[FIN]....and an End

[LexThetaSigma]

"It was," Rory agreed with her; talking with her, even about that, was more comfortable than thinking about what he was doing right now or how it looked to any others that they happened to pass by. "There was one year they had about ten eggs hatch all around the same time, so there were ten new baby Ponytas all trying to figure out their legs at the same time," he chuckled slightly at the memory as his hand slid down her shoulder to her upper arm.

"It makes perfect sense," he told her when she mentioned that she was looking forward to seeing her newest pokemon's first flames. "It's another amazing sight to see; when it happens for the first time, you're never going to forget it. Though," he grinned, "make sure you aren't near anything you value too much and stay far enough back."  

[Gwennythe]

"Aaw. That sounds even more adorable..." It also sounded a tiny bit terrifying really, she thought, but as an image, it was very very cute. Ten little pony pokémon wobbling and then running all over the place... As much as she thought she'd enjoy the situation, she was glad that, not only was Octavia was 'older' biologically, she was also just one Ponyta.

They'd gotten into a rather 'cozy' position, as they walked. Tambrey continued to notice and continued to pretend not to notice. She couldn't reason /exactly/ why, but it was safe to say some part of her was starting to get it.

"You're makin' her sound like a firework." She grinned, remembering firework displays from when she was younger, and the well-spread safety tips they came with each year.
"I'll hold her pokéball in a gloved hand." Tambrey joked before shaking her head. "Sorry. I will be careful. 'M not fond of the idea 'f getting burnt, however much I want to see her using fire."  

[LexThetaSigma]

"It was one of the best days of my life," Rory told her with a smile. Before he had come here, he probably would have ruled it as the best; tied only with the day he got Pinkie and the day he won his first contest championship. But now? There were a few days that were slowly eclipsing that; today being one of them.

Her comment about him making Octavia sound like a firework had him laughing, "Hey, in a way, she kind of is. You never know what those things are gonna do once you light the fuse," he smirked, "They could blow up in your face for all you know."

"Getting burnt...it's not fun," he recalled quietly, remembering incidences with his own pokemon and, mostly, the incident that had happened not too long before he met her. He still had faint scars from that raid. "Until both of you are used to what she can do, make sure to keep the training outside."  

[Gwennythe]

There might have been a slight shudder at what her said.
She could remember seeing burns, remember the heat of various explosions and fires that had come with missions. Mostly from a particular, fire-y moth.
Fire pokémon were terrifying sometimes, but those same experiences had led her to want to get a Ponyta in the first place, having seen them in action.

"I definitely will... We'll be safe." Tambrey promised, before lifting, and turning, her head to look at Rory for a moment.
"How are you?" It might have seemed like an abrupt, or odd, question, were not for the quiet tone matching his quiet recollection, indicating a few possibilities of what she was really asking about; burns, a new Ponyta, memories. She seemed aware, at least, that this was probably having some effect upon him.  

[LexThetaSigma]

"Good, good," Rory commented; he never wanted her to experience what he had, the pain of the flames burning flesh. When she turned her head to look up at him, he paused. His eyes widened for a brief second when he heard her question.

He gave her a small smile and ran a hand down her arm. "I'm fine."  

[Gwennythe]

She watched him for a moment more- perhaps longer than might be thought of as 'normal'- before she offered a short, blushing nod and choose to look at the floor ahead.

"Good." It was meant but still sounded just a little concerned. "Erm. Anyway. Ahem. We'll... just let them run today, I guess?" A pointless question, but it was easier on commenting on the hand running down her arm and how much closer she'd drawn in to Rory at it.  

[LexThetaSigma]

As she watched him, Rory couldn't help but wonder what had brought the question on. Why would he not be okay? When he noticed her blush as she nodded, the corner of his mouth turned up in a small smile. He let his hand continue to run down her arm until he was able to cup her hand in his, still not caring what it looked like as he led her outside to the desert.

"Probably a good idea," he agreed, "Let Octavia get used to her surroundings and break in her new legs."  

[Gwennythe]

She blinked and found herself looking down, feeling his hand cupping her own, then surprised herself as, though she thought about drawing it away, she could find no urge nor want to do so. Even if, as it was, this was 'public' enough an area when it came to the base. Her fingers sought to entwine with Rory's, to hold hands properly.
There was, however, no diminishing in her blush and, though there was a smile creeping at the corners of her own mouth, she was still looking at the ground; now the sand of the desert, resisting the urge to shield her eyes at the light change from the labs and florescent lights to the natural sunlight.

They wouldn't have very long for it before the sun was setting, but that, in itself, would be rather nice.
Her free hand sought out Octavia's ball.
"Uh. Well. Let's see what she thinks then..."
The flash of red introducing the Ponyta to her first taste of 'outside'.  

[LexThetaSigma]

Feeling her fingers entwine with his caused Rory's smile to linger as they stepped outside, into the sun. He blinked a few times so his eyes would adjust and noticed the position of the sun; it wouldn't be long before dusk came upon them.

"She'll love it," Rory commented as he watched the new pokemon emerge from her ball. The open area, the sand under her hooves, the heat, the new Ponyta would adore it. With his free hand, he grabbed Pinkie's ball off of his belt and released her to run around with her 'sister'.  

[Gwennythe]

Octavia's eyes widened as her hooves felt the soft sand beneath them and her nostrils breathed in the breeze as it flowed across the desert.
She stood, stock still, eyes wide, as her body processed all the information it was suddenly being given and, instinctively, informed her that this was 'outside' and this was a place that was made for running.
She whinnied and snorted and stamped her hooves, feeling so excited, as Pinkie emerged nearby.
<> She called, suddenly taking off in a wide, gradually more steady, circle.
The sun would give way to sunset soon, her body seemed to know this too, but that just made her urge to run and play ever stronger; she had to move and dash and sprint as much as she could before it was too dark to play!

Tambrey felt right as she watched the Ponyta, their finished experiment, finally using her legs and running across the sands in the light of the sinking sun.
The end of the day and the end of months of work; it was a fitting, satisfying moment, and she felt, even, that standing here, fingers entwined with Rory's, holding hands with him, was something that just had to be happening to make the day feel like this.
She mumbled something, three words, but it would have been impossible to hear them, distorted deliberately and mumbled so quietly as they were.
She could easily excuse them as a cough, or half-mumbled thought...
Yes, this felt right, but she wasn't quite ready, right at this moment, to truly vocalize what she felt.