Endless Possibilities (Chapter Three)

Blaek was easily impressed by a lot of things, to be perfectly honest.  True, he could be particular about certain things when left to his own devices, but it often didn’t take much to pique his interest.  When you have something that truly and utterly maintains his rapt attention, however, it proved to be quite a challenge to tear him away from it for anything else.  His fixation in regards to a handful of particular interests were thus far unmatched, and Boucles– Batailles especially– were one of the greatest among that number.

This made himself quite an ideal candidate for running his own set of stables, and that fact would soon make itself apparent.

Iara led the Reglisse stallion out to the paddock, letting him through the iron gate as a group of other boucles made their way out for a breath of fresh air.  In stark contrast to all the conversation he had managed earlier, there was a sudden silence as his focus shifted to the massive unicorns being introduced.  Lady recognized that look anywhere: he was locked in on the visual treat he was being given with a laser focus.

At first, his gaze lingered on the deep blue beauty, his sparkling pelt giving the illusion of sugar crystals while they flecked both his hide and the small wings adorning his body.  With his snow white bouclite to complete the stunning cool-toned look Moros was quite a sight, but it wasn’t long before his twin stole the show entirely.

A fiery red mare made her strut through the grassy paddock.  As soon as she was let through the gate, striking crimson and warm amber tones completely took the limelight.  The same sparkling flecks that found themselves speckled through her brother’s fur found themselves set alight like burning cinders in her thick, fluffy mane and occasionally sparked outwards around her.  It brought the ever golden Midas to mind if only for a moment, and he became vaguely aware of the Batailles in their care also watching as the new boucle came waltzing in.  The shine in her glittered wake almost made him miss the subtle pinkish shine from the sparse tiger stripes along her legs, face and tail.  They matched her bouclite, which was a distinctive ashen rose - colored metal, and they also barred the numerous small wings which almost appeared to mirror Moros.  They were both stunning by their own right, and his heart felt electric, pumping in his chest as his excitement gradually overtook him.

“That must be Eris…!” he finally breathed.  “Look at that mane!  That has to be Lion’s, there’s no doubt there.  But the tail is off, that can’t just be Aile, can it?  Wait… they have alternate tails, don’t they!?  How had I not noticed before?”  His eyes were practically pinning from the rush he felt seeing them there.  The two Batailles greeted each other as his mind started overclocking itself.

Iara studied the man carefully as he started on his train of thought, almost seeming to build momentum with each word he spoke.  “You seem to know a lot about genetics.  You’re right on all counts.”

“Alternate tails only just started cropping up!  You must be one of the first to have bred it out successfully!”

“Are we not gonna talk about the Bedazzle?” Lady teased.

Blaek immediately rolled his eyes at her snark, still grinning like a madman. “Yes, yes, Bedazzle is gorgeous!  I share your love of all things sparkly, but look at the Felin!  Rose Titanium tiger stripes on Modern Pomme is a breathtaking combination.  It’s almost as if they did it on purpose!”

“Alright, mark me impressed,” Mocha chimed in, sweeping his champagne - tinted curls back as he watched the couple interact.  “You should be a geneticist, if you are able to pinpoint things so subtle at a glance.”

“That’s what I told him,” Lady lamented as she leaned against her stallion’s chest, “but the man won’t sit still as it is.  If you try cooping him up in any amount of square footage, he’ll go absolutely insane.  He just about drove me nuts while I was getting ready this morning! I can’t imagine him sitting in a room doing lab work all day.  So, I got him to help me with my breeding projects and got him started on that.  Wasn’t long before I found out the hard way that he tends to get a bit more involved than planning pair-offs.”

Iara nodded thoughtfully at that, seeing the man off in his own world as he watched them interact with each other.  He listlessly gave Glastrier a few strokes, receiving a contented snort in response as frost dusted hands absently reached for a piece of Iceroot Carrot. “I imagine so, he seems to be the type that likes to give direction, rather than follow someone else’s.  He’s gonna be in for quite a challenge, you know.  It’s not like just setting up a personal barn.  It’s a business.  He’s got a good heart, but there’s a fair amount of discipline involved, too.  He’s got passion and willpower, I give him that, but he definitely needs a guiding hand.”

“Yeah, he’s got a lot of work to do,” she admitted, “but I think he needs this more than anyone realizes.”

Mocha’s ears flicked her way as he gave her a questioning look.  “Care to elaborate?”

She let Midas’ lead twine in her fingers a bit as she looked at Blaek, her face softening a bit as a bit of her sharp wit and attitude towards him faded slightly.  She seemed to think carefully about her next words, either in case he overheard what she said next or due to the fact that she wasn't sure how to put it all into words.  “Blaek is… he’s…”  Her eyes fixed on the streak of faintly lighter skin over his brow as she breathed.  “Despite how long we’ve been together, I can’t tell you what all he’s gone through.  I honestly don’t think he knows, either.  Or maybe he does and he’s not in a position to remember right now; but he's been hurt before. Truly, deeply hurt.  He may be all smiles now, but there’s a pain there, and I think taking care of Theta and Glastrier and everyone else helps him heal as much as it helps them.  I see him look at the Batailles and Ballators and Rukaans, and… it’s like working with them helps him work through his own issues, whatever they are.”  She watched him reach a hand out to pet Moros as he neared the fence, seeing the glinting light in his pelt reflect in his own eyes for a moment.  She could feel his sense of wonder and joy in that moment, just as she felt it during his performances; just as it was when he was helping rear foals during the first year he worked with her.  She didn’t even realize she was smiling as she spoke.  “l don’t know if he’s necessarily ‘ready’, but it’s like doing this suits him.  It’s where he fits in everything, and I think might be one of the only things he’s ever felt that way with.  He’s got a lot of growing to do yet, I won’t argue that, but he’s got his whole life to do it.  And he listens to me, at least sometimes.”  

She laughed at her own little quip and shook her head, knowing good and well that he was a force to be reckoned with all on his own, yet somehow she knew they complimented each other.  Through all the back and forth, they genuinely loved and respected each other, but more than that they empowered each other.  “You should see what he showed me earlier today, before we came here.  When we went to pick up Glass, he showed me the work he had done on his stables so far.  I endorsed him, but he told me he ended up saving most of it and made his own money to back the project.  He rounded up volunteers, racked up donations, everything. He has a unique way of uniting people.  He may have a lot to work on yet, but he’s got enough going for him that I genuinely think he can do what he’s setting out to do.  That’s why I brought him here, really.  I want him to sharpen his focus and see what you guys had to do to get this far, while it’s still fresh on your minds.  He may not act like the information is sticking, but you would be surprised what he learns, given the chance.”

Beneath their notice, the corner of Blaek’s mouth upturned a bit as he began eavesdropping, never failing to catch that rare moment of softness when it came to his love.  He didn’t reveal his awareness, though, as he continued to listen in on the conversation behind him as he leaned against the fencing.

Mocha nodded as he seemed to understand her reasoning.  “That’s awfully noble, though it sounds a lot like you’re breaking in a wild horse as it is, if you ask me!”  He snickered at her, frost tipped tail flicking playfully as she laughed in kind.

“Oh, you have no idea!”

“So,” Iara cut in, “you didn’t drag him over here to find a long lost twin then~?”

“Haha, no, nothing like that! Although…” she began looking a little sheepish, tightening her grip on the lead, “... I was sort of hoping you two had more in common besides your love of boucles.  He doesn’t really understand what he is, and I thought maybe bringing him here might help him somehow?”  She sighed, a bit embarrassed at the admission.  “I’m not sure what I was expecting, really.  I wanted to say something when we spoke before, but any way I tried to word it would have come out sounding–”

“Creepy?” they finished.

“Yeah.”  She buried her head in her hands before forcefully pushing back on her temples to sweep her silvery hair back behind her.  “He really is here to learn about your career path, though.  Honestly, he seemed like he could care less about learning anything about his past when I asked him, but I know it bothers him.”

“We… could do both.”  It was Iara’s turn to sport a mischievous grin as Lady looked up at them in surprise.  They shrugged nonchalantly as they continued. “I never like to disappoint, and I’ll admit I did find our resemblance a bit uncanny at first.  He’s got serious potential to run his own place, in light of everything you said, so I don’t mind showing him what we do here.  In the meantime, though, I’m more than happy to show you what I’m personally capable of, being a Changeling.  Never a wrong time to educate!”

“Really?  I mean, I really don’t want to impose–”

“It’s my pleasure!  Besides, there’s nothing like a little self discovery to break the ice.  Plus, it’ll give me the chance to see what exactly he’s made of.  Who knows, maybe we can work together on a few projects when he establishes himself, if he’s up to snuff.”

“That would be fantastic, thank you so much!”  She beamed at them broadly, obviously more than a little appreciative at the gesture.

“It’s all good; I know you’re coming from a place of good intent, and it helps that you were honest about it when I asked.  You seem pretty genuine, and as odd a request as this is on paper it's not like you are asking me to bend backwards or anything.  I’ll just be myself, and maybe we can all learn a little something about him in the process, too.”

“What are we waiting for, then?”  Blaek took the opportunity to drop his little act and stretch, pulling his arms over his shoulders a bit before letting them fall to his sides.

“It’s rude to eavesdrop, you know!” Lady exclaimed, sarcasm dripping from her lips as she gave a wry smile at the man.

“It’s not eavesdropping if I’m literally five feet away from you!  Besides, it doesn’t hurt to show me that you’re vulnerable every once in a while.” He quipped back at her, but there was a tenderness in his jest as he did so; a silent acknowledgement to all that had been said.

She feigned shock, gasping dramatically while she claimed he didn’t have to call her out like that, but it was quickly dropped as laughter was exchanged between them.  The tender moment was enough for the glamoured boucle and young changeling to exchange glances and warm smiles, as if they silently acknowledged to one another how interesting the day was going to end up being in that moment.  Mocha glanced at the stallions on their leads, who for the most part had been waiting patiently enough.  Midas was attentively watching the two siblings, curiously observing the two with golden eyes while seeming eager to interact with them himself.  Glastrier appeared to be flicking his ears this way and that, unsure of what to make of the movement as he tried to position the eye that wasn’t covered in ice towards the boucles.  I seemed as if he wanted to investigate, but he was getting a bit impatient as he waited for Blaek’s approval to do so.

“Hey, you two!  How well mannered would you say your boys are around new boucles?”  The two broke the light revelry and turned to Mocha, smiles still spread across their faces.

“Midas?” Lady asked.  “Oh, he’s as lax as they come!  He hasn’t been known to go picking fights; if anything he is pretty level headed!”

Coming down from the burst of laughter and excitement earlier, Blaek’s face fell to a more focused, thoughtful expression as he grabbed his chin.  “I’ve been working with Glastrier on socializing more, but he’s only ever worked with boucles in our stables so far.  I have no idea how he’ll react to new ones beyond illusions like yours.”

“Hm… perhaps I should have a word with them, then.  That is, of course, if Iara has no problems letting the newcomers mingle?”  The frosty-haired man looked to the Changeling as they looked back, considering their response. 

“Well, we have been meaning to socialize the twins a bit more as well, but if Mr. Snowman here hasn’t mastered his temper then Eris might be an issue, even with Moros at her side.”

“Good thing Midas makes a good interloper, then.  He tends to keep the peace pretty well, so if anything happens I know I can trust him to de-escalate.”

“Is that so?”  Iara raised an eyebrow at Lady, almost skeptical knowing the fiery attitude Eris had.

“I suppose there is one way to find out!”  Mocha walked up to the two horses, and as he passed through Blaek backed up to give him a wide berth, almost instinctively.  He noticed the trail he left in the dirt resembled faint hoofprints rather than the soles of his shoes, and he felt much closer to Blaek than he appeared, almost as if he was still the size of a horse despite the fact that he still appeared to be a human– even with a little equine influence.  Mocha acknowledged him, pausing as he finished approaching the Batailles and giving him a quick wink before he continued towards them.

Mocha straightened himself up as he began to focus less on his glamor and more on the core of himself.  He allowed himself to dip back into his usual mannerisms, as if a foreigner who had lived in another country for years started speaking their native tongue to an old friend.  He breathed in slowly, and on the exhale his eyes locked on the two Batailles to begin what would otherwise seem to the others as a silent conversation.

“Sorry I haven’t addressed you two sooner!  They are quite the talkers, aren’t they?”

Glastrier’s ears immediately flicked back, a bit stunned at the sudden realization someone was speaking to them without the obvious presence of another Boucle.  “Wh-What?  Wait, who is that?  Where are you?”

“Relax, Glass,” the gold stallion motioned to ease his anxiety.  “This one might look human, but he’s a boucle too.  Or were you too concerned about snacks to pay attention?”  He looked from the frozen Bataille to the illusory boucle with a low presentation of his muzzle and ears pricked forward.  “Forgive him, his sight is a bit impaired so it makes him nervous.  Good to meet you, Mocha.  You know our names already, I presume?”

“I am not nervous!”  the young bataille huffed cold fog at his senior, stamping a heavy hoof.  “I like to know who I am speaking to, and you would have a hard time concentrating too, if you were starving to death!”

“Believe me, you are not starving.  Blaek feeds you almost too well.  You have too little impulse control.”

The disguised Classique smirked, but left it at that.  He was trying to control the chuckle bubbling in his chest, which was met with success as Glastrier began to settle down a bit.  “Allow me, then.  I’m Mocha, and I live here at Waypoint Inn and Stables!  Making myself look human lets me roam about pretty freely, so I look this way most of the time.  Sorry if I offended you, Glastrier.”

He grumbled in response, tension leaving him slightly as he turned his right eye to Mocha to get a better look at him.  “S’fine.  Could have come with crushed ice or something, though.  Just give me a little warning next time.”

“What he means is, ‘It’s very nice to meet you, Mocha.’”  Glastrier snorted, sniffing at the ground for something to graze on while Midas corrected him.  “Introductions are better late than never.  So, I hear you are interested in getting us acquainted with a few other residents here?  I can assure you I have a good handle on him, if anything else.  He might have terrible manners, but you know as well as I that such things come with age.  He is still quite young with a very strong quirk from his lineage that makes him all too keen to get his way.”

Mocha allowed himself to snicker at that remark a bit, though not at Glastrier’s expense.  “Oh, yes, I’m aware.  Eris is a little spitfire with a short fuse, so I understand it perfectly.  Though it looks like they want to see both of them improve in that regard.  Do you think you would do well playing mediator if things go south?”

“Against these foals?  I can handle myself enough for the three of us, so that shouldn’t be an issue.  What about the young colt, though?”

“He should be fine!  If anything, he keeps her grounded.  Moros is a gentle soul.”

“Ah, that’s good to hear!  Sounds like a good kid.  If you need to leave us to mingle, you can trust us.  Although, for safety reasons I would also advise a handler to supervise us in case of an emergency.  Precautions, really.” 

“Absolutely where I was headed.  Thank you for your input, I’m sure you four will get along very well!  What do you think, Glastrier?  Would you be willing to meet some new friends?”

Glastrier shook his mane and withers, frustrated with the lack of grasses as he looked up and regarded the boucle with a disinterested side eye.  As he did so, however, he noticed the field of green in the paddock the other two were in.  He contemplated for a moment, as if weighing the pros and cons in his mind before he sighed.  “I s’pose so.  Wouldn’t hurt, I guess.”

He quirked an eyebrow, but thanked them as he dismissed himself.  Blaek looked curiously at them, unsure what all was said and so was anxious to understand what happened.  “So, what’s the verdict?”

Mocha nodded at Iara, giving them the all-clear.  “Midas seems capable, and Glastrier isn’t interested in picking fights.  Though, perhaps we should throw in some frozen treats to help his mood.”

“Hah! Yeah, that sounds like him!” Lady laughed, knowing how on point his assessment was.

Blaek immediately dug into his vest pocket for an insulated bag, which he presented to Mocha quickly before Glastrier could notice.  “These should do, just don’t give him frozen oats or anything fatty.  I made that mistake already, and I’m trying to get him off of them.”

Mocha nodded, waiting for Iara’s instruction.  They dipped their head in silent approval before they spoke.  “Alright, let’s get those to the handlers and we’ll let them hang around a bit.”  Mocha took the opportunity to break away, heading towards one of the uniformed staff on the other side of the paddock fencing to begin letting them through. As he did so, Iara turned to look at Blaek, still holding the lead loosely as he made his way closer to his stallion.  “While they get properly acquainted, what do you say we set up out here and I’ll grab us a snack. We can talk about what we want to do next: be it a tour of the rest of the Bataille wing, a ride through the marked trails or whatever else you might have in mind.”

Blaek perked up at the thought of food, obviously not in an unlike mindset compared to Glastrier.  “Really? I hate to impose, but I can’t say no to good food!”

“That’s very generous of you.”  Lady slightly bowed her head in gratitude, still standing tall as her noble mannerisms often led her to.  “We would love to join you.”

“I’ve got some chairs in the outbuilding I can bring out, and I usually stash some goodies in the staff lobbies in case anyone needs it so I’m sure I have something in there I can grab.  Go ahead and bring them into the paddock, just watch your boucles a bit until I can get back.”

As Iara turned to leave, Mocha returned waving Blaek and Lady over to the paddock gate so they could let their boucles loose.  Moros and Eris, curious about the newcomers entering their paddock, began to approach the entrance themselves to see what the fuss was about.  Eris obviously approached first– being the ever-confident mare she was– in an effort to buffer any negative confrontation that could be potentially directed at her brother, though that confrontation never came as Midas and Glastrier were carefully introduced.  Both pairs began with an outstretch of their muzzles, investigating each other before the siblings gave the two stallions their own permission to enter.

Watching them all greet each other and begin to interact had Blaek on the edge of his seat.  If he actually ended up getting along with both Eris and Moros, it would be a milestone which Blaek had anticipated (though not entirely expected) for quite some time.  He had been working with Glastrier for exactly this purpose: to get him properly socialized and accustomed to meeting new boucles among other breeds he had been introduced to.  The situation looked a little tense at first, with Eris taking the initiative in checking out the new guys while Midas stood by Glastrier patiently, probably keeping the frigid colt in the loop on his immediate surroundings if he had to guess.  It was difficult to say for sure since he didn’t think to bring any of Lady’s brew of Potions of Animal Speak with him. Still, he watched expectantly as they began to become acquainted with one another.

They remained safely segregated for a time, one party still a bit unsure of the other.  Moros seemed more timid without the presence of her rider, and Eris picked up on it pretty quickly as she seemed on edge among the strange stallions.  Glastrier didn’t seem very interested in the two at first; quietly munching on the turf which froze into brittle shards at his hooves, as if touched by liquid nitrogen. However, after some prodding from Midas he began to pay a little more attention to the twins.  It was harder for him to make out the darker toned brother, as he blended in a bit more with his surroundings and stayed relatively still compared to the others, but Eris’ uneasy pacing and vibrant red coat made things easy enough for him to make them out, even from the other side of the paddock. 

As he made his way over– escorted by the roman-esque stud– the striking red mare made her introductions with a decidedly direct approach.

“Hey, you. Iceberg.”

Glastrier flicked his tail, heavy with ice, as he begrudgingly addressed the overconfident mare.  “Titanic.”

“Excuse you?”

“You’re getting too close.  Jus’ don’t want you to sink.”

The statement didn’t even sound threatening because it sounded so matter of fact.  Eris found herself stunned for a moment, but immediately corrected herself as her ears pinned back with anger.  “Is that a threat, stranger?”

“Not really.”  He refused to elaborate any further than that, munching on a bit more grass splintering with cold at his hooves.

“Forgive him, he doesn’t get out much.  He doesn’t mean any harm, I assure you. I’m Midas, and–”

“Yeah, I heard.”  Eris stopped him mid sentence, cutting him a dangerous look as she readdressed the frozen Bataille.  “You two are getting awfully cozy here for being guests here.  This is our paddock.”

“In’t this Iara’s paddock?  She’s letting you use it, jus’ like she’s letting us use it now.”

Midas stopped and stared at the young albino, a bit shocked at the sudden snark despite the lack in tone shift.  His voice was completely deadpan, yet the statement was as biting as the air about him.  Glastrier stopped munching long enough to bring his head up to look at the metallic male.  “What? I pay attention when it matters.”

“Oh, you think you’re just hot stuff, huh?  What, you think you can just show up and do whatever you want?”

“That depends.  Can I graze in peace?”

“That all you care about?  Eating and getting lazy while you get everything you want? Spoiled little pony?”

His ears flicked back in annoyance.  “This look like fat to you, Shortcake?  My sight might be shot but I make up for it with strength and sheer will.  I need to eat to keep up.”

“I– I’m taller than you. Who are you calling Shortcake?”  She was in complete disbelief at his audacity, unsure whether to be enraged or simply stunned.  It wasn’t long before the Reglisse stallion slowly made his way to his sister’s side, little wings hiding his eyes from view as he turned to them.

“Eris, please don’t.  They’d be nicer if you just let them be.”

“But they’re in our paddock, trotting around like they own the place!”

“Well, they don’t.  Their handlers are right there, and they are perfectly capable.  Let them handle things if they get out of hand.”

“You think a pipsqueak rider is going to stop one of their armaments?”

“I guarantee,” Glastrier’s voice darkened as he cut through their conversation, “that my pipsqueak rider can stop one of your blades quicker than you can stamp your pint-size hoof.  And my pipsqueak rider happens to be quite a fighter.  Think twice before you insult my Rider unless you want to spar to settle this.”

“Oh yeah!?”

“--Actually, yeah, that’s not a terrible idea.”  Everyone turned to Midas, looking down at the young boucles with a sudden glint in his eyes.  “If you two are so set on duking out here, why don’t we make things civil?  We can set the stage for a spar to determine whether or not we have free reign over the paddock.  If we lose, we’ll stick by the entrance gate while you two have your usual run of the place.”

Eris hesitated for a moment, leaving room for Glastrier to speak up.  “S’fine by me if you think you can take me on, Shortcake.”

“Y-you’ll be powder snow when I’m done with you!”  She obviously felt indignant, ready to defend her honor against the living block of ice.  She immediately whipped around to dart to the other side of the paddock, leaving her brother behind for a moment.  He regarded Midas for a moment, appearing unsure of the situation.  “Are you… quite sure this is going to be safe?”

“You can rest assured, I won’t let anything serious develop here.  We are guests, after all!  But if she tires herself out and he gets his exercise in while they settle an argument, I fail to see the downside to this.  There will be ground rules.  After all, this is a spar– not an outright challenge.”

The Reglisse stallion nodded in understanding, trusting the older Bataille before he turned to grab Mocha’s attention so he wasn’t caught off guard.

The blue colt called the champagne-haired man over, fluttering her wings in nervousness as he relayed his message and returned to Eris’ side.  Blaek and Lady watched this transpire, almost entirely expecting a lash out with how tense things seemed as Glastrier lazily approached them earlier.  Seeing them distance themselves now had nearly calmed them down until they saw Moros approach Mocha, and when he turned to leave Lady immediately picked up on his amused expression.

“What happened just now?  What did he say?”

“It seems we will be getting dinner and a show, today.  Does Midas often host spars, by chance?”

“Oh. Oh gods, its gonna be a gladiator match.”

“What? Really?”  Blaek started beaming from excitement.  “How did he convince them to do it?”

“From what he told me, it was more so brought up to ease tensions rather than to celebrate comraderie.  But this is better than an all out argument, I suppose.  I just asked him to tell the others to at least wait for Iara so they can supervise.  I’ll go talk to Midas and establish some ground rules for the match.”