It had been a few days.
Abel and Swiftwind were officially still not on speaking terms.
Needless to say, it had quite a bit to do with her sudden...proposition.
The rest of it revolved around the fact that the customs from gods know how long ago were that straightforward, which of course led to the proposition in the first place.
Twilight was attempting to console the female changeling in the library.
"But I do not understand. Most male changelings would jump at the chance to continue their line!"
Twilight blushed a bit. "Well, yes, but that was then. This is now. And nowadays, most mares do not just walk up to a stallion and say 'Give me your babies.' It's rather lewd."
Swiftwind tilted her head and blinked. "It is considered socially insensitive to demand children from males? He did not inform me of this."
From the doorway there was the sound of soft barking. Turning, the two saw a familiar fox sitting in the entryway. Possibly because he had hoped that you would seek companionship with someone other than him?
Swiftwind and Ferrix had a...working relationship.
Hey, that feeding accident was a total accident, and nobody could prove otherwise.
Swiftwind sighed and rolled her eyes. "This could all be avoided if he would simply place me within his Hive Mind..."
Yeah, well, I think with that comment, you killed your chances for a little while. He probably wants you as far away from his brain as possible.
Twilight pulled a book off a shelf and began perusing through it. "'Relationships: Is yours healthy?' Hmm...Swiftwind, can you answer a few questions for me?"
Swiftwind turned back to the unicorn and nodded, which was Twilight's cue to read from the book. "Question one: What do you find attractive in Abel?"
Swiftwind didn't hesitate. "His form is most regal, none of the Hive Kings of old had such a body. His abilities are impressive, it is almost as though he never accepts the word 'no' in regards to what he, or any of his Hive, can do."
After a brief pause, Twilight prompted her with another question. "That's it?"
Swiftwind looked away and quietly said "He saved my life," to which the unicorn nodded. Turning a few pages, she read silently before looking up and breaking some bad news to her.
"It's a crush."
Swiftwind blinked a few times. "And that term in this context means?"
"You listed his physical attributes first, which means you're attracted to him superficially. Then you listed the things he can do, along with the things he has done. Not once did you touch on what he is like as an individual. He is more than what he looks like, what he's done. There's a po- er, changeling under that exterior that, granted, could probably do with some companionship. But if you don't even try to get to know him for who he is rather than what he is, then he'll probably end up just breaking your heart. By accident, no less. Leaving you feeling crushed."
Swiftwind blinked a few more times as she rapidly processed the information. "My goodness. Times have changed. You can analyze this about me with only a few questions. You are most impressive, Twilight Sparkle."
Twilight shook her head. "Well, we didn't even get into the section on 'how many sacrifices do you make for you relationship' or 'what do you most dislike about your significant other' or even the section on 'how many arguments do you get into.' I think we should go-"
Swiftwind held up a hoof to the unicorn in a signal for her to stop, which, miraculously, she did. "Twilight Sparkle, much has been revealed to me about how I see King Abel. And I do believe we have only scratched the surface on how societal interactions are now expected to go. Would you happen to have any tomes which we could go over? Together?"
Twilight tilted her head. "Together?"
Swiftwind grinned. "I wish to apologize to him, and you seem to be well-versed enough to teach me what is different and what is expected these days. I believe with your expertise, we can hammer out an apology in a few hours, after we're done hammering out what I should change about my approach."
The unicorn could only recall a hooffull of times she had grinned anywhere near this much.
Ferrix sighed, catching their attention. I'm out. Oh, and good luck on the perfect apology. You're going to need it.
-----
Ferrix had decided to take a rest over near Sweet Apple Acres.
It had absolutely nothing to do with his tendency to prank ponies.
None whatsoever!
And even if it did, he most certainly did not have a favored target in a certain rainbow-maned pegasus he was hoping to catch.
The sheer amount of preparatory work he was witness to shocked him for a moment.
The Apple family is up to something. But wh-
And that was as far as he got before he felt the rumbling.
Ferrix ran into the nearby bushes and observed the simply massive amount of ponies come from over the nearby hills. Some even came out of the sky!
If I didn't know better, I'd say...
"Howdy, y'all! And welcome to the Apple Family Reunion!"
Ferrix grinned. A family of Earth Ponies, getting together for a reunion. I could have fun with this...
-----
Twilight pulled down a fifth reference book as the changeling sighed and looked at her notes. "I just cannot comprehend how one is supposed to find their intended mate-"
"Special somepony," Twilight interrupted.
Swiftwind rolled her eyes at the statement. "Only applicable when I'm imitating a pony, Twilight Sparkle."
"Tru- did you just use a contraction?"
Swiftwind blinked a few times and grinned. "Guess I'm getting used to this modern way of speaking. And now I can see the use of them! Combing two words into one that still conveys two meanings! How useful! I'll have to apply this elsewhere..."
Swiftwind looked down at her heaps of notes and gasped. "Like to here! What if we combined all the tips and notes and schedules into one, vastly shorter schedule? One that would still manage to do all the things of the rest?"
Twilight blinked a few times and grinned as well. "An efficient idea! Let's begin!"
-----
Ferrix grinned as he observed Applejack's antics. I won't have to do anything. Her plan is so complex, it was doomed from the start...
Then the kitsune frowned. I...I don't get to do anything! All this delightful pranking material, and it'll all come undone without me so much as lifting a paw!
The fox sighed and lay on his stomach, observing the antics of the gathered family. In particular, his eyes fell on two fillies. Apple Bloom and Babs Seed. Aren't they...yes, they're part of that Crusader club that leaves explosions, fire, and tears in their wake. Somehow. Even though only one of them is a unicorn.
As the race started, Ferrix got a wicked idea in his head. Carefully blinking along to make up for his lack of endurance training, eventually the kitsune found the spot where the fillies ran out of steam, and wove a small Suggestion spell.
Fun's not fun when it's forced...
The spell, nearly invisible, wafted through the air towards the tired girls, and Ferrix grinned.
This was a failing in Kitsunes everywhere.
When presented with a potential avalanche, every single one would get behind it and trigger it. And laugh as it came crashing down just short of their friends. Every single time.
Not coincidentally, their favorite phrase was 'you should see the looks on your faces!'
His work here done, Ferrix turned tail and began heading back to the library.
Perhaps he'd even be able to stop those crazy mares.
-----
"So it's considered impolite to ask for that before two dates have passed at least, and I should include a grace period of three days at least between them-"
"Yes, but pushing him towards that is something you should never do. Leading him towards it, however, is another matter-"
"Precisely, which is why after the second date, I start dropping more hints, start brushing up on more innuendo-"
"And if it takes him longer than a week to get your hints, you take him out on another date-"
"And then after that one, the failsafe plan kicks in with one phrase!"
The changeling and the unicorn shared a glance and a grin.
"IT'S PERFECT!"
What is?
The two looked back towards the door to see Ferrix walking in.
Swiftwing started. "I've become more familiar with modern courtship rituals. Such as dating, and merely even getting to know one another better. Twilight here helped me greatly in understanding why my more...blunt approach was not acceptable."
Ferrix sat and cocked his head at her. That's great...but I'm not the one you should be apologizing t- did you just use a contraction? And only Twilight's first name?
Swiftwind jerked back a bit. "I...I did! I'm getting used to this modern way of talking faster than I thought!"
Ferrix looked over at the schedule the two had put together. With a small burst of blue flames, it was hovering in front of the fox, who was eying it critically.
Then, he let out a sigh and floated in back to the table, none the worse for wear. "What WAS that?"
Foxfire. Basically my raw magic, useful for levitation. And that plan of yours is impressive, ambitious, and doomed to fail.
The two blinked rapidly before Twilight spoke up in a sickly sweet voice. "Care to tell me whyyyyyy?"
Simple. I've been in Abel's head. No matter how you try to court him, he'll know. And he will not approve.
Swiftwind looked down at the floor then. "Is...there nothing that can be done?"
Well, you could start with the first step.
-----
Abel was in a pleased mood.
The negotiations with the Fae had gone well.
Half-a-dozen modified siphon-stones for the relative Multiverse co-ordinates to...there.
Oh, he had no illusions that he was dealing with anything but an Unseelie court member. Probably just a lesser noble, though.
Which is why he'd tamper-proofed the stones to prevent Them from reverse-engineering his creations.
And, seeing as how the Fae and Their realm were made of magic, what'd he just handed them could be termed 'weapons of significant destruction.'
Still, next time he'd go with both the formula for the stones. As well as a device to shield oneself from the effects.
Depending on who answered, he'd have a great amount of leverage to get what he wanted next time.
Still, he had a whole new device to build.
Plans to make.
Theories to test.
Knock-knock
A door to answer.
Crystals to-
Wait.
Who would come here at this hour?
Donning his disguise, Books carefully opened the door, and was not surprised to see Silver Tongue on the doorstep. Disappointed, perhaps, but not surprised. The surprise came after she asked her single question.
"Why won't you love me?"
He had to think real hard about that question before he could offer a response. He couldn't just tell her the whole truth. And, naturally, some of it wasn't applicable anymore anyways.
It was in about his sixth month in town when he realized that he really could find himself attracted to ponies. It was only natural, considering he was walking around in a town full of ponies that didn't wear a stitch of clothing.
Changelings were another matter; Chrysalis had done a good job on hers.
Even though they were his now, they still had some of that old stigma beaten into them. None of his Hive could answer him with a truthful 'yes' when asked if they could ever find him attractive.
She, however, was from before all that. And she could clearly find him attractive, so...
Really, his only excuses now were the fact that they didn't know each other at all, and his project.
Sitting off to one side, Books noticed Ferrix being his smug self.
And that cinched it for him.
Books leaned forward and whispered to her.
"It's not that I won't. Or can't. It's that I have a massively dangerous project to undertake, and I'd like to put that behind me before engaging in a serious relationship."
Noticing both sets of eyes widen, Books continued. "But if you've learned what you did wrong. If you're sorry about your approach then and promise to be better..."
Noticing Silver's head nod rapidly, Books smiled. "Then we can try. Nothing serious until after my project, but we can try."