//------------------------------// // The Watcher Revealed // Story: A Doorway to Another Place // by Java Joe //------------------------------// The bell rang at Rarity's dress shop indicating that another customer had entered. "Coming!" she cried from the back room. Making her way to the front of the shop noticed the person that entered and gladly called out his name. "Richard! Oh my, is it that time already?" she of course knew what time it was having looked forward to it all week but she couldn't necessarily let on like she had. No, in these cases, decorum was the word and she used it to its utmost. "Why don't you set up over there and I'll close the shop while we get busy." Rick walked over to where she had indicated and set up his table. When Twilight had mentioned setting himself up as a masseuse to earn some bits he didn't really know if the idea appealed to him. Honestly, this was only something he did with the special woman or pony in his life and he wasn't anywhere near professional. Girlfriends in the past had described his work as orgasmic, sensual, and the best foreplay they've ever had but he always felt they were biased. Besides, he had a full time job back home and the time he'd have to devote to massaging ponies other than Twilight meant less time he could spend with her in Equestria. So a compromise was reached. He'd be completely freelance which meant no working at a spa, he'd make his own hours and set the price depending on the pony in question. Rarity of course was one of the first to avail herself of his services and made sure that her next appointment was booked before Rick left for the day. Rick did make enough money to spend on Twilight here in Equestria as well as hanging with his little bro down at Sugarcube Corners so he felt it was an even trade. As he worked his magic on Rarity's muscles his gaze kept on being drawn to an open chest with some assorted gems in it that had been pushed carelessly into the corner. To his eyes they were flawless, not to mention really big and most amazingly already cut and polished. Rarity's gift was the ability to find these gems although she often times used Spike as a form of cheap labour to actually dig them up. It wasn't a bad deal. Spike got some gems to munch on and got to spend time with the unicorn of his dreams and Rarity got to use those gems in her designs without having to actually pay anypony. Gems were after all pretty, but they were rather common so giving Spike a couple that were flawed or imperfect saved her the trouble of throwing them away. This didn't explain why she'd sometimes wind up giving him one of the best ones they found that day. "Rarity?" "Yes Richard!" she breathed then realised how that came out and tried to change her tone to something a little less... excited. "I mean yes?" "I'm just wondering, those gems you have over there in the chest there. Are you using them for anything specific?" "What those old things? They're not really what I need at the moment. Why do you ask?" "I was wondering if I could borrow a couple for maybe a week or so, I've got an idea for something and I'll bring them back when I'm done." "Bring them back? Darling, if you want them so badly I'll give them to you in exchange for next month's copy of Vogue and a half price massage next week." "Done. Always the business mare aren't you Rarity?" "You better bucking believe it big boy, " she muttered in a way that was very Un-Rarity like. "Sorry what was that?" Rick asked not quite believing that the uber-proper Rarity had said such a thing. "Oh nothing dear, just enjoying the massage." Twenty minutes later, Rick walked out of the dress shop with his things, some bits in his pocket and a small chest of flawed gems. He made his way back to the library smiling politely at the ponies that passed his way. Once or twice he looked around because he felt he was being followed. On impulse he looked up as well but there were no clouds following him either. He shrugged and continued on his way. Hiding in the shadows, a unicorn watched him as he made his way into the library. Either he was getting better at sensing her or she was getting worse at hiding. She heard Twilight cry out happily when he walked in which made her grit her teeth in frustration. Something had to be done about this situation and soon. But what to do? She skulked through the shadows when she finally realised the perfect solution to her problem. It's going to take some work, but soon the human would get exactly what he deserved. Rick walked into the library and called out, "Lucy, I'm hoooome!" in a strange kind of accent. It didn't matter to Twilight however as she cried out happily and rushed down to see him almost bowling him over in the process. "Hey sexy. I'm guessing you missed me while I was gone?" Rick said as Twilight caught him in a big hug and rained kisses all over his face before finally planting a long lingering one on his lips. "Gotta say, I like the way you say hello" he said with a smirk as he put his things down. "So what's got you so excited?" "We're going to Canterlot! Shining Armor, he's my brother but you haven't him and his wife Princess Cadance are going to have a foal! I'm going to be an aunt! And they want us to come to Canterlot to celebrate!" she danced about the library, her little hooves clicking about on the floor. "That sounds great. When are we leaving?" Rick said with more than just a little worry in his voice. Twilight however was too caught up in the good news to catch any of that. "Tomorrow. I've already made the plans, the train leaves at 9am sharp, we'll be staying at the castle and there's a big party tomorrow night. It'll be so great. Oh wait, you do have something formal to wear right? If not, maybe Rarity can come up with something really quickly. Or maybe I can magic you up something..." Twilight, in her enthusiasm started to get a little side tracked. Rick reached out, took hold of her cheek and kissed her. Hey, it worked for her when she wanted to shut him up so why not the other way around? "Yes, I have something formal to wear. I've got a nice tailored black suit which might be a little drab for ponies, but it's the best I can do on such short notice. I do have one question for you however. Does your brother and sister-in-law know about us? Will they be prepared to see a human walk in with you?" Twilight looked at him a little strangely and then blanched a bit. She had mentioned in her letters back home that she had a new coltfriend but never mentioned he wasn't a pony. It was just one of those things that she took for granted and hadn't considered how others might take it. Beginning to panic again Rick calmed her down with another kiss and then asked her, "Princess Celestia knows this and I'm assuming she's the one that sent you the letter?" Twilight nodded in agreement. "Good, so there's a good chance that she told them or at the very least mentioned something to them. In any case, the Princess approves of us so it's not like anypony can do something about that. And if worse comes to worse, I can stay in the room and you can celebrate with your family. It's no biggie." "No! It is a biggie... whatever that means, " she said a little uncertainly. "You're my coltfriend. You're my stallion and if Canterlot can't handle you then that's their problem. We're going there together and if necessary we'll be leaving together." "Thank you for the vote of confidence. I'll be happy to go to Canterlot with you and see your family and we'll see what happens then. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to put my stuff away and get dinner ready." "Oooh, what are we having?" Twilight asked eagerly. "We're doing Italian tonight. I found some nice tomatoes and basil at the market. So it's a caprese salad to start, some fettuccine di pesto alla genovese for the main followed by some espresso, a nice tiramisu for dessert and maybe some grappa if you're interested. The movie will be either 'Roman Holiday' or 'La Dolce Vita'. So I need to get things started, I've got a suit to press and I'll need to pack a small overnight bag." Glancing at his watch Rick said, "tell you what? I'll come get you in about an hour or so when all the boring stuff is done and we can relax, have some wine and do whatever until it's time to eat. Deal?" Twilight smiled, gave him a quick kiss and said, "deal, " before heading back to her books. Rick walked through the portal and hid the gems securely in the back of his closet. If everything went according to plans, very soon he could be a very rich man and maybe stop having to exit through the damn window to get back to his crappy little basement apartment. But right now he had things to start and things to get ready. Crawling out the window he navigated his way under the deck and snuck back into his apartment before starting on dinner. There actually wasn't much to do in the kitchen. The salad just took a little time to prepare the ingredients but it wasn't complex or anything. The pasta just needed to be boiled, the pesto had already been run through the food processor and the tiramisu was defrosting. Yes, it was a bit of a cheat but he had never been very good when it came to making desserts and besides, this came from an Italian bakery and it was spectacular. By the time Twilight would come, everything he needed to do would be completed and they could just relax for a bit before dinner time. He pulled out the ironing board and iron to give his suit a quick press. It looked okay and it's not like anypony in Canterlot could tell the difference between a good suit and bad suit but it mattered to him and he wanted to make as good an appearance to Twilight's family as he could. It didn't take long to get the suit done, all that was left was the shoes and to give them a quick polish before going back to Equestria. There came a knock on the door, opening it revealed Mr. MacKenzie his landlord. "Hey Mr. Mac, what can I do you for?" Rick asked. "Rick, I just wanted you to know that the Missus and I have enjoyed having you as our tenant. You've helped us out a lot during the winter in clearing the snow, helping to rake the leaves in the fall and helping us out whenever so it's a little difficult to say this but we're selling the house." Rick felt a pit open in his stomach at those words. "Why? Do you need more money? I can stop using so much electricity if it's costing you too much or start taking cold showers or something." "No, nothing like that. We're just getting on in years. We never had children and the house is getting to be too much work for us so we've decided to put it on the market. I want you to know that we'll give you as much time as we can for you to find another place and we'll gladly give you a recommendation if needed but we will have to sell." Rick suddenly thought of something that might work out for both of them. "Mr. Mac, do me a favour and before you put the house on the market find out how much you want for it. Maybe I can come up with a solution that will work for both of us. Give me a week. If we can't come to an agreement, you can put the house on the market and I'll go with whatever decision you make. Agreed?" Rick held out his hand and they shook on it. Going back downstairs, there was still a little time before he called Twilight over so he needed to check out people in his town that bought and appraised gems. He didn't know how much the gems he got from Rarity were worth, but if they were enough to purchase this house in its entirety then that was what he would have to do. Scribbling a few names and numbers down he would call them on Monday morning and see if there was actual money to be made on this. Otherwise when the house sold he'd have to come up with a way to deal with the new owners and hope they wanted a renter. Poking his head back into the library he called Twilight over. As was usual, she closed the library and they went back to his apartment. Sitting on the couch, a bottle of wine on the table in front of them, they just sat back, chatting a bit but more often than not just staring at each other and smiling. It was incredible that even after so many months of being together, she still affected him like this. Often times there was no need to speak to each other, just sitting together and getting lost in each other's eyes with the occasional caress or kiss thrown in. The alarm went off, Rick had a tendency to set it when they spent time like this because otherwise they could spend the rest of the evening just looking at each other and smiling. Getting up, he leaned down to kiss her before picking up his glass and making his way to the kitchen. A violet glow surrounded her glass as she trotted over to the stools on the other side of the island and sat down to watch him work. "Do you want some scallops with yours?" he asked. "What are those?" "It's a type of seafood, the abductor muscle of a bivalve. Sautee it lightly on a hot pan a little white wine and it goes well with the pasta. Wanna try?" "Mmmm, I don't know. Make me one and if I like it I'll just steal a few of yours, " she said a little mischievously. "Yeah, you wish honey. I'll make you some and eat what you don't want." "Spoilsport, " she said sticking her tongue out at him in the same way he'd often times do to her. Rick just laughed and blew her a kiss. She loved to watch him work in the kitchen. Suddenly the guy that was easy going had this intensity about him when he prepared food. He might not like it and would say that often, but she knew that this was simply one of the ways he showed her how much he loved her and he wanted to make sure her food was prepared exactly as it should be. She could also see that he had practiced this often. He never actually measured everything, just eyeballed it and it always came out the way he wanted it to. 20 minutes later, dinner was ready and they sat down to eat. "So what is all this again?" "The salad is fresh basil, sweet tomatoes and slices of young mozzarella with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The pasta is fettuccine, the sauce is basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan and olive oil. And the scallops are... scallops. Try to eat the salad so you get a piece of everything at the same time." Twilight did as she was told and was rewarded by an explosion of flavour. The basil and tomato worked well together and the cheese worked by adding texture and giving it consistency. She chewed happily and Rick smiled knowing that she enjoyed it. Same for the pasta, everything was balanced with one flavour not overpowering the others. It just worked fantastically and the wine added a nice counterpoint to the meal. As usual, not a lot was said during their meals. The food simply spoke for itself. "That was delicious as usual, " Twilight said. "Thank you milady. It's a pleasure cooking for somebody that appreciates it, " Rick said as he cleared the table. "You ready for dessert or you want to wait?" "Let's wait on the dessert, but have the espresso now." Rick walked over to the espresso machine, it was a gift from his parents but he hardly ever used it. Originally it was just too big and bulky, not to mention a pain to have to clean each and every time. His current coffeemaker in his room was one of those that used a kind of pod with the coffee and filter all in one. A quick push of the button and he got a nice cup of coffee with no real waiting or hassle. However, the espresso machine did come in handy and now that he found the right espresso, it did get some use. A friend of his at work had brought back some espresso packs from Italy. They were simple filter packs with a high quality espresso in them. As his supply was rather short until he could find a way to get more, he would ration these out for semi-special occasions. He placed the shot of espresso in front of Twilight as well as a shot of grappa. "Be careful with this stuff, it's the good stuff which means it doesn't taste like paint thinner but it's powerful. It might burn a bit, but it goes well with the espresso. Drink the espresso first. Then when you're ready for the grappa don't sip it, just take it in a shot. Okay?" Twilight agreed, they enjoyed their espresso then took the shot. Twilight did make a bit of a face when she swallowed but afterwards did admit that it followed the espresso nicely. When he asked if she wanted another she said no but she did levitate the wine bottle and glasses over to where they were sitting. "So which movie do you want to watch?" "Doesn't matter, whichever, " Twilight was just content to be here with her stallion and the warmth that his presence caused in her. Or maybe that warmth was from the grappa. It didn't matter, she still liked it. They watched the movie, Twilight giggling at certain things that Audrey Hepburn did and the situations that she put Gregory Peck into. Leaning into Rick she said, "I want to go there someday". "Someday we will. We'll ride through Rome on a scooter, visit the sites, have some good food and good wine and make love in our room while the strains of 'O Sole Mio' play through the open window." She giggled and snuggled up closer to him. Her ear pressed against him so she could hear his heartbeat. Meanwhile, things were happening back in Equestria. For months now she had been following them, sometimes it was the human, sometimes it was Twilight. Getting their movements down, learning their patterns but one thing always eluded her, what happened when they went through that damned doorway? She needed to find out more and so tonight she was going to find out where it led. Stealthily she crept through the bushes, hiding in the shadows of the buildings until she made it to the door of the library. Trying the door, she found it locked but a quick burst of magic popped the lock and she slipped in without being seen. Approaching the door on silent hooves she reached for the doorknob only to be foiled because she couldn't turn it. Trying to grab it in her teeth didn't work because they kept sliding off and her hooves weren't dexterous enough to turn it. She needed those finger things that the human had to open it. Then, she facehoofed and used her magic. Success! The door swung open and she could see... an empty bedroom. The human and Twilight weren't there but she was sure that they had come through here. Looking about, she didn't see any place they could be hiding. Maybe they went out the window, but that was too high for her to reach. There were some strange things not to mention some strange smells coming from this room. Was that the human that smelled like that or was it... she sniffed the air and found traces of Twilight as well. Obviously she spent a lot of time in this room. Possibly letting that human touch her all over, she was sick but maybe something could be done about that. Poking around the room she was drawn to the desk where there were some empty glasses, books, papers and a strange black box making a whirring sound. Suddenly she heard voices and scampered under the desk, hoping that they wouldn't see her. "Funny, I could have sworn I closed the door before coming over. Do you remember me closing the door or not?" "All I remember is your hands on my butt when you helped to push me through the window, " Twilight answered with a leer. "Don't pretend like you didn't enjoy it. I know I did." "Oh I know you did and I guess it felt okay on my end." "Yes, your end felt very nice, " Rick deadpanned. They bantered for a while as they got undressed, got into bed and turned off the lights. From her vantage point under the desk and with the room plunged into almost complete darkness she couldn't see exactly what was happening but there was nothing wrong with her hearing. It sounded like they were kissing... heavy breathing and... moans of pleasure? Sweet Celestia! You mean Twilight was actually letting him mount her? She felt sick but still couldn't see well enough in the dark to escape so she took to stuffing her hooves in her ears and trying desperately not to make a sound. How could Twilight let this... this... monkey anywhere near her? She needed to get out of here, she needed to find help and she knew just who to ask. Rainbow Dash would help her. Rainbow Dash wouldn't let the Great and Powerful Trixie down not after what this human and Twilight did when they spurned her. Oh no, they would pay. But first she had to get out of here and take a long, long shower. She waited for as long as she could then slowly removed her hooves from her ears. All she heard was the soft snoring coming from Twilight, the sound stung her and tears came to her eyes as memories flooded back to her. She growled slightly, fighting them back. She wouldn't cry. Twilight Sparkle wasn't worth it. No, she'd have her revenge and Rainbow Dash would be her instrument. Slowly she made her way across the floor, careful not to hit anything. She slowly opened the door, fearful that the light from her magic would awaken the two sleepers but luck was with her and they remained asleep. She stole from the library into the night and freedom.