Love Bites

The first rays of sunlight filtered through the pines, casting little patches of white onto the cold forest floor. Pixel sat in a clearing, alone, perplexed. It had been two days now, and she didn't move an inch. She wouldn't be surprised if Soundwave was out looking for her. At this point, she didn't care what punishment her father would give her. She was having problems of her own already. A sudden noise startled her, and she jumped, transforming out of instinct. A tall figure broke through the brush, shaking its head to get loose dirt out of its mane. The unicorn gasped internally in shock.This figure was one recognized. She changed back, hesitating before calling out. “N-North? Is that you?” The peachy tan coated unicorn stallion turned his head in her direction, his eyes widening. He trotted briskly over to her.

“Pixel? Mi pequeña flor! (My little flower!) How have you been, my dear?”

The mare shrugged her shoulders.

“I’ve been alright, I guess.I could be better. Dad hasn’t been the most agreeable lately.”

The other unicorn frowned.

“I’m sorry to hear that. May I ask what are you doing here?”

She sighed. “It’s...complicated. I’d rather not say.”

North nodded, understanding her reasons. “That’s alright. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. Would you like to come have some soup with me?,” he offered.

She smiled a little. “Of course! I’m just worried that you’d accidentally feed me a potion instead of soup though.”

He laughed. “No guarantees, sweetpea. Now come along. My home has expanded much since you last came to visit.”

The wooden door creaked open, a thin trickle of an eerie blue light shining up through a short tunnel. Pixel followed North into the large tree, her eyes widening at what she saw. Rows upon rows of potions lined the living walls, each one glowing in various colors. A large black cauldron sat in the middle of the large room, and sacks filled with leaves, flowers, and other types of plants hung from the ceiling. A flight of stairs led up to a small resting room, complete with a wooden cot. The mare looked around in awe. “Wow… you were right when you said you expanded. I don’t remember it being this big last time I came here.” Her gaze was redirected to the fire that burned under the cauldron, and she gulped nervously. “You, uh, you don’t make potions and cook in the same pot, do you?” The stallion rolled his eyes.

“Of course I don’t, silly. Who do you think I am? I’m a Healer, not a witch. Besides, you’ve been with me long enough to know that I like to keep things neat and organized.”

He hummed in thought before levitating a clay bowl filled with a piping hot mushroom soup towards her. “Here you go, my dear. Be careful, I don't need you burning yourself.”

“I got it, thank you.” She sighed contently after taking a slow sip, the creamy broth warming up her insides. She quickly became self conscious when she noticed the stallion was staring at her, a slight smile on his lips. “Um, North? You alright?” He blinked, shaking his head quickly, a faint blush flashing onto his cheeks.

“Er… yes, yes I’m fine. I was… going to ask you about the soup… is it good? I was never one with good cooking skills…”

“Oh, it’s wonderful! Thank you again.” She looked past him and examined the filled bottles of potions. “So...what do all those potions do exactly?”

His eyes were aglow at the mention of them. “All kinds of things. Magic enhancers, cures for illnesses of course. An elixir or two, and my personal favorite: liquid fireworks.” She eyebrows raised at that.

“Liquid fireworks? I never heard of those before.”

A dark blue aura glowed around one of the bottles, lifting it off of its shelf. The bright yellow liquid inside it sloshed around until it was flipped upside down, the contents bubbling and splashing onto the floor. The unicorn gingerly grasped a burning piece of wood from underneath the cauldron, tossing it into the growing puddle. The fluid was rapidly absorbed into the wood, bright sparks flying out, illuminating the entire area. Pixel was impressed, to say the least.

“Wow...do you think you could teach me how to make that?”

“I could...But promise me something first.”

“What is it?”

The stallion leaned forward, his eyes turning red ever so briefly.

“Don’t you ever tell anyone about these.” Misusing them can set the whole forest on fire. You got that?”

The mare nodded quickly, slight fear creeping into her voice.

“O-of course I won't tell. My parents don't even know about you.”

“Good, and let's keep it that way. Now, let's started, shall we?”