It was approaching six twenty five in the p.m. by the time Airmail landed under the sprawling leaves of the tall old oak tree in the back yard of her red bricked white windowed townhouse. Try as she might to get away from the Manehatten Times offices on time, as usual fate had intervened in the form of Omega with a delayed report, and Lavender misplacing her desk keys. All in all, when the disgruntled mare used her pass key to deactivate the state of the art home security system, she wasn’t really thinking of Tempest’s telephoned request to come straight home. Vague as it was. She wondered briefly why there were no lights on anywhere as she entered the kitchen. “Wily?” She called out, only to get no response.

Walking curiously through the small connecting hallway, Airmail checked the living room. “Wily?” She asked aloud again, sticking her head around the doorway she even looked under the table to no avail.

A slight feeling of unease built in the pit of her belly. In the short time she’d known the yellow mare, she felt confident in saying that if she was here she would’ve answered. Two unpleasant thoughts occurred to her as she trotted up the stairs. She either couldn’t answer, or she was unable to answer. Both of which made the feeling of unease grow in her belly.

Peeking into the office, Airmail again found nothing. As a last resort the azure blue mare walked over to the master bedroom and what she saw there made all her ill at ease feelings evaporate like magic. “Wily?” She asked of her tightly bound marefriend before she noticed the noise cancelling headphones that she’d seen Tempest wear on occasion which of course meant she couldn’t be heard. ‘That explains why she didn’t answer me…’

Nestled in her bindings that Tempest had rather expertly applied, Wildfire laid, happily humming away to herself. Devoid of any exterior stimulus, the blind mare was wholly unaware of the passage of time. The only clues she had as to the length of time she had been bound with her forelegs between her hind hooves and her hind quarters forcibly raised up by her tail tied to her bridle was dull ache in her back that had started Luna knows how long ago, and a slight numbness to her hooves. She wasn’t worried however, she had endured far worse while being bound. An ache was nothing.

Creeping up behind her diminutive lover, Airmail noticed some items dangling from Wildfire's tail. First she read the note that Tempest had left, and she couldn’t help but laugh out loud, which of course went completely unnoticed by the pony just in front of her. Next, she carefully took the controls for the two vibrators that – thanks to her close proximity – she could hear buzzing away though they were hidden by the pair of very wet purple panties. Extricating the two controls from where Tempest had left them dangling over Wildfire’s tail sleeve, she gave the captive pony no warning whatever before she set both of them to medium.

“Oooh!” Wildfire let out a delightful little squeal, a squeal she couldn’t hear, as she felt the plug’s wedged inside her speed increase unexpectedly. “Pretty?”

Ignoring her for the moment, Airmail dragged a hoof over her lover’s exposed crotch, checking the vibrators to make sure they were well seated behind the sopping wet purple panties.

With a tiny bit of panic rising in her belly, Wildfire turned her head about, realising she can’t hear anything. ‘That could be anypony!’ In her mild panic, the blind mare forgot to use her sense of smell as her mind was wandering back to the trashy ‘Stiletto Stallion’ murder novels her mum used to read. “P-pretty?”

“Mmmm!” Wildfire struggled uselessly against her bindings for the first time since she had been tied up as she felt the mysterious hoof check the nylon rope that formed the cage around her wings. She was dismayed but not surprised to find herself completely immobile. “A-Airy?”

The hoof ran delicately up her back and then checked the lead that held her black tail to the purple bridle. Nervously, Wildfire struggled a little more, starting to feel more than a little bit panicky now. “W-Who is it? Wh-Who’s th-there?” She started trembling on the bed, and not from the vibrators working their magic. ‘Surely Airy would've let me know it was her?’ She thought worriedly, “A-Airy...is, is that you?”

Finally, after a few lingering moments, Airmail took pity on the frightened mare and swooped in to deliver a very tender loving kiss straight to her lips.

“Hmm…mmm!” Wildfire immediately stopped her struggling, the kiss seemed very familiar, deep and loving, and as the tongue penetrated her mouth the blind mare at last smelt the scent of jasmine.

Wildfire then felt the hooves lift the earphones off of her head, returning sound to her world. “These work better than I gave them credit for.” Airmail snickered.

“H-Hey you…” now her marefriend had revealed herself as the owner of the mysterious wandering hoof, Wildfire tried very hard indeed not to blush as she composed herself as best she could. “I um, I wasn't worried, not at all.”

Smirking, Airmail nuzzled her yellow ear. “Ah…yes, I saw all the non-worry in action.”

“Hmm!” Wildfire flicked her ear. “Fine, you got me.” She said with an embarrassed smile.

Airmail took a few moments to look her bound little lover over. “I love all the tail decorations that Stormy left for me.”

“Oh?” Wildfire giggled, “I heard her write something but she didn't say what.”

“Would you like me to read it?”

“OOooOOOH! S-Sure,” Wildfire squirmed, “I-I’ve been thinking about it on and off since she leee…aaaah!” She moaned out loud as the vibrators hit a particularly sweet spot inside her. “Mmmm, s-sorry, they been on low for ages, having them higher is bliss!”

“Tut, tut, tut…” Airmail smiled deviously as she turned them back to the lowest setting. “Can’t have that, can we?”

“AaaaAHN…!” Wildfire whinnied out a loud frustrated whimper. “N-No…Airy, n-no please...they've been driving me crazy...please, please turn them up!”

Ignoring her pitiful pleas, Airmail took the note left by Tempest and cleared her throat loudly. “Dear Airy, I have mixed reviews on our new maid. First she has some incredibly erotic dancing skills, not really needed in a maid, but I'm not complaining at all…”

Wildfire cut her off with a loud whimper. “Aiiiiiry...please, pleeeeease turn them up!”

“Sadly, she is a bit clumsy.” Airmail read out loudly over her herd-mate's pleading moans, “after doing a fine job of dusting my gran's china she promptly dropped a cup from the lower shelf. Good thing we got those for you Airy.”

On the bed, Wildfire tried desperately - and in vain - to clench her vaginal muscles over the toys, wriggling her ass in a frustrated attempt to get some degree of satisfaction or relief from the torturous vibrations. “I-I'll be careful, I swear...please, turn them back uuuuup pleeeeeease!”

“I did punish her for that by coming on her face.” Airmail read out the next bit of the letter with a wide smirking grin on her face. “Oh my, Wily. what a severe punishment.”

“It, it was...” Wildfire gasped, the squirming mare would’ve agreed to anything at that point, if only Airmail would turn those toys back up.

Airmail carried on reading, enjoying herself immensely. “We went out for lunch and dessert. Did you know that Wildflower made fun of our Manehatten accent! I was so shocked!”

“Eeeep!” Wildfire squeaked, panicking anew. “I-I didn't...I swear...please Pretty I'm begging, please turn them up please!”

Airmail finally reached the bottom of the page. “If you have left her vibrators on low, then I believe that will be enough punishment for that bit of fun she had. P.S. she likes coffee and chocolate ice cream mixed.” As she finished, the azure blue mare saw her lover in her distress and decided she’d been teased enough. With her hooves on the controls, she turned both vibrators up as far as they would go and... ‘three, two, one…’ she counted down to herself with her forehoof ready at her swollen clit.

“AAAAHH!” Wildfire screamed out as Airmail’s silent count reached ‘one’. “Sweet MEEEEERCY!” The blind mare’s hips started to quiver as her long held climax approached with the force of a raging tsunami. “Thaaaaaank you!”

Smiling, Airmail began to strum away at Wildfire’s engorged clitoris while her other hoof rested against the vibrators and she started to rock between the top and bottom.

“AAAAIIIIIRY!” Wildfire screamed her lover’s name through one of the most intense orgasms she had ever experienced, her cum squirting like a geyser around the vibrator to coat the blue hoof. “Th-thank y-you...”

Smirking, Airmail pressed her muzzle against the edges of the vibrators in the soaked panties, the simple tiny pressure enough to set Wildfire off again. “GOooooOOOODDESSES!” Wildfire half screamed / half whimpered as she came again when Airmail’s muzzle nudged the toys which were still set on high. “C-Could...could y-you turn...’em off, please?”

Airmail did not turn them off. Instead, Airmail undid the tail flap of the panties and pulled them halfway down the soaked yellow thighs and, using her forehoof she grabbed the one in her vagina and slowly pulled it out still on high and tossed it on the bed only to replace its presence with her tongue.

Wildfire felt her marefriend’s tongue for a total of three seconds and when it played across the surface of her clitoris she let herself go again. “H-HOOooOOLY shhAAAAH!” For a third time she came, squirting what she had left over Airmail’s muzzle. “N-No, no m-more pl-please...Peaches…” she panted from her exertions. “Peaches, please, I can’t take anymore.”

Airmail’s tongue delivered a last probing slurp up Wildfire’s crotch and then she reached up and pulled out the vibrator from the quivering mare’s asshole and tossed it on the bed next to the first one. “Did my little Wildfire find release?”

“Uuh huh...”

“Would you like me to undo your hoof bindings?” Airmail asked kindly. When Wildfire nodded and gave a grunt of acquiescence, she quickly unfastened the hoof-cuffs from the clips under the bed and then she unclipped each cuff from the one next to it before finally she pulled the chain out. “Okay Wily, you can move now.”

“Aaaah!” With a very satisfied sigh, Wildfire flopped forwards onto the bed, extending her hind legs backwards and lowering her belly to the bed. “Oooh that’s better. Did Stormy write anything else?”

“Only that I was to kiss you, but I did that already.” Airmail replied with a smile as she busied herself putting away the hoof-cuffs and the vibrators. “What did she mean by making fun of the Manehatten accent?”

“Hmmm…we were in The Bread Bowl,” Wildfire led off as she stretched her four legs, popping a few cramped muscles in the process, “and she said something about it being a rustic country sort of place, and I kinda went all 'Canterlot' on her, made her laugh no end.”

“Okay, I so need to hear this.”

“Okay, um...” Wildfire affected ‘the voice’ and said, “I say my dear Airmail, my marefriend and I visited this charming little bistro, frightfully 'rustic' don't you know!”

In the middle of removing the tail sleeve and the bridle, Airmail broke out laughing. “Oh! Oh that’s precious!” Putting away all of the other items and leaving Wildfire in just the maid’s dress, the azure blue mare gave her lover a quick kiss. “Did you have fun today, my pretty maid?”

“Yuppers, it was great,” Wildfire replied, now stretching out her kinked back like a cat that was held up by its front legs. “Well, apart from when Stormy happened to mention exactly what I'd just dusted downstairs.”

Somewhat sympathetically, Airmail smiled. “Wily, when we first got that set of china it was for eight. In the bottom of the cabinet is a few pieces left from that. Now it is a full set of six. The only things we don't have an extra for are the salad plates.” She giggled as she watched Wildfire stretch, “I can only account for most of the breakage, but Stormy is not innocent in that. Now, about the dancer bit?”

Wildfire just groaned into the bedsheets. “Oh no...”

Airmail giggled in her ear. “You are a mare of many talents I guess.”

“When I was dusting downstairs in the living room, Stormy said I could dance while I worked.” Wildfire explained as she rolled onto her back and stretched again, sighing happily in wondrous relief. “I remembered a couple of Las Pegasus showmare routines that Darkstar taught me once a while ago.”

“Oh, like they do with a pole?” Airmail asked, suddenly very interested indeed, with a raised eyebrow.

“Yuppers, I can dance round a pole,” Wildfire replies, “Darkie was better though.”

“I doubt that, because you have something Darkie may not have.” Airmail started gently as she nuzzled her marefriend’s cheek, and when she received a questioning look from her she continued. “A loving audience.”

“Oooh…they loved her alright,” Wildfire smiled, calling up images of the Las Pegasus incident with a giggle. “So, did you like your coming home present?”

“Hmhmm! I was wondering why Stormy was so worried if I'd be home on time.” Airmail said in reply. She had been very pleasantly surprised. “When you didn't answer me I was getting worried until I found you and the note on the bed.” She playfully nibbled Wildfire’s ear. “The collar looks nice on you, as does the whole outfit.”

“Thank you.” Wildfire smiled, full to the brim with pride. “The bondage was my idea, Stormy wasn't all that keen at first.”

Airmail had to say she agreed with that, one hundred per cent. “It did look like you had no way out.”

“Oh no, I had an out,” Wildfire explained quickly. “Tempest left my tablet near my muzzle.” She pointed to her tablet that was on the bed not far from where she was laid. “I wanted to be gagged.”

Now the bit dropped. “So that is why she agreed to this?” Airmail asked as she stole a kiss.

“I gave in a little.” Wildfire continued, stealing a little kiss of her own. “The ball gag should be nearby in case you wanted to use it.”

“I'd rather gag you with this.” Without further warning, Airmail scooted around and over the bed and delivered a very deep, very probing kiss.

“MMmph!” Wildfire squeaked, wrapping her forelegs around the larger mare’s neck and returning the rather excellent kiss. “I wasn't sure…” she gasped, utterly breathless, “what you'd want to do so we dressed me up and laid me out for you.”

“Well, my lovely mare,” Airmail kissed her again. “There is something that needs doing.”

Wildfire raised her eyebrows as sexily as she could. “Yeeeeees?”

“A pretty maid got her relief, didn’t she?” Airmail purred into the diminutive mare’s ear. “But, a hard working mare did not.”

Wildfire rolled onto her front and nuzzled her marefriend’s cheek. “How may your maid relieve you, Pretty?”

“Be imaginative love.” Airmail smiled and returned the nuzzle with one of her own. “You or a toy, I just want to enjoy your efforts.”

Wildfire had an idea. A wonderful lovely fun idea. ‘Airy’s gonna love this!’ The yellow mare thought with a giggle. “Pretty, will you please lie on your back and close your eyes?”

Beside her lover on the bed, Airmail scooted herself in front of her and laid down as Wildfire had requested of her, nestling into the comforter with her hind legs spreading open under their weight as she relaxed her muscles. “Wings tucked or spread, love?”

“Spread them, please.” Wildfire immediately detected the thick musky scent of Airmail’s exposed marehood and she inched forward until she nudged her hind leg with a forehoof. “Eyes closed, Pretty?” She asked as the azure blue mare spread her wings wide.

“They are love,” Dutifully Airmail closed her brown eyes, wondering what in the wide world of Equestria the young mare had in mind for her. “I won't cheat, but you could put that blindfold you're wearing on me if you want.”

“It’s alright, I trust you.” Grinning to herself, Wildfire extended her left wing in the confines of the rope cage. Thankfully Tempest had tied it fairly loosely, and the blind mare was able to get her muzzle under her slightly spread wing. After a very brief moment, she selected a damaged primary feather and, seizing it in her teeth, pulled it out firmly with a little hiss. Holding the feather in her teeth, she lowered her head to Airmail’s belly and began drawing the feather across her breasts.

“Aaack…” Airmail groaned with each gentle caress of the feather across her little fleshy mounds. “Mmmuurrrrrrrr!” She exhaled breathily when the tip of the feather brushed lightly over her nipples, the touch sending little electric jolts of pleasure through her.

“Hmm?” Wildfire murmured as she drew it over her marefriend’s nipples twice more before stroking it slowly lower and lower.

Instinctively, Airmail moved her hind legs to protect and cover herself up before relaxing herself with a low moaned out ‘MMmmMMMMmm…’

When Wildfire felt the movement of Airmail’s hind legs, she immediately stopped her downward motion with the feather. “Naughty Pretty, moving your legs like that.”

“Aww!” Airmail whimpered, “I-I was stretching, yeah, that's it…” she moaned at the cessation of the stimulus from the feather. “It was a long flight home…”

“Hmmm…” Wildfire couldn’t help her smirk. She could practically hear the desperation in the azure blue mare’s voice. “Let’s make that better, Pretty.” Carefully, the blind pegasus positioned the tips of her forehooves either side of Airmail’s marehood and, not touching, very gently spread the moistening tunnel and stroked the primary feather down the centre over her clitoral hood.

“Aaaaassss, you have a soft touch!” Airmail moaned and squirmed while Wildfire giggled, stroking the tip of the feather around the moaning pony’s labia before she started to move it just inside her.

“Ohhh, aaaah!” The lead editor squealed when the delicately wandering feather stroked in circles around the labia, getting closer and closer to her throbbing needy clitoris. “Aaaahh W-Wily y-you’re still the tease…” Flicking her summer green tail she tried to touch and stroke Wildfire’s belly.

Grinning, Wildfire stroked the feather once across Airmail’s nub before stopping. “Twitchy tail, Pretty?”

The twitchy tail flopped when Wildfire stopped. “Hmmmm, sorry I was in the zone there.”

Deciding she had teased her marefriend enough, Wildfire dropped the primary feather and, spreading Airmail’s glistening labia wide open and went in with her muzzle, planting the lightest of kisses all around the marehood in front of her.

“MMMmmmMmmm!”

“Nice?” Wildfire asked entirely rhetorically. She didn’t need eyes to know that Airmail had arched her back and spread her hind legs ever wider on the bed. The blind mare then moved her left forehoof from her hind leg to Airmail’s breasts, stroking the frog gently over the nipples as she delivered a long slow lick from her tail-hole to her clitoral hood.

Wildfire slowed down the stroking of her forehooves so they were barely moving and, as Airmail began to relax into the comforter, the diminutive mare gave her another long slow lick, this time placing her muzzle so that her nose was rubbing Airmail’s tumescent clitoris. “Ooooh yeeeeees!” Airmail whimpered as Wildfire gently entered her lover’s sopping wet marehood with her tongue as she breathed out through her nose.

“Sweeeeeet Luna!” Airmail whined when Wildfire lapped her tongue at the muscular walls of her tunnel, all the while breathing hard on her button. Smirking at a job well done, the yellow pegasus swirled her tongue around the wet insides a couple of times before removing it and sucking on Airmail’s clit once more.

“MMmmm my lovely Wildfire…”

Wildfire, spurred on by the encouraging little moans and gasps she was eliciting from the older mare writhing under her, began to lay a series of gentle nips on and around her button before wrapping her lips around it and sucking hard, which drew a sharp intake of breath from Airmail, so she slid her forelegs over her hips and stroked the tertiary feathers on both wings as she continued to suck hard.

Hmmm…yeeeees, slow and steady my love…”

Wildfire moved her hooves to stroke along to Airmail’s secondary feathers while she grazed her nub with her teeth and delivering little flicks over it with her tongue. She was rewarded almost instantly with the feel of her labia swelling with blood as moisture leaked out like a faucet. Going back to her tertiary feathers, she delivered a slow lick up Airmail’s centre, tasting her leaking moisture before sucking on her clitoris again.

“Mmm…oh, very nice, very, very nice!”

Relishing the sounds she was making her make, the blind mare tried to reach up past Airmail’s secondaries to her trembling primary feathers, all the while sucking a little harder and harder on her clitoris. As she did so, she noticed that her lover was definitely doing a fair bit of squirming now and, again her tail seemed to have a mind of its own, especially when Wildfire removed her left forehoof.

Snaking it down to Airmail’s dripping snatch, Wildfire nudged the hard tip of the toe of her hoof at her entrance while the right hoof was still massaging the primary feathers of her left wing.

“MmmMMm yeeesss dooo Mmmeeee…Wily stroke my passion!”

Abandoning her love button, Wildfire slid her right foreleg up Airmail’s left hind leg, eventually bringing her hoof up to her lips as she nudged her damp entrance a little harder with her left hoof. “Airy, I'm gonna try something, tell me if you don't like it, 'kay?”

Laid out on the bed before her, lost in her own little micro universe of pleasure, Airmail answered in a dreamy voice, “okay Wily…”

Smiling, Wildfire placed her lips over the heel of Airmail’s hoof, gently running her tongue over the bulbs as she carefully pressed her hoof up to the quarter inside her wet tunnel. As her hind hoof began to shake, the azure blue mare whispered, “I haven't washed my hooves.”

“It doesn't matter this once…” Wildfire whispered back, flicking her tongue over the splayed end of the frog in her mouth, pushing her other hoof up to the heel inside her marehood before slowly withdrawing it right to the toe and pushing it back in.

“Okay, oOOooh MmmMMmm…”

Taking her cue to continue – from the thrashing she could hear on the bed - Wildfire licked straight down the frog to the point, savouring the sweaty taste of the hoof as she went, at the same time she pushed her hoof in past the heel again.

“Oh…oooh that's sooo...” Airmail paused as at last she began to realise what Wildfire was doing to her. “Wily, stop...” The blind mare couldn’t see, but Airmail had turned her head as far to the right as the bed would allow and was squeezing her eyes shut lest she open them. “What…what are you doing?”

Immediately upon hearing the word ‘stop’, Wildfire pulled her hoof slowly out of her marefriend. “Airy, I’m sorry if that was too much…” she gave the sole of the hoof she had been worshipping an apologetic kiss.

There was more than a bit of panic in her northern accented voice. “W-Wily…what were you doing?”

“I was distracting you with my tongue while I entered you with my hoof.” Wildfire replied boldly.

‘What the bucking Tartarus!?’ Airmail tried her very best to keep her voice as even as she could, “you...you...when did you last wash that hoof?”

“Stormy scrubbed me clean before we went to eat at The Bread Bowl.” Wildfire answered as she swirled her tongue around the blue hoof still held in her grip.

‘WHAT!!? NOOO!’ That was the very last thing she ever wanted to hear. Airmail’s brown eyes shot open in fear and panic. “Let me up, now!”

“I’m sorry…” backing away from her, Wildfire let go of Airmail’s leg. “Airy I'm sorry...”

‘Oh buck, oh buck, oh buck!’ Ignoring the blind mare’s apologies completely, Airmail pushed herself up and off of the bed and she rushed into the bathroom so fast she almost broke the sound barrier in her scrambled haste and desperation to get into the large bathtub.

From the bedroom, Wildfire could hear the sound of a brief agitated rummaging in a cabinet and then the unmistakable sound of hooves almost tumbling over themselves in their frenzy to get in the bathtub. ‘What did I do?’ She thought as she slid off the bed. ‘You know what you did…you messed up, Wily. You just messed up good, girl.’

Hesitantly, the diminutive yellow mare walked into the bathroom, her head well down and ears slicked back to her scalp. “Um…Airy, are you alright?”

From the nearby bathtub, Wildfire could hear the definite sounds of a pony panting and gasping. She recognised those sounds. She’d made them herself nearly every day for the past five years. She could practically smell the fear from the tub. She could also hear a stream off water, but she could tell the shower was turned off.

“Airy, did you need to pee?”

“No,” Airmail answered a few minutes later when her breathing was finally under control. “No, Wildfire I didn’t. I'm sorry I panicked, but well now you know. I'm douching myself right now.”

If it was at all possible, the small pony felt even smaller. Her ears couldn’t go back any more, and her tail was firmly between her legs. “I-I um…I made you feel dirty?” She asked in a voice as tiny as she felt.

“I’m...it's...it’s just…” Airmail was at last starting to get over her scare. “Wildfire you've been walking around outside and then you put your hoof in me...I'm sorry but I just wasn't ready for that. I…well, you already know how I am about hoof licking.” The lead editor couldn’t help but tremble in the tub. “It just...well...it felt so good, you doing that. Then...I panicked when I felt myself spread open and I realised you didn't have the toy on and…I'm sorry.”

Wildfire felt utterly wretched. “N-No, it’s alright, I'm the pony at fault...” she rubbed her forelegs together, certain she was going to be punished for this. This was the worst thing she’d done in a very long time. “I'm sorry, I didn't stop to think about how you'd react.”

“I was surprised.” Airmail explained once the fouled water had drained away. “You got me to into allowing my hooves to be licked after washing them…that was such a big step…I've stepped in too much and...well, it's a fear I have, okay.” The azure blue mare hung her head and shuffled her hooves in the bathtub. “I try not to let it get to me, but...I-I just panicked.”

Following the sound of her marefriend’s voice, and with the memory of where the tub was, Wildfire walked over to the bath and leant over the edge for a kiss. “It is understandable Airy. You’ve told me before about how you feel towards hooves and hygiene, and I didn't take that into account. I've been a bad marefriend to you and I apologise.”

Airmail was only too happy to provide the kiss that Wildfire sought. She really couldn’t stay angry at her. “By Luna's Sainted Mane I forgive you. It was a hard way to find stuff out. Let me get you out of the wing bindings and then take off your outfit. After that I want you to join me in the shower please.”

Very gratefully indeed, Wildfire accepted and returned the proffered kiss. “Thanks...for forgiving me, I um, I really didn't want to upset you.”

“Upset isn’t the right word,” Airmail said as she watched Wildfire undress, supplying help where it was needed, “scared. Scared is a much better word.”

Once she was undressed and her maid’s dress was folded away neatly on the clothes hamper in the bathroom, Wildfire sat on her haunches, rubbing her forelegs nervously together and, in a very tiny voice said, “I’m sorry I scared you.”

Airmail’s heart broke for the troubled little mare. “Get in here. You didn't know and I didn't tell you.” The azure blue pegasus was armed and ready with a kiss and a giggle. “What lesson have we learned today, colts and fillies?”

Cautiously Wildfire got in the tub. “Um…always ask before you try hoofing your sexy marefriend?”

“Yeah,” Airmail smiled and hugged the quivering pegasus as tightly as she could without choking her. “And while I don't think it's a very big deal to Stormy, I might have rubbed off on her so ask there first. Let's get each other cleaned up. I have floral scented water running down my hind legs.” The older pony kissed her and turned on the shower. “I guess that was a bit of a mood killer.”

“A little,” Wildfire replied with a miss of her own, “but that just means I get to do it all again, um…that is if you want to, I mean.”

“No need to leave unfinished business unfinished.”

“Alrighty,” Wildfire reached and felt for Airmail’s jasmine shampoo to use on her marefriend. “It would be a shame to leave you wanting after I came three times.”

“I do feel a bit stupid right now.” Airmail admitted with a very, very bright red blush that coloured her cheeks. “It is pretty obvious I'm not going to drop dead this instant.”

Washing the older mare, Wildfire giggled. “I feel pretty silly too, with you moaning and enjoying it I just carried on.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Even when they’re all sweaty, your hooves are sexy.”

Airmail laughed as she allowed herself to be washed. “Nice to know they are my best feature.” As Wildfire scrubbed her way over her back and her legs, she continued, “Let me let you in on a secret that isn't too secret. Stormy has no problem binding some other ponies wings, but binding hers is just a very bad idea. Mapper did it once as a joke. Took an awful lot of her power to hold Stormy in place so Serenity could unbind her.”

“Wildflower thinks your hooves are one of your best features and so do I. I also think these…” she leant up and kissed her lips, “are nice too. So, Stormy hates her wings being bound?”

Airmail nodded. “Beyond hate and rage inducing.”

“Do you know why?” Wildfire asked as she began to gently wash her marefriend’s summer green mane and tail. “I mean, she's in no danger of that from me, and we all have our dark nasties deep inside don't we?” She whispered again her case in point. “Remember the box?”

“No,” Airmail shook her head. “Not a reason you can point a hoof to. Stormy is like the Wonderbolts are, and the rainbow mare in the Celestia Six. Wings are her life. As far as I know, other than what Mapper did, nothing has happened to her or her family.”

The blind mare made a mental note to ask Tempest next time she had the chance. “I remember Dusk telling me his mom hates her wings being bound. I was surprised she let Caffy do it to her the other night.”

“Oh,” Airmail was surprised. “It didn't seem so to me, though she did get all shivery. With Stormy however, it's a real tempest.”

“I'll admit, I'm not super-duper keen on it myself,” Wildfire smiled as she rinsed the shampoo out of her lover’s mane. “But, like I told Stormy, I trust you all to take care of me so it’s all good.”

“Kind of weird isn't it?” Airmail asked with a smile. “I have watched Requiem lick hooves for a long time. You do the same thing. I say to each their own, then they are my hooves.” She nuzzled the diminutive pegasus. “I just need some more time that’s all.”

Wildfire nuzzled the older mare lovingly. “They are your cute…” she rubbed her forehoof against Airmail’s own, “sexy, suckable hooves that a pony can get lost in forever…”

“Clean hooves.” Airmail stated firmly as she took a loofa to her hooves.

“That’s what I said, cute sexy suckable clean hooves.”

Airmail held Wildfire’s forehoof firmly as she scrubbed it clean. “Wily, did you like being hoofed?”

“The first time or when you did it?”

“The first time.”

“Honestly?” Wildfire giggled when the loofa was scrubbed over the sensitive frog of her hoof and around the inner white wall. “I was frightened of what Air Raid wanted to do to me, I mean I was still a virgin, literally nothing had ever gone up there, like not ever.” The yellow pony smiled though at the memory, “but she was kind and she was gentle. Yuppers it hurt like Tartarus at first when she broke my thingy, but she relaxed me and it was the best thing ever.”

Again, Airmail nuzzled her cheek along Wildfire’s neck. “I'd like to try it, but in a controlled environment, and with my eyes wide open, if you please.”

“You'll never feel as full up, not ever.” Wildfire replied, “Once I relaxed and started enjoying it...wow!” She giggled, “and yes, eyes open next time.”

Holding and cleaning one yellow hoof after the other, Airmail cleaned and cleaned them until they were polished and shiny in cleanliness, then Airmail flipped on the dryer. “No time like the present then.”

Wildfire sniffed her now very sweet smelling hoof with a giggle. “Wow...has this got a mirror shine to it?”

The blind pony then giggled like a little filly when she felt Airmail tenderly kiss her hoof. “Why, I do believe it does.”

Wildfire heard the clock from the dining room chime seven thirty, and she knew Tempest wouldn’t be back until close to midnight. “Well then, Pretty d'you wanna go back to the bed?”

Airmail swooped in and delivered a very deep, very loving kiss to Wildfire’s lips as the dryer did its work. “What a wonderful idea Wily. You really are such a smart mare, and don't let Stormy say otherwise,” she added with a giggle.

Eagerly, Wildfire returned the kiss then pulled away for air. “Stormy knows where I'm smart,” she replied, and with a giggle of her own, she recited; “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.”

“Yes, and I believe there is an R in rhyme.” Airmail giggled, “I love you Wily, and don't let what happened ever make you think any different.”

“So um, so we're cool?”

“Hmhmm,” Airmail smiled. “At the moment anyway, let's get hot.”

“Now who's the smart mare?” Wildfire asked as she climbed out of the bathtub and turn to head to the master bedroom.

“Between you and me?” Airmail asked from behind the yellow pony.

“Uh huh.”

“Stormy.”

Entering the bedroom, Wildfire laughed out loud at that. “Yuppers, I'll go along with that.”

Gently, Airmail used her well-placed muzzle and nudged Wildfire’s ass to get her up onto the bed. “First we’re going to do some kissing and groping, then we can move from there. Well…” she giggled, “you’ll move as I stay put.”

Hopping up on the bed, Wildfire turned with a wide smile as her marefriend followed her and laid down on her back. “Sounds like a plan to me, Pretty.” She smiled and planted soft teasing kisses along Airmail’s jawline to the base of her ear. The azure blue mare made use of the chance to nibble along Wildfire’s neck and nuzzle her mane, eliciting a cute little mewl for her efforts. “Hmmm that bit of my neck likes that a lot.”

“You have a lovely mane…” Airmail snuffled and nuzzled said lovely black mane as Wildfire licked her way up her jaw to her ear and nipped the tip.

“And you have lovely wings, Pretty.” Wildfire breathed in the lead editor’s ear while her forehooves rested at the base of her azure blue wings, stroking gently outwards towards the leading edges.

“Thank you,” Airmail moved a hoof to her wing base in turn. “Yours are strong and the fur is coming back in nicely.”

“These old things?” Wildfire giggled as with a *Poomf!* her yellow wings spread themselves wide open and she began to lick and nip her way down Airmail’s neck just as the tips of her hooves reached her marefriend’s wingtips.

“Yes, so very old you are,” Airmail commented sarcastically. “If my wings were half their age, they'd be....your age?”

“I dunno,” Wildfire giggled, “I suck at math remember?” She then nibbled her way back up Airmail’s neck as her left forehoof headed southwards.

“You know enough though, right?” Airmail replied through soft gasps. “So don't worry over it. At least until the chief asks how many cubic feet of cloud do you need for a two hundred square foot grass fire?”

“Oh…” Wildfire led off, sliding her tongue inside Airmail’s ear and her hoof over her breasts, “that’s easy. When it stops burning, that’s enough cloud.” She then nipped the base of her ear as her hoof playfully circled a nipple.

Airmail snorted. “Looks like somepony will be doing homework. I'll try to keep Stormy from doing it all for you.” Then her tone went very serious, in spite of the attention she was receiving. “How are you Wily? You really looked devastated in the bathroom.”

“Aww homework, momma do I gotta? I'd rather have the crop on my tits, far less painful.” She giggled and then she went as serious as her lover. “Well, yuppers, I was. I mean, I am devastated. It was supposed to be all sexy times and I ended up really scaring you. That was not cool.”

“You're right, it wasn't cool, but more important is it isn't the end of us.” Airmail smiled, glad that the blind mare appreciated the gravity of what she’d done, but as well she wanted her to know they were okay. “Just a bump in the road of life, love. I think you've had more than your fair share of those, but here was one more.” The azure blue pegasus placed a delicate kiss on her lips. “I love you and you're strong enough to overcome this one. I'm strong enough to know that you acted in love.”

“It doesn't matter about before,” Wildfire stated confidently, “I'm only bothered about the now.” She stole a quick kiss of her own, “I know we joke about 'good bad' stuff, this was 'bad bad', and I'm sorry. And I’ll understand if I'm on the couch for a few nights because of it.”

“Wildfire,” Airmail said plainly and definitely. “You did nothing wrong. Nothing. You're not stupid. Stupid ponies refuse to learn. You came to bed ignorant, and ignorant ponies want to learn. I also needed to learn a lesson.” Then, Airmail giggled, “and to make sure your hooves are clean.”

“Well,” Wildfire giggled, “they can't get much cleaner.”

“Hmm…so squeaky clean you may need some of that strawberry lube.” Airmail said, a hint of anticipation in her voice. “I'm ready, love.”

“Babes if you're sure...you wanna lube me up?”

“I can do that, don't you sneak off now.” Airmail slid off of the large bed and trotted over to the toy chest in the closet and quickly she returned with the tube of strawberry lube. Feeling the older mare get back on the bed, Wildfire held up her left forehoof and aimed it at roughly where she guessed she was.

Seeing the offered hoof in front of her, Airmail took a tongue full of the lube and lavished Wildfire’s hoof with it. “See, I can tongue a hoof too.” She smiled and gave her little lover a strawberry flavoured kiss.

“Mmmm…” Wildfire shuddered as she Airmail’s tongue on her hoof. Indeed the only thing better than tonguing somepony else’s hooves was having hers tongued. “Hmm...” the deep strawberry kiss was just a bonus. Not that she was complaining. “Not bad, for a beginner.”

“Then teach me.”

Wildfire could tell from her tone that she wasn’t yanking her crank. “Okies…gimme one of your hooves.”

Obligingly, Airmail moved her left forehoof forward and brushed it gently under Wildfire’s chin. Likewise Wildfire held up her strawberry covered left forehoof to her marefriend. “Alrighty.” She smiled as she took the hoof in her grip. “Just copy what I do, or do whatever you thinks cool.” Slowly, she ran her tongue around the inner white wall, grazing her teeth against the outer edge of the toe. “Now, your turn.”

More than a little hesitant, but with a steeled resolve, Airmail stuck out her tongue and did her best to copy Wildfire’s actions, but more than that she really tried to get a reaction from the yellow mare similar to what she was causing in her. “Mmm…” Wildfire bit her bottom lip with the pleasure. “Hmmm damn...o-okay try this…” she swirled her tongue in little figure eights that danced across the sole of Airmail’s hoof, flicking the tip of the frog as she went.

Airmail tried it, doing a passable effort that made the diminutive pegasus tremble. “How do you keep your tongue from tiring out doing this?”

Wildfire panted from the touch of the inexperienced but enthusiastic tongue moving across her frog. “Y-aaah, you don't, it just gets stronger with practise.” She cooed and lowered her tongue to the splayed end of the frog, planting it between the heel bulbs and licked straight up the centre of Airmail’s hoof.

“HHMmmmmAAAAH!” Airmail's tongue lost contact with the sole of Wildfire’s hoof as she took a sharp intake of breath. Again, the azure blue mare tried to copy her move.

“AAaaaAAhhh!” Wildfire gasped and smiled, “those are the three most sensitive parts of the hoof. Did it feel good when I tongued them? Cause it felt damn good from here.”

“Oooh…oh yes it felt good.” Airmail whimpered, “and it still feels good.”

“Hmhmm now, an 'advanced lesson'.” Wildfire rested her front teeth gently at the tip of Airmail’s frog and grazed them down its entire length.

“GAAaaAAH!” Airmail almost jerked her hoof out of Wildfire’s grasp. “O-Oooookay that went all the way down my leg!” Determined to make her lover feel that good too, she tried to copy the move, but owing to either her nervousness or her inexperience, or both, she dragged her teeth along Wildfire’s frog with rather too much force.

“OOoowie!” Wildfire giggled, but didn’t flinch away. “Maybe not so hard next time babe, but that was really not bad. You definitely got my faucet running.”

Airmail repeated the move, this time with a much lighter pressure. “Oooh yeeees that...just like that!” Wildfire moaned, her arousal more than evident as she was getting really, really wet between the hind legs.

Airmail sniffed herself and giggled. “You're not alone there, love.”

“Alrighty…” as much as Wildfire wanted this hoof worship session to continue, and sweet Luna above did she ever want it to continue, she placed her very wet left hoof on Airmail’s chest and gently pushed her back on the bed. “This is for you, not me. Ready?”

“Hmm, let me scoot up to the head of the bed.” Airmail replied as she moved, “I need to get a good view of this.”

“You get where you're most comfy love,” Wildfire smiled as she felt the older mare move up the bed to prop herself up on the fluffy pillows. “I'll go with you.”

“Give us a kiss and I'll let you work your magic.”

Quickly, Wildfire scooted herself up to where Airmail was laid waiting for her, and she gave her a very deep passionate Prench kiss that went right to the back of her mouth. In as innocent a voice as she could manage, the azure blue pegasus asked; “You're my first, Wily, please be gentle.”

“My lady,” Wildfire bowed her head. “Hear my soul speak. Of the very instant that I saw you, Did my heart fly at your service.” She shimmied her way down Airmail’s body, delivering a very sloppy spit-wet lick to her slit once she was in position.

Airmail shuddered involuntarily. “Such a sweet sounding soul.”

“Ready Pretty?” Wildfire asked once her well lubed up hoof was resting at her lover’s wet entrance.

“No, not in the slightest, but that won't stop me.” Airmail replied truthfully. “I trust you, Wildfire.”

“If you need me to stop just say so, 'kay?” Wildfire said as she applied a gentle pressure to her foreleg, nudging the toe of her hoof inside Airmail’s wet marehood up to the quarter.

“I think I've been down that road, now I'm going for a ride. I like it slow building to an intensity I can't resist.”

Wildfire smiled. “This ride goes at your pace.” She pushed a little further until the whole of her hoof was just inside Airmail’s tunnel and then she pulled back halfway and entered her again.

“Oh…oh my, that is so thick, and so fascinating to watch!” Airmail panted.

“You okay so far?”

“Oh yes, love, much okay!”

Wildfire giggled, pushing forward now until the wrist of her foreleg was wholly inside her writhing marefriend and then pulled it back almost all the way out and gently she pushed back in again, each push forward she delved deeper inside her. “This is an amazing view, watching my lips wrap around your hoof…” Airmail moaned pleasureably. “Ooooh yessss marvellous!”

“I only hope it looks as amazing as it feels,” Wildfire commented, “I can feel you gripping every bit of my leg.” She pushed forward again, getting half way to her elbow before slowly pulling it back and thrusting back in.

Blowing out her breath, Airmail tensed up just a little. “Yeeeeeees, okay time for the resistance!” Once Wildfire was in again she clamped down her vaginal muscles to keep her foreleg inside her.

Wildfire noticed the exhalation of her lover’s breath and concerned for her she paused. “Is that enough Pretty or can you take more?”

“Yes, I can take more.” Airmail nodded pleadingly, “it's thicker than Stormy, but you're going nice and slow and I'm going to extend it as long as I can.”

“Alrighty, here goes.” She gently pushed in further, a few inches past her elbow now and she felt the toe of her hoof press against a muscular barrier and, guessing it was her cervix, said; “You aren't having any more Pretty. Is that good?”

“HmmmAAAH!” Airmail jolted when she felt Wildfire bump her and she quickly fought to regain control of her voice. “Love the love tap!”

“Alrighty enjoy the ride.” She pulled her leg back to about halfway out before thrusting it all the way back in, increasing her speed just a fraction.

Lost in a universe of new sensations, Airmail had stopped watching. She had her brown eyes closed and a happy smile plastered on her muzzle as Wildfire found a steady sawing rhythm, pistoning her foreleg in and out of her moaning marefriend, each forward thrust slowing to tap your cervix. “MAaaaAAH….AAaaAAH…” each tap to her cervical wall was a jolt of pure pleasure, her mouth now hanging open and moaning, her own hoof on a breast and her wings wide.

Wildfire then moved her right hoof over to rub little circles around Airmail’s clit, keeping up the steady pace of her hoofing. “Faster Pretty?”

Beneath her, writhing like a fish on a hook, Airmail could only nod. “I-I'm...ready...”

Increasing her pace just a little, Wildfire thrust her hoof in earnest, going a little faster with each forward thrust. After several taps, the final tap on the cervical wall lifted Airmail up as her stiff wings pressed against the bed and the tightness of Wildfire’s whole foreleg in her lent force to her very, very intense orgasm as she squirted her cum over and around the blind mare’s leg, the blind mare herself, and the bed.

As Airmail came, and then subsequently rode out her climax, Wildfire giggled and she very slowly started to withdraw her leg, wiping a bit of the sweet ejaculate from her fur with her other hoof and tasting it. “How did you like your first hoofing babe?”

Airmail didn’t answer. Airmail couldn’t answer. She was slack jawed and smiling as her wings slowly lowered her body back to the bed. After a few moments she managed to pull her leg out a bit more, to about halfway. “Airmail,” she said gently, “thank you for allowing me to share this with you.”

“Oh yeah,” Airmail sighed. “That was totally worth a panic attack. I'm not moving and I need cuddles and kisses.”

Wildfire didn’t care two feathers that she was covered in her lover’s cum as she withdrew her leg all the way, she laid down on her side beside her and draped a wing over the panting sweating mess of fur and feathers. “I'm still sorry you had a panic attack at all.” She nestled into Airmail’s side, mashing their sticky fur together and kissed her neck as she whispered; “I love you more than words can wield the matter, Dearer than eyesight, space and liberty.”

“It was totally worth it love.” Airmail panted, “and we both know how to play this game again.” She managed, barely, to turn her head and she kissed the little yellow mare. “Let's snuggle a bit and do a late dinner.”

Wildfire giggled into another kiss to Airmail’s jawline. “Hmm, snuggles sound good to me.”

~ ~ ~

“Ugh…” Airmail grunted as she shifted on the bed a few hours into their snuggle-fest. “That’s the first sign that it is time to get out of bed.”

“Hmm? Wildfire asked as she woke from her light slumber, roused by Airmail’s sudden movement. “I’m sorry I dozed off…” she murmured, and she lowered her head back on to Airmail’s shoulder and her blue feathery blanket. “What's that, Pretty?”

“Wily, I gotta pee.”

“Aww!” Wildfire giggled, “and I was so comfy too!” She sighed dramatically. “Oh well, when ya gotta go, ya gotta go. Um…what time is it, anyway?”

“Ah…not far away from nine p.m. Wily.” Airmail answered her and stole a quick kiss before climbing out of the cocooning warmth and comfort of the bed and headed for the bathroom.

Sighing again, Wildfire forced herself out of the bed. It wasn’t really much of an effort, as it wasn’t as much fun laying there by her lonesome. Instead she creeped into the bathroom following close behind the blue pegasus. “Um...Pretty, could you please pee in the tub? It’d be a shame to waste it.”

To Wildfire’s immense relief, Airmail giggled. “It’s where I usually pee anyways.” She said with a smile as she climbed into the large wide tub. “Of course, it is usually Stormy in here with me.”

Giggling, Wildfire climbed in to the tub. “I hope I'm a good substitute?”

“Stop that right now.” Airmail said sternly.

“What?” The blind mare asked in a completely innocent tone of voice. “I was joking, honest, Pretty.” She positioned herself behind her marefriend and opened her mouth in anticipation.

“Okay love.” Airmail smiled, placated for the moment. “I wasn't sure. You are not a substitute, you are a herd-mate whom I love very, very much. Now get in the tub 'cause I can't hold it much longer.” Over her shoulder the lead editor could see that Wildfire was in the tub and ready, even going so far as to bounce on her haunches with excitement. Smiling, Airmail lifted her summer green tail and she leant back to keep her hooves safe. “One golden shower coming right up.” Relaxing her abdominal muscles she let go of a very full bladder's worth of urine.

‘Yay!’ Wildfire squeed and with her open mouth she drank as much as she possibly could, swallowing joyfully as the rest spattered off of her muzzle and her chest. “Hmmm! Yummers!” Holding her left hoof in the remainder of the stream, Wildfire lifted it to her lips and proceeded to lick it clean.

“Same joyful smile…” looking behind herself she was relieved – in more ways than one – to see her lover smiling and happy. “You mares are weird, but a weird I love.”

“Hmm…that’s good, ‘cause we love you too.” Wildfire leant forward in the tub between Airmail’s hind legs and licked the last drips of pee off of her nethers in a slow upward lick.

“MMmmm, and the clean-up is so much fun!”

“Well, I can’t leave a job half done can I?” Wildfire asked with a giggle as she gave Airmail’s crotch a second lick for good measure.

Holding her breath, Airmail turned around and placed a delicate little kiss on Wildfire’s cheek. “Shall we dine in or out tonight?”

“Ooh, can we go out please?”

“We can, after a brief shower, and Stormy is the better cook.” Airmail giggled. “Tell her that, then I won't have to cook so much.”

Wildfire giggled. “I'm sensing an ulterior motive here, Airy.”

“Have you tasted Stormy's cooking?” Airmail said as she started the shower going.

“Yuppers, she made that beautiful triple fried egg sandwich!” She giggled as the shower water washed away the remnants of the urine on her coat. “Though I admit that might not have stretched her abilities much.”

“So it isn't a lie!” Airmail laughed as she too quickly and efficiently washed herself. “We are in Manehatten, should we search for a Canterlot style eatery or do you crave something else? After all there is only one type of food I don't care for.”

“Oh? What's that?” Wildfire asked while she hastily scrubbed herself with her forehooves. “And we can go anywhere you like my Pretty mare.”

“Invisible food.” Airmail answered, totally serious. “I just can't see myself eating it. My dear Wildfire, I do believe I have asked you to choose the type of food.”

Wildfire laughed as Airmail flipped off the shower once they were both sufficiently cleaned. “Hmm, could we find a Canterlot place please?”

Exiting the bathroom, Wildfire followed Airmail down the upstairs hallway to the office, where the lead editor turned on her computer. “Okay, let's see what we can find.” After a short search on the internet, she came up with two local eateries that were relatively close by. “Here on Stallion Island is Lot to Canter, that was where Stormy got those sauces she used. That has three stars. Manehatten has Sun and Moon, and that is five stars.”

“Uum, Lot to Canter sounds okay.” Wildfire said as she made her choice.

“Sounds good enough for me too.” Airmail agreed. “I like a place with full plate instead of a plate with some miniature food display on it.”

Wildfire couldn’t help but giggle. “You'll get plenty of that on Thursday.”

“Yeah,” Airmail nodded. “I've heard you don't eat at a fancy restaurant if you're hungry.” She checked her screen again before she turned her computer off. “It's a mile and a half to get there, do you want to put on your flight suit or do you want to walk?”

“Well, you can,” Wildfire commented, “but you end up eating again somewhere else afterwards.” She had a little think. A mile and a half wasn’t all that far away. “Can we walk?”

“No problem.” Airmail smiled once her computer had shut itself down, “It is a beautiful evening, and besides, when you hang out with a lot of earth ponies you get used to walking. Shall we dress up for dinner on the town?”

“Hmhmm!” Wildfire nodded. “Tis a fine suggestion my fair maiden,” she bowed with a little giggle. “I concur.”

“Not sure maid is right for this, but it will work of course.” Airmail started, then paused when a thought came to her. “Then there is the green corset and panties you got from Mapper.”

“Um…green corset and panties I think, if that’s okay?”

“Love,” Airmail smiled, not unsympathetically. She knew that was a throwback to the care home, and that in spite of the remarkable progress her little Wildfire had made, she knew there was a long way still to go. ‘And I’ll be there every step of the way my love…I promise.’ She thought, still smiling. “You don't have to ask if it is okay. I promise that if it is not okay I will let you know.” She placed a little kiss on her lips. “I'll go for my purple corset and panties. We may was well give them a reason to look under our tails.”

“I’m sorry, it’s a habit I guess.” Wildfire replied with a kiss of her own. “Airy that sounds awesome on you.”

It was a very pleasant evening. Once the two mares were suitably dressed – Wildfire in the forest green corset and panties with a bitless bridle, and Airmail in her purple corset and panties and both pegasi had a little bow on their tails – they stepped out into the cool sea breeze.

Walking at a steady pace they made their way towards the north edge of Stallion Island across from Manehatten proper. As they walked side by side, Wildfire hung her left wing over her marefriend’s shoulder and her back. “It feels like a nice evening, Pretty.”

Airmail merely ‘hmm’d’ in response and they enjoyed the rest of the relatively short walk in silence, utterly content just to be in each other’s loving company. Presently they found themselves at the Lot to Canter restaurant. From Airmail’s description of the exterior, it sounded like a place one would expect to find in the lower city away from the castle. Good food, good portions and above average prices.

Once they were seated inside, but before they looked over the menus to order their food, Wildfire gave voice to something that had been chipping away at the back of her mind. “Um...Airy, were you serious earlier, you know...about me doing homework?”

Airmail gave the rather stiff-looking waiter a ‘not yet’ glance and the stallion very smartly hung back to give the mares a few minutes. “Wildfire, were you serious about really sucking at math?”

“Um…yuh huh.” Wildfire turned her head down to the floor, blushing from sheer embarrassment. She could feel Airmail’s piercing gaze upon her. “I'd show you my grade card if you really wanted a laugh. See, math wasn't the only think I stank at.”

“Maybe you will find you don't suck at math as much as you used to.” Airmail said kindly. “But yeah, if you are really that bad you'll be doing some homework or maybe attend a community college or do an online course.”

“Awww!” Wildfire let out an unhappy whine. “B-But…it’s not that I don't study, I do!” She squeaked, “Dusk did a two month session once to help me with my finals. It almost ended our friendship.”

“Love,” Airmail snickered, “if you're going to have a panic attack too, do I need to get another bottle of douche?”

Wildfire giggled, “I’m just making you aware of how bad I am, but no, no panic attacks…unless you pull a pop quiz on me.”

“I'll not make you figure out the tip, then.”

“Hmm, that’s probably best.” Wildfire nodded. “Dusk described me once as almost as thick as two short planks - almost, cos I had the IQ to nail 'em together and beat him with them.”

Airmail laughed lightly and signalled the waiter over finally, and the smartly dressed stallion trotted over and presented them both with a menu each, making sure that Wildfire’s one was of course in braille. Something no true Canterlot waiter would’ve cared to do. “Can I get you two fine mares your drink orders?” He asked politely.

“I'll have what she orders.” Airmail said quickly.

‘No pressure then, huh?’ Wildfire thought with a smile. “Oh, um, I’ll have a white wine please.”

Airmail amended, “make it a full carafe please.”

“Very well,” the waiter gave a tiny nod, “I'll be back shortly to take your order.”

“I didn't know you were a wine drinker.” Airmail led off with a question in her tone.

“I'm not as a rule, but Prench Chardonnay goes lovely with fish.”

“Oh, It's not because we have a wine rack in the house is it?” The lead editor asked curiously.

“You worried you're forcing your wine on me?”

“Not at all, after all Stormy and I will not stop drinking wine. I was wondering if you were forcing wine on yourself though. Pick us out something on the menu please, Wily.”

“Umm…” slowly and carefully, Wildfire ran her left forehoof down the menu. “Ooh, this sounds nice, pan fried haddock with a mushroom sauce.” It wasn’t the meat to which she was accustomed, but white lean and firm, the fish would do. Although, she reflected, that was a conversation for another time.

Airmail snickered. “That sounds good, I like just about anything when you add mushrooms.”

“Mushroom lover huh?” Wildfire smiled, “and I'm not forcing wine on myself, just thought I'd try something other than beer.” She giggled then, “there are worse things to force on me, like algebra.”

“Like algebra problems involving celery?”

Wildfire stuck her tongue out at her azure blue marefriend. “Now that’s just evil. So are percentages, fractions, ratios and anything higher than the five times tables.”

Airmail shook her head. “I fear you will be tested in the Fire Department, but you have a couple of friends that will help and who aren't as serious as Dusk.”

“Your wine, ladies.” The waiter appeared and he poured a small amount in Wildfire’s cup.

Wildfire was very impressed, both to be called a lady and to not be asked to leave. Then again she had to remind herself this wasn’t Canterlot. Nodding to the waiter, she said; “Thank you,” and took a sip of the wine before she turned to Airmail sat opposite her. “It never came up when I was a Reserve, it was either big cloud or small cloud. Anything specific, Heatwave dealt with it.”

“That wine's fine, thank you.” Airmail said with a smile.

“Very well madam,” the waiter then poured a generous amount for both of the mares and set the carafe down. “Would you like more time to order?” He enquired politely.

“Um...no I think we decided,” Wildfire spoke up. “Can we have the pan fried haddock in mushroom sauce please?”

“Excellent choice, ma’am.” The waiter took note of the order. “A preferred dressing for your garden salad?”

“Blue cheese for me please.” Airmail put in, and when Wildfire nodded that she’d like the same, the waiter bustled off to put the order on the pass.

“Most likely one of the others will let you know how many cubic feet of cloud is needed from the factory, so don't worry about it.” Airmail said kindly, “it’s just that I'm sure your opinion will be asked for, and learning will follow.”

“Hmm...yeah.” Wildfire wasn’t at all sure she liked the sound of that. Being out of the loop for so long she wasn’t sure she had an opinion on anything. “Yeah I'm sure it will.”

Just then the rather excellent waiter returned with their salads and dressings on the side along with a fresh loaf of pumpernickel bread. “Can I do anything else for you while your meal is being prepared?” He asked as he busied himself with refills to their glasses.

“No, I'm good, thanks.” Wildfire replied, and with that he left them to it.

Airmail cut two slices of the bread. “Butter on yours?”

“Yes please Airy.” Somewhat downcast, Wildfire toyed with her salad. “Will they really want my opinion?”

“You’ve watched Stormy work,” Airmail commented by way of a reply as she buttered wildfire’s slice of bread and took a bite of her salad. “Did she tell everypony what to do, or did she trust them to do what needing doing?”

Wildfire took a slow bite of her salad. “She gave them orders then left them to it.”

“I'm a lead editor, and I make the decisions at work, but I do ask others what they think.” Airmail said gently as she went in for another bite of her salad, this time getting some blue cheese dressing. “Wily, if you are part of a team then they will ask what you think.”

“Great.” Wildfire swallowed her food miserably. “I'm not gonna be able to answer cos I'm thick.”

Airmail put her hoof over her little lover’s. “Remember when I said there was a difference between stupid ponies and ignorant ponies?”

“Yeah I remember.” Wildfire answered, grateful that she had her marefriend holding her hoof. “I want to learn, honest I do, it’s like the numbers get all jumbled on the page and make no sense and then I get flustered at it and they just mix up even more and…”

Airmail silenced her with a squeeze of her hoof. “Firstly, don't worry about it. Second, be truthful at all times. Third, and most important, do your best. After all Wily, I believe in you.”

“And then the teacher walks along, laughs at me and tells me how thick I am, and then the whole class laughs at me cos I'm the only pony there who can’t answer three times six!” Wildfire finally paused for breath, at last hearing what Airmail had said. “I-I know you do, um…thanks.”

“You're welcome,” Airmail paused and devoured more of her salad, waiting for her partner to do the same before she pressed on. “I'm not so sure that a teacher would want a teacher conference with me if they have been calling you thick. You can try to do anything. You may not succeed, but you do have to try to find out.” She giggled, “I forgot to ask if there was celery in the salad. Sadly there is none.”

Wildfire calmed herself with a much needed drink of the wine. “Oh ha, ha. Then again I suppose Wildflower's earnt some celery after that.” She giggled now. “I'd love to see the teacher try to explain to you why the dunce hat had a W on it just for me. I bet you aced school, right?”

“I did okay.” Airmail shrugged her shoulders. “One of the reasons I joined the forces. I wanted to escape Vanhoover. My parents were great and supportive, but I didn't want to be a weather pony like mom, and,” she laughed then, suddenly, “at the time I didn't want to work at the paper like dad. I wanted to see the world.”

“So you saw the world then worked at the papers?”

“Yeah, after I collected my harem of mares of course.”

“Which I'm super happy to be a part of.” Wildfire felt the need to confirm as she finished the rest of her salad.

“Hmm, that makes all of us then.” Airmail replied, and she would’ve carried on had not the waiter appeared as if by magic when the two salads were finished and set the main courses down on the table. “Is there any other assistance I might provide?” He asked as he refilled the wine glasses.

“Some more bread please.” Both mares asked at the same time, and as he left they both descended into giggles.

Wildfire giggled, “I was gonna ask for more bread, you beat me to it. Yuppers, as long as you want sarcasm, hot sex and a poem I'm your mare.”

Airmail surveyed the very full plate with a watering mouth. It was one of the best things she’d seen all week that wasn’t Wildfire’s swaying behind. “This tasty fish could use an ode.”

“Challenge accepted, o pretty mare.”

While Airmail dug into and enjoyed the meal, she also enjoyed watching the diminutive pegasus thinking up a poem on the spot as she too ate her fish.

Not three minutes later, and Wildfire put her fork down. “Alrighty, here goes;”

“How I wish
I were a fish!
My day would begin
Flapping my fins.
I'd make a commotion
Out in the ocean.
It would be cool
To swim in a school.
In the sea,
I'd move so free,
With just one thought:
Don't get caught!”

Wildfire blushed a deep red blush. “Not my best I know…” she covered herself by taking a bite of her fish.

“I like how you worked school into it.” Airmail giggled.

The blind mare joined her in the fit of giggles. “Thank you. I liked school just fine as long as it was Ouill’s literature class.”

“Well,” Airmail considered her reply carefully. “You can always have a fall back plan of writing Hearths Warming cards.”

“Yuppers I could!” Wildfire laughed, “they’d be the bestest ones ever.” She took another bite of her meal. “Stormy asked me earlier if I'd teach you both braille.”

“It would be a useful skill.”

“Yuppers, that’s what she said. See, after I went out earlier and left her a note she couldn't read.” Wildfire giggled, “It’s not hard to learn really.”

“Hmm…I was looking at your menu.” Airmail commented after she swallowed a mouthful of her dinner. “It is a lot like Morse code.”

“It kind of is,” Wildfire agreed, “just code you can touch. All you have to do is learn what pattern of dots represent which letter, then touch them with your hoof as you would read with your eyes.”

“So, this student is eager for teacher."

The yellow mare giggled again. “May Celestia grant you mercy.”

“So, is this place authentic?” Airmail asked curiously. Never having been to the capital before, she was very interested to see if Manehatten had gotten it right. “Like, is it a legitimate Canterlot restaurant?”

“Yeah, everything’s pretty much spot on apart from the waiter.” Wildfire replied honestly.

“Oh,” Airmail’s face fell, “bad service?”

“No, no not at all,” Wildfire quickly put that right, good and proper. Then she went on to explain herself. “See, if this were a Canterlot place he'd have assumed you were my carer and I wouldn't exist to him.”

“What?” Airmail wasn’t sure she cared for that very much. “So that is what we can expect on Thursday?”

“Yuppers, at the very least.” The blind mare nodded, “and there will be snarky comments on the street too.”

“Good thing that Stormy will be your stallion for the evening.” Airmail grinned, “it is most un-mare like to punch ponies through walls.”

Wildfire laughed out loud at that image in her head. “I guarantee at least one stuck up pony will stop us in the street and thank you for taking the time out of your day to spend with me, and how much of a burden it must be. I certainly wouldn't get in here on my own.”

“So, the best Canterlot restaurants are not in Canterlot it seems.”

“Uh huh…” Wildfire agreed wholeheartedly. “Assuming me and a 'carer' did get in, we'd be given an out of the way table so that the way I look didn't upset the other patrons.”

“No matter what happens on Thursday,” Airmail said gently but firmly, “know that we love you and we will do all we can to make your mom proud.”

“Oh I know, that’s what I'm going for mainly, to introduce you all to her, and to see Hot Spot for his reference like Chief Rung asked.” Wildfire responded. “The restaurant thing will be nice, until we get removed anyway.”

“You know what will be really nice after we are removed?”

Suddenly all excited, Wildfire asked, “no, what?”

“We get to go to Dusk's place and really party.” The glee in her north western accent was palpable.

“Oh yes!” Wildfire clapped her forehooves together. “You'll love the castle, especially D's suite, its huge, more like an apartment than just a bedroom.”

“Might I suggest the Mille-fueille or St. Honoré?” The waiter reappeared at their side with the dessert menu as soon as he saw the meal was finished and the cutlery was placed on the now empty plates. “The Orange Marenaire Coffee is simply delightful.”

Having absolutely zero idea what the waiter had just recommended, Airmail held her menu and had a blank look on her muzzle as she just stared at dumbly at Wildfire. Long slow moments of silence passed between the three ponies, and the blind mare thought it best she say something. “Um…yeah, yeah that sounds great, we'll have that, thank you.”

“Please leave a menu.” Airmail requested.

“Of course madam.” Turning, the waiter left the two mares alone.

Airmail's forehoof was on the braille menu to make sure it was the one that remained. Feeling it with her hoof when she went to squeeze it, Wildfire giggled. “Does my student want her first lesson?”

“Sure,” Airmail nodded, “like what are we getting for dessert. Won't be snails, will it?”

Wildfire laughed, “no...mille fueille is Prench for a pastry that is folded a thousand times.” She sniggered, unable to help herself, “decorated with snails.”

“As long as it's icing snails.” Airmail pouted and then she let out a giggle as the braille dots tickled her hoof. “Wow, you need a sensitive hoof for this.”

“Yuppers, it helps. Also it’s best to use the tip of the frog to touch the dots.”

With her hoof in place, Airmail closed her brown eyes and ran the frog of her hoof over the raised dots. “So…I need to learn the pattern. A two by six matrix.”

“Hmhmm! That’s it, two lines of three vertical dots.” Wildfire explained, and she held Airmail’s hoof to what had just been ordered. “You feel that there, the two dots at the top and one at the bottom left, that’s an 'm'.”

“It would have helped if they cheated and had print on this menu.”

Wildfire giggled. “You'll get it Pretty. Next to the 'm' is a dot on the middle left and upper right. That's an 'i'.”

The desserts and coffee then showed up, carried on a sterling silver tray by the stallion waiter. “Oh, that does look nice!” Airmail squeed, as they had each been delivered one of the suggested desserts and each dessert plate had two spoons. Thoughtfully, the waiter had also left them equal distance between the two mares.

“We can halt the lesson if you want to eat your snails.”

Wildfire could practically hear the stuck out tongue she was receiving. “Ha. Ha. Ha. Should I complain, because they forgot the snails? The one on your right must be the thousand leaves, but the other one has so much going on!”

The yellow mare giggled, “sorry Pretty.”

“Yes, since you said that would be fine, we got one of each suggested dessert and Grand Mareinaire coffees for each.” Airmail explained, “though I’m sure both are as yummy as they look.”

“Despite being free of snails?” Wildfire snickered and took a long sip of the coffee. “Hmm…now that is niiice!”

“It is nice,” Airmail agreed after she took a taste of hers. “We don't have any liquors in the house.”

“It is a bit of something different alrighty.” Wildfire decided to try a bit of her thousand leaves dessert. “So, you’ve never had snails then?”

“I have,” Airmail shuddered at the very unwelcome memory. “They didn't agree with me. I very seldom eat fish. It was a Prench restaurant in Manehatten that serves griffons with the carnivore / omnivore diet of theirs. I've found it to have excellent fish when I have a taste for it.”

“I’ll admit I wasn't keen on them when I tried them.” Wildfire commented with a smile. “Air Raid went through a short lived Prench phase of snails and frogs legs.”

“Ohh, I don't know if I would even try frog's legs.” Airmail definitely shuddered now. “I did find that molluscs were okay, especially if they were in a nice sauce.”

“Mmm…I tried them once, and only once.” Wildfire sniggered, “her Prench phase came to an end very quickly cos I withheld sex until she ended it.”

Airmail giggled, “yeah that could change a mind.”

“Do you know, she was over it by the next day? I can’t think why…”

“A complete mystery, I'm sure.”

Wildfire took a moment to really savour the vanilla in her sweet dessert. “I also hid her toys and noisily clopped off in the bed next to her. She never mentioned frogs legs or snails again!”

Airmail giggled around the spoon in her mouth. “I'd like to watch you clop off actually, Wily. You'd have to listen to me doing it at the same time.”

“Mmm…you're on, Pretty.”

“Although, I'm awfully noisy and messy,” Airmail teased, “hooves everywhere.”

Wildfire’s wings fluttered involuntarily. “Who d'you think of when you do it?”

“Ahh, Stormy.” The azure blue mare replied quickly and easily. “We've done that a lot of times. It is a race to see who can cum first. Then once the second one cums we do aisle sixty nine clean up.” She noted the semi erect wings of her little lover and went in for the kill. “If the three of us do it I'll be thinking of you and Stormy bouncing each other...yeah that would get me off.”

That did it. With a huge blush on her face Wildfire’s wings popped with an audible *Poomf!*. “I um…I don't have a single pony I think of…it’s more like two, three...” she blushed even harder, “more like um...fifteen.”

“Oh my,” it was only through a supreme act of willpower that the lead editor was able to keep her own wings down. “I'd love to have a drawing of what you're imagining. When Mapper stops in we can see if her unicorn magic can do something like that. You wanted to really see us anyways.”

“W-Well…” Wildfire’s intense blush was almost to the point of combusting. “You follow sports? The Manehatten rugby team is very...athletic, rugged and athletic...”

“Oh, yes I have been to some games.” Airmail caught the lusty tone in the little yellow mare’s voice straight away. “Want to go?”

“D-Do I want...to, oh my...to see the Sharks...hmmm…” Wildfire had bitten her lip.

“Good thing about working the paper is have an in with the sports editor.”

“Really? Airy you have no idea how much I'd love to see the Sharks play!”

“It's a date, the season starts in July.” Airmail smiled at the effect she was having on her marefriend.

“YES!” Wildfire shouted out before she could stop herself. “Oh, um I mean thank you Pretty, I'm very grateful.”

Again, Airmail squeezed Wildfire’s hoof. “I'm happy to do something for you.”

Wildfire leant over the table and planted a long hard passionate kiss on Airmail’s lips. “I really am grateful, Airmail.” She whispered, “so are my fantasies.”

“I guess a locker room interview after the game wouldn't be out of the question then?”

“A-A...an...in, ter, view...” Wildfire flustered, coming very close to soaking the pad she was seated on with her leaking marehood, “with a sweaty, sexy rugby team...gaaa oh my.”

“It would show how forward thinking our paper is with my braille stenographer with me.”

Wildfire abandoned whatever self-restraint she had left and lunged over the table to deliver a tackle hug and kiss. “I love you!”

Seeing what Wildfire was doing, Airmail quickly got up and met the blind mare half way in order to save the desserts. “I love you too.”

Wildfire spent the next five minutes giving her marefriend the most passionate kiss she could deliver, only breaking and sitting back down when she needed to breathe. “Ahem...I um…I wouldn’t do that in Canterlot.”

“Well, I wouldn't mind if you did.”

“I'll bet.” Wildfire giggled. “Got to think of the stuck up diners though, Pretty.”

“Zen wez hallz haz to get ze bread steek to shouvz up ze vaiterz azzz!” Airmail giggled and Wildfire laughed at her affected voice. “There is a club near here if you'd like to continue our night out, Wily. I don't expect Stormy to be back till around midnight.”

“Hmm…” Wildfire considered it for just a moment and smiled. “That sounds like fun!”

“Then let's finish this lovely meal and head on over to it.” Airmail smiled, “it’s just a couple of blocks away.”

“Sounds like a plan Pretty.” Wildfire nodded and took another couple of mouthfuls of her dessert. “What’s the club like?”

“Well,” Airmail said in between her own bites, “it is a bit mild I guess, it won't have a live DJ tonight. Dance floor can hold about fifty ponies, nice bar and bar food if you're hungry. There are lots of tables around the dance floor.”

Wildfire swallowed a spoonful of her chocolate dessert and giggled. “It’ll gimme a chance to show off my sexy dance moves.”

“That's what I'm thinking.” Airmail said as she finished up.

“Well, I'll either seduce you or kill you laughing.” Wildfire commented as she too ate the last of her desserts.

“Laughter is its own form of seduction.”

“Listen to you being all poetic.”

Airmail raised her left forehoof to summon up the waiter. “I learned me literature work'n at da paper, I did.”

Wildfire laughed out loud. “I likes it, I does.” She placed a soft kiss on her marefriend’s lips just as the waiter appeared with the bill. “They do not love that do not show their love. Courtesy of Canterlot University.” She sat back on her seating pad with a giggle. “You're working out the tip, Pretty.”

“No, the gratuity is included.” Airmail commented as she looked over the bill. “That is typical for Canterlot?”

“Hmm, sometimes.” Wildfire nodded, “the really high end places still expect you to leave extra.”

“They only put fifteen percent here, so I'm going to round that up to twenty.” Airmail stated as she got out her purse and laid the bit notes on the waiter’s silver plate. “It was good service and excellent food.”

“It really was quite excellent.” Wildfire said, feeling very contented right then. “It was nice being in a Canterlot place and treated like an equine for once.”

“I'll pick the next restaurant then.” Airmail said with a smile as she got off of her seating pad. “It will be 'different'.” In response to Wildfire’s questioning frown, she explained; “In the front window they have a book 'To Serve Pony'. In small print at the bottom is 'cookbook'.” She giggled as they trotted out of the restaurant. “If you guess who in the herd took us there the first time, or the neighbourhood it is in, you will guess what ethnic food it is.”

“Umm…” Wildfire thought for a moment as she walked along beside the azure blue mare, the cool night breeze gently hitting her face. “I'm guessing zebra?”

“You get an A in cooking class.” Airmail giggled and steered her little lover towards the night club. “It is an old unfounded rumour that zebras are cannibals.”

“Yay!” Wildfire was overjoyed. “I got an A in something!”

“I do believe you got an A+ in the oral exam.” Airmail said suggestively with a little nudge to Wildfire’s barrel.

“I should certainly hope so,” Wildfire giggled as they walked along, “I got mad skills.”

It was around ten thirty p.m. when they left Lot to Canter, and the walk to the club – which just happened to be a member of the Trixie’s Place chain - was short and uneventful. Wildfire couldn’t help but smile when they got closer to it, for some retro pop music from about forty years ago was playing and she could hear it from down the street. The blind mare nodded her head in time to the music, stuff her mum would definitely have played around the house when she was a filly. “Now, this is cool.”

“They have a live DJ on Friday and Saturday.” Airmail smiled at her marefriend’s enthusiasm. “I like it as it is laid back and well, the ponies in there are closer to my age than yours, so I hope that is okay.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire giggled, “I can dance around all the walking frames.”

“Excellent,” Airmail led her little mare into the club, for non-DJ nights there was no cover charge at the door, “We just need to get around the old ponies home bus and we're in.”

Wildfire sniggered, “don’t dance too hard in here, you might tire out your old bones.”

“Okay,” Airmail laughed, “but don't mistake any of the grey mares in here for me.” She then led the diminutive mare over to the bar, weaving in between and around the thirty or so middle aged ponies – mare and stallion – who were currently occupying the expansive dance floor. “You up for a beer after all those fancy drinks?”

Wildfire bumped the bar and felt around for a pad to perch herself on. “Oh…oh Celestia, yes please!”

Airmail surveyed the pictures at the back of the bar. “They have one hundred and fifteen here, fifty of those are on tap.”

“Mmm…shall we have one of each then, see who can get to one hundred and fifteen first?”

“I'll just say you win, as I'm done at two.” Airmail got the attention of the earth pony barmaid and placed her order. “I'll start with a Dragon's Milk.”

“I'm slaughtered at about twelve pints.” Wildfire replied, only exaggerating a tiny bit. “I'll go for A Little Sumpn Sumpin, I think…oooh, can we get some toasted ravioli for munching on?”

Airmail duly placed the orders, and the next hour and a half disappeared in a mix of dancing, chatting, and a few beers. True to her word, Airmail nursed the second beer all the way to the time limit, whereas Wildfire drank her way through seven bottles of the Sumpins, which surprised the older mare greatly as an inspection of an empty bottle revealed they were seven percent proof.

“Wily…” Airmail said to her as the blind mare staggered back to the table following a very drunken looking dance with a unicorn stallion, “I think you’ve had enough, love. Let’s get going home.”

In no shape at all to argue, Wildfire let herself be led back through the dancing thirty five year old ponies and out of the door of the club to the street. When she felt her hooves touch the concrete, Wildfire hung her left wing over Airmail’s back and she stumbled slightly on the way home, she even started to sing ‘Prettiest Eyes’ very loud, and very out of tune. “A-Airy...Pretty...” she slurred when Airmail held her back at a cross walk. “I luuuuurve yoooo!”

Airmail giggled as they safely negotiated the crossing and started the walk home proper. “I luvs you to Wily, now, let’s pretend to be secret agents and surprise Stormy.”

“Ooooh I gotcha!” The drunken pegasus giggled out loud, “shhhhhhhhhh!” Making a very sloppy attempt at a salute, which resulted in her hitting herself on her forehead, she giggled, “Agent, hic! Wily...reportin’ whatsh my mishun?”

Approaching their townhouse, Airmail whispered into Wildfire’s ear. “If Stormy is home and asleep we tie a blue bow to her tail.”

“Aaalrighty chief!” Wildfire tried to whisper but it didn’t do anything to lower her volume. “What if she's not home and ashleeeep, can I still tie the ribbon on her tail?”

“No, oh nonononononoooo, we do the bucket full of confetti over the door.” Airmail snickered as she hoofed open the garden gate at the back of their house.

“Aand she opensh it when she's ashleep?” Wildfire asked when her hooves touched the grass beside the old oak tree.

“Yeah, then you tie the ribbon on her tail!”

When they reached the wooden decking, Wildfire tapped Airmail’s chest with her hoof. “Thatsh why yous the brains...your plan is com...compl...hard.”

“It has to be or the good guys would lose.” Airmail said seriously, hoping that Wildfire would quieten down just a little, for the sake of the neighbours.

Next to her lover, Wildfire did a sharp intake of breath. “We's the goodies. Goodies don' lose.” The yellow mare nodded vigorously, then she wished she didn’t as she suddenly felt quite sick. Seriously, she said, “let’s do it chief!”

“First we see if the door is locked.” Airmail rolled her eyes. “So we got to be all sneaky like.”

“Is that why ev'rtfin's black, so's we can sneek?” Wildfire asked.

“Shhhhh yes,” Airmail’s heart almost shattered into a million pieces for Wildfire then. With a supreme act of willpower however she kept her voice even. “We have our sneaky uniforms on too.”

Wildfire whispered, “sshhhh!”

“Okay,” Airmail whispered, “the door is open, the target is inside.”

Wildfire tip-hoofed to the now open door and whispered. “It’sh even black in 'ere, good thinkin' chief.”

Airmail forced herself to concentrate, despite her desperate need to hug and comfort her drunken herd-mate, she had to get Wildfire inside. “I hear her in the kitchen. We can sneak up stairs and surprise her or try to sneak in the kitchen.”

Wildfire giggled, “let’sh shneek in th' kitchen!”

“Okay, here take the tail ribbon.” Airmail put the tail ribbon in Wildfire’s mouth and, as Tempest had all the lights on downstairs, they both crept into the very well-lit dining room. “If she spots us I'll distract her and you can get the ribbon on, okay agent Wily?”

Another messy salute and again Wildfire giggled, “I got it chief.” She took the ribbon in her front teeth.

Quietly, Airmail walked into the kitchen with a ‘shushing’ hoof held up to her mouth. Tempest, who had of course heard the whole exchange, looked up from her bowl of peach ice cream, and then she looked at the staggering Wildfire and the violet pegasus did an eye roll of her own.

Drunkenly, Wildfire tip-hooved past Airmail into the kitchen (a la mission impossible) and, stalking around the kitchen table she nudging a seating pad that scraped loudly on the tiled floor. “Sssshhhhh!” She hissed as Airmail motioned for Tempest to go back to eating. Grinning, Tempest did so, making sure to clink the spoon noisily on the edge of the bowl.

As she was blind drunk, her sense of smell was somewhat unreliable, so when she heard the clink of the spoon she homed in on the sound like the spy stallion Bond, and creeping nearer she brushed Tempest’s black tail with a forehoof. Comically, she then spent the next five minutes getting the ribbon tied in place.

Rather bemused at these antics – the weather duty had been long, hard and thankless - Tempest clinked the spoon in an empty bowl as she waited for Wildfire to finish so she could go to bed. Meanwhile, Airmail had crept over and whispered near Wildfire’s ear. “This is a critical mission, do you have a report for mission control yet?”

“Hmm…chief,” Wildfire fumbled with the ribbon. “Target aqu...aquir...got. Tying ribbon…” she finally managed to get the ribbon tied. “Done chief!”

Airmail wanted to giggle so badly. “Mission control we are go, I repeat a Go!”

Tempest put on as shocked a voice as she could muster. “Oh no, somepony help! I've been ribboned!”

Lost in the moment, Wildfire jumped to her hooves and shouted; “We's dishcovered! Gt to the chopper!” In a panic she turned and ran, and at full gallop the blind mare ran head first into the refrigerator.

“Ooow!” She moaned as pain flourished across her face and as she slumped in front of the fridge she found herself hugged by two ponies.

“Mission complete Wildfire, good work.” Airmail said from her left side, delivering a kiss flavoured with stale beer, toasted ravioli, and a trace of fish.

“You won and got my tail fair and square.” Tempest said from her right side, placing a peach flavoured kiss to her lover’s lips.

“We's did it chief?” Wildfire slurred in reply, giving deep kisses all round, flinching when she kissed Tempest. “Yeugh! th' enemies has peaches chief!”

Airmail and Tempest both laughed, “I do think a just reward of sleeping on a cloud bed is in order.” Airmail said kindly as she lovingly stroked Wildfire’s black mane.

“Ugh…y'know...” Wildfire rubbed her head where she had hit the fridge. “If we's not shneeking no more...why's it so dark in here?” She stumbled up onto her unsteady hooves.

The two older mares shared a ‘look’ as they held onto the diminutive pegasus. Both of their hearts broke at the same time. “The uh, the lights aren't coming back on, Wildfire.” Tempest chose her words carefully.

“Ah...they's broke!” Wildfire came to the only obvious reason as to why the house was still dark. She tapped Tempest with a hoof. “Yous needs new lightsssss.”

Tempest didn’t know how she kept from crying. “I wish I could give you a new light, love.”

“So go ssssshops an buy!” She tapped Tempest again. “I'm think as drunk I am, even I knows they shells lightses!” She then wrapped a forehoof around Tempest's neck and whispered loudly, “I looove yuuu!”

“I love you too Wildfire.” Tempest gave her lover another peachy kiss.

Airmail gave her a non-peach flavoured kiss. “I loves you too, Wily.”

“To bed!” Airmail and Tempest said together, and with Wildfire between them, they carried her off to the stairs. Wildfire let herself get carried along, and as she touched the bottom step, she started singing Prettiest Eyes again. Just as loud and just as out of tune as she had when she had left Trixie’s Place.