"Mmm..." You wave her book away. "I think I like prime."

"Prime?" Streak sits up with a cocked brow. "Why that? Not to discourage or anything, just curious."

"What's prime do?" asks Little Arrow cluelessly.

Streak pulls her cousin closer. "Stay still." Despite her words, she was holding him fairly affectionately. "Prime is the power of... power. Seeing it, moving it, putting it together and breaking it apart. Mystical magic goop, that's what prime's all into. Surprise! Everything's made of magic goop if you lean in close enough."

Arrow clapped with approval. "oOoo. Why didn't you learn any of that?"

Streak pushes Little Arrow away, affection turning to rejection. "Because I like playing with people's heads. Prime it is! Um, not that I can give many tips there. Oh, right. Your boy mentioned who you were taught the basics by. Check him out. He has the stuff to get you going."

Right. "I'll do that, should we head back?" You point a hoof back towards the meeting.

"You should." She looks at Little Arrow, hoof directed firmly.

"Aw..." But he scurries off, lest he invite her wrath.

Streak smirks at you. "If we're not chatting magic... There was that other thing." She waggles he brows with meaning. "If you want. I get it if you'd rather not."

"No... we're not exactly that close of friends?"

"Aren't we?" She cups her face in her hooves. "We're part of a pretty exclusive club, in mortal danger, together. Sounds pretty close to me. Again, up to you."

"I have a different question."

"Shoot." She sits up, hooves on the ground.

"How do I learn more... me magic? Or you magic?" You turn your hoof from yourself to her. "Or any pony magic, on the topic."

"That's personal." She leans in. "Now, with most ponies, I'd tell them some bullshit about looking inside, but you seem to be on the right track. It's about the virtues. Live yours, then try to learn and live the others. I heard, and this is super story time, some ponies got them all juggling, a long time ago, and they were all of them, at once."

"Wow." The idea feels like a pretty big one. "So if I want to have laughter..."

"You have to be laughter." Streak chuckles to herself. "You got it? You start living the laughter life, and the magic will come with it. You picked up kindness pretty naturally, right? Live like a kindness, magic like one. Which... is why I'm pretty sure more kindness tricks will come to you. you don't need my people. Just keep reaching to be an even kinder kindness. Live it."

"Live it." Fortunately, being kind already felt proper. "Wait. What about the others?"

Moon Streak starts the way back towards the meeting. "Keep this quiet, but most of them aren't feeling their virtue. Hell, I wasn't... You were a fire under my ass. Thanks... It's nice to give laughter a proper squeeze."

"I couldn't answer your question, by the way."

That makes her stop. "Privacy?"

"A little that, but..."

"But?" She turns to you. "Waiting on that punch line."

"I never did it with a normal human." You shrug softly. "So how can I compare?"

"I..." She crashes to her haunches. "Damn it... I hate that you have a point. Well, fine, go pin your boy down in human mode and then you can tell me the difference."

"No promises." You walk past her and she laughs, following you. "We have other things to talk about."

"Plenty of things." Moon Streak quirks up an ear. "Speaking of that..."

You and her stroll into the meeting room just in time for two ponies to be glaring at one another. It was Big Shot and Sunset Splash were glaring needles at one another. Big Shot raises a considerable hoof at the pegasus. "We can't just keep pretending there aren't things that would like us dead, or over for dinner."

"And your idea is to make a, what, military camp?" Sunset shrugs with a scoff. "Really? Most of us have no idea how to... do any of that. We're flipping magic horses. What do you want?"

Big Shot stomps a heavy hoof. "Then it's time to learn. We're only as helpless as we let ourselves be." He spots you and Moon coming in. "Ah, they're back." He turns towards the two of you. "You." He points at you. "You learn how to defend yourself yet?"

Oh! Well... "I... mighta helped kill a vampire."

Nick surges up to get between you and Big Shot. "And that was more desperation than anything."

Big Shot shrugs. "So? If a kindness that's busy being a kindness can manage that, what's the rest of your excuses?" His lips twist into a sneer. "In fact, wasn't that while you were dropping your tail? While you were busy being old and retired? You're going to be outdone by a damn senior with only half a hoof in the door?"

"So--" Eyes are on you, for daring to speak. "What is it you're proposing, exactly?"

"I'm 'proposing'--" He made quotes with wags of his hooves. "--that we take this seriously. We start learning how to defend ourselves. How to punch, how to kick, and how to use weapons. What's out there will come for us, ready or not. I say, be ready."

You sink to your belly, an easier task for a quadruped. "Not my thing, but I can already help, indirectly."

Moon Streak hopped onto the pillow she started on. "Miss Kindness over there already has healing down. With a friend, she's a fairly safe place to be. I can defend myself. Thankfully, hasn't come up too often."

Sunset fluttered their wings. "So, we team up more. I can get behind that. Did you miss? Most of us don't have hands when we're ponied up, so weapons are hard to use, unicorns aside. The rest of us aren't rushing to learn kung fu."

"Kung fu's a bunch of bullshit." Moon Streak covered her cousin's ears, but Big Shot went right on, "In a fight for your life, you forget all those rules. If you're left standing and the other guy's not, you did it. Everything else, meaningless."

Nick waves a hoof at Big. "Tensions are getting high. I'll stick with a friend." He backed up to your side. "We'll keep each other safe. I think we can all agree on that."

Murmurs spread as ponies begin to collect closer to each other. Moon ruffles the top of Little Arrow's head. "You were already with me. No change there."

Big Shot sinks to his haunches. "Fine... You." He's looking at you again. "If you want to learn some self defense, let me know." He angles his head at Nick. "He can come along if he wants."

That said, he stomps off, becoming the guy at the door from before along the way.

Moon clops the floor lightly. "That looks like the meeting's wrapping up. Any last minute topics before we head out?"

A third unicorn, who you hadn't gotten to talk to, stands up. "I think we should have a standing rule. Vampires, we don't get along. Were-things, they don't like us, but they don't attack us unless we give them a reason to."

Moon raises a hoof. "Hey, they're alright, and they know how annoying it is to get a few fleas."

Sunset flares her wings. "Hey, um, not everything's not human. I know a nice, pretty darn human, sorceress. She's cool."

The third unicorn raises a brow. "That's nice, but can you say where we stand with them in general?"

"No?" Miserably admits Sunset, sagging. "I only know one."

Nick nudges against you. "What about the changelings?"

"Oh!" Right, you met them... "They seem to love the idea of ponies. No bad feelings from them at all. I... think they like the way we do magic. And they're not trying to hunt us."

The third unicorn nods. "Alright, see, that's good to know. Changelings, alright by default. Were-things, be careful, but could be alright? But be careful. Vampires, super not-OK. Mages! Wow... do not... They may be harmless, on the individual, but they can mess you and everything you know up and may not even mean it. Avoid them."

Little Arrow waves a hoof excitedly. "What 'bout ghosts?"

The other unicorn peers at him. "What about them?"

"I have a ghost friend. He's nice." Little Arrow nodded with complete confidence in this.

"That's nice, kid." The unicorn turns towards the others. "Any other reports on more than one of them?"

Unsure noises ripple across the room. But you remember a thing. "Shady business." You will out a card to lay on the ground. "Is that one or one of a lot, who knows these days? Bad news."

Nick claims the card. "Did I miss something?"

Sunset waves a wing. "Pass that over here. I'll try to dig up more about them if I can. Good eye. Alright, last bit of business." she brings down both wings, pointed at you. "I say we give a little clap for our newest member, who's hit the ground at a gallop."

Clops and stomps announce they they were alright with you joining them.

Moon rose to her hooves. "I call this meeting adjourned. Let's meet up in a week?" Noises of approval, tepid though they were, rose as ponies and humans headed for the door. Nick closes with you, guiding you towards the door. "Seriously, what happened? You alright?"

You assure him that you're fine. "The changelings are giving a more exciting time right now."

"At the candy store?" For him, the candy store was mostly where it stopped. He didn't even think about the back, even if he remembered stuff there. It just wasn't part of how he thought about it. "Like, what, got a favorite flavor?"

You roll your eyes at that. "The changelings?"

"Oh, right." There, he remembers. It takes some prompting, but those memories are there. "What-- Oh. I'll get my stuff... Do you want me coming... tonight?"

That was a thing... "It won't get easier putting it off," you reason with a hum. "So get your things, and meet me?" You pat your own car. "I'll straighten up and get the guest room cleared out."

"That answers a question with the answer I was expecting."

"You're not going to leave it at that." You rest your arm on the car, peering at your boyfriend. "Go on."

"Nothing important... I was just... not sure where I'd be sleeping, is all?" He shrugged. "I assumed, like, a couch or something."

"Well, not that." You pull the door open. "I have a spare room, to keep you in."

"I'm spare parts now," he laughs out, heading towards his own car. "Drive safe."

"You too." You hop into yours, closing the book on the chapter of the pony meeting. Part of you was curious about the next one. Hopefully, you'll be able to show up with more to share with them. You arrive home without complications, just fatigue from a full day, and evening.

Your phone chimes, it's Moon.

Hey Hey. If you need a girl to chat with now that you have a boy crowding things, let me know, alright? 😘

That was nice of her. You quickly tap out a thanks and head inside to clear up the place for Nick.

Your phone chimes. Moon? You dig it out to find a text from an unknown number, but the contents were clear enough.

You are required at the hold tomorrow. Come in rugged clothing. Hazard pay will be furnished.

Blunt, simple, no emoji... Was that the payroll? That sounded like him, in text... It seems your next day is already planned for you. "What I get for making deals with the fair folk."

Say thank you one time and they think they can hold it over you forever. Figures! Well, the night's still yours, so you do your part to get it ready for Nick's arrival.

Author's Note

More votes, yay! I am legit pleased. Looks like everyone's alright with Nick, and we want to know more about the fellow unicorn. Let's see what we can learn about and maybe from her.

New poll! https://forms.gle/Mqt3cynCZpjPpeae9

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