The Puppeteer

Twilight sighed and dropped her quill with a clatter. Her tail flicked and her throat hummed with delight at the feeling of a large hand running down her back. Her mind raced with urgency, its acceleration dulled by the spidery appendage smoothing over her fur.

Whenever somepony had gone missing in the past, or if ever a villain had approached, she would already have been on the trail of solving the problem by this point. But this time, the trail was completely cold.

The map had not presented itself to anypony, either, which merely compounded her concern. Twilight sighed once again and mashed her hooves through her mane. The stroking feeling along her spine sped up before the hand that caused it wrapped around her barrel, tugging her into the side of her dear friend.

Twilight cursed herself as she felt her cheeks flare up. Yes... Friend.

"Twilight. I think you have done all you can for today," murmured Miles, ripping her from her thoughts.

She looked up at him and snorted with frustration. "Yeah, I know," she said, "and that's exactly the problem! I haven't done enough. The longer those ponies remain undiscovered, the lower their chances are of ever being found..."

Miles, standing by the desk that Twilight laid upon, used the hand he had tucked beneath her barrel to jostle her a couple of times. "Come now, Twilight. I think you need to unwind. How about that din-"

"-the date!" She slapped her hooves over her lips for a moment. "I-I mean the dinner... That dinner you said you to me, you... Uh..."

Miles flicked his gaze briefly across the room, letting a small silence linger over the pair. Twilight noticed his grip around her barrel intensify for a short moment, before relaxing once more. "Yes, Twilight," he chuckled, wiping a thumb along the side of his nose. "Some dinner. How about it? I will pay."

Twilight snapped her head up to him and began fiercely shaking it. "Oh, no no - I'll pay! I'm a princess, and you're..." She felt his grip strengthen once again, yanking her breath away and halting her speech.

Miles began to crouch down, his hand remaining locked around her barrel with an impossible grip all the while. Had he not been a creature she was so close with, the sheer strength and blatant lack of exertion he demonstrated in the act would have frightened her.

But she did know him. And yet, she did not. For all their familiarity, he still remained an alien banquet of things to be discovered and studied. A large, strong, handsome banquet with cute little eyes... Not that she'd ever say that last part to his face.

As Miles brought his visage beside her own, she did not notice his blank expression. Instead, she focused on the warmth of his breath, the feeling of his fingers gripping her torso and the power they threatened and promised and teased all at once, just... Swirling around in a masculine melting pot of temptation.

"I'm what?" growled Miles.

"H-Huh?" Twilight panted. Months of restraint and desire bubbled and churned at the base of her horn. He was so close that she could simply... Miles noticed her horn spark for a brief moment and smiled.

"You were going to say something, dear princess. What am I?"

"To me...? What are you t-to me?"

Miles frowned ever so slightly. "Yes, of course. We can go with that. Just tell me what you were going to say."

"W-Well..." Twilight flushed deeply, now casting her eyes to the floor. "I've actually been wondering, w-would you-" She gasped, torn from her speech by Miles firmly cupping her chin with a hand. Her large eyes glistened and glittered in the candlelight as they peered up into the beady, loving emerald eyes of her human.

Miles's cheeks hardened as he grit his teeth, and yet Twilight was far too lost to notice - lost in two emerald oceans of mere centimetres in width, yet a seemingly infinite depth. Those oceans called to her. Such a call from the deep void she was unable to refuse.

Twilight felt her breath quicken and her legs tremble as he drew closer. This was the moment she had read about in so many of her favourite books; the time when a male makes his move and claims his mare. How badly she ached to be claimed...

As Miles ran a thumb over her lower lip and cleared his throat, the reality of the day's events came crashing back down on her through his oceanic orbs like a tidal wave. Had Miles not been supporting her barrel, her spine may well have snapped in twain.

Twilight rubbed her face and gently struggled in his iron grip, and so he let her go. She hopped down to the floor and took some deep breaths. "M-Miles...?"

"Yes, Twilight?" Miles stood back to his full height and rolled his shoulder.

"Maybe dinner isn't... Maybe we should just have dinner here tonight, y'know? I'm not sure what ponies would think if they saw their princess on a night out during a crisis..." She lowered her head and stepped closer to him, pawing at the floor with a hoof.

After one more breath, Twilight looked up into his face once again. Upon being met by his gentle smile, her now waterlogged brain listed to one side. "I hope you don't mind. I'm sure it'll still be fun, if you feel like..." She swallowed the accumulated water escaping through her natural bailer. "...Staying over here tonight. Like old times? Eheh..."

Considering that the tip of Twilight's horn barely reached his belt, Miles found himself taking a small step backwards in order to better regard her. He folded his arms and arched a brow. "Hmm, I'm not quite sure, Twilight..." Twilight's expression fell. "Can I trust you not to try and take samples of my bodily fluids while you think I'm sleeping again?"

Twilight spluttered and lifted a hoof to her chest. "W-Well that, uh... I mean, I didn't... Okay! It won't happen again this time - promise!"

Miles's eyes widened as he hacked out a very genuine belly laugh and said, "Well, I will admit..." He paused as his chuckles died down. "I made that scenario up on the spot, but thankyou for informing me." Twilight swallowed thickly. "You really are a little mad scientist horse, aren't you?"

Twilight gasped and slapped her hooves over her mouth. Miles laughed once more and turned to make his way from the room. "And I w-was just playing along! Yeah, haha..." Twilight cleared her throat before continuing. "And I'm a pony, not a horse. Remember? Unlike your old world, ponies and horses are two completely different species here." Miles closed his eyes and nodded along to her rambling. "Also..."

Miles stopped as he stooped his head to exit through the doorway of the study. The suddenly muted nature of her voice pulled his attention back to her. "...You didn't answer my question yet, Miles."

The gentle ticking of the study's clock segmented the silence that followed. Despite the picture of innocence on Twilight's face, Miles couldn't help but find a form of startled amusement in her phrasing. He smacked his lips and replied, "Right you are, Twilight. Of course I will stay with you tonight. I shall remain and protect the dear princess from whatever villain lurks within our midst."

Twilight rolled her eyes at Miles's cheeky wink that followed. She then shook her head and made to follow him out of the room. "Come on, you," she said. "Let's see what Spike has cooking for tonight, and ask him to make enough for four..." She paused to make a point of scanning her eyes across his frame before grinning sheepishly. "...Okay, maybe six."

Miles placed a hand to his chest in mock offence. "Twilight, you would not be calling a humble man such as myself fat, would you?"

Feeling suddenly bold, Twilight trotted out in front of him and turned to face him directly. He stopped in his tracks with a confused expression before she reared up and slowly ran a hoof up his muscular torso. She then coughed to herself and said, "No, certainly not fat..."

"Mmm, I see," Miles replied. Twilight folded her ears to the sides of her head and returned to his side. "That is good. I will be sure that you are spared if I remain hungry tonight, then." He playfully flashed a canine at her. She shivered with delight and bit her lower lip.

After a few moments of silence, from the side of her mouth she murmured, "Seven..."

The resulting flick to her ear caused her to flinch away with a giggle.

"That was wonderful, little dragon. Thankyou kindly." Miles set his plate down, satisfied.

Spike hopped down from the table and patted his rotund belly as he collected both Miles's plate and his own. "No problem, dude. Glad to have you back here again," said Spike.

"And Twilight, I do not say this often enough - I am grateful that you still import meat especially for me. I doubt I would be able to maintain this physique without your assistance." Miles patted one of his biceps with the opposing hand before wiping his thumb along the edge of his plate and regarding Twilight with half-lidded eyes.

Twilight appeared somewhat lost in thought, resting her head on a hoof with a clearly frustrated expression. She continually glanced in Spike's direction once in a while, and yet the drake did not seem to take notice. Some few minutes earlier, Starlight had quickly scampered off with her food once she noticed Miles sitting at the table. Twilight didn't mind in the slightest.

"Speaking of physique," said Miles, "I should probably be off to the gym for an hour or two, Twilight. Do not miss me too much while I'm gone." He winked, breaking Twilight from her stupour.

As Miles made to stand up and leave the room, Twilight grabbed his wrist with her magic. The human raised an inquisitive brow. "Wait! Don't go just yet... I-" Twilight began, but caught herself once she noticed Spike cleaning the kitchen space surrounding the table. "-Spike, it's fine; I can clean the kitchen. Thanks for cooking."

Spike glanced up from the sink with a bright smile. He then trotted back over to his seat and made to sit down. "Gee, thanks, Twilight! I really wanted to talk with Miles about th-"

"-Actually, Spike, don't you have that hoofball game to go and watch with Big Mac?" Twilight grinned at Spike with a pleading expression, causing the young dragon to scowl.

"Oh yeah," Spike grumbled, with a bored tone. "I guess I do..." He then hopped back down from his chair and waddled from the room in a huff. Just before he rounded the door frame, however, he looked back over at Twilight and raised a claw. "...Does this have anything to do with that book I found under your bed recently? I think it was something like: How to Give the Perfect Blow-" Spike bolted out the door as a spoon careened over in his direction at an alarming speed.

Miles had turned his head to watch him go, pursing his lips and lightly chuckling through his nose. "I'll talk to you later, dude, okay bye!" called Spike from beyond the doorway.

"Of course, Spike. Any time," replied Miles, cupping his hand around the side of his mouth.

Miles's eyes then flicked back to Twilight, who was now looking down at the table she was leaning across with a frantic expression. She mumbled, "S-So what I was going to say was that we..." She then huffed and sniffed a lungful of air through her nose.

Miles watched with amusement, feeling only slightly concerned by the fact that he found the arm held within her magical aura now completely immobile.

Twilight continued, "...We could do a workout of our own here, if you'd like." Her face burned with such intensity that Miles was surprised her eyeballs hadn't filled her bowl in a milky-white soup. "T-Together."

Her request had been hard-fought, and ended with a hitch of breath. Miles noticed a few of the hairs in her mane pop out of place, and her pupils begin to shrink. He then felt a gentle tugging at his arm - the arm which was now entirely encapsulated and locked within Twilight's control.

The reality of the situation momentarily pressured the man's shoulders. He knew Twilight was a powerful magical creature, but he had not felt the true force of it before now.

Despite her sheer demonstration of power, the expression on her face gave him everything he needed, and so his own countenance remained firm and unyielding.

A victorious smile threatened to tug at the corners of his mouth, the force of it almost enough to fracture rivers into the intricate map of his masquerade.

"Of course, Twilight. I think I know just the thing, too," he said as he looked her up and down and smiled.

"Oh, uh... G-Great. So I'll just..." With a flash of her horn, the pair now found themselves in Twilight's bed chambers. She peered at the carpet and scuffed her hoof, like a dog that had finally caught the car it was chasing and now didn't know what to do with it.

She had been alone with him in her chambers plenty of times in the past, of course. But this time, something felt... Different. The lavender carpet and ornate furnishings felt unfamiliar, and yet comfortable.

She found herself feeling increasingly panicky as to whether the room was presentable enough for him. Had she left any of the books and toys from beneath her bed laying around?

She quickly scanned the room, feeling only somewhat comforted by the brief check. It seemed she was safe. She and Miles stood between the oaken foot of her bed to her right and the blue, crystalline hearth to her left. The miniature chandelier above their heads twinkled in the limited natural lighting that cascaded through the half-drawn curtains leading to her balcony.

"This should work just fine. So..." Miles said, holding a hand out to the petite equine. "Shall we?"

Twilight turned her head to the side and smiled bashfully. With little hesitation, she gave him her hoof and made to step over towards the side of the bed. However, she instead felt him tug her up onto her hind legs before bringing her in close to his front. She blinked in surprise and looked up into his eyes. He winked at her and began to step back in a rhythm, prompting her to follow suit.

Considering that her head barely reached his upper stomach even on her hind legs, their movements were awkward and unnatural. Twilight sighed and whispered, "This wasn't what I..." She trailed off, leaning her head into his stomach and allowing him to lead their chaotic dance.

"Hmm? Did you say something, dear Twilight?" Miles grumbled. Due to the closeness of their bodies, she felt his voice rumble through her bones, heating them like the embrace of a warm blanket. Miles nipped at his bottom lip with his teeth as he noticed her resulting snuggling attempts to fuse their bodies together entirely.

"N-No, I didn't. This is fine. Here." Her horn sparked to life and the old gramaphone in the corner of her room churned out a slow, gentle piano tune. It was one she was familiar with, and one that got her scrambled brain through many a night of intensive study. With another brief spark, the hearth sparked to life as well, bathing the room in a cozy orange glow.

Despite her frustration and disappointment, she felt the stress of it all wash down her shoulders and soak into the carpet beneath her hooves with every step they took. Together.

She closed her eyes as she leaned into him and smiled. The crisis, their uncertain relationship, her desires and her untold loneliness were all naught but an afterthought within the gentle and yet firm embrace of his alien arms.

"Twilight?" With reluctance, the purple mare lifted her head from the human's body to look him in the face.

"Yes, Miles...?"

"I have been thinking about the current... State of affairs regarding those missing ponies." Twilight remained silent, waiting for him to continue. "Earlier today there was talk of potential 'villains' being present. And that got me thinking, you see."

"About what?"

"Well, if there is truly a dangerous villain lurking nearby, you would be able to defend yourself just fine, what with your beautiful magical abilities." Twilight flushed with embarassment at his compliment, yet remained quiet once again. "And while I would be perfectly capable of defending myself physically - I would not be able to use any of your fabled 'friendship magic', and so be susceptible from a distance."

"That's true..." Twilight lowered her gaze to look directly into his torso, and momentarily felt a strong compulsion to rip those frustrating articles of clothing from his body. With a quick shake of her head, she refocused herself and regarded him once more. She was beginning to find it difficult to focus on their conversation with all their bumbling and rocking motions.

Miles tilted his head to one side and raised an eyebrow at this behavior, but decided not to push her on it. "Ah, never mind, Twilight. I will indeed be fine, surely." He briefly cast his gaze over towards her bedside, where a small pile of spellstones still sat from their various sessions in spellcasting.

The hearth crackled as she subconsciously followed his gaze, its sound twinging some tightness within Twilight's neck and spurring her to reply. "Oh, well, you can never be too safe. Though, you can't use magic withou-" Miles smiled at her as her expression told him an entire story within a few brief seconds.

Twilight turned her head back to face him once more. "Miles, we could just load up some spellstones with pure magic! Here..." Twilight looked down at the arms still holding her to his body, and he quickly got the message. Upon being relinquished, Twilight plopped back down to all-fours and walked over to her little bedside table.

Her body suddenly twinged with a profound cold and longing, halting her steps for a short moment before she reached the stones. She glanced back at Miles and gave him a look, filled with promise. In response, he raised his eyebrows in a demonstration of curiosity and patience.

Upon returning her attention to the stones, Twilight reached out with a hoof and grasped one, before bringing it to the tip of her horn. She focused her latent magical energy through the tip in a careful, practiced flow suitable for the size of the stone she had taken.

After a silent minute or so, she turned back to Miles with a now cheerful smile, holding several stones within her magical grasp that practically hummed with her alicorn might.

Miles resisted the urge to grin as he stepped towards her and held out a hand. "What should I do with these, Twilight?" he asked.

Twilight placed the stones upon his waiting palm and said, "Those are loaded with my pure magic, like I said. And as I've taught you before, they can be used as a weapon in order to defend yourself." Her demeanour completely shifted into teacher-like mannerisms as she briefly lost herself in the explanation. "You took a test on this, remember?"

"Of course, Twilight. My mistake." Had Miles's eyes lidded any further, he would be considered a blind man.

Twilight balked and held a hoof out to him. "W-Well there was no mistake! I was just reminding you. Heh."

"Alright. Well thankyou, Twilight. I will be sure to keep them safe in case they are needed." Miles made a point of placing the small stones into his pocket.

"Sure, that's fine. If you do need them - which you hopefully won't - just remember to throw them at the hooves of your attacker, and they should release all the magic at once in a small explosion upon breaking."

What followed was a long silence. The gramophone garbled to a stop and the hearth needed kindling. In what dim light that remained, Twilight found herself wondering if she might have just one last chance before Miles would retire to his old quarters.

She cast her eyes over her ornate bed frame, before rolling her gaze all the way down to her silken bed sheets. Being the master quarters, the bed would surely fit the both of them, despite Miles's enormous size and weight...

But then, another thought reared within her swirling mind. Despite the many months they had known each other, she had not once come out and explicitly expressed her desire to court Miles. She had been waiting and waiting for him, but perhaps he simply wanted her to make the first move.

Even if she managed to get him into bed with her right here, right now - would it be too much too soon? Standing now within this small slice of space-time they had shared together, she knew her feelings were real. This wasn't something to be rushed, no matter her lust.

Maybe that is what he had been trying to tell her with his invitation to dance. She knew she wasn't a stupid mare - she had noticed his flirting, and so felt confident he would reciprocate an advance, should she venture to take that step.

So... Why? Why couldn't she open her mouth in this moment?

She would profess how she feels, he would reciprocate, and then they would blush and be unable to meet each other's eyes before returning to their separate chambers after planning their first real date. Just like the books taught her. She would squee and hug her pillow so close it would beg for mercy, and it would be the greatest day of her life.

... Except, it wouldn't. Now was not the time. Her mind once again was brutally skewered by the reality of the missing mares, and the urgency of the ongoing crisis. She cursed her rotten luck; the setting, mood and situation was perfect, and she would potentially never have a chance like this again, for all she knew. It just had to come at a time like this, didn't it?

Miles watched as her mane grew increasingly frazzled, despite her making no physical contact whatsoever with it. He had been an unfortunate witness to several of this mare's meltdowns in the past, and so knew that now was the time to make his move.

"Twilight, I know you're stressed. I will be fine - doubly fine now that you have given me these stones. So please, do not worry about me," whispered Miles as he took a knee before her. Twilight looked up at him with a furrowed brow. "And yes, I know, Twilight."

Her eyes widened and she felt her heart begin to race. "Y-You know what?"

"I know how you are feeling right now," muttered Miles. He smiled at her before looking to the side with a flushed, bashful expression - something she had never seen on him before.

... He wore it well.

"I feel it too, Twilight." His tone grew stronger as he continued to speak. "We can only dance around each other for so long before we grow weary and collapse, side-by-side." He cupped one of her cheeks with a hand, and she leaned into it with passion, barely able to believe what was happening in that moment. "We will get through this difficult time and rescue those mares, and then you and I will talk about us."

Her heart was practically beating out of her chest. "U-Us?"

"Us. You and me. Together." Miles then leaned in and placed his forehead just below her horn. Their lips were so close that she could practically taste him. After greedily sharing several breaths with him, Twilight decided to try and close the distance between them just as Miles pulled away, leading to her almost faceplanting the carpet. "Now come on, Twilight. Let's get you to bed, so you can rest..."

Twilight maintained her balance despite the near-fall, smiling up at Miles with newfound hope and enthusiasm. She dared to rub her cheek against one of his legs before hopping up onto her bed. "That sounds great, Miles," she said. "It's been a long day."

"...There will be plenty of time to keep each other awake at night in future," teased Miles with a restrained laugh.

Twilight rolled her eyes and slapped at him with a pillow, causing his laughs to escalate as he hurriedly evacuated the room.

Once he had disappeared through the door, she giggled quietly to herself and hugged the pillow to her chest. However, to her dismay, she looked back up to see Miles leaning around the doorframe, watching her.

"Caught you laughing, Twilight," he joked with a wink.

Twilight lobbed her pillow across the room, but he was already gone.

Miles released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, and shoved a hand into his pocket. As he ran his fingertips over the smooth stones therein, he felt that familiar excitement bubble through his veins.

It was time to corner the king.