Of Bones and Balloons

“It’s nice to finally meet you too.” I nodded with a small smile. “Apologies for the... errr.”

“He’s sorry about his boner.” Pinkamena said for me. “That was kinda my fault.”

“Thank you." I looked at her and gave her a little squeeze of appreciation.

“Do not worry, Jared. I am not easily offended by such things.” Luna said with a small smile, waving a dismissive hand.

“How often is she seeing guys with boners?” Pinkamena whispered in my ear. I coughed trying to hide my chuckle and did my damnedest to glare at her.

“Calm yourself.” I murmured.

“Nope.” She smiled cheekily.

“More often than you would think, Miss Pie.” Luna grinned at us.

“Ah! She could hear us!” Pinkamena just with a slight gasp and a blush.

“Oh now you're embarrassed.” I rolled my eyes.

“Can we move on please?” Tia groaned, still facepalming.

“But Sister, aren’t you impressed by his endowment?” Luna gestured to me. The act actually made me very uncomfortable.

“This is a normal thing that happens to guys. It’s not a big deal.” Pinkamena said, returning to her more thoughtful look.

“I think it is a big deal.” Luna grinned at us in a way that reminded me of a shark circling its prey.

Moving on! Quick change subject!

“Luna, did you say dinner earlier?” I asked, something the Night Princess said finally clicked for me.

The Bat/Dragon-mare’s face fell to a look of abject confusion. “Yes....”

“Huh... What time is it?” I asked, curious.

“A little past seven.” Tia responded finally removed her hand from her face. “Why do you ask?"

I looked over at the mare snuggled comfortably into my side. “Pinkamena have you eaten today?”

Pinkamena yawned, looking somewhat sleepy. “No, but I’m fine.” She smiled happily. Yet, her body had a different opinion. Her stomach growled, causing a rosy blush to appear on her cheeks.

“Heh. Your stomach disagrees. Heh heh.” I chuckled, poking her belly with a finger.

She squeaked and batted my hand away. “Don’t poke my flub!”

“Heh heh, It’s kinda hard not to. It’s just so pokable.” I smiled and tried to poke her again but she grabbed my hand and twisted it around to start poking my own stomach with it. “Heh heh heh heh.” I giggled in monotone.

“Not so funny now, is it Jared?” Pinkamena giggling with an evil grin.

“I-I just wanted you to admit you were h-hungry.” I said through more monotone giggles. I tried to pull my hand away, but I was too weak and Pinkamena was too strong. The assault continued.

“Well I am, but I don’t want to leave you. Happy now?” Pinkamena now added one of her own hands to the assault on my poor frail form.

“N-no! No I’m n-not. My P-Pinkamena needs to be f-fed.” I managed to get out. “You win. Stahp.”

Instantly Pinkamena stopped and let me go, allowing me some much needed time to breathe. “That’s all I was waiting for.” She nodded and crossed her arms over her stomach with a pout. “I suppose I could eat something so long as you’re there.”

I leaned over and Kissed Pinkamena’s forehead, causing the blush she still managed to keep, to deepen. “Well good. I don’t want you to go hungry on my account. We can probably get something brought here, unless you’d like to leave this stuffy room.”

“But I don’t want to leave you.” Pinkamena’s brows furrowed as she continued her pout.

“There’s such a thing as wheelchairs. Just drap me in the bed sheets or something, stick me in a wheelchair, and we can got to the dining room or something.” I responded with a shrug.

“J-jared.” Tia’s shaky voice caught my attention. I looked over to see that Luna and her were both having a hard time holding back their giggles. “Aren’t you feeling hungry at all? You haven’t eaten a thing in days. I’d expect you to be famished.”

I blinked. Her comment made me actually take a moment to focus on how I was feeling in a physical sense. Besides the feelings of weakness, soreness, and stiffness that I had generally been able to tune out, there was something else.... a feeling of... emptiness.....

Not the physical or emotional kind of emptiness.... A kind of emptiness that was hard to describe. It wasn’t painful or even that noticeable when I didn’t focus on it. Yet it was there. Ever present. However the emptiness didn’t feel.... complete. Like the emptiness was a well. A well that only had a small pool in the bottom of it. There was something there. it was simply such a small amount that I barely noticed it.

So.

Was I hungry? Yes.

For food? No.

Did it bother me? Only when I focused on it.

Speaking of which, when I focused on the well inside me, I noticed two paths that sprouted from either side of the well. When I followed the paths I noticed that they lined up with my arms and hands. How I knew this, I did not know. This information, verified that I did indeed drain through hand contact.

I turned my attention back to my well, specifically the small pool at the bottom of it. The more I focused on it, the more I noticed things. I started to “see” colors in the pool. No, not colors in the pool, the colors of the pool. The pool was a swirling mass of green light that reminded me of fire and blue light that reminded me of smoke... or was it water? Surround the pool was a black light that looked a lot like smoke or mist.

Then it hit me.

I was staring at my magic.

I only had a miniscule amount for now, it was still my magic I was seeing.

This is so awesome!

I had a thought. If I could keep my focus on the magic, and somehow pull back my focus....

Suddenly I snapped back to my normal vision. Only everything was different. Everything was a hazy black. I was staring at my hands. They were now indistinct, like a silhouette. They now changed color to match the blue and green of my pool, and they were surrounded in an aura that matched the black smoke/mist that surrounded the pool as well.

I noticed bright pink next to me. That had to be Pinkamena. Looking over at her I say that she too was a silhouette of color. She was a soft pink fluff. Like she’d turned into a pink cloud pony. However, two things stood out on, or should I say, in her. There was a small dot of green on her forehead. I assumed that that was from when I’d kissed her. The other was more confusing. There was a ball of angry red orange light that roiled inside her chest near her heart.

“Jared?... You okay? You’ve been staring at my tits for a couple minutes now.” Pinkamena’s silhouette vibrated when she spoke and her voice sounded slightly distorted and echoey.

“Sorry.” I said slowly, moving my gaze up to where I assumed her eyes were. “You’re magic’s just really pretty.”

“Her what?” Tia’s flat response made my attention snap to the alicorns.

I instantly regretted that decision.

Luna was a beautiful, vibrant silhouette of midnight blue filled with small motes of light. Like she was a moving patch of the night sky. She also had an aura of silver light surrounding her.

Tia however was a blazing gold white light that was like staring at the sun.

I reacted as such, slamming both my eyes and my mind’s eye/magic sight shut.

“Jared?” Tia sounded concerned.

“Jared talk to us, what’s happening?” Pinkamena asked, her voice filled with worry.

“The good news,” I began, “I figured out how to see magic. I think I might be able to do it again too. The bad news. I just stared at Tia. Light Damn you’re shiny!"

I was met by silence. I cracked an eye open. My vision had indeed returned to normal. However Luna and Tia were both giving me slack jawed looks and Pinkamena just looked confused.

“You what now?” Pinkamena asked, both looking and sounding very confused.

“I learned how to see magic... I think.” I responded.

“You shouldn’t be able to do that. That’s very advanced magic. Most ponies don’t learn that for years.” Tia sounded a little dumbfounded.

I was suddenly reminded of the difference between a Wizard and a Sorcerer in D&D.

PInkie’s stomach growled again, snapping everyone out of their thoughts.

“Perhaps we should put this off until we can properly test Jared?” Luna said glancing quickly between all of us.

“Good idea. We can figure this new development out later.” Tia shook her head then look at Pinkamena and I. “Would you like to have dinner brought here, or would you prefer to leave the room?”

I looked at Pinkamena. ”Your choice.”

“Well, I think it would be good for both of us to get out of this stuffy room, at least for a bit.” Pinkamena tapped her chin thoughtfully for a moment.

“Well we could move to the other room, perhaps young Cadence and Blueblood could join us?” Luna asked.

“Other room? I thought there was just a hallway outside?” I blinked in confusion.

All three mares looked at me in confusion. I blushed and refused to look at any of them. “I’ve never been outside this room.” I muttered.

“Ha ha, well come and see then.” Luna walked over, opened the door and stepped out.

“Should we put on some clothes?” I asked glancing between Pinkamena’s and my lack of full attire.

"This is your area, you're free to dress as you two wish.” Tia smiled as she too walked out of the room.

“Oh you’re in for a surprise.” Pinkamena grinned at me as she shimmied off the bed and walked around to my side. She helped me sit up and helped me scoot off the bed to my feel. I was briefly shocked by the cool floor on my feet, something I’d not noticed before, but quickly got over it. She held onto my left arm with her left and put her right hand on my spine to steady me. Together we slowly shuffled to the doorway and she helped me move so I could side step out of it.

Note: When I get my own place, have all the entryways wide enough so I can walk through without hitting anything.

On turning so I could fully see where we were standing I was a little stunned by the room I was in. I apparently had been staying in a full suite. Perhaps the room I’d been in had been rapidly converted into something more fitting of a patient.

The floor was carpeted in fluffy red carpeting. To my left was a small lounge-like area with three wooden chairs and a rather plush looking blue couch. Natural light filtered in from the nearby windows. Across from me was another wood door that I assumed led... Canterlot Castle? I assume that’s where I am. To my right wa a small dining room set. Basically a large rectangular wooden table with six chairs around it. Beyond that was a small kitchenette set into the wall.

“Well... This is nice.” I said slowly.

“Yep! Though the kitchen’s a little small.” Pinkamena giggled as she helped me shuffle over to the dining table and help me sit down in the chair that creaked a tiny bit when I sat down. She sat to my right.

“I’ll be back momentarily.” Luna said as she wandered out of the far door.

“She’s probably just going to tell a guard to bring our dinner here.” Tia giggled as she sat across from me. She glanced between me and Pinkamena with a smile on her face. “I’m glad you two found each other.”

“So am I.” Pinkamena and I said in unison then stared at each other before Pinkamena giggled and hugged me.

“I really don’t blame either of you for how frisky you’ve been.” Tia’s smile turned mischievous. Both of us stiffened. “I get it, both of you love each other and you just want to express that.”

I was having weird feelings, like I my mom was trying to talk about our sex life.

My mom....

And now I was sad again.

“Hey, you doin okay?” Pinkamena asked.

I sighed, rubbed my eyes and looked at her. “Yeah, just got reminded of my mom, and that made me think about the fact that I’m never going to see her again.”

“Awwwwww.” Pinkamena cooed as her ears pinned back. She wrapped her arms around me in a tight, but not uncomfortable hug.

“I’m sorry Jared.” Tia said quietly.

“Tia, what did I say? I’m not afraid to have Pinkamena spank you.” I said in response, a tad irritated that she said I’m sorry again.

“I’d do it, if it help you feel better.” Pinkamena cooed and nuzzled me as I gently ran a hand through her hair.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” Glancing over showed that Tia was blushing. I smiled a little, thankful that Pinkamena was trying her best to cheer me up.

“But if I spanked you, your flank would never stop jiggling.” Pinkamena responded in total seriousness.

I snorted a bit and shook my head.

“I-I don’t know if it would d-do that.” Tia was blushing as red as a tomato.

“We won’t know until we try.” Pinkamena grinned, giving the alicorn her best bedroom eyes.

“Alright, alright. I’m feeling better you can stop now. Heh heh.” I chuckled.

“Any time!” Pinkamena grinned up at me then murmured into my ear. “We can talk about your family whenever you’re ready to. No pressure.”

I fucking love this mare.

Suddenly the door burst inwards making all three of us jump.

Luna came in grinning from ear to ear.

“We have brought food for consumption!” She cried happily. “We have also brought others for companionship!”

Following behind Luna was a rather worried looking Cadence and a unicorn stallion that I’d never seen before.

The stallion looked taller than Pinkie, he had a white coat and a golden blond mane. His bright blue eyes were looking at Pinkamena and I half in amusement and half in concern. I wasn’t a judge one who looked good compared to others, but I’d say he was a handsome stallion. He work a nice black business suit with a black tie. He looked like someone out of Mad Men.

As some guards came in pushing a rolling tray filled with all kinds of foods, they stopped not far from the table as Cadence wandered over to talk with Tia. Cadence actually looked ashamed now.

The stallion walked up a few feet from Pinkamena and I and looked us over briefly, looking thoughtful. Clearing his throat, he grabbed everyone’s attention. “I’m sorry, but Cadence, aunts. Am I the only one who’s feeling a tad overdressed for this dinner? I feel so out of place compared to how comfortable they look.”

I noticed Luna and Tia briefly share a mischievous look. Cadence looked like a lightbulb just turned on and also gained that same looked.

I had a very bad feeling.

“You’re right Blue.” Cadence said. “We are overdressed.”

This is going to be the most awkward dinner ever.