Arcana laughed before she said, "Maybe, but even then I was taught to not rely on magic for everything." She took another sip of her wine. "That advice has been really helpful in more than one thing."
Taffy grinned. "Is this where ya tell me you're actually a horseshoe throwing champion or something?" She chuckled before taking a swig of ale.
Arcana chuckled back, "No, unfortunately nothing like that, but I do have a championship in beach races," she said, trying not to boast.
"Beach races? Sounds excitin'; Ah've never been to a beach..." Taffy lamented, looking into her tankard.
Arcana took a sip of her wine before continuing, "Well, the sand just makes it a bit harder to run effectively. Last time I ran it, I beat this one orange pegasus and she was angry."
"Hmm, well that seems a little unreasonable." Taffy said, frowning and emptying her tankard. "What happened?"
Arcana took a somber look on her face, "After I wished her a good race, she snubbed me. After I beat her, she just flew off. She didn't say anything and I don't want to think it's because I beat her."
"Some ponies," Taffy said, shaking her head. "Ah'd never do that. And not just 'cause Ah can't fly." She rose from the table. "'Nother round?"
Taffy made her way to the bar, ordered another round of the same, then made her way back to the table, avoiding the other ponies wandering around on their own vital drink-retrieving quests. Once again she made it back without spilling a drop, and beamed broadly as she sat back down. "Ah think skill like that deserves some reward," She said, jokingly, passing Arcana her drink.
Arcana smiled as she reached for her drink, but then took Taffy's hoof brought her in for a hug, taking great care not spill anything herself. Once Taffy was in the hug, she kissed her cheek.
"Eeep!" Taffy squeaked, blushing. The hug had taken her by surprise, but as surprises went, it was one the best; the kiss put butterflies in her tummy. "Hubajah-hmm, uh, good reward," She mumbled, hugging back.
Arcana was blushing as well, but smiling from ear to ear. She giggled at the hug from Taffy and took a sip of her wine.
"So, um, do ya think you'll get your mane curled again?" Taffy asked, peeking over the brim of her tankard as she drank, trying to regain some composure.
Arcana thought about it for a second. She leaned in close to Taffy to answer her question. "Well, as good as it looked on me, I don't know if it would be good on me as a stallion," she whispered.
"Oh, yeah," She sighed, slightly disappointed. "Ya may have a point there." She was starting to really like mare-Arcana, but she wasn't sure it'd be the same when she changed again.
Arcana, noting her disappointment, wondered if she should try to cure this curse. Taffy was someone she liked and she did mention that she liked both mares and stallions. Arcana immediately felt something starting to pulse. Her horn pulsed with a dark magic. She attempted to bring it down, but she doesn't know if she succeeded.
"Are ya ok?" Taffy asked, noticing that Arcana seemed to be struggling with something. "Are we gonna need to get somewhere private?"
Arcana thought a moment as the feeling died down. "I might be changing back," she said, but her horn didn't noticeably glow.
"Ah don't know," Taffy said, studying Arcana carefully. "Ah don't see anythin' unusual. Do ya ever get... false alarms, as it were?"
