Twilight's Story

by Damaged

5 - Settled

The little boat was much easier to row with a pair of unicorns than if it had just been the griffons, and when Staccato dove into the water and started pushing it along they lifted the oars from the water completely. "Thanks Staccato!" Twilight peeked over the back of the boat to see her smiling friend, tail working side-to-side to propel them quickly toward the most amazing shoreline.

"No problem Twi, I love to swim." The siren had the boat pushed up on the shore in no time and, to everypony's surprise a stallion and two mares trotted down from the treeline.

"Like, hi there." Summer Breeze, one of the mares, called to the newcomers. "I am Summer Breeze, this is my special somepony, Sweet Breeze." The two mares hugged adorably together. "And this is our good friend," she emphasized the words heavily, "Smooth Flow."

"A most excellent greeting." The stallion walked slowly, his red mane and tail done up in tight dreadlocks.

Twilight couldn't help but smile, although something seemed a little strange about the three. "I am Twilight Velvet, this is Night Talon. We are your replacements… I think."

"We totally heard you were coming, the stars whispered to me." Sweet Breeze looked up to the sky, the most serene look ever on her face. "Are you all staying or is there room on that ship for three and a half?"

"Half?" Staccato slithered out of the water. "How can you have a half?" She looked at the three expressions that for a fraction showed as being freaked out, but then flowed back into serene acceptance.

"Whoa, a siren? Your vibe is way gnarly. What my sister is saying is, she, like totally has a foal on the way." Summer gestured to her special somepony. The phrase seemed to confuse more than the ponies, the griffons too were a little shocked.

"But you said you were special someponies and then she is… and he…" Twilight's brain fizzed a little in confusion, she got only serene smiles from the two mares and the stallion. "You are more than friends?"

"Like, totally. We are all one under the sun. If my sisters here wanted a foal, I wouldn't deny them." Smooth Flow looked really relaxed and at ease about it and, so, Twilight gave a little shrug and a smile. She got a wider smile back from the stallion.

"I…" Night closed his eyes and reached to what he really felt. "That is awesome, you all fit together so well." And it was, he couldn't really think of why it would be a problem, if they didn't think it was one. "Have you chosen a name for her yet?"

There was a look of indignation on the expectant mother's face. "Like, we totally wouldn't choose her life in that way. When she can speak, she will tell us her name."

By now Twilight had given up any thought of challenging them. "How do you know it is a filly?" She glanced again, making sure none were hiding a horn.

"The sun told us." Smooth just smiled and trotted toward the boat. "Are you like, totally ready to go now? We are."

Bandyr looked at Night and Twilight, then his new guests. "Well, let's talk about my fee while your replacements get settled."

"I guess this is it." Twilight stepped toward a path in the forest that was more visible after they saw the other three leave from it. "Ready, partner?"

Night wasn't sure what, but he caught a sense of excitement from Twilight Velvet and it seemed to draw him in. "Of course, partner!"

"We better keep them safe." Staccato gestured to the two unicorns with a hoof. Beside her, Frida nodded and the pair started after the two who led the way.

It was only a short hike to the big house that was to be their home for however long they were out here. It looked sturdy and completely built from local wood.

"Wow, this looks really nice." Twilight opened the door and looked inside. The floor was swept clean, there were utensils and things in the open-plan house. It was quite clear there were no rooms in the building but the one big central one. "Oh… this is going to be… cozy." She couldn't help but blush.

"What do you mean?" Night came in beside her. "Where are the bedrooms? I call dibs on the biggest!" Twilight just lifted a hoof and pointed to what looked like a single, large bed in one corner. "Oh…" Night's ears tucked back in panic.

"Move in, move in, make some room you two." Staccato slipped past the pair and made right for the big bed. "Nice, we can all fit on this!" She sprang up and landed on the bed, giggling.

Setting her gear out Twilight found the logbook the ponies before them had been keeping. Settling down into a chair that was too comfortable to be real, she flicked back to the same date last year and started to read, trying to get a feel for what to expect.

"Wow, Twilight really likes her books, huh?" Frida nudged Night. "Maybe you should go and offer to help?"

Night colored and looked at the griffon. "Why are you trying to do this?" At her suddenly innocent look he bopped her on the end of the beak. "Don't play innocent."

"Well, you both get on well together, you seem to have a spark, you work well as a team, and the way you look at each other every time you think somepony isn't watching." Frida has a claw up and is ticking things off. "Pretty much it."

With each reason, Night colored a little more. "Okay, okay. I get it. She just… Twi seems to hate me. Every time we talk it feels like there is an argument brewing and for some reason my 'side' feels like the losing one. It intimidates me."

"Night Talon-" Frida's voice had grown soft and she reached out to the stallion only to be cut off by him.

"Ugh, and I even did that wrong. When I signed up for the guard I wanted to be a big strong fighter, I didn't want to seem weak. Light. My name is Night Light." Night took his helmet off and practically threw it.

Cerise magic reached out and grabbed the helmet out of the air and Night's eyes were pulled to Twilight, she had apparently been listening. "Night Light. I like that better than Talon, just feels… more reassuring." She gave the stallion the biggest smile she could and got back to her book.

Night looked down at his helmet. "We should get some food, it will be night soon." He set the head covering down on a table and made for the food preparation area. It was just after preparing a salad for him and Twilight that Staccato returned with a brace of fish. "What… what did you… oh…" The stallion suddenly realized he was living with a pair of creatures who ate meat.

"Don't worry, we won't eat in front of you and Twi." Frida looked over to the siren. "Will we?"

Twilight was snapped away from her book by the voices. "Huh, what is going on?" She looked from Night to Frida, then to Staccato and the fish. "Oh, you two need regular protein, right?" She got an eager nod from both. "Right, well don't let us stop you, our diet must be just as odd to you." Staccato slithered over to Twilight and hugged the mare tight. "Hey! You are making me smell like fish!"

Giggling and letting her friend go, the siren carried the brace to where Night was working away. "Would you like to learn how to prepare them?"

Taking a deep breath, Night nodded. "It wouldn't do, if you both fell sick, for neither Twi nor I to not know how to care for you." He watched as the siren neatly grabbed one fish off the little pointed stick and, using a sharp knife, cut away the head. "Wait, where is all the… insides?"

"I got rid of those already, they are really smelly and you wouldn't want to be stuck with that smell in here… even I wouldn't." Staccato neatly prepared two fillets from the first fish.

Lifting another fish free, Night took up the sharp little blade and began doing just as he had seen Staccato do. "Like this?"

"Yup! Oh, careful of the spine and ribs. I don't think Frida would overly care, but I don't like to eat those bits." Staccato was already working on the third and, soon enough, all four had their meals in front of them. As they ate, Staccato noticed Twilight looking at her fish every now and again. "Would you like to try some?"

Twilight froze in surprise. "I… I shouldn't, ponies are not really…" She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, counting to five in her head. On the fifth count she let her breath out and opened her eyes again. "Just a little bit."

Night was shocked. "But that is… we are ponies!" His protests didn't stop the mare across from him from, with an encouraging gesture from Staccato, lifting up a little piece of the fish and bringing it to her mouth.

Chewing slowly, making sure she got the new flavor completely, Twilight decided that she really wasn't a fan. "Not really going to agree with how much you like it." She gulped it down anyway and smiled to Staccato. "Thank you!"

"I thought you promised not to subvert ponies?" Frida's grin took the edge off the barb. "And here you are, encouraging them to become meat eaters!"

"She wanted to try it! My promise was…" Staccato froze at the giggles coming from everypony at the table. "I walked into that."

Frida gave a happy nod and ate some more of the raw fish. "This is delicious, I shouldn't rib you. Thank you, Staccato."

The apology and praise were more than enough to salve the siren's slight hurt and silence fell on the table as ponies, griffon, and siren focused on finishing their meals.

With full bellies, a contagious yawn circled the table and got them all giggling. "So how are we going to handle this bed?" Frida cocked an eyebrow at the other three.

"Like adults. Just because we are all in the same bed doesn't mean we are anything but friends needing somewhere to sleep." Twilight gave a firm nod to that, echoed by one from Night.

Staccato stretched and slithered over to the big bed. "Well, I am done for, pushing you lot to shore was fun but a lot of work. Goodnight." The siren coiled around the bed once, her thick body circling it just as her tail came up and sat on her nose.

"Me too, my cousin might have given you free travel, but he had me working on the ship and I just want to curl up in a nice nest and not worry about how clean the deck is." Frida prowled over and had to make a little leap over Staccato, winding up pressed against the siren's tail in one corner.

Night focused himself by slowly taking off his armor, not wanting to think about Twilight at all. Of course, when he was done, he started thinking about her again and, worse, noticed she had been watching him taking off his armor. "W-W-What?"

"Watching you change back. That really is fascinating." Twilight lifted a hoof to rub at the blue mane.

He couldn't stop himself from blushing, the touch was a gentle one and Night wanted to pull away but something held him there, letting the mare examine him. "It was odd at first, but then I sort of got used to it." Her hooves ran down his back and the stallion shivered. He lifted his head and turned a little, to watch her examination, but his eyes closed as she ran her hoof through his tail. He had never had a mare do that before and he almost gave a little sigh, the sound of a pony finding out something they really enjoyed for the first time.

"Is there any residual bleed over? Have you ever been stuck with those colors?" Twilight wasn't aware of what her touch was doing to the poor stallion and she kept stroking his tail absently. "Night?"

The word snapped Night from his little daze. His eyes snapped open and he realized he was looking directly into Twilight's eyes. Her gorgeous arctic blue eyes. "I…" Night's mind finally caught up with his throat and he coughed as he managed to stop himself from saying something he would regret… maybe. "I need to sleep."

Twilight blinked, she watched as the stallion walked stiffly and a little oddly over to the bed and curled up, finding a corner but not leaning against Staccato, like Frida had done. She gave a little sigh and followed, making sure to keep away from the stallion. Unlike him, she did find a corner and snuggled against the oddly warm sea monster.

Author's Note:

Will they? Won't they? Oh damn I just want them to snuggle, just once!

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Awesome ponies who are already helping to keep me in keyboards and rum:
Canary in the coal mine
Daremo
Mary Rowland

Comments

[OmniFox]

What would happened if someone's in heat and rut at the same time?

[Damaged]

7304955 Well, heat is for females, rut is for males. Herms are, traditionally, not fertile for both sides. I am not sure where that pertains to this story though...

[OmniFox]

7305089 It's a 'What If' question?

[Damaged]

7305097 Ah, well, in a traditional world, and this is that so far, it cannot happen since rut and estrus both require fertility.

Also please note, this story is rated T, so please be careful of mature topics.

[OmniFox]

7305105 Didn't you used to have it Rated M?

[Damaged]

7305137 When I posted the first chapter, but I revised how I planned to continue it. It will be teen with maybe an extra chapter posted under a mature flag as an option.

[Damaged]

Woops, sorry for the early publish, undid it quick. This is what I get for doing stuff while a little tanked. Also, I am sorry for any (likely a lot) of mistakes in this one, pain and alcohol dull my conjugation skills a touch.

[Daremo]

somepony Sweet - somepony, Sweet
be he caught - but he caught
Night colors - Night colored
apparently be listening - apparently been listening
The stalling suddenly - The stallion suddenly (quite the Freudian slip there )
apology and praise was - apology and praise were
might have gave - might have given
He gorgeous - Her gorgeous

*****

Another fun chapter where the author and the two main characters tantalize us by dancing ever closer to what we all know is already written down in the history books.

I would have expected Twilight or Night to ask for a situation report or even a full debrief from the crew that they are relieving, but perhaps the journal will have all the answers they need. Besides, they are probably more focussed on returning home with their little tree-hugger to be in the over, so to speak.

Night was shocked. "But that is… we are ponies!"

The whole herbivore/carnivore classification isn't quite as clean-cut as the science books would have us believe. Herbivores are just as capable of consuming and digesting meat as anything else, but they are not designed to hunt for it so it's more a meal of opportunity than anything else. For proof there is documented evidence that deer like meat, and birds.

[Daremo]

7306321
Aw.. nuts. I was going to read the new chapter before leaving for work.

[Damaged]

7306437
more focussed on - more focused on
little tree-hugger to be in the over - little Tree Hugger to be in the oven

*****

I really couldn't resist that. I am a little tipsy right now, but still I had to call those. Thanks as always, you are awesome!

[Daremo]

7306491

No worries. What's good for the mare, is good for the stallion, after all, and I should have been more careful.

Oh, and I intentionally didn't make tree-hugger a proper noun just in case I wasn't calling it correctly.

[Damaged]

7306505 Nah, you picked that right. Did you get Sweetie Drops' mom in there too? There will be a few other parent-cameos to come.