//------------------------------// // Midnight Hunter // Story: Scattered Seeds // by Istaran //------------------------------// [So.. what did I do wrong?] Midnight Hunter thought to Midnight Oil. [Why don't you start with what you did, and we'll narrow it down from there? If you tell your subnet to give me permission, I can just peruse your memory... less likely you'll skip something important that way,] Midnight replied. She failed to hide her excitement at going over every juicy detail. [Alright, hold on... how do I?... okay, got it. Still getting used to this interface. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's super easy. I am just constantly expecting it to be harder than it is,] Hunter replied. If Moonbeam hadn't run out on him, he might consider being more close-lipped with the details, but right now he needed help or there would be no relationship to keep private. [Okay, give me a minute,] she replied. After almost exactly a minute, which felt like a week, she continued. [Okay, so first thing. She's jealous. Simple as that. I think it's because she thinks your more attracted to Mirror than her, and she's just your consolation prize.] [What? That's exactly backwards! Mirror was just a meaningless little bit of sex. I love Moonbeam! I just wanted to make everything go just right with us, and not rush things. I wanted things to last,] he objected. [Don't lie to yourself, or to me. I know you had feelings for Mirror, I saw them in your memories. And Mirror's a changeling; he would have felt them too, and so would she through him. Through senses she doesn't have experience interpreting. She wouldn't have noticed nuances. I know... I know you only even had feelings for him at all because of the sex, but she doesn't know that. She just knows he was good enough to rut after you had just met, but she wasn't good enough to make a move on even after a lovely morning together and all of your shared history,] Midnight countered. There was silence for several seconds before Hunter sheepishly came back with [so what do I do now?] [I'll talk to her, try to get you one more chance, but that's the most you'll get. You'd better start making plans. Let's make it tomorrow morning, okay? Gives her a little time to cool off, but not enough time to get cold. You've got to woo her like your entire future depends on it, then seduce her until the sun goes down. Okay? You've got the kingsblood now, so no excuses like 'I can't get it up again!' Talk to Stud Muffin if you need pointers. In fact, you need pointers. Mirror gave you a good start, but you need to be better for her than you ever were for my little changeling. Got it?] [Care to talk about it?] Midnight asked Moonbeam without preface. As predicted, the lunar pegasus had no trouble guessing what the context was. [I'm guessing you've been talking to Midnight Hunter?] she replied. [Yeah. You've got a pretty foalish colt on your hooves, but he seems sweet enough,] Midnight began. [He's not on my hooves anymore. If you want him you can have him,] Moonbeam huffed. [You don't mean that... do you? With Mirror in exile...] Midnight subtly slipped some teasing threads of thought into the message, ensuring Moonbeam's mind would in fact go there. [Ugh. MIRROR! What's so great about her anyways?!] Moonbeam screamed in exasperation. Midnight thought she heard the mare cry out loud indistinctly in the distance, but couldn't be sure. ['He'. I know he's a changeling and all, but he prefers to self-identify as male, and it's kind of rude to contradict that, especially privately amongst ourselves. I know that might change someday, especially if he meets the right stallion, but that will be then and this is now,] she corrected. ['He'. It's kind of hard to think of the mare that stole my stallion's heart as a 'he',] Moonbeam countered. [He didn't steal Hunter's heart, just borrowed his shaft for a bit. Believe me, it's a very male thing to do. I know our society doesn't really accept these kinds of things, but stallions really like to have sex, and aren't always so keen on the romance. They especially would rather bed more than one mare if they could, but few would volunteer to put themselves through the wringer of trying to court more than one at once. Especially not if they're going to get all jealous, like you,] she said pointedly. [So I'm supposed to feel better because my stallion is a slut who still wouldn't put out when his time with me came?] Moonbeam asked just as pointedly. [You mean, because he liked you enough to want to have a real relationship with you first before plowing your fields, rather than scrabbling to put it together afterwards? Look, I know this is my fault. I like sex as much as any stallion, and I thought you'd like to enjoy that little romp since Mirror was using your likeness. I didn't really think through what it would mean for you and Hunter. I owe you all an apology for making everything weird for you. And I really want to thank you both for helping Mirror get out of there alive and well,] Midnight said. Moonbeam was silent for a while before letting a sigh cross their connection. [You think I'm overreacting, don't you?] [I think your emotions got out ahead of your thoughts, and you were gone before they could catch up. I also know you still have feeling for Hunter or you wouldn't have referred to him as 'my stallion' repeatedly in the last few minutes. Now, I want you to take the day to yourself, and focus on your work during your shift tonight, but tomorrow morning Hunter is going to take you on another date, and you're going to make the most of it, and forgive him to his face, and give him one last chance to seduce you, okay?] [I don't know,] Moonbeam said, hesitantly, but she couldn't help but let slip that she was wavering. [Yes you do,] Midnight Oil insisted. [I just wish you were less jealous so we could share him. But I'll be good,] she promised. As predicted, Moonbeam's jealousy flared a bit again. [Keep your hooves off of my stallion. Surely you can get your own.] [I don't really want to sleep with anyone who doesn't have the kingsblood, my mother and I love each other but not that way, and that really just leaves you and Hunter... well, I guess maybe I can get Top Flight to start delivering 'packages' to me. Hmmm...] Moonbeam laughed a bit. [Anyone getting jealous over Top Flight is really being a foal. I'm sure he'll not only deliver your 'package' but also deliver a fine speech about how this is the most logical thing for the kingdom.] Top Flight then cut in with, [I can deliver other things, too, like helpful hints about how to keep your private conversations private. Did you know, if you don't want to broadcast your intimate thoughts to everypony in the Kingdom, you can just ask your kingsblood to encrypt your conversation? Like this.] The next bit was unintelligible to everypony but Midnight Oil, who responded in kind. [I know you are all new to this, and I admit I'm having a great time witnessing the drama from afar, but you really should take a moment to find out about your own new capabilities, especially since all you have to do is think about it. And Midnight, you have no excuse, seeing as you've been doing the encryption thing since before either of us were inducted.] Moonbeam screamed across their connection in embarrassment. And then screamed again when she realized that Hunter could hear the whole exchange as well. "So, if Moonbeam doesn't take you back, I bet Midnight Oil would be happy to accept 'packages' from both of us, if you know what I mean," Top Flight suggested to Midnight Hunter, as he handed over a package that wasn't a euphemism for anything. "While that's probably true, I don't even want to think about anything like that right now. Is it that weird that I want a serious relationship, and not just a..." Hunter blushed a bit, not as comfortable spewing euphemisms as Top was. "A plot to plow? Yeah, I get you. It's not that weird at all, and quite commendable. I for one think you and Moonbeam make a cute couple, drama and all. Just don't hold back with her anymore. She needs all of you, from start to creamy finish. And beyond. She's going to need a dependable partner for life, especially once those foals start coming in. But even before then... she's been through some very hard years, and she needs someone to help her realize that's behind her. She's stronger now, in more ways than one. Nopony can hurt her anymore, not in the ways she's been hurt, but she hasn't had time to internalize that. And now you've demonstrated that there is still one way she can be hurt. I know it's not fair of her to treat it as you betraying her, but that's what it was to her. Mares like her don't know how to treat something as 'just a little sex'. Most mares don't. So be hers, and hers alone, and leave the changelings, and slutty unicorns, and such to me. I think it suits you, it really does." "And does this suit me?" Hunter asked in return, holding up the contents of the package in front of himself. Top Flight smirked in return. "Nice pun, and yes it does. You have everything else in place?" "As much as I could. I'll admit I'm a bit nervous about such a bold plan. I mean.. what if she says no?" Hunter asked. Top Flight shrugged. "Wait a little bit for your heart to calm down, and then date Fog Dancer," he suggested matter-of-factly. Hunter rolled his eyes, though it did help him calm down a little. While in one sense his future depended on the outcome of his date, it was good to remember that if he was rejected he wasn't doomed to be alone forever.