****
??????? ????????

Ari

Turns out I was looking for food in all the wrong places last night, I thought that since this was a forest there would be berries and herbs I could munch near the ground. Nope, Chrysalis just shook her head at my foraging and led me to a tree. The tree was the same old pine-like trees around it but it had a thick woody vine wrapped around it. Looking up the trunk I saw the strangest plant adaption: the vines had wrapped around the upper branches forming “bushes” made up of tinier vines. Berry bushes to be exact, I wasn’t expecting that.

My mouth opened and closed, just how was I supposed to reach those berries?

As if taunting me a dark purple berry fell and went splat on the end of my muzzle. I licked the squashed berry off my muzzle and moaned in contentment, it was sweet and smelled a little like anise.

I will call you anise berries and I shall eat you.

“Wow, they are really ripe-,“ Chrysalis had started to say but I tuned her out. How do I climb this tree? Circling the tree I realized there were no low branches to grab, then I realized something even more problematic, I had hooves now. It might take awhile for me to get used to the whole no thumbs part of this Alicorn body…That’s it!

I am a flying, magical being! With my horn and wings I could easily get the berries down.

“So Chrissy” I turned to her and gave the unsuspecting mare the widest eyes I could, “Will you explain flying to me?”

The changeling blinked owlishly at me. Maybe it was the nickname? I turned up the charm anyway, “Pretty please, I promise to do whatever you say! I would really owe you one if you would.” I almost had to break out the trembling lip, which I’m not even sure would have the right effect on her since I had a muzzle, until she gave the universal sign of defeat. She sighed, a really long drawn out sigh.

“Are you serious?" I nodded enthusiastically, "Fine, fine okay listen up." My ears were perked and ready, "First lift your wings into an upstroke then as you move into the down stroke push off the ground with your legs. After that it’s more a matter upstrokes and downstrokes with minor adjustments to change direction.“ Well, I was expecting a more scientific answer than 'flap your wings'.

“That’s it?”

Chrissy simply nodded.

OK! Time to fly, my muzzle turned into a grin at the thought. I mean I suppose I should have been nervous after yesterday’s experience but I wasn’t, I really wanted to fly.

Quickly raising my wings to their full height, I paused as the muscles twinged at the base like they hadn’t ever been used, which I suppose they really hadn’t. Chrysalis had to backup has my wingspan hit what I would guess was fourteen feet, with each wing around seven feet long. Just as quickly I brought my wings straight down and pushed up with my legs.

I really overshot that tree.

Hurtling upward for quite awhile as the world blurred, this lasted what was really only a couple of seconds before I remembered to lift up again. Catching my breath as my heart raced I hovered there a second before remembering to flap, although I did it flap in smaller arcs and at a much slower rate after seeing what a full flap did. Hovering there, I barely noticed the view before I heard a small voice from below.

Oh yeah, Chrissy was still down there!

My hypothesis proved correct as slowing my flapping further allowed me to descend. The tree top was still a good fifty feet away though. I really would need to watch my strength if one strong flap sends me up two hundred feet!

I landed on the closest branch and dug in. I know I said these berries were sweet before but they were really, really sweet, like addictly sweet. Hunger was hitting me full force then. I eventually tucked my wings in and hopped from branch to branch, eating all the berries on each bush. Below, Chrysalis had stopped calling out whatever she had been saying before was just gazing at me in wonder. I suppose I did look like a giant equine crow eating the berries the way I was.

With the last of the anise berries eaten I jumped the last twenty feet down to Chrysalis.

“Thank you.” I really did mean it, I wouldn’t have thought to look up for berries, nor would I have tried flying without the explanation. Even if it was too easy to mess up.

“Wow, are you always this…Hungry? I mean, you just demolished a tree’s worth of berries. That had to be close to thirty pounds of Charona berries!” So that’s what they are called!

“Was it really that much? Because believe it or not, I’m still hungry.” I put a hoof to my mouth in thought, I was really hungry still. I don’t remember ever eating that much before. I looked at my still flat stomach. How had thirty pounds of berries fit in there? Was this another Alicorn thing?

Chrysalis's eye twitched and she started mumbling what I'm sure were curses about Alicorns and cake, before she headed…I couldn’t tell the direction,the sun was directly above us again! But it was just sunrise a couple of hours ago…

I caught up with Chrysalis. “So I noticed the sun is always overhead, how do we tell what direction we are going in?”

She sighed, ears going back as she walked away, “Tired of me already-“

“What?! No, I find you to be great company when you aren’t starving." I tried for a smile, yet she didn't smile back, instead watching me carefully. "I also don’t know what direction anywhere is. I still want to find civilization and figure out this wor-“

BANG! RUMBLE RUMBLE...

We both jumped up, our wings were raised, my muscles tense and ready to get away if necessary. We looked at each other then above as a shadow dimmed the sun. The wind ruffled my feathers as they returned to my back.

“Run!”

Chrissy had started to gallop in the direction of the cave. I didn’t move, run from a cloud? I mean sure it looked like a rain cloud but a little rain wouldn’t hurt. Her magic was enveloping my hooves trying to drag me forward. This was getting silly.

“Are you afraid of a rain cloud?”

She was at my side now, trying to move me which much to her chagrin only made me want to not move. ‘Frustrating’ was a common adjective my friends would use to describe me. That is they would, but I am probably never getting home…

“It's not JUST a rain cloud, it’s a storm!" A storm wouldn't kill us. "Come on, we have to find cover.”

As if to back Chrysalis up, a bolt of lightning struck the tree behind us. We froze and turned around. There was a smoldering stump stood behind us now. The tree I had been flitting about earlier was just gone.

*Poof*

Chrysalis almost fell as I got up and bolted into a gallop for the cave, I could feel her breath on my tail as she quickly caught up. Funny how lightning puts some motivation in a pony.

****
??????? ????????

Chrysalis

Honestly, stallions can be so foalish.

I shook out my mane only to be splattered by the stallion in question. Ari shook himself like a dog and honestly looked a little rugged with his mane messy like that. But now I was wet again.

Scowling I looked around the cave he had brought us to. There was still some kindling and logs left. Other than that we had a rock floor to sleep on, I just know my chitin was going to be sore after another night in this cave.

I couldn’t believe him though, me afraid of rain? No. But there hasn’t been just a rain cloud outside of Equestria in years. But it did give me idea where I was now. Lightening that powerful had only been seen in the Diamond Mountains. Which wasn’t really a problem for the Diamond dogs that lived here, they just tunneled deeper.

Outside, the wind was starting to pick up, almost howling at the cave opening. I shuddered as it reminded me of the dogs that lived on these ranges. I must have the lucky mare on my side to have not run into them yet.

*crackle*

I jumped and looked to see Ari lighting a log on fire with his magic. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you Chrissy.” He gave a weak smile.

Latching onto the only thing I could think of, I asked, “Chrissy?”

“Er, yes. You didn’t seem to object to it when I called you it earlier so I figured…,” he trailed off looking nervously at the fire. I have never had such a nickname, usually my other titles were more, well, dark to put it simply. I had been called everything from a whorse to a demonic bug from Tartarrus, never “Chrissy”. I liked it. Perhaps this meant I could have a fresh start...A nice thought but unlikely anyway, I won't look the gift Alicorn in the mouth.

Ari had laid down now and looked troubled.

“I don’t mind it, I just haven’t been called something so…Nice. Usually my other titles have been more along the lines of an insult.”

He perked up, his wings rising in excitement. Like I said, he was very foalish to get excited from me accepting a nickname.

Speaking of his wings, they looked horrid with feathers displaced and loose.

I walked up to him and looked at the ground beside him and back at him with a raised eyebrow. Ari smiled and patted the ground in invitation, I settled in beside him. I couldn’t help but close my eyes as his emotions rushed over me. I don’t know what I did to deserve his arrival but I’m so glad I did whatever it was. I didn’t feel nearly as weak as yesterday, a week of this and I would be normal again. Perhaps I should pay him back in some way?

His feathers irked me...

“Can I help you preen?” This may have been too presumptuous on my part, but his wings truly looked a mess. Wings were a special place for pegasi, never mind a Alicorn. Only their friends and family ever helped with preening as it was a rather sensual experience for the recipient. So, I was really out of line since we just met.

But...They were so...Messy! My eye twitched as I stared at one feather standing straight up.

He blinked at me, “Sure-,“ he trailed off as I grabbed a hold of a loose primary that was just holding on. I wasn't wasting this opportunity. He extended his wing and I slid back along his barrel before setting to work.

I could feel actually his muscles relax beside me as I started at the secondary flight feathers, they seemed to be the least messy. Although, they certainly were sensitive if his wings twitching was any indication. Soon, my muzzle was tucked in along his wing bone, my tongue twisting around base of his feathers, lining them up and pulling the few that were making way for new feathers. He gave a low moan as I pulled out a couple more. This continued on at relaxed pace as the storm raged outside, the fire keeping us warm as I worked on his wing and he let me know how good I was doing with low moans. I kind of liked this in a strange way, of course the love he was radiating helped make this a mutually enjoyable act. It was strange doing this for him, wanting to do this for him.

Before long I had to move to reach his furthest primaries, his wings were a good seven feet long, each. Ari caught me off guard when he used his wing to push me back against his barrel when I started sliding towards his wing tip, this time he kept his wing half tucked so I wouldn’t have to move. He looked at me briefly before closing his eyes again, a very serene look his face. I hummed, oddly at ease with his silent askance, and placed my muzzle at his wing tip. My tongue wound around his feathers with ease and before long I was gazing back at my finished work, my stomach growing pleasantly full. You could clearly see the difference between his right one, although he had black feathers they seemed to shine with a renewed vigor after a expert preening under my mouth. Long tongues are quite a blessing for preening, although I don’t personally preen my own with their unique material. A simple buzz removes any dirt, it was a blessing to be so low maintenance.

I look at his other wing, which was still a embarrassment. I got up and stepped over him before laying on his other side. Shuddering as I laid down. The rock was cold but that would soon change.

Like a well oiled machine I licked, twisted, and pulled his feathers and he complimented each expert move with a moan. Before long I needed his wing tip again and Ari was expecting it this time, bringing in his wing to a half tucked position. With one last feather fixed I slid up his barrel intent on using his neck as a pillow.

Perhaps tomorrow he won’t wake me up the way he did today.