//------------------------------//
// Part 11 - Initiative 
// Story: Lone Wolf: A Halfling Side Story 
// by Dee Pad 
//------------------------------//

With an idea on the table, it was time for Guise to get the ball rolling.  He was about to turn this kidnapping incident into a full blown hostage situation, and such a drastic decision required careful planning and consideration.  He couldn't afford to ignore even the slightest potential hiccup; the risk was high enough as it was.  As long as Tapioca kept her word, there shouldn't be too much to worry about, but he was still going to have to approach this analytically.

Unfortunately, time was not on Guise's side currently.  With no source of income now, and Sweetmint bouncing between jobs, they were going to end up burning through their savings steadily.  And since money was an integral part of this whole thing, setting everything in motion as soon as possible was of the utmost importance right now.  The ransom was just one part of the overall plan.  Even if she didn't know it, Sweetmint had her part to play in all this as well.  Guise couldn't very well just waltz back home dragging a wagon of bits behind him without an explanation.  They needed to use what money they had currently first, and use the ransom money as a secret fallback plan.

And Guise had an idea of what to do with it.

Guise returned home with purpose in his steps, swinging open the door and not even slowing down as he trotted across the apartment.  Sweetmint was lounging on the couch with Persimmon, reading the new issue of Kohl the Sentinel and not looking for a new job.  With his magic, Guise snatched up the manga suddenly and tossed it on the coffee table.

Sweetmint looked up at him with a furrowed brow, her temple throbbing in annoyance.  "You know, if you want somepony to kick you in the balls, you can just ask."

"We gotta talk," he told her promptly.

"If it requires yanking my manga away from me, it better be important."

"Rocky's shutting his place down."

Sweetmint blinked.  "What?  Really?"

"Yup.  Ran into Tapioca when I was leaving work and she said so herself.  Apparently business ground to a screeching halt in the last couple of weeks, so now he's just gonna ditch it and try something else."

"Ha!" Sweetmint exclaimed triumphantly, pounding her hoof on the couch cushions.  "See?  I was right!  I knew that place would fall apart without me.  Serves the fucker right."  She let her revelry die down a little, sighing with a shrug.  "Not that it matters now, I guess.  I doubt Rocky would be willing to hire me at whatever he tries his hoof at next.  Which is what exactly?  Did Tapioca say?"

Guise grimaced, shrugging indifferently.  "A tiki bar or something."

Sweetmint's face scrunched up in confusion.  "A tiki bar?  Kind of a far cry from an ice cream shop.  Not to mention kinda tacky for a city like this."

"That's not the point anyway," Guise interrupted.  "The point is, Rocky's selling the shop."

Sweetmint's eyes widened a little as she caught onto his meaning.  "Wait, he is?"

"Yeah, he needs more space than what that place offers.  Which also means that you have a place to start now."

She sat up on the couch, staring at Guise with some uncertainty.  "What, you want me to just go and buy the place?"

"To put it frankly, yes."

Sweetmint observed the seriousness in her boyfriend's face, but still hesitated.  She sighed, brushing her mane to the side.  "If we just run in and buy it now, we'd be practically broke.  And that's assuming he gives us a decent price.  If shit goes south, we'd be out on the streets.  We can't afford it."

Guise leaned closer, and Sweetmint pulled back, caught off guard by the determination in his golden eyes.  "You know what we can't afford?  We can't afford to let this opportunity slip by.  You remember what I said when we first met?  If you want something, you have to take it.  We talk to Rocky and negotiate before he winds up selling it to somepony else."

"But given my history, he's definitely gonna try and gouge me," she argued.

"Then gouge him right back!  An eye for an eye!  Since when do you sit back and take shit from assholes like him?"

Sweetmint stared in silent awe at the passion behind Guise's words.  But even still, she was reluctant.  "But no matter what he ends up asking for, it's gonna be a lot.  It's too risky."

"Mint, listen to me."

She continued to gaze at the intensity in his eyes.

"I came to Canterlot with nothing to my name.  I started fresh, and if things went sour, I could've been done for."

Sweetmint quirked an eyebrow.  "What's your point?"

"My point is, you don't get anywhere in life if you don't take a few risks.  I'm here now with you because I took a huge risk.  Maybe shit can go the wrong way, but only if you let it.  So I say we go all in on this.  You want your own business and a job that doesn't suck ass, so don't sit around griping and moaning about dead end jobs and let's go grab life by the fucking horns!"

The mare simply sat there in stunned silence.  "Where the hell is this coming from all of a sudden?"

"Mint."

She flinched at the authority in his tone, like a parent scolding their child.

"It's not me that's changed here, it's you.  I never saw you as the type of person to sit around on your ass and let life trample all over you because one little thing went wrong.  You're a badass, and you're not afraid of letting people know that.  So hitch up your saddle and show life you're not gonna take its shit anymore!"

Sweetmint suddenly steeled her expression, hopping off the couch with newfound fervor.  "Yeah!  Fuck life right in its ass!  I'm not gonna roll over and let my life fall apart!  I got shit I wanna do!"  Her sudden shift in attitude prompted Persimmon to take off in surprise.

Guise smirked proudly, relieved to finally see her coming out of this rut she'd been in since losing her job.  "Damn straight!  If Rocky thinks he can work us over, he's got another thing coming."

"Hell yeah!"

But for as much as the collective vigor in the apartment had risen, it just as quickly died down, leaving Sweetmint just glancing around awkwardly.  She looked at the clock on the shelf.  "But, uh...  It's already kinda late.  Maybe we should grab life by the horns tomorrow."

Guise felt like the wind had effectively been taken out of his sails, but he had to admit she had point; the sun was already starting to set.  "Uh, sure."

"Soooo..."  Sweetmint awkwardly scuffed her hoof over the carpet, feeling a little weird about how subdued things had gotten after such a rousing pep talk.  "Want some coffee?"

"Okay."

Guise sat down on the couch as Sweetmint went to turn on the coffee maker.  A lot of what he'd just said was off the cuff, but it seemed to do the job well enough.  He needed to keep the pressure on her to go through with this; he couldn't have let up if she decided to stay in her funk since this was meant to be a part of the bigger picture.  Obviously, buying Rocky's place wasn't as much of a risk as Sweetmint thought it was, assuming Guise got the money he needed from Tapioca's father, but giving her a kick in the flank was important for getting the gears turning.  Thankfully, it ended up being easier than he'd anticipated.  He knew she had the passion required to go through with this, it was just a matter of reminding her of how much she wanted it by demonstrating passion of his own.

So, hopefully, tomorrow they would track down Rocky to negotiate and get this whole thing off the ground.


*****     *****     *****


Guise sat back on the dew-covered grass, leaning back against a tree as he silently thought to himself and mulled over the plan.  It was a little hard to think with the constant sound of splashing water, though.

He had brought Tapioca a little ways down the mountain to clean herself up in the gentle stream running down the cliff side.  They were still some ways above Canterlot, on a quaint little outcrop of land around the side of the mountain.  It was a pretty picturesque spot all things considered, with several trees and the babbling brook, and the mountain provided ample shade in the morning, so it was a nice place to take a nap.  And it wasn't like Guise had anything better to do anyway.  He didn't have a job and also didn't have to impersonate Tapioca anymore, so he was willing to do pretty much anything to kill time, and spending that time with Tapioca was conducive to his current goals.

Speaking of whom, Tapioca seemed to enjoy these little excursions more than Guise did, as had become evident.  Of course, that was understandable given her circumstances; any opportunity to get out of that cave and rinse the dirt and sweat from her coat and mane was more than welcome for her.  She was splashing around in the stream like a little kid and just enjoying herself, while he just laid back and watched disinterestedly.

Tapioca waded her way over to the edge of the stream closest to where Guise lay, leaning against the bank with an enthusiastic grin.  "You sure you don't wanna come in?  The water's not too cold."

"I have a shower at home, thanks," he answered dismissively.

"It's not about cleaning up, silly," she giggled.  "It's fun.  I forgot how much I liked swimming.  We have a pool back home, but I haven't used it in years.  Maybe I should start going to the public pool in Canterlot after this whole kidnapping junk is over."

"Do whatever you want, I don't care."

Tapioca pouted in disappointment.  "You're such a buzzkill sometimes, Crimsy.  You don't have to be so stuffy all the time, you know.  You're allowed to have fun."

"I don't think you want to know what I consider 'fun.'  Besides, I've got important shit to think about right now.  I don't have time for gallivanting around and having a gay old time."  Guise was suddenly pelted by a spray of water.  The changeling shot up in surprise, casting an annoyed glower at the mare lounging in the stream.  Tapioca was giggling playfully at him, his glare doing nothing to diminish her mirth.  "You know, I'm not going to be sorry when this is all over and I never have to see you again," he grumbled, wiping the droplets of water from his face.

"Yeah, right," Tapioca scoffed in amusement, stifling a doubtful snicker.  "You're totally gonna miss me."

"Keep telling yourself that," Guise told her as he tried to dry himself off.

"I mean, I'm gonna be working with you guys when Minty opens her ice cream shop, right?  So you'll see me everyday."

"Don't make assumptions," he warned her.  "I haven't actually mentioned that to her yet.  We need to make a lot of preparations first before we start thinking about hiring employees.  We're going to try and talk to Rocky about buying his place from him.  Mint should be tracking him down now to arrange a meeting and negotiate a price.  But even if things go well with that, there's no guarantee she'll be willing to hire you."

Tapioca frowned dejectedly.  "You don't think she will?"

Guise thought about it for a moment.  "I don't know.  She did want to apologize for hurting you after she found out it was Chips's fault that you were getting special treatment.  Maybe she'll give you a chance as a way of saying sorry."

The mare lowered her muzzle into the water, the notion of being rejected like that pretty hard for her to deal with apparently.  She burbled in the water for a minute, seemingly lost in thought before she lifted her face from the stream again.  "So what's the deal with Chips anyway?"

"In what sense?"

"Aren't you worried he's gonna tattle on you when I'm free?"

Guise shrugged nonchalantly.  "Not really.  See, he knows your kidnapper is a changeling, but he doesn't know it's me specifically."

Tapioca tilted her head, the gears in her brain grinding as best they could.  "Huh?"

"He doesn't know that Crimson Neon was the one that kidnapped you.  As far as he's concerned, your captor is just some random changeling.  And once your free, he'll just think that changeling will flee the city.  Just don't tell him that Crimson is a changeling and it'll be fine."

Tapioca leaned on the bank, humming in thought over something again.  "You know, you still haven't told me your real name."

"And I still don't plan to," he reminded her adamantly.

Tapioca shrugged.  "Eh, I like the name Crimson anyway.  And I like Crimsy even better."

"That makes one of us..." Guise grumbled.

Once more, Tapioca let her mind wander.  Guise noticed the slight hint of red on her cheeks, and was hesitant to inquire.

"What now?"

"Um...  Chips asks about me, right?"

Guise arched an eyebrow.  Now he was admittedly curious as to where this was going.  "Are you kidding?  It's all he ever talks about.  Like, literally.  The first time I hear him talk, and you're the only thing that's on his mind."

"Hmm...  I never really knew he cared so much," she mumbled, more to herself than to Guise.  "I barely even noticed he was around."

"I'm a little surprised you never picked up on it.  He might not talk much, but he's not exactly subtle with the way he stares at your butt all day."

Tapioca's blush deepened, and Guise could have swore he saw what looked like a slight, goofy grin on her face.  "That's pretty sweet of him."

"I feel like I've iterated this before, but that's not really what I'd call 'sweet.'  More like 'creepy'—'disturbing' even."

She shrugged.  "I mean, a compliment's a compliment, right?"

Guise sighed with a roll of his eyes.  "You know what?  You're both weirdos."  Guise stood up and walked over to the pair of saddlebags sitting nearby.  "Alright, bath time's over."

Tapioca's chin dropped onto the grass with a pout.  "Aw, come on.  I only get to leave the cave every few days.  Can't I at least have a few more minutes?"

"We have work to do—both of us," he told her authoritatively.  "I didn't carry you down here to have a picnic."

With a disappointed sigh, the mare climbed out of the stream, shaking off the water like a wet dog.  She took a moment as Guise rummaged through his bags to glance around.  "You know, this would be a nice place for a picnic."  The moment she said that, a brown paper bag landed on the ground in front of her.

"You can have breakfast at least," said Guise.

Tapioca sat down next to one of the many trees surrounding the stream, removing a toasted daffodil sandwich with lettuce and tomato from the bag and a bottle of orange juice and began eating.

"So..."  Guise started as he sat back down in the grass.  "We have some stuff we need to do to move ahead on this ransom thing."

Tapioca gave him a quizzical look.  "Whad do I haf to do?" she asked with a full mouth, spraying crumbs on the grass.

Instead of answering her, he pulled a pencil and several pieces of paper from his bags and held them out to her.

Tapioca took them, holding them up along with her sandwich in her powder blue aura.  Her expression of confusion remained.  "What's this?"

"You're writing the ransom note."

"What?!  Why?!  You're the kidnapper.  Shouldn't you write the note?"

"I can't write it.  I'm still learning how to read.  Writing's a little out of my reach right now."

Tapioca frowned sympathetically.  Guise had told her a little about the Changeling Kingdom, so she knew how harsh it was out there.  "They don't even have schools out there, I guess."

"The closest thing to buildings back home are the ramshackle hovels we built out of sticks and mud, and even a particularly strong breeze could knock them over."

"And nopony's noticed that you don't know how to read or write?"

"I'm pretty good at finding ways around it.  And for the record, I can read a little.  I've been getting better since I got here."  He redirected her attention back to the paper.  "But you need to do the writing.  Besides, your dad will be more inclined to believe that this isn't a bluff if he recognizes your penmanship."

Tapioca nodded in understanding, taking another bite of her sandwich and readying the pencil.  "Okay...  'Dear Daddy...'

Guise pressed a hoof to his nose and groaned.  "No, Tapioca, you don't get to decide what's on it.  You just have to transcribe it for me."

The mare blinked blankly.

The changeling rolled his eyes.  "Just write down what I say, okay?"

Tapioca readied the pencil and paper, waiting patiently for Guise to begin.  However, he was just staring bemusedly back at her.  "What?"

"You're dripping on the paper."

She glanced down to find several wet spots on the sheet, her damp mane continuing to drip all over it.  "Oops."  She discarded the soggy sheet of paper and grabbed another, holding it a little further away from herself this time.

"Alright, so..." Guise began as he thought about how to word it.  "'Mister...'  Uh, what's your dad's name?"

"Figgy, but his colleagues call him Fig for short."

Guise cleared his throat to start again.  "'Mister Fig.  This letter is to inform you—'"

He was suddenly interrupted by a ripping sound.  He turned to Tapioca, her pencil having torn a hole through the thin paper.

"Heh, sorry.  I tend to press kinda hard when I write," she apologized with an embarrassed grin.  She glanced around until she spotted a small, flat rock nearby, dragging it over to her.  She placed a fresh piece of paper upon it to use it as a stable writing surface.  She smiled innocently at Guise.  "Okay, keep going."

Guise groaned in mild annoyance, but was at least glad that he had the presence of mind to bring extra paper.  "'Mister Fig.  This letter is to inform you that your daughter has been abducted.  You needn't worry for her safety, as she's just fine...  For now.'"

"This doesn't really sound like you, Crimson," Tapioca commented.

Guise rolled his eyes at her interruption.  "It's not supposed to sound like me.  The less it sounds like me, the better.  I just need to make sure he knows the threat is there and make my demands clear and concise."

Tapioca tapped the pencil on her chin as she thought.  "I don't know.  I think it might sound better if it was more... aggressive.  Like...  'I have your daughter, and if you ever wanna see her again, you have to give me a butt ton of money.'  Something like that."

As childish as it sounded, Guise couldn't help but chuckle.  "I think I'm gonna stick to the more cold and calculated approach, but I gotta admit, I like where your head's at."

Tapioca smiled proudly, her wet tail swishing over the grass happily at the compliment.

"Anyway...  'Her well being hinges entirely on you, Mister Fig.  If you wish for her to be returned to you unharmed, then you will follow my instructions to the letter.  Deliver...'  Umm...  How much did Sweetmint say she needed to start a business?  I think it was ten thousand bits, or something.  Eh, maybe I'll go with twelve thousand to give us some breathing room.  'Deliver twelve thousand bits and I will return your daughter to you.  And it goes without saying that I expect you to keep this to yourself until after we make the exchange.  We will rendezvous at the bottom of Canterlot Valley later today.  Come alone.'"

Tapioca tilted her head as she stared at the paper.  "Um...  How do you spell 'rendezvous'?"

"How the hell should I know?  I don't know how to read or write, remember?  Just say 'meet up.'"

"Okey doke..."  Tapioca penned the final words, but took a moment to look it over.  "Wait, 'today'?"

"Not literally today.  Today as in the day I drop off the note," Guise explained.  "I don't want to give him much room to breath on this.  The less time I give him, the less time he'll have to try and devise some kind of trap for me."  He let out a sigh as he looked Tapioca in the eye.  "That being said, I know I said you'd only have to be here for a few more days, but I might have to hold off on delivering this to your dad for a little while longer.  I have to make sure that me and Sweetmint can make this deal with Rocky before anything else.  You just have to hang in there, okay?"

Tapioca observed the noticeable sympathy in Guise's expression and gave him an agreeable smile.  "Sure.  Uh, I have a question though."

"What?"

She pursed her lips as she appeared to think about how to phrase her question.  "So, like, you said you needed the money as a 'fallback plan,' right?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Isn't Minty gonna wonder where that money came from?"

Guise grinned slightly.  He was actually a little impressed that she'd thought about that.  But, of course, he'd considered that himself already.  "Mint still thinks I have a job.  If this whole thing falls through, she's gonna expect me to support the two of us until she can find a job she's willing to stick with.  And I'm gonna have to find one for myself in the interim, not to mention fabricating an excuse as to why I lost or quit my previous job."

Tapioca's eyes lit up, clearly impressed by Guise's foresight.  "Wow, Crimsy, you really thought of everything, huh?"

The changeling smirked.  He wasn't going to turn away a good ego-stroking, even if it was from Tapioca.

"I guess you'll want this now."  She passed him the ransom note.

"Hang on, I need you to proofread this to make sure you got it right," the changeling told her.  "Read it back to me."

"Alright...  'Mister Fig.  This letter is to inform you that your daughter has been abducted.  You needn't worry for her safety, as she's just fine.  For now.  Her well being hinges entirely on you, Mister Fig.  If you wish for her to be returned to you unharmed, then you will follow my instructions to the letter.  How much did Sweetmint say—"

"No, no, Tapioca, just...  No..."  Guise ran a hoof down his face in frustration.  "That wasn't part of the letter."

"Well, you could've said that," she argued with a defensive pout.

Guise sat down with an annoyed groan.  "Just... start over.  We're not leaving 'til we get this right."


*****     *****     *****


Both Guise and Sweetmint stood out on the sidewalk, staring up at where the sign on the building in front of them used to be.  The disguised changeling had a confrontational look on his face in anticipation of what was going to happen inside.  The green mare, however, while determined to do this and take the next big step in her life, also seemed to be feeling a little nervous if the unsure grimace on her face was any indication.

"So...  How do we approach this?" she asked her partner.

"This is your endeavor.  Last I talked to him, I got the impression he was judging you for sending me to fight your battles, so I think you should do most of the talking.  I'll be here for backup, though—making it a two-on-one might put him on edge, even if he doesn't show it."

"You think that's all that necessary?  You're talking like he's some diabolical mastermind."

"He might seem pretty happy-go-lucky, but I've seen that he's actually pretty cutthroat.  We can't let our guards down around him."

Sweetmint nodded, knitting her brow in determination.  "Right.  Put the pressure on, got it.  I've got some words I wanna share with him anyway.  That dillhole and his brother need a hoof firmly planted up their asses.  Figuratively."

The two of them then walked into the building once known as Rocky's Road—it still actually belonged to Rocky of course, but hopefully by the end of this, it would be under new management.  It had been quite some time since Sweetmint had set hoof into this building, so being back here now must have made her feel conflicted.  She wasn't looking forward to having to negotiate with Rocky, but she was pretty enthused by the prospect of actually starting her own business finally.  Sweetmint was even eyeing the place up as they made their way to the office, no doubt trying to figure out what she wanted to change or add once it was hers.  Rocky hadn't done anything with the interior yet; the only thing that had changed since the place closed down was the removal of the sign outside.  That was good since Sweetmint was hoping to get the equipment there as part of the package.

The couple headed straight for the back room, then to the adjoining office where Rocky was waiting for them.  The burly stallion was seated behind his desk already in preparation for the meeting that Sweetmint had requested a few days prior.

"Well, howdy, you two," Rocky greeted with a chipper grin, mimicking a southern drawl.  "I've been twiddling my hooves in anticipation all day for this.  Take a seat."

He gestured to a pair of small, worn chairs, though the space within the cramped office made it difficult for both Sweetmint and Guise to maneuver and actually sit on them comfortably.

Rocky leaned on the desk, his smile as friendly as ever.  "So, how goes it?  You holding up okay since the... 'incident'?" he asked Sweetmint as though she were an ex-con.

"Let's just get down to brass tacks here, Rocky.  We came here for negotiations, not small talk," Sweetmint told him firmly.

Rocky leaned back, his smile unwavering as he nodded.  "Ah, a mare of business.  I can certainly relate to that, yes indeedy.    So, you wanna buy my place off me, huh?  Exactly what kinda price are you looking for?"

Sweetmint and Guise shared a glance, a full conversation unfolding between the two in the span of one silent moment before the mare looked sternly back at Rocky.  "Make me an offer and we'll go from there."

"I... feel like that should be my line, but whatever," Rocky said with a shrug.  He started leafing through some papers sitting on the desk, analyzing them professionally, though Guise could swear that some of them were completely blank.  He had to be messing with them.  "Lemme see here...  If my figures are accurate, then I suppose I could let the place go for... twenty thousand."

Sweetmint slammed her hooves on the desk in outrage, her stoic front shattered by her anger in an instant.  "Twenty—!  Oh, you can just go fuck yourself right out a third-story window!"

"Mint, chill," Guise suggested calmly.

Rocky appeared to be trying to hold back a triumphant smirk, but Guise could see the tiny crack of a smile.  "What?  I thought you came here to buy the place, Minty.  Now you're saying you don't want to?"

"That price is outrageous and you know it," Sweetmint hissed vindictively.  "I know full well how much the equipment out there is worth, and adding that onto the building still wouldn't be anywhere near twenty thousand."

"It's called supply and demand, friends," Rocky said haughtily.  "I have the supply, you have the demand.  The value of something is whatever somepony is willing to pay.  Seeing as you seem pretty dang keen on getting this place for yourself, I thought you'd be willing to shell out the dough for it."

"I don't have that kinda dough to shell out, you swindler," Sweetmint growled.  "Maybe I would if I had been treated properly around here."

Rocky raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely confused.  "What do you mean?"

"Don't give me that crap.  A little birdie told me you've been basing all your decisions, like who to give a raise, on the shit your little brother's been shoveling you."

Rocky shot a brief glare in Guise's direction, and the disguised changeling glared right back.  "Look, regardless of whether or not his little crush on Tapioca has swayed his judgment, there's no denying that you've been difficult to work with, Mint.  It's never been your skills that's held you back, it's your attitude.  And poor Tapioca payed for it.  You know, you're lucky she's such a sweetie.  She could have sued you for what you did, but she didn't, because she's a nice gal."

Guise noticed Sweetmint beginning to grit her teeth rather tightly.  He knew she felt bad about what she did to Tapioca, and he wasn't too fond of Rocky trying to use that against her, so he decided to interject.  "This is supposed to be a business transaction, right?  Shouldn't we not let personal feelings come into this?"

"You're probably right, but my point stands," said Rocky adamantly.  "If she wants this place as badly as she seems to, then she's gotta pay the right price."

"Your price is far from right.  I can't afford what you're asking," Sweetmint reiterated.

"That sounds like your problem."

Sweetmint pounded a hoof on the desk furiously.  "This is bullshit!  You know damn well I'm not some rich moneybags!  And I know you know because you're the one whose been paying me peanuts for the past three years!  If you weren't willing to haggle, then why the hell'd you even agree to this fucking meeting?!"

Rocky shrugged, unfazed by her outburst.  "I thought it'd be fun."

Guise watched as Sweetmint's face contorted into an enraged scowl.  He half-expected to hear her teeth grinding in her mouth and the desk cracking under her hooves.  He saw the slightest of movement from her and immediately grabbed her hoof to prevent her from doing anything she might regret.  Sweetmint directed her furious glare at her boyfriend, but Guise gazed back sternly and began to coax her to the door.  "I think we should discuss this privately for a few minutes, Mint."

Sweetmint glanced between the two stallions, letting out a reluctant huff through her nostrils as she followed him out of the office.

"Take your time, I've got all day," Rocky said with a nonchalant smile.

Guise escorted a fuming Sweetmint back out to the parlor, where she was quick to voice her displeasure.

"Augh!  That fucking asshat!  Can you believe him?!  Where does he get off charging a horn and a hoof for this dive and acting like it's no big deal?!  I swear, I was two seconds away from knocking his teeth in."

"Mint, don't you get it?  That's exactly what he wants," Guise told her firmly in an effort to help her level out and think straight.

"What're you talking about?"

"He knows about your temper and is trying to exploit it.  He wants nothing more than for you to take a swing at him right now.  And you know what's going to happen if you do."

Sweetmint let that notion simmer for a moment, taking a deep breath as she thought about this logically.  "He'll do what Tapioca didn't.  He'll sue me for every bit he can get."

"Exactly.  Then he'll have your money, and he can still sell this place to somepony else."

Sweetmint scowled at the thought of it.  "I never figured Rocky could be so conniving.  You really got all that after meeting him once?"

"I like to think I'm a pretty good judge of character," Guise said with a modest shrug, though there was no hiding the smug grin on his face.  Of course, he wasn't about to admit that he'd spent a good two weeks getting to know Rocky in secret.

"So what do we even do?" Sweetmint asked with a defeated sigh.  "He's obviously not interested in selling the place to me.  He just agreed to this to mess with me."

Guise scratched his head, just as lost as she was.  But he knew they literally couldn't afford to let this go.  The whole plan with Tapioca's kidnapping and the ransom revolved around getting Sweetmint's business off the ground, some extra money to fall back on in case it didn't work out.  But that was in the event that they actually bought Rocky's place.  He'd have to reevaluate the whole thing if they couldn't make this deal, and Tapioca probably wouldn't be too pleased to hear that.  "I guess we'll just keep the conversation going to see if we can work something out.  Maybe as long as you keep your cool and don't play into his hooves, he'll get bored and take the discussion more seriously.  I mean, if he knows the place isn't worth that much like you think he does, then there's gotta be a more reasonable price he'll agree to, don't you think?"

Sweetmint didn't answer.

Guise quirked an eyebrow at her.  She was glancing around the shop as though analyzing something.  She appeared to be thinking pretty seriously about something.  "Mint?"

"You're right.  He knows that price is ridiculous, and I know exactly why that price is ridiculous."  With newfound vigor, Sweetmint smirked confidently at Guise.  "I think I got this."

"Yeah?"

She nodded.  "Yup.  Follow my lead."

With purpose in her steps, Sweetmint made her way back to Rocky's office with Guise following alongside her.  He was admittedly intrigued to hear what she had in mind.  He had told her that she should do most of the talking, so he was willing to sit back and let her do what she needed to make this happen.

Once the office door opened again, Rocky greeted them with another affable smile, though by now, Sweetmint and Guise knew how fake it was.  "Hey, welcome back, amigos.  So, have you decided to take me up on my generous offer?"

Guise normally would have expected Sweetmint to cast a disgusted sneer at the patronizing question, but as she sat down, she actually chuckled.

"Fuuuck no.  Actually, I want to make a counter offer."

Rocky shrugged and sighed, though his victorious grin never faltered.  "Well, unless you actually plan on offering more than I asked, I don't see how you could entice me."

Sweetmint slapped a hoof onto the desk firmly, the sound startling Rocky.  "This shithole is not worth twenty thousand bits," she reiterated sternly, yet maintained a calm and confident air about her.  "Nopony in their right mind would pay something that crazy for this place.  If you were going to make that offer to everypony who was interested, you'd never sell this place, even to the rich assholes uptown."

Rocky didn't appear fazed by her claim, simply sitting back and curious to hear her explanation.  "And what makes you think that?"

"You know I took a job here because I planned to open a place of my own some day.  I don't want to think that you've been willingly trying to hold me down or anything, but I've been using some of the free time I've had to scope some things out over the past three years for when I eventually quit—or got fired, I guess.  So you can bet your ass that I know what this place is worth."

"Enlighten me," Rocky said with a challenging tone.

Sweetmint leaned forward, staring the large stallion right in the eye.  "First of all, this place is basically a backyard shed compared to most of the businesses around here.  It's tiny, the storeroom is also where we clean the dishes, which isn't exactly sanitary, and this office is just a repurposed broom closet.  We don't even have a bathroom here, for fuck's sake.  We've had to go across the street to the café to use the toilet."

Finally, a crack appeared in Rocky's facade, his smug smile fading slightly.

"And not only that, but the location is terrible.  We're situated waaaaay in the back of Restaurant Row.  Potential customers have to walk past at least two other similar businesses to get here, and even then, the aforementioned size of the place makes it easy to overlook.  You would have to do a lot more than what you have been to get people's attention."

A rather devious smirk appeared on Sweetmint's face.  "Which brings me to my next point: I've got it on good authority that you've closed up shop because business has been going down the shitter lately.  When did that start happening again, Crimson?"

Guise smirked as well, having been enjoying this silently.  He knew where this was going, and the grin steadily draining from Rocky's face made him more than willing to pitch in.  "Tapioca said it was around a few weeks ago."

"A few weeks ago?" Sweetmint repeated with mock surprise.  "Why, if I'm not mistaken, I think that was around the same time that you fired me."

Rocky wasn't smiling anymore at this point.  He wasn't even scowling grouchily in response to having his assertions torn down.  He looked like a cornered mouse with no teeth with which to bite back.

"Let's not sugarcoat things, Rocky," Sweetmint continued.  "My ice cream was the only reason why this place stayed in business as long as it did, and maybe a little credit goes to Tapioca for being pretty and flirtatious.  But as soon as you had to rely on your bland, tasteless ice cream, people started to notice that this place was going downhill."

"Alright, that's a little below the belt," Rocky practically whimpered.

"Shove it, I'm not done.  Basically what you've done is completely tank any reputation I've built for this place.  Now when people see this place, they're gonna think twice about stopping in because they're expecting subpar ice cream.  What that means is that anypony interested in buying this place would be taking a huge risk because of you.  And I think that should factor into the price."

Rocky gulped.  For as cocky as he'd been this whole time, he clearly underestimated Sweetmint's willpower.  He must have seen her as nothing more than a grouchy, ill-tempered bitch to believe that she would fold at the slightest sign of adversity.  She was a lot more business savvy than he likely believed.  That was made evident by the pensive hitch in his voice when he spoke up.  "I, uh...  I guess I can come down on the price a little.  How about... seventeen?"

Sweetmint narrowed her eyes at him.  "The equipment here is almost more expensive than the building itself, especially after everything I just mentioned."

"Fifteen?"

"Ten."

Now it was Rocky's turn to balk in surprise.  "You can't be serious.  I'd be taking a loss if I sold it for that."

"Tough shit, 'cause nopony else is gonna pay what you're asking.  You either take the loss now, or wait Celestia knows how long to sell the place."

Rocky sighed, sounding and looking conflicted.  "You know, I still hold the better hand here.  I know how much you want this place, but...  I do want to sell as soon as possible."

Sweetmint smiled, clearly feeling pretty good right about now.  In fact, Guise could have sworn he even saw a hint of sympathy in her eyes as she looked across the desk at Rocky.  "Tell you what: you sell the place to me for ten thousand—because, let's be real, that's about what it's worth—and I'll help you advertise whatever kinda place you open up after this.  What was it, a tiki bar, or some shit?  We can benefit each other a little here."

Rocky tapped a hoof on the desk as he mulled the offer over, though judging by the look on his face, it appeared they'd already won.  With a defeated and reluctant sigh, Rocky leaned onto the desk, looking Sweetmint in the eye.  "Alright...  Ten thousand.  You've got a deal."

The smile on Sweetmint's face was more genuine than Guise had ever seen from her.  Rocky held out his hoof, and Sweetmint happily did the same, shaking to confirm the deal.  "Awesome.  Pleasure doing business with you, Rocky.  And if it means anything, I'm sorry if I've been difficult to work with, but that's mostly for Tapioca.  We can meet back here tomorrow to make the exchange?"

Rocky nodded.  Though he was clearly disappointed by the outcome, a small smile still managed its way onto his lips again, as though to respect his opponent after a hard-fought battle.  "Sure.  See you then."

Guise and Sweetmint got up to leave without another word.  Considering the barely restrained grin on the mare's face, Guise was surprised with how quiet the short walk back through the building was.  He expected Sweetmint to be triumphantly boasting about her victory, but she didn't say a word despite her visible elation.  Guise was tempted to break the silence, but decided to let her revel in this in her own way.

They stepped outside and onto the sidewalk, closing the door to their building behind them.  Sweetmint stopped for a moment, taking a long, deep breath.

"Fuck yeah!"

Sweetmint reared up, proclaiming her accomplishment to the sky and scaring the crap out of several passersby.  She brought her hooves back down so firmly that Guise almost expected the sidewalk to crack.  Apparently she'd only been holding in her elation to prevent Rocky from witnessing it, though Guise wouldn't have been surprised if he'd heard that from his office.

Guise found himself grinning at Sweetmint's display of sheer, unrestrained happiness, vicariously getting his own fair share of enjoyment out of this as he watched her celebrate.

But out of nowhere, she turned to him, wrapping her hooves around his shoulders and kissing him deeply, catching Guise quite off guard.  After several seconds of this unexpected display of public affection, Sweetmint pulled away, but kept her hooves tenderly draped around her boyfriend's shoulders and staring into his eyes with a happy and satisfied smile.

"I can't believe this is actually happening," she breathed quietly, likely trying to discern whether or not this was a dream.  "I couldn't have done this without you, Crimson.  Thank you so much."

"Ah, don't give me the credit," Guise told her with genuine modesty.  "That was all you in there.  I never thought about all that stuff before we came here."

"I'm not just talking about today, Crimson.  It's everyday," she told him softly, an uncharacteristic tenderness in her voice.  "You've done so much for me over these few short months.  You made living in Canterlot a lot more bearable, helping me live more comfortably with my financial and emotional situations.  Even if there were a few bumps along the way, it was all worth it in the end if it meant getting to where we are right now.  You put up with my stupid, defeatist attitude after I got fired.  I wouldn't have had the motivation to even get here if you hadn't been here to kick me in the flank.  I never would have been able to do any of this if I hadn't met you, Crimson."

Guise noticed a twinkle in her pink eyes.  There had been times in the past where she'd looked at him similarly, but there was also always a hint of uncertainty that seemed to suppress whatever it was she was thinking about.  But this time, he didn't see that.  What he saw in her eyes was what he could only describe as assured decisiveness.  Whatever was currently going through her mind, what it was she wanted to say, it was coming from the heart, and she wasn't doubting herself anymore.

"I love you, Crimson.  And I really do mean it this time," she told him passionately.

Guise didn't respond right away.  He took a silent moment to let it sink in.  This was it.  All the goals he'd set for himself had finally been achieved.  He had food, a home, and love at the ready.  He saw no reason to doubt the validity of her words and her feelings.  All he needed to do now was seal the deal.

Guise tenderly placed a hoof against the back of Sweetmint's head, bringing her forehead in contact with his, their horns crossed.  "I love you, too.  Honestly, I've been waiting to say it for a while," he told her.  That was half true, but all he had to do was say it convincingly.

"Yeah, I had a feeling," she said with a guilty grin and a bashful blush.  "Sorry to keep you waiting, but...  Well, we've discussed it before.  But I'm not worried about that anymore.  I know you're not like those other guys."  She nuzzled into his neck affectionately.

Guise's satisfied smile faltered slightly.  She was right; he wasn't like those other guys, because he was smarter than them.  He was more patient, more focused, more cunning, more selfish...  He had the will to endure this relationship long enough to get what he wanted and then some.

He wasn't like them, because he was worse than them.

The changeling breathed a quiet sigh through his nostrils as the two continued their "loving" embrace, paying little mind to the other people eyeing them up judgmentally as they passed by.  This wasn't really the time to be questioning his motives and methods.  There were other matters that needed his attention.  Now that Sweetmint had what she needed to start up her business, that meant that Guise could move on to the next step of this scheme of his.


*****     *****     *****


The trek down to Canterlot Valley felt a lot longer when one had to walk the whole way down.  Guise used to come down here frequently to hunt before moving in with Sweetmint, but having the privilege of flight made him ignorant to how deep the valley actually was.  But he chose this location to make the exchange because of how deep it was; so far down that nopony in Canterlot up on the mountain above would even notice the specks wandering around down there.  Walking down on hoof was proving arduous, though, but it was a necessity—Guise wasn't sure he had the strength to carry Tapioca all the way down on his back.

Speaking of whom, Tapioca was in the same boat as Guise regarding how tiring the walk was, the difference being that she was much more vocal about it.  Surprisingly, she hadn't gotten as exhausted as Guise would have assumed, but then again, he knew she liked to exercise to keep her figure trim; she had impressive stamina for a pony as dainty as her.  Her complaints had more to do with the pain in her hooves, as walking down a somewhat steep slope the whole way was hard on the legs.  Still, the least she could have done was ease up with the griping once they actually got down to the bottom.

"Ugh!  How much further, Crimsy?" she whinged.

"Would you shut up already?  We're at the bottom, quit your bitching," Guise snipped back.

"I'm sooooo hungry and mega thirsty.  Couldn't we have gotten dinner or something before coming down here?"

"I want to make sure we're here before your dad shows up, so we're not wasting time with that.  You can have your fill when you get back to your opulent mansion, 'your majesty.'"  Having ventured far enough into the valley, away from the beaten path, Guise gestured to a river running down the middle of the canyon.  "Drink from there if you're desperate enough."

Tapioca lolled her head around with a reluctant groan.  She'd had to put up with 'roughing it' for a few weeks now, so drinking unfiltered water from a natural water source wasn't too far out of her comfort zone anymore, much to her chagrin.

After having a quick drink to quench her thirst, she sauntered over to where Guise now sat in the grass, laying down on her stomach beside him.  She glanced at Guise with an arched eyebrow—or rather, the pony Guise was pretending to be.  "Why do you look like that?"

Guise glanced down at himself.  Rather than the usual red coat he was used to wearing, his current disguise had dark blue fur, a bright orange mane, and a pair of five-pointed stars for a cutie mark.  He was willing to give Tapioca the benefit of the doubt and assume she wasn't dumb enough to forget what changelings were known for.

"I've explained this before, but I guess now's a good time to go over everything again while we wait.  Your dad doesn't know your kidnapper is a changeling, and I want to keep it that way.  If he knew that, then when he tells the royal guards and the princesses about this whole thing, they'll be scouring Canterlot for a changeling.  That means everypony becomes a suspect, and they'll systematically go through everypony in the city to narrow things down, which means they'll eventually make it to 'Crimson Neon' and the jig'll be up.  Get it?"

Tapioca nodded.  "That makes sense.  So that means you don't wanna be Crimson Neon either, right?"

"Exactly.  This guy I'm disguised as is from another city, so once this is done, the guards are gonna search for this stallion in Canterlot, but aren't gonna find him.  So they'll likely expand their search to neighboring towns and cities to find him."

"And what if they do?"

"Then one of two things will happen: they can arrest him and that'll be that, because I don't really give a shit if some nopony has to serve my sentence for me.  Either that, or they'll determine he's actually innocent and deduce that the real culprit is a changeling, but by the time they figure that out, their kidnapper will be long gone as far as they know, because why would he stick around for that long, right?"

Tapioca tilted her head.  "Uh, okay.  I guess I get that," she said, though was starting to sound a little confused.

Guise sighed.  "Look, you don't really need to worry about these kinds of details.  I'm more or less just going through my thought process here.  That being said, you do have some stuff you need to keep in mind, and I want to make sure you understand your responsibilities in all this."

She shuffled her hooves nervously.  "It's not gonna be complicated, is it?"

"On paper, no, but I'm gonna try and make it as clear as possible to make sure you know what you have to do."

Tapioca took a deep breath, as though preparing to take an exam.  "Okay."

"First off, I need to ensure that you understand that my very livelihood—and, to a degree, Sweetmint's—hinges on whether or not you can play your part properly."

The mare gulped, no doubt made a little less confident now that she was aware of the stakes.

Guise stared at her rather intensely, yet also pleadingly.  "I have to put my faith in you that you can keep my secret.  So, I just want to ask again: can I trust you not to mention to anypony that your kidnapper was me?  Meaning you can't even say that your kidnapper was a changeling."

Tapioca's innocent smile returned with renewed assurance.  "Ya-huh."

Guise hesitated for a moment to analyze her expression.  "And you know I don't have any nefarious intentions, right?  You trust me?"

She gave him a sympathetic smile.  "'Course I do, Crimsy.  I got to know you pretty well over the last few weeks.  You've had a rough life, so if you wanna be happy, then you should be happy."

Guise didn't detect a disingenuous tone, and for as much as he'd seemed to rub off on her lately, he still doubted that a lie from her would get past him.  It would seem Tapioca's simple naïveté was working to his advantage.  But as content as Guise should have been by that answer, he couldn't bring himself to smile, though he couldn't pinpoint why.

"That'll have to do," Guise said, accepting that he could trust her.  "But let's go over the more important details.  When you get home, you're definitely going to be questioned by the royal guards.  The less information you give them, the better, but you can't just refuse to answer their questions.  So, you're going to just have to feign ignorance for the most part.  For all intents and purposes, the only thing you should know is what your kidnapper looked like."  Guise pointed to the face he was currently wearing.  "This person is the one who kidnapped you, got it?"

Tapioca nodded.  "Okay.  Are you gonna make up a fake name?"

"No.  Even if I did, the authorities would probably assume it was fake anyway.  If they ask you anything about the guy that isn't what he looks like, you tell them you don't know.  He didn't give you a name, where he's from, or what he wants the money for.  If they ask where he was keeping you, say you don't know.  Just tell them that you were blindfolded when he brought you down here.  Oh, and as far as everypony else knows, you've only been gone about a week."

"Because they thought you were me, right?"

"Right."

Tapioca grinned, staring admiringly at Guise.  "Geez, I know I said this before, but you really did think of everything, didn't you?"

Guise shrugged modestly, though he had no disillusions about how good a changeling he was.  "There's always margin for error, but I like to think I hit the important points at least."  However, he grimaced slightly.  "But there is one more thing: Chips."

Tapioca furrowed her brow grumpily.  "I told you we should've gotten something to eat first.  But you might still have time to head back up to town and grab a snack before Daddy shows up."

Guise rolled his eyes.  "Not potato chips, you dolt, Frosted Chips."

"Oh.  Wait, I thought you said he wasn't a problem."

"Maybe not, but he could be.  I mean, he's got a pretty one track mind, so my hope is that once he sees you're okay, he'll just forget about the whole thing and go back to being a creepy, mute stalker.  But if he does prove to be troublesome, can I ask for your interference?"

Tapioca tilted her head.  "How's that?"

"He'll probably listen to anything you say without question, so if you tell him not to concern himself with the kidnapping, he'll likely just go along with it."

"Oh.  'Kay, I can do that."  She pursed her lips as she mulled everything over.  "So...  Chips knows my kidnapper's a changeling, but doesn't know it's you.  But Daddy thinks my kidnapper's some random guy, but doesn't know you're a changeling.  And the guards are gonna be looking for that random guy, but might figure out it's really a changeling, but still won't know it's you and...  Uhhh..."

Guise watched as her face contorted in her attempt to grasp the situation as a whole.  He sighed, placing a patronizing hoof on her shoulder.  "Don't hurt yourself, kid.  Just remember the essentials and we should be golden."

From there, the two of them just waited.  After about an hour, Tapioca had already devolved to rolling around in the grass impatiently, and it was starting to get on Guise's nerves.  It might have been less annoying to actually talk to her during that hour, but it was somehow more irritating to watch her act like a stray cat in silence.

"When's he supposed to be here?" she whined impatiently, breaking the silence.

"To be fair, I didn't specify a time.  It's also entirely possible that he assumed this was a trick."

"A trick?" Tapioca repeated with confusion.  "How's his daughter getting kidnapped a trick?"

"Think about it.  You just lost your job and your dad cut you off.  He probably knows you're in a bit of a panic over your circumstances.  And to suddenly receive a ransom note demanding money?  He might think you staged this whole thing in order to get some cash from him."

"Wait, you think he might not be coming?" she asked nervously, the topic having sowed some doubt and concern.

"I wouldn't worry about it.  He'd be taking a risk if he just blindly assumed it was a bluff.  If he cares about you, then he'll come with the money anyway to make sure you're alright.  Plus, he probably knows you well enough to know you wouldn't have the mental acuity to orchestrate something as elaborate as a fake kidnapping.  So there's that."

Tapioca breathed a sigh of relief.  "Yeah, Daddy knows me better than anypony."

The changeling might have considered making a quip about how she'd essentially just insulted herself, but he suddenly spotted movement in his peripheral vision.  Some distance down the valley, the same direction from which they came, was what he could only assume was Tapioca's father Figgy.  "Speak of the devil..."  He glanced at the mare beside him.  "Game time."

Tapioca stood up eagerly, no doubt relieved that Guise's hypothetical turned out to be untrue and excited by the prospect of finally returning home.

The two of them waited as the figure approached.  But as they got closer, Guise noticed something odd: there appeared to be two ponies headed their way.  One of them Guise could easily identify as Figgy, but the other he didn't recognize.  Whoever he was, he was pulling a cart behind him, the contents of which were covered by a tarp.  Guise assumed that must be the money he'd demanded, though he stared suspiciously as the two stallions approached.

The pair stopped, maintaining a safe and cautious distance.  Figgy's eyes were locked onto Tapioca.  There was notable worry in his eyes, though he was clearly staying on guard, especially now that he was face to face with his daughter's kidnapper.

Tapioca grinned widely upon seeing her father again, starting towards him eagerly.  "Daddy!"

However, she only managed to take one step before Guise held out his hoof to stop her.  She turned to him with a hurt look, but he just continued to glare at the two stallions.  "Tapioca, sit."

Without a moment's hesitation, Tapioca followed the command, planting her haunches onto the grass.  As much as she wanted to get home, she knew Guise wanted this to play out a specific way and was willing to let him do this however he saw fit.  Although, seeing his daughter following orders like an trained dog elicited a disdainful sneer from Figgy.

Guise ignored the look Tapioca's father was giving him, shooting a harsh glare right back.  "I believe I specified that you come alone," Guise reminded him in a low tone, shifting his attention to the other stallion: a very large, muscular earth pony with a white coat, black mane, and a rather dapper black vest.  He was giving Guise a rather steely look through squinted eyes, but the changeling couldn't determine if he was trying to appear threatening, or if that was just his natural expression.

"You expect me to transport twelve thousand bits down a mountain on my own?  I don't have that level of physical strength or stamina," Figgy defended.

Once more, Guise eyed the bulky earth pony.  "Is he a royal guard?"

"No, he's—"

Guise held up his hoof to silence Figgy.  He then gave a sidelong glance to Tapioca.  "You know that guy?"

Tapioca nodded with a chipper grin.  "Yup.  That's Wellington.  He's been Daddy's butler and bodyguard since before I was born.  I always call him Uncle Welly."  She waved enthusiastically to the large stallion.  "Hi, Uncle Welly!"

Wellington only responded with a slight, acknowledging nod and a gruff grunt that could perhaps be interpreted as an amicable greeting.

Given the guy's size, Guise wouldn't be surprised if Figgy had brought him along to attempt to subdue his daughter's captor, but Guise was no stranger to taking on people bigger than himself.  Still, he'd have to stay on guard and avoid getting close to him just in case.

Figgy gestured to the cart behind Wellington, and the earth pony removed the tarp to reveal the veritable treasure hoard of gold coins within.  "Here's the money you requested.  You may check for yourself to confirm that it's all there."

Guise turned to Tapioca again, gesturing toward the cart with a tilt of his head.  "Check it out."

"Huh?  Me?"

"Just do it.  And you two, back off while she investigates."

Figgy backed away from the cart without arguing and Wellington followed suit.

Tapioca slowly approached the cart, looking in at all the money stacked up in there.  "Uh...  What am I looking for?"

"I want to make sure this isn't some kind of trap.  Just stick your hoof in there and fish around a bit."

"What?!  But if it's booby trapped, I—"

"It's alright, puddin', it's safe," Figgy told her.

With her father's assurance, Tapioca dug into the pile of coins with her hoof, rooting around for anything suspicious.  "Um...  I only feel lots and lots of bits."

"Good enough," said Guise.  He let out a long sigh, giving a flick of his hoof.  "You can go home now."

Tapioca practically squealed with glee as she scampered over to give her father a loving hug, which he returned with deep relief.  She even gave Wellington a hug, though he didn't react much at all.

"Let's go home, dear," Figgy said to his daughter.  "You look like you could use a shower and a hot meal."

"Totally," she giggled.

Figgy and Wellington both cast one more harsh glare in Guise's direction, but didn't say anything and turned back to leave and escort Tapioca home.  However, the mare discreetly glanced back over her shoulder, giving Guise a quick wave goodbye and a sly wink, though Guise didn't respond.

Guise waited until the three of them were no longer in sight before letting out a long sigh, running a hoof through his fake, orange mane.  Finally, this whole ordeal was over.  Tapioca could return home, he didn't have to keep foalsitting her, and now he could put all of his attention toward helping Sweetmint get her business off the ground.

He turned his attention to the cart full of bits, groaning in annoyance.  First thing first, he'd have to hide the ransom money.  He speculated that the royal guards would assume he'd flee the city immediately after the exchange, so hiding the cash right under their noses seemed pretty safe.  He'd previously scoped out a cave in the valley where he could safely conceal it and check its contents more thoroughly, but he certainly wasn't going to bother counting every single bit.  And maybe if it turned out they didn't need the money, he could just give it back to Tapioca.  That'd be safer than holding onto dirty money himself.

But more than anything, Guise was just relieved he could finally get back to his normal life.  He was going to keep an eye on the situation over the next few days, but as long as Tapioca kept her mouth shut, he shouldn't have anything to worry about.  It was time to head home and truly relax for what felt like the first time in weeks.


*****     *****     *****


Nights had been a little tedious for Guise lately.  With everything that had been on his mind, it was hard not to spend every waking moment thinking about what he was going to do to fix it all.  That usually resulted in sleep eluding him, leaving him laying in bed and staring up at the ceiling while Sweetmint dozed soundly beside him.  Of course, Guise was no stranger to sleepless nights, having spent the vast majority of his life enduring bitingly cold winds, or the uncomfortable, stone floors of caves.  But, for some reason, being kept awake by his own thoughts he found more aggravating, giving him all the more reason to resolve all these problems that had cropped up.

And he'd done it.  The conundrums he'd had thrust upon him had finally been abated.  Sweetmint was ready to start her own business, Tapioca was back home, and they had plenty of money to fall back on if they needed it.  Guise's life had gotten back on track and things were looking up.  Maybe there were still a few little things that could go wrong, like Sweetmint's business not working out like they hoped, or Tapioca or Frosted Chips blabbing about him, but Guise wasn't too concerned about any of that.  He'd planned things out adequately enough that he could be comfortable with where his life was again.

Yet, even so, once again he found his eyes creaking open in the middle of the night.  Guise spent a moment in his state of half sleep just staring straight up at the ceiling until his thoughts were able to coalesce properly.  Even though there wasn't anything that should keep him up at night anymore, he still knew why he was awake right now.

Guise turned his head to the left.  The soft light of the moon managed to permeate the curtains well enough for him to pick out the back of Sweetmint's head laying on the pillow next to him, her quiet breaths the only sound that could be heard in the room.  He just stared at her as she slept, and suddenly felt an urge he hadn't felt in quite some time.

The changeling carefully propped himself up in the bed, doing his best not to disturb Sweetmint or the sleeping cat curled up at the foot of the bed.  This was something he hadn't attempted in a while, mostly because he didn't want to be disappointed again.  But if ever there was a moment to try again, it was now.  Guise leaned over Sweetmint, opening his mouth in anticipation.  A part of him was expecting nothing to happen, just like last time, tempering his expectations to soften the blow a little.

But the moment Guise began to slowly inhale, a thin, pink mist began to flow from her neck and up into Guise's waiting maw.

This was it.  Love.  Tangible, delicious love.

It had felt like years since he'd tasted it—and technically it had been—but now he was finally able to indulge in this luxury once more.  And it was just as good as he remembered it, though it wasn't exactly the same.  Compared to Shade's girlfriend, whose love tasted rather sweet, Sweetmint's love—ironically—had a hint of bitterness to compliment its sweetness.  Guise could equate it to an especially good cup of coffee with a hefty dose of sugar that didn't overpower the flavor.

But it wasn't just the irresistible flavor that he enjoyed.  While the flavor reminded him of coffee, the sensation that love gave him couldn't be adequately compared to anything else he'd ever experienced.  As the tangible manifestation of Sweetmint's love slowly drifted into his mouth, Guise could feel its effects flowing throughout his entire body.  It was especially noticeable in his horn, a tingling sensation radiating through it.  He had little doubt that it would feel even better if he were to start focusing his magic so he could feel just how much his power was growing at this moment, but as tantalizing as the idea was, he didn't want to risk Sweetmint being woken up by the light or hum of his magic.  It wasn't like he was draining very much anyway, just enough to enjoy it; if he overindulged, then Sweetmint would eventually start feeling the effects.  Still, even this little amount was more than enough to trigger that familiar feeling of euphoria that he was desperate to experience again.  It was a little similar to the feeling he got the one time he'd gotten drunk with Sweetmint, but he was much more cognizant and could enjoy it properly, making the comparison practically moot.  She was free to get hammered if she wanted that sensation, but Guise would rather sit here in silence and siphon delicious, empowering love.

But something was wrong.  Guise closed his mouth and the pink mist dissipated.  Sweetmint's love tasted even better than her ice cream, easily the best thing he'd ever tasted in his life.  The sensation flowing through his whole body was euphoric and exactly as he remembered it.

So why wasn't he satisfied?

Guise lay back down on the bed, his eyes returning to the ceiling.  It didn't make any sense.  This was what he had been seeking from the very beginning, even above food and shelter.  He finally had it now, unrestricted access to love, and it tasted just as good, if not better, than it did the first time.  But, for some reason, he wasn't able to enjoy it wholly.  How could something taste so good and provide such euphoria, but still leave him unsatisfied?  It couldn't have been quantity; even that little morsel he'd just had should have sated his appetite after going so long without it.  So what was missing that he needed to actually enjoy this?

The changeling sighed, rolling over onto his side and facing Sweetmint's back again.  He was tempted to go for seconds on the off chance that just a little more might do the trick, but he didn't want Sweetmint waking up drained of energy.  He doubted it would make a difference anyway.

So it would seem that Guise had something else entirely to keep him awake at night.  Now his nights were going to be plagued by wondering what it was that was still missing.