Mechanic Hearts And Postage Stamps

Chapters

Chapter 1, Or Something...
Chapter 2, Ordering Stuff A Quality Time
Chapter 3, Mail Call!
Chapter 4, First Date
Chapter 5, Chez Jour
Chapter 6, Movie Date And Snuggles
Chapter 7, Picnic Disaster
Chapter 8, Settling In
Chapter 9, Disagreements
Chaptr 10, Bandits!
Chapter 11, Hearts And Hooves Day Special
Chapter 12, Hey Grandma, Meet My Coltfriend!
Chapter 13, Pain
Chapter 14, I Do
Chapter 15, Preparations And Problems
Chapter 16, Uh Oh...
Chapter 17, The Big Day
Chaper 19, Coming Home
Chapter 20, The End...?
Chapter 18, The Reception

Chapter 1, Or Something...

Ebony Runwick was a tan pegasus with red mane and tail, crimson tipped wings and a temper. She may be a richer pony, actually one of the richest in all of Equestria...but she was fiery and half changeling, which didn’t help her temper.

“CIRCUIT!!!” She yelled, banging on the shed door that led to her friend’s underground laboratory/home.

“Get your ugly mug out here! You need to come out and eat for Luna’s sake!” The stallion otherwise known as Circuit didn’t reply, his entire concentration focused on contraption in front of him. Circuit, full name Circuit Heart, was a dirty white colored stallion with a dark gray mane and green eyes. He was biologically an earth pony, but he had homemade wings attached to his back. Currently he was trying to create a mechanical horn in order to use magic, but so far everything had blown up in his face. Literally. He really didn’t know why Ebony, who was one of his best friends despite the fact that he’d never admit it, was freaking out on him. Sure, he hadn’t eaten in two days, but that was normal for him.

The hybrid inhaled calmly before exhaling and, with a martial art move, broke down the door and walked into the small area that housed the steps down into the laboratory.

“Oh Circuit~! Ebony is here for a visit!” She crooned with honey dripping from her voice and a smile plastered on her elegant features. “Don’t worry, I’ll pay for the door~!” Circuit let out a slightly horrified, yet a totally very manly screech; jerking his head away from his work before he could ruin all his hard work.

“For Luna’s sake woman, can’t you see I’m working!? Food is not important at the moment!” The pegasus gave him a look, one of her signature looks that practically screamed, ‘Are you freaking kidding me?’

“Yeah, no, I’m not buying that bullspit and you know it Circuit. C'mon, we’re going outside for some food. Right now, hayburgers, you and me.” She grabbed him by the tail and began dragging him across the floor and to the stairs. “Do I have to drag you up the stairs, or are you going to walk?” The mare asked with a chuckle. The stallion let out a long suffering sigh, letting his head drop to the floor with a hollow thunk. He let her drag him across the floor for a bit before lifting his head.

“Fine, I’ll walk.” He grumbled as he got to his hooves, yanking his tail from her grasp. “But, I’m only agreeing to this if I can order some spare parts while we’re out as well.”

Ebony shrugged. “Fine by me, now come on. You need food, you look like you’re going to collapse right about now. Or do you need water for that..?” The mare snorted slightly in annoyance.

“Ugh, pony needs are so confusing. I don’t think I’ll ever understand that half of me fully.” Circuit turned to narrow his eyes at her, giving her a, ‘do you really think I give a crap?’ look. The mare narrowed her ever changing green eyes.

“Shush, you have no choice in this anymore.” With a curt nod she walked up the stairs and out through the hole in the shed they used to be a door. She turned towards a the small food joint known as the Hay Burger. The dirty white coated pony just rolled his eyes, falling silent as he followed after her. He knew better than to argue with her logic. After walking in silence for a few moments he finally broke it.

“So exactly how long are you forcing me to hang out with you?”

“Until I know that you’re not dehydrated and starving to death. I swear, if I have any doubts, I will take you to my infirmary and strap you to a hospital bed.” She looked back at him, giving him a look that told him she wasn’t kidding. They reached the Hay Burger, a smaller joint with good food and grease to behold.

As they walked in, families and kids, as well as teens and adults alike all sat at tables eating the fan fair with gusto. Ebony walked straight up to the cashier and looked at the teenage pony manning the register.

“Let’s see, four hay burgers no tomato, six hay fries, two drinks and…” The mare then turned to her friend. “What do you want again?” Circuit sighed and shook his head, his messy gray mane swaying with the movement.

“I swear...I’ll never understand how you can eat so much and remain so thin.” He sighed again, scanning the menu. “I’ll just have a salad, no tomato or onion.” He narrowed his eyes slightly at the mare. “And don’t you dare try to tack anything else on there. Despite what you say, I am NOT too skinny and I DON’T need to eat more.”

“Oh shush, you know you’re just gonna steal some of my hay fries when you think I’m not looking. Besides, I don’t have the regular metabolism of other ponies remember? And yes, you do need to eat more in my book. But, I guess I’ll have to resign myself to just this much.” She put a hoof up to her forehead in a feigned dramatic sigh before handing the cashier a hooful of bits.

“I-I would never!” He huffed, a light blush spreading across his face. “You don’t know what you’re talking about…” The earth pony muttered the words as he grabbed his salad, not waiting for Ebony’s food to come out as he went to go find a table. He stabbed his fork into his meal, muttering grumpily to himself as he chewed the leafy vegetables.

Ebony chuckled to herself as she grabbed her tray of food. She almost slipped up and levitated it with magic to the table but caught herself. How could a pegasus levitate something with magic? Remember the bit about her being half changeling? Yeah, that stuff screwed around with genetics and she can use magic. Stuff happened over the years and experiments boosted that. Though if she slipped up in public her cover would be blown clean through.

The mare sat down and unwrapped her first hayburger, taking a bit out of it. But not before moving a bushel of hay fries in Circuit’s direction. The stallion ignored the hay fries for the time being, not wanting to admit that Ebony was right and he did in fact try and steal hers when she wasn’t looking. Instead, he munched on his salad, picking out all the little extra bits and eating those separate from the rest of the salad.

“So….How is life?” He muttered, his lack of social skills and inability to make small talk showing through. The mare laughed at his sad remark of trying to spark a conversation, but she complied with one of her dearest friends.

“It’s been alright, same as the rest of my thousand years of existence. What do you think anyway? How have your experiments been doing? If I remember correctly you’re trying to create a horn for yourself with the equipment in your lab?” The pegasus smiled and took another bite, finishing the first burger with a ladylike pat of her napkin to her lips.

“Yep. So far...No breakthroughs yet. But I’m getting there! I just need a few extra parts I don’t have.” He spoke between bites, grimacing slightly as remembered all of his failed attempts so far. He was pretty sure he’d never get all the soot out of his lungs. “I know I’m close to a breakthrough though! I can feel it! Something big is going to happen soon, I just know it!” His voice grew slightly more animated as he spoke of his newest experiment, his green eyes sparkling. He loved talking about his various contraptions, it was his passion after all.

The pegasus grinned at this, looking at her food before clearing her throat. “Well I’m glad, I know how much your experiments mean to you. After all, losing your foreleg to an accident didn’t even hinder you. That’s an impressive replacement I might add.” She nodded to his metal arm that the stallion had made himself.

“Tch, of course it wouldn’t.” He scoffed, acting as though she’d just said the most ridiculous thing in the world. “The metal one is an improvement anyways. That old leg was just slowing me down.” He flexed said appendage, the metal hinges squeaking slightly in protest. He’d definitely need to oil it again soon. “It’s not perfect yet though, I still haven’t finished making all of the add ons. When I’m done with it, I won’t have to remove everything if I want to change parts. I’ll just be able to change it with a push of a button.”

Her eyebrows raised in interest and she nodded. “Not bad, not bad at all. Once you have made a horn, there will be nothing to stop you will there Mr. Mad Scientist.” She let out a small laugh at that little jab, but it was all in good fun. Ebony had known this stallion for most of his life anyways, he was a good friend, even if he didn’t always show it.

“I’m not a mad scientist! Yet…” A small little smile flitted across his face before he quickly squashed it down with his trademark grumpy look. Couldn’t be showing too much emotion now, he had to keep up appearances after all. “Don’t forget, we’re going to the hardware store after this. I have some specialty parts I still need to order if I want this horn thing to work.”

“Alright alright, I needed to get some stuff anyway. You remember Chichina right? My adoptive sister? Ever since she’s gotten into astronomy and rocket science she’s been wanting to build a rocket to the moon.” She shook her head with a kind smile. “Teenagers these days, always the dreamers.”

“The moon eh?” Circuit Heart chuckled softly, though he quickly masked it with a cough. “I’ll have to remember that. I have some experiments I’ve been meaning to run in a low gravity environment. You’ll have to let me know if she manages to get there.” He quickly shoveled the rest of his salad into his mouth, pushing the now empty dish away. “C’mon you, I wanna get going before the store closes.”

Ebony finished her food, which was an impressive feat considering her size and rose to her hooves. “Well, what are we waiting for?”

Author's Note

Well, here's a new story! Hope you enjoy, if you did, comments are always welcome and thanks for reading!

Chapter 2, Ordering Stuff A Quality Time

The mare briskly trotted towards Gizmo’s Hardware store with her friend in tow. “Come on, you’re the one who wanted to go! Stop trudging behind you ol grump!” She chuckled, looking back at her companion.

“I’m not old!” The stallion protested as he trotted after her, his hoofsteps sluggish. “For your information, I haven’t slept in two days! So shut it!” The words had a slight bite to them, but he knew Ebony knew him well enough not to be hurt by it. He always got like this when he was tired. It didn’t stop him from staying up as long as he could so he could get his experiments done though.

As predicted, the mare didn’t even flinch as they neared the automatic doors which opened without a word. Inside were all sorts of tools, materials, and other goods anypony would need for all kinds of jobs. “Well, here we are! Now, what materials do you need again? Hopefully nothing dangerous this time around…” Ebony eyed him carefully, looking at his prosthetic leg.

“Don’t give me that look.” He shot a tired glare at the mare, huffing as he slipped past her. “It was one time Ebony, and that’s because I stayed awake for two whole weeks straight and could barely see and hear straight, let alone be aware of the table saw right next to my leg. Besides, it’d be an improvement anyways. Robot legs are much better.” He spoke as he walked, perking up slightly as he scanned the aisles for the materials he’d need.

She shook her head. “Aaaand this is why I’ve been trying to get you to eat and sleep more often. Because this stuff happens when I don’t.” Shaking her head again she walked behind him, grabbing some things she needed herself along the way and adding them to the cart. “Super super glue, new toolbox, drywall screws… Where the hell are the rotor blades?!” The pegasus huffed in anger.

Circuit snorted softly, trotting off as he left her to find her things. He grabbed his own cart before wandering about the aisles, grabbing the things he needed. He also tossed in whatever things he might need, and whatever just looked interesting. He hesitated a bit before snatching up a new saw blade, shoving it in the bottom of his cart in hopes that Ebony wouldn’t see it. This wasn’t the first time he’d tried to buy a new one, the old one was covered in blood now after all, and with his luck it, probably wouldn’t be the last.

She finally found all of the things she would need for her sister as well as some other things just to be safe all while staying under her budget. As if she needed one but still, nice to be careful and all that. With the last of her work done and everything checked out the mare began to walk over and look for her companion. Ebony found him in the blade section, shoving said saw blade into the bottom of the cart. “Hmm, looks like someone’s trying to be sneaky~!”

“Oh come on Ebony!” He whined, sounding more like a young foal rather than a twenty something year old stallion. “I need a new saw blade! You can’t keep me from getting a new one forever! Would you rather a use the old rusty one that cut off my arm, or a brand new safe one that won’t cut off any of my appendages?” She sighed and rubbed her temples with her hooves before replying in a tone that reminded the stallion of a mother.

“Don’t make me regret this, be good, be safe, if you get hurt I swear I will fill you with so much laughing gas that you’ll be loopy for weeks.” And on that note, she threw in a pair of safety goggles, heavy duty edition. Circuit just rolled his eyes, letting out a soft snort.

“Yes mother...I’ll be careful. I’ve already realized that trying to stay up for two weeks straight is a bad idea, you don’t have to remind me. Now c’mon. I need to talk to the owner about ordering some specialty parts.” The mare rolled her eyes but smiled all the same.

“Yeah yeah, hurry up. I know how you get when you want your experiments to work so just get on with it, I can wait.” She shook her head to clear it before picking up a magazine from the register area and flipping through it. The stallion simply huffed and trotted off to go speak with the owner, blathering on about various machine parts and what not until he finally got shooed off so the manager would tend to more customers.

“All right, the parts are all ordered. Let’s finish paying for this stuff and then we can go.”

The pegasus looked up from the magazine and put it down before walking over. “Yeah alright, let’s get going, I have an idea…” Ebony’s face turned into one of a maniacal, mad science look that only occurs when the mare has a devious plan that usually involved frilly things and dresses.

“No...No no no no!” His eyes got wide as he frantically pushed his cart over to pay for his things. “You’re not putting in one of those...Those torture machines again! I’m paying for my things and then I’m going home and there’s nothing you can say about it.” As he finished paying, the mare crept up behind him, grabbed him by the tail, and promptly began dragging him in the direction of a small beauty parlor that sold dresses of all kinds.

“Help! I’m being kidnapped! This mare is crazy! She’s gonna murder me!” Despite his frantic shouts it didn’t bring him any help. All it got him were a bunch of strange, and sometimes amused, looks. “You’ll pay for this Ebony! I swear it!”

“Again with the payback? You know I’m going to get my way you dork. I always do~!” She giggled despite having his tail between her teeth. As the door to the store opened, she dragged her friend inside and promptly shut the door. A tan unicorn with pale purple mane and tail as well as a sewing needle and thread cutie mark blinked from behind the desk.

“Um… Hello there…” Ebony waved before motioning to her friend.

“Little bit of a fashion emergency, don’t mind us.” With that, the mare promptly set down a few bits on the counter, making the owner go quiet.

“Help yourselves please.” She said before walking into a back room.

“This is cruel and unusual punishment! You can’t do this to me!” The gray coated stallion continued to flail his arms and whine, dragging his hooves across the ground as he attempted to get a grip. He clung to the doorway to the back room, gripping it as firmly as he could.

“Quit your whining, your gonna look great! Maybe we can find a nice stallion for you ey?” She winked back at her friend before giggling to herself at that. The owner left them to their own devices as Ebony quickly began to ruffle through the shelves of neatly hung dresses.

“You, sit, good grumpy stallion.” The mare pointed to a raised platform surrounded by mirrors. Said grumpy stallion did as he was told, though the look on his face made it clear he wasn’t happy about it whatsoever.

“I’ve told you before Ebony, work is the only stallion I need. And we’re in a happy, monogamous, marriage.” He pouted as he spoke, crossing his arms in front of him. The mare looked back at him and raised an eyebrow before looking back through a particularly frilly section of the dresswear.

“Sureeee, and my name is Shirley Temple!” Ebony let out a snort and picked out a dark purple one with silver ruffles on the bottom and long billowing sleeves.

“No.” Circuit said immediately, barely giving the dress a once over. “You know I hate things with billowing sleeves, they get in the way of everything. If you’re going to make me do this, then at least pick something more my style.” She huffed in annoyance before replacing the dress in favor of a black one that was sleek and the arms came down to the elbow. It was a bit slinkier, and made of soft fabric that was stretchy.

“Alright, how about this one Mr. Picky?” Ebony asked with a sassy head bob to the side.

“No. That one’s too slinky, you know I don’t have the proper figure for that. I’m a stallion, not a mare. It’d look good on a mare like you, not a stallion such as myself.” He let out a soft scoff, rolling his eyes. The mare facehoofed a facehoof that was so perfect, it would go down in history as the best facehoof ever. She let out a small sigh before returning the dress back to its spot. Digging through the shelf, Ebony finally found one that she liked, it was deep green with a few ruffles on the bottom, high sleeves, and silver linings on the bodice. Circuit carefully scanned over the dress, sighing as he realized he couldn’t find any faults with it. Well, aside from the fact that it was a dress, but he knew Ebony wouldn’t care if he protested.

“Fine, I’ll put it on. Now shoo, I’m not dressing in front of you.” He shooed the mare out, remembering the last time he’d attempted to put a dress on. He’d ended up tangling himself in the blasted thing, and it took Ebony along with a few of the ponies in the shop to get him out of it. There was no way he’d let her see him struggle with it again.

The mare squealed with delight before rushing out of the room to find some ribbons and accessories to go with the dress. Score one for Ebony! She thought with glee at getting her stallion friend into a dress yet again. Circuit just let out a fond sigh, certain he’d never understand his friend's strange obsession with putting him in drag. One of the many things he’d never understand about her really. He shook the thoughts out of his head, turning to narrow his eyes at the dress in front of him.

“Guess I have to put you on….Stupid…” He continued to mutter as he pulled the dress on, letting the soft fabric billow around him. “This better be worth it...Crazy mare…”

Author's Note

Hey hey! Enjoy another chapter! Feedback is always welcome! :3

Chapter 3, Mail Call!

It had been a few days since that little dress incident and now there came a knock on Circuit Heart’s door. A white stallion with neon green mane and tail, dressed in a mailmare uniform knocked on the door with one hoof while holding a few packages in the other. There was no response though, as the owner of the house was currently engrossed in his work. Like usually. He heard the knock sure, but he didn’t care enough to respond to it. He figured whoever it was would go away anyways. Unless it was Ebony, but then she’d just break his door down if he didn’t reply, so he’d figured he’d just leave it.

The stallion sighed before looking around, he saw a small button hidden under a few vines, it was a doorbell. He pressed it, the sound vibrating deep underground. Odd… He thought before shrugging.

“Mail call!” He shouted as politely as the stallion could before pressing the doorbell again. Circuit let out a soft grunt as he pulled back from his work, wiping the sweat off his brow with a greasy rag. He smeared grease all over his face, but he’d stopped caring about his appearance a long time ago. He trotted up the creaky stairs, flinging the door open with a huff.

“What do you want you- You’re not the regular mailpony. Who are you?” He raised an eyebrow at the stallion before him, his voice coming out a little harsher and more accusing then he’d meant it to.

The stallion paid no heed to the tone before answering.

“I’m Adhesive Stamp, and your old mailpony quit. Something about not liking your attitude or whatever so here I am! Now are you going to sign for these or what?” He smiled brightly and pulled out a clipboard and a pen.

“That’s a really cool arm you got there, is that some kind of fabric wrap or glove?” Circuit stared at the stallion for a moment, his eyes narrowed slightly. He slowly raised up his other hoof to his metal leg, tugging it out with a clink.

“Neither.” He muttered, pushing it back on before snatching up the pen and signing the clipboard. Adhesive Stamp stared at the other stallion’s leg for a moment, wide eyed before exploding with words.

“Sweet Celestia! Is that real metal? Lemme guess, a two part titanium alloy with custom implemented platinum rivets? Did you make that yourself? That’s so cool!”

“Er...Yeah.” Circuit managed to stutter the words out, surprised the other stallion could recognize it. “I’ll just um…” He quickly finished signing for the packages, only hesitating a moment before scribbling his number down along with the words ‘Call me~’ under it. “Okay thanks bye.” He snatched up the packages, slamming the door in the other stallions face.

Stamp blinked in confusion before looking at the clipboard, specifically the number written on it. He smiled to himself, not a bad day, not a bad day at all.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ebony banged on the door for the fourth time in a row, Circuit just wouldn’t come out today! No matter what she did, the mare didn’t want to break down the door right off the bat but now she was seriously considering it.

“Circuit, it’s been two days!!! Open this door right now!!!” The pegasus yelled in frustration.

“No!” The stallion wailed from the little fortress of pillows and blankets he’d constructed for himself on the couch, burrowing himself further into them so he could wallow in his embarrassment. He couldn’t believe he’d done that. He didn’t even know if that mailstallion was gay for Luna’s sake! “Just go away Ebony! I’m not in the mood!”

She couldn’t take it any longer, with a determined glare and a quick martial arts kick, the door fell in. Broken right off it’s hinges with the sound of splintering wood. She flew down the stairs, literally, bursting in on Circuit and stomping right up in front of his little pillow fort with an angry glare.

“Now what in Luna’s name is the matter with you this time?! To deny one of your best friends when I’m trying to keep you alive for Faust’s sake!”

“I’ve made a terrible mistake!” Circuit whined, sounding more like a small, whiny foal at the moment than a full grown stallion. He hadn’t even flinched at Ebony kicking the door down, that being somewhere around the twentieth door of his she’d broken. Honestly, he was used to it by now. Especially considering it was his fault for never answering his door.

“Luna, what are you talking about? It can’t be that bad- wait… Did you loose another limb?!” She cried in fear.

“I knew I shouldn’t have let you buy a new saw blade!”

“No!” He quickly pushed himself up from his little nest, scattering the blankets everywhere in order to show the mare he still had his limbs intact. “I still have three working limbs! Don’t panic! It’s...It’s something else…” He groaned as he flopped back into his warm nest of blankets. She blinked, then with an eyebrow raised Ebony sat down next to her friend on the couch and reached out to pat him on the back reassuringly.

“What’s bothering you? You know you can talk to me and stuff... Luna know’s I’m not very good at giving advice, but I can listen and tell you what I think.” The stallion just groaned again, huffing as he poked his head out from the mass of blankets.

“I think I’m dying Ebony.” The hybrid blinked before letting out a guffaw of laughter and slapping her hooves against the concrete below her feet.

“You’ve got to be joking!” After wiping her eyes she sighed before continuing. “Okay okay, if you do think you’re dying, what are your symptoms?” She asked, wiping a lab coat, glasses and a clipboard with a pencil from seemingly nowhere, probably magic.

“Well…” He pulled himself out of the blankets, laying ontop of them with his head resting against the arm of the couch. “So um...I may have made the terrible mistake of giving a stallion my phone number and now I just...Gah! I can’t stop thinking about it! About him mostly…”

She nodded and wrote something down before looking up and setting the clipboard down. “Circuit, I believe I have a diagnosis.” Ebony said in a flat, professional tone.

“Yeah..?” The gray ‘pegasus’ swallowed nervously, raising an eyebrow at her. “What is it? How long do I have to live doc?” In a dramatic motion, she grabbed her glasses, looked up and said. “It seems you have…” The pegasus pulled off her glasses with a flourish. “..A crush! That’s my diagnosis, have a nice day.” With that, the mare pulled out a lollipop from thin air and popped it into her companion’s mouth. Circuit sputtered as he yanked the lollipop from his mouth.

“Excuse me? I have a what? I don’t do crushes Ebony, I told you I’m happily married to my work.” She gave him a half lidded stare and a raised eyebrow that practically screamed ‘Are you kidding me?’

“Yeah no, I know a crush when I see it, and nobody escapes the clutches of love. Honestly, if you want me to, I’ll send a letter to the Princess of Love herself!” The mare raised a hoof in defiance as if to prove her point. The stallion just rolled his eyes at the mare’s over dramatics.

“Crush or not , it doesn’t matter. He never called, so he’s obviously not interested.” Of course, right as he said that, his phone began to ring, an unknown number popping up when he checked who was calling him. “Oh Luna Ebony what do I do? What if it’s him!?” She let out a loud laugh before picking the phone up off of the ringer and putting it up to Circuit’s ear before whispering.

“You’ll never know until you try~!”

“What!?” He accidentally shrieked into the phone before slapping a hoof over his mouth. He used his free one to frantically try and push the phone back towards Ebony. The stallion on the other end of the phone pulled it away from his ear a moment, raising an eyebrow at the rather harsh greeting.

“Er...Hello to you too..?” The mailstallion spoke as he pressed the phone to his ear again.

“I apologize for not calling sooner, I’ve had some work that’s been backing up and that had to be taken care of. Is this Circuit Heart? I’ve got the right number right?” The stallion asked over the phone cautiously, as he prayed he’d gotten the right number and this wasn’t a total stranger.

“Yep, yep this is he. Ah...Sorry about that..” Circuit pulled the phone back to himself, shooting looks at Ebony. He tried to glare at her, but his expression came out more slightly panicked instead. Ebony snickered at this before making a ‘go on’ motion with her hoof.

“No problem.” Adhesive Stamp replied from across the line. “Happens to the best of us, so um, hey. The reason I was calling was because I wanted to maybe hang out? You seem like a nice guy and I’d enjoy getting to know you a bit more, i-if you want…” The voice over the phone sounded nervous, it was kind of cute actually.

“Um...Uh…” He quickly slapped one of his gray hooves over the speaker before turning to the mare. “Ebony he wants to hang out with me and get to know me, what do I say!?”

“Well, do you want to go out with this guy?” She asked with a reassuring smile.

“W-well I don’t know...I mean, he’s cute and all but I don’t really know anything about him. What if he’s an ax murder!?” He squeaked with fright. She gave him that stare and a raised eyebrow once more, prompting him to shut up for a moment.

“Just think for a second, you’ll never know until you try. Honestly, if he does turn out to be some serial killer or something, I’ll murder him for ever coming near my best friend.” The hybrid clapped him on the back before removing Circuit’s hoof from the speaker and returning the phone back to her friend’s ear. Circuit let out a little horrified noise before he got himself under control.

“Ah um, sorry about that, I’d er, love to hang out with you. Ah...Where exactly though?” The stallion on the other end cleared his throat before replying.

“Well, there’s a new restaurant that just opened the other day, Chez Jour I believe it’s called. If you’re interested we could go there and then maybe take a walk?” His voice sounded hopeful, like a little colt asking out a filly as school foals.

“Right right, sounds good ah..When?” He held the phone between his shoulder and ear as he quickly grabbed a notepad and pencil so he could write everything down. “And do you want to meet there or go together?”

“Well, I could pick you up and we could go together, and does six work? Tomorrow’s a Friday so, tomorrow night at six?” He asked, hope in his voice as excitement mounted in his heart.

“Sounds good, I’ll ah...See you then!” Slightly excitement bled through his voice, though he did a much better job at covering it, unlike the other stallion. They finished saying their goodbyes before Circuit hung up. As the phone call ended, the hybrid smiled at her companion before looking toward her friend’s wardrobe.

Author's Note

Another one? Well, I love writing this, and I hope people do as well, so yeah.
~'-'~

Chapter 4, First Date

The next morning, Ebony had shown up at Circuit’s laboratory and began the grueling task of getting her compatriot out of bed and ready for his date. The whole time she was squealing and giggling from how ‘adorable’ this whole thing was. After all, it’s not everyday your grump of an introvert gets out on a date. Circuit just tried to grin and bear it as he dug through his rather impressive collection of goggles, trying to pick which ones he should wear. Yes, he had a rather ridiculous collection of goggles considering it was only him living in his rather run down home, but he couldn’t help it. Every time he saw a nice pair he had to buy them.

“Why can’t I just wear my normal stuff Ebony? After all, he never specified this was a date. We could just be going out as friends.” The mare let out a loud guffaw of laughter, her crimson mane bouncing as her body was wracked with laughter.

“Yeah right Circuit, do you even know what Chez Jour is? It’s a fancy restaurant, so either way, you need to look good. Which is why I’m here, you’d be so clueless if I wasn’t here. You’re welcome for me passing my etiquette knowledge down to you. At least it’s doing some good…” She snorted, her goldish tan ears folding backward as her lips pressed into a thin line.

“A-a fancy restaurant!? Like one with multiple forks and stuff!?” He groaned wearily as he fell back onto his bed. “I can’t do this we have to cancel. I’ll just make a fool of myself. Where’s my phone?” He sat up as he began to dig around.

Her green eyes narrowed and flashed bright changeling green for one menacing moment.

“Now wait just a minute here Circuit! This is the first time that you’ve had plans to go out with another pony other than me for years! I’m not going to let you cancel due to something as stupid as not knowing proper etiquette.” The hybrid took a deep breath to calm herself before continuing.

“Look, I’m going to give you a crash course on the basics, think of it as an experiment. You love those! Just try, for your friend please? I just want you to be happy for once you ol grump!” Ebony smiled, trying to be helpful and reassure her friend into going. It also helped of course that she’d found the phone and was now holding it next to her. Of course, all four hooves were on the ground and the phone was actually levitating off the ground in a changeling green aura of magic. So that kinda packed a bit of bite to her bark.

“Fine…” He agreed rather reluctantly, knowing there was no way he’d ever get that phone from Ebony unless she gave it to him willingly. That was a lesson he’d learned the hard way. “This better work...I don’t wanna make a fool of myself in front of a really cute stallion. Or, all the other ponies at the restaurant for that matter.” His eyes grew wide as the thought dawned on him. “Do you think they’ll be a lot of other ponies there..?”

“If it was opening night probably, but it’s been a week since it’s opened and that’s when the mob begins to cool down. Besides, if there are, just relax, they don’t matter. Because if they try to mess with you, I’ll take care of it.” She smiled darkly, her eyes flashing again before she shook her head to clear it. Her eyes returned to normal and her face returned to a cheerful smile.

“I...I don’t think I want to know what you mean by that. Let’s just hurry up and finish picking out my outfit so we can get started on this etiquette thing. I want as much time as possible to practice this.” He sighed as he pulled himself up from the bed, shuffling over to Ebony so he could help her dig through his stuff.

The mare smiled before clothing began flying through the air and onto the bed as the two searched. Until Ebony came across a black suit with a baby blue shirt underneath. Well, it wasn’t really a suit, just dress pants and a blazer but it would due. Especially with the blue button down. She smiled at her prize and held it up for Circuit to inspect.

“Lookie what I found! It’s perfect, and the blue will go great with your eyes~!” Ebony said with a small bit of a sing song tone. Circuit stared at the suit a few moments, his face reddening slightly.

“A-are you kidding? I haven’t worn that old thing since high school...I doubt it would even fit me now..” She began to give the stallion her trademark ‘You kidding me?’ look.

“You haven’t put on any weight since high school, it’ll fit. If not, I’ll fix it, do you have a better idea? All I see are goggles.” The gray stallion just let out a soft sigh, snatching the suit from her as he got up.

“Fine fine...Give me a few moments, I can’t even remember the last time I put a suit on..” He continued to mutter as he slunk off to the bathroom to go change.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ebony paced back and forth in the, well let’s just call it the ‘living room’ of the laboratory. There wasn’t much, literally, just a beat up old couch, a computer in one corner on a sad looking desk and a threadbare rug. The walls and floors were infact, concrete, nothing to its name, just bare. Kinda sad really… The mare thought before her thoughts were interrupted by hoofsteps.

“Ugh, I feel so uncomfortable Ebony..” Circuit groaned as he joined her in the ‘living room’, sitting so he could attempt to fix his disaster of a tie. “Why do ponies even wear these things? They’re impossible to tie and I feel like I’m being strangled.” His companion let out a giggle before walking over to him. She shook her head with an amused smile before changeling green aura enveloped the tie, beginning to untie it and fix it.

“Honestly, I’m not sure how you even got it into this mess, how’d you even do that with hooves anyway?” The mare chuckled with a smile.

“I don’t know!” He wailed dramatically as he threw his hooves up into the air. “Is it too late to call and cancel…?” A gentle knock on the door answered the question for them. “Oh Luna he’s here! What do I do Ebony!? I’m not ready for this!”

“Oh hush, just remember what I taught you, stay here and relax for a moment. I’ll get the door.” She walked off, to the ‘foyer’ and up the stairs, throwing open the door Adhesive Stamp was standing there. Clutching a small bouquet of flowers and in a blue blazer with a black button down shirt.

“Uh…. Is Circuit here..?” He asked cautiously, the hybrid nodded, beaming brightly.

“Yes he is, please come in, come in!” With that, Ebony literally grabbed his hoof and dragged the stallion into the home and practically flew down the stairs. Well, when I say practically I really mean she did… But that’s beside the point. When they made it down the stairs, Adhesive somehow still in tact, Circuit was nowhere to be found. While they’d been talking he’d hidden himself in the ‘kitchen’, trying to calm his nervousness. He carefully poked his head out, frantically waving Ebony over while the green haired stallion has his back turned.

“Excuse me for a moment, let me go get Circuit real quick.” She smiled politely, a technique perfected over years of politics and other things in the pony’s life. The mare walked over into the ‘kitchen’ and raised an eyebrow at her friend who was literally shaking from nervousness.

“Okay, stallion up, this is just another one of your experiments! Come on, just be yourself and everything will be fine, you said he liked your prosthetic right? And even got the metal type right? There you go! Conversation topic!” The hybrid smiled reassuringly at her friend to try to calm his nerves.

“Oh yeah that’s a great idea, just talk about metal for the whole night, that’ll definitely make him wanna come back for more…” He snorted softly and rolled his eyes, though the mares words did help calm him slightly. “Alright...Alright I can do this...Wish me luck. If I don’t call you in an hour then I probably got murdered or kidnapped or something and you should call the cops.” He took a deep breath before slipping out of the kitchen like area, attempting to smile warmly at Adhesive.

The stallion smiled back, the small bouquet of flowers still in his hoof, bluebells. He smiled warmly before holding out the bouquet to Circuit.

“I-I thought you might like them, so, are you ready to go?” He asked warmly, a hint of nervousness in his voice. Circuit smiled as he took the flowers, setting them aside so he could put them in a vase later.

“They’re lovely, thank you. And ah...Ready as I’ll ever be I suppose.” He nodded to him. “Lead the way.” Adhesive Stamp walked up the stairs and held open the door to reveal a carriage with two other stallions pulling it, harnessed up and ready to go, they waved at the two. The carriage was a nicer one, white with silver and gold trimmings as well as oak wheels.

“It’s a rental, but I hope you don’t mind, shall we?” He asked before walking towards the carriage and opening the door. Ebony decided to show up behind them in the doorway and pushed Circuit forward before waving at Adhesive Stamp with a smile.

“Take care of my best friend or I’ll break your spine~!” The mare shouted with glee, her voice calm and even yet menacing at the same time. Circuit shot a glare at her before following him to the carriage.

“Not helping Ebony! And a rental is fine.” His tone went from scolding to gentle as he turned back to Adhesive. He settled down in the carriage next to him, sinking into the plush seats. “Do you know how long it’ll take to get there?”

“Not too long, ten minutes or so. That mare though, she’s kinda scary… She must really care about you though.” The stallion muttered softly, climbing into the carriage after Circuit and closing the door. The carriage lurched as the stallions in front began to pull it towards their destination.

“Heh...Scary is an understatement…” He let out a soft chuckle. “She’s a great friend when you get to know her though. Trust me, she’ll be less terrifying once you get to know her and she knows you’re not an ax murdered or something.” Circuit flinched slightly as he added that last part, the words slipping through his mouth before he could even think about it. One of the perks of having no mouth filter.

Instead of the stallion looking at him like he was crazy, Adhesive Stamp began to laugh, a little chortle of laughter.

“That was a good one, thought I’m mostly glad she’s not your marefriend or anything.” The neon green maned stallion bit his lip, that last bit falling out of his mouth almost the same way as Circuit’s had. Circuit just let out a loud laugh, even startling himself a bit.

“Hah! You thought she was my marefriend? Oh Luna no. Even if I was a little straighter, I couldn’t imagine us being together. She’s like, my best friend. That’d be so weird.” Adhesive let a weak smile cross his face.

“...A little straighter… I see…” The stallion bit his lip before averting his eyes slightly.

“Heh..Ah, yep…” He bit his lip slightly, regretting his choice of words. Of course, his filterless mouth had to go and make it worse. “I’m about as straight as a circle.” At that, the neon maned stallion perked up in a heartbeat before looking at Circuit with hopeful eyes.

“...so, you’re gay too?” He asked hesitantly, trying not to make the situation worse.

“No, I’m actually a very straight stallion who only enjoys the romantic company of other stallions.” The ‘pegasus’ sarcastically bit out the words before he even had a chance to think about it. Sure enough, Adhesive began to laugh again, this time a louder guffaw of laughter that wracked his whole body as he smacked his knee.

“Oh sweet Celestia that was good, you should be a comedian, honest!” The white stallion smiled brightly, his blue eyes twinkling with mirth. Circuit snorted softly, amused at the thought of him doing anything that involved talking to others on a daily basis.

“I don’t think most ponies would get my humor, I’m glad you like it though.” He smiled warmly, shyly averting his eyes. Stamp was about to say something when the carriage lurched to a stop.

“Well, we’re here!” The white stallion said with a smile.

Chapter 5, Chez Jour

Adhesive Stamp was the first to get out, holding the carriage door open for Circuit and politely thanking the drivers hooked up at the front. The building before them was obviously designed with French theme in mind. It was rectangular in shape, with white paint and pale gray brick surrounding the foundation of the building. A small overhand was held up by pillars and adorned with the name in curly cursive letters. Windows ran the entire length of the building, swirling and folding in on each other. The whole outer building was covered in crown molding that boasted a classic feel.

The place really was fancy, with mares wearing jewelry and dresses and the stallions wearing suits and some even wearing monocles.Circuit swallowed nervously as he followed Stamp out, shuffling his hooves along the sidewalk.

“Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever been somewhere so upscale before…” He let out a nervous chuckle, smiling over at the other stallion. “Shall we head in?” He nodded before walking up to a small podium where one of the waitstaff was looking at a book. The waiter was a unicorn with a trimmed moustache that was twirled on the end and dressed in a very solid looking suit. Almost as if it had been bathed in starch.

“Bonjour monsieurs, do you have a reservation?” Adhesive Stamp nodded before clearing his throat.

“It should be under the name ‘Stamp’.” The unicorn nodded before looking at the book.

“Oui, ‘ere it is! Romantic table for two…” The waiter looked between the two stallions before shrugging and walking off with two menus in his magical blue aura.

“Right this way monsieurs.” Circuit felt a shy smile creep across his face as he glanced at Adhesive before following the waiter. Ebony had been right after all, it was a date. He felt a little bit bad about doubting her before, but he knew he could make it up to her by giving her all the details of the date later. She’d probably con him into dressing in drag for her again, but the more it happened the less he was starting to mind it. He quickly shook that thought out of his head, deciding he’d ponder over that later when he wasn’t on a date.

Adhesive on the other hoof, was absolutely excited, and quite nervous. His confidence had been boosted when he had found out that Circuit Heart was indeed gay. The reservation would’ve been hard to explain if he wasn’t. The waiter showed them to the table and gave a polite smile.

“Enjoy your meal monsieurs, le serveur will be with you shortly.” He left just as the two began to look around and sit down. The table was tucked in a corner and one wall jutted out to cover the table even more, this wall wasn’t really a wall. More of a half wall with more beams in a cross hatch pattern that was strung with vines. The whole area had a cozy feeling of intimacy that was quite impressive. Stamp smiled and came over to pull out Circuit’s chair for him.

“Thank you.” Circuit smiled warmly at him as he sat down, letting out a low whistle as he looked at the little area around them. “You really went all out huh? Are you trying to impress me?” He raised an eyebrow at the other stallion, letting out a soft chuckle. “If you are, then it’s definitely working.” As Stamp sat down he smiled in a little bout of victory.

“Well I’m glad, took me a day to get this reservation but I wanted this to be nice for you..” The white stallion’s face began to heat up a bit as his pure white face turned a slightly rosy pink while his blue eyes looked to the side in embarrassment.

“That’s so sweet…” The ‘pegasus’ let out another chuckle, quickly picking up the menu and using it to hide his rather delighted smile. The smile didn’t last for long though, as he looked over the menu and realized it was all in French. ‘Oh crap…’ He thought to himself, wishing he’d paid more attention to his French classes in high school. Adhesive on the other hoof, was reading it over easily. He’d made sure to brush up on French before coming to make sure he wouldn’t make a fool of himself.

“I’m thinking about the hay fillet with chopped onions and a red wine sauce, what about you?” The neon green maned stallion asked.

“I’ll er...Have the same. But without the onions.” He quickly shut the menu, relieved at not having to worry about trying to read it. At least, for now he didn’t. Adhesive nodded just as their waiter came up to the table. It was another unicorn, this one was pale blue with dark blue mane and tail that was slicked back. His face was adorned with a scoff and an expression that practically screamed ‘I’m better than you’.

“Bonjour monsieurs, welcome to Chez Jour, can I start you off with drinks?” The waiter asked with the most boring, monotone voice you could ever imagine.

“Just water for me, thanks.” Circuit forced himself to smile, despite the sudden urge he had to sock the waiter. He’d only exchanged a few words with him and already he felt an instant hatred. “What about you Stamp?”

“I’ll do the same, water but with lemon for me thanks.” Stamp didn’t like him either, though he didn’t say anything and there was no urge to hit the stallion thankfully. The waiter nodded before walking off haughtily with his tail flicking in annoyance.

“Huh, never expected the waitstaff to be such jerks…” Adhesive whispered under his breath, just loud enough for Circuit to hear.

“You picked up on that too?” He let out a soft snort. “Glad to know I’m not the only one who thought that guy was a jerk...Still...Even if the waitstaff is terrible, I’m still glad you invited me out.” He looked away, his cheeks reddening with embarrassment.

Thought his own cheeks began to heat up Adhesive didn’t turn away, only smiled at Circuit.

“Yeah, me too. I’m glad I did, really glad actually…” Circuit chuckled softly, reaching across the table to gently grasp the other stallion’s hoof. He still didn’t turn to look at him though, too flustered for that.

“Let’s just ignore the awful waiter and enjoy ourselves, okay?” Stamp blushed a little darker and squeezed Circuit’s hoof gently in return.

“That sounds like a plan to me! Well, since we don’t know too much about each other maybe we should talk you know?”

“Right...Let’s see..Um...Favorite color?” He finally turned back to the other stallion, asking him the first question that popped into his mind. Wasn’t the best question to start with but, you have to start somewhere.

“Hmm, my favorite color would have to be amber actually. I just always liked it, kinda like a warm fire or a forge. I don’t know, it just seems pretty to me.” Adhesive shrugged with a soft smile. “What about you? Favorite color?”

“Well...I’d have to say blue. I always thought it was such a pretty, calming color. I especially love the color dark blue...Kind of like the color of your eyes, actually.” He let out a flustered cough, looking away again. Stamp chuckled lightly at this before nodding.

“I get the feeling, I like your eyes too, they kind of remind me of a forest, or electricity. But I guess that one doesn’t really make sense, green electricity?” He let out a soft laugh before biting his lip. The earth pony cleared his throat before continuing.

“Um, well you know I’m a mailpony, what do you do for a living?”

“Oh well, I ah..I build things. I guess that’d be my career...Though I only occasionally sell the things I make. Usually I just make things for myself or my friends. My latest work was actually making these.” He extended one of his mechanical wings, showing it off to the other stallion before folding it against his back again.

“You… made those? That is so cool on so many levels!” The mailpony cried happily, inspecting the hoof made wings. His green orbs glossed over the wings with obvious interest and awe,

“How long did it take you? And did it hurt, when you attached them?”

“Oh it took me months to finally get them to work right. The first couple times it was extremely painful when I attached them, but as I made them better it got more comfortable. Flying though,” he let out an amused snort. “That was a completely different story. I’m still not completely confident with it.”

“But at least you can fly though. And that’s really cool, along with the whole part about you making them, I’d say you’re pretty badass honestly.” Before either of them could say more, their waiter returned with a tray that carried their drinks in his magical grasp.

“Sorry, ssssirs, the chefffff has been busy lately.”

“It’s fine.” Circuit grit his teeth as he took the drink, forcing himself to be polite. He’d much rather punch the waiter in the face, but since they were in a fancy restaurant he figured that wouldn’t be very proper. Adhesive gave the waiter a slight look of annoyance, which was not noticed by the waiter in the slightest, whose nose was up in the air haughtily.

“Now then ssssirs, ssshall I take your order?” His face was upturned as a notepad and pen floated in the air in his magical grasp.

“I’ll have the hay fillet with no onions please.” He forced a smile onto his face, gesturing to Adhesive. “He’ll have the same, but with onions please and thank you.” The waiter nodded, writing it down before leaving, again flicking his tail in annoyance.

“Remind me to leave him a very very low tip.” The white stallion said in annoyance as his ears splayed back in annoyance. Circuit let out a soft snort, rolling his eyes.

“I wouldn’t bother leaving a tip, he doesn’t even deserve a low one.’ He sighed, shaking his head. “No more concentrating on the bad waiter, remember? Let’s get back to questions. Um...Any siblings?” Stamp nodded in agreement.

“No, not siblings, I’m an only child. And I’m pretty sure because of that I want a lot of kids. Which is pretty crazy since I’m gay. But then again, there are always orphans right?” He chuckled and smiled at his date warmly. Circuit cringed slightly at his words, forcing himself to try and keep smiling.

“I….I see...I’m ah...Not a huge fan of kids myself...I mean, if I absolutely had to I’d keep one but er, I’ve never really been too keen on adoption or anything.”

“Well, we all have our opinions, not a big deal, anyway, what about you? Do you have any siblings or family?”

“Ah, well I-” His words were abruptly cut off as the waiter arrived with their food.

“Your meals ssssirs.” The unicorn practically sneered as he set the plates down. “Enjoy..” He shot a condescending grin at them before turning to tend to other patrons.

Adhesive Stamp had had about enough of this and took a deep breath before picking up a fork and taking a bite of his meal.

“Not bad, but before we leave I think I’ll have a word with the manager about our, waiter.”

“Yeah, definitely do that.” He wrinkled his nose as he picked at his food. “Of course, he forgot that I asked for no onions.” He sighed as he began the painstaking process of picking out all the onions from his dish.

“Here, I’m not going to have you not get what you ordered.” Adhesive looked out of the booth and caught the eye of a young pegasus mare who was dressed as a waitress. She had a pale purple coat as well as deep purple mane and tail that were pulled back into an elaborate ponytail of curls.

“Oui monsieur, can I ‘elp you?” She asked sweetly, a great improvement from the waiter they had before.

“It’s fine Stamp, I can just pick the onions out, it’s no big deal…” He huffed as he narrowed his eyes at the other stallion. While he was flattered that he was willing to cause such a fuss for him, he really didn’t think it was necessary. Stamp gave him a small frown but his eyes were kind and displayed affection before turning towards the mare again.

“Yes hi, my companion here ordered his meal with no onions but the waiter must’ve had a mix up…” He strained on the last words in a bout of annoyance. The mare blinked before replying.

“Was your serveur un pale blue avec blue mane et un very bad attitudé?” She asked with a tilt of her head. Stamp blinked, before replying.

“I-uh, yes, how did you know?”

“Zis is zhe third time zhis week somepony has complained about him, I will ‘ave your order fixed and I shall tell zhe manager about zhis. I am so sorry about this monsieurs.” She took Circuit’s plate gently, careful not to spill it on him and gently flapped her wings and moved off to take care of it.

“Thank you miss.” Circuit called after her as she left, letting out a soft huff once she was gone. “You know you didn’t have to stir up that much of a fuss over some onions, even if that guy was a jerk.” Adhesive stamp let out a small chuckle before reaching across the table and grasping Circuit’s hoof.

“Well yeah, I could’ve just let it slide, but then it wouldn’t have been what you wanted. I want this to be fun and for us both to enjoy it not just one of us.” The stallion smiled warmly, giving his companion’s hoof a small squeeze. The stallion let out another sigh, though he couldn’t keep a shy little grin from spreading across his face.

“Let’s just get this meal over with so we can enjoy the rest of our date. I believe I was promised a walk? I think there’s a park not too far from here, maybe we could go walking there?” The mailpony nodded with a grin adorning his features.

“Yeah, I’d like that.”
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After the two had finished their meal, the two left the restaurant after paying only to see their horrible waiter yelling in French to the poor mare from before who was hiding behind the manager. Circuit tutted softly, shaking his head a bit.

“Poor mare. Hopefully that jerk’ll get what he deserves...C’mon.” He gently nudged Adhesive as he let him out of the restaurant. They both continued on down a path that lead towards the park when they heard their waiter storming off after the manager had quite loudly yelled ‘You're fired!’

And just like that, the now fired stallion stomped past them before turning to them.

“You! You’re the reason I got fired!” He roared angrily with a very angry scowl.

“You got fired because you’re a jerk, now move it. My date and I are trying to have a nice walk.” Circuit glared at the stallion, shoving past him so he and Stamp could continue on. The angry stallion whipped around and raised a hoof to punch Circuit in the face before Adhesive got in the way and took the hit instead. Straight to the jaw, he didn’t fall down, but Stamp did stumble and hiss in pain. Circuit blinked in shock for a few moments, his brain taking a few moments to process what’d happened. When it finally dawned on him he simply raised on of his hooves, punching the former waiter straight in the nose. He smirked slightly as his hoof connected with a rather satisfying crack.

The blue unicorn reeled back in pain, blood dripping from his nose, but before he could raise another hoof to strike, a gold and crimson blur erupted from the bushes and tackled him to the ground. It was Ebony, the hybrid had tackled the unicorn to the ground and was currently giving him a menacing smile.

“Bad idea, hurting my friend, now I’m gonna have some fun~!” The mare giggled insanely and the stallion shook with fear.

“Celestia what have I done…?” Circuit opened his mouth to say something before shutting it, deciding he’d rather not know where in Luna’s name Ebony had appeared from. He figured it’d be better to just continue on with his date and let the mare do her thing.

“C’mon Adhesive..We should get going..Things are about to get pretty ugly and I’d rather not stick around.” The pegasus waved at her friend, a regular happy smile on her face.

“Sorry about that, just making sure you two were doing okay. Have fun! I’ll take care of this little wretch for you~!” Her eyes closed as she smiled a toothy grin, which actually revealed sharp fangs where her canines were. Sweet Celestia what had he done indeed. Circuit just shook his head, quickly tugging Adhesive away so he wouldn’t have to witness the horror that Ebony was about to unleash upon the stallion. He almost felt a little bad for him. Almost.

“You have fun with that Ebs! Let’s get going before things get violent Adhesive, you really don’t want to see this.” The stallion in question blinked as the ex waiter was dragged off by the tail, kicking and screaming in fear back into the bushes from where Ebony had come from. The mare in question, humming along and prancing happily as if she were a filly with a new toy.

“...Yeah, uh, remind me never to piss her off… ever…” And with that Adhesive turned around and followed Circuit down the path. He shook his head to clear it and began looking around. The path was well lit, with a few ever burning street lamps that illuminated the foliage slightly. Not blocking out the starlight, but making it just bright enough for the ponies to see where they were going.

“Yeah….Yeah that’s definitely a good idea.” He chuckled softly as he walked along with him, lightly brushing their flanks together. “Are you okay? It sounded like he hit you pretty hard back there.” Circuit tugged the other stallion over to a nearby bench, forcing him to sit so he could look at his jaw.

The stallion hissed slightly and winced at the sudden touch of Circuit’s hooves to his wound but quickly adjusted.

“It hurts a bit, but it’s not too bad I’m alright. I’m just glad you didn’t get hit…” Stamp smiled softly shrugging his arms. The ‘pegasus’ huffed softly, gently cupping his jaw as he felt it.

“You big sap...I’m just glad that jerk didn’t break your jaw.” He moved his hoof so he could lightly stroke his cheek, shyly meeting his eyes. He slowly began to lean closer to the other stallion, getting closer and closer till he was just inches away. He quickly jerked back however, when a drop of water landed on his nose.

“The heck?” Stamp blinked, the moment ruined for a second before he too felt a drop of water on his muzzle.

“Is that… rain?” As if to confirm that, it began pouring. Those two drops seemed to be a warning to the torrent that began to pour down on the two stallions. Soaking their attire and rendering their manes’ to stick to their necks. Adhesive jumped up and began laughing before pulling Circuit up with him and up against him in a dance pose. Circuit gasped as he was pulled up, laughing as they twirled around in the pouring rain.

“This is ridiculous! You realize we’re going to get colds from this?” He continued to laugh as he leaned against him, not seeming to mind if they got sick in the slightest.

“Too happy to care!” Adhesive laughed, his smile nearly overcoming his face. The stallion lead them in a dance, twirling and spinning around in the rain, not a care in the world. The gray stallion continued to laugh as they danced, letting his joy show for once instead of covering it up with grumpiness and sarcasm. He smiled as he tried to pull them to a stop.

“Alright, alright! Enough! I still need to do something!” Stamp instantly stopped, but remained holding the other stallion in his hooves, both were standing on their hind legs with their front hooves wrapped around each other. The white stallion’s own hooves were wrapped around Circuit’s waist as his neon mane clung to his neck and rivulets of water ran down his coat.

“Yeah? What would that be?” He asked hesitantly, a bit of confusion in his blue orbs.

“This.” Circuit leaned forward and captured his lips in a warm kiss. His lips were slightly chapped, but still warm and gentle. He gently gripped the other stallions shoulder, totally not lifting one of his back legs in the stereotypical kissing pose. Nope, not at all.

Stamp’s eyes flew open in shock before they fluttered close. His hooves, which were gently draped around Circuit’s middle, tightened slightly, pulling the gray stallion closer. The rain and the park around them was long forgotten in the mailpony’s mind. It was stereotypical, but it’s less so when it’s happening to you so shut up and read. After a few moments Circuit pulled away, letting out a happy sigh as he snuggled into Adhesive’s chest. He couldn’t remember that last time he’d felt this happy, and he honestly wasn’t sure if things could get any better. Adhesive couldn’t wipe the goofy grin off his face as he nuzzled his muzzle into Circuit’s neck. After a moment, the earth pony spoke, asking the age old question.

“..So, when can I see you again?”

Chapter 6, Movie Date And Snuggles

It had been two days since the stallions’ first date, and since the rain had happened. Both had gotten sick, so they had to stay in. But with that small bout of the common cold over with, Circuit and Adhesive were now deciding on a second date. At the moment, they were on the phone with each other, let’s see where this goes shall we?

“Since we did dinner already, how about just a movie at one of our places? Just something simple and relaxing. No crazy waiters coming after us and no rain, no matter how much fun that was.” The mail stallion chuckled over the line at the ‘pegasus’. Circuit smiled warmly at the other stallions words. A day in sounded perfect.

“That sounds wonderful. What time were you thinking?” There was a small pause before Adhesive’s voice came over the line again.

“How about one o’clock, your place? Mine is kind of, well let’s just say I’ve got some annoying roommates that would bother us.” Stamp let out a soft chuckle of embarrassment before clearing his throat. “Does that work for you?”

“Sounds good to me...That is of course...If you don’t mind Ebony hanging around here. She sorta planted herself here when I got sick to make sure I didn’t like, die or something.” He let out a soft, amused sounding snort. The stallion on the other end let out a small snort of laughter before replying to that.

“Not a problem, honestly she’s not all that bad. It’s nice to have friends who worry about you.” He said in a tone that almost definitely had a smile behind it.

“Sounds great, I’ll see you then!” Circuit grinned into the phone, not bothering to hide his excitement. He couldn’t wait for the other stallion to arrive.
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Circuit quietly passed around his living room, flicking his gaze around to see if there were any spots he’d missed. Since his phone call with Adhesive, he’d spent his time almost obsessively cleaning his ‘living room’ and trying to make it look a little less bare. While it was a little bit nicer looking now, it still gave off the appearance of barely being lived in.

It was at that moment that Ebony decided to come out of the, let's call it ‘guest bedroom’. Though the mare had spruced it up over the years by adding a real bed, some rugs and draped darkly colored fabric over the walls. The hybrid preferred to call it ‘the lair’, but that’s beside the point.

“Wow, this looks a lot cleaner than when I went to sleep. What’s the occasion?” The tan mare asked, rubbing the sleep from her green orbs.

“Oh right, I didn’t tell you. Adhesive is coming over soon so I figured I’d attempt to make things look a little more...Home like.” He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck as he looked over the living room. “It’s still not great but..It looks better, right?” She shrugged.

“It looks cleaner yes, are you going to ask for my help or are you too stubborn?” Ebony let out a laugh before materializing a brush to untangle her mess of a mane. It was quite insane, crimson puffed up everywhere in spikes and all tangled.

“Oh shush, it isn’t like you haven’t seen my bed head before Circuit.” The hybrid stuck her tongue out at her friend playfully with a smile. The ‘pegasus’ let out a soft snort, rolling his dark green eyes.

“Fine fine….Oh great and powerful Ebony, will you help me make my living room look less crappy for my date?” He bowed as he spoke, his voice filled with teasing and mirth. The mare, with her mane and tail now tamed to be the regular straight and spiky, stood tall and proud with her nose in the air in a humorous manner.

“The most merciful Ebony will grant your wish, I shall use my magical talents to make your living room livable.” One of her emerald orbs opened to look at her friend before she broke out into loud guffaws of laughter and fell on the floor in mirth. Circuit just snorted and straightened out again, rolling his eyes at the mare.

“Yeah yeah alright, enough joking around. We need to get this place looking nice, he’ll be here any minute.” He lightly kicked the mare on the floor, trying to get her to get up and get moving.

“Oh don’t worry, I got this, remember all that extra material in the lair from when I was decorating it last month? For like the fourth time…” She chuckled before clearing her throat.

“Yeah, anyway, I can make this work just watch.” The mare then cracked her neck and took a deep breath before summoning bolts of fabric from the other room and began to drape them over hooks in the walls that were once home to curtain rods. These simple loops of fabric made the room a lot more cozy as well as feeling more lived in.

To top it off, she reupholstered the couch and armchair in the same material and brought a quilt to drape over the back of it and a few throw pillows. The fabric itself was just the right color, a neutral pale green with sky blue swirls and designs as well as a few dark blue flowers in different places.

“That should about do it, not my best work, but not too shabby if I do say so myself.” The changeling hybrid smiled in victory, admiring her quick work.

“It looks perfect, a lot better than it did before.” The stallion’s praise was cut short by a gentle rapping on the front door. “Just in time too, looks like he’s here.” He smiled and quickly hugged the mare before booting her from the room. “Alright now shoo, I don’t need your fangirling getting in the way of my date~” His voice was teasing, showing the other he was only kidding. With a laugh and a quick wish of good luck, Ebony retreated to the ‘kitchen’ to do her own thing and leave the couple alone.

Adhesive was at the door, shifting slightly as a cold breeze whipped around him. Should’ve grabbed my coat… He thought, cursing not checking what the weather would be scheduled to be. Circuit, after double checking that Ebony had actually retreated into the kitchen and wasn’t hiding somewhere to watch them, opened the door, quickly ushering Stamp inside.

“Come in, come in, you must be freezing.” A little smile twitched at his lips, though he pushed it down. Had they been completely alone he would have let it show, but since there were others in the house he didn’t. He still had a grumpy image to keep after all.

The white stallion smiled and ducked inside the warm laboratory looking around the living room. Stamp blinked in surprise at the new look the room had but smiled none the less.

“It looks different from the other day, but nice. I like it, good choice of fabric.” Blue eyes turned to look into green as a goofy grin settled on the mailpony’s face.

“Thanks..I figured I’d ah..Spruce it up a bit. Ebony was a big help, she’s the one who picked out the fabric.” The stallion was unable to stop the smile this time as he lead Adhesive over to the couch. “So, what sort of movie were you thinking of watching? I’m ah...Afraid I don’t have that big of a selection…” He gestured to the small amount of dvds he’d laid out on the coffee table. The green maned stallion sat down on the couch and looked over the small array of dvds.

“Hmm, Space Invaders 3, Ponies Ascending...Hmm, what’s this one?” He picked up one that was nearly covered by the others and inspected it. “Titanic, starring Kate ‘Whinny’ Winslet and Leonardo DiCapricorn. What about this one? Seems good enough.” Adhesive smiled and settled back on the couch, holding the dvd case to Circuit. Circuit slowly took the slightly worn dvd from him, slowly looking it over.

“You sure? It’s pretty sad. Er, at least that’s what I’ve heard…” A light blush spread across his cheeks as he flusteredly looked away, not wanting to admit to the other stallion that he’d watched it practically a million times. Said stallion just shrugged and offered a smile before nodding.

“Yeah I’m sure, I’ve heard it’s good but haven’t had a chance to see it myself. Let's give it a go.” And with that, the two booted up the movie and dimmed the lights so the living room was completely dark except for the TV screen and the small light coming from the kitchen. The ‘pegasus’ smiled as he settled down onto the couch, grabbing a blanket off the back of it and draping it over them to keep out the chill. He had rather shoddy heating, but he was always too lazy to fix it, thus he had a multitude of blankets scattered around the house. He made himself comfortable as the previews began, settling back against the couch cushions.

That’s when the white stallion got an idea, he smiled to himself as he leaned into Circuit and snuggled up into the stallion’s side.

“There, much more comfortable.” Adhesive’s face started to blush, thankfully the darkness of the room hid it for the most part. The mailpony had made a bold move, and Ebony admired that. Of course she was watching from the kitchen, and also baking Hearth’s Warming Eve cookies. Just because she can, no biggie. The gray stallion smiled flusteredly, gently draping his arm over the mailpony’s shoulder so he could pull him closer. He happily snuggled up with the other, his own face starting to redden as well. The room then fell silent aside from the previews and occasional noise from the kitchen.

The menu came up, displaying two ponies on the prow of the ship. A mare with her arms extended and a stallion behind her holding onto her waist.

“That’s kinda cute actually.” The white stallion commented before smiling deviously. “But not as cute as you.” Circuit let out a slightly strangled sputtering noise, his face only getting redder.

“Y-you little….Just hush up and watch the movie…” The flustered stallion grumbled as he snatched up the remote, pressing the play button before settling down again. He shifted them slightly so he could sprawl out on his back, pulling Adhesive onto his chest so he could snuggle there. Now it was the mailpony’s turn to blush bright red as he stuttered to form coherent words.

“I-I… Oh screw it.” The green maned pony relaxed with a shrug and rested his head in the crook of Circuit’s neck and sighed in content. The movie played on, promising shallow plotlines and clique romance, but he didn’t care. All the two needed was this. Just a relaxing date and cuddles. What could possibly go wrong?

“Oh hey guys, who wants cookies?!” A mare’s voice rang out from the other room.

Chapter 7, Picnic Disaster

It had been nearly a month after the whole, cookie incident. Which ended in Circuit throwing a lamp at the hybrid who simply sidestepped the projectile. Let’s just say Adhesive’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head that day. Anywho~! The two had gotten to know each other a lot more and had gone on a few more dates. And now it was the biggy! The two stallions had been planning a picnic all week and were very excited. All that was left was a little prepping.

“Do you really think we’ve known each other long enough? I mean, a month isn’t all that long of a time. What if he laughs at me? Or what if I make him super uncomfortable?” The gray coated ‘pegasus’ spoke to the changeling hybrid from his spot in the bathroom, where he was currently trying, and failing, to fix his mop of dark gray mane.

Ebony was in the kitchen, making Circuit’s half of the picnic because the stallion was hopeless at cooking. She looked up from stirring something on the stove and chuckled. “Oh hush Circuit, it’s going to be fine. A month of just downright structure is perfect. Besides, you’ve already kissed like, how many times now?” The mare asked with a smile on her face as she added some salt to the mixture. The stallion let out an embarrassed huff, setting his comb down as a warm blush spread across his face.

“Oh shut up Ebony, we’re not going to talk about that!” He grumbled as he trotted from the bathroom to join the mare in the kitchen. Yes he and Adhesive kissed a lot, but he couldn’t help himself, the stallion was a really great kisser....He quickly shook that thought out of his head before it could go any farther than that. “How’s the food coming along?”

“Pretty good, I’ve got the sandwiches prepped, the champagne packed as well as a few bits and bobs for snacking that won’t make too much of a mess. I’m just finishing up the chowder now. And before you ask why I’m making chowder it’s for me while you’re gone so shush.” Ebony let out a soft huff before smiling at her friend. “Don’t worry, no meat whatsoever for you herbivores.” The changeling hybrid did eat meat, it was part of her diet, technically she was an omnivore. But that’s a story for another day.

“Yeah yeah….” Circuit let out a soft snort, shaking his head a bit. He never understood Ebony’s meat eating, and probably never would. Just one of the many, many...Many, things he’d never get about her. He didn’t mind though, it made their friendship interesting. “Do you think I should dress up for this or should I just wear my usual stuff?”

The pegasus thought for a moment as she took the soup off the stove. “To be honest, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to look good. But not a full on suit, maybe just a nice jacket? It is getting colder now, running of the leaves is coming up.” With that said Ebony began walking over to her friend’s room to leaf through his closet. Completely ignoring the decency of privacy, friendship goals I guess. Circuit just followed after her, already used to the whole, never having any sort of privacy whatsoever thing. Just one of the ‘perks’ of being best friends with the changeling he supposed. He sat behind her while he waited for her to find something decent for him to wear, casually attempting to fix his hair up a bit while he waited.

The mare flipped through the hangers of clothing with a small frown on her face. “No, no no… definitely not. What even is that?! No, no… Ah ha!” She pulled out a light brown jacket with a soft inside and a hood. It was nothing too fancy but not ratty either. “Circuit! It seems your wardrobe isn’t a complete wasteland after all!”

“My closet isn’t a wasteland, I have some nice things in there! Mostly dresses you forced me to buy...But still! Not a wasteland!” He huffed as he snatched the jacket from her, slipping it on to make sure it actually fit before tossing it on the bed to grab later when he was about to leave. “And before you even try to suggest it no, I’m not wearing a dress for any of my dates with Adhesive. In fact, I’d prefer he never learn I own any dresses to begin with.”

She glared at him, green magical aura wrapping around some of the more ratty clothing rags. In a small poof, they were on fire with the same color while the mare glowered in protest. “Yes, it is, and those dresses were expensive, and I bought them you dumb ol grump. Besides, if you do go out with him, he’s gonna find out eventually and you can blame it on me.”

“Okay first off, was it really necessary to burn my things? I could have fixed those up you know...Eventually, second I know you bought them but they’re still mine so hush it, and third, I will gladly blame it on you if he ever does find out. If things go the way I want though, he’s never going to find out ever. I don’t want him thinking I’m a pervert or something.” The ‘pegasus’ let out a soft huff, totally not pouting whatsoever as he crossed his hooves over his chest.

“Oh quit your whining, the things I burned weren’t even clothes anymore. More like dishrags, hell, you actually hung up a dish rag! It’s right here!” She took said rag in her hoof and shook it in Circuit’s face before it burst into flame.

“I thought it was like a scarf thing or something okay! You know I don’t bother with fashion outside of my normal clothing.” His pout grew as he grumbled over the now burned rag. “I could’ve still used that dishrag you know...If I ever bother to clean my dishes...Or use dishes in the first place...Or actually buy them…” A very loud sound of a hoof smacking a forehead vibrated through the room as Ebony expressed her disappointment.

“I bought you an entire dish set last Hearth’s Warming Eve....” The mare let out a sigh. “Nevermind, it doesn’t matter, he’ll be here any minute and I’ve gotta finish packing the picnic basket, come on.” The hybrid waved him to follow and headed back towards the kitchen.

“You bought me dishes…?” The stallion muttered to himself as he got up to follow her, his brow furrowed slightly. He snatched up the jacket and brought it with him, dumping it in the ‘living room’ for later use. “Was this the Hearth’s Warming Eve when I drank all that cider? Because I don’t remember most of that holiday.” The mare stopped and furrowed her brow in thought.

“...Yes, actually I think it was. That would explain a lot actually, you got up on my dining room table and began singing Deck The Halls.” Ebony snickered at the memory. “My sister couldn’t stop laughing for a good ten minutes!”

“...And of course...That’s one of the few parts I actually do remember..” Circuit let out a long suffering sigh, dragging one of his hooves down his face. “Let’s just finish packing the picnic basket and forget I ever mentioned this.” A long loud laugh that sounded like a snort mixed with a chortle echoed through the kitchen as the hybrid laughed. “Oh Luna, your face!” After a few moments of laughter, the mare composed herself and began levitating the food items into a picnic basket on the counter next to the stove.

“Oh hush up you…” The gray stallion let out an almost fond sounding sigh, shaking his head a bit. “Let’s just hurry up and get everything finished, I don’t want Adhesive to have to stand around waiting for us to finish packing things.” He sighed, pulling a strand of his shaggy mane down to his eyes. “While you’re packing, I’m going to go attempt to brush my mane again.” Ebony rolled her green eyes before smiling softly and packing more of the food. She smirked with mirth as she found a little, something extra to put in the basket. Finding the sticky notes and a green pen, she began to write.

“Hehe, now they’ll definitely have… fun.” Circuit rejoined the mare after a few moments of attempting to drag a comb through his mane, said comb still tangled up in his dark gray locks. He scanned over the basket, a soft, slightly giddy smile spreading across his face.

“This looks great Ebs, I owe you one.” The mare smiled back at him shrugging. “Hey, don’t worry about that. Just have fun alright? I want my little grump to have fun with his special somepony, or soon to be anyway.” The golden pegasus fluttered her wings before snorting and handing the basket to Circuit. “Now go! Don’t keep him waiting!”

“Yeah yeah don’t jinx me woman…” The ‘pegasus’ let out a soft huff, yanking the comb out of his hair and hucking it somewhere where he’d probably forget it ever existed, before grabbing the basket out of her hooves. “Wish me luck okay?” He shot her a nervous smile, straightening himself out before he headed out the door. She shouted back some encouragements before he left before sitting down in front of the TV with a bowl of chowder to watch some random movie.
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Adhesive Stamp was gently pacing back and forth under a weeping willow tree on one of the many hills in the nearly deserted park at the edge of Ponyville. He had laid out the blanket he was supposed to bring long ago and was now just waiting. The stallion was nervous for some reason, they’d been going on dates for weeks now. Why was he nervous? The green maned male didn’t know but he was.

Circuit took a deep breath as he slowly trotted through the park, keeping his hoofsteps steady so the basket didn’t slip from his back. He forced himself to breath calmly as he made his way to their meeting spot, trying to keep himself from panicking and chickening out. He’d be fine. It’s not like he was going to ask him to marry him or anything, he was just asking him to be his coltfriend. That was all. He’d be fine. It’d be fine. At least that’s what he kept telling himself as he made his way over to the willow tree.

“Hey! Sorry I’m late! Were you waiting for too long?” The other stallion shook his head.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. I wasn’t waiting long, besides, it was worth it! I see you have the basket, I’m guessing that means our picnic is officially on?” Adhesive smiled brightly, he wore a soft blue hoodie that was unzipped and under it was a black t-shirt. Circuit smiled warmly at him, trying to ignore the way the way his heart fluttered slightly as he set the basket down on the blanket.

“Of course, I’ve been thinking about this picnic all day. Ebony made the food too, so it’s gonna be amazing.” He snickered softly as he sat down on the blanket, patting the spot next to him. “C’mon, let’s dig into this before my stomach eats itself.” The stallion let out a chuckle before nodding. “You know it’s good food when Ebony makes it! Remember that time she made cookies? And interrupted us during the movie? Good times, good cookies too!” He smiled and opened the basket, pulling out food. Delicious aromas surrounded the two as the green maned stallion began dishing out food on two plates. “Huh? What’s this?” His brows furrowed, Adhesive pulled out a small bag of, sugar cubes? As well as a note. “It’s from Ebony… Don’t have too much fun boys. Huh, wonder what that means.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Circuit muttered as he grabbed the note from him, crumpling it up before shoving it back into the basket. “Knowing Ebony, it’s probably better that we don’t think too hard about what that could mean. Let’s just enjoy our meal, yeah?” The other stallion nodded before handing a plate of food to Circuit, a big smile on his face.

“I’ve been waiting all day for this, besides, it’s nice out today. The pegasi must be busting their flanks to take out all of the clouds.” He scooted closer to the darker stallion, his own food in tow. The ‘pegasus’ nodded as he smiled at him, feeling a slightly nervous blush spread across his face. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down and stop acting like a filly with a crush or something. He was a full grown stallion for Celestia’s sake.

“Same here, I was ah...Really looking forward to this date.” He shot a shy smile at Adhesive, shoveling some of the food into his mouth so he’d have a reason not to talk. The blue eyed stallion smiled and took a bite of his daisy sandwich and took the bottle of champagne in his hoof. “Eh? Lemme guess, Ebony packed this too?” He winked at Circuit, smirking at the blush erupting from his companion’s face. Circuit let out a soft huff, snatching the bottle from him so he could pour two glasses.

“Of course she did, I usually don’t bother buying the stuff. It’s always way too expensive, plus I’ve never had a reason to drink it. Er...Well...At least, until you came along I suppose…” He let out an embarrassed huff as he hoofed one of the drinks over to the other stallion. Adhesive took the offered drink with a smile, taking a soft sip before laying his head into the crook of Circuit’s neck. “I’m glad we have a reason to, I’m actually… really happy with you Circuit. You, make me happy.” Blue orbs looked up to connect with green ones.

“I ah….You...You make me really happy too Adhesive...I um…” The dark coated stallion quickly tossed back the glass of champagne, the bubbly drink giving him a little boost of confidence. “I’ve actually been meaning to talk with you about that...We’ve ah….We’ve been together for a while now, yeah..?” Stamp nodded, smiling brightly. “Yeah, a month to be exact, it’s been super fun, I’m really enjoying it.”

“Y-yeah so ah...I was..I was just thinking..I mean, since we’re enjoying each other's company so much and ah...We seem to make a pretty good couple so...I was thinking that maybe we could ah….Make things a little more...Permanent..?” He took a deep breath, reaching over to gently grasp one of Adhesive’s hooves. “I guess what I’m trying to ask is um...W-will you be my coltfriend..?” The blue stallion’s eyes went wide as his brain came to terms with the words being spoken to him. “Yes! Celestia yes! A thousand times yes!” He launched himself at Circuit, wrapping his hooves around the stallion’s neck and hugging him in happiness. Circuit let out a happy, totally very manly squeal as he wrapped his arms around the white stallion’s waist, rolling across the blanket as he held his new coltfriend in his hooves. It took him a few moments till the words really hit him.

“Y-you will…? That’s...That’s great! Oh Luna, wait till I tell Ebony, she’s going to be ecstatic.” He let out a soft chuckle as he gently nuzzle Adhesive’s neck. The white stallion made a small purr in reply to the nuzzle and clung slightly tighter. “Knowing her, she’ll probably want to be the Maid of Honor at the wedding.” He giggled before looking up at his new coltfriend with glee.

“W-wedding…? Oh phew, let’s not move tooo fast….Ebony will be excited enough with the whole, coltfriend thing, I don’t need her to shriek wedding plans are me quite yet. And knowing her, she’ll probably want to plan the entire thing if we do end up getting married. Takes the stress off of us though I guess.” He chuckled softly as he continued to nuzzle him, his face heating up considerably. “Hmm, I do like the sound of Adhesive Heart though, ah well I-” He was about to say more when a bout of thunder clapped through the sky.

Adhesive sat up in alarm. “But today is scheduled to be sunny!”

“Crap! Abort mission! Abort!” Circuit quickly leaped to his hooves, quickly shoving their things into the basket. He wasn’t far into his frenzied trying to put the things away when the rain began to fall in fat drops. “Crap!” Adhesive held the blanket over their heads as best as he could and began running for cover. There was a small little overhang near the tree, it was connected to a greenhouse of sorts. “There!” Stamp cried and began galloping towards it. Circuit quickly finished packing up the basket before he followed after him, swinging it from his jaws as he followed after him. He let out a relieved sigh as he slipped into the greenhouse, dropping the basket down next to them as he shook out his damp mane.

“Oh thank Luna for this….” Adhesive chuckled, smiling at his coltfriend. “I know right? And it’s warm in here too.” It was warm, and a bit humid, but the plants of all different kinds from all over Equestria were beautiful. All kinds of colors, all different kinds of shapes, the aroma alone was perfume of the highest quality. “Woah…” The green maned stallion murmured. Circuit smiled as he let his gaze travel around the greenhouse, his nose twitching slightly at the sweet scent of the flowers wafted across his nose. He carefully plucked one from a thick patch of dark blue flowers, gently tucking it behind Adhesive’s ear.

“There, perfect.” Said white stallion blushed brightly before snuggling into his side. “If anypony, I’m glad it was you Circuit.”

Chapter 8, Settling In

As soon as the two coltfriends had told their golden friend of the news she had immediately began to squeal in glee and proceeded to jump about the room. Mainly off the walls, literally. “Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!!!!!!” The mare cried, flapping her wings in excitement, which caused them to appear to be a gold and crimson blur. “This is the best day of my one thousand and twenty-three years of life!” Adhesive blinked in confusion, blue eyes wide. Circuit turned to him to calm him. “It’s chill, she’s half changeling, some kind of genetic thingy. Don’t think too much about it, gives you a headache.”

Ebony stopped for a moment to look at the mail stallion with a smile. “Eeyup! Genetics are weird, stuff canceled out and other things were created. Thanks mom and dad~!” Stamp blinked again. “Will you ever tell me about this weird stuff Circuit?”

“Nope.”
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Circuit sighed as he nervously sat on his couch, tapping his hooves on the coffee table nervously. He had no clue why he was so nervous. After all, he’d already gotten the hard part of actually asking Adhesive to move in, so he shouldn’t still be worried about it, right? Wrong. He was terrified of actually moving the other stallion’s stuff in. Not only was he worried about them living together, after all Circuit was kind of a mess when it came to actually taking care of himself, but he was worried he’d judge him for the state of disrepair his house was in. It wasn’t his fault! He didn’t have time to take care of himself, let alone his house. He’d done his best to make things look decent while he waited for the other stallion to arrive with his things, including shoving the rather embarrassingly large collection of dresses he owned into a dark corner in which Adhesive would never find them, but it still did nothing to calm his nerves.

Ebony on the other hoof, was busy in the kitchen once again, making lunch for all of them as they moved Adhesive’s stuff in. “You know, it’s funny, I spend more time here than I do at home most days. But, if I didn’t, you’d never eat and probably starve.” The mare chuckled, stirring some alfredo sauce for the spaghetti she was cooking. “Come on Circuit, relax, you’ve already shoved those rather expensive dresses in a heap in your closet. What else do you need to do hmm?”

“Burn them so he’ll never discover my shame.” He let out a groan, dragging a hoof down his face. “What am I gonna do if he finds out Ebs? He’s gonna think I’m a big perv…” The stallion whined, flailing one of his hooves in the air. Ebony let out a sigh and clicked her tongue at the spoon, which was enveloped in magic and continued to stir the sauce. The mare then walked over to her friend and looked him in the eye. “Circuit, he won’t care, do you really think I’d approve of him if he would do something like that? Besides, worst case scenario is you could just say they’re mine and I needed extra closet space okay?”

“But they’re not your size Ebony he’ll knoooow!” He wailed, dragging out the last word as he rolled off of the couch. “Why did I think this was a good idea…? This place is falling apart, what if he hates it here..?” The ‘pegasus’ groaned as he pushed himself to his hooves. “Do you think I have enough time to tear down the entire place and rebuild it before he gets here?”

The mare let out a chortle, her green eyes shining with mirth.

“Sorry Circuit, but I don’t think that’ll work. Either way, remember when you had your first movie date here? You freaked out and all this other stuff, but he liked it here all the same. Do you know why? Because Adhesive was spending time with you.” The crimson maned mare put a hoof gently on his shoulder to comfort him. “He’s gonna like it here, I know it okay?

“Ughhhhhhhh why do you have to be right all the time?” The green eyed stallion whined, though he didn’t actually sound all that upset by Ebony being right. He lightly batted at one of her ears as he flopped back onto the couch, covering his eyes with his free arm. “What time is he supposed to be here again..?” A knock on the door was his answer and Ebony smirked.

“Right now apparently, I’ll get it~!” She said, her voice making a vibrato motion which made her voice sound sing-song. Ebony flapped her wings and flew up the stairs to open the door where Adhesive stood with a box in his arms and more at his hooves. “Hey Ebs, uh, can I come in?” She let out a chortle and nodded, enveloping half the boxes on the ground in magic making them levitate inside.

“Well duh, this is your house now too!” Circuit quickly scrambled to his hooves, pushing down the wave of nervousness that rose in his chest. He shot what he hoped was a warm smile at Adhesive, quickly grabbing one of the boxes.

“Here, let me help you guys with this. We can just pile everything in the living room for now and figure out where it’ll go later.” Adhesive nodded and hauled his box down the stairs, setting it by the couch. “Thanks, I don’t have too many so it shouldn’t take too long. I can pick up some little bits and bobs as we go on. Besides, the faster we get this done the faster we can eat!” He smiled warmly, his blue eyes shining. Ebony laughed and nodded. “We’re having spaghetti and alfredo sauce for lunch, no meat I swear!” Circuit chuckled softly, grabbing another box before carrying the two downstairs to put next to the rest. With all three of them working on it, it wasn’t long before they’d brought all of his boxes inside.

“Phew….Alright, why don’t we eat first and then we can start on unpacking everything?”

“Sounds good to me!” Adhesive said happily before following Ebony to grab plates while she grabbed the food. After coming back, they sat down in the designated ‘dining room’ which was pretty much a small room next to the kitchen that had a table and four chairs. That was literally it, well, there was a light, that’s all there was. “Ebony, why do you always say that there’s ‘no meat’ in your dishes?” The blue eyed stallion asked, the golden mare went rigid.

“Uhhhh…. well, you see…” She was quickly interrupted by one ‘pegasus’.

“Don’t worry about it.” Circuit quickly grabbed one of Adhesive’s hooves, tugging him over to sit down next to him. “Just one of those quirky little Ebony things you don’t need to concern yourself with. Let’s just enjoy our meal, yeah?” His coltfriend nodded and then sent Ebony a ‘we’ll talk about this later’ look. Said mare sat down and began dishing out portions of the food with a smile. “Anyway, since you two live together now, I’m guessing you’ll be sharing Circuit’s room, and his, bed?” Of course, right as the mare spoke Circuit had been in the middle of taking a drink. He let out a slightly strangled sounding noise, spitting water all over the table.

“E-excuse me!?” He spoke through his coughs, quickly grabbing a dish rag to clean up the mess he made. At the same moment, Adhesive turned bright red, his blue eyes wide. The pegasus smiled at the two’s reactions. “Why yes, sleeping with a loved one is very calming, besides, who doesn’t like cuddles at night?”

“O-oh..Right...That’s what you meant I ah..” The dark coated stallion coughed a bit, his face reddening. “I knew that…” He quickly finished cleaning up the water, settling back down in his chair again. “I ah...I guess I’d be fine with that if you are Adhesive…” The stallion in question shook his head to clear it before nodding. “Y-yeah, I’d like that very much Circuit.” Ebony just sat across the table with a smug, triumphant look on her face. “Hehe, I win.”

“Yeah yeah whatever...Just eat your food woman.” Circuit let out an embarrassed huff as he picked up his fork, twirling some of the pasta around it before shoving it into his mouth. He fell silent as he ate, too distracted with the food to bother holding up anymore conversation.

After the group ate, Ebony began to clean up in the kitchen while Circuit and Adhesive began moving labeled boxes to areas so that they could be unpacked. Currently, Adhesive was carrying a box labeled ‘clothes’ to Circuit’s, well their, bedroom. “I’ll just put this on the bed, do you mind if I start putting stuff in the closet? I have some extra hangers so you don’t have to worry about that.” He reached for the closet door and began to open it.

“Wait no!” Circuit leaped forward, quickly shoving the closet shut before he could open it any further. “I’ll um...I can do that. W-why don’t you uh...Go unpack something else?” The dark coated stallion stood in front of the closet, trying to give him his best innocent smile. The white stallion blinked before giving his coltfriend a look of confusion.

“Circuit, what are you hiding from me?” He took a tentative step forward and put his hoof on the closet door gently.

“Nothing! Why do you ask I’m not hiding anything why would I hide things from you?” The blue eyed stallion babbled slightly as he batted him away. “L-look it’s not important okay why don’t we just go unpack things elsewhere and not open this closet?” Stamp nodded and Circuit let out a sigh of relief and began walking to the door to grab another box. Without a word, the green maned stallion threw open the closet to reveal all of the frilly and girly dresses that Ebony had bought Circuit over the years.

Adhesive blinked. “This is what you were hiding from me?”Circuit immediately dropped the box he’d been holding, darting over in an attempt to shut the closet again.

“No no don’t look at it!” He nudged Adhesive away before slamming the closet shut. His coltfriend shook his head in amusement before looking at Circuit in the eyes. “Babe, you don’t need to hide this kind of thing from me, if it’s something that makes you happy I’ll support it. That’s what love is, a-and I love you Circuit. I really really do.”

“I…..I love you too…” Circuit smiled shyly at the other stallion, a light blush spreading across his face. The smile however, was quickly replaced with a pout. “A-and I don’t like this for your information! Ebony make me do it!” He huffed, unwilling to admit that he sorta, kinda, just maybe, enjoyed the whole cross-dressing thing a bit. Adhesive let out a laugh, his eyes scrunched up in mirth.

“Seems like something Ebony would do!” At that moment, said changeling hybrid poked her head through the door. “What’s something I would do? Oh, I see you found the dresses, eeyup, though you gotta admit all of the colors do work well with his eyes~!” She commented before disappearing once again to who knows where in the house. Circuit just let out a soft snort, rolling his eyes as he picked up the box he’d had earlier again.

“C’mon, let’s just get this packing done…”

Chapter 9, Disagreements

A few weeks after the two coltfriends had moved in together, things had been going well. Adhesive had livened up the place and make it look homier, and Circuit was now eating on a regular basis. But there was one problem, living together twenty-four seven can lead to some issues. Nothing major of course, but, well…. arguments do happen.

“What do you mean you don’t want me to meet your family? We’ve been together for a month and a half, and were going out on dates for another month before all that!” The blue eyed stallion cried exasperatedly.

“What do you care so much?” Circuit let out a soft huff, rolling his eyes as though the other stallion was the one who was being ridiculous. “It’s not like it’s the end of the world. So I don’t want you to meet my family, so what?” Said green maned stallion let out a cry of frustration.

“So what, are you embarrassed of me or do you just not care when it comes to family?!” Tears were in his eyes now, but with his angry look, Adhesive was holding them back. “I showed you my family two weeks ago! Because I was so happy to have you in my life, and they loved you! Now you don’t even want me to talk to them? What the hell Circuit!”

“A-ashamed of you? Where the hell did you even get that idea?” The gray stallion sputtered slightly, his face reddening out of both mortification and embarrassment. “Why would you even think that? And yeah, okay, I got to meet your family. But that was your choice to let me meet them. It’s my decision on whether you get to meet my family, and I say no, you don’t get to meet them! Ever!” Stamp’s eyes couldn’t hold the tears anymore as they began to fall and stain his white coat.

“Why not? If all this does work out which I hope to Luna it does, I want to meet my in laws before the Celestia damn wedding! Do you care so little about the people who gave birth to you huh?!” Circuit was about to reply when a slap was heard down the hall. It was Ebony’s Lair door, and emerging, was a very pissed of changeling hybrid. She had bags under her eyes and her crimson mane and tail were stuck out in every direction. The mare glared at the two and stalked over to them.

“What, in the name of bucking holy Luna’s left legs are you two yelling about at three in the morning?!?!” Circuit flinched slightly, his ears pressing flat against his skull as he cowered a bit. Sure, Ebony was pretty much his best friend in the world, but that mare got scary when she was upset, and he preferred not to be at the end of her fury when he could avoid it.

“Er...Sorry for the noise, Adhesive and I were just..Discussing things…No need to worry about it, you can go back to bed now.” He quickly tried to usher the pegasus back to her lair before things could escalate any further.

But Ebony was not fooled, a thousand years on this earth gave her a lot of experience. And it took a lot to pull the wool over her eyes. Green eyes which landed on a certain white stallion with tears in his eyes and staining his cheeks.

“Circuit.... What. Have. You. Done?!” The mare seethed, walking over to Adhesive and wrapping a hoof around his shoulders.

“Shh, it’s okay sweetie, Ebs isn’t gonna let this grump hurt you anymore tonight. It’s okay…” Adhesive sobbed and leaned into the comforting touch as Ebony began to lead him into her lair.

“And you Circuit, I hope you think about what you’ve done tonight.” The ‘pegasus’ let out a weary, and slightly terrified, sigh, his ears pressing further against his head as he guilt welled up in his chest. He didn’t say anything else, simply watched as Ebony led away his, hopefully, still coltfriend before slinking off to his own room to sulk.
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Ebony had used the rest of the night to console the mail stallion before he literally cried himself to sleep. ‘Poor guy…’ She thought, stroking the sleeping stallion’s green mane. A more friendly gesture than anything. The pegasus knew that Circuit could be harsh at times from personal experience, but it was never easy. Still, she loved that old grump like a brother, which is why she had intervened. The hybrid didn’t want them saying anything else they’d regret later.

Circuit was still quickly sulking in his and Adhesive’s shared room, buried under several pillows and blankets as he moped. He’d tried sleeping for a bit, figuring that’d make him feel a bit better, but every time he closed his eyes all he could see was Adhesive’s tear soaked face. He hadn’t meant to make the stallion cry. He never wanted to hurt him like that. The other just didn’t understand that on no circumstances could he ever meet his family. Ever.

Morning came eventually, painfully slow for the hybrid and ‘pegasus’ alike, the mail stallion had slept, if only for a few fitful hours. Adhesive continued to sleep as Ebony snuck out of the lair and into the kitchen to make him some food. Her mane and tail had been brushed but not styled, just to keep it out of her eyes. Circuit stirred from his fitful doze at the soft noises from the kitchen, rubbing at his bloodshot eyes as he pulled himself from his nest of blankets. He slowly made his way to the source of the noises, his gray ears pressing back against his tangled mess of mane as he spotted the mare. He attempted to smile sheepishly at her despite the wave of fresh guilt that washed over him.

“Morning…” The mare sent him a glare.

“Judging by the bags under your eyes I’m guessing you thought about what you did?” She began to crack some eggs and beat them into a mixture for pancakes.

“Yeah...You...You could say that…” He yawned as he rubbed at his eyes, blinking blearily at the mare as he watched her prepare breakfast. “How is he…?”

“Asleep, cried himself into unconsciousness.” She put the frying pan on the stove and cranked the dial with a small sigh. “He really thinks you’re embarrassed by him, he just wants to meet them. Isn’t there someone in your family that you’re willing to introduce him to? Even if you don’t, why don’t you tell him why. Adhesive loves you, and wants to be a part of your life, just, think about it okay?”

“That bad huh…” Circuit let out a weary sigh, dragging one of his hooves over his face. “I’m not embarrassed by him at all, you know exactly why I don’t want him to meet my family. And I have thought about it. A lot. I just don’t know if he’d be okay only meeting one of my family members.” Ebony gave him a look, her signature, ‘Are you bucking kidding me?’ look.

“I’m sure if you explained it to him he would understand, try taking a little leap of faith here. It’s better than not trying at all.” She turned to continue the pancakes when the sound of a door creaking sounded through the house. Adhesive had woken up and groggily began coming into the kitchen but stopped dead in his tracks at seeing his coltfriend. Circuit tensed up as he stared at him, their eyes meeting for a second before he looked away. He cleared his throat, coughing slightly as he tried to alleviate some of the tension.

“Good morning….” The mail stallion didn’t reply, only grabbed a glass of water before heading towards the bathroom. The dark coated stallion quickly darted out, gently grasping the other stallion’s free hoof. “Adhesive wait...Can...Can we talk…? Please….?” The stallion turned back to his coltfriend and swallowed before nodding.

“Yeah… we can talk Circuit…” His blue eyes were cast downwards onto the ground and his green mane was flatter and less lively than usual. Circuit attempted to smile at him, though it was strained at best. He gently tugged on his hoof, starting to pull him out of the kitchen.

“C’mon...Let’s go talk somewhere more private…” He spoke as he gently led him down to the basement where they could have peace and quiet while they spoke. Adhesive followed Circuit, his breathing shaky and his face raw from the night before.

“Circuit...I-I…”

“Wait, before you say anything I just need to tell you, I’m sorry. I just…” He let out a frustrated sigh, running one of his hooves down his face. “I didn’t know this family thing was so important to you, okay? I didn’t think it would upset you so much and I’m really sorry and I really don’twanttoloseyouandpleaseforgivemeandI’msorryand-” The stallion continued to babble on, his words starting to all just slur together as he started running out of air. Adhesive effectively interrupted him by pressing his lips to the other stallion in a feverative kiss.

“I-I’m sorry too… I shouldn’t have gotten into it with you. I shouldn’t have pressed the matter after you voiced your discomfort AndI’mSorryToo,INeverShould’veGottenMadAnd-” Circuit did the same thing the other stallion had done, muffling his words with a passionate kiss. He pulled back after a few moments, a nervous smile twitching across his mouth as his face heated up.

“Let’s just agree that we’re both idiots and pushed things too far, okay?” The green maned stallion nodded, a smile on his features. He brought a hoof up to gently stroke his coltfriend’s face and a small tear ran down his face as Adhesive let out a small happy laugh.

“Celestia damn I love you, so so much…” The ‘pegasus’ laughed as he nuzzled his face, gently kissing the tear away.

“I love you too, I don’t know what I’d do without you…” He smiled at him as he pulled back, giving him another quick kiss before fully pulling away. “Look I...I still don’t want you to my parents, and it’s nothing against you just trust me, you wouldn’t want to meet them, but ah...Maybe you’d like to meet my grandmother?” His face brightened even brighter, a smile nearly splitting his face from ear to ear.

“That would be absolutely amazing!” He launched himself at Circuit, wrapping his hooves around the ‘pegasus's’ neck. Circuit laughed as he hugged him back, squeezing him tightly as he held him against his chest.

“I can’t wait, trust me, my grandma will love you.”

Chaptr 10, Bandits!

WARNING! Minor Character Death, you have been warned!

Adhesive woke up early that morning, he was being held in Circuits hooves in their bed. Their bed, he loved the sound of it and it made him smile in the darkness, today was the day. He was going to meet Circuit’s Grandma, and it was going to be amazing. Despite the other’s movement, Circuit didn’t stir. He was still out like a log, the perfect picture of beauty with his rat’s nest of a mane splayed out on the pillow and the soft snuffling snores that left his mouth.

Ebony on the other hoof, was smiling, she had brought a carriage from her own home and was currently going over a checklist to see what they’d need for the small road trip to Circuit’s Grandmother’s house. “Wake up boys! Get ready to go!” The mare’s mane was pulled back into a ponytail, ironic huh? Either way, she had reading glasses on as well, her jaw was set in a straight line as she concentrated and tapped a pen on her chin in thought.

“Nooooo….” The gray stallion let out a dramatic whine, burying his head underneath his pillow and blankets. “Too earlyyyy...Come back later…” He snatched up one of the pillows and flung it towards Ebony. “Shoooo….” Ebony easily sidestepped and, with a blank expression, grabbed a corner of the blanket with her magic and promptly yanked it off of the bed. “How’s that for too early you little sh*t.” Adhesive promptly began snickering. Circuit let out a dramatic wail as he was yanked off the bed, landing on the floor with a loud thunk.

“Owwwww….Why are you so meaaaan..?” He groaned, sounding more like a small child then a grown stallion as he sat up. “I hate you so much…”

“No you don’t, now get up, we’re going to Grandma’s today so get ready.” Ebony then turned and walked out of the room, the blanket over her shoulder as she hummed ‘Winter Wrap Up’ to herself. Adhesive turned to his coltfriend.

“Come on babe, get up alright? I’ll help you brush your mane~!” He offered.

“Hn….Fine, but only if Ebony makes breakfast!” A voice came from the kitchen.

“Already doing it~!” Said pegasus sang happily before the sound of frying eggs could be heard emanating from said kitchen. “You know Circuit, you should invest in a better stove, or at least try making one. This thing is getting old, and it’s only a gas stove!”

“You say that, but you and I both know if I tried I’d probably blow up the entire house.” He let out a snort as he pushed himself to his hooves, flicking his ratty hair out of his eyes only for it to fall right back into the same spot. “And stoves cost money, why bother when the one I have works just fine?” She snorted at the comment.

“You never clean it and it’s practically falling apart! Plus the Luna cursed thing burns anything that’s even on there for a second after it’s cooked!” Adhesive sighed and brought his front hooves to his temples.

“Can you two please just shut up for five seconds? Circuit and I just woke up, I’m not sure how long you’ve been up Ebony but I’m guessing it’s been awhile. So, you’ve had some time to fully wake up, we haven’t. Just give me a moment to calm Circuit and get ready, we’ll be back for breakfast once it’s ready.” The pegasus nodded before turning to continue cooking the eggs.

“I don’t need to calm down, you need to calm down….” Circuit muttered childishly as he wrapped his hooves around the other stallion, totally not clinging to him whatsoever. “Do we really have to get up so early..? I bet my grandma isn’t even awake yet…” He whined, despite knowing that his grandmother would be long awake by now. His coltfriend sighed before dragging him to the bathroom connected to their bedroom.

It was plain, white tiled floor and half of the wall as the same tile. The upper half of the wall was gray paint, on the far wall at the very back was a bathtub slash shower that was the same plain white as the rest of the room. A simple toilet next to it and at the front by the door was a sink with a large mirror over it. The sink top, was probably the most interesting part of the room. Why? Because it had so much stuff all over it, brushes, perfumes, expensive ones at that, (Ebony, again?!) as well as other assorted bits and bobs of hair care made their home here.

“Alright, sit, I told you I’d do your mane didn’t I?” Adhesive smiled at his coltfriend and grabbed one of the brushes on top of the counter and began gently tugging it through the mess of mane. Circuit let out a little grumble, though it quickly faded away at the feel of the soothing strokes across his mane. He didn’t know how he did it, but somehow Adhesive managed to fix up his mane with far less pain and mane tearing than Circuit ever could. Plus, he was able to make it actually look semi decent.

“You’re lucky I enjoy this so much otherwise I’d tell you to rack off and then go back to bed.” His coltfriend let out a laugh and continued brushing.

“You’re lucky I love you so much Circuit.” He finished the ‘pegasus’s’ mane and put down the brush before picking up his own brush and pulling it through his green mane gently. Circuit chuckled softly, shifting around so he could lean forward and press a kiss to the other stallion’s nose.

“I know I’m lucky, I’m not even sure how I got lucky enough to have someone as amazing as you~” A light blush spread across his face as he spoke. Adhesive smiled, his heart softening immensely at the comment.

“Aww, you big goof, I love you!” He dropped the brush and wrapped his hooves around the stallion’s neck in a loving embrace. The gray stallion laughed softly, squeezing him tightly as he pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

“Yeah yeah I love you too...Now c’mon, let’s finish getting ready before Ebony comes in here and yells at us.”

“Yeah, don’t want that happening now do we?” He smiled and finished brushing his mane and tail before trotting out of the bathroom and grabbed a jacket from their closet. Satisfied with his choice Adhesive threw it over his shoulder and walked out of their room to see Ebony holding a checklist at the dining room table.

“Eggs are done and there’s toast ready, so sit your flanks down and eat.” She muttered to them not looking up from the list. At some point she’d pulled her mane back into a ponytail, ironic right? And had grabbed her small reading glasses, currently she was tapping a pen to her chin in thought. Circuit let out a happy noise as he sat down, quickly digging into his meal. He finally spoke up after a few moments of just quietly chewing.

“So, what’s the plan for today? Aside from going to grandmothers of course.” The pegasus cleared her throat and grabbed a piece of toast.

“Well, I’ve gotten one of my carriages to take us, you two will be in the carriage itself while I will be driving. It won’t take too long, didn’t you say your Grandmother lives in VanHoover? That should only be a three hour ride by carriage, though, if you two both had wings and could actually fly….”

“Oh hush you, the carriage will be fine.” He let out a soft snort, getting to his hooves to put his now empty plate in the sink. “What time are we going to head out?”

“As soon as we finish eating, which should be now.” Ebony finished her toast and quickly whisked away the empty plates before pushing the two colts out of the room, past the living room and up the stairs leading to the outside world. She threw open the door to reveal the carriage they’d be taking.

It was black as Ebony’s namesake name with silver trimmings all over it, including the majority of the wheels. There were two dark brown stallions with golden manes and tails cropped short like in the military. The one closest to the group had blue eyes and a horseshoe cutie mark, the other had golden eyes and a pickaxe cutie mark.

“Boys, meet Lucky and Pixie, two friends of mine, their twins.” Circuit gave the two and awkward little wave before quickly slipping into the back of the carriage. He didn’t have anything against the two, he was just awful at making small talk and figured it’d just be better for everyone if he didn’t even attempt. He settled down into the seat, sinking back into the soft cushions. He quickly made himself comfortable, settling in for the long drive. Ebony held up a hoof to help Adhesive into the carriage, who thanked her and sat down next to Circuit onto the deep purple satin cushions.

With that Ebony slung herself up onto the seat at the front of the carriage and grabbed the reins and the lead. “Let’s go boys! Next stop, VanHoover!”
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Circuit let out a startled snort as he was jerked from his nap, the sudden rocking of the carriage jolting him awake. He let out a groan as he forced his eyes open, attempting to rub the sleep away from them as he looked around the enclosed space.

“Ebony..? What’s going on? Is something wrong?” The little window between where the driver’s seat was and the inside of the carriage was small, but it did carry sound.

“Circuit listen to me, wake up, the seats open up, there’s a latch under where you’re sitting. Inside there’re some guns I packed, damn! We must’ve turned into bandit country! Grab some guns for you and Adhesive, we’re under attack!” The carriage jolted again with force, she whipped the reins once more turning to the stallions galloping in front of the carriage at top speeds.

“Come on boys! Faster!” One of them, Lucky, turned his head back and nodded at Ebony before pushing forward a little faster. Said hybrid took a deep breath before reaching behind her seat and pulled out a pump action coach gun. A pretty piece she’d picked up over the years, the mare turned behind her looking to see two, no three, bandits on motorized speeders holding revolvers.

“C'mere you yellow bellied bunch a horn blowers!” She shouted before letting a blast out of the gun. “YeeeeHAW!!!” Circuit let out a slightly panicked noise as he reached under the seats, shoving a gun towards Adhesive, who still looked like he was trying to wake up from his nap.

“You realize I have no clue what I’m doing with this thing, right!?” The gray stallion yelled up to Ebony, shifting around in his seat to try and catch a glimpse of their pursuers. “You better have a plan Ebony!” Said mare let out a roar of laughter.

“Course I do! Hold em off and take em out, if they try to get in, well, you can shoot at close range can’t ya?” Ebony smiled and she reached under her seat again to pull out a black stetson hat before putting it on her crimson mane and let loose another shot at the bandits.

One of them, a black one with white mane and tail and a red bandana around his muzzle went down, shoot through the heart and ripped through by the buckshot. Circuit ducked back at the loud bang, totally not cowering against Adhesive or anything. Oh no, Circuit’s was a manly stallion, he could handle it, right? The stallion was honestly just hoping and praying that none of the bandits would reach the door.

“You ah, holding up okay there Adhesive?” Said stallion had wordlessly grabbed the revolver and grabbed as much ammo as he could before throwing it on the seat next to him. He pulled back the hammer before looking back over to his coltfriend.

“Yeah I’m good, just get behind me, I used to shoot as a colt.” Another cry of laughter came from the mare up top as well as another shot from the shiny silver plated coach gun.

“Yep, yep okay sounds good.” The stallion let out a soft whine as he cowered behind his coltfriend, not even bothering to try and pretend he wasn’t hiding anymore. Screw his pride, he’d rather not have to listen to those other stallions get shot. Sure, they’d attacked them and they kinda deserved it, but that didn’t mean he was going to enjoy it.

As Ebony shot another bandit, a white one with a tan mane, a unicorn this time, they crossed into a canyon. That’s when four more speeders came around the corner from a cave they passed and began to tail them. Not only that, but two more dropped down from somewhere above onto the top of the carriage. Her green eyes went wide as she aimed the gun at one of them.

He promptly knocked it off of her hooves where it fell to the ground behind her seat.

“Why I oughta…” She replied to that with a quick punch to the face sending him over the side of the carriage. But before the mare could grab her gun, the other stallion, tan with black mane and tail and a green bandana around his muzzle, pulled her up onto the roof and slammed her down with a loud thud.

“Wrong move sonny, wrong carriage to rob you ugly sucker.” The hybrid leered before sweep kicking him onto his back before jumping up and punching him. He blocked, swerving from side to side before the mare rolled her eyes and kicked him in the family jewels. The stallion keeled over in pain and promptly fell off the moving wagon.

“Told ya!” She yelled before one of the bandits on a speeder grabbed the side of the carriage and threw open the door, ready to shoot the coltfriends inside.

“Uh oh…” Ebony muttered before grabbing her gun, gut she was too slow. Circuit, who had come out from his cowering when he heard all the noise, didn’t even think about it. He simply pointed his gun and fired, letting out a slightly horrified noise as he watched the stallion fall away from the door and to the ground. His body was quickly left behind at the speed they were going.

“Oh Celestia I just shot someone...I just...He just...I think I’m gonna throw up.” Adhesive grabbed Circuit and shook him by the shoulders. “Babe! Hey, snap out of it! You saved my life alright? Our lives, think about that later, just keep thinking about staying alive.” He then gave Circuit a quick, deep kiss before taking a deep breath and grabbed the carriage door and slammed it shut.

“Right...Right okay. Focus now, throw up later.” He took a deep breath, the kiss helping to clear his head slightly. “Okay, I’m gonna f-fine I just...I’ll be fine.” The stallion shot a slightly shaky smile at Adhesive. “Thanks…”

His coltfriend nodded to him and offered Circuit a soft smile of reassurance before turning towards the doors. Ebony on the other hoof, had taken down all but two of the bandits. One of which, was now dead, thanks to a good shot with her coach gun, the other, well… She missed him, but hit his speeder’s fuel tank. Which exploded violently in a big ball of fiery death and destruction. The finally made it out of the canyon and to their very eyes loomed VanHoover.

“Oh thank Luna, we made it guys! We made it!” Ebony cried with glee.

“Thank Luna…” Circuit let out a relief sigh as he slumped back in his seat, making sure to turn the safety on his gun before letting it slide from his hooves and to the floor. “Pardon me while I just go pass out for a bit now.” He let out a soft huff as he slumped against Adhesive, burying his muzzle in the other stallion’s shoulder. “I never wanna do that ever again.” Circuit’s ears twitched slightly, suddenly shooting up as he remembered something. “We are NOT telling my grandmother any of that happened, got it?” His coltfriend nodded and let out a deep sigh.

“Don’t worry, my lips are sealed Circuit, and we are definitely taking the main road on the way back, no more short cuts. I don’t think my heart can take it!” Ebony’s voice echoed through the carriage as she addressed the two.

“We’re pulling into the city now, where does your Grandma live exactly?” Circuit sat up so he could direct her, instructing her down several streets.

“Right, take a left here and then keep going straight. It’s a bright pink house covered in flowers, you can’t miss it.” Adhesive gave Circuit a confused look, Ebony leaned over the side and stuck her head in the window, also giving him a confused look.

“What? My grandma really likes flowers and the color pink, you got a problem with that?” The stallion let out a soft snort, rolling his eyes. “Just trust me, you’ll know the house when you see it.” Ebony retreated from the window and shrugged before following the previous directions, sure enough, a gaudy pink house with flowers and herbs pretty much everywhere came into view. Adhesive stuck his head out the window and smiled brightly.

“She seems like a fun lady!” The hybrid driving let out a snort and nodded.

“Aye, your grandma is gonna be an interesting one Circuit!”

“Oh, isn’t that the understatement of the century.”

Chapter 11, Hearts And Hooves Day Special

Previously on Mechanic Hearts and Postage Stamps~!

Hearts and Hooves day! Oh, what a special day where ponies young and old go out with their special someponies on dates and have so much fun! A snore rippled through the master bedroom of the house. ...Or not.

It was morning, Circuit and Adhesive were both still asleep, the latter cuddled up into the former’s embrace who had wrapped his hooves around the mail stallion protectively. Everything was peaceful. Ebony burst through the door and threw confetti everywhere, shouting into a bullhorn.

“HAPPY HEARTS AND HOOVES DAY!!!!!” The noise roared through the room, jolting Adhesive awake who in turn, screamed in alarm and promptly fell off the bed. Circuit just let out a soft groan, rolling onto his side so he could bury his head under the mound of pillows. Yes, he was used to Ebony’s occasional yelling at random hours, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it.

“S’too early for this Ebony….Go back to bed or something.” He flailed a hoof at the mare before settling back down, trying to make himself comfy again. “Go harass some other couple or something…” She gave him a deadpan look before a magical aura enveloped the blankets, promptly ripping them off the bed. Ebony gave Circuit a smug smile.

“Oops.” Adhesive on the other hoof, was still on the floor, holding his head where he’d accidentally hit it on the night stand. The stallion let out a soft grunt as he lifted his head, pulling it out of the pile of blankets. He shot a glare at Ebony, his eyes still slightly foggy with sleep.

“I hate you so much. Why are you so excited anyways, I thought you hated Heart and Hooves Day?” Her face instantly fell, vibrant emerald eyes dimming to a dark, lifeless olive. Her posture also changed, she seemed to shrink and slouch as if in pain.

“...Yeah…” The white stallion looked over at her, obviously very confused. He looked at Circuit, a silent look for answers across his face. Circuit let out a soft huff as he fully dragged himself out from the blankets, shaking himself a bit before padding over to lightly nudge the mare.

“Hey hey none of that, okay? Let’s just..Pretend I never said anything. Now c’mon, I know you didn’t wake us up this early for no reason, what sort of crazy scheme do you have planned this time?” He attempted to smile at her, hoping that changing the subject would perk her up again.

Ebony’s posture returned to normal and her eyes lit up again, not to the full luster of before but a definite improvement. She smiled brightly, one of her smiles that indicated she had a plan.

“Oh yeah, yes I do. So, you guys know how you two were just going to stay in and hang out today?” Adhesive nodded and got up finally from his spot on the floor where he’d fallen. “Well, now you’re not, cuz I’m kicking you out for the day. You two, are going to the fair that they’ve set up today. And it’ll be fun so shush!” The white stallion smiled, it did sound fun, a whole day with Circuit, at a fair? With roller coasters, cotton candy, snack foods, and a ferris wheel? What could be any better! The gray ‘pegasus’ immediately opened his mouth to complain, but after glancing over and seeing the happy look on Adhesive's face, he shut it. It had been a while since he and Adhesive had gone on a date...And the fair didn’t sound too bad.

“Alright, fine. But no going through my things! And especially don’t you dare break into the locked cupboard down in my workshop because that is private property and I’ll...I don’t know...Sue you or something.” He shrugged, unable to come up with a good threat. After all, Ebony could probably snap him like a twig if she really wanted to, so it didn’t matter how threatening he tried to be. Said pegasus let out a laugh, her mane shaking and throwing glitter onto the floor. Had that been in her hair?

“Oh Faust, Circuit! Is that you being threatening? You’re freaking adorable, besides, I may or may not look through that cupboard, depends on my mood silly~!” The white stallion rolled his blue eyes and walked over to his coltfriend’s side.

“Oh don’t worry about it, this’ll be fun! I’m gonna go get ready alright?” He said before walking off towards their bathroom, his tail actually flicking back and forth seductively. Ebony’s eyes widened and she instantly found something on the wall very interesting. Circuit let out a slightly strangled sounding noise as he watched Adhesive go, his face slightly red as he turned back to Ebony.

“Right I’m also gonna go ah, do that, you should...You should go somewhere not..Here bye.” He quickly ushered the mare out of the room before trotting after his coltfriend. A voice came from the bathroom as soon as he shut the door.

“Oh Circuit~!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ebony laughed at her friend's reaction before walking back into the living room. She trotted towards the ‘foyer’ and up the stairs opening the front door. On the steps was the morning mail. Which was enveloped in a green aura as the hybrid brought it back inside, humming as she went. Said mare walked to the living room and plopped herself down into an armchair by the fireplace where the TV hung above the mantle.

The newspaper was promptly unfolded and the headings read, from stocks to local tabloids. One article in particular caught her eye though, ‘New Mystic Psychic! All new booth coming to the county fair! Real Voodoo, come while supply lasts!’

What a load of hay, the only creatures to know voodoo are Zebras. The mare thought, chuckling to herself.

Both Circuit and Adhesive joined her after a few more minutes, both looking surprisingly presentable all things considered.

“Right, let’s get going before we get any more distracted and just end up spending all our time here.”

The mare raised an eyebrow before nodding and waving them off. “Go, have fun, but please be decent out in public alright?” Adhesive responded with a very bright blush that was very prominent against his white coat. The mare smirked at the two, her reading glasses firmly planted on her muzzle. To be honest she looked quite sophisticated, a stark contrast from what she’d just said.

“Yes mother, we’ll behave.” The gray stallion drawled sarcastically, letting out a soft huff as he rolled his eyes. “I am capable of keeping my hooves to myself you know.” He snorted softly, reaching out one of his hooves to gentle ruffle the mare’s mane. He knocked her glasses slightly askew, but he didn’t really care that much. “Call me if you need anything, okay? And I mean that, doesn’t matter if Adhesive and I are on a date.” She straightened her glasses and patted down her mane giving the ‘pegasus’ a playful glare.

“Yeah yeah, you do know I’m fully capable of handling many emergencies. But I’ll call if I need it alright, so shush.” Ebony flicked the newspaper to straighten it out before magically shoving the two coltfriends towards the stairs in the ‘foyer’.

“Okay okay, we get it we’re going. Don’t burn the house down while we’re gone!” Circuit called back before they were shoved out of the house, letting out a soft huff. “The things I put up with...C’mon love, let’s get going so we have as much time as possible at the fair.” His coltfriend let out a laugh and nodded.

“All in all though Ebony is a good friend, I’m glad she’s around to help out. Especially since you can’t cook a lick.” The stallion teased, sticking his tongue out playfully.

“Oi, you shut it. My cooking’s getting better! Sort of...I’ve been burning things less!” He let out a huff as he lightly bumped the other stallion. “So mean, why do even put up with you people~?” Adhesive let out a laugh before shaking his head at the comment.

“True, but that doesn't mean I’m going to give up Ebony’s Vegan Pasta.” They’d reached one of the main roads and the stallion held up a hoof to hail a taxi while also continuing to make eye contact with his coltfriend. Circuit snorted softly, lightly pecking his nose before slipping into the taxi.

“C’mon you, get in the taxi before I leave you here~” He teased him lightly, sticking his tongue out at Adhesive playfully. The stallion returned the gesture before getting in the taxi as well.

“County Fair please.” He said to the driver and then they were off, Adhesive smiled at Circuit lovingly. “Have you ever actually been to a fair before?”

“Nope!” The stallion let out a slightly awkward chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck as his face reddened slightly. “I um...Didn’t even know we had one in town until today to be honest...It sounds fun enough though, so I’m sure it’ll be great!” The stallion nodded, offering his coltfriend a smile.

“It is fun! I used to go to them as a kid, Madre and Mama would always take me since I didn’t have any siblings. We’d just hang out, as a family, eating cotton candy, playing games, even riding roller coasters!” Adhesive’s voice rose in excitement and the memories of his foalhood, in his eyes, this was going to be the best Hearts and Hooves day ever. The ‘pegasus’ raised his eyebrows slightly at the mention of two mothers, but he didn’t say anything about it. That was a talk for another time after all.

“Heh sounds...Ah wait…” His brow furrowed slightly as he backtracked to remember everything the other stallion had said. “Did you say uh...Roller coasters..?”

“Yeah! They were my favorite as a colt, the adrenaline rush or the heights just gave me a rush! I loved them, I think there’s one called the ‘Hoof Buster’ at the fair this year. It’s mostly closed during the year unless a Circus or fair comes to town so I’ve never been on it. But this year I will! It’ll be so much fun Circuit, you’ll love it!” His voice was full of excitement and glee, like a foal on Hearth’s Warming Eve morning. Circuit smiled warmly at him, forcing down the nervousness that threatened to rise in his chest. Adhesive looked so excited, he wouldn’t dare crush his happiness. He’d just have to suck it up and push down his own fears. Who knows, maybe it’d actually end up being fun? He highly doubted that, but it was worth a shot.

“Yeah...I bet it’s gonna be great. Especially since you’re gonna be there~” He lightly bopped the white stallion’s nose, a light blush spreading across his face. Adhesive let out a giggle and smiled before returning the gesture and giving his coltfriend a kiss on the cheek. The driver pulling the carriage looked back for a moment and smiled at them, letting out a small ‘aww!’

Adhesive blushed at the mare’s reaction, before turning back to his coltfriend. Circuit let out a slightly embarrassed sounding snort, having forgotten for a brief moment that there were other ponies in the taxi with them. He cleared his throat to rid himself of some of his embarrassment, settling back against the seat as he snuggled up against Adhesive’s side.

The taxi stopped shortly after in front of a big sign attached to a gate that read in brightly painted letters ‘County Fair.’ If that wasn’t obvious, the green maned stallion didn’t know what was. The driver, an orange mare with black mane and a wrench and gear cutie mark looked at them.

“Well, ‘er we are! That’ll be five bits, usually it’s ten dontcha know but I’m gonna be nice today a’ight?” She smiled at them brightly, her pink eyes warm. Circuit just quickly hoofed over the bits and slipped out of the cab before he was forced to make small talk or anything. He impatiently waited for Adhesive by the entrance to the fair, tapping one of his hooves on the ground as he tried to reign in his impatience. Said stallion walked over with a small knowing grin on his face. He crept over and leaned over by Circuit’s ear.

“You know you’re not fooling me with that grumpy act hmm?” The white earth pony whispered, his breath tickling Circuit’s ear. The stallion tensed up slightly, a warm blush spreading across his face as the fluff on the back of his neck stood up.

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about I’m a grumpy old stallion and you know it. Now let’s hurry up and get inside before I uh...Break a hip or something.” He muttered flusteredly as he shuffled forward, his ears pressed flat against his head. Adhesive let out a guffaw of laughter at his coltfriend’s response and quickly walked over to the ticket booth and bought two.

“Oh Luna that was good, you serious babe? Don’t bullsh*t a bullsh*tter, you of all ponies should know that.”

“Sorry, what was that? You’ll have to speak up sonny, my hearing isn’t what it used to be.” He snorted as he snatched his ticket from Adhesive’s hooves, sticking his tongue out at him. “Now c’mon, let’s get going so you don’t keep this old stallion up too late.” His coltfriend laughed, his blue eyes shining with mirth.

“Do we need to pick up some denture cleaner while we’re out or do we have enough?”

“No no, we’re good. I could use some more pomegranate juice though, s’good for the digestive system. You have to worry about that sort of stuff when you get to be my age.” Circuit teased him lightly as he nudged the other stallion in the side. “Alright alright, enough of the old jokes. Let’s just get on with our date, yeah?”

“Yeah, sounds good to me babe.” Adhesive smiled before entering the fair, being immediately met with booths selling all kinds of things. From cotton candy to game booths, even some booths with events. “Ohh! Cotton Candy, you’re gonna love this Circuit!” He cried happily before pulling his coltfriend over to the stand and buying two sticks of the sweet fluffy material. Circuit stared at the brightly colored sweet with wide eyes, slowly taking one of the sticks when offered.

“Are you sure this is edible? It looks like what you’d put in pillows or something.” The other stallion snickered.

“Yes Circuit, it’s edible, it’s good! Just try it, you’ll like it, it’s like thin sugar on a stick.” The blue eyed stallion smiled before taking a bite of the sweet in front of him. He let out a satisfied sound and smiled brightly at his coltfriend. “See? Edible and good.” The gray stallion looked at him skeptically, debating it a moment before taking a small bite of the fluffy treat. He let out a soft groaning noise, his eyes fluttering shut.

“Oh sweet Luna, where have you been all my life?” He groaned before practically shoving the rest of the cotton candy into his mouth. “Don’t look at me, this is a private moment.” Circuit spoke around the sweets in his mouth, his voice slightly muffled. His coltfriend let out a laugh before taking another bite of his own cotton candy.

“Told you~! Besides, I know what you like~.” Adhesive smiled, his blue eyes indicating certain… things…. As well as the mail stallion began to lick the side of his cotton candy in a certain manner….

“Okayyyyyy, enough of that. Let’s keep it PG-13 here love, at least until we get home. You heard what Ebony said earlier. And, as far as I know, she’s probably watching us right now or something.” The ‘pegasus’ let out a soft snort, flicking his gaze around the fairgrounds. “Why don’t I do something cheesy and cutesy for you like...I don’t know, win you a giant bear or something?” The stallion tapped his chin for a moment before smiling.

“Sure, why not? We can play a few games, that sounds fun.”

The two then began to spend the evening playing games, eating really unhealthy food and downright having fun. The booths were interesting, the prizes that Circuit won for Adhesive were large and ridiculous, but he loved them. As well as the food, good, but greasy or sugar filled.

“I still can’t believe you yelled at the attendee at that first game booth. Just to get me a prize you adorable stallion you.”

“Of course I did, that game was totally rigged! I’m not gonna let some cheapskate keep me from getting you a stuffed bear bigger than you are.” Circuit let out a soft huff, rolling his dark green eyes. He didn’t know why he’d been so dead set on getting that bear for his coltfriend in the first place, but just seeing him with it looked right. “Besides, you love that thing and you know it.” As if to confirm the statement the stallion gave the bear a squeeze.

“I can’t help it! He’s so fluffy! His name is Charles.” Adhesive smiled brightly and kissed Circuit’s cheek. “Thank you for tonight, this is really amazing.”

“Y-yeah..Don’t mention it. Can’t let anypony know I’m getting soft.” The ‘pegasus’ teased lightly, a light blush spreading across his face at the soft kiss. “Hey ah...It’s getting kind of late…” He shot a glance up at the steadily darkening sky, the bright lights of the fair becoming more obvious as it grew darker. They still had plenty of time, the fair did run late into the night after all, but Circuit was hoping that maybe if he pushed things along Adhesive would forget about the roller coaster. “Anything you wanna do before we go…?” He asked, his voice slightly hesitant. As they walked, said death trap came into view, along with a brightly colored sign displaying the name ‘Hoof Breaker’ in bright red letters.

“Ooh! Let’s go on that one! I’ve been dying to ride a good roller coaster for ages now!” The white stallion cried happily and grabbed Circuit’s hoof. He dragged his coltfriend to the gate and looked at the pony attending the ride.

“Welcome to the ‘Hoof Blaster’, we can hold your stuff and prizes here.” Adhesive immediately put down his prizes including ‘Charles’ and pulled Circuit through. “Come on! This is gonna be fun!” The attendee ushered them to the car and sat them down right in the front before adjusting the safety bar.

“Enjoy the ride.” The pony said in a monotone before walking to a station and pressing a button. The car began to move, towards the first incline that would start the coaster.

“Here we go!” Adhesive cried happily and threw his hooves into the air. Circuit sat frozen in his seat, having froze the minute his coltfriend and started dragging him towards what would be the cause of his inevitabley gruesome death. Or at least, that’s what it felt like.

“H-hey wait, I never agreed to any of thiiiiaaaaAAAAAHHHHH!” The stallion’s panicked voice rose to a yell as the ride took off, his hooves clutching the bar with a death grip while he squeezed his eyes shut. “Get me off of this thing!” His coltfriend didn’t reply, only let out a loud whoop and began to laugh as the car rocketed forward, up down and side to side.

“YeeeAAHHHHwhooooOOO!!!!!” Adhesive cried happily. The ‘pegasus’ reached out, practically flailing one of his hooves till he was able to blindly grasp at Adhesive’s. He clutched it as hard as he could, slowly cracking one of his eyes open. A slightly horrified little laugh left him as he peeked, the laughter growing less terrified and happier as a rush of adrenaline passed through him. He slowly opened both of his eyes, letting out a happy cry as he continued to cling to Adhesive.

His coltfriend squeezed Circuit’s hoof back in excitement, glad that he was having fun. The car whisked to the side and up as another dip came up before the feeling of falling. Then, the incline leveled and the ride was over, the car stopped and Adhesive let out a little laugh of happiness and looked over at Circuit.

“That was fun!” Circuit just nodded slowly, practically dragging himself out of the car. He staggered over to their stuff, breathily thanking the stallion who’d held it for them before pretty much collapsing next to it.

“Oh Celestia I think I’m having a heart attack. That is, if my heart is still even beating.” His companion let out a laugh before helping him to his hooves.

“Happy Hearts and Hooves day Circuit.”

Chapter 12, Hey Grandma, Meet My Coltfriend!

Ebony hopped off the carriage and opened the door for the two inside, Adhesive thanked her before helping Circuit down as well. “Do you think she’ll like me..?” He asked nervously, Ebony held back a snicker, the white stallion glared at her.

“Relax Adhesive, she’s going to love you.” Circuit let out a soft snort, lightly hip bumping the other stallion. “I could bring home a convicted serial killer and she’d just be happy I finally found somepony, so stop worrying so much.” The gray stallion opened his mouth to say more, but his words were cut off as the door to the bright pink house flew open.

“I see you out there you rats! Get off my lawn before I sh-” The old mare paused, blinking her pale blue eyes at the group. “Why, is that you Circuit? Oh! I thought you wouldn’t be here for another hour! Come in before y’all catch a cold or something.” Ebony smiled and immediately began to walk into the house.

“Thank you ma’am, a pleasure to meet you.” Adhesive blinked before taking a deep breath and following the others into the pink home. He gulped and licked his lips in anticipation before mentally heckling himself. This is Circuit's Grandma, he said she’d love you, so quit worrying!

“It’s a good thing I recognized you when I did, otherwise I would’ve shot you to bits.” The mare chuckled softly, setting her shotgun back in its place before ushering them inside. The inside of the house was...Well, to put it frankly it barely looked like they were in a house. It was more like they’d stepped into a large, exotic garden. Everywhere, even sprawled across the furniture, was plants of every kind imaginable. The floor was covered in a soft, moss like plant while the walls were covered in ivy. The special lights shining down from the high ceiling made it look as though the whole place was bathed in warm sunlight. “You must be Adhesive, right? Circuit has told me nothing about you.” The mare shot a pointed glare at her grandson.

“I wanted you to get to know him for yourself gram.” Circuit let out a soft huff, rolling his eyes. Circuit’s companions both marveled at the home, it was beautiful, strange but beautiful. Ebony wandered off towards one wall to inspect the ivy leaving Adhesive to fend for himself with ‘gram’.

“Uh yeah, you must be Willow Wisp. Circuit has told me nothing about you except for the fact that you’d be happy that he’s not alone anymore.”

“Well, of course I’m happy about that! I thought the stubborn thing was going to be alone forever. I kept trying to set him up on dates but he always told me ‘No grandma I’m married to my work, I don’t have time blah blah blah.’” Willow lowered her voice slightly as she imitated Circuit, said stallion letting out a snort as he lightly shoved her.

“Hush you, I don’t sound like that.” Adhesive playfully bumped his hip with his own.

“Yes, you do!” He let out a laugh as Ebony snickered, finally being noticed by Willow.

“Oh, and who is this lovely lady? I’d guess marefriend but you’re already taken Circuit, and also far too gay to be straight so...Neighbor? Friend?”

“Best friend, I’ve been the one practically keeping this idiot alive for the past few years. Idiot never even uses the kitchen, good thing I know how to cook or he’d be a goner.” She smiled when Adhesive let out a laugh at her little joke.

“True, and a good cook at that right Circuit?”

“Speaking of which..” Circuit looked over at Ebony, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “Ebony, why don’t you come to the kitchen and help me whip up something for lunch? That way Adhesive and Willow can take the opportunity to get to know each other more.” She shrugged then nodded.

“Yeah alright, let's get your ugly mug into something useful eh?” The mare teased with a smile. Adhesive chuckled before looking back at Willow.

“So, anything I need to know about Circuit? You gonna show me baby photos or something?”

“No no, that part comes later.” The mare grinned at him, brushing her long gray mane out of her eyes as she picked up her gun again. She sat down in one of the chairs, polishing the weapon with a nearby rag. “I may be an old mare Adhesive, that much is obvious, but if you hurt my precious grandson I won’t hesitate to shoot you. And trust me, they’ll never find your body. After all, why would the police come looking at a sweet old mare like me? You got that?” She glared at the stallion, her sharp blue eyes filled with something that could almost be described as malice.

Adhesive nodded slowly, his blue eyes wide and his entire body shaking in fear. “Y-ye-yes m-ma’am…” He gulped.

“Good.” Willow chuckled softly, settling the gun off to the side in favor of pulling out a scrap book from under her chair. “Sit sit, now that the threatening part is over, it’s time for baby pictures.” She patted the seat next to him, flipping the book open. “Hurry, I wanna get started on this before Circuit figures out and starts yelling.” The white stallion blinked but smiled and sat next to the old mare with a smile on his face.

“This should be good, if he’s handsome now I bet he was absolutely adorable then.”

“Oh he was the cutest little thing.” The mare chuckled fondly as she flipped through the pictures, stopping next to one of a little Circuit proudly holding up a makeshift looking toy robot. “Oh, this one’s one of my favorites. It was one of the first things Circuit ever built. He was so proud of himself, even gave the toy a name. Something like Copine or...Cepin or something…”

“His name was Copain grandma and I told you not to show Adhesive those pictures!” Circuit yelled from the kitchen, poking his head out so he could shoot a glare at the elderly mare.

Adhesive let out a laugh as well as Ebony, both found this absolutely hilarious.

“I knew you made at least one robot as a child Circuit ya ol’ grump!” The changeling hybrid teased from the kitchen, earning a snicker from Adhesive.

“Love you babe, you were adorable, still are~!”

“Oh shut it before I smack both of you.” The stallion huffed as he slipped back into the kitchen, leaving the two to continue looking through baby pictures. Willow cooed over each picture, occasionally stopping to tell a story about them. She stopped however as they reached a family picture, sighing softly as she looked over the large group. All the ponies in the picture were classy looking unicorns, save for Circuit, who was the small scruffy looking earth pony standing off to the side. Adhesive tilted his head and furrowed his brows slightly before gingerly taking the album from Willow’s hooves. He looked closer at them, the older pair, the parents he figured looked tall and above everypony else. While the children in relative order were also so, save for Circuit. Circuit wore his normal adornments, steampony kind of thing, while the rest of his family wore expensive and classy preppy clothes. The green maned stallion ran a hoof gently over the picture of his coltfriend.

“...He looks so sad…”

“Yeah….Yeah, it was tough for him growing up.” The elderly mare let out another sigh as her eyes scanned over the photo again. “His parents….Well. I think this is a conversation you and Circuit should have. It’s not really my story to tell.” The stallion nodded before biting his lip.

“..Is this why he didn’t want me to meet them?” Wisp nodded, carefully taking the photo book back from him so they could finish looking through the rest of the pictures.

“It’s probably for the best. I love my daughter and her husband but...Well, they’re not exactly the friendliest ponies. Best to just stay away from them, at least for now.” She attempted to smile comfortingly at him, lightly patting one of his hooves. He nodded before sighing and hanging his head slightly.

“Before he agreed to let me see you we, well we had a fight. I thought he was embarrassed of me, but now I fully understand that Circuit was just protecting me from the ponies who tormented him his whole life.” The stallion wrapped his hooves around himself in a vain attempt to comfort himself.

“Oh sweetie, you’re going to have to get used that I’m afraid.” The white coated mare let out a soft chuckle. “Circuit’s a sweetheart, but he’s absolutely rubbish when it comes to talking about himself. Especially when it comes to matters that involve his feelings.”

“I heard that!” Circuit snapped from the kitchen, though his voice lacked any real bite. Adhesive let out a chuckle before looking back at Wisp.

“You know, at first I was terrified of meeting you, but now I’m really glad. Especially since you’re not trying to kill me, that’s a pretty good result in my book.” The mail stallion smiled at the older mare with a kind look in his eyes. Willow laughed, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

“Honestly, I’m impressed he managed to find a nice stallion like you. He’s not exactly Mr. Social, now is he?”

“Again, I heard that! Literally I’m only a few feet away I can hear everything you’re saying in there!” His coltfriend let out a soft chuckle.

“No, he’s not. But he is a kind and sweet, talented and amazingly created. I love him, more than I can express in words. Circuit is the reason that I keep going in all honesty.”

“Awww..That’s so sweet. You two are so precious.” The mare chuckled softly, reaching over to gently pinch one of Adhesive’s cheeks. “So, when can I expect a happy announcement~?” She teased lightly, pinching his cheek a little more before pulling her hoof away. The stallion’s white face went bright red in a matter of nanoseconds, and he promptly began to babble like an idiot.

“I de woh dah… Uh… I mean, I don’t know I-I’ve thought about it y-yes but I-I don’t know if Circuit is ready f-for something like t-that… W-we’ve only b-been together about a year…”

“Oh relax, I’m only teasing~ I am expecting you two to get married eventually though, don’t think you’ll get away with not getting hitched! That goes to you too Circuit, I know you can hear me in there!”

“Hm? Did you say something? Sorry I can’t hear you I’m too far away.” Circuit yelled back, the stallion’s voice practically dripping with sarcasm. Adhesive buried his face into his hooves in embarrassment.

“Oh Luna he heard me…” Willow laughed and slapped the stallion on the back, her hoof connecting with a surprisingly large amount of force considering the fact that she looked like such a frail mare. Adhesive let out a gasp from the force of the slap and was propelled forward and curled up a bit on himself.

“Celestia you’re strong…” He laughed, smiling at the mare.

“Oh trust me hun, you haven’t seen nothing yet.”

Chapter 13, Pain

It was just another day, just like the one before, and the one before that, and before that, before that, and that one, for hundreds of years. Soon ‘just another day’ becomes a curse, and that’s when the sadness sets in. How does it feel when days blur into months, months to years?

Ebony walked out of her lair, a bit later than usual. It was noon now, and she’d just now dragged herself out of bed. The mare walked towards the living room to go outside and get the mail, but was greeted by a strange sight. Adhesive and Circuit, snuggled up by the fireplace, which was lit with a warm glow. She tilted her head, examining the two. They were so happy, curled up in each other's arms. So, utterly, happy… and she was alone.

Tears began to well in her vision, her green gaze fogging up due to excess moisture. The hybrid covered her mouth with a hoof to stifle a sob and galloped out of the room. Up the stairs and out of the laboratory. She needed to be alone, it was the only thing the mare knew how to do anymore.

Circuit slowly stirred, his eyes flickering open at the sound of hoofsteps. He slowly pulled himself out of the little nest he’d made with Adhesive, making sure the other stallion was still fast asleep before he headed upstairs. He didn’t really know where he was going, or why, but something in his gut told him that was where he needed to go. The gray stallion winced slightly as his hoofsteps creaked loudly on the stairs, quickly making his way up the rest of them. He didn’t have to worry too much, Adhesive was a rather deep sleeper after all, but he still didn’t want to make too much noise.

The mare was gone, the only sign that she was infact there were a few hoofprints and a single, solitary crimson feather on the ground. The wind whipped around sending chills into the air, it was a wonder the feather hadn’t blown away. The only thing keeping it there was the poor little thing was stuck in the mud from rain the night before. The ‘pegasus’ cursed under his breath, darting back into the house. He jotted down a quick note for Adhesive, leaving it by the fireplace before darting out after her.

“I swear to Luna you better not being doing anything stupid…” He muttered to himself as he trotted along, trying to ignore the wind as it occasionally whipped through his mane.

The mare had taken flight, making it impossible to track her, the wind whipped her face and her mane behind her as tears stung her face. She beat her wings mercilessly, flying south towards the Everfree forest. On the edge, tucked between mountains and the forest, far from the eyes of the ponies of Ponyville, there was a mansion. A huge spanish style manor with red tiled roof and yellow adobe walls. The entire complex was surrounded by pale adobe walls topped with wrought iron spikes, the path leading to the door was gravel and flanked by cherry blossom trees. To the right, a small pond stood surrounded by a garden and in the middle, a beautiful white painted wood gazebo.

Despite the fact that he had no way to track her, Circuit still tried, just wandering about aimlessly for a while till finally the cold, bitter wind drove him back into the warmth of his house. He forced himself to go back to bed, curling up next to his still sleeping coltfriend. After all, if something was wrong then Ebony would tell him, right? Besides, this wasn’t the first time this had happened, and every other time she’d come back. So he’d just have to wait.

Adhesive woke up about another hour later, he sat up and stretched with a loud yawn. “Circuit, Circuit wake up, I think we overslept. Ebony hasn’t made breakfast, oh Luna, did we miss Ebony’s Breakfast?!” He shot up in a panic at the loss of good cooking. Circuit let out a soft grunt, snatching up one of the pillows so he could shove it into the other stallion’s face.

“It is way too early for you to be yelling so loudly…” The gray ‘pegasus’ groaned as he sat up, pulling the pillow away. “Besides, I don’t think Ebony’s here. She left sometime last night.” His coltfriend did a 360° turn to look at Circuit.

“She what?! Where, when, how!?”

“Woah woah, relax, this isn’t the first time it’s happened. She probably just needed to be alone or something. I don’t know where she goes.” Circuit shrugged. “I never ask, she never tells, s’just the way it works.” Adhesive sighed but nodded.

“Fine, but if she’s not back by tonight we’re going to look for her alright?” He didn’t wait for an answer, the stallion had already made up his mind.

Four Hours Later

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The mail stallion yawned, he pulled himself up off of the cozy nest on the floor that he and his coltfriend had made by the fire and looked around.

“Babe..” Adhesive said groggily. “Is Ebony back yet..?”

“Nhn…” Circuit groggily shook his head as he lifted it up from their little nest, his dark gray mane sticking out wildly. “Trust me…” He broke his sentence with a yawn, rubbing at his eyes to try and get the sleep out of them. “If she’d come back, we would’ve heard her.” The white stallion jumped up, his green mane sticking everywhere from sleep.

“We gotta find her! She’s never been gone this long!” He galloped to the kitchen and slammed a satchel on the counter before grabbing things and stuffing food, warm clothes and anything else you’d need for survival.

“Where would she go? Any ideas of where she went?”

“If I knew then I would’ve gone after her already love..” The ‘pegasus’ followed his coltfriend at a much slower pace, still trying to wake himself up fully. “Relax, she probably isn’t far. Even if she is, she’s a strong mare, she can protect herself. I’m fairly certain I’ve seen her break the arm of a stallion twice her size.” He let out a soft snort at the memory.

Stamp’s brows furrowed before nodding. “True… But we’re going anyway! Hey, do you still have Lucky’s number? He and his brother drove us to your Grandma’s house the other day. Runs a pub downtown that we like?”

“Yeah, I have it….Somewhere….” He flicked his gaze around the room, taking in the little cluttered spots. One of which probably held the number they were looking for. “Er...Gimme a sec will you? You can finish packing the bags while I’m looking.” The stallion nodded and quickly stuffed a survival knife, sheath and all in the bag.

“Hey honey, do you want to take your camo knife or the pink one?”

“Neither, we don’t need to take knives! You’re acting like she’s lost in the woods or something, she’s probably just somewhere in town.” Circuit let out a huff, rolling his green eyes.

“I’ll just pack both then~!” He shrugged and threw both knives into the bag before throwing it over his back and securing it.

“Mk, done, c'mere and get yours.” The stallion grabbed a similar pack before heaving it onto his coltfriend’s back.

“Dear Celestia, what did you pack in this thing? Rocks?” He grunted as he adjusted the pack slightly, shifting the weight a bit so he wouldn’t collapse under it. “Is all of this really necessary?” A glare from the green maned stallion silenced him.

“Just call Lucky.” He muttered, shoving a small piece of paper with a few scribbled digits on it.

“You’re lucky you’re cute..” Circuit grumbled, shifting his bag again before taking the paper. “Let’s just go find her before I collapse under the weight of this thing..” He huffed, snatching up the phone so he could dial the number.

“Lucky And Pixie’s Dive In Pub, Lucky speaking.” A stallion’s voice crackled over the line as the caller picked up.

“Hey, it’s Ebony’s friend Circuit, the one you drove around a while back? Ebony vanished sometime last night and we were wondering if you could help us look for her, if you’re not too busy that is.” There was a sound of rustling and a door shutting before the stallion spoke again.

“She’s gone? What do you mean? Did she leave a note?” He sounded worried, very worried.

“No, she just wandered off. It’s not the first time it’s happened so I’m not really worried, but Adhesive is freaking out about it, so…”

“Well I can understand that, but she usually leaves a note… Maybe you didn’t look hard enough, did you look on the fridge? That’s usually where she leaves them.”

“......Hold on.” Circuit shoved the phone into Adhesive’s hooves, shouldering off the bag as he made his way into the kitchen. He let out a loud curse as he looked over all the notes on the fridge; some even looked to be a few years old. ‘Son of a- Hold on let me see if there’s one from last night!” The stallion searched through the piles of notes and came across a smaller, newer one.

‘Adhesive and Circuit, I’ve gone home for awhile. I’ll let you two be all happy together in peace, I don’t know when I’ll be back…’ The rest of the note is almost scribbled and at the very bottom it looks like it has water damage, like the writer was crying or something. But that was impossible, Ebony never cries, at least, not that the two stallions were aware of...The stallion took the note out back into the living room, grabbing the phone from his coltfriend again.

“Right okay, I have a note here. It says that she’s ‘gone home for a while’ and that she ‘doesn’t know when she’ll be back’. It almost looks like she was crying while she was writing it….” There was a string of curses from the other line and then some Irish being spoken, probably to Lucky’s brother.

“Okay, we need to find her, Pixie and I are gonna do what we can with support but we can’t leave the pub I’m sorry. I have a pretty good idea of where she lives though, near the northern border of the Everfree Forest, just before you get to Ghastly Gorge.” The stallion on the other end pulled his head from the phone for a moment and shouted something else in Irish before sighing. “Listen, I gotta go, call me if something comes up or you need help, I’ve known this mare since Pixie and I were colts, saved our lives even-” More yelling from somewhere else. “-Yeah yeah! I’m coming you block head! I gotta go now, don’t hesitate to call.” The line went dead as Lucky hung up the phone. Circuit let out a soft sigh, returning the phone back to its original spot. Or at least, close to its original spot. He wasn’t really paying attention.

“Looks like you might’ve been right Adhesive….C’mon, looks like we’re heading over to the Everfree Forest.” He shoulders his pack again, lightly flicking the other stallion with his tail before making his way out of the house. His coltfriend galloped up to him before looking at Circuit.

“What’s the plan? And why the Everfree Forest, do you think that’s where she went? You’ve known her longer than I have so…” The green maned stallion trailed off and adjusted his saddlebags, his lips pressed into a furrowed line.

“Lucky said she lives near there, and to be honest?” He shot the earth pony a grin. “I have no plan, I’m more of a….Wing it and see what happens kinda stallion. I’m sure we’ll be fine.” He gently bumped his hip against Adhesive’s. “Don’t worry about it so much.” Adhesive nodded before smiling at the grey ‘pegasus’.

~A Few Hours Later~

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“Ugh… We’ve been walking for hours..” The mail stallion complained half heartedly, really only trying to start up a conversation. Both had fallen into a silence after an hour or two and it was making the forest even creepier to Adhesive who shivered slightly in the wind.

“I told you we should’ve taken a cab, but noooo….” The ‘pegasus’ dragged out the word ‘no’. “You insisted we walked.” He continued to grumble for a bit before letting out a soft sigh. “Sorry...I didn’t mean to snap at you, I’m just tired...I’m sure we’ll find her house soon…” His coltfriend nodded before looking up with wide eyes.

“Look!” He exclaimed before running up to a small clearing, it was long and narrow and smack dab in the middle was a road. Said road was made of thin slabs of rock that had been carefully placed in a brick pattern. “Well at least we know we’re going the right way…” Adhesive turned his head to another larger rock carved with symbols. “Runwick Manor… Two miles…” The arrow pointed to their left.

“Runwick Manor huh…..? Ebony certainly never told me about this place…..” Circuit hesitated as he stared at the sign, his brow furrowing. “Are you sure we should continue Adhesive? I mean...Maybe she doesn’t want us going here for a reason?” Said mail stallion bit his lip but shook his head.

“No, I think she’s hurting but doesn’t want to intrude on us. I don’t know why, but I just have a feeling…” Then Adhesive took a determined step forward and began to walk the two miles to the ‘Runwick Manor’. A few minutes later the path was blocked by a large pale adobe wall and directly in front of the path? A gigantic wrought iron gate that curled and folded in on itself, the wall itself was topped with spikes made of the same wrought iron.

Past the gate loomed a continuation of the road with cherry blossom trees flanking either side, after that was the house. Well, to call it a house would be a complete understatement, it was more of a palace with how large it was. The manor was spanish style yellow adobe on the outside with red tile roofing at the top of the three floor gigantic home, large french style windows with a criss crossed pattern and beautiful crown molding all over the finish. At the end of the road, it looped in a circle in front of a raised area that was covered by a bit more roof and columns that sheltered the door. Said door was obscured by how far away they were but it was definitely impressive.

That’s when Adhesive noticed a small device on the side of the gate directly on the wall. It was a callbox, without hesitation, the stallion pressed the big red button with his hoof.

“Hello? Who isssss thisssss?” A slightly hissed stallion’s voice crackled over the speaker.

“If you’re wrong about this and Ebony gets pissed about us being here, I’m leaving you to face her wrath.” Circuit hissed in the other stallion’s ear before turning to the callbox. “It’s ah….Circuit and Adhesive. We’re looking for Ebony, is she here?”

There was a muffled noise from the other end before the voice answered again. “Yesss, the Missssstresssss issss here, sssshe’ss in a ssstate of sssadnesss, pleasse, come in I will explain once you’re inssside.” There was a click before the gate swung open with a low creak. Adhesive turned to his coltfriend and shrugged.

“He seemed nice.” Circuit just shrugged in return, slowly making his way past the heavy looking gates. The two stuck close as they walked down the long path to the house, a heavy and cold wind picking up as they did. He hesitated slightly at the large mahogany doors, slowly scanning over the many carvings of Princess Luna that adorned it.

“Do we just...Walk in or….?” They were answered by the door creaking open loudly to reveal a small changeling in a tuxedo, he seemed to be the butler. His eyes were solid cyan, and his mane was the same color but more insectoid and well kept.

“Hello, pleasse, come in.” The butler pulled the door open wider and moved to the side in a welcoming gesture. This revealed the foyer, sandalwood floors, two sets of white marble stairs one on each side of the room which flanked a hallway. On the ceiling was a crystal chandelier that accompanied fine murals of changelings and Princess Luna on different occasions. Some murals even had pictures of the lady of the house, in the thrall of battle or helping other changelings. The walls were beautiful blue and grey imported wallpaper with silver columns that were painstakingly carved to perfect detail.

“...Woah…” The green maned stallion murmured as he walked inside slowly, marveling at the immense home.

“Holy crap…..How did I never know this place existed..?” The gray stallion muttered as he slowly entered behind Adhesive, his eyes just as wide as the other stallion’s. He allowed himself a few moments to simply gawk before forcing himself to concentrate on the matter at hand. “Er, right um...Where is Ebony exactly Mr…?”

The changeling bowed. “Buggy, pleassse ssssirsss, jussst call me Buggy.” He turned and began walking down the hall, which was flanked by two statues of changelings covered in real armor and holding very real and very sharp weapons. The changeling turned to a door made of stained oak and grasped the metal handle with magic, his curved horn glowing.

“Now, thisss might not be pleasssant. The Missstress iss, upssset. I do not know why, but I can guessss, ssshe ssspeaksss of you both fondly which iss why I let you in. Perhapsss you can cheer her up…” With that he opened the door, the room was obviously a parlor, though lavish. A large stone fireplace to the right against the wall lit and roaring with flame, armchairs and a plush couch flanked by end tables and a coffee table of walnut to match. The walls had a pleasant wallpaper and the carpet beneath their hooves was soft and comfortable. Draped on the far armchair lay Ebony, her hooves crossed and her head buried in them. Soft sobs emanated from her form and she looked smaller and sadder than usual. It was a sorry sight, her crimson mane and tail were in tangles and her wings and fur were unkept.

This was vastly different than usual, the mare was always well groomed and took pride in her appearance. Always making sure to look her best even if she wasn’t wearing anything that day.

“Ah...Hey Ebs…” Circuit muttered loud enough for the mare to hear, simply saying the first thing that came to mind. He let out a soft hiss as the stallion next to him gave him a harsh jab in the side. “Quit it, you know I’m no good with these things…” He whispered harshly to his coltfriend before turning back to the yellow colored mare. ‘How’s it ah...How’s it going…?”

The mare’s head shot up, her face still covered in tears. Her green orbs were wide in shock and she looked from one stallion to the other completely shocked and confused.

“W-what… h-how….how did you f-find me…?” She looked at Buggy then, and began to chirp and buzz her wings in a strange way. The butler did a few similar actions before making a buzzing sound and bowed before ducking out of the room and shut the door.

“We called up Lucky and he told us where to go….Remind me to thank him later…” The second part was addressed towards the stallion next to him. “So ah...Wanna tell us what’s going on maybe…?” He spoke, turning back to Ebony again. Her eyes flitted around the room, as if she was contemplating how she’s react.

“I’m just…. I'M JUST LONELY!!” She burst out before hiding her face in shame. “You two are so happy together and I’m glad I really am, but I miss having somepony who cares about me… Who holds me, whispers sweet nothings to me and just… wants to be with me… I’m lonely… It’s stupid and petty, I didn’t want you to see me this way, I didn’t want to make you feel guilty…” Ebony looked at the ground, tears falling freely from her green orbs.

“I...I’m sorry I…” The gray stallion stuttered over his words, uncertain of how to best comfort the mare. While yes, he’d experienced plenty of loneliness in his life, it was never loneliness like this. Honestly, up until he’d met Adhesive, he’d never even desired a romantic partner that much. He’d had Ebony and his work, and that’s all he’d needed. “I don’t…” He looked at Adhesive for help, his eyes wide.

Circuit’s coltfriend was on the verge of tears himself, how long had she been alone? He’d only recently learned that Ebony was over a thousand years old… Luna have mercy… How long had she been alone?! “E-Ebony, it’s not petty in anyway shape or form, you have a right to feel, and a right to feel alone and want companionship.” He walked over to her and knelt by the mare’s side. “Ebs, how long have you been on your own?” Adhesive asked cautiously.

She lifted her head and looked in his blue eyes with her own green ones. “One thousand, three years, six months, eight days and seven hours.” The pegasus replied immediately, such a precise calculation as if it was nothing. The golden mare then turned and laid her head on her hooves and stared at the fire letting out a long sigh.

Circuit cautiously made his way over to Adhesive, lightly resting one of his hooves on the mare’s shoulder. His own heart ached for the mare, as it was hard to see his best (and for a long time only) friend in such a state of sorrow, though it wasn’t visible through his mask of awkwardness and discomfort. He didn’t say anything, figuring he’d leave the talking to Adhesive. The ‘pegasus’ was fairly certain his words wouldn’t do much to help anyways.

“And it’s not just that… not just romantically lonely… but everypony I’ve made friends with… they wither away and die with time… They leave me alone, one by one, every time.” She looked up directly at the two of them, right into Circuit’s eyes. “Please, promise me you won’t leave me, I can’t take it anymore.” The white stallion turned his blue eyes to Circuit, looking for his coltfriend to respond.

“I…” The stallion looked between Ebony and his coltfriend, unable to meet the mare’s eyes for very long before he looked away. His ears pressed flat against his head, pressing into his mussed up mane. “Ebony you know I can’t promise you that….” His voice was soft as he spoke, filled with all the sorrow his face couldn’t seem to convey. “I...I’m going to die one day and there’s nothing any of us can do about that….I’m sorry…” He gently squeezed Ebony’s shoulder, trying to offer the pegasus a small amount of comfort. “I-I can’t stay with you forever Ebs….But I can promise I’ll be by your side till the my life finally ends…”

The mare nodded before pulling her best friend into a big hug, her tears began soaking the fur of his shoulder but he really didn’t give two shits. Adhesive smiled brightly before joining into the hug, wrapping his own hooves around his coltfriend and his best gal pals.

“Ebony… When we’re not here… Just try to remember us how we were alright? Happy and laughing, hanging out with you and having good times, together.” The mare nodded into Circuit’s shoulder, sniffing softly before glomping Adhesive into an equally big hug as before. Circuit let out a laugh as he hugged them both tightly, glad to see that the mare seemed to be cheering up again. He hated seeing those he cared about be so sad, especially since he was an emotionally stunted potato that couldn’t seem to comfort others properly. He slowly pulled himself from the hug, discreetly wiping at his eyes.

“C’mon you, somepony has an incredibly huge and amazing manor she has to show us around. I still can’t believe you haven’t shown me this place before, and here I thought I was your best friend~” Circuit teased lightly, trying to keep the mood light. Ebony narrowed her eyes slightly and gave him a light punch on the arm.

“Oh shush.. I was gonna show you at some point… Just hadn’t gotten around to it yet. Besides, I didn’t want you to feel bad.” Just then there was a loud knock on the parlor door, before the golden mare could say anything it burst open to reveal another changeling. This one had solid purple eyes and darker purple mane and tail. She wore a large smile and was about the size of a teenage filly.

“Sis! You didn’t tell me we had guests!”

“Sis….?” The gray stallion blinked at the mare, slowly looking her over. “You have….A sister…? When did that happen and why was I never told about this?” He turned his gaze on Ebony again, raising an eyebrow at her. Ebony facehoofed before letting out a long sigh.

“Not biological… adopted… I kinda found her as a foal abandoned by the hive and took her in…” The changeling bounced into the room, much like a certain pink pony with curly dark pink mane and tail.

“Yupperdoodles! Sissy here saved my life, and now I’m here! And it’s great! She even paid for my college, now I’m gonna be a rocket scientist!” Adhesive blinked, a rocket scientist? Really? Damn…. Now he was beyond confused, I guess it’s true what they say, don’t judge a book by it’s cover.

“I...I see...Well hello then Miss….?” He raised a questioning eyebrow at the bubbly changeling. She stuck her hoof out almost hitting him from the force of the action.

“T’laki Nankai Chichina! Call me Chichina!” Circuit jerked back slightly as she stuck her hoof out before slowly taking it.

“Pleased to meet you Chichina, I’m Circuit and this,” he gestured to the stallion next to him. “Is Adhesive.” His coltfriend smiled brightly, waving at the changeling.

“Great meeting you, uh, so what now?” Ebony got up slowly, trying to smooth her mane and fur with her magic. It worked, mostly…

“I believe you were promised a tour.”

~Two hours later~

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Alright Ebony, you’re house is cool and all...But how much longer?” Circuit let out a whiny sounding groan, flailing one of his hooves dramatically. “I’m about to die from starvation and exhaustion here. The tour has been nice, but can we at least sit down for a few minutes?”

“You’ll be able to sit in a minute, this is the last room… But it’s the most important. Be mindful about what I’m about to say. Only a few ponies other than myself have been inside this room. In fact I can count them with one hoof, an idiot who broke in through the top floor down. Thought there were valuables in here, I bit his throat out.” She said it so nonchalantly that it sent a shudder of fear through Adhesive’s body.

“Er….Right. Got it…” Circuit immediately perked up, his weariness vanishing at the thought of facing Ebony’s wrath. He nodded respectfully to Ebony, gesturing for her to lead the way. “Let’s go then, shall we?” The mare nodded before murmuring some strange incantation that send a shiver through Adhesive’s spine. The stone doors, adorned with carvings of changelings with scythes, said scythes were down and served as locks on the doors. The lock, slid upwards and the changeling carving moved as they took a different position, holding the scythes outward instead of across the door.

“This room is very special, it holds my greatest treasure.” The hallway behind the wall was also made of stone, though little alcoves in the walls held statues of yet again, changelings. Each one was carved to be different, some male, others female. Some eyes closed, others open, some with wings open or closes, all were at least slightly different. Adhesive stuck closely to his coltfriend, feeling like he was walking into a tomb. He turned around to look behind them at a few of the carvings, when something moved.

Behind him, a spectral form in the shape of a changeling looked at him. It was crawling out of a statue, and it looked exactly like the statue. The only difference was the eyes of the ghost were blank and dead, but also full of wonder. Adhesive yelped in fear before the spectre dove into the floor, disappearing. Circuit let out a startled squeak, clutching at Adhesive as the other stallion yelped.

“Don’t scare me like that you idiot, I almost screamed.” He hissed softly, unwilling to raise his voice any higher. Something about the place just felt so still and quiet, almost sacred. It felt wrong to further shatter the thick silence that swamped the room.

“B-b-b-but… T-there w-was a g-g-ghost…” The smaller stallion murmured softly, clinging to Circuit. Ebony spoke, not even turning back to face the two. “Yes. Adhesive is right, that which you saw was most likely a ghost. Many of them are here, yes, this is the Runwick Crypt.” The green maned stallion gulped.

“C-c-crypt…?” Ebony nodded, still not turning around.

“These changeling figures here, they’re not statues, they’re gravestones. Likeness of those who passed, their ashes and bones are inside the rock itself. It is a special kind from our homeland that can be melted and poured before solidifying. Tis a sacred rite of passage into the next life, but many stick around from time to time to check up.”

“Wait wait wait….” Circuit blinked at the mare, his dark green eyes wide. “You just have ghosts occasionally floating through your house and you’re...Chill with that? I mean, it’s your house so your life, but personally I’d be terrified.” He flicked his gaze around the crypt, shuddering a bit. “Are they nice ghosts at least? Like, they won’t murder us or anything for being here, right?” The golden mare nodded.

“All of them were my friends in life, and now guardians of this place as a kindness to me in their deaths. I did not put them to this task, many volunteered. Many still have family here they wish to protect…” She murmured as a spectre came out of a statue next to her and twirled around her in a deadly but beautiful dance. The mare murmured to the spectre a few strange words, the same language that she’d used to open the door before. The spectre disappeared after looking directly at the two stallions in front of it and Adhesive could’ve sworn it had bowed to them…

“I told them who you are, they respect your status among the living and send their greetings in the old tongue.”

“Right ah…..Hi…” He gave a little awkward wave to the statue the spirit Ebony had spoken to came from. The stallion gently nudged the yellow mare, shooting her a slightly panicked look. “I have no clue what I’m supposed to do or say here, help me.” He hissed, his gaze turning slightly pleading.

“Just act respectful, we’re not quite there yet…” The hybrid murmured softly before continuing on. The hallway widened before opening up into a large room, almost the size of a ballroom. The walls and decorations were made of the same stone as before, while the floors were made of polished marble with darker crags running through it. Dead ahead steps rose from the ground up to a raised platform where three much larger statues stood. They were not made of the same stone as everything else, but carved of pure obsidian. On the far left of the platform was a changeling alicorn, her face smiling and her eyes closed in peaceful silence. To the far right, made of much paler stone was a pegasus stallion, he looked strong with a kind and loving face and his wings were outstretched towards something in front of him. In the middle, was a much more modest sized statue.

It was the most detailed though, made of pale obsidian kind of like the stallion to the right but much more white. He had a spiky mane and tail, a thin but chiseled face and soft eyes which were closed. His wings were too outstretched to something in front of him, in fact, all three were looking at something in front of them. The mare walked forward, and with a small flap of her wings she gracefully landed onto the dias.

Adhesive followed slowly, gulping and looking at the statues in awe and also a small sense of fear. He looked before the large figures and to the objects in front of them. Three carved boxes all made of obsidian. Three… coffins… each covered in different writings and at the top, drawings beautifully painted to be what he could only imagine to be cutie marks.

“These are what I wanted to show you, who I wanted to show you… These are my parents.” She gestured to the figures on the left and the right. “And this, is my fiancee…” the golden mare murmured gesturing to the middle coffin.

“Fiancee…? I...I never knew you had one…” Circuit muttered as he slowly looked of the coffins, allowing himself a moment to admire the craftsmanship before forcing himself to concentrate on the matter at hand. While the coffins were beautiful, it wasn’t really the time to admire them. “I ah….If you don’t mind me asking...What happened to them…?” Adhesive nodded, running a hoof delicately over the mother’s coffin. “I-I didn’t know…”

Ebony let out a long sigh before answering. “A long time ago, I didn’t age this way… I aged normally, my first few years of life that is. Eighteen years about, I was born, I grew older and older. He… my fiancee, h-his name… w-was…” It was as if his very name was hard for her to say, she’d been that hurt by his passing. “Blaze, his name was Blaze…. Blaze Ironhoof. Our fathers were old war buddies, fought for Princess Luna in a war against the Yaks. That meant Blaze was around a lot, we became childhood friends and he even hung out w-with… with my…. With my b-brother….”

“Brother huh…? You sure didn’t tell me a lot about yourself, did you..?” The gray stallion joked weakly, though his tone was far less jovial and teasing than usual. After all, now wasn’t really the time to be making jokes. Circuit lightly tugged the amre off to the side so they could sit somewhere, figuring it’d be better if they were sitting. “Tell me about them..? All of them, if you don’t mind?”

“My brother’s name was Gameflight, we didn’t really know what his cutie mark was, though a healer told us it would come with time… He enjoyed games, he’d come up with these amazing stories… My little brother was so full of life he could light up the room with just a smile, I loved him, so much. I was his big sister, it was my job to protect him… all of them, and I failed…” The mare hung her head in sadness before sighing and continued slowly.

“Everything was great in my life, we had two rulers, both Celestia and our beloved Luna. I had two parents who loved me with all their hearts, an amazing little brother, and a stallion who loved me with all his heart and soul. And I loved him too, with every part of my being I loved him… but our town sided with Luna when things were getting heated between the two sisters… W-we were s-sold out…. By a vicious, conniving, ugly, egotistical, traitorous little slut who didn’t deserve to live.” Her eyes clouded over with rage and the green orbs that everypony knew were turning blood red as the mare bared her fangs in fury.

“I see….” The ‘pegasus’ cautiously draped on arm across her shoulders, wanting to give the comfort that he could, but not get his arm torn off if the mare decided to turn her anger on him. He knew she’d never really intentionally hurt him, but better safe than sorry, right? “Continue…” The hybrid shook her head to clear it, her eyes returning to normal.

“Right… Her name was Mint Bow,” Ebony spat, eyes narrowing. “She was a local bully who made Blaze, Gameflight and I’s school life a living nightmare for years until I stood up to her. That b*tch sold us out to some Celestia loyalists among the royal guard for twenty pieces of silver to save her own skin, left her family to burn….” The golden mare sighed before continuing. “It didn’t take long after that, the guard showed up at dusk two days later, they began dragging ponies out of their homes… Slitting their throats, throwing others in chains, murdering children, stallions and the women… they’d throw into chains or…. Or … w-worse…” Her knees shook as she relived the horrors of that night, memories the changeling hybrid had repressed for hundreds of years.

Adhesive rushed to her side and helped her sit down onto the stone steps. “It’s okay… That was a long time ago, you’re okay, nopony is going to hurt you okay?” Ebony nodded slowly, her eyes wide and she shook slightly still. Circuit left Adhesive to do the comforting, as said before, it wasn’t really his forte. Honestly, he was still trying to process the load of violent images Ebony had just dumped upon his mind.

“Right I ah...I think that’s enough for one day, don’t you? Why don’t we all go have like, some tea or something and relax for a bit? Maybe talk about something a little more pleasant?”

Ebony nodded before resting her head on her hooves and making a clicking sound with her tongue, then rubbing her wings together. Buggy entered the room almost immediately and looked at his Mistress sadly. “Iss ssshe okay?” Adhesive nodded. “She will be… I think…” The changeling nodded gloomily before shaking his head and smiling.

“Well then, let me esssscort you to your roomssss.”

Chapter 14, I Do

A few weeks had passed, everything was back to normal and all three of them had returned to the Laboratory. Ebony had bounced back to her usual self and began cooking some new recipes for the three of them to enjoy. Currently it was morning, the mare had arisen from her lair and, with her mane still in a tangled mess and was currently making scrambled eggs. The most hilarious part of the whole ordeal was that she had a piece of buttered toast between her teeth and was humming the ‘winter wrap up’ tune.

The two stallions slowly joined her as the scent of food floated over to their room, their hooves dragging on the ground. Well, mostly it was Circuit dragging his hooves, but that was beside the point.

“Nnn...S’too early for this..” The gray stallion flopped into one of the chairs, resting his head on the table. Adhesive sat down next to him, letting out a grunt of agreement.

“I don’t understand, how are you always so chipper in the morning?” Their female friend turned towards them and levitated her toast into the air so she could speak.

“Well that’s quite simple, I really enjoy being alive now. I mean, I’ve got you guys after all, what’s not to love?” She beamed brightly before scraping the eggs onto three plates and using her magic to take them to the table, placing her half eaten toast on her own plate. “Bon appetit!” Circuit half heartedly shoveled some of the eggs into his mouth, his eyes dropping slightly.

“Mmm...Yeah sure…” He swallowed his mouthful before he spoke, a big yawn escaping him. “I’m fantastic I know.” Adhesive reached over a hoof and smacked the ‘pegasus’ on the back of the head.

“Hush you.” The golden mare let out a laugh before taking a bite of her food. “You know, I just had a thought. Why don’t you go out and grab us some more milk since you’re so fantastic Circuit.” She smiled as she took a sip of tea, Adhesive nodded.

“Yeah, I don’t feel like going out and you’re such an amazing coltfriend~!”

“I hate you both so much.” Circuit quickly shoved the rest of the eggs into his mouth, pushing himself to his hooves. “You two better be grateful you have such an amazing stallion in your life like me, you’d be lost otherwise.” He ruffled Ebony’s mane, pressing a quick kiss to his coltfriend’s cheek before slipping out of the house. “Don’t burn down my house while I’m gone!”

“We won’t! Everything is made of concrete anyway!” Adhesive called back playfully, taking a sip of his water.

“Shut up, you know what I meant!” The stallion called back as he slipped back into the house, grabbing his bag from the table. “Almost forgot this, and if you can’t burn the house down, then...I don’t know, don’t get murdered or something. Bye, love you!” He slipped out of the house again, his bag hanging from his shoulder.

The stallion walked through the town with something very close to an actual smile on his face before he reached his destination. The convenience store not too far from the house, the ‘pegasus’ walked in and actually waved to the cashier before grabbing a carton of milk and putting it on the counter. “Good morning sir, find everything okay?” The mare behind the counter asked with a large smile.

“Yeah, just needed to grab some milk is all.” She began to ring him up when the door opened signaling the bell attached to the door. “Good morning sir, what can I do f-” The new patron pulled out a gun with magic and began shouting.

“GET ON THE GROUND!!!” The stallion yelled, his muzzle covered by a black bandana and his cutie mark covered with a cloak.

“Do we really have to..? I mean, the ground is kind of dirty...Can I just like….Stand here or-” The gray pony’s words were cut off as he felt the cold barrel of the gun press against the side of his head.

“GET ON THE F*CKING GROUND!”

“Okay, okay, okay, yeesh...No need to yell, I’m standing right next to you.” Circuit slowly lowered himself to the ground, warily glancing at the gun wielding pony next to him. The stallion glared at him a moment before trotting off to make sure the other patrons and workers in the store had listened to his instructions. The cashier next to him had all but dropped to the floor and was covering her head with her hooves in fear, shaking uncontrollably. It was only a matter of time that she’d do something stupid in her fear.

The robber walked back over and aimed the gun at her. “You! Start emptying the register and put the cash in this bag!” He shoved a dirty burlap bag into her hooves and pulled back the hammer of the gun.

“C’mon, leave the poor mare alone.” Circuit piped up, seeing that the mare seemed to be having trouble just getting to her hooves from how badly she was shaking. “Let me do it, I’m sure I can figure out how to work one of those things.” The masked assailant turned the gun towards the ‘pegasus’. “Fine by me.” The masked stallion turned his gun towards Circuit and narrowed his eyes. “Start shoving money before I blow your brains out.”

“Oh, well, isn’t that a lovely image. Thanks for that, just what I needed today.” The ‘pegasus’ slowly got to his hooves, grabbing the bag from the shaking mare. “Alright let me just...Oooh boy, these things have gotten a lot more complicated since I was a teen..” He let out a whistle as he slid up the cash register, scanning over all the buttons on it. “Let’s see um…”

“Hurry up! I don’t have time for this!” The robber cried in anger, the gun shaking in his magical grasp as the stallion began to become anxious and worried.

“Don’t rush me! I’m still trying to figure this thing out!” He waved a hoof at the gun wielding stallion, trying to get him to calm down. “Just calm down a second, I’ll have it open in a bit…Hopefully…” He muttered the last part to himself as he continued to mess with the cash register.

“That’s it, I don’t have time for this! Open that damn register or I’ll start shooting!” The gun changed and turned towards the mare cowering on the floor from before. The mare who had been behind the register, she was a pale purple earth pony with golden mane and tail, black glasses and a book with a quill cutie mark.

“Oh Faust please no…” She cried softly, burying her face in her hooves in fear.

“No no no no! Just calm down, don’t be an idiot!” Circuit cried out, his voice starting to waver slightly as he struggled to open the register. “Just leave the poor lady alone!”

“I warned you! Get that register open or I’ll shoot! Well this is me shooting!” The magic surrounding the 9mm gun pulled the trigger and the hammer swung forward. Time seemed to move in slow motion as Circuit surged forward to block the bullet. He blocked the shot so it wouldn’t hit the poor mare and suddenly pain ripped through him as the bullet pierced his skin and into muscle and organ. It wasn’t fatal, but something had been punctured, the ‘pegasus’ fell to the ground blood pooling around him as his monocle clattered to the ground and shattered.

The robber quickly grabbed as much cash from the register as possible before bolting out and running off with Circuit on the floor, bleeding out.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ebony and Adhesive were laughing, she’d just told a story about how Circuit and her had met. “So there I was, banging on the door with him screaming that he’d call the police, and I just broke it down. He stared at me and-” The phone rang interrupting the conversation.

“I’ll get it.” Adhesive said with a smile before getting up off the couch and grabbed the receiver. “Hello? Yes this is he…” The phone clattered to the ground.

“Sir? Sir hello? Are you still there?” The mare on the other side of the phone spoke, the words sounding distant and far away since the phone was on the ground. She let out a weary sigh when there was no answer. “Look I...The hospital will contact you when his condition changes. I’m..I’m sorry.” After a few moments, the line went dead.

Ebony jumped up, very concerned. “Adhesive, what’s wrong?!” She cried, obviously very worried. The stallion didn’t respond for a few moments, his eyes slightly glassy as he blankly stared at the wall in front of him. He finally spoke after a bit, his words slow and distant sounding.

“Circuit...T-there was an incident at the convenience store, C-Circuit was..He got shot Ebony..The doctors don’t know if he’s going to make it through surgery…” Her green eyes widened and the mare stood there in shock before surging forward and grabbing Adhesive’s hoof. “Come on, we’re going to the hospital.” The golden mare dragged him upstairs before bursting through the door. “TAXI!!!” She roared, and somehow one actually came.

“Get in.” Well, Ebony said that but kind of shoved him into the taxi and then got in herself. As she slammed the door the hybrid looked at the driver. “Ponyville General, AND STEP ON IT!!!” Needless to say the driver literally put the pedal to the metal and floored it. Adhesive just silently let himself be dragged around, letting his head fall against the taxi window as he was shoved in. His eyes still had that same glassy look the entire ride, the information seemingly unable to process in his mind. He was trying, but every time he managed to start thinking about it, his mind would just shut itself down and refuse to even think of what happened, let out any of the possibilities.

“Do you know how far away the hospital is..?” He muttered, breaking the tense silence that had filled the taxi. Just then the vehicle stopped, and Ebony helped the stallion out before tossing the driver a few bits. “Keep the change.” She muttered before bursting into the hospital and slamming her hooves onto the front desk.

“Circuit Aquilus Heart, should’ve arrived less than an hour ago, we’re his immediate family, and we want to see him, now.” The receptionist stared at Ebony with wide eyes, her gaze slowly flicking over to the miserable looking stallion next to her.

“Riiight….Can you tell me your names please?”

“He’s Adhesive Jonas Stamp, and I’m Duchess Ebony Teresa Runwick.” The name made the receptionist gulp before she nodded. “S-second door to the r-right l-level t-two… He’s in s-surgery…”

“Right...C’mon...We should go wait in the waiting room…” The green maned stallion lightly tugged on the yellow mare as he shuffled over to the room, slumping down in one of the uncomfortable chairs. He stared up at the ceiling, his eyes starting to water as it finally sunk in. “W-what...What if he dies Ebony….?” Ponies bustled behind them as this was a hallway when Ebony surged forward and grabbed the stallion’s shoulders.

“Adhesive, look at me.” Her eyes softened but held sincerity. “I’m not going to let him be ripped away from you, not like Blaze was from me. I swear to you, he’s gonna be okay.” The mare then got up and looked through the small glass window to look at the doctors all crowded around Circuit’s unmoving form passing instruments and checking monitors.

“Do you trust me?” Adhesive slowly nodded, rubbing furiously at his watery blue eyes.

“W-what’re you doing..?”

“Something stupid.” His friend replied before she turned and burst through the door into the surgery room. Ebony put on a face mask and tied back her mane with magic before pulling gloves over her hooves.

“Hey! You can’t be in here!” One doctor cried before seeing her blood red eyes and determined expression and backing down.

“Now move and do as I say, we’re going to save his life if it’s the last thing I do on this Faust forsaken world.”

“Ebony you can’t-” The stallion started getting to his hooves before simply slumping back down into the seat. There was no stopping the mare now, not with how determined the mare was. “You better know what you’re doing..” He muttered quietly as he curled up in the chair, making himself as comfortable as he could for the long wait.

~A Few Hours Later~

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ebony wiped the excess blood off of her hooves as she threw away the used gloves and face mask. She sighed in relief as the whole thing was finally over, Circuit had been stabilized and the bullet had been removed. It had grazed his right lung but overall the damage was minimal, the only real concern other than the loss of tissue in the lungs was the blood loss. The other doctors and some nurses were taking Circuit to a room so he could be more comfortable as the mare walked back over to the mail stallion.

“He’s going to be fine, I may have used a little magic to help sooth the damage… But he’s going to be fine.” The stallion in the chair slowly opened his eyes, rubbing at his watery orbs.

“R-really…? He’s...He’s really gonna be okay..? Swear to Faust?” He sat up in the uncomfortable chair, his eyes wide with hope and slight fear. The pegasus nodded.

“He’s going to be just fine, don’t worry Adhesive, Circuit’s okay. Come on, you can see him now.” She gently took his arm and lead him down the hall to a recovery room that looked just like any other hospital room except this one had a grey ‘pegasus’ on the bed.

“They didn’t know how to operate around all of his extremities, the metal ones, so I helped with that too. Would’ve been a disaster if they severed the main power cords.”

“Yeah yeah that’s nice…” Adhesive muttered dismissively, waving the mare off.

Circuit was hooked up to some machines that showed his heart beat, beep, beep, beep. An oxygen mask was over his muzzle and as he breathed it fogged up for a moment. In, out, in, out, his breathing was regular as well as his heart. A nurse was checking him and making sure he was as comfortable as possible.

“He’ll be fine, are you two his immediate family?”

“Er, yeah close enough.” The green maned stallion slowly made his way to his coltfriend’s side, gently grasping the hoof that didn’t have a bunch of i.v.’s stuck into it. “Do you know when he’ll wake up?”

“Soon I believe, he’s on a lot of pain medications and anesthetic at the moment due to surgery but he’ll be okay. I’ll just need somepony to come with me about the bill…” She said sadly, almost sorry that she had to charge them.

“I got it, don’t worry, I’ll cover everything Adhesive.” The golden mare gave Adhesive ‘s shoulder a soft squeeze before following the nurse to the counter. The white stallion smiled and nodded, waving at the two as they left the room. He dragged a chair over to the bedside, making himself comfortable as he sat down to wait for the other stallion to wake up. He didn’t have to wait long, as soon those foggy green eyes met his blue ones.

“Oh hi...I know you…” The ‘pegasus’ muttered, his voice slightly slurred from all the pain medication they had him on. That, and the fact that he just woke up. Adhesive smiled and let out a small noise of relief before bringing the hoof he was holding up to his muzzle and giving it a soft kiss.

“Faust you’re so stupid… I should never have let you go get that Faust damn milk…”

“Mm..S’okay...I’ve had worse…This…” He waved his stumpy arm at him, the metal prosthetic having been taken off before they’d started the surgery. “Hurt much much more. Being shot was like getting a papercut in comparison.” The white stallion let out a soft laugh before taking the metal prosthetic out from behind him.

“They gave it back to me after they moved you, well, Ebony sorta made them… She’s over at the register paying for treatment right now…” Tears began welling up in his eyes. “Oh Circuit.. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you, I don’t know how I could’ve gone on with my life if you had died..” The mail stallion sobbed.

“Hey hey shhhh, none of that, no tears here…” The injured pony let out a soft grunt as he wrapped his hooves around him, pulling him into his arms. He was careful to not pull him against his bandages of course. “Relax, it’s going to take a lot more than one measly bullet to kill me. You’ll just have to try harder next time if you really wanna get rid of me~” He teased lightly, trying to lighten the mood again.

His coltfriend smiled softly, cradling the grey stallion’s face in his hooves. “You know, I’ve had this for awhile, and now, I realized I can’t live without you. I love you Circuit Aquilus Heart, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. W-what I’m trying to say is…” The stallion pulled out a small box from his jacket pocket and opened it revealing a traditional gold engagement bracelet. “Will you marry me?”

Chapter 15, Preparations And Problems

Everything had been hectic for a few days as Circuit recovered, as well as the big reveal of the engagement to Ebony who had nearly glomped the wounded ‘pegasus’. Willow Wisp had visited her grandson and nearly taken off a poor nurse’s head for not answering her questions. Needless to say, Grandma was worried about Circuit. The hospital had discharged Circuit a week after the surgery so the three could go home.

“Welcome home babe!” Adhesive said with a smile as he wheeled his fiancée into the room in a wheelchair just to be safe. They’d even taken the elevator that Circuit used to transport materials and equipment down to his lab.

“Yeah yeah, can I get out of this stupid thing now?” The stallion squirmed in the wheelchair, wincing as he accidentally pulled at his bandages. “I’m tired of having to be still, I’ve been laying in the same bed for a week now, can I PLEASE stand on my own hooves for once?”

The mail stallion sighed and grinned slightly, loving how quickly his love had bounced back.

“Alright, the hospital only gave it to us in case something happened, don’t worry, we probably won’t need it anytime soon.”

“Of course not, I can walk on my own you know.” Circuit huffed as he slowly pushed himself out of the wheelchair, flinching slightly as the movement pulled at his stitches a bit. His legs wobbled slightly as he stood, weak from not being used for a week. “Gah, I never want to go back to that hospital ever again. Or any hospital really.”

“Alright, I’ll make you a deal.” Ebony piped up, walking into the living room. “I’ve got an infirmary in my home, state of the art, less of an infirmary and more of a hospital condensed into a wing of the manor. Either way, I’ll take over your medical expenses and problems provided you come when necessary. Especially if I’m going to become your doctor.”

“Hn...Fine, but only because you’ve already seen the inside of my chest, so might as well.” The gray maned stallion let out a huff as he shook his head. “I still can’t believe you just broke in there and started operating on me...Those doctors were practically giving you death glares by the time we left. So, even if I wanted to go back, I’m pretty sure they’ll never let us into that hospital ever again.”

“They nearly severed two arteries and wanted to cut your power cord. Doctors my pretty golden flank, idiots could’ve killed you. I did what I had to do to keep you alive, what would I’ve done if you died huh? What would Adhesive do?” The green maned stallion bit his lip, looking at the floor.

“She’s right, if the power cord was severed, we don’t know what would’ve happened…”

“Alright enough of that, now you’re making me feel bad.” The ‘pegasus’ picked up a nearby pencil, flicking it at the mare. “So yadda yadda, thanks for helping me and saving my life and whatever, can we please talk about something happier? Like, I don’t know, telling your parents about that fact that we’re engaged maybe? I’d like to do that soon so they don’t get mad at us for waiting too long.”

“That’s actually a good idea, with getting you home I hadn’t thought about it. Why not tomorrow? Give you some time to rest and readjust to being at home then go out and get you some fresh air.” Ebony gave a nod in agreement.

“And that way I can call some of my contacts to get your wedding plans started, because as of now, I am your official wedding planner.” Adhesive chuckled.

“And our doctor.” The hybrid let out a small laugh.

“Yes, and your doctor.” Circuit just let out a weary sigh, covering his face with his hooves.

“What have I gotten myself into?”

___________________________________~Timeskip~_______________________________

Circuit yawned softly as the carriage pulled up to the small house, rubbing his eyes to get rid of the sleep from his impromptu nap. He smiled at the familiar looking house, it’s cream colored walls and pink roof familiar from his last visit here. However, the beat up, dirty looking carriage parked out front was new.

“I didn’t know your parents were going to have other company..?” His fiancee’s brows furrowed.

“I didn’t either…” He got out of the carriage and signaled for Ebony to get down from the driver’s seat.

“Ebs, if something happens, keep Circuit safe for me alright?” The mare nodded before helping Circuit out of the carriage even with some protests from said ‘pegasus’. The three made their way up to the house when muffled yelling could be heard. Adhesive pushed open the door to reveal three figures, two were his moms, the third… A dirty grey earth pony with scraggly green mane and tail, ripped bomber jacket with patches sewn into it and a beer bottle in his hoof. On his flank was a cutie mark the mail pony hadn’t seen but had heard of from his birth mother. A single lighter with a single lit flame.

“What in Faust’s holy name is this mother f*cker doing here?!” He roared, the sudden noise making the rest of the room go deadly silent. The three turned to look at Adhesive, their eyes wide.

“Adhesive’s what’re you..? Sweetie, now isn’t the time you really should go…” The pure white mare, Adhesive’s birth mother, took a step forward, but was blocked by the sleazy looking stallion.

“Now now love, let me talk to the boy. I came all this way after all, it’d be a shame if I didn’t at least get to say hello.” The stallion’s voice was harsh and gravelly as he spoke, turning to flash Adhesive a yellow toothed smile. “You must be Adhesive..”

“What the hell do you want? And why are you talking to my mother like that?” He narrowed his blue eyes angrily and took a defensive and slightly aggressive stance against the other stallion. Ebony held back, keeping Circuit behind her but also looking at the two mares, ready to smack this plothole upside the head if things went down.

“Oh….You never told him about me, did you love? That’s sweet.” The stallion let out a hoarse sounding laugh, one that quickly dissolved into a fit of coughing. After a few moments he managed to catch his breath again, flashing another smile at Adhesive. “Tell me boy, haven’t you ever wondered who your daddy was? And please, don’t tell you though that little marefriend of your mother’s was really your other parent, because that’d just be sad.”

“I know who you are, you may be my biological father, but you were and will never be my father. My father is a mare, I have two mothers, I’ve never had a father and I never will.” His eyes narrowed even more and his hooves dug into the carpet beneath him.

“Hah! The boy’s got spunk!” He grinned over at Heavenly, Adhesive’s mother, flicking his tail. “He gets that from me you know.” He flicked his yellow gaze back over to the mailstallion. “And there’s no need to get all defensive, I’m just trying to be a part of my son’s life, is that so wrong?” Lit One sneered, his gaze traveling over to Ebony and Circuit. “Ooo, who’s this ravishing young mare? Your marefriend? Or is she single?” He winked at the yellow coated mare. Ebony growled, baring her teeth and revealing four sharp canines.

“Screw off plothole.” Adhesive smiled at his friend and his fiancee.

“No, I’m not dating her, I’m engaged to the grey stallion over there for your information.” The mail stallion snorted aggressively, narrowing his blue eyes. The sleazy stallion flinched back slightly, narrowing his eyes at Circuit.

“You’re engaged to THAT? Hmph, being raised by those idiotic filly foolers really must have messed you up if you’re into him. At least tell me you’re the stallion of the relationship?”

“That’s none of you Faust damned business, and I suggest you leave. We wouldn’t want something to happen now would we?” As if to emphasize his words, Ebony’s eyes flashed red for a moment and she smiled menacingly.

“Or what? Is the wittle mare gonna beat me up? Ooo, I’m so scared~” In reality the stallion felt a brief flash of fear, but he forced himself to push it down. No way he was going to let them see that of course. “What’re you gonna do princess? Hit me with your purse?”

“No, but I’ll make a purse.” Her fangs flashed brightly, elongating as she opened her mouth. “But I’ll make your pretty little hide into one~!”

“Ehehe…..You know, on second though, I wouldn’t want to embarrass your infront of your little friends. This isn’t the last you’ve seen of me Adhesive, I’ll be back. And maybe one day you’ll come to your senses and leave that disgusting excuse of stallion and go find yourself a real mare.” He clapped his hoof on Adhesive’s shoulder before slipping out of the house.

The green maned stallion rubbed his temples and walked over to his mothers. “Are you guys good? I can’t believe that arse found where you live.” Circuit walked over and sat down on the couch letting out a sigh before Ebony went to look out the window to make sure that sleazy stallion had really left.

“Yeah we’re alright sweetie...I’m just glad he didn’t do anything to hurt you three…I was worried he’d get violent there for a second.” Heavenly Light sighed as she shook her head, her wife, Electric Saw, nodding in agreement.

“You all settle down, I’ll go make us some tea, alright?” Electric pressed a soft kiss to the mare’s cheek before slipping out of the living room and off to the kitchen. Ebony nodded but kept looking out the window, the only change was she was pacing in front of it. The mare had gone into full protective mode.

“I swear, he comes back and I’ll show him just how much brains it takes to tan a hide..” Adhesive blanched before trotting over to sit with his fiancee.

“Yeah, sorry you had to hear it like that, but yeah, we’re engaged!” Circuit smiled as he spoke, reaching his hooves over to gently squeeze Adhesive’s. The pure white mare let out a happy squeal, clapping her hooves together.

“That’s great! Even if we had to find out this way, it’s still wonderful news! Do you have any plans for the wedding yet? Like, when is it going to be? Indoors or outdoors? Oooo, do you have a venue chosen yet? What about the food?” Her son chuckled.

“Not yet mom, but Ebony here says she’ll be our official planner. She was pretty excited about it!” The golden mare perked up and trotted over to the rest of them, nodding her head in agreement.

“That is correct Mrs. Light, I will be taking over the job of planning, taking what these two want and making it into a reality. Without all the stress of course, that’s my job.” She smiled brightly and gave the pegasus a respectful nod.

“Oh please hun, call me Heavenly. Mrs. Light is far too formal.” The mare brushed her light yellow mane out of her eyes as she smiled at Ebony, lightly kissing her wife’s cheek as she came back with the tea.

“My only request is that your wedding not be outside during the winter or something, I love you son, but I’m not going to freeze my hooves off just to watch your ceremony.” The mail stallion let out a laugh.

“Don’t worry mom, that won’t happen, besides, I don’t think my coat would show up well in the snow anyway.” He snickered and leaned into Circuit’s side lovingly before Ebony cleared her throat.

“Yes Mrs. L- Heavenly… Neither of them enjoys the cold weather, so what I had in mind was an early fall wedding, where the leaves are just changing but not yet time for the Running Of The Leaves. That way it’s still warm but not too much so but not so freezing that nobody wants to be outside.”

“Oh! That sounds wonderful!” Heavenly let out a little squeal of delight. “Doesn’t that sound great dear?” Electric let out a grunt of agreement, quietly sipping at her tea. “Have you given any thought yet and who you’re going to invite? Your parents will be coming, right Circuit? I’ve been dying to meet them!” Circuit tensed up slightly at the mentions of his family, his grip on Adhesive’s hooves tightening a little.

“Well...Um…” Both Adhesive and Ebony picked up on his distress but the stallion was quicker to jump in.

“Circuit’s parents aren’t exactly… the best, even I haven’t met them. Not that he’s ashamed of me or anything, more of ashamed of them…” He bit his lip and Ebony took his place.

“Yeah, they’re not the best ponies, and neither are his siblings, I’ve known Circuit for however many years and he still refuses to tell me about them. The closest thing I’ve ever seen of them is a picture in his grandmother’s house.”

“I see….Well then, that settles it!” The mare set her cup of tea down, abruptly getting to her hooves. She slipped over to Circuit, pulling the stallion in for a tight hug. “You’re officially a member of our family now! I don’t care if you two technically aren’t married yet, as far as I’m concerned, you’re already our son.”

“Wha- I...Okay…” The ‘pegasus’ sputtered a bit before slowly returning the hug. Adhesive smiled brightly, the grin almost reaching from ear to ear. Ebony gave a soft grin, her green eyes softening at the sight before her but she stayed back out of the family affair.

“Aw you guys, thanks mom! And Madre, get in here too!” The mail stallion pulled Electric Saw into the embrace and the family hugged lovingly.

“You too.” Heavenly huffed, flailing one of her hooves at Ebony. “C’mon, you’re part of the family too, get in here.” The golden mare felt hot tears sting her cheek as her smile brightened and widened. She all but flung herself into the embrace, opening her wings to further embrace her newfound family.

“You ponies are honestly the best.”

“Love you too Ebs.” Adhesive chuckled.

Chapter 16, Uh Oh...

WARNING! Issues With Parents, Disappointment And Other Things, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! (It's not major, just gotta put these things~!)

A few months had passed and everything was great, spring had passed and it was now early summer. Ebony had worked with the two stallions to set up the perfect and most amazing wedding in her lifetime which was saying a lot. It had been quiet, peaceful even, that sadly, was about to change.

“Alright, we have the invitation list almost complete, the venue selected and the music down to the decibel all that needs to be done today is to pick the flowers. Now, Orchids or Roses?” The golden mare asked, holding up the two flowers for the engaged couple to inspect.

“Ughhhhh….I don’t know, why not both or something…?” Circuit groaned from his spot sprawled out across the couch, one of his arms thrown dramatically over his eyes. They hadn’t been planning this wedding long, at least, not by most wedding standards, and he was already sick of it. “Why do we have to have some big fancy ceremony anyways? Can’t we just go down to the courthouse and get it over with already?” The hybrid looked over her reading glasses and raised a brow in her favorite look of ‘Are you bucking kidding me?’

“If we did that then you wouldn’t get to see Adhesive’s dress now would you hmm?” Said mail stallion blushed and found something interesting to look at on the floor.

“He can wear a dress to the courthouse then!” The now flustered ‘pegasus’ flung his hoof out, accidentally flinging himself off the couch in the process. He face planted onto the floor, letting out a soft grunt. “I blame you both for this.” Both Ebony and Adhesive let out a loud guffaw of laughter, the stallion slapping his knee and the mare nearly dropping her glasses.

Suddenly their laughter was cut short but a loud and rapid knocking on the door.

“Strange… I didn’t know we were going to have guests…” The hybrid murmured softly.

“Neither did I…” The green maned stallion muttered before walking up towards the stairs leading to the foyer. Circuit reached up a hoof, snatching one of the blankets off of the couch so he could cover himself with it.

“If they ask for me then I’m not here! Tell them I...I don’t know died or something.” The gray stallion snuggled further into the blanket, curling up till he was just a lump on the floor.

His fiancee chuckled before opening the door, revealing six figures. Two stallions and four mares, one was a pair, a taller mare as well as a bulkier stallion who seemed to be a married couple. She was pearly white with a pinkish pearl mane while he was medium gray with a darker gray mane and tail. The other stallion was tall, beefy but the same colors as the other older stallion. The other two mares were the same as their mother but with different eyes while the third was mostly covered by very long clothing that covered almost all of her and was white with a gray mane and blue eyes. But the most interesting fact was that they were all unicorns. The mare wrinkled her nose slightly as she scanned over Adhesive, forcing her pearly whites to spread into a smile.

“Er….Is Circuit here? This is where he lives, right dear?” She muttered the last part to her husband, who just let out a noncommittal grunt, never once looking up from his phone. The white coated mare turned back to the earth pony again, flashing him another smile. “Could you go get him for us please?”

“Uhh… yeah sure, come on in…” Adhesive opened the door wider to let them in before calling down the stairs. “Babe! Someponies are here to see you…”

“Adhesiiiive, I told you to tell them I’m dead!” Circuit whined as he pulled himself from his blanket, dramatically dragging himself up the stairs. “It’d better not be freaking telemarketers or I swear I’ll-” He froze, staring at the group of unicorns with wide eyes. “No...No, get out. I told you to never come here. You need to leave, now.”

“Circuit!” The white mare gasped, her blue eyes wide. “Is that anyway to talk to your family?” Adhesive blinked, looking between his fiancee and the group of unicorns. As if summoned by the commotion, Ebony marched up the stairs.

“What in Luna’s name is going-” She looked up at the unicorns. “Nope, nope nope nope nope!” The hybrid turned around and briskly trotted downstairs and into the kitchen to make food. Her go to activity when stressed.

“You all need to leave right now, I’m not going to take this crap in my own h-”

“Nonsense dear! You haven’t even let us see your home!” The mare, Circuit’s mother as they’d just learned, pushed past Circuit and Adhesive, the rest of the family trotting down the stairs after her.

“W-wait you can’t….Help me out here Adhesive!” The blue eyed stallion looked about the room helplessly trying to find something to say before sighing and going to his backup plan.

“Ebony! Get you golden flank in here!” Said mare poked her head out from the kitchen and pulled her mane down and out from its ponytail before blinking at the new ponies in the home.

“Okay… Who are you?”

“Oh! You must be Circuit’s little marefriend! I’m Pearl Necklace, Circuit’s mother. I’m sure he’s told you all about us.” Pearl stepped forward, holding out a hoof for Ebony to shake. There was a strained smile on her face as she scanned her eyes over the pegasus. “The gray stallion is my husband Lawsuit, and the other three beautiful unicorns are his siblings, Equation Quarter,” she gestured to the younger looking stallion who gave Ebony a little wave. “Rose Shard, my youngest daughter” she gestured to one of the mares. “Flawless Jewel, the second youngest. And Golden Cross, my eldest daughter.” The last one she gestured to was the mare who was all covered up in frumpy looking dress.

The hybrid had a confused and shocked face, one eye kind squinting and her mouth screwed up like she had no idea what the hell was going on.

“Lady… I’m not dating your son… That stallion right there.” She pointed to Adhesive. “That’s his fiancee, they’re getting married. And no, Circuit never talks about you…” The golden mare was slowly moving backwards, her neck straining. The rest of Circuit’s siblings had a slightly more controlled response, though you could tell they didn’t seem to approve.

“I….See...How nice…” Circuit’s mother shot Adhesive a strained smile, one of her eyes twitching slightly. Lawsuit didn’t even respond, too busy talking on his phone with a client. “I’m...Disappointed to hear that you never talk about us Circuit, I thought you would’ve told your friends about us by now?”

“Oh wow you’re disappointed, what a shocker..” The ‘pegasus’ muttered bitterly under his breath, rolling his green eyes. The white stallion took a deep breath before putting on a smile.

“Hey, well we’re all here now! Where are my manners, please, sit, would you like something to drink? Water, tea, coffee?” He brushed back a loose piece of his green mane and was doing his best to lighten the mood. Ebony on the other hoof, looked between Circuit, Adhesive and the rest of the family, the latter she looked at with mild distrust and worry.

“Tea would be lovely, right?” The mare flicked her gaze at her family, most of them nodding quietly while Golden just looked at Adhesive with a look of mild alarm.

“Great, Circuit would you help me fix the tea?” He looked at his fiancee with a desperate look of ‘we need to talk’ before pulling the ‘pegasus’ into the kitchen.

“What the buck is going on? Why are they here? And why in Luna’s holy flank did they think you were dating Ebony?”

“I don’t know why they’re here, okay?” Circuit hissed, his voice filled with panic. “They just...Showed up….” He ran a hoof through his mane, tugging at it at the roots. “And I don’t know….You’ll probably have to get used to that hun, for some reason a lot of ponies assume that at first.” Adhesive let out an amused snort.

“I suppose, come on, let’s get the tea done before Ebony tears them apart.”
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Ebony was not amused, these were fickle and shallow ponies, those who only cared about themselves, the kind of ponies that she hated most. But, she had her own weapon, patience and etiquette.

“So, where are you ponies from?” She asked sweetly, smiling brightly and making sure not to show her fangs and ruin the entire thing.

“Our family is originally from Trottingham, but currently we live in Canterlot.” Pearl Necklace answered, shooting Ebony a polite, but tense smile. “What about you miss Ebony?”

“Oh here and there, I have a private home that I’d not like to give the location of, paparazzi and all. It’s quite annoying when you’re the CEO of Onyx Innovations, everypony wants something from you.” The changeling hybrid emphasized on that last part, still smiling but her green eyes had gone cold.

“Oh trust me, we know what that’s like. My little Flawless Jewel is always being swamped by fans asking for her autograph. Isn’t that right dear?” She shot a smile at her daughter who returned it, her teeth just as straight and bright white as her mother’s.

“Oh yes, it’s so hard being so famous. You get what that’s like, right Ebony?”

“Yes, of course. Though most ponies run in fear.”

“Oh er….” Pearl shot her a slightly uncomfortable look, raising an eyebrow at her. “How come…?” The mare smiled brightly, showing her fangs this time.

“Oh I don’t know, my reputation as the Lady of a Thousand Tears and Sorrow.”

“I….I see…Well! Isn’t that lovely? Equation, why don’t you tell Ebony about yourself, I’m sure she’d love to hear about your last game, right?”

“Er...Yeah sure, whatever.” The stallion grunted, flicking his mane out of his eyes.

“Sure, what is interesting about you? What sets you apart from all the other jocks I’ve seen over countless decades?”

“Well for one, I’m not just some dumb jock. Straight A+ student all through high school and college. Plus,” he flicked his gray mane out of his eyes, shooting Ebony what was supposed to be a charming smile. “I like to think I’m more handsome then most other jock types.” The mare’s brow rose.

“Wow, that’s quite the resume, personally I got 105% all through high school, middle school and elementary as well as 110% in all three of my college degrees. Oh, and on a trip to Japan I learned five martial arts styles consecutively in two weeks. Oh yeah, one more thing, I was doing geometry in kindergarten.”

“I...I see….I’m just gonna go wait in the car now.” The stallion got to his hooves, quickly making his way up up the stairs and out to where the car was sitting idle. Not a carriage, a car, because they could actually afford one of those.

“Well...Isn’t that just..Lovely…”

‘One down, more mofos to go.’ The golden mare thought to herself before turning towards Circuit’s father.

“So, Lawsuit wasn’t it? What do you do for a living? I don’t think I’ve heard you actually speak since you walked into this house.” She smiled brightly, but her expression and tone were getting less and less welcoming with how stupid their responses were. Ebony’s temper was running thin as it was.

“I’m a defensive lawyer.” The stallion muttered, taking his phone away from his mouth for a total of ten seconds before he was talking into it again. “No no, I wasn’t talking to anypony important, just had to answer some stupid question. Please continue.” Lawsuit spoke to his client on the phone, shooting a pointed look at Ebony. Said mare reached over the table, grabbed the phone out of his hoof and crushed it between her hoof sending circuitry and plastic bits everywhere.

“Now, where were we?”

“You little brat! That was an important call!” The gray stallion let out a huff as he got to his hooves, his eyes narrowed. “Where’s the phone in this disgusting house? I have more important things to be doing than listening to some prissy mare.”

“Now now dear…” Pearl attempted to get the stallion to sit down again, her voice slightly panicky. “Surely work can wait? After all, we’re here visiting our son and his friends, don’t you want to talk to them?”

“No, I don’t as a matter of fact, this whole thing was your idea.”

“What a rude and disgusting stallion, not even caring about his own son’s family and home. Was Case File on the phone? Your boss I assume, I know him, well I won’t say know, more like he works for me.”

“My boss works for the Runwick family, not some bratty little mare.”

“I am Ebony Runwick, which you’d have known that if you would’ve actually listened, now with you being so rude to me and my family I might have to take drastic measures, how does the mail room sound?” The stallion stared at her, for a moment real fear showing on his face as his eyes went all wide. It was quickly covered up with a mask of indifference. One that looked a lot like the face Circuit usually made actually.

“I’ll just go use the phone in the car.” He huffed, following the same route his son had made a few moments earlier. For a few moments there was nothing but tense silence into Pearl broke it, a strained smile on her face.

“Well! Isn’t this just lovely? Why don’t one of your girls go see why the tea is taking so long?” The mare turned to her three daughters, practically forcing Rose off of the couch. “Go go….” She hissed, shoving the mare towards the kitchen before turning back to Ebony, the same tense, fake smile on her face.

“What about you Mrs. Pearl? What do you do for a living? What do you enjoy doing with your life? And why is it that in your life you chose to alienate your youngest and in my personal opinion most worthwhile child to come from your entire family?”

“Ah..Well...I’m a stay at home mother.” She smiled tensely as she started to speak. “My husband and I thought it’d be best if I stayed at home to raise the kids. And I never...Alienated my son, and I’m sorry if he feels that way. It was never my intention, it was just...Hard trying to raise five kids. I’m sure you wouldn’t know what that’s like.”

“Maybe not five, more like an adoptive mother for seven. Seven orphanages that is, I’ve lost track of how many birthdays and Hearth’s Warming Eve presents I have to buy, but each one is exactly what the foal wanted. I believe last year along I bought seventeen puppies and thirteen kittens.”

“Ah, but that’s your own choice. You could simply leave your workers to take care of them if you so wanted to. A mother has to raise her own children.”

“I do actually, when I was younger I found two foals abandoned on the roadside. I took them in, clothed them, fed them, changed their diapers, read to them and raised them.” Ebony murmured in a more hushed tone after that. “When they were older instead of calling me mama, mom or even mother they called me sister. Do you have any idea that kind of pain inflicts upon you? When you raised your children and they don’t see you as their mother?” The hurt was evident in her voice, her pain could even be felt in the room and seen in her eyes.

“I don’t recall asking you for parenting advice.” Pearl hissed, the look of kindness she’d been forcing the entire time they’d been here finally vanishing into a look of anger. “Why does it matter anyways? I raised four perfectly normal unicorn children, it’s not my fault he was a little freak!” The mare’s words were met with a loud crash from the entrance to the living room. All eyes turned to see Circuit standing in the doorway, the teacup he’d been holding now laying in pieces at his hooves.

“So you finally admit it, huh? Why am I not s-surprised…” The stallion’s voice cracked slightly on the last word as he turned to flee from the room, his messy bangs hiding the fact the tears were starting to build in his eyes as he left.

Ebony’s eyes widened as she rose to her hooves, a look of anger and absolute murderous intent on her features.

“You. I have been nothing but as nice as I could be when you and your disgustingly basic family barged in on our lives! Get. The. Buck. Out. Of. This. HOUSE!!!” She roared, finally bearing her fangs out of pure fury.

“If you ever come near this family again I will literally skin you alive and make you into a pretty little throw rug!”

“I...I….” Pearl shot a glance towards where Circuit had disappeared, her eyes shining with pain and so much disappointment. She quickly got to her hooves, gesturing for her daughters to follow her out of the house. They all did after a moment, Golden taking a moment to make a cross sign over her heart before fleeing from the house after her family.

Ebony leapt up and grabbed a few knives from the kitchen, following the family by running up the stairs, throwing the door open and chucking the knives with accuracy at the car, popping the two closest tires.

“AND DON’T COME BACK!!!!!” The hybrid roared. The car quickly sped off, or at least,

as fast as it could with two popped tires.

“Where the knives really necessary..?” Circuit muttered as he came up behind Ebony, trying to discreetly rub at his eyes. Adhesive stood behind him, gently rubbing a hoof across the gray stallion’s shoulders.

“Of course it was necessary, and if I ever see their ugly muzzles around here again I will literally stick a knife through their jugulars.” At this comment from the mare, the white stallion pulled away from her slightly in fear but kept comforting his fiancee.

“Right, I agree with Ebony, they’re not going to hurt you ever again babe.”

“I swear you two...Just….Don’t maim them too much..Okay Ebony..? They’re...Well they’re terrible ponies but..They’re still my family, you know?” The ‘pegasus’ leaned against his fiance, sighing softly as he let his eyes slide shut. Adhesive nodded and pulled Circuit close, giving him a soft kiss next to the gray stallion’s ear. Ebony huffed but nodded before heading back inside, practically glaring daggers into where the car had been moments ago.

Chapter 17, The Big Day

This was the day, the day Adhesive had been waiting for ever since that hospital visit, ever since he’d realized that he loved Circuit with all his heart and soul. The day he’d been waiting for since he’d realized he couldn’t live without the grumpy ‘pegasus’. The white stallion was currently in front of a mirror with his two mothers helping him get ready. He turned to his birth mother and bit his lip.

“Do I look okay?”

“You look perfect…” Heavenly bit her lip, attempting to hold back the happy tears that wanted to spill from her eyes. “I just knew my old dress would look perfect on you. Circuit is going to love it.” He gave a little twirl, the see through-ish material flowing around him while the blouse hugged his chest.

“Thanks mom, this, this is amazing, I can’t believe you’re letting me wear it!” The stallion smiled before grabbing the veil and trying to get it on but failing utterly. Electric let out a soft snort, grabbing the veil from him so she could put it on him properly.

“Well, maybe I would’ve let you wear it sooner if it hadn’t taken you so long to finally get married~” The white coated mare teased lightly, reaching out a hoof to gently brush some of Adhesive’s mane from his face. The tears she’d been holding back quickly bubbled over, unable to hold them back anymore. “Oh great, the ceremony hasn’t even started yet and I’m already crying…”

“Oh mom, madre, you guys are the best. Thank you, for being proud of me, I love you two so much.” The soon to be groom pulled his mothers into a big hug, trying not to squash his dress. They both tightly hugged him back, Heavenly being careful not to get any of her tears on the dress. Electric was the first to pull away, flicking her gaze towards the clock.

“C’mon, it’s time to get going. Don’t want you to be late for your own ceremony.”

Her son nodded and smiled brightly. “Today’s the day!”
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Well, this wasn’t going well, for the past half hour Ebony had been trying to calm Circuit down to the point of actually being able to go out there. The stallion was extremely nervous for no reason, and yet here they were.

“Circuit! Calm down, for the last time, Adhesive loves you. That's the whole bloody reason we’re here!”

“B-but what if he decides he doesn’t! Or what if he doesn’t like my dress!?” The stallion screeched, his voice slightly hysterical. “Or what if I trip while I’m walking up the aisle? O-or forget my vows!?” The mare before him took a deep breath before smacking him upside the head.

“Bro. Chill. If you somehow trip, I’ll discreetly catch you with magic, if you forget your vows, just say what you want to from your heart. Doesn’t matter if it's not what you had planned initially, what matters is that you’re telling him that you love him with all your heart and soul. You do don’t you?” She asked, placing her hooves on his shoulders.

“Of course I do! If I wouldn’t then I wouldn’t be here, would I?” Circuit sighed, letting his head fall forward onto Ebony’s shoulder. The angle was a little awkward, since Ebony was shorter than him, but he didn’t care that much. “There’s just so much that could go wrong..I just want today to be perfect.”

“Of course you do, I know you want everything to be perfect for your wedding but lemme tell you something. If you keep worrying it won’t, something small will happen and because you’re so worried sh*t will go down. Just take a deep breath and relax, because if something does happen I will take care of it, you just need to chill alright?”

“Yeah..Yeah alright...I can do this…” The ‘pegasus’ took a deep breath as he pulled back, forcing himself to calm. Or at least, calm as much as he could. “Alright, let’s get out there before I start panicking again.” The hybrid beside him smiled brightly.

“That’s the spirit! It’s going to be fine, this is the day, Adhesive loves you, just remember that alright?” She then helped him to his hooves and pulled him towards the door and over to the altar. The room was long and wide, the center of the chapel they’d picked out, red carpet going down the middle of the aisle flanked by stained walnut pews. Tall stained glass windows lined either side of the ancient looking stone block walls and one directly above the altar showed a depiction of Faust herself.

It was truly a marvel, Adhesive’s entire family, minus his deadbeat biological father, were there on the left half of the church along with some of his friends. The other half of the church held the few other friends that Circuit had as well as his grandmother who was beaming with pride. To fill the space up a little more, Ebony’s extended family had come, meaning Buggy and adoptive changeling sister Chichina who was a bubbly mess of purple curls. Lucky and Pixie waved from the audience and gave encouraging smiles to the ‘pegasus’

“Don’t worry Circuit, everything’s gonna be fine.” Ebony soothed, giving her friend a pat on the back before taking her spot as the Mare of Honor. She wore a long flowing white dress that faded to dark blue with sparkles that made it look like a starry sky, her mane was curled and pulled back and silver slippers were on her hooves.

But it was no comparison to what the stallion saw next, the doors of the chapel opened with a loud creak to reveal Adhesive, dressed in a beautiful white gown that was semi transparent and being lead towards the altar by Electric Saw who was wearing a tux. The stallion was carrying a large bouquet of beautifully arranged orchids and lilies in one hoof while clinging onto his madre for support. He looked up, and green eyes connected with baby blues.

Circuit practically gawked as Adhesive made his way up the aisle, snapping his mouth shut with a click as he realized it’d fallen open. He smiled nervously at the other stallion as he made his way closer, gently taking one of the stallion’s hooves in his own as he stood in front of him. Adhesive handed off the bouquet for his madre to hold before taking Circuit’s other hoof.

The white stallion’s face was covered in a large smile, and he was practically glowing with happiness. Adhesive couldn’t take his eyes off of Circuit, his heart was pounding against his rib cage threatening to burst from his chest. The priestess before them cleared her throat, and everyone turned to watch the wedding with bright smiles.

“We are gathered here today to witness the joining of two ponies in holy matrimony. These two stallions before us have proved their love and decided to be joined in the eyes of Faust for all eternity. We are here to bind them in this sacred rite of marriage, before we begin is there anypony among us who does not agree to this union?” The aging priestess looked over her spectacles and at the crowd, her gray mane pulled back into a loose bun and the bible of Faustism between her hooves.

“I do!” Loud gasps followed as a loud voice called from the back, the words coming from a familiar looking mare in a frumpy dress.

“Golden Cross…?” Circuit muttered, his eyes wide. “What’re you-”

“I cannot believe you’d disgrace the name of Faust with this pathetic excuse of a

wedding! I won’t just stand and let this continue!” A loud roar of anger erupted from one mare of honor. Her eyes were practically aflame and the small, normally short fangs Ebony had were elongated in fury.

“How dare you come back, and how dare you of all ponies try to disrupt this ceremony with your unholy abominationist ways of looking at Faust. I warned you once to never come back, and now, I will make good on my promise.” She leapt forward and grabbed the unicorn by the back of her dress and began hauling her towards the door.

“Just give me a moment, I’ll be right back.” The hybrid smiled at the ensemble before her before tossing the sad excuse for a unicorn out the door and slamming it behind her. Muffled screams and crashing emanated from behind the heavy doors of the chapel for a good minute or two before the mare came back.

Her dress was perfect, not a curl of her mane out of place, the only thing that was different was she was picking out small bits of white fur and shredded dress from her teeth. Ebony waltzed back up to the altar and took her spot again.

“Now, shall we continue?” Circuit quietly stared at her for a few moments, opening and shutting his mouth a couple times. After a bit he simply turned back to his soon to be husband and nodded for the priestess to continue. It was honestly probably better if he just didn’t ask. The priestess gulped before continuing.

“Uh yeah… will you two please join hooves and proclaim your vows?” She asked, smiling at the stallions. The gray stallion nodded, taking a deep breath as he squeezed Adhesive’s hooves.

“Right I’ll ah...I’ll go first I guess ahem..” He cleared his throat slightly, trying to ease some of his nerves. “I….From the moment I met you I knew you were wonderful...You’ve brought so much light and happiness into my life, and I honestly don’t know what I would do without you. I just….I’m so happy I opened that door..” His words faded as he got all choked up, gesturing for Adhesive to say his vows, as he couldn’t really speak anymore with how emotional he was. The green maned stallion’s eyes watered but he swallowed and began his own vows.

“I have loved you for what seems like a lifetime, and I know one thing, no matter how long we have together, I will treasure it forever. You are my light, my reason for living, the pony who gets me out of bed in the morning, to see the better side of the world. I love you Circuit Aquilus Heart, and I want to be yours forever.” He smiled brightly a small tear escaping and sliding down his cheek before squeezing his soon to be husband’s hooves lovingly.

“That was beautiful you two, now, please repeat after me. I, Circuit Aquilus Heart, take Adhesive Jonas Stamp to be my lawfully wedded husband in the eyes of Faust.”

“I, Circuit Aquilus Heart…” He repeated the words, swallowing thickly around the lump in his throat. It took everything he had not to just burst into happy tears while he spoke. “Take Adhesive Jonas Stamp, to be my lawfully wedded husband in the eyes of Faust.” Adhesive beamed, swallowing as well and quickly wiping away a tear.

“Do you solemnly swear to protect him in sickness and in health, to love him for rich or for poor, til death do you part?” The priestess said, smiling kindly at the grey ‘pegasus’.

“I do.” Circuit said firmly, a large grin spreading across his face as he beamed at his husband. The priestess smiled before turning towards Adhesive.

“Please repeat after me, I Adhesive Jonas Stamp, take Circuit Aquilus Heart to be my lawfully wedded husband in the eyes of Faust.”

“I, Adhesive Jonas Stamp, take Circuit Aquilus Heart to be my lawfully wedded husband in the eyes of Faust.” The green maned stallion spoke, only slightly more composed than his soon to be husband. Ebony beamed and nodded at her friend to keep going.

“Do you solemnly swear to protect him in sickness and in health, to love him for rich or for poor, til death do you part?” The gray maned mare asked once more.

“I do.” The white stallion squeezed his partners hooves, applying a bit more pressure than was needed. It wasn’t on purpose, he just couldn’t contain his excitement.

“Then, by the power of faust, I now pronounce you husband and groom, you may kiss.” Circuit quickly yanked Adhesive forward, pulling him into a clumsy, but passionate kiss. He tangled one hoof in his mane as he held him close, dipping the other stallion with a dramatic flourish. The crowd erupted in cheers and Ebony nearly went off the deep end with her cries of joy. Adhesive didn’t even care about any of it, all he could think of was how happy he was that he was now married to the love of his life. When they finally broke away, their lungs demanding air, he smiled.

“Faust, I love you Circuit.”

“I love you too Adhesive..More than anything in the world..”

Chaper 19, Coming Home

The trip to Bitaly had been amazing, classical art, beautiful architecture, amazing food, and best of all, Adhesive got to share it all with his new husband! It had been absolutely perfect, the tickets had been first class, and the two stallions had gotten to stay at a beautiful and secluded villa. It had been so intimate and private, but with all the access to the major cities and locations.

Now the two were at the airport, waiting for their ride home from one changeling hybrid.

“That was absolutely perfect.” The mail stallion muttered softly, nuzzling into his new husband’s side.

“Mhm..” Circuit muttered sleepily as he cuddled up with him, his arms wrapped tightly around the other stallion. “M’gonna be jet lagged for weeks though….” He yawned loudly, as it to clarify his point. “It was definitely worth it though.” Adhesive let out a soft chuckle and fixed his blue eyes lovingly on the gray ‘pegasus’.

“Same here, but at least I still have a few weeks leave for the wedding from work. That means we can get over it together and be lazy.” With that being said, a familiar black carriage with silver trimmings pulled up, being pulled by none other than the two twins Lucky and Pixie. The carriage door was thrown open to reveal the golden hybrid herself, wearing a big grin.

“Welcome back love birds! Hope in, I’ll drive.” She swung herself out landing with a thud and held the door open. The gray stallion yawned again as he got to his hooves, pulling Adhesive with him to the carriage. As soon as they were settled he flopped down again, pulling the other stallion into his arms so they could cuddle.

“I’m so tired I could sleep forever…”

“Me too babe, we’ll sleep when we get home okay?” Ebony then shut the door and threw the suitcases up on top of the carriage before tying them down and hopping into the driver’s seat.

“Alright boys, you know where to go, HIYA!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In all honesty, Adhesive had fallen asleep moments after they started moving, and only woke up once the carriage jostled to a stop.

“Ugh… What time is it?”

“Too early that’s what time it is….” Circuit groaned, slowly lifting his head off of the other stallion’s shoulder. “Ebonyyyy...Why did we stop?” Said mare threw down the reins and thanked the two stallions pulling the carriage before answering her friend.

“Cuz we’re at your house ya butt.” She smiled brightly, indicating the mare was only teasing. The pegasus jumped off the driver’s seat in a rebound and landed upright on her back hooves before opening the carriage door.

“So get out, if you’re gonna sleep there’s a bed like, twenty feet from here.”

“S’too far….” The ‘pegasus’ groaned as he slumped over onto Adhesive again. “Carry me.” The mare rolled her green eyes but grabbed the one still flesh hoof Circuit had and heaved the much bigger stallion over her shoulders before carrying him inside like he weighed no more than a pillow.

“Adhesive, you coming?” Adhesive let out a grunt, practically falling out of the carriage.

“Hnnng, pins and needles….I’ll be there in a sec once I get feeling back into my hooves..” The hybrid let out a laugh before opening the door with her magic, she walked down the stairs and promptly lay Circuit onto the couch before heading back upstairs to get Adhesive.

“Need help there or are you good with crawling?” The mailstallion let out a dramatic sigh, reaching a hoof out to her.

“I’ll lean against you, at least let me keep some of my dignity.”

“Yeah yeah, get over here.” She pulled one of his hooves over her shoulder while dragging the luggage from before into the house ahead of them wrapped in a green aura. This time Ebony let Adhesive walk himself to the couch instead, letting him keep his ‘dignity’.

“You know it’s funny, you asked to keep your dignity but I’ve been practically living with you two ever since, oh I don’t even know. Circuit, when did I officially unofficially move in or whatever?”

“Nfghhhh…” The gray stallion responded, his voice muffled by the pillow he had his face buried in. Adhesive chuckled as he flopped down next to him, snuggling into his side.

“I think that’s all you’re going to get out of him at the moment Ebs.”

“Eh, seems legit, anyway, I’ve got to go back to my actual place, my sister Chichina, you met her at the wedding, she needs my help doing homework. Apparently she can’t find a Faust damn Robotics tutor so I have to do it myself.” Her ears splayed back in annoyance and the mare let out a small huff. The white stallion let out a soft snort, waving at the mare as he pulled a blanket over him and Circuit.

“Alright, we won’t keep you. I’ll let Circuit know when he wakes up so he doesn’t think you died or anything. Have fun~”

“Yeah, quantum physics, so much fun…” The mare huffed before walking out the door and getting into the carriage. “Take me home boys.” And just like that she was gone, off to teach Chichina rocket science.

“Well, now that that’s done… how am I gonna get you off the couch and into the bed?”

“S’not happening. Unless you plan to carry me, I’m not moving from this spot.” The stallion grumbled, covering his head with one of the pillows. “And there’s nothing you can do or say to make me change my mind.”

“Sure I can’t, I guess you won’t get to see the cute little number I bought just before we left Bitaly~! Bitalian lingerie is so much different from the kind you can buy here, silk too~!” Circuit was silent for a few moments, his face steadily getting redder and redder from its place hidden in the pillow. He didn’t say anything, just simply got up, with the pillow still covering his face, and headed towards their room.

“Good boy~” Adhesive purred before grabbing a certain scrap of cloth from his suitcase and following after his husband.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The stallion awoke to a chill about the room, the top half of his body was fine, snuggled into Circuit’s side. But the bottom half, mainly his legs and hooves were freezing, the blankets were only strewn about his midsection.

“Faust damn it…” He muttered in frustration, too comfortable to move, but still cold.

“Shhhhh don’t talk…” Circuit muttered from his spot curled up next to Adhesive, reaching up a hoof to smother against his mouth. “S’too early for this….” He grumbled before settling back down again.

“Cooold…” The other stallion whined, trying to move his legs so the blanket would cover them, it didn’t work.

“S’my blanket…..” The gray stallion grumbled, somehow able to pull even more of it over to his side. “Now suffer quietly, m’trying to sleep…” Adhesive narrowed his blue eyes before grabbing the covers with one hoof and swiftly grabbing them. Then, he rolled over towards the edge of the bed making himself a burrito in the warm blankets.

“Now you suffer quietly.” Circuit just slowly opened one eye, letting out a dramatic sigh.

“Alright, you asked for it.” He braced himself before pushing Adhesive off the bed, letting out a satisfied noise as he landed on the floor with a solid ‘thunk’.

“Oof, that wasn’t very nice now was it?” The stallion huffed before propping himself up on his hooves and reaching for a pillow. “Now you’re gonna get it!” He jumped up and pulled the pillow up over his head before bringing it down on his husband. The ‘pegasus’ let out a squeal, covering his head with his hooves.

“Adhesiiiive! Now I’ll never get back to sleep!” He whined as he scooped up one of the other pillows, smacking the other stallion in the face with it. “It is far too early for this!” He huffed, punctuating each word with a smack from his pillow.

“Now you’ve gone and one it!” He squealed, grabbing another pillow in the other hoof. “Dual pillow action go!” Adhesive switched hits between both pillows, never giving his husband an opportunity to recover. “Muwahaha!”

“Gah!” He yelped, covering his head with his hooves in an attempt to guard his face. “Okay okay I give! Uncle! The blankets are yours!”

“Haha! Victory!” Adhesive cried happily before a grin covered his face. “I won, that means I own you darling. Bow to your master for me hmm?” The green maned stallion said sweetly, putting a hoof under his husband’s chin. Circuit rolled his eyes, letting out a dramatic sigh.

“Oh yes my brave and loyal master, take pity on this humble servant of yours~”

“Hmm, perhaps, perhaps not… maybe if you’re good~!” Adhesive flicked his tail and winked at Circuit. His face reddened slightly as he let out a huff.

“Hmph, mighty big talk for somepony who’s..Ticklish!” He suddenly leapt at the mailstallion, his hooves attacking his sides. “Bow down before your new master!”

“Ahahaha, N-never!!” Adhesive managed between fits of giggles and convulsions from the tickles. Circuit laughed as he continued to tickle him, intent on making him suffer a little longer.

“Beg for mercy servant, and I might just let you live~”

“Haha, I-I give.. Hahah, I g-give!” The stallion laughed, tears in his eyes but a smile on his face.

“Hm...I suppose that is sufficient begging...For now~” Circuit teased, flopping down onto the ground next to him. “Oof….I’m beat….Can we go back to bed now?”

“Okay, on one condition, this afternoon you promise we can go to the fair. The one we went to on Hearts And Hooves Day?” The stallion bat his eyelashes, giving his husband the puppy eyes.

“Of course you’d still remember that..” The ‘pegasus’ grumbled slightly, despite the fact that he still remembered that fair almost as if it’d been yesterday. “I suppose I can..Humor your for an afternoon.” He spoke, letting out a long suffering sigh though, in actuality he was pretty excited. His husband pumped his hoof into the air in triumph before grabbing the blankets and jumping back onto the bed. Adhesive then covered them both with the multitude of blankets and snuggled into Circuit’s side.

“I say we sleep til noon, your thoughts?”

“Mmm..That sounds like a wonderful idea…” Circuit muttered, already starting to drift off from the combination of the warm blankets and the warmth of Adhesive at his side. “G’night again...Or I guess it’s technically good morning now..Whatever…”

“Nnnn doesn’t matter…” The stallion mumbled, already drifting off due to the jet lag.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Ughhhh…. Circuit, wake up, it’s one o’clock…”

“Nooooo…..” Circuit let out a dramatic groan, rolling onto his side and covering his head with a pillow. “It can’t be one yet….Just five more minutes…” He grumbled, already starting to drift off again. Adhesive narrowed his eyes before giving Circuit a shove right off the bed.

“If you want five minutes, you’re gonna have to do it on the floor and without blankets you lazy grump.” The white stallion teased, pulling the warm blankets over his shoulders. The gray stallion let out a whine, slowly lifting his head up from the floor.

“You’re so cruel...If I have to be on the floor then so do you.” He huffed as he reached up, grabbing the blankets and giving them a harsh yank. “Get down here you butt.” His husband let out a yell of surprise before tumbling over the edge of the bed and right onto Circuit’s chest.

“...Ow.”

“Oof….” He let out a grunt as the air was knocked out of him, going limp against the floor. “You’re heavy….” He wheezed, trying to catch his breath again. “Also you’re crushing my lungs…” Adhesive immediately rolled over to let Circuit breath, but was having a bit of a problem himself.

“...Ow, again.” Circuit let out a breathy chuckle, wincing slightly as he pushed himself off of the ground. He held out a hoof for Adhesive, pulling the other stallion to his hooves.

“Alright, let’s hurry up and get going before we hurt each other or ourselves again..”

“Yeah yeah, but first, food?” He questioned with a smile, his stomach rumbling slightly to prove his point.

“Yeah alright...But only if you make it.” The ‘pegasus’ chuckled, lightly pressing a kiss to his husband’s cheek before slipping off to the bathroom. “I’m gonna go take a shower! Don’t burn the house down!”

“Fine! The only reason I’m not joining you in there is because I’m hungry you grump!” The stallion teased lovingly before waltzing out of the room and into the kitchen. Adhesive wasn’t a bad cook persay, just not as good as a certain hybrid that unofficially lived with them.

“Mhm sure, just try not to eat everything in the house!” Circuit called back to him before shutting the bathroom door.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The fair was already in full swing by the time the two stallions arrived, ponies of all ages, shapes, and sizes running about playing games and spending way too much money on the overpriced fair food. Circuit huffed as the smell of deep fried something reached him, the scent both appetizing and disgusting at the same time.

“Alright, what’re we doing first love?”

“I don’t know, why don’t we go look at some of the booths? We didn’t get to last time.” He smiled brightly and, without waiting for an answer, grabbed Circuit’s hoof and pulled him into the fair laughing the whole way. Adhesive stopped in front of one of those cheap game booths with even cheaper game prizes. It was the classic knock down the bottles and win. “What about this one?”

“You know these are all rigged right?” Circuit snorted as he looked over the booth. “You usually have to try like, twelve times before you can actually win anything. Plus, the prizes aren’t even worth it.”

“Ah, but you haven’t seen me play these things, watch.” Adhesive shoved two bits at the attendant who gave him three baseballs in return. He smirked at his husband before tossing one and hitting all three milk bottles down on the first try. “Boom!”

“Beginners luck!” The stallion snorted, lightly shoving the other. “It was a lucky shot, I bet you couldn’t do that on any of the harder games.” He teased, sticking his tongue out at him. The green maned stallion let out a laugh before picking out a soft panda bear prize and handing it to his husband.

“For you my darling!” He smiled brightly, clearly enjoying himself.

“I suppose this offering is….Acceptable..” Circuit huffed, holding the little stuffed bear close to himself. “Heh….It’s kinda like the first time we can here on Heart’s and Hooves day-” The rest of his comment was cut off as the speakers scattered around the park loud out a loud screech as they turned on.

“Ladies and gentlecolts! Please gather around for a once in a lifetime performance from our special guest, the enchantress Mystic Sun!”

“Oooo! Circuit, come on, let’s go see that!” Adhesive cried happily, running over towards the tent with the designated sign of ‘Mystic Sun’ above it.

“I don’t know Adhesive….” The ‘pegasus’ muttered as they crammed into the tent along with the other patrons that’d come to witness the mare’s act. “Seems kinda….Fake to me. I mean c’mon, who’s ever heard of an earth pony that can actually do magic? It’s probably just a scam or something so they can try and steal our money.”

“It’s free though, and Ebony can do magic, I mean, she’s half changeling but that’s not the point. Oh come on, please?” Adhesive batted his eyes and stuck out his bottom lip in a ‘Pretty please’ face.

“Fiiine….But that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy it.” He huffed, pouting slightly. “You’re lucky you’re cute, otherwise you wouldn’t get away with half the things I let you.” Adhesive smiled brightly, giving a little hoof pump in triumph.

“Yes! Let’s go!” The white stallion surged forward, dragging his husband with him into the tent. Circuit let out a grunt as he was dragged along, just barely managing to hold onto the other’s hoof as they made their way through the crowd, getting as close as they could to the front.

“Slow down! For Luna’s sake, we don’t need to be right up front! There were perfectly good seats closer to the back!”

“Shh, it’s starting!” Adhesive smiled, whispering lovingly to the other stallion. He snuggled up next to his husband, turning to look at the stage. The gray stallion let out a huff but fell silent, draping one of his arms over his lover’s shoulders. The light’s in the tent dimmed aside from the ones pointing to the stage. With a dramatic puff of smoke a dark purple mare appeared on stage, draped in bright colorful clothing.

“Ladies and gentlecolts! Thank you all for coming to the show! I hope you’ll all enjoy the wonders of magic you’ll witness here!” Circuit let out a snort, rolling his dark green eyes. The noise was a bit louder than he intended, drawing the gaze of the mare on stage. She shot him a brief glare before resuming her act.

“For my first feat, I’ll need a volunteer from the audience.” The white stallion next to Circuit brightened and shot a hoof into the air.

“Me! I volunteer!” The mare scanned over the crowd, her gaze eventually landing on the white stallion. She shot him a bright smile, waving him up onto the stage.

“You there, with the bright green mane.” Adhesive gave a small hoof pump in triumph before walking over to the side of the stage and climbing the stairs. He walked over to the mare, looking over the crowd then to Circuit whom he flashed a loving grin. Circuit let out a soft snort, settling back in his chair to watch. Mystic continued to smile at Adhesive, one of her assistants wheeling out a table onto the stage for them.

“First, I need you to lay down on the table for me and just relax, empty your mind of all worries and frivolous thoughts.” The green maned stallion nodded, sitting down before pulling himself up onto the table and laying down. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, visibly relaxing. The mare gestured for one of her assistants to dim the lights before lifting herself onto her back hooves, her front ones hovering above the stallion on the table.

“Good good….Release all tension from your body...Think of nothing and nopony, just let your mind go blank…” She spoke is a soft, hushed tone, adding to the dramatic tension building in the tent. His body went slack, all of the stallion’s muscles relaxed and he let out a soft sigh, Adhesive felt completely at peace.

“Now...Whatever you do...Don’t open your eyes….” She began to hum as she finished speaking, waving her hooves above the stallion’s body. She began to mutter a soft incantation under her breath in something that didn’t sound even vaguely Equestrian. Slowly Adhesive’s body began to rise into the air, stopping once he was a few inches off of the table.

As requested, Adhesive didn’t open his eyes, and he found he really didn’t want to. The words seemed strange, but he felt too relaxed to care. Adhesive felt like whatever he was laying on was so comfortable it felt like he wasn’t laying on anything at all. (Why do I do this? Ehhh, I’ll worry about my sanity later. ~Blackjewel101) The mare continued to mutter, her muttering steadily growing louder until it turned into more of a chant. The stallion continued to slowly rise further from the table until her concentration broke and he came crashing back down onto the table. The mare turned towards the one who’d broken her spell, her eyes narrowing at a certain ‘pegasus’ sitting up near the front. Said ‘pegasus’ had a hoof clamped over his mouth, trying to stifle his chuckles.

Adhesive let out a groan of pain, sitting up as he rubbed the back of his head which was pounding from the fall.

“Ow….”

“Whoops...Sorry love!” Circuit called out to Adhesive, a sheepish, but still amused smile on his face. However, the mare making her way over to him did not look amused. In fact, she looked rather pissed.

“Is this some kind of joke to you?”

“Uh…” He stared at the performer, arching one of his eyebrows. “Yes?” Mystic let out an almost snarl like noise, her eyes narrowing.

“Wrong answer.” She began chanting lowly in a more sinister voice, full of anger. The language was the same as before, an ancient dialect that was long dead.

“Prius est in nocte,

Ante diem autem per,

Quidquid enim fecerit ad alios,

Non iudicium venit ad eum ad vos.”

Circuit braced himself as the mare chanted, tensing up as he waited for what he assumed would be intense pain. Instead he got...Nothing. Nothing whatsoever.

“Ooooh, good work lady, your little chant didn’t do a thing. C’mon Adhesive let’s go, I’m tired of all this hocus pocus nonsense.” He helped the other stallion to his hooves, pulling him past the still gawking crowd. Mystic Sun just let out a snort as she watched them go, a little grin spreading across her face.

“Just you wait Circuit Aquilus Heart...You’ll regret ever crossing me…”

Chapter 20, The End...?

DON'T WORRY!!!! This isn't the only book, there will be more, this is going to be a series. Comments are appreciated.

A few days after the incident at the fair, life had returned to normal. “ADHESIVE!!!!!” A certain ‘pegasus’ cried out. Well, mostly normal… Oh come on, you really thought these two were going to act like average ponies? Did you skip to this chapter? Now shush and lemme tell the story. Adhesive got up from his spot on the couch, throwing down the newspaper he was reading and bolted for their bedroom.

“What is it, where does it hurt? Are you bleeding?” Circuit let out a soft groan, lifting his head from his hunched position over the bedroom's trashcan.

“Ugh...What’d you put in the cooking last night…? I haven’t been able to stop puking all morning….” He groaned again, flopping onto his back as he pushed the can away. “Now all I wanna do is sleep...And also eat for some weird reason...And cry a little bit….”

“It was sandwiches remember? Your favorite, RLT, radish, lettuce and tomato? I can’t imagine what would set off your stomach babe…” The green maned stallion’s brows furrowed as he contemplated what could’ve made his husband like this. “I don’t think we did anything different yesterday…”

“Well whatever’s wrong...It’s clearly your fault.” The ‘pegasus’ grunted as he pushed himself to his hooves, slipping into the bathroom for a moment to wash out his mouth before making his way to the kitchen. “Speaking of which...Do we have any of that radish left? I’m starving…” Adhesive narrowed his eyes for a moment before sighing.

“Yes, I bought extra just for this reason, you’re always super hungry in the morning. More than usual, you eat like, three servings just for breakfast!” The white stallion said exasperatedly, but behind all that he was really just teasing lovingly.

“Are you calling me fat!?” Circuit turned on Adhesive, his eyes slightly watery. For once he didn’t take the teasing as he usually would, which would be to just snort and roll his eyes. “You are, aren’t you!?”

“What? No! You’re gorgeous, I love your figure Circuit, why would you ever even think such a thing? I love you babe.” The mail stallion exclaimed, his eyes wide in disbelief as he walked over to his husband and pulled him into a hug. The ‘pegasus’ sniffled slightly as he hugged him back, wrapping his gray hooves around him tightly.

“Promise…?”

“Promise, always and forever.” His blue eyes looked lovingly into green ones and the stallion leaned in and gave Circuit a quick peck on the lips. “Now, you wanna tell me what’s on your mind? You seem troubled, upset, what’s wrong babe?” The gray maned stallion sighed softly, leaning heavily against his husband.

“I don’t know….I’ve just been all out of sorts the past couple of weeks..I think I’m finally starting to lose it…” He attempted to joke lightly, but his voice was tinged slightly with fear. “I-it’s probably just the flu or something…”

“I don’t know, first it was you moping about the house, now you’re vomiting? I think we should go to Eb’s place just to be sure.”

“I’m not gonna bother Ebony over a little stomach bug…” Circuit let out a snort as he pushed away from him, forcing down his own fears. “I’ll be fine in a few days, you’ll see.” Adhesive sighed, rubbing his temples.

“Fine, but if you throw up even one more time I’m hauling your ass over to her clinic you hear me?”

“Yeah yeah whatever...Now c’mon...I still want that radish.”

i]______________________________~Timeskip~____________________________________[

Circuit groaned as he reached up a hoof, wearily flushing the toilet before slumping down onto the floor next to it. He’d tried his best to hold it in, but in the end he’d only made it about an hour or so before the radish he’d eaten came back up again. His husband patted his back, whispering encouragement.

“You alright? Do you wanna sit down?”

“No...I’m alright...I think…” He slowly sat up, leaning heavily against his husband’s side. He dragged his robotic hoof over his face, letting out a weary sigh. “I’m so tired of being sick….”

“Well, I told you that the next time you threw up I was taking you to Ebs, so let’s go.” Adhesive pulled his husband over towards the garage and helped him into the old pickup truck that Ebony had left here ages ago. “I’m driving.” Circuit didn’t complain for once, simply settling down in the kind of ratty, but comfy, seat of the truck. He pressed his head to the glass, letting his eyes slide shut.

“Like I said...It’s probably just the stomach flu or something..I just hope Ebony has something to help with the vomiting…”

“It’ll be fine, it’s probably just a bug, she’ll confirm that, and give you something to help with the symptoms. We’ll be home before lunch!”

They would definitely not be home before lunch, and it definitely wasn’t a bug. What kind of writers would we be if we wrote something as simple as that hmm? No, there were tags and warnings for a reason~! Anyway, they reached the manor twenty minutes later, a lot better than last time due to the fact they drove.

Adhesive drove up to the gate and pressed the button on the callbox near the road that was raised up for cars and carriages. A familiar voice crackled over the speaker.

“Yessss? Oh, hello Massssterssss, how can I help you?”

“Is Ebs home? Circuit hasn’t been feeling well so we need her expertise.”

“Yesss ssshe’sss home, I’ll tell her to meet you in the clinic.”

The speaker went dead as the gate swung open, allowing the white stallion to pull up to the front of the mansion. He put it in park and swung out of the vehicle, walking around to open the door and help Circuit out.

“I can do it myself.” The gray stallion suddenly snapped, his voice oddly bitter sounding. Usually he’d be fine with the help but for some reason the action just...Pissed him off. He slipped out of the truck, brushing the other stallion off as he made his way to the door. “Let’s just get this over with…” His husband winced for a moment, pulling his hoof away slowly.

“Yeah… sure…” The white stallion locked the truck before walking up to the door and knocking. Sure enough, the changeling butler Buggy swung open the door and invited them in. The white stallion stayed silent over the whole walk to the clinic. Past the immaculate wallpaper, past the waxed wood floors into the lower east wing of the mansion. The door was a classic hospital door that swung both ways with no handles and little windows in the top center.

The mail stallion pushed them open and into the clinic, it looked like any other hospital, only the usual paintings and decorations were replaced by statues and changeling relics. Surprisingly, there were actual nurses and receptionists walking around, changelings in the classic uniform of white and red.

“Woah… This is pretty legit…”

“Yeah yeah...Let’s just hurry up already before I throw up again or something…” The ‘pegasus’ grumbled, letting out a soft huff as he leaned against Adhesive. “Where even is Ebony…? I thought she was going to meet us here?” A smaller changeling female in a nurse outfit stopped in front of them holding a clipboard and adjusted her glasses.

“Oh, are you looking for Doctor Ebony? She’s expecting you but got a bit held up with another patient. Please, right this way.” The nurse walked off down the hall towards another area with more doors and opened one to reveal an office. The walls were blue, and had beige short carpet instead of the tile from the hallway and a few cabinets as well as bits and bobs you’d see at any other doctor’s office.

Ebony sat at a small table with a computer on it, a doctor’s coat draped across her frame, her mane pulled back and her glasses seated on her nose.

“Oh hi guys, come on in!” The hybrid smiled as she looked up, the doctor badge jostling as the mare did so. Circuit continued to lean against the other stallion as they made their way into the office, oddly affectionate for how much he’d been snapping.

“Hey Ebs…”

“Hey Circuit, you don’t look so good…” She muttered, standing up in concern. “Sit, sit, tell me what’s up.” The golden mare motioned to the examination table next to the stallions in the corner. The pegasus’ hefted himself onto the table, wriggling slightly as he made himself comfortable.

“I...I think I have a stomach bug or something. I’ve been really queasy…Especially in the mornings. And...And I’ve been having a lot of mood swings…” Ebony nodded, her magic enveloping the clipboard and a pen nearby as she began to write things down.

“I see, have you been eating differently, or has anything different changed in your life?”

“Er...Not really? I mean..I guess there was that one time…” His face suddenly began to turn red as he cleared his throat, trying to alleviate some of his embarrassment. “I ah...Don’t think that’d really cause this though so um..No, nothing new.”

“What? Come on, as your doctor and your best friend I need to know so I can help. You don’t have to give the details, just anything happen?” Adhesive paused for a moment.

“Well you did get cursed by that fortune teller at the fair…”

“Wait wait wait, cursed by a fortune teller?” Ebony raised a brow. The gray stallion simply let out a snort, waving them both off.

“That was nothing, that lady was a fraud and you know it. All she did was wave her hooves around and mutter a bunch of mumbo jumbo.”

“Circuit, you know as well as I that words have power, what did she say?”

“Something in old Equestrian I think.” Adhesive replied shrugging. “Not exactly sure.”

“Well, I think I should run some tests, all of them, we don’t know what could’ve happened but it’s better to be safe.” Circuit let out a groan, flopping back against the examination table.

“Ughhhh..That’s gonna take forever….Why don’t you just shoot me now and get it over with?” Ebony got up to grab some things from inside a cabinet.

“Because we’d miss you too much you ol grump.” The mare then grabbed the phone receiver off the wall and held it to her ear before jabbering in rapid changeling to somepony on the other end. “I just handed all my other appointments over to my assistants, you won’t have to deal with anypony other than me alright?”

“I...I suppose that’s acceptable….” He sighed, rolling over so he could lay on his stomach. “Let’s just get this started already...Might as well not delay the inevitable…” The stallion reached out a hoof, grasping one of his husband’s. The white stallion instantly squeezed his husband’s hoof lovingly in return.

“How’d you get all this going? When you said you’d be our doctor I just thought it would be you.” The hybrid smiled back at them.

“You like it? I’m the only clinic for hundreds of miles that knows changeling anatomy. It’s safe here, and my people don’t have to worry about being attacked or persecuted. Many have joined to get some regular income for their hatchlings or to start new lives.” Ebony grabbed an empty syringe and inspected it before walking over to Circuit. The stallion let out a whine, his eyes widening as he looked at the syringe.

“I don’t know what you’re going to do with that but I don’t like it, get that horrid thing away from me.”

“Relax, I’m just going to take a bit of blood, this one syringe will be all I need to do most of the tests. It’s either that or do all thirty-seven manually.”

“T-thirty-seven…?” He stammered, his eyes wide. “Adhesive….If you love me at all then you’ll shoot me right now. You can’t make me endure this suffering!” Circuit flailed his hooves dramatically.

“Babe, I love you, but I’m not going to shoot you over a blood sample.” Ebony let out a snort before walking over to her friends.

“Relax alright? This will only hurt for a moment.” The ‘pegasus’ let out a dramatic groan, but held out his not metallic forehoof for her.

“You should consider yourself lucky, I don’t just let any old pony stab a needle into my arm…”

“Oh I feel so special.” The mare rolled her eyes before carefully inserting the needle and drawing blood. It only took a few seconds before she took it out and away, the whole process probably took no more than five seconds. “See, that wasn’t so bad now was it?” Circuit let out the breath he’d been holding once it was done, going limp against the table.

“Maybe for you….” He grumbled, twitching slightly as he moved the arm she’d just stuck the needle in. “Am I going to have to get anything else stuck into me or are we good?”

“No that’s it, nothing else getting stuck into you. Now while I send the blood to be checked and analyzed we’ll do the basic tests alright?” A lab assistant quickly entered the room, took the blood sample and left with a nod to Ebony. The mare in turn grabbed the stethoscope around her neck and put it up to Circuit’s chest. “Inhale.” The stallion muttered something along the lines of ‘there better not be’ before following the instructions, taking a deep breath in. “And out, good, your heart rate is normal, breathing is good…” The mare muttered to herself more than to Circuit or Adhesive.

She then grabbed a small light from off the rack of tools on the wall and dimmed the lights before looking into his green eyes. “Look up, look down, alright, follow my hoof with your eyes.” Circuit quietly followed the mare’s hoof with eyes, letting out a soft snort.

“Is all of this really necessary?”

“It’s routine, so shush.” There were a few more tests after that, all went fairly quickly, and just as they were wrapping up the assistant came back and ushered the mare out.

“I think the results are in.” Adhesive said, smiling optimistically. “I’m sure it’s nothing, just a bug.” Ebony came back in, taking off her glasses before looking up at her friends.

“Nothing serious, really, all the tests came up negative, e-except for one… How do I say this… Circuit, you’re pregnant.”

“Aha...That’s..That’s funny Ebony, that’s a good one really, but for real what’s wrong with me?” Her face was stern, not a drop of humor in it.

“I’m serious, we ran the test just to rule it out, but it came back positive… I guess you were cursed with fertility...or something along those lines…” Her brows furrowed and the mare bit her lip in contemplation. Circuit stared at the mare, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“O-okay this isn’t funny anymore, what’s actually wrong with me? I’m serious about this, you know stallions can’t get pregnant. It’s..It’s biologically impossible!”

“You were actually affected by magic, it’s in your blood stream, the physical residue left over in the subject after a spell is present in your hemoglobin. As well as the hormones released by a pregnant female, you’re with child Circuit, it’s in the facts.” Ebony held up the clipboard for them both to see. Adhesive sat there in shock, wide eyed and in disbelief, silent.

“No….No no no!” He shook his head in disbelief, clutching at the table underneath him. “I can’t be pregnant! I don’t….We can’t have a foal! Y-you have to do something about this Ebony!”

“What do you want me to do? Murder an innocent life before it’s had a chance to live?!”

“T-that’s not….” He let out a frustrated sigh. “You know that’s not what I meant it’s just...I can’t have a foal Ebony, I just can’t!” She gripped his shoulders and looked into his green eyes with her own.

“Yes you can, whatever this is, whatever reason this happened, you can do it. You’re strong, one of the strongest ponies I know. If anypony can handle this it's you, just try to see the brighter side of it okay?”

“I just….What if I make the same mistakes my parents did..” Circuit started back into her eyes, his own starting to water slightly. “T-then this kid’ll turn out just as messed up as me…” Adhesive got up after breaking out of his stupor and wrapped his arms around Circuit, pulling him into a loving embrace.

“That’s not gonna happen, because you are nothing like your parents. We won’t make their mistakes, and I’ll always be here. Just you and me, and them.” He looked at his husband’s belly, giving the ‘pegasus’ a reassuring smile.

“You also have me, if you need any help, anything at all, you’ve got us alright?” Circuit nodded slowly, snuggling close to Adhesive as he rubbed at his eyes.

“I...I guess you guys are right….Besides...My main problem was my siblings so...If we only have one foal we’ll be fine, right?”

Chapter 18, The Reception

After the ceremony, the two had run down the aisle while patrons threw rice and cheered, all the available, unmarried ponies gathered to the side, cramming to get a shot at the wedding bouquet. Ebony just stood to the side, chuckling at such nonsense.

“I don’t even know why that’s a tradition..” She muttered with a soft smile before Adhesive turned around and chucked the bouquet where it landed straight into the hybrid’s hooves. The crowd turned to her, wide eyed. “W-what? T-the freak?!”

“Aha! I knew it’d happen one day! Just you wait Ebony!” Circuit practically cackled with glee, clapping his hooves together happily. “Nice throw love.” He muttered to his new husband, lightly nudging him. Adhesive smiled brightly and whistled to their gal pal approvingly before turning to his husband and giving him a loving kiss on the lips.

“Oh this is gonna be good, Ebony, married? Couldn’t have thought of it any better than that.” He laughed, said mare just stared at the bouquet in confusion.

“Wat. I, h-how? This is just stupid anyway…” She muttered before letting out a snort and turning to the limo that she had rented for the newlyweds. The hybrid walked around and got in the driver’s seat. “Come on you two love birds, don’t want to miss your own party now do you?”
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The venue that she’d rented was exquisite, a lovely ballroom on the top floor of a high rise that opened up onto a deck with a pool. One half of the ballroom the mare had made sure had just the right tables and settings while leaving enough room for couples to dance. The outside doors to the terrace were open so cool night are would be able to flow in and the light to reflect off the pool. Not her choice to have that there, but it looked good so she wasn’t complaining. Oh yeah, Ebony was super excited for them to see it after all her planning.

“We’re here~!” She exclaimed, pulling the two into the ballroom. Circuit let out a low whistle, slowly looking the room over.

“Wow, you really didn’t cut any corners with this one did you Ebs?”

“Yeah..Definitely the nicest place I’ve ever been…” Adhesive muttered in agreement, his eyes wide as he took everything in. “Is that a pool back there? Why would they need a pool with a ballroom?”

“Oh I don’t know, it’s there for some rich ponies if they wanna have a pool party, I guess this was the only place they could put it.” She shrugged before ushering the two stallions over to a raised dais where a separate table was set. “This is for you guys, now sit sit, guests will start to get here any minute now alright?” The hybrid smiled warmly before giving them both a quick hug.

“Alright alright...There better be alchohol here!” Circuit yelled after her before settling down again. He rested his head on his hooves, shifting around to make himself comfortable. “I hope this doesn’t last too long...I just wanna go home and relax now.” Adhesive snickered at his husband’s response before shaking his head.

“Babe, don’t you remember what happens after weddings? Honeymoons?” He smiled lovingly before pulling out two plane tickets from under his napkin. The destination was clearly marked, Bitaly. The stallion quickly pushed himself up again, his eyes widening as he slid the tickets closer.

“W-what...How did you even afford these? We don’t have that kind of money!”

“Where else? They were a gift from Ebs, when I told her we were just going to stay home she seriously just took them out of her pocket. Told me it was going to be a surprise for later.” The gray stallion let out a soft snort, letting his head fall back to the table again.

“Of course she did, why am I not surprised?” He sighed, shifting his head so his chin was laying on the table. “When are the guests going to get here..? Ebony said soon, right?”

Right on cue, the murmur of the ponies from before began pouring in and finding their spots marked at the tables. All with smiles on their faces and dropping off presents on a designated table with a hoof woven tablecloth draped over it, courtesy of Lucky and Pixie.

Ebony and her changeling relatives sat down at a table nearest to the dais, smiling and laughing in a strange language that Adhesive guessed was the native changeling dialect. Circuit attempted to discreetly scootch his chair closer to Adhesive’s, though it didn’t work out that well. Instead he ended up scraping it across the ground with a loud screech. Thankfully not many ponies turned to look, too caught up in their conversations.

“Can we leave now? There’s too many ponies in this room…” His husband rolled his blue eyes.

“Oh come on, these are our friends and family, besides, at least we’re getting a free meal right?” Adhesive smiled brightly before Ebony picked up her glass and stood, tapping her knife gently on the rim of it to get everypony’s attention.

“Attention, attention everypony. I’d like to make a toast, to the newlyweds!” Everyone cheered loudly. “Now I know that little outburst at the ceremony wasn’t expected, but I for one am happy for my two best friends, Circuit and Adhesive!” More cheering went up before Ebony held up her hoof to silence the crowd. “Now with that being said, drink alcohol, eat and be merry, now how about some food!” She smiled and gestured to the double doors to the kitchen which burst open as servers began to bring out tray after tray of delicious smelling gourmet cuisine.

“Look, I know they’re our friends and family Adhesive but there’s just...So many of them crammed into one room..I know this room isn’t exactly small, but it’s still suffocating...Besides.” He slid up closer to the other stallion, gently resting a hoof on his chest. “Maybe I want to spend some alone time with my new husband, hm~?” The mail stallion smiled at that and leaned closer to whisper in Circuit’s ear.

“Oh don’t I know it, but I’ll be damned before I don’t let you squirm a little bit, I’m a patient stallion darling. Let’s see how well you behave first~.” He purred with a smile before smiling at the waiter who began placing dishes in front of them. Circuit let out a sputter, smacking the other stallion as his face got redder and redder.

“Jerk…You’ll be lucky if I don’t make you sleep on the couch for that.” He huffed as he turned to the plates, distracting himself with the food. He quickly shoveled some of the food in his mouth, humming softly at the delicious taste. His husband let out a small laugh before taking a bite of his own food happily.

“I love you, even if you’re a grump.”
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Dinner had gone swell, everything was going great, ponies were dancing, waiters were taking trays of ordervs and champagne around the room so everypony was happy. Circuit and Adhesive’s first dance as a married couple had gone great, and now everypony was just having a good time.

Ebony was on the terrace where a few other ponies had gathered, she was drinking a flute of champagne and just minding her own business. Buggy and Chichina, both changelings she’d raised since they were foals, had run off to talk to some other ponies since they didn’t get to meet many ponies often, Canterlot attack and all. So basically, the hybrid was being a wallflower. She looked about the area and off into the distance to the sky, the sun had set a few hours ago and now the stars were out.

But while she was distracted, so was a waiter coming up behind her, they both turned around at the same time and slammed into each other. The tray of red wine he was carrying splattered all over her pure white dress and she lost her balance tumbling straight into the pool. Ebony splashed and sputtered as she got to the surface before another splash emanated from near her.

A hoof wrapped around her waist and hauled her out of the pool. She gasped and coughed from chlorine that had gotten into her mouth.

“Oh Luna damnit!” The mare cried out angrily before looking up, a stallion, soaking wet spluttered next to her. He was dark gray, with navy mane and tail streaked with silver, dressed in Lunar Guard armor but his wings were that of a bat. It was one of the ponies she’d hired to guard the area in case of Circuit’s insane family or Adhesive’s deadbeat father.

The mysterious guard looked up at Ebony revealing golden eyes with slit pupils and the golden pegasus could feel her face heating up before she came to arealization.

“My shoe!” She looked back into the pool, sure enough, a silver slipper was resting at the bottom of the deep end.

“I got it.” The batpony said, before diving back in and grabbing it. He then hauled himself out of said pool and handed the shoe back to her, his mane completely soaking wet after the events that had transpired.

“T-thank you…” Ebony murmured softly, taking the slipper.

“Don’t mention it… I saw you were standing alone and I was gonna talk to you… but then you fell and…” The guard cleared his throat. “Nimbus, my name is Nimbus Darkclaw.”

“Ebony, Ebony Runwick.”
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While Ebony was busy on the terrace, things inside had gone...Well, pretty downhill. All because a certain family just couldn’t seem to get it through their thick skulls that they weren’t wanted. Currently Circuit was throwing things at said family while Adhesive was trying to calm him down.

“C-Circuit honey please, I just wanted to apologize for before, I didn’t mean it! I never thought you were a fre-”

“I don’t care! Just get out!” Circuit yelled as he scooped up his now empty plate, watching it shatter against the wall next to his mother’s head as he threw it.

“N-now c’mon Circuit, let’s just relax….Oh Luna, where’s Ebony when you need her?” Adhesive flicked his gaze around the crowd that’d gathered around them, finding no sign of the golden mare. No one around them was really much of a help, as the crowd seemed to be trying to encourage Circuit to keep throwing things.

Ebony walked back into the room from the terrace, laughing with Nimbus about something while they were both still soaking wet when she saw the crowd and heard crashing sounds. ‘Just great…’ She thought before leaping over said crowd, aided by a strong flap of her wings and landed between Circuit and his family.

“What’s going on-” The hybrid stopped mid-sentence when she saw Pearl Necklace standing there. “You, I thought I made it clear, that you or your family would never come near us again. I guess you’ll just have to be taught a lesson won’t you?” Ebony bared her fangs once again before ripping off the ruined dress and cracking her neck.

“I-I just..I just wanted t-to apologize to Circuit, that’s all!” The mare’s voice was high pitched and frantic, her eyes shining with fear. “I wasn’t...I didn’t mean to cause any harm I swear!” Circuit let out a soft sigh as he watched them, slowly lowering the vase he’d been about to throw.

“Just get her out of here Ebony…” The mare nodded before turning back to the unicorn.

“You got lucky this time.” A green colored aura surrounded the other mare’s mane as Ebony began to drag her out the door and threw her into the elevator by her hair. “Goodbye you poor excuse for a mother.” She then walked back into the ballroom while dusting off her hooves. “Okay, I took out the trash.” The golden pegasus smiled, which was pretty funny because she was still soaking wet.

“Okay um..” The gray stallion started as he slowly looked over Ebony’s soaking wet form. “One, why are you wet? And two, why is that guy over by the door checking you out?” He vaguely gestured to the guard that’d helped Ebony out earlier. “Do I need to slap him or…?”

“N-no.. I fell into the pool, he helped me out and retrieved my s-shoe… He’s checking me out?” She murmured, her face heating up. Adhesive blinked, was Ebony… blushing?

“Dude, he’s totally checking you out. Even from this distance I can tell. Why do you ask? Does somepony have a crush maybe~” A wide grin spread across Circuit’s face as he teased the flustered mare. The crowd that’d been watching before lingered for a bit before dispersing to do their own things now that the fight was over. Her mouth opened and closed but no words formed for a moment.

“N-no! I-I’m n-not! T-that’s ridiculous… Me, a crush! Ha, haha!” The mare’s green orbs flitted about the room nervously. Adhesive smiled deviously.

“Didn’t you catch the wedding bouquet? Because I think it’s happening.”

“I knew it!” The ‘pegasus’ let out a whoop, pumping one of his hooves into the air. “Alright spill, you have to tell us all about him. What’s his name? Is he cute? Is he nice? Am I going to need to give him the shovel talk? Wait, no, that last one isn’t a question that’s going to happen regardless.” The pegasus let out a little laugh before answering.

“His name is Nimbus Darkclaw, yes he’s cute, and nice, I mean, he dragged me out of a pool when I was floundering in that stupid dress so I’m gonna say he’s nice. And dear Luna no, not the shovel talk, lemme have some dignity please.” She brought a hoof to her face and sighed but was smiling all the same. “Also he’s a batpony for the Lunar Guard.”

“Ooooo, a guard~” Adhesive piped up, waggling his eyebrows at Ebony. “And we kinda have to give him the shovel talk, it wouldn’t be proper if we didn’t.”

“Adhesive’s right, we can’t just let him get all up on you without warning him of the consequences. I might finally get to use that sulphuric acid I’ve had laying around the basement…”

“Dear Faust no… Circuit why?” Just then, said batpony decided to walk over and say hello.

“Oh hey, congratulations on getting married.” He smiled before shivering slightly from the pool water still dripping off of him. Ebony had to admit, he was quite handsome. Circuit looked him up and down, narrowing his eyes at the stallion. Appearance wise he looked okay, but that didn’t mean much. After all, he could really be some freaky serial killer or something for all he knew. He wasn’t too concerned about that though, Ebony could defend herself it it came to that. He just didn’t want her heart to get broken or anything.

“Why don’t you two go get dried off? You’re both dripping water all over the floor.” He smiled warmly at them, pulling the batpony closer for a sec so he could hiss in his ear. “Lay one hoof on her and I’ll gouge out your eyes and feed them to you.” His gray ears twitched slightly as he pulled away. “Ooo, I love this song! Adhesive, come dance with me!”

The stallion’s golden eyes went wide for a moment before Ebony pulled him away and over to the bathroom area.

“I think there might be a towel over here somewhere… Or at least paper ones.” The mare muttered before pulling out a large roll of paper towels from a storage cupboard near the doors. “Thanks by the way, for helping me…” The mare muttered before ripping off a few and beginning to dry off her hair in a rapid motion.

“Not a problem, I didn’t think I just, acted you know?” He grabbed a few as well and started to wipe down his armor. “Can’t have this ol thing rusting you know? My superiors would kill me.” Nimbus let out a small laugh.

“So you’re in the guard?” Ebony asked, but almost immediately mentally facepalmed, of course he was, the damn armor, being a batpony, practically advertising it!

“Yeah, for awhile now actually, just got promoted to Captain… Anyway… Maybe after this, sometime we could… I don’t know… Hang out..?” The gray stallion asked hopefully, his batwings fluttering in slight hope.

“You know what, I’d like that.”