“Have we heard anything else from this Clari individual?” Nacreous asked as an alabaster Alicorn massaged her temples while Fori shook her head.
“Nope. We’ve had no contact since a week ago. You know everything we do.”
“Thank you, Fori,” Nacreous said with a wave as the feline disappeared. He looked over to his Fiancé, Celestia flopping onto the large conference table with a groan.
“So, nothing has changed? At last we’ve had time to process all of this. A pair of sisters managing some threads of leylines, Onyx and Icait being partially mentored by two of your friends, Toxic launching his new enterprise as we are asking him to meet with us, and still a new threat?” Celestia said with a sigh, then letting out a soft, happy hum as a familiar pair of talons massaged her shoulders.
“That about covers it, you doing ok?” Nacreous asked softly.
“It’s still just a lot to process in-between the day to day minutia. Your friends intervening is helpful, but just another piece of an ever-growing puzzle.”
Sitting down next to Celestia, the Hippogriff shifted to let her lean on his nearest shoulder, the Paladin reaching over to hold one of her hooves with a set of talons.
“I know processing everything with Toxic hasn’t been easy,” he whispered, “Just know that I’m here for you.”
“T-thank you, Nacreous,” was the soft reply a brief kiss on the cheek accompanying Celestia’s answer.
“And remember, Sunspots, he’s a lot more understanding than I think you give him credit for. I think you should talk to him about all of this when things have settled down a bit. It has only been a week or so.”
A brief nod of agreement was Celestia’s reply, the pair relaxing in silence for a time. The afternoon was going to be quite an eventful one indeed.
‘To Toxic Shield,
We wish to speak with you. We wish to extend an offer of help.
-Celestia, Luna, Nacreous, Shifting.’
The note had been oddly curt, the stallion not liking that in the slightest. But the fact it had all the heavy-hitters in terms of rule and power involved, and signed on a first-name basis…
It was something big, that much Toxic knew. He let his thoughts wander as the stallion made his way through the royal castle, aiming towards the throne room.
Well. I have enough on my plate. My organization is launching and I’m still trying to get my head on straight and not be completely paranoid about another attack. The goal is to reduce my stress, not add to it.
The fact all four aforementioned individuals were sitting at the bottom of the throne steps did little to lessen Toxic’s suspicious (and anxiety.) He knew that tactic; be on the same relative level as those you were speaking to in order to try and remove some of the ‘high and mighty’ view.
Or maybe they are just being nice and know it’s a comfort thing for ponies. Deep breaths, Toxic.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice,” Emperor Thunderwing said kindly, the hippogriff clad in his familiar regalia, another curious piece to the puzzle. As the doors shut, the other three looked to Nacreous expectantly; apparently, he was going to lead things.
Now I’m intrigued.
“Of course. The note was rather curt though,” Toxic replied after bowing respectively. “What can I do for you…erm, everycreature?”
“It’s actually the opposite, Specialist Shield,” Nacreous replied. “In light of recent events, I thought it prudent to ask if you’d like to take up an offer of assistance. It is not in any way you can imagine, however.”
“I’m not following,” Toxic admitted, curiosity replacing his previous anxiety. “But I appreciate the offer.”
Nacreous rapped his claws on the stone in thought, sketching a brief rune and causing a simple symbol to hover in the air; three overlapping circles.
“Toxic, you know that I am a Paladin,” Nacreous said kindly. “Without beating around the bush too much, I would like to offer you the chance to be a part of the Order I was, and still am a part of, be it as a Paladin or some other station. Would that be an offer you’d accept?”
Toxic stared at the gathered creatures, his shoulders slumping. That was the offer of ‘help’? More responsibility, more lives that he had to try and save?
He knew it was an honor, a great honor. From what little he knew, the Order Nacreous was a part of had been a prestigious thing indeed, a strike example of helping those who could not help themselves. But this soon after an attempt on the stallion’s life? After opening his own organization? Toxic was buckling under the weight of it all as it was.
And so, his answer was short and to the point…
“Nope!”
…if not rather abrupt.
Celestia stared at the stallion in front of her in surprise- but only partly. She really should have seen this coming. To his credit, Nacreous simply let out a huff, collecting his thoughts for a moment. Luna seemed even less surprised than them, simply frowning, but not seeming at Toxic. Shifting stayed silent as well, knowing that he was a bit out of the loop in terms of the unspoken tension between Toxic and the other rulers.
“May I ask why, Toxic?” Nacreous asked simply. It wasn’t condescending or accusatory, but a simple request of curiosity.
Toxic’s posture shifted ever so slightly, and Celestia nearly drew in a surprised gasp.
Is this what it’s like seeing my own mask crack?
In a brief moment, the stallion that stood before them wasn’t nearly as confident as he had previously appeared. For a split second, genuine unease and borderline fear shone in Toxic’s gaze, fear of something.
And then it was gone.
“Because I cannot handle any more responsibility, Highness.” Toxic stated with surprising smoothness. “I survived an assassination attempt, have been targeted by an unknown assailant, opened my organization to the public…I cannot, I will not have any more weight on my shoulders.”
Luna was clearly biting her tongue, Celestia saw that much. They had pushed him too far, and clearly explained too little.
“Toxic, this isn’t another burden,” Nacreous tried to elaborate, clearly seeing his error. “This isn’t going to put more-”
“Highness, please, don’t…” Toxic said softly, making the hippogriff fall silent. “Don’t try and guilt me into this. Not you.”
It was an unintentional barb that Toxic likely didn’t even know resonated and clearly hadn’t directed it at her, but Celestia had to force herself to not react.
Please no, let me not have added that burden to this stallion over the years. Guilting him into all of this…?
A loud groan interrupted the verbal standoff, a shadow-pony sitting nearby with a roll of his eyes.
“And I thought I was bad at communicating.”
“Iust?!” Nacreous, Luna, Celestia and Shifting stated together, Toxic blinking in surprise.
“Who?”
A (mostly) familiar feline then snapped into existence, glaring at the shadow-pony angrily.
“We talked about this, Iust! No. Butting. In!”
“What are you two-?” Nacreous asked, seeing Toxic completely lost at seeing these two. Celestia appeared equally surprised as Luna. Shifting seemed to be close to a migraine, one of his eyes twitching.
“He said no!” Iust objected.
“And you just wanted to change his mind?” Fori countered. “We don’t interfere unless we have to!”
“We had to!”
“Why? First Onyx, now Toxic? What has gotten into you? Is this Gaudi’s doing?” the feline added.
“Do NOT bring her into this!”
“HEY!”
Everycreature present turned to Toxic, his mane waving rather unnaturally as an arcane surge flooded from his horn as his emotions bled into the pony’s control of magic, indicating how his mostly-calm demeanor was, in essence, only skin deep.
“Is anyone going to explain this to me?” he asked, his previous patience clearly having evaporated. “What is going on?”
It was rare to have so many politically-skilled creatures be at a loss for words, and yet the throne room was silent.
“My name is Iust. I am one of Nacreous’s oldest friends,” the shadow-pony said. “I could not stand by while you said no,” he added, shadows licking from his frame. “You didn’t even know what you were refusing.”
“Yes, I do know. A great honor, more responsibility, more weight that I can’t bear!” Toxic said, the stallion’s jaw quivering with stress. “And is she one of Nacreous’s friends too then?”
“Fori,” the feline stated simply with a respectful bow.
“Why all this fuss over me? What is so important about…you know what? I don’t want to-”
“What would you do to protect her? To protect them all?” Iust asked abruptly, making Toxic close his mouth immediately.
Toxic stared silently at the other stallion at that question, eyes widening in shock.
“What?”
“You heard me,” Iust growled. “What would you do? What obstacle would be too much for you to refuse? You speak of weight, perhaps. But forget the big picture. What is it worth, one innocent life? Perhaps one whom you care for, or perhaps one who is too young to even know of danger! What would you do for them? What have you done?”
As everyone else stared in shock, Iust grinned, fangs showing as a bit of shadow leaked from Toxic’s eyes. It didn’t take a changeling to feel the surge of determined anger from the pony.
“Good. Now that you are listening. They aren’t offering just a simple weight. They’re offering you power.”
A mental link poked at Celestia’s awareness- Nacreous’s astonished voice flooding her mind.
‘Iust is testing him.’
‘What?!’ Celestia replied.
‘He’s trying to show Toxic what we are offering, but also testing Toxic’s resolve. If Toxic isn’t strong enough to control the dark magic that he has tendencies to, the offering of power will show it.’
‘That’s brilliant- but why Iust? I thought he was the quiet one? The ‘god’ of war?’
‘Quiet usually, yes. But war…and passion at times. The determined drive inside everycreature. I’m not surprised he’s taken interest in Toxic. Not the best timing, but well-intentioned.’
The shadows flickered darker around Toxic’s eyes for a moment, then fading as the pony shook his head.
“Power? What are you talking about?” he muttered, clearly not seeing how pleased Iust and Nacreous were.
“The Order Nacreous is a part of, that we aided in. It grants access to ancient spells, direct pathways to leylines and magic far beyond what you know,” Iust explained. “I know not of what station you would hold, or if it would give more responsibility. However, would a weight be worth the power to defend them? You’ve already done so much without it; you know of what I speak.”
Toxic nodded, a dangerous glint shining in his green eyes.
“Then will you hear them out?”
The pony nodded again, sitting down and looking towards a surprised Fori and gathered royalty.
“Thank you, Iust,” Nacreous said, sending his armor spinning away on a magical breeze. “In short, he is correct. The ceremony grants access to spells and magical deterrents against a number of evils in this world, and other realms, even on a passive level.”
“You probably should have led with that,” Toxic sighed, now appearing more tired than anything. “Because I could really use the help. No offense, Highness, but your delivery was rather lousy considering the situation.”
“That is why I am here. I wanted to help you as you learn. Well, later at least,” Iust said, earning a shocked gaze from everycreature.
“What? You can’t just do that, Iust!” Fori countered. “What if Clari-”
“I said he could.”
The throne room quickly becoming packed with ethereal creatures, a familiar mare now stood in front of all those present. Celestia’s eyes widened at feeling the tsunami of arcane power emanating from her. It was unlike anything she had ever seen, as though her sun itself had been placed in the castle. It was both incredibly humbling and unnerving at the same time.
“I’ll…um…” Iust stammered, Fori rolling her eyes as she bowed towards Clari, the two quickly vanishing.
“I’m starting to lose track of everycreature,” Toxic stated tiredly, looking over to the leyline-mare curiously. “May I ask who you are? Ow…” he winced, touching his horn as the bleed-off from the entity’s figure interfered with his own magic.
“My name is Clari, Toxic Shield,” the mare said softly, her lips quivering as tears formed in her eyes. “And I can’t explain much, not until I say that I’m so sorry.”
“For?” the stallion asked. “Just a small headache…”
“No, I mean for not helping more, for placing so much pressure on you,” Clari said, ears flat against her skull. “I tried to warn you of the attack, but that’s all I’ve been able to do for the most part.”
Toxic now was fully alert, staring at the mare curiously and ignoring the others.
“Wait, that was you? The night before that assassin?”
Clari nodded, the hint of a hopeful smile on her face.
“I wish I could have done more,” she whispered. “Nopony, nocreature else could have done what you did. From the start, you were who I knew would be the one.”
Toxic’s head tilted to the side, quickly becoming lost.
“I…uh…”
“Toxic, Clari is like the Tree of Harmony,” Nacreous said, walking up to sit next to the stallion. “Except she is a Leyline. Well, one of them; a layer of them.”
Any fatigue now vanishing, Toxic looked over to the mare who waved at him sheepishly.
“That about covers it,” she agreed. “I haven’t needed to do this for hundreds, thousands of years.”
“Wait, so you’re…ok, like the Tree,” Toxic said partially to himself. “So, the Tree handles harmony matters, what do you do?”
Clari giggled, gesturing upwards and sending a projection of magical threads up to the ceiling.
“I do the same thing, just in a different way!” she explained. “I weave a thread or two of life, balance things in certain aspects. And I really only am like this when things are really out of balance, or if my sister asks me to be.”
“Your sister?” Toxic asked, making Clari wince.
“Sorry, yeah, she handles the other side of my threads…oh, I’m sorry, this must be super-duper confusing,” Clari grumbled. “There’s a lot of layers to leylines and all of this. Just think of me as a version of the Tree of Harmony, handling balance in an aspect of life. The part that can’t be solved by a blast of rainbows at least.”
“Ok, I can do that,” Toxic muttered, “but what does that have to do with me?”
Clari looked at him, actually appearing hopeful.
“Everything, Toxic,” she said softly. “You’ve done so much for so many creatures. I am not all-knowing, but I see time differently than you all. You were going to be here and be the stallion that I needed at this exact time. When He started making changes, I knew I had to find a creature to help. And you’ve always been that pony.”
“Wait, who is ‘He’?” Toxic asked, clearly picking up on the malevolence of that single word. “And what do you mean I’ve been ‘that pony’?”
“Nocreature else has your abilities, Toxic,” Clari stated flatly. “And you are in this world just as He is, and He is using the aspect your cutie mark protects against to try and destroy it all.”
Toxic’s green eyes now widened, the gears in his mind starting to connect and churn.
“Wait. I’m here- my cutie mark? My abilities? They’re a counter to whoever this thing is?”
Clari nodded, hopping up and down excitedly.
“Exactly! I didn’t do it, but it was the tapestry of life balancing things out! He would be here, and so you had to be here, I had to be here at the same time!” she then pointed an accusatory hoof at the stallion. “And don’t you dare think that makes you less!”
“I wasn’t…I…” his words trailed off, the pony realizing that any refuting of her words would have been a lie.
“Yes, you were! Just because you were supposed to be here doesn’t mean you are less!” Clari said. “You could have turned from the path at any time! All I did was remove a few magical barriers to try speed you up to this point- but it was never my choice. If you hadn’t helped creatures, been so selfless, ignored those in help, things may have changed! You chose this path!”
“I didn’t know I was on a path,” Toxic admitted.
“There is a difference between knowing a path, and walking a path, Toxic,” Nacreous said softly, causing the stallion to look up at him in surprise. “The induction to this Order would give you the power that you should already have access to. If I may be so bold, you’ve been living life as a Paladin already. You just don’t have the spells or formal training.”
“Or the awesome armor?” Toxic asked.
“Or the awesome armor,” Nacreous chuckled. “But Clari, please clarify who He is?”
“I can’t.”
“Why?” Toxic asked.
“Because the more information I give you, the more it unbalances things,” Clari explained, letting out a frustrated groan. “It’s like a measuring scale. Every change or bit of information given from myself or him is a weight. He makes pushes things out of balance to his side. I have to wait and make sure mortals, or mostly-mortals, can make changes in addition to my own when I act. That means it will swing back into balance favoring life!”
“We’re an additional balance, extra weight to your eventual counter-move.”
Clari nodded, appearing a bit teary at that statement.
“Yes. That’s why you’ve been so important. You didn’t have to be, but you chose to be. Especially to them.”
“Them?” Toxic asked.
“The little ones. An act at the beginning of a life can make all the difference.”
The stallion stiffened at that, the royals looking to each other curiously. It was Celestia who realized it first, Clari looking over to her with a nod.
“He did what you could not, what you should not have done.”
Tears welled up in Celestia’s gaze, a few words granting a bit of penance to her past actions, or lack thereof.
“It is part of the initiation, seeing how you have affected others,” Clari explained. “I worked with the Order Nacreous is a part of too- in a general sense, letting the leylines react to their magic.”
Toxic stayed silent for a time, processing the figurative book of information that had been thrown at him.
“Y’know, leading with the whole ‘a cousin of the Tree of Harmony needs your help’ would have probably been best,” he finally said, earning a few chuckles and grins from those present.
“So, do you need me to be a part of this Order?” he asked Clari, the entity firmly shaking her head.
“No. It will make things much, much easier though,” she admitted. “This is your choice. All this is, is an offering of help. He knows you can stop his plans, and will stop at nothing to destroy you. This can help blunt any attempts. I can’t protect you directly, not with making my own plans crumble down.”
“That’s…uh…a bit direct,” Toxic said with a wince.
“I thought you’d appreciate it. And all I can say is that his job will be much easier without somecreature with your abilities. I cannot say more.”
Despite that, it was fairly clear what the threat was to all those present, Toxic nodding firmly.
“What do I need to do?” he asked. “I want to know exactly what I am getting myself into.”
Nacreous reached over to give the stallion a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
“You’re a special case, Toxic,” he said. “You aren’t going to be expected, or required to live by some new code, only continue on as you have been. I promise that regardless of what official requirements such a position in my Order may have demanded in the past, you will not have more burdens placed upon your shoulders.”
“You’ve already been doing all that you need to,” Clari interjected. “This just unlocks it. It’s one of the ways I gave some mortals the way to do it. Unfortunately, those ways faded away with Nacreous’s Order and the Paladins. I do miss talking with them…”
As everyone stared at her, Clari blushed a bright teal and winced.
“I, uh, probably should have said that sooner?”
Nacreous let out a soft chuckle, nodding briefly.
“That would have been best.”
A simple parchment was summoned by Nacreous, giving it over to the Unicorn with a knowing nod.
“That is the cliff-notes version of what the codes for being initiated into this order are,” he explained. “I simplified it as much as I could and updated it to fit modern times. No extra burdens, no required classes or mandatory trainings outside of learning to use the new spells and the like. It’s just a way of living life that, by all accounts, you already are doing. There are other stations that require a bit more work and diligence, but I am not speaking of those.”
“Can I have some time to think about all of this?” Toxic asked.
“Of course,” Celestia said softly, finally speaking. “The castle is open to you.”
“Thank you, Princess,” Toxic replied sincerely. The genuine interaction seemed to make Celestia’s mask crack, Nacreous seeing a bit of dampness in her eyes with his own sharp gaze.
“I’ll look this over, but how can I say no, after hearing all of this?” Toxic muttered. “I said I’d never let it happen again. Not to anyone else. Never!” The aggressive hiss of his words perked up a few ears.
Yet Clari and Celestia seemed to know exactly what he was talking about.
“Can I have a portal to Tall Tale briefly? It goes without saying that I shouldn’t tell anycreature about this, but I’d like to at least have lunch with my special somegriff. If you can just open the portal near me in an hour then I’ll return and look over all of this.”
“As long as you know for this to stay between just us for now, of course,” Luna said with a smile, quickly summoning a portal.
Stowing the parchment in a personal storage portal, Toxic hopped through and left the gathering of individuals alone in the throne room.
“Huh. That went well,” Clari said happily, much to the groans of everycreature present. Yet there were lingering smiles on every face as they discussed the entire exchange, waiting for the stallion to return.
Taking a few steps forward, Nacreous drew Clari’s attention for a moment.
“Clari?”
“Hmm?”
“Well, I just wanted to say thank you,” Nacreous said sincerely, bowing before the smaller mare. “I had no idea the Order’s power was your doing. You’ve saved my life many times, and many others too.”
Clari giggled, poking the large hippogriff’s head with a hoof.
“You are most welcome. I’m just happy to see creatures like yourself and Toxic using it to help everycreature.”
“Toxic is already….?”
Clari let a knowing smile dawn on her features.
“Sorry. I see time a bit differently than everycreature.”
The sparkle in her eyes made Nacreous laugh, the Paladin nodding as he returned to discuss things with Luna, Shifting, and Celestia.
Once out of earshot, Clari couldn’t help but smile to herself.
“Thank you, Toxic,” she whispered. “You have so many friends who want to help; just let us!”
Gelliana let out happy chirp, setting aside a pot of bubbling vegetable stew to cool. She had learned from her mistakes and now ordered twice the usual ingredients, many of them dried for storage. No more days of lacking one of her comfort foods!
I wish we could have our lunch date though. I know he had some sort of thing in Canterlot. Something important. The gryphoness mused. At least I got to see him yesterday.
It was one of the times that Gelliana hoped Toxic could start to put in perspective. She knew the stallion felt uncomfortable about all of the moments he was cracking underneath the pressure he felt. He had voiced such concerns, that he didn’t want a lopsided relationship, that this wasn’t normal…
Gelliana had read between the lines well enough. Toxic was afraid she’d think the stallion needed someone to rely on day to day, going back on his previous statement of the whole ‘needing’ part of a relationship.
Oh Toxic, you sensitive goof. You don’t have to worry about that, I get it. I’ve seen enough moments outside of the hard days to see how happy you usually are.
And how caring.
Yesterday had not been a good one for the gryphoness, to say the least. But it was one of the times that even further solidified that she was not letting go of Toxic, not as long as he cared.
One Day Earlier.
Gelliana stared at the plants in front of her blankly, her limbs feeling like lead despite having taken a nap and indulging in a caffeinated soda.
Or three. And unfortunately, the painkillers had been taken too late and now the gryphoness’s headache was just awful.
The rain hadn’t let up for a full day, and while part of the gryphoness found the scene relaxing there was another part that made her fears run wild.
Growls of Timberwolves stalking me for hours.
Rain drenching me to the bone.
Hours upon hours shivering, covered in mud underneath a canopy of tree roots.
Shuddering slightly, the gryphoness forced herself to go through the motions caring for her plants. Everything seemed harder today, be it making breakfast, lunch, or even watering some plants with their special, fertilized mix. The rain barrels would be full; that was a nice plus.
At least I have lunch with Toxic tomorrow. He said he’s having to do some things for that side project of his.
I’m dating a pony starting his own company, who would have thought? I totally get him not wanting to tell me at first, or that much. He did promise to let me know fully what it is though, in time. I am curious of what exactly his organization is going to do aside from ‘help creatures.’
But if he has an entire island dedicated to it, I definitely understand the secrecy. I know what it’s like to be ‘wanted’ for what you can offer outside of who you are. Someone would totally want to get close just for bits, let alone power.
She had sent a parchment to said pony half an hour ago, the stallion apparently having been in some sort of meeting. Gelly didn’t want to come off as too negative, but bubbly-and-happy wasn’t her current mood, not by a longshot. It didn’t help that this sort of weather usually made her feel physically cruddy. Something about rapidly changing air pressure and (of course,) her unusually small figure, or specifically, her inner ear.
“Gells?” a familiar voice called after a soft *pop* of teleportation.
Hoof falls signaled her coltfriend’s presence nearing, familiar slightly-monotone voice staying somewhat soft and gentle.
“Hey, you ok?” Toxic asked as he walked into the greenhouse. “You definitely didn’t sound like your usual self in that note.”
“I thought you said teleporting here was a bit draining?” Gelliana mentioned as she turned around, Toxic’s eyes widening at seeing the bags under her eyes.
“Perhaps if I do it too much, but clearly I was needed. What can I do to help?”
Gelliana’s beak opened, a flurry of things she wanted to say on the tip of her tongue. Only one word made it out however, accompanying the drooping of her usually perky wings and ears.
“Hug?”
Sensing her distress, Toxic immediately took a few steps forward and wrapped up his special somegriff in his forelimbs. The exhausted gryphoness leaned on Toxic a bit more, the stallion shifting to support her weight with ease.
Despite her usually shy in public tendencies, Gelly couldn’t help but be constantly relieved at being able to be herself with Toxic. To know he wouldn’t judge her, mock, or do anything other than be his goofy and caring self.
Even in times when things weren’t really that bad, but seemed like it all was crashing down.
Gelliana sniffled softly in Toxic’s forelimbs, the stallion hugging her a bit tighter and nuzzling into her neck, something he had somehow figured out she absolutely adored.
It might have something to do with her immediately-poofing feathers, maybe.
“Rough day?” Toxic whispered, Gelly nodding into his blue fur.
“Just a bit. The storm and all.”
“Ah. Well, I don’t want to overstep, but maybe in the future I can have you start looking forward to stormy, rainy days.”
“Oh?” Gelliana looked up curiously, then immediately looked away as a cheeky grin filled her vision.
What could he-
A bright blush swarmed across the gryphoness’s cheeks, about the time Toxic let out a soft chuckle as her feathers poofed out even more.
“Somegriff looking forward to that?” he whispered. “Cuddles by a fire? Hot chocolate?”
Thankfully his words prevented Gelliana’s mind from coming up with anymore alternative ways to ignore a storm.
Mostly.
“Or did somegriff have different ideas? Miss ‘yes let’s take things slow.’”
Letting out a few grumbles, Gelliana was greeted by a laugh at that.
“Do you need to go stand outside in the cold rain for a minute?”
“NO!”
“Uh huh…”
A tired smile had now replaced the previously grumpy expression on her face, the gryphoness still enjoying snuggling close to her stallion.
“Feel a bit better?” he asked, giving her a final squeeze before letting her go slightly.
“Much better,” she admitted. “Thank you, Toxic.”
“Assume if I ever refuse to be a portable hug delivery system, I’ve been replaced by a changeling. I stand by that statement.”
Present
A cheesy, flirty, wide smile was on Gelliana’s face, as happened most times when thinking about her special somepony. She could understand why Toxic thought things were a bit one-sided, him needing some support more often than her.
But he clearly doesn’t realize how much it means to me for the times he is there for me. It balances out for me, if not outweighs it. Just the fact he was willing to teleport over to give me a hug, to be there when I needed him; that means the world to me.
…I should probably let him know that.
*pop*
“Hey, Gells?” her stallion’s voice echoed around the shop.
She happily zipped out of the kitchen and half-tackled her coltfriend into a hug, the stallion immediately returning the gesture with a happy sigh.
“Hey there.”
“Hello to you too,” he whispered, Gelliana not wanting to do anything but hug him close.
“So, what’s the occasion?”
“I was able to get away for a bit. I’m having to make some big decisions, but I wanted to, I just…” his words trailed off, Gelliana now feeling the tension in the stallion’s shoulders as he leaned into her embrace a bit more.
“This time you need a hug?” she asked softly, Toxic nodding at that.
As he relaxed in her arms, Toxic rested his head against Gelliana’s for a few moments. He then shifted to rest in the crook of her shoulder and neck, the stallion’s breathing slowing as he seemed to burrow ever so slightly into her soft feathers.
It was a simple thing that the stallion did at times, something the gryphoness wasn’t even sure he knew was a thing. But it was a small clue that let her know something was off.
She loved when he did that. Not that he needed to feel better, but a small intimate gesture that clearly showed how much he enjoyed it, and wanted it.
Wanted her.
The fact that just a hug could make her special somepony feel so much better, that Gelliana could help; was this what it was like when Toxic was there for her?
I logically understand why you may feel like it’s one sided, but I really like when I’m able to make you feel better.
It makes you feel more real. Not pretending around me, trusting me to not-
That thought made Gelliana’s heart skip a few beats. He hadn’t told her much outside of acknowledging and agreeing they both had to work on trusting each other, hence the slow and steady.
But the fact he was here, asking her for a hug, showing that vulnerability; that was something only now the gryphoness was starting to understand how big a deal that was.
I like being wanted, but the fact he trusts me enough to want some help in feeling better…
“Gells? Breathing.”
Letting out an embarrassed squeak, Gelliana relaxed her grip slightly- any immediate thoughts being squashed as a warm nuzzle from her stallion rubbed against her cheek.
“Something on your mind?”
It was times like this Gelliana really wondered how Toxic’s voice sounded without the safeguards of the crystal necklace. She could hear the tender concern, the simple affection in the statement, and yet there was that curiosity.
“I’m just happy,” she admitted, still thoroughly enjoying the fact Toxic hadn’t let her go- not that the gryphoness had done the same. “I really like the fact you’re ok opening up to me. It’s really attractive actually.”
“Oh?” Toxic asked, his tone indicating he did understand, but the playfulness was definitely clear. “So, asking for hugs makes me…”
“Extremely huggable.”
“Duly noted, and I will not complain.”
“And if you do, I’ll assume that you’re-”
“A changeling, yes.”
Gelliana giggled, shifting to snuggle her head underneath Toxic’s as he gave her a bit tighter of a hug. Unfortunately, a nearly-in-unison growling of stomachs interrupted them, the stallion chuckling.
“Y’know, this does prove that we aren’t changlings,” he mused. “Otherwise we wouldn’t be hungry.”
Gelliana’s feathers immediately poofed out at that, the gryphoness finally releasing her hold and looking at the cheeky stallion.
“That was both incredibly sweet, and rather weird,” she admitted, then smiling widely. “Good for you that I love both of those things.”
“Eh, ‘normal’ is just a way of saying ‘boring’ anyhow!” Toxic proclaimed with a grin as he walked towards the kitchen. “I have no intention of stealing your favorite stew, unless my nose deceives me. So, I can just run out and…uh…”
A very clear ‘oh no you don’t’ look quelled any more words, the gryphoness then giggling as she fished out a rather futuristic metal-foiled-wrapped package from the cupboard.
“You didn’t!” Toxic gasped as he accepted the package, eagerly tearing it open with a chuckle. “Where did you get this?!”
Gelliana was all smiles at that, getting her own serving of food as they meandered back to a table, the rough wooden surface already cleared of paraphernalia.
“It was a package from Varti a few days ago. I haven’t even met the Yak, but he said that if I’m dating you, especially if you’re having a rough time then I’d better have a stash of these rations on claw. Apparently, he keeps getting annoyed that they go missing from your organization’s kitchens, and he has an entire pantry dedicated to you. He wouldn’t tell me anything else of course. But here they have sat, all alone in the cupboard!”
“Mmmmmmm.”
The blissful hum from Toxic had Gelliana in stitches, a large piece of fruit jerky poking out of the stallion’s mouth.
“You’d better not hog all of it! I want a taste!” she pouted, the stallion separating a few pieces for her.
“I wouldn’t dare deprive my Princess of a sample.”
The adorable squeak that left Gelliana’s beak made Toxic pause, the stallion cocking his head to the left curiously. “What?”
As her feathers poofed up slightly, Toxic’s mind caught up with his mouth, a slight blush now also dawning on his cheeks. Gelliana’s demeanor became a bit shyer, an almost hopeful, affectionate look in her eyes.
Of course, Toxic didn’t say anything else on the matter, promptly levitating a piece of the fruit jerky over and poking her beak with it, prompting another giggle.
As their conversation drifted to just pleasant banter, Gelliana didn’t miss an intensity that was now behind Toxic’s gaze, his demeanor having shifted slightly. She wasn’t sure what it was; but it was something she liked.
I’m just glad I could help you feel better…
Of course, his ‘Princess’ comment wasn’t about to leave the gryphoness’s mind.
I’ve never been called that before. Not in an adoring manner at least.
Like many things Toxic said and did, she didn’t think he had any clue how much the actions or words meant. She definitely intended to change that; but not when he had much bigger decisions to make.
I wonder what you’re up to now.
Whatever it was, it certainly didn’t impede his ability to make Gelliana’s heart skip a beat when he purposefully matched her gaze with that slight, confident grin.
Whatever it is, I can’t wait to be a part of it, if you’ll let me.