At the Crumble household, Rarity looks up from the crowded dinner table as the front door opens with an echoing bang. She takes a quick step back, her eyes lighting up. “Daddy!”

“Hey, sport!” Hondo Flanks genially bellows as he sets his hoof back on the floor with a loud thud. He drags his heavy bag of gear, emblazoned with the Canterhorn Miner’s golden hardhat and crossed pickaxes. He slides it across a well-worn part of the floor where it thumps against the wall. He nuzzles Rarity, then the four mares standing at the table, ending with Cookie Crumbles. Each touch of his is chaste, far less than the mares - including Rarity, to their mutual chagrin - wants it to be. Yet Hondo tears away with a ferocity he normally reserves for his hoofball opponents - or his mares, when they too try to gang up on him.

Rarity returns to her place at the table as Hondo makes his way around to the foal and filly happily dancing from one hoof to another atop their high bench. He grins as a heaping plate slides in front of him, digging into the fresh greens. Bits spill out of his mouth as he glances to Cookie, his attention not straying long from his plate. “Anything interesting happen today?”

“School was as hectic as always,” Cookie says, a hoof reaching over to tussle Namby Pamby’s mane. “Somepony couldn’t keep still, could she?”

“I almost got my cutie mark!” Namby pipes up, huffing. She spins around to glare at her blank flank. “But investigative reporter just didn’t feel right. I’m going to try being a gossip columnist next!”

“Don’t worry, champ. You’ll get there!” Hondo turns to the next mare in line, chatting with each until he gets to Rarity. “What did that hole digging expedition find hidden beneath? Lots of-” His eyes light up, swaying back and forth to a steady beat as his deep voice chants, “-Diamonds, rubies, gold, and more!?”

“No chants at the dinner table!” commands Cookie Crumbles.

Hondo dismisses her complaint with a flippant wave. His horn joins the collection of glows, stuffing his face and messily chewing. He continues to rock back and forth at the table, mumbling under his breath despite his lead mare's command.

Rarity titters, feeling the sudden urge to march around with dual pickaxes strapped to her back as her sire beats his snare drum, just like when she played the Miner’s mascot years ago. “Nothing as abundant as the Canterhorn mines, I’m afraid. But, with Doug’s assistance, I was able to get quite the ‘haul’, as it were.”

“Doug?” Hondo says, pausing his chewing while he searches his memory. “That’s, um…”

“Applejack’s new stallion,” Niminy Piminy supplies, not bothering to hide her disdain.

“Sounds like he’d fit right in with the Miner’s, then,” Hondo chortles through a mouthful of greens. “Think he suckled from a teat of stone, too?” He shakes his head, laughing at his own joke, though it turns a bit dour at the end. “He’d have to, herding up with her.”

“He is certainly tenacious,” Rarity says fondly, recalling how Doug has been treated and how quickly he rebounded. “I was planning another expedition with him on Genday, trying out a new area.”

Hondo frowns as he catches the tender tone of her voice, the dreamy look in her eyes, and the way her tail flags up just slightly. His frenzied eating stalls. “Really?”

“Mmhm. There are some wind caves along the walls of the Ghastly Gorge. Difficult to access, at least for us without wings.” Rarity glances at Piminy with an almost hopeful look.

“Yeah, good luck getting a pegasus to go spelunking with you,” Piminy says with a snort.

“Daring Do is unique in that regard,” Rarity agrees readily. “But he likes exploring, and I’m confident we’ll unearth some hidden trove.” Her attention turns back to her sire. She frowns at his disappointed expression.

“Just as long as that’s all you’re exploring,” Hondo mutters darkly.

“What are you trying to say?” demands Rarity. Her gaze flicks to Piminy. The pegasus mare returns a sour look, though holds her tongue, even as Hondo follows Rarity’s gaze.

“Look,” Hondo says, a hoof jabbing at the table, mostly in the direction of the gear he brought home, “I know we play up the earth pony symbolism, but that’s all it is. Slogans and catchphrases, not sound advice! And it sure as Tartarus ain’t a guide for what to look for in a stallion!”

“Of course I know that.” Rarity backs away from the table, taking her empty plate with her. “And Doug isn’t like those brutes. Or even like the Castle unicorns you introduced me to. I hate to say it, but they were too marish for me! All they wanted to talk about was hoofball and working out; they barely even pretended to listen to what I planned for the Boutique, or had an inkling of what was going on in Canterlot outside their stallion only gyms! I want somepony who will be with me, assisting in and out of the Boutique!”

“I can’t help if the guys on the team weren’t your type, but what I’m saying is that the foremares shouldn’t get too close to the miners.” Hondo holds a hoof to his forehead, grunting exasperatedly. “It might not seem dangerous, but it rarely works out in the end.” He glances at Piminy, his hard expression softening. “I’m not saying it can’t work out, but it takes a lot of work. And understanding about what might not be.”

“I already tried to talk to her,” Piminy says, her head raising slightly. “She didn’t want to listen then, either.”

“And Doug understands what might not be a lot better than you might think,” Rarity retorts.

“So I don’t know the guy personally.” Hondo sighs loudly. “And you’re your own mare. But I’ve fended off a lot of advances, earth ponies looking for something a bit more exotic.”

“He’s not an earth pony,” Rarity states coldly. She hates how his repressed disgust briefly fades. She takes more pleasure than she should as she says, “In fact, he’s not a pony at all.”

Hondo’s puzzlement is short lived. “He’s that creature from before.” The growl underscoring his words is impossible to miss. “Look, sport. You’re going to make your own decisions. But have you thought this one all the way through? I get that it’s fun and exciting to do something new and different. Hay, that’s why I play hornless with the Miner’s; how many other unicorns can keep up?”

“I know, daddy,” Rarity says, drawing out her words, knowing it’s futile to try to head off the incoming lecture. She can feel her frustration building quickly, especially when neither of her other two dahms come to her defense.

“And while I play halfback on the Castles, I’m only a wide receiver on the Miners.” Hondo has lost much of his boisterous temper, his bulk dwarfing Rarity. Nevertheless, he settles next to her, doing his best not to bump his little filly. “You know why that is?”

“Because you practice with your horn more,” Rarity grits out, knowing it isn’t the answer he’s looking for.

“Because the Miners, much as I like the challenge, they aren’t my home team. The Castles are.” Hondo sighs, resting his head against her, careful not to mess with her mane. "And I spend as much of my time and effort as I can with my own team/

Rarity finds that she really, really wishes that he would mess with her mane. Just to show that things are fine between them, that she is still his little filly, that he doesn’t feel like he’s pushing her away just by giving her well intentioned advice. Even if she won’t take it.

“In the same way,” Hondo continues, “you’re going to have to make a choice.”

“I don’t have to make that choice,” Rarity interrupts. Her head drops just slightly. “Applejack found out that Doug can’t sire foals.”

“He…” Hondo trails off, frowning.

Rarity glances outside. “And I’m going to be late for my date with him.”

Hondo stares at Namby Pamby, except his gaze seems to focus a thousand strides beyond. He mutters to nopony in particular, “Takes some steel in the bones to keep up with the Apples.”

“You cannot be serious!” hisses Cookie Crumbles, barely repressing her shout. Behind her, Piminy nods along, teeth clenched. The two youngsters Firelock and Namby have both gone quiet and still while the other two mares, Cinnamon Chai and Juno, look like they want nothing to do with the argument.

“Well,” Rarity scoffs, “you all can argue over what will happen with my life, while I am at my Boutique.” She stomps to the doorway, glaring back. Her parents and Piminy continue to argue, their words only getting more heated. Yet when she sees her sire hunker down, his ears folding back, Rarity snaps. “If I don’t come back tonight, it is because Doug and I will be exploring!”

Rarity slams the door behind her, barely catching a glimpse of her sire’s pleading eyes.

A few streetlights are all that lights the darkened town, the storm clouds above blocking sight of the stars and moon. Her canter quickly eats up the short distance to Carousel Boutique, and it’s not nearly enough time to release her anger through her hooves. Her last refuge looms ahead, standing alone with only a few trees for company. She gasps as she sees Doug’s nearly prone form, his legs bent at awkward angles to the torso nearly lain across the ground, his hands touching one foot.

“Doug!” Rarity shouts, any previous concerns forgotten. She races forward as her horn lights, a blinding light illuminating the broken human.

“Aah!” shouts Doug as a hand flies to his eyes, his torso flipping upright as he scrambles backwards. He peeks through his fingers, his frenzied movements stopping as he thinks he recognizes her. “Rarity?! The hell was that for?”

“Are you alright?” Rarity demands as she stops next to him. A quick visual scan doesn’t show any blood, and she gulps as his arms and legs move normally.

“I’m fine,” Doug says, more than a little annoyed. He groans as he lays prone, one knee bending to his chest. “Tired as all get out.” He glances at Rarity; the mare takes one deep breath after another, still looking quite worried. “You doing okay?”

“Me?” Rarity says, taken aback. “I’m… fine.”

“Cool,” Doug says, not really believing her. He grunts as he stands, grabbing his pack next to him. Something sloshes around inside.

Rarity leads the way inside her shop, debating where to go for their ‘date’. “I didn’t know humans could bend so far; I must confess, I was quite worried when I saw you. Why were you laying like that?”

“Well, the Apples were making cider.” Doug smirks as Rarity’s eyes light up, an eager smile crossing her muzzle as she glances to his pack. “Yeah, you think you’re happy, you should have seen Rainbow Dash. They tried chasing her away from the barrels with a stick, but when she kept coming back they gave her a job. She got to stack barrels while I ran the treadmill, swapping with Big Mac.”

Rarity raises an eyebrow. “You kept up with Big Mac?”

Doug laughs once, a deep ‘Hah!’ that reminds her of her sire. “Not a chance. Well, mostly. After about four hours we were both getting tired. All that running I’ve done has paid off.” Doug goes silent for a few seconds, stretching his legs some more. “Hurts like nothing else, though. But, I did bring something to help.”

Rarity’s eyes light up as he pulls two bottles of cider from the bag. Doug pops the top off hers, passing it to her. She takes it with a hoof, clinking it against his. “Cheers!”

“Cheers,” Doug returns, taking a sip. “It’s just sweet cider, it’ll be a little while before they can get the stronger stuff going.”

“Mm,” Rarity says, snuggling next to Doug. She’s surprised how warm the human is, for not having a coat and sitting outside. She’d probably have gotten at least a blanket to tuck herself under if he wasn’t there.

“So, what was your plan for tonight?” Doug takes another sip, content to lean against Rarity.

A grin crosses Rarity’s face. “Do you like roleplaying games?”

Doug’s face brightens, though not quite as much as Rainbow Dash’s. “You mean, like Dungeons and Dragons, or in the bedroom?”

“Ogres and Oubliettes, dear.” Rarity taps a hoof against her chin. “And, either, I suppose.”

“Yes.” Doug runs a hand through her mane. “I’d prefer the first more. But, you know, I’m up for whatever.”

“Excellent,” Rarity intones with a certain dark tone.

Next Chapter: Ch. 47 - Lightbane Raiment Estimated time remaining: 9 Hours, 42 Minutes