"Well, this is lovely," you said to nopony in particular as you rested in your living room.
It was summer and all your students were on break, enjoying their time away from school. Even some of your fellow teachers had gone out to enjoy summer break as well. You on the other hoof had chosen to stay home and work on material for your classes.
Or at least that had been your plan. However, you had surprisingly managed to finish much of your work.
So here you were, sitting on the couch in your living room, alone, by yourself.
"What should I do today?" you mumbled to yourself.
You had already written up enough lesson plans to last you for a few years, read every book in your personal library and had even managed to clean out your basement. Now what else should you do?
"I suppose I could create another lesson plan."
Even as you pondered the thought, you shook your head. If you kept coming up with lesson plans and class materials like this, you'd probably become sick of being a teacher.
"I really should have tried to schedule a vacation," you growled, annoyed with your lack of foresight.
The fact was that you had set aside most of your funds for future classes and hadn't even considered the idea of going on a holiday, until... Well, recently.
You growled as you sat up. "There has to be something I can do."
Standing up you walked from the living room into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Inside there was some food that you had acquired from your previous shopping trip. Pulling forth a couple slices of bread you loaded them into the toaster before pulling out some butter and a small container of garlic salt from one of your cupboards. Once the pieces of toast popped out of the toaster, you levitated them onto a plate and proceeded to butter them, before sprinkling some garlic salt onto it.
As you were returning to the couch, you heard a knock at the door. Strange, you hadn't been expecting any visitors.
"Hmmm... I wonder who that could be?"
After setting your food down on the coffee table, you went to investigate.
Walking to the front door, you opened it to see a mare in a Lunar Nun outfit standing there. Her black outfit with white trim framed her pale, lime green coat. From what you could see from her features she was a middle aged mare, maybe in her early to mid thirties, her form giving off an air of both maturity and elegance.
"Hello," the nun said, with a smile.
"Uh... hello," you greeted, "how may I help you?"
Lunar Nuns were a strange religious group that had been around for at least eight centuries. The order had sprung up some time after Nightmare Moon was banished by Celestia to the moon, consisting entirely of mares and fillies who believed that by preserving their bodies and maintaining their chastity that they might be able to cleanse the princess of the night. You weren't too entirely sure how somepony would come up with that concept or how they were able to convince so many mares to participate, however, you had to admit that the outfits were a little intriguing.
"I'm sorry to bother you. I was supposed to be meeting somepony at their home, but I got lost. Do you know where Gemstreet is?"
That surprised you a little bit. After all, Gemstreet was a major street, so why would this mare have such a hard time finding it? Had she not been to Canterlot before?
"Um, sure, miss..."
"Please call me, Ardor," the mare answered. It was then that you realized that the whole time you had been talking with her her eyes had been closed, until now.
Slowly, the lunar nun's eyes opened, revealing that her pupils were white and glazed over. So that was why she was having a hard time finding Gemstreet. She was blind.
"Well, miss Ardor, I can actually walk you to Gemstreet if you'd like."
The nun gave you a puzzled look, before smiling happily. "You're most kind, good sir."
Stepping outside of your house, you closed the door before leading sister Ardor to her destination. At first you thought you might need to guide her by the hoof, however, you quickly observed that she seemed to be following you effortlessly.
'Maybe she doesn't need my help.'
Seeing her following you, you were fairly certain that she was okay. Though as you walked, the only times she stopped was when another pony started walking nearby.
"Ummm... Sir?" Ardor called out nervously.
"I'm right here," you replied.
Judging from this observation, Arbor might have been listening to your hoofsteps as you were walking. However, the hoofsteps of any other ponies walking nearby would confuse her, even though most of the ponies were trying to keep their distance. Seeing this, you couldn't help but feel compassion for the poor, blind pony.
"Would it be easier if I guided you with my hoof?" you asked.
"Uh, thank you." Ardor smiled.
Gently you took her hoof and guided the nun to Gemstreet. A heartwarming little smile appeared on her lips.
"Alright here we are," you said.
"Thank you."
"Are you sure this is where you want to go?" you inquired. "Are you sure there isn't anywhere else I can take you?"
"No, I think I can find my way here," Ardor said, "thank you."
"Very well then. Have a good day, miss Ardor."
You were about to return home when you felt the nun's hoof on your shoulder. Being polite, you turned to face sister Arbor.
"Before you go, please accept a gift as a sign of my gratitude."
"That's really not necessary."
Despite your protests, Ardor proceeded to pull something from her saddlebags. "Please, I insist. It's the least I can do to repay your kindness."
Reaching into her bag, the nun pulled forth a trinket and presented it to you. It appeared to be a medallion of some sort with a crescent moon attached to the chain. In the center of the moon was a small pink gem.
"May your dreams be secure and pleasant," Ardor said with a beaming smile.
"Oh, uh, thank you." Using your magic, you took the charm from the nun's delicate hooves.
"Have a great day, good sir."
With a wave, Ardor began walking down the street, with many of the surrounding ponies still trying to stay clear of the nun.
Now that you had finished helping the blind nun, you decided to return home.
As you reached your house and opened the door, you noticed something resting on your doormat. Sitting on the fabric square, underneath the mail slot was a purple envelope. Apparently the mail mare must have come by.
"Huh, I wonder who this could be from?" you said as you picked up the envelope with your magic.
Walking back to the living room, you set the moon charm down on the coffee table, next to the piece of toast that was now cold, and sat down on the couch. After taking a bite of your toast, which still tasted good despite being cold, you proceeded to examine the letter. Looking at the calligraphy on the front, you realized that it had been sent to you by one of your students, Twilight Sparkle.
"Hmm, I wonder what she's up to."
Opening the letter, you proceeded to read its contents.
Dear Teacher,
I hope you are doing well.
My family took Spike and I on a trip to the National Scroll Masters' Museum in Manehatten. While I've been riding on the zeppelin and not watching my brother regurgitate the contents of his upper intestinal tract over the bow, my mother had suggested that I try sending letters to my friends while I am on my trip.
So I thought I might send you a letter too.
I'm so looking forward to seeing the history of magical scrolls. I heard they even have a room dedicated to Starswirl the Bearded and some of the scrolls that he made. I'm so excited!
Well, that's all I have for now.
I hope you have a wonderful day.
Sincerely, your student,
Twilight Sparkle
You couldn't help but smile as you read Twilight's letter. As you considered what your student had written, something occurred to you.
"Reaching out to friends, huh."
Perhaps you could use this as an opportunity to write to your colleagues from work. However, as you pondered the idea, you couldn't recall much about them. While you had certainly interacted with your co-workers, the only one you knew much about was the librarian, First Folio.
As you recalled your interactions with the librarian, a memory came back of how you had borrowed the keys on Nightmare Night evening and had caught your students performing a summoning ritual. Furthermore, you remembered how you had accidentally finished the ritual, summoning forth a succubus by the name of Silken Soul.
"I wonder how she is doing."
After the "date" both of you had, you had planned to try to summon her again for another, but your classes had kept you busy.
"Maybe I should try to see her again."
After all it wasn't like you had any classes to worry about and the two of you could come up with some sort of vacation. If Soul was interested of course.
"Then again, she could be really busy."
Considering that Soul was a succubus pony, it was very likely that there were more than a few lonely ponies trying to summon her during their vacations or lack thereof.
"Then again, she seems to be picky about her clients, perhaps she would have time to see me."
She did leave you with the tome with her ritual after all.
'How about you keep it. You might want to summon me again someday,' you could recall Silken Soul saying back then.
"Well, let's give it a shot."
Standing up from your couch, you walked up the steps to your study. Inside there was a desk with your various lesson plans and notes laid out. Going over to one of the bookshelves you fetched the tome your students had used that fateful night.
It was a book with a cherry red cover, silver symbols inscribed along the edges, with sickly green gems faceted into the corners. In the middle of the cover was the symbol of a crescent moon, circled by two ponies, both of whom possessed two sharp horns upon their brow. Whether they were supposed to represent bicorns or succubi, you still weren't certain.
Setting aside your furniture, you made out a spot in the center of your study to perform the ritual. Going over to your desk, you pulled out a wooden chest.
"I guess now is the time to use this."
Opening the chest, you pulled out the candles, chalk and lighter that were stored inside. You had acquired these implements after that Nightmare Night, when you had first met Silken Soul, just so you could perform the ritual again later.
Now with your supplies and the tome in hand, you prepared the ritual. Holding the chalk with your magic, you drew a circle on the floor before inscribing the various symbols and magical equations around it. There was something odd about these formulas, they weren't those normally used for a teleportation circle and all the mathematical equations all seemed to have solutions equaling either ones or zeroes.
Once the magical formulas were in place, you set up the four candles and lit them with the lighter.
Sitting down next to the ritual sight, you began to replicate the chant written in the book.
"Dream Taster! Dream Taster! Lend me your presence my; dreams to fulfill..."
You repeated the chant as the book described. Once your singing came to an end, you stood up and blew out the candles. As the last candle was extinguished, the chalk circle burst forth into green flame and black smoke began to fill the room. When the smoke settled, there was not a succubus pony sitting before you like you had expected by what appeared to be a black sphere, floating off the ground, surrounded by green flame.
"Wait, what is... this?" You asked as you examined the floating orb.
"Hello?" A familiar voice emerged from the sphere.
Peering through the flaming circle, you could see Silken Soul on the other side, lying on a bed of purple and black pillows, her gray coat standing out in that sea of comfort. Upon seeing you, the succubus's expression brightened.
"Oh, hello."
"Hey there," you said, "this didn't used to be here."
Soul chuckled nervously. "Yeah, apparently somepony's been stalking the other girls working in Canterlot, so we had to implement a way to ensure that neither we nor our customers are at risk. At least for the time being."
"I see," you replied, "does this mean I... won't be able to summon you?"
"No, I can still come over," Soul answered, "I just need to make sure that everything's okay first."
The succubus's two horns glowed pink as a metallic sphere the size of a pony's head floated out through the portal and into the room. Up close the device resembled some sort of steel orb with various intertwining patterns, resembling vines or tangled intestines.
As the device levitated in place, it began to pulse with green, eldritch energy. A synthetic sound was emitted from the orb in sync with the pulsing light. Seeing this, you couldn't help but feel uneasy as the strange machine kind of reminded you of a bomb.
"Uhhh... what's it doing?" you asked.
"It's just scanning the area," Silken Soul explained, "analyzing its surroundings looking for potential creeps and weirdos."
Oh, well that was good... right? You pondered what Soul said right as the orb continued it's scan, before it suddenly started blinking like crazy... or like a bomb! The pulsing noise increased in intensity, before suddenly the sphere completely lit up and a dinging sound resonated from the device.
"Is that good?"
The orb floated through the portal for Silken Soul to examine, the orb rotating in front of her as her pink eyes danced along its surface. With a satisfied smile, Soul gave a nod and the sphere disappeared.
"Congratulations," Soul said, "your abode is safe... You're still a wiz though."
Before you could think of a clever response, Silken Soul had already stepped through the inter-dimensional gateway and into your study.
"So, how is it going?" the succubus asked, "I haven't seen you in a while..."
Suddenly, the succubus pony began sniffing the air, as if she had caught the scent of something foul.
"...You haven't been summoning any other succubi have you?" Soul inquired, looking at you intently.
"No, no, I haven't," you replied, "why?"
Silken Soul sniffed the air before shaking her head. "Sorry, something just smelled off was all. Maybe one of your neighbors has been practicing some summoning spells."
You chuckled at the thought. "That wouldn't surprise me."
Perhaps another unicorn had decided to stay home and summon a succubus pony instead. Though the way Soul had smelled the air and said that did make you a little curious.
"Are you able to smell other succubi?" you asked.
"I suppose you could say that," Soul replied, "while it isn't such a big deal in the dream realm, catching the scent on the physical plane could be a sign of a succubus trying to... Steal our food."
"So I'm food now."
Silken Soul giggled. "Yes, you're my yummy little treat. Now tell me, why did you summon me?"
As the succubus teased, she circled you, like a cat playing with a mouse, her slender tail moving seductively as she walked. The heart shaped membrane rubbing against your foreleg in a manner that was probably meant to play with you. You could feel her eyes on you as she continued to step around you.
While her act did send a slight shiver of fear up your spine, you mustered your strength to maintain your composure.
"How would you like to go on a vacation?" you asked.
Soul chuckled. "You act as if hanging out with you is a relaxing experience."
You may not have been one of Silken Soul's conventional clients, but going off of previous information that the succubus had provided about her other clients, you weren't quite as much of a hoof full. After all, Soul was your friend and you treated her like another pony as opposed to just a sex fiend that could fulfill your most sensual wishes.
"So is that a no then?" you inquired, though guessing by Soul's presence here, you were pretty sure you knew what the answer would be.
Silken Soul looked you up and down in a contemplating manner. After a brief moment, a mischievous smile stretched across her lips.
"Oh, no, I didn't mean that," Soul said, "I suppose I could hang out with an old wiz like you."
"I'm not a wiz," you grumbled.
"Whatever you say," Soul replied, " your room, I presume."
"Uh, yes."
With a smile, the succubus began to walk out of your study, to your bedroom. As Soul walked she moved her hips in a seductive manner, though of course, you knew she was just teasing you. Apparently that was the kind of mood she was in this evening.
Entering the bedroom, Soul waved a hoof, motioning for you to lay down.
"After you," Soul grinned.
Following the succubus's queue, you rested on the bed. Once you had finished laying down, Silken Soul positioned herself next to you.
"So what do you have in mind?" Soul asked, rubbing the bedsheets with her right hoof in a circular pattern.
"Well, I was thinking, maybe a trip on a tropical island."
The succubus stretched her legs before letting out a yawn. "Hmmm... I suppose I can do that. Admittedly, it is a little cliché but I don't mind. I could use a little sun."
True, it probably wasn't a surprise that other ponies would fantasize about going to a tropical island for a holiday. Though thankfully Soul seemed to be wanting to go along with it, so you weren't going to complain. As you pondered this dream, an inquiry came to mind.
"Would you be able to add any other ponies to the dream?" You asked.
"Sadly, I don't possess the ability to link up other clients into the same dream."
"I see."
"That doesn't mean I can't conjure up some ponies to come along with us in the dream," Soul said, "If that's what you really want."
Listening to Soul's suggestion, you had to admit that it was quite appealing. You could feel your lips curling into a smile. "Sure, that sounds like it could be fun."
Soul's eyes went wide. "What? Really?"
"I mean, if you're okay with it."
"Yeah, I guess. Now close your eyes and go to sleep already."
Following Soul's instructions, you closed your eyes envisioning the dream that you wanted and eventually fell asleep.
Even before you opened your eyes, you could hear the sound of the waves crashing and feel the sensation of wet sand beneath your hooves. Rays of heat cascaded down on your coat from above, filing you with warmth. The scent of sea salt permeated your nostrils.
Feeling water rushing over your hooves, your eyelids parted and you found yourself on a sandy beach. The tide gently washed over your hooves where you stood.
Looking around you observed the white sand, the crystal blue ocean, the blue sky above and the lush green forest.
"Is this what you wanted?"
Turning around you saw Silken Soul, a black one piece swimsuit adorning her body. A proud smile gracing her lips as you observed her beautiful form. She also wasn't wearing her usual stockings, allowing you to see her legs, which, while alluring, lacked the features you had thought a succubus might have.
"Ummm… yeah."
Soul noticed your gaze. "Is something the matter?"
"Oh, uh... no," you replied, "I just thought you might have had cloven hooves was all."
"Oh, y-yeah," Soul giggled, "they're t-totally normal."
Something about the way she giggled seemed odd to you, but it didn't feel like this was the time to address it. Besides, you were on a tropical island, there were far more important things to focus on.
You walked toward Silken Soul.
"This is incredible."
"I'm glad you think so." Soul smiled. "I compiled it from the dreams my clients had involving tropical islands."
The atmosphere was peaceful with the salty breeze moving through your mane. However, even with Silken Soul there, you still felt a tad bit lonely. The succubus seemed to notice your sullen expression.
"Don't worry, I didn't forget. I have planned for some guests to join us." A mischievous grin stretched across Soul's lips. "Or... would you rather I summon a crowd?"
You were certain that Silken Soul was probably joking, going off of her smile and the way her leathery tail swayed back and forth. Still, she was the one in control of this dream and you knew it would be unwise to tempt fate.
"No, I'm sure whoever you picked out will be fine," you answered.
The succubus giggled. "Very well."
Closing her eyes, Soul's horns glowed with pink energy and in a flash two other ponies appeared in the distance. The group slowly began to move toward you. As they approached, you realized that they were both earth ponies and that one of them was a stallion and the other a mare.
"Well, here they are," Soul said, "and with that our little foursome is complete."
You shot her an annoyed glance and Soul snickered.
As the two ponies approached more of their details became apparent.
The mare had a wavey , zig zaggy pink mane and a purple coat. She wore a green one piece swimsuit with a blue lightning bolt running down the center. As she walked she seemed to have a pep in her step.
The stallion possessed a brown mane with a tan coat, wearing a pair of black sunglasses on his brow. As he walked the stallion possessed a professional yet inquisitive stance.
Both of them smiled as they drew near.
"Are they based off of any actual ponies?" You asked.
"Yeah, they are ponies from another pony's dreams." Soul said. "Do you want to know something interesting?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"One of the reasons I think they are a cute couple is because they dream about each other fairly often."
It was about then that the two ponies had arrived.
"Hello," the mare greeted, "I'm Cheerilee."
"And I'm Time Turner," the stallion introduced himself, giving a courteous nod to you.
The couple looked at each other, smiling happily in each other's company. In fact, if you didn't know any better you might have thought that they were actually special someponies.
"It's wonderful being here!" Cheerilee gracefully held her partner's foreleg.
You returned their hospitality. "It's great to have you here."
Time Turner nodded. "Cheerilee and I have been looking forward to this vacation ourselves. Though we didn't realize that there were others here as well."
Cheerilee nuzzled up to Time Turner. "Would you care to join us?"
"I'm sure my friend and I would love to," Soul said, her left foreleg wrapping around your right foreleg. "We'll just need to set up a spot."
At first you felt your heart race as Silken Soul grasped your leg, then you nearly jumped out of your skin once you noticed the luggage sitting in the sand next to you on your left. After a quick glance at Soul's face and her slight grin, you realized she had conjured them up.
"Okay," Cheerilee said, "but don't take long."
Immediately Cheerilee and Time Turner ran toward the waves and began to play in the water. As the two of them splashed, you felt Silken Soul release her grasp and address the luggage.
Upon further inspection you realized that the pile consisted of two bags, a beach ball, a large blanket that was rolled up and an umbrella.
"So tell me," you spoke up, "since we're in a dream, why are we picking out a spot on the beach?"
"You wanted a vacation, right?"
With her magic, Soul levitated the blanket and set it down on the sand.
"Yeah."
"Well, this is what ponies do when they are on their vacation to the beach," Soul answered, "now will you please set up the umbrella?"
Using your magic, you picked up the umbrella and proceeded to open it. The umbrella's fabric consisted of sheets of blue and white cloth.
As you finished planting the umbrella in the sand, you turned to see that Soul had opened one of the bags and was applying some sunscreen.
"Hey, would you be so kind as to help me with my back?" Soul asked as she lay down on the blanket.
Examining her swimsuit, you noticed that there was an opening in the back that went from her neck and shoulders down to just above her waist. With the bottle of sunscreen sitting next to her, Soul waited patiently for you.
"Ummm... sure."
Sitting down next to Soul, you took the bottle and squeezed some of the sunscreen onto your hooves. It was white, slippery liquid that was cold to the touch. Once you had a decent amount on your hooves, you placed them on Silken Soul's back.
"Eeekkk!!!" Soul cried, in response to the touch, her tail shot up like a cat thrown in water.
"Are you okay?" You asked, afraid that you had accidentally harmed her.
Soul shivered. "That's r-really c-cold!"
While you felt relief that your friend was okay, a part of you remembered how Soul just loved to tease you. And now here she was in a vulnerable position just asking for a little payback. As an idea formed in your head, you poured some more sunscreen on your hooves.
Taking your newly coated hooves, you placed them on Soul's back and began to rub them up and down her spine. The succubus continued to shiver.
"Oh, your hooves... they're so cold," Soul groaned, "and so... firm."
You continued to move your hooves up and down her back, spreading the sunscreen over the exposed flesh.
"More," Soul moaned, "just like... that."
As you rubbed Soul's back further, you began to realize that this wasn't having the effect you had intended. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying it.
"Mmmm... Yes!"
You suddenly felt very uncomfortable.
It was then that something occurred to you and you withdrew your hooves.
"Huh? What is it?" Soul asked, peering back at you with concern in her eyes.
"This was a trick wasn't it?"
"I don't know what you mean." Silken Soul said, overly innocent.
You gave her a knowing look. "This is a dream."
"Yeah."
"If there is no risk of sunburn, then why would you need sunscreen?"
The bewildered innocent look on Soul's face gave way to a mischievous grin as she stuck her tongue out at you.
"Guilty as charged," Soul replied, "but you have to admit it was kind of fun."
While you didn't reply, the heat radiating from your cheeks was all the evidence the succubus needed. A chuckle escaped Soul's lips as she stood up.
"Well, thank you for indulging me."
"Hey! Are you guys coming or what!" Cheerilee called out from the shoreline.
"So..." Soul walked over and picked up the beachball. "Ready to go play?"
While you weren't always a fan of Soul's teasing, you were happy that she felt like she could be herself around you. With a smile you lifted yourself up off the blanket and stretched.
"Sure, let's play."
"Race ya!" Soul said as she tossed the ball at you and began trotting toward the water.
You caught the ball with your magic, then using the proper amount of force, you threw the beach ball in front of her. Not in a way that you might hit her, just enough to distract Soul while you ran to catch up. Unfortunately, much to your chagrin, the ball hit her square in the head. There was a loud smacking noise as the rubber sphere made impact and knocked the succubus down.
Seeing this you ran over to your fallen friend. "Soul are you okay?"
Considering what had just happened, you were sure that Silken Soul would be mad at you for what had just happened, which was why you were a little surprised when laughter started to emerge from her lips. The succubus gave you a mischievous grin as she picked herself up.
"Silly stallion, this is a dream remember, it's not like a mere beach ball can hurt me here."
Yep... that's right. This was a dream, granted it was kind of hard getting used to that, considering how this dream seemed far more real than most of your dreams. While a part of you felt rather foolish over this, Soul waved for you with a hoof.
"Come on! Come play with us!"
With a smile, you joined Soul and the others at the beach, throwing around the ball and splashing among the waves. The four of you played various games in the water, like water polo, sea serpent hunter and a very short game of freeze tag. In the end it was determined that it was easier to just throw around the beach ball.
After tossing around the ball a few times, Soul added a few inflatable toys to the dream. While the tubes were kind of fun to sit and relax in, there were a few you weren't too sure about. There was one in particular that looked like a large piece of fruit.
As you sat in your inner tube, pondering these things when suddenly you felt something below the waves come up and bump against the black rubber tube. Immediately scenes of numerous shark movies popped into your mind and you looked around frantically for any fins that might be peeking out of the water, however, you didn't see any signs of a shark.
"Maybe it's just my imagination."
This was a dream after all. Perhaps the bump was a result of your mind perceiving the waves and connecting the dots between that and those movies. Of course, it was just a dream and now that you were aware of it, it should be an issu-.
There was another bump, alerting you to the fact that this was indeed real. Panicking you looked around for any sign of any creatures that might want to eat you. As you looked around you didn't see anything that might be a threat. No strange shapes moving beneath the water, no long serpentine bodies breaching the surface or any jaggedly shaped fins. However, you did notice one thing, out of all the ponies in your group one of them was unaccounted for.
"Silken Soul?"
Suddenly as if in response to your inquiry, there was another powerful bump before your tube was pushed over and you fell into the water. While you had been trained to swim, you quickly recalled that this was a dream and managed not to breath in any non existent water. As you resided beneath the waves, you thought you noticed something in the deep dark water. Were those yellow, glowing eyes? Seeing this, your instincts to swim to the surface kicked in.
Once you resurfaced, you could hear Soul laughing. Looking around you saw the succubus sitting on top of a large inflatable banana, undoubtedly laughing at her fun.
"That wasn't very funny," you grumbled, as you pulled yourself back onto your inner tube.
"Oh, maybe just a little bit."
Looking at Soul sitting on the floating toy, you had to admit that she did look kind of cute sitting there in her swimsuit, however, there was something you were still curious about.
"Why did you bring a giant, inflatable banana?" you asked.
Soul gave you a sly grin as she adjusted her position on the floating toy so that she was straddling it. "Sometimes a mare just wants to ride a banana."
There was a pregnant pause as you contemplated what the succubus meant by that statement.
"It's a sex joke isn't it?"
"Maybe..." Silken Soul chuckled, a slight blush to her cheeks.
"I-I need a break," Time Turner said, as he floated by one an inflated killer whale.
Gradually everypony crawled back on shore, taking a break from the salty water. While Cheerilee and Time Turner went over to their spot, you followed Silken Soul to where you had staged your umbrella. Reaching forth into her saddlebags, Soul pulled out a sunhat and placed it on her head.
"So what do you think?" Soul asked.
It was a wide brimmed hat with two holes, through which the succubus's horns could peek through. There was a band on the hat that was black with a gray floral pattern. Admittedly, the hat looked really nice when paired with her black swimsuit. As you pondered this, you couldn't help but notice the water droplets that covered the sleek bathing suit and her slender legs.
"Uh, i-it looks nice," you replied, feeling your cheeks growing warm from your observations.
"Why thank you," Soul giggled.
It was about that time that both Time Turner and Cheerilee walked up, the two of them smiling happily.
"Wow, this is great!" Time Turner said.
"Yeah, thanks for inviting us," Cheerilee spoke.
It was then that the gurgling sound of a grumbling stomach filled the air. All eyes focused on Time Turner who looked rather embarrassed.
"Sorry," Time Turner scratched the back of his head, "I guess I'm a little hungry?"
Suddenly a cheerful jingle filled the air, in response to Time Turner's statement. Looking around for the source of the tune, you discovered an ice cream stand further up the beach.
"Some ice cream does sound lovely," Soul said.
"Yay!" Cheerilee exclaimed happily as she trotted toward the ice cream stand.
Following the mare to the stand, you saw that the pony running the stand was a rather muscular looking zebra stallion, his face blurry, just like the faces you had seen during Nightmare Night.
"The cute mare’s scream tells of a tasty dream," the ice cream zebra spoke, "are you all ready for some ice cream?"
"I would like a strawberry swirl," Cheerilee said.
"If that is what you wish," the zebra replied, "then I shall make you a tasty dish."
After a few minutes the four of you had acquired your ice cream. While Cheerilee had chosen the strawberry swirl, Time Turner picked chocolate. Despite your protests, Silken Soul had decided for the two of you.
"We'll have vanilla," Soul said as she ordered the ice cream.
"Why vanilla?" you inquired, a little irritated that Soul had chosen your flavor for you.
"Oh, you'll have to wait and see."
After scooping up two cones of vanilla ice cream, the zebra brandished the two tasty treats.
"Here you go," the zebra said, "two cones of ice cream in tow."
Taking your ice cream, both Soul and you walked over to a log that was on the beach and sat down. With a relaxed sigh, the succubus proceeded to lick her ice cream as she looked out toward the waves.
"This is nice," Soul said.
"Yes, it is."
You watched as Silken Soul's pink tongue swirled around her ice cream, the moist sensory organ gliding in a delicate yet almost seductive manner. Pulling your gaze away from the scene you decided to enjoy your own treat. Licking the vanilla ice cream, you were kind of surprised by how delicious it was. In fact, this might have been the best vanilla ice cream you had ever tasted.
"So why did you pick vanilla?" you inquired once more, before having some more ice cream.
"For two reasons," Soul replied, "first, when it comes to flavors in dreams, unless it is a flavor you're already familiar with, it usually becomes bland or extremely disgusting, which could potentially awaken you for this dream."
"I see." So it was to some extent an effort to keep you from waking up and spoiling your vacation. Well, that was nice of her.
"Second, it is one of the more... prurient of ice cream flavors, the second being pineapple," Soul continued, before licking some more of her ice cream.
Oh, prurient, that wasn't a word you heard everyday. W-wait, prurient! Your cheeks were on fire as you recalled what the word meant. Prurient, to have or encourage a great interest in... suggestive matters.
"Do you want to know why pineapple is such a flavor?" the succubus asked with a devious smile on her face.
"N-n-no, I'm fine."
Soul giggled to your nervousness and as she did some vanilla ice cream dripped off onto her swimsuit. Admittedly, the way the melted cream moved down the center of the black one piece looked a little seductive and you could feel your sweat roll down your brow as you observed this. Quickly looking up at Silken Soul's face, it was clear by her mischievous smile that she had noticed your glance.
"Oh, dear, it would seem that I've made a mess of myself," Soul giggled.
"You did that on purpose," you grumbled.
"Did I?" Deliberately Soul reached down with a hoof and slowly wiped up the melted ice cream before bringing it to her lips and licking it.
"Yes, you did," you replied as you squinted at the succubus in annoyance.
Silken Soul licked her lips and giggled. "Oh, maybe just a little."
It seemed that Soul was in a teasing mood, though it was starting to grow a little annoying. Maybe if given the opportunity, you might be able to turn the tables on her.
"So is there anything else you would like to do here?" Soul asked, "Aside from admiring my swimsuit."
Putting a hoof to your chin, you pondered what else you would like to do if you were on a tropical island. Perhaps a local tourist attraction would be nice, or maybe something pertaining to local culture. Though what sort of island dwelling civilization would exist in a dream like this?
"Are there perhaps any interesting landmarks on this island?"
Silken Soul seemed to consider your question, before nodding. "I could probably add a Ziki totem to the islands, also a patch of exotic flowers from another dream could be implemented."
"Flowers!" Cheerilee exclaimed excitedly.
"Ziki totem you say," Time Turner said, looking intrigued by the proposition.
Admittedly both sounded pretty interesting. "So what do you have in mind?"
"We'll split into two teams," Soul explained, "I'll place the totem randomly on the island and the first team to find it wins."
That did sound fun, however, you knew that Silken Soul wasn't going to just let this be a simple game. More than likely there was some sort of twist to it. Probably nothing too punishing, but a twist nonetheless.
"Alright and what's the catch?"
The succubus giggled, clearly not letting on to what she had planned. "A mare doesn't give away all her secrets my dear. However, if I win you have to do anything I say until the end of this... vacation."
"And if I win?"
"If you win," the succubus chuckled and leaned closer, her hot breath tickling your nose, "then I will have to do whatever you say until the date ends."
Now, despite her teasing, that was a tempting offer. While you didn't want to do anything that might make Silken Soul feel uncomfortable and jeopardize your relationship with her, you thought it might be kind of fun to get back at her for her teasing. Perhaps this was the moment for you to pay Soul back. In fact, you already had a clever idea in your head.
"Sounds like fun," you replied, "how about I take... miss Cheerilee to be my teammate."
Instantly, Soul's mood turned grumpy. "What?"
"Yay!" Cheerilee squealed, "this is going to be so much fun."
Even as Cheerilee walked over to stand next to you, you could see the succubus glaring daggers at the mare. You couldn't help but smile a little at Silken Soul's reaction.
"After all, it wouldn't be fair if both you and I were on the same team," you said.
"B-but..." Soul stammered, clearly irritated by this arrangement.
"So, shall we begin?"
For a brief moment, the succubus looked like she was going to argue the point, but inside she let out a harrumph, raising her head and giving you a ticked off expression.
"F-fine!"
Smiling, you took Cheerilee and began walking into the forest in search of the Ziki totem, leaving both Silken Soul and Time Turner behind. As you walked away, you couldn't help but feel a little guilty for your behavior. Sure, Soul liked to tease you sometimes but did that make it okay for you to tease her back by making her jealous? Perhaps you'd gone too far.
You shook your head, trying to clear your thoughts. It was too late now, if you didn't win this game, who knows what a ticked off succubus might do to you.
"Maybe haunt my nightmares somehow..." you mumbled.
"What was that?" Cheerilee asked.
"Oh, uh... nothing."
You followed Cheerilee through the forest, looking for any signs of the Ziki totem. Any clues that might give you a hoof up against your competition.
Stepping through the brush, various flowers began to appear along the path. They resembled orchids, but they were much larger, with the petals being as a pony's head. As you walked through the forest with Cheerilee, more and more of the strange flowers began to come into view and the further you went, the bigger they were.
"What sort of flower do you think this is?" Cheerilee asked.
The particular flower that your teammate was pointing at, was a massive orchid with pink and purple petals that were shaped like hearts.
"It looks to be some sort of orchid," you answered.
"It's so... Pretty."
Happily, Cheerilee walked over to the large plant to examine it. As she ran up to it, you noticed some movement along the forest floor. Focusing on the motion, you realized they were vines, all of which were crawling toward Cheerilee.
"Cheerilee look out!" you yelled.
"Huh?" Cheerilee turned around, giving you a confused look and by then it was already too late.
In a flash, the vines lurched forward, wrapping themselves around the mare's legs, before pulling her off the ground, holding her upside down.
"Ahhh!!!"
Instinctively, you rushed forward, wanting to rescue the captured mare. It was as you were drawing closer, that you felt a vine coil around your own legs, before lifting you into the air. Perhaps you should have thought this through before charging forward.
"Cheerilee, are you okay?" Even as you struggled against the vine's grasp you could feel them pulling tighter and tighter.
"Uh... I..."
The mare groaned in response as the vines continued to entangle her. It was then that you noticed the orchid flower moving, it's petals changing from pink to a dark shade of blue. The head of the flower seemed to rotate toward the mare in its grasp, as if it were looking at her. Then with a rattle, a cloud of purple dust erupted from the monstrous orchid, enveloping Cheerilee in what you guessed to be some sort of pollen.
Cheerilee coughed as her lungs tried to expel the intrusive powder. Even once she had finished hacking, you could help but notice that her groaning was starting to sound more like subdued moans.
Fearing what the pollen might be doing to her, you began looking around for any means of escape. Glancing down at the forest floor, you noticed a jagged rock in the dirt.
"W-what's happ-ening to m-me?" Cheerilee moaned in a suggestive manner.
Reaching out with your magic, you managed to grip the rock.
"Don't worry," you replied, "I'll get us out of this mess!"
Even as you tried to dislodge the stone from the ground, you could hear Cheerilee's moans growing louder.
"What is this f-feeling," Cheerilee groaned, "it's l-like I'm being o-overridden..."
Despite how tempting it was to forget your task and just observe this dream of your friend being... mauled by the vines, you focused on the rock in the ground, bits of dirt breaking away as you pulled the stone free.
"Got it!"
Holding the rock with your magic, you turned your attention back to the orchid that had seized the two of you, before thrusting it into the massive flower. There was a loud screeching noise as you drove the stone between the giant petals. Immediately, the vines holding Cheerilee and you let go, dropping you to the ground.
Standing up, you prepared to run, just in case the wicked plant tried to capture Cheerilee and you once more, however, instead you watched as the orchid withered and died. Seeing that the gropy flower was no longer a threat, you walked over to Cheerilee.
"Hey, are you alright, Cheerilee?"
Cheerilee blinked a few times, almost as if she were still in a daze of some sort. Once her eyes focused, Cheerilee looked at you and smiled. "Oh, I'm doing just fine."
There was something off about the tone of her voice, yet you couldn't put a hoof on it. Maybe she was just having a strange reaction to the pollen she had inhaled. No doubt, with some fresh air she'd be fine.
“What happened?” Cheerilee asked.
“Apparently the plants must have been acting up,” you replied.
“Do you think Soul did it?”
“Did what?”
Cheerilee looked at you, her face still a little flushed. “Set those plants up to prevent us from winning.”
Now that was a concerning thought. You’d think she would have noticed if Soul did that. Then again, the succubus had been able to manipulate your dreams subtly in the past, so why not now.
Perhaps Silken Soul had placed these plants here to protect the Ziki totem, after all she knew how to manipulate dreams, so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary. Although you didn't think she was the kind of pony to be a poor sport and do something like that. So why had the plants suddenly turned aggressive? It just seemed out of character for Soul to do something like that.
“I-I don’t think so,” you stuttered.
“Why shouldn’t she?” Cheerilee said as she stepped close to you. “All is fair in love and war.”
Even as Cheerilee said this, you knew that you had been trying to tease Soul back by teaming up with Cheerilee, so it was possible that perhaps the succubus has done this as a means of getting back at you. Furthermore, if she won, you’d have to do whatever she said, sweet revenge for your teasing.
You shook your head and tried looking around for the totem. "L-let's see if we can find that totem."
As you tried searching for the totem, you had to wonder how Cheerilee was aware of Silken Soul being able to manipulate the dream. Then again, you didn't know how these dream spectres worked, so maybe they all knew. Also, it wasn't like Soul was hiding the fact that she was a succubus in this dream either, so that might be another reason.
The two of you looked around for the totem, before Cheerilee called out.
"What's that over there?" Cheerilee asked, pointing toward some bushes.
Following Cheerilee's motions, you looked in that direction and noticed something wooden there. Stepping toward the bushes, you pulled them aside to reveal a small area with a large wooden totem sticking out of the ground.
"Hey, you found it!"
Smiling, you walked over to the Ziki totem. The large, wooden pole was covered with the carvings of numerous pony faces, brandishing their teeth, some smiled while others were more intimidating.
So you had found it, it would seem that you had won your little game with Silken Soul.
“It looks like she had placed these plants here to guard the totem this whole time,” Cheerilee said.
“Uh… yeah.” You had to admit that the evidence wasn’t looking too good. Perhaps Silken Soul really had rigged the game.
Touching the totem, you gave Cheerilee a satisfied grin. "Well, we won, so I guess it’s fine now."
"Yes, indeed." Cheerilee replied, her lips turned up into a salacious smile, her cheeks a bright shade of pink.
"Cheerilee, are you okay?"
Suddenly, you found yourself being shoved up against the totem, the carved wood rubbing against your back. Much to your surprise, Cheerilee was holding you against the totem with ease. The mare continued with that strange, seductive smile that seemed almost out of character for her.
"Wh-what are you doing?"
"Oh, I'm just rewarding my knight in shining armor, my dear," Cheerilee replied, biting her lower lip in a sultry manner. As you looked into her eyes, you noticed that they weren't green anymore but a bright shade of yellow.
"I-I don't think that's a good idea," you stammered.
"You're not worried about Soul are you," Cheerilee asked, "didn't you want to make her jealous?"
"Y-yes, but I was only trying to tease her back, this wasn't really what I had in mind."
"Maybe not." Cheerilee licked her lips. "But it's what I have in mind."
Listening to Cheerilee speak, you realized why she sounded so different. It was almost as if some other pony was speaking through her lips. While it sounded like her and it looked like her, this wasn't Cheerilee.
"I-I really think we should stop."
Cheerilee's lips started moving closer and closer to yours.
"Just give in my dear. Give into your desires and take me as your own."
As Cheerilee spoke those honeyed lips drew nearer to your own. That was until the sound of a twig snapping drew your attention to somepony standing behind Cheerilee. It was Silken Soul and she didn't look very happy.
"Ahem!" Soul coughed.
Cheerilee looked over her shoulder to the succubus. "Oh, hello there."
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Just having some fun is all," Cheerilee said with a shrug.
"Uh, huh, sure..."
Soul turned her attention back to you, her expression sour. While you understood her displeasure, you couldn't help but mirror her expression. After all, she was the one who put the plants in this dream to begin with, so she wasn't completely innocent either.
"Why did you rig the game?" you asked.
"Excuse me?"
With a hoof you motioned over to the withered orchid. "That plant attacked us when Cheerilee and I drew near."
"It did what?" Time Turner exclaimed as he emerged from some bushes.
"They're not supposed to do that," Soul replied, "I mean they are, but I turned off their coding so they shouldn't have."
"Then why did it attack us?" you inquired, feeling somewhat skeptical.
"Because somepony else turned it back on!" Soul growled.
Wait, but if somepony had manipulated the coding of the dream, then who could it be? After all, it was just Silken Soul and you here. Right?
As you pondered this, you noticed Cheerilee sleeking away. Looking back at Soul, judging by her squinting eyes, you realized that she was aware of this as well.
"And where do you think you're going?" Soul growled, her gaze turning to Cheerilee.
As Cheerilee turned around to answer, she wasn't looking where she was going and tripped over a vine that just so happened to be lying on the jungle floor. There was a brief moment of shock on Cheerilee's face as she toppled forward onto her face. After the impact, Cheerilee's form began to flicker before completely vanishing, revealing another pony there. More specifically a succubus.
She had a white coat with a dark brown mane, which was pulled back into a bun. The symbol of a pen and inkwell wreathed in yellow flames, brandished upon her flank. As you examined her, you suddenly noticed that she had... cloven hooves? Perhaps this meant that only certain groups of succubi possessed such a trait. Perhaps a different subspecies.
"Oh, come on sis," the succubus groaned, "that's not cool at all."
Time Turner gasped. "Cheerilee, what have you done with-"
The stallion suddenly stood completely still as Soul raised a hoof, freezing Time Turner in place, almost like somepony had hit pause on a tv remote. For a second you were horrified by this, before remembering that Time Turner was merely a part of the dream and that it wasn't an actual stallion frozen solid.
"What are you doing here, Inkwell?" Silken Soul growled.
Inkwell picked herself off the jungle floor and turned around to face both of you. The two black horns on the side of her head glowed with yellow magic, as she adjusted the glasses that rested on her nose. Once her glasses were in place, her brown eyes adjusted and looked you over like a timber wolf eyeing a lonely deer in the forest. Like Soul, her sclera was a dull yellow. "Oh, I just wanted to check out the little stallion that had earned my sister's attention."
"W-what are you talking about?" Soul growled, the hint of a blush on her cheeks.
Smiling, the succubus walked over to you, her tail reaching out to tease your left forehoof, the heart shaped membrane tickling your flesh.
"Call me, Raven," the succubus introduced herself, "it seems that my sister, Soul, really likes you."
Silken Soul's cheeks grew redder. "Th-that's enough!"
"So, tell me killer," Raven Inkwell asked, "how does it feel having a succubus like my sister warming your bed?"
Now it was your turn to blush.
"Well, we haven't actually..."
Hearing your sputtering, Raven chuckled. "How surprising. I would have thought she would have laid with you, considering how much she talks about you."
Looking over, you could see Silken Soul looking down at the ground, her cheeks burning crimson. It was perfectly clear that her sister's discussion was bothering her. While you could stand Soul's mischievous teasing, what Raven was doing was clearly meant to be malicious. This irritated you.
"Your sister and I are friends," you growled, "so why don't you just leave her be?"
This statement caused Raven to pause, while also supplying Soul with courage.
"Oh my, aren't you a feisty one." Raven shrugged, before turning around and walking away. "I guess you win sis. Looks like I won't be taking your meal today. It looks like you've got a keeper."
A circle of green flame appeared in front of Raven Inkwell. She was about to step through when suddenly her hooves stopped.
"Before I go, you should probably know that the mistress is watching." Raven said before she left the dream.
There was a long pause as both you and Silken Soul looked at the spot where Raven had been.
"Well... that happ-."
You were caught by surprise as the succubus slapped you across the face with a hoof. Caught off guard, you looked at Silken Soul and noticed tears welling up in her eyes.
"You're such a jerk!" Soul yelled, before she stormed off back toward the beach.
For a few seconds, you stood there in stunned silence, before following after Silken Soul.
"Soul, wait!"
By the time you cleared the forest, you managed to catch up with the succubus. The sky had already turned red as the sun began to drift below the horizon.
"Soul I'm sorry," you called out, "I was just kind of tired of you teasing me and wanted to return the favor. I didn't mean any harm by it."
The succubus stopped in her tracks before turning around her face burning red. "And you thought that I'd just foolishly put code into place that might endanger you, just so I could win a stupid game!"
It did come across that way.
A sigh of regret escaped your lips. "I really just thought that it might have been one of your jokes put to the extreme."
"Yeah, well, maybe if it wasn't so easy to tease you, then I wouldn't do it as often." Soul puffed her chest in a stern manner, her face returning to its normal color but with some slightly pink cheeks.
Seeing this reaction, you started to realize that maybe her teasing wasn't just a means for Soul to have fun at your expense. Perhaps it was a sign of her affection, that perhaps she believed that she could tease you because you wouldn't overreact. It was a sign of trust that sadly in your own stupidity you had broken, by your accusation against her.
"I'm truly sorry," you said, "I took things too far and I shouldn’t have believed your sister when she said you cheated. Will you please forgive me?"
Silken Soul looked at you sternly, her pink eyes seeming to glow beneath her sunhat, before she picked up the hat and flung it into the wind. Within seconds of leaving her magical grasp the hat burst into a puff of green flame. Once the article of clothing was destroyed, the succubus began wading into the water, before turning around to look at you.
"If you want me to forgive you," Soul spoke, "then you'll need to follow me."
Even as she said this, Soul continued to move into the waves, the water now up to her hips.
For a moment you were relieved that she was willing to forgive you. Then you realized that if you did this that you would be at the succubus's mercy, that out there she could conjure up numerous horrors to assail your mind from the depths of the waves.
Silken Soul stepped further back into the waves.
Yet as tempting as it was to stay on the shore, you knew that you had inadvertently hurt Soul's trust, now it was up to you to trust her, to prove the sincerity of your words. Cautiously, you made your way into the ocean, toward the succubus in the waves and the sun setting behind her.
Seeing your movements, Silken Soul smiled, not her usual mischievous smile but a genuine smile, before making a step backwards. Every time you stepped forward, Soul mirrored it by stepping backwards. This went on for what felt like minutes before you noticed that your hooves were no longer touching the ocean floor. It was at that point that the succubus ceased her retreat and began to swim in place.
Now that Silken Soul was no longer moving away from you, it was easier to swim up to her. Even as you did, you kept an eye out for any tricks the succubus might pull, for any sea monsters or even banana shaped floaties that might suddenly attack. Yet none came. All there was was the sound of the wind, the moving waves and the beautiful succubus swimming in front of you.
"So you chose to brave the waves," Soul said, "for me."
"Uh, yeah. So, will you, um, forgive me?"
Soul rolled her eyes. "Oh, I suppose."
Well, that was a relief, though for a brief moment you thought it might be a trick as the succubus reached out and placed both of her front hooves on your shoulders. At first, you thought she might push you under the water, but instead Soul just swam there, her eyes peering into your own.
"So, what do you think?" Soul asked.
Silken Soul did look rather beautiful with the setting sun behind her.
"Uh, I think you look great," you blurted out.
"I meant the dream." Soul rolled her eyes, before looking back, deeply into yours.
"Oh! Uh, yeah..."
Well, aside from the fact that you had made Soul mad, were attacked by a creepy tentacle plant and were almost taken advantage of by her sister, it had actually been a pretty fun adventure. Plus you had technically won your little game, so that was great, though you figured you'd probably want to cash in on that later when the succubus didn't have her hooves near your throat. Still this had been a very nice dream and a pretty good vacation.
Looking back into the succubus's eyes, you gave her a smile. "This has been a wonderful dream."
Silken Soul blushed. "Oh, you're just saying that. It probably would have been better if my sister hadn't showed up."
"So... Uh... That was your sister."
"Sort of," Soul answered, "we're not technically related. Think of it like... Those Lunar Nuns only minus the whole chastity thing."
"I see and what about this mistre-."
You were silenced as Soul gently placed a hoof against your lips. "Let's not worry about that for now. Let's just enjoy this moment while we can."
It was then that you noticed that the sun had set and the sky had turned a deep blue. The stars began to sparkle and looking back to the island, you could see a large moon rising. The glowing sphere slowly pulled itself above the island mountains and trees that eclipsed it.
The scene was peaceful with just you, Silken Soul, the gentle waves and the rising moon.
"Thank you, Soul."
Soul chuckled. "You're welcome, wiz."
While you were kind of tempted to retort, you decided to shrug it off for now and to just enjoy this moment. The two of you watching the rising moon as both your dream and your little pretend vacation, came to an end.
As you woke up in your bed, you were startled to find Silken Soul still lying there, her eyes watching you.
"Uh, hello."
"Hello." Soul said, her words coming across as sad. The last time Silken Soul had influenced your dreams, she was gone the next morning. So you knew something had to be bothering her if she was still here.
"Is something wrong?" You asked.
Soul bit her lower lip. "You know how I said I didn't have cloven hooves."
Immediately you recalled how Silken Soul had reacted when you saw that her hooves were normal at the beach. She had seemed rather nervous at the time, furthermore you could remember how Raven Inkwell had possessed cloven hooves.
"Yeah."
"Well." Soul's cheeks burned red. "I... might have lied about that."
"You mean?"
Silken Soul nodded, her eyes closed. "Look, it's embarrassing and I just didn't want you to see them and... well... make fun of me."
"Why would I do that?"
"Well, my sisters would laugh at them all the time... so... I just felt that if they were that hideous that you probably wouldn't want to see them."
From the way, Soul's hooves fidgeted, you could guess that discussing this made her uneasy. Yet despite that, she was sharing this with you. A clear sign of trust.
"Would it be okay if I saw them?" you asked.
"Uh, well..." Soul's cheeks turned red, clearly nervous about your inquiry. Immediately, you were concerned that you might have overstepped your bounds, considering how you had acted in the dream.
"Sorry, you don't have to if you don't want to."
For a moment, the two of you lay there in silence, before Soul spoke once more. "Fine, I'll show you."
"A-are you sure?"
Silken Soul nodded, her cheeks still red from blushing. Her horns began to glow as she reached out with her magic. Soul's pink magic gripped the top of her stocking, like she was preparing to pull it off, when she gave you an annoyed look. "If you have a hoof fetish, so help m..."
Suddenly Silken Soul stopped talking, her eyes wide with fear. You were about to ask what was wrong, when you noticed that something was indeed off. In the silence of the room, you could hear another pony breathing. It was then that you noticed a faint shape at the end of your bed. Slowly you turned your head to look at the figure.
Peaking over the edge of the bed was a cloaked figure, all their features concealed by shadow. Could this be the stalker that Soul had mentioned?
You were about to use your magic to turn on the light, but as soon as you channeled your magic into your horn, the creature retreated to the doorway.
While you probably should have been concerned for your own well being or by whatever this entity might be, your blood was pumping hot with adrenaline. If this was indeed the creature that Silken Soul had mentioned was stalking succubi and it was now stalking her, you weren't going to let it do anything to your friend.
So you surged forth from your bed, giving chase to the shadowy figure. Reaching out with your magic, you grabbed the nearest item that could serve as a weapon. A book.
Running into the hall, you saw the figure scurry down the steps. Or did it tumble? It was kind of hard to tell with the dim lighting.
Following it down the steps, you saw the creature disappear into the kitchen. With your book at the ready, you charged toward the kitchen, turning the corner to find yourself face to face with...
Nothing.
The room was empty, the only sign that there had been an intruder, was the open window. Cautiously you approached the window, ready to unleash your fury at anything that popped up. Though you weren't sure how threatening that would be, considering that you were wielding, well... a book.
Yet despite your concerns, nothing but the cool breeze came through the window.
After taking a deep breath, you closed the window, locked it tight, and returned to your bedroom.
Upon entering you saw that the room was enveloped in green light as Silken Soul stood in front of a portal, preparing to leave.
"Soul are you okay?"
The succubus turned to you, tears staining her cheeks.
"I-I'm not sure it's safe for you to be around me," Silken Soul said, clearly shaken by what had just happened.
"It's okay." You tried to reassure her. "Everything's going to be fine."
Soul shook her head. "No, nothing's fine. I was careless and I put you in danger. I... I..."
Admittedly, it was kind of moving that the succubus was so concerned for your wellbeing. It was such a shame that it was happening now.
"I... I think it's best if we stopped seeing each other."
Now that was a shocking thing to hear. "What?"
"Look as long as this stalker is out on the loose, it wouldn't be safe for me to visit you like this anymore."
As heartbreaking as that was, you know what she was saying made sense. Whoever this stalker was, they were after succubi and just because they ran away this time, that didn't mean they wouldn't harm you next time.
"So this is goodbye."
"I'm sorry," Soul said, before stepping through the portal, the swirling vortex closing.
Once the portal had evaporated, you were left alone in the dark. You stood there for a while, the realization of what had just happened, sinking in.
This might be the last night that you'd ever see Silken Soul. Realizing this a lump grew on your throat and your heart grew heavy, trembling within your chest even as tears began to well up in your eyes.
You were walking the Everscroll Bookshop, mindlessly examining the various books in the store. Normally, you'd be excitedly looking at the new books that had come out. However, ever since Silken Soul left, you hadn't been much like yourself.
While you had tried to perform the ritual a few times to summon her, the eldritch flames flickered out instead. So it would seem that Soul wasn't accepting any clients, at least none from Canterlot. Prior to meeting the succubus, you wouldn't have worried about it, but now that you couldn't contact her at all, you couldn't help but feel like something was missing somehow.
As you wandered through the store, you found yourself in the romance aisle. Various novels of a sultry nature lining the shelves.
'I wonder if they're any involving succubi?' you pondered.
"Hello?"
Turning in response to the voice, you saw Twilight's babysitter, Cadance standing there, holding a book with her magic.
Admittedly, a part of you was embarrassed being seen by one of your student's friends while in the romance novel aisle. However, you felt so downtrodden that the feeling was quickly replaced by your inner sorrow.
"Oh, uh, hello Cadance." You gave her a fake smile.
The princess walked over to you, a worried look on her face. "Are you okay?"
For a brief moment, you considered giving her the response that you had been telling everypony. That everything was fine, that you were just tired, that there was nothing for them to worry about, all of which were lies. Yet there was something about Cadance's mannerisms that gave you assurance, that perhaps it was okay to be upfront with her.
Your smile crumbled away. "No, I'm not."
"I see. Does it involve your marefriend?"
You nodded.
Princess Cadance sighed. "I'm sorry to hear that. Do you mind telling me what happened?"
That would be a little tricky to answer, considering the fact that your marefriend was a succubus and you weren't too sure how much information you could offer without giving away Silken Soul's nature. After some careful calculating, you came up with an appropriate answer.
"It seems that... she can't come visit me any more," you replied.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
While it wasn't the complete truth, it was enough information to relay what you wanted to tell to the princess. You were about to walk away when you noticed a twinkle in Cadance's eye. A mischievous grin on her face.
"Here's a thought," Cadance spoke, "instead of moping around and waiting for her, why don't you go to her place instead."
With a wink, Cadance pushed the book she had been holding with her magic, against your chest, before walking away. Once the princess was gone, you examined the book that she had given you. The title was, the Princess and the Incubi, with the image of an alicorn princess being embraced by a strong, charming stallion with two horns and bat wings.
As you stood there looking at the book, you contemplated what Cadance had said. While she had told you to go see Silken Soul, there was no way you could do that. After all she resided in the Dream Realm so it was impossible for you to go there and visit... Right?
At first, you considered ignoring the question, but slowly various ideas started coming to mind. In order to summon the succubus, you had to go through some sort of ritual, however, was it possible to perhaps reverse engineer the ritual so that you could possibly summon yourself into her world? Thinking about it, you realized that it might require some additional research but it was a potential possibility nonetheless.
After quickly looking through the bookstore for any information that might be potentially useful for your project, before heading to the front counter. This was a crazy idea, but if you were able to visit Soul, then it would all be worth it.
If all went to plan, the next time you'd see Silken Soul would be in the dream realm.
