"Is it made of onions?" (Private)

Starlight Abyss was a simple pony. A giant pony, clocking in at seven feet tall, with a wing span of twenty four feet, but she loved her nightly 'flights'. They weren't really her flying of course, more just gliding and teleporting. Tonight was supposed to be a regular flight, enjoying the stars in the sky, when she teleported, and ended up in a kitchen. 

The kitchen was not as wide as her wings, causing them to make a strange noise she had never heard before as they bent at odd angles. She was a bit too focused on her wings to realize that she had knocked some utencils off the counter, causing her to slip on them and stumble, her legs getting tangled up. And then she crashed headlong into a table with a bunch of chairs surrounding it, managing to knock a picture off the wall in the process. As she regained a semblance of vision, she noticed that she could see the world upside down now, and sat there captivated at her new perspective. to anyone who saw her, her wings were folded in on herself, her tail was raised high in the air as her back was leaning against the wall.

(("World without words"))

It had essentially been somewhat of a restless night for Sugary, who was much less remarkable than Starlight in appearance, but was practically what you got by mixing a unicorn and an earth pony to get a large-framed adult stallion. And in that restlessness, he contemplated as to what was bothering him from sleeping that evening. Work had been steady thus far from time to time, so there was nothing wrong as far as the usual went. Then again, he had been working a lot recently as an escort through White Tail Woods for a small group of travelers from Canterlot wanting some adventure. With so many nights spent as Night watch and general guardian, it was hard to get a normal rest now that he was in his mobile home that barely so much as drifted up high among the clouds.

It was a very startling surprise to say the least when the room next to his sounded like a Storm-In-A-Can had just been unleashed, which forced him to semi-groggily grab the first thing in his grasp-a pillow raised over his head-, and hurry onto the next room as his horn flared intensely with fighting intent...

Little would prepare him for the sight of a giant of a mare practically sprawled upside down against the far end of the cozy kitchen with some of his personal belongings trashed within it as he glared into the room with a pillow ready to be tossed along with magic, a very puzzled stare, and a bit of himself dead inside as he saw that one of his favorite drawings in a portrait had been knocked to the ground. "... What the hell...? Who are you and why are you in my ship!?" He wasn't gonna step any further into the room as he expected an immediate reply to try and make sense of a now very interesting evening and unexpected visitor.

Starlight stared at the strange unicorn in front of her. From it's scent, it was likely a stallion, his looks belonged to that of a unicorn, but yet, there was something off. She giggled a strange, distorted giggle that seemed to come from all angles, but her mouth wasn't moving at all. She gazed at him her strange and alien eyes unwavering. "hElLo, I aM StaRliGht AbySs. I seeMed tO haVe craSHed iNto tHis straNge roOM wHiLe I WaS ouT eNjoyiNg a woNderfUl gLiDe. I'm sOrRy iF I aWoKe yOu. WhaT iS youR naMe?" Her voice sounded as if it was all around the room, and yet she was still speaking with her mouth closed.

A few random sparks would fly out of Sugary's horn as Starlight spoke, as him being a rather magically attuned being meant her unusual form of speaking was something of an oddity for his senses. He also shuddered lightly as he did his best to listen during the odd feeling with her voice echoing all over in his head; Fortunately, it didn't hurt. As much as he was curious about why said mare chose to communicate in such a way, he'd groan more in that it sounded so awkwardly right from the start even if he could make out the words. Of course, he also did get the distinct feeling she was hardly a threat. "Good grief, is she psychic? Does she not know how to control her voice then...? Or maybe she hit her head too hard..." He also got the feeling she was an amateur telepathist, but then again he just met her.

Taking in a deep breath and sighing, but still grasping the pillow for good measure, he stared right at her face with a blank expression. "... My name is Sugary Market. And I'd like to know how you ended up crashing into my kitchen if you were gliding. The windows aren't that big... Also, are you hurt?"

She tilted her head, trying to signify curiosity to the stallion in front of her. "SuGaRy MarKet...quIte tHe sTraNGe naMe. I'm tOo heaVy to fLy noRMalLy, buT I'm lIgHt enouGh to riDe tHe THermal updraFts aNd glIDe. SaDly, I cAn't gLidE fRome tHerMal to TheRmaL, sO I haVe to teLepOrt tO tHeM. YoUr aiRsHip jUsT hapPeneD tO bE ThErE wheN I teLeportEd." She looked at her wings, seeing them bent at odd angles. "I dOn'T knOw if I aM 'hurt'. I dO NoT kNoW whAt thaT wOrd mEAns. CoUlD yOU eXpLAIN wHat tHat mEANs?"

Seeing as the sparks from his horn harmlessly continued while she spoke, he kinda just accepted that was the way of things as he listened as best as he could nonetheless, though he'd certainly look into it later properly. It was oddly soothing, but still strange.

He was already giving her an odd stare, but now he gave her an even more puzzled stare as she explained how she actually moved around. "... Giant pegasus, but speaks in off telepathy and teleports...? Then again, she doesn't feel normal in any way. What is she...?" He would lay down his pillow, but still keep alert as he slowly moved closer. "You really don't know what pain is? And could you please try talking instead of using telepathy? It's really odd hearing you this way... Now let's see how that wing is doing before you get up again..." He'd move over to see her humongous wings up close and noting that's not how they should look under normal circumstances. He cautiously raised a hoof, and lightly tugged on one of them to test joint movement. He really meant her no harm as he looked to see if she made a pained expression or not.

"WhAt do yOu meaN? I'm taLking, AreN't I? I dOn't KnoW what thiS 'telepathy' you sPeaK of iS. I've aLways sPoken like ThIs. I'm AsSuming paIn is sometHing that pONies feel? Is it sOmething that wOuld cause one to suddenly cry out? If it is, then I have felt this 'pain' before." Her 'speech' was starting to become clearer and less distorted. She watched him move her wing, and as it extended outward, the part that was bent went right back into place. The joint movement looked perfectly fine, as if no damage had been done. Her wing felt comfortably warm to the touch. She moved her wing in such a way as to have one of the feathers run up Sugary's neck and up under his head. "Would you mInd helping my from My cUrrent preDicament?"

As her odd form of 'speech' slowly refined itself, the sparks from Sugary's horn lessened. He'd be very quick to notice this, because the lack of distortion from both ends was making the experience much more tolerable for him by the minute.

He also noted she was speaking of ponies as if she wasn't one herself, which was becoming increasingly likely given there was little that was normal about her, including the quickly healing massive wing which surprised him a bit to see it back to normal so quickly as if it were living mold. "Curioser and curioser... And much warmer than expected...""

The sensation of her wing running over his neck sent a light tingle over it, though he did flinch from it initially out of reflex. Since she was now outright asking for help, he was assuming she was intending for him to help her up by her wing that was hanging under his chin. So he'd actually cautiously offer his hoof for her to grab onto with her wing if that's what she wanted. "... Ah... Sure, not like I ought to let you stay like that anyway... Also if that's not telepathy, then what is it? I hear your voice, but your mouth's not moving. That's definitely not what I call talking..."

Starlight continued to stare at Sugary as he spoke and felt her wing. She wrapped her wing around Sugary's hoof, using Sugary as a base point, she used her other wing to push against one of the walls of the kitchen. She then pushed as hard as she could, launching herself into the air. She then used her free wing to create a sudden gust of air to bring herself to point where she landed on her hooves. She let go of Sugary, retracting her wing, then rotating it 180 degrees so it lined up with her other one. She finally wrapped her wings around herself, creating what appeared to be at first glance a comfortable and feathery dress. "I never knew that there was a difference between the way you talk and the way I talk. I just do what comes natural. As do you. It makes no difference to me. I cannot seem to use this so-called voice for things other than strange and guttural sounds and sudden outcries."

Sugary was surprised to find the tall mare to be very light for her size. He expected some tugging which he felt, but it was far less than he expected. Afterwards, he genuinely admired the way her bountiful feathers and wings covered her like a dress; He was actually quite impressed and awed by her plumage from that point now that she wasn't knocked on his wall and floor.

Finally, her voice was actually pleasant yet surreal to only hear in his head, but at least now the distortion was practically nonexistent and his horn stopped sparking randomly as she spoke, so that made things much easier as well on him. "I see... Um... Just keep talking like that then, I don't think we'll be getting much done with... guttural sounds..." He then began to try and organize his kitchen bit by bit, and decided to keep making conversation with the unusual mare. "So... Will you be getting back to flying again soon, or did you want to ask me something else? If you teleported here by accident, I won't hold a grudge... Speaking of which, how can you teleport? I'm curious."

Starlight let out a sigh, the noise coming from her rather than through her strange speech. "I'm not going to be able to leave tonight. First off, I need to preen my wings, and second off, I'm too tired to even glide, due to the amount of mental concentration required for the teleportation bit. I'm going to need to ask two things of you if they aren't a bother to you. I'm going to need a place to sleep, and I'm going to need help with preening my wings. I really hope this isn't asking too much, Mr. Market." She bowed her head a slight bit and blushed as she asked.

Sugary would nod, understanding of her circumstances, as well as raise a very curious brow at her request to preen her wings from him, which he found surprising she would ask for. "Listen... I could give you a room to stay in, but how you think I can help with preening is a wonder... I actually know how, I just rarely get asked to do that by a stranger... There is a condition though: One, I'd like for you to compensate for the damages here and the stay. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect you to pay me outright, but I'd really appreciate something for the favor. If you can't pay, then I could always use information... Anything of interest really... I make a living mostly as a Mercenary you see, so knowledge is important... Can you provide with compensation?"

"I wouldn't have asked you for you help if I couldn't have paid. If it is knowledge you want, knowledge you shall have. I never go anywhere without the ability to pay for favors. That would be rude. Not only do mercenaries need knowledge, magic wielders need knowledge. Scholars need knowledge. Everypone needs knowledge, they just look for it in the wrong places. Today, I find a pony looking in the right place. I can tell you anything within universal and mortal reasoning." Starlight let out another sigh. "The reason I'm asking for such an oddly personal favor is because I cannot preen my entire wingspan. I cannot physically reach far enough to do so. I've always had the help of others for it." She waited for Sugary's response, some alien emotion hidden beyond the strange gaze of hers.

Anything? That was quite a bold claim to make, but one he would find too enticing to pass up on. He eyed her and listened with great interest. He also smiled lightly as he nodded in understanding of her wing situation. "The wings I can gladly help with, so of course... As for knowledge, you claim to offer quite a lot... But let's talk about that later. This place is hardly suitable right now."

He would finish fixing up the kitchen, and urge her to follow him to another nearby door. This was the guest room. Two regular beds, a drawer, a closet, and the magitek lamp and windows decorated the simple but practical room. There was certainly more room to move for her here, but the beds themselves were likely small for her given her size. "I'm sure this spot would be more comfortable. Let me know when you wanna start preening, I'll ask away later."

"Thank you. We should probably start now." Starlight said as she walked past Sugary, resting on the bed. She extended her right wing outwards, she tapped Sugary on the nose with one of her end feathers. The other feathers on her wing were misaligned and in dire need of preening. She lowered her head, attempting to hide a blush.

Scrunching his nose lightly at the tap, but still getting a close look at the condition of the huge wing closely and with patience, he licked his lips slowly as he got ready to begin preening. Of course, knowing how to do it was one thing, but he never quite tended to wings so large a hers. A lot of patience and concentration was going to be needed for this. Thinking she had lay her head down just to relax, he thought to ask her a question in the hopes of getting some chatter while he worked in the meantime. "Very well. I'd like to ask you something though... Since you claim to know so much... How well do you think your visit here will turn out to be?" He thought he'd start with something regarding her own experience that she now shared with him, just as a way to test her and make things interesting as he then slowly and carefully began to lightly lap up and lightly tug with his lips each and every single feather he could from the tip inwards to get the bad ones out while trying to align the good ones. Since it would take him some time, there was a good chance he'd have to take a break or two to keep from getting his tongue too dry or drool over her wing unintentionally. Either way though, he was technically getting a taste of the enigmatic mare for that matter. He'd also set the pillow he had right next to her to let her use it if she saw fit.

Starlight was about to respond when Sugary started preening her feathers. It was a different sensation every time, and each time was wonderful. Sugary was quite good, despite not being a pegesai, and his experience showed. She buried her face in the pillow to muffle her moans, and her body shivered with pleasure while she managed to keep her wing stock still. Interestingly enough, her wings and feathers had a peculiar flavor to them, yellow cake with chocolate icing, not too sweet either.

Sugary would pause briefly as he waited for an answer, but instead heard something else at the time. His ears perked up, and he heard slightly better as he focused on both the sounds and the preening. He blushed lightly as he realized she was actually moaning from the preening. He knew it wasn't too unusual, but he never seen any winged being react quite so... vividly about it. "I didn't think I was that good..."

Another thing he'd note was the flavor she had the more he tended to her wings. It tasted very sweet; So much so that between stopping to see if he should probably give her a break, and continuing, he decided that no harm was being done and he still got to keep tasting the sweet flavor. Admittedly, it was a guilty pleasure up until he was done with half of the wing to take a short break. He cleared his throat a bit before speaking. "Ah... Er... How am I doing so far? Wing feel better?"

Starlight raised her head, her face bright red from blushing. "Yes. My wing is feeling much better. I'm sorry for my reaction, my wings are a bit sensitive, and preening is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. I....I wish I could preen myself....I've gotten good at preening other ponies. And I believe my visit here will turn out wonderfully. If you need to rest, feel free to rest next to me. I'm not expecting this done all at once." She had a ridiculously happy smile on her face as she rested her head on a pillow, scooching over to make room for Sugary on the bed.

The explanation certainly was as accurate as could be, though he scrunched his nose lightly in thought. "A bit sensitive!? I could swear she was moaning!"

Despite her cheery smile and outlook of their encounter, he had to lightly shake his head for now. "Um... That won't be necessary. I can at least finish with one wing, and then I might take a break... Still... Never mind me trusting you, that's my business... But why would someone like you have need to trust me? Do you know what I'm like?" Yet another test of a question as he then gestured her to give him her wing again, ready to continue.

"I find that ponies who do not understand the nature of time really shouldn't be told about things that will happen. It is not that I do not want to answer your question, but it is because I am not permitted to because I know the exact answer. Nor am I able to answer the question 'do I know you' because the linear flow of time prevents me from doing so. I'm sorry I cannot actually answer your questions until we reach the end of our bargain." She brought her wing back into position for Sugary to preen it, eagerly awaiting the stallion's attention.

In the end, all Sugary could do was to try and trust that she would pay him back... So, like his last name might suggest, he would give her the benefit of the doubt and give her a merchant's trust in that she would pay up as she claimed. "Very well..."

Since he wasn't going to get an answer, he'd just continue preening her wings as he did before, taking a bit longer now as the feathers were getting longer as well the further down he went. He'd also try to be especially thorough the more he had to work with. It was good practice to say the least, and he did find it nostalgically relaxing in its own way.

"Ooooooh~" Starlight was enjoying the attention of the unicorn, and silently cursed herself for her inability to actually tell him anything useful. As Sugary preened, he'd hear something made of metal fall to the floor. Starlight looked up, but she couldn't focus and find the source of the sound. If Sugary looked around, he'd find a gold ring, inlaid with a set of strange symbols around the outside. "I.....I think I dropped something....." Starlight's voice created a strange dissonance, as her voice was calm and collected, while her physical form was a bit busy moaning and enjoying the preening.

Sugary would eventually feel something odd with his lips and soon feel and hear something slip out from Starlight's wings. And before he could spot what it was he was submitted to the odd sound of telepathy and her regular moans of pleasure. "That's just weird..." "I'll get it."

When he spotted the ring, he wondered why such a thing would be among her feathers. Or perhaps it wasn't in her feathers? "Found it..." All he knew when he examined it up close was that it had writing, which he would curiously try to read before giving it back.

The ring's 'writing' seemed to look similar to the writing on her cutie mark, seemingly incomprehensible. Starlight looked over, and decided to read it off to him. "It reads 'In sickness and in health, this ring shall symbolize the knowledge of love and the acquisition therein. This love shall protect the wearer from harm and let mortals know that love conquers all.' Not my personal choice in creedence, but it wasn't my choice on that one. Anyhow, you should probably place it on one of my larger feathers. If you're curious, it's written in ancient nexian." She rested her head on the pillow, and snorted as she shifted her other wing to make herself more comfortable.