***Monday, Day 11, Morning***
Well, after that exciting breakfast yesterday, I’d say the rest of the day went by pretty fast. After we ate, we ended up heading back to Blue’s place, where apparently his mom, who we found out was named Raindrop, was a little worried because he hadn’t said he was going to be out all night. Of course, I say “a little” because “glared at him for thirty seconds before crushing him in a hug telling him she was worried and for good reason because we all came back with a nice collection of bruises and scratches” takes too long to say. Well, there are far worse things than a protective mother.
Speaking of that, I have to hoof it to Fluttershy for unintentionally getting us out of having to explain our injuries by leaning up against me on the couch. When Raindrop saw this she immediately told Blue to get a move on trying to get a date with one of the other mares seeing as one was already taken. Blue promptly buried his face in his hooves trying and failing to hide how red his face got as the rest of us tried to figure out whether she was kidding or not. Luckily for Blue, even more family showed up at this point: both his father, Thundercloud, a pegasus with yellow coat, black mane and tail, and thundercloud cutie mark, and his little sister, Soft Hail, a white coated pegasus with blue and white mane and hailing cloud cutie mark, returned from a father-daughter lunch they were having and provided yet another distraction. We hung around for a while at Rain and Thunder’s insistence and ended up being talked into dinner as well, all and all they seemed like a very caring family… it was very sweet to behold. And then came time to leave.
I suppose they didn’t take the news that Blue would be coming with us to fight Fluffers too badly, all things considered. Thunder looked proud, Raindrop did too but with a healthy dose of protective worry, and Soft Hail, who we learned prefers to be called Hail or Haily, laughed her head off at the name of our foe, all completely understandable reactions. Some packing, goodbye hugs, and mom tears which were stemmed after she was told that Blue would right back home after we were done, and we were off to the airship for another night’s sleep and an early morning launch.
And thus one finds myself and the rest of the guys eating breakfast while the girls were out on deck having gotten up earlier than us, Rainbow begrudgingly so, while I do a review of all of yesterday’s events in what amounts to a 30 second high speed slide show in my brain.
“… and that’s what in my notes.” Blue finished his explanation.
I summarize to make sure I got it right, “So essentially your notes are your personal documentation on the variety of weather forming clouds originating from the Everfree, along with the relative characteristics of each so that we can gain an advantage that we did not have previously in regards to more effective means to confront our objective.”
“Seems legit.” Volt concurs.
We talk a few more minutes until Volt says something that gets our attention.
“Oh by the way guys, something weird happened this morning.”
“What happened?” We all respond.
“This morning Rarity made a comment about my stripe color in my mane and how another color might look better.”
We all raise a questioning eyebrow at him motioning him to go on.
“And I actually considered it for a moment.” He finished.
Our eyes slowly open wider as I recall something.
“Actually, I found myself thinking of ways to make my room look nicer when I woke up this morning.”
Now the focus switches to me just before Hydro talks.
“I almost styled my mane with gel this morning, and we aren’t even going to be anywhere except the ship today.”
We all turn to Blue, whose head is hung low as he too recalls something.
“… I spent half an hour in the bathroom preening my wings this morning… and they were fine before I started.”
Uh oh. Most of these are fine once in a while… but all together…
Hydro breaks it to us, “Boys, I think we need an intervention.”
Blue continues, “A stallionliness intervention.”
I pick it up, “We must reinforce our stallionly ways!”
Volt concludes, “Before it is too late.”
We all put on our thinking faces trying to think of what to do about this predicament, and then it hits us…
“Times for a guys day!”
YEEAAAAAHH! We chest bump.
***
“I still say we should do flaming bungee jumping!” Volt shouts over a sudden gust of wind.
I reply back, “For the last time Volt, NO! I’m not doing anything lethal! Now throw the thing so I can take my shot.”
The other guys and I were having a skeet shooting session. We had Blue take a quick trip groundside to pick up a generous supply of rocks, now we were taking turns throwing them and having another guy try and hit them with another rock fired from a slingshot Hydro had whipped up. Luckily we were flying around the border of the Everfree forest so we didn’t have to worry about hitting anypony.
*Clack* I hit the target.
I go into friendly banter mode. “I thought you were gonna give me some tough ones?”
“Step aside,” Volt gets behind the slingshot while I head towards the throwing rocks.
He pulls the band back, “Do it.”
I toss the rock… and he misses with a look of shock on his face.
“I’m Rhino and today this is my favorite spot on the airship!” I point towards the spot I’m standing at.
“Hey, it’s windy up here.”
No excuses Volt. “We’re on an airship, that’s pretty much implied.”
***
I watch as the other guys toss a lemon around in a creative version of hot potato, myself having been eliminated in the first round. They toss it back and forth leisurely until finally Hydro catches it… and it explodes into lemon chunks in his face.
*Sploosh!*
“AAAAAAAAAAH! My eyes!”
Now you know how I felt.
I hoof him a cool wet rag as Blue and Volt toss the last lemon back and forth as fast as they can.
I chat with Hydro a bit as the other two go at it, “So how long do you think they have?”
He still has the rag over his eyes as he answers, “From what I can hear, I give it thirty seconds, once Volt charges those lemons they get pretty damn volatile.”
Thirty seconds pass rather uneventfully until…
*Sploosh!*
I turn to Hydro as I magic another rag over to the latest victim, “Good estimate.”
***
Hydro facehoofs at the idea Volt had come up with for our next stallionly thing.
“Really, a most stallionly beard contest? Granted it is very stallionly, but don’t you at least want to have a chance?”
Volt raises a skeptical eyebrow, “What are you talking about? It doesn’t look like you can grow a noticeably better beard than me.”
Hydro looks at Volt with a deadpan look, “I wasn’t talking about me, I was talking about Rhino!” He points a hoof at the bottom half of my face which is noticeably darker than the top half and is starting to have a nice layer of black hairs poking out past my coat.
Blue objects, “Oh come on, you must have had a head start. When was the last time you trimmed that off?”
I let myself have a smug look as I am well aware of my facial hair potential, “Honestly two days ago.”
Hydro gives them a look, “There’s no way you guys can win, I can grow a decent one given time but Rhino can have a full goatee in about a week.”
Blue looks at me, “I don’t know how you can stand that, I hate how itchy mine gets.”
Volt looks as well, “Actually did you not bring your trimmer for that?”
I shrug but lay back with my forelegs behind my head, “Frankly it only gets itchy for the fifth and sixth days, after that it gets soft. As for my trimmer… I actually left it at home. I just felt like since we were going on a mission and all it might be funny to come home with a rugged look.”
***
“Come on Hydro you can do it!”
“Don’t let him beat you Blue go!”
Volt and I cheer on Blue and Hydro in the final round of our brief hoofwrestling competition. I frankly knew I was going to lose to Hydro but Blue was putting up a pretty good fight. Volt had gone up against Blue and lost, but the match for third had been called due to both the other contestants getting impatient and Volt and I getting bored when neither of us seemed to be winning.
Blue had Hydro a little less than halfway down when suddenly he let up slightly and Hydro used his lapse to pull a quick reversal and slam Blue’s hoof into the table.
“Woo!”
Elsewhere on the ship a certain orange mare held her hoof out as a grumbling rainbow maned mare hoofed her ten bits.
***
“Alright boys, let’s see who can do the best at picking up mares.” Blue announced.
I raise a hoof but Hydro cuts off what I’m about to say.
“Rhino, you’re exempt from this one seeing as you’re the only one with a marefriend.”
I shrug and go grab a chair and glass of milk to watch the fun.
Suffice to say thanks to a one minute time limit everything went hilariously wrong. Volt tried to inpress Twilight with some electric magic but only ended up shocking both of them, Twilight giving him a glare for that. Blue did little mini air current show with his hooves for Dash but she ended up getting fidgety having to sit there and watch so she told him to do it full scale, when he took off she walked off. I think relatively Hydro did the best but only because Applejack was smiling as she was laughing her hat off at his casual flexing performance.
And this is why real courting takes time, and why this little “see who can do it the best thing” is mainly used as a way to troll your friends.
***
Our last act of stallionliness was a combination one. The guys and I had set up an iron fire pit on the deck and were now sitting around it as night fell talking about various combat techniques as the temperature dropped. We had covered my frequently used spells, Blue interesting ability to have a bit of control over wind around his hooves resulting in easier flying through oncoming winds and stronger punches, Volt’s various electrical shenanigans including the whole “stun baton fencing thing” and something he calls “Lightning Charge” which is essentially him tackling something while being charged with large amounts of electricity, and Hydro’s strength and hobby of making various gizmos when he gets bored. The others tell him he could make something to help him fight but he says he mostly builds productive things. We talk a bit more until the cold seems to be finally starting to get to Hydro.
“Celestia damn it it’s freezing out here!” He shivers a bit.
“It’s just a little cool Hydro, nothing big.” Blue sits there looking comfortable.
“I think I’m with Hydro on this one,” Volt says as he moves closer to the fire.
I just shrug at the weather that I personally find quite comfortable.
“Hey Rhino how come you aren’t bothered by this? Most pegasi have some natural cold resistance but you seem just fine with it too.” Blue looks at me curiously as the other two compare how much of their bodies have gone numb.
“It’s pretty simple actually, I have a thicker coat than the average pony. Thus I can trap more heat. Hydro there is pretty skinny and thus doesn’t have much body fat, and as such is more susceptible to cold. Volt’s reaction seems fairly normal considering the wind was blowing on his back and making the fire bend away from him.”
Hydro shakes a hoof at me in mock anger, “Dam you and your fluffiness Rhino!”
We all have a good natured chuckle at that.
“Mind if we join you boys?”
We turn around to see all of the mares standing there looking at us. We nod and they sit with us around the fire as Pinkie pulls out smore ingredients. A short time later finds us all eating treats and having a good time, Hydro and the other guys are sitting next to the mares they attempted to flirt with earlier and the girls let them know there are no hard feelings for what happened, and Fluttershy and I huddled against each other. I sigh contently at the scene before me.
Stallionliness is nice and all but we all know we’d be a whole lot worse off without these mares… and for me, one in particular. I open my eye at the yellow pegasus curled up next to me and smile.