "Something probably just came up... Or he got lost in the castle again when he wasn't paying attention."

He turns to the goggle-wearing pony, an eyebrow quirked skeptically. “I doubt he can get lost four times without learning by the third.”

The green-maned stallion simply shrugs again. "Well, I have no idea then. I'm sure he'll be along soon."

The smaller of the two opens his mouth to speak when the door suddenly opens. His gaze snaps to the pink mare that barged in, blinking at her in stunned silence.

She looks around the room, apparently not even noticing the occupants. “Wow! This is so much better than I imagined!” She rushes over to one of the bookshelves lining the walls, practically running over the unicorn in her way. “So many ancient tomes!” She pulls one out, giggling giddily. “I bet there’s so much knowledge in there, long lost to the common pony!”

As the previously-sleeping unicorn flails and falls off the couch, much to the amusement of the room in general if not more so to the dark pegasus who'd been waiting for it, a stallion's voice calls from the hall as the door opens under a green magical aura. "Ruby, didn't we just talk about not running in the castle and bursting into rooms?"

She squeaks, her ears dipping in remorse. “Um… yes, Daddy…” She carefully puts the book back, narrowing her eyes and whispering to it. “I will read you, someday.” She turns to the door but stops cold, realizing that there was an audience to her antics. She stares at them in shock, emerald eyes wide as dinner plates, before shyly waving to them. “H-hi?”

As they all stare at her curiously, a green unicorn stallion walks through the door followed closely by a navy changeling nymph. The male shakes his head exasperatedly with the barest hint of amusement. "So much for breaking it to them gently..."

The nymph shrugs, giggling softly. “At least she opened the topic for us, if accidentally.” She jumps back as the young mare in question runs past her to where the other couple is currently sitting.

“Aunt Tavi!” Ruby eagerly hugs the earth pony, laughing brightly. “It’s so good to see you! How’s your band doing?”

"Ensemble," Octavia corrects automatically as she hugs the teenage filly back, "and they are doing fine, Ruby." She smiles affectionately before adopting a more serious face. "But what are you doing here? This isn't exactly a place for a young pony like yourself."

“Oh, that’s easy!” She beams, saluting playfully at the older pony. “Meet your newest teammate!”

The earth pony blinks at the pink unicorn. "Pardon?" She looks to the two adults at the door, as do all the others in the room.

The green stallion clears his throat awkwardly as he looks down at the floor. "Well, I... that is, she... umm..." He seems to be almost chewing on his words.

The nymph next to him places a hoof on his shoulder, smiling softly before stepping forward. “What Rhino is trying to say is that she’s proven that she can be trusted.” She gestures to the gray pony. “Not to mention well-trained, thanks to you, Octavia.”

A small twitch comes from Rhino, but nothing else as the black-coated pegasus speaks up, taking off his shades to look at the other stallion clearly. “Trust and training is good, but can she even be ready mentally for what we do?”

The sea-green unicorn on the floor answers before anypony else can, a smirk on his face. “Come on Atom, give the girl a chance. She’s been trained by the great Octo-mom over there!” He waves a hoof to the cellist.

The indigo changeling glares at the stallion, eyes narrowed slightly. One of the chrome accents of the nearby couch flows out into a tendril, waving in front of his face in warning.

The stallion holds up his hooves defensively, shrinking away from the metal tendril he has learned not to deal with in the past. “Ok, shutting up now about that.”

“Thank you, dear.” Octavia leans over and plants a kiss on the purple nymph’s cheek. She turns back to the pink filly. “Now Ruby… I can see by your father’s expression over there that you have him convinced enough to let you come, which says quite a lot, but I just have to ask… are you sure you want to start doing what we do?”

She nods, her face turning solemn. “I am. I want to protect those that can’t defend themselves.” She glances at the stallions by the hearth, slightly nervous. “I… didn’t expect to see you all, if I’m to be honest…”

Atom chuckles from his seat, shuffling his wings a bit as he waves a hoof to the stallion on the floor. “I’m pretty sure you could take Volt if you wanted to.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Ruby sighs, running a hoof through her mane. “I guess… I didn’t see him as part of a team like this… or him.” She nods towards the burgundy stallion, sheepishly smiling. “No offense.”

He shrugs, grinning wryly. “I guess I’m the unassuming type. Kind of a boon, in our business.”

As he gets up, Volt can’t help but to comment. “That and we can sometimes talk him into wearing a dress for the mission if it requires it.”

“Hey,” he points at him, frowning deeply, “shut up. Besides, I’ve noticed it’s always you who suggests that. Care to explain that trend?”

Volt just smiles cheekily. “Because it’s funny to see you fight it so hard only to pull it off so well, too well sometimes.”

Octavia leans down to the filly as she watches the exchange. “Don’t mind them, they’re both silly. I will say though, you have a very worthy goal for wanting to work with us.”

She smiles softly, gently nuzzling her cheek. “Thank you. Though I do have to ask… what did Enigma mean by your ‘business’? What, exactly, could looking like a mare help with?”

Rhino clears his throat once more, drawing the room’s attention back to himself. “Well, I believe I can answer that while I talk to you all about why we were all called here today. Sorry, Ruby, you were sort of a bonus today, not the main reason.” He pulls a folder out of his saddlebag and walks toward one of the other doors in the room. “Everyone to the briefing room, please.”

The pink mare turns to Octavia, eyes wide in excitement. “You have a briefing room, too? Is it like in the movies?” She grins, hopeful.

The cellist giggles softly as the others begin filtering through the door after the stallion. “Exactly what are you expecting? I’m curious what they think these rooms look like in movies these days.”

“Oh, like something from the future!” She waves a foreleg grandly as she moves to follow the others. “These big screens, magical holograms, stuff like that.”

As they enter the room, all of the ponies and changelings assembled face towards a large, blank wall. Each of them sits in a comfortable chair behind a large horseshoe-shaped desk, the open end towards the wall. Rhino sits behind the middle of the desk, his horn lighting up as a large green arcane circle begins drawing itself on the wall. Gel sits next to him while the seat on his other side is empty. Everypony else seems to have just sat wherever.

Octavia comments as she starts heading towards a seat next to Luster. “Well, we don’t do holograms, but we do fine with what we have, I think.” She winks.

Ruby sits down next to her father, staring in awe at the magnitude of the circle before her. “Wow, dad… I don’t think I’ve ever seen one that big…” She holds up a hoof, pointing at Volt without glancing at him. “Say anything, and I’ll get Aunt Luster to… do what she did earlier. But worse.”

Rhino comments simply. “She’d have to beat me to it if he really made a comment like that to you.” He gives the other unicorn stallion a meaningful look.

Volt takes it all in stride as he chuckles nervously. “Hey, contrary to popular opinion, I do have some lines I won’t cross…”

“Good.” The emerald male smiles before turning to his daughter. “This circle is the biggest one you’ve seen, because essentially it is designed to be big, as you’ll see in a moment. But before we do that… Ruby, I want you to promise me that whatever you see, whatever you hear, whatever you learn in this room, can never be repeated to anypony outside of us, the princesses, and a few select others who I will let you know about if it comes to that. Do you understand?”

“I understand, dad.” She smiles softly. “I promise you I won’t tell anyone you don’t give the okay for.” She glances at the circle on the wall, tilting her head to one side. “So… I think I see light in there, somewhere… what does it do, exactly?”

“Simply put, it reflects what its counterpart has in it.” He shifts his folder slightly, showing the edge of an identical runic circle below it glowing on the table. “With that…” he casts a glance over to the navy nymph, his wife. Seeing her give him a nod, he continues. “I suppose… welcome to what we do.” His horn flashes once and suddenly the circle on the wall reflects the folder in the smaller one exactly, moving in time as the stallion opens the folder, revealing a picture of a griffon. “This is our target this time.” He moves another page out and slides it next to the first, showing an intricate chalice. “And this, is the reason.”

“Wait,” the young pony next to him holds up a hoof, brow furrowed in confusion, “what do you mean, ‘target’? Who is this guy?”

“This guy,” the page turns, revealing one with a smaller photo and lines full of information on the griffon, “is Baron Fletch Wing of the Griffon Empire. He is our target, in that he either has to be captured for war crimes, or at the very least, no longer be in possession of this chalice.”

Atom speaks up. “I’m gonna take a stab in the dark and assume it’s not just because that cup is probably worth more than an entire rack in the guy’s wine cellar, right?”

Rhino nods, “Correct.” He pulls out another couple of photos, one showing a closeup of the cup’s rim, and another of it’s base. “As with most things we have to deal with when it involves a single item: it is magical and dangerous.”

Ruby scratches the side of her head, frowning slightly. “I’m sorry, dad, but… how often do you deal with items like that one?”

He puts a hoof to his chin. “Well, we generally have a mission every few months, and about half the time it has to deal with an item so…” He looks to the room at large, “What do you guys think, around three or four times a year?”

Enigma speaks up, raising his voice slightly to be heard from one end of the table. “Between four and five a year, I think. Last one was a candlestick, wasn’t it?”

He nods. “Right… the one that was actually cursed to make whoever was holding it become addicted to setting things on fire… that was a nasty one, especially since it popped up in the driest part of summer. Nasty one, that one. Still, at least Gel got to have fun during it, right love?” He turns to the nymph beside him.

She smirks coyly, shaking her head as she lowers her gaze. “It was actually silly, the way she kept trying to set me aflame. But, as you were saying… this goblet has something special about it?” She glances at her daughter, smiling at the cute pout on her face. “I’ll tell you the story another time, sweetie, don’t worry.”

Chuckling quietly, Rhino soon gets serious again as he motions to the chalice pictures. “Now, unlike the last one, this item isn’t cursed or necessarily evil, however, the way it is being used now, is. According to the Princesses, this is known as the Essence Chalice, or more commonly, the Chalice of Life. It has the power, from what I was told, to drain life force from one being, allowing it to be drank by another. This was apparently used in the past to save ponies on the verge of death, at the cost of a few years off the donor’s life. However, this griffon doesn’t use it for nearly a purpose so noble…”

“Obviously.” Enigma sighs, propping his head on a foreleg. “If he was being charitable with it, it wouldn’t even show up on our radar, right?”

“Right.” Rhino nods grimly as he flips again, showing pages of clipped police reports from griffon newspapers, missing prisoners, the occasional missing servant, occasionally a strange politician disappearance. “It appears the Baron is using the chalice to take, not to give. Being an object, it simply does what it was meant to do, not knowing that it sometimes is being used to drain being to the last drop before being added to an already healthy body. The Baron is going on sixty years old now…” he flips open another page, showing the same griffon from the first picture lifting weights, “Yet he has the body of one in his mid-twenties. I’m sure you can connect the dots.”

The sole teen in the room frowns slightly, grabbing the picture of the cup in her magic. She looks at it for a few moments, her expression melancholic. "It's hard to believe that something so beautiful can be used for something so... awful."

Her father stops his briefing, reaching a hoof over and bringing her chair closer to his so that he can keep a foreleg around her. “That’s why we’re here, Ruby. To stop things like this. It’s not always quite this grim, but as you can see, it sometimes is. Do you still want to help?”

She sits in silence, eyes flicking from picture to projection for a moment. Then she nods, straightening up in her seat. "I do. They need a hero."

"Then they'll have eight." The pegasus on the end chuckles, resting his metal-clad forehooves on the table. "We've dealt with worse, after all."

Rhino gives a proud smile, squeezing the young mare's shoulders gently. "That's my girl..." His voice goes back to his original volume as he continues. "Now then, it's been decided that the chalice can be too easily abused this way, so that it why it is our base goal. Enchanted as it is, it is incredibly durable, I won't bore you with the details unless you ask, but suffice to say the circle engraved in it's base must be altered, then overloaded to render it a simple harmless fancy cup." He looks around to the room at large. "Any questions before we move on to where we'll be going on how we'll get there?"

Gel raises a hoof. "I have one." She narrows her eyes slightly as she points to the date of the clipping of the ambassador's disappearance. "You realize this is dated at the end of summer, don't you?"

He nods. "I do... it was shown to me as a time frame. The way I understand it, griffon politics are nothing like our own, so actually it's not all that uncommon for some high ranks to drop off the radar for a few weeks or so to let things cool down. However, they can never afford to be gone this long. I would think the reason this caught attention was the status of both the Baron and his opponent... shameful as it is, it's far easier to get attention when an incident reaches the front page, not just a note about prisoner inconsistencies they write off as accounting errors." He rubs the bridge of his nose with the hoof not around his daughter. "I'll not fault them for us only getting this now, even from these clippings, one could never really draw conclusions until you started seeing the old bird, then recognize the chalice. We just... need to make sure to stop it, now that we know about it."

"If that was the case," Enigma scratches his head, examining the projection more closely, "why is it the latest of the ones there?" He points at each one in order. "They all have dates, even the photos, and can clearly be seen ranging from mid-June to late August... yet there's nothing after that headline."

Ruby frowns softly, brow furrowed. "But... wouldn't that suggest the Baron has just been working to keep things less obvious?"

"It could, but it's just as likely that he doesn't need any more stolen life, at the moment. However, there's still one thing that bothers me..." The navy nymph sighs, shaking her head as her horn lights up. She pulls another folder out of her husband's bag, showing it to him. "This one came at the same time as that one, love - earlier today. I was there when it was assigned, remember?" She opens it up, reading aloud. "'Retrieve a stolen blueprint'. I think this would've been a good one for Ruby to start out on." She nods towards the projection, an eyebrow quirked. "Why an S-Rank over a B-Rank?"

Avoiding anypony's eyes, and there are many on him, the stallion grunts awkwardly as he starts to ramble quietly. "Well... one must prioritize things... the blueprint isn't a rush job and even if we were to go on both at once the more experienced members would have to go on the Baron's mission... Of course I want to be there for her first mission, yet I'm needed to disable the chalice... I had to make a judgement call, you know? It's not like she has to be in the middle dangerous part of the mission anyway... and we'll all be there to keep an eye on her..." The longer he speaks, the more it sounds like he's thinking of these things as he goes.

Volt shakes his head. "I wonder how long he can keep going like that..."

"Probably as long as we let him." Atom answers.

In response to this, Octavia leans forward. "While some of those are valid, I'm not sure I see your logic connecting them all."

Enigma holds up a hoof, grimacing slightly. "Rhino, I'm sorry, but I have to agree with her. You've clearly got some kind of deeper reason than those. I mean, you're sweating like that thief who got caught trying to pickpocket Atom."

A smooth hoof takes Rhino's, the changeling it belongs to smiling softly at him. "It's okay, love. You've got to trust in your team if they are to trust you. Isn't that something we've been told since day one?"

Grumbling quietly as he bring his wife and daughter close, the stallion sighs. "Well it's not like I was being untruthful... I just thought it would be better to start Ruby on this mission for a number of reasons: It shows her fully the kind of thing we do so she can be sure she wants to continue, we would all be there to help her out, it is an important mission that needs to be done as soon as possible, I wanted to be sure she didn't get the impressions our missions were easy... and maybe I was just hoping that no matter how much I didn't want her to get into this kind of thing... she would still be good at it if she wanted to be."

The mare in question is silent as she listens to this, gaze fixed on the open folder before them. When she finally speaks up, her voice is small, vulnerable. "Dad, you... you can count on me." She closes her eyes and turns to face him, nuzzling his neck tenderly. Her tail swishes idly as he embraces her, feeling just how much he cares from the simple act. "I promise not to let you down..."

Not caring that the others were there for the moment, the stallion nuzzles her back and even plants a kiss on her forehead. "You could never do that, angel..."

Watching on with a small smile, Octavia looks to the purple nymph on her side. "Well, it's a bit of a far cry from our usual dour briefing attitude, but I think I like this better, don't you?"

She nods, smiling softly before slowly shifting to a wry one, elbowing her playfully.

"Oh no, the same goes for me, but you know what I mean." The earth pony looks over to the other family. "Looks like we're ready to continue."

Equus Tactics #39

The large lounge Winter leads them to proves to be quite comfortable in both appearance and function. The entire room seems to radiate a sort of warmth, despite the fire not being lit during the day. Paintings of the rising or setting sun can be seen on the walls, and there are a few instances of the mark of the Solar Diarch being engraved on a piece of furniture. The inhabitants seem to all be enjoying the room in their own way.

On one couch, a bit of a distance away from the others, curls a ball of both white feathers and golden brown fur. Every so often, the form shifts and a sharp beak can be seen just below a peering set of golden eyes before the ball curls up tighter, curls its wings around itself as it gets comfortable.

Much like in the Stealth team, this group also features two changelings that are in complete comfort with those around them. The first is a tall, lanky drone. His goldenrod chitin perfectly suits the room as he sits in front of a canvas, paintbrush gliding along its surface as he creates the beginnings of a beautiful landscape.

The second occupies herself with a game of chess. While not as tall as the drone, the pure white changeling cuts a striking figure as her silver eyes focus on the game in front of her. Tucking one translucent lock behind her ear, her horn lights up and moves her knight. The piece clacks down confidently as she smiles at her opponent.

Across the table from her, a dark red earth pony stallion smiles back with just as much confidence. His black mane gives him an overall dark color scheme to rival her light one. His short tail swishes once in thought before he nudges one of his own pieces forward, giving her a challenging look.

Finally, off on the last couch, a single unicorn mare sits. Her brilliantly spiked blue mane is just as noticeable as her trademark purple shades that reflect the light. In her lap, she works to bring the same shine to a curious blade. Obviously a custom katana, the slim blade is dark while its edge is yellow. A jewel in the handle and runes around it suggest more to it than meets the eye.

“Meet the team, Maud,” Winter says with a small chuckle. “Hope none of them scare you, because you’ll probably be hanging around them for a while.”

“Understood.” The mare seems a little distracted at the moment as she looks straight at the white nymph. Her nose sniffs every few seconds, as if smelling something quite interesting.

The fox between them notices this, purposely moving to stand in front of her. His eyes narrow slightly at her. ‘Win, this lady is acting strange.’ He pauses, considering the pony a moment. ‘Er… stranger than usual…’

Winter looks down at Mercury, then sighs. “Merc, you see the group we’re involved in?” He moves his hoof, gesturing to the inhabitants of the room. “No one here isn’t strange in some way.”

Still with her eyes trained on the nymph, Maud speaks. “Are you going to introduce me to them?” It’s true that nopony had noticed the small group enter, occupied as the rest of them already were.

With a nod, the stallion leads the mare over to the two playing the game of chess, deciding they were the least preoccupied. “Hey, Dior. Hydro. I want you to meet the newest addition to the team.”

The nymph turns to look at them, blinking in surprise. “So… this is the pony you were talking about, Solstice?”

A nod. “Maud Pie, meet two other members of the Tactics team.” Gesturing to the nymph, he begins introductions. “This is Diorite, and the stallion is Hydro Pump.”

As the nymph and stallion in question raise forelegs in greeting, Maud leans forward closer to the white limb. She sniffs once before commenting quietly. “Marble. Pure. Excellent sample.”

Quietly, Winter leans down to whisper in his fox friend’s ear. “Okay, yeah. This is new levels of weird.”

He looks up at him, smirking slightly. ‘Told you.’

Dior stares, slightly perturbed. “Yea… that’s what I made my body out of…” She clears her throat, sheepishly smiling. “So… I take it you’re into geology?”

Backing up a step to a more reasonable conversation distance, Maud nods, seeming ever so slightly more energetic than usual. “I grew up on a rock farm, so rocks are what I was raised to know. I’ve seen and studied many kinds, but never a being made entirely of rock. You chose a wise balance of appearance, density, weight, and stability in your marble.”

“I, uh… thanks?” She nervously laughs, rubbing the back of her neck. “I’m not entirely rock, though. Gotta have certain items that rock can’t handle perfectly.”

As Hydro watches on with a small smirk, Maud continues. “True. Are you a geologist as well?”

Her brow furrows, the nymph having a bit of difficulty telling if it was a question. “I… no, but I’m a sculptor. I also… have a bit of an affinity when it comes to rocks and other geologic formations.”

Her lips curling up into a rare small smile, the earth mare nods. “Wow. We should talk more later. I would like to see some of your work if your shell is an accurate reflection of your usual quality.”

The marble changeling smiles and moves to speak, but is interrupted by the unicorn sitting nearby. “Hey, Sol, who’s the chick?” She stands up, carefully laying the blade down on the couch behind her.

Looking over to the other unicorn, Winter smiles. “Hey, Vi. This is Maud.”

She stares blankly at him. “Maud? As in the word that means strength?”

“What am I, a dictionary?”

“It wouldn’t have helped.” The white mare grins at him. “It’s actually Germaneic.”

“Of course it’s a language I don’t know...” With a sigh, he manages to smile again. “Anyway, why don’t you introduce yourself?”

She shrugs. “Might as well, if she’s the new team member.” She turns to the other mare, smiling cheekily. “‘Sup? I’m Vinyl Scratch! You probably know me as DJ PON-3.”

Going back to her usual flat expression, the earth mare nods once. “I have seen posters of you in many of the cities I travel to. Even some farms near mine would play your music on the radio at times.”

“So you never listened to my music, yourself?” She taps her chin and frowns. “Shame. You look like you’d have enjoyed the trance music. Or maybe rock and roll.”

“Actually,” she responds, “from the ones I heard, I prefer your music that has… the most bass. I think ‘rock and roll’ does not do justice to actual rocks.”

She tilts her head to one side, ears twitching slightly. “That could be either dubstep or electronica. I’d have to listen to the song to be sure, honestly.” She shrugs, bringing her sword forward in her magical aura and smirking playfully. “So, I saw you sniff out Dior’s make. Think you could do that to this?”

Tilting her head as she focuses on the blade, Maud asks, “Just the blade or the handle as well?”

She laughs, shaking her head. “Either one! It’s all the same material, anyways.”

“Hmm…” bringing a hoof up, she lightly touches the blade and runs her hoof down it about an inch, “mythril, rare and tricky to farm. A magical metal few ever see. Small amounts of dusts, topaz and diamond mostly, added for sheen and color of the edge. Shows traces of occasionally having pure magic run through it, no stress lines, holding up well. You might consider reinforcing with cold iron later in its life. The magic resisting properties of that will help stabilize it and make it less prone to cracking or overloading under extreme stress.”

Vinyl stares blankly at the pony, her shades slipping down the bridge of her nose. “I… damn, you’re good.” She chuckles, pulling her sword back and putting it in a nearby sheath. “Surprised you didn’t say anything about the gem in its hilt.”

Maud rattles off immediately. “There isn’t much to say. An average sized ruby with high purity that has been made the focus for the magical energies of the weapon. Beyond that I am unsure, as I do not study magic.”

“Correct again.” She smiles, patting her on the shoulder. “Good on you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got something to go take care of.” She rushes off, waving over her shoulder at her. “See you in a few!”

Maud slowly raises a hoof as the DJ leaves, commenting to the others. “She was nice.”

“Yeah, Vi’s one of the friendlier members of the team,” Winter says. “Then again, most of the team is pretty friendly to begin with...” He glances over at the ball of white feathers and golden brown fur, and adds in a quieter tone, “Most of the team.”

Mercury huffs, climbing up onto the couch the mare vacated. He lays down, grumbling to himself. ‘Still don’t know how the chicken got on the team.’

“Sadly, personality isn’t one of the main things we watch for.” Winter sits down beside the fox as he responds. “Which might be a good thing, in a way. If we refused people because of how they acted, I’m pretty sure I’d have been thrown out by day three.”

His vulpine friend looks up at him, frowning deeply. 'Win, what did I say about thinking like that?'

“Right, right...sorry. Old habits die hard.” He rubs Mercury’s head, to which the fox leans in with a murr. Winter looks from the little guy to another being in the room that had yet to speak. “Hydro, you gonna greet the new girl?”

The red earth pony sitting across from Dior smiles. “Just watching and waiting for a good opening.” He gets up, walking over and offering a hoof to Maud. “Hydro Pump. Glad to see you and my wife were hitting it off so well.”

The mare looks at the offered hoof a moment before shaking it. “She’s interesting. You’re lucky.”

"I think I'm the one who's lucky." The silver nymph smiles, reaching over the board to rustle his black mane. "Even with the treaty, it's hard for someone like me to find that special somepony." She moves her bishop, smirking coyly. "Checkmate."

Flinching, the stallion turns, confirming what she said. “Heh, you won’t win next time.” He grins at the nymph.

She chuckles, picking up the glass pieces and starting to put them away. "Probably. You were distracted, after all."

Looking at the board, Maud comments to no-one in particular. “If you would have moved your rook on your last turn, you would have saved yourself.”

Blinking and looking back at the board, Hydro raises an eyebrow. “Huh… I’ll have to pay more attention next time…” He looks back at his wife. “Even if you’re the reason I get distracted half that time.”

She blushes softly, poking his nose with her queen. "Careful. You know how I am when it comes to affection."

“I knew what I was getting into all those years ago.” He nuzzles her with a grin before turning back to Maud. “This doesn’t bother you, right?”

She retains her flat expression. “Couples always do affectionate things. It’s to be expected. It shows a healthy relationship.”

The fox watches her say all of this without the slightest inflection. He turns to his friend, frowning solemnly. 'I can't even make a joke, here. I honestly don't know if she can be with someone, or how that pink pony said she'd be happy to help.'

The blue unicorn shrugs and answers absentmindedly. “Your guess is as good as mine.” He’s taken to staring across the room at nothing in particular. His small friend looks at him, then follows his line of sight, wondering what he's looking at.

However, a particular ball of feathers and fur doesn’t see it that way. A harsh voice calls out to the fox. “You better not be staring at me again, fuzzball!”

Blinking, Winter glances down and realizes he and Mercury had been staring at the wall above where the ball of feathers was sitting - and, up until that point, apparently sleeping. The unicorn sighs. “Go back to sleep, Gilda. Nobody’s staring at you.”

'I wasn't, but I am now.' He smirks, eyes narrowed as he fixes his gaze on the ball.

“Come on, Merc. Don’t antagonize her,” Winter says quietly so as to not be overheard by anyone but who he was speaking to.

Seeing the two speaking, the ball uncurls to reveal a griffon with light purple tips on some of her face feathers. “He better not be bad-mouthing me again…”

He grins at her, tails swishing contentedly. 'And what if I am? It's not like you'd know, dodo.'

“Merc...” Winter warns out of the corner of his mouth. “...you’re making it hard for me to keep a straight face.”

Predatory eyes narrow at the two. Dior watches their debate from the sidelines, slowly growing concerned. “Should we stop them?”

“No need,” Winter interrupts her. He chuckles. “Doesn’t matter how angry she gets, she can’t assault us unless we strike her first. She can be as moody as she wants.” With that, however, he gives the little fox a light tap on the back of his head. “Seriously though, Merc, knock it off. Trash talking your teammates leads to problems, no matter the reason.”

He huffs, turning away to stare at the tome on the couch. ‘She started it. I was just returning the favor.’

“One party angering another party who responds in kind is how wars get started. So be careful about how you ‘return the favor’.”

Mercury looks at him, ears twitching slightly. ‘So you’re saying I should eat her food stash when she’s not looking?’

A hoof quietly connects with a face as Winter sighs. “...just...ignore her. Don’t do anything to her, and unless a mission requires it, don’t go near her. If I hear about you causing her any problems, you’ll be getting in trouble, just as she would if she caused any such problems for you.” Deciding to go for a possible distraction, he picked up the book his friend had been carrying around. “You want to practice now? I think we’ve introduced Maud to everyone on the team barring Gilda and Flick...and I don’t think we should bother Flick while he’s working.”

He leaps to his paws, grinning widely in excitement. ‘Yes! I want to get better with the number we can do!’

With a smile, the stallion got up as well. “Then let’s go somewhere else and help you get better. No reason to stall improvement, right?”

‘Right!’ He jumps onto his friend’s back, waving at the gray mare. ‘See you later, Stone Pony.’

Bidding his own more comprehensible goodbyes, Winter carries the fox out of the room, leaving the rest of the team to their own devices - literally, in some cases. As soon as he was out of the room and around the corner, Vinyl turned into view and entered the room, missing him by a matter of seconds.

“Done!” The one being who hasn’t spoken this whole time finally steps back from his easel, grinning wide. “This should do well with that unicorn couple…” He trails off as he turns around, staring blankly at the gray mare. “Uh… hey, there.” He quickly recovers, smiling warmly at her. “So what brings you to these parts, Miss…” He trails off, gesturing to her and pointedly ignoring the unicorn waving for his attention.

She regards the drone flatly. “Maud Pie. I’m your new teammate.”

He chuckles, stepping forward. “I’m Flick. Pleasure to meet you, Miss Maud.” He bows politely, never losing that winning smile. “I take it you’re related to Pinkie?”

She blinks, tilting her head slightly and looking curiously at him. “Yes, she is one of my younger sisters. How do you know her?”

“Met her at a wedding.” He shrugs, turning his gaze to her clothes. “Interesting choice of attire. Most ponies don’t wear much, from what I’ve seen.” He moves to the side, his finished painting following behind him. “Most that do are trying to give some kind of message. What are you going for?”

She stays quiet for a few seconds before responding. “Simple, practical, allows free movement, hidden pockets.”

“So,” he props his painting by the hearth and turns to her, “not a statement as much as a toolbelt for your body.”

“Boulder said he liked it and it matched me perfectly,” she responds.

Vinyl throws her hooves up in the air. “Is everyone purposely ignoring me?”

“No.” Flick glances at her, an eyebrow quirked. “I just felt it necessary to chat with Maud, first. What do you need?”

“Where is Sol?” She holds up a small folder. “I have something for him, and he’s not in his office. The big guy out front said he didn’t leave.”

“He probably went to the training room with his fox friend, then. They’ve been going there a lot lately.” He looks back to Maud, smiling warmly. “So, are you a fan of landscapes?” He misses the annoyed unicorn’s expression as she trots away.

Maud nods once. “I like unusual rock formations the most.”

The goldenrod drone blinks, tilting his head to one side. “Rock formations? What about the sky? The rustle of leaves in the wind?”

“Those can be nice,” she clarifies. “I can tell the most from rocks, though, so they are what I like best.”

“I suppose that perceptions do define what one prefers to see.” He taps his chin, walking over to one of the bookshelves behind the other changeling. “What one might find horrifying,” he nods discretely towards the nymph, “others can find beautiful.” He holds up a foreleg, trying to pretend to be secretive while his other forehoof points towards the red stallion.

Maud nods even as Hydro comments. “You know, being yellow doesn’t exactly let your movements be as subtle as you think they do.”

“I know.” He smirks, patting the top of his head. “I just wanted to see if you were paying attention.”

Looking upward at the hoof, the stallion waits until it is raising up for another pat before sliding over against Diorite. He smiles at Flick. “I was, I was just surprised at being the subject of one of your philosophical creations instead of your artistic ones.”

“Now you’ve been the subject of both.” The drone sits on a wingback chair, smiling warmly. “Which did you prefer?”

“They’re both fine to me.” He nudges the nymph next to him lightly. “I prefer the results whenever you use Dior for the artistic variant.”

She gives her stallion a lidded gaze, gently stroking his foreleg with a hoof. “You do like my form quite a bit, don’t you?”

Flick grimaces slightly, turning his head away. “Yea… I could’ve lived the rest of my life without the images that brought up…”

Ignoring the drone’s discomfort while Hydro and Dior begin to nuzzle, Maud questions Flick. “Do you only paint things that interest you or do you do commissions?”

“I do both, actually.” He laughs shyly, nodding towards the opposite corner of the room as he moves towards it. “May I ask why?”

She follows him. “Mother and Father have expressed before that they do not have a good picture of me as an adult. I thought one of myself and Boulder would be good to get them as a present.”

“Sounds like a splendid idea.” He taps his chin, looking her over a moment. “So when did you want me to make it by?”

“Whenever you can. This new job is the only thing on my schedule at the moment.” She looks down at herself, then back up to him.

“Well, I think I can have it done in an hour, if you have one to spare as well.” He turns to his easel, sorting through the brushes and paints underneath it. “I’ll just need the specifics before I can start…”

Vinyl travels through the halls connecting the rooms, frowning deeply. “I hate how these things aren’t labeled…” She moves from door to door, open each one in order. “Bathroom, closet, generator… parts. I wonder if Hydro was working on that?” She ponders this as she opens the next door.

She is greeted with a surprisingly dark room. She cautiously steps inside, hoping that her eyes would adjust for just a moment before noticing how clearly she could see. The mare huffs, passing by sparring dummies, targets, and item-launching crossbows. “I still find it hard to believe the princesses found this much mythril… just to keep everyone else inside the castle safe…”

She turns into the secluded area on the other side of the room and stops, staring blankly at the scene before her. She almost has to cover her eyes from the sight of the ice-pelted wall, the bright colour contrasting immensely with the dark mythril her eyes had only just now gotten used to. In the middle of the room, beside what looked like a small cannon with a slot to insert gems, stands the stallion she had been searching for and his fox companion. The latter barks at the former, his tail wagging excitedly.

Vinyl slowly walks forward, sidestepping avoid a frozen dummy as she approaches the duo. “What is the deal with you guys and ice? Seriously, you never seem to practice against any of the other elements…”

Winter turns in surprise at the voice, but chuckles when he sees who it is. “Hey, Vi. Sorry about that. What can I say? We’re just a couple of cool guys.”

She quirks an eyebrow at him, pulling her shades off and resting them above her horn. “How long have you been hanging around Volt, Sol? I think he’s starting to rub off on you.”

“What’re you talking about? I make puns all the time. And besides, I’d rather not have any stallion doing any sort of rubbing on me.”

‘He has a mare he pines for, for that, in his fantasies.’ The fox chuckles, shaking his head. He is swiftly rewarded for his comment by a light smack from an annoyed, and lightly blushing, stallion.

The white mare shrugs, reaching back towards her katana’s sheath. “Whatever you say, dude. Oh, and I’m certain kitsune using fire is a myth.” She pulls out a letter, turning to him with it. “Just saying, you probably don’t want a fox-cicle.”

“Don’t worry, we’re careful as can be.” Winter puts a smile on and does his best to forget the recent conversation as he takes the letter. “What’s this?”

“Princess Celestia just came by with it.” She scratches the side of her head. “Told me to give it to you, ASAP.”

The stallion frowns. “‘ASAP’ is never good.” He starts opening it. “Just for me, or for the whole team?”

“I think she wanted you to read it, first.” Vinyl shrugs nonchalantly. “Sorry, I’m just doing what she asked. I know nothing else about it.”

“It’s fine. Thanks for bringing it. I’ll let you and the rest of the team know if it involves you.” With a thankful smile, he finishes opening the letter and begins reading.

Mercury, meanwhile, leaps onto his back, craning his neck to read over the unicorn’s shoulder. ‘What’s it say, Win? Did we win the lottery?’ He pauses, brow furrowing slightly. ‘Does Canterlot even have a lottery?’

“Probably none that are legal. Now hush, I’m reading.” The stallion’s eyes flicker over the page, taking in every word. He sighs. “Well, we’ve got a new job. And it’s apparently an urgent one, too.”

“An… urgent mission?” The mare next to him frowns, concerned. “When’s the last time we had one of those?”

“Whenever it was, it wasn’t long enough ago for us to have another.” He starts heading for the door, Mercury along for the ride on his back. “Let’s get the whole team together before we get the files. Might as well tell everyone at once.”

When they return to the den, they see Flick in his corner, painting their newest recruit as she sits before a bookshelf, a pebble held up to her chest with a hoof. The drone rarely glances at her as he works, apparently working from memory as he uses his oil paints to finish rendering the image he’s going for.

Maud seems to make the perfect model, standing still without moving a muscle. Hydro and Diorite have moved to a nearby couch, laying down together and simply watching the goings on. Gilda seems to lack an interest as she files her talons to smooth points, though the facade is slightly lessened as she glances up at the painting’s progress every so often.

All activities are interrupted as Winter steps into the room and calls for attention. “Form up, everyone! We’ve got an urgent mission on our...” He hesitates. “...whatever limbs we may have.”

Dior rolls her eyes, staring at him with a wry smirk. “You can just say that we have an urgent mission and avoid any faux pas, that way.”

His eyes roll as well in response. “Fine, then. Urgent mission. Emphasis on urgent, so if you aren’t listening yet, start.”

Various sets of ears flick in response, Hydro voicing what the others don’t. “To the meeting room?”

“I don’t see a reason to bother as long as you’re all able to pay attention either way. No distractions of any sort.” Winter shoots a look at Gilda. “Including you. Put that talon file away...wherever you got it from.”

“Probably the same place you ponies keep your hoof files.” She stows the tool away grudgingly before sniffing once. “And why single me out anyway? Why not painter boy over there?”

“Because I just finished.” Flick quirks an eyebrow at her, placing his brush in his art case. “I actually was paying attention.”

“Whatever.” She waves him off, facing Winter once more. “What are we doing for this trip?”

Winter moves across the room and sits in the wingback chair, the other members getting up from their own spots to get closer. “I haven’t read the full file yet, but the letter the Princess sent mentioned a diamond dog slaving operation near Appleloosa.”

The expressions of everyone in the room harden, even Maud’s normally stoic one. Talons clench and tails flick as everyone gives him their rapt attention.

Lighting his horn, Winter focuses his magic on a premade runic circle etched on the paper. Once it recognizes his magical signature, there’s a brief flash of light, and a folder containing more papers appears in the air beside the letter, also floating in his telekinesis. Without hesitating, he opens it and begins to read from the first piece of paper.

“‘There have been various reports of disappearing ponies in the town of Appleloosa,’” he reads aloud. “‘We suspect that this is the work of slaver diamond dogs, who have hijacked the operations of a nearby mine that was working to dig up a vein of soul gems. The disappearances were slow at first, but in recent days, all the townsfolk have vanished for one reason or another; most of them are unaccounted for, while others claim to have fled while they still could. Any ponies who have travelled to Appleloosa since the disappearances began have vanished as well.’”

“Wait, what?” Vinyl interjects, surprised. “It’s a whole town of Apples. Couldn’t they have just fought back?”

Winter shrugs, looking up at her. “Either they didn’t, or they tried and failed. The disappearances were slow at first, so maybe they didn’t realize what was going on until all who remained got taken at once.” He frowns. “But...if this is an ‘urgent mission’, why didn’t they contact us earlier?”

‘Beats the Tartarus out of me.’ The fox paws at the corner of the page, lacking the ability to turn it. ‘Is that all the info on them?’

The unicorn flips to the next page with his magic. He blinks, and slowly his face begins to pale. “...that’s...bad.”

The silver nymph frowns, tapping the cobalt unicorn’s shoulder. “What could possibly be bad? We’ve handled more dire missions before, haven’t we?”

“Spit out what’s got you so worked up and stop leaving us in suspense.” Gilda crosses her arms, already getting tired of waiting.

Unable to figure out how to form his thoughts into a coherent sentence, Winter just turns the paper around so the rest of the group can see it. On it is a picture of an orange earth pony mare, wearing a Stetson over her blonde ponytail mane. Below is a single, hard-hitting word: ‘MISSING’.

Maud blinks, her eyes widening slightly. “Applejack...”

Vinyl, surprised by this, turns to the gray mare. “You know her, too?”

“Pinkie introduced me to all her friends when I came to visit,” she responds. “Applejack made good cider, and her grandmother chose excellent rocks for muffins.”

Ignoring the obviously questionable diet choice, Hydro interjects. “Shouldn’t one of the bearers going missing have been bigger news? I understand keeping it from the public, but at least you’d think you would hear something from the guards around here about search parties.”

Mercury grabs another picture from the folder, holding it up in his mouth for them all to see. It is another picture of the missing mare, this time boarding a train. If the time and signs are to be believed, she went towards Appleloosa the day before, confirming what they all feared.

“No wonder it’s urgent…” Dior bows her head, hooves trembling against the soft carpet. “If they took her, the Elements are essentially powerless…”

“Then we take her back.” The goldenrod changeling stands, the playful spark in his eye gone. “And everyone else they took, as well.” He turns to their leader, saluting smartly. “Tell us what we need to do, Solstice.”

The stallion’s response is low, but loud enough to be heard. “We need to leave for Appleloosa five minutes ago. That’s what we need to do.” Standing up, he stuffs the folder into a pair of saddlebags leaning against the wall. “Grab your stuff, kids. We’re going on a vacation.”

Stealthy Shades #33

Leaves crunch under hooves as the group trek their way through the forest. While not as thick with trees as ones in Equestria, the canopy of trees still serves to help quickly darken the landscape now that the sun had set over the griffon lands.

Stopping in a fair sized area devoid of trees, Rhino lights his horn up in order to see more clearly. "This should do; any further and we risk running into something we can't see. We covered good ground today."

Ruby, concerned with how hard it is to see, lights up her own horn as well. Instead of just stopping there, however, she creates a ball of light, just big enough to show the clearing around them.

The burgundy stallion reaches into one of his saddlebags, pulling out a pair of tinted glasses. "Thanks for the light, but... won't that risk drawing attention?" He glances at the trees around them. "We don't exactly want to be discovered..." A black-clad hoof taps the grass beneath it, betraying its owner's anxiety.

Rhino thinks for a moment as he paces around the clearing, looking down at the ground. "Just move it down to the ground and if anything sees us, we're just a group of blissfully ignorant campers using a lantern." He taps his hoof on the ground at a certain area. "This spot meet everypony's approval for a tent spot?"

Atom nods, moving forward and sliding a bag off his back. "Looks good to me, no ants, no loose hanging branches, no random mole holes." He slides out a mass of fabric from the bag. "Let's go ahead and get this little life-saver of yours and Twilight's up."

Rhino nods as he takes a swig from his canteen. "True, it was definitely worth being the most time intensive investment of our equipment research." Looking over to the rest, he continues. "Everypony doing okay?" His gaze lingers on Ruby, but it is clear he is asking everyone.

Gel sighs, playfully bumping his side as their daughter does as told. "We're fine, love. You don't need to worry about a thing... after all, we're still a fair distance out from our target."

"Hey, Rhino..." Enigma stares at the sky, quirking an eyebrow at the dark clouds overhead. "That thing's waterproof, right? You know, for Gel and Luster's sake?"

"Just making sure everypony took the trip alright, love." He nuzzles her before facing the feminine stallion. "Yes, Enigma, it's waterproof. Twilight and I added that when we were making it sound-proof and insulated. You know as well as anypony else these things are what we live in most of the time, so we had to make it the best."

Atom calls over from where he is setting up what appears to be a single pony tent. "But of course you guys couldn't spring for a self-assembling spell could you?"

"Oh, I'll help!" The pink pony rushes over to the darker pegasus, eagerly lending a hoof and her magic.

He shrugs, casting the sky another wary glance. "I know... I just worry that the living lightning rod over there might attract a random bolt while inside it."

"True, that was something I actually had to add myself after we had that close call with the storm. It's grounded now, don't worry. Although," Rhino gives Volt a look, "the bolts are still going to seek you out before they hit the tent, just so you know."

The other unicorn stallion simply laughs it off, waving a hoof at his high voltage symbol cutie mark. "I think I can take another one."

"Speaking of another one," Octavia interrupts, "shouldn't you be starting to set up the second tent by now, Voltage?"

He nods, "Right!" Taking the bag off his own back, he rummages through it, slowly coming to a stop as he blinks at the insides. "Umm... right..."

Enigma sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a hoof. "You forgot it again, didn't you?"

"I... yeah." He laughs sheepishly. "Whoops..."

Rhino shakes his head. "Well, I guess it isn't the first time we shared one of these, at least they're roomy." He looks over to see Atom stepping back from the now complete simple one-pony tent. "All done?"

The black pegasus nods. "Yep, all set, boss."

Ruby pauses where she is behind the tent, staring at it for a few seconds. "Um... isn't this a bit small, Mister Vortex? Especially for eight occupants?"

Atom just smiles knowingly as the others approach, Rhino and Gel ducking inside. "Don't worry, we know just how to squeeze in so we can all fit."

She opens her mouth to respond, but the words die in her throat. She stares in shock as everyone, save for herself and the black pegasus, file inside the pup tent. "Bwa... h-how did..."

He chuckles, lining himself up with the front of the tent. "Come inside and see for yourself." With that, he ducks inside as well, the tent not bulging at all, despite the number of occupants.

Concerned, she slowly moves to the partially-open flap, grabbing the edge of it with a hoof and muttering to herself. "If this is some kind of hazing ritual, I'm going to be disappointed..." She takes a deep breath and rushes inside, eyes squeezed closed in an attempt to garner courage.

The first thing she notices is the sudden yellow light on her eyelids. Furthermore, she can hear everypony else, but some of them seem farther away than should be possible. Lastly, she feels two familiar presences as cool chitin presses on one side of her while fluffy fur presses on the other.

She blinks her eyes open, gaping in awe at the lantern hanging from the ceiling, five feet above her. She rubs her eyes, grumbling quietly and staying up only with the help of what feels like her parents.

Shockingly enough, the inside of the tent is more like the inside of an apartment. The walls are still made of the same green fabric the tent was, but now they rise high enough for anypony to stand to their full height and not get near touching it. All of the different ponies are spread out just as much as they were in the lounge of their base of operations.

In the center of the room, a lantern hangs from the ceiling like a tiny chandelier. Just below it crouches the black form of Atom as he arranges a pile of sticks before throwing a small red gem in the center of the small stone pit, which promptly lights a decent sized flame in the center of the pile.

Luster and Octavia can be seen off in one of the four small sections off of the main room, pulling out a large comfy-looking sleeping bag and arranging it how they like.

The room itself is fairly bare, but as Volt quickly pulls cushions and even a mat of cooking utensils out onto the fabric floor while Enigma gets out food, it starts to feel more and more homey.

A chuckle comes from one side of the filly as two heads nuzzle her affectionately. "Not bad, huh? It was a little work, but the comfort is well worth it."

She can only stare, stunned by this. "I... it's..."

Gel giggles, smirking playfully at their daughter. "Bigger on the inside, right?"

The pink pony blinks, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "I was gonna say 'smaller on the outside', but that works, too..." She turns her attention to the fire, frowning slightly. "Though... couldn't mom have set that up? I mean, fire, and all..."

Rhino just smiles, nuzzling the filly more. "Just because she can, doesn't mean she gets to do it every time. The others need to know how to do it when she's busy."

"I... guess that makes sense..." She moves forward from between them but stops. She turns and pecks her parents on the cheek, smiling softly. "Thank you both for this chance." She turns and rushes forward, approaching the other green unicorn. "Need a hoof?"

The navy nymph sighs softly, leaning against her husband and nuzzling his neck. "I knew she'd do that. Just like me, showing thanks with affection... don't you agree?"

He kisses her cheek as they watch their oldest foal, start setting items out. "Yes... she definitely our daughter alright. Still can't believe the two of you got me to agree to this..."

"You certainly didn't make it easy." She sticks her tongue out at him. "Seriously, though, she made a good case, and she's shown interest in joining for a while, now." She moves off to a section on one side, setting her bags down next to a floor-height bed already there. "Back when we first took this job, even. Remember?"

He rolls his eyes as he smiles, walking over to her and setting his own bag down, levitating a couple of pillows onto the bed. "True, but she was ten, she wanted to do everything we did at that age."

"Yes, and she carried that idea for six full years." She lays herself down, smiling wryly up at him. "You had to know she had her heart and mind set on it by the second year, at least."

"That may have been my first hint... she was still way too young though. You know the biggest thing you had to convince me of was letting her be at risk like this... she's still only fifteen." He lays down next to her, tossing a look at the fold that would soundproof them to the rest of the tent, but leaving it for now as he snuggles up next to her. One eye still glances over to the pink mare every once in a while.

"Yes, and next Sunday is her birthday." She nips his shoulder, whining softly at him. "So stop worrying, already, love. She's in good hooves - our hooves. And speaking of hooves..." She stretches out on her side before him, peeking one eye open. "I think I'd like to feel yours, right now... is a massage a fair request?"

Across the tent their daughter yelps and spins away, covering her ears and closing her eyes tightly. "Not listening!"

He raises up his head, lifting an eyebrow at her and the few other heads turned their way after her shout. "What's wrong with a massage?"

"It's not the massage, it's what comes after!" She sprints into one of the empty sections and flings the divider closed, leaving the rest of them to stare in silence.

The stallion leans down to his wife, whispering quietly amid a few chuckles from the others. "We don't always transition from massages to... that... do we?"

She blushes brightly, her ears dipping in shame. "You... do get turned on by my sounds, love..."

"The same to you about my massages, so we're both in on this." He looks up to the shut section. "Why don't we go check on her and... we'll do the massage later after we've eaten and said goodnight?"

"I... I think you should, love..." She covers her burning face, a literal wisp of steam forming from the top of her head. "I-I don't think I can face her, at the moment..."

He nods, sighing and stepping over her as he walks past Luster, who has started working with the ingredients after she shooed Volt and Atom away. Rhino debates the best way to handle this and ends up choosing to simply walk in, closing the flap behind him. "Ruby?"

The sight that greets him is not one he expects from his normally cheerful daughter. She is curled in on herself in the corner, trembling softly, her face buried in the green fabric.

Eyes full of concern, he quickly walks over, laying down and curling himself around her protectively. His voice is gentle as he asks, "Ruby, what's wrong?"

"N-nothing..." She keeps her head down, her eyes closed as she struggles to stay calm. "J-just a... a silly little hang up..."

"If it's bothering you this much, it's not silly." He nuzzles her like he always does when she's curled up. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

She stays silent, considering his words for a second. "But... I don't want to worry you with this one, daddy..." She embraces him with one foreleg, burying her muzzle in his chest. "I'm sorry..."

"There's nothing to be sorry about, sweetie." Stroking her mane and holding her close, he continues. "Though knowing me, I'll probably worry more trying to figure out what's wrong so I can help you. I don't ever want you to be upset if I can help you."

She takes a deep, shuddering breath, steeling herself. "I... I saw you two... y-you know..." She grimaces, wondering to herself if there was a better way to word it.

He blinks. "I assume you mean your mom and I, but... What do you mean you saw us?"

She groans, covering her face to hide the vibrant red blush on her cheeks. "P-please don't make me say it..."

Feeling a growing sense of dread, the stallion tries to narrow it down. "I take it... Mommy and I were alone and you saw us kissing deeply or something?" He inwardly prays that's as far as it goes.

"I-I don't... think you were able to... n-not the way you were... were..." Ruby whimpers, ears flattening against her head. "C-can we please drop the subject, daddy?"

"Oh..." His own ears fold as his fear is realized. He squirms in place as he tries to figure out how to handle this. "Well... Obviously you know what we were doing but... Is there some part that's upsetting you? Should I go get your mom so she can talk to you instead?"

"N-no, I'm fine..." She nervously smiles at him. "I just... want to forget about it... okay?"

"I understand." He gives her a gentle kiss on the forehead before trying a shot in the dark. "I suppose it wouldn't help to mention that's how you and the twins came to be, would it?"

The teen laughs, shaking her head. "Dad, I already know that. It's not what I'm concerned about, and I'd-"

She gets cut off by the sound of metal clanging against metal, which thoroughly confuses her. "I... didn't you say these were soundproof?"

"They are, but it's a one way thing like the outside of the tent." He stays curled around her. "They can't hear what's inside, but you can hear what's outside."

"Then... what was that?" She pokes his cheek with a hoof, frowning slightly. "You certainly don't seem that concerned..."

He chuckles, nuzzling her lovingly. "Well, you don't expect Luster to call when dinner's ready do you? She has to use other means."

Ruby blushes brightly. "Oh. Right." She clears her throat, gesturing to the divider. "So... s-shall we join them?"

Seeing her reflect another of her mother's common actions, he smiles and laughs again. "If you want to, we can. If not, I'm willing to stay here until you feel comfortable enough." He squeezes her once with the foreleg he has around her.

"I..." She shyly smiles, shrugging slightly. "I'd like a moment by myself, to be honest... I'll join you all soon, so please don't worry."

"If you're sure..." He nuzzles her once more before standing. "Let me know if you ever want to talk, okay? Oh, and what do you want me to tell your mom about what you were upset about?"

"I... I will..." She shakily sighs, laying down on the full length of the bed. "And tell her I just... don't want to imagine you two doing... that."

"Ok, I hope you feel better soon." He gives her one last kiss on the head before exiting the flap.

As it falls back in place, she turns to her backpack, placed off to the side. She opens up the side pocket, sighing wistfully. "I hope this works..."

Back in the main area of the tent, Luster levitates a steaming bowl of stew to Rhino. He smiles appreciatively as he sits down next to his wife, the only one missing of their number being Enigma, who took first watch with his own bowl of food. Chatter is minimal at the moment as everypony enjoys the meal.

"So..." The navy nymph puts her spoon to one side, turning to look at Rhino. "Is Ruby feeling... better, now?"

He takes another bite, humming happily before swallowing and answering her. "Yes, apparently she just temporarily scarred herself with images of what she said. We talked a little and she said she wanted to be alone a minute before coming out."

Octavia comments, having been concerned as well. "Poor little one, I don't think any of us really know why but none of us like to think of our parents like that."

"I don't have a problem with that." Gel shrugs, grabbing one of the steamed dumplings Luster is currently putting out with her magic. "It's part of the beauty of life. The way we are all created."

"So... what, the mental image of your parents seducing each other before diving into bed to begin your creation doesn't phase you in the slightest?" Volt says with his usual level of subtlety.

"Not at all." She stares at him, eyes narrowed dangerously. "Does it bother you, Surge?"

Ignoring the warning signs, he shrugs, picking up his spoon again. "To think of my parents like that? Yes, but I think I successfully repressed that concept in my head, or it was knocked out of me... hard to tell. Your parents? Maybe a little, since I have actually met your mom and it would be weird to picture her like that... especially since I know her current husband is another one of my friends... I think I'm going to get in trouble for going down this train of thought..."

Before anything else could be said or done, a metal ladle knocks the unicorn on the back of his head. In the moment of surprise, all there can feel an unexpected presence in their heads as the indigo unicorn finally puts in her two bits. Enough of that, Voltage. Or would you prefer to take over watch the rest of the night?

Going back to his bowl after the mental admonishment all of them had heard, he still responds in a chipper voice. "Ok, ok, message received, eating quietly."

Atom chuckles as he finishes drinking down the last of his stew. "Good stallion, you really have done much better at reigning yourself in since you and Luster met."

"It's not like I had too much of a choice..." The unicorn can't help but quip.

Rhino just shakes his head at the scene. "I'm fairly certain there's a saying somewhere about not irritating the chef, but for now I'll settle for a topic change." Nabbing a few dumplings and setting them in his bowl, he smiles winningly at the purple nymph. "Excellent food as always, Luster."

Thank you, Rhino. She sits next to the gray mare, gently nuzzling her before turning to Atom. Though, if we're talking about couples, I would like to know how you and... what was her name, again? I don't think I've met her, yet.

"Probably because she's usually busy. Being the current Captain of the Wonderbolts does have Spitfire doing either shows or a little time at the Academy to train the up-and-comers." The black pegasus smiles as he stows his shades away for the night. "She said he's due for some time off soon, so that'll be more than nice. Maybe you can all meet her then."

"That would be-" Gel stops mid-sentence, both her and the indigo nymph suddenly tensing up. She clears her throat, sheepishly smiling. "Uh... lovely."

Rhino furrows his brow, looking at the two of them. Something up?"

Just... a sudden wave of sorrow... Luster scratches her chin, frowning softly. I don't think I should expand on that thought.

As soon as she finishes that thought, Ruby appears from behind the divider, a bit shaken. She collects herself and strides forward, gathering her own bowl of soup before sitting next to Volt. The whole time she doesn't look at anyone, and she starts to eat in silence.

Noting his daughter's appearance, Rhino gives Gel a look, asking her opinion on what should be done. Volt appears similarly chastened, the aura coming from the filly making it clear now is not the time for his brand of humor.

The nymph clears her throat, sheepishly smiling at the pink pony. "Sweetie, is everything alright? You still aren't upset about earlier, are you?"

"No." Her voice, raspy as it is, causes her mother to recoil in surprise. "I'm over it. Mostly."

The two couples look to their partners in concern before looking back to the filly. Rhino's mouth opens a few times to speak, but, never able to find the right words, considering he just got done talking to her a few minutes ago, he only closes it without a sound. Still, the worry is clear on his face as he watches her eat.

She continues her meal for a moment before finally looking up, her eyes fixed on her father. "If you don't mind me asking... what are the sleeping arrangements?"

"Well..." He looks to the others before continuing, "your mother and I have our own section, the same for Luster and Tavi, Enigma, Volt, and Atom can pretty much decide where they want to sleep between the remaining two sections and the middle here by the fire. You have the right to claim one of the sections for your own if you want, or..." he motions to himself and Gel, "you could also stay with us. It might make you feel better."

"I... don't want to get in the way." She sheepishly smiles, patting the pillow she's currently sitting on. "I'm fine with this... thank you for the offer, though..."

Octavia scoots over and puts a foreleg around the teenager. "Luster and I also have room if you want..."

Ruby gently nuzzles her cheek, smiling softly. "Thank you, but I'm fine. Really." She blinks, looking around in confusion. "Say, uh... where is Enigma? Shouldn't he be eating, too?"

Atom nods, "He is, he's just eating outside as he takes his watch shift. Which reminds me," he gets up, walking over to the tent entrance and sticking his head out. "Hey E, you want seconds or dumplings?"

He glances at him, smiling widely. "Dumplings sound delicious. I'll take six."

The filly blinks, staring at him incredulously. "You... you've seen the size of these things, right?"

"Yep." He taps his chin before shrugging slightly. "Eh. Make it seven." He turns to look back out at the dark forest, completely missing the unicorn's jaw dropping in shock.

As Atom comes back in to retrieve the order, Rhino chuckles before taking a bite of his third dumpling. "You sure you're not still a bachelor, E? Because that's the sort of eating habit you're showing."

"Hey, I have a high metabolism." He stares back into the tent, smirking wryly. "Besides, you should see me at home with Vinyl. I swear, it's like an eating contest."

Ruby taps the ground a moment, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Hey, Enigma? Are... are you and Miss Scratch married, yet?"

"Uh..." He stumbles over the unexpected question, confused. "I haven't been able to... afford the engagement ring I've been looking at, yet..." The burgundy pegasus turns away, blushing softly. "There's only so much a teacher can earn a year..."

Octavia lets out a ladylike giggle as Atom brings back over the dumplings. "But being a teacher isn't your only job, so it must be some ring you've got your eye on. Careful though, if I know Vinyl, you wait too long and she'll be the one to propose to you."

"Maybe... still, either way, I'd be happy." He chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess it's my fault for wanting to buy one with a spirit shard..." He takes the plate, happily starting to eat them up.

Volt offers his two bits. "Spirited jewelry for a spirited mare, seems right to me."

"Yes, thank you." He swallows the two in his mouth, exhaling in relief afterwards. "Sadly, the one I'm looking at costs... about fifteen thousand bits, I think?"

Atom lets out a small whistle. "Sheesh, why not put a down payment on a house while you're at it?"

"We already have a house." He coughs softly, shoving another dumpling in his mouth.

I don't think that's what he meant, E. Luster sighs, shaking her head.

The stallion jumps, eyes wide in surprise. "Woah, warn me the next time you do a mental link!"

Cracking a small smile, Rhino finishes his dumpling and lights his horn up, a glowing green script writing above Luster's head. 'Attention Enigma: I am now about to establish a mental link with you. This is not up for discussion.'

He gives the emerald stallion a deadpan stare. "Very funny. I suppose you also want to-" That's as far as he gets before a sudden bolt of lightning lights up the sky behind him. A yelp and a collision later, he finds himself staring up at the cloudy sky, a pink mass of fur clinging to his chest. "Um... Ruby?" He pats her mane awkwardly. "Mind telling me what that was about?"

Looking blankly down at the spot of air where there was once a filly in her foreleg, Octavia blinks. "I... guess she got spooked?"

Rhino's tail swishes as he looks to his daughter, a tiny bit of jealousy in his mind. "I suppose... a bit surprised she lept across the room to hold onto somepony though..."

The pink pony squeaks, jumping back from where she lay. "S-sorry! I just... I don't like storms..." She bites her lip, hurrying off into the treeline, tail between her legs.

Rhino immediately hops up, running over to the tent entrance. "Ruby, wait, where are you going?"

Enigma puts a hoof on his shoulder, grimacing slightly. "I... wouldn't follow her. She's got some... business to take care of."

"Oh... ok, I was just worried she was running off due to the storm." The unicorn relaxes, rubbing his muzzle bridge with a hoof as he heads back to the fire. He grabs another dumpling, chomping into it before commenting to the room at large. "She's certainly making things more interesting on missions..."

"I'll say." Gel giggles, elbowing his side. "And hey, look at you, letting her go out on her own at night."

Luster chuckles softly, shaking her head playfully. Maybe you really are starting to trust her.

Still munching on the dumpling, the stallion responds after a moment. "She deserves her privacy for this... but she's got ten minutes before I check on her to make sure nothing happened in the woods. It's not about trust, it's about keeping her safe."

"I think that's fair enough... if you give her another five minutes." The nymph quirks an eyebrow at him. "You know that mares take longer than stallions, after all."

"Of course..." He sighs as he looks at the remaining dumplings. "Throw in another one of those and I'll do it... I feel I need comfort food for this."

"Deal." She grabs one with a hoof and lifts it to his lips, smiling playfully. "Say 'ah'."

His wife's antics putting a smile on his face, the stallion opens his mouth obediently. "Ah..."

She quickly darts in for a brief kiss before popping the morsel in. "There you go, love. Enjoy."

Chuckling around his full mouth, Rhino settles down, laying prone next to his wife as he stares into the flames.

Luster smiles at the scene, teasingly elbowing the midnight black pegasus's side. Makes you wish Spitfire was here, huh?

The electric unicorn can't help but let out another chuckle at this. Atom's eyes narrow at him, "Hey, at least I have a marefriend!" This does little to stop the other stallion's smile, but he does quiet back down.

Luster taps her chin, thoughtful. Is there a mare who can even stand his puns? Because I'm blanking on anyone who can...

The pegasus shakes his head exasperatedly. "I'm sure there's some out there, but I do not want to be in the same room once they get going."

Volt just smiles all the smile as they talk about him.

Maybe, but there's also the fact that he's kinda... She pauses, her brow furrowing slightly. What's the word I'm looking for?

"Accident prone?" Octavia offers.

I was going to say geeky, but that's also true. She sheepishly smiles at the stallion in question. No offense meant, of course.

Volt just waves away their comments. "None taken, nothing that isn't true or hasn't been said before. I fully embrace that I am a geek."

Good to hear. She sighs in relief and glances at Octavia, smiling warmly before addressing the room. Would you all like some dessert as well, or are you all good, for now?

Various responses all ring out but the general consensus is clear: 'We're good.'

Rhino adds, "I will go ahead and save these last two dumplings for ruby, though."

Good, then I guess that-

A voice calls through the open tent flap. "I'd like some apple cider, if that's alright."

Luster blinks, tilting her head to one side. How'd he know I brought that? She shrugs and gets up, heading over to the section where she left her saddlebag.

Atom calls out to the requesting pegasus. "Nothing like warm cider to keep you company out there, right E?"

"Hey, I like the taste. The warmth is a bonus." He chuckles, shaking his head and looking back out into the night. He suddenly frowns, noticing something a little off. "Hey... the wind just changed..." He pokes his head inside, looking directly at Gel. "Do you sense anything?"

She blinks, tilting her head to one side. "I feel... apprehension... and a bit of excitement. Both outside. Why?"

Rhino's eyes widen, his ears stand straight up, and the fur along his spine starts to stand. "I take it those aren't from you, E?"

"No," he frowns slightly, "I'm just feeling concern. Should we check it out?"

"Might just be Ruby running things through her mind..." His face turns serious. "Both of you keep us posted if anything changes." In a lower voice he adds. "She's got five minutes."

Equus Tactics #40

Ignoring the warnings of the train conductor, the team insists on boarding the first available train for Appleloosa. Word had spread recently that the desert town was a place to be avoided, so thankfully, finding space on the train is no issue. In fact, they’re the only ones on the train at all, aside from the conductor and engineer. This gives them ample time and privacy to discuss their strategies.

‘I’m just going to say it.’ The silver fox huffs from his spot on Winter’s back, glancing at the tan pony. ‘I think those ponies don’t want to be here. They’re probably upset at us for forcing them to take us...’

Winter just shrugs; a difficult task to perform without disturbing Mercury’s balanced position. “Not like they aren’t gonna just leave as soon as we get off board. Hope we can find a way back when we’re done.”

“Hey, Sol,” Vinyl pipes up from her seat across from him, glancing at the stallion as he casts a strange look their way, “I know talking to him is your thing, or whatever, but some ponies aren’t used to it like we are.”

The vulpine creature turns to the mare, smirking. ‘Maybe we should’ve gotten in the car with those rooms, huh? Oh, wait, this train doesn’t have that.’

For his part, Winter just shrugs again. “I think we’re already considered an insane bunch just because we’re going to Appleloosa. Like we can get any weirder in their eyes.”

She opens her mouth to respond but stops, actually considering his words. With a defeated sigh, she turns to gaze out the window, watching the landscape fly by. “Fair enough. Still don’t know what the plan is, though.”

“Neither do I. Let’s figure it out.” Winter nudges Mercury with his hoof, who quickly hops off his back to let his friend move. The stallion stands up and idly paces back and forth in front of the rest of his team as he speaks. “We all know how a diamond dog looks, and we know that their size isn’t just for show. They’re strong, and they’ll almost definitely be in groups. Probably a big one, if they managed to empty an entire town. So a head-on attack won’t do anything except get us, and possibly some of their slaves, injured or even killed.”

“Then we do a Trojan Horse maneuver.” The marble changeling leans across the aisle, sitting on the edge of her seat. “We infiltrate their compound and take them down from within.”

Winter nods at her. “Good idea, but we need a little more fleshing out. An attack from within could be just as pointless as an attack from outside unless we have something to work with. We need to get in there, and while we don’t have to earn their trust, they need to at least not see us as a threat.” He stops pacing and thinks. “...but if we have four ponies, two changelings, a griffon, and a fox randomly show up at their doorstep, they’re gonna be pretty suspicious. That number of sudden visitors wouldn’t be inconspicuous anywhere but the Grand Galloping Gala.”

“Then we split into two groups.” Dior nods. “One to go undercover, and the other to stay hidden, act as backup, just in case.”

“Good plan. Plus, once we decide to strike, having attackers from outside and inside might confuse them and force them to split their attention.” He looks around. “I’d say we try to cut the team in half. The half of us that stay hidden will hold onto our equipment. When we need it, one of us can sneak out and let the outside team know the current situation.”

Maud voices the obvious question. “Who goes in?”

“I don’t know about you guys,” Vinyl taps her chin, glancing at the sheath on her back, “but I’m not too keen on leaving my weapons behind for any amount of time.”

Winter nods. “That’s fine, Vi. I was thinking you’d be better off outside anyway. It’d be best to have a unicorn on each team, and I’m definitely going in.”

‘Then I’m going, too!’ The little fox beats a paw against his chest, grinning up at him.

The grey earth mare raises a hoof. “I volunteer to go. I can help the group not get lost in the tunnels, as well as help spot weak points in the rock if we want to use them.”

“Not to be rude,” Flick speaks up, looking at the cobalt pony in concern, “but this whole thing isn’t underground, is it? Because I don’t do well with restricted air supplies.”

Hydro makes a questioning motion with a hoof. “Exactly what will the objectives of the undercover team be? I mean, I get most of it will have to be spontaneous since we have no idea what we’ll be up against, but generally is what I want to know.”

“One question at a time,” Winter asks as he looks between everyone, finally focusing on Flick. “I assume it’s going to be entirely underground. Or maybe not underground, but...well, we won’t be seeing sunlight for a while. I’d recommend you stay up here with Vi.”

He nods, breathing a soft sigh of relief. “Thanks, Sol.”

The team leader gives a nod and smiles a bit before turning to Hydro, tackling his question next. “The undercover team will have to get in there and do whatever we have to do in order to keep the dogs from suspecting us, even if that means getting ourselves caught as slaves. While we’re there, it’ll mostly be a recon mission. We’ll be gathering information, specifically on things like trying to memorize the layout of the tunnels and where the dogs keep their supplies. Once we think we know enough, which could take even days, we’ll let the outside team know what’s going on. Then we’ll start sabotaging the operations, take the dogs by surprise, and launch our attack with the outside team acting as both backup and a distraction. Whether we chase the dogs off or kill them doesn’t matter.”

Gilda snorts. “And how exactly do we get a message out? The dogs aren’t that stupid.”

“I’ll get it out.” Dior looks at the griffon, her eyes hard. “I can sneak out through the ground, without drawing attention from the dogs. And I can make a replica of myself to control remotely… though that will be a bit of a strain, I’ll admit.” She then turns to Winter, frowning softly. “You know the Princesses don’t look kindly upon killing.”

The stallion frowns back. “The end result of this, in the best possible scenario, will be that the diamond dogs will never bother us again and the slaves are freed. We don’t have to tell anyone why they aren’t bothering us anymore.” He sits back down. “Besides, past events involving ponies being enslaved by diamond dogs have almost always had several pony slaves dying from overexertion, or even just being plain beaten to death.” His eyes narrow a bit. “You can avoid it if you want, but if killing a dog or two becomes the best option, I’m taking it.”

Taking a surprisingly serious tone, Gilda holds up a claw. “I doubt the dogs took only ponies. I know most of you guys are all about harmony and all that stuff, but other species won’t be so forgiving after being kept like this. If we find a minotaur, griffon...heck, even an angry buffalo with enough strength, we’ll need to watch ourselves if we try to stop them getting revenge.”

‘Actually...’ Mercury pushes his nose into his friend’s saddlebag, rummaging around a bit before coming out with a couple pictures in his mouth. He turns to the others, holding them out for them to view.

Winter briefly looks distressed, only for that look to be replaced with a smirk. “Perfect. If we free them, we’ll have a lot more muscle on our side.”

“Or, if you really want these guys to disappear, why not just set these two free?” Vinyl shrugs, pushing her shades back up her nose. “That way, you don’t have their deaths on your conscience, and you technically aren’t the ones to end them.”

“Oh, they’ll be set free, trust me. But while we can count on them as powerful backup, we can’t make them do all the dirty work. The diamond dogs were able to catch them, they’ll be able to fight back. That’s why our best bet is to outnumber them.” He looks away. “And besides...another death or two on my conscience is just a few more needles of hay on the stack. I’ll just wash the blood off and begin tomorrow like normal.”

Dior stares at him, concerned. “If you’re sure… let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that.” She shakes her head, looking over the group. “I guess that’s almost everyone…”

A paw taps Winter on his shoulder, the fox on his back whispering to him. ‘Win, if we can’t have weapons or anything… how will we get my book in there?’

The unicorn looks back at Mercury before whispering back his response. “We might not be able to...it’d be pretty hard to keep hidden up until we start the sabotage...”

Vinyl leans forward, curious. “Sorry, keep what hidden?”

Winter turns quickly to her with a small glare. “Weren’t you ever taught that eavesdropping is rude?”

“It’s not eavesdropping.” She smirks at him, pulling her shades off. “It’s lip-reading.” She winks coyly before putting them back on, rolling her hoof expectantly. “Spill the beans. What could you possibly need to sneak inside the place?”

He pauses, then shrugs before answering smoothly. “Merc was just asking why we couldn’t bring our weapons in.”

“Really.” She quirks an eyebrow at him. “It looked like you were referring to a single one. So it has to be something specific, right?”

“My daggers.” Winter nods in the direction of his saddlebags containing a few items. “You know I refer to them collectively as ‘Equinox’.”

Dior taps his side. “If you really need those, I could carry four of them in my legs. Since, you know,” she waves a foreleg demonstratively, “stone.”

Winter smiles. “Thanks. That’d be helpful.” Levitating over his saddlebags, he starts to dig through them. “Let me pick out the best ones to take in...if I can find them in here...”

As he does this, his little friend pipes up once more. ‘You could have someone else carry the other two. And the book, too.’

He nods. Getting an idea, the unicorn looks at a certain griffon. “Hey, Gilda. Think you can fit some things under your wings?”

She nods. “I might have to burry them in my feathers if they get nosy, but yeah. Not gonna shove anything weird under them, are you?” She adds that last part with a raised eyebrow.

“Thought maybe you could hide my other two daggers. I’d wrap them in cloth so they wouldn’t jab you, so don’t worry about that.” He finally begins pulling out some of the blades, each one slightly different from the others in some way.

“So… that would be four - five, sorry, Mercury - on the inside, and three on the outside.” The nymph taps her chin, thoughtful. “Is that correct, Sol?”

Winter nods, briefly looking up from his searching. “It may not be perfect halves, but it’s the best we can get. We need to remain inconspicuous, but still have enough ability on both sides. This seems like the best arrangement.” He looks back to his bags, five daggers currently on the seat beside him. “Come on, Viper, where are you...”

The griffon among them smirks, commenting wryly. “Have you considered naming that one Virginity? You’d never lose it then.”

Instead of a glare or otherwise hostile response, Winter just laughs a bit as he finally pulls out the dagger in question. “How fitting it’d be the poison one. I’ll make anyone I stick it into get sick.”

‘That’s just your negativity again, Win.’ He huffs, twin tails swishing idly behind him. ‘You really need to reign that in, right now… especially with lives on the line.’ He nudges his hoof. ‘Including a certain someone I’m sure you’ve been thinking of, this whole time.’

As he turns to lay the blade with the others, Winter takes the opportunity to reply quietly. “Making me think about them is just gonna distract me more, you know.” He takes out a couple of cloths, which he wraps two of the knives in separately. “Alright, Gilda. You’re in charge of Vision and Vendetta. Given the circumstances, they’ll probably be the ones I want closest to me at all times, so don’t wander too far from me once we get in there.”

“I might not have a choice, you know,” she says as she grabs the two parcels. “As much as I’d like to claw their eyes out when they do it, we’ll have to be all submissive and meek and all that other crap.”

Winter passes the other four knives to Dior. “Well, this train ride’s been a couple hours long. You could’ve just slept. If you can’t be calm and submissive, just be groggy, and it’ll have the same effect.”

Mercury smirks, eyes narrowed at the hybrid. 'Or get laid. That might work, too.'

“Fine, I’ll tone it down to ‘slightly ornery’.” She smirks. “Still gotta be me after all.”

“Whatever works for you,” Winter answers the griffon as he moves his hoof to put over the kitsune’s mouth. The fox’s response is to lick the hoof, to which Winter rolls his eyes but smiles.

“Hey, Solstice…” Flick calls back from his seat near the the front of the car. “When was that picture of Appleloosa taken?”

The blue stallion blinks and looks over. “You mean the one in the file? About three days ago, maybe four. Why?”

“Because I think we may need to proceed with caution.” He turns to the others, pointing out the window he’s at.

Off in the distance is the city they want, but it has definitely seen better days. Parts of the buildings are crumbling to the dirt, and what’s left looks like a fire had broken out and was left unchecked. Some structures have been entirely destroyed, reduced to smoldering ashes with just a few blackened pieces of wood to signify that something had once been there.

“...well.” Winter blinks at this sight, his eyes wide but his face showing no major emotion change. “Guess somepony let their smoking habit get out of control.”

As the train pulls back out of the station, eager to be on its way out of the area, the wind blows around the eight figures left standing on the platform. ‘Ghost town’ is an entirely accurate description of the land before them. Not a single living soul is seen among the ruins of the once bustling town, only ashes and debris.

The lone griffon of the group walks forward a few steps, sharp eyes scanning the area with a surprising amount of emotion. “Never thought I’d see a sight that reminded me of Gramp’s old war stories… never wanted to.”

Winter walks up beside her, a surprised expression on his face that mostly vanishes when he sighs sadly. “At least they had the courtesy to kidnap the inhabitants before tearing the place down. Trust me, you don’t want to see a place like this littered with bodies.”

“Yeah…” She shakes her head before puffing out her feathers and striding ahead. “Well, no time to sit around, gotta see what we can find.”

The rest of the group quietly and reluctantly agrees, slowly peeling off to look around the area. None of them are sure exactly what they’re looking for; clues? Supplies? A pony or two that was caught in the disaster after all?

Vinyl cautiously picks up a fallen door, peeking underneath the charred wood a moment before lowering it back down. "This is just... so surreal..." She wanders up ahead, violet eyes forlornly gazing over the razed buildings. "Who knew that diamond dogs, of all creatures, could cause this much destruction?"

"They can't," the goldenrod drone calls down from above, head turning this way and that. "Or at least, they couldn't. Not to this degree."

Things go silent as everyone goes their separate ways, yet within calling distance just in case. Then, as the blue stallion peers inside a melted window, his friend speaks up. 'He's right, you know. The diamond dogs didn't do this.' He sniffs at the ground, moving along a scorched section of dirt. 'Not alone, anyways.'

Winter looks at the little fox and nods, though he still looks slightly confused. “Any clue what could have, then?”

'Yes, I do.' He pats the blackened earth, frowning solemnly. 'Just look at this. What does the shape tell you?'

The stallion looks at the odd triangular shape. “Well...clearly whatever started the fire wasn’t doing so right at the building. They were a distance away...” He follows the shape along the ground until he reaches the dull point of the triangle. In the ground at that spot are small indents. “...probably right here. But I don’t know of any way a diamond dog could leave these kinds of indents or shoot flames from this far away.”

'They can't. That's the point.' Mercury nudges his bag, hoping to help his thought process. 'Think about it a second.' He approaches the spots, turning and standing with legs spread beside them, facing the house. 'This far away, and shooting fire...'

“Likely from their mouth...” Winter continues his friend’s train of thought as he nods slowly. “They must be working with some other...creature. A small one, but one that can unleash devastating amounts of fire...”

'Exactly.' He huffs, turning around and pointing at a spot about a meter away. 'And look - two paw prints, right over there. What dog would stand that close?'

“I’d say a dumb one, but that doesn’t narrow it down very well.” Winter chuckles despite the situation. “One who trusts, or is even controlling, the creature breathing fire...maybe it’s a slave, even.” He blinks, then his eyes slowly widen. “...or...”

'Bingo.' He nods, approaching his friend. 'There are more out there, after all. Now, what are we gonna do, if it's true? We've seen their power.' He gestures to the remains of the clock tower.

“Honestly...I’m not sure...” The unicorn sighs. “This kind of made the whole thing a lot more complicated.”

'Not so.' He paws at his saddlebag once more, smirking slyly. 'We just need to sneak that inside.'

“Are you sure?” Winter asks, though he doesn’t sound like he disagrees with the idea. “If this thing breathes fire...well, the book is made of paper. Do the math.” He leans in and takes the book out, as if showing it off will enforce his point about what the materials used to create it are.

'I understand that.' His eyes fall upon the blue cover, concern flashing across his face momentarily before his expression hardens. 'But without it, we might not win this battle...'

Winter opens his mouth to reply, but pauses when he hears frantic hoofsteps getting increasingly louder. At this point, Dior runs around the corner, breathing heavily before holding up a hoof, upon which hangs a brown hat. "We found... where they took them at..."

The stallion shuts his mouth as his expression hardens, but he doesn’t move or speak for a few seconds. Finally, with a deep breath, his body relaxes to how it was before and he briefly closes his eyes. “...alright...nothing we didn’t already know.” He opens his eyes once more and makes his way over to Dior. “Thanks. I’ll hold onto that for now.”

She nods, turning to the side and, distracted, places it upon his head. "Come on, we should hurry over there."

A little puzzled, but eventually letting his face shift to a look of amusement, Winter adjusts the hat to a more comfortable position and nods. “Right. I don’t think we’ll find much else around here, might as well meet up again...”

The nymph looks to him, nodding briefly. "Better do it soon. We don't know when they'll figure out we're here."

“Got it.” He nods to Mercury as he starts walking along, who hops onto his back for the ride. “I think we’re just about ready anyway.”

Dior looks over at him as they walk, clearing her throat. "So, how long have you... fancied the farmer?"

He coughs, nearly jostling the hat from its position on his head. “E-Excuse me?”

"You forget we can sense emotions." She rolls her eyes. "Being stone doesn't change that. I could feel your love and horror, when you looked at her picture... but, more importantly," she stops, placing a hoof on his shoulder, "I also felt your guilt on the train, when talking about, ahem, putting down the diamond dogs."

Winter raises an eyebrow as he speaks in a deadpanned voice. “Guilt? For wanting to kill those guys?” He shakes his head. “If somepony, someone, or something wrongs me or the nation I protect in any way, I’ll ‘put them down’ with glee if that’s what they deserve. And they deserve this if they don’t surrender.”

"But that's the thing. No one can truly feel guilt for something they haven't done yet." She turns to him, gazing intensely in his eyes. "It wasn't for them. It was for something you've done before." The marble changeling sighs, shaking her head. "I'm not going to judge you, Sol, but I want to know what weighs so heavily on your shoulders."

The unicorn retains a neutral expression. “If you think I’m going to go into some kind of sob story, think again. The only thing that weighs heavily on my shoulders is this guy after he’s eaten.” He motions to Mercury on his back. “But if you want a story? I’ll keep it short. Before I joined the Tactics team, I was in the royal guard. You know what that’s like, being a former general yourself for the changelings, I assume.”

She nods, silently waiting for him to continue.

“Then let me present to you a hypothetical scenario.” He turns his body to face her fully. “On your left, you have a burning building that has been set on fire by an infamous serial killer, with a good dozen innocent beings inside. On your right, the killer that has taken hundreds of lives and will go on to take more, is making his getaway. You can only choose one.” He narrows his eyes. “What would you do?”

Dior stands there for a moment, considering his words carefully. "Were I still a general, I'd have killed him where he stood." She shakes her head, turning to him fully. "Now, though, I'd save those in the building. Better to save the few in need before the many that may be."

“Fair enough. Now, let me ask you a second question.” He shuts his eyes. “What if the only way for you to stop the killer, is for you to start the fire yourself?”

She blinks, staring at him blankly. "I... I honestly don't know."

“Really?” His eyes open again, and he looks almost annoyed. “So you’d let someone go on and continue their murdering spree, because you can’t handle the blood of a few ponies on your hooves?” He shakes his head. “It sounds like there’s no good choice. And there isn’t. So you have to go with the lesser of two evils.”

She grabs his cheeks, forcing him to look at her. "There is always another option. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it's not there." She huffs, the gears visibly turning in her head. "If I really only had those choices, though, I'd try to keep the flames contained to where he was. Happy?"

“Apparently my metaphor has been taken a little literally-”

She shoves a hoof in his mouth. "I get it. You had to make a tough call. I've had millions to make when I was in the corps."

“And you felt guilty for having to make them?” Winter asks, pulling her hoof out of his mouth.

"In the end... it didn't really matter." She turns away, eyes closing as memories come unbidden. "There would've been blood on my hooves, either way. All I could do... was hope the innocent are able to forgive me. Hope they understood why I did what I did."

The stallion nods. “I understand what you mean. I wasn’t in the guard nearly as long as you were in your own military, but I made my fair share of those decisions too.” He sighs. “But you said you sensed my guilt. That’s the problem.”

Her frown softens slightly. "It's not for them, is it?"

“No. It isn’t.” He looks away. “I don’t feel guilt for killing those who didn’t deserve it, directly or indirectly, because it’s easy...and that’s why I feel guilty.”

She stays silent a moment, reaching out to him a second before stopping and letting her hoof fall back to the dirt. "I... I'm sorry I brought it up... but you'll never have to make those decisions again. You have us... to help open up those solutions that don't seem to be available, at first."

He doesn’t respond, just standing still for a moment. Eventually, he adjusts his hat again. “Let’s get back to the others.”

Stealthy Shades #34

As the rest of the group enjoyed dinner, outside in the woods a short distance away a spot of pink interrupts the myriad of green and brown of the treetops. Young emerald eyes peer down as another form moves below her, a form with the back half of a lion, and the front of an eagle. The creature on the ground lifts his head, peering around carefully.

The young pony takes a soft, calming breath, thinking quietly to herself. I can do this. It's just one griffon, and he's totally unprepared for me. She narrows her eyes and blinks out of visibility. Child's play.

There's a quiet rustle of leaves crunching underhoof, but the whistling of the wind easily covers it up. Hoofprints form in the loam, slowly approaching the predator from behind. As it reaches mere inches behind them, a set of invisible teeth nips the end of his tail.

A growl of annoyance comes from the hybrid. A talon comes up as he rounds to slash whatever is on his tail, but he only swipes and sees air.

The next thing that he sees is a bright light as something fast and hard collides with his cheek.

He heads snaps to the side, colliding with and bouncing off a tree trunk. Without another sound, the predator's body slides down, limp.

A moment later, Ruby lets her spell fade, staring at the limp form before her. She stays silent for a moment before glancing at her hoof, frowning slightly. "I... I didn't make it too powerful, did I?"

Only a few moments later, she hears a sound in the distance before a green form suddenly appears next to her. Forelegs envelop her protectively as she is drawn into a furry chest. "Ruby, honey, are you alright? What happened?"

She squirms slightly, a soft blush on her cheeks. "I-I'm fine, dad. I just... need air..."

Though the embrace loosens, he still holds her and the muscles in his forelegs can be felt tensing up once more as he spots the slumped form nearby. His voice becomes slightly harder. "What happened?"

"I took out a scout that was a little too close to our campsite." She smiles, puffing her chest up with pride. "He never even saw me... though I did nip his tail to get him to turn around." She smiles up at him, waiting to hear some form of praise from him.

"I... you..." He sighs, trying to organize the various thought going through his head. "Ok, ok... For your first encounter... you did well, sweetie. We can't afford to linger out here though, so we'll talk more back at camp. For now..." Looking around, he spies a fairly thick fallen branch. Levitating it over, he lights up his horn, writing a single rune in the air next to the end. A small spout of flame bursts from the symbol, charring the broken nub of the branch. He then lays it down on the griffon, nodding. "That should give a decent cover. Come on, back to the tent." He turns, keeping a foreleg around her.

She goes with him, though she gives him a confused expression. "Why would I need a cover, dad? It's not like he'll remember... right?"

His face is stern as they walk. "Think of it this way, what would he have seen, at all, during that confrontation?"

The answer comes simple enough to Ruby. "A flash of light. Nothing else."

He nods. "Good. We needed a cover because you can't rely on cranial trauma to create memory gaps of your actions. Being will wake up and wonder how they got knocked out, so you supply them with enough evidence to piece the story together how we want them to interpret it."

"Oh." She taps her chin, thoughtful. "I... guess I never really considered that..."

"Which is why I had hoped to be able to give you a briefing on the type of things we usually do during combat before you ever saw it." He shakes his head as they see Enigma outside of the tent. "We can talk about the details once we're inside, you did some things well, but you'll need to keep some more things in mind next time."

She sighs, leaning against his shoulder. "Okay, dad..."

"Let me guess." The burgundy pegasus smirks slightly, seeing them approaching. "She ended up fighting someone?"

Unable to help smiling proudly, the father answers. "Less of a fight more of taking them out, but yes. How's everyone else?"

"Well, Gel's waiting for you, Volt's helping her clean before his shift, and everyone else is getting ready to sleep." He shrugs, glancing back at the tent. "So, all in all, just like any other night we're on a mission."

Rhino nods at this. "Good, slight change though: I want all shifts being on the inside of the doors tonight. We'll be activating the tent's camouflage for the remainder to avoid any suspicious eyes that wake up cranky."

He blinks but nods, holding the flap open for them. "Does that include me?"

"Hmm..." the green stallion looks back towards the woods, "you don't have to, there's no way he'll wake up so, but if any of his friends show up, come in immediately."

"Gotcha." He gestures inside with a wing. "Head on in. I'll be in after my shift."

Rhino nods cordially one final time before leading Ruby into the tent.

Gel looks up from the pot she's cleaning, smiling brightly at them. "Welcome back. Can I assume something good happened, with all that pride around the two of you?"

"Well... good can be relative." He shrugs as he finally lets his foreleg off his daughter so he can walk over and nuzzle his wife. "It seems our foal has taken to slamming strangers' heads against trees when she meets them."

"Oh?" She turns to the pink pony, curious. "I hope she had a good reason."

The filly in question grabs a couple bowls, starting to scrub them as well, helping Volt with the dishes. She doesn't seem to hear her mother's words, at the moment, busy as she is with cleaning.

Rhino sighs before turning to Gel. "Looks to have been a lone scout. I was planning on analyzing her performance soon. Would you like to help with that?"

She nods, smiling softly. "I'd like to do that." She pecks his cheek, giggling softly as she makes her way to an unoccupied section of the tent. "For now, though... how about we get some rest?"

He raises an eyebrow, but joins her nonetheless. "Exactly how long were you expecting her to take cleaning?"

"A good while." She closes the divider, leaving the two unicorns alone with their chore.

Ruby glances over at the sealed divider, sighing and shaking her head. "Great..." She turns to the sea green stallion, smiling awkwardly. "So, uh... you do the dishes often?" She grimaces, embarrassed by her own words.

Volt smirks back at her. "Not really much more than anypony else that doesn't cook on these trips, you?"

"I... do the dishes every day at home..." She blushes softly, focusing on one stubborn spot on a plate to try and stem her mortification.

Still humoring the filly, he continues as he rinses a bowl. "Excellent, if you can wash dishes, then you can probably infiltrate another nation and take out a high-ranking dangerous predator. We're practically heading home already."

Ruby glares at him, pouting softly. "I can make a flare of light that causes magic users nausea. Do you really want to talk down to me?"

"Well you are shorter than me and started a conversation based around washing dishes," he points out.

She opens her mouth to respond, but can't find the words. Softly growling, the filly starts pressing harder into the dishes. "I am well aware of that. I was hoping for a talk free of jokes without good punchlines..."

"I could switch to puns if you want." He picks up a cup. "I hear I can dish them out quite well."

She holds up a hoof without missing a beat, a ball of dim light forming at the end of it. "I can dish out suitable punishment for awful puns. We can see who's better at it." She lowers her hoof, sighing softly. "Listen, I don't dislike you. You're one of my favorite friends of my father's... but your jokes just don't suit you. I'm sorry."

"Well... I really do appreciate that..." He seems to deflate slightly as they continue. "I don't think I could ever actually stop making puns though, I've tried before and they slip out anyway. Honestly I think I laugh at them more when I repress them. The way I figure, if they break tension or defuse a situation, then I'm using my pun powers for good." He smiles at her. "I do know they annoy some ponies, so I can try to tone it down around you."

Ruby smiles softly, gently giving him a one-leg hug. "Thank you, Volt. I bet your marefriend is a lucky pony." She smirks, winking slyly at him. "Not as lucky as you, though, to get one in the first place."

He stiffens. "How did you..." Looking around and seeing they are alone, he smiles down at the filly. "Let's try and keep that little tidbit between us, huh? I know I'm lucky to have her, but we don't want it to be known yet."

She blinks, staring at him in awe. Her voice is a whisper, inaudible to anyone else but the stallion. "You mean... you actually do have one? I was just... talking hypothetically..."

His face pales in horror before a small nervous smile appears on it. "... Well I messed that up... Please, you can't tell anypony!"

Ruby rolls her eyes, smirking playfully. "Promise to cut back on the puns, and I will not tell anyone." She taps his nose. "Even if you don't, I still won't tell, though. I can tell how anxious it's making you... but why don't you want them to know?"

"Look, I can't say too much, it's just something we have to do right due to... things." He sighs, rubbing the back of his head. "This is just the first slip I've had, so I was just worried. Thanks for not telling."

"It's not a problem." She smiles softly, turning her attention back to the dishes. Taking care of the steamer, she opts to ask one more question. "So... is she someone I know?"

He debates answering this, but relents in the end. "Yes... No more questions about who she is. It'd be very bad if I gave away who she was along with the fact she's my marefriend."

"I understand..." She giggles, bumping his side. "She really is lucky, isn't she?"

"Nah..." He blushes lightly, something rarely seen on his usually happy-go-lucky demeanor. "I'm luckier."

"Heh." She smirks, starting to dry the dishes off. "Good to know... though, if I may change the subject..." She gestures to him. "What exactly do you do, with the team?"

"Well... If you wait until tomorrow I'm sure you'll see a demonstration." He grins once more. "Just like you'll see everypony else in action too. I'll give you a hint for now: I don't see anypony else with a cutie mark for electrical work." He winks.

Ruby pouts, putting the still-wet pot on top of his head. "Fine... I hope it's worth the wait..."

A few sparks come from the pot as he whips it off himself. "Careful, a lot of water on my horn causes havoc with my magic." He moves the pot back over to her, now accompanied by a few static shocks that make themselves known.

"I... good to know?" She grabs it with her magic, not wanting to catch any unwanted sparks. "So... how far away would you say we are from the castle... whatever it was called?"

He shrugs, checking to see if they missed any dishes. "I'm not sure, I think Rhino said we'll be there either tomorrow or the day after. Why, excited?"

"Kind of... also kind of nervous..." She sighs, then suddenly jumps, a small 'hic' escaping her. She blinks, pouting cutely. "Great... just gr- *hic*"

Letting out a few laughs, Volt raises a hoof. "Want me to zap them out of you? I can do that."

She yelps, backing away and holding a hoof up. "N-no thank you! I'm good!"

Shrugging once more, he sets his hoof down. "Suit yourself. I think we're done with the dishes anyway, so I'll probably turn in soon. You know, get a few minutes of sleep before my shift."

"Um... good idea... oh!" Ruby puts a hoof on his shoulder. "Dad says for those doing watch duty to stay inside with the tent flap closed. I knocked out a scout, and he might be a bit grouchy... just thought you should know."

"I'll keep that in mind." He starts walking to the empty subsection of the tent. "Night for now, try not to snore too loudly if you're sleeping in the middle."

"I'll try my best." She waves to him, smiling softly.

He waves back, entering his little bit of tent and shutting it behind him.

Ruby sighs, stepping over to the flap she saw her parents vanish behind. She holds up a hoof, about to knock before realizing that it's cloth and clearing her throat instead. "Mom, dad, I'm ready for that review you mentioned earlier. You can hide whatever lovey-dovey stuff you're doing before you let me in, right?"

Looking into his wife's eyes as they lay in the bed, Rhino asks her quizzically. "I don't really think there's anything to hide and just laying here, is there?"

She smirks coyly, nipping the tip of his nose. "I don't think so... unless you count all the love in the air."

Chuckling he lights his horn up. "Nothing she hasn't sensed before then." He curls up one corner of the cloth enough to break the sealing spell. "You can come on in, Ruby."

The pink filly pushes her way inside, purposely avoiding their gaze. "So, you... were talking about a review... what did you mean by that?"

"Just some observations about your performance." Rhino gets up into a proper sitting position. "It would help if you made eye contact though, it makes me think you're depressed if you don't."

"N-no, that's not it." She glances at him, shyly smiling. "Just... worried you couldn't hide everything..." She coughs awkwardly, laying down on the floor before them. "W-what observations would those be, dad?"

"Well, let's see..." He goes over the mental list in his head. "Did you want 'what you did well' or 'what you could have done better' first?"

She pokes at the floor with a hoof, casting her gaze at the ground. "Whichever you think is best..."

The navy nymph smirks, elbowing the stallion's side. "Give her what she did well, first, love. It helps with reception."

"And hopefully it will get her to be able to look us in the eyes too..." He clears his throat before beginning. "Well Ruby, first off, as I said earlier, you did extremely well for a first engagement. You discovered a threat. You prevented the discovery of the mission. You avoided detection yourself. You knocked threat out in a single blow. Finally, you did all this during a part of the mission where we weren't expecting to encounter too much trouble, s you were keeping your guard up. Excellent job, sweetie."

The teenage mare beams, walking forward and happily hugging him. "Thanks, daddy! I'm so glad I got it right!"

Sending a quick thankful look to his wife, the stallion hugs back. "It was all you, Ruby. Good to see you happy and perky again, I missed it." He punctuates that statement with an affectionate nuzzle.

She giggles, nuzzling him back before sitting at the foot of the bed. "Sorry, I... just had a bit on my mind..."

"I understand, sweetie... We just worry about you." Rhino turns to Gel questioningly. "Did you have any positives you wanted to add from how I told you the encounter went down?"

The changeling shakes her head, smiling softly. "No, I think you covered everything... well, aside from taking down someone twice her size. That's kind of impressive."

"Oh, right..." He sweeps his daughter up into an embrace once more. "You get another hug for that."

She sighs happily, rubbing her cheek against his fluffy chest. "Thank you, again."

Chuckling quietly, the stallion moves on. "Now, I do have a few criticisms, but most are just things to keep in mind. First off: whenever possible, I don't want you fighting alone, okay? It's something we try to make true for everyone here. A partner can help protect you and watch your back, making things infinitely safer."

"I..." She frowns softly but nods her agreement. "I understand. I'm sorry, I didn't think there was time to do that..."

"I know, sweetie..." He rubs her back soothingly. "It's just something I want you to keep in mind. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I've been getting better, dad." She smiles slightly, holding up a hoof. "All that milk actually gave me a ten percent increase in bone density. Much better than when I was eight..." She trails off, seeing her mother's look of concern.

"I get that you are," she says, gently placing a hoof on one of Ruby's own, "but I'd recommend the same for any of the team. Even Enigma."

"Precisely." Rhino nods. "Still, just because your density is closer to normal, doesn't mean you should write it off. You're known for being careful on that though, so I won't linger on that point. Let's move onto your execution: now, you said you bit the end of his tail to make him turn around... why?"

"He was heading towards the camp." The filly rubs the back of her neck. "I just... wanted him to face away when he woke up?"

Gel quirks an eyebrow at this. "In other words, you weren't thinking?" A nod. "I see... well, if he got agitated, it was likely that he wouldn't be thinking clearly..." She taps her chin, thoughtful. "And there are rodents of unusual size around here... maybe he'll mistake your nip for one of theirs."

"A good point love, not one I had thought of." The green pony continues. "I was more concerned that if he had felt a hard enough bite, he would screech first, then attack. That could cause many problems. Also is the fact that there is far less risk of you being seen, if they are facing away from you."

Ruby pouts, lowering her head in shame. "I made sure I was invisible..."

Hugging her closer, Rhino reaches out a hoof and brings Gel into the embrace as well. "Just things to note, sweetie. Risks are things we balance with every action, so it is important to know as many as possible in order to make the best one."

"I... I see..." She sighs, gently nuzzling his cheek. "Thank you for the advice, dad. I'll do my best to remember it."

"Good girl, you're making us very proud." He squeezes both of his girls lovingly, his emotion easily felt by both of them.

"I'm glad. Now," she pecks his cheek and reluctantly pulls away, "I should get to bed... we've got a busy day ahead of us, right?"

He nods. "Have you decided where you want to sleep? Our offer is still open."

She sheepishly smiles at him. "I-I'm fine, daddy. I don't want to intrude on your, um... relaxation time." Before anything else can be said, she's partway out of the small room. "I'll just... take Volt's room when he takes his shift. Night!" She closes the flap, leaving her parents alone together.

Rhino sighs deeply, a bit of sadness working its way onto his face. "I remember when she liked sleeping in our bed with us..."

Gel gently nuzzles him, smiling warmly. "It'll be fine, love. She's still our little filly... she's probably just embarrassed by those thoughts from before. I'm sure she'll work it out of her system, eventually."

"I suppose..." He lays back down on the mattress. "At least the twins are still at the age where they enjoy family cuddle time."

"True..." She smirks coyly, gently nibbling his shoulder. "Still, I know you love these moments alone..."

"Well, you've got me there." He smiles once more before leaning up and meeting her lips with his own.

On the other side of the flap, Ruby lays by the firepit, the flames now simply embers casting a soft glow around the room. She sighs quietly, resting her head on her forelegs as she stares into the ashes. The pillows beneath her provide some comfort, but the love and contentedness in the air around her, ironically enough, make her feel a bit lonely.

Suddenly the entrance to the tent pulls open, snapping her out of her thoughts. The burgundy pegasus steps inside, turning around and quickly zipping the entrance closed. He walks over to the fire, reaching to the ceiling above it and pulling a decent sized emerald etched with runes out of a hidden fold. Giving the gem a sharp tap with a hoof, the pegasus places it back in it's spot as it starts to glow. A shimmering wave radiates out from the jewel along the fabric of the tent. It only lasts for a moment, and the only noticeable difference from before he did this is the faint glow coming from the now exposed gem.

The stallion turns to the young pony, smiling softly. "Hey, Pinchy. Didn't expect you to be up this late..."

He trails off at the glare she gives him, though it's strength is diminished by the cute pout on her face. She groans, laying her head back down. "I thought that nickname had been forgotten, by now."

"How could I forget it?" He chuckles, striding over to the other side of the tent. "You practically begged me to call you that when you were younger." He stops, looking at one flap, then the other, before turning to the filly, eyes questioning.

Ruby blushes profusely and points to the one of the left, immediately averting her gaze afterwards. "You were my teacher. It... it was something childish, just for fun..."

"It was only three years ago, and you brightened up each time I called you that. It wouldn't have helped if I were to punish you, but it never came to that." He points this out as he draws the curtain back, revealing the dozing green unicorn. "You were the only student I did that for, though..." He shakes his head and taps the other stallion's temple with a metal-clad hoof. "Wake up. It's your turn for the graveyard shift, Volt."

With a groan, the electric stallion opens his eyes, muttering. "I suppose I should make a comment about 'feeling like death' but I really don't want to at the moment." Standing up, he shuffles out of the subsection and over to the door, sitting down and putting an ear to the door. "Nothing like the boring inside of a tent to stare at for a few hours..."

Ruby rolls her eyes, prodding the back of his head with a silver bit in her green aura. "Hey, you can find plenty of quiet ways to entertain yourself." The way she stresses that word makes it seem like she's warning him, but she doesn't expand on that thought, dropping the coin on the tip of his snout, instead.

"That's not too hard." Enigma pulls back the bedsheets, chuckling softly. "I just do physics problems in my head. They're entertaining and don't really distract me..." He trails off, seeing the looks he's getting. "What? You know how much I like it."

Not commenting on that, Volt instead turns his attention to the bit. "Well, I think I can entertain myself with this." His horn light's up in a light blue aura, sending a small amount of electricity arcing into the metal coin. Rotating it in his hoof, he watches as the charge starts to dance around on it's surface.

The pink pony stares in awe, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Wow! That's so pretty!"

The burgundy pegasus shrugs and pulls the covers up to his neck. "Whatever floats your boat. Pinchy, would you kindly draw the flap for me? If Shock Jockey over there's to be believed, I don't want to wake anyone with my snoring."

Volt interjects. "Hey, I never said you were the only one, I just said you were definitely one." He flips the coin, the arc going straight through from one side to the other repeatedly, but never going into his hoof due to it being his natural element.

Ruby, glancing from one stallion to the other, stays still by the fire, unable to decide. At least, before the lightning struck outside. She tenses briefly, fighting the urge to run and hug someone out of fear. She takes a deep breath and steps inside the section, closing the divider behind her.

The stallion looks up at her from where he lay, surprised. "I... didn't expect you to be on the inside, Pinchy." He covers his mouth quickly. "Oh, right, you don't want to be called that..."

She slowly moves forward, softly blushing. "I... I don't mind, if it's just the two of us..." She stops at the edge of the bed, raising a hoof on top of the soft comforter. "Can... can I sleep with you, tonight? I... I don't want to bother my parents or aunts... and I don't really know Atom all that well..."

He props himself up on an elbow, chuckling softly. "Yet it's that mystique that led to your crush on him?" He smirks at her shocked expression. "You hid it well, but... your actions speak louder than you think. Even the little ones most would miss. Enough about that, though." He pulls back the sheets, patting the empty space. "If it'll help with your fear, I'll let you stay." He holds up a hoof, frowning softly. "No funny business, though. You're still too young for that."

She grimaces, turning to the side and muttering to herself. "Trust me, I don't even want to think about that..." The pink pony shakes her head and climbs into the bed, facing away and pressing back against his warm chest. She smiles softly as he drapes his foreleg over her side, closing her eyes and slowly drifting off, the warmth of the love from the other sections filling the air around her.

Equus Tactics #41

Maud blearily opens her eyes, greeted only by a floor of solid stone connected to a similar wall. While for most this would cause alarm, rocks were this mare’s life, so the view is actually quite comforting as she came to her senses. Closing her eyes for another moment, she feels the familiar weight of her pet in her pocket and the minute vibrations of steps through the thick stone. As her wits return to her, she pushes herself up into a sitting position, looking around and feeling what feels like a hoof slide off her back.

A familiar face makes itself known as its owner takes a polite step away. The silver changeling sighs in relief, smiling warmly at the mare. “Glad to see you’re awake, now. I was almost worried you’d stay asleep…”

The grey mare speaks plainly, noting that Dior seems to be on what amounts to a ‘bed’ in the small room. ‘Bed’, of course, meaning a small layer of straw on slightly elevated stone. “I got hit in the fight?”

“Yes, you did.” She grimaces slightly. “Rather harshly in the back of the head, too. Glad it was a blunt object…” She shakes her head, holding a hoof out to her. “You aren’t still in pain, are you?”

“Small discomfort, should wear off soon.” She places her hoof in Dior’s, speaking in a whisper, yet still emotionlessly. “Did the others manage to escape?”

“Yes, they did.” She giggles softly, tapping her on the nose. “Diamond dogs can’t fly, after all.”

“No, they can’t…” Maud looks over at the sturdy metal door before facing the nymph once more. “At least I have a nice cellmate.”

“Thanks.” Dior smirks playfully. “I like to think I’m better than some ponies…” She glances through the bars again, brow furrowing slightly. “...didn’t think I wouldn’t be as nice as her, though.”

Raising one eyebrow, Maud turns to see through the bars separating their cell from the one next to theirs. The sight that greets her is… unexpected.

In a cell mirroring theirs, Gilda lays on the ‘bed’, curled protectively around the unconscious form of Winter. One talon rests on his head, alternating between checking for consciousness and running through the stallion’s mane, both beings oblivious to the world around them.

Blinking slowly, Maud remarks wryly and quietly. “There is more cuddling than I expected.”

“I know, right?” She shakes her head. “Still, it’s a sweet scene, and I don’t really want to interrupt it.”

“Yes.” Looking over to their own bed, the mare asks, “may I come up there too?”

“I don’t mind.” She smiles, shifting to the side to give her some room. “Go ahead and make yourself comfortable.”

Hopping up onto the straw-covered stone, Maud smooths her frock before laying down, looking to Dior then the door. “It begins.”

Catching their attention is a soft groan from the other cell as Winter finally begins to stir. The unicorn’s first reaction upon regaining conscious control of his body is to try and push away the unrecognizable mass of feathers he feels against him, unable to tell who they belong to due to his eyes not yet being open.

Gilda doesn’t move other than to take her talon and try to keep the pony still. “Careful, don’t want to fall off and hit your head again. Probably can’t spare knocking out too many more brain cells.”

His ears are not yet fully functional and his eyes are still shut, but nevertheless, Winter stops moving as he recognizes the voice based solely on her choice of words. He mumbles something incomprehensible.

“Try again, didn’t catch that.” The lioness tail flicks as the griffon lays there.

Winter grumbles as, at last, his eyes open, albeit at a slow pace. “I said...I’m fine, let me go.”

Without a word, the talon removes itself from him, tucking itself back against its owner. “Nasty hit you took.”

As quickly as his still-waking up body lets him, the stallion gets to his hooves and leans against the wall as he glances over himself to check for injuries. “I took worse before I even graduated school. I’ll be fine.”

“Good, because they’ll probably put us all to work anyway, not matter how much you whine.” She chuckles. “Feel up to getting outworked by three girls?”

“Yeah, like they’d put a unicorn to physical labour. How do you think they know where to dig for gems?” He tilts his head to the left, his neck cracking loudly, and again as he does the same on the right. “Even if they did, considering it’s specifically you three girls, I wouldn’t take much of a hit to my self-esteem. A griffon, a rock farmer, and an actual rock are never fair competition when it comes to strength output.”

“Good.” She pats his head. “Now I don’t have to beat that into you.”

With a growl, Winter yanks his head away from her claw, apparently not enjoying the gesture. “Don’t touch me. I don’t know where those talons have been.”

Her small smile immediately flips to a large frown. “Exactly what does that mean?!”

“I’ve been unconscious for who knows how long, and I just now woke up down here in a jail cell. How am I supposed to know what you’ve been doing in the meantime?”

A growl rumbles in her throat as she glares at him before jumping off the bed and starting to stalk moodily around the cell. “They’ve been clacking on stone and making sure you weren’t dead. Wondering if I should regret that.”

His expression softens as he sits down. “Right...sorry. And thanks for...for worrying.” He forces a chuckle. “But you really didn’t need to. You know I refuse to die unless it’s of my own volition.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever…” She huffs, looking over to the bars and the occupants of the joined cell. “So how are you two holding up?”

“Surprisingly, fairly well.” She scratches her head, glancing out at the door to their cell. “I didn’t expect them to just… leave us alone, this long.”

“How long has it been?” Winter asks, suddenly looking around frantically. “And where’s Merc?”

“It’s… been two hours, Solstice.” Dior cringes slightly. “And… they took him away. We don’t know where.”

The unicorn lets out a low growl as he kicks the wall. “Luna damn me...he better be alright...”

“If they brought him, they might keep him around for entertainment,” Maud suggests, trying to help. This only causes Winter to kick the wall again, harder.

“Hey,” the nymph reaches between the bars, gently resting a hoof on his shoulder, “it’ll be fine. These dogs can’t dish out anything he hasn’t handled before.”

The stallion calms down slightly, but he still lets out another growl before beginning to take deep breaths. “...Gilda. You still have that...that book, right?”

“Yeah,” she shifts slightly, revealing a small shape under one wing, “even less comfortable than the other stuff. Plus it keeps me from stretching my wings.”

“Go ahead and give it back to me now that we’re in. But keep the knives. I doubt they’ll care that we managed to sneak a book in, but if they see we have weapons, they’ll be on us like a fire hydrant.”

Dior clanks her head against the bars, groaning softly. “I didn’t need that mental image…”

Winter facehoofs. “I didn’t mean it like that! You try thinking up metaphors on the spot that involve dogs. Not easy.”

“Like we’re chew toys.” She shakes her head before her ear twitches, her gaze snapping to the tunnel beyond their cell doors. “I… I think they’re coming…”

As he takes the blue book from the griffon, Winter snickers. “And I didn’t need that mental image.”

The lone earth pony comments. “Bad joke.”

“No regrets.”

Before anyone else can make a remark, the metal door to the cell containing Maud and Dior swings open, a large gray diamond dog standing in the doorway, halfway leaning on a large metal pickaxe. It growls at them before speaking in a reasonably comprehensible voice. “You two. Come. No tricks.”

“Okay.” Maud calmly gets off the bed and walks straight toward the dog, no expression of fear, nervousness, or anything else on her face.

The nymph follows, looking up at him as she pauses in the doorway. “When you say tricks, do you mean parlor tricks, magic tricks, or something else?”

The dog lets out a gruff, but genuinely amused, laugh. “Rock lady thinks she’s funny!” His expression quickly becomes a stiff glare. “No trying to run. No hiding. Only do what told to do. Anything else, you get pickaxe in stone skull.”

She opens her mouth to respond but thinks twice, wincing at the thought of anything going into her head. She silently nods, walking out past the dog.

“Stay,” the dog orders them, ignorant of the irony as it heads to the other cell door and opens it. “Both of you two, come. Same rules. Do nothing but what told to do, got it?”

“Yeah yeah, just do me a favor and face away from me with that breath of yours,” the griffon remarks as she passes him. A subtle look of surprise on his face, the canine exhales on his paw and sniffs it, only to make a face.

Winter, for his part, walks by without a word or even glancing at the dog. When he joins the other three, they’re beckoned by the guard to follow along down a narrow tunnel. He says nothing more, simply expecting the prisoners to walk with him. The heavy pickaxe slung over his shoulder purges any desire they may have had to disobey orders.

It doesn’t quell the attempts at talking, though, and the dog seems not to care about doing so. “Sol,” the marble changeling hisses, leaning close to him, “I think we’re… about a mile beneath the surface…”

The unicorn nods in response. “No surprise that they’re this far underground already...just keep an eye out for tunnels branching off from where they take us. The larger they are, the better the chance that they’ll lead to the way out.” He puts one hoof to the side as they walk, brushing it against the dirt and rock wall. “Doubt they’d be able to transfer a whole town of kidnapped ponies through a tunnel this thin.”

“Wider tunnel, less crowding. Got it.” She huffs softly, eyes flicking to the few tunnels they pass. “Though, if the fear in the air is anything to go by… these are all prisoner areas…”

“See if you can sense any anger,” Winter requests. “The stronger someone is, the angrier they’d be if they got caught and taken prisoner. The angry ones are the ones we can rely on best for backup when the time comes.”

“I’ll try, but it’ll be a bit hard to pin down.” She gestures to the dog before them. “More so with them watching.”

Winter nods again, then thinks for a moment. “...how are the diamond dogs feeling? Can you tell?”

She nods, brow furrowing slightly. “That’s what’s been confusing me…”

“What’s wrong?”

“I can sense fear from the captives…” She closes her eyes, frowning deeply. “But I also feel… a large amount of... regret? Sorrow? I don’t know what it is, exactly…” She shakes her head. “It’s a kaleidoscope of emotions, always shifting…”

“Hm...” Winter hums to himself. “...any...positive emotions?”

“Yes, but it’s only from one location…” She scratches her head, groaning softly. “I’m sorry… all this negativity is…”

Winter, realizing how the negative emotions are affecting the nymph, closes his eyes. He starts to think about a certain pony, adjusting the hat that has somehow remained on his head to reinforce his thoughts further.

Dior blinks, feeling the warmth in the air around her friend. She looks at him, concerned. “Are… are you sure I should? You know what happens if I take too much…”

The unicorn nods. “It’ll be okay. If you start having problems, I’ll stop. But for now, you need this.” He smiles at her as they pass by another tunnel to the left.

She opens her mouth to respond only to have her voice die out, a shiver going through her body. “I… I think I just felt… hope…”

Surprised, the royal blue stallion glances back at the tunnel they had just passed. In his mind, he does his best to memorize the general area. “...hm...”

“Here now.” The dog leading them stops walking as they pass into a large chamber of sorts, roughly circle-shaped and with a ceiling high enough a pegasus could fly around with little difficulty. Throughout the room are groups of other slaves; most of them earth ponies likely from Appleloosa, but there are a couple of unicorns, pegasi, and buffalo as well. All around, diamond dogs of various sizes and simple colours watch over the slaves, sometimes barking orders or threatening a ‘lazy’ slave with bodily harm. Other dogs stand in the middle of the room, watching over a cage and mostly obscuring it from the team’s view.

Four or five tunnels branch off from the room, most being as narrow as the one the group had been walking down, but one being over three times as wide. However, not too far down that tunnel, it slopes upward, making it impossible to see what’s down the path from where the group currently stands.

Dior leans in close to the stallion. “I think we might have found our exit…”

He nods. “We won’t be using it for a while...but at least we know where it is.”

The bipedal canine turns to the group of four. “Griffon. You pull cart.” He points a sharp claw towards a small collection of ragged earth pony slaves, tugging large carts full of dirt or gems behind them down one of the narrow tunnels. Watching over them is a dog similar to the guard that had fetched the four, but this one is brown and lacks the pickaxe, its sheer strength made evident by its gigantic arms enough to persuade the ponies to continue.

“My joy is unbridled that ‘no’ isn’t an option. Nor is eye-pecking.” The sarcasm in her voice is almost tangible as she walks over, the proud stalking stroll quickly moving to a more depressed slump.

“Rock lady, earth pony. Dig.” This time, the dog just sweeps his paw around as though gesturing to the whole room. “No matter where. Just dig. If unicorn finds gems, dig where they say.”

The taller of the two tilts her head to one side. “Dig… anywhere? If you say so.” She turns to the side, winking at Winter as she passes and heads off to one side of the room.

Watching the changeling go off, Maud blinks, looking down and tapping the ground with a hoof. Without a word, she keeps tapping as she walks over to one of a few stone pillars in the room. As she reaches the base, she stands alongside it, tapping one more time before nodding, cracking her neck and raising her hoof back as her eyes narrow.

The limb slams down with tremendous force, shattering the stone in a radius around the impact site and thoroughly terrifying slave and dog alike with the thunderous sound it causes to rumble around the cavern. They only have about a second to recover before her other hoof comes up and does the same as she quickly adopts a slow and steady rhythm, creating an entirely new tunnel going downward into the solid rock. Small bits of rubble shake loose as she starts to walk into the hole.

“...why we always get weird ones?” the diamond dog grumbles. A couple other dogs head off down the hole as well, barking back at other slaves to bring support beams. With a rough sigh, the gray diamond dog turns to Winter and points at the still-obscured cage. “Go, unicorn. Find gems. Stay near cage.”

The stallion doesn’t respond, trotting off in the direction of the cage as though he didn’t hear the order and was just going in that direction anyway. As he gets closer, over the cacophony, he starts hearing a familiar yipping voice.

‘Let me out! I swear, I’ll nip your ankles if you don’t!’ The voice stops for a second. ‘Wait… I can’t do that if you don’t…’ There’s a plaintive whine. ‘Win, where are you? I don’t like small spaces…’

The trot becomes a gallop almost instantly, and quickly Winter has almost shoved his way past the diamond dogs to get to the cage. “Merc!”

‘Win!’ He tries to look at him, his muzzle poking out between the bars. ‘I’m glad you’re alright! The last time I saw you, someone hit you over the head with a club!’

“Yeah, I think I remember that time,” the stallion replies with a dry chuckle. His voice drops to a whisper. “I don’t think I can get you out of there just yet, so try to hang on for a bit. I’ll stay as close by as I can, okay? This shouldn’t take more than a day or two.”

‘I hope so.’ He sighs, pulling back from the cage door. ‘It’s way too cramped in here...’

“I promise, I’ll do my best to-” Before Winter can finish, a light brown diamond dog forcibly turns him around, then clicks a pair of shackles into place around his front legs.

Behind him, another dog sticks a similar pair around his hind legs. “So unicorn does not run off. Now, magic. Find gems.”

The unicorn sighs and turns back to Mercury. “...so you want to guess how many spells I know that can be used to find gems underground?”

He rolls his eyes. ‘I’m going to guess the same amount I know.’

“We have a winner.”

Off on her side of the room, the silver nymph casually strolls along, peeling stone away from the wall with ease as she passes, revealing the mineral deposits underneath. She sighs, shaking her head ruefully. “They should’ve made this a coal mine, with all the veins, down here…” She stops mid-step, eyes glued on the column to her left. “Ooh.” She smirks, stepping away from the wall and approaching the pillar. “Inspiration… it’s calling me.”

She immediately gets to work, peeling away strip after strip of sandstone, letting them coalesce into a pile on the floor. “A little less here… a little more here…” She grabs a fallen piece and applies it to the spot she mentioned and steps back, beaming proudly. “Perfect!” She turns to the dog who led her from her cell, smiling warmly. “Wouldn’t you agree, Fluffy?”

The grey dog in question just stares at the creation; a stone replica of himself, but with a far cleaner and more sophisticated appearance. “...uh...” He quickly regains composure and gives the nymph a look. “This...this not help search for gems.”

“I know.” She giggles, pointing up at the sapphire eyes she gave it. “I did find a couple, but it’d be such a waste to take them out.” She walks over to him, teasingly stroking his cheek with a hoof. “Don’t you agree, Fluffy?”

The slightest hint of red becomes visible under the grey fur, and ‘Fluffy’ swats the hoof away. “Waste would be to leave gems in a...” He glances around, as if checking to see if anyone is listening in. Noticing that the two are more or less alone, he sighs and turns. “...is good job. Leave be.”

Dior smiles, nodding towards a wall behind them. “There’s a few gems in all that coal. I’m sure that’ll smooth things over with the others, hmm?”

Folding his arms, the dog nods almost reluctantly and walks over to the wall, starting to dig with his claws. Occasionally, he glances back at the nymph with an unreadable expression, but doesn’t say anything to her.

She happily helps him, letting her silver hooves get covered in coal dust as she works to free the gems hidden in the slag. Her gaze flicks over to him a few times, as well, at one point catching the other’s eyes. The changeling decides to play off this, taking a hoof and drawing a black circle around one eye, coyly sticking her tongue out in an attempt to get him to laugh.

Impressively, this actually garners an amused reaction from the dog, who smirks at the silliness before making a comment. “You take this all very lightly.”

“Well, you seem like a nice guy.” She smiles warmly, turning her attention to the vein once more. “I’m used to the earth, anyways.” She waves a hoof, winking at him. “Though I’m sure you could already tell.”

“With you being made of rock, yes, it was not hard to tell. How did that happen anyway?”

She blinks, looking at him uncertainly. “You sure you want to know? It’s… kind of a downer.”

He raises a furry eyebrow. “I spend life underground digging gems and catching slaves. Life is big downer already. I can handle.”

She considers this for a few seconds before nodding in acceptance. “If you’re sure.” She sighs, turning to the coal and clawing away some more. “Long story short… I died.” She tosses a few lumps behind her into a steadily growing pile. “My soul ended up wandering around a bit until I entered one of my statues, of my daughter.” She chuckles softly, slowing down a bit. “It took a while, but I eventually gained the form you see today.” She turns her head away, tapping at a small symbol on the back of her neck. “This is the proof that I’m just inhabiting this form.”

The dog, confused, looks at the back of her neck. “So...the picture lets you exist?”

“Well, yes and no, Fluffy.” She scratches her chin, pulling a diamond out of the vein. “It’s a sign that I’m never going to die. Not in the true sense of the word, anyways.” She shrugs. “If this body were to perish, I’d probably end up in that statue of you.” She nods behind them, handing him the gem, which fits perfectly in his palm. “It’s a blessing... and a curse.”

The dog doesn’t respond at first, just silently pocketing the gem and going back to digging, albeit at a slower pace. He seems to be contemplating what she said. “...you live an odd life.”

“Maybe.” She smiles, pulling free a gem fragment. “But I have friends who help make it better.” She gives it to him, pausing to look up at him. “You surely have friends, too, don’t you?”

“I have slaves and fellow workers.” He speaks plainly and - for a diamond dog - calmly. “That is all.”

“Well, that certainly seems lonely.” She taps her chin as she thinks, ignorant of the small beard she’s giving herself. “Tell you what - I’ll be your friend.” She holds out her hoof to him. “That is, if you want me to.”

He blinks and looks at her, once again confused, with a hint of suspicion. “...why? You are slave. I am slaver. You should hate me.”

“Let me tell you a little something about changelings.” She leans in close, standing on the tips of her hooves to whisper in his ear. “We can sense emotions. I know how you feel, and no one who’s good deserves to feel that way.”

That stops his mining entirely. His expression changes to one of surprise. “...you sense feelings?”

“Yeah. I can feel happiness, love, anger…” She places a hoof on his paw. “Regret. Any number of emotions.”

The dog looks at the hoof on his paw, then back at the wall. His expression is once again unreadable, but his quiet sigh betrays his thoughts. “...I never like this. The slaves, the prisoners, the yelling. Was better when just us digging gems. Then big dog find mine and town.”

“Big dog?” She glances at the rest of the room, then turns back to the vein, digging so he wouldn’t get in trouble. “Who is that, Fluffy?”

“Big dog is Alpha. He our boss.” He resumes digging as well. “He say kidnap town ponies to dig. Normally we not go that far, but his new friend dangerous. He threaten some of us, bribe others, and we take ponies. Then he say take more. Now we no dig, we just watch.”

She looks up at him from where she’s crouched, her head partway in the hole. “His new friend?” She frowns slightly, filing this away under things to mention to Solstice later, and turns back to the vein. “I think it’s almost dried up, here… so, are you saying you like to dig?”

He backs away from the torn-apart wall. “All diamond dogs like to dig. It what we do. Like pegasuses fly and unicorns use magic. But now we have to like watching ponies and buffalo and griffons do it for us.”

“Well…” Dior scratches her chin, walking over to another, untouched section. “What if he were no longer in control? What if you were the one in control?”

The dog balks, looking at her with surprise. “Alpha always in control. Ever since pack start. Until he die and we fight for leadership, we listen to him.”

“Between you and me…” She smiles softly at him. “I don’t think he will be on top, much longer.”

“...you plan to take him down.” It is a statement, not a question.

“Maybe.” Her eyes dart to the room at large. “The main issue would be to not hurt those that don’t deserve it… but, if I’m not mistaken…” She holds her hoof out to him once more, hopeful. “Would you be willing to help, when the time comes?”

He looks at her hoof, then back out at the large room, unsure. He sighs before turning back to her with an answer.

This suuuuuuuuuuucks… Gilda’s thoughts take on almost as monotonous of a pattern as her assignment. Drag cart to pile of dirt, wait for it to get heavy, trudge with cart to a pile of dirt in a different part of the cave. Dump the dirt out, walk right back to the first pile again. All this with nothing to look at but the back of another cart doing the exact same damn thing, and occasionally a view of other working creatures in the few times she wasn’t in a tunnel.

She’d be crazy in a week if she was here that long. If not from the mind-numbing repetition, then from the damn dogs using the harness to strap her wings to her sides to make sure she wouldn’t try anything. That and being so far underground was quickly getting the predator a combination of riled up and beat down.

Looking around her, she could see others with the expression of ones who experienced that for far longer than she did. Depression, resignation, even ponies who seemed to not even think at all anymore, reduced to just mindless trudging animals to shelter what little sanity they had left.

But this wasn’t the case everywhere. There was a particular buffalo, one who size dwarfed most of his kind and certainly almost all of the creatures in the cavern. His head stayed up strong, his pace determined, his eyes alert. This was a being who was not beaten yet. Watching him effortlessly shoulder his burdens, she saw his gaze rove over the others in the brief times she could get a clear view of him.

“Hey!”

A high pitched voice caught her attention, one that grated on her nerves more than any other, and yet was probably the one source of amusement she had in this place. “What?”

The small dog to her left walks over, waving a paw threateningly. “Why did bird stop moving? You holding up other slaves!”

Evidently diamond dogs come in breeds too, including chihuahua. “Keep your collar on, just seeing where I need to go next.”

“That was simple!” The canine points to a barely visible cart. “All you had to do was follow other bird!”

She puffs up her feathers, a wholly unnecessary action seeing as she was already bigger than her, but it made the griffon laugh on the inside the more she could look down on her. “How the hell am I supposed to see who I’m following? All I see is carts bigger than the things pulling them! And all the carts look the same!”

“You were standing right behind her!” The small dog throws both paws up in the air, exasperated. “You didn’t need to think, and you still screwed up!”

Unable to ignore her snarky side for so perfect an opportunity, Gilda can’t help but reply. “At least I didn’t screw up puberty.”

This comment is met with a club in her face. “Do not make me use this on you, bird! Your friends took hours to wake up, and we don’t want to waste time around here!”

Scowling, the half-bird sneers at the runt. “Well, what do you suggest then? Either mark a path, or tell me something I can actually follow.”

The dog slams her club into the floor, cracking the stone, before pointing with it. “Just go where the other bird went, and follow from there! Even you understand that!”

“Alright alright, don’t want you making your voice any shriller…” Gilda starts walking, eyeing what will be her new place in line. “Didn’t think a guy’s voice could stay that high.”

The dog calls after her as she leaves, arms flailing angrily. “Not male, stupid bird!”

Getting in line behind the buffalo she had her eye on, Gilda thinks to herself. No wonder that mouse dog was such a bitch.

“Losing patience, unicorn! Find gems!”

A large paw swats Winter on the back of the head as though trying to kickstart his horn, which has been sparkling faintly with no effect. He grunts, but remains upright and continues trying to cast a spell he’s never learned.

‘Hey! Give the guy a break!’ Mercury growls at the dog, his fur bristling angrily. ‘He doesn’t like flashy things! Big deal!’

“Make the fox be quiet!” the diamond dog yells to no one in particular. “Last chance, unicorn!”

Breathing heavily, the stallion continues to try, starting to sweat from the force. He tries to sense gems in the earth, but a unicorn attempting a spell they’ve never learned is like trying to draw a picture of something they’ve never seen. Tense moments pass, and his horn stops sparkling altogether as he slumps down, groaning from the pounding headache he now has to deal with.

“Unicorn worthless at finding gems.” The lankier of the diamond dogs shakes his head, grabbing Winter by the scruff of his neck. “Let him dig, instead!”

The other dog nods, grabbing a rusty key and starting to unlock the shackles. “If he worthless at that too, take him to Alpha instead.”

“He would make great chambermaid for him.” He laughs, shaking his head.

Despite his headache, Winter still manages a remark. “On the contrary, I’ve been known to fail at keeping things clean even more than digging.” He smirks, remembering his office.

The dog shakes him, snarling angrily. “Then you’ll be his foot rest.”

“Nine out of ten chiropodists say pony backs are not very comfortable for feet to rest on.”

“Enough!” With a loud growl, the dog not holding him finishes undoing the shackles and smacks him in the face. “Go dig for gems or we dig your grave!”

They start carrying him away, but they almost immediately have to cover their ears, letting him fall to the floor as a piercing howl escapes the cage. “GAH! Make it stop!”

Free of the shackles, Winter has no problem getting back on all four hooves, as dizzy as he feels from failed magic use and repeated slaps. He makes his way back over to the cage to comfort Mercury. “Shhh...quiet down. It’s alright. I’m here...”

Abandoning his lankier comrade, one of the diamond dogs gets up and grabs Winter again, yanking him away far more violently than the other had. “Had it up to here with you, pesky unicorn!”

Like before, Mercury howls and yelps, paw reaching out for his friend. ‘Stop it! Bring him back!’

Once again, the diamond dog drops the stallion to clutch at his ears. And once again, Winter is back at the cage in seconds, calming the fox down.

This time, the diamond dog hesitates before going for the grab. “What do we do? Fox make too much noise when unicorn taken...”

“Just leave unicorn!” The skinny canine groans, struggling to get back up. “Not worth pain!”

With a sigh mixed with a growl, the dog shoots a glare at the pony and his fox friend before storming off to do work elsewhere, the lankier dog doing the same.

Before they can get far, however, a small form enters the cave, and the two stop in their tracks. The figure takes a few steps forward, stepping into the light of the torches. The flames illuminate sea green fur, her emotionless purple eyes staring at the retreating duo. “Alpha wants to know what the racket is about. So what is it about?”

“N-Nothing major,” one dog stuttered. “Just argument with slave...problem has been solved.”

“You’d better hope so.” Her eyes slowly move to Winter, almost appearing to look through him. “You wouldn’t like Alpha when he’s angry.” She moves forward, her gaze never leaving the stallion’s face. She stops in front of him, turning to look back at the burlier of the dogs. “Why isn’t he shackled? Isn’t that the rule for all unicorns, down here?”

The dog fidgets. “W-We unshackled unicorn to put to digging, but the fox would not be quiet if unicorn was not kept nearby. So we leave unicorn to keep fox quiet so long as unicorn does not leave.”

“Fox?” She quickly looks to the cage, the first spark of interest in her eyes. “Leave. I’ll tell him it was nothing to worry about.” As the dogs scramble away, the filly leans in close to the cage, staring at the being within. “Hello, Mercury. I hope you enjoy your little room; I really do.”

Winter blinks, looking between the two. “...what?”

She glances up at the stallion and turns away, just as slowly as she entered the room. “I think Alpha will want to hear about all this. Maybe he’ll come up with a solution to benefit you two… maybe.” She turns the corner, leaving them alone.

“Or maybe I’ll come up with a solution that just benefits us,” Winter grumbles just loud enough for himself and Mercury to hear. “It’s called asphyxiation. I’m sure ‘Alpha’ would love it.”

‘Win…’ The fox places a paw on his friend’s foreleg, concerned. ‘I… I think I know that filly.’

“Yeah, I had a feeling.” He sighs. “Lemme guess. She’s the one.”

‘Yeah… she’s the one...’ He goes quiet for a second. ‘I always felt bad for her, frankly.’

Winter looks at his friend with confusion, slightly mixed with annoyance over the previous event. “Felt bad for her?”

‘I’ll… explain it later. It’s not a story for public ears.’ He glances around, nervous. ‘I think some of these guys can actually understand me...’

“Great. Because we didn’t have enough inconveniences already.” The stallion growls quietly in a way that makes one wonder if the diamond dogs are rubbing off on him. “First you’re in a cage. Then we have to fight a fire-breathing filly - and I still don’t know which part of that makes it harder. And, now, these idiots who can’t even speak in proper sentences can understand you.” He slams his head against the bars of the cage and lets it rest there. “Dear Celestia, can we get a little break here?!”

Right at that moment, Dior walks up, a small smile on her lips. “It turns out we might not be fighting this alone.” She looks to the large canine behind her, smiling kindly. “Isn’t that right, Fluffy?”

The diamond dog in question nods, a smile of his own on his lips. Winter looks at Dior, then at the dog, then closes his eyes and chuckles. “Thank you, Celestia. Amen.”

Mercury looks up, hopeful. ‘If you’re listening, could I have some food? Some berries, maybe?’

When nothing happens, Winter smirks a little and reaches his hoof through the bars to rub his friend’s head. “Sorry. Guess she can’t understand you either.”

The fox groans, resting his head on the horizontal bar of his cage. ‘Darn it…’

Stealthy Shades #35

As the stars continue to twinkle in the dark night sky, a pegasus with a coat to match it snoozes away peacefully. Curled as he lay on his stomach, the pegasus known as Atomic Vortex can be seen in one of the rare times he doesn’t have his vest or shades on. He simply sleeps, wings half extended and covering himself as his chest expands rhythmically.

The soft sound of fabric moving underhoof can be heard mere seconds before the flap to his section of the tent opens, a head poking inside. Violet eyes fall upon the sleeping form, and matching lips curl into a soft smile. The nymph steps in with a few items behind her, letting the divider close by itself, and gently prods the stallion’s side with a hoof.

The ‘not quite so gentle as she thinks’ prodding quickly raises the stallion from the dream world as he shifts away from the offending appendage. Years of being in the guard kicking in to wake him up in a timely manner, his eyes flick open, looking at the nymph in here with him. He groans once before speaking. “What is it, Luster?”

She offers him the items she brought, a couple apples and a water bottle, before responding - or, attempting to respond. All that comes through is a gentle pressure in the stallion’s mind, clearly more so than the earlier poke.

Feeling the familiar sign that the mute changeling wishes to speak, he mentally pushes back against the pressure, accepting the link.

Thank you. She places the fruit and the bottle on the bed before him. I know how you get when I wake you up early, so I brought a peace offering. She smirks playfully, patting him on the head. We do need to get going, though, and soon.

Rising to his hooves, the stallion stretches, thinking as he does so. Thanks for the sustenance. Guess I’ll be taking it in on the wing then? He shakes his head as he finishes stretching, picking up the vest on the floor and slipping it on.

Most likely. She picks up his shades, putting them on before exiting the section. I’d have given you a banana or orange juice, as well, but someone seemed to have hid them.

Tucking his provisions in various pockets, he enters the main area of the tent. Probably Volt, or E now that I recall his appetite. We all know what Rhino hordes, and it’s not bananas or orange juice.

Between you and me, he has a specific source of that substance. The nymph chuckles, shaking her head. Anyways, if someone had eaten the bananas, there’d be peels everywhere… unless they hid them. She wrinkles her nose, trying not to think too much on that.

He scrunches his own muzzle. Bleh, visions of rotten bananas… After stowing his food, he spots her looking at him from across the room. You know, green really isn’t your color.

Oh? She smirks at him as her form slowly ripples; tiny hexagonal pieces, shiny as metal, appear to flip like coins from her hooves to her head, indigo chitin being replaced by midnight fur as it goes. She holds up a hoof, inspecting that part of her still-feminine form before responding. How about now?

Atom grins at what, for all intents and purposes, appears to be a female him. Damn, I look good as a mare. I suppose you deserve to wear the shades for that.

Thanks. She rolls her eyes as she moves towards the exit. Don’t expect to be banging yourself anytime soon, though.

Of course not. He follows her out, tossing a glance backwards as they exit. Wonder where Ruby ended up sleeping…

As they step out, they almost run into the pony in question, walking back from a tree nearby. “Atom? Aunt Luster?” The pink filly standing before them stares, confused. “Where are you two going?” She glances at the pegasus before leaning in close to the nymph, whispering into her ear.

Luster turns to the teen, an eyebrow quirked in bemusement. No, and I hope you don’t ever think of saying that to anyone ever again. She gestures to the treeline. We’re scouting ahead to check out the castle. I want to be able to form a good floorplan of the place when we’re planning, later.

Atom raises an eyebrow at the filly. Out hunting for more griffons to take out, you little assassin?

She looks at him, her cheeks puffed out indignantly. No. Her gaze falls to her hooves, her cheeks turning a brighter pink. I had too much milk…

He chuckles, shaking his head. I’m fairly certain your father would tell you there’s no such thing.

Maybe… She looks into the tent, curious. So… is your sleeping area empty, now, Atom?

The pegasus nods. Yeah, all yours if you want it.

“Yay!” She jumps up and hugs him, nuzzling his cheek before dashing inside, zipping the entrance closed.

Luster stares blankly at where the entrance was, glancing up at the stallion in concern. We’ll be able to find it again, right?

He looks around the area, trying to find something noticeable to offset the magically camouflaged tent. I think so… if nothing else you can sense their emotions through the tent, right?

Well, yes, but with the magic compressing the size of the tent… it’s kind of difficult. She sighs, shaking her head as she nods towards the forest. It’s best if we head off, now, and worry about that, later. We need that info.

Good point. I wanted to start on breakfast anyway. He pulls out an apple, taking a bite. So, hoof or wing first?

I’ll say wing. She starts to flap her borrowed wings, steadily rising into the air. That way we can get an idea of the landscape, find the highest point to observe from, and you can eat with your hooves. She smirks, raising the green shades to wink at him. Win-win, right?

He smiles back, flaring his own wings and quickly rising. Wins all around, plus I get to fly with myself. Should prove an interesting experience.

Truth be told, I’m not that strong a flyer. They soon break free of the canopy, making their way to the castle under the cover of night. So, what’s this place called, again? I wasn’t paying attention during that part…

Depending on what you mean… He muses as they blend in perfectly with the night sky, We’re in the Griffon Kingdom, Hookbeak region, and… I’m not sure if the forest has a name. About what I expected the place to be called if I’m honest.

She turns to him, an eyebrow raised, before turning back to her flying a second later. I meant the castle.

Oh… well you didn’t say. He finishes his first apple and flaps harder a few times to come up alongside her. Hmm… the castle… it was something grandiose and eye-rolling… ah yes, I remember. The Eternal Keep. Gave the castle an ego to reflect his own it seems.

She stares at him blankly, nearly stopping in the air from the sheer incredulity. The Eternal Keep? Seriously? What, did the guy’s kid name it?

Atom shrugs, or at least as much as one can shrug while flying and biting an apple. Don’t look at me, I didn’t name it. There’s probably some ‘stood the test of time’ thing to go with the name, but honestly I’m with you. Sounds to me like it belongs in a game.

It’d probably be cooler if it was in a game, too. She chuckles, quieting down as she holds up a hoof. I think we’re close.

Sure enough, as they continue flying, a dark silhouette becomes apparent in front of them. In sharp contrast to the rolling hills and forests around them, the large structure jutts upward, as if defying them all with its presence. A large wall encompases the area, forming an outline within which reside a number of smaller buildings and a castle in the center. The moonlight glints off various surfaces as small lighted shapes betray the presence of windows in the building the manages to look both archaic and modern.

Luster, thinking quickly, flies up and grabs a piece of cloud big enough for both of them from the thunderhead above, bringing it down to the pegasus. She promptly sits down on it, observing the stronghold below. If we stay up here, we should be fine… besides, something just seems… off about that place…

Alighting next to her, Atom looks at her curiously. “What do you mean, off?”

She shoves a hoof into the pegasus’s mouth, silencing him. No talking. She leans forward and lets her hoof fall from his lips, eyes narrowed at the dark silhouette. It’s just that the castle’s metal seems… polarized. I don’t know why, but there’s a magnetic field around the whole place…

His own eyes narrow too, but partially in confusion. That’s… different. I’m not even sure how you would do that to something this scale, or why you would want to. Maybe Volt will have an answer.

Let's hope so... The disguised nymph turns to him, frowning in concern. With the interference, I might not be able to tell what the layout further inside is like... Her eyes glimmer for a moment, the solid violet of her true eyes showing through. All I can guarantee is three to four meters in, without getting closer.

Well, considering all we’ll get from here is wall and about half of an outside hallway… He looks to her searchingly. How much closer would we need to get to get more information?

We would need to be within three meters for a full scan of the place. She shakes her head, scoffing in annoyance. And that's if we're lucky. Otherwise, the magnetic field would distort it.

The pegasus silently gauges the distance between them and the fortress, for that is what it undoubtedly is. A full scan would be best, but the element of surprise is more important. Be honest with me, how close do you think we could get without alerting even one griffon?

Frankly, we're pushing it, as is. Luster groans, letting her head fall to the gray cloud below. So I can't do anything else... how long do you think it'll take to memorize their patrols, or whatever it is that you do?

He shoves her lightly with a hoof. I observe, the same as you, I just wasn’t born with an elemental talent to help. You can help too, you know.

I'm not so sure. She turns on her side, whirling an eyebrow. I was trained to subdue enemies, not avoid them. I'm still struggling with that, and you know it. She stiffens, glancing to the castle to see a duo of griffons circling the highest spire, their path steadily growing wider. Damn it. They must've just started their shift!

Not even looking at her, the stallion digs into the cloud with his hooves, pushing and spreading the fluffy material. You’re not claustrophobic, right? There’s not a whole lot of cloud to work with. His movements are smooth and precise, trying to be fast but not noticeable to those above.

She bites her lip, her eyes glancing from him to the patrol and back. It's not like I'd have a choice if I was. I just hope whatever you're doing works.

Finishing his work, Atom nods at the now only slightly larger, but now hollow, cloud. Think of it like a small fluffy sleeping bag. He scoots back a small bit before ducking his head and crawling inside, much like a foal worming under a blanket. When only his green tail remains outside the cloud, a black hoof comes out and pulls in it, sealing the cloud behind it. Come on in.

She works her way in after him, sealing it in much the same way. She tries to keep calm, hooves trembling. Being forced to stick so close to a teammate helps a little, but still not that much, especially with the sound of flapping wings drawing closer and closer.

Try to relax, Atom reminds her. You're the emotion sensor out of us, just keep tabs on where they are and what they are feeling. As long as we know that, we can know more about what they’re up to.

"What's this cloud doing here?"

She nearly jumps at the proximity of the voice, heart hammering away so hard she can feel it in her ears.

"Eh, it's just a drifter, Beak." This one sounds much more feminine than the former. "Put it back and resume your rounds."

The duo suddenly find their hiding spot moving, clearly hearing the first griffon grumbling to himself. "The things I put up with..." A flash of light fills the air, lighting up the cloud, and a squawk comes from behind them. "Fuck! That nearly hit me!"

"Stop being a baby and take that up there!"

"Are you insane? It just got struck by lightning!"

"Fine, I'll do it!" The cloud starts moving again, much faster than before, and abruptly halts mere seconds later. "See, that took, what, ten seconds?"

"Shut up, Quill!" Their bickering fades away, leaving the two pegasi in relative silence.

Well, Atom begins, still not moving an inch, that happened…

Yea... She sighs softly, turning her head enough to look at him. Hey, at least we weren't discovered, right?

He turns his head to her, not entirely necessary since their proximity has them side by side and pressed against each other, but it’s polite. Right. Now we just hope they didn’t put us in the middle of a huge cloudbank so I can still see everything. At least you can get a better sense of the place now. He starts scuffing away at a small bit of the cloud just below his face with the short jerks of his foreleg that he can do without showing movement outside their cover.

She frowns, brow furrowed in confusion. What makes you think that? We could be even further away, now...

It felt like they were taking us toward the castle, judging by the momentum direction. The cloud gets thinner and thinner where he scuffs at it. Shouldn’t you be able to tell, anyway?

It's not like I'm constantly searching for metal, Vortex. She shakes her head and grabs some of the thick cloud layer above, pushing it to the side as she starts to make some more room.

Careful, he warns, I stretched this thing fairly thin as is. I don’t think it has much left.

I realize that. Luster scoops up a bit more gray fluff, redistributing it to the section of floor he wasn't digging through. That's why I'm using the cloudbank to make it more stable, and more roomy. She pauses, cloud wisp in hoof, and glances at him with a blank expression. Unless you wanted us to stay that close together... which makes me wonder if you're a closet narcissist...

I see nothing wrong with being comfortable with myself. That was not the reason though, we also have to get out of here at some point. He successfully gets his bit of cloud clear and lays his head face down on it, peeking downward. I was thinking just staying in our tiny cloud and ‘drifting’ away again.

Then I'll keep it as it is, now, with enough room to crouch. Though part of me still wonders how comfortable you were trying to get... She goes silent as she watches him, curiosity piqued. So... how far would you say we are from the castle?

I’m not sure you’d believe me if I told you. He continues looking downward.

She crosses her forelegs, unamused. Why don't you try me, first, before assuming?

Well… we’re right above the tallest spire. Can’t get much closer than that without being on the ground. His mental voice is calm but tinged with a hint of a smirk.

She blinks, staring blankly at him before pushing him backwards. Let me see. Quickly taking his place, she looks through the peephole, grinning in excitement. Well, I'll be... we're close enough to touch it! She bites her hoof, muffling a happy squeal. And dead-center! This is perfect!

He shakes his head, adjusting from where he had been shoved aside and now has to half stand awkwardly over her. Glad to hear that, can I have the hole back now? I was using it.

Hmm... nah. She chuckles softly, the sound dampened by her hoof. Her tail swishes idly as she continues. I need this one to scan the building. I'm sure you can find another hole to use... so you can stop trying to push me.

Not trying to push you, trying to push me off you. You got under me so now I’m squished between you and the ceiling while still trying not to disturb anything. He growls lightly in annoyance as he lifts his left legs and tries to tilt off her.

What? No way that's what you're doing, unless... Her thoughts grow quiet for a moment before shakily resuming. Please tell me that's just your attempt to cop a feel...

What are you talking about? He throws his weight, falling off onto his side with a quiet ‘puff’ of the cloud. There we go. Now, what are you going on about?

She looks over to respond but freezes, eyes so wide behind the borrowed shades the stallion could see the whites around the rim. Uh... nothing. Nothing important. She turns back to the peephole, burying her muzzle in the soft, gray cloud. It's clear she can't keep her thoughts focused, however, when her wings slowly begin to extend from her back.

Shaking his head, Atom rolls back onto his stomach and lifts upward into a crouch. You’ve have been all sorts of excited and giddy for this scouting trip, weird to see that go back into your usual mysteriousness when the perkiness was rubbing off on me.

I'm not the only one who's a little excited... She lets a small wave ripple out from her forehead, tiny metal plates flipping end over end and curling upwards to reform her horn. And it's my first time seeing a castle almost entirely made out of metal... please cut me some slack. Her now-rigid wings flap awkwardly as she tries to get them under control, hoping he won't think anything of it.

The former guard walks over, placing a cautionary hoof on her back. Excited is fine, but keep your wings still, we don’t want the cloud disturbed. We still need to get this done unnoticed. His other hoof starts digging a new hole for him to look through.

It's your fault they won't go down... She shivers at his touch, curling in on herself a bit. Spitfire'd sure be lucky... well, probably not as much as Gel, but I digress...

...Are you hitting on me? He asks without a hint of subtlety or shame.

No, she sighs, looking up at him, pink filtering through the fur on her cheeks, but I found out you were, in fact, poking me, earlier...

Oh… He removes the one hoof from her while the other finishes digging. Well… I blame you for shoving yourself under me.

I blame your body for being so sensitive. All I did was move to see what you saw. Luster huffs, turning to the side. Finished the scan, by the way. I've got all but an apparent basement. She pokes the ceiling, trying to keep her eyes off his side of the cloud.

Good, now give me like half an hour to memorize what I can about patrols and any other security measures I see. Try not to get too distracted by me. He shakes his flank mockingly. Plus, what does it say about you if you’re excited by me, when you are me?

It says that I'm a healthy female. She narrows her eyes, horn lighting up to tease along the edge of his wings. Besides, you're more aroused than I am. Just ask your little friend. She turns around, coyly caressing his cheek with her tail. It seems as though you're the one who gets excited seeming himself.

Says you, for this, you’re just a mare with my color palette. He tenses as he holds himself steady while still doing his job. Plus, you have no proof anything you say about my state is true.

Don't I? Luster lets her tail curl around his side, teasing along his belly. Want me to present Exhibit C, or will you just come clean?

His tail flicks back and forth as he keeps his head in the cloud. His mental voice is thick with teasing tone. You are truly a cruel nymph to taunt a stallion who doesn’t see his mare for months at a time like this.

You started it. She slowly moves backwards next to him, playfully nipping his ear. I'm just monopolizing on your excitement for a little fun. She pulls away, chuckling softly. Though, honestly... I thought you worked any attraction to me out of your system a long time ago.

He stays silent for a few moments. What? That one time means that after that I have to suddenly find you unappealing?

She flinches at this, fumbling to catch the shades falling from her face before staring at him in shock. I thought you were just... trying to pick me up, back then. She nervously chuckles, rubbing the back of her neck. I thought the drinks were influencing you... besides, she places a hoof on his back, gently brushing it along his fur, you have a marefriend, now, and a sexy one, if I heard correctly. The mare shrugs, hoping he wouldn't see her blush. I just... figured you'd grow out of it... or just forget...

I think you’re focusing too much on some parts. He keeps watching, the situation reminding him of some stakeouts he’d been on before. Think of it this way: I’d bet my tail that if you asked Rhino, happily married for going on about sixteen to seventeen years now, he would not tell you that any female that isn’t his wife is ugly.

That's not what I meant, Atom. She raises a hoof to her face, groaning softly. I just... I remembered how you were... and what you were feeling. With Tavi, it was simply lust, but with me, that first time... She trails off, hoping he would catch what she was inferring. I thought it was just a silly crush... ^

Maybe it was, I was young and lonely, so it's possible that's all it was. The stallion is glad he kept his head down now, but he still feels calm, having come to terms with most things. Let's face it, you are easy on the eyes and because of what happened we will be closer than friends who didn't do that. It doesn't mean I love Spitfire any less, or like you any less since being with her. With us, I'm content.

She sits silently, her gaze burning a hole in the back of his head with its intensity. Is... is there something you're not telling me? She frowns softly, leaning down to gently nibble his ear in an attempt to bring back the playful air. Does it have to do with how long you lasted? We didn't mind that... and I found it rather endearing how you tried to make up for it.

He coughs awkwardly, flicking his ear in her grasp. I hardly see how a first time performance has anything to do with this conversation.

I'm concerned for my friend. She lets go, moving in front of him and sitting down. Please look at me, Atom. I want to help you... Her thoughts trail off, part of what he said registering. ...first time per... oh... Her eyes widen as realization dawns on her. You mean... I... when you... She gulps, trembling like a schoolfilly after asking out her crush. ...I was your first?

Yes, and I'd be lying if I said that probably didn't influence my feelings for you in some way. Still, hell of a way to break me into that sort of thing. I was definitely grateful when my first time with Spitfire came around. He actually looks up at her for a brief moment with a smile.

She shyly smiles back, tucking a lock of her mane behind her ear. I thought you'd at least had some experience... you had quite the way with words, after all... She averts her eyes, holding his shades out to him. And... were an amazing kisser... even Octavia thought so...

He chuckles, pushing her hoof back to her as he puts his head back down. Glad to know I had some natural talent. Are you really so hung up on that? I mean, it doesn't bother me, it was quite the experience.

But it was yourfirst time, Atom. She grimaces, squirming in front of him. That's supposed to be something special, and I just... took it without thinking... She turns to the side, tracing the hole in the cloud with a hoof. It was great, and I loved every second, but... I regret taking that privilege from Spitfire...

Luster, it's fine. It was, and is, special to me. It got me one of my best friends, and it's certainly a night I remember. He tries to reassure her. It was my first time, and if I'm fine with it being that, why aren't you? I think I turned out pretty well.

I... I guess it's because... She closes her eyes and faces him once more, her blush visible in the dark, and smiles sheepishly. Never mind, it's a silly little thing. She smirks, leaning forward and teasingly pecking his forehead. Unlike you, Vortex. So tell me, how did it go with Miss Wonderbolt Captain? Is she a screamer? Was she in charge the whole time, like I was, or was she more like Octavia?

Well, you are a close friend so you are entitled to this type of gossip. His chuckle is even heard in their mental link. I don't think I've figured all of her fetishes yet, but one thing she loves is passion...

Despite the time being near the middle of the day, the clouds above make it seem like morning. Outside the tent, a couple unicorns wait for their teammates to return.

The smaller of the two has found a way to entertain herself, batting at the stallion's yellow and black tail. She does her best to catch the moving mass of hair, emerald eyes narrowed, crouching like a cat toying with its prey.

Volt, unaware of his backside’s new role as prey, swishes his short tail back and forth as he looks around the landscape. “Where are those two?”

"Beats me." Ruby finally catches him, giggling brightly as she pins it beneath a hoof. "I know you've asked that forty-nine times, though. Are you really that bored?"

“Pretty much, yeah.” He notices his tail tugging when he tries to move it. “Hey, what are you doing back there?”

"Finding my own fun." She grips the strands a little tighter as she looks over her shoulder. Leaning close, she whispers into his ear. "We could always talk about your mystery marefriend, if you're looking for something to do..."

He chuckles nervously, almost sweating. “Let’s… not tempt fate more than I normally do on a daily basis…” Looking quickly for a change of topic, he grasps at mental straws. “So… what are you doing lately, besides this mission stuff?”

The filly pouts, looking up at him before shaking her head. "Not much. Dad and I made something, over the summer... and I started studying a bit with Twilight. Alchemy is an interesting subject to learn about, but I'm trying to see if I can combine it with runes, somehow..."

The electric unicorn laughs. “What? Not satisfied with being a prodigy in light magic, you need to master alchemy too?”

"Not necessarily." She shrugs, looking up at the gray sky overhead. "I just want to know all I can. We made one thing with alchemy; I simply want to see what else can be done."

“I guess that makes sense.” He shrugs, trying to slowly slide his tail away from her. “I mean, just because you got that mark, doesn’t mean that’s all you can do.”

She sits down on the mass of black and yellow, smiling brightly. "Yep! Glad you agree with me!" Her ear twitches slightly, her attention snapping to the treeline. "Did... did you hear that?"

“Huh?” He follows her gaze, ears pricked.

Mere seconds after they look, a pair of pegasi emerge from the brush. Ruby stares blankly at the one wearing shades, tilting her head in confusion. "Why is Aunt Luster... disguised as Atom?"

“I have no idea… letting him indulge in a bit of narcissism?” He tilts his head as well at the gender-swapped pair. “I guess it’s not the oddest thing I’ve seen a changeling do.”

The filly looks at him at they near, brow furrowed slightly. "I don't follow. How would that be indulging in narcissism?"

“Letting him hang out only with himself. Maybe it wasn’t that good of a joke…” He rubs his chin as the two black pegasi get closer, the female slowly shifting back to her regular self.

"Oh. It... was a nice try?" She sheepishly smiles and turns to the pegasus stallion, nodding to him. "Welcome back!"

Atom smiles at the filly. “Good to be back.” He chuckles at the scene before him. “Good to see you’ve got Volt on a leash. Keep him out of trouble.”

She stares blankly at him. "Leash? I don't have a leash... and definitely not one on Volt."

The indigo changeling leans close to the black pony, as if she'd be whispering in his ear. A moment later, she pulls away and heads inside the tent, a sway to her hips missed by the unicorns.

The pegasus shakes his head, both to clear it and show his exasperation. “You have him held by the tail… that’s what I meant by a leash.”

Volt shrugs. “She’s not exactly been willing to let me go. Apparently I’m her cure for boredom.”

She pouts, a dark pink tint to her cheeks. "It was taunting me, swishing like that... I felt the need to put it in its place." She clears her throat, gesturing to the darker stallion. "So, how'd the trip go?"

He thinks for a bit. “Risky, informative, and revealing sums up everything nicely.”

Ruby blinks, looking at him as her demeanor slowly turns in on itself. "Oh, uh... okay... though, if it's not rude to ask... why are you... antsy?"

“You know, I sometimes don’t think it’s fair, you using your changeling half to read emotions…” He mutters before speaking more clearly. “Oh, you know, time for the big plan, the mission’s getting underway, changeling nymphs making mysterious statements in your ear that leave you slightly confused as to their future intentions… the usual stuff.”

Ruby stares once more, baffled. "Nymphs... what? You said that last part a little too fast for me, Atom..."

He shakes his head once more. “Mission stuff. I’m sure you’ll be antsy too once Luster and I deliver our report.” He walks past, ducking into the tent.

The filly watches him leave before turning to the other unicorn. "Seriously, did you get that last part? It sounded off..."

Volt shakes his head. “Nope. Not really sure what he said. Maybe it was something like… ‘you should get off Volt’s tail, because he’s a nice guy.’”

The pink pony giggles, booping his nose. "Has he called you nice before? Because I thought he had a different word or two..."

He laughs. “Hey, you never know. I may win him completely over one day, I may even get him saying puns.”

"I think that's a long time coming." She stands up and gets off him, nodding to the tent flap. "Shall we join them, Volt, or are you content sitting in the rain?"

"Uh uh, I am not getting caught in rain." Now free, the stallion zips inside the tent before the filly can.

Not wanting to be left outside by herself, Ruby rushes in just as the sky opens up, releasing a downpour upon the whole forest.

Inside, everypony is gathered around the firepit, in which only ashes remain. Two steel boxes sit on opposite sides of the pit, and everypony sits next to one of them. Volt, Atom, Luster, and Octavia make up one large gap while Engima sits with a space between him and Gel, who sits next to Rhino.

Ruby approaches the feminine stallion, giving him a shy smile before turning to her mother and father, curious. "So... how does this work, exactly?"

Gel gestures to the empty firepit, smiling softly. "Watch, sweetie. Everything should be clear to you soon enough."

The two boxes flow up into the circular depression, slowly building upon itself as it begins taking the shape of a large castle. Tiny figures float in the air around it, and the details become sharp enough to see a figure moving in one of the windows.

Atom clears his throat. "Alright, as all of you can see, this is no simple building that we'll be infiltrating. In no uncertain terms, the guy has turned his home into a fortress in all senses of the word." He gestures to the building with a sweep of his hoof. "Solid metal walls, thick and impregnable to all but specialized tactics. Multiple buildings, which means multiple places to keep our eyes open for potential hostiles, as well as meaning we've got open ground we need to get past." As an afterthought, he adds, "Oh, and of course the wall we need to get past initially while still staying unnoticed."

The buildings slowly split into layers, each section holding a single story. Ruby stares in awe of the masterful manipulation of metal, slowly shifting forward, a hoof outstretched to touch one of the miniature griffons. She pauses, staring at it in confusion. "Wait... why is this guy pushing a cloud around?"

"Because, for whatever reason, our target apparently like to constantly have a few storm clouds above the central spire of his castle." Atom shrugs. "Whether that's for looks or he actually uses the lightning for power, I have no idea."

"Oh..." She looks to him, then back to the model. "...then why is he arguing with someone?"

"Ruby," the burgundy pegasus taps her side with a hoof, "why don't we let him continue the debriefing? You can talk about the griffons' bickering later."

"Right, I would like to point out that any questions about why the model is doing something can go to the one actually controlling it since she has creative license." He continues. "Now, as you can see, there is no shortage of guards, but, neither is there an excess. They are all equipped with flashlights at night, and there are one or two large spotlights that look out from the central building. Now, onto the building itself..."

The roofs move off to the sides, revealing the top floor of each building, as well as the small forms within. Sitting and laying in the central tower, and the most notable thing, is a large number of ponies, pillows, and mattresses. Every single one of them seems to be a female. The indigo nymph looks to the darker pony next to her, as if expectant.

"As you can see, there are fewer guards inside, but they are still present. As for this particular collection of forms..." he motions to the females, a small grimace on his face, "I'll let you draw your own conclusions. Now, from what we can tell, our target will most likely be in this center structure here, presumably his bedroom from the details Luster told me. Due to its location, there are a number of ways in and out of it, so that presents both possibilities and risks. As for the object..."

She looks at him, shrugging helplessly. She lifts up all but the main floor of the central tower, pointing at the staircase going down with a makeshift arrow.

Ruby looks over to her father, confused and concerned. A few words appear before him in soft neon lights. 'Are those ponies...' She doesn't continue the sentence, almost as if she's afraid to do so.

Rhino closes his eyes and lets out a quiet, troubled breath. His own horn lights up and small green script appears before her to respond. 'I don't know... if our mission weren't so reliant on secrecy I'd say we investigate, but...' His sentence trails off as well.

"Best as we can tell, it's in the basement somewhere. Because of where we gather intel from, we couldn't really get details on it, so any attempts on that will have to be blind and improvised." He looks to Luster. "Anything to add?"

She tilts her head to one side before nodding, looking to one of the corner towers and pointing to a group of beds on the second floor. She repeats this with each of the outer towers, revealing the same style of room for each, as well as spears and shields by the wall closest the door.

"Ah, right. Apparently some guards sleep in the towers, so any entrance into those is strongly advised against." Atom nods to himself. "I think that should be everything."

Rhino nods as well. "Excellent work as usual, you two. Everyone, double check your gear then pack up. I want us to head out as soon as possible so we have as much time as we need tonight."

Luster bows her head respectfully and stands, turning to head past Atom and Volt to one of the sleeping areas. The pink pony tilts her head to one side, slowly walking over to her father to whisper in his ear. "D... did you see that? What Aunt Luster just did?"

The stallion looks to his daughter curiously, whispering back. "What? What did she do?"

"I..." She shakes her head. "I must've imagined it." She turns away, muttering to herself as she walks off into a separate section, as well.

Watching her walk away, Rhino quietly remarks to his wife as he stands, his mind whirring as he plans. "Do you think she's keeping more from us these days?"

"I don't know." She sighs, leaning against him as the others go to prepare. "I wouldn't doubt it, but everyone needs at least a few secrets, right?"

"I suppose... I just miss her feeling like she could tell us anything." He shakes his head. "But, I suppose now isn't exactly that best time for thoughts like that. The mission is now. Did you have any wise counsel I should heed?"

"Keep the teams you send small," she taps her chin, thoughtful, "and the fastest ones as roamers, ready to help at a moment's notice... oh, and I have a feeling that Luster might need Volt's help."

"Hmm... all good ideas." He gives her a quick kiss. "There's that beautiful brain. The teams should be fairly simple, now it's just how to get them in... might have to wait until we get there to have concrete ideas for that."

"Well, I have one..." She smirks, kissing him back before turning to their own area. "After all, this place is an iron fortress, right?"

"Well, yes, but while I think dealing with the initial wall might be simple thanks to a certain member of our group, I doubt the inside of the castle walls themselves are just solid metal." He shakes his head as he follows her. "Still, let's hear your idea, you know I tend to ramble when I'm thinking like this."

"Well, I figure that there's bound to be at least one way in." She bumps his side, giggling brightly. "And I kinda like when you ramble."

"Heh, glad to hear that." He smiles and nudges her back. "So, explain a little more about what you mean 'there's one way in'."

Equus Tactics #42

Looking around at her fellow cellmates, Gilda decides to break the ice. “Alright, spill. It’s our first day here in prison. Who became a bitch and who got themselves some bitches?”

“I’ve always been called a bitch for a variety of reasons,” Winter offers, Mercury safely on his back.

“You… should not be so quick to admit that.” She tilts her head at him, her joke seeming to fall dead as soon as it reached him.

“Excuse me for not understanding prison lingo. I don’t exactly come here often.”

‘You should at least know that word, Win.’ Mercury huffs from his spot on the stallion’s back. ‘We hear it often enough.’

“It means female dog, doesn’t it?” The unicorn puts on a fake look of innocence.

‘We both know you know the other meaning.’

“Then you know why I call myself one.” He gets whacked in the back of his head with the twin tails of the fox. “Now who’s being a bitch?”

Ignoring the slight awkwardness of only hearing one side of a conversation, Dior raises a hoof. “I made a friend. I think I prefer that option to the others.” She turns and waves to the diamond dog outside their cell, smiling kindly. Fluffy waves back.

Maud comments simply. “I seem to have a cult formed based on my ability to dig. They called me ‘She who shakes the earth’.”

“Never trust a cult, Maud,” Winter says with a sigh. “Not even one that worships you. Especially one that worships you. It either leads to you being followed everywhere, people thinking you have crazy world-changing powers, virgin sacrifices being made in your honour, or all three.”

She tilts her head. “I just told them that if they wanted to be happier, they should get pets like Boulder. It seemed to work, they were smiling after that.”

“...pet rocks are really that effective?” The stallion begins looking at the various bits of granite and dirt around his cell with a new eye.

‘If that’s true, then I should get four for you.’ The fox smirks slightly. ‘Might help with your negative attitude.’

As she gets more comfortable on the bed, Maud finishes with a simple phrase. “Pets are therapeutic.”

“That proves Merc isn’t a pet. He’s the opposite of therapeutic.” Despite saying this, the unicorn gives his friend a scratch behind the ear and smiles.

Gilda speaks up. “I think I may have found us someone who will help, even if we never ask.”

Instantly knowing the possibilities of whom she’s referring to, Winter looks over. “Who?”

She shrugs. “Said his name was Thunderhooves. Looks like he was one of the buffalo bosses around here.”

“Chief Thunderhooves...” Winter nods and smiles. “Sounds like a guy we can count on. Think you can get his cell open tomorrow before they put him to work?”

“Sorry, I only know where they work him, not where he is.” She shakes her head. “But he looks like he tries to keep an eye on everything, so if he’s out and spots us, he’ll help.”

Fluffy taps on the bars to get her attention. “Free big buffalo early. Make freeing others easier. I take you to him tomorrow if other dogs not watching us.”

“We’ll take care of that part.” The unicorn smiles and pats Mercury. “They don’t pay any attention to us as long as we stay in one place. I doubt they’ll think to blame us when a few things go...awry.” He smirks.

‘Just gonna throw a few wrenches in the works.’ He pauses, brow furrowing slightly. ‘So to speak. I don’t think they actually have machinery down here.’

“Maud and I can go free everyone else in the confusion.” Dior smirks slyly. “Maybe we can find a way to differentiate the friendly dogs from the non-friendlies, too.”

Fluffy chuckles in his usual gravelly tone. “No need. Already found more allies. They want Alpha overthrown. Want to go back to regular digging.” He nods to the group. “When distractions start, they free slaves from carts and shackles and give them keys. You take prisoners in cells. Then battle. Any not fit to fight, we dig safe room for until we can escape.”

“Perfect!” She smiles at him.

“Now we just need to let the outside team know what’s going on.” Winter looks to Dior. “You still up for passing the message?”

The silver nymph salutes playfully. “Yes, sir!” She stands, moving over to the door. “Think you can help me sneak out, Fluffy?”

The diamond dog nods. Pulling out a rusty key, he opens the cell door to let her out. “Have many hidden tunnels as shortcuts. Some that Alpha not know of. We use them, we stay hidden if we are quiet.”

Winter looks up. “Any that go to the other cell rooms?” He has a hopeful expression on his face. Fluffy nods. “Think I could come along?”

The grey diamond dog looks to Dior, as if asking her for permission to bring the unicorn with them.

She gives him a nod and the stallion a knowing look. “He can come. I’m sure he’ll be quiet as a mouse.” She taps her chin, thoughtful. “Hey, have you seen an orange mare, by the way? Three apples on her flank?”

Fluffy nods again. “One visitor to town above. Know where she is. You want to see her?”

“I think he wants to see her more than I.” She gestures to Winter, smiling playfully at him. “Isn’t that right?”

The stallion pulls the brown hat on his head down a bit. “I’ve got something of hers that she might want back.”

“I can tell.” She shakes her head, turning to the diamond dog. “He can come. He probably would try to find his way to her, if we didn’t let him.”

The stallion sighs. “Dior, stop please?” He pulls the hat lower.

“Fine.” She shrugs. “You’re coming, though, right?”

Nodding, Winter pushes the hat back up, revealing the blush he thinks he had fought away. He lifts Mercury off of him and places him on the straw bed. “I’ll be back, okay? But don’t wait up for me. You need your sleep.”

The fox huffs, curling up in a ball. ‘Fine… I expect some food after all this, though…’

“As soon as we’re out of this mine, I promise.” He gives the kitsune a little nuzzle, then turns to Dior and Fluffy. “Alright, let’s go.”

Fluffy nods and opens Winter’s cell door as well, letting him step out. “Keep quiet. I show you passage. Sneak back to cells when you both done.”

They nod, and the trek begins. The passage is really little more than one of the many tunnels they passed before, but stopping partway through to go through a locked door that Fluffy unlocks. They tread carefully for a little while longer, stopping at another door that Fluffy opens.

“Orange pony in there, with other ponies. When done, go through path you saw. Use key.” He gives the unicorn a copy of the rusty key he had been using, then continues off down the path with Dior.

Sighing before taking a deep breath, Winter opens the door quietly and steps through. He’s in the middle of another narrow tunnel, but from the sounds of quiet voices, he can tell which way to go. Turning to his left, he trots down the tunnel, eventually emerging into a cell room similar to the one he and his team are temporarily living in. This one, however, is crowded with entirely earth ponies; most of them residents of Appleloosa, and all of them looking like they had seen better days.

Inside one of the cells, sitting down against the wall, is the mare from the photograph, though short one signature hat. Her green eyes happen to look up just in time to see Winter, narrowing before showing confusion, recognition, and hope in quick succession.

“If you think I’m the cavalry, you’re gonna have to wait a bit longer,” Winter tells the prisoners with a chuckle, keeping his voice low. “I’m just here to talk to a...friend, before that all goes down.” He makes his way over to the cell that the orange mare occupies by herself, unlocking the door with Fluffy’s key and letting himself in.

Raising an eyebrow at him, the mare speaks in a southern twang. “Since when does a pony unlock a cell to go inside it?”

He laughs a bit as he sits down beside her. “Applejack...this is me you’re talking to. Me, Winter Solstice. Since when have I ever done something ordinary?” He levitates the hat off his head and over to her. “Also, I think you dropped this a while back.”

“Ah, appreciate this more than you know.” As the hat plops onto her head, she adjusts it slightly, grimacing as her hoof encounters one of the tears. “Gonna have to get this fixed up once we get outta here.” She refocuses back on him. “Ah assume that since ya’ll can just stroll in here, you have a plan?”

He nods. “Most of the Tactics team, myself obviously included, have gotten ourselves ‘enslaved’. We’ve managed to get a few of the disgruntled diamond dogs on our side, and tomorrow, we’re going to begin our attack. You’ll probably be free before the dogs even come get you to put you to work.”

“Well shoot, didn’t take ya long, did it?” She grins happily at her friend. “Good to see all that guard training coming in handy. Guess we need to lay low until it’s time, then?”

He smiles back. “Yep, but once the time comes - and you’ll know when it does - feel free to do whatever you want. Run, hide, even join in the fight if you’re up for it. But I promise you that long before tomorrow ends, these caves will be abandoned and all the slaves will be heading back home.” He lifts a hoof and boops her nose playfully. “You included.”

Chuckling, she playfully bats his hoof away, smiling. “Ah’ll hold ya to that.”

Winter chuckles as well, glancing away briefly. He frowns a bit. “...if you don’t mind me asking...how’d you get caught? What happened, exactly?”

“Well…” Taking off her hat, the mare strokes her mane once before replacing the clothing. “...honestly, there ain’t really much to tell. Ah got a letter from mah cousin tellin’ me there was some strange stuff goin’ on over here in Appleloosa. He said he could use some help tryin’ to sort it all out. Ah get here, and half the town seems to have up and vanished. Think it was… mah second night here when they got me. Was half asleep, but all Ah remember is a bunch of em, a bag, and a nice blow to the back of mah head after Ah started buckin’ like there was no tomorrow.” She shrugs. “Not too much different than any of the other stories, ‘cept Ah actually wish they would have come for me sooner. Least then, Ah’d have been awake enough to take the varmints down a peg or two.”

The unicorn nods as he listens to her recounting of the events. When she finishes, he speaks up once again. “Have you met this ‘Alpha’ guy since you’ve been down here? Or that weird filly?”

She nods. “Yeah, actually, though ‘met’ ain’t the right word. Ah’ve only seen em once, mahself. Apparently they do a sort of weekly tour of all the progress that we make. Spotted em during one of those times.” Her body shivers a moment. “Something ain’t right about that filly with him…”

Noticing her shiver, Winter puts a hoof on her shoulder in worry. “Yeah...apparently Merc knows her, though...he hasn’t told me how. But I intend to find out before I do anything to her.” He grits his teeth. “Alpha, on the other hoof...he’s free game as far as I’m concerned.”

“Careful now, you know that temper of yers makes ya have tunnel vision sometimes.” She shakes her head. “That one’s called ‘Alpha’ for a reason. He ain’t small, he ain’t weak, he ain’t stupid. It won’t be easy to take him down.”

“The same can be said about me, you know.” He laughs lightly. “But you’re right. I won’t go after him until I know all his tricks are out of the bag. And even then, I’ll be on total guard.” He frowns. “That filly is what worries me, though...I’ve seen what she can do...or the aftermath of it, at least.”

Shaking her head once more, she replies. “Haven’t seen it mahself. All I know is that she makes me feels uneasy.”

He nods. “Same here. Makes me feel uncomfortable, nervous, like something’s about to go wrong...oh, wait, never mind. That’s just me around girls in general.” He smirks, trying to lighten the mood.

Lightly punching him with her hoof, she smiles once more. “Yeah, that’s you alright. Try to save it for after we’re out of here.”

The stallion laughs, pretending to rub at the spot she hit. “Only because you asked so nicely.”

The moon hovers overhead like an all-seeing eye. It’s luminous gaze wanders over the barren and rock strewn landscape of the Appleloosan area. One of the many outcroppings holds a secret, it’s surface marred by a large hole, and it’s function given away by the small piles of minerals to either side of the entrance. Hoofbeats are heard rapidly approaching from within.

A silver form emerges from the shadows of the opening, moonlight making her form stand out among the sandy landscape. She closes her eyes, letting the air of her surroundings wash over her for a moment. An ear twitches and she turns right, going off at an angle to the mesa she came from.

Her direction has her heading towards another gathering of stones. While nothing noticeable from afar, up close it appears to form a sort of artificial cave, as if the wind had tried to blow through this spot enough to leave a sizeable dent in the side. A few larger specimens of rock sit in front of an around the entrance, their red and orange hues muted in the low light.

She quietly approaches, knocking on the side of the formation carefully. “Anyone awake?”

“Just one, will that do for now?” One lump piece of the rocks detaches itself and walks toward her, revealing the dark red form of Hydro smiling at her.

“Yes, I suppose.” Dior smiles, walking up and gently nuzzling his cheek. “Did you miss me?”

He doesn’t speak at first, meeting her lips in a brief but deep kiss. He responds once he breaks it. “What do you think?”

She giggles, pecking him back before she strolls over to another couple boulders. “I missed you, too.” She taps on one of the rocks, causing a pair of purple eyes to peek out at her. “Wake up, now. I have some info for you all.”

The unicorn slowly sits up, rubbing her eyes with a foreleg. “I guess it can’t wait until morning, then?” A shake of the head. “Thought so.” She moves to the side, bumping the other lump with her hindleg. “Good luck waking him up.”

“Yeah,” Hydro agrees, “dropped like a lump after he was done flying around to get a good site for camp.”

“Brilliant.” Dior sighs, sitting down with her back against the cave wall. “So, we’re almost ready to take care of this. We have a few of them on our side, and we’ll be able to get more help from the others.”

Her husband sits next to her. “Glad to know things are going fairly smoothly down there. A bit of dissent definitely speeds everything up compared to an entire corrupt group. Are the others fairing as well as you are?”

“From what I can tell, they seem to be doing alright. Winter located Applejack - probably spending time with her as we speak - I made a friend out of our guard, and the dogs really can’t stand high-pitched noises.” The nymph looks up, frowning slightly. “Apparently, some of the diamond dogs formed a pet rock club at Maud’s behest, but it’s better than the cult that would’ve been…”

“Don’t drink the punch.” Vinyl flinches at the stares she receives. “What? Someone had to say it…”

The marble changeling clears her throat, gesturing to them. “Anyways, Sol says that you should sneak in at sunrise and be ready to rush in as soon as you hear the first sounds of a battle. No specifics, but I guess he figured you’d all know what to do.”

“Just do what we do best I guess.” The earth pony answers with a grin. “Kick flank to make sure everypony gets out and that this doesn’t happen again. If it keeps going this smooth, we might have this as one of our quickest missions.”

“I sure hope so.” She glances over at the unicorn. “By the way, do you have any earplugs?” The disk jockey nods and passes a small container over to her. “Thanks. This would definitely come in handy, if things go as expected.”

With a quick peck on the stallion’s cheek, she’s outside, hurrying back as quietly as possible. As soon as she’s out of sight, the white mare turns to the red pony, smirking playfully. “I bet you enjoy rockin’ that bod.”

Used to that particular quip, Hydro turns to her. “I think Enigma could say the same of you.”

“Hey,” she points to him, blushing fiercely, “I’ll have you know we’ve been doing our best to wait… not that it’s easy, but still!”

“That’s your choice, so that’s fine with me.” He lays down next to one of the rocks, his coat already blending in. “Just let me know when I need to start looking into places to buy tiny colored shades.”

She rolls her eyes. “Hilarious.” She turns to the side, muttering to herself. “Wonder if I should cancel that order…” Violet eyes glance to him once more. “Though I do have to ask… does it chafe, with her?”

He smiles. “Not from what I’ve heard. Seems like it only feels good to her.”

She curls back up, facing him as she lays on her side. “No, I mean, with her being stone, and all.”

“Not at all.” He shakes his head. “Except for her legs, she’s only stone where things would normally be chitin. She made sure to make herself very smooth unless she doesn’t want to be.”

“If you say so.” She closes her eyes, sighing softly. “Good luck with watch, the rest of the night…”

As the mare drifts off to sleep and eventually starts snoring, Hydro can only shake his head, looking back out over the moon-graced landscape.

The day begins just like the previous one for the team. Fluffy wakes them up early to bring them to work before disappearing to handle his own business, and they’re left on their own in a cave almost entirely devoid of life. Only a few other diamond dogs to act as guards are walking around, and none of them seem fully awake.

“Guess they got us up first since we were the last to start working yesterday,” Winter mutters. He’s back to being in the middle of the room, beside the cage that the dogs insisted on locking Mercury in once more. This time, they don’t even bother trying to put Winter to work, having learned their lesson from the day before.

‘At least it’s beneficial to us, right?’ He paws at the latch on his door. ‘I wish they’d let us stay in the cell, though. Then we could do more…’

“It’s better this way, I think.” Winter looks around as a few other slaves are brought out, barely awake. “Getting a full view of the room makes this easy.” Angling his body and lowering his head so the diamond dogs don’t see what he’s doing, he lights his horn and starts to focus.

Seeing what he’s doing, the fox lowers his voice, speaking as the magic fades. ‘Will that work for all of them? Or just the ones that aren’t in use?’

The stallion smirks. “If it’s in this room, it’ll work. This is where we’re trying to bring the dogs, don’t forget. Then they won’t be focusing on the prisoners.” He looks around at the room, which at a first glance looks entirely the same. “Now we wait, and then let all Tartarus break loose.”

‘Good.’ He glances at his friend, hopeful. ‘You’ve got it with you, right?’

A nod. “The dogs don’t seem to care if I have a book with me for ‘passing the time’.” He shows the blue tome to the fox.

‘Great to know.’ He sighs in relief. ‘We need that close by, just in case things go south.’

Winter nods again and glances back. The dogs are just beginning to hitch the slave ponies up to the carts, and he grins. “Pull back the curtains. The show’s about to start.” As sneakily as he can, he levitates a rusty key up and hovers it near the lock on the cage, waiting for the right moment.

The chihuahua diamond dog from the day before steps up to Gilda, harness in her paws. “Bird stay still while I secure this.” She places it on the griffon’s back and moves to the side, about to lock it shut when a loud creaking reverberates through the area. The dog leaps back as the carts fall apart, the side of the nearest nearly falling on top of her. She rounds on Gilda, pickaxe in her paws. “What did you do?!”

“I looked at it funny.” Her avian eyes narrow at the pickaxe.

The canine growls, swinging her tool up over her head. “See if bird can do that without-” She lets out a yelp as the top of the improvised weapon falls off, landing on top of her tail.

All around, other dogs are beginning to have similar problems. Carts everywhere are losing wheels and completely collapsing before the slaves can even be put into the harnesses. Pickaxes are losing their heads and falling into two worthless pieces. And in all the commotion, the dogs are too busy trying to figure out what the problem is that none of them notice a solitary unicorn unlocking the cage in the middle of the room.

“Griffon! Here!” A familiar grey diamond dog hisses at Gilda from a nearby tunnel, unnoticed by the frantic canines. “This way!”

“One second!” With a swift motion, she yanks the handle out of the chihuahua’s hands as it jumps around in pain. With a swift crack over the head, she lays it out flat and tosses the handle away, heading toward Fluffy. “Alright, let’s go.”

The battered canine struggles to her feet as the griffon runs away, growling angrily as she grabs her club. “Bird pay for that!” She races after her, blind to everything else going on around her.

As she charges into the tunnel after the escaping griffon, she gets blocked by a larger brown diamond dog that steps into her path from a connected tunnel. “Stay back.”

She looks up at him, confused and annoyed. “Bird fleeing! We need to stop bird!”

He glares down at her. “Bird helping. Leave bird.” Reaching down, he grabs a club of his own. “You not pass.”

The chihuahua stares blankly at him, unsure what to think. “What are you saying? Alpha get mad if we don’t stop bird!”

“Alpha not be Alpha after today. We done with Alpha.” His eyes narrow further. “Leave bird.”

She looks from him to the tunnel and back, whining softly. “But bird hit me with stick.”

“Ah, walk it off,” Winter comments casually as he trots by, Mercury on his back, heading down a nearby tunnel. “Don’t be such a bitch.”

As the chaos spreads above, Dior and Maud rush down a tunnel together, hurrying to the cells. The path is clear, the dogs not on their side currently preoccupied. The nymph glances at the mare, trying to stay serious despite the keyring hanging from the pony’s mouth. “We need to make sure they’re all uninjured. Can you do that, Miss Pie?”

A single sound of confirmation muffles its way around the keyring as the mare nods.

Things lapse into a mildly awkward silence. Seeing the distance they’ve yet to cover, the nymph decides to voice something that’d come to her a while back. “So, back when we met in the base… I noticed a slight spike before you walked up to me…” She keeps one eye on her and smirks slightly. “Was that because I’m stone, or because you’re interested in mares?”

In keeping with her reputation of having a constant legendary poker face, Maud looks blankly at the nymph before doing a clever bit of mouth work so that the ring now hangs on her muzzle instead of in it. “Spike of what?”

“If I’m not mistaken…” She frowns, her gaze turning to the ceiling. “I think it was desire… might’ve been just plain interest, though.”

“They are similar in some ways.” Maud manages to keep her voice flat even when running. “I naturally am intrigued by new forms of stone, and a living being made of stone is extremely interesting. Also, while it was unconnected to any feelings at the time, I am equally open to both mares and stallions.”

Dior smirks slyly. “Is that so?” She slows down as they near a branch in the path, turning to face the mare. “So you don’t have a preference for the form of either gender?”

“I don’t.” She confirms. “I like to judge what’s on the inside because the outside can sometimes not tell the whole story.”

“Good to know you’re not petty.” She gestures to the left. “You take that way, I’ll take the other. We’ll meet back where Fluffy made the safe area with the ones we free, okay?”

“Okay.” Maud nods once more before turning away, only to turn back almost immediately. “Will you tell me later why you asked those questions?”

“Yes, I will.” She smiles and waves, running down her chosen path. Blinking, Maud turns back around and heads down her own tunnel.

Dior doesn’t have to travel long before the narrow path widens out into a large room; the same as the one they dropped Winter off at the night before. She approaches one of the cell doors, talking to the ponies inside.

“It’s going to be alright, now. We’re all going to get out of here.” She turns her attention to the lock, holding up her hoof. “I just need to take care of these tumblers…” She places the frog of her hoof against the metal, tapping it a few times in multiple locations. “These are terrible bars…”

The nymph presses against the hinge, the metal warping under her touch. “So full of impurities…” She takes care of the second and moves the door off to the side. She turns to the ponies inside, concerned. “Is anyone injured? Can you all walk?”

Most of the ponies stand up, looking no worse for the wear aside from some small bruises or cuts. However, one earth pony stallion, only a little younger than the other prisoners, is clearly limping with a bad hind leg.

Dior winces, looking to the other ponies there. “Can someone help him while I get the others out?” She turns to the other door, frowning deeper. “Buck… this one’s better quality…” She sighs, sitting down before it. “I guess I’ll have to wing it…” She holds up her hooves, the very tips flowing into thin rods, one with a flag. Leaning in close, she slips both of the items in, trying to figure out on the fly how to do this. “The movies make this look so damn easy…”

It takes a few minutes, but she starts to get the hang of it, slowly trying to turn the lock. “Careful… almost-” She cuts off as the stone breaks off her hoof, causing her to glance between the jagged edge and the mechanism for a second or two. “...screw this.” She scowls, placing a hoof on the lock and pulling, wrenching it entirely free of the door. “No lock, no block.” She tosses it to the side and opens the door. “There. Now everyone’s-” She stops, staring at a ball and chain on one of the prisoners. “...free?”

The prisoner, a light yellow earth pony with a brown vest and matching hat similar to the one Winter had dropped off the night before, just gave his chained leg a tug to show how solid it was. “Sorry if this throws a wrench in yer plans, miss, but Ah don’t think this’ll come off easy.”

Dior grits her teeth, forcing a small smile for him. “Not a problem. I don’t think I’ll be trying to pick this one, though.” She waves a hoof. “Don’t want to lose too much of myself, after all.” She moves next to him, grabbing the black sphere with her magic, straining with the exertion. “I’ll just… carry this, for now… until we can do something about it…”

The pony shakes his head. “Jus’ leave me behind. Ah ain’t gonna let mahself become a hindrance to yer plan.”

She scowls at him, eyes narrowed. “I’m not going to just leave you here. I’m going to get you out of here if I have to carry you.” She pokes his muzzle. “Got it?”

“An’ what if ya get caught? Ah reckon ya can’t run fast carryin’ me or some heavy ball.”

“I don’t have to run.” She smirks, turning her attention back to the entrance to the area. “I can handle myself, and protect everyone that needs me to.”

Almost as soon as she finishes speaking, a metal door partway down the tunnel slams open, and a dark red diamond dog storms out, running for the room of cells as soon as it notices Dior. Within seconds, the dog is in the nymph’s face, an iron club in its grasp. The other slaves shy away. “What you doing here?!”

She stares at him for a moment before walking around him, leading the stallion behind with the chain attached to his ankle.

“Hey! I talking to you!” With a loud growl, the dog swings its club at the nymph, striking her in the side of the face.

She stumbles to the side, falling against a wall as the ball drops to the floor. Her head hangs low as she stands back up in silence, legs trembling slightly. As the dog moves to ready another swing, a piece of stone falls on the ground, clattering against the floor.

Dior slowly lifts her head, revealing a crack down the side of her face and an intensity in her eyes that wasn’t there before. In less than a second, she swings out her foreleg, a blade emerging from her hoof. She swiftly closes the distance between them, stabbing the dog in the arm holding the club, causing him to cry in pain and drop the weapon.

She leans in close, barely-restrained fury filling her voice. “You’re lucky that’s all I did, mutt. Apologize, then leave before I cut something off.”

“S-Sorry!” the dog replies in a pain-filled voice, clutching at his arm to stop the bleeding. He starts backing away, then turns and makes a run for it, calling out to the other dogs that the slaves were rebelling.

Dior sighs, letting the blade retract back into her leg. “So much for subtlety.” She turns and looks at the ball, staring at it a moment. With blinding speed, she lashes out and smashes it, turning to the stallion it was attached to. “Better?”

The former prisoner looks shocked, but nods. “Y-Yeah...thank ya kindly...”

“Good. I needed to get that out of my system.” She turns to leave but stops, staring at the lone form still in one of the cells. Frowning, she approaches the orange pony, shaking her shoulder. “Hey, wake up. This is no time for a nap.”

“Rah… get off me ya varmint…” One hoof swipes the white one away as the form stirs, letting out a yawn. Blinking, Applejack looks around, noting the lack of ponies in her cell. “Shoot, didn’t sleep through the whole rebellion, did Ah? I got dogs to pay back.”

“No, it, quite literally, just started.” The nymph looks down at her hoof, frowning at the scarlet staining the marble. “I hope that can come out…” She shakes her head and nods to the tunnel. “Come on, Applejack. If we hurry, we can see the last of the fireworks. Just remember, some of the dogs are on our side.”

“Well,” she begins as she stands, “Ah can try not to hit em, but no promises Ah won’t be a mite twitchy around em until I can tell which ones are on our side.”

“I think it’d be the ones who aren’t attacking you.” Dior giggles, draping a wing across her back. “Maybe we’ll get to see Fluffy. I’m sure you’ll like him.”

“Winter mentioned him...is that really his name?” The two walk out of the cell.

“I technically gave it to him, so I’m not really sure.” She scratches her chin. “I wonder how everything is going with them…”

“Slaves escaping! They fighting back!”

With those words coming from the bleeding diamond dog charging out from a tunnel into the main area, the chaos and confusion of their equipment falling apart quickly gets even worse as they try to grab whatever weapons they can - clubs, broken pickaxes, or even large rocks. Anything to prepare themselves for the rebellion.

At the same time, a thundering of footsteps comes from another tunnel as a wave of, now former, slaves run out. The charge is led by none other than Gilda, who takes flight as soon as she is able; and Chief Thunderhooves, who bowls over a half dozen dogs before the rest even knew what hit them.

“Charge!” The buffalo’s cry rings out throughout not just the cavern, but through the surrounding tunnels with its volume. The former slaves mirror the cry as they follow their leader into battle.

From the opposite end of the room, coming out of another narrow tunnel are a familiar unicorn stallion with a fox on his back. This time, however, they’re followed by even more former slaves; specifically, the ones willing to back them up in the battle to escape. Any who didn’t have it in them to battle, or were too injured to try, were taken to the safe room by Fluffy and the other allied diamond dogs.

“I think it’s time to send these dogs to the pound,” Winter says with a chuckle.

‘My exact sentiments.’ Mercury lowers himself, getting ready to leap off his back. ‘Throw me in a cage, will-’

“Sol!” Dior emerges from one of the side tunnels, waving to him. “Applejack and the others are safe, now!”

Winter turns to her and grins, noticing the slaves following behind her and one orange mare in particular. “Great! Think you can get me re-equipped?”

“Sure, one sec!” She swings her foreleg, the sleek blade flying out and to the right of the stallion, striking a dog in the shoulder. “Oh… oops?”

The unicorn smirks as he turns to the dog, who dropped its club after the knife pierced its shoulder. Quickly, he grabs the club in his magic and slams it straight into the dog’s face, knocking it out cold and enabling him to retrieve the dagger. He glances at the hilt, which looks as though it were made out of glass. “Vestige, great to see you again.” He begins making his way over to the nymph.

Dior opens up the stone of her hindlegs, the blades there quickly dropping out. “Yeah, I don’t want to chance hitting you with these, so I hope this is good enough!”

Nodding, Winter picks the two up with his magic and swiftly levitates them over to him; on the way, he quickly turns one around to point at a dog advancing on him, stopping it cold. One false jab from the green-tipped blade, and the dog scurries away. “That’s three. You still got Verdict?”

She whines, looking at him pleadingly. “Can’t I use it, for a bit? It’s much more sturdy than my stone weapons…”

“If you think you need to. Just don’t try using magic on it.” He twirls the three knives he’s acquired around himself. “Now to get the others from Gilda...”

“Vision and Vendetta, right?” She smiles, holding up a hoof to reveal the tip of the remaining dagger. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it. I just want to make sure these guys get to safety, Sol.”

Winter nods, his eyes glancing at one orange earth pony near the back of the group. “Right. Keep them safe.”

“I will. And maybe you and your mare friend could go get drinks together after this.” She winks and starts moving to the larger tunnel, leading the former earth pony slaves behind her, including the farmer attempting to hide her blushing face beneath her hat.

Having no hat to hide his own reddening features, Winter settles for simply turning away and glancing back at Mercury with a stern look. “Not. One. Word.”

He tilts his head at his friend, smirking slyly. ‘Not even these four?’

“You know what I mean. Don’t act dumb. You don’t fit the role as well as I do.” He starts galloping around the room as he looks for Gilda.

‘Really, Win, stop hating on yourself.’ Mercury huffs softly. ‘It’s kinda painful… besides, we need to stay alert for any sign of that Alpha character, and self-pity’s distracting.’

Ducking under the swinging arms and clubs of the diamond dogs that take notice of him, the unicorn laughs. “I think Alpha will make himself known well enough when he decides to crawl out of his little hidey-hole.” One club smashes into the ground right by him, and on reflex, Winter stabs his green-tipped blade - Viper - into the offending diamond dog’s stomach.

The fox groans, clinging onto his friend as hard as he can, not wanting to be flung off. ‘Who knows when that’ll be?’

“Probably whenever he realizes these mutts aren’t gonna do much to stop us.” He twists the dagger around before pulling it out, and the diamond dog collapses. “Play dead...good boy.”

The silver fox stares at the wound, grimacing slightly. ‘You sure that wasn’t a bit much, Win?’

“If that club hit me, I’d be dead. Just call it karma for attempted murder.” He turns away from the dog and continues running. “Sometimes, being the good guy means you have to do bad guy things, but for a different cause.”

Mercury looks warily at his friend, concerned. ‘If you say so…’

Stealthy Shades #36

The baron's castle makes an imposing sight just after dusk. With the sky set aflame in almost all colors, the fortress remains resolutely dark, an eternal giant shadow looming over the landscape. The sky grows darker with each moment, and inside, lights can be seen beginning to switch on. Every so often, a silent flash of lightning from the cloud layer illuminates the top of the structure.

If one looks closely, they could see the barely-perceptible shifting of leaves. This is the only sign of the dark-toned team hiding among the undergrowth, though two members are outfitted in bodysuits to hide their brighter coats.

The smallest among them tugs at the hoodie of her costume, huffing quietly. How do you handle wearing this, Volt? And why does mine have bunny ears but yours doesn't?

Cinching his belt tighter, the sea-green stallion shrugs. Look, they asked me to find something like mine, and that was the only design they had for fillies. You get used to the weight, plus you know it makes you feel cool.

You're sure this is for stealth, though? She raises a hoof, examining the paw-shaped shoes. This looks more like something from mom's Nightmare Night closet...

The nymph in question quickly covers her mouth, hiding a blush and muffling a small squeak. It's really fine, sweetie. Just... could we go over the teams, please?

Right. Rhino's voice sounds through the mental link Luster had established between them all, his tone reflects his seriousness. All of us will be going inside the compound. Team one, abduction. Gel, Tavi, Atom, you are to head to the center of the compound, incapacitate the baron, and extract him. Final questions?

None from me, love. The navy nymph smiles warmly, leaning over to peck his cheek before continuing. We'll be sure to get him.

Agreed, Octavia's voice comes through as well, he has proven to be most uncivilized, let's give him an equally uncivilized greeting. The musician has equipped herself with a variety of tools and weapons, ready and willing to use any of them.

He won't know what hit him, but he won't forget it. Atom says simply.

The dark green stallion nods. Good. Team two, relic. Luster, Volt, you are to retrieve the artifact, we aren't sure what you'll have to get through security-wise, but you need to do it regardless and between the two of you it should be fine. Should you need assistance with runic safety measures, call me.

No problem. She turns to the lighter unicorn, eyebrow raised questioningly. Promise me you won't make puns the whole time. I don't want to lug around an unconscious pony.

You can practically see the sweat on the stallion's brow. Umm... one or two may slip out...

For your sake, it'd better not be often. She shakes her head before backing behind a tree, seeing one of the spotlights pass near their area.

As soon as it's a safe distance away, the pink filly lets her breath go. She then faces her father, confused. What about us, daddy? She gestures to herself and the burgundy stallion beside her. You... didn't quite say what we're supposed to do.

He nods. We are team three, roamers. Our jobs are not set in stone, but instead are to help out where we can with either team. We have no goal other than to assist the mission however we may, without getting caught. It also allows us to keep an eye on things.

And... if we do get caught? She shuffles her hooves nervously, looking from father to teacher and back.

Enigma places a reassuring hoof on Ruby's shoulder, smiling calmly. We'll worry about that if it happens. He turns to Luster, nodding respectfully. So, how do we get-

His train of thought gets cut off with a loud boom as lightning illuminates the sky. It hits a lightning rod over the gate, visibly rippling through the high iron walls.

Everyone jumps in shock, a few even embracing loved ones. A few seconds later, Luster reluctantly pulls away from Octavia, blushing brightly. Well, uh... that explains the thunderclouds, I guess?

Giving the sight of his daughter clinging to Enigma a thoughtful look tinged with suspicion and slight hurt, Rhino comments. Clever... and dangerous. His strokes his wife's mane as she clings to him.

Not really... The filly sheepishly pulls away from the pegasus, shrugging slightly. The guards are in metal corridors, if I remember Aunt Luster's model correctly... depending on whether it's mostly covered or not, she gestures with a hoof, they may be protected by what amounts to a Faraday cage.

Which would keep the electricity from getting to them by using a path of least resistance. Enigma nods, hoof to his chin. That also explains their lack of armor... any metal making contact with the electrified surface would create the beginnings of a new circuit, frying them where they stand.

Right... but what I meant was dangerous to us. The green stallion deadpans.

Volt speaks up. Hey, don't worry about it, that's half the reason I'm here is to be the shock absorber. He flinches at his slip. Whoops, well... we haven't technically gone it yet.

Fine. I won't count that one against you. The indigo nymph prods him, gesturing to the wall. Now go take one for the team.

He nods, quickly moving forward. Once at the wall, he takes a moment to look upward at it's scale, the electricity in it evident to him from his natural attunement to it. Sorry wall, I need this power. He places a hoof against the metal surface.

Instantly, all the fur on his body seems to stand on end and small arcs of electricity can be seen dancing across him. He stays like this for about ten straight seconds before it seems to die down and he removes his hoof.

Shaking himself, and causing a few more arcs across himself in the process, he turns to the others, his eyes wide and his grin wider than usual. Woo! Never get tired of that energy boost! Come on then, we've got until the next bolt hits and recharges the system.

Good job, Surge. Luster hurries over to his side, touching a hoof to the metal surface. With a small nod, the barrier opens inward, big enough for two ponies to enter at a time. She grabs up Volt in her magic and drags him inside, waving for the others to follow.

Octavia looks to the others in her group. So it begins. She heads through the hole next, Atom following behind her.

Ruby and Enigma quickly head after them, leaving the emerald stallion and his navy nymph. She reluctantly pulls away from him, entwining their tails briefly. I'm glad you trust her to be on her own. She bumps his side with her own, smiling softly as they approach the opening. Don't worry, love, I'm using a separate link.

Yeah... good... He watches his daughter go, his words disconnected. After a moment, his eyes focus on the hole and he shakes his right. Right. Let's get this done. He narrows his eyes and proceeds through the gap with her at his side.

The wall seals up behind them, and lightning strikes the rod seconds later. As the ones from before cover their ears, the burgundy pony decides to speak up. Okay, so we're inside. Now, where do we sneak into the central tower?

Atom is the one to answer. Well, while there are a few doors, they aren't really options. We make our own, though we'll need you, Luster, and Volt to do it.

He blinks, looking to the taller pegasus. Well, this should be interesting...

Rhino nods his head towards the building. We have to get over there first. Teleporting isn't an option due to how many of us there are and the small amount of light it produces. Looks like we probably need old fashioned stealth.

The feminine stallion slowly nods. Which is why you need us... but why Volt?

I think a touch could answer that... but first, The indigo nymph's wings slowly shift, changing from clear and membranous to dark black and feathered, we need to go up a couple floors. She turns her attention to the pink pony reaching for her father's hoof. Which means we'll also need your help. A metal plate spreads underneath both costumed ponies, lifting them up as she and Enigma start to fly.

Ruby closes her eyes and lights up her horn, concentrating hard enough for sweat to bead on her brow. Then, as they pass the second floor, the four of them vanish out of sight.

As the group vanishes from sight, Rhino puts his hoof down, still feeling the reassuring squeeze his had given his daughter's own. He turns to Gel, bending down in front of her. Would you like a lift, love?

Across the mental link comes another voice gettign her own ride. Onward, Vortex! We have a griffon's day to ruin! Yah! As the cellist rides upwards on her black steed, she seems to really be gettngn into the spirit of it.

Gel chuckles as she climbs onto her stallion's back, nuzzling him tenderly. I never understood why she always gets excited to ride him...

Meanwhile, the four above find themselves facing a blank, brown sheet of metal. Luster turns to the unicorn next to her, nodding towards the barrier. Go ahead and do your thing, Surge. With this guy's preference for electricity, one can never be sure...

He nods as he walks forward. Right, if I take another one of these after this, I'll need to bleed a little off before it builds up too much. Maybe I'll curse everythign in a hallway with static- He is cut off as he touches the wall, absorbing the power from it.

She nods, chuckling as she pats his shoulder. Maybe. I don't doubt we'll see at least one griffon on our way down. The nymph focuses on the wall, holding up a hoof and gesturing to one side, the copper of the building dilating out from the center, pooling around the edges of the hole. She stares at the concrete before her, bemused, and moves to the side. Your turn, Enigma.

He nods, flying a bit closer, touching the surface for a moment. Yea, this shouldn't take that long. He pulls his hoof away, a small, bright fire soon appearing on the end of his gauntlet-clad hoof. Just give me two seconds.

As he get to work, a small bit of wind announces the arrival of one of the other pairs. As they land, Octavia dismounts Atom, patting him on the head afterwards. Good boy.

Bemused, the stallion rolls his eyes as he smirks, thankful she can't see the first action behind his shades. Peeking over the edge, he remarks to no-one in particular. Remind me why Rhino doesn't let Gel just fly him up here?

Afraid of being off the ground, I think? Luster shrugs, watching the red pony appear to vanish for a split second, his torch going out right after. That fast, huh?

Before he can say anything, a seam appears at the point where the metal touches. It starts to fall outward but he catches it, nodding briefly before moving backwards, slab held in his hooves. A bit longer than I'd like, but it was a bit thick.

She rolls her eyes as she floats the three flightless ponies among them through the hole, letting them slide off before bringing her metal back to herself. It quickly forms around her forelegs as a set of bracers, and she joins them inside.

Meanwhile, on the side of the building, Rhino casually walks up the wall with Gel attached to his back. Reaching the hole, they easily slip inside. Good, let's get that sealed up so no-one sees the light coming through there once we go elsewhere.

Agreed. Enigma looks to the rock in his hooves, then to his leader, smiling sheepishly. I can't exactly... put this back, without some help...

The unicorn smiles, lighting up his horn and levitating the section, Enigma coming in as soon as his burden is taken. He turns, still feeling his wife on his back as he sets it perfectly where it came from.

The metal flows back in place while Ruby moves over to her parents, poking her mother's cheek. Now's not the time to be sleeping, mom.

She grips him harder with her hooves, softly whining. But... fluffy...

Now now, love. Rhino turns his head and nuzzles her. Go beat up the mean griffon, then you can enjoy me being fluffy.

The nymph groans, slowly climbing off him. Fine... I expect a long snuggle session, after this. She closes her eyes, frowning slightly. Where is this Baron, anyways?

As soon as she asks, a three-dimensional map appears in their minds, the suddenness making the filly squeak in surprise.

Everyone stiffens as they see a small model on the map outside their room turn slightly. It stays facing the door for a moment before shaking its head and walking down the hall. "Damn rats... at least all they can get at in there are chemicals..."

Rhino sets a hoof on Ruby's back as he looks at the map. Alright... relic team needs to head down, abduction team needs to head... up one floor then inward. Roaming has free reign, just nothing too risky unless there's a reason. He looks down to the pink filly. Got it, little one? Stay safe.

She stares off into space a moment before nodding. I understand, daddy. She smiles warmly, pecking him on the cheek before she heads towards the door, turning invisible along the way.

Gel copies the affectionate gesture before turning to the others, nodding to them. They hurry out of the room, the lush rugs muffling their steps.

Luster places a hoof on Volt's haunches, making him sit down for a moment. Now that we're in range, I'm gonna get a look at that basement. That means you have to stay still and quiet for a bit. Understand?

Yes, mom. He smirks at her.

She smacks him upside the head, just as another bolt of lightning strikes the rod outside. The nymph, however, is too lost in her ire to notice. That was for the attitude. Next time I aim for the other one.

I'll be good... He resists the urge to zap her a little for the hit.

Try to behave, you two. Rhino admonishes them. I'm going to go take a wander, what about you, E?

Honestly? He scratches the back of his head. I was gonna try to see what that group of mares was about. If they're slaves, and the Baron's gonna be taken in, anyways... what's to say we can't help them?

Alright... just try to keep them quiet about us though, and don't discount the fact that some may actually want to be here. Watch out for those ones, they could be trouble. A green glow comes from the unicorn's hooves as he begins walking up the wall until he is on the ceiling.

You sure you don't want to help? He slowly lifts into the air, heading out the closet and hiding among the rafters. I can't be the only one feeling that they should be free, right?

No... but we have many priorities right now, E. Rhino starts heading down the hallway. We are meant to assist the others. Freeing those ponies is a good thing, yes, but if any of us are caught, their chances get that much lower. You are free to pursue that idea, but as leader, I need to keep an eye on everything and be ready to help with anything.

I guess that's fair... He makes his way the other direction, where the map in his head says the stairway up is. But it's only a couple floors up. We'd definitely be able to help with the Baron, if they do need it... knowing them, though, it shouldn't be that big an issue... He looks at a lone dot on the map, heading up the flight of stairs he's nearing. ...where does she think she's going? He drops to the floor, speeding off after her in an unrecognizable blur.

Narrowing his eyes in the direction the pegasus had gone, Rhino follows from the ceiling.

Ruby slowly exits the staircase, glancing around the dark halls. She mutters to herself, her invisibility spell slowly dispersing. "Best to save magic... wait." She pauses her steps, face scrunching in confusion. "Should I have checked that map, first?" She shakes her head, bringing the model up in her mind.

She freezes upon seeing it, realizing that there was a guard about to round the corner. She glances left and right, slowly backing away in fear. "Shoot... if I go invisible, it'd make a light... if I stand still, he might see me... if I strike, who knows if it'll be heard?" She trembles, softly whimpering as a light slowly grows around the corner.

The griffon guards rounds the corner, a bored look on his face that soon turns into one of surprise as his eyes narrow on the filly. "Well well well, what do we have here?" He approaches her without fear, a smirk on his face and a prowl in his step.

She shrinks slightly in on herself, nervously smiling. "J-just a... a lost filly..." She looks around, trying to fight down her panic. "W-where's the restroom, sir?"

"Heh, must be one of the new group. I swear, the boss wants them younger every time now." He is now within a ponylength of her, his eyes glinting. He stands next to her, a strong talon placing itself on her withers. "Let's get you back to the others, there's everything you could want in there, as long as you do your job." His grip tightens slightly as something occurs to him. "Actually, I have always wanted to test one of you girls out... What say you repay me for being so nice and bringing you back?"

"B-but I..." She gulps, feeling his claw starting to trail south.

"There you are!" The teen jumps and spins around, forcing her mouth not to drop at the sight before her.

A burgundy pegasus approaches the two of them, hips swaying with each step. The subtle blue skirt flutters around the pony's hips, the triangular ears placed over the ones already there twitching slightly. Ruby finds herself in an emotional embrace, face buried in the larger pony's chest as a surprisingly maternal voice fills her ears. "I was so worried about you. You know I could help you around this place!"

The guard snorts at the interruption, but his eyes look over this newcomer regardless. "I take it you're this one's keeper?"

"No," the pegasus waves a hoof, smiling coquettishly and bowing, "just her sister. Thank you for finding her, sir." The two start to walk away, Ruby unresponsive still due to shock. "I'll just get us back to the others, now. Have a nice night!"

"Not quite so fast there." His voice is commanding, forcing them to stop. "You know the baron doesn't like his girls wandering around. This one here was just about to pay me back for bringing her back without a fuss."

'She' turns around to face him, smiling sheepishly. "Are you sure we can't just...overlook this one incident? We haven't been able to get used to how things around here work, yet..."

"No better time to learn then." He walks toward them, grinning. "You two can just help each other. Think of it as me... warming you up for the baron." He reaches out towards Ruby. "Now... come here little bunny..."

Suddenly, a green aura surrounds the guard's neck, squeezing the thick plumage and flesh beneath it to about half of their original thickness. The bird raises his claws and tries to squawk in alarm, but can't even find enough air to do that. He rises off the floor, his legs kicking beneath him with less and less force as his pupils shrink to pinpricks. He moves more and more weakly until he goes limp, hovering halfway between floor and ceiling by his neck.

Behind the griffon, Rhino slowly walks from his position on the ceiling to the floor, a green crystal-like dagger floating next to him. His eyes remain locked onto the griffons form, blazing with barely contained fury.

The pegasus sighs, stepping forward to calm his friend before a pink blur runs past him, clinging to her father tightly. "D-daddy... y-you came..."

The feeling of her clinging to him is enough to knock Rhino to his senses. His horn goes out and the griffon drops to the floor while the dagger disintegrates into wisps that flow back into his horn. None of this particularly matters to him though as he wraps his forelegs around the filly. "Of course I did, sweetie... I always will." He strokes her mane soothingly as he holds her.

She starts to calm down, tenderly nuzzling his cheek and cooing softly. "So fluffy... I almost forgot how nice this felt..."

"Then I suggest you reacquaint yourself." His horn suddenly lights up again as he lifts her up, placing her on his back. "Because that was way too close, and you are sticking with me for a while." He nuzzles and kisses her on the forehead.

Ruby sits there on him quietly for a moment before giggling quietly. She leans forward and pecks his cheek. "I don't think I mind, dad... do you mind if I fall asleep... on accident, of course?" She looks to him with her doe eyes, hoping he'll say no.

Seeing the little filly he knew and loved, he knew his answer. "Of course not. I'll keep you safe." He nuzzles her lovingly once more.

The young pony sighs in relief. "In that case..." She collapses against his neck, passing out from the unexpected and unwanted suspense from earlier. She continues to display affection as she sleeps, however, nipping and hugging him tenderly.

He smiles, relaxing finally as he lights up his horn and draws a quick runic circle on his back to keep her stuck there. A glance ahead reveals no sign of either Enigma or the griffon, for which he is thankful. He says a quick word over the mental link. Small heads up, Ruby's going to be with me for a while, so you'll get both of us if you call me. With that said, he starts walking back up the wall, aiming to find a dark place somewhere from which to monitor everything in peace.

Enigma drops the guard on a couch in an empty linen closet, nodding to himself. "Hopefully, they'll just think he fell asleep..." He turns and walks outside, readjusting his saddlebags a second before continuing. "If I'm not mistaken... the door to this place should be..." He trails off, seeing the large, metal doors before him. "...here."

With a sigh, he steps forward and puts his shoulder to the section closest to the opening. "One... two... thr-" He falls forward as a smaller door opens up within the larger one, landing flat on his face and his cat ears almost falling off. "...ow."

The slight buzz of chatter that had been present when he fell in immediately dies out. As the feminine stallion looks up, he is greeted by what many females would call paradise. Vanities, cushion mountains, a hot-tub, and an entire wall devoted to a closet of various outfits. Everything is a light color, from white to pink to yellow. A large dinner table with any number of different food items sits off to one side across from large fluffy four-poster beds.

And every single inhabitant of the room, females all, stopped what they were doing and now were simply staring at Enigma.

He slowly looks up, glancing at each mare in turn before shyly waving. "Hi?"

A pink pegasus near him walks over and helps him up. "Oh dear... new huh?"

"Uh... in a sense, I guess?" He stands with her help, carefully brushing dirt off his top. "I was kinda hoping not to make such an embarrassing first impression..." He nervously chuckles, stepping further into the room. "So, uh... how are things, here?"

"Well, you know... the rooms nice, the girls look out for each other, we get anything we want... except to leave... and we never know when we're going to be called to be... put to work..." The pegasus just seems to get lower with every word she says.

One older mare calls across to her. "Cotton, stop being such a downer to the new girl."

"This place is a downer so excuse me for being down!" Cotton shoots back in a shrill voice, wings standing straight up in anger. She regains herself after a moment and turns back to Enigma. "So, did you apply or were you... volunteered?"

"Neither, actually. I snuck in." The burgundy pony smirks, bowing respectfully to the other pegasus. "So, you don't like being here, Miss Cotton?"

"Well, first of all, unlike some," she glares back at the mare that had called her out. "I didn't ask to be here. What do you mean you snuck in? What crazy pony would want to come here?"

"One who'd like to help others out of here." He whips off his ears, tucking them in one of his saddlebags. "Should've changed before I entered... eh, can't be helped, now."

She tilts her head. "Umm... what difference would that make?"

"Well, for one thing, this outfit's kinda itchy." He pulls off his saddlebags, stretching slightly. "I somehow doubt this is really silk... anyways, my name's Enigma." He holds out his hoof, smiling warmly. "Nice to meet you, Miss Cotton."

"Erm, likewise, I suppose, Miss Enigma." She shakes the offered hoof.

His eye twitches slightly at this, pulling his hoof away once the gesture is done. "It's Mister Enigma, actually." He slips off his skirt and blouse, chuckling nervously. "Sorry, the reason I wore this was to sneak past those guards... one tried to do something I'm not quite comfortable talking about." He slips the clothes into his bag, leaning inside it a bit. "Now where did my kakugane go to? Seriously, this 'hammerspace' needs better organization..."

One of the other girls comments as she watches the proceedings. "Huh, and here I thought he was just a guy who liked to cross-dress."

Another one next to her giggles. "I kind of wish I could have watched if that guard got far and found a bit of a surprise underneath."

The two dissolve into giggles at the stallion's expense.

"If he did, he'd be shamed by what he found." He shakes his flanks at them before reaching further into the bag, half his body now inside. "There it is. What's that bowling ball doing on top of it? I thought it was in the other one..."

A few of the mares tilt their heads shamelessly as they peek. Meanwhile, Cotton tilts her head out of confusion. "Umm... what are you doing?"

"Getting an important item." He slowly steps back, pulling himself out of the saddlebag, as well as a large bowling ball. "Not this, mind you. It was just in the way." He drops it on a pillow and looks to the mares behind him. "Like what you see, ladies?" He chuckles as he faces the other pegasus once more, holding up the small item still in his hoof. "See for yourself!"

As the other mares giggle to themselves, Cotton once again tilts her head. "It's a necklace."

"Maybe at first glance." He winks and slips it on, the hexagonal medallion glinting in the light. "I know for a fact that it can be so much more, though. Now, if I may," Enigma turns to the older mare from earlier, frowning softly, "why would you ask to be here? Don't you know what this griffon's done?"

She shakes her head, as do a few more around her. "I signed up for a cushy life in exchange for sex every once in a while to a puffed-up bird whom I don't particularly have to care about. It works for me."

He quirks an eyebrow at her. "Really? What about those who were - what did she say?" He raises his forehooves in the air, making quotes. "'Put to work'? Have any ever returned?"

She quirks her own delicate eyebrow back at him. "Yes, they all do. That was just her way of saying 'rutting session'."

"Oh." He goes silent for a moment, sitting down on the floor next to his bags. "I thought it meant something else... still, you've never seen someone go and not return?"

"Not particularly." Some of the other mares start going back to what they were doing, bored of the stallion while others pay rapt attention due to interest or interest. "We don't usually leave the room, mostly because we aren't allowed to if we aren't summoned. So it's not like we keep a tally on staff and visitors."

"Huh." He scratches his chin thoughtfully. "I would've thought that'd make it easier... but I guess that something like that could be overlooked. Now, for the reason I'm here..." The burgundy pegasus places a hoof on Cotton's shoulder, giving her a serious look. "I can get you out of here, if you truly want to go. If you don't," he turns his gaze to the older mare, "you can stay, but, in the end, it will be the same."

A few more mares become interested in the conversation as Cotton speaks, a small spark of hope in her eyes. "You mean it? You can get us out? I don't have to service what amounts to a giant cat anymore?"

Enigma nods, holding a hoof to his chest. "You have my word. I will make sure you all can get out safely." He glances at the unicorn once more, disdainful. "Whether you take the opportunity is up to you, but I urge you to do so."

As Cotton smiles wider, quite a few of the girls start talking excitedly among themselves, the energy in the room rising almost visibly.

Still the unicorn frowns as something occurs to her. She stands up. "No, you can't leave." As faces turn to her, she continues. "Being found outside the room is one thing, but trying to run away? Do you have any idea how angry he'll be? If you fail, what do you think he'll do to you? And if you succeed, what do you think he'll do to us?" More whispers start circulating the room as she looks around.

The stallion stands, striding over to her with purpose. He stops before her, muzzle mere inches away from hers. "I don't know about you, but I doubt that the Baron will be punishing anyone in the foreseeable future. So, if you want to be free, that's fine. If you want to stay to plunder his wealth or whatever, go be a gold digger." He pokes her in the chest, growling softly. "I'm giving you a chance at a normal life, again. One where griffons don't force you to give them pleasure..." He tilts his head, backing up a step to smirk wryly at her. "Or are you saying you love that sort of thing?"

She sneers haughtily at him. "Boy, you're little tactic of goading me won't work. This is a comfortable lifestyle for me, and with this many girls, odds I get picked are quite slim. I am fine where I am."

One of her friends, and an earth pony, taps her on the shoulder and motions her down. After a solid five minutes of back and forth whispering and faces ranging from skepticism to devious, the two straighten back up and the unicorn begins to speak again. "You know what? I do appreciate the offer, and while I do hope those of you that choose to go actually do escape, because I shall pray for you if you fail, myself and a few friends are sticking around for a bit." The slight upward tilt of her mouth shows motive, but what they are exactly is unknown. "So, off with the lot of you, we're off to establish an alibi."

As the group gets up and walks over to one of the beds, the earth pony remarks to Enigma. "Get a bunch of girls sleeping in a pile on a bed and guards usually half a good bit of their brain power go to imagination instead of intelligence. Still, good luck. We'll be fine." She hops onto the pile of other females and starts trying to settle down to find somewhere comfortable.

"Fine." He shrugs casually. "I guess you girls just won't mind when Baron Fletch Wing's arrested, then." He turns, flicking his tail slightly. "Sure, he may leave, but I'm sure the next royal will be quick to take his place. No telling how long that'll take, but there's no guarantee he'll be a nice guy." He looks at them over his shoulder. "I hope your seduction tactic works, but there's no guarantee. With me and my team, though, I'd put my life on the line to rescue those who deserve it." He walks over to Cotton, gently placing a hoof on her shoulder. "We will get you and the others out, as well as take care of the Baron. Okay?"

Cotton nods, but a few words of what he said cause he to ask. "Umm... we?"

"What, you thought I came alone?" The pegasus chuckles, shaking his head. "Nah, I have some friends downstairs. Trust me, they're all professionals."

With a wide smile, Cotton turns to the room at large, spreading her hooves wide. "Ladies, we got us some white knights!" A wave of excited giggling and squealing follows this announcement as almost all of the mares suddenly get up and swarm the stallion. Most of them try and say something to him, but their words are lost in the crowd. Quite a few of them pet him affectionately and there are even a few flank slaps and grabs mixed in.

Enigma blushes brightly, nervously laughing. "Y-you're all welcome, I just-" He jumps at a grope near his belly, sweating lightly from the reaction his body is starting to give. "Seriously ladies, I'm flattered, but-" The burgundy pony yelps as a mare spanks his flank, quickly taking to the air and rubbing the assaulted fur. As he reaches a good height, he finally realizes just how much clearer the air was, blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. "Dear Luna, how many of you are in heat?!"

They all give him a strange look as one of them answers. "Umm... none of us are... think of it this way: we've been rarely used sex slaves of a creature with the back half of a cat. We are mares, we are designed for stallions and you, sir, are our rescuer and look as graceful as one of us. Plus, you know, you are the first we've seen in a while." She grins as they all get an eyeful from their position under him. "Plus, you are teasing us by literally dangling it in front of us."

A light purple pegasus raises a hoof. "Umm... I'm actually in heat next week if you're available, Mister Enigma."

He gulps and tries to cover himself, shyly smiling. "S-sorry, I sometimes don't think when I talk... b-besides, I don't think I'd be that good... even with my, er, generous size..." His eyes dart from mare to mare, hoping that what he said would be explanation enough.

A few of them start rearing up onto their hindlegs trying to reach him. "We'd be more than willing to teach you... we promise we'll be patient."

He nervously laughs, moving to the top of the four-poster bed and perching there. "Ladies, I just... I don't think you'd want someone with no experience..." He shrugs, looking off to the side. "T-that's all."

A couple of them lick their lips as the crowd follows him, the pegasi in the crowd unable to flap their wings to get to him for a variety of reasons as they chatter among themselves. "Oh, he's fresh... untouched... mint condition... moldable... we could blow his mind..."

Enigma groans, facehoofing as he realizes what he just did. "Brilliant... no way they're gonna calm down, now..." He sighs, laying down along a beam and rolling a hoof. "I know some of you just wanted to talk. Who were they?"

Cotton is one of about a third of the crowd to raise their hoof.

"Good." He sits up, his medallion flashing the crowd with a bright light.

They all squeal, covering their eyes and crouching down. When the light clears, they blink and look around, now seeing cotton up there with him. "Hey... No fair... Why her?... That wasn't nice..."

"For one, she was the first to actually talk to me. I know her name. Second," he pats her shoulder, "she wasn't one of the mares trying to get at my body. And let's face it, I'm doing my best to remain respectful to all of you; sleeping with any of you just doesn't seem right to me, morally."

One voice in the crowd offers a solution. "You could sleep with all of us."

Enigma stares blankly at the mare in question before slamming his head against the beam, splintering the wood on impact. "Of course... harem ponies..." He groans, looking back up at them with nary a scratch on his face. "Look, you're missing the point. I don't want to take advantage of your current state." He gestures with a hoof. "If you felt the same after being back in society, that's different. Now, you're just sex-deprived..." He glances at Cotton. "I can assume that you're one of the new ponies here, right?"

She nods. "Relatively anyway. I've been here about a month."

"Good." He smiles, patting her back. "I think I need a minute for this, er... problem to die down." He clears his throat. "Maybe we could shoot the breeze, Miss Cotton?"

"Oh, sure, we can do that." She nods as she lays down, casting one glance down at the group of mares all staring up at them before clearing her throat. "Perhaps if you talked a little more about how and when we're going to get out of here? It could get their minds off you for a moment."

Equus Tactics #43

The mines of Appleloosa are in a state of turmoil. The diamond dogs there, once slavers, are now at war with both their former slaves and their own kin.

Amidst the noise, two canines try to make a dash for the surface, both terrified at the thought of being victim to the victor. The lankier of the two stops in the middle of the empty tunnel, turning back to the shorter, and heavier, dog. “Why you stopping? We almost out!”

“You faster than me! Slow down!” the other dog yells back, struggling to catch up.

“You want to be caught by ponies? Caught by Alpha?” He gestures to the ascending section of the slope. “This way to safety! Sooner we there, sooner we leave!”

Nodding, the bulkier dog clambers along, getting side-by-side with the lankier one as they get closer to the top of the slope.

“Besides,” the first one continues, “we know Alpha win in end. Why fight ponies if it end same?”

With literal tunnel vision, the dogs pass by one of the side alcoves of the tunnel, ever heading upward in their haste. As they get out of sight, two forms emerge from the darkness, looking where the dogs had run to, then to each other.

Hydro comments matter-of-factly. “Not sure they believed themselves if they’re running away that fast from a fight they’ll supposedly win.”

“I think they’re more scared of the others.” Vinyl snickers, shaking her head. “Man, if one of those dogs made G upset…”

As they start heading back down the tunnel, opposite the dogs’ direction, the stallion counters. “I don’t know… a griffon is one thing, but I think Dior has her beat if she really gets going.”

“Fair enough.” She glances down the path. “Your wife - is that right? - can be scary as Tartarus, when she wants to be.” She gestures further down with a hoof. “Best make sure she’s not making a rug outta one of them.”

“True. This is why I usually tell her she doesn’t get to keep souvenirs from enemies.” They start moving faster. “Think Flick can handle those few? It was his job to keep them from running off.”

“I think he could handle ten times that many.” She looks at him, concerned. “Dior wouldn’t really make a rug out of them, would she?”

“No, not unless one of them was particularly stupid and got her really pissed off… but she probably doesn’t have time anyway.” He shrugs as best one can when running. “There are dozens more she has to deal with after all, she’ll probably mellow out after about fifteen.”

“Then I pity those fifteen.” She glances back, her mind wandering to the changeling outside.

“Look, up ahead!” The ashen diamond dog slows down, pointing at a patch of blue. “Exit!”

“Go faster!” The other dog speeds up rather than slowing down, determined to reach the exit and freedom as quickly as possible. Within seconds, the two of them burst out of the mine into broad daylight...

...and nearly barrel straight into a goldenrod drone. He stares at the two of them, surprised, before smirking. “Well, I certainly didn’t expect anyone to show up this soon.” He holds out a hoof, chuckling brightly. “The name’s Flick. Pleasure to meet you.”

The two dogs look confused, skeptical, and even a little scared. Neither one of them shakes the changeling’s hoof, but they do pause and look at him expectantly, wondering what he has to say.

“What? Not friendlies?”

The dogs look at each other. The larger of the two speaks. “Er...friendlies?”

“You know, on my side?” He rolls a hoof. “Trying to help free the ponies what got kidnapped?”

The shorter dog frowns. “We no help ponies. But we no help Alpha either. We run, not fight.”

“Oh, really?” Flick quirks an eyebrow at them. “Care to elaborate on that?”

The lankier one growls. “No business of yours. We leave pack, we go somewhere else now. Let us leave.”

“Why leave your pack?” He moves onto his hindlegs and leans back, appearing to sit in mid-air. “You’re going to have a better Alpha in a few minutes, from what I hear. After all, Fluffy seems like a nice enough dog for the job.”

“No business of yours!” the lanky dog repeats, swinging a large paw at the drone.

He holds up a hoof, stopping the paw without even touching it. “That’s not very nice. I’m trying to be all neighborly, and you swing at me like that?” The changeling clicks his tongue and raises his hoof, the two dogs following suit. “You bad dogs. Go to time out.”

He sends them further into the air, keeping them aloft with cushions of wind. “Stay up there until you realize what you did wrong.”

‘I think we’re lost, Win.’ Mercury sighs from his spot on the stallion’s back. ‘We’ve passed that dog you gave a larger belly button four times, now.’

Winter glances back at the fox. “Which one? I haven’t been keeping track.”

‘The one that looks like a blue heeler.’ He nods over his shoulder. ‘The first one?’

Winter looks over. “You know, for a healer, he hasn’t done a good job fixing himself.” The unicorn grins just as he notices a familiar griffon out of the corner of his eye. Barely even slowing down before turning around, almost throwing Mercury from his back, Winter makes a beeline for his feathered teammate. “Gilda! Knife me!”

Her head snaps to him at the voice, one claw raising up and throwing over two small packages she had kept with her. “Catch!”

The unicorn jumps up, catching one package in his mouth as the other gets enveloped in his magical aura. Landing on the ground, he spits out the cloth-wrapped dagger and pulls the blade from its covering, doing the same with his magic behind his back. “Nice throw!”

“Thanks!” She lets out a piercing screech before she dives down, pouncing onto a dog and slashing it repeatedly before springing off onto another one and repeating the process.

Winter turns to look at Mercury with a smirk. “And you think I overdo it.” As he speaks, he spins his five daggers around before launching all five of them forward at once with magic, impaling a particularly large dog in the torso.

‘She’s a natural predator, though.’ He huffs, eyeing the fallen cloths cautiously. ‘I’m just glad she didn’t fling those at us without those covers...’

The daggers pull themselves from the dog, who topples over. “I would’ve caught them either way. I’ve stopped arrows with my magic. Thrown knives are no problem.” He spins Vision around and harshly slams the pommel into the head of a smaller dog currently trying to incapacitate an escaped slave. The dog’s face hits the dirt, and it doesn’t get back up.

Mercury cringes at this, sheepishly waving to the pony. ‘Glad he could help.’ He turns to his friend, slightly nervous. ‘How long has this been going on? Why hasn’t Alpha shown up yet?’

“Probably waiting for these dogs to wear us down rather than getting mixed up in all the chaos!” Winter laughs, bringing the daggers back to him as he searches for another hostile dog.

‘With you hardly lifting a hoof, I doubt that’s gonna be soon.’ His ear twitches and he glances back to see a mud-colored mutt sneaking up. ‘Eight o’clock.’

The unicorn doesn’t turn, but the dagger with the red hilt - Vendetta - does. Before the dog can react to the blade pointing at him, it’s already driven itself into his throat. “Eight o’clock is bedtime.”

‘Yeesh.’ He shakes his head. ‘You know I respect you, right?’

“Your comments occasionally imply otherwise, but in general, yeah. Why?”

‘Because I don’t want you pissed off at me. Ever.’ He shudders before glancing at the entrance to the cave. ‘When are the others going to arrive? It’s not like many are heading above ground, right?’

“They’ll be here soon. Maybe they just got lost on the way-oof!” The unicorn’s sentence ends abruptly when a previously undetected iron club slams into his side, sending him into the wall and disrupting the magic grip on his daggers.

“Unicorn strange.” The tower of a dog stands over him, pressing the end of the club into his horn. “Talk to himself too much.”

The stallion looks up at the large dog, not moving but adopting a smirk despite the pain in his side. “At least unicorn knows how to talk properly.”

“Unicorn also not know when to shut up.” It kicks him in the stomach, the weapon on his horn keeping Winter from being flung again. “Maybe dogs fix that. Cut out tongue.”

“If you did, you’d make things very difficult for my friend over there.” The smirk widens. “I notice you haven’t kept an eye on him...”

The great dane blinks, turning his attention to the fox on his right. “What about fox? It not a threat.” He reaches down, picking up a green-tipped dagger in his paw. “Unicorn wound many dogs with this. Wonder if he like same treatment.” He lowers himself, foot on the cobalt pony’s horn and the tip pressed against his throat. “Guess we-”

He suddenly yelps as Mercury tackles the hulking dog to the floor, grabbing the sinewy arm in his maw and forcefully twisting it behind his back. The sheer pain and surprise causes the diamond dog to lose his grip on both Winter and Viper.

Quickly, Winter reaches out with his magic and grabs Viper, turning it and driving it into the dog’s leg. While the wound itself isn’t very deep, as soon as the green tip enters the limb, the dog begins to feel weaker and sicker as the poison takes effect. Finally, the unicorn yanks the knife out, turns it around, and hits the dog’s head with the hilt to knock it out.

The fox lets go as soon as he’s unconscious, panting softly. ‘Win… as much as I hate to admit it…’ He looks up at him, frowning deeply. ‘That one deserved it.’

“In my eyes? They all do.” The stallion starts trying to stand, only to hiss and collapse again. “Oookay...that’s a cracked rib...or two.”

‘Not good.’ Mercury rushes over, looking around in concern. ‘Where’s the cavalry when you need it?’

Winter groans. “Yeah, even I’m getting impatient...” He sighs. “Grab Vitality for me, will you?”

The fox quickly gets the longest of the knives, bringing it over to his friend. Grabbing the dog, he drags him closer to the stallion, as well, moving off to the side as soon as he’s close enough.

“Thanks. Now, you might not want to watch.” Lifting the blade with his magic, Winter suddenly stabs it into the downed dog’s chest, pulls it out, and repeats. “This might take a while...”

Hydro and Vinyl skid to a halt as they enter a large cavern. The scene before them is easily one of chaos. Ponies, dogs, and even a few other species all fight in a flurry of activity, clashing weapons, and shouts of both pain and victory.

One particular grey dog spots them, and they ready themselves for combat as he makes a beeline towards them. However, he skids to a halt and smiles at them. “You friends of ponies?”

“You’re ‘Fluffy’, I take it?” Hydro counters.

The grey diamond dog nods. “Stone lady say you come. Good to see you.” He points to one of many exits out of the large room; this one, unlike the others, looks hastily dug. “Safe room that way. Guards need help.”

Vinyl tilts her head to one side, trying to peek around the large canine. “I guess the safe room’s not so safe, anymore?” She shifts her saddlebags, her gaze flicking back to the grey dog.

Fluffy shakes his head. “Alpha’s dogs found it. Trying to get in, take slaves back. We try to keep them out. But more of them than us.”

“Let’s see if we can even those odds then.” Hydro quickly starts heading toward the tunnel, the mare hurrying after him soon after. The grey dog waves after them, then turns back to the fray.

The duo head down the freshly carved hole, hopping over a few of the rougher spots that have yet to be worn down. After a few minutes, a voice calls to them from a little further down. “Come on ya’ll, get in here before more pups show up!” They close in and see the mare the voice belongs to.

The white unicorn calls down the path, hoping the other mare could hear. “Don’t worry, Applejack! We’re on our way!”

At her behest, the two quickly enter the cavern. Inside, certain sections of the cave are being used for different things: one part is where they are keeping all those injured or unable to fight, another where they keep piling up the unconscious dogs that had tried to come in and failed. Finally, a small barricade of stones stands directly facing the doorway, able but scruffy-looking ponies behind it.

Applejack takes another peek out into the tunnel. “Go ahead and get where ya need to get. No telling how much time we got.”

The disk jockey nods, quickly rushing forward and leaping over the barricade. She pulls off her bag, glancing at the crimson stallion with a nervous smirk. “It’ll take a bit to set up. You can handle a few dogs, right?”

“Easy.” Forgoing the barricade entirely, Hydro just stands defiantly in front of the tunnel entrance. “You might want to back up when they show, Applejack.”

“Never seen you fight, but if it’s anything like some of the others of your team, I’ll take yer word for it.” She comes back in, setting herself up behind the barricade with the rest.

Vinyl pulls a number of neon parts out of her bags, glancing at the farm mare out of the corner of her eye. She reaches a bit further in and comes up with a small jar of gel, tossing it to the earth pony. “You might want to use that. Courtesy of Flick.”

As she catches it, one of the ponies further back in the cave calls out. “Stand clear, got more rocks coming in!” Everypony in the cave back away from the hole in the back as a mini-avalanche of stones comes rolling out. As Soon as they settle, the ponies are on them, bringing them over to the barricade and shoring it up even more.

AJ chuckles as she gives the gash on her side a coating of the gel. “Guess Maud’s making good progress with our escape tunnel.”

“Escape tunnel… good idea.” She taps her chin and turns to the back of the cavern, concerned. “I wonder if Dior passed out those earbuds…” As she says this, a series of barks comes from the entrance, making the unicorn refocus on the parts before her, sorting them out as fast as possible.

Soon, the tunnel fills with diamond dogs, all wielding iron clubs or baring jagged claws. They skid to a halt, however, when they realize the way to the cavern is blocked. The group stares warily at the lone pony, unsure what to think, and the one nearest the front steps forward, holding up a paw and flexing it threateningly. “Move, pony, or get moved!”

Hydro puts a hoof to his chin. “Hmm… no.” He goes back to his casually prepared stance.

“You ask for it!” He growls, leaping and swinging with one fluid motion.

Or rather, leaping and missing as the stallion simply sidesteps and counters with a swift blow with a forehoof. It connects perfectly with the dog’s face, sending him a short distance away.

The dog stands, staggering slightly, and rubs the spot where he was struck, glaring at him. “Pony fast, but pony not that strong.” He sneers, grabbing up a rock and chucking it at him.

Deflecting the rock with another hoof punch, Hydro sneers. “That, or I was seeing how soft your head was.”

“Pony think he funny.” He cackles, lowering his stance. “But pony not that smart.”

From the side, a second dog lunges forward, paw curled up in a fist to connect with the side of Hydro’s face.

However, this only results in another miss as the earth pony shows remarkable reflexes as he steps back to avoid the blow, the dog’s fist instead colliding with the stone wall. “Two on one? Well, at least you’re being nice and giving me more targets. Let’s see…” Squaring his shoulder and crouching down, a small hexagonal medallion on the stallion’s chain necklace begins to glow. As onlookers from both sides gasp, the amulet flashes brightly, causing them all to cover their eyes. When they look back at the pony, he has a bit extra to him now.

He now sports a sort of chrome-like smooth helmet attached to what appears to be an almost spine-like metallic extension lying along his actual spine. Arching above him off this new addition are two metal segmented tendrils, each topped with what appear to be spiked mace heads. One of the balls actually splits open like an orange, half-thrusting at one of the dogs in a manner not unlike that of a snake before it closes to once again be a blunt weapon.

The stallion smirks at his foes. “Bring it.” He clangs his new weapons together loudly.

The dogs stare at him blankly, taking a moment to gauge how big a threat he is. Then one canine, a medium-sized black lab, bravely rushes forward, club back and ready to swing at Hydro.

A resounding ‘clang’ echoes as one of the mace heads impacts with his face, tossing him back into his comrades without the stallion having moved one hoof. The tendril rears back next to its brother, still at the ready.

Instantly upon seeing this, the rest of the dogs whip around and run back in the direction they came from, tails literally between their legs. While it likely wouldn’t be their last attempt to breach the room’s defenses, it would certainly be the last time these particular dogs underestimated them.

“Good job, Hydro.” Vinyl smirks from where she sits, nearly finished assembling a small tower-shaped device. “That should keep them back a while longer.” She picks up a small speaker, glancing at the mare next to her. “So, thoughts on HP’s little friends, AJ?”

The farmer looks between the unicorn mare and the now partially-metal stallion. “Do Ah even want to know how he suddenly has two extra legs?”

“Not sure. It’s not a permanent thing, if that’s what you’re worried about.” She places the speaker on top of the mechanism, linking the cables together as she continues. “If you want to know more, I think it’d be better to ask him, or the pony he got it from. That stuff is not my forte.”

“Maybe…” AJ looks once more to the stallion. “But, who in Equestria would make something like that?”

“Ruby.” She links the last piece, smiling widely. “There we go. Now all I need to do is calibrate it, and we’ll be good to go.” She starts turning a few dials, muttering to herself. “Wish I’d done this, last night…”

“That little filly made that?” The orange mare lets out a low whistle. “Youngins these days… hope her dad’s keepin’ an eye on her when she does stuff like this.”

“I think he actually helped her...” She narrows her eyes, focusing completely on the dials before her.

“If you’re sure…” The Element of Honesty turns her attention to the unicorn. “So, what’s this doohickey ya got here?”

“It’s a high-frequency emitter.” She moves onto the next inner wheel, sticking her tongue out as she concentrates. “It lets loose sounds outside our range of hearing… but diamond dogs supposedly have a better range of hearing than us.”

Applejack nods slowly. “Right… but how’s that gonna help us?”

Vinyl stops, turning to face the other mare. “Think of it this way: you know those dog whistles? The ones ponies occasionally use to punish out-of-control canines?”

She tilts her head. “Ah thought those were just for callin’ dogs.”

“That’s one use for them, if used for a short period.” She taps the side of the device, nodding to herself. “But if the pitch gets high enough, and goes on long enough, it can debilitate. I just hope this is set up right; I’ve never had to use this type of setting before…”

“Well, if it can do all that, Ah hope it works too.” She looks over at the wounded ponies. “Best we get out of here as soon as possible.”

“Agreed.” The unicorn looks at the tunnel past the collected ponies, curious. “How long has Maud been at that, by the way?”

“Pretty much since she and the dogs dug out this room for us.” She gestures around them. “Also said somethin’ about how dirt would slow her down, but still, she’s a one-pony tunnel machine.”

“Heh, I see.” Vinyl shrugs, turning to the stallion before her. “You can come rest, now. It’s ready.”

He turns to her regretfully. “You sure? I only got to smash one, I was hoping for a bit more.”

“You could stay, but it wouldn’t be much fun with the dogs on the ground.” She shrugs. “If you really don’t want to stop, maybe you should go help in the main cavern… wherever that is.”

“Sounds good, if you’re sure you got things covered here.” He starts walking out the entrance, his metal arms still activated. “I’ll send any other ponies here if they need a place to hide out.”

"Good luck, dude!" She waves as he leaves before tapping the side of the machine a few more times. The unicorn sighs, slumping slightly. "Of course... it needs to charge for that strong a wave..."

Applejack stares at her for that comment. “... you have got to be pullin’ mah leg.”

"Sadly, no." She shrugs, smirking wryly. "But now that it's set up... we only need a few minutes, at most, before it fires." Vinyl reaches back, pulling sheath and sword away to hold by her side. "I can hold them back for five times that long... in my sleep."

Raising her eyebrow at the DJ, the farmer comments. “Winter don’t just hire based on ego, does he?”

"If he did, then a certain showmare would be on the team..." She trails off as she hurtles the barricade, eyes narrowed at the entrance. "Still wonder if G was a better choice..."

Taking the comment as directed towards her, Applejack responds with a shrug. “Well, Ah ain’t that griffon’s biggest fan, but RD sure was happy when she heard she was doing something good with her life.”

"Good to know." The disk jockey tenses, the sound of paws pounding the ground slowly growing. "Make sure they don't get near that, okay? They might try to be sneaky..."

With a tip of her hat, the farmer nods. “On it.”

The noise rises to a thunderous din, nearly covering any other words that the unicorn might've said. She slowly unsheathes her weapon, readying herself for what may come.

From the cave’s mouth burst at least ten dogs, their pads pounding the ground as they run in one or two at a time due to size constraints. While from all different breeds, each seems to have the same goal in mind: get the slaves back!

Vinyl chuckles at this, standing up straight and running a hoof along her mane, getting it back to its stylish spikiness. "You know, I was expecting a bit more of a challenge." Her sword rises, floating horizontally before her. "At least you'll lessen my boredom for the moment, mutts."

A couple of pure-breeds snarl at her before leaping at her, claws outstretched and ready to tear.

She promptly leaps into action, kicking one dog through a wall. Behind her back, the sheath smacks the other on the nose, as if chastising a puppy for peeing on a carpet. "No. Bad dog. You wanna join your..." She trails off before glancing at the sheepdog half-buried in the stone. "...sister, I guess? Hard to tell through all that fur..."

“Stupid pony, no peeking!” Another dog goes low, aiming to chomp her legs with his gnashing teeth.

For his efforts, he receives the hilt of her sword right between the eyes. "Forgive me if I can't tell your genders at a glance. That's no excuse to interrupt my train of thought."

The rest of them growl. “Stop all thought soon.” As one, they charge, having learned one at a time doesn’t do anything for them.

"Smart." The unicorn smirks, raising her katana. "Yet stupid." She swings it so fast it becomes a blur, a golden wave of electricity escaping the tip. It slams against the majority of the remaining dogs, throwing them back against the walls and pinning them there.

Soon, all that are standing is a couple small canines. She quirks an eyebrow at them before the one with big ears holds up her paws, iron club falling to the ground with a clatter.

"Good." Vinyl turns to the shih tzu, tapping a hoof. "How about you? Gonna be wise and give up?"

A loud but high-pitched growl comes from the small dog as she backs up. “We not done, you see. We come back with even more dogs. We bring great danes. You be sorry.” With her piece said, she quickly scampers off.

"I'm afraid you're the ones who'll be sorry." As soon as she finishes her sentence, the dogs stuck to the walls start to scrabble and writhe, whimpering for a few moments before falling unconscious. The white pony blinks, turning to her device and looking closely. "...huh. I guess it just activated."

Looking over to the now unconscious pile of her comrades, the chihuahua reaches up and pops earplugs out of her sizable lugs. “They not hurt too badly… are they?”

"No, just unconscious." She moves forward, rubbing the canine on her head. "You should put those back in before the next wave hits. Don't want a friend getting knocked out on accident."

“Right… too bad bird outside hearing range.” She puts the earplugs back in, tapping them a few times to make sure they are snug.

"I guess she got to you, huh?" The mare smirks, sheathing her sword for the moment. "Don't worry, she does it to everyone... though mostly those she feels challenged by, if Flick's correct."

“Challenged by, huh?” The small dog grins, rubbing her chin. “I like that… most around here not think that of me. I show them they wrong.” She snickers before heading back towards the door. “I go see if anymore coming and make sure they make plenty noise, okay?”

"I appreciate it." She smiles, nodding respectfully when a thought occurs to her. "Hey, you got a name?"

Turning to look over her shoulder, the canine answers. “They call me… Chichi.”

"Nice." The unicorn chuckles, hefting her blade onto her back. "I'm Vinyl. See you on the outside, then, Chichi."

She nods. “See you there, Vinyl.” With that, she leaves, off to complete her task.

The mare, meanwhile, turns to the earth pony behind her, smirking coyly. "Not just big talk, am I?"

Smiling knowingly, she responds. “Never said you were, just said some of ya’ll are very big talkers. Don’t mean you can’t back it up.” She looks over the pile of dogs being moved to the others. “Another bunch to keep an eye on… we really do need ta find somethin’ else to do with ‘em, but this is the easiest way to keep em out of the fight.”

"I'd say put them in a pit, but they'd dig their way out." She turns to the tunnel as the rumbling begins to build once more. "Sorry to say, but we might have more to add to those, AJ..." Lowering her stance once more, she prepares herself for even more foes to dispose of.

Meanwhile, in another cavern, the white marble nymph stands in the middle of a fair number of fallen diamond dogs, rubbing her previously-cracked cheek. “Damn, that itches…” She glances at a groaning hound, rolling her eyes and walking away. “I only kicked your gut. Stop whining, already.”

She leaves the room, rushing down a corridor to the next. Her gaze wanders to the halls to her side, slowing slightly at each so she wouldn’t miss anything important. The changeling eventually slows to a halt, confused. “Strange… I expected there to be more of those brutes…”

As if that’s their cue, from one of the side tunnels comes another handful of large dogs, attempting to pounce her all at once. While most of them are carrying the iron clubs most dogs have taken to using after their pickaxes ‘mysteriously fell apart’, a few are holding what seem to be rusted old shovels. Obviously, there weren’t enough weapons to go around, and they were resorting to using whatever they could find.

She glances at each of them in turn, chuckling in undisguised amusement. “You really think those will do anything, boys?” She holds up a hoof, Verdict slowly sliding out of the end. “Or are you just overcompensating?”

They give no coherent reply. Instead, three of them run ahead and swing their clubs simultaneously, hoping to crush her beneath the combined force. The others stand back, waiting to see if they would be needed.

Dior pulls her forelegs from the ground, blade and hoof stopping two of the clubs. As the third nears her head, she stomps on the ground, a wave of earth slamming into the other dog’s gut and sending him flying. She pushes the clubs away, shaking her head in disappointment. “Surely that’s not the best you can do?”

Two more rush forward, both carrying the apparently useless shovels. One goes for a direct swing, while the other fakes a similar move only to suddenly tunnel underground instead, out of sight.

She punches the shovel, warping the imperfection-filled weapon with ease. She leaps onto the dog, gripping its arms in her magic and bending them painfully behind his back as she forces his face into the ground. The nymph looks around cautiously and, waiting for the second one to appear, sees the rest have vanished, opting to hide her concern with snarkiness. “Come on, doggies… momma’s got something for you…”

For a long and tense moment, the dogs remain hidden, not even making any noise to disclose their location. Then, ever so quietly, she hears a scratching right underneath the ground she stands on before the dirt suddenly gives way.

Surprised, she and the dog she perched on fall down into the sinkhole. Thankfully, he breaks her fall with his body, so she is unharmed. She grimaces, stroking his head apologetically. “Sorry, puppy. Didn’t mean to hurt you like that… hopefully, you can survive with some broken bones…” Dior carefully gets off him, looking around the darkness cautiously. “Where are you…”

From the shadows, one of the smaller dogs suddenly leaps at her, club swinging quickly at her face. Behind her, she can hear another dog trying something similar, but aiming for her back instead.

She ducks the first, letting the dog fly over her and into the other. She blocks the second with a hoof, slamming the club into the ground hard enough to embed it in the stone. She turns to the two of them, bemused. “I’m glad you know how to work as a team, but how about doing something constructive with it? Right now, you’re just flailing around like a fish on land.”

Their response is to just pounce her again, not even bothering with weapons. Dior rolls her eyes and smacks one with the back of a hoof, knocking him into the other dog once more. “Seriously, this is starting to get silly. And weren’t there more of you?”

As if to answer her question, a large pile of dirt and rock suddenly falls down into the chamber from the hole above, quickly being followed by more and more of the same. The two dogs grin and, once they’ve recovered from the hit, dig into the wall and away from the nymph. The hole they leave gets blocked by thick layers of earth almost instantly. By this point, the small dark room is getting even smaller and darker.

The nymph looks at the incoming debris, then at the unconscious dog beside her. With a groan, she decides what needs to be done.

The hole finishes filling, and there is no sign of the marble changeling to be seen. As the dogs congratulate themselves, they notice a small tremor in the earth beneath them. Right before their eyes, a shape begins to rise from where the chamber had been, the dirt slowly sliding off its form.

Pure white eyes glare at them as she slides the diamond dog off her back. She takes a step forward, spikes jutting out around the dogs to trap them in that spot. She takes another, and they extend further, thickening and giving the canines little room to even wiggle. “Who. The fuck. Does that to their friend?” She raises a hoof, eyes narrowing in anger. “No one that deserves to live, that’s who.”

The dogs all let out whimpering noises as they struggle against the spikes keeping them in place, desperate to get away. She huffs, pulling out the knife and pressing it against the largest dog’s neck. “You can’t escape karma. This is what you deserve, you bastards.”

Suddenly, out of one of the tunnels runs Hydro, having heard the commotion. Seeing what she is about to do, he narrows his eyes and yells out sharply in a commanding tone. “Diorite!”

She flinches, nicking the retriever’s pelt as she spins around to face him. “H-Hydro?” She blinks, glancing from him to the captive canines and back before nervously smiling. “Um… I can explain?”

The specially-armored stallion walks up to her quickly. One of his dark red hoofs goes to the one she has the dagger embedded in. “We do not execute.” As the dogs breathe a sigh of relief, the two metal maces protruding from his back conk them on the heads, knocking them out, leaving them hanging limply on the wall.

She whimpers softly, her ears pinned back against her head. “I’m sorry, love. I just… I couldn’t stand the thought of them senselessly killing their own… and not even caring…”

Feeling his own fur bristle at the thought, Hydro nuzzles her. “I understand… but you know we don’t kill unless we have no other choice. We’re completely within our rights to beat the shit out of them, however.” Thinking for a moment, he embraces her, the two extra limbs doing the same. “All this is starting to get to you, huh?”

Dior groans, closing her eyes and leaning against his chest. “You have no idea…”

Patting her back, he tries to comfort her. “Don’t worry, I’m here now. I’ll stay with you.”

She chuckles quietly, finally hugging him back. “Thanks… I could use the company…”

Speaking of company, they aren’t able to enjoy their own for long; running down the tunnel towards them from the main room up ahead are yet another swarm of the dogs, once again carrying seemingly anything weaponlike they could get their dirty paws on. They surround the couple, not giving them any directions to run.

“Rock lady and metal arm pony cause trouble,” one dog growls as it readies its club. “Trouble end here.”

Nonplussed, Hydro looks around at the circle of dogs before loosening his grip on his wife just enough to be able to look at her face while still holding her. “You know, somehow I don’t think he’s right.”

“I agree.” She smirks, pecking him lightly before letting go and turning around. “Sorry, boys, we aren’t done yet.”

Hydro’s metal arms raise and split their ends, almost hissing at the dogs as he goes back to back with the nymph. “You however, are.”

Stealthy Shades #37

At around the same time as everything else is going on, relic team find themselves in the stairwell heading down past the first floor. While the above ground floors were all lavish including in the stairways, now that they had to the basement, things quickly become more bare-bones. Smooth metal lines the walls, providing a sort of monotonous and repetitive view as they descend.

Luster pauses in the middle of the flight of stairs, ear twitching slightly. Do you hear that? She turns to look at the stallion on her back, concerned.

He shrugs as best he can while draped across her. I heard something, not sure what. Rats? And can I walk on my own now?

A lock of her purple mane wraps around his muzzle as the nymph sidesteps into the shadows, watching a guard start to make his way in their direction. Shoot. There seems to be more of them down here... She raises a hoof, silently placing it on the wall next to her.

The map pops up in their mind once more, updating itself as a small wave. At first, a few more guards appear, then a blank space in the middle of the third basement floor. Strange... why can't I get a reading on that spot? And... are the stairs on opposite sides, for each floor?

So it was designed with either incredible inconvenience or security in mind. Volt interprets. Well, at least it looks like we're going the right way.

Yeah... She frowns, closing her eyes in concentration, the map slowly updating itself once more. Come on... show me... Her eyes snap open, her body trembling in her stunned silence.

The guards appear to increase in number, in small packs outside the walls of the map. Every one of the griffons has a spear or sword at claw, prepared to defend whatever is on that lowest floor. The second basement floor houses a number of ponies who don't seem to be moving, each on top of numerous cots with a few guards among them. Further details include a number of fire-based torches, apparently the only source of light, and a steam-powered generator right on the edge of the void.

The indigo changeling quietly sighs, rubbing her temple with a hoof. It seems our job is a bit more difficult than expected...

If it was easy they would have hired local bank robbers to do this instead of us. He pays her back reassuringly. We just have to take it one room at a time while keeping an eye on our backs. We've worked spontaneously before. He looks back to the map, his eyes on the generator. This... this could definitely be useful...

I thought you said more would cause you to be overwhelmed, Surge? She slowly moves forward, the guard now past, and sneaks down the staircase to the first floor. I just hope there isn't some kind of boss fight, for each floor...

The duo end up at a hallway, the directions going left or right, and quickly vanishing out of sight as they turn inward. Luster checks the map again, noticing the pattern. ...though this first one seems to be a maze. How do they not get lost?

They cheat, maybe? He offers. And who said I was going to absorb the power from it? I'm not an electrical engineer for nothing. I can just make it do what we need it to do.

Fair enough. She checks the map, moving to the left. You'll need to help with directions, though... I'm having a bit of trouble figuring this mess out...

I guess you can't just let us go clear through the walls? He asks as he watches the map, able to focus on that with Luster doing the walking.

With you on my back? She rolls her eyes, flicking his nose with her tail. You'd be stuck behind, or lost inside it. Besides, these walls aren't completely metal. There's other materials inside them that'd prevent us from doing that.

Here, try left at this junction. And so the pattern begins as they wander down the twisting corridors, Volt offering a direction at each intersection. Soon enough, they reach a wall with a door with a torch outside it.

Luster slows down, hiding within what shadows there are. Great... there's five of those guys in there... She looks back at her teammate. If any of them see us...

Hmm... Can you soundproof the door for a moment? He starts rummaging the ought his saddlebags.

She nods, lighting up her horn a moment to get the job done. She steps over to the wall near the door, making sure to stay out of sight and pressing an ear to it.

Inside, voices can be heard. "You know, I wish I'd stayed in my little hamlet."

"What? Being treated to a luxurious life and some needy mares not enough for you?"

"You really shouldn't do that behind the Baron's back, you know." A sigh. "I just... don't feel comfortable with what he does to those stallions."

Luster? Volt tries to get her attention as he pulls out his canteen.

She blinks, turning to him once more. Yes? What is it?

He points to the door. The soundproofing?

I know. She quirks an eyebrow as the magic ripples across the wall. I was just listening to these griffons.

"Damn drafts." The voice almost makes her jump. "That one made the torch flicker... hope that bugger doesn't go out."

Yeah, keep hoping, buddy. Volt lifts up the canteen with magic and floats it near the torch. With a wave of his aura, he makes the roch flicker once more before suddenly pouring just enough water on it to douse it. He quickly yanks back the water-carrier and stows it, trying to shrink lower onto Luster's back.

"Fuck!" There's what sounds to be a slap. "You just had to jinx it, didn't ya!"

"Shut up. We can just re-light it, right?" Silence. "Right?"

"We don't have any tinderboxes left, idiot. We just have a lame firefly lantern."

Lucky for us. She slowly walks past the door as one of the paintings lights up. I suppose we can just do that whenever we come across something like that. You have enough water for it, Surge?

He nods. Yeah, I think so, but if we find any water bottles or something, I'm knicking them so I actually have something to drink later.

It's not like we're gonna be here that long. She stops suddenly, staring straight down the hall with a blank expression on her face. ...what the fuck?

Volt focuses back on reality instead of the mental map he had been looking at. What? What now?

I thought you said this would be the way? She turns to stare at him over her shoulder, confused. Why is this a dead end?

He rechecks the map. But this looked like the way out... it's literally a hall that sticks out from the rest of the maze. If this isn't an exit... I have no idea what is!

Then there has to be a secret. She frowns, slowly approaching the wall. A switch... a door... something!

Volt mutters as he rescans the map. I bet those guards knew how to get around... Right as he says this, one of the guard models on the map walks through a wall. Huh... I was right. They do cheat.

What is... how did they... They watch as the griffon walks straight from one staircase to the other, going through every wall along the way. Softly growling, Luster turns and storms back down the hallway, her still-feathered wings fluffing up in annoyance. I swear, whoever designed this place is a cruel being...

But you have to admit, they got us. Now, we just get them back for it by getting through it anyway. He grins in the darkness.

True. She turns the corner, boffing the guard there across the noggin before he knew what hit him. She floats his unconscious form in her magic next to a couple vats of wine, placing a mug in his claw. Still peeved at this lot, though.

Well, I bet I can help with that once we get to the generator. I plan on having a lot of fun with that thing. A conniving chuckle comes across the mental link.

You know what, go for it. She stops in front of the stairway up, staring at the wall opposite it. So this is it? Doesn't look like much, to me.

Try poking it. Volt replies helpfully.

Hmm... She consults the map again before picking him up in her magic, smirking coyly. Nah. She casually tosses him at the steel surface.

Like a stone into water, the stallion sails through the metal wall causing only a few ripples. After a moment, his voice calls over the mental link. I got one!

One what? She steps through after him and smiles teasingly. A sense of humor? Or someone special?

Eh, I don't know about special... Volt motions to the guard he landed on and subsequently knocked out. He seems pretty generic to me.

Well, the nymph shrugs, picking up the guard and bringing him as she goes through the next wall, too bad they aren't female, huh? Bet you'd like to brag how you successfully hit on one.

Surprisingly, the stallion catches up and gives her a small tap on the back of the head. Hey, I don't joke about hitting girls.

I said 'hit on'. Besides, you just hit a girl. She quirks an eyebrow at him. What do you have to say to that, Surge?

He blinks for a moment before answering back. I didn't make a joke about it. He sticks his tongue out at her in victory.

Whatever you say. She shrugs and dumps the guard on an old cot in the next hallway, continuing on without stopping. Now, the next floor will be a challenge, but most of them should be asleep. Think you can be quiet so you don't alert the guards in there?

Sure sure, I can do that. I was quiet this whole floor, right? He trots along behind her, pausing at the occasional wall to make sure he goes in at the right spot and doesn't just try a solid wall.

Yes, but you also had my mane around your muzzle for a good two-thirds of that time. She stops in front of the next flight, perking up an ear cautiously.

He catches up, stopping beside her and perking up his own ear. Hear anything in particular?

Nothing bad... but I hear... water? She frowns, slowly taking the first step down. It's like... a steady dripping, and... some hissing, I think?

Oh! His ears perk up and a grin appears on his face. That must be the generator! Here, let's see what the map says about what's between us and it...

She looks back at him as she descends, frowning slightly. I think it's where the stallions are kept... but I don't know...

Hmm... His mind is on the map as he follows. I hope that isn't the case. Those guys will probably be pretty noisy if they see us, and I'll need a moment to see what all the generator is connected to so I can tell how best to use it.

That's not my concern... She stops on the landing near the middle of the stairway, closing her eyes. I... I can barely sense them...

He looks to her, confused as to her worry. So... what? They aren't feeling emotions because they're asleep or something?

No, I'm using the metal to find them. She stares pointedly at him. Metal, which reacts to their heat, and vibrates with their pulse... and I still struggle to sense them. She shudders softly, turning her attention back to the darkness below. Something's wrong...

He still tilts her head at her. Seems pretty straight forward to me. If they're like that, it's probably because of the chalice, right? That's what we're here for. Like Rhino said, this guy has been using it drain others, I guess he just apparently leaves enough for them not to die... which might actually be worse now that I think about it... The stallion starts to look unsettled as well.

Now you see my point. She takes a deep, steadying breath and walks down the stairs once more. I just... worry what we might find...

In the interest of deadening you to things you might see, I'm going to take a leaf from my sci-fi novels I like and say... shriveled husks. He says this all with an air of disassociation, as if he's really just discussing one of the books.

Stopping once more, ignoring the stallion bumping into her back, she gawks at the scene before her in shock. No...

Before her lay rows and rows of sterile metal bed frames, a small, single-pony mattress upon each. On top of a number of those lay the stallions she'd sensed before, all apparently near the ends of their lives. Hesitantly, she steps forward towards the closest of the elderly-looking ponies, reading the card near his hooves to the stallion behind her. 'Sturdy Aegis, age twenty-seven... thirty ounces'?

Volt takes one glance at the pony and card before wincing and staring straight ahead and slightly to the floor. Yeah... so I don't end up a horrified mess on the floor, I'm going to not look again. He shivers, walking forward more. Optimism only takes me so far in this case...

I don't believe this... She moves down the aisle from pony to pony, card to card, frowning more with each one. He... he keeps them alive... but for what? She pauses at a cloth-covered one, looking at the card despite herself. Eighty-six ounces... She turns away and continues to the other stairway, grimacing slightly. Well... now we know what happened to the diplomat... poor guy...

Volt continues staring straight ahead. Not thinking about it...

Right. Sorry, Volt. She drapes a wing over his back, quickly leading him through the room and down the flight of stairs as soon as possible. You can look now... I promise you won't need to see any more. She embraces him with a foreleg as they walk down, hoping to cheer him up. Okay?

He blinks, taking a moment before reponding. Yeah... thanks... He shakes hsi head before scratchign it with a hoof. Huh... Rhino was right, disassociating yourself with something does help preserve sanity... makes me feel weird afterward though... Still, thanks, Luster. He leans against her a moment before pullig away.

What? She smirks, playfully bumping his side. You don't want a hug from a female? The nymph continues down before him, giggling coyly. No telling when you might get another chance...

He smirks. Heh, knowing my luck, if I say something like 'I'm sure we'll have a nice group hug at the end of the mission,' I'll somehow end up getting that in a bad way.

I don't know about that, myself. She shrugs, nodding down the stairs. The generator should be on our left upon entering the room... and that void should be right in front of us. I don't know about you, her tail flicks heatedly, but I don't like unsolved mysteries.

Well, since it is right in front of us, I guess it is in our interest to see what it is so we don't get a nasty surprise. He peers down the stairs, trying to see anything. Any guesses what it is?

Not sure. She frowns, continuing forwards fearlessly. Most of the things down here are metal, but this could be something plastic... I don't kn- She nearly slips in surprise, staring up in shock at the large, shiny black wall before her. How did he... it can't be possible...

Volt almost lets out a whistle, but catches himself at the last second. Is that what I think it is? Sheesh, this guy is more loaded than I thought.

Luster reaches out a hoof, gingerly touching the surface. After a few moments, she slowly nods, stepping away from it. It is... mythril... I've never seen so much in my life... She turns to the stallion, frowning softly. But the rarity's the least of our issues. Whatever's in there must be valuable, but we can't get inside with my magic. She nods to the four small boxes and the keypad on the door. And we sure don't know what the code is for it... but mythril isn't infallible, when used like this.

True, but neither are security systems. He peers at the electronics, rubbing his chin with a hoof. I think I might be able to do something with this, but let's make sure we have the privacy to do so, first.

She quirks an eyebrow at him. Will it take you as long to figure that out - avoiding potential alarms - as it'd take Rhino to get down here? She smirks, pulling her staff from her side and tapping the retractable pole. He can teleport inside, provided there's no rune circle in the metal to counter it.

Right... and it's a lot harder to set an alarm to that than electronics... He sighs, moving away from the locks. Yeah, I guess when we have a time limit, what I was going to do with this isn't the best option. What do you have your pole out for?

This. She swings, smacking a guard that was coming around the corner in the beak. She glances at him as he crumples to the ground. Saw him on the map. Anyways, we'll keep your idea in mind, just in case. She turns her attention to the building above, trying to reach out to their leader. Rhino, I think we might need your help.

The green unicorn, having found himself a dimly lit hallway with a very nice corner shelf to perch on, mentally messages back. What's up, Luster? He looks back to check on Ruby, nodding as she still sleeps.

There's a safe down here, and it's made of mythril. I can't use my magic on it. Her thoughts take on a disappointed tone, and she kicks the ground with a hoof.

As he gets up and starts following the map to the basement, he thinks back to her. Are you... pouting?

...maybe. She sighs, shaking her head. Oh, and... don't look around, in the second floor of the basement. Just... it managed to upset Volt.

...noted. Anything else I should be aware of? I just heading down the stairs. He looks around, noticing the change in design of the hallways.

Go straight when you reach the first floor. I know it may not make sense at first, but trust me, it will, soon enough. She turns to Volt, smiling warmly. So... what was your plan, anyways? Before I brought up bringing Rhino down here?

He points to the pad. I was going to pry the casing off and apply short bursts of electricity that I got from the wall in order to either short circuit the system or trick it into thinking I put the right code in. He then points to the generator. I hadn't decided on exactly what to do with that, but i was thinking of causing a complete blackout of all electricity in the castle, or in a pinch, breaking one of the steam pipes to cause a distraction for the guards to respond to.

Could work, or could injure us both. She shrugs slightly. Let's wait until he gets here to have his opinion on which is better.

Right... listen to the boss... Shrugging, Volt goes over to the generator, walking slowly around it. Hydro would have a field day with this...

I have the blueprints in our heads. Said schematics flash through their minds for a moment. We could always just share it with him, the next time we meet him.

He'd like that. I was more saying how if he was here, he'd probably either fine some way to turn this into a weapon, control the system like I wanted to... or he would somehow rig it to explode with enough time for us all to get out. He shrugs, looking at a few dials.

I'm sure he's got his hooves full, as well. Her ear twitches, and she looks up at the ceiling. Careful, Rhino, you've got someone behind you.

There's a moment of silence before he replies. Dealt with. Thanks for the heads up. Interesting hidden doors they've got here.

I know. If you see a torch, they're likely to be nearby. She sighs, sitting down and leaning forward against her staff. Wonder whether he'll react to the stallions...

About a minute later, a slightly strangled sound comes over the mental link. Ugh... A few minutes after that, actual words come through. That... was not pleasant...

Yea. I'd hate to see that sort of thing in action. She casts a glance at the stairs as he appears, sheepishly smiling. Sorry I didn't warn you, better... I just figured it might cause a worse reaction from you...

You did fine... better not to give my imagination more fuel. He shakes his head as he reaches the bottom of the stairs. Yay, another sub-basement. Still, better than an attic.

Luster stares at him, confused. An attic? Why do you say that?

He looks at her seriously. Because tend to be cramped, boiling in the summer, filled with fiberglass insulation that makes you feel like you're covered in pins and needles where it manages to get through your fur, and have a nasty tendency to draw trouble-making racoons. Also I keep worrying if I step wrong I'll end up on the floor below.

You realize it's night. She sighs, shaking her head and gesturing to the vault behind them. So here's the safe. What do you think is the best course of action?

Hmm... He walks along the one part they can see. Easily big enough to walk into. Complicated-looking security system. Impervious to most damage. He nods to himself. I guess teleporting would be the simplest option to try. I take it that why you called me down here?

Pretty much, though I have to admit... She rubs the back of her neck. There's the distinct chance of there being a large amount of gold inside there. Of course, it could just be one item... who knows?

He shrugs. If it's not what we came for, we leave it alone and check other likely places.

Luster frowns, racking her mind for information. I don't understand where else it could be. This is the most likely spot for it...

Well, then I guess we should check then cross the backup bridge when we come to it. He looks to the pink form on his back. Do you think you can be Ruby's substitute bed for a moment while I do this? Teleporting just gets more complicated with more ponies in it.

I don't mind one bit. She lays herself down fully, putting her staff off to the side. Don't think I'm as comfy, but I should at least feel familiar, right?

A bit, she could always tell between you and Gel even when she was asleep as a foal, but still, you are certainly a familiar figure in her life. With a bit of magic, the stallion manages to pry the filly off his back, her forelegs try to grab back at him in her sleep before he sets her gently on the nymph.

She grips her aunt tightly, whining softly at first from her lack of fur but soon settling in, tenderly nuzzling the changeling's neck.

"Did you hear something?"

Rhino's hackles raise high as his head darts toward the door. Crap!

"Stop being so jumpy, Yellowbelly." There's a loud smack. "Sit down and have a glass! You know none of those ponies come down here, even with a chaperone!"

"I know, but I still don't like wine."

Umm... that didn't come from the door... Volt points out as they all turn their heads towards the wall next to the safe.

"Come on! For me?"

"Daisy, you're drunk." A soft sigh. "I'm going for a walk to clear my head."

"No!" The griffon - a female, by the sound of it - whines plaintively to her friend. "Come on, Yellow, this is the only time we spend together! Can't we just... make it memorable?" After this, things go strangely quiet.

Are... are they... Luster wrinkles her nose, trying not to think about the possibilities.

Rhino scrunches his face as he calms his imagination. Try to think of eggs... not what makes them...

They sit there a moment before a soft thump is heard, followed by a groan. "Damn it, Daisy..." He sighs, and then there's a soft squeak of springs. "You're lucky I love ya so much..."

Volt wipes a hoof across his brow, silently thanking... well, anything that what they thought was not what was happening.

Luster taps the emerald stallion's foreleg, nodding towards the vault. It should be safe, just inside the door... but still, be careful, Rhino.

Yeah... apparently, I might not be alone in there... His tail swishes once as he faces the safe, his horn lighting up faintly as a circle begins to manifest around him before he suddenly seems to collapse inward ever so slightly, then disappear. He reappears just inside the door with not even a flash to announce him.

The inside of the safe is not as spacious as one would've thought. Mountains of gold line the back, and stacks of legal documents and other papers tower over him from the sides, all in little shelves labeled specifically for each one. Before him lay a path through the organized clutter, and, at the very top, sits a viewing platform, similar to what one would find on a blimp.

I'm in, no issues. He starts slowly making his way up the inside of the door, heading for the ceiling, but minimizing movement to avoid detection. Seems to be where he keeps everything important. Filled with all kinds of stuff.

Rhino, you might want to stay off the walls. Luster looks to the generator, watching the meters starting to rise. This thing's starting to build up power... and it's connected to the safe.

Eyes widening, Rhino quickly shimmies back down to the ground. Well damn... there goes my main way of avoiding detection.

Before she can respond, the walls start sparking as electricity courses through them. Closing her eyes, Luster replies to him. Surely you can sneak around without acting like a spider? And I doubt the Baron would hide the thing he uses to stay young very far in...

Maybe, maybe not. Still, I feel much more exposed now. Slowly, using the spell he would have used to climb to now muffle his steps, the stallion walks through the vault, eyes peeled. Got to be here somewhere...

Though he looks around for a good few minutes, the most interesting thing Rhino finds is a dozing griffon on a pile of fox furs. Guards in the midnight shift are not necessarily nocturnal it seems. Still, aside from the walls lined with various definitions of 'precious' items, still no chalice. Come on... it's in here somewhere... I can feel it...

After passing a rack of separate, rolled papers for the third time, he notices a recess. Following the niche, he finds himself in heading further inside, and that's when he sees it. Near the middle of the vault is an ornate pedestal, a silver pillar with gold, leaf-shaped accents. It looks as though it would hold the most precious of items in the world.

At the moment, it's completely bare.

Blanching, Rhino calls back to his friends. Guys... I think I found where it goes. Problem: it's not there.

What?! Luster jumps up, sending a flailing Ruby off her back and onto her rump. Then where is it?

I don't know! Rhino quickly starts making his way back toward the door, urgency pushing him on. The only reason i could think it wouldn't be here was if... it was being used...

Shit! The nymph starts pacing, much to the confusion of the still-drowsy pink pony. Why now? It's been weeks since the last reported incident!

It doesn't matter, what matters is that we get that from him before another pony has to go through what the others upstairs did. Rhino reaches the door, instantly teleporting back out and lifting Ruby back onto his back.

Volt's eyes widen. Wait, if he's using it... what does that mean for the abduction team? He won't be alone and asleep now!

We've gotta- There's a flash that interrupts her, and the filly is gone. Luster stumbles slightly, shaking her head in confusion. Wow, that... that was a lot of rage...

RUBY! Rhino's yell echoes in the mental link. Young filly, you get back here right now! This is not the time to go rushing off!

She quickly checks the map, watching as a dot blinks in and out rapidly, switching places each time. I... I think she's too far gone to listen... She gulps, turning to the emerald stallion. She's headed straight for the others...

Then so are we, she's a danger to both herself and the mission right now. He starts running towards and up the stairs, his hoofsteps muffled but his speed not so. Everyone, emergency call! Ruby's lost it! Find her, catch her!

Equus Tactics #44

Winter starts to sigh in relief as what appears to be the last dog in the room falls, only for that to quickly turn into a groan when he hears rapid steps coming up from behind. He had been at this for...he doesn’t even know how long, and only recently the dogs had stopped pouring into the main room at such an alarming rate. He knows they’re down to the last few that hadn’t been allied, knocked out, or - for the majority that he dealt with - outright killed, but whenever he sees one more that they missed, he feels as though he still has way too long to go.

Turning quickly, he grabs the incoming dog’s legs in his magic and pulls, sweeping them right out from under the surprised canine. Not even moving from his spot, he then hovers Vitality over to the dog, the blade up to its neck.

Before dog or stallion can do anything else, Mercury kicks the other canine in the face, knocking him out. The fox then turns to his friend, quirking an eyebrow. ‘You can put that up, now. I think he won’t be getting up, anytime soon.’

The unicorn sighs and brings the knife back over to where the rest are floating. “Fine...though I was hoping to take care of the last pain in my ribcage.” He twirls Vitality and looks at it. “For a magical healing knife, it takes a lot of stabbing to fix anything completely.”

‘Then take those last few stabs from Alpha.’ He smirks, hopping up onto the cobalt pony’s back. ‘I know for a fact he’s the one you want to take all this out on, after all.’

“Oh, yes, he is.” Winter chuckles darkly. “But I’m not underestimating him. He’ll probably get me bleeding and bruised before I’m even close enough to try the same to him.”

‘Hey, if it comes to blows, I’ll take a few for ya.’ The silver fox smirks, patting him on the head. ‘I’m more durable, after all.’

The stallion sighs as he looks back at his friend. “First off, I refuse to use you as a meat shield regardless of your toughness. And second off, I’m pretty sure Alpha would focus more on the guy with the knifes than a little fox, no offense.”

‘I can be dangerous, too, even without weapons!’ He smacks his chest with a paw, grinning impishly. ‘I’ll bite at his heels to distract him, if I have to! Anything to keep you safe, Win!’

Winter smiles, then suddenly frowns. “Only problem is...what are we gonna do about the filly?”

‘I know that look.’ He sighs, shaking his head. ‘We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. As it is, we just need to get them separated.’ His ear flicks, his gaze snapping to the tunnel nearby. He slowly turns to each one, frowning deeply. ‘Did… did you hear that?’

“Speak of Sombra and he shall appear,” the unicorn mutters, nodding. He brings what remains of Equinox to attention, looking around slowly and calmly. “How convenient.”

‘Very. Question is...’ Mercury turns around, facing the direction opposite his friend. ‘Where will he strike from?’

Winter’s ears twitch slightly. “We’ll probably find out...” Suddenly, his horn glows brighter, and a translucent magical white dome forms around the duo. “Now!”

A flame plume shoots out of a tunnel, hitting the shield and dispersing harmlessly. For a moment, there’s silence, then hoofsteps echo down the stone path.

From the shadows steps the filly from the day before, looking at them with her emotionless eyes. “Huh. It didn’t work.”

Winter turns in the direction of the filly, levitating his knives...only to stop and drop them back to their original positions when he sees who it is. He keeps the shield up for the sake of safety and grits his teeth, calling out a question through the barrier. “Where’s Alpha?”

“Alpha is around.” She slowly steps forward, touching the barrier with a hoof. For a moment, the faintest hint of curiosity flickers across her face. “You didn’t use a spell. You didn’t even open the book. How?”

“It’s called unicorn magic.” The stallion taps his horn, but just lightly enough so as to avoid disrupting the magical output. “Same way I’m keeping these things off the ground.” He gestures to the floating daggers.

“Oh.” She shakes her head, slowly walking around the bubble. “I was hoping for a more exciting answer. Pity.”

‘As detached as ever, aren’t you?’ Mercury huffs, looking at the earth pony. ‘Listen, Ash, I know you’re confused, but-’

“Shut up.” The filly glares at him, lines momentarily forming down her cheeks from her eyes. “I know what you’re going to say. Alpha has been kind to me. Gave me a home. A reason to exist.”

“I’m pretty sure you could find a better home and reason to exist without having to work for a slave driver,” Winter remarks.

“He…” She falters a second. “He’s helping his friends. His family.”

The unicorn shakes his head. “I’ve talked with some of the dogs here. They don’t like having slaves. They miss digging on their own.” He pokes the barrier from the inside as a substitute for poking the filly herself. “Your Alpha ‘friend’ is hurting his family almost as much as he’s hurting the slaves they’re taking. Sure, some of them were okay with it...and look at what happened to them.”

She shivers, forcing herself to keep her eyes on him. “N-no. I don’t want to look.” She shakes her head. “H-he didn’t kill anyone. You did! Good guys don’t kill!”

“Correction. He didn’t kill anyone directly.” Winter jerks his head in the direction of a tunnel leading to now-empty cells. “Those slaves? Maybe none of them are dead right now, but who’s to say we didn’t arrive too late to watch him just chuck the bodies of overworked, malnourished ponies into a hole? And besides, we may be freeing them, but we can’t heal them until we get back to civilization. And with the injuries some of them have, it’s possible some might not even make it.” He narrows his eyes. “Besides...how is slavery that much different from murder? You’re taking someone away from the world either way. But in the case of the former, they’re just now helping you. The effect is the same.”

“S-shut up.” She turns away, fighting to keep the tears in her eyes. “H-he’s my friend. The only one who cares about me. I… I can’t turn my back on him…”

Winter sighs. “You make your own choices. I won’t demand you make specific ones.” He lets the shield fall and steps forward. “But I will demand one thing. Tell me: Where. Is. Alpha.”

Ash looks up at him, taking a step back out of fear. “I-I don’t know. He could be anywhere, down here.”

For a moment, with the way the daggers twitch in his magical hold, it looks as though Winter is about to take a shot at her. Instead, he sighs and brings them together in a small cluster, then looks back at Mercury. “Should we stay with her until Alpha comes out, or go find him? He’s got to be in the same direction she came from.”

‘We… should probably stay.’ He looks to the filly, staring up at them in a mix of outrage and fear. ‘She has to know… Alpha’s not the only one who cares about her.’

The unicorn nods. He looks back at Ash once more. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m going to expect you to at least have the courtesy to do the same while we wait.”

She whimpers softly, her ears pinned to her head. “I… I couldn’t, if I tried…”

“You have hooves, don’t you? Those things can hurt if you swing hard enough. Trust me, I know.” He sits down, still looking around warily for any other attackers.

“That’s… not what I-”

A loud voice with a natural growl echoes from a nearby cave. “Enough, Ash. Speaking with them is only getting you upset.” Large thumping footsteps are heard getting closer, but at their owner’s casual pace.

Winter is back on his hooves in a second, turning in the direction of the incoming steps with his five knives all pointing the same way. He steps in front of Ash and glances back at Mercury. “Think we should?”

‘Should what? Protect Ash? Of course.’ He glances at the filly, cautiously moving between her and the book. ‘Though I don’t know about you, but I’d protect the tome. The dog might not be the honorable type.’

Regardless of what he says, the small pony runs from behind the stallion, skidding to a stop just outside one of the tunnels. “Alpha! You came!”

“It’s past time I saw for myself what chaos was rolling through my tunnels.” A black paw with brown palm reaches out of the shadows and scoops up the filly. A moment later, the big dog himself is revealed… and ‘big’ is certainly accurate. Squarely on the upper-tier of his species’ size range, the doberman walks with the confidence one expects from a leader who earned his position.

Unlike most of the other dogs whose usual attire include a vest and occasionally a helmet, Alpha dons a full thick leather chestpiece with metal shoulder pads. A well-used but well-made helmet rests on his head while wrist-guards covered in small spikes are strapped to his arms. His eyes rest squarely on the fox and pony, the small filly on one of his wide shoulders while the head of a warhammer pokes over the other, hung in a strap on his back. A fire red book with black lines on the cover is slotted in a holster on his belt, easily accessed by the arm hanging next to it.

“...this is gonna be fun.” Winter speaks in a low tone that makes it impossible to tell if he’s being sarcastic or not. His daggers twirl around once before pointing at the large dog. “Really wish the others were here.”

The fox on his back looks to his friend, curious. ‘To help you out?’

“To clean up the blood when this is all over.” Under his breath, he adds; “Whoever’s it is...”

Snorting at the daggers that are no bigger than one of his fingers, the dog grins at the pony, his teeth in full evidence. “You are a brave pony… or a foolish one.”

“Little column A, little column B.” As if just showing off, Winter levitates the knives in a spinning pattern before bringing them behind himself, then out again. He then quickly shot them forward, moving fast enough to make sure his foe wouldn’t notice that one of the knives had apparently vanished.

With a surprisingly swift single movement, the canine slides his feet slightly apart, draws his weapon, and uses it’s head to either block or swipe away the small blades. He grins again. “I am not some newborn whelp, pony. I suggest you improve so that I at least have a decent story to tell when I explain why there is a massive bloodstain on the wall of this cavern.”

“Sorry, but I’m not one for storytelling.” Winter grins, and unseen to the dog, the vanished fifth knife seems to materialize out of thin air behind him. “Talking too much can be a distraction.” He quickly stabs Vestige into the dog’s leg; one of the few unprotected parts on his body.

With a snarl of pain and rage, the dog rips the blade out of his leg and launches off his other one in a leap towards Winter, hammer in hand. His other paw snakes down, setting itself on the book as he barks out a single word. “Fureido!”

The filly’s eyes turn white as her mouth opens wide. A plume of fire launches out at the stallion and fox, the heat tangible from this distance. Reacting quickly, Winter jumps to the side, trying to keep Mercury somewhat steady on his back while doing so. His horn lights up and he recollects his daggers, but rather than use them just yet, he just brings them over and begins running around the room.

Like a dog on a rabbit, Alpha’s eyes follow the two. With a snarl, he swings his hammer in a wide low arc on the path they were running. Winter’s eyes widen as the object comes at him; unable to dodge or cast a spell in time, he instead rears up quickly onto his hind legs, taking the unavoidable blow to the stomach rather than likely fatally to the head. The force sends him and the fox on his back flying across the room, slamming into the wall before dropping to the ground.

Mercury slowly stands up, shaking himself thoroughly. ‘Wow, that was a trip.’ He steps in front of Winter, hackles raised at the diamond dog. ‘Just give up, Alpha! We’re gonna win, no matter what you do!’

Smirking, the dog looks down at the tiny silver fox. “Wrong, vulpine.” He whips out his book, flipping it open and barking once more. “Rin Fureido!” The filly’s eyes turn white once more, and she fires at them once more. However, instead of a single burst, three rings emerge, coming at them from different angles.

He holds his ground, glaring at the doberman. ‘Of course you understand me.’ He kicks at the stallion’s cheek with a hindleg. ‘Time to wake up, Win. If you don’t, we’re toast...’

A groan not unlike what you’d hear from somepony who had the urge to throw up came from the downed stallion. “I’m awake...” He opens his eyes and glances at the rings coming at them, not even bothering to stand up. His horn flickers to life, and a similar dome shield to before materializes around the duo; this one, however, is a bright red rather than white.

The flames collide with the shield, but instead of passing through, exploding, or anything, they simply snuff out. With a beastial growl, Alpha raises his hammer high with one hand. “Block this!” The hammer falls.

It goes through the shield, but collides with the fox, who had jumped up to take it for his friend. He slams straight into the ground before Winter, making a small crater upon impact.

Ash blinks at this, craning her neck to look at the fallen vulpine in concern. “Mercury? You’re not hurt too badly, are you?” A small whimper is the response, eliciting a sigh of relief from the small pony. “That’s good…”

“Hmm, you strange book creatures are tougher than you look.” With a scoop and flick, he tosses Mercury a short distance away as he reaches a paw down through the unicorn’s shield and towards his neck.

The arm gets within a few inches of its target before Vendetta suddenly embeds itself in the limb. Yowling, the beast withdraws the limb, cradling it and ripping the knife out with his teeth. Rather than tossing it away, though, he tries to bite through or bend the metal, tired of being stabbed.

The knife doesn’t even appear to be scratched, as though immune to all attempts to do so. Utilizing the moment as a distraction, Winter hauls himself to his hooves and drops the shield, then reaches out with his magic for the green-tipped dagger just by where he landed. As soon as he picks it up, he jabs Alpha’s leg with it just like he did with Vestige; this time, however, the effect is slightly different.

At the moment, though, it is not noticeable as Alpha lunges forward with both his empty paw and teeth, aiming to maul the pony at this short range. Obviously against this, Winter rolls to the side and barely avoids the attack, grabbing another blade with his magic as he does so. This one stands out compared to the others, having a blade that almost looks like a unicorn horn with the way it’s twisted.

Standing up, Winter turns and points the dagger at the dog, but doesn’t stab. Instead, the dagger briefly glows like an actual unicorn’s horn would, and then produces a harsh beam of hot light that goes right for the giant canine’s face.

Growling and turning his head away from the burning attack, Alpha puts a paw to his burned cheek. With his other paw, he makes a wide blind swing with his hammer, hoping to hit the pony. Instead, he feels it get stuck mid-swing as Winter casts a quick ordinary shield spell around the swinging weapon. The barrier forms as though it always did, making a space to trap the neck of the hammer, not budging an inch to allow it freedom.

“You already cracked both me and my friend with that,” Winter growls. “How about you quit overcompensating there and fight like a man? ...er, dog?”

Eyes blazing, the hound rises to his feet, testing them and feeling not enough pain to stop him from using them. Spreading his arms wide and lifting his head, he lets out a ear-wrenching howl before charging at the pony on all fours, claws ready to tear into anything that gets in the way.

Smirking, the stallion begins galloping right towards him, only to jump at the last minute and clamber over the dog’s head and onto his back. Alpha skids to a halt even as one claw reaches back and grabs for the unwanted rider. Surprisingly, Ash is the one that shoves him off, bowling him head over hooves to the floor.

Whirling around, Alpha swings one paw underhanded, scooping the pony up and tossing him across the room. The stallion lands on one of his front legs and winces as he hears a snapping sound, struggling to stand up as quickly as he can only to fall over again from lack of support.

Seeing his opponent immobile, the hunter grins once more. “That’s better.” Straightening up, he grabs his book again. “Let’s see… how to deal with you so that others won’t try what you did… hmm?” Surprisingly, as he opens the book, a new spell reveals itself. “Well well, this will do nicely. Ready to try a new spell, Ash?”

She blinks, visibly surprised. “A new spell, Alpha?” The filly looks down at the stallion, then to the canine, slowly nodding. “If you’re sure...”

With a grunt, Winter lights his horn, trying to grab for one of his daggers. With a frown and a quick lunge, the canine harshly grabs onto the skull protrusion. “No more of that.” He does a small quick wrench of his wrist, not enough to snap the horn, but plenty enough to hurt. Crying out, the stallion slumps again and the glow vanishes.

“Much better. Now then…” Alpha lets go and stands back up to consult the book once more. He rolls the foreign word on his tongue for a moment, working out his best guess at pronouncing it before speaking clearly. “Saifogeo!”

Unlike the other times, the filly glows softly before the light rises up off her body. It coalesces above her into a long, pink-hilted sword, the blade still shining with the light.

His brow furrowing, Alpha reaches up and takes the blade, looking it over critically. “Well… that is not what I expected…” Looking back at the pony, he shrugs. “Perhaps it is an enchanted blade that will set him on fire or something. Easy way to find out.” Pulling back his arm, he swipes the sword across the stallion’s torso.

Shutting his eyes as the blade makes contact, Winter waits for the pain...only to instead feel little more than the small wind caused from the sword being swung. He opens his eyes, confused, only to suddenly shut them again and wince as something in his leg makes another snapping noise, causing a surge of pain. This time, however, the pain is only temporary; within a couple seconds, it’s begun to dull, and that isn’t all.

The headache he received from Alpha twisting his horn begins to recede. The ache in his gut from the hammer earlier slowly vanishes. Even his side, previously the target of a rib-smashing club, starts to feel better.

As Alpha looks on in shock, Mercury, sitting off to the side, decides to chime in. ‘You know, I’ve seen that spell, once, before I met Win.’ He snickers, shaking his head. ‘Caused the caster the same amount of confusion then, too.’ The fox walks forward, patting his friend on the head. ‘It’s a healing sword. No way to injure someone with that, I dare say.’

“What?!” Looking to the rapidly healing unicorn and back to the sword, the dog lets out a growl before slicing himself with it. As the slight burn of his stab wounds recedes and the poison from Viper is cured, he slips the sword into the strap on his back. “Guess I’ll just have to beat you back down again!” Grabbing his hammer off the floor, he goes in for a quick swing.

“I think not,” Winter remarks with a chuckle as he deftly rolls to the side, avoiding the hammer easily as he stands back up on his now fully-mended leg. Shooting Mercury a grin, he grabs the blue book off his back, but doesn’t even need to open it to know what to yell. “Freezudo!”

The fox’s fur bristles as he blasts ice from his mouth, hitting the doberman’s legs. The ice quickly spreads, pinning the paws to the floor quite solidly, and in an awkward position due to his recovering from the swing.

Running over, Winter scoops Mercury up onto his back and glances around the room, grabbing his scattered daggers with magic to bring them back over. Once he has Equinox assembled again (minus Verdict, of course), he turns with Viper and stabs the half-frozen dog in the arm.

With a roar of pain, Alpha tries to wrench his limbs from being attached to the floor, squirming as he speaks. “Ash! Use the sword on me!”

She grabs the no-longer-glowing blade in her teeth and swings it at his arm, stumbling as it goes all the way through. She blinks, poking him gently and looking at him hopefully. Winter, just as curious, looks back at Mercury for an explanation.

The fox shrugs, keeping his voice low just in case. ‘It only works when shining. Otherwise, it’s just a hunk of metal.’

“You don’t say...” With a grin, the stallion turns Vision around again and aims another beam of light at the dog, staying back a fair distance to stay out of range of his foe’s hammer.

Ducking down so the beam hits his armor, Alpha successfully frees himself from the ice. He stands up, shaking himself a little as he remarks to Ash. “Wait until it shines, then try again.” Seeing the surprised looks on the other two’s faces, he smiles, twitching his ears. “Really? You thought whispering around a dog would work?” He hefts his hammer once more. “Now, where were we…” He crouches low, body coiled like a spring as he stalks closer to them.

“...the part where the rest of my team bursts in and helps save the day?” Winter offers sheepishly. When nothing happens, he sighs. “Well, so much for this being like the movies.”

“Not everything is so easy.” With a leap into the air, Alpha grabs his hammer in both paws as he comes dropping down on top of the two.

The unicorn grins all of a sudden, his horn lighting up and a shield forming just in time to block the hammer. However, this shield has a faint light blue glow to it; furthermore, it almost appears to be sparkling with static electricity.

Like the other shields, this one blocks the physical blow, though the canine can see the unicorn wince from the pressure on it. Not even a second after this, the dog lets out a yelp as he feels electricity coursing through his metal weapon, and thus, him. The filly on his shoulder doesn’t escape the shock either, crying out as the jolt knocks her off the dog.

Quickly, Winter drops the electrified barrier and refocuses his magic, ignoring the pounding in his head from the strain, and grabs Ash before she hits the ground. He rights her, then puts her on the floor carefully before letting go and turning back to the still-stunned dog, mouthing a quick apology to her.

She doesn’t seem to notice, her legs giving out and causing her to collapse on the ground. She groans, resting her head on the ground. “Alpha… make the room stop moving…”

Wincing, the unicorn looks back at the fox on his back. “Help her out, will you?”

He nods and leaps off his back, heading over to the filly and nudging her cheek. “It’s alright, Ash… I swear we’ll help you out of this.”

While this goes on, Winter decides to stop fighting from a distance. He charges forward and tackles Alpha before he can recover, hoping to use his weight to push the beast onto the ground.

His efforts are rewarded with nothing more than a grunt and the few inches the dog slides. Two massive paws suddenly clamp themselves around the unicorn, claws digging into him as he is lifted up to a gleaming set of teeth. “Fool.” Alpha then slams his foe into the ground, only to lift him up and repeat the process.

The stallion grunts with each slam, barely managing out parts of a sentence. “Thought...I was...fatter...” He tries to use his horn, but every time he focuses enough to light it, the next slam disrupts his concentration.

Then, a different light catches his attention. By Ash’s head, the enchanted blade starts shining once more. She makes a mad dash, rushing around the fox to grab the weapon and swing it at the doberman’s wounded leg, timing it so it would miss the other pony, currently being lifted up.

Rather, that would’ve been the case, if not for one thing. Mercury leaps up and grabs his friend’s foreleg, pulling it into the path of the sword and not letting go until it finishes its path. ‘Damn it, this is getting ridiculous. If you guys keep healing back up, there’s no way either of us can win!’ He spins and chomps down on Alpha’s leg, his twin tails wrapping around the other. He focuses and curls himself up, pulling them together and unbalancing the larger canine.

Finding himself tipping over, the large dog slams the pony into the ground one more time and keeps his paw squishing him as he finds his balance. He looks down with a growl, his other paw snaking down and wrapping around the vulpine, trying to pry him off.

The fox releases his jaw lock on the dog’s leg, snarling at him ferociously while his tails continue to bind the other hindleg. ‘Let us go, you mangy bastard!’

“I don’t think so.” Alpha pulls harder, feeling the silver form starting to be torn away from him.

‘You don’t think at all. You probably haven’t since you rose to power!’ His eyes flicker from the canine’s face to his stomach, a devious thought forming that he acts upon immediately. ‘Try being Alpha male after this.’ Mercury lunges forward, biting through the thin armor at the dog’s pelvis. His jaws clamp down harder, the leather and metal starting to crumple beneath the sheer force.

A high-pitched whine forces its way out of the dog’s throat as his sensitive bits are crunched on. His paw clamps onto the fox with desperate strength, ripping him off and tossing him away before he is forced to his knees from the pain. “Ash… sword… now…”

Thankfully for the pinned stallion, this is enough to loosen Alpha’s grip on him, and he darts out from underneath the giant paw over to where Mercury had been tossed, trying to catch his breath. “Good thinking, if a little painful to just watch.”

‘Painful for me, too...’ He chuckles, slowly standing. ‘I’ll need my teeth brushed fifty times to forget that...’ He watches the filly rush to the dog once more, stumbling slightly as he tries to catch her. ‘Shit...’

“I got it, Alpha!” She stops right next to him, sword loose gripped in her mouth to let her speak. “Don’t worry, this will-”

“Not be needed.” A wave of rock rolls between them, snatching the pink-hilted sword and bringing it over to one of the tunnels. “Seriously, what is all this? Scorch marks, ice…” The white nymph picks the blade up in her magic as she steps forward out of the shadows, her silver eyes falling on the cobalt pony. “You have some explaining to do, Sol.”

Winter groans. “Can the explaining wait until after we take care of tall, dark, and ugly as Tartarus over there?”

“Fine by me.” Dior shrugs and walks closer to the dog, bringing the sword before her. “You want this, do you?” She taps it with a hoof, watching as it vibrates with a musical tone. “Curious. Hardly any imperfections in this weapon… definitely not a blade for the likes of you, then.” She casually flings it over her shoulder. “Catch.”

The unicorn’s magic reaches out and snatches the blade from the air. Then, to the nymph’s utter surprise, he turns it around and thrusts it into his chest.

She rushes over, eyes wide in shock. “Sol! What th-” She cuts herself off, noticing that the blade didn’t draw any blood. “...how did…”

“Healing sword. A spell of theirs gone wrong.” He grins, slashing at Mercury with it next, the sword losing its glow immediately after.

“A spell?” She looks from the fox, getting to his feet and shaking himself, to the dog and filly, brow furrowed slightly. “But… neither of them can cast spells… right?”

Winter shakes his head. “Long story, and it’s part of the explanation I’ll be giving you later. But for now, we have a dog to put down.”

Dior seems skeptical at best, but she slowly nods, bringing up a hoof and letting the blade from before slide out, handle and all. “You might want this. Just in case.” She grabs the sword and puts it on her back, turning to the doberman. “So… is this gonna be- where’s that blood coming from?” She points at the small pool of crimson liquid slowly forming underneath the dog, baffled.

The stallion winces as he finally fully assembles Equinox, the six daggers spinning slowly above him. “Uh...let’s just say that Alpha’s not gonna be attracting any girls for a while.” He glances at Mercury, then back to the battle.

“That doesn’t matter!” Ash leaps forward, bristling slightly. “He doesn’t always have to have girls!”

“...did not need to know that.” Winter steps forward, looking at Ash. “Please move.”

“No!” She stamps her hoof, on the verge of tears. “You’ll only hurt Alpha more! I won’t lose my friend to anyone!”

“Oh, you won’t lose your friend?” The stallion’s voice grows low. “What about the friends and family of all the ponies he took away? Was that perfectly fine or something?” She whimpers, her head bowing. “Besides, we’re only fighting back as long as he does. If he gives up, we’ll leave quietly with the slaves. If he wants to battle to the death...” He trails off, letting her piece together the rest of his sentence for herself.

“H-he…” She trails off, turning to the dog, eyes full of hope and fear. “You’d let them go… right? I just… I don’t want to be alone, again, Alpha…”

Panting heavily, the doberman stares at the ground. “There is no quiet path. Ponies will not leave us alone after this. My pack had become strongest after I found you, no more challenges were made for Alpha position. We could focus. But ponies found us now, they won’t just let us be after this. There will be those who come back.” He growls, forcing himself to stand. “My pack shall stay the strongest! We-”

“Alpha, wait!” Ash rushes forward, rising on her hindlegs to place her hooves against his chest. “Y-you’re injured; pushing yourself like this, you… you could…”

“I could what?!” He snarls as he grabs her with a paw. “I could give in? Submit to ponies? I will not be lapdog! Not again! Never will I be simple thing for ponies to kick out of the way! I AM ALPHA! I am top dog, and no pony, dog, or anything, shall ever take that from me again!” His teeth are bared in a ferocious expression, his eyes blazing with what is clear to be decades of emotion.

“A-Alpha…” The filly whimpers, struggling to free herself. “Alpha, y-you’re hurting me…”

Dior scowls, eyes narrowing dangerously. “Put her down. We can all still walk away from this.” She holds out a hoof and steps forward, trying to placate the large canine. “We don’t have to make you a statistic; just let the filly go.”

He swipes his claw at the offered hoof, raising his hackles and backing away. “I will not be ordered by ponies!”

She stares at him, deadpan. “I’m a changeling.”

“I don’t care!” He practically roars at her. “I will not be ordered by anything!” He shakes the paw holding the filly. “This one is key to keeping power. Nothing else can have her. I kill her first!”

Winter growls. “Let. Her. Go.” His daggers twirl around dangerously, but he doesn’t move from his spot.

“Never!” Alpha backs up towards a tunnel, keeping his eyes switching around to all those in front of him. “Will gather more dogs… will use filly to become powerful again… will stay that way…” The filly in his paw lets her head fall against his thumb, sobs racking her small form.

The unicorn almost starts walking forward, but hesitates as soon as he lifts his hoof. Teeth gritted, he looks at Dior with a look of anger, guilt, and pleading.

Oddly enough, the nymph keeps her stoic expression. “Very well, then. You’ve made your choice. We’ll just make our own.” Her eyes dart slightly to the side, and she gives a curt nod.

Suddenly, from behind the canine, two familiar metal arms shoot out and crush the wrist of the paw holding the filly between their mace heads. Alpha howls in pain as he drops the filly, unable to feel his paw anymore. As she falls, suddenly a grey hoof punches through the floor below. Maud pops her head out and scoops Ash up, diving back down into her small tunnel and shoring it up with replacement rocks not a moment later.

Hydro takes the opportunity to run around the canine and join his wife and their leader. “You did tell him to let her go. Just thought I might help with that.”

“I’m glad you did.” Dior smiles, nuzzling his cheek before turning to face the dog once more. “Looks like your key just got taken.”

His feral grin returns as he brings the book up from his belt. “No, only misplaced. Easily located when I have her roast your friend.” He opens his mouth to recite a spell, only for it to be interrupted before it can begin when Vitality flies at him.

With a calculated swing, the dagger slips its blade into his mouth and slices directly through his tongue before retracting back to Winter’s side. The unicorn takes slow, angry steps towards the beast. “Bad. Dog.”

‘No treat for you.’ Mercury jumps up onto his friend’s back, grinning victoriously at the larger canine. ‘You know, Win, he has no need for a book without his tongue. He has to sound out every word, after all.’

“Oh, I know.” His pace unchanging, the stallion sends Viper in, piercing the arm holding the tome. “But like you said earlier...this is the guy I want to take my anger out on.”

The increasingly injured dog drops the book, clamping his paw over his mouth as a few drops of blood come out of it. He takes one more look at the group assembled before letting out a bubbling growl, turning tail, and running out the tunnel.

Hydro lets out a sigh of relief. “Good. That fight was getting more and more one-sided.” He taps his hoof on the floor three times.

Winter, meanwhile, turns and heads towards the dropped book. He picks it up with his magic and silently deposits it on his back, along with his own blue one, before turning back to the group. “We’re going after him. But first, where’s the filly?”

“Here.” Maud slowly walks in from the tunnel behind them, Ash held in her foreleg. “She needed hugs.”

The unicorn instantly changes course and darts over, nearly upsetting the books and fox on his back. “Is she okay?”

“He… he used me…” She sniffles, looking up at the cobalt pony, tears still streaming down her face. “I thought he c-cared… but he was just lying through his teeth…”

Frowning, Winter gently puts a hoof on her, leaning down to be at eye level with her. “It’s okay, Ash...he’s not gonna hurt you, or use you, anymore. You won’t deal with him ever again.”

“B-but… what do I do now?” She curls up in Maud’s foreleg, eyes focused on the ground. “I… I have nowhere to go…”

“You come home with us,” the unicorn answers without hesitation. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll help you, okay?”

She blinks, looking at him in confusion. “You… you would?”

“We would.” Maud confirms, giving the filly a comforting squeeze. “You will be safe.”

Ash stares at the gray mare, confused. “Um… thanks?”

“She’s right. You’ll be safe with us.” Winter slowly brushes her mane with a hoof, managing a small but warm smile. “Okay?”

She rubs at her face with a hoof, smiling shyly. “O-okay…”

Three paws thump down in an uneven rhythm. Hot breath hisses through Alpha’s teeth as he runs ever upward, the layout of the tunnels imprinted in his mind. He needs to get away, at least for a time; he was getting into worse and worse condition. To be beaten by ponies, again… it made his blood boil.

Before him comes the flicker of blue sky, the signal for the exit of the mines. He smiles, wincing right after as he feels his injured tongue. Still, he presses on, seeing his goal in sight. He bursts out of the tunnel...

...and straight through a wall of sky-blue clouds. Alpha has just enough time to growl and start batting the fluffy things out of his way before he suddenly slams into a rock wall. Groaning, he slumps to the ground, his battered body finally making him take a rest now that he has stopped moving.

At least, until a large weight lands on his gut. “Hey, lay off, mutt!” The goldenrod drone looks up, his horn glowing as the clouds gather back together. “Do you know how hard it is to paint clouds? I don’t want you ruining my work, you uncultured buffoon!”

Breathing heavily, Alpha grabs onto the rock wall and starts trying to pull himself up. “Quiet… cursed… pony.”

A cut suddenly opens up on the dog’s arm. “Changeling, you blithering idiot.” He sits himself down on the canine’s stomach, shaking his head. “Why can’t you dogs get that right?”

“Don’t care… get… off…” The dog tries to use his paw to push the drone off him.

“Keep struggling, and I’ll have to make you go to time out.” He points up, where several dogs float above them. “Do you want that, or will you tell me why you’re running? Aren’t you going to help free the ponies?”

Alpha growls. “Never release ponies… never…”

“What?” He frowns, confused. “Why say that? I’m sure Alpha’s been defeated by now…” He looks over the doberman’s body, eyes narrowing slightly. “Though you seem to be quite injured. Did the friendlies get at you?”

Another growl. “Alpha not beaten… not yet…”

“Uh, yeah he is. If not, he will be.” Flick chuckles, patting him on the head. “Just be a good boy and wait until then, okay? Then you’ll have a new, better leader.”

“No better leader…” Alpha’s eyes burn as he weakly tries to bite the hoof that patted him. “I made us strong… We will stay strong…”

The drone stares blankly at him. “Wait… you’re Alpha?” He frowns, lifting up a brush from his art kit behind him. “That makes things different. Question is,” he swishes his brush above them, the back of the dog’s paw gaining another laceration, “take you to Celestia… or finish you off, myself.” He taps his chin, looking up at the sky. “Decisions, decisions…”

Not even wasting the energy to groan from yet another injury, Alpha tries to push himself up. “Not bow to pony… never… not lapdog…”

“Oh? Pity.” He glances up as the sound of rumbling meets his ears. “Well… maybe you’ll bow to your betters?”

“No pony is my better… not anymore… not again…” His already strained muscles strain more as his back comes off the ground.

Flick smirks, seeing who is approaching. “No pony? I think that’s your opinion... but what about your pack?”

“Alpha is always strongest… and I am strongest.” He successfully sits up; not a terribly impressive accomplishment in most cases, but for him it felt like a massive victory.

He points over the doberman’s shoulder. “Why don’t you tell them that?”

With effort, Alpha turns, his eyes widening at the sight of a good number of his dogs approaching, most if not all of them unscathed. “Pack, where were you? Did you get rid of the ponies?”

“I’d say not.” From within the group emerges a white unicorn, smirking coyly. “In fact, I think that Fluffy here has something to tell you.” She looks up at the dog next to her, smiling warmly. “Isn’t that right?”

The diamond dog in question steps towards his downed former leader, wearing a smirk not unlike Vinyl’s. “Pony right.” He swiftly wraps his paws tightly around Alpha’s neck, glaring into his eyes. “Alpha...not Alpha anymore.”

“Well, you seem to have everything under control.” Flick waves the mare over, nodding to the large gray dog. “We’ll leave this guy to you. We’ve got a train to catch!”

While the numerous ponies file out of the cave system, the largest dog cares not, only seeing the one in front of him. As he looks into the strong eyes of the dog in front of him, the last fire in the doberman’s eyes die out to be replaced by acceptance. “So be it… lead them… well…”

Stealthy Shades #38

On the top floor, the feminine pegasus finishes up his plan. Having gotten the majority of the mares to calm down and listen, he is significantly more comfortable around them, though he doesn't come down off the bed canopy.

"...and that's the gist of how we'll get you mares out of here." Enigma chuckles as he looks to the pink pony by his side, gesturing with a hoof. "Any questions, Miss?"

She wears a small frown, one eyebrow raised as she stares at him. “You want us to escape… in your bag, which is apparently a pocket dimension with no gravity. So, we will literally be floating in the middle of nowhere until you let us out?”

"Hey, half of you are pegasi." He pokes at the air. "You could use your wings to get yourself and others out... or even use one of the rope ladders, if that appeals to you more. Besides, it's not completely 'nowhere'. I have a bunch of stuff in there that can entertain, even without gravity, and you can bring things with you, too..." He blinks before sheepishly smiling. "Though... I'd appreciate if you don't open the black journal in there..."

“I doubt we’d find it.” She looks down to the others. “What do you girls think?”

While most of the pegasi seem ok, the unicorns and earth ponies seem much more skeptical as a few of them voice their opinions.

“I dunno, just floating around? Not knowing where up or down is?” An earth pony shudders.

“Wouldn’t we go crazy like that? Maybe if I shut my eyes and try to not think about it…”

The stallion sighs, his head dropping to the beam once more. "If you really want, I'll see about somehow getting gravity in there." He jumps down off the canopy and to his bag, opening it up and poking his head in. "Maybe Pinkie installed some kind of switch..." He squirms his way inside, his tail soon disappearing into the bag one-eighth his size.

Another mare in the crowd muses out loud. “Huh, guess it is bigger on the inside…”

One mare from earlier pouts. “He never answered me about helping with my heat next week…”

Cotton rolls her eyes. “Come on now girls, surely being here hasn’t reduced you to only thinking with your back-halves.” A few tails flick irritatedly, but most of their heads nod reluctantly.

"I agree with Cotton. To answer your question, Miss, uh... soon-to-be-in-heat," the androgynous voice replies, filtering out from the bag's opening, "I regret to inform you that I'm currently in a relationship... though she might have a thing for that. I don't dare ask for fear of what she might do."

“I understand…” Her reply is sullen but accepting as many of the mares let out similar tones of disappointment.

"I did say there's a chance. Just... don't tell her I said that." A pillow comes sailing out of the bag, smacking the unicorn on the bed in the back of her head. "...I heard that hit something. What did it hit?"

“Me.” The older mare tosses the pillow back up with a bit of magic. “Kindly keep your shenanigans to yourself. We’ve already said we’ll have no part in them.”

"Sorry, just grabbed one of the pillows from this pile to test the gravity with... at least it wasn't this blue shell, here, right?" He nervously chuckles. "As it turns out, there was a switch - right between the books and the records. So... watch where you step, I guess." His head pokes out of the opening. "That being said, it's one-sixth the pull of normal gravity. That's not a deal-breaker, is it?"

One of the earth ponies shakes her head and replies. “No, I don’t mind feeling lighter and jumping high, just as long as I know there’s ground.” Sounds of agreement come from the rest of the mob of mares.

"Good to know." He turns his attention to Cotton. "Could you help me get everything sorted, Miss? I have a few things that should probably be put away, before you girls come in..." He disappears back inside.

“Oh, umm, sure.” She raises the lip of the bag hesitantly before taking a deep breath and slipping inside.

Yet another mare down below huffs. “Why does she get alone time with him…” A lasso comes from the bag and catches the mare in question, pulling her inside.

Enigma watches as she drops onto one of the beds, an eyebrow quirked. "Now it's not alone time, and you're gonna help us organize this place." He gestures to what can only be described as hills of different items with beds scattered among them. "Happy?"

She nods, slightly dazed as she tries to wiggle out of the rope. “Can I get another look at that flank for motivation?” Her eyelashes flutter at him as she shifts into a pose on the bed, the rop still around her middle.

The burgundy pony stares at her blankly for a second. "I'm betting you want to see something else..." He sighs, turning and shifting a few items around. "Where did that thing go to..." He tosses a sink off to the side, landing somewhere among the flags. "I know it's rude, but... I never did get your name, Miss." He glances at her, pausing in his search.

“Honeysuckle.” Her eyes are glued to his tail area, her own swishing. “Glad to meet you…”

“Honey…” Cotton says warningly, “he said he’s taken. Is this really what I’d be like if I wasn’t the newest one here?”

“Hey!” Honey huffs. “Excuse me for dreaming optimistically for the first time since I got here. Mister Engima is literally a dangling bait in front of us after having given us the promise of escape. If I want to get a good mental picture so I can at least fantasize later, I will.”

Taken aback by the mare’s aggression, Cotton backs down. “Okay, I see your point…”

"Guess it can't be helped." There's a flash, and the stallion holds up a hoof, now clad in silver metal. He turns to the light yellow mare, a red plume of energy escaping from his hoof before turning into a short blade. "Hold still, please."

Honey’s pupils shrink to pinpricks as she seems to shrink in on herself. She covers her eyes with her hooves. There's a swift breeze, and she feels the rope around her slacken. She peeks, seeing the rope around her now cut. “Oh…”

"There we go." The dagger vanishes, and he holds the hoof out to her. "You really didn't need to be scared, Miss Suckle. Just helping you out, there."

She blushes lightly, taking his hoof in her own. “You sure are…”

He blinks, looking at her curiously as he helps her up. "You... have beautiful green eyes." He shakes himself, gesturing to the piles around them. "So, yeah, cleaning. Think you can help?"

“Yeah, sure…” Before he can react, she darts forward and gives him a nuzzle before jumping off the bed and heading towards the pile Cotton is working on. For her part, the pink pegasus doesn’t seem to know how to react and simply shakes her head, getting to work.

The stallion blinks, watching her go before a thought occurs. He chuckles slightly, heading over to the two of them. "You know, I think we only need to organize three of these piles. It should be more than enough room..." He taps his chin, a playful smirk on his lips. "And hey... maybe we can make a game out of this."

Both mares look to him curiously. “Go on.”

"We each take a pile and see who can finish first." He grins, tapping the book filled one he's on. "The first one to finish can request anything of the last one. Within reason, that is." He nods to them. "What do you think?"

“Deal!” Honey immediately dives into her pile, hooves a blur as she works.

Cotton shrugs, but smiles nonetheless as she gets to work on her own. “Better watch yourself Mister Enigma.”

He sits down on his stack, casually picking up a book with his hooves. "I'm not worried."

This should be the right floor. Gel alights on the top step, glancing back at her friends. So we just go in and grab the guy, right? Doesn’t really seem that difficult.

Octavia comments as she works her way up the stairs. It really shouldn’t be, but some of these guys are hardier than most, so it pays to be prepared in case of trouble.

Like guards that come in if they hear a struggle. Atom finishes.

Speaking of guards… The nymph frowns, looking at the map in her mind. We may have a couple just outside our target… and one more patrolling the halls. She looks to the stallion, eyebrow quirked. Think you can handle the roamer, if it comes to that?

He nods, flaring his wings once. Easy. He won’t know what hit him.

Good. She sighs, rubbing the back of her head. Times like these, I wish I knew Luster’s soundproofing spell…

It certainly does come in useful for many things… The cellist muses as they walk. Still, we’ve worked without it before and we probably will again. Just another day of making the world safer.

True... Gel stops, staring at the guards before her. She watches them intently for several seconds before nodding to herself. Got it. Octavia, you go for the one on the right. I'll get the one on the left. She holds up a hoof. Do not strike until I do. They're both jumpy, and we don't want to raise any alarms.

Understood. The cellist quietly moves into the shadows.

Gel sneaks off to one side and checks the map, waiting until the roaming guard is far enough away to make her move. She closes her eyes and brings up her wings, rubbing them together.

Crik crik.

The guard on the left turns to the side, frowning softly. "The fuck is that?"

"Just a cricket." The older of the two yawns, shaking his head. "Must've snuck in earlier, or something."

The first growls, walking away from his post. "Hate bugs... let one in, and the whole of the food stores go bad in a few days..."

He walks off into the shadows, his eyes slowly adjusting to the low light. "Come here, little bug..."

A midnight-black paw lashes out of the darkness, striking his throat. Step one: paralyze vocal chords. The guard stumbles backwards, gurgling a moment before a sharp blow connects with his side, a sharp snap coming from the point of contact. Preference for left side in gait suggests injured rib cage; fracture ribs. The griffon gasps before he crumples to the ground.

Gel steps out of the shadows, looking upon the unconscious form. Youth suggests inexperience with being a guard. Pain from the injury should be enough to keep him out for an hour or so. She lays the mace she used upon his side, glancing at the armor right next to her. No one calls me a bug. Nodding to herself, she makes her way back to the bed chamber doors.

The older bird looks to where his subordinate had wandered off. “Hey Junior, you find that bug yet?” Unfortunately, as he looks to the side, he has no way of noticing the reinforced cello bow swiftly slid in front of his neck and pulled back harshly. As he is dragged back, his struggles swiftly become weaker until he simply flops onto the floor.

A small muffled ‘thunk’ comes out of the spot before Octavia herself does. There we go, gave him an extra knock to make sure he stays out.

Atom flies over from where he had waited down the hall. You girls just get all the fun, don’t you?

Before either can respond, steps can be heard coming down the hall. Gel glances back and jerks her head towards the sound, smirking coyly. All yours, Atom.

He grins, dark wings spreading as he silently rises. He is back within a minute, looking much more content. Ok, I’m good now.

Great. The nymph turns and faces the double doors, quirking an eyebrow at the symbol etched on it. ...that can't seriously be his family seal, can it?

The seal is two crossed feathers, one brown, one white, over a book. A few vines crawl around the edge of the circle.

Octavia holds in a giggle. Looks more like something Princess Twilight would have as a seal to me.

Precisely why I was confused. Gel steps forward, resting a hoof on the door. Once we get in, we grab him and get out. Everyone ready?

Atom holds up his hoof. Wait, how are we going to do this? Subdue him, I mean. We have a number of options, but it’s best we’re on the same page.

The navy changeling blinks, thinking about this a moment. I... hadn't considered that. She looks to the stallion, then the mare, curious. What would you two suggest?

Well… She looks through her various equipment. Let’s see… bombs, no, boomerang, no, cello bow? Well, a good knock to the noggin can work, but then again, particularly thick skulled individuals require more strikes. She rattles a bag of marbles. Perhaps I should see about some kind of sleeping gas pellet for next mission… Shaking her head, she looks up at the nymph. Really, all I’ve got is cranial trauma and cutting off his air supply.

Atom just shrugs. Yeah, between those two is mainly what I was referring, since I’m not sure any of us have anything other than that. I mean, I’ve got a sword and wings, not too many options. I don’t suppose you can turn yourself into something that produces chloroform fumes out of their hooves or something crazy like that?

She stares blankly at him. Whatever I change into requires some basis in reality, Atom. I'm fairly certain the only thing that comes close is a cockatrice, but I can't copy their ability.

He holds up his hooves. Hey, it was worth a shot. I’ve said crazy things before and you changelings were perfectly capable of doing it.

She can only blink. ...you've asked me to change into a khajiit, but that was only once. She furrows her brow. What, exactly, did you have Luster turn into? And why haven't I heard about those in the debriefings?

Octavia quickly mentally clears her throat awkwardly. Let’s just move on from things not exactly pertaining to this mission shall we? So, do we beat him or strangle him? I assume either way, Atom gets to carry him afterwards.

Gel sighs, rubbing the back of her neck. We try air deprivation, first. It's less likely to draw attention, and only needs one time to work. She nods to herself. Two of us pin him down while the last does the job. Sound good?

The two ponies nod. The nymph takes a deep, calming breath, and pushes the doors open. The three of them step inside and let the door shut behind them.

The room is rather dark; the lights on the walls glow faintly, as if they were recently turned off. The room is lavish, from what can be seen, tapestries and assorted weaponry hanging from the walls. On the plush, king-sized bed lays a single form, hidden by the thick covers.

Gel perks her ear, listening carefully. All she can pick up, however, is a soft, even breathing. I think he's asleep... Sighing softly, she turns to Atom and nods. You can do this.

He nods, not even speaking mentally anymore as he quietly pads forward, eyes focused on the target.

As he nears the bed, Gel checks the map, wary of any guards that might approach. Her eyes fall upon where the bed would be and pause, something catching her attention. ...odd...

Octavia looks to her. What’s odd?

The file said the Baron's four and a half feet tall... She frowns, looking at the room's scale on the map, compared to the sleeping form. The guy sleeping here is at least five feet tall...

Maybe the chalice increased his height? Atom offers as he gets right next to the bed.

The nymph scoffs, shaking her head. Somehow, I highly doubt that... She trails off as she realizes something. Her ear flicks slightly, and she turns to the mare. Do... do you hear that?

Hear what? You’ll have to be specific. Octavia’s ears flick nonetheless.

That's the thing. She looks around, concerned. I don't hear anything. Anything, Tavi.

That quickly changes, as the sound of rustling cloth suddenly reaches their ears, the covers on the bed flying off and a heavy weapon passing within inches of Atom’s muzzle. The form on the bed leaps up. “Who are you and what is your business here?”

Instead of responding, the former guard tackles the griffon off the bed, using his full body weight to crash into him. He hopes to hold him long enough for his teammates to finish this quickly.

The griffon drops his mace, using his talons to try and pry the pony off of him. “This really doesn’t answer my question, you know!”

Gel leaps forward, forcefully turning his head to face her. "Answer one of ours, first. Where is the Baron?"

“Somewhere in the castle, probably? I don’t know!”

"That's not very helpful." The nymph frowns, letting go of his head. "Answer me this, then. Why are you in his bed, instead of him?"

The griffon grumbles. “Baron had a feeling he was gonna be attacked, so he sent me to pose as him and capture anyone who came in to attack ‘him’.” He looks around. “...something tells me I wouldn’t have been very successful with this many of you.”

“Certainly not.” Octavia draws her bow and stows the mace on her belt. “But are you sure there isn’t more you can tell us?” She slowly walks toward him, swishing her bow meaningfully.

“Aside from the fact that your friend here is crushing my ribcage? Nothing I’m particularly inclined to mention at the moment.” He tries to push Atom off again with no success. “Mind asking him to ease up?”

Gel looks to the stallion and nods. "He's not our target. Let him stand, but don't let him go anywhere." She turns to the mare, smirking slightly. "You'll avoid vital organs, right?"

“Whoah whoah whoah, can’t we talk about this?” The guard glances around as if looking for his weapon.

Gel raises an eyebrow at him. "If you want to avoid injury, then tell us what we want to know."

“Testicles aren’t vital if I recall correctly…” The cellist’s smirk goes from devious to downright malicious.

“Okay!” The guard covers his groin with a talon. “What did you want to know?!”

Atom asks the first question. “Are you sure you don’t want to change your answer on where the baron is?”

The griffon grumbles to himself for a moment before replying. “I still don’t know exactly, and even if I did, I wouldn’t be allowed to tell you.” He glances at Octavia. “...so if anyone asks, you didn’t hear it from me that he’s probably on the fifth or sixth floor.”

There's a beep and the doors to the room light up, a circle forming between the two of them. The light dies down but the symbol stays, etched into the black metal.

Gel stares at it a moment, confused. "...what the fuck?" She walks over to it, grabbing one of the handles and tugging on it. The door doesn't budge.

Octavia growls. “Atom, hold him.” As the pegasus once again grips with rib-crushing strength, she walks over narrowing her eyes. “I don’t like being tricked…” Looking at her bow, she puts it back in it’s strap before drawing the mace. She hefts it a few times to gauge the weight before setting her eyes south on him.

“I swear I have no idea why that happened!” the guard practically shrieks, trying to squirm away. “Let me go! I-I’ll find a way out of here or something!”

"He's telling the truth." The nymph traces the symbol in the center. "This is a bit too complicated, for a griffon like him. He's covered in fear, and no malice..." She turns to them. "And why trap himself inside here with us, especially after seeing how violent Tavi can be?"

“Loyal to a fault comes to mind,” Atom mutters. “Fear can be based on his employer too.” He looks to the griffon’s face. “Do you actually have any idea as to how you would get us out of here?”

He squirms again. “I-It must’ve been voice activated! I need to say something else, probably?”

“It’s a start…” Tavi plays with the mace more. “But in case you haven’t noticed, we have a changeling. That comes with voice mimicry too. A little more if you please.”

She stares blankly at the mare. "I'm not a toy, you know."

Octavia turns to her simply. “Dear, I’m interrogating, please don’t interrupt.”

“H-He probably made it something he thought only he would know...though I’ve overheard him talking a lot, so maybe I can remember something...” He struggles again. “I think better when I’m standing upright, you know!”

"It's a start." Gel moves over to a nightstand, pulling open a drawer. "Does he have a journal, or a diary? Or maybe something he mentioned with a distant gaze?"

“He doesn’t keep a journal, no...let me think...” He grumbles and rubs his head. “What was it...Satin Sequin?”

They look at the door, but nothing happens. Atom squeezes tighter for a moment. “Try again.”

“C-Cotton Blanket?” Still nothing.

The cellist raises an eyebrow. “Are you guessing?”

“No! I know it’s something like that! Uh...Silk Tease?!” Much to no one's surprise, that wasn't it.

"That's my friend's wife." Gel steps closer, eyes narrowed dangerously. "What, are you guessing pony names? If you don't take this seriously, I'll put you in a coffin. I'll make sure it has velvet along it, because I'm thoughtful like that." Gel growls, the air above her rippling a bit. "But if you say one of my friend's names again, I'll make sure you just take a dirt nap six feet under. Got it?"

He swallows nervously. “V-Velvet...uh...” His eyes widen. “Velvet...Lining?”

There's a click, and the doors creak open. Gel huffs, poking his chest. "You're lucky."

He nods rapidly, looking only slightly relieved. “I know...please don’t let the gray one near me...”

"Okay." Gel grabs the mace in her magic and smacks the griffon over the head with it. She turns and pulls open the door as he crumples to the floor, out cold. "Let's find the Baron and get out of here."

“Agreed.” Octavia flicks her tail and follows. Atom does the same after stowing the body in the sheets and pulling the covers back over him.

"Looks like you win, Miss Cotton." Enigma chuckles before turning to look at the tired, yellow mare. "Probably should've warned you about that fridge. Sorry, Miss Suckle."

Panting on the floor, but not for the reason she wanted, the earth pony sighs, laying her head back. “I think you cheated…”

"Cheated?" He puts the last book in place. "I finished last. How could that be cheating?"

“You… rigged it… meanie…” She pouts, but can only hold it for a moment before she goes back to breathing deeply.

"I had no idea you would choose that specific pile." He shrugs slightly. "At least you didn't choose the one with the carriage. Now," the stallion turns to the other pegasus, bowing respectfully, "what would you request of me, Miss Cotton?"

“Hmm…” She puts her hoof to her chin in thought before a devious smile crosses her face “Rut Honey senseless?”

The mare in question sits straight up, all fatigue gone.

Enigma, meanwhile, just blinks dumbly at this. "I did say within reason; I vowed that I'd save my first time for Vinyl..."

“Aww… that’s so sweet…” The yellow mare coos.

“I’m glad you feel that way, Honey, because I was joking.” Cotton grins at the two of them.

Honey’s jaw drops before she pouts hard, crossing her arms. “Meanies, both of you.”

"...though..." He gains a devious smirk of his own. "We already explored each other one way..." He chuckles and sticks his tongue out at them.

The earth pony gasps. “Naughty stallion!” Her astonished face doesn’t last long though as she dissolves into giggles while Cotton does the same.

"Which means..." He walks over to one of the beds, hooking up a rope to it. "That first time has already been had." He drags the bed behind him to the area they just cleared out.

Cotton’s giggles slowly fade as her eyes widen. Meanwhile, Honey hasn’t noticed, still giggling and blushing at the mental images from the stallion’s previous implications.

"So, if you'll stop laughing," he looks pointedly at the earth pony, "I might consider doing that for the two of you. Might."

Both of them shut up immediately out of shock. Honey’s blush goes full red as she stutters. “B-but…. the Baron never did anything like that… he only made us do it to him…” Still, she can’t deny that her tail is swishing excitedly. Even Cotton’s raises a bit at the thought.

He approaches the two of them, smiling warmly. "Then he's even more of a jerk than I thought." He nuzzles Cotton's cheek, then Honey's, passing by as he heads over to another bed. "Now, I am not free to rut you, so I'll give you another chance to name what you'd like, Cotton." He looks back at her expectantly as he finishes hooking up to the next bed.

Getting more and more flustered by his actions, the pink pegasus finds herself at a loss. “I… I umm… well, that is… I…” She simply stands there, blinking when the sound of chuckling reaches her.

"I'm just teasing, Miss Cotton." He drags the bed over, not visibly straining in the least. "I just enjoy seeing your blushes. They're... cute."

She continues blushing as she titters. “You are terrible, you know that?”

Honey, realizing she probably will just keep getting yanked around, lays herself down on her stomach, tail swishing back and forth as she watches E pull. “Strong…”

"Thanks." He chuckles, getting the bed in place. "Why the long face, Miss Suckle? I wasn't lying, if that's the problem." He shrugs slightly. "If she wants me to do that for either or both of you, I will. I honor my deals... it's also why I rarely bet, but I digress."

Giggling to herself, Honey responds. “Well, I think I’ll just expect it not to happen so if it does I’ll be pleasantly surprised… but what if she wants you to do it for all of us?” She winks.

He stares blankly for a moment before looking around. "I dunno if I could handle that... maybe if I still have those stamina potions..."

She only giggles more. “Silly stallion… I won’t force you into anything. But umm…” she blushes lightly, “maybe you could join the girls and I for a cuddle session on the way home? I’m fairly certain they’ll behave themselves once they get less focused on you and more on being free.”

He smiles warmly, approaching the yellow mare. "I'd like that." He ducks his head under her and lifts her onto his back, carrying her to a bed. "And I'm glad you won't make me pleasure all of you... though I feel like I should express my thanks for your help, somehow." He lowers her onto it and, a split second later, he's where Cotton is, the pegasus on his back. "Though I don't want to be smothered by all of you during the cuddle, so could I extend that invite to a few friends of mine?"

Cotton inquires. “Are these some more stallions that are helping you?”

"Just two of the other three." He puts her on the bed with Honey. "The last guy's married, and his wife's on the team. Might not be liked by her anymore if I invited him."

“I can understand that.” She nods. “I think the girls can go for that.”

“Fair warning though,” Honey adds, rolling a little on the soft bed, “they might act a bit like when they met you at first, but at least they’ll be split between you and two others.”

"Yep." He places a hoof on the belly of each mare, smiling playfully. "You sure you can't think of anything, Miss Cotton?" His hooves move in small circles, rubbing the fur of each gingerly.

As Honey coos, Cotton can only giggle quietly. “What I really want is to see where you are going with this.” She looks at him, her eyes half-closed in comfort.

"So you're asking me to continue this?" He chuckles, his hooves moving a bit further down, playing with the belly fur on each. "Is that right, Miss Cotton?"

The two mares squeak simultaneously as the pegasus nods. The stallion smiles warmly and removes his hooves, leaning forward and tenderly trailing kisses along the chest and belly of each. "Well then..." He kisses the area just above the mounds of the pink mare. "Who do I..." He moves and does the same to the yellow pony. "Tend to first?"

Looking over at her friend, Cotton nods to her. “Do Honey, she’s been without a... gentle touch longer than I have.”

Enigma smiles and moves up the earth pony's form, looking to the other pegasus. "As you wish..." He focuses on the mare below, surprising her with a quick, gentle kiss. His hoof sneaks down between them as he looks at her questioningly. "May I, Miss Suckle?"

She nods rapidly, her blush ever present now as she stares at him. “Please do…”

He lowers himself as he kisses along her jawline, teasingly brushing himself against her belly before going lower. He pulls his body back before he gets too lost in his own actions, pausing as he reaches her belly. His crimson eyes look into her blue, giving her one more chance to back out, just in case.

She nods again, slower this time, even as her breathing quickens. Then she feels his lips pressing against her belly...

Pbbbt!

“Ahhh!” She squeals, flailing about and laughing uncontrollably as he gives her a raspberry. Cotton can only watch in shock before he suddenly switches and does the same to her, causing much the same reaction.

Immediately after he stops, the two mares sit up and start playfully beating him with their hooves. “Meanie! Meanie! Meanie!” All of them laugh the whole time.

"Hey, I just did what Cotton said! Oh," he turns to her, smiling coyly, "speaking of, something to make it even." He gives her a chaste kiss and pulls away, laughing brightly. "Gotta say, you both have soft lips."

They both giggle, batting their eyelashes at him while Cotton speaks. “Careful, Mister Enigma, keep treating us nice and you’ll never be rid of us.”

"Why would I want to? I find myself enjoying the time I spend with you two." He glances up at the closed opening, grimacing slightly. "...just you two. At least, so far... I'm glad this place is soundproofed, right now. Anyways!" He claps his hooves together. "Maybe we can meet outside of this mission? I'm sure Vinyl would love to meet you girls."

“Oh of course,” Honey smiles winningly. “We have some things we want to discuss with her as well.”

"Oh?" He glances at the beds scattered around them, half-listening. "Such as?"

“Oh, a number of things.” She waves him off. “But, right now, you have to go about rescuing us, don’t you? Can’t sit here in a bag chatting with us all day.”

"Nope. One sec." He turns into a blur as he gathers the beds and bring them to the center, scattering pillows among them. He pauses before them and nods, flying up to the entrance. "Beware falling mares. I'll leave the flap open so you know when it's safe to come out, okay?"

Cotton smiles and nods at him. “Got it, Mister Enigma!”

He pops out of the bag, shaking himself a bit before looking to the room at large, smiling warmly. "You can go in. There's a bunch of pillows and mattresses to cushion your landing."

The crowd of mares, having lost most of their interest in a bag that made no noise anymore, have spread throughout the room once more doing any number of things. At the stallion’s reappearance though, they all snap to attention, instantly stampeding over to him and almost bouncing in place.

He jumps, still not used to that. "L-later, ladies. First, we need to get you out of here." He opens the flap, nodding toward the opening. "Besides, I have a couple friends who might join in. Both stallions, before you ask."

Every single one of them squeals as they start to slip into the bag, chattering excitedly among themselves while the room becomes less and less crowded.

Enigma looks to the unicorn, an eyebrow raised. "You sure you don't want to come? No telling if the guards will come once the Baron's out of the picture. And I can tell you from a glance that they've been pent up for a while..."

She flares her horn once at him. “Don’t worry about us, you actually have given us an opportunity. Even if we don’t pick the same option the others did, you still changed more for us than you know.” She smiles. “We’ll be sticking together, it’s safer that way, and we’ll be able to get what we want.”

He stares blankly at her. "...are you a gold digger?"

She stares right back, defiantly. “No. I enjoy a certain lifestyle and this was able to provide that. Now that it will no longer, I am making my own arrangements.”

"In other words, you're a gold digger. Got it." He grabs his saddlebags and slips them on, calling in once it's secure. "Do you have anything you’d like me to throw down for you? Nothing's shifting around in there, right?"

“No! We’re good! We’ve got everything we need!” Cotton’s voice calls out over the muffled sounds of what seems like a pillow fight.

"Good! Don't want anyone getting motion sick in there!" He turns and bows theatrically to the unicorn. "Well, Miss Digger, I suppose we'll be off, now. Give my regards to the guards who deign to plow your field."

She sniffs, turning away from him haughtily. “Go get gelded and finish turning into a mare.”

"Nah, been a mare once. Didn't like it, and preferred my old self." He grins at her and turns to leave. "Besides, I thought you liked the kitties?"

“Just leave before I lose my temper.” Huffing, she curls up in the bed with the others who decided to stay.

“Whatever you say, Miss… whatever your name is.” He flicks his tail and picks up his bowling ball, considering putting it into his bag for a moment. With a shrug, he tucks it under his wing. “Good luck with whatever hair-brained scheme you came up with.”

Suddenly, a door on the opposite side of the room opens, a silhouette of feathers and beak framed within. The burgundy pegasus stops mid-stride, staring at this newcomer in trepidation. His eyes narrow almost imperceptibly at the familiar face, taking a step back in caution. This guy… he’s…

The mare in the bed with the others speaks quietly. “Baron Fletch Wing…”

Equus Tactics #45

The sun has almost begun to set when the freed slaves and Tactics team finally begin heading away from the mine. As the large crowd of ponies make their way towards the train station, many of them flinch and look back as they suddenly hear a howl emanate from every dog at once, all of them crowding around the grave marker for a single one of their own kind.

Dior smiles softly, stopping to look back at the mine. “I hope we meet again, Fluffy…”

“It’s not like they’re heading off to some mysterious other place in the world,” Winter tells her with a chuckle. Since leaving the mine, he had acquired a pair of saddlebags, which now holds the two books and Equinox. “They’re staying in those caves. Pretty sure you can remember how to get there.”

“It’s not remembering how to find them.” She sighs, leaning against the pony on the side opposite the unicorn. “It’s finding the time to do so…”

Winter smiles. “You can always take a day or two off, you know. We don’t need to do this sort of thing every day.” He adds in a mutter to himself, “Even if it feels like it...”

“In that case,” the nymph says as she smirks, bumping his side playfully, “why don’t you take time off to see a certain farmer?”

The unicorn glares at her with a flushed face. “That isn’t-”

‘I agree with Dior, Win.’ The fox taps his friend’s head. ‘You really gotta let her know how you feel.’

A growl escapes Winter’s throat, followed by him shaking his head in irritation. “Since when did my love life become the topic on everyone else’s minds?” He suddenly cringes and blushes further when he hears his own words. “...I mean...”

“Love life?” From the red stallion’s back, the filly from the mines pipes up, confused and curious. “Do you have someone you like?”

Hydro chuckles. “Dug your own hole there, Win. Might as well accept it.”

“I’m going to stab somepony at this rate.” With a sigh after vocalizing this empty threat, Winter looks at Ash. “Yes, there’s someone I like. Big deal.”

“Oh.” She tilts her head, considering the cobalt pony for a moment before following up with a question. “What’s it like? Having someone you like, like that?”

“Apparently it’s akin to having your friends learn a dark secret about you and holding it over your head for the rest of your life,” he grumbles. “Seriously? I don’t know how to explain it. You see someone as more than just a friend, but you’re too scared to ask if they see you the same way. That’s my only experience with it.”

Ash frowns at this. “That… doesn’t sound pleasant at all.” She sighs, resting her head against the earth pony’s neck.

‘We’d only be able to hold it over your head until you went through with asking.’ Mercury sticks his tongue out at Winter, who responds with a grunt and continues walking forward.

The earth stallion rolls his eyes before focusing them on his wife. “That’s just Win’s experience because he hasn’t ponied up enough to get to the good part yet. We could tell you what it’s like.”

She perks up slightly, looking at him curiously. “You can?”

“Oh, joy. Mind if I just walk really far in this direction while you do that?” Winter asks, not even waiting for a reply before he starts walking more to the right, heading off to join the half of the team that was helping guide the freed slaves.

“For me,” the marble changeling begins, tittering slightly, “I found out I liked Hydro after I spent a little time with him…”

Hydro takes up the story. “At first, I really didn’t think I’d ever feel that way about her due to the circumstances and how she was back then...but you’d be surprised how much some ponies, or changelings, can grow on you when you just have fun together.”

Ash looks from one to the other, unsure what to think. “So… how was she back then? And what circumstances?”

Dior blushes softly, scratching her cheek with a hoof. “Well… I think that’s a whole other story…” She blinks as the filly re-adjusts her position, getting more comfortable. “Though you seem to not mind.” She laughs quietly, nuzzling her stallion’s cheek before beginning. “If I’m not mistaken, it started one fall, a while back…”

As she tells her story, the stallion who walked away specifically to avoid it now finds himself just awkwardly trotting alongside groups of battered ponies he fails to recognize. He sighs, trying to look like he’s actually being helpful, when in reality he’s just running mostly irrelevant thoughts through his head.

‘Win.’ The silver fox bops him on the head. ‘Win, you almost walked into a cactus.’

He sighs and trots around the plant. “Thanks. Really don’t need another prick on me.” Normally, he’d follow a comment like this up with a laugh or a smile to show he isn’t being serious. This time, he just keeps his neutral, even downcast, look.

Mercury frowns, slumping down his friend’s back. ‘Great… he’s lost to his self-pity again…’ He sighs, poking at the stallion’s back with his nose, hoping for some way to end the boredom.

“No, not self-pity. I smile when I’m being self-pitiful, because it’s funny. I’m just annoyed.” The unicorn sighs again. “I don’t know what at, but I’m annoyed.”

‘Hey, you saved the day, kept a mamodo from being harmed…’ Mercury shrugs slightly. ‘What is there to be annoyed at?’

“Hm, I don’t know. Maybe a certain fox, nymph, and pony sticking their respective muzzles where they don’t belong?” Despite his words, he doesn’t sound angry so much as he sounds tired. “The more you pressure me into doing something, the more nervous I’m gonna be if I finally do it.”

‘But if we don’t, you’ll never do it to begin with.’ The fox huffs, curling up on Winter’s back. ‘If it really bothers you that much, I’ll try to keep my thoughts to myself. Okay?’

The stallion sighs and shakes his head. “No...you’re right. I just don’t like that you’re right.” He looks back at the kitsune. “I probably wouldn’t have even realized myself that I liked her if you hadn’t been teasing me about it.”

‘Speak of the pony…’

With hat low over her eyes, the familiar form of a particular apple farmer comes into view just before she plows into Winter. What should have been just a clumsy bump ends up taking the distracted unicorn by surprise and knocking him over, causing the red book to fall out of his bags open and onto the ground. Mercury is sent sprawling as well, stopping when he bumps into a rock.

“Whoops, sorry ‘bout that partner.” Applejack straightens her hat and shakes her head. She smiles at the stallion. “You alright there, Win?”

The unicorn’s response, whatever he wants it to be, is muffled by the sand he has to spit out of his mouth. He settles for just nodding as he stands back up, heading over to help the silver fox without noticing the fallen book or the identity of who exactly bumped him.

Tilting her head at his lack of response, Applejack looks down to the book. Her eyes glance over the words inside for a moment before she noses it closed and picks it up in her mouth. Taking a few steps forward, she pokes Winter in the shoulder with it.

The stallion looks back and freezes; partially from finally noticing her, and partially from realizing what she’s holding. “Oh, um...y-yeah. I’m fine...can you please put that down?” He speaks the last bit in a nervous rush.

The fox prods his foreleg, frowning in bemusement. 'You could just grab it.'

“...right.” Blue face gaining a red tint, Winter wraps his magic around the tome, taking it back when the farmer releases her grip. He slides it back into his saddlebags carefully. “Sorry about that.”

“About what? Ah’m the one that ran into ya.” She tilts her head at him. “Somethin’ wrong? Ah’d think after all that nonsense you’d be a bit happier.”

The unicorn shrugs. “I was happy until about half my team decided that since we were done with Alpha and the diamond dogs, their next mission should be to get involved with my private life.” He silently prays she doesn’t prod for details. “And I meant sorry for not responding to you, and for having that little freak-out when I saw you with the book. It’s...just kind of important.”

She shrugs. “Must be. Can’t see any other reason a pony would carry around a book filled with gibberish.”

“It’s...kind of a long story.” He rolls his eyes a bit. “One I don’t think I’d even be able to tell you if I understood half of it myself. Let’s just say I need to get it back home, safe and sound, and keep it that way.”

'And if it gets destroyed, Ash vanishes.' Mercury cringes slightly. 'Sorry, it just slipped out...'

Winter makes a point of ignoring the fox, making it clear that he both does not want to think about that and does not want to make Applejack question the one-sided conversation.

She holds up her hooves, smiling once more. “Alright, Mr. Big Government Secrets, Ah won’t question ya. You and everypony else did good today.”

“You know full well that isn’t my name.” He smiles back at her, finally showing some of his usual sense of humour. “But thanks. From what I hear, you didn’t do too bad yourself with guarding the safe room.”

Pulling her hat down to cover her eyes, she smirks. “Eh, it weren’t too bad. Ah just made sure that everypony stayed safe. Still, Ah wasn’t exactly in top condition, so Ah’m glad your guys showed up to give me a rest.”

He nods. “Yeah...I’m glad too.” He shudders a bit. “I didn’t really expect anything less when we arrived, but it was still pretty brutal. And tiring.”

There's a loud growl from the fox, who looks down at his stomach. 'And not very filling.' He looks up at Winter, hopeful. 'Think they have any fish around here?'

The unicorn raises an eyebrow at Mercury, then lifts his hoof and slowly gestures around them, motioning to the apparently endless desert in all directions. “If you want to go looking, be my guest.”

He whines. 'You know what I mean...though...' He blinks, looking toward where the town once stood. '...yeah, I guess some apples would be good enough.'

Winter chuckles and starts to speak, but gets interrupted by his own stomach producing a growl almost imitating Mercury’s. He glares at his belly, then looks back at the silver fox with a smirk. “We’ll grab you something once we start bringing the slaves home. Or even on the train, if they have anything there.”

He paws at his friend. 'I may eat a lot, but you need some food, too. Actually...' He glances at the Stetson-wearing mare, smiling widely. 'Can we make a quick stop at Sweet Apple Acres? I hear their pies are amazing!'

The unicorn blushes a bit, sensing deeper motives. He glances back at Applejack. “Give us a moment?”

She nods. “Sure thing, sugarcube.”

Winter picks Mercury up with his magic and trots a fair distance away, getting out of hearing range. The silver critter looks at his friend, legs dangling helplessly in the air. 'You know I don't like being carried like this...'

“Sorry, but to be blunt, I didn’t trust you to just follow me away from her so we can talk.” He puts the kitsune on the ground gently. “Just to get the first thing you said out of the way: I’m fine without food for a bit. I can wait until we get back to Canterlot.”

'I don't like you starving yourself.' He points at him with a paw. 'Especially since we have to make sure everyone gets home safe before getting back. Not to mention rebuilding Appleloosa.'

“The princess will tell us if we’re needed for rebuilding Appleloosa, but I doubt it. We’re not construction workers, after all.” He laughs a bit. “Besides, I can handle a little hunger. Might be good for me.” He pokes himself in the stomach.

'...Win, you're not going without for what can be a day or more.' The fox shakes his head. 'Besides, you keep banging on about those pies. At least have one of those, so I won't have to worry as much.'

The unicorn sighs, rubbing his temple. “Fine, fine. I’ll pig out when I get the chance if it’ll make you happy. But on the topic of apple pies, that brings me to my next point.” He pokes the fox in the chest. “I know I admitted that you urging me on about her is probably for the best...but for the love of Celestia, don’t do it in front of her! You know I have to respond out loud to you, and if she starts asking what we’re talking about - assuming she even believes you’re actually talking and I’m not just insane - it’s gonna be really hard to worm my way out of that.”

'Fine.' He rolls his eyes. 'I won't urge you to kiss the mare in front of her. Can I do it when she isn't around, though?'

“As long as it’s not interrupting other work, yes.” Winter pauses, then sighs and pets Mercury on the head. “Sorry for snapping like this...”

'Hey.' He jumps up, tapping his nose. 'Don't apologize for that. It's my fault for not letting up when you said to. Alright?'

The stallion shakes his head. “It’s not even that. I just let that stress of dealing with Alpha and Ash bottle up, and now I’m taking it out on you. You haven’t done anything any differently than you normally do.” He sighs again. “I think I just need to get back to someplace I recognize better, feel more comfortable, and let it sink in that everything’s done.”

'Someplace like, say... Sweet Apple Acres?' Mercury grins slyly, tails happily wagging. 'It's your home away from home, at times.'

“No, the office is my home away from home. Sometimes I’d say it is my home, and my house is my home away from home.” He chuckles. “But you know what? Fine. When we get to Ponyville, we’ll take Applejack back home personally, and then maybe stick around long enough to buy a couple of those pies you’ve been bugging me about. Fair?” He rubs the fox’s head playfully.

He murrs, leaning into the hoof. 'Sure... if one of those pies is for you. And we stick with her until then.'

“Sheesh. You could make a career out of blackmailing.” The unicorn’s features harden. “Don’t even think about it.”

He hums brightly and smiles slyly, dropping back onto all four paws. 'Think about what, Win? I don't know what you're implying.'

“Good. Keep it that way.” He pokes Mercury’s snout, then looks back to the group slowly getting farther away. “But fine. We’ll stick by AJ, I’ll eat something, and you can keep pushing me at her as long as she’s not within earshot. Deal?”

'Deal.' He turns on his heel and runs into the crowd, making a beeline towards an iconic hat. Winter follows behind him, half irritated and half laughing. The cobalt pony catches up just in time to see the kitsune jump onto the orange cowpony's back. 'Wow, this is comfy... despite her toned body...' He yawns and curls up, tails flicking over his muzzle.

Applejack looks back at the silver fox curiously. “Well, hey there little guy. What, Win send you here to keep an eye on me or somethin’?”

“No, he just decided to race me back here,” Winter answers for the fox as he approaches. “Sorry about the sudden departure there.”

She waves off his concerns as they continue walking with the crowd. “Hey, it was fine by me. Seems you keep getting back to yer usual good mood, so whatever it was you two did, feel free to do it again whenever ya need to.” She casually hip checks him. “Sad don’t suit ya.”

He pretends to stumble more than he normally would from the hip check so he can look away and hide the blush on his face. “R-Right...thanks...” He chuckles and rubs the back of his neck. “Er...you don’t mind Merc riding on you for a bit, do you? He seems comfortable...” He shoots the fox a look.

“Nah, he’s fine.” She chuckles. “He ain’t the first critter Ah’ve had to carry around for a bit, but he is a nice one that Ah like, so he can stay.”

Mercury peeks an eye open at his friend. 'Hey, you now have an excuse to stick close to her. Be thankful, not suspicious.'

The unicorn manages to smile, put at ease by both responses. “Alright then.” He continues to walk forward, subtly moving slightly closer to the mare as he does so.

Finally, the group arrives at the station, where a train is already waiting for them. Winter had thought ahead, sending a short message via magic to Princess Celestia of their success as soon as Alpha had been defeated. She had, in turn, contacted the Ponyville train station through her guard, since that would be the group’s first stop as they brought the former slaves back home; well, for the most part. The buffalo slaves had already gone off, but not before thanking the team for helping them. Chief Thunderhooves even told them they were always welcome in buffalo territory.

Just like the one that took the team to Appleloosa in the first place, this train is empty except for the engineer and the conductor. However, within minutes, that changes; ragged-looking ponies and griffons begin filling up space, taking up a good portion of the bedroom cars and preparing for the likely overnight trip.

Dior slides the door to their booth closed, sighing quietly as she moves to one of the beds. "That... was more tiring than I expected..." She lets herself fall onto the mattress, bouncing a couple times before settling.

Hydro pulls her over into an embrace, settling down comfortably himself. “Hey, we got through it didn’t we? Which means we’ve got plenty of time to rest now.” He accompanies this phrase with a soft nuzzle.

The nymph giggles, nipping at him teasingly. “Wish we had time for more… but we do have company, after all.” She turns to the gray mare across from them, smiling warmly. “So, how was your first day as a member of Tactics?”

“It was interesting.” She responds flatly. “We saved a lot of ponies, Boulder made lots of new friends, and I got some nice souvenirs.” She pulls out a bag from one of her frock pockets, the clattering making it clear what is inside. She starts pulling out a rainbow of different rock colors. “One of their tunnels had quite the variety of quartz.”

Dior blinks, staring blankly for a moment before pointing to one of the stones. “That one’s got a soul gem as a flaw in it… I hope you realize that.”

Maud looks down at the flaw. “I knew there was a flaw, and that it was a gem, but I’ve never gotten to see a soul gem before. Hmm…” She gets down close to it, sniffing it and poking it with a hoof.

Hydro chuckles. “Well, looks like you’ve found something to keep her entertained for a while, Dior.” He nips her ear once to pay her back for nipping him.

She shivers at this a moment before blushing softly, looking around the booth. “Hey… where’s that filly… Ash, right?” Her tail flicks slightly before curling back behind her.

Resting his head on her, Hydro comments idly. “She said she was looking for Mercury and Win. Think our fearless leader is soon going to find himself with a cute little filly to take care of full time?”

“Maybe… it’d be a while before he gets one the normal way, with how he’s acting.” Dior rolls her eyes and smirks coyly, her tail tickling along his belly. “So… if she’s not going to be here, and Miss Pie’s occupied… what say you we draw the curtains?”

“Sounds great to me.” His tail flicks as well as he nips her ear again. “Might need to soundproof too.”

“Good thing Luster taught me that spell, then…” She draws the curtains, the fabric shimmering a moment before her magic disperses.

“You know,” Flick begins, resting on his cloud in the middle of the booth, “I never really got to see the inside of the mines. Not that I’d want to, but I do want to know… how much diamond dog ass did you two kick?”

“I only beat up five.” Vinyl sighs, shaking her head. “They learned their lesson after the third wave tried to push into the safe room.”

Gilda polishes her talon on her chest feathers. “I kicked enough ass to cause both physical and mental scarring.”

“I see.” The drone chuckles, resting his head on his crossed forelegs. “Did you get those two to help out? The ones that we pointed out on our way over?”

“Yeah, Chief Thunderhooves really helped rally everyone. The griffon… eh,” she shrugs, “girl didn’t really say much.”

“Oh?” Vinyl tilts her head to one side. “I figured you two at least had one word with each other… maybe I was thinking incorrectly…”

“Well… really, all I heard her say was ‘Can we maim them now?’ Once she got an answer to that, she was off.” Another shrug. “Didn’t exactly seem like the talking type.”

“I see.” Flick sighs, picking up a puff of cloud. “Still, I wonder why she was in Appleloosa to begin with.” He gestures with his hoof, accidentally sending the wisp at Gilda’s face.

“Watch it there, cloud boy.” The griffon swipes at the fluffy material, separating it into strips before sending it back at him. “Wouldn’t want to lose some of that after you worked your wings off getting it in here in one piece.”

“True.” He catches the pieces in his magic, putting them back on the original. “There’s a plus to being a changeling, though.”

The door to the booth opens, revealing a small, sea green filly. She looks up at them blankly before shaking her head. “Where’s the unicorn?”

Vinyl raises a hoof. “Yo.”

The mare flinches as the young pony glares at her. “The other unicorn. The knife one.”

Leveling her predatory stare at the filly, Gilda responds. “Look, kid, he ain’t here. Check one of the cabins around ours, and cut the attitude. It doesn’t suit you.”

“I did look around.” She turns her gaze to the griffon. “I walked in on a bunch of ponies, a donkey, and a griffon who acted much like you… except nicer.”

“Not exactly sunshine and rainbows yourself there, kid.” The current griffon shoots back.

“Being bullied for most your life does that.” She huffs, turning to go down the hall. “And my name’s Ash. Dumb bird…” She mutters the last sentence to herself as she storms off.

“Well. That was awkward.” Flick nervously chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. “But hey, at least you kept your cool, Gilda. That’s always nice.”

Grumbling to herself, the hybrid settles down into her blanket next. “Kid’s too young to have an attitude like that. They should only get like that once they hit teens.”

“Well, that’s just your opinion, G.” The white mare stretches, leaning back along her cot. “Let’s just get some sleep. We’ve got quite a bit to do in the morning.”

“Yeah…” Curling up into her usual sleeping ball, Gilda soon becomes a mass of fur and feathers, leaving no hint from the outside as to where her head is.

“You know, I’m pretty sure these rooms aren’t supposed to be co-ed unless we’re related somehow,” Winter says with a chuckle as he flops down onto his chosen bed, smirking at Applejack.

She smirks right back at him, her mane unbound by its usual tie and her hat off to one side of her own bunk. “Ah’m pretty sure after bein’ ordered around fer who knows how long, most ponies ain’t gonna give a damn about that rule. Hay, some might even want the company; make ‘em feel safe together, ya know?”

The stallion nods. “Yeah, I know what you mean...so, how about you?” He sits up somewhat and looks at her. “You rooming with me for the company, or just because Merc didn’t want to get off your back until we got here?”

“Can’t it be both?” She smiles at him as she gets comfortable. “Better to room with friends any day. Plus, Ah don’t see you complainin’.” She winks.

“Of course I’m not complaining. Never said I couldn’t use a little company myself.” He smiles back at her, then jerks his head towards Mercury. “And before you say anything, he’s with me so often he doesn’t even count as company anymore. He’s practically just another part of me.”

“Eeyup. Gotta be nice havin’ somepony to talk to besides him, too.” The farmer clarifies quickly. “Don’t get me wrong, Fluttershy talks to all her critters and Ah do the same with Winona, but… just ain’t the same, ya know?”

Winter actually takes a moment to think before he shrugs. “I dunno...Merc and I talk just the same as two ponies would. He’s got a personality, likes, dislikes...I almost see him as a pony in all but appearance. He’s just...well, always around, so it’s good to have someone else there to switch things up.”

‘You wound me, good sir.’ The fox huffs, smirking playfully. ‘Here I thought I was a really fun guy to be around.’

“Never said you weren’t,” the unicorn replies with his own playful smirk, not caring if the farmer in the room gets confused. He glances out the window. “Huh...getting dark already.”

“Yep.” The farmer flips onto her back, shifting a little to make sure she’s comfortable. “Gonna be one heck of a sleep, actually having something soft to bed on…”

There's a yelp, followed by squirming beneath her. 'Help! Too much Apple!'

Winter sighs and rolls his eyes. “Applejack, you’re crushing Merc’s paw.”

“Whoops,” she rolls off it, “Sorry, little guy.”

He whines, holding his hind leg close to his body. 'I really don't want to chance being crushed by too much Apple bottom... could I just sleep by myself, Win?'

The stallion groans and facehoofs, just light enough to avoid actually hurting himself. “Great...now Merc wants that bed to himself so he doesn’t wake up as a pancake.” He pauses. “His words, not mine...though I tweaked them slightly so I didn’t feel like a rewind button.”

'And got rid of a great pun.' He huffs slightly. 'I thought you loved those...'

“Only when I don’t feel like I’m gonna get slapped for repeating them.”

“Alright, Ah guess Ah owe him fer squishin’ him a little.” With a quick hop down, she walks over to Win, tilting her head at him. “Ya don’t mind sharin’ with little ol’ me, do ya?”

His face begins to go red, and he briefly glares over at Mercury, starting to get the feeling he wasn’t as scared of being crushed as he acted. “...I...n-no, not really, I guess...” He rubs his neck. “Assuming you don’t mind sharing with not-so-little old me.” He attempts to cover his embarrassment with a grin.

“Hey, Big Mac and Ah used to share a bed when we were little, so unless you double in size during the night, Ah think I’ll be fine.” She waves a hoof. “Scooch on over then.”

The unicorn nods and moves over until he’s almost against the wall; not much of an overreaction, given this particular bed was made for only one pony. He lights his horn and levitates his glasses off, laying them on top of his saddlebags. His watch soon follows, and he puts his head on one of the two provided pillows, gesturing for Applejack to join him.

She smiles serenely at him as she climbs onto the bed. She lays down with her back to him, mane cascading across her back as she snuggles down into the bed. “Ah… nice and cozy…” Her tail flicks a few times.

Happy she’s facing away from him and thus doesn’t see his face go red once again, Winter makes himself comfy as well. “If I disturb you during the night, just elbow me in the ribs. If it keeps happening, you have permission to just punch my teeth out.”

“Ah doubt it,” she murmurs, “Ah’m a heavy sleeper…”

'And you should tot-' Merc clamps a paw over his maw. 'Oops. Sorry. Almost let one slip.' The glare Winter shoots his way is enough of a response. 'Hey, at least I didn't complete it. It was a cute one, too, not perverted in the least.' Now the unicorn has a raised eyebrow.

The door slides open before the fox can continue. The sea green filly there looks at the room's occupants before walking forward. She stands at the edge of the currently-shared bed, staring blankly for a moment. She then points to Winter, looking right at Applejack. "Is he your Alpha?"

There’s a thumping sound as the stallion’s forehead connects with the wall.

Letting out a long chuckle, Applejack eventually calms down enough to answer the filly. “Nah nah, ponies don’t have alphas. He’s a good friend.” She thinks for a moment. “Though, Granny Smith would probably be the closest thing to an alpha since she’s the head of the family…” She turns her head over to face Win. “What do ya think, Win? Wanna try to win against Granny to lead the Apple family?”

“I’d rather not try to lead anything except the team of misfits I currently lead, as badass misfits as they are.” He looks over at Ash. “Is something wrong? Weren’t you with Hydro and Dior?”

"Yes, but I wanted to spend the night with you." Her eyes flicker to the farmer. "I didn't mean to interrupt what you were doing, though. I'll just use the other bed." She turns and walks over to the bed with the fox, picking him up with ease and taking his place. The filly then brings him close to her chest, nuzzling the confused kitsune.

Winter smiles and chuckles. “Keep her out of trouble, Merc. Though I think she’ll be filling that role in regards to you even more.” He lights his horn, taking the light switch in his magic. “Night, all. Sweet dreams.” With a flick, the lightbulbs in the room go out, followed by his horn.

The sound of deep breathing announces that the mare in their company has already crashed, her ordeal having tired her out just as it had the other slaves. However, after about a minute, she slowly starts to scoot backwards. She finally stops once she is tucked up closely against Winter’s chest, sighing contently before going still.

Surprisingly, the unicorn barely blushes, instead smiling and making a tired move of his own, draping his foreleg over her in a loose hug. He nuzzles into the pillow, ready for a restful night’s sleep.

A small voice calls over to him through the darkness. "Enjoy the night with your lover, Mister Solstice."

He mentally groans, sensing it wouldn’t be so restful after all.

Stealthy Shades #39

Baron Fletch Wing.

The name echoes through Enigma’s mind, his body trembling from the weight that comes with it. He takes a breath to calm himself, remembering the ponies in his saddlebag. The ponies who are currently depending on him. His mind made up, he strides forward, determined gaze fixed upon the griffon. “So... you’re the Baron?”

The predatory eyes of the smaller-than-average hybrid lock onto the feminine stallion, peering at him from beneath the blue shadow around them. A smile creeps onto his face as he walks into the room, a golden necklace glinting in the light. “Well well, the boys didn’t tell me we had new arrival. Shame on them. I suppose I’ll just have to take you with me so I can introduce you to your duties properly.”

The burgundy pegasus stares blankly at him, fur bristling slightly. “What.”

Rolling his eyes, the griffon stalks forward. “Oh, come now, dear. Surely my guards imparted you with how foolish it would be to deny your position at this point?” He talon reaches forward.

The pony smacks it away, frowning deeply. “What the fuck are you doing?”

Shaking his talon, the bird narrows his eyes. “Now really, this is starting to get very irritating. Like it or not dear, you are here for as long as I say.” His other talon comes forward, a single claw pressing itself underneath E’s jaw. “Get used to it.”

“Why do you keep calling me dear?” He grips the griffon’s talon in the crook of his foreleg, twisting it backwards over the predator’s shoulder. “I’m not your anything, you S.O.B.”

As he yells in pain, quite a few things become abundantly clear to the baron. He squawks out as he starts trying to pull away. “You! You’re one of those intruders!”

Enigma bows, smirking coyly. “At your service. Well, more like taking you in, really.” He lets go of the talon only to spin on the spot, hindleg kicking the griffon’s elbow before he can respond.

The baron, squawking again and clutching his arm in pain, backs away swiftly from the clearly male pony. Without another word, he spins on the spot and gallops out the door.

The pegasus blinks at this but dashes out of the room. He easily passes the Baron and stops in front of him, smacking him over the head with an aluminum candlestick from his bag. “Hey, you don’t run from a duel, you idiot! Surely someone with honor would know that!” He stops, frowning and smacking the piece of metal against his injured arm. “Or are you saying you’re more of a pussy than an eagle?”

Letting out a roar, the baron smacks the pegasus away with a surprisingly strong strike. With his opponent away for the moment, the griffon puffs himself up before letting out an ear-splitting screech that echoes through the hallways. “Honor is well and good, but I prefer to stack the odds in my favor.”

The stallion seemed to teleport closer as the griffon blinks, delivering a solid uppercut to send him flat on his back. “What are you getting on about now, you old geezer?”

Coughing, but getting up quickly, the griffon smiles. “Oh, wouldn’t you like to know? I’m sure you’ll find out soon.”

Enigma’s eyes widen as the sound of the griffon’s screech replays in his mind. “Fuck!” He growls and leaps forward, aiming a kick at his beak.

Fletch Wing ducks, dipping his head under the pegasus and suddenly tossing it and his opponent up and over him. As he falls to the ground, Enigma feels the rumbling of numerous footsteps just before he sees their owners.

He sighs quietly, raising his voice just enough to be heard in the bag. “You girls hold tight, okay? This may get a little bumpy…” He smacks the forelegs out from underneath one of the guards, his wings flaring out and pushing him off the ground, meeting the griffon’s falling head with a straight right before spinning and righting himself. “You feathered bitches want to rumble? Then let’s go.”

Accepting the challenge, the ten griffons already there charge at once as still more come from the hallway. He knocks the first one flat on his back with a well-placed headbutt. There’s a flash, and then a metal-clad hoof smacks another griffon clear down the hall. “That the best you got?”

He elbows another in the gut, turning and bucking a hindhoof into his foe’s groin. “Probably never have chicks, now.” He activates his gauntlet and stabs straight through a guard’s talon. “I’m not even sorry.” The red energy flows around the injured limb as he swings around and slams the female into another couple of enemies, huffing softly. “You all brought it upon yourselves, after-”

He’s cut off as a guard slams a morning star mace into the side of the stallion’s head, sending him sliding across the floor. While not really causing any visible injury, it is enough to disorient him for a while.

The one moment is all the remaining griffons need as they and their freshly arrived comrades grab the pegasus. Each one of them latches their talons onto a different part of him, stretching him out and holding him still, spread eagle in the air.

The baron chuckles as a guard yanks E’s head up to face him. “A good effort. A sprightly lad like you will make a fine supplement.” Taking a small pouch off his bag, the griffon reaches in and pulls out a chalice familiar to all those in attendance. Smiling, he advances on the pegasus, putting the cup under his chin. “Now… to take what is mine…”

Surprisingly, the cup is flung away with the sharp smack of a hoof. The pink hoof then turns and slams up against the Baron’s face, a bright flash and an even harder force accompanying it less than a second later.

All of the guards blink in surprise as the baron flies into a wall, sliding down it with a groan. Shaking his head in a fit of recovery, he looks up as he starts to rise. “Who dares strike me?”

“Me.” The pink filly glares at him, emerald eyes ablaze with fury. “And I’ll do as I please, you insolent bastard.”

“Heh.” He rises to his full height. “And what would a little filly like you be doing around here, getting lucky shots in on your betters?”

“Lucky?” The voice comes from behind him, another, identical pink filly, this one without the horn, kicking his knee and jabbing a shining dagger into his flank. “I don’t think that’s the case, bucko.”

A third one, a pegasus, drops down onto his back from the ceiling, putting all her force into the first hoof to make contact. “I prefer to think of myself as…” She grabs his ear between her teeth, biting sharply as the unicorn in front continues. “Extremely prepared.”

Falling to one back knee, the griffon’s eyes blaze as one talon reaches back and cruelly grabs the pegasus filly. He savagely swings her around into the unicorn before doing a 180 and continuing the swing into the earth filly, flinging the winged one away afterwards. Despite the slight bleeding from his flank and the bruise on his back, he gets up yet again. “Foolish filly, you don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

“Do I?” This voice comes from the stairwell, the filly there scowling harshly at him. “Maybe you should watch your blind spot.”

As soon as she says this, the battered pegasus grips his face, covering his face with her body and wings. Then she explodes with a bright flash of light directly into the griffon’s eyes.

Enigma, who knew to close his eyes at that moment, quickly shoves half of the guards off his back. Before they could react, he’s gone from beneath them, right next to the chalice as he picks it up with a hoof. “Hard to believe such a thing can be powerful in the least…” He shrugs and tucks it under a wing, turning his attention back to the guards before him.

Meanwhile, Ruby strikes at the Baron with her small metal knife, the other two joining her in rushing around the blinded griffon to further disorient him.

With one talon over his eyes, Fletch Wing strikes out randomly with his other one, hoping to score a hit on the filly. Surprisingly enough, he still doesn’t seem to be anywhere close to going down, despite how she keeps attacking him.

The ground below starts to rumble, signalling the arrival of backup. More guards rush up the stairs, staring at the scene for a moment before one of the ones in front points to the unarmored one. “Get that brat off of him!” Three nod and run forward, attempting to grab at the filly while the others approach the pegasus standing alone among fallen guards.

He turns to them, crimson eyes slowly shifting to a glowing green. “Can’t wait your turn, can you?” He vanishes, and a strong breeze goes through the corridor right after. He chuckles from behind them, holding up a hoof with a bright red dagger on the end. “Fine then.” The luminescent knife evaporates, and the swords and maces the griffons held quickly fall to pieces, much to their horror. “No more waiting.”

One of the guards around Fletch Wing finally succeeds in grabbing one of the fillies, holding her by the neck. He huffs heavily as he glares at her, a fresh cut over one of his eyes. “Little bitch.” He brings up her crystal dagger, pressing it against the squirming pony’s chest. “Let’s see how you like it.”

Suddenly, a boomerang soars from down the hall, knocking the weapon out of his talon, then knocking him over the head on the return trip. As it soars down the hall, a familiar grey cellist catches it in her mouth, stowing it as she draws her bow. She swing it into the griffon’s neck, causing him to gurgle before he passes out. “Ruby, are you injured?”

As another griffon tries to hit her when her back is turned, Octavia doesn’t even flinch as a sharp gust of air barely precedes the arrival of Atom. He swings his green sword hilt, now with a blade seemingly made of swirling wind, cutting open a large gash in the attacker and tossing him away.

The fillies all turn to her, grinning widely. “We’re fine!” Then the one closest to the Baron’s hindquarters delivers a well-placed kick between his legs.

Snarling, the small griffon lashes out reflexively with a clawed hind leg, making contact with the filly just before he is brought to his knees. He hisses through the pain, working his way slowly back up, smiling as even more of his guards show up.

A harsh punch across the face quickly wipes that smile away. He’s quickly forced back down as an axe kick slams his face straight into the floor. A paw grabs at his feathered hair, and an angry growl sounds in his ear. “If you ever touch my daughter again… then bruised nuts will be the least of your problems.”

For once, the unnaturally durable griffon is stunned by both actions and words. He glances over to see that his guards, of which there were many, had fallen in the few seconds his face was in the floor, the pegasi and earth pony standing where they once stood.

Ruby steps forward, pouting at her mother. “I had him, mom…” The khajiit rolls her eyes and throws the griffon back against a wall. The unicorn who was kicked there there stabs him in the back with her steel knife, while the other two fillies keep a safe distance, a crystalline dagger slowly forming in the air between them.

Gel, the soothing voice arose in their minds, you have to start dealing with the guards. We’re on the fourth floor; we’ll be there soon! The cat-creature nods and moves to the fallen soldiers, grabbing their heads one at a time, a blue light flowing from her paws into their bodies.

"Tell me." Ruby scowls at the griffon before her, shooting the dagger into his talon as another one forms next to the earth pony filly. "Why did you kill so many ponies? Was it really worth the side effects?"

Snarling, the baron rips the dagger out, flinging it at her as he pants. "Getting really tired of getting stabbed..." He shakes his head and catches his breath, standing up tall. "Those side effects have let me weather your assault with little wear, so I think I quite like them."

The pink earth pony grabs the flung blade in her teeth, scowling at him. "You'd think so." They throw the knives at him, pinning his talons to the floor. "But you haven't read those runes properly."

"We have, though." The filly behind him jumps onto his back, stabbing the iron kunai between his wings. "It's meant to be used by a third party. One who doesn't gain or lose anything. You broke that rule."

Screeching in pain, the baron stops moving for a few seconds, pinned to the floor. "So what? It still works perfectly! I am all but immortal!" Despite the knives still in him, he takes a few steps towards the unicorn filly, murderous intent clear in his eyes.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that." She pats his cheek, smirking wryly at him. "I'm sure you'll believe it, eventually."

He snaps at her, just barely missing her hoof. "Considering you haven't come close to taking me down, you have no room to talk." He lunges forward with his beak open, only to find himself completely immobilized by a green aura.

Ruby blinks, staring at the luminescent beak in confusion. "...is that..."

A green muzzle suddenly nuzzles her head affectionately. "Glad to see you're still thinking even when you're steaming mad."

She looks up at him, suddenly brightening up at his face. "Dad!" Two of the fillies hug him, happily nuzzling each of his cheeks.

He nuzzles them back, chuckling softly. "Good to have my sweet girl back, and in great numbers. Now then... I believe you were in a fight that was taking far too long. Shall I even the odds for you? I think you deserve to take him down." He motions to the baron who struggles against the magic.

She nods, hopeful. "Yes, please! He already hurt one of my light clones..."

He nuzzles her briefly. "Well, at least it was only one of them and not you. Now... where is that troublesome cup?"

"Over here!" Enigma waves a hoof before using it to clock a guard, the navy nymph quickly moving in to fill his mind with her magic. "Ruby managed to knock it away when the guy tried to use it on me!"

Rhino nods, keeping the griffon in his magic as he walks over, picking up the cup. Ignoring the muffled shouts of protest from the baron, he peers closely at the chalice. "Let's see..." He walks back over to his daughter, ignoring the melee around him. "Ruby, can I borrow one of your knives? I can't form my dagger with all the magic required to hold Mr. Stronger-than-he-deserves-to-be right here."

The earth pony behind the griffon tosses him her kunai, moving away from the spot now that she no longer has her weapon.

"Thank you, dear." He catches it with a small bit of magic, bringing the point around to the chalice. He looks at it a moment longer before etching a few new runes and altering some already present ones on it's surface. After a minute of scratching, he nods, setting the cup down in front of the pink unicorn filly. "Put a little magic into it, sweetie. The honor, is yours."

She nods and does as told, nearly jumping as a strong pulse suddenly flares out from the chalice. It runs through all of the beings there, causing most to just stare at themselves in confusion. The griffons who did this were swiftly knocked out by members of team Stealth present.

The baron however, is another story entirely. He lets out a hollow scream as he writhes in the unicorn's embrace. As the magic let him fall to the ground, he can only spasm as a rapid change comes over him. Lustrous and healthy feathers becomes limp and drab. His shiny, thick coat thins and turns a dull grey. Muscles of a being in their prime shrivel and shrink to those of a predator with years of muscular abuse nearing his end. His beak opens, shouting out a hollow moan as he sees his talons wrinkle and feels his eyes grow tired.

The shell of their formerly threatening target, shakily gets to his feet, gingerly stepping on his injured legs. "You... give it back... give it back!" He lunges toward the unicorn filly, not caring how futile the attempt might be, only desperately acting.

She smacks him across the face with the back of a hoof, frowning deeply. “It wasn’t yours to take.” She looks to her father, curious. "Would you like to fight him with me?"

He shakes his head, waving her forward. "No, I think you've got this. You deserve it." He looks back to the others, noting Luster and Volt having arrived just in time to help knock out the last few guards before the purple nymph joins the blue one in doing a little mind magic. "You shouldn't have any interference."

Ruby nods, turning back to the Baron, eyes narrowed in anger. She lowers her stance, crystalline daggers rising up from his talons to orbit around her. "Now tell me... why did you do all this?" A blade zips forward, slashing alone one of his cheeks. "Why hurt those who did nothing to you?" The other blade goes across the other cheek.

Rather than virtually ignoring the injuries like earlier, the griffon groans at each new one, glaring with hate and growing fear. "They were worthless! Peasants such as them should be glad to further the life of one such as me!" He tries to back away.

The pink earth pony leaps forward, slamming a hoof into his injured hindleg with an audible snap. The filly grimaces, looking at her now-awkwardly-bent leg. "Guess I hit him too hard..." She limps in front of him, staring up at his tired eyes. "The life of what? A filthy coward? Someone who is afraid to face his inevitable demise?"

"Someone who found the power to cheat death." He aims a slash for her snapped leg.

She takes the attack, not even reacting when it lops off her leg. She looks blankly at the stump as light shines from it. "Guess my time's up, for now." She leaps up and grabs his face, her legs holding his eyelids open. She sneers at him. "And I can't help but think yours will be, soon." She explodes in a brilliant flash of light, all of Stealth turning away or closing their eyes to avoid being blinded.

The baron lets out a weak roar of pain, bow talons going to his eyes as he stumbles around. He falls to the floor, rolling around slowly.

One of the unicorns rush in, grabbing his forelegs by the shoulders, holding him in place. The other steps forward, a small frown on her lips. "You know... I almost feel sorry for you..." She stabs his thigh with a crystal dagger, growling angrily. "Almost."

The aged predator rattles out a scream again as he collapses onto the floor, his eyes bleary as he breathes heavily. "Fuck... you..."

"Language, Baron. If that's the way you're going to talk..." Emerald eyes narrow as her magic pries his beak open, pulling out his tongue. "...maybe you shouldn't talk at all."

Gel snaps head towards the three of them at this, eyes wide in horror as realization dawns on her. Love... his hatred...

Nodding, Rhino steps forward, placing a hoof on his daughter's shoulder. "Easy there, he's done."

She blinks, all the tension in her body flowing out at the gentle touch. Her magic simply stops, tongue and dagger falling from her grasp as she stares at her trembling hooves. Oh dear Luna... w-what was I about to do?!

Something you likely would have regretted, but the point is you didn't. He squeezes her shoulder lightly. Knock him out and lets get out of here.

Ruby nods and grabs a mace head from one of the fallen guards. She slams it across the Baron's face before letting it fall to the floor. She turns to Rhino, eyes slowly tearing up. "Can... can I rest on your back, daddy?"

Smiling softly, he ducks his head under her, scooping her up onto his back. "Always, sweetie." He nuzzles her soothingly as he sees Atom picking up the baron with distaste and putting him on his own back.

"And... done." Gel nods to herself, standing up and facing the rest. "No one here will remember a thing that happened tonight."

And I got the one you missed in the honorable Baron Fletch Wing's bed chamber. Luster smirks as the khajiit gets flustered before turning to Enigma, frowning slightly. What were you thinking, staying up here like that?

"Well..." He chuckles shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was sharing the chance for freedom with the ones on this floor..."

The green unicorn shakes his head. "I have a feeling I know who you mean, and I'll want details once we're safely out of here. For now though..." he looks to Luster and Volt. "Let's head down to the basement. There are some victims we should check on before we leave."

Luster stares blankly at him. ...I thought you didn't want to see them? You spazzed out the first time, didn't you?

He clears his throat awkwardly. "That's not the point... my point is that they should be feeling a bit more lively now."

Enigma raises a hoof, frowning softly. "I'm sorry, but could someone please clarify what you're talking about?"

He motions them to follow, and he explains in short. "When I adjusted the runes on the chalice," he waves to the cup in his saddlebag, "I rewrite them so they would make an infinite feedback loop once magic was introduced, overloading it. As you could see with the baron, part of the effect of that was undoing what could be undone. If the life energy was taken from him, then it stands to reason that it went back where it came from, if possible."

The burgundy pegasus looks at him, raising an eyebrow. "So... the rightful owners get it back, then... is that who's down in the basement? The ones he stole from?"

Volt is the one who answers. "Yeah, judging from what Luster said, seems they’re his little life bottles he drank from. I guess they got refilled."

The team and captive quickly move down to the base, not wanting to be around when the rest of the guards wake up. They reach the room where the victims were and find all of them staggering about, holding their heads, and wondering what's going on. The ponies and griffons are gathered up and promised safe passage out of the castle. With the majority of guards dispatched, the way out is relatively simple, if a little crowded.

When they return to the camp, one of the victims, a vermilion unicorn, speaks up, looking to the taller emerald one before him. "Thank you, whoever you are. You saved us..." He grimaces, looking to the rest with minor hope in his eyes. "...but... are there more of you? A team getting the mares out of that forsaken place?"

Rhino is only able to open his mouth before a voice calls out from inside Enigma's bag. "Grassy? Is that you?" The mare from earlier who had commented on her heat pokes her head out of the bag, peering around. At the sight of the stallion, she lights up in a gigantic smile, running over and embracing him, kissing him many times over. "I thought you were dead... I had given up..."

"Maple!" He happily returns the affectionate gestures, holding her close. "I'm here now. I'll never let you go again..."

Gel turns her attention from the couple before her to the pegasus to her right, concerned. "...why was that mare in your bag?"

"Actually..." Enigma chuckles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "She's not the only one..." He looks to his bags, making sure the flap stays open with a wing. "Alright, ladies. It's safe to come out, now!"

Everypony and changeling present takes a step back as about 30 mares suddenly start pulling themselves out of the bag. They chatter excitedly among themselves, a couple heading over to stallions rescued as well, but most of them milling around Enigma or eyeing up the other three stallions on the team.

"Everyone, this is my team." The burgundy pony gestures to the group before them, pointing to each one as he names them. "Octavia, Luster, Gel, Ruby on her father, Rhino's back..." He stops, shrugging slightly. "Sorry girls, he's taken."

A few mares that had been edging closer to him fold their ears. "Aww..."

"It's not too big a problem." He nods to the last two stallions, smirking wryly. "Volt is single, and Atom hasn't seen his marefriend in a couple weeks. They probably won't mind being your pillow for the night."

About half the mares squeal and rush over to the two stallions, crowding around them and starting to coo at them. Atom flares his wings and holds up his hooves to try to calm them down. This only partially succeeds as several pegasus mares in the crowd start complimenting his wingspan. Still, despite this, the stallion seems alright as he tries to keep the females from actively mobbing him.

Volt is understandably nervous at his own crowd of mares as they crowd around him, stroking his mane and coat. The females' tails swish as they giggle at his nervousness, many calls of 'handsome' can be heard among their chattering.

Luster stares at them, an eye twitching slightly but otherwise visibly calm. Her unseen emotions, on the other hoof, have Gel and Ruby turn to her, eyes questioning.

Tavi simply blinks at the sudden female element added to their party, even as the prisoners from the basement leave with the few mares that had known them. "Enigma... is this what you were doing the whole mission?" Honeysuckle and Cotton Candy stay on either side of the stallion in question, nuzzling him.

He quirks an eyebrow at the cellist, wings flapping twice before draping across the affectionate mares beside him. "I was making sure everyone who wanted to get out could." He nuzzles one, then the other, smiling warmly at both. "These lovely ladies helped me with the preparations... and I promised them they could cuddle with me..." He leans close to the yellow earth pony's ear, whispering softly. "Among other things..."

As the mare giggles, Rhino raises an eyebrow. "Aren't you already in a relationship?"

"Yes, I am." He tilts his head to one side. "It's not like I'm forgetting about Vi. I just figured we could at least talk with her before anything big happens." He shrugs nonchalantly. "It's the least I can do..."

"Um... Enigma?" The filly speaks up, brow furrowed in confusion. "You know that..." She trails off, gesturing to the stallions being crowded.

"I know." He chuckles slyly, a twinkle in his eye. "I'm sure she won't mind, since they're just thanking him."

Sighing as the mares continue, Rhino rubs the bridge of his nose. “Well... our trip back suddenly got more populated…” He looks up at the moon, seeing it at about it's midway point. “Our ride doesn't arrive until dawn, so we've got a bit of time to catch up on a bit of sleep once we get back to the clearing.” A good number of the mares smile at this and close in on their chosen stallions.

The feminine stallion brings the mares at his sides closer with his wings, but otherwise doesn't try to deter the mares crowding around him, Atom, and Volt.

Volt still seems quite nervous around the mares, but Atom seems to have started taking things in stride. He lets the mares touch him and agrees to be their snuggle buddy for the night.

One particularly brave or perhaps just determined young mare, looking to still be in her late teens, sneaks forward, giving Rhino an affectionate nuzzle. Hardly expecting this, the stallion looks at her in confusion.

The mare gets a surprise when the navy nymph steps between them, frowning deeply at her. "Just what do you think you're doing to my husband?" There's a fire in her eyes, unmistakable with their message.

The mare’s eyes widen, darting between the angry changeling and the stallion, conflict easily seen behind them. Still, at a shake of his head, she sighs dejectedly, muttering quietly. “Sorry…”

Gel pats her on the head. "You'll find somepony, don't worry." She nods towards the unicorn beside her. "It's just not gonna be this pony. Maybe you should give that other unicorn a shot?" She gestures to the flustered stallion being crowded by mares.

“I guess… he’s not as fluffy, but he is cute…” Tail wagging a few times, the mare trotts over to join the group of her fellows.

Gel rushes after her and leans close, whispering slyly into her ear. "You didn't hear this from me... but I hear he's never had a special somepony..."

The mare perks up quite a bit as she smiles, trotting over much more happily. The nymph watches with a smile before turning and heading back to her emerald stallion.

As the tent comes into view, Enigma glances at each of the mares in his feathery embrace. He chuckles softly, an eyebrow playfully raised and his voice low enough for just them to hear. "If you girls don't want any interruptions... we could always head back inside... maybe I can give you a massage?"

Their tails flick as Cotton speaks for them. “Oh~... that sounds very nice…” She giggles and gives the pegasus another nuzzle. When he takes that moment to peck her on the lips, she squeaks, blushing heavily. “That was nice too…”

To be fair, he turns and gives Honey a similar kiss, chuckling softly as his wings brush along their backs. "I look forward to cuddling with both of you beautiful mares." He looks forward, watching as Luster opens the flap to the tent for the rest of them. "But first... let us head inside."

The large group all heads inside, Octavia and Luster go first, securing themselves a section of their own and closing it quickly. Atom and Volt follow, each getting into a section with their groups and the mares close the flaps themselves with giggles. Rhino, Gel, and Ruby enter next, the last still riding and nuzzling the first affectionately, a feeling he happily returns.

The emerald stallion looks out to the remaining mares and Enigma. “Hmm… you might have to take your little fanclub back into your bag there, E. We’re running out of walking room and I’m fairly sure the only reason the others fit is that they’re going to be sleeping in piles.”

"Not a problem." He steps inside and sets the pack down on the floor of the tent, chuckling warmly. "I think we can gather all the beds together so we can sleep comfortably..." He grips the two closest mares around the waist and leaps inside with them, the other mares following suit.

Rhino shakes his head. “No matter how much I see it, my mind still says that isn’t normal…”

"To be fair," the nymph by his side speaks up, "it is a gift from Pinkie."

“Fair point,” he concedes.

Ruby watches the rest of the mares vanish into the bag in silence before slowly getting off her father's back. She gathers the pillows from lunchtime and carefully lays herself down, smiling up at him softly. "Good night, dad..."

Having half-expecting this, the stallion leans down and kisses her forehead. “You sure you don’t want to snuggle up with Gel and I? We won’t be doing anything but sleeping.”

"I know." She shyly chuckles. "I just know how much you enjoy time with each other... I don't want to interrupt that."

“Pinchy…” she flinches at the nickname he gave her, “you know we love spending time with you too… right?”

"Yes," she bites her lip, "but you two tend to... switch gears quickly..."

Gel sighs, turning to Rhino and nodding towards the last section. "I don't think she'll be budging any time soon, love... could I have a moment with her? I'll join you in a few moments."

The stallion closes his eyes, nodding. He gives the filly one last nuzzle, and receives a peck on the cheek in return. Smiling softly, he heads into the last empty section of the tent, letting the flap close behind him.

Gel turns to her daughter, eyes filled with concern. "I know what you're thinking..." Her voice is low, soft, wanting to be sure they aren't heard. "I won't try to discourage your feelings... nor will I encourage them." She gingerly places a hoof on the filly's shoulder, as if she were the most delicate crystal. "I just want you to consider everything before you make a decision... okay?" A nod. "Good..." She gently pecks her on the forehead. "Sleep tight, sweetie..." She turns and heads through the divide where her husband waits.

A few hours later, the majority of the tent's occupants are sound asleep, enjoying the warmth and comfort of their sleeping partners.

There's one pony who isn't, however. She sits up, frowning softly as she looks to the bag. "...why do they get to sleep with him? I knew him longer..." She stays there in the deafening silence before she makes her choice.

Slowly standing, she quietly moves across the floor, opening the flap and looking inside. She blinks, stunned by the sheer size on the inside. With a soft gulp, she lowers herself into the bag, letting herself drop to the pillow mountain below.

Climbing her way out of the pile, she looks around, confused. "Where is he?" She lights up her horn and jumps at the sharp teeth before her. When nothing happens, she peers closer, realizing that it was a bear costume. Rolling her eyes, she starts to search the surrounding area.

It doesn't take long for her to find him, as well as the six mares who joined him. He lays flat on his back, mouth open and snoring quietly.

Cotton and Honey are on either side of the stallion, cuddling up against him. Another mare is curled around his head while two others each snuggle an outstretched foreleg. Finally, the last one lays curled around his hind legs, forming an almost complete frame of mares around him.

Ruby gulps, carefully stepping over the mare around his legs, hoping that they wouldn't notice the shift in weight. She moves to go further but stops, eyes wide at the object before them. "B-big... h-how can it be bigger?"

It seems to twitch as her breath brushes it, causing the teen to blush brightly. "I-ignore it, Ruby... y-you know why you're here..." She cautiously moves over the stallion, laying herself down on his underside and folding her legs to her body. She stares at the pegasus' face, but, mostly, at his soft-looking lips.

Steeling herself, she closes his mouth, leans down, and gently kisses him, pulling away after the split-second contact. "T-there... now I ca-"

She gets cut off when he suddenly leans up, capturing her lips with his own and muffling her quiet squeak. This was longer, warmer, and more tender than hers, and the filly simply melted at the love within it.

He lays back and smiles, still very much asleep. "Oh Vi... you rascal..."

Hearing this, Ruby frowns in disappointment. She got this far, though; she's not going to let that get her down. She curls up against his chest, listening to his soft, even breaths, the peaceful, rhythmic beats of his heart. "I will learn all I can about love... I promised..."

Equus Tactics #46

The repetitive rumbling and clacking of train tracks is the first sound Applejack wakes up to. While not her favorite wakeup call, it’s still miles ahead of echoing pickaxe strikes. Stretching as she wakes, she notices two key things: one, there’s a dark blue hoof draped over her, a fact which doesn’t particularly bother her as the body it’s attached to is nice and warm; and two, there’s something uncomfortable jutting into her lower back.

She squirms a bit as she calls behind her quietly. “Hey Win, would ya mind moving yer knee or whatever it is out of mah back? It’s pokin’ me a bit hard.”

The unicorn, who is not yet fully awake, responds with a grumble and flops over onto his other side, ready to go back to sleep. However, this ends up not only messing up the blankets uncomfortably and getting his legs tangled in them, but also results in him smashing his face against the wall. That successfully wakes him up, and he sits up with a start and a bruised nose.

Rolling partially onto her back so she can see him, the earth pony raises an eyebrow. “Ya’ll alright there? Nasty knock to the nose ya took.”

Winter blinks as he rubs his muzzle, squinting at the farmer no more than three feet away from him. He lights his horn, lightly sweeping his magic around the room in a search for his glasses as he answers her. “I’m fine...had worse...” He yawns and stretches as he finally retrieves his eyewear and hooks them onto his face, still trying to get his eyes to stay open. “What were you saying about my knee?”

“Just that ya were pokin’ me with it, nothin’ big.” She shrugs, moving to sit up, but laying back down anyway as she mutters. “Guess there ain’t really a farm to get up and work on in a train…”

The stallion seems to start doing his best to angle his body away from his bedmate while still being able to converse with her without talking directly to the wall. “Y-Yeah...not really, huh?” He smiles nervously. “Guess that means you get to relax this morning...”

“Guess so.” She looks over to the other bunk. “Those two awake yet?”

“Knowing Merc, probably not. Calls me lazy all the time, but I don’t think he’s ever woken up before me.” Winter chuckles. “As for Ash, I don’t know how she sleeps...but I assume they’re both still out of it, since neither of them have responded to any of this.”

“Good point.” She sits up enough to look at them, smiling softly at the sight despite only being able to see Merc through the half-closed curtains. “Cute…”

With another yawn, the unicorn finally turns himself to face the farmer fully, whatever was causing him trouble apparently dealt with. “Eh...I’ve seen cuter.” The fox’s tails flick as if he heard that, but he doesn’t respond otherwise.

“Ah don’t know about that…” Still, she lets the matter drop as she folds her forelegs behind her head and lays back down. “Sure is good going back home. Can’t wait to see everypony.”

Winter nods. “I can imagine. Want me to walk you back?” He winces at how sudden that comes out. “Uh, so I can...help explain to your family what happened?”

“Hmm…” She puts a hoof to her chin, thinking this over. “Well, sure. Ya know ya don’t have to make excuses though, right?”

He blushes and quickly looks away, faking another yawn to cover up. “Wh-what do you mean, excuses?”

A head pops up over the edge of their bed, looking at the two of them. “Excuses why they don’t serve breakfast on this train?” Her stomach growls as if to punctuate her question.

Winter jumps a bit at Ash’s sudden appearance, then smiles at her. “Good morning to you too. Sleep well?” He chuckles. “Don’t worry, we’ll get some food as soon as we’re off the train. Promise.”

“But I’m hungry…” She groans, her head dropping onto Applejack’s thigh. “Mamodos eat to keep up their energy… and I’m already running low…”

Applejack rubs the filly’s head soothingly, not sure what one word she said meant but still knowing what to do with a hungry filly. “There, there; maybe we can find somethin’ for ya ta eat if we go ask some of the ponies in Win’s team nicely.”

“Yeah; one of them’s bound to have snuck something on board.” The stallion crawls out of bed, having to almost climb over Applejack in order to do so. “Worst case scenario, you can just chew on Mercury’s tails.” He gets a pillow thrown at him for that comment. “Good, he’s awake too.”

“I don’t know about that…” Ash taps her chin, looking around the train a moment. “...actually, is there a way to get food on here? I could go for some halibut…”

“Sadly, no. The engineer and the conductor are the only ones here, since they still didn’t want to put too many ponies in danger by sending them to Appleloosa.” Winter begins strapping his watch to his hoof as he levitates a hair brush up, pauses, then puts it back down without even letting it touch his mane or tail. “Also, what’s halibut?”

‘It’s a type of fish from the sea, Win. A flounder, I think.’ Mercury slides the curtain open, looking like the victim of a severe snuggle attack. ‘Mamodos love fish...’

“...oh.” The stallion makes a face. “Great. Add another item to the list of things I never wanted to think about...” He blinks and does a double take, looking back at the fox. “...what happened to you?”

‘Ash is a sleep-snuggler.’ He shakes himself, becoming more poofy as a result. This draws an amused laugh from the unicorn, who levitates the brush he just got ready to discard over to help out.

As Merc gets brushed, struggling all the while, Applejack gets off the bed as well, stretching a little more before shaking her head, her golden mane swinging in graceful arcs. She kneels down next to Ash. “Want a ride while we look for ya some food? Ya can sleep more if ya want.”

“I’m not really that tired.” She jumps up onto the mare’s back, giving her a small smile. “I will take that ride, though.”

“Wow, AJ. First Merc, now Ash?” Winter chuckles, watching the scene. “Ever thought of renting yourself out as a taxi? Apparently a lot of ponies find your back comfortable.”

The fox bites the brush and tosses it to the side, leveling the stallion with a stare. ‘Win, you’re making it hard to keep my promise over here.’ He jumps onto his back, hoping to avoid more of the brush on his half-mussed fur.

“All you had to say was that you didn’t want to be groomed,” the unicorn mutters as he drops the brush back into his saddlebags, electing to leave his own bedhead as is.

‘I was talking about that double entendre you just dropped.’ He smirks, patting him on the back. ‘Seriously, did you not catch that?’

Winter glares. “I just woke up. I couldn’t catch a cold in a downpour this early.”

Applejack just watches the exchange with a bemused expression. Shaking her head, she turns to Ash as she heads for the door. “Make quite the pair, don’t they?”

She looks at the mare, confused. “What are you talking about? They aren’t a couple…”

“Ah never said they were. Ah said they were a pair, as in, two things that go well together.” AJ tilts her head at the filly. “Still tryin’ ta figure out romance, Ah take it?”

“No, I’m just… not good at idioms.” She shrugs, turning to look at the other two. “Though romance is something I’m curious about…”

The farmer chuckles. “Heh, you and me both, sister…”

Finishing their own conversation before it can become an argument, Winter and Mercury catch up to the girls. “Guess we should round up the rest of the team...figure out plans, not to mention see if anyone snuck food on board.” The unicorn sighs. “Plus, I still owe Dior an explanation...and probably the whole team, too.”

Within minutes, the whole of Tactics team is gathered in the otherwise empty dining car. Ash has taken it upon herself to raid the cupboards for whatever food there is, sharing a couple salmon with the silver fox. Winter is doing his best to ignore this, trying to focus on holding the attention of his team.

Vinyl is slumped over a table, struggling to stay awake. “Dang it, Sol… I was having an ice cream dream… with whip cream…” She goes silent for a second before Mercury bounds over, pulling off her shades to reveal puffy, closed eyes.

The royal blue unicorn sighs, rubbing his temple. “Vi...I know you’re tired.” He looks over at the whole group. “Strike that. I know you’re all tired. Some of you just woke up now, some of you are just lazy...” He looks at a certain nymph and red stallion with a raised eyebrow. “And some of you, I don’t want to think about why you look like you barely got any actual sleep.”

“Hey, I’ll have you know I work better with less sleep!” Dior huffs, unable to hide the vibrant blush on her cheeks.

“Dior, this is for your benefit primarily. You demanded this explanation, so I’m giving it. At least try to listen up for it.” The unicorn drops his look of annoyance and adopts a more neutral expression, but with a bit of guilt. “I know that, as a team, we’re supposed to trust one another...but I’ve been keeping a pretty big secret from you all for a while now.”

Flick pipes up from his spot next to the leader. “You know, it’s fine if you’re into stallions.” He holds up his hooves, laughing brightly. “I’m taken, though. Sorry!”

Winter growls, face going red as most of the team manages to laugh themselves awake from that comment. “That isn’t what I’m talking about!” He adds under his breath, “Not that it’s entirely inaccurate...”

Ash looks up at him from her spot right behind him, tilting her head to one side. She swallows her mouthful and speaks up. “What do you mean by that, Mister Solstice?”

“...of course somepony overhears me when I’m muttering.” The unicorn sighs and turns to face the filly, managing to hide his irritation with a small smile. “Just means that I can develop romantic feelings for someone regardless of their gender or species. Unlike most guys, who only like females; or most girls, who only like males.”

A few heads tilt back and forth, but ultimately everypony in the room nods to the revelation, not particularly surprised. The one griffon in the room looks at him strangely, but after another moment she blinks and her eyes go back to their usual gruff indifference.

“Anyway. Sudden reveals about my sexuality aside, there’s something kind of important I wanted to discuss.” He reaches into his saddlebags and withdraws a familiar blue book, beckoning to his silver fox friend to come over. “You all know Merc, of course.”

He hops over onto the stallion’s table, waving a paw at them all. ‘Hey.’

“Marshmallow frosting…” The disk jockey licks her lips, still asleep at her own little dining booth. “Pass the chocolate…”

Hydro taps right in front of her, startling her awake. “Dream of your coltfriend later, there’s an announcement to hear.”

She stares at him, slightly confused. “...how’d you know I was dreaming of him?”

He blinks. “It… was a joke… and now I think I know too much…” He leans away and against Dior, who whispers into his ear. He flinches slightly, but nods.

With a sudden thumping sound, the blue book drops itself directly in front of Vinyl. Winter stands in front of her, looking like a teacher who caught a student misbehaving. “Mind trying to read this for us, sleepyhead?”

The mare stares at him blankly, unamused. “Dude, I tried reading it before, after I snuck it from your saddlebag one day. It’s all a bunch of gobbledygook.”

“And what you were mumbling about in your sleep wasn’t?” Winter snarks before blinking, his eyes slowly narrowing. “...and why, exactly, were you sneaking things from my saddlebags?”

She shrugs, pushing the book closer to him. “Eh, I was bored one day, and Gilda dared me. I think she wanted me to get her something, but I forget what...”

The stallion levels a glare at the griffon, promising without needing to use words that they’d be having a long discussion later. He then turns back to Vinyl, not losing the glare. “Don’t go poking around in my junk ever again.”

She scrunches her nose. “I have a coltfriend, Sol. I wouldn’t want to mess with your junk.”

Winter lets out a lower, longer growl. “Celestia help me...keep me from strangling my friends.” He sighs and speaks in a calmer tone. “You know what I mean. Stay away from my bags...” He facehoofs. “Just don’t go near anything that’s mine!”

“I won’t mess with your property, Sol.” She shrugs. “I only did it because of that dare, anyways. And I don’t repeat dares.”

“Good. Now, getting back on topic, unless anyone else wants to try and make me look like an idiot?” The stallion glares out at the team, waiting for someone to speak.

‘Your fly’s down.’ The look Mercury received would have frozen a cockatrice. He whimpers, shrinking in on himself. ‘I was just trying to lighten the mood...’

Applejack puts a hoof on Winter’s shoulder. “Win, relax. They’re just havin’ a bit of fun.”

It takes almost a whole minute before the stallion finally seems to calm himself. He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and runs through his head one more time what he was planning to say. “...alright...thank you, Applejack.” He lets out a long sigh of relief as he relaxes.

“There ya go.” She smiles at him before turning to the others. “Maybe lay off a little, guys. He sure don’t take well to bein’ the center of it every time.”

“It’s not being the subject of ridicule that bothers me,” the unicorn explains calmly. “It’s being the subject of ridicule when I’m actually trying to explain something very important.” He picks the blue book up in his magic. “So. Book. Full of gibberish, to all of you. But let me show you what it really is.” He glances at Mercury. “Think you can aim down at the floor?”

He stares at the stallion blankly. ‘I’d rather fire upwards. Less chance of breaking the axles of the car. And I can aim it either direction.’ He gestures to his friend. ‘Go ahead, Win.’

“Good thinking.” With a smile, Winter sits down and lowers the book into his hooves, opening it; despite having the words memorized, he decides to go about it this way so the team understands. “Gikor!”

The fox bends his head upwards, like a fox howling at the moon. His maw opens wide and shards of ice fly out, embedding themselves in the ceiling above. He shakes himself, rubbing his tongue with a paw. ‘Great, my tongue went numb...’

Vinyl’s shades fall off to reveal wide eyes and magenta pinpricks. “I think I’m not alone when I say...what the fuck was that, dude?”

“That was a little something called mamodo magic,” Winter replies with a smirk.

“Okay, I’ll bite.” Flick looks from the stallion to the fox and back. “What is mamodo magic?”

Winter points to Mercury. “He is a mamodo.” He points to the book. “This is a spell book. When I - and only I - read aloud one of the spells within, so long as I am making physical contact with the book, he casts it automatically. For Merc, they’re all spells related to ice and cold.”

“So wait,” the nymph points to the book, curious, “if his spells are all ice or cold… what was with those scorch marks in the mine?”

The unicorn pulls out another book from his saddlebags; this one, the red one that Alpha once had. He glances meaningfully at Ash, who has taken a donut from a box nearby and is not paying the least bit of attention. “Well...Alpha had a book of his own, and seemed to be relying rather heavily on keeping one little filly...”

Hydro’s eyes widen. “Wait… you mean she’s…”

“Yep.” Winter nods. “That’s how the dogs could burn down Appleloosa...and furthermore, how they became such a threat.” He narrows his eyes and looks around at the group, seeming to linger on Vinyl. “And also why none of you are to touch either of these books, ever, without my express permission and supervision.”

Gilda tilts her head. “But you said the books won’t work for us, so… what’s the problem?”

“These are more than just spell books.” He slides them both back into his saddlebags. “It’s tough to explain, and would be tough even if I understood fully how they worked. But long story short…” He sighs. “...if the book connected to the mamodo is destroyed, so is the mamodo.”

“Well… more like we vanish from this world.” Ash sighs, tossing a donut and landing it perfectly on a certain nymph’s horn. “We’d still be alive, just… not able to see anyone here, again.”

Winter just nods solemnly and begins scratching Mercury behind the ears, keeping his foreleg in an almost protective position. “These books may be a mamodo’s greatest strength, but they’re also their greatest weakness. We have to take extra special care of them.”

Vinyl slowly nods, sitting up and frowning softly at him. “I understand. I won’t do anything to harm these guys…”

The nymph, having taken the pastry off and given it to Hydro, bows respectfully to the cobalt stallion. “You can trust in me, Sol.”

The red stallion takes a large bite of the donut, nodding approvingly. Even so, so gives a sideways glance and smirk to the nymph before wiping the donut on the tip of her snout, leaving a bit of glaze on it. “Whoops, clumsy me. Want me to get that?”

She gives him a flat look before her horn lights up, the box floating over from the counter. “Sure. But first, let me get this.” She squishes three of the pastries against his face, covering it in chocolate frosting.

Maud simply watches the proceedings with her usual stoicism.

Hydro slowly opens his eyes, two orange circles amid a shield of chocolate. “A little overreacting, don’t you think? After all, what if I were to… nuzzle you like this?” He tosses a foreleg over her to keep her in place as he slowly leans toward her.

She licks along his cheek, giggling warmly. “Then I’d be happy we both love chocolate… and hope you realize that you’ll be sleeping on the couch, if you actually do.”

“Might be worth it, probably not.” He licks the small bit of glaze off her nose before starting to get this chocolate off himself. She assists him, happily licking his cheeks to clean him of the sticky substance.

The white mare stares at them, her hooves tapping the table as she mutters to herself. “...that’s just like my dream… freaky…”

“Take it to the bedroom, you two. Or the kitchen. That seems a bit more appropriate for the situation.” Winter chuckles. “But...thank you for understanding. Merc’s book is just mine and his problem, but Ash’s...we need someplace to keep it safe.” He sighs. “Alpha was her caster, but he’s...gone. So the book is nothing more than a liability.”

Applejack raises a hoof. “Ah could keep it on the farm. Seems like it’d be the last place somepony would look fer somethin’ like that.”

“Good idea. Thanks, Applejack.” The unicorn smiles back at her.

“Just helpin’ out.” She smiles back. “What are ya’ll gonna do with her then? She just gonna stay with you?”

Winter nods, glancing at the filly in question. “I’m gonna look after her from now on. My place is more than big enough for her to live, even with Merc and I around.” He smiles, walking over and rubbing the filly’s mane. “Besides, I don’t want to just chuck her to someone. I like having her around.”

Hydro nods approvingly. “Adopting a daughter? Good on you, Win. They change your life, you know.”

The unicorn freezes. “Daughter…?” He looks at Hydro, worried and confused. “...is that...even what I’m doing?”

“Well, let’s see…” The earth pony raises a hoof, tapping it with each point he makes. “You helped take her from an abusive home. You’re offering her to live with you with no second thoughts. The action is purely for her safety which means you care in some fashion. She’s definitely still a child, so she can’t live on her own. She seems to like you. You freely admit liking having her around… sure sounds like adoption to me.”

Winter looks back at Ash. “Guess that makes sense...though now you’ve got me trying to think like a father.” He sighs. “I’m too young for that.”

Vinyl looks up at him, quirking an eyebrow. “Dude, I’m two years younger than you, and I’d be ready to settle down.”

“Yeah, but you’re not me. Besides, you’ve got a coltfriend who’d help you out if you were in this situation. I just have him.” He gestures to Mercury. “And he already acts like a child sometimes.”

‘I resemble that remark.’

“It’s more in the mindset, Win,” Hydro counters. “You jumped at the chance to have her with you, so you seem like you have the instincts at least to some degree already.”

“Instincts are not to always be followed.” Winter looks at Dior. “I was taught that recently.”

“Alright, alright.” The red stallion holds up his hooves. “Maybe not full on adoption, but you are taking care of her, and she is a filly.”

The unicorn sighs. “Let’s just think of her as a really young roommate who doesn’t have to pay rent.”

“Or simply one that pays with cuteness.” Flick chuckles, shaking his head.

“Pray she does not have full control of that,” Maud says wisely.

“Of course,” Dior pipes up, “I could give you a few tips on how to not let their cuteness win you over every time.” She rolls her eyes. “You would not believe the number of times Gelatin tried that with me.”

Winter smirks. “I grew up with a little sister, and now have to deal with a small fox on a daily basis. I think I’m basically immune now.”

“If ya think that, yer wrong.” AJ nods to herself and the room at large. “Ah helped raise mah sister since she was in diapers, and let me tell you, that filly could get you to do whatever she wanted you to unless you knew exactly how to counter it. Even then, they can catch ya off-guard.”

“Fine, fine...I guess some help would be a good idea. Thanks, Dior.” He nods thankfully to her. “Much appreciated.”

“You’re quite welcome, Sol.” She giggles quietly before a loud thud makes her jump. She glances at the disk jockey, seeing she’d fallen asleep again. “...that can’t be comfortable, sleeping on your shades like that.”

The stallion chuckles. “As somepony who wears glasses and often falls asleep at his office desk, I can safely say that you are correct. But I think I’d rather leave her with her whipped cream dreams than bother trying to keep her awake until we arrive.”

‘At least take her silly shades off, Win.’ Mercury huffs slightly. ‘It’s the least you can do for her, right?’

“For almost sleeping through a meeting and rifling through my stuff?” Nevertheless, he lights his horn and carefully lifts the mare’s head, sliding her glasses off and folding them neatly beside her. “There.”

‘I’m sure she’ll thank you when...’ He trails off when a blur grabs the shades. He turns to see Ash eating from the fallen box of donuts, glasses too big for her on her face. ‘...she gets them back from her.’

Winter sighs, shaking his head in amusement. “Ash, don’t take things that aren’t yours.”

She turns to look at him, mouth full of pastry. “Mmf?” She grabs one of the chocolate ones and tosses it, landing it around his horn and giggling brightly.

Applejack looks at the sight and shakes her head. “Good luck, Win.”

The unicorn shrugs, levitating the donut off and biting into it. As he does, he also simply plucks the shades from the filly’s muzzle and puts them back over by Vinyl’s sleeping form. “She’s on a sugar high. Best course of action: just fix any problems as quick as possible and keep her in one place.”

Before he can even finish that sentence, the filly is on Gilda’s back, grabbing a wing and making it flex. “How do you fly with these? They’re so heavy!”

The griffon, for her part, is more stunned than anything as she looks back at the filly. “Well… bigger wings are needed to lift me because I’m bigger than ponies…”

“Not much bigger. Diamond dogs are bigger.” She leaps, landing on Hydro’s head and leaning over, looking at his eyes while hanging upside down. “Why does your face smell like chocolate?”

“Because my wife thought it was an appropriate response to glaze,” he says without a trace of sarcasm.

“...okay. Yep.” Winter facehoofs. “I’m screwed.”

He finds himself face-to-face with the young pony, her wide eyes staring into his. “What do you mean, Mister Solstice? I don’t see a screw anywhere on you.”

“...it’s an idiom, Ash.” He gently grabs her in his forelegs, partially to hug her and partially to keep her from rushing off again. “Don’t worry about it.”

She looks down at her hooves, then up at him, her expression unreadable. “Is… something bothering you, Mister Solstice? Your smile’s… off.”

“Huh?” He blinks. “...I’m fine. What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, you just seem… troubled?” She shakes her head, turning away and looking around. “...did I miss something?”

The unicorn sighs and nuzzles her, managing a smile. “I’m fine, Ash. Don’t worry. And no, you didn’t miss much that you didn’t probably already know.”

“Oh.” The green filly looks up at him, trying to smile but coming off as slightly awkward. “So… where, exactly, am I going to stay?”

“You’ll be staying with Merc and I in Ponyville,” Winter replies. “Hope you don’t have a problem with that. We’ll take care of you, don’t worry.”

“I’m not worried.” She hesitates, then nuzzles his cheek. “You saved me… I feel more… comfortable around…” She yawns softly, her eyes blinking blearily. “...I think I’ll just…” She collapses in his embrace, snoring softly.

The unicorn smiles and nuzzles her sleeping form. “Silly girl...gotta watch out for those sugar crashes...” He carefully moves her onto his back, noticing everyone still conscious in the room looking at him with knowing smiles. “What?”

“Nothing, Sol.” Flick chuckles, shaking his head.

A small chime comes through the intercom. “Attention, passengers; we will be arriving in our next stop, Ponyville, within about twenty minutes.”

Anyone who had yet to collect their things heads off to do so, with the exception of Vinyl, who stays sleeping in her seat. Aside from her, this leaves Winter, Mercury, Ash, and Applejack in the dining cart.

Applejack still watches the door the others left through as she comments matter-of-factly. “Ah give ya a week before ya admit yer a dad.”

Mercury looks up at her, tails wagging idly. ‘I give him three days.’

Winter sighs. “I’m not a dad, you two. I’m her guardian, sure, but that doesn’t make me a dad. It just means she’s living with me and I’m taking care of her.”

The farmer just shakes her head knowingly before nodding it in the filly’s direction. “Try saying that to that hopeful face if she asks you the same question.” He noticeably winces at that. “Thought so. Don’t worry about it too much.” She pats him on his back, making sure not to get the filly. “Ya’ll will do fine. Take it one day at a time and relax for a bit, ya earned it.”

‘And if it gets too much, then you have a nice southern belle who’d be willing to help.’ Mercury flinches, smacking himself in the face. ‘Damn it.’

Giving the silver fox a warning glare, Winter sighs once again and looks back at Applejack, smiling a bit. “Thanks. Sorry about getting so worried.”

She winks at him, her loose mane hanging partially in front of one of her eyes. “Just means ya care.”

Ponyville is the kind of small town where everything you need to buy will most likely come from a store specifically meant to sell that. Whether it is a simple vegetable stand or the ever curious "Quills & Sofas" store, there is a place to buy most anything. As such, any shop you find will have a hard time to look out of place. This is the case with a particular shop opened up about ten years ago; while still cosy, its reputation has drawn ponies form even other towns to secure its services.

It's proprietress, seen now sketching at her desk in the shop, has been compared occasionally to local fashion designer Rarity, for which there is some basis. Both stores are for clothing, but while Rarity does dresses and the like, this shop, Silk's Select, is for a more... particular area of garmentry. Generally, it's the kind of store you wouldn't usually let your foals into without having to answer many awkward questions you would just rather avoid.

Still, as the purple-maned golden coated pegasus draws her next work, one can clearly she she is a passionate and caring soul. Her quill drifts across the page as she simply enjoys the quiet moment in her shop.

There's a soft jingle as the door opens, announcing the entrance of someone into the store. "One moment please." She finishes drawing a few more lines before she nods, setting the sketch to one side as she speaks. "Welcome, how may I help you?"

The white nymph before her quirks an eyebrow. "Huh. You were right." She looks to the stallion next to her, giggling brightly. "She really doesn't look at the door before speaking. I guess I owe you that massage."

"Told you, this is why she got the bell in the first place." The red earth pony chuckles as Silk's ears perk up at their voices.

She looks up sharply, breaking out into a wide smile. "Dior, Hydro!" She hops out of her seat, trotting over and bringing both of them into a hug. "You're back!"

"Was there ever any doubt?" Dior giggles, happily returning the embrace. "How has business been, by the way? I didn't get to see you because I was packing for the trip." She looks to Hydro, bumping his side. "And Red, here, didn't remember to ask like I asked him to."

Hydro turns away. "I remembered other things..."

Silk giggles at the two of them. "Oh, things have been fine. I get around a dozen or so customers a day, half of them new. I spend a lot of time with each of them, but it still leaves me plenty of time to work on projects." She looks upward. "Or time to check on the little ones to make sure they're doing alright."

"Always good to know." She tilts her head at the mare, curious. "Speaking of little ones... how has Goldie been doing in school?"

"Oh, she's been doing fine. She's been having to do a little extra work in her science classes, but that never was my strong suit so it's not too unexpected." The pegasus waves a hoof. "Of course, she can't stop talking about her photography courses if you get her on the subject. She just can't get enough of that ever since she got her cutie mark."

"How wonderful!" Dior giggles, shaking her head. "I wish I'd been there to see her get it, but, you know... duty calls." She shrugs, sheepishly smiling.

Silk laughs it off. "Oh now, hun, you know she forgave you as soon as she got to show it off once you got back. Same way Spark was when she got hers, really."

"Oh, I remember that day." Hydro chuckles. "Had to pry her off every piece of machinery she came in contact with for a month."

The nymph taps her chin, thoughtful. "On the plus side, she did get that one generator in the dam to stop rattling."

Their friend laughs. "Oh yes, they're all little prodigies. I can't wait to see what little Mystic and Serene end up having marks in."

"Agreed." She looks to the front door as hoofstomps sound off from the upstairs along the outside. "I wonder who that could be..."

The door bursts open, revealing a young, bright yellow mare as she barrels into the store. She looks around before her aqua eyes land on the group before her, and she sheepishly grins. "Hi! Don't mind me, just... looking around! Yeah, that." She ducks into the aisles of the store, the sound of hangers scraping along metal soon meeting the ears of the three older ponies.

As Hydro raises an eyebrow, Silk looks at her daughter curiously, barely able to see the tips of her tufted ears. "Golden Dawn, what are you doing? You know I usually don't want you foals coming into the shop when the younger ones are over."

She comes out from behind a clothes rack, frowning softly at her mother. "But Melody is doing so well watching them..." The young mare shrugs, her wings shifting slightly. "Besides, you let me in here, all the time..."

Dior blinks, looking to Hydro in confusion. I hope I'm mistaken, but I... I think she's disappointed...

He raises an eyebrow at that, curious what that could mean.

Sighing, Silk walks over and nuzzles her precious daughter. "I guess that rule is from when you were younger... and you are a big help sometimes when you're here with me. Alright, I'm not mad and you're not in trouble."

Golden smiles, hugging her back before turning to the couple before her. "Hi! Sorry for not properly... you know." She nervously smiles. "I was looking for someo- thing. Something. Heh heh."

The stallion chuckles. "It's alright, Goldie. It's good to see you. If you lost something, I'm sure your mother could help you find it, or maybe one of the other kids."

"Maybe..." She tilts her head to one side, considering him for a moment. "You're here to pick up Spark Plug and Evergreen, right? Do you want me to go get them for you?"

He nods. "That'd be very nice of you, Goldie. Thank you."

She smiles and nods to him, turning and heading to the back of the store. A few moments later, she returns to the front, blushing softly. "Forgot there's only the one staircase..." She quickly exits out the door, rushing up to the second story.

Silk hums as she leaves. "She's been like that recently, easily embarrassed and forgetting things. I think she's just at that point in her mid-teens when she's thinking about so much."

"Or maybe thinking about one thing in particular." Dior chuckles, shaking her head. "That's probably the romantic in me speaking, though."

The other mother nods. "That too... honestly I'm sort of curious why I haven't seen her eyeing any boy yet..."

"Not a clue, myself." She shrugs, turning to browse the wares as she waits. "Might be that she has a specific pony in mind... wow. This is kinky, even for you, Silk."

"I'll take that as a compliment." The pegasus winks as she strolls through her store. "I do try to cater to all tastes after all."

"You definitely have a selection, that's for sure..." Hydro comments.

"I'd buy some, myself, but there'd be no telling when I could use it." The nymph titters slightly, blushing a bit. "Not with two young ponies in the house..."

Silk grins at the two of them. "What? No time when they're at school, maybe stay up a little late together, when they're at a friends house...anything? I know for a fact Luster taught you the one-way soundproofing, so that has to open up options. I'm also certain you two are always willing."

"I... it's just..." She blushes softly, turning away from the shorter mare. "I'd rather not risk it..." Her ear flicks as the sounds of approaching hooves reaches them. "Oh... we should probably go outside to greet them, huh, Red?" She smirks at him, trying to hide her nervousness.

"Well of course," he smiles confidently at her, walking over and placing his side against hers. "You know they're going to be excited to see us. Come on, time to go be an adoring mother again instead of a bad-flank."

She smiles warmly, tenderly nuzzling his cheek. "You're right..." She waves to the golden pegasus as they exit, just in time for two figures to round the corner.

Taking up the lead is an ivory coated filly in her very early teens with short black mane and tail like her father's. Baby blue eyes smile at her parents as she runs toward them. Just behind her is a form that looks to be a few years younger than her. The brown-coated colt almost look like a plant with his pine green mane and tail taking up the same texture as the color. He trotts along behind his sister, his silver eyes looking up fondly at her, but widening as he spots the nymph and stallion.

The older of the two hugs their father, grinning excitedly. "You're back!"

Hydro hugs the filly back, smiling proudly. "Hey Sparky, were you two well behaved for Silk and Goldie?"

Meanwhile, the colt walks over to his mother looking up at her with his cute eyes before quietly hugging her chest tightly. "I missed you..."

The nymph sits down, gently hugging her son. "And I missed you..."

"We were, daddy!" The filly giggles, happily nuzzling his cheek. "Oh! You'll never guess what I did, yesterday!"

Hydro laughs, squeezing her tight as he nuzzles her back. "What did you do?"

"Repaired the Cakes' oven." She smiles warmly, looking up at him hopefully.

He smiles proudly, rubbing her head affectionately. “Now since when do you know about ovens? Especially professional baking ones?”

“Since I took a look at their functioning one.” She leans into the motions of his hoof, her eyes closing as she starts to enjoy the sensation. “Took it apart and put it back together, easy…”

“That’s my girl… learning how everything works and helping ponies in the process.” He kisses her cheek as he continues rubbing. “What did the Cakes say about your skills when you helped them?”

“They were upset that I made the kitchen a mess, but happy that it was fixed.” She looks up at the sky, frowning slightly. “Said something about… not letting Pound put dough in it without making sure the air pockets are out?”

“Yeah,” Hydro grimaces, yet still smiles, “classic ‘everything you could possibly think of is gunked up so that it doesn’t work’ repair. Good on you, Sparky. Hmm… I wonder if I should start giving you some challenges to see how you do… maybe give you something broken you’ve never seen before and tell you to fix it…” He looks up just as she is, lost in thought himself.

Dior rolls her eyes as she strokes the colt’s mane. She looks down to where he’s seated in her lap, smiling softly. “Your father and your sister enjoy their toys, don’t they?”

He nods as he nuzzles against her chest. “Yeah, sis was really cool when she was working yesterday. You should have seen her, she was climbing all over the ovens, poking at every little thing like it was the key to how the entire machine worked.” Laughing quietly, he shifts his tail into that of a black fox’s, curling it around himself as he snuggles her. “I actually had fun trying to copy Gummy perfectly while she was doing that. I was all scales at one point.”

“I see.” She chuckles, bringing him close and pecking his forehead. “How about school, sweetie? Did you learn anything new from Miss Cheerilee, yesterday?”

He nods again, his silver eyes looking into her own. “Yeah! She was teaching us about how the different weather affects what animals and plants live in an area, and how they change to live in it!” He grows less excited. “She also started us on long division… it’s not that hard, though a lot of the kids say it is, but it’s definitely not fun.”

The nymph giggles quietly, gently rocking with him in her embrace. “You love your animals and plants… did you see any new ones, recently?”

Leaning back against her, he keeps talking. “Miss Fluttershy actually came by the day before yesterday. She said she had a cool animal she wanted to show me. It was actually really weird! She said it was a… pla… plata…. platypus, yeah, that was it. It looked like if somepony crossed a duck with a beaver!”

“That’s fascinating, Eve…” She lifts a forehoof off his body, letting it shift into a beaver’s paw. “Did it have paws like this?” It turns into a cat’s paw, playfully using it to rub along his belly. “Or more like this?”

Laughing, the colt kicks his hooves in the air as they change to match his mother’s paw, albeit smaller and cuter. “N-no… they looked like… actually they looked like otter paws!” He still laughs as he grabs her cat paw with all four of his own, baring his teeth like he is going to bite it, only to nuzzle it instead.

Dior giggles, nuzzling his cheek tenderly. “Mommy’s silly, isn’t she?” She turns her paw into an otter’s, tapping him on the nose with it.

Smiling, he sprouts whiskers of the furry river mammals as he responds. “Yeah, but that’s a good thing! Daddy’s silly, sis is silly, I’m silly; it makes us fun and happy.” He leans up, kissing her on the nose, whiskers twitching. “You’re the best Mommy!”

She blushes softly, hugging him close and pecking his forehead once more. “You’re the best son, Eve.” She rubs her nose, pouting softly. “And I just poked my nose with your horn…”

“Aww…” His tiny horn, always hidden beneath his mane, dimly lights up as he moves her hoof, kissing her nose again. “Better?”

The nymph smiles warmly at her thoughtful son, cuddling him close. “Better.”

Spark watches her mother and brother for a moment, ears twitching slightly. She turns to her father, a foreleg wrapping around one of his. “Could we do that when we get home, daddy?”

He smiles down at her, nodding. “Of course, Sparky. They’d probably love to join us too if you wanted them to.”

She shakes her head, gently pecking his cheek. “I was hoping to spend more time with you… it feels like we miss out when you and mom go on your trips…”

Chuckling, he nuzzles her as he answers his affectionate little tomcolt. “Alright, we can do that. Just you and me enjoying some time together.” He pulls back, but his face is curious. “Just what do you think you’re missing anyway?”

“I don’t know.” She pouts up at him. “But you sometimes leave for days… we worry about you…”

“Sparky…” The stallion fails to find the right words, so he simply settles for scooping up his oldest foal into a hug much like his wife is to their youngest. “I’m sorry we have to leave sometimes… at least it’s not too often, right?”

“Right.” The white pony smiles softly, nuzzling against his chest. “I just want to spend as much time with you as possible… the foals in my class act strangely around me, for some reason, so you, mom, and Eve are…” She blinks, ducking her head sheepishly. “Never mind. I just… was hoping we could build that treehouse before Spring!”

Knowing exactly what she meant, the father sighs as he embraces her. “Sure thing, Sparky, we can get that done easily.” He decides to say one thing on what slipped out, but otherwise leave it be… for now. Some talks with his wife and the other parents might be in order later. “You know, you aren’t as alone as you think. Goldie, Ruby, Melody, even Mystic and Serene are your friends too, you know. They have probably gone through stuff like yours too.”

“Yes, but… they aren’t exactly family…” She grabs his hoof with her own, gently rubbing the soft, red fur. “I like them, but… I prefer when it’s just us four…”

Hoping her teenage years let her be a little more social as time goes on, her father smiles at her. “I understand. Don’t worry, we’ve got plenty of time to spend with both of you now.”

The filly sighs happily, resting her head against his chest and bringing his hoof to her own chest. “That’s good to hear, daddy… we can head home now, right? I just… want to take a nap with you…”

“Sure, Sparky.” He looks over to the nymph and colt. “You two ready to head home?”

Dior looks up and chuckles, lifting the colt up in her magic. “I think so.” She places Evergreen on her back, smiling back at him. “You comfy, sweetie?”

The brown colt nods, changing back to what is normal for him and curling up on her back between her wings. “Comfiest.”

“Wonderful.” She turns to Hydro and nods, playfully flicking his side with her tail. “We’re ready, Red.”

He smiles and they all start heading towards the edge of town where their home is.

As soon as the family are a couple houses down the road, the door to Silk’s Select opens. The bell above rings softly, announcing another arrival. Although she isn’t sketching, as she rifles through a few racks checking inventory, Silk calls out. “Welcome! How may I help you?”

For about a minute, there’s no response, aside from the door closing. Golden paws silently pad across the floor, sneaking up on the unsuspecting pegasus. Finally, just as the figure gets mere inches behind her…

...he embraces her, tenderly kissing along her neck. He purrs softly as he cradles her in his arms, holding her firmly yet carefully to his chest, purring softly. “Honey, I’m home.”

Giggling and cooing, Silk leans back, recognizing her husband’s particular brand of sneaking up on her. “I was wondering when you’d be home, Flick. I see you’ve gone kitty on me again.” She coos again as he kisses her neck.

“Well, this cat caught a lovely canary…” He smirks, his paws slowly roaming over her chest and belly. “I wonder if I can make her sing?” He nips her shoulder, pulling her hips back to his as he pulls her up on her hindlegs. “What do you think, Silky?”

Her wings flaring out to either side, she blushes lightly even as she smiles. “I think,” she leans back and turns her head so she can kiss him briefly, “that I am a loving wife whose husband has just returned from a long trip.” Her eyelashes flutter at him. “But my shop is still open… whatever shall I do?”

Slitted eyes watch her curiously before a wind moves through the store, locks turning and blinds closing as his smile grows wider. “Now it isn’t… and your husband is pent up from the trip…” His paw drifts down further as he licks his lips. “And I can smell your need… I’m only too happy to help you with it…”

She giggles, letting out a soft breath as she speaks. “Well, it seems I’m tempted enough to accept your offer… Just remember, we are still watching a few extra little ones. But… once we make them dinner and they go off to bed… well, I don’t know about you, but I don’t have any reason I can’t stay up late tonight.”

“Well, then…” He chuckles, slipping his paw down to caress her inner thigh. “It’s a good thing Sis soundproofed our bedroom, hmm?”

“Oh yes…” She giggles once more before locking lips with him.

“And tonight…” He glances to the clothes rack before them, smiling coyly. “We test some of your wares out.”

Stealthy Shades #40

In the basement of the Golden Oaks library in Ponyville, once merely looked over as a curiosity but now regarded with more awe in light of the ascension of one of its inhabitants to royalty, there are many things. Mostly what one would see would be books, but down in the basement is where the local Princess performs all kinds of experiments. Here, among the machinery, sits a pristine plinth, runes etched into its sides and onto the archway that goes over it. While not very notable at first among everything else, this item would arguably be called what gets the most consistent use down here.

Suddenly, the runes begin to glow with a white light. The glow gets brighter and brighter, until suddenly a flash emanates from the center of the archway. When it fades, three silhouettes stand there. The single stallion among them groans lightly as he puts a hoof to his head. “Ugh… I have no idea how anypony would get used to that…”

The indigo nymph wobbles off the raised surface, grabbing one of the machines to keep herself from falling over. Neither do I… why won’t the room stop spinning?

“Hold it together now…” says the grey mare as she slowly steps off as well. “It always wears off in a moment…” She leans against the nymph for support.

I know… but I hate the disorientation… She shakes her head, turning and tenderly nuzzling the bow-wearing pony.

Octavia weakly nuzzles back, but the action seems to steady her. “Focus on other things… like Melody for instance. She should be very happy to see us.”

That’s true. Luster smiles, quietly giggling. I hope the little ones didn’t give her and Goldie too much trouble…

“I hope the bigger ones didn’t.” Tavi laughs. “Spark may not be tiny anymore, but that filly is still a scamp when she wants to be.”

Too true… The nymph sighs, looking up at the basement stairs. Should we wait for the others, or check on Melody?

Before her wife can answer, Atom shakes his head, now stable, and steps off the platform. It immediately goes off again and two more shapes appear before he’s gone two steps. The sea-green unicorn shakes his head once before stepping off. “Well, a little dizziness, but I think you guys exaggerate too much when you complain about getting back home this way from Canterlot.”

The burgundy pegasus shakes himself, wings ruffling slightly. “I don’t think you’re the best judge of that, Volt. Surely a unicorn is better equipped to handle it.”

The electric stallion shrugs. “No idea. I just figured with you and your speed, you’d be used to suddenly being somewhere else.”

“And I am. Just needed a couple seconds.” He steps off the raised surface, glancing around curiously. “...I wonder what all of this stuff is for, anyways…”

Looking around, Volt comments idly. “Nothing too shocking. A couple of scanners, diagnostic printers, a few things that look like they’re just for tinkering… lab stuff. Trying to get your mind off all those mares you had to let go?”

“Nah, I’m content. Why do you think I’d be upset?” He looks to the unicorn, smirking slyly. “Or… are you trying to displace your feelings onto me?”

Volt shivers. “No… I mean, they were nice, but I wasn’t exactly begging them to stay when we got them all tickets back where they came from. Honestly I’m just trying to forget that awkward time…”

“Hey, it’s not like you slept with any of them…” He trails off, his playful grin faltering slightly. “...right?”

“Technically I slept with all of them… not like that!” He quickly amends himself. “Purely sleeping, nothing else. I became a pillow…”

“Why are you being so…” He pauses, trying to find the right word. “...nervous? We know you wouldn’t actually sleep with them… though that one mare was rather upset about that.”

“Yeah… she was insistent…” Before the unicorn can say anymore, the plinth lights up yet again.

This time it reveals three shapes once more, the largest of them not even shaking as he steps off. “Ah, home sweet home. Well, town home, house home in a bit.”

The navy nymph opens her mouth to respond, but is cut off by the form between them as she races off the platform, running up the stairs despite being on what should probably be shaky legs. She stares after her, and the red pony rushing to make sure she’s fine, before turning to Rhino, frowning slightly. “I can’t believe she’s still not used to that…”

“Yeah… I guess she got that from you, but worse…” He looks at the door Enigma left through, various emotions going through his head as his eyes slightly narrow.

Gel looks from the door to her husband and back, frowning a bit more. “Love, I know what you’re thinking, but you’re being silly.” She steps off the plinth, turning back and holding out her hoof to him. “He’s just making sure she’s alright.”

He takes her slightly shaking hoof, putting his side against hers. “Maybe I’m just being protective again… but I feel like there’s a reason I should be. I just don’t know why.”

“Look, we’ll discuss it with her when we can.” She sighs softly, gently nuzzling his neck. “For now, we should… should… mmm, fluffy... what was I talking about?”

“Joining us and retrieving your other foals?” Octavia offers.

“Yeah, that.” Gel hums happily, continuing to rub her muzzle against the emerald stallion.

The other changeling in the room quirks an eyebrow at this. Do we need to give you two some time alone down here?

The navy nymph squeaks, quickly pulling away and standing up straight. “N-no. Sorry, kinda got lost for a moment, there…”

Atom shrugs, flexing his wings once. “Well, we are off-duty now, do what you want. I think I’ll go wander in the general direction of my house, maybe grab a coffee on the way.”

Sounds nice. Luster smiles warmly at the other couple, gesturing to the stairs. Would you like to check on Ruby before we go pick up the little ones?

“Well of course, we aren’t going to just leave her here.” Rhino walks toward the stairs. “Do we want to just go pick up all our foals at once? We’re all going there anyway.”

“I think that’s a good plan, love.” The smaller of the nymphs rushes to catch up to her stallion, gently nuzzling his cheek. “We’ll wait in the first floor of the library, okay?”

He nods, kissing her quickly as they ascend the stairs.

“It’s okay, just let it out…” Enigma soothingly rubs the pink pony’s back, his other hoof holding her mane back as she leans over the porcelain throne. “I’m sure everyone’s gotten ill the first few times they teleported…”

Ruby whimpers softly, her ears flat against her head. “T-this is… my twelfth time teleporting…”

The stallion blinks, taking a moment for her words to sink in. “...oh.” He grimaces slightly, unsure what to say. “Well… next time I could fly you back from a mission, maybe?”

She laughs disheartedly, shaking her head. “Thanks, but we both know you’re not good at it… hay, Fluttershy is faster than you…”

He frowns softly, turning and muttering to himself. “Only by half a wingpower…” He stops as she looks at him, her eyes twinkling playfully. “...you know, you could’ve told me you were kidding.”

“But that wouldn’t be as fun.” Ruby giggles, grabbing a worn linen cloth and carefully cleaning off her muzzle.

At that moment, a young purple alicorn familiar to them both steps into the room, a look of concern etched onto her face. “Ruby? Are you alright?”

She nods, placing the wash rag on the edge of the tub. “Much better… though still a bit nauseous…”

Enigma looks to the princess, sheepishly smiling. “It was just a case of teleportation vertigo, Twilight. Thanks for the concern, though...”

“If you’re sure...” She still steps closer to help rub the young filly’s back. “Maybe you’ll get used to it more as time goes on?”

“I can only hope…” The unicorn sighs before something occurs to her. She turns to look at Twilight, brow furrowed slightly in confusion. “...Princess Sparkle? W-why do you have... excitement around you?”

The alicorn blinks, then backs up a step, giggling sheepishly. “N-No reason...why? I’m just happy you’re back, that’s all.”

The pegasus quirks an eyebrow at her, smirking slyly. “This wouldn’t have to do with a certain electrician, would it?”

“Volt has nothing to do with this!” she replies quickly. “Don’t make assumptions, Enigma!”

“You know, we both figured it out on our own.” He chuckles, nodding toward the filly. “She clearly isn’t surprised to hear this. That’s realization on her face. And you got defensive when I brought him up. Your excitement would make sense, then, because we obviously teleported here, and that increases the chances that he’s here.”

She growls lightly, facing away to hide her blush. “Just...where’s the rest of you, then? Still in the basement?”

“That’d be correct.” He smiles softly, gently resting a hoof on her back. “Don’t worry, only Ruby and I know… and we won’t tell anyone else.” He looks to the pink pony. “Will we?” She shakes her head, causing him to chuckle in response.

Twilight sighs. “Thank you...sorry for snapping at you like that for just asking questions...” She kicks the ground awkwardly. “I’ll go say hello to the others, then.” She offers a small smile, then turns to go.

“He’s really lucky.” Ruby giggles quietly. “To be with someone as great as you, I mean…”

She looks back, smiling a bit more despite her even more pronounced blush. “Th-thank you, Ruby.” She continues to the door and opens it.

Immediately on the other side is a veritable conga line of ponies, an emerald stallion and sapphire nymph leading the way. Rhino blinks at the alicorn, confused by her blush for a moment before he speaks. “Oh, hey Twilight. How’s your day been?”

“Oh, Rhino!” The alicorn steps back in surprise, looking at the line of ponies. “Um...are you all in a rush, or…?”

“I hope not.” Enigma helps Ruby up, walking over with a wing over her back. “You’d want to let the place air out a bit, first… not a pleasant smell, right now.”

The father’s eyes lock onto the two. “I see…” He walks over, his expression soft as he nuzzles the filly gently. “How are you feeling, sweetie?”

She giggles, affectionately nipping his nose. “Much better, dad… a bit hungry now, but otherwise better.”

“I’ll be heading off, now.” The pegasus nods to the taller unicorn, carefully squeezing by the large group before the door. “Vi could very well be waiting for me, after all… see you later, everyone!”

As everypony waves goodbye to the red pegasus, those who kept their eye on Rhino might have seen him relax a little more, his tail swishing, his smile more at ease.

This was the case with Ruby, who looks at her father in confusion. She quickly shakes her head, smiling softly and gesturing towards the door. “Are we getting Mystic and Serene, dad?”

He smiles widely at her, “Of course we are. Tavi and Luster are coming along as well to pick up Melody. It’ll be a nice couple of reunions.” He looks toward the door, tail swishing happily.

Atom nods. “Yeah, you guys have fun with that. I’ll see you later. Volt, want to join me for some coffee?”

The electric unicorn shakes his head. “No thanks, I’m good. I think I might actually stay here for a bit… browse for some new books.” He looks to the librarian with a small smile.

Ruby tilts her head to the side at this. “You spend a lot of time in here… you must really enjoy reading…” There’s a coy little smirk on her lips that no one besides the sea-green stallion seems to notice.

“Sure do!” He admits readily. “Of course, the same can be said of anyone of your family too.”

“He does have us there,” Rhino idly comments.

“That he does…” Gel sighs, shaking her head. “Doubt he likes the genres we do, though… he seems to be the kind to enjoy joke books…”

“There’s also science fiction and electrical engineering books too, you know.” He smirks. “I’m not all puns, no matter how much they pretty much fall from my mouth.”

Octavia gives a small giggle. “Well, perhaps there is hope for you after all.”

However little it is. Luster playfully winks at Volt and turns to the door. We should probably be going, now…

The filly looks to her, curious. “...is it because you’re missing Melody?” The nymph stumbles at this, causing the pink pony to giggle. “I thought so. I can tell dad feels the same, so you’re not alone in that, at least.”

“Yeah, but I wear mine on the outside.” The stallion chuckles. “Luster’s more like a chocolate filled with caramel.”

You, of all stallions, would definitely know that. She pauses, frowning slightly. ...I wish I could’ve worded that better. I just sounded strange.

“Yes, yes it did. Change of subject?” Her wife offers.

The indigo changeling nods, ducking her head in embarrassment. Yes please.

Octavia only grins. “Then why don’t we all bid a fond farewell to our Princess, and go get our children before you and Rhino hug them unconscious when we finally do get there?”

Brilliant plan. She turns and waves a wing to the alicorn, smiling sheepishly. Have a nice day. Tell Spike I said hello!

“What she said!” Ruby giggles, bumping the purple pony’s side teasingly before walking after her aunt.

“Agreed.” The grey mare bows her head slightly. “Good day.” She trots out after the others.

Soon the door closes, and the only ones left are the librarian and the electrician. The former looks at the latter, confused. “What did Ruby mean by that?”

Volt explains. “Luster still had the leftover mental connection from the mission. She said goodbye and to tell Spike ‘hello’. I’m actually surprised we didn’t see him while they were here.”

“Oh.” Twilight nods in understanding. “I’ll be sure to let him know, then.” She smiles, then looks away self-consciously.

Smiling, he steps forward and nuzzles her. “Away on official Canterlot business again, or is he helping Rarity?”

“Canterlot,” she answers as she returns the gesture. “Not sure what it’s about, exactly. I think he told me, but it was early in the morning, so I wasn’t really listening...” She blushes a bit.

“You are usually pretty spaced until you have your tea.” He chuckles, looking around. “So, if Spike isn’t around, and we’re alone… are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

She smiles back at him. “I think I am.”

His horn lights up, pulling a thick tome from the bottom drawer of her desk as they exclaim simultaneously. “Next chapter!”

Enigma strolls along the street, looking around carefully. “Okay, so I don’t know if we will be able to see her, today. Normally, when she’s here before me, the whole town knows.” He chuckles mirthfully, shaking his head and ignoring the odd looks passing ponies give him.

“I guess the fact she’s so well known is the reason we get to stay in the comfy bag?” replies a voice from his side, startling many of the staring ponies.

“She’s actually a little infamous.” He scratches his chin, thoughtful. “If I’m not here, she just blasts her music from our house… or her father’s music. Either way, ponies tend to stay awake.” The red pony shrugs. “I guess you could come out, but I figured you girls wanted to stay inside, where it’s comfortable, like you said. I think there’s candy somewhere in there, too… can’t remember where, though.”

A different voice calls out. “You could always come back in and we could have some eye-candy…”

He stops, biting his lip as he looks back at his saddlebag. “...that’s a tempting offer… but there’d be no one to watch the bag and make sure it’s safe.” He smiles slyly. “Once I get home, though, I’d be happy to oblige.”

“Maybe…” the first voice says, “but once we get there, we want to come out and see your place! We don’t want to live in the bag you know…”

“Of course, Miss Cotton.” He chuckles, wings flapping a few times. “I’m just a couple blocks away, anyways. Just need to get past Sugarcube Corner without being tackled by a certain party mare…”

Suddenly a sing-song voice calls out. “Oh Enigma~!”

The burgundy pegasus blinks, his irises shrinking to pinpricks. “...please tell me that was one of you girls…”

“No…” Both voices say at once.

The sound of light hoofsteps reaches the stallion’s ears just before the voice does once more. “Sorry about the call, darling, but you do have quite the trotting pace. I had to get you to stop somehow.”

Enigma sighs, turning to face the white pony behind him. “Hello, Miss Rarity. Long time no see.” He turns to the side, muttering to himself. “Not long enough, in my opinion…”

“It has been far too long hasn’t it?” The alabaster unicorn titters. “I was actually just thinking about something when you passed in front of my store, so I have a very important question to ask you.”

He levels his gaze at her, slightly miffed. “No, I’m not going to model any more mare’s clothes for you. The one time was enough, and you ogled me quite a bit.”

Rarity gives a demure blush at this. “Well… rest assured this is not about that incident. This is more of a possible friendly gesture that depends on your answer to a simple question as to your plans for an upcoming occasion.”

The pegasus quirks an eyebrow at this. “I already have a present for Pinchy’s birthday, if that’s what you’re asking. If it’s not… well, go ahead and ask, then.”

Clearing her that, she asks, “What are you going to be wearing to the Heroes’ Ball?”

He stares blankly at her, as if he didn’t hear her. “...the what now?”

She blinks. “The Heroes’ Ball… the one that the Elements and you and your…” she gives a light cough, “associates were sent invitations to? For service to Equestria?”

“We just got back from a meeting. We… haven’t exactly checked our mail, yet.” Enigma shrugs. “Thanks for letting me know about it, though. I’ll probably just wear what I have on.”

A dramatic gasp rips from her throat. “Certainly not! There is no way you can attend this exclusive event… bare!” Steeling herself, she points at him. “I shall make you something to wear, and I shall not take no for an answer!”

He blinks, staring blankly at her. “...how about iie, then?” He glances behind her, noticing the midnight-black pony approaching. “Or maybe you take care of Atom, instead? I’m sure he needs something to wear.”

The other pegasus stops in his tracks, staring at them through his shades. “I’m sorry, what?”

With her horn lighting up light blue, Rarity lets out an excited laugh. “An excellent idea! I can make something for both of you!” Turning her immaculately curled tail, she canters happily back towards her shop, dragging them with her.

Atom can only stare at E, unamused. “What did you just rope me into?”

“...apparently, we’re both getting fitted for the Heroes’ Ball.” He shrugs. “Hey, at least you’ll get to look good for Spitfire, right?”

“...What’s a Heroes’ Ball?”

“...and that’s what the Heroes’ Ball is, apparently.” He looks over the letter to the other pegasus currently being tended by the mare. “Does that make sense?”

“I… guess?” Atom holds out his wing straight as Rarity takes measurements. “It’s a little vague and frankly it sounds like one of those stuffy parties the nobility have. Does it say how long the guest list is?”

He flips to the next page, his eyes traveling across it. “Not how many, but it does say who all’s invited… yet it doesn’t mention our group specifically. Just ‘Specialized Groups’... and the Wonderbolts, apparently.”

“Oh yes, it’s all very exclusive, darling.” Rarity comments as she takes a few more measurements.

“Well, maybe it’ll be nice then. Sounds basically like all our friends, mostly.” The former guard nods to himself.

“...and the few ponies who help fund our missions.” His eyebrows suddenly shoot up. “Oh. Vi’s dad is one of them…”

Atom raises an eyebrow. “Huh… didn’t see that coming.”

“Well of course, he is one of the most important ponies in Canterlot, perhaps Equestria.” She giggles to herself gleefully before composing herself once more. “Now, what sort of style were we thinking? Tuxedo, two piece...oh there are so many options…”

Looking decidedly uncomfortable, the dark pegasus answers quickly. “Maybe something like a dress uniform?”

She stops. “Military? Well… it’s certainly not my usual… but it does sound like a fun challenge.” She brightens up once more. “I’ll do it! Now then, Enigma, your turn. Get up here please and strip down so I can get your measurements.”

He rolls his eyes and pulls his bag off, setting it on the couch, which starts to creak. “Fine… no ogling, though.”

“I promise.” Atom gets off the stage and puts his vest back on while E takes his place. “Now then, hold still for me, and tell me what you would like.”

The burgundy pony flares his wings out for her. “I honestly don’t know. I’m pretty much the worst when it comes to fashion… in fact, you know those dresses you made for that one fashion show with Hoity Toity?”

“The ones the girls and I wore to the Gala?” She looks to him curiously. “What about them?”

“Actually, I meant the ones made before those. There were photos in the paper.” He looks away, his cheeks brightening slightly. “Still better than what I could ever make. If I could say what I’d like… I’d only choose a button up shirt, for fear of causing some form of faux paux.”

She frowns for a moment, thinking. “Could I at least get you to wear a jacket and tie as well?”

He gives a small nod. “I think I would. Probably would take the jacket off if I get too warm, though.”

“At least you’ll start with it on…” she mutters quietly, setting the tape measure on his back. “Hmm… still not much muscle mass growth… are you sure you aren’t maintaining your figure on purpose?”

Enigma stares at her a moment before reaching out under her midriff with a hoof. He lifts her up easily into the air, smirking wryly. “I think I don’t need much more muscle mass, Miss Rarity.” He tickles her nose with his wing before putting her back on the floor.

Blushing, she dusts herself off and smacks him with her tail. “One does not simply pick a lady up without permission, Mister Enigma. Also, your strength is not what I questioned, as I am well aware of your muscle density. I spoke of its mass.”

He simply shrugs, brushing off her action. “I just don’t exercise that much. If I gained too much, I don’t think I’d be able to live a normal life; breaking jars, ripping doors off hinges… all without trying, you know?”

She huffs, going back to her measuring. “Perhaps Bulk Biceps can offer tips for that problem.”

Enigma huffs, his tail flicking slightly. “And have my wings shrink? No thanks. I’m happy with how I look… besides, bigger muscles wouldn’t affect how my face looks. Could you imagine a pony with a feminine face and a big stallion’s body? It just… seems off, to me.”

She hums thoughtfully. “True… Fair enough, I conceed to your point.” Whipping the tape off him, she nods. “Very well, simple as these are, they should be done by tomorrow.” Looking over him once more, she taps her chin. “I wonder if my next line should be suits for mares…”

He quirks an eyebrow at her, uneasy. “And just what is going on in that mind of yours?”

“Just some inspiration, dear. Nothing to be concerned about…” She continues looking over him and nods. “Say… I know you said you won’t model dresses, but…”

He sighs, shrugging slightly. “Sure. Go ahead and do the suits.”

She lets out a quiet squeal. “Excellent! Let me get my fabrics and we’ll get a nice prototype going!” She skips out of the room and into the next one, humming happily.

He looks to Atom, frowning softly. “I’m gonna regret this, aren’t I?”

The other pegasus nods solemnly. “Oh, yeah…”

A golden pegasus sits on the couch of the apartment, gently sipping at a cup of tea. Her eyes occasionally dart to the door, tufted ears flicking at whatever noise caught her attention. She always ends up disappointed, however, when nothing happens, and sighs softly, staring into her reflection in the chestnut-colored liquid in her cup. “Patience, Golden… you can wait…”

After another minute, a series of three knocks comes from the door. She quickly jumps up and rushes to the door. Taking a moment to smooth out her skirt - as well as grimace at the puddle her drink made on the floor - she grabs the door and opens it up, smiling sweetly. “Hello, there!”

The emerald stallion at the door blinks at her. While some might take a second glance at the fact the teenage filly has leathery wings instead of feathery ones, as somepony who had known her for her whole life, Rhino is confronted by something else. Namely, the fact that Goldie is wearing the kind of waitress outfit donned by the mares down at the maid cafe her mother used to run.

He stands there speechless for a moment. “Oh… hey Goldie. That’s a very... lovely outfit you have on there…”

“Thanks!” She giggles, turning and giving a little shake of her hips. “I got a part time job, and this is my uniform!” She faces him, a warm smile on her lips. “The new manager is a little odd, but the pay is good!”

Again, he finds it difficult to come up with words for what, to him anyway, is an odd sight on this pony. Complicating the fact is that he actually knows this particular uniform well… given that his wife used to work at the same restaurant, still has the uniform, and enjoys wearing it to tease him. “Ah… ok… well, I’m glad you’re enjoying it… I didn’t think the cafe hired 15 year olds…”

“Oh, they do. I’m just the pony who helps seat the customers.” She turns to walk inside but pauses, frowning softly. “I… I forget what they’re called…”

“Hostesses.” He answers reflexively, moving to follow her and pointedly ignoring her naturally swaying hips.

“Oh, yeah, that’s it.” She giggles, passing the puddle and giving it a frown, her nose crinkling slightly. “I should get a towel before that sets in… anyways, make yourself comfortable. Melody should be finishing her performance for Mystic and Serene, soon.”

At the subject change, his mind latches on. “Ah, good. It’ll be great to see them again. I’ve missed them.”

“They’ll be glad to hear that.” She giggles, turning back to him and freezing, eyes wide at the sight of the mare and nymphs behind him. “O-oh, um… h-hi, there?”

Tavi smiles at her. “Hello, Golden. Oh my, don’t you look precious in that.”

Gel tilts her head as the young mare runs into the kitchen area, confused. “...isn’t that the outfit from…” She looks to her husband, an eyebrow raised. “It is, isn’t it?”

He nods. “Yeah… pretty much exactly it… apparently she works there now, too.”

“I hope she knows what she’s getting into…” She frowns softly as the bat-winged pony rushes back inside, quickly working to clean the tea up.

He looks over to his wife. “Well, she’s just the hostess, so nothing too bad should happen.”

“That sounds better…” She blinks, tilting her head at the filly before raising a hoof. “Dab, don’t rub. And you really don’t have to bend so low. We don’t exactly want to see your panties.” The yellow mare squeaks and spins around, tail tucked between her legs. “If you want, I can probably take care of it…” She takes the cloth in her magic, moving forward and gingerly dabbing up the liquid.

As the mare and other nymph take their sets, Rhino resigns himself to simply stand for now. His eyes roam all over the room, though they tend to start avoiding Goldie in favor of his wife. Things are much more straightforward that way.

Seeing him avoiding looking at her, she decides to make a new plan on the spot. She gently taps his shoulder, smiling shyly. "I'm kind of embarrassed, but... c-could you possibly help me with something? I-in private, please?"

Seeing the opportunity to do something, he nods, smiling at her. "Of course, Goldie. Whatever you need."

She nods and turns away, heading to the hallway. The young mare leads him to a room and opens the door, entering the room beyond.

Rhino nuzzles his wife as he passes her. "Just going to go help Goldie with something. Won't be long, love." She nuzzles him back and he follows the young mare. The room he enters is fairly standard for a bedroom. It even has that cozy sense of comfort they usually offer.

She closes the door, sighing quietly. "Mister Nexus... R-Rhino... I just..." Golden Dawn sighs, bowing her head. "C-can you keep a secret?"

Seeing the normally happy mare acting like this, he nods, speaking quietly and kneeling down to her level. "Of course, Goldie. What's wrong?"

"N-nothing, really... I just... I..." She looks to him and, before he can react, leans forward, tenderly kissing him.

The stallion freezes up, not in the least bit expecting this. After she breaks the contact, his mouth falls open. "I.. you... what?"

"...I'm in love with you... a-and it hurts..." She turns away, silently cursing the hot tears that roll down her cheeks, the hard lump of emotion lodged in her throat. "B-because I know... I can't be with you... I-I'm sorry, Rhino..."

With a loud inward groan and a small curse at the situation, Rhino lets out a slow breath. "Ok..." He raises a hoof and sets it on her shoulder. His mind starts being extra careful as he chooses his words, trying to come off as a parent or friend, but nothing else. "Goldie... are you certain it isn't just a crush you'll be over soon? Love is a very strong word."

She sniffles, nodding her head, her voice soft as she responds. "I... I've felt it for a while, now... f-four years, to the day... I..." She shudders a bit, lifting his hoof and hugging it, as if for comfort. "I just... wanted you to have my first kiss... if nothing else..."

Well, there went that small hope that this would be easy. Ok... more information. "But... why? Why me, why not someone your own age?"

"...you don't remember, do you?" She laughs quietly, shaking her head. "Of course you don't... helping someone escape the Everfree was probably nothing special for somepony as amazing as you..."

It takes him a moment to remember the day she speaks of, if only partially. "Ah, right... you did get lost that day and we came and got you out. This is because of that?"

She nods, blushing softly. "You rescued me from that... that awful creature... carried me out on your back like a valiant knight..." She squirms slightly, wings rustling quietly. "And then... you continued being kind... being earnest... I just... I loved it..." She turns away, blushing hard enough for her face to look like a peach. "If it wasn't for that dare... none of this would've happened..."

Rhino sighs heavily, sitting down against the wall. "Oh dear..." A million different words rush through his head, but all of them either seem like they would only make her like him more, or crush her heart. "Goldie... look, you're growing up, so having these feelings appear is natural..."

She bitterly laughs, shaking her head as she climbs onto the bed. "I tried telling myself the same thing... but these feelings have never wavered... every time some colt would ask me out... every time I'd see a couple, or some famous actor..." She looks to him, tears in her eyes. "...all I could think of was you. Being near you, being embraced as I slept, being loved..." She wipes her eyes with a fetlock. "I know that it's wrong to feel this way... you're my best friend's dad, for crying out loud... but while my mind can be persuaded, my heart just..."

He chuckles grimly, shaking his head and walking over. "Yeah... the heart can easily override the mind when it wants to. Easiest way to be done with this would be to make you hate me, but neither of us want that. Have you tried talking to anypony else? even vaguely?"

"No..." She whimpers, hiding her face behind her forelegs. "I'm too embarrassed... i-it's taking so much courage to keep myself from flying out the window..."

He tries to ease the tension a little. "You want to go flying around in that outfit?"

She curls up on herself. "N-no... I don't want anyone else to see my p-panties..."

His face twitches as that plan backfired. "Right... I'm surprised you took that job at your mom's old work then."

She flinches at this. "Y-you shouldn't be... I-I don't have a job, there... n-not in the front, at least..."

He starts to worry a little, fatherly instincts rising a bit. "Surely not as a waitress?"

"A-as a dishwasher..." A purple eye peeks out at him from behind her legs. "I... I borrowed the costume from mom's store... I-I heard about how you like skirts..."

Much as he tries to fight it, he can't help but flinch at that. "And umm... how would you know something private like that?"

"Aunt Luster had a few too many, one night..." She blushes brightly, clearly struggling to keep her one visible eye on his face as memories come unbidden. "...a-are all stallions that big, Rhino?"

Clapping a hoof over his eyes in mortification, Rhino slumps to the ground. "How is fair that the mute one is the one who gave away all my secrets? Seriously?!"

She leans down, tenderly nuzzling his mane. "I-it's not all that bad... j-just those two things... and, well, Gel's love of roleplaying... then she passed out..."

He thumps his head on the ground. "You should not be hearing any of that... especially at your age."

"Maybe..." She gently lifts his head up, pecking his injured forehead. "...it's not like it's the end of the world, though... right?"

"I guess so..." He sits back up next to her bed. "There still remains the issue about what to do with you and your feelings, though..."

She sighs, resting her head over the edge. "Like I said... I know it's pointless... but I don't think they'll go away on a whim..." She closes her eyes, groaning quietly.

"Yeah..." he nods slowly, thinking of how to help her with this. "I know it's a secret, but would you mind if I brought it to the attention of a few others? One in particular comes to mind and I would like to hear their input on it."

"...a-as long as they won't... be mad at me... g-go ahead..." She flips her pillow over her back and onto her head, using it in an attempt to hide herself.

"Hey now," he lifts one corner of the pillow up, "you know know I'm not mad at all, right? There's nothing wrong with what you're feeling."

"B-but... y-you're married... a-and I'm h-half your age, and..." She bites her lip, whimpering softly. "...t-that just makes it... more desirable..."

"I meant more the fact that you are having feelings like this at all and are still keeping your head about it..." He gently starts stroking her mane to try and keep her calm. "What do you mean by that last part, though?"

"I... I kinda..." She blushes brightly, even the tips of her ears turning pink. "I've i-imagined... w-what it'd be like to... y-you know..." She taps her forehooves together as if in demonstration, hoping she wouldn't have to say it.

He grimaces, a small blush coming to his own face. "Oh goody... it's not just personality, it's physical attraction too..."

"Blame Aunt Luster... and the time I, uh..." She clears her throat awkwardly, turning her head away. "...h-heard you and Gel, once... y-you should really make sure your bedroom door is closed..."

His face thunks into the bed. "Oh great... first Ruby, now you, and both of you are awkward around me now, if for completely different reasons." He groans loudly.

"...s-sorry, Rhino..." She whimpers softly, ears flat to her head. "I... I ramble, when I'm nervous..."

His ears flick in her direction as he hears her whines. "Hey, come on now, this is a strange situation for all involved. I don't want you to cry anymore, ok? We'll figure out what to do... it just may take a bit."

"I hope so..." She covers her head with the pillow once more, body trembling from a mix of embarrassment and anxiety.

"Ok then..." He takes a deep breath, trying to settle his mind. "So, do you want me to stay in here with you until you calm down enough for us both to go back out there?"

"I'll just... s-stay in here, thank you... y-you can go ahead... I know you want to see your twins quite a bit..." Her tail flicks slightly. "I'll just... c-change out of this... m-maybe sneak it back before mom notices it's gone..."

He tilts his head. "Are you sure?"

She nods and tries to respond, but now her voice is muffled by the pillow.

He cleans closer, still worried if she's ok. "What was that, Goldie?"

She lifts up the pillow and leans close, gently touching noses with him before stopping herself. "...I-I'll be fine... t-thanks for the concern, though..." She turns and throws the quilt on the bed over her whole body, hoping to avoid his gaze.

The stallion stands up, looking down at the bed with a slight frown before breathing deeply once again. He moves to the door, shooting back one last glance before opening it, leaving through it, and shutting it behind him.

Once the door is closed, the filly lets out a shuddering breath, her wings suddenly flaring up and tenting the cover. "...t-that was too close... I-I almost lost it..."

Equus Tactics #47

Along the outskirts of Ponyville, four figures move towards a farm a short distance away; two are walking, while the others seem content to ride on the backs of the first two. In the lead is a particular orange earth pony mare; directly behind her, looking much straighter ahead than necessary, is a certain royal blue unicorn stallion. In front of him, on top of the leading mare, a silver fox is smirking.

It’s clearly taking all of the vulpine’s control not to make an openly witty remark. Instead, he gestures to the grove, smiling slyly. ‘Nice view, huh, Win?’

“The nicest,” the stallion replies almost absently, his face a shade of red that matches the apples growing on the trees in said grove.

Mercury laughs, waving in an attempt to the get the stallion’s attention. ‘You didn’t even look at the trees!’

“Trees are nice too,” Winter responds, voice low enough that Applejack wouldn’t hear him. He winces and stops walking, rubbing his forehead around the base of his horn. “Ow, ow, ow...”

Hearing the lack of steps behind her, Applejack looks back. Seeing the stallion rubbing his head, she furrows her brow and walks toward him. “Somethin’ the matter?”

He blinks, noticing her looking at him. “Uh...j-just a headache...well, horn-ache...” The stallion swallows nervously. “P-Probably just some delayed effect from when Alpha grabbed it during our fight.” He silently hopes that she doesn’t know enough about unicorn biology to suspect a different reason.

The fox looks at him funny, trying to hide a smirk. ‘You were hit with the healing blade right after that, Win.’

She walks closer, getting right in front of him and taking a look around his horn. “Hmm… don’t see swellin’ or anythin’...” She suddenly leans forward and gives him a peck just below the skull protrusion. “There we go. That’s the only home-remedy Ah have on hoof. Let me know if it still hurts once we get to the house, alright?” She gives him a smile before turning back around and starting to walk slowly back the way they were heading.

The unicorn has frozen completely, his face even more red than before. He slowly reaches up and touches where she kissed him, unsure how to feel or react. Finally, he continues walking along slowly, wondering if she did what she did on purpose.

‘Win, you might want to calm down.’ Mercury points at his friend’s face with a paw. ‘You look like… well, that guy.’ He indicates the stallion exiting the barn.

Winter glances at the stallion in question and cringes, recognizing him. “Oh boy...” He takes a deep breath. “Er...AJ, how about you go say hello?”

“Heh, don’t have ta ask me twice.” She gallops forward, shouting all the while. “Big Macintosh, hey!”

The large red stallion turns at the sound of a familiar voice, his normally stoic expression erupting into a large smile at the sight of his sister. As soon as she gets close, he wraps a foreleg around her and pulls her into a hug.

She returns it with just as much gusto. “Aww, Ah missed ya too, big brother!”

He nuzzles her happily, his actions speaking louder than words. He glances at Mercury, then Winter, then back to Applejack and notices the bruises and scrapes along her body. He frowns. “What happened?”

The fox speaks up, holding up a paw to the large stallion. ‘Would you believe… abusive doberman diamond dog slaver?’

“Merc, he can’t understand you,” Winter reminds as he walks up. “Besides, I doubt he’d believe that story even with the context from anypony but his sister. And even then, it’d be a stretch.” He stops once he’s a couple feet away, not wanting to get too close. He waves from this short distance, and the large earth pony just looks back with the same frown before turning to Applejack, expecting an answer.

She smiles knowingly at him. “Well, let’s just say the trouble Braeburn was havin’ over in Appleoosa was more than we thought. It actually took Win’s group,” she motions to him with her head, “coming and savin’ our flanks for things to finally get sorted out.”

The large stallion looks over at the unicorn again, then back to his sister. “C’mon in an’ say hi to yer sis and granny, Applejack,” he says calmly. “Ah’m sure they’ve missed ya as much as Ah have.” As he starts leading the way inside, he looks back with the faintest hint of a smile. “An’ bring yer friend in too.”

‘I’m gonna assume he means you.’ Mercury smiles at the cobalt pony, tails flicking behind him. ‘I’m coming in, either way. No way am I leaving my perch!’ He pats the pony he sits upon, happily barking.

“Good,” Winter replies. “I would’ve brought you in anyway...just in case Big Mac changes his mind and I need a quick freezudo.”

Applejack walks next to Winter and starts guiding him in. “Not a bad idea. Wouldn’t work though.”

“Oh, I know it wouldn’t work on him,” the unicorn says. “I meant for me. Then at least I wouldn’t feel anything when I die.” The farmer mare only giggles as she half walks half pushes him into the house.

The fox pats his shoulder reassuringly. ‘I’m sure this guy’s a nice pony. Just don’t critique his food… speaking of, when can I get that pie?’

The answer is a rumbling stomach, Winter suddenly being reminded of his own hunger. AJ just laughs more as they enter the door. “Don’t worry, we can definitely fix that.”

There’s the clatter of hooves across a floor and then a yellow filly runs out of the hallway, barrelling straight into the orange mare and nearly knocking Mercury off her back. “You’re home!”

Laughing happily, the orange mare hugs her little sister. “Well hey there Apple Bloom! Feels like I haven’t seen ya in a week!”

She pouts at her. “It sure feels like it… why did it take ya so long t’ return? What happened in Appleloosa?”

Applejack cringes. “Well, that’s a bit of a story. Where’s Granny? Ah’d like to tell ya’ll all at once.”

“Yeah, it’s a long story,” Winter agrees as Big Macintosh heads off to find the elderly Apple. “And...one we might have to be a little vague on at certain points.”

Mercury sighs, muttering to himself. ‘Wouldn’t want Apple Bloom getting nightmares, would we?’

The filly sighs and sits on the couch, avoiding the pillow covering the broken spring. “Fine.”

Big Macintosh walks back into the room after not too long a wait, Granny Smith following along at a slower pace. Seeing her oldest granddaughter, the matron Apple smiles, walking over and hugging her as each other family member had. “Applejack, good to have you home.”

Gingerly returning the embrace, the farm mare responds. “Good ta be home, Granny, and ya’ll will be happy ta know that Braeburn’s issue over in Appleloosa has been taken care of. They just might need a bit of time ta get the town back into shape.”

As she steps back and heads to sit in her rocking chair, Granny Smith nods sagely. “Well, good. Didn’t really think whatever it was would hurt the town that bad though. What was it anyhow?”

Winter steps forward, sensing that to be his cue. “There were a pack of diamond dogs nearby that began capturing slaves to dig in their mines. They had a...” He pauses briefly. “...unique sort of weapon that made them much tougher than you’d expect from a diamond dog pack. They ended up taking the whole town, and just as a warning to keep the royal guard away, burned it after clearing it out.”

Granny narrows her eyes. “Ah take it they won’t be botherin’ nopony no more?”

“All the ones that were truly a problem have been dealt with. Some were only following their Alpha out of fear, and so we’ve let them go under a more benevolent leader. The weapon has already been...confiscated.”

“I don’t understand.” Apple Bloom frowns softly. “What kind of weapon can do that?”

At that moment, the filly on Winter’s back rolls over, falling onto the floor and waking upon impact. She blinks, staring up at the ceiling for a moment in confusion. “...where am I?”

Winter laughs a bit, kneeling down to nuzzle the filly. “You fell asleep, Ash. We’re at Sweet Apple Acres now.”

She sits up, using his muzzle to help her keep her balance. “I don’t know what that is.” She sniffs the air, looking towards the kitchen. “I smell something delicious. What is that?”

Granny Smith smiles at the young pony, always happy to see young ones in her home. “That would be mah apple strudel cookin’ in the kitchen. Should be done by now, just keeping it warm on the oven.”

The green filly carefully stands, looking at the doorway longingly. “Can… can I have some?”

“Well of course you can. Everypony can have some!” The elder mare gets out of her chair, trotting into the kitchen. “It’s a little early for ‘soup’s on’ but I think we could all use a good meal. Some of us more than others.” The filly quickly follows her, stumbling slightly in her excitement.

Apple Bloom stares at the stranger as she disappears from view, confused. “Uh… who the hay was that?”

“That was Ash,” Winter replies. “She’s my...er, I’m her guardian now.” He rubs the back of his neck. “She was...one of the slaves taken by the diamond dogs. Her parents disappeared, so...I offered to take care of her.”

Mercury gives him a bemused stare. ‘The truth’s gonna come out, eventually. If you hide it too long, they might not trust you later.’

“I’ll tell them at a better time. I promise.” Winter speaks quietly so only the kitsune can hear him.

“Ya mean… her parents are gone?” Apple Bloom speaks quietly, ears and bow dipping with her emotions.

He nods sadly. “Yeah...”

In the silence that follows, Mercury takes the opportunity to look from one Apple to the others. His voice low, he looks to his friend. ‘Is it me, or… did the mood just drop, Win?’

“I think it did...” He rubs the back of his neck. “But, um...y-yeah. The slaves have been freed, and Appleloosa is on the road to repair. Everything’s going back to normal.” He smiles awkwardly, trying to dissuade the sad mood.

As they all stand around, Granny Smith pokes her head in. “Hey, are any of you coming to share this strudel with the youngin and I? If you ain’t, we’re keeping it all to ourselves!” She cackles as she goes back into the kitchen.

They all stare at the doorway before a pillow to the face catches Winter’s attention. The fox points to the kitchen, smiling warmly. ‘Strudel now, angst later?’

“Best idea I’ve heard all day.” The stallion smiles and looks at Applejack, nodding towards the kitchen. “Shall we?”

She nods, picking Apple Bloom up and setting her on her brother’s back. “Getalong Big Mac, there’s grub to eat!”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh says, trotting into the kitchen with his youngest sister on his back. The others follow along behind him, the sad atmosphere forgotten.

“So what was it like?”

Ash blinks, looking to the other filly in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“You know,” she kicks the ball between them, bouncing it towards the other earth pony, “where you were from. Your hometown?” Big Mac, who had been simply watching them play with a calm expression, raises an eyebrow at this question and listens for Ash’s response, curious.

“Not much to tell.” The green filly stops the ball with a hoof, staring at it for a second. “It was a forest. We had a monarch. I was sent here less than a year ago with a number of others.”

“Wait, what?” Apple Bloom frowns, confused. “You were sent here? So, what, ya aren’t from Equestria?”

“No, I’m not.” She nudges the ball with her nose, watching it roll towards the stallion in the room. “I’d tell you where, but I don’t think you’d believe me.”

The large red earth pony gives a shrug and gives the ball a push, sending it to his youngest sister before turning back to Ash. “We’ve already believed some weird things, ya know.”

“Alright, then.” She waits for the ball to be pushed back to her before smacking it with a hoof, sending it bouncing in a zigzag pattern towards Big Mac. “I’m from a different world.”

The stallion nonchalantly stops the ball with a hoof, but his facial expression betrays his calm action with a look of major surprise; well, ‘major’ for him. He glances at Apple Bloom to see her reaction.

The filly simply stares, brow furrowed as she takes this information in. After a few seconds she raises an eyebrow, shaking her head. “Ah don’t believe you. Surely beings from other planets don’t look like us, right?”

“I had a feeling one of you would s-” Ash stops, blinking as she turns to the yellow pony. “...what kind of logic is that? There’s no rule saying anything like that. Besides,” she rolls a hoof, “this planet is filled with a large diversity of sentient beings. Chances are at least one of them will match the others.” She watches the bow-wearing filly hold her head. “...too much?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac says with the slightest hint of a sigh. He rolls the ball to Apple Bloom in an effort to distract her from thinking.

She jumps as the rubber sphere bounces off her leg, glancing at the stallion in confusion before looking to the filly once more. “Okay, so… ya aren’t from our world. But why are ya here?”

“It’s a long story,” the dark blue unicorn suddenly interjects from the couch. “One that probably shouldn’t be talked about publicly for a while.” He seems to direct that comment at Ash herself, but he doesn’t seem angry so much as concerned.

She nods and turns to the siblings, catching the ball and bouncing it back. “So… what’s farm life like?”

Winter sighs in relief, idly petting Mercury as he looks to the orange earth pony sitting beside him on the sofa. “Your sister’s a curious one, huh?” He chuckles.

Applejack smiles softly at the two fillies. “Always has been, especially now that she’s at that age where she can get her cutie mark. She tries to learn everythin’ she can about everythin’.”

“Right...cutie marks...” The unicorn’s smile falls as he looks at the young green filly, taking note of her blank flank.

‘It’s a fact, Win, that mamodos can’t get cutie marks.’ The fox on his back speaks up, patting his shoulder calmly. ‘Sorry.’

“It’s not your fault.” Winter sighs, looking down at the floor. “If it’s not bad enough that she won’t ever find a special talent, now she’ll just seem weirder and weirder as time goes on, being the only pony without a cutie mark as she gets older...like that’s gonna help her start a ‘normal’ life.”

‘Hey, if that mare from the other team can do it,’ he chuckles, shaking his head, ‘why can’t Ash?’

The unicorn manages a smile at that. “Fair point...” His smile becomes a smirk. “Also, you know that’s a guy, right?”

He blinks, staring at the stallion in horror. ‘No. No I did not.’ Mercury shudders. ‘Now I’m gonna have nightmares...’

“...why?” Winter raises an eyebrow.

‘None of your business.’ He rubs his eyes, groaning softly.

“Good, because now I don’t think I want to know.” He glances at Applejack, remembering she’s there, and chuckles sheepishly. “Sorry for the one-sided conversation going on here.”

She raises her head from the pillow she had lain it on while watching the little ones. “Don’t worry about it, sugarcube. Ya’ll got a lot to think about with yer new responsibility.”

“Yeah. Shame I’m not that good at thinking about things in general, or this’d be a lot easier.” He smirks as he lies his head on another pillow, but maintains eye contact. “The only experience I have with little fillies her age is back when I was one.” His eyes widen. “I-I mean a colt!”

‘Smooth.’ Mercury chuckles, shaking his head. ‘I’m sure she knew what you meant, Win.’

“Doesn’t mean she couldn’t hold it over my head for weeks,” the unicorn mutters. “You and the others taught me that.”

‘Do you really think she’s like that?’ A pause, then the stallion sighs and shakes his head.

“You two really do talk to each other a lot,” AJ comments.

Winter’s face reddens a bit, and he looks almost guilty. “S-Sorry, Applejack. Trust me, it’s awkward for me too.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Which part? Sitting there talking to a fox when everypony else is right next to you? Or just how good of a conversationalist he is?”

“Little column A, little column B.” He sighs. “Let me guess. You think I’m crazy. And not fun crazy; I mean needs-a-straight-jacket-crazy.”

Rolling her eyes, she pushes him lightly, which is to say almost off the couch. “Ah thought we went over this before about me not havin’ a problem with you chattin’ with yer furry friend.”

‘I’ll have you know I’m more fluffy than furry.’ He chuckles, slowly climbing up onto Winter’s head. ‘I told you she’s a keeper, didn’t I?’

“Fair point,” Winter says, allowing a smile as he regains his balance as he tries to ignore Mercury’s comment. Thankfully, no response is required, as at that moment another canine rushes into the room, barking up at the kitsune atop the unicorn’s head.

Mercury jumps at the sound and leaps off his friend’s head, eyes wide. ‘Not another one!’ He runs into the kitchen, scared stiff and hoping there’s a way out. The brown dog chases him in, a look of utter joy on her features.

Shaking her head, the farmer calls out. “Winona! Don’t be too hard on him! He’s a friend, not a varmint!”

Rubbing his ear to clear the slight ringing from the loud barking, the unicorn looks to Applejack with slight confusion. “What’d you say to me?”

“Winona,” she says, “is our dog’s name. Sorry, Win.”

“Oh.” He rubs his neck. “Sorry. All I heard was the first syllable.” At this point, Mercury runs back through the room, tail bristling. He jumps onto the couch, leaps over the two ponies sitting there, and then dives out the open window. He is quickly followed by the brown dog, who stops for just a second to lick the farmer on the face before jumping out the window as well, using Winter’s back as a springboard. “...I think he’ll be fine.”

The fox bolts down the dirt road, panting heavily as he tries to evade the other dog. He takes a sharp turn to the right and hurries off away from town, weaving through the trees. After a few minutes, he stops by what appears to be a small house. He stares at it as he tries to collect his wits, eyes slightly unfocused from the sudden run. ‘What is… this place?’

Before he could even formulate a theory, he suddenly gets tackled by a brown and white blur, rolling over in the grass until coming to a sudden stop underneath a rather happy-looking dog. Winona smiles down at him excitedly. ‘Hello!’

He blinks, staring up at her in confusion and a bit of trepidation. ‘Uh… hi?’

She gives him a lick on the cheek, then hops off. ‘You’re it!’ With a happy bark, she starts running around the odd little house.

Mercury can only watch, too stunned to do anything else. ‘I’m… it?’

Winona makes almost three whole laps around before stopping, realizing the kitsune is still standing there. She tilts her head, but keeps the smile. ‘Come on, it’s your turn to chase me!’

‘You mean… we’re playing a game?’ He slowly walks forward, curious. ‘Is that right?’

‘Yup!’ She bounces back and forth excitedly. ‘Come on, it’s fun!’

‘Well...’ He leaps forward, tapping her nose with a paw before jumping onto the railing around the house. ‘If you insist, Miss Apple.’

She grins and jumps up, attempting to come after him. ‘Just call me Winona.’

He waits until she’s almost upon him and jumps once more, landing on the roof. ‘Well, Winona, I’m Mercury, but you can call me Merc.’

The brown dog attempts to leap up after him, but falls short and lands on the ground instead before getting ready to try again. ‘Merc, huh? That’s a nice name. Like a mercenary!’

He looks down at her, tilting his head to one side thoughtfully. ‘I never thought of that, actually.’ He drops onto the railing on the other side and leaps into the building through a window, chuckling brightly.

Winona blinks, then bounces in as well. ‘Merc, we’re not allowed in here! Apple Bloom gets mad when she finds me in her clubhouse!’

‘Then we should enjoy our time here, while we can.’ He smirks down at her from his place atop an empty bookshelf.

She puts on an exaggerated frown, pouting. ‘Meeeeeeerc...I can’t jump that high...’

‘You know, you can be cute when you want to be.’ He rolls his eyes, dropping down to a table and then bouncing off onto her, rolling around for a bit before pinning her down like she had him.

She giggles, suddenly licking his nose. ‘Tag.’

Mercury smirks, leaning down to touch noses with her. ‘You know, maybe I should come here more often...’

‘Maybe you should,’ she agrees with a smile. ‘Or you could show me where your place is, and I could come visit you sometimes instead. After all, it’s a bit of a trek out here, and those frail legs of yours don’t look like they could manage that sort of a walk too often.’ She smirks.

He blinks, staring down at her, mildly offended. ‘Frail legs?’ He bats at her nose with a paw. ‘I’m stronger than you think, Winona.’

‘I know you are, silly. I just wanted to see how you’d react.’ She sticks her tongue out playfully.

He licks her cheek, huffing playfully. ‘Well, then… well played.’ He gets off of her, looking up at the lamp above them. His gaze drops below them to a target-like symbol below the other canine. ‘...I wonder what that’s for.’

She shrugs. ‘Apple Bloom never lets me in long enough to find out.’ Utilizing the distraction, she flips over so she has him pinned instead of the other way around, grinning. ‘Gotcha!’

Mercury raises an eyebrow at her. ‘You sure?’ His twin tails curl up around his sides, brushing along her belly with their fluffy tips.

She yelps and starts giggling, losing her grip easily and flopping over onto her back. ‘S-Stop!’

He rolls over on top of her, nuzzling her neck as he continues to tickle her. ‘Only if you concede victory.’

‘N-Never!’ She struggles vainly, attempting to squirm away from him, only to find it to be futile. ‘O-Okay! You win!’

‘Good.’ He licks her nose and pulls away, sitting down before her. ‘That wasn’t so bad, was it?’

She pouts, sitting up. ‘I wanted to win...’

‘Hey, cheer up.’ The fox nuzzles the canine’s cheek, smiling warmly. ‘Maybe you’ll win next time. Either way, I’m looking forward to it.’

‘You are?’ She smiles; not the excited smile she had been wearing most of the day, but a more controlled, warm smile.

‘Yep!’ He chuckles, nodding towards the door. ‘Should we head back, now? Or maybe we should explore this place a bit?’

She rubs her chin. ‘Apple Bloom might get mad if she finds us here...we should leave.’ She smirks. ‘Though...I don’t know if I want to go back just yet...’

‘Then what shall we do, Winona?’ He turns and jumps onto the window frame.

‘Well, as I suggested before...why don’t you show me your place?’ She hops up to join him.

He taps his chin, thoughtful. ‘I would… but I’d need to make sure Win’s alright with that.’

‘Then go ask?’ she suggests hopefully. ‘I can wait for you outside!’

‘Sounds good!’ He grins and leaps down into the grass, running as soon as he hits the ground. She follows along, grinning all the while.

The first room beyond the front door is a cozy, if sparsely decorated, living room. A large couch against the wall faces a coffee table barren of any actual coffee or other ornaments, and a couple of paintings hang from the walls. Aside from this, the living room seems more of just an intersection branching off to other rooms; there’s a doorway to the left, an actual door to the right, and two sets of stairs in the back going in opposite vertical directions.

‘Well,’ the silver fox starts, looking to his new friend, ‘this is our home. What do you think?’

Winona smiles. ‘I like it...though I expected a bit more furnishing, if I’m being honest.’ She walks over to the wall, looking up at the paintings with interest.

‘It’s a bit bare, I’ll admit.’ He shrugs and heads through the doorway. ‘But it’s only been the two of us, for a while. Before that, it was just Win.’

‘Well, that explains the lone couch,’ the brown canine says with a smirk. As she follows Mercury through the doorway, she finds herself in a rather ordinary-looking kitchen; the only abnormal part of it is the lack of real cooking utensils, despite the presence of an oven. ‘...doesn’t explain this, though.’

‘He’s not much of a cook.’ He raps against the oven door. ‘Mint condition, see?’

She giggles. ‘You must get tired of no hot food.’

‘Nah, he orders in.’ Mercury leaps up onto a chair, then to the counter, where he opens up a jar. Grabbing a couple cookies out, he tosses one to the dog below. ‘He has a fair amount of income, I think...’

Catching it in her mouth, she bites down and chews until the cookie has been devoured, licking her lips. ‘What kind of job could support ordering in so often?’

‘Mercenary work, I think?’ He jumps down next to her, chewing on his own treat and speaking with his mouth full. ‘Though I’m sure what we do is slightly different from that...’

‘Well, if you can’t explain it, guess we’ll find out later instead.’ She giggles and brushes up against him. ‘So what’s next?’

‘The other side, of course.’ He heads back into the living room, nudging the door open with his nose as he steps inside. The room within looks almost like a replica of Winter’s office back at the Tactics team’s base, but a smaller size and noticeably messier all around. ‘Be careful in here. Win has this place set up with organized chaos… at least, that’s what he claims.’

‘Looks like just a big mess to me.’ Winona leans in to examine a lopsided stack of books, only to yelp as the stack picks that time to fall over right on top of her, burying her beneath the tomes. ‘H-Help!’

Mercury quickly yet carefully pulls them off of her, nuzzling her cheek once they’re stacked off to the side. ‘You’re not hurt, are you?’

She sighs in relief, nuzzling back. ‘N-No...thanks for getting me out of there.’ She sighs. ‘Does Winter know how dangerous this place is?’

‘Probably.’ He shrugs, sitting next to her, curiously looking around. ‘Honestly, we hardly ever go in here, compared to his real office...’

‘Explains the mess...’ She grumbles a bit, running her paw along a bookshelf and leaving a clean trail in the dust. ‘I guess I wasn’t expecting such a cluttered and messy room after those other two.’

‘Well, we could always go to the basement.’ He smirks coyly at her. ‘That is, if you aren’t afraid of the dark...’

She smirks back, flicking her tail. ‘Not a bit.’

‘Then follow me.’ He walks back out of the home office, moving down the stairs. He looks back every once in a while, making sure that she’s following him.

Aside from getting distracted by the paintings on the walls of the living room again, she follows him without stopping. As they descend the stairs, she speaks up. ‘What’s with those paintings back there? And...what, exactly, is down here?’

‘I have no idea about the paintings. And it’s actually my first time down here.’ He stops at the bottom of the stairs, looking at the small windows to the outside. ‘...it’s not as dark as I thought it’d be.’

‘Hm...’ She glances around, then at him. ‘...are you scared?’

‘Not really. I’ve been in darker places.’ He steps even further into the basement, his tail flicking over the tip of her nose. ‘Come on, now. Maybe we can find something cool.’

She steps up beside him, pressing against his body. ‘Like what? What sort of cool thing would he keep down here?’

‘I don’t know.’ Mercury chuckles, bumping her side playfully. ‘That’s part of the fun, Winona.’

‘What if we find a dead body down here?’ she asks, though not fearfully. ‘Or some sort of mad science lab? Or a crazy torture chamber? Or a mad science torture chamber full of dead bodies?’

He stops, staring at her with a blank expression. ‘...where in the world did you get that idea from? Win’s not that kind of guy… okay, maybe the lab, but not a mad scientist one!’

‘I don’t know, but it’d be fun!’ She grins, bounding ahead of him. ‘Let’s go find those bodies!’

He rolls his eyes, quickly chasing after her around a few empty cardboard boxes. ‘Like I said, I doubt there’d be any bodies, Winona!’

‘That’s what Winter would want us to think!’ she yells back, barreling right through a stack of empty boxes and disappearing from Mercury’s view, going quiet.

‘Winona?’ He looks around, finding a small table and jumping on top. He walks over to the side closest to where she went and leans over, concerned. ‘Winona, are you-’

He gets cut off by a loud shriek that seems to be coming from across the large room. Scared for his friend, he leaps over the fallen boxes and starts tossing them left and right, trying to find her. However, out of nowhere, he gets tackled to the floor by a ball of brown and white that he can barely recognize in the darkness.

‘Gotcha!’ the dog proclaimed with a grin, licking his cheek.

He whines up at her, his ears pinning back against his head. ‘Winona... I was really concerned about you...’

Her grin becomes a frown, and she nuzzles him. ‘Sorry...I just thought it’d be funny...’

He flips them over, smiling as he looks down at her. ‘That said… you almost got me, that time.’ He chuckles and licks her cheek.

‘Almost?’ She smirks. ‘I think I got you good.’

‘And yet I’m the one on top.’ He sticks his tongue out at her.

‘Fiiiiine...’ she whines, letting her body relax. She blinks as she notices something. ‘Huh? What’s that?’

‘I’m not gonna fall for that.’ He huffs, nuzzling her neck playfully. ‘Not for a third time.’

‘Merc, I’m being serious,’ she retorts, trying to get out from under him. ‘Something fell out of one of those boxes I ran through.’

‘What, really?’ The kitsune gets off her, looking where she is. ‘Where?’

The dog stands up and walks over to the collapsed pile of boxes, nudging some of them out of the way before grabbing onto a small black case with her teeth and dragging it forward, making it easier for Mercury to see. ‘Here.’

He blinks, staring at it in confusion. ‘...what is that?’

She pokes at it and turns it over once or twice. ‘Whatever it is, it looks like it’s supposed to open, but it’s locked.’ She spins it around, revealing a four-digit combination lock on the side.

Mercury paws at it, spinning one of the digits a bit. ‘Maybe we should ask him when he comes home?’

‘If he’s keeping it a secret from even you, I don’t think he’ll tell us. There’s nothing else down here that I can see aside from broken junk, and this looks almost brand new, so I don’t think he just tossed it down here because of a lack of space elsewhere in the house.’ She frowns, spinning another one of the digits. ‘Any clue what the code could be?’

‘No, I don’t.’ He sighs, shaking his head. ‘If it’s such a big secret, should we even be messing with it?’

‘I guess not...’ She sighs, pushing it away slightly as she lies down. ‘But now I’m curious...’

‘We can always come back later, if you really have to know.’ He shrugs, nodding towards the doorway. ‘For now, let’s head back upstairs. Win should be back soon.’

Winona sighs again and stands up, shaking the dust off herself. ‘Alright.’ Nudging the case back to roughly where it fell out of the box, she leads the way to the open door. ‘Promise me you’ll ask him, though? It’s worth a try...’

‘I promise I will.’ He chuckles, gently licking her cheek. ‘Don’t you worry one bit, okay?’

She giggles. ‘I wasn’t worrying.’ She licks him back as the two of them make their way up the staircase and into the living room once more.

Stealthy Shades #41

The emerald stallion enters back into his friends living room to see a sight that easily brings warmth and calm to his troubled mind. Simply put, in front of him sits his family. His wife lays down on her stomach, a smile on her face that matches his own. Their eldest daughter, Ruby, stands beside her, scratching the scalp of one of her siblings as the young colt closes his eyes and enjoys the attention. Both of the younger ponies, twins actually, stand on either side of their mother, nuzzling her affectionately even as they finish off small ice-cream cones. Such a sight as this is one Rhino would treasure forever, and many more like it.

The navy nymph's eyes slowly open, and she giggles softly at her husband. Now what are you just standing there for, love?

He chuckles just loud enough for two small sets of ears to perk up. Didn't want to spoil the moment.

I think the little ones would prefer you to join us. She smirks softly as the young ponies turn to look at him. That, or they'll take the cuddling to you... either way, you know how they love their father...

Rhino barely has time to sit down and open his forelegs before the two eight year olds impact his chest simultaneously. He wraps them both up in an embrace, nuzzling them lovingly as the little green colt who looks almost exactly like his father speaks up. "We missed you, Dad!"

He only smiles, kissing them both on the forehead. "I missed you both too." He gives them a playful smile. "You didn't go and get your cutie marks while I was gone, right?"

The aqua blue filly shakes her head, her blue and pink mane sticking up slightly from the action. When she speaks, her voice is soft and clearly childish, and there's a small smile on her lips. "No, Daddy. Myst has been trying, though."

"Oh? Rhino turns to his only son, ruffling the mane that has it's colors switched from his own black and blue to blue and black. "And what exactly have you been trying, mister Mystic Nexus?"

The colt smiles, revealing a few fangs in his mouth, courtesy of his partially changeling genetics. "We were just playing with the Cutie Mark Crusaders again. They were trying puppetry!" His ears fold down sheepishly as he nuzzles his dad. "None of us were very good though... well, Serene sort of was, but she was doing it her way."

"The puppets were... creepy." She bows her head, her little wings fluttering softly. "I like my own better..."

Rhino just chuckles again at the feeling of his daughter's translucent wings tickling his fur. "There's nothing wrong with putting your own spin on something. You know how much we all love your little shadow puppets when we read." He looks to Ruby and Gel for confirmation.

They both nod, the young mare giggling softly. "I really liked it when you made those little rabbits from that one story."

"See?" He nuzzles her gently. "If you keep figuring out what you like, you'll find what your talent is in no time."

"But Dad... I want to do whatever Myst does..." She pouts cutely. "He isn't good at shadow puppets..."

Her twin pouts as well, giving their father the full blast of cute. "I try, I really do, but I can't do anything with shadows like she can..."

Ruby frowns softly, but quickly recovers with a short laugh. "But what about your own skills, Myst? Surely you've found one in your spare time?"

The colt shrugs. "I dunno, I usually do stuff with Serene. The only time I don't is when she and Mom are doing their flying stuff while you and Dad show me magic. I mean, magic is really cool, and I like it, but..." he looks to his twin. "Serene only has levitation so that can't be it..."

She smiles and gently nuzzles him, drawing an 'aww' from their older sister. Gel, meanwhile, looks to her husband, an eyebrow raised. Love... how likely is it for them to get the same cutie mark?

I'm going to say virtually impossible. He shifts the twins to one forelegs as he gets up and walks over to her and Ruby. Ponies may have the same marks, but they mean different things. Still, they're usually completely unrelated. The closest thing I know of is twins having similar cutie marks in different aspects of a talent...

...and I'm gonna take the risk to say that it's even more unlikely? She gently kisses him, smiling softly to hide her anxiety.

Smiling as the twins giggle at their affection, he responds. Not exactly, I mean family members tend to have similar interests. Look at the Apple family to see that. We just need to keep an eye out for what grabs them... individually.

I suppose that's the best option... She shrugs and looks to her son, blinking slightly. "...Mystic, sweetie, you have a bit of ice cream on your nose."

"Huh?" He crosses his eyes, seeing a bit of vanilla on his muzzle. Sticking his tongue out, the colt leans his head back as he tries to lick it off. His attempts are less than successful as he grunts, squirming as he tries and fails to get it.

Serene giggles quietly and leans over, licking the vanilla off. "Got it." She turns to her family and pauses, tilting her head to one side. "...I still think I prefer chocolate."

Rhino laughs, hugging both of them tighter to him. "Oh, I swear, all of you little ones can't help but be adorable... even your big sister who sometimes says she's too big for it." He gives Ruby a wink.

She pouts, putting her glass of milk on the counter. "When have I ever said that? I like it when you call me cute..." She giggles, her tail swishing softly behind her. "It gives me such a warm, tingly sensation..."

He smiles, raising an eyebrow. "Even in front of your friends?"

"...maybe not. But I still enjoy it, regardless." Ruby nervously laughs, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Hmm..." Rhino leans down between his two youngest foals. "You two want to do something fun to your sister before we head home?"

They look to him, curious, though the aqua filly speaks for them, albeit in a hushed tone like her father. "What do you mean, Daddy?"

His eyes dart to his oldest daughter as he whispers the plan to them in hushed tones. They both nod happily, though he does have to lean back slightly to avoid his son's curved horn.

When he looks back to his eldest daughter, he sees she returned to nursing her glass of milk. In her magic before her, a small poster floats, and her eyes travel across it at a snail's pace.

Narrowing his eyes, the stallion lights his horn up. An arcane circle appears on the ground under his daughter's hooves before they suddenly slide out from under her, eliciting a squeak of surprise from the pink mare. As her own magic cuts off in surprise, he catches her, her drink, and her poster, gently setting her onto the ground and them to the side while he puts the twins down as well. "Get her."

Laughing and giving playful roars, the two charge at Ruby as she lays stunned, jumping onto her stomach. Their hooves immediately go to work, running up and down her ticklish ribs and sides.

The pink unicorn squeals, writhing underneath her siblings as they tickle her relentlessly. She bites her lip, unable to concentrate her magic, and decides it best that she try a different approach.

As Rhino leans against his wife, watching the playful attack, they spot Ruby's horn going back into her head, soon replaced by two pink wings that sprout from her back. Even as she squirms under her siblings, pink feathers spread as she begins her own assault. Both Twins are rendered giggling masses of cute as they find it harder and harder to keep up their attack. Soon though, Mystic gets next to Serene, laughing even as he bats away the threatening wings while Serene goes back to tickling.

Not giving up just yet, the now-pegasus rolls onto her side, easily getting them both with the feather tips of one wing. She suddenly grabs Mystic and pulls him close, blowing a raspberry on his belly.

He laughs even louder, squealing as his hooves flail around. "S-Serene! Help!"

Despite his calls for help, the young filly can't do anything except laugh and squirm now, the full of Ruby's wing now tickling along her side. Their sister, meanwhile, uses her hooves to do the same with the colt, a childish grin on her lips.

The colt tries a different approach. "Dad! Help us!"

Laying on the floor with his tail curled around his wife's, Rhino just chuckles. "But you're doing so well! Come on, you can beat her!"

Eventually, Ruby stops, holding them close and sighing softly. "You know..." She whispers into their ears as they pant. "...I hear Dad is a ticklish pony, too..."

Their ears flick at attention, slow smiles growing wide on their faces.

She lets go, smiling to the stallion. "Go get him."

"Wait what?" Before Rhino can react, the tickle duo is on him now, tipping him onto his side and tickling mercilessly. The stallion lets them go at it, laughing his head off and trying to shy away from their seeking hooves.

Gel watches as her husband and their kids play together, his laughter filling the room. After a while, however, she brings her tail across his nose, giggling softly. "Rhino, it's getting late. Maybe we should head home for dinner?"

His laughter dies down to chuckling as he looks up at her, back to the foals, then back to her. He scoops them up onto his chest before reaching both forelegs out to her. "Carry us?"

"While I probably could..." She playfully rolls her eyes at him. "I think they'd prefer to have a comfortable ride on their daddy's back."

"Hmm... I can do that." He flips over, making them giggle as he sets them on his back. "You want a ride, too, Ruby?"

"I don't think there's enough room, dad." She laughs softly. "I'd prefer to walk home with you guys, anyways... and it's only fair they have a turn on your back, right?"

"Right." He walks behind her, putting her between himself and Gel as she gets up. "Time to go home and have a nice family dinner. Board games, reading, and snuggling to follow."

"And shadow puppets?" The youngest filly chimes in.

"Of course," he smiles back at her. "I can't wait to see them."

She hugs his neck, happily nuzzling his nape as the rest of the family chuckles at the cuteness. Gel nods towards the door, smiling warmly. "Let's go, then. I want to see what you make, this time..."

Meanwhile, the other family had quietly made their leave while the other was reuniting. The trio of mares - well, technically one mare, one nymph, and one combination, but that takes far too long to say - leisurely stroll down the street. Octavia takes a sip of a lightly steaming caffeinated brew, looking appreciatively over at her daughter. “Thank you again for the treat, Melody. However, isn’t the parent supposed to treat the child after being away?”

The filly smiles softly, giving a soft nod in response. “I know, but I feel it’s better to surprise those you care about… in a positive way, of course.”

After taking another sip and feeling herself relax a bit, the grey mare leans over and nuzzles the young blue mare. “That is a wonderful way of thinking.” She gives her a kiss on the cheek before turning and doing the same to her wife. “So, I heard you were playing for the twins again.”

“That’s right, mum.” She giggles, beaming proudly. “They said I was as good as ever. And they didn’t interrupt once.”

“You must have had them properly entranced then, considering how difficult it can be to completely have the attention of foals that age.” The mare nuzzles her once more. “You never fail to make me even more proud of you.”

Fuschia eyes roll playfully at this. “It’s not that hard, mum. They love music, especially with a story behind it.”

Oh? Luster finally speaks up, smiling warmly at her daughter. Did you share that one Fiddles told you when you were little?

“Well… maybe I added a bit…” Melody shyly laughs, twirling a lock of violet mane around a hoof. “Changed a few characters… the hero into a heroine… minor cosmetic stuff like that.”

“Well, nothing wrong with a little different rendition of a good story.” Octavia raises one eyebrow even as she smiles. “Do try to keep the true tale separate, though. It is a good one.”

“I think mine was better.” She smiles, pausing to place a hoof on the other earth pony’s shoulder. “After all… it’s the story of how you met mom… with a few dragons thrown in.” She winks and continues forward, leaving the treeline and starting up the cobblestone road to their home.

“...” The mare stands silently for a moment before she looks to her wife. “Did our story need dragons in it? I honestly don’t know where they would fit…”

“I just combined the story of your meeting with the one of the knight and the maiden.” Melody spins around and sticks her tongue out at her coyly, walking backwards all the while.

Octavia blinks. “Hmm… well, I am looking forward to finally unwinding after that interesting trip by spending time with the two of you… I think i’d be nice if we hear this new version. It sounds very fascinating. What do you say, dear? We all get nice and comfortable, maybe light a fire, hot coco… maybe a hot bath before bed...” She trails off, already imagining an evening of utter bliss and relaxation.

I would like that, too… Luster frowns, rushing forward past their daughter and over to their home. ...but things don’t seem to be that easy.

To the untrained eye, the structure does not appear particularly off. However, to the nymph that has lived in it for quite some time, it isn’t hard to tell that something has changed since she and her family last left it. On the doorstep are small shards of barely visible metal; while their source would be impossible to guess simply by looking, it becomes much clearer when the door itself is examined. For one thing, there are several small scratches in the metal around the lock; for another, when she goes to test the door, it opens as though it had never been locked or even closed tightly.

The nymph’s face quickly turns to a stoic expression, her body rippling as she rises up onto her hindlegs. A hoof reaches back as it shifts around, the newly-formed talon grabbing her black metal staff and pulling it out of the makeshift sling. Soon enough, the now-dragon pushes the door the rest of the way open, making her way inside with silent steps.

Octavia’s own eyes narrow as she draws her bow. “Melody. Stay behind me.” In a quieter tone afterwards, she adds, “Just wanted to come home and relax, but no… this burglar is getting a piece of my mind.” She swings the bow lightly once, just enough to where it doesn’t make a sound before she starts walking forward.

Barely audible to even sensitive ears, a very faint rummaging sound can be heard from upstairs, continuing undisturbed by the new arrivals for several seconds before being interrupted by a muffled thump, followed by a not-quite-restrained grunt of pain. A moment later, the rummaging returns.

Luster growls quietly, slowly sinking into the floor. She looks to her family and holds a claw up to her lips, motioning for them to be quiet right before she is completely submerged. The filly, curious, slowly yet carefully climbs the staircase.

In the bedroom shared by the two mares, a stranger to the household is busying themselves with a relatively quiet searching of any drawer or shelf they can locate in the dark. While keeping the light off is necessary to avoid tipping off anypony passing by outside, the unwanted visitor is beginning to regret not bringing some light source of their own. Aside from some tiny rocks they hope to be jewelry of some sort, they have yet to find anything they can identify as being of value. Eventually, they got tired of searching for a needle in a haystack, and have begun just stuffing anything they get their hooves on into their bag; pieces of cloth, more hopefully-valuable rocks, and practically anything else solid and roughly hoof-sized.

As they grasp another cloth, the lights suddenly turn on. That’s not what scares the stranger, though; that would be the large shadow falling over them. A talon grabs them by the neck, slowly turning them to face a pair of slitted eyes, narrowed in anger.

For a pony who had been trying for an unknown amount of time to be silent, they - she - did not hesitate to scream loudly enough to rattle every window in the building. The other talon clamps around her mouth, the tail waving its held staff demonstratively. You have one chance to explain yourself. If you don’t… well, let’s say you won’t see morning. Got it?

The ebony dragon pulls the claws away from the pony’s muzzle, enabling her to get out the first thing on her mind in a frantic, pleading tone. “Please don’t kill me! I have a daughter! I’ll give everything back! Just please don’t kill me!” Her words start to catch in her throat near the end, and she seems ready to curl up into a ball if let go.

Funny. I also have a daughter. She sighs, effortlessly tossing her onto the bed and grabbing her pole from her tail. Now, I know you aren’t lying. You have fear... but you also have love. The kind that a mother has for her child.

Speaking of that bond, another duo with that same relationship eases their way up the stairs. Tavi’s voice calls out. “Is the situation under control?”

It seems that way. She sits on a chair, steepling her claws and leaning forward. Now… you say you have a daughter… aren’t you a bit young for that?

As earlier predicted, the mare curls up into a tight ball as soon as she is no longer in the dragon’s grip. However, she keeps her dark orange face - the only part of her body not covered by a sleek black catsuit - facing the creature, afraid of what may happen if she so much as looks away. “I m-made a mistake...he didn’t want to deal with it...so now it’s j-just us...” Her words come out in an erratic stutter, as though she’s trying to tell a story without organizing the details in her mind first. “She...she’s barely a year old...”

I see… Luster smirks coyly. You’re obviously not the first to have this happen… so why should you be treated differently?

The blue filly in the doorway huffs softly. “You could be a little nicer, mom… can’t you see she’s scared?”

“That’s sort of the point, dear.” Octavia comments, sliding into the room in front of her daughter, still speaking to her. “Excuse us if we aren’t in the most charitable moods right now.”

“I-I’ll give everything back!” the burglar repeats desperately, folding in on herself even tighter. “I’ll leave you alone! Just please let me g-go home...” She whimpers into her hooves. “K-Kat...mom...Twister...Winter...somepony h-help me...”

Hey. She smacks the pony on the head with her staff. Calm down. I’m not gonna eat you, foal. I’m an amoravore, anyways. This doesn’t seem to dissuade the mare’s fears any. The disguised nymph pinches the bridge of her nose, groaning softly. I eat love, not ponies. Clear enough?

Finally, the quivering pony begins to uncurl, nodding slightly in understanding but still looking scared for her life; if not because of the dragon in front of her, because of the two spectators on the sidelines - particularly the rather ticked-off-looking gray earth pony. Nevertheless, the mare forces herself to sit up as much as she can manage.

Better. Though I think I know something else that can help. Almost immediately, the dragon’s form begins to shift, rippling as she starts to shrink. In mere seconds she’s back to normal, smiling warmly at the orange pony. Now… what were you saying about Winter? That wouldn’t happen to be a… cobalt-colored fellow, would he?

Over the course of the few seconds it takes for Luster to change forms and ‘speak’ to her, the mare goes from looking petrified with fear to nothing but surprised, confused, and a little hopeful. She starts to say something, only to shut her mouth and look at the wall with a small glare aimed at nothing in particular. “He’s...yeah, that’s him...unicorn, weird shield thing for a cutie mark?”

Melody quirks an eyebrow at this. “You… didn’t happen to have a crush on him, did you?”

“Crush?” She raises an eyebrow of her own at the filly. “We were together for a good seven months. I think that’s a level or two above ‘crush’.” She winces as she remembers the rest of the present company and almost bites her tongue to keep from making any other comments that could be interpreted as rude.

Octavia simply watches for the moment, the rhythmic swinging of her bow like a metronome to the situation.

“Then… you broke up?” She tilts her head to one side, confusion clear on her face. “I don’t know why… you seem like a nice enough mare… wait, he wasn’t the father, was he?”

The orange mare shakes her head. “Yes to your first question, no to the second. He decided we ‘weren’t working out’ one day, and a couple days later...weird things happened.” She shudders. “Since then, I’ve only seen him occasionally in Canterlot, and I always avoid him. As for the father, that was just some creep who found me at the bar and-” She cuts herself off, remembering the age of the filly she’s speaking to. “...well, long story short, it wasn’t Win. I don’t even know the name of who it was.”

...okay, what the fuck? Luster steps forward, the filly watching in confusion. Who does that to a pony? You didn’t think to try and get someone to help? Your parents? Your friends? Someone who cares for you?

“I’d like to see you try and walk up to your parents and tell them you’re a pregnant eighteen-year-old because you got drunk on your birthday despite their constant warnings to stay away from that sort of thing!” the mare snaps. “And friends? The only friends I had at the time had either moved to some other city, or were just drinking buddies who eventually ended up in my situation.” She grits her teeth and sighs. “Besides...my bed, I made it, I lie in it.”

“But you don’t have to do it alone.” Melody frowns, stepping forward and gently placing a hoof on the mare’s latex-covered shoulder. “You should talk with your parents. If they care about you, they’ll understand. They’ll help.”

The orange pony offers an even gaze. “Please don’t touch me. I appreciate the sentiment, but your mother just wanted to kill me. I’d rather not infuriate her.” She scoots away from the hoof. “Anyway, it’s too late now. This isn’t the first little break-in of mine, and my dad’s a royal guard. He probably knows what I’m doing and wouldn’t so much as let me breathe his air if he came across me again.”

You know what? The nymph in question stands, holding her staff out, the end mere inches from the catsuited mare’s muzzle. I tried to be nice. I wasn’t going to kill you; I was going to knock you out and take you to the local royal guard captain. Shame, since you seem to know said pony. Now… I want you to dump all that you took out of your saddlebags. And that’s an order.

The mare sits still for a long moment, then wordlessly begins to obey. She turns her saddlebags upside-down, letting all its contents spill onto the floor. Once they’ve been emptied, she doesn’t even put them back on, instead letting them fall to the ground as well. She looks at the nymph, trying to maintain a calm expression, only to tremble slightly beneath it and have to look away again. “...tell Winter...that Tempest says hi.” She shuts her eyes. “Do whatever to me.”

The grey mare gives her wife a meaningful look, raising an eyebrow that says volumes about her opinion on the situation.

Oh, I will. She turns her attention to the contents of the pile, carefully sifting through each item. She smirks and pulls out a small red gem, turning and holding it out to the mare. This is a pigeon blood ruby. It can fetch upwards of three thousand bits. She sits there for a moment, waiting quietly before tilting her head to the side. Aren’t you going to take it?

The mare - Tempest - gives the gem only a glance before slowly and reluctantly shaking her head. “I told you I’d give everything back and leave you alone. I’m not going to take something after you decided against cutting my head off...” She shuts her eyes. “Thank you, but...I can’t.”

You’re not taking it. She reaches forward, turning the fabric-covered hoof up and putting the gem on it. I’m giving it to you. You’re receiving a gift. Simple as that.

For several seconds, the orange mare just stares at the gem, finally realizing what the nymph is trying to do. Suddenly, she grabs her with her forelegs in a tight hug, burying her face into the changeling’s shoulder and letting actions do the talking rather than words.

Letting out a long breath, the grey mare slowly stows her bow. She isn’t happy by any stretch of the imagination, but as she looks onto the scene with an understanding expression, she at least isn’t mad anymore. Irritated is another story.

Tempest mumbles something into the nymph’s shoulder, then retracts slightly to rephrase it without the obstruction. “W-Winter...” She gulps. “...can I see him?”

Atomic Vortex exits the Carousel Boutique, inwardly debating if he should curse Enigma or not for causing him to spend two hours with the local fashionista. He shrugs, well, the other stallion was the one who got used as a model anyway, and they both got free suits out of it, so maybe it wasn’t so bad. A small spasm of his wing muscles reminds him of his original plan: to go home and relax. As he starts walking, he momentarily considers maybe getting a massage at the spa, but he isn’t nearly that bad yet. He shakes his head and chuckles as he foregoes the thought.

“Yo, Tex!” The voice causes him to look up, the mare before him smiling slyly. “I saw where you came from. Do you have a job on the side I’m just now hearing about?”

He recognizes her signature shades, his own flashing as he smiles back. “Not quite, still just the town detective. I got dragged in there by your stallion.”

She stands still for a moment, her mind trying to process this. “...so… if you’re not doing anything extra, why did you guys go in there?”

“From what I gathered… Rarity dragged him in because she wanted to make him someone for the ball, and he dragged me with him because he wasn’t going alone.” He shrugs, stretching his wings as he does. “Didn’t turn out too badly, even if he is still in there being her model for a new line.”

Vinyl flinches at this. “She’s not making him model dresses again, is she?”

He shakes his head. “Nah, suits. Still for mares, though.”

“Ah, I see.” She scratches her head. “At least it’s not for dresses… last time, a certain stallion walked in during fitting…” She smirks, elbowing his side. “Right after you joined that team. Surely you remember?”

He averts his eyes, his voice aloof. “Hey, in my defense, they were on the lower layers and it did fit him well.”

Vinyl tilts her head to one side, confused. “...if it drew your attention, why didn’t you notice his package?”

“Because I saw a front on view and my eyes don’t automatically go south.” He huffs. “I’ve told you and him that I didn’t ask my wings to make that split second decision that mare clothing on mare body equaled mare.”

“Funny.” She smirks, eyes narrowing behind her shades coyly. “I wonder whether a certain Wonderbolt would agree…”

He raises a skeptical eyebrow at her. “Agree with what?”

"Whether it counts as cheating to stare at E in a dress." She sticks her tongue out and turns, chuckling darkly. "Maybe I can find Rainbow and get a letter to the Captain that way..."

The normally stable guard blanches and steps forward with a hiss. “No!” He blinks and backs off as he realizes how much he reacted, clearing his throat awkwardly. “No… there’s no need for what was a misunderstanding… and I wasn’t even with Spitfire at the time… we got together the month after that.”

“Aww…” Vinyl huffs, turning to the side. “There goes any thoughts of blackmail…” She picks up a stray apple and balances it on his head. “Oh well, I guess I’ll have to find another way to prank you.”

“If that was your idea of a prank… I’m officially worried.” He shudders at the possibilities.

“Dude, I’m kidding.” She pulls off her shades, frowning deeply. “I’m actually a little hurt you think I’d do that.”

His ears fold slightly. “Look, it’s hard to tell with you and a few of the others. I mean, honestly it’s like it would damage my relationship, mostly it would just give Fire something to tease me about…”

“I know. She came to me with something the other day… still hard to tell what she was talking about.” She puts her iconic sunglasses back on and turns to the side, smiling warmly. “Well, have a nice day, Tex. Give my regards to Fire when you see her.”

"I'll do that." He raises a hoof in departure.

She starts to leave but pauses, a hoof in the air. “Oh, and tell her ‘no thanks’. Okay?”

He blinks behind his shades. “What?”

“Yeah, she didn’t want me to tell you more than that. Sorry.” She shrugs. “I think she’ll look for the help elsewhere, though… I just don’t do private functions.”

“... ok… looks like I have something to probe her about now…” Atom hums thoughtfully at this information.

“Glad to give you food for thought. Now, I have a stallion to return home to… if he’s there, that is.” With that, she leaves, waving over her shoulder at him.

He nods, heading on his own way and wondering if the day will get even more interesting despite it being the first of his ones off.

Equus Tactics #48

The sun is finally setting as Winter leaves Sweet Apple Acres, two warm boxes added to his saddlebags and the slightest hints of a spring added to his step. On his back, a sea green filly sits, happily chewing on the golden delicious that the farmer had given her.

“So, what do you think of them?” the unicorn asks with a smile.

“They’re nice. And really friendly, too.” She swallows her bite, looking at him with wide, curious eyes. “Why did we leave, though? Don’t you live there?”

Winter chuckles. “Sadly, no. I - we - live somewhere else in town. They’re just...friends.” He hesitates and blushes on the final word. “For now, anyway.”

“Really?” She tilts her head to one side. “I thought that the one you rescued was your wife…”

His blush only increases. “N-No...that isn’t how it works...besides, if it was, I’d be married to a few dozen ponies right now.” He chuckles awkwardly, hoping his red face will fade.

“I meant because of how you acted to her.” She reaches up, poking his cheek. “You do that around her, as well…”

“That’s...” He sighs. “Ash...please don’t bring this sort of thing up in front of others, okay? Especially not Applejack. Promise?”

She nods tersely to him. “If you don’t want me to, I won’t.”

“Thank you.” He looks around, as if making sure nopony else is listening. “Listen...I don’t know how things are where you come from, but here, love is a pretty weird thing. It doesn’t happen for any reason aside from the fact that one pony - or other sentient being - finds that they like another pony or sentient being, and then trips over themselves trying to get together with said other pony or sentient being.” He looks back at her. “That’s the stage I’m in right now. So if I’m acting weird around Applejack or when talking about her, that’s why. Does that answer your questions?”

Ash just stares back. “We… I… have never had that feeling before. You know that; I mentioned it on our way to the train, before you left to the other group.” She shakes her head. “From the way Dior described it, though… it seems like you just need to get more comfortable with her.”

“I know...” He sighs. “I think...I just have trouble because I get nervous around her. I know that’s exactly what I’m supposed to get over, but not knowing how she’ll react just makes even saying hello to her awkward.”

“Fair enough.” She shrugs and leans back against his neck, content to continue eating her apple. Winter sighs in relief at the lack of further questioning.

Within seconds, the duo comes across another couple ponies of the stallion’s team. “I’m telling you, Maud, dubstep and trance are what the party ponies prefer these days.”

“I don’t know if Pinkie agrees,” responds a flat voice. “I’ve never seen a party where she played those.”

“I mean the young, Canterlot crowd.” She stops her conversation when she sees the stallion, grinning wide. “Hey, Sol! How’s your sweet Apple pie doing?”

The unicorn smiles at the familiar face. “Steaming, savoury, and making me drool.” His smile slowly falls as a blush spreads across his face. “...you weren’t referring to literal pies, were you.”

“Didn’t know you had them.” She nervously chuckles, rubbing the back of her neck. “So, uh, where’s Merc? Isn’t he, I dunno, always with you?”

Winter grasps for the change of topic. “He went back home ahead of me a while ago. Apparently he and the Apple family dog became friends, and he wanted to show her our place.”

Maud blinks in thought. “Can foxes and dogs reproduce?”

“Forgive me, but I am going to ignore that question so as to block out mental images.”

“I’m not.” The white mare sticks her tongue out before continuing. “It’s rare, but possible. Anyways, have you guys seen G around?” She pauses as a large mirror is carried between them. “...or the recent setups being done for that carnival?”

The stallion raises an eyebrow, glancing at the mirror as it gets carried away. “To answer your first question, I haven’t seen featherface since we got off the train. She just flew off, saying she had stuff to do. As for your second question...what carnival?”

“The one Pinkie’s helping to set up.” She shrugs. “Apparently a friend of hers requested her help… some guy named Sand?”

“Pinkie helps set up just about every event in Ponyville, and I can list off seventeen ponies off the top of my head with the word Sand in their name. This is not really helping me learn specifics.”

Vinyl holds up a hoof. “It’s the same guy from that Goof-Off a while back.”

“...the what.” Winter just stares at her, deadpanned. “Please tell me you made that up.”

“She didn’t,” the earth mare explains. “Pinkie spoke of that event in a letter she wrote to me. She and another party planner had a duel. They became friends afterwards.”

“...the things I miss out on when I’m visiting Limelight,” the stallion groans. “Well, this should be fun.”

A small hoof taps his shoulder. “Mister Solstice? Who’s Limelight?”

He smiles back at the filly. “Limelight’s my younger sister. She still lives in Fillydelphia, so I have to go out of my way to meet up with her, which explains why I end up missing a lot of stuff that happens in town here.” He chuckles, reaching back and rubbing her head softly. “Not that I regret it.”

The other unicorn chuckles as the filly leans into the stallion’s hoof. “She really has grown attached to you, huh?”

“Lime? Yeah, being siblings does that, assuming it doesn’t drive you further apart.” He spares the inflatable gorilla and dolphin being carried by them only a single glance.

“Just because you are apart, doesn’t mean you aren’t close.” Another wise thought comes from Maud.

Vinyl looks from one pony to the other, confused. “...I was talking about Ash.”

“Oh.” Winter chuckles awkwardly, nuzzling the filly in question. “You’d have to ask her yourself. Conveniently, she’s right here for you to do so.”

“She doesn’t have to ask.” The sea green pony hugs the cobalt unicorn’s neck, looking at the mare. “I like Mister Solstice. He’s nice to me… like I’m his sister.” Smiling, the stallion lowers himself into a sitting position and reaches around, picking the filly up with his hooves and holding her in a hug against his chest.

“Aww… how cute…” Vinyl giggles brightly before a whack against the back of her head interrupts her. She turns to the offending party, hoof to her mane. “Hey, watch it! You could’ve…” She trails off, seeing the item that hit her.

Ash stares as well. “...is that a... giant eclair?”

Winter blinks, then after a moment, smirks. “I think I’m starting to see what’s going on with more...eclair-ity.”

The disk jockey simply groans, holding a hoof to her face. “Seriously? Dude, that was-”

The laughter of the filly cuts her off. “G-good one, Mister Solstice!” She loses the ability to speak after that, her body shaking with her giggle fit.

Smiling, Winter looks at the other unicorn. “Sorry, but I think I know whose opinion I’m going to listen to.” He starts petting Ash’s mane. “Apparently she found that joke to be bun-derful.”

Vinyl sighs, turning and leaving him and the other mare with the humor-ridden filly. “I’ll see you guys around. Gonna go home and wait for my stallion…”

“Night, Vi!” Winter calls after her before looking to Maud. “I think we should all head home, actually. Moon’s rising.”

“True. Have a good night.” She turns, heading in the direction of Sugarcube Corner.

With a smile, the remaining adult pony turns to the filly in his hooves. “Ready to head home, Ash?”

She nods, giggling brightly. “Yep!”

“Then let’s go.” Putting the filly on his back once again, the unicorn stands up and starts making his way through the town.

The door opens with a quiet squealing sound, signalling the arrival of two ponies. The larger of the two steps in, the smaller on his back, and closes the door behind them. “Merc, we’re home!”

The fox comes sprinting out of the office, a couple loose sheets of paper flitting after him. He slides as he tries to skid to a halt but ends up hitting the stallion’s foreleg with his head regardless, shaking himself before scowling at the wood flooring. ‘Stupid smooth surfaces...’

Winter chuckles. “I really need to carpet this room.” He scratches the kitsune behind the ear before making his way to the couch. “So, enjoy your time with Winona?”

‘Very much, yes.’ He chuckles, leaping up onto the arm of the sofa. ‘How about you and Miss Southern Belle?’

“We chatted, hung out, and baked a couple pies together. By which I mean she did most of the actual baking and I just grabbed stuff for her.” He levitates out the two still-warm pie boxes, placing them on the coffee table. “She realized pretty quickly how little food preparation knowledge I had...probably around the time I tried to preheat the oven and instead somehow turned it into a freezer.”

Mercury stares blankly at him. ‘...well, it’s better than the time you somehow flooded the cooking area at HQ...’

“I still say there was a glitch in the dishwasher,” the unicorn grumbles.

‘You were using the stove.’

“Then it was a really bad glitch.” He opens one of the boxes, the scent of the fresh pie wafting out under the noses of all three of them. “Let’s argue about this another time, okay? We just got home. Let’s relax.”

The silver fox holds up a paw. ‘Not until you answer one question.’

Winter sighs as he takes a knife out to begin cutting one of the pies. “For the last time, no, you can’t go TP Gilda’s house. We don’t even know where she lives.”

‘That’s not what I meant… even though she deserves it.’ He nods towards the staircase. ‘What’s with that lockbox in the basement?’

The unicorn’s magic falters, and the knife drops to the table. He looks to Mercury. “...excuse me?”

‘Winona ran through a bunch of empty boxes down there, and found some dark lockbox with a four-digit combination.’ He eyes the blade stuck vertically in the table. ‘I’m… gonna take a stab in the dark and say you know what I’m talking about?’

“Yes. I do.” He stares at the fox evenly. “Don’t open that box. It’s dangerous.”

“What?” The filly on his back finally speaks up, rubbing her tired eyes. “Is it some kind of… Pandora’s box?”

The stallion looks at her, confused. “...not sure what that is, but...long story short, if you open it, chances are its contents will kill you.”

‘Really?’ Mercury tilts his head to one side, the filly mimicking the action. ‘What can do that?’

“Volatility.” Winter picks the kitchen knife back up and resumes cutting the pie. “You know how Equinox consists of six daggers with enchantments? Well, there was originally a seventh one, but I misread the spell as I was enchanting it. Now it has a mind of its own, and will attack any living being it sees, except myself. And the effects aren’t pretty.”

‘I… didn’t know you made another one...’ He scratches his head, confused. ‘What was it supposed to do?’

“I originally wanted to enchant it to be a Poison Joke blade,” the unicorn explains, passing the fox a slice of pie and the filly another. “When I wasn’t looking, the wind must have turned the pages, because I ended up casting some sort of ‘come-to-life’ spell instead. Of course, me being as stupid as I am, I just flipped back and cast the original spell again despite this.” He sighs, cutting a third piece for himself, noticeably smaller than the others. “It didn’t look like it worked. So I did it again. And again. And I basically enchanted the blade six times over before it finally started working. If you can call it ‘working’.”

‘So… it has six times the potency, then?’ He digs into his pie, muzzle soon sticky from the filling.

“Not even as simple as that.” Winter just pokes at his own dessert. “Ever heard of Killing Joke?”

‘Ah… no, not really.’

Ash swallows her current mouthful, looking to the stallion in confusion. “Is that the same as Joker Gas? You know, from that one movie?”

He shakes his head. “No. Killing Joke is sort of the long-lost relative of the Poison Joke, and he’s long-lost because Poison Joke disowned him.” He sighs. “Poison Joke’s effects are just mostly harmless ironic pranks that depend on the pony. For example, a pony who could see in the dark would be made almost blind.” He finally takes a small bite of his food before continuing. “Killing Joke is...not so harmless. They bring intense pain, and even death, upon their victims that are supposed to be ‘jokes’ based on something they said. So if I said I considered myself a ‘heartless killer’, and touched Killing Joke, it’d do something like rip my heart out. Literally. Or if I said I wished I had larger magical reserves, touching Killing Joke would increase the amount of magic I had in me until my head exploded from the pressure.”

‘Damn, Win. Good thing you locked that thing away.’ He moves to take another bite before stopping, staring at the stallion’s tail. ‘...do you normally have blue in your tail?’

The unicorn whips around to look. “What?!”

Ash nudges into his tail, surfacing with a four-petaled blue plant in her mouth. She drops it on the couch, smiling at it. “Wow… such a pretty flower…”

The unicorn blinks, then groans and facehoofs. “Celestia dammit...now I’m scared to sleep.”

‘Let me guess...’ Mercury sighs, resting his head on his paws. ‘Poison Joke?’

“Yep.” Winter sighs. “Speak of Sombra and he will appear...”

The kitsune groans, rubbing his face with a paw. ‘So… I guess we’ll find out what that entails, tomorrow...’

The unicorn nods reluctantly. “But we’re heading to Zecora’s place first thing in the morning.” He turns his attention back to his pie, which surprisingly has barely cooled. “And just when today seemed to be going so well.”

The town square of Ponyville, and the surrounding streets, are abound with ponies, the party of the week well underway. With all the activities, games, and confections available, everyone is having fun. Everyone, that is, except the two figures by the entrance.

“Um...” The light yellow pegasus rubs at her ear. “I-I’m sorry, could you please explain that again…?”

The silver fox on her back groans, rubbing his face with a paw. 'Win and AJ are going to be late. The big lug got hit by a Poison Joke blossom, and woke up this morning looking a bit too radiant. Ash got hit, too, but begged me not to describe what happened to anyone.' He nods in the direction of the forest. 'They're going to see that zebra in the woods... whose name escapes me.'

“O-Okay...” She reaches up and scratches him on top of the head. “Sorry...I just didn’t understand the first time.”

He murrs softly, leaning into her hoof. 'It's not your fault, Miss Fluttershy... Win just woke me up at midnight and kept me up...'

“Oh...that bad?”

'For me, yes.' He nuzzles her cheek, hoping she can reach further down his body. 'He slept like a log all night... between my shoulders, please?'

She giggles and obeys his request. “I hope Zecora can help him, then...and Ash as well.” She pauses. “Why isn’t Applejack coming, though?”

"Thank you for guiding us, Miss Applejack..." Ash smiles warmly from her spot on her back, readjusting the hat on her head. "We'd probably be lost if it wasn't for you..."

Turning her head around for a moment, the farm mare smiles and rubs her trademark hat she had loaned to her. “No problem, Ash. Ah figured it’d be good for a least one pony on this trip to know where they were going.”

"I'm glad... this forest is a bit too scary, anyways..." She nuzzles her neck before looking to the cobalt pony nearby. "At least we have a light to guide our way."

“At least I’m bright for the first time in my life,” Winter remarks, looking over his lit-up self.

AJ chuckles. “That and the little filly here won’t need a nightlight for now.”

The pony in question, meanwhile, looks up at Winter with a small frown. "Mister Solstice, you're always smart... at least, from what I've seen..." Her borrowed hat slips down over her eyes, making her yelp in surprise.

“You’d be surprised, then.” The unicorn lifts the hat back up enough that she can see.

She softly smiles, a small blush of embarrassment on her cheeks. She turns back to the path ahead, raising herself up with her forehooves on the mare's head. "It's still a little dark... how far away are we, Miss Applejack?"

“Shouldn’t be too far now, Ah reckon.” They continue trotting along the path. “Zecora’s place is just a straight shot down this here road.”

There's a tap on her head before the filly points to a broken tree surrounded by a thorn bush. "What happened there?"

Vaguely recognizing the place, Applejack just shakes her head and moves on. “Just a bit of usual Everfree Forest stuff, Ah’d guess. Wind or critter got it, Ah’d imagine.”

"Oh..." Ash goes quiet for a moment. "I was hoping there'd be a cool story behind it... I like stories..."

The mare thinks for a moment. “Well, it did remind of the time the girls and Ah got hit by Poison Joke… how’s that for a story you might want to hear?”

The filly brightens up almost instantly, nodding eagerly. "Yes, please!"

“I’d like to hear that,” Winter agrees.

“Alright, but try not to laugh too much…” They continue trotting along, closing in on the herbalist's house. With the story to entertain them, they spot it in no time.

As the story nears its end, the green filly holds up a hoof. "Wait, you... you did what to that pegasus?" She struggles to get that sentence out, her body shaking from her laughter.

Applejack laughs. “Hey, she wasn’t doin’ any good flying by herself, so Ah had to take the reigns for either of us to get anywhere!”

“Literally, huh?” Winter laughs.

“It got the job done.” She lifts up her nose with a smirk, not the least bit ashamed.

"And then, in the hut... she..." She bites her lip, fighting to keep herself from bursting out in giggles.

The mare finishes the thought, “...crashed into just as much as she does when can actually fly straight? Yep.”

“Your friends are almost as unlucky as mine,” the unicorn comments.

“Yeah, but considerin’ everythin’, Ah think we come out ahead most of the time.” She chuckles. “To be honest, Ah think it’s just somethin’ with the town. Things get crazy pretty often here.”

"Crazy how?" Ash asks, tapping the mare's head before catching sight of some light up ahead.

The mare actually slows down for a moment. “It’s… difficult ta explain. Just stick around for a while, ya’ll will see what Ah mean.”

Meanwhile, as they had chatted, the group had arrived in front of the local zebra’s hut. Her large hollow tree she lives in is dotted on the outside with various masks and flasks, most of which only hold meaning to the owner. To newcomers they may give off an eerie vibe, but for friends such as Applejack, they are simply part of the zebra’s charm.

The filly on her back, however, is a newcomer. She crouches down, trying to hide behind the farmer, trembling softly.

The farm mare turns her head, nuzzling the filly. “No need ta be afraid there. Zecora’s nice. She helps us all the time.”

"I..." She looks from the mare to the hut and back, whimpering quietly. "I-if you're sure..."

Without another word, Applejack raises her hoof and knocks a few times on the door. After a moment, the door opens to reveal a zebra, looking at the trio with a calm smile. She winces when the light radiating off of Winter’s body reaches her eyes, but she manages to regain her composure and look to Applejack for an explanation.

She simply gestures to both the stallion and filly. “Sorry ta bother ya, Zecora, but we got another couple ponies here who got a dose of Poison Joke.”

“Ah, the flower is once more affecting your friends?” The zebra smiles in amusement. “I assume, to their ailments, you wish me to attend?”

She nods, smiling. “That'd be mighty nice of ya.”

Zecora nods, motioning for them to follow her into the hut. They do so, Ash still trying half-successfully to fully hide herself under AJ’s hat while the lightbulb stallion continues to provide reasons for ponies to wear sunglasses indoors.

“The ingredients to mix the cure, I can provide,” Zecora says to them in her usual way of speaking. “A tub to bathe in, however, it is up to you to find. A small tub for one, I do possess; but to put both of you in would make quite the mess.”

"Then why can't we go one at a time?" Ash ducks back behind the farmer as she finishes her sentence.

“We’ve got a party to go to,” Winter explains. “It’d take a while for us both to get cleaned up and still make it in time.”

The filly's practically curled up in a ball, at this point, the Stetson pulled tightly down over her eyes. "I don't mind not being able to go. You can go ahead and take one first..." Riiiip!

The unicorn blinks at the ripping sound before electing to ignore it in favour of the filly’s current demeanour. Kneeling down beside her, he pulls her into a comforting hug. “What’s wrong, Ash?”

“I don’t want anyone seeing me like this…” She whimpers, acutely aware of the conical shapes poking out of the top of the hat.

“Well…” AJ begins, “we do have plenty of wash tubs on the farm. We use em for all kinds of things. If you can let us have the ingredients, Zecora, Ah can just get them their bath there and we’ll already be in town.”

“That sounds like a good plan to me,” the zebra agrees with a smile. “Wait here, and I will get you the things you need.” She turns and heads into a side room, looking for the right herbs and chemicals.

Applejack looks to the two of them. “Ya’ll don’t mind a little outdoor bath with the hose, do ya?”

The filly shakes her head. “No, I don’t… as long as no one else sees…”

“Now don’t you worry, we’ll go behind our barn and be done before ya know it.” She winks to ease the filly’s mind.

“Agreed. I’m fine with bathing outside if it’s not in public.” Winter nods as the zebra returns, a jar in her muzzle. She passes it to the farmer.

“Thank ya kindly.” She takes the jar, nodding to the zebra as she stows it in her bags.

The shining stallion turns to her. “Should we get going now, then? I don’t want to miss too much of the party.” He continues petting Ash’s mane through the torn hat, attempting to calm her down.

She seems to calm down a bit, pushing up the hat a bit to peek at the stallion. “Y-yes, please…”

Smiling, the unicorn picks her up. He looks to Applejack with a sheepish expression. “Sorry about your hat.”

She raises an eyebrow. “What about it?” He motions to the rip caused by the filly pulling on it. “Oh…” Applejack goes quiet a moment before lifting up a hoof and rubbing the filly’s head. “Well, there’s no way I can be mad at you. Besides, Ah got a spare or two at home. Ya can keep that one if ya want.”

Ash looks at her, hopeful. “Really? I can?”

She nods. “Sure! Ya’ll seem pretty fond of it anyway. It’d be a shame ta have to take it back.”

“Thank you, Miss Applejack…” She smiles warmly at the farmer, her grip loosening on the hat.

“Heh, yer welcome.” She starts walking towards the door. “Come on, let’s get you two back to normal.”

“Good idea.” The unicorn stands up, the filly moving to his back, and follows after the orange earth pony. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to feel a little lightheaded.”

Ash giggles softly, nuzzling his neck. “Another good one, Mister Solstice…”

“They just come in flashes of brilliance.” He smirks as the filly on his back can’t help but break out into peals of laughter. “I love my life.”

Meanwhile, back in town, the single griffon from Tactics walks around, barely affording a glance to each stall in the little festival that popped up. Her avian eyes sweep back and forth as she walks, her path given berth by the ponies in the street.

From the opposite direction comes a burgundy pegasus, trying to move through the crowd, searching for someone. The pony stops as the others suddenly step away, visibly confused. “...what is that about?”

Suddenly, Gilda brushes past him, not paying him a single mind. He blinks, turning to the griffon and smiling brightly. “Hey, it’s you!” He rushes to catch up to her, chuckling softly. “It’s good to have a friendly face while navigating this place, huh?”

She turns to him, eyes resting on him a moment. “Yeah… sure…” She turns back, resuming her walking and looking.

He frowns, nudging her shoulder with a wing. “Hey, are you looking for something? I could help, if you are.”

She grumbles quietly. “Not looking for anything…”

“Oh, so you’re looking for someone, then?” The pegasus grins widely. “Perhaps a special someone?”

Her wings ruffle, but she doesn’t face him. “None of your business!”

“Ah, so it is a special someone!” He moves in front of her, walking backwards with a goofy grin on his face. “Is it someone I know? Maybe a certain sea-green unicorn?”

“Pah!” She scoffs, quickening her pace to walk past him. “He wishes.”

He quirks an eyebrow at her. “Well, that was a bit harsh.” He shakes his head as he presses forward, easily keeping up with her. “Okay, so not Volt. What about a certain former guard? One who is currently dating one of the Wonderbolts?”

She rolls her eyes. “Look, I’m not looking for anypony.” She spots a stall off to the side. “I was looking for the ring toss.” Quickly heading over, she exchanges a few words with the yellow earth pony mare running the booth and is soon lining up her toss.

“Really?” He follows, standing next to her. “I could’ve sworn we passed by this while we were talking… twice.”

“You were distracting me.” She tosses a ring and misses. “You still are.”

“Oh?” He turns to the booth pony, smiling warmly. “Can I play, too? Any rules I need to know about?”

The mare running the booth just pushes some rings to him, but keeps a hoof on them until he pays. “Just aim to get a ring around the pegs. The farther back and tougher the peg is to reach, the better the prize you receive. Three rings for a bit.”

“Well, that sounds fair.” He reaches into one of his saddle bags and pulls out a couple bits. “I’ll take three, and three for my friend, here.” He turns to her, smirking playfully. “How about a bet, Gilda?”

If she had ears, they’d be twitching. Instead, she tilts her head at him. “I’m listening…”

“Whoever gets the most rings on the pegs at the end wins. I’ll even let you have the ones you’re using right now.” He chuckles, looking at the pegs before them intensely. “I win, you have to be honest with me. And trust me, I can tell when someone’s lying… most of the time.”

She looks down to her rings once before looking back at him. “What do I get if I win?”

“I’ll let you decide.” He takes his own trio of rings, smirking at her. “Doubt you’ll win, though.”

Narrowing her eyes at him, she picks up a single ring. “Oh, it’s on.” The mare running the booth steps back, partially to get out of the way and partially to watch the competition, a wide grin on her face.

“Please,” the stallion gestures to the pegs, “ladies first.”

She gives him a look before defiantly throwing her ring, barely catching on the lips of the target. “Yes! You’re going down!” Many rings later, that first success proved to be her only one.

The pegasus nods, glancing around a second. “Not too bad. But now,” he lifts up his first ring, “it’s my turn.” He tosses it, his confident smile slowly fading as it bounces erratically before falling off the table. He stares for a second before turning to the mare, bemused, wings flaring out slightly. “Your booth isn’t equipped to handle cross breezes, is it?”

The mare tilts her head. “Um...I don’t think so?” Her confusion is quickly masked by a smirk. “But if you’re just trying to pin the blame for your bad aim on something else, don’t bother. I’ve heard all the excuses. Now come on, you’ve got two more shots. Time’s a-wastin’.”

“I’m not wasting time.” He smirks, turning back to the pegs. “I was checking the wind pattern.” He tosses his next ring, watching as it bounces from peg to peg before circling one three rows from the back, falling down over it. “See?”

“Uh...” The mare blinks, unable to think of a response.

“Not good enough?” He chuckles, closing his eyes and tossing his last one. It circles the peg in the middle of the back and drops down onto it. “How about now?”

She stares, finally sighing in obvious irritation. “And I thought it was annoying dealing with all the ponies with a throwing rings for cutie marks.” She plucks a couple of stuffed animals from the sides of the booth and drops them on the table, an amused smirk creeping onto her features. “So much for an intense competition, though. You left her in the dust, and she had almost twice as many rings as you.”

“To be fair, I do have a minor advantage over her.” He chuckles, shrugging and grabbing the plush toys. He turns and drops them into his bag, craning his neck to look inside it. “Heads up!”

As Gilda walks away from the booth shaking her head, she could swear she hears giggling quietly coming from the bag. “Well, you won… I guess.”

“Yep. Now tell me…” He drapes a wing over her shoulders, giving her a serious look. “...who is the pony you fell for?”

She looks decidedly uncomfortable, looking around at the crowded street. “Can we do this somewhere else?”

The pegasus nods. “If that would make you more comfortable.”

“I’m starting to think this plan’s a little washed up,” Winter grumbles.

“Quit yer whinin’. The little filly’s havin’ her fun, why ain’t you?” Applejack scrubs his mane with a brush as the two other ponies bathe in the special mix of ingredients.

The stallion tries his best not to flinch away from the brush. “Well, for one thing, I’ve never needed somepony else to bathe me since I was seven years old, and I’m almost three times that age now. Sorry if this is an almost foreign concept to me.”

Before the mare could say anything else, Ash surfaces, spitting a mouthful of water out at the unicorn and diving right back in. Two conical shapes protruding from the water show where she is as she circles around in the tub.

“...and for another, it’s hard to have fun when I don’t get to do what she’s doing.” He makes an exaggerated pouting face. “Instead, I just have to sit here.”

“Sure you don’t just miss glowin’?” She smirks at him, splashing a bit of water at him as she scrubs.

He shuts his eyes to keep the soapy water out of them, his glasses offering no such protection due to being on the ground several feet away. “No, not really. It wasn’t something I took lightly.”

This earns him another splash even as the mare chuckles. “Careful ya don’t overuse those puns of yers. Gotta save some for Ash.”

“Oh, please. She’s living with me now. Give it three days, and she’ll be holding my own knives to my throat to get me to stop making them.” He rolls his eyes, but smiles a bit despite himself.

“Why would I do that?” She pops up right in front of him, her horns jabbing his nose and causing him to yelp in surprise. “I like your jokes, Mister Solstice.”

He rubs at his nose, checking to see if it’s begun bleeding; thankfully, all seems clear. “Jokes get old over time. And sooner or later, I start repeating them. You’ll get bored of them eventually.” He slowly smirks. “But I think I know a different way to make you laugh that won’t become boring.”

“I doubt they’d get boring, Mister Solstice. Besides, if you want to try the other way… you’ll have to catch me!” She giggles, jumping back into the water and splashing him.

Applejack just shakes her head, finishing up the stallion. “Just dunk and ya should be all good.”

With a nod to the farmer, Winter dunks his head under the water for a second before coming back up with a yelp, scrubbing furiously at his eyes.

“Now how is it you go under once and get hurt while she’s under constantly and hasn’t had a problem?” She offers him a clean washcloth, which he gratefully takes and wipes his eyes out with. “Good, now comes the hard part… catching her so we can wash her.”

“Got a plan for that?” the unicorn asks, rather loudly. “The only ideas I can come up with are soak-complicated.” He gets a splash in the face for his choice of words, and bubbles start floating to the surface. Quickly, he lights his horn and grabs just underneath the surface where the bubbles are coming from, latching onto a certain filly and pulling her up to fresh air. “Got her.”

Ash keeps on laughing, coughing and gasping for air in between but otherwise alright. “There’s the cutie. Now hold still…” AJ dunks the washcloth, starting to clean the now-squirming filly’s coat. She starts pushing the mare’s hoof away, whining softly.

Winter paddles over and puts a hoof on the filly, trying to be comforting. “Don’t worry, Ash...just let her wash you off, and you’ll be back to normal. Won’t take more than a minute.”

She looks up at him, frowning softly. “R-really? They’ll… they’ll go back down?”

He nods with a smile. “It got rid of my glowy problem, didn’t it?”

The young pony slowly nods, poking his chest with a hoof. “I liked when you were shiny… I didn’t need a nightlight…”

“But do you really need a nightlight?” He nuzzles her. “You’ve got myself and Merc right there. Light or dark, you’re safe as can be.”

“I… I suppose you’re right…” She sighs and turns to the farmer, eyes closed. “You… you can wash me, Miss Applejack…” The unicorn turns to the farmer as well, smiling and giving a nod to continue.

“Well shoot, while ya’ll were sitting there chattin’, Ah almost finished up with you.” She sets the cloth to the side, grabbing the brush. “All that’s left is mane and tail.” The mare gently starts scrubbing the filly’s mane. “Not quite so bad, is it?”

Ash hums softly, leaning into the pony’s hoof. “Nnnno… that’s nice…”

Applejack laughs quietly. “Other world or not… all of ya are the same…”

“Adorable, isn’t she?” Winter smiles as he gives the filly the best hug he can without disturbing Applejack’s work.

“That she is…” Easily finishing her mane, AJ moves to her tail. “Try ta hold still even if it tickles.”

The green pony looks down at her, chuckling brightly. “My tail’s not ticklish…”

“No, but I’m willing to bet your belly is,” Winter interrupts with a grin, lifting a hoof dangerously. Ash squeaks, her hindlegs rising up to protect her belly, causing the stallion to chuckle. “Thought so.” He slowly moves his hoof in.

“Done!” Applejack announces, suddenly letting the filly go and subtly nudging her in the stallion’s direction.

Before anything else can happen, she leaps out of the tub, moving behind the farmer and shoving her into the tub. She runs around the corner, leaving the two of them to soak in the tub.

With her now-wet mane covering her face, AJ sits there. “That… did not work out like Ah expected.”

“Rarely anything does when I’m involved.” Winter shrugs, rubbing his eyes to clear them from the water that got on his face. When he manages to get them open and sees how the earth pony mare looks, he immediately starts cracking up.

She wipes her mane away so she can see, giving him a small stink eye even as she smirks. “And what is so funny?”

“N-Nothing...” he manages out, still laughing as he leans against the side of the tub to stay afloat. His laughter quickly fades away when he realizes how close to the farmer he is, not to mention both of them soaking wet. His face goes red.

She quirks an eyebrow at this before her hoof suddenly shoots to his head and dunks him under. “Cool off, there sugarcube.” Chuckling to herself, she steps out of the tub, shaking herself relatively dry. “We’ve got a filly to find.”

The unicorn sputters as he resurfaces, scrubbing at his face again. “W-Will you quit it with the water in the eyes?!” He clambers out of the tub and falls facefirst onto the grass, still mostly blinded. “I don’t wear glasses for looks, you know!”

A towel flops over his head. “Then think about that next time.” She dries off his face, being careful around his eyes. “There, see? No harm done.”

“Right, no harm...” Once he can see again, he turns and begins shaking himself out much like the earth pony had done, making sure to get as much condensation as possible onto her. He smirks playfully.

“Careful there, it ain’t a rope, but Ah think Ah can make do.” She cracks the towel at him, chuckling.

He quirks an eyebrow, his smirk remaining. “So you’re saying you want to use rope on me? I’d rather you didn’t. That brings up bad memories.” Behind his joking face, his left eye twitches ever so slightly, and he turns away as though regretting mentioning it.

The next thing he feels is a soft nuzzle. “Sorry about bringin’ it up then. Come on, a good cutie chase will help get yer mind off things.” She bumps him lightly.

“Right...let’s hope-” He gets cut off as a red fruit suddenly falls from above him, getting speared perfectly on his horn. He winces, freezing in place. “...ow...”

“Bullseye!” The filly pokes her head over the edge of the barn roof, smiling brightly. Her grin slowly fades at the look on his face, however. “...Mister Solstice? Are you alright?”

Slowly, the unicorn reaches up with a hoof and pulls the apple off of his horn, letting it fall to the grass as he tries to wipe the juice off. His voice when he speaks is clearly restrained; what emotion he’s holding back, however, is unclear. “...perfectly...fine...”

She whines, her ears flattening against her head. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to hurt you…”

“Didn’t...hurt me.” He shudders. “...much.”

Applejack looks up at Ash, tapping the ground in front of her. “Get down here, it ain’t safe up there.”

“I… okay…” She turns and moves away from the edge, the few apples next to her rolling down over the eaves. They mostly land on the farmer and the stallion’s back, the latter barely reacting. The filly shows up around the edge of the barn a minute later, a mug of something balancing on her head. She carefully walks it over to the cobalt pony. “Will this make up for it?”

The mare simply watches, curious how he’ll react. He finally makes a proper movement, looking down and smiling awkwardly. “Th-thanks, Ash...” He picks the mug up with his hooves, noticeably not making use of his magic. “Sorry...it’s just...my horn’s pretty sensitive. Like a funny bone, but even worse.” He takes a sip.

“Oh…” She looks up at his sticky horn, frowning slightly. “...should we clean it up? Or… would it be sensitive to that, too?”

He blinks, then shrugs. “I can clean it up myself, but thanks for the offer. Unicorn horns are...not something other ponies touch very often.” He squirms a bit and takes another sip to avoid continuing the conversation.

“Hmm…” Kicking the towel over to Ash, Applejack walks to the tub and comes back with a small cup of water. “Win, close yer eyes.”

Blinking, the stallion puts his mug on the ground and shuts his eyes. “I don’t like where this is going.”

Without another second wasted, she soaks his head. “Yer havin’ ta get dried off too much today.” She nods to Ash, who tosses the towel over his horn. The filly then tries to dry it, but her hooves only reach his muzzle from where she’s standing. Cracking his eyes open and noticing this, the unicorn kneels down to give her a better reach, which she readily takes advantage of, carefully cleaning his horn with the clean(ish) cloth.

“Thanks, you two,” Winter says after a moment once his horn is clean. “Sorry for freezing up like that...hope I didn’t worry you.”

Applejack laughs. “Nah, ya’ll got yer quirks just like everypony else.”

“Quirks...yeah, that’s one way to put it.” He chuckles. “A lot nicer than what others call them.”

Ash speaks up, gently nuzzling his chest. “Those ponies don’t appreciate them, then.”

“Yeah, but we do.” AJ scoops up the filly and sets her on top of Winter’s head. “Now, who’s up for a bit of fun in town?” The young pony eagerly raises her hoof, as does the unicorn with another chuckle. “Well then,” she flicks the stallion’s flank with her tail, “get along there, Win!”

Winter jumps at the unexpected flick and trots along at a brisk pace, doing his best to stay ahead of the farmer so she can’t see his massive blush.

Stealthy Shades #42

The next day, the married stallion and nymph of Stealth team start their first normal day after their mission. Of course, naturally the first thing that happens is an awakening by their two youngest foals bouncing on their bed to get them up, but they can’t complain too much. Soon after breakfast though, it becomes apparent that the parents have something planned. They lead all three of their offspring towards town, Serene riding on her father, Mystic riding on Gel, and Ruby just between the two.

The navy nymph gently nudges her daughter with her nose, directing her away from an oncoming pony. Come on, Ruby. Just a little further.

The filly whines softly, her ears twitching as if to dislodge the objects put inside them. "Why do I have to have these? I mean, I know you're taking me somewhere... the blindfold was enough to tell me that... but why earplugs?"

Rhino responds through the mental link they established, not nearly as difficult as one might imagine given that changelings can do this instinctually by nature and Ruby was half changeling. Because it’s a surprise and I know that many surprises can be ruined by the pony being able to recognize the sounds.

She frowns, turning to where she thinks her father is. "I was hoping you wouldn't have thought of that..."

The mare she is actually facing stops at this, looking up from a brochure with a confused expression. "...huh?"

Smiling apologetically at the mare, the stallion simply motions back to his oldest daughter. "Taking her to a surprise." The mare giggles and nods, heading on her way. With a small tug of magic as he hears the gentle giggle of his other daughter reading up onto his head, Rhino faces Ruby towards him and back on track. While it may have been my idea to use earplugs, I only thought of conventional ones. Your brilliant mother was the one who suggested we borrow some of Vinyl's special ones.

"Remind me to thank her." Ruby sighs quietly, shaking her head. "This is almost exactly like my first invisibility spell... unable to see a single thing..."

Chuckling, the stallion muses. Well, little prodigy or not, I don't think you could have been expected to know about the one-way inverse portion of that spell.

As he watches his dad converse mentally with Ruby, Mystic climbs partially onto Gel's head, snuggling into her mane. "Hey, Mom? How come you and Dad always talk to each other in your heads, but none of us do?"

"Who says we always talk to each other that way?" She flicks an ear, giggling softly. "We speak with each other like I'm speaking with you right now. We only use telepathy when it's necessary." ...most of the time.

"Hmm..." The colt looks over to his aqua twin, thinking to himself. "How come you don't talk to Serene, Ruby, and me like that then?"

Gel shrugs slightly, careful not to make the young pony fall off. "We use it when it's necessary, like I said. Like now, for instance, when she can't hear us otherwise."

"So... Could me and Serene do that with each other?" Sensing she was being mentioned, the twin in question looks over quizzically from her own parent transportation.

"I... honestly don't know. Your sister couldn't do it," the nymph shrugs, turning to look at her son while nonchalantly nudging Ruby from her course towards a cart of pitchforks, "but with you two being twins, there might be a chance, I suppose."

"That'd be cool..." His voice trails off as he looks in front of them, his eyes widening. "Woah..."

A town-wide carnival appears to be in full swing. Games, prizes, and all manor of fun times are spread throughout the area. However, in the middle of all this chaos is an area that fewer ponies are in, a couple of tables are present with cake, ice cream, and party hats for all. Tied down balloons strategically placed form a colorful outline of the area, marking it as special.

Serene's eyes are as wide as her twin's as she speaks. "What is this?"

"This is the fair Pinkie planned... and the party for your older sister's birthday." She winks and turns to the eldest of her kids, removing the blindfold and earplugs. "Surprise, Ruby!"

She blinks, her eyes quickly adjusting to the light and focusing on the bright, colorful buildings before her. She stands there, completely silent, long enough for her mother to start growing concerned. Just as the nymph opens her mouth to speak, the filly darts forward, squealing with an excitement and energy that would get Pinkie to do a double-take.

Rhino chuckles, going forward at the same walking pace. Looking toward his wife, he smiles happily. “Been a while since I’ve seen something that garnered that much of a reaction from her. Still adorable.”

"True... though I seem to remember you being the center of those reactions." The navy nymph smirks, playfully bumping his side. "Promise you won't be jealous, love?"

Watching Ruby run around, he smiles. "I think I've gotten better, at least a little, about that." He levitates his youngest daughter down so that he holds her in his foreleg. "Plus, I've got three of them plus you in my life to make happy now. I've got nothing to be jealous of." He nuzzles the aqua filly lovingly, looking away from his oldest a moment.

Gel smiles, leaning close and gently kissing his cheek. "That's so sweet, love..." She glances at where the pink filly was, blinking and faltering slightly. "...but I think we just lost track of Ruby..."

“Well, it’s her party, probably fine if she wanders off to mingle with her friends for a bit. I’m sure she’s fine...” He mentally hopes he will not regret saying that out loud.

Gel simply shrugs, turning to the younger ponies they are carrying. "It may be a bit before we get cake. Would you two like some corn to tide you over for a bit?"

Mystic nods, smiling and hugging his mother. “Yeah! Thanks Mom!”

Serene nods as well, not saying anything as she leans against her father while looking out at everything.

The nymph smiles warmly, leading her family over to the tent with the food. As she does, she turns one last thought to her husband. I sure hope they have cream puffs…

As do I… mainly so I can watch you react like a little filly to them. He chuckles, following.

She sticks out her tongue at him in mock annoyance. Don’t make me withhold our nightly rendezvous from you.

Ruby wanders through the stalls, eyes wide in foal-like wonder. She giggles as she sees a clown entertaining young fillies and colts, juggling, painting faces, and making jokes, among other things. She even saw a booth where ponies dipped their hooves in wax and got it colored. She winces slightly, wondering whether or not that could hurt someone.

Her attention gets caught by a pony on stilts, sidestepping to avoid getting smacked in the face. She cranes her neck so she can see who is upon the unusual hoofwear, wondering if Pinkie had loaned them to someone she knew.

Unfortunately, her thought process is interrupted as she plows into somepony. A masculine grunt comes the pony in question. The silver nymph next to him giggles, turning and rubbing the filly’s head. “You know, you could’ve just called out to us, Pinchy.”

The filly flinches slightly at the name. “Ruby’s fine, Dior.” She squeaks as the tall changeling frowns at her. “Um… I-I mean nana.”

Dior smiles warmly. “Was that so hard?”

The red earth stallion brushes the fur on his chest straight as he chuckles. “You two and your names, I’m fine with just being called Hydro by everyone… even those who run into me and don’t say they’re sorry.”

Ruby sheepishly grins at him. “Sorry… I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going…” She turns to look at the stilt-walking pony. “I was too busy watching… who is that, exactly?”

“No idea… a pony with good balance apparently.” Hydro shrugs, reaching over and mussing Ruby’s mane a little. “And apology accepted. I knew you were sorry, but it’s good to make sure you say it out loud.”

The filly pouts, looking up at her friend. “That’s not very nice…” Her expression slowly turns into a smile as a thought occurs. “...grandpa.”

He shivers. “Ugh… I’m way too young to be a grandpa… but if I did say, marry your grandmother and become your grandpa that way, it would be my duty to make sure you were a polite filly to everypony. Coincidentally, that’s what I, as Uncle Hydro, did.”

“Okay, paw paw.” She giggles, standing on the tip of her hooves to peek over their shoulders. “So… where are Evergreen and Sparky?”

“Well, seeing as it’s their friend’s party, we let them wander around a bit.” The stallion chuckles. “Not sure where Sparky will be at around here, but I’ll bet Evergreen is right beside her… unless he found the twins. If that happened, then all three of them are off somewhere giving everyone within a 5 yard radius heart attacks.”

“No, Serene and Mystic are still with mom. No danger of d’aww induced heart attacks today.” Ruby laughs quietly, gesturing to them. “So, what were you two up to?”

“We just returned from the, uh…” Dior pauses, unsure. “Well… somehow, Pinkie installed a temporary Tunnel of Love… and I still can’t figure out how she’s planning on getting it packed back up. But that’s where we just came from.”

Hydro shakes his head. “I’m still not sure about the part meant to make couples hold each other… especially that ‘based on a real cave experience’ sign at the end of it.”

The filly stares at them for a moment before quirking an eyebrow. “Let me guess. You jumped into nana’s embrace?”

“No!” he denies. “The jumping and embracing was mutual.”

She holds up a hoof. “Then why are you the only one shaking at the mention of it?”

“Because you’re seeing things in your little party induced happiness.” His tone is completely serious.

She pats his shoulder, chuckling playfully. “Keep telling yourself that. I’m going to see what else there is around here.” She rushes off, excited to see who and what else she might find.

They watch her go before the nymph turns to her husband, bemused. “I thought for sure she’d believe you…” She glances around before lowering her voice, nervous. “Thank you for covering for me, though… I didn’t think it’d be that scary…”

“She had a giant three-eyed bat,” he whispers back, “I think anypony is allowed to be scared by that.” He leans over, nuzzling her and kissing her cheek. “And you’re welcome, my queen.”

“Thank you…” She giggles, kissing him back. “...though I don’t understand why you weren’t that scared…”

He chuckles, but rubs the back of his head sheepishly. “Well, you probably know what I was actually looking at for most of the ride. I actually missed the scary part until you screamed and jumped on me, and by that point I had other things to worry about.”

Dior smirks, walking to one side. “You flatter me.” She wraps her tail around one of his hooves, gently tugging him to follow her. “Maybe I should… reward you for your kind words?”

He smiles, following. “You know I’ve never been one to turn down a reward from you, especially with how creative you are with them.” She winks slyly, leading him behind a booth, away from prying eyes.

Ruby glances around, hoping to see another familiar face among the crowd. After ten minutes, however, her hopes are starting to dwindle. With a sigh, she moves to a food cart, asking the pony inside for some cotton candy. “May as well eat something…”

Soon enough, the stallion inside the cart gives the treat to her. She happily takes a bite of the pink, fluffy confection, humming happily to herself. A voice interrupts her after a moment. “Really? All this stuff set up for your party, and you sit there eating cotton candy?”

The filly nearly chokes on her mouthful, coughing forcefully before turning to the golden pegasus next to her, pouting softly. “Goldie! I thought you knew better than to sneak up on ponies like that!”

“I thought I did well… I didn’t hug you yet.” Her purple eyes twinkle to show that she could easily remedy that.

Ruby huffs, playfully rolling her eyes and pulling her best friend close. “C’mere, you silly filly.” She happily hugs her, a hoof poking at one of her wings. “So how’ve you been? It’s been, what, a month since I’ve seen you?”

“A week.” Goldie corrects. “But it felt like a month when you weren’t there when the rest of us stayed at my place!” She hugs her tightly with wings and hooves. “That means you get both ‘birthday’ hugs and ‘I missed you’ hugs.”

“A week is too long for one of your hugs.” The pink pony giggles, smiling warmly at the pegasus. “So, how’s your flying going? Did you make it above the rooftops, this time?”

Rolling her eyes and nuzzling her friend, the golden mare responds in both a sarcastic and sweet voice. “Yep! Been flying over to your place and peeking into your second story window every day to see if you snuck back!”

Ruby’s smile falters slightly, and her expression slowly turns solemn. “I couldn’t sneak back. Taking this job is like giving my word…” She bites her lip, embarrassed. “Sorry… I know you’ve heard me say my little spiel a number of times. Probably tired of it by now.”

Goldie gives her a little nip on the ear to knock out any bad feelings. “Hey, I’m just teasing you. You aren’t allowed to be sad on your birthday!”

At that point, Ruby surprises the other mare by flipping her onto her back and pinning her with a hoof. “I know. I had to get your guard down somehow, though!” She blinks, quickly turning to the food cart stallion with a fierce blush. “Not like that, perv!”

Trying to lift her friend’s hoof off her, Goldie smiles nonetheless. “Looks like you’re right on form today. Why do I have to be pinned, though? If you leave me like this for no reason, you know I’m going to get you later.”

“Why? You do it to me all the time.” She sticks her tongue out at her. “I just decided to make the first move, this time.” She laughs quietly, bringing her cotton candy close to the pegasus. “Want some?”

“... I suppose cotton candy is worth being pinned for.” Leaning up, she takes a big bite of the fluff, ripping it away so that the mass of pink covers half her face as she starts to work her way through it. After a moment, her voice comes from behind the sugary mass. “Mom would have a fit if she saw this.”

“Why? It’s just two friends having fun.” Her ear twitches at the chuckle from the cart, but she chooses to ignore it this time. “If you promise to come with me as my guest to the Heroes’ Ball, I may let you up.”

Eating the rest of her cotton candy in silence, a quick task given its melts in one’s mouth, the pegasus swallows and looks at her friend seriously. “Are you asking me to be your date to a dance?”

“In a sense, I suppose. I prefer to think of it as friends hanging out, though.” She smiles, holding out the hoof not holding her friend down. “What do you say, Goldie?”

“An excuse to dress up as formal and fancy as possible while still maintaining the comfort of beings with my friends…” Her hoof claps into her friend’s. “You bet your birthday flank I’m in.”

“Yay!” She squeals, raising both hooves to her cheeks. “Oh, this is so great! I’ll get to spend more time with my best friend - that’ll make the party less boring!” She pauses, considering something a moment. “...maybe I should let my parents know I decided who my plus one is?”

Getting up and dusting herself off, Goldie giggles. “No rush on that. You’ve got the biggest party ever to still enjoy, right? Should we see if we can find any of the others?”

“Sure! Think we could go do some games at the same time?” Ruby grins, excited at the thought of playing something.

“Yes!” The pegasus thrusts a hoof into the air dramatically. “We shall win all the plushie prizes!”

“Then let’s go!” Her stomach rumbles, causing her to blush. “...after I get something more to eat?”

“Hmm…” Goldie thinks for a moment. “To the blooming onion stall!”

“Agreed! Just one question.” She turns as they walk away, frowning in confusion. “What’s a blooming onion?”

Ruby walks along next to her friend, her head close to the ground. “...I didn’t think it’d have to do with actual onions… at least they had fried pickles...”

“What’s wrong with onions?” Goldie asks, still tasting the treat in her mouth and knowing it will be hanging around for a while. “The whole thing was pretty much onions rings… but sticks instead of rings.”

“I don’t know. The texture just strikes me the wrong way.” She shakes her head. “Let’s forget about that for now. Which game do you want to try first?”

“How about…” The pegasus points to a nearby stand. “The ring toss to start? They have a green bear plushie that I have my eye on.”

The unicorn stops, raising an eyebrow at this. “Don’t you have a closet full of them? And I thought you prefered foxes?”

“Sometimes you just need a plushie bigger than you that you can hug or curl up against.” She nudges her friend with her hip. “If you find a stall with bear-sized foxes, let me know.”

“You mean like the ones at the strength tester?” She gestures off in the distance. “I think I saw some on the way in…”

Goldie’s ears immediately stick straight up as she yank her head in the direction of the indicated stall. As she lifts her hoof though, she stops and takes a breath. “No… it’s your day. We get the prize you want first, then we get my new snuggle buddy.”

“Well… how about we go play a game on the way over?” She shrugs. “I don’t have a specific prize in mind, anyways.”

“Not even at that one that has hats?” She points to a ball throwing stall with racks of headwear on the back wall.

She blinks, turning to glance at the stall. “...fedoras are cool…” She nods, walking over and pulling her friend after her. “Hi! I want that cute black fedora. What do I have to do to get it?”

The mare running the stall motions to the three tracks at different heights behind her. “When I start the game, just throw the balls at the timberwolf targets, avoid the rabbit ones, and get a high score. Three bits per round, hooves only, each round lasts one minute. For the one you want… looks like you’ll need to get at least thirty points.”

“Thirty points?” The pink filly tilts her head, curious. “So… could we play together and pool our points, afterwards?”

The stall pony shakes her head, but then stops and thinks. “Tell you what, if you both go and don’t get close to thirty,then you can try again with a combined score. I want to see if you can do it on your own skill at first.”

“That seems reasonable.” Goldie comments.

Ruby raises a hoof, much like a schoolfilly would when asking their teacher a question. “Would we be able to get something with the first try’s points?”

The mare chuckles. “Of course. You did pay for the attempt after all. You’ll probably just have to get one of the lesser prizes.”

“Deal.” She places six bits on the counter, grabbing a ball in both forehooves and her magic. “When do we start?”

“When I pull this.” The mare pulls a lever, the machine instantly whirring to life behind her as targets begin moving down the lines. The targets seem to be a random order or both timberwolves and rabbits, the middle line going the opposite direction of the top and lower ones. She taps a button on the oversized stopwatch clock on the wall, the hand starting to tick down.

Ruby springs into action, tossing balls as quickly as she could pick them up. Most of her shots go high, and a couple hit bunnies. A fair number hit the timberwolves, though her enthusiasm seems to be getting the better of her as she ends up tossing a ball where one used to be.

The stall owner just smiles as she watches, tapping one of two buttons on her counting device whenever Ruby hits a target. After the minute passes, she looks bemused at the filly. “Well, you certainly look like you had fun.”

She stops with a ball in her hoof, panting quietly. “Yeah. I did.” She giggles, tossing it to her friend. “How did I do?”

Looking down at her counter, the mare answers. “Well, considering timberwolves are worth one point are bunnies are minus one point… you got 12 points total at the end. Not bad for a first try.”

Her ears droop at this. “Oh… well, I guess I could’ve been worse…” She tilts her head, looking at the prizes before pointing at one of the tiny plush toys. “Could I have that? Or do I not have enough points?”

“Actually that’s a five point prize. You could technically get two.” The stall pony smiles.

“Could I get a squirrel and a kitty one, then?” She smiles at the mare, hopeful. “I have a couple friends who may appreciate them…”

“Well, I hope they like them then.” Grabbing a long hoof in her mouth, the mare neatly nabs the plushes from their shelf and onto the counter. “There you are, enjoy!”

“Thank you!” She moves the toys to the side, wanting to give her friend room for her attempt.

Goldie steps up for her turn next, eyes determined as she pays her bits and picks up the balls. The machine is started and the round begins. Overall, the pegasus is slower than her unicorn friend, but to her credit, she only hits a bunny once and more of her total shots hit timberwolves. Her pile of remaining ammo is significantly higher than Ruby’s was by the time the clock runs out.

“Time.” The stall mare announces, checking her score. “Well done, little miss. You got a very solid 20 points. You can get all but the highest tier prize with a score like that.”

Goldie turns to her friend. “Sorry… Guess it still wasn’t enough.” Turning back to the mare, she thinks for a moment. “Umm… can I have that white beret?”

“You sure can.” A moment later the hat lands on the counter.

The yellow mare picks it up, setting it on her head and adjusting it a little. “How do I look, Ruby?”

“You look great!” She giggles, poking at it with a hoof. “Wish I could still see your fluffy ears, though.”

Goldie adjusts the hat a little more until one of her ears pops out. “Better?”

“Yep!” The unicorn tickles it with the same forehoof, beaming brightly before nodding to the top shelf. “Think I’ll look good in that fedora?”

“Your dad seems to pull off the look very well, maybe it’s in your genes.” She giggles, flicking her ear to try and get it away from the hoof.

“Maybe…” She turns to the stall owner, smiling warmly. “How much for both of us to play at the same time, Miss?”

“Same price as before, I’ll just keep the score from one of you when the other goes.” She replies simply.

“Alrighty, then!” She puts another half-dozen bits on the counter, turning to her friend. “Would you like to go first, this time?”

“Sure!.” Goldie picks up a ball, hefting it a few times as she focuses, her purple bat wings half spreading as she does so. “Bring it.”

The round that follows is an obvious improvement. The pegasus actually manages to not hit any rabbits, and though she misses a few times, she gets off more shots overall than she did the first time. The stall pony doesn’t say the score afterward, simply resetting everything and looking at Ruby expectantly.

She nods, picking up the balls once more and tossing once the signal’s given. She is much more reserved this time, taking care to line up shots while still throwing a good number. She completely misses the rabbits, but none of her shots miss this time, her reigned-in excitement helping quite a bit.

As the targets all lay down, the mare looks down at her counter, one eyebrow raising. “Well, didn’t expect that… you girls got 45 points together. Congratulations! You could pick out a couple of great prizes with that.”

“Yay! I’d like the fedora,” she nudges her friend’s side playfully, “and Goldie can use the rest of the points as she pleases.” She tilts her head, holding up a hoof. “Actually… do you have any foxes? She likes foxes.”

“Hmm…” The mare looks over her stock for a moment before smiling and bringing down a relatively simple chain necklace with a metal fox silhouette as the main attraction. “How’s this?”

“Perfect! I want that!” Goldie hops in place as the mare sets both the hat and necklace down, snatching up the accessory and putting it around her neck. “Cool…”

Ruby giggles, putting on her hat and placing the plush toys on her back. “Shall we go play that strength test game, now? Or would you prefer to continue fawning over your fox necklace?”

“I can fawn over multiple things at once, thank you.” She flicks her friend with her silky tail, walking off with the kind of strut a model would have. “Now let us go enjoy the rest of the fair before your party officially begins.”

“Yeah!” She beams, hurrying to catch up with the pegasus. She soon is right next to her, leaning close and whispering in her ear. “More so since I have no idea when that is...”

“I don’t know either,” Goldie whispers back, “but I think this is one of those when we’ll know it when it happens.”

“Let’s hope so.” She clears her throat and gestures forward, a playful smile on her lips. “On to your large fox plushie?”

“Yes, onward!” Goldie thrusts her hoof forward as they walk. “And be sure to let me know if you spot something you want to win so you have a new snuggle buddy like I will.”

Ruby laughs, bumping her friend’s side. “Don’t worry, I will.” Her ear twitches as the sound of a bell reaches her ear. “I think we’re close… that sounded like it was just around the corner.”

A familiar southern twang reaches their ears next. “Respectable effort, but let me show ya how it’s done.” They round the corner just in time to see the local orange farm mare give a mighty buck to the target at the base of a strength test machine. Both the kick and the resulting clang of the bell send a thump through the air.

“Pfft! That all you got? You barely even reached it!” A light blue pegasus with a rainbow mane, just as familiar to bystanders as the orange earth pony, gestures at the setup with a hoof, grinning confidently.

Snorting, AJ retorts. “Like ya’ll did any better, sugarcube. Ah don’t see a winner yet, so don’t go actin’ high n’ mighty.”

"Not to interrupt," the pony running the game says, "but you've been at this for a while, now." She picks up a quill, striking another line on a parchment before her. "And neither of you have paid for any of your plays, yet."

“Yeah yeah, we’ll get to that!” Rainbow waves the pony off, not breaking eye contact with her rival. “How about this, AJ? One more go, loser pays for us both?”

“Yer on!” Applejack scuffs her hoof against the ground challengingly.

Grinning, the pegasus steps up to the strength test machine once more. Turning and crouching in front of it, she curls her back legs up and slams them into the target. The bell clangs loudly, and she steps away with a smirk. “Good luck beating that!”

“Heh.” The farm mare smirks confidently. Marching up to the machine, she once again uses her years of applebucking to give it a good kick. As the bell rings once more, she looks to the audience, scanning it for a familiar face. Finally, she notices a particular unicorn stallion, who had been watching the entire event. “Who do ya think won, Win?”

'I think he's thinking the same thing as me.' The silver fox on the stallion's back shakes his head. 'Not a bloody clue... and I'm just fucking bored. No offense.'

Winter looks up at the fox with a glare, muttering to him quietly. “Just because only I can hear you doesn’t give you cursing privileges.” Mercury's only response is to yawn and drape himself over the unicorn's head.

A high pitched sound goes through the air, Ruby looking next to her only to find her golden friend gone and now next to the blue stallion. Her eyes are wide as she focuses not on the pony, but on the small silver creature on his head. She lets out another high pitched squeal as she coos happily. “Oh my gosh, he’s so cute! He looks so soft, and that color, oh! Can I touch him? Can I hold him? Please?”

Winter picks the little fox up in his magic and lowers him to the filly, smirking to himself. “Feel free. Just be careful with him. He’s a fragile little thing.”

As she gingerly, if a little shakily due to excitement, picks him up, Goldie responds. “I would never dream of harming such an adorable little creature.” Her smile is wide as she lifts him up in her forehooves, touching her nose to his. “Hello there, you handsome little vulpine…”

He blinks, looking up at her drowsily. '...oh hey... an angel...' The fox chuckles, happily nuzzling the pony's cheek, tails swishing as he peeks at his friend. 'See, Win? This filly knows how to treat a fox.' The unicorn in question just chuckles, shaking his head.

She giggles, tucking him against her chest and nuzzling him. “Aww… are you tired?” Looking down, she notices his twin tails, causing her to stop and blink. “Well… aren’t you a special one?” She only nuzzles him more, giggling happily as her tail swishes.

Smiling, Winter briefly looks away from the adorable scene back at the two mares who had been competing for the past hour. “Sorry, what was the question? I got distracted.”

"It was who you thought won and who has to foot the bill." The game pony flashes him a small, strained smile. "Please hurry. There's others who'd like to play."

“Oh, sorry. Uh...” The unicorn glances between the competitors, then at the strength test machine, then back to the two. “...Applejack won.”

Rainbow groans. “Well obviously he’s gonna say that! Can we get an unbiased opinion in here?”

“What do ya mean, ‘biased’? Win’s an honest pony!” AJ defends.

'Then why can't he be honest about his feelings?'

Flustered, the unicorn covers his face with a hoof, whispering to the fox. “Not. The. Time.”

"You want an unbiased opinion?" A voice comes from above them, where a pegasus leans on a makeshift cloud balcony. "Winter was completely right. Applejack won."

“What?!” Rainbow glares up at the balcony, squinting as the sun gets in her eye. “Who’s up there?”

"You really don't know?" The pony shrugs, jumping over the ledge and landing in the middle of them. "I guess you just forgot my voice, huh?"

Rainbow blinks before her expression softens. “Oh, hey E. Yeah, that and the sun was in my eyes...” She pauses, then glares again. “Never mind that! How do you know AJ won? We both hit the bell!”

"Simply put, it was how hard the bell rang." He smirks playfully at her. "You may have been faster, but you kept stopping a bit short. She rang the bell one decibel louder." The burgundy pegasus shrugs, walking around the prismatic pony. "If you'd followed through properly, you might've won... or AJ might've stopped holding back." He levels his gaze at the mare in question. "Am I correct?"

The farmer looks back at the machine. “Well, it’s not like Ah’m tryin’ to break the thing… gotta reign it in a bit.”

"I don't know if you could break it." He gestures to the top. "That bell's reinforced by steel bracers. Top-grade stuff, too."

“Oh…” She turns to the mare who owns the piece of equipment. “Sorry fer underestimating yer machine here, then.”

"It's none of my business how you play." She glances at the blue pegasus, holding out a hoof. "That'll be fifty-four bits."

Rainbow groans, fishing around in her saddlebags for her bits. “There goes everything I brought with me...” She retrieves her pouch of money. As she turns back to the counter, she finds another bag already there.

Right next to it is the same burgundy pegasus. "Fifty-four, plus some more." He turns to the mares behind him, quirking an eyebrow. "...I can play now, right?"

“Shoot, don’t let us stop ya.” AJ laughs, motioning to the pony next to her. “Ah gotta get RD’s jaw off the floor so we can see what else is around.”

"You girls go do that." He turns and pats the other pegasus on the head. "And you're welcome, Dashie." Enigma stands there a moment longer, waiting for some reaction. When none comes, he frowns, tapping her on the nose. "Did Tank's speed rub off on you?"

Snapping out of it, the mare jolts back from his hoof, looking a little annoyed. “Can you not?” She glances to the game pony and sighs. “Thanks, though...come on, AJ. Let’s go.” Flapping her wings, she takes to hovering in the air and starts heading away from the strength test.

He shrugs, chuckling to himself. "I wish I had recorded that... Vi's never gonna believe me." He takes his place in front of the game, raising just one hindleg and touching it to the target. The ringer bounces up an inch, and he nods. "Decent responsiveness..." He pulls his hoof away, simply holding it in the air a few inches away.

The mare running the game looks at him curiously. “Working yourself up to it?”

"No... just thinking." He glances at her. "That, and waiting for a signal to start... by the way, that testing tap didn't count, did it?"

“Nah.” She waves a hoof casually. “Just go whenever you want, long as you don’t take too long.”

The pegasus nods, then takes a breath. He pulls his hoof close to his body and kicks, sending the ringer about three-fourths the way up. The burgundy pony looks at this and chuckles, thinking out loud. "Just enough for a plush toy..."

“Yep.” She motions to the rack of them she has. “Pick one you like.”

He tilts his head to one side before tucking his head beneath a wing. "Any preference?"

Cotton’s voice quietly comes out of his bag. “Can I have a bunny?”

He peeks out between his feathers before whispering his response. "Consider it done." He straightens back up, pointing to the lone bunny, up on the top shelf. "Can I get that one, Miss?"

“Unfortunately, no. That particular prize is reserved for those that ring the bell, which would have been those mares, but they seemed more interested in the competition aspect that the prize one.” She points to the bell. “So, ring that, and it’s yours.”

"...huh." He tilts his head, staring up at the top of the game. "Well... it just has to be near the edge..." He shakes his head, pointing to one of the foxes. "Can I have that for my previous try, first?"

“Sure thing. Any of them in particular?” She motions to the various colors she has.

"Pink. And put it in my saddlebag, please?" He takes them off and sets himself up, closing his eyes and focusing. "Keep control of yourself... mustn't let your nerves get the better of you..."

“Oh, for...” The hour of standing in the same spot and watching the same game finally catches up to Winter, and he snaps. “Just kick it as hard as you can! It’s not that hard!”

His concentration shattered, Enigma does what anyone does when startled. In a knee-jerk reaction, his hindleg kicks out and slams against the target, denting the edge of the metal plate. The ringer goes up faster than the eye can follow, connecting with the bell and not only fusing against it but launching it up into the air, shattering the mahogany of the strength tester's back.

The pegasus snaps his attention to the sky, eyes flashing olive before he realizes what happened. "...crap."

'He gets to curse but I don't? How's that fair?!'

“‘Crap’ is not a curse word,” Winter replies through gritted teeth. “Even if it was, he doesn’t live under my roof with my rules.”

The fox whines, resting his head on Goldie's foreleg. 'Fine...'

The golden pegasus leans down, nuzzling him softly. “Aww… what’s wrong, little one? What do you need?”

His tails slowly wag, and he looks up at her. '...would asking for your number be too much? Win really needs a tutor on kindness towards foxes.'

“I’ve been standing here for over an hour while you got to lie on my back and yap into my ear,” the unicorn hisses at the fox. “I am slightly aggravated and I would expect you to realize this.”

'Is that why you sound like a dryer?'

“Yes.”

He stares at his friend a second. '...you should try yoga.' Mercury glances up at the sky, ears twitching. 'How high do you think that went to not be down yet?'

Winter looks up as well, squinting. “...high enough that it’s probably either stuck in a cloud, or travelling in orbit around our planet. Either way, I think E just put this vendor out of business for the day.”

'Probably.' He snuggles back into the crook of the filly's foreleg. 'Wake me up when we get to the cake...'

“Aww…” Goldie wraps her wings around herself and the fox, making sure he’s warm. “Such a cutie…”

Meanwhile, the mare who owns the strength test has a decidedly different mood. Her mouth lies open as she alternates between staring skyward and at her broken merchandise. Finally, her eyes focus on the burgundy pegasus, narrowing at him. “You’re paying for that.”

He blinks, turning his still-changing eyes to her. He takes a moment before speaking, an eyebrow raised. "If I get your bell, will I be allowed to pay less?"

“Yes…” she points at him, “but you’re still paying enough so I can get it fixed afterward! You’re lucky I’m still giving you the prizes you earned.”

Sighing, Winter finally approaches, stretching his legs out as he does so. “If it means we can go sit down quicker, I’ll help get it back. Any clue how to get that high up before some bird-” He's cut off when the other stallion picks him up.

Enigma glances at him. "Shield yourself, and don't grab it directly." With that, he winds back, carefully counting out loud. "One... two... three..."

Before throwing a basic shield up around himself, the unicorn gets out three quick words: “You’re completely insane.”

"Nope!" He throws the unicorn through the air, smirking to himself. "Just a physicist. Ruby!" He turns to the crowd. "I need your help!"

She stumbles over herself to get to his side, looking up at him with wide eyes. He simply points straight up. "I need you to Blink straight up on my count. Twelve bursts with twenty-five meters each, rapid fire, then twelve bursts to come back down." He glances up after his motormouth orders, continuing his count. "...five..." He nods, and she vanishes. "...six. He should be at zero velocity, now..."

Soon enough, the pink pony is back on the ground, clinging to the cobalt unicorn. Said unicorn has his eyes shut tight, his shield gone and the bell floating beside him in a shaky telekinetic force. He can be heard muttering under his breath, “Not how I planned to die...not how I planned to die...not how I planned to die...”

"Pray tell, how did you plan to die?" Enigma chuckles, patting him on the head. "Something fun or something silly?"

Winter cracks an eye open, breathing a sigh of relief when he sees that he’s on the ground. “If not old and with loved ones, then at least in a huge explosion.”

"We'll hope for the former." He glances at the bell, frowning slightly. "...you know, it occurs to me that Rainbow Dash might've been fast enough to chase that down..."

The unicorn just rolls his eyes. “Of course you realize this after throwing me a couple hundred feet in the air.”

"Three hundred meters, give or take one. And there's no telling whether we could've found her in time." He turns to the game pony, gesturing to her. "So, we got your bell back. How much does that knock off our debt?"

Taking the dented bell, she rubs it ruefully. “Considering this will have to be reforged, the damage to what it was attached to, and the fact that I can’t get any income from this at least until the fair is over…” She thinks for a moment, gauging everything. “Let’s say you owe me… 500 bits instead of 1000.”

“The bell alone was worth 500?” Winter asks, a little incredulously.

“Not quite, but I had to special order that thing and prices go up significantly when you do that.” She grumbles as she starts to pack up. “Getting a smith to melt this down and simply cast it into a bell again is far easier. Maybe I’ll make adjustments to the game while I’m out of business for the time being.”

"May I suggest mythril or orichalcum for the bracers and back?" Enigma reaches into his saddlebag as he continues. "They're much sturdier than steel and wood, but that second one's also a fair bit rarer. Weighs less, though."

“We’ll see. Gotta budget myself so I can get everything up and running before the next fair.” She sets the large stuffed bunny on the counter as she packs the rest of the prizes away.

"I'll help with fixing it, if you'd like." He pulls out a large bag, surprisingly larger than the saddlebag it was in. "Least I can do for breaking it, right?"

“Unless you happen to be a carpenter or smith, I think I’ll be fine. Thanks for the offer though.” She takes the bag, weighing it in her hoof a moment before looking at him strangely. “You know this is more than I asked for, right?”

"Well, I have a friend who loves plush animals. I was hoping I could buy one of each off you... and an extra large fox for the filly holding onto the kitsune, there. That, and I figured you could use some compensation for lost business. Thus, seven hundred fifty bits." He holds out a hoof. "As for the smithing thing... I know someone who could help with that. She probably wouldn't mind, if I asked her for help."

“Oh, well thank you then.” She smiles at him. “Here, let me dig out a few of these…” She sets out one of each selection she has on her counter, ending with the bear-sized fox. “Good luck getting that filly over there to trade this for the real thing. She seems mighty attached to him.”

"I'll figure it out... hopefully." He takes the plush toys and puts them in his bag, one by one. "Though, by the looks of it, I may have to convince someone else, too." He finishes with the bunny, stretching the lip of the bag around it. "Oughta be fun."

If one were to be listening, you could just make out the sounds of happy squealing from within the bag just before the mouth of it shuts once more. The stallion walks over to the filly, the large fox plush tucked under his wing. "Hey, Goldie. How are you doing?"

“Fantastic.” She says simply, still holding Merc with two sets of limbs, nuzzling him and playing with his tails.

"Good to hear." He places the toy down before her. "So I heard you like foxes..."

“Yep! They’re awesome!” She motions down to the one she holds. “They’re cute, smart, cuddly, neat, and this one’s such a sweetie…”

"There's probably a reason for that..." He clears his throat, reaching forward to pet Mercury's head. "From what I hear, he's really special."

'You know it.' Mercury puffs his chest out in pride. 'And I have an angel to fawn over me. Life is sweet!'

“Oh, he’s special alright,” Winter adds as he trots over, smirking a bit. “In more ways than one.”

Goldie giggles, hugging the fox close as her eyes sparkle. “Oh, I can’t stand it! I’m going to spoil you for a bit. I could get you some fish, maybe some cute clothes, maybe a lady fox…”

'I like everything but that last one...' He nervously chuckles. 'I'm not into other foxes, exactly.'

Chuckling, Winter looks to Goldie. “You really shouldn’t get him too used to being spoiled like that. It’ll make living with him even harder than it already is.”

“Aww…” She looks down to the silver creature. “Are you a little rascal?” She tickles his stomach with a hoof. “Are you a mischievous little furry ball of adorable?”

The unicorn looks to Enigma. “Yeah, I don’t think we’re gonna get him away from her anytime soon. She doesn’t want to let him go, and he doesn’t want her to.”

Goldie’s ears perk up. “Does that mean I can keep him for a while? I’ll take good care of him, I promise! I’ll play with him, clean him, feed him, love him…”

Winter flinches. “I...” He glances pleadingly at Enigma, mouthing ‘Help’ at him.

The pegasus sighs, stepping over next to the younger pony. "Listen, he may be cute, but he's still got to stick with his friend."

“B-but…” The younger pegasus sniffs once as her ears fold back, her eyes go wide and shimmer as she speaks quietly. “Aren’t I his friend too?”

"Yes," he leans in, whispering to her, "but I think he might consider you more than that. His body language says that he's a bit too comfortable with you... plus, he's a kitsune, not a fox. Completely different."

He snaps his gaze up at the burgundy pony. 'Don't tell her that! I'm a mamodo!'

“I’m fine with being his favorite friend… but what’s the difference between a… kitsune… and a fox?” She stops pouting for a moment, but looks ready to go back into it at a moment’s notice.

"For one thing," he holds up a hoof, "they aren't attracted to foxes. They are attracted to ponies... ro-" He jumps as the silver creature barks at him, staring at him a second. "...don't be mad because I'm right."

Winter tries to steer the topic back on track before a one-sided argument can start. “You can still visit and play with him. Just...can’t keep him. I kind of need him.”

'Yeah, you do.' He sticks his tongue out at his friend, chuckling playfully.

“...” Goldie stays quiet for a moment, looking between them and Merc for a moment before drawing him closer to her, her wings coming up slightly. “What do you mean ‘need’ him?”

The unicorn sighs. “To put it simply...he’s my friend, he keeps me sane, and not having him around would hurt. A lot.”

“Oh…” Her ears fold once more as she looks between them. She nuzzles the kitsune again as she speaks. “Do you need him right now?”

“Honestly? I feel like I always need him.” He chuckles a bit. “If he doesn’t mind, you can play with him a little longer...”

The bat-winged pegasus gasps happily, looking down at Merc with wide hopeful eyes. His response is to playfully lick her, a smile on his muzzle.

Winter sighs. “Well...have fun, you two. Just send him back home when you’re done.” He rubs the side of his head. “I need to sit down somewhere...”

'See you at home, Win.' He turns to look at him, winking playfully. 'Or should I say dad?'

The unicorn mutters his response. “If that were the case, I shudder to think of what your mother would’ve looked like to produce a kitsune with a pony.”

'Probably as beautiful as that mare you're crushing on.' He sticks his tongue out before moving around Goldie's body, grabbing the stuffed fox in his tails and sitting on her back.

Winter chuckles a bit before turning to Enigma. “I think they’ll be fine. Should we get going? I’ve been standing in basically the same spot for almost an hour and a half now.”

"Sure." He shrugs. "We don't want to miss the cake, do we?"

“I’m not really hungry. I just want a change of scenery...and maybe a chair.” He groans as he stretches his back. “I feel so old when I say that...”

"You're not that old." He shrugs. "Standing for a long time just does that to someone."

“Trust me, I know. I was in the guard.” He looks around. “Where to now?”

"How about we go sit at the party? It seems there'd be chairs there."

Winter smiles. “You had me at ‘sit’. Lead the way.”

Equus Tactics #49

In a different part of town, a well-known shade-wearing DJ leaves the stage to the cheers of her fans. The beat still having remnants echoing in her head, she bobs it lightly as she trots backstage. Weaving through the workings of the temporary musical stage, she heads back to the performers' rooms, having earned herself a break.

She enters the designated green room for the performers, taking off her shades as she prepares to relax. As she moves to sit down, a familiar voice calls out from the back entrance. "Let me guess; you're worn out from the EDM?"

She smirks, turning to look at the burgundy pony framed in the doorway. "Nah. Just giving the crowd a rest." She stretches as she sits down, gesturing to the feminine pegasus. "Haven't seen you in a while. What've you been up to?"

"Had to convince security I actually knew you." He rolls his eyes, moving forward and sitting on the floor in front of the mare. "What about you?"

"Eh, nothing much. Saving a town from a band of diamond dogs." Her face twists into a scowl. "Actually, just the leader. The other dogs were nice enough."

"Sounds exciting." He grins, rubbing his muzzle with a hoof. "Our group rescued ponies from a vile griffon. Had a chalice that stole life energy."

"Must've been dangerous." Her eyes dart down, an action the stallion catches. At his quirked eyebrow, she sighs, gesturing to his bag. "You have the flap to your bag open. You, yourself, told me that you never do that, for fear of someone getting into them when you aren't paying attention."

"Oh, yeah. I did say that." He taps his chin, playfully smirking. "Well, let's say I found a couple ponies I don't mind letting in..."

A small bit of rustling comes from within the back, accompanying quiet, but not hushed enough whispers.

Enigma clears his throat, setting the bag down in the same moment. "In fact, I'd promised them they could meet you." He nudges the side of the saddlebag, chuckling quietly. "Come on out, girls... oh, and leave your plush toys in there, for now."

A small whine comes from the insides of the bag, but soon the rustling gets louder. The first to crawl out is Cotton, the pink pegasus looking around in curiosity before her eyes rest on Vinyl. She immediately smiles nervously, sitting down.

Honey comes out next, her hooves tapping the ground happily as she does so. "Ah, nice to be out and about again." She notices the DJ. "Hello there."

She looks from one mare to the other, brow furrowed slightly. She quickly turns to the lone stallion in the room, frowning sternly. "No."

He blinks, stunned by the unexpected response. "What? But you don't even know what I-"

"We promised to save ourselves for a special moment in our lives." She gestures to the mares. "A four-way is not what I meant."

He facehooves, groaning softly. "That's not what this is about..."

"...it isn't?" She returns her attention to the mares, now utterly confused. "Then what is it about?"

"Actually, Mister Enigma here... he well, he saved us." One of Cotton's hooves plays with her mane as she speaks. "He rescued us from a life of being... well..."

"Personal sex slaves," Honey says bluntly. "Us and about thirty other mares. Your stallion here came in without a second thought, held off and didn't give into a herd of mares all trying to bed him for even the chance at escape, and he pulled it off."

The pegasus mare nods, looking to the male gratefully. "He made quite the impression... and he's been nothing but kind..."

"Even if he is a meany and a tease at times," the other mare adds.

"But he actually made us an even more wonderful offer after we got out." Cotton continues, speaking quickly. "Of course, only if its ok with you after all. You are his lover, his mare."

Vinyl adopts a thoughtful expression, eyes narrowing slightly. "Let me guess... he offered you the chance to be in a... herd, or something like that?"

Backing up a little toward E, Cotton nods, speaking quietly. "Something like that..."

The unicorn quirks an eyebrow as the stallion drapes a wing over the pegasus's back. "Well, then... I certainly didn't expect you to..." She gestures broadly at them. "Be this close, already." Violet eyes turn to the earth pony, a smirk forming on the lips beneath them. "So let me guess... she's the sugar, you're the spice?"

"She's the sugar alright, but I'm not exactly spice." She winks, smirking right back at Vinyl. "Think of me as the little savory something you put a bit on almost everything you can. I may be strange at first, but give me a taste and soon you'll be wondering how you got on without me."

Vinyl tilts her head to one side, curious, before turning back to Cotton. "So... let me start this off right." She holds out a hoof, smiling warmly. "The name's Vinyl Scratch. You may know me as DJ PON-3." She jerks her head in the stallion's direction. "The lovable foal is Enigma. I call him E for short."

He huffs, rolling his eyes teasingly. "Enigma's already a nickname, silly..."

Cotton's soft hoof takes the DJ's. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Scratch. My name is Cotton Candy. I must say, Mister Enig-umm... whatever his full name is, has chosen exquisitely for his lead mare."

He leans close, whispering into her ear. "Between you and me, I prefer Enigma or E because my real name's too... strange, I guess?"

"Lead mare?" The disk jockey rubs her chin, thoughtful. "...I like the sound of that." She grins, using her magic to bring over a few glasses. "Why don't we sit down, have a few drinks, and, you know, get to know each other better?" She points to a small box near the back of the room. "Wine's over there, before you ask, Miss..." She trails off, glancing at the mare's cutie mark. "...I have no idea what that is."

"A honeysuckle blossom, my name as well. Honeysuckle." She opens the fridge, leaning down and grabbing the bottle inside. "Remind me, Cotton dear, how do you do with wine?"

The pegasus mare lets her wings spread a little as she looks down at the glasses. "I usually only sip on a glass... I only got into wine when I was... forcibly employed."

"Right... Well, probably a good thing. Don't want to hit it too hard." Honey brings the bottle back and sets it on the table. "Word of warning to you all, I'm sure both Cotton and myself are positively glowing when we realize we're free. I don't know what this means for her, but if I get drunk, I will get lovey. Just telling you now."

"Lovey, hmm?" Vinyl smirks, walking over to the lone stallion among them and whispers in his ear. He pulls away with surprise clear on his face, but she gives him a nod.

With this, he walks over to the earth pony, a soft smile on his lips. He sweeps her off her hooves, dipping Honey low before lovingly kissing her.

The unicorn steps next to Cotton, pulling her into a warm hug. "Welcome to the family. I think it's safe to say that it's an interesting one, and happy to accept both of you."

Cotton's eyes glisten as she sniffs, hugging back tightly as she responds. "Thank you... Thank you... I assure you, you won't regret this, Miss Scratch. I look forward to becoming your friend and more..." She tries to ignore the sounds coming from Honey and E.

The earth mare, while having squeaked in surprise at first, soon hums happily into the kiss. She wraps both forelegs and tail around the stallion, reciprocating the affection.

He pulls away, chuckling softly. "Planning on keeping me to yourself a bit, Honey?" He pecks her on the nose, a hoof teasingly caressing her hip. "That wouldn't be very fair to Cotton, now, would it?"

"You started it... you're still a meanie, tempting me like that." She gives him a lick before looking at the other two. "But as much as I have that side that wants to continue, there is the other part of me saying that it would be best for all of us to chat and drink." Despite her words, she doesn't detach from him. "Besides, if we did do that, I assure you, there's plenty of both you and me for the sweetie over there."

For her part, Cotton blushes, her wings spreading as she looks down. "I don't know whether to be more embarrassed or flattered... Help?" She looks to Vinyl pleadingly.

"Well..." The white pony playfully taps her chin, her horn flaring to life. "Maybe one of us should stay sober. E's probably going to, anyways." The golden mare's grip is weakened by the blue aura. "And you should learn to share, Miss Suckle."

In the time it takes for the first word to escape her lips, Enigma slipped from Honey's embrace and gently pressed Cotton up against a wall. By the second word, he's tenderly kissing her, a hoof playing with the feathers of her wing.

The pink mare practically melts onto him, her wings fully splayed. Surprisingly, her response with her lips is more aggressive than Honey's, if a little desperate feeling. Her hind hooves dance restlessly as she closes her eyes while doing all this.

Honey pouts at the loss of contact, muttering loud enough for everyone to hear. "Being the alpha mare already... making sure everypony gets their share." She looks a little at the two against the wall, shivering and taking her seat near the wine. "Making out followed by drinking... Not the usual order."

Vinyl laughs brightly, sitting down and rubbing a hoof against the mare's back. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll get your time alone, soon enough... we just need to find the laws concerning herds."

Enigma pulls away slightly, a calm smile on his lips. "No need to rush, Cotton... I won't be going anywhere, any time soon..." He leans down, nuzzling and nibbling the crook of her neck.

"I know..." The pink mare nuzzles him back, giggling as he uses his teeth. "Still enjoying right now."

Honey pops the cork, watching it shoot off into a corner. "Surely any laws about something like our situation would be fairly old ones considering how ponies were way back when. What sort of things are you looking for?" She smirks. "And perhaps speak quickly, it seems as if Mister Enigma is making rounds of all his mares. I can only imagine what he'll do to the one he's been away from and known the longest."

"I dunno. Wedding ceremony stuff?" She shrugs, laying back on the couch. "Whatever he does, it can't possibly be as great as what he's giving Candy, there."

He stops a moment, the gears in his head visibly turning. After a few seconds, he pecks Cotton on the lips, smiling warmly at her. "...Enigmatic Harvest." He quietly laughs, touching his forehead to hers. "That's my ridiculous name. Apparently, my parents thought it'd be cool... well, my dad, more specifically."

She giggles. "It's certainly a mouthful... I'll remember to call you that only when I'm trying to make a point. Maybe I'll just drop the mister for now..."

"I'd be fine with whatever you'd like... as for why I said it..." He blushes gently, barely visible through his fur. "I bring it up as... compensation for what is about to happen." Quick as a flash, he's at the couch across the room.

"E, wh- oh!" The unicorn's back arches, and she's biting her lip in embarrassment. "N-not here! Ooh..."

He completely ignores her, hooves wandering and caressing her body. He snuggles up against her back, having snuck between her and the upholstery. His one visible eye peeks open, looking straight at the pegasus still against the wall in an apologetic manner.

Both she and Honey watch on, the latter sliding a glass of wine towards the former while she nurses a glass of her own. Cotton keeps her eyes on the couple as she slowly walks over, her wings still open. Both she and her earth pony friend sip at the same time.

"That is some of the hottest and most intense stuff still classified as cuddling that I have ever seen." Honey remarks, a slight bit of awe in her voice.

Cotton's face is still red rather than its usual pink as she nods. "Mistress Vinyl certainly seems to be liking it..." She hastily takes another sip. "I'm starting to see both pros and cons of a herd... I'm liking both."

"Amen to that, sister." Honey clinks their glasses together as she watches the two couch ponies.

Vinyl catches Enigma's hoof before it can continue its trek down her body, flushed with arousal. She leans back, stage whispering to him. "You know... I can wait until you treat them..." At his bemused look, she sighs, gesturing to the door. "I have to go on stage in a few minutes. I'm saying to have fun... maybe do that one thing you love to do?"

He blushes profusely, eyes darting up at the two mares nearby. "Are you sure? I mean... it's rather... embarrassing..."

"That you enjoy it? Maybe to others." She stands and stretches, smiling playfully at the mares. "So, maybe we could spend some more time together at the Heroes' Ball? We could find a quiet corner, or even a secluded room..."

To their credit, both mares blush, Cotton giggling nervously. "Oh my... things are certainly speeding along..."

"I would blame the wine, but we're the only ones partaking," Honey comments thoughtfully.

Vinyl shrugs, standing and reluctantly pulling away from the stallion. "I don't drink unless it's a special occasion."

"I just don't drink alcohol." He switches seats, picking up Honey and holds her back to his chest. He teasingly nibbles on her neck, his hooves gently caressing her belly. "I tried a sip once... didn't like nor care for it..."

The unicorn stares at him, bemused. "That's not what I was talking about." She sighs, shrugging apologetically to Cotton. "He has an... oral fixation, I think it's called?" She blushes softly, turning

"Wait!" Cotton reaches out a hoof towards the unicorn, blushing and pullign it back when she turns around. "Umm... you really... just want to leave us alone with him?"

Honey hums, pleased. "For Celestia's sake, say yes..."

"Well, yes." She smiles coquettishly, batting her lashes at them. "Surely you were worked up, back where he rescued you? It's only fair that we treat you right... or him, anyways." She pecks the pink mare on the forehead. "Don't you worry, Candy. I'll do my part when we get home." She sticks her tongue out and exits, sliding her shades into place on her face.

Gulping at a particularly pleased sound from behind her, Cotton blushes and scuffs the ground. "Worked up or not... this is faster than I'm used to..." This fact doesn't stop her tail from flicking, though as she smiles at the mare as she leaves.

Goldie's purple wings flap slowly, keeping her in the air and at a slow gentle speed so as not to lose her had or endanger her passenger. Simply wanting somewhere quiet for a moment before the party starts, she aims for the outskirts of the nearby Whitetail Woods, still within about a minute's flight of the town. Sighing as she alights on a soft bit of grass, she looks down at the silver form in her foreleg, smiling and nuzzling him again.

He smiles up at her, licking her nose before turning out of her grip. Black-furred paws land on the ground a second before he stretches, holding the pose with eagerly wagging tails, eyes trained on the filly.

She giggles as she watches him, bending down in a similar pose to his, almost looking like she's ready to pounce. "I wonder what you'd be saying right now if you could talk... probably something cute."

'Goldie.' He quietly laughs, dashing forward to paw at her nose. 'Hey, you were right!' He bounces back and starts to jump on a fallen log, grinning slyly. 'Can't catch me!'

Hearing his playful barks and yips, she gallops after him. "You won't get away from me that easy!"

He bounds away at the last second, landing on a stump and waving his tails teasingly at her. He leaps from one spot to the next, making sure to wait until she's almost upon him each and every time.

Though he is more agile than her, her larger size makes her leaps longer. "You know I'm gonna get you..." Her wings itch as they half-spread, her natural instinct being to dive with them.

He can't deny that what she says is true, and it's clear that she can easily keep up with him. In a last-ditch attempt, he leaps up against a tree, only to bounce back off and onto her head, nipping an ear before he slides down and uses her haunches as a springboard, taking off into the branches above.

She squeaks in surprise at the actions, turning around with wings unfurled. "Hey!" Flapping her wings, she springs up right after him, eyes narrowed even as she still smiles.

As it turns out, a silver fox can more easily hide among the shadows of the branches. Mercury curls up to make himself less noticeable, watching the young pony as she tries to locate him.

"Come out come out wherever you are~!" She calls out in a sing-song voice, flitting about the branches. "If you let me find you, I'll nuzzle you some more~!"

Mercury, staying hidden, quietly considers this. "That does sound nice... but then the game would be over..."

She peeks around, looking in various trees and clumps of leaves, but having literally about the same chance of finding a particular squirrel in a forest, she doesn't locate him. "Please come out? I wanted to play and talk with you... not just trying to find you..."

Hearing her say this causes a small pang of guilt in the fox's chest. Whining softly, he leaps out of his hiding spot and onto her back, gently licking her cheek in an attempt to apologize.

She smiles and giggles, landing back down on the forest floor and bringing him into a hug. She nuzzles him for a bit before a thought occurs to her and she brings a hoof up to where he licked her. "Hey... you're pretty smart... smarter than most foxes I think."

He tilts his head to one side, curious, and nods in response. 'I'd like to think that, yes.' He smirks, jumping up and putting his paws on her chest, tails languidly swaying behind him. 'You're pretty intelligent, yourself... too bad you can't understand me...'

Laying down on her stomach, she plays with his tails with a hoof. "Heh, you always seem like you're trying to say something... I think I can at least tell you like me, right?"

He happily nods, licking her nose once more as she plays with his tails. 'Wish I had unicorn magic... then maybe I could write my words in the air for you..." He nuzzles her chin, murring contentedly as he curls up against her.

She crosses her eyes, looking down at her muzzle, then to him. Leaning down, she nuzzles him, speaking with another question. "And... what about what they said? About you and foxes... and about you and ponies?"

He tenses up at this, his eyes popping open. 'Uh...' He carefully pulls away, nodding once. 'You... won't be mad, will you?'

"Huh..." She ponders this, raising a hoof and stroking his back. "So... does that mean every one of those licks you have been doing... is you kissing me?"

He sits silently, letting his head resting against her chest. 'Would she be mad... if I said yes?' He sighs, closing his eyes, getting lost in the pleasant feeling of her hoof on his back.

Sighing herself, the filly gathers him close to her. "Guess not... maybe I was just being selfish and desperate anyway..." She turns towards town, thoughts of affection turning towards a particular stallion, causing the associated down feeling.

Mercury, noticing her hoof slow down, looks up at her downcast expression. Whining softly, he sits up fully and licks her cheek. 'None of that. I won't have you frowning while we're spending time together.' He gets an idea and starts to claw at the ground, a determined expression on his face.

Her expression picks up a little as she is roused from her thoughts by the lick. They soon turn to confusion though as she looks down at him. "Huh? What are you doing?"

It takes a bit, but he successfully scratches a single word into the dirt. He looks up at her and gently licks her cheek, patting the ground just below his message - "yes".

Blinking, it takes her a second to process this, a small blush coming to her cheeks once she does so. "Oh... oh my..." Giggling shyly, she self-consciously straightens her mane and beret. "Well... that certainly gives it different context... well, if you mean anything by it..."

He gives as much of a shy smile as his fox-like muzzle will allow. Then he leans up and touches noses with her, tails slowly swishing behind him as he pulls back to lick her nose with his flat tongue.

She giggles again, kissing the top of his furry head lightly. "I'll take that as a yes?" Her own tail swishes happily behind her.

He nods once, happily nuzzling her neck. 'You should.'

She holds him tight, curling around him and nuzzling him back, giving the occasional kiss on the head. "I don't know exactly how to react to this other than be happy... you aren't exactly a coltfriend, are you?"

'I'm better than a coltfriend!' He yips brightly, but then his ears slightly dip. 'I don't know the first thing about dating, though...' He sighs, laying his head on her hoof and licking her again.

"You're so sweet..." She licks him back this time. "...ah, buck it. I don't really want to think about the future right now. This feels nice, and I'm going to enjoy it."

'You and me, both.' He smiles softly, letting his tails wag languidly as he simply enjoys the moment. 'Hopefully, Win won't be all twisted over this...'

"I still have no idea what you're saying... but I like the tone you're using." She looks towards the town once more, thinking of the time. "We've still got a bit of time before the party... I guess we have it all to ourselves..." She settles him against her. "Good."

Town fairs are usually for everyone, but as a certain party pony may tell you, parties are best with your friends. Such is the origin of the particular sectioned off area of the fair. The entire area is covered by a large canopy, the entrance guarded by the tall form of Flick and the well-built form of Luster. Though one would assume two changelings would make for excellent pseudo-bouncers, the fact that a small sea green filly sits inside rolling her hoof on a table suggests the list is simple enough to get if you know the right ponies.

The filly sighs, glancing at a yellow-tail filet a griffon chef had taken the time to make for her. Now starting to dry out after an hour sitting out in the open, she pokes at it with a hoof, hoping it will help stave off her boredom.

"...just seems a little off to me," a mare's voice, slightly muffled by the canopy, can be heard saying from outside, steadily increasing in volume. "I triple-checked all my sources, but I can't find what's wrong with it."

A stallion's voice responds. "Maybe run it a few times to see how it reacts?"

Ash turns her head to the source of the voice, seeing a unicorn with the same color fur as her and the resident princess of Ponyville. Of course, knowing neither of them, she simply goes back to playing with her food.

The drone at the entrance, however, does know them, his eyes lighting up when he sees them. He bows respectfully with his sister when they near, glancing at the stallion questioningly.

The princess smiles at them. "Don't worry, he's… a friend." She turns back to the stallion. "I've already tried that, but I must be doing something wrong. It's not working the way I'd..." She trails off when she sees the young filly, blinking. "Do you think that's her?"

Voltage shrugs. "Your guess is as good as mine. She certainly looks normal to me... but I haven't seen her before and the party is only for friends."

The filly in question takes a bite of her fish, sighing quietly. She rolls her hoof on the table once more, staring at the now-half-plate of yellow tail.

"... something's not right..." The stallion mutters, rubbing his chin with a hoof. "No filly that age should just be sitting on her own... we should talk to her."

Twilight nods. "Exactly what I was thinking." However, the expression on her face of barely-restrained excitement shows a different reason for her thoughts. She walks up to the filly. "Hello there!"

Ash turns her attention back to the mare. Glancing around quickly and seeing no one else, she gives the alicorn a confused look, pointing to herself. "Are... are you talking to me, Miss?"

The princess nods. "Yes I am! My name is Twilight Sparkle." She grabs the sea green filly's hoof and shakes it. "You're Ash, correct?"

She nods, slowly pulling her hoof back. "Y-Yes, I am... how do you know me?" Her eyes light up, and she jumps up, hooves on Twilight's chest as she looks hopefully into her eyes. "Did you see Mister Solstice? Is he on his way?"

Surprised, Twilight tries to figure out the best way to reply without disappointing the young pony. "O-Oh, you mean Winter? Um… no, I'm sorry… did you two get separated?"

Her ears droop slightly at this. "Oh... well, I came here to wait for him..." She sighs, sitting back down on her bench and turning to her meal. "He was watching Miss Applejack play a game with a rainbow pony, last I saw him..." She pokes at what's left of the filet, pouting.

Volt looks at the plate before looking back at her. "Lost your appetite for...fish?"

"No..." She looks at him, shaking her head slightly. "I'm just a little bored... and, maybe... a little lonely..."

Pulling up a chair, Twilight sits down beside her. "Well, we can keep you company until Winter shows up, if you'd like." She has a hopeful grin on her muzzle.

Ash considers this a moment before nodding, a small smile on her lips. "I... I'd like that, Miss Sparkle... thank you..."

"No problem!" Her horn lights up, and she procures a stack of papers from nowhere. "If you don't mind, though, I'd like to ask just a few questions..."

"Here we go..." Volt chuckles and rolls his eyes before sitting next to her.

The filly can only blankly stare at her a moment, confused. "Um... w-what kind of... questions?"

"Oh, just about you, your origin, your species...things like that. Nothing to worry about." She pats Ash on the head.

She eyes the purple pony warily, picking up her fish and taking another bite. "They aren't going to be too... personal, are they?"

"Don't worry about that, sweetie. If you don't want to answer a question, just say so. But anything you can answer would be much obliged." She starts flicking through her papers for a good starting point.

"Plus I'm here to reign her in if she gets too into it." Volt adds, looking at the questions himself.

Ash slowly nods, wondering what is on those sheets.

Twilight's eyes run over a card as she smiles before looking at Ash. "What are you, exactly?"

"I'm a mamodo." She shrugs, taking another small bite of her filet.

Twilight pulls out a quill and jots this down. "And what, exactly, is a mamodo?"

"I... don't quite know how to explain that..." She scratches her head, frowning slightly. "Mercury might know better than I do... he's older than me, so I'd assume that, anyways..."

"Mercury...that's Winter's fox, right?" The alicorn glances up from her notes, waiting for confirmation. "So he's a mamodo too?"

She nods, tilting her head to one side. "You know him? Has he ever said anything about me?"

The stallion blinks. "He talks?"

"I… didn't know he could..." She pauses and thinks. "Though this does explain why Winter is always talking to him… I thought he just had a thing with animals, like Fluttershy."

"Well, he talked to me quite a bit, in school..." She taps her temple, frowning a bit more. "So... neither of you can understand him?"

Twilight shakes her head. "I certainly can't. It all comes out as just barking and whining to me."

"Oh." Ash slowly nods, finishing her fish as she mulls this over. "I guess it makes sense... he resembles the foxes here quite a bit..."

Nodding, the alicorn glances down at her notes again. "Secondly...where do you come from?"

"Another world." She smiles warmly, pushing her plate away. "I believe it's called the Mamodo Realm."

"Are we talking other dimension or just planet?" Volt inquires.

"Dimension." She looks at him, tilting her head to one side. "I thought Miss Sparkle was... never mind..." She shakes her head, dropping the subject.

"I was what?" she asks.

Ash starts, about to deny saying anything before realizing how futile that would be. She sighs, gesturing to the mare. "That you were the only one asking questions, Miss Sparkle."

“Well, don't mind Volt. He's just curious.” She nudges the other unicorn. "Besides, I probably would've asked that question myself if he didn't."

"Volt?" She looks to him, then up at his mane. "Is... is that why he looks like the victim of a lightning strike?"

"Hey, I looked like this before I got hit by lightning." He huffs playfully. "It didn't really help, but still..."

She stares blankly at him before turning back to Twilight, gesturing to the stallion. "He's not for real, is he?"

The alicorn stifles a giggle. "As for real as you can get."

"Then he must be an odd one." Ash shakes her head, frowning softly at him in sincere concern. "I hope being struck didn't hurt your mind, Mister..."

"Nah," Volt waves a hoof. "It actually helped me earn my cutie mark. Got hit a few times since then too."

She stares at him for a few more seconds before her eye twitches. She turns to the alicorn, her tone almost pleading. "Do you... have any other questions, Miss Sparkle?"

Twilight snickers. "A couple." She glances at her notes. "This may be a bit odd, but… how old are you?"

"I'm eight." She smiles warmly at her. "I was six when I got here, before you ask... and Mercury was thirteen."

"Eight..." Twilight nods and jots this down. "Do you age any differently than we do? Or at the same rate?"

"I don't really know..." She scratches the side of her head. "I don't know of many older mamodo... and I've only ever asked Mercury his age..."

"Hm… I'll mark that as 'uncertain'." The alicorn writes something down before flipping to another page. "Here's one… are you originally the form you are now? Or do mamodos take on the appearance of something else to fit in, like a changeling?"

"I... looked like this all my life..." She shakes her head, frowning in confusion. "What's a changeling?"

Twilight smiles. "Don't worry about it. Just another one of many races in Equestria. Ask Winter about them." She scribbles something down. "How did you get here? To this dimension, I mean. And why are you here?"

"We're here to decide the Mamodo King." She looks up at the canopy, tapping her chin. "We have to destroy the others' books to send them back, and the last one here is the new ruler... and I think we were sent here by our teachers... my memory's a bit fuzzy."

"Books...?" Twilight slowly lowers her papers. "So, hang on… there's more of you, and you're all fighting to see who's the last one, and they become king?"

"Yes, that's the gist of it..." She tilts her head, thinking a bit. "There were a hundred of us at the start... but I don't know how many are left..."

"Oh..." Twilight pauses, finally writing something down on her notes. "About these books...do they have anything written in them?"

"Yes, they do." She holds up a hoof. "They have our spells in them."

Volt stays silent, but raises an eyebrow.

"Your...spells?" The mare's former expression of concern becomes one of curiosity.

"Yep!" She giggles, noticing their looks. "Mamodos are magically gifted. We learned spells, but we can't use them by ourselves outside the Mamodo Realm. So we have the books and our partners..." She trails off, suddenly forlorn as memories come unbidden..

Noticing her trail off, Twilight puts a hoof on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

She nods, swallowing her emotions and gesturing to the mare once more. "P-please continue, Miss Sparkle."

Sensing this was a topic she should drop, the princess rubs Ash's shoulder comfortingly. "Do you want to stop?"

She shakes her head. "N-no, I'm fine... I'd just like to... avoid that subject, for a bit..."

Nodding, Twilight tries to think of something more casual, ignoring her notes for the time being until the filly calms down. "Um...how are you enjoying Ponyville?"

"It's been nice..." She looks at the crowds around them. "Didn't think it'd be this... hectic, though..."

"Don't worry. The town's usually pretty calm and peaceful. It's only like this because of the carnival." The alicorn smiles. "Where are you living while you're here?"

"I get to live in two places here." She taps one hoof with the other, as if counting them off. "Mister Solstice's house, and Sweet Apple Acres... the latter's only when Mister Solstice visits there for a while, if Miss Applejack is right... does he have a job, there?"

Twilight glances at Volt. "Not that I know of...I'd imagine his normal job would keep him busy enough." She blinks, then smirks as she rolls her eyes playfully. "Pretty sure there's another reason for his visits."

"Oh?" She scoots closer to her, eyes wide in curiosity. "What is it? I asked Mercury, but he said to ask someone named Win..."

"Oh, 'Win' is just Winter's nickname. Or Mister Solstice, as you call him." Twilight waves a hoof. "And I'm going to echo what he said. I think if anypony's going to tell you about what's going on between those two, it should be one of them."

Her ears droop at this, a small whine escaping her. "Aww..."

The alicorn giggles. "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure he'd be willing to tell you. Just about all his friends know about it, and he knows it. I think he's just come to accept that." Her ears flick at the sound of approaching hoofsteps, and she looks up to see a cobalt unicorn walk in, looking as though every step is painful. "Speaking of whom...there he is now."

Ash's eyes immediately light up upon seeing him, and she dashes forward, hugging him in her excitement. "Mister Solstice, you're here! I missed you so much!"

"Aww..." Volt leans against Twilight, smiling softly.

Surprised, Winter almost falls over as he tries to hug back, instead just working his way into a sitting position on the ground. He chuckles. "Sorry for making you wait...did you have fun?"

"Not a lot... one of Miss Gilda's friends made me some food." She looks up at him, positively beaming. "Things are much better, now that you're here!"

"It hasn't even been two hours since we separated, silly." Winter rubs her head playfully as he stands back up, holding her in one foreleg. "But I'm glad I can brighten your mood like that. It's great to see you again too." He begins making his way over to a chair, noticing Twilight and Volt as he does so. "You two been nice to her?"

The other stallion nods. "Of course, Twilight's been entertaining her with a rousing game of twenty questions and I've been sitting here being amusing eye candy."

"What kinds of questions?" Winter asks as he turns to the alicorn, a little worried. "Nothing too personal, I hope."

"Oh, no," Twilight assures him. "I made it clear she didn't have to answer anything she didn't feel comfortable answering. Most of it was just things about her true species I was curious about."

"Well...alright then." Nodding, the cobalt unicorn relaxes into a seat, keeping Ash in his lap. He sighs and rubs one of his hindlegs. "Don't think I'll be standing up for a while."

Ash looks up at the spectacle-wearing pony, curious. "Did you play that bell game too, Mister Solstice?" She looks at his hindleg, attempting to mimic the motions of his forehoof along it with her own.

"No, I'm not really into games like that. Besides, after E went, that kind of ruined any chance I had even if I did want to." He chuckles. "I've just been doing a lot of walking, running, and standing around today. Most ponies come to fairs to have fun, but the town's royal guard have to be on alert for any missing children or troublemakers. This is the first time I've sat down since I woke up."

"Oh. Sorry to hear that..." She sits in silence a moment before another question comes out. "Is that what you do at Sweet Apple Acres, when you spend a long time there? Protect her farm from troublemakers?"

Winter looks surprised. "Uh...not really." He glances at the other two, raising an eyebrow.

Volt holds up two hooves defensively. "I didn't say anything."

"Neither did I. She brought it up," Twilight adds.

Winter rolls his eyes and chuckles. "To answer your question, Ash, no. I'm not guarding her or the farm when I'm over there. I'm just visiting her...as a friend, I mean."

She tilts her head, considering this a moment before turning to the other two. "Does that make you two good friends, as well?"

The princess coughs. "Er...w-well, we are good friends, yes..."

Volt wisely keeps his mouth shut.

"As good of friends as Mister Solstice and Miss Applejack?" Her eyes dart from pony to pony, genuinely curious.

"Um...maybe?" Twilight rubs the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Probably better," Her 'friend' adds.

The purple mare glares at him. "Let's not talk about it, okay?"

"Shutting up."

Ash simply scratches her head, confused. "You can be better friends than them? How can that be possible?"

"I don't think we should pursue that topic," Winter interjects, patting her on the head. "Let's drop it, okay?"

She looks up at him, pouting cutely. "But I want to know..."

He sighs, trying not to let the cute face lower his defenses. "It's their life. They have the right to keep stuff to themselves."

The filly whines, but quietly nods, resting her head on his chest. "Alright, Mister Solstice..."

The stallion starts petting her mane with a hoof, glancing up at the other two ponies and mouthing 'You're welcome' to them. They respond with relieved and grateful smiles.

A short time later, Rhino and Gel have once again tracked down their oldest daughter, insisting she come with them. As they near a canopied area of the fair, the stallion looks to the pink filly, smiling. "By the way, I like the new look."

She beams at her father, reaching up to readjust the green fedora. "Thanks, daddy! I got it because it reminded me of you and mom!"

Gel glances at the blue ribbon around the base, giggling quietly before replying with a teasing tone. "Are you sure? That color seems more like Solstice's coat than my chitin."

Rhino chuckles. "That's just because ponies have trouble getting your colors right, love."

"Maybe." She sticks her tongue out at him. "I don't think they had me in mind when they made it, though." The nymph sighs, looking at the hat once more. "Too bad that one isn't made for unicorns... or maybe it's a good thing..." At her daughter's confused look, she rolls her eyes playfully. "Your dad just loves those. He might've snagged it if he could wear it. It complements his coat and mane stripe so well, after all."

As they approach their destination, the stallion chuckles. "I don't know, one that matches colors I already have much of seems a little silly." He ruffles Ruby's mane with a bit of magic. "I still think it work for you though, Ruby, and I'm proud it makes you think of us."

She giggles, leaning up to peck his cheek. "Thank you, daddy!" She looks to the enclosed area, her smile faltering slightly as she witnesses a pony emerge almost from thin air by the corner of the area. She slows to a stop a few meters away from the entrance, staring blankly at the mare. "How... did she do that?"

"Did what, sweetie?" Rhino keeps walking towards the entrance, resisting the urge to smile knowingly.

Ruby looks from her father to the earth pony and back, thoroughly confused. She hesitantly steps forward, quickly rushing to catch up to them. She regains her spot between them, muttering to herself. "I swear I didn't imagine that... a pony appearing from nowhere..."

Ready, love? The stallion asks as a gap into the canopied area looms in front of them.

Ready. Gel smiles softly at him. They step through the opening, into a surprisingly dark area. The filly looks around, curious and apprehensive.

Suddenly fabric is removed from the canopy, allowing the sunlight through as ponies all around are revealed. At the same moment, all of them wear big smiles as they shout: "Surprise! Happy birthday, Ruby!"

There's a squeak, a brief breeze, and then the creak of strained metal. When they look up, they see the pony in question hanging upside down from the metal frame of the canopy, eyes wide in shock.

Mystic chuckles as he stands in the crowd with his twin and Evergreen. "We got you good, huh Ruby?"

Winter looks up with concern, Mercury once again perched on his back. "Uh... should we help her?"

The fox chuckles, shaking his head. 'Nah, I'm sure she can get down.'

Ash, watching from her spot on Applejack's back, grips the farmer's Stetson tightly in fear. "She's falling!"

As Ruby slowly comes off the beam, an aura of green magic surrounds her even as she squeaks and her horn disappears in favor of feathered pink wings. She flaps her wings frantically, eyes squeezed shut in terror. When she doesn't feel the rush of air, however, she slowly peeks open an eye.

In front of her, a certain burgundy pegasus sighs in relief, tapping her on the nose. "You're lucky your dad caught you, Pinchy." He chuckles at her annoyed pout, slowly descending down to the ground.

A voice yells to him from the back of the area. "You're fixing the stage, E!"

The pink pony finds herself floating backwards into her parents as her siblings rush forward while the rest of the party gives her a little space. She gets nuzzles from all sides as her father sets her down, nuzzling her himself as he speaks. "You okay, Ruby? I didn't think that particular response was genetic."

The filly looks to her father, sheepishly smiling. "I, um... I guess I just... didn't expect it..." She looks over the crowd, relaxing with each familiar face she sees. "Thank you all for remembering..."

As her gaze passes over the lone alicorn in their presence, she tenses up, emerald eyes brightening up for a second. She scoops her siblings up in her wings and rushes over, glomping the lavender pony without warning. "You came!"

Taken off guard at first, Twilight stumbles a bit before she smiles, hugging the little filly and leaning down for a quick nuzzle. "Well, of course I did. Why wouldn't I?"

"Because you're a princess, now." Her grin falters slightly. "I thought you'd be busy with some royal duties, or something... and it's been ages since our last lesson..."

The alicorn pets her head with a hoof. "I'm sorry, Ruby... you're right, I have been busy." She sighs, looking guilty, but then manages to smile again. "I just had to get used to my new role. I promise we'll continue your lessons soon, okay? Consider that part of my present to you."

She squeals in delight, holding tightly to the newest princess. In her happiness, she doesn't quite notice that she pulled Serene and Mystic into the embrace.

As this goes on, a silver paw taps the shoulder of a cobalt pony among the spectators. 'Is that bookworm really that great a teacher, Win?'

"I wouldn't know. I don't attend her classes." Winter shrugs. "But considering she lives in a library, I'd say she's smart enough to be one."

Winter chuckles, nuzzling her. "I have enough trouble keeping adults in line, both in Tactics team and just the guard in general. Kids would be a nightmare to handle."

Ruby reluctantly lets go of Twilight, covering her sibling's ears with her wings. "You might want to be careful... you and you-know-who are brimming with restrained affection..." She winks and turns away, walking over to her father, smiling warmly. "Think we could do some rune tinkering tonight, daddy? I've had an idea in my head for a while I've been trying to get to work..."

Ears perking up, the stallion nods eagerly. "I would love to, Ruby. You know I'm always interested in helping my foals with anything." As his two youngest do their best to get comfortable while hugging their older sister, he continues. "Of course, you've got quite the party before then if the guests and presents are anything to go by. Try not to wear yourself out too much, alright?" He leans down, nuzzling her lovingly.

She holds a hoof to her chest, her face quickly gaining a determined expression. "I'll do my best!"

'...how can a pony be so cute and intimidating at the same time?' Mercury stretches and promptly jumps off his friend's back. 'Eh, I'm gonna go find the cake. Maybe I can sneak a lick of icing before they deny me any of it...'

Winter sighs and grabs the silver fox with his magic, wordlessly dragging him close and holding him in place with a foreleg.

Not noticing the squirming kitsune, Gel looks to her husband, smiling softly and nudging his side. What's first on the agenda, love?

Well... I would say music and mingle, but one of those I'm not sure is an option at the moment. As various party guests split into groups to chat, he motions over to the stage where a certain DJ sits with her hooves crossed.

The navy nymph follows his motion, seeing the burgundy pegasus carrying boards to fix the shattered section of stage. ...you're probably right about that. She blinks, tilting her head to one side. You know... we could always ask Pinkie about party games...

Nodding, he looks back down to his two remaining foals, Ruby having gone off to mingle, unable to help smiling proudly. Crouching down, he nuzzles them both. "So, any idea what you two want to do? Your mother and I were going to see about getting some games set up early."

Serene hugs her brother, looking up at Rhino with a hopeful expression. "Can Myst and I be on the same team?"

Chuckling, he ruffles both their manes. "Of course, I know you two always stick together. It makes me happy knowing you have each other's backs."

The male twin just smiles and leans into the hoof before he and his sister dart off, both tails wagging happily. As they do, they dash between a certain marble changeling’s legs.

Hydro chuckles as he watches this. "I wonder if foals always run everywhere because they can't get anywhere in decent time by walking."

Dior looks at him blankly for a moment before responding. "It's definitely faster than not moving at all." She rolls her eyes playfully, bumping his side. "Promise me you'll get more sleep, tonight?"

He chuckles, bumping her back. "Only if you join me."

"Then you wouldn't get any sleep." She sticks her tongue out at him before darting forward, patting his cheek with the tip of her tail.

Unfortunately, as she is not looking ahead of her, Dior runs straight into a surprisingly solid party pony. Before she can register this, the teasing nymph is wrapped in her husband's strong embrace. "Nope, you don't get to get away after that." He chuckles as his tail flicks her side. "Thanks, Pinkie."

The pink mare looks back, having been caught by surprise while blowing up extra balloons. Recognizing the two, she giggles. "You're welcome, Hydro! Whatever it is I did!" She blows into the balloon again, the air inside previously somehow not escaping while her mouth was off it, before tying it with a string.

Pouting quietly, the nymph slowly extends her wings, fluttering them against his sides. She tries to pull away at the same time, trying to continue their little game.

Leaning down to her, he whispers quietly. "We can play chase later. Right now it might be best not to cause a scene at one of your granddaughter's special day." Still, one of his hooves idly plays with her wings as he continues holding her, knowing how wily she can be.

She looks back over her shoulder at him, eyes twinkling in mischief. "So? We've never been caught, before... what's one more going to hurt?"

Rolling his eyes, Hydro gives her a small peck on the lips. "And Rhino says Gel is a hooffull at times..."

Pinkie tilts her head, tying another balloon. "One more what?"

Dior looks to the party planner, smiling warmly. "Another bowl of ice cream. He says it'd make me get fat."

Giggling, Pinkie turns and pats the stallion on the head. "Silly Hydro, she's made of rock! Rocks don't get fat! Or do they?" She puts a hoof to her chin in thought. "Where's Maud? She could tell us."

Skirting around the issue every stallion knows to stay at least a mile away from at all costs, the red pony doesn't correct her as he looks around. "I think that's her." He relinquishes one of his forelegs from binding Dior to gesture.

Perking up, Pinkie starts jumping up and down as she waves over at her sister. "Heeeeeey, Maud! Over heeeeeere!"

As the crowd does various combinations of wincing, rubbing their ears, or generally just shrugging and going about their day, the grey mare in questions blinks once before heading over. Like a rock in a stream, the other ponies part around her as she beelines for her sister. "You called?"

The pink pony jumps once more, pulling herself into a sitting position before she lands on a stool, rocking dangerously back and forth with no reaction before the furniture balances itself out and she speaks. "Do rocks get fat?"

Not batting an eye at the question, Maud answers. "Well, they do get bigger the longer we leave them to grow on the farm. So, yes."

"...oh." Pinkie looks at Hydro, then Dior, then back to Hydro with a large smile. "So, there you go! Just don't let her stand still!"

Dior, having slipped free, smirks coyly. "Well... I know who's getting a fourth bowl of strawberry ice cream, today..." She bumps Hydro's side. "And a stallion who's about to have as much vanilla as he likes."

Glad blushes don't show through his coat, the stallion clears his throat. "I wouldn't worry, Pinkie. The only time she really stays still is when she's bound. She seems to have endless energy sometimes." One hoof rests on her back, as if trying to keep her there. "Not that I'm complaining, of course..." His last few words have a slight growl to them as he flicks her flank with his tail.

"Rocks that explode easily have a lot of energy." The sister once again answers simply.

"Oooh, like pop rocks? I love those!" Pinkie looks around the somewhat crowded area, then grabs the stallion. "Come on, Hydro! Let's see if there's any pop rocks around here!"

"But..." Hydro reaches out a hoof towards his wife, both wanting to stay with her and not wanting to be alone with the hyper mare.

"Don't worry, I'll be just fine here with Maud." She waves a hoof to him. "You go have fun with Pinkie."

Grinning, Pinkie starts dragging Hydro away. "Let's go!"

The silver nymph waves as they disappear before turning to Maud, curious. "Your sister won't harm my husband, will she?"

"Not unless he's allergic to sweets," Maud answers, shrugging solidly. "She's mostly harmless."

"I don't think he's allergic to those..." She scratches her chin thoughtfully. "I think he's scared of how hyper she is... she doesn't really think I'm a rock, does she?"

"I think she does." A small smirk appears on the normally stoic mare's face. "She's not completely wrong."

"...there it is again." Her brow furrows as she glances around. Once she's certain no one else is paying attention to them, she looks to the pony by her side. "I felt it from you, before... it seems so close to affection, but, at the same time, it isn't..."

Looking around as well, yet not moving anything besides her eyes, Maud's voice quiets yet still maintains neutrality. "A mixture, I guess. Interest, fascination, wanting to be friends." She seems to chew on her next words before letting them flow out. "You are perhaps the most interesting thing, pony or rock, that I have ever seen. I like you."

Dior, briefly taken aback by this, recomposes herself and smiles warmly at her. "And I like you, too. I'd be happy to be friends with you, as well as co-workers." She holds out a hole-filled hoof, smirking playfully. "I'd also appreciate it if you extended that to my husband, too. I'm sure you two have something in common."

"As long as there's no obstacle courses." Still giving her small smile, Maud shakes the offered hoof, feeling the smooth stone. "Out of curiosity, do you keep yourself polished or is that natural?"

"Mostly natural." She giggles softly, looking off in the direction her husband had been dragged off in. "Hydro does like to rub me quite a bit, though..."

Maud only blinks, looking into the direction as well. "You are both quite free and open with your affection for each other. It's sweet."

"Thank you," she nods to her, smirking slightly, "though we do keep some parts of it out of view..." She hums brightly, her horn lighting up. "I hope they do still have ice cream left... who knows with that one stallion..."

"Pinkie usually keeps her parties well stocked." Seeing a blur of pink zip towards the party table, she is rewarded a few seconds later by a few of the younger party guests bouncing away with new treats. "Do you really like ice cream that much?"

"Yep!" She grins. "Chocolate, mostly. It's one of the few sugary things I actually like."

Eye flicking to the lit horn, the earth mare responds with a shrug. "Pinkie seemed to get most of the family's sweet tooth to herself. The rest of us only eat a little bit."

"Oh?" Her eyes flick to the side as a couple bowls of brown and white float over to them. "So does that mean I can have your bowl, too?"

"... I didn't say that." Maud's eyes lock onto the bowls.

"Thought so." She winks, handing her one of them. "So, you live on a rock farm..."

As the two continue their discussion, a cobalt unicorn walks by and over to the snack table, standing idly beside it with a silver fox on his back. He picks a cupcake up in his magic and bites into it, looking around worriedly.

'Relax, Win,' the fox says, patting his back reassuringly. 'She said she'd be back soon. All she needs is something from the apple stand, right?'

He sighs and nods. "I know... it's not that. It's the nervousness."

'Come on!' Mercury huffs, shaking his head. 'You like her, she likes you, what's to be nervous about?'

"How about the fact that her liking is probably a lot more platonic than mine?" Winter snaps. "Seriously, at what point has she ever expressed actual attraction towards me?"

The silver creature huffs at this, his tone turning sarcastic. 'I don't know. How about a few days ago, when she slept with you and purposely acted ignorant about your-'

"Hoooo-kay," Winter cuts him off, holding a hoof over his muzzle. "She was just being polite. And since when does sleeping in the same bed qualify as attraction? You and I do it all the time."

The fox pushes the hoof away, smirking coyly. 'Trust me, there was a bit more going on...'

"Merc, I'm already sucking it up and finally getting ready to talk to her. You're just going to make me more and more nervous." The unicorn picks up another cupcake once the first is finished and takes a large bite out of it.

'Alright, I'll lay off the teasing.' He sighs melodramatically, flopping himself across his friend's back. 'I still reserve the right to rebuke your self-criticisms, though.'

Winter stuffs the rest of the cupcakes into his mouth and swallows it. "Deal. But it won't stop me from believing them."

'But what about Ash?' He taps his nose, frowning at the frosting his paw comes away with. Shaking it in an attempt to rid it of the sugary topping, he continues, 'She looks up to you, and doesn't like it when you're self-deprecating, you know.'

The unicorn takes Mercury's paw and wipes the frosting off with a napkin. "I try to keep it down around her, for her sake. Though why she looks up to me, I'll never know."

'Well, you saved her, for one thing.' The fox gestures to his muzzle. 'You might want to get some of that off...'

"Thanks." He wipes off his muzzle with the other side of the napkin. "And actually, it was Hydro, Dior, and Maud who saved her. I just stalled Alpha until they showed up."

'You still helped save her.' He bops the stallion on the head, huffing softly. 'Besides, I don't recall any of them adopting Ash after the fact. Do you?'

"...no, I guess not." Winter sighs. "Everything's been changing way too quickly for the past couple days."

Mercury stares at him blankly, unsure what to think. '...changing? How do you figure that, Win?'

"Well, first we got a new member. Then we told the entire team the truth about you and mamodos. Then I got a daugh... new friend." He coughs. "And now, because of your insisting, I'm about to finally find out the result of this crush. The past week has been more hectic than my entire first year as a captain."

As he finishes saying that, the farm mare herself appears, looking around before spotting him. She quickly walks over, tossing one foreleg over his shoulder and pulling him against her side. "There you are! Where you tryin' ta hide from me?"

Yelping in surprise, the unicorn at first tries to push her away roughly before realizing who it is. He sighs. "Applejack, I only walked about ten feet from where I was last time you saw me. Also, please never do that again." He starts realizing just how close she's holding him, and his face goes a little red. Mercury, still perched on his back, chuckles and goes quiet to see how this all plays out.

"Do what?" She pulls a moonshine jug out from behind her back, offering it to him. "Bring you some cider?"

He blinks, starting to get an idea of what's going on. "Uh... sorry, I don't drink."

She waves that off, pushing the side of her head against his as she offers the jug again. "Don't worry, this ain't the hard stuff. That was back at the cart."

Slowly taking the jug in his magic, he looks at her. "Well... thanks, Applejack." He smiles, pouring some into a small cup from the snack table and taking a sip.

She narrows her eyes at him as she smiles knowingly. "Well~?"

"Well what? Tastes great, just like always." He chuckles.

Still not having let him go, she giggles. "True... but I didn't hear ya say thank you..."

He blinks. "...I did... but alright, I'll say it again. Thanks, Applejack." He smiles.

She smiles wider. "Hmm..." One of her ears flicks. "Ah don't know if I can rightly hear ya over everypony else... wasn't there somethin' that's louder than words?" She taps her chin in thought.

"...pictures?" Winter tries to divert the conversation away from where he thinks it's going.

"Nope." Her grin is only getting wider as she still looks at him knowingly. "Pictures are worth words, but they speak louder... try again sugarcube." Her tail flicks as she plays her game.

The unicorn's eyelid twitches a bit. "Y-Yelling?"

Pausing, she presses her muzzle against his. "Sugarcube, ya'll are either bein' thick or stubborn. Ah hope for yer sake it ain't the second, because you can't out stubborn an Apple." Her grin returns. "Ya can't outrun one either."

Winter's eyes suddenly shoot wide open, and he forcefully shoves himself away from the orange mare. "Talcum, let me go!" He ends up bumping into the snack table as he tries to put distance between them, leaving himself with little room to move.

Mercury, barely avoiding being smushed between the stallion and the furniture, taps his head. 'What was that about? Who the fuck is Talcum?'

The unicorn doesn't respond at first, just breathing quickly as though having gone through something strenuous. He looks back at Mercury, fear evident in his eyes. "...Tal...?"

'It's Applejack.' He pokes his forehead with each syllable. 'App. Le. Jack. There's no one by the name you shouted here.'

"...good..." Slowly calming down, the unicorn looks back to Applejack, worried. Her expression appears confused and abashed, but she keeps her distance, worried she may have gone too far. Winter attempts to smile reassuringly. "...Applejack, it's fine... I'm fine now, see?"

She still frowns, looking down and scuffing her hoof on the floor, not meeting his eyes.

'Seriously, what happened between you and that mare?' He taps him on the back of the head. 'She's not one of your seven evil exes or anything, is she?'

Winter sighs. "That is uncomfortably accurate."

'Well, the mare in front of you just had her feelings hurt.' Mercury points to the farmer, frowning at his friend. 'Apologize, and explain.'

The unicorn swallows nervously before nodding. Slowly, he starts walking over to the orange mare. "I'm sorry about that, Applejack... I didn't mean to hurt you."

She shakes her head, her voice clear. "No no, Ah'm sorry... I shouldn't have been so pushy. Ah just thought it'd be the nudge ya needed, ta be honest. Ah didn't know it'd upset ya."

"It wasn't entirely your fault..." He glances back at Mercury, then sighs. "I think I owe both of you an explanation..."

The fox lays down fully, curling his legs beneath his body. 'Go ahead, Win. I'm all ears.'

"Do you two want the long version, or the short version?"

Looking around them at the party, the farm mare answers. "Short might be best, long can wait for a private time."

He nods. "Talcum Powder was my girlfriend a few years back. She was nice, but sometimes got a little too close for comfort, and could be very forceful when she wanted to be."

Applejack flinches. "Oh..."

'And yet he's still a virgin.' He holds up his paws in response to the glare he's given, a nervous smile on his face. 'Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood...'

"Merc..." Winter sighs, before speaking to both him and Applejack. "Let's just say that, despite popular belief, my virginity isn't intact anymore… though I wish it was."

"...ah." The barest hint of disappointment is heard in the earth mare's voice before she continues. "Okay then... well, in that case... Ah think Ah might have something to say to ya."

"Yes?" Winter asks, confused.

Standing up, she quickly strides forward and gives him a peck on the lips. Nothing deep, nothing long, but still saying much as she backs away, smiling sheepishly. "Ya get all that?"

The blue stallion has gone about as frozen as an iceberg and as red as a tomato. The most he can move is his head, which slowly nods.

"Good." She nuzzle him as she walks past. "Once ya've let that soak in, feel free to come find me. We have a lot we could talk about." With a parting drag of her tail under his nose, she walks off, soon disappearing into the crowd.

Winter remains frozen still for several seconds, until he finally speaks again, this time to Mercury. "...what happened?"

'You just got a kiss from the mare of your dreams.'

The unicorn goes quiet again for a second. "...see what I mean? Everything is changing."

'Yeah...' The fox looks to where the mare left before turning to his friend. 'You know, that crazy Powder chick isn't the only thing that isn't here...'

Winter chuckles. "Yeah... like I thought. You didn't smell any cider on her breath either, did you?"

'Not a bit.' He nods. 'So... does that make it easier? And I swear, if you say harder, I'll smack you with my tails on your horn.'

"By this point? Much, much easier. Just means I'll have to wait a little longer." He smiles. "But it'll be worth it."

Stealthy Shades #43

Some ponies tend to be calm, restful sleepers. They go to bed with the blankets over their body and their head on the pillow, and when they wake up hours later, they’re in almost the exact same position with their bed as neat as when they made it.

Winter, however, is pretty much as opposite of a ‘neat sleeper’ as one can get. As the sun rises, it shines through the window on his form practically sideways on the bed, blankets either on the floor or wrapped tightly around him like a cocoon, and the pillows haphazardly adjusted multiple times to keep up with his moving head. His mane and tail are far messier than normal, and under those blankets, his pajamas look so crumpled one would think they had fallen off the hanger and just been ignored for a week before he put them on.

The door slowly opens, a narrow muzzle poking through, followed by the rest of the silver fox’s head. Seeing his friend still asleep, he sighs and pushes the door open, looking back at the mare behind him. ‘He’s not gonna wake up on his own… you wanna do the honors?’

Seeming to understand what he means, she nods, walking in quietly with a smaller form on her back. As she nears the bed, her head cranes around and grab the filly by her scruff, setting her down right next to Win’s head. Finally, as her own touch, she leans down, nuzzling him with a smile. “Wake up, sugarcube~”

A long, soft groan escapes his muzzle as he shifts a bit. Instead of waking up, he instead reaches out his hoof, grabbing the first thing it finds and pulling it close. This just so happens to be the sea green filly that had been placed beside him.

Instead of struggling, the young pony smiles, resting her head against his chest. She looks to the farmer, eyes shimmering with hope. “...just for a little bit?”

With only the barest roll of her eyes, Applejack smiles and nods. Ash happily squeals, nuzzling closer to the stallion’s body, enjoying the warmth coming from him. After a few moments, though, he begins to feel her own warmth, and his mind starts to float back into the realm of reality. His eyes start to flick open as a loud yawn comes from his mouth.

‘Wow, I just realized he has tonsils…’

The unicorn lets his yawn transition to a groan as he hears the familiar voice. “Morning, Merc...” His eyes finish opening and rest on the form in his forelegs, causing him to smile. “And Ash...” He glances upward, eyes meeting with those of a certain orange farmer. His face pales. “And… A-Applejack?!”

She quirks an eyebrow at him. “What? How come Ah’m the one who gets the shocked ‘good morning’?”

He backs up a bit, using magic to hastily unwrap himself from the blankets, blushing as he realizes his current appearance. “Wh-why are you in my house?”

‘We let her in.’ Mercury jumps up onto the bed next to Ash, smiling up at his friend. ‘Don’t you remember what day it is?’

“...no?” the unicorn offers, trying to keep himself covered with the blankets even as he tries to free his body from their confines. “Applejack, why are you here?”

“Because somepony needed to make sure ya’ll got up on time today.” She laughs quietly. “And it seems like everypony else here would’ve just been in it fer the snuggle time.”

Winter raises an eyebrow. “...why do I need to be up ‘on time’?” he asks. “I don’t need to check in at the office until past noon, there’s no drills today, I didn’t have any other arrangements...”

“Because of the Heroes’ Ball.” Ash rolls onto her hooves, shaking herself before sitting down. “You were invited there, weren’t you?”

“Yes, Ash, I was.” He sighs. “‘Invited’, not ‘ordered’. And I choose to decline.”

‘Win,’ the fox speaks up, frowning in disappointment, ‘you said you’d go there with Applejack. Finally do what you promised me you would?’

Rather than evoking annoyance or guilt, this actually seems to confuse the stallion. He speaks quieter so only the kitsune can hear. “I was going to do that today… I just didn’t know you meant at the Ball...”

‘Well, she’s going to Canterlot to be in the Heroes’ Ball.’ He shrugs, tails swaying slowly. ‘I think ponies are starting to recognize them as heroes, you know?’

Sighing, Winter sits up straight and stretches his back, flinging the blankets to the foot of the bed and off of his lavender, crescent moon-patterned pajamas. “Fiiiiiiine...”

Seeing his nightwear, the mare’s mouth scrunches up. “Heh… cute PJs, Win.”

He blushes, instantly going back to trying to cover with his hooves, the blankets now out of reach. “Th-thanks…?”

‘Can we trust you to stay awake if we leave for you to get changed?’ Mercury blinks, tilting his head to one side. ‘...wow, I really can’t word today...’

“...honestly? Probably not...” The unicorn demonstrates this by flopping onto his back, head on the pillow, with a sigh. “I’m getting flashbacks to mom trying to wake me up on Monday mornings...”

“Well, how about another try from us then?” The farm mare’s voice barely stops before a lightly tossed filly lands on his stomach. “Ya’ll know she ain’t gonna get tired of that.”

He yelps, catching the filly with a slight look of worry before smiling a bit. “Hey there, you.”

“Hi.” Ash giggles, touching his nose with a hoof. “So… I can go with you guys, right?”

“Only if you promise to behave yourself and not eat anything sugary,” he states firmly. “...and you let me get up.”

“I promise!” She laughs brightly as she jumps off his stomach, running off to her room. The sudden push off of his belly nearly knocks the wind out of him, forcing him to exhale sharply as he springs into a sitting position again, clutching his midsection.

Shaking her head, AJ walks forward and takes one of his forelegs, holding it above his head. “Just breathe, sugarcube.”

He manages to take a deep breath, ensuring that his lungs were still fully operational before letting it out, resuming his normal breathing cycle. “Thanks...”

'You want me to leave so you can get dressed, too? Or would you prefer the extra paw?' Mercury stays firmly seated despite the question, smirking slightly.

“...you’d probably stick around regardless of my answer, so I’ll just say you can help.” The unicorn finally rolls out of bed onto all four hooves, shaking himself off and looking over his bedhead-afflicted mane and tail. “I wonder if this is how Vinyl gets her style...”

Applejack shrugs. “Got me, Ah usually just spend a minute with the old manebrush before Ah put mah ties on.” She indicates her red bands around the ends of her mane.

“Usually I just go with however mine looks after a shower,” Winter says with a shrug of his own. “I’m assuming that would be ‘unacceptable’ for a formal occasion like this?”

With a small smirk, she replies. “What do ya think Rarity would say to that?”

“Probably something involving the word ‘obviously’ four times.” He tries to pat his mane down with a hoof. “At least promise me it doesn’t need to be cut or gelled. The former makes me sleepy and the latter makes me itchy.”

'Make sure it's decent, at the very least,' Mercury speaks up, dropping off the bed and heading into the closet. 'Especially considering that she's going to be there, too.'

“Yeah, yeah...” Sighing, Winter turns his attention to the closet as well. “And let me guess: formal wear, no going au naturale?”

She nods. “Yep, seems like most Canterlot stuff is like that.”

“Great… hopefully my uniform still fits. Save a few hundred bits on getting a suit for one occasion.” He cracks his neck loudly before starting to tug his pajama top off.

“Well, it is fer yer teams,” she muses behind him. “Ah think military would be a fine choice.”

“Yeah. Plus, I’d likely be representing the Ponyville guard as well, so…” He shrugs as the shirt comes off, starting on the pants. Suddenly remembering who else is in the room, he quickly yanks them back up over the green fabric nearly revealed, face as red as the farmer’s cutie mark.

She smiles cheekily as she watches him. “Something wrong, Win? Lookin’ a bit red there.”

He coughs awkwardly. “Y-You didn’t see anything, right?”

'Heaven forbid.' The kitsune emerges from the closet, a belt with a scabbard in his tails. 'If she did, she might be even more interested.'

She giggles, shaking her head. “Nothin’ interestin’, no. Somethin’ Ah should have seen? Ah mean, we don’t normally wear clothes so…”

Winter sighs, still blushing. “I know, but… let’s just say I like wearing layers to bed… it’s warmer that way.” He looks for anything else in the room to focus on.

The farmer tilts her head at him. “So… what? You’re embarrassed about wearin’ warm britches?”

“...something like that… just turn away, please?” he practically begs.

With a smile and a shake of her head, she does as he asks. “Silly shy stallion…”

“Hey, I grew up in two cities where peculiarities meant ostracization,” he retorts as he slides the bottoms off, no longer feeling as nervous. “Just my luck that I had, and still have, so many of them.” The dark green garment beneath comes off next, and his full set of sleepwear is tossed roughly into the laundry basket.

“Well, Ponyville has more than its fair share of the unusual, so most folks won’t bat an eye at ya,” she shoots back, playing with the brim of her hat.

He sighs. “Still not gonna be totally comfortable flaunting them.” He grabs his glasses off the nightstand with magic and sets them on his muzzle. “Alright, you can look now.”

She turns back around, making a show of giving him a look from ear to tail tip. “Hmm… now ain’t that a sight?” The mare grins.

“Yeah, I know, I’m a mess.” The unicorn rolls his eyes, but chuckles. “Just give me a chance to shower, and I’ll at least look good enough to step outside.”

“Now when did Ah say you were a mess?” Walking over, she nuzzles him. “Seems like first thing in the morning is quite the honest time for looks.”

Blushing a bit, he nuzzles back. “Scruffy hair, bloodshot eyes, purple moon jammies… yeah, that says a lot about me personally.”

Snorting, she gives him a small noogie. “Looks like we’re gonna have to work on that attitude of yers.”

He wrenches himself away from her, smirking. “I’ve had it for twenty years, good luck with that.” She simply smiles back at him, a determined twinkle in her eye.

‘...wait, aren’t you only nineteen?’ Mercury tosses the belt and scabbard on the bed, turning to his friend. ‘Did you have a birthday without me knowing?’

“Rounding up,” Winter adds with a sigh before glancing at the accessories he had retrieved. “I should probably shower before we figure out outfits...”

“Do Ah need to send Ash in with ya ta make sure ya don’t try to sneak off or take a snooze?” the farm pony asks.

He rolls his eyes. “If you’re that worried about me falling asleep under a stream of hot water, why not follow me in yourself?” he asks sarcastically.

“Well, that’s a bit forward of ya.” She smirks.

Blushing, he avoids eye contact on the way over to the door. “...I’m going now.”

“Good boy.” She nods at this, silently laughing.

Volt raises his eyebrow as he double-checks Twilight’s list before it is used. “You wrote a step by step guide for putting on your dress? Is it really that complicated?”

She glares at him, levitating said dress over to herself. “It doesn’t pay to be unprepared, Volt! What if I forgot a strap here or there? I’d look like a fool!”

“No you wouldn’t,” he argues, “you’d look cute. Plus, who tells a princess she looks foolish? A fool, that’s who.”

“But that’s the point!” she yells. “Have any of the other princesses ever shown up to a formal event, in a clearly last-minute outfit they just threw on without realizing how it was supposed to be done?!”

Putting a hoof to his chin, Volt hums. “I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen any of the princesses wear anything beyond their regalia except for at your coronation.”

“I… wait, really?” The purple alicorn raises an eyebrow before shaking her head. “Not the point! Just help me get this on, please?”

Nodding, the dutiful coltfriend walks over, holding the dress in his magic as it overlaps hers. “This a head or tail first one?”

“Head first,” she replies, standing straight. “That’s what Rarity said, anyway… I haven’t tried it on yet.”

“Well, I guess now’s the time.” He guides the fabric over her with his hoof, struggling a moment to get her wings through the holes.

After a few moments of her trying to stand as rigidly still as possible, she finally relaxes once the dress is over her body. She trots over to a mirror to look over herself, double and triple-checking the checklist as she fixes anything that seems off and dons any accessories, from boots to a flower in her mane. “I think that’s about right… what do you think, Volt?”

Tilting his head back and forth as he looks at her, the stallion thinks careful before answering. “I think mares use far too many layers to try and make themselves more beautiful than they already are.”

Twilight blushes, smiling a little. “Heh… thanks, you flatterer.” She straightens her mane out. “Really though, does it look good? Is everything on straight?”

“As far as I know, yes.” He nuzzles her. “I think you look lovely. Don’t worry so much.”

She sighs, relaxing and nuzzling back. “If you say so… now come on, you need to get dressed up too.”

“At least you don’t have a checklist for me,” he mutters as he goes over to his hanging suit.

“Because yours is much simpler,” she replies. “And because I can just fix it for you. I know how suits are supposed to look.”

“Well, Princess of Knowledge, care to help me put it on then? I can never tie the bowtie correctly…” He looks down at the small purple ribbon with a glare.

She giggles, taking it in her magic. “Certainly. Get the shirt on and I’ll take care of it.”

Nodding, he lifts the fabric in his own magic, stepping into the foreleg holes and fastening the few unicorn-specific buttons to make it stay on. Once he has it on, Twilight folds the collar up and quickly ties the bowtie around his neck, swiftly and neatly fixing it up before folding the collar back down over it. “Wow… how’d you learn to do that?”

“Do you even need to ask?” she retorts, smirking.

“A book.” He chuckles.

“...maybe.” She blushes a bit. “Now come on, hurry up. We don’t want to be late.”

“What does one even take to a Heroes’ Ball?” Gel looks down at the clothes and accessories strewn across the bed, her ears drooping as indecision takes hold.

“Just wear something nice, love.” Rhino nuzzles her, his own selection of jacket, shirt, tie, and hat already selected. “One of your dresses, perhaps. They do look lovely on you.”

“Yes.” She rolls her eyes, bumping his side. “But I don’t want you getting jealous because a stallion - or mare - has wandering eyes.”

“I don’t think we’re expecting more ponies than our friends,” he points out, smirking. “And I know how to deal with them.”

“But there’s also guards. And soldiers.” The nymph picks up a medium-length dress, feeling the fabric carefully. “Some of which haven’t seen a mare in months, if I heard right.”

“They will behave themselves, or they will be hurt,” he says seriously. “Their armor is enchanted. I’ve glanced at it enough to know how to deal with them.”

Gel pauses, looking to her husband in concern. “You realize that got you in trouble with Celestia before? At the Gala?”

“I would face all four Princesses for you,” he says defiantly, puffing out his chest.

“I appreciate the thought,” she pulls on his tie to peck him on the lips, “but I don’t want my husband thrown in a dungeon.” She carefully steps into the dress, brushing his cheek with her tail. “Please behave… and try not to stare at my flanks all night.”

“Fair enough on both points…” He nuzzles her. “I’ll just make do with your beautiful face.”

“Flatterer.” She turns away, looking over her shoulder at him. “Zip me up?”

He does so with his mouth, grazing his nose up her back cheekily. “Think the foals managed to get ready?”

“With Ruby there? Probably.” The navy nymph giggles, squirming as he moves up between her wings. “We might need to… convince them to stop playing, before we leave.”

“Hmm? What do you mean?” He starts donning his own outfit.

She levels a stare at him. “They may be playing, and we need to make sure they don’t wrinkle their outfits.”

He blinks. “Oh, right… well, we can just tell them to settle a bit. I doubt we’ll get them to completely stop. They’d be bored.”

“If you say so.” She heads to the closet, flicking on the light. “Could you go check on them, love? I’ll finish getting ready while you’re gone.”

“Of course.” The stallion heads out of the room and down the hall towards the twin’s bedroom. He knocks on the door before he walks in. “You little ones doing alright in here?”

“We’re okay, dad!” The tallest of the three nervously smiles, stepping forward to hug him. “Just having a bit of fun!”

Chuckling, he hugs her. “So much fun you forgot to dress yourself?”

“Ye- no!” Ruby blushes brightly, squirming in place. “I just couldn’t decide what I wanted to wear…”

“Have you narrowed it down?” Rhino asks.

“Yes…” The pink filly gestures to the bed, where a baby blue toga-style dress and a white suit lay. “...but they both look so good…”

Her father tilts his head. “You’re considering a suit?”

“Yeah, I thought it looked nice.” She looks to his outfit. “You’re wearing one, too, so it isn’t too strange, is it?”

“Well… no, but usually mares wear dresses and stallions wear suits… there are exceptions, I suppose.” He shrugs, but seems to look at the dress more.

“Like Aunt Luster and Octavia?”

“Yes, like them.” He nods.

“Then I think both are options.” She looks to her younger siblings, smiling warmly at them. “So… what do you two think I should go with?”

Mystic looks up at her, wearing his own tiny suit. “Umm… I like the dress. You and Serene would match then.” He gestures to the blue filly who is wearing a pink dress, who nods.

“Then it’s unanimous.” The young mare nods, taking the outfit in her magic and turning to the door. “...dad, may I go change?”

“Oh, right, blocking the door...” He nuzzles her as he steps to the side. “Be sure to ask your mother if you need help.”

“I will!” As soon as she exits the room, her younger sister moves in, nuzzling Rhino’s chest.

“Oh?” He scoops her up, nuzzling her back. “How do you like your dress, my littlest princess?”

“I love it, daddy.” Serene smiles up at him, eyes shining in happiness. “Thank you for getting it for me.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie.” He scoops up the colt as well as he walks over. “Just to let you know: be good during this party, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun, okay?”

“Okay. As long as I can be with Mystic!” She hugs around his neck, giggling brightly.

“Of course you can.” He kisses her head lovingly. One eye looks to his son, the colt nodding before he hugs the both of them.

“Ow!” Winter hisses, instinctively flicking his tail out of reach once again. “Applejack…!”

“Look, it’s either Ah do this, or Rarity does it.” The orange mare flicks one of her neatly curled locks out of her face, already fashionista approved for the upcoming event. “Ya’ll already used up yer chance ta do it yerself.”

“Why does my tail even matter?” he grumbles, flinching as she runs the brush through another knot.

‘Because she likes to feel it.’ Mercury laughs, curled up as he is on the bed. ‘Don’t you want to make sure it’s the best it can be for her?’ The unicorn doesn’t respond vocally, but his subtle sigh and nod is enough of an answer. ‘Good. Now kiss.’ The nod quickly turns to a fierce glare. ‘What?’ The fox gives a small smirk. ‘You’re going to at the Ball anyways, right?’

“AJ?” Winter asks calmly. “Please make him leave.”

She nudges the fox with a hoof. “Git along now, Mercury, go find the little one and make sure she’s ready. Ah bet she looks plum adorable in her dress.”

‘Fine. But I want him to look his best for you.’ He winks to his friend before hopping down, dashing out the door as soon as he lands.

Sighing in relief, Winter looks back at his tail. “Are we done that part?”

“Hmm… Ah think so.” She nods. “Now that you’re all gussied up, maybe Rares will give us all a little peace. Don’t get me wrong, Ah appreciate her wantin’ us to look our best, but doin’ that with so many ponies ain’t good for her or us.”

The unicorn has had an eyebrow raised since the beginning of her sentence. “‘Gussied up’? AJ, this is the same thing I used to wear every other day back in Canterlot.” He looks down at his uniform; dark green pants and black shoes, with a white button-up shirt and black tie underneath a darker green jacket adorned with various medals. “It’s not like I’m wearing makeup or a tux.”

“Doesn’t mean ya don’t look nice.” She straightens the tie a bit.

Before he can respond, a knock comes from the front door. “Guess the others are ready, too… good timing.” They both get up and head to the door.

When they get down to the first floor, the uniformed stallion opens the front door to see who it is.

On the other side is the white unicorn from Winter’s team, tapping her hoof against the ground. She starts when the door opens, looking from the stallion to the mare and back, an eyebrow raised. “...I want so badly to comment on this…”

A burgundy pony behind her peeks over her shoulder, chuckling at the sight and muttering under his breath. “Heh. Kinky.” He shakes his head, and nods to the small group behind them. “Ready to go? Our train leaves in a few minutes.”

Rolling his eyes at their comments, Winter nods. “Just let me grab Merc and Ash, and we’ll be right with you.”

Twilight nods, looking to the orange mare. “Come on, Applejack. They’re expecting the six of us to show up together.” A wry smile crosses her face. “You and your coltfriend can see each other again at the Ball itself.”

“Alright Twi; guess the same can be said of you and yours, huh?” Trotting over to her friends, AJ gives one last comment over her shoulder. “Try and enjoy yourself if Ah can’t find ya quickly there, else Ah’ll have ta start planning with Ash on how to get ta do it.”

He chuckles, giving a wave. “You have fun too.” With that, he nods to the others and heads inside to grab the other inhabitants of the house. There’s a crash, and then the stallion returns, looking back at the filly and fox draped across his back, wearing a dress and a fancy collar respectively. “That was easy… you okay, Ash?”

“...pretty stars…”

The unicorn looks a little worried as he carefully lifts her off with his magic. “I’d suggest you stay home after all, but apparently the house is more dangerous to you than anything else at the moment.”

Vinyl speaks up, pushing her way to the front of the group, taking great care not to ruin her black gown. “...Sol, what even happened in there?”

He glances to her. “These two came running down when they realized it was time to go, and Ash tripped… down the stairs… and rolled across half the room.” He looks back at the fox. “Good job taking care of her.”

Mercury raises his nose indignantly. ‘I was doing a good job before then, Win.’

“I’m still blaming you.” He carefully sets the filly on the ground. “Feeling better, Ash? Anything hurt?”

“...just my pride.” She shakes herself, brushing at her hair with a hoof. “Do I still look okay?”

He steps back playfully to get a look at her. Despite the tumble, her simple deep blue sundress, decorated with a lighter blue bow around the waist, is almost perfectly straight. The unicorn just lights his horn and straightens the slightly crooked bow before responding. “Perfect.”

The filly beams at this, prompting a look of surprise from the fox beside her. ‘...aren’t you normally not one for fashion?’ For his response, a hoof is shoved into his mouth.

Winter sighs, shaking his head. “Kids.” He glances at Merc and his minimal apparel. “Why do you get to wear so little?”

The burgundy pegasus, wearing the outfit he had been fitted for not long ago, pipes up from his spot at the back of the group. “I think it’s because he looks like a wild animal.”

“Excuses.” With another sigh, but a small smile, he turns to the group. “Should we get going now? Train’s leaving soon.”

Rhino nods. “Yeah, waiting for trains is bad enough without missing it to have to wait for the next one.” He looks around. “Especially with a group this big.”

Nodding as well, Winter starts walking towards the station, most of the others following along beside or behind him, the Nexus family the only ones ahead. For a second, this gets him a view of Ruby in her own outfit, causing him to immediately look away, mentally slapping himself. Don’t be weird… don’t be weird… stop being creepy. His mental slap soon coincides with one from the fox on his back, who silently scolds him. “...I didn’t do anything.”

The disk jockey behind him raises an eyebrow, stepping forward and bumping his side. “No one said you did anything, Sol.”

He coughs. “I know… blame Merc.” He keeps his eyes off to the side, trying to resist the urge to peek again.

Seeing his plight, the white mare tries to offer a distraction. “...so, how have you and Applejack been?”

Winter latches onto the change of topic quickly, not realizing the road it could go down. “Pretty good, I hope… she came this close to committing breaking and entering today just to make sure I went to the Ball, but other than that, nothing out of the ordinary.”

“...wait, what?” Enigma rushes forward on the other side of him, an eyebrow raised. “What do you mean by that?”

“Merc and Ash let her in while I was asleep, and when I woke up she all but pounced on me so that I’d hurry up and get ready.” He sighs. “Just glad I didn’t wake up with the typical stallion’s morning problem...”

Hydro, listening in, chuckles as he comments. “Would have been quite the surprising landing to a pounce.”

“...shut up.” The cobalt unicorn’s face reddens.

“It’s not a big deal, is it?” Enigma shrugs. “Being adored by the mare you adore?”

He rolls his eyes. “Still embarrassing to have you guys go on about it.”

“To be fair, we go on about everyone when it comes to that, even each other,” the red earth stallion points out.

“Yeah, but once you’re a couple, it kinda fades,” Winter points out. “There’s you and Dior, E and Vi, Rhino and Gel, Volt and Twi… and Ruby, whom I don’t even know anything about in that department. So I kind of got the short end of the stick by being the last one.”

“You realize you aren’t technically the last one, Sol.” Vinyl pats him on the head. “Maud and Gilda haven’t met anyone. And besides…” She glances to the stallion on the other side of the cobalt unicorn, a sly smile on her lips. “You get over it by being with the one you love… or ones.”

His eyes roll once again. “Maud and Gilda are terrible examples for reasons I should not have to go into. And now you’ve reminded me that they’re the only full-on adults between the two teams besides myself not in a relationship. Which doesn’t help.”

‘What about Ruby? She’s an adult, by law.’

“I was raised to believe that being an adult should not come at an age earlier than being able to live on your own, and I’m sticking to it.” He shakes his head. “But fine, count her too. Still doesn’t help.”

“Can you guys tone down the drama?” The stone nymph nudges his hindquarters, huffing in annoyance. “You’re in a relationship now, so the past doesn’t matter. What matters is the future you’re going to have with that farmer.”

He turns back to her, glaring a bit. “We’re not in a relationship yet, you know.”

“Then what about that kiss the other day?” she shoots back.

“She was inebriated!”

“In a party with no alcohol?”

He has no response for that, instead just groaning and facing forward again. “For all we know, she was just being friendly. At least wait until she and I talk about it.”

“...fine.” She leans in close, whispering into his ear. “But I hold the right to say I told you so.”

One more roll of the eyes ends the conversation before they look forward again, realize the problem with that, and go back to the ground. “...so, we almost there?”

“Just a little more, Winter.” Gel looks back at him, smiling warmly. “You can be patient, right?”

He nods, meeting her eyes with a small smile. “Yeah. Just can’t wait to get this over with.”

Rhino comments over his shoulder. “It shouldn’t be too bad… at least we have each other to avoid awkward social situations.”

“Or cause them,” Hydro adds.

“Quiet, you.”

“Hey, I’m with him,” the cobalt unicorn adds. “Suggesting I will in any way help you avoid awkward situations is like suggesting we store oil by the burners. Everything will go up in flames by the end of the night.”

Mercury smacks the back of his head once more. ‘It won’t be that bad. You have that friend of yours in the guard, don’t you?’

“You act as though he won’t contribute to said flames.” He smirks.

“Anyone we should know about?” The mechanical engineer asks.

Winter waves a hoof. “Just one of the marines. Not sure if he’ll even find us amongst everypony else.” He shrugs, looking ahead. “Well, there’s the station.”

The conversations are all quickly dropped as the group sees the station and picks up speed just a bit, glad to have finally arrived. Little do they know what will transpire that very night...

Equus Tactics #50

The group approaches Canterlot Castle, their large group and purposeful strides giving them unhindered travel through the city even in the face of the snootiest of nobles. Though one issue is that with sidewalks being how they are, the group must stretch out a bit or risk becoming a bit too close for comfort. This leads to limited chatting partners, but as the murmur of conversation never ceases, none of them seem to mind overly much on this night.

Ruby glances over her shoulder, watching a couple that they passed, noticing the expressions on their faces. "...they seem angry..."

"Probably didn't get their way for once." Rhino chuckles grimly. "Kind of the typical attitude way up here near the castle."

"Really?" She looks up at her father, confused. "But... what about Mimi and grandpa? They live here, don't they?"

"Yes, but our family has always been kind. Plus, they live on the outskirts where we don't have to pay generations of debt or be royalty to have a big yard." Cocking his head in thought, he looks to his wife. "Do you think we should pay them a visit after the ball? You know they always love being swarmed by their grandfoals."

"I don't see why not." The navy nymph smiles, nuzzling his chin tenderly. "Do you think Dior would like to come with us?" She kisses him briefly, pulling away with a teasing nip on the nose.

Ruby focuses her eyes on the ground, blushing gently. "...could you please not do that while I'm between you?"

The stallion chuckles, leaning down and nuzzling his pink daughter before planting a kiss on her forehead. "You know, you nipped my muzzle even more than she did when you were a tiny thing. It's part of being a loving family... especially a part changeling one." He looks back up to Gel, sending a pulse of love her way as he leans over and nips her ear. "I think it wouldn't hurt to ask. A little mini family reunion."

"I think-" She stops, some movement in the corner of her eye catching her attention. She turns and stares back at the cobalt unicorn, who currently has a sea-green filly laying on top of his upturned face. "...she'll be up for it... Sol, what are you doing?"

"...I was contemplating this bad feeling I was getting and trying to figure out whether it was some sort of bad omen or just me being paranoid about a formal occasion," he replies. "Then I got distracted by something cute."

"Mister Winter was looking so sad..." Ash smiles softly, her tail swishing behind her and across the top of his head. "I thought I'd cheer him up!"

He chuckles and levitates her into his foreleg. "I'm fine, silly. Just don't have much to say, you know?"

"Nothing to say?" She pouts softly, even as she's curled up in his embrace. "But I like hearing your voice... you tell the best stories!"

Blushing a bit but smiling nonetheless, he nuzzles her. "What would you like to talk about then?"

"How about..." She taps his nose, giggling brightly. "...the time you met Miss Applejack? Mercury says that's a good story."

"Uh..." He blushes even more. "Um... M-Mercury says a lot of things. It isn't really that interesting..."

"Aww..." She looks up at him, her eyes wide and pleading. "Please, Mister Winter?"

He sighs, nuzzling her again. "Like I said, not very interesting... I went to Ponyville after being assigned there as the guard division's captain, and as part of procedure set by the mayor, I had to be introduced to the Elements of Harmony. This included Applejack, obviously. We said hi, learned names, they all got confused at how laid-back I was, and we went back to our everyday lives."

Ash blinks at this, confused. "...wait, so... it wasn't love at first sight, like Mercury said?"

Winter winces, glancing around before replying quietly. "That was... more of the second meeting... which I'll count as 'love at first sight' because all six of them were there for the first one, and it was just her and myself for the second." He pauses. "...why am I telling you this?"

"Because it's sweet." The filly giggles, kicking her hooves happily. "So... how'd your second meeting with her go?"

"She came by my place the next day with a pie as a welcoming gift," he replies, having given up trying to dodge the subject. "I'm a little fuzzy on the details, but from what I can remember, I invited her in and we ended up talking for a while to get a bit more detailed than just five-minute introductions. Merc was there the whole time, and pretty much right after she left, he started teasing me about crushes and staring."

"Were you staring at her eyes? Her smile?" She taps her chin, trying to think of what drew his attention.

He blushes immensely. "...yes."

"Yes to which one?"

"...either of them?" He nuzzles her, trying to think of a distraction. "It's not really important, is it?"

She looks up at him, the gears visibly turning in her head. "...it was her tush, wasn't it?"

He groans. "Yeah..."

"Oh." She tilts her head to one side. "Miss Dior said that stallions like to look there... so I suppose that makes sense, I guess?"

"Promise not to go spreading this news to anyone?" he asks in response.

"I promise." She smiles warmly at him. "May I still ask her about her side of the story?"

He smiles back, nuzzling her. "Sure thing. We're going to be meeting up with her later anyway, so you can ask her then."

"Yay!" She hugs him around the neck, happily nuzzling his cheek. He nuzzles back, glancing forward to see how close they are to the castle now. Surprisingly, they all find themselves right outside the gates, the castle towering above them majestically.

Winter chuckles. "You want to stick with me or go off on your own?"

She grips him a little tighter. "Stay with you, please?"

"Sure thing, silly." He nuzzles her once more as they approach the entrance.

The guard on the left clears his throat, clearly a few hours in on his shift as he recites at them. "Name, purpose for visiting the castle, and ID please." He looks over them smoothly, the only flaw in his trained stance being an eyebrow that raises ever so slightly at the composition of their party.

Winter straightens his stance. "Captain Winter Solstice. Heroes' Ball Attendance." He levitates out his ID as he glances to the others for them to do the same.

The burgundy pegasus steps forward, bowing low in respect. "Professor Enigmatic Harvest. Heroes' Ball Attendance." He bends his neck down, pulling a card out of a shirt pocket.

A card floats out of Rhino's saddlebags, hovering before the guards in a green aura. "Rhino of the Nexus clan. Heroes' Ball."

Another follows shortly after, held up next to the emerald stallion's. "Ex-colonel Gel of the Nexus Clan. Same."

Dior approaches him from the other side, her card surfacing from the stone of her hoof. "General Diorite. Second verse, same as the first."

Next comes up the red stallion, nosing his card out of his chest pocket. "Hydro Pump. Here for the Ball."

Another card floats over. "Voltage Surge. Party crasher." A warning tap on his side makes him chuckle. "Sorry. The Ball, of course."

Finally, the alabaster unicorn steps forward, grinning cockily. "I don't think I need an introduction. I'm here for the Ball, and to liven up the party a bit." Behind her, Winter winces a bit.

Ruby blinks, staring at the card levitating in the unicorn's magical aura. "...what is that?"

"ID card," Winter explains to her briefly. "Does she have one, Rhino?"

As the guard looks them all over, Rhino shakes his head. "No, she was to get hers before the next time we gathered."

As the one on the left starts passing the IDs back, the one on the right speaks. "Sorry, sir, but the castle is closed to all those without proof of identification to show they are allowed access."

The filly gulps, stepping forward and shakily introducing herself. "M-my name is Ruby Pinch, of the Nexus Clan. I, um... I came here for the Heroes' Ball." She takes a deep breath, bowing respectfully. "Please let me in. My friend is in there, and she's waiting for me."

The guard's face doesn't move. "Little filly, you aren't the first to say something like that." He looks up at the face Rhino is making. "And you, sir, are not the first to give me that look, not even today."

The green stallion snorts a bit of air as he digs in his bags, grumbling quietly. "Where'd I put that invite..."

She grits her teeth, stepping forward, eyes unwavering. "How many times have you heard this?" She leans in close, her voice just loud enough for the little group to hear. "I'm a member of Equestria's Stealth division. I haven't been around long enough to get an ID, but I bet that Princess Luna would vouch for me. As you well know, she's the head of that secret branch of the Royal Army." She gives him a small, strained smile, clearly wishing she could chew him out. "How much else do I need to say to prove I belong?"

To Ruby's credit, the guard actually moves his head back a bit from her. "Alright, considering who you came with and what you know, you may enter. However, the same cannot be said for the other filly and the fox. I doubt they are members of the team as well."

'You care to bet your rank on that, bub?'

"You'd be surprised," Winter deadpans. "Mercury is the second-in-command of Tactics team, thus is eligible for entry. And Ash is a... recent addition."

The guard's skepticism is clear in his voice. "Oh, really?"

"Yes, really. Check the records of Tactics team members, if Princess Luna will give you access. I'm sure you will find Mercury in there, though I admit Ash is unlikely to be added just yet." He smirks. "Or just bring the princess herself out to confirm, if you'd like a bit of royal audience to this incident. I'm sure your distrust of a guard captain will earn you many brownie points with her."

Letting out a sigh, the guards look to each other before they speak to them again. "Well... seeing as the rest of you check out, it should be fine. Go on in."

The cobalt unicorn nods before gesturing for the others to go in ahead of him. As they pass, the guards keep an eye on them, some more than others. Winter, the last to go in, takes a moment before doing so, getting one last line in with the guards. "I wouldn't suggest eyeing that burgundy pegasus. That's a guy."

Eyes shrink to pinpricks as the two face forward once more, perhaps even stiffer in their stances than they were before. Winter chuckles, following his friends in.

'Shouldn't they be at attention, anyways?'

"Canterlot guards are in major abundance at events like this," Winter explains. "They think slacking off a little is okay. Normally you wouldn't see a wandering eye if they were assigned to guard the inside of a brothel."

Ash taps his cheek, her eyes inquisitive. "What's a brothel?"

"...I'll tell you when you're older."

The filly looks at him, confused, but nods. “Okay…” She drops down off his back, hugging his leg briefly. “Can I go chat with Ruby, for a bit?”

“Of course.” He smiles. “We have a bit of time before the ball. Just don’t go too far, okay? I don’t want to lose you in the crowd once things get going.”

“I won’t. I promise!” She beams up at him, giving him one last squeeze before dashing over to the young mare, bouncing along with her as they walk.

He chuckles. “Adorable.” He glances up at the fox still on his back. “Any friends you want to go hang out with too?”

‘None that can understand what I’m saying.’

Before anything else can be said, the cobalt unicorn feels a soft warmth against his side. “I see you’ve become more comfortable with your daughter, Solstice.”

Blinking, the unicorn turns to the navy nymph and sighs. “Still not comfortable with that terminology, though. I’d rather just be her caretaker. I doubt I’d be good as a dad.”

“Yeah, mom said you were like that.” She smirks at him, tapping his forehead. “You’ve got to fix that bad habit of yours. You love her like a daughter, and she loves you like a father. Simple as that.”

“Besides,” the other nymph interjects, pressing up against his other side, smiling warmly, “think of this experience as practice for when you and Applejack have a biological child.”

He blushes and groans. “Seriously? You tease me nonstop about getting around to asking her out, and as soon as I decide I’m going to, you move right on to babies?”

Both of the changelings stare at him, dumbfounded, and Gel speaks up. “...you’re planning on asking her out?”

“...yeah.” He sighs. “I made an agreement with Mercury to at least try tonight and stop putting it off.”

“Well,” Dior giggles, wrapping a foreleg around him, “I’m glad you finally decided to make a move. If you weren’t going to, then…” She trails off, unsure if she should finish that thought.

“Then what?” he asks, almost challenging.

“...then I would’ve had to take drastic measures.”

He smirks. “Liiiiiiiiiiiike?”

“Pretending to be you and asking her out in your stead.” She raises an eyebrow, tapping his cheek. “I doubt you’d want that, would you?”

“You’re right on that, but I also doubt you would want to be seen in my body.” He continues smirking. “And I suggest you be careful about impersonating an officer.”

“Oh? What if I were to pretend to be her and ask you out?” She leans in, grinning widely, her fangs glinting in the light of the moon. “I know for a fact she wouldn’t mind.”

The unicorn raises an eyebrow. “Hydro would. I’d rather not get beaten up by jealous husbands again.” He raises a hoof. “Don’t ask.”

Gel closes her mouth, groaning softly. “Darn… I had a feeling that’d be a good story…”

“It really isn’t.” He shakes his head, looking for another topic of conversation. “So… you two look nice.”

“So do you.” Dior giggles, flicking his flank with a tail teasingly. “Applejack’s a lucky mare.”

He shrugs. “I’d think I’m the lucky one. Well, if she says yes I would be.”

“Then you’ll both be lucky.” She winks, then turns to the moon, visible through the windows they pass. “...you know, every time I see that, I think of that time a couple years back…”

“Time?” He tilts his head.

“Mom means when Nightmare Moon showed up.”

“Oh.” Winter nods. “I understand… but we need to move on from that. Like you said, it was a couple years ago, and I doubt any of the princesses want us to look up at the moon and think of a great evil. We need to move on.”

“It’s not like I can help it.” She turns back to him, a wry smile on her lips. “It’s like you and your negativity.”

“If others can get on my case about that, I can get on yours about your thing.”

“Then you’re giving me free reign to harp on you about the issues you have? Like, say,” she leans close, whispering in his ear, “the time I saw you ogle Applejack while she was getting fitted, and denying it when I asked?”

He blushes, ears folding down. “...in my defense, I didn’t want to be there anyway because I knew that would happen...”

“Hey, she was the one who asked you to join us.” She smirks, shaking her head. “And, if I’m not mistaken, the one who asked you to stay in the room when you tried to leave.”

“Still.” He sighs, scuffing the floor a bit.

“You might as well stop, mom.” Gel sighs, shaking her head. “He’s never going to get it until he finds out by himself…”

The unicorn blinks. “Finds what out?”

She taps him on the nose, winking playfully. “It’s a secret!~”

“...I hate secrets.” He taps her nose back. “Haven’t I always been open and honest with you?”

“I don’t know.” She gives him a flat stare, an eyebrow raised. “Did you look at my daughter’s flanks, earlier?”

“She was walking directly in front of me and it’s hard to walk properly while staring off to the side,” he replies simply. “Obviously I looked at them. Stared at, ogled, or admired, no.”

“Have you stared at, ogled, or admired Applejack’s figure?”

“...pretty sure that one’s obvious.”

Dior smirks, rolling her eyes playfully. “About as obvious as that growing bulge of yours, yes. You should be glad we’re hiding it for you.”

He blushes again. “...I’d say thanks, but it’s kind of your fault it grew in the first place...”

‘Isn’t it technically your mind that’s at fault for it?’

“Stay out of this, Merc.”

‘Fine, horny.’

Winter rolls his eyes. “So what are you two planning on doing during the ball? Socializing, just hanging out with your loved ones, ditching it as soon as possible?”

“Can’t I do all three?” Dior smirks, her tail swishing eagerly behind her.

“I was thinking about taking a few pictures.” Gel holds up a camera. “I had a good one from the party, and I wanted to see if I could get a sequel of sorts to it.”

“Both good plans.” Winter chuckles.

“Yep!” She holds up a picture before them in her magic, grinning widely. “Would you like a copy of that first one?”

He blinks before looking at it, then blushes majorly. “...er… how did you get that?”

“I took a picture. Duh.” She sticks her tongue out at him.

“I meant… never mind.” He sighs. “...sure.” It floats closer, tucking into the breast pocket of his uniform. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” She elbows his side, winking at him. “Don’t have too much fun with that, you hear?”

His face goes redder as he lowers his head a bit. “R-Right...”

“...were you really going to do that?”

He raises an eyebrow before smirking. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”

“That’s a yes.”

“...no.”

“So that’s why-” Ruby yelps as she feels someone jump on her back, turning back to see Ash’s smiling face. “Oh, hi. Next time, could you warn me?”

“Aww…” She pouts, resting her head on the larger pony’s back. “But that’s no fun.”

Volt chuckles at this. “Shame on you, Ruby. Ruining a little filly’s fun…”

“I just don’t want her fun to break me.” She frowns softly at him. “You know about my bones…”

Ash blinks, her expression going blank. “...your bones?”

Grumbling for a moment, Volt averts his eyes sheepishly before turning to the filly. “Well, uh, Ruby here has more fragile bones than most. It doesn’t really affect her most of the time, but when stuff does happen it could be dangerous if she isn’t properly bracing herself.”

“...oh.” She grimaces slightly. “...sorry, Miss Ruby.”

“It’s fine, just… be careful, in the future.” The pink unicorn glances to the stallion before continuing. “So… would you like to join our conversation?”

“Yes, please!” She leaps over to Volt’s back, settling herself down there with a happy smile.

Chuckling, the stallion looks back at her. “Careful. If I’m the designated sitting area now, you should know you risk static shocks.”

Ash sticks her tongue out at him. “I’m used to electric bolts.” Ignoring the stare Ruby gives her, she taps the back of his neck. “I like your mane… though it’s kinda pokey.”

“Yeah it is, and completely natural too.” He smiles at her. “Would you believe I used to have soft wavy locks before I first got shocked?”

She lays along his back, sighing softly. “Would you be mad if I said no, Mister Surge?”

“No, it’s pretty crazy to think about,” he admits.

“I suppose…” She brushes her hoof over his shoulder, thoughtful. “...did you look different in any other way, back then?”

“Well… I didn’t have my cutie mark.” He shakes his flanks a bit.

Ash grips him a bit tighter, trying not to fall off. Once she’s sure she won’t look her place, she resumes the conversation. “So… you got your cutie mark at the same time as being shocked?”

“Yep, nothing like getting electrocuted, scaring your parents, getting a cutie mark, and walking away from it with a new manestyle.” He chuckles. “I wonder if you’ll get one…”

“I… honestly have no idea.” She tilts her head to one side, thoughtful. “I never saw a mamodo with one… though most of my class was about my age, too…”

“Hmm… guess we’ll see, won’t we?” He smiles at her. “Maybe spending time here will get you enough Equestrian magic in you to get one.”

The filly seems to brighten up at this, a soft smile on her face. “You really think so?”

“Sure! You think so too, right Ruby?” He looks to the pink filly. “Maybe Ash will get a pink flaming heart or something.”

“Maybe. Then again…” The young unicorn glances to the stallion pinned between the changelings. “She might get one with ice in it…”

“Hmm… maybe she’ll be good at elemental magic and have both fire and ice.” He looks back at her. “What do you think? Want to be a hot and cold wizard?”

Ash stares at him, her muzzle scrunched in confusion. “...but... I can’t use spells unless someone else reads it from my book…”

He shrugs. “You never know. Maybe you just haven't tried using Equestrian magic yet.”

“I don’t know if I’d even be able to.” She taps the side of her head, right in front of her ear. “My horns aren’t anything like yours.”

Ruby stops moving, staring blankly ahead at them. “...horns? As in plural?”

Ash looks back, nodding. “Yes. I have two of them.”

“Didn’t you notice?” Volt raises an eyebrow at the pink mare.

“...no…” She rushes forward, trying to catch up to them. “...they’re so well hidden by her mane… I couldn’t see any sign of them…”

Volt nods. “I think they look good on her. Right now they’re small and cute, but they’ll probably be very stylish when she’s older... like fezzes.”

The filly bops the back of his neck. “Yeah right. They’re more like curled horns… not spiral, though.”

“My horn’s curled, you don’t see me complaining.” He taps his horn, which unlike most, curls backwards towards him a bit.

“Yes, but it doesn’t curl back over your head.” She sighs, shaking her head. “...that’s how it looked with Mercury’s mother, anyways…”

“Wait… what? His mother had them? Shouldn’t it be your mother?” The stallion looks confused as he looks back at her, narrowly avoiding walking into a pillar.

“No, he’s a mamodo, so his mother is, too.” She shrugs slightly. “She’s the only adult mamodo that I know of.”

“Huh… I guess I really can’t comment on extra dimensional genetics.” He turns forward just in time to run into a large decorative plant. He quickly backs, up as he sticks out his tongue, spitting out bits of the fake greens. “Bleh… right in the nose…”

“You really should pay better attention, Mister Surge.” Ash giggles, patting him on the head gently.

He laughs. “I’ll give it a try if you look out for the things that’ll try to get me from behind when I do. Deal?”

“Deal!”

"So tell me, Hyde..." The disk jockey pulls her shades down slightly, eyeing the hexagon hanging from his neck. "...why, exactly, did you decide to wear that?"

He looks down. “Habit, mostly. Hell, maybe I’ll just make it my fashion statement likes your shades.”

"Dude, my shades look cool." She reaches over, smacking the edge with her hoof. "This just looks tacky."

“Tacky?” He straightens up a bit. “I like to think it looks like a lugnut, plus my favorite pink niece made it for me.”

"Wait, what?" She gestures toward the filly in question. "So you just think that it's like... some kind of good luck charm from her?" The alabaster unicorn shakes her head, smirking slyly. "Well, E made me one, too. Difference is..." She nods towards the weapon holster on her back. "Mine is fully functional."

“Really? Like mine isn’t?” He grins as he adjusts his thoughts a bit, the necklace shimmering before a flexible metallic limb snakes out from under his dress jacket and waggles itself at her. “Did you forget my little friends already?”

"Nope." A hoof lashes out, grabbing one of the limbs and bringing it close. "I just wanted a better look at these beauties." She examines it carefully, her touch surprisingly delicate, considering what she just did.

Hydro stares at her while the mechanical limb tilts itself at her like a curious snake. "I didn't think you were that interested... you've never said anything before." The mouth or claw, depending on how you think of it, opens and closes once before spinning for Vinyl.

She gives off a childlike squeal of delight, hugging the extra limb. "This is so amazing!" She pauses, turning to look up at the stallion. "...were you saying something?"

He chuckles. "I said I didn't know you were so interested. If it's just moving stuff, I make things like this all the time." The arm wriggles against her coat.

"Really?" She runs her hoof along the surface, an eyebrow raised. "All with this level of complexity, smooth motions, and sleek design?"

"Well... sort of, on all three," he admits, rubbing the back of his head. "I mostly use mine when I have a need for them, so I invent them for a purpose. Complexity comes with just how into it I get. The motions are fairly smooth, but it'd be kind of impractical to spend all the time to make them as flexible as these things considering how much stuff I have. Design I can always sleek over with a nice chrome chasse though, so more of a yes to that." He huffs. "I'll get there, but it's a project."

"I see..." She slowly lets the limb slip out of her grip, watching it for a bit longer. "You know, we could always see if Ruby would be willing to work on that kind of stuff with us... maybe Winter, too, since he made those daggers of his..." She blinks, confusion clouding her expression. "...damn, that was some tangent I went on, there."

"Oh? Have a project in mind? Though, I don't think Ruby made these specifically to do this... she said they change with the pony they're bonded to." He shrugs. "Maybe we should ask anyway..."

"Good idea." She grins, bumping his side with her flank. "Maybe I can get one of those for myself, eh?"

He hums. "I don't know if you really need one considering everything else you're armed with." He laughs as a thought comes to him. "It'd probably do something strange like give you laser shades or something."

"What? That's awesome!" She laughs brightly, shaking her head. "I'd love the chance to be even more epic!" She smirks, pulling out her blade and bringing it in front of his face. "You could stand to have more weapons, too. Like that katana I offered to make you just last month."

His robotic arm looks at the blade just as he does. "I don't really think I can... as an earth pony I really only have my mouth to hold stuff unless I want to go on three legs... unless I'm using these things, but then I'm probably already fighting anyway." About a moment, he continues. "Plus, I'd prefer a hammer."

"That's the thing." The unicorn grins, smacking his shoulder playfully with a hoof. "Between the four of us, I bet we can find a way around that issue!"

"Alright, alright, you convinced me." He smiles as he lightly shoves her back. "This little project sounds fun. Rhino will trust me with Ruby, Winter has nopony to ask, E will probably agree... I just need to make sure Dior knows and we're all set."

She smirks at him, bumping his side in return, nearly pushing him into a column on accident. "What, are you afraid of getting another of Dior's punishments?"

He looks up. "Well... not so much the punishment, as the little things she does during it and the fiery words of worry and regret that she wasn't there... heh, I swear she's more of a firebrand than Gel."

Vinyl stares blankly at him, unsure how to respond. "...I didn't realize you loved being bound to your bed that much."

He frowns a bit. "Eh, that part I'm not crazy about."

"Well, you sure seemed excited at the time." She sticks her tongue out at him, then pushes him away, making him narrowly avoid a potted plant that he was about to walk into.

He nods in thanks. "It's more of the other things she does. Suffice to say she's made a trip or two to Silk's place to shop."

"Like that one black, lacy outfit?"

"...I was thinking more the nurse one, but how did you know about that other one?" He raises an eyebrow at her.

She blushes brightly, avoiding eye contact. "I, uh... installed security systems in... Ponyville..."

"...security systems, huh?" He keeps the eyebrow raised. "Inside homes? Without permission?"

The unicorn holds up her hoof. "To be fair, your wife gave me permission. Though she does always ask for copies..."

He sighs, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "And there's another kink of hers I've now discovered..." Still, he opens one eye and grins at her. "Like what you've seen?"

"Not all of it... some of it just seemed weird." She scrunches up her nose. "I mean, she's older than you, but wants to play a school filly? I mean, it's cute, but... not very sexy, to me."

He nudges her with a hoof. "Hey, her age is what she wants it to be, especially with the body she has. Honestly, I don't even keep track, since if you try and think of how the families connect involving her it gets just as complicated. She's my sexy wife, we have two foals, and she just happens to be my best friend's wife's mother. Simple."

She smirks at him, tapping his side just above the metal around his body. "Still makes you a grandpa, you know."

"Uncle."

"Uncle Grandpa." The disk jockey shrugs her shoulders. "Regardless, you're still family to them."

He nods, smiling as he looks ahead. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Finally, two stallions not too far from the rest of the group find themselves significantly quieter than the others. As they walk and wait, very few of their attempts at conversation pan out properly.

"So, uh... Ruby is doing well in her classes..." Enigma gives the taller stallion a sheepish smile, shrinking down slightly in embarrassment.

Rhino nods as they walk. "Yep. Her mother and I always told her how important school was and we make sure to tell her how proud we are."

"Yeah..." He taps his chin, thoughtful. "She does seem a little distracted, lately, but nothing that affects her schoolwork..."

The father looks to him. "Oh? Distracted how?"

"Well, there's this pony that sits in the front row, right in front of her..." He trails off, realizing what this means. "...you know what, it's probably just my imagination."

Rhino narrows his eyes. "Enigma... do I have a colt that has caught Ruby's eye to worry about?"

The burgundy pegasus glances around, nearly stumbling over his own hooves. "No... no, you don't."

"Enigma..."

"Hey, I'm being honest." He points at him, eyes narrowed. "Ruby doesn't have her eye on a colt."

After a moment, Rhino replies. "...mare?"

"...uh... hey, we're here!"

The distraction attempt from the pegasus turns out fruitful; sure enough, they enter through one more archway and find themselves in the main part of the castle where the ball is taking place. The arrival of such a diverse-looking large group prompts many curious looks, but few linger for more than a second or two before returning to their previous activities.

Out of nowhere, the unicorn and pegasus suddenly feel hooves clapping them on the shoulders as a dark orange face pops up between them. "Well, look who came to join us! Friends of the Cap?"

Rhino moves his head away from the sudden intruder. "Umm... that depends on his name."

Chuckling, the face and hoof step forward and turn to face them, revealing the orange body and short red mane and tail of a pegasus stallion in a familiar military uniform. "Cap Sol, from Ponyville?"

"Yes, we're friends of his." Enigma pauses, tapping his chin in thought. "We don't work directly with him, per se... but I like to think we're at least good friends."

"Swell!" He salutes far too exaggeratedly. "Knew it wasn't coinky-dink you all walked in at once. So what's your names?"

The burgundy pegasus gives him an uncertain look, carefully reading his body language. "...my name is Enigma... friends sometimes call me E..."

The green stallion tilts his head slightly, but straightens up after a moment as he smiles. "I'm Rhino. Who might you be?"

The pony salutes again, this time specifically at Rhino. "Bagel Bite, Cap Sol's thirty-seventh most trusted guard!" He pauses and frowns. "Fifty-ninth if you count ones from other cities."

The smallest of the three blinks, confused by this. "...Bagel Bite? That's... an interesting name for a guard."

"What, and Winter Solstice isn't?" Bagel laughs a bit, brightening back up. "But don't worry about that. It's a long story, cutie."

He gives him a flat look, his fur bristling slightly. "...'cutie'?"

The other pegasus tilts his head. "Do you prefer 'sweetie'?"

"Oh dear..." Rhino clears his throat as he gets E's attention. "Shall I tell him before you do so in your way?"

He grits his teeth, his wings twitching in agitation. "Please do, before I cause a scene..."

The unicorn looks at the guard in front of them, trying to word this delicately. "You don't happen to be mistaking my friend here for a mare, are you? He doesn't appreciate that."

Bagel tilts his head the other way. "No, I know."

"Ah... ball’s in your court, E," Rhino says quickly. Enigma just falls flat on his face, stunned by this revelation.

The orange pegasus looks down at him. "Are you alright?" The response he gets is a garbled mess of noises instead of words. "...should I go get help?" he asks again, his demeanour not once slipping into anything that sounds even slightly worried.

"He'll be fine. I think he's more shocked than anything." The green stallion shrugs, but still keeps an eye on his downed companion. "Good job knowing what he was, though. Most don't."

Bagel shrugs. "Don't know why. He-"

"Bite!" a harsh female voice interrupts. He calmly looks over his shoulder to see a purple earth mare stomping up behind him, wearing yet another Ponyville military uniform. She looks to Rhino and the floored pegasus. "Is he bothering you?"

He shakes his head. "I'd call this conversation 'refreshing' so far."

"You sure?" The mare raises an eyebrow. "I can drag him away if you want."

"Well..." He looks down to his fallen friend. "Give it a minute. If this one doesn't get up, maybe back off until he does."

The mare sighs. "I really don't know if I want to know how this happened."

"No, it's fine." The smaller pegasus slowly gets back up, shaking his head. "Just... never heard someone call me 'cutie' while knowing I'm a stallion."

"That's weird," Bagel remarks.

The mare glares at him before looking back to the other two. "So is everything stable here?"

Rhino nods. "I think so. Thank you, Miss..."

"Lieutenant Combat Boots." She salutes calmly.

He frowns a bit. "I'm still a bit put off when ponies salute me..."

"Apologies." She lowers her hoof. "May I learn your names as well?"

"He's Rhino of the Nexus clan, and I'm Professor Enigmatic Harvest." He gestures to them, an eyebrow raised. "How, uh... how'd you know I wasn't a mare, though?"

Bagel shrugs. "It seemed obvious to me."

"He's just... analytical," Boots says after a pause. "Among other things."

"So am I." He reaches back towards a bag with a hoof, smirking. "You want to see how much?"

Both guards tilt their heads simultaneously. Boots is the one to speak up. "What do you mean?"

He pulls out a black, metallic ball, grinning widely. "I can bounce this around the room, having it play a little tune by ricochets, not hit anyone, and catch it in my teeth, when all is said and done."

"...impressive," the mare says, looking a little surprised. "I'd ask for a demonstration, but... maybe wait until later, so no one gets scared."

"It actually doesn't have to be in here." He puts it in his shirt pocket, smiling warmly. "Anywhere that's large enough will do."

Bagel takes a step forward, smiling. "I'd like to come with you to see it." Boots just sighs and drags him back by the tail.

"Thanks, but..." Enigma trails off, looking around in sudden realization. "...hey, Rhino, where did everyone else go?"

Blinking, his friend looks around. "Umm... oh, there a few of them are." He points. "They must have started mingling without us. Though... I don't see the foals yet..."

"Maybe they're somewhere else?" The pegasus turns to the guards. "So... have you seen any young ponies around?"

"I believe they were admitted in just recently," Boots responds with a nod. "If your children are amongst them, you are free to go find them, but do not feel the need to. Even if you did not ask one of your friends to take care of them, we have some guards on duty to watch any ponies under twelve years old."

Bagel raises a hoof with a smile. "I'm one of them!"

Rhino looks at him with a neutral face. "Then... why are you here?"

"Because my turn starts in an hour and I wanted to make friends." He keeps his smile.

"Oh... well, that's okay then. Sorry for assuming." Rhino smiles once more. "Thanks for looking after the little ones... they mean the world to me."

Bagel salutes once more. "Of course!"

The pegasus, having no children, changes the topic slightly. "So, you both know Winter, right? May I ask how, or is it strictly professional?"

"The captain and I have known one another since training," Boots replies. "We rarely worked together, though, at least until I was assigned to the same division as him."

Bagel shrugs. "I'm just a guard."

"Did you know he has a filly now?" He grins wolfishly. "And a marefriend, too, if I'm not mistaken."

Boots widens her eyes. "Really now?"

Rhino nods. "Strangely enough, the filly came before the mare."

"Isn't that bad?" Bagel asks.

Enigma shrugs. "It was an adoption."

"Oh. That makes more sense."

Boots sighs. "Adoption or not, I don't know if it's a good idea..."

"Hmm?" Rhino raises an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Well... I don't know if you've known him as long as me, or longer, but..." She rubs the back of her neck, her professional personality starting to dissipate. "...does he really seem like the fatherly type? At most, I could see him as a big brother, but..."

"Oh, definitely. He has it in him." The burgundy pegasus glances at the stallion in question. "He just doesn't realize it, yet."

Boots raises an eyebrow. "If you're sure..."

Bagel, meanwhile, looks Enigma over with that same smile. "You seem like the fatherly type too."

"Yes, I am." He holds a hoof to his chest. "At least, I like to think so. Rhino has a lot more experience than I do."

He doesn't even look over to the green unicorn, instead just smiling wider. "Wow..."

Enigma takes a step back from the other pegasus, a slightly strained smile on his face. "Yeah... I look forward to raising foals, though... ones that I father. Myself. With the mares I love."

Bagel blinks before his ears fold down. "...oh."

Other sets of ears hear the feminine stallion's statement, two owners of such pairs of ears drawing themselves up on either side of him.

The pink pegasus and golden earth pony wear matching smiles, though the earth mare's seems to have a bit more intensity behind it.

"E..." Cotton begins.

"You didn't tell us you were so interested in becoming a father..." Honey continues.

Rhino laughs. "Well, might want to start thinking of names, Enigma."

Bagel looks between the three of them with a neutral expression again, with a bit of disappointment in his eyes. "Oh..."

"...I apologize for this, Bite." Enigma sighs, rubbing the back of his neck as he takes a few steps closer. "If it makes you feel any better, I would've given it a shot... if, you know, I wasn't already with someone." He turns his attention to the mares behind him. "And yes, I'm interested in being a father. I think we should at least be married first, though, don't you?"

Honey's tail wags. "All that takes is signing a bit of paper."

Cotton's matches its tempo as she gazes at him. "Pegasi weddings are the shortest."

Bagel sighs, stepping back. "I understand..." Boots gives him a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"I reali- wait, really?" He looks to her, confused. "I kinda want a traditional wedding... well, as traditional as one for a herd can be, anyways." He turns to the downtrodden stallion, holding a hoof out to him. "We, uh... we can still be friends though, right? Vinyl says I need to work on that, after all, and you seem nice enough."

He nods, taking and shaking the hoof, managing a small smile. "Thanks."

"Who knows?" A voice says from behind him. "There may end up being room for one more in our little herd." Both Bagel and Boots turn to face the voice, confused. A familiar alabaster mare smiles back at them, pushing her shades up slightly. "Love is better the more you share it." She turns to the emerald stallion, grinning widely. "Don't you agree?"

Rhino takes a step back to allow more room for the newcomers to the conversation, but nods and smiles as he chuckles. "It'd be a little odd if I didn't, considering I married a changeling. Pretty good proof of love right there."

Boots sighs. "I'm gonna leave the mushy stuff to you guys. Bite, make sure to get to your job on time." With a final salute, she heads off.

"...I think she needs to get laid." Vinyl chuckles, shaking her head. "Seriously, she seems way too uptight. Now," she turns to the largest pegasus there, "you're obviously interested in E. Would you ever consider being in a herd?" She holds up a hoof. "For curiosity's sake."

Bagel pauses. "...maybe? It might be weird..."

"Trust me, it really isn't." She turns to the other mares, smiling warmly. "As long as you give everyone the same amount of attention."

Cotton tilts her head. "But... I don't think he's into us... mares."

"Yeah..." Bagel sighs. "I mean, I could probably give. I just don't know if I'd like to receive... if that makes sense."

Vinyl gives him a flat stare. "Receive from mares, I take it? I'm certain that's what you mean..." She rolls her hoof. "But perhaps you can be a bit more clear?"

He nods and goes for the clearest explanation he can think of. "I'll pleasure girls, but unless I warm up to them, I don't want them to suck me off or ask me to stick it in them."

"So you'll get mares off, but won't seek pleasure from them." She nods, closing her eyes as she thinks. "...would it count if Honey used her toy on you?"

He grins a bit, already knowing what sort of 'toy' she could be referring to. "I'm perfectly fine with that."

"Great!" She grins, pulling him into a half-embrace. "Welcome to the herd. We'll have to get everyone to agree if you'll stay, but it's a start, nonetheless." She smirks, poking his chest. "Just so you know, though, E prefers being on top." The blush already on the stallion's cheeks - from the two mares teasing him - grows a shade brighter.

Bagel smiles and gives a small chuckle, nodding. "Alright... wow, this is going by fast."

Vinyl laughs brightly, letting go of him. "It's how I roll."

Cotton nods. "She's a very decisive alpha."

Bagel salutes to them all. "I hope to bring pleasure to us all in some way."

Enigma taps his chin, thoughtful. "Well, knowing Honey... you'll be doing it in multiple ways..."

Honey looks him over. "Hmm... you might have promise..."

"Most li-" There's a strong breeze, and a moment taken to fix her hairstyle, before she says her next thought. "...where did E and Cotton go?"

"You were talking about certain subjects... and you know how impulsive he is." Honey sighs.

Bagel sighs, looking down at the floor. "Damn... just us now, then?" He looks over at a certain green unicorn who had been standing aside for a while now. "...oh. Uh... hey."

"Hey..." Rhino rubs the back of his head. "Mind if I uh... go? Or do you want me to stick around?"

Bagel chuckles sheepishly. "You can go if you want. I imagine this is kind of awkward."

"Yeah... but it makes me yearn for my own family." He smiles and nods at them all before walking off.

"...so, that not wanting to let mares pleasure you... there's a chance we can work past that, right?"

He thinks before shrugging. "We can see how it works... I've never tried it."

"We can go try it out, now..." She takes him by the hoof, grinning widely. "...we do have a room in the castle..."

He blinks. "...will it take longer than forty-five minutes?"

"No, it shouldn't." She shrugs. "We could always get E to rush you over, if we cut it close."

He smiles, only faltering a bit when his eyes go to the floor for a second. "Works for me."

"Well... I don't want to be left alone." Honey walks up to both of them. "Come on, let's go."

Equus Tactics #38

If one were to look around at the room currently housing a most unlikely duo, they wouldn’t find much amiss. The little amount of furniture in the office was set up straight and orderly; the walls were bare of any hanging picture frames to block the bland-looking wallpaper; the single window that let light filter in remained unblocked by the curtains pushed to the side, and would likely remain unblocked for the entire day.

Then one would look at the simple desk in the back of the room almost directly beneath the window, and might think that this piece of furniture was meant to be somewhere else. Papers were piled barely half an inch high, yet still managed to fall off onto the floor at the slightest nudge - of which there were many. Odd trinkets and knickknacks, from a set of dice to a crushed soda can, littered almost the entire area that papers and the hooves of the pony sitting at the desk did not take up. And with said pony leaning back in his chair boredly, finding the blank ceiling more interesting than anything on his messy desk, his hooves weren’t taking up much space at the moment to begin with.

The other occupant of the room sits next to his chair, bemused by his friend’s laziness. ‘You know, you’ve got a mission summary to finish filling out.’ He leaps up onto the desk, knocking over a couple stacks and patting the paper in question with a silver paw. ‘Come on! You know that the Princess won’t let me roam the castle if we don’t do this!’

“I know, Merc. I know.” The pony’s sudden speaking would have made anyone else jump, he had been so quiet for so long. “I’m just not good with writing formally. You know this. I can’t just jot it down in a two-sentence point form style like the kind that got me through elementary school.” He sighs and sits up straight. “There’s not even a lot to say about it.”

‘That makes it that much easier!’ He lowers himself to the desk’s surface, whining softly. ‘I don’t like being cooped up, Win. Even if it’s three rooms.’ He huffs, nosing one of the quills. ‘Just say that we broke up the cult, and no one was harmed. And that the chicken made us almost mess up.’

Win, or Winter Solstice, just lifts an eyebrow. “You know, I was there and even I feel like I need context to understand a word of that.” Nevertheless, he sighs and picks up the quill nudged towards him with his magic before adding to his statement. “And please never call her ‘the chicken’ again. She doesn’t need another person whose face she wants to tear off.”

The creature shakes his head before resting his vulpine muzzle on a blue book, his twin bushy tails curling around his side. ‘It’s not like she understands me, anyways. Why can’t I have a little fun with that?’

“Because if she catches me laughing at nothing in particular, she’s gonna ask what’s up, and you know I hate lying.” He chuckles before finally putting quill to paper, scrawling down in a moderately neat print essentially the same thing his friend had said - though, of course, with a little elaboration on some of the more vague parts. And the modification of a certain word.

The fox smiles slyly, patting the unicorn on his shoulder. ‘Thanks. Can’t wait to taste that turkey they brought in for those Griffon dignitaries!’ He laughs brightly, which comes off more as a series of sharp barks.

The stallion groans, briefly pausing his writing. “Merc, you know I don’t like hearing about stuff like that...” He resumes at a slower pace, one hoof at his stomach.

‘Sorry. I guess I should work on my jokes a little more.’ He shrugs, nudging the book he rest his head on closer to Winter. ‘Though I think we could practice a bit more. That newest one still doesn’t… fly straight.’

The unicorn chuckles. “Hey, you’re the one getting on my case about filling this out. Let me finish before asking for something else.” He gives the fox a playful rub on the top of the head as the quill continues to move along the paper.

He happily murrs, leaning into the royal blue hoof. ‘Fine…’

Just as Winter levitates the quill back to its place on the desk (which, just like everything else on it, was just wherever it landed when he dropped it), he hears a knock coming from the door. Looking up, he glances at Mercury. “Might have to wait a little bit, actually. Somepony - someone - is at the door.” In a mutter, he adds: “Still not used to that...”

The fox grumbles, shifting himself to look at the door. ‘With our current team, I think that’s one thing you’ll need soon.’

“Yeah, but thankfully, I haven’t been called a racist yet.” He laughed lightly before turning to the door again and calling loudly. “Come on in!”

The door smoothly opens to reveal the knocker: a gray earth pony mare. Her expression is flat as she slowly enters, the door swinging shut behind her and barely causing a ripple in her modest frock. Blue eyes take in the scene in front of her without giving so much as a twitch of what she thinks of it. “Winter Solstice?” The barely questioning tone is the only thing keeping her voice from being as flat as her expression.

The stallion nods. “That’s my name, and I still hate my parents for it.” He chuckles, which trails off awkwardly when the guest offers nothing of the sort in response. After a moment, he gestures to a chair on the other side of the desk from where he sits. “H-Have a seat, won’t you?”

She does so without a word, quietly sitting on the offered seat and waiting.

Trying to regain his composure from the failed attempt at humour, Winter digs through some of the papers as though looking for a file. “So...you’re Maud Pie, correct?”

“Yes.” Her answer is about as blunt as the rest of her.

Mercury glances from the mare to the stallion and back, ears twitching slightly. ‘Well, this is awkward. So, is that Maud as in ‘maudlin’, or just some strange way of saying mud?’

To Winter, Mercury was actually speaking; however, to anyone else, the only sound in the room was a high-pitched yipping that neither pony reacted to. Not wanting to try replying to his fox friend in front of somepony who he was just now meeting, the unicorn elects to ignore him and move on to the next question he needs to ask.

“...I assume you’re wondering why you were asked to come here?” He pulls a copy of a letter he had sent a short while before out from one of the few remaining intact stacks of paper and glances over it as he waits for Maud’s reply.

She looks at him blankly. “I was asked to come here for a job.”

“...yes, you were.” He clears his throat. “Sorry about the vagueness of the letter I sent you. Had to restrict information in case someone else intercepted it. Good to know that wasn’t the case.”

“You probably had your reasons.” Where one would imagine she would shrug after that, there remains only her stillness.

Winter nods. “I did. This...‘team’, that you’ve been asked to join, is one of a few organized by the Princesses. Each of them consist of select individuals chosen to protect the nation of Equestria where such forces as the Elements of Harmony cannot, utilizing each member’s own skills and capabilities.” This small speech of his sounds almost rehearsed. “You’ve been recognized for your own...strengths...” He still had trouble believing some of the information he had been given. “...and we are asking if you would like to lend such strengths to the team, and join us.”

She takes all this information in stride. “What things does the team do?”

Mercury groans, laying his head on top of the unicorn’s foreleg, huffing softly. ‘Wake me up when you’re done with the boring stuff. It’s not like I can contribute in any way.’ He closes his eyes, his breath slowing to a nice, even pace.

Once his partner falls asleep, Winter rolls his eyes and continues on, trying to avoid moving the foreleg that now acts as a bed. “Well, we’re called ‘Tactics’ for a reason. I suppose the best way to explain what we do is...when the other teams aren’t completely sure what to do, we get in there and scout around. We don’t meet our foes head-on like the Elements of Harmony, but we don’t sneak like the Stealth team either. We use our brains more than our brawn to figure out what to do, we do it, and everybody goes home happy. Sort of a diverse, but effective, method of...” He trails off when he feels something on his hoof. Looking down, he notices Mercury nibbling on his leg as he sleeps. “...uh.”

Following his eyes down to the fox, Maud comments dryly as she moves a hoof to a pocket on her chest. “They’re always cuter when they’re asleep.”

Winter blinks, looking up at her with confusion; partially from wondering what she was going to take from her pocket, and partially from wondering how she managed to say something like that and still sound bored out of her skull.

She takes a small pebble from her pocket, rolling it around in a circle on her hoof as she looks down to it. “Boulder never wakes up until he wants to.”

It’s difficult, but the stallion manages to keep his eye from twitching. “...right...um. Where were we?”

She looks up from her rock. “You were telling me what the team does.”

“Team? ...right, the team. Uh...I think I’ve just about covered everything...” He flips through a couple sheets of paper with his free hoof. “Any questions?”

“Do you see interesting rocks on the missions?” There may have been the barest hint of some kind of emotion in that statement… or maybe Win is just imagining things.

“...we...” He scrambles in his mind for an answer to probably one of the few questions he was not expecting he’d have to answer. “...depending on the location...sure?”

She blinks at this, staying silent for a minute. “Am I unable to leave if I say yes?”

“You are free to leave whenever you so desire, if you have a good reason for it and if you agree to not say a word about this to anyone else you may meet.” In his mind, he has a feeling that for her, the second part would be no problem.

She stays silent for another minute before speaking once more. “I’ll join.”

Winter smiles, only slightly forced. “Perfect! Let me just get the form for you to sign...” He looks down at Mercury, whose sleeping (and nibbling) form is taking up all the free space that remains on the desk. “...and try to wake up my friend here.”

She nods once, simply watching and waiting.

Focusing his magic on the little fox rather than any papers, Winter attempts to shake him lightly enough to make him stir. “Hey, come on. I need that hoof.”

Mercury peeks open an eye, black tails flicking slightly. ‘You done?’

“Yeah, all but the signing part. Which you’re kind of preventing right now.”

Maud doesn’t seem to mind that the pony is talking to his pet.

‘Fine.’ He stretches as he gets up, yawning dramatically before grabbing the blue book in his maw. He leaps off the table and sits down, looking up at the mare quietly.

She looks at him blankly, moving the hoof holding her rock down to his level. “Boulder says ‘Hi’.”

The fox glances at the pebble, then back up at her. He puts the intricate book down, staring pointedly at her. ‘Do you think I’m not that bright? I know that’s a rock, not a boulder.’

“Merc, be nice,” Winter warns with a tone not unlike that of a teacher talking to a misbehaving student.

Having only heard the barking coming from the vulpine, Maud simply brings her rock back up and stows it in her pocket. “Very talkative pet.”

The stallion quickly shakes his head. “Mercury’s not my pet. He’s more like a partner, or an understudy, or something along those lines. But definitely not a pet.”

‘I’d go with partner.’ He huffs, grabbing the book and moving towards the door. His words are muffled and marred by the item in his mouth. ‘Anything else sounds like I’m beneath you.’

“Okay, he is a fellow team member.” She turns back to Winter, seeing if he’s found the forms yet.

Thankfully, further awkward silence is avoided as the unicorn pushes a quill and a sheet of paper to the mare. “Just read through it, sign where asked, and we’re done here.”

Tilting her head down towards the page, the mare silently does as told. After a few minutes, she leans down and picks up the quill in her teeth, scribbling her name in perfectly straight print where asked. After she sets the writing utensil back down, she looks back up to the stallion. “Can I bring back souvenirs from jobs?”

Taking the forms, Winter scans them quickly to make sure she signed in all the right places as he answers. “As long as nothing you take back is of more importance to us, or would be illegal for you to possess.”

She nods once, but does nothing else.

After a moment, Winter speaks again. “So...unless you have any other questions, I guess we should go get you acquainted with the rest of the team.” He stands up, knocking yet another stack of papers over with the movement.

Looking down at the papers, she comments as she stands. “You need a secretary.”

‘Yea,’ Mercury chuckles, pushing on the door with a paw, ‘but he’s too lazy to look for one.’

“I’m not too lazy to find one!” Winter retorted. “They just never stay more than a day.”

‘Because you’re such a slob.’ He grins, eyes twinkling mischievously.

Maud blinks. “I know rocks that make good paperweights.”

The stallion growls to himself as he walks ahead, leading the way. “I don’t know who’s worse,” he mutters quietly to himself. “The annoying fox, or the rock-obsessed mare...all we need is a bar to walk into and we can do the whole joke.”

The mare follows the two of them, still as straight-faced as ever.

Stealthy Shades #44

'You're avoiding her.'

"I'm looking for her," Winter replies with a sigh. "Just because I haven't found her yet..."

'I understand.' He points over the stallion's shoulder at the table before them. 'But I don't think looking around the refreshments is a good way to find her.'

The unicorn sighs again before turning, trotting off to look elsewhere. "Okay, okay... I get it, I'm stalling." He glances back at the other one of the two forms resting on him. "How's the chocolate, Ash?"

She looks up at him, cheeks full of the treat that he got her. "...schweet."

"Good to hear." He smiles, turning his head enough to nuzzle her. "Just be careful not to get any on your dress, okay?"

"Okay!" She smiles, kissing his cheek and, looking at him, giggling brightly. "Oops! Sorry, Mister Solstice!"

He blinks before catching on. With a chuckle, he levitates a small cloth out of his pocket to clean the chocolate off of his cheek. "Don't worry about it, you cute little thing. It happens." She gives a small nod, resting against the back of his head.

'I still can't believe you won't let us eat fish...' Mercury huffs, pawing at the middle of his back. 'Especially since you-'

He gets silenced by a glare. "Number one: I've told you many times not to bring that up. Number two: you know I'm not..." He trails off and shakes his head. "Never mind. Just don't eat it around me, okay?"

'...I get it.' The fox groans, shaking his head. 'It's not like I can eat chocolate, though...'

"I brought a couple apples for you, and you can always go back to the refreshment table." The unicorn levitates out one of the red fruits. "After all, you're the one who insists on staying on my back until we find her."

'I don't want you to regret it if you chicken out.' He grabs the apple with his tails, curling up on himself to better eat it.

Winter just shakes his head. "I'm not gonna chicken out..."

'Is that so?' He points forward, to where a certain orange mare is speaking with the princess of friendship. 'She's right there. Go speak with her.'

The stallion pauses, biting his lip as he watches the two speak. After a moment, he sighs and looks to the two on his back. "...can you two go somewhere else for a few minutes, please? I'd rather do this without her or me being distracted."

"Let's go get some food, Mercury!" Ash leaps off Winter's back, then the two of them rush off into the crowd. The unicorn chuckles and shakes his head before turning his attention back to the two mares, casually looking over the room as he waits either to be noticed or for a good point to speak up.

Meanwhile, Applejack sips a bit of punch as she looks over to Twilight. "Well, it's a bit stiff from havin' so many military ponies around, but still better than than the Gala."

"I can agree with that." The alicorn smiles, taking a small sip from her glass of water. "At least we can be ourselves here."

"Yeah, cheers ta that." She nods, chuckling as she raises her cup to her royal friend.

Twilight giggles, raising her own cup similarly. "So, did you have any plans for what to do here or anypony you want to talk to? Or are you going home in an hour like Rainbow and Fluttershy?"

"Ah figured Ah might stick around a spell. There're still some ponies Ah want to talk to." She smiles, looking around the room. Her eyes pause a bit as she spies Winter, smiling a bit brighter and motioning him over.

The unicorn looks a little surprised, but smiles and walks over, offering a nod. "How's it going, girls?"

"Not bad, I'd say." Twilight takes another drink. "Where are Ash and Mercury?"

"At one of the refreshment tables, probably having a fish-eating contest or something." He resists the urge to make a face.

AJ raises an eyebrow. "That filly's gonna grow fangs if she keeps that up."

"If anything, I feel like they'd make her look even cuter." He smiles to himself. She giggles as she sees the look on his face. "What's so funny?"

She just smiles. "That doting look looks nice on ya. Says a lot, ya know."

"...if you say so." He shrugs, looking to the other mare. "Um... princess, any chance you could give us some privacy for a few minutes?"

Twilight tilts her head before smirking. "Only if you stop calling me that."

"Right. Twilight, any chance you-"

"Yes, Winter, I'll leave you two alone." She chuckles, turning to head off. "I'll see if I can go find Celestia before she gets too busy. I'll find you later, alright Applejack?"

The farm mare nods. "Sure thing, Twi."

Satisfied, the alicorn trots off, leaving her two friends. Winter hesitates for a moment, trying to think of something to talk about. "...so, having fun?"

She shrugs. "Eh, not exactly a hoedown, but nice enough. Company's what counts."

"Fair enough... sorry to have chased Twilight off, then." He rubs the back of his neck.

"Ah'm sure she had other folks she needed ta talk to." She offers him a cup. "Besides, you're one of the ponies Ah'd hoped would talk with me here."

He takes it, blushing just a bit. "Really? Oh, uh... w-well, what did you want to talk about?" He puts the cup to his lips.

She shrugs. "Figured we'd just talk. Ya seemed like ya might need a casual conversation ta be comfortable here."

"Well, thanks. I've never done well at formal events." He glances inside his cup and blinks, before nonchalantly setting it to the side with a small cough, muttering something.

She snorts quietly, flicking her tail towards the punch bowl. "Neither have Ah, though mostly cause I get bored."

"Don't worry about that happening here." Winter sighs, turning to the bowl and starting to actually fill his cup. "As you just saw, I'm a barrel of schadenfreude and entertainment."

Blinking, she tilts her head. "Umm… what was that first one?"

"Schadenfreude. Amusement or pleasure derived from the misfortune of others." He takes a sip of the punch. "For example, if a bucket fell on my head and you laughed, that's schadenfreude."

"What is it when Ah check if you're hurt?"

"That's called caring and forgetting about my thick skull." He smirks.

She lightly bops him with a hoof. "Ah'll keep it in mind."

He chuckles, careful not to spill his drink. "Hey, mind if I ask a question?"

She waves a hoof. "Go right ahead."

"At Ruby's party the other day..." The unicorn calmly takes another sip, smiling to himself. "...it seemed like you got into the hard cider a bit."

She instantly has a bit of pink in her cheeks as she looks off to the side. "Well, ah… regular is good and all, but sometimes ya need somethin' with a bit of kick…"

"I'm with you on that." He finishes his cup off. "So... why wasn't there any hard cider at the party?"

"Oh, umm…" The mare's ears flick as she speaks, eyes darting. "Ah, umm… drank… it all…"

He tilts his head. "Really? And yet neither I nor Mercury could smell the alcohol on your breath?"

Her tail flicks as she keeps her mouth shut.

Winter waits a moment, giving her a chance to speak, before continuing when he realizes she isn't taking it. "You know you didn't have to play drunk just to kiss me, right?"

Her face goes fully red as she runs a hoof through her mane. "It was one way to break the ice…"

"I'll give you that; it certainly was. If you hadn't, I might not have had the courage to do this." He quickly leans over and plants a kiss on her cheek.

Her eyes go wide as only her tail moves, the mass of hair flicking happily. The unicorn chuckles before giving her a small nudge to make sure she's alright. She giggles in response, a hoof going to his chest and pushing him lightly.

"Is this a shoving match now?" he asks with a smirk, leaning in to try and nuzzle her instead.

She nuzzles him back. "You started it."

"True." He breaks the nuzzle, but moves in closer to press their bodies against one another. "So... by now it's probably redundant to ask, but... any chance, sometime after the ball, you'd want to go out with me?"

"Well, it was either you ask or I chase you down, so yes." She chuckles, leaning against him.

He resists the urge to pump his hoof victoriously and instead just nuzzles her again. "You have no idea how long I've been wanting to ask that."

She snorts. "You and me both."

'Somehow, I figured.'

Winter jumps, looking over at the filly and fox walking up to them. "...hey there, you two." He chuckles sheepishly as they climb up onto his back. "I take it you two filled up?"

"We ate a lot." Ash looks back at where the table would be. "The griffon chefs chased us off…"

The stallion nuzzles her. "We'll get you two more food later if you're still hungry, don't worry." He finds his face hugged by the filly in her happiness. "...Applejack, think you could help with this before I go diabetic from cuteness?"

"Hmm… nah, think this is one of yer schadenfreude moments."

He rolls his eyes before plucking the filly off his face with magic and moving her to his foreleg. "That wasn't really misfortune. Just uncomfortable."

Applejack giggles, petting the filly, who leans into her hoof. "Still cute."

'...hey, Win? Where's her ring?'

The unicorn sighs, giving the fox a look as he moves Ash up onto his back. "Don't start pushing for that now too."

'Why not?' He smirks right back at him. 'Wouldn't her grandmother do the same, anyways, upon hearing you're dating?'

"Look, I finally asked her out. Let me go at my own pace for any steps beyond that."

'If you say so.' He taps his side. 'Though you have to wonder how this conversation sounds to her.'

The stallion sighs. "...and yet you wonder why I hate talking to you in public..." He turns back to Applejack, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry about that. Merc's being a tool again."

"Ah dunno, from what Ah heard he seems like he was bringin' some interestin' things up." She smirks.

"Let's just say I refuse to listen to him when he gets on that topic until we've been dating longer, and leave it at that. Okay?" He nuzzles her cheek.

She raises an eyebrow, but nuzzles back anyway. "So now what?"

"Well, we could find someplace a little more secluded... could also leave early, but I don't think we'd really have anywhere to go." He drapes a foreleg over her. "Well, besides our houses, obviously. But that could... lead to things." He bites his lip.

She bops him with her hoof again. "Easy there, let's just enjoy present company."

"Agreed." He chuckles and kisses her cheek, taking note of his other two companions. "If this gets too mushy for you two, you're free to leave."

'I won't be going anywhere.' Mercury huffs. 'We still have to do that debriefing, remember?'

"Right..." Winter sighs. "Speaking of which, I wonder where Luna is..."

'No clue...' He trails off, ears flicking. '...is it me, or did it just get quiet, here?'

Winter blinks. "...it did." He glances around before his eyes lock onto the dark alicorn that had entered the room. He chuckles. "Speak of the devil..."

The princess of the night glances around as well, searching the crowd before her eyes rest on the cobalt unicorn. She smiles, quickly walking over, the ponies between them swiftly moving out of the way. "Good day, Captain Solstice. Are you enjoying the festivities?"

He bows his head in greeting. "About as much as would be expected of me, Princess."

"That is understandable." She looks to the orange mare by his side, the duo on his back, and then the gathered ponies, griffons, and changelings around them. "Go back to your revelry, everyone. This is a time for celebration!"

The crowd is all too willing to return to their fun and chatter, only a few sometimes casting curious glances back over at the princess. Winter chuckles. "I suppose now's the time for us to talk?"

"This would be the best time, yes," Princess Luna nods towards the throne room, "before the conclusion to this party draws too near to do so."

Winter nods before looking to Applejack. "You don't mind, right? It'll only be a little bit."

She nods. "Go ahead, I'll keep an eye on Ash."

"Thanks." He levitates the filly off his back and onto the farmer's, then looks to the princess. "Should we talk in the garden?"

"No, we have a more private place in mind." She turns and walks out of the room, leaving him in the middle of the crowd.

'...did that sound suggestive to you, Win?'

The unicorn ignores him for the moment, giving Applejack one last nuzzle before trotting after the alicorn. "As long as she doesn't lead me to a bedroom or bathroom, no."

She takes him down a few different hallways before stopping before a lone door, emblazoned with a moon. "Here we are." She pushes the door open, revealing an orderly desk made of mahogany.

'...does an office count on that list?'

Winter shakes his head at the fox before focusing his attention on the lunar alicorn. "I guess this is more secluded than the garden."

"I should hope so." Luna sits down behind the desk, gesturing toward the chairs opposite her. "It's my private office, after all."

He settles down in one of them and nudges Mercury to take the other, which he does reluctantly. "I take it that, unlike my own, your 'private office' actually has the first half of that respected by others?"

"I believe that is because I only let those whom I want to talk with see it." She clears her throat, then holds out a hoof to him. "Now, I trust you have been doing well, leading the newly-formed Tactics group?"

He nods. "It hasn't been the easiest thing in the world, but I have a feeling that's why I was chosen to lead in the first place."

"That is correct." Luna nods as well, a small folder opening up in front of her, a quill floating over from a nearby cup. "Now, let's get to debriefing, shall we?"

He idly pats Mercury on the head. "What did you want to go over first?"

"How about the mission before last?" She taps her chin, looking at him curiously. "I haven't received your file for that, as of yet."

"Oh!" He winces. "Sorry... I just finished filling that out not even an hour before word got to us about the diamond dogs. Guess I forgot in all the confusion." He rubs the back of his neck. "There isn't a lot to go over... there was a cult of ponies worshipping this weird mask, and while we didn't see anything evil about it, we still confiscated it and I had it delivered to the vault. The cult members were arrested or given psychiatric treatment depending on whether or not they had been essentially brainwashed by the other members." He looks down at Mercury before sighing. "And Gilda tried to wear the mask."

Her expression hardens, and she leans forward, her quill scribbling furiously off to the side. "She did? You stopped her, yes?"

"More like her own beak stopped her, and then Merc grabbed it before she could try again." He withholds a chuckle at the memory. "But again, we weren't sure if the mask was magic or normal, and we still aren't. I've already given her a long reprimand about her actions, so as long as she doesn't try this again, I don't think you need to worry about her."

"This mask…" She sighs quietly, a hoof tapping the surface of the desk. "Did it look as though it was made of wood? With the interior a shiny green sheen?" He nods. "Be glad she didn't succeed in wearing it. For the sake of you, Equestria, and your sanity."

"That last one is already long gone."

"Trust me." She frowns. "I don't know of a single pony who can handle that artifact. Enough of that, though." She shakes her head, turning the page in the folder. "How about your latest mission? Did Applejack…" She trails off a moment. "...scratch that. She was with you, and looking as healthy as ever… but what was with that filly?"

"That was Ash. She was... being held captive by the diamond dogs." He elects not to bring up their true purpose for having her.

"Being held captive? Is that right?" She looks to her quill, watching it write for a bit. "Is there anything you aren't telling me about her, Captain Solstice?"

Winter bites his lip and glances to Mercury as if asking what to do. He can only shrug. "...can you keep this just between us?" He looks to the quill. "Off the record? For her own safety?"

The quill and the folder drop to the desk, and the princess rests a hoof on top of them. "I think I can afford that. Though if this has anything to do with her eating that yellowtail, earlier… it may be a bit hard to keep it secret."

He coughs. "...just say it was a dare?" He clears his throat. "Do you know what mamodos are?"

"Is that similar to your ice-spraying fox friend?" She glances at the creature in question, who is currently trying to curl in on himself.

"That's an easy way to put it, yes. He's a mamodo, as is she, and many other creatures around Equestria. I can explain more about them later on, but that's getting a little off track." He fidgets with his hooves. "Like how Mercury has ice powers, Ash has fire. The diamond dogs, specifically their Alpha, were using her to attack Appleloosa."

"Considering that she seems to be on good terms with you, can I assume that is no longer the case?"

He smiles. "I explained what they were doing, and after she realized how bad the Alpha was, she calmed down considerably. So yes; while her fire powers are still with her, I've taken measures to ensure that they can never be used again." His smile quickly becomes a serious expression. "This is why I didn't want anyone to know. If they learned she was the cause of Appleloosa's attack, or even just a part of it, it could be big trouble. Even moreso if word got out that she's a mamodo."

"I understand, Captain, but I don't see how being a mamodo could cause trouble." She shakes her head, then glances at the folder, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "Maybe you should explain what happened, but… forget the parts about mamodos? Were there any complications I should know of?"

"Not that I can think of aside from the obvious. Some of the diamond dogs were hostile, and we had to fight, but a fair number were only obeying the Alpha out of fear and joined our side once the revolution began. None of the prisoners were killed, though some dogs on both sides were lost. The hostile survivors went further into the desert, away from Appleloosa, where they won't be able to harm anyone; the peaceful ones are staying where they had been, and last I heard, were helping the ponies rebuild the town."

"Good." Luna nods, writing this down as quickly as possible. "Heaven knows they need it… is there anything else you'd like to mention, whether about your group or about your previous missions?"

He nods. "I've said about all there is to say regarding missions, but I have a couple things to mention about my team." He taps a hoof on the chair. "First, regarding Maud Pie. She did excellent on her first assignment despite her apparent lack of experience, and so I would like to have her officially registered as a member of Tactics, rather than remain a member-in-training."

"I'll look into that, Captain." She closes the folder, smiling warmly at him. "If that is everything, then you may go back to your marefriend."

He blushes, but shakes his head. "There was one more thing, actually. About Ash, in fact."

"Oh?" She taps her chin, thoughtful. "What is it?"

"I want to get her registered as an honorary member of Tactics," he says simply.

"That can be done." Luna smiles, nodding in reply.

"...oh. Huh, that was easier than expected." He chuckles. "I don't suppose I can sign adoption papers while I'm here, too?"

"...that would be a bit more difficult." She raises an eyebrow at him. "Not for the conventional reasons, either."

He tilts his head. "What do you mean?"

"One of the necessary sections for the adoption papers is species." She rolls a hoof. "And it's a relatively public form, as well."

"...can't we just write 'earth pony'?" he asks hopefully.

"Do you think officials wouldn't try to look into that?" She gestures to him. "Especially when you asked a princess to do the paperwork?"

He winces, looking down. "...then what do I do?"

"Take the form and get it notarized elsewhere. Or you can make sure she is seen as an earth pony for the pony writing it." She shrugs. "Other than that, I can't say."

'...can't she just make it a private document, or something?'

Winter's ears perk up at this, and a few other thoughts occur to him. "...not to drag this on, Princess, but Mercury brings up a good point. Couldn't you just make this a private thing? After all, Ash doesn't have any parents, and the Alpha - who is now dead - was her only guardian in this world. Keeping this private between us would not only avoid the possibility of her true species being found out, but it would also fly under the radar and keep anypony from growing suspicious. To them, all they'd know is this filly was saved from diamond dogs, and later on she was adopted, leading them to assume her parents were killed while in slavery. Only conspiracy theorists would bother digging deeper for clues, and we all know you can count the number of ponies who'd listen to them on one of Gilda's claws."

"...that is plausible." The princess nods, turning and opening a filing cabinet. "Alright, it should take you a few minutes to fill out this form, and then you can go back out to the party."

He smiles, scratching Mercury behind the ear. "Thank you, Princess."

Later on, in one of the many hallways of the castle, Honey points ahead to a maroon feather crossed with a pink one in front of a door. "There. If that isn't a sign, I don't know what is."

"...is that some sort of signal?" The white unicorn by her side scratches her head, utterly baffled. "Does that mean something for pegasi?"

The lone earth pony in the group shrugs. "Not that I know of. Different pegasi think different feather actions mean different things. I just know it means we probably found them."

"True..." Vinyl gestures towards the door. "After you?"

Honey gives a small bow, "Why thank you." She opens the door and strolls inside.

Inside, they see two ponies curled up against each other, the burgundy stallion instinctively drawing out his wing that isn't pinned over the pink pony he's holding against his chest. He relaxes upon seeing who it is, giving a small, nervous chuckle. "Don't startle me like that... I thought it was some drunk partygoer wandering in."

Honey giggles, "Well you didn't lock the door."

"...I was too lost in passion to think to do that..." Enigma laughs, pressing himself a bit more firmly against the pink mare's back. "So, uh, did Bagel make it to his duty on time?"

As Cotton tries to curl into a ball, Honey nods. "Yep, he now has the arduous task of keeping all the foals from running to their parents who want to do the same to them."

The stallion gently nuzzles the other pegasus' cheek, and the sight causes the unicorn next to Honey to raise an eyebrow. "...E, are you... trying to hide yourself?"

He stiffens up slightly, his eyes darting around the room nervously. "M-Maybe..."

Honey smirks. "Maybe not the best situation considering who's out in the hall."

"What?" He tilts his head to one side, confused. "Who's out in the hall?"

A unicorn steps into view of the doorway, readjusting the monocle on his eye. "Hello, dear boy. I see that you are busy. Should I leave you and this lovely lady alone to finish your... fun, shall we say?"

Cotton's squeak can be heard as she quickly turns into a pink ball of feathers and fur, the tips of her ears red from embarrassment.

Enigma gulps audibly, giving a small smile. "N-No, we're good. Thank you anyways, though."

"If that is what you wish." He shrugs, then, looking at everyone here, continues. "So, is this all of the members of your herd, or is someone busy elsewhere? Maybe this Bagel fellow you were talking about?"

Honey looks to the older stallion. "Things seem to be going that way. Strange how these things go so quickly."

"I have to say, I've seen stranger." He chuckles, holding out a hoof to the earth pony. "I'm Fancy Pants. It's nice to meet a new member of the family."

She giggles, giving him a polite curtsey and hoof shake. "Nice to meet the pony I've been quietly walking with for the last few minutes."

"Few minutes?" Enigma looks up at them, slowly pulling away from the mare in his embrace to sit upright. "How long were you searching for us? What time is it?"

"Late enough for the party to have mulled, early enough for dinner not to have started," she replies simply, walking over and nudging her pink and blue friend.

The burgundy stallion blinks, gently lifting the other pegasus into a sideways sitting position on his lap. He tenderly nuzzles her cheek, whispering to her. "Don't worry, princess... everything is alright..."

She peeks up at him, face still red. "Promise?"

"Promise." He smiles down at her, gently kissing her between her eyes.

"...Miss Suckle, was it?" Fancy takes a single step forward, drawing everyone else's attention. "Am I correct in assuming that he treats every one of you as lovingly as that?"

She nods. "Oh yes, ever since we met him he's been very sweet and always made us feel welcome. Vinyl's been so generous with him we sometimes feel like we need to push him back onto her."

Cotton nods at this, smiling. "She makes adorable faces when he gets lovey with her."

The unicorn in question bows her head, futilely trying to hide her glowing cheeks. "I do not..."

"I see." The older pony chuckles, shaking his head. "Then your little herd has my blessing... though I will have to meet this Bagel character before I can give my full approval."

Cotton nods. "You and us both. I still need to have some talks with him to get to know him." Her wings spread a bit, one of them covering E's head like a shelter.

Vinyl, giving a quick glance to her father, darts in and whispers to the pink pegasus. "Cotton, you're doing that thing again..."

"She must be quite protective of him." Fancy chuckles, a hoof raising up to stroke his mustache. "I dare say she's worried he'll like stallions more than mares." He winks and turns around, heading out of the room to the sound of his daughter's groan. "If you'll excuse me, I have to find the daycare this Bagel pony is at."

As Cotton blushes but poofs herself up regardless, Honey calls to the retreating stallion. "Careful, from what E's told us, half those foals can know exactly what emotions you're feeling."

"You don't say?" He pauses, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "A bit of a challenge, but one I happily accept." With those words, he departs, leaving the four of them alone in the room.

Vinyl watches for a moment before turning to the others. "...one of us should go with him to make sure he knows which one is Bagel, huh?"

Honey rolls her eyes. "I'll do it since Cotton's in momma bird mode. But I want snuggling later."

"I think that's a fair trade." She nods to the pegasi, one of whom has the other's face buried in the fur of her chest. "E's not going to be moving soon, anyways."

Cotton coos at this statement, nuzzling their stallion. Honey just shakes her head, giggling. "Adorable." With that said, she turns and leaves to head after the elder stallion.

Meanwhile, in the daycare, the twins Mystic and Serene sigh as they lay across the back of Melody. Serene lets out a sigh. "Melly, how long until we can go hang out with Mom and Dad?"

The teenage mare sighs softly herself, turning and patting the filly's head. "Just an hour and a half. They have to help out with some important ceremony near the end of the party."

Mystic completes the sigh trifecta. "So we don't get to go to any of the party? I thought since they brought us, we could be with them... I don't want to start feeling like they're on a mission again."

"I know it's not ideal, but at least you're not alone, right?" She smiles at him, gently patting his head, as well. "Plus, they gave us kids a hoofball field-sized room to play around in." She points up at the ceiling, where several pegasi flit about. "Just look at the amount of space that's available; enough that there's fillies and colts having a race!"

Sure enough, many pegasi have begun racing one another in circles. Bagel, the caretaker on duty, makes sure to keep a watchful eye on them in case anypony falls or gets dizzy. As it is, most racers are starting to drop out one by one from exhaustion and new ones are joining in; only one has been going since the race started, a green colt with teal hair that was messy long before he started flying earlier.

The twins shrug at the same time, Mystic replying. "I guess it's better than us all being cramped into Auntie Silk's place."

"Their place isn't that cramped, is it?" She looks back at them, confused, then turns her attention back to the ponies above.

The colt continues. "You were there too. There's just a lot of us."

"True..." She sighs, shrugging a bit. "Still, this is a chance to make new friends too, is it not?" Her eyes lock on to the green colt at the front of the pack, pointing up at him. "How about him? He seems fun."

Serene looks up at the colt as well. "How can you tell? He just seems fast to me."

"Look at the joy on his face. I can hear his laughter, even from down here." Melody pauses, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "...then again, he may just enjoy being competitive..."

"Yeah..." Serene scoots a bit closer to her brother, nuzzling him.

"Of course, we'll never know until we try, right?" She taps her chin, the looks to the stallion on watch, waving to catch his attention.

Bagel quickly notices and trots over, smiling brightly. "Hey, what's up?"

"That pony up there." She points in the proper direction. "The one in the front of the others. Do you know who he is? What he's like?"

Bagel looks up, blinking before speaking. "That's Phantom. I don't know anything about him except that he's definitely been making my job easier by tiring out most of the pegasus foals."

Mystic muses. "Isn't that what Mom and Dad said Ruby did with us when we were smaller?"

"I probably wasn't around when they said that." The young mare scratches the side of her head. "So, do you think we would be able to speak with him, when he's done?"

"Hey, that's up to you, not me." Bagel laughs. "But I don't think he'll be down for a while. If you want to talk to him, you should probably yell at him."

"I'd rather not yell." She smiles at the stallion, an ear twitching slightly. "But something else should work just as well." Melody looks up, her lips forming words that the others barely hear. "Phantom, is it?"

The pegasus in question suddenly stops flying, nearly causing a pileup in the air as the other racers avoid crashing into him at the last minute. After they finish giving him nasty looks, they continue on, the colt lowering himself to the ground and looking around in confusion.

"Over to your left, next to the nice stallion."

He looks around some more before seeing the small group, only glancing at Bagel as he waves and walks off. The colt - Phantom - starts trotting over, a scowl on his face. "What gives?!"

The twins tense up, the male one's fur starting to stick up slightly. "What do you mean?" The earth pony looks down at him, her expression unreadable. Her lips barely move, yet her words are as clear as a bell. "I only spoke to you. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"You freaked me out! Did you see what happened up there?!" He gestures up to the still-ongoing race. "Somepony coulda gotten hurt!"

She tilts her head, bemused. "But they didn't, did they?"

"You didn't know they wouldn't have before you did it!" He stomps his hoof.

"You were a good few meters in front of them." She waves a hoof between them, as if to illustrate her point. "There was enough room for error. Anyone that didn't completely slow in time wouldn't have hurt you or themselves much." She gives him a small smile. "Kind of like running, yes?"

"Wha... no, not at all!" he snaps. "You don't have friction! You don't have your hooves to stop you! And you're travelling at top speed! Any skilled pegasus can tell you it takes at least a good five seconds to even slow down to a casual glide at the speed we were going! If even one of them didn't make the turn, at least two of us could've broken a wing at best!"

"...oh." She blinks, tilting her head to one side. "I guess I'll have to remember that, in the future."

"Yeah, good idea," he remarks coldly.

Serene speaks up quietly, her dragonfly-like wings flicking once. "Surely the adults would have prevented serious injury."

Phantom rolls his eyes. "From hitting the ground? Maybe. Not from the collision."

Mystic frowns a bit as he speaks up. "You didn't have to stop. You could have pulled to the side. You knew they were behind you."

"I froze, okay? It's not often you're flying at top speed and hear a voice so close yet quiet you think you're just daydreaming while sitting in a chair."

"That's a fair point." The mare shrugs slightly. "I apologize for startling you; I just wanted to speak with you, and I didn't want to raise my voice."

He sighs, flopping down onto his stomach. "It's fine... I was getting a little worn out anyway."

"Really?" She carefully lays herself down before him. "You don't seem that tired, to me."

He shrugs. "My wings are aching a bit."

"Is that so?" She shakes her head and pauses, watching a little leaf fall out of her mane. "...would you like to see a small trick?"

He looks up at her. "What kind of trick?"

"This kind, Phantom." Her last word is said just as the leaf nears the floor, the sound itself barely audible, but the effect quite visible. The leaf jumps up into the air, then again, as if it had been launched by two separate bursts of energy.

The colt watches the leaf with his now-wide eyes. "Whoah..."

"Interesting, isn't it?" Once more, it jumps in the air, this time with a little spin. "I've yet to find a good way to still be heard while doing this trick." Indeed, her speech appears to cut out every time that the leaf is sent flying.

He pauses. "...how do you do that thing with your voice, anyway?"

"You mean being heard while whispering?" She smiles warmly. "I just augment the sound waves as they form. It's part of my element."

"Wow..." He can only nod slowly in awe.

"Enough about me, though." She gestures to the twins, who have been quiet for a while. "Have you met these two?"

He blinks, turning to the twins. "Not until now." He waves, unaware that the leaf had landed on his head. They seem a bit more relaxed as they wave at him, Serene even giggling a little at the leaf. He looks confused before realizing, and giggling as well as he shakes it off his head.

"Boo." The leaf jumps one last time, landing back in Melody's mane. "Phantom, meet Mystic and Serene, my... cousins, shall we say?"

Mystic tilts his head to one side then the other before nodding. "Close enough."

Phantom smiles, his wings buzzing as he hovers about a foot off the ground and floats over, extending a hoof. "Hi there!"

Mystic is the one to raise his hoof and bump the other colt's. "Hi!"

He giggles. "You're Mystic, right?"

He nods, smiling now. "And you're Phantom. Neat name."

"Thanks! Don't know why my parents called me that, but I like it." He smiles. "So what do you two do for fun?"

"We hang out, read, play, do magic... just stuff." He shrugs. "Between our big sis and our other... cousins... someone always seems to have an idea."

"Huh... sounds fun!" His tail wags a bit.

Melody smiles, speaking up. "Serene can do shadow puppets."

"Ooh! Can I see?"

Serene looks to Melody a moment before smiling and nodding. She sits up, the shadows beneath them stretching and popping off bits that begin to form shapes. Phantom watches in awe, giggling quietly.

She creates a simple scene of two ponies playing. The silhouettes run around the floor and even into the flying colt's shadow, only to run out the other side. He jumps a bit, but keeps watching, grinning ear to ear. "This is cool!"

She giggles, the ponies growing wings and flying up the wall until they disappear into the shadow of a curtain. "Sorry, I didn't have a story thought up right now, so I just did something short."

"I liked it!" He smiles, giggling along with her.

She smiles back at him. "Thank you."

"Well, I can see that you are getting along well." Melody smiles, clapping her hooves together. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to talk with that… orange pegasus… with the guard armor. Over there." She walks off, leaving the three of them alone.

Bagel glances at her as she approaches and nods silently at her, smiling.

"Hello. So, uh…" She looks around, trying to find something to talk about. "...do you come to these things often?"

He tilts his head. "I don't usually go to daycare centers, no."

She smacks her forehead, groaning quietly. "I meant these Canterlot parties…"

"Oh. No, usually not." He shakes his head. "The Captain usually has Lieutenant Boots or somepony else come along to represent the guard. I'm only here because I think he was distracted when he gave permission."

"...is that why you were assigned to the daycare?"

"Nah, I volunteered to do that." He shakes his head.

"Oh. Okay, then." She looks out towards the main ballroom, tilting her head to one side. "...that sounds like a waltz." She sighs softly, her eyes closing. "I wonder if mom and mum are having fun…"

Meanwhile in the main ballroom, Octavia adjusts her bowtie, more out of habit than necessity. It never hurt to triple check such things at functions where high society potential clients may roam. Still, even that serves as an afterthought as the grey mare feels her deep purple gown swish around her as she turns, to her partner the the ball and life.

The indigo changeling looks back at her, an amused little smirk on her lips. You really shouldn't worry about that. She takes a single step forward, touching foreheads with the earth pony she cares so much for. You look perfect.

She hums, closing her eyes and leaning against the nymph. Thank you, Luster. That helps. Of course, I'd same the same about you in your lovely outfit.

She nods, glancing down at the tuxedo she's wearing with a smile. It should be. You picked it out. Her gaze turns back to Octavia. I'd feel a bit better if I could carry my pole, though.

Considering most of the attendees are trained in some way, so making sure nopony carries weapons is probably to avoid accidents, duels... weapon comparisons... She trails off in other thoughts.

Luster gives a quiet sigh, her head dipping slightly. Well, you can't say I didn't try.

Octavia moves to her side, nuzzling her. Now now, at least you can make others if you need to, or even retrieve your staff if you need to. Then everypony will be jealous.

It's one of a kind, though. She grins, bumping her side playfully. Kind of like a certain mare I know.

Oh you... She bumps her back, straightening the nymph's yellow bow tie afterward. "Shall we mingle?"

Her response is simply to gesture to the crowd.

She rolls her eyes. "Fine, but if want me to do all the talking, you have to be the arm candy."

That can be arranged. She looks around, doubt finally starting to show on her face. ...as soon as I figure out how to do that.

She chuckles and shakes her head. "What you usually do when we meet new ponies, dear."

So... smile and wave?

I also expect the occasional nuzzle, any important emotion information you get, and maybe you introducing yourself to those you like.

In that case, it'll be easy as pie. She pauses for a moment, tapping her chin thoughtfully. ...unless it's one Gel made.

She giggles, but holds a hoof to her mouth. She has gotten better over the years. Deserts just seem to be her challenge area.

Anything with heat is her challenge area, surprisingly. She shakes her head, then nods towards the crowd. So, mingle, right?

She waves a hoof through the crowd. "Would you like to choose our first interaction?"

Luster shakes her head. No, I think you should. You have a good sense for these things.

"Hmm... how about her?" Tje grey mare gestures to one that's white. Her model-like build is different to all the other ponies in attendance, though her position of being near a window by herself as she nurses a drink is not.

The nymph looks at the pony for a few moments before turning back to Octavia, confused. ...why does she look like a unicorn version of Diorite?

Hmm... think Dior had a bit of inspiration with her body? She muses in her mind.

If she did, I doubt she'd admit it.

There goes perfectly good blackmail... The cellist pouts a moment before startign to walk. But at least we can chat, right?

Probably. She follows behind her, keeping an eye on the mare. Though I personally would never try to blackmail her. Just saying.

It's not like I'd do anything bad, just amusing. She grins at the thought, a planning grin accompanied by a giggle.

The nymph stays behind her, eyes closed as she responds promptly. And she'd likely blackmail you back with stuff she's built up over the years.

She looks back with a raised eyebrow. What could she have on me? I'm fairly certain you know more of my secrets than she does.

She quietly gulps. ...she knows about fluffykins, but I swear I didn't tell her.

Octavia actually pauses midstep for a moment. ... we made sure no one ever saw.

Yet she somehow found out. She grimaces slightly. ...ease up on the emotions a bit, please?

The grey mare sighs, slowing down and nuzzling her wife. How about a different flavor?

She gently returns the affectionate gesture, though she can't help but notice something. I wouldn't mind... but what about the audience we seem to have gained?

We ignore them and proceed on our way. Erm... perhaps watch our facial expressions responding to a conversation they can't hear. She clears her throat politely to cover a small bit of pink in her cheeks.

Imagine if they could hear, though. Luster smiles playfully as they continue walking. Especially that one conversation we had a while ago...

Octavia more smirks than smiles. Half of them would gasp and turn away while they point their muzzles in the air.

I wouldn't doubt it.

Finally they arrive at their destination of the mare. Straightening her posture, the cellist walks up near the new mare, staring out the window as she is. "Anything out there striking an interest?"

"...I hear cicadas..." She continues to gaze through the glass, an ear twitching slightly. "...but there aren't any, in this town... my ears are tricking me..." She glances at the gray pony and immediately sits upright, putting on a practiced smile. "Sorry, Miss, I didn't see you there. May I help you?"

"Simply striking up a conversation with somepony else who seems... less than enthused by most of our company." The cellist keeps up her own smile, hoping it is relaxed enough.

"Oh?" She nods slightly, gesturing her closer. "Well, I'd say my own reasons are a bit more... selfish, but company is always appreciated." She blinks, looking at the changeling by the other mare's side. "...you look familiar. Have we met?"

Luster's wings snap to her sides, and she sheepishly smiles. Well... you wielded an épée at me once... Seeing no response from the tall mare, she simply shakes her head.

"Allow me to introduce us. I am Octavia," she dip her head, "and this is my wife, Luster." She gestures to the nymph.

She blinks once more, turning to look back at the earth pony halfway through her introduction. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Via, Miss Luster. You certainly have an interesting name." She giggles quietly, shaking her head as she brings a glass to her lips.

"Which one of us?" The cellist asks.

She opens her eyes, looking at the mare in confusion. "...pardon?"

Octavia tilts her head. "I asked which one of us had the strange name... are you feeling alright?"

"Oh, I'm fine, Miss Via." She waves a hoof nonchalantly. "And I was referring to yours. It's rare to find a pony with a name three letters long."

The grey mare blinks. "It isn't... my name's all one word... I didn't mention my last name, which is Philharmonica."

"So... Via Philharmonica?" She tilts her head to one side, thoughtful. "I would've pinned you as a Melody, but I suppose an eloquent name like that suits you quite well." She turns to the nymph, smiling warmly. "Did you say something, Miss Luster?"

The changeling in question pauses, wings up and pressed against each other, halted in the middle of rubbing against each other. She slowly shakes her head, wings retracting back into their covers.

"...strange... I could've sworn..." The unicorn shakes her head, turning back to Octavia. "Sorry, my mind tends to wander into flights of fancy."

"I... see..." Clearing her throat, she tries to put her smile back on. "Well, to correct one small thing, my name is Octavia, though Via might be one of the more interesting variants I've been called. Might I ask your name?" At the same time, she sends a quick thought to Luster. Are you doing something special with your wings? It certainly seems get her notice.

She quickly retracts her wings once more. Sorry, I rub them together when I get nervous...

"Oh, it's Octavia?" She thoughtfully taps her chin for a moment before nodding. "I see... that sounds much better than Via." The tall mare holds a hoof to her chest. "My name is Fleur de Lis. Charmed."

Things back on track, Octavia flicks her tail to give Luster a small stroke as she speaks. "Very nice to make your acquaintance. Enjoying the ball?"

"It's... okay." She turns back to the window, looking past her reflection to the garden beyond. "Public events like these aren't my cup of tea..."

"Ah, I understand. "I have quite a few friends who feel that way." Octavia takes another step forward, looking out the window as well.

Pink eyes watch her reflection, the unicorn nodding quietly. "I had a feeling that was the case... these kinds of parties are a bit too... what's the word I'm looking for..."

"Political instead of celebratory like they were advertised?" She offers.

"Probably." Fleur shrugs slightly, turning to look at the party over her shoulder. "Though I feel that the Princesses did mean well."

"Not quite the word you had in mind, then?"

She blinks, turning to look at Octavia in confusion. "...sorry, could you please repeat that?"

The cellist repeats herself. "I said, is political not the word you had in mind then?" Part of her wonders if the mare is distracted.

"Oh. No, I don't think it's a perfect fit, but it's better than any word I can think of, at the moment..." She laughs lightly, shaking her head. "Still, there are times when these parties do get lively..."

"I do still hear stories about the Gala nowadays." Giggling demurely, Octavia smiles. "As long as one stays out of the line of fire, I dare say those might be the better times to attend."

"I suppose that's the case." Fleur smiles, shrugging slightly. "I haven't had the chance to attend it during those times, I'm afraid." An ear twitches slightly, and she turns to the nymph, watching her as the purple changeling appears to noiselessly speak, wings rubbing against each other behind her, before nodding. "Yes, dear, I think you would enjoy those times, as well."

Blinking, Octavia once again turns to her wife before turning back to Fleur. "You read lips?"

She turns to the earth pony, eyes wide for a moment before they return to their normal half-lidded state, a sheepish smile on her lips as she nods. "Yes, that's correct. I was... wondering why she was doing that..." She looks away, her cheeks a shade darker than the rest of her face.

The grey mare thinks to Luster. I think I'm getting close to understanding what's going on here... what are your thoughts?

I think I am, too. The nymph nods once before gesturing to Octavia. I just had to be sure, so...

So... you mouthed something? I'm still wondering what that has to do with your wings. Speaking to Fleur so things don't get awkward, she comments. "Apparently my wife was testing something."

She glances back halfway through her explanation, she raises an eyebrow, speaking warily. "Testing... what, exactly?"

Octavia shakes her head. "She hasn't told me yet. But if you wouldn't mind indulging me for a moment, might I ask with whom you came tonight?"

"Oh, I came with my husband." She looks back over to the crowd of ponies, frowning softly. "I think he went off to discuss some business matters with another pony, but I'm not quite certain where..." She flinches, turning to give the silent changeling a mildly upset stare. "Could you please not whistle around me?" When the indigo nymph unpuckers her lips, she gives a grateful nod, then turns back to watch the garden.

Luster lets her wings fall to her sides, giving her wife a meaningful look.

Care to explain how you're being noisy yet silent to different ponies? The grey mare asks.

Have you heard of how certain creatures can create sounds when certain body parts rub together? She looks back at her wings, flexing one demonstratively. Some of us changelings can do the same... it's kind of like whistling, for your kind.

Okay... then why can't I hear it but she can?

If I had to say... She looks up at the tall mare's horn, thoughtful. ...she may not be able to hear it, either.

...she can feel it? Octavia tilts her head.

It's possible, if she's using a spell to enhance her sensitivity. But that begs the question... Luster looks to her wife, frowning softly. ...why is she using it?

"Hmm..." Octavia taps her hoof against the ground lightly to test. She can't hear the sound it makes, but the pattern is deliberate.

Fleur looks down, lifting a hoof before her ear twitches, turning to look at the other mare. "...what are you doing, Miss Octavia?"

"Confirming something. Do let me know if I'm prying but... is there a reason you're using a spell to enhance your senses?" She sounds genuinely curious.

She actually recoils at this, eyes wide in shock. "H-how did you..."

"We put some things together." She gestures to the changeling next to her. "We don't mind, we're just curious why."

"I..." She glances at the crowd, then sighs, shaking her head. "...I have to. I-I can't..."

Ears folding, the grey mare steps forward. "Hey... it's alright." She looks back to Luster. May I tell you about your own condition?

She gives a small nod in response.

"If it helps you be more comfortable, you are not alone in having difficulties. There is a reason I do the talking between the two of us." She points to herself and Luster.

Fleur glances from one of them to the other, brow furrowing slightly. "...is... is she deaf, or mute?"

"Mute." Octavia nuzzles the purple nymph.

"Oh, I see..." The unicorn slowly nods, though her perplexed expression still remains. "...is she..." She bites her lip, then shakes her head. "Never mind. I... I'm not mute." She nervously laughs, rubbing the back of her neck. "W-well, obviously. I'm... the other one..."

"Ah I see... that makes sense then. If you have to enhance it, that also explains why you're by yourself." She nods back to the rest of the party.

"That's... one reason, anyways."

"Is the other waiting for your husband?"

"Well... partially." She sighs, finally turning away to glare at the other guests. "There's just so many judgmental ponies out there... without Fancy, they'd simply harass me due to my... situation."

"Hmm..." The grey mare turns to her wife, speaking aloud for the benefit of the unicorn. "Would you say we do a decent job of fending them off our situation, dear?"

Noticing that Fleur had one eye watching them, Luster gives a small nod, smirking playfully.

"Think we can cover one more pony in our shroud of protection from ignorant rude strangers?" She smirks back.

When she nods once more, the unicorn blinks, staring at them in stunned silence for a moment, trying to find her voice. "Y-you... would do that?"

Turning to her, Octavia nods. "Why not? We're not exactly reveling in the middle of the room for all to see either. I think we can continue to chat if you'll indulge us. Maybe we can even track down this husband of yours."

Her jaw is agape for a moment before she smiles warmly, giving a small nod in response. "I'd like that."

Author's Note

Thank you all for being so patient through the world-building chapters. This next one should be the start of the true "Virtue and Vice" storyline. I hope you all enjoy! :twilightsmile: