Feathers, Hooves, Claws, and Love.

by Himmelswachter

Part 2: Hooves

Feathers, Hooves, Claws, and Love.

A Hearts and Hooves Day story.

Part 2: Hooves

-------------------------------------------

Slit eyes creaked open as the form they belonged too shifted in the heavy blankets on the large bed, which was curiously colder than they remembered and in turn, more open. “Sumi….?” A small bat-pony mare, Lunar Flare, untangled herself slowly as she stretched out her leathery wings, and stretched out the rest of her body like a cat. Shaking her head as her messy mane was the definition of bed head, fur messy, and brushing was called for. “Where is she?” There were priorities however, such as, the missing marefreind of large proportions, not fat, but literally built like a fortress. A big, grey, silvery, blue eyed, beautiful fortress. “Mhmm…cold…” Was still the colder season and more importantly, Hearts and Hooves Day. “Need warm mare. Where- “Looking around stopped as a scent caught her nose and sounds snagged her hearing. The kitchen, fruit, baking, and…...Sumac. “Oh! She- oh best marefreind ever!” Still groggy and waking up, Lunar followed her nose, the thought of brushing her midnight blue coat and messy blue and white mane forgotten. Here slit emerald eyes locked with her nose on the desired location.

Stepping through their home, the bat ‘creeped’ sleepily down the hall, dragging her wings slightly, and sniffing as a well-known smell reached her. Mangos! “Sumi~ Did you get me Mangos? ~” The rough morning voice scratched through the house and got a response in turn.

“In here sweetheart, kitchen, I know you can smell them sleepy head! ~” A hearty chuckle echoed from the large mare awaited her, and upon finally seeing each other, instead of the cooked fruit and spread being the first target. Sumac felt a sleepy bat rub against her, the leather wing gliding up and against her cutie-mark of an iron forged plate with rivets. “Awww, ignoring the fruit for me, how sweet.” Her rumbly southern tang with that rough bar-mare mixture, but gentle still, voice reached Lunar as she leaned down to kiss her bat-lover’s head. “Sorry to leave you to the covers sugar, I wanted to start our breakfast. Happy Hearts and Hooves Day.”

Leaning into the contact, her eyes reaching Sumac’s neck, Lunar returned her kiss by catching Sumac’s lips in hers. An increased return to the simple head kiss. “Thank you honey. You know me too well, heh, remember you’ll get the rest of your gift later. Last night was just part one of it~” Giggling as she nipped the neck that already had marks from the bat-nibbles she gave the night prior.

“Oh, I know, that little outfit though, oooh-wee,” Pushing off the nips, Sumac took Lunar with a hoof and kissed those tufted ears and whispered what she’d do in return tonight. “You’ll get me wanting more now if you remind me, which then the mango-cakes would get cold. I knew you’d like the gifts. I have one more for you as well today, but later.” Kissing her cheek and turning back to the pans, she prevented the current batch from burning. “Take a seat sweet-pea, I’ll bring you a plate.”

Retreating, even though unhappy about it, as requested. Lunar took her seat at the table and only had to wait a short time before Sumac entered holding one plate and then coming back with another. “Plate of a stack of my sweet bat’s favorite mango-pancakes hot and dressed. Almost as nice as she was last night.”

Now slightly more awake, the normally proud and unfazed bat-mare, blushed brightly and her wings strained to not pop out. “W-Well…..ummm….I’m glad to hear my strapping marefreind enjoyed it. Is she itching for another few rounds or does she want- umpfh!” Herr mouth was silenced by a fork-full of pancake.

“Hey, no sex talk at the table, we may be a bit vulgar at times, but we still have our manners. I only referenced how beautiful you were, not what we did, and don’t worry. My neck is used to your biting.” Oh, how Lunar loved to nibble and bite in the throes of passion. “You get more and more excited every time, good to know I’ll never be boring to you.”

Swallowing and slightly coughing as she was more flustered by such simple words, but it was from Sumac, and it dinged every correct button for her. “W-Well…..yeah, I don’t….well, I love you a lot and I always want you to know that. A-Also, you’re the one who wanted me to bite you more! You told me: ‘more bites means more coc-‘ “ Silenced again by another fork.

“None of that talk, or that detailed, at the table. Sorry, I know you mean well, but I don’t like talking about my extra parts while eating…. still brings up more sour memories, even if we share more and more pleasant ones. I love you though and I know you love me; reckon we wouldn’t be here if we didn’t love each other. So, to move off to better pastures for conversation. I have to go get your today gift from the shops. So, I’ll be gone only shortly today, are you doing anything, or should I plan for rose petals and smooth jazz?”

“One, not a smooth jazz fan. Two, I also have to go get something, I hid it at my brother’s house, so you didn’t find my surprise for today. Shortly after this I’ll head out….” Looking at herself and sighing. “A shower and brush might help though.” The chest floof was not floofy at all.

“Oh~ Mind if I lend a helping hoof in that? You love it when I brush you, a strong hoof gets them tricky licks of fur.” Sumac waggled her eyebrows and tossed her long grey mane, a strand of the silver streak hung in front of her face. Oh by Luna, a look like that got Lunar itching for more of her.

“N-No….umm….I want to get it together and have it ready for you. It’s important. I really want to look nice before you get it, so I want to surprise you.” Lunar put her hoof down on this and took a breath. “Sorry, I’ve been working on this for a while, and I want it to be perfect. Please?”

Taken back slightly but smiling and nodding. “Of course, I understand, I’m sure whatever it is will be wonderful. Even if it was a fruit basket, which I bet would be mangos mostly, if it’s from you, I love it. Don’t over strain yourself honey, last time you had a severe panic attack and your doctor said to be careful.”

Right, the first time she worked on a birthday gift for Sumac, she was so worried and had a full-blown panic attack. Which was not a fun time. “I know, I know, thank you. Trust me, I have carefully planned this and done my relaxation exercises and if I start to creep into panic, I will tell you. Okay?”

With empty plates, Sumac came over to gather Lunar’s while placing a kiss on her cheek. “Thank you. I trust you honey, and I’ll wait for ya’ with filly-like giddiness for whatever you may give me. Hopefully what I get you is just as enjoyable.”

Relaxing from the kiss, Lunar smiled. “To steal your phrase, I will love it no matter what.” Catching Sumac in a quick, but passionate kiss, she booped the mare. “I love you. Let me get cleaned up and we’ll meet back later here at the house. Oh, and I’m cooking a Thestral meal tonight, a romantic one, so dress nicely. Oh, and I hope ya like spicy.” Heading towards their bathroom she got her normal relaxed response from Sumac as the two went to go about their days to fulfill their plans for each other.

A faster paced shower and quick and practiced brushing let Lunar get out of their home quicker than planned. Letting her speed out to where she hid the biggest gift that she’d get Sumac. But her rushing would bite her in the flank as she bumped into a familiar pony, or rather, Zebra. Aunty Bryle.

“Oh, dear me, what may this be, my dear niece is who I see. Hahaha, oh my I’m starting to rhyme, that Zecora and her tribes’ ways are starting to trip me up. Now, what has you rushing like a tidal wave towards the shore?” Bryle, the Atoli Zebra steadied herself and Lunar.

“H-Hey Aunty, sorry, really. Um, just rushing to get something from my brother’s house. Ya know, Hearts and Hooves Day stuff….” Trailing off and nervously shuffling, Bryle took quick note of how Lunar was acting.

“Cold hooves dear Neice?” Placing a hoof on her shoulder, she sat and picked up the bat-pony’s chin in the other. “Is today going to be the day or is there another item of this gift making you scared or nervous?”

“No…. well, yes, sorry. Um…. It’s the gifts, yes.” Taking a breath, Lunar shifted her wings. “I’m scared. I’m going to ask her today. If she’ll marry me. Part of me is sure as the moon in the night sky that she’ll say yes, but the other louder part is screaming at me a hell of a lot louder. That’ll she’ll say no. I’m scared and worried and nauseous and….and…..Aunty what do I do?” The previously strained to be calm visage was replaced by worry and edging panic.

“Calm yourself my dear night pony. Breath and listen to your heart, what does it say, once the fear and panic pushes past. I can take a guess.” Brushing a few strands of mane away from Lunar’s face, she chuckled and spoke again. “You know Sumac, you love her, and she loves you. It’s, as you’d say, cliché, but true. I am as sure as the waves in the ocean she’ll say yes. Trust a seafaring Zebra on this, we Atoli understand more then we let on.”

As the words sunk in, Lunar did calm a bit, and took a minute to rethink it all. “You’re right, heh, funny enough Mom said roughly the same thing. A bit more old school Thestral cryptic. But all the same.” Slowly she smiled again and started to laugh. “So, I’m just having those pre-question jitters then, those cheesy books do sometimes hit the right notes.” Laughing as she yanked Bryle in for a hug and was equally returned. “Thank you, Aunty. Guess I could tell you Wind will marry you, but something tells me you knew that already, huh?”

Chuckling like waves on the rocks, Bryle shook her head. “Oh, that stallion is poor at being secret but I’ll let him have his fun. When he does, even if I know, my heart will be ecstatic all the same. Now, go get that gift, and go ask that mare. I have my own love to tango with today.”

Breaking the hug, Lunar agreed and as quickly as they had run into one another, she took off. Getting to the house and shop out the edge of town, digging into the closet where it sat, ignoring the poorly hidden ‘clothes’ they had. “Note, remind him to clean up their closet…. where…..ah, there you are!” Snagging a package and small blue velvet box, Lunar had what she needed and took off back home to tuck it away and start preparing for their dinner. Making sure her own dress for the night was ready…hiding the little thing from the prior night under it all really. Have that on right before dinner is done and the items tucked nearby. I box that held a ring, a gold band holding moon-gems and a potion, that could give them a chance at family. She took another deep breath and steeled herself.

By hoof and heart, this night would be one of the best they’d have yet.

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading these stories, please let me know if I missed any typos or word messes. For anyone who's been wondering where I've been (if any at all), just haven't had the writing mojo in me to do anything solid for quite some time. But with these written, I'm gonna get back into it and hopefully continue to improve my abilities, also hoping I have even the smallest amount of readers who enjoy it.

I'll see you all next time and wish you a happy hearts and hooves-day!