Heat Week! All that Glimmers
Today should be a day like any other in Ponyville. The sun is shining, birds are singing, and the streets of this rather humble town are filled with laughter and smiles. Especially for two friends that have been coming closer over the past few weeks while planning something. Starlight, the lilac unicorn with a purple mane and a teal strip lining it, is walking next to Justin, the hamlet's resident human and local celebrity boxer it seems, while he was carrying their supplies. He hefted the large bag of tents and camping bags over his shoulder with a quiet grunt. It isn't quiet enough however as Starlight looks his way.
"Are you sure I can't help you carry some of that?" She asks with her brow raised and horn at the ready.
"I'm fine. I can handle it." He responds with barely contained strain in his voice.
"Yeah, but you're no earth pony, Justin." Starlight retorts with a finger his direction. "You're only human, as you like to say."
"Yeah, well maybe today I'm feeling like an earth pony." Justin tells her with a smirk.
Starlight just rolls her eyes at him and fires up a telekinesis spell to lift off at least half of the load he's carrying. One fluid motion, the items are now on her back with some defeated look on his face. She just smiles at him as they continue to walk back to the castle.
"Stupid cute unicorns and their awesome magic." Justin quietly mutters under his breath.
Starlight looks up at him with some suspicion. "What was that?"
"Nothin." He replies and continues walking.
One might be left to wonder why these two are carrying such things. Well, as the powers that be, Twilight Sparkle had suggested that the two of them go camping some weeks ago. Starlight was quick to jump on the opportunity to go explore some place. Justin was the opposite at the time, looking at his girlfriend with much suspicion of her true intentions behind the idea. Unfortunately, she took in a lot of his traits over the years and wouldn't budge on giving him a real answer. Much to his own dismay, he was forced to drop his interrogation. It seems that their mutual friend of an unicorn seemed to have an infectious attitude about her towards the prospect of a trip to the woods.
"Soooo..." Starlight pulls him from the memory with the sound of her voice. "..You said it had been a while since you last went camping. How long ago was that?"
Justin couldn't help but smile a little at the question. "Not since I was real little. I think I was around Applebloom's age when I last went camping."
"Excited?" She asks with the biggest grin on her face.
Bless her heart, she gets so cute when she's all giddy. "A little, more nervous."
"Awe, you'll do fine." Starlight reassures him as they reach the doors of the castle.
"Yeah, after Twi makes us do a check to make sure we got all we need." Justin states.
"Beat her to it." The lilac mare responds as she levitates her own checklist out of her own design.
"Oooh. The student has become the master." The man says with impression on his tongue.
"Learned from the best." Starlight has a mock smug grin on her face.
The two burst out laughing as they pushed the large double doors open. They proceed to step inside with the entrance swinging close behind them. Magic is a wonderful tool. The library doors get enveloped in an aura of teal magic and gently thrown open as the two friends enter and set their things down. It doesn't really take them long to start unpacking their tents and bags and rearranging their packs. In the middle of the library. Failing at first to see Twilight at a desk doing some paperwork.
Twilight scribbles signature after signature on pages and pages of papers. Ponies making requests or wanting approval for some big project. Thankfully she hasn't been disturbed yet with the neat little sound proof bubble she casted over the desk. Spike has come by every once in a while to see if she needed anything, bless his heart. Her spine is starting to hurt from being hunched over this damned desk for so long, maybe she could use a break since she's been at this for hours. The alicorn leans back in her seat and starts to stretch out. A knock against the dome comes to her ears, causing the ears to perk up. At first she thinks it's Spike, but instead it's her ever faithful human waving at her. Exactly the kind of break she needs. She brings the bubble down to finally let the outside world in and approach the man.
"Goodness, you look bored." He tells her with a bit of a chuckle. "How long you been signing stuff?"
"Far too long." She replies, planting a kiss on his lips. "You two have fun getting tents?"
"Always." Justin smiles and gestures to their organized mess of camping utilities.
"Excited?" Twilight quietly asks.
A sigh leaves his lips as he gazes towards Starlight. "I'm not really sure. It's been a while since I last went camping."
"I think you'll do fine." She reassures him, bringing her fingers to his cheek and gets his attention back on her. "You'll figure it out."
It's early, like way early. So early in fact that not even the sun has risen. Most ponies would be dead to the world just peacefully sleeping away. Except for three in the Castle of Friendship. Twilight is holding a mug of freshly brewed coffee while letting out a big yawn. Her mane is still a mess from sleeping, a bath robe covering her in the modest way possible. Her sleepy eye are watching two soon-to-be campers. A bit of a soft smile is now on her face. Starlight and Justin are going over what they have; tents, sleeping bags, food, and other supplies to help along their trip. Both are dressed somewhat similarly with jeans and boots meant for them, the man is wearing a flannel shirt while the lilac mare is in a simple tank top. Soon enough, Justin produces a map from one of the pockets on his pack to unfold it. A quick glance at the map reveals a circle section of White Tail Woods. An interesting choice.
"You two have everything you need?" Twilight ends up asking after a big gulp of coffee.
Justin nods a little. "I believe so. We got everything, right?"
Starlight nods her head in affirmation. "We do!"
Twilight seems to slowly nod her head. "Do you both want me to teleport you there?"
"Star can handle it." He replies with a small smile.
"Mhm!" She agrees.
Twilight hums a little to herself as it does seem the two are more than ready to leave on their little camping trip. She walks up to Justin as he's folding the map back to to place back where it belongs for now. He finally looks at her with a smile as she approaches him first. Practically grabbing the back of his head and giving him a kiss, more for good luck.
"You stay safe." She tells him after the kiss. "You get in trouble, you let me know."
"Yes, ma'am." Was his only reply but kisses her again. "I love you."
Twilight hums against his lips and breaks the kiss. "I love you too." The alicorn turns to Starlight and starts walking up to her. "And you."
"H-hm?" Despite the unicorn's face being a little redder than usual from the display.
"Make sure he doesn't cause any trouble." Twilight teases, a smirk his direction. Before turning her attention back to the unicorn at hand wit her voice soft and low for the human to not hear. "And don't forget that little 'thing' I gave you."
"I-I will." Starlight responds a little more weak than usual.
"Excellent!" The alicorn exclaims as she walks away from the two. "I won't keep you two any longer. Enjoy your trip!"
They both nod to the princess and Starlight holds her arm out to the man. Justin seems to have fallen quiet in a way but walks over and hooks his arm with the mare's. The unicorn and human nod to one another while the spell charges. A moment later in a bright teal light followed by a loud pop, they are gone. Twilight giggles to herself and takes another drink of her coffee, the brew mixing with the taste of human in her mouth.
"Let the games begin." She mutters to herself before trudging towards the kitchen to clean her mug.
A loud bang rings out across the wilderness that scares a few birds out of their slumber and perches. A lilac unicorn and a human appear at the edge of the woods. Justin takes a moment to regain his bearings since no matter how much he readies himself for teleporting, he always gets a little woozy. Starlight is ready to catch him if he falls over, having seen what can happen to him when he is teleported without a heads-up. She still doesn't understand how one pukes up a rainbow. Yet, somehow he's always ready when Twilight teleports him.
"I think I'm good..." Justin mutters as he finally gains a sense of his surroundings.
"How does Twilight manage to get you around without asking?" Starlight quietly asks herself, but no quiet enough.
"That mare's in my head." He responds.
The unicorn looks a little dumbfounded. "What?"
He breaths a bit as he starts to stand at his full height now. "Twilight casted a watered down version of that bonding spell... we can talk telepathically and... well... know where the other is."
Starlight's eyes widened a bit as the pieces were just laid out in front of her. Must be handy for them to talk like that. Even know where each other is located in their time of need. It's almost genius, really. Especially with Twilight being one of the smartest mares she knows. Now she's wondering if she could figure out the same kind of spell too While the gears are turning in the unicorn's head, Justin fishes the map back out along with a compass. He unfolds the map and clips the compass to it, checking to make sure that they are headed in the right direction. Before his attention turns back to the mare at his side.
"Star?" He calls out to the distracted mare.
Starlight shakes her head out of her moment and looks at him. "Yes?"
"I think we could reach the campsite in a couple of days." Justin tells her, his eyes glancing back to the map.
"If we follow the path." Starlight reasons.
"Adventure awaits?" He asks, turning his head back to her.
A smile comes to her muzzle, as if he read her mind. "Adventure awaits."
He returns the smile and they both delve into the woods with as much gusto as a pair of foals running into a candy store. A little bit of a pseudo adventure never hurts, especially as far as these two are concerned. They disappear into the brush as the early morning sun starts to rise. The two holding a steady pace and keeping the other well within earshot or eye sight. Pushing past bushes, low hanging branches and the occasional stream here and there. After quite a bit of time with the sun being higher in the sky, they come to a stop for some breakfast. Fortunately it's nothing too complicated or requires any cooking of the sort: Granola bars.
The two sight in relative silence as they enjoy the pleasant and soothing sounds of nature. A little bit of reflection as their breakfast continues. Justin leans back a bit on his hand, starting on a second bar. Thankfully he brought plenty for the both of them. Something draws him from his thoughts, a touch really. The sensation causes him to look down to see a familiar lilac hand on his. Apparently Starlight had also noticed that what she was touching is not the grass or a rock. The owners of said respective hands eventually look up at one another. A subtle pink blush explodes across the mare's face as she quickly pulls her arm away and looks away from him. Justin doesn't bother to say anything, feeling it would just embarrass her further. After a short while, both friends finish eating and start to get ready to hike again.
This time they keep up a reasonable walking speed. Starlight is keeping up her speed to be next to the human as they hike through the wilderness around them. The sights, sounds, and smells are all calming to her nerves. Starting to get over the small touching of his hand with hers. Instead the senses being overridden by the nature of their hike all together. Starlight takes in a deep breath, filling her nostrils with the smells of foliage, wood, and an underlying earthy scent she couldn't quite place. At least not immediately. The sounds of foliage compressing beneath their steps along with twig snapping are complimented by birds chirping. They both find it very relaxing to just walk under the canopy while Celestia's sun rises.
A brief pause comes after a few more hours of hiking around, a mutual break is agreed on for a small lunch. Justin wanders of a short distance away while the unicorn starts on a small fire. Starlight watches his back, seeing him pull out the map while muttering to himself. Then he takes a few steps farther away and plants himself on a log while marking on it. He sounds rather focused on making sure he knows where they are, writing notes and drawing the path they've taken thus far. Tapping the pencil against his head a little while seemingly having a conversation with himself. Starlight decides he's had enough arguing with himself and gets up. She walks up behind him and gently places a hand on his shoulder, pulling him from his thinking and causing him to look up at her.
"C'mon, you can worry about that after you get something to eat." She tells him.
He just sighs and nods. "Yeah. You're probably right."
"Good, now put that map away and come join me." Starlight mock orders.
With a chuckle the man gladly folds the map back up and puts it away to be led off back to their campfire. What they end with is a small mixed meal the both of them can enjoy. Part of it with oats and berries and the other nuts. IT wasn't the best thing in the world, but it was good enough to keep them from starving themselves to exhaustion. While the two enjoy their little improvised meal, they did spend time enjoying the company of the other.
"And then Trixie made the geese so mad, they pooped on her cart for an entire week!"
Justin bursts out in a hearty chuckle, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "Is that why it smelled so bad?"
Starlight is laughing, nodding her head.
"Trixie is something else." He shakes his head as he attempts to calm down.
"I still can't believe Twilight turned you in to an orange just to scare Rarity." She comments, also wiping tear from her eye.
"It was great, then everything tasted like oranges for the rest of the week!"
The two burst out into laughter yet again.
If it's one thing she came to appreciate about the human across from her, it's his sense of humor. Always seeming to laugh at whatever lame joke or story she could tell. Yet it always made her day a little brighter when he would tell her a dumb one on a bad day just to get a smile out of her. She's thinking he picked up a lot more from the mares around him than he may have realized, or he was always this way. Starlight didn't seem to care at this point, she was just glad that he's here on this trip with her.
The laughing dies down and Justin pulls out his watch. With a quick click the lid pops open so he can check the time. Somewhere around the afternoon but he didn't mind. He closes the watch as a comfortable silence starts to set in. They just smile at one another before going back to finish up their food. Daylight is a burnin' but the pair just continue to sit at the dying flame. The man stands up and kicks some dirt at the small firepit to put it out. Standing tall once again and fishing out the map, he walks over and plops himself down next to Starlight.
"So, Miss Star, where shall we go next?"
The mare hums a little while looking over the map. "There." She says while pointing to a spot on the map.
He nods pulling out a pencil and marking the location. "Adventure."
"Awaits." She finishes with a smile.
By now the sun is setting and the night quickly coming upon both intrepid 'adventurers' that have been traveling for quite awhile now. They are feeling tired, ready to set up camp, and sleep for the night. Thankfully for them, their destination is almost in sight. What was supposed to be a full several days of hiking turned a bit longer with their off-path escapades. Finally they were here, upon which they were going to build their site. Starlight is the first to set hoof on to the somewhat rocky plain and spying the surroundings. A creek runs through the middle of the area, out of a rocky outcropping with a waterfall filling into a pool. Plenty of green, trees, and brush dots the area. A sigh of relief comes from the mare.
"Justin, we made it!"
"Fucking finally!" He calls back.
Once he catches up to her, it doesn't take either of them long to find a spot near the pool of sparkling blue water to set up. Justin is a little rusty when it comes to setting up his tent, messing up at first as the knowledge slowly comes back to him. Starlight is faring any better however. Her tent is quickly becoming a disaster. Grunts and soft pony cursing is coming out of her lips while she struggles. The man looks over at her when he is finally finished setting up.
"Never been camping before, have ya?" Justin asks as he walks up to her.
"Yeah..." Starlight sighs in defeat, but kicks the mess of canvas out of spite.
He looks over the absolute disaster and whiles out at the damage. "Sure did a number on it."
The mare scrunches up her nose at the remark.
"You tried. That's all that matters." The man says as he places a hand on her shoulder. "We can share mine though."
She looks at him, more surprised really. "You sure you want me sharing the same space?"
"It's not like either of us sleep naked or anything, right?" Justin asks with a small smile.
"Right." Starlight replies.
"Good, besides, have you seen the size of it? Way too big for me."
After all is said and done, the campfire is built. A nice warm fire rages within the stone confines while the two sit together, enjoying a late dinner. Some provisions Justin bought for himself a while ago for the trip. For Starlight, some roasted flowers and hay. A simple, yet filling meal. Fortunately her campmate and soon tent partner is comfortable enough to lean against to keep her a different kind of warm. He seems to not mind the contact, idly poking at what little food he has. His actions don't go unnoticed as the unicorn glances down towards his hands.
"Is something on your mind?" Starlight asks him.
"Just thinking is all." Justin replies
What is he thinking about? The past few days have been an absolute blast between them. Starlight may not have known him for long, at least not Twilight long. She feels as though she's been around him enough to have picked up on certain cues of his. Justin speaks a lot through his body language much like a pony. This wasn't something that bothered him. No. He is reminiscing about something.
"Want to talk?" She asks him.
He stops and sighs, she doesn't need to look to know the smile on his face. "We're friends, right?"
"I'd like to think so with how often we hang out." Starlight responds to him.
"That's what I'm thinking about. All my friends I made in my life since I was brought here." He muses a little, bringing a hand around her back to rest on the leaning mare's shoulder. "Kinda like you."
"Yeah? Well the difference between you and me is that you didn't try to destroy time and space just to get at Twilight." She retorts. "You're some kinda local hero while some of those ponies look at me like I'm evil still."
"Are you though?" It's a subtle question but deeper in meaning.
Starlight remains quiet for a moment as she mulls over her thoughts. Finally giving an answer. "No."
"Then why does it matter? You know you've changed. You have friends now who like you for you." He tells her in a gentle tone. "Much like me."
"What do you think?" Starlight sounds nervous to ask such a silly question of him.
"I think that you're one pretty cool mare." He responds without a second thought. "Amazingly gifted with magic, pretty damn smart, and strong willed."
"Well..." She starts, trying her hardest not to sniffle with tears welling in her eyes. "..I think you're one pretty cool human. You're thoughtful of those around you. You're a great listener and a great trainer."
She feels his hand tighten a little on her shoulder, causing her body to press just that more against his. Starlight doesn't mind as she buries her face into his chest. Silent sobs come muffled out of her muzzle while she somewhat stains his shirt. Justin doesn't speak a word, rubbing her shoulder to comfort her as she lays her feelings bare towards him. She lasts for only a few minutes before finally becoming quiet, tightly clinging to the human with her arms.
"I think we both needed to hear that." Justin quietly muses.
A soft nod from Starlight is the response he gets.
"I think we should rest on it tonight. Tomorrow's a new day." He says, not really towards her.
Another nod.
He nods back but doesn't shake himself free, instead just sitting with her until her grip on him loosens. Which it does at some point and she starts to move towards his tent where their bags are with her close behind. Justin grabs his water canteen for the fire and returns, pouring a little on the fire to put it out. Starlight takes off the protective boots she's wearing before disappearing into the tent. Her next piece of clothing to come off is her jeans. She feels exposed to some degree, but not quite. She kneels next to her sleeping bag and opens it to slide right in. Getting herself comfortable since it's probably going to be a long night. Moments late Justin enters, sliding off his unbuttoned flannel followed by his own jeans, leaving him in a white tank top and his boxers. The mare doe steal a few looks at his form that she's seen plenty of times back at the castle, typically early morning when he comes down for a glass of milk. She bites her bottom lip and sinks further in to the bag while he starts to slide in his.
But her doesn't face away from her.
Instead she can feel his gaze on her, at least it feels like it. Gingerly looking up to meet his face. He's already fast asleep, figures as much. Starlight watches the relative calm state he's in. The bag rising and falling in time with his breathing. She scoots just a little bit closer as if trying to press herself up against him. No avail since there's two layers of sleeping bags keeping her at bay. A quiet huff she settles back in and just watches his sleeping face. All the way up until sleep finally claims her.
Starlight wakes up the next morning but refuses to opens her eyes. Finding just her inside the tent. Her ears start to hone in on the noises around her, from the sounds of mid-morning birds to the crackle of a small fire just outside. She doesn't forget the humming of the one she's sharing the campsite with. From what she can hear, he seems to just be milling about outside. Deciding now would be a good time to finally get up with a stretch and yawn. The mare sits up to look around the tent. A small pile of yesterday's clothes are situated next to his backpack.
Justin sits outside, playing with the small fire he lit to cook up some breakfast. His ears pick up the noises of rustling inside the tent, signaling the unicorn being awake. The man picks up a small stick to poke around at the embers to keep the flame going. Soon enough the flap on the tent is pushed aside to herald the arrival of Starlight to the outside world. He smiles at her waves.
"G'mornin, Star."
"Morning, Big Guy." Starlight responds in kind as she meanders over and sits next to him.
He looks over to her to find her in his flannel he went without this morning. "Cold?"
"A little... I hope you don't mind." She tells him.
"Nah, not at all." Justin waves his hand in a dismissive manner. "Breakfast is almost ready."
Starlight sleepily nods before nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder.
After a very filling and delicious breakfast is had, Starlight opts to get herself clean. Her head resurfaces from underneath the pool of water and breath of fresh air after holding her breath for a little longer than anticipated. She begins to scan the horizon. Spotting their campsite not too far away. Her still roaming eyes spy a certain human by a tree off in the distance. His back towards her to minimize any chance of him accidently catching her naked body while washing off. Not that she would've minded in the slightest. Starlight continues to stare at his back, taking note of the way of his sitting. His legs are folded with his hands on his knees. Which either means that he's in one of his meditative states, talking with Twilight, or just listening to the sounds around him.
The unicorn decides that she's had enough of soaking in the cold water, wading her way to the side of the natural pool. Climbing out and getting herself dry most of the way while walking back to the tent. Starlight doesn't want to track water everywhere nor get their things wet. After getting dressed, the unicorn leaves the tent to see the human hasn't really left his spot. Taking some tentative and cautious steps up to where he is seated, Starlight then sits herself down next to him. He doesn't bother to open his eyes, as she suspected.
"Have a nice swim?" His voice suddenly breaks the tranquil silence he was in.
"A little, yeah." Starlight responds. "What're you doing out here?"
"Listening to the birds." Justin tells her with a small smile. "Y'know, relaxing after hiking for a few days straight."
She watches him lean back against the tree, unfolding his legs while letting out groan of relief. "A day of relaxing out here does seem nice."
He simply nods while relaxing against the tree. "Or do what you wanna."
The unicorn glances his direction before just silently settling up next to him on the tree. Where they sit and do nothing. In silence. Enjoying existing in the other's company. Starlight couldn't help but internally chastising herself for how she's feeling, which is like a school filly sitting next to her crush. It's also highly accurate to how she's feeling since he might only see her as a friend. Though help was promised to her in some regard, just need to spring it at the right time. They did tend to share quite the bit of interests including studying magic despite his lack of ability to perform spells and her recent foray into boxing with his guidance. A damn good one at that she feels after their encounter with a certain magical tome a while ago. Slowly she starts to lean close to him with one question in mind.
"Any word from Twilight?"
"Nope. It's been radio silence since we left." He replies with his hands in his lap now.
"Is that unusual for the both of you?" Starlight hazards the question.
"Not really. Especially after the past weeks where... things... happened." Justin tells her, lazily looking over that way.
The unicorn nods a little in knowing he probably won't say, at least not unless she pries just a wee bit on her end. "Hey, wanna go wade in the pool?"
"Didn't you just get out?"
"Yeah, but I mean in a couple of hours or so."
Justin just nods and to fill that time, the two sit at the base of that very tree and talk about not one thing in particular. In fact they spent quite a bit of the conversation just catching up since the human was seemingly gone for a little over a month ago despite being around town some cases. That's when Starlight found out that sometime after his trip to Canterlot with Twilight, Rarity had him all the way out in Manehattan to help with the boutique. Though she knows the latter might have a bit more to it since she knows the result of the former. Hell, if it wasn't for that lavender princess, she would've never met the very human she's as close to as Trixie. Starlight may have never thought she had it in her for boxing if it weren't for him.
A couple of hours do end up passing them by just from talking to eachother alone. Well most of the time they would fall into a comfortable silence and just sit there enjoying the scenery. The man's company being enjoy quite a bit by the unicorn. Figuring enough time has passed, the two decide to get up from their spot to return to their tent. Starlight is the first to enter the tent while the man occupies himself at poking the morning embers of the fire pit. About several minutes of shifting from inside, the mare comes back out in just her underwear due to a lack of proper swimwear being packed. Justin looks at her with a raised brow a bit and she shifts a little uneasy under his gaze.
"I.. I didn't think we'd find a spring out here.." Starlight shyly tells him to which he nods.
"I see... hold on."
Justin then disappears into the tent leaving the mare in a bit of silent contemplation while she listens to his shuffling. A little under minute she hears the tent open back up and him stepping forth. Starlight gingerly looks over at her shoulder his direction. To much of her surprise and frankly her desire he's standing there in his own underwear. Granted there's no other ponies around to share in her embarrassment except for him, but then he goes and does this for her.
He gives her a rather warm smile. "I don't see why not."
He then offers Starlight his arm after getting himself up next to her. She gladly takes the offering with a smile of her own and off they go to sparkling blue pool of the spring. A short little walk later and the two are now wading through the somewhat deep water. The cold temperature of the pool feels wonderful to the man who's currently floating on his back. Peacefully letting the world drift away quite literally. Just quietly minding his own until a pair of arms wrap around his midsection. A small smirk forms on his face and not a moment later he's pulled under the surface. There he quickly breaks free from the unicorn's grip and get her in a friendly headlock. Lightly tussling up her mane while Starlight fakes a struggle to break free. Justin relents his hold and they both swim up to the top.
The water's surface breaks with the two in a giggle fit, soon dying down as they just grin at eachother. He watches as the grin on Starlight fades, her face going beet red, and her nose scrunching up. Confused to the sudden change in demeanor, Justin follows her eyes to where she's looking, there they lay. His boxers. They were probably kicked during their 'struggle' and floated to the top shortly after they did. The mare is in a bit of shock as she just keeps staring at the accidently discarded garment. He reaches out to take back his boxers, grabbing the wet fabric between his fingers and swimming his way towards the edge. Starlight doesn't dare to look his way, but her ears swivel towards the sounds of him wading through the water. Then a wet slap of something against the stone but nothing else.
"Hey, Star?" Justin's voice cuts through the silence.
Starlight doesn't bother to turn around an face him. "Yeah?"
"Could you do me a favor and go get another pair of my boxers?"
Her ear flicks and she almost turns her head to look. "Why?"
"Take a look for yourself." He responds without an once of play in his tone.
Starlight slowly turns her head to look over her shoulder at him. To her dread, his boxer have been ripped almost in two. Did she really do that? She couldn't have, could she? The unicorn silently nods to him and starts to make her way towards the edge of the pool. She does her very best to not glance his way, but greater her willpower is not, she ends up stealing a few looks on the path out of the pool. Justin shakes his head at her attempt at being sly about being a thief of looking.
Of course he was used to the stares he gets back in Ponyville. Starlight is a close friend of his after all so he didn't really mind if she stared at him at the slightest. Especially if the five other of his friends are to go by, well his five other mares really... and a draconequus. Justin does sink a little into the water while he listens to the unicorn walk off the short distance. Though he does feel something is up with just how silent Twilight has been.
Starlight enters the tent, shooting a glance to her bag for a brief moment before looking down to his. She's feeling rather unsure about this whole thing. In fact she's starting to doubt this whole endeavor. She doesn't know how to really flirt with a stallion, she's never tried really. At least not until now and it's starting to scare her. It seems like such a monumental task. Starlight kneels down next to his pack and flips it open to find... a deep cavern? What in Equestria is up with his bag? The mare gingerly reaches into the pack to see if anything is really there. The tips of her fingers brush up against a piece of fabric and quickly snatches it out. There in her hand is a pair of his boxers, clean, and in one piece. To say Starlight is baffled is certainly not true, she is astonished. She has to sit there and just stare at whatever genius magic was used to make such an item.
Then her eyes settle on the article of the human's clothing in her hands. Starlight turns to look at her own pack, silently shifting over and reaching into one of the small pockets. The unicorn pulls out small vial of foggy solution; a potion given to her by Twilight. It was supposed to, for lack of a better description, induce the mare into a heat-like state. Her eyes scan over the small bottle.
"No." Starlight relents, placing the bottle back inside its pocket. "It isn't time yet."
She clutches the pair of boxers and leaves the tent.
Justin is about shoulders deep against the side of the pool in a near sleep-inducing relaxed state. That is until some fabric is thrown over his eyes. With one rather knowing grin, he pulls his own underwear off his face and looks up to see a Starlight knelt down near him.
"Thanks, Star." Justin tells her before disappearing under the water.
"No problem, Big Guy." Starlight whispers.
"Justin!"
The human perks up and looks towards the source of her voice. Scanning the immediate treeline thanks to the sound of the panicked call of his name. He spots a lilac pony running her way towards him with fear on her face. Starlight runs right into his arms, her pupils the size of pin heads while he looks up at him.
"We need to leave! Now!" She all but commands.
Before he can ask, a roar in the distance alerts him to the danger, it's not supposed to be all the way out here. The color drains from his face as he does recognize that sound. It's the roar of a bug bear. A second roar tears through the serenity of the forest, causing the mare to cling to him a bit tighter. He softly pushes her away enough to look at her in her eyes.
"Starlight, listen to me." She looks up at him, still scared out of her wits. "I'm going to get the bags... then we're going to bolt that way. As fast as we can. Make Rainbow proud with how fast we run."
Starlight nods and slowly lets him go.
He gives her a reassuring smile before stealthily wandering towards the tent. Branches snap way too close for comfort along with another roar. Justin slings both bags over each shoulder before looking towards the unicorn. Starlight gulps and nods to him. He nods back and makes a break for it towards her. Justin grabs her by the hand as the bug bear breaks the treeline into their camp while they run the opposite direction. They delve deeper into the woods while scrambling to get away from the creature, jumping over logs, dodging low hanging branches, weaving through trees.
"There!" Starlight points to a cave just barely noticed behind some thick trunks. "A cave! We can hide in there!"
Justin nods and follows her lead when they change their direction towards the cliff opening. Starlight practically makes a dive in towards the entrance while the man slows his pace down so he doesn't end up running into a wall. A loud thud against the rock alerts them and their eyes dart towards the entrance where the bug bear isn't quite small enough to chase after them. Both take a small sigh of relief, smile at one another.
"Guess we're going to be here a while until that thing goes away." Justin comments before looking deeper in the cave. "How'd you come across it?"
Starlight nods in agreement with the first sentence. "I don't know. I went hiking to gather up more firewood and I stumbled upon it. I tried to get away as quietly as I could and well... you see where that got us."
A comforting hand is placed on her shoulder before it snakes around to the other side and pulls her in. "All that matters is that we're safe now."
She nods again, staying silent.
"We could set up something in here until that thing goes away."
The two end up moving away from the sounds of a struggling predator as it tries to reach the both of them. The noise soon fading as they move to a more secluded part of the cavern. They stopped for a brief moment to get a lantern out, one they had used many times before reaching their site, to light the rest of the way as the roars and noises seem to teeter out. Upon finding a spacious chamber of their current hideout, Justin sets down the bags and looks around. A few stalagmites snake up the walls and illuminated stalactites reach down to them from the ceiling. Starlight, however just sits near her bag, rummaging through what's in it.
"We should've grabbed the bags..." She mutters.
"Wouldn't have had time..." Justin tells her as he set the lantern down next to her.
"But who knows how long we'll be here." Starlight starts. "Especially with that bug bear out there..."
"Star..." He looks at her, seeing the worry on her face. "...if it makes you feel any better, we'll stay here for the night. Okay?"
Starlight stares back at him, then silently nods. The man grabs his bag and drags it over, flipping open the flap to reach in to it. The unicorn's eyes watch as his entire arm disappears into the pack all the while he's muttering about something being in here. A quick shift on his face, almost like a lightbulb has gone off over his head as he pulls out something. It is revealed to be another sleeping bag, nicely folded and tucked away. For the moment as Starlight is watching him, her worries become distant. So far away from her mind as she watching the human unfold the single bag.
"What did you do to your backpack?" Starlight ends up asking, almost without really thinking about it.
"Huh?" Justin looks at her then to his pack. "Oh. Uh. Well Twilight found an spell that can make a bag hold more than it looks. I call it my 'Bag of Holding' but she isn't too keen on that name."
"It seems like one of those... what do you call them?" The unicorn tilts her head.
"What's 'them'?"
"You know! Those things you point out during movies!" She tries to elaborate.
"A mcguffin?" He looks at her a little confused.
"Yeah! It's like your McGuffin!" Starlight exclaims. "You could pull anything you need out of that."
"Well... no..." Justin stands up while rubbing the back of his neck. "It ain't bottomless, it is limited in a way. Just holds more. Mostly my clothes, our food, and a spare sleeping bag."
"Twilight's doing?"
"Both of us."
Neither know how long they've been sitting on the single sleeping bag. They're huddled against eachother's sides, staring at the magically powered lantern in front of them. The sounds towards the entrance they came in at seem to have died down into a calm quiet. Both have agreed that once they get their things from the campsite, or what may be left of it, they're going home. Starlight shivers a little from a cold breeze that run through the cavern. Justin takes notice and slips off his flannel shirt to drape around her shoulders.
"Maybe a fire will do us some good while things are quiet out there."
The unicorn looks at him with some trepidation. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"If I'm quiet, sure." He then starts to move to get up, stopping when she grabs his hand.
"Hurry back..." Starlight whispers to him.
He smiles back at her and nods his head before leaving her on his sleeping bag near the lantern, alone. The unicorn watches him disappear into the darkness, huddling closer to herself. Now with just her thoughts, a lantern, a sleeping bag, and his shirt around her shoulders. A heavy breath leaves her lungs, tucking her head against her arms. She could've just used her magic to zap the bug bear, but her own fear had gotten a hold of her. A subtle shake of her head accompanies another sigh. Starlight remains seated on the bag, losing track of time while she thinks to herself. A loose rock is kicked a short ways that pulls her out of the stupor she's in. The unicorn lifts her head up from her arms to spy the human with an load of firewood for the night. As soon as her eyes meet his, he smiles at her. His usual warm smile that she loves to see. Shining bright is spite of the dim lantern light.
Justin walks his way over to the center of the chamber, gently setting the pile of wood and rocks down. He starts to hum to himself while Starlight watches him build a fire pit similar to the one at their campsite. The unicorn starts to scoot closer to the pit he's building, more to get closer to him.
"I think the coast is clear." Justin just casually says while putting the finishing touches on the pit. "Fire please?"
Starlight nods and casts a fire spell to light the fire.
"We'll leave in the morning." He finally looks at her with a smile as the wood explodes into flames.
Flickering light baths the two in warmth and lights the chamber up in an orange glow. The man scoots over to sit next to Starlight. The unicorn wastes no time in snuggling herself up against his side. The flames dance across their huddling bodies while their eyes are fixated on the light show that lays before them. The mare slides up a little closer, laying her cheek on his shoulder.
"Hey, Justin?" Starlight pipes up.
"Yeah?"
"This... may not be the best time, but there's something I wanted to ask you."
The man turns his gaze a little to look at the pony leaning against him. "Okay?"
"And I want to get it out now, because if I don't, I'll forget."
"Star." He stops her. "Just go ahead and ask. I don't care if it's the best time or not. It sounds like it's bothering you."
"Okay... here goes nothing..." Starlight breathes in deep, holding it for a moment, then letting it go. "Would it be okay... with you... if I join your herd?"
Justin remains silent for a moment as the question sinks in. "Have you talked with Twilight about it?"
She nods while turning her head to look at him. "She even offered to help... push... me in the right direction."
He nods a little as he understands.
"I've enjoyed all the time we've spent together, even now, here in this cave. You haven't treated me like most ponies after knowing my past...." She continues. "...and that makes me feel like I can open up with you. Tell you anything. I can't thank you enough for teaching me how you box."
Justin stares at her. "Star..."
"I'm... not really good at this... am I?"
He just chuckles and smiles at her. "I think you're doing fine."
She smiles back at him. "So... what do you say?"
"I say..." The man snakes an arm around her midsection and squeezing her against him. "... if Twi is okay with you joining, then so am I. I'm glad you came out with if finally."
"You... you knew?" Starlight looks at him with bewilderment. "H-How?"
"Star, you ain't exactly subtle with how you stare at me." Justin tells her with a knowing grin. "You're just lucky I don't mind it from you."
The unicorn smiles and pulls away from him to reach for her bag. "Twilight did give me something."
The human watches her drag her backpack over. Pulling in front of them and opening a small pocket on the side of the pack to reach inside. His curiosity peaks when she pulls out a small small vial of foggy substance. He knows a potion when he sees one, but not this one. This one is new to him. Seeing the intense 'study stare' on his face, Starlight swirls around the potion inside it's container.
"She told me it induces a 'heat-like' state when consumed." She explains. "Twilight made it herself to help me. Said it took weeks to perfect."
His eyes narrow just the slightest at the revelation. "That might explain some things..."
Starlight thumbs at the cork keeping the bottle closed. "She told me to take it when I feel the time is right."
"Well..." Justin places a hand over hers, gently guiding back to the pocket the potion came from. "... I don't think you'll need it, if my opinion is worth anything."
"Worth more than you know." She tells him with a smile, a newfound confidence as she places the potion back in the bag.
She then turns back to him, their faces mere inches away. Then without so much as a second thought or a lick of hesitation, Starlight brings her lips to his in a kiss that burns with as much passion as their fire that flickers before them. The unicorn starts to push her body against his until they topple over one another. Both break the kiss during their fall backwards on to the sleeping bag. The two laugh out at the little mishap before going back to locking lips.
Justin would consider himself a simple man who enjoys a lot of simple things. Reading, cooking, staying fit, stopping to smell some flowers in his garden, writing letters to his filly in Canterlot. Here lately, he's been finding himself in the rather precarious position of, well to put it bluntly, fucking at least one of his friends-turned-girlfriends. Much like right now. Did he have any complaints about an incredibly gorgeous mare breathlessly riding him? No, not really. He just grips her ass while they suck face. The unicorn is gladly rolling her hips against his with each thrust down against his tool.
It all happened so quick. One minute they were sloppily making out and now Starlight is pressing her body flush with his while her hips move in a tempo inside her head. A little help from the human's hands to keep her own excitement in check. Not that she minds, the mare is finding herself enjoying the feel of the human's fingers digging in to her flanks. Starlight breaks the kiss with a breathy moan. A dopey smile plasters itself on her muzzle while she sits up. Eye contact is never broken the entire time she moves up. Her hips continue to roll in time, somewhat putting herself on display for him in a manner of speaking. The unicorn is lost in the feeling of them becoming one. How his cock feels against her walls and just how well he makes her feel a certain kind of full just being inside her.
The young man is doing his best to hold out on his part. Something that is a little harder done than said when a drop dead sexy unicorn is riding him. Man is she tight, he'd argue that she's probably the tightest of all of them. Justin soldiers on as he just grabs and kneads her rather supple rump. Ain't as plump a Twilight's booty, but Starlight is just as soft. A loud moan leaves the mare on top of him each time he squeezes her soft ass cheeks in his fingers. Her hips continue to roll against his pelvis, grinding his cock up into her as much as she can.
Starlight just smiles at him despite her maw being open before laying back against him. "I-I'm close... Big Guy." She mutters to him with a shudder in her voice.
"Y-yeah?" Justin grunts as he feels her lift her hips and slam back down against his length. "Me too..."
A smirk comes to her muzzle before she gently nuzzles her cheek against his. Starlight presses her palms against his chest to push herself off him some. All to look him in the eyes while she rides. She slowly rolls her hips up and back down against his cock, savoring the feel of him inside of her pussy. Edging him along until he's ready to blow his entire load inside of her. As if Celestia herself had been listening to her silent wishes, she gets exactly what she wants.
Not another moment later she feels the human's finger dig right into her rump with an audible groan from his lips. Starlight finds her hips held down against his while she feels that cock of his start to spasm and the first burst of cum fires out from his tip. The unicorn's body goes rigid. The feeling of him just squeezing her flanks, his penis twitching inside her, and the warmth of his sperm is just enough to send her over that glorious edge up towards a new kind of high. An almost high-pitched scream emits from the mare as she shudders with pure delight. Then both of their figurative steams run out as she collapses down on top of him. A dopey yet happy grin adorn her features, both breathing a bit heavily. The last Starlight feels before finally letting sleep take its hold over her is his arms wrapping around her.
Ponyville, Several Days Later
"C'mon, Star! Hit harder! I know you can!"
Justin's voice calls out from behind her. Not an unwelcome encouragement, but he is right in a way. Starlight is in the middle of her second round against Caramel and she may be pulling some punches out of respect for the stallion, most of that reason being him being a close friend of the human's. Most likely why she may have lost the first round. So she listens to him, starting to let loose a little now. Okay maybe she channeled her inner human and went all out. Starlight coulda sworn she seen the stallion in front of her start to really smile now. Was Caramel really enjoying this now that she was proving herself to be a challenge? The gathered crowd lets out a collective gasp when she lands a punch right across his jaw.
One voice behind her didn't gasp.
Starlight could practically feel the grin forming on his face. She doesn't have time to think as the shock in Caramel doesn't last long and he goes on the offensive. The lilac unicorn summons her entire knowledge taught to her in defense. Justin is a great mentor, she feels. Her blocks are solid enough but quickly wavering. It's clear who has been doing this longer and it wasn't her. They finally break and she slips up, attempting to throw a punch to catch him off guard. Instead she leaves herself open and a good hook catches her cheek and sends her to the ground. The bell rings to determine the end of the match.
Justin wastes no time in scrambling up on the ring to grab Starlight and drag her to the corner. "Star? Star? You okay?"
Starlight doesn't say anything but her head moves to side. Her ears are ringing from the wallop she just took and any other noises she's hearing sound distant. Muffled in a way she isn't used to. Her body has a dragging feeling along, shortly being placed up against something hard. Her view is soon filled with the familiar visage of a certain human, looking at her worriedly while Caramel looks at her by his side. Their voices start to form from the muffled surroundings.
"Damn dude, I'm surprised she's still here."
"Between the two of us, you hit like a child anyway."
"Yeah? Fuck you too."
Justin doesn't seem to pay any mind to the comeback and waves his hand in front of her face. "If she had gone up against me, she wouldn't be awake." His words are followed by a glare.
"I'm just sayin! I'm impressed really. You did good training her."
Starlight giggles a little while she grabs Justin's hand and lowers it. "I'm fine... everything's just... fuzzy."
"Caramel, go get some water, would ya?"
Caramel grunts a fake salute before running off somewhere outside of the boxing ring. Once the two are left in the ring with their figurative silence, the human starts to shift and place himself next to Starlight. His hand is still in her gloved one as she just looks over at him. The mare just smiles at him as her words come out soft.
"Hey."
"Hey." There's a return smile even if it's just a small one.
"Did I get him?" Starlight asks with a chuckle.
"Well..." Justin starts, pursing his lips in thought. "... you nearly beat him to a bloody pulp and you aren't a drooling mess on the ground."
They both start to laugh right as Caramel returns. "Telling the bloody pulp thing again, I see."
"Except you were the drooling mess." The human's snark comment comes back.
"Yeah. Yeah. Laugh it up while you can." Caramel responds while handing the small cup of water to the mare. "Just you wait until I make you that drooling mess."
"I'll welcome that day with open arms, my friend."
Starlight only watches as the two banter back and forth like they usually do. She's really glad she gets to be witness these two first hoof in a way. Only she's much, much closer. And sitting on her flanks. And sipping on some water. The unicorn remains rather quiet next to her human. The two continue to have their verbal slugfest as she spends the time recovering. It's really a sight to behold, these two. Just hearing them brings a smile to her muzzle. A slight warmth comes to her cheeks just by being in close proximity to the human.
Then comes their eventual leave from the gym, and if she's being honest with herself, it could not have come any sooner. Starlight is sort of leaning against the human's side as they walk. Both with their respective water bottles in hand. The she feels it, his arm snake around her back and hand rest on her side. A giddy shiver runs itself up her spine as his finger tips run up against her side. An almost inaudible whinny of content can be heard from her lips. Closely following the quiet sound is an impish smirk.
"What's Twilight doing?" Starlight suddenly asks.
"If I recall.... She and the girls are off in Canterlot for some event." Justin answers almost without missing a beat. "Why do you ask?"
"Weeeellll... if we have the castle to ourselves." The unicorn muses in one mischievous tone.
"Yeah?"
"We could make a mess of my room."
The human glances at her with a raised brow. "Not worried about Spike possibly walking in in us?"
"Pfft. Little guy practically leaves me well enough alone." The unicorn seems to just brag back as a response.
"Ain't you lucky." Justin smirks at her. "Sometimes it's hard when he's bugging me to do voices for his game."
"I think it's cute, he looks up to you." Starlight smiles back at him. "Kind of like a little brother."
Justin just nods as the two enter the castle. The human slides off his shoes near the front door before proceeding further into the foyer. Off in the distance they can hear three distinct voices elsewhere in another room. At least they won't be disturbed for quite some time he supposes. There's little time it dwell it seems when a hand grabs the front of his shirt and starts to drag him through the corridors. Twist, turns, fast pacing, all carry the two through the shared space all the way to their destination:
Starlight's bedroom.
The door to her most inner sanctum of sanctums. For better or worse, Justin is pushed right into the room a couple steps in. Starlight follows by slinking in behind him and quietly closing the door. He figures it so she wouldn't 'disturb' their other guests. The she looks at him with a certain look in her eyes, a look he's only really seen from one other. If he were a lesser man, this kind of look would bring him to his knees with anticipation. It's probably a good thing he has some experience in this ring. The mare starts a slow stride towards him, eyeing the man up and down like a predator. He wouldn't say a piece of meat, that would imply that there wasn't going to be any sort of feeling behind what's about to happen. Honestly it wouldn't seem fair to her if he claims as much he feels.
Her eyes start at his face, drinking in the soft features of the human and start to travel down. Glancing over the three feather pendant that lazily lays around his neck. Further her gaze travels over the tight fitting shirt he always wore to the gym, the toned frame leant well to his form. She can tell he worked hard to maintain such a physique. Once Starlight is close enough, she places a hand on his chest with a knowing smirk. Gently urging him backwards until his legs hit the edge of her bed then forcing him to sit. Knowing looks are exchanged while the mare starts to lower herself, getting on her knees in front of him. Her hands find ground on his gym shorts, start on a slow tug while she smiles up at him with some very heavy eye contact.
"Let's see what's behind door number one."
Without another word to be spoken, Starlight proceeds to pull on his shorts and boxers with nary in the way of resistance. Her prize bobs out, catching her eyes and causing a wide smile on her muzzle. She arts to plant small kisses on the rounded tip, then trailing down the shaft. The unicorn takes some delight in sensing the shiver running up his spine. Her lips stop at the space where his sack meets his shaft. Starlight can't quite put a finger on it, but something about his scent is addicting. Gently pressing her snout against the sensitive skin and takes in a deep breath. Goodness he smells fantastic. Without much of a thought, her tongue rolls out of her mouth to cradle his balls in a wet and warm embrace. A pleasured noise from the human meets her ears and a smile forms on her face. Her eyes are closed as she draws her tongue up his shaft at an agonizingly slow speed. More of just to savor his taste.
OH! And to make him squirm!
The human only watches on, not really helpless to do anything, just enjoying the view. He figures who wouldn't? Well, maybe Caramel but that's just how he is. Starlight left no room for him to think however since she drags her tongue up from his balls and long the underside of his shaft. Ending the slow lick of his member with a small kiss to his tip before he finds her lips wrapping around the bulbous head. The sudden motion brings his body to a rigid standstill. He isn't going to lie, the tip of his prick is way sensitive. So much so that he almost collapses from sheer pleasure alone. Justin hold firm however as he just braces himself. A giggle from the mare reaches his ears and she's already swallowing more of his cock. Damn near to base too! He may have not known Starlight all that long, but one thing he did notice upon first meeting her is that her muzzle is slightly shorter than most. He feels it lends to her already adorable appearance. Yet here she is almost taking his entire length.
Starlight hums around phallus in her throat. The vibrations making the man uncontrollably at the sensation. She feels his fingers wrap around her horn. The unicorn knows what's about to happen as a smile forms at the corners of her mouth. There's a gentle guiding hand as Starlight eagerly accepts the rest of his cock in to her maw. Her tongue swirling around his head and shaft all the while her nose is pressed against his pelvis. A rather contented moan emits from the deepest fathoms of her throat. She starts to pull back, savoring his taste all the while her tongue presses against the underside of his shaft. Leaving him coated in her saliva all the way to the tip and-
There's a knock at her door.
"Hey Starlight!" Spike's voice calls out from the other side. "Have you seen where my markers went? I kinda need them to draw a new map for the game!"
Starlight lets out a quiet groan and silently pulls her mouth off the human's cock. "Have you checked your room?"
"Yeah!"
"The library?"
"Not there either!"
Starlight rolls her eyes and looks up at the human before moving up and softly kissing his lips. "Guess I'll be back in a few."
"Take your time. I won't go anywhere." Justin tells her with a smile.
The unicorn moves towards the door and slips out. Acting like she's trying to sneak out of her own room just to help the adolescent dragon. Justin just pulls his gym shorts back up just so he can comfortably stand and look around her room. All the knick-knacks she's collected, photos of her friends and family. Even some of her with Twilight and her friends. A couple of the pictures seem to have been snuck on him during his workouts. He feels a little flattered but also wouldn't have minded if she asked. Some sense of his own vanity agrees that it would look less natural if she asked. Justin does look like he's in his element. A few of them are just the pair of either him and her, Caramel and the man, or all three. A small smile comes across his face.
Then the door opens again after a few minutes later. He turns to spot Starlight sliding in and looing at him as a smile comes across her face. The human just turns on his heels to smile back at her as she fully enters the room and closes the door behind her. They meet somewhere in the middle and embrace in a snugly tight hug. Their lips meet during the embrace. Parting after a couple of minutes passing by in almost silence. Dopey looking grins on both their faces.
"You wanna pick up where we left off?" Justin ends up asking.
Starlight seems to ponder his question for the moment before shaking her head. "No.. helping Spike kinda killed my mood."
"Fair. Cuddle up then?" He suggests.
"Works for me." She smiles up at him.
With that the two retreat back to Starlight's bed, discarding articles of clothing until both are in their underwear. Taking up in a position where the mare has her back flush with his chest. Something the human is all too familiar with, but typically in a larger bed and with a pair of soft, feathery wings. If it's one thing he does enjoy, it's definitely being close to any of his mares. Starlight and him will have a couple of days to just one another, at the very least until Spike may need help with something. So ,they're just going to enjoy their current moment of silence. Comfortable, warm, and totally not sexy at all silence.
Author's Note
And there we have it, ladies and gents! The last mare has been bedded and thus the not-so-thrilling conclusion to Heat Week! has arrived. I do hope you got some kind of enjoyment reading, whether it was laughing at my writing, cringing, or just happily reading along. See you in the future!
Faithfully yours,
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