Sky gritted her teeth, expecting a blast of pain. To her surprise, the spell had numbed the area rather well, at least temporarily. Now, Toxic....

All the tension bled from her back, and Sky couldn't help but close her eyes, the massage bringing a smile to her face.

A medical necessity or not, this stallion is one good masseuse...I could get use to this.

The relief from her tightened muscles clouded out the embarrassment of the blush on her cheeks. She could feel silly later...for now, in this brief moment, Sky just felt good.

“Mmmm. Running for our lives or not...that feels amazing. Where did you learn to massage like this?”

Toxic's face finally relaxed, slowly twitching into a smile as he continued to attack the knots in Sky's back.

“M-other, ha-s ba-ck probl-ems. Som-etimes, my d-ad wasn't ther-e, so I trie-d to hel-p her.”

He then chuckled softly as Sky let out a happy murmer.

“S-he sai-d I was pre-tty goo-d a-t it. G-uess sh-e was ri-ght...”

A simple hum was Sky's response, her eyes rolling with happiness under her closed lids. If not for the ever-present knowledge that they were in a constant state of danger, she'd be in complete heaven right now.

Yea. It's not THAT big of a deal. Just running for our lives in some Celestia-forsaken forest...oh shut up brain, let me enjoy this.

Sadly, only a few more minutes passed before Toxic poked her in the shoulder.

“I t-hink that w-ill do it fo-r no-w. A-re you fee-ling.......b-ett-er....?”

It took a moment for Sky to realize why Toxic's sentence had trailed off, because she was too busy leaning her head against his hoof. It felt....nice.

When her brain finally decided to snap back to awareness she scrambled to her hooves, a furious blush on her cheeks. She couldn't meet his curious gaze as she shrugged her shoulders expectantly, nodding with approval.

“Um...That seemed to have done the trick.....thanks.”

-

Toxic nodded back to the mare as they continued to walk, still rather confused on what had just transpired. He had touched her shoulder to get her attention, and Sky had tilted her head slightly to rest on his hoof. It wasn't the action itself that stuck in his mind. Rather, it was the gentle and peaceful smile on Sky's face that had appeared for but a moment.

Maybe she likes you?

Toxic had to restrain a disappointed huff at that thought. Sure, she agreed to go on a date with him, but how much of that...interest remained now?

So ask her, you doofus.

Soon enough he intended to, whenever that time came around.

It was Sky who broke the silence next as they walked, glancing up at the slowly darkening sky with a bit of worry.

“Hmm. Looks like a storm is coming.”

Toxic simply nodded, hoping that they were heading in the right direction now that the sun had faded behind the disturbingly fast moving clouds.

“Y-ye-p.”

There was another bit of silence as the two scrambled over a small ravine, but Sky finally looked over to the stallion, still a hint of a blush on her cheeks, but from exertion or emotion Toxic wasn't sure.

“How did you get your cutie mark, if I may ask? I'm fine with walking in silence, but if it's all the same to you, I like having someone to talk to...”

Toxic's ears perked up as he nodded.

“I'd b-e glad to t-ell you, as l-ong as y-ou don't m-ind the s-tutter.”

Sky Duster paused for a moment, and met Toxic's gaze with her own. Her eyes radiated something that he couldn't place. A warmth blossomed in his chest as Sky's eyes seemed to soften. They still retained a few fleck of fiery energy, but for the most part, her gaze was comforting and sincere.

“I already told you Toxic, I don't mind at all.” The mare's voice was soft, and the genuine tone caused that strange feeling in his chest to grow a tad stronger. He knew what it was, and it scared him.

But, at the same time, the knowledge that he still could feel something in that regard, gave him hope.

“A-ll ri-ght.”

He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as h e remembered that unforgettable day.

Forgettable...as if. The entire event was in the papers. Not his cutie mark, but the incident that caused it.

“W-ell, I was you-ng, and a-bout ha-lf my c-la-ss alre-dy had th-eir cut-ie mark. W-e were w-orking on s-ome re-ally, re-EALLY bo-ring m-ath....”

Sky couldn't help but giggle, sympathizing completely.

Wait. You laugh, you don't giggle. Why did you giggle? Shut up brain and listen....

“App-arently, the che-mistry l-ab had b-een exper-menting w-ith something. S-omething in the a-ir made ev-eryone l-eave. I was f-occusing on m-y work, and h-ad a silenc-ing spell, to h-elp me focus. Apparently it w-was really b-ad. I re-emember lo-oking up af-ter lowe-ring the spell, a-nd getting t-apped on the should-er by a fire-pony, a-asking if I w-was ok.”

Toxic then shrugged, nodding to his cutie mark. He didn't seem to notice that his stutter diminished slightly while telling the story....not that Sky minded. She thought his voice inflections were rather cute...

“I c-ould b-reath fine, and g-ot this.”

Now Toxic chuckled, holding out a hoof to help Sky over a jagged set of rocks - to which she gladly took...moreso out of courtesy than actual need.

That, and a chance to hold his hoof...you sappy mare you...

“W-when applying f-or my j-ob, we did chem-mical tests. I t-took a hydro-cloric a-acic bath.”

Toxic laughed, a genuine and hearty sound that rang over through the trees.

“T-the loo-k on th-eir faces w-as awes-ome! I c-an't dri-nk the s-tuff, or breath i-t, but sk-in conta-ct is f-ine.”

He looked over at Sky, and the mare was pretty sure she heard her heart squeal with joy.

Oh dear. I've got it bad.....Celestia help me....I don't know what to do, let alone deal with this in the situation we're in.

“W-what a-bout y-ou Sky?”

Sky Duster snapped back to reality, looking over to Toxic, who was regarding her with a slightly curious gaze.

“Me? Oh! How I got my cutie mark?”

She glanced back to her flank, regarding the star with white speckles on it, then turning to see Toxic nod to her.

“Sure. Well...let me see...”

Sky couldn't help but smile slightly, the memory one of her most treasured ones.

“I was young as well, probably the first third in my school class to get their cutie mark. I was on a picnic with my family. My brother picked me up at school, and we met my mom and dad on a hillside. It was suppose to be a clear night, and a comet was suppost to appear, so I got to stay up past my bedtime. My brother played tag and other games with me for a few hours while my parents relaxed. We ate dinner...and then waited for it to get dark.”

She sniffed slightly, not too surprised that her eyes were watering. Toxic was looking at her, concern radiating from his gaze.

“I'm fine...umm. Once it was dark and the stars began to shine, my bother started naming off the constellations. He had learned all that stuff at the school he was going to; navigating airships and such....”

Sky took Toxic's hoof as they jumped another small ditch, this one having water running through it. She was extremely tempted to not let go, especially considering how she knew these memories would play out. But, if the sky was any indication...

And naturally, in her musing, she HAD failed to let go of Toxic's hoof, and he now had a very adorable blush on his features.

“Erm..was thinking...sorry.”

He shrugged, his eyes holding no anxiety or discomfort.

“'No problem...”

They continued walking, the landscape slowly shifting to a more lush valley. It was a nice change away from the rocky forest. It was still wooded, but more and more grassy areas began to emerge. Sky made a mental note of how Toxic hadn't stuttered that last time...probably nothing.

“Anyhow, once the stars had come out, and I began to recognize the constellations....I felt a weird magic building up on my horn. I heard my family gasp, and when I looked up, I saw the constellations glowing! When I focused on different stars, they lit up too. It was only when the comet appeared that I got my cutie mark. When I looked at the comet, and focused on my new magic spell...the comet became huge!”

Sky couldn't help but smile at Toxic's surprised expression.

“Long story short, apparently I can magnify astrological things temporarily. Comets, stars, highlight constellations, that sort of thing. I even figured out a trick to cause the stars to shine in a wave across the sky. It's only visible for a small area around where I cast the spell, but it's still quite a sight. ”

“Wow...t-hat sou-nds beauti-ful....”

She nodded briefly.

“It is...quite fun to do to. I'm just glad it fits my name, I think my parents wanted a Pegasus kid...from my dad's side.”

The stallion beside her chuckled, both out of sympathy and amusement.

“Is y-our bro-ther on an a-irsh-ip n-ow?”

It was an innocent question, seeing as how Sky hadn't given Toxic any reason to believe otherwise. She winced slightly, the pain still present.

“He....um....no. There was an accident....”

To Sky's eternal surprise, emotion clogged her through.

I thought I had gotten over this...but then again, when was the last time I talked to somepony about this?

Toxic had stopped, and looked over to the clearly agitated mare.

“S-sky...I'm so s-orry.....I did-n't-”

Something ran down one of Sky's cheeks, and the mare stopped to put a hoof to her face.

Tears? She was crying?

Why now, why do I have to look like a broken wreck now...

why do I care?

….you know why.

Sky was snapped out of her conversation with herself by a comforting warmth across her neck and back.

Toxic was hugging her.

Partially against her will, Sky returned the gesture, reveling in the feeling of his fur against hers, the comforting warmth the foreleg across her back provided.

She felt safe.

“You must think I'm such a weak mare, can't deal with anything...”

A bit of pressure on her back indicated Toxic shaking his head.

“I ne-ver sai-d that, or th-ought it.”

Fully aware that Toxic had been hugging her for a few moments, Sky reluctantly slid out from his grip, meeting his gaze briefly.

“Thank you...but I still will need your help tonight...”

The quizical look on Toxic's face was almost amusing, if not for what Sky new would happen as soon as the clouds gathered strength.

“W-ha-t do you m-ean?”

Sky knew she mumbled a response, but couldn't bring herself to speak any louder, not until Toxic looked at her expectantly.

“Thunderstorms. They bring bad memories.”

Apparently Toxic was full of surprises, because he simply gave her a gentle smile and shrugged, nodding towards some tall grass visible through the trees.

“We-ll, lets g-et somet-hing to eat. I d-on't min-d helping.

I d-on't like seeing you s-ad.”

Sky drew a sharp breath as she heard Toxic's last phrase, almost devoid of any stutter. It was softer than normal, and had a definite warmth to it. A blush colored her cheeks, the first of many to come she suspected.

Toxic...why are you being so nice to me? It would put my heart at ease just knowing how you felt about all this,

about me...

--

Toxic looked around the overgrown field, bypassing the brightly colored berries for a more familiar patch of blackberries and onions. Judging from the scattered patches of vegetables, it had once been a garden of some sort, a broken down cabin at one end of the field testament to that idea. As he picked the edible vegetation, he couldn't help but look over to Sky Duster, who was busy harvesting some garlic.

She is going to need help? If it's as simple as comforting her, I...like the closeness. If she doesn't feel the same way though,

I can't get close to someone who has different goals in their heart, not again. I guess tonight I have to ask her then.

Even with the dark clouds gathering, both figuratively and literally, Toxic couldn't help but feel a bit at ease. It was just...easier, to talk to Sky than other ponies....

Author's Note

As always, feedback is appreciated!