~Chapter 39: That Warm, Fuzzy Feeling~
Never before in her entire life had Discipula Star seen a sight like the one that greeted her as she crossed the threshold into the place that Suriname Cherryblossom called Cockatrice. She was immediately hit by a wave of acrid smoke and thought numbing noise as they passed through dark black curtains into the main room. Even Axel, who was by far more experienced in sexual matters than her unicorn friend, was staring at the crowed with a stunned expression. Suri didn’t seem to be fazed by what was going on, having been to Cockatrice many times in the past, so she was able to canter in without any problems, but Star had to concentrate hard just to pick her hooves up and walk.
Cockatrice, it turned out, was no more than a medium sized room that was swarming with intoxicated stallions and mares who were busy dancing and satisfying other desires. The music was deafening and unlike anything Star and Axel had ever heard. It was a seemingly random collection of strange instruments being played alongside a thundering drum that rattled the very walls with each low beat. Everywhere Star looked she saw bodies shaking and twisting as they danced uninhibited with anypony nearby, grinding against one another in ways that made Star uncomfortable just to have witnessed. It was an utter madhouse and everypony loved it.
Suri lead them around the edge of the pulsating crowd of dancers to a long counter in the back that stretched from one wall to the other. There were two ponies; a mare and stallion, behind the counter serving up what Star could only conclude were strong alcoholic drinks. Suri walked up to the bar and said something to the female bartended, but Star couldn’t hear what it was over the pounding beat of the song playing. It was stiflingly hot and very dark in the room, but there were also strange lights that would flash on and off at seemingly random times, lighting up the air, which was hazy with smoke and smelled of sweat. The whole effect was beginning to make Star dizzy and panicked as she peered around.
Suri turned back a few seconds later, levitating three small glasses before her as she faced Star and Axel with a smile. She floated a glass in front of each mare, intending for them to drink the odd colored fluid at the same time, but Star was a bit reluctant. Whatever it was had a bluish color and was faintly luminescent. She hadn’t planned on drinking again, especially so soon after her horrendous hangover. She tried to tell Suri as much, but the beautiful white mare was staring back at her with an eager grin and Star faltered in her resolve.
“Bottoms up, bitches!” Suri screamed over the roar of the odd melody as she tilted all three glasses down their throats with a sudden flash of pink light. It caught both of the other mares off guard and they coughed and sputtered as soon as the tangy fluid had gone down. Star licked her lips and wondered why this drink tasted so much different than the apple pie moonshine that Brass Heart had shared with her.
“What in the hay was that stuff?” Star asked, yelling just to be heard even though Suri was less than a yard away. It didn’t burn like most alcohol she had tried, but it had a distinct aftertaste that stuck on her tongue.
“Mostly liquor,” Suri replied as she floated the three small glasses back to the bar top and brought back three different drinks.
“What does that mean, mostly liquor?” Star asked, trying not to worry, but doing a poor job of it. “What else was in that drink?” Star couldn’t hear it, but she could see Suri let out an annoyed sigh, as if Star’s question was a hassle to answer.
“A little of this and a little of that, but nothing that will hurt you,” Suri shouted back. “You trust me, right?” Axel shook her head yes, but Star was reluctant to put faith in somepony she had only known for an hour.
“I guess,” she finally relented. Suri beamed back at them as she shoved the new drinks into their faces. Star took a deep breath to steady her nerves before taking a sip from the diamond shaped glass. This new drink tasted like any other alcohol, but was served with pieces of fruit in the bottom and around the rim. It was delicious and Star relaxed a bit more as she took a longer drink.
Suri downed nearly half of hers in one shot and then nodded her head to the side before walking away, leaving Star and Axel to follow after. The tall, white unicorn lead them further into the crowded bar until she reached a closed door, painted the same dark color as the other walls so that it was almost impossible to notice unless you were standing right in front of it. Star wondered just how far down this rabbit hole Suri expected them to follow.
On the other side of the inconspicuous door was a hallway, painted a deep red color and dimly lit with blue lights so that it created a violet aura about the place. Star took a nervous drink from her ice cold beverage as she and Axel followed after the flower marked flank ahead of them. There were other doors spaced at equal intervals throughout the entire hallway, but Suri led them past each one until they reached a dead end, where one final door stood. It was painted the same red and Star noticed that there was no visible handle anywhere on it, only a few spell markings that glowed faintly white in the blue lights that washed over them.
Suri pressed her slender horn against the door and there was an audible click which broke the silence that Star hadn’t even noticed was there. The sound of the obscenely loud music was little more than the occasional muffled thump from the back room. It had been such an abrupt change that it had gone completely unnoticed by her and Axel for a little while. The door swung in and Star tried to peer around Suri and get a glimpse of what lay beyond, but the room was pitch black.
“Come on in,” Suri told them as her horn sparked once more and the room was lit with a standard light that Star found quite welcoming. “I thought you two might like to talk back here for awhile before we head back out to the bar.”
The room was fairly small with most of its space taken up by a red couch that ran along three of the four, dark red walls. There was a small wooden table in the middle, where Suri set her glass next to a jewel inset in the center before taking a seat. Axel joined her on one side of the couch and Star on the other. It was a much more intimate setting and yet didn’t make Star nearly as uncomfortable as the dance floor had. This was a very strange place and she found herself wondering exactly how Suri had known about it. There certainly weren’t any bars like this in her home town.
“So where are you girls from?” Suri asked in a relaxed voice.
“I live in Dodge, although I travel all over Equestria,” Star replied before taking a long drink of her liquor. She could feel a strong buzz in the back of her head already and she smiled involuntarily.
“I live in a house just north of Rambling Rock Ridge,” Axel answered after.
“Dodge, huh? I used to live there,” Suri informed them, “Although that was, oh, maybe six years ago now.” The white mare picked her glass up from the table and downed the last of it before setting it back down. “It was too small for my tastes though.
“I can imagine,” Star said as she tried to get comfortable on the overstuffed cushions of the wraparound couch. After a few seconds of effort she gave up and settled for another sip from her slowly disappearing beverage. “How exactly did you know about this place anyway?” Star asked.
“Well, back when I was just making a name for myself as an actress I used to work here part time. One of the stallions that I dated for awhile owns the place, so he set me up with a job,” Suri explained as she reached a hoof out and lightly tapped the small ruby in the center of the table. Star was about to question her reasons for doing so when a voice called out, seemingly from the jewel itself.
“What can I get you Suri?” the voice asked. Star had heard of call stones before, but she had never actually used one. Two stones were enchanted with the same spell so that, when activated, whatever sounds one picked up, the other would project from up to a block away. They would have been more widely used if they weren’t so impractical, Star imagined, but they served their purpose perfectly in the bar, where loud music would have made shouting from across the room impossible.
“I just need another round for me and my two new friends back here,” Suri said into the air. “Make it two honey rums and another poison joke for me.” If she was having another poison joke, then that must have been what the glowing blue drink was that they had first, Star deduced. There was no way it actually contained poison joke though, because that would have been insane. Most likely they had named it after the magical plant because of the color, or so Star hoped.
“Coming right up,” the stallion replied before the sound from the call stone died down once again. Suri tapped her hooves on the floor as she sat with her dark green eyes closed. Her long eyelashes fluttered a split second later as she opened them with a smile.
“That’s right, I was telling you about when I started working at Cockatrice,” she giggled. “As you can imagine, Manehatten is a very expensive city to live in and I was having some trouble getting recognized as the immaculate thespian I am, so I had to moonlight here almost every night.” That explained how she knew about the club, which seemed as if it was a fairly well kept secret.
“Wow, that must have left you pretty busy,” Axel commented as she finished her drink and set the empty glass on the wooden table beside Suri’s.
“Yes it did, but there are worse places to spend your nights,” the actress replied.
“Why exactly is this place so… um…” Star wasn’t sure how to word the question, but Suri picked up on what she was asking anyway.
“Exclusive? Strange? Exciting?” Suri asked with a careless wave of her hoof to punctuate each word. “You would have to ask my ex-coltfriend, because he’s the one who owns the place, but…” She paused in her answer to lean in closer, so Star and Axel did the same. “I think he’s just trying to be eccentric so that he can get me back,” Suri finished before bursting out into a fit of laughter.
“Oh, I guess that makes sense,” Star replied, completely missing the sarcasm as she picked up her drink. It was almost gone and the ice had melted, so she pressed the rim against her lips and tipped her head back, finishing the remainder in one gulp before slamming the glass on the table with a look of distaste on her face. “I’m not sure I’m going to drink anymore after that one,” Star said as she shuddered from the feeling of the alcohol hitting her stomach.
“Aww, why not?” Suri asked.
“She’s a bit of a lightweight,” Axel answered. Star shot her red coated friend a glare, but it didn’t hold because Axel had only spoken the truth. Star really wasn’t much of a drinker and there was no shame in that fact.
“Just one more drink?” Suri begged, “And then we can go out and dance. I promise that you’ll have a good time.” Suri puckered her bottom lip and fluttered her eyelashes with the most pitiful look she could manage, which was very pitiful indeed considering she was an actress by trade. Star once again caved into the attractive mare’s begging and feared that it would become a habit if she spent much more time with Suri.
“Alright, one more and then we dance,” Star sighed.
“Yay,” Suri cheered as she clapped her hooves together quickly. Star just rolled her eyes. She was actually feeling pretty good right about then, much better than she had expected to anyway. She’s only had one drink and a shot, but her body felt tingly all over and she repeatedly found herself smiling for no reason.
There was a knock on the door and a second later the bartender opened it and hurriedly placed three new drinks on the small table before picking up their empty glasses and retreating out the door, presumably to go serve even more drinks. Suri quickly grabbed her poison joke shot and tossed it back like it was water. Star and Axel settled for sipping on their own drinks, which were very sweet to cover up the strong liquor.
“How are you two feeling now?” Suri asked with a grin. When Axel set down her drink to answer, Suri snatched it up and took a sip before quickly returning it.
“I feel really light and fuzzy,” Axel giggled as she watched the white mare steal some of her amber colored beverage.
“Yeah, me too,” Star agreed with a slow nod of her head. Suri’s laugh, like a little filly who knows a dirty secret, seemed to echo in the small room and Star watched her movements like they were happening at half speed. It was a strange sensation, but not altogether unpleasant and Star’s mind traced back to the poison joke that they had all drank. She thought about asking what had been in the luminous drink, but doubted that Suri would have ever given a straight answer.
Time lost all meaning for Star in that back room as Axel, Suri and her talked and laughed, all while drinking more and more. The faint buzz eventually grew in Star’s head until she was completely wasted, but unlike last time she still felt awake and alert, although her reaction seemed a bit delayed. She was now almost certain that something besides alcohol was in the poison joke, but she couldn’t bring herself to care anymore. She was having a great time with Suri and Axel and that was all that mattered.
“Okay, okay,” Suri said suddenly, interrupting the pointless conversation that Axel and Star were choking on laughter over, “I think that it’s dancing time.” Her words were slightly slurred, but much less so than Star would have expected considering they had each consumed two more drinks at some point during their conversations and fun. Suri stood up, swaying for a moment before she caught her balance and walked to the door. “Are you coming or what?” she asked when she looked back to see Star and Axel still sitting on the couch. Both mares got up and followed their new friend out the door, giggling madly all the while.
The dance floor was still packed when the three mares walked back into the main part of the bar and the music was still blaring loudly from somewhere Star couldn’t pinpoint. Suri lead them right into the midst of the pulsating throng of ponies, moving with a flowing grace that Star and Axel were unable to come close to. A few of the other dancers smiled at Suri or waved, but most of them just cleared themselves from her path, as if she were royalty in this place, which Star figured might actually be the case. Once they had approached the near center of the crowd the music changed, like somepony had been waiting for Suri before they switched songs.
There was a deep rumbling like the sound of a stampede over hard packed dirt. It resonated in Star’s head, forcing itself into the core of her being and when it finally reached its crescendo there was a loud boom accompanied by flashes of light and rain. Star gazed up to the ceiling as she felt the first wet drop splash across her face. She wiped a hoof over the spot and it came back red, but she didn’t remember getting cut on anything. She laughed at the absurdity of her situation. As the lights went out she noticed the red fluid was glowing and there was more falling down from somewhere up above.
The music started up again as the last echoes of the rumbling died off, the pounding of drums increasing in intensity until it was the only sound that Star could hear. It even drowned out most of her thoughts as splatters of various florescent colors coated her body and lights began flashing madly creating a strobe effect that was both disorienting and exciting. As Star tore her gaze from the ceiling, she saw an intense spectacle; Suri, covered in the same glowing fluid and dancing wildly with a look of pure nirvana.
The tall, white mare spun and kicked in time with the frenzied drums, reminding Star of some sort of ceremonial Zebra dancer like she had seen pictured in a book. Suri slid across the floor and pirouetted on one hoof, a move that Star wouldn’t have thought possible for an intoxicated pony, as the rest of the dance floor sprang back to life around her in a thunderous roar of cheers. It seemed that everypony had been waiting for Suri to make her move on the dance floor and Star could see why. She glanced to her left, where Axel was staring intently at the unicorn, almost like she was hoping to absorb some of her beauty and talent through the eye contact.
It was unlike anything Star had ever witnessed, probably unlike anything anypony she had ever associated with had ever witnessed, but she loved it. The raw energy and pure sexual desire that radiated from the whole room was just as intoxicating as any hard liquor and she felt her initial warm fuzziness intensifying with each drum beat. Suri opened her eyes, dark green irises reflecting the strange dark light that shone over the dance floor. Star got lost in the depth of those eyes as her new friend motioned for Star and Axel to join her on the dance floor.
Neither mare hesitated, too absorbed in the energy of the moment to bother being self-conscious about how they might look in comparison to Suri. Star simply let go, allowing her body to move of its own volition, as if something had possessed her. Normally Star was terrified of losing control, it was the reason she had never smoked herbs a second time, but for some reason, in Suri’s presence, the small black unicorn felt perfectly at ease losing herself. Axel joined her, both of them spinning and flowing in tandem, somehow in sync despite having never danced together before.
As Suri joined them in their dance everypony else in the crowd stepped back, staring in admiration at the three mares as they dipped and hopped around one another in an exotic display. Star felt like she was watching with them, a separate entity from her own body, watching as it ground itself against the soft, warm bodies of the mares beside it and being caressed in kind. The dance was primal and sexual, but also graceful and beautiful. It was as if Star was a part of Axel and Suri and they were a part of her. If it was possible for there to be a moment of perfection in the world, Star imagined it would have felt something like what she was feeling right then.
The dance continued for what seemed like an eternity, but also too short a time and eventually the drums died away and a brief silence overcame Cockatrice before the crowed suddenly burst to life with a thundering of hooves against the floor in applause. Star stood there, stunned, gasping for air and slick with sweat that wasn’t all her own as the other ponies cheered for Suri, Axel and her. Her knees felt weak and her lungs burned, but all of that paled in comparison to the overwhelming joy inside.
“I think I need another drink,” Suri gasped as she headed for the bar, completely ignoring the mob of ponies that parted before her. Star and Axel followed after, trailing behind her perfectly shaped white flank as she led them across the dance floor. By the time that they reached the bar the club had returned to normal, everypony dancing once again as if Suri’s interruption had never occurred.
“That was unbelievably amazing,” Axel quietly squeed into Star’s ear as they stood at the bar waiting for Suri to order them something.
“I know,” Star agreed. “I can’t believe we actually danced like that in front of all these strangers.” Star could feel her heart fluttering from just talking about it and it made her beam back at Axel with an unrestrained intensity.
“Hey Mix, can we get three honey rums,” Suri called. It wasn’t a question, but more of a polite command. Mix, which was apparently the male bartender’s name, grabbed a bottle in his mouth and poured three glasses of the amber liquor. Suri passed one to Star and the other to Axel, both mares accepting the next round of drinks without any complaints this time. Star knew she had drunk much more than she should have, but she didn’t feel very intoxicated, at least not to the point where it was affecting her negatively.
“That was intense,” Star shouted to Suri as they made their way to the hidden door in the back of the club once again. “Do you dance like that every night?”
“Only when I’ve had a stressful day,” Suri replied as she held the door open for the other mares. They walked down the quiet violet hued hall, stopping momentarily for Suri to open the door at the end, before they were once again sinking into the red couch. “Did you two have fun out there?”
“Yes, it was incredible,” Star replied as Axel nodded her head in vigorous agreement. “It was so raw and provocative.” Suri laughed at Star’s passionate tone.
“Yeah, I usually have a pretty good time when I dance and the drinks help too,” the actress admitted as she sipped on her rum.
All three ponies were still out of breath, Star more so than her friends because she wasn’t used to so much intense physical activity at once. Her black mane was plastered to her head with sweat and her tail was sticking to her legs as she squirmed on the couch trying to get comfortable. The honey rum was cool though and it helped wet her parched throat. Tomorrow was sure to bring the pinnacle of all hangovers, but until that happened she was going to continue enjoying herself.
“What time is it,” Star asked after a few minutes of silent drinking while everypony caught their breath and cooled down. “It feels like we’ve been her for days and I’m sure that Brass Heart and Dawn are going to start panicking if Axel and I don’t get back to the Dragonquine soon.”
“Oh yeah, I had completely forgotten that they don’t know where we are right now,” Axel said as she set down her glass and looked to Suri for an answer.
“I’d have to guess it’s almost sunrise,” Suri told them. It didn’t seem to faze her in the slightest that they had been drinking all night and Star imagined the reason was because she often spent her nights that way.
“For the love of Luna, I hope they haven’t already started looking for us. I’ll never here the end of it,” Star grumbled as she got to her hooves, glass of liquor still levitating in front of her.
“Who are Brass Heart and Dawn anyway?” Suri asked with a sly smirk. “Are they your special someponies?” Star wasn’t surprised that she had drawn that conclusion, but it still made her chuckle as she shook her head. “Oh, so they’re just here to…” Suri trailed off and made an obscene gesture with her tongue and hooves to finish the statement. Star usually would have been embarrassed, but this time she merely laughed it off. That certainly wasn’t the reason for the soldiers accompanying them, though she figured Axel wouldn’t have minded if it was.
“They’re our escorts,” Star explained. “Princess Luna did not want me traveling all the way to Manehatten by myself, plus we needed a pegasus to fly the chariot.” Suri fixed her with a look that said she thought Star was losing her mind. Star realized that it must have been because she mentioned a flying chariot, which was far from a common sight anywhere in the world as far as she knew.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have let you drink quite so much,” Suri told her as she took the half empty glass of alcohol from Star’s magical grasp.
“We really did come here in a flying chariot though,” Star protested, “tell her, Axel.” Axel was clutching her sides as she silently laughed, but she managed to catch her breath a few seconds later.
“It’s true,” the earth pony explained. “I built a chariot that can be pulled in the air by a pegasus.” She wiped a single tear from her eyes after she had spoken.
“Are you bucking joking?” Suri asked as she gave Star her drink back. “Can I see it, oh, can I ride in it?” Suri asked, clearly entranced by the prospect of riding around in the air. Her dark green eyes pleaded with the two mares as her bottom lip quivered slightly. She was a master of manipulation and Star knew what Axel’s answer would be before she even opened her mouth.
“I don’t see why not,” Axel gave in.
“Okay, but we should really get back to the hotel soon,” Star chimed in. “We can ride all we want tomorrow, but I’m pretty sure that Brass Heart will kill me himself if we don’t get back before sunrise.” Axel and Suri both nodded in acceptance of her suggestion and all three mares tipped back the last of their beverages before preparing to leave the bar. Suri led the way out, stopping only long enough to bid Mix a good night before they left the still lively atmosphere of Cockatrice behind them.
There was something warm wrapped around her waist; this one thought prevailed over all others as Star slowly opened her eyes. She looked to her left side, towards Axel’s bed, coming face to face with Surinam, who was still passed out after their nighttime excursion. Even with a messy mane, splatters of florescent gunk and a small strand of drool hanging from the side of her mouth Suri looked positively spectacular and Star decided that waking her would be too cruel, so she contented herself with laying still for awhile longer. The day had already been in full swing for awhile, if the light streaming through the bedroom windows was any indication, but Brass Heart and Dawn Glory hadn’t stopped by the room, as far as Star knew. They must have had a busy night as well, she figured.
Axel was still fast asleep and Star could see part of her leg sticking out from the disaster area that was her pile of blankets and pillows. For some reason Star was actually feeling pretty good, which was strange considering she had drank nearly twice as much last night as she had the night before. She decided it best not to question why and just thanked the princesses the she could open her eyes without screaming in agony. The black unicorn took a deep breath as she tried to relax and fall back to sleep, but her mind was already alert and sleep seemed to be slipping away from her.
The feel of Suri’s soft breathing, warm against Star’s neck, wasn’t helping much either. Star liked the feeling of having somepony snuggled up beside her, but she sincerely wished that it were a nice stallion instead of a promiscuous mare. Suri had no doubt spent many nights in stranger’s beds, Star imagined, so waking up next to her shouldn’t have come as such a surprise, but Star couldn’t really remember much about what happened after they had left Cockatrice and headed back to the Dragonquine. Hopefully nothing lewd had occurred while she was not in her right mind, although Star couldn’t help the small flash of a smile that overcame her at the thought.
The minutes passed with only the sound of her friend’s shallow breathing to keep Star company, slowly turning into hours, but eventually the tall mare curled up next to her began to stir. Suri yawned, her breath smelling of stale liquor as it washed over Star. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times as they adjusted to the bright light and a smile crept over her white muzzle, though whether it was from the memories of last night or from a good dream Star couldn’t be sure.
“Good morning,” Star whispered so that she wouldn’t wake Axel.
“Morning,” Suri replied before leaning forward and suddenly pressing her lips against Star’s in a quick kiss. In those few seconds Star felt her pulse quicken and her body temperature flare. Star pulled back quickly, with a mixture of surprise and embarrassment on her face as she stared at Suri. A mare had just kissed her; the shock of the realization forced her into a stunned silence for a few long seconds as her brain tried to process the fact.
“What was that!?” she asked, her voice raising a few octaves as she did.
“What was what?” Suri asked in genuine surprise, clearly not understanding what had set her new friend off.
“Yo- you just kissed me on the lips,” Star replied as she sat up from the bed. Suri was probably the most physically attractive unicorn that Star had ever laid eyes on, but that didn’t mean that she actually wanted to be intimate with her.
“Mhmm,” Suri mumbled in reply, before she made the connection between Star’s upset and the quick show of intimacy. “Oh, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” Suri said as she tried to suppress her laughter, “that’s just how I am, but I understand if you don’t like that sort of thing. I have lots of friends that are prudes.” Star was shocked, but not because of the kiss anymore.
“Did you just call me a prude?” she asked, the jest hitting home for her.
“Yeah, but it really isn’t that big of a deal,” Suri replied. “I’ll just have to make sure to watch my displays of affection around you. Not everypony is as comfortable with their sexuality as me, after all.” Suri smiled and Star couldn’t tell if she was being genuine or just teasing her.
“Now wait just a minute,” Star blurted, “I’m not a prude just because I don’t go around kissing ponies at random. Some of us do have a modicum of decency you know.”
“You’re right, not kissing random ponies isn’t what makes you a prude, but the fact that you’re a prude is why you’re too self-conscious to kiss a mare.”
“I am not a prude,” Star snapped. Whether Suri was simply teasing her or not it was irritating Star, most likely because she already had formed a complex about her relationship problems. Being called a prude wasn’t helping matters any.
“Prove it, filly,” Suri haughtily replied as she leaned closer to Star, eyes closed and plump, pink lips puckered with the slightest hint of a smirk around the edges of her mouth. She didn’t seem to believe that Star would actually kiss her back and that fact alone was enough to push the prudish mare over the edge.
“Fine,” she replied as she leaned in and pressed her lips firmly against Suri’s, whose dark green eyes sprang open in surprise. Star had meant to give a quick peck, no more than what Suri had started with, but as she felt the softness of the white unicorn’s lips and the heat of her breath, Star melted into the connection. Suri was very skilled at kissing and, as soon as she recovered from the shock of Star’s sudden forward action, she began moving her head to the side and working her mouth as she reached a foreleg around Star’s midsection, enjoying the feeling of their coats against one another. A voice in Star’s head told her she had proved her point and that she could stop now, but the feeling of being this close to somepony was something that Star hadn’t felt in awhile, something she had been desperately craving without even realizing it.
Without any warning, Suri rolled her body over, so that she was now on top of the smaller unicorn, pinning her legs against the mattress with her own as she darted her tongue into the younger mare’s mouth. Star let out a small gasp as she felt Suri’s weight shift onto her, but she still didn’t put up any resistance, even as the promiscuous mare’s tongue began probing her mouth, leaving behind the taste of stale alcohol and a faint hint of cherries. Star closed her eyes, getting lost in the moment as her body reacted to the closeness of Suri’s involuntarily, her hips rocking slightly as the kiss deepened even further, her own tongue lashing out to meet her new friend’s.
“Wow, I was just joking when I called you a lesbian,” Axel’s voice cut through the moment like a sharp knife through an apple, ripping Star out from her sordid fantasies and dropping her back into the reality of her current situation. She had just been caught by one of her very good friends, tongue deep inside another mare. Dragon’s fire couldn’t have burned hotter than Star’s cheeks did at that moment as she shoved Suri off of her and buried her face into her pillow, throwing blankets over her head and letting out a muffled scream of frustration at herself. She could hear Axel’s laughter being joined by Suri’s and she tried to tune it out, much like a certain wetness that had collected under her blankets. If embarrassment could kill, then she was about to have a heart attack.
If Star had to pick a word to describe her current feeling, mortified would have probably been her top choice, either that or ashamed, both were ample descriptions. Even with her head firmly pressed into the bed and her eyes squeezed together, Star could feel her friends’ gaze on her as they had a laugh at her expense. She wasn’t a lesbian; that much Star was sure of, but it was going to be next to impossible to convince them of that fact. She knew that eventually she would have to meet their gaze, but her brain screamed at her to stay under the blankets until Suri and Axel had left. That wasn’t going to happen of course, but she wished it could.
“Star, I was just joking,” Axel told her as she sat on the edge of the bed and nudged her gently on the shoulder. Star flinched away from the contact, tears welling up in her violet eyes before being absorbed by the feather pillow. “I don’t blame you for kissing Suri, hay, I probably would have too if she gave me the chance and I’m damn sure not a lesbian.”
“Yeah, I’ve kissed plenty of girls, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like stallions too,” Suri assured her. “Can you please just come out of the blankets? I promise we won’t laugh anymore.” They waited for a few seconds to see if their words had gotten through, but Star wasn’t budging from her down bunker.
“It’s not that big of a deal,” Axel continued, “and it isn’t like anypony else has to know. It can be our little secret.” Star could feel both of the mares sitting beside her now and her cheeks had stopped burning, but she still wasn’t sure she could face them again.
“You promise that you won’t tease me?” Star’s muffled voice asked.
“Cross our hearts and hope to fly,” Axel responded. Star was still for a few moments before finally peeking out from the safety of her blankets. Axel and Suri were smiling at her, trying their best to look comforting as she forced herself up from the bed, wiping away the salty trail that the tears had left upon her cheeks. “See, it’s not a big deal, Star.”
“I guess you’re right,” Star admitted as she shoved the blankets off of her and met her friend’s stares. “I’m not sure why I did it, but Suri was mocking me and I just had to prove I’m not a prude,” she sniffled.
“Well I think you’ve done a fine job of that,” Axel giggled.
“If it makes you feel any better, you were actually a very good kisser,” Suri said with a sweet smile. It did actually make Star feel a bit better and she managed to smile back at her friends as they got up from the bed.
“I suppose it does… just a little,” Star admitted with a bashful smile as she stood next to them. A knock on the door interrupted their talk right then and Star had a fairly good guess as to who it was. “Just a second,” she called out before whispering to Axel and Suri, “Not a word about what happened. I’m serious.” Suri nodded her head in compliance and Axel made a zipping motion over her lips, signifying that Star’s secret was safe with her.
Star took one last glance back at her friends, still covered in colored splatters and sporting messy manes, before putting a hoof to her lips and shushing them as she opened the bedroom door. Brass Heart and Dawn were waiting in the hall, looking absolutely frazzled with dark bags under their eyes as if they hadn’t slept all night and day. Their manes were pushed back carelessly, allowing stray hairs to stick out this way and that and giving them the appearance of ponies who were far less than professional guards.
“Good morning,” Brass Heart yawned.
“What in the hay happened to you two?” Star asked, her manners momentarily forgotten as she tried not to break down into laughter at the comical nature of their disheveled faces. The glanced at each other, exchanging some silent message between themselves before replying in unison, “It was a long night,” and walking into the room.
“No, please come in,” Star said dryly as she walked over to her bed and took a seat. Axel and Suri joined her, the latter smiling at the two new arrivals as she did.
“You must be Brass Heart and Dawn,” Suri addressed them with a smile as she combed a hoof through her unkempt mane. Ate least everypony in the room looked like they had a rough night, Star thought as she glanced up at the violet and blue bangs hanging in her eyes.
“Yes,” Brass Heart replied, “and you are?”
“My name is Surinam Cherryblossom,” the white unicorn replied. Dawn shot Star a questioning glance as both stallions took in the sight of the attractive mare in front of them. Star mouthed the words, “it’s a long story,” as Dawn smiled back at Suri.
“Nice to meet you,” Brass Heart replied, with a little more enthusiasm than Star was comfortable with. It wasn’t as if she and Brass Heart had any sort of tangible connection outside of their professional relationship, but Star still felt a pang of jealousy at the obvious attraction showing through his greeting. She was fairly sure she was jealous of Suri and not Brass Heart, but she questioned herself none the less.
“Back to my question,” Star restated, in a shallow attempt at changing the subject, “where were you two all night?” The soldiers exchanged uneasy looks once again and Star wondered what they were hiding from her.
“We could ask you the same thing,” Dawn retorted.
“I was out drinking all night,” Star said, taking both stallions completely by surprise. It seemed as if just one night of Suri’s influence had more of an effect than Star could have anticipated, but she liked it. She felt more confident than she had in a long time, although if word got out about the kiss she had shared with the actress then Star was aware of how fast her thin emotional armor would crumble. Brass Heart shook the momentary surprise off as he strode over to the other bed and took a seat opposite the three mares.
“We had some business to attend to,” he stated, all hint of humor gone from his casual demeanor as he spoke. “Star, I promise that I will fill you in after I have spoken with Princess Luna, but for now all that I can say is that we’ll be leaving today.” He spoke with the unwavering sternness of a soldier and Star could instantly tell how useless it would be to argue.
“Alright, we’ll start packing right away,” Star complied. Brass Heart and Dawn Glory gave simple nods of acceptance before standing up and walking to the door in a few long strides.
“We’ll give you girls an hour before we leave,” Dawn called back before following Brass Heart out the door and leaving the three mares to wonder what had just happened. Star was used to being left out of the loop when it came to certain matters, Equestria’s wartime decisions being the most prominent, but she knew that Brass Heart would have told her at least a small part of what was happening unless he had been expressly forbidden, so she was worried when he had kept silent. She had no idea what Luna had sent them to Manehatten for, but one thing was clear as day; it wasn’t just to keep a close eye on Star.
Star and Axel threw their belongings into their saddle bags with as much haste as they could muster under the circumstances, while Suri lay on the bed, watching them work with a passive calm showing through her dark green eyes. They worked in near silence until they were done; only the quiet rustling their clothes as they stuffed them into the bags could be heard. Star had been hoping to have one more night of relaxation with Axel, not to mention her new friend, Suri, but something important was calling the stallions back to Canterlot and Star was in no position to protest, so she stowed her minor complaints away. Having a bad attitude would only make everything worse.
“I’m coming with you,” Suri suddenly spoke up, breaking the noiseless trance that Star and Axel had fallen into as they prepared to leave. Out of all the words Star had expected to hear coming out of the white unicorn’s immaculately shaped mouth, those had been the most unexpected. Although Suri did seem the type of pony to up and leave everything behind on a whim, Star couldn’t fathom a reason for her to ditch town with two mares she hardly even knew, but when she opened her mouth to protest, the words wouldn’t form for her. Axel just laughed, as if Suri had told a joke, but the serious expression showing behind the strawberry blonde bangs let the earth pony know she was completely serious about leaving with them.
“Don’t you have shows left to perform though?” Star asked as she latched both of her saddlebags closed. “You can’t be serious about leaving just like that.” Suri just shrugged as she lay back on the bed with a relaxed grin.
“There’s a line of mares from here to Filly Delphia, who would be all to eager to replace me,” she commented dryly, “Besides, I’ve been thinking about trying my hoof at the big theatres in Canterlot for awhile now and this is just the excuse I’ve been looking for.” Star wasn’t one to argue, especially considering she had been wondering why Suri hadn’t already started acting in the Canterlot productions, but she would still have to check with her escorts just to be sure. Brass Heart and Dawn were operating under the princesses’ strict orders and Star would never do anything against her matriarchs’ wishes.
“Oh, well, the more the merrier,” Axel beamed. “I’m pretty sure the extra weight won’t be a problem for the flying chariot.” Suri sat up with a half serious glare and Axel faltered in her speech. “Uh, not that you would add much weight anyway, but I was just thinking, uh, I mean, I probably weigh more than you do and, err…” the earth pony threw her forehooves in the air as she stopped trying to save herself, while Suri just giggled.
“I only meant that I’d like a ride if it wouldn’t be too much of a burden,” Suri explained, “But I wouldn’t want to put you out.” She glanced over to Star, whom she could tell was the more responsible of the two, giving a questioning smile.
“I can certainly ask the boys if it would be alright, but I can’t make any promises,” Star replied. Suri had her wrapped around her hoof and Star knew it.
“That’s all I’m asking,” Suri said as she got off the bed. “I should probably go grab my things, but I don’t live very far from here, so you should still make the two hour deadline that mister strict stallion gave you,” she said with a rigid stance meant to imitate Brass Heart. Star and Axel giggled at the accuracy of her reenactment.
“Alright,” Star replied, “let me go talk to Brass Heart and I’ll let you know.” Star set her bags down by Axel’s and opened the bedroom door. She walked across the hall, glancing down at the carpet with its fancy woven patterns and stopping at the door across from hers, giving two sharp knocks. Dawn responded a moment later, opening the door with a tired yawn.
“You’re ready to go already?” he asked as he pulled the door open further, allowing Star a glimpse of Brass Heart who was sitting on the floor, wrestling with his own bags, until he looked up to see who had knocked.
“Not exactly,” Star told them, “I actually have something to ask you.” Dawn raised a dark eyebrow in reply. “My friend, Suri, was wondering if she could hitch a ride with us to Canterlot.” Brass Heart took a deep breath, closed his eyes, placed a hoof against the side of his head and began rubbing his temple in small circles. “If it’s too much extra weight then I understand, I just wanted an answer before she went to grab her things… On second thought, it was a stupid idea,” Star mumbled as she turned away.
“Star,” Brass Heart called out, stopping her in her tracks, “It’s not that, I was just considering whether or not it would be safe. If something were to happen on the way back, then another pony would only divide my and Dawn’s attention further. I just want to keep you and Axel safe.” He opened his eyes, fixing them on Star who could see the stress that he was dealing with in the dull spheres.
“I understand,” she replied quietly and continued on her way. What he had told her made perfect sense; if they were attacked then it would be much easier for him and Dawn to protect two mares instead of three, but Star was fairly confident she, at least, could take care of herself. Convincing either of the soldiers of that fact would be a difficult task though.
“Star,” Brass Heart called again, causing the black mare to whirl around in irritation. Star had already told him that she understood his reasoning, so lecturing her more was just going to put her in a bad mood.
“What!?” she shot back, causing him to jerk his head up in surprise.
“Would you please stop trying to walk out on me?” Brass Heart asked in a perfectly even tone, while Dawn just snickered from his place beside the cracked door. “I was just trying to tell you that it’s fine, but I’ll need your help keeping us safe should things go south for some reason.” Star’s face glowed crimson for the second time that day. Making an ass of herself seemed to becoming habitual for the unicorn.
“Oh,” Star huffed, “then I guess I just overreacted, didn’t I?” Brass Heart just smirked at her as she turned and walked out of the room, leaving the stallions to finish their packing. “Well, that went better than expected,” Star mumbled into the air as she crossed the hallway and knocked on the door to her and Axel’s room.
“What did they say?” Axel asked as she swung the door open, in the middle of Star’s second knock. She must have been waiting for me on the other side, Star thought as she walked in the room, trying her best not to let the answer show on her face as she looked at Axel.
“They said,” she began in a morose tone, laughing on the inside as she saw Axel visibly droop at the anticipated answer, “…yes!” Star finished with a smile. Axel glanced up and gave her a playful shove as she matched Star’s expression. “Hey where did Suri go anyway?” A quick look around the room revealed it to be quite empty, aside from Star, Axel and their belongings.
“Uh, haha, funny story about that,” Axel replied, dancing around the question in a way that made Star instantly suspicious. “I sort of told her that the answer would definitely be yes, so she already left to go grab her stuff, but its okay because the answer really was yes, right?” Star rolled her eyes with a sigh.
“Mhmm, no harm done,” Star said as she lifted her bags up with a levitation spell and brought them over to her. She did one last check to make sure both bags were sealed before strapping them across her small back. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yup, I’ve got everything right here,” Axel replied, turning to show Star that her bags were already on. “I looked around the room to make sure we didn’t forget anything too.” Star gave a quick nod as she strode over to the window, wanting to get one last glimpse of the city from her room before she left.
Wagons and chariots of all shapes and sizes passed by the front of the Dragonquine, along with a seemingly endless stream of ponies walking to and fro. The cloud cover that had plagued the skies during most of their stay had mostly dissipated, along with what snow had been covering the streets, so that now there was only a thin layer of frost in some places. It was undoubtedly cold, that much Star was sure of, but nowhere near as bad as it had been during the blizzard. She seriously hoped that they wouldn’t have to deal with severe weather like that again.
“I guess we can go tell the boys that we will be waiting for them by the sky chariot,” Star said, turning away from the window with a wistful smile. She had enjoyed her vacation, but the grim reality of life beckoned her back to Canterlot and she wasn’t the type of pony to fight against what was expected of her. She had really hoped to see her acquaintance, Doctor Glyph, but that would have to wait for another time.
“Sure thing,” Axel called back as she skipped out of the room.
Star had been right when she suspected the air would still be cold. The temperature was low enough for her to see her breath fog up as she exhaled and she wound up putting on her boots as she and Axel waited for the others to arrive at the chariot. Star was lying on her back and staring up at the grey-blue evening skies, watching a lonely wisp of cloud as it was slowly pushed across her field of vision on gentle breeze. She took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose, satisfied with the way the two puffs of vapor hung above her momentarily before they mixed in with the winter air. She felt much better now that she had taken a quick bath and combed her mane and tail.
Thump! “Son of a-,” Axel’s words dissolved into aggravated grunting as she scooted herself out from under the chariot, where she had been in the process of inspecting all of the various moving pieces and enchanted jewels which kept it aloft. Star had offered to help, but the bubbly earth pony had refused, so she settled for waiting on the bench seat in the chariot instead.
“Are you okay down there?” Star asked without bothering to peel her gaze from the creeping cloud above. She could hear a scraping sound as her blonde friend squirmed the last few inches out from the chariot.
“Yeah, I just hit my head,” Axel grumbled as she grabbed the edge of the chariot and hoisted herself up. Star felt a hoof on her thigh as Axel forced her legs off of the bench and sat down next to her. “Where in the hay is everypony?” Axel asked in a huff. It hadn’t taken long for her limited patience to run out and now that she had inspected every part of the chariot she had nothing else to do.
“We’re right here,” Dawn said as he and Brass Heart walked over to the mares, the former carrying their belongings while the latter was prepared to pull the chariot. They both had donned their armor once again, and Star admired it as they set about getting Brass Heart attached to the various straps.
“Fantastic, now we just need Suri to get here and we’ll be ready,” Star said as she forced her body up from the bench, letting out an involuntary shiver when the cool air made contact with her exposed stomach, before she tugged her cloak back around her.
“She isn’t here yet?” Brass Heart asked with his annoyance clear in his voice.
“No, but I’m sure she’ll get arrive any second,” Star replied, trying not to let the pegasus’s dour attitude affect her. Whatever he and Dawn had been doing last night had left them in a bad mood, but Star knew that it was most likely with good reason. Brass Heart had promised to fill her in when they got back to Canterlot and part of her couldn’t wait to hear what was wrong, but another part would have rather never known. What boded ill for the soldiers boded ill for all of them, she assumed.
“Mhmm, there she is now,” Axel said as she waved her foreleg in the air as a greeting, even though Suri would be there in just a few moments anyway.
“See, there is nothing to worry about,” Star said, following up her statement with a smile that she hoped would ease Brass Hearts mind a bit. He did smile back, but she could tell that it was forced because of how wan it appeared. A combination of what was apparently very bad news and a night without sleep had left both pegasus looking worse for wear. They both had bags under their eyes and she assumed if they were to take off their helmets, the manes underneath would be in complete disarray still.
“Sorry it took me so long,” Suri apologized as she trotted up to the side of the vehicle at a ladylike pace, “I wasn’t sure what to pack, because I wanted to travel light, but I really liked most of my clothes.” Star and Axel laughed as Suri’s face took on a pouty look while she floated the three bags she had brought into the chariot.
“We can always send for the rest when we get to Canterlot,” Star replied.
“Yes, that’s all well and good, but can we please get going now?” Brass Heart asked. “I’ve been awake for two days straight and this chariot isn’t the lightest thing in the world, not to mention we’re going to have to travel all night to get to Hallow Shades.” The blue eyed soldier craned his neck and stared back at them as he spoke, so Star smiled weakly at him and nodded her head. She hadn’t thought about where they would stay that night, because she and the other mares could always sleep in the chariot, even if it was a bit crowded, but the stallions had to keep moving all through the night.
“Yeah, we’re ready to go Brass Heart,” Star mumbled as she helped Suri into the chariot. Axel scooted herself over on the bench so there would be enough room for all three of them to squeeze onto it. Thankfully Suri was skinny for her height and fit in without much trouble. Brass Heart gave a final nod before he started pulling them forward. Once he had gained enough speed, the pegasus shoved off of the ground with a grunt and furious beating of his wings. The gems kicked in at that moment and the sky chariot began lifting into the air.
“Mother of Celestia,” Suri exclaimed, “it really is a flying bucking chariot.” Her face lit up with wonderment as she peeked over the edge of the vehicle and watched the ground below them. “I thought that you two were screwing with me at first, but this is insane.” That had been Star’s initial reaction upon first seeing a chariot fly as well, but she had managed to contain herself.
“Why would we have lied about something like that?” Axel asked between fits of laughter. “That wouldn’t have made any sense.”
“I don’t know,” Suri replied in a voice squeaking with excitement. “I just didn’t know that it was even possible for a chariot to fly.”
The chariot slowly rose into the sky, passing by the six floors of the Dragonquine and continuing up until they were at cloud level. The streets of Manehatten were little more than pen strokes on the earth from their current vantage point. The sunlight was beginning to fade and the lights of the city were blinking into existence randomly. Even if the night sky was drowned out, the city had its own stars that came out every night and disappeared before first light.
The city that never sleeps; Star now knew it to be true, without a doubt. Each of them had spent the whole night awake, though some for different reasons than others, and now they were going to return to Canterlot, where a nationwide curfew was being decided upon. She couldn’t imagine anypony in Manehatten following the laws, but Princess Celestia would probably send more guards to enforce the curfew if it did pass. Star could only see that causing more problems in the long run.
“Goodbye Manehatten,” Axel said as she stared back at the city, slowly growing smaller as they left it behind. “I had fun, what about you?” She looked at Star who didn’t have to think long before nodding her head.
“I had a good time as well,” she replied.
“You’re welcome,” Suri said with a flash of white teeth and a laugh. The three mares settled back into their seats once the city had all but vanished from view behind the cloud cover. Although Manehatten had been cleared of foul weather, a light snow began as the chariot drew further away from the city limits. Suri shivered and scooted closer to Axel, who pulled her saddlebags over and began rummaging through them, finally yanking out a thick blanket. She spread it out and was glad to see it managed to cover all three of them well enough.
“Thanks,” Suri said as she made herself comfortable on the bench, stretching out with a drawn out yawn as she did. “I am so tired after last night. Those couple hours of shut eye that I got weren’t even close to enough.” Star shared her friend’s sentiments as she too could feel the pull of sleep on her heavy eyelids.
“Mhmm, I think that I might just get a few winks in before we get to Hallow Shades,” Star said as she quit fighting to stay awake, allowing her violet eyes to close.
“Oh, you two are no fun,” Axel told them. “What am I going to do while you sleep?” Star cracked one eye open and glanced at the earth pony.
“I suppose you can keep an eye on Brass Heart and make sure he doesn’t fall asleep too,” Star replied. “I know he’s probably feeling even more drained than I am, but unfortunately he doesn’t have much of a choice if we’re going to get to Canterlot soon.”
“I guess I can do that,” Axel huffed as she slouched down on the bench and blew a stray strand of blonde mane that had gotten loose from her ponytail out of her face.
“Thank you, Axel,” Star said as she closed her eye again. “If you do end up needing to get some sleep, you can wake me up and I’ll take over keeping an eye on Brass Heart.” Axel mumbled a response and then Star let her mind relax, savoring the joyous feeling of falling asleep. They would make it to the Village Inn sometime in the early morning and most likely rest up there, but she needed at least a couple more hours of sleep before then if she was going to function properly. The sound of Suri, softly snoring, was the last thing Star remembered before she drifted off, hoping that Princess Luna would meet her on the other side.