//------------------------------// // Hitting The Wrong Target // Story: A Different Kind of Treasure // by Mechawrecker //------------------------------// Flitter rubbed her eyes as the words on the pages started to blur together. Resting her head on her hoof, she closed her eyes for a second before starting awake at the feeling of another hoof tapping her on the back. Turning around, she saw Sky’s concerned face peering down at her with a cup of coffee in his extended hooves. “O-oh, thank you,” she mumbled before chugging down the energizing liquid. “Are you okay?” Sky asked, casting her a worried glance. “You’ve been working really hard these past few days, and it's starting to show.” Shuffling the bounty posters on her desk, she waved away his concern and yawned, “Don’t worry about me. I’m just really concerned since we haven’t found any work for over a week. All the available jobs are either too small to be worth the payout or too dangerous for just the three of us.” Staring at her tired expression, he clapped his hooves together and said, “Flitter, you really should take a break. Let’s go down to the market and relax a bit. What do you say?” She glanced at the daunting pile of bounty notes on her desk before groaning, “You’re probably right. Give me a minute to prepare myself before we leave. Do you want to invite Cloud along too?” “No, I was thinking it could just be the two of us.” Her hoof froze halfway towards picking up her bag. Resisting the urge to squeal, she asked, “I thought you and Cloud resolved whatever issue there was. Are you two still upset with each other?” Sky shook his head and assured, “No, that's already taken care of. I just thought it would be a good chance for us to go outside again.” Seeing her confused look, he clarified, “After your injury, you’ve had to stay put until your wings and hoof healed. Now that you’re better, I thought it might be fun to explore the new places around town together.” Flitter's cheeks grew warm as she turned away to hide her blush. Recalling his intimate bedside-manner, she put on a brave face and grinned, “I’d love to go with you! I have been a little antsy, so a trip to the market sounds like a lot of fun.” “Cool, I’ll meet you outside in twenty minutes. I need to grab my bag and hoof bracers from my place first.” Sky closed the door behind him as Flitter’s wings began flapping happily.  Trotting to the washroom, she splashed water on her face and undid the bow clasping in her hair. Staring hard at the mare in the mirror, she grasped the fancy perfume saved for special occasions and whispered, “Okay, this is it. You’ve got one shot at this, so you better make it count.” Sky's hoof anxiously pawed the ground as he glanced at the setting sun. Nearly half-an-hour had passed since their meeting time, and still no word from Flitter about their date. Just as he was about to give up, the door eventually opened with a click. “Finally! For a while I almost thought you stood me u--” The rest of the words died in his throat. Standing in front of him was a mare that very much resembled Flitter, but there was no possible way it could actually be her. The mare in front of him featured a pair of low-cut outdoor slippers and thigh-high leggings that perfectly accentuated her soft flanks. A flared miniskirt fluttered loosely around her hips as the open-top schoolfilly dress shirt showed off her freshly preened wings and chest fluff. Finally, higher up, a pair of golden earrings perfectly complemented the red silk head bow that replaced her usual pink one. As she turned around to lock the door, her tail lifted just enough to give him a tiny glimpse of the white underwear that clung tight to her most private regions. Sky's dumbfounded gaze lingered as all his higher brain functions ceased. In his head, he worried that this fiery succubus had somehow infiltrated Flitter’s apartment and possessed her body while his other head told the former to shut up and drink in the incredible sight while it lasted. When the breathtaking mare turned around, he coughed and hesitantly stammered, “F-Flitter? Is that you?” Flitter giggled at the effect she had on him. “Yes, it’s me. Don’t tell me you forgot what I looked like already~” If Sky hadn’t been floored before, he certainly was now. The voice that came back to him was definitely Flitter’s, but there was something else mixed in there that wasn’t normally found in the demure mare’s tone. Trying to contain his surprise, he rubbed a hoof through his mane. “So, uh… you know that we’re just going to the market, right? It’s not like I have tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala or anything like that.” Fluttering her wings, Flitter sauntered over to stand next to him. “Oh, I know. I just wanted to break in this new outfit to make sure that I look good in it,” she explained, putting a heavy emphasis on her appearance while flipping her newly washed mane so he could smell the liberally applied perfume. A look of comprehension washed over Sky’s face as he gave a bark of laughter. “Ohhhhh, I see what’s going on here. You’re trying to haggle with the merchants to get the best prices they’ll offer!” He turned to her with a smirk on his muzzle. “You know, I never took you for that kind of mare, Flitter. Although I guess what they say is true, it’s always the quiet ones.” Flitter stared at him with a look of shock and disbelief. She could not believe that was the first place his mind had gone, especially considering her modest attitude and personality. Resisting the urge to go back inside and shoot him with an arrow, she smiled wryly and forced out, “Well, that wasn’t my primary reason for dressing up, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt saving a few bits where I can.” Turning towards the marketplace, he chuckled, “I hear you. Come on, we’d better get a move on if you want to put those negotiating skills of yours to good use.” The smoldering mare fell into step with him, facehoofing at his obliviousness and density. I swear, if I had my bow with me right now, there’d be one less arrow in my quiver. There’s no way he can misconstrue this though. Taking a more blatant approach, she opened her wings and pressed up against the side of his barrel while nuzzling into the crook of his neck. Feeling her warm pressure, Sky opened his own wing and enveloped her barrel in its warmth. “Oh! Are you cold, Flitter? That outfit doesn’t look like it provides much insulation,” he said, wiping away the smile that had plastered itself on her muzzle. Flitter’s face burned red in embarrassment and frustration. What more could she do? It seemed that nothing short of hiking up her skirt and bending down on all fours would make the message penetrate his thick skull. Sighing in defeat, she settled into his warm embrace, enjoying the intimate moment they shared under the sun’s golden rays. Sky was not an idiot. He knew full well what was happening the instant she had flicked her tail to flash her panties. As Flitter made more and more insistent attempts to flirt, he had to fight his raging hormones and feign ignorance to keep his cool and not skip to dessert before having the main course. What frustrated him the most, however, wasn’t her skimpy outfit or seductive tone but the perfume. Unknowingly, Flitter had purchased a scented perfume specifically engineered to smell like a mare in heat. The instant Sky smelled the familiar fragrance, he shifted into a defensive ignorance so as not to take advantage of a friend supposedly being influenced by a biological trigger she couldn’t control. As they traversed the market plaza, he noticed that Flitter was getting a lot more attention than she would normally garner. Passing stallions would do a double take and sniff the air hopefully before seeing Sky walking with her and turn away looking disappointed. A few of the more brazen onlookers would call out or wolf whistle, causing Flitter to blush even more and hide her exposed midsection with her wings. Each time Sky heard one of these derogatory remarks, he felt a flash of anger bubble up before passing it off as an effect of the pheromones Flitter’s perfume was giving off. Just when he was about to call it quits and head back home, another voice called out to him. “Hey, Mr. Skyfall! Over here!” The two ponies turned to see Griffy waving a claw while standing next to a taller female griffon that looked very similar to him. Flitter panicked and frantically buttoned up the top of her shirt so as not to corrupt Griffy’s young, innocent mind. When they reached him, Griffy gave them both a big hug and squealed, “It’s so good to see you two again!” Sky patted him on the head. “Hey, little man, it’s good to see you too.” Shifting his gaze to the griffoness, he called, “You have a very enthusiastic son, ma’am.” Griffy’s mother’s beak curved into a smirk. “Oh? How did you know he was my son?” “Well, I didn’t know until you just told me, but the fact of the matter is that there aren’t many griffons with orange feathers, so I felt pretty safe in my assumption.” The large orange bird gave a caw of laughter before fixing Sky with an impressed gaze. “You’re just as clever as Griffy said you were. Maybe you are up for the task after all.” Griffy’s face burst with excitement. “Do you really mean it!? Are you going to give them the job!?” Sky raised his eyebrows as he peered at the older griffon. “What is he talking about, ma’am? What job are you offering?” Griffy’s mother held up a claw. “It is a delicate matter that I would prefer to discuss in private.” She turned and walked back into the tent before adding, “And please, just call me Kaya.” Griffy tugged their hooves towards the tent, his eyes gleaming with excitement. Once safely ensconced, Kaya faced the pair and asked, “You two are members of the treasure hunting group that found The Lost Diadem of Diamondpaw, correct?” They nodded as she pulled out a sheet of paper. “Well then, this might peak your interest.” Almost the entire page was taken up by a shiny silver longsword with a ruby encrusted hilt. The caption under the image read, ‘The Sword Of Griffonstone. Reward: 5,000 bits’. A ding rang out from the front of the shop as a large griffon waited to place his order. Griffy ran out to take care of the customer as Kaya explained, “This sword is one of the only relics that remains of the ancient Gilbert Griffonstone, the founder of the Griffon Empire. I’d like to commission your party to search the mines and bring it back to me so that our capital can honor its founder.” “I see,” Flitter replied, peering intently at the page. “I do have a few questions. You asked about the diadem before offering us the task. Why did you do that?” Kaya pulled out two more bounty sheets and passed them across the small table. “I noticed that your party found The Goblet of Hooflepuff and The Diadem of Diamondpaw, both of which were relics of other important founders of Equestria’s main races.” She gestured towards the posters, “Given your group’s uncanny knack for rooting out these artifacts, I figured I should give you all a chance to search before I post this in town hall for other hunters to see.” Sky leaned towards Flitter and whispered, “What do you think? We haven’t had a decent job in a while, and Griffy personally referred us to his mom, so I’d hate to let him down.” Flitter nodded before turning back to Kaya and handing her the posters. “Thank you so much for your consideration. We would be honored to find The Sword of Griffonstone and return it to its rightful place.” Kaya smiled and extended her claw. “I’m glad we can work together. I’ll contact you later with the information regarding its last known location and a more detailed description.” As they shook appendages, Sky left the tent to order a round of meat from Griffy. Flitter turned to follow him, but was stopped by a wing blocking her path. “Hold on a second, Ms. Flitter.” Kaya peered down at her with a calculating gaze. Flitter began to grow nervous under her piercing eyes until the griffon's beak curled into a smug smirk. “I recognize the perfume you used to try and attract your handsome friend.”  Flitter turned scarlet as she stumbled over her words. “W-What!? I d-don’t know what you’re t-talking abou--”  Kaya interrupted her with a chuckle, “There’s no point denying it. Your red face and expression say it all. I remember during my first date with my husband..." she broke off and stared wistfully into space. "Anyway, I just wanted to give you some advice, woman-to-woman. Don’t rely on things like that perfume or your uninspired outfit to draw his attention. If he doesn’t love you for the mare underneath the dress, the relationship isn’t going to last very long.” A movement to her left caught Flitter’s attention. Griffy was showing Sky all the various ways to prepare meat while the stallion watched along, patting the miniature griffon on the head after tasting a particularly delicious strip of bacon. Seeing how well Sky got along with the little bird, Flitter smiled to herself and replied, “Thanks, Kaya. I’ll keep that in mind.”