The Crystal War Book I: A Spark to Light the Dark

by NatureSpark

Ch.23 Requited

~Chapter 23: Requited~

There was mild soreness in Downpour’s wings as he stretched them out, but the pegasus felt much better than he had the previous day. Plenty of rest had worked wonders on his well toned body and he felt as if he could make it through the day’s travels without any problems. Slowly the stallion swung his legs off of the bed and got to his hooves with a yawn. Although he was in a hurry to go, Downpour wasn’t looking forward to leaving another comfortable bed and sleeping outside again, so he gave one last, longing gaze at the warm blankets before leaving the bedroom.

“Good Morning!” he shouted at the top of his lungs as he strolled through the chilly house. Draft opened one tired eye and fixed it on him with distaste. Downpour ignored his brother’s surly expression and continued his loud vocals.

“I see somepony’s feeling better today,” Draft yawned out.

“I am feeling peachy keen today, oh brother of mine,” Downpour answered. Draft rolled off of the couch and lay on the ground for a few seconds before getting up to his hooves. “And how did you sleep?” his older brother asked with a smile.

“Fine, I guess,” the younger pegasus replied. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes before making his way to the bathroom. “Do you want to wake Ursa up?”

“Yeah sure, then you two can make some breakfast and we’ll go,” Downpour replied. He saw the back of his brother’s head nod in agreement as the grey pegasus disappeared into the bathroom. Even if he had said that he slept fine, Downpour had known Draft long enough that he could tell when something was bothering the quiet pegasus, but something was usually bothering his brother, so Downpour chose to ignore it. He figured that if something important was weighing on his brother’s mind, Draft would open up about it eventually and if not, then it was his mistake. Downpour walked over to Ursa’s bedroom door as he contemplated this and gave it a few knocks to wake the sleeping pony inside. “Ursa it’s time to get up and get ready for the day. We’ve got miles to travel, so hurry your flank up.” Through the door Draft could hear the sounds of the stallion shuffling around for a few minutes before the door finally opened to reveal the disheveled face of Ursa. If Downpour were to judge him based on looks, he would have guessed that Ursa wasn’t much of a morning pony; the terrible bed-head and reddened eyes gave him a half dead appearance. His irises made there way to Downpour’s face with a mildly annoyed expression. “Oh, you don’t look so hot. Maybe a shower before we head out, huh?”

Ursa grunted what sounded to Downpour like a ‘yes’ before ambling into the kitchen where he set about making something hot to drink. Downpour followed him in, hoping that breakfast would be the next task on Ursa’s morning routine. The earth pony didn’t even seem to register the pegasus watching him from the table as he slowly fumbled his way through brewing a pot of coffee. His eyes were half closed as he grabbed a steaming cup and took a seat at the table opposite of where Downpour had taken a seat. The first gulp of coffee seemed to renew Ursa’s energy though and his eyes fully opened.

“Ah, that’s much better,” the green stallion said with a soft smile. “Good morning, Downpour. How did you sleep last night?”

“Good morning,” Downpour replied. “I slept pretty well actually and I’m feeling quite a bit better now, but I wouldn’t mind a cup of that coffee. How about you, did you get enough sleep?”

“Please, help yourself,” Ursa replied. “And I slept like a log, as always.” Downpour got up from the table and walked over to the coffee pot to pour himself a hot cup of the bitter brew. It smelled strong and was sure to put skip in his step.

“Thanks,” Downpour responded as he carried the hot cup carefully back to his seat. “I’m sure Draft will want one too.” The younger pegasus was taking a lifetime in the bathroom for some reason.

“Well there’s plenty,” Ursa acknowledged as he took another long sip from his own cup of coffee, “I’ll make us some breakfast as soon as I finish this. Draft told me that you were helpless in the kitchen.” A smile graced his face as Ursa confided in the pegasus.

“I’m not helpless,” Downpour lied.

“Mhmm, what about the infamous burning apple incident that Draft told me about?” Ursa asked him with a chuckle. Downpour’s face flushed with embarrassment at the memory.

“Ugh, that was one time, and he always brings it up,” Downpour huffed as he took a sip from his cup. The dark liquid scorched a trail down his throat, leaving the pegasus’s tongue sore and tasteless. “Ouch!” That was the hottest drink he had ever had and it left a stinging reminder on its way down.

“Careful, it’s pretty hot,” the earth pony told him, a few seconds too late. Downpour frowned into the steaming cup that had burned him.

“Thankth for the warning,” he lisped over his wounded tongue. Ursa smiled back at him before taking a long drink from his coffee.

“Of course. So where is Draft at?” Ursa asked with the slightest hint at a frown tugging on the corners of his mouth.

“He’th in the bathwoom, I’m thuwe he’ll be out in jutht a minute,” Downpour muttered and pulled his wounded tongue back into the safety of his mouth, as he waited for his younger brother to make an appearance at the table.

Draft had been staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror and contemplating his complicated feelings. It wasn’t something that he did very often, but recent events had opened a floodgate of opposing ideas on how best to proceed with Ursa’s revelations. On one hoof, he couldn’t deny that there was some sort of attraction between the two of them, but on the other hoof, he knew what his brother’s reaction would be and felt his own conflicting emotions rising up in opposition already. The fact that there were far more important things that he should have been worrying about didn’t help to alleviate Draft’s troubles.

“What am I supposed to do?” he asked his reflection. Sure he was talking to himself, which he despised doing, but so far his mirror image wasn’t responding, so he was at least a little mentally stable. Cold water splashed into his face didn’t calm Draft’s nerves any, but it did help him to wake up fully before leaving the bathroom. His heart was fluttering in his chest as he considered opening up to Ursa, but the only way he would be able to go through with a conversation of that nature would be if his brother wasn’t around and it didn’t seem very likely that the circumstance would present itself.

Draft could hear voices coming from the kitchen and smelled the aroma of coffee that permeated the air in the house. It sounded as if Ursa was starting to make breakfast and the pegasus hesitated momentarily before rounding the corner and stepping through the open archway into the kitchen. His brother was seated at the table, sipping on a cup of coffee, while Ursa busied himself with preparing a hearty breakfast for the three of them.

“Smells great,” Draft commented in a calm voice, although on the inside he could feel his heart racing. His hormones raged a counter argument to his logical plan.

“Took you long enough in there. Breakfatht will be done in a few minuth, tho do you want thome coffee while we wait?” Downpour asked as he drained the last drops from his cup. Draft shook his head in reply before taking a seat in the chair next to his sibling. “Well, thuit yourthelf, but it’th really good coffee,” Downpour lisped out of his burned mouth.

“I’m sure it is, but I just want something to eat,” Draft replied to the bluish pegasus, not even acknowledging the annoying lisp his brother had when he spoke.

“I’ve also got some orange juice if you want a glass of that instead,” Ursa told Draft as he continued preparing the food. “Or there’s always water.” The green stallion’s limbs moved with a deliberate fluidity as he worked on making breakfast.

“Umm, juice will be fine,” Draft replied. “Thanks.” It seemed to the young stallion that Ursa had chosen to be discreet with his affection towards him. A small sense of relief washed through Draft’s body, but there was still an edginess that he couldn’t shake and it was going to start irritating him if something didn’t change. The mere fact that a stallion was physically attracted to him put the pegasus on edge.

“One glass of juice, coming right up,” the green pony said as he pulled a cup out of one of his pine cabinets. While Draft observed the delicate ease that Ursa used as he manipulated objects to his will using only his hooves, he found himself wondering what other tricks the green stallion could perform with the dexterous appendages. Draft felt his cheeks burning red as he banished the dirty thoughts from his mind. There was a certain time and place to indulge in fantasies and it sure as hay wasn’t right then, especially not with his older brother sitting nearby.

“Do you have a fever or something?” his brother questioned. “You look a little red there.” Downpour’s remark startled Draft out of his thoughts and the grey pegasus stammered for a moment as he tried to think of something to say. The right words didn’t want to come out of his mouth however and he stuttered before answering.

“I-I’m, uh, no,” Draft mumbled, facehoofed and attempted to answer one more time. “I mean, no. I feel fine,” he replied with a sigh. Downpour no longer had the lisp to his words, but Draft was so occupied with his own problems that the difference went unnoticed. His older brother continued, with no concern over his speech.

“Alright good, because the last thing we need is for you to get sick right now,” Downpour responded. “I can only imagine how much of a pain it would be to travel like that.” Draft couldn’t help but think that being sick wouldn’t be half as much trouble as what was actually wrong, but he simply nodded in answer to his brother. Downpour could never understand the complications that Draft was facing; he had Strata in his life after all, while his younger brother was alone.

“Really, I’m fine. I’m just hungry is all,” Draft assured him.

“I hope so, because breakfast is served,” Ursa said as he walked over to the table with all three plates balanced atop his head. The pegasus each grabbed one and Draft was thankful for the food filling his mouth so that he could put off talking to the green stallion for a little while longer. He knew that eventually the two of them would have to come to terms with their feeling about each other, but Draft still wasn’t sure what exactly he wanted. It didn’t help that his family had never been too pleased about ponies that were gay. Their father had been against homosexuality and so had their mother. Draft didn’t really care, but his brother felt the same way as their parents, so it left Draft in a very uncomfortable position with his emotions.

“Well, you two are certainly quiet today,” Downpour noticed. Draft tried to quickly respond and wound up chocking on a piece of toast. Only after he washed it down with a gulp of orange juice was he able to breathe again. “Celestia, are you sure that you’re okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Draft lied. He could feel himself burning red with embarrassment once again and he chose to stare intently at his plate so that he wouldn’t accidentally lock eyes with Ursa. He was ready to pack up and leave right then; not the most mature of reactions, but it would have been easier to deal with then admitting how he felt about another stallion, but Downpour had killed his attempt. “So when are we leaving?”

“Uh, as soon as we finish breakfast I guess, unless you or Ursa have something that you need to do first,” Downpour explained as he looked to both of them for an answer and saw no expressions of denial from Draft or Ursa.

“Nope, I’m good to go,” Draft replied to his older brother. The longer that he could keep up his charade the easier it would be to get to the Crystal Empire without any problems and that was Draft’s plan for the immediate future.

“Mhmm, I’m ready as soon as we’re finished eating too,” Ursa said as he picked at the pile of food sitting on his plate. Draft had been so occupied with his own issues that he hadn’t even stopped to consider how Ursa had taken what happened. The green stallion seemed to be feeling down, but Draft wasn’t blaming himself for that, Ursa was the one who had tried to kiss him after all. The pegasus had done nothing wrong, except maybe kissing back, but he told himself it was purely instinctual and not really what he wanted. The lie didn’t help ease his mind any.

“Well, I’m going to go make sure that I have everything packed. Thanks for breakfast,” Draft mumbled quickly, hurriedly leaving the kitchen before he could do something stupid. He busied himself with double checking all of their gear, even though he knew for a fact that everything was there. It helped calm his mind and body down a little bit as he sorted through everything and repacked it. The simple monotony was a blessing from the swirling pot that was the pegasus’s thoughts. He needed to figure out exactly how he felt so that his mind could focus on the mission and forget about trivial details, like who he had feelings for.

Soon after sealing up his saddlebag once again, Draft heard the sound of the other two stallions leaving the kitchen. It was time for them to start walking once again, so he slung the heavy bags over his back and strapped them on.

“Are you two ready?” he asked with his back turned to them. Ursa picked up his own bags with the smallest expression of discontent at the extra weight.

“Yeah, let’s get going,” Downpour replied. As soon as Ursa had strapped on his own saddlebags the three stallions left the house and began walking north, down the old dirt road that cut a path through the fields surrounding them. The sun was high in the sky by then, but the wind held the icy promise of winter as it blew around the plains. Draft stopped and reached into his bag, pulling out his only cloak and wrapping it tightly around his body. Out of the corner of his vision the pegasus saw his brother do the same, Ursa however, remained naked. The cold didn’t seem to bother the large earth pony in the slightest. Draft did his best to keep his eyes trained on the horizon, but his best wasn’t great and he found himself shooting glances in the direction of the well toned earth pony whenever he thought that he could get away with it.

“So who’s in charge right now if the king is so sick?” Downpour asked Ursa with genuine confusion. The green stallion had been catching the pegasus brothers up on the latest political happenings in the Crystal Empire, which wasn’t too dissimilar from Equestrian politics, aside from their higher taxation in recent years. There were still minor confusions as he elaborated however.

“That power will go to the next in line for the throne, until Princess Cadenza is of legal governing age. I believe the current steward of the throne is Duke Doré Langue, the head of the Crystal Guard and manager of wartime affairs, as far as I know at least,” Ursa explained. He trotted along at a steady pace as he spoke, while Downpour and his brother hovered through the air listening. Draft hadn’t spoken much for the entire walk and Downpour saw him casting suspicious looks behind his back, as if he was afraid they would be attacked at any moment. Downpour couldn’t really blame his brother though; their luck had a tendency to send an unhealthy amount of danger their way.

“Right, so should we be trying to talk to him then?” Downpour questioned.

“He’s definitely the stallion that you want to speak with, but I’m almost positive that you’ll need to go through the right channels to set up a meeting,” Ursa replied. “I’ll help you with everything that I can, but I wouldn’t bet on success the first go round.” Having a stallion that was a resident of the Crystal Empire traveling with them was looking better all the time and Downpour was glad that Ursa had made the decision to follow along. Draft didn’t appear to share his opinion however, as he seemed intent on not even talking to the green pony.

“Draft, why are you being so quiet up there?” Downpour asked. The bluish pegasus waited for his brother’s response, but if Draft had heard his question, he sure wasn’t acknowledging it. “Draft!” Downpour shouted out, startling his younger brother and causing him to crash face first into the dirt.

“What!?” Draft shouted in an irritated tone. He spat the soil from his mouth as he rose back into the air.

“I was just asking why you’re being so quiet,” Downpour replied. “I don’t think that you’ve said more than ten words since we left this morning.” Downpour’s wings hurried their lazy flapping while he flew up to his younger brother. “Are you alright? You’ve been acting strange.”

“I’m fine. I’m just not in a talkative mood and I’d rather not have you bothering me right now,” Draft retorted. “Is that okay with you?” His younger brother was much more irritable than he had been since the two of them had left Dodge, so Downpour knew for sure that something was eating at the grey pegasus, but Draft’s lips were sealed about it.

“Yeah, bro, I didn’t mean to get you all pissy,” Downpour replied with an expression of surprise at the unexpected backlash. “Just let me know if you want to talk.” Draft didn’t respond, so Downpour slowed his pace until Ursa was trotting along at his side once again. “I wonder what that was about.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine if you just leave him be for now,” the crystal pony assure him. At least Ursa seemed to be in a good mood, his face had brightened up quite a bit once they had started walking and now he was just as happy as ever. Maybe it had been the fresh air or just the coffee finally kicking in, but either way Downpour had somepony to talk to so that he wouldn’t have to fly in silence all day. It might take them longer to get to the capitol because Ursa had to walk, but he knew the route so they wouldn’t have to worry about getting lost, which was really useful during long distance trips.

“So, Ursa, what did you hear about the queen’s disappearance? Any ideas on who’s responsible?” Downpour asked him as they came to a fork in the road. Ursa walked past where Draft was waiting without hesitation and Downpour followed his lead. They headed North by northeast, the forest growing thicker around the trail as they made their way deeper into the woods.

“I’ve hear people say it was done by your Princess Luna and I’ve heard stories about it all being the work of a group of Crystallites looking for a revolution. I can’t imagine that Equestria would want to start a war so soon after the end of Discord’s War, but the empress’s capture being the work of our own citizens is a frightening concept a well. It would most likely end in a civil war if it’s true.” Ursa never slowed as he explained everything to the stocky pegasus.

“Somepony paid off the Red Eyes to attack us and hinder our efforts to find a resolution as well. That would take a good amount of funding to accomplish and I can’t imagine a group of pissed off crystal ponies having large sums of money,” Downpour reasoned, trying to figure out a plausible cause for somepony to want a war. It must have been a ploy to gain more money or power, but he couldn’t fathom who would go to such lengths to procure such terribly priced rewards.

“Griffon involvement would account for the fact that the perpetrators were spotted flying from the scene of the abduction and the items left behind could have been put there for misdirection, but without hard evidence you will have a hard time of convincing anypony that you speak the truth,” Ursa replied.

“We’re just here to stall the war declaration while our friend is attending to other matters. Once Spark has finished, him and my marefriend will be meeting us to provide the proof,” Downpour explained as he ducked under a low hanging tree branch. The fork in the road had led the three stallions to a path running through a dense part of the forest and the smell of decaying leaves floated in the air as they passed by.

“Hmm, well I hope that it works out, for all of our sakes,” Ursa replied. “The Crystal Empire has just as much to lose as Equestria should the two of our countries go to war.” The sun, hanging high in the early winter sky, cast the three ponies in a paltry, golden light through the crisscrossing mesh of barren branches. Downpour noticed the sun’s position and decided it was a good time to stop for lunch. His whistling stopped both of his traveling companions and caused them to whip their faces around in surprise at the sudden sound.

“It’s lunch time! I’m bucking hungry, so let’s stop and eat already,” Downpour sighed. At the mention of food, even Draft managed to crack a small smile, but the surly expression returned to his face as quickly as it had disappeared. Downpour found the closest log large enough to support his rear and sat down with a huff. The constant walking had worked his already sore limbs into jelly and he was grateful to take a break. He motioned for the other two stallions to pull of their gear so he could find sustenance.

Ursa sat on one side of Downpour and his brother found a spot on the other side. Before long the two stallions were digging lunch items from the saddlebags and setting them out in front of their makeshift bench. The food was all much fresher than anything the pegasus had when they first got to the Crystal Empire. no rotted apples were sitting in the bottom of their bags anymore and the grain was all mold free, so Downpour was content.

“What are you in the mood for, Downpour?” the earth pony asked him as he made a sandwich for himself.

“I’m not sure, maybe a sandwich. I could go for something to drink too,” Downpour replied. Everything looked great to the pegasus as he caught his breath in the noonday heat.

“Here you go,” Ursa said as he passed over the sandwich he had just made, along with a flask of cider, before starting a new sandwich. “And what would you like, Draft?”

“Don’t worry about me. I got my own food already. Thanks anyway,” Draft replied around bites of a juicy, gala apple. Downpour could hear a crisp crunch every time Draft chewed. The fruit that they had was the perfect ripeness, so Downpour decided to eat some while it was at its best. He picked up a succulent orange and set it down beside him.

“Okay. I was just asking,” Ursa replied with a hurt tone.

“Seriously, Draft, why are you being such a jerk to Ursa?” Downpour questioned. “He’s been nothing but nice to us the entire time that we’ve known him. The least that you could do is pretend to be in a good mood.” The grey pegasus took a large bite of his apple and looked off into the distance, ignoring his brother’s request for civility.

“Sorry, I’m just having an off day I guess,” Draft replied with a thin trail of juice running down his chin. “I’ll try not to be so snappy from now on.”

“It happens to the best of us,” Downpour responded.

“Aw, don’t worry about it, Downpour. I’m sure that your brother just has plenty on his mind right now. I can’t say that I blame him for having a sour attitude, considering the state of the government right now and the fact that you two are in the middle of it all at the moment.”

“Purely by choice,” Downpour added.

“Yes, well, either way it must be quite tiring on him, so minor rudeness is forgivable,” Ursa finished with a tone of sympathy. Draft had resumed his silent eating and the other two stallions had their own conversation as they relaxed there, under the shade of the leafless pine trees. The cool winter winds sent a shiver across Downpour’s skin as he finished the last of his cider and sandwich. When his friends had finished they all took a few minutes to rest their bodies before heading north east along the dirt trail.

The cloak around his body billowed behind Draft as the chill wind picked up speed. The three stallions had walked all day and were still in the thick of the forest with a storm slowly developing overhead. Draft shot a look to the sky above and saw large black clouds gathering quickly, each minute gaining girth and promising to spill a torrent of rain down upon the land. They were going to have to find shelter or forge their way through the encroaching storm. The last storm they’d traveled through was still fresh in Draft’s mind.

“Keep an eye out for a good shelter,” Draft called back to the other two ponies, following a short distance behind him. Their conversation had halted as they too noticed the potential rainfall. “I’d say we have about an hour before the sky unloads on us and I would like to have some sort of roof over my head when that happens.”

“Hey, you’re actually talking,” Downpour quipped.

“Yeah, it’s a miracle,” Draft replied sarcastically. “Can we just find somewhere to spend the night? I’ll gladly talk after I know I’m going to wake up without being drenched.”

“We can always make our own shelter if we have to. It wouldn’t take very long with all of this fine timber around us,” Ursa commented as he kicked a hoof against one of the trees growing near the path to emphasize his statement. Although the wood was very nice, without the full leaves of spring it would provide less than adequate shelter, so Draft was hoping for a cave or something similar to hole up in for the night.

“I wouldn’t be so sure. I’m sure you’re very talented at working with wood,” Draft started.

“Mhmm,” Ursa mumbled.

“But I’d still rather find a cave or something with a little more stability to sleep under. Who knows how bad this storm will get,” he finished, trying his best not to show Ursa any disrespect. Many ponies got a little defensive if you questioned their abilities when it had to do with their special skill, the defining characteristic that granted them a cutie mark. The green pony didn’t seem to mind however, so Draft continued his hunt for shelter from the soaking rain. After another ten minutes of walking, lightning arced across the cloud strewn sky and with it came large drops of rain that peppered the stallions as they made their way through the forest.

“I’m not sure that we’re going to be able to find a shelter before we get soaked. I think that we should stop and make one while we’re still mostly dry,” Draft suggested to his brother and Ursa. The two stallions stared at him with relief evident in their features.

“Alright fine. What do you need us to do, Ursa?” Downpour asked as the rain began to slowly intensify its assault on his clothing.

“I can fashion us some covering if the two of you can find long branches and preferably some foliage to help cover it,” the earth pony explained.

“I’ll head further up trail and look. Why don’t you backtrack along the path, Draft?” Downpour suggested. Draft nodded his acceptance and his brother set off to look for fallen branches and other materials that might be useful to them. There was something else on Draft’s mind though, a conversation that he needed to have soon, while he and Ursa were still alone in the forest.

“I’m sorry about how I reacted last night,” Draft told the green stallion, who was eyeing their current surroundings, most likely looking for the best spot to erect a camp.

“It’s fine. I’m sorry that I assumed you were gay,” Ursa replied nonchalantly. The word caused an uncomfortable sensation in the pegasus’s mind. He had been raised to believe that there was something wrong with a stallion loving another stallion and while he sure wasn’t in love with Ursa, there were certainly confusing feeling lying underneath his outer layers. It caused Draft to have conflicting approaches when dealing with the stallion walking around in front of him.

“No, don’t be sorry because, well, uh,” Draft mumbled. The words weren’t coming very easy, but it was something that he needed to get out before it drove him crazy. “A part of me is very attracted to you, Ursa. Some piece of myself that I’ve ignored most of my life is screaming at me that a stallion like you is what I’ve always wanted to have. That I need somepony who’s kind beyond all logical reason and, might I add, not bad to look at either.” Draft spoke quickly, trying to put a voice to his emotions before his brother returned and ruined the admonition. Ursa stood there, just staring at him quietly for a few moments before he continued the conversation, and for those few seconds Draft’s heart ceased beating.

“I’m not sure what to say. Does this mean that you feel the same way that I do?” Ursa asked with mild confusion evident on his face. “Because it sounds like you do.”

“It means that I need some time to think about it and that I’m sorry for how I’ve been acting today, it was completely uncalled for,” Draft admitted. Ursa nodded his head a few times as he processed what the grey pegasus had told him.

“Okay, time is fine. I’ll be waiting for when you’ve made up your mind though.” Ursa leaned forward after he had spoken and kissed Draft with a passion that warmed the pegasus’s entire body, despite the cold, wind and rain swirling around him. Draft’s mind reminded him that he needed to go look for wood before he got lost in Ursa’s embrace and spent the entire night with lips locked in the rain. It would have been an easy thing for him to succumb to at that moment.

“Wow,” Draft said as he broke contact, “you’re not making this very easy for me you know.” Ursa felt his cheeks flush with crimson as the pegasus turned around to leave the campsite.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. There’s just something about you,” the larger stallion replied. Draft smiled at Ursa’s words as he trotted off to procure the necessary supplies to put a roof over their heads. It promised to be an interesting night for him.

The chewing of food was the only sound Downpour could hear over the driving rain as the three stallions ate in relative silence. The tattooed pony swallowed a mouthful of bread and decided to initiate a conversation to pass the time before bed.

“You did a great job with this shelter tonight, Ursa,” Downpour commented. “I’ve never seen anypony put up a makeshift roof that quickly.” The green stallion finished off his dinner and chuckled before responding.

“Aw, it was nothing really. After working with wood as long as I have, you get pretty good with your hooves,” he replied with a smile. Even Draft seemed to be in a better mood now that they had a shelter. The grey pegasus was actually grinning as he ate.

“It’s not ‘nothing’. If it weren’t for you, Downpour and I would have been pretty bucked right about now,” Draft said around a large bite of carrot. His little brother spoke the truth, Downpour knew, Draft and him would have been dead days ago if it weren’t for the earth pony saving their mutual hides. Lightning split the sky above them and cast their forest surroundings in an ominous light before the roar of thunder sounded out.

“Mhmm, we’d have been pretty doomed if you hadn’t helped us,” Downpour agreed. It had taken Ursa less than a half hour to build a shelter, even with the rain slicking his hooves. It was a feat that neither pegasus would have been able to match, but it was a simple part of the earth pony’s natural talent. Still, Downpour beamed on the inside at having found such a reliable traveling companion in the Crystal Empire.

“Yeah, I suppose that’s true. I guess it’s a good thing that I followed you out here, huh?” Ursa stared out towards the trail as he spoke. The smoke from the flames trailed faintly up into the cloudy sky.

“Finding you might be the best thing that we’ve done this whole mission,” Draft replied. He smiled sweetly at the green stallion before shoving the food back into his bag. It didn’t take long and soon the camp was picked up and the three stallions huddled close while Downpour lit a fire. After a few flicks of his flint, the twigs caught and small flames danced in the dirt pit, safe from the rain under their small enclosure.

“You’re pretty useful yourself, Downpour,” Ursa observed with mild amusement.

“Well, I manage to survive anyway,” Downpour replied. The moon was a mere sliver in the sky as the three stallions warmed themselves by the crackling pit. The cold bite of winter being driven off of them for awhile was a soothing sensation and even the constant static sound of the rain seemed to take on a melodic quality as night enveloped their camp in its mystery.

“It’s very peaceful out here. I can see why you’re so happy living out in the country, Ursa,” Draft observed in a low voice as darkness descended around them.

“Yes, it can be very peaceful out here.” After Ursa spoke, Downpour stared up into the heavens, admiring the twinkling light from millions of stars. They hung out of reach, mysterious and beautiful as the watched over the darkness below. It made the normally cocky stallion feel very insignificant to look up to those bright pinpoints and he soon found his eyes drawn back to the fire. Feelings of uselessness could wait until after he came home from the Crystal Empire, when Strata was there to lift his spirits up again.

“How many days will it take us to get to the king’s castle,” Downpour asked with longing residing in his heart. Every day that he was away from his girl, the pegasus felt less and less sure of himself. It was the first time he had ever felt that way about anypony and it was a bit unsettling for him.

“If we don’t have to stop anywhere for long, then it should only take four days to arrive, five at the very most,” Ursa informed him. At least their journey was drawing to an end. Downpour made a decision to abstain from any more of Nature Spark’s half baked plans in the future; this one had gotten him into quite a mess and it was becoming hazardous to his health. The unicorn had good intentions, but he was one pony trying to fix multiple countries on his own and without his friends, Spark would have been dead for sure.

“Great, I am so ready to be done with all of this walking. I just want to sleep in and spend a day doing nothing when this is all over,” Draft stated with a sigh. He began clearing a spot to sleep on and laid out his blankets on the dirt. The ground was mildly damp, but still much drier than it would have been if they were sleeping in the rain.

“I know what you mean, brother,” Downpour agreed. He couldn’t agree more with his sibling’s plan. He would have been perfectly happy spending an entire day in bed, especially if Strata would join him. A smile crossed his tattooed face as he thought about the concept of an entire day alone with her. “Yeah, that would be nice.”

“What would,” Draft questioned.

“Nothing, my mind was just wandering there for a second. Are you two about ready to get to bed? We have another long day tomorrow,” Downpour said, changing the subject. He was pretty sore all over and needed to keep up his strength if he was going to keep up with the other two stallions the next day.

“Yeah, just about. I want to watch the fire for a little longer though,” Ursa replied. The green pony picked up a long stick in his mouth and poked at the fire, rotating the warm coals to the top for extra warmth. Each prod turning over more heated embers.

“Alright, well make sure the fire is going when you go to bed. I’m going to pass out now,” Downpour yawned as he threw his blankets on the ground and sprawled out, happy to be done flying for the day. The aching pegasus stretched out his legs and wings before shifting around uncomfortably a few times. Eventually he got comfortable enough on the earth and fell asleep shortly after closing his heavy eyelids.

“About what you were saying earlier.” As soon as Draft heard Ursa start speaking he knew what the stallion was going to ask him. “How long do you think it will take you to make up your mind? I don’t want to pressure you or anything, I’m just wondering,” Ursa finished quietly. Draft sat motionless for a few moments, unsure about what he should tell the stallion beside him. He wanted to have a sure answer, but life wasn’t always quite that simple.

“I’m not sure, Ursa, but when I find out you will be the first to know,” Draft replied. The pegasus scooted closer to the earth pony unconsciously, reveling in the body heat that the large stallion provided. “I think I like you, but it’s hard to come to terms with the fact that I might be… well, you know.” Ursa’s eyes were serene as he stared back into Draft’s face and the burning embers reflected off of their glassy surface in the dim light.

“Whenever you need somepony to talk to, I’m here for you,” Ursa assured him. It was a cheesy line, but Draft knew that the crystal pony meant every sappy word of it. Ursa had a calm conviction in the words he spoke and his whispering voice made the pegasus’s heart beat faster.

“I’ll remember that,” Draft mumbled as he glanced away, trying to keep the sexual desires in the back of his mind from fully forming. “What’s your real name?” Draft asked as he watched the campfire slowly smoldering in front of him.

“Huh?” Ursa asked, surprised by the sudden switch of conversation topic.

“When we first talked, you told me to call you Ursa, but you never said what your real name was. So, what is it?” the pegasus asked again. Draft was genuinely curious about it at that point, as most ponies had no reason to hide their names from him.

“Oh, it’s Verd, Verd Monts,” the earth pony replied softly. It was a simple name, but one that Draft thought suited him very well. He glanced back into the gaze of the stallion sitting beside him and nearly forgot what he had been about to say as he got lost in those same eyes. It felt like flying above a canopy of trees whenever Draft stared into them and his thoughts became scattered.

“That’s a very nice name. I, uh, I like it,” Draft stuttered. The pegasus had trouble bringing his words to life as the two of them sat in the pouring rain.

“Well thank you,” Ursa responded. Before Draft even knew what his body was doing, he had leaned close enough to Ursa’s face that he could feel the stallion’s warm breath on his forehead. The sensation sent a small tingle down his spine as he gave in and closed the full distance, pressing his lips firmly against Ursa’s in a kiss that blanked out all other thoughts from his mind. It felt like pure joy as he relished in the contact.

Draft’s hooves made their way to the well toned muscles along Ursa’s back, pulling his body closer with every second that they remained locked in passion. The earth pony’s tongue tasted of cider and was just as intoxicating as the beverage for the pegasus. A warmth spread out through the younger stallion’s body, even though the fire was nothing more than a few scattered embers, the small amount of light having vanished with the last meager flames in the dirt enclosure. Draft finally broke away from the kiss. His lungs were screaming for air, but his body was screaming for more as he leaned back from the green stallion he was with and caught his breath.

“Wow, this, uh, must make you really confused,” Draft said. “I am so sorry about that. Really, I am.” He was having trouble making full sentences as his brain tried to begin thinking properly once again.

“I’m actually okay with a little confusion, as long as it’s that kind,” Ursa replied with a smile plastered across his emerald green face. “In fact, that might be the best confusion I’ve ever had.” Draft smiled back before lying down on his bed with a yawn. It wasn’t much of a surprise that Ursa began spreading his bedding down near Draft’s, but with Downpour there it made the pegasus a little uncomfortable.

Draft waited until he heard Ursa’s snores rising above the sounds of nature and moved himself a short distance away. He was still confused and it was hard to think with Ursa sleeping right there next to him. That stallion made his brain shut off and he needed to think right if he was going to come to a decision. Draft closed his eyes as he sifted around in his thoughts; on one hoof, Ursa made him feel happier than he ever had before, but on the other hoof, he felt slightly ashamed of what ponies might say. Honestly, he was worried about what Downpour might do if he realized what was going on more than anything else. By the time the pegasus had fallen asleep, his mind still wasn’t made up about how it felt concerning everything that had come to light recently.

Author's Note:

On the road again, just can't wai- *gun shot* Anyway, this was another chapter used for character building. A new aspect of the brothers' relationship with one another is hinted at and a new 'friendship' between Draft and Ursa is explored just a bit. I remember toying with the last few paragraphs a few times trying to get it right and hopefully I managed okay.