Chapter 4 “Tread Lightly”

As one may wonder whether or not the pair of unknown lovers ever stumbled across each other again, I will be kind enough to nudge them in the right direction: they did. It was unexpected, sure, but certainly not unwelcome. Pixel was the first to spot the navy blue earth pony on the other side of the Raging Rapids, one of the few rivers that ran along both Saddle Horn Peaks and Whitetail Woods. Her heart fluttered at the sight of him with his head submerged in the cold waters, jerking back to reveal a struggling fish in his jaws. Its tail slapped at his face, but he ignored it, instead dropping it onto the bank and watching it flop around until it laid still. Obsidian's nose twitched at the arrival of a scent he had missed. His eyes flickered upwards, then widened in surprise as he took in the she wolf swimming over to him. He waited for her to shake herself and transform before speaking. “Pixel? How did you get here?”

“I walked, silly.”

“No, I mean-”

“I got it. Just wandering around, I guess. Don't have much else to do nowadays.”

His eyes narrowed in slight suspicion. If she was still under her father's hold, which he was quite certain that she was, she wouldn't be have time for such 'wandering’, as she put it. Heck, she wouldn't have much time to be talking to him. “Pix, you doing alright? You look like you haven't slept in days.” She chuckled nervously, nodding once.

“Maybe it's because… I haven't.”

“Luna, I know that we're moreso nocturnal, but a werewolf's gotta sleep sometime.”

“I know, I know. I've just… been thinking, that's all.”

“About what, may I ask?”

She blushed at the question, avoiding eye contact. Then she frowned, a low growl leaving her.

“About how you left me! Without a word about what happened.”

A bushy eyebrow raised, and the stallion snorted.

“To be fair, you are the one who kissed me, so I have every right to react the way I did. But if we're being honest… I haven't stopped thinking about it too. I even told my sisters about it- er, not directly, of course. Limelight said something about… Mates, I believe? And she didn't seem to happy about it.”

The unicorn's ears perked up at the word.

“Mates?,” she repeated, puzzled to say the least. “But, that couldn't be… we’ve known each other for moons and… how come I haven't picked up your scent yet?”

No sooner than the words passed her lips did the overpowering aroma made itself known. The forest floor after a rain shower, wildflowers, pines. The young mare tried to block the smell by covering her nostrils with a hoof, but that only strengthened it, and her body was starting to sway due to dizziness. Obsidian stepped forward to steady her, only to have her fall against his chest. Her eyes were shut, a dumb yet content smile on her face. “It's true…”, she murmured softly, almost as if she was talking in her sleep. It took a second to click, but once it did, the earth pony couldn't help but smile. He cupped a hoof under her chin and pulled her head up, looking down at her with half lidded eyes.

“Why don't we have another kiss to celebrate, hmm?”, He offered.

Pixel laughed lightly, but wasted no time to reach up and plant a warm one against his lips, purring contently as his hoof moved to rest behind her head, gently pushing her closer. He craned his neck to further deepen the contact, feeling her soft hooves rest on his chest. They held it there for a minute or two, breaking apart to breathe before looking away from each other, each one's cheeks were flushed pink. The unicorn bit her lip shyly, her ears twitching as they picked up a voice calling out from the distance.

“Obsidian! Donde esta, hijo?” (Where are you, son?)

Pixel raised an eyebrow. “Your dad speaks Spanish now?”

“Always could. He never found the need to after his mother died, she was the one who taught him it.” He then turned his head to answer. “Uno momento, por favor!” (One moment, please!) Turning his head back, he gave the female a soft smile. “I have to go. Do you think we could meet here again for a bit next week?”

“That would be nice… Bye, Sid.”

“See ya around, Pix.”

The stallion darted off into the brush, not before taking his fish of course, and she watched his tail sway contently, just for a second, before it too disappeared. She turned around to cross the river once more, suddenly letting out a startled yelp, backing up a few paces. Ember merely sat in place, his head cocked to the side.

“O-Oh, Alpha Ember… You scared me… I thought you were-”

“Not anywhere near you? Then you would be incorrect. It's called throwing your voice. Helped me out in a few situations. But that's not the point. I'm simply curious, Pixel Bit. Out of anyone, I would least expect you to be the one to go missing for four days straight. Even Obsidian would let me know if he's going on a long trip, and he rarely talks with me.”

She frowned, worried more than anything.

“A-Are you going to tell Dad? I'm sure he's mad enough at me already.”

To her surprise, the Lead shook his head.

“No, I won't. I don't need to. Your scent will bring you back on its own. “

“What do you-” , the sentence wasn't finished as the red pony stood up and left without another word. Now she was even more worried, just waiting for the rest of the day to pass.