It was around midnight, I and Windy had set camp about eight hours ago, when I woke up feeling cold and shivering uncontrollably. It took me a few seconds before I realized why.
Crap, this means that I really am coldblooded, I thought with a bit of panic, I need to find a source of heat.
My eyes wandered across the night desert ---which I could see as clear as day, mind you--- before they finally settled on one. Windy. And seeing that I have no other choice I crawled from underneath the blanket Windy has given me, which didn´t help against the coldness of the desert, and quickly made my way over to the Lunar unicorn.
Once I reached Windy's sleeping form I wormed my underneath her blanket and gently pressed my back against hers. Unfortunately I wasn´t gentle enough.
“Spooks? What are you doing?” She asked sleepily, a yawn escaping her mouth at the end of her sentence.
“C-c-c-cold.” I answered with my teeth clattering.
“You're cold?” I nodded in response. “Wait. Aren't snakes coldblooded?” Another nod. “And since you are a part snake that means you´re coldblooded too.” And then she did something I didn´t expect. She hugged me and held my close.
After a half an hour my shivering calmed and I didn´t feel as cold and after another twenty minutes I didn´t feel cold at all.
“Where are you going?” Windy asked as I started to rise.
“Back to my sleeping pad.” I answered.
“Nuh-uh, you aren't going anywhere.” She said with a tone of finality and pulled me back into her embrace. “And stop squirming or I'll use the paralyzing spell again.” She added after I tried to wriggle free from her embrace.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked after a pause.
“Because I like you.” She replied mumbling the last part.
“What was that?”
“I like you.” She replied, this time a little louder.
“A little louder, please?”
“I LIKE YOU!” She shouted with a furious blush on her face.
I squeaked with the same blush as Windy's.
“And I don't mean just that I like you I mean that I like like you!” She paused to take a breath before continuing “Spooks I have a crush on you.”
“Me too.” I said quietly.
“What?” She asked, clearly confused.
“I have a crush on you.” I admitted with my ears folded back in shame and a blush on my face.
“Really?” She asked her filled with excitement and at my nod she 'squee'd and her embrace tightened.
The following morning we woke up with the sunrise and started moving towards Appleloosa.
“So what is Appleloosa like?” I asked while adjusting my boonie and aviators.
“Well, Appleloosa is very nice with nice ponies. Most of the population is from the Apple family or it's relatives.” She replied.
“Are the Apples fine folks?” I inquired.
“They are generally nice but if I was you I would be wary of Breaburn, he's kind of doofus.” She replied with a sour look.
“I take he's not the lovable kind of doofus, is he?”
“Yeah you got that right.” She replied with the same look as before.
This got me wondering just what kind of doofus Breaburn is.
Is he one of the guys that tries to woe a woman even after he's told no multiple times?
Or is he stupid to the point it hurts?
Meh, guess I'll find out soon enough, I thought deciding to stop thinking about it.
When we finally arrived to Appleloosa it was nearing nighttime and the temperature was already falling.
As we walked through the streets some ponies waved at Windy and stared at me, which made me extremely nervous. This was proven by my tail rattling every so often.
“How far is your place from here?” I asked nervously.
“About hundred meters from here.” She replied. “And don't be so nervous, they're just curious.”
After this we continued our walk in silence and after a while we waked into what looked like a town square and a newsstand.
'A new baroness in Canterlot! Read more at page 12.' proclaimed a headline on a one newspaper.
“There's a new baroness?” I heard Windy ask herself before walking over to the newsstand and buying the newspaper, paying with what looked like golden coins.
“'A new baroness, going under name Winter Rose, has been revealed to the public this Monday.'” I read aloud the title of the article as Windy levitated the newspaper.
Just below the title was a picture a Pegasus filly with white coat, blue mane and rail both with red paintbrush effect and striking azure eyes, though one thing caught as odd. She was wearing a collar with a little bell attached to it.
“I think the collar makes her look cuter.” Windy said when I mentioned the collar.
“Would I be cuter with a collar?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yeah, you would but with a different kind.” She replied before exclaiming. “Anyway we're here!”
Looking at the two story house we found ourselves in front of I immediately noticed the large red cross painted on the face of the house while the rest of the house is white.
“I AM HOME!” Windy shouted as she walked through the front door.
Following Windy inside I found myself in what looked like waiting room and on the far left side of the room there was a receptionist's desk.
“COMING!” Shouted a feminine voice from somewhere in the clinic and a few minutes later a Thestral, I know about them from Windy, mare dressed in a lab coat walked out of the clinic.
“Hi, mom!” Huh, that kind of makes sense seeing that they both her and Windy look somewhat similar, what with the same eye color.
“Hello, sweetie.” The mare said giving Windy a brief hug. “Who is your friend?” She asked as she looked at me.
“I am Spooks.” I replied.
“Pleasure to meet you Spooks I am Doctor Night Heart.” She said extending a hoof towards me.
“Likewise.” I said and shook the offered hoof.
“Now not to sound rude, but what kind of pony are you?” She asked after we finished our handshake, well more like a hoofshake now.
“I am a Night stalker.” I replied causing her to adopt a thoughtful expression.
“Night stalker? I swear I heard that somewhere.” She muttered before her face brightened and she rushed off to another part of the house and she returned not a minute later with a book of which the title read ´Myths of the Thestrals´.
“Night leech, Night parrot….. Ah! Here it is!” She said before reading aloud “Night stalkers are creatures from old Thestral legend. This legend describes them as a perfect cross between a pony and a Ponave Desert Sidewinder, they are also said to protect anyone dear to them until their last breath.´ Oh, look there´s even a list of possible dangers.” She paused before reading out the list. “´Dangers: poisonous fangs, normal fangs and Night stalkers with yellow eyes are said to be able to cloak themselves for indefinite periods of time´.”
“I can cloak?” I asked after a while of silence.
“According to this book you should be able to but shouldn´t you know if you can or cannot cloak?” Night Heart asked with a confused tilt of her head.
“Well…..” I started.
“…… and that´'s how I met Spooks.” Windy finished.
“You really fell down a gorge after your first two steps?” Night asked amusedly.
“Aren't you two related?” I asked gesturing towards the now giggling mares.
“Maybe.” They both said in unison.
“Oh, God why?” I muttered, facehoofing causing the two mares to burst out laughing.
“Anyway! Where will I sleep?” I asked interrupting their laughter.
“Well, with me of course!” Windy chirped happily. “Now I´ll go set up the bed.” She added before disappearing further into the clinic.
“May I ask you something Night Heart?” I asked, we switched to name basis a while back.
“Shoot.”
“May I work here?” I asked nervously.
This caused the Thestral mare to blink before asking, “Why?”
“Because I want to earn my keep.” I answered.
“And didn't you say you are a pyrotechnic?” She continued her questioning.
“Well, yes but I did take a medic training back home.”
“And what did this training include?”
“They taught us how to set bones, treat lacerations and the whole CPR shebang.” I replied.
Night Heart styed quiet for while looking thoughtful and making me nervous.
“Well, I guess you could work the reception and help around the clinic from time to time.” She relied.
“Thank you! I promise I won't let you down!” I said cheerfully giving her a bear hug.
“Umm, Spooks?” She said awkwardly tapping my shoulder.
“Oops, sorry.” I said letting go. “Now I should be off to bed.” I said turning to go where Windy went.
“Spooks before you go I need to ask you something.” She her voice very serious.
“Yes?” I asked nervously.
“What is your relationship with my daughter?” She asked with the same level of seriousness.
“Well, last night we both admitted that we crush on each other so I think that we are something like girlfriends right now.” I answered honestly.
“It's marefriends. And I wish you good luck.” She said with a small smile, “Now you should go to bed you have work tomorrow.”
“Thank you.” I replied gratefully before going into Windy´s room, which was on the second floor of the house.
As soon as I entered the room I was a queen sized bed with Windy laying on it and patting a spot beside her. Being the gentleman, or gentlemare, that I am I didn´t keep her waiting and quickly joined her in the bed, snuggled up to her and soon we were both asleep.