FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Ponies.

Wildheart let her lip curl but permitted no sound to pass her lips in regards to the feelings she had about that word.

Drawing in a breath, her ears flicked, checking yet again for sounds of passersby but, outside the normal night sounds of crickets and frogs in the forest, there was nothing. Tail swaying, brushing the bark of the tree trunk she was currently nestled in, Wildheart allowed her thoughts to drift while remaining hidden by branches and multitudes of leaves.

Cinder was far too fixated on those creatures, ever since his father had come home sporting a bruise along his muzzle and grumbling about six ponies that had chased him away from the napping spot he'd been using for centuries. That creatures far smaller than his father had "defeated him" had sparked an interest within his red scales that scrolls and tablets could not gratify. Why he didn't just set the town ablaze she couldn't fathom. He scolded her the one time she brought it up, saying something about "wanting to understand them better" but, really...

They weren't fireproof. What more did he need to know?

Regardless, no matter how much information she... acquired for him, it could not be denied that his obsession was growing, rather than dispersing. Tapestries, tomes, tablets, scrolls, statues... she'd even brought him feathers from what were rumored to be a pegasus, feathers he'd held between his talons like they were fire rubies aged to perfection before putting them safely out of the way to study and muse over.

The sooner they rid him of this fixation the better! Her wings were going to be as thick as her arms from all this acquiring...

Swiveling her head, she gave a silent hiss as something flew by. A moment later and several more bats took after their brethren, the soft flap of their wings and the clicking of their sonar mingling with rest of the whispers of the night.

Several months of traveling and bartering had led her to this place, not to mention the countless scrolls she'd had to gather and research with Cinder. This was her fourth and, with Bastet's blessing, last pony temple she'd have to set her paws in for some time. The last three had left her empty pawed but this one... this one would have the object Cinder was seeking.

Her whiskers twitched, the last bat darting from the temple's entrance.

Truly, if she could have avoided this she would have. However, her skills were not great enough to create the item Cinder sought. Rumored to have harnessed powers from the moon, it would "reflect the image of the heart" or some such nonsense. The legends within the scroll fragments had theorized it to have been created by the pony deity (or demon, or fallen princess, or some such being, depending on the telling) Nightmare Moon in an attempt to transform herself into Princess Celestia and take over Equestria. Instead, she'd been imprisoned in the moon before it could be used. The item was told to have been sealed away by the sun princess in a temple with the hopes it would never be found.

Only the vague mentions of landscapes many seasons past (and likely changed) had provided any clue.

Three days and three nights and no one, pony or otherwise, had approached. Moss was as thick as a mammoth's hide over the crumbling stones, vines all that were keeping some arches from collapsing. Forgotten, time ate at the temple, eroding it and slowly erasing it from existence. Perhaps there were still some traps, untouched, which lay in wait for her... but with her skills and Cat's Eye, she was wary but not worried.

Especially since most land dwellers neglected to put up traps that halted those with wings.

Testing the air one last time, finding only the scents of stone and age, the winged pantheress moved along the tree, blending in as much as she could with the shadows. While the ponies, in fable, had neglected their Nightmare Princess for the day, Wildheart basked in the glories of the night that matched her darkened fur, hiding her more easily than a Shadow Blend spell.

Soon.

Soon she would have a prize for Cinder that would end his obsession with those stupid ponies once and for all...

( ^ . ^ /)

Ponies...

What were those creatures, really?

They came in three kinds, primarily: Earth, Air, and Magic. On their flanks were markings to indicate their true calling or overt personalities. Their seasons weren't decided by the changing of the winds or the warming of the sun but through rite and scheduled ritual.

It couldn't be true. Could they really control their own weather? If that power was real, he would love to have it. Basking on a private mountaintop with warm, eternal sun streaming down on his scales, a bed of glittering gold under him...

It was something most dragons only dreamed of.

Shaking his head, Cinder worked on retaining his focus. He couldn't afford to be distracted so easily by... primal pursuits.

He was suppose to discover how these ponies could have fought a dragon like his father, not muse over their abilities in regards to the weather. Granted, his father was never the toughest of the broad, but, from his understanding, even the oldest, most powerful of ponies was about the size of his winged pantheress, Wildheart, and therefore smaller than he, a young dragon. He knew they had magic but enough to send his father fleeing?

Was his father a coward?

The idea made his inner fire warm with amusement. Perhaps he should give his father a good whap on the nose and claim his horde for himself? Fanciful thinking, to be sure, but appealing all the same. With both hordes combined, Cinder would be the undisputed master of the mountains, his little Wildheart by his side, demanding tribute from those hoofed creatures so that they could both live a life of indulgence...

But first, his charge would have to return with the item he sought.

Moving further within his cave, he let his claws trace along the edges of the shelves he had carved out of the cavern's walls. Books and scrolls filled each to the point that, were it wood and not stone, they would have buckled and broke. It was his goal to read every book he could get his paws on before his claws became too large to turn the pages and the lettering too small to see. Between his negotiation skills and Wildheart's abilities to "alleviate" treasures from undeserving hoarders, his collection had grown quite sizeable.

He would have to add new shelves soon.

Deeper, nearing the back of the cave, lay his bed. Spread in a spiral, gold coins and nuggets, rainbow gems and dark opals, even rare piles of pearls that Wildheart had retrieved for him lay in an attractive spread that he took care to maintain. It might not have been as large as his siblings' but he was certain it was far more attractive.

Besides, his real treasure lay in the possession of his servant, bound to him and his desires in exchange for sparing her life when he'd caught her going after his treasures. The baubles didn't interest him nearly as much as the books (she couldn't possibly have stolen enough to make him go hungry or to have had an uncomfortable night's sleep) but the lust for golden glint and shimmering stones must have been in his blood, to have acted so harshly for what he considered a large pillow and a snack.

Still, Cinder had gotten the better bargain out of it. Her services to him had been invaluable, taking to the task of serving him like a falcon to the wind...

There was no doubt in his mind she would come through for him yet again.

( ^ . ^ /)

Pulling her wings tighter to her body, Wildheart lifted her head, sniffing at the entrance of Cinder's home. Other than Cinder's scent, she made out no recent traces of other dragons. While rare, his siblings liked to drop by unannounced and she preferred to avoid them when she could. Larger than Cinder, save for the youngest, their tempers were hotter and their humor had fangs like a Timberwolf, sharp with splinters that dug in and wouldn't come free. One of their favorite pastimes was ridiculing Cinder for keeping her around, making less than playful snaps in her direction, indicating she might make a good meal if not for the feathers they'd have to pick out of their teeth.

They might change his mind one day by sheer nag and nonsense alone.

Testing the air one last time, drawing in a deeper breath before confirming their scents were nowhere near, she spread her wings once to stretch them from the flight before tucking them more comfortably at her sides.

When she'd been young and desperate enough, she'd thought it a good idea to try to steal from a dragon. Not quite a kit, not yet a queen, the temptation of a few gold coins had led to the poor decision. She hadn't been able to take down bigger prey and the smaller animals were scarce, plants only dulling the hunger, never driving it away. Some coins or a bright, glittering treasure would have been enough to get her a meal or two, she'd thought. Surely, the dragon would never notice if a few went missing!

If she hadn't been distracted by her first sight of a dragon, slumbering with tendrils of smoke slithering out of his nostrils, his crimson scales brighter and darker than any gem she'd seen, she would have been able to get away.

If she hadn't taken that last step forward, causing a coil to clatter in the silent void of the cave, she would have never woken Cinder. He'd sprung faster than a snake, with a twist and a leap that left her pinned under him. The shock of his speed alone had left her paralyzed. He must have been used to sleeping lightly. If only she hadn't let herself be distracted...

It was a disagreement she and Cinder had to this day, whether she could have gotten away with it. No longer bitter, after so long, it had become a worn but welcome bit of sparring. Something like the well loved blanket he'd gotten for her after seeing her discomfort of laying on his bed of riches.

Still, it would do no good to let him know the particulars. Better he think he caught her of his own power rather than her lack of grace.

A sigh washed out from her nose. Keeping careful consideration to keep her mouth lightly gripping the satchel in her mouth, she found Cinder within his "study," located at the back of his cave. Setting the leather bag down, sitting beside it, she flicked her tail once, already expecting his praises.

And she'd better receive them. She knew for a FACT that he could never done what she did.

He was too big, for one thing.

Certain this was the trinket he yearned for, she smiled to herself. It matched the descriptions they'd found, a gem of milky white clasped in silver. There was no ribbon or chain, probably consumed by age, but finding a new one would be far less hassle then getting the gem had been.

"I'm back, Cindy." Stifling a pleased purr, she lifted her head to look up at him. "Did you miss me?"

"As much as a master can miss his loyal servant."

Eyes narrowing, never quite certain if she liked when he referred to himself as her master, her smile slipped into a frown. On one paw, it was nice to be valued enough that he wanted to claim her. On the other, to actually proclaim it? It felt like he held her on a leash, a feeling that made the fur along her shoulders bristle and her fangs bare.

She wasn't called Wildheart for nothing!

"After all, the treasure could have been guarded by another dragon," he continued, a light chuckle entering his voice, sounding like a pebble rolling down a mountain side. "Your track record with them is rather dismal."

"I've pilfered from plenty of dragons for you since, Cindy!"

Despite the derogatory sound of the nickname she gave him, Cinder allowed it to continue. After all, not many dragons could say that they had a pet that served them so happily. Best to allow her a little freedom then to restrain her completely and lose that loyalty.

"Hmm, I suppose you have..." He gave a slow blink, watching as the pleased smile spread along her face before adding, "though it is far from perfect."

"I'd like to see you try sometime!" There was a snap to her voice, her tail lashing once in a quick manner he recognized as annoyance.

"I don't need to." He reached a clawed hand towards her, allowing a talon to stroke the underside of her throat. "I have you, after all."

Her head lifted proudly, allowing him better access to continue stroking her. Her tail slowed to a lazy sway, her ears perked as high as they could for his praise. Her emerald eyes were sparkling as a river when the sun strikes it, leaving no doubt she thought herself to be successful.

They would see.

Moving his tail to retrieve the pouch beside her, he emptied it into his free paw. A small trinket fell out, maybe three or four times the size of a gold coin and far thicker. The surface gleamed with the reflection of the spessartine garnets used to light the inside of his home, the rich orange making the milky surface almost golden.

"This is it." Pulling his claw away from her, he used the tip of it to nudge the gem towards the center of his palm. "It appears exactly as the tomes described." Carefully closing his paw around it, he turned his gaze back towards the winged feline who'd brought it to him. "You've outdone yourself, my dear."

"You should give it a try, Cindy." She fought hard to keep what would have sounded too close to desperation from her voice. Her throat felt odd, burning and itchy, though she managed to get a tone that she hoped to appear casual and cool. "A dragon like you, turning into something like me... hard to believe."

The old ache from her kithood was pulsing so strongly within her she could feel the sludge from the gutter on her fur, smell the scent of the alley in her nose, and the taste of dirt in her mouth. To see one of her own kind, even a fake, would fulfill a desire she'd had ever since she was a cub. It would make a fitting reward for all her hard work, wouldn't it?

If he caught on to her hint, anyway.

"Perhaps." He frowned, picking up the gem between two of his claws, careful not to pinch it too tightly and send it flying, raising it to his throat. "But I have nothing with which to bind it-"

The moment the words came out of his mouth, twin chains of silver erupted from the casing of the gem, wrapping around his throat and locking it into his place before he could try to stop it. Cinder's claws moved to touch behind the stone, the frantic instinct to rip it off tempered only by his strong desire to see the true magic of it. Meanwhile, Wildheart's fur had bristled, watching those chains wrap around his neck, thinking that this was one final trap set up by the creators of the gem. She'd doomed him and he was just going to sit there and let it kill him?!

...he would. Wildheart was convinced that Cinder's last words would be "this is fascinating" before some great horror killed him.

After a moment of examining the now still stone, waiting for Cinder to either drop dead or explode or something, she lifted a paw and gave a wave, shaking that light tickle of worry out of her chest.

"Well, go on," she said. "What's the worst that can happen?"

Cinder was utterly dumbfounded by that statement. "There are too many answers to that question," he muttered, thinking for once that perhaps he ought to let his pet try it first.

The weight of the pendent was one Cinder didn't feel, much like he suspected Wildheart wouldn't feel the presence of a fly. Still, nothing happened when he rubbed the surface gingerly with a claw, other than the feline swishing her tail in apparent annoyance.

"Is it broken?" He asked the question more to himself, knowing his servant wouldn't be able to provide him with a decent answer anyway. "I wonder if I... just push magic through it?"

As soon as his claws began to shimmer with a faint crimson glow of magic, a sudden pulse surged through Cinder's body, even before he could touch the gem. It rippled from the center of his chest outward to the tip of each of his claws, every fiber within him starting to hum and tremble. There might have been a cry from Wildheart but the humming was growing so loud he had to clutch at his head. Shadows swirling to darken his vision didn't allow him to see her or anything else in the cavern. Twisting, trying to pull his head free, the shadows only leapt higher, enveloping him in a cloud of darkness so thick he wasn't sure how he could breathe. Was the object cursed? Had he stirred up the ancient wrath of the being known as Nightmare Moon? Did Wildheart-

No... she wouldn't betray him. Belittle and degrade him, perhaps, but she was no traitor.

That thought caused the loud humming to soften, the darkness shrouding his eyes lifting. Lowering his arms, he shook his head and almost lost his balance. Trying to force his legs to go stiff, he realized that they trembled like a hatchling fresh from the egg. The ambient warmth of the room was making his head spin, which was odd since he'd never felt hot before, at least with the exception of bathing in lava, of course.

Turning his head, he discovered the culprit. Fur. His entire body was covered in a not quite black but off color sort of red, which he realized upon lifting his foreleg. No claws but one solid, compact hoof greeted him.

Wriggling it, he had just come to the conclusion of it being his when he flexed his back, feeling if his wings were still there.

Almost sagging to the ground, he found that they'd remained. No longer did he have to claws along the top of them but they still retained their soft, leather touch, the same shade as his fur. They were definitely a lot smaller but still serviceable... though why not feathers? He did not recall any ponies having wings such as these...

Turning in a half circle, he could not help but feel a sense of remorse when he found that his wonderfully flexible tail had been replaced with a mess of long, straggly hair. Shaking his head, wondering how a pony was suppose to get anything done without claws or a tail (like his own, anyway), he froze, feeling something moving atop his head.

When the sensation stilled, he wiggled his head again, feeling the movement once more.

A mane.

He had a mane.

"How do I look?" Turning towards Wildheart, he spread his wings out for her to see.

"Like a pony."

Her voice was so dry he laughed, startled when a nicker came out.

"Your scent's funny." His servant seemed almost sullen. "And your horns are different too."

"How so?" He could feel his ears (what an odd feeling! Ears that moved!) lowering as his uncertainty rose. From his readings, pegasus ponies had feathers, not leather. What else had he gotten wrong? He also had a horn, which was incorrect as well. Only royal ponies seemed to have both...

This wasn't good at all.

"Your front horn was tiny before and your back horns were bigger, now it's reversed," Wildheart answered, moving to circle around him, her head dipping and raising as she looked him over. "Your scent... it's yours but different. Prey like."

"Prey like?" His ears flicked up, his head and body turning to follow her before a small glance from her made his hooves stay in place.

For a brief moment, Wildheart had expected to see... But no. There were hooves where there should have been paws, the first give away. The ache, sharpened by hope, had dulled and sunk back to the forbidden realm it had been resurrected from as the remainder of the shadows had fled from his form. A sour, rotting flavor like spoiled milk and manure rolled along her tongue, making her almost falter in her steps when she realized just how easily it was spilling into her words. Cinder's fragile enjoyment would withdraw faster than she did when she heard his siblings coming if she kept this up.

Swallowing it down, feeling the lump moving in her throat, she made her voice lighter.

"Grass eater." She found it easier to smile when she came closer to hi fur, touching her nose to it. "You still have your 'Cinder' smell but it's... Cinder pony, not Cinder dragon."

She laughed suddenly, making Cinder's ears flick backwards.

"What?" He was about to turn his head before he remembered her gaze, clearly warning him to stay in place.

"You have flames on your ass."

Her snickering made him snort, lifting his wing and turning his head to see, uncaring of what punishment she thought she could give.

"That, my pet, would be my cutie mark. Related to my special talent."

"You taste good barbequed?"

He closed his eyes for a moment. "You will remove all thoughts of taking any kind of bites out of me, servant." His eyes opened and he frowned at her, pawing a hoof against the ground. "If I still have my horn, it means I still have my magic. And, if my cutie mark is some kind of fire, then maybe I have my breath as well." He gave her a grin that would have felt natural on his dragon's muzzle but felt awkward on this pony one. "I would hate to find out what YOU taste like barbequed..."

Her eyes widened a measure or two, her head tilting in an "innocent" look Cinder knew from experience was anything but. When a feline gives you a look like that then uses Skunkweed to stink up your whole cave after your sister insults her and you laugh, you learn from it.

"But... I'm starving." There was almost a whine to her voice. "Maybe a nibble?" She blinked rapidly for good measure, as if to sway him.

"Forgive me for not sating your hunger with my flesh." Her grin was the only thing that reassured him she was joking and not serious. "You may go hunting later, after a few tests."

As she moved past him, Cinder found that, while he couldn't fully distinguish the change in scent Wildheart had mentioned, her own scent was more potent. A deep whiff had warmth curling within where his inner fire normally rested but it was different somehow. Even her fur held a new fascination, his eyes drawn to her as she moved, each strand rippling along her back.

Maybe having fur made one more aware of another's?

"Let's see what this new form can do." Stamping his right forehoof, he spread his wings, intending to set aside the quirky instincts for now in favor of testing some of his old skills.

Taking a few clopping steps forward, the feel of his new tail behind him was odder than he'd thought it would be. It tugged down with a weight his old tail hadn't and those loose hairs kept brushing against the back of his legs and rump. It was quite distracting. Not to mention the weight between his legs, tugging downward in an equally awkward fashion. What was-

Oh. Testicles.

...being a mammal was so inconvenient.

Having moved a good distance from his treasure pile, he stopped and pawed his hoof once more against the floor.

"My breath weapon will be as good a place to start as any."

Coughing a little, making sure his throat was clear, Cinder braced his hooves against the ground before lowering his head and taking a deep breath, his lungs filling with air that he pushed out of his throat in one big, heated rush!

Except there was no fire.

He whinnied.

Granted, it was a loud whinny, probably louder than a normal pony could muster, but it was still no fire.

"Good one, Cindy! Careful you don't burn your brand new fur with all that fire!"

The laughter of his faithful servant rang fresh long after the echo of his whinny faded. He was growing to realize that he was going to get nothing but grief from her over this particular project of his. Hardly unexpected, given her disdain of what she considered weak, ungraceful creatures. Still, this would be his best chance to learn more about them, even if he didn't look like any of the ponies he'd read about. He could work with it, stick to the darkness and shadows. So inconvenient... but he wouldn't be alone, at least.

He'd have a furry companion, whether she liked it or not.

"Right then." His head lifted higher, a growl curling around his words as his draconic pride was poked and prodded until it shrank to fit the current shape he inhabited. At least he wasn't too much smaller than her, in fact, they even looked to be close in size (though she was longer, especially given her tail). Not exactly imposing but he still had power left in him!

He just needed to realize how to bring it out.

"Better make sure you know how to use those wings of yours before you go falling off a cliff," Wildheart wheezed, feeling as if her gut was going to rip itself apart. When was the last time had she laughed like this? The time she'd cast an illusion over the entrance of his home to perplex his siblings? No, not even then. Not when she'd had to be so very quiet as to not get caught.

Catching Cinder squinting at her, she made sure to grin and show off her fangs. Whether he realized it or not, she currently had the upper paw with her claws and very sharp teeth. Even if he was in no danger from her, he needed to be aware of the dangers others could pose to him. Much as she didn't like this venture of his, the mutual arrangement they had going on (her seeking and securing the treasures he wanted, him providing her undisputed hunting territory and access to his rare, magic scrolls) was too good to allow the luxury of indifference to mess it up.

"I know how to fly." His nostrils flared, his wings spread so wide they were taut.

"Of course you do," she replied, not bothering to keep the belittling tone from her voice, too interested in seeing what he'd do.

When he bared his own teeth at her she started laughing again, his flat teeth far from impressive. He had only a few piddly little fangs on his upper and lower jaw. No exactly her flesh tearing teeth, were they?

Lifting his head higher, he started moving towards the lip of the cave.

Her chuckles dwindled down, concern nudging mirth aside to take its place.

"Cindy... that might not be a goo-"

Cinder took off running before Wildheart could finish the rest. Pumping his wings, he felt the air pushing under them as if they were his dragon ones. His hooves thudded against the cave floor, the individual beats rolling into one continuous stream. Only the intense desire to show Wildheart that he knew what he was doing kept him from rearing to a stop as his hooves dashed off the edge of the cave.

He knew how to fly! This was something he wouldn't mess up!

...except that his body plummeted.

Jerking upward, stiffening his wings to catch the wind and slow his fall, his wings felt as if they were going to be pulled from their sockets as gravity continued to yank him downward. His decent was going too fast, even attempting a glide at this point would have him crashing into trees or the mountain itself.

Wind rushing past his ears, if not for catching a glimpse of movement to his right, he might have missed Wildheart all together. Her wings were tucked, increasing her speed enough to have caught up to him. She was shouting something but it was impossible to hear with the air roaring like a hungry beast in his ears.

As it was, he didn't have time to listen to her!

His body was different, he understood that... but his wings were the same (well, other than the leather/feather thing and size). Spread them, big flaps! Ride the thermals, that's what they're there for, and...

It didn't help.

Instead, he was still falling and he could see from Wildheart's movements that she was growing frantic to get his attention. Watching, he saw how she angled her body, letting the wind stroke her belly from chest to rear, her wings unfurling from her sides and catching that same breeze, allowing it carry her up before she retracted them to fall back alongside him, repeating the motion.

Kicking his back legs and digging at the air with his front ones, he was able get his body almost in the same position as hers had been in when his wings suddenly yanked at him and almost flipped him over. A few desperate flaps had him righted, his body slowly lifting as a thermal washed along the underside of his fur.

Laughing as he ascended into the air, the rhythm of how to move this new body slowly came to him. It wasn't graceful, no, but it wasn't bad either!

Wildheart remained near him, careful to stay well outside his immediate wing radius. All they needed was for him to bump into her and send both of them on a one way flight to the ground. As it was, his erratic flaps were sending "injured prey" signals that she had to force herself to ignore. It was... worrying to her, how quickly she could go from frightfully concerned to wanting to see the same creature within her mouth, stilled and bleeding beneath her fangs...

She dearly hoped he wouldn't show many more signs of weakness.

Thankfully, the flight was short. When he headed back to the cavern, Wildheart decided to allow him to land first, minimizing her chances of being hit by hooves or bumped into if she landed first. She thought he ought to be less clumsy on land but she didn't want to take any chan-

He tripped.

With the momentum he'd tried to land with, that trip sent him head over hooves into the wall, a few books falling from his oversized shelves, causing loose coins to jingle softly, as if mocking him.

"Cindy, Cindy..." Shaking her head, Wildheart entered the cave, beating her wings to level herself before descending, her paws resting so lightly on the ground there wasn't even a whisper to betray her. "Perfection doesn't come in a day to non-felines." Moving beside him, keeping her voice soft, she had to purse her lips to keep from smiling.

His rump was stuck in the air, back hooves dangling as he lay upside-down with his back half on the wall and half on the floor, both wings slumped on either side of him, the fur around his cheeks so dark with his flushed embarrassment she wondered how he didn't set himself on fire.

"You'll have to take your time." Bending her head, she offered a light lick behind his ear. The soft fur tickled her nose and his scent made her wonder over the last time she'd eaten. "One hoof in front of the other, right?" She continued, keeping her voice light.

Closing her eyes, she gave another lick, straightening his fur. If he was one of her kind, would his fur still feel as soft? Would his horns and leathering wings follow him into that form? Would she still have this intense desire to sink her teeth into him?

Feeling him squirm, she opened her eyes with a sigh.

"Just take it easy, Cinder. The ponies aren't going anywhere."

"While I appreciate your concern," he threw himself to the side, landing in a heap on the floor which he then picked himself up from. "I am capable of handling myself!"

Cinder didn't like it.

Sure, her tongue felt nice enough, its wet warmth against his new skin giving him a newfound respect for the fragile coating he now found himself in, but her gentle, genuine concern irritated the fire within him. Whenever Wildheart went from laughing at his expense to actually caring and feeling sorry for him, he could always feel his pride sinking to the size of a copper coin. It was worse now, about the size of a grain of sand, likely the fault of those damn testes between his back legs.

"You try going from claws to one toe on each leg and being perfect!" Shaking himself off, he gave an angry flap of his wings that almost sent him sprawling before snapping the annoy things tightly against his sides. "This accursed amulet should have imparted some knowledge, at least! I don't have time to learn how to walk like a newborn colt!"

He reached to grab the amulet, intending to throw it to the ground, only to realize he wasn't grabbing anything with hooves.

Heat burst inside of him, familiar flames in an unfamiliar area. Normally, his inner fire resonated within or near his gut. This time, he felt the heat along his spine, smoldering in a visible cloud that erupted from his mane rather than his nostrils. Embers flickered outward, his inner heat spiraling as he realized that the books he'd knocked over in his landing were going to go up in flames from the sparks he was shedding if he didn't move.

"I will not accept this!"

His voice boomed as the white-hot anger exploded along his back and tail. In a flash, the shadows leapt for him, swallowing him whole. The hum reverberated through his bones again, leaving him standing in his natural form, the amulet clinking on the floor as the silver chain shouldered from where his mane had burned through. The damaged portions dissolved into dust, floating back into the silver casing within the blink of an eye till only the gem and its housing clasp remained.

Picking up the trinket, Cinder resisted the urge to fling it as he'd wanted to a moment ago. Instead, he settled for placing it out of the way on a shelf that had just a pinch of room left on it. Soreness tugged along his right arm when he pulled it back, leaving him to turn his head and examine his side. Though he couldn't see anything under his scales, he was certain the tenderness came from his collision with the wall.

Fan-flaming-tastic. Injuries transferred over.

Snorting out a stream of black smoke, he grumbled to himself, rubbing the sting through his scales. "This will take far more patience than I imagined."

"Or magic," Wildheart offered, having sat silently while watching his fit of temper. "I'm certain you have a spell somewhere for transferable knowledge or something."

"I doubt it," his voice rumbled, not quite a growl but making the words harder to decipher all the same.

Flicking her tail, a soft purple haze the same color as the edges of her mane and her wing tips formed around it while she cast, what she called, a Cat Lax spell. It didn't mend wounds like cuts or bruises but it could relax the body and trick it into thinking it wasn't in pain. Really, it's only use lay in the relief of sore muscles but she'd used it a time or two when she'd needed to fight past her endurance levels.

She'd paid for it later, of course, but Cinder was in no danger of that kind of situation right now.

Looking upward towards the high shelf where he'd placed the gem, tendrils of curiosity whispered through her mind. Sharp, digging little worms of interested that wondered over if Cinder might not use it... could she?

Would Cinder grant her the same level of attention he gave those cloven beasts of burden, if she changed her form to something else? Perhaps if she traded her fine fur and fantastic feathers for scales and leather, he might find her as fascinating as she'd found him? Enough that he might be dissuaded from his journey to find those grass eaters and, instead, remain here?

Her shoulders stiffened and she pulled herself away from those thoughts while physically moving away from the shelf.

Cinder could be very possessive of his belongings and that shimmering temptation of his was likely to send him into a full blown rage if she so much as placed a whisker on it. No, not worth getting her fur burned off for a foolish whim. She would just put that thought of her as a dragoness far into the murky depths of her mind to keep company the musings of him as one of her species.

Besides, she would be better off working with her own skills and magics than messing with something from a pony!

Stretching her wings, Wildheart thought to take this time to go hunting and leave Cinder to work through his frustrations when she wasn't in firing rage. After the sudden lesson in not crashing and dying, she found the more her stomach untwisted from that close encounter the hungrier it made her feel.

A sudden pressure along her flank, right where her black fur bled to red (an odd marking on either side that looked like a mix of a heart and a paw, with three claws that matched the three red fur marks just under each of her eyes, the reason she'd given herself the name "Wildheart" to begin with), stopped her. Another similar weight pressed at her shoulder, warmth sliding along her back as she felt herself being held.

"Thank you," Cinder whispered, knowing the alleviation of pain could have come from none other than her.

His claws moved so one arm was on the left side of her and the right wrapped around her chest, his torso resting gently against her back as he kept her loosely within his grip. Speaking softly, his head moving beside hers, his muzzle almost brushed against her own.

"I... would like if you stayed with me, Wildheart."

He couldn't squeeze the word "please" past his throat, certain she could hear it unspoken in his voice but not wanting to listen to her mockery if he said the word aloud. As it was, he expected a quip about how lonely he must be to ask for her company or some sharp bites to express her displeasure at being held like this. She might have been patronizing him earlier but, in her own way, he suspected she really was trying to help him.

Besides, sleeping with her lounging beside him was just so much better than curling up alone.

Wildheart felt the skin under her fur prickling as his body moved tighter against hers. This position and weight, it was so similar to when he'd caught her the first time. Oh, to be sure, she was much larger and there was a lighter touch to his claws now than back then, but the heat against her fur, the enveloping warmth as he pinned her...

That was the same.

The mix of feelings both old and new made her head give a curt nod before she thought otherwise, her wings closing slowly.

"Alright, Cinder." She reached a paw out to playfully bat at his muzzle, the tips of her fur the only bit that actually touched him. "But I need to eat soon. I didn't get anything on the way back."

He might think it some debt she owed him, for sparing her back then, but it wasn't. With cage or chains, a feline could be bound in body but they would always fight the claim. He had her bound to him by something deeper than debt...

Not that she would tell him that. He was already too lofty with his thoughts of "owning" her.

"Yesss." The word was more of a hiss than he intended, his wings spreading to wrap around the both of them now that her own had closed.

His grip tightened but she made no signs of the normal wiggling or kicking so he loosened it a moment later, giving a pleased sigh as he kept his arm wrapped around her but moved the other to rest on his elbow and let his talons graze lightly against her head.

"Thank you."

The words slipped out like two diamonds lost to a rushing river. He had no need to say them, she was his, after all. His servant. His pet. His... Wildheart.

His and no one else's.

Flicking his tongue out, he let his eyes half shut as he tasted her scent on the air. It was... the taste of the forest, grasses and trees in the fall, bathed in sun with the creeping frost of winter along the edges of shadow. She was wilderness encased in a mortal form, perhaps the closest species he'd encountered to his own...

An idea rapped against his skull, giving him pause to his petting.

Gazing towards the lip of the cave, the sun's descent was apparent from the stretching shadows reaching into his home. Releasing Wildheart and sitting back on his haunches, Cinder let his claw trail from her head down her back and finally to her tail.

"Go. Find your dinner." He waved his paw towards the entrance. "I have a stone I've been saving for a special occasion such as this and, as I didn't know when you'd be back, I hadn't gotten you anything."

They both shared the same thought of the last time he'd tried to get her food when she'd been gone. The errand he'd sent her on had taken a few days longer than anticipated, the Sphinx she'd been procuring from a recluse, unwilling to leave her cave. Thanks to that, and Cinder's habit of losing himself in his reading, Wildheart had come home with his trinket to a cavern smelling of rotten fish.

While Wildheart was more than capable of getting her own meals and, rather often, had heard of his siblings belittling Cinder about "needing to feed the furball" and "what benefit is a servant you have to feed?", it was something she couldn't stop and, instead, encouraged.

When he'd first captured her, he'd noticed the slenderness of her form and presumed her to be a bad hunter. While not particularly a meat eater himself, Cinder had still managed to procure fish for her to eat and gain strength from. Hungry enough that her suspicion had taken second place in her mind, it wasn't until later she'd learned he'd gotten her fish only because he was such a poor hunter himself.

That, and he didn't fish so much as he boiled the water around them to cook them alive.

Since then, Wildheart had taken over hunting for herself until she realized that if she didn't whine at him for food he often overlook his own meals, so caught up in his books and scrolls that he'd forget until a day or two later when he'd all but collapse and wonder why he was so suddenly hungry. Thanks to her own impeccable timing for meals, he became very consistent at making sure she (and he, by extension) were fed on time to avoid her angry yowls.

At least until she went away for a few days and he fell back into his bad habits.

"If I must." Wildheart lifted her nose in the air, giving a very slight huff, as if truly inconvenienced by this when, in fact, she was rather grateful. Seeing Cinder as a pony, tasting his fur, and having his scent filling her nostrils had made hunger stir restlessly in her belly, the idea of a hunt very appealing. Still, a lash of her tail to show her feelings about his thoughtlessness ought to be enough to keep him from suspecting that. "But be sure you actually eat this time, Cindy. Last time you barely licked your sapphire, so caught up in the book you," she spread her wings, using the two largest feathers to make quote motions in the air. "'Were reading while eating.'"

Cinder grunted, thinking perhaps his pet was growing a little haughty.

"Just go."

She tilted her head, squinting at him to judge if he might actually eat this time before taking off with a run, hers so much quieter than his had been. Wildheart was airborne the moment her feet left the ledge, already diving into the forest for whatever caught her fancy.

While Cinder's claws reached once more for the gem, thinking of something he would like to catch.

Or someone.