"Okay, Autumn, calm down. It'll be like any other visit. you'll both have a good time, and you'll cherish being with each other. So just...relax."

The Kirin female took several deep breaths, no doubt to try and calm herself. But, as with any upcoming reunion that one was looking forward to, excitement and nervousness battled for control of her, and soon enough, her calming breaths had transformed into a form of hyperventilating, as she was panting furiously, to the point where she actually reached out and took a paper bag to help alleviate it. Now, where she got said bag was anyone's guess, but it did help her after a time. Sitting beside the hut that had been her home for so long, she eventually managed to settle, just in time to hear a hearty chuckle from someone nearby.

"Well...I see someone's looking forward to seeing me again."

A wide smile broke out onto Autumn's face, and her head snapped in the direction of the voice. Its owner was a stallion, and a very tall one at that, with exotic-looking clothing and a warm smile. Walking a few steps closer to her, he took a slight bow with his head.

"My dear Autumn...it has been far too long."

But while he was dignified and composed in his approach, Autumn was far less so, and as soon as she saw him come close enough, she leapt up from her sitting position, launching herself forward and embracing him in a tight hug so intense that it actually winded him a little bit.

"Oooof! Well...um...you're still enthusiastic at least."

Autumn embraced him even tighter, her smile now so big that it looked like it might even pop off her face entirely. But, as clearly happy as she was to see this stallion, even she wasn't so enthusiastic as to crush him outright, and so she eventually released him, giving Hoo'Far a chance to catch his breath.

"I must confess...I have actually missed that."

The two laughed together, and Autumn moved closer to him, looking to him with very clear affection.

"It's so good to see you again, Hoo."

The stallion again gave a bow of his head, then got down to his knees and, taking Autumn's hoof into his own, planted a tender kiss upon it.

"And it is even better to see you, my sweet Autumn."

The young Kirin's cheeks erupted into a blush, and she stifled the immense urge to giggle, even though it was obvious that Hoo'Far would have rather enjoyed such a sight from her. And speaking of whom, the stallion now rose once more, and as the two began to walk back to Autumn's now-disused hut, he looked to her with interest.

"How have you fared these many months, my sweet? I hope you have not been too lonely?"

Autumn responded by looking like a small child with a secret they were eager to tell.

"Weeeeeeeeeeell..."

Hoo'Far raised an eyebrow, and Autumn, who was able to contain herself no longer, let out a loud chortle before again looking to her paramour.

"I'm back with my people now! And they're all talking again!"

Hoo'Far seemed quite taken aback by that, but smiled nevertheless.

"This is truly wonderful news, Autumn! How did this happen?"

Autumn giggled.

"Oh, trust me, it's a long story."

The stallion laughed also.

"Well, you always did enjoy long stories...especially if you speak them in rapid-fire manner."

As before, the two laughed together, and they resumed their walk soon afterwards, making their way towards the cliff-edge near Autumn's former home. There, they stayed silent for a while, staring out into the great and beautiful landscapes that graced their eyes. It was one of Autumn's favourite places, Hoo'Far knew, and as he looked down to her, he smiled warmly, if only because he enjoyed seeing her this happy.

"I...I thought of no other during my time on the road, my love."

Autumn looked to the stallion, smiling affectionately.

"And I thought of nobody but you, Hoo."

The two drew nearer, Hoo'Far again taking Autumn's hoof into his own. But he did not kiss it this time, and instead simply held it, as if the mere act of touching her, even in this simple and innocent way, gave him delight.

"I worried for you, you know. All alone out here."

His smile faded a little.

"I am overjoyed to hear that you and your village have reconciled...but to be out here, with nobody else...for all those years..."

Autumn nodded, silently admitting just how difficult that loneliness was for her. But then, her face perked up, and she took a step closer to her lover, gracing the side of his face with her hoof.

"You were alone too. I may have been here, but you were on the road. Neither of us really had...well...anyone."

They stared into each others' eyes, and after a while, Hoo'Far's smile returned.

"Well...except when I journeyed to this place."

Autumn giggled again.

"Oh, trust me, I majorly looked forward to that. It was the highlight of every three months for me."

Hoo'Far chuckled.

"I will confess, you were a strange one to me at first. So many words, so much passion. It was a lot to take in."

Autumn rolled her eyes.

"Admit it, Hoofy, you loved it."

Hoo'Far, in a move he had clearly been wanting to take for a while now, leaned forward, giving her a gentle and tender kiss upon her lips. Autumn, who was very definitely appreciating this move, leaned in closer so as to kiss him just a little bit harder. The two stayed this way for a while, enjoying what had to have been a very rare interaction with each other. Then, as with all good things, it came to an end, and their lips parted. A silence fell, but when it broke, Autumn gave him a look somewhat more sultry than she was usually known for.

"A kiss is all well and good, Hoofy...but I seem to recall things going a bit...well...further the last time we met."

Hoo'Far looked to her in a knowing way.

"Oh, I assure you, I would very much like to pick up where we left off. However..."

His eyes drifted up, and he looked just a little bit amused all of a sudden.

"...I doubt you'd, say, want an audience?"

At first, Autumn didn't know what he'd meant, but then, as realisation set in for her, her eyes widened, and she spun around in place. She could see the bushes rustling beside her old hut, and without even saying a word, she could tell what was going on. Sighing, she rubbed her temples, before letting out a grunt.

"Argh! Alright, come on out! We know you're there!"

A while passed before anything else happened, and then, out popped the heads of at least a dozen other Kirin, including, to Autumn's surprise, their leader Rain Shine. While all of them appeared some degree of guilty over having spied and interrupted Autumn's private time with Hoo'Far, there were some who now popped out and, with great eagerness, walked up to her and began to barrage her with questions.

"How did you two meet?"

"How long has this been going on?"

"Where is he from?"

"Is he a good kisser?"

"Will he be staying for a while?"

Autumn, understandably, groaned to this, but then eased up a bit as Hoo'Far whispered into her ear.

"Fear not, my love. I'm sure you'll come to love such energy from your fellow Kirin."

He then, to her slight surprise, kissed her on the cheek.

"...Just as I learned to love it from you."

Autumn, who was wrestling with the slight irritation that her village friends were gasping and giggling like school children over that little display, soon looked to her lover with an arched eyebrow.

"Hmph...flatterer."

Hoo'Far merely gave her another of his warm and friendly smiles.

"For you, my dear? always."

The two kissed again, oblivious and uncaring to the stares they were getting from the rest. Many looked to them with gaping mouths, and Rain Shine herself afforded herself a chuckle over it.

"Well, if I'd have known this might have happened to Kirin who lived outside our village, I might have tried it myself at one point."

A fellow Kirin looked to her with shock at such a statement, leading to a giggle on Rain's part.

"Oh, don't mind me. Besides, I think it's best of we leave these two alone for a bit."

Moments later, rather than actually leaving, she continued to stare at the still-kissing couple, and the aforementioned other Kirin silently looked to her leader, waiting for her to actually do as she'd said she would, to which Rain simply sighed.

"Just...just let me watch a cute little bit of romance, alright?"

Sometimes, you get an idea for a ship that simply does not let you go