Deathlight

Anton shot up from his sofa at the sound of a hoof knocking on his front door. There was only one pony it could be, and a mixture of excitement and fear sent a tingle down his spine. He hurried to the short hallway and yanked at the handle.

"Hi! You came! Come in!"

"Thank you!" Minuette flashed him a smile and cast a curious glance around the inside of the mysterious human's dwelling. She was laden with two slim and stylish bags, which hung from a couple of straps across her back and hugged her sides. They looked rather more streamlined and expensive than the square, lumpy bags Ponyville residents usually wore. A lady's travelling pack, Toni couldn't help thinking. After all, Minuette was a unicorn from Canterlot.

She saw his stare and glanced back at her bags in confusion. "Um, I'll just drop these by the couch, that okay?"

"Oh, yes. Sure, yeah, no problem!"

Minuette slipped past him while Toni closed the door. Once inside, she paused to take a longer look around the place. Her eyes scanned the meager furniture he had in the hall - a small wardrobe, a cabinet for shoes, and a wooden box for firewood. Then she saw the open door to the living room and headed that way.

"Make yourself at home. Want anything to drink?"

"Whaddya got?"

Toni was just about to list water and fruit juice, when he realized she probably meant something a little stronger. His mind raced as he tried to remember the contents of his kitchen. "Uh, I think there's one bottle of cider left, but I don't know if it's still okay. It's been nearly a year. Oh, and I think I have a bottle of red wine."

He went to rummage through his cupboards and fridge, just in case, and heard the thump of Minuette's bags hitting the wooden floor by the sofa. A few moments later there was the gentle ping of the springs as she climbed on.

"We can open the cider and find out," she called out. "I'm not sure wine is a good idea right now. Maybe a little later?"

Anton shrugged to himself and grabbed the bottle from a shelf above his kitchen table. He went back to the living room and paused on the threshold to take in the sight. His guest was lying on her side, propped up with a couple of pillows and covered by a woolen blanket she'd found on his couch. The way she was lying, only her hind hooves and the tip of her tail were sticking out from underneath the fabric. She was watching him with an expectant smile.

When he didn't move for long seconds, her ears splayed and she asked: "What?"

That jerked him awake and Toni hurried forward. He put the bottle on the coffee table, then realized he hadn't brought any mugs. He'd become too used to living alone and drinking straight from the bottle. "Damn, we need glasses. Sorry."

He was about to rush back to the kitchen, but Minuette's magical aura gripped his hand. "Wait," she said. "I don't mind. You aren't afraid of cooties, are you?"

They both laughed at the word and Toni sat down on the other side of the sofa. "I'm okay with it if you are."

Minuette's cheeks tinged lightly with pink and she quickly covered it by grabbing the bottle in her magic and examining the label. It was quite a plain one, hoof-written by Applejack's little sister the previous fall. It just said 'Apple Farm Cider'.

"Employee and customer?" Minuette asked.

"I guess. I mean, it's the only cider in town. I don't think anyone would dare import any, and I know for sure Filthy wouldn't dare sell anything but Apple Cider, even if it wasn't in the contract."

"Sounds like quite a monopoly. The Apples must make mint!"

"You'd think so," Toni replied thoughtfully, "but they don't gouge the price. AJ's too honest for that."

Minuette turned the bottle around to inspect the other side and pursed her lips in thought. "Yeah, I think I heard something about that. Shall we open it?"

"Go ahead."

The magical glow extended up the neck of the bottle and concentrated around the cork. There was a quiet 'pop!' and Minuette took a careful sniff. "Still good, I think, here, you smell!"

It came closer and Toni inhaled the sweet, heady aroma of genuine Apple Cider. "Yup, it's fine," he confirmed. Minuette kept the bottle floating near him, but Toni pushed to back to her. "Ladies first."

That made her giggle, but she didn't argue. Instead, the mare tipped the bottle up and took a long, content swig. She kept it in her mouth while she offered the next sip to Toni. One she'd swallowed, her pink tongue darted out to get the few errant drops from her lips, and she sighed. "It's good. Wow, I guess Rainbow wasn't bragging about that."

Toni was forced to agree. He'd drank all the bottles he'd bought in the first week, and only saved this one for a special occasion. His eyes met the smiling mare's, and he decided the occasion was special enough. There wasn't much alcohol in pony cider, but the taste more than made up for it. He leaned back and took another small sip, before offering the bottle to Minuette again.

She had been looking around the room, so Toni had to tap her side to get her attention. "Oh!" she said and gratefully accepted the drink back. Her eyes went back to Toni's TV as she raised the cider. "That the thing you mentioned? Movies you can watch at home?"

"Yeah, I got it from home - Earth, I mean. Surprised it even works with your pony version of electricity."

Minuette was still staring. "I heard they had these over in Manehattan, but I don't think anyone in Canterlot has one. Too- well, you know."

"Too what?"

She gave a small, self-deprecating laugh, before continuing: "You know how most unicorns get. Well, at least the ones rich enough to afford stuff like this. 'Traditionalists', they'd say, but really it's just stuck up, old conservative farts."

"I wouldn't call you 'stuck up'."

The mare snorted in annoyance. "I didn't mean me, obviously. I'm also not rich enough to buy a home movie set!"

"Eh, they'll get cheaper. We went through pretty much the same thing back home. Before I was born, though."

Minuette nodded thoughtfully, then sipped more of the cider. There wasn't much left in the bottle and she offered to to Toni, but he just pushed it back with a smile. She returned the grin and emptied it. "So," she said as she returned the empty bottle to the coffee table, "what movies are you going to show me?"

Toni's gaze went to his treasured collection of DVD's. It would not be possible to get any more and he lived in constant fear of the day his portable player would finally conk out. Ponies had the early version of television, but they didn't have any broadcasts in this part of the world, at least none which his set could pick up. Once the DVD player was done, that'd be it. He'd already promised Celestia to donate both it, and the TV, to the Canterlot Castle so pony scientists could try and learn from human technology. He'd already given them his useless cell phone for the same purpose. To date they had yet to replicate any of the device's functions, but maybe the TV would prove to be an easier first step.

He realized he'd been staring at the DVD cases for several seconds, so Toni stood up and walked over. "What'd you like? Something funny? Action?"

Minuette glanced down at her hooves and played with the sofa's fabric for a few moments. Her ears were completely flat and her smile was nervous when she looked back up. "You said you had something romantic..."

"Oh. Yeah, sure! We can watch that."

He found the right disc and very carefully slid it into the device. While it spun up and the title started, he returned to the couch and plopped down right next to Minuette's hind legs. She lifted herself up into a sitting position, careful to rearrange her blanket to stay around her shoulders, and drew nearer. She was so close that Toni could feel the occasional light tickle of her soft, fluffy coat on his arm. He remained perfectly still, unsure of whether she wanted him to touch her or not.

For that matter, did he want to do it?

It was an impossible question. In some ways, he'd already taken things too far. It was a big risk, taking Minuette in for the night, even if the intention had been nothing more than a friendly sleepover. She seemed to want more, but didn't know how to make the first move.

"How long is the movie?" she asked quietly.

"About two hours."

Her nose wrinkled. "Huh, my legs will get sore sitting like this. Mind if I lay down?"

She'd already been lying down a minute before, so Toni gave her a confused look. "Make yourself at home," he told her again.

He quickly understood why she'd asked, when Minuette slid her hind legs away from him and laid her head on his thigh. She stretched luxuriously, pushing all four hooves over the edge of the sofa. Her magic glowed briefly as she straightened her woolen cover and tucked it neatly around her body. For a few minutes she watched the screen, where the opening credits were playing over a shot of some houses, then her eye swiveled to his hand, which Toni was still holding aloft.

"You hand goes on my shoulder, by the way. Underneath the blanket."

"Oh. Sorry."

He did as instructed, guiltily revelling in how soft her fur felt to the touch. He stroked it with his thumb for a few moments, then gave the mare a pat and let his hand lie still. Minuette felt incredibly warm, and Toni couldn't help but wonder how she'd feel draped across his chest and belly. The nights were still too hot for that, at least up in the attic, but she would be delicious during the cooler parts of the year.

His daydream was interrupted when Minuette asked: "What are those shiny things all over the streets?"

"They're called cars. It's like carriages, but they don't need anyone pulling them. They just go on their own."

"Huh. Interesting," she murmured.

Toni concentrated on watching the movie and began to lightly brush his fingers through Minuette's fur again. From the corner of his eye he saw her tail flick once, but then the actors began talking and she became engrossed in the story.

Their second movie was coming to its conclusion, and the pair on the couch had shuffled into a much more comfortable position. Toni was sprawled against the armrest, and Minuette was on her back, nestled against against his side and clutching the bundled-up blanket to her belly with all four legs. His arm was around her neck and resting against her body, his fingers placed lightly on her cutie mark. There had been very little conversation, except for the occasional question about Earth, or the places in the movie. It had been a success and Minuette was completely enraptured by the story.

Seeing that it was about to end, Anton took a deep, luxurious breath and stretched out both arms above his head. He held the position, and his commentary, until the credits began to roll. His guest let out a shuddering sigh, then she flopped to her side and pushed the blanket away, which allowed her to complete the roll to her belly. She was smiling, and her eyes sparkled in the dim light of the TV. Toni couldn't help but brush his fingers against her muzzle.

"You said something about wine?" she asked. "I could go for some of that."

"Oh! Right! I'll go get it."

He was about to rise up, but Minuette made a small hop and landed with both hooves on his chest to pin him down. "I'll get it. Where is it?" Her tail was swishing from side to side, and there was a slightly hungry twist to her grin. Her ears flicked back, but she immediately got them under control and focused them on him again.

"Shelf above the kitchen table."

"I'll be right back!"

Toni watched the mare go, her hooves thudding quietly against the carpeted floor. He saw the dark blue glow of her magic in the kitchen, then Minuette poked her head out. "Where is the light switch?"

"Oh. Sorry! Left side of the door, it's human height. Should be around your head."

The switch clicked and Minuette vanished. Not long after that, the light went out and she came prancing out with the bottle held securely in her magical aura. He reached out to steady it while Minuette climbed back on the couch and recovered the blanket, but she had it under control and simply deposited it on the coffee table.

"Why didn't you just make a light spell?"

That question earned him a shocked expression, quickly followed by a faint blush. "Didn't think of it..."

He chuckled and patted her mane, careful not to bump the horn. He let his hand slide down and trace the shape of her head. Minuette was just a dark outline to him, against the bright DVD menu screen.

"Do you want another movie?"

As she shook her head, Minuette's long mane tickled his hand. "Too distracting. They're great, but I don't want to spend the whole night watching movies."

"You're probably right. How early is the train? Maybe we should turn in."

This shut her up and the mare blinked a few times in surprise. She turned to look at the wine she'd brought. "It's not that early," she mumbled. "Oh, do you have work?"

"No, it's Saturday. No market on Saturday."

"Then, how about-" Minuette began and stepped over the still-prone man so she was straddling his belly. The blanket from around her shoulders slipped off, unheeded, and Toni pushed it to the armrest. Her horn began to glow and the bottle lifted smoothly from the table. "How about we give this a taste and, um, talk some more?"

Her intentions, her desires hadn't exactly been a secret before, but now there was no longer any doubt whatsoever. Toni's heart began to beat faster and he tried to will himself to say no. It had been fun, and Minuette was a nice mare, but the situation with Twilight would make it bad. All he had to do was stop thinking with his libido, put Minuette down gently, and let her sleep on his couch. He could salvage a friendship out of this mess.

The words never came. He watched silently as the unicorn mare uncorked the bottle and took a swig of the sweet, red wine. Then she leaned down and kissed him. In his shock, some of the precious liquid trickled down Toni's chin, but he responded automatically and got a mouthful. It was a rich, fruity vintage, and Minuette's own slightly spicy taste made it all the better. He didn't stand a chance. He would just have to apologize to Twilight later, and hope she would understand.

Almost without his volition, Toni's hands rose up to caress the mare's sides, and his touch made Minuette moan quietly against him. She pulled away, and he made one last ditch attempt to save them both from the inevitable pain: "Movie?"

Minuette glanced at the screen behind them, then whispered back: "Run the same one again. It won't be distracting and it's got some nice music."

Toni fumbled with the remote. He had to press play several times, since the batteries were slowly dying, but eventually it took and the screen changed to black.

In the sudden darkness, Minuette's fuzzy face came back, and she teased another little kiss from him. "More wine?" she asked.

"Yes."

The bottle brushed his hand and Toni lifted it to his lips.

"Don't swallow right away," Minuette said. She bent down and invaded his mouth once more. Again they spilled some, probably staining the couch, but neither of them cared.

Minuette plucked the wine from him and floated it away. "Put you hand to a better use," she murmured huskily, and her magical aura guided his fingers back to her flank.

She didn't need to ask twice and Toni began eagerly exploring the softer fluff on her belly. Minuette gasped in delight and straightened up to give him better access. Her midriff was grinding heavily against his belly and Toni was beginning to strain against his pants himself. While she was up, Minuette floated the bottle closer and drank greedily from it. She had to moan through her nose as Toni brought both hands down her belly, to where their bodies were pressed together.

Her fur thinned out and his fingers were searching for a very specific place. He would have found it, but Minuette bumped the bottle against his forearm again. "Wine?" she breathed out.

It was perhaps his last chance to get a taste before she completely emptied it, so Toni took a few swallows, before Minuette snatched it away and lifted it up again.

"It's so good!" she moaned.

"The wine or what I'm doing with my hands?"

That got her to giggle. "Both!" She put the little that was left back on the coffee table, then fell against Toni's chest once more to seek out his lips in a passionate kiss. His hands were trapped between them, but that was fine. Toni simply let the mare do what she wanted. It took long minutes before she was satisfied and lifted herself up with hooves pressing into his chest. "Wanna- wanna take 'dis somewhere more comfor- comfy?"

There was the tiny bit of slur in her words, a combination of the cider and the copious amounts of wine she'd drunk. It seemed to be giving her more of a drive, or perhaps it was simply removing her inhibitions and this was who Minuette always had been under her polite, unicorn facade.

"Let's go to my bed."

She stole another small kiss, before lifting herself up with a regretful sigh. She slipped to the floor and her magic tugged at Toni's hand to make sure he would follow. Minuette led him to the hallway and this time she remembered to create a light with her magic so she wouldn't have to search for the light switch. Behind them the movie was still playing, but neither paid it any mind. They came to the end of the hall and Minuette turned to climb the stairs to the attic, but Toni put his free hand before her.

"The basement," he said.

"Hmm? What? I thought you said your bedroom is in the attic."

He shook his head and took a step to the other, closed door, at the very end. "Too hot up there in the summer since the cooling spell's worn off. It's nice and cool down there, so I got a makeshift bed."

Minuette smiled, even if it was a little uncertain, and took her hoof of the first step. "Okay, I don't mind makeshift. Lead the way."

He pulled the handle and let the door swing open. The switch was on the outside, and when Toni flicked it, the light revealed carpeted steps leading down to a brightly-lit room. It was mostly bare concrete, but there were some pieces of furniture, and a shag rug was just visible off to one side.

Minuette hesitated for a moment, but then walked down a few steps. "It's nice," she commented. "I like what you've done with the place."

"Sure. Uh, there's a bed down there, make yourself comfortable, I'll just use the toilet real quick."

The mare released her magical grip on his hand and winked back. "Hurry back," she said, and flicked her tail out of the way for a single moment, granting Toni a good look at just how much she needed him. She'd timed it perfectly with a different kind of wink, waited to see his reaction, then descended down the stairs, giggling softly. She didn't notice the black, sound insulation foam on the door so she didn't ask why it was there.

Toni waited until she was at the bottom, then quietly shut the door. There was a large, metal key in the lock on the outside, and he turned it carefully, so it wouldn't make any noise. His heart was hammering like crazy and he leaned his head against the door for a moment.

"Fuck, I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry, Minuette."

He could just make out her words, muffled by the insulation: "P-Princess!?"

There was a low growl and Toni jerked his head away. His ears caught some muffled, shouted words while he hurried away and into the living room. He shut that door, too.

It was just in time.

The faint, distant screaming started a moment before he raised the volume on his movie with a trembling hand.