If she was to succeed, it wouldn't be... her way. Her way was her way. Her way was grand, old, powerful, and useless, at least in one specific case. Tabitha had her way, and the beasts had their own way. Their ways were close enough that they were coming together despite the differences.

Those same differences would never let them come across the wider divide that kept them from her. Spring frowned a little as she stalked through the hallways. Being a mature adult meant sometimes admitting that your tools were not sufficient for the job.

"Oh, hello." It was the female horse, looking up at her with some surprise. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"You haven't," agreed Spring, but she dialed back the acid. This horse would serve far better as an ally. She didn't see what her feral stud saw in the creature, but perhaps learning was just another lesson to take? "I was actually hoping we could talk," she said in a sweeter tone.

Coco cringed at the first words, but brightened at the later ones, perking with the kinder tone. "How can I help?" She tilted her head a little. "I confess, I don't know much about... your kind?"

Of course she wouldn't. Spring would be shocked if any of these little horses knew a thing about her people. Spring took a gentle breath. Honey would draw many more flies than vinegar. "I want something."

"Oh?" She blinked with confusion. "What's that?"

Spring fought the urge to frown, failed, but pressed on. "I was... pursuing... Being pursued?" She crouched to the level of that small horse. "I am speaking of Tabitha."

Coco gave an almost half-nod. "I know her, of course. She's both of our landlady."

Spring smiled at that. She was more than that, for both of them. "Did she tell you about us?"

Coco thought back and the memory became clear. She paled as she remembered that Tabitha had laid with the strange creature in front of her. "Are you really, I mean... Are you with foal?"

"A foal? I suppose that's a fitting name for it." Spring put a hand over her belly. "I am her broodmate, but you've become involved with her."

Coco's eyes widened and she took a halfstep away. "Are you angry?"

She sounded scared and timid. Spring smiled. "Oh no." She was furious, but there were solutions. Being angry specifically at Coco would do little. "I just... I want to be part of things. I don't want to be just a broodmate, approached when I'm fertile and seeded and otherwise ignored." That was actually much her original plan, but plans were made to be revised.

Coco's fuzzy ears went down and wide before they perked up again. "I'm... sorry, but you're... I don't even know what you are, miss."

Spring offered a hand. "Then let me do you a favor. I will teach you and show you what I am."

Coco saw nothing wrong with the idea. The dangers of fae creatures were far beyond her. "S--"

"Stop." Dark Vision approached with a scowl. "You will not ensnare her like that."

Spring scowled at the new member of the conversation. "This has little to do with you, rude horse. Haven't you intruded enough on my dealings?"

"Dealings?" Coco looked between Spring and Dark back and forth rapidly. "Is something wrong?"

Spring let out a loud sigh. "Our... She isn't wrong." Trying to keep that a secret would hurt her, in the long run. She erred for honesty. "Agreeing to a favor from a fae, such as myself, means that you must return the favor, and it must satisfy us. This can be quite a task at times."

Dark snorted softly as she sat beside the two. "At least you've admitted that. Now that we've shoved that aside, what do you want?"

Coco was baffled at the tense mood. "She wanted to address some... rather intimate details." She didn't know everything, but even speaking of the growing family was private. She was sure of that. "There's nothing wrong with that, I think?"

Dark raised a brow. "I will assume you, at least, speak the clear truth. Do you wish to be alone with this... elf?"

Spring frowned. To have her race spoken of so harshly... She hadn't heard it said that way since the dwarves.

"Especially one so young."

Spring flushed dark and furious. How did anyone know?! Why! Even as those thoughts ran through her head, she realized she had given it away. If Dark Vision wasn't certain before, she would be afterwards. That cocky smile on her face... Dark had seen the way Spring had reacted to the words and it answered quite clearly.

Spring was discovered. Her plans were falling apart. "I'm older than either of you," she hissed, knowing that much to be true.

Dark held up a hoof. "I will discern your true name, elf."

Her blood ran cold. With proper arcane power and knowledge, she could be commanded and made a puppet with that knowledge. She knew with terrifying certainty that Dark Vision had the power and the knowledge. She fell to her knees, quaking with building terror. "Why are you picking on me?" To have that threat leveled at her was more than she could bear. Tears stung at her eyes as she sniffled. She had been reduced to even less than a beast. She was helpless.

She was a failure. "Why...?"

Dark Vision scowled. "You need to learn humility. No matter how great you think you are, someone is always larger and better than you. Princess Luna looms over me even as I loom over you--"

Her words were cut off as Coco moved in the way of the two, scowling at Dark. "Stop that!"

"What?" The idea of a well-mannered civilian getting in her way was ridiculous. "Are you being controlled?" She didn't see any threads that yet tied Coco to the elf.

"I don't need to be controlled to know you're being mean!" Coco stomped a hoof. "Stop it this instant. She's an expecting mother in a very awkward situation... Even if she was part of the problem." She glanced back at Spring. "Besides, if she's as young as you said, she should be treated with gentle respect and care, not like a criminal!"

Spring wasn't sure how to feel. She was... grateful that Coco was standing up for her even as she burned with shame that she needed rescuing at all, especially in such a manner. She was being guarded like a child from a predator. She was no child! Spring rose to her feet.

Even as Spring regathered her strength, Dark was scowling at Coco. "She is an almost incalculably devious and dangerous alien."

Coco thrust a hoof back at Spring. "Alien's a terrible word to use about ponies we don't understand."

"And you do?" Dark raised a brow.

Spring saw a chance. She stepped forward and reached as Tabitha often did, placing her hand on Coco's withers and petting gently. "I'd like to know her."

Coco smiled at the response. "Give her a chance."

Dark shook her head firmly. "She's had a chance. I will discern that name." She turned in place and marched off angrily, leaving the two of them alone.

Spring frowned after the warlock before looking down at her new potential... friend. Yes, friend. "Thank you." The phrase was a test.

"You're quite welcome. Nopony deserves to be treated that way."

Coco had passed the test without knowing it. Spring relaxed a little. "What do you think I should do?"

"That's a large question." Coco shook her head slowly. "I... Follow me. I need to catch you up on what's going on." She had no idea Spring had been spying. "To begin, Tabitha is gathering a herd, though I don't think even she realizes that's what's going on around her. It seems clear to me."

"Is that normal?" asked Spring with genuine curiosity. She had assumed true horses did such without a thought. Ponies were... a little different. Knowing those differences might serve her quite well.

"Oh yes, very." Coco nodded as the led the elf along. "Most ponies are monogamous, but there are many exceptions. Herd is the term used for the legally accepted variant."

That made Spring curious. "As opposed to?"

"Well..." Coco rolled a hoof as she went. "If two ponies decide they want to live together and be together and basically be married without actually marrying or limiting who they, um, sleep with... That can happen, but it isn't covered by law or general practice."

"I see." Of course, Coco had just described most elven relations. Most of them spent most of the time not breeding, with each other or other things. Spring huffed faintly as she went. She liked her beast. Tabitha was so strong and virile and powerful. There was no mistaking that Tabitha was so... alive. When she had been pinned and bred, that life had infected Spring.

She had felt alive. The little mote in her, that was alive too. It was a beast. It had to be, but it was a living one, and she, its living mother. She was no mountain range or perfect sky, unliving and enchanting. She had been sullied, made dirty and visceral. She wanted more.

"Are you alright?" Coco was looking at her as she pushed open her door with a hoof. "We're here."

Spring followed after Coco into her apartment. There were so many things she wanted to know, and she felt she was on the right track.

"It's alright."

Bubbles scowled at Trap. "That's easy for you to say."

"This is Razzy we're talking about." Trap rolled a hoof. "You think he'll just walk away?"

"Why wouldn't he?!"

A soft clopping came from the door before Razz came into view with a nervous look on his face. "Hi."

"Hi?!" Bubbles hopped to her hooves. "All that, and 'Hi' is what you say?"

Trap put a hoof on Bubbles' right shoulder. "Easy there, sis. I don't think he meant nothing by it."

Razz flashed a nervous smile. "Can we... talk?"

"What is there to talk about?" Bubbles turned away.

Razz came up beside her and gently rubbed his side to hers. "I love you."

It wasn't the love she thought she had from him. The words stung. "No you don't."

"I love you as a sister." He circled around her. "I look up to you. I'm proud of you."

"Proud of me?!" Bubbles blinked in disbelief. "What would you be so proud of?"

Trap sank to his belly. "There's a lot to be proud of, sis."

Razz bobbed his head. "What isn't there to be proud of? You supported both of us at our lowest. You're clever and strong, and not just physically. You're so... strong inside. You... I feel weak compared to you. You're just so strong." He smiled. "I'm so proud of my sister from another mother."

Bubbles glared at her brother, switching targets. "Are you proud of your thug of a sister, bro?"

Trap was silent a moment before he nodded. "What you did was wrong, but you did it. You ran through the mud to keep us fed and safe. You did scary things, sis, just for us." He stood up. "I hope that's all behind us, but if you want me to be sad or mad or something, I'm not. I'm proud of my sister."

"Me too." Razz knew that sounded a bit lame, but he'd said it and he meant it. "Bubbles, I love you so Celestia-damned much! I might... not love you that way, but every other way, seriously."

Bubbles quirked a smile. "She was part of that. She held out a hoof to us both. She led my stupid half-brother to get a real job and stand up for himself. She held out the other, giving me a place to be, and a purpose, but only... if I wanted it. Damn freak even reached out a third hoof, taking her damned price. She took you." She stomped a hoof. "I wanted you..."

Trap nudged against Bubbles. "If you like Razz with a spine, you have to take that with the chance he decides something you don't like."

Bubbles scowled at Trap before looking back at Razz. "Are we still a team?"

Author's Notes:

Things are cooled, sort of?

After all that heat, I'm afraid the ink is drying in odd shapes.