Hearth’s Warming eve was here once again and everypony was spending time with their families and friends, save for a unicorn clad in dark purple armor. He trod through the ice and snow as he held fast to a neatly wrapped gift held aloft in his magical grasp. It was wrapped in green wrapping paper and tied up with a pretty looking pink bow with white hearts stamped all over it.
Normally a package like this would be tucked away in his saddle bags, but that right now had its lips pursed, barely able keep its contents from spewing forth. He had to walk slowly to just keep everything under wraps. Regardless of his pace, it was going to take him a little bit of time to reach his destination as he had a bit of a harder time finding his way around due to all the snow. Large open expanses of white just seem to confuse him, though unlike his last snowy excursion, he was smart enough to have a map with him this time.
He eventually came upon a house and rapped on the door. However, the pony that greeted him at the door was not the unicorn mare that he was expecting, but a hot pink earth pony with a mane of multi colors that baffled him even more than trail of snow behind him. He cleared his throat and addressed the mare, “Umm… Hello ma’am? I’m here for a Miss Aurora. Is she home?”
The earth pony mare raised an eyebrow at him and stated, “Yeah, but she’s kind of busy at the moment. May I ask what she did?”
“Did?”
A wave of realization crashed into him, though it was more like a truck, as he remembered that he was here in armor. There was no doubt in his mind that a random guard coming up to your door asking questions about those in your home would raise some suspicion. She even gave off the feeling that this wasn’t the first time any guards have came knocking on this door. For the sake of both of their sanity's, he quickly dispelled the air of trouble, “Oh, no ma’am, you have me all wrong here. I am just here for a friendly chat, but if she’s too busy, can you tell her Platinum came by to drop this off?”
He levitated the present into sight and held it out to the mare, “I’ll be back after the holidays are over and she has more free time.”
The earth pony mare accepted the gift and acknowledged him, “I’ll let her know. Thank you.”
Before she could close the door and allow him to leave, a familiar voice could be heard behind her, “Platinum?”
The pink mare was gently shoved out of the way as the unicorn mare stepped into the doorway from within the depths of the home, “Thanks for getting the door Ace, I will handle things from here.”
Ace, the earth pony mare with the odd mane looked between the two of them briefly before seeming to look through him, an act that he was not lost on as she dismissed herself, “Not a problem. I’m going to go put this gift with the others.”
As the mare left the two of them at the door, she gave him one last look as she vanished into the background. He asked, “So that is Ace, she is a lot more… Interesting, in person.”
Aurora nodded as she looked at where Ace had slunk off too before looking back at the guard, “She’s not normally like that, actually. Do you think she knows?”
He shrugged, “About us? Unless you told her, I am not sure how she would. As far as she and everypony else should be concerned, we are just friends.”
Aurora frowned, “I haven’t told her yet… Not sure when really, if at all.”
“I understand. Take your time, I am willing to wait for you.”
Aurora blushed lightly, getting nearer and nearer to the shade of red of her Hearth’s Warming themed coat, “Thank you. I’m happy to hear you say that, and may want to hear more, but i’m afraid we’re all a little busy right now. In a little bit, we’re going to be taking a train to Manehatten to spend time with my Uncles and spend the night over for Hearth’s Warming.”
He sighed, “I figured you’d have plans for the holidays. Wish I was able to get time off sooner, but things have been swamped in the archives.”
He was going to give another reason why he was late to their appointment yesterday, but she put a hoof on his mouth to silence him, “Don’t worry about it, I understand how hard work can be, but at least you made an effort to be here.”
Now it was his turn to blush as she removed her hoof from his mouth. He was going to speak, but his words were caught in his throat. Noting his silence, she motioned for him to come in, “You know, I can’t exactly send you back out into the cold after you came all this way just to see me, come inside, we can talk over a little tea, but then I am afraid I must be off.”
Platinum was surprised by her offer, expecting her to be too busy to ‘have a chat’, a sentiment he made known as she left his horseshoes at the door, “But what about your train to Manehatten, you’ll miss it!”
Aurora shrugged as she lead him into the kitchen, where she levitated a pot over to the sink and started to fill it with water, “There is a reason why we leave early in the day, or at least try to. There will be other trains I assure you, but as for meeting with you, the window is already small enough, is it not?”
He relented, though he still held onto a pinch of guilt as he was taking up her precious preparation time, “Business before pleasure with you then? Let’s get through this quickly, I don’t want to eat much more of your time.”
As the pot met the stove, Aurora asked, “You mentioned in your letter that you wanted to discuss the paperwork for the magic wings?”
He nodded as he placed his saddlebags on the table. Off came the latches and out came the very same wings they were discussing as well as a folder no doubt filled with all the legal documents they would be discussing. Thankfully, he assured her that they won’t need to go through all of this, “I just about have everything done, I just need to make clear some of the concerns the guard had with their design and obtain some signatures.”
The mare chuckled, “Is that all? I don’t see why you’re so worried about time then.”
Platinum sighed as he opened the folder and pulled out a piece of paper, “I’ll start with probably the most baffling of documents.”
Aurora gave him her full attention as he continued, “It would appear that there is some competition in similar wing designs used by a Mister Borealis. Have you ever heard of them?”
Her curious and overall positive expression immediately soured at the mention of that name. She was outraged, and rightfully so, but not at him. She gritted her teeth and took the offending document from Platinum so she can see it for herself, “What the buck is this?”
At least she wasn’t mad at him… Though she was still mad, “I thought I had been rid of that name for years.”
“Care to explain?”
She glared daggers at him, but as she noted his worried expression, her features softened. Clearly he didn’t know about this, as it was a part of her life she was purposefully keeping hidden, but of course it would come up in some way, it always does…
She sighed, “I am Borealis. Or rather, I was. That part of me is long dead, and yet it still haunts my every hoof step.”
Aurora tossed him the paper which he promptly placed it back into the folder, “I see…”
The mare took a seat at the kitchen table and looked over the beautiful looking wings that the two of them made together what felt like so long ago and stated coldly, “Platinum, I would like that name removed from my documents. I don’t want to have to deal with it again in the future.”
He nodded, clearly seeing just how much this bothered her, “I’ll do what I can. Being an archivist has its privileges.”
“Thank you.”
The two of them stayed there in silence for a few minutes more until the pot on the stove started to whistle. This prompted Aurora to rise from her seat and prepare their tea cups, at which point Platinum elected to continue their discussion, “Ok… The next concern that needs to be brought up is the worry of possible magical radiation given off by the complex layering of spells and enchantments the wearer my encounter.”
As she poured a cup for the two of them, she asked quizzically, “Radiation?”
He chuckled softly as if he expected her to know what he meant, “I know right? My enchantments are air tight, but they still wanted to be sure to tell you about that. It’s silly, really.”
Seeing as he didn’t explain it outright, she figured it would be best to just drop it. After all, he says there is no trouble there at all, so why worry about it? She blew upon and took a sip of her tea, savoring the flavor of ginseng as it passed her lips. Setting her cup down gently on it’s trey, she asked, “What other ‘absurd’ worries do the guards have?”
“Well…”
Oh no, perhaps there actually was something to worry about. She raised an eyebrow at him and motioned for the stallion to continue, and continue he did, “I was able to deal with a lot of the paperwork myself, but there was one thing I really could not do myself. They asked if these wings could be used as prosthetics.”
Thankfully for her, she had some time to think about this as Rarity had mentioned it a while back, she knew just what to ask him, “If a pony were to wear them, is there any string of spells or enchantments that could allow them to be used as such?”
Platinum nodded hesitantly, “Actually yes, though, Earth ponies and Unicorns lack the proper muscles and natural magic to do that. There is also an issue of durability, as I doubt these ones could match up with the rigorous conditions a Pegasus would be using them in.”
She glanced at the wings resting on the table briefly before looking at him again, “But it is doable? I see.”
Platinum extended one of the wings and looked them over, much like the day when they had their first date, “Of course, all of these things can be dealt with during the enchanting process, I just need to know before hoof if they are meant for fashion or function. My question to you is, would you be fine with such an option, as I have little doubt it would bring a lot of attention our way.”
He was right! Creating a new wave of realistic prosthetic wings that can match the durability of the real deal would take equestria by storm. There may be no turning back if they go that route. In fact, even these wings as they are could cause a buzz too. Can she handle the pressure of the public eye she sought so hard to escape now that she is more experienced and older? She nervously sipped on her tea as she thought this over.
Noting her behavior, he went over to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder and offered her some words of comfort, “Listen, Aurora. As a friend, I would encourage you to think long and hard about this. As a business partner, i would encourage you to do whatever it takes to stay relevant in the industry. But…”
He drew her close so that way they would be muzzle to muzzle, “As somepony that cares for you very much, I want you to know that no matter what choice you make, I will support you all the way.”
A blush grew on her muzzle until she was a bright crimson, at which point the two of them leaned in and exchanged a long chaste kiss. By the time it broke, their teas had gone cold. They didn’t care, as they were in good company, though they were not truly alone. The Pink Pony before, Ace, was standing in the entryway to the kitchen. Just how long she was standing there the couple couldn’t tell, but judging by the expression on her face, it probably was a while.
The two of them chuckled nervously as she spoke, “I hate to ruin this moment, but everything is packed up and Bee is starting to get anxious.”
That is right, Aurora didn’t tell them about the plan to wait! They are waiting for her! She stood up and sighed, reluctantly shrugging off Platinum’s grip on her, “Sorry. I’ll be right there.”
Ace nodded and slipped away leaving them alone once again. The taller mare groaned as she sat the cups and pot into the sink, “I am sorry Platinum, but we’re out of time.”
He chuckled softly as he started putting all of ‘his’ stuff away in his saddlebags, “Don’t worry about it. We both knew our time together was limited this time anyway. Have fun.”
After a few moments and quick thinking, she asked, “Hey Platinum, why don’t you come with us? You said you don’t have any other business for the holidays, right?”
He nodded, seeming to pick up on what she was throwing down, “Yeah, I’m free… I would be honored to spend the holidays with you.”
He bowed, leading to an embarrassing moment where he accidentally fell over due to his loose saddlebags shifting its weight around, prompting Aurora to giggle lightly as he flailed around, “Here, let me help you.”
She helped him to his hooves and he gave her a kiss on the hoof in gratitude, “Many thanks my princess~”
Now there was a pet name that wasn’t thrown around all that often, but every time it left the stallion’s lips it brought a blush to her face. The fact that he would address her as such despite not being royalty spoke volumes as to how he felt about her and was really touching. He continued as he pointed to the exit, “Allow me to repay your kindness by paying your way to Manehatten.”
Normally she would have insisted on paying for the trip herself like the independent mare she is, but she got the feeling she wasn’t going to win that fight, so instead, she stated, “Why thank you… We can finish up business once Hearth’s Warming is over.”
They nodded in agreement and headed out of the kitchen and soon, the door to the house.
Snow is falling as young ponies ran and played through the streets on Ponyville with nary a care in the world. Ponies of all races froliced there, hurling snowballs at each other as some merely went about their day. One such pony was a Unicorn mare. She was dressed in a fancy looking red dress, a stark contrast compared to her white appearing fur coat and the snow she trekked through. An odd sight compared to usual scarfs and hats that other ponies work, but she merely flicked her indigo mane out of her eyes as she dragged a large sled behind her as she made her way to each residence collecting supplies for the needy this holiday season in few large red bags.
This mare is known as Rarity, Element of Generosity, Pillar of Friendship, and break out star in the fashion industry. Staying true to her element, she was often the first in line to attend charity events and helping out wherever she can, and with Hearth’s Warming being around the corner, she couldn’t just sit idly by while there was work to be done. Door after door, she knocked, seeking out even the tiniest donations to help others in need. Thankfully for her, Ponyville was a kind place, so her sled was filling up fast with spare clothes, canned foods, and toys for the children.
One house she went to was not much like the others to her. It was the home of one of her competitive rivals in Manehatten, Aurora. She was a recent arrival to ponyville and a breakout star in the fashion industry. A little friendly competition never hurt anypony, in fact, when Rarity had first seen their work some time ago, she knew right from the beginning that Aurora was a pony worthy of her respect. What she hadn’t expected was when Aurora had arrived in Ponyville and tried setting up shop and working from home. She had a few ideas why this would be the case, by she dared not pry on the mare’s private life. Everypony has their secrets, she was no different, and if the mare wanted to get away from all paparazzi and the like, that was just fine. Ponyville was perfect for that after all.
As Rarity stepped up to the door and knocked upon it, a small sense of familiarity came upon her. It wasn’t often she got to meet other fashion ponies in the flesh, especially in a casual situation such as this, so she was quite excited to see what she was like when out of the public eye.
She rapped upon the door once more, silently hoping that she wasn’t too enthralled in work to answer. Such cases can make that ‘welcome’ mat little more than just a piece of fabric on the ground. She should know, she herself has lost more than her fair share of time to her work. Thankfully, she didn’t need to wait long, as the tall blue mare in question answered the door shortly thereafter. Her pink eyes blinked in surprise briefly, as if she were expecting somepony else, but once the initial shock of seeing Rarity at the door died down, she gave a bright smile and explained, “Rarity! What a pleasant surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure of your unexpected visit?”
Rarity was not daft, she knew that Aurora had to be waiting upon somepony, but dare not tread upon it. It wasn’t her business anyway. Instead, she answered her question honestly, “I am out doing my monthly charity work, darling.There are no shortage of ponies to help no matter the time of year, and I wanted to get a head start.”
Aurora nodded in understanding. Waving a hoof, she invited Rarity inside, “Come in, I will look in the back to see if I have anything to spare.”
Rarity casted a small spell on the sled to make sure nopony runs away with it while she does her business inside before following the taller mare into her home. Aurora lead her to her workshop and waved her off as she headed up into the attic, “I’ll be right back. In the meantime, feel free to take a look around.”
It wasn’t like Aurora could just tell another mare not to peruse somepony’s fashionable wares. Besides, while they both worked in fashion, they had plenty of experience in different fields so it wasn’t like Rarity could copy her methods and ideas at a glance. Moreover, Bee was with Ace today, so it is not like Rarity, or anypony for that matter, would find anything especially secretive lying about.
Indeed, Rarity did take a look around, looking at the few the mannequins and display cases of the various accessories that Aurora had put up before they are sent off to her boutique in Manehatten. There were wings and harnesses of various shapes and sizes, ranging from the standard closed wing design to the more ornate dress/harness tie in ensambles. There were even a few more detailed wings that even opened, showing an impressive wingspan that would make any pegasus blush if they saw it on a real pegasus.
There were faux horns too, rounded tip, sharp, spiralled and curved, making Rarity believe that Aurora had a lot of fun with her designs as of late. What perplexed her most though were some of the horn rings that were found curled around them. When did Aurora work on jewelry crafting? As far as Rarity was aware, Aurora’s field of expertise lied in the replication and fashionable application of horns and wings. Moreover, these gems… Some of them were not native to the mines near ponyville. In fact, if memory served her right, they weren’t easily found near manehattan either, so where did she get these?
After a brief period of thought, she heard a pony clear their throat behind her, prompting her to turn around. Aurora had returned with a stack of fabrics and old clothes held aloft in her magical grip and a knowing smirk on her muzzle, “I know what you’re thinking… ‘Accessories for your accessories? Doesn’t that seem a little excessive?’ and you’d be right, but if something is worth doing, it can be worth overdoing.”
Now there was an expression she has heard before and has put into practice on more than one occasion, if her friends were right about her that is. While that wasn’t exactly what she was thinking at the moment, it was probably what she would have thought next or something along those lines. Not for the fact they are there, but for their designs. Some of them seemed a little… Out there. One band was slotted perfectly into the grooves of the horn it was upon, another ran opposite the grooves. There were thick bands and long ones, some had a few gems embedded in them, other had none. They were made of gold and silver and other metals, oft providing a nice contrast or compliment to each piece. It honestly looked like a lot of work went into these, both in the jewelry making process and the making of the horns themselves.
How did she do it?
Aurora picked one up in her magical grasp and looked it over, as if inspecting it. Placing it back down, she commented, “I have had a lot of plans like this as of late, but have only just recently been able to put any of them into practice.”
While the unicorn was familiar with the process of making jewelry, as some of her previous projects required a few accents here and there, it took time to get used to the thought of using such esoteric designs. With a little encouragement, she finally was able to create newer and fresher horn designs to compliment her already more ornate and visually appealing wings. Of course, like those ones in particular, she doesn’t see herself making too many of those at a time as it is exhausting work.
Rarity looked over at the taller Unicorn and gave her a bright smile, “I am happy to see your time here in Ponyville has inspired you to branch out into new fields.”
While she couldn’t exactly understand what inspired Aurora to try these new designs, she could understand how big this could be for her. This was new and no doubt exciting, and as a fellow fashion pony, she wanted to be sure to show nothing but support and save the criticisms for the critics, it is what they are there for after all.
Aurora gave a slight nod and held the spare cloths aloft for Rarity once more, “Here, I believe this will suffice?”
They traveled from one magical grip to another as Rarity stated, “Oh, most certainly. Thank you darling.”
Aurora waved a hoof dismissively, “It’s no trouble at all. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for the kindness of others, so I try to pay it forward.”
“Quite right.”
That was when another knock on the door was heard, prompting the two of them to turn their heads towards the main room and thusly check the front door. Once again, Aurora had a vibrant smile on her muzzle that only dimmed slightly once the door was finally opened, revealing the local mail pony, Ditzy. She held out a small bundle of mail, which she took with thanks, “Happy Holidays!”
She waved the grey bubbly mare off before closing the door. She stood there in silence as she went through her mail, feeling a little dejected. Rarity, noting her darkening expression, asked, “Are you okay darling?”
Aurora scoffed, “Yes, of course. Couldn’t be better…”
The taller mare went over to her couch and laid upon it haphazardly, seeming to forget that Rarity was even there as she continued to open and file through her mail in silence. Concerned, Rarity took a seat across from her, setting the donated clothes aside on a nearby table before she would break the silence, “Aurora, dear. What is the matter?”
The holidays were no time to be mopey, and Rarity would rather have her next fashion line torn to shreds than let somepony be in such a dour mood. The blue mare glanced in her direction briefly before stating, “Bills, junk mail, jury duty… The last things anypony would want to see this time of year.”
She tossed the mail aside, which Rarity caught in her magic before it could get too far, “What? This simply cannot be.”
“Oh, but it is! What rotten luck. First Platinum tells me he can’t make it to Hearth’s Warming this year and now this.”
Rarity’s eyes glinted as she heard the name. While she didn’t know who the stallion is, she was able to recognize the way she said his name. Along with the context, she was 90% sure that this Platinum was either a relative, or a coltfriend. The allure of good gossip was a little too much for her at this point, prompting her to ask, “Oh? And what is keeping him, Darling? Surly he wants to be with you too.”
Aurora shrugged as she turned away, rolling to face the inside of the couch, “He said something about a problem with his store in canterlot. Inspections abound and he has to reorganize his stock.”
As she looked over the envelope for the ‘jury duty’ she noted the strange address upon it. It indeed had the royal guard symbol on it, signalling it’s official nature, but something else about it just seemed… Off.
“Tales of Solcia?” She stated aloud, “Is that his place?”
Aurora nodded slowly as she closed her eyes, “Yeah, it’s a delightful little store that sells jewelry and other accessories.”
Well that would explain where she got some of her things… Her curiosity peaking, Rarity poked Aurora with the letter, “I see.. If that is the case, you may want to look at this one again.”
Aurora rolled over slightly and took the letter once more. Almost immediately, she jumped up, having actually read the return address this time, “It’s him?”
It was plenty obvious that there was a lot more going on here than simple jury duty, and as the pieces started falling into place, Rarity started to suspect that something big was going on. Maybe too big for her, but regardless, she’ll try to understand for the sake of her fellow fashionista.
Aurora started beaming as she burned through the letter, seeming to get more excited as she went, “He says he managed to get me an appointment for a patent hearing for one of my latest designs.”
“What sort of design would require going through the guard to get a patent?”
It was an honest question, one that Aurora knew had to be answered carefully. Ever since she became aware of the tumblr verse, as well as Bee, they had to be extra careful not to make any other ponies aware. Too much attention… Then again, it isn’t like the new pair of wings won’t do that anyway. Relenting, Aurora stated, “Well, unlike my static and posible wings, I have plans for new ones to be operable by the wearer. Such a system has its own hazards which need to be addressed.”
Rarity was dumbstruck. Such a thing would take her fashion career to new heights, a fact that Aurora knew she can’t ignore after her display of the prototypes at the prom. Thankfully, her and Platinum have already agreed to keep them in limited supply, special orders, as the time and cost it takes to make them are much higher than anything else she has in stock.
Rarity questioned, “Are they like prosthetics?”
Another good question, one that is another reason to have them checked out by the guard. She has the answer, but it was one of those things she had to make sure was clear to potential buyers, “In a sense they are in terms of function, but they are more for fashion than function. The wearer cannot flap their wings and take of. Earth ponies and Unicorns simply don’t have the right magic for that. Pegasi on the other hoof… We actually don’t know.”
Testing, testing… Ceaseless testing! If it weren’t for Platinum wanting to help her through this, she might not have even tried. But like any good guard and coltfriend, he didn’t want to dump this problem on her. Rightfully so, as he played an integral role in their creation.
As she finished the letter, she noted a few extra attachments to the letter that immediately caught her eye. Designs? It was a curious sight. Platinum had given her some designs for a few more wings and rings she might be interested in. She grinned widely as the gears in her head started to turn. She bolted upright and ran into her workshop and immediately started working, confusing Rarity to no end.
She stood up and asked, “What is happening daring?”
Aurora paused, turning her head to look at the white mare, “It’s Platinum, he’s coming by soon. I must prepare.”
Well her mood certainly brightened up. Seeing that determined, fiery gaze in her eyes, Rarity knew that it would probably be best to leave her to her work. As she went to retrieve the donations, she called out to Aurora, “Be sure to get some sleep, night is coming.”
“I will! Goodbye Rarity!”
As she headed out, she pondered what she had just witnessed. Seeing somepony go from depressed to exuberant like that over the thought of their coltfriend... It is something she wished for herself on more than one occasion and was a thought that made herself feel a little giddy. Indeed, finding a stallion or mare that makes you feel lighter than air is something or a rarity these days. It may happen eventually, she just had to be patient.
The telltale sound of magic died out as a set of scissors was placed down on a table. A blue unicorn that was tall in stature and possessed the pinkest eyes known to ponykind took a step back to admire her handy work. She must admit, when this stallion came in today asking her to cut and style his mane, she was quite surprised. Sure, she’s worked on all kinds of ponies’ manes, but it was a surprise that somepony would come to her as their first choice. Normally when ponies come to her for help, it’s for beauty supplies or other accessories…
“Hmmm… I think this will be good enough.”
As she levitated the stallion’s discarded hair into a bin and sat it off to the side, he stated, “I can’t thank you enough for this Aurora. I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to help me get ready for my inspection. Although, is the blindfold really necessary?”
And indeed, the orange unicorn in the chair stared blankly into the darkness in front of him, his sky blue eyes blinded by the black sheet of fabric wrapped around his head. Despite his blinded condition, he was still able to pinpoint the mare’s location and turned his head to her when she responded with a soft chuckle, “Well, you did say ‘surprise me.’ Don’t you trust me Platinum?”
Now it was his turn to chuckle. As a smile formed on his muzzle, he answered her, “Of course I do. When it comes to making ponies feel their absolute best, you are the best I know.”
A soft blush rose to Aurora’s cheeks as she picked up a mane brush and spray bottle in her magic. It was compliments like these that made her smile grow even wider. After a few spritz of water and plenty of brushing, Platinum’s mane was made straight and carried a glossy sheen. No split ends, no knots. It seemed a little odd if she would be honest. From the looks of things, Platinum did a good enough job taking care of his own head of hair just as well as she did, so why would he need her help doing this?
Before she could ask her query aloud, Platinum spoke up. It was as if he had read her mind, “So… By now you must be wondering what this inspection is about. I’ve been wanting to tell you for a little while now, but I wasn’t sure how to put it.”
Her ears perked up in curiosity, listening intently as she thought up a few things she could do with his remaining hair, “I will admit, I have been curious, but I assumed you had your reasons for keeping quiet.”
He nodded gently, trying not to mess up all the work she had done for him so far, “It’s a little complicated, yes. You see… I do a lot more than just hunt rare gems when I go out to travel. I also work the graveyard shift as a Night Guard.”
“A night guard? Like security or… You don’t mean like the royal guard kind of night guard do you?”
He nodded once more, “I do… It’s kind of a long story, but my family’s line of work is fairly necessary in the guard, and seeing as I’m one of the few ponies that can weave powerful enchantments in my world, I get called in frequently to help maintain armor, badges, anything with a magic signature on it really. I even deal with disenchanting various threats all around Equestria.”
She supposed that would explain the armor he keeps in his closet, and the fancy uniforms… She honestly wasn’t too surprised by this revelation, as there were plenty of hints before hoof, it was just something that was a little too worrying to bring up when she found them. It’s one thing to explore the world in search of ‘dumb’ rocks, but it's an entirely different thing to be handling potentially dangerous situations. This only served to confirm her suspicions.
“So… Why are you telling me about this now?”
And lo, there was the million bit question. Platinum was about to raise up the blindfold so he can look her in the eye, but a gentle tug on its tie from Aurora was enough to stop him. Sighing, the seated Unicorn relented, “S-something came up. I might not see you for a while after this inspection, so I didn’t want any secrets to remain between us that I might regret not telling you later.”
Ah, something dangerous… Why wasn’t she surprised? It always seems like ponies spill their guts most often at this point, where they feel like if they don’t say things now, they never will. Before Platinum could continue to spill his guts, Aurora placed a hoof on his mouth, shutting him up, “I’m just going to stop you right there… As touching as this is, I do not want you to talk to me as if you are going to die tomorrow. It’s depressing as tartarus and I don’t want to remember our last moments together as sad ones.”
Wow… Platinum’s stunned silence filled the room. Even as Aurora continued to worked his mane into a simple, yet effective ponytail, he sat there facing forward as he tried to come up with a topic to change to. Thankfully, Aurora had already come up with one, “You should consider yourself lucky, I’m no stranger when it comes to death defying situations myself. I once had to deal with a changeling and it’s brainwashing.”
Oh? Still dark, but the fact that she’s still around shows that this tale has a much happier conclusion than his might, “I see… Didn’t you say something about changelings in your world being more mindless drone than not?”
Aurora compared a few different colored bands that she could finish tying up his mane with, and decided on blue to match his eyes. Her work finished, she removed the blindfold to let him see what she had done, “Yes I did. Despite not having a brain of their own to work with, they do have their moments of brilliance… One had managed to nearly trick me into believing they were my friend Ace, but when we started talking about tumblr and blogs and all that, the bewildered expression on it’s face clued me into the fact that something was wrong. Before it could strike when it recovered, Ace arrived and together we took it out, lopping off its horn in the process.”
“Brutal!”
Aurora laughed as Platinum stood up to get a closer look at himself in the mirror, “Indeed. I was a little shook up when all things were said and done. Seeing a broken and beaten changeling can do that to you… But still, I was able to carry on and report the attack to the night guards and they surveyed the situation.”
Turning towards her, he stated, “A harrowing situation you found yourself in, but you came out of it just fine. I’m happy for you.”
Aurora gave him a light tug on his ponytail with her magic, drawing him close to her, her gaze looked very serious, “Think about this… I am just your average unicorn taking on one Changeling. You survive the destruction of your own world. Don’t you dare talk to me as if any silly little trinket is going to kill you. If we’re going to talk, please, talk to me about your day. Talk to me like you would any mare, but please don’t talk to me as if I am a widow receiving news of her husband’s death.”
Ah, that explains why she recounted that story. She was making a point. Mares, they were usually pretty good at doing that. As she let him go, he pulled her into a hug and said, “Thank you… I needed somepony to tell me that.”
The blue mare booped the stallion on the nose before turning away, freeing herself from his grasp, “How can you be expected to be at your very best if you spend your time worrying about the future. I say we should focus on what we have now and worry about what happens next when it happens.”
“And what do we have?”
“Us?”
The mare let out a chuckle, turning her head back to him for a brief moment to answer, “As business partners, it’s pretty unprofessional for us to have a romantic relationship, so of course friendship would be preferred.”
As she headed for the door, there was a noticeable sashaying of her hips that made him believe that last statement wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. Her next one confirmed his suspicions, “However, we’re both fairly independant ponies and you seem like a nice enough gentlecolt overall. I wouldn’t mind finding out someday if romance is really for me.”
And with that, she left him there alone to ponder her words. Whether or not he could live through the trails ahead he still couldn’t be sure, but there was one thing he did know for sure. He was going to try his hardest to live long enough for the both of them to find that out.
Artist’s notes: I did do multiple versions of this pic, including black and white outlines and various shading techniques, but this one honestly came out the best.
Lighting notes: For Bee, the light source is in the foreground, heading to the back and right (in fornt of Ace.) Ace has her light source in the foreground as well, heading to the back and left (in front of Bee.) Aurora is a little different as the light is comming from the background and heading towards the front right.
#the amazing digital circus
#coquette
#love and deepspace
#photography
