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Immediately after saying what she did, Raihna wanted to take her words back; she felt like she'd moved too quickly, like she'd made a mistake even thinking saying them would be a good idea. What if she came on too strong and scared Loic away from her by saying what she did? She was ashamed of herself and she wanted desperately to turn her eyes away again and avoid his gaze. She almost did, until she saw the smile spread across his face before pulling her head onto his lap.
Being too weak and too meek to stop him from doing so, the blush on her face brightened a bit, and even more so when he began to caress her new hair with a hoof. This brought her attention to the new feature: her mane. The hair there had such a different quality than what her feathers had--it was so stringy and weird. But still, there was something nice about how Loic was running his hoof through it, wanting to make her shiver a bit at the contact.
However, any thoughts of wanting to do that were cut short as loic began speaking, bringing her mind back to the words she didn't entirely think out before saying. Fortunately, he took them much better than she was fearing he would. Much better than she thought he would. He began to tell her again how travelling with her over the years has been his most fun... but any elation she felt was knocked down a peg or so when Loic told her that she made a pretty mare 'for a griffon'. So he... didn't actually like what she'd chosen... She wanted to avert her gaze once more out of disappointment, but Loic was still speaking; doing so would have been rude.
Loic told her again that he liked being around her too and that, as always, he couldn't ask for a better travelling companion. Despite the fact that she'd been embarrassed by her own words, she couldn't fight the disappointment that continued to churn in the pit of her stomach. Apparently part of her did want him to figure out what she meant, to finally put this game of cat and mouse behind her... but she was having no such luck and her constantly changing stance on the situation was not helping her in the slightest.
She just gave a slight nod at Loic's suggestion that they start trying to get her walking again, resigning herself to silence for the moment as she waited for Loic to help push her onto her back. Or not, it seemed, as Loic told her to try it from where she was now. Keeping silent, Raihna just began to sluggishly move her limbs again, still no working pattern to them--and they still felt so useless to her. She did glance up to Loic when he asked his question and mentioned her behavior back in Canterlot, causing her to glance back down at the ground, her disappointment still fresh in her mind.
"I realized I... um, zhat you vere... I mean, how much I... cared for you about a year and a half after ve met." She paused at that as if thinking to make sure it was right before giving another slight nod. "As far as ze behavior you mentioned goes... It does not particularly matter anymore. It has passed, and I do not enjoy dwellink on it. As for ze reasonink for zhis change... I have many reasons. All of zhem vors it to me." Raihna then attempted a couple more times to get the hang of moving her legs in rhythm down, even trying a couple different things this time, but ultimately wound up failing again as she gave a frustrated sigh.
"I am sorry, Loic; I cannot do it. My limbs are too veak and are a struggle to move, not to mention I am gettink more and more frustrated vis myself every time I try. I just... I am sorry. I did not mean to be such a burden by doink zhis. I only... I vanted... I just vanted to be more zhan a griffon..."
As Loïc waited for her response to his question, he watched her kick at the air again, this time while on her side. The movements were still either jerky or sluggish, signs of both not fully developed nerves and weakened muscles. It didn't really come as any surprise, he figured it would turn out something like this for the first few days, but Raihna just wanted to get it over and done with so quickly that she probably didn't realize that this kind of thing would take time.
Which begged the question of why she was in such a hurry. Physiotherapy couldn't be rushed, as much as Loïc wanted to see Raihna back on her new hooves as well. What Raihna needed was rest, and she wasn't going to get that if she was stressing herself out. He only hoped that what he had told her didn't stress her out any more so than she was already. Judging from her looking away and keeping silent, he must not have said what she wanted to hear. If that was the case, the what did she want to hear from him?
She didn't say anything that he hadn't heard already either, but he had the feeling that maybe he just wasn't looking into what she was saying hard enough. His thought process was interrupted as he both heard and felt the frustrated sigh coming from her. Glancing back down at the golden pegasus whose head he cradled, he gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, hoping to maybe alleviate some of the frustration that was building up in her.
"It's alright Raihna. I did tell you that you wouldn't be able to move all that well for the first few days, and this is still only the day after your change. Be patient with yourself Raihna, neither of us are in any sort of rush." He sighed a little before saying again, "Perhaps we best stop here before you overexert or become too frustrated with yourself. You really should be getting some rest anyway..." As he moved to get up and shift her back into a more comfortable position he suddenly remembered something that was probably just as important.
"And breakfast! Oh gods, you aren't going to be getting any better on an empty stomach now, are you? I'll get you something to eat and sit with you here for a while longer. I'll be right back Rai." He set her back in her usual position, gently lowering her head on the pillow before getting up and trotting hurriedly out of the barn and into the farmhouse. Once in the kitchen, he looked around and found the same burly red stallion from yesterday looking through the cupboards, perhaps looking for breakfast of his own. What was his name again? Miss Applejack told him his name...
"Hello Mister... uh... Macintosh?" The big red stallion's ears perked up and he looked over his shoulder at the blue Omminari with the book floating behind him and gave a questioning, "Eeyup?" Loïc glanced around the kitchen again before asking, "Would you mind if I fixed some breakfast for both myself and Raihna?" The big red stallion blinked at him before sweeping a leg to the oven, "Eeyup. There's some'ah th'leftover omelette too if ya want it, save ya some cookin'."
Loïc glanced over at the oven and started walking to it, relieved that he didn't have to do much for this breakfast, but then a thought crossed his mind. Raihna used to be a griffon, and griffons laid eggs. Would she be offended if he brought her a meal based off of the offspring of another bird? Shuddering a little at the thought of some other creature eating the pony equivalent of an egg, he looked over to the toaster and the loaf of bread next to it.
That would be a little better for the both of them; Loïc had been completely put off the idea of eggs for probably the rest of his life. Some toast and maybe whatever butter or jam they had. So he set about making two slices of toast for the both of them, spreading -- what else? -- apple jelly onto them before taking them on a plate back to the barn. He was gone at most for maybe ten minutes, trotting as quickly as he could right back up beside Raihna, who was still where he left her.
Jumping back up to the edge of the bed, he set the plate down on the bedroll before offering the griffon-turned-mare a smile and picked her up again, this time putting the pillows behind her back so that she could lean against the wall. When he did that, he sat himself next to her incase she were to fall over he could either catch her or let her fall against him. Levitating a piece of toast up for her close enough so she could lean forward to bite it, he said, "There we go, sorry it took so long. Had to debate on what you'd like."
As he watched her take a bite, he thought back to the last thing she said before he left and said, "Don't think of yourself as a burden Raihna. I knew what I was getting into when I helped you with this spell, and I understood that I would need to take care of you for the first week or two. I don't mind, really. If you ever need to ask anything of me, don't hold back." Giving her time to chew her food, he asked a little more tentatively, "And what did you mean 'you wanted to be more than a griffon'? I didn't think any less of you because you were a griffon, if that's what you meant. I cared about you since I saved you from that you-know-what in the forest and I haven't stopped since then."
Raihna just shook her head slightly when Loic attempted to calm her down once more, saying what he did before. She appreciated his trying, but she didn't like being out of commission like this, not to mention the fact that she was getting more and more aggravated with herself for not being able to do something so menial and not being able to just tell Loic what was on her mind and how she felt. She was, in fact, getting so frustrated that she was beginning to toss the idea around of just getting it all out of the way anyway, not caring about the consequences.
She glanced over to him when he exclaimed about the breakfast and gave a slight nod of acknowledgement as he told her he'd be back in a moment. She watched him leave the barn and stared for a few seconds after him before returning her gaze forward, her body limp and unable to move. She wanted to move again so badly. She wanted to go with Loic into the farmhouse, to be able to say what she would've liked to eat, to just be with him.
...That sealed it. She was tired of feeling this way, tired of being this frustrated. She was tired of stumbling over her words over something so simple, tired of worrying Loic like this. No matter what it took from her, she was going to tell him everything when he got back no matter what might happen as a result. That was easier said than done considering she had no idea how to go about it... but she was going to do it. That just leaved waiting for him to get back.
It took a bit of waiting, but she finally heard the door to the barn slide open and shut again, followed by Loic walking straight towards her with a plate of toast topped with jelly before setting the plate on the bed and propping her up against the wall nearby. Not being able to move herself, relying on Loic like this made her feel so useless. She should be able to do that just fine by herself, but she had to rely on Loic completely to do it--she couldn't even help in the slightest. Then, Loic placed himself beside her and she was reminded of what she'd told herself she'd do while Loic was away.
Which had to wait. Loic levitated a piece of toast over to her so she had to at least take a bite of it before speaking her mind. Just leaning forward to do that was a struggle as well. It wasn't impossible to do--as she succeeded in taking a bite of the toast--but that didn't mean it was easy to do. As she began to chew idly Loic took the opportunity to speak up again, telling her not to think of herself as a burden, even saying that he knew that he'd be having to take care of her. That didn't mean she didn't feel bad for it, though; he was doing everything he could to help her, and she was doing nothing to repay the favor but just get frustrated.
Then, he gave her the push she needed to finally get all of this off of her chest. He asked her what she meant by her wanting to be more than a griffon and tried to assuage her worries after that. Upon swallowing the toast in her mouth Raihna slowly shook her head and glanced over to Loic out of the corner of her eyes. "No, Loic... Zhat is not vhat I meant. I meant... I vanted to be more zhan a griffon. I vanted to be a pony so I could... so ve..."
She clenched her teeth for a brief moment, trying to fight the hesitation welling inside of her. She couldn't stop--she already promised herself she'd do this. She took a deep breath after that and closed her eyes before continuing. "I-I love you, Loic," she finally managed to say, those four words having been swimming around in her head for the longest time. "And n-not just as a friend. I meant it vhen I said you meant ze vorld to me, and zhat I have cared for you so lonk. You are ze reason I have kept goink all of zhis time, and... and... I am sorry Loic... I did not sink any of zhis srough," she choked, now on the verge of tears. "M-my change, or my... sayink all of zhis to you. I-I vas afraid I v-vould scare you avay, or zhat I vould seem too... desperate, but I had to... I am sorry, Loic; I u-understand if you do not feel ze same. I vas s-silly for sinkink zhat could e-ever happen anyvay..." Her tears fell then, eyes still squeezed shut as she turned her head away from Loic, terror now building up inside of her as she convinced herself the last part of what she said was true.
So it was out. All of Loïc's questions had been answered just like that. Raihna's revelation came as a surprise to him, and for a while as she talked, he could only look at her, confused and dumbfounded for the first time in a long time. He completely forgot about the toast and breakfast entirely, and instead only watched blankly as Raihna started to break down, stumbling over her words before she eventually just looked away, the tears leaving dark streaks down her golden cheeks.
Loïc watched her for a second before glancing at the bedroll that they both sat upon, eyes blank as he was contemplating the implications of Raihna's secret and how it affected him. Raihna loved him, longer than he had known if what she said about meaning the world to her years ago when she was still a griffon. How did she come to love him so much, to the point where she did not care about the fact that she was a griffon and he was a pony. There were clues that went all the way back the entire time they had been together that Loïc had either never understood, caught on to, or just mistaken for something else.
There was the time that they had spent in Canterlot. Raihna was her usual self, even if slightly disheartened by the fact that the townsponies did not care for her or give her a chance. That wasn't the clue though. It was in the strange way she acted when Loïc's attention was drawn to a young pegasus mare named Wind Whistler. She seemed to get more distant, and had a shorter fuse with him. She would outright brush him off sometimes, or seek solitude even if he tried to chase her down. Of course, the idea of him and Wind never gotten far, as he seen her hanging around with some military stallion that he knew he couldn't compete with, and afterwards, Raihna was back to her normal self.
He didn't think that her sudden change of heart was associated with Wind, but rather the city itself, as right after Loïc found her with the other stallion, he decided he had enough of the city and left with Raihna. After that, of course, was when Loïc brought up the transmogrification spell weeks ago while they were travelling to Ponyville. Now that he thought back to it, she took to the idea too quickly for her to have thought about it really hard, as it was a change that had altered her life forever.
Here she was though, she went through with it. The patience, the humiliation, the suffering, the shame, the emotions... and all she wanted was to be with him, to finally be able to tell him how much he really meant to her, but she couldn't, not until now, when she finally gave in to her frustrations and caved in, left back with her feelings of guilt and empty sadness. How would it feel, to come so far in a relationship with a friend only to have them turn you down in the end?
Raihna was a griffon, and will always be a griffon at heart, even if her exterior is that of a soft and kind-hearted mare. He liked both of them equally, as they were still the same soul and personality, but the fact that the griffon wanted to change just to be with the pony was... it was strange. He could safely say that nopony else has ever done that for him before, to put aside who they were to want to be with him. Raihna threw it all away on the chance that he would love her back, and it made him feel elated that something could care for him that much.
He couldn't just let her cry like that. He might still be coming to terms with what she said, but there was no way he was going to sit idly while his best friend sat there, fearing the consequences of her outburst. He reached a hoof over and slowly placed it on the cheek opposite of him and gently turned her head to look back at him, his soft and caring expression not changing once as he looked into the downcast mare's face, trying to meet her emerald eyes, but not finding them as they looked down.
"Hey..." he began softly, "... there's no need to cry, Raihna." She didn't show any sign of slowing down, and he let out a sad sigh, thinking of some way to comfort her. He had to settle for the only thing that he could come up with, and that was to pull her closer and wrap his legs around her, letting her head rest into his shoulder as he rubbed a hoof up and down her back and slowly rocked her back and forth to try to comfort her, quietly shushing her to try to get the tears to stop.
His shoulder that was covered in his heavy, shaggy coat started to grow damp with her tears, but he did not complain or move to stop her. She needed to let it out. In the end, it will help her feel better, and will help her listen a little better after she cries her fears away. Eventually, after a minute or two of attempting to comfort her, he spoke up softly, "I'm sure getting that off of your chest was harder than I could ever imagine. You are a brave mare, Raihna."
"I'm not going anywhere, so don't worry about what you said scaring me off in any way. I didn't know that you have felt this way about me for so long, and that you were willing to change so much just to be with me. I here stories about ponies doing outrageous things for each other, but none of them are so physically demanding as what you've done. You have completely changed, but only physically." He paused for a second before continuing, "You are still the same soul that I got to know all of these years, travelling with you, spending time with you, comforting each other when need be... You can change how you look all you want, I'm still going to see the kind-hearted, gentle, shy, and caring griffon I met all those years ago."
He then pulled her head away from his shoulder and tried to catch her eye, waiting until she glanced up to meet them before giving another caring smile and continuing, "Now I know that she loves me now, she is the only one whose opinion I could care for, she is the only one I would love to see happy, and she is the kind of mare that I could see myself spending the rest of my time with..." he paused to brush some of the mane out of her eyes once again before saying, "Not to mention, she is very beautiful, not only in appearance, but personality. You are a perfect mare, Raihna; any stallion would be lucky to have you by their side, and if you really mean that you love me, then..."
He paused and canted his head forward, resting his forehead against hers and looking her right in the eye before he slowly whispered, "... I must be the luckiest stallion alive." He had no time to think about what he had said, he said what was on his mind, and it was true. Raihna was appealing to him physically; as he could look at her all day if he could, and she had a lovable personality; the reason he stayed with her for all these years. All this time he may have been searching for somepony to spend his life with, how ironic was it that the only one he would call ideal or perfect for him was someone he had never considered before, and now that she was here, having changed for him...
He couldn't stop himself. He slowly leaned forward the rest of the way and pressed his lips to hers. This time it was not to get any applesauce off her lips, but to give her a nice, long kiss. He was lost in the heat of the moment and his own thoughts as they both raced by and came to a standstill as he wrapped his legs around her back and pulled her even closer to him. The kiss lasted for a good ten seconds before he pulled away, giving her one last smile before he said, "I love you too, Raihna."
With that, everything came crashing down. Not only did Raihna not think her transformation or sudden confession out, she had ruined everything by doing so. She was going to overwhelm Loic with how she felt about him and scare him off. She told herself these things and believed them, which only served to help fuel the tears that fell down her cheeks even as Loic turned her head towards him. Ashamed, she continued to try and avoid his gaze, knowing whatever he was about to say was just going to be a friendly attempt in getting her to stop crying.
Yet he didn't even seem to know what to say to her, confirming her fears that she'd stunned Loic with her words, made him speechless. She wanted to run away now, to hide or fly away, but because she had to assume everything would go her way, both of those things were impossible for her to do. So, she just had to lean against Loic as he pulled her against him, no doubt still floundering for a way to get her to calm down. Her heart sunk a little bit when Loic continued speaking, not particularly wanting to hear how he was going to try getting her back to her normal self; it probably wasn't going to be what she wanted to hear.
At first, she thought she might have been wrong about that. He told her that she was brave for getting that off of her chest and that he wasn't going anywhere, then talked about how he had no idea what she was willing to do for the pony she loved. But then, he mentioned how she was still the same inside, and how she would always be a griffon to him. Disappointed and hurt by that, Raihna continued to stare at the ground for a good few moments before turning her hurt gaze up to Loic after realizing he'd gone silent. She didn't particularly want to, and she didn't even know why she did it... she just did.
She didn't regret it, however. He began talking about how he would care only for her opinion and care only to see her happy, and would love to spend the rest of his time with--even going so far to compliment both her appearance and personality again. The hurt look gradually began to disappear as a slow smile spread across her face, her fears and sadness finally starting to fade as Loic continued talking, saying the things that she wanted to hear. The smile continued to spread as Loic moved his head forward, somehow settling his forehead against hers before whispering that he must be the luckiest stallion alive. At this, the smile finally reached its full brightness, a vast change to what her expression had been just a few moments ago.
Then, to her surprise, Loic moved again, this time closing the distance between their lips and pressing a kiss to her. Caught off-guard by this, she sat there for a moment or two with her wings subconsciously flared out before closing her eyes and melting into the gesture, realizing after a few seconds of the kiss how wonderful it was. Kissing was something griffons never did considering their beaks and Raihna had always wondered why ponies did this in a relationship. She knew ponies who were attracted to each other did it, but she could never figure out the appeal of it; now, as it was happening to her, she understood why it was done.
When the ten seconds was up and Loic broke the kiss only to tell her that he loved her back, Raihna practically looked ready to explode at the sheer amount of joy she exuded. she stared up to him with loving eyes, happy that the only pony she could love returned her sentiments. A certain weight that had been riding on her shoulders over the years she'd been travelling with him now felt like it had been lifted and she felt relieved and free. Because of this, Raihna leaned her head forward and nuzzled against Loic's shoulder and neck, still unable to wrap her hooves around him in return.
Shortly after, however, Raihna jumped in place as she heard a pony clear their throat behind her yet again. Blushing furiously she glanced over to the source of the noise, only to see Applejack standing there, looking awkward... again. She had her hat pulled down over her eyes and she was glancing off to the side, likely so she wouldn't have to see what they were doing. "Day two an' you've really warmed up t' th' idea o' her bein' a pony, I see," Applejack said, inspecting the ground just off to her side. "Ah guess that means she ain't a griffon t' you anymore then." Raihna glanced up to Loic after that, offering him a confused look as Applejack continued.
"Ain't mah place t' judge though, like Ah said yesterday. Ah might not agree with it, but there's lots o' things Ah don't agree with, so... Anyway, Loic, Ah got another task fer ya. Winter's comin' up, so we need to start gettin' our firewood ready. With you an' yer magic here, it'd make choppin' it up a lot easier, so Ah figure this'd be somethin' good fer ya t' do fer us. Ah'll be... waitin' outside when yer ready." At that, she stepped out of the barn and idly leaned against the wall, waiting for Loic to join her there.
Loïc canted his head and rested it atop of Raihna's as she nuzzled into his neck and shoulder. She had finally calmed down when he admitted that he loved her too, and he could not be more relieved that her mood had turned around for the better. He couldn't stand seeing Raihna as sad as she was, especially after she took a risk that was supposed to end with her being happy. As she leaned her head into his shoulder, he pulled her a little closer, hugging her tightly as he nuzzled the top of her head, feeling how soft her long and brilliant red mane was.
The best part about this was that he got to see her smile. When Raihna was still a griffon, it was hard to tell exactly how happy she was, as Loïc sometimes did not understand her body language. The only thing he could go on was her facial expression, and no matter what, her smiles only seemed to carry a hint of sadness to them. Now that she was a pony, Loïc could easily gauge just how happy she was, and it didn't take a genius to see that she was both relieved, happy, and overjoyed. Her smile was bright enough to make him smile as well, now convinced that the coming years were going to be unforgettable.
There was the sound of a pony clearing her throat at the front door of the barn, and Loïc looked up quickly to see Applejack, standing there awkwardly as she no doubt walked in on this touching and emotional moment at the wrong time. He remembered their talk the day before about getting close to Raihna, and he could only imagine just how bad this made him look in Applejack's mind. He only stared at Applejack indifferently as she commented that Raihna must not be a griffon to her anymore.
She then proceeded to tell him what she wanted him to do for her, and went outside to wait for him so that she could show him where everything was. He wasn't looking forward to the discussion that would accompany that. When she left, he glanced back at Raihna, who still clung to him and looked into his eyes with an expression of confusion. He smiled reassuringly to her and said, "Don't listen to her opinion Raihna. She doesn't understand. I know what I want, and I want both of us to be happy. If she doesn't agree with that, then that's fine."
Raihna frowned for a moment, attempting her best to glance over to the barn's door. "It... it sounded as if you two have already spoken of zhis subject, Loic..." she murmured as she looked back to him, still confused. "Vhy did she say 'I am no lonker a griffon to you zhen'?"
Loic sighed as he slowly lowered her back onto her side, resting her head on the pillow, "Yes, we did talk about this yesterday. When she walked in on me feeding you yesterday, and she thought that we were 'getting a little close a little too soon after your transformation'. I don't think she has taken into account that we have known each other for years now. What she meant when she said that is pretty much exactly as it sounds. I don't see you as a griffon anymore, but as something a lot more than that."
Raihna slowly reached out after being placed on the bedroll, gently placing her hoof on Loic before speaking. "Sank you, Loic... I am happy you can see me as anoser pony. And... I am also happy you do not feel I vas too sudden vis... um, my affections..." He placed his hoof over hers, rubbing the top of it as he said, "You were not too sudden, Raihna. In fact, it probably was the better choice to tell me outright. It seemed to be bothering you for a while, and I wasn't sure just what you were thinking."
"I vas not sure vhat I vas sinkink eiser, Loic," she replied, watching the hoof that was on top of hers. "It vas... difficult to say, as I vas nervous and unsure of myself. But, yes, you vere correct in zhat it vas boserink me for a vhile." She sighed quietly then, sliding her hoof up a little bit. "Ve should not keep miss Applejack vaitink any lonker..." After that she stared up at him for a brief moment before flashing him a bit of a coy smile and saying, "Be careful, Loic... I love you..."
Loic returned her smile, leaning down to give her another kiss on the cheek. It was something he could easily get used to, giving such a beautiful mare affection like that. He got up off of the bedroll and said, "I love you too Raihna. Try and get some more rest okay? Maybe once in a while try moving a little more. I'll be right back when I'm done. Sleep well."
He then walked away from their corner of the barn, his spellbook following behind him as it usually did as he walked out the front door of the barn, taking a deep breath as he smiled before looking around to find Applejack. When he did find her, her sighed and walked over to her and said dutifully, "Alright, I'm ready."
Applejack stood against the outside wall of the barn, waiting for Loic to finally step outside. She had no idea what was taking him this long, but she could only guess he was caught up on that griffon-pony. Raihna... Even a week ago, Applejack would have scoffed at the idea of something turning into something they weren't. It just didn't happen; it wasn't natural. Yet still, to prove her wrong, there was a pegasus who used to be a griffon staying in her own barn. Despite how much she'd tried to think on the subject, she didn't know what she actually thought about it, especially considering the fact that it was now obvious they both shared feelings for each other, which just made things worse to her. A pony and a griffon...
After a few moments she finally heard hoofsteps and she turned to look at Loic as he approached her, offering a sigh as well before saying he was ready. Pushing herself away from the wall of the barn, she readjusted her hat then began to lead the way across her farm. "How long're y'all plannin' on stayin' here?" she asked as they did so. "Ah got a trip t' Hollow Shades planned soon 'n' Ah wouldn't feel right leavin' y'all behind when Ah left. Y'all're still strangers after all, even if y'all're mah guests." Loic started to follow behind the mare without any questions, plodding along almost as lethargically as he could while still keeping pace with the cowpony. He glanced up at her when she asked how long they had planned to stay there, and giving a hum in thought, replied flatly, "I wasn't planning on having us stay too long. As soon as Raihna is able to walk around just fine on her own, we will probably look somewhere else for shelter if you aren't comfortable with us staying." He blinked a few times before asking a question himself, "The Hollow Shades? Why are you planning a trip there? I wouldn't exactly call it a good place for a vacation, being a forest and all."
"Sweet Apple Acres don't just grow apples, Loic," Applejack responded, looking over to the unicorn out of the corner of her eye. "We gotta worry 'bout what we're gonna sell--an' keep fer ourselves--outside o' apple season. Ah heard from a customer that there was somethin' interestin' Ah should look into in th' Shades, so that's what Ah'm gonna do here shortly. Prolly 'bout as soon as y'all get around t' leavin'." She paused then, continuing to look at him out of the corner of her eye before returning her gaze forward. "So. Y'all seemed to've come quite a-ways since yesterday." Loic flinched at the question, seeming to expect that this was coming, yet still he did not know what to think of it, as it was all so sudden to him as well. He still did his best to answer after a few seconds of thought, "Yeah... we have. It turns out that she hasn't exactly been letting me know about how she really feels about things, more specifically me." He let his statement end there, and once more tried to change the subject, "What could possibly be in the Shades that you would be so interested in? Some kind of fruit or vegetable that is hard to come by?"
"Nightshade," was the only thing Applejack said in response, once more glancing over to Loic. After a few moments she spoke up again, one of her eyebrows raised. "Never though Ah'd live t' see th' day when a griffon admits t' havin' feelin's fer a pony... much less th' pony returnin' 'em." Loic only stared straight ahead, trying to keep a poker face to her question as he kept his tone apathetic, "Well, you have now lived to see the day." He sighed and looked away, adding as an afterthought, "The only question is what you think now that you have lived to see this day." Applejack hesitated for a moment before shrugging in response. "You prolly don't want mah opinion, Loic," she stated simply, gaze held forward again. "There's still th' fact that we're still strangers an' Ah don't know you well enough tell you what Ah think 'bout somethin' like this."
"Oh, but I do." Loic replied, getting a little bolder in his speech. If Applejack was going to comment on what he was doing with Raihna, he wanted to hear everything, "You are the only one who knows everything that has happened with her and who she really is, I doubt I would be able to get any true opinions from anypony else. Please tell me, I am curious." Applejack slowly shook her head at Loic's request, not bothering to look over to him this time. "Ain't gonna feel right doin' it, but if you say so, Loic. Ah just don't think it's right. Sure, she's a pony now, but that don't change what she was... an' still is. 'Sides that, she ain't even on her hooves yet an' y'all're already spreadin' th' love." Giving a sigh at Applejack's opinion, knowing very well that he had asked for it, he replied, "Spreading the love? I suppose that is one thing you could call it. I have travelled with her for quite a few years, and never did I guess that she would have feelings for me, feelings so strong that she was willing to risk something so risky to be able to be with me. She is a very sweet girl, miss Applejack, that's the entire reason why I like her in the first place." He glanced at Applejack with a questioning look on his face, "Surely you must know what love is like? When you find it, you don't care what it is or what it looks like, only that you would do anything to be with them."
Applejack remained silent for quite a few moments after Loic's question, eyes locked straight forward. "No, Ah don't know what love's like," she said after the silence passed. "Ah've never really had th' opportunity fer anythin' like that. Ah've always been busy maintainin' th' family farm, an' makin' sure all mah friends were happy. Ah thought maybe Ah could change that recently, but it's turned out differently than Ah mighta liked so Ah kinda gave up." Loic hummed in thought at what Applejack said before taking on a more sympathetic tone and saying, "I'm sure you will find somepony you will want to get to know a little better and maybe spend the rest of your life with eventually, just don't let yourself give up so easily. Sometimes the one you might be looking for has been right in front of you this whole time..." He gave a sigh before adding in a whisper, "... like I kinda found out today."
Applejack once more shook her head at Loic's words, pressing her lips together and not saying another words. She didn't really want to keep talking about that, and the pile of wood they needed chopped up was close, so there was little time to continue speaking. When they reached the pile, Applejack drug a nearby axe over to the stump and allowed it to rest there before turning to Loic. "Ah'll leave y'to this, Ah don't imagine it'll take much t' get all o' this goin', 'specially considerin' y'got magic. If ya do need help though, jus' come find me. Oh, an' place the chopped up wood over here," she finished, motioning to a spot against the wall on the porch of her house.
Loïc glanced over to the log pile as they approached it and let out a heavy sigh, already anticipating how tiring this was going to be. It was several piles of logs and uncut wood, too big for any fireplace to burn safely. It would appear that this is what happened to the dead trees in the acres, they were chopped up and used over the winter to keep the house warm. Of course, there was the chopping part that had to be done, and judging by the size of the pile, either none was done yet or this pile used to be way bigger than it was before.
As he looked over the piles, Applejack drug an axe over to the stump where the logs were to be placed to be chopped. He nodded to the orange mare and watched as she then left him to his own devices, which for now included picking up the axe with his magic and giving it an experimental swing at the stump, sticking it in the wood. As with any instrument like this, it was unwieldy and slow. This was not something that an Omminari was used to, in fact, he doubted such things as axes existed in his home region.
Being an entire race of unicorns, the Omminari tended to use spells and other magics for their day-to-day jobs and needs, and Loïc most definitely had his fair share of those. He unstuck the axe from the stump and set it on the ground just off to the side; he wouldn't be needing it today. He could have very well enchanted the axe to cut the wood for him just like the broom that swept the floor in the barn-- and probably still is at this moment, but when the magic runs out, it could potentially swing erratically, which was more dangerous than a broom.
There were better ways, of course. He glanced over to the pile of wood and picked up a log, levitating it over and standing it up on the stump. He mustered up a bit of magic and felt along the flat top of the wood for the grain in the middle. When he found it, he sent his magic inside of it and then expelled it outwards, splitting the wood in two down the middle. The two halves fell off either side of the stump, and the whole log that it used to be was replaced with another, and then another as he began his assembly line of work that would take him until sundown, eventually pausing to carry the pieces to the location Applejack pointed out to him.
As he stacked the last of the wood beside the house, completing the wall of neatly stacked wood at the side of the house, Loïc paused to look it all over and wipe the sweat off his brow, letting out a breath of relief as he said under his breath, "There... finally done... oh boy, that took a while, I must be out of it." Leaving the pile of wood, he walked around the house and onto the porch, stopping when he saw a pitched of water with ice cubes floating in it as well as two cups nested in each other.
Somepony must have left that out for both him and Raihna, either Applejack or her sister, as the piece of paper that said 'Thank you' was in a more flow-y looking writing. Picking up both the cups and the pitcher, he walked back over to the barn, using the last of the waning light to find his way inside and back to the corner where Raihna's bed was, passing the enchanted broom that continued to sweep the floor.
As he approached the bed, he spoke up quietly, not sure if she was awake or not, "Hey Raihna, you still awake?" He then sat down on the edge of the bed, smiling at her as he poured some of the water into a glass and offered it to her, "How was your rest? I'm sorry I was gone for so long, I had no idea that they were going to ask me to chop up an entire season's worth of wood in one day, but it's done. You feeling any better? Can you move any better than this morning?" He paused as he poured his own drink and took a sip, relishing the refreshing ice cold waterbefore he asked, "And... how are you feeling?"
Slowly opening her eyes, Raihna woke up from her brief nap, gaze blankly staring forward at whatever feature her eyes had first fallen upon. She waited there for a few moments as if waiting for something before finally seeming to give up on whatever that was as she gave a sad sigh and shut her eyes again, this time simply so she wouldn't have to stare at the same thing she'd been having to before she finally fell asleep.
She should be happy. She had everything going for her: a new life, a being that loved her for her, fun and happy memories to look forward to... And yet one thought changed all of that. One thought that brought her fears back, her insecurities, everything that wanted to make her burst into tears out of sorrow and frustration.
Loic was an Omminari.
He was a pony, yes; a unicorn. But he was also much more than that. Sometime back when Raihna had first met Loic, before she ever started to realize her feelings for him, she'd asked about where he came from. When he mentioned what he was, she asked about his race and why she'd never seen one like him before. Part of his answer contained the fact that Omminaris prized staying pure to their own blood--in other words, they frowned upon an Omminari mating with anything but another Omminari. Considering it didn't really matter to her at the time, Raihna soon forgot about that little fact, only to have it suddenly come back to mind as a result of her having nothing to do but think and stare at everything surrounding her. And it upset her, to the point where she didn't want to do anything but lie where she was, both cursing herself for not having remembered that earlier and wallowing in her sorrow as she continued to make herself believe she no longer stood a chance, even after what had happened earlier in the day.
She also hated the possibility of having to tell him. She wasn't in the best of shapes and it was obvious--there was no way she'd be able to hide it no matter how hard she tried, and Loic would quickly catch on and ask her relentlessly what was wrong with her... but she couldn't tell him. Not this. She didn't want to make him choose. She couldn't selfishly ask him to forsake his own bloodline just for her, no matter just how much she wanted it. Nor did she really want to put him through, or deal with herself, the heartbreak of having to end what had only begun that day because she wasn't Omminari as well. She was terrified and as she thought about it again tears formed in her eyes, scared that she was going to lose the one important thing in her life because of something she couldn't change and couldn't ask him to forsake.
Moments after one of her tears slipped down her cheek she heard the barn door open, causing her to whimper quietly and attempt to sink into the ground below her. She didn't want to do this. Loic was going to see her like this, he was going to ask what was going on, and despite how hard she tried, she would crack under the pressure and frustration. Mustering all of her strength, she lifted one of her hooves and ran it along her cheek, wiping the trail of the tear that fell away as she tried to blink the rest of her tears away. She succeeded only just as Loic walked into the area he'd prepared for her recovery and sat on the edge of the bed she lay on before offering her a glass of water. She watched it as blankly as she could as it hovered in front of her, glad for something to focus on instead of Loic, though it did little for her when he began talking again shortly thereafter. She silently listened to his questions, her gaze kept straight forward onto the glass in front of her. Even when he stopped talking she continued to stare forward, her mind slowly working to give the easiest answers that would satisfy Loic's questions.
"I am... alright, I guess," she murmured weakly after a few moments, still unable to move her gaze over to Loic. Now that she'd started she regretted speaking, but she knew now that it was much too late and she would only have to continue. "My rest vas okay, and no, I still am not movink vell at all." She fell silent after that, hoping Loic, for once, would decide not to pursue why her answers were so simple. She was sorely mistaken, of course. Loic questioned her shortly after in an attempt to figure out what was going on and she closed her eyes, trying to keep the tears that threatened to come back at bay.
But the more she thought about the answer to Loic's question, the more it continued to upset her until she was no longer able to keep herself calm and the tears she tried to keep back broke free despite her closed eyes, more than just one tear flowing down her cheeks and nose this time. "Loic... I can't..." she choked around her tears, mind trying to figure out how to answer him without really answering him. "I can't answer that..."
Looking down at the orange mare that lay on the bedroll beside him, Loïc continued to levitate the ice water in front of her, trying to gauge if she was thirsty. She was staring at it as though she was thirsty, but she didn't make any move to want to drink it. She only stared at it and answered his questions in a tone that he could only describe as week. Was it just dark in here or was her face a little damp too?
He set the water to the side and sat himself completely on the edge of the bedroll, facing her full on. She stumbled over her words, stammering and trying to avoid eye contact with him as though she were afraid of him. This was the last thing he wanted her to do, so he spoke up hesitantly again, trying to be as gentle in his tone as possible. Raihna was a fragile personality to begin with, he was going to be walking on thin ice just to keep her from bursting into tears and shrinking back away into her corner. "Raihna, what's the matter?"
That was when she locked up. Loïc watched to his dismay as she closed her eyes and tears started to roll out from under her eyelids, streaking their way down her golden cheeks and soaking into the bedroll. They may as well have been an icicle going into his heart, especially after admitting how he felt for Raihna. Then she spoke up in that choking voice, her accent and the way her voice ebbed with her tears making him inhale sharply, his heart slowly sinking to the pit of his stomach.
"Raihna..." He started softly, pulling himself a little closer to her, "Raihna... why are you crying?" His voice was airy with a hoarse whisper, but he was close enough that she should have been able to hear him. She was still only choking out tears, and Loïc sighed as he realized this might just take a little more than a simple talk and a smile to get her past this one, whatever it was. He placed a hoof on the side of her head and brushed at her mane, staying quiet and patient as he tried to think of something he could do.
If there was one thing that he could count on though, is that after all of these tears, she was going to be tired. That was probably when she was going to be the most receptive to anything that he wanted to say to her. When her own fragile mind and emotions become so burned out by the salt in her very tears and she had cried herself dry, he would talk to her, reassure her that whatever she was fearing, whatever it could possibly be, that those fears were unfounded.
So he lowered himself down beside her, lifting up the covers of the bedroll and immediately feeling a wave of comforting heat coming from under the blankets as he slipped himself into them. The griffon sized bedroll easily accompanied the both of them, the edges of it encouraging them to be a little more closer together than usual. The proximity might help to calm her down, at least he hoped so.
With a smile and a hint of humour, he commented, "You've been keeping this thing warm, huh?" He nestled himself further in, his book staying outside of the bedroll and laying itself down behind him. When he was all the way into the cotton padded sleeping roll, he rested his head on the pillow beside hers, looking her in the eyes, those teary emerald eyes that continued to stay shut as she sobbed quietly.
He gave another deep and thoughtful sigh before shuffling himself closer, lifting her front legs in such a way that they wrapped around his neck before wrapping his legs around her back and midsection, squeezing her against his fluffy chest fur while at the same time, pulling her head into his shoulder, resting her against his neck while at the same time shushing her and humming a soft tune, his throat vibrating against the side of her head as he rested his chin on top of it.
Rubbing his hoof up and down her back, he continued to wait patiently, her tears soaking into his coat once more as he held onto the frail and crying mare, trying as hard as he could to be that strong stallion that a girl would always go to to feel better; as though they were loved, looked after, or desired. He wasn't that strong stallion though. He was Loic Frosteye, a mage from the northern reaches of the country. Nothing he did could ever be classified as strong, but he continued to act it anyways, not saying a word as he continued to comfort the golden pegasus.
It took a few minutes, but finally, when there was a little hint of the calm in the storm of tears, Loic spoke up quietly once more, keeping his tone caring and gentle as he canted his head to so that his mouth was within inches of her ear, "Raihna, what is troubling you? You know I don't like to see you saddened by anything..." He rubbed her back a little more, feeling a little bit of exhaustion from his own frayed emotions as well.
"You know why I don't want to see you cry? Because I love you Raihna, and I know that you know it too. You can tell me that my mother was a dog and it would not change a thing about how I hold you above all others. So please... don't pen these emotions inside you for any longer. Let it all out, and tell me whatever is on your mind so that we can go to sleep with a clean conscience." Giving her one last squeeze, he added, "Don't be afraid of me, Rai Rai..."
Raihna would have loved to say Loic's pulling her into an embrace would have been comforting. She would have loved to say that it would truly calm her down... but it just made her feel worse. Made her feel like what she'd come to the realization of was just that much more painful. What would have normally been a loving embrace was now a painful one, if only because it was so bitterly ironic. As such, the tears only increased in intensity when he did so, to the point where she was no sobbing into his heavy coat, her hooves tense against his body.
It was all so cruel, and now... there was no way she was getting out of this without telling him. Without breaking his heart. Without watching him choose. She hated this, and such a word wasn't one she used very often in her vocabulary... as there were not many things she could say she truly hated. But this, this was definitely up there in such a list. Loic was so loving and caring, and he didn't even know what was on her mind--he just knew she needed comforting.
That fact only made her cry harder. He didn't even know what was wrong, and he wanted to make her feel better. She didn't want to lose that--didn't want to lose him, but with this information she remembered, that was a very real possibility. It was all she could do, however, to continue crying since she still had no desire to share what was on her mind. Even that couldn't last forever, though; after but a few minutes of this, she felt her tears slow down until they were just silent streams flowing down her cheeks. Loic noticed this too, and gently spoke up, asking once more what was wrong.
She buried her face further into his coat at that, still not looking forward to sharing her mind, though she knew it was coming. Even after that, his words continued to pour salt in the wound, made what she had to say that much harder. She appreciated that he did love her this much, but... it wasn't what she needed to hear. Not when he wanted her to talk...
When he fell silent, she did the same for another minute or two as she tried to think of a way out of the situation, a way to avoid seeing Loic have to choose. But... She couldn't. No matter how much thought she put into it, her mind came up with nothing. No way to dodge the question, no way to let Loic down easily... The only thing she could do now was be straight with him, regardless of how hard that was going to be.
So, weakly, Raihna lifted her head from Loic's chest though her gaze didn't rise up to Loic's, but instead remained downcast. She took a deep breath before letting it out in a pathetic whimper and finally speaking up. "Loic, vhen you met me all zhose years ago... I asked you about Omminari, about your culture, about life in Sleipniden, about... vhy I had never seen one of you before."
She paused at that before closing her eyes, a few more tears welling up in her eyes as she continued. "Your response vas somesink alonk ze lines of zhat Omminari believe keepink zheir bloodline pure preserve your superior magic. In ozer vords... beink vis somesink zhat vas not Omminari as vell is frowned upon." Silence ensued for another few moments to allow that to sink in, followed by her opening her eyes again to look sorrowfully up at Loic.
"Zhat is a choice I cannot bear to vatch you make. It is a very, very important choice and... I do not vish to see you... see you... I do not vant to be vhat keeps you from ze possibility of findink anoser Omminari who you vill be able to mate vis, and have an Omminari child vis as your culture cherishes..."
Loic closed his eyes and breathed out through his snout as Raihna's sobbing only grew louder and more heavy. All he could really do was hold her until she either stopped or she told him what was the matter, and it was somewhat frustrating. He had all the patience in the world, especially for somepony like Raihna, both before and after she was a griffon, but the excruciating thought that he could do nothing to alleviate her sadness yet was exactly that, and tears would soon start welling up in his own eyes if she didn't calm down.
When she finally lifted her head from his chest... well, not exactly lifted as she did not look up to meet his worried gaze. She seemed to just want to avoid eye contact with him this entire time. It had to be something that was wrong with him or involving him, otherwise it wouldn't be this hard for her to even look at him. What could have been the problem? He did tell her his feelings about her, and that he was willing to stay with her if she wanted to stay with him, so what else could have degraded her into such a wreck again?
He listened intently as she brought up the fact that he had told her all about the Omminari and Sleipniden back two or three years ago when she was still a griffon. As soon as she mentioned the pure bloodline, he exhaled as he realized just what the problem was, and how she had reason to be as distraught as she was. She was right. Being an Omminari, it would be frowned upon if he were to violate the purity of the Omminari bloodline, and he would be driven to find a mate who was also a similar species, and only then would he be allowed to be happy, but Raihna...
Resting the side of his head against the top of her head, he rubbed up and down her back, trying to figure out how he was going to piece together what he was going to say in a manner that wouldn't hurt her feelings or make him seem like a jerk to her. This took a few minutes, and all he did during this time was rub her back and hug her, shushing her gently every so often her sobs threatened to pick up again. If he said the wrong thing, she wouldn't feel comfortable around him again, and she would want to let him go simply because she thought that he would be better off like that.
Finally, he spoke up loud enough that she could hear him over her sobs, which wasn't all that loud, and he tried to fit in as much of a comforting tone as he could, "Raihna, I first met you just about three years ago now, wandering on your own in the forests, I asked you why you didn't want to go back to the Griffon Kingdoms after some time, and you eventually told me that you didn't agree with what happened in that country. You told me how the other griffons treated you, and how your father treated you... and how you didn't want to go back."
He nuzzled the top of her head before continuing, "I had also been wandering too, for well over a few years at that time. I never said much about my family, or my life, except when you asked me, and I gave you some very flat responses back then, but you must have noticed by now, Rai..." He pulled his head away and blinked away some of the tears that welled up there, "I don't send any letters back home. I never did plan on actually going back."
Giving this a few seconds to sink in, he continued, "It is not easy, being born into a family that not only encourages, but expects the best from you. I was pushed beyond limits to achieve adequacy in magics since I could wield them. It was hard and stressful, and my family shunned me unless I performed well. It was a very competitive culture, the strongest magic users were always the most sought after, and the weaker ones... well..."
He sighed and gave a little sniff before continuing, "Most choose to stay, perhaps even study harder. Me... I chose to wander. I wanted to know if there was anything that could be better than that culture back home, and it didn't take me long to find it, but I truly found a reason to stay when I first made friends with a few ponies, and they never asked me how potent my magic was, who I studied under, what my family name was..." Loic shook his head and continued, "They just wanted to be friendly. It was already more than I had back in Sleipniden, but I kept wandering, confident that there must be something even better."
"Needless to say, I found her. I chose to leave my past behind me a long time ago. As far as I know, my family probably disowned me, and it doesn't matter to me. Being an Omminari doesn't matter to me anymore either. I'm not happy as an Omminari, I'm happy as Loic Frosteye." He paused as he let his words echo through both of their heads, and for once, he felt proud to be able to say that he didn't want to be what he was expected to become. When he spoke up again, he did so with a lighthearted tone.
"Do you know what else makes me happy, Raihna?" He gave her a few seconds to think about the answer before he gave it himself, "Seeing you smile. It is so pure and innocent, I look at it, and I feel like I did something right. Your smile is something that I want to see for the rest of my life. Don't worry about me being an Omminari, Rai; I'm not an Omminari anymore, and I will never want to be one again. You don't have to watch me make this choice, as I made it so long ago."
He hugged her tightly at that for a minute before loosening his grip so that he could brush at her beautiful red mane, "So... now that you know my opinion about those "Omminaris"... can I see that smile that could keep me going for miles? I wouldn't mind looking at something pretty before we call it a night, huh?" He shuffled himself a little and settled himself and said a little more cheekily, "I've actually come to like this arrangement here, perhaps we should just always sleep together in this one big bedroll, hmm? It's kind of comfortable in my opinion..."
Raihna sat still for a few minutes, quiet tears streaming down her cheeks as she waited for something from Loic... But all he did was rest his cheek on her head and rub her back--and that was it for minutes. It upset her; she had just poured out her heart, and the wait now for anything he had to say was agonizing. After a while, she started to toss around the idea that maybe he didn't have anything to say, that he didn't want to say whatever he had to say in response, which just made Raihna all that much more fearful that all of her worries were to come true.
This ensued for the minutes after Raihna explained herself, her mood only getting worse and worse, so much so that when Loic finally spoke up, she winced slightly and felt the need to flatten her ears against her head for some reason... but she still listened. She couldn't not. He started off with meeting her all those years ago, and how they talked about why she didn't want to go back to the Griffon Kingdoms--because she didn't like it there. Not grasping where he was going with that, Raihna just continued to frown as she stared at nothing in particular on the bed below.
He continued, changing subjects now to his own life in Sleipniden and how he'd never really spoken much about life there before saying she must have noticed that he didn't send any letters home, the reason being that he didn't really plan on going back. Raihan hesitated for a moment at this, a small glimmer of hope shining briefly as she tilted her head up to look at him. Did he mean...?
Loic didn't confirm her suspicions, but instead spoke about it not being easy being born into a strict family, saying how it was hard to be focused on doing so well all the time. But Loic then began explaining how he'd chosen to do something different, that he'd chosen to leave instead of continue a life like that. He said the life he'd found after that was already more enjoyable and that there must have been more. What he said to her after that made her breath catch in her throat--he said that he'd found exactly that: Raihna.
Silent and stunned, especially now that her previous suspicions had now been confirmed, Raihna just stared up at Loic as he said he didn't care about being an Omminari anymore, that only being Loic Frosteye mattered to him anymore. She felt tears well up in her eyes again as he said that, though this time they were of joy rather than sorrow. She wanted to reach up and hug him tightly but with the current status of her limbs, that would have been much more exhausting and arduous than necessary so instead she settled simply on staring at him, her previous fears gone now that he had chosen her rather than continuing to look for another Omminari that would want him.
He then asked her if she knew what else made him happy. She paused for a moment at that, trying to figure out the answer to that question. Unable to come up with any good answers. She just shrugged as she looked back to him, only to blush lightly when he answered it himself. Her smile? She had no idea what her smile looked like as a pony, so she could only take Loic's word for it... but was it really that attractive?
She couldn't say, but if Loic wanted to see it, she would smile for him. When Loic let her go from the embrace and brushed her mane out of her eyes as he asked her if he could see that smile, she easily allowed it to shine on her face, her eyes lovingly staring into Loic's as he settled himself further into the bedroll before suggesting they continue sleeping in the bedroll like this.
Raihna giggled at the suggestion and gave a slight nod, her smile widening slightly as she did her best to snuggle into him. "I find it raser comfortable as vell, Loic. It is varm, and I find ze sought of beink zhis close to you sroughout ze night appealink. I vould not mind if ve continued zhis trend. Ze only sink I do not like about it so far is zhat I cannot embrace you all zhat vell at ze moment; I do hope zhat vill be changink in ze near future, however."
She paused for a moment before pulling her head away from him so that she could look into his eyes again. "I do have one more sink to say sough, Loic. You... vill alvays be an Omminari to me. It is one of ze sinks zhat made you special in my eyes, one of ze sinks I continue to find... em, enticink," she said, murmuring the last word as if in embarrassment. "So vhile you may say you are not an Omminari, I am unable to see oservise--do not sink zhis is bad sink, however; I have come to love you zhat vay after all, yes?" She offered yet another smile at that before allowing it to fade slightly as yet another thought came to mind. "...But, Loic, what if ve... vhat if you... come across anoser Omminari who vas... attracted to you...?"
Loic beamed at Raihna as she smiled for him, the bright and cheerful grin with the tear-stained cheeks was something that Loic could ever be happier to see. There was just something about her smile that was so contagious and likable, whether it was the shy way she canted her head as she did so, or the blushing cheeks that sometimes accompanied it, or maybe the tiny giggle that followed more often than not. It did not matter what it was, Loic found it attractive, and her smile could easily brighten his day.
Raihna snuggled even closer to him, and he let out a slow breath as he found his heart skipping a beat. He was suddenly very aware that Raihna was pressing against him, how he was holding her against him like this, how soft her coat and mane were to the touch, and just how she felt so relaxed with him. He couldn't help but agree with her that he found the thought of sleeping like this with her incredibly appealing. He shifted a little bit as she mentioned how she only wished that she could embrace him too, and deep down, he harboured the same desire.
Figuring that he could at least grant her that one wish before they went to sleep, he started to push her forelegs under his neck and over his back, the close quarters making him move a little slower and more carefully to avoid accidentally jabbing her or bumping her. As he did so, she asked him one more question that only made him chuckle. As he positioned her legs in the right places, he settled himself back down and looked back in her eyes, giving her a tired smile, his eyes already being weighted down by sleep.
"Thank you Raihna, it's nice of you to still see me for what I am. I know that I will always be an Omminari no matter what I do. I just don't wish to be a part of that perfectionist culture again. And should the stars line up in such an astronomical arrangement that sees a female Omminari this far away from Sleipniden and she is attracted to me, I would give her directions back to Sleipniden and tell her there are better stallions there, but this one has already devoted his time, attention, and... affection to another mare."
He pulled her in coser against him, resting his head on the pillow with a heavy sigh as he added, "I doubt they would come close to matching you in mannerisms, kindness, and sheer prettiness either. But let's not dwell on things that will never happen; it is getting late, and I'm sure all those tears must have left you exhausted, so let's get a good night's sleep... together. Good night, Raihna. Sleep well."
A week later...
Loic woke up as a ray on sunlight broke through a window in the loft and fell on his face, making his eyes scrunch up as he tried to turn his head away from it. Too bad he was now awake, he was having on of the most relaxing dreams in a long time. He couldn't remember it now that he was awake, but it didn't matter, there were just as good things that he could focus on sleeping beside him.
Her forelegs were around him, as she always liked them, but over the past few weeks, he has had to help her even less and less to get them in that position. Her muscles were starting to develop again, and she was becoming dextrous with them as well. She would squeeze him every so often, and press herself even closer, to which he would reward with a kiss or a squeeze back.
She would always look up at him and smile when he'd come back from his chores, having waited the entire day for him to come back, and every time he did, there was evidence that she was practicing some movements with her legs, but she would never admit it to him fully, sometimes dodging the question with a blushing smile or just beckoning him to lay down beside her, to which she would resume what she did the previous night: laying beside him and pressing herself against him.
Loic made no attempts to fight back against these shows of affection, but couldn't help but think that they were getting slightly bolder and bolder, going along with her recovery. She would lose herself a little more readily in their kisses, give soft and shuddering sighs as he squeezed her... it was almost as if she was thinking of something else that he could not have guessed. She still had yet to initiate one of those kisses though, but he could only guess that it would come when she was at her most comfortable.
So without breaking the tradition of the morning, he gently nuzzled her forehead, trailing a few soft kisses down her cheek until they reached her lips, which were already starting to smile as she was woken up by his affectionate gesture. She didn't seem to mind it, otherwise she would have stopped him a few days ago. Starting the morning off with something like that was something that he could easily agree with.
After a few seconds of pressing his lips to hers, he pulled away and said quietly, "Good morning, Rai... how was your sleep?" After she responded, he nuzzled her forehead again and said, "You know, you've been getting pretty good at manipulating yourself now; all of your practice is starting to pay off." Giving a little chuckle, he pushed the covers off of the bedroll to allow some of the hot air to escape and cool themselves off, revealing the two pressed up against each other. "I'm impressed with my favourite mare's progress, to say the least. What would you say today we try something a little different. What do you say we try to get you to stand up, maybe take a few steps. You seem to be getting shuffling about in a bed just fine after all. What do you do that requires so much moving, anyway?"
It was amazing how in just a matter of a week things could turn out to be so in her favor. Upon leaving Canterlot just a few days prior, she had been an emotional wreck, entirely down upon herself and everything in life. Yet now, in such a short amount of time, all of that had completely turned around. She had reason to smile brightly, to look forward to what the next day would bring, despite the fact that she was no longer what she used to be.
Every bit of that joy was contributed wholly to the stallion Raihna dozed against now, her legs wrapped fondly around his shoulders as she slept lightly, her consciousness just barely breaking free of the shroud of sleep and bringing her into the light of day once more, these moments broken only by fleeting thoughts or daydreams that wandered in and out of her mind. But she didn't want the time for her to wake up to come just yet. She wanted to milk every moment she could, resting against Loic like this, until their day began. This interaction, this contact, was so foreign to her, but everything she'd done with Loic so far felt natural, felt so... right. It could have been because of the feelings she'd harbored for him for so long, but she liked to think that maybe it was because they were just that good for each other.
That was the only thing she thought, of course. She thought that if there was only one pony she could find attractive in her life, it would be Loic. He was so gentle, his heavy coat was so soft, like it was made almost entirely out of down, and his kisses... the kisses were the best part. They were just as new to her as the rest of the relationship, but they were so... intoxicating. Every time they shared a kiss, it felt like time slowed down, like they were the only two ponies in existence. She enjoyed the warm sensation it built inside of her, the way her heart raced at the gesture of affection, the way it always left her wanting more; so much so that she desperately wished that her muscles were to their full potential so she could...
About the same time she began to feel her cheeks brighten up at whatever it was she was thinking about, she felt the welcome touch of Loic's nuzzle at her forehead before trailing its way down her cheeks and to her lips. She was glad to have something to blame her blush on so she wouldn't have to explain what it was she was thinking about. That didn't mean she didn't want the kiss otherwise--the smile on her face was evidence enough for that, not to mention how she eagerly returned the gesture. Of course, though, it had to end... Sighing quietly as Loic broke the kiss, she opened her eyes and stared into his, the blush from before still coloring her cheeks.
"My sleep vas very restful, Loic, as it has been for days," she said, smiling to him once more, only to giggle quietly as he nuzzled her forehead yet again before speaking, complimenting her on her progress on moving her body. She gave a quiet squeak when Loic pushed the covers from their place over them, exposing their bodies relatively suddenly to the not-as-warm air outside. As a result she pressed further into Loic, trying to keep as much of that warm, cozy sensation intact as possible... but failing somewhat miserably. No matter how much she curled up and buried her face into Loic's coat, it just wasn't something that was to happen.
So instead she had to give Loic a little pout when she came to such a conclusion, about the time he suggested she try walking today... before asking what she did while he was away that required so much moving. She stared at him for a moment before realizing her blush had come back to her cheeks a bit and just glanced away sheepishly as she said, "I just did vhatever came to mind, Loic, my love. I vill... perhaps say more in ze future, yes?" She glanced back to him then, offering a somewhat awkward smile to him before situating herself on her stomach, with her legs folded underneath her.
She then attempted to push herself up into a standing position, and though she had to have Loic's help to succeed fully, she managed to make most of the way by herself. Her legs were shaky, though they didn't feel as numb as they did before, or as much like lead. She had also been practicing getting the movements of pseudo-walking down, also with Loic's help. The last thing she actually had to do... was try it out. So, taking a deep breath she glanced over to the stallion helping keeping her upright before looking down at the ground in front of her and lifting her front right hoof.
She set that hoof on the ground in front of her and thought for a second before lifting her back left hoof and setting it a few inches in front of where it had been previously. She stood awkwardly like this for a moment as she thought yet again, before bringing her front left hoof forward, slightly ahead of her right leg. Finally, she brought her back right hoof forward and placed it a little bit ahead of her back left hoof, in a way that would have normally allowed her to keep her forward momentum going. Now, though, she just continued to stand there awkwardly and without Loic's help, she would have either been stressing her limbs out, or would have already collapsed on the ground below.
Having to think about what steps she was going to make, or what hoof she was going to move next just made the entire process complicated; what was probably very similar when she was a griffon was now made into a much more complex matter because she had to put thought into it, not only because she had to remember she was now a pony, but because her limbs, of course, still weren't fully recovered. It was going to be a painstaking process, one she knew she'd fumble many times as a result of trying to make it so that a simple task such as walking was a subconscious matter once again.
She glanced over to Loic, not realizing how much strain she might have been putting on him because of her lack of attention. "Zhis is... not goink to be easy. Do you have any tips, or... suggestions?"
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