Another day passes by, and in the light of the evening sun, the forms of Rhino and Gel, disguised as Angel, can be seen. They walk with their usual entwined tails down one of Ponyville's many streets.
Rhino turns to Gel, taking in her blue blouse, yellow shaul, and sky-blue beret to top it all off. "You know... I don't think there's been an outfit yet that you've looked anything short of radient in."
She blushes softly, playfully bumping her side against his. "You really enjoy flattering me, don't you?" Her eyes glance over his clothes as she bites her lip. "...and you look stunning, yourself..."
The stallion looks down at his own outfit, a deep blue button up shirt along with his usual black dinner jacket and fedora. "Well, thank you. I debated wearing my black stetson, but I decided to just go with the fedora."
She giggles, gently nuzzling his neck. "I would've liked it, either way." She glances around, curious. "So where are we going, anyways?"
"Well," he begins, "it's actually a place I spotted when Dad and I were out yesterday. It's called Sprout Town. It's a cosy little place that has that balance of casual and formal to where it's a nice place, but it's still comfortable enough for families."
She smiles brightly before a look of confusion crosses her face. "...I've seen that place, in passing...isn't it halfway across town?" She tilts her head to one side. "...what were you two doing over there?"
Rhino shrugs as he answers nonchalantly. "Oh... You know sometimes when you just walk and don't really have a destination in mind? That's what happened."
She quirks an eyebrow at this but drops it, sighing softly. "...okay, Rhino. I'll take your word for it."
He nudges her side playfully. "Hey now, no sighing, this is supposed to be a happy night." He thinks for a moment. "You're not still brooding any over my parents right? Dad seemed fond of you once we got back yesterday."
"No, I'm not brooding." She looks up at him, smiling softly. "Though it did come as a happy surprise he wasn't as...well, cold as before."
He nuzzles her neck. "See? It's like you wanted, before they left, they had both accepted you. To different degrees likely, but still, the point stands." They arrive at the restaurant. "And now, we begin the night all about us." He opens the door and holds it open for her. "After you.”
She giggles, gently pecking his cheek as she walks by. "Such a gentlestallion..."
The restaurant definitely paints a scene as it's name would describe. Murals of sunsets overlooking fields blanket the walls as booths and table with vines carved into the legs dot the interior. A few families, couples, both young and old, and even the odd single pony can be seen, all with content smiles on their faces.
The hostess, in a sundress of mellow yellow, smile serenely at them. "Welcome to Sprout Town! Table for two?"
Gel nods, smiling kindly at the mare. "Yes, please."
The mare gestures for them to follow her and soon the two are settled in one of the quieter and less populated sections of the restaurant. She hoofs them both a menu, still heavily nature inspired, and says to them, "Your waitress will be with you in a moment."
Rhino nods in thanks as they both crack open their menus while the hostess goes back to her post. "Well, I like this place so far, what about you?"
"I like it, too." Gel nods, examining the vine-decaled menu a moment before opening it. They really do stick to their theme, huh?
Well, nature is a pretty universally accepted theme, especially in an earth pony town. Rhino sees a shape moving towards them out of the corner of his eye. "Ah, that must be the waitress."
A familiar grey pegasus walks up, clad in a powder blue sundress with a gold ribbon around the middle. Her usual wind-swept blonde mane is braided with a light blue flower behind her ear. She looks at them with her golden eyes smiling just as much as her mouth. "Hello! My name is Ditzy and I'll be your server today!"
The white unicorn stares at her in surprise. "H-hello, Ditzy. I didn't expect to see you working here."
Ditzy's eyes cross momentarily as she looks the white mare over. They snap back into place as she beams as she recognizes her. "Oh! Hello Mrs. Rhino!" She looks around. "Yeah, I just work here part time to earn a little extra money... I like it though, I get to wear this pretty uniform!" She motions down to her dress.
Gel blushes at the name once more and smiles softly. ...yeah...I like that name, already... "Well you do look absolutely radiant in that dress. Of course, I'll bet you'd look beautiful normally, too." She giggles brightly.
The pegasus giggles while she wears a blush. "Oh, that's nice of you to say..." She clears her throat and straightens up with her pad held in a wing. "So, what can I get you two to drink?"
Rhino answers as one would expect. "Milk, please."
"Apple juice for me, please, Ditzy." She smiles softly.
She nods, seeing as her mouth is currently occupied with hold her pen as she writes. Once done she takes it out of her mouth so she can speak. "Ok then, I'll be back with your drinks in a moment!" She walks off, her braid swaying as she does so.
The stallion watches as she leaves. "Well, that was unexpected."
"It certainly was." She scratches her head, confused. ...does being a mailmare not pay that well? Or does she have a family I've yet to see?
Rhino chuckles. "Well, yes, I suppose her working here was unexpected as well, but that's not what I meant. I figured I'd have to think of some conversation pieces but just listening to the two of you talk gave me a few good ones to start with." I'm not sure, I only ever see her occasionally when she delivers the mail, never outside of that.
She looks at him, her head tilted to one side. "...what do you mean?"
He simply smiles cheekily at her. "Well, let's tackle these one at a time. First off: Do I have to worry about competition from mares now?"
The white mare blinks at this before giving him an even look. "No. I may have been with mares before, but I only have eyes for you." She brushes her tail along his side, out of view of the rest of the customers. "You have my word on that, love."
A shiver goes down his spine. "You're lucky we got a corner booth so you can scoot closer when you want to." He nuzzles her briefly before leaning up to speak again. "Now the other thing I wanted to talk about... Mrs. Rhino huh? Now where would she get an idea like that?" He raises an eyebrow at her but the smile on his face shows that he is amused, not mad.
She blushes brightly, averting her eyes in embarrassment. "...um...w-well, she came by one day...a-and, well...s-she just assumed..." She quickly holds up her menu, taking a sudden interest in the soup section.
He simply smiles smugly at her. "Oh? Enjoyed it too much to correct her?"
She squeaks, burying her face in the entrees even as a wisp of steam forms off the top of her head. "...t-the daisy and daffodil sandwich looks good..."
This only makes him smile more. "I'm fairly certain you were imagining something other than a sandwich when you neglected to correct her..."
She groans quietly, lowering her menu down and looking at him softly. "...yes...yes, I did enjoy it...the thought of being Mrs. Rhino made me elated..." She lowers her gaze to her hooves. "...but I've had that notion since I bumped into you in Canterlot..."
He scoots closer to her and kisses her on the cheek. "And I think that's adorable... and flattering." He leans back up as he continues. "But I doubt you'll want my personal name as your last one."
She thinks a bit. "...maybe...do you have a family name?" She nuzzles him before looking up at him, eyes shining with curiosity.
He answers simply. "Nexus. You?"
She blinks, scratching the side of her head in confusion. "...34? Hive 42?" She sighs, shaking her head. "...I...don't think we have family names..."
He shrugs. "Well, that's not a bad thing, not every pony family has them either. I've become quite fond of simply 'Gel'."
She blushes brightly, playfully pushing his side. "Flatterer."
Their waitress arrives a moment after Rhino chuckles from Gel's push. "Here you go, one apple juice," she sets the glass in front of Gel with a wing, "and one milk-woah!" The glass slips through her feathers as she brings it over the table. She quickly scrambles and catches it by bringing her other wing into play and catching it between them, but not before it had rotated slightly so that when it suddenly stops, a quarter of it splashes onto the white unicorn, a light hissing occurring as it makes contact. Ditzy, now flustered, quickly grabs a napkin. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry-" She cuts herself off as she sees that the spot where the milk had fallen was dry, her eyes crossing in confusion. "Oh... huh... I guess white milk on a white coat really isn't that big of a deal... it's like it never happened..." She smiles. "Well, that's good, good thing it landed on fur and not your blouse!"
Gel gives a small smile, waving a hoof at the other mare. "I couldn't agree more." Glad she doesn't suspect anything. I thought for sure the hissing would give it away...
The serving mare straightens up as she sets the glass in front of the stallion. "I'll bring you another one when I come back with your food. Speaking of which..." She takes the pen in her mouth and looks expectantly at them.
She folds up her menu and puts it off to one side. "May I please have a daisy and daffodil sandwich?"
Rhino does the same. "The garden salad sub, please."
Ditzy nods. "Right, be back soon!"
She watches as the mare leaves before brushing a hoof across her face, pouting slightly. "...now I smell like steamed milk..."
The stallion simply smiles. "Well, I can honestly say I've never smelled that before." He takes a peek around and notices anyone within a line of sight to them is otherwise occupied. Seeing this, he lightly sniffs her. "Smells... fresh... to me." He quickly licks her lightly where the milk had landed. "Tasty too."
She squeaks at the feeling of his tongue, her face positively burning with a blush. "...s-somehow, I knew you'd say that..." She clears her throat, struggling to fight down her blush. "S-so...h-has the swelling gone down?" She grimaces at her choice of topic, quickly lowering her head in embarrassment.
His smile fades from the bright version to the barely there variant. "Yes, I can only barely tell what was there now..."
She smiles sheepishly, tenderly nuzzling his neck. "...don't worry, love...we've proven we're able to handle anything they throw at us..." She pauses a moment, a thought occurring to her. "...well...almost anything...but still..."
He raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'almost anything'?" He catches himself and reminds himself of where they are. "If it's appropriate for these surroundings."
She bites her lip, poking at the flowers in the center of their table with a hoof. ...I've...told you about the Elite...right?
He quirks an eyebrow. You've mentioned they exist... but I suppose you bring it up now because their name is not unwarranted?
She sighs, nodding quietly. ...I believe I said I am one...but I'm the least experienced of the Elite... She looks up at him, worry clear on her face. ...Rhino...the rest of them are Generals...
Ah... He sinks back into the seat, the serious nature of the conversation a far contrast to the earlier lightheartedness. I see... I take it their title is not given for no reason?
Absolutely not. She glances around, almost as if paranoid. They're really secretive. I'm just one rank out and I only know that they each specialize in a specific element. Still, that's more than what other changelings know. She sighs, sipping her apple juice. ...y-you can understand why I'm worried...r-right?
He thinks about this for a moment. Umm... in the unlikely event that they decide to do a random invasion... or more likely... that you're worried they will try what failed a few nights ago, again, but with better troops. I don't see them devoting the highest ranked among them to fetch a single changeling though.
Generally, I'd believe you... She scratches the back of her neck. ...but I'm not an ordinary changeling... She glances up, noticing the gray mare returning. We'll continue this later, love.
Their waitress is heading over with their food and Rhino's extra drink, the plates on her back and the glass in a wing. As she gets closer, her hoof trips on the edge of a rug, causing her to squeak as her face quickly heads towards the ground. As she catches herself, her momentum combined with the angle of her back serve as a catapult to her cargo, which flies towards the table. Rhino and Gel sit stunned as the foods hurtles towards them... only to simply skid to a halt perfectly in front of the ponies that ordered it. Rhino smiles and gives a small bit of applause as Ditzy blushes and gives him his drink. "Sorry... That tends to happen a lot."
Gel giggles, giving the mare a kind smile. "It's perfectly fine, Ditzy. I'm just glad you didn't hurt yourself." Or splash me again, but that's a minor thing.
Rhino smirks at her. You and your picky notions about how you get wet.
The pegasus shakes her head to clear her thoughts and also get her eyes back in place after they had gone skewed from the fall. "Thank you... umm... do you need anything else?"
The white mare glances at the menu a moment. "Not right now, but we may be interested in dessert, later."
Ditzy nods and leaves.
The green stallion, meanwhile, takes a long drink to finish off his first glass of milk. Licking his lips appreciatively afterward, he remarks to Gel. "I really like this place, we should come here again."
She nods, giggling softly. "Agreed." She lifts up her sandwich and takes a small bite. She pauses, taking in the taste a moment before frowning slightly. "...needs ketchup."
Rhino snickers as he picks up his sub sandwich. "I knew it was a good idea to introduce you to that." He takes a bite of his sandwich and chews it thoughtfully before swallowing and commenting. "Huh... roses... usually don't put those on sandwiches... I might start now though."
She thinks on his words, an idea forming in her head. She smirks coyly, bringing her drink up to her lips to hide this. "I might have to try that the next time we're here..." She takes a gulp before sighing, looking up at him. "...so...anything you'd like to talk about?"
"Something pleasant would be nice..." He takes another bite as he mulls this over. "I suppose we could always talk about you... Ah, I have an idea. So, are you up for the next swimming lesson this weekend?"
She blinks, her cheeks slowly filling with color. "...um...I-I suppose so..." She nudges her sandwich with a hoof, her tone anxious and hopeful. "...w-would we be doing...e-everything we did, last time?"
He blushes as well, looking down and focusing on his sandwich. "W-well, I suppose if you want to... I wouldn't be opposed to it..."
She squeals happily, hugging him tightly in excitement. "Thank you! Oh, I can't wait!" She kisses his cheek before letting go, quickly eating more of her sandwich, a large, happy blush on her cheeks.
He clears his throat and tries to put on a stern voice. "But I want to make it clear, you don't get a reward until after the lesson. No seducing your way out of it."
She stops mid-bite, eyes snapping open. She swallows and sighs, her gaze falling to the table. "...fine..." She turns to him, a playful smirk on her lips. ...but it'd better be worth the wait...and you're taking lead, again...
He raises an eyebrow. Weren't you the one taking the lead last time?
She giggles, even as her cheeks turn cherry red. Not by the end of it...
His own cheeks burn as he eats. Fair enough... the next time we do roles, you're the one leading though, just because I feel like I cheated you out of your turn.
Not true. She takes a sip of her juice, averting her eyes. I willingly gave it up. After all... She brushes her tail against his right hindleg, smiling playfully as the tone of her thoughts turns teasing. ...I enjoy the thought of you being in control, remember?
Right... His tail curls around hers. I admit... I like that too, but I also said that I like the new experience of seeing what you do when you take the lead, or at least guide the events. His thoughts pause for a moment before continuing. Actually, you know how you have all those outfits? I was wondering... if maybe you should break one of those out next time... you know, if that's ok...
She smiles, tenderly nuzzling his neck. I'll be sure to use one, next time...I'll even let you choose which one we'll use. She pulls back, winking at him. Sound like a plan?
He leans over and kisses her on the lips. We'll see... depending on my mood, I may want it to be a surprise.
Gel hooks her foreleg around his neck, pulling him back into the kiss for a few more seconds. When she breaks the kiss, she giggles, a twinkle in her eye. Well then...I guess we'll have to see, won't we?
As the two sit there looking into each other's eyes, Ditzy comes back. "Aww~." She giggles as the two turn to look at her. "You two are so cute together, did you decide if you wanted dessert? I see you've been enjoying the sandwiches."
Gel blushes, opening her mouth to respond...only for nothing to come out. Her eyes seem to glaze over and she falls face-first onto the table, her breaths quickly becoming labored.
Rhino quickly lunges for her, leaning her back as Ditzy's wings flap in alarm. He takes in her struggling breaths and opens her mouth with magic, only to immediately see the problem. He turns to the waitress. "Ditzy! Her throat's closing up! Does the restaurant have any emergency adrenaline shots?"
The frantic pegasus speaks very quickly. "O-oh ummm... shot shots shots... Oh! Shots! Right, they showed us those in employee training! I'll go get one!" She bolts off towards the back as Rhino does what he can to keep Gel's airway straight so she can breathe as much as she can. Ditzy runs out of the back with a small cylinder held in her mouth and another employee on her tail.
As she slows down Rhino takes the shot from her mouth with his magic and quickly injects it into the white mare. His eyes are wide as he holds her hoof while his other foreleg supports her head.
After thirty tense seconds, Gel's eyes slowly flutter open. She turns to look at him, her eyes unfocused. "...R-Rhino?"
"I'm here, love..." He embraces Gel gently, his body still tense. "How are you feeling?"
She carefully hugs him back, closing her eyes. "...like...my throat is tingling..." She shakes her head, looking up at him. "...w-what happened?"
He explains. "You went unconscious after your throat closed up. I think you were allergic to something."
The female earth pony that had arrived with Ditzy nods. "That's what I thought it was, it's happened before when ponies accidentally eat something they're allergic to. Did you want me to call the hospital?"
Rhino quickly shakes his head at her. "No no, that won't be necessary." He turns back to Gel. "I didn't know you had allergies... But what could it have been to?"
She blinks in confusion, trying to think. "...c-could it have been...m-my sandwich?"
"Well..." Rhino thinks. "It wasn't the bread, because you've had that... it was a plain sandwich so the only other things on it were the daisies and dandelions... have you had either of those before?"
She scratches the side of her head. "...I've had dandelions, before, so...does that mean it's the daisies?"
The stallion turns to the other mares. "Was there anything else on that sandwich?" They shake their heads. "Well... I guess that was it then... you're allergic to daisies..."
She smiles sheepishly, shrugging a bit. "...well, then...I guess I just...won't eat daisies, from now on...simple as that, right?"
"I suppose... though I might see about getting you an adrenaline shot to carry around with you just in case..." He turns to the mares. "Can we have our check? I think we'd like to head home."
The earth mare shakes her head rapidly. "Oh no, we couldn't possibly charge you after that!"
Rhino blinks for a moment. "Umm... well, if you're sure..." He takes a small bag of bits out of his bag and levitates them to a surprised Ditzy. "Here, a nice big tip for all your help in saving her."
She shakily takes the bag. "It was no trouble really... just helping a friend..."
Gel sits up, giving the mare a kind smile. "...t-thank you, Ditzy...I-I don't know what would've happened if you weren't here..." She taps her chin, thinking a bit. "...hey...maybe we could invite you over to our place, sometime? You know, as friends." She nods genially.
The grey pegasus shuffles her wings a moment before nodding with a smile. "Okay... if you're sure... I'd like that..."
Rhino nods as well, before gently picking up Gel and putting her side-saddle on his back. "Alright, well, I'm going to go ahead and get her home, so we'll see you around, Ditzy." He looks at her seriously. "And again, thank you." The couple exits to a few stares of the crowd that had witnessed the event, but are soon alone on the darkened streets.
***
'The Silver Lord gazes out over his empire. There is no war, no strife, ever since he brought the two nations together in peaceful negotiation. He-'
'More like ransom.'
Mercury blinks, looking up at the kitten on top of the cat tree.
She continues, lazily swinging a paw over the edge of the platform. 'What negotiations could ever allow the capture of a princess?'
The fox rolls his eyes at this. 'Okay, so the negotiations didn't go as smoothly as he'd like. May I resume narrating, please?' When he didn't get a response, he faced forward. 'I'll take that as a yes.'
'He tried to reason with the King, but the monarch was unsatisfiable. So, knowing that he wouldn't attack the place his daughter resided, the Silver Lord took the Gray Princess, putting her in the highest room of the tallest tower. With that one act, peace fell over the feuding nations.'
Suddenly, a figure emerges on top of one of the nearby mountains. Though it is distant, as it points its weapon at the Lord's tower, he knows who it is.
'The Silver Lord growls, readying his own weapon. He smirks as the figure draws closer, eyes narrowing slightly as it is revealed to be the Black Knight. "Ah, so the King's lapdog has come to steal the Princess back, has he?" He motions to the steadfast soldier to his right. "First, he'll have to deal with the catapult!" '
With that, Mercury tosses a ball of yarn at Specter.
The brave knight nimbly dodges the projectile, his training in the forest instead of in the yard like other knights serving him well. He quickly cross the fields and arrives near the base of the tower, hailing its ruler. 'Release the fair maiden, tyrant! We have played this game before, and your attempts to make her your own have never lasted long!'
'The mighty Lord calls down to the foolish knight from atop his main gate. "'Tis not to have her as my own! 'Tis for the betterment of our nations!" He turns to his loyal soldier once more. "Unleash the beast!"'
'The protector salutes and pulls the lever, releasing the fury of a monster that no foe has ever overcome!'
The fox flings a toy octopus at the squirrel, watching as its arms wrap around his body much like it would their owner's hoof.
The creatures many limbs quickly engulf the knight, it's suction cups latching on and refusing to let go. The knight battles furiously with the kraken, it's body being not meant for land but still providing a battle for the ages. Slowly things get dark for the already dark knight, his paw slowly moving towards his sheathed weapon on his back. Finally, just as the creature blocked out the last bit of light with a tentacle cocoon, the knight draws his weapon. Pressing it flat against the kraken, he pushes even as the creature holds on. Slowly the knight gains the room to breathe, and eventually, the room to swing. He bats the writhing limbs away, the creature squeaking in dismay as one by one, it's limbs are rendered numb until finally, it lies motionless on the land.
The valiant knight looks upward. 'Your monster couldn't stop me, and neither can you!' He grips his weapon in his teeth and begins the ascent of the tower, one paw at a time.
'A normal ruler would be worried at this stage, but not the Silver Lord. He instructs his best soldier to fend off the knight. He readily agrees, throwing himself bodily at his opponent.'
Mercury whaps Specter's head with his fish squeaky toy as the kitten above them watches on, bemused.
The knight winces as the minion assaults him, unable to defend himself and climb at the same time. 'Bubbles! Why do you continue to serve that fiend?! Can you not see he is using you?'
'Bubbles pays-'
The fox stops mid-narration, watching as his toy falls to the floor. '...I should not have spoken.'
Selena giggles at this, shaking her head. 'It appears as though Bubbles has seen the truth in the Black Knight's words and, in his shame, decided to throw the fight.'
As the knight start to climb again, he speaks. 'Do not worry Bubbles, i will ensure you have a place within the kingdom for your help.' He finally reaches the platform and flips up onto it, his weapon pointed at the Silver Lord. 'Now, surrender yourself and the princess.'
'The ruler growls angrily, holding his staff at the ready. "Don't you see what I'm doing is for the best?" He crouches, getting ready to atta-'
He yelps in surprise as Selena pounces on his back, causing him to drop his wooden dowel as he is laid flat. She licks her paw and looks at Specter, a sly smile on her face. 'Thank you for rescuing me, my brave knight.' She moves forward and nuzzles his cheek. 'I'll make sure my father rewards you handsomely for my return.'
Mercury pouts, propping his head up on a paw. 'To think, that the Silver Lord was beaten by the Gray Princess when his back was turned.'
'Never underestimate the fairer gender.' The knight holds a paw out to the silver being. 'Now then, are you willing to return, my friend, and try to obtain true peace?'
He stares up at him for a moment before sighing, taking the paw. '...fine. But the King is nearly impossible to negotiate with.'
After he pulls up Mercury, the knight then turns to the princess, holding out his paw. 'Milady, it would be my honor to escort you home.'
She puts her paw in his, purring softly. 'It's my honor to have such a brave knight escort me home. Just one question...' She peers over the edge, actually looking nervous. '...how do I get down from here?'
Specter tail flicks as he leads the kitten over to the edge and points her to one of the lower platforms. 'Simply follow me, my princess, and you shall be safe.' He nimbly jumps down to the lower platform and looks up expectantly.
She hesitates momentarily before letting herself drop down, her claws out and gripping the fabric she lands on in her panic.
Specter pats the kitten lightly. 'Come on now, you got up here, surely down isn't so bad?'
She scoffs, turning her head away. 'Easy for you to say. You have the ability to glide.' She retracts her claws, bracing herself for the next platform.
This goes on for three more floors of the cat tree, Selena following Specter down each step of the way. Once they are on the ground, the kitten pulls him into a hug, happily nuzzling him. 'Oh, thank you, sir Black Knight!'
The squirrel's tail sticks straight out as he freezes from the unexpected affection. 'I.... umm... you're welcome...'
She pulls away, giving him a questioning look. 'What? We aren't playing the game, any more?'
He looks back at her, 'Wouldn't a knight thank a princess for a hug?'
'He would be honored.' She paws at his still-straight tail, smiling playfully. 'Not stunned.'
Specter grumbles as he tries to get his tail back to it's usual curl. 'The two aren't mutually exclusive...'
Before the feline can respond to this, the door opens, revealing the two other occupants of this house. Gel smiles at them from her place on her stallion's back, weakly waving a hoof. "...hello, little ones...did you have fun while we were gone?"