Friday comes along, and in addition to the party she is hosting later that night, Angel also has the lack of her noon Elemental class to look forward to. Thus it is that she has a sort of extra skip in her step as she approaches the door to her room, Rhino following for their usual after Xenobiology get together.
She turns around and smiles warmly at him, her back against the door. "So, we have a bit more time together, today..." She turns the knob and opens the door, winking playfully at him. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
He smirks at her. "I'm not sure I'll ever know what's going on in that heard of yours, considering you manage to surprise me everyday."
"Good!" She pulls him inside, closing the door and heading over to her desk. "Because I wanted to actually look over something in the book. Something about today's lecture seemed... off."
The stallion raises an eyebrow. "Was it just the shift from zebras to thestrals that got you, or was it something else?"
"No, that didn't bother me..." She grabs her book off the desk, flipping through the pages. "It's something about how he described the thestrals..."
Peering over her shoulder, he still tries to guess. "What was it? The fangs, slitted eyes, leather wings, vampony rumors?"
"I think it was the last one... wait, I think I found it." She clears her throat, reading aloud from the book. "'Once thought to be vampiric, these myths were found to be false once they were seen walking about in broad daylight. Now they are no longer thought to be creatures that shun Celestia's light...'" Her voice trails off, her smile slowly fading from her lips.
Rhino's eyes follow along, a frown forming on his face as well.
She gulps, continuing with a slight quiver affecting her tone. "'Unlike the parasites known as changelings.'" She looks up at him, concerned and confused. "Who greenlights these textbooks?"
He lets out a growl. "Apparently ponies that do not double check the quotes of experts beyond anything but the correct information on the subject at hand..."
She blinks, waving a hand in front of his face. "Rhino? Are you okay?" She glances at the book, then back to him. "Did... did what we read upset you?"
He snorts. "A bit..." Turning away from the book, he walks over to the window, his arms behind his back.
She frowns, standing up and walking over to him. "Rhino... this is the second time you've acted like this... both in regards to libel against changelings..." She embraces him, nuzzling him gently. "Please... what makes you so... defensive?"
"I just..." Shaking his head he huffs again. "It's nothing... I just don't agree with it." He continues gazing at the window.
She frowns, grabbing his shoulder and turning him to her. She looks up at him, the light from outside illuminating the left side of her face, and the sincerity shown in her eyes. "Rhino. I don't care what you say. I will not judge you." She gently takes his hand, bringing it up to her lips and kissing it. "I will not think any less of you. Please."
He sighs, shaking his head again. "It's not my place to share this fact. I have kept it for too long to speak of it now."
Angel groans, throwing her hands up in the air. "Fine. Don't tell me." She turns, heading back to the book. "I'm just saying that it's like you take these words of theirs personally." She grabs the book, picking it up and flipping through it. "'Thestrals tend to live in colonies distant from ponies. When among our kind, they have potions that allows them to hide their true selves. It's only by luck that the first was discovered. This first stallion helped disprove that his kind were not bogeyponies...' They really need to work on these typos."
Rhino's ears flick as he turns to Angel. "What was that last part?"
She blinks, turning to look at him in confusion. "Um... the part about the first thestral stallion?"
"Yes, that one, what else does it say?" He walks over, his irritated and introverted looks replaced by one of curiosity.
She points to the page, and the line he wanted. "'The first stallion helped disprove that his kind were not bogeyponies'?"
Peeking at the page, his eyes dart back and forth before he lets out a sigh. "Doesn't say much, but I guess it's more of a hoofnote than an expanded subject... Ah well, at least we have all weekend to read up on general thestral knowledge, or do any other schoolwork from this first week." He turns to Angel. "Come to think of it, what are they assigning you in Elemental class these days during the first week?"
She tilts her head to one side, confused, but decides not to question his motivations for a subject change. "Practicing the most basic of elemental spells, if one has the capacity for them. Summoning will-o-wisps, in my case." She holds up a hand, a small blue ball of fire bursting to life in her palm. "I'm good on that, though."
His eyes lock onto the flame, his face appearing troubled again. "Careful with that... it's easier to burn yourself than you think."
She frowns, the fire dispersing just as quickly as it appeared. "You sound like you speak from experience... but you said your element was water, did you not?"
He nods. "I did, it doesn't mean I can't do fire if I tried, but it's not me who had the incident with it."
"Oh?" She tilts her head to one side, sitting down in one chair in the room. "Can you tell me what happened?"
"Well... yes, I guess I can." He sits down the bed, getting into his story-teller mindset. "We were both young, and were playing around in the woods one day. She wanted to show me a trick and made a small bit of blue fire, much like you did just now, in order to light a leaf. Being young though, she had to concentrate to make it happen, and I noticed too late to stop it when it burned her. Might have burnt down the forest if I hadn't stomped out the leaf, but the worst part was that she got hurt. I did what I could with water and a blanket, but there's only so much you can do beyond that point..."
She blinks, eyes wide in shock. "So... this was that friend of yours? The one you mentioned before?" Her hand trembles slightly as she gestures to him, memories coming unbidden to the forefront of her mind.
Silence rules the air for a moment before he answers. "Yeah... that was her."
With those words, her world goes dark.
***
Slowly, sensations return to the fallen mare. The first is a feeling of softness on her back. The second is a feeling of warmth on her hand. The last is the sound, muddled at first but slowly growing clearer.
"Angel... Angel... Come on Angel... Wake up... Please..."
She groans softly, fighting to open her eyes against the suddenly painful light filling the room. "What... what happened?"
A green blur sitting next to her answers. "You passed out... try not to move, you don't want a head rush."
She turns to it, grimacing in shame. "S-sorry... I never had that happen, before..." She touches her forehead, brow furrowing slightly. "At least, not that I remember..."
"That's probably a good thing. Here..." The form gently moves her hand and places a cool cloth on her forehead. "I was just getting a fresh one when I saw you coming to."
"Um... t-thank you..." She averts her eyes, her cheeks heating up. "So... what were we talking about? Before I passed out, I mean?"
He replies simply, still holding her head. "Fire dangers and a personal experience I had with it."
"Oh, right." She looks up at him, nervously smiling. "Thank you, by the way."
Rhino smiles back. "Hey, no problem. Sometimes this happens to ponies for any number of reasons, but it always helps to have a friend there when it happens."
"Right... friend..." Angel looks around, noticing the lighting of the room. "So... I wasn't out too long, I take it?"
He shakes his head, smiling reassuringly. "Not too long, it's just about noon now."
"That's good to know..." She smiles, reaching up and stroking his cheek. "Since I have a while until my next class... may we cuddle a bit? Please?"
"Alright, if it'll make you feel better." He slides onto the bed next to her, putting an arm around her stomach.
She sighs softly, tenderly nuzzling him and kissing his lips tenderly. "It will... you have no idea how much it will..." She closes her eyes, resting her head underneath his chin. For the first time in a long time, she feels as though she's truly smiling.
Though it is always nice, many can tell you that cuddling does not last forever. Thus is the case as Rhino leaves Angel in her room after a time, with promises to be back later that night for her little get-together with friends. The mare herself seems to suffer no lasting effects from her brief fainting spell, and finishes off her day, and her last class of the week, easily. As darkening clouds gather overhead, the door to her room clicks shut as she comes back from her class.
She places a small bag of apples on her desk, sighing softly and slipping out of her pants. "Classes are done for the week. Now, to get ready for the sleepover..." She trails off, frowning in confusion. "Wait, would Angel even know how to host a sleepover?" She taps her chin, pacing the room as she thinks out loud. "She's never had good enough friends for that, aside from one pony... but that mare betrayed her..." She gulps, sweat forming on her forehead as realization dawns on her. "This... could be a problem..." She glances around, as if hoping a solution would come out of thin air.
Half an hour later, a series of three small knocks rings out from the door.
She looks up from the pile of papers she's scribbling on, her mane frazzled from worry. Confused, she gets up and walks over to the door, opening it. Her eyes widen in surprise, and she attempts to pull her short green shirt down to hide her pink panties. "R-Rhino! I-I, um..." She moves behind the door as she pulls it open, blushing brightly. "P-please, come on in."
He does so, setting down his now extremely stuffed backpack as he turns to her, tilting his head. "What's all this? Since when are you so shy around me, especially with all we've been through?"
"I-it's not that..." She blushes, looking at the mess on her desk. "I'm just... a little worried... and unprepared..."
"Unprepared for what?" He glances at the mess of paper. "It looks like your were doing a cram session for a class. Anything I can do to help?"
She gulps, gesturing for him to look at the papers with a shaky hand. "B-be my guest..."
Walking over, he levitates a few of the pages up to peruse them. "Oh, sleepover planning... Games are always good, whether board or just word ones. I hear truth or dare can be a popular choice."
"O-oh..." She picks up another sheet, writing down his suggestions. "Anything else, Rhino?"
"Umm..." His eyes look upward as he thinks. "Well, these are just off the top of my head but... I hear mares like to do makeovers or braid manes and tails... pillow fights... if you have a deck of cards you can usually get a few games out of that, whether it be go fish or poker, what you bet during the latter is your call."
"Well..." She looks at his bag, tilting her head to one side. "Do you have any snacks? We might be able to bet that."
He chuckles sheepishly. "Umm, well... I mean I brought a small bag of six cookies, but beyond that and a huge thermos of milk... not really."
"Oh." She looks to the bowl on her nightstand, upset. "I wish I hadn't eaten all those pretzels... well, it doesn't matter." She shrugs, smiling softly at him. "We can just play without betting. As friends, right?" She points under her desk. "There's a small fridge for your... milk." She giggles, shaking her head. "Why did you bring that, silly?"
He digs into his bag before bringing out what looks to be a thermos that can hold about half a gallon of anything. "Because I like milk."
"Oh?" She raises an eyebrow, smiling playfully and crossing her arms under her chest, pressing the soft mounds there together. "That explains some of your habits when making love." She blinks, tapping her chin. "Or... would you prefer me to keep calling it 'studying'?"
"I..." He coughs awkwardly. "Studying, please."
"Mkay, then!" She turns to look at her list, continuing to scribble on it. "So... would you mind if I put 'massage' on the list of activities?" She jerks a thumb at her own back. "Silk's wings seem to get stressed often. Likely because she doesn't fly, as she says." She smiles, reaching forward and holding his hand. "I figured she might appro... appre... enjoy your skilled hands... don't you agree?"
After a moment and a small blush, he nods. "I can do that.... though, umm, is it out of the question to ask for one myself?"
"Not at all!" She giggles, pulling him down and pecking his lips. "Would you like it from me, Silk, or both of us?"
"...both?" he asks hopefully.
"Then I'll try to convince her. You might want to put your milk in the fridge, by the way." She winks, letting go and turning to his bag. "What else do you have in there, anyways?"
Turning around and acting on her suggestion to stow his drink, he replies. "Well, the sleeping bag takes up most of the room, beyond that I have an extra set of clothes, a bag of toiletries, and... a snuggle pillow in case I end up in the bag."
"A... snuggle pillow?" She tilts her head, curious. "What is that?"
The stallion closes the fridge and walks over, pulling out a small square blue pillow. "I just... like to have something in my arms when I sleep. I've actually had this one for years, and it's still just as soft as when I got it."
She stares at it, quirking an eyebrow. "Blue?" She looks up at him, smirking coyly. "I would've thought you were a puce pony, honestly."
He chuckles. "Well, it was a hearth's warming present, and they thought blue would be easier to match no matter what color bedsheets I had."
"Oh. I thought it had some kind of signe... signu... hidden meaning." She reaches out, gently touching the pillow. "You're right, though... it's really soft. Almost as soft as you."
Again, he chuckles. "Why is it always mares that comment on my coat?"
"Because it's unique... and really pleasant." Angel smiles, leaning back against her desk. "If Silk wasn't showing up in twenty minutes, I'd show you how much I enjoy your fluffiness."
"I'll keep that in mind." Walking back over to the desk, he looks at the papers again. "I know your friend might have an idea or two once she gets here, but do you think you have enough to go on for now?"
"N-not really..." She turns to look at the pages when something catches her eye. She frowns slightly, touching the sleeve of his shirt. "Rhino?"
"Hmm?" He looks to her.
"You... have a tear, here..." She glances up at him, concern clear on her face. "Did... did something happen?"
Looking down, Rhino doesn't particularly react to the tear. "Oh, I guess that quill of hers didn't miss me as much as I thought..."
"What? Whose quill?" She lifts up his sleeve, feeling along his arm to check for an injury. "Why would one hit you?"
"Umm..." He rubs the back of his head with a hand. "I may have accidentally rounded a corner and ran into this pink mare with a dark blue mane on my way here. She had a quill behind her ear and it zoomed past me when we hit. She seemed fine afterward though, judging from how irritated she was at me for... 'delaying her when she was already behind from being given the wrong thing to study.' She left without a word after that."
The teen blinks up at him, confused. "Oh. That must've been White Rapids..."
Rhino blinks and tilts his head. "Friend of yours?"
"Acqui... aqua... classmate." She giggles, rolling her hand. "She's a water element student who had a showy, um... whatever those spheres do." She picks up her paper, scribbling a thought down as she continues talking. "She got upset when my massive fire phoenix happened, but I have no idea why. Said something about needing to be high-level or practiced for that to happen, if I remember correctly?" She twirls a lock of her mane around a finger, biting her lip before turning to him. "Do you have any more ideas for the sleepover?"
His ears fold back about halfway. "Sorry... not really. I don't exactly have much experience with these..."
She sighs, shaking her head dejectedly. "Neither do I..."
"Just wing it, I guess?" He offers.
"Maybe..." She looks up at him, smiling sheepishly. "Would you like to do anything while we wait for Silk?"
He shrugs. "I can't think of anything, though are you planning to just wear that for the rest of the night?" He gestures to her little 'hanging out' attire.
"Actually, I wanted to wear my sukumizu..." She blinks, shaking her head and putting a hand on his chest. "Actually, I think I'd prefer to lose the shirt, instead." She giggles, blushing brightly and stroking along his shirt. "What do you think, Rhino? We are all friends here, after all..."
His answer is uncertain. "Well, we are, yes, but what happens when your friend arrives? It doesn't exactly make for a good first impression..."
"Maybe not..." She sighs, sitting on her bed and pouting slightly. "And here I was hoping to see your cute blush, again..."
"Says the mare pulling a cute pose," he mutters. "Don't you see enough of my blush? I swear half the stuff you do makes it happen."
"Yes, but I love how you look while embarrassed." She snickers, patting the mattress next to her. "Care to join me?"
"Sure." He takes the offered spot. "Want me to remind you to get dressed in ten minutes since she arrives in 15?"
"Somehow..." She smiles, attempting to straighten out her mane. "I don't think she'll mind... but sure, if it'll make you happy."
"Well, it's not like I'm gonna force you into clothes..." He laughs, running his hand through her mane to help her. "In the end, it's up to you."
"Mkay! And besides..." She leans close, her eyes lidded as they gaze into his. "We both know you enjoy helping me out of them more..."
He gives her a quick peck on the lips. "True... of course the same thing can be said about you when it comes to me."
"Yes, that's true..." She giggles, reaching up and rubbing the top of his head. "Can we cuddle together for a bit? I want to be sure you hold me, tonight, if only for a little while..."
"You only had to ask."
The sounds of breathing soon become the only noises in the room. Outside, the day darkens from both the hour and the weather, giving a good warning of impending weather to all those paying attention. After what seems to be only a few minutes later for the two bedmates, light knocking comes from the door once more.