//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7: Feelings 
// Story: The Unicorn with Fire on Her Flank 
// by Noradora 
//------------------------------//

Suddenly Wisp felt considerably less at peace than before. The word that came to mind now was "antsy."

She could try to deny what was going on, what she was feeling, but she knew these sensations well. Of course, it could just be a spur of the moment thing, feelings and thoughts encouraged by chance, but... No. No, it felt like more than that. The preceding sequence of events had helped, but Wisp got the feeling that this wasn't all that new.

The question was when. She had never really noticed herself thinking about Cloudchaser in that way, besides today's idle musings, but... Twinkleshine. She must have noticed something, considering the way she'd been acting lately. The smaller unicorn always had been more observant than she.

Which led to another question: Just what had she noticed? What specifically didn't actually matter, but from whom. Had it just been signs she herself had given off without knowing, or had the little mare noticed something from Cloudchaser as well?

If Cloudchaser had made any such tells, what might they have been? Shouldn't she have noticed? Maybe it was all the teasing, but... Flitter told her that her sister was that way with everypony, and Wisp had seen it herself, especially with Twinkleshine. Then again, the rowdy pegasus seemed to pick more on her than anypony else. But was that just how their relationship was, or was it an indication that she wanted more?

One thing was for sure. Well... Two. First, the day had taken a decisive turn for the awkward. Second... Cloudchaser probably didn't have the capacity to hide such feelings on purpose if she did have them.

Probably. She was no Rarity, but the persian blue pegasus wasn't as clueless a pony as someone like Rainbow Dash.

Dammit, why am I freaking out so much about this, anyway? It's not like—

"Well, it's been a little while. You got that spell ready?"

And just like that, her train of thought was destroyed. How long has it been? Does she suspect? Why am I so blushy?

Clearing her throat and licking her dried lips, and trying her best to keep her voice level, Wisp responded, "Y-yeah, sure, just give me a sec. Go ahead and pick a cloud."

She was glad for the distraction of casting the spell on herself—a little mental flex and a moment's concentration—but it was all too temporary. She took to testing how many houses she could count before they could reach the rather large, fluffy nimbus of a cloud they were heading towards.

The answer, as it turned out, was twelve.

Cloudchaser quietly touched down on the cloud's surface, having already slowed down to a more casual speed. Of course, it was a cloud, so the landing would have been quiet either way, but... Wisp was failing to distract herself efficiently.

Regardless, Cloudchaser made sure that the cloud was solid under her passenger's hooves, as well, before allowing her to fully disembark. Satisfied that the spell was working, she trotted a few feet away on the white, pillowy surface before plopping down on her stomach. Wisp noted with some interest that she sank a small ways into the cloud as she did so.

"Ahhh... That feels great." Pulling up onto her forelegs after a few moments like that and sitting properly, Cloudchaser admitted, "Okay, so maybe I could use a little break. Not really used to flying for two."

Somehow, Wisp's mind had quieted down a bit, at least for now. Deciding that she was content just sitting on her haunches, she found herself slipping into a familiar rhythm: "Yes, or maybe you could just use more exercise."

Her pegasus friend quietly snickered. "Maybe you're right, or... Maybe you're just too heavy."

The unicorn scoffed. "You're lucky I'm not just some dainty, sensitive flower, or I'd throw you off the cloud for that."

"You'd throw me off anyway, since I can just fly back up."

"Don't tempt me, now."

The usual shared laugh, soon replaced by fond smiles. The familiar lull in conversation as they recovered and took the time to think of something more productive to say. It was a scenario she had grown quickly accustomed to, and with her little realization not long ago... Wisp wasn't sure what to make of it. Of what she wanted to make of it. She was questioning a number of things right about now.

Cloudchaser was the first one to speak up again. "So... What do you think? Of flying."

Wisp rolled her eyes as her face twisted up with a giddy laugh, and she opted to finally lay down as well. "Are you kidding? That was amazing. The view was great and all, but it was so... exciting, and liberating. You could go anywhere you want, at any time." Softly poking at her horn, she added, "I'd almost be willing to give this up for a pair of wings."

The pony across from her raised an eyebrow in exaggerates suspicion. "Exciting? You didn't seem all that excited to me."

"Well, I was more focused on what I could see most of the time. Because that part was just as great. Most of my excitement came and went when I was still worried about falling off."

After a pause, she added, "But what, aren't you gonna say anything about trading my horn away? No smug-but-not-really jokes?"

"Well... I do suppose I can't blame you. Being a pegasus is pretty great and all."

The way her lips curled up into that lopsided smirk, the way her eyes twinkled... Wisp was—

Hold up. Was she really going to get all dopey and start dwelling on every little thing Cloudchaser did, now that she realized the way she made her feel? And for that matter, what exactly was she feeling? She hadn't had any time to process this; she still wasn't sure if it was a passing interest or something else.

Whatever it was, should she act on it? Sure, she wanted to, but... Taking interest in a friend made things complicated.

She did know one thing, at least. Clouds were cold.

She had only been laying down a couple minutes, and the chill was getting to her. Closer to the ground it probably would have been better, since the heat radiating off the ground would do more to warm the tufts of vapor, but way up here, in the middle of spring, it was pretty chilly. 

Her discomfort must have shown, because Cloudchaser was looking sympathetic. "Oh, right. I sometimes forget most ponies can't keep themselves quite as warm as a pegasus can." Extending her left wing and patting the patch of cloud beside her with it, she beckoned Wisp to join her. "C'mere. I can keep you warm."

It had never occurred to her before then just how mature Cloudchaser's voice sounded. It wasn't particularly feminine, of course, but it did sound very... womanly to her. Low and confident, not high and airy like her sister's. Wisp wasn't sure which was making her blush more: the sudden attraction to her voice, or the offer to cozy up together.

Under her wing...

Blinking herself out of her trance (shaking her head would have been too conspicuous), Wisp coughed. "Are you sure?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm sure. I can't just let you start shivering over there."

She gulped. "Alright, then..."

She picked herself up off the "ground" and slowly trotted to her friend's side. Perhaps a little too slowly, but she made it over just the same, and quietly settled beside her as she laid back down. Her anxiety jumped when Cloudchaser's wing wrapped around her, but was soon enough forgotten as the cold melted away.

Of course, the cloud itself was still cool, but two ponies' body heat did more to warm their particular seat in the sky, and the warmth emanating from Cloudchaser let her easily forget there had been a problem in the first place. Not to mention how warm and fuzzy the simple contact made her feel... If there had been any doubt before that pegasi enticed her, it was gone now.

Still, with everything that was going on in her head, Wisp couldn't manage to shake off her blush. In an effort to hide it—even knowing full well it would simultaneously make it worse—she leaned her head against Cloudchaser's and nuzzled into her. After all, good friends did stuff like this all the time. She did as much with Twinkleshine, and it never meant anything. This was exactly the same... Yes. Exactly the same.

A word or two from her newfound crush pulled her out of her muddled thoughts. "You comfy?"

Not entirely trusting her mouth at the moment, Wisp simply replied, "Mhm."

"Good. This is what wings are really for, if you ask me."

She suspected she knew exactly what the mare was saying, but pressed her to continue anyway. "What do you mean?"

Squeezing Wisp a little closer, Cloudchaser explained, "Obviously wings are meant for flying, but I think they're even better for, you know, intimate stuff like this. There's nothing quite like a winghug, yeah? Plus I can keep my favorite ponies warm."

She's right. There really is nothing quite like... winghugs...

Wisp took a moment to simply bask in her friend's embrace. She felt a little guilty for enjoying it more than the pegasus knew, but it's not like she was about to shout "you wanna go out?" in the middle of... this.

Before long, though, her mind latched onto something as she turned her eyes over to Cloudchaser. She could only see the mare's muzzle when she asked, "Favorite ponies?"

Judging by how her mouth hung open a bit and how she licked her lips, it seemed that she hadn't quite meant to use that choice of words.

"Well... Yeah. You're the best friend I've had since Thunderlane."

Wisp could feel the pegasus' heart rate rise as she fed her that little morsel. It was cute, she thought. She couldn't go making any wild guesses, now, that maybe they were both going through the same thing, but it would be very much like Cloudchaser to simply be embarrassed at expressing her feelings so openly.

Of course, such a pony would soon need something with which to distract her companion, as well as herself.

"Oh, and, you know... Twinkleshine is alright, too."

Even if it had just been to benefit her flightful friend, she would still have laughed. Just as she would still have said what she did next.

"And you're the best friend I've had since Twinkleshine. I..." She looked in some direction away from Cloudchaser in her shame. "I've never had many friends. I always scare them off. Twink is the only one who's stuck with me through it all, and even then I fear I've almost driven her away before. Honestly, I..."

Why am I saying all this? All it ever does is make me...

Already her eyes were becoming wet. There was no coming storm, no passionate waterworks, as she had cried those tears many times already. Only a single raindrop made its way out and slid down her face.

"Sometimes I'm afraid I'll scare you girls off, too."

Cloudchaser promptly tugged Wisp closer, and was now the one nuzzling her yet again. The way she was doing it, she would have been able to see the unicorn's earlier blush, but that didn't matter now.

"We're not gonna leave you, Wisp. I get that you really fly off the handle sometimes, and it'll be tough. But it's been pretty good so far, right? And even if it'll be hard... Well, I think you're worth it."

Wisp pulled away to look her in the eyes. "Cloudchaser..."

The pegasus only grinned, tilting her head affectionately as she continued. "You're a great mare, Wisp. Anypony should be proud to know you."

There was no way she could hide her blush now, but this time she didn't mind. Maintaining eye contact too long at a time like this, though, would just delude her with romantic fantasies...

So she laughed out a "Since when are you so serious and charming?" as she returned to leaning against her increasingly dear friend.

Cloudchaser barked out a laugh of her own. "Well, it's 'cuz you've got me alone. When I'm around my sis, I guess I'm usually in a more jokey mood, you know? Something about being in a group setting."

Wisp blushed at what she was about to say. She almost couldn't believe she was actually going to say it. 

"I'd like to get—"

Okay, putting it that way is just asking for trouble.

She cleared her throat. "I'd like to see this side of you more often. It kind of feels like I'm only just now getting to really know you."

"Heh, sorry about that." Pulling up her foreleg to ruffle her unicorn friend's mane, Cloudchaser said, "Just stick around, little pony. You'll get to see plenty."

She could have blushed at how suggestive that might sound. At how submissive she felt in this position. Bounced around the walls in her mind like a schoolfilly, wondering if Cloudchaser had meant what she'd hope she meant. But no, that wouldn't have done her any justice. It wouldn't have done justice to either of them. Wisp understood her words for what they were: a heartfelt promise that she had a true friend by her side, and that she would never leave her.

Maybe there could be something more, there, but now wasn't the time to go looking for that. To go into whatever song and dance to try and ascertain the mare's possible feelings,  or the opposite. To just... blurt it out. Neither felt appropriate, not right now.

Instead, she just nuzzled her friend again, heart still swelling, and shifted around into a more comfortable position. They both laid like that for a while, finally remembering that there was a sky full of color and clouds to behold. They simply basked in nature's beauty for a time, neither saying a word. It was kind of cheesy, Wisp thought, but cheesy could be very good. If it meant getting to feel the way she did right now, she didn't care how cheesy things got.

That was her final thought before drifting off to sleep.


—————————


Cloudchaser was slowly drawn from her slumber by a certain grumbling unicorn. By the sounds of it, she had just woken up as well and was arguing with herself about something. Unfortunately, it was nothing intelligible.

Either way, they were both up now. The pegasus let her presence be known with a long, gaping yawn as she pulled her head up off the heavenly pillow otherwise known as a "cloud," and decided to complete it with a couple smacks of the lips. For dramatic effect, you understand.

True to what she had once heard, the yawn proved infectious, and Wisp now found herself experiencing one of her own.

"Ahhh... Dammit, Cloudchaser, why'd you have to go and do that?"

The pony in question chuckled. "What, you got something against yawning?"

Wisp's face got all serious as she tried to explain, "No, not really, but... Shut up."

Heh. Well, if she was gonna be that way...

"You know, I don't see what the big deal is. You're pretty cute when you yawn."

As usual, the unicorn's cheeks flushed red under her dark coat. She even stammered a little, too. She often reacted similarly to such compliments, but she had been acting a little strange today, a bit more vulnerable to such things ever since they took off. So, as she had expected, she reacted more strongly than usual. Something about the hour or so of close contact must have messed with her head—Cloudchaser was one hot piece of tail, after all.

Once her friend quieted back down, she decided it was a good time to strike again. Wisp had seemed pretty impressed with her not-so-frivolous demeanor, but they were both freshly out of their sleep. What kind of friend would she be if she didn't help her to really wake up?

Besides, she had meant what she said. Wisp could be really cute sometimes. That included yawning, as well as generally just being embarrassed.

"Hmm. You know, I wonder... Do you remember that one time you woke up and freaked out about having two sexy pegasi in your bed?"

The poor mare locked up as the memory played back in her mind. Cloudchaser had personally very much enjoyed that morning; she hadn't had that good a laugh waking up in a long time.

And then the unicorn facehoofed. "I knew I'd never hear the end of that..." Blush still refreshed and burning bright, she glowered at her recent sleeping partner. "Where'd the sexy, serious Cloudchaser go? I want her back."

"Oh, she's still here, don't worry. I just couldn't resist. Besides, would I really still be me if I didn't tease you at all?"

With a face displaying both fondness and exasperation, Wisp sighed, "No... No, I guess not."

Not long after that, Cloudchaser's company gave a shiver. They must have been asleep for a couple hours, because the sun was hanging low in the sky, painting everything shades of brilliant yellow and orange, which meant the clouds were receiving less heat. And less heat, naturally, meant more cold. She herself, as a pegasus, was built to resist cold weather, and with the wings on top of that, she felt just fine despite being well aware of the chill. Wisp, though, even with all her lean muscle and athleticism, was still a unicorn and lacked the constitution of either other pony race.

"Why did you have to bring us up so high, anyway?" She asked. "It's so cold..."

"Oh, that." Pulling her wing away to fluff out her feathers, she renewed the winghug and tried to explain. "Well... I could've stayed lower, but you didn't seem to want ponies seeing us and getting any funny ideas. Only way anypony would notice us up here is if they were already flying around anyway, which is how Dash found us. So..."

The darker mare shook her head. "You can be really thoughtful when you want to, you know."

Baring her teeth in a trademark goofy smile, Cloudchaser joked, "What, are you saying I usually don't think?"

"Sometimes I wonder..." she heard in reply.

She stifled a giggle at Wisp's wry grin. If you couldn't laugh at yourself, after all, what right did you have to laugh at anyone?

Right about then, Wisp seemed to finally notice just how much time had passed. Cloudchaser didn't understand why she suddenly got all tense, but decided to just wait for her to say something. She'd probably explain it on her own.

"Just... how long have we been up here?"

The pegasus gave a shrug she couldn't see. "I dunno. Going by the sun's position when we took off, it was around three-'o-clock. We did fly around for a while, then had our little talk and tell asleep. It's probably been about... Four or five hours." When Wisp buried her face in both hooves, she started to get a little concerned. "Why, is there a problem?"

Her friend didn't look up. "No, not really, it's just that... You heard what Flitter said, and you know how Twinkleshine is. If we come back this late, they'll totally think it was a date."

"Would that be so bad?"

Wisp gave her a look. A look that said such a grave loss of her dignity would indeed be very bad.

"Okay, okay, just hear me out. If we just blow it off as a simple 'date' between friends, which it was, then what can they really say?"

"Oh, I'm sure they could come up with something. They're almost worse as a pair than you and Flitter are."

"Heheh, you got me there... But still, it's worth a try. And we don't really have any other options, do we?"

"I suppose not."

Wisp then took a look down at the cloud between her hooves and mouthed something. If Cloudchaser didn't know better, it looked something like "just friends," but she didn't have time to dwell on it.

"Can I, uh... Just ask one thing?"

"'Course."

"Could we, er... That is..."

Cloudchaser graciously allowed her a moment to gather herself.

"All, um... This. The nuzzling and the cuddling and the sleeping..." Again with the blushing. "Can we keep it a secret? Again, you know they'd blow it out of proportion..."

"Of course. All this up here is just between you and me. I won't tell a soul."

Wisp gave her another look. One she couldn't quite discern the meaning of. She had been getting plenty of those in the last few hours, she'd noticed.

"Thank you, Cloudchaser."

"Psh, it's nothing. Anyway, you're still feeling cold, right? Let's go ahead and get back home."

The searchpony-turned-bouncer got another funny look, like she didn't want to leave. Cloudchaser empathized. They hadn't spent all that much time alone since they'd met, just the two of them, and she had greatly enjoyed finally getting to. ut with the cold and the conspirators, it seemed like that time was up... For now. Besides...

"Oh yeah, don't you have work soon?"

"Oh, hayseed!"


—————————


Wisp made it into Sun's Flank with minutes to spare. Or at least, that's what it felt like. She didn't actually have to work until nine, but she liked to arrive an hour early to have some dinner, or at least a drink, and just hang around before technically getting to work.

Cloudchaser had gotten her there fast as a speeding... pegasus. The trip from the cloud had only taken a minute or two, and she'd actually only just hopped off Cloudchaser's back. She could still feel the cold of the wind and the warmth of the pony beneath her... And speaking of warmth, now that she had a moment to separate herself from the... date, her stomach was exploding into butterflies.

We said it was just a friend date, but... That was such a date! Since when can Cloudchaser be so romantic? Everything was so...

Perfect? Not quite, but it came close. All it had been missing was a...

Kiss? Holy horseapples, am I thinking about kissing her now?

If the image suddenly permeating her mind was any indication, yes. Yes, she was.

She shook it off, trying to grab ahold of herself. At the least, she couldn't just walk into her place of work drooling all over the floor. Alright, just calm down. So I like Cloudchaser... I think. But this is all so sudden. I don't even really know what I want. I don't know what *she* would want. Would she even want a relationship? Or would she just...

...No. That was going a little too far. Cloudchaser was her friend. She couldn't start thinking that way just because she was feeling a little blushy today.

...But then, hadn't it been Cloudchaser and her sister who had told her she should relax and "enjoy the scenery"? Granted, they'd been drunk, but...

I need a drink.

Cantering past the booths and tables of ponies, Wisp took a seat at the bar and banged on the counter with a hoof. "Cider, please."

As ever, Ginny was busy polishing something. Right now, it was an empty glass. Wisp could never tell if she was actually cleaning out glasses, or rubbing down the same one over and over as an excuse to keep her eyes on the place. Bartenders could be funny that way.

Her eyes lit up as she realized who had joined her, setting her glass and cloth to the side. "Hey, Wisp. Sure you don't want your usual? We have some fresh strawberries in today, straight from the orchard."

The darker unicorn shook her head. "No thanks, I'm in the mood for cider tonight. The good stuff. Sweet Apple Acres, if you have it."

"Like we'd carry any other brand," the other mare said with a bemused roll of the eyes. "Hard cider, coming right up. But why? Something happen?"

Not for the first time that day, Wisp's ears started feeling warm. Should she say anything? She was a little afraid of what she might say, but... If she could trust anyone to lend an ear and keep a secret, it was Ginny.

"Well, I... I have a lot on my mind. Today was kind of... weird."

"One of those days, huh? Tell me about it." As the barmare levitated over her customer and coworker's mug of cold, fresh apple cider and went back to polishing. The fresh stuff, too. Wisp couldn't really understand why ponies would get so upset at the Apples for running out when they could just have a cold one later...

"Seriously, tell me about it. If I remember right, you've learned not to bottle things up too much."

Well... She was asking for it.

After taking a good, long sip of her drink, Wisp said, "Well, uh... I think I have a crush on Cloudchaser."

A shadow passed over Ginny's face, but it was quickly replaced with her nonchalance. It had come and gone so quickly that Wisp almost wondered if she had seen it at all. Either way, in the short time she'd known her, she had found that getting anything out of this particular unicorn when she didn't want you to could be difficult, to say the least. Maybe that was why she was named after a card game... Either way, she let it fade from her mind.

"Oh. Is that all? The way you're talking, I figured you'd had a run-in with Hugh Jelly or something."

"...Who?"

"You don't wanna know." Taking a moment to spit in the glass—yeah, probably just an excuse—she continued, "So... Cloudchaser."

Wisp gulped, looking down into the depths of her drink. "Yeah... Cloudchaser..." Looking up at her, she finally relented. "Lately I've been feeling weird, Ginny. Like I want to be with somepony, but yet I've turned away everyone who shows any interest in me. After today, I'm wondering... Maybe it's because I've been wanting her all this time."

The olive-eyed barmare looked inside her precious glass, likely sorting through thoughts of her own. "And what makes you think that, exactly?"

"Well, for starters, it didn't take much for me to get all embarrassed earlier. I told you how Twinkleshine's been acting lately, so there's that, and then all Flitter had to say was something about coming home before bedtime to get me all flustered."

Before she could even register the uncomprehending look on her friend's face, it occurred to her that she hadn't even mentioned the date yet, or the context of it. She quickly explained away the details so she could get back to the point.

"So we were just flying around, and everything was fine, but then Rainbow Dash showed up and thought we were dating. After that, I just... Haven't been able to get it out of my head. She was just being so sweet today, Ginny, and so serious. It was like a whole 'nother side of her. No matter what I do, I just can't get rid of these butterflies... But I don't know if—"

Her bartender held up a hoof. "Wisp, look at me. You're telling me you can't stop thinking about her, and that she's making it hard for you to think straight. Right?"

"Y-yeah..."

Ginny nodded. "Then no buts. You may not have realized it before, but you definitely like her. That's all there is to it. Don't get so caught up trying to define it."

She's right... I like her. I think I really like her, even if it took me a while to notice it. It feels good to just accept that. But...

"But should I act on it?"

"Are you really asking me that?"

Wisp gave her a confused look. "What do you mean?"

Setting the eternally-polished drinking glass aside again, Ginny looked right at her. "I get that you can be a complicated mare, but why are you being so hesitant? The Wisp I know is a mare of action."

"That's true, but it's different when it comes to stuff like this. Especially when..."

"Especially when you're still torn up a bit about your last relationship? Wondering if you did something wrong, brought it on yourself?"

Wisp had no response for that. She did, however, manage a little nod.

"Well, I wasn't there. Maybe you did mess something up with that other pegasus. But even if you did, you're a good pony, Wisp. Just like I said before. You're aware that you're not perfect, and that's enough. You don't need to hold back because you're afraid of messing up again."

Again, the Canterlot native didn't know what to say.

"You're sure?"

"Well..." Wisp wasn't sure she liked that tone. What could be the problem now?

"I'm not sure if Cloudchaser would be the best choice for a partner. No offense."

"Why do you say that?"

"Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against her, and I'm not saying you should forget about her. It's just that most of the relationships she gets into... don't really work out."

At her bouncer's inquisitive look, she admitted, "Well, I don't really know any details, just that they tend not to last long. I figure her sister would be able to tell you more about it than I could."

Wisp chewed on that for a while, and dug back into her cider. Maybe not the best food for thought, an alcoholic drink, but it wasn't that hard, and she couldn't just let it go to waste.

So Cloudchaser's relationships didn't last very long. That didn't mean it would be the same this time, assuming anything were to happen between them, but it was something to keep in mind. Maybe they shared a similar problem with unstable relationships; when it came to dating, Wisp seemed to have a way of scaring ponies off before too long, and not just because of her usual issues. Again, maybe Shooting Star had been right and she simply got too clingy. Although, Cloudchaser didn't seem like the type to get too attached too quickly... Hm.

She pondered it a bit longer, but really, did it matter? As Ginny would tell her, she already knew what she was going to do. If Cloudchaser had any little quirks or issues when it came to relationships, she would cross that bridge when she came to it.

She liked Cloudchaser, and she was going to do something about it.

"...Thanks, Ginny."

The eponymous mare's eyes twinkled as she heard the familiar fire in her friend's voice. "What, have you decided what you're gonna do?"

Bearing a confident grin, Wisp declared, "Well, you know me. I already know what I'm going to do. All that's left is to do it."

"Heh." Gin Rummy picked back up her rubbing glass with an olive flash of her horn and returned to... whatever she was actually doing with it. "That's what I like to hear."

It was stupid, and unnecessary, but looking down at her drink, feeling her heart swell in her chest, she downed what remained of her cider in one swig. Right now, at this moment, she felt like she could take on the world. Even if she knew part of that was the cider talking and the rest was being high on... like.

Thumping her empty mug against the bar, Wisp smiled at her bartender. And, as she'd been very aware for a while now, her friend. "Thanks, Ginny. I was all over the place before you straightened me out."

"Eh," the crimson unicorn waved off, "I hardly even did anything.

"Maybe, but I needed a friend, and you fit the bill. Twinkleshine may have set me straight, if I actually told her about it, but... I'm glad it was you."

Fortunately for Ginny, her red coat made it much more difficult for ponies to see her blushing. "Pfft. Really, it's nothing. You'd do the same for me."

Wisp thought on that for a second. "You know... You're right." Looking around as she continue along whatever line of thought this was, she said, "I haven't really thought about it before, but I never really see you outside of this place. I think that's a shame. What kind of friends only see each other at work?"

Ginny grinned at the pony across from her. "What are you getting at, silly mare?"

"I'm saying I think we should hang out sometime. I might be a little busy with relationship stuff here soon," she said, barely restraining a giggle at the thought. "But I still think we could do to start seeing each other more often. I could always use a little more Gin in my diet, after all."

Gin Rummy laughed at her friend, told her she agreed, that she thought that it was a great idea. She felt lucky that Wisp herself felt this way, as she herself had wondered if they'd really become anything more than coworkers and passing acquaintances.

Soon Wisp headed off, saying she was in the mood to start her shift early, and walked over to her usual spot by the door. The fiery unicorn had been told she didn't have to actually sit in that corner all the time, but the bartender supposed it was an effective way of reminding everypony she was there.

She never did notice the sad eyes following her to her station.

And she probably would never have noticed, anyway, as she was soon quite distracted by her friend Twinkleshine traipsing over to join her. In humorous contrast with her earlier attitude, Wisp's eyes bugged out and she almost recoiled from the sight of the pink-haired, bright-eyed mare.

"T... Twink?"

She knew the way Twinkleshine was looking at her. It was THAT look.

"Yeeees~?"

Wisp thrust her face into her hooves. Unfortunately, hooves being the cruel things they were, they only offered her a moment's respite.

This was not going to be fun.