I have to confess that I did not finish my prior entry without a couple of interruptions in the morning. After a quick morning shower, I got dressed and sat myself down at the typewriter that had been provided for me to put down everything of note from the previous day. A good ways in, I heard a knock at the door and turned in my seat to see the door open to reveal none other than Princess Skystar carrying a platter covered by a silver dome.

"Good morning!" Novo's daughter called out as she walked in with impressive balance for carrying something like that with the use of only three of her limbs. "I thought I'd bring you breakfast today. Crab omelets with jam on wheat toast all right?"

"Ooh, sounds awesome. Thank you." I said while turning my chair around and pulling up a folding tray to allow Skystar to set my food down. She lifted the lid off, releasing a cloud of steam to show exactly what she described. Crab and spinach omelets lined with feta cheese and slices of wheat toast with blackberry jam.

I quickly got to work on my breakfast, starting with a slice of toast before moving onto the meatier options. Skystar remained seated before me with quite a smile on her beak. I quickly found out why she brought me my breakfast herself. She wanted to talk. "I just wanted to say... Mom is looking a lot happier today. Like...really happy. I haven't seen her this happy since when Dad was still around."

"Wait, really? She's in that good of a mood?" I asked while pausing in my dining. Everything was delicious, but I could wait a moment before continuing.

"Uh huh! She's almost always smiling. She cracks jokes sometimes. And sometimes she's just...really distracted. But in a good way. Like there's something really nice on her mind. Kinda like how I am when I think about dolphins and clams." Skystar explained while looking both confused, yet pleased by what she had seen. "I dunno what you've been doing to help her, but it's working."

"Yeah... Glad to hear that." I said uneasily as my thoughts went back to the previous night. God, I am still trying to process everything that happened. So much passion and genuine love in the air... I could still remember Novo's taste when we kissed. The full rounded contours of her motherly hips in my hands. I silently reprimanded myself as I realized I was having less than decent thoughts about the mother of the mare sitting before me. "So... She's in a really good mood?"

"Mmhm. I think she wanted to see you, but she told me she didn't have time." Skystar replied as I remembered what we said to each other that morning. It would be best to give each other space so we could process our thoughts and feelings on the matter. Skystar went silent for a moment as she probably noticed that I had become too distracted to keep eating. "Do you like her?"

My eyes reflexively opened a bit wider upon hearing that question. I decided to be as honest as possible without making any preemptive assumptions about where I stood on the matter. "Yes... Very much. Novo is amazing. You have an awesome mom."

"Yeah, I know. My mom's pretty cool. Anyway, I just wanted to talk to you about that. I'll let you get back to your breakfast, OK?" Skystar said before she stood up and began to back away to the door. "It was nice talking to you, James. Just leave your dishes and someone will come by to retrieve them in a while."

"Will do. You have a good one, Skystar." I replied as she departed. I dug back into my breakfast with more focus, savoring the rich jam and the delectable flavor of the omelet. The hippogriffs have such good taste in cooking.

I did not go undisturbed for much longer. Right after I finished my breakfast and went back to my typewriter, barely five minutes passed before I heard another knock at the door. Mildly annoyed that I was being interrupted again already, I turned to look at the door as it opened. But my mood suddenly shifted when I saw Silverstream walk in. And she did not say anything as she looked at me with a rather displeased expression.

I could see what she was unhappy about just by looking at her face. The moment I averted my gaze, Silverstream spoke up. "Did something happen last night? You never showed up..."

"Yeah, something did... One of the guards came by to tell you all, right?" I asked while managing to bring myself to make eye contact with my young friend. Even though I knew Novo needed me last night, I did not make the choice to stay willingly.

"Uh huh... One of Dad's friends stopped by and let us know that something important came up and you couldn't make it." She said while sitting on the floor before me. "Was it bad?"

I was not sure if I should give away all the details, so I told her what she needed to know. "Novo was in a delicate state at the time and dearly required my presence. I had to stay with her through the night, but she's doing just fine now."

"Ooooh, it must have been pretty bad. You did say you accidentally broke her heart... She must really like you if she wanted you to look after her." Silverstream said as her eyes perked up a bit. But she then asked, "But...you'll be at my place tonight, right? I was really looking forward to some more cuddles in bed..."

"Yeah, I'll definitely be there tonight. I won't disappoint you two days in a row." I said softly as I reached out and pet her on the head. Silverstream finally smiled and tilted her head into my hand. "And...thank you for being there for me yesterday."

"Aw, I'm glad I could help. I don't like seeing my best friend all sad." Silverstream chirped as she churred at my touch. I then started digging my fingers deeper through her plumage as her feathers began to fluff up. "Ooooh, scritches... Oh yeah, that's how I wanna start my day..."

"Only the best for the prettiest bird." I said with a slight chuckle as Silverstream closed her eyes and sat pretty while letting my fingers go to work in her plumage. After a minute of giving her more of her favorite scritches, I finally brought up a question. "Got any plans for today? I was hoping to get out of the palace for a while today."

"Mmmm... Goooood scritches.... Huh? You wanna do something? Um... I'll check with Skystar! Maybe she can think of something." Silverstream replied before she reached out and hugged me. "I'll be back. Wait for me, OK?"

I patted my little friend on the back as she put her arms around me. "Will do. I'll be here."

Silverstream trotted out of the room with a spring in her step while I went back to finishing up my recollection of the previous day on the typewriter. Once I had finished and stacked the pages in order, I heard a knock at the door before seeing Silverstream poke her head in again. "Hey, James! Grab your stuff! Skystar wants to see us out on the bridge!"

"OK, I'll be there in a few minutes." I replied before grabbing my shoes. I did not want to have to bother with my armor today. After pulling on my backpack just in case I had the opportunity to do some more souvenir shopping, I headed out and down the halls before stepping out onto the bridge leading towards the Omega sector. Out in the middle was Skystar chatting with Silverstream and Terramar.

"Morning, James! Where were you last night? One of Dad's friends came by and said you couldn't make it." Terramar asked as I drew closer, Silverstream and Skystar waiting patiently with him.

"Novo sincerely requested my presence. I think she was having a moment of weakness and wanted some company. She's doing better though." I replied while being mindful of what I told him. Skystar just nodded in confirmation, having seen that her mother was in much better spirits that morning.

Silverstream then hopped forward her a few quick scritches on her head. "Mmm... Where we going today? It's fun checking out places with someone new in town."

Skystar looked at her two friends as she asked, "How about we take the lift down? You haven't been to the Upsilon sector yet, have you?"

"Upsilon? Um... I'm not terribly familiar with the Greek alphabet, but that's the fifth from the top, right?" I asked while trying to recall some of the last symbols in the alphabet. Some I remembered more than others like Lambda, Epsilon, and Sigma, but at least half I could not recall.

"Yeah, it is. It's right under the Omega sector, so there's a lift connecting them. Let's go!" Skystar replied before trotting off with her friends in tow. I hurried along to keep up, not wanting to get left behind. We did eventually find one of those large hydraulic lifts at the edge of town and soon found ourselves descending the mountainside upon it.

Much like the last time, Silverstream was trotting around the edge to really enjoy the view. I was leaning on the railing on one side to appreciate the view myself, but Skystar was also wandering around the edge with her friend. Terramar was staying close to me as the two of us watched the two friends interacting and just putting on a show of excitement. I glanced at Terramar and spoke up briefly. "Women. Am I right?"

Terramar got a laugh out of that. "Yeah, pretty much. Sometimes it's hard for me to keep up with them."

"Well, every group needs a straight man and you do a good enough job at that." I retorted while patting the colt on the head. "They do play off of each other, now that we've got them in the same space together. Though Skystar seems a bit more reserved compared to your sister."

"Yeah, but she's a little more scatterbrained when it comes to her interests. Just don't bring up seashells or we'll have to listen about them for an hour. Or anything involving the sea, really." Terramar added while he rolled his eyes. I almost forgot about when I found her playing with a clam at our first meeting. Then again, I suppose that seashell necklace should serve as a warning to what her biggest interests are.

The lift eventually passed under a bridge that spanned the mountainside, answering my unspoken question about how these lifts might get in the way of foot traffic. Silverstream soon came over to me while begging for more scritches. I was happy to provide, dragging my fingers against her scalp as she fluffed up like an angry chicken. Skystar caught wind of what I was doing and came over for scritches too. Even Terramar joined in as I had to take turns with the three of them.

"Guys... Guys? I think we're here." I eventually said once I noticed the rooftops of the Upsilon sector starting to peak up around the lift.

"We are?" Skystar said as she stood up from the fluffy bird pile I was now buried under. The three of them stood up as the lift came to a stop to reveal the chalky white architecture around us. Skystar then looked back at us with a big grin on her beak. "Yep, this is the Upsilon sector! Come on! There's a place down here I really like to visit!"

"Does it involve shellfish?" I asked with Skystar not hearing me. After following her through town for a little while, we came to a fairly large building that was more wide than tall. And from what I could tell, it was an aquarium. "Yep... Pretty amazing seeing one of these so high up on a mountain."

"This way, we don't have to go all the way down to the beach to see the fishes! Come on!" Silverstream tweeted as she trotted inside while we followed along. Skystar handled the admission price by insisting that they bill the Ivory Palace. I hope Novo would not mind. Pleasant quiet music played throughout the aquarium as I shuffled along, taking in the sights of many tropical fish that probably were not native to the surrounding ocean. Some were familiar to me while others did not resemble any kind of fish I had ever seen, likely being native to this world with no such counterpart back home on Earth.

Skystar and Silverstream were respectfully quiet as we browsed the various tanks. I eventually came to one that housed sharks. I think. Some had rather strange designs, stuff you would only see in a strange world like Equestria. Intrigued, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my DSi and activated the camera feature. I started snapping photos of the exotic wildlife before Terramar happened to notice what I was doing. "What's that you got there?"

"Huh? You mean... Oh, this? I'm just using it as a camera." I said while holding the DSi up for him to see. I then took a look at the device and wondered why I had not been taking more pictures while I was on Capricorn Island. "Man, I really should take more photos while I'm here..."

"You wanna take a picture of me?" Terramar asked now that his interest had been piqued.

"Yeah, sure. Get up against the glass." I replied while Terramar stood on his hind legs and leaned against the aquarium's glass panel. I stepped back to center the shot and looked through the DSi's screens to make sure I was getting the view I wanted. But just as I was about to take the shot, a shark with a particularly large maw swam up to the glass and seemed to show a big toothy grin. I snapped the photo just as Terramar's eyes glanced to his left as if acknowledging the presence of a friend. Of course, the instant after the photo was taken, Terramar suddenly pushed himself away from the glass panel in surprise. I looked at the photo on the screen, finding some amusement as the context of what was displayed appeared to be very different from Terramar's actual reaction. "Thanks, Terra. Great shot."

"Uh... Sure? Really, where'd that guy come from?" He replied while watching the shark swim off.

"I'm guessing these guys have pictures of them taken so often that they learned how to photobomb." I said before becoming still as I noticed the faint flapping of wings and the breeze one such pair would kick up. A quick glance over my shoulder revealed Silverstream hovering behind me while peeking at the photo I just took. "What's up, Silver? You want a picture taken too?"

"This is a camera? Cool! Yeah, over here!" She replied before landing and trotting over to a smaller display tank behind me. She stood up and leaned on the edge of the tiny counter. "How about here?"

"Looks good. Just give me a second..." I said as I approached while keeping the DSi steady. But as I lined up a shot, Silverstream to her left and opened her beak wide as a clownfish swam lazily in her general direction. Seeing what she was doing, I cracked a smirk as I made sure to line them up and snap the photo with the angel making it look like Silverstream was about to devour a fish that was swimming towards her open beak. "Good one, Silver. That turned out great."

"Couldn't resist!" She said with a giggle. She then flew up behind me again to look at the photo I had just taken and snickered with her had by her beak. "Wow, that looks like I'm about to have a snack. Hey, Skystar! Wanna have any photos taken?"

"Sure! Over here!" The princess of Capricorn Island called out as she sat before a tank with lots of bright and colorful coral and anemones on display like an underwater flower garden. I noticed why she chose that spot. Skystar had her head tilted one way to have the hibiscus flower set in her mane facing the camera. A theme of flowers. I lined up m DSi and snapped a shot before Skystar came trotting over to take a look. "Ooh, good one! It's like I just plucked a flower out from the bunch of them."

We went from tank to tank, taking silly selfies while posing appropriately with the wildlife on display. I even joined in with a tank that had some sea turtles swimming around. They seemed to understand what was up and floated across from each other, allowing me to appear to be balancing the two of them on my upturned palms. Terramar served as the photographer for my pictures. He was the only one levelheaded enough for me to trust with the device.

At least at first. Before long, I started to allow Skystar and Silverstream to handle the DSi as they took selfies together. They even started making silly faces at times while using the device's inner camera to snap pictures of themselves. Terramar and I joined in too with me snapping a photo of me puckering up to look like I was about to smooch a fish with noticeably large lips. In all, it was a good time. And it gave me a bunch of photos to show when I get back home.

We eventually decided to head out while I checked the gallery of photos that had been taken. I hope there is a way to get the data off the DSi for printing the photos. Silverstream flexed her neck once we were outside again, probably trying to loosen herself up after spending too long in the relaxing atmosphere. I looked back at the aquarium as I made a mental note to stop by the Upsilon sector when I bring my family along sometime.

"Phew, that was a good time. Where to next?" Terramar asked after taking a moment to stretch as well.

"Wanna grab some gyros? It's about lunchtime, right?" Skystar asked as she started to lead us away. I was starting to feel a bit hungry and gyros are always delicious. We soon followed her to an outdoor café that were indeed serving up the tasty morsels. Skystar handled the payment, again telling the clerk to bill the Ivory Palace.

I was not surprised to see that the gyros of Capricorn Island substituted the usual combination of beef and lamb with fish. Not that I minded. It seemed to be a diced mixture of crab and sea bass. Never thought I would see a type of seafood gyro, but I was not disappointed. Fantastic cooking as always.

After a while, we started to make our way up the nearest path out of town and began to trek up the mountain. It was one of the few locations that had a full forest growing on the mountainside. I think it mostly consisted of laurel and evergreens, giving the air a crisp clean scent as we walked along the path. As Skystar and Silverstream flew up to inspect the canopy, Terramar stayed close to me as I snapped a few photos with my DSi. "Never thought I'd find a forest like this on such a mountain..."

"Yeah, there aren't too many. It's easy to forget we're even on a mountain out in the middle of the ocean while in here." Terramar said while he watched his sister flutter about above us. She tried tweeting back to a couple of songbirds and even got to converse with them. Or so I wondered. Terramar looked up at me and asked, "You think she understands what they're saying?"

"Nah. It's one thing to sound like a bird. It's another to actually understand them." I retorted while finding the concept amusing to imagine. I felt like a photographer on holiday as I walked along with my DSi constantly out and ready to snap photos. I need to remember to do that more often on these trips.

While Silverstream and Skystar stayed higher up, sometimes even perching on some of the sturdier tree branches, Terramar stayed close to me on the ground for most of the walk through the forest. I guess he just has a down to earth personality compared to his madcap sister. Skystar seemed to be a middle ground between the two, but definitely leaned more to Silverstream's side with her eccentricities. She and Silverstream even got into singing with some songbirds. And by singing, I mean tweeting away with them and filling the air with a delightful ambience. I looked up at them sitting together in the canopy as they trilled and chirped like proper birds for once. "You hippogriffs have such an impressive vocal range..."

"Yeah, our vocal chords work pretty different from most other." Terramar said before I suddenly heard another voice speak up from beside me while I snapped a photo of the two mares tweeting above us. "They can handle quite an array of tones and pitch, more than even the most sophisticated parrot."

I turned to my left as I recognized the voice right away. I know that accent anywhere by now. "Admiral, when'd you get...here?"

I knew I had heard Admiral Seaspray just then, but he was nowhere to be seen. I looked left and right before it dawned on me. I looked down and saw Terramar looking up at me with a crooked smile set into his beak. He was trying desperately not to laugh. I then cracked a smirk as I asked, "Not so above all these shenanigans after all, are we?"

Terramar burst into laughter, drifting between his voice and that of Seaspray's as he could not maintain his performance. Even so, I saw what he was trying to prove. Hippogriffs are able to mimic sounds as well as the most versatile parrots. But before I could think about this much more, I felt some weight being spread across my shoulders as the sounds of birds became less prominent in the air. A glance to my right revealed Silverstream's head next to mine. "Carry me, best friend?"

"Oh, how can I say no to that face? Hey, Terra. Snap a photo of us?" I replied as an idea came to mind. I passed the DSi to his hand before he sat before us and took a photo of me with Silverstream draped across my shoulders like a little lost lamb. When he turned the device around to let me see the photo, I was quite amused with Silverstream making a peace sign with her fingers. That silly little bird.

Now that I had to use both hands to hold onto Silverstream's arms and legs to keep her secured over my shoulders, Terramar placed the DSi back into my pocket. Skystar came back down from the canopy and cracked an amused smile at Silverstream. "Comfy?"

"Uh huh. I mean its a bit softer up here, but it feels easier to slide off without the extra bulk of his armor." Silverstream replied while she squirmed a bit to find a more comfortable position.

"That's why I'm holding onto you." I added as we walked along, my arm draped over her legs while my other hand held one of her arms. Silverstream gave me a grateful nuzzle as we continued along the forest path together. Skystar would not stop looking the two of us over. I finally found it necessary to point out what she was probably thinking. "No, I can't carry you like this. You're way too big for that and probably too heavy."

"Awwww... But it looks so fun!" Skystar groaned before she began to pout. Terramar just laughed under his breath. I just kept walking while making certain Silverstream was in no danger of falling off. I think she was having a good time. Especially when she began to hum and churr while nuzzling her head against mine.

"Someone's a happy bird." I said softly to my adorable friend as she voiced her thanks for me humoring her silly desires. I rubbed my hand over her shins and her exposed hooves and fluffy fetlocks. It was strange feeling such plush feathers on the limb of an equine. Not that I minded. I have long since become desensitized to the bizarre workings of Equestria. I no longer question these things. In a world of indecipherable magical elements, just about anything is possible.

"Mmhm... Because you keep making this bird happy." Silverstream cooed as I felt her beak nuzzle my cheek. Skystar and Terramar had gone a short ways ahead without my knowing, my gait having likely slowed now that I had become quite distracted by both the majesty of the forest around us and the constant soft touch of my friend's plumage. Silverstream then whispered, "You'll be there tonight, right? I'd love to have you in my bed again."

"That almost sounds wrong...but yeah, I'll be at your place tonight." I whispered back while keeping my grip loose, but not too loose. I felt genuinely bad about bailing on our arrangements last night. Even if Novo sincerely needed my presence. I do not regret what happened last night in Novo's chambers, but I did not want to disappoint precious Silverstream. "Hey... Sorry about last night. I didn't want to bail on you. It's just... You know how things can come up out of nowhere that shouldn't be ignored, right?"

"Uh huh. It's OK. I mean it sounds like the queen really needed you for something." Silverstream said as she again nuzzled my cheek with the side of her head. "But that means you owe me double the cuddles tonight, all right?"

"Agreed. A good girl like you deserves good things." I spoke with a bit of a smirk on my lips as she tried to harmlessly strong-arm me into giving her more that night. She deserved it though. I know few brimming with such positive vibes and a desire to see others happy. As a result, I wanted to see this precious filly happy all the time.

After well over thirty minutes of wandering down the forest path, light could be seen far ahead as the trees opened out to reveal what lied beyond. Upon stepping out of the forest, we were greeted by a path crossing through a meadow that curled up the mountain to another town of purest white. Silverstream pointed ahead as she said, "Ooh, there's the Phi sector!"

"Yeah, I see it. I'll just follow your lead." I said as Silverstream flew off of my shoulders while we hurried to catch up to our friends. Once inside the town's perimeter, Silverstream glanced over at Skystar. "Say, didn't you order something for your shell collection?"

Skystar's eyes lit up before she looked right back at her friend. "Ooh, right! Maybe it's here! I'll have to go sign for it. Let's go check out the post office!"

"Sure. I'll just wait around here for you guys to get back." I said before stepping towards a bench by the street. I knew I had no business poking around a post office I would likely never use.

"No problem. I'll stick with them to make sure they don't take too long." Terramar replied before I watched the three of them trot off. I sat myself down on the bench and got comfortable while looking over the photos I had just taken on my DSi. "I really should take more while I'm here... Maybe I should get one of Novo."

Barely a minute passed before I found myself receiving some unplanned company. I noticed some movement out of the corner of my eye and found someone else sitting upon the bench while looking up at me. A wayward hippogriff child, probably only five years old or so.

"Well... Aren't you cute." I said while putting away my DSi. While older hippogriffs may be regal and beautiful, I found right away that the youngest hippogriffs are some of the cutest kids you will ever see in Equestria. Covered in fluffy down of soft pastel colors and with a short tail and mane, this baby bird looked up at me with big curious eyes. "Whatcha doing out here? You get away from mama?"

The little hippogriff child, a colt, responded with a quick chirp. No words. Just a tweet like one might hear from a chick. Maybe he really did not know how to speak yet. Maybe he was choosing to not speak to a stranger. Or maybe hippogriffs take longer to learn how to talk due to different vocal chords. Regardless, the little guy did not say a word. Even so, I found him to be so irresistibly adorable that I felt a strong desire to pet him on the head. "Well, you're very brave to be out exploring on your own. I hope mama knows where you are."

The little guy did not mind at all and even stuck his head up into the palm of my hand. I started to apply scritches to his head while my hand slowly slid over his plumage. His eyes closed in delight while letting out little quiet chirps like a very relaxed duckling. I began to wonder if Silverstream and Terramar looked that cute and small only eight years ago or so. I know birds tend to grow fast, but it was still mind-boggling that a pair of hippogriff kids at only twelve years old could be taller than any adult pony I know while even sounding like they were in their mid to late teens. "You hippogriff kids grow up too fast, you know that?"

The little hippogriff colt was not in the mood for conversation. He was only interested in the scritches I had to give. Not that I was expecting him to talk, really. Before long, another little hippogriff child came fluttering down, but I could tell this one was a filly. "Hm? Oh, hey there. You want some scritches too?"

She too gave a little chirp and snuggled up to me as my other hand went to work on her head, scritching through her plumage. I adored these two baby bird horses and their willingness to trust me. I also found it amusing how I was just some random guy playing with a couple of little kids. "I'm like the candy man, but I give out scritches instead. Come one, come all. Come get your scritches here, courtesy of Equestria's only human. The softest hands in...um..."

I went silent as a trio of more little hippogriff kids came over to me and looked up at their neighbors while I gave them scritches. "I thought I was kidding... What, is school out? Wait... Oh right, it is. You kids want some scritches too?"

Before I knew it, I was set upon by the three youngsters who quietly and happily chirped while I went back and forth with my hands, trying to give them scritches in an even manner. I only had two hands after all. Thinking back to what I said to myself earlier, I started to quietly sing a jaunty line of lyrics. "Who can take a sunrise..."

Right on cue, the five hippogriff kids lifted their heads and sang along as they mirrored my words like a chorus. "Who can take a sunriiiise..."

I went silent for a minute as I was caught entirely by surprise. I really was not expecting those kids to know how to talk at the time. Either that, or they were mimicking me like a bunch of parrots. Still, I decided to go along with this sudden development and continued to sing along with the hippogriff foals doing their part as the chorus. "Sprinkle it with deeeewww..."

"Sprinkle it with dew!" The quintet of kids sang along with me once I finished the line.

I cracked a silly smirk, now thoroughly entertained by these kids. "Cover it with chocolate and miracle or two. The Candy Maaaan..."

"The Candy Maaaan!" The kids all sang together with their heads held high. I only stopped singing by that point because I did not know the rest of the lyrics to that song.

"Man, you hippogriffs are adorable." I laughed as I scooped the giggling kids up into my arms all at once for a fluffy snuggle. But a moment later, I noticed shadows being cast over us before I looked up and felt a chill go down my spine. A quintet of hippogriff stallions and mares were standing before me while looking down at us. No doubt the kids' parents.

They looked at us in stoic silence while I looked back up at them without blinking once. If I was back on Earth, this situation could have carried some very disturbing contexts to it. I began to sweat as I feared the worst. "I... I was just sitting here when one of them came up to me. I started giving him scritches and...the rest just sort of showed up one by one."

"Scritches?" One of the stallions asked with a look of curiosity in his eyes.

"Uh... Yeah. Scritches. Like this." I said with a few of my fingers starting to scritch the back of the head on one of the kids. The little filly cooed like a baby toucan as her eyes closed to convey her enjoyment.

The five of the parents looked back and forth at each other as if to have a silent conversation. Finally, one of the mares looked at me with a smile and asked, "Can we get some of that?"

"You?! Well...sure." I muttered in some relief while I released the five foals from my embrace. The five parents brought their heads forward to make them easier to reach while my hands went from head to head, applying some delightful scritches to them. This went on for a couple of minute, but the five of them all looked quite pleased by the time I was done. "So... Felt nice, right?"

"Sure did! No wonder our kids liked it." One of the stallions said as the others nodded in agreement. He then looked at the five foals and said, "Time to go home, kids. And be sure to say thank you to the kind gentleman."

The five foals hopped down from the bench before they turned to face me in a row. They all bowed their heads and spoke up in unison. "Thank you, mister!"

"Anytime, kiddies. You all have a good one." I replied while waving goodbye. I then watched as the kids and their parents walked away, but not before the foals started to sing the same song again. Although I swear the colt who took the lead was singing in an abnormally deep voice that sounded too familiar. "Wait... Was that my voice? Don't tell me these hippogriffs are like parrots..."

I barely had two minutes to wait before the trio of hippogriffs I was waiting for started to come down the road towards me. I stood up once they got close before Silverstream jumped right into my arms for a hug. "Sorry if we kept you waiting! Were you OK?"

I replied while setting down my excitable friend, "Nah, I'm good. I entertained myself with a quintet of kids who showed up... Wait, that came out wrong."

"What, you mean those five little kids we passed? They looked happy." Terramar replied while not really noticing the implications of what I said. Probably for the best anyway.

"Yeah, they were singing! They must have been in a good mood. Did you give them some scritches?" Skystar asked as she came over to me.

"Sure did. They really liked it. I swear you hippogriffs are some of the most adorable things I have ever seen in Equestria... Wait, did you find what you needed at the post office?" I replied before remembering what I had been waiting there for in the first place.

"Uh huh! My package came, so I signed for it so it could be sent up to the Ivory Palace. It should be there tonight. Anyway, where to now? Maybe some window shopping while we're here?" Skystar explained before turning her attention to the entire reason we were even there at all.

"Sounds fine to me. It'll be nice to see if I can find some more souvenirs to bring home." I said before we continued on down the road. We eventually came to a row of shops that brought to mind some of the roads in Canterlot. They had large windows out front that allowed pedestrians to peer inside and appraise some of the wares before deciding whether or not to head inside. One such shop caught my eye and I stepped inside to investigate. It was a kind of shop that sold various treats and even spirits. What caught me by surprise was seeing sweeter treats supplemented with sea salt. I suppose if such a thing is one of Capricorn Island's chief exports, they would surely use it extensively on whatever they could.

I browsed the bottles of wine and mead. Surely Rarity would appreciate a bottle of a type of drink you seldom find on the mainland. I picked out a few bottles of mead. One that seemed to be the most basic type of mead, one instilled with berries, and one brewed with a darker type of honey. That last one was probably too strong for my tastes, but Rarity would likely appreciate something with a flavor that is probably akin to red wine. I told the clerk to bill the Ivory Palace and placed the bottles in my backpack. They barely had enough room in there. As we left the store, Terramar looked up at me and asked, "Have you ever tasted mead, James? What's it like?"

Until I came to Capricorn Island, I had never even seen the stuff. I have had a few times to taste it since arriving, but I deciding to get clever with my response by briefly adopting a pseudo Nordic accent. "It's like a fair maiden's kiss on a starry night..."

The three hippogriffs in my company gave me some funny looks since my response really was not telling them anything about the flavor. I cracked an amused smirk as I quickly dropped the accent. "OK, seriously now... You two are way too young to be drinking, but... It's like a strange combination of wine and whisky from what I've tried. Thicker and stronger than wine, but not too distant in how it rolls across the tongue. And when it comes to the kind I've tried, the flavor of honey is pretty prominent. Just...make sure you serve it over a little ice. It's too strong for a full glass otherwise."

"Yeah, that's pretty much what it's like." Skystar spoke up, being well within the age range for alcoholic beverages. She then led us down the street before ducking into a bookstore. I instantly thought about Twilight Sparkle back home. She would surely enjoy a good read. I settled on a book that doubled as a travel guide for Capricorn Island. It seemed to describe the history of some of the sectors and certain landmarks. Such an aspiring bookworm would appreciate learning about such a lovely place.

As we continued along from shop to shop, I counted on my fingers the friends I had picked up gifts for. I had already picked up a hefty load of treats for Pinkie Pie and anyone else I could not think of a gift for, but I at least wanted to get stuff for as many of my friends as possible while keeping them tailored to their tastes. I resolved to give one of those other bottles of mead to Applejack since she too has a taste for booze. Maybe she could try mixing some of it with her cider to come up with a type of cocktail. Apples and honey sounds like a delicious combination. Giving Rainbow Dash hard liquor was a bad idea. I know she can barely drink at all before she has trouble flying straight. I already got Smolder a set of earrings. What could I bring Fluttershy?

I suddenly had an idea and swung back around to the bookstore. Something she and Gladesong could enjoy. I found what I was hoping to find. Storybooks for very young kids. She could read them to Gladesong before bed. I just picked two at random and headed out after paying for those with my own money. Silverstream had noticed that I had slipped away and came trotting my way once I had stepped out of the place. "Where'd you go? I couldn't find you for a minute."

"Oh, I just remembered that I forgot something and went back for it. Sorry I didn't say anything. Where's Skystar and your brother?" I asked while noticing that they had not followed her. I was glad she came back for me. I would hate to get completely separated from them while having no easy way to get back up to the Omega Sector.

"They're checking out a deli right now. Wanna get a snack?" Silverstream replied before trotting along with me behind her. Sure enough, I found myself standing in a deli with Skystar and Terramar browsing some very colorful filets on display. The whole place smelled of fresh fish with no other kind of meat to be seen.

While the hippogriffs could eat fish raw without trouble, I knew better than to try that. I settled for a small portion of delicious smoked salmon while the others each got a filet of differing kinds of fish and gulped them all down whole. At least until I noticed them chewing their snack. So strange how these bird horses actually have jaws with teeth behind those beaks...

"Mmmm, nothing beats fresh tilapia!" Silverstream said with a satisfied sigh while having her beak parted. They all got different types of fish. Where Silverstream ordered a filet of tilapia, Skystar got salmon while Terramar chose swordfish. I then followed them along, passing through the Phi sector without stopping for much before we had headed out on the other side and continued our way up the mountain.

"You guys get any intrepid hikers out this way? With this many towns on the island and having them all connected by paths and lifts, it takes a lot of walking just to get anywhere." I asked while finally noticing how much work it is to get from one sector to the other when on foot and choosing to not exploit the various hydraulic lifts connecting them all together.

Skystar turned to look at me as we walked along a cliff that had a low wall made up of stones compacted together. "Actually, we do! This island draws a lot of attention from tourists who come out here just to hike all over the place. Most of the mountain is still left undeveloped, so there's plenty of nature to explore."

"Heh, I would've hated living here as a kid... Most kids just don't have the endurance for all this walking." I said to myself as I thought back to my days in the boy scouts and that big daylong hike we went on once. God, that was a miserable time for me. Although I would not have any issues with it now.

We passed few fellow hippogriffs along the way and the few we did pass were pulling wagons and carts loaded with goods. I suppose the roads are used more often for transporting supplies than foot travel. I guess only tourists use them for the most part.

After maybe halfway up the path to the next sector, we came to an open area that was fashion into a rest stop. I stayed near the edge and leaned on the wall while Skystar and Silverstream browsed the vending machines. It was such an impressive view of the sea out over the horizon and even provided a good spot to look down the mountain. The air was quiet and crisp. Nothing short of refreshing.

I was not alone for much longer. Terramar soon came over and peered out over the wall beside me. "Nice view, huh?"

"It sure is. Everything about this island oozes with beauty. The ecosystem, the environment, the architecture, and even the people." I said softly while just enjoying the view now that I had a moment to myself. Or at least mostly to myself. I soon looked down at Terramar and noticed he was not with his sister and friend. "Had enough of the noise for a while?"

He laughed for a second before he looked up at me. "Yeah, I guess. Sometimes I feel like the odd one out. I can't keep up with them all the time."

"I know exactly what you mean. The wild and wacky ones tend to leave the more introverted ones behind with all that energy." I said while thinking back to my friends in Ponyville. I definitely have the same issues with the likes of Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. I can never keep up with their enthusiasm and energy.

"Pretty much, yeah." The colt said before he looked up at me. "And it's just nice to have some more guy friends for a change."

That got a smile out of me. Most of the people I spend time with back home are mares, though I never really wondered why I do not see more stallions. I looked back at Terramar and patted him lightly on the head. "You're a good kid, Terra. And you've been a good friend."

"Aww, come on, James. I'm nothing special here." He chuckled while grinning brightly as he pushed my hand away. He then nodded back at me and said, "You're a great guy too. Silverstream especially thinks so. She was kinda upset when we were told you weren't gonna be showing up last night."

I sighed as I thought back to when Silverstream came to see me that morning. I was not feeling bad about it anymore, but I did not want to have to bail on them again. "Yeah, she made that clear when she came to see me this morning. Really, I'm sorry I couldn't make it. The queen requested my presence that night and... I just thought it would be a bad idea to leave her alone."

"Right, you came here with Princess Celestia. I've heard those two have always been good friends. Like for a really long time. Really funny when they argue, but I can't tell if they're doing it because they're mad at each other or if they're having fun." Terramar said while propping his head up on one hand while his face conveyed his puzzlement over their behavior quite well.

I cracked a smirk, having seen them bicker enough to know that those arguments are never out of hostility. "Oh, I don't think you have anything to worry about with those two. They're just being funny when they're like that."

"If you say so. I mean they never stay mad at each other for long." Terramar spoke while cracking a crooked smirk as if he was recalling a particularly funny spat the two royals must have had near him. He then looked up at me and asked, "But about Queen Novo... Why did she need you up at the palace last night? I thought you two had a fight yesterday?"

I thought carefully on how to respond to that. I too was not entirely certain of what to make of the current situation with her. "Novo.....had a bit of a meltdown last night and wanted me there to comfort her."

"But why you...? And why not Princess Celestia?" He asked in return, probably confused as to why someone Novo has known and liked for centuries would not have been the more ideal choice.

Again, I was not sure of how to explain the situation to him. Terramar may have sounded and looked older than he was, but he was just a colt. Not a stallion. "Because...she likes me. And probably because.....I'm a man. And there are some things even Celestia can't help her with."

Terramar only continued to look and sound confused by the thing. "Wow... Not even Princess Celestia could help her? I guess being queen has some really weird problems to deal with sometimes."

"Yeah, I don't fully understand this business myself. Nor do I personally understand why an understanding and patient man is a better at times than a close female friend. She's doing better now, so I'll definitely be coming by this evening at your place to make up for last night." I said while patting Terramar on the head again. I did not want to explain anything to him that he would not understand. Best to let time expand his understandings of matters of the heart.

Moments later, Silverstream and Skystar came over to join us. Silverstream even handed me a candy bar wrapped in plastic. "Who wants some goodies?"

"Huh? Oh, thanks... Um..." I mumbled before recognizing the labeling on the wrapper. A Chuckles brand candy bar. Nougat, peanuts, and caramel wrapped in milk chocolate. Chocolate... "Wait a second... Didn't you say you guys don't really have the means to produce the more mainstream sweet stuff for candy?"

Skystar replied while popping chocolate-covered raisins into her beak, "Yeah, we don't. All the stuff in the vending machines? That's all imported from the mainland. Mostly. Awesome stuff, but kinda pricey when you buy them individually."

Silverstream also had a Chuckles bar in her hand that she was enthusiastically eating. "Mmm, what a shame! I love this chocolate stuff! And this sticky gooey golden stuff inside it. Yum with a capital Y! You guy's have it good where you come from!"

"Yeah, but your stuff seems a bit healthier, if you ask me." I retorted while Silverstream licked the leftover chocolate from her hand. With how much her energy and positivity reminds me of Pinkie Pie at times, I was surprised I was not anticipating Silverstream having a sweet tooth to match. Terramar just rolled his eyes at his sister's enthusiasm while enjoying a set of Knick Knack bars. Just crunchy wafers in a layer of milk chocolate linked together.

After discarding our wrappers into the nearest waste bin, we continued on our way up the mountain path. I was almost about to ask if we could visit that lack with the jellyfish, but then I recalled that it was located much farther down the mountain. No way we would have time to visit that without me having a set of wings to fly with. While uneventful from that point on, it was still a quiet and refreshing walk with only the sound of the wind breaking the silence. That, and the conversations of the three hippogriffs as they pranced along ahead while chatting it up with each other.

We did eventually come to the next town up the mountain. The Chi sector. Although I have to say not a whole lot of interest happened there. We did some window shopping and picked up some takeout menus from a few restaurants to plan potential visits, but not much worth mentioning came up. The path leading to the next sector was a fair bit rockier than usual. I was expecting there to be steps at some point, but the hippogriffs were consistent in the use of roads to not impede the wheels of carts.

There was a path that led away from the road at one point. Skystar insisted it was a shortcut for anyone who was on foot. I think it was specifically a hiking path since there was no way anything with wheels would have been able to make it up that way.

I breathed a harsh sigh as I paused during the trek to gaze out at the impressive horizon. The area was looking much more like what one would expect when they imagine a mountain. Rocky terrain, little vegetation, and crisp clear air. With how lush and varied the terrain of the mountain could get, I suspect the hard rocky qualities of this part of the mountain made it harder for vegetation to take root. I muttered to myself as I lagged behind my winged companions, "Man, I never would've been cut out for this twenty years ago."

"Hoooo, smell that air! Echo! Echoooo!" Silverstream called out as the hard craggy terrain around us allowed her voice to bounce around enough to provide an echo effect. I could not contain a chuckle as I heard her voice reverberate around the area. Skystar joined in as well, but Terramar covered his ears as they started singing a little songbird duet together. It was funny, musical, but pretty loud. Even I kept my distance for a minute.

Finally having enough of his sister's shenanigans for the moment, Terramar hung back to allow her and Skystar to go on ahead. I noticed him staying behind as I caught up to him. "Loud enough for you?"

"Very funny." Terramar retorted while looking both amused and annoyed at once, if that is even possible. He then asked, "How about you? You keep falling behind. Everything OK?"

"Well, your hippogriffs are a lot more spry than I am and having four walking limbs makes you a lot faster at covering terrain. I'm OK. I'm just not used to hiking like this. I didn't even expect to do this on our way over here a few days ago." I replied while starting to head up the mountain path with Terramar at my side. "I think it's been at least seventeen years since the last time I went on a proper hike. At least I've built up a lot more endurance since then."

"That long? You mean when you were a kid?" Terramar asked with his curiosity piqued. I certainly did not mind having a conversation about it with him. If anything, I appreciated his company in a conversation the most since he seemed to be a better listener than Silverstream most of the time.

"Yeah, back when I was in the Boy Scouts. We ended up hiking all day across a mountain and through forests. I hated it. I just did not have the discipline or stamina to handle something like that without constant complaining and my feet were so swollen by the time I got home. Nowadays, I can handle stuff like this no problem and I can appreciate being out here in nature. But back then..." I explained wile thinking back to that day so long ago. If I did it again, I would probably enjoy it. But at the time, I simply was not who I am now.

Terramar let out a snicker as he heard just how poorly I matched up with such an activity back then. "Sounds like you weren't in the best of shape back then. But you look pretty good now."

"Yeah, my diet's been a lot better ever since I came to Equestria. I never thought I would ever slim down this much and it's been great." I spoke while the two of us continued on up the path. "You people sure know how to eat. And healthily too."

After only fifteen or twenty minutes or so of walking along that craggy mountain path, the four of us came back out onto the main road leading up to the next sector. Skystar pointed up ahead as she said, "Now we're at the second from the top. There's the Psi sector."

"Not much further until we get home now. Maybe we'll even make it in time for dinner." I said while following along with them. "What's to see around here?"

"Um... Hold on, it's coming to me..." Skystar muttered as she looked every which way while trying to jog her memory. Before long, her eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh right! While we're here, there's something I gotta show you. This is where some of the wackiest families on the island live."

"Wackiest...? Um... Wacky like how?" I asked while finding this statement to be coming way out of nowhere. Why had I not heard of this before?

"Oh, you have to see and hear it to believe it. Really, it's good for a laugh!" Silverstream spoke up while snickering through an excited grin. She definitely had seen what it was about before. Terramar also had a goofy smile on his beak. What were we supposed to be expecting?

I followed the three of them into town and down the streets. At one point, I thought I heard distant birdcalls. And they only became more discernible as I followed the three hippogriffs along. Eventually, we came to a cul-de-sac barred off by an intricately designed iron gate coated in a shiny black finish. Indeed, I could hear exactly what was going on. Two types of birdcalls being exchanged back and forth from left to right. "Um... What is even going on here?"

Terramar and Silverstream were already snickering at the sounds of the birdcalls, which did sound pretty silly. Almost like the verbal dispute was a big game to anyone who did not know the fine details. Skystar failed to keep a straight face as she explained, "This right there is the home of the Wabush and Woodech clans. They're...uh...pretty eccentric as far as hippogriffs go. You have the Wabush on the left and the Woodech on the right."

I stepped up to the gate and tried to peer past the bars. And yes, I confirmed the above names are spelled that way. I could see a few hippogriffs poking their heads out of windows here and there as they barked at each other with those weird birdcalls, but it sounded like there were more outside my field of vision. The Wabush clan sounded like they were calling out with very silly sounding wa sounds most of the time while the Woodech clan sounded like they were communicating with a series of hisses or even coughs. I cracked a grin as I at least recognized those. "Pah, one side sounds like a bunch of gray go-away birds! As for the others... I got nothing."

"There's a type of bird out there that sounds like that?! I never would've guessed!" Silverstream shrieked in surprise while looking genuinely intrigued at such a revelation. They certainly are not the most universally known species of birds and I only discovered them by chance back home, but they are hard to forget. Both in sound and in appearance.

I looked back and forth at the wacky squabbling birds as all sorts of questions rolled in my head. "Do they do this often?"

"Every. Month. It's pretty routine, but no one ever asks them what it's about. They're arguing about something, but we have no idea what." Terramar replied while sounding both amused and exasperated.

"Really now... Does anyone ever file complaints about it? I could hear these guys almost ten minutes before we got here." I asked while looking back through the gate. It was locked tight, so it would be unwise to try and intrude.

Skystar looked my way and said, "No, not really. They own some of the fisheries, so they're responsible for a pretty big chunk of Capricorn Island's food supply. Come to think of it, doesn't your mom work for one of them?"

"I dunno! I never asked which." Silverstream replied with hands held parallel to her shoulders. I did meet her mom when she was on break the other day, but it never occurred to me to ask where and who she works for.

I looked back into the cul-de-sac as I paid more attention to the cries of the Wabush clan on the left. That silly gray go-away bird imitation sounded uncannily similar to something else I was familiar with. A silly idea started to come to mind as Terramar was quick to notice the look on my face. "Um... James? What're you doing?"

"Hang on, I'm gonna try something. I might not ever have the gall to attempt this again." I said while feeling cheeky enough to try joining in to some extent. I then called out while doing my best impersonation of a certain tall lanky purple-clad ne'er-do-well. "Waaaaaaaaaaa!"

Just like that, both sides fell silent. All I could do is stare away past the gate as I wondered just what did I say without even realizing it. Were they all speaking in some ancient bird dialect the whole time and I just said something spectacularly offensive? This sudden prolonged silence did not go unnoticed to my companions as Silverstream spoke up. "Wow... What did you say? You left them speechless!"

I just shrugged my shoulders as I was left equally confused about what I did and how it affected the two feuding families. "I dunno... Maybe it took the arrival of a third party for them to realize how silly this whole thing is. Anyway, what else can..."

Barely fifteen seconds after that window of silence opened, both sides of the cul-de-sac burst into wild incoherent squawking from both clans as they turned up the volume. It almost sounded like they were yelling at me. Mildly startled, I jumped back. "Yeesh, what did I say?!

Skystar started to push me away as we made a hasty retreat from the gate. "Maybe this is why no one ever tries to ask them to stop! Let's go!"

Before long, we ducked into a local convenience store. We were finally unable to hear the squawking of the feuding clans. Terramar looked at the door while we stood near the cold drinks section. "That was weird. I'll never know what they're saying."

"Yeah, bunch of weirdos. They might be the biggest birdbrains on the island if they literally yell at each other like actual birds." I added while I started to browse the drinks. A cold beer sounded good at the moment.

"But what about us? Are we birdbrains too?" Silverstream asked while looking more curious than offended by the term.

As I pulled out a bottle of light beer from the cooler, I looked at her and replied, "Nah, you're a bunch of big beautiful bird horses. Big difference."

The three of them just laughed at the unusual term. I think even the clerk at the counter got a chuckle out of it. We did not depart immediately after purchasing some drinks. The four of us relaxed in the corner while browsing over a magazine or two. I was glad to see that there were containers beside the waste bins for recyclable materials. Considering that an island like Capricorn Island simply does not have the space for landfills, the hippogriffs likely take recycling about as seriously as I do.

After discarding our drink bottles, we browsed the snack aisle a bit just in case there was anything we would want to take with us when we headed out. But before I could even pick anything up, I felt something tug on my pants leg. A glance down revealed a little hippogriff colt in a purple fedora holding a letter in his hand. I had no idea where this was coming from, but I reached down and took the letter without much thought. "Oh, thanks."

The kid responded to me with a very unexpected yet familiar call. "Wa."

We all froze and rigidly turned to glance at the colt at my feet. That call. The same call we had been hearing during that feud back at the gates of that cul-de-sac. I then looked down at the letter. It had been sealed with a wax stamp. I then broke the seal and opened up the envelope to read the message inside. "OK, what is this about..."

The message read as follows. "Dear Mr. James, we cordially extend an invitation in response to your impromptu involvement in our monthly debate. With you being a third party, we usually do not concern ourselves with outsiders. However, you have spoken very fluently as if you were our own brethren. Therefore, we are expecting you at our home for a personal conversation with me. That is to say the Wabush clan. The one on the left when you get by the gate. We eagerly await your arrival. Sincerely, McBurbsten; Patriarch of the Wabush family."

That name was all it took for me to assume this was all a big joke. I lifted my head and crowed at the ceiling in laughter. "Paaaaahahahahahaha... You had me going there for a minute. Good one, kid."

"Um... James?" Silverstream said as she reached into the envelope and lifted out something I had overlooked. A metal pin that displayed a silver shrimp or prawn on the front. "Wow, that's a badge of honor! I thought only hippogriffs who marry into the family get these!"

"What?! They threw in a badge?" I yelped upon seeing how far this gag was going. I looked down at the colt beside me, who could not have been older than ten, and said, "Kid, I don't know who put you up to this, but they better be paying you your weight in gold."

It was then that Skystar took a closer look. "Uh oh... James? This is legit. They want you there. Like...right now."

"And...if I refuse?" I asked with some curiosity.

The three hippogriffs before me went silent as an air of dread settled over the place. Terramar then said, "I don't know... No one ever said no... But if you disappear in the night, can I keep your backpack?"

"Not funny, Terra! Fine, I'll go!" I barked at that pretty grim show of humor. I then looked down at the colt as I attached the provided pin to my shirt. "Tell your boss I'm coming."

The colt tipped his hat at me before trotting out the door. Now no longer interested in a snack, I headed out the door as well with my companions at my side. I needed their guidance to get back to that cul-de-sac. We made it back before long, but the calls and crows of strange birds had fallen silent. It was almost eerie with how silent the area had become. "This doesn't feel right..."

"Yeah... Spoooooky. They must have something special planned for you." Silverstream added while sounding like she was not sure if she should be concerned.

"Don't scare him, sis. No one's ever disappeared after an invite from these guys. He'll be fine..... Right?" Terramar replied before looking at me with some apprehension as well. Now unsure if I should be worried, I gave a light push. Where it did not budge last time, it now swung open slightly. I was definitely being expected.

"Well...I guess they really do want to see me." I mumbled before looking at my three companions. "I guess I'll catch up with you three later, huh?"

"I guess... We're gonna head back up to the Omega sector for now. The Wabush clan live on the left side, just so you know." Skystar said as I stepped past the gate and closed it behind me. I turned back to look at the three as they looked back from beyond the gate. "You be careful in there. Even I've never been invited in."

"Will do... You three have a good one." I spoke while waving goodbye. As I approached the let side of the cul-de-sac, I took a moment to attach the provided pin to my shirt. It would likely save me some trouble. I approached the largest house, its chalky white exterior fitting in with the rest of the architecture I had seen so far. It looked like a small mansion in terms of size. "OK, time to see what these birdbrains want... Don't be afraid, Jimbo. Hippogriffs are good people. They won't give you any trouble..."

I was convinced that I was overthinking things. Even though I had been on the island for less than a week, I adored the hippogriffs. Not one hippogriff thus far had a bad bone in their body. Even so, I did hesitate at the large oaken door before I gave it a firm series of knocks. At first, I got no response. But just as I was about to turn to leave and look around some more, the door did open outward. But there was no one there.

"Wha... Is anyone... Wait." I said before finally having the presence of mind to look down. The same little colt from before was standing in the doorway. I just shook my head in bemusement as he looked back in dutiful silence while showing a slight smile on his beak. "Your bosses have a weird sense of humor, kid. Anyway...someone wanted to see me?"

"Wa." He chirped again, mirroring the calls of his clan as he turned and began to lead me inside and down the hall ahead. The manor seemed to have a strangely Victorian style to it. Polished mahogany finishes, highly detailed carpets, and the like. Very fancy stuff. The framed paintings on the walls depicted various hippogriffs of varying shades of gray while all wearing some form of purple hat with circular brims. I suppose purple hats are a staple of their look. But once I was in the main office, I stood before a stallion who was seated behind an impressive wooden desk. And atop his head was another purple fedora, but with a much wider brim that made it look like an entirely different type of hat. His plumage was of a shade of gray, but what caught my eye the most was his pink beak and how harshly it contrasted with his muted tones. He was quite well dressed too, being clad in what appeared to be a black tuxedo coat.

"Ah, Mr. James! I see you got my invitation?" My host asked as he stood up and began to come around to the front of his desk. But as he did and his head turned sideways, I got a good look at his beak. A crooked mustache design had been scribbled along its length. The more I looked at it, the harder it was to not burst into laughter due to his beak looking more and more like an exaggerated elongated pink nose. "Here, have a seat... Hm? Um... Is something wrong?"

Trying to mind my manners now that I was on his home turf, I forced myself to abort a laugh. "Pffft, it's nothing, sir. It's just.....you sound like gray go-away birds and you even look like them to some extent too.”

"Ha, you're not the first to make that observation! Strange coincidence, no?" He said while pushing a cozy wooden chair under me before returning to his spot behind the desk. He then poured us both a drink over ice. I was about to drink from the glass under the assumption that it was water, but the type of glass being used was a rocks glass. A quick sniff revealed that the colorless liquid was instead vodka. Not one to turn down expensive booze, I sipped from it and found some lingering flavors of cucumber of all things. I certainly was not expecting to like it that much, but I did. After he took a sip of his glass, my host properly introduced himself. "I am certain you have deduced that I am McBurbsten. And as you may know, we are a proud family and have dutifully maintained our debates with our rivals over yonder. The storied Woodech clan."

I had already heard that name from Skystar, but hearing it from McBurbsten himself almost made me laugh. "I could swear they were making that up... But really? Woodech? That sounds.....off."

McBurbsten took no offense to my inquiry and even seemed to dismiss how odd it sounded. He took another sip from his glass and said, "Mmhm, the Woodech family has been our stubborn rivals for generations upon generations. Long before you even came to be, my good sir."

I had just one more question on my mind as I took another swig from my glass. "And WHAT is a Woodech?"

My host seemed to misinterpret my question. "Why, they are the other family across the lane. This time, we were in something of a protracted stalemate. But thankfully..." He said before chugging the rest of his drink and setting the glass down with a clack. "You showed up and turned the tide in our favor! Now, come with me."

Seeing where this was going, I gulped down the rest of my drink right as he grabbed me by the shoulder and all but dragged me out of the office, up a grand flight of stairs, down another hall, and out onto a balcony that I was not able to see from the gate. Completely at a loss of what he had been going on about and still baffled over this whole thing, I looked at him and said, "If this is all some bizarre and elaborate prank, you're taking a really long time just to get to the punchline."

"Ha! You're a funny one, Mr. James! I like you already! Now then..." McBurbsten laughed before releasing me from his grip and passing a megaphone to me. I looked at it in confusion as it sat in my grasp before I looked out from the balcony and saw two dozen other hippogriffs of varying sizes and shades of gray looking up at me from out in the middle of the cul-de-sac. Where did they come from?! "Speak, my friend! Speak the tone of our people!"

I was at a loss as I held the megaphone before me. After taking maybe five seconds to process the situation, I spoke sincerely through the megaphone. "Can I go home now?"

My question was met with laughter. Everyone burst into hearty guffaws even as McBurbsten leaned on the railing due to how hard he was laughing. "We have ourselves quite a comedian here! But come now, don't keep us waiting. Out with it!"

With my lips turning into an uncomfortable grimace now that I was convinced that I had walked into a situation I really did not want any part of, I started to look back and forth with the megaphone held before my lips. "Silverstream? You out there? Maybe Terramar? Or Skystar? How about giving me a lift outta here? Please?"

To my surprise, I did in fact see Silverstream waving at me from the gate even as everyone else was laughing themselves silly. She easily could have jumped the gate by flying over it, but the fact that she had not had me believed there would be some unfortunate consequences if she did intrude.

"What have I gotten myself into..." I groaned as the laughter started to die down. Seeing that I would not be getting anywhere if I refused to cooperate, I brought the megaphone closer to my lips and gave a very halfhearted preference. "Wa."

Instead of cheers or applause, all I got in response was a murmur running through the crowd before me. McBurbsten then patted me on the shoulder and said, "Louder, my friend. Put your very heart into it!"

"Oh, for the love of god..." I grumbled as I took a long breath to steel myself. If I was going to embarrass myself like this, I might as well try to have some fun with it. Once again channeling the tone of a nefarious ne'er-do-well, I called through the megaphone with no care of how absurd I sounded. "WAAAAAAAALUIGI!!!"

Even though they could not have known what that was even about, everyone else started chanting their own birdcalls as the cries of gray go-away birds filled the air. McBurbsten then patted me on the back as he let out a hearty laugh. "Well done, my boy! Welcome aboard the Wabush family tree!

I cringed to myself as I was left wondering if I had just been inducted in the family of this honest to goodness cuckoo's nest. Leaving the megaphone behind, I was guided back inside and down in his office once more. "Now then, please make yourself comfortable and I will escort you back out. In say...oh...twenty minutes?"

"Huh? Just sit here? For twenty minutes? Doing nothing?" I asked as my visit had suddenly taken a rather unceremonious downturn.

"Yes indeed! Help yourself to whatever drink you wish, though take care not to drink yourself into a stupor. Not yet, at least." McBurbsten explained without any irony. Weird guy for certain.

I rolled my eyes as I returned to the chair I had been using earlier. "OK then...but do you happen to have any sweet wine perchance? I tend to avoid the stronger stuff unless I'm specifically looking to unwind."

My host happily approached the other side of his desk and reached under as it sounded like he was opening a refrigerator. "Why yes, I do happen to have some. Perhaps some blood orange?"

"That's a flavor you almost never see in wine." I muttered as he set out a wine glass and poured the bubbling reddish liquid in. It certainly smelled like wine, but had a sweet scent to it on top of the usual bite. A quick sip confirmed that it was indeed infused with the flavor of blood orange and was a chilled sweet white wine. "Thank you. Leave the bottle, please?"

"Of course. I swear I shall be back for you before long. Make yourself comfortable, friend." McBurbsten explained as he departed and left me alone in his office. For a good while, I just sat there while refilling my glass only once. With not much else to do besides look around I pulled out my DSi and used its camera function to snap some photos. They would at least have an interesting story behind them by the time I got home.

I had just finished my glass of wine when I heard the sound of soft steps upon a carpet. I turned to look out the open door and saw McBurbsten approaching. He reached out to me as he turned to lead me out. "Come with me, my friend. It is time."

I made no objection. I was more than ready to get out and go about my business. As we headed down the hall, my host spoke to me once more. "Tell me. Has your appetite risen? Have you eaten recently?"

"Maybe a light snack since lunchtime, but beyond that, I've had nothing but the booze you've provided." I replied while only lightly intoxicated by my drink at the time. Nothing to be concerned over.

"Wonderful! Because right now..." He replied as I could hear the faint muffled sound of chattering. And upon opening the door leading out to the street, I saw why. Right down the middle was an extremely long table with many hippogriffs seated along the sides. I recognized the members of the Wabush clan by their gray plumage and purple hats, but there was an entire gaggle of hippogriffs that did not match them. Their plumage were of varying shades of brown like woodland birds while they all wore green flat caps. Or maybe not, though they sure looked similar to that type. The kind of hats newspaper boys wear?

I quickly deduced that the hippogriffs in green caps were the Woodech clan. But the two sides showed no hostility to each other. They were engaged in friendly chatter like a bunch of old friends having come together for some grand reunion. And among the grays and browns was a patch of pink and sky blue. Silverstream was seated next to an empty seat and looked back and forth in utter confusion. Not noticing my approach from behind, she called out, "How'd I even get here?! I was walking away from this place a minute ago!"

"Don't look at me! All I see is madness!" I called out to her over the clamor of maybe fifty hippogriffs. Seeing as how there were few chairs available, I took a seat by her. "So, uh... Things went well...I think?"

"I guess... They look happy, right?" Silverstream replied while raising her voice to speak over the noise. I could see Skystar and Terramar further down the table while looking just as confused. But it was around then that things started to quiet down a bit. Several members of the Wabush clan aproached with each holding a big silver bowl on an upturned hand. Silverstream sniffed the air as I took noticed a chill aroma in the air. "Oooooooh, are we about to have dinner?"

As if to confirm the assumption, McBurbsten then called out over the table. "Now then, everyone! Allow us all to feast upon the finest product of the Wabush family business! Bon appetit!"

The instant the bowls were set upon the table, my mouth watered. Giant shrimp that had been freshly peeled rested within. No seasoning of any sort, but it did not need it. McBurbsten then took a seat and reached out over the table to shake hands with who I assumed was the patriarch of the Woodech family. "Good show as always, old friend! Next time, maybe it will be you who finds a dark horse to tip the scales!"

The Woodech patriarch, his position made clear by a long white feather stuck in his cap, spoke back with genuine mirth in his voice. "We shall see, won't we? Expect us to bring our best, my friend!"

Thoroughly confused over just what in the world had even been going on between the two clans as well as this offer of delicious fresh seafood before me, I turned to just stare at Silverstream while she stared back with an equally confused and very hungry look on her face. "This is a dream, right...?"

Before I could even say anything, Silverstream pinched herself and me on the arm. I winched slightly as I felt her dull yet hard talons dig into my flesh. "Whoa, watch the claws... Um... Nope, I guess we're very much awake."

This realization dawning on her, Silverstream's look of confusion became one of utter delight. "Oh my mother of pearl... I never thought I'd get to try this stuff... It doesn't get any fresher than this!"

I watched as Silverstream reachED out and chomped down on one of those giant shrimp, chewing gratefully before she went for another. I did the same, reaching out and taking a bite. Even with no seasoning, I could taste the quality. Not watered down at all, the natural flavor was fully intact. McBurbsten called out to me to enjoy myself to my fullest and I most certainly obliged. Fresh juices were supplied to the kids while refreshing light beers were served to the adults and myself. We ate and we ate and ate until we could eat no more. The passage of time was a blur as I gorged myself on that delicious fresh shrimp.

Eventually...maybe an hour later, I finally started to slow down as I reached my limit. A sudden and loud belch came from my right as Silverstream could not bring herself to continue. "Oooooh, my belly... Can't eat another bite..."

She was not joking. I could see a round pudgy rounding of her gut. This convinced me to truly stop right there lest I eat enough to induce vomiting later. "Yeah... Same here. That really hit the spot."

Silverstream looked very groggy, her excessive consumption of food having drained her of energy. She looked about ready to pass out for a nap, which I was too. "James... Tell my parents that I...died a very happy birdy..."

"Will do...when I wake up..." I set my head down on the table and drifted off for a nap surprisingly easily. I am not sure how long I was out, but I woke up later to find that someone had gone out of their way to drag a spare mattress out onto the street and set me upon it to let me sleep comfortably. A quick look ahead revealed that members of the Wabush clan were in the process of cleaning up and taking the table apart. The sun was beginning to set as a cool breeze blew over me. "Man... That was a good time..."

"Mmmm, tasty...yummy...shrimp..." I heard a voice mumble next to me before I found a sleeping Silverstream starting to gnaw on my shirt collar. Even in her dreams, all she could think about was what we just ate.

"Silverstream, please don't eat my clothes..." I said quietly while still pretty drained from the filling meal I just had. Nothing but shrimp, but I was not complaining.

Before I was even aware that he was approaching, McBurbsten himself stood over me and held out a hand to help me up. "Finally awake, my boy? That was quite a feast, wasn't it?"

"Heh... Yeah, color me surprised. That was awesome. If nothing else, you guys have great taste in fine dining." I retorted while still feeling more than just a bit full. I would not be eating another bite of anything until breakfast in the morning. Regardless, I gratefully took hold of his hand as he pulled me to my feet.

McBurbsten let out a hearty chuckle as he then said, "I'm most glad to hear that. Just know that you will always be considered a friend of the family from here on out. And you will be expected to attend next time you happen to be around during our monthly verbal debates."

Our handshake slowed as I started to process what he was telling me. "Wait a minute... You mean that if this...thing is happening next time I'm here...I'll have to do this all AGAIN?"

"But of course! Besides, it's not like we won't make it worth your while!" McBurbsten said with a laugh without any irony to his claim. He then pointed at my chest with his talon all but touching the pin on my shirt. "Just don't lose that. That's your ticket to these debates."

I rolled my eyes at this bizarre obligation that had been forced upon me. If it were anything else, I would be quite frustrated. But with the prospect of high quality fresh seafood being offered, it was hard to get upset over it. "Well... I guess if you keep feeding me, I'll be happy to be there. But how will I know it's happening."

His response was more than just a bit ambiguous. "Oh, don't you worry about that. If you're here when it happens, we'll know. And we'll send for you."

They would just know if I was on the island? I was not even about to question how they would be aware of my presence on that massive mountain. "OK then... I guess I'll just...see myself out then. Thanks for dinner."

"Anytime, my friend. You have a good night now." McBurbsten replied as he let go of my hand and started to make his way back over to the manor on his side of the cul-de-sac. Noticing my backpack beside the mattress, I took my pin off and placed it in one of the pockets to insure it would not be lost.

It was right around then that Silverstream started to rise from the mattress. She still looked ad sounded groggy with a bit of a soft roundness in her belly. "Wow, I needed that... What time is it? I don't think I've got room for dinner tonight..."

"Yeah, me neither... It looks like Terramar and Skystar have already gone home. I don't see them anywhere." I replied as I helped her up. "It's getting late though... You should probably head home too."

"You'll be coming by tonight, right? I'll get my bed ready." Silverstream asked inquisitively as she looked up at me with a hopeful smile.

"Oh definitely. I'm not going to bail on you two nights in a row." I replied as I pet her on the head. Silverstream let out a long trilling churr in delight to voice her approval. But as I pondered this, I held my backpack out to her. "But while I'm on my way back up, would you mind taking this to the palace and packing some clean clothes for me and bring it to your place? One shirt, one pair of pants or shorts, a pair of undergarments, and a pair of socks is all I need."

Silverstream already knew which room I was using and had free access to the Ivory Palace as she saw fit, so I knew it would not be a problem. She happily slung my backpack over her back without it getting in the way of her wings. "Sure, no problem! Just make sure you actually show up tonight!"

"Will do. Have a safe flight, pretty bird." I said while patting her on the head and watching my little friend take to the darkening sky before flying up the side of the mountain.

"Well, fancy seeing you here, handsome. Wandered right into the cuckoo's nest, didn't you?" A very familiar voice said to me as I watched Silverstream fly away. I froze as I recognized it instantly. Even though we had agreed to go the day without seeing each other, I turned around abruptly to face her. Queen Novo herself stood before me.

"Novo!" I said as a feeling of happiness filled my heart. I reached out to her as she too lifted a hand, but we both relented and refrained. A look of unease settled into her face as she likely realized only then what we had agreed on that morning. Trying to distract from the awkward tension in the air, I spoke to her as my gaze wandered. "You...were here for the feast?"

Novo cast me an uneven smirk. "Oh, I never miss this. They kind of expect me to show up anyway. Good eating no matter which side 'wins' in these debate. I just wasn't expecting to see you caught up with the biggest birdbrains on the island."

"I swear I had no idea what I was doing or what they wanted from me... To be honest, I still don't." I explained while Novo burst into hearty laughter. At least it ended up being an experience to write home about. And I did not have to wonder what I was going to have for dinner that evening now that I was too full to even think about food.

"Well, I won't ask what you did to get their attention. Must've been something particularly weird." Novo chuckled as her laughter died down. But as the more humorous atmosphere faded with just the two of us standing out in the lane, our attention was once more drawn to the pressing matter at hand. We had been trying to avoid each other all day, yet circumstances had brought us together once more regardless. "Well...what now?"

I felt like we should have parted ways right there, but I could not bring myself to say goodbye and get away from her. I did not want to push Novo away. Not after she specifically pleaded that I did not. And so I held a hand out to her and asked, "Should I...walk you home?"

Novo's eyes widened slightly upon hearing my request. But only for a few seconds. She then smiled very gratefully and placed her hand in mine. "Please..."

The two of us headed out the gate and through the darkened streets. Few hippogriffs were out at that hour. I allowed Novo to lead since I was not familiar with the layout of the Psi sector. I knew it would be faster for Novo to fly home, so I asked, "When we find the way out, would you prefer to fly home?"

"Nah, I could use the exercise after that filling meal. And besides, that last path up here on the mountain is especially nice at this time of day. Sometimes I even take a stroll there around this time just to enjoy the view and the crisp air." Novo explained while constantly staying at my side.

"Heh, yeah. I don't even want to think about dessert. Still can't eat another bite." I groaned lightly as I walked along, eager to work off that meal. But as we walked, I tried to put a bit of distance between us. Maybe two feet away. But Novo would not have it. If I drifted away from her, she would close the distance. I knew she was aware.

Finally unable to resist my heart's will, I reached out and draped my arm over her back and pulled her near. Novo responded in kind, her left wing reaching out and draping itself over me like a cloak. It felt pleasant, those insulating feathers providing ample protection from the cool night air. Right as we reached the edge of town and began to walk along the path that led to the Omega sector, Novo whispered to me as her head rested against my shoulder. "I missed you..."

"You... Novo..." I muttered while unsure of what to say. I was certainly too preoccupied all day to really think about her, but now that she was in my arm's embrace... I felt like I missed her more than I initially realized. Unable to really find a means to convey what I was feeling, I did the only thing I could think of. I placed a kiss upon her soft feathered cheek. Her feathers immediately ruffled up as she shuddered in my grasp, a big smile forming upon her beak.

We did not say much for a time. The walk was pleasant, the moon shining high above us faintly illuminating the mountaintop with its glow. All the while, we stayed in each other's embrace. Like a young couple out for some time alone where we would not be seen. Novo even whispered to me, "There's a little spot halfway up the path... I wanna stop there for a bit."

"Like a bit of a cliffside vista?" I asked while taking note of just how high up we were. I doubt we would see much in the dark of the night with nothing but the ocean as far as the eye could see, but I was happy to see what it had to offer.

"Mmhm..." Novo mumbled as she closed her eyes while continuing to lean against me. I held her firmly yet tenderly against me as I guided her along the darkened path. She sighed deeply in peace. For as cool as the night air felt against my face, Novo's wing felt like an insulating blanket wrapped around me. Not much longer later, Novo finally whispered to me as I noticed her eyes open. "James... Let's stop for a minute."

"OK?" I muttered as Novo came to a stop while I did the same. Still keeping me wrapped in her wing like she was afraid I would slip away if she let go, Novo turned to face me as we gazed into each others' eyes. She was smiling. I think I was too. And I could see what she wanted. Her beak began to part, her eyes narrowing. My eyes responded in kind as I leaned forward. Seconds later, my eyes closed as I felt Novo's beak clamp over my cheeks while her tongue invaded my mouth. My tongue reached out to hers, the lingering taste of fresh shrimp being shared with each other.

My arm around Novo tightened as my fingers dragged themselves through her plumage. I sighed in bliss as we kissed, deep sultry moans humming in the depths of her throat. I could not resist her, nor did I want to. God, I was falling for her so hard... This beautiful queen, the most beautiful creature in all the land, singing her heart out to me with the muffled coos of her delight. I wanted to love her. And I knew she wanted to love me. In a way, we needed each other.

"Mmmm... James, baby..." Novo gasped as her beak released me for just a few seconds before they once again clamped onto my cheeks while her tongue invited mine to another dance. Her hand slid up under my shirt as she gently dragged her finely filed talons through my chest hair. We were standing out in the open. Anyone could have come along, but we were too enthralled with each other to pay such a possibility or risk any mind. She once again paused in the kiss once more to gaze into my eyes as she whispered longingly at me, "My... My sweet sugar bear..."

"Novo... You beautiful..." I muttered with a quiet huff before we once again held each other tightly like a pair of insatiable newlyweds, tongues dancing in a desperate tango. My mind raced. The feelings we held for each other were mutual. Risky as it was, we were falling in love. And I searched my heart for something fitting to call her. Something precious and meaningful. And as we once again paused in the kiss for the sake of a breath of fresh air, I whispered such sweet words to her. "My...bird of paradise..."

"Your..." She muttered as a noticeable blush filled her cheeks, Novo's eyes gazing at me with so much love in them. "Oh, James..... Kiss me, baby..."

I all too happily obliged. Once again, our eyes closed as our mouths locked. Our tongues twirled as Novo sang with her beautifully deep voice humming away through her beak. Our hands roamed, hers reaching under my shirt as mine combed through her plumage along her back and up her neck. She may have been queen, but she was still a mare. A mare I was rapidly growing to adore and even love. At the first chance she got, she whispered my claim back to me. "I'm your bird of paradise, baby..."

I felt so hot as we looked back at each other from mere inches away. As I panted from the sheer exhilaration of it all, Novo did the same. Unable to find the will to speak and having had enough passionate kissing for the moment, we embraced. Novo rested her head on my shoulder while I stroked my hand down the back of her head. I knew we were bonding too fast, even if our hearts understood each other more than most. So I whispered a little something special to ease myself into the waters. "I want to love you, Novo..."

Novo sighed deeply as I felt her feathers rub against my ear. I then heard her whisper tenderly, "I want to love you so bad, James..."

It was just one step shy of outright declaring love for each other. I wanted to go further and just say it, but it was still too soon. Best to wait and see if these feelings were genuine or just a passing phase of being lost in the moment. And if those feelings were real... It would make the moment all the sweeter when we knew for sure. Trying to get back to what we were doing and where we needed to go, I whispered to the beautiful creature in my embrace. "Where to, m'lady?"

"Easy there, honey. That's just one step below from 'your majesty' and you know what I said last time." Novo said quietly in a jeering manner as she rubbed her head up against mine.

"Well, I wasn't exactly doing that." I replied while trying to throw in a hint of wit into the situation. "I mean you are MY lady, right?"

Novo chuckled quietly, her wing tightening its grip over me. "Oh...? Well, I suppose I am, hm? In that case... Let's continue on up, my lord. I still want to see that spot I was telling you about."

With some reluctance, we released each other and continued on up the road. Although we did not let go entirely. Novo continued to stay by my side with her wing draped over me like a cloak while her head rested against mine even as my arm draped itself over her shoulders and pulled her close. Novo just...made me feel like the most fortunate man in the world. She was doing everything she could to make me know what her heart was saying without the use of words.

Eventually, I noticed some lampposts up ahead set out on a small plateau that brought to mind a rest stop. And it was more or less that. Just off the path and along the cliff was a delightful vista that was probably a type of tourist attraction. There were ornate benches, gardens of flowers, and even a couple of stone tables with checkerboard designs in the middle to serve as a chessboard. "Well, this is lovely..."

"Mmhm... The last stop before the Omega sector." Novo said as she and I stepped closer to the middle of the area as the glow of the lamps joined the glow of the moon in illuminating us. Soon, Novo pulled her wing from me and said softly, "Excuse me for a minute, hun."

I did not object. I watched as Novo pushed herself up as her wings spread wide and far, reaching back to balance her weight as she once more stood tall on just her hind legs. I watched the majestic creature before me walk towards the cliff, her pale plumage almost glowing in the little light that was shining down on the area. It still amazed me with how tall she was, easily reaching seven feet or higher. My eyes scanned her slender form, her full feathered hips swaying visibly with each step as the queen walked to the edge. I think Novo was aware I was watching and made no attempt to hide her beauty.

I thought Novo was going to jump off the edge of the cliff to go for a midnight flight. There was not much serving as a barrier at the edge aside from a perimeter of lilies. I guess the locals have no need to fear falling to their deaths over a cliff when literally everyone on the island can fly. However, Novo did no such thing. She neared the edge and stopped. Doing nothing more than just basking in the moonlight and the glows of the lampposts. It almost looked like she was...inviting me.

I at first thought that I should leave Novo be, but then recalled everything that had happened during the walk up the mountain road. Novo would never want me to keep my distance now. I walked up quietly behind her as I considered my options. What could I do to make her feel happy? As I stood behind her, Novo waited in silence. She was at my mercy. And so I put my arms around her with my hands resting on the sides of her lower belly. All I did was hold her with my forehead resting against her back. Novo responded in kind, her hands resting over mine. If she were at least my height, she would probably lean back into me. Unfortunate that she was so much taller than me.

"You've made me the happiest I've been in ages, honey..." Novo said softly to me, her hands gently sliding over the back of my own. But a moment later, her fingers curled over the edges of my hands slightly and guided them lower. I thought she was guiding them to her hips. Instead, I felt them move inward. I froze as I felt them being placed over two round mounds on her belly. Her teats. Was this a test? She then whispered to me, "So happy... Like I have nothing to be upset over anymore..."

Her hands remained upon mind even as her teats remained in my grasp. It brought to mind standing behind a woman and tenderly cupping her breasts. As tempting as it was to start to fondle her, I knew this was not the best time for such a thing. So I did not. I did not grope and squeeze her teats. I merely held them even as her hands held mine. Novo whispered sweetly to me, "I'm falling for you, James... I won't lie about that."

"I can say the same thing about you..." I said softly as I remained where I was, my face resting against the soft plumage on her back. "Sweet as heaven, but hot as hell... You're a rare treasure of Equestria. And I... I feel so lucky that...we are gravitating this hard towards each other... You're a.....wonderful woman."

"Oh, I'll show you sweet." She cooed whimsically as Novo took my hands off her teats and pushed them aside. She then lowered herself back to the ground and turned to face me with that familiar smirk upon her beak. "Let's get comfy. I wanna chill here for a bit. With my sugar bear."

The very sound of that sweet pet name she had chosen for me made me shiver with anticipation. I stepped back towards the road with her and took a seat upon the nearest bench. They were lined with weather-resistant cushions for added comfort. Once seated, Novo put her arm around me and pulled me onto her as she leaned back at the edge of the bench. "Kiss me, baby."

I did not resist. I put my arms around that beautiful queen as her beak parted and once more clamped onto my face. She sighed deeply as our tongues once more began to dance. All the while, her hands slid under my shirt and began to masterfully rub over my chest. I could feel it in her touch. She was a veteran in the art of love with decades if not centuries of experience. And as she caressed me, she began to push my shirt higher. Then higher. Until finally she coaxed me to lift my arms as our kiss ended briefly, her eyes full of a sacred desire as she pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it over and onto the opposite edge of the bench. I could see what she wanted as we both gazed at each other with heavy breaths. A thought came to mind, one that had been at the back of my mind for a while. "What...about Skystar? What if she..."

"Don't you worry about her, baby." Novo said softly as she cupped my cheek and brought her beak to my forehead for a firm kiss. "This isn't about her. This is about us. Don't let my girl be a factor in what we feel for each other."

Novo kept her wing securely draped over me, shielding my body against the cool night air and creating a pocket of warmth between us. She again brought her beak to my lips, parting wide as we kissed like lovers while her hands roamed over my exposed torso. I felt almost no cool wind under Novo's wing, the simple curtain of her feathers proving to be very insulating against the cool high altitude air. Her hands slid over my chest and down my sides, her hands firmer than my own while still softer than the average bird's foot as they found a comfortable middle ground. My hands too roamed over her body, appreciating her lovely plumage.

After a moment, her hand slid along my arm and stopped as it rested upon my bicep. She seemed to detect something as she pulled away from me to end our kiss. Novo lifted her wing a bit higher to see under it as her eyes lit up in curiosity. "Well... How did I not notice this last night?"

I almost did not know what she was referring to until I realized that she was looking at my cutie mark. Even I forget it is there half the time since it is almost always covered by my clothing. Novo caressed it gently, her dull talons dragging over the twin avian shapes. "You have a cutie mark, honey? And are they doves?"

"Yeah, I think so... I even have a pet dove back home." I explained as the romantic tension in the air faded for the moment. Her caress was tender as she showed a sincere interest in something she is intimately familiar with.

"You really do have a special thing for birds, huh?" Novo muttered almost jokingly. I could only crack an amused smirk. But she then gazed into my eyes as she whispered, "Only I don't see a dove before me. I see a swan."

I think I blushed a bit at that comparison. No bird is more closely associated with undying love than the swan. Novo again tightened her wing's embrace over me as I was pressed against her fluffy chest. Her beak placed a sweet kiss between my eyes as she cooed, "You are just brimming with love, baby... Love like I've never seen before. It's no wonder Celestia is head over hooves for you... And... I..."

I tilted my head down as Novo did the same. We closed our eyes, our brows touching as she whispered lovingly to me. "I'm honored...that you want to share that love with me..."

"I meant what I said... I...want to love you..." I said again, reiterating those tender words I said only a short while ago. I so very dearly wanted to love this wonderful queen before me. To love her as she deserved to be.

Novo gently turned her head from side to side, almost like a type of dance. It was not the first time and I recognized it as I turned my head to mirror her movements. It felt simple, yet meaningful. A subdued type of dance. She whispered sweetly to me, "And I so dearly want to love you too, honey bun..."

Over and over, we shared many kisses as her hands roamed over my bare upper torso. However, she suddenly froze as her hand brushed over that large scar along my waist. The uneven texture of the skin caught her attention while Novo looked down. Like my cutie marks, it must have escaped her attention last night. "Honey... Who hurt you?"

I tried to recall, as I have many times before, but nothing came to me. Whatever it was that gave me that scar, I had no recollection of it. I could hazard a guess as to when I got it, but something told me it was a good thing that memory did not exist in my mind. "I wish I knew... I don't know when I got it."

Novo gave me a most troubled gaze as I spoke to her. Almost like she thought the fact I did not know exactly how I got that scar was a cause for concern. She brought her hand to my cheek and spoke softly, "James... Baby, you have no business getting into trouble... A man as sweet and tender as you shouldn't have to carry a sword. You shouldn't have to fight..."

She pulled me closer as we put our arms around each other. Her hand slid down my side and over my hip as she cooed, "Here, honey... Let mama take care of you tonight."

Her beak found its way to my lips once more, the two halves parting and clamping securely over my cheeks as we once again began to kiss most passionately. However, a moan soon hummed in my throat as I felt a new sensation. Her hand cupping me between my legs as it rubbed up and down. She masterfully rubbed me through my pants as her loving attention set my senses alight with a desperate need. As our kiss ended, she gazed lovingly into my eyes. "That's it, baby... Let me give you the kind of love you deserve."

"Novo... You...oh god..." I groaned as a stiffening hardness began to form in my loins. Novo knew what she was doing, especially when her hand began to snack its way into my pants. I felt her fingers coil around my hardened shaft, slowly sliding up and down its length. There was not much room to maneuver in there, but she did not need much to begin with. Her touch was tender, her grip gentle, and her caresses masterful. "I'm sorry that...I'm not a stallion..."

"Shhhh, no need to apologize, love." Novo whispered to me as she constantly gazed into my eyes. She smiled lovingly, knowing what she was doing. "It's not the size of your package that matters. It's what you do with it."

I could not resist her. I pulled her close, my lips parting while her beak did the same. Our eyes closed as we once more began to kiss with utter passion, our affections only stimulating me further as Novo's hand continued to pleasure me with her wing shielding us from any potential prying eyes.

I must have been starved for release since I could feel my climax coming on in only a matter of minutes. Novo must have known because I began to instinctively lift my hips in rhythm to her caresses. I started to groan as our kiss ended while Novo cooed soft words of encouragement into my ear. "Go ahead, baby. Let it all out. Every last drop."

"Novo... Oh god... Novo, I...!" I groaned and gasped as I tensed up sharply. Spurts of fresh hot seed gushed forth inside the confines of my pants as my climax passed as quickly as it arrived. I felt warm and tingly all over, my heart racing from the rush of endorphins in my blood. Novo slowly retracted her hand from my pants, but I was given a bit of a surprise. Her fingers were coated with my white sticky seed. "Um... Guess I made a mess..."

Novo held her hand aloft as she examined the sight of my essence upon her hand. But that look of intrigue turned into a sly smirk. I watched in surprise as Novo began to slowly lick my seed from her fingers, steadily removing any trace of the fluid from her hand. "Mmmm... I almost forgot what a man tastes like..."

"I hope...I didn't disappoint..." I mumbled as I bit my lip, unsure of how to respond to this gorgeous queen lewdly teasing me while thoroughly enjoying my little 'gift' to her.

"You didn't, sugar bear." She whispered soulfully to me as she closed her beak to swallow whatever she licked up. "Salty...sweet... Just the right kind of balance. But the real question is.....how did I do?"

"Well...I guess very well. I didn't last all that long..." I retorted as I realized that we just did such a thing out in the open. Thank goodness no one had any real reason to be wandering the roads between towns at that hour.

"That's because mama knows how to please her man. I've got more experience than any mortal mare in the world." Novo purred proudly as she dragged her tongue along my cheek. It was easy to forget that she was immortal and quite possibly a few thousand years old. She must be a very competent and beloved queen to hold the people's favor for so long.

Having stayed there long enough, I got my shirt back on and soon started on my way back up the mountain with Novo in my arm and myself in her wing. Our heads constantly rubbed against each other, just so happy to be together with no one else around. Even when we finally entered the Omega sector, hardly anyone was about. Finally, we came to a stop on the middle of the bridge that connected the Omega sector to the Ivory Palace. Novo and I shared a long silent stare as our smiles faded from our faces. It was time to say goodbye for the night.

"I really enjoyed my time with you tonight, James..." Novo whispered as she lifted her hand to me while mine met hers and grasped it firmly.

"Likewise..." I muttered while I felt the desire to disregard all of my plans for the evening just to stay with her for the night. For having gone the entire day without seeing her once, I felt extremely reluctant to part ways with that beautiful queen now.

"I really shouldn't keep you... It was selfish of me to keep you to myself last night. You have somewhere you need to be, right?" Novo asked while I just nodded in acknowledgement. She then whispered as her gaze wandered, "Honey... May I ask you a big favor?"

Again, I nodded. Novo's grip on my hand tightened as she whispered, "Starting tomorrow night... Until you have to leave... Will you join me in my bedroom for the night?"

She brought herself closer to me, her wing draping itself over me once more in an embrace. Novo nestled her head against mine as she cooed, "I want to...hold you in my arms while I sleep..."

"I'd be happy to, Novo." I whispered back as my hand stroked down the back of her neck. I adored the sound of such an offer. I could not refuse such a loving offer. "I'll be there. Every night...my bird of paradise."

Novo shuddered at my touch and the use of those tender words. She pulled her head back and smiled most gratefully to me. "Thank you, sugar bear... And...one more time? Before you go?"

I watched as she parted her beak in waiting. I knew what that meant. And so I put my arms around that beautiful undying queen as her beak clamped upon my cheeks. I had lost count of how many times we had kissed that night, but this one final kiss was no less sweet than before. I sighed and groaned. She cooed and moaned. Her touch, her taste, everything about her was just sublime. And I felt nothing but sincere and earnest love in every caress her tongue made against my own. I tried to return the favor, my tongue dancing with hers as I tried to make the feelings in my heart known to her without actually having to say it.

The instant our kiss began to end, we were dealt an unexpected interruption. The flapping of wings reached our ears followed by the clip clop of hooves. And then... "Ah, there you are, your majesty! Forgive me for the late interruption, but I... I... Uh..."

The two of us turned to look at Seaspray as he stood a short distance away. My arms were still around Novo while her glorious wing was draped over me in a comforting embrace. I was unsure of what to say or do, but Novo gave the captain of the guard a most stern glare. "You saw nothing, Admiral."

"Of course! Whatever did I see? I saw a mouse scampering across the bridge! Or perhaps it was a shooting star falling over the horizon? Or... Sleepwalking! Yes, I must be sleepwalking! Curse this narcolepsy of mine! I really must see the doctor in town about that. Get myself a prescription for..." Seaspray just went on and on as he walked towards the palace and disappeared beyond its doors.

Novo and I shared a gaze as she looked like she was trying not to laugh. I still let out a snicker as I said, "I see why you hired that guy. He's a hoot."

"A hoot, a caw, a squawk, and so many other sounds I can't even name. He just better keep what he saw to himself if he knows what's good for him." Novo said with a smirk before bring her brow to mine as our heads bowed. For a good minute longer, we just stood there while holding each other. I did not want to depart, but I did not want to disappoint Silverstream two nights in a row. With a look of reluctance, Novo finally began to release me from her embrace. "Sweet dreams, sugar bear... I'll see you tomorrow, baby."

"You too...my bird of paradise..." I whispered as I felt compelled to address her by that precious title. A faint blush shone through Novo's cheeks as she and I shared one quick little kiss as my lips met her beak. She slowly turned and began to walk along the bridge to her palace. I stood where I was, not wanting to move until she had fully faded from sight. I could see Novo look back at me several times before she stood in the doorway to the palace. We shared one long gaze as I raised a hand, partially reaching out to her while just bidding her farewell. Novo did the same, but it was her wing that did the waving. And with that, she was gone while I stood alone on that bridge in the pale moonlight.

I brought a hand to my chest. I was in pain. I wanted to follow her. To be by her side and hold her in my arms. And yet, there was somewhere I needed to be. Someone was waiting for me. Even so, I could not deny to myself what I was feeling. "Why do I love you so much, Novo..."

Knowing that standing there while brooding over this feelings growing in my heart, I turned and shuffled down the bridge before I began to descend the stairs back into the Omega sector. But I had barely reached the bottom before I found someone waiting for me. He raised a hand in greeting as he said, "Evening, James. Nice night, huh?"

"Huh? You... Sky Beak? What's up? I was just heading over to your place. Silverstream is expecting me." I asked as this unexpected distraction took my mind off of the longing I was feeling for the queen of the island.

"Yeah, I know. I just wanted to find you first. You want to join me for a drink?" He asked with a sincere smile set into his beak.

Considering my mood, a stiff drink did sound pleasant to me. It would certainly lift my mood and get my mind off of those lingering thoughts of want. "Sure... I'm up for a drink. You choose the place."

Sky Beak led me down the road and into a cozy little tavern that have a jukebox playing some soft relaxing music to help the patrons unwind after a long day. Rather than feeling dirty and sleazy, the place felt warm and comforting. The bartender was clad in a classy black vest and tie as he polished a glass. Sky Beak took a seat at the counter, but I had to pull up a stool.

Sky ordered a light beer. He was in too good of a mood for anything heavy. While I was tempted to go for some whisky, I ultimately decided I just was not unhappy enough for that stuff. So I took the middle ground by ordering a tall glass of mead. A little too strong to have straight, I asked that it be poured over just a little ice. After the first sip, Sky looked at me and asked, "How were things today? I heard from Silverstream that you somehow got caught up with the weirdness that goes on every month down in the Psi sector."

I almost laughed as I was suddenly reminded of the absurdity from earlier that day. "Oh, right... Yeah, I just don't get those birdbrains. Great taste in food though. I still can't bring myself to think about food. That filled me up good."

Sky Beak let out a snicker before he gulped down another swig of his drink. "I won't ask the details. The Wabush and Woodech clans are easily the weirdest folks on the island. Friendly, but weird."

We continued to drink to the tune of relaxing music playing over the modestly lit tavern before Sky Beak looked my way. "Silverstream really missed you last night. I understand that something came up back at the palace, but I just want you to know she was really disappointed that you couldn't make it."

"That's why I was on my way over to your place when you found me." I replied while my thoughts of Novo were distracted by thoughts of my little friend. Silverstream is not someone I like to imagine being upset. And I felt bad knowing I had let her down the previous night. "I'm not gonna bail on her twice in a row. I'll be there tonight."

"Good to hear. You wanna hurry up here so we can get going?" Sky asked as he chugged the rest of his beer before pulling a few bits under his wing and setting them on the counter.

"Yeah, I don't want her to stay up too late for me." I said before gulping down the rest of my drink as fast as I could bring myself to. Mead is deceptively strong when compared to wine, so one could easily make themselves feel sick by drinking it too fast. Before long, Sky Beak and I headed out the door as I followed the stallion down the street. As I walked up alongside him, he comfortingly draped his great wing over my shoulders as if offering me a coat on a rainy day. I glanced over at him while he looked back at me with that kind fatherly smile I saw on him so often and was quickly reminded of why I like him so much. "Thanks..."

"Anytime, James. It gets pretty cool up here at night, even in summer." He replied while that impressive wing partially wrapped around me. It did not take long before we were standing outside his house while he took his wing off me. "Silverstream's probably waiting for you in her room. I'm gonna head straight to bed, all right?"

"Sure. Thanks again for the drink, Sky." I said while letting him enter first. Upon following, I saw my backpack resting on the couch. I quickly checked the contents and confirmed that Silverstream had indeed gathered up a full set of clean clothes from me. I decided to take a hot shower before getting ready for bed, hoping that Silverstream would not mind one last delay.

Not thirty minutes later, I slipped on my clean pair of boxers and wrapped a towel around my waist. Very quietly, I stepped out into the darkened hall and gently nudged Silverstream's door open. I saw an unexpected sight. Silverstream was pacing back and forth in her room, possibly to stave of sleep. She really was trying her hardest to be awake for when I showed up. Feeling a little guilty, I stepped inside. "Hey... Sorry if I kept you waiting."

The instant Silverstream looked my way, her eyes brightened up before she hopped up onto her bed and got comfortable on it. "It's cool. I'm still awake. Now gimme cuddles."

I cracked an amused smirk at how straightforward she was being. I hung my towel on the bedpost before sitting beside her and scooping the eager filly into my arms for a nuzzle and hug. "Sorry that I didn't show up yesterday... I'm here now though. And I'm not leaving until morning."

"Good... I missed this." Silverstream churred as she nuzzled her head against mine while occasionally nibbling harmlessly on my ear. "Wow, I'm still so full... What about you? Not in the mood for a midnight snack?"

"Ugh, don't even talk about food right now... It's been hours and I still can't even bring myself to think about anything to eat." I said while still feeling utterly and thoroughly satisfied from that feast of fresh shrimp. I was hoping I would have enough of an appetite to enjoy breakfast by the time morning came.

Silverstream giggled quietly as she wrapped her wings around me like a pair of arms. "Sorry! Just... Wow, we ate like kings... Or queens. And the queen was there, right?"

"Yeah... She was..." I muttered as my thoughts went back to dear Novo. I closed my eyes, imagining that beautiful creature in my arms. Her deep soothing voice, that gorgeous plumage, her full womanly figure. I could almost feel her in my arms instead of Silverstream, my fingers starting to apply scritches to her round motherly flanks.

"Ooh... Oooooh, booty scritches... Mmm, that's the spot..." Silverstream cooed as she embraced me tighter. I suddenly realized what I was doing and lifted my hand from her rump. This only caused Silverstream to protest as she looked at me with puffed cheeks. "Hey, don't stop. That felt really good."

"Um... OK then?" I muttered while letting Silverstream release me from her embrace. She turned sideways so I could properly apply scritches to most of her body. The further back I went, the higher she lifted her hips like a cat that was stretching. She probably was doing just that as I cracked a crooked grin at just how silly she was being. "I'm guessing that hit the spot?"

"Oooooooooh yeah... Scritches everywhere..." She groaned before letting out a yawn. Once that was over she looked at me with those big beautiful eyes. "You...look really tired..."

"I guess I am... It's been a long day and...my mind is kind of elsewhere right now..." I mumbled as I really felt I had reached my limit for the day, both physically and emotionally. Silverstream did not say anything else and turned the covers on her bed down for us. It was time to sleep.

Once the two of us got comfortable under the covers and I had turned off the lamp on the nightstand, Silverstream snuggled up to me and draped a wing over me while her plush fluffy plumage rubbed up against me. I felt her touch her beak to my cheek in the dark before she whispered to me. "Sweet dreams, best friend."

I let out a long sigh as I closed my eyes. The last thing I said before sleep could take me was spoken with an equally soft whisper. "Sweet dreams, pretty bird."

When morning came, I was given a bit of a surprise at the kitchen table. Ocean Flow served us all fresh kipper with poached eggs. First time I ever tried it, but I liked it. It almost seems like as long as it involves fish, all cuisine in the world somehow ends up on Capricorn Island.

Once breakfast was done, I retired to the study to type this entry up while I had the time. I am eager to get back up to the Ivory Palace and see what Celestia and Novo have in store for the day. Especially Novo... I want to kiss her again. And I am sure she will want to make out with me at the first opportunity she gets.

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Hello, James' diary. I don't have a diary, so I'm writing my happy thoughts on his for right now.

---

Heh... I step away from the typewriter for a few minutes to use the bathroom and Silverstream hijacks it again. That silly bird knows how to make me smile. Anyway, I think I am going to take a break from writing these entries for a few days. I want to have more time to spend enjoying myself with the people around me. Especially with Novo.

I better get going. I know she is waiting for me and I do not want to keep that gorgeous mare waiting.

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