Author's Note

Wrote this ages ago. Decided to polish it off for Valentines day, to try actually make a holiday on time for once, lol...

14/02/17 - I apologise for the stray grammar mess ups. I'm up to my eyeballs in painkillers for various pains and a cold, so yeah....it's hard to think straight.

When Somebody Loves Somepony...

It was just supposed to be another job. But as soon as he seen where he was headed, Doctor Caballeron knew he was in trouble. His heart sank into his hooves the further he walked. Heavy heat made the air shimmer and he swept his streaked black mane out of his eyes. The strands soon fell back down, barely hiding the bags under the stallion's eyes. His stomach growled and he sighed, muttering at it to shut up.

Hearing voices ahead, he glanced around and quickly hid, holding his breath as hoof steps trotted merrily by. He wasn't quite why he hid, force of habit he supposed. He was on alert for guards or meddling do gooders, such as that pest Daring Do...

Soon as the passing ponies were gone, he emerged again. Putting any thoughts of that meddling Pegasus out of his head, he continued onwards. His back ached, but that was just down to sleeping on rough terrain the trip over...

It was strange to be travelling alone, but he knew this type of task was best accomplished by himself. He'd been over his sources many times, but there was no denying where they led. So he'd left his goons behind, telling them to "take a vacation, why don’t they?"

The reason for his solitude weighed on his mind as he approached the crest of the hill. This was, after-all, the one place he couldn’t hide. The place he called HOME, in his youth.

This was why he'd kept it secret, it would have caused problems too numerous to count if he'd brought his goons with him. Those big lugs would’ve put their hooves in it by revealing who Caballeron was, they weren't exactly the brightest bulbs in the house. And call it sentimentality but he needed to keep it a secret, who he was, from those in this remote village. One in particular...

He was so caught up in his commiserations, he didn’t see who was standing at a stall just ahead. But she seen HIM.

"Caba!" She cried, and he came to an abrupt halt, blinking. That voice-? The next second he was enveloped in a flowery, perfumed hug. He lopped a foreleg around her, hugging her back and feeling his heart lift. The mare released him at last, smiling. He noticed her grey-streaked mane was now tied back in a bun. Last time he'd seen her, it'd been a plait...

"My goodness, you look exhausted!" she chided "you didn’t say you were visiting!"

"Nurse Cherry," Caballeron smiled despite himself. Just seeing her again made him feel younger, happier. This was his foster mother afterall, she knew him better than anypony else. When his parents had fallen ill from that sickness and passed away before they could be given treatment, she'd taken him in and raised him in her crowded, clamouring house of other orphaned kids.

"It's so good to see you." She smiled warmly. Caballeron opened his mouth to speak, but his stomach beat him to it, uttering a loud growl that made the nurse laugh softly. He whistled innocently, a trick that hadn't worked when he was a colt, and wasn't working now. She seen right through him and grinned.

"It can wait until I’ve fed you up!" she decided "come back to the house, you can meet my latest brood, Caba."

"How many have you got now?" He asked as they walked. A few ponies who knew Caballeron waved to him and called out greetings. He returned them with a smile that felt rusty and out of use..when had he last relaxed like this?

"I took in another 3 just last year, shortly after your last visit." She edged this light-hearted statement with a little sadness, and Caballeron winced guiltily.

"I'm sorry, it's-" the words sounded so awkward, coming out of his mouth. She cut him off before he could dig himself in too deep.

"Oh, I’m only teasing!" she brightened again "I know all my chicks must fly the nest eventually. Doesn’t stop me loving you all, even after you’ve left my home. It's good to see you whenever you choose to come by! You still travel?"

Caballeron nodded.

"I still have that book you wrote all that time ago, when you first became an archaeologist." she beamed proudly. Caballeron's stomach churned. If she knew what he'd become now, a hired henchpony at the behest of a mythical creature called Ahuizotl, well, she'd be disappointed he'd resorted to stealing and lying to make ends meet. It was a saving grace that his old home was so remote...

Cherry noticed her precious Caba's downcast eyes, and wondered if he was feeling well?

A few minutes later and they'd reached the house. As they walked its familiar halls, Caballeron heard the nostalgic sound of kids shrieking and playing. He followed Nurse Cherry out to the courtyard of the big house, and she blew a whistle that hung around her neck.

"OK kids, time to get ready for lunch! We have a guest!"

This caught the kids attention, as they took in the dishevelled Caballeron.

"This is Doctor Caballeron, he used to be one of my little ones, much like you! Now he's an archaeologist!"

The kids cooed in curiosity, asking had he been to ancient cities? Modern ones? His gold skull cutie mark looked pretty intriguing, had he unearthed long buried bones too?

"You can ask questions once lunch is ready!" Cherry beamed happily. The kids followed her and Caballeron back inside…

Caballeron looked around the house as he helped Cherry fetch and carry the huge amount of ingredients needed to feed so many little ones from the storehouse to the kitchen.

"It still looks the same." he mused fondly.

She smiled "I never seen any reason to remodel it, it holds so many memories for me and all who pass through its rooms."

That reminded Caballeron of something he'd been waiting to give to her. He retrieved his bag from his room, and set a tightly packed bag of bits down on the kitchen table.

"Caba..!" Cherry’s eyes went wide "this is.."

"Before you worry, I have plenty. I'd like you to take it. You always did right by me, even if I have wandered far from here."

She hugged him tightly, tears of happiness in her eyes. Caballeron felt even guiltier as he returned her hug. That money WAS his, his wages for following Ahuizotl's orders. Its origins would disappoint her, he knew that much for certain. When he'd been given the order, along with his usual hefty fee, he'd decided to give his home-town the bits in a pathetic attempt to assuage his guilt.

Cherry let him go, smiling warmly, eyes a little teary. She was rewarded with a rarely seen smile from Caballeron.

"You always were a gentlecolt," she teased, "this will go a long way to helping feed my bottomless brood!"

Caballeron chuckled, she always had such a perky outlook on life, even when the worst came around.

He relaxed a little at the big lunch, answering the little kids questions about his job. He spoke of his more...honourable exploits, digging up old artefacts and writing a second book (it'd been on hold for years in reality) and the dangers of outdoor camping.

"There’s always a danger you’ll wake up with a bug in your tent that will bite you on the butt, then run off snickering!" he declared grandly, his accent making it sound even more exciting. The kids giggled merrily, and Cherry smiled to see Caba so lively.

Once the kids had been let loose into the neighbourhood, Cherry sat down with her wayward adoptee and asked why he'd come home?

"Something is on your mind, what is it?"

"I’m hunting an artefact, a prospective buyer has sent me on a search for it..."

He trailed off as he seen her suddenly pale slightly, and glance away.

"What is it?" he asked. She fought with her emotions a moment, then asked him to follow her. He did so, wondering what had made her sunny optimism go dull. Had Ahuizotl sent others ahead of him?

She brought him to the Mayor's office and after a long conversation, they were allowed into the office, to await his arrival.

"Ah, nurse, how're the kids?" The Mayor said politely, when he seen who it was.

"No problem Mayor. They’re all growing like weeds.."

“Good, good." the Mayor looked at Caballeron "who’s this?"

"This is one of my older generation, Doctor Caballeron. He's an expert of relics."

"You wrote about it to him?" the Mayor frowned angrily and Cherry opened her mouth to explain, but Caballeron moved between her and the Mayor.

"I came here to visit my foster mother," he said sharply "my work takes me all over Equestria. I'm on a trip to search for historical sites, and diverted from my itinerary to pay a visit."

The Mayor took in the stallions steely gaze, the blunt explanation and no-BS expression. He nodded, assured this was true. Cherry nodded, and he seen pride in her eyes as she glanced at this pony.

"I thought he could identify it, since he's well versed in artefacts and ancient civilizations," Cherry said "you mentioned at the meeting you were concerned it could be dangerous?"

The Mayor nodded, and spoke to Caballeron "I see. We'd be grateful if you could shed some light on this, doctor."

He showed them through to his inner sanctum, to a guarded case. He dismissed the guards and opened the case. Caballeron's eyes widened. There it was, the very THING Ahuizotl sought. Legend went that if placed atop the highest point in the place where it resided, it would protect against those sneaking up on its borders with evil intent. As long as it was in good hooves that was...

"Do you know what it is, Caba?" Cherry asked. Caballeron nodded, and told them the tale.

"Surely those are just stories!" the Mayor scoffed. Caballeron raised an eyebrow, recalling the things he'd seen and the relics he'd handled.

"Dismiss it if you wish, but I can tell you now such things are sought after for a reason. By the worst of villains sometime." Caballeron said truthfully. "and don’t call me Shirley."

Cherry bit back a giggle at Caba's deadpan delivery.

Seeing the Mayor's scepticism, he elaborated "there are many such artefacts in this world. Many were created as a way for those without magic to utilize it. Over time, their owners perished or were killed and thus they became forgotten, languishing in caves, castles and jungles all over Equestria as magic become more modern. Nowadays, while many are sought simply for what they can tell us of our own history, some are desired for what they can do."

"Amazing.." Cherry whispered, always impressed by her son's knowledge.

The Mayor nodded, and said he was grateful for Caballeron clearing things up a little.

Cherry studied Caballeron's drawn expression as they walked down the bustling streets. He didn’t speak a word until they got back to the house. She made him some tea, and waited for him to speak.

"That’s the one." he whispered softly.

She looked at him, worried. "He wont sell it, you know?"

"I know." Caballeron sighed.

"Who's paying you to search for it? Can they not be persuaded otherwise?" she asked.

"It would take a trophy of some magnitude to distract them from my failure, I regret to say."

He seen her concerned face and forced a chuckle "I’m only kidding you, Nurse. It's just some overly wealthy blowhard, he'll get over it. If I find something noteworthy he can boast about owning elsewhere whilst I’m here, it'll mollify him."

She studied his face before finally nodding. She got the sense he was hiding something, but trusted him to not betray her faith in him.

Caballeron barely slept that night, worrying over and over about the artefact. It would be safer here, where it could protect the tiny town. Also, it was his HOME.

But Ahuizotl...

He'd been more and more demanding of Caballeron lately, calling him to the massive cave he resided in, having him frogmarched by guards who'd blindfold him for most of the trip so he wouldn’t be able to escape if he should happen to anger the boss. He'd been pressuring Caballeron even more lately, to locate the things he wanted. And the pony had been working his flank off to deliver what he was told. He'd learnt after that incident with Daring Do, that rainbow maned sidekick of hers, and the golden band, that he'd do well not to anger Ahuizotl like that again!

Cherry was saddened to hear her Caba was leaving the next day. He hugged her tightly, and apologised.

"If I am to make it back in time after a visit to the dig site, I’m afraid I must go now."

"It's been good to see you," Cherry said sadly "at least let me prepare some food for you?"

And so when Caballeron left, he was carrying a supply of food in his saddlebag, and his head was full of farewells from the kids.

He spent as many days as he could, searching and hunting for anything to appease Ahuizotl with. Although by the end of the third day, he was starting to ready himself for what would no doubt be an extensive punishment. But even so, he added a few extra days past the time limit he'd been given, he was desperate...

But this was about his home. He knew he hadn’t many scruples left, but his home had weathered the storm of his gradual loss of ethics. He knew that artefact could protect the village, if that Mayor used it as Caballeron said…

He literally stumbled upon a potential solution not long afterwards...

The ground up in the heavily wooded hills collapsed at one point, sending him plummeting down into an underground cavern. It turned out to be that the whole hill was hollowed out and consisted of a chamber, with stone monoliths circling it.

At the centre was an odd-looking necklace atop a crude pillar. Caballeron could see no traps after an exhaustive check and circled the base before darting forward and grabbing the item. There was no rumbling, no collapse of the cave. Not even a sound. He did, however, feel a soft cool breeze brush the back of his neck, making him shiver. He examined the item, trying to figure out what it was. It was an interconnected design, seemingly linking back to its heart shaped center.

It was made of delicate rose-coloured gold and seemed to exude an aura of agelessness. Caballeron slipped it over his neck and investigated the rest of the cave.

There was an old journal and some bottles with unusual carvings. He took photos of the site, then packed everything he could into his saddlebags.

He finished off the last of the home made food from his foster mother, and then began the long trek back to where he currently lived, a nice little house in a secluded wooded area.

But as he approached his run-down house, shadows leapt out of the bushes and one punched him hard in the face. He was slammed into the ground, the world spinning, and he tasted blood as his muzzle impacted the dry dirt, coughing raggedly.

The next second, something was slipped over his head and the world went dark. Panic closed in and he passed out.

He drifted awake some hours later and realised what had happened. These had to be Ahuizotl's goons! Humid air brushed his face through holes in the hood he wore, his forelegs and hindlegs were tied...

"He's awake!" the goon carrying Caballeron over his back felt the pony shift, and alerted his cohorts. They stopped, and the tied up captive was dumped on the ground. The hood was ripped off him and Caballeron winced as blinding light seared his vision after the trip in darkness. He snarled as he realised just who was looming over him.

Sureshot was a cocky, bragging idiot unicorn who was as incompetent as he was dimwitted. Somehow he'd managed to get close enough to Ahuizotl for Caballeron to meet him on several occasions. On meeting what he perceived, and Ahuizotl had referenced, to be the creatures top partner, he'd become jealous of Caballeron.

It'd gotten even tenser when Caballeron exposed Sureshot's incompetence on one occasion, and the other stallion had vowed he'd get his own back someday. Since then, Caballeron hadn’t seen him and had assumed he'd been fired. Sadly not, as here he was, smirking down at him.

"Hmph, thought that ambush seemed a bit ridiculous, should've known you were behind it!" Despite the blood dried to his face, Caballeron still managed to smirk.

But it was soon wiped off his face when Sureshot punched him so hard he nearly blacked out again. He coughed, blood spattering the ground.

"I said I’d get my revenge, Doctor," the pony said sarcastically "the boss said to fetch you, but he wont know or care if you happened to say, run into a few punch-ups along the way?"

His two cohorts grinned evilly, and Caballeron seen one was wearing heavy horse shoes branded with some sort of symbol. Oh buck, this was getting out of control now...

He caught Sureshot off guard by shifting his weight to his front hooves, twisting round and landing a nicely aimed kick with his back legs. In the split second where Sureshot's cronies were trying to help their leader up, Caballeron tore his forelegs free from their bonds. He would’ve escaped, had one of them not spotted him. He tackled Caballeron to the floor, pinning him in place as Sureshot got up, wiping blood from his lip.

"You’ll pay for that you old fool," he spat "you’ll pay for all of it!"

At last they backed off of him. Caballeron was, Sureshot noticed with a grin, coughing and retching on his own blood. He'd swallowed a lot of it seemed. It matted the pony's coat from his muzzle to his throat. His ears were flattened down to his head, eyes dulled by a haze of pain. He stepped over to the injured pony, grabbed a hoof-full of his mane and forced Caballeron to look at him.

"Had enough old man?" he cackled to the pony. He swiftly let go as Caballeron tried biting him. The Doctor's shirt was rumpled up, some blood stains on it from the beatings, for Sureshot had told his goons to aim for the chest, where the shirt would cover them. The old fool wouldn’t be stupid enough to blab to Ahuizotl on him, but just to be safe AND fulfil his long desired revenge, he gave the order.

"Get him cleaned up!" he spat, "we return to the boss with him, asap!"

Caballeron was dragged to a lake nearby his house and dumped at its edge, where he was forced to clean up the blood from his attacker's assaults. He seen his reflection, seen how half dead he looked, and closed his eyes. He recalled the warmth of his foster mother, reminded himself this was to protect her, and was thus able to crush the fear and fury brewing in his head. He was hauled back to Sureshot, who instead of the hood, switched to using a blindfold.

Caballeron coughed and winced at every step as he was marched along, sworn at every time he so much as stumbled. His throat hurt from the shouting and cursing, and felt like it'd been lined with blood, the coppery taste making him feel sick. Most of it had been from his nose, and a cut on the inside of his cheek where he'd bitten it during the attack.

As they reached the plateau leading to the cave entrance, the blindfold was finally removed. Caballeron squinted dizzily, stumbling.

"The boss is gonna flay you alive for this failure!" Sureshot cackled. "I'll be his top dog after thi-"

He was distracted from his goading by one of his henchponies shrieking like a little filly and back-pedalling off to his left.

"Snake!" the pony cried. Sureshot rolled his eyes, striding over and peering at the snake. Next, he picked it up with his magic and snorted derisively.

"It's just a harmless snake!" he laughed. He turned to Caballeron, waving the magically trapped snake at him.

"Don’t mind if I use you as a learning aid, do you? See boys, harmless!" he dropped the snake at his nemesis' hooves, and gave it a zap with his magic.

Caballeron tried to run, but the goon babysitting him gave him a shove, thrusting him back into the snakes path. It took him for a threat and launched, sinking its fangs into Caballeron's upper left hind leg as the stallion tried to dance aside. Intense pain jackknifed through the Doctor's body and in an act of desperate self preservation, he grabbed the snake with his teeth and tore its fangs from his leg, but this only widened the wound.

He felt his leg starting to go numb, and heard his tormentors mocking laughter. Sureshot pulled a worn handkerchief from his bag, wiped the bloodied wound clean, then tied said fabric over it to mask it.

"See? Just a stupid harmless snake, now move!" he had his goons frog-march Caballeron, who was limping badly, to the entrance of the cave. The guards there took the dazed and disorientated pony off Sureshot's hoofs, who acted concerned and lied that they’d found him like this, probably the victim of a mugging.

The guards noted this, glancing at Caballeron's clearly untouched saddlebags, but said nothing. He was likely just drunk, given how badly he was slurring his speech.

So, with a shrug between them, they proceeded to simply drag the sickening pony to Ahuizotl.

"Ah, my absentee Doctor, about time you returned. You guards may leave him." Ahuizotl commanded idly, not even looking up from his glass of wine as he heard the guards drag a clearly reluctant Caballeron into the room. He knew that voice, those hoof steps...

Instead of the Doctor's familiar haughty voice however, all he was greeted with was what sounded like a cross between a choked sob and someone about to be sick. He sat himself up, angry that Caballeron was being so...disrespectful.

"Is it beneath you, Doctor, to even explain yourse-" he stopped mid-sentence when he seen the pony, however.

Caballeron was barely able to stand, his left hindleg appeared to have a nasty bleeding wound on it. Ahuizotl could see a poorly tied length of fabric trying in vain to staunch it.

Ahuizotl sniffed the air, quickly recognising the alarming scent of venom. And it was a dangerous one, from a snake rarely seen in these parts, but a serious foe nonetheless. The scent was fresh, therefore the stallion had to have been bitten outside, or else shortly before entering the cave.

There was only one thing that'd save the Doctor from expiring where he stood. Ahuizotl was loathe to lose a pony like Caballeron, after all. He was crafty, smart, and pretty ruthless at times. That they shared a common dislike in Daring Do had forged a reasonable bond between them. Caballeron was at present his most highly trusted, and thus highly paid, partner.

With that in mind, he leapt from the recliner he'd been lying on and scooped the pony up, ripping the shoddy bandage off in a flash. His eyes zeroed in on the dual puncture wounds on Caballeron's thigh, where blood was still trying to pump from the wound. Good, he was in time then.

As a youngling, he'd been taught that the best way to get the poison out for HIS species anyway, was to suck out the poison. Since he'd grown up with the snakes, they didn’t affect him as much. But he'd learnt, after losing a henchpony to them, that they could easily kill the ponies under his command.

Caballeron tried to struggle as his boss set about saving him, thrashing about desperately, but Ahuizotl's hold was too strong. The mythical being ignored the hooves pressing against his chest and neck as Caballeron tried to wriggle free. He was fighting a lot for a pony who was rapidly verging on death, Ahuizotl had to keep a tight grip on the pony as Caballeron arched his back, trying to get free out of instinct and pain, unaware the one holding onto him was trying to save him.

Ahuizotl carefully got to removing the poison from the wound, but it wasn’t a pretty act. The coppery taste of equine blood made him grimace with every mouthful he spat out, but he kept repeating the action until he could no longer taste the tang of the poison. Caballeron had started screaming in pain the moment he'd begun, for the area around the wound was so sensitive and inflamed, it had to be agonising. The sound was chilling...

Now however, Caballeron's screams had derailed into a series of gasping sobs and spasms, he was shaking badly. Blood coated the left hindleg the bite was on and it looked badly inflamed. But he'd live, or at least he stood a higher chance of it now, anyway. He'd gone limp in Ahuizotl's hold, too shocked to struggle.

Ahuizotl picked him up, depositing him gently on the recliner. The Doctor was barley conscious, shaking and staring in shock into space. Some of the poison would have gotten into his bloodstream, but compared to a near lethal dose that would’ve affected him had the poison not been removed, Caballeron was quite fortunate.

Caballeron tried to say something, instead just coughing up blood and lapsing into silence, then passing out a second later. The coughing made Ahuizotl nervous, until he seen Caballeron had bitten his lip in his agonised thrashing.

One of Ahuizotl's guards was a unicorn, a medical doctor. Or at least he had been, before turning to a life of crime. Ahuizotl summoned him now from his post outside, and stood over him as the stallion examined the snake bite.

The guard mentioned he'd seen Caballeron limping, but his friends had said he'd been ambushed, so he assumed it was an injury from that. It wasn’t until later on that Ahuizotl questioned the nature of THAT sentence. For now, he watched imperiously as the guard cleaned and bandaged the wound on Caballeron's leg. As he was doing so, Caballeron began to stir.

The guard seen the pony wince as he struggled to breathe in, and spotted something under the archaeologist's rumpled shirt. He began trying to unbutton it, but Caballeron reacted strangely to the attempt to check him over. He snagged the shirt with one hoof, sloppily holding it closed.

The guard frowned, he'd seen injuries in the scant seconds he'd been able to lift the fabric, why was the stallion hiding them?

Caballeron seemed unaware they were there, curling into a ball and uttering a shaken gasping sound. He lapsed back into sleep a moment later, and the doctor carefully arranged his patients body so he could open the shirt once more.

Behind him, standing stoically the whole time, Ahuizotl frowned. There was a mass of bruising on Caballeron's chest, moving down his stomach.

"Is this an imprint?" the doctor murmured.

"What’s that now?" Ahuizotl demanded. The doctor stepped aside and indicated a stark bruise on Caballeron's chest.

"Looks like a print from a shoe.." he muttered "I could swear it looks familiar?"

Ahuizotl narrowed his eyes. It DID.

"Leave that to me," he said icily "I believe I know the culprit responsible."

Bemused, the guard nodded, pressing against the pony’s chest to check for broken ribs.

"Good news, no broken bones and the bruising will fade with the right medicine and a bit of my magic. I'll fetch some of that specialist medicine from the supplies, with your permission boss?"

"Do it." Ahuizotl said calmly, and the guard nodded, trotting away to fetch it.

Alone with the out cold Caballeron, Ahuizotl studied the bruises on the Doctor's chest. He tapped his paws against the floor, as he plotted how to deal with the ones who'd done this. He used the hand at the end of an extremely agile tail to lift the shirt aside once more. Why had Caballeron attempted to shield this?

What was really going on?

As he pondered this, he seen a necklace around Caballeron's neck and thought that it looked valuable. The doctor had set aside the stallion's saddlebags, they were crammed to the brim with who knew what. Yet Ahuizotl had a feeling it didn’t contain the artefact he'd sent him to search for. He'd started to have suspicions after Caballeron had gone on his own, instead of towing those idiots he normally hired along with him. Then he'd returned so late. Simply put; it added up to something unusual.

The medical doctor returned with the aforementioned medicine. He gave the sick patient an injection along with some healing magic and left the special medicine along with a glass, saying Caballeron needed to drink it asap. It would make him a little delirious, but that’d wear off soon.

With the patients fate assured, Ahuizotl dismissed the guard, saying he'd call if complications arose. The guard-doctor had noted the blood around his Boss' muzzle, on the floor, added that to those screams he heard and correctly deduced he'd removed the poison himself. He was impressed, he hadn’t know the boss knew about stuff like that.

Ahuizotl sighed idly, leaving the out-cold Caballeron to sleep as he went to have a bath. There was a hot springs inside the cave, and he cleaned the blood off his muzzle, watching it stain the water pink as he did. He mused over his initial fear when he'd seen the near-dead Caballeron standing there, looking so fragile.

The pony had a strange allure to him. He was arrogant, egotistical, but he was smarter then most ponies Ahuizotl dealt with. Given he was a doctor of archaeology, it made sense he was intelligent. A wild, untamed appearance plus a seductive exotic accent only added to the mystery.

--He's an agreeable enough fool, and as these strange equines go, he's appealing enough-- Ahuizotl mused. He supposed his reason for saving Caballeron's life was as much his desire not to lose one of what he considered "his" trade partners, but other desires too...

That arrogant little guttersnipe Sureshot had, thinking the information would endear him to his boss, revealed Caballeron was attracted to stallions, after seeing him making out with pony in a bar. Pretty heavy petting kind of make out, nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more.

One occasion, as Caballeron had been striding confidently out of the room with his nose in the air, Ahuizotl had caught a glimpse of the pony’s curved, well-toned flank. Not a bad view, he'd thought at the time.

All cleaned, he dried himself off and went back to check on his injured associate. Caballeron was curled up in a protective ball, a frown on his sleeping face. He was breathing normally, occasionally mumbling in his sleep.

Ahuizotl fetched a blanket and placed it over him, leaving him to sleep. He retreated to his bedroom, where he opened another bottle of that expensive wine and divulged in the ever present daydream of ruling over this entire place and finally crushing that pest Daring Do underfoot.

His mind idly entertained some other fantasies, involving a haughty, stubborn doctor and booze...

Caballeron woke in a darkened room and panicked. Where was he? The last he recalled was, was..?

He shook his head, trying to marshal his thoughts. His head felt worse than even the most drunken night out.

--What did I drink? A f**king mind wiper?-- he pondered.

He could recall being attacked, then dragged to the cave. Then something had bitten him. Something that’d injected molten fire into his veins...

Caballeron looked down at his left hindleg, seeing it was neatly bandaged up and didn’t hurt so bad now. Where was he?

He squinted in the gloom. Luminous moss on the walls shed a little light, and he spied a lantern on the table by the thing he laid upon. He batted a hoof at it, succeeding in lighting it. Soft golden light filled the cave, and he recognised where he was now. This was the room Ahuizotl used to discuss matters with those that he employed, he'd seen it many times. How had he gotten there?

His memories were scrambled and all he could recall was pain. He spent a good few minutes trying to stand, eventually succeeding in clambering down from the recliner. He shivered in the chill air, stumbling over to the fireplace. But even this movement was asking too much, and he felt ready to collapse.

"Ah, awake at last Doctor.." Caballeron jumped a mile as heard Ahuizotl's voice. He staggered back, almost tripping over his saddlebags. With a flick of his tail-hand, Ahuizotl threw some wood into the fireplace, followed by a lit match.

Caballeron had a LOT of questions, but little energy to voice them all. He did manage to make a yelping noise as that tail-hand grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and dumped him back on the recliner.

"What...?" Caballeron croaked with an immense effort "what happened..?" it sounded silly, but he couldn’t recall much beyond the pain.

Ahuizotl didn’t answer at first, instead occupying himself with pouring something from a brown glass battle into the glass next to it. The glass was then set in front of the bewildered Caballeron.

"The doctor's medicine," Ahuizotl said bluntly "I suggest you drink it."

Too confused to deny anything, Caballeron shut up and took his first mouthful of the liquid. It tasted rather strong and he began coughing, making his bruised chest ache.

"Did you encounter Sureshot, Doctor?" Ahuizotl asked brusquely. Instantly, he knew he'd guessed right, as Caballeron went white and looked about to throw up as he lowered the glass. The tail hand flicked forward, tilting the glass so Caballeron had no choice but to finish the medicinal drink. Ahuizotl set the glass back on the table, staring down at the pony, who still looked stunned.

"Sureshot." Ahuizotl mentioned again, seeing Caballeron go pale "he was the one who left those bruises on your chest?"

The fireplace crackled, Ahuizotl spared a brief glance to make sure it wasn’t spitting sparks and heard Caballeron stammer;

"I-it had nothing to do with that fool." Caballeron croaked.

Ahuizotl rounded on him, and the Doctor hunched up on the bed, all bluster gone.

"Do NOT lie to me Doctor,” Ahuizotl snarled “I did not preserve your life so as to be lied to, understand?"

A shaken nod.

"Now, answer me truthfully. Sureshot was the one who attacked you, was he not?"

Caballeron nodded "Y-yes..." he coughed, panic clawing at his throat.

"I thought so. He will be dealt with for his folly." Ahuizotl said in a definitive tone.

Caballeron just blinked.

"Now, on to my most burning question. Where is the artefact I dispatched you to find?"

Caballeron felt his stomach heave, now he was in trouble. He'd been patched up to answer for this, now all hell was going to break loose.

He couldn’t speak.

"Answer me, Doctor!" Ahuizotl roared, grabbing him by his shirt collar in anger, forgetting about the doctors injuries. Caballeron cried out in pain, tears welling up in tired eyes as his bandaged leg was forced to help bear his weight.

Ahuizotl hastily let him go, seeing the pony look on the verge of vomiting as he crumpled to a heap atop the recliner.

He cleared his throat in the silence that followed "my apologies, Doctor."

Caballeron coughed and figured he should just get it over with. If he was going to end here, he may as well go out with defiance.

So he gathered what precious little will he had and Ahuizotl was taken back by the sudden strength in Caballeron's gaze as the pony stood up atop the recliner.

"That artefact was found by the ponies in a small town. It's protecting the villagers. It's Protecting my HOME." Caballeron raised his head to stare his employer of sorts in the eye, reckless determination battling with fear. But he'd been beaten half to death, and had been in a hellish nightmare the last two days. It'd erased what fear he had left to be confronted now...

"So go ahead and dispose of me, I do not regret what I did. We all have somepony we owe everything to, and that town is where that pony lives. It's the last scruple I still have left and it's not dead yet. There are some artefacts in that bag from the surrounding area, even this." he looped the necklace off from around his neck. The one watching him noticed its glow seemed to fade a little after the doctor removed it.

"Removed from an, until now, hidden cavern. I found it when the ground collapsed under me." he let it clatter to the table, not caring if it was magical or otherwise.

It was costing the pony a LOT to stand standing, as his injuries made him feel sick and dizzy, but he stood as tall as he could. He was confused by Ahuizotl not shrieking in fury and swiping for him, instead throwing his head back and laughing uproariously.

"Oh, you never fail to surprise me Doctor Caballeron." the creature chuckled, as he turned and walked over to the fire, giving it a stir to make the flames rise again.

Caballeron stared in surprise, the room spinning around him to the point where he was worried gravity was on the blink.

"I’ve always admired your tenacity and your lack of scruples, as you put it. Yet it doesn’t surprise me you still have one left, do we all not?"

He turned back to the pony, amused by Caballeron's blank expression. He'd been expecting the proverbial firing squad no doubt, not Ahuizotl's amusement.

"Had I not that admiration for you, Doctor, I would not have removed the poison from your body. Can you recall it?"

Caballeron let his mind flash back. Poison? Yes, that was it…

He recalled intense pain, something biting at his leg, the smell of blood. He retched, shuddering as the pain, albeit an echo, rampaged through his head. He huddled over on the recliner, staring into space.

"I will take that as a yes." Ahuizotl said bluntly, sitting down before the pony. The tail-hand lightly brushed the bandage wrapped around the pony’s left thigh "the only way to save you was to suck out the poison. Regrettably, such sharp teeth as mine might make it a little difficult. You ponies are very...delicate."

He gave a wolfish grin that sent shivers down Caballeron's spine. Add in how close he was, the tail hand resting just above his bandaged inner leg and the pony was starting to feel flustered.

Being sat this close, Ahuizotl took a certain amusement in seeing Caballeron go slightly red. He drifted away from the pony, pushing last nights daydreams from his mind. It wasn’t sporting to take advantage of the pony by seducing him, when he was still in such a messy state. No, he wanted Caballeron back to his usual, boisterous self. He kept the amused smirk well hidden, but there was no denying the temptation...

Caballeron wondered what was going to happen to him now?

"Fear not Doctor, I will not kill you. You haven done a remarkable thing and earned my respect these many years. I suggest you lie down, take the weight off that leg. I will have the guard doctor attend to you." with that, he swept out.

Caballeron felt confused. He wasn’t...dead? Was his boss not going to punish him for failing his mission?

He was distracted from his conflicted thoughts by the medical doctor walking in, saying he needed to check his bandages again. Caballeron sat wordlessly through it all, only nodding or shaking his head as needed. He looked like hell, said doctor pointed out and finished by saying he needed to keep himself warm.

Caballeron didn’t leave the room that entire day, spending most of it asleep. At some point the guard doctor had some food sent to him, but the injured archaeologist couldn’t bring himself to eat much. Mostly he just slept, feeling oddly safe despite the phantom threat of punishment still lingering over his head for his screw up.

He drifted in and out of feverish dreams, flashbacks of his childhood, of the recent visit, of that cave he'd fallen into....and of the attack that’d left him so injured.

When he awoke later on, close to night time, he felt freezing. He could see the fire had gone out, but his mind was too addled to light the match and he soon ran through the box. The last match flickered out and he was alone in the dark with the faint scent of burnt wood...

Desperate and disorientated now, he stumbled down cold rocky corridors, coughing heavily. This far into his boss' inner sanctum there weren’t any guards, so he was soon lost in the dimly lit place...

He was scared witless when something grabbed him by the collar of the crumpled shirt and hauled him into a more well lit room. He curled up instinctively, expecting a threat, but was instead placed atop a warm mattress. Blinking in the light, he seen his boss peering down at him.

"You’re like a lost puppy, doctor." Ahuizotl could not hide the amusement in his voice as he regarded the pony "perhaps you need your master to keep an eye on you?"

Caballeron blushed bright red, there was a definite flirty touch to his boss' voice. It sent a funny shiver through his body, yet he tried to remain unruffled.

"I’m not some stray cur!" he retorted, gritting his teeth as he tried to stand, but in the last few seconds alone the sheer softness of the bed made his body reluctant to comply. He collapsed back onto the bed, a shiver caused by many things running from nose to tail.

"I would be inclined to agree, you are much more pedigree than that." Ahuizotl chuckled.

He could see Caballeron was looking at the big comfy bed with obvious longing.

"Make yourself comfortable, Doctor." he said in amusement, then noticed how badly the stallion was shivering. Unable to stop himself, he placed a paw against Caballeron's back, feeling the pony tense up amidst the shivers.

"You’re freezing, Doctor." he stated. Caballeron shook even more, as his fever daze faded, he was starting to feel it.

"Feels like my bones are ice." he said through gritted teeth. He curled up as tightly as he could, trying to keep what little warmth his body had in one place. He knew he should move, this was a highly unorthodox situation. But he was so comfortable atop the bed, the mattress was warmed by body heat already...

He expected to be turfed out, as Ahuizotl's amusement ran out.

But not a moment later and he felt the bed shift as its actual owner settled down atop it, with his larger bulk all but completely curved around Caballeron's smaller body. Caballeron took a sharp intake of breath, his heart speeding up. It was so warm...why was his heart pounding like this?

"Settle down, Doctor." the statement was spoken like a command, and part of Caballeron wanted to shout at him, how dare he treat him like a pet?! But he was getting steadily more drowsy, the warmth of the bed and its owners body lulling him into a sense of safety.

--Everything’s changed, hasn’t it?-- was his last thought before he passed out.

In his feverish state, he accidentally mumbled this out loud. Ahuizotl craned his head to peer down at Caballeron's face, and on realising he was fast asleep, figured he was sleep talking.

"I fear it has for you, Doctor." he murmured back, even though the pony couldn’t hear him.

Ahuizotl protectively curled himself around Caballeron, pulling the blankets over them both. He was becoming more fond of this egotistical pony, in the possessive way he regarded things. When he'd made the decision to save Caballeron's life, he'd realised how important he was.

And he wasn’t one to let a target go once he'd set his eyes on it..

It was a shame, he mused, that the pony’s body was too small to bear up against a creature so much bigger than him, as Ahuizotl was. The idea of keeping Caballeron in his bed and ravishing him until he couldn’t take any more was playing on his mind more and more.

He gave a sleepy yawn and laid his head on the pillow, aware of the intriguing scent of the sleeping pony, as well as the soft murmur of his breathing. Then he fell asleep...

Caballeron groaned, wincing as darts of pain jabbed into his leg on attempting to stretch. He tried to roll onto his back and stretch that way, only to give a gasping wince as he felt his whole body complain.

He seen he was currently submerged under a fluffy warm blanket and for a brief fuzzy moment, thought he was home. But he swiftly realised this was NOT his home, not unless he'd moved into a cave at some point in his life?

--That's right...last night I..? Oh, buck me.-- he pulled the blanket over his head as he recollected the previous night. He'd crawled into his boss BED.

--Well, you didn’t so much crawl as get hauled in...-- his brain tried to ease his embarrassment by reminding him it hadn’t initially been his idea.

But he hadn’t exactly objected. It'd felt so warm against the aches and pains rampaging through his body, he hadn’t been able to resist.

He at last poked his head up above the blanket. He was alone, clearly the beds usual occupant, Ahuizotl, was off doing- well, whatever he did on a daily basis. He pondered that, besides paying others to find artefacts for him, what did the strange creature do most of the time?

The door opened just as he was clambering down from the bed and he yelped, falling on his face in the most inelegant manner possible.

"Ah, you're up." It was the guard-doctor. Caballeron stared blurrily at him.

"Hm, you still seem feverish." the guard-doctor muttered. He sat the other pony upright, and checked the myriad of bruises and cuts littering his chest and sides.

"Looks like you’re healing nicely. Drink this," here he handed the bemused Caballeron a second bottle of that same medicine "it’ll speed things up a little. You may experience some hallucinations or delirium until it wears off."

"Right, yes." Caballeron managed to speak, still confused.

Next up were the bandages around his leg. Caballeron almost gagged as he seen the nasty puncture wounds.

The doctor raised an eyebrow "you got lucky," he remarked "it seems very little of the poison has gotten into your body. Compared to what I’ve heard those snakes can do, you got off virtually scot-free."

A mute nod from a tired Caballeron.

After the gaurd doctor made sure the patient drank the gross tasting medicine, and the next round of magic-aided healing was done, Caballeron was left to wander around on his own. Unsure where else to go, he eventually found his way to the room where he'd last seen his saddlebags.

Ahuizotl was nowhere to be seen, so he crept in. He sat down and started sorting through the contents of his bags. All the odd things he'd taken from the cave were soon scattered on the floor around him.

The necklace still lay on the table where he'd deposited it during his stand against Ahuizotl. He pulled out the ancient looking tome he'd found in the same cave, and began flicking through it. He came across the illustration of the necklace a few pages in. So they were linked?

He went back to the table and set the necklace around his neck. As he stared at the book, the markings seemed to shift and move. His head pounded, and he stared in a trance as they became words.

"Unbelievable." he whispered. The pages spoke of a legend surrounding this necklace. It gave the wearer the capability to achieve their deepest desires. It seemed to focus predominately on love and- Caballeron blushed as he read it.

"Ah, awake again Doctor." Caballeron gave a startled shout as the voice burst his concentrative bubble. A flailing hoof dislodged the necklace from around his neck, whereupon it clattered to the floor. The book followed softly after, with a muffled thud and the stallion scooted back a few feet before reigning his panic in.

"Did I interrupt something?" The mythical creature regarded the flushed Caballeron with amusement. Really, he was quite entertaining, in a curious way.

He picked up the book, as Caballeron sat there, looking blank.

"What is this writing?" Ahuizotl demanded of him "you seemed to be reading it quite fluently."

"The necklace," Caballeron cast a glance over at where it lay innocently, catching the light from the lamp "it's a translator."

Ahuizotl picked it up, and Caballeron was SURE he seen the chain shift and adjust for this bigger creature. He sat silently as his boss settled the necklace around his neck, hoping it would work...

"Hmm, curious.." Ahuizotl mused, as he scooped the book up and read the page Caballeron had been looking so flustered about. He carried on flicking through it, curiosity rising.

"Quite an unusual oddity you’ve found here, Doctor. Maybe we can forget your little...screw up, in light of this." he shut the book, transferring it to his tail-hand, intending to read it further.

Caballeron nodded rapidly, not even objecting. If it meant he survived another day, he was happy to hand it over. Given Ahuizotl wasn’t exactly known for his generosity, this was a rare deal.

"Cat got your tongue, Doctor?" the amused Ahuizotl grinned widely, and tilted the Doctor's chin up with one paw-hand, keeping a gentle yet firm grip so the pony couldn’t escape "did you sleep well last night?"

Caballeron's mind flooded with those memories again, only they seemed to be not just from his point of view, but Ahuizotl's. He had a sense of warmth, and how cold and feverish his own body had felt to the other occupant of the bed. Heat bloomed in his stomach and he swallowed nervously.

After a seconds intense staring, Ahuizotl smirked again and released him. Caballeron drew in a shaky breath, his heart hammering.

"Amuse yourself as you wish Doctor, but I’d suggest you do not venture out just yet." with those parting words, Ahuizotl was gone. Caballeron made a wheezing gasp and finally relaxed. He felt his face turn red and told himself to snap out of it.

--He's just toying with you, you’re just another dispensable relic hunter.-- he calmed himself down, rubbing his upset stomach with one hoof in an effort to settle it. So if he'd interpreted the Boss' words correctly, he wasn’t to try leaving the cave. No doubt the guards would have been informed of this by now. So he was essentially a sort-of prisoner. Only he wasn’t, not that he could tell, being punished.

With the book gone, he examined the bottles in his bag. They seemed to have once been used to hold ingredients for a potion. The words were very faded, and without the necklace he couldn’t understand them. He set them out on the table, figuring Ahuizotl would want them, since they were connected with the necklace.

Caballeron set off into the depths of the cave and eventually stumbled upon a library in one of the caves many rooms. His eyes went wide and he rattled off several impressed obscenities in his native language, as he looked at the sheer size of the room.

He picked up a book from the shelf, recognising it was written in his native language. He set himself down and began reading it, marvelling at what it contained. He sat there undisturbed for hours, absorbed in the book. It allowed him to forget the absurd situation he was involved in, as well as reminding him of his much smaller library back home.

He at one point dozed off, head resting atop his forelegs, mind filled with addled dreams about the attack, his foster home and his boss…

Caballeron woke up sharply, shaking his head. With a muted groan, he rubbed at his eyes, sat up, and stretched out the kinks in his back before picking the book up again. He'd probably only have this chance to read them, so he may as well try cramming as much into his head as he could. He set the book atop other books, the pain in his leg becoming a distant memory as he became absorbed in the book once more.

That night, Caballeron slept atop the recliner, and he noticed a plentiful supply of matches had been left beside the bottles on the table. His boss didn't want him to catch cold it seemed...

The next day was the same, as the gaurd doctor told him to take it easy, eat properly, and walk around to get some exercise. Understanding he was still to stay in the cave, Caballeron returned to the library again to absorb himself in the books.

Time passed, unnoticed by the archeologist, as he became lost in the rich history told within the pages...

It was some hours later that his boss came looking for him.

Caballeron FELT the mass of warmth behind him even before Ahuizotl properly sat down. He made himself sit still, instead of jumping like a cat on a hot tin roof like he felt like doing.

"Ah, long has that book eluded me, the language is unknown.." Ahuizotl remarked.

"Its my native language," Caballeron said, for the sake of just SAYING something "I read and speak it fluently."

"Oh really?" Ahuizotl's interest was peaked. His tail-hand flicked round to turn the page. Then it quickly seized a stray lock of Caballeron's mane and tucked it back behind the pony's ear. The gesture was both simplistic yet seductive, and the bigger being couldn’t help but smirk to himself as he seen Caballeron tense up, seeing a little shiver run over him. The pony's scent shifted, indicating he was rather enjoying the sensation even if he wasn’t admitting it.

Nerves jangling, Caballeron began transcribing parts of the book, his accent making the words sound fluid and alive. He read them in their natural language, then translated them.

Doing so distracted him from the tantalising warmth of the body pressing into his back. Why was his pulse going so fast?!

"Interesting, you have hidden talents Doctor." Ahuizotl sounded impressed. Caballeron's stomach gurgled out loud, making the archaeologist want to explode from embarrassment.

"You’ve been in here for hours, join me for an early dinner." it wasn’t a request as far as Caballeron knew, so he got up, setting the book down and following Ahuizotl out into the mass of corridors.

They returned to the room Caballeron had been in earlier, where a blazing fire warmed the room.

Along with some sumptuous food, there was also a glass of wine by the plate. Caballeron had drunk plenty of times before, even gotten so hammered he'd woken up with regrets on occasion. He was quite a fan of expensive wine whenever he could get it, but this one tasted vastly superior to anything he'd tasted.

"I only drink the best," Ahuizotl boasted "it has quite a fruity kick, hasn’t it?"

Caballeron nodded, feeling the alcohol making his cheeks redden as he swallowed another mouthful. He hurriedly began on the food, to balance the alcohol.

He soon felt better as the food warmed his body. With the medicine dulling the bite wound, and his recovery going well, he was starting to get some colour back in his face. The firelight caught off his mane as he succeeded in finishing both the food and the wine, setting the crystal wineglass down. He sighed, sounding almost content.

"I studied that book you recovered, Doctor." Ahuizotl studied the Pony’s face. The wine wasn’t strong, but Caballeron seemed more relaxed, less tense than earlier.

"You were correct, the necklace acts as a translator. Some very interesting information. Seems this thing can help you overcome any obstacle between you and the one you desire. I would guess I now have the answer as to why you were blushing, when I walked in on you reading that book. You read the first few pages, did you not?"

Caballeron fumbled for the words, but his brain wouldn’t come up with anything sensible. All he managed was a series of half-spoken words, more like a babble, as he floundered for an answer. In the time it took to blink, Ahuizotl was suddenly looming over him. One broad, warm paw came to rest on Caballeron's chest and he pushed the doctor back so he was sprawled on the rug. Before Caballeron could ask what was going on, he was kissed hotly.

The same heat from earlier unfurled and took root in his stomach. He gasped sharply, the sound muffled by the warm lips caressing his own. Ahuizotl released him, admiring the pony at his mercy and spoke;

"As you studied that book, I studied mine. I have unlocked what this necklace can do.."

As Caballeron opened his eyes, taking a deep breath, he seen a flash of golden light envelop the creature standing over him, and Ahuizotl was suddenly much more in proportion to Caballeron himself.

"I had thought that I would be stuck with mere fantasies, my dear Doctor. But this amulet of yours, its opened up all sorts of possibilities.”

Caballeron flushed bright red. Was this creature seriously hinting he wanted to have sex with him? He'd be a liar if he didn’t say the thought sent a thrill up his back.

"H-how do you know I-" he cut off, realising his slip up. Ahuizotl chuckled, teasingly brushing Caballeron's lips with his own again.

"Aside from you telling me yourself, Doctor, a little birdie let slip the news a long time ago."

Caballeron blushed, he was trying so hard not to let himself get excited. But the creatures subtle, warm touch was awakening Caballeron's own desires.

--Stop it!!-- he told himself – he's just getting a rise out of you..--

"Mmm, in denial Doctor? Let me fix that.." Ahuizotl nipped at Caballeron's neck, deftly undoing the pony’s trademark neckerchief and nibbling at the curve of his jaw. As he did, one paw moved down Caballeron's stomach, making a few, gentle caresses between the pony's legs.

At last he got the reward he sought after, hearing Caballeron gasp in obvious pleasure and he felt the pent-up pony become fully aroused.

"Good Doctor," he purred, as he ran a finger up along the pony’s shaft "as I said before, do not hide anything from me."

Caballeron was red-faced, his body hot to the touch. Sweat made his mane cling to his face and neck, ears shivering.

"Now tell me the truth, Doctor, does this feel good?" Ahuizotl growled seductively, snaring the pony in a quick kiss. The taste of wine mingled with the individual sweetness of the stallions lips. He heard Caballeron try to speak, and let him go.

"I.." Caballeron trailed off, feeling strangely nervous all of a sudden. What if this was a joke?

"Speak up, Caballeron.." Ahuizotl breathed in the scent of the pony’s body, he had a deliciously musky scent. This sentence only made the captive Caballeron fall even more, the weight behind his own name sending shivers down his back.

Another nip at his neck and he finally spoke.

"Y...yes.." Caballeron gasped, feeling his heartbeat race even more. He'd sobered up fast and this was now nothing to do with the wine. Simply put, he was enjoying Ahuizotl's tormenting, teasing touch and he felt a surge of embarrassment.

"I do not toy with those I do not need, or WANT." Ahuizotl tilted the pony's face so their eyes met. He seen the hesitation and desire on Caballeron's face and it was taking a supreme effort not to take him there and then. But he would not make a move without the pony’s permission. Like the doctor, he still had some scruples left..."And right now doctor, I desire YOU."

Part of Caballeron felt like just shouting for him to cease this torment and start already. But he still hesitated a little. He glanced down, noting that, even in his smaller, more manageable size, the other was still pretty BIG.

"I-I’m not sure my body can take it.." he groaned deeply as he felt a fresh shiver of arousal worm its way up his back. It was almost unbearably good...

"Relax, Doctor, I’ll ease it into you." the subtle euphemism slipped right by Caballeron, who could barely think over the pounding of his pulse. Ahuizotl nibbled at the base of the pony's right ear, and was rewarded with Caballeron moaning in obvious enjoyment. Slipping a paw between the stallion's legs once more, he smirked.

"I'd say your body longs as much for this as your mind, you feel more than accommodating, dear doctor..." Ahuizotl teased. The tail hand, with its more dexterous fingers took the place of the paw, and pushed subtly into Caballeron's body. The pony arched his back, panting rapidly. Ahuizotl ceased toying with the stallions body as he spoke again.

"Mm, so hot, dear Doctor. All you have to do is say so, and I can treat that body of yours to something it has never felt before. What do you say?"

Caballeron caught him off guard by actually kissing him back. The firelight shone on the pony’s being coat, those sharp, brooding eyes full of obvious lust.

"Take what you want..." Caballeron growled seductively, eyes flashing in the firelight. It’d been so long since he'd enjoyed himself, and maybe the attention was going to his head, but he'd made up his mind. He'd started to feel so jaded, so tired. His pulse hadn’t raced this fast in many a year.

He uttered a faint gasp as he was scooped up and set down on his stomach on the recliner. He felt the heat emanating from his boss' body as he positioned himself on the recliner behind him.

"Mm, your scent is quite intoxicating." Ahuizotl mused, as he brushed his paws over the stallions firm rear.

"Y-you can..?" Caballeron's voice hitched a little as his hindquarters were raised up at the perfect angle, thumbs tracing the shape of his bottom..

"I have quite an exceptional sense of smell, dear Doctor, and your scent is as good as any wine..." Ahuizotl finally ceased admiring the pony he was about to claim, and once again the more slender fingers of the tail-hand began preparing the pony, plunging deep inside him. He used his free hands to grasp the stallions hips and hold him in place as he worked, listening to the delicious, eager moans of the doctor.

Caballeron was lost in a haze of desire and pleasure, and this was just the precursor. When he felt those exploring fingers withdraw from him, he bit his hoof to muffle a deep moan.

--Lets begin, dear Doctor..-- Ahuizotl thought. The couch creaked softly as he repositioned himself. Much like the Doctor, it'd been awhile since he'd found someone to enjoy himself with. A LONG time. But he was prepared, and he'd brought a certain little something that’d make it easier for his partner to take him. It was this jar, carefully hidden behind the bottles Caballeron had left on the table by the couch, and he reached for it now...

Caballeron instinctively tensed up as he felt the dominant creature press intimately against him. He'd heard the sound of a jar being opened, and instinctively knew what it was. He felt a funny little jolt at how....considerate, his boss was being. He could easily have just done him without the preparation. This was just be a one night fling, right? So why-

Then all of these thoughts were abandoned as he felt a sizeable, hot mass push into him. He forced himself to breathe deeply, keeping his hind legs braced on the recliner. His stomach was brushing the expensive fabric, he could feel it adhering to his sweaty coat.

"Relax, doctor...." he dimly heard Ahuizotl's voice, somewhere in the distance it felt like. But all he could focus on was the sensation of his body being stretched to accommodate the engorged member slowly sliding into him.

"I'm trying.." he panted. He felt the others movements halt a moment, and tried to wrestle his heartbeat under control. A nuzzle at the back of his neck, followed by a gentle nip at his ear sent a gentle shiver down his back.

Soon his entire length was fully inside, and again Ahuizotl took a moment to admire Caballeron. What had started as an idle fantasy was now becoming a reality...he was about to, what was the term the ponies used, "rut" him?

Then the temptation became irresistible and he could wait no longer. He pulled back, before plunging deep into the stallion, up to the hilt. Caballeron cried out, unable to keep from uttering a ragged gasp of pleasure that was like music to Ahuizotl's ears. The pony's legs shook and it seemed an immense effort for him to keep standing. But he succeeded, his stamina higher then it appeared at first glance.

Ahuizotl tried to keep it slow to start off, let the pony get used to him. But Caballeron's body fit so tightly around him, the feeling so tantalizing, that it wasn’t long before before he started moving faster. He heard the submissive stallion alternate between english and his native language, some words unfamiliar but their translation easy to guess at. With each thrust he felt himself hit that sweet spot in the stallions inner walls, feeling the pony’s body cling to him with every withdrawal.

Soon the pace and rhythm of their act was matched by the pace of their heartbeats. Fast and heavy. Sweat dripped down both their coats, making them shine in the firelight.

"Ahui...." Caballeron moaned, more than a few syllables was too much for him. He couldn’t last much longer, this just felt too good. With every thrust he felt his partners length urge him on...he longed to give in and let it hit HARD.

"For you, doctor, yes.."

As he spoke, Ahuizotl gripped locks of the pony’s mane with his teeth, tugging his head back ever so gently. Hearing the doctor's husky, growling tones echoing around the room was immensely satisfying, that accent of his accentuating every word, every cry of Ahuizotl's name. He could feel how close Caballeron was and decided to give his lover his reward.

With one final, decisive thrust, Ahuizotl could hold back no longer. His growls of satisfaction rolled around the walls of the cavernous room as he climaxed inside the doctor, feeling the thick, heavy fluid, much different in scent and quantity to that of a pony, rush into the stallion he was inside. He heard Caballeron's voice trail off into a wordless cry as reached his own peak.

Silence, mixed with heavy breathing, pervaded the room as both of them rode out the ecstasy of the orgasm. Bestowing an almost tender kiss on the back of the doctor's neck, Ahuizotl pulled slowly out of him, hearing a tiny gasp from the pony as he did. Body too taxed to support him, Caballeron collapsed to the recliner, still breathing heavily. He felt heavy, full...

He curled onto his side, feeling sleepy.

Ahuizotl's warm stomach pressed against his back a moment later and he was guided into his hold, an arm wrapping around him.

"Spectacular, my dear Caballeron..." the other being purred in his ear.

Caballeron was too shagged out, literally, to speak, so he just raised his head and nudged the others muzzle with his own. His reward was a gentle kiss, and then he let his head rest atop his hooves.

Caballeron fell asleep to the sensation of a warm paw caressing his stomach, it felt nice...

Ahuizotl was impressed by the pony's stamina. He'd not expected him to hold out so long, let alone take such a load, but it was worth every second...he swiped up stray droplets of semen as he ran a hand over Caballeron's stomach, allowing himself the discovery of his partners taste as he cleaned him up a little.

He watched the pony sleep, feeling comfortably drowsy himself, then he too dozed off.