In five years time you might just prove me wrong

Morgana hadn’t really ever paid much attention to the stables before today. She knew they were there, sure, but the days where she had fawned over horses and dreamed of owning a pony were a long, distant memory of her adolescence. Not to say that she was some older, mature woman now- she was still the youngest girl on the island (Sylvia and Emmy notwithstanding, for complicated reasons) it just happened to be that her fantasies had gone in a different direction.

But she was still a little impressed by what she saw. The two horses were large, gorgeous creatures with silky manes and strong looking bodies. The kind of glamorous sight that filled the pages of the romance novels Morgana used to read.

As lovely as she found them, though, she wasn’t nearly as captivated as Vivian was. The heiress gazed at the majestic creatures with adoration in her eyes, and swooned.

“Aren’t they just lovely?” She murmured, caressing her cheek with a wistful expression on her face. “Nothing I like better than horses, they really are the most majestic animals, aren’t they?”

“I-I guess they are?” Morgana stammered out, not sure how to answer that question. They were nice to look at, she couldn’t deny that, but Vivian was being a little… overwhelming.

Morgana gulped nervously.

The heiress clapped her hands together. “Well now! Shall we get to it then? Would you like to touch one?” She finally tore her shining eyes away from the two horses to look back at Morgana, who swallowed her doubts and jerked her head up and down.

While she was still wary about getting on top of one and actually going for a ride, a little touch couldn’t hurt.

Right?

“That’s the spirit!” Vivian slapped Morgana on the back encouragingly to spur her forward and Morgana stumbled towards the nearest horse, the one with the thick black coat that glistened like obsidian in the sunlight.

It took Morgana a moment to really observe just how pretty the sheen of his coat was. As a lover of all things dark and gothic Morgana should have felt an affinity for the black stallion, but that was frankly the furthest thing from her mind.

Her fingers trembled as she reached out her hand, but before she could actually touch him, the other three girls entered the stable.

“First time I’ve been in here,” Holly loudly chirped, walking inside. Her eager eyes flashed every which way as she scanned the room. “Dawn, you like animals, you ever spend any time here?”

“A little,” Dawn said, adjusting her glasses slightly. “Just to look at it. But I’ve never been much one for horses.”

Truthfully she was trying to forget that time when she’d dug around in the horse stables for cards way back in the second challenge, getting herself all smelly and covered with hay. But unfortunately, Dawn didn’t forget anything.

Rose remained silent, choosing not to share her own thoughts in a rare moment of consideration for others. She waved her hand in front of her face slightly in what she hoped was a subtle enough attempt to push away the smell of the horses, and hoped that Vivian wouldn’t notice.

Fortunately for her, the heiress was too occupied with gushing over the horses and leading Holly and Dawn over to the chocolate-colored Toffee, who was waiting obediently beside Licorice.

“Who wants to ride first?” She asked exuberantly.

Morgana gasped and swiftly retracted her hand. She hadn’t even gotten to touch one yet! And now Vivian was suggesting they go for a ride?! No, this was way too fast! Why was the heiress getting so ahead of herself?

…Of course, she knew the answer to that question. She just didn’t like it. Morgana had been there before, you see. She knew all too well what it was like to have a passion for something; an obsession. For Vivian, that passion was horses. The overbearing way she pushed her interest onto the other girls, nearly bowling them over like she had with Morgana…

I… I wasn’t this bad… right? She asked herself worriedly, remembering how she’d been like her first week on the island. Sure, she’d mellowed out considerably since then once she’d gotten to know the other contestants and let them see the real her, but before that…

Morgana’s face turned scarlet as she recalled the bold statements she’d made about being a witch, and how the other girls had all looked at her. Ironically now she actually COULD use magic, and she was often too nervous and scared to try!

If only her past self could see her now. Maybe that meant she was finally growing up.

Morgana was so busy congratulating herself for growing as a person that she didn’t even notice Vivian staring at her until the heiress was practically right up in her face.

“So did you get a chance to pet him? He’s so soft, isn’t he?” The heiress chirped, her brown eyes glowing with vibrant energy. “But beneath that softness you can really get a sense of his muscles. He’s so strong and cool and tough!”

“Hee!” Morgana squeeked, her eyes widening in surprise. She wasn’t scared of Vivian but the sudden outpouring of excitement from the heiress had startled her, and she stumbled backwards, bumping into the large horse behind her.

She could feel his warmth on the back of her neck. She didn’t even realize it, but she was actually touching him! Her mind thought a thousand thoughts all at once, and not one of them properly loaded in her head as she tried to grapple with what she was experiencing.

Finally when her brain was clear enough to think properly, she saw Vivian smiling a smug, satisfied grin her way.

“Yup,” Vivian chuckled, nodding. “That’s exactly what I thought. He likes you!”

“Oh… oh, goodie…” Morgana smiled a shaky half-smile, genuinely pleased by what Vivian said but also very nervous. It was nice to know that the horse liked her, but at the same time… what exactly was she supposed to do about that?

“I have a question.” Dawn’s voice came as salvation to the nervous and socially-awkward young goth. Vivian turned her attention away from Morgana, giving her a chance to breathe at last.

“Oh yeah? What’s up?” Vivian asked, intrigued by the potential questions a veterinarian might have about the horses.

But Dawn’s inquiry had nothing to do with the health or wellbeing of the animals. It was an issue of logistics.

“There are only two horses here, and five of us,” the cat girl pointed out. “How exactly are we all supposed to go horseback riding?”

The thought had never crossed Morgana’s mind. She looked around the spacious stable and realized Dawn was right; the other stalls were all empty. Their host must have figured that there was no need for more than two horses- enough for a romantic outing between lovers. The rest was just unneeded space for them to move.

“Well, you and Holly are short enough, I’m sure you two could fit on one horse,” Rose joked, earning her a glare from the cat girl.

Vivian smiled somberly and shrugged. “Well, I kind of saw this coming, you see,” she said mournfully. “Back on my estate, we have eight horses, which is more than enough, but here…”

“Only eight?” Rose raised her eyebrow. “Knowing you, I’d have figured you’d have dozens.”

Holly nodded. “You can certainly afford it.”

Dawn snorted and shook her head. Her tail flicked behind her. “Doubtful,” she sniffed.

Vivian nodded in agreement. “Pretty clever there, Dawny,” she chirped, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, you gals are right, I could buy as many horses as I want, if I wanted to. But… that’s not the proper thing to do.”

With a wistful look in her eye she turned and looked at Toffee, running her hand along the brown beauty’s coat as she thought of her beloved horses back home. “Eight is quite a lot. Even with Octavia’s help, it’s quite a lot of work taking care of them all, making sure they’re properly growing and getting plenty of exercise, not to mention just going out and taking them for rides so they know I’m there for them, you know?”

“Couldn’t you just hire more help?” Rose questioned.

“It’s not about help,” Dawn said gently. “Hiring a staff of horse groomers isn’t the same as taking care of them personally.”

Dawn was far from rich, but she was well off enough. Enough so where she could afford more than just the five cats she had. But five was already quite a lot. And Vivian was absolutely correct- making sure they got enough individual love and care was a lot of work.

“Rose, you need that personal touch,” Holly said gently. “Speaking on behalf of all pets, having some stranger take care of you isn’t the same as being loved by your master. To feel his tender hand on your body… knowing that he’s locking you in a cage for your own safety, so you don’t wander off… it’s just the greatest thing…”

Holly’s eyes glazed over as she swooned, ignoring the incredulous stares from the other four women.

“…Right, well, that’s about it, isn’t it?” Vivian said with an awkward chuckle. She walked over and patted Rose on the shoulder. “I’m not collecting my horses just to own ‘em, see. I love them all, with all my heart. And as much as I’d adore owning another ten or twenty, it’s just not fair to anyone if I do. That means less time for each one. You can have all the love in the world, and if you don’t have the time to show it, well…”

Her voice trailed off and for a moment Morgana thought she saw tears in the corners of Vivian’s eyes.

Rose looked shaken. The heiress’s words sank in, and it spoke to her.

“I… I’m sorry,” she said sullenly, shaking her head. “It never occurred to me…”

“It’s kind of like Nick.”

Holly had returned to the world of the living, and brought a surprisingly rational insight back with her. In fact, from the serious expression on her face, it took a moment for the other girls to realize this was the same horny pervert they all knew and loved.

Her face was downright grim.

“Nick is trying his hardest to make time for us,” Holly said quietly. “All of us. Not even just you girls who are officially members of his harem. But even me…” She reached up and gingerly placed her hand over her chest, sighing as her date with him the day before filled her heart. “It’s hard. Trying to care for that many people at once.”

Vivian nodded. “It really is. That’s why… you girls have to make it easier on him, see? So he doesn’t feel overwhelmed by his obligations.”

The quiet tone of her voice was unsettling; she was talking as if she herself wasn’t involved in this, but was an outside observer.

Morgana stirred with discomfort. They had been talking about horses, hadn’t they? How had the topic of conversation drifted this far?

“UM!” A grunting exclamation burst out of her lips and she froze when she felt everyone’s eyes on her. She shivered and squirmed under the gaze of the other girls, but didn’t yield, using the courage she’d built up these past few rounds to speak her mind.

“…I… I think… I think Nick is trying his best!” She said firmly, hoping her face was as determined as her heart felt. “It’s tough on him, but… he’s really doing good! And… and I know that he’s definitely going to be great on our date tomorrow! Yeah…”

“He really did put a lot of care into giving Ella what she wanted today,” Rose pointed out, remembering how focused and considerate Nick was of her shy roommate. “That’s a pretty reassuring thought.”

“He does seem like a considerate sort,” Vivian agreed. “Even with someone like me, who’s caused more problems than he should have to deal with…”

“Nick could have just left me alone and focused on you guys, since I’m not a part of his harem,” Holly said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest. “The fact that he took the time this round to make sure I was being cared for tells you everything you need to know about him!”

That was always the case, wasn’t it? Even when they were back in school. Holly remembered so many times where she had wanted it to just be the two of them, but Nick had insisted on bringing Mary (and Dakota, in that alternate timeline) along just to make sure everyone was included.

How many would-be dates had he unknowingly spoiled like that? Holly had an extensive list. A very extensive list.

And some things hadn’t changed at all.

“Well anyway!” Vivian loudly brought the other girls back to their senses with a clap of her hands. “It doesn’t change the fact that there are too few horses for all of us, so sadly we won’t be going out for any long rides today. But that was never the plan anyhow.”

Rose nodded slowly, figuring Vivian had already expected and accounted for exactly this scenario before even coming here.

“So, uh, what, we just, um… take turns?” Morgana asked, wondering if that was what Vivian was suggesting.

The smile on the fashionista’s face confirmed it.

“Ab-so-lutely!”

What Vivian proposed was really a very simple thing. As the only one here with experience, she would help the other girls get situated on the horses. They would go for a quick little trot, a lap or two around the field, just to get used to the feeling of riding.

And since it was Morgana’s special day tomorrow, she would get to go first!

The goth wasn’t sure how she felt about that, if she was being honest.

Morgana hoped and prayed that she wouldn’t make her usual clumsy mistakes as Vivian helped her into the saddle. And to her relief, she didn’t fall off! But… it felt strange. Riding on the back of the horse like this. Another living creature.

Strange… but kind of exciting!

“Having fun up there?” Vivian called up to Morgana as Licorice paced back and forth through the field, and she bounced right along with him.

“Um! Um! He-he’s going a little fast!” Morgana wailed. “Don’t you think?!”

“…That’s literally the slowest trot I’ve ever seen,” Vivian said, trying not to laugh. “Don’t be nervous, Morgana, he’ll feel that. It’ll worry him.”

“Have you ever tried to not be nervous!?” Morgana demanded fiercely. “It doesn’t work that way! If I try not to be nervous, I’ll get even more nervous, because I’m afraid that I’m being nervous!”

Okay, so maybe that didn’t come out as cleanly as Morgana would have liked, but hey, she was too nervous to word properly!

But Vivian kept her cool. She’d seen this plenty of times. “Just relax, Licorice knows what he’s doing, trust him to take the lead. You just have to follow.”

“Remember, if you mess up, it’s not your fault!” Rose called out, holding back her amused laughter.

Morgana gave her a sour look. “Thanks for that!” She groaned. With a sigh, Morgana sank back on the horse’s stable saddle and hoped that everything would be alright. Maybe… maybe Vivian was right. Maybe she could be comfortable with this. Now that she was getting into it, she found that he wasn’t really going that fast. She just wasn’t used to riding horses, that was all.

“Good boy,” she said, lightly patting him on the back of his mane.

“Neeeiiiiggghyyaaaah!” Suddenly, Licorice picked up speed. Morgana jerked, her hat nearly coming off as she clung to the reins for dear life.

“VIVIIIAAAAAANNNNN!” Her wails echoed through the empty field.

The heiress stared at the struggling girl, a smile frozen to her face.

“…Well, she seems to have this well in hand,” Vivian said, turning back to the others. “Who’d like to go next?”

“I’ll go,” Dawn said, raising her hand. “I don’t have any experience, but I’m good with animals. And I’ve always wanted to try.”

“You sure you can get up there?” Rose called as Vivian led her over to Toffee. “Need a step ladder to climb on?”

“Or a booster seat?” Holly joked, snickering.

Dawn glared at her. “What are you laughing about, Holly?” She demanded. “You’re almost as short as I am!”

“Yeah, ‘almost’,” Holly smirked. “I’m petite and precious, you’re just short. And don’t think those big boobs Vivian bought you change anything!”

“Girls, please, we’re trying to have fun here,” Vivian pleaded playfully with them. “…That being said…”

She did have to adjust the saddle to account for Dawn’s shorter legs. Something that Rose had no intention of letting the cat girl live down any time soon.

“Just so you know,” Dawn said, swinging her leg gracefully over Toffee’s saddle and looking down at Holly with a haughty expression on her cool features, “with my ears I’m technically the taller one.”

Holly rolled her eyes and smacked Toffee on the haunch, sending the horse galloping off at a pace way faster than Dawn would have liked to start at. The vet clung to the reins as best she could.

“…Seriously you two, quit messing around,” Vivian pleaded once it was just the three of them. “Horse safety is nothing to make light of!”

“Don’t worry, it’s not like anyone can get hurt,” Rose pointed out.

“Dawn knows we love her,” Holly said. “It’s just a bit of fun jostling, that’s all.”

“Well, it might be safe to do here, but what about when we get back home?” Vivian pressed, an unusual tint of anxiety leaching into her voice. “It might lead to unsafe behaviors where there are consequences, horseback riding is a serious thing.”

Rose blinked. “Back home? Wait, were you planning to make this a regular thing?” She asked, surprised.

“Oh my gosh!” Holly’s face lit up. “That’s so cute! You were planning on inviting us back to your estate so we could go horseback riding for real someday? Oh, Vivian! Nick would just love to hear about that! He’ll be so happy you’re actually planning for the future with all of us!”

“N-no!” Vivian’s face reddened as she tried to keep her cool. “It’s not anything special, just… just a passing thought, that’s all! If you guys wanted to, I mean!”

Try as she might to preserve her ego, her frantic desire to share her love of horses with the others won out, making it hard for her to deny Holly’s statement. Not to mention her need to have real friends who she could share her experiences with.

Trapped with no way to say anything further, Vivian could do nothing but turn away and look at Morgana and Dawn as they rode their horses, and hoped that they enjoyed the experience.