"DAMNIT!" Trail Runner shouted as she was running late again...as usual. The mare was good at her job for the most part but had a notorious habit of heavily partying the previous night away before sleeping off her drunken stupor. In turn this day was like many others. She woke up groggy before promptly panicking and setting off on her mad dash to make her delivery. It probably did not help that such a delivery involved some sensitive documents. Documents that truly needed to make it to and from her employer Notary...on time.
Needless to say she continued her panicked gallop until she heard something. A loud thunder crack had echoed through the sky and trees before the rain came. And rain it certainly had. For buckets of the watery misery soon poured down with drops the size of the bottle caps Trail Runner had discarded en mass the night before.
"Son of a bitch!" she blurted out as she dove under the nearest tree in at least some attempt at keeping her delivery dry. But the tree unfortunately was not entirely suitable for this task as her mane and tail still became sopping wet. However just as the water started seeping through her travel coat as well the next lightning crack quickly illuminated a small, old, and strange stone building with a brick pathway leading to it on her left. And while normally she would be hesitant to enter such a building, the "Any port in a storm" concept truly applied in this case.
So with more swearing, and trying her best to cover her travel pack, Trail Runner bolted at full gallop to the building until she slammed into the stone doors in front of it. And while it took a moderate amount of effort she eventually managed to push them open juuust enough to slip in. But while it was indeed dry inside this strange stone building it was also utterly without light. In turn the lightning just outside had again aided her with a quick flash, only to show her something that made her heart sink into her hooves.
"Fucking Tartarus is this a tomb or something?!" she whimpered out and with a shaky hoof she pulled out a small box of waterproof matches and an oil soaked torch. It was a bit old fashioned as most couriers also carried flashlights, but she had nearly always had forgotten to change the batteries in such a device so matches and a torch it was. And so with a quick flick of the match in her teeth she struck the side of the matchbox and dropped the lit match onto the torch. Then after a few seconds the torch lit up with some reluctance before she picked it up with a still shaky hoof.
The torch had soon illuminated the whole room with a dancing orange light that seemed to make the shadows dance along with it. But it was then her thoughts of where she was, was confirmed. For she was indeed in a tomb or mausoleum of some sort. A place that contained two very intricate rectangular stone boxes that no doubt contained two very dead individuals given the look of the room. And while it would have normally have given anypony a good spook, the environment seemed to give off a calming feel that negated any such reaction. In fact compared to the raging storm just outside the stone doors, the inside of this large room was surprisingly pleasant.
In turn with little else to do Trail Runner put down her travel pack in the middle of the room and went to have a look around. And in her first observation was that the stone boxes were indeed some sort of sarcophagi and the names that had been written upon them were Sundial and Moondial respectively. This included the dates of their lifetime that had also seemly placed them several hundred years in the past. Though upon closer inspection the range of those dates Trail Runner had noticed that they were only in their mid to late twenties and died on the exact same day.
Further examination by Trail Runner probably would have taken place if she had not heard something like whispers. Fear soon welled inside of her as she waved her torch in every which direction to determine its source, but given it was a single large room nothing was truly out of view.
"My, she certainly is a jumpy one, brother", one of the whispering voices had stated.
Trail Runner waved her torch around again before another voice replied with, "Well the poor miss did just come in from that dreadful storm outside."
Fear gripped Trail Runner's heart further before she managed to sputter out, "who-o-o is-s-s th-that?! Who-o-o's t-t-there?!" in response to the voices.
An eternity filled few moments then past before one of the voices stated, "What? Oh...oh yes...certainly yes...however...only if you promise not to scream. The last poor pony nearly injured themselves."
"Y-y-y-yeah-ah s-s-s-sure I p-p-promis-se," Trail Runner stuttered out in reply.
And true to her promise she did not scream. No...when the two see-through figures appeared about six paces right in front of her she instead opened her eyes until they threatened to pop out of her head before she bolted towards the exit. However unluckily for her right before she got to the doors the storm outside wanted to truly make itself known again by having a lightning bolt blast the very tree she was hiding under earlier. Trail Runner, already panicked, jumped backward in response to this before tripping over her travel pack still in the middle of the room and landing on her back with a heavy thump.
Trail Runner's vision swam from the hard impact before her eyes focused and saw two see-through figures looking worried down at her. They looked to be unicorns but were made up of a sort of turquoise and white foggy mixture wearing an old style of clothing complete with monocles and slick back manes. Whatever the original color of their fur, mane, clothes, etc. was anypony's guess.
The slightly bigger of the two pursed their lips before stating, "Are you alright miss? Do not worry we are not here to harm you or whatever they say of those in my brother's and my current state."
Silence then reined for a few seconds while Trail Runner just laid on her back with a bewildered look on her face. But after a few seconds more and her opening and closing her mouth as if to say something did she fumble out, "Waaaaaait a minute. Spooks are real?"
The two figures just shrugged and made small nods before the slightly smaller of the two began to speak. "Well as leaders of the timekeeping guild we had certain perks. But when we had an accident where one of my brother's sundial's gnomon fell on us with its multi ton glory we quickly realized the spell that we thought would help keep our knowledge on this plane well...worked a little too well. We are unfortunately just waiting for the spell to burn out before we can pass on. Oh, but where are our manners," he stated before lightly hoofing his ethereal forehead and adding, "My name is Moondial, and this is my brother Sundial."
"Charmed," Sundial stated with a small bow.
Afterwards they bent down to help her up. And at first she thought their touch would be freezing cold but for some reason it was surprisingly warm.
"Whoa that is weird! I thought you ghosts were all chilly but you're not!" Trail Runner stated while still bewildered by the whole situation.
The two ghosts just chuckled to themselves before Sundial said, "Yes, it is a trick we learned quite a while ago. We can 'borrow' warmth from various heat sources. For example we are sapping a small amount of it from your lit torch"
Trail Runner just glanced at her torch for a few seconds in response to his statements to see that the flame of it was dimmer than it should have been before it went back to normal after the ghosts moved away from her. And with that it truly got her mind working. Firstly she was indeed trapped in this place until the storm let up. Which could take all night given their usual patterns. And secondly these two ghost could not only touch her but were friendly and felt warm when they did so. Oh the possibilities swirled in her mind until Moondial spoke up.
"Are you alright miss? You did just take quite the fall," he stated with a hint of concern.
Trail Runner just shook her head snapping back to reality before she covered her growing sly grin with a hoof. "Yeah I'm good. Just a little cold. You wouldn't have any way to warm me up would ya please?" she said trying to see where her luck would go.
In turn the two ghost brothers slipped deep into thought from what Trail Runner could tell before Sundial piped up with, "Oh I know! I hope we still have some and that it is still good," before he wandered off from the seemingly equally confused Trail Runner and Moondial and then adding, "Ah ha we do!"
Sundial then trotted over to Trail Runner's torch before asking her if he could use it and then went over to where he was prior. And soon a lit brazier illuminated one side of the room up before he trotted over to the other side of the room and lit its apparent twin.
"There we are. That should get more comfortable for you," Sundial said before he placed Trail Runner's torch a few paces in front of her.
And Trail Runner's mood slightly soured. 'Damn, I thought that was a surefire bet. Yeah I forgot gentlecolts are harder nuts to crack. It's okay, it's okay just gotta put more effort into this,' she thought as her hind legs began to squirm.
So as her hind legs squirmed ever more she soon thought up another delightful idea. "Brrr its still pretty cold. You guys wouldn't be able to use that warming affect again near me would you?" she stated while still trying to hide a growing grin.
In turn the two ghostly fellows got up and sat within a hoof's reach on either side of Trail Runner. To which she slooowly lead them to continue to move closer and with each movement the braziers in the room got juuust a bit dimmer each time before they ended being right next to her. "Ahh that is much better. But maybe you two could you know...throw a foreleg over my back. That would be even better," Trail Runner said nearly whispering so the two brothers would have to lean closer to hear it.
And they did as she asked thus dimming the braziers again juuust a bit further. However while Trail Runner noticed that Sundial kept his eyes straight forward or pointed away, Moondial on the other hoof was glancing right at her. He then leaned in a bit closer to her left ear when his brother was not paying attention. "I know what you are attempting to do. For another many moons ago had nearly done the same thing. In fact she was the same mare who had taught us how to manipulate heat and even another trick for such an...interesting...motive," he whispered lightly and nuzzled her left ear before adding , "Is this what you desire from us too dear miss?"
Trail Runner's body shuttered at his words and touch causing her need to burn hotter, but there was something more there. It was a feeling that she had not felt in many a moon, tenderness. Tenderness was a rarity for one on the road all the time like Trail Runner. Most mares and stallions that met each other in such circumstances often had just enough time to extract pleasurable experiences out of each other like an ATM with little more than a good-bye afterwards before the road calls yet again. Many of the finer luxuries of life were usually and unfortunately discarded most of the time. However the true need for such things like tenderness never truly goes away.
Trail Runner's eyes welled before she closed them as she struggled to keep her composure. She then leaned her head against Moondial's warm ghostly form before whispering out, "Yes...please...I...I need this. And please...call me Trail Runner".
She could then feel Moondial nuzzle her head before she heard him act like he was clearing his throat. "Dear brother I do believe our guest Trail Runner requires our...attention," he stated in a soothing tone, but had obviously left a small pause at the end as a hint.
Sundial just seemed to shift around before stating, "She needs something? Is she hurt or...oh...OH!" before Trail Runner opened her eyes to see Sundial gazing down at her with a warm smile. He then moved a little bit closer to her before adding, "Is this what you desire of us miss?"
And just like before Trail Runner had replied with something similar to Sundial shortly before the braziers in the room got a little bit more dim. For the two ghostly brothers had begun to get more...attentive...to the truly needful mare.
A slow flurry of strangely soft and warm kisses soon followed with each brother starting with Trail Runner's lips before working their way down her jaw and then going all the way to the base of her neck. And the mare soon lost herself to the kind and welcomed sensations, savoring every second of such delights. But as pleasing as they were she truly desired something more.
However before she could say anything the younger brother had spoken up, "Dear miss Trail Runner, if you would indulge us please. May we share in your soon to be given sensations?"
Trail Runner did not fully understand the request until the elder brother had clarified what Moondial had said. It was the other ability they had been taught by the mare of old. It was a temporary spiritual link of sorts that served as a bit of kindness to the two ghostly brothers that had lost all sense of feeling in their current states. For they had no bodies of their own from which to experience them. As such it allowed for the sharing of a still living being's bodily sensations namely the mare that they had delighted all those sun and moons ago.
It was an interesting request to say the least. But in the end Trail Runner thought it would have been quite selfish to withhold such things from the sorrowful looking spirits she had in her current company. So with a smile and a nod she agreed to the arrangement and to her luck it was quite simple. They merely touched her chest with a ghostly forehoof each and though her body became slightly numb for a moment it had all returned just as quickly.
"It...has been so long miss Trail Runner...thank you...I had forgotten what such things felt like," Sundial had said nearly on the verge of tears mirroring his brother's expressions. Trail Runner in turn hugged the two of them with some words of comfort before she kissed both in kind. And given the sighs the two spirits were making whatever they had done it was surely working.
However Sundial and Moondial had soon taken the lead when both of them seemed to have phased out of their ghostly clothing. Sundial then sat down and laid Trail Runner on his lap as Moondial then walked in front of her while slowly opening her hind legs. But before he went any further Moondial looked down at her and said, "Do you truly want this, miss Trail Runner?"
Trail runner just gave him a kind smile before replying with an almost overeager, "Yes please," before adding, "Just go slow."
Moondial just nodded in acknowledgement before the braziers in the room became truly dim as Trail Runner felt the warmth of both brothers' ghostly bodies heat up further. But after that slight delay Moondial lined himself up and with a slow and careful touch slid his reasonable girth inside Trail Runner.
A trio of quiet moans then emanated from the small group before Moondial began with a slow pace. And it truly was quite the experience for Trail Runner. For with every new thrust she could not only feel her own body shutter but also the ghostly bodies of the brothers who were seemingly experiencing such sensations in some similar way.
And this continued before Trail Runner could feel her body building up. And without a single word Moondial continued his efforts further before Sundial leaned over and kissed her on the lips. Then not but a second later it soon became the final moment before Trail Runner's back arched as her body flooded with pleasure as she came.
The trio then quickly held on to each other as all three experienced that blissful moment. And they soon repeated such things until the three of them could do so no longer. But that was all Trail Runner could remember before she had fallen asleep in the two ghostly brothers' warm embrace.
Beams of sunlight had shown into the stony building before Trail Runner had woken up. Her travel jacket had been seemingly dried and draped over her like a blanket. Her travel pack in turn was placed under her head like a pillow. However the two ghostly brothers were nowhere to be seen. But before her heart sank she noticed a silver goblet not but a hoof reach away. Along with a note on the stone floor that was seemingly written with a piece of the burnt out torch she had the night before. And it read as follows.
Dear Miss Trail Runner,
Thank you for that delightful evening. While my brother had continued to keep the braziers burning the best he could to keep you warm while you slept, I had gathered some of the rain water from the storm last night for you to drink when you awoke. We apologize that we do not have much else to give you as we had not needed food for many a moon. But regardless we need to rest from our pleasing exertions from yesterday and will not be able to materialize in the morning to see you off. Please feel free to return here whenever you should feel the need. For the company of such a lovely mare as you would always be welcomed.
Sincerely,
Moondial
P.S. Please return my goblet to my resting place when you are done with it. Thank you.
Trail Runner took a sip from the silver goblet with a warm smile on her face before stating, "Notary will never believe the excuse for my late delivery. She'll probably give me an earful for this." But for once in her always on the go lifestyle she did not seem to care as she hugged the silver goblet to her chest.
Author's Note
Hello All,
I do hope you enjoyed the story.
Regards,
Shadowscythe
