A week and a half passes and Wednesday morning comes to show that time goes on, despite whatever monumental things may happen. This morning though, the house is quiet as Rhino's alarm goes off. His hoof reaches over and clicks it off before even a second has passed, the stallion looking down and smiling when he sees that it didn't wake Gel. He slowly and smoothly eases his way out of her grasp while prying her hooves off him and replacing his form with a pillow for her to hold. He silently Blinks down to the kitchen and gets to work.

A short time later he comes back in through the door to the bedroom, a tray and glass held in his magic. On the plate is eggs and toast while the glass is her favorite apple juice. He walks over to her side of the bed and leans over, gently kissing her on the cheek. "Rise and shine, sleeping beauty."

She blinks her eyes open blearily, relinquishing her grip on the pillow to rub one with her hoof. "...Rhino...you're up early..." She softly yawns and sits up, swaying a little as she's still tired.

He chuckles. "True, but it is an important day after all." He nuzzles her. "Happy birthday, love."

She sits quietly for a moment before blushing softly. "...is it strange that I...completely forgot about my own birthday?" She nervously giggles, rubbing the back of her neck.

He laughs as he sets the tray in her lap. "Not at all, sometimes these things sneak up on us. Breakfast in bed sound nice?"

She smiles and pats the spot next to her, winking playfully. "Only if you join me."

He smiles as he walks around the bed and slides next to her. "Well, I actually ate while I was making this, but I suppose I could keep you company and maybe take a few bites if you want me to." He raises up a fork in his magic and scoops some eggs onto it before floating it up in front of her mouth. Now why don't you open up so I can see if you like it?"

Gel happily opens her mouth for the food. She chews for a few seconds, letting the taste rest on her tongue, and swallows. She giggles, nodding. "It's good. Really good." She kisses him gently. "Thank you for this, love."

He rubs his nose against hers. "Anytime love, but especially on your special day."

She nuzzles him back before pulling away, looking down at the food before her. She frowns for a moment before picking up her glass. "...would you believe that this is the first time someone else celebrated my birthday?" She takes a sip of the juice, feeling better right away.

He tilts his head. "Are birthdays not a big thing for changelings?"

She shrugs. "When a large number share the same birthday, it loses a lot of the sentiment." She munches on a slice of toast, seemingly content with her answer.

He hugs her gently. "Well, you're the only one I care about, so we are celebrating it every time it comes around. This is your day love." He kisses her cheek again.

She giggles, pulling him close and kissing him deeply. "You really are quite the charmer, aren't you?" She nips his neck, actually purring in contentment.

He simply nuzzles her back before raising up the fork again for her.

The two finish their morning, the lack of presence of both Flick and Luster curious, but not really worrying. Soon enough they are on their way to work, both of them getting into their uniforms at home and walking to work in them.

Gel takes a deep breath before sighing happily. She glances around at the ponies and buildings they pass. She waves at a mare who waves back after a moment of hesitation. You know, this is rather nice. She leans up against him, closing her eyes and letting the morning sun warm up her chitin. At least they aren't actively avoiding me any more, right?

True, that was a bit awkward at first, but at least it wasn't anything too bad. Both of their necklaces glint in the sunlight as they walk through town. I expect the Princesses will make the official changeling announcement soon.

I sure hope so... She pauses momentarily, turning her head slightly to look behind her. ...I must've been mistaken. She shakes her head and hurries forward to catch back up with her stallion. It is rather strange though, isn't it? I could've sworn we'd at least see Ditzy, this morning. She glances at a mailbox with the red flag up. When did she start working so early?

Rhino shrugs and keeps a neutral face. She's the mailmare, usually she's come and gone before most ponies wake up, right? Maybe she's adjusting her route again. They spot the clinic in the distance.

I suppose that could be it... She glances up at him, a cat-like smile on her lips. So, what did you get me, love?

He gives her a coy look. What? Is a day dedicated to you not enough? He sticks out his tongue at her.

She blinks, pausing in front of the closed front doors. ...there's a thought. She giggles softly, deciding to keep her idea a secret for now. She pushes the door open, staring at the darkness in confusion. "...I thought this place had windows...shouldn't there be some light?"

Window shades are a wonderful thing... Rhino reaches over and flicks on the light switch.

Suddenly, many voices all shout out at once. "Surprise! Happy Birthday Gel!"

Gel, startled by this, turns into her smaller form and flies into Rhino's mane. Things are quiet for a moment, then her voice filters out of the hair. "H-hi, Specter. Come here often?"

The stallion bursts out laughing, as does the room at large. After things quiet down, he speaks. "Well, I guess we succeeded at surprising you, huh?"

She pokes her muzzle out of the middle of his blue stripe. "Y-yes, you did...I'm just going to stay in here until my embarrassment dies down...at least Specter will keep me company..."

Manila, one of the group of friends at the party, smirks. "Oh will he now? Specter, I have some nuts for you~!"

The squirrel leaps out of Rhino's mane and lands next to the earth mare, his tail twitching.

Gel pokes her head out completely now, pouting at the mare. "That wasn't very nice..." She sighs dejectedly, sliding down until she's laying along her stallion's horn. "...you're not going to let me wallow in pity, are you?"

Silk smiles at the tiny changeling. "Pity for what dear?"

"My self-pity for being so easily startled..." She groans, lowering her head in shame.

Ditzy giggles as she stands between Flick and Luster. "Hey, everypony... or changeling... can get startled. I know at least half the parties Pinky usually throws scares the pony they're for. At least it's just us, right?"

She squirms a bit but makes no move to get up. "...well...I suppose it is..."

Flick speaks up from his spot next to the yellow pegasus. "Don't make me break out the embarrassing story, Gel. You know the one."

The tiny changeling squeaks and quickly hops off Rhino, turning back to normal. She frowns half-heartedly at the drone. "You're never gonna let me live that down, are you?"

He simply grins. "Nope!"

Rhino looks between the two. "Is this a story I want to hear?"

Flick waves a hoof nonchalantly. "I might tell you later." He walks off down the hall, leaving a vibrantly blushing Gel standing next to Rhino, among all those ponies.

Mane just smiles. "Well, now that that little business is over and our guest of honor is herself, shall we get started?" She gestures over to a table that had been brought in. Big mac sips from a cup of fruit punch as Mane shows what they have. "We have drinks, snacks, and of course, presents."

She looks over the table and smiles brightly. "Cream puffs!" She quickly closes the distance, happily eating puff after puff.

Luster blinks, looking at the nymph next to her. I blinked. Was she really that fast?

Rhino chuckles. "They are her favorite dessert after all... I guess it's time for cake then, unless you don't want cake?" He directs that last part to Gel.

The nymph in question turns to look at him, a puff halfway in her mouth. "Mmph?"

Rhino points over to the snack end of the table, which Ditzy is eyeing meaningfully. There, on the end, is a large round chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Nineteen blue candles rest in its top, all lit.

Manila waggled a hoof. "You know the rules: no one can have any cake and you can't have any presents until you blow out the candles."

She blinks, swallowing the treat in her mouth before responding. "A-actually, I don't know the rules...this would be my first birthday party..." She nervously giggles, slowly stepping sideways towards the cake.

Manila huffs. "Well that's not right. Here..." everypony gathers around the cake, with Gel at the head of the table, "all you do is try and blow out all the candles at once, and make a wish! Keep the wish silent, and don't worry if all the candles don't go out at first, it's the attempt that counts."

She stares at the candles for a second before looking at the ponies around her. She closes her eyes and smiles, thinking to herself. What do I need to wish for? I have friends, my love, our family...I guess there's one thing I could wish for... She takes a deep breath and tries to blow the candles out.

She succeeds, and all the ponies applaud as smoke rises from the extinguished wicks... just before they each spark and are suddenly lit again.

Gel blinks, confused by this. "...well, there's always the other method..." She sighs and lights up her horn, picking the candles up with her magic. She carries them over to the sink and, getting a cup of water, douses each flame inside it.

She returns and puts the candles on the table. "Sorry about that. I really want to know what this cake tastes like."

Rhino blows a small razzberry. "Spoilsport... usually ponies at least try a few times before figuring out that you need to use water..." He picks up the server knife anyway. For that though, I'll want to know what your wish was. He slices off the first piece of cake and presents it to Gel before starting to divvy up more to everyone else.

She quirks an eyebrow at him. "Fire's my element. I could tell when a flame is influenced." She carries her plate over to one side of the room. ...sure, love. I wished for our family to be healthy and happy. She smiles and brings a fork over to herself but pauses. ...Rhino? What is Ditzy eating?

He looks over to the gray pegasus. It appears she is... scooping up bits of her chocolate cake with a pickle then taking a bite... ew... never seen that before...

She nods to herself, placing her cake on the desk and walking over. She taps the mare's shoulder, smiling warmly. "Hi, Ditzy. How have you been, lately?" As she waits for her reply, she subtly extends her empathy, wanting to check something.

The mailmare takes another crunch of her pickle before replying. "Great! I've been feeling good." One wing absentmindedly rubs her stomach. "I've got good reasons..."

She can feel the love coming off her friend, as well as a sense of security. Without this, she could figure out the same from the pony's actions. She gulps, leaning in and lowering her voice. "...Ditzy...are you...pregnant?" The last word is almost a whisper, not wanting to draw attention to them.

She giggles and nods as she blushes lightly with a large smile. "How'd you guess? I didn't want to bring any attention to it... but yes... we've got a little one on the way..." She rubs her stomach again. "Turner and I were so happy when we figured it out..."

She hugs her gently, smiling warmly. "You weren't exactly hiding it...I mean, you were eating cake and pickles." She pulls away, playfully sticking out her tongue.

Ditzy points at her with the half eaten pickle. "Hey, when you get pregnant, you'll see exactly how there is no way to argue with how delicious they make odd things sound."

She blinks, tapping her chin with a hoof. "I suppose I can't argue with that...any plans for names?"

She shakes her head. "No, not yet. But, I mean I'm not even close to halfway there yet, so I've got time."

Gel nods. "I suppose you're right..." She glances over at Flick, watching him chat with her best friend. "...I wonder what they're talking about..."

Ditzy shrugs. "They're friends, right? So, I guess they hang out and chat a lot..." She tilts her head to one side. "It might be the hormones talking, but maybe there's something more?"

"I think you may be right..." She narrows her eyes, watching as the drone casually touches the pegasus's foreleg with one of his own.

Silk looks down at the foreleg then back to the drone, who slowly removes the appendage. This is followed by the yellow mare giggling then pushing him lightly before walking off with a slight sway to her hips.

He smirks as he turns to head over to the drink table, pausing to purposely watch the pony's stride for a second.

Gel sighs, shaking her head. "...he always was a Cassanova..."

Ditzy comments after taking another bite of her pickle. "Or a giant flirt, hard to tell which with some ponies, or changelings, I would guess." She swallows before continuing. "Hey, I saw Rhino walking into a few of the fancier buildings when I was flying around the other day, sorry if this is prying, but judging from what they were, it looked like he was browsing for wedding planners. Have you two decided on one yet? Or a date?"

She shakes her head. "Not a specific wedding, yet, but we did decide on a date."

The gray mare's eyes light up and one drifts slightly before she wrangles it back into place. "Oh? Do tell."

She smiles, pulling her cake over from across the room. "September 3rd." She scoops a bit up with her fork, mumbling to herself. "Should be a day or two after my heat..." She eats what she took off, keeping herself from saying anything else.

The two stay quiet for a bit until Ditzy perks up again. "Hey... I know this may sound like an odd question... but... Do you think, in the future I mean, if you have foals, would they play with mine?"

Gel swallows what she has in her mouth before smiling warmly at her. "I'd like to think so. In fact, I hope they become great friends!" She giggles, nodding a bit.

The sounds of hooves tapping together loudly echoes over everypony talking. All look toward the source, Manila. "Ok, enough delays! Present time! Get over here, birthday girl!"

She sheepishly nods but does as told, silently hoping she doesn't do something to embarrass herself while the attention is back on her. She looks over the presents, unsure which to open first. She picks one up with apple-themed wrapping paper. "...I wonder who brought this one..." She glances at the red stallion next to Manila. "Was it you?"

He adjusts the sprig of wheat in his mouth as he smiles. "Sorta."

Manila explains. "Actually, this is sort of a combination gift from Mane, Big Mac, and I."

She smiles softly, carefully turning the long, flat box in her magic. "Thank you all..." She quickly removes the paper without ripping it and opens the container, peeking inside.

Inside are three sets of jewelry. Each of them is identical except that one has rubies, one has sapphires, and the other has emeralds. Each set contains a pair of earrings, a mane clip, and a solid band to be worn on the base of the tail.

She blinks, stunned at the gifts. "...I...w-wow...these are beautiful..." She looks up at her friends, smiling warmly for a second. ...I hope they didn't spend too much for these...even though they are amazing...

Rhino comments. Small gems like that tend to look nice and not set ponies back much financially.

She nods, carefully putting them off to one side. That's good... She walks over and hugs each of them in turn. "You really have no idea how grateful I am, you guys..."

Mane giggles. "We couldn't decide on a color, so we just decided to get all of them. We figured this way you could match them to almost any outfit."

Gel laughs softly. "You were right...good thing I like outfits, huh?" She looks down at her scrubs and then the sapphires. She quickly floats the mane clip and puts it on, the earrings following suit. She pauses, staring at the tail band before putting it back in its box, blushing brightly. ...maybe later...

Manila giggles. "The tail clip isn't dirty in any way, it's just a fashion choice. You can always try it later though. So, which one do you want next? You've got four left."

She tilts her head, thinking a bit before grabbing one that was simply flat and rectangular. "...this is a big one..." She carefully opens the lid and gapes in shock. "...o-oh dear Luna...this is..." She gulps quietly and turns to Rhino, holding it up so he can see it.

What he sees is a painting. Not just any painting, though - this one was of the couple. It showed them laying down on the couch, Gel on his chest and the two of them tenderly embracing each other. The detail of it was astounding, almost as if they were looking at a photograph.

He whistles before something occurs to him and his head snaps to Flick. "Please tell me you did that from memory and not from the model."

The drone nods, grinning cheekily. "From memory? Yes. Not from the model? I'd be lying if I didn't have to look at you two at first." He shrugs, ignoring the mortified look on the blue nymph's face. "I thought you two sleeping like that was cute, so I figured I'd paint it. Remember that day?" He gestures towards the painting.

The birthday girl looks down at it, confused for a moment before spotting a bit of white on her stallion's side. "...this was from...the day Mane and Manila came over...that's why there's a bit of gauze on Rhino's side..."

The stallion tilts his head and sees the details. "Good catch, That and your necklace do set this apart from all the other times we end up sleeping on the couch."

Flick chuckles, turning to the mare next to him. "So, Silk, which one of them is yours?" He elbows her side playfully. "I bet you got her something amazing, am I right?"

The pegasus laughs as she bats the back of his head with a wing. "Well, I don't know about amazing..." she points to an average sized package, "but I have a feeling she might get some use out of it, even if she doesn’t share exactly what it is..." There's a mischievous glint in her eye.

Gel watches this exchange with no small amount of confusion before turning to said package, opening it up carefully. She glances inside, wondering what it could be.

Inside is a book, but it's the title of the book that draws Gel's eye. The book is titled 'Preening for Non-Pegasi: Couple's Edition'.

She tilts her head, curious, before pulling it out and flipping it over, looking at the back cover. "...'Couple's Edition'...for preening? I don't..." She looks over at Silk, hoping for an explanation. "...I don't get it...are you giving me one of your books?"

Silk giggles. "Not quite, hun. I don't need a book to tell me what I need to know about my wings. I just remembered something you two may have said that day just before you talked to Twilight... remember how I said you really wanted him to learn? This is why."

She nods quietly, looking at the book for a few seconds. "...thank you, Silk..."

As she turns back to the table, the drone leans close and whispers into her ear. "I'd like to try that with you, sometime." He chuckles, letting a membranous wing unfold slightly and reach out between them to brush against her own feathered one.

She traps his wing in hers with a quick rustle of her feathers before whispering back. "Only when I say so. Let's see if you keep playing your cards right." She winks.

He smirks slightly, shrugging a bit. "If you say so. I'm not the kind to simply fold, though." His wing wraps around hers, as if they were a replacement for holding hooves. "And I think I'll keep calling, for now."

"You forget," she begins as Gel selects another present, "they say the house always wins."

"I still like my chances." He watches her pick up one that appears to be wrapped in blue and grey paper. "Besides, from what I've seen, the reward is worth it."

The nymph slowly opens it, blinking as a set of silver bands fall out. She catches the long, cylindrical items with her magic and stares at them, unsure of what to do with them. "...um...thanks for the...shoes?"

Luster shakes her head. Those are bracers, Gel. They protect your forelegs when fighting or using a bow. She appears to giggle. I know how much you enjoy your marksmanship.

She squeaks, blushing in embarrassment. "...b-but I..." She trails off and sighs, smiling softly. "...thank you..."

Rhino tilts his head even though he perfectly heard both sides of the exchange. I don't get it...

The indigo nymph looks at him with a neutral expression. Simply put, Gel likes ranged equipment. I'm sure you've seen an example of this at some point, right? She glances at her friend, seeing her put the items on and admiring them for a moment.

He shakes his head. Not at all actually... I'm fairly certain I've only ever seen her fight in close combat...

She tilts her head at him. Really? You haven't seen any bows, any weapon that can hit from a distance?

Gel quickly turns to pick up the last present, a checkbook-sized item. She turns to the mailmare, smiling softly. "Can I assume this is from you?"

He shakes his head again. Not a single thing, and why would that warrant a blush?

The gray mare nods. "Yep! I made it myself!"

I honestly have no clue. She closes her eyes, trying to think on this a bit. Maybe you should ask her?

The nymph blinks, looking down at the item in her forehooves. "You made it?" She opens it up, wondering what it could be.

Inside is what looks like, for all intents and purposes, a checkbook. However, instead of a bank or checks, the cover has a picture of a muffin and an envelope and the title 'Ditzy Book'. Inside are coupons, some for things like overnight mail, and some more fun ones like a free muffin basket of your flavor choice. There are even small disclaimers like 'no more than one muffin basket may be ordered in the same week unless ordered two weeks in advance'.

Rhino nods. I'll have to do that.

Gel blinks, trying to understand what she's looking at. She flips through it, trying to see if there is an explanation on the inside. "Ditzy, thank you for this..." She finishes and closes it up, turning to the mare. "...I hope it's not rude of me to ask what it's for." She nervously laughs, rubbing the back of her neck.

Ditzy tilts her head. "What do you mean? It's what it looks like! A custom coupon book for services from yours truly." She puts a hoof on her chest and salutes with a wing. "I only give it to good friends!"

Finally understanding, she smiles warmly, walking over and hugging her. "Thank you..." She turns to everyone gathered, fighting back a lump of emotion in her throat. "...all of you. I couldn't ask for better friends."

Manila stands on her hind hooves and reaches out her forelegs. "Group hug!"

Gel giggles, pulling the other mare close and hugging them both at the same time. Soon, everyone else joins in, everyone enjoying the moment.

The party winds down after a bit and everypony besides Gel and Rhino heads home or to work, leaving the two to their own jobs. A normal and happy day follows until they get home.

Once there, Rhino opens the door for her and bows. "After you, love. We have the house to ourselves, and I believe I did say something about the day being yours. I still have two more things to give you."

She smiles softly and gently kisses his forehead in passing. "I can't wait to find out what they are." She walks inside, happy to be home after such a long day. She glances down at her scrubs, idly rubbing the fabric. "I'm glad Rarity was able to fit this for me. I've grown too fond of this cloud pattern." She giggles, shaking her head.

He nods. "I'm glad she reacted so well after finding out you were Angel. Didn't she say something about 'loving that other species enjoyed her works'?"

She nods, fluttering her wings slightly. "She did, and I believe she was going to see if Chrysalis wanted an outfit." She nods, fluttering her wings slightly. "It was also nice of her to add these slits for me."

He sets her bags, which he had been carrying since they were full of presents, down. He glances inside and chuckles. "I suppose it would be odd to hang a painting of us on the couch, above the couch."

She shrugs, thinking a bit. "How about on a wall in the bedroom?" She moves over to the couch, the metal bands clinking against each other.

He just laughs. "Maybe..." He spots her on the couch and lights up his horn, a small cubic present floats down from upstairs. He levitates it in front of him and shuffles his hooves nervously as he offers it to her. "ow... umm, I've never really been good at picking out presents, so this may not stack up to some of the other things you got, and it may not seem like much, but I thought you might like it. I'm trying to make up for it with everything else I'm doing so I hope altogether, everything makes a good present..." He says all this very fast and with his eyes averted.

Gel laughs, holding up a hoof. "Love, you don't have to be so flustered. I'm sure I'll like it." She takes it in her forehooves and carefully unwraps it, not wanting to damage it on accident.

Inside the box is a simple snowglobe, one of Canterlot.

Rhino continues averting his eyes. "You know... where we first met and all..."

She stares at it for a moment, jaw agape in shock. "...R-Rhino..." She picks it up in her magic, not trusting her hooves with such a fragile item. "...it's beautiful..." She looks up at him, smiling warmly as her eyes well with tears. "...t-thank you..."

He looks up and smiles. "Well... I'm glad you like it... Are you sure it's enough?"

She pauses, her gaze falling to the treasure in her magic. "It's great...but I still want foals." She laughs, winking at him. "I can wait for a bit on that gift, though." She shakes the snow globe, watching as the flurry goes through it before becoming sheepish. "Sorry, had to do it at least once."

He leans forward and nuzzles her. "What? The foals comment or shaking the globe?"

"Shaking the globe." She gingerly places it on the end table before stretching out along the couch. "...speaking of foals...please don't mention this to anyone else, but Ditzy's got a bun in the oven..."

He smiles. "Ah, that does explain things... I won't say anything, but I bet in a few months, everypony will know. I hope she's very happy." He sits near her head and begins slowly stroking her mane as he sits on the floor.

She coos softly, her eyes drifting closed as she leans into his hoof. "...I'm sure she is...and thank you for not spilling the beans..." Her ear flicks when his hoof gets close. "...you said two things, right?"

"In a manner of speaking," he explains, "I thought I would make this evening special for you by letting you know that this evening, your wish is my command. Anything you want me to do, from cooking you something, to playing a game, to just snuggling, whatever you want me to do, I will."

She considers this a moment, a cat-like smile growing on her lips. "Whatever I want, love?"

He nods, "No matter how small, big, or silly."

She beams, suddenly sitting up and grinning at him in excitement. "I want to play make-believe!"

He raises an eyebrow at the statement. "Huh... deja vu... Ok, what did you have in mind?"

She taps her chin, thinking deeply, her brow furrowed. "...what to act out...hmm...it should be clean...nothing strenuous..." She holds up a hoof. "N-no offense...I-I'm still trying to recover from Sunday..."

He nods understandingly. "I understand, it was another one of those odd days... I don't suppose you're going to go for your usual 'princess' one? Seems to be one you use plenty."

She shakes her head, giggling playfully. "No, I think we should try something different..." She brightens up and pumps a hoof into the air. "I got it!"

He pauses stroking her mane. "I'm listening."

Gel leaps up and rushes out of the room. "Meet me in the woods behind our house in a few minutes!" She hurries up the stairs, if the stamping of hooves on carpeted wood is any indication.

Rhino shakes his head as he starts to take a few things out of his bags. "Sometimes I wonder what she would do if we didn't live near woods..."

A short time later, Rhino is leaning up against on of the trees just outside their yard. He checks his watch before shrugging and sinking down into a sitting position with his back up against the trunk.

Right at that moment, his vision is filled with navy. "Boo!"

"Ah!" He falls over to one side in surprise.

Gel giggles, continuing to hang from her branch by her tail. "I didn't know you were scared that easily." She sticks out her tongue at him teasingly.

He mumbles as he picks himself up, though he is smiling. "Scared and startled are two separate things."

"If you say so." She lets herself drop, landing on her forelegs. She turns and counts the arrows in her quiver, making sure she didn't drop any. "Either way, you looked cute." She frowns when she realizes that she actually did lose one. She quickly searches the ground, trying to find the stray.

The stallion quirks an eyebrow. "Huh... I guess Luster was right. You really do practice marksmanship... i was starting to doubt her."

She blinks, turning towards him. "Of course I do. If done right, it's a great way to disable an opponent." She smirks, pulling off her bow and spinning it around a hoof. "Top of my class."

He chuckles. "I somehow recall your close combat being admirable as well..."

She shakes her head. "It's not as good as Luster's, though."

"Well then," he walks over and kisses her cheek, "I guess I'll see you in action with this idea of yours?"

"Hopefully." She shrugs before she grins excitedly and points out towards the woods. "Let's head out! The temple should be close by!"

He begins to follow her, asking a quick question. "So... are we jumping straight into roles or do I actually get to know what mine is?"

She glances over her shoulder at him. "I'm your guide. Aren't you Professor Clydesdale, the famous explorer?"

Still pressing her for details so he knows what to do, he continues. "Am I? It's your world, love."

She rolls her eyes playfully. "You are him, and we're trekking through the jungle to find the Heart of Jong." She notices his look. "A mystical artifact carved out of a ruby. Or at least it is, in this story."

He mutters quietly. "It's times like these I feel warrant monocles..." He straightens up and assumes his role by clearing his throat and speaking in what sounds like a gruffer voice. "So, I don't believe I caught your name, miss."

She giggles, pausing to bow respectfully. "My name is Starry Trail, but you may call me Star." She opens up her one saddlebag and pulls out a single lens attached to a chain. "And I believe you dropped this, Professor."

Silently cheering, Rhino dons the blank prescription lens and puffs out his chest a bit. "Thank you, Star, I just don't feel right without it. Now then, how far did you say we were from the temple?"

She glances at the trees around them before nodding and heading a little to their left. "We should be about a mile out."

He nods in acknowledgement. "Ah, shouldn't be long then. Now to decide whether to pass the time in silence or not."

Her ear twitches, and she looks around fretfully. "I think we might need to postpone that decision. We have company."

Out from behind the trees, a few large cats step out, staring at the pair. One of them, the largest, roars at them, baring its canines.

Rhino, a bit skittish around felines any larger than a house cat ever since his encounter with Port, Blinks behind Gel out of reflex. A second later, it registers to him that the inside of the mouth of the one that roared, was metal. Still, even if he had suspicions of the culprits, the realism of the fake cats and staying in character does cause the appropriate reaction. Shaking from a little honest fear, he remarks to Gel. "I-I hope you know how to use that bow of yours..."

She blinks and nods, surprised by his reaction. "...w-well, yes, I do..." She quickly takes off her bow and grabs an arrow. She notches it and glances around, waiting for a sign. She hears the beginning of a roar and quickly reacts, shooting the one on their left straight in the mouth. It appears to freeze in place before falling over, still as a statue. ...thank goodness that isn't a real puma...

There is a slight tremor to his mental voice as he responds. L-looks close enough to the real thing to me... please kill the rest...

She nods and quickly downs the rest of them. She turns to him and nods. "We should hurry, before any others show up."

His response is short and quiet as he tries to straighten up. "Erm, yes, quite..."

She giggles, bumping his side with hers. "Why'd it have to be pumas, right?"

He chuckles nervously as he looks around. "Yeah... heh... Erm, good job, you know, back there..."

"Thank you, Professor." She turns back to start heading off again. "You had some nice reflexes back there, too."

He follows her as he responds. "Yep... good old survival instinct..."

"Maybe you'll be able to show some that aren't hiding?" She sticks her tongue out at him playfully.

He gives her a genuine chuckle. "Perhaps... perhaps..." They pass through a thick bunch of bushes.

She pushes a branch out of her way and holds it there, waiting for him to pass by it. "Don't want you to get hit, right?"

He nods to her gratefully. "Why thank you, you certainly do earn your pay, don't you?"

She blinks, surprised at this. "I'm getting paid?"

He raises an eyebrow. "Well, yes. I assumed you knew. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you accompanied me regardless and I do enjoy your company, but one doesn't exactly ask friends to go into a dangerous jungle without some sort of reward."

She blushes brightly, embarrassed. "I-I didn't think about that...I just wanted to help you..."

He just laughs as they enter a clearing. "Well, there's an unexpected bonus for you then. Hostile territory, ancient artifacts, rewards for finding them, and of course new friends along the way. We seem to have everything."

She giggles, shrugging a bit. "I suppose that..." She trails off, looking in front of them at the large manticore in the middle of the field. "...I...did not expect that."

The manticore, still being made of mostly large cat, causes a similar reaction to the one the cats caused earlier. Rhino freezes in place, but at least doesn't hide behind Gel this time. "Erm... nice kitty?"

It narrows its eyes at him, growling angrily. It pads over to them, circling them as if figuring out whether or not they were a threat.

He instinctively moves closer to Gel, shaking slightly, but holding himself together. "Well, not outright hostile... that's good..."

She nods, draping a wing over his back. "...indeed..." She watches the feline lean in close to Rhino's face, sniffing him a bit before licking him. She falters a bit, confused. ...okay, did not expect that either.

Rhino almost immediately smiles and raises a hoof to scratch behind the creature's ear. "Aww... aren't you a nice one?"

Gel squeaks, realizing something as the creature licks Rhino with its orange tongue once more, purring softly. ...R-Rhino...that's a real manticore...

He responds as he laughs from the tickling cat tongue. Yeah, I kinda figured that when it licked me and I got a glimpse down its throat. He looks at the large creature curiously. "What are you doing all the way out here in the middle of Whitetail woods? Aren't you guys usually closer to the Everfree border?"

It doesn't respond, aside from looking around for the forest in question.

The nymph next to him thinks for a bit, confused. "...do you think...he was visiting someone and got lost?"

Rhino shrugs. "I do hear Fluttershy deals with these occasionally. Her, maybe? Unless you mean like an animal friend, in which case I have no idea."

"I meant Fluttershy..." She watches as it takes to the skies and heads off, frowning slightly. "...aww...I was enjoying his company..."

Rhino nods. "Me too... I guess it had something to do... bit of a surprise for your trip huh?"

She nods as well, slowly working her way across the field. "We should be nearing the temple at any moment, Professor."

He nods. "Excellent, I look forward to seeing what sort of place the artifact was housed in."

As they near the other side, a building appears in front of them as if by magic. It is an odd looking temple, taking its main design from the eastern countries.

She looks up at it and nods, turning to him. "This is the place."

He looks up at it with appropriate awe. "Interesting..." He begins chuckling after a moment before turning to her. "I don't suppose we should look out for traps out of some Daring Do novel, should we?"

She blinks, staring at him in confusion. "...Daring Do? I heard she's an explorer like you...I didn't know she had a novel, though."

Rhino has to reconsider his joke since apparently Daring was not a fictional character in this little role play. "Well, similar in many ways I suppose. You'd be surprised the number of ponies who like to hear of a good adventure."

"I see. Well, you do have one thing she doesn't." She steps into the building in an attempt to hide her small blush.

He tries to keep his mind from going dirty places as he enters after her. "Well, I do have a horn..."

"Well, that, too." She giggles, flicking his nose teasingly with her tail. "I meant that you have humility. You aren't afraid to ask others for help, after all. Right?"

Ignoring his usual reflex when she brings her tail into play, he answers. "Fair enough, she does usually tend to prefer to fly solo... Not sure why though, personally I like the company."

She continues forward, muttering softly to herself. "...and I'm sure the company likes you..."

Rhino takes a torch off the wall and lights it with a quick bit of magic. "One thing I find is always a source of fascination is that some early ponies just never saw the benefit of windows..." He floats the torch forward to light the way in the rooms that don't have skylights.

She glances around. "...I see that...honestly, I think I'm going to need some light, myself..." She creates a small ball of fire in front of her, lighting her way. "...this is my first time inside this place, after all..." She squeaks when her hoof sinks into the floor, eyes wide. "...uh oh..."

Rhino stops in his tracks. "Ok... just remain calm..."

She trembles softly, extremely worried. "...P-Professor...w-what do I do? I-If I move..."

Rhino looks around and sees some holes in the wall. "Dart trap... Star, don't take your hoof off the pressure plate. Keep your hoof on it and come toward me as much as possible." He reaches a hoof out to her.

She nods, slowly stretching herself forwards. Her hoof struggles to stay on it as she pushes herself closer to him, her free hoof almost reaching his.

Suddenly, he reaches forward and grabs her hoof, yanking her towards him and off the pressure plate. Rapidly, darts fire out of the walls and over where she once stood, thudding into the opposite wall.

She hugs him tightly, her heart hammering away in her chest. "T-thank you..."

He blushes lightly as he embraces her. "You're quite welcome..."

She holds him like that for a few moments before remembering herself and pulling away, coughing in embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry about that. W-we should continue, right?"

He nods, ignoring the slight pang from letting her go. "Right... let's just watch our steps."

She nods once more, carefully stepping forward. "...y-you're really fluffy, you know that?"

He chuckles. "So I've been told... and you are smooth."

She blinks, turning to look at him. "...um...t-that's a compliment, right?"

He passes her with a sly smile. "Just a compliment to your own texture, as you commented on mine."

She blushes brightly, following him. "...oh...t-thank you..."

"You're quite welcome." He raises his torch and peers down the hallway where an arch can be seen. "Ah, that appears to be the entrance to the central chamber. Right at the end of this mysteriously unremarkable hallway..."

She nods, fluttering her wings a bit. "...I could try flying us across..."

"That would likely be best... most places aren't designed for indoor flying intruders..." He thinks for a moment before looking back at her. "But how would that even work?"

"Like this." She picks him up around his waist, holding them both in the air for a moment. "This should be fine...if we move fast..."

Rhino swings his hooves a bit. "Again, you impress me, this time with your strength..."

She quickly starts flying forward. "Don't be too impressed...I'm having a bit of a hard time..." She squeaks as a bar of iron suddenly juts out, making her have to swerve around it. "Too close!"

"I'm afraid there's not much I can do here, Star... It's up to you to get us through..." Rhino faces forward as they fly.

"O-of course, Professor." She hurries as fast as she can, dodging obstacles that pop out of the walls almost randomly. "How am I even tripping these?!"

"Ancient unicorn magic?" Rhino offers.

"Maybe!" She reaches the end of the hall, watching as an alligator pops up out of the floor and approaches them. "...I guess they somehow kept that fed, all these years..."

Rhino eyes the gator carefully. "Does it seem hostile to you?"

She moves a hoof closer and leaps back when it snaps at her. "I-I think so..."

"Hmm..." Rhino's hoorn lights up and a Res circle appears below the alligator, sticking it in place. There's an unseen one within his mouth to keep it shut as well. "There we go."

She blinks, tilting her head to one side in confusion. "Professor, what did you do?"

He explains simply as he passes the incapacitated lizard. "I stuck its mouth shut then stuck its body to the floor. I'll unstick it on the way out."

"...okay, then." She looks ahead, her jaw dropping in shock. "...that's it...the Heart of Jong..."

In front of them, on a pedestal, sits the largest ruby seen by either of them. It is nearly flawless, the few lines on its surface seeming to pulse with a violet glow.

"Exquisite..." The unicorn approaches the prize. "This is going to make a museum very happy..."

She grabs him by the tail and yanks him back. At the same time, a spear shoots out of the ground, narrowly missing his head. "...that was definitely too close..."

A bit of sweat drops off Rhino's face. "Indeed..."

She glances down at where he stood, seeing a depressed stone. "...I think we have to watch our step in here, too..."

He looks at her. "I don't suppose you're up for more flying?"

She shakes her head. "...sorry...my wings aren't that strong to begin with...and I'm sure they have better aerial traps in this room..."

"Well..." He rubs his chin with a hoof. "I do have a few other options... i could teleport us over..."

Her eyes widen and she quickly shakes her head. "I-I'm fine staying here." Sorry, love...I don't like the thought of being squeezed through a tube... She shudders at this.

He looks back at the jewel. "I don't suppose it would be as easy as just levitating it over..." His horn lights up and his aura surrounds the jewel.

A piece of metal comes flying out of the wall and whacks him on the horn, disrupting his concentration.

He rubs his horn ruefully. "Ok... that's not an option..."

She gestures towards the tiles in front of him. "Maybe you should solve the puzzle?"

He looks down at the pattern. "I wonder..." He sees a winding path of similar tiles going through all the different ones. He places a hoof on the tile and nothing happens. He nods and proceeds to slowly cross the tiles one at a time.

Gel grins, excited. "That's it, Professor. You're doing it!"

Rhino responds slowly as he makes his way across. "So it appears..." Though it occurs to me I could have simply teleported myself over and come back, it didn't seem like the spirit of the challenge..." He reaches the base of the small stepped pedestal holding the gem. He smiles as he reaches toward the gem and lays a hoof on it.

Nothing bad appears to happen, but there is a pulse of magic that goes into his body.

He lifts up the gem and holds it to his chest as he quickly makes his way back over to Gel. He shows it to her as he gets close. "Success!"

She beams, hugging him happily. "I knew you could do it!" She gives him a small peck on the cheek.

He blushes brightly. "Erm... Star?"

She looks up to him, smiling warmly. "Yes, Professor?"

He looks down at her embracing hooves. "You... kissed me..."

She blushes, letting her head lower slightly. "...i-it seemed right...s-sorry..."

He laughs nervously. "I didn't say it was a bad thing... but maybe wait until we're out of the temple..."

She nods, embarrassed. "R-right." She moves to the side and gestures to the hallway. "A-after you?"

"Right..." They make their way back down the hallway with no further incident, Rhino releasing the alligator after they get a decent distance away. Before long they feel the grass under their hooves as they reach the bottom of the temple stairs.

She moves up next to him and lays her wing across his back. "S-so...about that kiss..." She fidgets a bit, a hopeful look in her eyes.

He simply chuckles and kisses her lips.

She kisses him back before pulling away, blushing even more than before. "...P-Professor?"

He smiles at her. "Yes?"

She sits down, nervously tapping her hooves together. "...d-do you like me? O-or am I reading a bit too much into the kiss?"

He nuzzles her lightly. "I like you very much..."

"...like me how much?" She looks up at him shyly.

He smiles. "Like enough to ask you to come back with me."

She blinks, confused by this. "C-come back with you...where?"

He explains. "Well, I live in a quaint little town, and I know you live out here in the wilds. So, I'm asking if you want to come back with her on the airship I used to come here."

She stares at him with shock. "...y-you want me to...live with you?"

He waves his hooves. "Not with anything untoward, I assure you. I just know my place would likely be better than any inn you would find... Plus you know... it'll be nice to have you around..."

She considers this a moment before nodding, a small smile on her lips. "...I think I'd like that...and, to be honest..." She leans up and nuzzles his cheek. "...I'd miss you if I didn't..."

He chuckles as he finally breaks character. "I guess we can't help but let certain things bleed over into our roles, huh?" He kisses her neck.

"I guess not..." She giggles, gently kissing him. "So, what did you think of this little adventure?"

He smiles. "It was much more fun than I anticipated... though I didn't take into account that you might have... helpers."

She squeaks, embarrassed. "W-well, I wanted it to be memorable..." She taps her forehooves together nervously. "...it wasn't too obvious, was it?"

He just laughs. "Metal is hard to hide sometimes, but I'm good at immersing myself. The manticore was unexpected though."

I thought we did a decent job. The siblings step out of the temple, though the drone appears to be wearing a pith hat.

He grins, shrugging a bit. "I was a bit rushed, so it wasn't my best work. My apologies, Doc."

Rhino waves a hoof. "Oh, don't get me wrong, the only thing that gave it away was the insides of their mouths. That's when I got into it though. Applause to the scenery crew for all their hard work." He applauds them sincerely by stomping his hooves.

They both bow to him. "Well, thank you kindly, Prof." He snickers, pointing to the monocle on Rhino's face.

Rhino just counters by pointing to Flick's hat and Gel's bow and quiver. "Hey, I'm not the only one who likes a prop to help get in character." He chuckles.

"Hey, I'm proud of this hat!" He takes it off and holds it to his chest. "It was the first thing I won in a fair. Granted, I was in disguise, but still!" He and his sister start walking off. "So, some manticore, huh?"

The unicorn nods. "Yeah... but at least he was one of the nice ones."

They all nod in agreement as they head back home, the temple melting behind them and forming a cube, following them closely.