[Saturday Evening]

[Roxxie’s POV]

After giving Blaze and the pervert a good once over before Teala stopped me from strangling them to death, the four of us got to the dining room where a large feast was prepared for us, with more food on its way. The cooks probably anticipated the amount of food Blaze would eat for the night, which was understandable. A right move too, as Blaze cleaned five servings with of food. It may not have been as much as this morning, but his helpings were piled up on his plates, ignoring the fact he was mixing some food that may not go well together. I had smaller helpings, but I went through seven plates myself as our Burp Off was still on. I didn’t have any problems eating more than I should have, it just gives me a reason to burn them off in my future training sessions. Teala seemed to have gotten used to our eating behavior as she tried to eat her own food without staring, while Nil was having his normally without complaint.

After obtaining victory with my loudest belch at the end of dinner, Teala’s staff took care of cleaning the table while Nil bid us good night before he went to his room. Blaze big goodnight as well before Sigmund directed him to his room for the night. Blaze had his head hanging down in shame as he left, probably drinking in the fact he lost to a filly in a burping competition.  

Teala and I were the last still up in the dining room after the table was cleared and cleaned. “Well I think this is a good time to talk what needs to be discussed before we bathe and head to bed,” Teala started. “Shall we head to my room?”

“Sure. Lead the way,” I replied.

We got to Teala’s room a few minutes later, with the two of us sitting across from each other on her overly designed queen sized bed that would be fit for such royalty. It was soft and comfy though, probably enough for me to marry her bed if I was allowed to. “I think the first thing to start with are the letters Cyan had left us last night,” Teala suggested as she took out and unraveled the letter Cyan left her from the nightstand. “Though he may have used a spell of some sort to write them out the way he did before he left, I think it’s safe to assume that he cared and cherished us deeply enough to have us be the first to know of his departure. Taking into account with how he left us after the Magic Duel yesterday, and the last sentence he left in the messages, and I quote, ‘I’ll always love having the both of you being in a significant part of my life, and I’ll always cherish the memories we made together,’” she finished after reading the sentence directly from the letter.

“Well, when you put it that way, it does sound like something Cyan would say and do,” I commented with my face heated, and scratching the back of my head.

“What do you think he was implying?” She asked me.

“Excuse me?” I asked with confusion.

“The last sentence in the letter,” Teala replied. “What do you think he was feeling for us when he wrote that statement?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but stopped myself before I second guessed, and thought back on it.

Come to think of it, what WAS he trying to say? Was he saying that while he saw us as friends? Or…

“Can’t really make up your mind can you?” Teala asked, which interrupted my thoughts. “We may not know what he was feeling when he wrote that to us, but I think what's important right now is how WE know how we feel for Cyan himself.”

How WE feel? Wait… Is she?

“W-what are you saying Teala?” I asked as I felt my heart racing at where I thought this was going.

“I’m going to cut to the chase,” Teala replied before she placed a hand to her chest as if she was prepared to make an announcement to the world, and looked at me deeply. “I’m in love with Cyan Dusknight, and I had a crush on him for as long as I can remember.” The two of us sat there in a deathly silence for who knows how long before Teala continued. “I’m telling you this fact right now because despite our differences, you’re my best friend, and I think, scratch that, I KNOW you feel the same way for Cyan as much as I do."

I started to shake in place as I was trying to take in what she had just said. “S-so what if I did?” I asked while trying to keep my voice leveled. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Roxxie, what do you think will happen once we reunite with Cyan again?” She asked me. I sat there in silence, speechless to come up with a response. “With everything that has happened in just two days, there’s no guarantee that things will be the same between the three of us. I was partially afraid to profess my love to him before this because I feared how different things were going to be for all of us, and also uncertain if what I felt for him were true. It wasn’t until after he left us from the Magic Duel, and ESPECIALLY the pain I had felt in my heart after I found out Cyan was gone that I’ve come to acknowledge and accept my feelings for him. From that fact, I promised to myself I would do whatever I can to see him once more just to let him know that I love him. Can you look at me straight in the eyes and tell me that you DIDN’T feel the same way?” She asked with a stern expression in her eyes.

I sighed in defeat as I know when Teala has gotten me cornered. “I was uncertain about how I felt for him at first,” I replied. “Some thoughts would come up, but I’d try to push them out because not only was Cyan my best friend, but even if I figured out how I felt, I knew he would never feel the same way.”

“What makes you say that Roxxie?” She asked with her head to the side in confusion.

“Well… Just LOOK at me,” I answered. “I’m rough, bulky in muscle, brash, uncivilized, my voice is weird, and I’m… just not attractive in any way as a filly.” I looked down with ears folded. “I envy you sometimes Teala, because you’re the image of what every other filly would DREAM to become: beautiful, classy, stylish, talented, smart, I could go on and on with the list. Cyan’s an amazing pony, and he’s better off being with you than I EVER would. He just deserves that much.”

“But what about YOU Roxxie?” Teala asked me. “Do you not love Cyan enough to just give up so easily on him?”

“OF COURSE I FUCKING LOVE HIM DAMMIT!” I exclaimed with mixed emotions as tears started to well up in my eyes. “Just like you, I didn’t realize how much I loved him until Cyan left Canterlot because of his fucked up parents! Just yesterday, he told me I looked cute when I got these ear piercings, something I thought I would NEVER hear from him, or ANYONE else besides my mom. I felt it was the first time he actually saw me as a MARE, and I thought my chest was gonna explode from how happy I was!” I clenched my eyes and fists shut tight as tears started to stream down while my voice cracked. “I wanted to be with him Teala, I wanted to be with him ALWAYS, but I was too fucking SCARED to come up front with it because I was afraid that he would reject me for not being beautiful like you are!”

“Roxxie... That may be the DUMBEST thing I’ve ever heard coming out of your mouth,” Teala interjected, which made me look up to her in confusion with tears still streaming. She moved in closer before she wiped the tears from my face with her hands. “Roxxie, you are more beautiful than you may not realize. You have what’s called a natural beauty, something that I think a lot of mares would want. Unlike you, I actually NEED to make myself beautiful with every help I could get because my parents had enforced in me that a lady must look at her best in every time, place, and occasion. Honestly, I think some colts may only like me for my looks and my status instead of who I truly am as a pony.

“You on the other hand show that beauty wherever you go even if you don’t realize it. Ponies would see you for YOU, and not for something like your looks or title. You may be brash at times, yes, but there’s so much about you that other colts would have to be blind NOT to see: loyal, protective, open, friendly, strong, and you speak what’s on your mind in the heat of the moment. Cyan saw that in you; otherwise, he would only leave ME the message before he left if he didn’t. Like me, you’ve played a significant part in his life like he had written in the letters. I don’t think he would ever think of you in such a way you were afraid of earlier, or I’d leave him at the drop of a hat if I knew that about him. Roxxie, you are anything BUT ugly, unattractive, not beautiful, or ANY other negative statement about your looks and I KNOW Cyan would say the same thing,” she finished.

At that moment, tears strolled down like never before as I cried loudly on Teala’s shoulder while holding her tight. She happily returned the gesture while adding her wings into the embrace, making the moment all the more comforting.

After a couple minutes, I pulled back from the hug, and Teala passed me a box of tissues for me to use. I wiped what tears dried up on my face before I blew the snot in my nose as I cleared myself up and calmed down. “Feeling better?” Teala asked, making sure I was okay.

“Yeah, thanks,” I responded before I sniffled some. “I feel a lot better now.”

“I’m glad. You looked like you could use it,” she commented with a smile.

“So… What happens now?” I asked while getting back to the topic at hand. “Both of us love the same pony, and I don’t want to do anything that could break what we have.”

“I feel the same way, which is why we’re having this discussion,” Teala replied. “Neither of us want to hurt each other, or be left sad and alone in the end if Cyan had to choose one of us, and I'm sure he would feel the same way. Assuming the three of us felt the same, I looked into something that could hopefully solve all of our problems,” she goes back to her night stand to take out a book, and handed it to me.

I looked at the cover, and raised my eyebrow with confusion. “The Laws of Marriage and Courtship?” I asked as I read the title.

“Turn to the page I had marked, and read the first paragraph,” Teala directed.

I opened the book to the page that was marked, and saw the passage she requested. “If a stallion and two or more mares are all in agreement and gave each other consent, it is possible for the group to…” I trailed off before I widened my eyes as I read on to myself. I looked back up to Teala who was staring back with attention. “T-Teala… You’re not suggesting…” I said, unable to speak the next line.

“Indeed I do,” Teala confirmed. “I think the two of us should form a herd with Cyan.”

“I never thought I’d say this to you of all ponies Teala, but are you OUT OF YOUR MIND?!” I exclaimed. “Do you know how bad it is to have herds here in Canterlot?!”

“In Canterlot, yes,” Teala answered. “Though everywhere else may not be as high strung as most can agree this has been practiced for many years considering the numbers between mares and stallions. Honestly, I don't see why something like that is so looked down on in this city.”

“What about your reputation?! I don’t mind everyone seeing me as a delinquent, but what would everyone think about you for doing this?!”

“Personally, I’m growing rather tired of my social status. You know how much I don’t want to run the cloud machine family business, and growing up in a large mansion with no one but my servants to keep me company is getting to be lonesome. If I have to give all of this up to join the herd I would gladly pay all the money in the world to do so.”

“But we’re too young to marry!”

“Well of COURSE we’re too young silly,” Teala waved. “And I wouldn’t jump into it without a couple of dates and moments of intimacy before I make my final decision. I may be a fan of romance, but even I have to draw the line somewhere between reality and fiction. This is just a way for the three of us to still be together and not have anyone feel left out while we date before we DO decide to marry.”

“What would your parents think?!”

“… Roxxie, why do you think I brought this up in the first place?” Teala asked.

“I don’t know!” I answered. “Is there something I should know about?!”

“Mother and Father are looking for suitors for me to marry in order to keep the family business alive,” she announced which left me dumbstruck silent. “I overheard the two of them talking about it one day. They’re probably looking through good suitors while they’re in Cloudsdale right now, thinking I would go along with this without a chance for me to say. If my grandparents were still here with us, I know they would NEVER allow this,” she finished with a somber expression.

…That’s right, her grandparents were probably the most involved family members in her life than her own parents. They were awesome ponies, and Sigmund respected them highly… That funeral was a sad day for everyone after their accident, especially for Teala most of all. Her parents aren’t even better, and they don’t even like having me and Cyan around her. Goddess how I hate them so.

“Even if I didn’t have Cyan as my potential lover,” Teala continued. “There’s absolutely no way I’d stand being forced into marriage, especially when all of the ‘nobles’ and the like around here are just… Just…”

“Stick up the ass, brown nosing snobs?” I asked, finishing the sentence.

“PRECISELY” Teala yelled that made me jump back in surprise. “I’m SICK and TIRED of being the good filly everyone EXPECTS me to be! I’m TIRED of the selfish, egocentric, degrading ponies in this side of the city! I’m TIRED of having my FUTURE decided for me! I want to get the FUCK out of here, participate in fencing tournaments like my parents would NEVER allow, be my own mare, and decide for myself who I should be with to love and hold dear! And if ANYONE says otherwise, they can speak to my blade, or my name isn’t TEALA FUCKING CRYSTALWATERS!” She finished her angry protest while panting harshly, and wings flared open with intimidation.

Wow… I had no idea she was under this much pressure… This… This trapped. She’s like a bird in a cage who wants to fly free in the open sky, taking advantage of the freedom she has under her wings as her own being…

I scooted myself closer to her, and hugged her. “Easy there Teala. It’s okay, I understand,” I spoke gently while I rubbed her back between her wings to soothe her.

“I’m sorry,” Teala apologized with a sigh as she hugged back. “I had NO idea what came over me back there.”

“Hey, I’d be throwing an angry fit myself if I was in your place,” I sympathized as we pulled back. “Though, my reactions would probably be more destructive, and possibly bring the whole mansion down.”

Teala giggled at the concept. “Yeah, I think I could definitely see that happening. I could just see Mother and Father now, ‘Roxxie! Don’t touch that porcelain vase! Aah! Not the fine china! Oh Sweet Celestia! Anything but the priceless jeweled egg collection!’” The both of us laughed heartily at the scenario.

“I gotta say though Teala,” I said after we calmed down. “I didn’t think you’d be the type to get into crazy stunts. I thought I was the only one.”

“Well, nothing particularly TOO crazy,” she admitted. “Just something… Fun a common filly would do. Something where one doesn’t have any worries about what everyone thinks about her for every little action she does.”

“Gotcha,” I nodded as I understood. “If it’s any consolation, just bringing up the idea of being in a herd is quite a start.”

“So would you be interested?” Teala asked with a smile.

“Eh, what the heck?” I asked with a shrug. “It’s worth giving a shot, and at least we wouldn’t be at each other’s throats to get Cyan in the end… Oh crap.”

“What is it?” She asked.

“What about that Lumina mare Cyan’s with right now?” I asked now that I had the idea in mind. “What if she wants him all to herself? If what the pervert said was true, that chick’s TWICE as strong as I am, and she’s got magic on her side too. I don’t think I could take her on my own.”

“Hmm… Well I’m not sure if she would be interested in Cyan considering she’s around Nil’s age,” Teala pointed out. “But if it turns out Cyan starts developing feelings for Lumina like he hopefully still has with us, it may be best that the three of us had an intervention and come to an agreement like the law book stated. The best case-scenario would be that she joins in our herd, the four of us will be together, and we live happily ever after.”

“And the worst-case scenario?” I asked bring up both sides to the situation.

“… She has Cyan under her charms enough to brainwash him, we have to use force to get him back to us, and then the THREE of us will live happily ever after,” she concluded.

…Somehow I doubt that’s the worst-case scenario, but I hope there’s nothing worse than that.

“Alright, I guess the plan once we meet her is reasonable enough,” I agreed. “I gotta say though, the fact that you fence, AND bring up the idea of becoming a herd? What other surprises do you have under those wings Teala?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I MIGHT have something in mind that fits the category,” Teala replied. “But I think it’s best to hold that off until tomorrow once Blaze leaves the premises. I think we had enough excitement for one day don’t you think?”

“I couldn’t agree more,” I concluded as I got off the bed. “SO! You wanna join me for a bath? Herd mates do this kind of stuff together right? Might as well do this stuff now to get used to it later.”

“AH! No fair!” Teala whined as she got off the bed. “I was gonna be the one to say that!”

For the next couple of minutes, we washed ourselves, and each other on hard to reach places while relaxing after a long, eventful day. We dried ourselves when we were done before we walked out of the bathroom and slipped into some clothes to wear for the night. I just wore a white tank top and panties while Teala was wearing a silk night gown that was the same color as Cyan's coat. We flicked the lights, and closed the curtains before we slipped under the covers of Teala's bed, and got ourselves comfortable before we got to sleep.

"Hey Roxxie?" Teala asked.

"Yeah?"

"I know you said you were unsure of your feelings for a while, but when did you start having something like that? If you don't mind me asking."

I looked up to the ceiling and hummed in thought as I tried to call back some of the most memorable moments I had with Cyan before I answered. "Well I know I started to like having Cyan as a friend ever since the first day I transferred in elementary school. I remember him being the first one to call out everyone in the class on making fun of my Manehattan accent before you followed. I can't imagine how different I would be now if it weren't for you two being there for me that day. Part of the reason why I wanted to become a great fighter was so I could protect the two of you like you did with me. I did okay training with my coach for a while, but it wasn't until after Cyan wanting me to teach him what I know so he could become stronger that I got really into it.

"I'll admit, I had a lot of fun winning in our sparring matches, but I didn't hold back with Cyan because I felt he needed to take whatever he can handle if he wanted to get stronger, and he wouldn't do the same if he ever got into a real fight. I think it was in one of those practice spars that something clicked in me. While I was on top of him as I held him down, it only took one glance into his eyes before I felt like I froze right there. When I looked in his ruby colored eyes that day, I felt like I could see into his soul. It looked like he had potential to gain great strength, but at the same time, it made me warm up inside from how much he cared for me. It was like the determination in them was telling me, 'I will always protect you, no matter what,' and his eyes looked like they were telling the truth. That was probably when those feelings started to come up for me."

"Wow... That sounds incredible," Teala said.

"Yeah," I replied before I turned to her. "What about you? What got you feeling for Cyan?"

"Well Cyan and I have been good friends for a while before you transferred to our elementary school," she answered. "We played games, he got along with Sigmund really well, and his parents were welcome to have me over for dinner from time to time."

"Then I came along, and they had to feed three mouths," I added in before we chuckled.

"Anyway," Teala continued. "It wasn't sometime after you came along that one day I was very lonely... I'm not sure if I should say this, but can you promise not to tell anyone?"

"We're holding plenty of secrets already, I think one more couldn't hurt," I responded.

"So I was very lonely that day," she said. "I wanted to have a tea party, but my parents were out of town along with Sigmund, my grandparents were ill from the feather flu, the service staff was busy, and I knew you weren't into that kind of game. I swore I thought I was gonna cry until Cyan came along and asked what had got me so down. So after I told him the situation..."

"... Oh no, he didn't," I said as I couldn't believe what I had thought.

"Yeah... He asked if he could play, and I just pulled him up to my room to get started right away," Teala responded as she pulled up the blankets to cover her blush.

I couldn't help but laugh heartily at the thought. "Oh Goddess that is just hilarious!" I exclaimed. "Oh man, I'm DEFINITELY taking this to my grave for sure."

"You better, or I'll skewer you with my rapier," Teala warned. "Anyway, though he was uncertain the first time, he came to like it a little as we kept playing more by ourselves in future parties. What really got my heart beating though was when he brushed my mane and tail afterwards. I think the feeling I had that time was somewhat similar to yours. I could tell he tried to take great care of my locks as he brushed without hurting me from some knots, and it certainly showed from how wonderfully soft they were when he finished.

"I felt really happy that he gave me so much attention during those times when my parents didn't, especially when he listened to whatever I wanted to say. It was like I really mattered to him, doing his best to cheer me up as much as possible, which may have been why he went through the tea parties in the first place when he didn't need to at all. We grew out of those tea parties as we got older though, and unfortunately the brushes came along with them. Even then, I felt a little empty when we weren't together like we used to, so I put in effort to spend as much time with him and you as possible, and just get that hollow feeling whole again..." Even in the dark, I could see tears started to stream down her face, and the sniffles I heard in the room were enough for me to pull her into a hug which she returned. "Oh Roxxie, I miss him so much."

"I know Teala, me too," I replied as tears started welling up in my eyes. "We'll see him again soon though. We just have to wait. In the mean time, we'll need to stick together. Both as friends, AND future herdmates."

"Do you think... He'd want to brush my mane and tail again if I asked?" She asked.

"I'm sure he would. Heck, I'd probably ask him to do mine if he's that good like you said," I replied before we giggled a little while wiping the tears from our faces.

"I don't think I'd ever be more glad to have an amazing friend like you around right now," Teala said. "I don't know what I'd do if I didn't."

"Yeah, same here," I agreed. "And nothing will ever tear us apart. If anyone tries, they'll have to go through me first."

"Same with me," she added in before she moved up, and unexpectedly kissed the corner of my lip. She pulled back, and sighed in content before snuggling in our embrace. "Good night Roxxie."

I was surprised from her forward behavior at first, but then smiled before I kissed her forehead in response. "Good night Teala," I said before I closed my eyes.

I gotta say, I'm still a little shocked about forming a herd, but I think this could work. What left me more surprised though was how much pressure Teala was in as I got to know her. Arranged marriages? Enforcing her to be a 'proper lady?' What did Teala mean when she thought she mattered to Cyan? Did she not feel that way before? I guess it would make sense considering how her parents raised her. Seriously, they sound even worse than Cyan's, and I STILL don't know what the fuck is up with them. Well I may not know what's the deal with Teala's parents, but I'm certainly not gonna leave her alone. Not for a long time. In this time of her life, she needs me, and I owe her for being a good friend for all these years. I'll protect her, and Cyan too once we reunite with him. I'll crush whatever comes in my way, and they'll think twice before they mess with Roxxie Stone. This I promise. Next Chapter: Chapter 17: Cyan's Second Lesson in Shadow Magic Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 46 Minutes