“Oh, come on Luster, stop it!”
“No way. This tastes far too good for me to stop, Tone!”
“Seriously, you're kinda creeping me out! Put that tongue away!”
“No.”
“Lust, please! Somepony might see us and then we’re both going to be in real trouble here!”
“Just be quiet and nopony will be the wiser...”
“You’re getting way too into this! You gotta- aaahh... oooh…”
“That’s it. Just relax~”
It was at about this point that a mare let out a highly embarrassed sounding yelp, quickly retreating from the mostly empty dining cart, her entire face and much of her neck and shoulders having started burning a furious red. Luster poked her head up from where it had been hiding behind the food counter usually reserved for griffons, a cut of animal meat hanging from her mouth.
She shrugged, closed the counter’s sliding door and finished devouring the cooked meat with gusto before looking over at a new sleeping Tone Shift, who she had cast a sleep spell on to make him shut up. Seems it was a bit late to dodge the humiliation bullet, though. With an exasperated sigh, she placed Tone on her back with her magic and, just for added effect, pulled his tongue out of his mouth so it was hanging limply. That ought to get some interesting responses.
Chrysalis normally wouldn’t do anything to cause such a scene, but considering how her last couple of weeks had been, she needed to blow off some steam, and messing with the minds of nearby ponies was harmless enough as long as she didn’t go overkill. With a pleased hum at the food in her stomach warming her up, she used her magic to ruffle up her mane even more than usual before returning to the passenger cart.
* * * * * * *
Tone Shift refused to look anywhere except out the window of the speeding train, a red tint still covering his cheeks and a supremely smug Wildwood Luster sitting next to him, making sure she was pressed a bit closer than he wanted. Upon waking up, he had been met with Luster giving him a knowing smirk and most of the passenger cart either looking towards the two of them with knowing smirks of their own, or refusing to make eye contact.
When Tone saw this, he had asked a rather stupid question. “What happened?”
That had only made his situation worse. Luster gave an amused giggle before patting his shoulder. “Oh, you mean you don’t remember~?”
Tone had went to answer, but upon seeing the faces and thinking for a second, he did remember. Quite vividly. He remembered how Luster was getting hungry after sunset, but eating any love in the air would be problematic, as ponies would probably be able to see the energy as it was pulled into her mouth. So, she had gone to the dining cart, dragging Tone alone with her as a ‘lookout.’
And then she started eating items in the griffon counter with immense enthusiasm. Tone had become worried about them getting caught eating without paying and tried to talk her out of it, but she simply cast a sleep spell on him.
Apparently, to one of the mares passing through the cart, it had sounded remarkably... different.
Now, Tone refused to look at anything, simply glaring out the window with an eternal grimace of humiliation etched into his face.
“Oh, come on. Lighten up.” Luster said softly, poking his shoulder with her hoof.
“I bucking hate you.”
“No you don’t.”
Tone merely groaned and hid his face from the world with his forelegs. I hate this…
“Well, I dunno about you, but I’m beat. I think I’m gonna sleep. We’re arriving in Baltimare in the morning, right?” Luster asked, letting out a yawn and stretching.
“Yep.”
“Okay. g’night.” Luster said before unceremoniously flopping into him, practically using him as a pillow.
“...Off.” Tone seethed at her, but she had already fallen asleep, snoring contentedly right into his ear. I hate my life.
* * * * * * *
Tone had managed to get something resembling sleep while waiting for the train to reach Baltimare. When he awoke, it was to the sound of the train pulling to a stop and the conductor letting everypony know it was time to depart from the train if this was their destination. Glancing over his shoulder, Tone saw that Luster was still asleep and was still using him as a pillow. Taking a moment to look before his aggravation from his earlier embarrassment returned, he found the sight to be cute, in a kind of strange way.
“Hey, wake up, sleepy head.” He said, reaching a forehoof over and poking her face. Luster’s eyes snapped open and she quickly sat bolt upright. She blinked a few times and then looked at him quizzically.
“Did anypony ever tell you that your shoulder blades are dangerous?”
“Dangerous? What the hay is that supposed to mean?” Tone asked, taken aback by the comment.
“I mean that it’s a trap. A tantalizing trap from which their is no escape. Only release, should the warden come along.” Luster replied, earning a roll of Tone’s eyes.
“No, nopony has ever said that until now. Now let’s go, we’re here.” Tone slid from his seat and reached under it in order to get his suitcase. Luster simply stepped to the floor and stretched a bit.
The hustle and bustle of the occupants getting their luggage and leaving the train was a bit of a hassle, but at the very least it wasn’t as bad as Manehattan. Tone Shift would often dread any job that required him to record in that city because of just the train station. Madness.
They stepped off of the train and onto the platform. A few rudimentary checks from the staff later and they were waved through and onto the streets of Baltimare proper. Tone had been in Manehattan, and so while Baltimare was a very impressive city, it wasn’t anything for him to gawk at in comparison.
Chrysalis seemed intrigued, but otherwise unimpressed by the city’s towering skyscrapers and busy streets. She simply kept relatively close to Tone to make sure they didn’t get separated.
“First priority would be getting a hotel room. Then, once everything is put away, I can head on over to the recording studio and figure out when I need to be there each day.” Tone said more to himself then Luster, making sure he had his priorities sorted before stepping down onto the sidewalk and getting a move on, Luster following closely.
“And what hotel were you thinking of?” Luster asked dryly as she peered to her right, spotting at least two hotels on either side of the street heading away from them, both of which looked like they were in remarkably poor repair.
“I usually go to HappySheet’s. But they’re out of my price range this time.” Tone answered, giving the question some thought.
“Oh? And why’s that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I have to shell out the bits for a room for the snarky mare trying to humiliate me to death.” Tone remarked, shooting Luster a glance.
“Oh, shut up. It was funny and I needed a laugh.” she grunted, flicking her mane slightly.
“I didn’t find it funny.”
The two went along for a while, just walking before Tone decided to ask somepony they were passing on the street for directions to a decent hotel that wasn’t very expensive. The mare happily gave them some instructions for a hotel called the Gray Mule. It would be awhile before they got their on hoof, so they agreed to keep an eye out for a taxi on the way, even though they weren’t all that common in Baltimare.
Sadly, no such luck was to be had. No taxies came into view and, to make matters worse, the weather teams were getting a rainstorm started. Already the winds were picking up and some drops could be felt falling from the swiftly darkening clouds. Tone’s ears flattened against the side of his head and his muzzled scrunched into a grimace.
“Well, this is just splendid…” Luster said sarcastically, turning an irritated glare to the sky.
“Yup.”
“Ugh. Give me a second.” Luster said, ducking into a nearby alley. Tone turned around to see what she was up to, only to see a green flash from the alley. When Luster stepped back out, she was no longer a unicorn, but a pegasus, the rune on her cutie mark changed from ‘magic’ to ‘wind.’
“I sometimes forget how useful that ability can be.” Tone commented with a small smile on his face.
“Uh-huh. Look, just hold still, would you?” Luster bluntly replied while drifting into the air, giving her fake wings a few flaps to make sure they would keep her aloft. Once she was satisfied, she came down and picked up Tone by hooking her hooves under his shoulders and lifting.
“Uh, Luster?” Tone said nervously, glancing up at her. She wasn’t paying attention, her face one of strain as she hefted him along toward the hotel. While they were moving far faster than they would be on hoof, there was one small problem.
Tone Shift’s hind legs were dangling over a very long drop.
“Luster! Could you, uh, maybe not fly so high?!” He shouted so she could hear him over the rapidly increasing din of the storm. She still didn’t respond, making a sharp turn that caused Tone’s hind legs to swing due to inertia.
She was increasing her speed it seemed, the water starting to blind Tone Shift as they flew into the water harder than it was falling on them.
Tone’s pleas for a lower altitude gradually began to devolve into panicked screams that were not heard by anypony through the roaring storm, save for a smugly smiling Wildwood Luster.
* * * * * * *
When they reached the hotel, Luster plopped Tone down half a block away before ducking into a nearby alley and changing back into a unicorn, later explaining that she would rather have her magic than wings. They stepped into the lobby, a modest space with a small dining area off to the side and comfortable lounge seating spaced throughout the rest of the room. The bored-looking stallion behind the counter had been happy to go through the steps to get them a room for the next few days.
With the room paid for and Tone’s wobbly legs gaining back some semblance of solidity with being back on the ground, they left the lobby to find their room. Tone looked over at Luster as they went, her face looking surprisingly cheerful considering who was wearing it. “You seem oddly happy.” He commented, earning a glance from her.
“Messing with you is fantastic stress relief.” she replied simply, earning a snort from him.
“Yeah, well, be careful. I might start messing back.”
“Oh? In what way?” She asked curiously, putting on a cocky smirk.
“It all depends on what’s available when I need to get payback.” He shot back, giving her his own confident smile.
Her face went from cocky to disappointed at the vague answer. “What, can’t think of anything on the spot?”
“I just like to make sure my things are well planned out before I go pulling stuff.”
“Uh-huh. Sure.” Luster gave a roll of her eyes before puffing some air. “We there yet?”
“Yes, we are.” Tone said simply, stopping by their room and sliding the key into the lock. The door clicked and swung open with a soft creak, revealing a simple hotel room. Two beds were against the wall of the left while a bathroom was stationed just to the right of the front door. A lamp hung from the roof, a radio stood between the two beds on a small end table and a desk sat against the back wall with a closet right next to it.
“I’ve slept in worse.” Luster noted, stepping in after Tone and closing the door behind them with a wave of her magic.
“I figured. Rock and dirt can only be so comfy for so long.” Tone replied, earning a glare from Luster. Her horn lit up and the tip of his tongue was caught in her magic.
“Let me be clear here, Tone Shift. If your tongue decides to come outside and play. He really must mind his manners around me. Otherwise, I may just have to take him away from you. Understand?” Luster said slowly, her voice gradually shifting from a normal pony voice to that of Queen Chrysalis as she drew closer. Tone nodded quickly. Luster let go of his tongue and smiled cheerfully. “Good! Glad that’s settled.”
She walked past him and hopped up onto the bed farthest from the entrance. “This is mine now.”
Tone nodded, blinking the fear from his eyes and turning to leave. “Alright, go ahead and get settled. I’m going to go find that recording studio and find out when I need to be there tomorrow.”
Luster said nothing as he left. Once he was gone, she sighed heavily and closed her eyes.
With all of the trouble I am giving him, between the snide remarks and sadistic jokes, even threatening to tear out his tongue… I would have expected more anger from him. More resentment, more distrust… So, why is he growing fonder of me?
She opened her eyes and looked towards the door. This is getting bad… if this goes any further… Luster winced at the implications before stepping into the bathroom and looking at herself in the mirror.
If this goes any further, leaving him might become difficult...