//------------------------------//
// An Unexpected Visitor 
// Story: The Voice of the Sun 
// by Lev the Lurker 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 6: An Unexpected Visitor
“I am so beat!” exclaimed Lyra as she and Raindrops entered their room.
Raindrops nodded her agreement as she made her way to the bed. She just wanted to slump into it and drift away into oblivion for a few hours. “I still think it’s a stupid idea that we came here in the first place. We’re just setting ourselves up for trouble.”
“Well it would be nice if we could catch Corona or some of her minions, but I agree that I don’t really see how that’s going to work right now.” The unicorn lit her horn and started to strip out of her dress, folding the long gown up and placing it next to the bed--presumably they’d have to return their costumes sooner or later.  “I guess if we’re annoying enough we might make them do something rash eventually.”
Raindrops shook her head again. “The Voice is crazy but he doesn’t seem that kind of crazy. I don’t think he’s going to just attack us in the street, and I don’t think Corona herself is going to pop up and paint a target on her huge white flanks.”
“Maybe not them, but maybe that Griffin, Terry something wasn’t it?”
“Terror Wing. Maybe, but do we really need a sun-blinded giant griffin on our tails?”
“No, but I think you might be underestimating how annoying I can be,” said Lyra with a smile. “Bon Bon’s parents were certainly ready to do me damage after I spent three days playing at her window after we broke up that time.” She picked up her lyre and began to play. “I’m Clover the Clever I am, I am,” she sang out badly out of tune, “I’m, ooof!.” She was interrupted as a pillow thrown by Raindrops impacted on her barrel flipping her over onto the bed. She picked herself up with a grin. “Of course, you know this means war!” The pillows on the bed were encased in a golden shimmering aura as they threw themselves across the room towards Raindrops who dodged aside with a squeal. 
The following pillow fight was short but intense and ended with the two exhausted combatants leaning against the bed, panting. 
“You know, I think Bootheel would have paid to see us do that!” exclaimed Lyra with a sigh, picking up the sadly defeathered remains of her pillow. 
“You’re probably right,” said Raindrops with a scowl. “Slimy creep! That reminds me: I should probably check our room for spy holes. The bathroom too.”
“You really think he’d do something like that?” asked Lyra looking around the room warily. 
“I wouldn’t put it past him,” said Raindrops with a sigh as she picked herself up. “What are we doing here? Shouldn’t we be at home with our families rather than all the way out here surrounded by Griffins, hunting down solartics and ‘protected’ by a halfwit pervert?”
Lyra shrugged. “It comes with being knights of the realm I guess. It certainly makes our lives interesting.”
“Interesting? I don’t know, I kind of like boring. I had my life planned out. Work weather for a few years, maybe go to college and get a weather management position. Get swept off my hooves by my special somepony, settle down, have foals, grow old together, things like that.” She smiled wistfully. “But savior of Equestria? Knight of the realm? If you’d told me that a few years ago I wouldn’t have believed you. It’s heavy, you know. Really heavy.” She slumped down in front of the bed.
Lyra hopped over and leaned against her friend. “You’re the strongest pony I know, if anyone can deal with heavy then it’s you. I know things might seem all up in the air at the moment, but we’re being looked after by Shadowbolts, right? And our friends and even the princess herself are only a call away. You’ll look back at this when you’re old. When you're sitting with your special somepony surrounded by your foals and you’ll tell them these were the fun times.”
“Thanks Lyra,” said Raindrops with a weak smile. 
“Come on, let's get some sleep. Things will look better in the morning.”
“I guess you’re right,” said Raindrops craning her neck around to start working on the catches on the back of her dress. It was alright for unicorns but it was a major pain for other tribes to get the things on and off. She was about to ask Lyra for a hoof when suddenly there came a knocking from the window which startled her. She spun around but Lyra was already there, staring out into the night beyond. 
“Raindrops,” she asked in a puzzled tone of voice, “Did you order a stallion?”
“What?” asked Raindrops. Then Lyra moved aside to reveal, through the rather dirty window, the red coated stallion that she’d seen that morning--although now it seemed more like weeks ago. She blinked; her throat suddenly seemed very dry and her cheeks seemed to be burning. “What’s he...”
“Do you know him?” asked Lyra. “Wait a minute! Is that the guy you mentioned this morning? Your mysterious lovercolt?” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
“Stop it,” muttered Raindrops, her cheeks burning even brighter. She tried to pull the dress she had been taking off back over herself again; it was suddenly very important she look her best. “What do we do?” she whispered.
“Well we could ask him in? Or at least find out what he wants? If you don’t want to talk to him I could get rid of him, or get the guards, or something?”
“No, no! How do I look?” asked Raindrops running a hoof through her mane. 
“Wow, you really do have a thing for him don’t you?” Lyra grinned, “Sometimes I forget how young you are.”
“You’re only a few years older than me,” grumbled Raindrops smoothing down her dress and picking off one of the feathers left by the death of her pillow.
“You know what they say: it’s not the years, it's the mileage. And I’ve been around the block a few more times than you.” She reached towards the latch to the window.
Raindrops was suddenly struck by a terror deep in her belly and at the same time a wave of excitement. “No don’t!” she cried instinctively. 	Then she got a grip on herself. “No, go on!”
With another smile Lyra flipped the catch on the window and cautiously opened it, revealing the figure of the pegasus on the other side. He was just as well groomed and handsome as Raindrops remembered from the morning. Lyra’s eyes narrowed for a moment as the stallion was revealed but then she shrugged and smiled sweetly. “Hello,” she said, “What brings you here to our window?”
“Lady Heartstrings!” said the visitor in surprise, “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
“Oh you know us element bearers, we share everything, including beds.” She cocked her head. “You know me?”
“Only by reputation and image, you and the rest of the bearers are heroes of Equestria.”
“Are you sure we haven't met before?”
“I do not think so, I am sure I would remember you my lady.”
“You sound sort of familiar...”
He cleared his throat. “I was hoping to speak with the Lady Raindrops.”
“Of course you were. You know most visitors would use the door rather than the window, and would choose more sociable hours.”
“My apologies but I thought this entrance would be more... appropriate for my task. I had meant to come earlier but an issue arose with the locals which meant I had to calm some ruffled fathers, literally.”
“You’re very theatrical,” noted Lyra, “I like that, and I think Raindrops does too. Just a moment.” She trotted away from the window and towards where Raindrops stood frozen in place.
“He wants to talk to you,” she said.
“What do I say?” asked Raindrops.
“Well, do you want to talk to him or not?”
“Of course I do!” she said desperately, “I think... I don’t know.”
“Raindrops, if you never try then you’re never going to know what might happen.” 
“But what do I say to him?!” she whispered, glancing around Lyra towards the window.
“You could ask him what he wants. Who is he anyway?”
Raindrops shuffled her hooves. “I think he works in the Embassy somewhere.” Her eyes flicked away from the window where the stallion was waiting patiently and locked on to Lyra’s. “What does he want with me anyway?”
“Your autograph? He seems like a fan of the Element bearers?” Lyra rolled her eyes. “What does any stallion want of a pretty mare, you silly filly?” she teased.
“You really think, he... with me... now?” she squeaked.
“Well I don’t expect him to bend you over the bed right this instant, but I think he’d like to get to know you.”
Reality tried to reassert itself over Raindrops as the heat in her cheeks flared again. “But now, here, in the middle of a mission to Griffin Territory?” She liked Kindle, from the little she’d seen of him, but there was a time and a place for things like this and now was really not it. Although it reminded her of some of her books, where a stallion and a mare met in a stressful dangerous situation and passion flared. But surely real life wasn’t like that... was it?
“These things aren't exactly planned,” said Lyra with a shrug. “Come on, at least talk to him.” She turned back towards the window and pulled an unresisting Raindrops behind her. “Here she is!” she exclaimed. Raindrops awkwardly raised a hoof and waved at the stallion as he hovered only a few feet away.
“Lady Raindrops,” he said giving a bow. “May I come in?”
For a horrible moment Raindrops thought she’d forgotten how to talk. “Of course,” she managed at last.
“Thank you,” said the stallion agiley twisting his way through the open window and into the room. He glanced around for a moment before fixing his gaze on Raindrops. “Lady Raindrops. I was hoping to meet with you again. I would like to talk.”
“About what?” Raindrops managed after a moment. Then she mentally kicked herself; that had sounded almost accusing. 
“I enjoyed your company this morning, as brief as it was. I hope it is not too forward of me but I would like to get to know you a little better.” The way he said it seemed less like a possibility and more like a certainty--his voice dripped with confidence. Under some circumstances Raindrops might have found that annoying but at the moment it seemed very, very attractive. 
“That sounds nice um, Kindle, wasn’t it,” she said, trying to take some control over the situation and herself.
“Yes, Lady Raindrops,” he replied with a deep bow, his long silky wings spread wide.
“Just Raindrops will do,” she said, blushing again.
“Yes, my Lad... I mean Raindrops,” he corrected. 
“Where should we talk?” she asked glancing over to Lyra who had planted herself on the bed and was grinning at the awkward conversation. 
“Maybe we could return to the place we met at? Even at night the view is magnificent.”
“That sounds nice,” said Raindrops with a smile.
Kindle bowed again and gestured towards the window. “This might be easier to use than the main entrance at this hour.”
“Now hold on a minute young stallion,” interjected Lyra from the bed. “I expect you to treat my... my Raindrops with the utmost respect, no funny business,” she said with mock severity, “And I want her back by no later than ten, my lad.” She waved a warning hoof.
“I believe dame Heartstrings, that it is already past ten. Unless you mean ten in the morning.” He smiled. “And I am older than you.”
“Don’t you sass me, colt,” cried Lyra with a grin then hopped off the bed towards Kindle. “Sorry, I’ve always wanted to play the part of the disapproving parent. Plus,” she continued more quietly, “If you’re older than me then you’re much older than her. I don’t want to see her hurt, remember Princess Luna herself owes us. Put a hoof out of place and you might end up being sent to the sun!”
“Of course, dame,” said Kindle, not looking all that intimidated. “But are you not worried to leave her alone with me? We are in Griffin territory.”
“The embassy has guards and I trust Raindrops to look after herself. If you do anything with your hooves she doesn’t approve of she could snap them off, as well as anything else she felt like,” she said with a sweet smile.
“Lyra,” hissed Raindrops, still glowing red. “He just wants to talk. I’m sure we won’t be all that long.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” said Lyra returning to the bed. “Just have a good time.” Kindle stepped aside from the window and gestured for Raindrops to make her way through it first. “Watch where you’re looking,” teased Lyra as the stallion followed Raindrops. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t!” she added after their retreating forms before settling down into the bed to await their return. 

*        	*        	*

“I’m sorry about Lyra, she has something of an odd sense of humour,” explained Raindrops as the two pegasi settled down on the outcrop of rock she had been exercising on less than a day ago. As much as Raindrops had been embarrassed by her friend’s presence she suddenly found she really wanted her around. Lyra would know what to say in this situation. 
“It is understandable that she would be worried for your safety, she does not know me and my intentions might not be entirely honorable,” Kindle said, staring into Raindrops’ eyes in a way which made chills race up and down her back. Being dishonorable didn’t seem all that bad a thing right now. She couldn’t believe that she was in this situation, alone with a handsome stallion who actually seemed to be interested in her. Of course he didn’t know her yet. Once he found out about her past, about her temper, then he’d be gone, a dark part of her mind whispered. She broke Kindle’s gaze and looked up into the skies. The moon hovered there almost entirely full, its gaze partially blocked by layers of glittering clouds. The weather worker in her complained about the disorganisation of the scene, but she had to admit it was beautiful. 
“Glorious is it not?” asked Kindle reading Raindrops’ mind. “Although I prefer the day to the night, I can’t fault the beauty of the night sky. However, I do find that beauty somewhat cold compared to the glory of a summer's day.”
The two of them sat together for a moment looking up at the sky separated by only a hoof or two of open space. After a moment Raindrops found herself starting to lean towards the stallion next to her. She was surprised at how warmth seemed to radiate off of him. Reluctantly Raindrop straightened up again. “You wanted to talk?” she asked.
“Yes, since our last meeting. You were not quite what I was expecting.”
“How?” she asked with a scowl. Here it was, he wouldn’t like how angry she could be or that she wasn’t a pretty mare like Lyra, or something. 
“Well, I have heard the stories that you attacked a dragon and defied the sun herself. I must admit I expected a battered veteran of the guard or similar.”
Raindrops scowled and hugged her wings around herself. “That’s me alright, the angry one, the brawler!” she said bitterly. “Cheerilee is the smart one, Ditzy’s the nice one, Lyra’s the talented one, Carrot’s the cute one and Trixie’s, well she’s Trixie, and I’m the angry one, the one no one wants anything to go with.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” said Kindle with a grin, “I’d say you were the brave one, or the strong one, or the beautiful one.”
Raindrops turned back towards the stallion, her heart beating a little harder. “You... you’re laying it on a bit thick don’t you think,” she said trying to stop herself from squealing. 
“I am sorry if I spoke out of line, but I speak the truth when it is self evident. You fought a dragon to protect your friends, you did what you thought was right to protect Equestria. That is not anger, that is bravery, and you had the strength of body, mind and purpose to carry out those acts. As for beauty, well... I would compare you favorably to this view.” He trailed off, gazing into her eyes.
“Yeah, well,” she replied, her voice a little breathy, “It’s quite a nice dress the embassy managed to find.” She played with the hem of the garment. 
“Indeed, although I was not talking about your clothes. It is certainly better than the one you wore to the Griffin court. As a species they do respect strength, maybe rather too much, and that outfit did make you look rather impressive. But your physical strength is only one part of your character, not the whole.” He leaned towards her, reducing still further the distance between them and making Raindrops feel light headed. 
“Yeah, I was horny,” she admitted, then flushed, “I mean I had horns, my hat, my hat had horns, it was horny, not me!” She buried her head in her hooves in embarrassment. 
Kindle laughed at her distress. “Indeed, your hat did have horns and it did not suit you. I prefer your mane to be unfettered by anything covering it, horny or not.”
“So, what about yourself Kindle, you seem to know about me. Who are you?” she stammered.
“Me?” his brow furrowed for a moment as if deciding what to say. “Oh, my life has been far less eventful than your own, my lady. I am but a humble cog in the Equestrian government. My talents can be important in some ways,” he waggled a hoof in the air, “I can be a rather skilled persuader when I want to.” Raindrops certainly agreed, she’d known him for less than an hour and already she felt captivated. He was like a figure from her books come to life in front of her, larger than life and even more handsome, and unbelievably he seemed to like her. It felt unreal. “But we all need to do our part for the betterment of all Equestria,” he continued.
“I’m sure you’re much more important that I am,” said Raindrop, “I just push around clouds for a living. I got lucky that I happened to be chosen by the Element of Honesty. If that hadn’t happened I wouldn’t even be a note in the history books.”
“But,” he stood and turned towards her, “You were chosen by the Elements! That is your destiny. You have been chosen for some reason, everything has a reason, a purpose!” He began to pace backwards and forwards on the small ledge as Raindrops watched him, eyes wide. “I have always felt that I had a destiny as well! That someday all my effort and sacrifices would be rewarded and now with the great changes which have occurred I have reached my current position. The invisible currents of the universe brought me here to you!” He cried reaching up into the sky. He turned back to Raindrops who sat there mouth open in astonishment. “My apologies my lady,” he said quickly. “I was an actor before I came to my current position, I can sometimes get rather,” he coughed, “dramatic. Please forgive my outburst.” He sat down again a short distance from Raindrops. She shied back for a moment--his outburst had shocked her a little--but he still seemed so focused, so intent, so passionate that she found herself drawn to him again. “As I said my life is not all that important or interesting. Maybe you could tell me more about your home? Your family?”
“There’s not that much to say really,” said Raindrops. “I live in Ponyville with my mother, father and brother. It's a bit of a squeeze for the four of us, but we manage.”
“Surely Princess Luna supplied you with a sizable stipend when she knighted you?” said Kindle with a frown. “It would only be right that you would be rewarded for your efforts?”
“Yeah, well it didn’t work out quite like that. Being a knight doesn’t pay all that well, though at least the princess is making sure our jobs get covered while we’re out here. There was a reward for beating Corona but it wasn’t all that much. I tried to give it to mom, maybe help us move somewhere a little bigger, but she made me put it into a college fund,” explained Raindrops.
“A very wise mare your mother. I hope to meet her one day,” Kindle said with a smile which made Raindrops blush a little. “But that seems a paltry reward for risking the wrath of the sun, you were lucky she showed the mercy not to destroy you on sight.”
“Yeah well it didn’t seem much like mercy at the time, but I guess you might be right, it doesn’t seem like we got all that much for the danger we were put in.” She scowled. 
“My apologies for souring your mood, my lady,” he reached over and took her hoof in his own while staring into her eyes. “I am sure that Luna understands your true worth. However, let us talk of happier topics. It sounds like you are close to your family, both physically and emotionally.”
“Yeah, I don’t know what I’d do without them really. Sure my little brother Snails can be annoying sometimes and his pets get everywhere, but I wouldn’t give him up for anything. I just love the big happy smile he gets on his face when he finds a new creature, and he can go on for hours about how they live and what they do.” She smiled at the recollection.
“I am an only child myself,” said Kindle, “my parents were attentive enough I suppose, but they worked long hours. I was left to entertain myself, to look for ways to fill my life. I used to read for hours and act out the scenes from the books. Without leaving my own house I must have visited every one of the thousand isles, traveled to the distant past as well as other lands. Then as soon as I could I took my talents to the stage. Of course I was terrible at first, I remember my first visit to the theatre...” he held out a hoof as if to set the stage and Raindrops felt a wing gently creep around her shoulders. For a moment she tensed and felt the limb stop its journey, but then she relaxed into his grasp and allowed herself to be engulfed. She might have been a little taller than most mares and he of about average height for a stallion, but she found her head fitted very neatly onto his neck. She tentatively sniffed-- his coat smelt of jasmine and masculinity--before she returned her attention to his tale. 

*        	*        	*

“...and there was Trixie, all four hooves tied together hanging upside down from the chandelier with, of all things, a block of cheese stuck on her horn! The look on her face when she saw us! Then she had the nerve to tell us it was all just part of a trick and if we’d just give her another minute she’d have managed to get herself untied!” said Raindrops with a giggle. She closed her eyes and luxuriated at the feeling of Kindle’s chest vibrating as he chuckled at the story. It was surprisingly hard to open them again; it must have been later than she thought. Her sleepy eyes flicked towards the east where to her surprise she could make out a sliver of light starting to make its way above the horizon. “It’s morning?” she gasped.
“Already?” gasped Kindle. “Surely not?” He thrust a hoof to his cheek. “Wilt thou be gone?” he proclaimed grandly, “It is not yet near day. It was the nightingale, and not the lark, that pierced the fearful hollow of thine ear; Nightly she sings on yon pomegranate-tree: Believe me, love, it was the nightingale.”
“Huh?” said Raindrop confused by the strange outburst.
“It is from Rhomeo and Fillyet. The two lovers have spent their only night together but he must leave come the morning or face death at the hooves of her vengeful family. But they cannot bear to part so they pretend that it is not yet morning.” He shrugged. “Sadly we cannot claim the same ignorance. That is clearly the sun in all of its glory heralding a new day for Equestria and all other lands.” He gestured towards the rising, burning orb, dislodging Raindrops from her resting place as he did. 
“Did we really spend all night talking?” she murmured. 
“Yes, do you regret it?” he turned back to her.
“No, no of course not! But Lyra must be worried sick! I’m surprised she didn’t send guards out after us.”
Kindle tensed for a moment and glanced around. “I hope she did not take our absence to mean anything untoward had occurred between us.”
“Well probably,” said Raindrops glancing down and doodling with her hoof. She couldn’t help but imagine what something untoward might have felt like. 
“I, I am afraid I must go,” said Kindle turning to face Raindrops so that he was haloed by the rising sun. “I have duties to perform, I didn’t mean to be away this long. But I would like to meet you again, maybe for a meal?”
“A meal? You mean...” she paused for a moment, her heart leaping in her chest, “like a date?” she held her breath waiting for his reply.
“Why yes, very much like a date. In fact exactly like one,” he said with a smile. 
“I’ve never... nopony has ever asked me out before... not like this...” her ears started to droop thinking back to her school days and several dashed hopes.
“Then Ponyville must be filled with fools, I would have expected suitors to be lining up at the door of one so fair.”
“Um.. well, not many stallions think of me that way,” she stuttered.
“Then they also are fools, let us meet tomorrow,” he paused. “Actually I suppose it is today now, at noon,” he glanced around and pointed with a wing towards a large gnarled tree clinging to a nearby hill. “There, beneath yonder tree!”
“Noon? Surely we should...”
“Come now, surely one such as you are not afraid of an old mare’s tale? That by being outside at noon you risk the Sun’s wrath?”
“I suppose you’re right, I... I...” she was suddenly unsure. She really wanted to do this, to spend more time with Kindle despite talking with him all night, but everything seemed unreal. This sort of thing didn’t happen in real life, did it? Certainly not to mares like her! There had to be some catch. Kindle seemed so much larger than life, so intense, he made her feel like they were the only two ponies in existence. He made her feel special. Maybe things were unreal, but dare she risk the chance that this was reality? “Ok!” she finally cried nodding her head. “I’ll see you there at noon!” She felt like she was floating despite her wings being tucked in tightly to her sides. 
“Thank you, my lady,” he gently took her hoof and pressed his lips against it. In response she impulsively pushed forwards and kissed him on the cheek. She shuddered at the feel of each hair of his coat brushing past her lips.
He gently rubbed the area that she had touched with a hoof. “Until noon,” he cried and he lept from the perch, falling until the wind caught his outstretched wings and boosted him into the sky and away. Raindrops couldn’t help but notice the bunching of the muscles in his chest and flanks as he flew and she continued to stare into the distance even after he disappeared around a rocky outcrop. She felt like squealing, like jumping into the air and screaming out her happiness. All night! They’d spent all night together talking under the moon sharing each others’ lives, and now she had a date. A date! She almost wanted to pinch herself, but didn’t in case this did end up being a dream. It was just like a scene from one of the books she kept stashed under her bed at home! She had to tell Lyra- 
Lyra! Why hadn’t her friend sent somepony to get her after so many hours? What could have happened to her? Her stomach churning, Raindrops made her way back to the window to their room as quickly as she could and gently pushed it open. It hadn’t been secured since she left. There on the bed twisted in an uncomfortable looking position lay the mint unicorn quite soundly asleep and quietly whinnying. Raindrops made her way through the window carefully to avoid tearing her dress. 
“Lyra!” she said gently shaking the sleeping unicorn. “Lyra!”
“Huh, wha...? Bonnie, I’m still tired, can you turn down the sun?” she mumbled, then blinked. “Raindrops? Sorry, I must have nodded off. That didn’t take long, did lovercolt not have much to say?”
“Lyra it’s morning!” she exclaimed happily. 
“Morning already? Were you out with him all night?” she asked in surprise, then her features twisted into a more lascivious form. “You were out with him all night!”
“He was a perfect gentlestallion!” exclaimed Raindrops a little quickly. “Nothing happened. We spent all night just talking. He was... I don’t know, I felt such a connection with him... I’ve never felt anything like that before,” she gushed. 
Lyra patted a hoof against the bed next to her. “Tell auntie Lyra all about it,” she said with a smile.