“So, you built that vessel all by yourself?” Flare asked.
“Mmmhmmm.” Nick nodded. He and Flare strolled along the western bank of the Atoll's southern land strip. A midnight tide rippled to their left, adding a delightful percussion to their conversation. “Before I set out for the K.M.C.A.”
“Before you set out for the what?” Flare asked, eyes narrow.
“The Kihutajan Marine Colonial Academy. Y'know... college!” He smirked at her.
She gave him a blank stare.
“Erm... most ponies where I come from... er... go through an extended educational system.”
“Ohhhhhh.” She blinked. “You mean an institute of learning?”
“Yup!”
“Hmmf. Those sound lame.”
Nick fought the urge to grimace. “Well... it's... k-kinda important for a pony like me.”
“In what way?”
“I mean... that's how I aim to earn the credentials I need in order to get ahead with—”
“Did it teach you how to sail a ship out into sea and outrace a giant sea serpent?”
“Well... no...”
“And you built the ship before you went to Kihutaja, yes?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I did.”
Flare grinned, teeth showing. “Then it seems to me like you've learned plenty!”
“Pfft! You kidding?! I haven't even gotten my doctorate in—”
“Hah hah hah hah!”
Nick frowned, folding his forelimbs with a pout. “It's super serious!”
“Yes! You landwalkers are always so super serious!” Flare stifled another wave of laughter. “So serious about wasting time.”
“I'll have you know I've done plenty of life-rewarding things at the K.M.C.A.!”
“Like what?”
“Like...” Nick's tongue rolled, but there was nothing to click it against. His ears folded back as he searched the starlit waves for a semblance of words. “Like... erm...” He gulped hard. “Economics. Ethics. Social... err... synergy.”
“Those all sound boring wastes of Verlaxion's good gifts,” Flare said. She smirked. “At least here, your good talents have been put to saving lives.”
“Well... one life,” he said with a chuckling breath.
“With talents such as yours, we could certainly use you for many a fine hunt!”
“Huh?”
“Why, your ship, of course!” She pointed further down the beach from where they had trotted. “A finer piece of seacraft I've never seen!”
“Why, th-thank you.” Nick cleared his throat. “But... I-I'm not exactly staying.”
Flare cocked her head to the side. “You're not?”
“Hardly.”
“Why not, landwalker?”
“Because... well... b-because I've got... y'know... stuff!” He paced out into the surf, squinting into a warm gust of sea air. “School stuff. Studies. Heck... don't even get me started on all the student loans. Heh. Phweeeee...”
“Stuff. Studies. Loans.” Flare smirked. “I've heard of landwalkers speak of these things before.”
“So you know how flippin' important they are, then.”
“Nope.” She shook her head. “In fact...” She chuckled. “I find it funny.”
“In what way?”
“Landwalkers are so stressed about life that they'll give weight to invisible things.”
“Hey...” Nick frowned, pointing. “Student loans are not invisible.”
“Are they not?”
“Wait 'til the sun comes up, girl. You can see the gray hairs. Heh.”
“Did student loans anchor you to your academy? Did studies keep your boat in its original harbor?”
“Well... I...” Nick fidgeted in the low surf. “I... I-I came just because Rainbow Dash needed a boat...”
“She could have chosen any other mariner, yes?”
“Yeah, but... but I was the first pony she ran into and we... k-kinda had some trust going... and...”
Flare giggled. “Is Rainbow Dash truly the reason you came out here? So far... far away from the Kay Em Cee Ehh?”
“I... I don't see what you're getting at...”
“Of course you don't.” She winked, trotting closer until her breath fluttered his mane hairs. “Because you haven't been living until now.”
“Believe me...” Nick smirked. “I have every intent on living a long, healthy life. That's what all the prep at K.M.C.A. is for.”
“So much preparation... but none of the actual living...”
“I...” Nick blinked at that, his gaze momentarily shooting past her face. “I... I really wanna make ships.”
“Even though,” she purred, drifting closer. “You're even better at sailing them.”
“Well... I'm good at both... and... uhm...” He cleared his throat, leaning back slightly. “Gosh, you're tall.”
“And you're short,” she murmured, smirking. “And you've got girl hair.”
“Pfft. Yeah, well... that's a matter of opinion.” His eyes sparkled. “Y'know... I kind of like the shaved look. It makes you look... what's the word? I guess 'undainty' wouldn't cut it.”
“Strong?”
“Yeah. Sure. That.”
“You're welcome to see it closer,” she hummed, though there was very little air to carry her voice—for it was throttling straight down his trachea from her lips clamped over his.
“Mmmmff!” Nick's eyes crossed as—FWOMP!—both ponies fell into the sand with her sprawled on top of him. A few more indecipherable words attempted to escape, but failed right at the point where their muzzles contacted. His horn flickered sporadically, kicking up bits of sand around them in a circle.
It took a few moments for Flare to realize this. She promptly sat up, bracing her forelimbs on either side of his quivering, wheezing figure. “I... I do not understand,” she cooed, eyelashes fluttering. “You do not wish to melt together?”
“M... M-M... m-mama... m-melt?!” Nick stammered, attempting to collect his nerves. He slicked his mane back and blinked awkwardly at her. “What... how... did...”
“I presumed that your feelings for me were warm and ardent, which is why you saved my flesh from Ultimo earlier.” Flare pouted. “Perhaps it was wrong for me to initiate melting...”
“Melt... melt...” Nick's eyes traced the heavens in starry thought. “Nealenders... Verlaxion... Queen of Frost... Ice Shard... melt... Melt... MELT!” He gasped and winced all at once. “Oh... oh snap. I—I uhhh... uhhhh...”
“How silly of me,” she muttered, leaning back and clutching her hooves together. “Land walkers sail seas of a different salt. You must not wish to melt.”
“It's... it's okay! Really!” He smiled crookedly, hiding his heavy sweat. “Ahem... I just... I totally find you attractive and would... would like to get to know you better and maybe... y'know... go steady n'stuff.”
“Go... steady?”
“That's right.” A pause. Nick rolled his eyes and spoke, smirking: “It means to be marefriend and coltfriend, y'know? A couple. I mean... if... uh... if you're interested.”
“Yes. I think I understand, and I would definitely be interested in going steady with you.” A beat. Her lips curved devilishly. “But we can do all of that after melting, too, yes?”
Nick bore a stupid smile, his ears folding back. “Works for me,” he squeaked.
And then Flare plunged forward again. FWOMP!
Starlight.
And that, fillies and gentlecolts, is how Nick finally scored.
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the Swan Song is a great ship for these two to sail on.
I ship it
For a second I honestly thought ''melting together'' had something to do with volcanoes. I wonder why.
Funnily enough, their relationship doesn't feel like it's progressing too fast. I feel Nealanders are too boisterous and vibrant to take things slowly, no matter how delicate, so it kinda makes sense.
We'll see if Nick's able to walk properly after this; Flare doesn't strike me as a gentle type of lover.
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STARLIGHT.
It's lovely.
Maybe next chapter will advance the story.
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I wonder if a certain elated Thunker will ruin their fun shouting about some ghostly nonsense...
Hmm... It seemed like Nick remembered something important for a moment there, but then forgot about it again. Wouldn't it be funny if Flare turned out to be another changeling like Ebon that didn't know it? Although seeing as she was knocked out earlier and didn't change that isn't likely at all. Anyway, gotta love ship filler chapters.
I wonder if this talk of melting will give Nick ideas about the Shard. That train of thought, to an engineer... He probably is already thinking. All he needs is some way to clear his mind. (An orgasm might do it.)
See, you really do have to ask him twice.
6034424
Key word here.
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6034504 ... Is this significant? Or do you just really like that ending?
6034511
Nah. He takes pictures.
Gotta get blackmail material.
Debatable on whether the Nealanders would care.
That's what happens when you tell stories about a warrior pegasus sex crater.
Lucky boy! I hope these two stay together for a long time
Flare is now confirmed to be Canadian.
Nick is adjusting to life with the nealanders quite well it seems. Though I can't help but think Flare likes his fish out of waterness and once he adjusts she'll grow bored.
Having said that, they are quite a cute couple, hope Flare decides to journey with the Ninth. Then she can have fun being the fish out of water.
-Memories given light, ease a lonely flight. Ynanhluutr.
this chapter should have been on chapter 69.
6034721
I find it likely that nealender life is so shalllow but focused on real living that there is very little desire to leave a good thing or exit good spirits, once either is attained. Consider how deeply the Nealenders have emotionally attached themselves to Ultimo; they have adapted to a world of scarce stimuli and communal knowledge, successfully generating a cultural social philosophy that is meeting and slightly exceeding the basic needs pyramid.
Also, you just know that they do communal orgies and "free love" all over the place. Nothing makes a stallion stop caring about affairs and adopt local marital values like when his mare brings home a threesome as an apology!
Melting? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?
6034424
Who knows; if Twilight becomes corporeal at this seed, lightning might strike twice.
He's going to love the new princess...
There's only one phrase for a time like this:
CAPITAL JOB, NICK!
Still waiting on resolution of this shard. There's a big world out there, and RD only has so much time to see it.
6034424
Well, it's not like this is his first time. Remember how he got Sinrar's grandniece pregnant?
Nick and Sinrar are going to stay here, and Rainbow will move on.
Something seems fishy about that.
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Oh la la...
Melting. Nice euphemism. I need to try that sometime.
Inb4 trouble in paradise.
Yup Nick, melting a block of ice usually gets rid of it, but this thing is situated beneath a huge atol of tropical warmth water and its not melting due to the cold generation by whatever.
Its difficult to make fire beneath the sea, if you dont have a spare volcano to hand.
Oh well, forget Ice, Snu snu.
6034424 Are you sure? They could be having sex "Human Style"
Skip to 1:02 if you're impatient.
No words needed.
Seriously though, does no one ever get the actual point of studying these days? Like, am I the only one who even- Ah screw it, I'm getting mad at a fictional horse shipwright.
"Melt? What is this melting thou speakest of? Oh..."
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It's even better than a running joke. I approve of this ship. Now here's hoping it'll sail with Dashie on the Swan Song...
-Spirit (Yeast and Treacle)
Mmm. Melting sounds fun! Such kinky ponies.
Twist. Melting isn't actually what it clearly is. They're literally wrestling to the death.
6035764
No, you are getting mad at the real, physical world which the silly horse puppets are being used to mirror and illustrate points about so that you can be inspired to think about them.
Fiction is there to help you grow and understand the world. DIDN'T ANYONE WATCH #!$#$@ BARNEY THE DINOSAUR?
6036997
No, he prevented a genocide against native americans. What you don't normally learn is that most people were for the absolute eradication of all native americans. Jackson lost public face for his moderate stance on the subject. His only son was an adopted native american child.
The Trail of Tears is one of the worst things the United States has ever done, along with the Japanese Internment camps and a couple of other things. But it could have been so much worse.
And then they fucked.
if sailing a ship headfirst into danger is a turn on for nealanders then surely Rainbow fighting Ultimo should have here withers deep in adoring natives. Therefore the lack of shipping suggests A- no awkward Spookle moments, and B- there will be significantly less shipping with Dash as she approaches AJ
Ah, the fwomp, the sound of romance.
6034424
That image is pure beauty.
I am saving that.
And a round of applause for Nick and his first true success in a long time!
Bravo nick, Bravo. And major credit to the fact that He sincerely Asked her out instead of going for the one night stand. After these last few chapters with flare I'm gaining some appreciation for Nick. Was worried for a while He'd just be a less amusing Zaid but now?? He's alright
Heh
keepin it PG
One minute islanders are whooping and then there dialect becomes elegant. My biggest issue with this arc.
Eww, they're melting.
Well, the main reason he came along was for the hot island mares, so uh, mission accomplished?
Stap IC. You are going to give Swan Song a heart attack.
[youtube=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LuN6gs0AJls]
Nick you lucky little sailor. I got worried for a moment that he was gonna cock-block himself with his... Nick-ness, but damn does that girl want to get down to the fun business. At least someone is getting some action!
~SolidFire