Dragon Kissesby Betty_StarlightChaptersChapter 1: Unexpected MeetingsChapter 2: Best FriendsChapter 3: Sex, Drugs, and Dragon PonesChapter 4: Over The LimitChapter 5: LoveChapter 1: Unexpected Meetings“After the curse was lifted and I gained the ability to speak again, I never really knew what to say? I mean, I would have these feelings in my mind and I’d never know how to voice them? So even when I could talk again, I never said much, except to speak with the cashier at the grocery store or to pay for my meal at a restaurant. Heh, it’s so strange too! But I actually enjoy eating alone in those places! Everypony else is visiting with their family or dates or whatever, but I just eat by myself at my own table and remain deep in thought… I like my own company so much that I’m not even sure if anything else is really necessary? That is, until I found the amulet… “ “Okay, what was that about an amulet?” My therapist said out the side of his mouth as he used it to scratch down a few notes… I smile and giggle, “Well, the amulet isn’t nearly as important as what it was attached to! Another kirin!” His eyes widen from underneath his neon green wavy kirin mane, “Is that so? Then why even bring it up?” As I laid there on the red couch on my back and adjusted my eyes to the ceiling, I thought to myself about that amethyst necklace she wore around her head and I suddenly wondered why I just couldn’t get my mind off of it? “Well, it’s a very nice necklace!” He smiles while staring down at the pad with his red eyes underneath his horn, that spread to two points in the center, “I see… Well, what did you say to them?” At that point, I froze! While I still couldn’t get that necklace out of my mind, it also occurs to me that this fabulous looking other kirin with her gorgeous blue eyes and lovely dark green scales and off-color red mane doesn’t even know I exist! “Well uh, nothing! Yet! I’m getting there!” The therapist chuckles and while this only irritates me somewhat, he does say, “Well, are you nervous? Does the idea of talking to this amazing new kirin frighten you?” “No!” I quickly blurt out to lie! “I just uh, well like I said, what do I say to her?” His left eyebrow raises as he jots down another note, “Oh? It’s a female kirin, is it?” I matter-of-factly reply, “Well, I’m a lesbian! You didn’t know that?” “How would I know that when we’ve never discussed your romantic liaisons?” I frown, “Okay, you make a point!” “Right, but well, think now! You know she has an awesome necklace! Why not compliment her on that as an opener?” I grimace when I realize he’s got a point, “Well, I mean, how would I even word that? I don’t really talk to many ponies!” “Practice, my dear Skyfire! Practice! You’re gonna have to open up sooner or later and we can start off nice and slow, okay? Now, I don’t think you should meet any strange new kirin with amazing necklaces right now, but how about baby steps, instead? Just go for a trot around the village and smile and wave at the other kirin as you pass! Don’t you think that would help you begin to open up?” “I don’t know? Maybe?” He chuckles somewhat, “Well, just try it later, okay? Now, I think that about wraps up our time together. Uh, the usual time in two weeks?” I sigh and roll my eyes, “That’ll be fine, doctor!” <*****> And so, I trot outside of the wooden office complex built inside a tree as it was and turn left to begin trotting down the dirt path leading to the other side of town where I lived. I began to think about that strange other pony and her necklace... There was something peculiar about that thing that I just couldn’t put my hoof on? I think that I’ll probably roll a fattie when get back? When suddenly, I notice another kirin up the way! Remember what he told me! They aren’t my enemy! I think to myself as this other blue kirin smiles at me as he passes…. I stare back at him and smile back! That’s right! It’s okay! I’m happy and you’re happy! Just go away now so I can be alone again! He passes me as I continue to trot past two more tree-buildings on my left in the village. My house is at the edge of town and if I can just make it there, I’ll be fine! Soon, blissful smoke awaits! All of a sudden, I see another kirin! This one is orange! Not my enemy! Think to myself as I smile at this other strange pony. She smiles back at me as she continues trotting and passes me on my left, same as before while I continue to trot past more tree-buildings here in the kirin village. A joint would make this day a lot better! I think to myself as I continue to trot towards the South end of town, where my little tree-cottage is located… Then, I see another kirin… This kirin is different though… This kirin has a light green coat with darker green scales over the top and lovely dark blue eyes… And an off-color red mane, which was a bit darker than usual… Uh, Burgundy I think it’s called? But by far, the most interesting thing was that this other kirin wears a peculiar amethyst necklace… Or we can just meet her right now! I think to myself as I almost reflexively smile at the green kirin as I pass by and say, “Hi!” as she passes by with her horn, that branches off into two points very close to her forehead. Her eyes widen when she sees me, “Oh, hi there! I live in the outskirts and am new in town and was just wondering…” Oh, shit! She’s actually talking to me! I’d better pay attention to what she’s saying… “...so um, do you know where the clock tower is?” My eyes widen at attention as I start, “I’m sorry, what?” She blinks and says, “Uh, I was doing a report for the paper on the clock tower and wanted to know where that is?” “Oh, you’re a reporter!” Her eyes widen, “Yes! Who’s looking for the clock tower!” My left eyebrow raises, “A clock tower seems like a major landmark. How could you, as a reporter, not know where it is?” She smiles, “I’m new! I just started writing for the column three days ago!” her smile widens, “You may have seen one of my pieces in the paper? My name is Silva Dawn!” and she extends her right forehoof towards me to shake. “Nice to meet you!” I wonder if she’s going to eat me? I think to myself as I smile and take a pace towards her to meet her hoof with mine… (To be continued…) Chapter 2: Best FriendsI shake the other kirin’s hoof with my own as I gaze into her azure eyes underneath her neatly brushed reddish mane as she grins at me, “Well, about that clock tower!” I start and blurt out while staring at her face, “Well, we should probably have lunch first?” before suddenly wondering why I said that? She frowns, “Well, it’s still kinda early, but I guess I could eat now?” before smiling again. “Yeah, I don’t actually live in town! I have my own cottage near the edge of the forest!” I blink, “So I guess that’s why you don’t know where things are?” She giggles slightly under her breath, “Well, right!” “And your name is Silva?” “Yes! Silva Dawn! But you never told me your name?” “I didn’t did I?” “Uh, no…” She continues to stare at me expectantly… I blink with a start, “Oh! My name is Skyfire and I live in town!” “Oh!” Her eyes widen with this new knowledge… Both of us are silent for a moment… “Weren’t we going to go to lunch?” She suddenly asks. I widen my gaze at her, “Yes! Yes we were! Uh, where did you want to go?” before frowning as I wonder just how more awkward this whole thing can get… She stares at me, “Well, what would you recommend?” I smile blankly back at her, “Uh, what would I uh, oh! You want a restaurant! Uh, how about Scaley’s Pizza? I mean, their tropical pizza is actually pretty good! Believe it or not, there’s actually mangoes and pineapples on the other side of the peninsula!” She smiles again, “Is that so?” <*****> So um… I sat there on the chair on my side of the table, staring at this other fire pony with a grin on my face… I hope it doesn’t look too weird? Uh, I probably look weird right now… “What do you usually write about?” She smiles at me in the dimly lit wooden room, “Oh, usually slice-of-life drama and stuff like that. I recently wrote a piece about the fire department rescuing a kitten!” My smile lowers, “That doesn’t seem paper-worthy?” Her eyes widen, “Well, it was from a bugbear! Should probably mention that?” My smile widens a bit as I giggle, “Important detail that!” “Probably, right?” She responds with a wry grin as I stare at that same purple necklace around her neck… It’s just a violet gem, maybe the size of my hoof, but there’s something about it… She breaks my focus, “So, you’re probably wondering about my necklace, right?” I blink as I look up at her and realize that can’t think of a lie quickly enough, “Uh, well it does catch my eye a bit, yes!” She stares at me intently, “Yes, I know! This is no ordinary necklace. This is a gem that grants me charisma. Ponies like me when I wear this… “ I stare back at her, “Really? And you wear it to…” She cuts me off, “To enhance my ability as a reporter, yes! And now, let me guess! You’re enamored with me and wish to be with me, am I right?” My eyes widen, “Well uh, I don’t think I’d go so far as to say…” She cuts me off again, “Right! Well, I can assure you that you DO NOT want to be with me!” My gaze and mouth narrow as I suddenly feel as if I’ve been issued a challenge, “Well, why is that?” She stares at me blankly, “I just don’t do love, okay? It’s uh, not for me…” I glare back at her, “Well, why is that?” She blinks back at me and smiles lightly, “I don’t want to be tied down…” At that point, I frowned at this other fire pony… I saw a look in her eyes just there… Something I couldn’t readily identify before saying to her, “Well, how about friendship for now, then?” She continues to smile lightly and says, “Well, I guess we could give it a try?” she glances up at me as her smile widens. “Now, tropical pizza, you were saying?” I nod, “Well, right!” Suddenly, a dark red waitress at my left asks, “Are you ready to order?” I turn my gaze to her and say, “One medium tropical pizza with hoof-tossed crust please! Uh, and a Diet Sparkle Cola!” Silva turns her neck right towards the waitress, “I’ll have a Dr. Lightning, please!” The waitress smiles at us and says, “I’ll go put in for your pizza and get your drinks!” before turning and trotting away… Okay, so she didn’t actually eat me… No, she did something far more insidious… She smiled… “Are you okay, Skyfire?” I snap back to reality and stare at her blankly, “Oh, I’m fine!” She sighs, “I hate my necklace…” I frown at her, “W-what?” She stares at me seriously with her sparkling blue eyes and says quite plainly, “I can’t take it off…” “What?” I repeat myself… She blinks at me, “The necklace has a curse…” “What do you mean?” I finally complete the sentence. She sighs, “The necklace grants me charisma, yes! But once I put it on, I can’t take it off. And now I must forever wonder if I truly am that charming or if it was just the necklace this whole time…” I gaze directly at her, “So you don’t know if I actually like you?” She looks back at me, “Correct!” I smile a demented grin at her, “Today is your lucky day, Silva Dawn!” She frowns, “W-what are you talking about Skyfire?” I widen my eyes, “Because it doesn’t matter if you have a funky necklace or not! You’re automatically my best friend as of today, no matter what!” “What?” She asks with a startled look on her face. I nod, “You see, you’re my only friend! So I’m gonna like you by default!” She glares at me blankly, “So what then? I know I’m number one, no matter what?” I nod more vigorously, “Pretty much!” She frowns, “Great! Now we’re together by default!” “What?” She giggles slightly under her breath, “Well, think about it! My curse makes me not really crave friendship, since I won’t believe it’s real, but at the same time, my heart yearns for it! And you’re the only kirin who I can honestly say genuinely likes my company, since well, I have no competition!” I widen my eyes with a start, “I uh, never actually thought about it like that…” She blinks, “Yeah, so we’re automatically besties, now!” I smile again, “Yup! Isn’t it great?” She glares at me, “Skyfire, you’re a loon!” And I frown again, “I get that a lot!” And so, that’s how we ended up having sex… Okay, I probably left out some important details here? The waitress comes by with our pizza balanced on her snout and she sets it down on the table before us… “Is there anything else I can get for you two?” She asks while standing there attentively… I look at her, “Well, what would you recommend for dessert?” “Dessert?” Silva asks with her right eyebrow raised. “We haven’t even eaten the pizza yet!” I stare back at her, “I know, but how else can I delay the inevitable awkward conversation about friendship that’s about to come?” At that point, the room just stopped and she closed her eyes and tried her best in vain to suppress giggles from the pit of her stomach as the waitress stared at me with thewierdestexpression in he peninsula’s history… I turn my head back left to the waitress, “You know what? Never mind! We’re good!” and then back to Silva to smile as I hope I don’t look too strange and she chuckles at me… <*****> I stared up at the ceiling with my tongue out the right side of my mouth as I feel the deep bloated sensation in the pit of my gut as Silva says from the other side of the table, “S-so! Chocolate Death Cake!” I widen my eyes as I put my tongue back in my mouth, “Y-yeah! Chocolate Death Cake!” She stares at me blankly, “W-why did we just order and eat the entire Chocolate Death Cake together?” I gaze back at her, “I-I like chocolate!” “I do too, but there’s like, a million calories in there!” I widen my eyes, “Totally worth it!” “You’re insane Skyfire!” I frown back at her with a blank stare, “You keep telling me that?” She gazes back at me, “So, what do you want to do now, bestie?” I look back into her blue eyes and ask, “Bestie?” as my mind just now comes to terms with the conversations we’ve been having… She smiles, “Yeah, remember? We became best friends earlier and then ate a humongous chocolate cake together? You were there too!” I widen my eyes, “Oh, yeah! I was, wasn’t I?” I look at her seriously. “Uh, didn’t you have to go to the clock tower after this?” She nods, “Well, right! But I can do that tomorrow and still be fine! Uh, I want to spend some more time with my new bestie!” I frown, “Loon! Crazy! Bestie! You’re calling me a lot of things today!” She smiles, “Yeah, but I can call you Skyfire, too!” I grin back, “That works!” as I hope I don’t look too awkward… And so, that was the beginning of our day of fun… (To be continued…) Chapter 3: Sex, Drugs, and Dragon PonesHey, remember how I said she didn’t eat me? Well, I kinda lied! Um, I guess the beginning would be the best place to start? So, I was actually born on a Saturday… Wait a minute. That’s probably too far back? Okay, so we just left the restaurant and that’s when Silva turned her head left to look at me as we trotted on the dirt road of the forest village, hidden there deep in the foliage in the woods. “So, what do you wanna do now bestie?” I glance over at her and widen my eyes, “Uh, how would I know? I don’t have any friends!” She nods her head and smiles, “Well, you do now!” I grin back coyly at her, “Well, we can always have freaky nasty sex?” <*****> And so, I sat there on my back on my bed as the covers were all thrown over to the left side and onto the floor, so now only the white fitted sheet on top remained, with us two dragon pones on top… I adjust my gaze to the azure kirin on the other side of the mattress, “Funny true story, I was only joking! I didn’t actually expect you to say yes!” She smiles at me, “And yet, you still went through with it!” I frown, “Well, that is to say, I mean, you aren’t totally unattractive and well, I uh…” She smiles and giggles at me, “You just wanted to screw me, didn’t you!” I widen my eyes, “Well uh, maybe! I mean, it’s not impossible and well…” “Oh, stop it Skyfire! You have urges! It’s okay!” I stop yammering to stare at her, “Well uh, yeah, I guess I do, right?” She leans my direction from the left side of the bed for a nuzzle as she smiles affectionately at me, “Right!” and I can’t help but smile back at the affection… I sigh, “I don’t usually do this, but I really want a doobie right now!” “Well, smoke up! I’m not gonna get in your way!” I start and stare at her blankly, “Uh, you’re okay with it? Um, do you get high?” * She smiles at me, “Well, not really! But you go ahead!” I frown, “Right! Doesn’t need to be too big! I’m the only smoker!” <*****> I held the burning stogie in my green magical grasp on the left side of my face as smoke poured out the front, “So, you’re sure you don’t want any?” She smiles from the other end of my kitchen table, “No, I’m fine!” I narrow my gaze, “So coitus is fine, but dope-smoking and relationships are out of the question? Got it!” before the glowing joint comes to my muzzle and I purse my lips to feel warm smoke going down my throat. Her eyes widen, “Now she’s getting it!” I exhale smoke over to the left side and stare back at her from across the table as the cigarette burned on my right, “So, what then? I smoke up and talk to you now?” She nods, “Sounds good to me! What do you want to talk about?” “We had sex!” She nods again and grins wryly at me with a look in her blue eyes, “This is true! Do you wanna talk about that?” By this point, my eyes are super wide, but I can’t really say much before there’s currently more warm smoke going into my mouth and down my throat… I finally exhale to the side again before staring at her, “So, that’s it then? We’re just what? Friends who screw each other and talk about it?” and then, I almost unconsciously float the joint back into the right side of my snout for another pull with a somewhat disgruntled frown on my face... She frowns as she stares at me blankly, “Well, I’m playing it by ear right now, but it certainly seems to be that way, yeah!” I narrow my eyes while exhaling smoke from the right side of my muzzle as the joint burns on the other end, “And you’re fine with that?” Her eyes widen again, “Why wouldn’t I be?” As the hot fog travels down into my lungs, I gaze at this other kirin seriously and notice those luminescent azure scales on the side of her body with that pert rump and lovely tail that ends in a cute blue poof… I finally exhale, “I want to have sex again, but I’m finishing this joint first. I’ll pack the roach in with some fresh herb into my pipe when we get done. Is this acceptable?” By this point, I can tell she’s suppressing giggles, “Sounds good to me, bestie!” I nod and say out the left, “Right! But I’m not done smoking yet!” She nods again, “That’s fine, darling! Take your time!” Darling? I think to myself as I take another drag off the half-joint… I hold the smoke in my lungs as I stare back at her face, smiling at me… I see her cute nose there and those pretty sky-blue pupils of hers… I don’t know how to tell her this, but I don’t think it’s the necklace? I eventually exhale smoke and decide to float the half-joint back down to the glass ashtray in front of me before staring back up at her… “Ready!” <*****> And so I sat there on the bed, now kinda sweaty, and I used my green magick to stuff the half-joint, paper and all, into my blue glass spoon pipe sitting there on my nightstand… I glance over at her while floating the pipe and red disposable lighter to my muzzle from the right, “You sure you don’t want any?” She smiles and nods, “That’s fine bestie! I get to just watch you now in your natural habitat…” I glance back to my right near the pipe and think that statement is a little weird, but decide to forget it as the pipe lands into my mouth and I purse my lips on it and ignite the lighter overhead to fire it up as I magically operate the carburetor on the right side… “So, do you get it now?” She asks with a big smile on her muzzle as I sat there, exhaling smoke out the front of my mouth… I then turn my head left to gaze at the smiling blue face of this other kirin on my bed, “What do you mean?” She giggles, “I mean, I want to make you happy…” I frown, and ask, “Why” before bringing the glowing pipe to my face and igniting the lighter for another draw… “Well, lets just say that I got tired of being alone…” I exhale smoke and float the pipe and lighter down to my square wooden nightstand and turn my gaze left to look at her, “What do you mean?” She sighs, “Do you have any idea how lonely it is when everypony loves you?” I frown, “Uh, not really, no!” She looks down and sighs, “It’s always so predictable… Oh Silva, you’re so great! Oh Silva, can I do anything for you!” she raises her gaze to me. “But not you! You’re different.” My eyes widen, “Am I now? How am I different?” “Well, for one thing, you’re not immediately eating out of my hoof the moment we meet, and I’m not sure why?” “That makes two of us!” I say as the glowing pipe glides through the air to the right side of my snout. She lowers her gaze to me, “So what could it be then?” I inhale from the stem of the pipe while tapping the carb, “Shit if I know!” Her eyes widen, “Well, right!” I nod while the pipe floats in front of me and smoke pours out of my snout, “Right! Since we clearly have no way of exploring this mystery even further, we will now drop it! I will finish this bowl, and then we will have sex again!” Silva starts as she stares at me intently, “Uh, Skyfire! Are you horny?” I start as I stare at the other kirin, “Um, no! Maybe? It’s a definite possibility? Uh, are we gonna have sex again?” She smiles and giggles, “Well, sure baby! I mean, if that’s what you really want?” Baby? I think to myself as I nod my head, “Yes Silva! That sounds wonderful!” and then float the pipe to my mouth for another drag… <*****> And so, I didn’t even make it out of the bed that time! I sigh at the ceiling as I sit on the white fitted sheet on top of the bed, while both pillows are thrown to the floor… “Uh, we just had sex again, didn’t we?” I hear Silva from my left, “Yeah, it’s almost like you have a lot of pent up horniness?” I smile and giggle, “Well, you wouldn’t be wrong!” “Wanna talk about it?” “Not really…” “Well, what would you like to do now?” I gaze up at the ceiling intently as I suddenly don’t feel like I need to hide anything? “Do you really want to know?” “Yes…” I’m silent for a moment… “I would very much like to snuggle you and take a nap together…” Suddenly, I feel her hooves wrap around my body and I noticed the blanket levitating over me and landing gently to cover us two kirin… Silva nuzzles the left side of my neck, “Goodnight Skyfire!” I close my eyes at that point, still unsure of what I just got myself into… I feel apprehensive, and yet, at the same time, I don’t think I’d ever say no to her? I suddenly feel the warmth of her body on my side and soon, I notice her hot breath on the side of my neck too… I shortly also feel her forehoof go over the top of me as I sat on my back with my legs in the air, gently holding up part of the blanket… By this point, there are no more cannabinoids in my brain and I’m thinking clearly… And that only makes things more confusing! I felt very close to this warm dragon pony currently holding my side… I heard her breathing and as I turned the overhead light off with my magick, I became very aware of the many things I dare not say to this other kirin… I really should smoke again when I wake up I think to myself as I drift off into peaceful slumber… (To be continued…) Author's Note *In my own vernacular, that’s how I’d ask you if you smoke pot. “Do you get high?” Chapter 4: Over The LimitNatural habitat, I think to myself as those words keep rolling around in my head and I magically bring my blue spoon pipe to my face for another hit… “So, are you starting to get it now?” Silva asks me from her seat across the table as she looks at me with those sparkling eyes I can’t seem to take my mind off of… I exhale smoke and set the pipe on the table with my magick before adjusting my gaze to her, “I think so? You’re tired of being lonely and so you’d very much like to make somepony happy! And you’re choosing me because you’re clearly a lunatic and out of your mind!” She giggles and shakes her head, “Good enough!” When suddenly, there’s a knock on the door! I blankly stare up… “Are you sure you’re okay to answer it Skyfire?” I scoot the chair back and get off of it, “Why wouldn’t I be?” before turning and trotting back towards the front door in the wooden room… I travel about 15 feet before magically opening the portal to see a smiling kirin on the other side… She has a pale yellow body, an auburn mane, striking yellow eyes, and a big grin on her face! Her horn starts out as a single stump before spreading into two a few inches above as she excitedly says to me, “Hiya Skyfire! I understand that you have no friends? That made me sad and I just felt like we should meet and maybe start talking and maybe have some sort of connection?” before staring at me expectantly with that jubilant expression on her muzzle. I recognize this kirin as I widen my eyes, “Oh, hey! You were the kirin who started talking earlier and got kicked out of town! Uh, why are you here?” Her eyes widen, “Well, because you have no friends!” “Well actually, I do now! So bye!” I say before magically shutting the door and turning to trot back towards Silva and my pipe… Silva looks up at me, “Who was that?” “I don’t know! She didn’t say!” I say before plopping my body back in the chair and using my magick to lift the pipe and red disposable lighter sitting on the table. Silva frowns, “What do you mean, she didn’t say?” I look up, “Well, I shut the door before we got that far! You see, she told me she wanted to be my friend and I told her I didn’t need that anymore, since I got you now...” before the pipe floats back into my mouth and the lighter moves into place at the side… I fire up and take another hit as Silva gets up from the table while saying, “Smoke your pipe Skyfire! I’ll go check it out!” Now, the thing was, I really should’ve stopped smoking and got Silva to stop and not go to the door right then… I know this… I also know that I did no such thing! I hear her talking to the mystery kirin, “I’m sorry for my friend! She’s uh, not really here right now! Uh, how may I assist you?” The other kirin speaks as I take another drag from my pipe, “Oh, hiya! My name is Autumn Blaze and well, I’ve been writing to Princess Twilight Sparkle in Equestria, and she’s been telling me how making more friends was good for the community! And well, I see Skyfire in town all the time, but she’s always alone! I just thought that maybe, she could use a friend and that’s why I’m here! Uh, wow! You have a really nice necklace!” Silva is silent for a moment before finally saying, “Could you come back in about thirty minutes please?” I hear the other kirin say, “Oh uh, sure thing!” Silva replies, “Thank you! I promise, this won’t take long!” There’s a brief silence and I could swear I heard some mumbling while I inhale more smoke from the neck of my pipe, before I hear the latch catches, snap! Silva trots back to the table where I’m already taking another hit with the lighter burning in from the right side… She stares down at me… I exhale smoke and stare forward blankly… I eventually turn my head right to her as my pipe floats in the air over the table and I widen my eyes to stare into the azure gaze of this other kirin, “So wait! What?” Silva smiles and nods, “Well, Autumn Blaze is coming by in about thirty minutes and she said she wanted to…” <*****> “Play some Scramble!” The excited off-yellow kirin suddenly spoke from her place at the table! I abruptly snap back to reality when I think that herb was a bit stronger than I thought and I quickly found myself deeply involved in a game of Scramble with two other kirin! I stared at Autumn Blaze in front of me and widen my eyes, “Uh, you go first!” “Sure thing, new friend!” Autumn says while placing emphasis on those words as my brain struggles to process things while slowly coming back into orbit… She looks down at the table and her letters before forming the word, CATCH with her letters and saying. “Alright, that’s five letters! You go ahead, Skyfire!” I blink, “W-what?” before staring down and suddenly noticing that there’s letter tablets in front of me… Silva from my left looks at me and says, “It’s your turn now, Skyfire!” I widen my eyes! “Oh! Right! Scramble!” before looking down at my letters and thinking to myself… Silva looks over at Autumn, “So uh, you wanted to give Skyfire here friendship?” Autumn smiles at Silva and excitedly says, “Oh, yes! I know how loneliness can just get to ya and I thought I should help her!” I form the words CAT with my letters off of her C before looking up at the yellow kirin, “Wait! You felt sorry for me?” Autumn smiles at me, “Well, yeah! Everypony deserves to have friendship and love!” I briefly glance to my left at the blue kirin sitting there before back at Autumn, “You don’t say?” She nods, “Oh, I do say! You were alone earlier and look at you now! You got two new friends!” before smiling at me widely… Suddenly, Silva turns her gaze left towards me and says, “Skyfire, I need to go to the bathroom! Uh…” before looking down at her letters and then magically arranging the word CATASTROPHE on the board and saying, “I believe that’s a triple word score? I’ll be right back!” before scooting her chair back and trotting behind me towards the latrine… I look up at the smiling yellow kirin in front of me and think that for the past two days, I haven’t really had anypony to talk to except Silva Dawn, “Uh, Autumn?” Her eyes widen, “Oh, yes?” I cough briefly before composing myself and staring back at her, “Uh, so why today of all days?” She frowns, “What do you mean?” I repeat myself, “Why today?” “Oh! Well, why not today? It seemed like a good day for friend making?” I sigh, “I know but…” I blink and stammer. “But between you and Silva, this is all just so much, you know?” She frowns, “What do you mean?” I blink, “I was alone for all this time… And now, there’s two of you!” She smiles, “Isn’t that wonderful? Now you have two new friends!” I enlarge my view, “NO it is NOT! Now, I have to worry about both of you!” Her grin lowers, “W-what?” I gaze back at the other kirin, “Think about it! Now, I have to maintain these friendships with two new kirin!” I shake my head. “I didn’t have to do that before! It wasn’t an issue, and now…” She nods, “Well, right! I always thought of friendship as a labor of love though, honestly!” “What do you mean?” “Well, it’s something that you should enjoy doing!” I frown, “But what if I screw it up by saying or doing the wrong thing? What if Silva hates me forever?” She smiles, “You can’t give up your laughter cause you’re scared of a little pain!” and nods. “If you mess up, you can always make amends and patch things up…” I throw my hooves out with an exasperated, “And that’s just more work!” before bringing them back down to stare at the other kirin. “I wouldn’t have to do these things if I were still by myself!” “Labor of love, remember?” I sigh and blink at her, “Well, at least I know you’ll be easy to satiate!” She frowns, “What? Me? No, not me! I’m hard to please!” “Really?” She smiles at me again, “No! Not really!” I grimace, “Knock it off, Autumn!” Her face normalizes, “So uh, Silva said you’d been hanging out for a couple of days? How’s that been going?” I widen my eyes again, “Weird!” Her eyes widen, “What? Why weird?” I sigh and look down before back at the other kirin, “Well, we’ve been really close…” “Isn’t that a good thing?” “Um,” I glance off to the side, “probably? But uh,” I don’t know how to speak to her?” “Well, have you ever tried?” My own view enlarges, “What? Uh, yes! Of course! I’ve told her all about my feelings!” Suddenly, I hear a familiar voice, “Really? Cause I could’ve sworn you were holding back?” My eyes widen, “Silva! You need to tell me when you’re sneaking up behind me!” I hear a faint giggling, “So uh, you said something about feelings?” I turn my body to the right in the chair and crane my head over my shoulder to stare at the blue kirin, “What? Feelings? Noooooo! Nothing about feelings!” before smiling widely at her… At that point, Silva surprised me… She craned her own neck to bring her face really close to mine, so that I felt the heat her voice as she smiled and replied, “It’s okay Skyfire… I like you too…” I...can’t really explain my next actions… I don’t know why I would ever do such a thing, but… I looked directly into Silva Dawn’s eyes and moved my face the necessary few inches to bring my lips to hers and I planted a loving smooch on her lips… I suddenly hear the yellow kirin fawning from across the table, “AWWWWWWW!!!!” (To be continued… ) Chapter 5: LoveI removed my face from Silva’s and saw that she was still wearing the necklace! “What the?” I mutter, half to her and half to myself as so sure that would break her curse! Suddenly, Silva did the unthinkable… She moved her face towards mine and planted another loving kiss on my lips! Without warning, her necklace suddenly began to glow and fall apart right as both of our lips were locked… It’s strange too, because there’s this scary necklace glowing and falling off her neck, and yet all I can do is feel the warm sensation of her lips on mine as I stare at her with my half-closed eyes… She removes her face from mine to smile a few inches away while staring deep into my eyes with those azure pupils of hers… I also see an off-yellow kirin fawning at the spectacle from across the table… I grimace! “You stupid idiot!” Her eyes widen, “What?” I stare at her, “Well, you told me about your curse and how awful it was, so I figured, what the hay? I’ll try to break that for you!” She smiles at me haughtily, “That isn’t the only reason you kissed me!” I widen my eyes at the blue kirin, “Uh, yeah it is!” She chuckles, “So tell me this then! I told you true love’s kiss as you’ll recall! And yet, it didn’t work when you kissed me!” I nod, “This is true!” She smiles wider, “But it did when I kissed you back… “ “That is also correct!” Silva’s brow furrows, “You of course, know what this means, yes?” I frown, “What?” “That I love you, but you don’t love me yet!” I repeat, “What?” She smiles sensitively at me, “It’s okay… You’ve been hurt and I can see that…” “How would you know about that?” She chuckles, “Well, your reluctance to be loved this whole time, the way you always carefully avoided kissing me and the fact that you never really look me in the eyes…” I stare directly into her eyes and say, “You don’t know that!” She giggles more, “Yeah, I do Skyfire!” Just then, Autumn stares at me from the far left and says, “You can’t give up your laughter cause you’re scared of a little pain!” I turn my head towards her, eager to leave this awkward conversation with Silva, and blink. “What do you mean Autumn?” She smiles up at me from her chair, “I mean, it’s amazing that you two have a connection and that you really should follow through on this!” I grimace, “Shut up! What would you know, stupid kirin?” She beams, “I’m so excited for you and Silva!” My eyes widen, “Why?” She begins bouncing, “That first kiss was really romantic! And that confused look on your face before she kissed you back was great!” “No it wasn’t!” I say before turning my neck right back to the blue kirin. “Why did you pick me, anyway?” Silva frowns, “What do you mean?” I nod, “I mean, you could’ve picked anypony in town to love… Why me?” Her right eye enlarges, “Well, let’s just say you seemed to need it the most?” I grimace again! “You’re an idiot, Silva!” She giggles again… “Bunny brained moron!” She adjusts her view to stare at me, “When are you just gonna accept that you deserve love?” I stare directly at this other kirin again, “When are you gonna accept that….you’re an idiot!” She chuckles once more, “That’s okay Skyfire! I got all day!” I squint at her and angrily murmur to myself before thinking that I don’t usually do this, but there is one thing I’d like to do right about now! Autumn pipes up from her position, “Hey! You wanna go out to eat? I know this really yummy restaurant across the forest village, and they have a tasty tropical pizza!” I stare at Silva and squint my eyes, “Uh, sure Autumn! We know the place! Can we meet you there in like, two hours?” <*****> I stare at her from across the table as she smiles smugly at me while the joint burns in my snout, and I say out the right, “What are you so happy about? Now, everypony is gonna see you as normal!” Silva sighs and nods, “Right! Do you have any idea how tiring it is to constantly be praised?” “Not really?” I say before pursing to inhale and I feel the warm smoke going down into my throat… Silva smiles, “So you see, I got too much love and you didn’t get enough!” I exhale smoke to the side and remove the joint to look at Silva, “I got love!” “Oh, yeah? From who?” “Um…” I blink and try to think of the last time I had love? “Somewhere!” And put the joint back in my mouth and purse my lips for another hit… Silva chuckles and shakes her head, “You are so stubborn!” I exhale, take the joint out, and stare at her again, “And you’re...stupid!” and put the joint back in my mouth for another drag. Silva eyes me carefully as I’m inhaling and feeling the warm smoke traveling down my throat… “You are so beautiful, you know that?” I quickly exhale smoke from my snout to the side and gaze at this other kirin carefully, “You keep saying that?” She nods, “Because it’s true!” I bring the stoge to my lips and purse, “Nopony else seems to think so?” before drawing in and feeling warm smoke travel down my throat again. She then recites poetry, “A mare is not beloved because she is beautiful, but rather, she is beautiful, because she is beloved!” I exhale smoke at her and say, “You wanna have sex again, don’t you?” Her eyes widen, “Well uh, I wasn’t planning on it, but…” “Nonsense! That’s the only reason you’d use a line that cheesy!” Her eyes narrow and she grins to a light giggle, “Oh, come on! I think it’s romantic!” “Cheesy!” I affirm myself and nod before bringing the half-joint to my lips once more for another drag. She smiles and says, “You deserve love Skyfire…” I exhale and say, “No I don’t! I’m unlovable!” and bring the roach to my lips once more. Her mouth frowns and eyes widen, “What? Skyfire, you’re a pony just like any other! Why wouldn’t you also deserve love?” I exhale smoke and say to her, “Because I’m me!” I say before bringing the teetering roach to my mouth for a final drag. She stares at me for a moment before I finally exhale and says, “Skyfire, do you like yourself?” My eyes widen before I quickly move my right forehoof to the glass ashtray on the table in front of me to snuff it out as fast as I can, as I don’t like the idea of my hoof being burned! She stares onward with interest as I put the burning hunk of paper out and eventually, leave it in the ashtray, and making a mental note of that to come back to the roach later, I turn and face the blue kirin to say, “Of course I like myself! Why wouldn’t I?” She continues to frown and study me with those dark blue pupils of hers while saying, “Well, this whole time, your principle complaint and argument against love has been, but I’m me! And, nopony would want to love me! And so, that naturally leads me to believe that you must not think that much of yourself?” I stare at the other kirin, dumbfounded before finally saying, “COMPLETE MORON!” “It’s the truth though, isn’t it?” “STUPID IDIOT!” She eyeballs me carefully and is silent… She eventually says, “What if I showed you that you were truly somepony worth loving, hmm?” I stare at her with what I’m sure is a glazed look in my eyes as I can only mutter, “What do you mean?” <*****> So, I’m staring up at my bedroom ceiling now, as I lay on my back and think to myself, doesn’t Silva also have a home? Before she whispers to me from my right, “That was all about you Skyfire… I want you to know that I did those things because you’re worth it!” Stupid freaking moron! I think to myself before turning over to her and saying in a daze, “W-what?” “YOU Skyfire! You’re worth it to me!” She says before planting an affectionate kiss on my snout! My eyes widen at the sudden affection… She removes her face from mine to smile at me from a few inches away just to my right… I frown up at her, “Why me?” “What if I told you that you make me happy?” “What?” She nods, “Just being there for me, I mean! Okay, let me ask you a question!” “Shoot!” “If I was down and troubled, and you noticed this, what would you do?” I blink and without thinking, I say to her, “Well, I’d go and check on you and see what’s wrong! I’d make sure you’re okay!” before widening my eyes at what I just said! She nods, “Right! And now, why would you do that?” “Well… I guess I’d do it because I care about you?” I say before smiling up at her… I probably look like an idiot? She smiles back at me lovingly, “Well, what if I told you that I care about you in the same way? That I want to help you?” “Then I’d say you were an idiot!” Her smile lowers, “And why is that Skyfire? Could it be because you don’t believe your somepony worth caring for?” I keep my eyes wide as I hadn’t considered that! “N-no!” “So in other words: yes?” “NO!” She moves her face towards mine for another affectionate kiss and while I’m taken off-guard, I also don’t resist… She eventually removes her face again to smile back at me from a few inches away as I stare up at her with wide confused eyes, “So I guess that means I need to convince you that you deserve love?” I really want to stop talking to her at this point and say, “Uh, weren’t we supposed to meet Autumn for pizza soon?” She raises her neck to stare at my little digital alarm clock on my nightstand to my far right and says, “Yeah, in about forty-seven minutes!” Now, I know it’s just a short ten minute walk to the pizza parlor… I know this, but I say, “Shouldn’t we get moving then?” She turns back to me and smiles, “Oh, but I think we still have some time for more fun!” before moving her head back towards mine to plant another loving kiss! And once again, I don’t feel like I belong here, but I never resist… She then positions herself in between my hind flanks and stares up at me from the other side of my bed… Is this real? Is she actually doing this? Why? I wonder before she begins to move her face closer to my hind flanks as I lay there on my back, still conscious, but somehow helpless all the same… And then, I felt her get to work! (To be continued… )
Chapter 1: Unexpected Meetings“After the curse was lifted and I gained the ability to speak again, I never really knew what to say? I mean, I would have these feelings in my mind and I’d never know how to voice them? So even when I could talk again, I never said much, except to speak with the cashier at the grocery store or to pay for my meal at a restaurant. Heh, it’s so strange too! But I actually enjoy eating alone in those places! Everypony else is visiting with their family or dates or whatever, but I just eat by myself at my own table and remain deep in thought… I like my own company so much that I’m not even sure if anything else is really necessary? That is, until I found the amulet… “ “Okay, what was that about an amulet?” My therapist said out the side of his mouth as he used it to scratch down a few notes… I smile and giggle, “Well, the amulet isn’t nearly as important as what it was attached to! Another kirin!” His eyes widen from underneath his neon green wavy kirin mane, “Is that so? Then why even bring it up?” As I laid there on the red couch on my back and adjusted my eyes to the ceiling, I thought to myself about that amethyst necklace she wore around her head and I suddenly wondered why I just couldn’t get my mind off of it? “Well, it’s a very nice necklace!” He smiles while staring down at the pad with his red eyes underneath his horn, that spread to two points in the center, “I see… Well, what did you say to them?” At that point, I froze! While I still couldn’t get that necklace out of my mind, it also occurs to me that this fabulous looking other kirin with her gorgeous blue eyes and lovely dark green scales and off-color red mane doesn’t even know I exist! “Well uh, nothing! Yet! I’m getting there!” The therapist chuckles and while this only irritates me somewhat, he does say, “Well, are you nervous? Does the idea of talking to this amazing new kirin frighten you?” “No!” I quickly blurt out to lie! “I just uh, well like I said, what do I say to her?” His left eyebrow raises as he jots down another note, “Oh? It’s a female kirin, is it?” I matter-of-factly reply, “Well, I’m a lesbian! You didn’t know that?” “How would I know that when we’ve never discussed your romantic liaisons?” I frown, “Okay, you make a point!” “Right, but well, think now! You know she has an awesome necklace! Why not compliment her on that as an opener?” I grimace when I realize he’s got a point, “Well, I mean, how would I even word that? I don’t really talk to many ponies!” “Practice, my dear Skyfire! Practice! You’re gonna have to open up sooner or later and we can start off nice and slow, okay? Now, I don’t think you should meet any strange new kirin with amazing necklaces right now, but how about baby steps, instead? Just go for a trot around the village and smile and wave at the other kirin as you pass! Don’t you think that would help you begin to open up?” “I don’t know? Maybe?” He chuckles somewhat, “Well, just try it later, okay? Now, I think that about wraps up our time together. Uh, the usual time in two weeks?” I sigh and roll my eyes, “That’ll be fine, doctor!” <*****> And so, I trot outside of the wooden office complex built inside a tree as it was and turn left to begin trotting down the dirt path leading to the other side of town where I lived. I began to think about that strange other pony and her necklace... There was something peculiar about that thing that I just couldn’t put my hoof on? I think that I’ll probably roll a fattie when get back? When suddenly, I notice another kirin up the way! Remember what he told me! They aren’t my enemy! I think to myself as this other blue kirin smiles at me as he passes…. I stare back at him and smile back! That’s right! It’s okay! I’m happy and you’re happy! Just go away now so I can be alone again! He passes me as I continue to trot past two more tree-buildings on my left in the village. My house is at the edge of town and if I can just make it there, I’ll be fine! Soon, blissful smoke awaits! All of a sudden, I see another kirin! This one is orange! Not my enemy! Think to myself as I smile at this other strange pony. She smiles back at me as she continues trotting and passes me on my left, same as before while I continue to trot past more tree-buildings here in the kirin village. A joint would make this day a lot better! I think to myself as I continue to trot towards the South end of town, where my little tree-cottage is located… Then, I see another kirin… This kirin is different though… This kirin has a light green coat with darker green scales over the top and lovely dark blue eyes… And an off-color red mane, which was a bit darker than usual… Uh, Burgundy I think it’s called? But by far, the most interesting thing was that this other kirin wears a peculiar amethyst necklace… Or we can just meet her right now! I think to myself as I almost reflexively smile at the green kirin as I pass by and say, “Hi!” as she passes by with her horn, that branches off into two points very close to her forehead. Her eyes widen when she sees me, “Oh, hi there! I live in the outskirts and am new in town and was just wondering…” Oh, shit! She’s actually talking to me! I’d better pay attention to what she’s saying… “...so um, do you know where the clock tower is?” My eyes widen at attention as I start, “I’m sorry, what?” She blinks and says, “Uh, I was doing a report for the paper on the clock tower and wanted to know where that is?” “Oh, you’re a reporter!” Her eyes widen, “Yes! Who’s looking for the clock tower!” My left eyebrow raises, “A clock tower seems like a major landmark. How could you, as a reporter, not know where it is?” She smiles, “I’m new! I just started writing for the column three days ago!” her smile widens, “You may have seen one of my pieces in the paper? My name is Silva Dawn!” and she extends her right forehoof towards me to shake. “Nice to meet you!” I wonder if she’s going to eat me? I think to myself as I smile and take a pace towards her to meet her hoof with mine… (To be continued…)
Chapter 2: Best FriendsI shake the other kirin’s hoof with my own as I gaze into her azure eyes underneath her neatly brushed reddish mane as she grins at me, “Well, about that clock tower!” I start and blurt out while staring at her face, “Well, we should probably have lunch first?” before suddenly wondering why I said that? She frowns, “Well, it’s still kinda early, but I guess I could eat now?” before smiling again. “Yeah, I don’t actually live in town! I have my own cottage near the edge of the forest!” I blink, “So I guess that’s why you don’t know where things are?” She giggles slightly under her breath, “Well, right!” “And your name is Silva?” “Yes! Silva Dawn! But you never told me your name?” “I didn’t did I?” “Uh, no…” She continues to stare at me expectantly… I blink with a start, “Oh! My name is Skyfire and I live in town!” “Oh!” Her eyes widen with this new knowledge… Both of us are silent for a moment… “Weren’t we going to go to lunch?” She suddenly asks. I widen my gaze at her, “Yes! Yes we were! Uh, where did you want to go?” before frowning as I wonder just how more awkward this whole thing can get… She stares at me, “Well, what would you recommend?” I smile blankly back at her, “Uh, what would I uh, oh! You want a restaurant! Uh, how about Scaley’s Pizza? I mean, their tropical pizza is actually pretty good! Believe it or not, there’s actually mangoes and pineapples on the other side of the peninsula!” She smiles again, “Is that so?” <*****> So um… I sat there on the chair on my side of the table, staring at this other fire pony with a grin on my face… I hope it doesn’t look too weird? Uh, I probably look weird right now… “What do you usually write about?” She smiles at me in the dimly lit wooden room, “Oh, usually slice-of-life drama and stuff like that. I recently wrote a piece about the fire department rescuing a kitten!” My smile lowers, “That doesn’t seem paper-worthy?” Her eyes widen, “Well, it was from a bugbear! Should probably mention that?” My smile widens a bit as I giggle, “Important detail that!” “Probably, right?” She responds with a wry grin as I stare at that same purple necklace around her neck… It’s just a violet gem, maybe the size of my hoof, but there’s something about it… She breaks my focus, “So, you’re probably wondering about my necklace, right?” I blink as I look up at her and realize that can’t think of a lie quickly enough, “Uh, well it does catch my eye a bit, yes!” She stares at me intently, “Yes, I know! This is no ordinary necklace. This is a gem that grants me charisma. Ponies like me when I wear this… “ I stare back at her, “Really? And you wear it to…” She cuts me off, “To enhance my ability as a reporter, yes! And now, let me guess! You’re enamored with me and wish to be with me, am I right?” My eyes widen, “Well uh, I don’t think I’d go so far as to say…” She cuts me off again, “Right! Well, I can assure you that you DO NOT want to be with me!” My gaze and mouth narrow as I suddenly feel as if I’ve been issued a challenge, “Well, why is that?” She stares at me blankly, “I just don’t do love, okay? It’s uh, not for me…” I glare back at her, “Well, why is that?” She blinks back at me and smiles lightly, “I don’t want to be tied down…” At that point, I frowned at this other fire pony… I saw a look in her eyes just there… Something I couldn’t readily identify before saying to her, “Well, how about friendship for now, then?” She continues to smile lightly and says, “Well, I guess we could give it a try?” she glances up at me as her smile widens. “Now, tropical pizza, you were saying?” I nod, “Well, right!” Suddenly, a dark red waitress at my left asks, “Are you ready to order?” I turn my gaze to her and say, “One medium tropical pizza with hoof-tossed crust please! Uh, and a Diet Sparkle Cola!” Silva turns her neck right towards the waitress, “I’ll have a Dr. Lightning, please!” The waitress smiles at us and says, “I’ll go put in for your pizza and get your drinks!” before turning and trotting away… Okay, so she didn’t actually eat me… No, she did something far more insidious… She smiled… “Are you okay, Skyfire?” I snap back to reality and stare at her blankly, “Oh, I’m fine!” She sighs, “I hate my necklace…” I frown at her, “W-what?” She stares at me seriously with her sparkling blue eyes and says quite plainly, “I can’t take it off…” “What?” I repeat myself… She blinks at me, “The necklace has a curse…” “What do you mean?” I finally complete the sentence. She sighs, “The necklace grants me charisma, yes! But once I put it on, I can’t take it off. And now I must forever wonder if I truly am that charming or if it was just the necklace this whole time…” I gaze directly at her, “So you don’t know if I actually like you?” She looks back at me, “Correct!” I smile a demented grin at her, “Today is your lucky day, Silva Dawn!” She frowns, “W-what are you talking about Skyfire?” I widen my eyes, “Because it doesn’t matter if you have a funky necklace or not! You’re automatically my best friend as of today, no matter what!” “What?” She asks with a startled look on her face. I nod, “You see, you’re my only friend! So I’m gonna like you by default!” She glares at me blankly, “So what then? I know I’m number one, no matter what?” I nod more vigorously, “Pretty much!” She frowns, “Great! Now we’re together by default!” “What?” She giggles slightly under her breath, “Well, think about it! My curse makes me not really crave friendship, since I won’t believe it’s real, but at the same time, my heart yearns for it! And you’re the only kirin who I can honestly say genuinely likes my company, since well, I have no competition!” I widen my eyes with a start, “I uh, never actually thought about it like that…” She blinks, “Yeah, so we’re automatically besties, now!” I smile again, “Yup! Isn’t it great?” She glares at me, “Skyfire, you’re a loon!” And I frown again, “I get that a lot!” And so, that’s how we ended up having sex… Okay, I probably left out some important details here? The waitress comes by with our pizza balanced on her snout and she sets it down on the table before us… “Is there anything else I can get for you two?” She asks while standing there attentively… I look at her, “Well, what would you recommend for dessert?” “Dessert?” Silva asks with her right eyebrow raised. “We haven’t even eaten the pizza yet!” I stare back at her, “I know, but how else can I delay the inevitable awkward conversation about friendship that’s about to come?” At that point, the room just stopped and she closed her eyes and tried her best in vain to suppress giggles from the pit of her stomach as the waitress stared at me with thewierdestexpression in he peninsula’s history… I turn my head back left to the waitress, “You know what? Never mind! We’re good!” and then back to Silva to smile as I hope I don’t look too strange and she chuckles at me… <*****> I stared up at the ceiling with my tongue out the right side of my mouth as I feel the deep bloated sensation in the pit of my gut as Silva says from the other side of the table, “S-so! Chocolate Death Cake!” I widen my eyes as I put my tongue back in my mouth, “Y-yeah! Chocolate Death Cake!” She stares at me blankly, “W-why did we just order and eat the entire Chocolate Death Cake together?” I gaze back at her, “I-I like chocolate!” “I do too, but there’s like, a million calories in there!” I widen my eyes, “Totally worth it!” “You’re insane Skyfire!” I frown back at her with a blank stare, “You keep telling me that?” She gazes back at me, “So, what do you want to do now, bestie?” I look back into her blue eyes and ask, “Bestie?” as my mind just now comes to terms with the conversations we’ve been having… She smiles, “Yeah, remember? We became best friends earlier and then ate a humongous chocolate cake together? You were there too!” I widen my eyes, “Oh, yeah! I was, wasn’t I?” I look at her seriously. “Uh, didn’t you have to go to the clock tower after this?” She nods, “Well, right! But I can do that tomorrow and still be fine! Uh, I want to spend some more time with my new bestie!” I frown, “Loon! Crazy! Bestie! You’re calling me a lot of things today!” She smiles, “Yeah, but I can call you Skyfire, too!” I grin back, “That works!” as I hope I don’t look too awkward… And so, that was the beginning of our day of fun… (To be continued…)
Chapter 3: Sex, Drugs, and Dragon PonesHey, remember how I said she didn’t eat me? Well, I kinda lied! Um, I guess the beginning would be the best place to start? So, I was actually born on a Saturday… Wait a minute. That’s probably too far back? Okay, so we just left the restaurant and that’s when Silva turned her head left to look at me as we trotted on the dirt road of the forest village, hidden there deep in the foliage in the woods. “So, what do you wanna do now bestie?” I glance over at her and widen my eyes, “Uh, how would I know? I don’t have any friends!” She nods her head and smiles, “Well, you do now!” I grin back coyly at her, “Well, we can always have freaky nasty sex?” <*****> And so, I sat there on my back on my bed as the covers were all thrown over to the left side and onto the floor, so now only the white fitted sheet on top remained, with us two dragon pones on top… I adjust my gaze to the azure kirin on the other side of the mattress, “Funny true story, I was only joking! I didn’t actually expect you to say yes!” She smiles at me, “And yet, you still went through with it!” I frown, “Well, that is to say, I mean, you aren’t totally unattractive and well, I uh…” She smiles and giggles at me, “You just wanted to screw me, didn’t you!” I widen my eyes, “Well uh, maybe! I mean, it’s not impossible and well…” “Oh, stop it Skyfire! You have urges! It’s okay!” I stop yammering to stare at her, “Well uh, yeah, I guess I do, right?” She leans my direction from the left side of the bed for a nuzzle as she smiles affectionately at me, “Right!” and I can’t help but smile back at the affection… I sigh, “I don’t usually do this, but I really want a doobie right now!” “Well, smoke up! I’m not gonna get in your way!” I start and stare at her blankly, “Uh, you’re okay with it? Um, do you get high?” * She smiles at me, “Well, not really! But you go ahead!” I frown, “Right! Doesn’t need to be too big! I’m the only smoker!” <*****> I held the burning stogie in my green magical grasp on the left side of my face as smoke poured out the front, “So, you’re sure you don’t want any?” She smiles from the other end of my kitchen table, “No, I’m fine!” I narrow my gaze, “So coitus is fine, but dope-smoking and relationships are out of the question? Got it!” before the glowing joint comes to my muzzle and I purse my lips to feel warm smoke going down my throat. Her eyes widen, “Now she’s getting it!” I exhale smoke over to the left side and stare back at her from across the table as the cigarette burned on my right, “So, what then? I smoke up and talk to you now?” She nods, “Sounds good to me! What do you want to talk about?” “We had sex!” She nods again and grins wryly at me with a look in her blue eyes, “This is true! Do you wanna talk about that?” By this point, my eyes are super wide, but I can’t really say much before there’s currently more warm smoke going into my mouth and down my throat… I finally exhale to the side again before staring at her, “So, that’s it then? We’re just what? Friends who screw each other and talk about it?” and then, I almost unconsciously float the joint back into the right side of my snout for another pull with a somewhat disgruntled frown on my face... She frowns as she stares at me blankly, “Well, I’m playing it by ear right now, but it certainly seems to be that way, yeah!” I narrow my eyes while exhaling smoke from the right side of my muzzle as the joint burns on the other end, “And you’re fine with that?” Her eyes widen again, “Why wouldn’t I be?” As the hot fog travels down into my lungs, I gaze at this other kirin seriously and notice those luminescent azure scales on the side of her body with that pert rump and lovely tail that ends in a cute blue poof… I finally exhale, “I want to have sex again, but I’m finishing this joint first. I’ll pack the roach in with some fresh herb into my pipe when we get done. Is this acceptable?” By this point, I can tell she’s suppressing giggles, “Sounds good to me, bestie!” I nod and say out the left, “Right! But I’m not done smoking yet!” She nods again, “That’s fine, darling! Take your time!” Darling? I think to myself as I take another drag off the half-joint… I hold the smoke in my lungs as I stare back at her face, smiling at me… I see her cute nose there and those pretty sky-blue pupils of hers… I don’t know how to tell her this, but I don’t think it’s the necklace? I eventually exhale smoke and decide to float the half-joint back down to the glass ashtray in front of me before staring back up at her… “Ready!” <*****> And so I sat there on the bed, now kinda sweaty, and I used my green magick to stuff the half-joint, paper and all, into my blue glass spoon pipe sitting there on my nightstand… I glance over at her while floating the pipe and red disposable lighter to my muzzle from the right, “You sure you don’t want any?” She smiles and nods, “That’s fine bestie! I get to just watch you now in your natural habitat…” I glance back to my right near the pipe and think that statement is a little weird, but decide to forget it as the pipe lands into my mouth and I purse my lips on it and ignite the lighter overhead to fire it up as I magically operate the carburetor on the right side… “So, do you get it now?” She asks with a big smile on her muzzle as I sat there, exhaling smoke out the front of my mouth… I then turn my head left to gaze at the smiling blue face of this other kirin on my bed, “What do you mean?” She giggles, “I mean, I want to make you happy…” I frown, and ask, “Why” before bringing the glowing pipe to my face and igniting the lighter for another draw… “Well, lets just say that I got tired of being alone…” I exhale smoke and float the pipe and lighter down to my square wooden nightstand and turn my gaze left to look at her, “What do you mean?” She sighs, “Do you have any idea how lonely it is when everypony loves you?” I frown, “Uh, not really, no!” She looks down and sighs, “It’s always so predictable… Oh Silva, you’re so great! Oh Silva, can I do anything for you!” she raises her gaze to me. “But not you! You’re different.” My eyes widen, “Am I now? How am I different?” “Well, for one thing, you’re not immediately eating out of my hoof the moment we meet, and I’m not sure why?” “That makes two of us!” I say as the glowing pipe glides through the air to the right side of my snout. She lowers her gaze to me, “So what could it be then?” I inhale from the stem of the pipe while tapping the carb, “Shit if I know!” Her eyes widen, “Well, right!” I nod while the pipe floats in front of me and smoke pours out of my snout, “Right! Since we clearly have no way of exploring this mystery even further, we will now drop it! I will finish this bowl, and then we will have sex again!” Silva starts as she stares at me intently, “Uh, Skyfire! Are you horny?” I start as I stare at the other kirin, “Um, no! Maybe? It’s a definite possibility? Uh, are we gonna have sex again?” She smiles and giggles, “Well, sure baby! I mean, if that’s what you really want?” Baby? I think to myself as I nod my head, “Yes Silva! That sounds wonderful!” and then float the pipe to my mouth for another drag… <*****> And so, I didn’t even make it out of the bed that time! I sigh at the ceiling as I sit on the white fitted sheet on top of the bed, while both pillows are thrown to the floor… “Uh, we just had sex again, didn’t we?” I hear Silva from my left, “Yeah, it’s almost like you have a lot of pent up horniness?” I smile and giggle, “Well, you wouldn’t be wrong!” “Wanna talk about it?” “Not really…” “Well, what would you like to do now?” I gaze up at the ceiling intently as I suddenly don’t feel like I need to hide anything? “Do you really want to know?” “Yes…” I’m silent for a moment… “I would very much like to snuggle you and take a nap together…” Suddenly, I feel her hooves wrap around my body and I noticed the blanket levitating over me and landing gently to cover us two kirin… Silva nuzzles the left side of my neck, “Goodnight Skyfire!” I close my eyes at that point, still unsure of what I just got myself into… I feel apprehensive, and yet, at the same time, I don’t think I’d ever say no to her? I suddenly feel the warmth of her body on my side and soon, I notice her hot breath on the side of my neck too… I shortly also feel her forehoof go over the top of me as I sat on my back with my legs in the air, gently holding up part of the blanket… By this point, there are no more cannabinoids in my brain and I’m thinking clearly… And that only makes things more confusing! I felt very close to this warm dragon pony currently holding my side… I heard her breathing and as I turned the overhead light off with my magick, I became very aware of the many things I dare not say to this other kirin… I really should smoke again when I wake up I think to myself as I drift off into peaceful slumber… (To be continued…) Author's Note *In my own vernacular, that’s how I’d ask you if you smoke pot. “Do you get high?”
Chapter 4: Over The LimitNatural habitat, I think to myself as those words keep rolling around in my head and I magically bring my blue spoon pipe to my face for another hit… “So, are you starting to get it now?” Silva asks me from her seat across the table as she looks at me with those sparkling eyes I can’t seem to take my mind off of… I exhale smoke and set the pipe on the table with my magick before adjusting my gaze to her, “I think so? You’re tired of being lonely and so you’d very much like to make somepony happy! And you’re choosing me because you’re clearly a lunatic and out of your mind!” She giggles and shakes her head, “Good enough!” When suddenly, there’s a knock on the door! I blankly stare up… “Are you sure you’re okay to answer it Skyfire?” I scoot the chair back and get off of it, “Why wouldn’t I be?” before turning and trotting back towards the front door in the wooden room… I travel about 15 feet before magically opening the portal to see a smiling kirin on the other side… She has a pale yellow body, an auburn mane, striking yellow eyes, and a big grin on her face! Her horn starts out as a single stump before spreading into two a few inches above as she excitedly says to me, “Hiya Skyfire! I understand that you have no friends? That made me sad and I just felt like we should meet and maybe start talking and maybe have some sort of connection?” before staring at me expectantly with that jubilant expression on her muzzle. I recognize this kirin as I widen my eyes, “Oh, hey! You were the kirin who started talking earlier and got kicked out of town! Uh, why are you here?” Her eyes widen, “Well, because you have no friends!” “Well actually, I do now! So bye!” I say before magically shutting the door and turning to trot back towards Silva and my pipe… Silva looks up at me, “Who was that?” “I don’t know! She didn’t say!” I say before plopping my body back in the chair and using my magick to lift the pipe and red disposable lighter sitting on the table. Silva frowns, “What do you mean, she didn’t say?” I look up, “Well, I shut the door before we got that far! You see, she told me she wanted to be my friend and I told her I didn’t need that anymore, since I got you now...” before the pipe floats back into my mouth and the lighter moves into place at the side… I fire up and take another hit as Silva gets up from the table while saying, “Smoke your pipe Skyfire! I’ll go check it out!” Now, the thing was, I really should’ve stopped smoking and got Silva to stop and not go to the door right then… I know this… I also know that I did no such thing! I hear her talking to the mystery kirin, “I’m sorry for my friend! She’s uh, not really here right now! Uh, how may I assist you?” The other kirin speaks as I take another drag from my pipe, “Oh, hiya! My name is Autumn Blaze and well, I’ve been writing to Princess Twilight Sparkle in Equestria, and she’s been telling me how making more friends was good for the community! And well, I see Skyfire in town all the time, but she’s always alone! I just thought that maybe, she could use a friend and that’s why I’m here! Uh, wow! You have a really nice necklace!” Silva is silent for a moment before finally saying, “Could you come back in about thirty minutes please?” I hear the other kirin say, “Oh uh, sure thing!” Silva replies, “Thank you! I promise, this won’t take long!” There’s a brief silence and I could swear I heard some mumbling while I inhale more smoke from the neck of my pipe, before I hear the latch catches, snap! Silva trots back to the table where I’m already taking another hit with the lighter burning in from the right side… She stares down at me… I exhale smoke and stare forward blankly… I eventually turn my head right to her as my pipe floats in the air over the table and I widen my eyes to stare into the azure gaze of this other kirin, “So wait! What?” Silva smiles and nods, “Well, Autumn Blaze is coming by in about thirty minutes and she said she wanted to…” <*****> “Play some Scramble!” The excited off-yellow kirin suddenly spoke from her place at the table! I abruptly snap back to reality when I think that herb was a bit stronger than I thought and I quickly found myself deeply involved in a game of Scramble with two other kirin! I stared at Autumn Blaze in front of me and widen my eyes, “Uh, you go first!” “Sure thing, new friend!” Autumn says while placing emphasis on those words as my brain struggles to process things while slowly coming back into orbit… She looks down at the table and her letters before forming the word, CATCH with her letters and saying. “Alright, that’s five letters! You go ahead, Skyfire!” I blink, “W-what?” before staring down and suddenly noticing that there’s letter tablets in front of me… Silva from my left looks at me and says, “It’s your turn now, Skyfire!” I widen my eyes! “Oh! Right! Scramble!” before looking down at my letters and thinking to myself… Silva looks over at Autumn, “So uh, you wanted to give Skyfire here friendship?” Autumn smiles at Silva and excitedly says, “Oh, yes! I know how loneliness can just get to ya and I thought I should help her!” I form the words CAT with my letters off of her C before looking up at the yellow kirin, “Wait! You felt sorry for me?” Autumn smiles at me, “Well, yeah! Everypony deserves to have friendship and love!” I briefly glance to my left at the blue kirin sitting there before back at Autumn, “You don’t say?” She nods, “Oh, I do say! You were alone earlier and look at you now! You got two new friends!” before smiling at me widely… Suddenly, Silva turns her gaze left towards me and says, “Skyfire, I need to go to the bathroom! Uh…” before looking down at her letters and then magically arranging the word CATASTROPHE on the board and saying, “I believe that’s a triple word score? I’ll be right back!” before scooting her chair back and trotting behind me towards the latrine… I look up at the smiling yellow kirin in front of me and think that for the past two days, I haven’t really had anypony to talk to except Silva Dawn, “Uh, Autumn?” Her eyes widen, “Oh, yes?” I cough briefly before composing myself and staring back at her, “Uh, so why today of all days?” She frowns, “What do you mean?” I repeat myself, “Why today?” “Oh! Well, why not today? It seemed like a good day for friend making?” I sigh, “I know but…” I blink and stammer. “But between you and Silva, this is all just so much, you know?” She frowns, “What do you mean?” I blink, “I was alone for all this time… And now, there’s two of you!” She smiles, “Isn’t that wonderful? Now you have two new friends!” I enlarge my view, “NO it is NOT! Now, I have to worry about both of you!” Her grin lowers, “W-what?” I gaze back at the other kirin, “Think about it! Now, I have to maintain these friendships with two new kirin!” I shake my head. “I didn’t have to do that before! It wasn’t an issue, and now…” She nods, “Well, right! I always thought of friendship as a labor of love though, honestly!” “What do you mean?” “Well, it’s something that you should enjoy doing!” I frown, “But what if I screw it up by saying or doing the wrong thing? What if Silva hates me forever?” She smiles, “You can’t give up your laughter cause you’re scared of a little pain!” and nods. “If you mess up, you can always make amends and patch things up…” I throw my hooves out with an exasperated, “And that’s just more work!” before bringing them back down to stare at the other kirin. “I wouldn’t have to do these things if I were still by myself!” “Labor of love, remember?” I sigh and blink at her, “Well, at least I know you’ll be easy to satiate!” She frowns, “What? Me? No, not me! I’m hard to please!” “Really?” She smiles at me again, “No! Not really!” I grimace, “Knock it off, Autumn!” Her face normalizes, “So uh, Silva said you’d been hanging out for a couple of days? How’s that been going?” I widen my eyes again, “Weird!” Her eyes widen, “What? Why weird?” I sigh and look down before back at the other kirin, “Well, we’ve been really close…” “Isn’t that a good thing?” “Um,” I glance off to the side, “probably? But uh,” I don’t know how to speak to her?” “Well, have you ever tried?” My own view enlarges, “What? Uh, yes! Of course! I’ve told her all about my feelings!” Suddenly, I hear a familiar voice, “Really? Cause I could’ve sworn you were holding back?” My eyes widen, “Silva! You need to tell me when you’re sneaking up behind me!” I hear a faint giggling, “So uh, you said something about feelings?” I turn my body to the right in the chair and crane my head over my shoulder to stare at the blue kirin, “What? Feelings? Noooooo! Nothing about feelings!” before smiling widely at her… At that point, Silva surprised me… She craned her own neck to bring her face really close to mine, so that I felt the heat her voice as she smiled and replied, “It’s okay Skyfire… I like you too…” I...can’t really explain my next actions… I don’t know why I would ever do such a thing, but… I looked directly into Silva Dawn’s eyes and moved my face the necessary few inches to bring my lips to hers and I planted a loving smooch on her lips… I suddenly hear the yellow kirin fawning from across the table, “AWWWWWWW!!!!” (To be continued… )
Chapter 5: LoveI removed my face from Silva’s and saw that she was still wearing the necklace! “What the?” I mutter, half to her and half to myself as so sure that would break her curse! Suddenly, Silva did the unthinkable… She moved her face towards mine and planted another loving kiss on my lips! Without warning, her necklace suddenly began to glow and fall apart right as both of our lips were locked… It’s strange too, because there’s this scary necklace glowing and falling off her neck, and yet all I can do is feel the warm sensation of her lips on mine as I stare at her with my half-closed eyes… She removes her face from mine to smile a few inches away while staring deep into my eyes with those azure pupils of hers… I also see an off-yellow kirin fawning at the spectacle from across the table… I grimace! “You stupid idiot!” Her eyes widen, “What?” I stare at her, “Well, you told me about your curse and how awful it was, so I figured, what the hay? I’ll try to break that for you!” She smiles at me haughtily, “That isn’t the only reason you kissed me!” I widen my eyes at the blue kirin, “Uh, yeah it is!” She chuckles, “So tell me this then! I told you true love’s kiss as you’ll recall! And yet, it didn’t work when you kissed me!” I nod, “This is true!” She smiles wider, “But it did when I kissed you back… “ “That is also correct!” Silva’s brow furrows, “You of course, know what this means, yes?” I frown, “What?” “That I love you, but you don’t love me yet!” I repeat, “What?” She smiles sensitively at me, “It’s okay… You’ve been hurt and I can see that…” “How would you know about that?” She chuckles, “Well, your reluctance to be loved this whole time, the way you always carefully avoided kissing me and the fact that you never really look me in the eyes…” I stare directly into her eyes and say, “You don’t know that!” She giggles more, “Yeah, I do Skyfire!” Just then, Autumn stares at me from the far left and says, “You can’t give up your laughter cause you’re scared of a little pain!” I turn my head towards her, eager to leave this awkward conversation with Silva, and blink. “What do you mean Autumn?” She smiles up at me from her chair, “I mean, it’s amazing that you two have a connection and that you really should follow through on this!” I grimace, “Shut up! What would you know, stupid kirin?” She beams, “I’m so excited for you and Silva!” My eyes widen, “Why?” She begins bouncing, “That first kiss was really romantic! And that confused look on your face before she kissed you back was great!” “No it wasn’t!” I say before turning my neck right back to the blue kirin. “Why did you pick me, anyway?” Silva frowns, “What do you mean?” I nod, “I mean, you could’ve picked anypony in town to love… Why me?” Her right eye enlarges, “Well, let’s just say you seemed to need it the most?” I grimace again! “You’re an idiot, Silva!” She giggles again… “Bunny brained moron!” She adjusts her view to stare at me, “When are you just gonna accept that you deserve love?” I stare directly at this other kirin again, “When are you gonna accept that….you’re an idiot!” She chuckles once more, “That’s okay Skyfire! I got all day!” I squint at her and angrily murmur to myself before thinking that I don’t usually do this, but there is one thing I’d like to do right about now! Autumn pipes up from her position, “Hey! You wanna go out to eat? I know this really yummy restaurant across the forest village, and they have a tasty tropical pizza!” I stare at Silva and squint my eyes, “Uh, sure Autumn! We know the place! Can we meet you there in like, two hours?” <*****> I stare at her from across the table as she smiles smugly at me while the joint burns in my snout, and I say out the right, “What are you so happy about? Now, everypony is gonna see you as normal!” Silva sighs and nods, “Right! Do you have any idea how tiring it is to constantly be praised?” “Not really?” I say before pursing to inhale and I feel the warm smoke going down into my throat… Silva smiles, “So you see, I got too much love and you didn’t get enough!” I exhale smoke to the side and remove the joint to look at Silva, “I got love!” “Oh, yeah? From who?” “Um…” I blink and try to think of the last time I had love? “Somewhere!” And put the joint back in my mouth and purse my lips for another hit… Silva chuckles and shakes her head, “You are so stubborn!” I exhale, take the joint out, and stare at her again, “And you’re...stupid!” and put the joint back in my mouth for another drag. Silva eyes me carefully as I’m inhaling and feeling the warm smoke traveling down my throat… “You are so beautiful, you know that?” I quickly exhale smoke from my snout to the side and gaze at this other kirin carefully, “You keep saying that?” She nods, “Because it’s true!” I bring the stoge to my lips and purse, “Nopony else seems to think so?” before drawing in and feeling warm smoke travel down my throat again. She then recites poetry, “A mare is not beloved because she is beautiful, but rather, she is beautiful, because she is beloved!” I exhale smoke at her and say, “You wanna have sex again, don’t you?” Her eyes widen, “Well uh, I wasn’t planning on it, but…” “Nonsense! That’s the only reason you’d use a line that cheesy!” Her eyes narrow and she grins to a light giggle, “Oh, come on! I think it’s romantic!” “Cheesy!” I affirm myself and nod before bringing the half-joint to my lips once more for another drag. She smiles and says, “You deserve love Skyfire…” I exhale and say, “No I don’t! I’m unlovable!” and bring the roach to my lips once more. Her mouth frowns and eyes widen, “What? Skyfire, you’re a pony just like any other! Why wouldn’t you also deserve love?” I exhale smoke and say to her, “Because I’m me!” I say before bringing the teetering roach to my mouth for a final drag. She stares at me for a moment before I finally exhale and says, “Skyfire, do you like yourself?” My eyes widen before I quickly move my right forehoof to the glass ashtray on the table in front of me to snuff it out as fast as I can, as I don’t like the idea of my hoof being burned! She stares onward with interest as I put the burning hunk of paper out and eventually, leave it in the ashtray, and making a mental note of that to come back to the roach later, I turn and face the blue kirin to say, “Of course I like myself! Why wouldn’t I?” She continues to frown and study me with those dark blue pupils of hers while saying, “Well, this whole time, your principle complaint and argument against love has been, but I’m me! And, nopony would want to love me! And so, that naturally leads me to believe that you must not think that much of yourself?” I stare at the other kirin, dumbfounded before finally saying, “COMPLETE MORON!” “It’s the truth though, isn’t it?” “STUPID IDIOT!” She eyeballs me carefully and is silent… She eventually says, “What if I showed you that you were truly somepony worth loving, hmm?” I stare at her with what I’m sure is a glazed look in my eyes as I can only mutter, “What do you mean?” <*****> So, I’m staring up at my bedroom ceiling now, as I lay on my back and think to myself, doesn’t Silva also have a home? Before she whispers to me from my right, “That was all about you Skyfire… I want you to know that I did those things because you’re worth it!” Stupid freaking moron! I think to myself before turning over to her and saying in a daze, “W-what?” “YOU Skyfire! You’re worth it to me!” She says before planting an affectionate kiss on my snout! My eyes widen at the sudden affection… She removes her face from mine to smile at me from a few inches away just to my right… I frown up at her, “Why me?” “What if I told you that you make me happy?” “What?” She nods, “Just being there for me, I mean! Okay, let me ask you a question!” “Shoot!” “If I was down and troubled, and you noticed this, what would you do?” I blink and without thinking, I say to her, “Well, I’d go and check on you and see what’s wrong! I’d make sure you’re okay!” before widening my eyes at what I just said! She nods, “Right! And now, why would you do that?” “Well… I guess I’d do it because I care about you?” I say before smiling up at her… I probably look like an idiot? She smiles back at me lovingly, “Well, what if I told you that I care about you in the same way? That I want to help you?” “Then I’d say you were an idiot!” Her smile lowers, “And why is that Skyfire? Could it be because you don’t believe your somepony worth caring for?” I keep my eyes wide as I hadn’t considered that! “N-no!” “So in other words: yes?” “NO!” She moves her face towards mine for another affectionate kiss and while I’m taken off-guard, I also don’t resist… She eventually removes her face again to smile back at me from a few inches away as I stare up at her with wide confused eyes, “So I guess that means I need to convince you that you deserve love?” I really want to stop talking to her at this point and say, “Uh, weren’t we supposed to meet Autumn for pizza soon?” She raises her neck to stare at my little digital alarm clock on my nightstand to my far right and says, “Yeah, in about forty-seven minutes!” Now, I know it’s just a short ten minute walk to the pizza parlor… I know this, but I say, “Shouldn’t we get moving then?” She turns back to me and smiles, “Oh, but I think we still have some time for more fun!” before moving her head back towards mine to plant another loving kiss! And once again, I don’t feel like I belong here, but I never resist… She then positions herself in between my hind flanks and stares up at me from the other side of my bed… Is this real? Is she actually doing this? Why? I wonder before she begins to move her face closer to my hind flanks as I lay there on my back, still conscious, but somehow helpless all the same… And then, I felt her get to work! (To be continued… )
