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Keeping True to Promises; Applejack / Breezy / Loïc
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Topic Started: Nov 18 2012, 12:10 AM (639 Views)
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Loïc Frosteye
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Nov 18 2012, 12:10 AM
Post #1
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They were running out of options.
Loïc looked around the town, growing more and more desperate with every building both he and Breezy walked out of. He couldn't believe that their luck was running out, even in a place like Ponyville. Nopony was willing to offer them shelter for the night; either the inns were all booked up and couldn't accomodate griffons, or the landlords would look at Breezy warily and say that they had no rooms for the night. It was disgusting to him, and he was slowly starting to sink into a similar depressed state that Breezy was no doubt in.
He glanced back at the griffon as they walked down an avenue they've already been down, looking for any house that maybe still had it's lights on. Normally the two of them wouldn't be asking the townsponies if they could stay in their personal houses, but these were not normal circumstances. It was getting dark out, and some menacing looking clouds were starting to roll in from the northeast from Cloudsdale. Apparently the pegasus ponies on the weather team had planned a big downpour tonight to help the farmers keep their crops watered, and Loïc and Breezy had the unfortunate timing of wandering into town the night it was to happen.
"Come on..." He muttered to himself, "surely there is somepony here that will let us stay for the night. I really don't want us to get caught out in the open with this storm where we will surely catch something." He slowed his walk so that he can go beside Breezy once more. Her gaze had been glued to the ground almost the entire way, and he really wanted somepony to prove that there was still some homes in this town that were open to griffons, but nopony really did. Most of them just apologized and shut the door on them. Even if they didn't outright slam it in their faces, it still hurt just as much.
They reached the end of this last avenue, and their options were exhausted. He wanted to kick something, he was so frustrated. How could anypony be so inconsiderate? It just wasn't fair to his friend. She had been through too much already, from her hatchlinghood to her time in Equestria, no matter where she went, there were only creatures that continued to put her down, and those that wouldn't do that were always reserved, never showing their indifference in public for fear of being ostracized.
He stood at the intersection of the street near the outskirts of Ponyville, rubbing his forehead with a hoof. He could already feel himself getting a headache from the stress that just kept compiling onto him. First, there was Breezy. He didn't want to see her sad ever again, and to make her happy, he had to give her what she wanted and change her into a pony. The spell was a stress on its own level, but the fact that Bree had considered and decided upon it was disturbing. She never gave him a clear reason why she wanted to do this, and he was scared that she was doing it on a whim.
Secondly, there were the ponyfolk. He had never seen them be so standoffish and shut out a griffon that he had assured to them would not hurt them in any way conceivable. What had become of the kind and gentle creatures that inhabited this kingdom? They all became paranoid, all because of some bad diplomatic relationships and a war, which was the third reason why he was stressed out. They would soon run out of places to go, and as a pony and soon-to-be pony, they would be hunted down. He was hesitant to change Breezy into something that would only cause her more hardship than usual, especially if it may cost her her life.
He looked up at the griffon, trying to stay strong for his friend, but he just wanted to shout at something to vent his frustration right now. His sad and apologetic look was enough to express how he truly felt as he said, "I'm so sorry Breezy. I... I don't know what to say. I always thought that ponies were the most tolerant creatures in this world, but I guess I was wrong." He sniffed loudly, and a drop of water hit his back. He looked around and saw that it started to drizzle, giving a loud sigh before he led the way down the road past the apple orchard. There was just one more place left to check before they tried to find shelter in the forest.
It didn't take long for it to start pouring, and Loïc's shaggy light blue mane quickly became heavy and pressed to his head. He picked up the pace to a trot with Breezy keeping pace beside him. He wasn't at all worried about his book, it was enchanted to never get wet even when immersed in water, he was just worried that they would catch some sort of cold, setting them back several days while they both tried to fight it off.
He looked up at the sign as they trotted past the front gate. 'Sweet Apple Acres'. It sounded like a nice place to him, he just hoped that the ponies here were as sweet as the acres. They followed the path up to a farmhouse and a barn, the path continued on into the orchard where he could see lots of plump, juicy red apples hung from the trees. They looked delicious, but he wasn't here to eat, he was here to find shelter for the both of them.
They walked onto the front porch, escaping the rain under the overhang that was over the front door. Loïc paused to allow them time to catch their breath before he looked at Breezy, a look of determination on his face, "Okay... pray to the gods that the owners of this farm are willing to let us stay at least the night. Just believe." He was finding it hard to do just that. If the ponies in town could so easily brush him off, why would this family be any different?
He raised a hoof and knocked on the door three times, then three more times, and as he waited for somepony to answer the door, he went over what he was going to say in his head again. After about thirty seconds, the door was answered, and he was greeted by a bright orange pony with freckles and a long straw coloured mane that was tied in a ponytail, who also had an interesting country accent, which was refreshing.
"Good evening miss..." He began, wiping the wet strands of his mane out of his copper eyes, "My name is Loïc, and this is my friend Breezy. We have travelled for a long time, and the inns are unwilling to accompany my friend and I, much less any landlords or other ponyfolk, and we cannot stay outside in this storm. Could you please find it in your heart to let us stay the night with a roof over our heads? We could stay in the barn if you are uncomfortable with us and we won't cause any trouble, but please..." He sighed as he said in a pleading voice, "Don't turn us away, I can't bear to see my friend blame herself again."
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Applejack
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Nov 18 2012, 05:26 AM
Post #2
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Buck apples, acquire bits
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The weather ponies were finally getting some rain to Ponyville. Even though the temperature wasn't really the best time for the scheduled precipitation, it had seemed like much too long ago since the last time the plants around here had gotten any water, and Applejack was starting to worry if the few crops the farm grew during the winter time would even make it through to the harvest. And if that happened, there went any extra money they could spend that year.
There was no reason to have to worry about that now, though. For now, she could just relax by the cozy fire, reclined in her comfortable seat with the warm blanket tucked around her and book in her hooves and take her days one at a time. The scene was made even more relaxing by the steady tapping of the rain on the roof of the house, creating a steady screen of white noise that gradually increased in volume as the storm drew closer.
Unfortunately, the worry for her crops weren't the only things on Applejack's mind. There was, first and foremost, the attacks that had happened on the borders of Equestria. It was a morbidly depressing topic, and one Applejack tried to avoid as much as she could, if only because it was something she didn't want to think about. Then, there was something else going on, in her personal life.
Fluttershy had been acting strange lately--and not just the neurotically shy strange either. For some reason, the mare had been taking any excuse to avoid Applejack, and the few situations when Applejack had gotten her to stick around, she was a stuttering mess who could barely respond to anything Applejack said. She had a suspicion that she was the cause of Fluttershy's distress... but she knew not why it was happening, nor what caused it. Applejack hadn't been acting any different than she normally had, so she was more than a little confused about what could have been the case.
Applejack settled further into her chair as the rain finally began to pour outright and flipped a page in her book, though her eyelids had begun to grow heavy. Slowly, she began to drift off, nodding her head slightly before jerking it back upright in a vain attempt to keep herself awake. She stayed like this until she heard a noise at the front door. Was that knocking...? Was somepony at her door... in the rain... again? Rubbing the burning sensation at her eyes away, she pushed the blanket from around herself, set her book down and climbed off of the chair before making her way over to the front door to see if, for some unknown reason, Fluttershy had chosen to show up unprecedented at her door again, in the middle of a storm.
"Ah'm comin, Ah'm comin'," she called out as she approached the door, hooves quietly clopping against the floorboards underneath her. Much to her surprise however, it wasn't Fluttershy on the other side of the door this time; instead, it was something a little more unsettling. Some kind of strange-looking unicorn with... a large book chained to his back? was there, accompanied by a melancholy griffon--if that was even depression Applejack saw. She glanced confusedly between both beings for a moment before clearing her throat and speaking up with, "Er... Kin Ah help y'all?"
With an even expression on her face, Applejack glanced between both beings that were on her front porch, listening to the unicorn's words as she tried to figure out what to do about the situation. She couldn't very well turn them away, knowing the storm had picked up like it did, yet this was a griffon, and she was a little skeptic of the unicorn who had that book literally stuck to him. After a moment's deliberation she opened the door wider and stepped aside as she said, "Ah ain't got much fer places t' sleep, but get y'all's flanks in here--an' bring th' rest o' y'all with ya."
Before they had even gotten all the way inside Applejack called out to somepony in the house, her voice clear to all of its residents. "Apple Bloom, we got guests. Bring me a couple towels, wouldja sis?" She shut the door after that before gesturing to the unicorn and griffin to follow her. She led them to the fire before sitting down in her previous chair and turning to face "Loic" and "Breezy". "Why is it Ah always get th' strangest visits when it's pourin' outside?" she mused to herself, her words more than audible to her two guests. She sighed before shaking her head. "M'name's Applejack, proprietor o' this here Sweet Apple Acres. Loic an' Breezy, y'all said? Ain't everyday Ah see a griffon 'round this place, much less a pony with a book attached to 'im. Twilight sure would get a kick outta you..."
About that time, Apple Bloom finally emerged down the stairs, her trademark bow still tied into her red mane and two towels resting on her back. The moment she saw Breezy watching Applejack with relieved eyes--a drastic contrast to the downcast look they'd held earlier--Apple Bloom gasped and rushed over, looking rather excited as she grinned at the griffon, completely forgetting about the towels across her back. "Holy cow! A griffon! We don't see many griffons 'round here; can Ah touch yer feathers? What's it like havin' talons an' paws? What's it like where ya--"
"Apple Bloom!" Applejack interrupted before things got out of hoof. "Stop badgerin' th' guests an' give 'em their towels?" She shook her head as Apple Bloom began doing just that with a slight injured look on her face. "Sorry 'bout that y'all. Apple Bloom just likes t' get ahead o' herself sometimes. Loic, Breezy, this's mah sister Apple Bloom. 'Bloom, Loic an' Breezy.
"Anyway"--"Nice to meet y'all," both sisters said at the same time. Applejack paused for a moment before continuing, giving Apple Bloom a brief look. "Anyway, what brings y'all t' Ponyville this time o' year? Y'all just missed Nightmare Night, an' Hearth's Warmin' Eve ain't fer another month an' a half..."
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Loïc Frosteye
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Nov 18 2012, 03:38 PM
Post #3
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Loïc was surprised and somewhat shocked when the orange mare invited them inside. It was a pleasant surprise though, and already a thankful smile was spreading across his face as he stepped inside, flinching as the mare raised her voice to call to somepony else that was living in the house, telling them to bring towels. Loïc was a shivering, dripping mess, and Breezy was no better, so a towel sounded like the best thing right now.
The two of them followed the mare to a living room that had a fire burning in the fireplace, and the light blue stallion looked at it as though it were a godsend. He had lived through some of the coldest weather up north, but there was nothing worse than being soaked through and through, as it brought a different kind of chill that penetrated the thick layers of fur that an omminari would have. He could only wonder how Breezy was faring, as he wasn't sure how well feathers would hold up against water, but he could guess that they were most likely more waterproof than he was.
He looked around the house as they walked through it, and he couldn't help but notice just how homey it felt. On the walls were pictures of the family members and relatives, which there seemed to be a lot of, as well as many other bits of warm decor that just seemed to brighten the mood of the room. It kind of reminded him of the home he lived in with his family, how it was very middle-class, but definitely not as big as this. It definitely had a charm that brought a warm smile to his face.
Both he and breezy took a seat on the floor in front of the fireplace, not wanting to cause any damage to the furniture due to how wet they were. As they did that, a young, teenaged yellow mare with a red mane and a large bow and some towels on her back, this must be the one that the one that answered the door called to, Applebloom. The orange mare introduced herself as Applejack, the owner of the farm, commenting on the strange and unlikely nature of both a griffon and a unicorn with a book chained to his back showing up at the same time in the rain, even commenting how much of a kick a 'Twilight' would get out of it.
He shrugged with a half-smile at that, it must have been one of her friends, so he wasn't going to ask too much about her. Loïc then looked over to Applebloom as her eyes lit up at the sight of Breezy and rushed over to her, barraging her with a flurry of questions. He had to grin at this, as not only was it a nice distraction from their situation, but it was also a different kind of reaction that Breezy usually received from younger ponyfolk. To have one that took so much interest in his friend instead of avoiding her must have done the griffon good.
Applejack then scolded her sister for assaulting Bree with questions before apologizing for her behaviour and introducing the two of them to her. Loïc smiled and nodded, saying politely to the both of them, "It is truly a pleasure to meet the both of you, and thank you so much for letting us in. Any longer and I fear we would be visiting the nearest hospital from hypothermia, if we even knew where that was that is."
Loïc gladly took the towel from the young mare, offering her a pleasant smile and his thanks before he put it over his head and started to dry his mane furiously. It left the light blue mess a little more messy looking than usual, it hadn't been brushed in a long while, and the damp hairs clung to each other as they fell lazily over his face. He brushed most of them out of his eyes as he began to pat the towel along the rest of his body. Being an Omminari, his coat was a little longer and than those of normal ponies, so he retained water more so than any other pony was capable of, and the towel quickly became too damp to actually dry him off very effectively.
Unsure of what to do with the towel, he just kept it in his lap as he shuffled himself a little closer to the fire, letting the heat that came from it dry the rest of him off. Applejack took this time to ask the both of them what brought them to Ponyville, as they apparently came at an odd time between events or festivals. Loïc sighed lightly as he thought about their story for a second as the orange mare's question trailed off, as though expecting an answer. Both his and Bree's stories were not too exciting, nor were they in any way normal, but he had to respect the questions of the owner of the house. He was sure that she would want to know as much as she could about the two complete strangers that she just invited into their house.
"Well Miss Applejack, Breezy and I are both travellers. I come from the northern region of Sleipniden near the Crystal Kingdom, and my friend comes from the Griffon Kingdom that is very near there. We started travelling together... hmm... around four or five years ago now, me to see the world and study magic from many different cultures and sources, and Breezy to collect medicines and herbs native only around Equestria." He looked over to Breezy and smiled before he became a little more somber.
"I'm sure you are as aware of the current events in Equestria as well, so you will understand that a griffon, even one as friendly and harmless as Breezy, is not exactly welcome anywhere in this country anymore. What little hospitality we could get for her disappeared quickly, and we had to leave the last city we visited, Canterlot, because I feared for her safety there. That was about three days ago, and now here we are, refugees from both sides of the war." After he finished his recounting of the recent events, he sighed as his book floated onto his lap and he opened it to the pages he had been studying for the past few days now. Amongst those pages were now various loose pieces of paper with diagrams, glyphs, notes, and various other equations written on them.
The two biggest pieces he pulled out were an illustration of the skeletal and muscular structure of an average female pegasus and an average female griffon of Breezy's dimensions. A lot of his work was in the mathematics behind this, how much he had to change of everything, where it would go, and what it would become. He had most of it figured out already, but there were still two areas that he had been struggling with, and while he had found ways to make them work, they just weren't good enough. He would try to stay up and see what more he could work with, and if nothing worked... well, he would just have to tell Breezy what she would be sacrificing.
As he pulled out the bits of paper, he explained a little more to Applejack as she sat in the chair, "Up until now, I have been working on a spell that Breezy has asked me to do, and I promised her that I would do it for her, so I will not go back on it even if I wanted to. It is a transmogrification spell, and it will change her into a pony like us. The spell is actually ready to cast, it is just that I need time to actually do just that. I had planned on getting to that tomorrow, but so far, nopony is willing to accomodate us for the time I need, and for the time Breezy will need to recover from it." He sighed once more as he thought about their situation, and just how badly everything was stacked against them. As soon as they got this over with though, they would be in the clear for the most part.
Looking back up at the orange mare, he said, "I am thankful that you decided to give us shelter from the storm, you have no idea how happy it makes the both of us to still see a hint of equinity in this world, but I'm certain that you don't want us to stay for too long, as harvest is no doubt along the way and the last thing you want to do is take care of two travellers, but you are the only one in town who was kind enough to take us in. Maybe we could work out some sort of arrangement with each other for a time, but if you want us to leave, we'll understand and we won't hold it against you."
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Applejack
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Nov 27 2012, 07:15 AM
Post #4
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Buck apples, acquire bits
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Applejack continued to stay seated on the very edge of her seat, front legs crossed with her back legs planted on the ground beneath her to help keep her steadied as Loic responded to Applejack's inquiry. Only Loic's origins, and the time they'd spent traveling together were the strangest parts of what he said. She didn't think she'd heard of this "Sleipniden" before, nor did she see why a pony would want to willingly travel with a griffon. Even Rainbow Dash's old griffon friend turned out to not be worth the time, not to mention the griffon chef's arrogant demeanor...
This griffon was, apparently, somehow different. Loic then began explaining their plight, of why they'd had to leave Canterlot and come to Ponyville. He explained along the way that this Breezy was "friendly and harmless" and for a moment Applejack's gaze locked thoughtfully onto the griffon as she continued to listen idly to Loic, even as he began speaking about this spell of his and how it would literally turn the griffon into a pony. She couldn't wrap her mind around why any creature would want to go through a spell like that...
Applejack finally turned her gaze back to Loic after that and gave a dismissive shrug as he thanked her for showing them the hospitality she had. For a time after Loic finished speaking Applejack thoughtfully chewed on her lip, glancing between both the pony and griffin in front of her as she ran the situation through her mind. "Yer griffin friend over there ain't said much so far, so Ah just gotta take yer word on whether she's actually as friendly as y' say. Ain't exactly had th' best o' experiences with griffons in th' past, but Ah cain't turn away somepony in need. So, s'long'as y'all're willin'a throw y'all's weight 'round here, y'all kin stay. Again, 'fraid Ah ain't got much fer room goin' at th' moment, so y'all're either gonna hafta camp out here in th' livin' room fer now, or if it suits y'all, we can try settin' somethin' up in th' barn. It don't matter t' me which y'all choose... assumin' y'all pick up yer slack an' clean up after yerselves."
She sighed after that and rubbed a hoof along her nose before continuing. "Cain't say Ah'm exactly fond o' th' idea o' this spell, either. Ah don't see why anypony would wanna literally change themselves, but Ah've never been much fer th' whole magic scene either, an' it ain't mah business, so... Ah cain't say much. However, whatever preparations you still gotta take care of, Ah don't want it freakin' mah family out, so keep it somewhere private? You kin prolly use th' barn fer that too, if it ain't.. uh, explosive. An' try t' keep it a low profile--that means you too, Apple Bloom," Applejack said as she shot a look to where her sister had taken up a seat next to the griffin.
Applejack then rolled her shoulders and closed her eyes before pushing herself off of her seat and onto all four hooves. "As fer me, s'gettin' late so I'ma look into gettin' some sleep. Apple Bloom, you kin stay up t' chat with 'em if y' want, but jus' 'cause school's out fer a bit don't mean Ah want you stayin' up all night. We clear?" Apple Bloom gave a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes before responding with an exasperated, "Yeah, yeah, sis. Ah got it." Applejack nodded at that before looking to Loic and Breezy once more. "Like Ah said, feel free t' sleep wherever, just be sure t' see that the fire's maintained before dozin' off, an' if y'all get hungry, we have some leftovers in th' kitchen y'all're free to." She pointed a hoof in the direction of the kitchen before moving to the stairwell. "Anyway, g'night," she said before disappearing to the second floor.
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Loïc Frosteye
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Nov 30 2012, 12:36 PM
Post #5
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Loïc watched the orange mare as she sat in her chair, watching both him and Breezy after he finished explaining their plight. She had spent a lot of time watching his griffon friend as he talked, and he wondered if she harboured some sort of mistrust for griffons. It wouldn't be any different from most of the ponyfolk in this town, but at least she was still willing to hear them out and maybe put her misgivings to the side because Loïc so firmly defended that his friend was not as terrifying as her kind always was.
If there was any hope for normal interaction in this house, it was from the younger sister in the family, Applebloom. The young mare sat on the other side of Breezy, looking generally interested and curious about the new griffon in the house, either oblivious to the general mistrust the rest of the populace had shown the griffon race, or just chose to ignore it for her childlike curiosity. Loïc really hoped that Breezy would speak up and maybe try to say something that would help prove that she was not to be feared, and every so often he tried to lock eyes with her and maybe try to urge her to say something, but she mostly kept a blank stare at the floor.
Applejack spoke up next, commenting on how Breezy was not saying much, and confirming the suspicions Loïc had with her having initial mistrust for all griffon-kind. She did still offer them the opportunity to stay in the house, much to Loïc's relief, just as long as they pulled their weight around the house and cleaned up after themselves. It wasn't going to be much of a problem to begin with, as they were no strangers to labor and they were both diligent about keeping their messes to themselves. The terms were fair enough, and Loïc looked up from his papers and research to smile and thank her, but she continued on with another condition.
She also wanted him to keep the matter of Breezy's transmogrification spell under wraps and away from the attention of the rest of the family, all the while voicing her opinion of the nature of the spell as well. Loïc initially had the same opinions about the spell less than a week ago, but after really watching what happened today with the ponyfolk that were supposed to be the most accepting in all of Equestria, his opinion was completely turned around. The whole issue of hiding the magic shouldn't be too much of a problem though, as she did provide a location for him to perform it and all he'd have to do was warn her when they were doing it.
Applejack then stood up and began bidding everypony goodnight, telling her sister not to stay up too late as well, and for the three of them to maintain the fire before they go to sleep. He glanced to the fire than over to the kitchen as the mare pointed it out, suddenly remembering that he was hungry. Maybe he would take her up on the offer to go through the leftovers, he just wondered if there was enough for both himself and Bree. He turned back and waved a hoof at the orange mare, "Goodnight miss Applejack, thank you again for your hospitality."
He watched her disappear up the stairs, looking back to the papers on the ground before he turned to look at Breezy and Applebloom, "Your sister is very kind to the both of us, miss Applebloom. Wouldn't you agree, Breezy? I told you there were ponies in this town who would accept you for who you are." He nudged her side to convince her to give some sort of response before he turned back to Applebloom and asked, "So it seems that we will be 'pulling our weight' around here tomorrow. We don't get too many farms up north where I come from, so I am not familiar with the work. What usually happens around this time of year, it is fall so it is near harvest, yes?"
He listened as he continued to do equations and work out various problems in his head, double and triple checking his work along the way. It was clear that something was pestering him about this spell, but he continued to work diligently, determined to exhaust every possible option before he gave up, but the more he tried, the more implausible it seemed that this new form would be flawless. He looked up at Breezy, a sad sigh escaping him as he leaned against her and asked, "What say we see what there is to eat? Would you kindly show us what we can help ourselves to, Applebloom?"
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Raihna Adlark
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Dec 4 2012, 08:22 AM
Post #6
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Kindness found in the strangest of places...
Breezy had not, of course, been expecting to wind up sitting where she was, in front of the warm fire of such a cozy house, being offered a place to stay as she sat beside her best friend and the owner's sister. It was such an overwhelming shock to the griffon that she had basically done little else than sit there in place, beaming toward Applejack despite the fact that she obviously was a little distrusting.
Compared to the rest of the town--and especially compared to Canterlot--it was an invigorating breath of fresh air even more so considering by the time they had come to Applejack's door they had been soaked through to the bone. It was such a fortuitous opportunity they had been presented, and Breezy was looking forward to seeing where it wound up. It would be a good place to start with her new life as a pony as well. All things in good time, though; for now she just had to see this night through to the next morning and she would be set for the rest of her life.
With that same cheer, Breezy looked over to Loic as he nudged her, a rather bright smile shining on her face as she gave him a quiet, "Yes, Loic. Miss Applejack vas most kind to offer her her home as she did. It vas quite unexpected, but not at all unfortunate." Breezy then glanced over to Apple Bloom as she "umm"ed quietly at Loic's question before responding with, "'Round this time of year, there really ain't much left ta do. The apple harvest is actually just about over--we only got a couple acres left that need buckin'... 'Course, then we gotta start plantin' our winter crops--like asparagus, peas, onions, lettuce. Y'know, the gross stuff. Ah wish Ah could be helpin' but Applejack says Ah 'gotta focus on mah school work'. Ah don't even know what the big deal is! Ah'm makin' good grades, and mid-terms're still a couple weeks away so it ain't like Ah'm in trouble or anything..."
Breezy's attention turned over to Loic again when he asked about seeing what there was to eat. Apple Bloom shrugged after that and pushed herself up from the floor after that before stepping over to the kitchen, not being quite as quiet as Applejack had been, despite how late it was in the night. She turned the lights on before presenting them with various dishes, no doubt all left-overs. "Got salad, some kind o' mushroom dish, soup... Take yer pick."
Not feeling particularly hungry herself for some reason, Breezy forgoed all of those things and stepped over to the nearby table and sat down on the floor nearby, only to have Apple Bloom join her in a chair next to her. "So, Breezy, what's it like where ya came from?" she asked curiously, leaning forward on the table a bit. Breezy smiled idly to the teenaged pony before turning to her to respond.
"Vell, miss Apple Bloom... It is a very cold place--much like Loic's home. Most griffons like to make zheir homes in ze mountains... which is vhere most of our cities are. Sough zhey are less of cities... and more of fortresses." She gave a quiet sigh at that. "My kind is... centered around strife and conflict, for lack of a better phrase. Zhere are often battles for dominance, and if zhey are not monitored it is entire likely zhat one or bos of zhem can vind up dead because of zhese battles. I am not sure if zhat is ze case all over Gryphonia, but it vas ze case for ze places I visited. In oser vords... strengs is a valued attribute, and zhose who do not have it are frowned upon and often shunned."
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Loïc Frosteye
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Dec 7 2012, 01:04 PM
Post #7
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Loïc smiled at the teenaged filly as she complained about not being able to help around the farm. He gathered up the papers that were strewn around him, tucking them back in the pages of his tome that he was studying. "Your sister is absolutely right, Applebloom. Even if your midterms are only a couple of weeks away, your priority should be doing well with them. When I was your age, I did not pull my face out of a book for anything other than eating or sleeping, and I am one of the most well versed mages of the northern lands. It might not seem important now, but trust me, down the road, you will be glad you put effort into this now."
They both followed the young mare to the kitchen, and Loïc peered into the refrigerator when it was opened, looking over a few of the leftover dishes that were stored in plastic wrap and containers. He looked between the salad, the mushroom dish, and the soup before looking at Breezy, trying to see if she was looking at any of them with any sort of hungering. The griffon was already seating herself at the table though, and he wondered to himself if she was simply not hungry or if something was bothering her, which usually happened on particular nights in Canterlot when ponyfolk were particularly rough on her. The later could not have been the case this time, as the family they were staying with was quite pleasant, so maybe for once he could just trust the fact that she did not want to eat. It wasn't going to stop him from pestering her to eat something though. "You really should eat something, Bree..."
Deciding it was too late for any sort of exertion on a heat spell, he settled on the salad dish, levitating what was left of it out of the fridge and onto the table. A bottle of dressing and a fork also found their way to the table as he sat down, almost looking as though he was not really putting much thought or effort into the action. He was getting tired though; midnight was close, and he didn't usually strive to stay up this late. He watched with sleepy disinterest, the dark bags under his eyes starting to make a faint appearance as the dressing bottle upended over the salad and the fork tossed it evenly amongst the lettuce leaves.
There was just enough to feed a stallion his size, which wasn't all that much. The lettuce was still somewhat fresh, giving the impression that supper was maybe three or four hours ago, but it wasn't slimy, wilted, or disgusting so he wouldn't even come close to complaining. Instead, his time was spent listening to Applebloom continue interrogating Breezy and the crunching sound the lettuce made in his mouth. It was always strange, just stumbling across the realization that something like that was happening, essentially taking its happenstance for granted. Sound waves travelling through his jaw and skull, accidentally vibrating his ear drums, it was kind of like magic that worked quietly in the background, only it was beyond understanding of why and how it worked. Whole lives have been devoted to trying to understand phenomena like that, and that is exactly what Loïc felt like he was doing, devoting all of his time and attention to this one task of trying to understand a transmogrification spell to try to break it, exploit it, bend it to his needs. No matter how much he beat at it though, his best efforts could not crack what had worked without his interference for ages.
He snapped out of his daze in the middle of Breezy describing the Griffon Kingdoms. He was mentally exhausted, that was for sure. He would have to call it a night after supper and review his work once again tomorrow morning one last time. He would have to go with the best option, and he wasn't sure if Breezy was going to like it. As he looked over to his friend and watched her somberly describe how violent her kind was, he couldn't help but feel a pit form in his stomach. He didn't want to tell her about this, not when this was probably the most content she had been in their journeys together. She had been looking forward to the fruits of his efforts all week, and to see the look of disappointment and sadness that he almost knew that he would see... it would break him.
As Breezy finished describing griffon-kind, he spoke up himself, "It is definitely a harsh place, both in environment and society. I remember meeting Breezy on the borders of the country." A small smile found its way to his face as he remembered just how the two of them met, "She was out looking for dreamfoil and kingsblood, I was simply hiking along a trail in the same woods. I remember hearing a noise just off the side of the road and I saw her frozen in place and trembling as she practically stared straight at a grizzly bear." He glanced at Breezy for a second, looking to see if any hint of a panic attack at the thought of the large and fierce creatures, "She didn't look like she was going to run or defend herself, so I made some noise and scared the bear off. Poor Breezy was literally scared stiff and it took me a while to bring her back to her senses."
"We walked with each other for a bit, I helped her find a few of the plants she was looking for, and when it came time for us to part ways again, she asked if she could come with me back to Equestria, and I said sure. It wasn't until later that I heard her story as well; life up there was difficult for her, being as kind and gentle as she is. I couldn't blame her for wanting to get away from it, so we travelled Equestria together for a few years together and so far, it has been quite an adventure." He got up from the table and took his empty dish to the sink, scrubbing it clean before placing it in the plate rack to dry.
He wandered back into the living room and made to unroll the bedrolls when he noticed that there really only was enough free space for Breezy's, none of the couches or chairs big enough for her either. He sighed quietly, unrolling the large bedroll that was big enough for three ponies or one griffon to comfortably sleep in. At least her bedroll could easily fit, he didn't mind sleeping on a couch or chair, but something about her sleeping on the hard floor while he was on the couch bothered him. Sticking another log in the fire, he wandered into the kitchen once more and said, "We should all really be getting some sleep now if the work hours are as early as I'm led to believe. Breezy, I..." He paused for a second, glancing at Applebloom quickly before turning a somber and downcast gaze at the griffon again, "I need to have a few more words with you about this spell in private. There are a few more things I need to make you aware of now before we go through with this."
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Loïc Frosteye
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Feb 25 2013, 07:18 PM
Post #8
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Shortly after Breezy finished recounting her society to little Apple Bloom, Loic spoke up with how he'd come across Breezy in the first place. She remembered the moment quite clearly: unexpectedly coming across the large creature, the same animal that had almost killed her when she was a hatchling, and thinking that it would unexpectedly find her a threat and maul her--to which she was powerless against. Her legs had locked up and she couldn't do anything more than stare trembling at the beast. Whether it truly would have attacked in the end was hard to say, as shortly after Loic had somehow managed to stumble upon her and scare the bear away.
She watched the surface of the table in front of her with a meek, almost distant expression as thoughts of the terrifying animal filled her mind--Apple Bloom wore a different expression, one of wonder and intrigue, almost as if she was living vicariously through Loic's words. Still, at the end of Loic's small speech, a small smile found its way to Breezy's face as she remembered all the times she'd shared with Loic, all of the memories that were theirs and all of the special moments she held close to her heart--the moments that had made Breezy fall in love with that heavy-coated pony in the first place. And soon, she hoped, she would finally be able to act on those feelings... if Loic would even return them in the end...
Putting those thoughts to the back of her mind, she watched Loic as he went about cleaning his plate, once more focusing herself on what was about to come: she was no longer going to be seen as different, she would finally be a productive member of society... the only concern she had was what -kind- of pony she'd wind up being, or if she had a choice, what she'd want to be or how she'd wind up looking like. She could hear Apple Bloom talking now that Loic had left the room, but it all sounded like a distant drone to her as she lost herself in thought, her gaze cast on the table in front of her again. When Loic did finally come back into the kitchen with them, Breezy turned her smile to him again, but hesitated for a moment at noticing his own look of reluctance.
When he mentioned needing to talk about it in private, Apple Bloom gave a heavy sigh before pushing herself up from her chair. "Ah gotta go to bed anyway, Ah guess..." She murmured almost sadly as she moved to the kitchen's doorway. "'Night, y'all." Breezy replied with a "Sleep vell, little one" as Apple Bloom disappeared from sight and waited until her hooves could no longer be heard before turning to Loic with a look of slight concern. "Come, let us speak somevhere more comfortable," she said, gesturing to the living room as she began to walk towards it. Her gaze found its way up the staircase when she passed it and she briefly caught eyes with a lurking Apple Bloom, no doubt trying to eavesdrop. She winced at that and slunk back upstairs, knowing that she had just blown her chances of listening in.
Upon reaching the living room she glanced around for a moment at what the sleeping arrangements were going to be before sighing quietly through her nostrils and gently settling herself down on her bed roll, only to stretch her wings out for a moment and gather up some of the heat emanating from the fire place. She then looked over to Loic and spoke again, her voice quiet. "Loic... Is everysink alright? Has somesink gone vronk vis ze spell? Vill you need more time?"
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He really didn’t want to do this. Raihna was looking forward to this so much, this was the happiest he had seen her in so long. The hope he had given her was a gift unto itself, as he felt so good to be privileged to bring that joy into her life, but now it was all in danger of being taken away on a few little details that he simply couldn’t work around. It wasn’t fair, not for him or for her, but he had to face the facts. It would be even more unfair if he went through with it anyway and did not tell her now. That would destroy their friendship.
So a little more resolute in his decision, but still not happy with it, he followed the griffon back into the living room, seating himself on the couch and nervously scratching a hoof behind his head as Breezy made herself comfortable, asking the question that he was about to explain to her. He sighed, going over the words and how he was to explain it in his head once more before leaning forward, now looking quite disappointed in himself, and saddened from the prospect of it. His tone was quiet, but serious as he explained, “Breezy… before I do this, there are several things you need to know.”
He leaned forward, looking Breezy in her green eyes that stared back at him, waiting for him to continue, “Do you remember when I said that you may have to make sacrifices in this transformation? Well…” He sighed once more, his frustration and disappointment showing slightly, “First things first. The wings. Griffons are naturally stronger fliers than an average pegasi. I tried to work as much of your original strength into the transformation as I could, but unfortunately, you will become a weak flier at best, maybe better with time.”
Loïc paused to let that sink in for a second, before looking up at her again, biting his lower lip as he knew that that was not what he was concerned about telling her, “The one thing you also need to know Bree, the reproductive organs of a griffon female and a pony female are vastly different in terms of how they work. While both will still work similarly, ponies give live births and griffons lay eggs. Your pony body will not be able to work with your griffon reproductive organs to support child rearing…” He swallowed as he dropped the news on her, bracing for what was to come, tears, words, silence, anything. The griffon adored children, and there was not a doubt in his mind that he would have made a fantastic mother, and to have to dash those dreams away, it was not something he wanted to do. “I’m sorry Bree, I tried everything I could, but if you go through with this, you will become sterile.”
There, he said it, and now he waited. Waited for any sort of reaction that she may have, and be ready to comfort her if need be. Just like he had to choose between the lesser of two evils, she had to make the choice that would change her life for good. Live on in life accepted by society, but not be able to raise a child of her own; or continue as she always had been. Miserable, depressed, and still have a chance to have a child with another griffon. He was quiet, and he kept his silence to allow her time to think. Should she show tears or any sort of disappointment, he would have to reassure her as he always did, hug her, tell her everything is going to be okay… He knew that that was not going to simply fix it this time around. He closed his eyes and looked to the floor, mentally cursing at how cruel life could be.
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There was nothing in the world that could have prepared her for the shock that Loic's words gave.
Breezy obviously realized something was wrong by his tone in the kitchen, as well as his nervous and reluctant body language when he sat down with her in the living room. She had watched him patiently, waiting for him to gather his thoughts and tell her whatever news he seemed so hesitant to share. She had held her gaze evenly on him, thinking that she would have been able to shoulder whatever it was, and just bear with it until he either found a way to fix the problem, or until she realized it was just something she'd have to deal with.
The first problem was among the latter. When he told her of the first sacrifice she'd have to make, her gaze fell downcast for a moment before glancing back to her wings as she spread them a bit. Life without flight--or, at least, more difficult flight. It was a daunting thing to think about, but she had really done very little flying ever since she had begun traveling with Loic. So while it was a saddening realization that she'd be losing much of that capability, it was one she could live with, if only because Loic was unable to fly as well.
When her gaze returned to the Omminari's face, she was greeted by a much more distraught expression, as if he was almost ready to just stop talking entirely. What confusion played on her face soon drained along with the color underneath her fur when he began talking again, the meaning behind his words dawning on her before he even finished speaking. One of her greatest wishes in life had always been to be a mother, to know the joys of raising a child to its full potential, to have someone that depended on her... But there were no griffons that took any interest in her; none that wanted to ever mate with her when that season came around every year. There were always just so many better choices than -her-...
But if she went through with the transformation, she'd lose any chance of ever finding a griffon who -did- see past her meek disposition, her weak exterior, her lack of bloodlust, and thus finding someone that could help give her the gift of life. It was such a huge risk, and it did indeed give the loveable griffon pause as she just stared at him in shock. For what was probably a few good minutes, she did nothing but that before her eyes grew sad and she looked away, finding some of the knots in the wood of the floorboards to be easier to keep her eyes on. She spoke, finally, her voice a quiet whisper, barely heard above the crackling of the nearby fire and the pounding of the rain on the roof. "I... I need time to sink, Loic," she choked out before lowering her head to her talons, face hidden from Loic's sight.
Tears silently fell from her eyes then, ones of sorrow at the gravity of such a heavy sacrifice. She had spent so much time in her own mind, thinking on that goal. What she'd name her child--whatever gender it was--where she'd raise it, what she'd teach it... So much planning, and yet there was a chance that was to all go to waste. And for what? To be something she wasn't? So there was a possibility she could be with something that wasn't a griffon?
Despite the fact that Raihna had closed her eyes long ago, sleep couldn't find her for some time. She had no idea how long she had been lying there exactly, thinking on the dilemma she had been presented and fighting her conflicting thoughts, but her eyes were burning. So distraught was she, that she had literally lost sleep over what Loic had told her--however, she did manage to eventually fall into a dreamless, almost fitful sleep. It was the kind of rest where one woke up feeling even more drained than they had been the night before... which was exactly how Breezy felt now.
With eyelids almost feeling like they were glued shut, she painstakingly pried them open and winced at the light that now poured through a nearby window. The fire had long-since died down, and it was no longer raining overhead. But still she felt an overall gloom about her. Without bothering to look at where Loic had placed himself for the night, she slowly pushed her sore body up from the ground before stepping over to the window and sitting down in front of it before staring bleakly out of it like a senile widow might as if she was waiting for her deceased husband to come back home. Conflicted thoughts still raged through her head, until eventually she felt a familiar presence step almost hesitantly up beside her. Without turning her gaze away from the window, she spoke up quietly, her choice finally made.
"Loic," she began, voice cracking a bit. "You are... so very special to me. You have been ze best of friends, so selfless, and caring... Vhich is vhy I vish to say sank you, for alertink me of vhat zhis spell vill cost me. I know it vas not easy for you, as it vas not for me. But I have made up my mind. I do still vish for you to change me, to make me... more like you. As for ze sacrifices, I have addressed zhem: ze loss of flight, it is bearable. Vhile ze freedom of ze air is pleasink, I have been grounded for quite some time now, and I have my hunches zhat it vill remain so. As for ze loss of child birs..." She gave a quiet sigh at that and closed her eyes as she continued. "It is heart vrenchink. Yes, beink a moser is somesink zhat I have alvays vanted... but I do not vish to vaste my life, searchink for a "chance" zhat anoser griffon vould vish for me to be ze moser of zheir child. Zhere are still oser vays I can be a moser--orphans, children put up for adoption, but zhat can only be vhen I am ready for such a sink."
She opened her eyes then and looked over to Loic, a slight smile breaking through onto her face. She then leaned over and wrapped one of her talons around him before pulling her into her plush down. "And sank you for zhis opportunity... To let me start my life over again..."
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Resigning to the horrible pit that formed in his stomach from telling her this news, he complied with her one wish simply with a quiet, “Okay Raihna, take all the time you need.” His eyes were downcast as he watched her lower herself to the bedroll, burying her face in her talons. Just the sight of this made him want to get back to his books and prove himself wrong, just for her sake, tell her that she could still have a child, tell her that the change would be seamless and easy. That was not how magic works, unfortunately. It was a give and take relationship, and sometimes things just cannot exist in the realm of possibility, even with the help of magic.
Loïc wanted to join her down on the bedroll, try to comfort her with his presence, he wouldn’t really have any words to say to her, as he didn’t think that there was anything he could say in this situation that would cheer her up now. Besides, she wanted time and silence, and he didn’t want to disappoint her even further. So after watching the fire die down a bit, he gave a light sigh before laying himself on his side, head resting on one of the pillows on the couch. It was warm enough to not need a blanket, but he still felt a chill even though there were no windows open. His sleep was a little more sound than his friend’s was, but it was only because of the mental exhaustion he was experiencing. He had to get his rest to focus on what was to happen tomorrow-- if it was still happening of course.
When he woke up to the light flooding the room, he slowly turned himself away from the light, before opening his eyes to stare at the fabric of the cushions of the couch, focusing on the individual threads that intertwined with each other. His mind was blank for a few minutes, as it usually was when he was waking up, but he was still so reluctant to actually get up and have to ask Breezy if she still wanted to go through with this. It was something that indeed needed to be done, he had to know now so that he could finalize his preparations, and make the necessary arrangements to accommodate for the weakness that will come afterwards from the both of them, him from exerting so much energy, and her for having to relearn how to move and control her new body. He would probably end up waiting on her as her caretaker for the first few days as she recovered, every so often getting her up to do simple exercises before getting her to rest again. All preparations that needed to be taken care of now…
He sat up on the couch and looked at the window to see the large figure of Breezy sitting in front of it, silhouetted by the light. It was hard to tell what she was thinking from this perspective, but Loïc did not want to approach her again and get her to answer his question, but he stood up anyway, slowly plodding up beside her, sighing heavily as he glanced out the window, opening his mouth to ask her if she still wanted to go through this, but she was already answering his question. He remained quiet and listened intently to her reasoning. It was very evident that she had been thinking about this from the reasons she gave him for still wanting to go through this, but the way she worded some of her sentences once again made him wonder if there was some other reason behind this desire for change. He chose not to pursue it. Right now, Raihna needed some positive affirmation, she had to deal with so many negative thoughts and deliberations recently, she needed a time to be confident with herself and not questioned when there was no need to be.
So when she reached out to hug him, Loïc complied without hesitation, wrapping his legs around as much of her feathery body as he could, smiling a little more as he buried his face in her down, not caring if he got any of it stuck stubbornly in his mane. He stayed like this with her for a minute before he spoke up, voice slightly muffled from the down, but turning his head slightly corrected that issue, “You know I would do anything for you if it were to make you happy, Bree, even if that means helping you start your life anew.” He hugged her a little tighter before pulling himself back, smiling for her now that there was no doubt in what would be happening today and that she had come to terms with what was going to happen. “Well, you are sure of what you want to be done, so now I must make final preparations. We need to find an area of the barn that we will be staying so that we are not going to be pestering this kind family with our presence constantly, not to mention, I’m sure that Miss Applejack is going to want us to do some morning chores for her first so that she knows we plan to stick to our word. By midday, we should be ready for this spell to happen.”
He released her and began to gather up his papers and other things that they brought inside, getting ready to move them all into the barn before the proprietor of Sweet Apple Acres asked them to do chores, every so often glancing at Breezy, giving her a confident and reassuring smile. Finally, their troubles were going to be coming to a close.
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A pleasant smile crossed Breezy's face when Loic chose to return her hug, resulting in her squeezing him that much tighter. Despite the sacrifice she was going to make, it was almost as if a newfound relief had come to her with her resolution. She felt light-weight, carefree, and she was happy to be able to share such joy with the omminari before her. When he spoke, Breezy offered a quiet giggle and an even brighter smile as he pulled back from the embrace, only to mention needing to make the final preparations. She gave a single nod and pushed herself up from her spot at the window before moving to her bedroll and tying it up.
After completing that task she nudged it closer to a nearby wall, before unfurling her wings again, stretching her sore body out for a moment, then stepped closer to Loic to help him transport anything he needed to the barn. Once there, she set whatever she'd picked up on the cleanest patch of ground she could find, shortly before Applejack found her way to the barn. "Oh, so y'all're about ready t' do this... 'thing'?" she asked, stepping closer to them and warily eyeing what had been prepared so far. "Well, whenever y'all get th' time, come find me so we kin get y'all started on a couple chores."
Breezy then glanced between both ponies with her before taking the opportunity to speak up. "I vill take care of some sinks now, miss Applejack. It vill allow Loic time to prepare vhatever he vishes to vhile I... em, 'pull my load'." Applejack glanced once more between Breezy and Loic before shrugging slightly, and gesturing with a hoof to follow, leaving Loic to do what he had to in the barn. Some time passed before Breezy finally returned to the barn, her movements looking a little sluggish in thanks to her lack of sleep the previous night.
She approached the Omminari and smiled wearily to him, then glanced over to where he had been working, a certain sense of anxiousness welling up in her stomach. "So has everysink gone vell so far, Loic? Is zhere anysink you still need to do, or... anysink you need from me?"
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They picked out a corner of the barn for them to work and sleep easily enough. It was the one with the least amount of tools in it to begin with, and also relatively clean, which was what was needed for what they were doing to be set in motion. Aside from the generally barren nature of the corner, there were a few things that they could relocate over to this side to make it a little more comfortable. There were a few stacks of hay against the wall that they could borrow to pad the underside of their bedrolls, there was a small and simple stool that was also out of the way, and a ratty-looking broom that could be used to clean the area that Loïc needed.
Shortly after setting their stuff down, Applejack entered the barn, walking over to them and eyeing some of the supplies that Loïc began to pull out of his bags, which included a few sticks of charcoal, a string and stick, as well as the diagrams he had been preparing over the course of the last week. When Applejack spoke up about helping around the barn with chores, Loïc was about to get ready to set aside what he was pulling out to assist, but Breezy spoke up before he could, offering to do the work while he set things up. While he didn’t complain, he figured that Breezy must have been looking forward to this to the point of wanting it to happen as soon as possible. Miss Applejack didn’t seem to have a problem with it, so when the two of them left, Loïc waving them farewell, he set about the work that would consume many careful hours.
The first thing he did was grab the broom, flipping through his book before enchanting it with a simple ‘Come to Life’ spell and setting it about sweeping large area. As it worked, he pulled some hay off of the stacks, spreading it out evenly in the very corner before unrolling Breezy’s bedroll on top of it, somewhere she could lie to rest and gain her strength back when this was all done. When the broom finally cleared a good section away, he picked up the rope, string, stick, and charcoal and used them to draw a circle onto the floorboards, around one and a half meters in diameter. This was to be the circle he would stand in, and the glyphs he meticulously adorned around the circle would enhance and focus his magic, making it into the raw energy that was to be used by the other half. As he put the finishing touches on his circle, he looked over to see that the broom had finished sweeping the larger section he needed and was now busying itself with the rest of the barn. He would let it be for now as he moved a good distance away from his circle, careful not to step on the glyphs.
He drew a larger circle this time, one that would hold Breezy’s size, at least six meters in diameter. When he finished that, he gave a sigh and referenced his diagrams. This was where he could not afford to mix anything up. One error could kill or horribly disfigure Bree’s new form, and he wouldn’t be able to reverse it. Just the thought of that was nerve wracking, and he double, triple, and quadruple-checked every stroke of charcoal he made, making sure it was in the right place, the right size, and had the right curvature to it… It was time consuming, and as he was nearing completion, lost in his processes, he heard the griffon approach him. He looked up and gave a heavy and tired sigh, grimacing as his knees and back finally loosened up from being in the same position for nearly five hours.
“Everything is going very well, Bree. Just a few more finishing touches and we will be all set.” He stretched himself a good deal, groaning at the exertion before getting to work once more, “Not much more left to do, except for the actual spell. What is going to happen is you are going to stand in this circle I’m working on here, and I’m going to stand in that circle over there. From there, I will cast the spell, and all you need to do is try to keep as still as you can. I’m not sure if this process will hurt, but try not to tense up too much, as it should be over in no more than ten seconds. After that, I am going to move you to that bed there so that you may rest. You won’t be used to your new body, so moving might seem like an impossibility for a day or two, but I will help you learn to move and walk again.”
He drew another glyph and checked his diagram again, “I trust chores worked out alright for you? What did miss Applejack have you do?” As Bree described what she had done for the past five hours, he put the finishing touches on the glyphed circle, checking the diagram but one more time before looking back to Breezy, blowing away some hair that fell in front of his eyes. When she finished discussing her day, Loïc stood to the side, allowing her access to step inside the circle, but before she did that, he asked with good humour, “Well, ready to start a new chapter of your life, Raihna? I’m just a tad curious though, after all of this, are you still going to want to travel with me, or would you rather take a break for a while so that you can adjust yourself to pony culture and society?”
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After Loic asked his question, Breezy slowly swept her eyes across the glyphs and other magical symbols Loic had spent his time meticulously creating, resulting in a confusing mess of things she didn't quite understand. She couldn't get the thought that her life -was- indeed about to change off of her mind, though. All the years that had led up to this point were to practically be made non-existant--Breezy the griffon would be no more. In her place would be Raihna the pony...
"I vill alvays vish to travel vis you, Loic," Breezy responded, finally turning her gaze back to her friend. "It is vhat brought us togeser, and it is in our nature. However, I do sink it vill be a good idea for us to remain for a vhile, so I may familiarize myself vis beink a pony. As for your first question... I am... Nervous. Not because I vish to back out of zhis, no; It is just... em, vell, who I vas no lonker matters anymore. Everysink I have done up to zhis point may as vell have not even happened. I am almost nervous, because I am unfamiliar vis vhat beink a pony is like. I am havink a hard time imaginink vhat it vill be like vis hooves, not to mention all of that hair."
She then sighed before standing up and stepping over to Loic, only to pull him into one last hug, resulting in some of her down sticking into his mane. "I am ready for this, sough. I am so very ready..." After pulling away from the hug, she stepped into the bigger circle Loic had pointed out before looking over to him, patiently waiting for him to begin.
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Loic did not hesitate to hug Breezy back. He understood that this was going to be a new and intimidating step in her life, and he wanted to reassure her that he would be there every step of the way. As he nuzzled her while she held him tight, he couldn't help but feel that he was going to miss the soft and warm feel of her feathers. It was not everyday a griffon hugged you after all.
When she let him go, he gave her a smile, watching her as she stepped into the bigger circle and waited for him to do the same. He already knew from past experience with her hugs that there was something stuck in his mane, most likely one of the softer feathers that lined her chest, shorter than her wing feathers, but belonging to a griffon, were still quite large. He didn't want to shake it out of his mane though, something told him that he would want to hold onto this for her, maybe give it to her to keep as a reminder of who she really was.
Giving one last sigh of determination, he stepped into the circle meant for him, giving a smile for the griffon as he said, "All of your past experiences will not be for naught, my friend. You will still have the memories, the wisdom, and the experience you have gained from your past. You will still be the same Raihna I know, even if others see something else." His book levitated in front of him, flipping open to the page he had been keeping saved for the past week, his horn and the glyphs in his circle beginning to glow bright blue-white. "Close your eyes Raihna, and keep a good vision of what you want your life as a pony to be like. Before you know it, it will become reality."
She closed her eyes, the glyphs and his magic growing brighter and brighter as he then began to recite the spell in his book, speaking in the odd and flowing Omminari tongue. The circle Breezy stood in suddenly started to glow with brilliant light that enveloped the griffon. It was difficult for him to see the metamorphosis through the light, but he could barely see the outline of a griffon slowly shifting into a pony.
Fifteen seconds was all it took, and when the spell finished, the circles became dim again, and in the place of Breezy's circle was a beautiful orangeish-brown pegasus with a long, flowing red mane, lying flat on her side. Hesitantly, he stepped out of his circle and beside her, lifting her up tenderly with his magic and placing her in the bed he had prepared for her, sitting down in front of her and brushing some of her mane out of her face, saying in an equally caring voice, "Raihna... open your eyes. Open them and say hello to the next chapter of your life."
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For quite some time, the eyes of the griffon-turned-pony didn't actually open. From her place at the bed Loic had prepared for her, the pony with the new fiery red mane and golden coat akin to the color of what her fur had been slept dreamlessly--she was still breathing and she still had a healthy pulse, but because of her body having to adjust to its new form, she remained still and unresponsive.
When she did finally open her eyes, a few hours had passed. At first, panic surged through her mind. She couldn't move an inch of her body, making her think that somehow the process had gone awry. She remembered then Loic's caution that she wouldn't be up and about immediately, and she hesitated before relaxing and trying her best to look down to see how things had gone. That proved to be harder than expected so instead she gathered her bearings, and looked around to try and find Loic.
When her eyes had found his face, she smiled at him for a few seconds, still a little disoriented. "Vell... How did it go, Loic?" she murmured wearily, subconsciously trying once more in vain to move a hoof. "I am a pony now, yes? Vhat do you sink?"
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She didn't say anything or open her eyes for a while. It was kind of expected, seeing that the transformation was hard on both her and himself. Loic could already feel the fatigue from casting the spell weighing down his eyes. He didn't want to fall asleep though, there were a few things he had to check first. He placed a hoof on her neck and counted sixty seconds, and then canted an ear toward her mouth to listen for breathing. She was doing fine.
That was all he needed to know. With a tired sigh, he leaned forward and rested his head on the bedroll, out like a light as soon as it came to a rest. They both slept for a few hours, a little disturbance caused by Raihna trying to move shaking him fully awake as he remembered what had happened just earlier today. He sat upright and looked back at her, smiling giddily when he saw her beautiful smile and heard her tired voice asking him how it went and what he thought.
Not having enough time to do this before, or perhaps not even thinking about it in his exhaustion, he slowly looked her up and down saying distantly with a smile, "It went perfectly, Raihna. You look like a pegasus. No imperfections, no flaws..." His voice trailed off as he continued to look her over, finding himself distracted by how her flowing red mane framed her face with her tired smile and those brilliant green eyes, "... perfect." He looked away briefly, an embarassed smile on his face as he tried to hide the slight discolouration on his cheeks, letting out a heavy sigh and placing a hoof on one of her legs, picking it up and bending the joint back and forth slowly, watching her for any pained reactions. "How are you feeling? Nothing hurts or bothers you?"
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Raihna found herself blushing at Loic's kind words as well, turning her gaze as he did to collect herself. She wasn't entirely sure what Loic meant by what he had said, but her fluttering heart told her that she greatly appreciated them. She hadn't been called flawless before, and to hear Loic say them in the way he did...
Her attention returned to him when she could very vaguely feel something on what would have previously been one of her forelegs. Despite the fact that it was a faint touch, as one might feel it if their extremity was asleep, but she couldn't help but notice how strange it was; how foreign the sensation was. "No, Loic," she murmured in response, trying to turn her gaze over to what he was doing. "Zhis does not hurt, I simply feel... I do not know, strange. I cannot move, and I cannot feel you touchink me. Zhis... Is vhat you meant vhen you said I vould not be about for a vhile, yes?"
She paused for a moment before trying to lift the hoof he was holding up to his cheek, only to fail before getting anywhere. "Loic... You really like ze vay I look...? Sank you..."
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Loïc nodded quietly as Raihna asked if this was what he meant when he said she would not be able to feel or move for a while, “It is exactly how I expected it would be. Your muscles have to rebuild themselves over the course of the next few weeks, and your nerves have to re-sensitize themselves to the rest of your body. The former shouldn’t take long, you might wake up tomorrow morning feeling a little sore and able to feel a few things faintly. It’s amazing how fast the nervous system can rebuild and adapt itself.”
He moved from the one foreleg he was bending back and forth to the other, repeating the exact same process, “What I’m doing right now is just helping get the blood moving in your legs, make sure it doesn’t pool anywhere. Maybe tomorrow if you are feeling up to it, we will start the physiotherapy by helping strengthen your legs, and then work on standing and walking.” He finished with her foreleg and moved, a little more hesitantly, to one of her hind legs, bending both legs as they should be bent. He had to pry his eyes away from her legs and flank, instead focusing on her face, maybe a little flustered.
She watched her try to lift her hoof, and he gave her a sad smile as he once again placed his hoof on top of it, brushing lightly against it. As she asked her question once again, he found himself looking into her tired eyes again, answering her second question a little more quietly, “I think you look very beautiful, Raihna. Something about your eyes is just so…” He trailed off as he tried to think of a word that could appropriately describe them, “Well, the closest I can come to describing them is captivating, but it is so much more than that.”
Loïc, having finished with her legs then moved back in front of her so she could see him, “Did you want any water or food? Miss Applejack is probably going to be looking for me to hold up my end of the chores any minute now. I will try and check up on you every fifteen minutes if I can, but I don’t know how extensive the chores are going to be…”
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A light blush, accompanied by a coy smile came to Raihna's face when Loic shared his thoughts on her new form. Even if there weren't any real meaning behind his words, they made her feel good, made her feel like she had made the right decision--both with changing herself, and the pony she had chosen to be seen as. If Loic really felt that way, maybe it would be much easier to share her feelings with him than she thought it would be...
However, she tried her best to avoid Loic's gaze while he was exercising her back legs for her. Not only was it strange seeing her body completely different to what it had been earlier in the day, the pony she loved was practically looming over her, making her heart beat even faster. Although she was unfamiliar with the act itself, she knew the general process of intercourse, and she also knew that where he was was very... alluring.
She turned her attention back to him when he spoke again, looking to him once more before responding to what he'd said. "Do not vorry so much about me, Loic," she said, still unable to raise her voice anything above a murmur. "Do not hold yourself to such a tight schedule. I appreciate your soughtfulness, but appeasink miss Applejack comes first.. I also vould like to start ze serapy tomorrow. Anysink to get myself back on my paw... erm... hooves," she said sheepishly, turning her meek gaze away for a moment. "So I vill not be a burden to you. Also... I vould appreciate some vater, and a small snack..."
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Loïc Frosteye
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Feb 25 2013, 07:18 PM
Post #9
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Raising a hoof to once again brush some of the stray strands of her mane behind her ears gently, he said in an equally quiet murmur as her own, "You know I only care for you, Raihna. Even though miss Applejack comes first, I will most definitely try to keep coming back. Just leaving you here alone doesn't feel right to me, so you can't really be a burden when it's something I want to do." The smile came back to his face as he said cheerily, "Besides, I'd always want to see you when I can. I'm still not used to you like this, so I need time to get familiar with you again." His hoof brushed her cheek as his thoughts trailed off once more, lost in how pretty she was...
"Oh! Right. Water and snack. I'll uhh... I'll be right back then!" He stood up and trotted out the front of the barn towards the farmhouse. In about five minutes, he was back, levitating a water bottle and a bowl with a spoon, setting them beside the bed as he said, sounding a little out of breath, "Well, who'd have thought that one of the more readily available foods on Sweet Apple Acres would be applesauce, eh?" He gave her a smile, which quickly turned to a sheepishly apologetic look she he realized that she still couldn't quite move to eat the food herself.
"Uhh... well, I suppose I'm going to have to help you out here, Raihna... excuse me for a sec." He pulled himself up onto the bed and sat beside her, leaning against the wall as he picked her up and swung her across his lap, resting her head against his shoulder for a few seconds as he gathered up the applesauce and water beside him. "At least you are eating something, that's a start in the right direction." He scooped up a little bit of the applesauce on the spoon and slipped it into her mouth when she was ready, followed by a bit of water to help it go down, keeping her cradled in his lap. "Just let me know when you think you've had enough, okay?"
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The blush returned to her face when she felt his hoof caress her cheek, only able to stare back up at him as he looked down at her. She would have given anything at that moment to know what he was thinking, but she knew something like that was an impossibility. He had continued with confusing and mixed signals making her wonder if she was just taking this out of proportion because of her love for him.
He finally remembered himself after that, left to retrieve her water and snack, only to return within a few moments. She offered a meek, almost sheepish look to him at how out of breath he sounded, but smiled at his words regardless. She then tried to reach it and take the snack from him, but wound up in vain. It was at this point Loïc pulled himself up on the bed beside her, only to do something she hadn't expected of him.
She felt herself lifted up from the bed he had prepared, her limp form putting up little resistance. She then wound up seated in his lap, resting against his chest like she had seen so many other ponies in love do. For once, she cursed the fact that she was numb, unable to feel what such a thing was like. She had plenty of time to feel on that fact when Loïc slipped the spoonful of applesauce into her mouth. It was for the first time, then, that she noticed one other thing her transformation brought her as the spoon collided with them in her misjudgement.
Teeth. What so many ponies never bothered to take a second glance at, Raihna now found extremely strange. They were so... Strange. she knew they were small in comparison, but as she ran the tongue that felt like heavy lead over each and every inch of her new attributes, they felt so large. She then experimentally bit down on her tongue, only to make a face at how much that hurt.
For the entire process, she ignored--or perhaps didn't even notice the second spoonful Loïc was ready to give her, to focused on learning her new body to pay any attention. When she did finally notice she shook her head, snapping herself back into reality. "I am so sorry Loïc, I vas... Em, explorink my tees. Zhese seem so... In-ze-vay; how do you handle zhem?"
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The first spoon of applesauce went down with little trouble, only the issue of accidently hitting her teeth stopping the first time, he scooped up a second spoonful and patiently waited for her to finish, keeping in mind that she may not be so used to eating like a pony would. She seemed to be getting the basic process done, keeping in mind that it was a soft food and no chewing was required, and she wasn't choking on any large and unchewed chunks food.
It took her a a while to finally notice the second spoonful, having spent some time making a few strange and confused faces while moving her tongue around in her mouth. He looked a little worried, and asked, "You okay? Something wrong?" She then apologized and mentioned her teeth, asking him how to handle them. He looked at her blankly, blinking as he tried to figure out how to describe how to handle teeth. It was a strange thought, and it took him a while of thinking to come up with something.
"Well, I'm sure you know the function of teeth is to break down food into smaller and more swallowable pieces, since a pony's esophagus is not as wide as a griffon's. What you do is carefully move the food into a position between the top and bottom row, and you bite down after making sure your tongue is out of the way. You repeat the process until you feel comfortable swallowing. Since this is applesauce, you don't need to chew, so most of what you put in your mout will go behind your teeth so that you can use your tongue to swallow bit by bit." He offered her the spoon a second time for her to take before getting a third one ready.
"I never really thought about it before as it is second nature to me and will become the same for you eventually. I'm sure having more control over your tongue and jaw will help with that, so we'll see how well that comes along tomorrow as well. Until then, it's applesauce and soup for you..." He fell quiet after that, letting her concentrate on the task at hoof, and while she did that, his mind began to wander again, which seemed to be happening a lot since Raihna's transformation.
Even though the purpose of Raihna sitting in his lap was for entirely different reasons, he knew that this kind of arrangement was also used by lovers to get close to each other and just be with each other. As Loic held this beautiful gold mare with the fiery red mane and vivid green eyes, he couldn't help but see the allure of it. A more reserved part of him just wanted to sit there with her, admiring her and sharing a moment with her. Not really moving, but just holding her as she rested against him, completely dependent on him, but he didn't mind. She was there and that was all that mattered--
He snapped out of his daydream with a light shake of his head, bringing himself back to reality to look at Raihna again, giving her a little squeaze and hugging her against him before saying, "How is that? Feeling a little better? Still a bit sloppy, but like I said, you'll get it." He looked her over and spotted a bit of applesauce that must have missed her mouth. How was he going to get this? The spoon already had more applesauce in it, his hooves were a little full, and his magic was holding up the bowl. The only thing within range was his mouth but...
He smiled nervously and sheepishly again, blushing a little bit as he said, "You got a little something on your... ah... I'll get that for you, excuse me." He then leaned his head forward and sucked up the little bit tentatively, his lips brushing against the corner of her mouth briefly before he pulled away, looking very flustered. "Did you want more? I could give you more. Applesauce, I mean..."
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A very quiet, almost inaudible squeak escaped Raihna when Loic snapped out of his daydream and squeezed her. She had, for that moment, tried to wrap her mind around what was happening--where she was and whose lap she was sitting in. She had slowly sifted the applesauce through her teeth and back through again, doing that multiple times before she found herself needing to swallow, but other than that the pegasus did little more than that.
"It is a very strange sensation, Loic," she replied to his question, her eyes just staring forward since her lax body allowed her to do little else. "It vill take some time for me to get ze hank of zhis..." She paused, then, focusing her attention on Loic to listen to his words. A slightly confused look crossed her face, before being replaced by one of shock. She couldn't help but watch as his head slowly moved closer to hers, whatever breath that was in her lungs now missing as he did.
Within just an hour of her awakening, everything she had been hoping for was about to happen. His lips made their way closer to hers, her heart beating faster and faster the less distance there was. Yet, just when she thought it was about to happen... she felt the pressure of his lips at the very edge of her mouth instead, apparently sucking up some applesauce she had failed to get into her mouth. Raihna just sat still at that, a little dumbfounded and frustrated. She had gotten herself excited for nothing... and she couldn't lift her head to keep his from moving away by doing what she had been envisioning in her head.
A quiet giggle escaped her after hearing the flustered tone in Loic's voice, however, putting aside her frustrations in light of the moment. "Loic... I vould quite like more applesauce, yes. It is very good applesauce." She slowly filled her lungs then, taking note of her new nostrils as well. Unlike the air-holes in her beak from before, she now had -nostrils-, actual flesh that flared when she did something like this... "Zhat vas... a very brave gesture, yes?" she asked after releasing her breath through her nostrils just as slowly. "Vhy do you sound so... em, vell, nervous?"
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Loic's flusteredness continued as Raihna asked why he sounded so nervous, once again becoming very aware of what he was doing with the pony that he held tentatively. "Well, I'm a little nervous because of just -how- brave that gesture was. I don't know if I went too far or not, and I wasn't really thinking clearly. You have been my friend for a long time and it's just... I dunno... I just don't want you to not like me." He sighed and placed the spoon back in the bowl of applesauce, getting a little bit of water ready for her.
"Not to mention the fact that you -are- in fact so beautiful, I can't help but feel a bit nervous around you, like I don't want to mess anything up between us just because I might have a hard time concentrating with you right in front of me." He was simply holding the water at this point, more or less single-mindedly getting what was on his mind out. "Like, I can't help but be very aware that I am holding you right now, and you are leaning against me like this, even though you can't help it and I kinda put you in this position, but even though my breath catches in my throat, I enjoy it very much."
He gave another sigh after thinking about what he said, figuring that he must have made her uneasy now just saying what was on his mind, "I'm sorry... I should watch what I do around you more. You are my friend, and I want to treat you with all the love and respect you deserve. If I make you uncomfortable, please just tell me, I will fix what I am doing." He was quiet for a little longer before he spoke up once more in another whisper, "Do I make you uncomfortable? Did you want anymore food or water before I must go?"
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Breathlessly, Raihna stared forward in awe when Loic told her why he was so nervous. He spoke about how he couldn't concentrate because he found her so attractive, how he didn't want to mess anything up as a result of his inability to concentrate, and his being unable to get his mind off of her. More importantly, above all of those things, he found -her- attractive, despite the fact that she had been something of an entirely different species not even twnety four hours ago.
When Loic finally asked if he made her uncomfortable, she gave her best effort to shake her head again him, but only managed to weakly rub her cheek against him..though she couldn't quite seem to get over how her tongue seemed to be inconveniently in the way at that moment. "N-no... Loic, I... em, am not unc-comfortable. If I could fffffeel more, I vould likel-ly be enjoyink myself. I-I mean, ev-even more so. Um, zhan I am alr-ready..." She mentally cursed herself before pausing to inhale deeply in an attempt to calm herself. Loic had just told her everything that had been going on--why was it so hard for her to just do the same thing, especially when things were so close to how she was hoping they would wind up?
"Loic," she began again after trying to steady herself, only to squeak in surprised as she heard a throat clearing from somewhere nearby at the same time. She glanced over to the source of the noise, only to wince slightly at the inopportune appearance of Applejack. "Ah, m-miss Applejack," Raihna murmured meekly, suddenly feeling very vulnerable and aware of where she was at the moment. "I-I trust sinks have been, um... vell today, yes?" Applejack just glanced between the both of them for a moment before glancing away, as if trying to give them as much privacy as they could.
"Ah hate t' interrupt, really, but Ah got somethin' needs doin' that Ah thought could use a lil' touch o' magic. Would make it a whole heck of a lot easier, but it's gettin' late, an' Ah don't wanna save th' job fer tomorrow." She then scuffed her hoof against the ground awkwardly, waiting for Loic's response.
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Loïc glanced up quickly at the sound of a throat clearing to find Applejack standing a ways off, trying to keep her eyes off of the both of them as if she was interrupting something. She was kind of interrupting what Raihna was trying to say, and it was something that Loïc did want to hear, since it was the opposite of what Loïc expected to hear. She was enjoying herself? She must have meant how she was enjoying her new form, and her lack of feeling was the only thing holding it back from being more.
He could not tell what Raihna was trying to say as she was interrupted before she got to the heart of the matter. A deal was a deal though, and Loïc could not back out of the arrangement that he had made with the proprietor of Sweet Apple Acres. He nodded slowly to the orange mare in the cowpony hat and said, “Of course, miss Applejack. I will be out in a minute. Just need to make sure Raihna is comfortable before I leave…”
Gently pushing her off of his lap and back onto the bed, he rested her head on a pillow and pulled the top covers of the large bedroll on top of her up to her cheek so she wouldn’t get much of any chills. As he tucked the covers under her, he whispered to her softly, “I guess you will have to tell me later, huh? For now, just relax and try to get some more sleep. Hopefully when you wake up, you will be able to feel some more of your extremities so we can start the physiotherapy.”
Pausing once more to brush a hoof against her cheek, pushing some more strands of hair out of those emerald eyes, he added, “I’ll be back in a while, Raihna. Sleep well.” Giving her a warm smile, he backed up before turning around and walking towards the cowpony, “Alright miss, what kind of chores do you need done…?” His voice trailed off as he exited the barn with the orange mare, leaving Raihna alone in the corner of the barn, as much as he hated to do so.
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"Ain't nothin' too fancy," Applejack replied after walking out of the barn with Loic. "Just lookin' t' expand th' farm a lil' bit, but some perty heavy rocks're in our way. So, Ah figured Ah'd get you t' use yer magic and wedge some kind o' plank under there or somethin' to move 'em easier." She paused for a few seconds then, before glancing over to Loic, speaking up in a tentative voice. "So... that stuff really worked then? Yer griffon friend's a pony, now? Y'all sure seemed t' be... uh, makin' th' best of it."
Loic nodded along as Applejack explained what she wanted him to do. Heavy rocks would take a bit of exertion on his part, but all it would take is applying himself to the right areas. Even as he set about formulating how he would approach this problem as they walked to the site, Applejack asked him a question in a strange and careful voice that kind of confused him, "Yes, the spell was a success, and Raihna is now a pegasus. I most certainly hope she can make the best of it, I'm afraid there is no going back after what happened. Is something the matter?"
Applejack paused for a moment or two after Loic's response, trying to figure out if he was intentionally avoiding answering, or if what she said really went over his head... "It just seems... a lil' strange t' me. Fer somegriff--somepony who hasn't been a pony all that long..." She paused again, blinking at just how strange her own words seemed to be. She shook her head, however, and continued. "Just thinkin' that y'all seemed a lil'... close."
Loic once more was somewhat confused by what Applejack was getting at, answering as straight as he thought he could with the vague comment, "If you are referring to why I was holding her, she can't quite move on her own yet since she is not used to a pegasus body, so I have to give her food and water when she needs it until she is capable of moving on her own. Did it offend you in any way? If it did, I could always warn you so you don't wander in on us by accident again..."
"I... Well, like Ah said, it's strange considerin' she was a griffon but not too long ago... but no, Ah guess it don't offend me." She wrinkled her nose a bit as she walked, trying to figure out how else to word what she was trying to ask. "An' that didn't seem like just any ol' 'holdin' 'er' t' me. Ah mean, y'all seemed a lil'... nervous."
Loic furrowed his brow as he started to put two and two together, "Well, yes. She would probably be nervous for reasons I've already explained, and not to mention the physiotherapy process would be long and arduous, and I much so for the same reasons as I worry for her well being." He had a feeling that that wasn't what she was asking either, and he thought a little harder, seeming to fluster a little bit as he came to realize just what she was asking, "Are you asking if I was..."
Applejack awkwardly cleared her throat at Loic's unfinished question before glancing over to him, now looking a little reluctant that she'd ventured into this line of questioning. "Ah was wonderin' if you'd catch on. Ah thought maybe you were tryin'a avoid answerin'."
Loic sighed at the confirmation of his suspicions, a little miffed that she would think something like that of him, "Look, miss Applejack, I don't know what you are thinking of me, but I will let you know that there was nothing of that nature happening. I would not take advantage of a friend like that, especially as she is so helpless at the moment. The fact that it looked as such is unfortunate, but in the end, it is up to her to choose what she wants to do with her new life. I look to play no part in deciding her future from here, but I also like to keep my friends, I'm sure you understand."
"Uh, Ah don't think we're on th' same page here, partner," Applejack replied, offering a raised brow at the nature of his words. "Ah wasn't tryin'a say you were takin' advantage of her... Just sayin' what y'all were doin' seemed... Well, she only... 'changed' t'day, an' y'all were already stumblin' 'round yer words an' actin' funny in general. It just seems way to soon. it ain't mah place t' say, but Ah -was standin' there fer a few good seconds 'fore y'all finally noticed me."
"Oh, so you weren't talking about... well, excuse me then." He glanced away sheepishly for a few seconds to be rid of his embarassment before saying again, "I just think that we are both still trying to get used to the change, miss. She has to view the world through different eyes, and I need to get used to her... appearance..." He sighed again and added, "She is still the same Raihna to me, and she'll never change."
Applejack's expression of skepticism didn't seem to change at Loïc's words. Instead, she just wrinkled her nose before responding. "If that's what ya wanna tell yerself," she said, their destination within sight. "so if she's still th' same "Raihna" t' you, s'that mean she's still a griffon t' you?"
Loic brushed the mane out of his face, trying to get a good look at what kind of rocks he was to be shifting from this distance as he responded to her question quietly, almost sounding defeated, "I mean that she is still my friend, even if she is a griffon turned pony. I didn't really care what she looked like, the only thing I saw was her golden heart. That was what got me to like her so much, and that is why I will always love her."
"Dang, if Ah knew this was gonna be such a touchy subject Ah wouldn't'a bothered in th' first place," Applejack murmured idly, now resigning herself to the task right before her. When they reached the rocks, she waved to Big Mac who had already been patiently waiting there, a stalk of wheat hanging out of his mouth. "Big Mac, this is Loic. Th' pony Ah told ya about. Loic, mah brother Big Mac. Anyway, y'all ready t' do this?" she asked, glancing over to her brother. "Eeyup," came his simple reply, to which Applejack turned her gaze back over to Loic. "All we need you t' do's wedge this here plywood under the rock, an' help me push down. Big Mac kin take care o' pushin' it. Anyway, you ready?"
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Loïc Frosteye
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Feb 25 2013, 07:19 PM
Post #10
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At the end of the day, Loic was told that he was no longer needed for work around the farm for the day, and was allowed to go back to the farm where Raihna was resting. Tired and weary, he walked in and went straight for the corner where she should be. He stopped a few feet away from the bed to watch her for a second, a smile on his face when he noticed she was sleeping, just as Loic had suggested that she try to do.
He walked up to her as slowly and as quietly as he could and sat down beside the bed. He too was so very tired, but there was no time to put together his own bed of hay, but he could still unroll his own bedroll. It didn't take long for him to do that, setting it out right beside her, but he didn't go to sleep immediately. He wanted to stay awake a little longer and watch her for some reason, just admire her for what she was now, a beautiful pegasus mare. He let out a deep sigh, thinking back to what Applejack had asked him earlier that day before laying down on his roll after whispering, "Good night Raihna, sleep well." He fell asleep soon enough himself, enduring a dreamless sleep until he should wake up.
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The start of Raihna's morning was a very slow, and peaceful one. Groggily, her eyes inched their way open until she was examining the foreign roof of the barn she slept in, idly searching its features for a few minutes before turning her gaze to the rest of the barn. Eventually, her eyes found Loic again, and for another minute or so, she just stared at him and how he peacefully slept nearby. She remembered last night, and how he had held her against him, even if it was out of necessity. It was a nice gesture, regardless of the fact that she had still been numb and couldn't bask in the moment.
At the remembrance of being numb, Raihna attempted to lift her hoof at her own will again, this time with a mildly more successful result. Though the hoof still felt as if it was made of lead, she was actually able to lift it up, inspect it, move it along her new body and her face. A mixture of wonder and bewilderment raced in her mind as she realized everything was so different now, and that this was what she was going to have to live with for the rest of her life. After some time, Raihna also realized her wings had undergone a change as well. Bracing herself for something else new, she slowly unfurled them so they were sprawled out on either side of the ground underneath her. They were just as foreign as the rest of her new body, and as she slowly flapped her wings, she had no doubt trying to learn to fly again was going to be disastrous.
Still, that was something that would come in time. For now, she had to focus on getting back to where she could live without Loic having to watch her every step... Not to mention she had to focus on Loic himself. A smile came to her face as she thought about him, her gaze locked once more locked onto his sleeping form. Then, she lifted her hoof and reached over to him, gently placing the back of her hoof on his cheek, once more noting how the hoof seemed to belong to an entirely different being. "Loic," she murmured quietly, stroking the hoof along his cheek. "I believe is time to vake up, yes? You silly sleepy-head..."
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At the touch of her hoof on his cheek, Loic ellicited a groggy moan, slowly shifting about as he started to wake up. In the foggy haze of his sleep he replied in a very distant tone, "I'm awake... I'm not a sleepy head..." As he continued to wake up and once again becoming aware of his surroundings and where he was, he remembered that the only other pony in this barn was Raihna. Who did this hoof that was caressing his cheek belong to?
He turned his head to look at Raihna, giving her a smile when he realized that it was indeed her. Her progression in the manner of physical dexterity was off to a good start, as she was giving him light and gentle touches instead of accidently kicking him in the face. His surprise was quite evident in his hushed tone, quite happy with how she was doing "Oh hey, look at you! Good morning Raihna." He lifted a leg and placed it on top of her hoof which was still upon his cheek, brushing her hoof for a few seconds before sitting up and shuffling closer to her.
"I see you've recovered some sensation and control over yourself. That is incredible!" He gave her another smile as he took her leg and started to go through the motions of massaging them to gauge what kind of sensations have returned, "Definitely a nice thing to wake up to as well, thank you. How does it feel, your new body and moving around? Still no unexplainable pain?"
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A quiet giggle escaped Raihna at Loic's groggy words of him not being a sleepy-head, obviously still lost as to where he was and what was happening. When he placed his own hoof on hers, the smile on her face widened slightly, and for a moment she just took the scene in, noting how nice it felt to have his hoof on hers. She then just watched him exercise her legs again, another faint blush filling her cheeks at the contact.
Averting her gaze a bit she spoke up as she tried her best to help him with the movements. "No, I am still in no pain, Loic. You almost sound as if I should be. However, movink around vill still be... cumbersome, as even liftink my hoof vas arduous. It feels so very veighed down. As for my body... it vill take very much gettink accustomed to. It doesn't even feel like it is -my- body, it is so unreal."
Her eyes unwittingly moved back to Loic shortly after that, and she just stared at him, albeit a little breathlessly. She had always liked the way Loic had looked--and before she had almost been a little ashamed to admit as such--but now, she allowed herself to lose all notion of time as she stared at him, at the color of his coat, the length of it, the way his horn subtly curved, the way he looked now that he was towering above her like that, and all the other nuances that made Loic who he was. Only when the burning at her cheeks intensified did she finally zone back in, to which she turned her gaze away again, hoping to avoid any attention. "How vas vorkink vis miss Applejack?" she asked a little awkwardly, stumbling over her own words a few times. "Zhere vere no problems?"
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"Oh trust me Raihna, you aren't supposed to be in pain, which is why I am asking. I'm just making sure that everything is progressing normally without any complications." He finished with her legs and moved up to the shoulders and the joints in them, continuing to explain, "Still feels very slow though, hmm? Well, you are moving about on your own, so your nerves and muscles are starting to develop at a nice pace. If it feels strange, just remember that you are comparing so many years in a body you were used to to a few days in a body you just got. It will be unreal for a while, but you will get used to it, yes."
He trailed off as he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, smiling a little at how she was just staring at him. The sort of distracted blankness on her face was enough to tell him that she was barely listening and probably more preoccupied thinking of things she would want to do with her new body. They probably included walking, running, maybe even some flying, but baby steps were necessary. It would be a great achievement if she were to be able to stand on her own, completely unassisted by Loic.
Loic did notice her cheeks reddening a little before she looked away, and he went back to focussing on what he was doing, his own cheeks flustering a bit as he went back to working on her hind legs as he answered her question, "Miss Applejack definitely had a lot of work, that's for sure. I had to help her move some pretty heavy rocks around the edges of the farm so she could expand. It wasn't too demanding, but as soon as I got back here, I only had enough energy to set myself up for bed. I didn't want to wake you, you looked so serene and peaceful."
One of Applejack's questions did remain in his head from yesterday though, and he cleared his throat and looked at her before asking, "You would let me know if I am doing anything that you don't like or that makes you uncomfortable, right? I don't want to do anything that would stress what we have, so I have to know when to stop."
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Loïc Frosteye
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Feb 25 2013, 07:20 PM
Post #11
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"Loic," Raihna murmured quietly, returning her gaze back to the omminari's face despite the slight discoloration that remained. "In ze time ve have been in each oser's company, zhere have been few times vhen you have made me 'uncomfortable'--vhatever it is you mean by zhat. And vhat times zhere vere, vere not serious. I enjoy myself around you, as I alvays have. It is vhy I... I cherish vhat ve have so much. You are ze only reason I have kept goink..."
Raihna paused for a moment before lowering her eyebrows in confusion and worry. "But... vhy do you ask so suddenly? Have I... concerned you? And vhat do you mean by 'make me uncomfortable'...?"
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Loic sighed as Raihna asked him what was the matter, relieved that he at least wasn't making her uncomfortable. Then again, there was always what Applejack said about looking as though they were getting too close too soon, "No Raihna, you haven't concerned me, not at all. It's just that I had a little bit of a talk with Miss Applejack, and she kinda saw the two of us when I was feeding you, and assumed something... well, different was happening."
Shrugging as he continued to work he added, "She grilled me for a while on what I was doing, assure her that I was only trying to ensure that you were fed, but I have a feeling she's still not convinced. That led me to wonder if what I had been doing made you uncomfortable in anyway..." He paused as he caught sight of her blushing face to comment, "... like right now. You are blushing like something is embarassing you or something is happening that you don't want to happen. Are you sure I don't bother you, like make you feel like I shouldn't be doing something to you?"
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"N-no, Loic," Raihna said quickly, hoping to keep him from kicking himself as he was. "My blush is not caused from embarrassment or... not vantink somesink. You are ze best friend I could ever ask for, and... mo..." She hesitated for a moment, the butterflies in her stomach giving her second thoughts about continuing and laying out her feelings. What if she had just been reading too much into everything? What if he didn't actually return them? Why was everything suddenly so difficult?
"I have not vished for you to stop anysink you have been doing. My blush vas simply... Em... because I am... unfamiliar vis... c-certain..." Her words faded into a pathetic whimper, frustrated over herself. "P-please Loic, you have to believe it is not because of anysink you have done, nor is it because of anysink unpleasant. Do vhat you feel is appropriate... for me."
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Loic hummed a little in thought as Raihna said that he was the best friend she could ever ask for and what sounded like it could have been 'more', but she hesitated again. He had to offer her a little smile again, as she was just doing the thing that made Raihna Raihna again, being so shy and speechless when asked for opinions about things. It was cute as a griffon, but now that she was a pony, it seemed pretty adorable, that and combined with her flushed face, he was once again reminded of how pretty his friend was again.
"Alright Rai, I believe you. Don't work yourself up too much now, we need to save some of that energy for you to be able to walk too, eh?" He grinned at her, gently brushing her mane out of her face again before he sat up and said, "Alright, the first thing we are going to try to do is figure out just how far you can move your legs on your own, and we will be doing a sort of practice walk as well. I'm going to push you onto your back and hold you up so you don't need to worry about balance, and you are going to try to walk as though the air was the ground. This will help you get the basic motions down before we try the actual thing..."
His horn glowed a little and slowly Raihna was rolled onto her back, all four of her legs splayed in the air. He shuffled himself again to seat himself beside her and said, "Go ahead and try walking. I might eventually magically simulate a little pressure against your legs to give you the feel that you are walking on something when you get the hang of it."
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Raihna Adlark
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Mar 6 2013, 08:33 PM
Post #12
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Raihna gave a bit of a surprised squeak as Loic rolled her over on her back. Despite the fact that he had warned her it was still a bit strange, being rolled over in the manner she had been, especially since Loic had barely used any physical contact at all. Her cheeks blushed faintly and she glanced away from Loic, a little embarrassed she had reacted that way. The blush just grew a bit brighter when Loic sat against her, keeping her balanced on her back. Thanks to the sluggish feeling still present in her limbs, each four of her limbs had succumbed to the pull of gravity; her back legs had fallen down to the ground in a natural lying-down position while her front two hooves were held somewhat awkwardly over her head, still held in the air since that was as far back as her legs would go.
Slowly, however, Raihna gave a slight nod of her head in acknowledgement of Loic's task for her. One by one, she painstakingly lifted her legs back up into the air and tried to think about how to move pony legs. As a result of trying think too hard about that, when she did finally attempt to move her legs, each one moved in a chaotic manner with no kind of rhythm with the others; it was an obviously failed attempt at her psuedo-walk. Even Raihna realized that what she was doing just wouldn't work. So, sighing quietly she tried again, this time moving all four of her legs in unison with each other.
Giving a pitiful groan of frustration she glanced over to Loic, frowning slightly. "Vhy is zhis so hard all of a sudden? It is only valkink, I should not be havink zhis much trouble..."
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Loïc Frosteye
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Mar 7 2013, 05:02 AM
Post #13
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Loic couldn't help but giggle a little as Raihna let out her adorable little squeak as he rolled her onto her back. As he sat beside her, he could see her face was still flushed a soft red, which only seemed to intensify when he sat down next to her and place a hoof across her chest, balancing her and keeping her from falling over so her legs were free to kick at the air. It was a rather comical position that she was splayed out in, which probably explained why she was blushing so hard. She must feel very humiliated being on her back like this.
It didn't stop her from trying to do as Loic asked and attempting the walking motions. Giving a valiant and honest effort, Raihna lifted her legs and began to slowly kick them through the air in strange an erratic patterns. If she tried to walk like this, she would most definitely have tripped by now. Seeming to realize that, she gave a quiet sigh and started again. This time her jerky motions had some sort of semblance to an actual walk, but it was still a far cry from workable.
Loic turned his attention to Raihna from her legs as she let out a groan of frustration, giving her an encouraging smile as he said quietly, "Really? I think you are doing fantastic right off the start. Of course it is going to be difficult, but only because your muscles are weak right now. Look at this! You've got some sort of rhythm down too... kinda." he shrugged before rubbing her chest with the hof that was keeping her balance, "Just remember that is takes a while for a child to learn how to walk, so don't be surprised if it's difficult. You are doing amazing by the way, sure it will take a while to get used to it again, but this is a good start. Go ahead and give yourself a break for a bit."
When she stopped kicking he let her roll back over onto so that her side was resting against him as he ran a hoof across her brow, checking for any fevers, "Still feeling good about continuing, Rai? Just remember, foal steps. Take it in short bursts, not one long sprint. Just lean against me for a while and let yourself relax for a bit, and then we will try again. This time I will help you a bit after a while."
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Raihna Adlark
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Mar 7 2013, 08:27 PM
Post #14
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The blush at Raihna's cheeks only intensified when Loic began rubbing her chest with the hoof there. She knew it was probably just to help keep her balanced, but even as a griffon she'd never been touched that way before, and the fact that she was now a pony and having to get used to hair instead of feathers only made the gesture that much more foreign to her. She appreciated the words he said to her, but she didn't quite believe them; she had no problems walking just a day before when she was a griffon, why was it so impossible now?
She did do as he asked however, and took a break from trying to walk. Instead, she allowed her front two legs to bend at the knees while her back two legs stretched out once more. Shortly after this Loic gently ran his hoof over her brow and she felt her heart skip a beat at that, the blushing still on her cheeks. She could only do as he asked then and lean against him, though she wasn't feeling very relaxed. Was he just doing this to help her, or was there something she was missing? Was he trying to tell her something with his actions...?
Unable to come up with any clear questions, Raihna averted her gaze again, trying her best to sink into the ground beneath her. "It does not feel like such a good start, Loic," Raihna murmured quietly after a moment. "You say I am makink progress but I could valk just fine before changink; yes zhese muscles are havink to readapt, but zhere should be no reason my mind should be blank like zhis." She sighed again, slowly shaking her head against the ground.
"I am still villink to continue, yes. And... Sank you again, Loic, for beink zhis patient vis me. I truly appreciate it, as vell as everysink else you have done for me over ze years..." She finally glanced over to him at that, quietly searching his eyes for a moment before continuing.
"I just vanted you to know you mean ze vorld to me."
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Loïc Frosteye
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Mar 9 2013, 04:38 AM
Post #15
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Loïc glanced back down at Raihna as she commented quietly on how she was certain that it was not as good of a start as Loïc made it out to be. Only blinking as he listened to her comment on how it was so hard to walk, even though she knew her muscles were trying to readapt, and how she had absolutely no idea what she was doing. All he could really do was lend her a sympathetic ear and nod along. She must not have come to grasp just how hard just learning to move was going to be. It was going to take time, but Raihna seemed more rushed than usual, and it was kind of odd.
That, and the blush that never seemed to break from her face, which was why Loïc checked her for a fever earlier. She wasn't burning up, which was good. One of the last things he wanted for her was to come down with hay fever or something like that, but then why was her face so red and flustered, especially when she came in contact with him? Was he that hot? Last he checked, it was getting nippy outside. Perhaps his shaggy winter coat was starting to come in a little earlier than he anticipated and he was practically an oven.
That couldn't be right either though. He would feel uncomfortable if he was that hot. He glanced back down at Raihna to see that she was looking elsewhere as she started to thank him in what sounded like a sad and heartfelt voice, thanking him for everything that he has done for her over the years. When she turned to look him in the eye, Loïc looked right back, his copper eyes starting into her emerald eyes as he waited patiently for her to continue. What she was going to say most likely would stress her out to say it, and it was hard enough getting her to talk about her feelings sometimes already.
What she said though made Loïc pause and think. She has said things similar to this before, that she liked him and enjoyed being around him, but they were not even as remotely heavy as the meaning of what she said. A slow and gentle smile spread across Loïc's face and he let out a sigh, patting Riahna on the chest as he reach over and pulled her head in front of him and onto his lap. When her head was set comfortably in his lap and she was lying down beside him, Loïc started to brush at her mane, just running his hoof through her mane slowly.
"I mean the world to you huh? Well, I appreciate those sentiments, Raihna. Ever since I found you in those woods and your travelling with me, I got to know you as a friend, and those have been the been the most fun years of travel I've ever had. Now with this new chapter of your life, I get to see you smile more, not needing to worry about what others think of you all the time. Not to mention the fact that you do make a very pretty mare for a griffon." He gave her an understanding smile, really trying to stop his eyes from wandering from her own, which wasn't too hard to do considering the captivating shade of green they were, "I like being around you too, Raihna, I couldn't ask for a better travelling companion."
He then brushed a hoof behind her ear, winking as he said to her, "Now, let's see if we can't get you moving around on your own now. You probably don't want to spend all of your days as a pony in a stuffy old barn, so let's get as much done as we realistically can before I have to go do some more favours for Miss Applejack." Still supporting her head, he made himself ready to flip her over onto her back again but stopped, giving a thoughtful hum as he looked at how she was laying right now.
After that, he gestured to her legs and said, "Why don't you try the exercise again from this position. It will be easier on you since you don't have to fight gravity as directly and you can get the proper movements down. I would like to ask you something while you do that though. How long ago did you discover that I meant so much to you? I do recall some strange and interesting behaviour back in Canterlot that I couldn't really explain, not to mention that I feel that there was more to your reasoning behind your choice than you let on."
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