The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

Considering A Therapy Career

Valey awoke to the sensation of hooves against her spine.

"Bananas-!" She briefly struggled, before being pressed back down.

"Don't move, darling!" Felicity's voice urged from above her. "I only just finished getting you to relax."

"Huh?" Valey went still, laying on her belly and wishing she could see behind her. Slowly, she realized that she felt very, very good.

"Much better," Felicity hummed, satisfied, and her forehooves resumed their rubbing. "I'm sorry for not asking, but you did sneak back into my bed unannounced, so you really did have it coming."

Valey tried again to roll over, but Felicity was straddling her, rolling the edges of her hooves around in Valey's shoulder blades, and she again decided to stay put. "Bananas... Morning? Evening? What time is it? And is this a massage?"

Felicity giggled. "Just after sundown. And it's not just any massage. I did tell you I found other uses for my Mistvale arts than brute force and fights, didn't I?"

Valey groaned. "Just so you know, the first time I learned about Mistvale arts was when I got half-paralyzed by a dumb monk who tried to do exactly this..."

"...Poor taste, then?" Felicity bit her lip and backed off. "Apologies, darling. I hope you can feel that I had a much better intent, if nothing else."

Valey finally sat up, turning to look at the other mare. Felicity sat upright on her haunches, a blanket tucked snugly over her like a hooded cloak and her forehooves crossed self-consciously in front of her belly. She looked genuinely abashed.

"Uh... yeah, actually." Valey stretched her wings and forelegs, tilting her head and cracking her neck. "I do feel pretty great. But still, you decided to give me a massage while I was sleeping?"

Felicity folded her ears. "Well, you were so tense. Recently wound-up, if you know what I mean. And I figured I might as well enjoy it while it lasted."

Valey rubbed her eyes, still sleepy. "Enjoy what?" she yawned.

Felicity pointed at the bed the two of them were sharing.

"Huh?"

"Fine. Time for a confession," Felicity sighed. "But first, darling, be honest. How far down your list am I?"

Valey squinted. "What?"

Felicity panned a hoof around the room. "Maple is recovering from broken ribs, Gazelle is Gazelle, and Starlight is a filly. Much as I appreciate you coming to share a bed with me, both of us know this crippled, pregnant triple-crosser is your only option. I just want to... know where I really fall on your list."

Valey stared. "Uhh... Once again, what?"

"Your list, darling." Felicity frowned. "Of whose side you choose to grace throughout the night."

"What are you talking about?" Valey tilted her head. "I'm here 'cuz you got cheated last night and I wanted to do something nice. And because I was maybe just a little horny after messing with so many college mares yesterday, and knew you'd be the last one to mind. But you make slipping in with you sound like I didn't have a choice."

"Did you?" Felicity raised an eyebrow.

Valey swept a hoof past all the other empty beds in the dorm and raised one back.

Felicity gently huffed. "Darling, in all the time I've been traveling with you I haven't seen you spend a night by yourself even once."

Valey blinked. "I totally have. I did just... uhhh..."

Felicity stared into her soul.

"Bananas, have I?" Valey put a hoof against her forehead. "That's like... No I haven't. But, I mean..."

"I've noticed," Felicity repeated. "Believe me. It's impossible not to when you harbor enough of a crush to wish it was you there instead. And since I don't doubt you'll move back on to Shinespark or Amber once they arrive, I... well... wanted to enjoy my time while it lasted. But I apologize if I overstepped any bounds."

Valey waved a hoof. "No, no, hold on, you're fine. I'm just trying to remember the last time I..." She blinked. "Ah, whatever. Wait, so you're feeling... Oh."

"You're cute when you're clueless," Felicity pointed out, then winced. "Apologies if I've made this awkward, darling."

Valey quickly focused. "Yeah, you know what? There's only one cure for awkwardness." Then she leaned forward, grabbed Felicity, and dragged her back down onto the bed until both of them were laying nose-to-nose. Valey grinned, her hooves around Felicity's shoulders. "There."

"Eeep!" Felicity reddened, and Valey let her go, but she didn't move far. "I-I..."

"Were about to start feeling sorry for yourself for some reason?" Valey raised an eyebrow. "If you wanna have a talk, let's talk, but I'm not really in the mood for pointless pouting."

"Sorry," Felicity apologized. "It isn't pointless, though. You probably don't need to be told twice that I'm not the world's best-centered mare, and..."

"And you've got stuff on your mind?" Valey guessed.

Felicity fidgeted. "Are you asking to hear, or...?"

"Start from the top," Valey requested. "Or wherever you want. What's up?"

Felicity gave her a look. "I lived my foalhood in a dump of a province, held my mother as she died, and devoted two decades of my life to revenge that not only never panned out but cost me my sisters and wasn't right in the first place. You mean aside from that, I hope."

"And I'm a creepy rock from outer space who just got killed by a monster and am apparently incapable of sleeping on my own." Valey shrugged. "What can I do to help whatever's got you feeling down right now? You've been so thrilled with this place since we arrived."

Felicity looked away. "I really didn't intend to rain on your parade, darling. I just wanted to apologize for any possible overzealousness with-"

"With trying to do something nice for a friend, in an admittedly very weird way." Valey nodded. "Now you know not to mess with ponies when they're sleeping, easy peasy. So what's up? You're thinking I'm only hanging out with you because I have to, or something."

"I'm pondering it, because I don't know," Felicity clarified. "Hence why I asked."

Valey took a deep breath. "I snuck into your bed last night instead of any of the hundreds of other mares' beds on this island. And I've been around since you made up with us for like a week, and most of that I spent trying to think of how to apologize for drilling you on sticking with us before I knew how much you did to heal my friends. How's that for an answer?"

"...Thank you," Felicity said.

"Yo." Valey flopped on her back, then patted the blankets next to her. "If it means a lot to you, get over here and tell me more about what you're thinking."

Felicity stared at her for a moment, then went all in, laying down right against her side like a massive, winged cat. "Thank you," she repeated with a sigh, tension slowly draining. "You may have noticed, and I'm sure Amber has, but physical closeness is... my coping mechanism, I suppose. Anything from platonically sitting with my sisters to... You know what I did to Geribaldi. And it's difficult, not having some anxiety, when everyone you've known for more than a few months is dead and gone and your figure is only getting worse by the day."

Valey rubbed Felicity's shoulder, noting with interest just how strong her reaction of relaxation seemed to be. "Getting worse? Hey, I think you're hot. Granted, that's not saying much, but I bet you could catch literally anyone's eye here."

Felicity frowned. "Haven't you seen that my belly has been showing for a whole month? I'm practically a charity case, darling!"

"First off, no, I haven't," Valey began, "because I've been gone for most of that time. And even then, you've always been kinda... heavy, you know? You look pretty ordinary still to me. And three, if you're a charity case, then some charity is about to burn down from hotness."

Felicity chuckled. "Heh... Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"So you've still got it." Valey patted her. "And I think I'm starting to see why you thought waking me up like that was a good idea, if this actually relaxes you this much."

Felicity was sprawled on her back at this point, her head on Valey's chest. "Oh, I don't know about that, darling. But yes, it does..."

Valey slowly stopped. "Why is that? How'd you get this as a coping mechanism, of all things?"

Felicity grumbled and rolled over. "Sometimes, when you don't feel very good about who you are on the inside, that leaves only who you are on the outside to feel good about instead. Rather ironic, now that my body's as messed-up as it is, but you can see where I'm coming from."

Valey frowned. "Does telling you I really appreciate that you came back and tried to take another chance with us after honestly realizing your mistake help too, then?"

"Probably not a bad way to make me cry, if you keep on it for too long," Felicity replied. "Which perhaps should wait for another night. Maple told me what was going on while you were sleeping just now. We've got several hours before showtime, but I'd rather not spend them scrubbing tearstains from my cheeks in case of a heroic photo op."

"Nyaah." Valey stuck out her tongue. "So anything else on your mind? I mean, of course there is, but anything you want to get off your chest? Last I checked, you've probably had the least support out of any of my friends."

"Where to start?" Felicity sighed. "I miss my sisters. I'm going to be a mother, and I don't know what to do... never mind that it's to one of the last sphinxes, and I'm one of the last sarosians. I might be the last practitioner of Mistvale arts in the world, unless some monks decided to strike out west from the Empire. And as this little one grows, I'll probably find myself with less and less stamina until I'm completely bedridden... and hopefully not worse."

Valey swallowed. "Yeah, let's hope not." She stared at Felicity's belly.

"Hmm?" Felicity asked, tracing her gaze.

"Just thinking." Valey brushed back a strand of her mane. "This almost reminds me of the last time I spent a while talking with a pregnant batpony who really didn't have a lot left in life."

Felicity winced. "You're comparing me to...?"

"Crystal? Yeah. Hard not to, now that I look at it." Valey kept watching, with a wing around Felicity's back. "Both of you are actually pretty similar. Only... I bet you can have a happy future."

Felicity's ears slowly lifted.

"Whenever I talked with Crystal?" Valey shrugged. "I felt nasty inside afterward. Dirty. I remember beating myself up a bit after the first time, for thinking she was hot. And part of that was me, and I think I've completely thrown it to the wind now, for better or for worse. But it was her, too. She was just so cynical, she could make you feel like you were violating something just by trying to care about her. She was a real lemon bag. And maybe there was some magic going on too, since she was so steeped in Stanza's power and stuff. But you?"

She looked up. "You haven't reached the point where you just hate the entire world. Sure, you lost, like, everything, but... you haven't given up. Someone who'd given up wouldn't even care about all the hot showers and five-star accommodations in the world. You still care enough to think about your chances for the future, right? Like when you started this whole talk? It might take a bit, but if I have anything to say about it, by the time you have this sphinx kid, we'll have a real future set out for you that's better than just being Crystal and giving up and having a tantrum. And... And hey, maybe it'll even have some closure for me, too, for not getting Crystal a happy ending after I was all she had."

Felicity sniffled. "S-So much for saving the tears for later, then. You r-really mean all of that?"

"Oh yeah." Valey hugged her side... then got an idea, pushing Felicity further up on the pillows with a chuckle, until the bigger mare's waist was right in front of her.

"Hey, kid," Valey said to Felicity's belly, brushing it with one hoof while bracing the mare with the other. "You've got a real hot mom, you know that?"

Felicity reddened, and Valey continued. "Seriously. Curves in all the right places. For one of the last of our kind, she really does our image a favor. But she left her life behind and gets pretty lonely at times, and sometimes, it's hard for her to see you as more than a leftover from an old plan that didn't last quite as long as you did, or a strain on her body, or something that'll make others like her less. And, honestly? It's gonna be hard. Her body is this weak already, and you're what, four, four and a half months old? Ain't gonna be easy on her for you to see the light of day. But, kid, listen: you just remind her you're there, and she'll hang on 'cause it's worth making it to the future if you can share it together. Every time she says all her family is gone, you give her your biggest, meanest kick for me, and I'll be here to cheer her on and help her out on the outside. So are we a team, or what? We're gonna build your mom a new life, and she's gonna do it for you."

Valey gave Felicity's belly one more encouraging pat before Felicity grabbed her, bawling. "D-Darling, I d-don't know w-w-what to say..."

"Heh..." Valey stretched and let Felicity down, gently returning the hug that was grappling her. "Yeah, well, we'll see if that sticks in the morning. I guess it's one more point toward me being the best group therapist, huh?" She winked and patted Felicity's heaving back. "Bananas, why does looking out for all you girls just feel so much better than it used to up north...? Eh, who cares. Cry it out, girl. And I'll make sure to come snuggle you when you need it."

Comments

[Phoenix Kitten]

Equestria's harmonic atmosphere doing wonders for you, eh Valey?

cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/514406437208719380/649149740080168960/shut_up.png

[Boopers]

So what about checking on Starlight now, did they forget about that?

[Oberth Effect]

If everyone makes it long enough to see Felicity give birth, I'm interested in seeing how Valey works with the new member of the group, if only because I'm sure it's going to mean hilarious and/or deep interactions. She seems to have matured a lot since her time in Ironridge.

9962737

Maybe next chapter?

[Hap]

"Bananas, why does looking out for all you girls just feel so much better than it used to up north...?

Because Valey is a changeling now, regardless of the pendant. This may not even be Valey, just a changeling with access to her memories.

[Venlinelle]

Well, Valey has officially graduated from improvisational wartime therapist to rivaling the Elements for interpersonal skills.