//------------------------------// // Chapter Two // Story: Cape and Cowl III: Showdown // by Artimae //------------------------------// 1 This time, there would be no introduction, no small talk. Charade would strike the damn bitch over the back of the head, and drag her sorry flank back to Red’s place like some kind of cavepony. An inelegant plan, but it was all she had. No more games, Mare do Bitch. I can’t afford to fail twice. Snow Storm was walking about town, thinking about the things Pick Pocket had said, when she stopped suddenly, her ears twitching. Something’s not ri- The warning bell in her mind exploded, and she reflexively juked just as Charade sprang out of hiding. “Damnit!” Charade snarled, throwing a punch in Snow Storm’s direction. “Why the hell won’t you just drop like every other weakling in this city, you stubborn bitch?!” “Why don’t you grow some muscle?” Snow Storm taunted back, dodging away from the pegasus. “I don’t need muscle when I can do this!” she yelled, unleashing a series of incredibly fast blows along Snow Storm’s right foreleg, which quickly seemed to grow numb and almost-unresponsive. “That’s pretty impressive...” Snow Storm admitted, shaking her leg to get its feeling back. “I mean, it would be, if it felt more than if I slept on it wrong,” she taunted. Ponies were starting to turn their heads in the direction of the two combatants. Damn it all! Where’s there a Guard when you need one? If these ponies see you fight, they’ll recognize you for the Mare do Well! You have to get out of here to protect your identity! her brother’s voice echoed in her mind. Yeah, because I’ve been so good at protecting it before, she said to herself, but the voice was right. Besides, if she could just duck into an alleyway and slip on the suit… “So,” she said, slowly backing away and looking for her chance to escape. “I suppose this is round two?” “I’m not here to screw around- I’m here to take you down!” she snarled, wincing as a number of the ponies around her laughed. Even Snow Storm herself had to hide her grin- there was something hilarious about this skinny little pegasus trying to sound tough. “Stop laughing, you jerks! I said stop laughing!” The tingling left her foreleg, allowing Snow Storm to use it again. Alright, girl, time to shake a leg. She scooped up a wad of snow, throwing it at Charade’s face and bolting down the sidewalk, nearly sliding as she turned a corner. * * * The laughter of the crowd pierced Charade’s skull, driving her back in time. She had been politely escorted out of Manehattan’s flight school due to ‘inadequate abilities’, which was bad. Her parents’ reaction ended up being far worse. Not my fault my wings are too small! “Get back here!” Charade screamed, sprinting down the street after her mark. That cocky little bitch would not get away this time. “Eat hoof, bitch!” she yelled, charging madly at the fleeing Snow Storm. Pedestrians jumped out of the way as both ponies ran by, some with looks of confusion or even annoyance. “Give it up, Charade!” Snow Storm yelled back, jumping over a crate and regaining her feet on the cold cement. Another intersection lay ahead - this time she cut to the right, cutting across traffic and forcing out colorful obscenities from the carriage pullers. “Like hell I’m giving up! This is personal!” Charade retorted. No matter how far Snow Storm went, her pursuer was never far behind, zipping through alleyways and across streets, utterly relentless in her pursuit. Just as the distance between them began to close, Snow Storm spotted Kabosu peddling a large heap of his citrus nearby, and grinned. Taking advantage of the opportunity, she knocked down a rickety plank of wood on the side of the stall, the whole thing coming down and spilling hundreds of overripe oranges onto the streets. “W-woah!” Charade gasped as she stepped on several of them, slipping and sliding across the ground. “That little…!” Kabosu growled, chasing after Snow Storm with Charade closely in tow. * * * Where the hell are you, Murdoc!? Snow Storm thought, frowning heavily. A stitch was beginning to form in her left side, and every inhale felt like a hot knife twisting inside her. She had led herself into what she knew to be Lieutenant Murdoc’s patrol path, but he had yet to be seen today. Of course it’ll be the one day he’s off-duty. She kept an eye on her side, looking for any decent alleyways to duck into. All of them on this street ended in brick walls, and that was no good. Charade had a bead on her, and that was worse. She’d need at least a minute to take off her clothes, pull the suit out, and slip into it, but she highly doubted Charade would give her that minute. And now Kabosu was on her tail, most likely upset that she had used his cart as a distraction. Plus I’m sure he’d love to get his hooves on me anyways. Did the whole Guard up and quit!? The hell is going on here!? she thought bitterly, still searching around for a shining glint of armor. Maybe Charade distracted them… It was certainly a possibility. In that case, she’d be better to run straight for the Barracks. She cut another corner, nearly slipping onto her side, and finally spotted a friendly face. Amber Shield was several paces away, coming out of a shop with a mare. Despite the burning in her lungs, Snow Storm gave the pair a sharp whistle. 2 Amber turned towards the source of the noise, jaw dropping as she saw the parade of ponies chasing Snow Storm down the street. “Uh oh… see you later, Petunia,” she smiled weakly at her before running over to Snow Storm as the two were chased down the street. “I’m guessing they don’t want an autograph?” she asked, turning to the mare. “No time,” Snow Storm breathed out. “Distraction. Now.” Amber nodded, focusing deeply, her horn glowing brightly. “Alright, we need to get somewhere there are a lot of paths…an alleyway, or something. I can prepare a flash spell, if you can find one…” “Fine, whatever, just do it!” Snow Storm said impatiently, already unbuckling her saddlebag. A flash spell would give her ample time to gear up and bring the fight to Charade… and now she had a Guard with her. Even if that particular one was off duty. “...Close your eyes, now!” Amber yelled, unleashing a blinding flash of light that lingered around the entire block, their pursuers yelling out, Charade cursing loudly as Kabosu crashed into her. “Get offa me, you little shit!” she screamed, and a satisfying crunch could be heard. Snow Storm almost smirked at the sound- whatever she broke, I hope it hurt. Amber shook her head, exhausted from having used so much magic at once. “Make it count!” “What the flippin’ hay, lady!?” Charade blurted out, rubbing the stars from her eyes. “Control that bump on your forehead!” “I don’t talk to criminals, I catch ‘em!” Amber replied, grinning. “And no matter how fast you are, you’re just another thug in the end!” she said, faking bravado. Please, please, please, get out here before she ties my legs in a knot… The Mare do Well made her grand entrance, jumping from the low rooftop onto the street in front of Amber. “Nice work,” she said, trying not to snicker as Charade stumbled around. It’d be almost unfair to attack now… “The ‘toughest pony in Manehattan’, reduced to relying on the cheap tricks of others?” Charade snarled, rubbing her eyes. “You’re a joke. All you are is proof that the thugs in this city are as girlishly weak as they ever were!” As the two mares traded shots with one another, Amber Shield stepped backwards, slipping a note to Petuna. “Would you go to this address and get Murdoc?” she muttered quietly, keeping her eyes on the scene. * * * Petunia nodded, running off towards Murdoc’s house, eager to be as far from the fighting as possible. She knocked on the front door frantically, “Mr. Murdoc? Mr. Murdoc, are you there?” “Yes?” he asked, opening the door. “Ah, you’re that young florist I hear much about.” He looked around, his face falling. “Where’s Amber?” Petunia handed him the note, leaning against a wall as she tried to catch her breath. “Fighting… Mare do Well… crazy Pegasus… follow me!” “No, you stay here. You’ll be safer. Make yourself at home - I’ll find them.” He took off without another word, leaving the small mare in his doorway. * * * Meanwhile, Charade managed to blink away the spots in her eyes, and started charging towards Amber, who was still recovering from her spell. The pegasus yelled, unleashing a barrage of quick blows to Amber's chest and forelegs, causing her to quickly crumpling into a heap. “Pathetic… that was almost like beating up a foal. Whatever,” Charade scoffed. “I hope you’ve got more on the way, bitch. I wanted this to be one on one, but I could take every guard- no- every pony in this goddess-damned city at once if I have to!” “You’re just a one-trick pony,” the Mare do Well said, glancing at Amber to make sure she was alright. Still breathing, at least. “I’m giving you one chance to leave before this gets messy.” At this, Charade’s eyes seemed to glint, and her grin widened. “A one trick pony, eh?” She giggled, a strangely girlish laugh. “I've got plenty of tricks up my fetlock!” The pegasus started juking and feinting around the Mare do Well, leaving her with no way of predicting where any attacks would come from.. The Mare do Well threw her forelegs up in a defensive gesture, trying to block as many blows as possible. Wait for an opening! She’s bound to screw up at this speed! “Is that all? You’re not that fast at all! You must be getting lazy or fat.” Charade screamed, charging into her from the left. Even as light and frail as the mare was, the sheer speed of her movement made the impact profoundly painful, followed by a string of weak blows no doubt aiming for her pressure points… though rather less accurate than before. “I’ll drag you to Red, or I’ll drag you to Tartarus!” The Mare do Well swiped Charade’s hooves away, landing a heavy blow, driving her own hoof into the mare’s guts. “Y’know,” she said, breathing heavily, “a divebomb might work… oh, wait...” She let out a laugh, taking a shot at Charade’s miniscule wings. Charade shuddered, clutching her stomach, a trickle of blood running down her mouth. “F… fuck you, Mare do Well. I’ll fight to my last breath if it means taking you with me…” She staggered, gained her feet, and resumed her assault, raining blow after blow to her chest, each punch weakening by the second. “Not on my streets,” Murdoc said coldly, dropping a shield wall between the two combatants. Charade snarled, her blows not even making the shield shake by this point. She started limping away, her breathing heavy and hot. “Fine, you can have this round,” she grumbled, cursing under her breath as Murdoc erected a second barrier, blocking her path. “Outta my damned way, pig!” “You cause a commotion in my city?” he demanded, looking at Charade stone-faced. “Set a building on fire just to distract the guards, and bother me on my day off? I don’t think so.” “Bite me! I’m not here for you. I’m not even here for the Red Hoof. I’m here to take that stubborn, slow bitch down. And sooner or later, I will.” She smiled wryly, taking out a smoke bomb she had stolen from Snow Storm during the fight. “Tomorrow we end this, Snow Storm. By all means, bring your friends. Bring them all. I won’t die 'til I’ve won… Seeya!” She laughed, chucking the smoke bomb to the ground and limping off as fast as she could in the commotion that followed. The Mare do Well let out a sigh of relief and looked over at Murdoc, who was looking strangely at her. “What?” she asked innocently. Murdoc simply sighed, shaking his head. “You really do attract the crazy ones… Amber!” he gasped, spotting the unconscious mare lying nearby. He rushed over, kneeling beside her. “What happened?” “That mare - Charade - knocked her out,” the Mare do Well said, standing back. “She’ll be fine, I promise. Might wake up a little groggy, though.” “Strange… did she get the chance to kill her, or was this no act of mercy on her part?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “There were a large number of injured ponies involved in an incident earlier today as well… some were pretty hurt, but again, none dead. I’m honestly not sure what to make of it. The thugs in this city don’t tend to care much how much damage they do.” The Mare do Well shook her head. “Charade’s no killer. I can feel that. All she wants is to win. But I know that look in her eye. She’s after something, and she’s getting desperate. She claims she wants to take me to the Red Hoof himself, but refuses to tell me where he is. I don’t get it.” Murdoc shook his head again, “It’s no mystery. If you know where he is ahead of time you can create a plan of attack, get us involved… we’ve been searching high and low for decades now, and we’ve never come close. He always seemed one step ahead… but now you’ve got him on edge. Without the so-called ‘smartest mare in Manehattan’ by his side, he’ll be calling the shots himself. That will make him liable to mistakes, and that will make him vulnerable. The only card he has left to play is your parents, and he knows it. It’s no wonder he wants to see you… he might even be desperate enough to strike a deal.” “Maybe…” she said coldly. “He knows if he harms a single hair on them, I'll stop at nothing to get him. That, and he's not going to openly acknowledge he has them... You and I would swarm on his doorstep like a cloud of wasps. “It's true,” he said, turning back toward Amber as she started to wake up. "What can you tell me about that mare just now? Charade, you said her name was?" The Mare do Well sighed. "She appears to be working for the Red Hoof, and she’s the toughest foe I’ve encountered since Bloodshot… but unlike him, she isn’t some musclebound idiot. She is a well trained martial artist, and I... well, truth be told? I can't take her one-on-one. Not yet.” She shook her head and stamped her hoof on the ground. A part of her really didn’t enjoy admitting she had been outclassed, but she assured herself that things will be different next time. I just need a better plan of attack. “Good to know. If she can even take you-" The words fell on empty space, for the Mare do Well had vanished. “D-did we get her?” Amber asked, blinking her eyes open. “Urgh, I was useless out there...” “No,” Murdoc frowned, shivering slightly in the cold, evening air. “We didn’t get her... not tonight, anyway.” 3 Figaro smiled up at Snow Storm as she staggered into Buck’s apartment, pulling her into a hug. “Alphamom! Did you bring any food? I’m hungry…” he said, his belly rumbling. “Huh? Oh, no, I’m sorry pup,” she said, collapsing onto the sofa. “I got… distracted. Is Uncle Bolty back yet?” “He hasn’t come back yet, he seemed kinda sad…” Figaro said, looking at the floor. “Oh, there was a mare that was walking around outside, by the way.” “Oh? Well a lot of ponies live here. It’s not like at home, where it’s just us.” Figaro blushed, “She was using a lot of swears, though. And I think she said your name, Alphamom.” “Well well, she just doesn’t give up, does she?” Snow Storm smiled at the pup. “We’ll not worry about her tonight. I don’t think she even knows we’re here.” Figaro scrunched up his face in concentration, trying to remember something of importance. “...Who is Facade, Alphamom?” Her eye twitched, but it was the only sign she gave of something being not quite right. “Nobody important,” she lied. “Why? Did she mention him?” “A whole bunch,” he nodded, as at long last the missing piece of the puzzle fell into place. “She seemed really sad.. she said she had to save him.” There’s your ticket. “Is that so? Well I sure hope she does. I think I hear your uncle Bolty coming home.” Figaro grinned toothily, his tiny tail wagging as he rushed over to the door. “Yay!” Bolt Buck sighed, carrying a heavy bag of groceries into the apartment. “Hi honey, I’m home,” he grinned, before noting her expression. “Huh. You look like you got some good news at last.” “You forgot to mention Charade has a relationship with Facade,” Snow Storm said cooly, stretching her aching leg. “I could’ve used that information.” “...Huh. Kinda thought you’d have figured that out yourself. I mean, they look so alike, similar names… they’re twins. And the last I heard Facade wasn’t being kept in a cell in the barracks anymore, though details about that much are sketchy at best right now. You’d have to ask the Guard themselves.” “So…” Snow Storm tapped her chin, trying to sort the situation out. “You think the Red Hoof is using him as… incentive?” “More like collateral if you ask me,” the stallion said. “Charade cares about two things,” Buck started pacing around the room, “Her brother, and being the best fighter around. In that order,” he stopped, turning to her. “If she was doing this for fun, she wouldn’t be so damn serious about it… no. He’s definitely got his head in a noose.” She nodded, wincing as she stood up. “Good, that’s good…” she muttered, slipping back into the Mare do Well suit. “She’s a family mare, then. So am I. We might just see eye to eye after all.” “It’s possible… remember though, she’s as stubborn and prideful as you are. She won’t accept defeat, and she won’t listen to reason until you’ve proven which of you is the strongest. And unlike you, she don’t fight fair.” “You worry too much,” Snow said as she crawled out of the window and onto the fire escape. “I promise I’ll deal with her quickly enough and be out of your hair.” “Just don’t do anything rash out there. She’s not gonna be another easy victory,” he warned as she took off out of sight. 4 “I’m telling you, this city is getting ridiculous!” Silver Song said, finishing with cooking dinner. “Even on my darling’s day off he still has to go out. All because some silly filly tries to play the hero. Can you believe her, dear?” She hovered plates all around the dining table. “And it’s his poor apprentice’s birthday, no less!” “I-I’m sorry about that,” Petunia said quietly, staring at her plate. Silver Song had given her an intimidatingly large slice of fruitcake, and she was trying to figure out how on earth she could eat it.  “I had to leave her there, actually. I didn’t want to, but she insisted… oh, but I’m sure your husband will be back soon.” “Oh, please, don’t get me wrong, my dear! I don’t blame you for a second! No, I blame my husband, in a way. He’s far too good at his job… Makes the rest of the Guard look like bumbling fools, if you ask me! They rely on him too much because of it,” she said with a small sigh. “You did what you had to, and so did he. The rest of them couldn’t find their way out of a paper sack with a hole in each end.” “Yes ma’am,” Petunia said, still contemplating her fruitcake slice when the door opened. “I’ve got it!” Silver Song offered, walking out into the entry room. She gasped when she saw Amber leaning against Murdoc. “Why, you look like you’ve just been put through the ringer!” She shot Murdoc an accusing glance, to which he simply shrugged. “It’s fine, ma’am,” Amber said, offering a smile. “Just an unexpected surprise tonight. That’s all.” “This is absolutely no way to spend a birthday!” Silver Song said, taking Amber and leading her through the kitchen. “Now, I insist you wash up! We’ll wait. I don’t want you scaring your sweet marefriend with these bruises, after all.” “Marefriend!?” Amber blushed, completely caught off-guard by the remark. “Isn’t she? Oh, my, perhaps not… or perhaps not yet, hm?” Silver Song said with a cheeky smile. “Girls!” Sonnet and Stanza jumped - they had been trying to sneak a taste of the frosting for Amber’s birthday cake. “Go run your big sister a warm bath, double-time!” “You got it, mom!” “I’ll get the bubble bath!” “They’re good girls.” Amber giggled as they fought each other over who got to run up the stairs first. “Did they like their flowers?” “Oh, yes! We have them as the centerpiece for tonight. Now, I insist you go upstairs and relax. You deserve it.” She seemed to quite literally push Amber up the stairs. “Thanks,” Amber said, eager to get into that hot, soothing bath. 5 “It’s a lot different from what I expected,” Calias commented, breaking the silence between himself and Flyntt. “What is? The city? Life as a Guard?” Flyntt asked as they followed the same patrol route they had covered fruitlessly the last few days. “Both,” the cadet said, peering around. The crowds sure don’t disperse at night, do they? he thought as pedestrians made way for them, almost subconsciously. “The Academy made it look so easy.” At this, Flyntt laughed. “Of course they did, kid! If they had shown you what it was really like half of you would’ve quit before you were halfway through your training. Frankly, I bet they coddled you out there… never rely on Canterlot for a realistic depiction of anything.” Except maybe rich fat-cats living it up while the rest of us have real jobs… “I get the feeling a lot of us graduates aren’t really liked,” Calias admitted. “You probably all think we’re snobby elitists.” “All I can say is what I’ve seen so far, kid, and you’re no snob.. Though I gotta ask… is this really the path you wanted to take? I sometimes wonder if this was even what you wanted to do with your life. You seem kinda… down about the realities of the job,” Flyntt commented. “No offence.” “Well…” The cadet chuckled slightly. “I thought it’d be less ‘walk around all night’ and more… y’know.” Flyntt frowned, raising an eyebrow. “I’m not sure I do know, actually. I’ve seen the look you get when trouble’s afoot, kid. Like you’re about to throw up or something. Only time you seem happy is when you’re away from me, chatting with the guys at the Barracks,” he stopped in his tracks after a moment. “Do… do I frighten you?” he asked, turning towards him. “No, I just…” Even under the pale moonlight and the low, orange glow of the street lamps, Flyntt could see the kid blushing. “I wanted to be a Royal Guard. Protect the Princesses, fight the magical monsters, be the hero. Being here is like… how can we do these terrible things to each other?” Flynnt scowled at Calias’ remark.“If you have to even think about it, then you aren’t cut out to be a Guard,” he replied coldly. “You need to understand that our job isn’t about heroics. It isn’t about fighting monsters. Sometimes, the difference we can make is so small that nobody would be able to tell we’d made any difference at all. But we fight anyway. Because even if the Mare do Well gets all the glory, she can’t do it alone. If all you want is praise, find a job where you can stand out and shine. Because you’ll never do either of those things here.” “I…” Calias sighed. “I guess I just have to learn to live with ponies being just as violent to each other as other species’ are. It’s easy to see paradise when you live in the city with the Sisters…” “Quite frankly kid, The Sisters only step in when the situation ends up on their doorstep. We’re their subjects, not their friends. And yeah, being a Royal Guard would be fun, but you’d need to be the best of the best. And this job doesn’t really acknowledge talent once you’re a Lieutenant. The glass ceiling ain’t that high, and once you’re there that’s it.” Calias’ ears perked slightly. “You know what? You’re right, sir. Screw them, I bet their job is boring anyway. Standing around all day looking spiffy. This is where the real action is.” “I can promise you you’ll be doing a lot more here than you would over there, that’s for sure. And have you seen the Sisters fight? As if they need protection!” Flyntt snorted. “No. Over here you’ll become a far more capable guard, if you stick around… word is a couple of the newbies have already got cold feet.” “Don’t worry, sir. I can handle it.” I hope so, kid, Flyntt thought, leading him on. I really hope so. 6 “Here comes the mare of the hour now!” Silver Song said. Amber stood at the foot of the stairs, looking into the dining room with joyful surprise. Murdoc’s family, plus Petunia, sat around their rectangular table, merrily cheering Amber on as she came in and took her seat. The center of the table was occupied by an ornate vase which supported the flowers she had picked for the girls. Next to it, stuck with candles that looked like little pillars of tame fire, was a large cake. “Happy birthday!” they all said in unison, the two fillies singing the words out. “Wow, I… you guys!” Amber fumbled for the right words, but couldn’t find them. She hadn’t exactly come to Manehattan expecting to live a lonely life, but still she’d never dreamed she could’ve found what felt like a second, loving family so quickly. “Would you care to do the honors, Miss Shield?” Silver Song nodded toward a knife stuck in the cake. Shield? Petunia thought confusedly, trying not to show her own surprise now. I thought her name was Glass… Maybe it didn’t matter, though. Maybe Amber was just trying to protect her in case something very bad happened… That’s all… Amber wouldn’t lie to me like that… would she? Across the table, Amber froze for just a second. Uh oh, she thought, trying to focus on the cake and cutting it evenly. But Petunia seemed fine - maybe she thought nothing of it. With any luck, she may not have heard it at all. You’re gonna have to tell her the truth sooner or later. I’ll explain it later. Something like the raid was so important I had to use a different name! she thought, trying to convince herself that Petunia would accept it, then sighing internally. She’ll never buy that. “Little ladies first!” Amber said, floating a pair of plates to Sonnet and Stanza. After a minute, everypony had a share and dug in. * * * “Thank you, guys,” Amber Shield said as she stepped outside with Petunia. The latter was being unusually quiet, which unnerved Amber. Something big was about to explode between them, and she had run out of time to diffuse it. “Tomorrow as usual,” Murdoc said, nodding and shutting the door, leaving the pair to walk back to their homes. They had gotten up to the corner where Amber usually waited before the silence broke. “Petunia, I-” “Happy birthday, Miss Shield,” Petunia spat out the last word like it was poison on her tongue. Here we go… “Look, I can explain-” “No, I understand completely,” Petunia’s voice was as cold as the night. Her ears sat flat against her head. “I get you now. You’re just a user. A swinger who likes to get drunk and break hearts!” “It’s not like that-” “Yes it is!” she snapped, finally turning to face Amber. “Why else would you lie? I thought you were different when I invited you to Equinimity! You saw exactly who hangs out there!” “What? I don’t understand-” “Of course you do!” Petunia’s voice steadily rose in the night. Amber hoped Murdoc wouldn’t be able to hear. “Mares like me! Mares who like other mares! But that doesn’t apply to you, does it!? Oh, no, you can flirt and play all you want because at the end of the day being chased is just a game, isn’t it!?” “Petunia, just let me explain-!” “Don’t you get it yet!? I like you!” “Well I- I like you too-” Amber stammered. “No!” Petunia squinted her eyes shut, trying not to cry. “I mean I like you. I’m attracted to you. I’m so sorry if you don’t even swing that way but I can’t help it, alright!? I thought maybe there was a chance I could get you to at least try it, but giving me a fake name just tells me that this is just another game to you!” “That’s not true!” Amber retorted, her mind reeling. “Then why did you lie!?” “I don’t know!” Amber yelled, wincing at her own anger as Petunia recoiled from the shout. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap… I just…” “J-just what?” Petunia was slowly losing the fight to hold her tears back. She hitched a sob, biting her lip to keep any more from coming out. “It was a new place… you were a new pony. I panicked and thought of the first thing I saw. Look, it was nothing personal at all! Manehattan is going to hell in a hoofbasket and I don’t know who to trust anymore! It would’ve been a bad idea to give out my name to a stranger.” “Oh…” Petunia said weakly. “So you don’t trust me…” “No! I mean… I do now! Put yourself in my horseshoes! You’re a guard, the Red Hoof has his puppet strings in every nook and cranny of this city, and you’re at an unfamiliar place. What would you do?” “I…” Petunia sniffled. “I guess I’d do the same thing?” “See?” Amber said, pulling Petunia into a hug. “Come on now, don’t cry… I didn’t mean anything by it, honest,” she soothed. After a few moments passed, she decided to broach the topic of Petunia’s sudden confession. “So... what’s this I’ve heard about you liking “It’s true…” Petunia murmured, having buried her muzzle into Amber’s neck, stopping the rest of her tears. Part of her desperately wanted to kiss, or even nip, at it, but her brain told her not to make the situation any more awkward, but Petunia felt almost intoxicated by Amber’s scent. “Well, uh…” Amber said awkwardly, not sure if she should let go of the mare or not. In fact, she wasn’t even sure if she wanted to let go. “I mean, I haven’t exactly thought about it… but I guess I’m not against the idea…” “... Oh? Is that so?” There’s your chance. Take it. “Yeah, and either way, I do still have to walk you home, don’t I…?” Petunia pulled away, looking Amber in the eye. “Yes, you do,” she said softly, unable to resist the temptation any longer and giving Amber the kiss she had wanted to give ever since they first met. Amber blushed hard, smiling. “I, erm… sorry about lying to you,” she said softly. Petunia smiled. “I’ll forgive you if you promise me one thing.” “What’s that?” Amber asked. “Don’t ever do it again!” Petunia said seriously. Amber snickered at this. “Alright, I promise,” she said. The two mares began their trek back to Petunia’s home. Petunia gave the situation some thought, and spoke up. “I know you said you didn’t trust me at first and you were trying to come up with something, but why your last name?” Petunia asked, to which Amber gave a sigh. “I’m… not really close to my family, if at all,” Amber answered earnestly. “Oh…” Petunia said thoughtfully, concerned that she had caused Amber discomfort. “I guess I won’t ask any further,” she said, to which Amber nodded. “Yeah, that would be for the best.”