Gathering Pieces

by Random_User

Confessions and Shared Insights

The gem lamp’s light shone from the basement. “Come on down,” Cobalt said.

Windless looked down the stairwell as if it were the maw of a hydra. “I think I may have changed my mind.”

“No matter what happens, we’re right here and ready to help.”

“Care, Windless, you’ve got to see this!” Cobalt called to them.

“Come on,” Care said, taking Windless’ hoof. “As excited as he sounds, it has to be something good.” She led him down the stairs and towards Cobalt. “What is it?”

“Look!” He pointed a hoof at the rockmoss he and Care had given magic to. “It’s budding!”

“You said it could be a week to do something like that,” Care said.

“You two must have given it an extra strong dose like Stone did,” Windless said.

“I’ll move it away from the circle, to be safe. If it has that much energy to work with, I don’t want to give it another dose on accident.” Cobalt moved the planter closer to the basement’s exit, making sure it was away from any potential light.

“You two mix well,” Windless said. “Let’s see if adding me to the mix sours things.”

Cobalt returned to them and put his hoof on Windless’ shoulder. “What’s eating you?”

“I’ll tell both of you after we give this a try. What do I need to do?”

“Pick one of the starter planters.”

“That one,” Windless said, pointing a hoof towards one planter.

Cobalt took Windless’ chosen planter from the shelf and put it in the circle.

“Try it with him first,” Care urged Windless. “I’ll stay outside the circle.”

“Cobalt, if this doesn’t work, please don’t hold it against me,” Windless said, as he stepped into the circle.

“You’re going to make me snuggle you again, aren’t you?”

Windless looked at Cobalt as if his friend had lost his mind.

“You need to relax, or this won’t work,” Cobalt told Windless. “Think about it as if you were getting fed by someone else. Do you want somepony who is upset or angry being that close to you and using a spoon to feed you?”

“I wouldn’t.”

“That is what the moss will pick up, if you don’t relax. The last time you seemed yourself is when we were goofing around in my room.”

Windless smiled. “I remember you goofing around, and me being picked up like a rag doll and protesting a lot.”

“That’s it!” Cobalt patted Cobalt’s shoulder. “This is you; happy, clever, and ready to tell a joke, even if you’re the center of it, to make others feel better. Relax, hold on to that, and everything will be fine.”

Windless nodded. “Let’s do this.”

“Stand with your hoof touching the planter. That’s it, now put the other here.” Cobalt shifted his position and assumed a mirroring position. “Put your head over the rockmoss, and match your breathing to mine. In for five, hold for eight, and then let it out for seven. While were breathing, close your eyes and picture a source of light in your favorite color. The light doesn’t have to be holding still, if that helps.”

Care put her hoof over her mouth and, with silent words, prayed to Luna. Several cycles of breath passed and Windless shook his head. “Nothing.”

“I got something,” Cobalt said, after taking a deep breath. “I couldn’t tell what it was. The image seemed out of focus.”

Windless leaned towards him. “What did you see?”

“Blue and green glowing ribbons, if that makes any sense.”

“Close enough. I'm not saying anything until after we try again.” He turned to Care. “You’re up.”

“Now I’m worried. Wouldn’t adding me to the mix make things too complicated?”

“No, it would help me. I know it.” He stepped out of the circle and hugged her. “Cobalt is my friend. You are my twin sister. I like him. I love you. If there is anyone that can make a connection between us it’s you.”

“How can you be so sweet and put so much pressure on me at the same time?”

“No pressure. Cobalt has done more than enough to make me feel a lot better.” He touched his nose to hers. “If this works, I will go to go to Sugar Cube Corner tomorrow and get you the biggest apple pie they have and that only has Sweet Apple Acres apples in it.”

She grinned. “I thought you said no pressure. You know how much I love those pies.”

“I’ll go get you one, even if it doesn’t work, how about that?”

“That sounds great.”

The Windless led Care into the circle and looked down at the planter. “We’re all supposed to be touching this at the same time?”

“I know, it will take some positioning, but we can do it.” After working the logistics out, the three got into their new spots and bowed their heads towards the rock moss. “Breathe with me,” Cobalt said.

*****

Puca’s ears went straight up and she looked towards the floor as if trying to see through it.”

Freight got to her hooves. “Puca, what are you getting?”

Mosaic put a foreleg across Freight’s shoulders. “Easy.”

“I don’t know, but something must have happened,” Puca said. “I got some strong emotions all jumbled together for a second and then almost nothing.”

“I’m going down there,” Freight said.

“Give them time.” Mosaic said. “If they are meditating like Cobalt does, they won’t be giving off much in the way of emotion. This could be a good sign.”

Puca closed her eyes, and they waited. After a short while, Puca smiled. “There they are: relief, giddiness, and happy exhaustion.”

“I’m still going down there.”

“None of them are hurt or I would have picked up concern or distress. They care for each other too much for anything else to be possible. Right now their connections are shifting and being tested. They need to sort this out for themselves.”

Freight nodded and sat back down. “I know I’m being too protective, but they are so vulnerable with all the changes they are facing.” She leaned against Mosaic, who hugged her around the shoulders. “How in the world did you not go insane when Cobalt and Stone went with us to stop the Nightmares?”

“Field was my pillar. He, after freaking out himself when I first told him what was going on, held me together and assured me that Cobalt and Stone could take on anything that Equestria could throw at them.”

Field smiled. “I did what I could, but she didn’t require much support. In fact, she kept me from worrying much more than I did for her. Miss Foremare here is the real source of strength for our family.”

“Seeing how you have been the steadying personalities in what’s been going on the last couple of day, I think you both are very strong ponies.” Freight shifted in Mosaic’s hold and returned her hug. “Thank you both.”

“It’s the least we can do, after all you did to protect our boys and save Equestria.”

“They saved all of us, I was the pilot.”

“You did more than that. You encouraged Stone, kept Cobalt out of the fray, and fought Windigos and Nightmares.”

“All right, I did more than pilot the ship, but don’t make me out as some hero.” She smiled. “They helped me, and I helped them. Isn’t that what friends are for?”

*****

Windless lay on the floor and grinned like a mad pony. “I don’t know what happened, but I think it worked.”

“Our magic pooled together.” Care raised her head. “It was beautiful.”

“I'm going to paint it, when we get home. The scene looked like something out of a fairy tale. The glow of a magic lantern attracting fireflies that danced around while it sat under the northern aurora.”

“Cobalt?” Care asked, putting a hoof on his shoulder.

“It worked,” he muttered as if half conscious.

“Did it hurt you?”

He shook his head as if to clear it. “I had to use a lot of my magic to funnel yours towards the rock moss. I’m drained, but I’m okay.”

“Aha! Now’s my chance, while the behemoth is weakened!” Windless got to his hooves, walked over to Cobalt and hugged him. Tears of relief ran down his face. “Thank you.”

Steadying himself with one foreleg, Cobalt used the other to hug and pat Windless on the shoulder. “I’m glad I could help. To be honest, I think the thing that made everything work is that you two are twins and your magic worked so well together.”

“Don’t give me that! I saw your magic dancing with Care’s. My bond with her was not the only one you were working off of.”

“Windless, not-” Windless tapped a hoof against Cobalt’s nose, cutting him off.

“I’ll tell the two of you what was worrying me, and then you tell her about what this kind of magic work can mean between crystal ponies.”

Care gave a huff. “Windless, I’m not a filly. I know that when ponies have magic that can work together like his and mine they are compatible on the magical, personality, and romantic levels. I didn’t want to make a big deal about with other ponies around.”

“You spoiled it! He was supposed to make a dramatic confession, after revealing he manipulated you to help with the rockmoss, while I sagely sit by and say ‘I knew it’ and then scold you two for not talking to each other in a direct manner.”

Care snorted. “You and the word sagely do not go together. Dramatic, yes. Sagely, no.”

Windless put a hoof to his chest. “You wound me, dear sister.”

“Did you ever consider that I asked to help with the rockmoss knowing what it could indicate according to crystal pony traditions?”

Windless made a show of narrowing his eyes at her. “You read my books.”

“The ones you left lying around. I was curious what Cobalt was getting training in.”

“That’s why it went so well. We’re compatible, and you knew the basics before we tried.” Cobalt studied her. “You were so interested that you read up on what I was doing?”

“Like you’ve read up on bat pony history and traits, because of Windless and me,” she said and put her hooves on his shoulders. “Sit down. You’re about to collapse.” She glanced at Windless. “I believe somepony owes us an explanation.”

Windless nodded. “As you both know, I’ve liked the Crystal Empire for a while. I fell in love with it when we went to Puca and Stone’s wedding.” He looked at Care and asked, “Do you remember that I was tired the last day of the trip and slept the whole time while we were on the train back?”

Care nodded. “I do. Mom seemed to keep an eye on you more than usual that day.”

“She caught me on our room’s balcony the night before, watching the aurora and drawing the cityscape. I was trying to make the most I could out of the last night there.”

“I’ve wondered why Mom kept telling me to let you sleep. That’s one of your best works if it’s the one in the hall I’m thinking about.”

“It is. When I got my acceptance letter to the Crystal Empire’s University, I was elated and sick to my stomach. I wanted to go, but I there was a part of me that didn’t want to leave you and worried that I would never fit in there. Since their entire culture revolves around earth pony magic and the Crystal Heart’s powers, I thought I would never experience their traditions or their magic without one of the yearly festivals when they use the Crystal Heart’s power to grant everypony access to the Empire’s magic.”

“This was your test to see if you could be a part of the Empire on a deeper level,” Care said. “That’s why you were so wound up about it.”

Windless nodded. “When I applied for the University, it was a long shot and I knew it. I didn’t want to study the old masters; I wanted to learn from them. The University would have given me the opportunity to do that, but I didn’t want to be a complete outsider, unable to take part in daily life there.”

“You might be sensitive to the Crystal Heart’s power,” Cobalt said. “There are several earth and non-earth ponies that are and are drawn to it. That you can connect with earth pony magic may be a part of what's going on.”

“There is something special about the Empire for me, whether or not that’s it.”

“If it is, Amore and Twilight might want to study the connection you have. They’re working on some kind of project that involves the Crystal Heart’s magic and its effects on ponies.”

“I wouldn’t mind that at all.”

“He thinks the mares in the Empire are something special too,” Care said. “Judging by all the sketches he does.”

“Classical beauties, every one,” Windless said, with a smile. “That was the other thing. I needed to know. Would it be possible for me to court a mare using their traditions, if one were to come along that I liked, and if she liked me.” He chuckled. “It’s strange, now I think about it, that my friend, who is a colt, is the one that might have given me the thing that allows me to find the mare of my heart.”

“It’s not too strange,” Care said. “Look at the pairs around us and how they came together. Except for Cobalt’s parents, you can’t say any of our friends got together the typical way.”

“Too true,” Windless agreed and looked to Cobalt. “What do we do with him? We can’t carry him out.”

“I’ll be fine in a few minutes. The same thing happened when Stone’s magic got away from us.”

“I’ll look over him,” Care said, rubbing Cobalt’s shoulder with a hoof. “Why don’t you go tell Mom and the other’s what happened. I’m sure Mom’s about to freak out.”

Windless raised an eyebrow and gave his sister a grin. “I don’t know, Sis. Leaving you two alone unsupervised doesn’t seem like that good of an idea.”

“Windless, go talk to Mom,” Care ordered.

“All right, I’ll go buy you some time.” Windless paused at the stairwell. “You two know Mom and Mosaic are sure to come down here, so don’t get too involved in anything you don’t want interrupted.”

Care face hoofed and sighed. “Windless, just go, please.”

With a parting grin, Windless went up the stairwell.

“If you’re angry with me, I understand,” Cobalt told Care and braced himself.

“Why would I be angry with you?”

“I didn’t know whether to say anything about what mixing our magic could mean or not,” Cobalt said, looking towards the floor. “If I told you, it might have given the wrong impression. If I didn’t, I risked looking like I had lured you into something. Since you asked, I thought I would leave it alone and go with what you wanted.”

“You did nothing wrong. Do you feel I should have told you I knew?”

He shook his head.

“I asked to help and you let me. We didn’t have to complicate things, which worked out for the best. If you feel you manipulated me, consider my actions as manipulative and that we’re equally innocent or guilty and have no reason to be upset with each other.”

He looked up at her and smiled. “Thanks.”

“Sit up a bit more for me, please.”

“I can do that.” Cobalt sat up straighter.

“Perfect.” Sliding towards him, she put hooves around his barrel and hugged him. She wrapped her wings around him. “I’ve wanted to do this for so long. Stowaway is great, but he’s not you.” She giggled. “You’re too cute. You froze the first time I gave you a wing hug too.”

“Getting a hug from a mare does that to us colts.”

She giggled. “You’re supposed to hug back, remember?”

“I do.” He raised his hooves as if to hug her around the shoulders.

“Around my barrel, please, under my forelegs and wings.”

Cobalt blushed. “Care, if anypony comes down here and sees us…”

“I will tell them I told you to do it and that you were a perfect gentlecolt.”

He hugged her around her barrel, intertwining their forelegs. “Is this all right?”

“Perfect.” She gave him a smirk. “Now, I take you to the floor.”

“What?!”

She leaned and shifted their position to the floor so they were three quarters lying down. “There, that’s perfect. Puca has to be about as charged as she was last night when she had to bolt from everypony.”

Cobalt tensed.

“I have a strong suspicion she left because she didn’t want to let on that she sensed you had a shift in feelings for me, but it was too late.”

“You knew. You knew what happened.”

“So did our moms, I’m sure. What did I do for things to change?”

“When you told me you were glad you could help me, that’s what pushed me over the edge. Up till that point, I’d kept what I felt a crush, a strong one, but still a crush.”

She put a hoof to his cheek. “I’m sorry you felt you needed to keep it a crush. Did I do something to make you feel you should?”

“I thought it would make things uncomfortable for you and between us and Windless, and that everyone would think I was still carrying a colt’s crush. When you told me you would be moving here, it got worse. I don’t know if you feel the same, or would even be interested, but if you would give me a chance I’ll do all I can to earn your love.”

“Why in Equestria would you think I don’t love you?” She closed the distance between them, and gave him a tender kiss that teased the edges of turning passionate. She broke the kiss and smiled at him. “You look like I rearranged your entire world.”

“I think you did.” He smiled at her in elation. “You love me?”

“I love you.”

“Why?” His ears went askew and he looked befuddled. “When?!”

“You’re handsome, intelligent, kind, supportive, and have been my friend since we were foals.”

“I would have thought last one would have worked against me.”

“You and I seem to have had the same worries. I thought nopony would take me seriously if I said I was interested in you. I thought if I told you I had a crush on you while settling in here that it would make things weird.”

“I talked about that with Windless last night, before you came in. He said it would help you, if I asked you to be my special somepony.”

“You asked Windless about it?”

“It came up when I offered to let him hit me for mixing magic with you.” Cobalt gave her a vulnerable look. “Now I know why, when?”

“Last night, when we were having tea after we got back. I think knowing you loved me allowed my emotional walls to drop. Things went a lot deeper for me real fast when you suggested we get plushies for Labra and Windless.”

He tilted his head. “But that was a spur of the moment thing. It’s wasn’t anything big either.”

“I know how much Stowaway has meant for me, so you thinking of giving Windless a plushie of Labra touched me. This is the first time Windless and I will be separated. I knew I would have you and your family watching over me. He will not have anypony looking out for him.”

“I’ve been worried about him too. Before he merged magic with us, he was an emotional wreck. I think we gave him hope.”

“I can understand why he was so worried about not being able to mix magic while up in the Empire and with the mare he liked. I was scared that I could never see what you see when you use your magic. Now that I have, I don’t know if I could even think of not being able to do that with you again.”

“We can do that whenever you would like. I’m sure the rockmoss would enjoy it too.”

“You will need to get more rockmoss going.”

“You gave me another idea that might help Windless, but I need to know something first.”

“What?”

“How good is he with plants?”

*****

Stone kissed the top of Puca’s head. “You seem more relaxed. Is everything calming down in the basement?”

“I think so.” She gave a contented sigh. “Thanks for holding me.”

Windless’ eyes kept returning to Puca and Stone.

“Windless, talk to us,” Puca said. “You’re an emotional knot.”

“You’re not playing fair.”

“And you’re not talking about what you are feeling when you need to be.”

He gave her a self-deprecating smile. “It’s kinda tough talking about the stuff running through my head with one of my heroes, while another of my heroes is holding her and who would be justified in smashing me into the floor if he heard the word ‘jealous’ anywhere in the conversation.”

“From what Freight told me, while you were in the basement, your Mom got in bed with my parents last night," Stone said. "After that shock, I think I can handle whatever you throw out.”

Windless groaned and put his head down on the table. “Mom, please don’t spread that around.”

Stone smiled. “Freight, herds are still legal in both Equestria and the Empire. Starlight, Sunburst, and Trixie formed one with the blessing of Cadance herself about a year ago.”

“Nope, nope, I’m not hearing this and definitely not having mental images I would like erased!” Windless raised his head, as the house’s front door opened. “They’re back?”

Field’s ears went up. “Sounds like Cobalt’s worn himself out again, judging by his hoofsteps.” He raised his chin towards the doorway and asked, “You all right, Son?”

“I’m okay,” Cobalt answered in a less than convincing volume.

“I’m spotting him,” Care said, backing into view and past the kitchen doorway. “Do you want to go to your room?”

“Is everypony still in the kitchen?”

“We are, but we’re moving to the den,” Mosaic said, “which is where you’ll be going.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Cobalt said.

“I’ll get the blankets,” Stone said.

“I think they’re still on the floor,” Cobalt said. “I had a feeling I would be sleeping there tonight and left them.”

“Whoa there,” Care said, steadying Cobalt with a hoof.

Mosaic trotted from the table and braced Cobalt. “You about pushed it too far again didn’t you?”

“It was close,” Cobalt confessed.

Care’s ears folded back in a sign of concern. “What happens if he pushes it too far?”

“After he sleeps for about twelve hours, Mend chews his ears off, and he’s a zombie for a couple of days.”

“Being that tired is bad, having Mend lecture me is ten times worse.” Cobalt used Mosaic’s help to settle himself on the blankets on the den’s floor. “Thanks, Mom.”

“Shouldn’t you be on the couch?” Freight said, as she and everypony else walked into the den.

“Being on the ground helps me get my magic back.” He looked up at Care. “Thank you for spotting me.”

“I did nothing. If you had collapsed, all I could have done was gotten help.”

Mosaic got on the floor beside Cobalt. “You sure you’re okay?”

“I pushed it, but after I get some sleep I’ll be fine.”

Freight settled on the floor on Cobalt’s other side. “Lean on me.”

Cobalt glanced to her and then to Care and Windless.

“Your Mom tucked me in last night,” Windless said. "My mom can fuss over you."

Care smiled at him. “You’ve never been sick when Mom’s been around have you?”

“Not that I remember.” Cobalt blushed as Freight extended a wing across his back and added pressure to his side to prompt him to lean into her, which he did.

“Miss Mosaic, do you have any chamomile tea?” Care asked.

“We do. It’s on the top shelf, in the cabinets just above and to the left of the sink.”

“He’ll need cinnamon toast too,” Freight said.

“Got it, Mom,” Windless said.

“You two are the best,” Freight said, as the twins left the den.

“Put your head down.” Cobalt complied. Freight used her free hoof to stroke his head and neck. “I don’t know whether to thank you for what you did or scold you.”

“Windless needed help.”

She tapped him on the nose. “But you exhausted yourself in the process.”

He smiled leaned his head against her foreleg. “It was worth it.” Cobalt chuckled. “Windless’ magic is wild. It took a lot to direct his and Care’s combined magic to where it needed to be. Care was right; their magic was so similar they fed off of each other’s.”

“They are twins,” Stone pointed out, as he and Puca settled on the couch.

“I think we gave the rockmoss about the same dose you gave yours that first try we did,” Cobalt said.

“Rarity will be thrilled. She liked those smaller gems.”

His eyes not focused on anything in the room, Cobalt smiled at some internal image. “Windless is planning to paint what we saw. I can’t wait to see what he does.”

“Cobalt, stay with us till Care and Windless come back,” Field said. “Getting a little snack in you will help you rest.”

“You’re right, Dad. Training’s tomorrow. Care owes edge push-ups. I’m going to do them with her.”

“We might have to wright you a note,” Mosaic said.

For a second, Cobalt’s sparked. “Care and Windless are going tomorrow. I can’t miss it.”

“Don't get yourself hurt because of us,” Windless said, as he put a plate of cinnamon toast down in front of Cobalt.

“I won’t get hurt. I'll get some sleep and I’ll be fine for tomorrow.” Cobalt leaned up and tried a bite of the toast. “This is great, thanks.”

“No son of mine is going off to school without knowing how to care for himself.” Freight smiled at Windless. “Besides, mares like stallions that know how to take care of themselves.” She looked past Windless, “Isn’t that right, Care?”

“It is.” Care put a cup of tea besides the plate of cinnamon toast.

Cobalt smiled at her. “Thank you.”

“What’s the plan for tomorrow, after training?” Puca asked.

“A good breakfast,” Mosaic said.

Puca looked up at Stone. “I can train. Changelings can pretty much anything they want till close to the time for the egg to come.”

“I’m sorry that you felt that,” Stone said. “I’m getting protective and it's only the first day we've known.”

Puca kissed him. “You shouldn't feel sorry for anything. If you hadn’t felt something like that, I would have wondered what was wrong.” She turned to Windless and smiled. “Ask.”

“You’re not playing fair again.”

“You’re not talking again. Ask, please.”

“Stone, what is like, with her being able to sense what you’re feeling?” Windless asked. “That has to be… different.”

“I took a little time to adjust, I’ll admit. At first, I about drove myself nuts trying not to do, think, or feel anything I thought would annoy or upset her. That didn’t work, because my trying to suppress or not do things I thought would bother her led doing and feeling things that upset her.” He leaned into Puca as she leaned into him. “She has taught me to be open with my emotions, even the bad ones, with her. We talk, we share, and we disagree without things turning into a fight. After I learned to feel what I felt and not worry about it and to be open both in giving and receiving, everything got a lot easier.”

Puca snorted and smiled. “He makes it sound like it was a big deal and all on his side of things. It took a bit, but we talked, experimented with different solutions, and worked through things together. I worried that if he wasn’t feeling fine it was something I had done or something I could help with and I smothered him trying to fix things that had nothing to do with us, were irritating parts of life, or had no solutions.”

Stone kissed the side of Puca's head. “When I feel love and warmth for her, I tell her. When I need a hug, I ask for one. When I think she’s not feeling good, I offer to help. We’re friends, we’re lovers, and she’s everything to me.” He looked towards her stomach. “Now she’s going to be the mother of our child. I hope I can as open a relationship with our little one as I do with her, because I know I will love them too.”

“That was a hay of a answer. Thanks.”

Puca got off the couch and hugged Windless, who seemed shocked by the contact. “You’re a good stallion. You’ll find your special mare, or she’ll find you.”

Freight sighed. “I keep telling him that, but he won’t listen to his mother.”

“You can hug her back,” Stone said, with a chuckle. “She’ll be hurt if you don’t.”

Windless returned Puca’s hug. “You’ve given me a lot to think about. Thank you both.”

Field took the clean plate and empty from Cobalt. “Feeling better?”

“I am, but I’m not sure how much longer I will be awake.” He put his head back on the floor. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” Puca and Windless separated. “Mom has that effect on ponies when she wants them to feel better.”

“We should all get rest,” Puca said. “We’re all tired with as wild as the day has been.”

“You’re kind of an emotional barometer aren’t you?” Windless said.

“I never thought of it that way, but I guess so.”

“He’s out like a light,” Mosaic said, looking at Cobalt and sighing.

“Will he be all right?” Care asked. “I’m starting to feel worried.”

“He’s going to not be his best in the morning, but he’ll be fine.” Mosaic took a deep breath. “You should have seen him when he came back from Hound’s Run.” She closed her eyes. “No. No, I’m glad you didn’t see him.”

Field hugged Mosaic to his side and kissed her head.

*****

Windless’ pencil scratched across the paper. He studied Cobalt for a moment then added more details to the illustration.

“You couldn’t sleep either,” Care said in a whisper.

“It’s strange. I’m feeling better, but my mind is racing on other things now.”

Care watched Cobalt sleeping. “I know the feeling.”

Windless put his sketch pad on the couch’s arm and patted the cushion next to him.

Care took a seat next to Windless and leaned against him.

Windless put a foreleg around her shoulders. “You were down there with him for a while. Did you talk?”

“We did. We’re special someponies now.”

“Good.”

She gave a light snort. “You’re calm about it.”

“He’s a good stallion. If I were a mare, you would have competition.”

Care looked to Windless.

“No, my barn door doesn’t swing that way at all, despite the rumors about us artists.”

“I know that you goof. I’m just surprised you said it so casually.”

“It’s working under the moon when it’s quiet that’s got me like this. That and I’ve been thinking about what Puca and Stone said. If I had talked with Gauze more, we might have avoided the awkward situation we're in.”

“Just be careful about being too open.” She looked at the drawing he had been working on. “How do you keep getting better and better?”

“Practice and using it like a kind of meditation. Cobalt makes his gems; I make my pieces of art.”

Care sighed. “I don’t make anything, now I think about it.”

Windless gave her a light squeeze. “You make other ponies happy.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“You will be helping Cobalt make more gems, if I had to bet.”

“He's already said I could help.”

“I would too. What we did was amazing.”

“I’m sure you could help too, if you asked.”

“No, we’re not compatible on that level. It was great to help, but it cost him, and I don’t want to do that to him again.” He chuckled. “Speaking of creating things, you two were down there for a while. You aren’t expecting a delivery of your own now are you?”

“Windless!” she hissed at him while giving a meaningful glance towards Cobalt.

“You’re not answering.”

“We hugged each other. You saw how worn out he was.”

“I know, but that does not mean he had to be too involved. I thought you were about to take him to the floor yesterday, so I thought you might have succeeded this time. Wait, two days ago now, I think. Never mind, you know what I mean.”

“You’re horrible. I was going to give him a wing hug, since he mentioned that was what it felt like when we mixed our magic.”

“Poor guy, not even a kiss.”

“We did kiss,” Care admitted. "Nothing else."

“You started it, didn’t you?”

She nodded.

“Thought so, he’s a little like Stone was with Puca, worried that he will push things too far too soon.”
Cobalt fidgeted in his sleep, drawing their attention.

“Do you see how he’s holding the blanket in his forelegs?”

Care nodded.

“There is a Care plushie that’s supposed to be right there, if I had to bet. The only problem is that she is in his room on a shelf.” He put a hoof to his chin. “I wonder if there is something we could use as a substitute.”

“Should I?”

“Do you want to?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”

“Why don’t you do that with the Fluttershy plushie Rarity made for you?”

“I tried, but it doesn’t work for me. Holding it made me feel the same as when I drew her when she was looking sad, like I was taking advantage of somepony I didn’t even know.” He patted her shoulder. “Go on.”

Care got off the couch and approached Cobalt. She dropped her head close to this. “Cobalt?”

Cobalt stirred, but did not wake.

“You really are exhausted.” She stroked his mane with a hoof. “Maybe I should just let you sleep.”

With a sleepy swipe, one of Cobalt’s hooves caught hers. Cobalt opened his eyes and looked up at her. “Care?”

“I’m sorry to wake you up, but I couldn’t settle down. I can sleep in here?”

Cobalt smiled. “Sure. Let me scoot over.” Cobalt moved and adjusted the blankets. “Here you go.”

“Thank you.” She settled down beside him.

Cobalt blushed. “Would you like me to hold you again?”

“I liked that, but since you got to hold me last time, can I hold you this time?”

“That sounds great. What do you need me to do?”

“Hold still for a second.” Care lay down beside him and guided him so that his head was tucked under her chin and she hugged him under his forelegs. She extended her free wing over his shoulders and back. “Comfy?”

“Very.” Cobalt raised his head and kissed her. Her ears snapped up and her wing rose from his side. “I’ve wanted to do that for a while.” He put his head back on her chest.

She returned her wing to his shoulders and rested her check against his head. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear that.”

Before long, Care and Cobalt were both asleep. Cobalt smiled, shook his head, and whispered to himself, “I might as well have not been in the room.” He picked his sketch pad up and flipped to a fresh page.