The sun barely manages to peek through the window of the small dorm room. The storm last night giving way to a bright sunny morning, it's like Celestia herself wants to peek in to see the aftermath of their eventful night.
One of the three residents of the bed, starts shifting. Her purple-maned head moves as she yawns, her fangs showing clearly as she smacks her lips and moves her mane to one side with a yellow hand. Her eyes suddenly shoot open, the hand going to her mouth and pricking the sharp teeth. "Oh dear..." The hand shoots to her ears, feeling the small tufts atop them, and a quick look back reveals purple leathery wings the same color as her mane instead of golden feathered ones like her fur.
Gulping, she slowly looks to the other two ponies, letting out a small sigh that they are still asleep. Carefully, she starts squirming her way out from under the arm of the stallion and over the two of them towards her bag.
However, that movement is enough for the white unicorn to stir, turning over and staring at the flank before her. Smiling coyly, she reaches out and grips the plush yellow cheek. "Come back to... bed..." She trails off as she wakes up, unable to recognize the form in front of her. She glances back at the bed, noticing that her friend is missing, sitting still for a few seconds as her mind takes this all in.
Silk freezes, half on and half off the bed. She looks blankly at the unicorn holding onto her, wondering how she'll react.
She turns back to her, her face blank. She picks the - in her eyes - stranger up in her magic and stands, holding her mouth shut as she silently rushes the two of them into the bathroom. She quietly closes the door, locking it before turning to the still-suspended bat-pony, glaring at her and hissing out her words. "I'll only ask you nicely, once. After that..." A ring of blue fire travels down her arm, white fur shifting into brown, her slender hand turning into powerful, menacing talons. "I start getting... persuasive. Try to yell, and I'll seal your mouth back up. Understand." It wasn't a question, rather, it was a command.
The bare bat-pony can only nod, held like she is. Her eyes wander to the morphed talon for a moment, her mind wondering.
"Good. Now," she releases the grip on the pony's mouth, her arm tensing imperceptibly, "what did you do with Silk?"
The pony's eyes seem to radiate sincerity as she answers. "I am Silk, hun..."
Angel stares, her eyes narrowing dangerously before noticing something. "Your eyes... they're the same purple as..." She blinks, her horn lighting up and flicking the lights in the bathroom on. She instantly recoils, surprise clear on her face. "S-Silky? You're... y-you're..."
She grows a small smile as she still hangs in the air. "Surprise, I guess. Behold Silk Tease, even more naked than I was last night."
"You're gorgeous." She blushes brightly, turning her head away. "S-sorry about that..." She puts her on the tiled floor, squirming slightly. "I-I thought that you were taken by... w-well, you..."
"And that's how you reacted to the thought of that? Oh hun..." The yellow mare takes the two steps forward to close the gap between her and the other mare, bringing her into an affectionate hug. "That means a lot to me... and it was kind of sexy seeing you in protection mode." She giggles quietly.
She tenderly hugs her back, nuzzling her cheek as she chuckles. "Thanks, but I think you're sexier." Angel smiles teasingly and pulls out of the embrace, grabbing a wing and extending it. "I never thought I'd meet a thestral, though... I don't understand what about you they'd find scary..." She walks behind her and wraps her arms around her, her hand rubbing over her belly and the talons playing with the tuft of fur on her chest. "Personally, I'm just hurt you didn't tell me, before. And who knows how Rhino would react..."
Silk laughs a little as she plays with the fur on her chest. "It's not that big of a deal, hun. I'm still me. It's just easier in most places to live as a normal pegasus. It prevents the staring, the occasional comment, things like that. Honestly, I forget about it myself sometimes, if only because that's how my potion works. I only have to take it once a week. That's another reason I didn't say anything actually, if I tried to tell you, most days it would just be me saying 'Hey, I'm a thestral, but you'll have to suspend your disbelief for a few days until this potion wears off'. Not the smoothest way to deal with it, you understand." She looks down to the griffon claw. "Maybe more than I think."
The unicorn immediately squeaks, pulling her hand away and shifting it back. "Um... i-it was just an illusion?" She sheepishly smiles, holding her close so she wouldn't see her embarrassment.
"Hun..." The batpony calls back to her. "You changed it with fire, and it was crisp and clean. Either you're a flashy yet talented illusionist, or... maybe you're hiding something too?"
She shifts her eyes nervously, trying to decide what to tell her. After a few seconds of uneasy silence, she sighs, holding her hand out in front of her. "Promise you won't tell anyone?"
"Angel... you're my friend, of course I'll promise you that. If it makes you feel better, you sort of have a secret of mine, so this way we're even." Silk smiles, her fangs gleaming a moment.
She sighs, resting her head against the back of her friend's, turning them so they're facing the mirror. "Just... remember that I care for you..." She closes her eyes, the tip of her middle finger apparently catching on fire. The other digits slowly follow suit, the bright blue flames traveling up towards her palm, white fur giving way to navy blue carapace. Before long, her entire hand has changed, and the embers fade away. The teen tenses slightly, waiting for the other's reaction.
Silk's golden hand takes the blue one, her thumb running over the carapace and even to where it transition to blue flesh on the underside. "You know... somehow I had a feeling blue was your color. Admittedly I thought it was with clothes, but I guess I was sort of right."
Angel's eyes pop open in shock, the one now pure-sapphire sphere that's visible staring at the mirror in shock. "Y-you aren't scared? Or disgusted?"
The slitted purple eyes meet the solid blue ones. "Well, I had my suspicions when you transformed your arm, so I had a little time to think about it. You didn't react mad or aggressive when I called you out, so I don't think you mean any harm. It seems to me at least, you're just my friend who was hiding something just like I was."
She sighs softly, tenderly nuzzling her neck. "Thank goodness... I don't think I could stand to have you hate me... anger always makes me feel ill..."
Silk looks at her curiously. "So... you can feel all emotions then? Not just love?"
"Not all of them..." Her chitinous hand moves to rub the soft yellow fur of her belly, her white moving to the tuft of golden fur on her chest. "Just major ones. Love, rage, jubilation, melancholy..." She suddenly cups one of the seamstress's generous mounds, a coy smile on her lips. "Desire... I usually guess what a pony's feeling by what I feel from them..."
"Oh..." A slight pink tinge comes to the mare's cheeks, and not just from the touch. "I guess you sort of knew what was going through my head some of the times we met... huh?"
"I did." Her smooth hand trails further down, teasingly circling just above the mare's treasure. "I also knew how you felt when you saw Rhino. A hint of desire, almost hidden by trepidation." She gently nips her shoulder, giggling as she gives Silk a lidded gaze in the mirror. "I should warn you, though... I'm unique among my kind..."
"Oh?" Silk's leathery wings shuffle from the touches as she smiles back. "How so?"
"Because, among other things..." She leans up, whispering directly into her ear. "Most of us can't change genders."
A shiver runs down the yellow mare's spine as she fantasizes briefly. "You sure you want to compete with the stallion we already have? He seemed pretty hard to beat." Her eyes twinkle mischievously.
"I don't want to compete with him." She smirks, pressing her hips forward against the batpony's flanks. "Besides, I'm a shapeshifter. I can easily match his pride, if I want... down to the last detail."
"Oh... that may be something to consider for some nights..." Something occurs to her. "But look at you, boasting complicated words and openly seducing me, is this a new side of you I'm seeing?"
"I suppose..." She closes her eyes, tenderly nuzzling her neck. "If you consider the real me a 'new side'..."
"Well, I look forward to getting to know you..." Her tufted ears twitch as she hears the sound of a single groan and sheets shifting in the other room. "Umm... what do we do about him? We're both sort of exposed in more ways than one right now. Do we tell him?"
Angel whimpers, holding the older mare closer for comfort. "I-I can't show him my true self... h-he might get mad..."
Silk raises an eyebrow. "What ever would make you think that, hun?"
She stands there for a few seconds, silent. "Because... he knows the real me... or, at least, knew..."
The eyebrow remains raised. "And... that's a bad thing... how?"
"I'm not the same as before..." She gulps, trembling behind her. "I have a job... a rank... if I get discovered..." Her voice trails off, and she takes a shuddering breath before continuing. "I don't want to leave him again... please, don't tell him..."
Doing her best to twist her arms behind her and pat the mare comfortingly, not an easy task, Silk continues. "Hun, didn't you just get technically discovered by me? What's different if he knows too? I'll admit... I'm debating showing him the real me too, if only because I'm having my doubts if I'll be able to get to my bag before he gets a glimpse."
"I... I just..." She bites her lip, unsure what to do. "I don't know..."
Sighing and turning around, the thestral put her hands on Angel's shoulders. "Hun, I'm not saying to go out there and announce it, I'm saying do it calmly, and relaxed. Think of it this way: if your positions were reversed, what would you want him to do?"
"I..." She groans, covering her face. "I'd want him to be honest... and that's why I'm worried..."
Silk looks at her, concerned. "What do you mean, hun?"
"I kept this a secret from him for five days..." The shivering unicorn looks up at her, sapphire eyes shimmering with tears. "W-what if he doesn't forgive me?"
"What's to forgive? You were just being careful and making sure it was him, right? That's perfectly understandable. If nothing else from the time I'm known he, he seems like a reasonable stallion." She pulls Angel into a hug. "If you want, I'll go first."
She silently stands there for a moment before hugging her back, giggling nervously. "Thank you, Silky..."
"You're welcome, Angel. I suppose I'll find out if you have another name soon enough, but why not wait until everything's out in the open?" Her ears flick as a bit more shuffling is heard from the other room. "Shall we go give him the start of an interesting morning? Who knows, if all goes well, we might even end up with that shower idea we had last night. That thought ought to keep your spirits up." She presses the tip of a finger lightly to the unicorn's nose.
She gulps, beads of sweat forming on her brow. "That proposal doesn't do much to lighten my mood, right now... enticing as it is..." She glances at the mirror, wincing slightly. "I guess I should... shift fully before, though... I look kind of odd like this..."
Silk nods. "Well, how did you want to do this? Did you want to walk out with me in your... unicorn form, let him get over the shock of me, then go for you?"
"I... think that'd be best..." She closes her eyes, small wisps of smoke coming out the corners of them. "Wouldn't want him to freak out, would we?"
"Well... maybe in the future, but not right now." She lets go of the younger mare, straightening her fur a bit as one must do after sleeping sometimes. She runs some quick fingers through her hair, checks her wings, then peeks in the mirror. "Well, it's not what I usually look like at the end of my morning routine, but I think this natural look is probably best right now." She does a little pose, putting one hand on the back of her head and the other on her bare hip. "How do I look? Are my fangs protruding evenly?"
Angel giggles, placing her hand on her other hip. "Yes. They make you look even more stunning, sugar." She gently cups the mare's cheek, turning her head and tenderly kissing her. She breaks it after a few seconds, winking playfully at her. "Trust me."
The batpony grins. "Same to you. We're supporting each other. Now, let's go strut our stuff." She heads towards the bathroom door, a sway in her hips.
She bites her lip, her hands twitching slightly. "You're making it really hard for me to not grab your hips and ravage you, Silky." She closes her eyes and, with a burst of flame over her hand, moves to follow the older mare.
They enter the bedroom to see their stallion in a little bit of a different state than they left him in. Instead of peacefully sleeping on his back, he is now curled up on one side, one of the pillows clutched against his chest. His relaxed face reflects more of one that could be woken up easily than one that is out for the night.
Seeing this, Silk turns her head to Angel, motioning towards him and raising a questioning eyebrow as if asking how she thinks they should approach this.
She points to the desk, gesturing for her to wait there. She slowly steps over to the unicorn, a hand held out, and glances over to her friend.
The thestral sits herself on the edge of the desk, crossing her legs and leaning back slightly. Her wings are partially spread and her gaze half-lidded as she nods.
Taking a deep breath, she leans down and gently shakes the emerald stallion's shoulder, whispering softly into his ear. "Rhino, sweetie, it's time to wake up..." She smiles coyly and leans further, stroking circles into his chest fur. "You don't want to miss seeing Silk and I try on underwear, do you?" She playfully nips the tip of his ear.
The ear flicks a few times afterward as a small smile forms on the stallion's face. His chocolate eyes open a moment later, focusing on the mare in front of him. "Good morning..." He says in a sleepy tone.
"Morning." She leans down and kisses him, pulling away and sitting on the edge of the bed. "At least, I think it is..." She glances at the mare on the desk, nodding at the clock behind her wing. "What time is it, sugar?"
Silk turns, shifting her wing a bit so she can see. "Oh, it's only like eight, still early." She turns back to see Rhino looking at her with a strange face, having looked over to her when Angel spoke and not missed the obvious.
He regards her carefully, sitting up with that unreadable expression before speaking. "Well... you don't look quite like I remember..."
The winged pony nods. "Yep, to make a long story that I just told Angel short: I'm a thestral, being a pegasus draws less attention, I drink a potion weekly, with everything we did last night I forgot to take a sip, thus here we are, me being more naked than I have in a while, in all senses of the word."
"Hmm..." With a thoughtful look on his face, the stallion regards her. His eyes flick to Angel, observing her relaxed stance for a moment as well before returning to Silk. "Ok."
Silk's slitted purple eyes blink. "Wait, what? That's it, just...'ok'? No freak out, no questions, no nothing?"
He shrugs. "Not really. It all makes sense to me, and it also doesn't matter to me. If anything, all that really changed about you in my eyes is that you look a little more exotic now. I like your ears by the way."
"Huh... well, that went over easily." She raises a hand and plays with her ear tufts a moment. "And thank you, most tend to focus on the wings, but I like my ears."
He smiles. "You're welcome."
Angel fidgets, tapping her fingers together. "I like her fangs... they're really cute..."
He nods. "Certainly different... on anything else I might not think so, but I can see why you think they're cute on her."
Silk giggles, waving a hand. "Oh, you two..."
"I'm happy you are alright with her, um... surprise. Though..." The smaller mare grimaces, finding the words are sticking in her throat. She turns to her friend, silently begging for her help.
Silk hops off the desk, walking over to Angel and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Our little Angel here has something she'd like to tell you too."
Rhino nods. "Well, I've told her before that I'm a good listener. That still applies."
She takes a shuddering breath, closing her eyes. "This has more to do... with seeing..." Smoke and tears flow from her eyes, and she finds herself choking on the lump of emotions in her throat. "I just hope... you can forgive me..." She sniffles, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand and forcing herself to look at him before she lost her nerve.
The stallion's eyes widen as he sees the pure sapphire ones Angel now has. He stays completely still, the sheet loosely around his waist as he speaks quietly. "You're... a changeling?"
She nods and turns her gaze to the floor, squeezing her eyes shut. "Y-yes... I am..."
All sorts of emotions flicker on his face as his arm raises up in the mental struggle. He pulls it back after a moment, his voice weak. "Please... tell me... have you heard of a female of your kind named Gel?"
She flinches, the fur on her neck standing on end. "Y-you could say that... I know her personally..." She clears her throat, turning to look at him with a sheepish smile. "I-I should point out that we're called nymphs... female changelings, I mean..."
"Noted." He brushes off the fact, getting back to his questions and moving towards her. "Please, if you know, can you tell me where she is?"
"I will... though, to be honest..." She giggles, winking at him. "You already know..."
He sits there, speechless for a moment. "...Gel? If it's you... please... change to your real form... and tell me what you were doing when I first met you."
She blinks, tilting her head to one side. "Why would you want me to talk about picking up garbage, Rhino?" She sticks her tongue out at him. "That doesn't seem very romantic..."
Shakily, one of his hands moves forward towards hers. "It... it's you... please, can you just... change back for me? I need to see you... for you..."
She bites her lip and nods, standing up and pulling away. "J-just to be safe..." She holds out a hand, palm up, as a blue flame appears in it. She smiles softly at him as it slowly moves along her arm, the white fur once again giving way to navy-blue carapace. As it reaches her shoulder, she squeaks, turning away and covering her chest as that morphs, and her tail flips up between her legs and around her side. She shivers softly as her entire upper body finishes the transformation, her blonde hair turning bright blue before him and shortening to the middle of her back.
From Silk's point of view, the nymph's arms inexplicably move closer to her body, and a pair of tiny fangs poke out of her mouth. Her horn curves upwards, and her lips become a bright blue like her hair, the front of her torso following suit. As the fire slowly goes down her legs, they both can see how her hips and flanks become less pronounced, though her tail keeps both the mare and the stallion from seeing between her legs. The fire disperses without warning at her knees, leaving the revealed changeling shivering in the middle of the room. "H-hate the c-cold..."
With her back to him, the nymph doesn't have any time to react as Rhino suddenly spins her around and embraces her. His arms radiate gentleness yet a will to never let her go, as if he is literally pouring out all his emotions that have gathered in the nine years since he last saw her. As his head rests on her shoulder, a single drop travels from his eye to her shoulder as he whispers, feeling as though the single phrase lifted a weight he had borne so long he forgot what it was like without it. "I finally found you..."
She stiffens in shock at the unexpected reaction, but that is soon forgotten as the bottled up love hits her like a tidal wave. She gasps, collapsing into his arms as the intense tingling sensation overtakes her whole body. "O-oh, Rhino... I-I'm so sorry... I wanted to tell you sooner, but..." She trails off into sorrow-filled sobs, crying freely into his shoulder.
The observing thestral on the bed lets out a sniff of her own, wiping a tear away with a finger at the display. She decides to just watch for now, a proud smile on her face.
One of the stallion's hands raises up and starts gently stroking her mane. "Shush... it's alright... I'm just happy, no... happy doesn't begin to describe this... it's just... the best thing in the world to have you back."
"I m-missed you too... I c-can't describe how badly... I wanted to see you again..." She looks up at him, fighting to get her tears to stop falling. "P-please... d-don't let go..."
He leans down, giving her a pure emotional kiss before replying. "I don't ever plan to again."
"T-that's good..." She giggles, her eyes shining with happiness. "Though I mainly meant right now... I, um, c-can't feel my body..."
He pauses, still holding onto her. "Umm... what?"
She lowers her head, her cheeks turning a tint brighter. "Love causes t-tingling, and... t-that was a lot of love, just then..."
A small tittering sound comes from the bed. "Way to go, big boy, at this rate you'll be able to make her lose feeling in her legs just by looking at her."
The nymph turns to her friend, pouting softly. "Not helping, Silky... nor was the flashlight against my belly..." She pauses, brow furrowing as she thinks over her words. "When... when did we bring a flashlight into bed? And one that big, to boot? Unless..." Her eyes widen in realization. "O-oh... r-right..."
Rhino clears his throat awkwardly. "Right, sorry about that... Want me to bring you somewhere until you can feel yourself again?"
Silk calls out again from the bed. "Such a gentlecolt, taking care of you in one of your most vulnerable moments."
She gives her a flat stare before turning to their stallion, smiling playfully. "Is it wrong for me to request that you fuck her until she can't walk, again? And lay me down on the bed, if you'd be so kind... but, um, p-please don't move my arms from my chest..."
He slides one arm down her back to behind her knees, lifting her up bridal-style. "We'll deal with her in a moment. As for your arms... Why, is something wrong?"
Gel nervously bites her lip, shaking her head. "J-just... let me have time to mentally prepare myself..."
"Alright." He turns around and walks to the bed, gingerly setting her down on it before rounding on Silk. The thestral lets out a squeak of nervousness at the sight of his expression, thinking he was going to make good on Gel's suggestion, but all he does is touch her nose with a finger. "You be nice."
She giggles, nodding. "Alright alright sir gallant protecting knight. I was just teasing, but maybe I'll save it for later." She peeks around him to look at Gel. "How's it feel, hun?"
"Like my body was dipped in ice... that is somehow very warm..." She turns her head to the batpony, a twinkle in her eye. "And, despite your teasing, I'm still willing to share our favorite stallion... if you let him give you that wing-massage before we go shopping." She glances at the clock. "I'd suggest as soon as possible, considering that there's going to be somepony else joining us."
Silk's tail flicks for a moment, her expression calculating. "And should I expect anything extra with this plus one we'll have for our shopping trip today?"
Rhino mutters as he stretches his back. "I certainly hope not..."
"Probably not..." She shrugs slightly, grimacing briefly before continuing. "She seems to already have somepony... and, honestly, I just don't feel the same connection as I have with you two..."
"Good to know we're special to you, hun." Silk says as her eyes go back to their normal tone. "But I'm not sure I can get myself a massage while you lay there all cold and not able to move... Hmm... how to get around all these problems..." She thinks for a moment, her eyes wandering from Gel to Rhino to the bed to the bathroom.
"You two go ahead and start the shower..." She tries to wave a hand, but ends up flapping it limply. "I'll join you once everything's working properly... I even give you permission to actually have some 'fun' without me..."
The stallion shakes his head. "No way. You aren't leaving my sight for a while, especially not in your state." He picks up the changeling again, Silk giving an approving nod as she saunters into the bathroom, the sounds her her getting out the shower supplies ringing out a moment later. "You are coming with us."
"What? Why?" She frowns, looking up at him. "I-I can't stand like this. I'd only get under your hooves. B-besides..." She glances towards the door of the bathroom, dropping her voice low for him to hear her. "I know how you feel about her... the curiosity - the hint of desire - you have for her body... the time alone was supposed to be a... gift, of sorts..."
He looks at her softly before leaning down and kissing her again. A loving nuzzle follows as he speaks. "I got the greatest gift in a decade this morning, no others are necessary. The thing with Silk... I'll be honest, she's nice, and she's attractive, but I haven't sorted out exactly where I stand on her yet. But, I know that you like her, and I don't want her to think she was used last night, especially with what she trusted us with this morning. I said we could talk in the morning about where we all stand, and we shall, but for now..." He gives her yet another kiss. "Let's just go enjoy a shower, including you."
Gel blinks, unable to think of a way to respond to his words. She pouts softly, letting her head bow. "I suppose you have a point... I'm going to argue for her to join our little family, though..."
"I had a feeling you might, and I'll probably listen. I still need to work it all out in my head though." He looks curiously down to her hooves, noting that from the knee down she is still Angel. "Why didn't you change all the way?"
"Um... because I didn't want to set the carpet on fire?" She nervously smiles, her body shifting slightly in discomfort.
He raises an eyebrow and shifts the arm under her knees so that her legs kick a little. "You could have lifted them up... and they're free now."
"I'm also numb... so I can't tell if they're morphing properly..." She sticks her tongue out at him. "Your move, sweetie."
He just smiles, nuzzling her again before heading into the bathroom where Silk has just started the water. The purple-winged thestral smiles at them. "I was wondering how long it would take to get you two in here." She looks down at the changeling in the stallion's arms. "Aww... still not feeling well, hun? Don't worry, we'll take good care of you." She winks before sliding behind the curtain into the tub/shower combo.
Her eyes widen as she notices the rising water level, and she squirms in the stallion's grip. "T-this is a shower, right? N-not a bath?" She looks from one pony to the other, hoping for an answer from either of them.
The mare giggles. "Well, technically since this is a tub, it can do both, but I don't think we have enough time for a nice soak all three of us would enjoy." She bends over, plucking the plug out of the drain which quickly lets the excess water out. "Bring her in when you're ready big boy."
Rhino looks down to Gel questioningly.
She nervously laughs, pulling her arms tighter to her chest. "I-It's nothing, love..." She immediately catches what she said, squeaking in embarrassment. "Um... I-I mean..."
He cuts her off with a kiss, resting his forehead against hers afterward. He whispers three simple words into her ear. "Love you too."
Her heart flutters at these, the words she'd been waiting for so long to hear. She giggles excitedly, her legs stretching straight out as she catches his lips for a more passionate one, never moving her arms the whole time.
The yellow and purple pony watching their blurred shapes from the other side of the cloudy shower curtain waits until they take a breath before she calls to them. "You know you can do that in here, right?"
"Yes, but then my mane would get in the way." The nymph laughs brightly, nodding towards the shower. "Shall we join her, stud?"