Boundless (3)

You're not the biggest fan of canned hay, but it's hard to say no to the offer of free food.

As Boundless leads you away from her room and towards the heart of the alicorns' refuge, you quickly recognise why a group of such mares might choose a derelict power station as their home. For one thing, it's an old wartime structure, which means overengineering to the extreme. The rooms and corridors, depressingly gray and square as they may be, have broad hallways and high ceilings, and the concrete outer walls are so thick that it'd probably take a tank to do any lasting damage to them. The spark generators that the place was made to support, once designed to distill raw magic into usable electricity, probably wouldn't be so robust. A major radiation hazard for most ponies - and a fountain of manna for those that can eat the stuff. You're glad you thought ahead and brought RadAway; you should be safe for a week or so. Probably.

"Did you not meet my sisters as you came in?" Boundless asks, adjusting her coat. "I hoped that they'd be a little more welcoming; Auri was probably watching you from the moment you arrived, but Corona loves meeting new people." You shrug, pointing out that they obviously value seclusion. Maybe they'd only reveal themselves if they knew you were a threat or not? "Perhaps," she muses. "Corona is very smart, but she's also easily distracted, bless her. I'm sure she'll show up eventually." You continue in silence, and the drab surroundings quickly set your eyes wandering.

Boundless is surprisingly well-dressed, all things considered. The hem of her patchwork coat spills over her hindquarters and affords her some modesty - probably for the best, since standing at her full height puts her backside about level with your head. Her other clothes, while obviously strained in doing so, cover her body comprehensively despite the distinctive bulk of her midsection. Her gait is heavy, but methodical enough to afford her a little grace. The mass of her swollen middle shifts her center of gravity downwards and towards the back, putting a distinctive sway into the motion of her hips as the muscles shift and bunch to compensate on every step. It's fascinating to watch... purely out of curiosity, of course. Of course.

Soon you arrive at your destination. You know this because Boundless comes to a halt and you just barely manage to stop yourself from walking into her. "Here we are, hon. Make yourself comfortable."

It's a break room, or at least used to be, and it looks like the alicorns tidied it up some. The floor and furniture aren't covered in two centuries' worth of dust, for one thing, and several boxes and bags are neatly stacked in one corner. The walls are clean, if bare. A few utilitarian tables and seating cushions are scattered around, but the cushions have been collected into little piles - no doubt to accomodate larger ponies. Auriga is waiting, sat ramrod-straight and staring at the pair of you. Boundless nudges you forward, so you take a seat, and the rotund mare eases herself down across from you. She carries herself well, but the long sigh of relief she lets out, taking the weight off her hooves, tells a story all its own. You express a little concern, but she waves you off. Auriga, meanwhile, fetches one of the bags in her magic and empties into onto the table. Cans of processed food, firmly sealed bottles of water (and one of some kind of colourful sludge that you don't even want to guess at), and a smaller bag containing faintly glowing gemstones.

Boundless smiles at your bemused look. "Go ahead, hon. Help yourself." Auriga takes the mystery bottle and downs a gulp of the colourful stuff. Boundless pops some of the gems into her mouth. You slide one of the cans to your end of the table - and what a surprise, it's 'Apple Magic' Brand Apple-Flavored Processed Hay (It's apple-licious! Start your day the apple way! Try our new Ripe 'n' Juicy Sparkle-Cola, now with APPLES!). You've never had the faintest clue as to why the ponies of Old Equestria seemed to have such a massive fetish for apples.

Boundless pats the upper curve of her tummy, grinning as her cheek bulges with gemstones. She's not chewing or swallowing, just sucking on them with the eagerness of a filly that has a candy shop all to herself. Strangely enough, it's Auriga that speaks up to explain. "We subsist mostly on sources of raw or loose magic. Gemstones contain a lot of it, and my sister is very hungry." Boundless nods and mumbles something in the affirmative.

Auriga is an intimidating mare. While Boundless is all soft, flowing edges and round shapes, Auriga's short, spiky mane and angular features make her look like she was born on an anvil. She wipes her mouth and raises her bottle of goo. "Also, this would kill you." The purple mare's tone is just as stern and borderline hostile as before, but at least she's trying to be helpful. You think. Apparently done with you already, she downs another mighty swig of the stuff.

You thank her - tersely - for the warning, and decide to focus on your meal.