Pain… pain is the only word that could come to Autumn Blaze's mind as she was washed ashore on the sandy beach. The beautiful clean white sand and clear blue water that twinkled around her would’ve had the mare gawking and frolicking around if it wasn’t for the fact her… EVERYTHING ached.
Peeling herself off the ground, the mare could see the beautifully flowing and lush forest full of maple and cherry trees, with a gravel trail lined with smooth stones leading into the woods. Looking behind her and around her, it was very obviously her raft, supplies, and, well… everything was swept away by the tides.
Autumn guessed she needed to reread that sailing and navigation book again. Well…if she could ever get a copy that wasn’t at the bottom of the ocean by now…
Shaking herself like a dog, she peeled a starfish out of her mane before wiping the salt from her lips. Her mouth was incredibly dry, and she was wondering where she was. Hopefully, she had made it at least somewhere near her intended destination.
But it wasn’t like it mattered much anyways. No one was waiting to meet her, and no one would miss her at home. She sighed to herself sadly; well, she might as well make the best of it.
Using her magic to squeeze what sea water she could out of her mane, she trotted up near the forest and began to follow the path. It didn’t seem like there was anywhere else to go, and hopefully, this led somewhere. Hopefully, with a creature that spoke!
As she trotted along, she began to whistle a tune she had made up in her head during her voyage before quickly swinging side to side, unable to stop herself from singing along.
Along this lonely trail, the only thing that seemed to accompany her was the symphony of birds that seemed to pair Autumn’s beautiful song with theirs. Her voice was joyous and bouncy, unable to contain itself, which was more than fitting for the Kirin that owned it.
It didn’t take long for her to find a beautiful lush garden at the end of the short walk from the beach. Filled to the brim with rich, beautiful-looking vegetables, flowers, and even a koi pond resting beneath a massive cherry tree.
Cabbages, carrots, potatoes, beets, tomatoes, and romaine lettuce? A troubling thought crossed her mind… did she die and go to the afterlife? No, no… she was hungry, thirsty, and tired. If that were the case, she doubted she’d be any of those things.
Autumn licked her lips, looking around, scanning if there was anyone around. Was this someone’s garden in particular, or…?
Taking just one carrot wouldn’t hurt, right? Besides, she was rather hungry, and it would help get the taste of sea salt out of her mouth. Looking around, she lit up her horn and pulled a single large carrot from the ground before placing it between her teeth. With her hoof, she wrote ‘Sorry!’ with a large frowny face. Hopefully, that would be good enough.
Spitting the carrot into her hoof, she followed the gravel path again. Hopefully, there would be a place where she could wash the carrot, but the thought of just skinning it now was becoming very tempting…
Heck with it, she was hungry. Using her magic, Autumn peeled the rough layer of skin off, throwing it and the dirt clinging to it away. Once it was clean, she took a giant chomp and sighed with relief. Just what she needed. She began to hum a cheerful tune as she trotted along, looking at the scenery with curiosity. It truly was beautiful.
Following the path again, it didn’t take but a few minutes to find a small Minka at the end of the trail, isolated and alone. It looked well-kept, at least. But it didn’t look like anybody was home or at least on the front porch.
Approaching the home, Autumn trotted up to one of the windows, squinting before squishing her face against the window, unable to see anyone inside. Well, it would be rude to barge in… Stepping up to the doorway, she knocked twice, waiting for a response.
She pressed her to the door, listening for any movement. Didn’t seem like anyone was home… she decided to check the backyard, perhaps there was someone back there?
The Kirin saw a small temple surrounded by yet another beautiful garden overflowing with rose bushes, trimmed round hedges, and a smaller koi pond at the center of the backyard.
She heard a voice chant, “Honored Mother, give me wisdom… Honored Father, give me strength.” her voice was cool, calculated, and collected. Something unheard of to Autumn Blaze, then again it had been a while since she heard anycreature speak.
“I seek your wisdom, Honored Mother… give me a sign… I grow restless with this constant inactivity! What should I do…?” The voice sighed, “.... I suppose I could… keep gardening things until The Empress needs me again…”
Autumn couldn’t help the excitement that ran through her hooves. Squealing, she hopped into the air before following the source of the voice, trotting up to the temple.
“I usually sing when I’m bored!” she chirped out cheerfully, stepping towards the entrance, “Hiya! Sorry, do you live here? I kinda just washed up on shore, and I reeaaaally need some help.” Autumn looked around curiously, a wide grin on her face before her eyes finally fell on the stranger.
The creature was aquamarine with a fiery mane and tail that only seemed to flare up as the surprised mare leaped up on her back hooves and raised her front legs in a defensive position, “Who, what!? Who are you, and how did you get here!?” she shrieked.
Upon closer inspection, Autumn Blaze recognized the creature as a Longma. Their sister species and closest neighbors to the Kirin. Looks like she made it to Formaresa after all!
“Oops, sorry! Didn’t mean to scare you!” Autumn raised a hoof to calm the Longma, a cheerful smile on her lips, “I’m so relieved I actually made it here! I can’t believe my little raft didn’t fall apart sooner, but it looks like everything’s turning up! Darn– where are my manners?”
She trotted closer, seemingly not recognizing any sort of danger, “My name’s Autumn Blaze! Your garden here is beautiful; it almost reminds me of home! Sorry for intruding, I knocked on the door but no one answered. But this explains why… Oop– was I interrupting you?! I’m sorry, I didn’t realize!”
The Longma slinked back, keeping her guard up as she narrowed her eyes until she realized what she was, a Kirin. The Kirin preferred to keep to their own kind, and while the occasional merchant ship arrived on Huoshan’s shores to trade, they were famously known for their deathly silence.
Tianhuo was taken aback by– what was her name? Autumn Blaze, she said? Her tirade was overwhelming. She spoke as if she hadn’t seen another living being in years. The Longma’s mane burned bright as it flared up, “QUIET–!!” The flame died down as she processed what the Kirin actually said.
“Did you say you came here on a raft…?”
Autumn nodded, giving her a bright grin, “Yup! I packed all of my things up, made a raft out of what materials I could, and sailed off! It was a lot of fun! … for the first few days at least. After a while, I started running out of food… and water…”
She trailed off a moment before shaking her head. “But I had a lot of fun swimming, talking to the fish, and sunbathing! Lots and lots of sunbathing… but enough about me! What’s your name?” Autumn looked up expectantly, sitting down on the stone bricks beneath her.
Tianhuo stared in disbelief at the Kirin, a little dazed as she rattled on about her origins, “Why… why did you take a raft! Are you stupid!?” The Longma growled in frustration, “Why didn’t you just take a merchant vessel to Huoshan like the rest of your kind!”
The Longma pressed a hoof to her face, “It will take us weeks to get to the Capital City to get you a ship back, why did you even come here? For a thrill!? And why are you speaking, aren’t your kind known for their silence?”
Autumn sighed and rubbed the back of her neck, wincing. “Yeaaaaahh… that’s a long story. Let’s just say the reason I’m here is because I can talk, hehe….”
The Kirin attempted to keep her smile, but it softened a bit. “It might be better if we found a more comfortable place to talk about it because I don’t think my flank agrees with this stone, and well… I haven’t had any fresh water in about a day.” She smacked her lips, feeling like there was sand in her throat.
The stranger took a deep breath as a trail of fire shot out of her nostrils, before placing her hooves on the ground, “Fine… it is my solemn duty to protect others… come. Let’s get you situated…. and a bath. You smell like you haven’t washed in days….”
Helping the Kirin up as she grumbled, “My name is Tianhuo of Huoshan, now let’s get you settled so that I may be rid of you.” she’d walked ahead of her as the tip of her flaming tail seemed to purposely whip Autumn Blaze on the top of her muzzle.
Escorting her through the garden, the Longma invited her inside the house. It was one large room with one set of paper doors and dividers in the middle of the room. It was a modest home with a small table with a tea kettle resting on top and a few cabinets and cupboards lining the walls, with a bookshelf in the far corner of the room that looked like it hadn’t seen use in years, and a small kitchen across the room that was neatly packed together.
“It’s super nice to meet you Tianhuo, ooh, I like your name, it’s pretty!” Autumn smiled and looked around energetically, absorbing everything in sight. “Your home is lovely, much better than my old place. I kind of had to build a treehouse in the forest when they kicked me out of my village… oop– I ruined the story! Darnit…”
“Oh well, I might as well tell you all of it.” The kirin sighed, taking a seat on the floor. “You, of course, know that Kirin are… quiet. Well, we’re not all mutes… Some time ago, a fight broke out and nearly destroyed our village. Some were even considering leaving. Our leader decided that words were a curse and that none of us should ever speak. We stepped into an enchanted pool that made it impossible for us to speak. We rebuilt, but…”
“I just got so tired of it! I was never able to speak my mind!” she threw up her hooves, “You can only talk to yourself so much before you start going a little crazy! One day while walking home, I fell into a flowerbed and decided to use the plant for a pot of tea. I realized I could speak again and attempted to offer it to the rest of the village.”
“Well, they got tired of that really quick… so they threw me out. It was either my voice or my home. So I chose my voice.” She sighed, “For a while, I lived outside of the village by myself, but that ended up being just another prison. I had a voice but no one to listen. Soooo… I built a raft and sailed over here. They wouldn’t let me board a ship anyways.”
The Longma grumbled throughout the entire story, muttering curses in her native tongue as her mane and maul flared up with fire and flames, “Well I can see why they wouldn’t let you on board their vessel….”
Tianhuo took a deep breath as she pondered on the Kirin’s words, realizing the cruelty that she was perhaps giving to her unexpected guest. Although Tianhuo was a creature of little words by comparison, not even she could imagine a life without any speech at all.
Tianhuo bowed her head to Autumn Blaze, “I apologize for my impudence; perhaps I had judged you too harshly, Autumn Blaze.” she slowly looked her in the eye, her snake-like pupils locking with her guests.
Her eyes were a deep shade of red, intense and fiery like everything else about Tianhuo. They carried a firmness to them, and yet they were gentle and welcoming like the warmth of a campfire.
The Kirin gazed back, almost mesmerized by the Longma’s eyes. They were some of the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen, “It’s okay… you didn’t know.”
Tianhuo quickly broke her gaze with Autumn, “Allow me to prepare you a bath…” she’d walk over to the sliding door and opened it, revealing a small washroom with a large wash wooden tub, washiki, and sink resting on top of beautifully crafted grey marble tile.
The Longma lifted a small hatch covering a pipe that rested over the tub before pulling a rope attached to the hatch door. The water spilled into the large tub, and once it was full. Tianhuo hit the tub with a blast of dragon fire, filling the room with steam that poured out into the living room where Autumn Blaze was.
“Wow, that was impressive! I can usually only breathe fire when I’m angry… but I guess that’s just how Kirins work! And thank you, you cannot believe how long it’s been since I’ve had a warm bath. Saltwater is not good for your coat after a while, and my scales itch!!” She shifted uncomfortably as she got up, using her hind leg to scratch at herself like a dog.
“And Uhm, you wouldn’t happen to have anything cold to drink? Heck, I’ll just drink the bath water! I’ll drink anything just about; I’m dyin’ over here!” Autumn trotted over to the bath before sucking in a mouthful of warm water, swallowing it down like a creature who had just come out of the burning desert heat.
Tianhuo quickly pushed the Kirin into the water, “You talk too much. I will get you some tea and something to eat; please make yourself at home…” giving the Kirin a satisfied smirk and a smug chuckle before trotting out of the bathroom.
Autumn’s hooves kicked and wiggled before she adjusted herself in the bath, her mane wet and plastered against her face. “Pfft–phtoo!” She spat out water, “Hey! You could have just asked, missy! Hmmmfph!”
Lying back in the bath, the kirin closed her eyes and sighed. It was nice to finally get some warmth into her that wasn’t from the baking sun. And the water at night? Oh goodness, she wouldn’t be making that mistake again. As she lay there, she sighed and seemed to begin slipping off into sleep. The exhaustion was catching up to her quickly.
“It would be unwise to fall asleep in the tub lest you drown. Unless, of course, the Kirin can breathe water now.” mused Tianhuo. Her voice waking the sleeping Kirin.
The Longma was carrying a tea set on the top of her head, her mane was extinguished, and she was standing on her back legs carrying a tray of food. With rice, miso soup, and bread on top of a wooden board. Tianhuo carefully placed the tray on the water as it floated in front of the Kirin.
“You’re lucky you kept your head above water! Why aren’t you more careful!?” scolded the Longma, “Honestly, it amazes me that you didn’t die at sea.” her mane flared up as it crackled and popped, dancing wildly as the frustrated dragoness spoke.
It was… beautiful… she was beautiful… Autumn was starting to understand how sailors felt after a long voyage now.
Autumn sat up, blinking slowly. Not even the tempting scent of food or a fresh kettle of tea could turn her gaze away. The way the flame seemed to frame her face, the light of the fire dancing across the room, lighting her face perfectly… it was breathtaking.
After a moment, Autumn realized she was staring and quickly looked away, hoping Tianhuo noticed nothing. Peeling back her wet hair, she let it lay down on her shoulders and out of her face. “Sorry! I’m really, really tired, is all… actually, it’s pretty easy to sleep on a raft, but I did wake up halfway off of it sometimes.”
Finally, looking at the food, the kirin’s stomach growled audibly, even from under the water. Autumn giggled softly before taking a large bite of rice, followed up by several spoonfuls of miso soup. Her eyes lit up, stopping mid-chew.
“This is…” she sniffled, a tear coming to her eye, “The most delicious food I’ve had in… ages!” she quickly devoured the meal, pressing the bread into the soup before ripping a chunk out with her teeth, “Are you a chef or something?!”
Tianhuo laughed, “Chef? Please, I am hardly qualified to be considered as such. I hardly cook for myself but for a guest as… haggard as you. I decided to make an exception.”
The Longma’s eyes went small as she realized her mane was on fire; looking up as the tray on her head burned to fine ash in an instant, almost comically so. She’d quickly raced to grab the cups and kettle that nearly crashed into the floor. Grabbing the kettle by the handle with her teeth and the small tea cups with her hooves as she balanced herself on one hoof, awkwardly balancing herself as she hopped around.
“Here’s– oop– your…” she’d place one of the mugs on Autumn’s floating tray before quickly adjusting her footing, “... Tea…” she’d sigh before pouring Autumn and herself a cup, setting the kettle on top of the Kirin’s floating tray.
Autumn would giggle before lighting up her horn, taking the tea cups and all assorted items in her magical field, organizing them for her, “There we go. Maybe you should invest in some iron or steel trays….” she couldn’t help but grin. Setting them aside, she gratefully bowed her head to her host before taking the cup of tea in her hooves.
Lifting it to her snout, she breathed in deeply, sighing contentedly at the scent. It was unique but familiar enough that it reminded her of home. Autumn brought the cup to her lips, taking a long, loooong drink before finally setting it down.
“And you make fantastic tea. Tell me, what’s your secret? Is it your flame?” she gave the Longma a soft smile, “Were you taught by secret ninja chefs who swore you to secrecy?!”
Tianhuo couldn’t help but feel a little envious of her guest’s magical prowess. It was one of the things her kind was admittedly lacking in terms of ability. What would she do for telekinesis…
“The secret is keeping the tea over a low flame over a long period of time… I also grow my own tea leaves….” The Longma stared in disbelief at the Kirin, “What are you told over–! … I… well, I guess you were never told… I am not ninja; the Longma aren’t ninja. We are warriors, all of us.”
The Longma puffed her chest as she raised her head up proudly, looking at the Kirin with her red orbs, “I am a Captain of the Guard, in fact.” she’d puff fire from her nostrils.
Autumn’s eyes widened, her mouth making an ‘o’ in understanding and concern, “I didn’t mean anything by it; I just think this is super good! And you’re really Captain of the Guard in Huoshan? Then why do you live aaaaaaaaaall the way out here??” She took another long gulp of tea, smacking her lips in satisfaction before returning to her soup.
“You are forgiven; ignorance does not take away from your intent…” the Longma bowed her head in gratitude, “Thank you, I am humbled by your unrelenting praise for my food and tea.”
She’d slowly look up, her cheeks a tint of red as the Kirin prompted her with that question, “I’m… on leave… forcibly! They said I was overworking myself– hmpf! I say I wasn’t working hard enough! Someone needs to train the recruits, manage the logistics, and make sure the Empire is safe. So what if I was working eighteen-hour days? It was my choice!”
Her mane and tail burned brightly as the Longma’s frustration and rage seemed to only fuel the flames on her body. Tianhuo noticed the massive blaze that nearly engulfed her entire back and promptly put out the flames by taking a deep calming breath.
“... I was forced to go on leave… and use all of my days… now I’m stuck here for sixty days… and I’m already losing my patience, and it’s only been a week! I have been praying, pleading, and hoping the army calls me back to service. The Empress’s Guard is my life….”
“Wow, you’re a real workaholic, aren’t you?’ Autumn rested a hoof against the rim of the tub, leaning over to prop her head up on her arm. “Have you tried to find something to do while you’re on vacation rather than just… thinking about work? Maybe a hobby of some kind! And besides, no one said you had to stay here the whole time. That’s over a month; you could go on an adventure, try new foods, meet new creatures….”
“Of course, if you just wanna stay home, that’s fine too! But it must be awfully boring just being all by yourself.” she smiled softly. The way her wet mane laid against her coat and her dark sunset eyes glinted against the flame of Tianhuo’s mane, and tail gave her a more alluring appearance than her cheery tone suggested.
Tianhuo’s eyes naturally followed the Kirin, her years in the guard taught her to be vigilant and observant of any potential threats and enemies. Locking her gaze with Autumn’s. For the first time in her life, she found this well-trained skill… unhelpful. She could feel herself getting lost in the Kirin’s eyes.
The Longma quickly chased any enamored feelings with a puff of fire from her mouth. What if she was an enemy? What if this was all a ploy!?
“What is your intent with these questions!?” snapped Tianhuo as fire spewed from her mouth, “Is this some sort of attempt to convince me to leave my home so that you may ransack it?! Oh, of course!”
“This is all a ploy, a scheme crafted by the mind of a clever criminal!” accused Tianhuo, “You think you’re so smart with your cutesy exterior and sweet demeanor, ha! No one gets past Captain Tianhuo of Huoshan!”
Autumn blinked rapidly in confusion before falling back into the bath, laughing uproariously. It was a long, sweet laugh that came from her belly. She ended up splashing the water, hitting it with her hoof in an attempt to get a hold of herself.
“Oh– Oh…!” She tried to stifle her giggles, looking up at Tianhuo with bright, playful eyes, “That was hilarious! You’re quite the jokester! No, silly, I’m not here to steal anything! If I did, I would’ve done it while you were in your temple!” She snorted, still struggling with her laughter. “Hehehe, do you really think I’m sweet and cute?”
The Longma’s mane and tail seemed to only burn brighter and brighter as Tianhuo burst with frustration, “I– you! It can’t be that simple! Did the capital send you? Is this a test?!”
Her face seemed to burn with embarrassment and frustration at Autumn’s question, “Don’t change the subject! What if you came here because you’re a fugitive? Or maybe you’re some sort of… terrorist!”
Tianhuo fought desperately to search for the ‘reasonable’ explanation she so desperately craved. As a deep seeded fear implanted itself in her very soul… a problem she couldn’t fix with her military mind. Also known as, fighting or subduing the issue physically.
“Pfffpbtt, terrorist?!” Autumn held her gut, trying not to fall into another laughing fit, tears starting to form in her eyes from the effort, “Hehehehe! No, I promise I’m not like that! My village leader was Rain Shine, she personally ordered my excommunication. She and the village just got tired of me talking… to be fair, I was trying to get others to take the cure too, but they simply refused. As I said– they gave me a choice. I could either stop talking or stay. So I left.”
“I know it’s a little hard to swallow, but it’s the truth. And if you want me to leave, I understand, and I’ll do so right after I get out of this tub.” She put her hooves on the rim, ready to pull herself out.
“No!” snapped Tianhuo, “I… you…” she’d quickly sighed, her flames going out completely before reigniting again. An overwhelming sense of embarrassment and shame washed over her wrath like cold water, “I’m sorry… please forgive me for my arrogance… it’s just… I have never met someone quite like you before….”
That explanation was all Tianhuo could muster without completely humiliating herself further; what was she supposed to say? She was beautiful and made the Captain burn up inside? She was known for her brutal honesty and wisdom, but she was no fool.
“Please, forgive me for my suspicions. I’m sorry I accused you of treachery and evil. Please, stay here for as long as you wish, and if you so desire, I can escort you to the capital.”
Autumn paused and then slowly laid back down in the water, giving the longma a soft smile. “It’s alright; if you came up to my treehouse with a weird story like that, I’d be a little suspicious too. Thank you, I’d really appreciate it! I don’t want to be in your hair– er, flames for too long, though. At least, not without pulling my own weight! I lost all of my bits and supplies in the voyage, but I can at least do some work while I’m here.”
“As for the capital… I wouldn’t mind going there and finding myself a job. A place where I’m finally free to speak? That’s all I need!” she grinned brightly.
The Longma tapped her hooves together nervously, “Ah… yes… well… the prospect for a job is good… but perhaps you should reconsider… for you see, the only job available to you right now would be the guard, and you don’t look like the army type….”
“However, if you don’t want to go to Hōsurando, I could always use the help and… company.” offered Tianhuo, face burning with embarrassment.
Autumn’s face had fallen at her options for work, but her expression changed as the Longma spoke. A sweet, soft smile overcame her features as she leaned against the tub, looking Tianhuo in the eyes.
“I’d love that, your home is beautiful, and I’m going to assume that was your garden I stole that delicious carrot from.” she chuckled, her eyes half-lidded. “I left a sorry note about that, by the way. Plus, I’d like to get to know you more. You’re funny and very sweet.”
Tianhuo bowed her head to hide the flustered expression pinned across her face, “You… flatter me… I suppose it would be wise to learn more about you since we’ll be… living together.”
Her flames seemed to flare up as the Longma felt her chest tighten and her cheeks burn. Someone… living with her? Unwed and alone? How uncouth! How disrespectful…! How could she refuse such an opportunity?
The Longma quickly turned around with her head still facing the ground as she fetched the Kirin a towel, doing her best to avoid eye contact as she collected the tray from Autumn, “I will prepare more tea and dessert, please make yourself comfortable.”
Autumn giggled one last time before nodding, “Take your time, I’m gonna rinse off one last time, and then I’ll get dry.” she threw the longma a wink before pulling herself beneath the water, scrubbing her mane with her hooves.
After a few more dunks under the water, she pulled herself from the tub, using her telekinesis to wring the water from her mane and tail. Drying herself off with the towel Tianhuo had provided, she then wrapped it around her mane, tucking it and securing it tightly.
Trotting out of the bathroom, the kirin looked refreshed in mind and spirit and far more relaxed than she than earlier, “That was lovely; thank you again. Too bad you don’t have any bubble bath, hehe.” She joked good-naturedly.
Tianhuo was sitting on the floor with a fresh kettle of tea and two bowls, waiting expectantly for the Kirin. She’d look up at her and roll her eyes, “The Longma do not believe in such frivolous things… come sit. I have prepared Anko and milk tea for us.”
Autumn smiled and giggled excitedly, sitting down beside the Longma, eager to fill her stomach even more. Days without proper food or water had left her ravenous, looking for anything she could choke down.
“This looks delicious; thank you so much! I don’t know how you made this so quickly; I’m jealous!” she leaned over and bowed respectfully, the towel on her head coming loose before going forward, nearly slapping the kirin in the face, “Oof–! Whoops, hehe.”
“My mother and father were very impatient creatures when I was a hatchling… I also prepared this while you fell asleep in the bathtub.” Tianhuo looked off to the side, remembering the stress of preparing a meal for her family brought her.
She adjusted the towel once more before picking up a cup of tea, taking a long sip of the beverage. Autumn let out a sigh of delight, “Delicious. I’m starting to think you could have opened your own tea shop.”
The longma waved her off with her hoof, “Please, it’s nothing. You’re just starved. I could’ve served you white rice and lima beans, and you would’ve thought it was a delicacy….”
Autumn let out a raspberry, “Please, don’t sell yourself so short; this is good!” She sampled the Anko, licking her lips. Red beans had always been a favorite of hers, and these were very well prepared. “Mmm! Oh goodness, it’s been a while since I’ve had good red bean paste. This is delicious!”
While Autumn was busy eating, Tianhuo quietly formulated a strategy in her mind: she was going to win the affection and adoration of this Kirin. Love and the art of flirtation were no different than military strategy, right? Both required accuracy and precision to strike the heart.
Tianhuo took a sip of her milk tea before attempting to flirt, “So… tell me, are all Kirin as… refined and… shapely as yourself?” she would not be the only one embarrassed today. If anything, this was retribution for her previous humiliation!
Looking up from her tea, the kirin blinked before giggling lightly. “Hmm, I don’t know if I’m refined, but I know that Rain Shine was considered regal and elegant and was often compared to Celestia. But otherwise, I think we’re all about the same size.” She went back to her drink, utterly ignorant of the Longma’s attempt at flirting.
“I– well… that’s… interesting...” the Longma quickly retreated into her mind’s eye as she attempted to formulate a second plan of attack, this was just testing her enemy’s strength. Seeing the defenses of a foe, yes! A simple recalculation would do.
The Longma sipped her tea as she pondered before offering another compliment, “Perhaps, but I am willing to bet Rain Shine does not have eyes like yours. For they are as bright and full of life as the sun itself.”
Autumn paused mid-sip, gently setting down her tea, closing her eyes. A soft smile came to her lips and she looked up, her eyes half-lidded once more before she leaned her head against her hoof, blinking slowly, “That’s very kind of you,” her words were like honey, warm and light and sweet all at once.
“You have beautiful eyes as well, and your mane rivals Celestia’s herself.” There was a smug smile on her lips as if she knew the game Tianhuo was trying to play.
Tianhuo’s mane flared up as the flame seemed to grow larger, “I…to be compared to the beauty of my Honored Mother… that is… the greatest compliment ever given to me…” a tint of red glowed on her cheeks, “Um… thank you.”
“I meant every word,” The kirin replied truthfully, gazing into her eyes.
Tianhuo studied her guest for a moment, taking note of the smug expression, before the Longma’s face was engulfed in red. She was being played like a damn fiddle! Her flames only seemed to glow brighter and larger. But she wouldn’t, couldn’t be one upped like this; she couldn’t be defeated in this clever game of flattery. Not when Autumn humiliated and embarrassed her already!
“B-But my mane is nothing in comparison to yours! Even when you arrived days after being out at sea, your mane and tail looked as beautiful and soft as the finest of silks.” retorted Tianhuo.
The corners of Autumn’s lips twisted upwards softly, leaning forward on her hoof and even closer to the longma. “And your scales are as iridescent and glowing as Luna’s Moon, and your eyes show the strength of a thousand warriors. How you haven’t been snapped up by a creature already is shocking, but a miracle for me.”
The Longma narrowed her eyes at the Kirin as her flames burned hot with rage and infatuation. But the Captain had one last ace up her sleeve. If this didn’t get her companion to submit, then she had truly been beaten by this creature.
Tianhuo placed her front hooves on the table as she leered forward toward Autumn Blaze's face, “Words are only half the battle,” she’d carefully lifted the mare’s chin up with her hoof, “Action is what ultimately determines the outcome of a battle.”
Autumn appeared shocked by her forwardness, looking up at Tianhuo with surprise, and a blush quickly spread across her face. Then, her expression changed into a playful smile.
Instead of speaking, she simply leaned in and pressed her lips against the Longma’s, one hoof gently coming up to cradle Tianhuo's face, angling her just right. It only lasted for a moment, but she cherished every second of it.
Pulling away, she looked Tianhuo in the eyes and smiled, “So, did I win the battle or the war?”
The flames atop the Longma’s head shot up towards the ceiling, burning so bright that the entire room felt hotter, the fire illuminating the walls around them. Tianhuo blinked a few times before sitting back, processing what had just happened.
She then placed her head in her hooves, looking away from the Kirin, her face burning red with envy, “You have won the battle… you are indeed better at the art of flattery than I… for now… but there will be more opportunities to come. Mark my words, Autumn Blaze.
“Hehehe…” Autumn sat back in her seat, satisfied with her work. She hadn’t intended for it to go this way, but she could not complain one bit. In fact, she felt like the luckiest mare in the world, “I’ll be waiting as patiently as I can....”
“Now, perhaps I can get another cup of tea? Suddenly I’m feeling a bit… thirsty.” she gave the longma a suggestive look before giggling.
