Freight smiled and leaned against the hatchway. “You two look cozy.”
Puca raised her head from the crook of Stone’s neck. “Good morning,” she whispered.
“I’m assuming you’re Puca, or Stone’s in a whole bushel of trouble with her and me both.”
Puca smiled and nodded.
“I thought you two were more than fellow adventures to each other.”
“How long have you been together?”
“Since last night.”
“I hope you two didn’t do anything I will have to explain to the cleaning crew.”
Puca glanced up to the bottom of the bunk above, which was not far above her head. “I was tempted, but there’s not enough room for what I had in mind.”
“There’s always the floor.”
Stone muttered something indecipherable and leaned up. “It’s morning already?” When Puca turned to answer him, he gave her a kiss. “You’re something wonderful to wake up seeing.”
“You’re sweet.” Puca cut her eyes towards the door. “Somepony’s watching.”
Stone turned to Freight and blushed. “Good morning, Captain.”
“Do I get a good morning kiss too?” Freight laughed, as Stone attempted to say something that amounted to an answer. “We’re not too far out from Canterlot. I wanted to warn you two so the landing didn’t jolt you awake.”
“Thank you,”Puca told Freight. “We’ll get ready for landing.” She and Stone untangled themselves from their shared blanket and got out of the bunk.
“I don’t know what this is all about, but Luna told me to deliver these.” Freight gave Puca and Stone each a sealed envelope. “She told me that the envelopes have everything you will need to complete your respective assignments, including documents and train tickets.”
“I thought you were the one they were counting on,” Stone said to Puca.
“Looks like they’re pulling us both in on whatever is going on.”
Stone looked over Puca’s envelope. “Hers has Celestia’s seal and mine has the Empire’s. Are we working for different princesses?”
“I have no clue,” Freight said.
“We might do something at cross purposes then.”
“I doubt that. The princesses do nothing of importance without consulting each other.”
Puca opened her envelope and read the first page of the message. As soon as she reached the end of the page, she slid the message back in the envelope. “I am to read these orders alone and not give out any details about what will do beyond saying I am to catch a train to Ponyville early this evening.”
Stone opened his envelope and read the first page of his assignment. “Same here. If I had to bet, it’s the same train.”
“So they want you two to split up for a while.” Freight shook her head. “Just what are they up to that they need you two to be so fast and quiet about it?”
“There’s no telling.” Puca gave Freight a hug. “Thank you for everything.”
“You’re more than welcome.” Freight grinned and gave a look to Stone. “I got a goodbye hug from your brother, and your special somepony, how about you?”
Stone looked to Puca.
“I won't get jealous, I promise,”Puca assured him.
Stone gave Freight a hug. “Thank you.”
Freight kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you. If you hadn’t let those things inside you and fought with us, my crew would be down a few members.” She swallowed and gave him a brave smile. “I don’t know if knew you this, but those of us that made this flight back had chance to stay with the others in the Empire, but we wanted to see our families and made the run with a skeleton crew.”
“You’re married?”
“I have a husband, and filly and a colt about Cobalt’s age. They’re twins.” Her breath caught and tears trailed down her cheeks. She turned her head and hugged Stone tight against herself. “I didn’t know if I would see them again.”
Puca wrapped her forelegs and wings around Freight and Stone. “It’s all right. We’re back home and safe.” She rubbed Freight’s shoulder with a hoof. “You’ve been holding that in a while.”
“I have.” She sniffed. “I have been acting tough for my crew, but making the trip back made me think about how close we came to not coming back at all.”
“So long as you’re not one of the Elements of Harmony, or living in Ponyville, this should be a once in a lifetime thing,” Stone said.
“Thank Luna! I never want to get tangled up in anything like that again.”
“You were the right captain at the right place and at the right time,” Stone told her. “If it weren’t for you and your ship and crew we might not have made it on time.”
The ship’s engines’ sound changed to a slower, more powerful rhythm.
After letting go of Stone, Freight wiped the tears from her face. “Chart must be about ready to set us down.”
“You’re not going to pilot us in?” Puca asked.
Freight shook her head. “Chart is trying to become a full pilot. As part of the training, he has to complete several landings on his own.” She released Stone, stepped back, and sniffed again. “Thank you for letting me cry on you.”
“While I hope you never need to, you can cry on me anytime you want.”
“You have a keeper,” Freight said to Puca.
Puca leaned her head against Stone’s shoulder. “I know.”
*****
Grayson walked the length of the train car time and time again.
“How like a tiger in a cage,” Luna said, watching Grayson. “One wonders as to the thoughts that cause him to pace so.”
Celestia looked up from her book. “You could just ask him.”
Luna smiled. “I prefer to indulge in speculation. One can come up with the most wondrous reasons for such behavior.”
Grayson paused in his pacing and gave them an unamused look. “I’m glad I can provide such entertainment.”
“He is not the only one in such a state,” Luna said. “Young Cobalt has been restless while waking and in his dreams.”
“He tried so hard to hide it during his lessons yesterday, but Mend and I both noticed his mind wandering.” Amore sighed. “Mend thinks we’re being cruel, not letting him in our plans. To an extent, I can see what she means, but we cannot make promises to him without consulting his parents first. We don’t know whether Twilight will agree either.”
Celestia giggled. “I assure you, you need not worry about her not agreeing.”
A knock, low on the car’s door, drew everyone’s attention.
Amore smiled. “You may enter, Cobalt.”
Cobalt entered the train car and bowed to Amore. “You summoned me, Princess?”
“I did.”
“I will serve to the best of my abilities.”
Cadance giggled. “Being formal again I see.”
Grayson patted Cobalt’s shoulder with a talon. “He knows how to conducted himself.”
“There is no question of that.” Amore smiled at Cobalt. “You may rise. Due to unforeseen events, we will need to stop in Canterlot longer than we had scheduled. While the should prove positive overall, it has left us with issues we need to address. We have need of you two to aid us in doing so.”
Grayson’s eyebrows rose. “We’re an odd pairing.” He looked to Cobalt. “No offense meant, I’ll be glad to work with you, but we couldn’t be more different.”
“True, but you two have something in common. You have connections to Ponyville and know its citizens and the locations of their abodes.”
Grayson’s bumped Cobalt and chuckled. “I think we will running parcel post.”
“Royal couriers,” Celestia corrected. You two will need to set out as soon as we reach Canterlot. Speed is vital for what we have in mind.”
“We can leave now, provided there is access to the top of the train,” Grayson said. “I can carry him with no trouble.”
“Are you certain?”
“No doubt at all.” Grayson patted Cobalt on the head. “If time is of the essence, we are the right team for the job.”
Cobalt nodded. “We won’t let you down, Princess.”
Celestia smiled. “I’m sure you won’t.” She turned to Cadance. “Is it finished?”
“It is.” Using her magic, Cadance placed her letter into an enveloped and affixed her seal. She held out the envelope to Grayson. “This is for you to deliver.”
“To whom should I take it?” Grayson asked.
“Zecora of the Everfree Forest.”
Grayson froze.
“Are you refusing?”
Grayson shook his head and took the letter. “I’ll need my gear, if I will be making a trip there.” He gave Cadance a quick bow. “I will take my leave and prepare for the flight.” With feline speed, he left the train car.
“You struck something within him.” Luna gave Cadance an inquisitive look. “At what tender spot did you aim?”
“His heart,” Cadance said, with a cheerful grin.
“Cobalt,” Celestia said, “come here.” She gave Cobalt a messenger bag which bore the royal seal. “These are for your parents, your brother, and the Elements. Make sure they get to them as soon as possible. There is one in there for you, but you may only read it after you have delivered the others.”
Cobalt bowed. “Yes, Princess.”
“There is one other matter.”
“I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
“I have learned that my fellow princesses have all received a hug from you. I have not. You must fix this.”
Cobalt lifted his head. For a second, his expression was of disbelief. Smiling, he put the bag aside and hugged Celestia.
Celestia hugged him back.“Thank you for helping Amore come back to us.”
“I’m glad I could help, Princess.”
*****
Puca pointed a hoof towards the sky. “Stone, is that who I think it is?”
“If you’re thinking it’s Grayson with Cobalt on his back, I think you’re right.” Stone waved to them. “Hey you two, you’re not supposed to be here for hours!”
Grayson turned his head towards them, pointed them out to Cobalt, and then descended to the street. “Thanks for saving us the trouble of hunting you down. The princesses told us we’re on a tight schedule.”
Cobalt slid from Grayson’s back. “Be careful,” he told the griffin.
“I always am.” Grayson grinned at Puca and Stone. “I hope you two have been behaving yourselves.”
“We have,” Stone said at the same time Puca responded, “Somewhat.”
“I don’t think I want the details on the ‘somewhat,’ so I better go.” Grayson took off and flew toward the Everfree Forest.
“He has the same feeling as when he’s preparing for a fight. I don’t know if that is a good thing or a bad one.” She looked to Cobalt. “I take it you’re on another mission for the princesses?”
“I am!” Cobalt pulled a pair of scrolls from the messenger bag. “I was to give these to you and Stone.” He then turned and trotted away.
“Where are you going?” Stone asked.
“I have to deliver the rest of them as soon as possible. Where are you two going to be?”
“We’re going to get a bite to eat, run some errands, and then go to my place.”
“I’ll meet you there!”
Stone blinked. “Is that a cutie mark?!”
“It is! I’ll tell you about it when I get back!”
“He must be excited about these messages, if he’s not even going to tell us about how he got his cutie mark.” Stone broke his scroll’s seal and read it. “So that’s why we were running around like mad yesterday.”
Puca read her own message and smiled. “This will change a few things around here.” She rolled the scroll back up. “I noticed you didn’t tell him what we’re about to do. Are we trying to keep things a secret?”
“Not so much a ‘secret’, but I thought it would be a nice surprise for him.” Stone gave Puca a scheming grin. “I have an idea. If you’re up for it.”
She smiled back. “What have you got in mind?”
*****
Mosaic took a sip of the soup she was preparing. She smiled, as the sounds of the front door being unlocked then opening and closing, as somepony entered, from the front of the house. “That’s Cobalt.”
“Stone, could you help me with this leaf? It needs to ooch a little bit, and I can’t get it to move from where I am.”
“Be right there, Dad.”
Puca stopped using the rolling pin she had been working with and smiled.
Mosaic paused in her stirring the soup and turned to Puca. “Are you feeling all right?”
Puca nodded. “I haven’t been able to enjoy something like this too often.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as if savoring a scent. “It’s wonderful.”
Mosaic looked down at her ladle. “The soup’s not that good, and you haven’t even tried it yet.”
“I’m sure the soup is great.” Puca rolled out dough again. “It’s the feeling of family togetherness I was talking about. It’s rare for a changeling to enjoy it like this.”
Mosaic hugged Puca across the shoulders with a foreleg. “I hope we can make it a much more common thing for you.”
“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful or suspicious, but why do you trust me? In most ponies’ eyes I’m little better than a monster.”
“You watched over and brought back the two most precious things in my life.” Mosaic hugged her tighter. “If I can’t trust you after that, I can’t trust anypony.”
“Mom? Puca?” Cobalt stepped into the kitchen and looked at them both as if in disbelief. “What’s going on?”
“We’re fixing dinner,” Mosaic said as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.
“Got it!” A stallion’s voice said over the sound of a wooden thump.
“How mad is Dad?” asked Cobalt, his ears folded back.
Puca gave a light snort. “Stone survived telling him about what happened, you will too.”
“You must have gotten the note I left on the front door at my place.” Stone entered the kitchen, tapped Cobalt on top of his head with a hoof, and gave him a disapproving look. “Mom told me what you did. Giving her the scroll, a quick hug, and then running off was not nice to do.”
“My orders were to get the scrolls where they needed to go as fast as I could.” Cobalt glanced over at his mother. “She would have hugged and kissed on me and made me tell everything and held me up for who knows how long.”
“Puca, could you take over for a moment?” Mosaic gave Puca her ladle. “I have a son I need to hug.”
Puca took the ladle and gave Mosaic a wide smile. “I think he needs a hug too.”
Cobalt met Mosaic half way and hugged her. “Sorry, Mom, for running off like that.”
“You could have at least let me get a good look at you and talked with me long enough to know everything was all right.” Mosaic held Cobalt against her chest and kissed the top of his head.
“There’s my boy.” A large, gray coated stallion with a light blue mane came into the kitchen, moved past Stone, and took both Cobalt and Mosaic in a hug. “Get over here, Stone, you’re not too big for this.” As soon as Stone got close enough, the stallion pulled him into the family hug. “Thank Celestia and Luna both I can do this again. I’m proud of you both, but you worried your mother and me half to death.”
Stone turned his head toward Puca then looked back at his family.
Puca gave him a quick motion with her hoof, as if to signal for him not to worry about it.
After watching the exchange between Puca and Stone, without letting anypony out of his embrace, the gray stallion tapped the top of Stone’s head with his chin. “Something going on?”
Without breaking eye contact with Puca, Stone told him, “We need room for one more.”
Cobalt looked up at Stone with wide eyes.
The gray stallion chuckled. “Come on,” he said to Puca, gesturing with a hoof for her to join them. “There’s plenty of room.”
Puca gave him a thankful smile and joined in the hug.
*****
“Would you like a roll, mister-” Puca paused in her words and in offering the rolls. “I realized I have no idea what your name is. I’ve only heard you called ‘dad,’ ‘dear,’ or ‘my husband’.”
“Fieldstone is my name. Just Field, please, no mister needed.” He took two rolls from the basket. “Thank you.”
“Cobalt, you need to eat,” Mosaic told her son. “Your soup will get cold.”
Cobalt tore his eyes from Puca and Stone, who were sitting across from him. “Yes, Mom.”
Mosaic said to Puca, “I thought you two were the only ones being sent back early.”
“That was the plan. Cobalt and Grayson must have followed behind us later.”
“Why send you two back early?”
“Princess Cadance and Mend thought Stone would rest better at home, and messages needed to delivered for everypony to be ready for the festivities. Since I am employed by Celestia, and knew my way around Canterlot, I was the chosen as the one to accompany Stone on the flight back.”
“They must have been the forerunners for getting everything ready,” Field said. “What is going on, I don’t know. What I know is that the rumor mill is in full tilt trying to figure it out.”
“Festivities?” Cobalt asked.
“The festival the princesses will be hosting.”
Cobalt gave him a blank stare.
“Did your message from the princesses not mention it?”
Cobalt’s ears sprang up. “I forgot about it!”
Field laughed. “Go get it then. I’m wondering what they wrote to you. They wrote something different to each of us and we’ve been trying to figure out what they are up to by comparing the messages.”
Cobalt scrambled from his seat.
Mosaic shook her head and smiled in a tolerant way. “No running in the house!” she told Cobalt. “I don’t care if you are a hero or not!”
Cobalt’s steps slowed in tempo. “Yes ma’am!”
Mosaic gave Puca and Stone a look. “You two being here must be important to him. He forgot about the message and hasn’t even mentioned getting his cutie mark.”
Stone told her, “We’ll get the story about his cutie mark out of him, I promise.”
Puca added, “After we try to figure out what the princesses are up to.”
Cobalt returned to the kitchen, cleared off a spot at the table, put his scroll down, and returned to his seat. He opened the scroll and read the message. “The princesses will be here in two days.” He looked up and grinned at Puca and Stone. “We’re all supposed to be there. I’m supposed to meet with Princess Amore.”
“We’re all meeting with a princess, it would seem.” Field nodded to Puca and Stone. “Stone is meeting with Luna. Puca will meet with Cadance, and your mother and I are to meet with Celestia.”
“They are resorting to dividing and conquering again,” Puca said. “They must be up to something big, if they are going through all this trouble to keep things quiet.”
“Speaking of not giving details,” Mosaic gave Cobalt a meaningful look. “Somepony has a few things to tell us. Things like how they got their cutie mark and what they have been doing in the Crystal Empire.”
Cobalt’s ears folded back. He rubbed the back of his neck with a hoof. “I can do that.” Cobalt told about his getting his cutie mark and his studies with Mend and Amore.
“You healed Bonsmara,” Stone said, sounding amazed. “I wish I could have been there to see that.”
“I had help,” Cobalt said, looking down to the table.
“I think I remember reading something about that kind of magic, when I was looking for something to help Stone,” Puca said. “Healing using earth pony magic is a rare talent and powerful.”
Mosaic leaned over and hugged Cobalt. “We always knew we had a special colt.”
“You have two special colts,” Puca said. When everypony turned to her, she blushed.
“You’re right.” Mosaic regarded Stone with a happy look.
Field looked to Cobalt. “That reminds me, what about Puca and Stone being here made you so excited that you forgot about your message?”
Cobalt looked as if were caught in a spotlight. “I was just surprised to see them and glad they were here.”
“Don’t fib to your father.” Mosaic gave Cobalt a light tap to the nose. “Or, in this case, tell a half truth.”
Cobalt squirmed, but remained silent.
Field gave Cobalt a half stern look. “Son, you know you can talk to us about anything.”
“I thought Stone would be at home. When I saw the note on his door saying he would be here, I though he would be here on the couch sleeping. Puca being here too surprised me too, I guess.”
Field raised an eyebrow. Before he could say anything, Stone said, “He saw Puca and I, when he arrived, as we were going to the market. I think he was expecting me to be a little more tired.”
While Field was talking with Cobalt and Stone, Puca caught Mosaic’s attention. Through the use of ears, body posture, and subtle gestures a silent exchange occurred between them,
“Speaking of that, I believe your brother was ordered to bed by a princess,” Mosaic said.
“I feel funny having to ask permission to stay up,” Stone said to her. “But if you tell me to go to bed, I will.”
“You can stay up longer, if you help Cobalt do the dishes,” Field said. “You’re mother has not been sleeping well, worrying about you two. She deserves a break herself.”
“I can’t argue with that,” Stone said, as he stood up from the table. “I owe you both a lot of chores for making you worry about us.”
“I’ll help too,” Puca said, getting to her hooves.
“You will do no such thing.” Mosaic made a gesture toward Puca that indicated she should sit. “You are our guest.”
Stone glanced at his parents and then at Puca, who met his eyes for a moment.
“We’ll behave. I promise.” Mosaic gave Stone a smile that was too wide for comfort. “If you do the dishes fast enough, we won’t even have time get out the family album.”
Stone’s expression changed to one of embarrassed horror.
Cobalt grabbed one of Stone’s forelegs. “Come on! She’s got pictures of me in there when I was little too!”
“You still are little!”
“You know what I mean!”
While bickering back and forth, the two brothers made short work of clearing the table.
“You two are both going to be doing chores for a while, to make up for making your mother and me worry about you,” Field told them, between the two brother’s verbal jabs.
“Yes sir,” the brothers said in unison. They hurried to the kitchen. Soon after, the sound of running water and exchanged plans of action being discussed filtered into the room.
“Well played, my dear,” Field said.
Mosaic grinned. “Thank you.”
Field looked at Puca. “Don’t worry, neither of us bites.”
Puca drew up a smile. “I didn’t think you did.”
“You’re nervous, though.” Mosaic extended a hoof and took one of Puca’s.
“I think we’re both still in shock over the news, but you don’t have to be worried that we will throw you out of the house or anything like that.”
Puca asked Mosaic, “Could you let go for a moment? I need to show you both something.” After Mosaic let go of her hoof, with an accompanying spurt of green fire, Puca dropped her pegasus disguise. “This is what I look like. I wasn’t aiming to hide it, but I thought appearing like a normal pony would be the best for tonight.”
There was a second of awkward silence.
“I want your honest reactions to seeing this.” Puca said.
“It’s still a shock to see somepony change like that.” Mosaic said. She took Puca’s hoof again. “That does not mean I think less of you.”
Field’s studied Puca for a second and then shrugged. “I don’t care what somepony is. I work with three griffins, two diamond dogs, and half a herd of minotaurs. They’re just as much of a ‘pony’ as a pony.”
“But they aren’t interested in our son like she is,” Mosaic said. “That’s what she’s worried about, that we won’t accept him being with someone that isn’t a pony.”
Puca’s ears folded back. “I love your son, but I don’t want to make him chose between me or his family.”
A loud clatter of dishes turned their heads.
“Be easy with the plates you two! We're not getting out the family album, so take your time!” Mosaic half shouted towards the kitchen. She grinned at Puca and told her, “This time, anyway.”
Puca looked at Field. “I can tell something is troubling you about something about Stone and me.”
“We just met, so I won’t pretend that I know you. If Stone has invited you into his life like he has, you are part of ours too. I am just worried about other ponies. Twilight coming here has helped, the town’s reactions to Kevin and Zecora are not isolated incidents.”
Puca assured him, “We can handle it.”
The sound of draining water could be heard from the kitchen.
"They will be done in a minute,” Mosaic said. “What we’re trying to say, is that you don’t have to worry about anything with the two of us.”
“Cobalt said he would finish drying and that I could...” Stone trailed off, as he stepped into the room and looked at Puca and Mosaic. “Is everything all right?”
“We were just discussing you two’s courtship, in a roundabout way, and a little after the fact,” Field teased. “She wanted us to see her as she is see how we would react. I believe we conducted ourselves well.”
Puca smiled. “Very much so.”
Stone sat down beside Puca so their sides were almost touching. After glancing toward the kitchen, he whispered, “I don’t think Cobalt has a clue about what we’ve done. He asked me a dozen questions about our trip back and what we’ve been doing.”
After letting go of Mosaic’s hoof, Puca changed back into her pegasus form and grinned. “He’ll know soon.”
*****
“Thank you for coming over. It was nice to meet you, after hearing about you from Mosaic.” Field opened the front door.
“Thank you for having me.” Puca turned to Mosaic. “Would you mind if I borrow two of your stallions as escorts?”
“I wouldn’t mind at all.” Mosaic leaned against Field. “This one stays with me, though.”
“That leaves Stone and Cobalt then.” Field kissed the top of Mosaic’s head. “You think they can handle the rough streets of Ponyville?”
“I think they’ll manage.” She pointed a hoof at Cobalt. “Be back by nine.”
Cobalt nodded. “Yes ma’am.” Moving out the door, he declared, “I’ll take point,” and headed toward Cranky and Matilda’s house.
“Let’s swing by my place first so I can put these leftovers up,” Stone said.
Cobalt looked over his shoulder, nodded, and changed direction.
Stone winked at Puca. “If you don’t mind, that is.”
She stifled a giggle. “I don’t mind at all.”
On the way, the trio chatted about their respective trips back to Ponyville. When they reached Stone’s house, Puca told them, “I’ll get the door.” Using a key she had tucked away, she unlocked the door. “Your Mom’s cooking is too good to risk spilling.” She opened the door and made room for Stone to pass.
“Stone’s not bad at cooking either,” Cobalt told her. “Mom told him he had to know how to cook before he moved out on his own and taught him everything she knows.”
“His list of good points keeps growing.”
Cobalt and Puca followed Stone into the kitchen. While Stone put the leftovers away, Puca sat with Cobalt at the kitchen table. “Your dad’s a real nice guy.”
“He’s great.” Cobalt’s expression fell. “I wish he were around more though. His job keeps him on the road so much, we don’t get to see him for weeks sometimes.”
“He has to travel to take care of you and your mom.”
“I know, but still...”
Puca gave Cobalt’s should a little shake. “Think of it this way; it means that the time you get to spend with him is all the more special.”
Cobalt perked up. “You’re right. Thanks, Puca.”
“Any time.”
Cobalt glanced at Stone’s kitchen clock. “I don’t mean to be bossy, but we’ve got to get you home.”
“Cobalt, we need to tell you something,” Stone said. “Puca is not living with Cranky now.”
Cobalt looked at Stone, his expression a mixture confusion and shock. “What do you mean?”
“She will be living somewhere else.”
“No,” Cobalt said, sounding crushed. He shook his head. “She promised.” He looked to Puca with saddened betrayal. “You promised you wouldn’t leave.”
“Cobalt, hold out your hoof,” Puca said. When Cobalt did, she gave him the key she used to let them in. “I’m not leaving.”
Cobalt stared at the key. After a second, his eyes lit with joy and he looked up at Puca. “You’re moving in with Stone?!”
“She’s moved in. She didn’t have much to move. It only took one trip to bring her stuff here.”
“That means,” Cobalt’s smile grew, “you two are special someponies!”
Puca gave Stone a look. “That’s one way of putting it.”
Stone blushed. “She was paying rent to Cranky. I said she was welcome here, rent free, and she took me up on it. She’s set up in the guest room.”
Cobalt gave him a flat look. “I’m not that little. You two will be living together like Lyra and Bon Bon. I know they aren’t married, but they love each other.”
Stone sat down next to Puca. “We will get married. We just haven’t figured out when.”
Cobalt’s ears perked. “Does that mean I could be an uncle before too long?”
“I don’t know if you ever could be,” Puca’s said, some of the life gone from her voice. “I don’t remember ever hearing of a male changeling getting a female pony pregnant or vice versa.”
“I thought you told me that changeling’s were boys and girls at the same time.”
“We are, but only those born female can carry offspring and only those born male can sire them.”
“So it might happen.” Cobalt’s ear’s drooped, as Puca’s expression turned to one of worry. “Did I say something wrong?"
She hugged Cobalt to her, and he wrapped his forelegs around her as if desperate to comfort her. “Not at all. Bonsmara and Fierce aren’t able to have a calf or pup of their own. I was thinking about the emotions they have about not being able to have a child of their own is all. It’s one of the few things I worried about if I became involved with Stone.”
Stone took Puca from Cobalt and wrapped her in a hug of his own. “You shouldn’t worry about it. I’ve never thought about having foals with anypony before.”
“That doesn’t mean you wouldn’t want one at some point,” Puca said, putting her chin on his shoulder.
Stone turned his head and kissed Puca’s temple. “If we decided we want a foal, at some point, we can try.”
“I’ve never thought about having a hatchling, or foal in this case, myself. My life in the hive didn’t allow for much chance for it, and after leaving the hive I considered it impossible.”
“Twilight.” Cobalt named the princess with certainty. “Twilight could help, I know it.”
Puca turned to look at Cobalt. “That’s an idea, but Stone’s right. We’re getting ahead of ourselves. Stone and I love each other, there’s no doubt about that, but it’s early for us to even be thinking about having a foal right now.”
“That’s what he said about falling for you when you planed to be just friends. These kind of things happen all the time too. Mom and Dad didn’t expect me, but I’m here.”
“Fair enough, but I have never even heard of a changeling and a pony having a foal. I doubt it would happen on accident. We would have been warned about such things, during our infiltration training, if it could.”
Stone told them, “I don’t know if I like the idea of going to Twilight, if we ever try.”
“Why?” Cobalt asked. “She’s nice, and I’m sure she would help however she could.”
“True, but she’s obsessive. She would want to monitor everything about the process. We might be better off going to Cadance.”
“You never know. You might find you like having our attempts monitored to add to the experience.” Puca waggled her eyebrows at him.
“Puca! My brother is right there!”
Cobalt laughed for a moment, then his ear’s tilted to uneasy angles. “I wanted to ask you about Mom and Dad. How did they take the news of you two being together?”
“Mom expected it, from what I can tell,” Stone said. “She seemed happy for us.”
“What about Dad?”
“’It’s about time you found somepony’, is about all he said.”
Cobalt sniffed and smiled. “That’s great.”
Puca broke from Stone’s hug and held out her forelegs to Cobalt. “Come here.” Cobalt leaned into her hug, putting his head on her chest, as she wrapped him in her forelegs. She rubbed his back and said, “You worried they might not like us being together.”
With his head still resting on Puca’s chest, he nodded. “I didn’t think they would, but they are protective of Stone and me.”
She put her cheek on the top of his head and gave him a squeeze. “I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”