Title:           Boundless (4)
Author:          BoundlessAnon
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/KTLs8z77
First Edit:      Wednesday 25th of January 2017 04:15:45 PM CDT
Last Edit:       Last edit on: Wednesday 25th of January 2017 04:24:53 PM CDT

Dinner progresses without incident. Auriga sits ramrod straight, silent as a tomb, like she's locked in a permanent state of standing guard. Boundless, once she's done with her gems (which she discreetly spits out and disposes of, their glow gone), asks you about yourself. You open up with what you can, through to be honest there's not much to say. You grew up in a small settlement out east and make your living travelling, patching up ponies that get themselves hurt. Ever since the NCR showed up and splintered pretty much every major faction in the land a year or so back, there's been no shortage of those but plenty of shortage in general.
 
The alicorns share a look. Auriga grunts and scowls, and you start to wonder if you said something wrong. Boundless speaks up, quickly changing the subject. "Auri, why don't you go and look for Corona? It's strange of her to miss dinner."
 
Auriga's scowl doesn't budge. "And leave you alone with this stranger, Sister?"
 
Boundless nods. "I'm going to go back to my room and get some rest. Our new friend can join me, if he wishes. Surely if he wanted to harm us he would have done it by now."
 
"I do not trust him. I will not see you hurt."
 
"Do you trust me, Auri?"
 
The purple mare rises to her hooves, eyes wide. "Sister!"
 
Boundless smiles placatingly. "I trust him. He has been nothing but polite, and my leg is feeling better already. Please, Auri - go find Corona. Maybe she's gotten lost in the upper levels or the basement."
 
Auriga raises a hoof and opens her mouth, wings bristling at her sides. You're a half-second away from ducking for cover, but she gradually calms down and controls herself. "...Very well, Sister," she mutters, "I trust you, and I trust your judgment." She takes a slow breath turns her glare on you instead. "Hurt her, and I will break you." Her horn flashes and she teleports away to who-knows-where.
 
Boundless rises to her hooves and guides you back towards her room. "Please forgive her, hon. Auri means well and she's doing her best. It's... difficult, sometimes." You ask what set her off; you don't think you said anything out of line, but better safe than sorry, right?
 
Boundless slows her walk and shakes her head sadly. "Months ago, everything changed. For the longest time, we were as one. Closer than sisters, closer than family. And then, in an instant, we were seperated from our Unity. The process was... not gentle." You're not sure you understand, but she continues. It sounds like she's kept this bottled up for a while, her voice quavering with emotion. "A thousand threads, tied in a great knot. And then you saw through the knot. What happens to the threads? They drift apart. They fray. They struggle for shape, and cling to whatever makes sense to them." She sniffs and wipes her eyes. "Auriga is our protector. It's all she knows."
 
You pat her shoulder, and she forces a sad smile. A few seconds pass and she sniffs, her expression slowly shifting to one of restrained amusement at the sight of you having to rear up just to reach. Her great green wing slowly drapes across your shoulders, pulling you into a warm, gentle hug against her side. "I'm sorry, hon. We shouldn't dwell on the past. All you should know is that my sisters and I have our little eccentricities." As she opens the door to her room and the smell of leather and assorted textiles hits your nostrils again, you jokingly point out that you gathered that last part already.
 
Boundless 'mhmm's, hanging up her coat. She takes her time bedding down in her little world of pillows and scraps as you close the door. "I have two great passions, hon. The first is tailoring. The second..." She trails off for a moment, huffing with exertion as she rolls onto her back, "...is this." She rests her forehooves on her the upward curve of her tummy, beaming with pride. It's only thanks to her long neck that she can see over that fecund swell. She'd need to stretch if she wanted to reach her navel.
 
"Now," she purrs, "if you don't mind taking a closer look? Just to make sure everything's going well."
 
You grin sheepishly, making your way to her side, and inform her that you can't do a proper examination straight away. It's not like you can weigh her, and you don't know a healthy weight to check her against even if you did. You don't have the equipment on hand to check her blood pressure or hormone levels. Would those even apply to a mutant mare? Still, you could look her over for obvious problems or oddities. From the look on her face, the way her eyes soften and a half smile inches onto her muzzle, it's obvious that she was simply waiting for you to ask. Is she genuinely worried about her health, or just fishing for an opportunity to show off? Her horn alights, jade magic slowly rolling up her strained undershirt.
 
Hook, line and sinker.