Virtues of Balance

by ZanyRaccoon

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Sex, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Romance, Drama, Original Character
Length: 14104

Yin and Yang; two ponies who were obviously meant to be together. But they never expected having to literally fuse together to fight crime and the forces of evil. Now the world hangs in their balance!

Yin and Yang are two ponies who knew they were meant to be together since the moment they first met. But they never could have imagined that on their honeymoon they would receive the greatest gift ever. A magical amulet, split into two halves, which allows them to literally fuse together into a faux alicorn.

But evil forces are conspiring to gain the amulet for their own nefarious purposes. So Yin and Yang decide to use their newfound powers to fight crime and the forces of evil. They have a lot to learn and they'd better learn fast as the world now hangs in their balance!

<--->

This epic, superhero tale will update biweekly.

I'm looking for an artist who can help with the currently nonexistent cover art. I can repay you with a story commission if you want.

On that note, PM me for details if you're interested in commissioning me to write your story.

Published 2017-10-05 02:00:12 UTC
Last updated 2017-10-19 02:23:23 UTC

Responsibility 1/4

You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.

Two figures bathed in shadows slunk out of the darkness.

Their forms illuminated by the light of the moon and stars which shone down from above and reflected off the gently lapping water of the pool. One a pegasus mare with a petite form clearly built for speed. The other a unicorn stallion who definitely kept himself in shape. The air was filled with the light scent of chlorine and the gentle clopping of hooves upon concrete. The sound nearly drowned out by the ambient singing from a myriad of unseen insects.

They stopped at the edge of the pool. The mare alert with her ears twitching as she calmly gazed around, sharp pegasus eyes searching for anypony who might be watching. There were no others besides the two of them. She spoke to her companion with a steely tone. "Are you sure about this Yang?"

The stallion, Yang, waved a hoof dismissively and a large cocky grin brightened his face. His horn lit up with an amber glow as he used his magic to remove a corked vial hidden within his mane. The vial floated towards the center of the pool; the cork removed with a pop. "Don't worry about it Yin. What's the worst that could happen? They kick us out of the resort? We've been kicked out of tons of places. At least here we won't be chased out by an angry mob... probably."

Yin's response began with a frown. "Yes, but don't you think that just might put a bit of a damper on our honeymoon?"

"Nonsense! Life's more fun with a little excitement. Besides, we can always take to the road and see the sights, just like old times." Seeing that his persuasion tactics weren't working, Yang decided to shift his approach. "And just imagine how hilarious it'll be to watch those unsuspecting ponies after we pour this itching potion into the pool."

Yang began demonstrating exactly how he thought the average pony would react with grandiose gestures and ridiculous facial expressions. Yin's own expression softened as she watched the one-pony show he put on. She even had to raise a hoof to avoid giving him the satisfaction, when she started to grin. However, she soon found herself unable to stop from giggling as her husband's performance grew ever more absurd. He rose up on his hind legs for his spectacular finale. But had unfortunately forgotten to take into account the slippery nature of the pool's edge. With a startled yelp he lost his balance and began to fall into the pool, which surely would've broken his magic concentration and sent the vial of itching potion into the pool with him.

Yin shot forward and stopped his descent with a wing. She stared at him with a faux glare for his clumsiness, while he stared back with a sheepish grin. Her face softened though as she traced a hoof over his forest green coat, feeling the well-toned muscles underneath. The color was an interesting contrast to his mane and tail, both of which shared an earthy brown coloring with streaks of violet. All of it was tied together though thanks to his fiery, amber eyes.

For a moment she was lost in a sea of amber.

Then Yin finally pulled Yang away from the water's edge and wrapped her wings tightly around him. Their lips met in a passionate embrace. For a precious moment time lost all meaning to them.

Once the kiss was broken, Yin nuzzled her beloved mate and gave his ear a lick. She whispered. "Before I change my mind."

Not needing further prompting, Yang's horn glowed slightly brighter as he tipped the vial over and let the nearly clear itching potion pour into the pool. The pool itself seemed to sparkle with magic and the water bubbled with a slight glow for several seconds. But then things calmed once more and the pool looked no different than it had originally.

The now empty vial was floated over to a trash bin, where it was deliberately buried deep beneath a pile of refuse. Even if found though its label would claim it had merely been an alcoholic beverage. Yin and Yang doubted anypony would be more thorough in their investigation than that.

With the evidence taken care of, the newlyweds continued their nuzzling.

Hooves met a well known ticklish spot as Yang relished in the sweet sound of his wife's giggling. Then he nibbled on her withers, an act he'd accidently discovered awhile back, which really turned her on. Proof of this was given as she began to moan softly. Finally he gave her a cheeky grin. "So... It'll probably be some time before anypony attempts to go for a swim. Whatever shall we do to pass the time 'til then?"

Yin just giggled and softly nipped along his neck and muzzle. Only then did she pull back to regard him with lidded eyes and a sultry tone. "Oh, I can think of something." She pulled further away, rubbing against him as she did. Before they completely separated she wiggled her rump against the underside of his muzzle. After taking several hoofsteps away she lifted her tail for him, spread out her wings, and winked. Before he could react however, she took to the sky and sped off. "Race you to our room!"

With near unparalleled speed Yin reached their room in record time, where she immediately began to get things ready. She put on some sexy lingerie, lit the scented candles, and turned on some ambient music. All before collapsing onto the bed with her mane and wings splayed out. Her body on display for him.

Now it was a waiting game. She knew it wouldn't be too long. Within a few moments he would most assuredly burst into their room, all hot and sweaty from galloping the whole way.

Just the way she liked him.

<--->

The air smelled of scented candles and sex.

The room itself was as messy as it was luxurious. The velvet carpet was strewn with toys of the adult variety, and bits and pieces of various outfits. Ranging from firefighter apparel to a maid outfit, and anything in-between. Even the ebony furniture couldn't escape as everything from the sofa, with its hoof-stitched cushions, to the armoire were also covered with pieces to cosplay as a royal guard, a griffon, a dragon, and other sundry things. Only the thick, plush drapes went unmarred as they hugged the windows to keep the harsh outdoor light at bay.

Along one wall was a bed. A bed large enough to hold several alicorns! Most of its silk sheets that hadn't fallen off had been shoved to the edges of the bed. From its posts hung presently unoccupied hoofcuffs. And sleeping at its center were two forms, curled together belly to belly. Yin and Yang.

Yang awoke with a start to a sound. As he regained awareness he was uncertain if the sound had been real or imagined. But he cared not as he turned his gaze to the beauty sleeping besides him, with her forelegs curled around him. He barely managed to keep himself from cooing at the adorable, little snores Yin emitted in her sleep. His hoof caressed her wings and soft feathers, while Yang nuzzled into her tangerine coat at her neck and deeply breathed in her scent. Nearly sneezing as some of her ruby mane, with its yellow highlights, got into his nose. But it had totally been worth it.

Yang's plan to awaken his wife with little kisses was interrupted when the sound that had awoken him decided to prove its reality, by echoing itself. A knock at the door. With a soft, annoyed groan, Yang pulled himself from bed. His body suddenly cold where it had previously been nestled against his favorite mare.

Yin let out a quiet whine in her sleep as he left. Nearly breaking his heart with guilt.

But the door had to be attended to. So he sighed and trotted through the messy room, stopping only at a mirror. He removed an offending article of clothing that was covering the mirror, so he could gaze at his reflection in the dim light. He looked relatively fine with the exception of the panties which adorned his head like a cap. It bunched around his horn at the base and only one of his ears was sticking out of it.

Well that just wouldn't do. So with a hoof he adjusted his impromptu hat so both ears were sticking out. Satisfied, he continued towards the door as another knock rang out.

As he swung the door open he had to quickly cover his eyes from the unrelenting sunlight as he leapt back and hissed at the late morning light. But his eyes did adjust and he noticed the mare standing on the other side of the doorway. She was a smaller earth pony mare with a cream coat. Her mane and tail seemed to be comprised of every shade of pink. Yang couldn't see her cutie mark. The uniform that marked her as a member of the resort's staff covered her flank beneath its folds.

But the uniform could never hide the fact that she was as cute as a button. Especially with the way she looked at the ground and nervously shuffled her hooves, while muttering to herself. As if she were gathering her nerve. He wasn't even sure she'd noticed that he had opened the door.

"Can I help you?" Yang finally spoke up with the only thing he could think to say.

The mare, Peach Fuzz her name tag claimed, gave a startled jump as she gasped and quickly looked up to meet his amber eyes with her own yellow ones. A light blush graced her cheeks. "Oh, I'm so sorry sir! I didn't mean- I mean I'm just here to- to let you know that the pool is closed today due to unforeseen circumstances. I'm sorry for any inconvenience." The mare quickly flinched away as if she expected to be struck.

Yang tilted his head in confusion at the response. "You okay?"

Slowly she returned her gaze to him. "I-I'm fine. It's just-" But she suddenly stopped, her checks turning a deep scarlet, as she stared at his head.

It took Yang a moment to remember the panties he was wearing upon his head. With a playful smirk he turned his head to give her a better look. The frilly panties were a light tan color with a design that was meant to make it look like a faded pirate map. There were skull and cross-bones as well several dashes leading to a big X where his crotch would be if he had been wearing the panties properly. Although the design may have been a bit difficult to see with the way the panties were scrunched up on his head.

"Oh, I see you've noticed me fancy hat. You like it?" Yang nearly burst out laughing at the look on the young mare's face.

But to Peach's credit she did manage to return her gaze to his mirth-filled eyes, and mantained enough manner of composure to respond. "I-It's quite nice sir. A-Anyways, as a token of compensation for the um, pool inconvenience, r-room service is free for the rest of your stay." A big nervous smile filled her face and her eyes twitched slightly a few times, as she fought the urge to look back up at his fancy hat.

But Yang wasn't quite fully satisfied with just some free food. So he carefully analyzed her, quickly coming to the conclusion that she'd be an easy mark. Immediately he darkened his expression and his tone turned harsh. "So, that's it?"

The smile instantly vanished from her face. "W-What?"

"You're not even going to tell me what was wrong with the pool?"

"Oh. I'm n-not completely sure. But guests were complaining of itchiness and-"

"What!? That could've been me and my wife in that pool! And you think you can just sweep this under the rug and buy us off with free food! What kind of two-bit resort are you running here? You'd better have something better than just free food or I'll need to see your manager to talk about both the pool and your behaviour!"

For extra emphasis he took an angry stomp forward. To which Peach responded with several frantic steps backwards, her now glistening eyes widening in fear. She quickly used a hoof to search through a pocket of her outfit, before pulling out what looked to be a couple of tickets.

"H-How about a pair of free passes for the m-mini golf course? You like mini golf r-right?" Her expression was one of fragile hope.

It didn't take Yang even a full second to make up his mind. It was unlikely she could offer him any better, and what mortal could ever hope to resist the sweet allure of mini golf. So his expression melted back into a happy grin as his horn lit up in an amber glow and he took the passes. Before she could respond he darted forward, kissed her on the cheek, and backed into his room. "Thanks cutie!"

The door slammed shut. Leaving behind a confused and blushing mare with tears streaming down her face.

Yang snickered to himself at the success of his clever ruse as he turned around. Only to suddenly be met with frost blue eyes that seemed to chill him to the core. He usually loved to look at Yin's beautiful eyes. They betrayed her keen intellect. But at the moment they were unfortunately glaring into his soul with fury.

He scrambled away 'til his back was against the door and gulped nervously. His mind raced to think or something, anything, to say. As expected from such a situation he merely blurted out the first thing to pop into his head. "The kiss meant nothing, I swear!!"

Yin merely rolled her eyes and used a hoof, which instinctively made him flinch, to pluck the mini golf passes out of his magic. Which she then used to swat him across the snout. Yang got the message.

"Oh, those! I just thought that since we, you know, slept in and missed the show at the pool, that I could get us a little something to make up for it." The nervous smile he added afterwards did nothing to help his case.

"Ah, I get it. You decided that the best solution was to con that poor mare." Yin's tone felt as if it could've frozen the sun.

Yang flinched at her deliberate word choice. "I-I didn't think-"

A loud smack rang out as a painful slap across his face sent Yang sprawling to the floor. Yet Yin's voice remained quiet and frigid. "That's the problem. You didn't think. And now that poor mare is off somewhere crying, thanks to you!"

The unicorn didn't even try to pick himself up as her words sunk in. Had he really made the smaller mare cry? He'd been so caught up in his act that he hadn't even considered her feelings. Suddenly dry mouthed, Yang tried to swallow only to find a lump in his throat. Shame and guilt made his eyes water. "But I didn't, I mean... How could I have known she'd be so damn sensitive!?"

Only then did Yin's expression soften up a bit. "Because of the same reason we wanted to pull that pool prank in the first place. All the stuck up nobles who visit this resort and treat the staff like trash. They deserve it! But did you ever consider how many other ponies have probably been yelling at her all morning. As if it was somehow her fault. And we both know whose fault it really is. Then you had to go and threaten her."

The full realization of what he'd done finally hitting him, Yang sprung up and threw open the door. Of course the smaller mare was now long gone. But he'd find her and apologize. Before he could do anything though a pair of forelegs wrapped around him and held him back. Two wings closed the door before the feathery appendages tightly held him against his wife. He squirmed in vain before slumping down and sobbing.

Yin gently nuzzled the top of his head through the panties, while whispering comforting words into his ears.

After awhile he finally began to calm down. Only then did Yin explain herself. "I think that mare needs some time to calm down. Besides, don't you think it would be a little foolish to chase after a distraught and crying mare while wearing my panties and smelling of sex? We don't want anypony getting the wrong idea, right?"

Yang nodded with a sniffle as his cheeks blushed and he let out a weak chuckle at the thought. "Thanks Yin. You still mad at me?"

"What do you think?" Her voice was as sweet as honey. The sharp bite to his ear which quickly followed was not, and he yelped in pain. "We're going to take a shower, during which I'm getting all my anger out of my system. That bite was the least of what I'm going to do to you."

Yang shuddered at the thought of what she was going to do to him. His heart began to beat faster and his cheeks flushed with excitement. For reasons he couldn't even begin to fathom, he had always been able to find the pleasure it pain. A fact that was made even better by the fact that his wife had uncanny knowledge of every weak point on a pony's body, and exactly how to exploit each and every one to cause maximum pain with no lasting harm.

As if to prove that very point, Yin put a hoof right onto one of those very spots on his body and sharply twisted. Excruciating pain pulsed through him followed by a wave of sheer ecstasy. Already he was panting as he begged. "M-More!"

With a giggle Yin let go. As her husband fell to the floor she picked up a pair of panties and put it on her own head. Then she pranced to the bathroom with her tail raised high like a proud cat. Only looking back once she reached the door, and calling back in a singsong voice. "Come on you naughty colt. It's time for your punishment."

An impressive burst of speed was displayed as Yang shot up and followed after his beloved.

<--->

Yin sat on her haunches as she gazed with poorly hidden awe at the sight before her. Wings twitching in excitement.

A sea of rolling green landscape filled with little hills and valleys. It was dotted with so many sights to behold as if all of time and space had converged in one place. From a tiny windmill to a half-sunken pirate ship on one side, to an alien space ship and an ancient pyramid on the other. And so much more in-between. She had to raise a fetlock to wipe away a joyful tear as the majesty that was mini golf weaved its inherent magic to bring out her inner foal. Nothing could ruin the moment!

Meanwhile, behind her, Yang was working on a scheme of his own. He reached into his mane and pulled out the treasure he'd hidden there after their shower. Another pair of panties, decorated with chibi images of food and emblazoned with the words 'Kiss the Chef'. He proceeded to put on his newest fancy hat.

"This place is incredible! Come on Yang let's-" Yin stopped as her eyes landed on her husband, her eyes narrowing. A lesser pony would've suffered an eye twitch. "Yang, are you wearing another pair of my panties... in public?"

The cocky smile that filled Yang's face made her want to both kiss and slap him. The slapping side was winning. "So, what do you think? Does it make me look dapper?"

Yin leaned in so close their noses practically touched as she quietly hissed her response. "Yang, there are foals here!"

The unicorn took advantage of their closeness to nuzzle his wife before looking around. As she had said, there were indeed many younger ponies running around laughing and playing blissfully, or screaming when they got a hole in one. "Your point? Ponies don't even usually wear clothes, they'll just think it's a hat."

"Is that even a clean pair?"

With a shrug, Yang leaned back and briefly pulled the panties down over his face to take a big whiff. Then he took a few more. "Well, they're certainly soaked in you scent. And I can't see how anything that smells as good as you could ever by considered unclean."

Yin would've hated to admit that she actually did blush a bit at that. But it didn't stop her voice from turning cold. "Take them off."

"Make me." The smile turned into a playful smirk before ran off at a gallop.

Practically growling, Yin stretched out her wings and gave chase through the air. Being much faster she quickly caught up and tackled him to the ground. The two wrestled for several minutes. No doubt who would've won if the unicorn hadn't cheated by using his amber magic to keep the panties on. And to tickle her mercilessly. She giggled uncontrollably but refused to give up. They finally stopped only after they heard a sound which was quickly identified as laughter. It, however, was not coming from either Yin or Yang.

Looking up revealed to the newlyweds that they were presently the center of attention for many ponies. Some of which were trying to shield their children's gazes. Yin became acutely aware that she was currently straddling Yang, who was still defiantly wearing her panties upon his head.

The peals of laughter were coming from a nearby bench. Where an elderly earth pony couple sat, both clearly enjoying the show. Yang took it all in stride as he turned his gaze to the elders, still relentlessly smirking. "So what about you two? Does me fancy hat make me look dapper?

Yin quickly snatched the panties from her distracted husband and pulled them over her own face to hide her painful embarrassment.

<--->

Meanwhile, on the other side of the resort, two stallions where sneaking onto the premises.

Slipping past the lax security had been laughably easy. And now they were far enough in that they could get away with claiming to be guests visiting for a business meeting. Since only the richest of businesses used a freakin' resort for their meetings, none of the staff would question them for fear of pissing off important ponies.

They stopped at a remote spot. A tranquil rest area for ponies taking advantage of the hiking trails. It had several benches surrounding an ornate fountain with stone depictions of the princesses of the sun and the moon. Jets of water flowed into the air, surrounding the skillfully carved royalty with little rainbows. From the trees surrounding the rest area came the peaceful sounds of various woodland critters, no doubt blissfully living out their lives. Completely unaware of the two conniving stallions in their midst.

Most importantly for the two stallions though, there were no other ponies around for miles.

The smaller of the two, an incredibly short unicorn with a crowbar for a cutie mark, reached into his slicked back, black mane and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He used his dirty, olive green coat to wipe the grease off the paper before unfolding it. The unicorn's eyes scanned the paper. "Alright, according to the boss they're staying in room 113, which is in the resort's A-Wing."

The other stallion, a huge earth pony with brass knuckles for a cutie mark, merely grunted in response. Trying to guess the giant pony's thoughts would've been nigh impossible with his messy blond mane covering up the top half of his head. How he could even see was a mystery for the ages. Not that anypony would think to question it while cowering beneath the behemoth. His silver coat was covered in scars and bruises that made it obvious one should not mess with him, that is if the muscles bigger than an average pony's head weren't already enough discouragement.

If the unicorn was perturbed by the lack of verbal response, he didn't show it. Instead he merely dunked the paper into the fountain. After it was thoroughly soaked he rubbed it 'til the paper had completely disintegrated. Only then did he turn his attention to his bigger 'friend'. "You know what to do. Let's go pay a couple of pals a visit."

The only response this time was the earth pony bringing his forehooves together, and somehow emulating the sound of cracking one's knuckles with them. Ponies are sometimes weird like that, go figure.

<--->

"Cheers!"

Glasses clinked and laughs were shared by the ponies sitting at the table. On one side Yin and Yang sat with their sides pressed together. They were holding hooves and Yin had a wing wrapped around Yang.

On the table's other side sat an elderly earth pony couple, also snuggling together. The same couple who had been sitting on the bench laughing at the newlyweds during their earlier faux pas.

The couple had turned out to be quite friendly. After finishing their laughter they had managed to shoo away the other onlookers, and even hid the panties from Yang. A fact for which Yin would be eternally grateful. Then the two couples had spent the day together chatting and playing mini golf. All things considered, it had been a wonderful day.

Of course, any day involving mini golf was obviously bound to be a wonderful day.

Now they sat in a tropical themed bar enjoying food, drink, and each other's company. The interior of the bar was filled with floral leis, surf-boards, and stereotypical tiki idols. As well as other such knickknacks. Despite being the most touristy bar in the resort, it all still looked rather beautiful when framed in the light of the setting sun streaming through the window. Plus the place served the absolute best barbecued vegetable wings!

The elderly couple shared yet another exciting tale from their youth. Both of them thrilled to have listening ears. It was almost hard to believe that the two earth ponies had once been a successful pair of bounty hunters. Bringing in the worst of the worst to face justice.

They certainly didn't look it.

On the outside they looked like any typical, sweet, old couple. The stallion, Shovel Bearer, had a rich chestnut coat, faded golden mane, and kind, magenta eyes. His wife, Shield Bearer, also had a brown coat. But her coat contained a rusty burgandy tint to it that really contrasted with her white mane. When she was younger, and her mane still silver, the contrast had been even more striking. All of it was brought together with her sweet, amethyst eyes.

The one thing that actually did stand out about Mr. and Mrs. Bearer were their cutie marks. Shovel had an image of a shovel over a shield. While Shield had the opposite, a shield over a shovel. One guess as to what respective weapon each used as a bounty hunter.

The similar cutie marks was actually something Yin and Yang could relate to. Considering the newlyweds each had their respective half of the taijitu symbol emblazoned upon their flanks.

There was a lull in the conversion as the two couples took the time to enjoy their wings and sip at their drinks.

But a moment later the lull was broken as Yin spoke up. She had been especially impressed with their bounty hunting tales, yet also amazed by how much they still loved each other. She hoped the same would be true of her and Yang. "Wow, over fifty years together! It's hard to believe that in all that time you two never once stayed at this resort."

Yin had been referring to something the older couple had previously mentioned. Which was the fact that they spent each anniversary in a unique place. And indeed, it was currently Shield and Shovel's anniversary.

"Yeah." Yang agreed with his mouth full of the last broccoli wing, Yin's favorite. Which was why he suddenly found himself being passionately kissed by his wife. It took a few moments after the kiss ended before he realized his mouth was empty, and his wife was suspiciously chewing on something. He threw her a glare.

All Yin did in response was give him an innocent look. When that didn't work she just quickly swallowed before sticking her tongue out at him.

"Hay!"

And thus the great tickle war began. It was an intense yet short-lived war, which ended with the treaty of kissing. A treaty signed with the saliva of the two opposing nations. When Yin and Yang finally broke the kiss, a strand of saliva kept them connected for a second longer before they returned to their previous cuddling position.

Shield Bearer giggled at the younger couple's antics, briefly nuzzling her own husband, before addressing Yin's prior statement. "Actually, we did stay here once before. In fact it was actually during our own honeymoon."

"Really? Why'd you decide to come back instead of going someplace new?" Yang asked with a head tilt.

Shovel Bearer let out a quiet sigh. "It's interesting to see how this place has, and hasn't, changed over the years. That and... and we thought it would be apropos that the first place we traveled to as a married couple should also be our last."

Immediately the smiles washed away from the faces of the newlyweds. Yang managed to summon the courage to ask first as he felt his wife hold him just a little bit tighter. "W-What do you mean?"

There was an uncomfortable silence between the couples. Mr. and Mrs. Bearer slowly exchanged a glance, seeming to have an entire conversation with their eyes alone. Finally, they returned their gazes to the younger couple as Shovel proceeded to answer the oppressive question. "We're dying. Both of us. Doctor said it was due to overexposure to some sort of magical radiation. We are literally breaking apart. If this isn't our last anniversary, then we will be spending our last at the hospital."

"B-Both of you!?" Yin squeaked. Her usually unbreakable composure was now thoroughly cracked. With teary eyes she buried her face into her husband's chest. Unable to keep the thoughts of her own grandfather out of her head.

Yang's reaction was immediate. He held his wife firmly and nuzzled her a bit before gently caressing her forehead with little licks. The soft, rhythmic licks were a strategy which had proven its great effectiveness in the past at keeping her calm. Even then it was one of the only things which kept her from outright sobbing on the spot as she sniffled pitifully. That and Yang's calming scent.

Shield gave a soft, sad smile. "I'm afraid so. But please don't fret. Shovel and I have had many happy years together. We're both okay with the inevitable effects of the passage of time."

"I'm s-sorry. I lost my grandfather not too long ago and, I-I..." Yin was unable to finish as the tears finally began to flow from her eyes. Tears which Yang was quick to lick away. It took several long minutes, which seemed to stretch into eternity, before Yin finally managed to calm down enough that her eyes cleared. However, she still lightly trembled as she clung to her beloved with her wings and forelegs. The trembling was mitigated though by Yang softly stroking her wings.

"We understand. Trust me, we really do."

Shovel nodded in agreement with his wife. "And if it helps, we also have a gift we'd like to pass onto you two."

"A gift! Really? What is it, what is it, what-" Yang's childlike excitement at the prospect of getting a gift was quickly reined in by a sharp hiss and light nip to the neck from his wife. He blushed a bit from a guilty shame as he realized just how inappropriate he'd been. "Oh, um, sorry about that."

A hearty chuckle was the response as Shovel waved a hoof nonchalantly. "That's quite alright. In fact you should be excited. Here, take a look."

Mr. and Mrs. Bearer each pulled a necklace out of their manes. The newlyweds slowly disengaged and leaned over the table to get a closer look. Shield held a silver chained necklace with a ruby phoenix swooping downwards, it had an emerald for an eye. She gingerly placed the necklace around Yin's neck. Meanwhile, Shovel held another silver chained necklace, this one with an emerald dragon swooping upwards, this one had a ruby for an eye. Of course it went around Yang's neck.

Yin and Yang sat back and examined their new accessories. Both designs had a curve to them. The dragon curved to the left while the phoenix curved to the right. It looked like they were two halves which formed a whole circle when put together. A quick test confirmed that the necklaces did indeed fit together in such a manner. But they fell separate again when the younger couple released them.

"They're said to bring good fortune to a couple for as long as their hearts beat as one." Shield spoke up, garnering the attention of the newlyweds. "Guard them as you would your relationship."

"Thank you. But are you sure we can have these?" Yin asked reverently.

"Of course! Just think of it as a late wedding gift." Shovel reassured. "We received them ourselves from an elderly couple a few moons before our first anniversary, and we hope you'll continue the tradition and pass them on when you both grow old yourselves. Just remember to heed my wife's advice. Guard them well."

"We will. Promise!" Yang eagerly agreed with a big excited smile on his face.

Yin meanwhile, merely nodded her assent.

A quick glance outside, given by Shovel, revealed that the sun had since finished setting. The moon and stars shone down brightly upon the resort. There was still much activity as the many guests of the resort walked and chatted with one another while enjoying the peaceful, nighttime atmosphere. The resort had just as many venues open all night as it did during the day, so nopony was ever left with nothing to do.

"It looks to be getting late. Me and the missus should probably retire for the evening." Shovel stifled a yawn. "And don't worry none about the bill here, we'll take care of it."

There was the necessary shuffling around as the two couples stood up from the table and gathered what belongings they may have brought. Amongst these belongings was a very familiar item which made Yin Blush. "Here you go dearie, I believe this is yours."

Yin quickly retrieved her panties from the elderly mare and tucked them safely away before Yang could make an inevitable grab for them.

After exchanging goodbyes and getting the bill paid, an awkward silence followed as the two couples seemed at a lost on how to properly conclude their evening. But it didn't take long for Yin to lose her usually stoic composure and burst forward to embrace the elders. Only barely did she manage to avoid tears as she once more recalled her own grandfather. Warmth surrounded her as they returned the embrace, and as Yang joined the free-hug train. There was plenty of platonic nuzzling to be shared by all before they broke apart and stepped outside.

It was a warm spring night with a light breeze which carried the scent of fresh grass and fresh flowers. While her husband skipped around like a foal and literally smelled those flowers, Yin turned to the elderly couple with a slight bow. "Thank you for paying for our meal. Would you like us to accompany you back to your room?"

"No, thank you. But it was sweet of you to offer." Shield yawned and turned to her husband, as he casually looked around with surprisingly sharp eyes, probably due to his previous experience as a bounty hunter. She nuzzled him to get his attention and the two set off together.

Yin watched them go 'til they were out of sight. When she looked around afterwards to locate her husband, she suddenly found a bouquet of flowers thrust into her face. It nearly made her sneeze and her eyes watered from the strong scent.

"Beautiful flowers for a beautiful mare." Yang's singsong voice happily rang out.

With closed eyes, the young, pegasus, mare deeply breathed in the aroma... it was simply divine. She opened her eyes and, with the slightest of grins, pulled one of the succulent flowers into her mouth. A content hum escaped her lips as the rich flavour caressed her tongue.

"So does it taste good?" The unicorn asked with knowing smirk.

The soft glare Yin threw at her husband quickly faded as her face gained a wry grin instead. She leaned forward and used a kiss to share the flower between them. Only after pulling back and swallowing her tasty treat, did she answer him. "That's how good it is."

"I see. That is quite good. But certainly not even close to the sweetness of my favorite flower."

"Oh, and what exactly is your favorite flower?" Yin playfully asked, already knowing the answer.

Without missing a beat, as if that had been his cue, Yang swiftly positioned himself behind Yin, and wrapped his forelegs around her. She enjoyed the snug pressure of his embrace against her wings. A bright blush spread across her muzzle as he whispered the expected answer into her ear, followed by many sweet nothings about his favorite flower. This was then followed with light moans as Yang tugged and nibbled on her ear.

Yin enjoyed the affection for awhile before pulling away with a soft giggle. "Well lover-colt, if you want to enjoy that particular flower than we'd better head back to our room for some privacy."

As his beloved left for their room, Yang was at her side. Practically bouncing with impatient anticipation. "Come on Yin, hurry up! Don't you want to race back like last night?"

"Nah. It's a beautiful night. I'd much rather enjoy the scenic route."

And true to her word Yin walked at an easy pace while letting her eyes wander around. Of course she certainly didn't neglect her husband. She gave him plenty of flank bumps, little rubs with her wing, and lots of nips and kisses. There were even a few times that she licked his horn; he gasped and nearly stumbled every single one of those times.

Yang tried to be patient, yet he couldn't help but groan every time his wife took a 'little detour'. And he whined during the entire final stretch, with their room door in full view ahead, as she slowed to a snail's pace.

For Yin, it was an absolutely wonderful stroll.

<--->

With a cacophony of chirping crickets as their companions, Mr. and Mrs. Bearer casually progressed towards their room.

There was an aura of relief shared between them. After countless hours of searching it had seemed that their trip to the resort was going to be a bust. But then everything had changed once they met that lovely younger couple. Truly a blessing. Sure, there was some guilt over what they had done, the danger they had put those two in, but it was for the best.

They could only hope the newlyweds would come to thank them in time.

Shield and Shovel knew time was running out for them. But they didn't realize just how close they had actually cut it, 'til they reached their room, unlocked the door, and entered. For the briefest of moments they begin to relax at the thought of some sleep, when the door suddenly slammed behind them and the lights burst on, seemingly of their own accord.

Immediately alert, they quickly located the source in the neat, well-kept room. A small unicorn with a sneer and a crowbar cutie mark. His voice came out as slick and greasy as his mane. "Good evening. How are you two doing tonight?"

"Fine, just fine." Shovel answered serenely. "May I ask what you're doing in our room?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just looking for something. Perhaps you could help by hoofing over the Tao Amulets."

"Tao Amulets? Never heard of them. Have you, dear?"

Shield took a moment to scratch her chin thoughtfully. After which she shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't recall anything along those lines. Perhaps you could describe them?"

The unicorns sneer drooped into a frown. "Well, that's a damn shame. Maybe my associate could help to... jog your memory."

Taking his cue, the oversized earth pony slunk out of the shadows edging the room, which had somehow managed to obscure his massive form. The only sound he made was when he brought his forehooves together and somehow cracked his nonexistent knuckles...?

Silence briefly returned to the room. During which Shield and Shovel shared a meaningful stare that conveyed more than any mere conversation could've. Without a word they slowly leaned in and shared a deep, passionate kiss.

It was the last thing they ever did together.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Responsibility 2/4

A loud, rough knock bellowed out.

Yang groaned as he pried his eyes open and half-fell out of bed. For the second day in a row he found himself having to answer the door. But this time the knocking was louder, much more frequent, and was starting to give him a headache. Oh, and to make matters worse, he was being awoken even earlier than the previous day. As he stumbled through the, somehow even messier, room he nearly slipped on several loose articles of clothing and several oblong shaped toys. He was wearing nothing on his head this time around.

He survived the trip to the door and flung it open without ceremony. The cool, fresh air that hit his face helped to wake him, and allowed the smell of stale sex to escape the room and embrace the morning breeze. The light didn't blind him, but did make him squint. What woke him up most of all, however, was who was at the door.

Two stallions he didn't recognize. One huge earth pony with his blond mane covering his eyes; brass knuckles for a cutie mark. The other a small unicorn with a slicked, greasy, black mane; a crowbar for a cutie mark. It was as if one had sucked the size from the other.

Yang knew trouble when he saw it.

Yin, meanwhile, had been stretching and waking herself up. She had to make sure her husband didn't thoughtlessly traumatize another mare. However, she immediately took notice of the dangerous looking strangers. Instinctively, she slightly ruffled her feathers along her left wing, the action so subtle that no pony else even noticed. But it allowed her to caress the small, lightweight object she kept hidden there. A special, and sentimental, heirloom from her beloved grandfather. The feel of it sent an icy wave of calmness and security through her veins, keeping her focused.

Then she casually sauntered through the room. Coming to rest against the wall, right between the sliding, glass doors to the balcony and a small saddlebag that she and Yang kept in case they ever needed to make a quick getaway. Her ears twitching as she scanned for any unnoticed danger.

"Hello, I'm Yang. How may I help you two this fine morning?" The unicorn smiled disarmingly while his mind raced.

The smaller unicorn answered with a smile of his own. The kind of smile that could make one queasy. "Yes, I'm Crow Bar, that's two separate words not one. And this is my associate Knuckles. I'll let you guess his first name. We are currently looking for a pair of objects known as the Tao Amulets. Do you happen to know where they are?"

Yin was smart enough to not throw a betraying glance towards the closet, which was thankfully obscured in the shadows. On the closet's doorknob hung two necklaces, the gifts they had received from Mr. and Mrs. Bearer the previous night. They had taken off the necklaces when their sexy time started, but had the presence of mind to not just toss their gifts on the floor.

It didn't take a Canterlot scholar to make the connection.

Yang also betrayed nothing as he answered. "Never heard of them."

"You sure? One bears a design of a dragon, and the other a phoenix." The two goons took a few menacing steps forward into the dim room. Forcing Yang backwards, his heart beating faster than his confident demeanor portrayed. "You want to reconsider your answer?"

Knuckles somehow did his weird knuckle cracking trick.

"You know how I like my eggs?" Yang suddenly spat out the non sequitur with a cocky grin, while his wife quickly shut her eyes at the cue. "Sunny side up!"

An incredibly bright amber light flashed from his horn. Blinding the goons and sending them reeling with shock.

Immediately Yin put on the getaway saddlebag in a fluid, well-practiced motion. She sprang to the closet and used a wing to put on the necklaces. Meanwhile, Yang rushed for the door to the balcony. He unlocked and opened it before galloping out of their room and jumping off the balcony; they were on the third floor. He plummeted for less than a second before his wife wrapped her legs around him, spread out her wings, and glided them to safety.

By the time the goons recovered they found themselves in an empty room. The minicorn growled in annoyance. "Luna damn it!"

<--->

Surrounding about half of the resort's property was a forest covered with hiking trails for the various guests of the resort.

Hidden away in the heart of the forest, a decent distance from any nearby trails, was a small pond. The water was clear as crystal, the air filled with the chorus of a myriad of birds, and even the fish played blissfully. A waterfall burbled gently in the background, complete with the obligatory hidden cove nestled behind it. The only remote sign of ponies was a simple stone bench placed in just the right spot for sunning oneself. The whole area exuded a sense of serenity.

The quiet ambiance was abruptly shattered by the sounds of clopping hooves and flapping wings. Yin and Yang burst onto the scene and collapsed at the water's edge to catch their breathes and drink their fill.

Having thoroughly explored the forest during the first week of their honeymoon, that serene location had already been pre-chosen as their rendezvous spot in case anything happened. Choosing such a destination was a long ago ingrained habit for the couple from back when they'd lived as homeless travelers. It was useful in case they had to split up while fleeing from angry townsponies.

"Well, that was unexpected." Yang said between pants.

Yin absently tossed the saddlebag onto the bench and relished in the feel of a cool breeze against the newly exposed area of her tangerine coat. A small smile formed on her muzzle. "Just like old times, right?"

"Well, less torches and pitchforks, but yeah. What were those bozos even after?"

A deadpan look was shared before Yin rolled her eyes and slapped her husband with a wing to his face.

Yang had to spit out a feather. "Hey! What was that for?"

In response, Yin merely removed the dragon necklace from herself and put it on her husband. Then she cocked a brow at him and tilted her head. There was a moment of confusion before the unicorn's eyes lit with understanding, his cheeks grew crimson, and he smiled sheepishly. As his wife began giggling he rubbed the back of his head and glanced down awkwardly for a moment.

"Oh yeah, the necklaces. I totally knew that." When the pegasus just rolled onto her back and laughed harder, Yang scowled at her. "Fine, be that way! I'll give you a reason to laugh."

Before she could respond, Yin found her husband looming over her as he straddled her and pinned her wings to the ground with his forehooves. The pressure on her wings actually felt kinda nice. But she didn't get the chance to enjoy it before his forehooves transformed into the dreaded tickle twins. She gasped and struggled against the assault for a few precious, seemingly infinite seconds before managing to turn the tide of battle by slipping a wing free and using it against his sensitive tickle zones.

And then Yang cheated when his horn lit up with an amber hue.

They laughed and rolled around like two energetic foals. Only returning to their senses after rolling straight into the pond! But even then their laughter continued after coughing the water out of their lungs, as they deliberately splashed each other while climbing back onto the shore and collapsing to embrace the earth beneath them.

Yin could barely catch her breath before Yang suddenly kissed her belly, eliciting a sharp gasp from her. He didn't stop there however, as he kissed and licked up her body towards her lips. He made stops along the way to nibble on her withers and suckle on her neck. When finally their lips met and their limbs wrapped around one another, their bodies were left tightly clinging to each other. Yin invited her tongue into his mouth and they just made out for awhile.

As they did so, their hearts grew in sync and began to beat as one. It was then that there was a spark and the two amulets around their necks clinked together, as if suddenly magnetic. The moment the metal pieces came together they emitted a bright, magical flash.

Yin and Yang were engulfed by the mysterious, magical spell before they even had a chance to realize what was happening.

<--->

The room had been thoroughly searched and no trace of the Tao Amulets had been found. Somehow the room actually seemed neater than before.

Crow Bar groaned in frustration that they'd allowed those lousy newlyweds to slip away. Now it was a waiting game. Or at least it would've been if his horn hadn't suddenly flashed with a sickeningly yellow light. The same yellow as his eyes.

It was a detection spell he'd set up to locate the unique magical signature of the amulets, allowing him to track them. But only during the brief moment when they activated or deactivated. Still, it gave them a lead to continue their search with. A sinister smile adorned his face, it wouldn't be too much longer now before they retrieved the amulets for their boss. "C'mon Knuckles, we have ourselves a couple to catch."

Predictably, Knuckles merely repeated his signature trick.

<--->

Brushing away several strands of pink mane that obscured her vision, Peach Fuzz casually glanced around.

A faux smile was plastered on her face. Her position at the resort demanded she keep a joyful visage at all times. But she wasn't really feeling it at the moment. Sure she could've frowned, there weren't any other ponies with her in the hallway, but it wasn't worth the risk. Especially with how on her case everypony had been lately. As if whatever had happened to the pool was her fault. If only she could get her hooves around the neck of the pony responsible she would... she'd just...!!

Peach paused in her stride as she realized her anger was showing. An annoyed sigh and several deep breathes later, she was happy again. At least on the outside. On the inside she was still seething. So she tried to remind herself that it might not even be anyponies fault. She'd have to wait for the expert from Canterlot to arrive and test the water.

Before Peach could ponder the issue further, a terror-filled scream tore through the hallway.

The shriek made her ears cling to her head and sent a shiver down her spine. Concerned and worried, Peach dashed forward to find the source of the noise. As she attempted to turn a corner she ran right into who she was looking for.

The impact sent both ponies sprawling to the floor, and Peach subsequently found herself trapped in the embrace of a horrified maid who was sobbing and spewing out words frantically at an incomprehensible rate. The maid may have technically been younger than her, but the maid was also a bit bigger than her. It took an eternal minute before Peach managed to pull herself up and comfort the maid to the point that she could actually understand what the maid was saying.

And what she heard made her pale in shocked fear. "In the room there was bl-blood everywhere. Oh sweet Celestia! I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do!! I just don't know-" The maid slipped back into incomprehensible gibberish.

"What room?" Biting her tongue for a moment, Peach fought off her own wave of panic before grabbing the maid and giving her a good, solid shake. When that didn't work, the fuzzy earth mare resorted to using a hearty slap. "What room!?"

The maid whimpered in pain, but seemed to regain herself. "It was in r-room 113."

"Stay here and keep quiet. I'll investigate." Ignoring any protests, Peach surged forward towards the indicated room. She had to verify the claims before overreacting or doing anything rash. But that didn't change the fact that she'd barely even heard her own words over her hammering heartbeat.

It unfortunately didn't take anywhere near as long to reach the room as she'd hoped. The door to room 113 was ajar. But that wasn't the first thing Peach noticed. Oh no, the first thing she noticed was the scent. It smelled similar to sticking ones muzzle into a bag of bits, except tinged with a sweetness that churned her stomach. Peach didn't stop though, even as an icy chill went up her spine. A few more steps and she began to see into the room, which made her eyes widen. There was blood in spots blood should not be. Enough to clearly indicate a severe level of violence had occurred.

Despite every part of her screaming in protest, Peach found herself slowly moving forward, possessed by a horrible, morbid curiosity. Step by step she came closer and closer to her dreaded goal. When finally close enough, a trembling hoof of hers rose to open the door. It was only then she noticed how badly she was shaking. And how badly she wanted to throw up.

Thankfully, before she could actually use her hoof to open it, the door slammed shut with a loud bang! Peach gave a startled jump. Frantically glancing around, she noticed that the door had been shut by the maid from earlier. The maid was terrified and let out a desperate whisper. "Please, don't look."

Peach shook her head as she regained her bearing, as if waking from a trance.

Unfortunately, regaining herself made her realize just how cold and clammy she was. Her heart racing at an unfathomable speed. And a contest was being held between her stomach and head, to see which could spin faster. It didn't help that several curious ponies were sticking their heads from their rooms, with looks of worry and concern.

Realizing how quickly the situation could spiral out of control, Peach forced her breathing to calm down before she could start hyperventilating. Nearly half a decade of being a junior assistant manager had taught her how to handle an emergency situation. Although nothing could've ever truly prepared her for whatever had happened in room 113. So she straightened her stance and feigned confidence like she never had before. One loud throat clearing later and all eyes were on her. "Attention everypony, this has been nothing but a misunderstanding. Please return to your rooms."

The ponies slowly returned to their rooms. The posh and pompous ones grumbling at being distracted by nothing. The smarter ones grumbling about being left out of the loop.

With a mighty glare at any would be dissenters, Peach soon had the hall cleared of any curious ponies. With a sigh she leaned in and whispered to the maid. "Lock this door and put up a 'do not disturb' sign. Then go and... just take a break. However long you need. And don't breath a word of this, understand?"

With a nod, the maid set off to do as she'd been told.

Peach meanwhile, left to find and inform the senior manager of the situation. Then she planned to go straight to the authorities. She didn't make it very far though, before her faux confidence melted away and she nearly collapsed. Waves of horror washed over her in the form of questions. Questions which she wasn't sure if she actually wanted the answers to. Despite how overwhelming it felt she managed to get up on her shaky legs and forced herself to move forward. Away from room 113. A room that would no doubt haunt her nightmares.

Somehow she made it to her destination without throwing up or passing out. Which would've been a terrible combination to experience.

<--->

Eyes flicked open.

They belonged to a dazed and disoriented pony. Looking around, this pony was surprised, and mildly worried, to discover that they were alone. They could've sworn they had been with somepony else. Their confusion was only further enhanced by the fact that their emotions seemed somehow echoed, as if the same emotion was being felt twice at once?

Looking around, they saw that they were still near the serene pond with the singing birds, playful fish, and gurgling waterfall. They even felt the weight of their amulet still around their neck. But where had their spouse gone? What had that mysterious spell from earlier done to them.

Feeling panic welling up inside with that same strange echoing quality, the pony quickly closed their eyes and took several deep, slow breaths. Some fresh water to help quell the panic was decided upon and the pony took a few, surprisingly unsteady, steps towards the clear, beckoning water. Like a sailor drawn to a siren. But before reaching their goal, something unusual was noticed. Their surroundings, from the trees of the forest to the small pond, seemed smaller than they had been before. Shaking off the bizarre observation as nothing more than a side effect of the mysterious spell, the pony continued stumbling towards the pond.

Only to suddenly jump back with a horrified yelp at the reflected sight which revealed itself to them in the pond.

They had simultaneously expected to see two different ponies reflected. But what they saw was neither the unicorn Yang nor the pegasus Yin. Instead the pony's reflection was that of what appeared to be a slender alicorn twice the size of an average pony with a long horn and an impressive wingspan. The most striking feature however were their eyes. The left was a fiery amber, while the right was an icy blue.

"What happened to me?" The pony questioned theirself only slightly taken aback by their peculiar dual-toned voice. "A-And what happened to Yin?"

'I'm right here Yang.' The faux alicorn leapt in surprise at the voice in their head and looked around in confusion, searching for the source. 'To put it simply, I'm inside you.'

They shuffled a bit with a nervous chuckle. "W-What do you mean? Isn't that usually my job?"

The faux alicorn suddenly raised a forehoof and slapped theirself across the face, hard. "Now isn't the time to be immature. Thanks to those amulets we're clearly sharing a body now. Just look at our amulets now."

Somewhat shaken at the feeling of their mouth moving by his wife's volition instead of his own, Yang forced himself to ignore the sensation and did as she had asked. Turning their face back to their reflection, Yang noticed the amulet they were wearing was actually both amulets connected as one without any seeable seam between the two. The chains it hung by were interwoven together and much shorter than before. So short that the amulet could no longer be removed.

'This is weirder than Yin's annual hunting trip.'

"I heard that." Once again the faux alicorn gave a startled jump, causing some of their mane to obscure their vision.

Yin moved the ruby mane, with it's violet highlights, out of the way with a hoof and raised their wings to admire their new form. It reminded her of a forest fire, with such a mane atop their forest green coat. A coat filled with tangerine and yellow swirls. Her favorite part was of course the wings which were akin to burning branches. They were only green along the major veins. The rest of the wings consisted of an ever-deepening shades of tangerine. The feathers however were mainly frost blue, like her eyes had been, and also grew a deeper shade the closer they got to their tips. Like beautiful blue flames.

Yang also took a moment to admire their new form. The earthy brown that had once been his mane now dominated their legs as if they were tree trunks, with the occasional green tone blended in. Their horn however was what most took his attention. It was more than double the length his had been before, and was now only green at the bottom and slowly morphed into a rich amber at the top.

For a few priceless moments they stood awed by the sight. Impressed by the way the hodgepodge of colors on their new form mixed so perfectly, complete with new shades and tones. It was far less garish than it had any right to be. They actually looked like a majestic alicorn. A force of nature itself.

Yin and Yang were both brought back to reality by an uncomfortable pressure around their eyes. This led to the realization that their eyes had been moving in separate directions the entire time they both had been examining their new form. A quick head shake accompanied by rapid blinking soon corrected the problem.

Finally, Yang asked the obvious question. "So, um, what now? Are we just going to be stuck like this forever?"

The faux alicorn wore a worried look on their face, which Yin ignored as she raised a hoof to stroke their chin in thought. "Doubtful. Shovel and Shield had to have known about this. If anything, that's probably why they entrusted the amulets to us. I don't know why they wouldn't just tell us. But no matter! There must be a way to undo this, so let's see if we can figure it out."

"Ok. Maybe I could use my, er... our, magic to-"

"NO! We know nothing about the spell that binds us. Introducing foreign magic could be disastrous. This is clearly some sort of transformation spell. Those are always particularly nasty when messed with by somepony who doesn't know what they're doing."

"Oh, uh, right. Of course! I totally knew that."

The peaceful sounds of wildlife frolicking in the nearby vicinity were silenced by the sudden loud smacking of a hoof meeting with a forehead. "Please don't tell me that the pegasus was the one paying more attention in the requisite magic classes. Or did you just attend a really bad school?"

The faux alicorn blushed and let out a bit of nervous laughter. "I just, you know, have always been more interested in athletics." Their voice trailed off at the end as the faux alicorn suddenly found the amulet around their neck to be immensely fascinating.

A giggle escaped their lips as Yin noticed, in their reflection, just how adorable their blush was.

The examination of the amulet unfortunately didn't lead to any results. The two amulets had, as far as either Yin or Yang could tell, completely fused into one. One amulet that could be neither separated nor removed.

Still, despite this set back, the husband and wife continued fiddling with the amulet around their neck for the better part of an hour. A process which was repeatedly hindered by their bickering and struggles for control whenever a new idea occurred to one of them. All it led to however was them once more plunging into the peaceful pond. It was far less enjoyable the second time around.

Their pondering was only interrupted by the growling of their stomach, which reminded them of their lack of any sort of breakfast for the day. Thankfully their getaway saddlebag included snacks, mostly trail mix. So as they began exploring their new tastebuds, they also explored their new telepathy.

'But if we're seen like this, there's no telling how everypony would react!'

'Surprise, confusion, and perhaps a bit of fearful respect.' Yin shrugged their shoulders. She had answered absently as she enjoyed the enlightening discovery of why her husband so loved the abomination known only as raisins. Her focus returned to the present conversation. 'But it's better than being stuck like this. They have to know the solution. How could they not after owning the amulets for so many years? Especially after how easily we stumbled upon this?'

'Well yeah, probably. But what if they really don't-'

Yang's thought was interrupted by a sudden, offensive blast of magic, which hit them in the side and sent them sprawling across the ground. As they skidded to a stop their trail mix and getaway saddlebag were also sent flying, the contents of both scattered to the winds.

The world was still spinning even after their body stopped. Yin tried to get them up as fast as possible, but Yang just wanted to put their forehooves to their head for a moment 'til the spinning stopped. Unfortunately this conflict of interests lead to them only getting halfway up before falling again and landing on their jaw with a painful moan. The sound of a deep belly laugh brought them back to focus as the newlyweds looked up and caught sight of the two thugs they hadn't wanted to ever see again.

Crow Bar eventually stopped laughing long enough to give them a look of mock pity, which only made him chuckle a bit more. "Well, it looks like you two are having a jolly good time. Care to finally hoof over the Tao Amulets?"

"Sorry." Yang replied as they managed to right theirself. "But I'm afraid we're a bit attached to them at the moment."

"A shame really... Knuckles, could you do me a solid?"

Before the sound of cracking knuckles could even finish ringing out into the air, the massive earth pony flung himself at the faux alicorn. His rapid speed easily as impressive as his great bulk. Fortunately both Yin and Yang had the sense to quickly dodge out of the way, unfortunately their attempts were in separate directions. And thus they went nowhere. Until hoof met flesh in the form of an uppercut and the faux alicorn was sent flying towards the heavens, for the split second it took before a pair of hooves met their barrel in the form a powerful buck. In the span of half a second their trajectory was radically and painfully changed.

Yin and Yang had no chance to recover as their combined form very briefly careened through the forest. An ear-splitting crack rung out as their back met a tree. Their spine would've certainly shattered from the force, had Yin's natural pegasus resillence not been so greatly enhanced by their transformation. Although it did still hurt like Tartarus. While her husband was stunned by vertigo, Yin was used to it and quickly sprung them out of the way by pure instinct.

Her quick reflexes saved them a split second before a hoof split the tree in two!

The severed top of the tree crashed down upon the earth pony's head. But Knuckles didn't even flinch. Instead he merely reached up, grabbed the trunk, and swung it as if it were a giant bat. With a mighty thwack the faux alicorn was sent flying once more.

"Homerun!" The minicorn cheered jubilantly, at least 'til their quarry disappeared out of sight. "Damn it. Go find them!"

Meanwhile, the feel of air streaming past their body caused the faux alicorn to instinctively spread out their wings. Yin quickly took control in an attempt to stabilize their flight. Their new form had a completely different wingspan and weight distribution which she probably could've accounted for at least enough for a softer landing, if it hadn't been for her husband.

Yang had never had wings before and this was his first real moment truly experiencing the bizarre sensation of wind rushing through feathers. As such he couldn't even fully grasp what he was feeling. Without even realizing it he began fidgeting the wings and, more dangerously, twitching individual feathers. This wouldn't have been a problem had they been on the ground. So, considering their current situation, it was only natural for them to go plummeting like a spiraling rock before the ground welcomed them.

The ground did not give them a friendly welcome.

The faux alicorn spent several moments laying in the small crater their impact had created, while trying to catch their breath. Finally the fused creature lot of a low moan, but it wasn't out of pain. They felt every ache and pain their body had sustained. And it felt good.

Shivers rippled through them as Yin finally came to truly understand why her husband enjoyed pain so much. Sure it hurt. But somehow that just made it even better. However, she rapidly shook their head to clear away the distracted thoughts, and turned her focus to escaping before their pursuers found them again. After shaking away the slight stiffness that had begun accumulating in their wings, she gave them a mighty flap and nearly screamed at the dangerous rate of acceleration.

And so they fled; with all the grace of a drunk bumblebee.

<--->

Her heart threatened to explode, her lungs indulged in greed, and her sweat glands forgot their union-sanctioned break.

The mare these bodily functions belonged to was scared. Scared of the guards flanking her, of the situation she currently found herself in, and of the remote possibility that her heart might actually deliver on its threat.

But mostly Peach Fuzz was scared of losing control of her stomach or bladder and embarrassing herself in front of the guards. As junior assistant manager she had a reputation to uphold. Both personally to herself, and professionally on behalf of the resort. Her eyes shot around. Peach tried to find something, anything, to take her mind off the massive stress she was under.

The two guards, with their glare-inducing armor, were of no help in the matter as she lead them to her, or rather the maid's, gruesome discovery. If anything they unnerved her even more. Less so for their weapons, and more so for the fact that their enchanted armor made them look identical. She wouldn't have even known that one was a mare and the other a stallion if it hadn't been for their scents. Their rather pungent scents, thanks to the heavy, sweat-inducing armor.

Beyond the two guards, the only other pony with them was a lanky pegasus who had been introduced to her as a forensic photographer. She hadn't even known such a job existed before that day. And she honestly wished she still hadn't known. Peach couldn't help but feel sorry for him, despite his unexpectedly cheerful demeanor. He was kinda cute though and if they'd met under better conditions she probably would've tried flirting with him. But now, thanks to her brush with his workplace, Peach really didn't want to have to ever see him again.

It was starting to get harder and harder to avoid hyperventilating as her eyes continued their frantic searching for something distracting. But their was nothing else to see beyond the familiar resort all around her. And nothing else to hear expect their hooves gently clopping on the floor.

Just as it seemed as if the unbearableness of it all was going to completely overwhelm her, a loud crashing sound echoed through the hall.

It would've been a welcome distraction if it hadn't made her scream like a little filly. A scream which she quickly stopped with her hoofs. Hoofs which then proceeded to cover her face as it burned crimson. Her ears also grew hot and clung desperately to her head.

Yet another unwanted sound escaped her lips, this time a sharp yelp, as she felt something soft wrap around her in a comforting matter. Looking up, she found the source to be the forensic photographer's wing. As much as wanted to accept the comfort and let out her restrained tears, instead she gently pushed him away and gave her head a firm shake. She was still on duty and had a job to do. Without further ado she calmed herself with a deep breath before galloping after the guards, who had already went to investigate the disturbance.

The sudden sound of wingbeats was the only indication that the lanky pegasus was following.

The disturbance had come from near one of the resort's pools. More specifically, the same pool which had been closed off to the guests due to a mysterious outbreak of itchiness that it had caused. What Peach found when she got there was genuinely the last thing she expected.

An alicorn. A motherbucking alicorn!

Peach suddenly found herself questioning the validity of her reality out of shock. Was that day of her life really actually happening at that moment? It seemed so unlikely, yet the evidence was right in front of her. And it wasn't even one of the princesses. That at least would've been somewhat understandable, if one of the princesses had somehow already heard about what had transpired in room 113. But nope! It was just some random, androgynous alicorn.

The alicorn had apparently crashed into the pool area, sending many of the chairs and umbrella-tables flying off in various directions. The guards meanwhile did nothing about the situation as their usual stoic facade had been shattered. They just stared in shock at the alicorn, who stared back with an echoed expression. The only sound to break the shocked standoff was a camera's clicks as the opportunistic forensic photographer took some sweet pics to sell to the papers.

The mutual shock probably would've lasted longer if all tartarus hadn't suddenly broken out.

It broke out in the form of an arrival. An arrival of two ponies; one a small unicorn who would've looked adorable if he weren't so obviously sleazy, and a massively intimidating earth pony. Peach wouldn't have even noticed them if the little one hadn't loudly cleared his throat.

Once he had everypony's attention, he spoke up, literally, considering his size. "Oh, we have an audience. No problem. Our mission is far too important to stop now."

And then it all happened so fast. The minicorn shot a blast of concentrated magic at the guards in a flash of yellow. One of the guard was harshly thrown back and lost consciousness as his head hit a concrete pillar, hard. Only his magically strengthened helmet kept his head in one piece. The other guard was immediately snapped out of her stupor as she made a beeline towards the olive green unicorn. Only to be intercepted by the giant, silver earth pony, who easily swatted her away like a rag doll. So much force was behind the strike that she quickly flew out of sight.

The harsh events quickly returned Peach to her senses as she realized she had to do something before things got too out of hoof. She was still the junior assistant manager after all. Trying in vain to keep the shaking out of her voice, she called out. "Hey! Y-You can't do that. Stop right-"

Somehow the earth pony was capable of nigh impossible speed. A fact Peach discovered only a fraction on a second before the hoof collided with her stomach. Her world became pain as she flew a short distance before skidding upon the concrete ground of the pool area. Her trip only stopping once she hit one of the pillars. She barely had time to even curl up in the fetal position before colossal hindlegs struck the pillar right above her, shattering it and sending a stone balcony, that hung above the pool area, plummeting towards her.

"NO!!" An uncanny, dual-toned voice screamed.

Peach however ignored the voice and closed her eyes tight as she awaited the inevitable stony embrace. But instead she felt a different kind of embrace as gentle, yet firm, forelegs wrapped around. Then there was the feeling of great speed and air rushing over her, before her world became warmth.

"Are you okay?" The strange, yet compassionate, dual-toned voice asked.

With a whimper, Peach opened her eyes and found herself staring into the heterochromic eyes of the alicorn. The icy blue eye helped calm her, while the fiery amber eye filled her with the warmth of safety. She found herself transfixed.

"Are you okay?" The alicorn repeated with concern. "Nothing's broken, right?"

Brought back to awareness, Peach realized the great warmth she felt was from the alicorn's wings wrapped securely around her. Her nostrils were pleasantly overwhelmed with the larger pony's scent. The smell was akin to a forest burning in the winter. It was strong and musky like a stallion with a whiff of an ashy quality, but not unpleasantly so, and yet the scent was also sweet like a mare with a whiff of a minty frost. Peach nuzzled into the alicorn's chest and breathed the scent in deeply, letting it wash over her. As she did, the larger creature's heartbeat felt like a soothing lullaby.

Suddenly realizing what she was doing, only after the alicorn cleared their throat, she winced back in embarrassment. Peach's face a bright crimson, and her heart racing. "S-Sorry!! I just wanted to-to thank you for saving me. So, um... t-thank you. Oh, and I'm fine by the way!"

"We're glad to hear that." The alicorn spoke kindly, the two tones flowing together like honey, and shared a smile that made the young mare's heart rate nearly unbearable. "Now you'd better go before those brutes find us."

Peach couldn't stop the slight disappointed whinny that escaped her muzzle as the alicorn released her from their embrace. "B-But..."

"Yeah! We wouldn't want anything to happen to our favorite little Peach Fuzz." The alicorn suddenly added with a cocky smirk, before darting forward and giving her a quick peck on the lips.

Now poor Peach was as flustered as she was confused. So many questions buzzed through her mind like an agitated beehive. Who was this alicorn? How did they know her name? And why had they kissed her only to immediately slap theirself across the face hard enough to leave a mark? Before she could even begin to process those and the other dozens of questions that barraged her mind, she heard the sound of wings ruffling, which led to a startling realization.

The alicorn was leaving!

"WAIT!!" Peach shouted with surprising force and froze when the alicorn returned their gaze to hers. Her mind racing to figure out the right thing to say. "W-Who are you? And how do you know me?"

For a moment there was silence as the alicorn tilted their head and rubbed their chin in thought. The moment began to stretch into an uncomfortable length when the alicorn threw a quick look at the cutie mark emblazoned upon their flanks. Then the moment had to go and turn embarrassing for Peach as the alicorn used the hoof that had previous been rubbing their chin to adjust her name tag. The same name tag Peach had obviously been wearing the whole time! Finally the moment thankfully came to an end when the alicorn gave a satisfied nod and answered the question with a smile.

"Call us Taijitu." And with that Taijitu gave a mighty flap of their wings, sending Peach to her haunches with the frigid force, as the alicorn sped off back from whence they came.

The fuzzy earth pony just sat there watching their departure, even long after they'd disappeared from sight.

Her mind was abuzz, her lips were tingling, and her heart was racing. The recent events flashing through her head in a seemingly endless loop. The shock of seeing an unfamiliar alicorn. The terrifying excitement of her sudden, dramatic rescue. Including the following warmth of the alicorn's embrace, including the strong, soothing heartbeat. Peach wrapped her forelegs around herself in a tight hug as she shivered at the memory of the alicorn's intoxicating scent and beautiful, melodic even, dual-toned voice. Finally she grew exceptionally warm as she recalled the firm, yet gentle, kiss. A mere split second of her life which had felt like an eternity in paradise.

Peach's mind melted into fantasy as she let out an infatuated sigh. All before she dreamily whispered a special promise to herself. "No matter the difficulty and no matter the obstacles... one day I'm going to marry that pony."

<--->

Taijitu wobbled unsteadily through the air as they headed off towards their destination. Mr. and Mrs. Bearer's room. They desperately needed the guidance of those two elders. With some help the newlyweds could hopefully learn to control the Tao Amulets, figure out who exactly it was that wanted the amulets, and for what purpose.

Thankfully, they made it to the room without interruption and quickly knocked on the door. Their knocking soon grew frantic when their was no answer.

'I don't think they're here Yin.'

"Then why leave a 'do not disturb' sign on the door?" Taijitu questioned under their breath. Yin however gave it little more thought as she shook their head to clear the question away. "Doesn't matter. There might be something in their room that can help us."

Without hesitation, Yin plucked one of their smaller feathers. An act which greatly surprised Yang, not by the action itself but by the strange new stinging sensation of having one's feather plucked. He kinda liked it. Yin meanwhile chose to ignore her husband's perverse pleasure as she attempted to pick the lock with the feather. Their hooves were larger than what she was used to, but she managed to compensate just fine and skillfully performed her duty.

Hardly a moment later and the door came unlocked with a simple click.

The door was quickly flung open. Only for the faux alicorn to freeze at the grotesque sight which greeted their eyes. The room was a bloody mess. Literally!

Yang wanted to throw up at the sight, but Yin kept their stomach strong with a steely resolve as she calmly walked them into the room. Much to her husband's dismay. Although he felt too numb from shock to actually try and stop her.

'Yin, what are you doing!? I don't want to be here!'

Yin however, didn't answer as they went right up the bed. Upon which laid what was left of the elderly couple. With a hoof, which she couldn't quite keep from shaking, Yin gently closed their eyes. Then they turned around and just as calmly strode towards the exit. There was no point in searching the room for clues. The messy nature clearly indicated that it'd already been thoroughly searched by the killers. Anything useful had no doubt already been taken.

Once back outside, as the door closed with a gentle click behind them, Taijitu raised their head to the heavens. Their eyes narrowed as tears streamed from them and down their cheeks. Yet their voice held a quiet, icy calm as Yin gave her ultimatum.

"Grandpa, I'll make them pay for this. I promise."

TO BE CONTINUED...

Author's Note

Part 3 of 'Responsibility' coming Jan, 2018.

Constructive feedback and criticism is both welcomed and encouraged in the comments below. Thanks! Also, feel free to PM me for details if you're interested in commissioning me to write your story.