The Reluctant Diplomat

"Girls night out, huh?" Sardonyx asked the purple unicorn walking up to him. Finishing the conjuration the grey door shaped portal hovered in the air a few feet from them.

"Yep." Twilight Sparkle nodded her head happily. "It's a great chance to make a few new friends. Well new one or two, I already know Octavia". Using her magic to finish brushing her main she stands beside her human companion. With a nod they step through the portal and walk face first into a cold autumn breeze. Shivering and stepping closer to each other for warmth, they walk the last few feet to the doorway of her friends house.

"Vinyl." Sardonyx nods to the unicorn in the doorway. There was a treaty tonight on their shenanigans. But still he held the grip of his water gun tightly behind his back, ready to come out and start firing at a moments notice. Vinyl couldn't be trusted to honor that agreement. She was as wild and unpredictable as her mane, tossed this way and that like it did on the battlefield.

"Sardonyx" Vinyl nods in return. They both stare at each other a few moments longer before smiling. A little blue aura shone from the tip of her horn matching the one on the door handle. She could tell he can sense the second tendril of magic snaking out behind the door to her right. Her water gun held tight in it's grip. Sardonyx couldn't be trusted to honor the treaty tonight. She had to be prepared. He was as wild and unpredictable as his long goofy named ponytail he wore, twitching about in starts with the wind.

Twilight just rolls her eyes at the exchange. She understood why they played the game, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out what or who started the friendly rivalry between the DJ and the Mage. Kindred spirits she supposed. Making water guns on this world was tricky at the start, but there were decent enough ways about it. A little magic helped too. But once he mentioned playing games with those and water baloons as a young man, Vinyl took to it like, well like a unicorn to water. Since then they've ambushed each other every chance they got. So far they and a hooffull of others have enjoyed the new game.

Twilight steps up and hugs Vinyl. "Good to see you" she tells the pale unicorn.

The unicorn returns the hug, still holding onto her magic "You too" Vinyl responds. "You still single?" she asks her, while staring at the human in the doorway.

Twilight rolls her eyes and makes her way past Vinyl to go into the house. Sardonyx points two fingers at his eyes then slowly turns his hand to point at hers. Matching her stare for stare, grin for grin.

A third aura of magic appears above Vinyls head. It shapes itself into a cylindrical object with a rounded tip. The shape starts rotating slowly while she turns to follow Twilight down the hall. As the door closes slowly he can hear her say "Hey Twilight? When your showering with your human, have you ever dropped the soap?" Click, the door closes leaving a stunned and speechless human on the landing gaping like a fish. Vinyl: 1. Human: 0.

After a long moment of mental disconnection he was brought back to the world by an older pony gently pulling on his coat sleeve. "You okay, son?" he asks, concern woven into his voice.

"Huh? Oh... Yes" He shakes himself and gives the pony a smile. "Mare trouble" he tells him. Oh that Vinyl was going to get it, he swears revenge to himself while thinking he should go to the store for more water balloons.

The old pony smiles back at him. "Mares are all trouble". He nods sagely. "You know what helps that ailment sometimes?" he looks up into the humans face with a sly smile.

He's not sure where this little pony / human hybrid jazz club came from, but he was sure glad his new friend led him to it. The lush sounds of John Coltrane coming through on the little speakers in the dimly lit room was akin to the feeling of running into an old friend. Little pony tables and chairs, with some human sized ones thrown in for good measure. A small raised platform with a few instruments on stands rested near a beautiful shiny black piano.

Sitting on the little cushioned stool next to his new friend at the bar, they clinked their glasses together in a toast and drank. The brandy was like a fireball in his throat, slowly going lower and lower burning until it was just a warm sensation in his stomach. With a sigh he opened his eyes and nodded at the bartender. He places his glass down and it was refilled quickly.
The old stallion sits there for a moment longer, eyes closed and a smile on his face that is as close to joy as any one the human as ever seen. He sighs and looks up at the human next to him. "Told you." He says proudly.

"That you did, friend". Sardonyx tells him. He holds out his hand for a hoof bump "I'm Sardonyx. It's a pleasure to meet you".

"Anchor's Away" He responds bumping the humans fist gently. "I know who you are colt. I think every pony does, no offense meant."

Nodding to himself he continues " Man, stallion, or mare, it would have made no difference. Someone looking that dumbstruck is an easy target for pickpockets" Shaking his head "Or those crazy colts and fillies running around with those water guns and balloons getting everyone all wet".

Sardonyx stirs in his seat a bit "Yeah, funny business that" hoping Anchor didn't see the water gun hidden in the holster in the small of his back.

"I'm glad it was me for another reason to run into you. I think someone should have a talk with you." Anchor tells him. Keeping eye contact with Sardonyx, he pushes his glass forward for another refill. Sardonyx's expression changes to one of wariness, perhaps a little anger. "About the Princess, you know?"

"I'm not sure what you mean, Anchor. And if I did I'm not sure it's any of your business". Sardonyx says in a low, neutral tone, leaning forward a little bit.

"Shut it young'n. I've raised six children of my own with four beautiful wives. If I know anything in this world, it's sailing." With a boisterous laugh he takes another quick sip. "And love. It's in your eyes, colt. Your hooked and you don't even see it."

Twilight hides her face behind an ivory couch cushion. It's not like that she's a prude, she's had heat cycles before. And all those she spent alone jilling herself off in just about every room of the library. But the way her and Octavia talked about Corrie was making her blush. And her head spin a little. Humans really were different that they were. But there were enough similarites, it seemed too. All the other mares were laughing and cackling, sharing stories.

Excusing herself she makes her way to the bathroom. Using her magic to lock the door she gives herself a moment to enjoy the respite from the noise. She hears peals of laughter coming down from the hallway. She's not sure if they are laughing at her shyness when it comes to this sort of thing, or not. But it really didn't matter, did it?

Walking to the mirror she puts her front hooves up on the sink and stares in to the mirror. "Could he really think I'm beautiful?" She says to her reflection trying to see if the truth could revealed in her own purple eyes.

"Well I think your pretty" a voice comes from the bathtub. "And i'm human too. So there's that". Corrie says. Floating in a hot bath of bubbly water, she was too preoccupied with soaking away her stress from the last negotiation treaty to shoo her out of the room.

Twilight froze. She tried to stammer an apology at inturrupting the diplomats bath, but it seemed Corrie was having none of it. She just asked for a moment to hop out and change, she'd been meaning to talk to the purple princess for a while now. Good as time as any, she reasons.

After she left the room and gave Corrie a chance to dress, she returns to the bathroom and Corrie motions her over. She's sitting on the bathtub rail, grey slacks and white tee shirt clinging to her frame from the moisture leftover from a quick drying off.

She walks over curiously and the woman gently turns her around with her hands, and gently pushes on her back. Twilight confused sits down in front of Corrie but facing away. She was about to ask her what she was doing, but she felt the hairbrush near her horn to start working on her bangs. A cooing sigh was all that came out.

'We talked once before, you know." She told the little unicorn between her legs. There was something so relaxing about brushing their manes, Corrie found it was one of her favorite things to do now, with Vinyl and Octavia.

Looking up to make sure the bathroom door was still open she smiled. They are not jealous creatures, like us humans, much. But why take chances? Moving the brush lower to the middle of her neck she starts to work on the pink stripe.

Twilight nods. "He told me once. Out in the woods?" Corrie nods "That was the night he came back so preoccupied. He was quieter than usual after that." Looking down at the floor. "That was the first time we really hugged, you know? Not like our regular hugs. It felt different." She finishes with a whisper.

Corrie decides honesty would be best in this situation, she owed her that much. Humans were not the easiest beings to love in her experience. Herself included. She nods to Twililight's reflection. "It was. I came home and hugged my mares probably in the same way he hugged you. Did he look a little sad?" She tilts her eyes meeting hers in the mirror. "Maybe a bit reluctant to let go?"

Twilight nods. "It was almost bittersweet, that feeling." She agrees quietly.

"It's because he's going to have to kill again, sweet bainganee k’i-lin". Corrie tells her in a matter of fact tone. "It's not something he's fond of doing, and thank Cat for small favors. He'd be a terror if that ever happened."

Eyeing her handiwork in the mirror she continues. "I've seen him look at you when you've been out in functions. He'd be a bad one to cross. Doubly so if someone crossed whomever he loves." and those fools did she finishes to herself. And he does. Love her that is. She can tell that too.

Finishing up with her mane she uses her hands to have Twilight stand so she could work on her long tail with the brush."But it was bad." Corrie confirms. "There really isn't an easy solution to this. But he and I agree that something has to be done."

"If you love him" Corrie tells her "You need to tell him. Show him". She places a gentle hand on her forehead just above the horn. "And no, I don't mean like that." She gives Twilight a face in the mirror, eyebrow raised "unless you've already.." She can actually she the blush shining through the purple mares fur and the heat on her forehead growing.

"Oh..Uh..No" she starts to stammer out. "We've hugged. And held hooves. Hands. Whatever." Bringing her hooves up to her eyes she covers them with a sigh. "It really is complicated, isn't it?" Twilight says, tears forming under her hooves.

Corrie leans into her back and wraps her arms around her barrel in a hug. "Oh Twilight." she says hugging her new friend tight. "Only if you want it to be".