A Herd in Maretime Bay

Misty had gone back to reading her book when the others returned to the room and started eagerly grabbing things.

“Misty, we’re going to the beach.” Izzy declared as she ran to the foot of Misty’s bed. “Do you want to come?”

Misty smiled excitedly as she closed her book. “Sure.”

Misty finished rubbing sunscreen on her arms and laid down on her blanket beneath her parasol. Looking to her left she saw the other girls rubbing sunscreen on themselves while Hitch laid out their things for them. Misty smiled before looking out across the beach. Considering it wasn’t as hot as the day she went surfing with Zipp, the beach was surprisingly packed. She spotted Seashell, Peach Fizz and Glory playing by the water’s edge. Seashell saw Misty watching them and waved to her. Misty waved back.

“You’re rather fond of those three, aren’t you?” Said a familiar voice.

“Oh, hey Jazz.” Misty greeted as the mane stylist approached her. “Yeah, I am. They’re the ones who taught me it didn’t matter what age I got my Cutie Mark, after all.”

Jazz nodded, then gestured to Misty’s friends. Turning her head to look Misty found Hitch massaging Sunny’s back while Izzy, Zipp and Pipp waited to have their backs massaged.

“They’re cute together.” Jazz commented.

“Yeah, they are.” Misty agreed.

That was apparently the wrong thing to say, judging by Jazz’s facial expression. “Come on, Misty. You live with four of them, I refuse to believe you don’t know what’s going on.”

Misty let out a squeak. She had thought she was the only one who had worked it out.

Izzy looked up as Hitch started massaging her back. “You okay, Misty?”

“Totally,” Misty said, her voice unusually high. “Everything’s fine.”

Izzy seemed doubtful, but let the matter drop.

“Jazz, what did you do?” Rocky asked as he walked over and put his arms around her waist.

Jazz playfully poked her coltfriend’s chest. “Why are you assuming I did something?”

Misty snorted at Jazz’s comment.

“Okay, maybe I did say something.” Jazz admitted.

Misty stood up and led Jazz and Rocky over to the water’s edge. “So you know the others are a herd?” She asked in a whisper.

Jazz and Rocky both looked confused. “What’s a herd?” They asked at the same time.

Okay, so Jazz and Rocky may have worked out the truth, but not necessarily all the details. “A herd is when a stallion has two to five mares as mates.” Misty explained.

“Oh,” Jazz and Rocky said together. “We didn’t know there was a term for it.”

Misty laughed softly. “So, how did you work it out?”

“Misty please,” Rocky replied. “Pipp is our boss, and the others visit Mane Melody often enough for us to see how they act together. It wasn’t difficult to put two and two together.”

“Well, aside from Zipp.” Jazz added. “She’s rarely ever in Mane Melody.”

Misty laughed again, louder this time. “Of course she isn’t,” she said at normal speaking volume. “This is Zipp we’re talking about. She hates being dolled up.”

“What?” Zipp called out just as Hitch was about to start massaging her back.

“Nothing,” Misty called back. “Just that you hate being dolled up.”

“Oh,” she replied. “Yeah I do.”

“So, Misty?” Jazz went back to whispering. “Are you part of their herd?”

Misty was taken aback by the question. Before she could answer an image suddenly popped into her head of her lying with her friends and Hitch massaging her back. Then as quickly as it came the image faded.

“No. No, I’m not.” She finally said in a flat tone.

Jazz gave Misty a smirk that suggested she knew what the Unicorn had just been thinking of. “Okay. Well, I’m sure you’ve got to at least have an idea of what happens behind closed doors.”

Misty shook her head. “No, actually. In fact, they haven’t told me anything about their herd. I just worked it out, like you two did.”

Jazz and Rocky were shocked.

“Wait, so they haven’t said anything about it to you, at all?” Rocky asked.

Misty shook her head again.

“That’s not right,” Jazz growled. She sounded angry. “You’re their best friend, and roommate in the case of the other girls, and they haven’t told you anything?”

“Jazz, calm down.” Misty whispered calmly. “What reason do the five of them have to tell me anything about their love lives?”

“Oh I don’t know,” Jazz replied sarcastically. “Maybe the fact that you hang out with the five of the them everyday and sleep under the same roof as four of them. Heck, you girls all share the same bedroom for buck’s sake, the same bedroom where Hitch and the others are probably cuddling, kissing and doing… you know? You deserve to know when it’s your bedroom too.”

Misty didn’t respond. Jazz had a point. The others should have told her.