Had no one made a fuss that day, Rain Remedy might not have looked up from his patient at all.
The members of the Equestrian Allied Forces medical team were no strangers to sudden events. It seemed as if there was no end to the number of bodies hauled in for them to examine and heal. The war going on beyond the team’s tent made sure of that. A new patient entering the tent should have been nothing surprising. Yet, as the curtains parted, the medics there couldn’t help but voice their confusion.
“Wait. A… A griffon?” Rain’s hooves stopped. He’d heard the question as everyone around him did. But while they turned to confirm their suspicions, Rain kept his focus on the patient in front of him. It wasn’t a particularly difficult procedure, but in medicine, it was never good to let your guard down.
The tent once bustling with conversation lowered to the small buzz of gossip. This one event had frozen time itself. Without the distant sounds of metal and magic, Rain might have thought it actually did. Someone cleared their throat as Rain began to wrap the wound he was working on in gauze.
“What… are you doing here?” The voice was easily recognizable. Grizzled, old, and stern. The voice belonged to his direct supervisor. The officer with the highest rank amongst those in the room at the moment: Crimson Cross.
“What else would I be here for?” The next voice was weak and raspy like they’d been yelling a lot recently. Rain’s ear perked up as he put the finishing touches on the hindleg wound he’d been working on. “I need help. My wing, it’s…”
“Alright, it should be good now.” Rain looked up at the pony he’d been healing. A nasty cut through his cutie mark, from flank to hoof. Sanitized and bandaged, the wound wasn’t nearly as harsh as it looked only a few minutes ago. “Make sure you keep off of it. When we get back to camp, have one of the senior medics take a look at it, okay?”
“Y-Yeah. Thank you.” The soldier's attention was elsewhere. Like everyone else, the spectacle near the entrance to the tent stole it. After a prolonged glance, he finally looked back at his doctor. “Hey, do you normally heal griffons here?”
“You know what I meant,” Cross grumbled. A perimeter formed around the wounded griffon. Like a crowd gathering around a zoo exhibit. Rain could only barely make out her figure. “We can’t help griffons here. Why didn’t you report to the griffon medic?”
“I did,” she answered simply. “We’re short-staffed as it is. The medic who specializes in wing-related issues… took a stray magic bolt while unprepared. He was dead before he hit the ground.” The story was enough to silence the mumbling. Rain approached the rear of the crowd, slowly wading his way through the bodies. “So now I’m here. Will you help me, or not?”
Her question hung in the air. Some looked amongst themselves. Some looked to Cross for his answer. None would make an effort to speak for themselves. The seconds ticked by and awkwardness began to fester. Finally, as he cleared his throat, Cross opened his mouth to speak.
“Let me see the length of the wound.” The voice split through the tension as its owner split through the crowd. All eyes were on the new speaker, who’d pushed through the rest of them and approached the fallen griffon. He moved forward and placed the bag he’d been carrying with him on a table close by. “You said your wing was hit, right? Please, spread it as far as you can bear. Slowly.”
Anyone would notice the distrust building behind her fierce glare. It flared out from her eyes, washing everyone in the tent with a thick sense of unease. It almost seemed like she was daring them to get even a bit closer so that she could claw their throats out.
“What are you doing?” Of course, that applied to the pony standing in front of her as well. At least, it was supposed to. She glared at him with the same intensity she had given the others, yet it had no effect. He revealed the contents of the pouch, laying them out on a small tray. “How can I treat the wound if you won’t show it to me?”
The truth in his words seemed to be enough to break her stubborn glare. With caution, she extended her wing and revealed the injury. A deep gash that spanned the length of her wing. Not something that could be toughed out or worked through. He looked it over in silence for a few moments, then slipped on a pair of gloves.
“I’m going to clean the wound first. This might sting a bit.” A wing of his own wrapped around a small vial of liquid on the tray and pulled it closer. He spilled the liquid over a clean rag he had in his hoof, then got to work. Even with his warning, she took a sharp breath and winced once the rag dabbed at the gash.
“H-Hey!” Cross’ voice gave Rain a bit of pause. He placed the used rag to the side, then turned enough to show him that he was listening. With another clear of his throat, he regained his composure, then continued. “I do not remember granting you permission to begin an operation.”
“With all due respect, sir, if basic first aid is not applied soon, she may lose her ability to fly altogether.” He reached for another vial, this one full of green liquid, then returned his focus to the griffon. “Wing wounds don’t bleed much, but they’re very delicate. This will at least stabilize the damaged nerves, but it will burn like hell.” The griffon didn’t respond. She looked between him and Cross behind him, then answered with a small nod.
“Officer Rain!” The harsh calling of his name startled him, but he didn’t turn to face the speaker. He uncorked the vial, then steadily spilled its contents into the wound. The deep red flesh underneath began to glow with white light. “You… You’re wasting precious resources on a non-fatal injury! The griffon will live, stop this nonsense!” Rain finished the pouring, then placed the empty bottle with the rest. The last thing he carried with him was a thick roll of gauze. Retrieving that last, he quickly began wrapping up the wing from the base outward.
“A pegasus without their wings is the same as a unicorn without their horn... sir.” Rain looked back at Cross. A color befitting his name covered his face. He could almost feel the fury radiating off of him. “I am a doctor. If I can prevent that kind of loss from happening to somepony, then... I must.”
“That is not a pony.” Rain looked back toward the griffon, returning to wrap the wound in gauze.
“I am aware, sir.”
Being careful to finish the wrapping tight, he sliced the end off, then tucked it in for a tight fit. He led the wing inward, with a small bit of wincing from the griffon. Once it was fully retracted, the got up from his position and wiped his forehead.
“This should be enough to tide you over until you reach the camp. Once you’re there, please get it checked out by one of the surgeons there. They can help you more than I can here.” He turned to the tray, retrieving the used items and tossing them in a nearby trash can. “Of course, try to avoid using your wings or entering any skirmishes as well.” Rain turned to the griffon and smiled. “Hope you recover well.”
The griffon stood up. She looked to her side and rubbed a talon against the gauze. Almost like she didn’t believe it was really there. Her gaze returned to Rain, who’d already begun to prepare for the next patient. She opened her beak to say something, but nothing came out. Instead, she nodded in his direction before turning on her heel and leaving the tent.
Silence followed her departure. It was almost as if they were afraid of making a sound. Rain turned toward the crowd behind him, and approached Cross’ rage. He took a deep breath as he stood before him.
“Officer Rain.” Cross’ eyes flared, and he bared his teeth. “This disrespect of authority will not go unpun—”
“Make way, make way!” The loud voices of soldiers interrupted the stallion. Through the curtain burst a group of ponies carrying another on their backs. More stumbled in afterward. As suddenly as the incident had left the tent in silence, it returned to normal. Rain began his trot back to his post, only to feel a hoof land on his shoulder. Looking back, the stern gaze of his superior beamed down on him.
“This isn’t over, Rain.” He let him go, then walked past him. Rain watched him go. A sigh and a shake of the head were all he needed to refocus himself. Patients needed his attention.
“Yes, sir.”
“First thing first. Welcome back, to all the brave soldiers who have completed their mission. And a salute to those whose lives were lost protecting our cause.”
The speaker cleared his throat. A projection sputtered to life, illuminating the large board behind him with the picture of a map. He shuffled to the side so that it was fully visible.
“The missions all along Red Robin Gorge have all been successful, despite our losses. They represented a significant stronghold for those changelings until recently. With them gone, we’ve most likely driven the scum out of the immediate area.”
The slow motions of the stallion’s hoof reflected his age. Grey hair hung from his chin, and wrinkles covered his features. He probably had as many shiny medals and pins strapped to his chest as years, though.
“The most recent offensive, at point D, saw us put an important changeling general to the sword. The battle was tough. This may have led to the first loss of our campaign so far. Yet, thanks to several outstanding soldiers, we were able to gain a lead over them.” The old stallion cleared his throat, then looked to his side. “We will be presenting those soldiers with a medal to honor their achievements in this battle. Approach the front when your name is called.”
“Hey, man. Are all those rumors about you true?”
Rain had felt a nudging in his side for the past few minutes but had decided it was best to ignore it. Of course, the stallion at his side didn’t get the subtle hint. Rain turned to the voice and found a friendly gaze staring back at him.
“Delta!” The man’s voice boomed. A pony stood up from across the room and made his way to the old stallion. He stood still as a medallion was draped around his neck. He admired it for a moment before he took the proper position on stage.
“You have no idea how tired I am of that question,” said Rain with a sigh. Thankfully, it was being asked by one of the only ponies Rain called a friend here, Front Line. A brick house of a stallion, closer to the size of a horse. Great on the battlefield, but out with an injury on the last mission. “What do you think?”
“Probably fake,” he said. “You’d heal a griffon, but to break a direct order while doing it? No way.” Rain’s gaze fell to the ground, and once again he let out a sigh.
“Wound was pretty bad. If you saw it, you’d do the same.”
“Berry Brew!”
“I don’t know man. I’m all for helping out the less fortunate, but…” Line shook his head. “Your superior was Cross, wasn’t it? Isn’t he known for hating insubordination?" Rain looked down at the ground.
“He wanted me to leave some pony for dead because they’re… well, not a pony. It isn’t right.” He shook his head. “Whatever the consequences are, they won’t be heavier than a life.”
“I get it,” said Line, with a nod of the head. “Well, it’s nice seeing you be a little stubborn for once. Stand up for what you believe in.” He smirked, immediately putting the heavy conversation to rest. “She must’ve been one hell of a mare to make even you act like this.”
“Grace the Griffon!” Rain turned to the front, deciding to once again ignore his friend’s banter. The most recent name hadn’t reached the stage yet. Once the light from the front of the room shone down on the griffon’s features, his eyes went wide.
A head full of golden feathers. A body covered in navy blue fur. Sharp yellow eyes much like his own. A wing neatly wrapped up in gauze. As she trotted forward, Rain couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Grace stepped forward and stood in front of the older stallion. Standing a head taller than him, she left his figure in her shadow. Bending down was enough to receive the medallion like the others had. Once the medal dangled from her neck, she joined the lineup of ponies, standing still as all the rest had.
“For excellence in their field, these soldiers deserve your respect and admiration. We salute you!” As he spoke, the whole room moved to salute those on stage. Rain nearly missed the cue. His gaze was still focused on Grace.
The medal around her neck was a shiny bronze, though he couldn’t see much more than that. A slight glance to the side revealed the disparity between the prizes. The one around even the smallest of the ponies was silver with golden trim. Rain’s eyes narrowed.
“You may return to your seats.” The soldiers filed away from the front and took their seats. Rain watched Grace until she took her seat, and even then had his eyes glued to her. “Now… Rain Remedy! To the front!”
The call of his name was enough to freeze his blood. He turned to Front Line, who was just as surprised as he was. The look on his face didn’t inspire confidence. With a slow and shaky breath, he got to his hooves. Those around him stared, but he kept his expression as emotionless as he could.
He stepped past the other officers to reach the aisle. Just as quickly as his name was called, he stood before the one who called him. The commander wasn’t a particularly tall or physically imposing man, at least not anymore. Still, Rain felt sure that he was looking up at him once he came to a stop. The commander waved his hoof in a circle, an instruction to turn around that Rain followed.
There was an uncomfortable silence about the room. The curious gazes of dozens of ponies and griffons beamed at him. He could feel every single one. His only saving grace was that he didn’t have to look back.
“Officer Rain!” Rain flinched but kept his face neutral. “Do you understand why you’ve been called up here?”
“No, sir.” Keep a straight face. Answer quickly and concisely. He’d learned how to deal with the commander’s type very early in his military life. Though, knowing what to say and actually saying it were two different beasts.
“Is that right?” The commander walked over to his side. “Well then, do you remember disregarding orders from your superior officer?” Rain swallowed.
“...Yes, sir.”
“Bold to admit that without a shred of remorse in your voice, son.” The commander leaned in from the side, close enough for Rain to feel his breath on his ear. “Then tell us, soldier! Why did you disobey orders? You may have thrown away the lives of soldiers and jeopardized the mission! Do you understand that!?”
There was no good answer to this question. He couldn’t say that “jeopardizing the mission” was pushing it. He couldn’t say that he didn’t endanger a single soldier with his decision. He couldn’t tell him that he should’ve spent a minute more in the bathroom this morning with his toothbrush. This was a lose-lose situation.
“B-Because I... I believed it was the right thing to do.” He turned his eyes to meet the commander’s for a split second before looking straight ahead once again. “Sir.”
“The right thing… the right thing, huh?” The commander tossed his words around. He put his hoof to his chin, then smirked. “Well, soldier. If you’re so concerned with doing the right thing, then you wouldn’t mind a punishment for breaking a rule, correct?”
“No, sir.”
“Starting tomorrow you will be returning to basic training!” He bellowed. “Your achievements are forfeit, and your payment for the month will be withheld. Am I understood, soldier?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Count yourself lucky that this is your first offense. Should you have been a repeat offender, you’d already be halfway back to the Canterlot Dungeons.” Rain swallowed again.
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” The smile on the general’s face made Rain shiver.
“With that, this meeting comes to an official close.” The commander cleared his throat and trotted past. “Once again, thank you to the outstanding ponies who risked their lives to make this mission a success.” He spared Rain a glance. “And I hope that this serves as a reminder that hard work is rewarded while insubordination... is not.”
“Sir, yes, sir!” The room exploded with the chant. The ponies and griffons inside began to file out in an orderly fashion. Rain spared the commander another short glance before falling in line with them. His neutral expression finally dropped to a frown. With a small huff, he walked out with all the others without a word.
The 12th Forward Operating Base, or simply “the camp” to a lot of the soldiers, had been their home for a few years. The place had everything the military bases back home had. A mess hall, training area, gym, and housing. And of course, a central meeting room fitted out with all the best for military discussions.
The soldiers left the meeting in that building and dispersed in all directions. Some were heading to the mess hall. Most headed to the showers. But, there were always the few that went their own ways.
“Wasn’t that punishment kinda harsh? I mean, I get that he broke the rules, but they didn’t need to humiliate him in front of everyone, right?”
The voice came from Grace’s side. She turned to meet it, finding a familiar face approaching her. Georgina the griffon, normally one of her cheerier comrades, now wore a frown. The two fell into pace with each other as they walked away from the crowd.
“Ugh, I just hope his drill sergeant isn’t Grills. He’s especially harsh on griffons he doesn’t like. That just so happens to be griffons that get on the commander’s bad side…” Grace hummed.
“Didn’t think you’d care.” Grace flashed her a grin, which Georgina didn’t seem to appreciate.
“Isn’t that the guy who fixed your wing? I thought you’d care a lot more than me,” she snapped. Grace hummed once again but said nothing. “I just think that a pony who helps griffons shouldn’t get punished.”
“You’re right.” She shook her head. “But there’s not much we can really do about it. And getting heated about it isn’t gonna fix anything. That guy will be fine. Probably.”
“Just because we can’t do anything doesn’t make it right,” Georgina sighed. “Well, whatever. I know you’re not really interested in talking about stuff like that.” She cleared her throat. “Anyway, where are we headed?”
“I’m going to get a bit of training in,” answered Grace, pointing toward a building in the distance. A few ponies and griffons were standing around the entrance to the practice fields. “You’re going to go grab something from the cafeteria in the other direction.”
“Wait, huh?” Georgina’s eyes widened. “You’re going to work out? With your wing like that?” Grace nodded.
“That’s the plan.”
“It’s a bad plan!” Georgina stopped in place. “You should get some rest, right? You need time to recover.” Finally, Grace stopped as well. She turned around and met her friend’s gaze with a serious glare.
“A lack of training is what injured me in the first place.” She looked to her side, where her bandaged wing lay. Her eyes narrowed. “Sitting around and doing nothing is exactly what will lead to more injuries in the future. I need to stay vigilant and be proactive.”
In the face of her friend’s explosive tirade, Georgina had no words. She silently pleaded with Grace but got shut out by the fierceness behind her eyes. She sighed, tapped her claws against the ground, and shook her head.
“Fine. I know better than to argue with someone as headstrong as you.” She approached Grace and patted her on the shoulder a couple of times. Her smile lightened the heavy mood. “Just promise me you’ll at least try to take it easy.” Grace huffed.
“Sure.” With that simple bit of assurance, Georgina seemed satisfied. She let Grace go, spun on her heel, spread her wings, and took off into the air. With an excited wave of goodbye and a gust of wind, she was gone. Grace watched as she disappeared among the pegasi and other griffons above the camp. She took a deep breath, then turned around as well. As she stepped towards the training area, the words she’d told Georgina echoed in her mind. She took them from there and etched them into her heart.
Grace stepped inside the locker room she had to pass through before reaching the large open area. It was a wide room with rows of lockers on either side. The back wall was completely open and led to the fields. There were a few ponies and griffons spread out around the area, but none paid her much attention. On the walls to her sides were two counters manned by a pony and a griffon respectfully. Both looked up as Grace entered, but only the griffon paid attention as she approached.
“A sword and a basic set of armor.” The griffon hopped up from her seat. She moved behind the desk before Grace even finished her request. She surely got plenty of requests just like hers, after all.
The clerk entered some sort of back room and plucked a large chest piece and a practice sword from their places. Quickly, she returned to the front desk. Grace grabbed the sword in her claw and wrapped it around her waist. Once it was on tight, the clerk returned with a helmet and passed it over as well.
“Woah, woah. Are you sure you want to give her armor?” The voice came from behind, but Grace didn’t bother to turn around and acknowledge it. She reached for the chest piece and unlatched it to drape it over her back. “Careful, now. Don’t want to bruise your wittle wing, do you?”
Grace finally gave the voice the attention it was seeking. It belonged to a griffon standing just behind her accompanied by another at his side. Both wore smug grins cocky enough to make a rooster jealous. She stared at them in silence for a few moments before turning back to the desk.
“I think that medal she got made her think she’s better than us.” The partner’s voice was even more grating. She sighed, then slipped her good wing through the hole in the armor. The other one took a bit more time, but she eventually slipped that one through as well. “Wow, she’s really not gonna say anything. Guess messing around with that pony really turned you into a pussycat. Heheheh.”
“If you wanted to spar, you could just say that.” Grace clasped the armor around her body using the clips by her stomach. She grabbed the helmet off of the desk and then turned to face the two once again. “Otherwise, I’ve got stuff to do, and you’re in my way.”
“Spar? With you?” The main one laughed. He looked over at his partner, bumping her with his elbow. “Hey, you up for stomping out a cripple? I think it’s a little bit much for me.”
“What, you think I’m a monster?” replied the partner with a laugh of her own. “I’m not gonna—”
The main griffon barely saw the fist coming before it sank into his chin. His head snapped back, and he fell to the ground like a sack. Silence draped over the locker room as all eyes turned to the remaining two griffons. The partner snarled, then launched at Grace. Her claws extended and aimed at her eyes. With movement befitting her name, Grace slipped past her attack with a swift dodge. The helmet in her claw dropped to the floor as she reached out to grab her extended wrist. With her other claw, grabbed the partner’s head and drove it into the sides of the lockers. She slammed against the metal with a nasty crash. She fell to the ground, gripping her bleeding beak and crying out in agony.
Without missing a beat, Grace bent down to grab her discarded helmet, then slipped it on her head. She spared the dispatched duo a glance before stepping over their fallen bodies.
“If a ‘cripple’ like me is enough to lay out two able-bodied soldiers like yourself… you need more training than I do.” She glared at them for only a moment more before finally making her way to the training area.
As she passed, griffons and ponies alike stumbled out of her way. Most were silent, though there were some whispers and small talk. She closed her eyes and ignored them all.
No more distractions. She needed to focus.
Late at night, underneath the pale glow of Luna’s moon, there was little more than a peep in the camp. This late, most soldiers would be off in the mess hall, grabbing their final meals of the day. Some would be climbing into bed for an early start tomorrow morning. Unlucky soldiers would only now be escaping the clutches of their drill sergeant.
Rain dragged his hooves along the dirt paths of the camp. He barely managed to keep himself from falling over. Pain ached from parts of his body he didn’t think it could. He could feel every pound of weight he carried on his body with every step. His stomach growled with anger from missing two meals.
“One hoof after the other.” That phrase had been the only thing keeping him going all day. It was likely to come in handy when he reported in for training tomorrow, too. Each hoof step was a small victory. No matter how easy it was for others, or how small of a victory it was, he took each one with pride.
Soon, he’d reached his destination. The front of the training area was barren at this time of night. Thankfully, it was still open, so he wouldn’t get a penalty for bringing his training gear back late. He walked through the door and into the locker room.
The sounds of wood striking the hay-stuffed training dolls caught his ear immediately. He looked out into the training field and saw the silhouette of someone practicing.
“Oh good, you actually made it.” The voice to his side stole his attention away once again. The clerk pony tapped his hoof against the countertop. “A whole bunch of cadets showed up about an hour ago and told me to expect another one later. I’m guessing that’s you?”
“Y-Yeah…” Rain fiddled with the clasps of his armor, managing to get through them after a bit of a struggle. “Sorry to make you wait.”
“Oh, it’s no problem,” he said with a friendly smile and a wave. “Got on your sergeant's bad side?”
“Something like that.” He pulled the armor off and placed it on the counter. Finally, he could spread his wings and breathe. “Um, so… who’s that out there that’s still practicing?”
“Dunno. They got here before my shift started.” The stallion tossed the used armor into a pile meant for cleaning. The sword Rain gave him right after went back into storage, though. “I mean, I’m not gonna go out there and tell ‘em to leave. That’s their problem.”
“Yeah…” Rain glanced at the figure a bit harder, managing to make out the thin tail of a griffon. The loud clanging of a metal gate falling over the storage room stole his attention once more. “Oh, thanks! I’ll be grabbing my stuff, and I’ll be gone soon.”
“Better be quick! The mess hall will be closing soon.” The stallion waved him goodbye, then slipped out of the room. As quickly as their conversation had ended, he was gone, most likely heading to the mess hall himself. He sighed, then limped toward the locker near the end of the room, closest to the fields.
He pressed a hoof into the knob on the lock and twisted it. Once it was open, he grabbed the saddlebags he left there earlier. Draping them over his back gave him a bit of peace. Energy he didn’t know he had filled his body.
Again, the sounds of combat echoed into the night. The field was dimly lit with torches, so making out the griffon seemed impossible. Still, he watched them in silence as they did their mock battle.
They threw out a horizontal swipe with the blade, followed by an upward rake with their free claw. Using the momentum, they twisted their body and thrust their hind leg into the chest of the mannequin. The flurry of attacks was impressive. The onslaught was beautiful. As if it’d been practiced hundreds of times before. Their movements mesmerized him.
The griffon kicked the mannequin with enough force to launch themselves into the air. The torchlight revealed them just enough to make out some more defining features. A head of glittering gold, and a body as deep as midnight. Rain’s heart skipped a beat as one of her wings spread out. The other twitched as it attempted to follow suit. She grunted as her wing gave out, and she crashed into the dirt.
“Grace!?” Rain’s body moved before his mind. He threw himself toward her, his tired body surging with adrenaline. She turned at the call of her name and met his widened eyes as he landed by her side. With heavy, labored breaths, she slowly got up. “What are you doing? Your wing isn’t in any condition to handle training right now!” She took a few more breaths, then narrowed her eyes.
“Training… I need more training,” she panted. “ I can’t rest until I—”
“No! You need to rest now!” Startled by his outburst, Grace wobbled and fell backward, landing on her flank. “If you put so much strain on your nerves, you’ll end up… losing your wing for good.” He sighed with a downward glance. “Your strength will mean nothing if you can’t use it.”
In the face of his words, Grace sat in silence. The crackling of the fire, the buzzing of night bugs, and the hum of conversation filled the air instead. Rain looked back up to find Grace with her eyes squeezed shut. Her breathing was getting better, but by the look on her face, the pain hadn’t subsided. He reached toward her wing and placed his hoof on it gently. She flinched under his touch.
“I’ll redo our bandages and give you something for the pain, okay?” He waited for an answer, but Grace said nothing. She was shaky, and sweat dripped from her face. Rain gulped, then started his work.
He reached for her wingtip, finding the edge of the gauze with ease. He unraveled it and revealed the injury once again. It hadn’t gotten much better since the last time he saw it. After inspecting the wound a bit further, he dug into his bag and retrieved a long white tube. He squeezed the paste onto his free hoof, then looked up at Grace. She’d opened her eyes and was carefully watching his movements.
“Can you spread your wing out again? Slowly. And tell me if it hurts.” Their gazes met, but only for a moment. After a few moments of silence, she followed the instruction, showing him the entire length of the cut.
Just as he did before, he set out to work immediately. Despite his former exhaustion, it was easy to concentrate on applying the ointment. Finishing up after less than a minute, he capped the tube and retrieved a roll of gauze from his bags. Starting from the base of her wing, he started wrapping it up.
“Sorry for yelling at you.” Her breathing had returned to normal, but she still didn’t look like she was in the best shape. “I don’t mean to get in your business, it’s just… I didn’t want to see you hurt yourself.” Grace looked down at him, her eyes narrowed and piercing.
“Look." She took a deep breath, then continued. "I’m not easy like those pony mares.” Rain paused his work, then raised an eyebrow. “If you think you can get on my good side like this, then brag about bedding me to your friends, you’re dead wrong.” Underneath her harsh glare, his words got caught in his throat. He cleared it, then spoke again.
“Uh… I think you’re misunderstanding something,” said Rain with a nervous chuckle. “I’m not trying to erm… get with you.”
“Then why do you keep doing this?” she snapped. “Why else would you be so quick to heal a griffon like me if you weren’t getting anything out of it?” Rain was silent. He averted his eyes, then continued wrapping up her injury. Once he was almost finished, he decided to answer the question.
“What I said in front of the commander earlier wasn’t a lie.” He cut the gauze, then neatly tucked the end into the folds. “I am a doctor. I helped you then, and am helping you now because I can.” He slipped his supplies back into his bag, then turned to Grace with a gentle smile. “I have no further motive.”
“That… that doesn't make any sense.” Rain chuckled again.
“Guess I’m an illogical guy, then.” He got to his hooves, dusting himself off and picking up his saddlebags. After draping them over his back, he turned to Grace. “No matter how many days of drill training or docked pay they give me, I won’t regret the decision I made that day." He spoke with a confidence he wasn’t very accustomed to. He turned around, flapped his wings, and hovered off the ground. “The training area is going to close soon. I think it’d be best to call it a night, no?”
Grace was quiet. She made no attempt to hide her confusion. Standing up, she took a few deep breaths and shook her head. Their eyes met once again, and Grace finally opened her mouth to speak.
“I’m sorry.” The words washed over Rain like a cold wave. He nearly stumbled out of the air, he was so taken aback. Before he could respond, Grace shook her head, then continued. “No… thank you.”
“O-Oh! Uh, n-no problem!” He turned away from her and waved behind him. “Take care, now. Don’t go overboard with the training!” Without waiting for a response, he took off into the night sky, flying high above the camp and toward the other end. The tiredness from before had almost left him entirely.
Rain wasn’t one to do things for fame or recognition. Despite that, Grace’s words echoed in his mind. The hours of grueling labor he’d endured in basic training, the harsh insults, and the taunting. All of them crumbled in the face of those words. Rain couldn’t help but smirk to himself.
Perhaps tomorrow wouldn’t be as bad as he originally thought.
Grace came to learn how peaceful free days in the camp could be.
Injured combatants were exempt from participating in any combat drills or practices. They also had to check up with her doctor three times a week to make sure their injury wasn’t progressing. After one week, the pain had mostly subsided, but she still hadn’t gotten the okay from the camp’s griffon doctor. So, she had no choice but to lay back and relax, watching others do their training in silence.
Grace also came to learn how boring free days in the camp could be…
She stood up from her spot in the training fields and stretched herself out as best as she could. Under orders not to move her wing around too much, she could only ruffle it a bit to keep it from getting too stiff. The walk out of the locker room and into the main camp was uneventful. No one bothered to stop or question her. The event from a week prior was still fresh in their minds, after all.
She wandered about the camp without a real goal in mind. Her two hotspots were the fields she just left and the gym, both of which were off-limits until she recovered. The words of doctors rarely mattered to her. If she felt fine, she’d do what she pleased. But with that belief recently challenged, she decided it wouldn't hurt to listen.
She stopped. Looking up, there were pegasi and griffons everywhere. They zipped across the sky to get where they needed to go. While Grace felt a bit of envy in her chest, there was something else simmering deeper than that. The feeling that she expected to see someone there.
“Erm, excuse me.” Grace looked down at the voice. A unicorn mare with a nervous expression looked back at her. “Sorry to bother you, but um… you’re blocking the door.” Grace looked to her side and saw that she’d stopped right in front of the door to some building. Without a word, she shuffled out of the way to let the mare pass. She nodded her thanks, then dipped inside.
The building was a bit foreign to her. She realized that she had passed by it many times before, but never decided to stop and look inside. The recreational building was for off-duty soldiers to relax between their missions. Grace looked at the sign for a few moments longer before deciding to head for the door.
It was loud, even before she entered. Conversations melded together into a loud mess. Grace squinted as she scanned the room. There were tables all around manned by ponies, griffons, and sometimes both. They were snacking on stuff from the bar, talking and playing cards at the same time. With a sigh, Grace turned to leave.
But out of the corner of her eye, she caught something. She whipped around to confirm it, and sure enough, there it was. Or rather, there he was. Rain Remedy.
She’d only seen the flick of his tail. That light blue color reminded her of his name. Walking a bit further, she saw the rest of him. His back faced her, a silverish coat like a dark cloud’s silver lining. Along his flank, she spotted small white dashes across his back in an odd pattern. She squinted again. Where had she seen those before—
“Grace? Nice to see you!” The voice broke her concentration immediately. She looked up from his body and into his eyes. Sharp yellow, like her own. Somehow, in her stupor, she’d walked right behind him. “Didn’t expect to see you here. Meeting someone?”
“No…” she answered. She looked away. “I was bored, so I came here.”
“Makes sense.” He returned his focus to the game in front of him. A chessboard with a game in progress sat there. His opponent was a large stallion, maybe even bigger than her, with a strained look on his face. “Front Line and I were just playing a few games of chess.”
“That’s me.” The other stallion looked up at Grace, his puzzled look replaced with a friendly smile. “Nice to finally meet you. This guy never stops talking about you, you know?”
“Yeah, yeah. Make your move already, won’t you?” The grin on Rain’s face made Line scowl. He looked at the pieces for a bit longer before moving his rook down the board a few spaces. “Hmm, hmm, yes, I see.”
“Shut up and checkmate me or whatever.” Rain chuckled, then moved his bishop. As he’d asked, his king got pinned between an attacking bishop, rook, and queen. The match was over. Front Line looked the board over before letting out an exasperated sigh. “You’re a villain.”
“Well, that was fun.” Clearly pleased with himself, Rain hummed as he reset the board. “Would you like to play, Grace? Since you’re here and all.” Front Line put his hooves together like a prayer and bowed his head.
“Please avenge me. Defeat the demon.” Rain chuckled at his friend’s act. Grace silently watched the two for a bit before she spoke.
“I’m not very good, but sure.” Grace approached the opposite end of the table, and Front Line shuffled over to the side. She took her seat as Rain finished setting up both sides.
“I’ll give you white.” He motioned his hoof toward her and smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you.”
“Yeah…” Grace looked at the pieces, pinching a pawn between her claws and moving it forward. As if he didn’t even think about it, Rain moved his own piece the same distance, meeting her pawn in the middle.
“How’s your wing?” Grace glanced to her side, then back at the board.
“Fine.” She moved another piece. “The pain is gone, but the doctor says I still can’t do any exercises.”
“And you haven’t right?” Rain looked up at her. Behind his eyes was a small twinge of worry. Grace hummed.
“I haven’t.” She took a piece of Rain’s off the board, replacing it with her knight. “How about you? Your training, I mean.” Rain grumbled.
“Painful... is putting it lightly.” He sighed. “I’m getting used to it, at least. But the sergeant really doesn’t like me, so he’s making sure I leave worse for wear every day.” He chuckled, then recaptured the square he lost his piece on. “But hey, it could be worse.”
“Not much worse, I can tell you that.” Front Line chimed. He pointed a hoof at the board. “Your rook isn't defended, by the way.”
“Hey!” growled Rain. “No backseating!” Grace took a look at the board, recognizing what Front Line had mentioned. She quickly moved it out of harm’s way. “Man…”
“That’s about all the help I can offer you, though.” He chuckled, then turned his attention to the clock hanging on the wall near him. “I’m supposed to clock in for afternoon training at 1600 hours. Sarge might kill me if I’m late.”
“That sucks.” Rain looked away from the board as his friend rose from his seat. Front Line stretched out before stepping away from the table. “Guess you’ll get that rematch later, hm?”
“Not likely, ya jerk.” He chuckled. Grace glanced at him just as he turned his gaze to her. “Nice meeting you, Grace.” Though she only answered with a small hum, he seemed to be content with that. With a wave, he was gone, and the two were alone at the table.
Surprisingly, without Front Line around, the conversation between them whittled down to nothing. Grace looked up from the board to watch Rain as he played. He hummed while thinking, and tapped his hoof to his cheek right after making his move. These small actions brought a small grin to Grace’s beak.
“Is… Is there something on my face?” Grace moved a piece.
“No, there’s nothing.” Her move cornered Rain’s king. He prepared to give it an escape. “Though, I did have a question.”
“Oh! Ask away.”
“Those marks along your flank. What…” The hoof he’d extended toward his pieces froze. Grace could almost see the goosebumps traveling up his body. He looked away, then continued the game as if nothing had happened. “Nevermind.”
“Sorry.” Rain sighed, placing his hoof down on the table. His face fell. “It’s not like I’m trying to hide it, but—”
A loud slam interrupted his sentence. The table shook and the pieces above it clattered to the ground. Grace and Rain turned to the noise. The culprit was a pony with a condescending sneer on his lips. His back was turned to them, with a single hind hoof raised in front of the table’s supports. The room went silent as the crash happened. Most turned their attention to the scene in curiosity.
“Sorry! That’s my bad.” His faux apology oozed smugness. Grace’s eyes narrowed, but she said nothing. “Oh, is that you, Rain? Didn’t expect to see you here of all places after getting punished by the commander.” He looked between the two. “If you’ve got the time to flex your intelligence to a griffon, maybe that punishment wasn’t enough.”
“Hello, Officer Madcap.” Rain’s voice seemed just as tired and annoyed as his expression. “May I ask why you decided to kick the table?” The shit-eating smirk on Madcap’s face only seemed to get worse as he turned to the other side of the table.
“Wow, what a scary face!” Madcap put a hoof up in front of him for some form of protection. “What, gonna attack me? That’s what you griffons do, isn’t it?”
“Dude, what’s your problem?” Grace looked at Rain as he raised his voice. His annoyed expression warped into anger. “We’re just trying to relax like everyone else.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Madcap shrugged. “I’m just speaking my mind, you know? Nothing wrong with that.” He turned back to Grace. Her claws dug into the wood of the table. “She’s got the problem. Don’t you know it’s rude to stare? Or did you griffons really not get taught any manners?”
The wood underneath her claw cracked as Grace got up from her seat. Madcap was at least a head smaller than her. He backed away, and his grin faltered for a moment, but it quickly returned.
“Grace, don’t.” She looked across the table. Rain got to his hooves, and stepped forward. “This guy isn’t worth it. Let’s just go.”
“You’re a coward through and through, huh?” Madcap mocked. He didn’t take his eyes off Grace, and she did the same. “Can’t even stand up for yourself or your girlfriend. You’re a disgrace.”
“If you’re going to just keep talking without actually doing anything, you aren’t worth my time.” Grace’s voice was calm and measured. She looked him down, then stepped forward just as he took a step back. “But if you’re not a coward, then shut up and step outside.”
“So you do speak!” Madcap laughed. “Fitting that the first thing to come out of your mouth is a fight—”
Bent down at the knees, Grace rushed toward Madcap. Despite never taking his eyes off of her, he flinched and took a large step back. His hind hoof slammed down on one of the bishops along the floor that had scattered earlier. His body wobbled and with a loud cry, he slipped and fell. He slammed down on his back amidst a collection of other pieces. Grace, who’d faked her lunge forward, returned to her normal position with a smile of her own.
“A friendly reminder.” Grace turned on her paw, then made for the door. “Words only hold weight if you have something to back them up with.” As she reached the door, she turned around to look at the fallen pony. Rain bent down next to him but was swatted away with a hoof. After realizing he wasn’t wanted, he followed Grace’s path, ending up at her side. The two slipped through the entryway and left the building without another word.
The silence between them returned, as it often did. Grace had no destination in mind, but Rain’s heavy hoofsteps behind her meant he was following along. She sighed, then turned back enough to see his face. He was looking at his hooves, a complicated expression on his face.
The pair ended up at the mess hall. There, platoons were grabbing their meals. Without the proper permission, the pair couldn’t eat anything but the snacks they sold at the front. They could still sit here without arousing too much suspicion, though. Grace picked an empty table near the entrance and sat down. Rain paused for a moment, but sat down across from her, just as they did before.
Again, neither said anything. Rain looked away as if he was afraid to meet Grace’s expression. He glanced every now and then, but never for more than a few seconds. Again, she sighed, then broke the silence.
“So.” Rain flinched as she spoke. “That wasn’t exactly how I planned for that game to end.” Finally, Rain met her eyes. The confident, striking yellow eyes from before were softer.
“Sorry."
“What are you apologizing for?” she asked. Rain opened his mouth, but said nothing. Grace tapped the tabletop. “Why didn’t you punch that dude in the nose? It looked like you really wanted to.” Surprisingly, Rain laughed.
“I’m already in hot water with the higher-ups,” he said, shaking his head. “And even if I wasn’t… I’m no fighter. I’d probably get laid out flat and look like an idiot.”
“Even if you look like an idiot, some things are worth fighting for.” Rain looked away, but nodded.
“You’re… right,” he said. He shook his head again, then placed his forehead against the cool table. “I wish I could be someone like you. An amazing fighter, winning awards. Somepony who actually matters to the camp.” Grace’s eyes widened. “But instead, I’m just some run-of-the-mill field doc. They could fire me tomorrow and my replacement would’ve been found today.”
Grace looked down at Rain’s head. Appropriate responses bounced around in her head, but none seemed like they’d be the right one. She hummed. Comforting someone wasn’t exactly her strong suit. Eventually, she sighed.
“Hey.” With that one commanding word, Rain looked up from his sulking. Grace stared at him without speaking for a bit, then reached out toward his face. He backed away, but she caught him before he could escape. She pressed the back of her talon to his muzzle. “Have a bit more faith in yourself. Remember that you’re the reason this ‘amazing fighter’ is even still here right now.” Grace smiled. “To me, you’re worth a dozen soldiers. Never forget that.”
“Oh…” His eyes widened. A rosy shade of red flashed across his cheeks. She pulled her talon away. “Th… Thanks.” The embarrassment he radiated affected her as well. She rest her chin in her claw, then looked away.
“No problem." After a deep breath, she shook her head as Rain had before. Normally, that was enough to clear her mind. This time, for some reason, the giddy feeling didn’t go away. She didn't seem to mind it much, though.“No problem…”
Over the past few weeks, Rain had gotten comfortable with the silence of the camp at night. The late training that once put such a heavy strain on his body was now at least bearable. In fact, Rain walked out of basic training better each day.
Not that it wasn’t painful. He still stumbled through the camp with little to no feeling in his hooves. Now, he managed to walk through it.
After depositing his training armor, he took a quick trip to the barracks. Rain trotted through the camp with a basket in his mouth. It was stacked high with soap, shampoo, conditioner, and anything else he might need. As he rounded the corner of a building, his goal was in sight: the showers.
Technically, he was too late to go to the showers. Every squadron had their designated times to shower, and he’d waited far too long to take one. Fortunately, since no one came around this late, there was no one there to stop him as he walked in.
The shower room was very basic. Soldiers weren’t meant to spend much time here or enjoy themselves. Rain planned to do both. He skipped to a showerhead, then placed the basket at his side. With a quick turn of the doorknob, water sprang from the faucet, dousing him in cool relief. He could feel his muscles relaxing as the water rolled down his back.
Using the brush and his wing, he scrubbed his coat clean. Next was his hair, lathered with shampoo and conditioner before rinsing it out. Feeling squeaky clean, the fatigue from earlier went down the drain with the dirt.
Though he finished cleaning himself, that wasn’t all he wanted to do. He slipped the bottles and brush back into the basket, then sat down on the floor underneath the faucet. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
It didn’t rain much where they’d decided to take up camp. Most days would bring sunny weather with the occasional windy day. There weren’t many opportunities for fans of the rain to enjoy themselves under its serenity. For most, this was unfortunate, but not a big issue. As Rain sat there underneath the steady flow of water, he finally found a bit of the peace he was looking for.
Among the pittering of water along the ground, his mind began to wander, as it tended to do when he was in the rain. The events that had happened to him recently flashed through his head. The injustice rooted deep within the ponies and griffons in the camp and what they’d led to. Grace…
He hummed, then shook his head. He thought about her a lot since their last encounter. It took him days before he lost the feeling of her talon pressed against his muzzle. He took another deep breath, but the thoughts didn’t waver. He thought about her confidence, her strength, and her striking yellow eyes. They sent chills to his core but comforted him with their softness as well.
He tilted his head back, and water rolled down his face. The cold stream did little against the heat rising in his cheeks. With a hoof to his forehead, he sighed.
“What am I gonna do…”
“Do about what?” Rain’s eyes shot open, and he got to his hooves. He spun around so quickly, he almost slipped. What he thought must’ve been his imagination or a hallucination turned out to be anything but. Looking down at his exposed, confused figure, was the griffon on his mind. In her mouth, she carried a basket of her own supplies.
“W-What…” Rain quickly flicked his tail to cover his bottom half as best as he could. His eyes darted everywhere in an attempt to find any privacy. The showers had no partitions, so there was no luck there. “Why are you here?”
“To take a shower, of course,” she answered plainly as if she’d just met him in the street like normal. She walked past his showerhead to the next. Cold water brushed along her coat, and she flinched. “I called out to you when I came in, but you didn’t say anything. I thought you might’ve been asleep, or worse.” She turned towards him with a small smile. “What were you murmuring to yourself about?”
“N-Nothing! It was nothing!”
“Clearly it was something.” She chuckled, and the blush across his face widened. He looked away and shuffled on his hooves.
“Why are you being so… nonchalant about this?” he asked. Grace pulled something from her basket, then began to hum. “Isn’t it weird that we’re… casually showering together?”
“Kinda,” she said. “I don’t mind showering with a friend. Besides, this way you can help me scrub my back since my wing is still a bit sore.” Rain bit his lip. She pushed her brush toward him. “Do you mind?”
“N-No, I guess.” He accepted her brush in his hoof, then looked down at it. It was already lathered with soap, but there was something else alongside it. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to remove the thought of Grace’s scent from his mind. Opening his eyes, he carefully brushed along her back, careful not to be rough around her wound. “Um, is this okay?”
“Yeah,” she said with a deep breath. “Thanks, Rain.”
He continued without another word. As gently as he could, he scrubbed her body down. He could feel the muscles in her back tense as he passed over them only to relax a bit later. Once he reached her flank, he pulled back, then worked on her wings. He started with the injured one, noting the scar and the stiffness of her wing.
“Still worried about that scar?” Her voice took him out of his concentration and reminded him where he was. He flinched, then turned forward. “It’s alright. I don’t feel any more pain or anything from it. Doctor says I should be able to get back on it soon.” Rain hummed.
“That’s good.”
“What do you think?”
“Hmm…” Rain hummed. “I’d recommend you do very light wing exercises to start, then move onto flying, then fighting. That’s the safest bet.” Grace hummed just as he did.
“Alright. I’ll do that, then.” Rain finished with her wing just as she spoke. She turned to him, then left her claw out. After returning the brush, Rain backed away from her and back underneath his own shower head. “Now it’s your turn.”
“H-Huh?” His eyes went wide. “No, no I’m fine. I already washed up, actually.”
“I want to repay the favor.” Her eyes softened, and Rain felt his heart skip a beat. For as rough and scary as she could appear, she could still put on a cute face. Rain resigned himself.
“Alright.” He turned around, using his tail to cover himself as best as he could. With a glance backward, he spotted Grace approach him. “Thank you.”
“Mhm.” She began scrubbing as he had. She covered his much smaller back quickly, with long, powerful swipes. She went through his wings gently, then approached his flank.
But before she could properly finish, the brush crawled to a stop. Rain raised an eyebrow, then turned back to see what happened. There, he found Grace with concern plastered on her face.
“These marks…” Rain flinched at her words, then let out a long sigh. “Are they… wounds? Will it hurt if I brush over them?” Rain’s eyes went wide. He opened his mouth to answer, but the words got caught in his throat. He took a deep breath, then another, trying to bring himself to speak. Grace’s concern only grew. “Sorry. My curiosity got the better of me again.”
“No, no, it’s nothing.” Rain shook his head and took a final deep breath. “If I’m going to tell anyone, it’ll be you.” A hoof traveled around his body, pressing into the marks along his flank. Though he couldn't feel them, he knew exactly where they were. “These are… stripes. My grandfather was a zebra.”
“A zebra…?” repeated Grace. Rain nodded.
“My mother has them, too. Her stripes are a bit more pronounced, though.” He moved his hoof and turned back to face the shower. “My grand-aunt… my grandfather’s sister. She’s the one who gave me my name, you know? Whenever she had a problem, sitting under the rain would make them all fly away… To her, the rain was her doctor.
“But there was always something we couldn’t get away from. Not her, not my mother… not me.” He looked back at Grace. “It's happened to the ponies I love before. I couldn’t sit still when they refused to heal you just because you’re different. " He took a deep breath, then continued. "That’s why I want to heal anyone and everyone that I can, no matter who they may be.” Rain chuckled. “But I guess all that’s done is make me more enemies…”
“You think so?” asked Grace, placing her claw against his back. They glided against his coat, along the stripes on his back. “When you told me that you wouldn’t regret healing me that day, I was surprised, but… happy.” Grace removed her claw, then cleared her throat. “So at the very least… you made a friend out of me.”
Rain turned back toward the wall, away from Grace. If his pounding heart was anything to go by, his face must have been burning red. With a hoof to his chest, he took a few deep breaths.
“I think we’ve spent a bit too much time under the shower,” said Grace. She stepped out from behind him, then twisted the knob at his side. The water she was using to shower switched off. “Maybe we should get out of here before someone comes in?”
“Agreed.” Rain had almost forgotten his situation. Reaching for the knob and getting to his hooves at the same time, he was able to twist and shut off most of the water.
Unfortunately, in his haste, he made a bit of an error. Without finding stable ground, he put weight on his hindleg, and it gave way to the water underneath it. He slipped, twisting his entire body around and landing on his back. The crash startled him, but it didn’t seem to cause any damage.
“Ah, damn…” He turned the knob fully off and leaned upward. Grace stood about a foot away, looking down at him in silence. A shocked expression replaced her calm and collected one. Rain put a hoof up. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. If I hurt something, I’d definitely… feel…”
Grace had frozen still, almost unmoving other than the rise and fall of her chest. Confused, Rain followed her gaze. Finally, he realized what had shocked her enough to stop her so suddenly. His hooves shot out to cover himself, but it was much too late at this point.
“That wasn’t… I mean, I didn’t…” His erection grew until he was at full mast. His best attempts to hide it were pitiful in comparison to its size. “This is a m-mistake. P-Pay it no mind.”
Despite his panicked expression, Grace remained frozen. Other than the dripping of water and the distant sounds of chatter, the silence was all that remained. His heart thumped hard enough to burst through his chest. Still, Rain swallowed down his fear and opened his mouth to speak again.
“Move your hooves.” Yet, before he could even get out a murmur, Grace spoke up. Even after running it over in his head, he still wasn’t sure he heard her right.
“W-What was that?” Grace lifted a claw to her face, blocking her flushed cheeks from view. Still, she never looked away for a moment.
“Your hooves,” she repeated. “Move them.” Rain blinked, his disbelief clear on his face. But, without a word, he followed the instruction she’d given him.
He revealed himself again, putting his hooves behind him for support. His shaft shot up unhindered, giving Grace a full view of his dick. After more moments of nothing, Grace finally moved from her statuelike position. She bent down to rest on her side, then looked Rain in the eyes a final time before returning her focus to his lower half. She reached forward, hovering her claw in front of him.
“Can I…?” Rain gulped. In front of his most vulnerable body part sat a pair of claws sharp enough to rend flesh from bone with ease. He’d seen it many times. Now, he’d never felt more comfortable
“Please do.”
With a nod, Grace got to work. Her claws gripped his shaft, careful not to cause Rain any harm. He closed his eyes and took a shaky breath. Grace hummed as she started stroking. She steadily traveled from base to medial ring and back. He let out a shaky breath once she finally broke past the middle, jerking him all the way to the tip. She met his gaze, clearly enjoying his pleased expression.
“You’re… a lot bigger than I thought.” Grace looked back down at his shaft, then traveled the entire length with a single thorough swipe. “I’m not that good at this, so… tell me if something’s wrong.”
“No, this is great…” said Rain through labored breaths. “Nopony’s ever done something like this for me before, but this is nice.”
Soon, she covered his entire length with long, strong strokes. His breathing became much more rugged with each one. He twitched and sputtered in her grip, getting more erratic as she worked.
With a final stroke upward, she paused. Her other claw, which sat idle for a while, gripped his cock near the base. With both working quickly, she pumped with ferocity. Rain’s hind leg twitched in pleasure, and he moaned. Grace hummed once again, a smile appearing on her beak.
“Are you close?” she asked, her tone taunting and goading him. Despite this, he couldn’t deny that her advances had brought him close to bursting. He moaned in response, and Grace chuckled. “You can let it out, Rain. Let it all out…”
She wrapped both claws around the upper half of his dick, then sped up even faster than before. Precum had already begun to dribble out from the tip. Biting his lip was the only thing keeping him from exploding right then and there. But with Grace’s tenacity, it was only a matter of time before he crumpled. And with a hefty grunt, he did.
Cum sprang from his tip, and his wings shot outward. It sailed into the air and splattered against his thighs and the ground. Grace’s grip tightened slightly, and she closed her eyes shut as the volleys of cum pumped out of him. After a bit, she opened her eyes again, noticing the mess in front of her.
“Sweet Celestia…” Rain’s head pressed against the wall. He swallowed breaths as if he’d just finished running a marathon. With his hoof, he cleared the sweat rolling down his face with a swipe. After he calmed down, he looked down at Grace again, who let go of him. She was looking at her claws, her talons sticky with semen. “S-Sorry! Let me run the water again.”
“It’s okay.” Grace brought her talons up to her beak, then carefully licked the cum from them. Something about the sight made his heart skip a beat. He pursed his lips as she got to work, leaving her talons as clean as they were when they started. Once she finished, she looked at him with a smirk. “I’d say you enjoyed that.”
“Yeah…” Rain nodded. “So, I’ll return the favor.” Grace raised an eyebrow.
“Oh?” She narrowed her eyes. Though, instead of being intimidating, they only furthered Rain’s arousal. “How do you plan on doing that?” Rain chuckled, then spun his hoof in a circle.
“I think it’ll be best if I show you.” Rain smiled, and Grace hummed in thought. She got up from her seated position, then turned around, giving him a full view of her flank and beyond. Her thin tail excitedly swung to and fro. Rain glanced at all she’d shown him in silence before bringing his hoof up to it. “It’s quite pretty.”
As he pressed his hoof to her lips, she flinched. He started with gentle rubbing, traveling up and down its length. Then he split them, taking a look at the peachy pink beyond. She was already wet, but Rain could see that not all the moisture there was from the shower. He smiled, then set out with what he intended to do from the start.
“Ah!” A shrill yelp came from Grace, quickly muted with a claw over her beak. Rain pulled away from his kiss on her pussy. A confused and embarrassed look spread across her face.
“That was quite the girly noise there,” he said. Grace furrowed her brow.
“I couldn’t help it,” she grumbled. “What was that? You’re not supposed to put your mouth there!”
“A pony's lips can be quite nice. Or so I've heard,” he said with a chuckle. He rubbed her again, this time in a circle. “Don’t worry. Just sit back and enjoy. This is me returning the favor.” Returning his focus to the meal in front of him, Rain dove right in.
First, he peppered her with kisses as he did before, though Grace was mute. After he’d gotten his fill, he opened his mouth, letting his tongue out and lapping at her inner walls. That stole a low moan from her. His hoof poked and prodded at the bottom of her pussy, teasing her clit with subtle pleasure. Grace began to shiver underneath his assault. But he wasn’t anywhere near done.
Leaning forward even more, he placed his free hoof on her flank, giving him a proper hold as he dug even deeper. This time, he let his tongue go as far as it wanted, pushing through Grace’s warm, tight embrace. Grace leaned down, keeping her flank high enough for Rain to continue but letting her front drop.
Rain’s tongue wriggled back and forth, exploring every inch of her available to him. From the walls to the roof to the floor, no bit of her pussy could escape it. The moaning continued to get louder until Rain was sure that she wasn’t covering her mouth at all. He paused, then pulled himself away.
“You know, you don’t have to be so reserved,” he said. “I don’t think anyone is coming and… I like to hear your voice.” Grace took a few deep breaths before she turned back to him.
“S-Sure,” she murmured. “But don’t stop again…” Rain nodded, then once again turned his focus to her pussy. Determined to do right by her, he pulled out all the stops.
He latched onto her clit, pinching it between the roof of his mouth and his tongue. Though that was enough to pull out a growl of pleasure, he went a bit further. He sucked on it like a lollipop, gently tugging and squeezing the tiny nub. She yelped in surprise, but it quickly melted into another moan. He flicked it with his tongue, enjoying her cute reactions to each one.
Her tail found its way onto his shoulder and wrapped around his neck. The grip wasn’t tight enough to constrict his breathing, but the tuft of fur at the end tickled him. He used his other hoof to bring her ass closer and quickened his licks. Her hind leg lifted slightly, her soft paw pressing down on his leg while seated.
“S-Something’s coming…” she said, breathlessly. “It’s coming… I can’t hold it in!” Rain’s eyes widened as her shivering suddenly increased in intensity. Her tail squeezed him tight for just a moment. “Hmmmnn…!”
Rain finally pulled away from her and panted. Grace wasn’t in much better shape. She’d clawed at the tiles, leaving marks along them. She pressed her forehead against the cool surface, breathing just as heavily as Rain was.
Rain let go of her flank, letting her stand in a much more natural position. It also gave him room to get up himself. Once he reached his hooves, he wiped the sweat from his brow again and took a final deep breath. Stabilized, he took a look at Grace to see how she was faring.
But instead of getting up as he had, Grace remained in the same position. Worry sprang up in Rain’s chest. With a glance around to her front, he tried to see if there was something wrong. Instead, as Grace met his eyes, a thought entered his head.
She looked back at him with the same eyes she had earlier. Her tail, which wagged back and forth earlier, was oddly calm. It slithered toward him, traveling along his belly and reaching his dick. It had returned to full mast some time ago, but Rain hadn’t paid much attention to it. Now, it was the biggest thing on his mind.
“W-Wait.” He looked at her body again. She bent over with her flank poked up at him. Her eyes were hungry, almost predatory as they glared at him. There was only one thing Rain knew that could result from a position like this. “Are you… serious?”
Grace didn’t respond, at least not with words. A smirk flashed across her face, and her tail flicked along his stomach again. Rain could feel himself heating up. This wasn’t just a bit of foreplay anymore. Somewhere inside of himself, he knew that it could lead here. Seeing it in front of him was an entirely different story, though. Still, it was in front of him now, and Grace was waiting.
Swallowing his fear, he placed his hooves on her flank, then pulled himself up. Grace let out a small purr as he did, some form of excitement sparkling behind her eyes. He maneuvered his way above her and lined himself up with her pussy as best as he could. Once he felt it against the flat of his head, he knew that there was no turning back.
He wanted to spend a moment analyzing the situation, but his body wouldn’t allow it. It didn’t matter that he was a pony, or that she was a griffon. At the moment, he was Rain, and she was Grace. Grace wanted him, and he wanted Grace. There was nothing more important.
With a small push of his hips, his tip broke through her lips and slipped inside of her. Both let out small grunts. Rain pushed in further, only managing a few more inches before he had to stop. She was so… hot. He felt like his entire body was catching fire. On top of that, she was tight. She squeezed him way harder than she did his tongue. Rounding off the experience was the softness and wetness. With each inch, he glided through, her soft, pillowy walls, guiding him deeper.
But despite his eagerness, he paused near his medial ring. He took a few deep breaths, then readjusted himself. He looked down at Grace, whose stern facial expressions were with bliss.
“This is… amazing,” he breathed. “I’ve never felt anything like this.” Grace looked up at him, then chuckled.
“This is a f-first for me, too.” She bent her hind legs enough to give him a better angle to push in. After a bit of readjusting, he was ready to go. “Just… don’t go too hard and break something, alright?”
“Y-Yeah.” Again, Rain swallowed down his nerves before he continued. As smoothly as he had before, he pushed further in, indulging in every inch of her warm embrace. With a final push and a long exhale, the tip of his cock snuggled up against the back of her pussy. “Is this… good?”
“Perfect,” cooed Grace. Her tail wrapped around his hind leg as it did around his neck before. “Come on. Don’t keep me waiting now.” Rain looked her in the eyes, then nodded his understanding.
This position was foreign for the pegasus. At first, he awkwardly pulled away for a few inches before grinding back down into her. Her body didn’t want to let him go. He adjusted his position once more, then began moving his hips in a rhythm. Despite the clear amateur nature of his thrusts, each one seemed to bring the pair pleasure.
Finally getting the hang of things, he sped up. His thrusts became sharper and packed more power. The burning passion in his chest pushed him to go as fast as he could. He slammed his hips with more power, Grace’s pussy greeting him with a warm kiss every time. He fell out of rhythm, and his breaths became ragged. He barreled through her pussy with an aggressiveness he’d never displayed before.
“G-Grace…” Rain leaned in as far as he could, placing his hooves on either side of her head. “I can’t hold it in… s-should I pull out?” Grace’s claws reached for his hooves and held them tight. She craned her neck upward, and their eyes met.
“Don’t you dare,” she murmured. “Fill me up!”
Almost before she finished speaking, Rain slammed forward with all his might. She yelped as steaming hot cum bubbled out of him, quickly pooling inside of pussy. She squeezed down hard, milking him for every little drop he kept from her.
Once it was over, life itself left Rain’s body. He used the last of his power to slip out, then fell onto his back. The soreness he’d come here to remove returned in full force. This time, though, he didn't mind it as much.
“Hey.” He focused again, finding Grace looking down at him with her normal expression. Seeing her now made the last 10 minutes seem like a dream. She smirked, then pressed her claws down onto his outstretched hooves. “Did you like making me moan like a girly mare?” Rain’s face lit up with embarrassment.
“Well… a little,” he hummed. “It’s not like it didn’t suit you.”
“Hmph.” She stepped forward, and Rain looked down her belly. He could barely see his cum dripping out of her and onto the floor. That alone was enough to make his heart beat hard against his chest. “Let’s see how you like it when I take the lead.”
“O-Oh?” Though he was tired, his bottom half still stepped up to the challenge. It stood at full mast moments after Grace hovered over him. She pressed her lips against the head again, the stimulation enough to pull a gasp out of Rain. “W-Woah, woah, wait! It’s still sensitive!”
“I know…” The first few inches slid inside with no effort. Rain’s hindleg kicked out in surprise as pleasure shot up his back. With a smug smirk, she continued. “I’m not waiting anymore. Brace yourself.”
In a single, fluid motion, she shoved almost half of him inside of her. He could barely get out a yelp before she engulfed the rest of him. While he was still getting his bearings, it seemed as if Grace had already conquered him. She sat down on his thighs, her soft, shapely flank squishing against them as she took his full length. She took a deep breath, then looked down at Rain, trembling underneath her.
“I still can’t believe this big thing really fits inside of me,” she said. “The guys in the camp wouldn’t make fun of you for being spineless if they saw it.” Rain chuckled.
Grace lifted herself off of him, then came down again gently. The weight of her body pressed down on him, all in her ass. It was a bit of a different squeeze than before. As he had a bit ago, she started off small and slow, feeling him out.
But Grace was not one for the slow and steady. Once she really regained her bearings, she gripped his hooves tight, then began her attack. She slid up and down the length of his shaft with ease, lubed up by the cum still coating it. Each time she came down, there was a mighty slap. Much to Grace’s joy, it also pulled a small moan out of Rain. With few wasted movements, she wrenched his cock inside of her, goading out an orgasm.
The sounds of sex filled the bathroom. Each breath, moan, and slap bounced off of the walls, melting together in an arousing mix of lust. Grace moved her claws to the sides of Rain’s head, once again scraping at the tiles underneath. Despite trying her best to keep it in, the girth, length, and tenacity of Rain’s cock pulled moans from her anyway. She hung her head, pressing it into Rain’s chest as she pushed forward.
But underneath all the sounds echoing in the bathroom, there was one that caught Rain’s attention. Even drowning in pleasure, he couldn’t ignore it. A distant, heavy click. The sound of a door opening. He quickly turned toward the door to the bathroom.
“G-Grace, wait!” he whispered. She lifted her head, but her assault didn’t stop. “S-Someone’s, hnng, someone’s coming!”
“Yeah,” she said with a smirk. “You.”
“N-No, I mean someone’s outside the door!” Despite his clarification, Grace’s smirk didn’t waver in the slightest.
“I don’t care who sees us,” she said, her eyes narrowing. “All I care about is you.”
The sentiment made Rain’s heart skip a beat. Or, perhaps it was the thought of being caught having sex in the showers. Either way, Rain’s heart began to thump faster and faster. In fact, his heartbeat matched up perfectly with Grace’s resounding thrusts. He swallowed hard, then took a deep, shaky breath.
“Oh, did someone leave the light on?” Rain’s hooves shot up, wrapping around Grace’s body and hugging her to his chest. He wasn’t sure how this would help, but he felt like he had to do something. The heavy thunk of the deadbolt shifting made his heart jump into his throat. He looked over at the door, spotting a hoof reaching through it. Sweat dripped down his brow as the door opened more than before.
Then, complete darkness. The pony flipped the light switch. A small beam of light came from behind the cracked door but quickly disappeared once it shut.
Even after they were alone, Rain held onto Grace tight. Her advances hadn’t been for naught, of course. Thick ropes of cum pumped out of him and into Grace for the second time that night. In the darkness, each sound felt more personal, more intimate. In his ear, Grace moaned and whimpered as his seed filled her up. After he spilled all he could, letting the excess drip down himself and into a pool on the floor, Rain let her go again.
Both of them lay panting on the ground in the darkness. Rain felt her cool breath against his chest with each deep breath. He closed his eyes once again, though there was little meaning to it now.
Silence returned, as it often did between the two. After they regained their composure, neither said much of anything. Neither moved. A twinge of worry formed in Rain chest, another common occurrence. He opened his eyes, now somewhat adjusted to the darkness, and looked down at Grace.
She was laying against his chest, eyes closed. She looked comfortable as if she’d fallen asleep in his hold. His hoof pressed against her head, and her eyes opened. The two pairs of yellow eyes seemed to glow in the darkness as they met.
“So…” Rain spoke up first. He nervously chuckled but didn’t look away. “Are we… dating now?” Grace blinked a few times.
“It’d be… quite odd if we weren’t,” she said with a smile. “Unless you don’t want to be seen going out with a griffon, that is?” Rain’s eyes went wide.
“No, no, that's not—” His sentence was cut short by Grace’s small laugh.
“That was just a joke.” She moved closer to his face, snuggling closer to him with her entire body. Her wings wrapped around him. In response, he wrapped his hooves around her like he did a little while ago. The embrace made him feel warm. Comfortable.
The silence returned, but it was far from awkward. Both enjoyed the other’s company, and neither had much of a reason to worry about anything else. Rain knew he had to move eventually, but that thought wasn't on his mind. All that mattered to him then was holding Grace close.
And as he did, he was content.
Author's Note
After-Sex Smoke
