(Canterlot) In Sickness and in Health (Private ATTN: IceStorm)

[IceStorm]

Ice Storm nodded and listened to the instructions that Fire had given her. Apparently movement during this state needed to be very slow and focused to avoid dizzy spells. Or at least, Fire said that's how she was able to deal with it when she had the disease as a filly. That said, when Fire removed the covers from her so that she could swing around, the source of the stench in the air was revealed as was the protective garment to keep the sheets clean. It had very much done it's job. She moved around, listening to Fire's instructions as she placed her hooves on the floor, slowly pushing herself up. Slowly, she also began to push herself onto all fours, leaving a small wet spot on the bed where she was sitting. Her legs were shaky, but held. "I... think I can make it, but perhaps some help would be better just to make sure..." she replied. Bracing against her marefriend would help guarantee her making into the washroom.

[Lux]

Fire watched as her marefriend got off the bed, making sure she didn't collapse while trying to ignore the stench. One thing was for certain: getting Ice's bedding washed was another priority, but for now it was one step at a time. Luckily, the blue unicorn managed to stand which was a good sign, but it sounded to Fire like she needed assistance walking to the washroom. 

 

"Alright, you can lean on me. in fact let me put my foreleg around you and you put your foreleg around me and that will help you walk." 

[IceStorm]

When Fire Heart told her that she could use her as some support to help walk to the washroom, Ice quickly, or as quickly as she could, took her up on that, gingerly walking over to her to make sure she didn't fall on the way over and then as instructed, she placed one of her forehooves around her neck and gave her marefriend a kiss on her neck. She knew that she was sick but figured if she gave a kiss that wasn't too close to Fire's face then she wouldn't catch the sickness she had. Although, she's probably been exposed to it long enough that it it was an airborne sickness, she'd probably already contracted it. "Thank you for helping me. I don't know what I'd do without you," she said turning her head away quickly as a coughing spell overtook her and she tried to avoid coughing in her marefriend's face.

[Lux]

As Fire Heart wrapped her hoof around she felt her marefriend kiss her on the neck. She forgot all about the fact that Ice was sick as even a kiss on her neck was bliss. The blue unicorn's coughing though snapped her back to the reality of helping Ice get some comfort from the day besides her being there.

 

"Of course I'd come to help my marefriend out when she's sick! I'd visit you when you're not sick. Anyway, let's get to the bathroom, but we need to move together to do this or else we'll trip over each other's hooves. So let's move on three. One, two three!"

[IceStorm]

A smile slowly creeped its way across Ice Storm's face when she heard her marefriend tell her that she'd help her out when she was sick. She'd visit her when she wasn't sick either. She also mentioned that getting to the bathroom was going to be a thing they would have to work together on in order to do so efficiently less they would be tripping over each other's hooves. So, when Fire counted to three, they began moving and Ice made sure to pay good attention to which hooves were moving so that she wouldn't send both of them tumbling over. After a few moments, they had entered the washroom. "Alright...I'll hold on to the sink if you'll get the water started for me please," she said before her coughing came back for a short spell.

[Lux]

The two slowly made their way across the bedroom, stumbling slightly but remaining safe. It was strange for Fire moving as one with Ice Storm as she never had a pony so close to her. It wasn't bad though. In fact it actually felt nice to be so close to another pony both physically and emotionally. At last though they made it to wash room where the two separated from their awkward walking situation as Ice clung to the sink for support.

 

"That wasn't so bad, was it? Just like dancing! Alright, now for the bath." 

 

The red unicorn started the water, checking to make sure it was hot but not too hot. It was hard to tell as although Ice Storm said she didn't mind a hot bath she had a negative reaction to heat. 

 

"I think the water is the right temperature. Do you want to test it first?" 

[IceStorm]

Ice Storm smiled as she watched Fire work on the bathwater for her. She definitely knew that she had made the right choice for her marehood when she confessed her love for her and vise versa. Okay, it was technically Fire that confessed her Love to Ice but that didn't mean that she wasn't thinking of doing the same thing at the time! she just beat her to it! Now that she had gotten up and moved a bit she was already starting to feel a tad bit better, although the dizziness was still prominent, which was why she was still holding onto the sink instead of standing up on her hooves. She was about ninety percent sure that if she just tried to stand still she wouldn't be standing for very long.

 

When Fire said that she believed that the water was the right temperature, but wanted Icy to check it first, she nodded. Gingerly she made her way over to the tub and placed one of her hooves in the water and a small puff of steam came off of her naturally cold body as it made contact with the water. This didn't detour her though as the water was in fact quite hot, and quite comfortable. Baths and showers were the one thing that she could tolerate being hot, and smiled. "This is perfect," she smiled before managing to gather enough magic to remove her garment and drop it in the pail before slipping into the bath. "Oh.... most definitely.." she started before entering another coughing spit.

[Lux]

Fire watched as a little puff of steam appeared when Ice Storm put her hoof in the water. She knew by holding her marefriend that she was cooler to the touch than most ponies, something Fire wondered if she was warmer than most. But with the water satisfactory Ice Storm climbed into the tub. It was a good sign for the red unicorn to see her marefriend had her strength returning. But now came the question as to what to do next. 

 

"Alright, glad to see you got into the tub fine. So, do you want me here in case you need help, or do you prefer to be alone? Heh...this having a marefriend is new to me as you can guess." 

[IceStorm]

It didn't take long for Ice Storm to slip into the tub and under the water for the most part. At least, all the way up to her neck anyway, and just like when she stuck her hoof into the water, her entire body was giving off occasional puffs of steam, despite still running a fever. Her coughing subsided and she quickly relaxed under the water. It would have been quite possible for her to fall back asleep right there if it wasn't for the still churning of her stomach, but the heat of the water seemed to be calming that as well. It was then that Fire asked if she wanted her here incase she needed help or if she preferred to be alone, that this having a mare friend was new to her still. 

 

Ice Storm started to let out a small chuckle but paid for her chuckle with a few coughs. "You can stay and help if you'd like. I'm still a bit achy and doubt I can reach my back very well right now. Besides, you came all the way here to visit, even with me being sick. It wouldn't feel right to make you wait outside while I took a bath, plus I'm still a bit dizzy, so... probably for the best that you stay," she smiled.

[Lux]

Fire Heart smiled when Ice Storm asked her to stay. It appeared that the more time that Fire spent with Ice the more she wanted to be with her, especially in her moment of need. Being excused from the bathroom wasn't a big issue, yet if that happened the red unicorn would be nervous something would happen to Ice. 

 

"Well then I'd be happy to stay and help. The last thing I want to see is you feel worse trying to take a bath. At least you look like it's calming you. You know, it's been a while since I had an actual bath last. Don't get me wrong I still get clean, but our dorms have a big communal shower on each floor where everypony goes. It's nice but nothing like just soaking in a tub. I think the last time that happened was when I came home to my parents' house for the summer break. Anyway...do you need help with...washing?"

 

She could immediately feel her face getting flush with embarrassment at assisting her marefriend having it be the first time since she did such a thing. There was no doubt that the two were growing closer with each day, but was that too close for her comfort? Was it just her silly nerves getting the best of her? 

[IceStorm]

Ice Storm smiled as Fire spoke to her. She was happy that she would stay and help with the bath, and proceeded to tell her that it had been a while since she has had a bath herself. That at the dorms they only had showers and while they were nice, they weren't a nice warm bath. "Well... I'd offer to share the bath with you, but I don't know if the tub is big enough, and I don't want to get you sick... although we might already be past that phase..." she giggled a small bit, the laughs causing a few coughs. When she asked if she needed any help with washing, she immediately noticed the blush on her face and smiled with one of her own. "Most likely. Even when I'm healthy the center of the back tends to be hard to reach without magic, and with me being in no condition to use magic at the moment. yeah... I'll probably need some help..." she replied with a sheepish smile scratching the back of her head with her hoof.

[Lux]

Fire Heart proved wrong at that moment that a red pony couldn't get any redder when her face turned a deep crimson when hearing ice Storm's offer to share a bath with her. It wasn't a request that somepony asked her everyday. Maybe it was that Ice felt sorry for her not having a good soak in a while, but maybe it was something else? 

 

Her embarrassment was met by an equally red faced Ice Storm after Fire asked her what she needed help with. The red unicorn remembered Ice's troubled past with her family. Maybe they never gave her baths as a filly, or maybe they didn't hug her much. It was one thing to be nervous having a marefriend help wash, but another if she never got that much affection. Whatever the case, Fire tried to put aside the awkwardness to help her marefriend. 

 

"Say no more," Fire said as she took the washcloth and soap with her magic and lathering up the cloth began to wash the back of Ice's neck and the upper part of her body, "I'm doing this right, right? Not to hard or soft? Guess washing somepony other than myself is a first for me just as I guess it's a first for you to get washed like this." 

[IceStorm]

The blush that appeared on Fire's face when Ice Storm offered to share the bath with her made Ice smile a bit. While most of the time it was difficult to tell that the red unicorn was even blushing by anything alone other than her facial expressions, she could clearing see the red tint of he blush on top of her red coat. It was like a surplus of red! It was also adorably cute. Had Ice Storm been feeling any better than she was, that response would have immediately resulted in her giving fire a quick kiss, but as it stood. She was probably already doing more than enough than was necessary for her marefriend to contract whatever illness ailed herself. She didn't need to do anything to help that.

 

Although it was Icy's turn to let her blush intensify as her marefriend began to assist with washing her. She moved the cloth around the back of her neck and around the back of her upper body, her motions almost feeling like a lathery massage along her neck and spine. It was most certainly relieving, and when Fire asked if she was doing this right, that it was the first time for her washing someone as it was for her likely being washed, she nodded. "I would imagine that it would be hard to find an incorrect way to wash somepony as long as said pony was clean afterwards. And Likewise yes, this is actually a first for me. My baths when I were younger were usually in whatever lake I could find that was clear, but that was then, and I don't have to worry about things like that anymore. Things are thankfully a lot different, and a lot better than they used to be." she replied, a bit of relief in her voice.

 

"Although that said, I'm probably going to have to close down my shop here pretty soon," she coughed. "It's starting to get to the colder part of the year which, for me is a blessing because I love winter, naturally. It's hard for me to sell snow cones and the like during the winter and it's hard for me to get the temperature right for all the hot beverages that ponies like to drink during the winter because my definition of hot is vastly different from anypony else's," she commented.

[Lux]

"I would imagine that it would be hard to find an incorrect way to wash somepony as long as said pony was clean afterwards. And Likewise yes, this is actually a first for me. My baths when I were younger were usually in whatever lake I could find that was clear, but that was then, and I don't have to worry about things like that anymore. Things are thankfully a lot different, and a lot better than they used to be."

 

Fire breathed a sigh of relief knowing that she was doing find so far in assisting her friend. The last thing she wanted to do was incur more misery to the already sick unicorn. She felt the unicorn relax when she did that rather than tense up. 

 

"Although that said, I'm probably going to have to close down my shop here pretty soon," she coughed. "It's starting to get to the colder part of the year which, for me is a blessing because I love winter, naturally. It's hard for me to sell snow cones and the like during the winter and it's hard for me to get the temperature right for all the hot beverages that ponies like to drink during the winter because my definition of hot is vastly different from anypony else's," 

 

"Yeah, I wouldn't think that iced anything during the winter would help. I could try and help you sell hot chocolate, although I must warn you sometimes I've been known to burn toast, so I'm not the best at making things. You have enough money set aside to be ok during the winter, right?" 

 

It was then that she felt her hoof dip below the water and hit something soft yet rigid where the tail joined her body. She suddenly drew back causing her to drop the wash cloth in the tub. She carefully lifted the cloth out of the tub, taking care not to disturb her friend.

 

"Err... is there any other place you need washing?" 

[IceStorm]

Ice Storm gave a small shiver from the contact but made no instant reply to her friend, letting her make the best decision for her. In doing so, the rest of the bath went smoothly and after a bit Ice Storm was clean and out of the bath, already starting to feel some of her strength returning. Moreso, she could actually stand now without having to rest herself against something and a lot of her dizziness had dissipated.

 

"Well, you were definitely right. That bath is making me feel a lot better. I'm not dizzy anymore at least," she smiled. A small coughing spell though reminded her that she was indeed still sick, and she wondered if there was anything they could do about that.

[Lux]

The rest of the bath went without issue as Fire helped Ice wash up where the blue unicorn didn't have the strength to clean with her magic. It still was an odd moment bathing another pony, but the mare in the tub did feel relaxed and her mood did lighten. 

 

"Well, you were definitely right. That bath is making me feel a lot better. I'm not dizzy anymore at least,"

 

"See? i knew that it would make you feel better! Now the tricky part of getting you out of the tub, being now soaked. Can you try first getting your forelegs out?" 

 

Short post I know, but I'm thinking about the next thing to do with Fire and Ice.

 

[IceStorm]

The more that Ice Storm sat there, the better and stronger that she was actually starting to become, aside from the nagging cough now. She gave Fire a smile as she told her that she knew that she would start feeling better again after a nice warm bath. She also added that now came the tricky part, and that was to get out of the tub. she asked if she could get her forelegs out to which she nodded with a smile. "I should be able to, can you put a towel down so I don't get everything else wet?" she asked, although she already had a playful plan that she would try if she didn't get her dizziness back once she stood up. One that would leave Fire and Ice equally as wet. She giggled inwardly at her thought before coughing a bit again. "Also, think we can find something for the cough? it's driving me bonkers..."

[Lux]

Fire nodded as she unfolded a nearby towel and draped it onto the floor. Ironically the towel was a crimson color and very plush which made the red unicorn giggle. 

 

"Your red carpet, m'lady," she said in her best haughty Canterlot accent that she heard certain well-to-do ponies in town speak. She could see the her marefriends had a sly grin to her as if pondering something, most likely involving her! 

 

"You know, I have to say this, you're not really good at hiding your feelings," Fire said with a chuckle, "Your face is giving away what you're thinking, and from the looks of it you're planning something! It's cute though that you do that." 

 

Again the coughing fit started, returning Fire to the purpose of helping Ice get well again. 

 

"Also, think we can find something for the cough? it's driving me bonkers..."

 

Fire was by no means good with making potions or using herbs. In fact that was one of her weaker subjects in school. The only reason she was able to do marginally well was that she used her fire magic to regulate the temperature of her concoctions. Even now she wasn't certain enough to try something new on a pony, especially her marefriend. 

 

​"Well, I can make you tea. That can help a sore throat depending on what's in it.. Do you have any lemons or eucalyptus leaves here?"  

[IceStorm]

Ice Storm couldn't help but give a small smile to Fire Heart as she laid down the red bathmat for her and in kind, proclaimed that it was her red carpet. She also picked up on the fact that she was planning something, and said that she wasn't very good at hiding her emotions, which in truth, she was right. That never had been one of Ice Storm's special talents. She wore her emotions plain as day for everypony to see, whether those ponies wanted to see or hear them or not in some cases. When she added that it was cute, she set her cute plan in action, stepping out onto the towel and then turning slightly and shaking all the water out of her coat, giving the rest of the bathroom and Fire an unexpected shower of water. "Hehe, now you're as wet as I am!" she said playfully sticking her tongue out at her marefriend.

 

That said, the mention of the tea perked her interest, especially since it was mentioned in reference to having to deal with her cough. Anything that she could do in order to get rid of that nagging effect would make her extremely happy. She said that it would more help the sore throat and asked if she had any lemons or eucalyptus leaves. She shook her head. "I do have some lemons, but none of the leaves. I've been out of those for a while. I do have some Chamomile though," she answered in response.

[Lux]

From the time she knew Ice Storm, Fire Heart knew that she wasn't one to conceal her emotions well. This wasn't a bad thing though and in fact refreshing as Fire Heart felt open to her. Of course, it wasn't without moments of either of them being spontaneous. Just as Ice Storm touched down on the red carpet, she repayed the kindness by shaking her entire body, soaking Fire! 

 

"Hehe, now you're as wet as I am!"

 

"Well there's one thing I do love about taking a bath," she said with a sly grin, "lots of steam!"

 

With that she activated her magic, not to create flames but to raise the temperature around her body higher so that the water splashed on her began to come off her in wisps of steam, eventually plunging the room into a dense layer. With her little display done, she turned her attention to making her marefriend feel better with tea. 

 

 "I do have some lemons, but none of the leaves. I've been out of those for a while. I do have some Chamomile though,"

 

"That's fine. I'll just have to be careful not to use too much chamomile as that could relax you to sleep. Do you feel well enough joining me in the kitchen, or would you rather stay in your bedroom?' 

[IceStorm]

A small giggle escaped from Ice Storm, when Fire mad a small puff of magic around her and all of the water that she had just drenched her marefriend had just evaporated into steam. She caught herself quickly though before her small giggle fit turned into another coughing fit, as she felt it starting and kept it down to only a few coughs. Okay, so far so good. I managed to keep it to a couple coughs, she thought to herself as she heard Fire mention what she had was fine, but would have to be careful not to use too much Chamomile, as it has a habit of making ponies sleepy. "Perhaps you could mix it some traditional black tea? I think I have a few bags of that left in the kitchen but I'm not sure," she responded as her marefriend asked if she had enough strength to get from the bedroom to the kitchen or if she wanted to stay there in the bedroom. "I'd like to try to go into the kitchen if I can. Those sheets are... in a desperate need of changing before I can lay in them again, plus the bit of extra movement might do me some good," she said looking and feeling like she could at least stand on her own now. Hopefully walking wasn't going to be too much of an issue.

[Lux]

Fire stopped with the steam as Ice Storm let out a few coughs after laughing. It wasn't the coughing itself that worried the red unicorn but that excessive coughing could lead to Ice's stomach getting upset. Still her spirits were better and she managed to walk short distances and bathe with little trouble. 

 

"Perhaps you could mix it some traditional black tea? I think I have a few bags of that left in the kitchen but I'm not sure,"

 

"No problem, I can check there. I'm kind of a tea fan. In fact I think I drink it more than I do water or anything else!" 

 

"I'd like to try to go into the kitchen if I can. Those sheets are... in a desperate need of changing before I can lay in them again, plus the bit of extra movement might do me some good,"

 

Smell was a powerful sense, and when Ice explained one of the reasons why she wanted to reach the kitchen Fire remembered the odor when she first met her. To think how many hours Ice was left in that position! 

 

"Good points, Alright, to the kitchen then!"