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Brothers 'N Antlers | Chapter six: the Scribblers | 'What do you mean stupid? The others and I didn't drag him all the way back for nothing, you know?'
A voice was talking. It was a high voice, a female voice. Was it Elkia's mother? Was Elkia in the Eternal Plains? Was he finally reunited?
'I don't know. This chance encounter has strange written all over it. You shouldn't have taken him here. If he is useless to us, he might even pose a danger to the whole operation.'
Slowly, Elkia drifted back to the surface. He focused on the two voices. The other voice was clearly male. He tried to find out who it was that was speaking, turning his ears around. Trying though as he did, he couldn't pair the voice with one of his friends or relatives. He kept listening.
'He is not a danger, Char. He is just a little lost, lonely elk. What should I have done? Should I have left him there like that?'
But the other voice, Char, was still not satisfied. 'Your kindness is unbridled, Strawberry. Be careful, or I might send you back to the desert, where Starlight Glimmer will judge over you.'
'You wouldn't...'
'I have the power, and you know that,' said Char. He sounded content.
Opening his eyes, Elkia saw something familiar: wood. All around him, there was wood. He licked his lips, and swore he tasted some snow. Where the hay was he, and how long had he been here? Elkia tried to lift his head, but found himself too weak. He almost regretted waking up, because his stomach felt as if it had shrunken to the size of a walnut.
'You don't even know it was he who made the poems in the snow, the way you told me,' said Char.
'Who else could it be?' said the female voice, Strawberry.
'I don't know. It's still strange.' Char paused for dramatic effect. 'This is your choice, Strawberry. This elk is your responsibility now.'
'Don't you worry, Char. I'll take care of him,' said Strawberry. 'And who knows? If he turns out not to be the author of the poems at all, we'll just put him with the workforce.'
'The workforce? Have you seen how scrawny and thin he is?'
'Hush now!' said Strawberry, 'it seems our guest is awake.'
Elkia heard a door open. He managed to roll over onto his belly and got a good look at the pony who stepped inside. Instantly, even though they had never met before, Elkia recognized her. She had a creamy, light-brown coat, and a mane which wasn't quite red and wasn't quite blond. Once inside, she closed the door carefully, then walked over to Elkia with sure, precise steps. 'Hello there, little elk? Had a good night's sleep? Or, well, actually a couple of good night's and day's sleep? You have slept for quite some time.'
Indeed, Elkia was lying on a bed. He was wrapped in a checkered woolen blanket, and felt a soft mattress against his belly.
The pony chuckled, hiding her smile behind her hooves. 'Haha, I always love the look on their faces when they first arrive. It's gold.'
Elkia felt himself blushing. He must look quite ridiculous, all wrapped up like a present. Still stuck in sheer puzzlement, Elkia said, 'H-h-hello?'
'Hello,' the pony said back, smiling as she talked. Once she reached the bed, she made a small jump, and landed right on top of the soft mattress. She was obviously enjoying this strange atmosphere. Once she shifted her weight a couple of times until she was comfortable, she stuck out her hoof 'Name's Strawberry Blonde. What's your name?'
So that was the color of her mane, Elkia realized. Slowly, he stuck out his own hoof. As they shook, he tried to read her eyes, and kept guessing and guessing at her personality. As far as he could see, she radiated nothing but cheerfulness. He said his own name. 'Elkia Deerling.'
Strawberry Blonde squeaked. 'Oh, I love those Elkish names. They always sound so exotic and adorable!'
A question bubbled to the surface of Elkia's mind. He shook his head to clear it. Nope, still in the same room with the strange pony. 'What do you mean? Are there other elks here?'
'Yes, sometimes we encounter one or two of them, but they are rare. You are rare, Elkia Deerling. Doesn't that make you feel special?'
Elkia reached up, and scratched the back of his head. 'Eh... well... maybe?'
'That's my favorite answer! It's right between yes and no, so perfect for hazy situations.' Strawberry Blonde paused for a second. She looked right into Elkia's eyes, reading him too. There wasn't much to read, just bafflement. 'I guess you must feel hazy as well, don't you?'
Elkia nodded. He was just searching for the right things to say in this hazy situation, when his stomach rumbled.
'And hungry too,' said Strawberry. 'Well, there's an easy way to fix that!'
She retreated, and just a minute or two later returned with a bowl of soup and a loaf of bread. Elkia took both, thanked Strawberry politely, and then dug in. He would forever remember that first bite of bread. If you have nothing to eat and even rocks look delicious, the taste of bread on a starving stomach is unimaginable.
Elkia felt himself growing stronger with every bite and every spoonful. Once the soup was done, Strawberry asked if he wanted more. And once they sat opposite each other on the bed again with a steaming bowl of soup, they continued their conversation.
'Where am I?' said Elkia. 'What is this strange room and this strange place? Are we inside some hut?'
'We're inside the visitor's center,' said Strawberry Blonde. 'This is where we take foundlings and potential new members of our great society and see if they can prove themselves useful to us.'
'Visitor's center...? Society...? Useful...?' the strange pony's answers only conjured up more questions in Elkia's mind.
Strawberry Blonde reached out, and gently brushed Elkia's fur. 'Aw! You poor little thing. I understand that you are confused, but before I can tell you anything more, I'll have to get my list. It's part of the wonderful protocol we call "info-exchange." You tell us something about yourself, and then we tell you all you want to know about ourselves and our great town.' She reached back and grabbed a clipboard with a pencil. 'Alright. Name...? Elkia Deerling. Race...? Elk, duh! Tag number...? I'm sorry, can I check that for a moment?' She reached out towards Elkia's head, and then grabbed his ear. The awkwardness went through the roof. After she threw a quick glance, she wrote down, 'Seventy-seven E. Wow, you're lucky number seven, Elkia. Isn't that great?'
'Eh...' Now Elkia himself reached towards his ear, and felt something strange. When he bent his ear down, he saw a little yellow tag hanging from it. 'What...?
'I said you were lucky, because we usually only give tags to the ones that have been appointed a function,' Strawberry said. 'But I had such a good feeling about you that I couldn't help myself and tagged you right away.' She let out a chuckle. 'I thought you lying there unconscious was the perfect, painless moment to put that lovely little tag in your ear.'
'Eh...' was all Elkia could say. He still had no idea how to respond to about ninety percent this strange pony uttered.
Strawberry Blonde, however, seemed perfectly in her element. 'Alright, what's next? Next up is... backstory!'
'Backstory?'
'Everyone has a backstory,' Strawberry said. She waved her hooves around. 'You don't just POOF! Appear out of thin air, now do you? It is essential to know where you come from, so we can direct you to where you are going. And besides that, I am dying to know about your past. It was you who made those poems in the snow, wasn't it?'
Despite the warmth of the blankets, the tastiness of the soup and the bread, and the cheery nature of his new friend, Elkia felt the sadness creep up to him. He barely remembered the text of the poems, but he clearly remembered why he wrote them. His ears drooped down, and his shoulders slumped.
Strawberry saw how Elkia's demeanor changed. She reached out and lifted his chin with her hoof. 'Hey, what is the matter, Elkia?'
The voice of that pony was so sweet and inviting, and her every gesture radiated a soft, warm light inside of him. She reminded him of his mother. Elkia knew that whatever he would tell her, she would listen to what he said, and support and comfort him as much as she could. Elkia knew Strawberry Blonde was his friend.
That's why he told her--everything. He told her about his happy life in the herd of elks, deer, and reindeer. He told of his friends, his relatives, and his family. Elkia thought Strawberry would listen carefully. Yet, once he mentioned Aeltha the seer and his brother Alces, Strawberry let out a small gasp, which she tried to conceal. 'I'm sorry. Please excuse me,' she said. 'Don't let me interrupt you. Come on, go on with the story.'
So Elkia continued. The second part hurt him most, and he had trouble telling it. He spoke about the timber wolves, how they destroyed not just his friends, his family, but also his home and the Shimmering Eye. A few tears accompanied his tale, and he started stuttered more and more as the story progressed.
'Awwwwww... Oh no!' Strawberry Blonde reached out and wiped Elkia's tears away with her hooves. 'No wonder you were so drained when I found you. You poor little elk haven't eaten in days, maybe even weeks. No wonder you ate your food so quickly. Would you like some more?'
A cup of soup later, Elkia finished his tale. The fight with his brother Alces, his lonely trek through the winter wilderness, and his poems made up the end. Telling everything to her actually made him feel better, something he hadn't expected at all. He stared at the checkered pattern on the blanket.
'So that was the person your last poem was about,' Strawberry said. 'At first I thought it was about a pretty hind, but it was actually about your mother.'
Elkia nodded. 'I made her an epitaph, although no one will ever read it.'
'No, you're right. There has been some snowfall since you arrived here. The words are long gone by now.' Strawberry paused, thinking something over. 'But... I'm sure if I ask nicely enough, they might let you make a shrine or altar or whatever you elks like to make right here, in memory of your mother.'
'R-r-really?'
'Of course! We have stone here, so if you can remember the words, you can carve them into stone, and then the poem will last an eternity. And if you don't know how, I'm sure we can teach you. We have some master sculptors and stonemasons here.'
After everything she offered him, Elkia couldn't help but stutter. 'W-w-wow. Thank you... thank you so much.'
'It's the least we can do, little Elkia,' said Strawberry. She turned to her list again. 'Alright, what's next. Next up iiiiiiiiiiiiiis... potential asset. Well, that's easy too. Shall I put "writing" down, or do you prefer "poetry?"'
'I think... writing?'
'Writing it is. Alright, the last thing is "cutie mark." Let's see...' Without any warning, she grabbed the blanket and threw it off Elkia. 'Whoopsie daisy!' She regarded his cutie mark for a moment 'And it is... eh... what is it?'
Elkia quickly snatched up the blanket and wrapped it around himself, blushing as he worked. It took him a few seconds to get himself to watch Strawberry again, and he felt quite weird because of that. 'Eh... It's my initials, E D, which together form the antlers of a stylized picture of an elk.'
Strawberry acted as normal as earth ponies can. She had perhaps looked at a thousand cutie marks before, so for her, it was all routine. 'Stylized... elk... Got it! This is not really on the list, but I'm just dying of curiosity. What does it mean?'
This time, Elkia made sure to put his weight on the blanket. 'It means I am part of the herd. "Ling" is Elkish for "herd." It means that wherever I am, in this world or the next, I will always be a member of the herd.'
'Awwww, that's so sweet,' Strawberry said. 'I think your mother loved you very much, giving you that beautiful name. The way you told me about her kindness and her magical powers, I think she was an extraordinary lady.'
'She is.' Elkia swallowed hard. His gaze traveled to the ground. 'She was...'
There was a silence, an uncomfortable, heavy silence. Strawberry Blonde tried to look Elkia in the eyes, but Elkia didn't look back. He felt guilty for plunging her into this silence. She was so cheerful and nice to him, yet he had nothing to offer her but sad stories and memories of the most terrible events. He had to change the subject. Now! His gaze slowly traveled upwards, and he searched for appropriate words in his head. It was then that he noticed something odd. 'Where is your cutie mark? Is something wrong with it?'
Strawberry Blonde took the hint, and started talking and smiling again. 'Haha, no silly. I have been cutie unmarked.'
'Cutie unmarked?' Elkia repeated. 'So those two grey bars didn't appear when you discovered your destiny?'
'No, no, no, no,' Strawberry said. 'The two bars form an equal sign. It shows, just like your cutie mark, that I am part of something bigger, something fairer, something equal. Starlight Glimmer unmarked me, a magical experience which I will never forget, and gave me a place in her dream: a society where everyone is equal.'
'That actually sounds... beautiful.' Having lived in a closely-knit community where everyone knew everyone, Elkia could totally imagine something like that existing for ponies too. He could only imagine what a happy little society this had to be.
'It is, it is,' said Strawberry. 'But I understand that my cutie mark is not the only thing that must puzzle you. Now with the list gone, you can ask me whatever you want. So, what is your first question? Oh, I know, I know. "Where am I?"'
'Exactly,' said Elkia.
'Well, I can tell you all about Scribblers' City, about who we are and what we do, but why should I tell you if I can show you? That's what they say in the writing world, right? Show don't tell.' She jumped off the bed and already headed to the door. 'Are you coming?'
Slowly, Elkia tried to get up as well. His hooves still felt a bit wobbly, but he managed. As he walked out the door of his chamber, he saw that Strawberry Blonde was talking to a black earth pony. Elkia reckoned that was the other voice he had heard. As he approached, the conversation stopped, and Strawberry turned to Elkia. 'Elkia, meet our mayor, Charcoal.'
'A pleasure to meet you, Mister,' Elkia said.
Charcoal returned the hoofshake. 'Strawberry Blonde here was as enthusiastic about you as an elk in the water, if you pardon my pun. I sincerely hope our way of life will appeal to you, and if not... well, we will see...'
Strawberry Blonde grabbed Elkia and turned him around, pushing him towards the door. 'Haha, you're always a barrel of laughs, Charcoal. Now, let's show our new asset here around, before we draw any conclusions, shall we?'
Before Charcoal could say something back, Elkia and Strawberry were already outside, and the door shut behind them. It was day, and the sun was shining. Elkia and Strawberry stood upon a small hill, which offered them a beautiful overview over the town she called "Scribblers' City." And my oh my, was there a lot to see.
Elkia got a brief flashback to his naming ceremony, years ago, when he had laid eye on the village that was about to be demolished by the storm. Scribblers' City looked so much like it. There were wooden buildings everywhere, and ponies were all busy talking to each other, pulling wagons, and doing other chores around their houses. Cheerful little plumes of smoke rose over the chimneys of the cottages. There were a few other buildings which looked much bigger than the others, and a wall like a brown ribbon encircled the whole town. Silently, Elkia wondered how long it had taken the ponies to build a town like that, and how many trees they must have felled. Not enough, apparently, because the forest hugged the settlement tightly, and wherever he looked, there were pines standing tall.
'It's pretty from above, isn't it?' said Strawberry Blonde. 'Sometimes I come to the visitor center and climb on top of the roof. I can entertain myself for hours with a piece of parchment and some pencils, drawing--or, well, at least trying--to draw everything that's going on.' She sighed. 'I just wish I was as good as I used to be, before the...' But then she caught herself. 'I mean, yeah. It's nice.'
Elkia looked again at the little wooden town. His attention got drawn towards a strange display of magic. It looked like a sphere cut in half, almost like the round roofs of snow huts, but sizzling with purple magical energy. He also saw a sawmill, and a lot of ponies busy working with it, at the edge of town.
'Come, let's go,' Strawberry said. 'Shall I... well... hold your hoof so you won't get lost?'
Shaking his head, Elkia returned to the here and now. 'Of course,' he said, took her hoof, and followed her down the hill.
They zigzagged through the streets, where some ponies were busy shoveling the snow aside to make it safer. Cottages lined them on either side, and as Elkia looked, he saw that almost every pony was wearing the same equal sign as a cutie mark. He reckoned they must be very happy ponies.
'This is the residential district,' said Strawberry Blonde. 'Here all of our cheerful community members live when they are not busy working. Many of them have families, and they all live happily together.'
'They look quite content,' Elkia said.
'Of course they are.' Strawberry Blonde waved her hoof at the houses. 'Not everyone can say they live a comfortable, useful life in our society, and get a free house.'
Elkia paused. 'These houses are free? You mean others actually give them these beautiful, big houses to live in?'
Nodding, Strawberry said, 'Of course. Once someone decides to become a part of our wonderful community, the building crew is tasked with building a new house for that someone. They are so very good at their jobs. You have no idea how quickly they can put one of these lovely houses together and furnish it in style.'
'I... wow. No, I can't imagine,' Elkia said. Of course all of the snow huts in the Elkish community were free, and one could build a new house wherever one wanted, but those scarcely decorated huts were impossible to compare with the big, sturdy cottages that surrounded him on all sides. And they were all free!
'If you're already impressed by this, then you will look in awe at what more we have built, all together,' Strawberry Blonde said. She took Elkia's hoof, and together they walked on.
They came at a mill. It was slowly turning in the breeze, and many ponies were working, pulling sawn logs with carts.
'This is where we cut all the wood to make our houses and buildings,' Strawberry Explained. 'We only use the best and sturdiest wood to build, and the rest is grinded into pulp.'
'Impressive,' Elkia said, looking in awe at the tall contraption, wondering how it worked.
'But we let nothing go to waste, of course,' Strawberry said. 'The pulp we can use to make parchment and paper, and you will later see what we do with that.'
Before Elkia could take a guess, Strawberry had already turned her back to the mill. Leaving the sawmill behind, they walked through a few streets again. These streets were rougher than the others, and Elkia could see heavy wagon trails snaking through it. 'There is definitely something going on with this road,' he said, 'it looks heavily trodden.'
'It seems we cannot keep a thing hidden for you, you clever little elk,' Strawberry said. 'Indeed you're right. Do you see that gate over there?'
Elkia followed Strawberry's hoof. There was indeed a wooden gate, operated by a few ponies who were walking in a treadmill. As he looked, the gate opened, and many ponies with wagons streamed inside. They gritted their teeth, and sweat was on their faces. Obviously, they were pulling a heavy load.
'What are they pulling?' Elkia asked.
'They are coming from the mine, Elkia,' said Strawberry Blonde. 'They are pulling stone, which will come in handy creating foundations of our houses. Sometimes they also have coal, which we burn to keep ourselves warm, and graphite, which is used to make pencils.'
What could be so important about pencils? Elkia thought. He was just going to ask that, when he saw that Strawberry was already far ahead. Apparently, she didn't want to spend too much time observing the laboring ponies. 'Let's go, Elkia,' she called. Elkia followed suit.
They walked alongside the wall for a long time, so Elkia could lay eyes on it. Apparently, it was made of two rows of tree trunks, with some dirt in between to make it sturdier. There was a platform between the two parts, on which ponies were walking to and from, watching the forest on the outside, and sometimes the inside too. Elkia watched them go, and couldn't help but feel watched himself. It was a strange feeling which he didn't like. He plucked a bit of courage, and then asked his new friend. 'Strawberry?'
'Yes?'
'Why is there a wall surrounding Scribblers' City?'
Strawberry Blonde looked silently at Elkia for a moment. Her sparkly eyes narrowed for a second, as if she were in thought, but then quickly the sparkle reappeared, and she said, 'Why, to keep us safe, of course. The wall is perhaps even older than Scribblers' City itself, as it was built to keep evil eyes away. After you told me about that horrible, horrible timber wolf attack, I think you know as good as I why we have this wall. Imagine a timber wolf upon our very own city! We would be defenseless without the wall.'
Elkia nodded. 'I understand that, of course. I was just wondering why the guards look at what's going on inside the walls as well as outside.'
Once again there was a tiny silence, but Strawberry made sure to fill it up quickly. 'We have to make sure everyone is where he's supposed to be. We can't have any bad lazy schmazy ponies in our community, now can we?'
Furrowing his brows, Elkia thought about that for a moment. 'But to have ponies guard one another so they do their jobs seems a bit... much, doesn't it?'
Now Strawberry was the one who paused. She waved a hoof in the air, indicating for Elkia to look. 'Just look at the beautiful community we created, Elkia. We have literally built it from the ground up with our very own hooves. In this town, everypony should live a useful, productive, and happy life. The only way to make sure this way of life stays and expands, we'll have to make sure that everyone plays his or her part. To us, that rule is as important as... as... breathing, and to me, talking, hihihi.' And she accompanied her little speech with a funny little giggle.
Elkia was convinced. Now that Strawberry Blonde had clarified things, it made perfect sense to him as to why the guards were acting that way. In a community that not only thrives, but extends and expands, with new jobs and important little chores needing to be done, laziness was really the worst enemy that could house inside the walls, and fester like a disease. Still, there was one last thing he wanted to know. 'Do you punish a lot of lazy people? Is disciplinary action common?'
Strawberry Blonde let out a loud chuckle. 'No, of course not. We rarely ever capture ponies lazy on the job.'
'But if you do?'
'Oh, nothing scary, just a few words with the forecolt--or mare--and a warning. Things don't usually get that spectacular.'
But now they were approaching something spectacular. Elkia could already hear the sizzling and tingling sound of unicorn magic before he saw it. The massive, dome-shaped bubble stood before him, radiant in the daylight. Elkia bit back the urge to touch it. He couldn't tear his eyes away from it. It was a little bit translucent, but not translucent enough to clearly see what was going on on the other side of it. Straining his eyes, Elkia could only see vague shapes moving inside. 'What is that thing?'
Strawberry didn't even glance twice at it. A few steps brought her closer to Elkia. She stood between him and the glowing orb. 'This, my dear Elkia, is how we can survive here. This is where our food comes from.'
'The food? How?'
'Think of it as a giant greenhouse. You've seen greenhouses before, right?'
'Eh...'
'Never mind,' Strawberry said. 'I will try to explain it as good as I can. You see, the unicorns have crafted this giant orb, which is stretched out over some farmlands.'
'Farmlands? Really?' Elkia had heard of farming before from some earth ponies he encountered who traveled to the Shimmering Eye for a divination. He knew about sowing and harvesting crops, but he had never seen the whole process of farming before. His curiosity levels spiked. 'Can we go in?'
'No, no, no, absolutely not,' Strawberry said with wide-open eyes.
'Why not?'
'Because it's a delicate ecosystem in there.'
'What's an ecosystem?'
Strawberry Blonde let out a small sigh. She looked serious. 'Listen, Elkia. The unicorns have done a tremendous and amazing job at creating this orb. Inside, the temperatures are pleasant and warm, which in turn, enables us to sow and harvest crops. It sounds impressive, but it is not for us to go to. The orb is made of very delicate magics, so only unicorns and the farmers are allowed to go in there. As the unicorns always say, we shouldn't meddle with magic. Just make sure you don't touch it.'
'What will happen when I touch it?'
'You'll get an electric shock, and worse: set off the alarm. In a matter of seconds every guard in Scribbers' City will be watching your embarrassing mistake. We don't want that to happen now, do we?'
After everything she said, Elkia's curiosity only increased. He loved a good secret, but he also didn't want to anger anypony here, and least of all his new friend.
'Do you promise to never go there?' Strawberry said.
'I promise,' Elkia said, and he meant it.
'Good.' She turned around and winked at Elkia. 'Besides, the final thing I am going to show you will boggle your mind even more, I'm sure of it.'
Such playful enthusiasm radiated from her smile, that Elkia found himself unable not to follow her. They walked between the houses again, but stopped at a large wooden building. Strawberry Blonde opened the door, but then she quickly stepped towards Elkia. 'Eyes closed,' she said, and covered his eyes with her hooves. Together, they stepped inside. A few steps later, Strawberry started counting down.
'Three...
'Two...
'One...'
And then the great hall became revealed to Elkia, the hall of creativity.
Everywhere around him, ponies were busy making stuff. Some of them walked around, carrying sculptures made of clay, and stopped at tables to finish their masterpieces. There was a clinking sound. When Elkia looked, he saw how others were busy chipping away at large marble stones, carving out the most beautiful shapes. To the right, there were many tables behind which ponies sat, drawing with their tongues out of their mouths, completely absorbed in their work. On the walls around the working artists hung many paintings and drawings, every one more breathtakingly beautiful than the one before.
'This is... marvelous,' Elkia said. He had no idea how to voice his bafflement in a creative way, so that was all that escaped his mouth. 'Just... marvelous.'
'It's great, right?' said Strawberry Blonde.
'Yes, but... why? Why this whole building dedicated to the fine arts?'
'Why not?' said Strawberry. 'All the work, all the building and planning and creating this community has to lead up to something, right?'
'It's... wow!'
'This,' Strawberry said, motioning with her hooves, 'is our creative hub. It is our goal to create the most beautiful pieces of artwork, for ourselves and others to enjoy. But it is not merely art we make here, for this all has a purpose.'
'Like what?' Elkia said.
'To teach others,' Strawberry answered. 'We use our art to convey a message. Remember what I told you about my cutie mark and equality? We are here to pack this beautiful, ideological idea into a fine artform, and then deliver it towards listening ears or watching eyes. There are many ways with which to transfer this idea into the minds of others, and we use every artform there is, be it sculptures, music, drawings, or... books.'
'Books!' Elkia had only owned a hoofful of books back at the Shimmering Eye. He had got them from a few ponies who gave them to Aeltha as a thank you for the divinations she had performed. They were heavy and impractical on long journeys, yet Elkia had always kept them safe and protected them from the bad weather. They had been his most prized possessions.
Strawberry saw that that word peaked Elkia's interest, just as she expected. 'Follow me.'
Impolite though as it was, Elkia couldn't resist looking over everypony's shoulders watch the artwork they were working on. He gazed at the beautiful sculptures, with their abstract or strikingly realistic shapes, and at the drawings with their many colors. A strange, rattling sound reached his ears. When he looked up, he saw the source.
Ponies were busy pressing buttons on strange, large, metal devices. They all were seated behind tables on which the machines stood, together with some note paper and a couple of pencils. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the machines produced horseshoes and stars in black ink on white paper. A small bell resounded when someone reached the end of the page, and the next line was written after pushing against the machine. To Elkia, those writing machines were more magical than the hidden farmlands with the strange, purple orb.
And there were bookcases, bookcases everywhere. Rows upon rows of sturdy wooden bookcases held hundreds of books between the shelves. To Elkia, that sight was like gazing upon an open vault full of golden bits, priceless.
'Looks good, huh?' said Strawberry casually, teasing Elkia a bit, for she saw how flabbergasted he was.
At first Elkia couldn't find a voice with which to answer. He stared transfixed at all the tables, the ponies, the typewriters, and the books. 'It's... beautiful. They are... they are all writing, aren't they?'
'They are,' said Strawberry. She walked slowly between the bookcases and the typing ponies, and Elkia followed. 'They are all writing special books. Literature is the finest way to spread ideas and let others be convinced of the ideology we preach and practice. We always write for a reason here, and every book counts. When I read your poems, I knew you had written them not because you could, but because you had to. There is something, an emotion, a feeling, a memory, which has taken a hold on you, and the only way to remove the burden is to write. That's what I saw with you.'
Suddenly, Elkia bumped into Strawberry, as she stopped. They had reached an empty table, nestled between some bookcases, and with pen and paper ready for use. Strawberry Blonde shoved back the chair, and motioned for Elkia to sit down. 'You have to feel this, Elkia.'
Shaking off the confusion, Elkia sat down. Looking at the pencil and the paper, he felt the urge again. He felt the exact same thing he felt when he decided to write those three poems as epitaphs to emotions, predator vs prey, and his mother, Aeltha the seer. That restlessness, that urge too create, to put his emotions to work and let them pour out of his soul and onto the paper, felt like a warm blanket on a cold day.
'And this is where our tour ends,' said Strawberry Blonde. She grabbed another chair, sat down opposite of Elkia, and looked into his eyes until he came back to Equestria, which took a good minute or two.
When he realized he had been staring into the blonde pony's eyes, Elkia felt himself blush. 'Eh... oops.'
'It's okay to feel confused,' Strawberry Blonde said. 'You have an important decision to make, after all.'
'A decision?' But when that question left Elkia's lips, he had the feeling he knew where this was going. He looked for a moment at the pencil and the paper, and then back into Strawberry Blonde's sparkly eyes. 'For me?'
'Yes, my lovely little elk,' Strawberry said. 'This and more.'
'I... I don't know what to say. It's so... so...'
'Big? Life changing? Important? Yes, yes, and yes.' She bent forwards. 'I'm not only offering you that pencil and paper, Elkia, but a place amongst us. You will be living with us, doing the thing you love most: creating, writing, poetry too if you want. You will make friends, and live that happy, carefree life in a commune which you missed so much after your tragic loss. It's true that there are but few elks here, but also know that here you are amongst equals. Here you are amongst likeminded ponies. You're amongst bright minds who love the same thing you love. Right here, Elkia, right here in Scribblers' City, you are home.'
From the first moment he had entered this marvelous city, Elkia had been blown away, and now, just like that, this pony whom he didn't even know too well was offering him not only a home, not only a job, not only friends, but also a life? It couldn't be true. Elkia rubbed his eyes, and felt that he was crying.
'Why are you crying, Elkia?' Strawberry said with the sweetest voice. 'Are you not happy?'
'I am, of course I am,' said Elkia with a cracked voice. 'It's just... It feels as if I forsake my first life to start a second.'
'Everypony deserves a second chance.' She reached out and wiped away his tears. 'And so does every elk.'
'But, everyone I used to love, everyone who's dead. Won't I be betraying them? Won't I betray my mother?'
'Of course not. Your mother and all your friends would want nothing but for you to be happy. And, to be honest, I can't think of a happier place than Scribblers' City.' Strawberry moved her hoof towards Elkia's heart. 'And, as you said it yourself, you are not alone. You will always be a member of the herd, even if the herd is far away, it will also be as close as your heart.'
Elkia snorted, and wiped the remaining tears away himself. 'But... there is still someone I will leave behind.'
'Who will you leave behind?'
'Alces, my brother,' Elkia said. 'He's still out there, roaming in the wilderness, trying to find lost members of the herd. He's out there trying to reclaim and rebuild our society, that's what he told me. I know he shouted at me, and said such terrible things, but... but I still love him. I can't leave him to die a frozen death while I sit here in the warmth of this hall writing stories.'
Strawberry Blonde tapped her chin with her hoof. 'Yes, we should do something about that.' Then she lighted up, as she apparently had an idea. 'Why not send out search parties? As you've seen before, security is very important to us, and we have a very well-trained guard patrol. I'm sure that, if they search hard enough, they will be able to find your brother and bring him back here.'
Elkia's eyes went wide. 'Will you do that?'
'Of course,' said Strawberry. She reached out and grabbed Elkia's hoof. 'For you.'
That touch was magical. There was something more behind it. As Elkia felt Strawberry's soft hoof upon his own, he swore he felt the same energy coursing through his body as when he touched his mother's. Of course Elkia wanted to join the community of Scribblers' City. Yet why didn't he say so right away? He was still thinking about his old home, the herd, and about Alces. His memories brought him back to the past, when everything was pretty and cheerful, and no one had to die being eaten alive by vicious predators. Could this life here in Scribblers' City truly replace his old life? Could this place and these ponies fill up the gap in his heart? Elkia actually reached for his heart, as he felt the gap had never before felt so painful.
Strawberry Blonde retreated her hoof. 'Elkia, what's wrong?'
'I... I... I...' He didn't dare to look in Strawberry's eyes. 'It's just... just...'
The big, blue eyes of Strawberry Blonde moved about, trying to read Elkia. She spoke again, her tone as soft as silk. 'You know, Elkia. You would make all of us really happy if you stayed with us.' She once more grabbed the doubting elk's hoof. 'You would make me very happy if you stayed with us.'
'I... eh... I just think I have to... think this over.'
'But why would you?' said Strawberry. 'Why not choose us now?'
This time Elkia said nothing, but plunged into his thoughts. Strawberry Blonde saw how Elkia was struggling, yet, she couldn't find a reason why. She had offered him so much, gave him back everything he had lost, and now... he was scared to take it? Strawberry let go of Elkia, turned her gaze away briefly, and fidgeted around with her hooves. She pouted her lips, and bit back the urge to bite her hooves, something she always did when she was nervous. There must be something more she could say. Suddenly, it came to her. A tear appeared on her smooth, light brown cheeks. It rolled all the way down to her chin, when she looked straight into Elkia's eyes. 'Elkia...'
'What is--oh no! Why are you crying?'
'I just...' Now it was Strawberry's turn to be speechless. 'I'm just afraid.'
'Afraid of what?'
'That you will go, and leave us--leave me--behind.'
Elkia couldn't bear seeing her cry. This sweet, lovely pony with her beautiful mane and her soft, shining hide, and the loveliest eyes he had ever seen, didn't deserve sadness of any kind. Did he make her sad? At that moment Elkia was sure that there was more going on. He had seen lots of motherly love when he was little. Yet, all these things--the sweetness of her voice, holding hooves, giving him warmth, food, listening to his tale, caring for him--meant something. And now she was crying because he might leave her? Did she really care that much about him? Yes, Elkia knew there was more behind this mare than meets the eye. Was she... in love?
Soft sobs and more tears made Strawberry Blonde flinch. Her shoulders twitched. She was really crying. Now it was Elkia's turn to help her. He reached out, grabbed her hooves, and searched for her eyes. 'I don't want to make you sad, Strawberry. If me being happy means that you're happy, and if Scribblers' City means that I will be happy, then I'll stay.'
Strawberry opened her eyes and looked at Elkia. 'Do you... do you mean that?'
'Of course.' Elkia swiveled his ears. 'You kind of already marked me, so...'
She looked at the tag. 'Oh no! Was I too fast with the tag and all?'
'No, it's fine,' Elkia said. 'You read me, and you knew that I could be an asset. You said it yourself, and you know what? You're right. This is where I belong. This is my new herd, and you are my new friend.'
Strawberry Blonde didn't stop crying, but now Elkia saw that they were tears of joy, and not of sorrow. She stood up and opened her hooves wide. Elkia took the hint, and together they hugged, sealing the deal. |
Brothers 'N Antlers | Chapter seven: a new life | Elkia's new life began. He didn't yet know how to use the crazy typewriters, so at first he resorted to writing with the pencil in his mouth. After about a month of experimenting himself, he received a very nice teacher, an old earth pony with glasses. He and Elkia got along very well, and Elkia was always thankful for the writing advice he got from him. The teacher himself was amazed by how quickly his newest student picked up the writing craft, and was impressed by Elkia's poetic pieces. He promised Elkia to write a whole series of books, if he was up for it. Of course, he was.
The teacher also showed Elkia how to use the typewriter. He got lessons in horse code, so he was able to understand what the different combinations of horseshoes and stars represented. Elkia was fascinated by it, and promised himself to study as hard as he could, so that he could write using the typewriter as soon as possible.
When Elkia finally mastered the art of horse code and knew about the inner workings of the typewriter, things went faster and faster. Using the machine, Elkia was able to put his ideas on paper much quicker than if he would use his mouth and a pencil only. Where before he wrote thirty pages a day, now he could write thirty pages an hour--easily.
Yet, useful as these skills were, and easy the writing became, there was a downside. After having written a dozen books and a dozen poetry collections, Elkia's creative well went dry. Of course it couldn't be an infinite sea of creativity--no one has such a thing as an infinite sea of creativity. For the very first time, Elkia experienced writer's block. Writer's block felt terrible to poor Elkia. It felt as if he was thirsty and yearning for a drink, yet the glass was already empty. There came a day where Elkia sat on his chair, with his typewriter in front of him, and no words appeared in horse code on the paper--nothing at all.
But luckily, Elkia's teacher knew writer's block well, and together with his student, he managed to drive it away. The teacher gave Elkia little sentences, suggestions. Things like a character with a certain mindset, a comedic scene or an action scene, or sometimes the moral of the story. He would say things like, 'Why not write a story about friendships being more important than material goods?' or, 'And what about a story, a situation, where being equal is the most precious thing?' or, 'You should write about the downside of cutie marks, that is sure to be an interesting drama story.' And so, using these guidelines, the teacher not only helped Elkia to stand straight and follow the path of his fiction, but he also steered Elkia in a direction that was useful to the Scribblers' City community.
Of course, Elkia wasn't stupid. He saw that his teacher intentionally gave him things to write about to put Scribblers' City and the community in a pretty-colored spotlight... and he loved that. To him, it was a chance to repay the community of Scribblers' City for everything it had done for him. In return for the love and knowledge he got, Elkia continued to write things that were actually useful to the community. It felt as if he were not only creating art, but something bigger. Elkia felt as if he were the spokespony--or elk--of the Scribblers. It didn't really matter that his tutor helped him a hoof, because he was still the one who wrote the story down. He was still the one who created characters, scenes, locations, and everything else that a story needs. He was still the captain of a ship, although the ship was not just a small sailboat anymore, but a large ocean steamer, heading to a very important destination.
Elkia lived a useful and productive life, but he kept having nightmares. He still dreamed about the timber wolf attack on his family and friends. Sometimes he even dreamed about an army of giant timber wolves thrashing through Scribblers' City, eating the innocent little ponies and leaving nothing but ruin and blood in its way. He had made a little shrine to his mother, almost like a tombstone. The process of making it had been hard, both mentally and physically, but now that it was done, Elkia felt at least a little bit of peace inside himself. He went to the shrine often, placed flowers at it, and said his prayers. He hoped that on the Eternal Plains, Aeltha was there, waiting for him, and still receiving the love only a son can give to his mother.
So Elkia still had moments where he wanted to be alone and think about his old friends and family. He really was cheerful most of the time, but there were also times when he just wanted to have no one around, and contemplated about what he had lost, rather than what he had gained.
But Elkia wasn't alone. Whenever he felt down, his new friend Strawberry Blonde was there for him. She'd hug Elkia, and whisper sweet things in his ears. No matter how down Elkia felt, Strawberry Blonde always managed to make him feel better. Elkia knew she was no unicorn, and didn't possess the magic of the essences either, yet those warm embraces and comforting words--always at the right place, at the right time--worked wonders, and were almost like the magic Aeltha once possessed. If Elkia wouldn't know any better, he'd say she was his very own seer.
While the building crew was busy building a brand new cottage for Elkia, the newest member of Scribblers' City, Elkia needed somewhere to stay. Of course, he decided to live together with Strawberry Blonde--a decision none of them regretted. The two young lovers had so much fun together. Strawberry and Elkia laughed about silly jokes. They cried together when one of them felt sad. They played games together until late in the night. They enjoyed good food together, and had many a romantic dinner. Of course, they also enjoyed the fine arts together, visiting the Scribblers' City museum and making beautiful things. They were actually busy making a children's book. Strawberry Blonde provided the pictures, while Elkia wrote the text in simple horse code. The aim was to make an easy horse code book for children to learn from, and after the first was done, they decided to write and draw a whole series together.
Sometimes they even went on romantic walks, although those occasions were very rare. For some reason, Strawberry Blonde didn't like leaving the busy, walled community behind, and instead enjoy the fresh morning air, or witness the moonlight in the night. So it happened that Elkia was often alone on his walks. He was a little afraid sometimes, especially when the howling of wolves could be heard, so that's why he never strayed far, and made sure to stay close to the walls of Scribblers' City.
Love was in the air. Every time Elkia came home from work, tired but content, there were always two soft hooves that were waiting for him. Elkia had never before known much about love, but now that he finally had, not only a special hind, but a special somepony, he enjoyed every single minute of it. Strawberry and he said the sweetest things to one another, cuddled a lot, and sometimes even kissed. It didn't matter that Strawberry never wanted to share a room or a bed with Elkia, because every day, when he stood up, she was still there. And besides that, Elkia didn't even know lovers usually sleep in the same room--or even in the same bed. It was Elkish custom for the bull not to stay with the cow for too long, but wander away and let the cow do all the raising herself. It was just how nature dictated things to be. Elkia didn't know any better, and as far as he knew, things were fine this way.
But Strawberry Blonde wasn't the only friend he made. In the beginning, Elkia was a little bit shy and alone, still troubling over his loss a bit. Yet, there came a day when somepony actually went up to him in order to make his acquaintance. His name was Syntax, a young stallion with glasses, with whom he had a short talk. It turned out they liked the same books, and were also both interested in poetry. Syntax had been a member of the community for a long time, so Elkia didn't hesitate to ask him a million questions about the place, the people, the laws, and customs. Syntax was always eager to explain things to his new friend. He had an intimate knowledge about the whole Scribblers' City community. It seemed as if he knew everypony. Not just the whole writing department, but also the whole arts-and-crafts community. He said he even knew some of the guards and leaders personally. He was a pony with connections, and Elkia realized that his friendship was a very valuable thing. The truth was that Syntax, in turn, was curious about elks and their culture. Together they could sit for hours in a silent corner in a cafe or bar or pub, and talk endlessly. They never ran out of things to say.
And so things folded out for Elkia Deerling, in a rather positive way. His life was filled with pleasant company and a useful pastime. There was a certain routine that dictated Elkia's life, and he was very happy living according to it. Every day he woke up, and saw his beautiful Strawberry Blonde. Together they had breakfast, and after that they went their separate ways. Strawberry Blonde headed over to the visitor's center or some other governmental building or office, while Elkia went to the creative hub. There, he first received some writing tips from his teacher, and then worked by himself for the rest of the afternoon. When the afternoon drew to an end, there was a little writing exchange session. Everypony handed a piece of written work from him or herself to another, and together they read and critiqued their works. Elkia learned a lot from that. When the day was over, he went home, had dinner together with Strawberry Blonde, and did some things together with the love of his life like board games or reading poetry to one another. Elkia always went to bed content and slept soundly, as the nightmares became more and more rare.
At last, the merciless and cold winter came to its end. It was followed up by a pretty little spring, with the scent of fresh grass and beautiful flowers hanging in the air wherever one went. The temperatures became more and more pleasant, and, of course, the thick blanket of snow disappeared. After spring came a beautiful summer. Colored plants grew everywhere, fresh green leaves crowned every proud tree, and life became once again as pleasant as life can be.
Now that the temperatures weren't freezing cold in the night, Elkia took more time to walk around in the moonshine. In fact, there came a time when he took a stroll every day. Sometimes he passed through the gate and took a long hike in the woods, where other times he stayed within the safe walls of Scribblers' City and went to a bar or two. Elkia always enjoyed the laidback atmosphere in Scribblers' City's bars. The ambiance, together with a glass of gin or two, always helped him to relax after a long day of writing. He sat at a table with a glass of gin in front of him. Caught up in the mildness of the summer night, Elkia put his hooves on the table and leaned back. He thought about everything that now made up his life, and how thankful he was Strawberry Blonde had dragged him to Scribblers' City on that fateful night. He considered himself--despite his tragic loss--to be a very lucky animal. Now, this is a life worth living, he thought.
His peace was disturbed by a cry, and then another one, and another one. Elkia almost fell down backwards, but managed to steady himself with a clumsy move. Nopony ever shouted so loud in Scribblers' City. The town was just too peaceful and idyllic for ponies to shout. Elkia knew there was trouble. He quickly emptied his gin, got to his hooves, and galloped towards the source of the noise. He knew it might be dangerous--hay, he had no idea what to expect--but he also knew that perhaps he might be able to help. Maybe someone had fallen down and broken a leg, or maybe there was a thief who had stolen an old mare's purse. Those were things Elkia could deal with.
As Elkia looked left and right, he saw that a patrol of guards was moving along with him--easily recognizable by their blue uniforms. 'What's going on? What's going on?' asked Elkia.
One of the agents took the time to answer. 'Oh nothing special,' he said. 'There's probably a wild animal on the loose.'
'A wild animal on the loose?!' Elkia froze in his tracks. Were there timber wolves here too? Did one manage to jump over the wall and enter Scribblers' City? Was there a wild timber wolf loose on the streets, ready to devour whomever was unfortunate enough to be near? Suddenly, Elkia lost all desire to go and check out himself what was going on. He swallowed, and felt as if he had just swallowed an icicle. Perhaps another time... he thought. Looking from the left to the right, he considered finding a safe place away from the danger, and let the guards handle this. That would probably be for the best... Elkia turned around.
'STOP! Someone hold that beast!' a voice shouted. Elkia looked over his shoulder, but it was too late. Something heavy crashed right into him. Elkia bent through his hooves and rolled over the ground, with the animal right on top of him. When they both finally came to a halt, Elkia opened his eyes. He was now face-to-face with the stray animal, which turned out to be an elk. But not just any elk.
'Alces! It's you!'
'Brother!' was all Alces could say. Shouts came from further down the street. Alces Roameling looked back, and then forward. 'Brother. We must talk! Find a dark alley and give a whistle.'
'But... but!' Elkia couldn't believe it. Alces was alive, here in the very same town he ended up in! Was such a big coincidence even possible? Such things usually only happened in stories.
Alces jumped to his hooves again. He galloped away. When Elkia looked after him, he saw how his brother sped further down the street like a rocket, and then disappeared into some dark alley, where the shadows and his grey fur melted together.
'Yes! Gotcha!'
Once again something--or rather, somepony--jumped into Elkia. It took the guard a few seconds of wrestling, before he caught Elkia in a lock. 'Look, boss, I got him!' said the guard.
A few seconds later a whole squadron of ponies in blue uniforms stood around the guard and his "catch."
'Get off that elk immediately, you idiot,' said one of them. 'That's not the one we're looking for.'
'He's not?' said the guard.
'I'm not,' wheezed Elkia, who didn't like having the weight of a full-grown stallion on his stomach.
'No of course not, nuthead,' said the captain. 'Unless he pulled open a can of paint and threw it over his head. Is your eyesight truly so poor that you cannot even see the difference between brown and grey?'
'B-b-but... but it's dark,' said the guard in his defense. 'It's dark and I couldn't see...'
Elkia let out another strained wheeze. 'Sir... if you please...'
'Get off of the poor gentlecolt--eh... elk,' the captain said. He kicked his colleague, who flew off Elkia in an arch. The captain helped Elkia on his hooves. 'I'm really sorry this happened sir.' Then he gazed further down the street. 'Did you see where he went, by any chance? We're looking for an elk, like you but smaller and stockier, and with grey fur.'
'Eh...' Elkia pretended to think. Although he didn't like to lie, he wanted to have that private chat with his brother badly. He had so many things he wanted to tell--and ask--him. And above all he wanted to know what this whole chase was about. Pointing to a darkened alley opposite of the one his brother had jumped into, Elkia said, 'He went in there. You should look carefully, because he's hard to spot in the shadows.'
The captain of the guard patted Elkia on the head. 'Very good citizen, thank you.' Then he turned towards his squadron. 'Everyone! In there.'
When Elkia blinked again, the squadron was gone, and he was left alone on the street. He looked carefully around himself. Then, tip-toeing on his hooves, he went into the alley he saw Alces disappear into. He put his hooves to his muzzle, and gave a loud whistle, a very common sound in the summer, but recognizable to his brother.
Elkia didn't even see him coming. Suddenly, the shape of Alces Roameling appeared out of the shadows. Elkia yelped.
'Hush! Shut up, Elkia. You don't want them to find us, now do you?'
Now Elkia was sure to speak in whispers, but was barely able to contain his joy at seeing his brother. 'Alces! I thought you were still out there, in the cold winter forest. Come here, you.' And he caught his brother in a warm embrace.
Yet, Alces quickly wiggled himself free. 'No! We don't have time for stupid sentiment or feelings.'
'Oh, ok...' A bit disappointed, Elkia let him go. 'But you should still know that I am happy to see you, despite our differences when we, well... parted.' Tears clouded Elkia's vision, as he was once more on the hunt for words with which he could express his apology, as he had tried almost a year ago. 'I... I still have to say--'
'Whatever you want to say, it has to wait,' said Alces, bluntly interrupting Elkia's speech. 'I have to tell you something important!'
'What is it?'
'This place, we have to leave--now,' Alces said. If he hadn't been whispering, he would probably have yelled those words.
This conversation had taken a very strange turn. 'Leave? Why?' said Elkia. 'Scribblers' City is a great place to live. Don't you think the same?'
Fire sprang from Alces's red eyes. 'This place is terrible, Elkia. We'd have done better to die out in the wilds.'
'What?! How could you say such a thing?' Elkia said with a gasp.
'Because it is. This place is a shithole. They make you work and work, with no breaks and little food. Hay, I almost died working the fields.'
'What... but... huh?' Elkia didn't understand. 'No, that's not right, Alces. Everyone who lives in Scribblers' City is honest and nice.'
Alces grabbed Elkia by the shoulders and shook him. 'No they aren't! The moment I came here, I have been nothing but their slave, just like the others. There are many more like me, working in the mines or in the fields underneath that damned magical barrier thing. We have to leave, Elkia. This place is evil.'
'Now hold on for just a second there,' said Elkia. He didn't like Alces talking about Scribblers' City like that. 'From the moment I woke up here, ponies have treated me with nothing but generosity and kindness. They have given me back everything that I've lost, everything but you. And now that I do speak to you, you say the place is terrible. I... I...' Elkia hesitated, then shook his head. 'I don't believe you, Alces. These ponies are great and honest. And why are you on the run anyway? Did you break a law?'
Snorting, Alces let go of Elkia, and stomped his hooves on the ground. He was furious, thinking about what to say to convince his brother. Had he gone mad?! 'Listen, Elkia,' he hissed.
'No! Before you say anything else, I demand you tell me why everyone is after you.'
Alces growled like a wolf. Between clenched teeth, he said, 'They just want to catch me so that I can work in their damned magical sphere. They want me to work till the death, I'm sure.'
Elkia thought about that for a moment. True, he had no idea what was going on inside that bubble, but everyone had been so nice to him! And besides, Strawberry Blonde had explained to him how laziness was one of the worst crimes in Scribblers' City. Elkia was still convinced of that. In Scribblers' City, everyone worked hard. He had seen many ponies sweating over their artworks or drawings or paintings--himself included. He knew that working hard was absolutely normal in Scribblers' City. And if all the ponies in the creative hub worked hard, then surely the farmers and millworkers and miners had to work hard too, right? It only made sense.
Elkia heard some shouts, and recognized the guard captain's low voice.
'Elkia, we don't have time to be silent and think,' Alces said, his voice growling and snarling. He almost spit out the words in Elkia's face. 'We have to get out of here! We need a plan!'
But Elkia wasn't done thinking. He looked his brother over. His heavy brows were furrowed over his red eyes. His muscles quivered, and he looked over his shoulder every two seconds. He truly looked like a criminal. Elkia knew that his brother hated to work. Even building a snow hut usually was too much work for him to do. Aeltha and he himself always did that. No, Alces's interests had always been in sport and dueling, trying to prove that he was the strongest of them all. Working was not his thing. Was Alces just being lazy?
'I don't believe you, Alces,' Elkia said. 'Honestly, I think working hard will be good for you. Everyone works hard here, so why shouldn't you?'
'WHAT?!' Alces shouted, no longer whispering anymore. 'You're insane, Elkia, you should have seen--'
'No, Alces,' Elkia said. 'I know what a hothead you can be. I know how you always like to make rude and sometimes even mean pranks. I'm not convinced.'
Alces jumped towards his brother in rage. He took Elkia down, and pinned him to the ground. 'Listen, you son of a--'
'No, you listen,' said Elkia. He tried to shake his brother off of him, but Alces was a lot stronger than he. Didn't matter. He still looked straight into Alces's eyes and continued talking. 'I'm sure you've done something very bad, Alces. Otherwise, why are you on the run?'
'Because they want me to work, dammit! They want me to work till the--'
'As I said, we all do that. Maybe you should just adapt to the situation and learn to live with it,' said Elkia.
'What? But you can't--'
'Building up a life here is easier than it was in the cold of winter, Alces. It's easy. I, for example, always keep to the law, and look where it got me? I have a job, a home, a marefriend...'
Alces suddenly let go of Elkia, turned around, and punched a wall. 'WHAT?! Now there is a girl involved? No wonder you don't want to leave.' He turned towards Elkia again until they were muzzle-to-muzzle. 'Love makes you blind, Elkia. You know how much I wanted love too, but--'
'But you couldn't get Rosalinda. I know that story, Alces,' Elkia said.
'Hey! I think they're over here!' a voice shouted from the right.
'Dammit,' Alces cursed. 'Ok, Elkia. One last chance. Do you leave me to die here or do we go? Your choice.'
'I think you're overreacting Alces. I can't just leave everything behind to return to a life roaming through the forest. I'm happy here, and you should be to.'
'No, no, NO!' Alces snarled. He dragged Elkia to his hooves and gave him a slap in the face. 'No, Elkia, we must--'
'He's here! Come get him!' Elkia shouted.
A flame danced in Alces's eyes. 'You wouldn't...'
'To be honest, I'm quite fed-up with your profanity, drama and physical abuse, Alces. Just learn to grow up.'
'Aha! Got him!'
Before Alces could say anything back, a rope flew through the air, and around Alces's legs. When the noose tightened, he fell to the ground. A second later, the bearded face of the guard captain emerged from the shadows. He gave a quick order, and his guards set about tying up their catch as good as they could. Once he reached Elkia, the captain once again stroked his head. 'You've done Scribblers' City a great service, young elk,' he said. 'I hope he didn't pose any danger to you.'
'Thank you sir,' Elkia said. 'Actually, you came at the right moment.'
The other ponies had put a rope around Alces, and were dragging him away. Alces tried to say something, but managed only a muffled shout. Yet, Elkia swore he could hear the word "traitor" in there.
'If there's anything I can do for you, citizen, you need only ask,' said the guard captain.
'Thank you sir,' Elkia said again. He looked over the guard's shoulder, but couldn't see Alces anymore. Elkia felt a bit weird. Was it the gin? 'I must be on my way, again, sir, if you'd excuse me.'
'I understand, young elk. Meeting a true criminal in real life is a shocking experience.' The guard captain saluted, and then Elkia turned around.
He walked back to the main street, and followed it for a while, not really knowing where he was going. The weird feeling didn't leave Elkia alone. The conversation with his brother had been very strange and intense. Elkia took the time to think it over. The way Alces had looked at him was unusual even for him. He truly looked like a criminal, yet, the only crime he had committed was laziness. Wincing, Elkia realized he could have asked the guard captain about what was really going on. A missed chance.
No matter how many streets and avenues Elkia crossed, the whole façade was constantly on his mind. There was something... off. Why did he himself settle nicely in Scribblers' City, while his brother had so much trouble adapting? Of course, it could also be because he just wanted to roam the wilds again to search for the lost elk herd, something Elkia knew was very unrealistic. The herd and everyone else was gone. The only thing that was real was Elkia's life in Scribblers' City.
Then, Elkia got an idea. He promised himself to visit Alces at home. Hopefully his temper tantrum would have died down once Elkia knocked on his door. Surely he must have his own home here in Scribblers' City as well, and if not, then Elkia was sure they must be building it right now. That train of thought took him somewhere else. How long had Alces been here in Scribbler's City? As far as Elkia knew, he could have arrived this very morning. Yet, if Alces had arrived earlier, then why hadn't Strawberry Blonde known about him? Strawberry had told Elkia herself that she works with all the new members of the community, talking to them and appointing fitting roles to them, so they could be of maximum use to the Scribblers' City community. And Elkia had told her about his missing brother, how much he wanted him to be here as well. A shiver went through Elkia's body, even though it wasn't cold at all. Had Strawberry Blonde been keeping this a secret?
Elkia snorted, and burst into chuckles. 'Of course not, you silly elk,' he said to himself. Strawberry Blonde was the most genuine, honest pony he knew. She would never keep such a big thing a secret, now would she? And if she had, which was too ridiculous to think about, then why in Equestria would she do that?
As Elkia's laughter subsided, he felt a droplet of rain upon his muzzle. And then another one, and another one. Elkia looked at the sky. Dark clouds had shrouded the moon, and he could see the weather was going to change soon. Now he had a choice to make. He didn't like to stand around in the rain, running from house to house in the hopes of finding his brother's place, yet he was still curious. When more and more droplets fell out of the sky, Elkia stopped. He had reached Strawberry Blonde's house. That was option number three: to talk with Strawberry about what he'd discovered. That was a very tempting idea. He was in the mood for some answers, a hot cup of tea, and a talk with the love of his life. Elkia made a decision. He fiddled for the keys, and then went in.
The living room and the kitchen were empty. When Elkia went upstairs, he saw that Strawberry's bedroom door was closed. But she always kept it open. Knocking twice, Elkia opened the door.
'Oh, hey, Elkia,' said Strawberry Blonde. She was lying on her bed with her night gown on.
'Hey Strawberry,' said Elkia. He tilted his head. Why was she lying on her bed? Was she tired? Did she cry? 'Are you alright? I saw the door was closed.'
'Oh, yes. I'm quite alright,' said Strawberry. 'I just didn't expect you to be back so soon. Normally you walk around until late in the night, come snowfall or rain.'
Elkia got inside and closed the door behind him. 'Yes, I know I normally do, but something strange happened.'
'Really?' Strawberry Blonde got up from her bed. 'You should tell me all about it in the kitchen, with a cup of tea. How about that?'
But Elkia couldn't contain himself. He was bursting with enthusiasm. 'I found Alces today, Strawberry. Isn't that great?'
Strawberry Blonde froze in her movement. She kept standing still next to her bed. 'You found who?'
'Alces! You know? My brother. He was on the run from the guards. I don't know exactly what he did, but he looked quite the fugitive. I concluded that he must have been lazy and ran away from whatever job he was supposed to do. That seems only logical, for I know how he can be.' Elkia jumped up and down. 'isn't that great? He's here, with me! Now we can all live happily ever after.'
Yet Strawberry Blonde didn't immediately join Elkia in his cheerfulness. Was she hesitating? At last, a smile appeared on her face. 'That's wonderful, Elkia. Yes, wonderful news.'
'So it's new to you too?' Elkia said. 'I thought you always meet every pony or elk that comes in here. Did he slip past your attention by any chance?'
Strawberry grinned. 'I guess he did. Strange, isn't it? He should have been at the top of the list, at "A".'
Elkia waved his hoof. 'Well, it doesn't matter. Even the best make mistakes sometimes, right?'
'Right.'
They both still smiled at each other. Despite the angry conversation, Elkia was glad his brother had finally returned to him. 'I think he'll see the light soon. I mean, how can you not love a place like Scribblers' City? He's just being his grumpy old self. But no matter. Give him a few months and he'll change.'
'I hope he will,' said Strawberry.
'I'm sure he will,' said Elkia. 'You know, I think I'll pay him a visit tonight. Maybe he's already done with the job he needed to do, and if not, I can always slip a note through the mailbox. Sounds like a good idea, right?'
Strawberry giggled again. 'Yes, that sounds like a good idea.'
Elkia walked towards the closet. 'I just need to grab my raincoat, because I'm sure it will be beastly weather soon.'
'ELKIA, no! That's not your clos--' Strawberry shouted, but it was too late. Elkia opened the closet.
Something fluffy and blue rolled out of it. When it came to a halt, before the bed, it got up and rubbed its head. It was a pony.
Elkia looked at him with wide open eyes, then back at the closet, then back at the pony again. 'Eh, Strawberry, why do you have a stallion in your closet?'
'Eh...' Strawberry was speechless. That was not supposed to happen.
'Hey, what is that elk doing here?' said the blue stallion. 'Does he... live here with you? But... but I thought I was your friend. The "one and only," remember?'
Strawberry Blonde shot the blue pony an angry look. 'Shut up, Blue Moon. I just...' she looked from the blue pony to Elkia and back. Words didn't come to her. How in Equestria could she explain this in a way both Elkia and the stallion would be at peace? She couldn't. At last, she threw her hooves in the air, giving up. 'I'll just... AGH!'
'Strawberry, who is this stallion?' Elkia asked. He too, had no idea what just happened.
Grinding her teeth, Strawberry pointed at the door. 'This here is Blue Moon, and he was just leaving, weren't you, Blue?'
Blue Moon got up and shook his head in confusion. 'Huh? But I wanna know--'
'Weren't you?' Strawberry said. From the tone of her voice, Elkia reckoned something very nasty was about to happen if the blue pony didn't oblige.
Blue Moon snorted. 'Alright, alright. But I expect a very detailed explanation from you later on.'
'That's fine, Blue. Just go!'
Once again the blue pony snorted, swished his tail, and left the room.
When Blue Moon was gone and the door shut, Strawberry Blonde let out a long, drawn-out sigh. She rubbed her temples and sat down on her bed. 'Elkia, could you please close the closet?' But then she realized her mistake. 'I mean DON'T! Don't close the closet, elk--'
Too late once more. When Elkia turned around and looked into the closet, he saw something that confused him even more.
A bulletin board shaped like a heart hung on the back wall of the closet. Pinned up on it were a lot of different photos. On every photo, Strawberry Blonde could be seen, together with many other ponies. Some big, some small, some bearing cheerful colors, others more natural colors. Strawberry Blonde was smiling on every picture, holding hooves or looking into the eyes of the other ponies. Elkia knew that look, for it was the look of somepony who was hopelessly in love. A few photos were locked in a heart-shaped display, bearing kisses in red lipstick. Sometimes there were even names written on the photos, or little remarks. The big are full of passion, or A clever pony with a lot of love, or The shy ones are the cutest.
'Wh-wh-what?' Elkia recoiled from the closet, which still stood open. He took a few steps backwards, then stumbled and fell down upon the bed. With one jump, he was back on his hooves, and faced the pony he loved most in life. 'Strawberry, what is this all about?'
Strawberry Blonde tossed her mane, closed her eyes and sighed. She wished everyone would disappear and leave her at peace, forgetting about everything they had seen this evening. When she opened her eyes again, she said, 'I'm sorry you had to see that, Elkia.'
'B-b-but this stallion, and those photos... I thought you loved me the most. I thought we were friends. No... maybe even more than that. You and I both know it's more than that. You do, right?'
Looking carefully at Elkia, Strawberry tried to spot signs of anger or dangerous behavior in Elkia's eyes. But she soon stopped, as the looks of horrid surprise and disappointment almost made her own eyes water. 'I... I can explain.'
'But do I want to hear that?' Elkia said.
'M-m-maybe...?' Strawberry hesitated to speak. She never hesitated to speak. Elkia realized something was very wrong. But Elkia wasn't stupid either. 'I... I'm not the first one, am I?'
'Oh, you're so clever, Elkia,' Strawberry said, even though she knew that no flattery or honeyed words were going to get her out of this mess. 'I can't hide anything from you. If you want, I'll give you the truth.'
'Then give me the truth,' Elkia said, 'but not if it hurts me.'
'Alright then.' Strawberry Blonde patted her mattress next to her, but Elkia didn't sit down. She nodded in apprehension. She took a deep breath, and then said what was the best thing to say. 'The truth is that I work with many ponies. The bulletin board you saw was just my wall of... successes.'
'Successes?'
'Yes. Every pony you saw on the photos has been given a nice place in our very own society,' she said. 'I helped them all, every single one of them. I helped them like I helped you.'
'But that's not all,' Elkia said.
'No, it's not all,' Strawberry said with a sigh. 'Elkia, I have been living in this city for a long while now, and sometimes you have the need for... well... company. I mean, you saw what happened between you and me, right?'
Elkia sniffed. He promised himself not to cry. 'I understand that you have given your heart to other ponies before me, but... so many?!'
Strawberry Blonde said nothing but nodded.
'But what about that stallion, this "Blue Moon?" Is he your love as well?'
'I'm afraid so,' said Strawberry.
'And you're seeing him, even if you have me too?'
'Yes.'
Elkia was silent for a while, and thought. 'Well, I know not much about pony customs, but I'd say if you are committed to someone, you don't love someone else. Please correct me if I'm wrong.'
'You're not, Elkia,' said Strawberry. 'But this is also very different, you should know.'
A tear appeared on Elkia's cheeks. He blinked hard. 'How so?'
Strawberry Blonde let out one of her nervous laughs. 'Well, look at us.'
'What do you mean?'
'Well, you are an elk, and I'm a pony. There are some things we just can't do. But I still crave those things. That's why I'm doing the things I can't do with you with somepony else. Am I making sense?'
'I'm afraid not.'
'AGH!' Strawberry facehoofed. 'You are so innocent, Elkia. You don't belong in a love drama like this. You're in way over your antlers. I just hope this innocence will never backfire on you in some way or the other.'
Elkia let out a few sobs. This evening had turned him upside down. 'I don't want to lose you, Strawberry. Yet, if you are so frequently in love, if you prefer it all to me, then my love, you go down the longest road to nowhere. And if you really want to go that way, then...' More sobs came. Elkia didn't try to hide them now. He let her see just how devastated he felt. 'Then I'm afraid I can't follow you.'
'I understand. I... no, I understand.'
'I don't,' Elkia said. 'I thought I did, but I don't understand love, and I don't understand you. Hay, I'm not even sure I understand myself.' Tears were flooding down his cheeks. 'I wish it didn't have to be this way.'
'Me neither,' said Strawberry. 'But if it makes you feel any better, I'll say this: I love you very, very much, Elkia. You will forever have a place in my heart.'
'No,' Elkia said. He was already turning around and heading for the doorway. 'I will have a place on your bulletin board.' And with those words, he left Strawberry Blonde behind.
He didn't even bother grabbing his raincoat. Elkia stepped through the doorway and turned right, to the residential cottages. The weather was bad now, and rain drenched everyone and everything. Within minutes, Elkia was soaked to the bone, but he didn't care. At least the rain hid the tears that were still falling down his muzzle. He forced his mind not to think of Strawberry Blonde, but of Alces, his brother. Gritting his teeth, Elkia realized he could have asked Strawberry about him again. He knew she had already told him she didn't know, but after seeing how she treated the "loves of her life," Elkia wasn't sure he could believe just a single word that came out of her mouth. What was the truth, and what was a lie? No, he was better off investigating this all on his own, and that was exactly what he was going to do.
Scribblers' City didn't look that beautiful anymore. As Elkia walked past the cottages left and right, he looked at them, and wondered if behind those closed doors there were also strange things going on. He wondered if every little cottage had a dramatic theater play going on inside those four walls. Elkia kept fantasizing and thinking and philosophizing. He hoped there was still something that even closely resembled a perfect relationship out there, somewhere in the world. He thought about a relationship where both the mare and the stallion were equally devoted, loved each other till eternity, and did everything together--maybe even sleeping. And of course, he mourned about all relationships that had run aground. For a moment, he was with everyone and anyone who had the feeling as if someone punctured his or her heart with a sharp branch of an antler. He was with everyone suffering from severe heartache, and the terrible, terrible depression that followed.
But depression had to wait. Elkia reached the newer neighborhoods. He had heard from Syntax that the building crew changed their schematics for basic cottages after some time, so the old and the new cottages could be clearly distinguished. Elkia left the old cottages behind, and moved from door to door of the new cottages, trying to find out where Alces's home was. Sometimes there was a plaque which showed the name of the family living in that particular cottage, so Elkia could quickly sweep past those. His shock about his terrible love drama made him forget about his shyness, and sometimes he knocked on the doors to find out who ever lived in the cottages without plaques. He just wanted to see his brother and tell him what was pressing on his heart. He was sure that would make everything a lot better.
Every time he asked, however, he came up empty. No, no one had any idea in which house Alces Roameling lived. Elkia found that strange. Surely an elk, a rare sight in this pony community, would be easy to spot. Surely somepony would have seen Alces step through his front door and head over to whatever job he had?
And yet Elkia came up empty. As he moved from house to house, he worked his way to the open field, where no houses stood yet, but which was reserved for future houses to be built. At last, he reached the final cottage, knocked on the door, and got the same answer.
'No, I'm sorry, I don't know where this elk lives,' said a mare, standing in the doorway.
'Alright, thanks anyway,' said Elkia. As he turned around, his shoulders slumped, he searched for the next house. There was one more, which looked brand new. Indeed, the building crew was standing around it, looking it over to see if they missed something as they completed their construction work. Elkia approached them.
'Hey there, Mister Deerling,' said one of them. 'We've been looking for you, in fact.'
Elkia gasped. 'Is this where my brother lives? He's an elk, grey, about this high, with huge antlers. Is this the house of Alces Roameling?'
The construction worker let out a burst of laughter, overpowering the splattering rain in volume. 'Ha! No, silly. This is your house.'
Elkia's enthusiasm evaporated, as if the rain washed it away. 'Oh.'
'What? Aren't you excited?' said the construction pony. 'We were almost done when this here rain decided to pour down from the sky, but we figured we might as well finish it. Sudden rainfall ain't no match for Scribblers' City's very own construction crew, now is it, boys?'
The other ponies grumbled something back. They clearly disagreed.
The construction pony fumbled around in his pockets. He took Elkia's hoof, and smacked the key into it. 'It's yours now, Mister Deerling. From now on, you're one of our many proud residents.'
But right now, Elkia didn't feel so proud. The search in the drenching rain had left him dead tired. And besides that, it was already late in the night. 'Thanks,' he said, and shuffled to his doorstep. He promised himself to check the old cottages tomorrow, although he knew his brother wouldn't be in one of them. He knew even before he looked. His gut told him so. No, Elkia was sure he wasn't going to find answers in Scribblers' City itself. He had to go underground.
He stepped through his living room, cold, bare, empty. There was no pretty mare waiting for him, but then again, Elkia figured she was now snuggling together with that blue pony under a warm blanket. He couldn't even remember his name. Walking through the kitchen, just as empty as the rest of the house, he entered the bedroom. Elkia didn't even shake himself dry. He just slumped down in bed, and had uneasy dreams.
The nightmares returned. |
Brothers 'N Antlers | Chapter eight: a daring idea | 'Syntax, I need to go through the bubble.'
Syntax coughed loudly, nearly choking on his coffee.
'Shush, be quiet Syntax,' said Elkia. 'This is a bit of a, well, secret mission.'
Elkia and Syntax were sitting in the lunchroom of the creative hub. So far, the ambiance had been relaxed and laid-back, until Elkia's remark. They had an opportunity to talk now, and with the cheerful hubbub going strong around them, as the lunchroom was full of other talking ponies, Elkia was not going to let this chance slip through his hooves.
Syntax reached for a napkin, and wiped his muzzle. 'Why in the wide, wide world of Equestria would you like to go there?'
'Because, well... I just want to see,' Elkia said. 'Just a quick peek would be enough. Remember I told you about my brother, and how I met him yesterday?'
Syntax nodded.
'He said he worked underneath that magical bubble.'
'So?'
'He was quite distressed when I talked to him. He was even speaking with me about'--Elkia looked left and right, then whispered, 'leaving.'
'Yes, but you told me yourself you just suspected him of being lazy. Whatever is going on underneath that bubble, it's hard work. We all know that. But we work hard ourselves in the creative department, you know?'
'I know,' said Elkia. 'That's what I said. But after tonight, something... happened. I don't know, I just feel weird. I feel as if I can't trust anyone anymore. The only way to truly find out stuff is by seeing it with my own eyes, and not rely on someone else who tells me what I want to know.'
Syntax made a funny face. 'Wow, someone is being bitter here. "Can't trust anyone." Did something happen between you and Strawberry?'
Recoiling, Elkia stuttered. 'Wh-what? Eh... well...'
'You're an open book, Elkia,' Syntax said, 'and terribly naïve.'
Elkia shook his head, and brought the conversation back on topic. 'Anyway, I need to go and see for myself what's going on there. You know a lot about this place, Syntax, have you ever been underneath that thing?'
'Nope. But to be honest, I would actually like to check it out myself.' Syntax paused to rub his hooves together. 'I know of the wildest conspiracy theories about that place. Did you know that some ponies believe they are building a superweapon there? They think the workers there are building a cannon that can destroy the sun. Not sure why they'd do that, though. Why kill the sun in the summer? It doesn't make sense.'
'Syntax, I'm being serious here,' said Elkia.
'Yes, yes, of course,' said Syntax. 'Not everything can be an interesting story, right? It's probably just a farm or so. A big one, though.'
Once again Elkia looked over his shoulder. Nopony was paying attention to them. 'I need to go there, and talk to my brother if I can. Do you know a way in?'
Syntax looked up at the grandfather clock in the corner. He estimated the time, and then spoke quickly. He decided to help his best friend out. 'From what I've seen, the only ones going into that magical sphere are either unicorns, guards, or laborers with carts, hauling the fresh harvests away.'
'So I need a disguise,' Elkia said.
Syntax winked. 'Righto. Of course, we can't dress you up as a unicorn, with the antlers and all. And besides that, if you would look like a unicorn, and the guards and the other unicorns saw that you can't use magical powers to help a hoof, you would be discovered in no time.'
'Then disguise me as a laborer.'
Taking the time to look Elkia over, Syntax narrowed his eyes, then shook his head. 'No, that won't do. The laborers are usually earth ponies, as they are strong and hardy, while you are tall and lanky and very awkward.'
'Hey!'
Syntax held up his hooves. 'Just making some honest observations here.' he cleared his throat. 'Besides that, the laborers might also recognize you.'
'Recognize me?'
'Yes of course, silly elk. Your children stories are a hit! Al the proles and honest working folks in Scribblers' City have copies of your books, and they are all reading them to their children. Those books you and Strawberry made are a slam success. Didn't you know?'
'I... well... I didn't,' Elkia said. 'I'm never really looking for fame or anything like that.'
Syntax facehoofed. 'Oh my! If I'd drop you in a lake you would still have no idea where to find yourself a drink.'
'Hey, that's not true! I used to live close to a lake--a magical lake, nonetheless.'
Sighing, Syntax said, 'That's not what I meant, Elkia. It's a proverb, an expression.'
For a moment, Elkia was quiet. 'It's just a shame there won't be any more children's books...'
'Whatever,' said Syntax. He threw one more glance at the clock. 'Disguising yourself as a laborer is not a good idea. You're not built for it, you might be recognized, and you have a job to do. When you'd deviate to search for your elk brother, you'd be forced back into the ranks and do whatever the guards think you should be doing: pulling wagons. No, Elkia. I think plan C will work best for you.'
Elkia's eyes went wide, as he realized what Syntax meant. 'You mean...'
'Uh-huh. You have to dress up like a guard.'
'But won't they recognize me?' Elkia said.
'I don't think so,' said Syntax. 'I mean, how many times have you interacted with one of the guards? Look at us, Elkia, we are two law-abiding citizens of Scribblers' City. We have never been bad, and we have no record. We are invisible to the guards. No, Elkia. I'm pretty sure they don't know you.'
Elkia didn't really like the "pretty sure." 'But won't it be strange for them to see an elk guard instead of a pony guard?'
Syntax narrowed his brows, then he seemed to remember something. 'I think not. There are actually some deer guards, a couple of reindeer, and two pretty little caribou officers I know personally, very personally... An elk is practically the same. Isn't it?'
'No, it's not,' Elkia objected. 'We're different animals.'
Syntax shrugged. 'Just a minor detail.' He saw that Elkia was going to say something, but he cut him off, continuing his explanation. 'As a guard, you'll have a lot more freedom of movement. You can walk everywhere, pretending to look around for trouble. Hay, you might even be able to speak to your brother real quick, if you're strategic enough.'
'But I don't look like a guard,' said Elkia.
'That's where the disguise comes in,' said Syntax. 'I know a couple of very lovely seamstresses who can be trusted. They owe me a favor, so I can definitely get them into making a guard's outfit for you.'
'Is that all?'
'No.' Syntax reached out and tapped Elkia's ear. 'You need a red tag, not a yellow one, but that's simple enough. Just borrow a bottle of red pain from the art department and you're set.'
'Right, got it.' Despite discussing their plans in so much detail, Elkia still felt a bit unsure. There were so many things that could go wrong. 'Do you really think this will work?' he said.
Syntax bit his lip. 'Eh... I hope so.' Then he bent forwards, and looked Elkia straight into his eyes. 'But if something goes wrong, remember that I had played no part in this façade.'
Elkia swallowed. Syntax's voice sounded a bit too ominous for his liking. 'Alright... But, Syntax. Just between me and you, what will they do if they discover that I'm a fake guard?'
'Eh... are you sure you want to hear that, Elkia?'
'I... think so?'
But before Syntax could explain further, the grandfather clock stroke three. Immediately, The old pony who was Elkia's mentor stepped into the lunchroom. 'Alright, everypony! It's time to create and be amazing again!'
There was no more time. Elkia managed to throw one last, worried gaze at his friend, before they had to go their separate ways. Elkia sat down at his typewriter, but he didn't manage to produce anything. His nerves didn't allow him.
The rest of the afternoon was the slowest afternoon Elkia had ever experienced. In his head, he was calculating thousands of things which could go wrong, if he went through with his plan. Yet, he saw no other way. He simply had to see what was going on inside that bubble himself. Syntax didn't know, and he couldn't trust Strawberry Blonde anymore. He had the feeling there was more going on beneath that bubble than he thought.
At the end of the working day, he met up with Syntax. The pony jammed a package into Elkia's hooves and then promptly walked away from him. Elkia understood why. Syntax too, had everything he wanted here in Scribblers' City, and he didn't want his name to be besmirched. Yet, what about Elkia himself?
Elkia went home and tried on the guard's costume. It was a blue shirt, a blue jacket with yellow stripes, and a tie. It fitted Elkia perfectly. Looking in the mirror, he tried his most serious guard-expression, while putting the hat on his head. Even the hat fitted perfectly over Elkia's ears and between his antlers. He quickly dipped his tag in a can of red paint and then he was done. He wasn't ready, but he was as ready as he'd ever be. With a trembling voice, he said to his reflection, 'O-o-okay, let's... let's do this.'
When the sun was down and the moon shone in the sky, signaling the ripening of the evening, Elkia trotted through the streets. He tried not to look into anypony's eyes. This was his first test, he knew. As soon as anypony discovered who he was, he would turn around, abandon the whole guard-disguise-idea, and think up something more clever and safe together with Syntax. He was afraid, very afraid. Even though Syntax hadn't been able to tell him what happened to traitors, Elkia knew that it wouldn't be nice. A burning feeling grew in his stomach, and his nerves turned to ice. But besides fear, there was also guilt mixed in. This whole plan told him that he didn't trust Scribblers' City anymore. The dream of the beautiful utopia was gone, and it was replaced by cold hard suspicion. It was a bit sad.
Nopony recognized him. As he reached the end of the street, he saw the bubble of pink and purple, magical energy right in front of him. Looking at it, Elkia noticed there were pillars, which encircled the whole bubble. On every pillar he could see the contours of a unicorn, holding up the barrier with magic from his or her horn. There was a stone archway which served as an entrance. Elkia swallowed, and stepped towards it.
There were a few other guards standing by. Elkia saluted them in what he hoped was a guard-salutation. 'Hello, fellow guards. Any... eh... disturbances this evening?' Elkia even made some effort to make his voice sound deeper and--what he hoped--more authoritative.
'Not yet,' one of the guards said back. 'So far it has been a peaceful evening.'
Elkia nodded. 'Very well. I'd like to proceed and... scan the perimeter.' Elkia felt as if he were playing in a theater play, and kept repeating this in his head. It's only a play, it's only a play, it's only a play.
'Certainly,' the guard said. He motioned with his hoof towards the magical sphere. 'Go ahead.'
Swallowing again, Elkia stepped forwards. His hoof just touched the magical sphere, when a harsh, deep voice forced him to halt.
'HEY! Wait a minute...'
Elkia flinched. He knew this was the end of the plan. He had failed. Slowly, he turned his head to the speaker, another guard, and forced his face to look normal.
'Yes, you,' said the guard. 'I recognize you...'
'I'm afraid not,' Elkia said, doing another step forward.
'No, I do recognize you,' said the guard. Elkia was forced to look at him, and his heart skipped a beat, as he saw the bushy beard on the guard's face.
'You were the elk who helped us capture that other elk,' said the guard. The guard was right. He was the exact same, bearded guard whom Elkia had interacted with when Alces had been on the run. Elkia closed his eyes, expecting to be unmasked and arrested. Neither of that happened.
"Well, I'm sorry I insulted you back there,' the bearded guard said. He stepped towards Elkia and patted him on the head.
'Insulted me...?' Elkia said.
'Yes of course. I called you "civilian," but I didn't know you were a guard yourself.'
Elkia had no idea where this was going. Could he still save the mission? 'Eh.. me neither?'
'What do you mean?' the guard said. He tilted his head and squinted his eyes. But then, suddenly, they opened wide. 'Oh, I know what you mean. You're in training, aren't you?'
'Yes,' Elkia said, forcing his long legs not to tremble.
'Well that's great! Good for you,' said the guard. 'Yes, I can see it now. You were obviously impressed by our heroic capture of that other elk, and wanted to become a member of the Scribblers' City guard force yourself. It all makes sense.'
'It... it does?' Elkia said.
The bearded guard turned to the one at the archway. 'Commander, let me guide this young elk here and show him the way we do things. Is that alright?'
'As long as you're back before the debriefing, it's fine,' said the other guard. 'Something really special is supposed to happen this evening.'
'Sure, sure. Tell me all about that when we return, ok?'
'Roger that.'
The two guards saluted each other, and then the bearded one motioned for Elkia to follow him. Together, they stepped through the magical bubble. Elkia closed his eyes, as he had never stepped through magical bubbles before and didn't know if he was supposed to close his eyes or not. When the tingling sound receded, he opened them again, and looked at the gardens inside.
It was hot, terribly hot. Elkia felt as if he walked into a bakery where a thousand furnaces were busy baking delicious bread. He instantly started to sweat. Yet, Elkia wasn't paying attention to that much, as he looked at what was going on in here. There were many, many patches of farmland scattered through the bubble. Narrow paths separated the different patches from each other. Elkia saw many different kinds of crops, although he couldn't identify them by himself. Ponies were busy working the fields. They were all covered in sweat, and panted hard. They looked utterly exhausted.
'Are they still at work?' Elkia asked the guard.
'Of course they are,' the guard replied.
Elkia tried to look at the moon, but of course he could only see the purple roof of the magical bubble. 'But it's so late.'
'So what?' said the guard. 'They all make long days here, at least fifteen hours. And we do too, by the way. Get used to it.'
'So, this is all normal?'
'Sure is,' said the guard. He walked towards a little wooden path that snaked past all of the plots of farmland. 'Are you coming?'
Elkia swallowed, and followed.
They walked past even more fields, and also large troughs filled with dirt, in which more plants grew. Elkia couldn't tear his eyes away form the working ponies. They were sweaty, dirty, and looked dead-tired. One mare stood close to the path, and when Elkia looked into her eyes, he could see the torture and tiredness emanating from them. Now that he was so close, he noticed to his shock that he could see her ribs. She was so skinny!
'Do you give them enough food?' said Elkia.
'Maybe,' said the guard. 'I don't know. I'm not responsible for feeding them. I believe they get some bread at the end of the day. Hmm... now that you mention it, I haven't even seen them eat anything else.'
Elkia's eyes went wide. Just some bread!? That was definitely not enough to keep ponies healthy, especially if they had to work under such circumstances, doing this hard physical labor in this blistering heat. Elkia wanted to say something more, but kept his mouth shut, as he still had a cover not to blow.
The bearded pony stopped. 'This is where all our food comes from. It is our job as guards to make sure the ponies working here don't flee or run off, and keep working at their maximum speed. Of course, we don't want them to become lazy now, do we?'
Elkia shook his head, yet he didn't agree. He understood that laziness was the biggest enemy of Scribblers' City, but these ponies weren't lazy--they were tired! After looking into that mare's eyes, Elkia sincerely doubted whether the ponies were here of their own free will. They didn't look happy at all.
Suddenly, a pony, a mare, who was plowing the fields, fell to the ground. Her eyes were closed, and Elkia wondered if she'd fallen asleep right there and then.
'Get up and work, you,' said the guard. Reaching back, he grabbed something that looked like a rope. After slinging it through the air, he brought it down upon the pony. A loud crack sounded, rebounding from the walls of the magical bubble. Elkia flinched. When he looked again at the mare, he saw that she was still lying on the ground.
The guard glanced at Elkia for a moment. 'Come on, join me! This is the fun part.' He let his whip crack another time, dangerously close to the mare's back.
Elkia couldn't believe what he saw. Instead of helping the poor pony, he was scaring her?! He bit back the urge to rush over to her and help her.
'Why aren't you joining in?' said the guard. Elkia said nothing. 'Oh, now I see,' the guard said, 'you don't have a whip yet. No matter. We'll get you one at the barracks.'
The guard brandished his whip and cracked it once more. The mare, however, didn't respond.
Now Elkia had enough of this. He jumped over the fence and onto the farmland. He grabbed the hoof of the pony, and tried to talk to her. Together, they managed to stand up. The mare, noticing Elkia's helping hooves, scowled, retreated her hoof, and resumed her work with gritted teeth. For a moment Elkia was confused, but then he realized he was still dressed up as a guard.
'Hey, what are you doing?' shouted the bearded pony.
'Helping,' said Elkia, as he jumped back over the fence.
'Are you sure you want to be a guard, Mister Elk?' The guard scrutinized Elkia's face. Elkia hoped the guard couldn't see the heartbreaking tears. 'You seem to be a little on the soft side.'
'I... eh... I just...'
'We guards have to be tough, you know. We don't want an uprising, right? The only way to make sure they keep themselves at the other side of the fence is if we are hard on them. You saw what happened with that other elk. He escaped because the guard watching over him went soft.'
Elkia blinked hard and swallowed. He couldn't keep his voice deep anymore. 'I'm... I'm sorry, Mister. I'll be hard as rock next time.'
'Ha! That's what I wanna see.' The guard patted Elkia on the head. 'Now, shall we continue our tour?'
Elkia wanted to say no, but he knew he had to. He wasn't sure he could witness any more of this.
The path went around some wooden buildings. They looked like cottages, but longer, much longer. 'These are the barracks where all the workers sleep,' said the guard. 'You can look inside if you want, but there isn't much to see.'
'I still want to look,' Elkia said. If he was going to judge this place properly, nothing should be hidden from him.
'Alrighty then,' said the guard. He walked over to a set of double doors. There was a chain wrapped around them. The guard got the key, and removed the chain. When the doors opened and Elkia watched inside, he once more got shocked.
There was nothing, absolutely nothing. No beds, no mattresses, no pillows, and no blankets. There weren't even candles or any sort of light! 'This is where they sleep?' Elkia asked.
'That's what I told you, remember. Jeez, you're a slow one,' said the guard. 'We just put them in here, and then they pick a spot, curl up and fall asleep. They don't need any light, because they're sleeping anyway.' The guard chuckled. 'There's no sleepless nights here in the bubble, Mister Elk. The work will make sure everyone is nice and tired at the end of the day.'
'That's... that's...' A stench was coming from the barracks. Elkia now realized why he hadn't been able to find Alces's house. Instead of owning a lovely little cottage for himself, he had to sleep crowded together with maybe three dozen other workers in these "barracks?" It looked more like a garden shed to Elkia.
While Elkia silently thought, the bearded guard was busy closing the barracks again. When he was done he kept following the path, with Elkia behind him. They were climbing a low hill now, as the path went steadily upwards. Looking left and right, Elkia saw that the hill was divided into terraces, level plots of ground on which ponies toiled and worked the land. They went up, up, up, until they came upon another longhouse. This one looked in much better state than the workers' barracks, and even had windows and a little garden.
'This is the guardhouse,' said the guard. 'Here we can go, have lunch, and relax after a hard day's work. There's a particularly cozy coffee corner. Shall we get inside?'
Elkia was unsure how to answer. He turned around, and found to his surprise that he had a marvelous view of the terraces and the plots of land far below. He could see every little plant, every sweating pony, every arched back, and every guard. But that was not all he saw. There, on one terrace, his brother was busy working. Elkia's heart made a little jump as he discovered him, despite seeing the state his brother was in. Instead of his muscular, stocky appearance, he looked thin and worn-out. The fire in his eyes had been reduced to smoldering coals. His antlers looked as thin as birch branches. Seeing his brother like that pained Elkia to the core of his heart. The once proud heir of Aeltha the seer had been reduced to a working slave. Realization slapped Elkia in the face. His brother had been right--right about everything! Guilt followed quickly, like the pain after a blow. Elkia hadn't believed Alces, yet here he was, seeing everything with his own eyes, seeing the truth for what it was--and the truth wasn't pretty. Both feelings manifested into a silent, 'Why...?' which slipped between his lips.
'I beg your pardon?'
To Tartarus with his mission, to Tartarus with his disguise. Elkia threw it all away. 'Why?' he said again.
'Because the temperature is much better inside,' answered the guard. 'There's pegasi who make sure only cool winds flow through the guardhouse. Trust me, the only thing that's hot is the coffee.'
'No, that's not what I meant,' said Elkia. 'I mean why are you treating everyone so badly. They are ponies, just like you!'
The guard's moustache twitched. Elkia knew he might just have revealed himself with his "why," but he didn't care. The only thing he cared about were the poor workers. The guard walked towards Elkia until they stood side by side, and watched over the farmlands in the magical bubble. 'They deserve it, you know? Just look at them and tell me what you see. You know Scribblers' City. You know why it is here, right?'
'I...' Actually, Elkia had not the faintest idea. He had lived here for so long, and he knew almost nothing about the town's purpose and history.
'Wow, they did an awful job at your briefing, Mister Elk,' said the guard. 'Let me explain it to you nice and slowly, so you understand everything correctly.'
Elkia didn't like the tone of the guard. Had he given himself away?
'There's certain ponies who are of use to us, and there are ponies who are of no use to us. You know about them creative folks, right? They get the best jobs, the best food, and the best houses because they are useful. They create all kinds of beautiful trinkets and baubles to spread the idea of equality in a cutie-mark-less society, blah, blah, blah. But what about the other folks? They end up here. These ponies are the scumbags that have no creative talent or challenge our laws and customs with their temper or their behavior. We can't use them in our society to create propaganda, but we can't just send them on their way, or else they will tell others about our beautiful Scribblers' City.'
Elkia was silent and listened, but his eyes were not meeting the guard's; they were looking at Alces.
'And what then? Then our community will be threatened. Perhaps others would like to conquer it, burn it down and then build something they like on the ashes. Or perhaps the princesses will take a look themselves and track down the beautiful town of our great leader. Then not only Scribblers' City will be threatened, but also Starlight's village!'
Nodding, Elkia pretended to be interested.
The guard didn't seem to notice the lack of eye contact, and continued talking. 'If we let these degenerates go, we might lose Scribblers' City. So that's why they're here. Right here, they are of use to us, working in the fields and stuff, and they don't run away to expose our delicate operation. It's a win-win situation, you see?'
Elkia didn't see, yet he was as smart as to keep his mouth shut.
'And that's why we're here, to guard them, get them to work, and make sure they stay underneath the magical sphere. We don't want them to mingle with our proper citizens, now do we? What in Equestria would our good citizens think of these half-starved ruffians? I don't even want to know. Hay, I can hardly imagine, can you?'
'I can,' Elkia said, soft enough so the guard wouldn't hear it.
'And that's enough philosophizing for one evening,' said the guard. 'The rest you'll have to figure out yourself. Shall we get that cup of coffee?'
'Yes, certainly,' said Elkia, his voice faint and distant. 'Go make some coffee. I will join you later.'
'I see,' said the guard. 'Spellbound by these terraces, eh? Yeah, so was I the first time on the top of the hill. No matter, coffee will clear your mind.' The guard turned around. 'Just make sure you're inside before the sprinklers open up. You don't want to get soaked to the bone, do you?' And with that, the guard disappeared from sight.
Elkia didn't even cast one single glance at the guardhouse, but jumped right over the fence. A few more strides on his long legs brought him close to his brother. Alces didn't even hear him, yet when finally Elkia came into view, some of the fire returned to his eyes. 'Elkia! You're here.'
'I am, brother, I am.' Elkia hugged Alces tightly. 'Now I know the horrible truth, Alces. Now I know what you meant, and that you didn't exaggerate at all. This place is terrible. If I'd known this, I'd left much, much sooner. There's nothing worse than slavery.'
Alces obviously wanted to end the embrace, but found himself too weak. Yet the fire in his eyes rekindled to a blaze. 'I told you, Elkia. I told you.'
'Oh, can you ever forgive me?' Elkia said, his eyes full of tears.
Alces made a crooked smile, or was he grinding his teeth? Elkia wasn't sure. 'I'll only forgive you if you get us out of here.'
'Ah, yes, of course.' Elkia ended the embrace.
'I don't suppose you have another set of guard's clothing?' Alces said.
Elkia shook his head.
'Well, whatever,' Alces said. 'It's not as if they're going to believe the guard has two elks now. How were they even stupid enough to let you in?'
An awkward smile appeared on Elkia's face. 'Eh... let's just say I had connections. And luck. Much, much luck.'
'Very well...' Alces closed his eyes, and Elkia wasn't sure whether he'd fallen asleep or whether he was thinking.
'We need a plan, Elkia,' Alces said after a while. 'We need a plan fast, because I don't know how long I'll last in here.' Alces sat down on his haunches, as his strength left him alone. 'They've been mistreating me ever since I saw an opportunity to escape. Heh, I'll be sure not to run into you during my next breakout.'
'No matter, Alces. We are together, and we have the truth. There's nopony stopping us now.'
'I hope not,' said Alces. He blinked. 'There's been rumors about tonight. Somepony very important is supposed to visit this cursed city. The guard patrols have been doubled, and they were very cruel to us today.'
'It seems my luck is running out then,' said Elkia.
'We don't need luck, we need a plan,' said Alces. 'Whose plan was it to dress you up like that anyway?'
'Not my idea,' said Elkia. 'It was an idea from Syntax, a friend of mine. He's the one who--'
A strange sound reached Elkia's ears, making him stop talking. It was the sound as if somepony opened a valve to let the water flow. 'What is that?'
'Sprinklers to water the crops,' Alces said.
Indeed. Elkia noticed a metal tube with holes next to him. Seconds later, fine streams of water jumped out of the holes. In a matter of minutes the elks were totally wet.
'Don't focus on the water. Focus on the plan,' Alces said. 'Now, I myself am feeling very weak. Maybe, if you could come back and smuggle in some food, and you'll do that every day, then maybe I'll be up for some more action. When I have my strength back, we could--'
'I'd love to hear more, but I think the time to end this is now,' the deep voice of the bearded guardpony said. Elkia's heart froze over in the heat. His head snapped around. The guardpony was standing behind him, his horn charged with magical energy.
Alces ignored the guard, sighed, and looked at his brother. 'You did check your rear, didn't you?'
'I was so enthusiastic...' Elkia said.
The guard cleared his throat. 'I had the feeling you two were friends, and I knew the moment I saw you, Mister Elk, that you came for him. A good thing I stayed hidden in the bushes, otherwise I'd missed the warm friendship talk. And now I have proof of your spying.'
Proof? Proof? Elkia's mind was in overdrive. Adrenaline rushed through his body. Then he got what the guard meant, swung his ear around, and looked at the tag.
Yellow. The water had washed off the paint.
'That's right, elk. Now I know for sure that you were not supposed to be here,' said the guard. 'Now come with me very slowly, and this adventure might get a happy ending. Might.'
'Run,' Alces whispered. 'I'm too weak. Save yourself.'
Elkia tried to think, but the stress was killing him. He tried to find the best solution in the adrenaline-pumped tangle that was his mind. He couldn't find any. Tears clouded his vision, as he whispered to his brother, 'I'll come back. I promise.'
Winking, Alces stroked his brother's fur one last time. 'No, of course not. I will come to you.'
With some hidden burst of strength, Alces got up on his hooves. He jumped once, twice, and slammed with his antlers into the guardpony. The guard released his magic, which flew away. When Elkia followed the bolt of lightning fast magic, he saw how it hit home against the wall of the bubble.
'Run, you fool!' Alces yelled.
Elkia looked from the bubble to Alces. More tears ran over his cheeks. 'I'm sorry, brother,' he said, and then jumped over the fence. He galloped down the slope of the hill. There was a guard who had heard the shouts and was running uphill. He charged a magical bolt, but before he could fire, Elkia jumped. He sailed through the air, and landed right behind the guard. He gave a buck, and the guard flew away. More guards appeared at the bottom of the hill. A duo of them waited patiently for Elkia to run towards them. A glow spread over their horns, as they prepared to shoot magic at the fake elk guard. There was nothing Elkia could do. To the left and right of him were nothing but fields and poor workponies. Elkia didn't want to take the fight to them. Instead, he lowered his antlers and closed his eyes, while the guards fired their spells.
They hit their target.
Elkia expected electricity flowing through his body, paralyzing him and making him curl up in pain. None of that happened. The bolts hit Elkia's antlers. Antlers are made of solid bone, so none of the spell power managed to pierce through. The beams ricocheted off the antlers, straight back towards the guards. Elkia only had to jump over their spasming bodies to reach the hole.
The charge of the bearded guard had made a hole in the membrane, but the membrane was restoring itself, and the hole grew smaller and smaller. Elkia galloped and estimated, he estimated and galloped. Was he going to fit through the gap or not?
Elkia heard more shouts. A quick backwards glance revealed more and more guards. There were a dozen behind him now. If he wasn't quickly enough, he'd have a bubble full or guards to fight through. He had only one chance, and he needed to take it.
The hole came closer and closer. At last, Elkia reached the hole.
And slammed into the barrier.
The hole was too narrow! Elkia tried it again and again, awkwardly trying to fit his antlered head through the hole. It just didn't work.
A whole squadron of guards was now only a few yards away from him. Elkia had to come up with something. For the first time in many months, Elkia felt angry. His brother had sacrificed himself, throwing himself at the guard so he could run. And now it was all for nothing. Elkia felt like stomping his hooves on the ground or bashing something with his antlers...
And then he got an idea.
Elkia ignored the guards, and proceeded to bash against the magical bubble with his antlers. But he wasn't trying to make the hole bigger; he was trying to make his head smaller. He felt the root of the antler crack and tear. One last bash, and his right antler fell to the ground.
'Do something!' one of the guards yelled. 'Stun him!'
A barrage of flashing magical energy lances flew towards Elkia. He turned to face the guards, and lowered his remaining antler. If only he could catch some of that force... Yes! The impact of the bolts felt like another elk headbutting him. The magic pounded and pounded against his antlers.
And then the other one broke.
The guards had reached Elkia. They formed a circle around him, and kept their horns ready. 'Now come with us, little elk, and we will find a way to settle this.'
Elkia knew this was the time to say something badass. This was the time to show some spunk and some bravery. His mind worked, but it was hard to get inspiration under these circumstances. Elkia narrowed his eyes and estimated the distances. Then he said, 'I will be the one settling this.' A bit long for a one-liner, but it had to do.
The unicorn guards released their magic, but Elkia was quicker. He jumped aside on his long legs, right over a fence, and into the field behind it. The guards were unsure what to do, and, before they realized what was going on, Elkia appeared on the other side of the road, having cut off a corner. Elkia charged.
'Shoot him now!'
But is was too late. Elkia jumped over the guard patrol, held his breath, and squeezed himself right through the hole in the magical bubble. Only when he felt the cobblestone street underneath his hooves did he dare to open his eyes and look back. A very angry-faced guard patrol was staring at him from the other side of the bubble. The hole had closed.
'I did it,' Elkia said. 'I actually did it!' Elkia couldn't believe it himself. He was never an action hero, yet this daring escape had somehow worked out in his favor. 'Iyiahoo!' he shouted in Elkish, prancing around. But when he looked back at the bubble and saw that the guards had disappeared, he knew it was only a matter of time before they themselves reached the exit. Elkia glanced around, finding his bearings, and then galloped through main street.
At first he set off towards his own home, but soon realized how stupid that was. As long as he was inside Scribblers' City, he wasn't safe. Instead, he headed down another street. He knew this one led to the marketplace, and then straight out of the western gate. He only hoped the guards there hadn't heard about his great escape yet. Can unicorns use magical telepathy? Elkia hoped they couldn't.
Finally, the marketplace came into view. It looked very busy, as a wall of ponies stood before him. They weren't guards, though, and their backs were turned to Elkia, so he was happy. The marketplace was always busy, and that was good. Now he had a crowd to blend into, and with his antlers gone, it would be much harder to spot him in the multicolored throng of ponies. He only had to bend down a little, as he was still much taller than a pony.
He reached the crowd. Now it was time to blend in. Elkia elbowed his way through the crowd, and said many a 'Sorry, oops, excuse me.' The downside of the crowd was that he didn't really see where he was going, but as long as he had a vague sense of direction, he knew which course to take. After all, the western gate was in the west.
Elkia found it strange that all the ponies in the crowd had their backs turned towards him. Were they all staring at the same stall? Elkia tried to find out what it was they were all looking at. He looked back over his shoulder, watching the crowd. Suddenly, the crowd opened up before him. With the resistance gone, Elkia stumbled on his long legs, trying to regain his footing. He stumbled a bit more, looked in front of him, and then fell down to the ground.
'I know I'm a rare and impressive sight, but I hadn't realized ponies would actually drop down and bow before me.'
Upon hearing the voice, Elkia stood up and looked. A pink unicorn with a violet mane stood before him. There was a blue streak through her mane, which complemented her eyes. They were stern eyes, the eyes of someone who is used to giving orders. Her stare was so powerful, Elkia found himself unable to look away.
'Oh my, look at that! It isn't even a pony but a... deer?'
'An elk, to be exact,' Elkia said awkwardly. He closed his eyes, and found this was the only way to avoid that pony's striking gaze. When he opened them again and looked behind him, he saw there was nopony behind him at all. The crowd stood in a wide circle around him, and it took Elkia two seconds to realize whom the ponies were encircling.
'You're tall,' said the pink pony with the violet mane. She slowly paced in a circle around Elkia, as if she were studying a new kind of animal.
There was only silence. As Elkia looked at the crowd, he saw that everypony's eyes were big, and their mouths were open in a silent gasp. Had he done something wrong?
'I'm confused,' pink pony said, stopping her pacing around. 'You look like a guard, but I can see from the look in your eyes that you're on the run yourself. You are so hasty. Are you a traitor, a spy, a double-crosser?'
Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded from the throng of silent ponies. An old earth pony with glasses wriggled himself through the crowd. It was Elkia's writing mentor. Once he reached the outer ring, he stood before the pink pony and bowed. 'Please excuse him, s-s-supreme leader. He is one of my students, and he is m-m-my responsibility.'
'Hm... I see,' said the pink pony. She narrowed her eyes towards the mentor, and then watched Elkia again with undying interest. 'So you're a creative mind then? Don't say anything. Let me guess, you look like a... writer.'
'That's eh... right?' said Elkia. He craned his neck and looked to the west. The circle of ponies was too broad to jump over, and besides that, Elkia had the feeling that fleeing now, from this pink and purple pony, was a decision he would regret very soon.
Pink pony nodded. 'Is he good?' she asked the mentor, her voice as cold as ice.
'H-h-he's my most promising student,' the mentor said. He had risen, but his knees were shaking. 'H-h-he wrote a very popular children's book. E-e-everyone has a copy. It's... it's very good.'
'Hmm... I see,' the pink pony said again. She turned her eyes from the mentor to Elkia and back.
So they stood for a while, in silence, trading only glares and thoughts. The silence seemed endless, until it was finally broken by another familiar voice, a low, heavy voice.
'He must be here somewhere! Get through this crowd, everypony,' said the guard with the beard. 'He mustn't disturb Starlight Glimmer's visit to the city.' Then he shouted, 'Everyone, stand aside, by order of the guard!'
It took only a few silent seconds for the guard to reach the front of the crowd. He appeared with three comrades, and he spotted Elkia immediately. 'There you are, you renegade!'
'Uh-oh,' said the pink pony, whose name Elkia guessed to be Starlight Glimmer. She talked as if she were speaking to a child. 'It seems our master writer is in trouble now. Have you done anything naughty, Mister Elk?'
Elkia couldn't find words with which to speak, but luckily Starlight Glimmer wasn't waiting for him to talk anyway. She had made up her mind. 'I want this elk kept somewhere close to the zeppelin, and I want to have a private talk with this pony here.' She pointed to the mentor.
'B-b-but great leader,' said the bearded guard, 'this elk has spied on us, and he needs to be detained in the bubble and--'
'I gave you a command, guard captain,' said the pink pony. Her voice indicated that any objection was a no-go. 'Carry it out!'
The guard captain bowed. 'Yes, great leader Glimmer.' With wide steps he strode towards Elkia. As soon as he reached him, he put his horn to his forehead, and whispered in his ear, 'I don't know what our leader will do with you, but I hope it is slow and painful.' Then he released his spell, and Elkia's world flowed away in a slumber. * *
SPLASH!
Elkia's eyes opened. Was it raining? It was dark, wherever he was, and he was soaking wet. But, thanks to the water, he didn't feel too drowsy. He felt clear and fresh. He blinked once, twice, then stood up.
'Ouch!' The cage was apparently not made for elks. Elkia bumped his antlerless head. He fell to his haunches, and rubbed the sore spot between his ears. He took a few seconds to look around. Slowly, his eyes adjusted to the dark, and he could make out the contours of a pony.
'Elkia! Are you okay?'
Elkia recognized the voice, and he was not sure to feel happy or sad or both at the same time. He was just as confused as during that strange evening. 'Strawberry Blonde?'
'Yes, it's me, Elkia. I'm sorry I used up all of your water, but I have to be fast. I have no idea when they are going to deal with you.'
'Deal with me? But... but...' Elkia could now see that he was surrounded by iron bars. He was in a cage, and opposite of it, the familiar pony with the almost blond, almost red mane was whispering to him.
'Shush! Be quiet,' said Strawberry.
'But where am I?'
'In a tent close to the zeppelin.'
'Wait, what's a zeppelin?'
Strawberry Blonde sighed. She looked back, but no one was behind her. 'Sometimes, on very rare occasions, our great leader Starlight Glimmer visits Scribblers' City. There's a Zeppelin which flies from Griffonstone, bearing supplies to here. In return, they take the art and books we make, and takes those to Starlight's village, somewhere in the desert. Apparently, Starlight decided to hop along and do us the honor of paying us a visit.'
'Alright, too much information,' said Elkia. 'But what has this to do with me? Why am I here, in a cage? Did the guards capture me?'
'They did,' said Strawberry. 'I arrived later on, but I heard the news from somepony else.'
Scared though as Elkia was, more questions bubbled to the surface in his mind. 'But... why are you here anyway?'
'Because...' Strawberry Blonde paused. Elkia wished he could see her face more clearly. 'Because I don't know if this will be the last time I see you.'
Whoa, whoa, wait. Now she did love him? That answer only made Elkia more confused. He was confused, in the dark, in a cage, with a pony who loved him after all? 'I... I don't know if I should believe you,' said Elkia. He wasn't angry. His voice wasn't even cold or harsh. Just as during that evening, he was only surprised and confused.
'You should, Elkia. And I should have told you the truth. I do love you. I love you unlike any other stallion I ever had. There's a reason there's no picture with you and I on my bulletin board. I thought I had found the one.'
Elkia thought about that. 'But if you really thought that, then what was up with that blue stallion?'
Strawberry stomped her hoof on the ground. 'That was just a shallow relationship, a relationship only handy at some moments. Friends with benefits, do you understand?'
'No,' said Elkia.
'Then I'll make you understand.' Strawberry Blonde did one step towards the cage, reached through the bars, and grabbed Elkia's cheeks. Before he realized what happened, Strawberry Blonde gave him a kiss. He felt the warmth of her lips upon his muzzle, and little puffs of a quickening breath. The kiss seemed to last forever. When at last their lips parted, Elkia stared at her in amazement.
And so they stared at each other in silence. Strawberry was close enough so Elkia could see what her face looked like. She had tears, even though they had shared such a loving moment. Was it a hopeless kiss, signaling a hopeless love? Did Strawberry Blonde care about him or not?
She seemed to have read his thoughts. 'Listen, Elkia. You have no idea how much I risk coming here to see you. If the kiss wasn't enough proof, then consider that. If somepony comes in here and sees us, I'll be next to you in a cage soon.'
'At least you'll be with me,' said Elkia.
Strawberry sighed. 'Why are you making this so hard for me, you naïve little thing? Isn't it plain to you that I don't want to lose you? I...' She searched for words to say, but the appropriate ones didn't come to her. Instead, she repeated what she said, slowly, placing emphasis on every word. 'I don't want to lose you.'
Elkia saw how her shoulders shocked up and down. Was she crying? Elkia had never, ever seen her cry. She was such a strong and capable young mare, and now she was crying in the dark? Those tears were almost enough proof for Elkia. 'You keep saying that you'll lose me... Have you any idea what they will do to me?'
Strawberry wiped her eyes dry with her hoof, yet Elkia saw that new tears came. 'I... I don't know. Sometimes Starlight Glimmer takes other ponies away with her zeppelin, but they are never seen again. I... I can only guess what horrible things they will do to you.'
That was not an answer that satisfied Elkia the way the kiss had done. He swallowed, trying to push the fear away. He stopped thinking about his own fate, which was apparently balancing on the tip of a knife, and thought about his brother. 'Alces,' he said.
'What?'
'My plan was to free Alces, that's why I was dressed up as a guard and had to run. The mission failed, and he's still underneath that magical bubble. But with me gone... I wish I could only imagine what horrible things they could do to him, but the truth is that I have seen enough horrid things during my visit to the bubble.'
Suddenly, Strawberry Blonde once again reached through the cage. She held Elkia's hooves in her own. 'Then I'll try to save him.'
'You... but I still don't know if--'
'Consider it a token of our trust, you strange little elk,' Strawberry Blonde said. Her voice was now no longer cracked, but strong and confident, as if the mission was already accomplished. But then she dropped Elkia's hooves again, and looked at the ground. 'I mean... I would want to help him, if only I knew what to do.'
If this was a trap or a lie, Elkia was falling for it completely. But he didn't care. They were talking about his brother now. For two seconds Elkia thought, and then explained his plan, which was far from a real plan--it was more of a suggestion. 'He's very weak through lack of food, so he can't do anything on his own. Go and see Syntax. Green writing pony with an enormous set of glasses. He has connections. Surely he will know what to do.'
'Syntax, green pony, glasses, got it,' said Strawberry. Her voice had gained some more strength. 'Anything else I should know?'
'You should know,' Elkia said, 'that if you manage to get him out, I'll be able to forgive you, and maybe even understand you better. And maybe, just maybe, if the Light Elk smiles upon us and we may somehow meet again, we might be able to share our love with each other, and live like we used to, happily ever after, with just the two of us. There's only one more thing I want to know to seal our newfound trust.'
'What is it?'
Elkia's voice was stern. 'Did, or did you not, know that my brother was here?'
'I...' She paused for a second, perhaps thinking whether she should tell the truth or a lie. In the end, she chose the truth. 'He arrived before you, Elkia. A guard patrol captured him. He was roaming close to Scribblers' City, and the guards didn't think it was safe to let him walk free.'
'So they actually captured him, against his will?'
Strawberry nodded. 'He didn't want to come at all. He was really angry and violent. I knew from the very first minute I saw him where he would end up. I guess... I guess I have to say sorry to him, if I find an opportunity to do that.'
Elkia shook his head. 'But why? Why keep it a secret to your beloved? To me?'
Strawberry started poking the dirt with her hoof. 'I was scared that you would find out the truth. Of course you wouldn't like me anymore, but that's not all. If I had told you, and you would have shown any resistance, or come up with some kind of escape plan, you might end up... well...'
'Locked up in a cage in the dark?'
'Exactly.' A last tear glistened on her cheek. 'Even then, I was scared to lose you. When you told me about your brother I had to keep it a secret. For you and me both.'
'I understand,' said Elkia.
Strawberry lightened up. 'You do?'
'I understand, but I'm still not sure I forgive you. Only when you--'
Another voice sounded. Both Elkia and Strawberry heard hoofsteps coming closer.
'I promise to help your brother,' said Strawberry, looking left and right.
'I hope you can deliver,' said Elkia back. He found it hard now to be angry at her. Perhaps this was the last moment they would see each other. He couldn't control himself anymore. He grabbed Strawberry Blonde, and they kissed again, as long as time allowed them.
The tent flap opened, casting a ray of light inside the tent. There was just enough time for Strawberry to jump behind some crates, as the two guards walked in, and stopped in front of Elkia's cage. 'Well, well. If it isn't the deer.'
'Elk,' said Elkia.
'Whatever. You need to go back to sleep, buddy. We're not done packing yet. How did you wake up anyway?'
'Eh...' Elkia looked over the guard's shoulders at Strawberry. He caught one last glimpse of her, before she snuck around and disappeared behind the tent flap. Elkia swore she winked at him before she vanished, but that could also have been a trick of the light.
'Lost your tongue, elk?' said guard number two.
'Eh... I just... I'm a light sleeper,' Elkia said.
The guards didn't seem to care. 'Whatever. Just hold still while I perform the sleep spell.'
'Oh no! Not again!' Elkia scooted back, until his back was against the other end of the cage.
'Ow, come on, elk. Don't make this so hard for us,' said guard number two. 'We have a job to do here too, you know, and you're not making it any easier for us.'
Now that Elkia was some distance away, he couldn't clearly see guard number one. Suddenly, he felt something sharp against the back of his head. The last thing he thought before he once more went to sleep was the advice his brother had given him.
Always check your rear. |
Brothers 'N Antlers | Chapter nine: a strange place with stranger ponies | Elkia couldn't stop fantasizing about the horrible place he would end up in, and his fears didn't let him sleep without worries. In his dreams, he worried about himself, about Alces, and, now that some new rescue operation was promptly created, about Strawberry Blonde and Syntax too.
When he woke up, he reckoned he was in a new place now, perhaps even the final destination, as there was no more total darkness around him. He was still in a cage, but inside somewhere, inside a house. There was some simple wooden furniture in what looked like a living room, tables and chairs and stools. A look through a nearby window showed the sun glaring in the sky. It was hot, very hot. Elkia found himself covered in sweat and panting a little. Slowly, he raised his head, until the shape of a pony filled his vision.
The pink pony with the purple mane and the hard eyes walked towards the cage, holding a half-empty glass of water in her hooves. 'Ah, you're finally awake. Good, good. I've been dying to get to know you.'
'Where am I?' Elkia said.
But the pony ignored him. 'Your tutor had many things to tell about you. He and I had a long conversation, where he constantly brought up the many stories and poems you created. You're a busy little writing bee, aren't you?'
Elkia said nothing.
'Aw... Come on, it's okay to feel a little pride. You don't get to be chosen as my personal propagandist every day, you know? That function is very exclusive and important, and I have only given few the chance to prove their worth to me. I hope you won't disappoint me.' She fixed him with a stare. 'Will you?'
'How can I disappoint you if I don't even know who you are,' said Elkia. He was a lot less afraid of this pink pony than the guards he had pissed off in the bubble, during his fiction-like escape.
'Oh,' the pink pony said. She did a step closer towards the cage and stared her vicious, almost savage stare at Elkia. Suddenly, Elkia reckoned he was wrong. There was some ambiance, some aura radiating from the pony's cold eyes that seemed more dangerous than a thousand angry guards. After a pause, she continued. 'My name is Starlight Glimmer, the great leader of a society full of happy ponies, and the founder of Scribblers' City and the town you're in now. It is a pleasure to meet you.'
Unwillingly, Elkia scooted further back into the cage. He discovered that he was stuttering now. 'I-I-I wish I could say the same, but I'm in a cage and you are staring me down.'
Starlight Glimmer shifted the glass of water in her hooves, and took a small sip. It seemed as if she were torturing Elkia, as she took her time drinking. 'Don't worry, I will let you out as soon as I can. As soon as you are willing to provide a helping hoof.'
'Doing what?' Elkia said.
'Doing what you were made to do in this world, my dear--oops, pardon the pun--writing, making propaganda for me and the happy inhabitants of my glorious society.'
Starlight Glimmer was talking to Elkia as if she were talking to a little foal, much like Strawberry Blonde had done. But where Strawberry's words had been soft, gentle, and maybe even a bit teasing, Starlight's words were cold, calculated, as if she followed a tight script. Silently, Elkia wondered how many propagandists she had had before him. 'So what exactly do you want me to do?'
'Very good, very good,' Starlight said, nodding as she spoke. 'I see you're looking forward to a life in my service. I see you are eager to create. Yes, I can see that flame in your eyes, that urge to make something beautiful.' She cleared her throat, as if she were going to say something official. 'As my personal propagandist, you will be making all kinds of stories, posters, pamphlets, flyers, and, if you're up for it, our proud newspaper "The Equalitarian." You will help spreading the idea of equality in my--or our--cutie-mark-less society.'
Even though he had been essentially doing the same in Scribblers' City, Elkia felt horrible about what Starlight Glimmer told him. Back in Scribblers' City it had been different. Back in Scribblers' City, he wrote for fun. Back in Scribblers' City, he had Strawberry Blonde, and his happy, carefree life. Here, he was locked up in a cage. He didn't like this whole appointment one bit. 'No,' he blurted out.
'I beg your pardon?' Starlight narrowed her eyes, only adding to her stern appearance.
'I said no. I will not be your personal propagandist. You can go and find someone else.' And to show he was serious, Elkia plucked up a little bit of courage and turned his back to Starlight.
Elkia couldn't see Starlight's grim smile, but he could feel it well enough. 'Oh my, when your mentor said you were naïve I didn't believe him at first. Writers are usually chatterboxes, headstrong, and know what they want. They are also clever, but I can tell you that I am a little disappointed in you, Elkia, because apparently you aren't so smart as you look.'
'Why does everyone keep telling me I'm naïve?' said Elkia irritably.
Starlight let out a few small chuckles--small enough to remain serious. 'Because you are, little elk, and you know what? It's adorable.'
So now his captor was verbally abusing him? Elkia had no idea what to think of this. He didn't turn around.
Starlight Glimmer paced around the cage, rattling her glass against the iron bars. 'You should think before you speak, Elkia. You cannot refuse. If I want, I could leave you in this cage forever, and no one would know or care.'
Suddenly, Elkia jolted, as he felt something on his shoulder. At first he thought it was a big spider or a nasty scorpion, but when he looked he saw it was Starlight's hoof. His gaze travelled from the hoof to the dictator's eyes, and slowly, he turned himself around. He couldn't help it. It was as if Starlight Glimmer could steer the essence of his very soul, as if she were as powerful as a seer. His hairs stood on end.
Pouting her lips, Starlight said, 'But that's not what I want to do, my dear Elkia. I haven't hoof-picked you from all the other writers so I'd let you succumb to hunger and thirst in some rotten cage. I have picked you, because I saw your potential. I know you and I, we can create something powerful together, something that lasts longer than either you or I live. You can take your place in my society, and be a vital piece in the puzzle, or a cog in the machine. Think about that, Elkia. Without you, my regime isn't complete.'
Elkia realized she was right. How could he have been so dumb as to refuse? She could easily starve him to death. In fact, Elkia was already feeling hungry, and thirsty too. He felt his stomach, traced his tongue over his dry, cracked lips, and then turned his attention to his captor once more. 'So your society here is like Scribblers' City?'
Feigning surprise, her eyes big for a second, Starlight said, 'Yes, exactly. I love to see how quickly you changed your mind. Wise elk. You will be a part of my glorious regime, preaching equality and the denouncing of those vicious things known as cutie marks.'
For a moment, Elkia's gaze wandered. It traveled downwards, as he searched for something. Yes, he could see it. Starlight Glimmer also had the equal sign as her cutie mark. Elkia blinked. Despite the heat, a shiver went through him, as he remembered what Strawberry Blonde had told him about her own equal sign cutie mark. 'A-a-are you going to unmark me?'
That question seemed to amuse Starlight. She grinned. 'Why, of course not. Why would I want to take away your remarkable writing skills? You would be useless to me, and I would have dragged you out of Scribblers' City for nothing.'
An idea nestled itself in Elkia's subconscious. Apparently, Starlight didn't have a cutie mark. He had no idea what a unicorn without a cutie mark could do, but he reckoned that it couldn't be much. Well, that's what he hoped. His mind worked and worked. His eyes strayed. Maybe escape was possible after all. If he'd pretend to go and help her, he might gain an opportunity to run away or something.
Starlight's horn glowed, and she closed her eyes. Her ears moved around, as if she were trying to pick up a faint and distant sound somewhere far away. Yet, that was not the reason why. 'Don't think about doing anything funny, Mister Elkia,' she said, her grin gone, her voice once again icy. 'Some things are not what they seem.'
'Wait, how did you kno--'
'Mind reading spell,' said Starlight, pride radiating from her voice. 'It took me a long while to perfect that particular piece of magic, but I have done it. I can read the mind of one or two ponies, if they are close. You have no idea how useful such a spell is to flush out any insubordinates and other-thinkers.' While she talked, she turned around and disappeared into another room. Splashes of water could be heard. When Starlight returned, she showed Elkia her real cutie mark. 'Don't think for a second that I am weak without my cutie mark, because I still have it right here. My magic is stronger than anything you've ever seen or will see, and my eyes are sharp. I know what you're going to do before the foolish thought enters your mind. Don't mistake me for a fool, Elkia, for I have power, and I am power.'
Gasping, Elkia regarded Starlight Glimmer's cutie mark. It resembled a double star, one white, and on top of that a purple one. The stars emanated two trails of cold, shimmering vapors, which glimmered in the sunlight. It truly looked like a symbol fit for a leader. A powerful leader.
'It's beautiful, isn't it?' Starlight said. 'Sometimes you don't even need to be strong to have power. You don't really need to make yourself better than the rest, if you can make the rest weaker. Yet I have done both, and the result is simply stunning, as you can see.'
'But...' Elkia's voice seemed tiny and insignificant next to Starlight's boasts. Yet, Elkia had already seen the gaps in her theory. 'But if you want to create a cutie-mark-less society, and you still have your cutie mark, then you will never reach your goal.'
Starlight frowned. Whether it was in anger or thought, Elkia couldn't say. Maybe a bit of both. 'I have actually thought and philosophized about that for a long time,' she said. 'Yes, I will never reach my goal, and yet I have already reached it. You see, it's not so much as to actually create a cutie-mark-less society. It's more like building the illusion and nourishing it.'
'What do you mean?'
'Glad to see you're interested in philosophy, Elkia. Maybe you are not as naïve and silly after all.' Starlight sighed. 'No, it will not be a cutie-mark-less society. Yet, when every single pony without a cutie mark believes that they are living in a cutie-mark-less society, then the illusion lives. They are not living a lie, because they believe. They believe that everypony--including me--has given up his or her cutie mark. And if they believe that to be the truth, if every single pony--including me--believes that is the truth, then who are you to keep this truth from them? They wake up with the illusion, and they go to bed with the illusion. They are in the illusion at home, at work, at school--everywhere. And, if you give it time, the illusion will become a part of them. They will get used to it so much that they will deny whatever somepony else tells them. They won't know any better.'
'Then you're lying to them,' Elkia said.
'I'm keeping the illusion alive, because it creates stability. Imagine if fifty percent of the ponies think cutie marks are good, and fifty percent think they are bad. What have you then? There will be fights, riots, quarrels, skirmishes, and you know why, Elkia?'
'The illusion is broken.'
'Exactly,' Starlight said, jabbing a hoof at the cage. 'I am here to keep the illusion alive, because the illusion creates order. The illusion creates life. The illusion is life. The illusion consists of what all my humble subjects think, and I determine what my humble subjects think. That is how I nourish the illusion.'
'Still, it seems unfair.'
Starlight stomped her hoof on the ground. She grabbed the bars of the cage and rattled her hooves against them. 'Then you are not listening. Sheep need a shepherd, and ponies need leaders, strong leaders. I can't be the leader they want--the leader they need--without my cutie mark. Think of the chicken and the egg. Which came first? It's a vicious cycle. I can't unmark ponies without my magic, so unmarking myself would mean the end of my society. See? I need my cutie mark.'
Elkia scratched his goatee. 'Do others not need them, then?'
'Of course they don't,' Starlight burst out. She paced around the room, as if she were a teacher trying to teach a stubborn child. 'Cutie marks are totally unnecessary. The ponies in my village--and the ones that have been unmarked living in Scribblers' City--live perfectly happy lives without their cutie marks. Cutie marks only mean differences, which cause chaos and strife.'
'Like how?'
Elkia could actually hear Starlight's teeth grinding. He was pushing it. 'I... no, wait, I...' she was so angry, she had to start over a few times, as the rage left her speechless. 'I have my own reasons to believe that. Finding your one true talent might be nice for you, but it will only create misery for those around you, those that you leave in the dark because you shine too brightly.'
Elkia opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Starlight shouted, 'ENOUGH! No more about cutie marks.'
But Elkia wasn't done yet. Despite the fear for his life, he felt as if he were having a healthy discussion with a friend. Perhaps he could learn something from this discussion, discover a weakness of Starlight for example.
'I have no weakness,' Starlight called.
'You read my mind again, didn't you?' said Elkia, putting on the driest expression he could conjure up, if only to mask his fear for a second or two.
'I did, because I can.'
'Then you know what I'm going to say now, don't you?'
'I do.'
'Shall I say it anyway?'
Starlight sighed. 'If you must.'
'I was just wondering, now that you explained the "cutie-mark-part" of your whole society, where does the "equal" come in?'
'Explain, elk,' Starlight hissed. 'I will find arguments for whatever you have to say.'
Elkia's fear ebbed away a little. He actually shuffled closer to Starlight Glimmer, and dared to look into her eyes between the bars. 'Well, you keep telling me that you are powerful, but if you are powerful, and your subjects are powerless, then how is that equal?'
'As I said, sheep need a shepherd, and I am the shepherd that will guide their lives, so everyone has an equal chance to live happy, fulfilling, and useful lives.'
'But what about Scribbler's City? I've seen for myself how the poor ponies without creative abilities or with divergent opinions are treated.'
'That's different,' Starlight snapped.
'How so?'
'Those ponies are not only useless--they are a threat to the regime. Tell me, Elkia. If you were to create a beautiful society, and you see that there are certain individuals--like timber wolves--who only want to see it fall. What would you do?'
That was below the belt. Elkia gasped, and blinked hard. 'How did you know that? About the timber wolves?'
'Wild guess,' Starlight said. 'I didn't even need to do my mind reading spell for that. Everyone knows about the relationship between predators and prey.'
'There is no relationship,' Elkia said, swallowing hard. He was not going to cry now. 'Timber wolves are cruel creatures, made of pure dark essence. They don't--'
'They don't belong in your society?' Starlight finished for him. 'Then your society isn't equal either.'
'But it's not fair. Timber wolves don't want to enter our society.'
'Have you ever asked?'
'No, of course not.'
'So they are the enemy?'
'Yes.'
'And there you have your answer,' Starlight Glimmer said. 'Timber wolves don't belong in Elkish society, and criminals and other-thinkers don't belong in mine.'
'But... but it's still different.'
'Yes, because my regime is better.'
Now it was Elkia's turn to say, 'I beg your pardon?'
Starlight managed a small smile. She knew she had won the argument. 'As you know, everyone first coming in contact with Scribblers' City is asked if they want to join. This is what happened with you, when that lovely pony--what was her name again? Strawberry Blonde?--showed you around and explained to you what Scribblers' City could do for you, and what you could do for Scribblers' City. You could have said no, and if you had, you would have been branded an enemy of the regime, and end up with your brother Alces underneath the magical bubble, working and working and working.'
'I don't believe it,' Elkia said. 'How do you know all of this? All those names?'
'I simply asked, darling,' said Starlight Glimmer. 'I know everything about you, as I've talked not only with your teacher, but also with the guards, and with your friend Strawberry Blonde.' She smiled a sly smile. 'It wasn't hard for me to find out your intimate relationship, actually. You could read it off her face.'
Elkia grabbed the bars and shook them. 'You will leave Strawberry Blonde alone!'
Starlight waved her hoof, as if she chased away a fly. 'Don't worry, Elkia. She is not an enemy of mine. She will continue to live her happy, peaceful life. She'll move on, even from you.'
'Strawberry Blonde has showed me nothing but goodness, and yes, love too.'
'Even when she lied about your brother?' Starlight said. The smile didn't leave her face.
'I... eh... yes. M-m-maybe, no! Yes,' Elkia stuttered. He ended his awkward answer with, 'I think so.'
'You think so, hmm? Well, you know what I think, Elkia Deerling? I think you will come to like my society here. The ponies living here are honest, and don't keep secrets--not that they can. And you know what the best part is?'
She was obviously waiting for Elkia to say "what?" Instead, Elkia said nothing.
'The best part is that everyone is the same. You know one of those little towns where everypony knows everypony? Well, here it's actually true. Thanks to the illusion, they are scared of other-thinkers. Most of the time I don't even need to talk with them or do a quick mind-reading, for they hand me over the traitors and divergent ones all by themselves.'
'It sounds horrible.'
Starlight Glimmer still smiled, but Elkia saw how it wavered a bit. 'It's lovely, Elkia, believe me. You will like it. In fact, you have no choice.'
That was not an answer that satisfied Elkia. He fidgeted with his hooves.
Starlight finished her water. 'So now that I made my introduction, and we got to know each other a bit more, it's time for you to meet the townsfolk. You will see just what I mean, and that everything I told you is true.' Her smile turned cruel and challenging. 'But first, I'm going to give you something...'
Elkia didn't like the tone of Starlight at all. He was already thinking about many horrible things she could mean by that. Was she going to unmark him after all, or brand him on the flank so nopony would see his cutie mark?
'Stick your neck through the bars, elk,' Starlight said.
This was it, this was the end. Starlight was going to chop off his head! A burning feeling spread like wildfire through Elkia's body. Fear played his nerves like a guitar. Suddenly, when the fear in his heart reached the climax, Starlight Glimmer burst out in laughter.
'Haha! Are you seriously thinking that, Elkia? Oh my, you have a strange but wonderful mindset. I'm only going to give you a gift, not--' a burst of chuckles forced Starlight to pause--'not cut off your head. Hahaha!' Still laughing, Starlight retreated. When she returned, she floated something behind her in a magical haze. It looked like a ribbon, and it made a funny sound.
'What is it?'
Starlight waved the ribbon around in the air. 'Just a little gadget I made, to make sure you will play by the rules. Come on, stick your neck through the bars.'
Still not entirely comfortable, Elkia did as he was told. He closed his eyes. The ribbon felt like silk, as Starlight slipped it over his head. With a little magical tinkle, it tightened and locked. Elkia opened his eyes. It was over. He shook his head, and a little bell rung.
'It is tuned to your ears, Elkia,' said Starlight Glimmer, 'so only you and I can hear it. In my house, the collar will turn green, as you may say and do whatever you want here. Outside, in my village, the collar will turn yellow. And when you go too far away to my liking, the collar will turn red, and then... Well, why not make it a surprise? If you were ever dumb enough to stray far or run away, you'll see what happens... with the collar.'
'Why the bell?'
'So I can hear where you are, silly,' Starlight said. She had regained her playful tune, as if she were sharing a beautiful present or a beloved toy.
Starlight's horn glowed again. The cage opened with a squeaky noise. 'Now come. There is one last thing we have to do before you can make your grand entrance in public.' She retreated to another room. Elkia swallowed, and then followed her.
'Let me reveal to you the secret of my cutie mark,' she said. They stood in a hallway, probably the front porch. In front of Starlight was a bucket with pink paint, and on a little cupboard there were some brushes and other painting tools, amongst which was a mold in the shape of an equal sign.
'Are you going to paint your cutie mark?' Elkia said.
'Watch and learn.' With a flash of magic, a brush moved through the air all by itself. It dipped into the bucket with pink paint, and then the brush carefully, with practiced motions, stroked over Starlight's cutie mark until it was completely covered, as if she were a blank flank. Then, the brush dipped into black paint, the paper mold flew beside her flank, and so Starlight painted the equal sign at precisely the right spot. She looked at Elkia, who had followed everything carefully, and said, 'Now it's your turn.'
'Wait, what?'
Starlight nodded towards another bucket, this one with brown paint, precisely the color of Elkia's fur. 'I'm not going to paint your flank, Elkia. Imagine how awkward that would be. You have a long neck, so I'm sure you can do it yourself.'
Elkia frowned, but did as he was told. In the blink of an eye he painted his flank and put the equal sign on it. 'Done.'
'Very good.' Starlight grabbed the handle and opened the door, revealing the outside world, something Elkia had reckoned he'd never see again. He knew Starlight wanted him to go outside, so he made for the doorway. Before he could set a hoof outside, however, Starlight barred him the way. Their heads were inches apart, and it made Elkia very uncomfortable.
'I will read your mind when you return, Elkia,' Starlight whispered. 'Don't think about doing anything funny, exposing your cutie mark, or tell them I still have mine, or I will make sure your collar becomes red and stays red as long as you're here. Do we have a deal?'
Despite still not knowing what that meant, Elkia nodded. Together, they walked out the door.
Before them, there was a single street, with small brick houses lining it on either side. And that was it. There was a market going on, and stalls were scattered throughout town. Many ponies were busy buying things, yet, when Starlight Glimmer appeared, they all stopped doing what they were doing--some even dropped whatever they were holding--and turned to face their leader, all at the same time, as if they had practiced it. It was an uncanny thing to see. Slowly, they walked towards Starlight, curious about what she was going to say. Some small fillies and colts noticed Elkia, pointed, and took shelter behind their parents' hooves. Elkia reckoned it was an odd thing to see, an elk from the boreal forest which now stood in a desert, sweating and panting and dying of heat.
'Behold, everypony!' Starlight shouted. She waved her hooves around, and ended her motion at Elkia. 'I have made a new friend, all the way from Scribblers' City. Say hello to Elkia Deerling.'
'Hello, Elkia Deerling,' said everyone, precisely at the same time.
Blushing, Elkia waved his hoof a little.
'He will be here to assist me and write all kinds of beautiful things,' Starlight said. 'That's right everypony, learn his name by heart, because you will get to know him very well, when you read his bestseller novels and cute little children's stories.'
'Aw...' said everyone, precisely at the same time.
Once again Elkia blushed, which was not helping to cool him down. He only felt hotter with all the attention drawn to him.
'Please, give this special creature a warm welcome, and let him have a place in your hearts,' Starlight continued. Then she turned around to leave.
'A-a-aren't you coming too?' Elkia said.
'Of course not,' Starlight said. 'Being a leader is a full time job. And besides, I think you will get along with everyone just fine. See you later.'
And with that, the door closed, and Elkia was alone with the crowd. He smiled a shy smile, and giggled a bit. 'H-h-hello.'
As if on cue, the crowd moved towards him, and formed a tight circle. In ten seconds flat, Elkia was surrounded by curious eyes and wondering minds.
'Wow, you're so tall!' one stallion said to him.
'And fluffy,' added a little filly, stroking Elkia's fur.
'Where did you come from?' a mare asked.
'What animal are you anyway?' said another mare.
'Aren't you supposed to have huge antlers?' asked another.
Elkia got bombarded with questions, and he had no idea which one to answer first, or if he was allowed to answer them in the first place. He tried to avoid the gazes, shy as he was, but found that he was surrounded by eyes. Elkia fell silent and looked around him, taking in the different ponies, the new faces and the diversity of colors. But to his shock, he discovered that they were not so different at all.
Every mare had the same manecut, and so did every stallion. The mares had plain braids or ponytails, while the stallions all had the same neat, short, practical mane. Their eyes and hides were the only features that were different about them, but even those were equal in that they were duller than the pastel colors the ponies of Scribblers' City had borne (the ones with cutie marks, that is). But the most striking thing was their smiles. Elkia was surrounded by big, happy smiles which everypony, young or old or big or small, wore on his or her face. It was as if a painter, out of inspiration, had copied his same handiwork over and over again, and pasted it on everypony's face. Elkia saw that everypony was wearing a mask. Surely not every single one of them had to be brimming with excitement, right? Sure, an elk was probably a rare sight, but there must also be ponies who were indifferent or not interested at his appearance. Yet, here they all were, questioning him, looking at him with big eyes, and smiling at him.
'How did you grow so tall?'
'What a strange goatee you have.'
'Why are your ears so large?'
'Your lip is funny.'
'Where is your tail? It can't be that short, right?'
'Do you know my brother's friend Emiria? She's a deer too.'
'Are you a deer or a moose?'
'No, you're a reindeer, right?'
The questions didn't stop. Elkia squeezed his eyes shut and flinched. He felt as if he were in a nightmare. These ponies, all the same, this village, this dictator--all seemed to belong in a nightmare, or a really strange and scary story. Yet here he was, standing in the middle of the crowd. He had to do something. He had the feeling that every second he spent with the townsponies drove him crazier. But he wasn't going to shout, of course. At last, he shook his head and raised his hoof in the air, just as he had seen Starlight do. It worked! The ponies fell silent all together at the same time.
'I'm really sorry, everypony,' Elkia said, 'but everything is so... overwhelming. You seem like a friendly bunch, but I really need more time to get used to you all, this town, this weather and... well... my new life.' He paused to lick his lips. 'And besides that, I am terribly thirsty.'
Everypony was still quiet, but suddenly, a mare the color of blackberries raised her hoof.
Elkia remained silent and stared at the pony. Was she waiting for him to give permission to speak? Elkia nodded towards her.
'If you're thirsty, why not head over to my lemonade bar?' said the pony. 'I'm sure I have something that will taste good, even for reindeer.'
'Elk, actually,' Elkia said.
'Oops, pardon me,' blackberry pony said, producing a strange chuckle. 'Shall we go?'
Elkia took this as an opportunity to leave the mob behind. The circle opened up, the ponies standing apart like a machine, offering Elkia a straight pathway through. He followed blackberry pony through the pathway. When Elkia reached the end, he turned around, and found that everypony was still staring at him. Elkia didn't want to be rude. 'Eh... it was nice meeting you all. Maybe I will get to know you all personally later. But for now, I say goodbye!'
'Goodbye, Elkia,' said everyone, precisely at the same time.
Elkia followed his rescuer through town. They headed towards one of the brick houses, which had a sign shaped like berries hanging on a branch. There was a little terrace with wooden chairs and tables and--something Elkia was really grateful for--a parasol which offered some hard-needed shade.
Elkia sat down in the shade, while the blackberry-colored pony stood by his side. 'What can I get you?'
'Some lemonade would be fine, if you please,' Elkia said, sighing and enjoying the shade. 'Any flavor will do.'
'Alrighty! Be right back,' the pony said, and then she disappeared through the door.
A minute later she reappeared with a glass of colorful juice. She put it down before Elkia's nose. He really wanted a sip, but then he realized something. 'Oh no! I don't have anything to give you in return! No Bits or gems or anything else.'
'Oh, that's quite alright,' the pony said, waving a hoof in the air. 'A friend of Starlight's is a friend of everyone, including me. This one is on the house.'
'Wow, thanks,' Elkia said. He tried to keep a hold of himself, but thirst took over. He grabbed the glass with both hooves, put it at his mouth, and emptied it in one big gulp. That was a mistake.
The juice tasted horrible. It almost tasted like muddy water--and it didn't even have the color of muddy water. Elkia flinched, and it took him quite some effort to paint a smile on his face, a smile similar to all the other ponies: fake. But he had to, for he didn't want to be rude. 'Eh... that was... good?'
'I have some more if you want,' said the pony.
Now Elkia faced a tough dilemma. He was terribly thirsty, yes, but he wasn't sure he could stand another one of those lemonades. He thought he found a solution. 'Do you have another flavor, perhaps?'
'But of course,' said the pony, who kept smiling. Elkia was sure she could hear his revulsion, but she kept her face the same, smiling and perhaps a tad curiosity mixed in. She disappeared again. While the pony was gone, Elkia wondered how in Equestria somepony could mess up lemonade. It was only water with a bit of flavor! He was tempted to ask for the recipe, but decided it would perhaps be better not to know. The pony returned, with a red liquid this time. Elkia nodded, grabbed the glass, and emptied it.
He had no idea lemonade could taste so sour! And what was wrong with it? It was as if someone had tried to make lemonade with the pits and seeds of the berries still in it. This was insane.
'Better?' the pony asked.
Elkia gulped up the last of the strange liquid. 'Better,' he managed to cram out of his mouth. He swore himself he wouldn't take a third glass. Maybe the next flavor would be even worse!
'I'm so glad there's someone new in town,' said the pony. 'My name is Blackberry Melange, by the way.'
'Elkia Deerling,' Elkia said, when the last of the "lemonade" swirled through his throat. Then, he looked behind himself at Starlight's home, as if he knew she was spying on him. Should he ask that what he wanted to ask? Yes, he had to. He couldn't resist, however dicey the question was. He swallowed, feeling a faint and horrid aftertaste of the lemonade, and then spoke. 'Why is everyone so...'
'Happy? Content? Cheerful?' Blackberry filled in for him. 'Well, isn't there any reason not to be? We live in a beautiful village, governed by a leader with a heart of gold. And on top of that, we always have sunny weather!'
'Yes... great,' Elkia said, although he didn't agree entirely. 'But are you never sad to see how things go here in town? Are you never discontent? I mean, giving up your cutie mark must have been a hard decision to make.'
'It was the price of admission,' the pony said, 'a rite of passage. Sure, it might have seemed a bit... well... extreme, but until now, only good things have come from it.'
'Like what?' Elkia said.
The smile disappeared for just a second or two. 'Eh... well...' But then Blackberry found the right, politically correct words. 'Like, look at us all? We all gave up our cutie marks, and we never suffer from that. The bakers still bake bread, the smiths still make horseshoes, the tailor still makes clothes, and the juicers still make lemonade.'
Elkia took a good look at Blackberry's face, but he couldn't spot anything that would unmask this seemingly happy pony. For all he knew, she genuinely seemed happy to have given up her cutie mark. Elkia blinked and furrowed his brows. He was not going to get an honest answer out of this pony. Perhaps she had been living in this town for too long.
'And I mean, who needs a cutie mark to make tasty lemonade, right?'
Should Elkia be honest and tell her the truth? Two elks fought in his heart, a gentleman and a cold rationalist. 'It sure was... well... something.'
The gentleman won.
'And there you have your proof, Mister Deerling,' the pony said. 'We can live perfectly happy and content lives without our cutie marks. Sure, maybe it feels strange at the beginning, but... well...' Then she pointed to Elkia's flank. 'Can I be honest with you, Mister Deer?'
'Yes, please,' Elkia said. At least there was someone being honest.
Once again the smile faded for a second, but then sprung right back onto the cheery pony's face. 'I myself found it very difficult in the beginning, and I know you feel so too. I guess you have been unmarked very recently too, am I right?'
No. 'Yes,' said Elkia.
Blackberry sat down opposite of Elkia and looked into his eyes. 'In the beginning, I asked a lot of questions too. I too, felt uncertain of that big, huge, giant decision. And I may have even'--she looked over her shoulder--'I may have even wondered if it was the right decision after all.'
Now Elkia was getting at the juicy stuff. This was what he wanted to hear. 'Please, continue. I'm listening.'
'I just wanted to give you this piece of advice, Mister Deer. In the beginning, it might feel as if you lost something, but in the end, you will realize that you have gained something that is worth much more than just a symbol on your flank.'
'And what is that?' Elkia said.
'Why, a loving, caring family of course,' said Blackberry, more enthusiastic than ever.
'Really?' said Elkia.
'Certainly,' said Blackberry. 'Everyone who lives in town has been there. Everyone made the same beautiful yet difficult decision to give up his or her cutie mark. But I say it makes us stronger together. It is as if we're not just a community, but a family who cares about each other, laughs with you about funny things, and cries with you about sad things.'
'Ah, now I see,' said Elkia, although his face and his tone betrayed disappointment.
But Blackberry wasn't done with her grand speech. 'In a sense, we are all one, unified in equality and sameness. Trust me, Elkia, you will love it here.'
Elkia nodded, but in reality, he was deep in thought. Although he still had that faint feeling that the smiles were all a fake, he couldn't help but feel at least a little bit moved by this random pony's speech. Was she talking about the illusion now, or did she genuinely mean what she said? Or maybe it was a bit of both. Maybe this pony had accepted the illusion as the truth, and couldn't distinguish between the two anymore. Yet, the pony seemed honest enough. Maybe she truly was happy after all, even if she lived in the illusion. Elkia wasn't sure if he should laugh or give an applause on the spot.
'I know you're flabbergasted, but you'll see that if you ask somepony else your striking but strange questions, he or she will give you the same answer.'
Elkia didn't doubt that for a second. 'I suppose you're right.'
She stood up and took Elkia's glass. 'More lemonade.'
Wide-eyed, Elkia shook his head. 'NO! I mean, no thank you. I'm not thirsty anymore.'
'Okay then,' said Blackberry. 'If you'll excuse me, I'll have to go and organize some things around the bar, but you're welcome to stay and relax, of course.'
'Madam, please wait,' Elkia said. 'Just one final question, and then I'll be on my way.'
'Sure, go ahead.'
Once again, Elkia looked at Starlight's house, but he couldn't even see the shape of her behind the windows. Elkia swallowed. He knew he was pushing it, and was already wondering how he'd cover up this last question with other thoughts when Starlight would read his mind. Yet, he asked what he wanted to ask.
'Do you never want something to change around here? I mean, equality and sameness seem jolly, but wouldn't you like to see some... well... change?'
Blackberry had to think for a while, but soon the happy smile reappeared on her face again. 'Well, today something changed, right? You came today. Isn't that something to be cheerful of?'
'But you don't even know me. You gave me free lemonade--twice--and you don't even know me or anything.'
'I don't need to know you to see that you will fit in perfectly well in our little slice of heaven,' said Blackberry. 'And besides, who says you can't change anything for us?'
For a second, just a tenth of a second, Blackberry nodded, and winked at Elkia. It was just the barest hint of an expression, but Elkia saw it. Did she mean something with that last sentence? Surely that was not orthodox to say, and yet she had said it.
That last sentence didn't leave Elkia alone as he walked back through the main street towards Starlight's home. He reckoned he had seen enough of the town. Everything was the same anyway. He tried not to mull too much over Blackberry's words, and pushed them out of his mind as he entered the house.
Who says you can't change anything for us? |
Brothers 'N Antlers | Chapter ten: a new plan | Another day in paradise...
Alces wasn't sure which of the two was better: being in the hot, tropical heat of the magical bubble, or inside in the cool, climate-controlled basement of the guardhouse. He rubbed his face with his hoof, felt the odd shapes of bruises that shouldn't be there, and winced.
The guards had been hardy and ruthless. As soon as Elkia had disappeared through the hole in the magical barrier, the guards' attention shifted towards the other elk, him. That bearded guard had been the worst. As soon as Elkia had disappeared, the guard platoon had gone after him. But once they came back, the madhouse slowly calming down, the bearded guard kept pointing and pointing at him, as if it had been all his fault.
Sure, he had knocked over the bearded guard and threw off his aim, but that was all he had done. Alces hoped it had been enough. He hoped that his brother had escaped this horrible place and was somewhere in the woods, far, far away from this slave-pen.
But apparently, just that one little shove had been enough to almost condemn him to death. It had been enough to allow the guards to interrogate him. The interrogation had consisted of fifty percent shouting, and fifty percent bucks in the face. Every time the guards asked him a question, even if he answered truthfully and without swearing, the answer was always followed by a beating. Especially that bearded guard seemed to have enjoyed that a lot. He had been the lucky one leading the interrogation, and directed the punches and kicks to the parts of Alces's body where they hurt most.
Alces had no idea what the best thing to say was. It had just been one silly, tiny, hastily crafted and improvised escape attempt. He had knocked over the guard, and Elkia had run--that was all there was to tell about it. Yet, the guards kept beating him and slapping him in the face, forcing him to think up strange answers that weren't even his own. Even now, with most of the bruises already fairly healed, he couldn't exactly recall what he had said. After every "refreshment" of his memory, his head felt less like a body part and more like a punching bag. Yet, he had done the best he could, crafting such an unbelievable story the guards simply had to be satisfied with.
Apparently, Elkia's escape had been a large operation, skillfully crafted by a secret society which had its headquarters in the basements of some houses. Everyone was involved. Some citizens, a large section of the guard patrol, and even some ponies who had renounced the regime. Now that he thought of it, Alces was actually happy at blurting out all of this nonsense.
Let them hunt each other for a change, he thought.
He had no idea how long he had been inside that basement. There had been no sun or moon to be seen, and even if there had been a window, Alces was sure he wouldn't even have been able to see anything with all the bruises and blood covering up his vision. He had tried to count the number of beatings, but lost track after the twelfth one or so.
He hadn't even been given a chance to sleep. As soon as he lost consciousness every single time, some nasty pegasus would chuck an awfully-tasting potion in his throat, and he would feel clearer and stronger--but not too strong to be able to resist and bite. No, the alchemist made sure to balance his potion out, unfortunately for Alces.
They hadn't even given him one of the potions before he was put back to work. No, he went straight from the basement to the farm. But at least he had been able to sleep during the nights, so if anything, he had some time to heal and recharge, however short the nights were.
And now, a few days later, he was in the fields again, working his ass off for the citizens of Scribblers' City. Or at least for the guards, so they wouldn't take their frustration out on him once more. Despite the few nights sleep he had got, he felt terrible. He had to do the hardest work today: plowing. Normally this wasn't too hard, but beside the lack of food and water and sleep, he had his injuries to deal with.
'Come on, elk! Pull it!' The stallion behind the plow said. 'Pull it or we'll both get in trouble.'
Alces raised his head. A patrol of guards was slowly but steadily heading his way. The pony was right. If he didn't do anything now, they would surely notice.
'Come on!' the pony shouted.
'Just let me gather my damn breath,' Alces shouted back. He had to concentrate now. 'Alright! Push!'
The guards were there, and they were definitely looking at them. Alces felt the harness cut into his shoulders, but he had to push on. He gritted his teeth, focusing all the strength that was somewhere in his body to pull the plow, while the pony at the back pushed it forwards. Slowly, the heavy iron instrument moved. It grinded over the soil, plowing the earth so that it was ready for new crops to be sown later on. It went terribly slow, but somehow it went.
'Come on! Put your back into it, humpback!' a voice shouted. Alces immediately recognized the bearded guard's heavy voice, and knew that this was not going to be good.
And things got worse. Alces's bruised and battered knees couldn't handle the extreme stress anymore, and buckled. Alces bent through his forehooves. He went down.
'What are you doing?!' the pony behind the plow shouted. His voice sounded high and terrified. 'Get up, elk! Get up and pull! Come on! Move!'
But Alces couldn't. He tasted bile in his mouth when he tried to get up. The effort was too big, and he fell down again.
'Hey, what's that now?' shouted the guard. 'Is humpback getting lazy on the job?'
'Oh no, oh no, oh no!' Wh-wh-what are you doing!' The pony hissed. 'They're c-c-coming towards us!'
Indeed, the guard with the beard had jumped over the fence and was moving towards the plow. 'Don't worry, wimp, you can go,' he said to the pony. 'I have a little score to settle with this here elk.'
'Th-th-thank you, chief,' the pony said. As fast as his legs allowed him, he jumped off the plow and galloped away.
The guard reached the spot where Alces lay. He bent down, so that Alces could see his face. 'Do you see this face, elk?'
Alces said nothing.
'This face here is not happy with your productivity,' the guard said. He talked slowly, every word a threat in its own way. 'And, to be honest, this face is also not happy with your face.'
Alces used the muscles in his neck to lift his head a bit. He gurgled, and then a gobbet of spittle landed almost on the guardpony's face. 'That's what I think of you,' Alces said.
A few other voices said, 'Oh!' Those were the rest of the group of guards.
'Not your smartest move, elk,' the guard said. Then he stood up. 'Everypony, I think it's time to utilize this pathetic creature's full potential.'
'What do you mean, Brawn?' some other guard replied.
'I think there must be a more efficient way to let this humpback pony do its job,' the bearded guard said. He walked towards the plow. 'And I think... yes, I think I have an idea how.'
Alces felt how the ropes that made up the harness got yanked off his shoulders. A burning pain spread through them. At last, with the harness gone, some feeling returned in Alces's legs. He stood up slowly.
'No, no, no, you're missing the point, humpback,' said Brawn, the bearded guardpony. 'You should remain exactly where you are. That means, head DOWN!'
Alces felt a strange force jerk his head down upon the earth. He heard the tingling sound that was a trademark of unicorn magic. Alces almost swallowed some dirt, as he attempted to lift his head again. He couldn't get it done.
'What are you gonna do, Brawn?' one of the other guards called.
'Oh, nothing special,' said Brawn. 'I'm just gonna do the job this humped, pathetic excuse for a deer is too lazy to do. I'm gonna plow the fields.'
Suddenly, the magic shifted. Alces felt himself being pulled up, while his head remained close to the ground. Then, after a loud burst of laughter from Brawn, he got shoved forwards, while his antlers remained on the ground. He was a living plow.
The other guards saw what was happening, and couldn't contain their laughter. They reached for their stomachs as Brawn shoved Alces over the ground, his antlers doing the plow work. It had been a long time since they had seen something hilariously creative as this.
Alces felt as if his head was going to fall off. His antlers grinded over the earth, sending dirt spraying all over the place. He had to close his eyes to prevent the earth from blinding him. The rest of his body was stiffened by the unicorn magic, and pushed forwards with savage energy. He couldn't prevent himself from swallowing some earth, as he had to breathe too. However much he wanted to breathe, there was always earth in the way. Black spots danced in front of his eyes, as the lack of oxygen slowly began to shut it down.
Finally, Brawn stopped his handiwork. Alces's body went limp and he coughed loudly, taking this opportunity to breathe in and out properly. He had just enough time to take two or three breaths, when the whole façade continued once more.
'Come on, humpback. Plow, plow, plow!' Brawn yelled, as he shoved Alces forwards with his unicorn magic. He had trouble concentrating on the animal, as bursts of laughter occasionally sent him gasping for breath. 'Hahaha! Oh my... This is so hilarious. You should... hahaha! You should see your face, humpback!'
Poor little humpback plowing through the earth
We get to laugh, and you get what you deserve
For laziness and tardiness will not be tolerated
We'll continue our game until our humor is sated
A clever little pun
Will make you wanna run
But there's nowhere you can go
So take another blow
Don't fall down; we'll get you up
Pain is served in a cup
Right into your face
That's the best place
Where pain belongs
We'll punish you for your wrongs
You pathetic little pony fake
We'll plow with you for humor's sake
Not because we must, but because we can
Nopony will help you, nopony gives a damn
So Brawn sung a little song he made up. He sung falsely, and some of the stanzas barely rhymed, but that did nothing to diminish the joy he got from shoving Alces through the earth. At last, when he felt that the elk would once more go limp with lack of air, he let his body drop to the ground and allowed him a breather.
Alces panted hard. But once his rapid breaths calmed down, and he had still some time left, he tried to look up at Brawn, the bearded guard. 'You're a coward, unicorn,' he said through gritted teeth and earth. 'You wouldn't dare face me when I'd have my full strengths back.'
Brawn jumped back from Alces, as if he had transformed into a deadly, venomous snake. 'Haha! I guess we'll never find that out, elk. I am strong and you are weak, and it is up to the strong to show how weak the weak can be.'
'That doesn't even make sense,' Alces said. He put his front legs back in front of him. He wanted to stand up and look his enemy in the eyes, so he could insult him properly. Unfortunately, that's not what Brawn had in mind.
'Nope,' he said with a smile on his face. 'There we go again. YEEHAW!'
And once more Brawn mopped the earth with Alces Roameling. Alces's whole body trembled as the force dragged him over the soil. He had almost reached the edge of the field. Alces thought that Brawn would be done with him then, but that was not the case. The force of the magic shifted, and they made a turn. The pain in his neck was intense, and Alces had the feeling it was wrung like a washcloth.
'YEEHAW! We're going for another round, humpback,' Brawn shouted.
There were many rocks in the earth, which bounced off Alces's scalp. His antlers truly trembled now, and for a moment, Alces actually felt afraid. He was not going to bear this longer. He knew his neck might just break. He knew Brawn was going to kill him.
CRACK!
'What's that now?' Brawn said.
'You did it brawn, you killed him,' shouted one of the guards from the bystanders. 'You cracked his neck like a twig.'
'Really?' Brawn said. 'That would be a shame. We were just having fun.' The guardpony let Alces flop down, and walked over to his "plow," who lay limply on the ground.
Alces hadn't yet lost consciousness. He saw the big hooves of Brawn next to him. Brawn ducked to grab something.
'It seems our instrument is broken,' yelled Brawn, holding one of Alces's antlers in the air. 'I thought his teeth would be the first things to break, but apparently it is his fork that yielded to the strain.'
With the weight of one antler gone, Alces was able to lift his head. Despite the pain in his head and the wooziness that came with it, he felt how the weight was asymmetrical. It felt strange, but it wasn't the only thing that was on his mind. Alces always took great care of his antlers, always making sure they were in fighting condition, as one could never know when a pretty hind would show herself. He had always sharpened them, and trained them by slamming into trees and pretending those trees were contesters. But now, he had only one left, thanks to Brawn. Anger drove the pain away. The anger was so big and strong, it dominated Alces's mind completely, sending pain, wooziness, and other emotions and feelings fleeing to some dark corner of his subconsciousness. The fire in his eyes flared up. Alces's vision became smeared with red, yet it wasn't blood. It was rage, pure rage. The anger flowed through his body, delivering an adrenaline payload to his muscles. Slowly but steadily, Alces stood up, turned around, and faced his enemy.
Brawn still stood with the one antler in his hooves. But only when Alces, taller than he was, was back on his hooves again, did his attention shift to the elk.
'You shit-witted bastard!' Alces yelled. 'There's just one single thing you cannot do, and that's stealing another elk's antlers. Are you really such a savage nut-head that you don't even respect the unwritten laws of nature? Is there really not a single code of honor you live by? You really disgust me!' And as Alces shouted those last words, he spit on the ground, accidentally taking a tooth or two with the gobbet of spit. But Alces didn't care. This was a matter of honor now.
Brawn's horn glowed. If he was scared by the rage-filled beast who was even taller than he was, he didn't show it. 'Aw! Did I hurt your feelings now, little elk?'
'I'm a head taller than you, half-wit!'
'Hush now,' Brawn said. 'I didn't know you'd be so upset by a piece of bone breaking off.'
'Those antlers are a symbol of honor and pride,' Alces said, 'and unfit to be held in filthy pony hooves.'
Brawn toyed with the antler in his hooves, looking at it in the light of the magical bubble. 'Oh, really,' he said, mocking interest. 'Who would have known I'd learn something new today...' Then, in one swift motion, he kept a tight grip on the antler, zipped towards Alces, and swept his hooves out from underneath him using the antler as a club. No matter how strong Alces's mind was, his body was still weak. Alces lost his footing, and once more fell to the ground.
'I don't like your tone of voice, humpback,' said Brawn. He kept his hoof on Alces's head, pinning him to the ground. 'I didn't realize I hurt your pride, but you should learn not to vent your anger on your superiors.'
Alces wanted to say something mean back, but his voice was lost in a grunt.
'But you know what? I guess I'll do you a favor.' Brawn nodded to his comrades. 'Saw. Now. We're going to help our little humpback here. Having just one antler must be very uncomfortable, and as we don't have a magical glue that could restore this "symbol of honor" on your head, I say we take your other one instead.'
'You wouldn't...' Alces growled.
'I will, because I can,' said Brawn. 'Everyone, help me to keep him down. We don't want to accidentally cut off his head, now do we?'
A minute or two later, Alces was surrounded by guardponies. Brawn kept his hoof on his neck, and three or four others held Alces down. They rested his head upon a log, as if they were really going to cut through his neck. But Alces knew they wouldn't do that. He knew they were too cowardly to actually take a life.
'One, two, three! Go!'
Alces's neck got stretched from the left to the right, as the massive saw did its work. He closed his eyes, not wanting to look into the dirty eyes of his torturers. To them, this was only funny, but to Alces, this was pure humiliation. Alces swore that if he'd live through today, and he had the opportunity, he'd take down Brawn the bearded guardpony. And when his fantasies went even further, he imagined cutting off the tail of that stupid pony, and see how he would like that.
'Hehe! There we go!' A collective cheer erupted from the guards, as Brawn now held the other antler in his hooves. He pranced around and held them on his head, as if he had transformed into an elk himself. 'Look at me, everyone! I'm a humpback pony. I like to prance around in the grass and eat the bark of the trees!'
Alces's head got thrown off the block, but he managed to crane his neck and watch the guardpony's ridiculous behavior. 'You will never be fit to wear those antlers,' he said, his voice growling. 'You'll never have the honor of calling yourself an elk.'
Suddenly, Brawn stopped his silly prancing, and walked over to Alces. 'What did you say there, elk?'
'You will never be proud to be an elk,' Alces said. 'You don't have the spirit to be one of us.'
The two antlers fell to the ground. 'Now would you look at that, everyone.' Brawn motioned for every other guard to listen. 'We have done this elk a favor, removing the excess weight off its clumsy head, and now it is insulting us? Such an ungrateful bark-eating beast.'
'I'd rather eat bark than listen to your awful voice, you cutie-mark less scum!' Alces retorted.
Brawn feigned surprise, acting as if Alces had hit him or so. 'Ouch, that is below the belt. Hahaha! No, literally. Our cutie marks are below our belts.' He looked at his comrades, waiting for them to laugh. When they finally did, he continued. 'I'm right, am I not?'
'You gave up your cutie marks,' Alces said, 'for no reason whatsoever. You'd rather all hide behind that equal sign thing than show your true colors, your true passion. That, to me, is the pinnacle of spinelessness. But you know what I think?'
'Spit it out, elk.'
'I think I don't even want to know what your special talent is. I wonder what a cutie mark for torturing looks like...'
One step brought Brawn next to Alces. He turned around, and kicked him hard in the stomach, sending Alces curling up in pain. 'That was not very nice...' Then he turned around and focused his attention on Alces's flank. 'And what do we have here, then? What does your cutie mark even mean? I see here two antlers with a flame in the middle. That's not very accurate, is it? You don't have your antlers anymore, now do you?'
Alces coughed a few times. When he finally caught his breath, he said, 'That's a symbol of pride and independence, something you will never understand.'
'So our little elk is not only proud of his antlers, but also of his cutie mark, hmm...? There was a strange tone in Brawn's voice, as if he were thinking of something. 'I wonder what remains of that pride if we take that from you too.'
'Haha!' Alces said, although he didn't sound very happy at all. 'You can't, scum. Even if you're the head guard of the sickening head guards, even you can't do something like that, powerless as you are.'
Brawn moved back towards Alces's head. He bent down, jerked at the elk's ear, and said, 'Humpback, you have no idea what we can and can't do.' Then, after a quick pull, he let go of Alces's ear, and directed his attention to his companions. 'Everyone, to the smithy! We're gonna teach this elk a lesson.'
Together, the guards lifted Alces off the ground, and carried him away. They walked over a few gangways, and through a few farmlands, until they reached the smithy. Smoke from the fire hung in the air, and almost made Alces choke.
'Hello there, Brawn,' somepony said. It was a new voice, one almost as deep as Brawn's, but with a calm and stout undertone. 'What can I do for you? Does this elk need horseshoes?'
'Not exactly,' said Brawn. 'We need a plank over the furnace.'
'Huh, but why would you want that?'
'Because I say so. Sparks, bring the plank.'
'Well, okay then.'
Alces heard the sound of wood. Then, the ponies slowly carried him to the furnace. The glowing coals were red hot, and Alces sweated and panted in the smoke and heat-filled smithy. The heat burnt his belly, as they turned him around on the plank.
'Hold him steady, boys. Don't let him wriggle loose.'
But even if Alces would wriggle himself loose, the only thing he could do was roll aside, right into the fire of the furnace. He was as pinned to the board as a tree in the ground. He wasn't afraid, but he still had no idea what they were about to do. Were they going to put the coals on his fur? Were they going to let him suffocate in this hellish place?
The smith, a big earth pony, as red as the glowing coals in his workshop, looked at Brawn and his bully boys in puzzlement. 'Are you going to shod this elk yourself? You don't know how to do that.'
Brawn was searching for something. At last, he pulled out two iron bars, and put them between the glowing coals. 'Heat this up, Sparks. We're going to show this elk that we are powerful enough to take his cutie mark.'
Sparks the smith looked at the two iron rods, noticed how they ended, and then shook his head. 'You can't seriously be thinking about...'
'Exactly,' said Brawn. 'We're going to do this humpback pony the honor of making him one of us.'
'What?! But that's insane, even for you, Brawn,' Sparks said.
But Brawn paid no heed. He reached the bellows and pushed them down. With every push, the infernal heat of the fireplace crept closer to Alces. He thought his fur would catch fire there and then. He realized perfectly well what was going to happen. He tried to wriggle a bit, but the other ponies held him fast. There was nothing he could do.
'Brawn, I can't allow such behavior here in my workplace,' said Sparks. 'How in Equestria am I going to tell the chief guard about this?'
'Shut up, softy,' said Brawn. He was still working the bellows without hesitating or slowing down. 'If questions will be asked, I will answer for them.' He grinned. 'And I won't have any problem taking full responsibility.'
'Jeez, Brawn, you really hate this elk, don't you?'
'I have my reasons,' said Brawn. 'He's my favorite toy, and it is time to introduce a new game.'
Sparks thought for a moment, but then shook his head. 'I won't let this act of violence or this strange sentence be carried out in my workplace. If anything, the whole place will smell like burnt fur for at least a week.' He stepped towards Brawn. 'I won't let you do this.'
'Oh, really,' said Brawn.
'Really,' said Sparks.
Brawn sighed. 'I always figured you were a clever one, but now I see you have completely forgotten about the pecking order. You answer to us, Sparky, and if your answer doesn't satisfy us, we have means to turn you from a smith into a slave, no matter how skilled you are.'
Sparks stepped back and took a deep breath, as if the smoke and cinders in the air helped him to clear his mind. He said nothing anymore, but he didn't even need to.
'Are they hot enough?' Brawn said.
Sparks nodded.
'Flash, come over here. You'll have the honor of taking his left side.'
One of the guardponies marched towards his leader, took one of the bars, and placed himself into position.
Brawn grabbed one as well, and held it towards Alces's face too, so he could see it. The iron bar ended in a white hot, glowing equal sign, smoking a bit. Alces tried to show no fear, but mentally prepared himself for what was about to happen. Brawn disappeared from view, and then they began counting.
'Everyone ready?'
Everyone but Alces and maybe Sparks weren't ready.
'Steady?'
They were sure to keep a steady hold on the elk, as the pain could send him splaying his limbs around.
'Go!'
The guard and Brawn thrusted the ends of the bars onto Alces's sides. A hissing sound and smoke emanated from the wounds, and the stench of burned hairs filled the smithy instantly.
Alces had promised himself not to scream, but broke it. It felt as if two elks with razor-sharp antlers thrusted their weapons into his sides, severing skin and muscle and bone. The pain was so terrible, so intense, that his muscles spasmed and his eyes watered. He couldn't think about anything anymore, not even rage filled his mind. There was only pain, pain in every part of his body, centered around his behind.
'That's enough, Brawn!' Sparks said. Through the cloud of pain, Alces barely heard it.
'No, just a little while longer,' said Brawn. He was laughing and still holding the hot metal upon the elk's tortured skin. 'We wanna make him bleed.'
'RAAAAAAAGH!' Alces shouted again. It just didn't end. It felt as if a thousand needles streamed through his veins, delivering pain to every organ they reached. He wished he was still being interrogated, or lashed to a plow, or whatever else. Anything was better than this inhuman torture.
The sizzling sound grew softer in volume, yet Brawn kept his branding iron on Alces.
'No! enough!' Sparks yelled. He grabbed the iron and yanked it away from Brawn. Then he sidestepped towards the other pony, punched him in the face, and tossed his iron away as well.
But with the irons gone, the pain didn't disappear. Alces couldn't feel his own behind anymore. He closed his eyes, cloudy with tears of shame.
'What are you doing, Sparky?' said Brawn, 'I thought I told you about--'
'OUT! EVERYPONY OUT!' Sparks yelled. 'Get out of my workshop, NOW! This is a smithy, not a torture room. You can blabber away with your superiors about me, I don't care. You all disappear, NOW!'
Sparks had such an intimidating, booming voice that the guards found themselves complying. The last one to exit the smithy was Brawn, who shot a nasty glare at the blacksmith before he too, retreated.
Playtime was over. * *
Only when he regained consciousness did Alces realize that he had fainted. He wished he could have stayed out a little longer. He was inside somewhere, lying on his belly on a straw mattress. Strangely enough, the pain was gone. If he didn't know better, he'd say that he had lost the lower half of his body. He wanted to turn around and look, but a heavy hoof turned his gaze away.
'Don't look at it, elk. First you have to recover from the shock.'
At first Alces thought it was Brawn speaking, but then realized how silly that was. Brawn would probably give him a kick or a punch, and not talk in such a soothing, low voice. Instead of looking at his behind, he focused his gaze on the pony next to him. 'Who are you?'
'I'm the smith. My name is Sparks,' Sparks said. 'I'm really sorry you had to go through all of that. I didn't even know I still had those two branding irons.' He cursed. 'I should have stopped Brawn from his preposterous behavior. I know how angry and wild his temper tantrums are.'
Alces squinted his eyes. Opposite of him was a huge pony with a hide that seemed to glow red hot in the firelight. Instead of a beard, he had a goatee, which gave him a wise appearance, even if he was just a simple craftspony. 'Yes, you should have done something,' Alces said with a frown. 'That hurt like... like... I don't even know how to put this into words, but my brother might.'
'But he's gone,' said Sparks. 'My friends told me Starlight Glimmer took him away on the zeppelin. I don't know what has become of him, but I know he isn't here anymore. I'd say that escape of yours was a success, more or less.'
Alces shook his head. The pain left a fog of dizziness and confusion in his head, a steaming, hot fog. 'Wait, how do you know all of that?'
'I saw your escape,' Sparks said. 'I saw how that other elk managed to escape from Brawn. Your brother, right? It was... it was a sight to see. Never before have I seen such a strange and daring thing.'
'It was foolish,' Alces said through gritted teeth. 'It didn't make any sense.'
'But it struck a chord in me,' Sparks said.
'What do you mean?'
'That day, I saw the vulnerability of the guards, the bubble, and everything else. Imagine if two, maybe three forced laborers would escape, and show the rest of Scribblers' City how cruel we really are... That would change things for sure.'
'You have good dreams, pony, but they're useless,' Alces said. 'This place is strong, fortified, and cruel, as you have witnessed today.'
Sparks nodded. 'And after I witnessed this horrifying spectacle, I know for sure that I made the right decision.'
Once again, Alces said, 'What do you mean?'
A grin appeared on Sparks's face. 'It may seem that you were treated cruelly, but fate smiled upon you today, friend.'
Alces tried once more to turn around. 'How so?' he said. But then he saw his flank, and the sight of it knocked all the words out of his voice. Both cutie marks were completely gone, replaced by two grisly wounds. On both flanks was now a hideous, distorted image of the equal sign cutie mark, covered in blisters and bald, red skin. Filled up with furious feelings, the anger returning a thousand fold, Alces grabbed the face of the smith. Snorting, spitting while he spoke, he shouted, 'You call THAT fortunate? My cutie mark, my proud sign of who I am and where I belong is gone. GONE!'
Sparks slowly grabbed Alces's hooves in his own, moving them aside. 'Listen to what I have to say, and your rage might calm down.'
'Is there any way I could get it back?'
Slowly, Sparks shook his big head. 'I can make sure that the wounds will be less painful and that they will heal, but I'm afraid you will never see your cutie mark again. I'm sorry, elk.'
Once more Alces looked at his deformed flank, but couldn't bear to watch it for three seconds. His antlers would grow back, but his cutie mark wouldn't. He grinded his teeth, anger flowing from the tempered wound through his body. 'GRAAAAAAH!'
'Shush! Quiet, elk. We don't want to--'
But Alces screamed again. He roared at the top of his lungs, as if he could scream away the pain and the rage he felt. 'GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!' He spasmed and jerked around. He wanted to punch something, anything. He felt as if a part of him had died, and that the only solution was to ruin a life himself, preferably the life of that horrible guard pony with the beard. 'GRAAAAAH!'
Sparks looked behind himself, yet nopony came through the door of his hut. When he saw that Alces was going to scream and thrash about again, he laid a big hoof on his mouth. 'Be silent, elk! I have something important to say to you.'
Alces didn't care. The only thing he cared about was a way to grab that filthy guardpony Brawn and wring his neck like a towel. Only revenge was on Alces's mind. He snorted wildly, yet he didn't utter howls or screams anymore. When Sparks saw the elk calmed down a bit, he removed his hoof.
After a quick glance at the door, he came very close to Alces's ear. 'I told you that you were fortunate, because I am with your friend.'
Biting his lip, Alces drove back the rage, barely containing it with fetters as thin as hairs. 'What the hay are you mumbling about? I don't have any friends. All my friends are dead. I only have Elkia, my brother, who might be dead too.'
'Let's just hope he's not,' said Sparks. He paused for a second or two to ready his speech. 'No, I don't know what became of your brother, yet I do know a friend of his--who used to be a friend of mine too--whom has been tasked with getting you out of here.'
'Wait, what?! Did Elkia tell him or her to get me out?'
'Hush...!' Sparks said. 'Keep your voice down. The walls can be very thin around these parts. You never know who might be listening. The fact that I sent Brawn and his goons away doesn't mean he won't be back with reinforcements.'
Alces swallowed. He forced his voice to be soft, yet he couldn't chase the grunts away from it. 'Alright, alright, I get that. So Elkia told his friend to get me out of here?'
Sparks nodded.
Alces furrowed his brows. 'Is that true? Can I trust you?'
'Eh...' Sparks made a strange face. 'I hoped treating your wounds and telling you that I too, desire freedom would bring you around. I'm afraid there is nothing you can do but trust me.'
Without even noticing it himself, a switch flipped in Alces's mind. Still Brawn and the "cutie-unmarking" were on his mind, but now they had to share the space with battle tactics. 'Alright, let's just pretend you're not double-crossing. What's the plan?'
Sparks placed his hoof on his heart. 'Please, just believe me. I wanted to get in contact with you sooner, but there were always guards around you, and you were always busy working--and so was I--so I never got the opportunity.'
'I wasn't asking for excuses,' Alces said, 'I was asking for the plan.'
Sparks cleared his throat. 'Alright then.' He swallowed, as if some distant memory tortured his heart for a second. 'Somepony whom I used to love very much explained the plan in detail to me. I know she can be trusted, although she is a bit of a... lovermare, so to speak. She gave me this.' Sparks rummaged through a box next to him, and pulled out a shiny object. Alces recognized it. It looked like one of the vials of regeneration potion the unicorns gave him when he was being interrogated.
'I know that stuff.'
'I hope you do, because I don't,' said Sparks. 'This is supposed to make you feel better, but I wanted to wait to give it to you until you woke up.'
Alces frowned. 'Wait, that's the plan? Just mending me?'
'No, there's more.' Sparks placed the vial on a table. 'She gave me a schedule which lists the times the guards are changed. According to her, you should be able to figure out a gap and see if you can slip away unnoticed.'
'Stealth was never my strong suit,' Alces said, biting away a curse. 'And how did she even get to such a schedule if she's not a guard herself?'
'I'm not sure. I asked her the same thing, and she said she got it from another pony.' Sparks swallowed something away. Was there a tear in the corner of his eye? 'I don't know who it is, but I guess he must be her newest plaything, so to speak.'
Alces used to fight for love. He could easily guess what Sparks insinuated. Yet, that wasn't important right now, so he just said, 'Continue.'
'Once you're out on the streets, under the cover of night, you should head on over to the residential district, all the while keeping clear of the walls. She told me that was the only weak spot of the plan. As soon as you're discovered, you're toast.'
Alces glanced at his burned behind and back. 'Love the metaphor,' he said mockingly. 'Is there more?'
'Oh, I'm sorry,' Sparks said. 'And yes, there is more. You should go to a house with green curtains, and knock on it like this.' Sparks rapped his hoof on the edge of the wooden bed. 'Three short knocks, three long ones, and then three short ones again.'
'But how do I know it is the right house? Surely there must be more houses with green curtains than just the one. And if I'd knock on the wrong door and somepony sees me, an elk, standing on his doorstep, I'll be exposed anyway.' Alces snorted. 'I don't like this plan at all. It's overly complicated. Only my brother and his friends would be able to concoct up something like that.'
Sparks raised his hooves in the air. 'Hey, don't look at me. I'm just the messenger.'
'Yeah, right.' Alces shifted his weight. He placed his forehooves on the ground, and moved his hind hooves as well. Sparks wanted to help him stand up, but Alces shrugged his hoof away. 'If I can't even stand up, what's the use of a plan?' It took him some effort, but he finally managed to stand on his own hooves.
'Great! We're making progress,' Sparks said.
'But I still don't know about this plan,' Alces said. He was entirely focused on staying upright, and didn't look at the smith. 'In fact, the only part I like about it is the vial.' He nudged with his head towards the potion. 'Give it to me.'
Sparks grabbed the vial and wanted to hand it to Alces.
'Does it look as if I have a free hoof?' Alces snapped. 'Uncork it and put it in my mouth.'
'But that is not according to the instructions.'
'What?!' Alces's fiery eyes met the smith's gentle eyes.
'Strawberry Bl--eh... I mean the pony who gave it to me said that it is very powerful. I should give you a few drops every day, so you can recover steadily and--'
'Just give me the damn vial,' Alces said, his voice vicious and dangerous. 'I'll decide what's good for me.'
'But, are you sure you--'
With remarkable speed, Alces snatched the vial out of the blacksmith's hooves. He swayed a bit, but managed to stay upright. Then, he took the cork off the bottle, spit it out, and drank the contents of the vial with one big swig.
Sparks said nothing, but took the empty vial once Alces was done with it. He had no idea how to react. For all he knew, Alces might have spoiled the whole operation.
At first Alces felt nothing, just a nasty taste in his mouth. But then the potion started to work. A soft glow, not the painful heat of the smoldering coals, but more of a gentle sunrise, emanated from his stomach. It began to spread through his whole body. His head felt clearer, the colors and smells more vivid. Alces swore he could hear his very own heartbeats. The stumps where the dull sawblade had violently cut off the antlers got overgrown with a sensitive skin layer--a healthy sight for an elk. Then, the mysterious potion reached his forelegs. It felt as if his tired and worn-out muscles got replaced by a pair of new ones. He didn't have much trouble staying upright now, and his hooves felt stronger and more powerful. His stomach was next. Where before he had suffered continuous hunger and there was always a knot in it, the potion acted like a good dinner--multiple good and nutritious dinners. The hunger dissipated, and he discovered that he wasn't even thirsty at all. When the potion reached his hind hooves, replenishing the muscles and hardening the hooves, Alces looked at his cutie mark. Yes, the red skin turned into a more natural color. Yes, the blisters disappeared one by one. Yes, the pain and numbness vanished. Yet, his cutie mark didn't reappear. However good the workings of the potion felt, the double equal sign scars held their place onto Alces's flanks. Alces snorted. Some things were just too good to be true.
He grinded his teeth. Alces wanted to test himself. Feeling renewed energy coursing through his veins, Alces jumped up and down, ran a few circles around the fireplace in the hut, knocked over one or two things with his bucks, and ignored the calls of Sparks. He felt good. He felt as if he had aged a couple of years in that single moment, and grown into a stronger and more mature bull. At last he stood still, shook his head on his powerful neck, and said to Sparks, 'At least the potion isn't some poison. I guess you can be trusted after all.'
Sparks stood open-mouthed and regarded the beast that stood in front of him now. From the sickly, tortured soul was nothing left. Now there was a tall, powerful elk in front of him, looking down upon him with an almost regal stature. 'In all my years of treating burns, I have never seen anything heal somepony quite like that... And in all my years of strengthening metal, I have never seen a thing grow that strong that fast.' He glanced back at the bottle on the table. 'I wish you'd left something for me.'
'Too bad,' said Alces. 'But I will remember you, and find a way to get you out of here as well.' Soothing as his words were, something very familiar suddenly reappeared inside of him. Alces felt the rage. It was easy turning his newfound energy into anger. He just had to think of the right things... or ponies. 'I will do more than that,' he said, growling as he spoke. 'I will make sure this place will be taken down permanently. I will personally trample any guard unlucky enough to find himself in front of me, and I know very well where to start.' The image of Brawn floated back into his mind. That one second where he had shown the branding iron to Alces and smiled that sickly, smooth smile resurfaced and dominated his mind completely.
Sparks cleared his throat. He felt quite uncomfortable with Alces's dark words. In fact, he felt so small now that he found himself stuttering. 'W-w-well I don't know about that, but I do know that you are in tiptop condition for an escape mission. Let's take a look at the guards' timetables my friend--eh, acquaintance gave me.' He turned around and opened a few dressers. 'I'm sure I hid it here somewhere...'
But Alces had other ideas. 'You're a blacksmith, right? Do you also have swords or spears?'
Sparks stopped searching and gazed at Alces. 'Swords or spears? I'm a blacksmith, not a weapon smith.' But then he realized what Alces was thinking. 'Oh no. Oh no, no, no.'
'Yes,' Alces said. 'my antlers are gone, and I need a weapon. Give me anything with a tip and I will make it work for me.'
'But... But what about the plan?'
'To the Dark Elk with the plan!' Alces said through clenched teeth. The rage had completely filled every limb he had, and he could feel how his eyes were ablaze. 'I make my own plan, and it involves a sweet little revenge.'
'But that's insane,' Sparks said. 'The very reason I gave you that potion was for you to run, not to shed more blood. Don't you think you've had your fill of violence for the night?'
Alces shrugged his new, powerful shoulders. 'Okay, forget it then. You've shown your usefulness, but now it's time to take the matter between my own antlers.' He looked up at his disarmed head. 'I'll find my own weapons. I'll just take... this!' He reached out and grabbed a brand new hoe between his teeth.
'No, that was a rush order!' said Sparks. 'I helped you, and now you're gonna steal from me too?'
For a second, just a tiny second, Alces tempered his rage. He let the hoe fall. 'Don't get me wrong. I am very thankful for what you did. I will find a way to repay you, but this is hardly the time. Revenge first, repaying later. For now, I can only say, thank you.'
'You're... welcome?' Sparks said.
Alces grabbed the hoe between his teeth and opened the door. 'Farewell, smith,' he said, and then disappeared outside.
It was still night, but the sizzling light of the magical bubble did nothing to reveal that. Alces took two seconds too orient himself, and then galloped towards the hill. If Brawn would be anywhere, it would be in the guardhouse. It felt strange galloping with speed to the place where he barely escaped from with his life many days ago, but Alces knew it had to be done. There was a raging beast inside himself, and the only way to calm it down was by the defeat of that guardpony. And taking down his friends would be a nice bonus too.
Alces zigzagged through the fields, galloping with strong jumps over the boardwalks. In every field he passed, pony slaves quit their work for a second to watch the enormous speeding animal. They said nothing, but silently rooted for Alces, even though they knew it would make no difference for them.
Apparently, there weren't many guards around. Alces reckoned there must be fewer guards on patrol at night. Good riddance. He was almost on the top of the hill, and could already see the wooden building that was the guardhouse. Just a few more bounds and he was there. Just a few more jumps and he could smack his hoe against a guard or two. He was already looking forward to it.
He reached the top of the hill, and then he came to a halt.
Before him, there were only ponies in blue uniforms. There were so many of them, Alces didn't even have enough time to estimate how many. Maybe a hundred. They all stood together in orderly ranks. Their gazes were aimed at one guard standing on a stage, apparently giving a speech. Alces had three seconds to guess what they were doing before they spotted him. Were they listening to a leader? Were they training? Were they celebrating something?
'What the hay is THAT?!' the pony on the stage said, pointing in front of him. In one motion, all the guards turned around, and gazed at the lonely elk with the hoe in his mouth.
But he saw him! Alces could see how a big unicorn with a beard stood in the middle of them all, pointing ahead and calling out to his compadres. The rage in his heart came to a boiling point. But then the ranks of guards closed, and his enemy was visible no more. One hundred ponies stood between him and his enemy. No matter how much rage he felt, no matter how strong and powerful he felt and whatever energy coursed through his veins, he was not going to win this battle. Alces would never forget how he felt at that moment. He felt like the dumbest elk in all of Equestria. He realized his tactical mistake, and it was a big one.
The horns of the front ranks of guards glowed. They did a step forward, and took aim.
With a shake of his head, Alces recovered his wits. He turned around and flew down the hill. The ground flashed away underneath his hooves, as he ran for his life. They were not going to capture him again. No way. He'd rather die.
Luckily, even Alces, who was short for his kind, had longer and more agile legs than ponies. He managed to keep in front of the others as he raced along. Once again he jumped over fences and through fields with flabbergasted workers looking after him.
Further down below, there was something going on. A whole throng of forced laborers was being guided into the sleeping barracks. There were a few guards too, who oversaw them. They heard frantic, galloping hooves coming their way, looked up, and spotted Alces Roameling. The first two guards took aim, focused, and fired their magic. One of the bolts missed, but the other hit Alces in the shoulder. For a second, Alces lost his footing, and he fell down. Yet he quickly scrambled up again, shrugging off the pain. It felt as if a whole swarm of flyders had stung him with paralyzing poison, but Alces just ignored it. He shook his legs, and moved on.
That was something the guards hadn't expected. Normally, whenever they shot something, it went down. They were too stunned to do anything, and both of them paid for that moment of distraction with a hoe in the face.
Alces grinned as he heard their teeth break against the wood. Before him was still a ribbon of workers with some guards behind it, but Alces didn't care. He took a few steps back, made a circle, and jumped over all of their heads. Both the guards as well as the workponies looked in awe at the enormous jump. But as soon as Alces landed again, rays of magic flashed and came down left and right of him. Behind him, the guards were shooting. Alces got an idea. He breathed in deep, and then shouted, 'If you have any value for bravery and freedom, then help me!'
It worked. The workponies and slaves gathered themselves together. In large groups, they stood in front of the guards, blocking their field of view. A group of stallions even went as far as attacking the guards, who were outnumbered. Shouts and yells and punches and the sound of hoofsteps and magical spells resounded. Alces was tempted to look back, but decided to move on and spend his time in a more useful way.
He knew there should be an entrance or exit close by. Alces saw no way of breaching a hole in the magical bubble like his brother had done, so escape should come in the form of one of the guarded entrances. He only hoped there wouldn't be that many guards actually guarding the entrances. It was late, so maybe he was in luck...?
He had reached the bottom of the hill. It wasn't far now. Many stone pillars flanked him on either side, and on every pillar stood a unicorn, busy upholding the bubble with his or her magic. Alces was glad they were so concentrated and focused on their task. If they looked down, they would have an ideal spot on high ground to launch magical spells and stun rays towards him. But they didn't. One long jump brought him in a field, and another out of it, over the fence. He was galloping on a stone walkway now, one of the big roads--a big road hopefully ending at one of the guarded entrances. Apple trees left and right obscured Alces's vision for a moment, and only when he reached the end of the orchard did he see what lay in front of him: the way out.
A platoon of guards, easily thirty of them, stood in front of the entrance, heels braced, horns towards him. With a screech, Alces came to a halt. He froze. That was not going to work. He quickly glanced left and right, but there were only more stone pillars and apple trees. He wondered for a second why the guards weren't shooting at him yet, but then he got his answer when he looked back. Ponies in blue uniforms raced through the apple orchard, came to a halt behind Alces, and took the same waiting position. Alces snorted and bowed his head down, as if he were fighting another bull. How in Equestria did they gather up so quickly?
Suddenly, a very familiar voice answered him. 'Minor telepathy, humpback.' When Alces looked closely, he saw how Brawn with his beard elbowed himself a way to the front of the platoon. 'We learned from your pathetic rescue attempt, but I can't say the same from you.'
'I came to teach you a lesson!' Alces shouted, 'and I am still planning to fulfill that promise.'
'Good luck with that, humpback,' Brawn said. As they spoke, more ponies arrived and joined the platoons on either side. Alces was trapped between the jaws of a blue-uniformed beast.
'Sir, shall we fire?' one of the other guards asked Brawn.
'No,' Brawn said. 'First I want to see to it that he surrenders. I love the sound of a good surrender in the evening air. It would make my day.'
'I'm not going back. You know that!' said Alces.
'We'll see about that,' said Brawn. 'As soon as we have you, you're mine again. As soon as we have you, you'll be back where you belong, living a life of shame and torture. I'll come visit you every day and who knows? We might become friends?'
As he talked, Alces scanned the surroundings. Trees. Stone pillars. Guards. A blocked entry. It didn't seem he had many options left. He had no time left either, as Brawn started speaking again.
'Fire at will on my command!' he called. The front rank of ponies bent down, so that the rank behind it could fire over the shoulders of the front. Both the platoon in the orchard as the platoon at the entrance performed this maneuver. Alces almost had to shield his eyes from all the lightened horns.
'Three!'
But there must be somewhere to go.
'Two!'
Only his flanks were exposed.
'One!'
What to do?
'Fire!'
Alces made a decision. He braced himself, and jumped. Magical missiles sailed past him and over him, and he could hear some shouts from the guard platoons. The idiots had accidentally aimed at each other. Alces wanted to laugh about that, but one of the bolts hit him in the side. He had to shake the pain away, but then he moved on. He was now in the apple orchard. He reckoned now that there were some obstacles between himself and the guards, he might have a chance to come up with some clever idea.
'No, you idiots!' Brawn shouted. 'Stay together and move in a line. He has nowhere to go!'
Alces zigzagged between the apple trees. Occasionally a bolt of magic whizzed past his ear and buried itself in the tree or the ground. Left and right, left and right. Alces tried to make himself as hard a target as he could, and it worked, because he didn't get hit again. He looked over his shoulder. There was blue between the green of the trees.
That was a mistake. Alces slammed at full speed against a wall. But he didn't have time, shook himself, and got up. He had reached the end of the apple orchard. Before him was only a wall of pink, sizzling energy, upheld by the unicorns on the stone pillars.
'A dead end, humpback! Now you come with me!'
Brawn and about a dozen other guards had reached Alces too. This time they didn't wait, but shot immediately.
Alces jumped, avoiding the bolts. As soon as he landed, he looked back at the shimmering membrane. Alas, no holes.
'We upgraded our spells so we won't fall for the same trick again, as you can see,' said Brawn. He and his guards were not in a hurry, now that their prey was cornered. They leisurely walked closer, step by step, horns glowing. 'We're not as dumb as deer.'
Alces didn't want to be dumb. He wanted to be clever. He wanted to have a creative solution now. He wanted his brother to be here, and whisper some plan in his ear that hadn't even crossed his mind. Alces winced, as he realized that was exactly what had happened in the hut of the blacksmith. Only he had been so dumb as to ignore it completely. He blinked. Was there still a way to save the plan? Was there still a way to save himself?
'Gotcha!' Brawn fired a sizzling bolt of magic at Alces. Like a limbo dancer he ducked, so the bolt hit the membrane. It ricocheted off the magical sphere, and hit an apple tree right in front of Alces, leaving a stain on the brown wood.
Alces followed the bolt, the tree, and his gaze went up. Then he realized what to do.
'He's moving! Fire!'
But Alces ignored the magic flying around him. He tossed the hoe in his mouth, and made for the apple tree. With one jump, he was in it.
'Whoa!'
He'd always loved climbing hills and mountains, but trees were a whole different thing. The branches bent under his weight, and the tree swayed a bit. But it held.
'What the hay is he doing?' Brawn said. He and his guards galloped towards the tree as well. 'Fire!'
Looking up, Alces picked out the next branch. He jumped, grabbed it, and pulled himself up. This branch was even thinner than the first, but Alces knew he had someway to go still. He tried to concentrate with the sizzling magic all around him. One more branch. He focused, bent through his knees, and jumped.
'This is insane! Elks don't climb trees!' Brawn yelled. 'Go on, after him!'
Some of the guards broke formation and tried to get up the tree as well, but their legs and their backs were too short to reach the first branches. They soon gave up, and instead fired straight upwards into the tree.
'Ouch!' Alces couldn't help but yell and curse. One of the bastards hit him in the flank, right on the spot where he now bore the equal sign scars. His hooves slipped. Alces screamed. 'GRAAAH!' He forced his body to cooperate. Just one more jump and he'd be up.
On top of the pillar.
Brawn realized that too now. 'He's going for the pillar!'
The apple tree and the stone pillar were almost at the same height. Alces reckoned he could make it with one final jump, if he did it correctly. There was a pink unicorn on top of the pillar. Her eyes were closed, and her horn glowed. She was busy as a bee, and hadn't even noticed the fight going on down below.
'Shoot him! Shoot him!' Brawn yelled. But he sounded more scared than amused now. Was he going to lose his favorite toy?
Alces looked at the unicorn. He shifted the hoe in his mouth, until it was comfortable. Then he concentrated on the edge of the stone. One more jump. He stretched his legs, shaking the rest of the paralyzing magic out of them. This has to go right. His muscles tensed, he braced himself, and jumped.
Almost.
His forehooves managed to grab the stone platform that made up the top of the pillar. His body slammed into the side, almost making him drop the hoe. Alces gritted his teeth. His hind hooves swung in the air, but he had to make them work. He scrambled against the side of the pillar, and, focusing all his strength and rage and energy into his revitalized forelegs, pulled himself up.
Magical bolts slammed into the stone of the pillar. 'He's there! He's on top of the pillar!' Brawn yelled in disbelief. 'Bring down the pillar. Everyone, focus on the pillar!'
'But what about the unicorn on top?' said one guard.
'I don't care about him--or her. I want that elk. NOW!'
'You can't be serious?!' the guard said. 'There is a living pony on top of that, and you want us to let her tumble down?'
'Yes!'
While the guards were bickering amongst themselves, Alces took his chance. 'Catch!' he shouted down, as he took the hoe, curled it around the unicorn's hooves, and jerked her off the platform. She screamed and yelled as her concentration was broken and she tumbled down. There was a thud, but whether the guards had been able to catch her or not, Alces couldn't care less. With the unicorn gone, the shield started dissolving right in front of the pillar.
Break one link, and the chain is useless, Alces thought by himself.
But the hole wasn't big. It didn't reach all the way down. Also, Alces had no idea if there would be leaves or something else to break his fall on the other side, the side of freedom. This was the dicey part of his panic-woven plan. He had to take the leap of faith.
'He's not gonna jump,' Brawn said, although he uttered the words with the intonation of a question, and not a confirmation. 'He's not gonna jump. No way. He can't be that crazy. He's not gonna jump. Oh no.'
Alces jumped. It all went in slow motion. He could see the guards beneath, bathed in light from the magical bubble. Then he saw the edge of the bubble. Then he saw nothing, as he entered the nightly darkness and his eyes needed time to adjust.
WHAM! Alces hit something. Something soft and stringy tickled his fur like fresh summer grass, and then he sacked through the stuff. He slammed belly-first onto the floor of the house. The room was dimly lit by a fire, and three ponies sat at a table, being rudely interrupted from their supper. They gasped as they looked upon the intruder.
'What is that creature?'
'I think it's a... stallion?'
'What the hay are you doing here?'
Alces saw stars, but he didn't have time. He snorted, grunted, and shook his head to chase the stars away. His belly hurt, and he knew he had strained his legs, but even for pain he had no time. He only used two seconds to look up and spot the hole in the straw roof. Then he looked for his weapon, grabbed it in his mouth, and headed towards the door. Leaving the flabbergasted family to judge for themselves, he entered the streets of Scribbler's City. |
Brothers 'N Antlers | Chapter eleven: underground | In the weeks that passed, Elkia didn't sit still.
Well, in a literal sense of the word he did sit still. Immediately after his brief visit to the town, Starlight Glimmer put him to work. He was chained to a table which was fixed to the ground, sat on a chair, and had his typewriter in front of him all the time.
And he worked. What else could he do? Starlight Glimmer gave him various writing jobs to complete. Elkia wrote posters which soon hung all around the town, preaching the promise of equality and sameness on every street corner. He also wrote speeches for Starlight Glimmer, so that she could have motivational talks with her subjects every single day, reinforcing her reign with words of iron. But there was time to write creative works as well. Under the watchful eyes of Starlight Glimmer, he wrote a couple of books, children's books too, about how beautiful life in the village was, and how awful and chaotic the world outside was supposed to be.
Yet, Elkia didn't feel happy about it. Starlight Glimmer had given the builders the order to make an extra house, and until that time Elkia slept in his cage in Starlight's place. But that was not why he was unhappy. He was forced to write things he didn't agree with, things that went against everything he was told as a child, and everything he had learned of the world after that fateful night almost a year ago. But that too, was something he could live with. Elkia just shook his head, furrowed his brows, and did what Starlight Glimmer asked him to do: write stuff. The thing he was most unhappy about was his brother. Not a day went by when he wasn't thinking about him. Elkia knew he'd never see him again. Hay, after the escape attempt, Elkia reckoned his brother might have been murdered for that. Elkia had no idea if Alces was alive or dead, and that thought tortured him every day.
Starlight Glimmer treated Elkia well. She gave him enough food, prepared by her personal chef who also still had his cutie mark, and made sure not to put too much pressure on the shoulders of the elk. In fact, after the first week, she removed Elkia's leg irons, saying he was no longer a prisoner, but a member of the community. Even though Elkia didn't feel like that at all, he was welcome.
The daily mind readings soon turned into something done once every two days, then three, up until the point Elkia couldn't remember when Starlight last read his mind. The dictator slowly gave him more and more personal space and alone time. She was happy with what Elkia produced. Whatever it was, if it came from Elkia's hooves, he made sure to make something beautiful out of it. That was the spark, the artist's spark Starlight Glimmer had suspected housed in Elkia's body and mind. Of course, she had been very right. Although they barely spoke to one another, Starlight showed her apprehension by the little freedoms she gave back to the elk.
Despite the leg irons gone and the mind readings growing more and more rare, Elkia was cautious. He never thought about diverging things when he was around Starlight Glimmer. He tried to keep his mind as hidden from her as he could, pretending to embrace the philosophy of her town, however hard it was. Yet he often went on walks around town, visiting the different shops and stores and bars and cafes, trying out horrible recipe after horrible recipe. But of course, he didn't just go outside to clear his mind and try the local delicacies. He was still thinking about some way out.
Elkia knew he was in the middle of the desert, and he also knew he had no idea where exactly he was, but he also reckoned there must be some way out. There always was. In every good story, there was a way to escape. He looked at the distant mountains, fantasizing a secret tunnel which led back to civilization--real civilization, not the plastic one created here. He looked at the sand and imagined a spirit or ghost popping up from the dunes and guiding him towards another place. However strange and fantastical these thoughts were, they did pave the way for a more realistic idea popping up in his mind.
The dry and arid desert was a bad place for farming. The sand was not that fertile, and the small farms that tried to grow fruits and cactus juice could barely sustain the pony population. And where did they even get the soil needed to grow stuff? Elkia walked past the gardens and pondered over that question. The tiny little gardens, the recipes and ingredients, and the clothing the ponies wore indicated that some things were imported.
And right at the same day, Elkia's theory proved to be reality. Something strange floated high in the sky, right over the village. At first Elkia thought it was a flock of vultures or other black and nasty birds like crows, but he was wrong. When Elkia returned to Starlight Glimmer, she immediately asked him to get pen and paper and make an inventory list.
'An inventory list?' Elkia said. 'Like a delivery?'
'You're smart, Elkia, and you're right,' Starlight Glimmer said. 'Right now, as we speak, ponies are busy unloading the zeppelin in a hidden cave, dropping off much-needed supplies. When a grey pony with a blue mane returns to me, he will tell me exactly what is in the boxes, and you will write that down.'
'But, do you mean--'
'No more questions,' Starlight Glimmer said. 'You must be desperate to go and see for yourself if you can use the zeppelin to get out of here.'
'How did you know--'
'If you're caged and doing forced labor,' Starlight said with a cold smile, 'you would be an idiot not to think about some means of escape. I don't have to read your mind for that.'
'I... I understand,' Elkia said, his gaze to the floor in shame.
Starlight took Elkia's chin with her hoof and lifted it. 'I just don't want you to get yourself hurt trying to do silly things,' she said in a tone that hinted at compassion. 'That hidden place in the mountains is far away from the village, and it will make your collar turn the darkest shade of red. Trust me, Elkia. There is no way of escape there.'
And so Elkia's plans of escape were dashed, momentarily. The whole thing with the zeppelin delivery didn't leave his mind, and questions swirled around the big, black shape. Where was the zeppelin coming from? And, a question that interested Elkia much more than the first one: how did Starlight Glimmer signal the captain what she needed?
Today was yet another sun-glaring, hot, and dusty day. Elkia was walking outside, strolling over the main street (and only street) that cut through the village. The villagers were quite used to him now, and knew what he was doing. Everyday they saw the posters he made, and every night they read their colts and fillies from the books dripping with propaganda which Elkia had written. Elkia never had to pay for anything, and the villagers always wished him a good day and smiled towards him. If Elkia didn't know better, he'd say that he was actually getting famous and loved. But then again, Elkia never knew if the smiles were genuine, or just a mask painted on the face.
Yes, despite Elkia living in the illusion Starlight Glimmer created, he was still looking for genuine ponies. He was still looking for ponies that were willing to talk with him in an honest way, and not say the same thing everypony said. 'The village is nice, and Starlight Glimmer is nice, and being equal is nice, and having no cutie mark is nice.' Nice, nice, nice, everything was nice, according to them. Elkia silently wondered how many were lying and how many were telling the truth. He rarely managed a smile himself, as the very thought of this fake community made him sad.
Suddenly, Elkia noticed something was different. When you walk the same street every day and watch the same houses every day, differences are easy to spot. There was a new shop in town. How long had it been here? The clay and limestone of the house were just as weatherworn as the rest of the houses, so the building itself wasn't new, but the freshly painted sign shaped like a cupcake rocking gently in the wind surely was.
'Do you like it? Made it myself.'
'Whoa!' Elkia hadn't noticed the pony standing by his side, looking at the sign as well. Her hide was a very, very light pink--more grey than pink, actually--and her purple mane was tied up in a neat bun, just like many others of Starlight Glimmer's village. Her eyes were a deep turquoise, and she looked curiously at Elkia.
Elkia regained his composure, and scratched the back of his head. 'Oops. I'm sorry, I'm a bit jumpy. Must have something to do with the weather or so...' He glanced once more at the pony, rubbing his goatee. 'Have I met you before?'
The pony giggled. 'I have seen you walking around town a couple of times. We don't get that many elks in town, and with "not that many" I mean zero.'
'Oh, okay.' Elkia stuck out his hoof. 'Pleased to meet you. The name is Elkia Deerling, and I am'--he bit his lip and forced the words out of his mouth--'I am Starlight Glimmer's personal writer.'
The pink pony took the hoofshake, looking as cheerful as the other villagers. Nothing special there. 'Name's Sugar Belle. I didn't even know Starlight Glimmer had a personal writer.'
'Well, she does, and it's... me,' Elkia said. 'Weren't you at my big "initiation?"'
'I don't think so. I must have missed it,' said Sugar Belle.
There was a very awkward silence, broken only by the breeze and the rocking of the cupcake-shaped sign. Elkia poked at the sand with his hoof, unsure what to say. The only thing he thought about was how strange it was that Sugar Belle had missed that awkward moment where he met everyone in town. Apparently, it hadn't really been everyone.
Luckily, Sugar Belle helped him out. 'I have actually been living in the village for a very long time, but I finally decided to take the step and open a bakery for myself just a few days ago. Would you care for a muffin?'
Elkia found himself nodding, but before he could say something back to Sugar Belle, she already headed to her door. 'Just take a seat anywhere and I'll be right back, Elkia.'
'Oh, yes, thanks...' Elkia searched for a shaded spot and sat down. He should never have said yes to Sugar Belle's offer. However sweet and cheerful she looked, Elkia wasn't in the mood to have his stomach twisted by an awful feat of bakery. No, if anything, he wanted to be alone and think, think about the zeppelin and how he could use it to get out of here.
The table he had chosen stood opposite of Starlight Glimmer's house. Elkia could see her moving around in the living room through the window. Her horn glowed. Was she writing something? Elkia had never before seen Starlight Glimmer write something down. Usually, she would dictate something and he himself would write it down. However small and unimportant this little discovery seemed, Elkia kept eyeing his master through the window.
Starlight was done. She floated the pencil away and read her note over. Elkia noticed that she was holding just a small piece of paper. He reckoned that whatever she was writing, it wasn't important. Perhaps it was a list of groceries?
Starlight Glimmer moved towards one of the other windows. Elkia could barely spot her now. Only her purple and blue tail could be seen. She opened the window, and then something truly curious happened. Suddenly, a big, black bird landed on the veranda. It cawed once, twice, and then Starlight let the bird in. Just a few seconds later, it flew out of the window again, and disappeared into the distance.
Elkia's eyes were wide. By sheer luck, he had found out how Starlight sent her messages. He felt his breath quicken, and fidgeted with his hooves. He was already thinking ahead, thinking about something he could think to cover up his discovery. He knew something that Starlight Glimmer tried to keep a secret!
'Elkia, are you okay?'
Elkia jolted. Once again, Sugar Belle stood next to him, bearing a platter with a muffin, and once again, he hadn't heard her coming. 'Yes, yes, I'm fine,' he said, rubbing his temples. 'I was just... deep in thought.'
'So, you're the thinking kind, huh?' Sugar Belle said. She put the platter down in front of Elkia. 'It's good to think a lot, I do that sometimes too. But now I won't disturb you further. Bon appetit!'
Sugar Belle disappeared. For a brief moment, Elkia regarded the muffin. It looked drab and grey, just like the houses in Starlight's village. This was not going to taste good. But Elkia knew he wasn't here for the muffins anymore. He sat still and observed Starlight's house, all the while taking small bites and trying not to let the awful taste of the muffin interrupt his musings. How was he going to catch one of those birds? How was he going to write a message in secret? And how was he going to make the bird head on over to Scribblers' City and deliver the message to the right ponies? No matter how much he stroked his goatee or nibbled his muffin, he couldn't come up with a plan.
A while later, Sugar Belle reappeared. She took the empty plate and regarded Elkia. 'Was it good?'
'The best,' Elkia said, not even half aware of his lie.
'Would you like another one?'
Actually, Elkia wouldn't even want a muffin if Sugar Belle paid him for it. Yet he still wanted to sit here and look at Starlight Glimmer's house. Maybe she was going to write another message? 'Yes,' he said, but then he caught himself, remembering something from Scribblers' City. 'Wait! Do you have lemon muffins too? Those were my favorite from the city.'
After a five second silence, Sugar Belle grabbed the empty plate and retreated into her bakery. 'Coming right up.'
Elkia waited and waited, all the while looking at Starlight Glimmer's window. But, much to his disappointment, she couldn't be seen again. Perhaps she was reciting her new speech in the writing room. Silently, Elkia hoped she still had a message to send, or maybe the bird would return with the answer.
TAP, TAP, TAP.
Someone tapped on the window. Not starlight's window, but Sugar Belle's. Elkia raised his eyebrows and looked through the window on his right.
TAP, TAP, TAP, the sound came again.
Did Sugar Belle want him to pay inside? But... Elkia looked down at the table. His lemon muffin had never arrived.
TAP, TAP, TAP.
'Alright, I'm coming,' Elkia said. He stood up and entered the bakery.
'Shush! Be silent,' Sugar Belle hissed to him once he was inside.
Elkia cocked his head. She didn't sound so friendly anymore. Her smile had disappeared, and now her eyes looked left and right and left again, as if she were waiting for someone.
'I beg your pardon?' Elkia said.
Sugar Belle moved past him, closed the door of the bakery, locked it, and turned the "open" sign to "closed." 'Follow me.' Sugar Belle retreated further into the bakery, and motioned for Elkia to follow. Perhaps the cash register was somewhere in the back?
They entered a hallway. Sugar Belle suddenly leaned down, rolled up a piece of the carpet, and exposed a cellar door underneath it. Without a word, she opened it. Warm candlelight flickered down below. Once again, Sugar Belle motioned for Elkia to go ahead.
'Wait, in there?' Elkia had no idea what was going on now, but he was certainly not going to walk into a trap.
'It's our hideout,' Sugar Belle hissed. 'Just go in there and I'll explain everything later on.'
Elkia took a moment to look into the pink pony's eyes. Her brows were furrowed, and her whole expression looked dead serious. She bit her lip, and glanced backwards, but there was nopony to be seen. 'Hurry!'
'You go first,' Elkia said, warily as he was.
'Ah, I understand. You're a cautious creature, aren't you?' Sugar Belle said. She stepped in front of Elkia and down the stairs into her cellar. 'Just make sure to cover it up behind you.'
Elkia shook his head. What the hay was going on?! Sugar Belle hadn't looked evil when she served him, yet her whole poise radiated something new now. Something strange and uncomfortable and sketchy, almost like Starlight Glimmer. Hesitating, Elkia did a few steps into the cellar. He did as she asked, reached back, and covered up the hidden door with the carpet as well as he could. Then he went down.
'Party Favor, Night Glider, this here is Elkia Deerling, our newest asset.'
It took Elkia a moment to let his eyes adjust to the dim light of the cellar, but when he finally could see something, he saw two hooves reaching out to him. Out of reflex, he shook them.
'Glad to see more recruits are eager to fight for the good cause,' one of them said. He was a light blue unicorn with a darker blue, curly mane. As he talked, the corners of his mouth went upwards, so it looked as if he were smiling as he talked.
'Yes, glad to see that even a celebrity like you is on our side. And by the way, what did you think about the lemon muffin thing?' the other pony, a pegasus dark as the night with a white mane said as she shook Elkia's hoof. 'I thought that up myself. Nopony is going to get in here without my ingenious passphrase.'
Elkia looked at them all, and then glanced around the cellar. There were about two dozen other ponies in there. There was a bar with a stallion behind it, serving food and drinks to whoever wanted some. There were some tables and barrels to sit on, and a huge blackboard covered the side of the room, well-lit by chandeliers with many candles. The whole place had an aura of secrecy around it, drifting in the dusty air. It was the same aura Sugar Belle wore.
But Elkia was quite tired of this secret thing. He wanted some answers. 'Well, I don't know what to think about the lemon muffin, because I didn't even get any,' he said. 'The only thing I got was a tour to this strange place, and I must say I am terribly confused. Can somepony please tell me what's going on here?'
A few ponies, sitting and talking around a table, ceased their conversation. Elkia felt gazes glare at him from everywhere.
'You mean you were actually ordering lemon muffins?' Night Glider said slowly, stressing every word as if speaking to a hard-hearing old stallion.
'And you are not with the others?' Party favor said.
Only Sugar Belle was silent, but gasped with wide open eyes, as she realized her mistake.
'Which others?' Elkia said. He still didn't get his answer.
'"O-t-h-e-r-s,"' Party favor spelled out. 'Other-thinkers.'
'Well, I do think a lot myself, and yes, I do have certain opinions of this place, but--' and then it dawned to Elkia. This secrecy, this underground place, this ominous name... He jumped up, bumped his head against the roof, and spoke rapidly. 'Y-y-you mean you're all... Is this some kind of resistance? A secret group?'
Night Glider and Party favor shared a glance with Sugar Belle, an angry one. 'Sugar Belle, you had one job,' Night Glider said. 'To recruit new other-thinkers if they know the passphrase. And now you let him in? Don't you know who he is, Sugar Belle? He's Elkia Deerling, the personal writer of Starlight Glimmer. I thought it was strange for him to be here with us, and now my suspicions are correct. He's not with us! In fact, I know for certain that as soon as he walks out of this room, he'll tell Starlight all about us. We're doomed!'
Sugar Belle bowed her head in shame. 'I'm sorry, everyone. I... I thought he knew the passphrase.'
'Whatever,' said Party Favor. He looked over to Elkia. 'We can't let him leave this place. Glider, fetch a rope. I'll tie him up.'
Once again Elkia jolted, bumped his head, and backed away. His long legs got caught in one of the barrels. He stumbled and fell, but quickly got up again and threw his hooves in the air. 'Please, no! No need for that! I... I am an other-thinker too.'
But Party Favor already had a rope in his hooves, and advanced on Elkia. 'We can't be sure, Mister Deerling. We can't take any risks.'
Looking at the table and what was on it, Elkia got an idea. He snatched up a jug of water from the table, and splashed it over his cutie mark. Immediately, the equal sign melted away, revealing his very own, unique cutie mark: his initials, which formed the antlers of a stylized elk. "Deerling"--member of the herd forever.
Everypony in the room gasped. Party Favor dropped the rope.
'If I didn't have my cutie mark, I wouldn't be such an able writer,' said Elkia, his voice sounding strange in the silence. 'Starlight wouldn't have any use for me.'
Suddenly, all hell broke loose. Ponies got up from their seats and walked over to Elkia. They threw their hooves in the air and shouted salutes. Many stuck out their hooves, and Elkia returned every hoofshake. He recognized some of the faces, ponies he had talked to or to whom he had sold a book. They knew him, and now that they knew he was on their side, they were quite happy about that.
'Deerling! Deerling!' they shouted. Some burly stallions grabbed Elkia and carried him out of the crowd. Elkia ended his crowd surfing session next to Sugar Belle, Party Favor, and Night Glider. Who all looked down and smiled.
Party Favor helped Elkia back on his hooves. 'It seems we have gained a powerful ally today,' he said.
'And all thanks to Sugar Belle,' Night Glider said, patting her on the back.
'Oh, please, enough about my silly mistake,' she said with a grin. 'Why don't we show our newest member around? I'm sure he is as flabbergasted as us right now.'
'Even more so,' Elkia said. He was smiling too now, as he knew it was definitely no trap he had walked into. 'Lead the way.'
They moved through the underground cafe, where everypony was once again doing what they were doing. 'This isn't just some ordinary secret society,' said Party Favor. 'This is also a place of recreation. Right here, in Sugar Belle's basement, ponies of the other-thinkers have a chance to be themselves again. They don't have to smile all day long, and they can happily discuss things and talk to one another without the fear of someone turning him or her in to Starlight Glimmer.'
'I see,' Elkia said. At every table there was a conversation going on, and Elkia was sure that every conversation would be about Starlight Glimmer and her regime. The ponies here were talking with earnest faces, yet the atmosphere was also laid back and sometimes even cheerful. Some stallions were laughing away, smiling real, genuine smiles. Somepony must have told a funny joke, a genuine funny joke. 'I see what you mean. Ponies can relax and get a break from everything.'
'Exactly,' said Party Favor. 'We all are not happy about Starlight's reign. Most of us are quite new here in town. These are ponies who soon realized that with their cutie unmarking, they didn't just lose their cutie marks, but also a piece of their soul, and their freedom. The ones that have been living here for a very long time, the old ones, have unfortunately been thoroughly brainwashed and indoctrinated.' He elbowed Sugar Belle. 'Except for our very own recruiter here.'
Sugar Belle blushed. 'Oh, please.'
Party favor resumed his tale. 'We might be able to win the old ones over eventually, but that's just a future dream.'
Elkia nodded. They reached a room, and opened the door, revealing a strange machine inside.
'I know what that is,' Elkia said. 'I used to gaze all day long at the printing presses in Scribblers' City. This looks like an older model.'
'It is,' said Sugar Belle. 'It was already standing here when I took over the house, with paper and ink and everything else ready to be used. You'd almost think the previous owners left it on purpose...'
'The previous owners?' Elkia said.
'Don't ask,' Night Glider said, when she saw Sugar Belle wasn't going to answer. 'They disappeared without a trace, as sometimes happens around here.'
The way Night Glider said the word "disappear" made Elkia shiver. He didn't ask for more details.
'Unfortunately, we don't know how to use it,' Sugar Belle said after a short silence. 'We do have a pony who used to be a reporter. He got stuck here when he was sent to investigate rumors of our town in the desert. But unfortunately he has been unmarked, so he can't use his special talent to operate the machine.'
'I...' Elkia looked the machine over another time. 'I think I can make it work.'
Night Glider and Party Favor exchanged a hoof bump. Elkia noticed it and smiled. 'So that's why you are all so happy with me. You want to use me for something.'
'Well... if you don't mind,' Sugar Belle said.
'Let's go back to the drawing board!' Night Glider announced. They walked out of the printing room and back into the underground cafe. Soon they became bathed in light, and stared at the blackboard. 'This is our board of ideas,' Night Glider said. 'Here we can write whatever we like.' She pointed to a corner. 'In here we have information, anything and everything that can be used against Starlight Glimmer is written right there.'
When Elkia let his eyes wander over the sentences, he saw one caption that caught his eye:
Still has her cutie mark?!
Elkia walked up to that line and rubbed it out with his fur. 'No need for that,' he said, 'for I can tell you right here right now that that is true.'
Night Glider and Party favor exchanged a mildly startled glance. 'He's good...' Party Favor said with a grin.
'And what's this side all about?' Elkia said, motioning to the right side of the blackboard.
'Those are our actual ideas,' Night Glider said. 'Boycotts, strikes, raids, revolutions, and other acts of civil disobedience. Basically, everything that would make Starlight's regime fall.'
'That seems quite... drastic,' Elkia said. 'Have you guys ever actually done this?'
Night Glider, Sugar Belle, and Party Favor shook their heads. 'No, we've never tried one of those plans,' Night Glider said.
'I understand why,' said Elkia.
'You do?'
Elkia nodded. 'You have built yourselves a solid community with real friendship. I know that having a community of your own is valuable, and needs to be protected.' Elkia's mind wandered off to Scribblers' City. 'If necessary with a wall and guards.'
'You're not stupid, Elkia,' Night Glider said. 'You know what we think. Of course we would want to do such things, but we don't want to miss this'--she motioned with her hoof around the cellar--'or each other.'
'If such an operation failed, the society of other-thinkers would be wiped clean, and we would all be reformed one by one,' Sugar Belle said.
'Reformed...?' Elkia said.
Everypony was silent for a few seconds, and shivered. 'Please, just... just don't ask,' said Sugar Belle.
'Very well,' said Elkia. 'But... how can I help you with my writing skills when you are next to powerless against Starlight's regime?'
Night Glider shook her head. 'We're just too few. If we had maybe a few dozen more ponies, we could easily execute one of these plans, and make a difference. All of us want our cutie marks, our identity, and our freedom back. Everyone is willing to fight for that. We simply need more ponies. But reaching out to potential members of the other-thinkers is so difficult. It's just so hard to know who can be trusted, and once we do find somepony not completely corrupted by the regime, we are having so much trouble communicating. The passwords, code phrases and quick messages'--she rubbed her face with her hooves--'it's just so hard!'
'Yes,' Party Favor said. 'We're sure that if more ponies knew of our existence, more would join. And if more would join, we can build an army, or at least an angry mob. That's sure to frighten Starlight, and make her see her wrongs. Hay, if we have ponies enough, we might even be able to overthrow her.'
'Imagine that,' Sugar Belle added, 'a whole new village, with a democracy where everypony gets to vote, and everypony gets to share his or her opinion. And of course, a new village where everypony is free to use his or her special talent, and build a brand new society--together. That is our ultimate goal. Doesn't that sound nice?'
'It does,' Elkia said. 'It does...'
Night Glider swooped down and poked Elkia on his belly. 'And that's where you come in, Deerling. With your writing skills, you are able to make flyers, or books with coded messages or maybe even a newspaper for us to hand out. We know who can be trusted, so about the distribution you don't have to worry. Just think up some nice lines with inspirational texts, and we'll make sure they end up at the right ponies.'
Party Favor nodded. 'With a bit of careful advertising, we'll be sure to win the hearts of more freedom-loving and other-thinking ponies.'
There was a small silence. Elkia knew that now he was supposed to say something. He rubbed his chin. 'I don't know. It sounds awfully dangerous. What if those papers end up in the wrong hooves?'
'That's a risk we have to take,' said Night Glider. 'But remember what I told you. We know who to trust and who not to trust. And if we all get caught, we'll make sure to keep our mouths quiet. Nopony is going to betray you, and certainly not after everything you did for us.'
'No guts, no glory,' Party favor added, smiling as he said it.
Sugar Belle softly stroked Elkia's fur. 'This might be the only chance we'll ever get. It's all in or nothing, and I'm sure all of these ponies will be dying to do something about that pretty little princess in her pretty little castle.'
'I'm not going to sow hate,' Elkia said. 'I'm just going to tell everypony the truth.'
'So you'll do it?' Night Glider said.
'To tell you the truth, I'm really not up for more secrecy,' Elkia said. 'I have had my belly full of secrecy the first day I arrived here.'
The others' hopeful smiles turned upside down into grim disappointment. Yet, they understood Elkia's choice. They did know that they asked quite a lot from him. Was it too much?
'But...' Elkia continued, 'I myself am also dying to spread the truth. I have used my writing skills only in favor of the regime, both in Scribblers' City as well as here. Maybe, just maybe, it's time to put my talent to good use--to honest use.'
After Elkia's words, there was total silence. Conversations died down around them. It was as if everypony felt that an important decision was being made, and everypony was eager to hear the outcome.
Once again Elkia thought about everything and everypony he had encountered during this strange afternoon. This whole operation did sound dicey, but if he could pull it off it would make him feel good. Hay, even if he'd get caught making secret pamphlets or newspapers he would feel good. In any way, he would feel as if he genuinely helped somepony, and was once again part of something bigger than him alone. Elkia made his decision.
'So yes,' Elkia said, 'I'll do it.'
Once again, all hell broke loose, and the crowd around them transformed into a cheerful mob--a mob ready for another chance.
Elkia stayed for a few more minutes to lay out the plan, but then he returned to the surface again. On his way to Starlight's home, he looked at the sun, and estimated how long he had been inside the headquarters of the other-thinkers. He hoped it hadn't been too long, and that Starlight Glimmer hadn't noticed. He reached the front door, opened it, and went inside.
'That was quite a long break you took, Elkia,' said Starlight Glimmer. Her tone of voice betrayed her suspicion all too clearly, and it made Elkia's neck hairs stand on end.
'I was visiting a new shop in town,' Elkia said. He didn't need to stutter or hesitate, for he told nothing but the truth. 'They sold muffins there.'
'I see...'
Elkia headed over to the writing room, as he knew that's where Starlight Glimmer wanted him to be. He sat down and shoved his typewriter closer to him. He was just about to type the first few words of his next project, when Starlight's hoof barred him the way.
'Mind reading. Now.'
A flame lit up in Elkia's stomach. He felt as if somepony caught him stealing. He had a lot of trouble forcing his hooves not to tremble. He licked his lips, and slowly moved his head to look in the dictator's eyes. 'Really? I thought, eh... I thought you trusted me. I thought we were partners. I thought I was a part of your beautiful society. I thought--'
Starlight's horn flashed with pale blue, shimmering light. Her eyes flared up, as she concentrated on the elk before her. 'How was the cupcake?'
'Great!' Elkia said. Panic gripped his heart and dominated his mind, so he hadn't noticed his mistake.
'Liar,' Starlight said. 'You said you were having muffins, not cupcakes. And right now, I can see how much you disliked it. You actually thought sand would be better to swallow than the dough of that "treat."'
Elkia swallowed. He wanted to back away, but found that he couldn't get up from his chair. Starlight had him cornered, both physically as well as mentally.
The cold tip of Starlight's horn touched Elkia's forehead. Starlight's eyes narrowed, as she browsed through the pictures in his mind. She smiled. She always loved using her powers. 'Oh, look at that,' she said. 'It seems you found out about my secret air express mail.'
Elkia could see his own thoughts and memories flipping by his subconscious eye like the pages of a book. There was no denying it. Starlight Glimmer could see everything. He wanted to bow his head in shame, but he was locked into position.
More glimmers of magic emanated from Starlight's horn. 'Well, don't worry about that, Elkia. I knew you were going to find that out sooner or later. But don't think about using it yourself. My birds are trained to head over to the leaders who are my puppets in my play. And besides that, I keep a magical lock on both my bedroom door and the cage with crows. You're not going to use them.'
'I'm not going to use them,' Elkia said, repeating Starlight's words with a dull, emotionless voice. He felt as if he had lost complete control of his body.
'Let's see what else is there...'
No! The next scene would be the secret meeting with Sugar Belle, Night Glider, and Party Favor. She was not supposed to see that. Elkia focused his willpower in his head. He had to shake the imaginary fetters loose, if only for a moment. He had to cover up the thought.
'You are struggling,' Starlight said, her voice cold and harsh.
Indeed he was. Elkia tried to overload his subconscious with images of things that had nothing to do with what he had experienced today. At first, he thought about something that had been on his mind for a long time today. He thought about the children's book he was working on. He wondered how he should write the climax, what to write and what not to write, and which characters to include.
Foxy and mousy and little piggy too. Perhaps they discover the secret Mousy has been keeping. Yes, that would make for an interesting plot twist. I should totally do that.
'Stop it, Elkia,' said Starlight Glimmer. Her eyes flared up with blue magical light. 'I know you can't be thinking about your projects all day long. There must be more.'
More, more, more! Elkia tried to think of more things, anything at all. Reaching back into dark corners of his mind, he went back to Scribblers' City. He wanted to remember happy things, and thought about a special somepony he had left behind. He thought about the light brown mare with the mane that wasn't quite blond and wasn't quite red. He thought about her lovely smile, and how she always talked to him as if he were a little foal. He liked that. It made him feel loved and cared for. Yes, Strawberry Blonde had been like a mother to him, the mother he had lost. She had comforted him, kissed him, loved him.
'That mare?!' Starlight said. She sounded genuinely angry now. 'Get her out of my sight, Elkia. I want to see more. Why are you even thinking about her so much anyway?'
Elkia thought about her because he was still not sure if he'd forgive her. They had been together until that strange and awkward night. And yet, for a moment they actually had been together after that. When she visited Elkia in his cage, right before he was shipped off, she had tried to show she still loved him. Elkia realized that she probably didn't even know where he was. He realized that she was perhaps home, sitting on her bed, softly crying and wishing for that one special somepony--that one special some-elk--to be back with her. To be back with her and be his funny, silly, naïve self. To be back and enjoy many more lovely and cozy moments together. To be back and cuddle, kiss, and create beautiful stories, just him and her.
'You've been lucky, Elkia,' said Starlight Glimmer. Her anger was shoved to the background, and only lesser irritation remained. But there was more. 'You've been lucky to see true friendship and camaraderie, maybe even love. That is how friendship should be.'
Elkia blinked. Somehow, he found himself talking back. He was regaining control of his own self. 'Did you never have that, Starlight?'
That was a bad mistake. Starlight Glimmer gritted her teeth and frowned. Her magic turned from blue to red. The beam of energy became a lightning bolt, striking in Elkia's mind and burrowing aggressively for information. 'Just let... me... see... the... rest!' she shouted.
Grimacing against the pain, Strawberry Blonde got dismissed from Elkia's mind. It wasn't enough. What else could he think about? While the lightning bolt dug deeper, darker thoughts and worries surfaced in Elkia's subconscious, with his greatest worry on top.
'Alces!'
There he was, the strong, battle-ready and gruff brother. He was hard to see, covered in shadows. Where was he? Was he alive? Was he still in Scribblers' City? Elkia tried to see, but the picture didn't reveal anything else to him. The only thing he could see was how Alces waited in the shadows, his eyes full of fire, brooding on something. But at least he was alive. Or wasn't he? Was this just a memory of his brother, or was this something more? Could he somehow see through all the miles that separated them, and check on his brother this way? Questions flooded his mind, and he knew, however much he wanted answers and not questions, that this was good.
'AARGH!' Starlight Glimmer grunted. She reared on her hind hooves, and doubled the assault on Elkia's mind.
Now Elkia grunted too, as the magic flowed through his head and the rest of his body. It tickled and stung him at the same time. It sought out every corner of his mind, every weak spot, to break through the door that held the secrets. Elkia tried to resist, even though new thoughts didn't appear in his mind. He thought his head was going to explode soon, or that steam would drift out of his ears.
Suddenly, it all stopped.
Elkia flew off his chair, and fell down upon the ground. When he got up, he watched Starlight Glimmer intently. Had it worked? Had he kept his thoughts hidden from her?
Starlight Glimmer blinked slowly. She shook her head, and her breathing calmed down. 'Now, that was quite... interesting,' she said.
Elkia saw a faint trace of a grin on his master's face. He knew that couldn't be good.
But Starlight was not going to reveal anything more to Elkia. She turned around. 'Go back to work, Elkia. We're almost done for today. I only need to write one little message and then we'll review your work together.' Without another word, she turned around and headed for her bedroom door.
Elkia watched until the door shut with a click. |
Brothers 'N Antlers | Chapter twelve: honor | Alces was one with the shadows. He made sure to stay clear of the lantern-lit main streets, and instead moved between the houses in narrow alleys. His eyes constantly scanned the surroundings, and his mind was constantly busy trying to remember the squares and districts and make a mental map. He hadn't seen much of the city when he'd arrived, and that lack of information was biting him in the tail now. He had reckoned that Scribblers' City was big, but he realized now it was far bigger than he'd expected.
He had snuck past something that looked like a marketplace, with a main road heading in southern direction. Alces was now following that road, using smaller, darker streets that ran parallel to the big road. He was not going to look for a house with green curtains. However much he wanted some answers, he was not going to find one house amidst the many wooden buildings in this terribly big city. Alces bit his lip. If only he had listened to Sparks the smith some more, he could have known what he was getting himself into and where exactly he was. He was sure that if, by sheer coincidence, he'd find that damn house, he would maybe even learn some more about his brother's whereabouts.
Of course Alces hadn't forgotten his brother. In fact, just a few minutes ago, he had felt something strange. He had felt as if he was connected with Elkia Deerling on a spiritual level. It had seemed as if Elkia was right beside him somewhere, but he couldn't see him and only felt his presence. The moment lasted for just a few seconds, but, thanks to that strange little experience, Alces knew--he just knew--that Elkia was alive. But where he was, he didn't know.
Yet he found out where he himself was. Looking ahead, Alces saw a big gate. It was closed now, and some guards--three of them--hung around the place. They didn't look very alert. They looked quite bored, in fact. That made Alces feel good. Brawn had spoken about minor telepathy, but apparently the telepathy wasn't strong enough to reach this part of town. Maybe it was too far away from the bubble, or maybe Brawn had been lying about it and only wanted to make Alces feel dumb. But Alces didn't care. The only thing he cared about now was leaving Scribblers' City behind, and after that find a way to get to his brother.
Somehow...
The gate was made of iron-bound wood, and looked sturdy and impenetrable. Two chains led through some pulleys, and ended at two large reels connected to two enormous treadmills. After a few seconds of peering and studying, Alces reckoned he knew how to open the gate. He only needed to get the treadmills moving, and the gate would open itself.
The only thing was that he was but one elk, and the gate needed at least two ponies to work. That was a problem.
Alces wanted to wait and think and try to come up with a plan, but he knew he was exposed. It would only take one pony to accidentally enter the alley and spot him, and all hell would break loose. Then he would once more be on the run, and Alces was tired of running. If anything, he would enjoy a good fight over flight.
The sound of hoofsteps could be heard. Turning around, Alces saw the source of it. A whole platoon of guards--at least a dozen of them in single file--wearing their blue uniforms and looking stern-faced, was marching on the main road, heading towards the gate. Alces bit his lip. If those ponies were here to reinforce the gate, his chances of escape would become very slim. There was no way he was going to get past all of them.
But apparently, news of his escape hadn't yet reached this patrol either. They made a curve, saluted the guards that were standing at the gate, and marched on. Alces pressed himself against the wall, but the guards didn't even cast one single glance at the darkened alley he was in. They all looked forwards, frowns on their faces, dead serious.
They were almost past Alces, when he got an idea. He needed something, a weapon of some sorts, to threaten the guards at the door with. He still had the hoe, but that wasn't enough. He needed a ranged weapon to threaten the guards at a distance, and make them cooperate. Alces glanced from the hoe in his hooves to the guard patrol. The only thing a hoe was good for was either smashing, or hooking...
Alces shuffled closer to the main street, being careful enough to blend in with the shadows. The guards were almost past him. He looked at the back of the platoon, judging the distance. Then, when the last pony walked past Alces's hideout, Alces reached out with the hoe, snagged the pony by the collar of his uniform, and jerked him into the shadows.
At least those stupid uniforms are useful for something, Alces thought, as he reeled in his catch like a fisher.
The guard was too surprised to do anything. Before he knew what happened, firm, strong hooves wrapped around his neck and his head. He tried to say something. 'By order of the guard, I--'
'Shut up or you'll be sorry very soon,' Alces hissed. He shifted his hooves to clamp around the guard's neck more firmly, reinforcing his threat. He had picked a nice victim. The pony wasn't heavy, and had a slim chicken-like neck. The perfect victim.
Alces wasted no time. 'I'm going to ask you a question, and the only thing you're gonna say is yes or no. If you so much as move too much, I'll wring you out like a wet tablecloth. Understood?'
The guard tried to nod, but found his head pinned. 'Yes,' he said.
'Good.' Alces relaxed his grip a little. He wanted the pony to speak, and not suffocate--yet. 'Do you know how to cast a stun ray?'
'Y-y-yes, w-w-we all know that sp--'
Alces tightened his grip. 'I said, yes or no. No stories.'
Wheezing, the guard tried to say something. Alces took that as a yes, and loosened his grip again. 'Now, do you know magic more powerful? Do you know spells that not only can stun, but also hurt?'
'Yes,' wheezed the guard.
'And kill?'
'Only elite guards know such--'
'Dammit!' Alces cursed, and squeezed the pony in his hooves. He had picked the wrong pony. This one was useless. So what to do now? He couldn't just let him walk free and warn his friends about the elk in the shadows. Alces sighed. He had never killed before, but he thought he knew how to. Squashy little ponies weren't hard to kill. Yet, he felt a little weird about it. This wasn't a fair duel where both contenders matched their strengths. This was an assassination, a cowardly attack in the shadows. Alces sighed once more, and made a decision. 'I'm sorry.'
The guard felt Alces's muscles tighten. He couldn't feel his neck anymore, and could barely breathe. Slowly, Alces squeezed harder, and then the pony realized he was fighting for his life, a fight he couldn't win. 'Wait,' he wheezed.
'I can't,' Alces snapped, 'but I said I was sorry, so no complaining.'
'I know how to cast killing magic.'
Was he speaking the truth, or was he just saying that to save his hide? Alces kept his grip tight. 'Really?'
The pony's hind hooves spasmed around. With a half-voice laden with panic, he said, 'I study magic, all kinds of magic. I know how to do it.'
'Really?'
The pony's limbs stopped moving around. 'Pl-pl-please. Whatever you need me to do, I'll...' and then he was out of air, and couldn't finish his sentence.
Alces considered what the pony said. He loosened his grip once again. 'If you're lying, then...'
'Yes, I know,' said the pony. 'Pl-pl-please don't kill me. I have a wife and children.'
'And I have a brother,' said Alces. 'And I made him the promise of coming back for him. But for now, I need to get out of here, and I need a living cannon. Are you going to be my living cannon?'
'Y-y-yes. Please, anything.'
Alces relaxed his muscles. The pony flopped down on the ground, gasping for air. Alces looked at the scrawny little creature, sneered, and said, 'Go catch your breath. Show begins in five minutes.'
'Th-th-thank you,' the pony said, but Alces wasn't looking at him anymore. He was watching the gate. * *
'Everypony, put your hooves in the air!' Alces yelled. He jumped out of the shadows, holding the unfortunate guard in his hooves. His one hoof was wrapped around his neck, and his other held him by the waist, carrying him like a living cannon.
The three ponies froze. Two of them stood by the treadmill, while a third one was on the walls. Alces noticed how the third one's horn began to glow. 'Extinguish your horn, fella. No magic, or I'll shoot you all dead!'
'With what?' said the third guard. He slowly climbed down the wall, frowning and with his horn still glowing.
Alces squeezed his guard's neck. 'Showtime, friend. Do your trick or I'll make sure you go down first. Maybe a pony shield is more important after all.'
'N-n-no, please!'
'Do it!'
The horn of his living cannon glowed too. But where the guard's horn glowed a glimmering blue, his guard's horn glowed red.
'Whoa there, what are you doing?' Upon seeing the red light, the guard suddenly froze. His eyes went wide. The glow of his horn disappeared. Alces looked from his weapon to the guard and smiled. 'This is your lucky day,' he said to his weapon.
The guards who stood close to the treadmills also saw the red glow. They too looked suddenly very pale. They backed off.
Alces didn't need to get more proof that his plan worked. He got down to business immediately. Pointing his living cannon at the guards at the treadmill, he said, 'One of you, or two, I don't care. Run in the treadmill and open the gate.'
They stood still for a moment, and exchanged a glance with the third guard, who was apparently their leader. 'Do it, for Glimmer's sake,' he said. 'Don't you see what he's got in his hooves there? He could kill us all.'
'I could, I can, and I will,' said Alces. He took a moment to grin. This felt good. It felt good to have some power back. Briefly, his thoughts went to old Cervidus, who had told him on his dying bed what power can do. He was right. 'Two of you in the left treadmill and you in the right one, "boss,"' he said. 'And if any of you slow down I might decide that only two of you will do the job just fine too.'
The guards did as they were told. Alces glanced from them to his weapon and then back down the street. It was late at night, and no one was going for a nightly stroll and was walking towards the gate. Good. Alces heard the chain pulling, wished that chains were more silent, and then turned his head back to the guards. The gate was already open.
Step by step, Alces neared the open gate. He could smell the fresh air with a hint of pine needles coming from the forest. He didn't need to go far. While he walked, he kept his living cannon aimed at the guards, but Alces could read the fear from their faces. Apparently, these guards weren't that brave after all. He went through the gate, and reached the edge of the forest. Then, he abruptly turned around, threw away his "cannon," and gave him a violent buck for good measure. The pony almost flew all the way back through the gate and into town. The guards charged their horns and shot some magic after Alces, but he had already disappeared between the trees.
Alces didn't look back, but raced through the forest. His tactic was to put as many miles between him and Scribblers' City as he could. He didn't feel tired at all, and the strength had remained in his new legs. Grinning, Alces reckoned he could run for hours, far longer than any of those cowardly guards could. Yes, Alces knew that this time, he was really free.
As he galloped and jumped over the earth covered in pine needles, smelling the sweet, nightly air, Alces's mind went to his brother. Now that he was free, it was time to think about freeing Elkia. While this plan had gone smoothly--with some minor panic-made improvisations here and there--now it was time to make a new plan. Now it was time to try and find his brother and get him out of trouble. Little did Alces know that many miles of forests, mountains, and sand separated him from his kin. But even if he had known that, Alces would surely not have given up. If anything, it would only have made him more determined.
How long had he been running? It wasn't that long, but Alces had the feeling that he had put quite some distance between him and the city. At least a couple of miles. He looked back, but saw nothing except trees. That was a mistake.
Pine needles rustled. Alces's legs got caught in something, and it made him trip. A moment later, he felt himself being lifted off the ground. He cursed and growled as he hung in mid-air, caught in a skillfully crafted net.
'I don't think so,' Alces said. He shook the surprise off, grabbed a piece of rope, and moved his head towards it.
Only then did he realize that he had lost his antlers.
Biting it was. Alces gnawed on the rope until it snapped. He grabbed another strand and bit into it, muttering curses under his breath as he worked. He was so busy freeing himself, that he didn't notice how he slowly became surrounded. Only when there were creatures all around him did Alces pause. He froze, screwed up his eyes, and met the gaze of someone he'd never thought to see again.
'Moussa!'
The king of the elks, deer, and reindeer stood before Alces, but he could hardly recognize him. Green energy sprouted from him, draping like a cloak around the elk's shoulders. The green fire held together his limbs, which were made partly of flesh, and partly of wood. A crown of green flames was upon his head, and his eyes looked dangerous and wise at the same time. 'Can someone please get him down?' he said. Even his voice was warped. It still had the haughty timbre of a king, but there was a strange and uncanny undertone to it. It was as if there were two elks speaking at the same time.
As Alces looked around, he saw many other elks, deer, and reindeer all around him. Some looked normal, but the vast majority of them was composed of the same mystical forces as Moussa. Some of them looked more wood than elk, and bore antlers flaming with green fire. Alces felt the rope jerking back and forth. Then suddenly it snapped, and he fell to the ground with a thud.
In a split-second, he was back on his hooves, facing Moussa. But Moussa wasn't looking at him. He stood with his back to Alces, and observed his subjects. 'I expected to catch a pony in there, but alas,' he said.
Growling, Alces cocked his head and snorted. 'Is that how you treat someone of your own kin?'
'That is how we treat those that can perhaps not be trusted,' Moussa said.
'Can't be trusted? How?' Alces said, his voice high with anger and confusion mixed in.
'Because I know for certain that you didn't stay and defend the Shimmering Eye with the rest of us. Otherwise I would have found your body in the woods. And instead I find you here. A strange coincidence.'
Alces shook himself to get the pine needles out of his fur. 'I saw how you fell, Moussa. I saw how all of you fell during that terrible night. Hay, I even know Aeltha fell.'
'We all lost someone that night,' Moussa said. 'But I found something too.'
Before Alces could ask what, Moussa turned around. His cloak changed from green to red fire, his crown became twice as big, and his eyes glared. 'I am Moussa, regenerated! Bow before your new leader, your new seer, your new master of the essence and the savior of the tribe!'
Despite his anger, Alces felt himself falling to his knees. Before this new, great and terrible king, he felt but small--a feeling he hadn't often felt, and a feeling which he didn't like at all. 'What the hay happened to you all?' he whispered.
Moussa's appearance changed back to his normal, green-flamed self. 'A just question, Alces Roameling, son of the seer. Listen closely to what I say, so you understand everything your king wants you to hear.'
'I will. Just... just tell me why you're all alive and why you're here, of all places.'
Moussa snorted. His eyes and mind drifted off, back to that dramatic night nearly a year ago. 'The timber wolves thought they had defeated me, but they were sadly mistaken. Little did they know that I too, was a student of Aeltha the seer. During our many divination sessions, she had been busy teaching me about the essence, saying that a day of judgement would come when a mightier king was needed. A mightier king with a mightier soul, yet in the same body.'
Alces had never understood his mother's magical talks, yet he listened attentively to the king's words.
'When I lay on the ground, bleeding to death, I reached out for the power of the essence. The essence listened to me, and I managed to come to a deal with it. The end of it was that I got resurrected into a newer, more powerful form, bearing the same power the timber wolves used.'
'But...' Alces thought he understood what Moussa said. 'But the timber wolves are made of dark essence. Do you mean you used--'
'I had to,' Moussa said, eyes twinkling. 'There was no other way. I needed a powerful force to get me back on my hooves again, and only dark essence was at hand. Yes, I admit it. I made a deal with the Dark Elk. But remember that I wasn't selfish, for I shared my power with everyone here.' He waved his wooden hoof around, offering Alces yet another glance at his new people. They stood, half-wood half-flesh, listening to their king and looking at Alces in the middle.
'So did you kill the timber wolves?'
Moussa snorted. Steam came from his nostrils. 'The wolves were long gone before I managed to stand on my own hooves again. But once I stood up and looked around me, I saw that I was alone. Everyone had succumbed to those horrible creatures. That's when I started sharing my power.' Moussa reared. His voice grew in volume. 'Every elk, deer, and reindeer that was still in one piece, I was able to resurrect. I shared my power with many that night, and managed to recruit many strong souls to the new herd.'
Alces gasped. 'Did you manage to save Aeltha? Did you manage to save my mother?'
'I searched for her, Alces Roameling. Don't think that I left her alone. I searched many days and many nights, but I was unable to find her lifeless body anywhere. I concluded that the wolves had probably devoured her.'
'But she could be alive, right?' For a moment, Alces pushed the fact that Elkia had said Aeltha was dead aside. He saw now that death was apparently cheatable. He had the faint hope that perhaps...
'Aeltha is dead, Alces Roameling,' Moussa said. 'I don't want you to believe in "maybe" or "perhaps." Aeltha the seer knew that death would come for her that evening. She had seen how everything ended, and had revealed part of the outcome of the battle to me. Grieve when you are ready, little elk, because your mother is dead.'
Alces snorted. His knees felt weak. He started jumping and yelling, fighting to regain control of himself. 'No! No! It cannot be true,' he shouted with rage in his voice.
'Enough!' Moussa roared. He slammed his wooden hoof on the ground, and a circle of green fire erupted around it.
'No, not enough!' Alces shouted back. 'I still don't know what happened that night, or why and how you're even here. It just doesn't make sense!'
'Then be quiet and listen, if you want to know the truth,' Moussa said sternly, as if he were talking to an impatient young calf. 'After I regenerated everyone that could be saved, the new herd and I spent many days and nights hunting down the wolves. And yes, once we finally found them, we destroyed every single one of them.'
'Good,' Alces said.
'Necessary,' Moussa said. 'The Shimmering Eye was ours once more, and we once more got a chance to guard it with our lives, wiser we all are now. Why we are here is another story. I had often heard from ponies that there was a mysterious settlement somewhere in the Bugbear Territory. Unfortunately, I never had a chance to search for it myself. But now that we are twice as powerful as before--three times even, I dared to leave some of my kin behind, and venture far into the woods with this faithful platoon at my side.'
'So, you're just here to check on rumors?' Alces said.
'You don't see the big picture, Roameling, for which you can be excused. You are no leader, after all. After the timber wolf attack I realized that we were not alone in this forest after all. I knew I had to remap the place in my mind, and the rumors were my guide. Eventually, we did reach this place. We've been here for nearly a day now, scouting it out, walking around and around it. They truly have mighty walls, which will be hard to conquer. But then I realized something else. Why not forge an alliance, and make this a diplomatic mission? If we can get in contact with these ponies, perhaps we can come to some arrangement, and perhaps we might learn to build walls ourselves. It may even be--'
'Don't go there,' Alces said. His eyes searched for Moussa's, but became lost in the fire.
'How dare you interrupt your king like that?' Moussa said with his terrible new voice.
Alces tried not to wince. 'I've been in there as a prisoner. They reduced me to a slave. They made me work hard in the fields and gave me little food and water. It is terrible, absolutely terrible. And there are more. There are many more ponies living in slavery and misery. There's no talking with the ponies of Scribblers' City.' He paused and looked around at the other elks, deer, and reindeer, before his gaze once more settled on Moussa. 'These ponies are evil. I know they have dark essence in them. Believe me, King Moussa. These ponies are our enemies.'
Even though he didn't show it, Moussa was apparently listening to Alces, as he remained silent for a while. His wooden hoof reached up and stroked his flame-bound goatee. 'If it is true what you say then we should tread carefully. Yet, I cannot simply abandon my perfect and glorious plans for the future based on one child's accusation.'
The word "child" set Alces's heart in flames. 'Do you want some more proof? Why not look at this! Look what they gave me as a souvenir!' Alces turned around, and showed the scars of his flank to Moussa.
Moussa did a step back. 'Once again you're insulting me, young elk. How dare you turn your back on your king? I wish I could give you the punishment you deserve, but I have more important things to do. Go away and leave us to our plans.'
'What?! But... but...'
Turning around, Moussa was going to walk away, but, upon hearing Alces's voice once more, he seemed to remember something. 'Alces Roameling, would you still serve the herd?'
That was an easy question. 'Of course, King Moussa. I belong to the herd.'
'We'll see about that,' Moussa said. 'Instead of punishment, I give you a test.'
'Anything,' Alces said.
'You claim to have been in this settlement, and if that's true, then you might be an asset to us after all. Perhaps you can still be of use to us.'
'Of course I'm useful,' Alces said with a snort. 'What's the plan anyway?'
'Our first plan was to catch somepony with our traps and interrogate him or her.' Moussa shook his head. 'But our traps--other than the one you foolishly galloped into--have been empty all along. Apparently these ponies do not often leave the safety of their walls behind. I can't blame them.'
'So what's up next?' Alces was dying for some action, and ready to reclaim his place in the herd. Maybe they could even help him search for Elkia, or maybe he'd have a chance to discover the house with the green curtains after all. However much he disliked going into Scribblers' City again, with Moussa and this new, essence-infused army of elks, deer, and reindeer at his side, he wasn't afraid.
'"Up next" is a plan I have constructed myself. I want to speak with the leader of these ponies, and have a talk leader-to-leader. My plan is but simple. I want to appear at the gate with the herd behind my back, and ask for a meeting with the leader of this settlement.'
'And? That can't be everything, right?'
'No, there is more,' Moussa said. 'My scouts have discovered that this settlement has two gates, one in the north and one in the south. I myself will appear at the north gate, but I will need a platoon of warriors at the ready at the south gate, so that they won't have the opportunity of a surprise attack. I still don't believe they are hostile, but I'm not going to let the safety of my people be ignored.'
Alces was silent for two seconds, thinking about the plan. He didn't like the plan at all, and not just because there wasn't enough action in it. Revenge still crossed his mind. 'But they are hostile,' he said. 'They will definitely attack you if you're not careful. We should be the one to attack first. We have to strike them down and be merciless, and--'
'Enough!' shouted Moussa. 'I will not have some calf tell me what to do and what not to do. As long as they haven't shot or stabbed or bit me, I consider them safe to talk to. Go live your fantasy somewhere else.'
Alces gritted his teeth. He stabbed at the ground with his hoof. 'But--'
'No more buts,' said King Moussa. 'You will be with the group that keeps watch. You know about their fortifications, where they are and how far they can see. Make yourself useful and go with the watch. Leave the talking to the leaders.'
Wanting to say something back, Alces drew in a breath. But then he realized to whom he was talking. He was talking to King Moussa, the strongest and stubbornest of the elks, deer, and reindeer. Whatever he was going to say, it was not going to work. The king would have it his way, however much he'd try to convince him. Alces sighed and said, 'Very well, King Moussa.'
'Why the sigh? You're going to be a part of a glorious plan, crafted by the king himself.'
'Where's the group?' Alces said, not answering his king's question. Insulting him was not going to get him back into the herd.
King Moussa proceeded to dividing his herd in two. After a few minutes, they started to move. Alces felt much better once his group passed Moussa's and headed for the south gate. The other elks, deer, and reindeer followed Alces dutifully, and Alces felt a little bit better. He felt like a general, leading his troops into glorious battle. The only thing was that there would be no battle, and that the soldiers were loyal to Moussa first, and him second. Alces couldn't blame them. If Moussa hadn't exaggerated and had really resurrected them all from the dead, then they had a solid reason to be loyal to him.
Alces knew they were getting close. The trees became scarcer and scarcer. Soon enough, Alces could see torches burning in the distance. The gate was just a few yards away. Alces stopped, and so did the herd.
'We're going to stay hidden in the edge of the forest, so they won't see us,' he said. 'Especially with all the, well, glowy things.'
Some elks looked at themselves and at the others, as if they noticed the flames and the swirling green magical energy coursing through their reanimated bodies for the first time. They shuffled on their hooves, but not because they were afraid. They made way for a moose, big, but bent double, as old age got into his bones. He had a long, grey goatee, and wooden tiles covered his neck like a piece of armor. He strode slowly towards his favorite pupil, who looked at him almost as shocked as when he saw Moussa the first time.
'Old Cervidus!'
'Indeed,' said the old elk with a smile. Once he reached Alces, he caught him in an embrace. 'Sorry for the sentimental feeling, Alces, but I lost all my children and grandchildren that night, and they couldn't be revived. You are the closest thing to a grandson I have.'
'I don't mind,' said Alces, and he really didn't. He wasn't the hug-loving kind of elk, but some affection, even a little bit, after everything he had gone through was more than welcome at that moment.
'Oh my! By the Dark Elk! What has happened with your cutie mark?!'
Alces turned around and showed his scarred flank to Cervidus. 'They did it.'
Cervidus stepped closer and regarded Alces's terrible wounds with his fading eyes. 'I thought my eyes betrayed me when I saw you talking to Moussa, but indeed, it is worse than I thought.'
'It doesn't hurt anymore,' said Alces.
'Of course it does,' said Cervidus. 'It must hurt you here.' He tapped Alces's chest with his split hoof.
A few seconds of awful memories from Scribblers' City was enough to make Alces growl. 'If you mean it like that, then yes. It hurts a lot.'
It was as if Cervidus read his mind. 'Then you must want revenge on whomever did this to you. No, you don't want revenge, you deserve revenge.'
'Yes,' Alces said. 'I do. But I don't think I'll get much revenge with Moussa's "plan."'
Cervidus shook his head. His neck creaked. 'I'm not a big fan of Moussa and his "plans" either.'
'Huh?' Alces cocked his head. 'But didn't he raise you all from the dead?'
Old Cervidus wrapped a hoof around Alces, and pushed him away from the rest of the elks, deer, and reindeer. In a hushed voice, he said, 'Don't be fooled. It may seem that Moussa gave us something, but I can feel, deep down inside, that he took something too. It may seem that we got a second chance at life, but it will be a life without much freedom.'
'What do you mean?' said Alces, also whispering now.
'I think he took a little slice of our souls, and keeps them safe underneath that wood-bound chest of his. He owns us, Alces. He truly is an absolute king now. I'm not sure, but I think he might be able to bend us to his will somehow.'
'That's... interesting,' Alces said.
'Oh, I know that look on your face,' said Cervidus, grinning as he spoke. 'You're thinking of your own woes as you listen to the woes of others.'
'I'm sorry about that,' Alces said, a bit embarrassed.
'No. I'm sure you have been through a lot inside those damn walls,' said Cervidus. 'And I also have the feeling that what you told Moussa was just the tip of the pine tree, wasn't it?'
'It was,' said Alces.
'Then why not tell me all about your misadventures while we wait. You and I both know there will be no action tonight, for ponies are cowards.'
Now Alces grinned too. 'You are old and wise, Cervidus.'
An so they waited. Every elk, deer, and reindeer stood his or her ground and fanned out, keeping the wall in their sights. They saw how the guards walked to and from on the wall, doing their nightly rounds, and occasionally looked at the forest. There were quite a few of them around, mostly unicorns in blue uniforms, and they were definitely alert. Little did the other elks, deer, and reindeer know that Alces had broken out of that gate just a few hours ago.
Only Cervidus soon found out that Alces had done just that. He listened with undying interest at the escape of Elkia. He scowled and grunted as he heard how the guards tortured Alces until he was broken and battered and damaged beyond repair. Then he almost cheered out loud when Alces told him about his escape with the help of Sparks the blacksmith.
'Looks like you've been to the Dark Lands and back,' Cervidus said, when Alces concluded his tale.
'More or less,' said Alces.
'But in the end, you didn't get your revenge. That's a shame, isn't it?'
'It is, Cervidus. It is...'
Together they sat in silence for a while, also observing the wall. Alces tried to estimate how long they had been sitting there like that, doing absolutely nothing. He thought it must surely be an hour or two. Then he thought about Moussa, and if he'd been able to gain an audience at the leader of Scribblers' City. No matter how long they sat and waited, nothing happened. Alces became restless, and shuffled on his hooves. Cervidus took note of that, and nodded, as if he'd made a decision. And in reality, he certainly had.
Suddenly, the old elk stood up and walked towards the rest. 'Gather round, everyone. I have something to say.'
Some elks moved closer to him, but most of them held their grounds and didn't do anything.
'He said listen, wood-heads!' Alces barked to the elks. Technically, Moussa had appointed Alces to be the scoutmaster, so this time the elks, deer, and reindeer did as they were told, and scooted closer.
Cervidus winked at Alces, and Alces winked back. 'It's all about the right words,' Cervidus whispered. Then, he took the time to look at everyone in turn, scanning their reformed heads and the green light of their eyes. After a brief pause, he said, 'Have we forgotten what honor is?'
No one answered.
Cervidus pointed at the elks. His voice rose in strength. 'Yes, sure, pretend that you think your honor is secure, or perhaps you think we are honorable creatures after all. For a minute, I thought we actually were honorable enough, as we chased away, hunted down, and killed the timber wolves who defiled our most holy sanctuary. Yes, we did reclaim our honor that way.'
A few murmurs went through the crowd. Some nodded their heads.
'So, thanks to this amazing feat of strength and brutality, we reclaimed our honor through revenge. Doesn't that feel sweet? Doesn't that feel absolutely satisfying?
'Yes,' said some elks.
Cervidus tapped his chest with his hoof. 'Honor is important for us, and we would rather die than be dishonored in some way, wouldn't we?'
Alces saw what Cervidus was doing. He stood by his side.
A large deer separated himself from the rest of the herd. 'What are you trying to say, old Cervidus?'
Cervidus licked his lips. 'I'm just stating a fact, a tradition nestled deeply in our great culture. I want you all to be aware of ourselves. We live and breathe honor.'
'Yes, we know that,' said the deer. 'Why are you bothering to tell us and grab our attention when we should actually focus ourselves on the gate?'
'Because...' Cervidus paused for dramatic effect. 'Because I have here someone who has lost his honor, and I keep wondering if you and I and everyone else actually want to help him.'
'Whom are you talking about?'
Suddenly, without any warning, Cervidus picked up Alces from the ground. The old elk proved to be stronger than he looked, as he held Alces in his hooves. 'This poor creature has something to show and to tell. Look at this!' he flipped Alces around, so that his scarred cutie mark was visible to everyone. Cervidus could look in Alces's eyes, and he winked.
In the ghostly green light which emanated from the elks, Alces's scars were clearly visible. A loud gasp went through the crowd, traveling from the middle of the group all the way to the end. The silent recon squad became not so silent anymore. The elks, deer, and reindeer craned their necks, wanting to see if it was really as bad as it looked. They all got a horrifying view of Alces's lost cutie mark, which seemed to throb and pulse in the shifting light and shadow.
'Oh my! That's terrible!'
'Does it hurt?'
'Where is your cutie mark?'
'Will you ever get the cutie mark back?'
'Those scars... horrible!'
'How did this happen?'
'Who did this?'
And many more questions were asked. The elks barely remembered to be silent, caught up in this moment of misery.
'I believe it is time to let Alces take the word,' Cervidus said. He put Alces down and stepped aside.
Alces remained silent and turned around. He made sure to look in all the elk, deer, and reindeer eyes. He could feel the compassion flowing from creature to creature, and he knew he now had to play his crowd like a drum; not too hard, but powerful enough to leave a lasting expression.
'In answer to your questions, I got the scars from in there.' He pointed behind him at the wall.
'But why?' said a deer.
'Because... because... I was an elk!' Alces blurted out.
Another string of gasps went through the crowd. Some stomped their hooves. Alces saw that and smiled. He had to get them angry, that was the key which unlocked the door to his revenge... maybe.
'Yes, that's right,' he said. 'They sawed off my antlers and made my cutie mark disappear in a pool of boiling skin and a heap of blisters only because I was an elk. Now, this puts question marks at Moussa's plan, doesn't it? Do we really want to ally ourselves with ponies--beasts--who treat elks like this?'
Murmurs. Some elks, deer, and reindeer spoke silently to one another. Alces could swear the green lights of their eyes grew in intensity. That was what he wanted.
'A plan has grown inside my head, and I'm willing to share it with you all.' Alces used his voice as if he were telling the crowd a very sensitive thing. With a small smirk he reckoned Elkia would be proud of him for his theater play and speech. 'We can stay here, doing nothing, while King Moussa, on behalf of the whole herd, tries to befriend these ponies who would never even deserve to be called friends of the herd, a plan which I highly doubt will even be possible.'
Alces paused until the crowd was silent. 'Or...?' an elk said.
'Or we charge!' Alces slammed his hoof on the ground. 'We charge and take matters into our own hooves. It might be hard for you all to believe, but horrible things are going on behind this wall. Behind this wall, ponies are being treated as slaves, as was I. We should put an end to the horrible things that happen in this horrible "city." We should fight. Who's with me!'
The crowd rustled. Many hooves went into the air, as many elks, deer, and reindeer got inflamed by Alces's speech. Alces looked at the others who hadn't yet raised their hooves. One deer stepped forward. 'But what about Moussa? Shouldn't we be loyal to him and do what he said we should do? Surely he had the right intentions.'
'You're missing the point!' old Cervidus suddenly shouted. He shoved Alces aside to face the deer. 'Yes, Moussa is a great leader. Yes, he gave us our lives back. But he didn't turn us into mindless slaves. We have information. Alces Roameling knows what horrible things are going on in this city, and Moussa doesn't. The fact that Moussa doesn't want to listen to what Alces Roameling, son of Aeltha the seer, has to say doesn't mean that we shouldn't.' Cervidus took the time to collect his breath and shaped his words into powerful tools. 'In fact, we have already heard what Alces said, and I think he has explained everything clear enough. These ponies are elk-haters. These ponies are our enemies.'
'How so?'
'The fact that these monsters scorched away Alces's cutie mark already proves that they are our enemies. If you won't charge for yourself, then charge for Alces. They have taken away his pride and his honor. Alces deserves to have his honor restored, and these ponies deserve to know what happens with those that stand against us.'
The crowd produced some growls and moans. More hooves got raised into the air. But still, there were some who held back. Including the deer.
Cervidus noticed that. 'What can we do to prove this?' he said. 'How can we prove we are speaking the truth?'
'Show it to me,' the deer said.
'I beg your pardon?'
The deer planted his hooves firmly on the ground. 'I still don't know if we should ignore what Moussa ordered us to do.' He looked down at Alces. 'I challenge you, Alces. Walk out of the forest and towards the wall.'
'And then what?' Cervidus said. 'I think his scars are proof enough.'
But the deer shook his head. 'Walk towards the gate and then we'll see what happens. If they talk, we talk. But if they attack, then'--he looked behind himself at the army of elks, deer, and reindeer--'then we charge. Does that sound like a deal?'
The others backed the deer up.
'Yes!'
'Good idea!'
'Let's do that!'
'It's a deal!'
'Go Alces!'
Alces exchanged a glance with Cervidus as the crowd answered. He expected Cervidus to say something witty, something that would turn the tide. But Cervidus's gaze was as blank at Alces's. Apparently, they had reached an ultimatum.
'Fine!' Alces growled. He breathed in deep, turned around, and walked with powerful, sure steps towards the gate.
Behind him, the group of elks, deer, and reindeer watched as Alces moved forwards. He had reached the end of the tree line already.
Slowly but steadily, Alces moved closer to the gate. He could already see some blue uniforms. The only thing the guards had to do was look down, and they would spot him.
And that was exactly what happened.
One guard glanced down, and saw him. Then the guard glanced again, not believing his eyes. He shouted, 'Everyone! It's the elk!'
'Fire at will!' a voice shouted from somewhere.
Alces swallowed, and braced himself for the pain.
A bolt of magical energy flew through the air and hit its mark. The magic sizzled and sparked as it entered Alces's body, traveling at lightning speed and releasing pain in his nerves. Alces rocked once, twice, and then fell down on the ground. He couldn't even twitch his ears anymore.
'I got him! I got him!' the guard yelled. 'Open the gate, then we'll haul him in.'
'Roger that.'
Despite his numbness and the pain, Alces couldn't resist smiling. They were opening the gate, and couldn't have chosen to do anything stupider. If Cervidus hadn't sit still and had put them all into position, ready for the charge, then--
With a thud, the gate opened. A small platoon of four guards marched towards him, completely oblivious of the approaching army.
'ATTACK!'
Alces heard how the elks, deer, and reindeer charged from the forest. He felt their thundering hooves upon the ground, a sweet sound to his ears. The four guardponies looked in front of them. Then their eyes became as big as saucers, they forgot about Alces, and they turned around to run back at the gate.
'Close the gate! Close it!'
But it was too late. Already some swift deer had reached the entrance to Scribblers' City. They were busy chasing the guards away, and waited by the gate so it stayed open.
Something cold and spikey touched down on Alces. A strange vibration went through his body, activating his muscles and almost forcing himself to stand up.
Cervidus stood next to him, smiling. 'A little gift from the Dark Elk. Let the dark essence flow through your body, and use it well. Use it for revenge.'
When Alces looked back, he saw how the rest of the herd followed suit. He wasted no time. 'Elks up front! Elks up front! Try to block the magic with your antlers!' he shouted. To his satisfaction, the position of the animals changed, until the big, strong elks with their wide, broad antlers took the lead. Alces smiled. Tonight was going to be a good night.
He chose to gallop up front, with Cervidus next to him. After they all ran through the gate, Alces kept giving orders. With him in the lead, they veered off towards the magical bubble.
'To the bubble! That's the source of the misery!' Alces shouted.
There were a few guards out and about, who had at first walked casually through town, knowing that nothing extraordinary would happen. But now, they realized how wrong they were. They tried to shoot magical missiles, but those easily rebounded on the antlers of the stormtroopers at the front. Then they executed a wiser strategy--the one where they ran.
The horde reached the magical bubble. The elks, deer, and reindeer overpowered the guards, and squeezed themselves through the entrance. Once inside, Alces took a small moment to regroup, see if everyone was present, and give orders.
'Attack the ponies in blue uniforms. Trample right over them if you want. I don't care. Get them running and steer them towards some marketplace or a central square. I want to have them all there nicely packed together.' Alces paused to look the plantations over, and spotted the buildings. 'And if you find yourself without anything to do, then just demolish somethings or set fire to whatever wooden structure you can find. It's all improvisation from here.'
As an answer, a roaring battle cry came from the elks, deer, and reindeer who made up the crowd, which promptly got turned into an army by Alces. After a shouted 'GO!' they did as they were ordered.
Alces joined the army as it traveled uphill towards the guard barracks. They encountered a guard or two, who got completely overrun and fled down towards the entrance. Alces took the time to look into their eyes, and saw the fear and terror. Unfortunately, he didn't find the one face he was looking for.
At the top of the hill, the guardhouse came into view. Some guards stood at the entrance but, watching the elks storm on, hunkered down inside.
Not for long.
After a quick command, the elks who had been the pupils of Aeltha the seer made their magic work. They commanded the destructive forces of nature, focused the essence into their antlers, and set fire to the building,
One by one, coughing and covering their eyes against the smoke, the guards trickled out of the building. They immediately surrendered when they saw how painfully surrounded they were. Not even bothering to shoot, knowing it would only anger the insane horde in front of them, they let themselves be steered down the hill and out of the bubble by a group of elks which detached itself from the main horde.
When all the guards were out of the guardhouse, Alces and his army made one final sweep through the plantations. There were a few guards who were hiding, but the army soon got them moving. As Alces and the army headed towards the exit of the bubble, Alces paused at a very familiar house. He bashed in the door and stepped inside. Sparks was home, watching the chaos through his window.
'What the hay is going on out there?' he said.
In the flickering candlelight, Alces's smile looked all but demonic. 'Revenge, my friend. Revenge and salvation.'
'You are mad!' said Sparks. 'How did you even find that many elks and deer and whatever antlered monsters you have there?'
'Luck--or bad luck, perhaps,' Alces said. 'Doesn't matter. What matters now is that you're free.'
Sparks left the window alone and walked to Alces. He stuck out a hoof, which Alces shook. 'I honestly would have preferred a less violent method.'
'Freedom is freedom,' Alces said.
'That's true.' Sparks managed a tense smile. 'I guess I'd better go check with the workers, to see if they're okay.'
'Yes, you should do that,' said Alces. 'Lead them if you must. Saves me the trouble of rescuing them one by one.'
'Of course... I'll do that.'
Alces turned around and was going to step outside, when Sparks called his name. 'Alces.'
Alces paused, but didn't turn around.
'Good luck.'
'Tonight has nothing to do with luck,' said Alces.
'With what then?' asked Sparks.
'With strength, strength in numbers.'
And with those words hanging in the air, Alces left the blacksmith's house.
He was almost the only one left. Quickly, Alces sprinted towards the gate, now devoid of any blue-uniformed ponies, and entered the city once more. It only took him a few seconds to locate the rest of his army. He galloped back to the front, where he got to see something truly satisfying. Running, fleeing, a whole platoon of guards galloped in front of them, herded like sheep dogs. Alces had them exactly where he wanted them to have.
The sounds of yells and screams were in the air. When Alces followed them, he saw exactly why. Six or seven small groups of Aeltha's pupils had separated themselves from the main herd. They were busy sowing flames and making the buildings burn. They were smart enough to start their fires upwind, and in no time, several buildings were burning in the night. Hay, they had almost lain a whole district into ashes. Alces grinned as he saw the grisly spectacle before his eyes. Honestly, he didn't mind a bit of collateral damage.
But still there was no square or marketplace. Alces saw that they were now galloping through a residential district. The few ponies that were out and about quickly retreated into small alleys or inside houses, trying to shield themselves from the thundering horde. Children cried, mares wailed, and stallions shouted. The sound was music to Alces's ears. For a moment, he truly felt like a conqueror. He wanted them all to scream and see that their pretty little village was not as safe as it seemed. He wanted them all to scream his name in pure terror.
'ALCES!'
'ALCES!'
'ALCES!'
For a moment Alces was confused. Did his daydream come true already? He tried to find the source of the shouts, to find whoever called him. After a bit of glancing around, he discovered something truly interesting.
There was a mare, standing in the doorway of her house. She didn't look afraid at all. Instead, she waved at him and called out his name through the rumble of the hooves, the roaring of the flames and the crying of children. Alces could have ignored her easily, but he didn't, because he saw something he had kind of been looking for.
Green curtains.
'Cervidus, you take the lead for a while,' said Alces to his mentor. 'Do as I said, and drive those sadistic guardponies towards some kind of market square. I'll join you soon.'
Cervidus nodded. 'What are you going to do, then?'
'Something I should have done in the first place.' And with that, Alces left the army alone, and headed for the door.
The pony retreated inside as soon as she saw Alces was coming too. When Alces entered the house and shut the door, the pony was standing opposite of him, watching him as if he were a stray cat that had found its way home after many years. 'It really is you,' she said. 'I can see that the potion did the trick.'
Alces narrowed his eyes. In front of him stood a pony with a light brown hide, and with a mane that wasn't quite blond and wasn't quite red. 'Wait, I know you...'
'Yes,' Strawberry Blonde said. 'We had a brief talk when we took you in, and before I became off put by your... well... verbal abuse.'
Two long strides brought Alces close to the pony. 'It's strange isn't it? Back then I might even have been angry after your guards caught me and knocked me out.'
'Haha, this is no time for sarcasm, Alces,' said Strawberry. She kept her poise, and refused to be intimidated by the elk who was at least a head taller than her. 'Your brother and I knew each other well, and--'
'So you were the one he fell in love with?!' Alces said. 'You were the one who clouded his vision and kept this whole slavery thing a secret? Were you the one who thought of that ridiculous guard-disguise plan too?'
Strawberry took a deep breath, staying calm in front of the snorting and flaring elk, a furry ball of anger. 'Yes, he and I shared our moments together. Yes, I kept everything a secret--something I still regret--and no, I didn't come up with that plan. Syntax did, another friend of Elkia's.'
'Tell me where he is and I'll make sure he regrets that insane, idiotic, and stupid plan of his,' said Alces, growling as he spoke.
'I won't,' said Strawberry. 'Instead, I'll tell you something that might help you. I talked with Elkia before he disappeared and he told me to craft a plan together with Syntax to get you out of that magical bubble.'
'I'm not gonna thank you,' said Alces.
'You don't have to,' Strawberry retorted. She paused, walked towards her window, and looked outside. 'From the looks of it you have given your own twist to the plan.'
'I stumbled upon an army. Might as well use it,' said Alces.
But Strawberry wasn't listening. She sniffed the air, and then opened the window. 'Is that... smoke? Fire?'
'Yes,' said Alces with a smile. 'With a little luck and favorable winds, we'll burn this place to the ground.'
'WHAT?!' Now Strawberry Blonde was the one who turned around and jumped towards Alces. 'You can't do that! You can't--'
'DON'T tell me what I CAN and CANNOT do, Missy.' Alces shouted. He towered over her. 'I have an army, and you don't!'
'But there are ponies living here. Innocent ponies who have done nothing wrong!' Strawberry said. She had done a step back at the sudden shout, but she kept her balance. 'These are ponies who also didn't even know there were... bad things happening underneath that bubble. You can't just--I mean, it would be evil to burn their houses down.'
'I didn't come here to be scrutinized by some sugarplum schoolteacher,' Alces said, 'I came here for Elkia.'
There was a small silence. Strawberry Blonde adjusted her pose, thinking something over.
'If you have nothing more to say, I'll leave you and this stupid plan of yours behind. There is revenge to be done,' Alces said. He turned around and headed for the door.
'Wait!' Strawberry shouted. 'I have information that will help you track down Elkia.'
In one fluent motion, Alces turned around and retook his position opposite the pony, staring her down. 'Tell me.'
'I'll only tell you if you stop your army from burning down the town,' Strawberry said. She forced her voice to be strong, which didn't even take her that much effort.
'Tell me!' Alces repeated.
'No. First you stop the house burnings.'
'TELL ME!' Alces shouted, right into Strawberry's face.
'No.'
'TELL ME NOW!' Alces jumped up, and punched the ground with his hoof. As Strawberry followed the movement, she saw how Alces's powerful blow created a large dent and a crack in the wooden floor. She swallowed, but didn't budge. She knew that she had to be strong.
'My offer still stands.'
'RAAAGH!' Alces turned away from the pony. He bucked around the room in frustration, knocking over some chairs and destroying Strawberry's cabinet with her glass figurines. Although it pained her to see them get trampled, she kept silent.
Alces thrashed about for a minute or two, venting his anger on anything that came into view, before he finally found some kind of calmness and stopped.
'Better now?' Strawberry purred.
Alces's blood boiled and sizzled for a moment longer after Strawberry's words. Then, with a jerk, he moved towards the door. Opening it, he looked outside and called for the nearest elk he could find. He exchanged some quick words in Elkish and then closed the door once more. Turning around, his eyes met Strawberry's. 'There. Done. No more fire. Now tell me what you know.'
'You're such an angry animal,' Strawberry said, more to herself than to Alces. 'And that language sounds terrifying. I didn't even know there was something like a language for the elks. Elkia never told me...'
'Quit your blabbering and tell me what you know.'
'Very well.' Stepping over the shattered glass figurines, Strawberry walked towards a closet. There she got out a map and a pencil. Heading over to her table, she unrolled the map, and motioned for Alces to come closer, which he grudgingly did.
Strawberry cleared her throat. 'Very well. After a quick talk with Syntax, the pony from the guard-dress-up-plan, I figured out that Elkia is probably here.' She pointed at a symbol on the map, two horizontal bars against a sandy white background.
'Where is there?'
'It is the village of our great leader Starlight Glimmer. Once every few months, an airship from Griffonstone makes a circle.' And to illustrate her words, she drew a circle on the map. 'They fly from Griffonstone to Scribblers' City, pick up books and art, and deliver them, together with some other supplies, at Starlight's village. Then they stop at Manehattan, do some trading, and head back home to Griffonstone.'
'So they took Elkia to Starglim's village with the airship?'
'Starlight Glimmer, and yes.' Strawberry Blonde reached for her heart, and swallowed hard. 'That's where he is. You see, Syntax told me that sometimes our great leader Starlight Glimmer chooses from among us ponies of incredible talent, and takes them to the village to supervise their training or use them for certain purposes...' Once again, Strawberry swallowed hard, and blinked. 'So, whatever your worries are, know that Elkia is in good hooves.'
'I don't care how good the hooves are,' Alces grumbled. 'He's still with the enemy, and I'm gonna get him out of there. I promised him.'
For a moment, just a tiny moment, Strawberry Blonde looked at Alces as if she just met him. 'I can see that you really are brothers and friends, however different you are.'
'Yes... We are brothers, friends maybe too,' Alces said. Then he blinked, and his face contorted into his warrior's frown again. 'No sentimental nonsense now. How do I get to him?'
'You have to go to Griffonstone,' said Strawberry, pointing to a strange tree on a rock. 'I have no idea when the next zeppelin will fly to Scribblers' City, but I'm sure you can find many different zeppelins which will at least fly over Starlight Glimmer's village.'
'Where are we now?' asked Alces.
'We are now here.' Strawberry Blonde drew a circle on the map, somewhere inside the Bugbear Territory. 'You'll have to travel south from here, cross the Guto River, and go through the forest until you reach Griffonstone.'
Alces scrutinized the map. His frown deepened. 'I never liked cartography or navigating by the stars. But I suppose you're coming along, right?'
Stepping back from the map and the table, Strawberry Blonde sighed, and her ears drooped down. 'I... I wish I could, but--'
'We're gonna save the love of your life and you are not even coming along?' Alces said, although he had trouble speaking out the words "love of your life."
She knew she had to be strong, but even Strawberry Blonde, skillful as she was at steeling her face and hiding her emotions, let a tear fall. 'I... I can't.'
'Why? Give me one good reason.'
'The ponies here, they are scared.' She paused and threw a hard look at Alces. 'They are scared and they need somepony to turn to. I occupy a very high function in Scribblers' City's government. These ponies are my responsibility, and my home is here in Scribblers' City. I can calm them down, say things that will make them feel better in these strange times. Maybe... hay, maybe I could even try and abolish the whole forced labor thing.'
'I hope you can,' Alces said, 'or else my efforts have been for next to nothing, although the revenge will taste sweet in my mouth.'
Ignoring him, Strawberry continued her monologue. 'However much...' She had to start over again. 'However much I want to see Elkia again, I know that my place is here. The only thing I wanted is for Elkia to be here with me, so I have my home, my people, and my love all in one place. But sadly, it is not meant to be...'
'So you choose these pathetic ponies over my brother? What, isn't he good enough for you?'
Now Strawberry was the one who got angry. She stomped on the ground. Then, with tear-struck eyes, she grabbed the map, rolled it up quickly and messily, and threw it at Alces. 'Here's your map and here's your plan. The rest you'll have to figure out on your own. Now go.'
Alces took the map and put it away. When he looked at Strawberry Blonde he saw that she had turned her back on him. Her shoulders shocked a bit, and he could hear her sobs. Yet, his heart didn't melt. She was just a pony, a pony who had been unfair and who had kept things hidden. She was no better than the slave drivers. Turning around, Alces walked back to the door. Yet, he couldn't walk out like that. Even though he knew it meant nothing to him or to Strawberry Blonde, he said, 'Thank you.'
Strawberry said nothing back, so Alces left her be.
Back outside, Alces took a moment to orient himself. There were barely any elks or deer or reindeer around, but Alces could see where they went by the gigantic collection of hoofprints on the ground. He shook a strange feeling away from him, a souvenir from his visit to Strawberry Blonde, and followed the tracks. They took him through some streets which grew broader by the yard. Then he could see his army, standing with their backs towards him. Alces cleared his throat and snorted. The deer noticed him and let him through. When Alces finally reached the front of the crowd, he saw something truly beautiful.
All the guards were there, more than a hundred, on their knees on the ground like a giant blue cloud. A ring of elks with their big antlers stood around them, blocking the way with their half-wood and half-flesh bodies. Behind those the rest of the army stood, observing the guards with heavy frowns on their faces. They hadn't forgotten Alces's speech.
Alces saw him. In the middle of the group was one guard, big and burly, with a beard on his muzzle. His eyes flashed around, and Alces wondered if he was afraid or if he was observing his enemy, looking for a way out. He truly hoped it was case number one. He wanted him to be afraid. He wanted him to feel overwhelmed and powerless. And on top of it all, he wanted him to cry and scream, preferably in pain and shame.
Scanning the crowd, Alces picked out Cervidus. 'You see that guard with the beard over there?'
Cervidus looked. 'Is he the one?'
'He's the one.'
'Very well.' Cervidus disappeared between the other elks, deer, and reindeer. He marched all around them, giving specific orders. The formation changed. Like a spear tip, Alces's army sliced through the group of guards, chasing them this way and that. They moved with surgical precision, and made sure that the bearded guard soon found himself alone. The rest of the guards were pinned to the side, and a second ring was formed like an arena. That was exactly what Alces wanted.
When the guards once again sat down on the ground, pinned down by elks more than a head taller than they, everyone turned his or her attention to the inner circle.
Alces stepped forwards and into the battle arena. His eyes locked Brawn's. Brawn's expression was unreadable. 'So, you brought some friends, hmm? I guess you feel pretty tough now that mommy and daddy and all your little forest-crawling brothers got your back.'
'They don't,' Alces said. He paced around Brawn, making a large circle around his prey, shooting as many nasty glares at him as he could. 'In the circle of honor, it is just you and me and no one else.'
The rest of the elks, deer, and reindeer got their cue. Slowly, al together, they hummed a few words. 'The circle of honor. The circle of honor. The circle of honor.' Over and over again in a deep, droning sound. It was a shame they didn't have any drums to accompany themselves, but they tried to get the same effect by stomping their hooves on the ground.
However much he tried to hide it, Alces saw Brawn swallowing something away. He smiled a cold, vengeful smile.
'So this is it then?' Brawn said. 'It's a shame we can't be friends. I mean, forgiveness is magic, right?'
'Not in my culture,' Alces hissed.
'Very well.' Brawn shook his head, and planted his hooves firmly on the ground. 'Let's do this.'
'Wait!' someone shouted. Alces turned around.
It was old Cervidus, but not quite. His head was bald now, as he carried his antlers in his hooves, offering them to his favorite pupil. 'No duel should be fought without weapons. It is the elken way.'
Alces looked from the antlers to his mentor. 'But... your antlers?'
'Antlers grow back,' Cervidus said, 'but right now you need them more than I do.' He turned towards the army. 'Rope!'
In a matter of minutes, Cervidus's big, half-wood half-bone antlers were attached to Alces's head. They were a lot bigger than his usual antlers, and heavy, but nothing Alces couldn't handle. He swung his head from side to side, testing the weight and the balance. Then he looked at Brawn. 'Yes, yes this will work.'
'Whoa there, friend,' Brawn said, gazing at the enormous antlers, big and strong and sharp as blades. Suddenly, his voice lost some of its tone, growing higher. 'But what about me? I should get a weapon too, you know, or else this fight is unfair, and we want to do this traditionally, of course.' He threw a desperate glance at the army around him. 'I know how much you all like tradition, apparently...'
'Very well, pony scum,' Cervidus said. 'You can have this!'
Something long landed near Brawn's hooves. He took it and looked at the tip. 'A hoe? A hoe is no weapon.'
Alces couldn't help but chuckle, but a second later, his face grew hard again. 'A true duelist can use everything as a weapon. Take it or leave it.'
Brawn too, tested his weapon, and turned it around in his hooves. He frowned, gritted his teeth, and hissed, 'Fine.'
'The ceremonial duel of honor shall begin!' Cervidus shouted. As one, the crowd threw their hooves in the air and shouted along. 'Honor! Honor! Honor!'
Alces brought his head down low. Slowly, he circled around Brawn, who held the hoe in his hooves, looking lost. The tension rose. Brawn kept his eyes on the menacing antlers in front of him, and Alces waited for the best moment to strike. This moment was as good as any moment. He scraped his hooves on the ground like a bull, aimed for the guardpony, and charged.
WHAM! Bone met wood. At the last moment Brawn had put his hoe in the air, trying desperately to block Alces's attack. The force of it made him stumble backwards. His hooves grated over the soil as Alces pushed him farther and farther away. Finally, he couldn't go any further, and bounced against the pointy antlers of an elk from the army. Brawn felt the branches of the antler stab him in the back and yelled in pain. A nasty scrape marked his back, accompanied by trickling drops of blood.
Alces drew his antlers back and turned his back to his enemy. He threw his hooves in the air, and so did the rest of his herd. They all shouted his name. 'Alces Roameling! Alces Roameling! Alces Roameling!'
Brawn got shoved back in the middle of the arena. Alces still had his back turned toward him. Cowardly though, as it was, Brawn pressed the attack. He charged towards Alces, with the tip of the hoe shimmering in the light.
But Alces was faster. He whirled around and caught the hoe in mid-air. With a flick of his head, he jerked the tool out of the pony's hooves. Flabbergasted, Brawn hesitated for a second. That was a big mistake. Alces kept spinning around, and delivered a wicked buck right into the guardpony's stomach, sending him flying back.
Once more a cheer came from the audience. Brawn had a little trouble getting up as dust found its way into his wound. But he did it. He stood up. When he watched Alces again he saw how he threw him the hoe. It fell on the ground with a thud. Alces waited until his enemy had picked up his weapon before he went for another charge.
Brawn did manage to block it, and now he knew what to expect. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he threw his full weight into the battle. He got shoved backwards slower and slower, until he stood still. Both animals pushed against one another, trying to win this round. Yet, Alces opened his eyes wide for a second, as he discovered that now he was the one who got shoved away.
The pony used his weight and his muscles to deliver a powerful feat of strength. Alces had to back down. With a shift of his weight and a nudge of his head, he sidestepped the pony. Brawn kept pushing, but found there was no one to push. He tripped and fell into the crowd.
The crowd threw jeers and insults at him, and promptly tossed him back into the ring. He still clutched the hoe. It was all he could do.
'Enough toying around, Alces,' Cervidus shouted from the crowd. 'Do what you want to do and do it quick!'
'Very well,' said Alces. He was already in position. He didn't go for a charge this time, but walked slowly towards Brawn.
Brawn didn't like that one bit. His ears rang with the silent threats and insults Alces threw at him. He knew things were getting serious this time. Life or death serious. With the last drop of self-respect he had, he moved towards his enemy too.
'We have traded blows the elken way,' said Alces, growling low and nostrils flaring. 'And now it is time to fight my way.'
Help! Please no! Brawn thought. 'Do your worst,' Brawn said.
They reached the middle of the circle simultaneously. Alces went for the kill. He swung his head and his new antlers towards his enemy. Brawn blocked with the hoe, but that was what Alces had expected. Nudging his head, Alces directed the hoe out of his way, creating a hole in his enemy's defense. He reared on his hind legs and punched with both front legs at the pony. The blow connected with his belly, and Alces swore he could hear the satisfying sound of something breaking.
Brawn let out a scream, and fell to the side. Using the hoe, he managed to stand up, and reached for his stomach. He wheezed and gasped, trying to catch his breath. When he got it at last, he forced his mind into battle modus. He couldn't let the elk hit him. Not again. Standing up, he swung the hoe in front of him and slowly advanced. 'You're not going to get me like that!'
But in the flurry of wood and steel, Elkia saw an opening. He jabbed with his antlers, and caught the hoe. Brawn tried to swing the other way, but he was stuck. With an easy flick of his head, Alces broke the head off the hoe.
Brawn, weaponless and out of ideas, backed off.
'Don't worry,' said Alces, as he closed in on the pony. 'I'm not going to skewer you on my antlers. That would be too merciful. Let's fight the earth pony way, stallion to stallion. Put them up!'
So he did. The two animals met each other on the battlefield once more. Brawn tried to jab at Alces, but he evaded. Then he tried to turn around and buck, but Alces caught his swinging hooves in the air and blocked the blow. Brawn was a bully, but not a duelist. Not like Alces.
'Now it's my turn!'
Alces twirled around and swiped the big pony's hooves from under him. Taken by surprise, Brawn fell to the ground, but quickly stood up, ready to receive another blow. He staggered back, while Alces kept punching him. Face, belly, hooves, legs, face again. Wherever it hurt most. Alces smashed and smashed, screaming as he attacked. All the rage flowed freely through his body, powering his muscles to deliver deadly blows. All the frustration, shame, and vengeful thoughts coalesced into his mind, throwing a red filter over his vision.
Suddenly, Alces stopped and stepped back, eyeing his handiwork.
Red bruises and blood stained the blue suit of Brawn. His left eye was swollen and closed, some teeth were missing, and his jaw sat at a strange angle. A couple of broken bones tried desperately to keep the pony upright, shaking and rattling as he moved. But, despite his injuries, he still managed to stand up--if only barely. That was not what Alces wanted. Readying his antlers, he charged a third time.
Brawn was too weak to even begin countering the attack. He screamed as the pointy tips of the antlers cut through his hooves, through his belly, and through his hind legs. At one point, he felt himself being lifted off the ground and carried somewhere. Hard wood smashed into his back, as Alces skewered the pony with his antlers, and left him hanging from a tree.
'Oops, I guess I changed my mind,' Alces said.
Wheezing, Brawn spit a gobbet of red onto the ground. 'But now you're stuck with your antlers in the tree. You are as stuck as me.'
'Not exactly.'
Alces twisted, the ropes snapped, and the crown of antlers came loose. Bearing a smile on his lips, Alces walked away and looked at the piece of violent art he had created: a visual representation of pain.
Twisting and turning, Brawn tried to get himself loose, but discovered the hard way that the more he moved, the more the antlers dug into his flesh. He could do nothing but watch.
Alces Roameling walked towards where the head of the hoe had fallen off. There was still a bit of wood attached to the metal head. He took it in his mouth and walked back towards the pony. Searching, he found a pupil of his mother, and motioned for him to come along.
As the two elks advanced, Brawn grew genuinely desperate. He knew he had lost the fight, and he could only guess at what the elks were going to do to him now.
'Fire,' Alces said.
The elk that accompanied him lowered his antlers. Between them, a ball of swirling green fire sprouted like a flower. Alces held the head of the hoe into the fire. 'So it seems we have some time to talk before this gadget of mine reaches the right temperature.'
'What... what do you want to talk about then?' said Brawn, struggling to talk with his missing teeth and the taste of blood in his mouth.
'About revenge,' Alces said. 'I want every single one of you to see that whoever has power can do what he or she wants. Whoever has power can think that he or she is better than anyone else.'
'That's the way power works,' said Brawn. The antlers creaked as he shifted his position. Blood flowed freely from his wounds. He grew a bit pale. 'But I liked our friendship better when I stood with many and you were alone.'
Alces watched his hoe. It was almost done. 'Strength sometimes comes in numbers, and with strength comes power.'
'And we can do with power what we want,' said Brawn.
'Exactly,' said Alces. He took the hoe, red-hot and glowing, from the flame, and waved it in front of Brawn's eyes. 'The Dark Elk granted me this power, and now I will bend this power to my will.'
'Do what you want to do,' Brawn spat.
Shaking his head, Alces said, 'No. I will do what I need to do.'
'Revenge?'
'Revenge,' Alces said, narrowing his eyes.
'I hope you'll choke on it, if you get your fill,' Brawn said.
'Oh, I'll get my fill, and you'll get what you deserve. Now... by the Dark Elk, it is time for some sweet, scalding REVENGE!'
And with that, Alces thrust the glowing metal head of the hoe against Brawn's flank. Brawn squealed and shouted as the pain overwhelmed him. Alces just laughed like a maniac, bathing in every single second he got to play executioner. The hoe sizzled as the skin underneath it turned to crisp, and a fine ring of blisters exploded like volcanoes around it. Smoke curled around the grievous wound. When at last Alces thought the hoe had cooled down too much, he jerked it back. A piece of skin stuck to it, and Alces tore a big, bleeding wound in Brawn's side. Lucky for him, Brawn had already fainted, as some higher power apparently got merciful. As the blood flowed and boiled, Alces just watched, and dropped the hoe on the ground.
When the smoke receded, it revealed a third bar on Brawns flank, a diagonal line through the equal sign cutie mark. Alces had turned the equal sign into an unequal sign.
But he wasn't done yet. Alces demanded another flame, and started heating up the hoe a second time. A pony had two cutie marks, after all. This time he had nopony to talk to, but he didn't care. Every single second of anticipation grew into the sweetest candy he had ever tasted. Looking around, Alces could see that all the other elks, deer, and reindeer were watching him. Yet, their expressions weren't the same as Alces's mask of horror. They looked quite blank. Alces knew he had lost some of their support. Had he gone too far?
No. Alces shook his head. Just one more "correction" and then he would be done. Just once more that sweetly sickening sound of roasted flesh and then he had his fill. The hoe had reached proper temperature again. Alces looked up at the elk whose fire he'd borrowed. 'Can you cast a spell to revive the pony? I want him to see and feel the last part of my verdict.'
'Stand aside and let us through!'
That wasn't Brawn's voice, but a voice much deeper, a voice bearing much more weight and responsibility than any other elk, deer, or reindeer could ever bear. As if on cue, the ranks of elks, deer, and reindeer split, creating a path for their king. Moussa walked slowly into the arena, with a stallion, black as the night with a white mane and tail, next to him, barely able to keep up with the king's mighty strides.
'What is going on here, Alces Roameling?' King Moussa said. His voice was strict and stark and demanding. He gazed from the skewered pony to Alces, to the hoe and to the crowd, and then back at Alces. 'I think you have a lot to explain, so you might as well start now.'
It was too late to hide anything. But then again, what was there to hide? Alces didn't feel like he got caught in some criminal act at all. His voice didn't waver, and his stance didn't shrink. 'It was a battle of honor, King Moussa.' He tried but failed to hide his smirk. 'A battle I've won.'
'A battle of honor?' Moussa said, almost choking with bridled fury. 'A battle of honor?! Your only task was to wait at the southern gate, yet here you are, with your part of my army, in the middle of the city, fighting a battle of honor?!'
Alces bit his lip, as he realized he had, in fact, gone against a direct order from his king. Yet, he tried to make it right. 'Yes, my king. Yet, as I told you, I had an unsettled debt of honor with this pony, where I was the one stripped of honor. I merely supplemented your original plan with my own battle tactics, making it greater and better than it was before. This was just a little detail of the plan, a dual fought the elken way.'
'The elken way?!' Moussa stepped forwards. The flames in his crown pulsed and danced and grew larger by the minute. He gestured towards the skewered guardpony. 'Do you call this the elken way? We are proud creatures, fierce in battle and wise and hardened survivors. We aren't torturers!' He grabbed both antlers in his mouth, jerked them loose, and threw them away in one single, powerful motion. Brawn slid to the ground, still unconscious and still bleeding.
'By our sweet Starlight, what has happened with you?!' said the dark pony. He trotted over to Brawn, yet stepped back as a pool of blood grew in front of his hooves. He shuffled over to Brawn's head, but saw that his eyes were closed. When he reckoned he was not going to get answers from the guardpony himself, he looked at Alces and Moussa in turn. 'Do you call yourself fierce and wise and survivors? Looking at this poor stallion here, I'd say you are nothing but foul beasts, not worthy of being in my city! I knew this was a bad plan the moment you walked through my gate, Moussa. I never liked you, and now I see my gut feeling was right.'
Moussa let out a loud snort. His piercing green eyes glared at Alces. 'And there goes my plan for peaceful coexistence.'
Alces shook his head. 'Wait, that actually worked? I thought you would be unsuccessful. I thought the gates would remain closed. I thought--'
'You'd have done better to think more before you acted,' Moussa retorted, his voice full of wrath. 'And you should think before insulting your king and his grandiose plans like that. I met with this Charcoal pony, and everything went nicely. He even invited me for tea. Only once we received news from a guard who managed to run away from your "one-elk war" and learned of your deeds did our peace negotiations get disturbed. And now, thanks to you, they are completely SHATTERED!'
Charcoal, the black pony, still stood and gazed open-mouthed at the prone body of Brawn. Yet, something else demanded his attention. He craned his neck and sniffed the air. 'Is that... fire I'm smelling?'
'We started burning down your village and you didn't even notice?' Alces said. That was not the smartest thing to say.
'Why of course not,' Charcoal said. 'I live in the northern quarters, far away from the commoners. I hardly noticed.' Despite his black coat, a red blush of anger appeared visibly on his cheeks. 'This is absolutely outrageous! Here I am having tea with the self-proclaimed "king of the elks," and in the meantime his soldiers set fire to my home and torture my guards! I... I have no words for this.'
But somepony else had. Suddenly, Brawn opened his eyes, so suddenly it startled Charcoal and made him jump. Brawn tried to sit up, but his broken body wouldn't let him. Then he tried to say something, but only a garbled sound came from his mouth. His eyes flashed around taking in his surroundings, and he coughed a few times. Yet, when at last Alces appeared in his vision, he moved. 'Get back from him! Back from him!' he shouted, biting through the pain and forcing his body to crawl away from Alces. 'He's a monster! A monster! That's no elk you're talking to. He's a demon! A demon from the lowest depths of Mount Tartarus!'
'Oh, so now you're playing the drama queen?' Alces said, rolling his eyes at Brawn's display.
'That's it! I've seen enough!' Charcoal said. Ignoring Brawn, he turned on his heels and flashed a stare at Alces, and finally at King Moussa. 'A king who has this little control over his subjects, who offers peace but delivers war has lost my interest entirely.' He talked through gritted teeth, so that each word was a growl. 'I will not have peace with a race of creatures that has already declared open hostility. King Moussa, from this day forth we are enemies. I demand you release my guards and make your way back into the deep, dark forest from whence you came. And if you or any other of your race ever shows himself at my front gates, then expect no warning shot.'
Moussa had no words left. He knew he had failed in his mission. The only thing he could do now was to make his retreat at least somewhat dignified. 'Elks, deer, reindeer, let go of the guards.'
As one, the elks all did a step back, offering the guards a way out. Like beaten puppies, the entire Scribblers' City guard force shuffled on their hooves, until they created something that at least looked like a formation behind their mayor Charcoal.
Charcoal turned to Moussa one last time. 'We will retreat now and leave you here. After exactly one hour we will return and open fire at any elk, deer, moose, reindeer, and whatever more snake-breed creatures you have in your army. This, at least, is an understanding I can live with. Do you accept it?'
Moussa's crown of antlers and fire shrunk in size, until the flames were but a hoof long. 'I accept your judgement, unfortunately.'
'Unfortunately for you, not for us,' Charcoal said. 'Guards, grab your wounded stallion and reassemble yourselves orderly at your stations. Triple the guard on the walls, and enlist as many new recruits as you can'--Charcoal had already turned around, but didn't give Moussa the honor of a goodbye hoofshake--'because we will need them in the future.'
And so Charcoal disappeared, followed by the army of guards, and the elks, deer, and reindeer were left alone. Immediately, Moussa turned to Alces, crown and flames crackling with rage. 'Alces Roameling. I could never have predicted the trouble and disaster you would bring upon us when I discovered you in that net. I should have left you hanging and ignore you. You have disobeyed my order, the order of your king, and declared war, all by yourself, on these ponies, completely overthrowing the peace negotiations which could and should have been a reality.'
Alces stared at the ground. He knew he was in deep trouble now. The fire of revenge was gone in his heart, but he didn't feel resentment. He was still content with that he had achieved. Now, however, his victory over Brawn the guardpony and the restoration of his honor felt unimportant in the face of his angry and terrifying king. He could only say, 'Yes, my king.'
King Moussa snorted. Flames and smoke escaped his nostrils. 'For your first sin alone you should have received the death penalty, according to the ancient ways...'
Suddenly, a new actor jumped onstage. It was Cervidus, who saw where this was going. 'No, my king. It was not entirely Alces's idea.'
'Explain yourself!' roared the king.
'I helped nourishing the flame of revenge in Alces Roameling's heart. Don't impose your judgement upon the little one, however just it may be,' Cervidus said, keeping his head down and his gaze to the ground. 'Instead, take this old elk's flesh and bones, and satisfy yourself by killing me instead.'
'WHAT?!' King Moussa reared on his hind legs. 'You truly insult me thinking I would impose the old ways on Alces Roameling, old Cervidus. The old ways are in the past, buried with far too many of our kindred. I am the new king, you all are my new servants, an advanced breed of elks, deer, and reindeer. With a new king comes new rules.'
Both Cervidus and Alces remained silent, daring not to speak to their enraged monarch.
'No more will the blood of elks, deer, or reindeer be shed. No more shall our kindred die before our own eyes. The death penalty is gone, and, after today, so is the debt of honor. You understand now how much it pains me to see the old traditions turning on me and biting me in the tail.'
'I understand, King Moussa,' said Cervidus, although he still had no idea what the verdict would be.
'And besides that,' the king continued, 'you are far too valuable to me, old Cervidus. You know of the dark essence, the very energy that keeps us standing. No, I need you and your teachings. It is Alces Roameling, son of Aeltha the seer, whom I should get rid of.'
Cervidus did one last attempt to have Alces's back. 'But, my King--'
'Too late, old Cervidus, for I have made up my mind.' King Moussa's flaming eyes turned towards Alces. 'Alces Roameling, from now on you are no longer a member of the herd. From now on we will cast you out. You will live without a herd, all by yourself, and fight your own battles without the strength of the herd helping you. No one will care about you and no one will be looking for you. And if you are looking for us, you will never find one single member of the herd. Such is the curse you'll have to bear until your coat turns grey and your antlers brittle. Such is the curse you'll have to bear until your eyes turn cloudy and your legs stiff and worn. Such is the curse you'll have to bear until your dying day.'
Now the taste of sweet revenge left Alces's mouth completely. Instead, a bitter aftertaste filled his mouth like bile upon hearing King Moussa's words. As soon as the words left the king's muzzle, Alces already felt alone. He already felt the stares of every elk, deer, and reindeer in his back, judging him silently. The curse took effect, and it felt absolutely horrible. Alces felt exactly the same as during that merciless winter, a year ago, when Elkia had told him their mother was dead. He felt alone, abandoned, as if everyone he knew and cared about was dead, while in reality they were alive; they had just turned their backs on him.
And that was exactly what happened. Moussa barked a few commands in Elkish, and strode away. The herd silently followed, as he headed in the direction of the northern gateway. 'Come,' Moussa said, 'let's leave this lost soul behind. I will have a word in private with every single elk, deer, and reindeer who took part in this affair, but for now, I just want to get to the forest and rethink my plans. Go everyone. Go, follow me, and no one else.'
Alces was alone. Even old Cervidus wasn't able to stay with him, bound as he was by Moussa's magic. Cervidus was the last one to follow, and stroked Alces's fur as he walked past him. 'Find us, Alces. Prove the curse has no effect. Prove that Moussa isn't as powerful as he thinks he is. Find us.' And with that, Cervidus melted into the rest of the herd, and soon he couldn't be seen anymore.
Alces kept staring at the herd, retreating farther and farther away, until he couldn't spot a single elk, deer, or reindeer anymore. Then he looked at the tree, at the blood on the ground, and at the hoe. Had it all been worth it? He kept musing on that single question, as he walked away towards the southern gate. Crossing the arena, he found old Cervidus's antlers on the ground. He picked them up, intending to take them with him. Yet, as soon as he held the two weapons in his hooves, they dissolved into a fine cloud of ash and soot, which immediately scattered in the wind.
The curse had already taken effect. |
Brothers 'N Antlers | Chapter thirteen: grand plans with good intentions | He glanced at the door one last time, and turned his ears in every direction.
No. She was gone. But he knew that, as he had seen her leave. This whole village--and especially this whole new assignment--was slowly making him paranoid.
Elkia shoved his work aside and opened the drawer of his desk. Once, when Starlight had been gone for a whole day, overseeing the new arrival of goods by zeppelin, he had taken the thing to a pony whose special talent used to be carpentry. It had taken him a whole afternoon and many clumsily broken nails and split wood--as he still had to work without his cutie mark--but in the end he had managed to create a secret compartment in Elkia's drawer. It wasn't exactly waterproof or airtight, but it was a challenge to spot with the naked eye. It had to do.
Elkia took the latest edition of the secret newspaper out of the drawer and put it on his desk. He always liked going over some of his old work before he began a new project. That way, he could set his mind in the right mode. Elkia glanced over the logo of the newspaper, a cactus with long, flat, disc-like arms bearing strange-shaped fruit coated in prickly pits. Party Favor had come up with the logo and the name, and Elkia found it good, almost funny. He began to read.
The Proud Prickly Press
By Party Favor. Edited by Elkia Deerling.
The Proud Prickly Press is our voice, and it will become your voice as well. It is a voice with which we can speak freely and without censure about whatever we like. We called the newspaper "proud" because we are proud that we finally have the means and methods to write what we want to write and convey our message of freedom to listening ears and understanding minds. We are proud to exist, to be a beacon of light in the fog and mist of confusion, fear, false equality, and oppression we--unfortunately--have to live with every single day. And of course, we are proud to have you, dear reader, as one of our many soldiers in this silent war against our oppressor, Starlight Glimmer.
We called ourselves "prickly" because that is what we are. Everyone knows what the prickly pear fruit is, the sweet little treat which has to be handled very carefully, if one wants to prevent injury. That's what we are. With our secret society the other-thinkers, we have created a merry bunch, talking and joking away in our underground cellar. We have a relationship with each other as sweet as the prickly pear fruit. Right now we might seem innocent and harmless, but don't forget about our prickly coat. There are plans on the table, which are almost ready to execute. Together, we will show Starlight Glimmer our prickly spikes, sooner or later, and reveal our true intentions. She will have to wear very thick horseshoes if she wants to handle our prickly spines.
Needless to say, the "press" part is obvious. Thanks to one very special friend, we are here, in your hooves, spreading words of hope and helping you. We will tell you every truth you need to know, give you tips and tricks on how to live in freedom in this regime, and show you how you can help us and become part of something greater. Together, we help each other, stay secret, and have each other's back.
We are the Proud Prickly Press.
'Risky, risky, risky,' Elkia whispered. If this newspaper fell into the wrong hooves, the disaster would be complete. Yet, Party favor had really insisted that they begin each edition of the Proud Prickly Press with a little explanation on what the paper exactly is, so that even the newest members of the other-thinkers could be filled in in no time, and know who's who and what's what. Party Favor had been so enthusiastic Elkia found himself unable to scrap the article. But he had really insisted on knowing who should get the paper and who shouldn't, and Party Favor had told him he knew what he was doing.
Join us!
By Party Favor. Edited by Elkia Deerling.
Now that you have this newspaper between your hooves, and keep it secret as best as you can, you have proven to us that you are other-thinker material. Thanks to you and all the others, our secret society lives and breathes. Together we are strong, and together we raise our hooves in defiance to our oppressor, Starlight Glimmer.
Don't let her appearance fool you. Starlight Glimmer is not the leader we want to have. She claims to create a cutie mark-less society, but, believe it or not, she still has her own cutie mark! This fact has been verified by Elkia Deerling, our chief editor. He is Starlight's personal writer, and saw how she fakes an equal sign cutie mark every single day. But now that I mention it, we might have been able to draw that conclusion all by ourselves. How else could Starlight Glimmer be able to steal our cutie marks and store them in the cutie mark vault? She uses magic, and how could she even be able to use such powerful magic if she had an equal sign cutie mark like the rest of us? Don't give me the talk about the magical staff, because I know for sure it is fake. I've held the thing once, when I was already a member of the other-thinkers. I am a unicorn, and I should be able to detect magic using my horn. Yet when I held this piece of wood which she calls a "staff," I felt nothing, nothing at all. Not the slightest buzz of magical power. But when Starlight Glimmer took it, she used it freely to strip the cutie mark off one of our poor friends.
And what about equality? If Starlight Glimmer really wanted equality, then why is she not living like us? Why is she constantly holding public speeches and talks to us as if she is our leader? It's obvious that she wants to be our leader, but don't forget that in a society with true equality, nopony stands above anypony. Take a moment to think about that. If we really are an equal society, then why is Starlight Glimmer ruling us?
As you can see, Starlight Glimmer has given us nothing but lies, confusion, and tyranny suitable for a drama story. This is why we need you, reader. This is why we should assemble, grow in numbers and grow strong. With your help, we can stand against Starlight's rule. It doesn't even matter what you do, because everything you do can help us. You can help spread the Proud Prickly Press, you can gather stories and gossips and submit them to us, you can help create plans to take action against Starlight Glimmer, you can try to spot other ponies with diverging ideas and maybe even recruit them as new members. The more members we have, the stronger we stand against Starlight.
Elkia read the last few lines of this article a couple more times and then nodded. Thanks to the Proud Prickly Press the number of other-thinkers had risen dramatically. In the first week alone there had been a dozen new volunteers wanting to join the underground resistance. And every time a new issue of the Proud Prickly Press appeared, new ponies stood on the proverbial doorstep, eager to join the cause. Elkia reckoned that the Proud Prickly Press was a slam success.
Hidden rations of food and more
By Sugar Belle. Edited by Elkia Deerling.
Thanks to our inside-pony in the unloading crew, some rations of food, drinks, and other things long thought extinct are available to the public. A specialized squad of other-thinkers has made sure to hide the chests as best as they could. Register yourself at our underground headquarters and then we'll distribute the different items as fairly as we can. Of course, if you're a baker you will get a priority on baking-related items, and if you're a carpenter you will get a priority on tools, etcetera. Just make sure to use your new items as inconspicuously as you can. Needless to say, but important enough for us to say it anyway, Starlight Glimmer must not find out that some of her supplies have gone missing.
It was with those little things that the other-thinkers created some kind of resistance against Starlight Glimmer. Sometimes it's the little things that count. These little things enabled the pony population of Starlight's village to feel they were making a difference. Plus, who would say no to an extra ration of chocolate? Elkia chuckled and read the next article. There were a few small ones left.
Thank you, Elkia!
By Night Glider, Sugar Belle, and Party Favor.
'Oh my, not again,' Elkia said. Of course he wasn't angry or sad. He was just being his modest self. He knew exactly what followed in the next paragraphs. He didn't actually need to read it, but still, every time he read it he felt warm and fuzzy inside. Reaching for his heart and with a smile on his face, he read on.
We understand that putting a name on paper in the Proud Prickly Press might be risky, but we think that everything our special friend is doing is a big thing, which means a lot to us and requires a big "thank you." And besides, our friend knows that he is risking everything by helping us, and he knows that if the Proud Prickly Press is discovered he will be the first to become exposed, next to us three, of course. You see, it doesn't really matter if we put his name in the Press or not, but it matters to us to let him know just how much his work is appreciated.
We're talking about Elkia Deerling of course. Thanks to him and him alone did the Proud Prickly Press come to existence. He showed us how to use the printing press, how to collect stories, how to make a nice layout, how to create vivid and catchy titles. Even though his appearance in our secret society was a bit of an accident (it's actually a really funny story, which we might publish later on--with Sugar Belle's approval), we could never have made a better accident.
So without further ado, we would like to say a big "thank you" on behalf of all the other-thinkers and the founders. Elkia, you have more than earned your place amongst the ponies who started it all, your friends Night Glider, Party Favor, and Sugar Belle.
Tears came to his eyes as Elkia read the last sentence. He could never have hoped for a better friendship than this one, however secret it was. Actually, Elkia found that he had to say "thank you" to them as well. Never before had he felt this useful to anypony. He was able to do what he liked to do: to write. And now, he was truly making a difference with his work, writing directly for the other-thinkers' underground resistance movement. But not only that, he had also taught them how to write, how to operate the printing press, and how to create the Proud Prickly Press by themselves. Elkia thought he hadn't earned that much honor, as the ponies did their bests too. Wiping away two stray tears, he read the rest of this edition of the Proud Prickly Press.
More public speeches
By Night Glider. Edited by Elkia Deerling.
Has anypony noticed that Starlight's public speeches are increasing? Think about it. Where first Starlight only gave a speech once a week and on special occasions or when there was something important to tell, now she gives one speech almost every day. Our inside antlered agent, Elkia Deerling, can confirm this as well. He said that Starlight Glimmer definitely keeps him busy writing speeches for her, which she then rehearses quickly and recites to us, the public. And not only that, the speeches are growing more the same every day. Starlight always talks about unity, how we should stay together in her "cutie mark-less" and "equal" society, and how important it is to flush out any traitors. But of course, we must ignore her words the same way we avoid rattlesnakes, as we always do.
So why this article? I just want to point out that I think Starlight Glimmer is up to something. She wants to make sure her grip on us is still iron-bound and powerful. I think she is trying to reinforce her authoritative position as a leader, and maybe even wants to make us scared, or the contrary, to give us a false sense of security. Whatever the reason is, I and the rest of the other-thinkers think she's up to something.
There was one last article remaining. It was a short one, but Elkia found this one the most interesting of all.
The secret surprise!
By Night Glider, Sugar Belle, and Party Favor.
That's right, everypony, things are about to get serious. Over the past weeks, we have grown steadily in number, to the point where our little cellar is almost too small to harbor us all. The Proud Prickly Press works like a charm recruiting new members. Now, we think we are enough. We've gathered resources and horsepower, and now it is time for action.
We can't tell you much about what we're going to do, but don't be afraid. We'll give you a heads-up, and even if you miss our hints, you'll know it when it happens. As early as the founding of the other-thinkers we have brooded on big plans, plans that will make a difference, if they are executed well enough. These plans will make sure to crack open Starlight's illusion and deliver a crushing blow against her regime. More information will follow soon.
The words were ominous, predicting something even Elkia didn't know anything about. Night Glider had told him that something was about to happen, but there hadn't been enough time to talk about it. Didn't matter. Elkia promised himself to bring up the topic next time he was at the headquarters in Sugar Belle's cellar again.
But then he realized that maybe he didn't even have to wait that long. Elkia laid the last issue of the Proud Prickly Press aside and started digging in his hidden drawer again. Pulling out different small scraps of paper, he arranged them on his desk. These were the new articles for the next issue of the Proud Prickly Press. His job was to determine which went where and how the layout would be, then he would give them back to the printing team, who then printed the next issue of the underground newspaper. Elkia's eyes scanned the articles one by one, until he thought he found what he was looking for.
Revolution!
By Night Glider.
The time for waiting is over. It's time to make a stand against Starlight's regime--literally. We are with so many now, and we know that if we unite and fight, Starlight Glimmer will not stand a chance. I bet even her magic cannot help her against the power of our collective society.
Over the past few months I, and the rest of the founders, have discussed the topic of revolution. In secret, we talked about a new way of government, a way where everypony gets the right to vote and can participate in ruling over the town. The plans for this new government are all ready, so the only thing that remains is to get rid of the old government. Starlight Glimmer will fall.
Our plan is simple. Together, we will march towards her house, and surround it on all sides. We have no idea how she will react, so bring everything you can use as a weapon or shield. Pitchforks, rakes, rolling pins, mallets, hammers, wood, tools--whatever you can get your hooves on. After surrounding the house, she will hopefully see that there is nowhere she can go. We will then tie her up and exile her, and I, together with Party Favor, Sugar Belle, and Elkia Deerling, will occupy the house.
As you can see, our plan is solid, simple, and practical. Join us and help us, because we need every soldier we can get. We are not exactly sure just how many ponies in this town are still loyal to Starlight Glimmer, so, once again a warning: be armed and be dangerous.
Together we stand strong!
Together, we will fight for our freedom!
Together, we will transform Starlight Glimmer into a falling star!
The article then continued to tell exactly when and where this revolution would take place, but at that point Elkia had already put the article down, revealing his wide-open eyes and his chattering teeth. Were they serious? Were they actually going to do this? Elkia knew there were plans for big boycotts or things like this, but having a plan and bringing a plan into practice were to entirely different things. It was like the vague practice of daydreaming stuff or actually doing stuff in real life.
'This can't happen!' Elkia said, discovering that he voiced his thoughts immediately. 'This... this is dangerous! Somepony might get hurt!'
Just the thought of somepony getting into a fight because of this article sent shivers through his body. His words and intentions were never to hurt, but to heal. He wanted to heal this village. Was fighting really necessary to change this village for the better? Elkia thought it wasn't.
As fast as a sneaky snake, Elkia grabbed the last issue of the Proud Prickly Press and the articles and put them in his drawer. He folded up the article about the revolution and took it with him, as he left the house.
Looking twice over his shoulder, Elkia made his way to Sugar Belle's shop. He said the password, told Sugar Belle he had something to talk about, and together they disappeared into the cellar.
It was truly busy inside. A whole group of ponies were gathered in front of the chalkboard as Night Glider was explaining something. The explanation had to wait, however, for Elkia wanted to talk to her too. In a matter of seconds, Sugar Belle, Night Glider, and Party Favor were gathered together with Elkia in the printing room, the printing press being their only witness.
'What's all this about?' Night Glider said quite irritably. 'I was just explaining some crucial details of the revolution to our soldiers.'
'Yes, and that's exactly what I want to talk about,' said Elkia. 'We have to abort it.'
Odd glances came from the three ponies. 'Cancel it? You're talking nonsense,' said Night Glider.
But Sugar Belle interrupted her friend with a wave of her hoof. 'I think I know what Elkia means, because I feel the same.' She looked up at Elkia. 'Elkia, I know you think we shouldn't do such drastic things, where ponies could even get hurt. Believe it or not, but I thought the same thing when I heard of this plan.'
Sugar Belle guessed Elkia's thoughts right. He nodded.
'Yeah, I think violence is bad too,' said Party Favor. 'But Night Glider and some of our most trusted members convinced me to go through with the plan.'
'But why?' said Elkia. 'Is violence really necessary to get what you want? Won't ponies look very strangely upon this new government if it's built on a hostile takeover?'
'They'll accept it,' said Sugar Belle. 'As part of our democratic ideas, we put together a vote. Almost everypony voted for the revolution.'
'But--'
Night Glider swooped down and grabbed Elkia's head, forcing him to look into her eyes. 'Listen Elkia, these ponies are prepared to die for our cause. They don't mind a little violence. These ponies are sick and tired of living their lives in lies and discord, not being able to do anything. Right now they're glad, because they know we are going to make a difference.'
Night Glider let go of Elkia, who suddenly found himself at a loss for words. Slowly, with a weak voice, he said, 'Did almost everypony vote for the revolution?'
The three ponies nodded. 'Really,' said Party Favor. 'You can't argue with the cold, hard truth. This is the situation, and we have to bend it to our will.'
Sugar Belle walked over to Elkia and put a hoof on his shoulder. 'We know you didn't want your words to be used in this way--'
'They weren't even his words. I wrote the article,' Night Glider said.
Ignoring Night Glider, Sugar Belle continued. 'But we have to do something. Elkia, these plans have been on our table longer than you've been a member of our secret society. You have no idea how frustrating it is to watch those plans gather dust in your drawer. It is not only all the ponies, but we too, want something to change.'
'With violence?' Elkia said.
'Elkia listen,' Party Favor said. 'We're not some kind of monsters. The fact that we're prepared to use a little violence doesn't mean we'll actually be using it. Maybe it will all go peaceful, the ponies loyal to Starlight Glimmer will see things our way or will discover that they are hopelessly outnumbered and let us through. Maybe Starlight Glimmer will give up or flee. That's secretly what I'm thinking about all the time. Imagine this whole mob of angry ponies on your doorstep. Scary, isn't it? Would you flee? I would definitely flee.'
'If you think Starlight Glimmer will flee,' Elkia said, 'then you don't know her as well as you think.'
'Oh, Elkia,' said Sugar Belle, stroking Elkia's fur. 'There will most likely not even be violence. Our tools and makeshift weapons will only be for show. I mean, what is a mob without torches and pitchforks, right?'
'Good joke,' said Party Favor.
But Elkia wasn't in the mood to laugh. He silently thought about everything that had been said, biting his tongue and looking at nothing in particular.
Night Glider saw that, and she didn't like it. 'But you will still help us, right? Now's not the time to be a chicken.'
'Night Glider!' said Sugar Belle, throwing her friend an angry stare.
'No, she's right, Sugar Belle,' Elkia said, quitting his musings and looking at his friends one by one. 'I still don't support this plan, but...'
'It's difficult for you, we know that,' Party Favor said, 'we know about your nature.'
Elkia sighed. 'I made a promise to you, and I will not break it.'
Night Glider jumped up and hung in mid-air. 'So you will fight with us?'
'I'm not sure,' said Elkia, looking at the ground as if the answer lay there, up for grabs. 'I have to think about this. But in the meantime, I will help you to edit this version of the Proud Prickly Press, even though I'm not looking forwards to the distribution of it. You know how I think about the revolution, and I know how you think about it.'
There was a small silence. It seemed that even the conversations in the main hall were dying out.
'But I will not wield a weapon,' Elkia continued. 'Only if you can give me a full guarantee that this overthrow will be non-violent, will I stand with you, leading the mob.'
'You know we can't give you that,' said Night Glider.
Elkia nodded solemnly. 'Then you know where to find me.'
'And where's that?' said Party Favor.
'At the writing table of course.'
Sugar Belle jumped back from Elkia. 'But Elkia, I don't think being inside Starlight Glimmer's house is the safest place to be when the revolution starts.'
'It doesn't matter,' said Elkia. 'Nopony will be safe if you use violence.'
Maybe Sugar Belle, Night Glider, and Party Favor wanted to do another attempt at changing Elkia's mind, but Elkia wouldn't have it. After that horrible night more than a year ago, he was not in the mood for any more violence, no matter the cause or how important it was. And besides that, he didn't think he had much time left.
So he excused himself, left the cellar, and went back to Starlight's house. His heart raced and fear found a way into his mind, as he hoped Starlight Glimmer wasn't yet home and hadn't noticed him going into town by himself. He bit his lip, and stepped inside.
'Welcome back, my faithful assistant,' Starlight said.
Elkia's heart sank.
'Why, you look a bit pale. I'm sure it's not that cold outside. We're in a desert, after all,' Starlight said, toying with him as a predator would toy with his prey.
Elkia said nothing. He just froze in the doorway, unable to hide his secrets with his facial expression any longer.
'Mindreading time!'
Elkia's heart sank deeper.
His hooves trembling, Elkia closed the door behind him. He stepped into the living room, where Starlight was already waiting for him, the tip of her horn glowing. 'Why a mindreading?' he managed to cram out of his mouth. 'Why now?'
'I think you can answer that question better than I,' Starlight said. 'But as for my reason... I just feel lucky today.'
Elkia sighed and steeled his mind. He tried to perform the same trick he had done before, where he thought of other things to shield his real memories and thoughts from Starlight's prying eyes. But, other than the last time, this mindreading went quite smoothly, and Starlight soon withdrew her watchful gaze out of Elkia's thoughts, once again leaving him to wonder if his defiance had helped or not. * *
The herd had to wait. First, there was an elk to be saved.
Alces Roameling left Scribblers' City behind. Once outside, he made sure to gallop away fast, putting as many miles between him and the city as he could. The last thing he wanted was to be caught again. Then the whole story would start over again.
When he was satisfied, he grabbed his map and laid it out on the ground. Now that he looked at it again, he was briefly amazed by the amount of detail written on it. Every forest was clearly indicated in green, and the water was unmistakably blue, following the exact lined drawn by a steady hoof (or perhaps a horn) on the map. There were even coordinates on it in a grid pattern. Alces looked up, seeing stars twinkle faintly above the leaf-crowns of the trees, almost extinguished by the grey of dawn. With a little effort he determined where south was, and then went on his way once more.
Every day was a fixed rhythm. He got up in the morning, foraged some food to still the worst of his hunger, galloped all day long, then foraged some more during the evening, and slept a little at night. It was a good thing he still felt fit and strong thanks to the strange potion he had drunk in Scribblers' City, for it enabled him to go on and on and on. Yet, there was always the biting hunger in his stomach, as he was never that well-fed in the city. But he ignored the hunger, satisfying himself only with a few ferns and other plants, and then moved on. He didn't sleep that long either, and felt fatigue laying a load upon his shoulders which grew heavier with every day of traveling. But he didn't care about that either. His whole mind was focused on Elkia. He had done everything he wanted to do--find the herd and settle his debt of honor--and now it was time to save his brother. The opportunity had come, and now he had a plan.
After a few days, the forest began to change. The trees were no longer confined to the simple evergreen pines, but grew more lush and green, and richer in diversity. The very same day Alces encountered something strange. An unusual trail made of two metal bars made a large curve and continued in southern direction, cutting through the forest like a knife. Alces was unable to compare it with anything he knew, and couldn't even begin to imagine the amazing beasts that used it. He didn't know it, but he had found the train tracks leading from the Equestrian mainland to Griffonstone Station. But it didn't matter he didn't know what it was and what purpose the track served. He could now follow the flat, open terrain along the tracks in southern direction, moving twice as fast as before.
Another day later Alces could practically throw the map away, as he discovered a path. It was ancient and not well-maintained, but it was a path to the south nonetheless--exactly what Alces needed. He crossed the Guto River, as Strawberry Blonde had shown him, and after that, the terrain once again began to change. Trees became less and less common, to the point where only rare, hardened trees managed to keep themselves upright on the rocky soil. The road wound upwards into the mountains, climbing higher and higher. Alces knew he was going the right way. If he were a creature which could fly, he would definitely build his capital city on a mountain. That's why it wasn't much of a surprise that Alces finally found what he was looking for, and soon found himself standing at the gate of Griffonstone, capital of the Griffon Kingdom.
'Seriously, is this it?'
A massive grey tree grew upon the mountain, with its branches outstretched in every direction. On every branch there were a few houses, but they looked quite miserable. More often than not the straw roofs were sacked in, and the stone walls were crumbling and had holes in them. The only interesting thing about the city were the griffons, creatures Alces had never seen before. They moved about doing their daily business, looking grumpy and inhospitable. They didn't even greet each other on the streets. No, the city of Griffonstone and its inhabitants were totally different from the warm and caring society Alces used to live in.
Alces shrugged. Well, whatever. He wasn't here to go sightseeing. He was here on a mission.
Leaving the gate behind, ignoring the strange stares of the griffons who were definitely not used to Elkish visitors, he walked to the center of town. Once there was a proud statue of some king, but that too, was crumbling with age and neglect. Alces looked around, trying to spot something that looked like a zeppelin. He had no idea what a zeppelin looked like, but he had the feeling he'd know when he saw one. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to look over all of the little houses, so he climbed the statue to have a better point of view. Peering in the distance, he searched and searched, but suddenly found that the machine he was looking for was closer than he thought.
'Whoa!'
A shadow hovered over him, blocking the light. He had never before seen such a marvelous machine, and lacked the imagination to dream up such a strange vehicle. Briefly he remembered the stories his mother used to tell about sailors braving the waters of the open sea in boats made of wood. He had never been able to conjure a vivid picture of a boat with its crew in his mind, but with the zeppelin above him, he didn't need to, because the picture was right in front of him.
A wooden hull was carried by an enormous round balloon, painted in dabbling greys and browns. Alces couldn't see the crew very well, but his attention was drawn to the machine on the back of the vehicle. It was an enormous metal fan which spun faster than the eye could follow. It could twist and turn, and made sure that the zeppelin stayed on course towards the zeppelin harbor. Alces kept his eyes on the zeppelin until it was completely out of sight, landing somewhere further in town.
A minute later, Alces stood watching the zeppelins at the zeppelin harbor. One enormous branch of the tree that made up Griffonstone was strewn with planks to create a boardwalk, and smaller branches stuck out into the open air, creating docks where the zeppelins could be tied on to. There were a couple of zeppelins moored at the docks, and Alces could now see the crews of the different ships hauling barrels and chests with trade goods towards town, or filling their zeppelins with items ready to trade off at new destinations. Alces had the feeling he could watch them for hours if he wanted.
The only thing he had to do now was find out which one went to Glimglom's village, if Alces remembered the name correctly. He walked up and down the boardwalk, looking at the zeppelins, their cargo and their crew, but could find no hint at all to where they would go.
Couldn't they just write it on their hulls? Alces asked himself. Alas, it wasn't that simple. There was nothing left to do but just ask it to someone.
'Greetings, griffon,' he said to a griffon who didn't look very busy, and was hopefully in the mood to talk. 'Do you know which zeppelin goes to Glimglam's village?'
The griffon spit on the ground, but didn't make eye contact with Alces. His voice was gruff and unpleasant to listen to. 'Glimglam? Oh, you mean Starlight Glimmer's village?'
'Yes, that.'
'I could tell you...' Now the griffon turned to Alces, claw outstretched. '...If you have some Bits for me.'
Alces had seen how guards used to gamble away their money in Scribblers' City, so he knew what the griffon was talking about. 'I don't have any Bits.'
'What a shame,' the griffon said, although he didn't sound like he meant it. He turned away from Alces and unfolded his wings, ready to leave this awkward conversation behind.
'Hey, wait a minute!' Alces planted his hooves on the griffon's tail. Just as the griffon was about to soar into the sky, he was jerked back by his own momentum. 'What the--'
'I asked you a question,' Alces said, 'and I asked politely. Now, following the rules of etiquette, you should answer me.'
The griffon pulled his tail loose and stared down on Alces. 'The rules of etiquette don't apply here. Only the rules of money do.'
Slowly, Alces was growing sick of this griffon's attitude. 'It's just a small question. Answer me now!'
Standing on his hind legs, the griffon was easily a head taller than Alces. 'Are you threatening me?'
But Alces was undaunted. 'Maybe I am.'
'Then you're lucky I'm not in a bloodthirsty mood today, or I'll--'
Where the griffon had made himself taller, Alces had crouched down into dueling position. He jumped up, grabbed the griffon's head, and held it in a lock. 'I love threatening foreigners, because they never expect you to fight.'
'Arg!' was the only thing the griffon could say, sounding like a scrawny seagull.
'Now listen closely, griffon,' Alces said, talking slowly as if the unlucky griffon between his hooves had trouble hearing. 'You tell me which ship goes to Glamour's village or else I'll smack you so hard your beak will be attached to the back of your head, instead of the front.'
The griffon tried to flap his wings, but Alces only adjusted his stance so he could use his body weight to keep the griffon grounded. 'Well...?'
'The Grover's Talon,' said the griffon through garbles and other choking sounds. 'The Grover's Talon goes to Starlight Glimmer's village.'
Immediately, Alces let go of his victim. The griffon did his best to stand upright again and preened his ruffled feathers. When he was done, he threw a stink eye to Alces.
'Thank you,' Alces said.
'Don't feel too confident,' said the griffon, after clearing his throat. 'You're glad I won't sue you for what you just did, knowing there are no Bits for me to gain from you. It's a shame, for I'd love to see you rot in our dungeons. We don't see elks here often, and you should know that we are not really that kind towards strangers. If anything, we are extra gruff.'
'I noticed that, alright,' said Alces. Then, with a mocking smile, 'I hope that advice is free of charge.'
The griffon let out a growl and took to the air. That was the last Alces saw of him.
He walked up and down the boardwalks once more, and soon found what he was looking for. It turned out the very airship he had seen drifting overhead was the Grover's Talon. It lay there, moored in the docks, with a few members of its crew busy working.
So what was next? Even though Alces had mocked that one griffon, he did take his words seriously. He was definitely not going to get locked up once more, so he decided he had to be more careful next time, and maybe even restrain himself a bit--just a little bit. Looking at the Grover's Talon, he saw one big griffon standing on the deck of the ship. He was clad in black garments and a cloak, with a sword in his belt and a hat with a skull on his head, waving around his arms and giving orders to his men. His voice was growly and mean, as he cursed his crew whenever he could, probably to provide motivation. No, this griffon definitely didn't look like the talking kind. Walking up to him and asking, "Hey, I'm Alces Roameling. Can I join your crew?" was definitely a no-go. But what else was Alces to do then? He decided to come a bit closer, and inspect the ship mare carefully.
It was then, walking on the docks and spying on the ship, that Alces discovered something. The ship's anchor lied flat on the boardwalk, and the chain leading from the anchor to the zeppelin went through a hole in its hull. Alces was sure he'd fit through that hole, if he climbed the chain. Growling and letting out a snort, Alces once more decided it was time to play it sneaky, and, as mentioned before, he--
'Darn. I hate sneaking.'
Throughout the day he kept an eye on the zeppelin, but saw nothing more that was of interest. He had hoped to find some other way of getting aboard. There wasn't. Alces went through his plan time and again, but it really was the best he could come up with. He knew that if he'd get caught he risked ending up in the dungeons of Griffonstone. Griffons were faster than he himself, so they could swoop down and capture him as easy as a bald eagle snatching up a fish from the water. Sneaking is always a risky business--not to mention breaking and entering.
Better not get caught then.
As the daylight diminished and the night took over, the captain and his crew retreated in the ship and lit some candles and chandeliers. Fortunately, the back of the ship wasn't that well-lit, and the anchor chain kept hanging low in the shadows. The only thing Alces needed to do now was hop aboard and find some hiding spot.
But that wasn't as simple as it looked.
Between the hull of the zeppelin and the dock was quite a length of chain, and beneath it nothing but empty air and a pretty view of the side of the mountain, a hundred yards below. But now was not the time to chicken out. Alces stood on the boardwalk. He breathed in, breathed out, and then rubbed his hooves together.
'Here we go...'
Slowly, he sidled over the anchor chain. Hoof by hoof, he tried to stay upright and keep his balance. Alces made good progress, and soon he reached the halfway point. It was at that moment he felt something strange and slippery at his hooves.
Apparently, the chain was well-oiled.
But he had to go on. Twice as slow as before, Alces moved further up the chain. He ignored the grease, and focused on keeping the chain between his hooves. Slowly, slowly, he--
'Whoa!'
His hind hooves slipped, leaving Alces dangling on the chain. Despite the scare, his front hooves kept their grip on the oily metal. So he hung for five very long seconds, kicking empty air beneath him. But he didn't go down yet. Furrowing his brow, Alces began to sway back and forth, until he could wrap his hind hooves around the chain once more. It wasn't ideal, but it was something. He was now upside down, and continued his way carefully, but also quickly now. He felt fatigue envelop him in a heavy blanket, and his muscles trembled, making the chain rattle a bit.
He had never felt as relieved as when he got enveloped in shadows, going through the hole in the hull. He let himself fall to the wooden boards, and lay on the floor like that for a couple of minutes, catching his breath and wiping the damned grease off his hooves.
There's a reason I have antlers, and not wings, he thought to himself. If a griffon would see that he'd laugh.
Standing up, Alces tried to see something. It was completely dark in this section of the zeppelin. Yet, in the distance, there was the flickering of oil lamps, illuminating whatever was out there. Alces, as quietly as he could, sneaked towards the light. When he reached it, he saw he was in a bigger section of the ship now. Boxes and barrels and other containers stood everywhere, tightly bound together with rope to prevent them from sliding everywhere.
'Perfect.'
The only thing he had to do now was to find a suitable spot to hide in, and wait. The zeppelin would then fly all the way to Starlight Glimmer's village, land, and then Alces would jump right out again, as quickly and quietly as he could.
But not across the chain next time.
He grabbed an oil lamp from the wall and inspected the crates. On every crate was written the contents, and they were all sealed with iron nails. That was a problem.
Alces wanted to hide inside one of the crates. If he hid behind them, he would eventually be discovered when the crew started unloading the ship. He simply had to get inside of something, and then the crew would haul him out of the ship, and he could escape when he wanted once he was on solid ground again.
He looked around, trying to find a crowbar or a hammer of some sorts, but couldn't find anything. He briefly considered exploring some more rooms, but then he might run the risk of galloping into someone. No, he had to solve this problem by himself. Alces cursed. It would have been easy prying open one of the crates when he would still have his antlers. But he hadn't, so he had to find another solution.
As his search took him to the back of the storage room, he discovered a new chest he hadn't seen at first glance. It had no letters or words on it, but it was filled with branches and twigs.
Alces decided that that was as good as it was going to get. He shoved some of the twigs and branches aside and hopped inside. It was a bit small, and the two stumps that had once been his antlers stuck out of the box. But he reckoned it didn't matter. Those stumps looked like branches as well, so as long as he covered himself with twigs and sticks as best as he could, he would still be invisible. So he did.
And now he played the waiting game. But he soon discovered he was not only battling time, but also a whole new enemy: fatigue. His eyelids became heavy, and the movements of the zeppelin cradled him softly like his mother's caring hooves when he was just a little calf. The creaking of wood became his lullaby. Once more he checked if he was invisible amongst the twigs and sticks and branches in the chest. Once he was satisfied, he drifted off to a peaceful, well-earned sleep. * *
Elkia couldn't sleep that night. He lay awake in his bed inside the cage, trying to summon slumbers by lying first on one shoulder, and then the next. But the movement only made him restless. He felt his muscles unable to relax, and his eyes kept popping open instead of staying closed. Even his breath was strained.
He gave up. Elkia swiped away the blankets and got up out of bed. There was a small window he could reach through the bars, so that's where he went. Opening the window, he let the cool, summery desert air inside. His neck was long enough to peek his head through the window. Immediately, he looked up at the moon.
He used to look at the moon so many times. The silvery light and the pattern of the craters had always fascinated him. He and his mother had spent hours watching the glowing orb, trying to see when the eye of the Dark Elk would blink behind a pocket of drifting clouds.
But right now even the moon couldn't calm Elkia down. Staring at it however he wanted, he couldn't chase his fears away. Tomorrow would be D-day. Tomorrow was the day of the revolution. He had no idea how it was going to turn out, but at the same time he didn't dare to guess. Everything would be up to the ponies of Starlight's village and Starlight Glimmer herself. They were the players on the field, and he hoped to stand at the sideline and pray and support them mentally. He had no place in a rebellion. But then again, neither had he in a murder tragedy, nor in a love drama, nor in an escape mission. Yet he had already played his parts in those theater shows.
Was he going to play a part in this revolution too?
Once again he looked at the moon, thinking about those whom he had lost. From all those dearest to him, Alces Roameling was the name that was on his mind. His brother. Watching the skies, Elkia imagined him fly like a pegasus through the chilly night air, obscuring the moon for a second and then swooping through the chimney, ramming open the cage door with his mighty antlers, and then rescuing him.
Elkia had no idea how accurate his thoughts were. * *
'Huh?! This is no firewood?'
Never before had Alces been as rudely pulled out of his sleep as right now. Or maybe that one time, when Elkia had jumped up and down on his bed, waking him for his own birthday.
But the griffon who held him fast by the stumps of his antlers was not going to celebrate his birthday. Both Alces and the griffon bore the same stupid expression of bafflement on their faces, as their eyes were level.
In one second, Alces's action-ready mind bucked away the fog of sleep. In two seconds, he jabbed his hoof at the throat of the griffon, who let go of him. In three seconds, he jumped out of the crate onto the floor, and noticed the other griffon, standing next to his coughing comrade with a naked sword. In four seconds, Alces saw an opening and sprinted away.
Once he reached the exit of the room, he looked back. Now both griffons had drawn their swords and headed towards him. Perhaps he could have taken them on if he still had his antlers, but right now it wasn't rocket science. They had two weapons; Alces had two stumps on his head. He ran.
Leaving the cargo hold behind him, he galloped through a long hallway full of doors. The flames of the oil lamps were gone, and instead bright morning light shone through the portholes in the hull of the ship. Alces cursed. He was not going to be able to hide in some dark corner now. Alces picked his way through the hallway, making a turn. He had to get off this ship and then out of Griffonstone. Maybe the mean, armed griffons would leave him be once he abandoned ship. In any case, his plan was blown, and Alces kept cursing himself as he ran. I hate, hate, HATE sneaking!
The hallway was a dead end. But behind him, he heard the footsteps of the griffons. He made a split-second decision. Backtracking, Alces flung open the first door he could find and entered the room. As swiftly and silently as he could, he closed the door behind him, hoping the griffons hadn't spotted him. When he stood with his back against the door, he looked into the room he was in.
Oh-la-la!
Spears, halberds, axes, swords, bows, arrows, shields, and even a pair of cannons were in the room with him. He must have hit the armory. For a brief moment, Alces forgot about his stupidity and let his eyes feast on the many different weapons, most of which he didn't even know the name of. He didn't see a new pair of antlers, but reckoned that one of the other weapons would do for now.
The footsteps of the griffons neared. Alces bit his lip. His muscles tensed. Then he let go of his breath and relaxed a bit, as the footsteps died away. Good. That left him time to arm himself.
He looked for something useful and not too heavy. A spear? No, too long. An axe? No, too heavy. A shield? He needed some offense--no defense. At last, when his eyes almost glittered, tired with all the steel in the room, he saw something that piqued his interest. On the far wall hung two crossed swords. Even from a distance Alces could see the gleaming metal of the blades and the shiny stones embedded in the hilts. One of those was going to be his weapon.
Unfortunately, they hung very high. No matter. Alces spotted a few nearby chests and began climbing. He hopped from chest to chest, ever higher towards his goal. The chests were fastened to each other with ropes, and they were closed, so he had an easy time climbing like a mountain goat.
Until he realized not all of them were tightly closed after all.
Perhaps one of the crewmembers had gotten lazy, or perhaps he had left the chest open, intending to close it later. Whatever the case, when Alces jumped off it, the lid flew open and banged to the floor. Fortunately, Alces was already on the chest above that one. Unfortunately, the chest he had thrown down was filled with swords. The metal rattled and clinked as the chest went down. It bounced down from the pile, sending swords flying everywhere, until it slammed into the floor.
And, like a true action story cliche, the griffons heard it loud and clear.
But Alces had only one more chest to go. He jumped, reached up, and grabbed one of the ornamental swords in his mouth just as the door opened.
'So he's a stowaway and a thief now?' one of the griffons said, throwing a glance at the elk.
'More reasons to make him pay for ruining my singing voice,' the other griffon said.
Alces jumped down from the crates. He shifted the sword in his mouth, until he had a tight grip. Head low, he advanced on the two griffons. 'I don't think so.'
The griffons crouched low and readied their swords, standing right next to each other. One of them advanced on Alces, swinging his sword at him. It was at that moment that Alces realized that despite him being a duelist, he knew nothing of swordplay.
Ducking low, he avoided the slash of the one griffon, only to be attacked by the second. He stabbed through an opening at Alces, but Alces was faster. He swung his sword and deflected the blow. Now he had a nice little hole. Stepping aside, he slashed with his sword at the first griffon, trying to hit at least something. A loud squawk indicated he had succeeded at that.
'My tail! How dare you!' And indeed, a few tufts of hair fell off Alces's blade and fluttered to the ground. It wasn't exactly a deadly strike, but it was a good start.
While the tailless griffon kept staring at his clipped behind, the other went for a second attack. He performed a wide slash again, aiming at Alces's neck to slice it through. Alces ducked at the last moment, and fell upon his back. The griffon stepped forwards, stabbing at Alces time and again, while Alces shuffled further back. Finally, when the griffon raised his arms for a swing, Alces rolled back and kicked his hind hooves in front of him, sending the griffon flying into the crates.
'Now I'll make you pay!' The tailless griffon said. He charged forwards, sword in hand, ready to skewer Alces to the wall. But thanks to Alces's swift moves, the only thing the griffon skewered to the wall was his own sword. The force of his attack drove the blade deep into the wood. The griffon jerked, trying to loosen it, but found himself stuck.
Alces didn't hesitate. He swung his own blade in the air, and slammed it into the sword of the griffon, breaking the blade just above the handguard. With a loud clinking sound, the griffon found himself without a sword.
But unfortunately, there was a whole pile of swords lying on the ground. The griffon stepped back and dodged Alces's thrusts and stabs, crouched down, and found himself a new blade. In the meantime the other griffon had recovered from his tumbling, and now the three duelists stood opposite each other once more.
The griffon with tail (and without singing voice) slashed at Alces. Once again, Alces cocked his head and blocked the blow. Swift as lightning, he grabbed the griffon's sword hand and held it fast. Alces's sword traveled all the way towards the griffon's face. The griffon let out a squawk and opened his wings in a reflex. Startled by the sudden movement, Alces let go of the griffon's hand, and instead ended his attack with a wide slash to the side, straight through the griffon's wing.
Feathers and bits of feathers rained down on the ground. No blood. Yet. The griffon's sword fell to the ground as he looked at his damaged wing. 'My primary feathers! Those will take months to grow back. Months to grow and months of awkward flying!' The griffon narrowed his eyes as he shot a glance full of red-hot sword tips towards the elk. 'Enough with the dueling. Now you're going down!'
Picking up his sword, the clipped griffon pumped his wings and charged right at Alces. In a reflex movement, Alces managed to keep the sword away from his face, but couldn't do anything against the force of the charge. The two animals flew backwards, interlocked in an awkward embrace, trying to wriggle their swords free and strike somehow. Alces expected himself to slam back-first into the wall, but instead he slammed back-first into the door. The door gave way, and they continued their fight in the hallway.
Steel swung this way and that, as the clipped griffon kept applying pressure to the elk. Alces dodged, rolled, and even blocked a few strikes, but soon found that he was losing ground. Trading blows, the two animals walked further and further into the hallway, the griffon stepping forwards, and Alces stepping backwards. Alces had no way of knowing how much hallway he had left. He knew that if he let his attention slip for just a second, the enraged half-bird-half-lion would run him through. Apparently, griffons were quite attached to their feathers.
They passed another door, Alces noticed. Distracted. A loose nail made him trip backwards. A second later, he slammed onto the floor, the sword slipping away from his teeth. The griffon paused, looking at his helpless victim, now disarmed on the ground.
'I've never beaten an elk before in a duel, but you know what they say: there's a first time for everything...' The griffon stepped closer, grabbed his sword with two hands, and raised it high above his head. Alces flinched. The sword went down.
BLAM!
Alces thought it was the sound of the sword slicing through his bones. But if that were true, then how could he be thinking that? Opening his eyes, he looked straight at a new griffon, draped in black.
'Well, well, well, what's all the fuss about?' he said. He stood in the doorway, looking around himself. When he closed the door behind him, Alces noticed how the clipped griffon went along with it, flattened against the wood, his sword still raised.
The other griffon caught up with his comrade, and faced the griffon in black. 'We found this elk in the cargo hold and he attacked us, Captain. We wanted to chase him off the ship but then he started fighting back and then Garrod wanted to cut him down.'
The griffon in black looked from Alces on the ground to his clipped crewmember, trying to dislodge his beak from the door, and to his other crewmember, tailless griffon, pointing at Alces. 'Well, if you were going to cut him down, then why isn't he cut down?'
Finally, with a comedic sloshy sound, the clipped griffon managed to free himself from the door, leaving a griffon-shaped dent behind. His eyes rolled for a few seconds, but after a shake of the head he cleared his mind again. Turning to his captain, he said, 'Don't worry, Captain Gaffer. We will dispose of him as quickly as we can, now that he's disarmed.'
But the captain had other ideas. He raised his arms. 'Whoa, whoa wait a minute. This story sounds interesting.' He walked over to Alces and grabbed the sword from the ground. Eyeing his crew, he twirled the thing around in his claws as if it were a toy. 'So you're saying he fought back?'
'Yes sir,' said tailless griffon.
'But he's an elk,' said the captain. 'Hay, he can't even hold a sword in his hooves. How did he fight back then? By holding the sword in his mouth?'
'Eh... yes sir,' said tailless griffon again.
'So you're telling me that some random stowaway elk grabbed a sword and started dueling with my crew'--he looked at Alces, who still lay on the ground--'and actually presented a challenge?'
'Eh...' This time tailless griffon forgot to say either "yes" or "sir," but the captain knew enough.
Now they all stood still. They all eyed each other. Alces wondered how fast he could escape this awkward moment and rush out of the ship. Yet, both griffons held their swords in their hands, and Alces still had no idea which way was out. He could only wait.
The captain let out a loud snort, followed by a rain of chuckles. He reached for his stomach and bent through his knees, as laughter overcame him. 'HAHAHAHA! You can't be serious, he's, he's, and you... BWAHAHAHA!'
'With all due respect, Captain, but you shouldn't laugh,' said the clipped griffon. 'He ruined my singing voice with his pounding hooves and he sliced away almost all of my primary feathers. Do you have any idea how humiliating it will be once I try to fly again?'
Naturally, the captain couldn't stop laughing. 'HAHAHA! He ruined your... your... singing voice?'
'Yes, and he sliced my tail,' said tailless griffon, waving his tuft-less tail for the captain to see.
Still the captain wasn't able yet to fully form sentences, as chuckles and bursts of laughter kept interrupting him. Only minutes later, awkward minutes during which no one made a move, the captain blinked the tears out of his eye and stood up straight again. He looked not at his wounded crew, but at the elk on the ground. His gaze was still half-soft with hidden laughter, and he didn't even look that angry. 'This elk must be a very special one if he manages to wield a sword against my trained crewmembers. What's your name, calf?'
Alces wasn't sure if answering was the wisest thing to do, yet, the strangeness of the situation perhaps overcame him too. 'I'm Alces Roameling,' he said.
'And how did you get your amazing sword skills, Alces Roameling?' said the captain. He bent forwards to cast his one good eye upon the creature on the floor.
'I've never wielded a sword in my life,' Alces said, 'but I'm a duelist by nature.'
Letting out a snort, the captain barely managed to contain his laughter this time. 'I see...'
'Why don't you let us teach him a lesson?' said clipped griffon.
The captain jerked his head back, until he ended his movement in a headbutt right into the belly of clipped griffon. As he doubled over, the captain grabbed his arm, and threw the much larger griffon to the ground in an impressive shoulder throw.
'Wow,' Alces couldn't help but say.
While the clipped griffon lay squirming on the ground, the captain continued his tale. 'We are mercenaries, Mister Elk, born fighters. We are always looking for two things. Number one is treasure and gold, and number two is new and able fighters to expand our crew.' He jabbed a finger at the clipped griffon. 'That's why I want to talk with you instead of throwing you overboard like these milk mouths say I should do.' He turned his attention to Alces again. 'If it is true what you say, then you are either a skilled duelist, or my crew is composed of milky-faced wimps.'
As the captain glanced at tailless griffon behind him, tailless griffon did a step back and sheathed his sword. A wise decision, considering the fate of his friend.
Alces hated the vagueness of this strange situation. 'So are you going to throw me overboard or not?'
'Actually, I'd love to see you fight with my own eyes, with that sword in your mouth.' The captain reached out, opened Alces's mouth with his claws, and rammed the hilt of the sword into it. 'I've always wondered how you hoofed animals fight without claws or hands to hold your weapon upright. But honestly, I'm not in the mood for any more violence or humiliation.'
Alces spit out the sword and let it clatter to the ground. 'So that means...'
'Ah, right to the point, I see. No loose ends, no vagueness or hesitation. I like that attitude,' said the captain.
Why was he constantly giving compliments to him? The hairs on the back of Alces's head stood on end. He knew this was do or die time. If the mercenaries turned him in, he was going to the dungeons. That meant even more stealthy escape tactics--if he could get out at all. But what was the alternative?
The captain pretended to hear something. He listened to the nothingness, nodded, and then said, 'Do you hear that sound, Alces Roameling?'
'No.'
'That's the sound of opportunity, the sound of a new life, and the sound of adventure. Do you embrace the call of duty, or do you let it slip through your hooves?'
'Do you really want me to join your crew?'
The captain frowned. 'That's a simpler and more bland way to say it, but if that's your style then who am I to judge. But yes, that's what I'm saying. You have proven today that you are a skilled warrior already. And if you have a wife or children, then consider this a welcome vacation. Children can be so annoying sometimes.' The captain shook his head. 'Anyway, do you accept my offer?'
Alces couldn't believe it. All this sneaking and fighting, and he could have just asked in the first place! He raised his hoof to slap himself in the face, but as it traveled, the captain snagged it and pulled Alces back to his hooves. 'I see you accept. That's great. Together, we will forge you into a formidable weapon. I'm sure you'll be best friends with the rest of the crew in no time.'
'Whoa, whoa, just a second,' said Alces. 'I didn't say anything yet.'
'We could also turn you in and throw you into the dungeons,' said the captain as blandly and gruffly as Alces voiced his words.
'First I need to ask you three questions,' said Alces.
Opening his arms, the captain said, 'Shoot, but don't stab please.'
Alces ignored the joke. 'First, are you going to Starbright Glamour's village?'
'No, we're flying to Starlight Glimmer's village,' the captain said with a smile. 'But you're right, the name is a bit confusing on the tongue.'
'Second, will your crew stop killing me if I join you?'
The captain glanced at both griffons, irritation etched on his face. 'I'll make sure they do. Third question?'
'Can I keep the sword?'
Once again, the captain snorted and let out a few chuckles. When he managed to calm himself down a bit, he reached out a claw. 'My name is Captain Gaffer, and I welcome you aboard, Alces Roameling.' * *
This was perhaps the fifth time in a minute that Elkia looked out of the window. Through the glass, he could spot Sugar Belle's bakery shop, basking in the glaring midday sun. Yet, there was nopony to be seen.
Elkia sat behind his writing table, pretending to work on some new assignment Starlight Glimmer had given him. He pretended, because he couldn't possibly work under these circumstances. His stomach kept feeling queasy, and his heart thumped and bumped in his chest. Any moment now he expected a gigantic mob of angry ponies to surround the house. He knew it shouldn't be long now.
Over the course of the last hour he had seen them, the revolutionaries. They went towards Sugar Belle's bakery in twos and threes, with a few minutes in between each group, to keep themselves as inconspicuous as they could. Yet, Elkia hadn't seen one single pony leave. He reckoned the cellar must be very crowded now, if all the ponies were inside, planning, arming up and readying themselves for the revolution of a lifetime.
Suddenly, his attention got ripped away from the window and towards his master. Starlight Glimmer walked past his desk and snatched up the piece of paper he had been trying to work on. Before Elkia could cover it up or grab it back, Starlight started reading everything that was written on it.
'The ponies of this town.'
Elkia felt himself blush. His head flopped down upon the desk. If Starlight hadn't already suspected something, she surely did now. Elkia Deerling, her personal writer, was never at a loss for words.
Starlight Glimmer grabbed Elkia's head by the small, velveted antlers and pulled it back until he was upright again. She laid the piece of paper on the desk, and looked Elkia in the eyes. 'Yes, I know how you feel. Today is going to be a big day, isn't it?'
Elkia's back stiffened. 'W-w-what do you m-m-mean? It's just a n-n-normal Saturday. You know, a normal Saturday where I write and you govern your village.'
Scanning, scanning, Starlight's eyes shifted, taking in every single detail of Elkia's face, as if she saw straight through him. 'Not exactly, Elkia. You and me know that both.'
Making one last desperate attempt to conceal everything he thought, Elkia said, 'I have no idea what you're talking about.'
Then, Starlight Glimmer couldn't contain herself any longer. She let out a sharp, heartless, evil-villain laugh. It echoed through the living room, upstairs, through the whole house, and Elkia reckoned that if somepony had been outside, he or she could have heard it too. Starlight Glimmer clutched her belly, laughing and chuckling as if she wanted to laugh away the tension in the air. Of course, that terrible laugh only put Elkia more on edge.
That was the moment Elkia knew she knew. Neither he nor Starlight Glimmer needed to say anything. There were no more secrets in this house. Elkia didn't dare to speak again, not until Starlight Glimmer's evil laugh changed into chuckles, and then into a broad, cold smile on her face. When finally there was silence again, Elkia said, 'You know what's going to happen, don't you?'
Starlight's smile only grew broader. 'I not only know what's going to happen, my dear Elkia. I also know exactly what has already happened, and how it's going to end. Spoiler alert! Not very well.'
Those words made Elkia's winter-hardened heart freeze over. He had done well to just shut up, but something inside himself demanded to know more. No more secrets. No more lies. It was time to put everything on the table. Right... now! 'How did you know?'
Starlight had to let out a few chuckles before she was able to answer Elkia's question. 'Your mind is an open book, Elkia. And no matter how vague the mouth-writing is, or how much you try to mess up the pages with splotches of ink, I can always read it. Although I must say that one time you actually made it a bit more difficult for me to read, thinking about your loved one and your brother. But there is nothing that stays hidden from me for long. Not in my town.'
'S-s-so you saw everything? You saw everything through my mind?' Elkia's voice was almost a whisper, so very weak it was. He felt like a traitor. Thanks to his mind...
'I saw everything,' Starlight said, with more than a little pride in her voice. 'I saw everything you did, and everypony you talked to. You have been a very naughty elk, Elkia, stumbling into the "resistance" and agreeing to make that sloppy little newspaper for them. What was it called again?
The "Powerless Pathetic Ponies?" Anyway, I suppose I must thank you too. Your mind was an excellent spyglass through which I was able to watch the "other-thinkers."'
Elkia's ears drooped down, and he stared at the floor. 'I'm sorry everypony,' he said, even though Starlight was the only pony in the room with him.
'HAHAHAHA!' Starlight laughed again. 'It was actually quite interesting and more than a little adorable to see the resistance form. I had the feeling that something was going on in my town for a long time, but seeing just how many ponies are involved, it actually'--she flung away imaginary tears--'breaks my heart.'
Elkia gritted his teeth. Even in this delicate and dangerous situation, he had to be strong. He had to be strong if he still wanted his answers. He raised his head and looked at the dictator pony in front of him. 'But... if you knew about the other-thinkers from the start, why didn't you just gather some followers and barge into our hidden cellar?'
'Two reasons,' Starlight said. 'Number one, I found it interesting to see how these "other-thinkers" unified themselves and created these ingenious plans, these brilliant tactics, and these superb ideas. I've read books about revolutions, and if there's one thing I learned from them, it is that in every dictatorship, no matter how hard you try, there will always be a few rotten apples in the basket. Different ideas will spread the rot around, until all the apples are spoiled. Then, the spoiled apples will unite and fight, trying to poison the very heart of the pony who created her utopian dictatorship all by herself. That is what we call a revolution.'
'And the second reason?'
Starlight seemed to look a bit cross. 'Actually--and it pains me to say this, but it's true--I think there are now more ponies against me than for me in this town--my town. I simply didn't have enough horsepower to break into the cellar and embrace the insurgents in my loving hooves, making them ready for some thorough brainwashing.'
'So that means...'
'Don't get any funny ideas, Elkia. That doesn't mean that my regime has failed. Remember that after every revolution there will be a new era. Only this new era will have the same ruler: me.'
Throwing a glance outside, seeing two new ponies head towards Sugar Belle's bakery shop, Elkia said, 'But then what are you going to do once they attack your place?'
Starlight rubbed her hooves together. 'That will be a pretty little surprise...'
Her words were ominous, and bore such power that Elkia shivered despite the heat. 'So you will simply wipe them out?'
'Not necessarily,' said Starlight. 'I think you and I share the same revulsion for violence and bloodshed. No, if opportunity allows me, I'd rather not have any of my flock killed, no matter how rotten they are.'
'So what are you going to do with them?'
'Catch them alive and re-educate them,' said Starlight.
Elkia didn't like the way Starlight said the word "re-educate." That ominous word only sent more shivers through his body.
'And besides, I think I only need to capture the four main leaders,' Starlight said. 'I only need Sugar Belle, Party Favor, and Night Glider and give them a proper re-education. You know, using them to set an example. I'm pretty sure that if I manage to convert those ponies, the rest will lose all interest in strange revolutionary ideas, and their motivation will be crushed.'
'Eh...' Elkia raised his hoof as if he were a little calf in class. 'You said four main leaders, but you mentioned only three.'
'Oh yes, how could I forget,' Starlight said, twirling her hoof around. 'The fourth leader is sitting right opposite of me. I mean you, Elkia.'
'EEK!' Elkia got startled and nearly fell off his chair.
A cruel smile played on Starlight's lips. 'Oh yes, you will be very useful brainwashing material, Elkia. You are soft like clay, ready to be molded into the form of my choosing. I don't even think it will take that long to shape your mind. It's a shame I'll lose my personal writer, though. You really had some talent with your independent mind. Oh, well, I guess I'll have to schedule another trip to Scribblers' City then.'
Elkia's hooves trembled and fidgeted with the pencil on his table. He didn't dare to look into Starlight Glimmer's brutal eyes.
But he didn't even have to. Starlight drew her own conclusion all by herself. 'As you can see, Elkia, there is nothing hidden from me. I am in complete control of the situation, from beginning till end. This revolution will go down in the history books as the pathetic attempt at battling a god. The only glorious victory will be mine and mine alone. Thanks to this feeble insurgence, my rule will last a lifetime, and longer if necessary. You have no power here. Nopony has any power here but me!'
Elkia turned his ears away from the cackling laughter that shredded the air once more. He looked outside. Behind the windows of Sugar Belle's bakery, he could see shadows moving. * *
Alces Roameling stood at the prow of the Grover's Talon. The wind waved through his coat. It was fresh and a little chilly at this altitude, exactly how elks like it. But he wasn't there to feel the wind. No, it was far more interesting to gaze down, to marvel at the incredible height and speed with which the zeppelin rode the winds. For a moment, Alces felt as if he were the Light Elk himself, gazing down upon the world with his one unblinking eye.
'It must be quite something to see the world like that,' said Captain Gaffer. He walked over to Alces and stopped right next to him, sharing this awesome moment.
'I feel like a god,' said Alces, 'and I wish I was.'
'Yes,' said Gaffer. 'If we were gods we could do what we want, bend reality to our will, to favor those we want to favor and to smite our enemies with holy fire.'
Shaking his head, Alces took his gaze away from the swirling waters below and looked at Captain Gaffer, only to discover that the black-clad, one-eyed griffon was watching him.
'We haven't talked much, you and I, and the journey is almost over,' said the captain. 'We'll fly over the Celestial Sea towards some mountains, and behind those lies Starlight Glimmer's village.'
'Good,' Alces said. He narrowed his eyes so tightly Captain Gaffer thought he might get skewered by Alces's gaze.
'Gee, you look like a maniac,' said Gaffer, raising his hands as if he wanted to protect himself. 'Are all elks that bloodthirsty?'
'Only if you mess with the elk's family.'
'Sooooooooo...' Gaffer stretched the "o" as far as he could, wanting to get some of the tension out of the thin air. 'I guess you have family in Starlight's village?'
'Yes.' In the brief pause that followed, Gaffer wanted to slice a new--and hopefully easier--subject, but Alces continued on his own. 'He's there, imprisoned by this pony, this "Starlight Glimmer," if I finally get that damn name right. She took him from a vile town called Scribblers' City. Apparently she wanted to have him for his skill at writing, if I should believe a single word of the treacherous pony who gave me that knowledge.'
'If what you say is true,' said Gaffer, 'then you probably will have to face Starlight yourself.' He sighed. 'I've known Starlight for some years now. She's a really powerful unicorn, both physically as well as mentally as well as magically. I hope you're up for the fight of your life, because Starlight Glimmer hates it when things don't go according to plan--her plan, I mean.'
Alces nodded silently, as his thoughts traveled to Elkia. 'I can only imagine how scared he must be. He's nothing like me, my brother. We're like snow and fire. But even though we have our differences, and sometimes even get angry and argue, we love each other a lot. He tried to save me from that horrible town--twice. First by himself with a ridiculous plan he messed up, and then through his friends with a ridiculous plan I messed up. He was there for me, and now it's time for me to be there for him.'
'Wow, I can only imagine what you mean by that,' said Gaffer. But when he received another angry stare from Alces he added, 'No worries, I won't ask.'
'Good.'
Another silence descended upon them. In the distance, Alces spotted the vague shapes of the mountains Gaffer had talked about, rising from the clouds like celestial islands. Yet he couldn't completely take his thoughts to where he wanted them to be. 'Gaffer, now I want to ask you something.'
'Sure, go ahead. It's not as if I have important captain-duties to attend to.' His voice betrayed the joke. 'No seriously, I don't. Being a captain can be a lazy job sometimes.'
Alces stroked his goatee. 'It's not as if I would normally care about that, but why did you burst into laughter when we first met? If I were a captain I'd kill any rats hiding on my ship immediately and without mercy. There must be more to our strange alliance.'
Gaffer listened closely to Alces. He sighed with a smile on his face, as a memory floated by like a cloud. 'It felt like the least I could do to return a favor I got a long time ago.'
'What do you mean?'
Captain Gaffer cleared his throat. 'Believe it or not, but my mother brought me to that magical lake you elks, deer, and reindeer guard, when I was but a little griffon baby, just hatched from the egg. She offered me to the seer, who did some kind of magical incantation, and then spoke about my future and told them my name.'
'Really?' Alces said, suddenly very interested in what the captain had to tell him. 'What did the seer say?'
'Hahaha! According to my mother, she said trouble would always find me, and that a fight would never be far away from me. She couldn't have been more right, because here I am, leading a band of mercenaries and pirates to their glory!'
'Ah, I see,' Alces said.
The captain's face grew serious again. 'So having mercy on an elk seemed like the right thing to do. However, I wasn't lying when I talked about a future of adventure and treasure for you as a member of my crew, if you want to have it. But I have the feeling you have other plans, don't you?'
'I just want my brother back,' Alces said through clenched teeth. 'And I'm gonna get him back.'
Captain Gaffer clapped Alces on the shoulder. 'Good! You do that boy. Follow your head, heart, and your guts, as I always say.'
Alces saw how the mountains drifted closer and closer, their peaks topped with snow.
'I'd better go and see my helmsman at the wheel,' said Captain Gaffer. 'We must make one tiny adjustment to our course to catch the most favorable winds.'
Alces nodded, but then motioned for Gaffer to wait. 'Just one moment. It might not be very important, but I was just wondering, why are you and your crew heading towards Starlight Glimmer's village yourselves?'
'Oh, it's nothing big,' said Gaffer. 'Just a little peace-keeping operation.'
'Oh, okay.' Alces turned his head to watch the nearing mountains and the remnants of the sea again, while Captain Gaffer disappeared behind him, ready to give the final orders. * *
Starlight's village was just the one street, so Elkia could clearly see them coming. The door to Sugar Belle's bakery opened, and ponies streamed out. There were so many of them! Just when Elkia thought that all ponies were outside, more and more trickled through the doorway. From this distance, Elkia could see that many carried something, but he couldn't exactly see what.
He swallowed, and then looked behind him at Starlight Glimmer, who was walking in circles. 'They're coming.'
'What?!' Starlight stiffened. Elkia could see how her eyes wavered about and how she bit her lip. Was she... scared?
'I thought you had complete control of the situation,' Elkia said. He could have teased Starlight a bit, but didn't think that was a wise thing to do.
Starlight Glimmer stopped pacing around and instead pressed her head to the window. 'Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no.'
Elkia stood up and walked to the next window. The mob outside had gathered themselves together, and the ponies were now marching towards the house. There were at least a hundred of them, or maybe even more.
Recoiling from the window, Starlight looked at the grandfather clock, and kept staring at it. 'No, no, no. Too soon. Too soon!'
'What are you talking about, Starlight,' said Elkia.
Starlight took a second to flash a murderous glance at Elkia, before she resumed studying the arms of the clock, her eyes narrowed.
The sound of a large group--voices, shouts, hoofsteps, crunching sand--could be heard. When Elkia once more looked out of the window, he saw a whole row of ponies. Walking towards another window, one opposite of where he sat, he did the same and saw the same. 'Eh... Starlight,' he said hesitantly, 'I think they've surrounded the house.'
'ARGH!' Starlight growled like a wild beast, a wild beast cornered and scared but also ready to fight till the death. She once more paced around the living room, glancing through every window as if Elkia had told her a lie. 'What to do, what to do?'
Then, just when Elkia thought Starlight was going to explode with tension and stress, one voice made itself clearly heard over the hubbub outside. It was Night Glider's voice. 'Starlight Glimmer! We have surrounded your house. There's nowhere for you to go, and there's nothing you can do. We are the ponies of the revolution, and we're here to dethrone you. We outnumber you a hundred to one. Just calmly open the door and walk outside. And Elkia? If you're there, go follow behind Starlight Glimmer and make sure she doesn't do any magic. Starlight, if you perform any magical spells, we will attack you immediately.'
In the silence that followed, Starlight paced twice as fast. Sweat pearled off her forehead, and her eyes darted all about the room.
Elkia walked towards the door. 'Shall I open it?'
'NO!' In a flash of magic, Elkia got shoved aside. With another flash, every lock on the door (there were no less than seven of them) clicked shut.
The ponies outside must have heard the door clicking shut as well, as a mumbling wave of comments traveled through the mob. A few seconds later, Night Glider's voice could be heard again. 'Starlight Glimmer, if you don't come out of your house we will force the door open and drag you out. It's your choice if you want to leave by yourself or if we will make you leave.'
Starlight narrowed her eyes and grunted. She opened her mouth to speak, but at that exact moment something heavy banged against the door, something heavy enough to silence the dictator. Then it banged against the door again, and again, and again.
'As you hear, we have a battering ram,' said Night Glider, 'and we have no shortage of ponies to operate it. Come out now. Our threats are very real!'
'No, no, no,' Starlight said, but too soft for Night Glider to hear it. 'I need more time, more time, more time...'
BANG! The battering ram slammed into the door. BANG! Another hit. BANG! And another one.
Elkia couldn't believe his ears and eyes. The revolution was working! His eyes went from the tortured door to Starlight Glimmer, desperate and utterly worried. One of the locks flew off the door and clattered to the ground. It shouldn't take long to break open the door. 'Starlight,' Elkia said, looking at the troubled dictator, 'I think you... you have lost.'
'No I haven't,' said Starlight, fire shooting through her eyes. 'Just wait and see.'
'But there is no more time to wait. This door will fly open and they'll come for you. Why don't you end your reign in a dignified way? As soon as the door gives way it will be far more humiliating to be dragged outside, don't you think?'
'Shut up, you!' Starlight spat. 'Don't be so annoying, and--' Starlight's eyes went wide, and she didn't finish the sentence. Then her eyes narrowed again, looking at Elkia as if she saw him for the first time. 'Of course...'
Elkia didn't like that look one bit. 'Eh... what do you mean?'
'You're once again going to prove very useful to me,' Starlight said. Before Elkia could ask for more explanation, he felt himself being lifted off the ground, captured in a cloud of purple magical energy. 'You're coming with me,' Starlight said, as she climbed the stairs to the second floor. She went to a bedroom and opened the window, then levitated Elkia outside. Elkia flew higher and higher into the air, until he hovered even higher than the roof of Starlight's house.
'Wh-whoa, wait, what are you doing?!' Elkia whimpered as he looked down at the drop below.
'I'm not doing anything,' Starlight said. 'You, on the other hoof, are now buying me more time.'
Down below, the ponies stood in a ring around Starlight's house. Elkia could see that they were all armed. They wielded rolling pins, broomsticks, planks of wood, torches, pitchforks, hammers, and many more makeshift weapons in their hooves. Many of them also seemed to be holding shields, made of anything wooden they could find like crates, barrels and planks. They not only looked like an angry mob--they also looked like an army, ready to attack and complete the mission.
The sound of the door being struck by the battering ram ceased. Everypony looked up at Starlight on the second floor and Elkia much higher.
'If you so much as lean against my door once again, it will be the end of your beloved Elkia,' she called. 'And if any pegasus so much as tries to swoop up to Elkia, I will unleash all the magic I have--both on the pegasus as well as on Elkia...'
As Night Glider spoke, Elkia spotted her together with Party Favor and Sugar Belle at the front of the crowd. 'You're insane, Starlight! Lower him down on the ground, slowly.'
'And lose what leverage I have?' Starlight said. 'I don't think so.'
They were at an impasse. Night Glider, Sugar Belle, and Party Favor put their heads together, trying to find a solution and get out of this sticky situation. 'Starlight, if you lower Elkia to the ground, we will--'
'Quit the revolution, go home, walk into my hooves and brainwash yourselves?' Starlight let out a nervous laugh. 'Only if you can promise me that will I let Elkia go, otherwise...'
'Otherwise what?' said Night Glider.
'Otherwise we'll wait a bit longer, so you'll have the time to think if you really want to have freedom at the cost of this creature's life.'
Calls and shouts erupted from the crowd below. 'You're a coward, Starlight Glimmer!' said Sugar Belle through the megaphone.
'What did you say?' said Starlight, her face growing dark.
'You're a coward!'
'Whoops.' The levitation field dissolved, and Elkia fell down. He closed his eyes and yelled as he went, felt and heard the gasps from the revolutionaries below. Yet once he reached the second floor window, Starlight cast her spell again, and he traveled upwards. 'I can play with my yoyo for hours, if I want. Both you and I have the power of life and death, only I know how to use it.'
'H-h-how long are y-y-you keeping me l-l-like this?' Elkia said, stuttering with true terror.
'As long as I need,' Starlight said. 'As long as--'
A shadow hovered over the village. Everypony, Starlight Glimmer, and Elkia looked up at the strange shape that came closer and closer, like a shark stalking in the waters. It looked like a ship, albeit borne by a giant balloon, patched together with grey and brown fabrics. Everyone knew what it looked like. It looked like a supply zeppelin. But even though everyone recognized the shape for what it was, they also had the gut-wrenching feeling that this zeppelin didn't come to trade supplies.
The tension and stress flowed away from Starlight's face like a gentle stream, and a careful smile danced on her lips. 'Finally here,' she said. * *
'Finally here,' Captain Gaffer said. He stood on deck, facing his crew. He had already given them careful instructions on how to handle things. 'And don't forget, they'll be more afraid of us then we are of them. Even though they're with more, wait until my command, and only then attack!'
'Aye, aye,' the crew shouted.
'Now go you miserable doofuses!' Gaffer shouted, drawing his sword and turning around. 'Go and let them see what happens when Starlight Glimmer calls for reinforcements.'
Under a chorus of squawks, battle cries, screeches, and everything in between, the griffons jumped off the ship and dived towards the crowd below. As they soared through the sky, the ponies below looked at them with open mouths, not knowing what to think of this but definitely knowing that they were facing a new enemy now. They jumped aside and scattered when the griffons landed. In no time, as the rest of Captain Gaffer's crew made landfall, the situation was totally different. The griffons positioned themselves between the house and the ponies, so that they stood with their backs to the house and faced the revolutionaries. The ponies, seeing the swords, axes, halberds and other steel-forged weapons in their claws, made sure to keep their distance, so that there was a little bit of "no man's land" between them.
'And now it's our turn,' said Gaffer. Alces jumped on his back and the captain flew down. Gaffer made sure not to fly too fast, but Alces wasn't afraid. He took a good look at the battlefield from this high up, switching his mind into battle mode. 'I know it looks ugly down there,' Gaffer said, 'but don't you worry. We got this.'
'This is not my fight,' Alces said back. 'I don't care about who wins and who loses. I just want to get my brother back.'
'Aye,' said Gaffer. They had almost reached the ground, and Gaffer slowed down. 'If your brother is really captured by Starlight Glimmer, he'll probably be in the house... But that's also where Starlight Glimmer is.'
They landed amidst the rest of the mercenaries. 'I'm not afraid,' said Alces, as he stepped off the captain's back.
'A little fear keeps you alive, boy,' Gaffer said back. He went for a handshake. 'Maybe I'll see you again and maybe not, but whatever the case may be, I wish you good luck.'
'Thanks,' Alces said. 'Good luck with the fight.'
'If there will be one,' Gaffer said back. They shook hands and hooves, and then they both turned around. Captain Gaffer to his army of mercenaries, and Alces to Starlight Glimmer's house. * *
The moment Starlight had spotted the shadow overhead, she had reeled in Elkia, so that Gaffer didn't have to see the nasty hostage situation. She still had a reputation to uphold, a reputation of being a strict but just dictator. Now both Elkia and Starlight looked out of the window, watching the griffon army of Captain Gaffer take its positions. Elkia almost forgot to breathe, as he gazed upon the griffons. All of them were armed to the teeth with swords and pikes and nasty spears. Some were even wearing chain link armor, as if they were really ready for war, and waved their weapons in the air in a million silent threats. The griffons narrowed their eyes and looked at the ponies before them, sizing them up. The gleam of battle was in their eyes.
'This is your surprise?' Elkia said.
'Yes. You didn't expect that, now did you? It's a plot twist worthy of a novel, I'd say,' said Starlight.
'B-b-but you can't do this. Those griffons have weapons! They might just attack your own villagers. Perhaps they're ready to kill!'
Starlight nodded. 'They are probably ready to kill, if their captain gives the command.'
'But you said you weren't in for bloodshed and violence!'
'If I can't make a fist, then how am I going to threaten everypony?' said Starlight. She pointed outside. 'Look at them. Even though the revolutionaries have the numbers, the griffons made quite the impression on them. Look! They are getting scared, I just know it. That's what I want. I want them to shiver in their horseshoes and tremble and maybe even cry.'
As the gasps and confusion died down a bit, and the ponies had stepped back from the mean-looking griffons, Night Glider took the word again. Her voice didn't waver or hesitate as she spoke. 'If you think you've scared us, Starlight, then think again! We're not afraid. We outnumber these griffons two to one, and we haven't armed ourselves without a reason.'
'So what do you want to say?' said Starlight Glimmer.
'Our offer still stands,' Night Glider said. 'If you dismiss your griffon army and walk out the door, we'll not harm either you or the griffons.'
A wave of laughter went through the griffon mercenaries. Some of them did a step forward and raised their weapons.
'This is n-n-not good,' Elkia said. 'They will fight!'
'Let them,' said Starlight.
'No!' Elkia stepped back from the window and headed towards the staircase. 'I'm not going to let them kill each other. Not if I have anything to say about it.'
'Oh no you don't.' Starlight concentrated, quickly cast a magical spell, and fired at Elkia. A moment later, Elkia's world was purple. A ball of purple magic enveloped him. He looked dazed at Starlight.
'Now you're too big to descend the staircase,' Starlight hissed. 'A simple spell, but it works. Oh, and don't worry, there are airholes in it.'
But Elkia was not going to let some pesky spell stop him. The bedroom had another window. Struggling, he walked like a hamster in a ball towards the second window, positioned the airholes so that they faced outside, and spoke.
'Everyone! Stop!' Elkia shouted, hoping his voice was as steady and loud as he wanted it to be.
Everypony and every griffon heard him loud and clear. 'Elkia! Are you okay?' Sugar Belle called.
'I am, but you won't be if I do nothing,' he said. 'Just look at you all! This whole town looks like it's on the brink of war.'
'It is,' Sugar Belle called. Then Night Glider grabbed the megaphone. 'We'll do whatever it takes to get our freedom and our cutie marks back!'
'But not like this,' said Elkia. 'Not with the loss of so many lives. Look, I have seen that you are determined and maybe even a bit ruthless, but you do really want to fight? Do you really think your freedom and cutie marks are worth dying for and killing for? Look at your enemies. They look like trained professionals, and what about their weapons? A rolling pin is not going to stop a blow from one of those crazy axes.'
The crowd of ponies mumbled and shuffled on their hooves. The griffons took this opportunity to take a collective step forwards. 'So what are you saying, Elkia?' said Night Glider.
'I... I am saying...' Even this far away, Elkia didn't dare to tell them what was on his mind. But he had to. He had to play a role in this insane theater play if he wanted to avoid bloodshed. So he said it. 'I... I am saying that you should give up.'
A collective gasp went through the crowd. 'How can you say such a thing?' said Party Favor, who held the megaphone now. 'I thought we were friends. Have you... turned on us?'
'We are friends,' said Elkia, 'and I haven't turned on anyone. I just think this has gone far enough. I don't want anypony to die or get wounded.' He pointed to the right. 'And believe it or not, but even Starlight Glimmer doesn't want any bloodshed. She told me that personally.'
Suddenly, Starlight took the word from the other window. 'He's right. Even if you think I've stolen your individuality and your freedom, I only know what's best for you all. Right now, war is definitely not good for anyone. In fact, war is never good for anyone. Why don't you listen to your friend and give up. He's wiser than you, I'd say.'
There was a moment of silence between the parties gathered on the battlefield. Night Glider, Sugar Belle, and Party Favor put their heads together and congregated silently. The griffons all looked at one another, and then all their gazes were aimed at one big griffon, draped in black. They were waiting for the kill command.
Suddenly, Night Glider shouted something through the megaphone. 'Present shields!'
Immediately, the ponies wearing all kinds of makeshift wooden shields stepped forwards and put their shields down.
Oh no, Elkia thought. 'No! What are you doing?!'
The three founders of the other-thinkers passed the megaphone to one another, as though hesitant to speak to Elkia. At last, it was bold Night Glider who took the word. 'I'm sorry to hear all this from you, Elkia. We all do, in fact. We're sorry to see that Starlight Glimmer has brainwashed you, and made you give that speech to discourage us from fighting. But we know we can win. We have the numbers, and we're not afraid. We're not afraid to fight for freedom, and give our lives for it if we have to.'
Those words made a shock go through Elkia's body. He actually made a small jump, so startled he was. 'No,' he whispered. 'No,' he said. 'NO!' he shouted.
'Present arms!' Night Glider shouted
The ponies with makeshift weapons and tools stepped behind the shield-bearers, ready to attack once the first blow would fall.
Elkia's thoughts went into overdrive. He was searching for words, for anything that could prevent this horrible fight from happening. His creative mind worked and worked, but even that well had apparently run dry. He knew that whatever he'd say, it wouldn't make a difference. His friends thought he was brainwashed. They wouldn't believe anything he said. Was there anything he could do?
Night Glider raised a hoof in the air. 'Pegasi! Take flight.' And to her words, the pegasi revolutionaries took to the air. Elkia saw how they were all carrying stones in their hooves, and the strong ones had whole baskets full of rocks strapped to their barrels.
Still thinking what to say, Elkia got startled as a gruff voice cut the air like a blade. 'Griffons! Ready yourselves. On my command, attack!'
'No! STOP!' Elkia was sweating all over his body. His voice shrunk to something little louder than a whisper. Panic reigned supreme in his mind. 'NO! Stop! Don't fight!'
Too late. Night Glider took a deep breath, raised the megaphone to her lips, and shouted, 'ATTACK!'
So did the captain of the griffons. He had just enough time to yell 'ATTACK! Before the rumble of hooves and the battle cries of the griffons overthrew every sound.
Elkia watched in horror as the armies clashed. The shield-bearing ponies held their ground, trying to block the blows of the sharp griffon weapons. Already Elkia heard cries of pain and agony, as the steel cut through the wood. The ponies behind the shield-bearers tried to find an opening to strike their foes with whatever they had in their hooves. In the air, stones rained down on griffons and an aerial dogfight was being fought between the griffons and the pegasi.
Yet somehow, through all the noise and the cries and the sound of steel upon steel, Alces managed to call his brother's name. 'ELKIA!' * *
Alces hugged the wall of Starlight's house, giving the griffons enough space to fight their battle. Once he reached the door, he saw how damaged it was. Reckoning a good buck would do the trick, he turned around, readied his hooves, and gave a mighty buck to the weakened door. It worked! The door banged open and fell down, as it completely ripped through its hinges.
He didn't waste a second. Turning left, he went for the staircase, and took the steps three at a time. Once he reached the top, he looked straight into Starlight Glimmer's eyes.
'Hello there,' she said, and then unleashed the magical attack she had prepared.
Alces flew through the air, electricity running through his body and sending needles of pain everywhere. He smacked against the bubble Elkia was in and fell to the ground.
'Alces, no!'
Starlight Glimmer took the time to watch her foe, as she readied another blast. 'So this is the brother you waited for? Hmm? This is your knight in shining armor, ready to save you from the clutches of the evil queen?'
Through tear-struck eyes laden with bafflement and awe, Elkia watched as his brother slowly tried to scramble to his hooves. 'He's my brother. Please don't hurt him!'
'If he stays on the ground, I'll keep him alive, agreed?'
Sniffing, Elkia said, 'Haven't you caused enough bloodshed with your griffon army?'
Starlight raised a hoof. Step by step, she closed in on Alces, who still lay on the ground. 'Watch your tongue, Elkia. It was they who rebelled against me first. This whole battle going on outside is their own fault. Thanks to their stubbornness they must fight for their lives now. I actually liked your little speech a lot, although it's a pity they weren't that moved by it. Well, what do writers say in that case? "Back to the drawing board," right?'
'No,' Elkia said, his face almost as dark as Starlight's. 'We say, "there's always the second draft."'
Right at the moment Starlight was upon Alces, Elkia charged forwards, taking the magical ball he was in with him. As he collided with Starlight Glimmer, she fell down and let go of her spell. The electric shock bounced from the wall to the ceiling and back, before striking Elkia.
But not quite.
The ball of magical energy disintegrated with a crackle of lightning, and Elkia bounced back, until he made a roll and landed on his hooves right next to his brother. 'Alces, are you okay?'
'With a little help, yes.' Alces said. Together with Elkia, he managed to stand on his hooves again. A little shake of the head and he was back in dueling mode.
'Aww... isn't that a nice moment of brotherly love?' said Starlight. Her horn glowed and pulsed as she readied another attack. She knew the elk brothers could do nothing about it. Their new antlers were too small. They were unarmed. 'Now that you mention it, you two do look like you're family. Or maybe all elks just look alike, hahaha!'
Both Elkia and Alces didn't laugh along. Alces eyed something standing in the room, and whispered quiet words to Elkia.
'You know what? Starlight said. 'When I've sedated you, I'll put you both into my re-education program and brainwash you together. That will be a merry time, won't it? I hope you're as good a writer as your brother, Alces... wasn't it? In the end, you will be together! Isn't that fun? This story might end happily for you after all.'
'If you think I still want anything to do with you,' said Elkia, 'then you're sadly mistaken.'
'You have no choice,' said Starlight.
'NOW!' shouted Alces. The two elks jumped towards the table. As one, they put their backs to it and managed to flip the heavy oak table around.
Starlight, shaking off her bafflement at the swiftness of their moves, released her spell.
'We gotta move forward, Elkia,' said Alces. 'Towards the stairs.'
Elkia winced as he felt the magical beam impact the wood, but nodded. 'Let's stay together now.'
Both elks placed their heads against the table and moved it closer and closer. Starlight kept casting her spell. Already the energy was eating away at the wood. It smoked, and cinders flowed into the air. The blackened furniture was close to bursting into flames.
'Alces, the table! It's burning.'
'Keep pushing Elkia! We have no other plan!'
Starlight focused, and put even more magic into her beam. 'You will not get away like this. Elkia is my personal writer. He's mine, you hear. Mine! He's my property and I can do what I want with him!'
The wood crumbled to ash around the elks' ears. Still they pushed on. As long as they didn't feel the beam of heat searing their furs, the plan went okay.
They were almost at the staircase. Alces felt a flame dance around his ear. 'No! He's no one's property,' he shouted. 'He's my brother, and I'm taking him with me!'
'He's mine!' Starlight shouted.
'He's mine!' Alces returned.
'Help!' Elkia wailed, seeing the flames close in and breaking the wood.
Starlight and the elk brothers got very close. The magical beam was maybe just a yard long. They almost bumped into one another. There wasn't much left of the table anymore. Alces spotted the staircase to his left, and started counting down.
'Three!'
'Two!'
'One!'
And then both elks thrust their shoulders against the wood, giving it one final push in Starlight's direction. The wood slammed into her face. The magical beam got dispelled, and Starlight Glimmer went down. Only when they heard her fall to the floor did they throw away their makeshift shield, now nothing more than blackened firewood.
'Oh no! Did we kill her?' Elkia said.
'No, look!' As Alces pointed, Starlight was already getting up, rubbing her horn.
'W-w-what do we do now?' Elkia asked.
'Now, we run.' Alces said.
'Wait, what?!' Elkia said. Did he hear that right? Alces wanted to run from a fight?
'I've learned to pick my battles. Come on. Let's go!'
The elks galloped down the staircase. The door was still open, and they could look outside at the haze of bodies trading blows. Elkia hesitated, but Alces took his hoof, and charged outside.
The battle was still going strong. Griffons and pegasi flew through the air, chasing one another. On the ground, the griffons and the rest of the unicorns and earth ponies were fighting for their lives. Both Elkia and Alces had no idea who was winning. The two elks looked around themselves, trying to find an opening in the hubbub to flee through. They spotted something lying in the sand. Two shields.
'I'll cover the front, you cover the back,' Alces said, tossing one of the shields to Elkia and keeping the other firmly in his mouth. 'We go back to back.'
So they did. Using the shields to block the occasional stray blow, the two elks almost dug their way through the mass of fighting animals. Elkia had a lot of trouble seeing wounded ponies and griffons lying on the ground, some unmoving. There was blood here and there, and the cries of pain and suffering were too awful for him to hear. A number of times Alces had to wait until his tear-struck brother caught up. Alces himself kept his emotions in check, focusing only on their escape.
And in the end, they did escape. After one last rank of fighting ponies and griffons, they found themselves out of the crowd, standing on the main street of Starlight's village.
'This way!' Alces said. Together they ran towards a house. Alces wanted to get away from Starlight's house as fast as he could, and hide if possible. Who knew what that powerful unicorn was still capable of? Once they had rounded the corner, and were sure Starlight couldn't spot them from her house, they both took a moment to catch their breaths.
'Alces...'
'Yes, Elkia.'
'You came for me.'
'Of course. I promised you.'
Elkia stepped towards his brother, and caught him in a warm embrace.
A shiver went through Alces's body and he felt like recoiling, but even though he was not much of a hugger, he wrapped his own hooves around Elkia too. 'I'm glad to see you too, brother.'
When Elkia let go of his brother and blinked his tears away, he took a moment to look him over. 'Oh Alces, I thought I'd never see you again. I thought they would kill you in that forced labor camp.'
Alces scoffed. 'They tried, believe me, but they didn't quite succeed.'
'Oh, I'm so glad you got out. Did Strawberry Blonde and Syntax create a good plan?'
'Better than your plan anyway,' Alces said with a smile.
Despite the pain both physical as well as mental, Elkia managed a smile too. 'I tried to escape from here myself. I tried to make plans, but every time I thought of something, Starlight Glimmer was one step ahead. There was just nothing I could do. But I didn't forget you. I thought about you all the time, and... and...' And then Elkia spotted Alces's "souvenir." 'Oh my, Alces! What happened to your cutie mark?!'
Alces clapped Elkia on the back, sending a cloud of soot raining from his fur. 'Don't worry about me. Now is not the time to dig up memories or compare battle scars. Now is the time to go.'
'Go? What do you mean?'
Alces tilted his head. 'Well, I mean getting out of this stupid village and finding a way through the desert towards a place that isn't full of crazies. And preferably without ponies.'
'No... no we can't.'
Despite the beautiful reunion, the fire returned in Alces's eyes as he gave Elkia a stare. 'What?!'
Elkia glanced around the corner. From here, he could still see the two armies battling each other, and he could still hear the sounds of war. 'Alces, we have to stop this onslaught. This battle is terrible.'
But Alces shook his head. 'Oh no. There's nothing we can do about this, Elkia. The fire of war has ignited inside their hearts, ponies and griffons alike. I'm not much for metaphors, but I know how the rush of battle feels. You can't simply raise your voice and expect them to listen.'
'But... but...' Elkia threatened to burst into tears once more. 'But now you are here, and... and I thought we could bundle our strengths and... and...'
Alces stepped towards his brother and grabbed his shoulders. 'Elkia, I'm a duelist, not a war lord. I can fight and defeat one enemy if I want, two if they are stupid griffons, but I don't have either the charisma or the knowledge to force two armies to stop fighting each other. I'm no god.'
Elkia nodded shallowly. 'But we can't just leave like that! We can't let them fight out this battle.'
Alces's voice was growling now, as his impatience grew. 'This is not our battle, Elkia.'
'Maybe not yours, but it's definitely mine. I know the revolutionary ponies. They can be such gentle hearts. I... I'd never thought they would be able to do something like this.'
Snorting, Alces had trouble finding good arguments now. 'Just listen to me!' he called, shaking his brother a bit. 'You have given your heartbreaking speech--I heard it with my own ears. You have done everything you could do. You have played your part. But now your part is over.'
'I still don't want to leave...' Elkia said, shoulders shocking. 'There must be something--'
'We... can't... stay... here,' Alces said, placing emphasis on every word. 'We don't even know who will win this battle, and it's not safe to wait it out. If the griffons win and Starlight can move freely again, she will search for us. And I don't know if you noticed, but this tiny village doesn't have a lot of hiding spots. We will get caught. Is that what you want?'
'No...'
'And if the ponies win, then we'll lose our ride out of here. I came here onboard the zeppelin of the griffon captain, but if all the griffons are defeated, the remaining griffons onboard will turn around as fast as they can and retreat to Griffonstone.'
Elkia nodded shallowly.
Alces let go of his brother and looked behind him at the never-ending desert. 'On the map your friend Strawberry Blonde gave me, there's supposed to be something called a "train station" somewhere west of here. Maybe that means there will be a village too! I don't exactly know how far it is, but it's the only option we have. If we move immediately and the battle lasts for a while still, there's a good chance we'll make it.'
Elkia looked at the ground. Thoughts swirled around in his head, options and decisions alongside them. Going through the desert did sound like the best idea.
But what about the battle?
Elkia knew that if he turned around and fled now, he would never forget the screams and the sounds of that horrible fight. He wished he could just freeze time, walk through the mass of fighting creatures and talk to them. Then, when he'd unfreeze time, they would be calm and rational, and their bloodlust would diminish. They could all be friends again. But Elkia was no seer. He even doubted if his mother would have been powerful enough to do what he thought about.
No, this has to stop! No matter how powerless he might be, Elkia decided he would have to do whatever it took to stop the battle. He turned around and did a few steps towards the fight. 'I'm sorry Alces, but if I don't try to at least do something, I'll never sleep soundly again.'
Alces said nothing. He let out a growl and stamped his hooves, but Elkia couldn't see his brother's temper tantrum. Now Alces was the one who was becoming desperate. And whenever he was desperate, he resorted to his strength, the only thing he could really trust. Slowly, making as little sound as he could, he unsheathed his sword, and held it in his hoof. Then he walked towards Elkia and tapped him on the shoulder. 'Elkia?'
'Yes?' Elkia said, turning his head around. The last thing he saw was the brass of the handguard flash into view. He didn't even feel the pain as his own brother knocked him out cold. |
Brothers 'N Antlers | Chapter fourteen: desperate times | The sun stood high in the sky, letting its hot rays fall upon the furry back of Alces Roameling. He carried Elkia on his back, who was still unconscious from the mighty and desperate blow his own brother had given him. Alces trusted in his own strength, using his broad shoulders to carry the heavy load. His coat was soaked in sweat, and every step was more difficult than the last. Stepping through the blazing sand was even more difficult than stepping through the snow. At least Alces was made for snow, and not for desert. He wished he could open a zipper and let his thick elk-coat behind. But he couldn't.
The battle of Starlight's village had commenced at dawn. Right now, the afternoon was drawing to an end, the sun on its way to dip beneath the horizon. Alces had only a vague indication how long he had been walking like that. It must have been quite a few hours. His legs felt like rubber and his shoulders sagged. But he didn't give up. Neither he nor Elkia had any supplies with them--especially water--so the key was to get to the train station as quickly as he could, before he'd dehydrate himself.
Alces licked his bone-dry lips. He'd give a lot for a sip of water right now. Elks always like to live near water, to bathe and to get away from the mosquitos that plagued them in the summer. No, elks were definitely not made to walk in the desert, with their kin on their backs. It was only a matter of time before Alces would succumb.
And yet Alces was glad. He was glad he finally found his brother. He was glad they were finally together once again. Even though they'd once more shared their differences--and Alces knew for sure that once Elkia would wake up they would have a small fight again--Alces had completed his mission. His objective now lay on his back, breathing slowly, unconscious.
There was a large dune before him. Alces looked upon the wall of sand and felt his strength waver. It was just so far! Gritting his teeth and adjusting his load, he climbed the dune as best as he could. The sand was soft, difficult to walk on. For every three steps he made, he slid one step back. When finally he made it to the top of the dune, Alces had to pause. He couldn't help it. He bent through his knees, and let Elkia slide off his back onto the warm sand. A second later Alces lay on his back, breathing the hot, stale desert air.
'Aww... My head.'
And on top of all that, Elkia awakened.
Gingerly he ran a hoof over his face, checking if his muzzle was still attached to his head. It took him three seconds to realize he was not in the same place anymore. With a jolt, Elkia jumped to his hooves. He looked all around himself, and ended his search on the ground next to him. 'Alces, where are we?'
'We're in the desert. Can't you see?' Alces said back.
'But... but where in the desert are we?'
'I don't know, somewhere west of Starglim's village,' said Alces. He gathered up his last bit of strength and scrambled to his hooves as well. 'Hopefully not far away from the train station.'
'The train station? But what about Starlight's village? What about--'
'Gone,' said Alces. 'We left it behind. Well, I left it behind, with you on my back.'
Elkia stared at his brother. His stare was not an angry one--it was a sad one. 'Oh Alces, how could you...?'
'It was the smartest thing to do,' said Alces. He promised himself not to get angry at Elkia's naivety, and kept his voice as neutral as he could, which wasn't that difficult when the desert air had made his mouth as dry as cardboard.
'But it wasn't the best thing to do...' Elkia said, his voice trailing off.
'Believe me, Elkia, you're gonna thank me later once we're alive and well and out of this damn baking oven.'
Elkia sighed. 'Do you know where we're going?'
'Sort of,' said Alces. 'I know a general direction. But I'm actually content with our progress. At least we've left the village of that unicorn witch far behind.'
Once again scanning his surroundings, Elkia realized his brother was right. No matter how much he peered and shielded his eyes from the sun, he couldn't spot one single house on the horizon. He couldn't even spot their own hoofsteps, as a soft, warm wind covered them up with sand. Elkia's head hung low and his ears drooped down as he understood that going back was not an option anymore. The only thing they could do was go forward.
But then, Elkia realized something else. He had worn the thing for so long that he had actually forgotten about it. He had become so used to the silly bell ringing all the time that his ears had accepted the sound, and he hadn't even heard it the past couple of days. His eyes went down to the collar Starlight Glimmer had given him. Taking the bell in his hooves, he watched the strange ribbon's color. It was colored the darkest shade of red.
'Yes, I was going to ask you about that strange thing around your neck,' said Alces. 'That stupid bell sound drove me crazy. Shall I get it off your neck?'
'Eh...' Elkia said. He was unsure whether to take just a single step farther away from Starlight's village. Her words of warning echoed through his mind.
'Boy, am I glad you can walk on your own four hooves again,' said Alces. 'That will save me a lot of energy once we hit the road again. Or, well, sand, in this case.' Alces threw a hoof around Elkia's neck and nudged him forwards. 'Come on, let's go. And in the meantime, we can tell each other all about what happened when we got separated. Maybe we should make a story about it, hmm? I know how much you like--'
One more step was enough. Sound exploded in Elkia's head. The bell sound had completely returned, and got amplified a thousand times. It felt as if Elkia was standing inside a hall with nothing but bells, clanging and ringing in an unending cacophony. Elkia let out a yell, as the pain of the wall of sound slammed through his ears, through his head, and through his entire body.
'Whoa, Elkia, what's going on?' Alces said. He stared at his brother, who covered his ears with his hooves and trembled from head to hoof. The only thing Alces could see was the bell on his brother's collar ringing annoyingly.
Elkia couldn't understand a word of what Alces was saying. The bells got accompanied by shrill whistles, which forced their way into Elkia's ears and made his bones rattle. He screamed once again, as blood ran down his ears. Jamming his hooves to his ears didn't help one single bit. The sound was in his mind, scrambling up his brains and echoing through his entire body. There truly was powerful magic at work.
And Alces realized that too. He saw how Elkia fell down and squirmed and rolled in the sand, tears in his eyes and his hooves spasming. Yet, all Alces could hear was one single little bell ringing. Something was definitely wrong, and the collar was the source.
'Hold still,' Alces said, as he drew his sword. But Elkia couldn't do anything but roll around as if he were on fire. Finally, Alces locked Elkia in a tight grip, a dueling maneuver, putting his all his weight upon him to keep him still. He carefully stuck the sword through the collar's dark red ribbon and moved it up and down. But no matter how much or how quickly he sawed, the collar didn't show even the slightest hint of a tear. It felt as if Alces was trying to saw through an iron chain.
Once again Elkia let out a horrible scream, as the bells rang in his mind. 'Alces! Make it stop!'
One particularly wild spasm threw Alces off Elkia's body. The sword flew out of his hoof. 'I'm trying. I just don't know how.' Alces cursed. Any enemy he could challenge to a duel, but magic was an enemy he knew nothing about. He realized that he hated magic maybe even more than sneaking.
Alces got to his hooves again and reached for his sword. He was about to try again, when Elkia suddenly stopped screaming. That wasn't good. Turning around, Alces saw his brother's prone form lying in the sand, trails of blood seeping through his ears.
'Elkia, no!' He reached for the collar again and sliced and cut and sawed. The collar didn't budge. Giving up, Alces put his head upon his brother's belly and listened. Yes, he was breathing, but his chest barely rose and fell. Alces realized that the situation was critical now.
'Oh no,' he said, growling as he spoke. 'Oh no, oh no, OH NO!' Standing up, he grabbed Elkia's prone body and flung it over his shoulders once more. 'I'm NOT leaving you behind! You're gonna come with me and you're gonna LIVE!' Alces worked himself up in his anger. The anger turned into energy, spreading throughout his whole body like the rejuvenation potion he had drunk in Scribblers' City. If there was one thing Alces could trust on, it was his strength, and now he needed that strength more than ever.
So he moved on, twice as motivated as before. He didn't look back, but kept marching through the sand to the west, where hopefully the train station was. He huffed and puffed as he walked, trying to keep his shoulders level so that Elkia wouldn't slide off. He walked like that for the rest of the day. But even Alces Roameling had limits. When at last darkness fell over the desert, he couldn't take it anymore. He did one last wobbling step, and then fell down. So he slept through the night, with Elkia by his side, still breathing dangerously shallow. * *
As soon as the sun woke him up, Alces moved again. He draped his brother over his shoulder and resumed his march. Sleep had overwhelmed him, and he had many disturbing dreams, but he whisked them away with a shake of his head. Dreams were not important now. Elkia was.
A flock of big black birds accompanied him all day as he trudged through the sand. They were carrion birds, waiting for the elks to die to feast on their flesh. Alces cursed them and waved his hoof in the air. 'Go away! I'm not dead, and neither is the elk on my back!' But the birds didn't listen, for they knew better.
Or did they? As the day drew to an end and the light began to dwindle, something strange appeared in the sand, and Alces walked towards it. When he reached it, he saw it was a little drabbled green shrub.
But shrubs needed water
Water.
Water...
Where there's water there's life!
Was Alces close? In any case, he nibbled at the shrub's sinewy stalks to do a pathetic attempt at stilling his hunger or quenching his thirst. Then he continued his trek. Every muscle in his entire body was sore, and his hoofsteps grew smaller and smaller. If the train station was close, Alces knew he was not going to reach it today. Night came, fresh and cool but windy. When at last Alces fell to his knees again, he checked on his brother. He could barely feel the warm puffs of breath escaping between his lips. Alces put a hoof on his chest to feel for a pulse. What color was left drained from his face as he felt that that too, was weakening. But he was even too tired to worry about that for long, because sleep overcame him. He could do nothing but curl up in the sand and fall asleep. * *
Day number three. Or was it four? To Alces, it felt like the thousandth. With Elkia on his back he resumed his death-march through the desert. He truly hoped that he was close now.
All day long he trudged on. His attention was so focused on his sore hooves that he barely noticed what was in front of him. He didn't want to pause, for he felt that if he did, he would lose all the motivation he had to move on. And as evening came, he hardly could see anything in front of him, as the light flowed away from the desert.
That's why he didn't spot the shrub.
As he was descending a dune, he stumbled into the little green bush, tripped, and tumbled all the way down, losing Elkia and letting him roll alongside him. Alces wanted to curse, but felt his mouth too dry to form nasty words. When he came to a standstill, he walked back, grabbed Elkia, and turned his head to the west again.
Was this a fata morgana? In the distance, shimmering in the hot air, he saw a few brown specks. Alces wanted to be sure of what he saw, and waited a bit. They could be anything from hills to dunes to mountains. Then, when the light was almost gone and replaced by darkness, specks of yellow light began dancing among the specks of brown.
Light meant others creatures.
Other creatures meant civilization.
Civilization meant salvation.
'Hey!' Alces shouted, waving his hooves in the air. 'HEY!'
But of course, he was much too far away.
Alces wanted to shout again, but his parched throat didn't let him. As quick as he could he scooped up Elkia and walked closer, taking one wobbly step after the other. He needed to watch his footing as he moved, even though he wanted to look ahead instead. Sometimes he did pause and look ahead. And, much to his relief, the brown and yellow specks grew bigger.
By the light of the moon, Alces continued his way. Already the brown and yellow specks were as big as his own hooves. Alces wanted to take another step, but he couldn't do it. All the energy was almost gone. He fell to his knees. Whatever, then I'll crawl if I must, he thought. He had come so far, and he was not going to give up before he crossed the finish line of this death-race.
So he shuffled on his knees. Inch by inch, he shuffled closer. Elkia was still unconscious on his back, and his hooves scraped over the sand. Alces was so close. He knew he was so close. Looking up, he strained his eyes to see something in the moonlight. He saw new specks, colored specks, moving around in the light of torches. Alces swallowed.
'Help!' he called out. 'HELP! Anyone!' He wanted to shout more things, but had to swallow first. His breath rasped through his throat as he shouted as loud as he could. 'I have a wounded one! For the Light Elk's sake, just HELP us!'
That was the last of Alces's energy. His head hung down low, his neck not able to endure the stress anymore. He saw only sand now. Knowing that these may very well be his last words, he let Elkia slide off his back onto the sand.
'At least we'll die together.'
But then Alces's ear twitched, as he heard a sound. It sounded like voices, shouts. He summoned up the energy to raise his head. Through cloudy eyes, he threw one final gaze at the train station up ahead.
The colored shapes were much bigger now. And, to his amazement, they were coming towards him.
Alces knew he had done it. 'Elkia, we have done it! We're saved!'
But Elkia said nothing back. He still lay in the sand, unmoving.
Alces could only hope and pray he was not too late. * *
'Grab that bed and move it to the middle of the room. I need space to work!'
The doctor was an elderly unicorn pony wearing glasses and a moustache which gave him a smart and intelligent look. But now, his look was more one of controlled stress as he issued the command.
Alces was with him. He would be damned to leave his brother like this. After taking a few gulps of water he felt much better, and was ready to give whatever assistance he could. He grabbed one of the beds and shoved it where the doctor wanted it. Slowly the doctor lowered Elkia on the bed, dispelling his field of levitation magic.
'Step aside, everyone,' he said. 'You, other elk, what can you tell me about this thing around his neck?'
Alces proceeded to tell him everything he knew. 'I have no idea what it is, but Elkia rolled around, screaming in pain and reaching for his ears. He seemed to hear something that I didn't. And when I tried to cut it with my sword it didn't budge.'
The doctor stroked his moustache as he thought. 'Hmm...' Concentrating, he let his horn glow and moved closer to Elkia, scanning his entire body. When he reached the collar, his horn glowed a brighter green than before. 'There's definitely magic in this collar.'
Why did everything go so slow? Alces growled and snorted. 'Of course there's magic in it. Can you take it off?'
'Hold on...' The doctor moved the collar until he could see the bell. Another scan with his horn revealed to him what he needed to know. 'This bell here functions as a magical lock too. It certainly is a powerful piece of magic.'
'But can you open it?'
'That's what I want to know too.' The doctor spread his hooves. 'Give me some space. I need to focus.'
Alces reluctantly did a few steps back, but kept his eye on the pony and his brother as if he could help them both just by staring. He wished it was that easy.
Once again the doctor's horn glowed a bright green as he moved towards the bell. Suddenly, a bright spark connected his horn and the bell, sizzling and popping with energy. Sweat pearled off the doctor's brow as he tried to reach inside the magical mechanics. Even Alces, standing some distance away, could hear the pony groan with effort. The magical energy grew brighter and louder, illuminating the operation room in a clear, green light. Alces wondered if this was the safest thing to be doing. He was just about to ask the doctor how far he'd gotten when the lightning flashed all around in wild magical spikes. After a blast and a puff of smoke, the doctor yelled and recoiled from the collar to fall right into Alces's hooves.
Wondering whether or not to let the doctor fall, Alces said, 'It didn't work?!'
'This is quite powerful,' the doctor said. Scrambling up and wiping the soot from his glasses. 'I need my students to help me.'
'Well, then go get them! We're not gonna leave him like this!'
'Yes, right.' The doctor snatched up his coat and went outside. The door slammed shut and Alces was alone with his brother.
Stepping towards him, he stroked Elkia's dust and sand-covered fur with his hooves. 'You're not gonna die, Elkia,' he whispered, his voice coarse, holding back the emotions. 'After everything we've been through, everything we've survived... everything we've braved together... No, you're not gonna die. You can't die. This story needs a happy ending, an ending where both protagonists survive.' He paused, taking in the silence around him. It was almost too much to handle, but Alces stayed strong. Now he had to--for both his brother and himself. 'It's a damn shame now that you need me the most, there's nothing I can do...'
A few minutes later, the door opened, and this time four ponies stepped inside: the doctor and three other, serious-looking unicorns. They gathered around Elkia, and the doctor positioned himself at his head. 'Alright everypony, as I said, this lock has four tumblers. I want each of you to concentrate on one tumbler, making your magic as tiny as possible and reach inside the lock. Use force if you need to, but not too much. It's all about balancing this properly.' He shook his head and blinked. 'Try your best everyone. When we're all inside the lock, we'll push all tumblers down together.'
The unicorns all bore the same grave expression on their faces. They nodded simultaneously. 'Let's do this.'
Once again Alces stepped back, feeling powerless and useless, to let the unicorns do their work. After a collective sigh, the room got illuminated by four different rays of light, all centered around Elkia's bell collar. Alces still had no idea what they were doing, and could only watch as the four ponies worked together. They all huffed and puffed with strain and effort. Whatever they were doing pushed every single one of them to his or her limit. The light once again grew in intensity with every passing second. Every second was an eternity.
Then, as one, the ponies' magic disappeared and they all did a few steps back. But there was no explosion this time. Was that good? Alces shoved them aside and looked at their work. 'Did you do it?'
'Well, we certainly did something,' said the doctor.
Even though their magics were gone, the bell kept glowing with a strange and unnerving glimmer. But it was still attached to the collar, and the collar was still attached to Elkia. One by one, Alces threw the unicorns a vicious stare. 'You couldn't do it, could you?!'
'I'm afraid there is one element that eludes us,' said the doctor, ignoring the elk's gruff tone. He knew he was desperate, with good reason. 'We cracked the lock, but there is one final thing needed to dispel the enchantment.'
'Which is...' Alces said through clenched teeth.
Sighing, the doctor stroked his moustache. 'It could be anything. Most unicorns choose something difficult, something very hard to obtain like certain feelings. Or perhaps it's something physical like a talisman.'
Well, if it was anger, Alces had enough of it. He strode away from the bed, pacing around the room and stomping his hooves. 'No, no, no!' It can't end like this!'
'I'm afraid there's nothing I can do,' said the doctor slowly, not really daring to say such things aloud to the stampeding elk behind him.
'But it simply CAN'T end like this,' Alces shouted, once more stepping inside the ring of doctors. 'You have no idea what we've all been through! We've survived the worst Equestria can throw at us together. Our story--Elkia's story--can't end with some witch's magical torture tool! Elkia's LIFE can't end with a bit of pesky magic!' He bent over his brother. 'Look at him, poor Elkia, too good for this world.' He swallowed hard. 'Dying...'
'I'm really sorry, Mister Elk,' said the doctor, not sure if throwing a hoof around his massive and quivering shoulders seemed like a wise thing to do.
And then, something strange and utterly unique happened. Alces cried.
No matter how hard he fell when he was just a calf, no matter how many duels he'd lost--and borne the shame that came with them--,no matter how many of his friends and family died, and no matter what the cruel world had in store for him, Alces never shed a single tear. Not even once. But now, something was different. The whole situation felt otherworldly, as if Alces wasn't really there. It felt as if one of the heroic tales he loved so much got to a point where the brave hero died. Alces always wanted a heroic death, yet now that Elkia lay on his back on the bed, eyes closed and hardly breathing, he saw that death was never as heroic as in the stories. Death was just death. Black, cold, and deceiving.
Alces saw the world through a film of water and blinked, letting the tears roll down his cheeks. Crying felt strange. It hurt him physically, as if he had received a blow which rattled his bones. Even with the desert trek just hours in the past, he knew he had never felt this weak, both physically and mentally. He grabbed Elkia's head and let their foreheads touch each other, a duelist's sign of respect. 'Oh, Elkia.' The feeling of powerlessness no longer made Alces angry. It made him utterly sad. He didn't care that there were four ponies in the room with him, who could all see him cry. This was his moment.
More tears glistened in the corners of his eyes. They traveled down his cheeks to stain Elkia's fur. Alces's shoulders shocked, as sobs overcame his iron will.
The unicorns let Alces have this moment. Perhaps some of them had lost somepony too, and knew how that felt. They turned around in silence, and grouped together at Elkia's hind hooves. The silence was so absolute, so thick and laden with emotions, that the sound that filled it was so loud that every single one of them could hear it. All ears twitched at the sharp, mechanical sound that sprung into the silence.
CLICK!
Could it be...
Letting go of his brother, Alces's eyes shot to the collar. It was open. Grabbing the infernal ribbon between his teeth, Alces flung it away. He looked at all the unicorns in turn.
'Interesting,' said the doctor. 'Perhaps the key was sorrow or sadness.'
'No,' said Alces. He later scolded himself for his sappiness, but now it was the right thing to say. 'I think it was something else. I think it was brotherly love, or maybe even friendship.'
The doctor sent his helpers away, and proceeded to treat Elkia's other injuries. He was dehydrated, and his ears proved to have taken a massive blow. After the doctor was done with Elkia, he said that some good, old-fashioned rest was what he needed now. Alces wanted to stay with his brother during the night, to be with him and talk to him, telling whispered words of kindness in the black of the late night. But the doctor pointed out that Alces too, was in bad shape, something the big elk couldn't deny. The doctor and his wife prepared a guest bedroom upstairs, but they took their time so that Alces could spend at least one half hour more with his brother. Their kindness knew no bounds, as they even offered a late dinner to this complete stranger. Once Alces had eaten something, he fell asleep and had many strange and uncomfortable dreams, even though he knew that his and Elkia's ordeals were long over. |
Brothers 'N Antlers | Chapter fifteen: reunited | 'Whoa!'
As soon as Alces opened one eye, he jumped up and recoiled from his bed as if the pillow were made out of snakes. Flashing his eyes, turning his head, and after a second or three, he realized again where he was and, some seconds later, what had happened. He saw a bucket with cold water, dipped his sleep-laden head in it, and marveled at the freshness and clarity that came to him through the water. He quickly dried his head with a towel, strapped on his sword, and prepared to go downstairs.
'...complete strangers. I know you are quick to trust, well, everyone, but...'
Alces halted. This conversation sounded interesting. Even though he wasn't the sneaky kind, he also knew next to nothing about the ponies who were his hosts. He stood upstairs, listening, without showing himself yet.
'I know Lily, I know. But I couldn't just leave them like that. My doctor's oath says I shall do no harm, and help those in need.' It was the old voice of the doctor, and the other must be his wife.
A sigh. 'I know, I know. But at least you could have looked at them and asked some questions. The elk with the collar might have been an escaped criminal, and the other his partner in crime, for that matter. And don't forget that that one elk was wearing a sword! Did you see that?'
Alces had heard enough. Revealing himself and stepping down the staircase, he said, 'The fact that I'm wearing a sword doesn't mean I'm a bloodthirsty maniac.'
'Oh heavens!' Both ponies jumped in exactly the same way, utterly startled as if a ghost had appeared.
Letting a smirk play on his lips, Alces resumed his monologue. 'We elks are certainly wild, but we're not savages, unless'--and he thought very much about his duel with Brawn as he spoke--'they're provoked, or when their honor is damaged.'
Now that Alces was at the bottom of the stairs, he saw that the two ponies were actually holding on to one another. 'A-a-and I hope we've not done that...?' said the doctor in a wavering voice.
Reaching back, Alces took off his sword, and offered it to the frightened couple. 'You have saved both me and my brother, for which I am very, very thankful. I don't have much on me. Actually, this is all I really have. But I'll give it to you as payment.'
The doctor let go of his wife. 'A sword? I'm a doctor. What in Celestia's name would I do with a sword?'
'Eh... You can keep it,' said the doctor's wife. She was an earth pony with fiery red hair, perfectly matching her frightened, wide-open eyes. But she forced her voice not to waver, when she said, 'I've actually made breakfast for all of us. You... you can join if you want.'
To that, Alces smacked his lips. Sleeping always made him hungry. He swung the sword back over his shoulder and nodded. 'Very well. Your kindness is startling, really.' He stuck out his hoof. 'My name is Alces Roameling.'
The doctor cocked his head at such a peculiar name, but took the hoofshake nonetheless. 'Doctor Mayflower, and this is my wife, Missus Mayflower.'
Once they were seated and eating, Alces asked the first thing that was on his mind. 'How's Elkia?'
The doctor wiped his muzzle before he spoke. 'Doing much better. His breathing is regular and slow, as if he is having peaceful dreams, and even his heartbeats seemed to have increased in power. Taking off that collar certainly did the trick.'
'Just as I expected, or hoped, really,' said Alces.
'Yes... about that, eh...' Missus Mayflower nudged her husband, who took the hint. 'Oh, yes,' he said, doing his best not to sound too nervous. 'We were just wondering, eh... exactly how did you obtain such a nasty piece of equipment? D-d-don't get me wrong, but collars and shackles always belong to certain kinds of... well... folk.'
Alces paused mid-bite. His eyes narrowed, but he managed to keep his manners. 'We're not criminals, if that's what you're thinking,' he said, voice low. 'We just made a very powerful enemy, that's all.'
Both Mayflowers nodded in approval, although that answer only conjured up more questions in their minds. But Alces just continued eating, and the Mayflowers did the same, seeing that no additional explanation came forth from their guest. 'Anyway,' Doctor Mayflower said after a while, 'Your, eh, brother, was it?'
Alces nodded.
'He's doing well. I think he will be up on his own hooves this afternoon or maybe in the evening. It shouldn't take long.'
'That's great,' Alces said. 'You're both great too, even though you're ponies.'
Those words left a very uncomfortable silence hanging in the air. Brave Missus Mayflower tried to dispel it with a simple enough question. 'Well, Mister Alces, I always thought elks lived way up north, just like deer and reindeer. What does an elk do here in the desert, if I may ask?'
'It's a long story, one that Elkia is much better at telling than I,' Alces said, talking with his mouth full. He couldn't help it. He was just so hungry.
'Oh, ok,' said Missus Mayflower.
Doctor Mayflower decided to give it another go. 'What we mean is where did you come from. We saw you staggering in from the east, but, as far as we know, there's nothing there.'
'There's a village,' Alces said. His voice grew harsher as he talked about it. 'But I don't know much about the village. The only thing I know is that it's filled with ponies who were ready to kill and die for some cause--I believe it was freedom. I hitched a ride on a griffon airship, and moments later found myself caught in some battle I had no interest in fighting. But it didn't matter. What matters is that I got Elkia, and that we got out of there.'
The Mayflowers looked at each other, both wearing the same startled expression. The doctor took the word. 'You're describing this village so vividly I'd be a fool not to believe you, but...'
'But what?'
'But everyone living here in Dustbowl will tell you that there's nothing out there. Our village stands right on the frontier. I've never heard tale of another village even further to the east.'
'I see,' said Alces. 'Maybe it's better this way. Trust me, you don't want to go there.'
'But a village would explain a whole lot,' said Missus Mayflower. 'You see, sometimes we get the occasional explorers or adventurers and we tell them the same thing, that there is nothing further to the east. Yet still they venture further into the desert, and we never see them back here.'
'We always assumed they met their terrible fate and perished in the sand,' said Doctor Mayflower.
'That would be better for them,' said Alces bluntly. 'I wouldn't want to live in that village myself. It's full of blood-thirsty crazies, that's why.'
The doctor cleared his throat. 'Good to know,' he said, although his tone was so that Alces was still not quite sure whether the doctor believed him. With a shake of his head, Alces decided it didn't matter. Perhaps it was better for everyone to let the village be a mystery. So long as nopony went there.
After some minutes of chomping down another sandwich, it was Alces who spoke up. 'You asked me where I was from, and I said the village, but that isn't entirely true. In return for your help, you deserve a better answer. That, and perhaps you might be able to help me some more.' Reaching for his belt, Alces grabbed the map he got from Elkia's marefriend and laid it out on the table. Pointing to the northern forests which made up a field of green in the north-east, he said, 'That's where Elkia and I are from, from the Bugbear Territory.'
Both Mayflowers gasped. 'Oh my! You've come a long way,' said Doctor Mayflower.
'Where are we now?' asked Alces.
'Here,' Doctor Mayflower said, pointing west of Starlight's village, still on a blotch of brown that indicated a desert.
Alces whistled. 'We have come a long way, now that you mention it.' Then, more to himself than to the two ponies, 'This adventure has taken long enough.'
'I suppose you want to go back to where you came from,' said Doctor Mayflower. 'No matter how adventurous you two are, a desert is no place for an elk. Biologically, it doesn't make sense.'
'And what about your herd?' Missus Mayflower added. 'Don't you elks live in a herd of some kind?'
At the word "herd" Alces remembered the curse he still bore, but tried to ignore that thought and let it pass by. Missus Mayflower saw his shoulders quiver, and involuntarily did a step back. 'You're right,' said Alces. 'Even though elks are largely solitary when they patrol their areas, we are also part of a whole. I lived--no, I live--in a herd, and I would give a whole lot to see them again. Hay, I'd give a whole lot just to see anyone of my kind, whether elk, deer, or reindeer.'
Doctor Mayflower adjusted his glasses and studied the map. 'So, if you want to go back to the Bugbear Territory, I think your best choice is by train.'
'By train?' Alces said, repeating the foreign and strange word.
'Yes, by train,' said the doctor. He pointed at a strange line that went all through the map and even ran through the southern edges of the Bugbear Territory. 'Unfortunately there's only one trainline that goes through the Bugbear Territory on its way to Griffonstone.'
Then Alces remembered something. 'Don't you guys have something called a "train station" here?'
'Yes we do,' said the doctor, 'but our line is just a supply line. Nopony really travels to Dustbowl, save the occasional fortune seeker or homesteader, seeking calmer places where they can build a new life on the frontier. No, this line goes directly to Ponyville.'
'Ponyville? I don't like that name,' said Alces. 'But I see a forest. That's good.'
'Eh... right,' said the doctor, not entirely sure what to think of that comment. 'But in Ponyville you can switch trains to one that goes through the Bugbear Territory. Although... well... it's a bit of a scenic route, if you catch my drift. The line goes beneath Cloudsdale, through the Frozen North, through the Crystal Empire, and then through Rainbow Falls before reaching the Bugbear Territory.'
Missus Mayflower did a step closer and spoke, although she didn't yet dare to look into Alces's eyes. 'The forest you see lying close to Ponyville is called the Everfree Forest. It's a wild place, and some say even dangerous. Many strange creatures are supposed to live there. I was just thinking, maybe there are elks too?'
'Hmm... Maybe,' said Alces. 'Perhaps there are other tribes further down south, although I haven't heard of them, and don't know much about our doings beyond the Bugbear Territory. But you might be right. Maybe there are deer. Deer always like a little more warmth, so it make sense if there is a tribe there.'
'Well that's great,' said Doctor Mayflower. 'You can take the train from here to Ponyville, scout out the Everfree Forest, and if you find nothing you just take the next train towards Griffonstone and stop at the Bugbear Territory.'
Alces nodded. Then he nodded again. 'I like this plan,' he said. 'And I'm glad I finally have another plan. It feels good to be working towards something, to have a mission on your mind. I'll tell Elkia about this once he wakes up.'
'Would anyone care for some tea?' Missus Mayflower said. Without waiting for an answer, she retreated towards the kitchen.
'There's only one question that's still in my head,' said Alces to Doctor Mayflower.
'Ask it,' said the doctor. 'I'm happy to help.'
'What exactly is a "train?"'
After a quick chuckle from Doctor Mayflower, he proceeded to tell Alces everything he wanted to know and enlightened him with the wonders of modern railway transportation. Alces couldn't believe his ears when the doctor talked about giant steel machines capable of pulling goods and ponies all across Equestria. He had no idea how to envision it in his mind. Days of traveling compressed in mere hours of sitting still! To Alces, it sounded like magic.
'Wait until you see it,' said the doctor. 'I'm sure you'll be amazed.'
When the tea came, they talked a bit more. The doctor told Alces some things about Dustbowl, the village he found himself in. At first Alces became quite bored, as he wasn't that interested in the town at all. For him it was just a hole filled with sand. Yet he perked up when the doctor spoke about a river which ran a little out of town, the life-blood of Dustbowl and a gift from above for the agriculture business.
Elks like water, and water likes elks.
However much he fancied a swim and a welcome refreshment, Alces found himself doubting whether to go. He also wanted to be with his brother and help him in whatever way he could. But then again, how could Alces help him? It was not as if Elkia would awake sooner with Alces's watchful gaze upon him. Elkia was in good, caring hooves, the hooves of Doctor Mayflower. Alces nodded when he made a decision, as he had to prepare himself for a whole new journey.
'Send him to the river if he's fit enough,' he said. 'And if he's not, then let him wait. I'll return to the house again.'
The doctor nodded, and Alces went outside. He managed to sell his sword to the local blacksmith for quite a number of Bits, thanks to the precious gems and gold embedded in the hilt. At least it's good for something... Alces thought. With the money he made he went to a general store. He bought two saddlebags without saddles--'Elks don't wear saddles!'-- and the two biggest water bottles he could find. Dehydration felt absolutely awful, as Alces had experienced first-hoof, and he was not going to let either him or Elkia die from such a terrible enemy--an enemy even Alces couldn't beat without water. He bought some more things, including a compass, rope, some food, and other equipment he thought necessary for his next journey.
And then he went to the river. It wasn't much more than a thin strip of water through a clay-covered riverbed, but it was water, and water in the desert is more precious than any treasure. After drinking so many mouthfuls until he felt there was more water than blood in him, Alces jumped into the river with a big splash. He floated on his back and let the sweet, cool stream flow all around him, caressing his fur and stroking it like the gentlest hoof.
Of course Alces wanted to go back to the house and see if Elkia was awake yet, but the river just felt so good. One more minute, he thought, and after that, Two more minutes, and, Three more minutes. To the point where the sun hung low above the horizon, casting rays of light which shimmered on the water. Shadows became longer and things became harder to see. That's why Alces didn't see Elkia coming.
'At least one of us is having a good time.'
'Elkia!' Alces swam for the shore, and noticed his brother sitting on flat rock protruding from the clay. 'I'm so glad you're alive and, judging by your presence here, well.'
Elkia watched how his brother grabbed his stuff and joined him on the stone, now gently warm against his cooled down behind. When Alces reached him, Elkia saw how he hesitated.
'You don't have to hug me if you don't want to,' Elkia said with a smile.
Much more at ease, Alces showed a faint smile himself and sat down next to his brother. 'You scared the living daylight out of me, when that trap around your neck went off.'
Elkia rubbed his neck as if the collar was still there. When Alces looked closer, he could see a faint ring of matted fur around Elkia's neck. He hoped it wasn't a scar. 'To be honest, I totally forgot about that thing too,' Elkia said. 'Until it went off. Starlight had said that if I'd venture too far out of town it would turn red and, well, unfortunate things would happen.'
'Yes, we saw what happened alright,' said Alces, growling as he spoke.
'But I'm alive, Alces,' Elkia said. 'I'm alive and I'm here with you, and that's what counts.'
'That's what counts,' Alces said. His voice was now as low as the sun on the horizon. 'I just felt so powerless when you went down, screaming. I had no idea what to do. And then again with the doctor treating you... I just... I just couldn't do anything. You know how much I hate losing a duel, but no matter how intense the duel becomes, there are always moves I can make, or tactics I can use. But with this magical thing I could do exactly... nothing.'
'Let's just forget about it,' said Elkia. 'The doctor said I needed rest and as little psychological and physical strain as possible.'
'I cried, Elkia.'
Eyes wide, Elkia stared at his brother. He had certainly never seen him cry. It was as rare as water in the desert. 'You did?'
'I did,' said Alces. He sucked in air and let out a long sigh. 'I cried and I'm not embarrassed by that at all.'
'That's good,' said Elkia. 'But you didn't have to tell me that. I know you care about me. Who else would escape a forced labor camp and travel all the way to some Light Elk-forsaken desert to rescue my behind?'
'Well, if you put it that way,' Alces said, a smile appearing on his face, 'it must be someone very caring, or desperate--'
'Or a bit of both,' Elkia added.
'Yeah.'
As the sun sank down lower and lower, with the elk brothers watching it, conversation turned from more recent events to the things that happened to either of them when they got separated. Alces suggested he went first, as to get the sad stories over with. His tale started the moment Elkia had to run away, disguised as a guard to take a peek inside the magical orb. Alces talked in short, choppy sentences, skipping parts he didn't like and plainly describing the other things. When he spoke about how the guardpony mistreated him, Elkia's gaze wandered towards Alces's flank.
'So that's how you got the scars,' he said, his mouth open in a silent gasp. 'I'm so sorry that happened to you. Does it still hurt?'
Alces turned his head away, as if he were studying the sunset intently. 'It doesn't hurt anymore. And nevertheless, I got a sweet portion of revenge in return for those scars.'
But first Alces had to tell Elkia about the herd. Elkia's gasp became even bigger as Alces revealed the secret of the herd's resurrection, and Alces reckoned that if he talked more, his brother's jaw would unhinge and fall into the water, and he would have to dive it back up.
'They... they were alive?!' Elkia said, mouth agape, eyes wide.
'Well, I don't know if they were alive or actually undead,' Alces said. 'But the fact remained that Moussa apparently resurrected as many as he could save. They looked... well... healthy, I suppose? Their forms had merged with pure essence--dark essence--and it looked as if they were ablaze with fury. In any case, I think they were more powerful than before.'
Elkia tried his best to sketch an image in his mind, but found the whole return of the herd too big an item to manifest in his head. There was one thing he wanted to know, one thing that Alces hadn't told him, but he hoped that he was going to tell him soon. 'And... Mother?'
A slow shake of the head was all the answer Elkia needed. He shed a tear or two, as he thought about her.
'Apparently, even dark essence has its limits,' Alces said, trying to hide his own tears by flicking them away when Elkia wasn't looking at him.
Next up was the revenge, and at this part Alces really got into the mood of storytelling. He dissolved the lingering sadness by telling, eyes ablaze in fury and with a maniacal smile on his muzzle, about how he rounded up every single guard of Scribblers' City using the army of elks, deer, and reindeer that Moussa had put him--more or less--in charge of. Then he told of the fight with Brawn, speaking of every move he made in horrifying detail, and painting the picture of Brawn, helpless and skewered to the tree.
Hearing that, Elkia had to swallow hard. 'That sounds... well... interesting?'
Alces punched his hoof against the rock. 'I know you don't like violence and duels, Elkia, but it had to be done. My honor was damaged and needed to be fixed. It simply had... to... be... done, and I did it.'
'Are you sure you didn't do it because you wanted to, and not because it was necessary?' Elkia said, carefully as not to enrage his brother and shatter the brotherly bond.
But the brotherly bond proved to be stronger, and maybe Alces adjusted his viewpoint a little too. His voice was just a soft grumble as he said, 'Maybe. Anyway, it has taught me that sometimes you need violence, and sometimes the time is, well, let's say not quite appropriate for a one-elk crusade of vengeance.'
Elkia's questioning glare was quickly dispelled as Alces told about how he found something he'd lost, and lost something he'd found. Yes, he did manage to reclaim his honor, but also had to bear a curse in return, a curse cast upon him by the king of the elks, deer, and reindeer himself. A curse which had already proven to be real, and not just empty words.
Alces ended his story with Captain Gaffer and his griffons, and both Elkia and Alces had to chuckle about the strange Captain Gaffer, who had offered Alces a place amongst his crew, while he should have tossed Alces's sneaky ass overboard. Alces said he hoped to one day see the silly captain again, and maybe repay his kindness with service to him as a mercenary. 'Maybe in the future,' Alces said.
And now it was Elkia's turn to tell a story. Much unlike his brother, Elkia spoke in long, flowing sentences, making everything he had encountered sound like it was pure fiction, fit for an exciting story many pages long. He spoke about Starlight Glimmer the dictator, and the village she ruled with an iron hoof. Even Elkia wasn't entirely sure what drove Starlight into creating a commune of equality and no cutie marks, but he reckoned it had perhaps something to do with her childhood. Starlight never spoke of her childhood, and Elkia knew that the greatest villains in every story had faced something truly traumatic in their lives that made them become evil. Yet what exactly happened to Starlight Glimmer, Elkia couldn't tell.
'I just wish I could look into her mind, instead of the other way around,' Elkia said. 'Despite her being a steel-hearted dictator and all, she treated me well. Maybe I could have done something for her, and prevented the whole battle before its seeds were even planted in the minds of the revolutionaries.'
'Elkia, Elkia, Elkia,' Alces said. 'You're once again the goodie-two-horseshoes of the story. Just don't forget whose side you're on, okay?'
Alces's tone was a bit brusque, but Elkia waved his words away with a shrug. Then he continued.
What he could tell was how some brave souls defied Starlight Glimmer's norms and values, and met in secret inside the basement of a bakery. Night Glider, Sugar Belle, and Party Favor were there, laying out plans for which they needed more ponies. There were still traces of pride left in Elkia's voice, as he told about how he made their illegal newspaper, the Proud Prickly Press, possible. He hoped to clarify the reasons the ponies were so worked up and eager to partake in the revolution that had ended so disastrously. Elkia hoped to offer Alces a little insight into their minds, so that he could understand the motives behind their actions better.
'At least now I understand what they did it all for,' said Alces. 'Now that you speak of it, it does sound like a cause to fight and die for, this freedom of the fake equality and, of course, their cutie marks.'
'Yes...' Elkia said, his voice trailing off. 'I just wish I could have known this in advance. Now that I think of it, I shouldn't be proud of the Proud Prickly Press at all. In fact, I think I should never have partaken in making that newspaper for them. That way, Starlight Glimmer might have moved against them sooner and ground the revolution to a halt.'
'Elkia, you're once again rooting for the villain.'
'No, I mean it,' Elkia said. 'If Starlight could have stopped the revolution with her iron hoof before it even started, no ponies or griffons would have gotten wounded--or maybe even killed!'
There was a silence. Both brothers looked at what remained of the sun. Clouds were painted in lush red, pink, and gold, as the sun casted its rays of light as a last goodbye, before it would hunker down below the horizon and let the moon take its place. Both brothers had told their stories, and now both brothers were silent. They both plunged into their thoughts and memories, thinking about everything that had been said, and guessing at what the other was thinking in the silence that followed.
Alces made the first guess. 'You're still thinking about that battle, aren't you?'
After a sigh, Elkia said, 'I am. I wonder if it's over yet, and I wonder who has won if it is.'
'We've traveled through the desert a couple of days, and we've been here in Dustbowl for a day more. I think it's safe to say the battle's over,' Alces clarified.
Elkia traced circles with his hoof in the sand. 'If the revolutionaries have won, they have finally gotten what they wanted, but if not...'
'I understand what you mean,' said Alces. 'If not, all the bloodshed has been for nothing.'
After a sad nod, Elkia said, 'Exactly. Then everything is back the way it was, and Starlight sits on the throne. Not only that, but Night Glider, Sugar Belle, and Party Favor, my friends, will be suffering daily brainwashing in Starlight's "re-education program."'
'But Captain Gaffer will be alive then,' Alces said.
Gazing ahead, Elkia took a moment to fantasize, to dream. 'I just wish... I wish I could help in some way.'
'But you can't,' Alces said, perhaps a little too harshly.
Elkia didn't answer. His thoughts sent him right back to Starlight Glimmer's village, thinking about everything he did, everything he said. Could I have done things differently? He thought to himself. Could I have made a difference after all?
Alces saw his brother's face, and how his eyebrows were narrowed in deep thought. He didn't like that one bit. 'Oh no! Oh no you don't!' he said, shaking his head.
Those words instantly dispelled Elkia's musings. 'What do you mean?'
'You're not going back to that village,' Alces said. 'Hay, we barely made it out together!'
'But--'
'You're not going there.'
'But--'
'No way,' Alces said, firmly shaking his head, his voice rising in volume. 'There's nothing you can do anyway. Do you want to gather a new army and march towards Starlight Glimglom? Then you will have to give a damn impressive speech to convince these ponies into joining you. They are not interested in fighting or getting involved in other ponies' troubles. By the Light Elk, the ponies here don't even know there's a village further east. They don't even know that insane village is there!'
Elkia was about to object, but Alces's last words left him speechless. After a brief pause, he said, with a voice soft and weak, 'Is that... is that true?'
Alces forced his voice to be gentle again. He didn't want to scare his brother. 'It's true. I've talked with the doctor and his wife, and they didn't even believe me when I told them about the battle and the crazy situation in that village. They must have thought I got a sunstroke.'
Elkia's shoulders slumped, and his ears drooped down. He looked down into the water, which got darker by the minute with the fading light. 'If that's true and nopony even knows of Starlight's village, then...'
Then, Alces did something he'd normally never do. He wrapped his hoof around Elkia, and clapped him on the shoulder. 'That's right. There is nothing you can do, but your willingness to stand by your friends' sides, to think about helping even when you yourself are gravely wounded, speaks of your loyalty. You might not look like it, Elkia, but you're as tough as any duelist. You've proven that to me, to your friends in Starlight's village, and maybe even to Captain Gaffer too. I certainly noticed the look of bafflement on his face when you gave your little speech about shunning violence. You did what you could, but now it's time to put the past in the past.'
'So you want me to simply forget about them?'
Alces retracted his hoof. 'It's not about forgetting them, it's about accepting.'
'What do you mean?' Elkia said.
'It's about accepting what has happened. The things that happen shape you, and the experience you gain from those things will be useful in your future life, wherever you may go. Some things, no matter how hard you try or how often you try again and again, you just can't change.'
'That...' Elkia had to swallow some sadness away. 'That sounds very true, Alces. Thank you for saying that. It will be a long time before I can accept what has happened, but I think your words will help to put my mind at rest, so I can still sleep soundly in the night.'
'Don't mention it,' said Alces. 'I too wish I'd done things differently. Perhaps, back when I decided to rumble into Scribblers' City to get my revenge, I could have let the herd behind and sneak inside instead.'
'Alces, you and I both know you don't sneak,' Elkia said.
'No, let me finish.' Alces traced symbols in the sand as if he were laying out a battle plan. 'I could have snuck into the city, found that one damn pony, and quickly attack like a stealthy assassin. That way, I would have been happy, the herd would have been happy, and Moussa would have been happy.'
'Only the pony wouldn't have been happy,' Elkia said, silently judging Alces.
'Don't worry, he's probably alive,' said Alces. Then, at Elkia's cocked head, he said, 'The last time I saw him he was conscious, talking, and wriggling away from me like a scared little rabbit. He's alive and he's shamed and that makes me feel content.'
'Alright, if you say so.' But Elkia's words implicated that he meant something entirely different.
Once again there was silence. The sun had almost completely gone down, and the town of Dustbowl was made of shadows. When Elkia looked, he could hardly see his brother. Yet, before he wanted to go, there was one more thing he had to ask. 'And what about you?'
Alces looked directly into his brother's eyes. 'Me? I'm going to find the herd.'
Elkia raised an eyebrow. 'Huh? But how can you do that? You just spoke about the curse, and--'
'Damn the curse,' said Alces, venom in his words. 'I'm gonna prove that Moussa's magic is not as strong as he thinks it is. I'm going to find the herd, no matter the cost.'
'But how are you--'
'The train,' Alces said. His eyes were ablaze with devotion, and Elkia swore he could see them burning in the darkness. 'We will take the train out of this town and to Ponyville. There's supposed to be a forest there, which might be crawling with deer. We'll do a quick search, but if we find nothing, off we go onto the train towards Griffonstone. Then we'll reach the Bugbear Territory, and we're right back where our adventure started. Once we're back in the Bugbear Territory, it's just a matter of combing out the forest until we find the herd.'
'Eh, Alces, you--'
'And we don't even have to find the complete herd. Maybe we will find smaller herds of reindeer, or deer, or maybe an elk with her calves. We will ask them where to find the herd, or we can go to the Shimmering Eye itself. There will certainly be some elks there.'
'But Alces...'
'Yes, Elkia?'
'You said "we."'
Alces narrowed his eyes. 'Yes, that's what I said.'
'But I'm not sure if I want to come along.'
'What?!' Alces jumped up and rubbed his ears as if he hadn't understood what Elkia said.
'Maybe it's time for you and me both to let the herd go,' Elkia said.
Alces shook his head and waved his hooves around. 'How can you even say such a thing?'
'Well, you said yourself that the herd cast you out, so they obviously don't want you to find them.'
'But that was just Moussa,' said Alces, fury in his voice. 'I still have friends who would love to see me again. Old Cervidus asked me himself to try and find the herd.'
'But what about the curse?' said Elkia. 'It sounded like a pretty serious curse--a curse powered by dark essence. How in Equestria are you going to find the herd, if you have to battle this curse too?'
'I'll find a way,' Alces said, snorting hard through his flaring nostrils. 'But what about you? Don't you want to see your friends again? Come on, Elkia, I need you for this. The curse was not cast upon you. Maybe you can find them for me.'
'And what happens then?' Elkia said. 'Then I get to be in the herd and you don't. Alces, we shouldn't be separated like that. Then one of us will be happy, but the other forever sad.'
Suddenly, Alces jumped to his own hooves. He piled up his newly bought travel gear and threw it on his back. His muscles quivered with rage. 'I can't believe you'd not want to see your own friends again, and that you would forsake your duty to guard the Shimmering Eye,' he spat.
'Alces, please don't be mad. You know...' Elkia had to start over. He knew he might lose his brother there and then, if he said the wrong thing. No, Elkia had to tell him everything that was on his mind. 'Alces, just come back here and I'll tell you what you want to know. There is another reason why I want to let the herd go.'
No matter how angry Alces felt, he also received the pang of curiosity his brother's words conjured up. He froze, dropped the gear, and marched back towards his brother, once more sitting down beside him. 'Speak.'
But before Elkia did, he sighed heavily. He sighed as if he could sigh away the heavy feeling of something lying on his own shoulders. Searching for Alces's eyes, he spoke up. 'I am... tired, Alces.'
'But the train will be very comfortable and relaxing, according to the doctor,' Alces said back.
'No, not that kind of tiredness. I feel mentally tired.'
Alces cocked his head. He didn't understand.
And Elkia was ready to explain. 'After everything that happened to us--to me, after all the strain and troubles and sorrows and misadventures, I need a rest. You seem to be up and ready for the next adventure, and I envy you for your strength of mind and character. But I... I think my mind is not as strong as yours. I think my mind might be more vulnerable to bad influences.'
Alces had never thought of things like that. Yes, he was ready for the next adventure, because that seemed to him like the most logical step. He never thought about things much, and maybe that was his strength. He managed to hold back his commentary--only barely--and let Elkia speak.
'And it's not only that, Alces. I feel... strange inside. I think it might have something to do with Starlight Glimmer's mind readings. Those tricks of magic also still weigh heavily on my mind. It feels as if someone has broken into my house and has rummaged through my things. Maybe Starlight left something behind in my head, a negative impression of some sorts. I'm not sure.'
'Oh, that damn awful witch!' Alces growled.
Elkia waved his hoof to calm his brother down. When he couldn't hear Alces's teeth grinding against each other anymore, he continued his story. 'But it's not only my mind. I think my heart has a scar too.'
'Let me guess: your marefriend?'
Elkia nodded. 'I thought Strawberry Blonde and I were happy at first, but that was before I realized she was just toying with my heart. Or was she...? She deceived me, but then she pledged her love to me, and then she got you out of Scribblers' City, and then... and then... Oh Alces! I don't know what to think of her, and if I try to think of her, the wounds in my heart open. It will take a long time before I definitively make up my mind about that strange mare and heal my heart little by little.'
'Time we don't have,' said Alces.
Elkia blinked hard. This talk was getting very emotional. Yet he hoped he got the point across. 'So as you see, everything has piled up in my mind and on top of my heart... and I need time to process it all. I need time to psychologically heal, before I can go and hunt down the herd. Or actually, before I can embark on any new adventure, for that matter.'
'So... what do you want to do?' Alces's rage had dissolved like a deflating balloon, now that he saw how difficult it was for Elkia to speak about this. He still didn't exactly understand what Elkia was talking about, but he did reckon it was something heavy, something big, something that troubled his brother dearly. Now, he didn't want to convince him anymore. He just wanted to help him if he could.
'The doctor and I had a long talk when I woke up,' said Elkia. 'He turned out to be an expert on the psyche of creatures as well. He understood what I felt, the burden I have to bear. It's actually quite funny. He recommended me to do two things. Number one is taking some alone time, and number two is writing a book on our adventures. If I'd do that, he said I would heal slowly but nicely, without leaving any scars behind.'
'So... that means we will be separated again,' Alces said slowly, trying his best to wrap his hoof around everything Elkia said. 'Because alone time means being alone.'
'Yes,' said Elkia. 'I myself envisioned it as living--oh, I don't know--in a cabin in the woods, or something like that. You know, going some place where I can really find rest in some way.'
Alces got up on his hooves again. He walked over to the pile of equipment and hoisted it onto his back once more. 'But we'll travel out of this dust hole together, right?'
Elkia got up too. 'That's right. I was not planning on staying in this baking oven, however nice the ponies might be in this town. But Alces?'
'Yes?' said Alces, turning around.
But before he could completely turn around, Elkia caught him in a warm embrace. Even though he knew that being apart would be hard, he also knew it was the best thing to do for himself. Elkia did realize that this moment was not the final goodbye yet, but he also reckoned this was an important moment, a moment worthy of a hug. Elkia didn't let go yet, and instead stroked his brother's fur softly. 'Remember that no matter how far we're apart or whatever might happen to us, one thing stands strong, and that is that we'll always be brothers.'
And for once, Alces let go of the travel gear and hugged back. He didn't know what to say, so he just repeated Elkia's words.
'We'll always be brothers.' |
Brothers 'N Antlers | Chapter sixteen: two quests | The elk brothers traveled together for as long as they could.
Together they stepped onto the train, ready to go to Ponyville. They had the whole train carriage to themselves, which was good. After everything that happened, they never ran out of things to talk about. Many questions became answered, and many mysteries clarified, as the train zipped through the landscape.
Once they reached Ponyville, Elkia became instantly charmed by the funny little town. He liked everything about it: the cozy little wooden houses, the brightly colored ponies, and the general happiness that flowed through the town like an invisible wind. Yes, Elkia promised himself that whenever he would get the chance, this is where he wanted to live.
Alces, on the other hoof, didn't like the town at all. To him it seemed crowded, and he couldn't convince himself that everything was cheerful and happy in Ponyville. Because in Scribblers' City everything had looked so beautiful and happy too, while in reality the town was built onto the broken and bent backs of slave workers. No, every time Alces watched the colorful ponies, he tried to see through them, and think about what dark secrets lay behind those cheery eyes. Elkia tried to talk him out of it, to try and make him see that not all ponies were bad, and that there were places where you could relax and live your life happily. Unfortunately, Alces couldn't be convinced, and they left the town as soon as they could.
So they headed to the Everfree Forest together. The forest certainly was a wild place, and they encountered many a strange and foreign animal on their trek. Sweeping through the forest from north till south, the elk brothers, no matter how hard they tried, were unable to spot a single deer in the forest. All sorts of reasons could lie behind that fact. Maybe the deer never got this far south, and only stayed in the north where they could guard the Shimmering Eye with the elks and reindeer. Maybe some force had driven the deer back, an ancient enemy now long gone from the deep dark forest. Maybe the deer didn't like to live in the Everfree Forest, finding it perhaps too dark or too wild. But speculation didn't matter much. What mattered was that Alces knew where to go next: on the train to Griffonstone.
It may seem that the elk brothers didn't find anything in the Everfree Forest, but that was untrue. Elkia found the temperature to be nice, and thought he could easily liven the place up a bit with some flowers in the right spots. Yes, that's right. Elkia didn't need to look any further. For him, the location was perfect. He could live quietly by himself in the forest, yet he was also close to Ponyville, and could visit the town whenever he wanted. Elkia decided that here, in the Everfree Forest, was where he wanted to live.
And Alces didn't stop him. They had talked about this in Dustbowl and on the train to Ponyville, so he was ready to accept it. In the end, there were only two things important for him. Number one was finding the herd and the Shimmering Eye in the Bugbear Territory. Number two--something he reckoned to be even more important than his own quest--was to see Elkia happy. He definitely couldn't see himself living in solitude in the forest, sitting still and writing books, while also being dangerously close to ponies. But he could see how this kind of life appealed to Elkia, so he let the matter lie.
The goodbye took long, and was hard for the both of them. Elkia cried and hugged, while Alces held back his own tears and instead wished his brother the best. Alces promised to come back to the Everfree Forest as often as his quest allowed him, and pay his brother a visit. Elkia made him promise to be careful and stay safe, and not let his rage get him into things he might later regret. And so, the elks parted.
Alces went back to Ponyville, and took the train to the north. He passed many places on the way to his destination, about which he cared little to nothing at all. His whole mind was focused on finding the herd, way up north in the Bugbear Territory. When he finally got there, he began his search.
He searched far and wide, traversing dangerous terrain as he traveled from one corner of the Bugbear Territory to the other. He spoke with many forest animals, but either they all had gotten a case of amnesia, or the curse was still following Alces. None of them was able to tell him about a great herd of elks, deer, and reindeer guarding the Shimmering Eye. But at least they knew about the Eye. That was the only lead he had, so Alces set about navigating to the heart of the Bugbear Territory and find the magical lake.
There it lay, shimmering and glimmering and shining like a mirror in the valley that Alces once called home. But that was everything. He found no trace of elks, deer, or reindeer. No trace of a recent gathering or snow huts that were left behind or fireplaces that had run cold.
He found nothing, nothing at all.
It enraged him. He screamed and yelled and assaulted some lone pine trees with his newly grown antlers. But nothing he did could make the herd magically appear in front of his muzzle, offering him a new place amongst its members. Alces stayed in the Bugbear Territory, combing it out from north till south till east till west, all through the summer and the autumn that followed. Only when the weather became cold and inhospitable, and the all too common snowstorms and blizzards raged through the Bugbear Territory did Alces admit his defeat. He traveled down south again, seeking warmer forests, at least until winter would pass.
He went back to Elkia, checked on him, talked with him, and helped him to erect a fine little cottage in a clearing in the Everfree Forest. But when summer came back around, Alces once more left Elkia be and braved the Bugbear Territory in search of the lost herd. And so this ritual repeated itself every single year. The quest to find the herd called Alces to the Territory, he searched, found nothing, and returned to Elkia. This went on for years and years and years, and Alces Roameling never found rest. He was always roaming. There was always the search, and the search went on.
Elkia, however, did find his rest. He stayed in his cottage, writing stories which he'd later on publish with the help of a purple alicorn by the name of Twilight Sparkle. But he wasn't a complete hermit. Sometimes he went to Ponyville to buy more writing equipment or some treat for himself. He discovered that many ponies in Ponyville were actually interested in writing stories. That was quite a positive surprise for Elkia. He presented himself as a helpful tutor, ready to aid others in search for their epic stories. This way, he made many friends and received many gifts in return for his writing advice. He found Twilight Sparkle in particular to be fine company, and together they wrote many tales.
Oftentimes, his thoughts did travel towards the events and characters in his past. He thought about Starlight Glimmer and her village, about Night Glider, Sugar Belle, and Party Favor. And sometimes, on very rare occasions, he thought about Strawberry Blonde too, and wondered what she was up to now. It pained him to know he would probably never see his friends again, but then he also thought about what Alces had said. Letting go and accepting what happened, however, was a lot more easily said than done.
However much he wrote stories for himself and others, Elkia never got around to writing about his own adventures. Truth was, he was actually scared to write about them. He was afraid terrible memories would resurface in his mind, or that nightmares would haunt him for many nights to come. But, one cold day in December, Alces Roameling appeared on his doorstep, and urged Elkia to write it nonetheless. As you can read for yourself, dear reader, together they were able to finally put their tale into words. And however difficult it was for both of them to summon up the story and write it down, they knew they were doing a good job. Not because they thought the story was good in particular, or that it would help them in some way or the other. They knew they were doing a good job, because they were doing it together.
As brothers. |
Brothers 'N Antlers | Epilogue: full circle | 'T-H-E (space) E-N-D,' I said aloud, letting my hooves type in the letters I dictated. Once I was done I read the last paragraphs over, nodded in satisfaction, and hung back in my chair.
'Now what?' said Alces.
'Now nothing,' I said. 'The end is the end. Our story has ended, and we're back where it began, or, well, at the moment you barged into my door.'
Alces was silent for a while, but I could read the awe off his face. 'So we did it? We wrote down the complete history of our adventures?'
I turned the wheel, letting the last sheet out of my typewriter. 'That's what we did,' I said, as I put the last page on top of the manuscript. That's when realization washed over me, as I understood what Alces meant. 'You're right...' I said. My eyes must have been as big as the saucers we used to drink tea. 'We did it!' I turned around and looked at my brother. 'We actually did it!'
A smirk played on Alces's lips. 'I told you we had to write down the whole story, including the nasty bits.'
'Yes, you're right,' I said, drinking my tea which had long gone cold. 'I actually feel... better. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I think it will make one fine novel.' I grabbed the manuscript--easily two hundred and fifty pages thick--and put it in my drawer. 'So, that's that. We'll just leave it inside there for about six weeks and then I'll look it over with a fresh set of eyes. I'll be able to add clarifying phrases, remove obvious sentences, and correct any misspellings and errors before it goes to my pre-readers.'
Alces recoiled from the drawer as if I revealed a hornets' nest inside. 'Whoa, whoa, you're actually going to publish it?'
'Yes,' I said. 'Why not? It would make for a nice adventure story. And not only that, but it will also reveal some more about the character of, well, you and I.'
'Well, okay,' grumbled Alces. 'Do whatever you feel like you have to do. I won't be around answering fan mail or explaining why I did this and why I did that anyway.'
'Yes, you're much too busy on your quest,' I said.
'Exactly.'
Silence descended upon the cottage. The only sound was the crackling of the hearth fire and the occasional puffs of steam from the kettle hanging over it. Both Alces and I knew what was going to happen now, and I didn't want to say it.
Alces spoke up. Of course he spoke up--he was always the bravest of us. 'I should be going,' he said. 'There's a few more supplies I need from Ponyville and then I'll be returning to the Bugbear Territory.'
'Of course...' I said, my voice wavering.
'But we had a good time, hadn't we?' said Alces.
'An interesting and productive time it was,' I said back.
Alces stood up and walked towards his pack. I tried to stop him with, 'Do you want any more tea?'
'No thanks,' said Alces. 'I really... I really should be going.'
'Oh, right. But it's so cold outside, do you really think you're--'
'After everything we've been through, the Bugbear Territory is easy as pie,' he said. He continued to gather up his stuff and hoist it on his back, while I repeated those words in a whisper.
'After everything we've been through...'
And then I made my decision. 'Alces, wait.'
He was already reaching for the doorknob. 'What is it?'
I swallowed something away, and I sighed a small sigh before I told him what was on my mind. 'You're right, Alces. We've been through so many adventures together and now... well... now you're going to leave me again. Now you're once more going on your crusade to find the herd and I will be here in my cottage writing whatever is on my mind.'
'And?' Alces didn't know where this was going.
I shook my head sadly. 'And we'll once again be separated. I don't like that anymore, Alces.'
Alces narrowed his eyes. 'But you can't expect me to sit here with you and do nothing. You know I hate doing nothing when there are more than enough important things to do, like finding the herd. Elkia, I just can't do what you're doing, finding peace of mind. My mind is always on the move, and my legs are always aching to go someplace. It's just how I work.'
'That's not what I mean,' I said.
'It's... not?' said Alces.
I stood straighter and steadier as I said, 'It's not. The truth is, I want to go with you this time.'
Despite his heavy pack, Alces jumped and bumped his head at the ceiling. 'Wait, what?! Are you sure that's a good idea, Elkia? I mean, you're you and I'm, well... me. Damn, there's just no good way to explain it, but you know what I mean.'
I nodded. 'I do. But you should know that I think... No, I know both my mind and my heart has gotten a very long time to heal. And you and I writing our story together proves to me that my mind is fully healed. I think I can do it, Alces. I think I can go with you and--while we may not find the herd--go back to the forest we once called home, to the Bugbear Territory.'
Those words left Alces speechless for a while. He just shook his head and blinked a few times. But when he finally understood what I was saying, his muzzle turned into a smile from ear to ear. 'If you mean that, then you make me a very happy brother. I'd love traveling with you to the forest--our forest, and spend some time with you once again.'
'Maybe we'll come up with another story,' I said, feeling much better now that I had pushed the matter off my chest. Truth was that I had been thinking about traveling with Alces for a long time, but I just hadn't felt the courage to take that step. The story made me take that step.
'Yeah, maybe,' Alces said. 'Or maybe something entirely different happens. Who knows?'
'We're going on an adventure once more,' I said. 'But this time, we're going together.'
'And nothing can stop us,' Alces added.
'Exactly.'
I felt like a soldier uttering a battle cry. Taking the decision to go with Alces this time made me feel... lighter, more complete already. And maybe, yes. Maybe I actually did feel like facing new challenges during new adventures. As long as I was with Alces, and if he was there to cover my back, I knew I was ready. I was ready! And thanks to the story, I had never felt readier. This was our moment.
The grandfather clock struck four. 'Oh my!' I said, 'we'll have to hurry if we want to stock up in Ponyville before our journey.'
'Then let's go. No time to waste,' Alces said.
I trotted over towards my coat rack, grabbed a thick horse blanket, a scarf, and some ear warmers, and then walked outside, where Alces was already waiting for me in the snow. But then I remembered something. 'Wait a minute!'
I went back inside, grabbed some wood and a paintbrush, and got to work. A few minutes later I was content. Going back outside into the winter coldness, I locked the door, and hung my sign around the doorknob.
Am going on an adventure.
Will be back soon with more stories!
Elkia
'Now I'm ready to go,' I said.
Alces nodded, and together we marched ahead. When we got surrounded by nothing but the snow-covered trees of the Everfree Forest, I mulled in my head about something I wanted to say, something--somepony--I had given a lot of thought. I knew it was ridiculous, but I said it anyway. 'Alces, do you think we can pay a visit to Scribblers' City?'
Alces stopped and gave me a blank stare. 'To see your marefriend?'
'Eh... yes?' I said, my voice a high squeak. 'I know she must be as old as we are now, and maybe Scribblers' City doesn't even exist anymore, but I... I would still like to see her and talk to her. Just... one last time.'
But Alces wasn't angry. Instead, he started walking again. I saw the smile on his face as he passed me, and I fell in step next to him. 'We'll see...' he said, and with that mysterious answer I had to satisfy myself.
Together we continued our way through the Everfree Forest, towards adventure and maybe even towards danger. But I wasn't worried. Because I knew now that together, we were stronger than we could ever be apart.
THE END |
To the Wind | pre | Lyra kissed her tears dry and nuzzled her closely. "I love you, Bon Bon. Tragedy may be forever, but I count this as a good day, and I love you."
Bon Bon sniffled and allowed the unicorn to rock her gently in a deep embrace. "I love you too, Lyra. Oh Goddess, I love you so m-much..."
Scootaloo watched quietly. Soon, the voices of the two mares drifted away like feathers in the wind. Scootaloo found her thoughts churning within her, shifting with each heartbeat. Her eyes danced between the stars, until a sharp gasp escaped her lungs. With a gaping jaw, she spun and faced the distant hospital. Without hesitation, the filly mounted her scooter and kicked her way speedily back to the silent medical center.
Twenty minutes later, along the top floor of the dimly-lit hospital, a glass panel slid open. Fumbling--grunting with effort--an orange shape tossed her way into the hallway, landing in a feathery heap. Scootaloo immediately stood up, glancing down both ends of the passage while she sweated and panted frantically. After a few moments, she caught her breath, calming her own nerves.
The hallway was empty, not to mention dead still. The white tiles of the floor contrasted the black ones with a pale reflection of cold starlight. A random door or two showed hints of illumination from under their frames, but otherwise the place was locked down in dim, nocturnal mode.
Scootaloo stretched her limbs, reaching up to carefully close the window pane unassumingly behind her. It had taken her several minutes to climb the oak tree positioned along the east face of the hospital building, and yet even more minutes to summon the courage to scale the long branch that gave her access to the second story.
Now that she was inside, the air felt far chillier than the night did. It was practically jarring. With slow and steady steps, Scootaloo snuck her way down the hall, eyeing each door in hopes that she would spot a ward that looked familiar. When she rounded a corner, she heard the clopping sounds of a nurse trotting up a stairwell.
Panicking, Scootaloo looked all around. She saw a garbage can. The filly almost leapt in--stopping herself at the last second upon seeing a glaring "biohazard" sign. Cursing under her breath, she flung herself towards the nearest door, twisted the knob, and dashed in. Shutting the thing as quietly as she could, she pressed herself against the nearest wall within the shadowy place, holding her breath in.
Several hoofsteps increased in volume, peaked, then grew soft as the nurse trotted directly past the door and disappeared down the far end of the hallway outside.
Scootaloo exhaled long and hard. Then, as the thumping sound of her heartbeat dwindled, she became aware of another, far steadier sound. Curious, she tilted her ears towards the far end of the room. Not only did she hear a familiar vitals monitor, but there was a snoring breath. A loud snoring breath.
"Rainbow...?"
Scootaloo pivoted about, blinking into the darkness. The shadows cleared before her, and she became aware of several curtained chambers lining her in a procession that led to a far wall.
"Huh..."
This was where Scootaloo wanted to be. Not pausing to count her blessings, the young filly trotted down the length of the ward, passing by rows of sleeping, coughing, stirring patients in their separate booths. When she reached Rainbow's spot, she hesitated slightly. Then--taking a deep breath as if diving under water--she dipped beneath the curtain and emerged on the other side.
The monitoring equipment propped up beside Rainbow's bed shone a tiny, tiny green light on her sleeping figure. The snoring was the loudest here, delightfully grating in the middle of all of that solemn stillness. Scootaloo approached the bed, hesitantly at first. She could faintly make out Rainbow's body curled up in a fetal position, her bandages wrapped tightly around twitching limbs as she slumbered away in the middle of the mattress. Scootaloo saw no sign of the breathing tubes Rainbow had worn earlier. She didn't understand why they were missing, but could only guess that the nurses and doctors felt that she didn't need them anymore. By how viciously Rainbow was snoring, Scootaloo imagined that they must have been right.
She grabbed a chair from the side of the chamber and slid it over to Rainbow's side. Jumping up, she reached a hoof out to shake Rainbow's shoulder. She stopped halfway, though, biting her lip as a trembling sensation ripped through her body. At last, Scootaloo sighed, hanging her head as a low mumble ran up her throat and exited her mouth.
"This is stupid," her lips formed. "I'm stupid. What am I even doing here?" Lethargically, she turned and prepared to leap down from the chair. "Sweet dreams, Rainbow D--"
"Nnng-Guh!" Rainbow snorted and shot awake. "I would n-never stomp on Tank's shell! What ever g-gave you that idea... Flutter... shy...?" She blinked several times, her tired ruby eyes focusing slowly on the startled, orange form in front of her. "Sc... Scoots?" She blinked again. "Scootaloo?"
"Uhhh..." Scootaloo smiled nervously, rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof. She gave a little wave. "H-hi there..."
Rainbow Dash stared at her. "Where... How did you...?" She glanced at the closed curtains around her bed, at the darkness permeating the entire, stone-still ward. "Did you just sneak in here?"
"Uhm..." The shadows hid Scootaloo's deep, red blush. "Maybe..."
"That... That..."
"PleaseforgivemeRainbow!" Scootaloo blurted, waving her petite forelimbs. "I only meant to--"
"That's so cool!" Rainbow's voice cracked. She coughed, coughed again, then smirked, lying her head on the pillow to glance sideways at Scootaloo. "Super stupid, but also super cool."
Scootaloo blinked. "Really?"
"Heh... Yeah. What'd you do? Climb the rain spout? Sneak in through the cellar?" Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "You didn't... fly, did you? I mean... I wasn't conked out for that long, was I?"
"Er, no..."
"You didn't earn yourself a cutie mark in squirrel herding while I was under or nothin', I hope..."
"Naw, I climbed the tree to get to the top floor," Scootaloo whispered.
"You mean that big friggin' oak with the scary lookin' branches?"
"Mmmhmm! You bet!"
"Hah!" Rainbow Dash wheezed, struggling through another cough as she winced from her bandaged wounds. "You've got guts, kid," she said hoarsely into the shadows. "I'm really impressed. Then again, that may be all of the meds they've pumped like molasses straight into my veins, but st-still, I can't help but be amazed..."
Scootaloo chuckled breathily, smiling an awkward smile. "I'm glad to hear that. I really am."
"You're totally screwed once they find out. You know that, right?"
"Yeahhhh..." Scootaloo winced, avoiding Rainbow's gaze as she hissed through her teeth. "Well, you only live once, r-right?"
"Always b-been my failsafe... filibuster... fairvilla..."
"'Philosophy."
Rainbow coughed. "Thanks."
"Anytime."
Rainbow took a deep breath, cuddling the pillow closer to her exhausted cheek. "Mmmmm... well, since you came up all the way here to wake me out of a weird dream involving Tank, suspenders, and a crapload of green pipes... Perhaps you could explain yourself."
"Hmm?" Scootaloo looked up at Rainbow, blinking.
"Well? Out with it, squirt..." Rainbow's eyes narrowed. "Why are you here, risking your neck this late in the game?"
"I..." Scootaloo bit her lip. "Because I had to see you, Rainbow Dash."
"See me?" Rainbow chuckled, coughed, and chuckled some more. "You saw me earlier, kid. Wasn't that enough for ya?"
"This... this is different, Rainbow," Scootaloo stammered.
"Yeah? How so?"
Scootaloo opened her mouth, hesitated, then firmly said, "I need you to tell me what happened today."
Rainbow stared at her. The next few seconds drifted by far slower than that lonesome afternoon. Then, like a break in the blue sky, Rainbow's voice dripped forth, and it was a frighteningly dry thing. "But you already know what happened today, Scootaloo."
"No, Rainbow Dash, I don't."
"What do you mean, you don't?" Rainbow squinted. "It's all very simple. There was a fire; ponies were in danger. I flew in, saved the day, and had my flank handed to me for my good samareitanism. Simple as that. Cut. Print. Publish. Smiles."
"Rainbow, it's... it's not just that," Scootaloo quietly said, though she trembled in the execution. "And you know it."
Rainbow Dash's nostrils flared. She looked away from the filly. "And just what do you know...?"
"Me?" Scootaloo's face hung softly from a pair of warm eyes. "Rainbow Dash, you're not just an awesome pony--but you're an awesome pony who knows how awesome she is! You're the only pegasus in all of Equestria who can brag about everything and not have to regret it! Cuz it's all true! The heroics, the stunts, all the cool stuff you do--it's all true! So what's to hide?"
"I don't hide," Rainbow Dash's voice grunted. "Only cowards hide. So am I a coward now?"
"I... I didn't say that, Rainbow...!" Scootaloo murmured, shaking her head with incredulous eyes. "You're the bravest pony there is!"
"Well, maybe I should be a coward instead," Rainbow grumbled. "Cowards have... better sense than to get their hooves dirty when it's none of their business..."
"Rainbow, please..." Scootaloo leaned forward from the chair. "Will you tell me what's bothering you?"
"You're bothering me, pipsqueak. Okay?" Rainbow sighed. "I never thought I'd see the day, but you're really pushing it..."
Scootaloo reeled back from that, her heart beating through her little orange chest. Her eyes watered, but she stood her ground. She didn't think it would happen, but she didn't utterly collapse after hearing Rainbow Dash say such a thing. Instead, she glanced down at the edge of the bed and muttered, "Rainbow, when... wh-when you took me under your wing..." Scootaloo sniffled. "Y-you made it clear that you were willing to be an older sister to me..."
"Yeah?" Rainbow droned tiredly. "What about it?"
"Well, I've seen Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle with their families, and... y'know what?" Scootaloo frowned, her jaw clenched. "Sisters don't k-keep secrets from each other! They share the truth! And I want... I-I need you to share the truth with me!"
Rainbow flashed her a look, and it was beset with a burning glare. "You want me to be a big sister to ya? Huh? Then go home!"
Scootaloo made a face. "Huh...?"
"What, you deaf or something, kid? This is me being your big sis and tellin' you to scram!" Rainbow Dash clenched her eyes shut and sighed heavily. "Look, for real, Scoots, this was all silly from the start."
"What... was all silly--?"
"I mean you sneaking in here all commando like! It's... it's n-not right!" Rainbow groaned. "I care for you and all, but you shouldn't be doing this! It's only gonna get you in trouble. Hay, it'll probably even get me in trouble."
"But... But Rainbow..."
"Go home, Scootaloo," Rainbow said, laying her head down on the pillow and closing her eyes with stubborn finality. "Before I have a mind to call the nurse on you. I need to sleep and so do you."
Scootaloo gaped at her, eyes wide and moist. In sluggish fashion, she turned around, hopped off the chair, and limped towards the far end of the chamber. She lingered just before the curtains, her limbs shaking.
Rainbow Dash pretended to be falling asleep.
After several heavy breaths, Scootaloo spun back. She galloped over and mounted the chair in one leaping bound.
Rainbow Dash instantly sat up, squinting. "What the--?!"
"Rainbow, I'm not leaving until you talk to me about what happened today."
"Darn it, pipsqueak!" Rainbow snarled. "For the last time, don't make me call the--"
"Rainbow, my parents are dead."
Rainbow Dash froze in place, blinking at the filly.
"Maybe... m-maybe you already knew that," Scootaloo murmured. "Heck, I'm sure everypony in town knows that, even if they don't ever talk about." She hung her head towards the empty space between them. "It's... not nearly as sad as it sounds. They both died when I was really little. I used to cr-cry a lot about it, but not so much now. These days, I'm just... I guess I'm just numb about it all, y'know? I mean, I have it okay. I live with my aunt, but she's super-busy having to earn money for the two of us, much less just herself and the apartment that we both live in. I don't see her often during the day, cuz she's always slaving away at odd hours of the day or night for the bits to get us some bread... heh."
Rainbow watched as the filly before her ran a hoof through her pink mane, shaking the last of several foalish shivers away.
"The point I'm trying to make, Rainbow, is that I don't... I-I don't have many ponies who I relate to. I don't talk to many of the villagers around here, and I there are even fewer whom I make friends with. So..." With a deep gulp, Scootaloo tilted her head to stare squarely at Rainbow. "If you ever wanted a pony to talk to, a pony who wouldn't share all of your feelings and secrets with other ponies, cuz she doesn't have much to gossip with or gossip about as it is... well... th-this is your chance..." She took a sheddering breath. "And I'm your pony..."
Rainbow Dash stared at her. Her mouth hung open, producing nothing, until it began to quiver, and then what came next was a whimpering little squeak, like that of a child, accompanied by a glistening tear from one eye. "I let t-two ponies die today, Scootaloo..."
Scootaloo listened quietly, gazing tenderly.
"A mother..." Rainbow Dash gulped, but it didn't make the next few words coming out of her mouth any less shaky. "A m-mother and her foal. The mare was barely twenty years old... and the baby... three months? Four? I dunno. It doesn't make a difference. Everything burned just the same..." Rainbow Dash hissed painfully as another tear trickled down her face. "Everything b-burned because I... I wasn't fast enough to g-get to them when half the building collapsed..." Her eyes became thin slits brimming with tears as she snorted and sniffled. "I wasn't f-fast enough I... nnngh..." She shook her head as her body made gentle thrashing motions atop the bed. "I w-wasn't strong enough!"
Scootaloo held a hoof over her small mouth, but that couldn't stop her from murmuring the truth. "You s-saved a dozen ponies, Rainbow Dash. You did your best--"
"No, darn it!" Rainbow Dash hissed through clenched teeth, her tears staining the bed. "D-don't you get it?! I d-did my best b-but my best wasn't good enough!" She brought her bandaged forelimbs to her face and muffled her sobs. "All m-my boasting... all my stupid gr-grandstanding, and f-for what?! I'm supposed to be th-the fastest flier in all of Ponyville! I've broken sonic rainbooms and k-kicked dragons in the face, and I can't manage to save a lousy mother and her n-newborn child from a collapsing nursery?!" She hiccuped and shuddered forth a woesome noise. "Mmmmm--I'm not awesome, Scootaloo. Ponyville lost two ponies today, b-because I lost them! I'm a loser..."
"Oh, Rainbow Dash..." Scootaloo smiled sweetly.
"I'm a horrible l-loser and I let two ponies die--"
"You're no loser, Rainbow." Scootaloo leaned forward and planted her hooves on Rainbow's limbs. "You've won the hearts of every pony in this town." She inhaled sharply, then gently added, "Including mine."
Rainbow Dash's sobs quieted, allowing a muted shudder as she trembled under Scootaloo's consoling touch.
"Sometimes..." Scootaloo sniffled herself, though her expression was utterly warm and placid. She stroked Rainbow's shoulder as she said, "Sometimes, I-I think we need to throw more than caution to the wind in order to stay off the ground. We gotta throw away the stuff that hurts, like the bad stuff that happened today, or the pain I feel over my parents..." Scootaloo winced ever so briefly, but it was all washed away by the firmest of smiles. "...or else we won't catch any air to begin with."
Rainbow Dash's forelimbs parted just enough for her to cast a painful, vulnerable glance at the young filly. She sniffled and said, "I... I d-don't know how, Scoots. I mean... I-I thought I could. I r-really thought I was able... but... but after today...?"
"We can teach ourselves to fly, Rainbow," Scootaloo said. "But maybe we stand to forget how sometimes, and... y'know... getting back up takes more than just going at it alone."
Rainbow Dash said nothing. She merely heaved upon the crest of another sob.
Scootaloo smiled as a tear trickled down her own cheek. Nevertheless, she said, "You once said that you were willing to take me under your wing." Swallowing, she held Rainbow's hoof, squeezing it gently. "Right now, for j-just this moment, let me take you under mine." Scootaloo dryly chuckled. "I know they might not be very big now, but, together, I think we just might be able to fly right--"
Rainbow Dash suddenly engulfed her in a tender hug, burying her face in the little filly's soft coat. "Shuddup, ya little scamp," she whimpered, her voice muffled. "They're big enough... they're b-big enough..."
Scootaloo smiled. Closing her eyes softly, she leaned against the bed, absorbing all the sobs Rainbow Dash had to give. As the minutes crept by into that soft darkness, the noise of the wholesome moment dwindled to a low hush, all the while Scootaloo loyally dried every tear that rolled down Rainbow's face, tossing them into the glow of the coming morning, like feathers lost to the wind. |
Day to Live | pre | "She must be outside, the poor girl can't bear the sight of an injured friend," Rarity said. Someone at the door knocked. "Oh speaking of which, that must be her," she opened the door.
"So... who won finally?" Rainbow finally asked.
There was a brief silence as Fluttershy entered the room, and this pretty much gave the cyan pegasus the answer. Twilight decided that she'd be the one to tell her.
"I'm sorry Rainbow, but the German won."
Dash stayed still for some time, surprised, but at the same time she felt like she knew it already. She was sad, she trained hard, and Twilight busted her flank thinking of ways to win. If she had paid attention before, this wouldn't have happened. She closed her eyes as the deception fell upon her.
"I'm sorry girls, if I had paid attention, or if I kept going by the plans..."
"Dash, it's okay," Twilight reassured her laying a hoof in her shoulder. "Either way we still get the recognition I told you about. Nopony has a perfect season you know?"
"I guess not..."
"So don't worry about it, you did an awesome job. The crash doesn't count, it happened after the race finished, so don't get obsessed by it," the unicorn smiled as Rainbow slowly pulled in for a hug.
"Thanks Twi, you girls are rad."
"Um, I'm sorry, but I have some company with me, I hope nopony minds," Fluttershy mentioned after a while.
"Who's with you?" Rarity asked as she took a peek outside, and let out a silent exclamation as two other figures poke their heads out to see Rainbow.
Every other pony also felt a surprise, they never had imagined that those two people would actually come visit Rainbow. But then they thought, it wasn't really that strange either.
"Sorry, are we bargin'?" a short blue figure asked.
"Sonic? What are you doing here?" Rainbow asked "And... wait, who is he? I can't see very well yet," she looked at the human.
"We wanted to check on you. Well, actually he wanted."
"Why him specially?" Rainbow repeated, and then it hit her. "Oh my gosh, don't tell me. Are you Vettel?"
"A pleasure to meet you, miss Dash," the german said. "I brought you a gift along with my best wishes." he added as he gestured a silver wrapping in front of her eyes.
"How cliche of men, flowers. What is it that you seek?" the pegasus asked impatient.
"Rainbow! Could you show some manners?" Rarity jumped. "He's giving you a bouquet with the best intentions!"
"It is okay miss," Sebastian said "I know it can be rather strange, but I have come to ask something from her."
"I'm not going to date you." she said unamused.
"RAINBOW!" everypony yelled.
"Seriously, dude! The heck is wrong with you?" Sonic yelled "He just wants to race against you again!"
"What? Race me again?"
"Exactly," Vettel confirmed. "Let me explain, the race that we had on Nurburgring, was one of the most difficult I have ever been in. And you, miss Dash, know better than anyone the wish to find an opponent worthy of you."
Rainbow was surprised. As strange as she thought this was, it was also flattering that the man who won against her, would want a rematch. It didn't make much sense since she already lost to him, what would he gain over this?
"Ever since I became champion of the Formula 1 Series, everything turned out to be boring. There was not anyone that would prove a challenge for me," he added. "But you changed that."
She started to think he was full of himself after he mentioned the F1 fact. But she didn't say anything as she once was like him.
"So please miss Rainbow Dash. I want to race you once again, and if you wish, make this a regular rivalry," Vettel pleaded. "What do you say?"
She thought about it, it was indeed a good race. Vettel has overpassed her expectations. And as she recalled from earlier, she identified with him. Rainbow wanted a rival, but not because she'd be mad at, one that she could compete against just to prove herself. And the German was like her equal, so she made a decision:
"I'm in," she said as she extended her hoof for him to shake. "You'll realize the mistake you made after I end up defeating you," she mocked.
"I say the same to you, miss," he smirked as he released her hoof.
"Good! Everything is settled now!" Sonic cheered.
"Not quite hedgehog," Rainbow said. "I need to know who came second."
"Oh that was me, but you made a bigger impression than the two of us did," he said while raising a thumb on her.
"Great, I know I said I wanted fame, but not by finishing last," she said dissapointed.
"Do not worry. When I started on Formula 1 I did not have good results either. It is just a matter to be constant, and at the end you shall rise," Sebastian affirmed.
Everyone in the room nodded at the moment of wisdom. Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie, who was strangely absent for the liking of Rainbow, revealed a camera as she asked for the three to pose for a photo to keep. When she was asked why, she said that every new relationship must be pictured.
THE END |
Day to Live | Shadows of our Past (Epilogue) | There was a lonely road, silent. Nothing but the whisper of the wind and the movement of water was heard. A stranded bird stepped on the road, looking for something to eat, but to no avail.
A buzzing sound was coming from far, the little bird looked at the source, where he could only see a tiny blue dot. But a few seconds later, the dot turned into a imponent machine which passed next to him in a blink of an eye, with the force of the wind sending him stumbling backwards. He quickly learned the lesson, and flew away from the place, in search of better luck.
The RedBull X2010 was speeding down the Special Stage Route X. On the wheel, Sebastian Vettel was focusing on the road. His team booked the place to practise for a long while. And he was going to make the most of it.
Or at least try.
His team knew that he was a F1 racer, not a jet pilot. The speed the car reaches is beyond normal human capabilities. So they added a rev limiter that makes the throttle go offline for seconds, so that Vettel can't reach dangerous speeds.
"I still disagree with this decision Adrian," he said over his communicator. "If I want to overcome my weakness with the top speed, why do you put a limiter to prevent it?"
"You want to run when you can barely walk," said Adrian Newey, chief technical officer of Red Bull Racing. "This car is not to be taken lightly. You have to gradually learn to withstand it's high speeds."
"This is stupid."
Sebastian turned at the first curve, the angle was good enough for the car to keep a constant speed. The limiter never acted on the curves.
"I need a quicker strategy. I need to get better now!" the german was starting to feel impatient.
"Take it easy son, you are doing well. I don't see why do you need to get better, you already won against that pony, why try harder?"
"This is beyond just winning or losing. I just want to be better than her. That time at Nordscheleife, she showed me she is a rival to fear. And if I want her to keep being the loser, I have to augment my endurance now!"
"Sebastian, you're delusional, stop thinking about that and calm yourself. Besides, you will not go any faster with that limiter installed, that thing should put you in place."
"You're right..." Sebastian said, as he looked under the wheel, and fidgeted around with some circuits. "With this limiter I won't."
He pressed the pedal with full force just as he was entering the second straight, and the power he lost while he concentrated on the wires, was recovered in an instant.
"What the? The limiter is showing no signs of disrupting the throttle, what the bloody hell did you do?!"
"Just played around with the wires I think?"
"Vettel, this is preposterous, get back in the pits and don't overdo the speed. You can get killed!"
"Well," he made a quick pause as he braced himself to the wheel. "We'll see about that."
"SEBASTIAN!"
The gauges in the X1 have reached the point where the limiter should have activated, but instead they kept rising dangerously.
The world around him started to blur and darken, he pressed the throttle even more, but it moved no further, it was at it's max. He was falling asleep, but he had to keep going or he wouldn't defeat the pegasus again.
Even more darkness, the world was so full of it that it was already embracing him. He tried his best but he finally succumbed to the void, and as he fell, his right hand dragged something with him.
Sebastian woke up in a rush. The memories of him crashing left him without breath, covered in cold sweat.
Adrian was in a chair nearby.
"I am not sure if I should feel happy or sad that you woke up," he said.
"What happened?" the driver asked.
"You crashed the X1, that's what happened. The security devices we installed have saved you from death, but this was a complete dissapointment."
Sebastian lowered his gaze in shame. If he hasn't been stuck up in his hopes of getting better, this wouldn't have happened.
"All those years of work, all for naught," Adrian continued, and sat on the bed where Vettel was. "I just want you to know I am not mad at you, I'm glad that you are alive. But I am terribly dissapointed."
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to become better."
"Well, if you want to do that, you will have to follow my orders from now on. I know you want to toughen up your endurance, and in time, you will. But you can't force things."
"I understand. It won't happen again."
"Good. Now, I have two things to tell you. The first one is this," Adrian gave Vettel a paper, an invitation for a very prestigious race which wasn't the Formula One, it was something else. "I'm pretty sure your pony friend and the hedgehog will appear there. It's an open event and everyone can join, but there are several who are getting specific invitations. I think you can settle your things with her there."
"This is team-based, who will run with me?" the german asked.
"I have someone in mind already."
"But what about the car? I can't run on Heidi! She's not good enough against Rainbow!"
"We still have another X1 but that is just a scale model for the museum. And we will repair the one you crashed, however, you won't be running in the X1 anymore."
"Then which will be my car?"
"That's the second thing I wanted to tell you."
Adrian casted a deep glance at him, trying to point out the obvious answer. Once Vettel caught up with that, he grinned.
"Promise you will take care of it," he begged. "This is the biggest thing we have in Red Bull."
"I will. I promise."
"Good, don't make me regret this. Get some rest now." Adrian said as he left the room.
Once he was left alone, Sebastian Vettel's grin turned into a malicious smile. He started to laugh silently, while he played with his fingers.
"Now you're mine..." he muttered.
To be continued... |
An Emergency | pre | - What? Your friend Rainbow Dash says she hates herself because...what? Didn't manage to satisfy her narcissistic desire?
It seemed to work. Fluttershy saw how Rainbow Dash's eyes shone and her jaw and shoulders tightened.
- I don't like myself because I'm a loser, Rainbow Dash said, her voice gradually escalating. No matter what I do, it's never enough. I can't do anything right. I'm a failure.
- Why's that? Discord said, sarcastically. Didn't manage to do a double rainboom? Overcome the speed of light? Transcend the physical rules of space and time? Achieve alicornhood? The last one is easy - satisfy Celestia and she'll give you the secret. The magical spot is under her tail.
Anger forgotten, Rainbow Dash brought her stare back to the floor, her whole body looking small, contracted, a filly fearing punishment.
- I can't impress them no matter what I do, she said, and dropped her plot on the floor, shoulders drooping as low as possible.
- Why do you need to impress them, pray tell? You're already on the top, Discord asked.
- They judge.
- So?
- If I'm not perfect, they will kick me out, forget me, Rainbow Dash said, voice desperate, cold. They already did anyway.
- What a surprise, Discord said, clapping and smiling. I was just telling Yellow Quiet here that her problems are caused by an irrational fear of punishment from other ponies.
Rainbow looked at Fluttershy and smiled.
- Guess that's why I always come to you.
Fluttershy smiled, blushing, in return. Best friends. Drawn together like magnets. You are outside what I am on the inside. I am on the outside what you are inside. Far away yet closer than everypony else. Unity in duality. Forgot about water.
- I'll be back in a minute, Fluttershy said, turned around, and galloped into the kitchen, where an almost boiling kettle started to send delicate streams of transparent steam into the emptiness of space. Bowl on the table. Water okay? She tested the temperature of the liquid with her hoof. Hot but not too hot. Warm. Relaxing. Cathartic. Anxiety after showers: energy moving. Why resist? Educational brainwashing: born as angels, made into the living dead. I walk but do not see. Kettle in her teeth, Fluttershy poured the liquid into the bowl. Poor Rainbow. See her pain. Pushed too much. Discord's right. Her problem: to be on top, otherwise others will abandon her. Always in control: horrific way of life. Can't fight it. Less struggle, better things go. School: the source. Torn between a struggle to be free and to impress others. Will be her end one day. Pushes herself too much. Escape: the real motive: open up the sky.
Fluttershy took the bowl in her forehooves, then flew into the living room at a speed unusually fast for her. Rainbow Dash looked at Fluttershy when she came back into the room, eyes sad, longing, while Discord talked, serenely floating.
- Know what? I kinda wonder what kind of place your school or home was that it resulted in you two, he said.
- Cloudsdale, Rainbow Dash said. Was among top graduates.
- Cloudsdale, Discord said with disgust. Then I am not surprised. They're so anal it's not even funny. Don't like pegasi that much. Too full of themselves. Take everything way too seriously. Once was the most bloodiest race in Equestria, then Celestia did a little shake here and there and it all went more or less peacefully from then on.
- Hey, don't insult my race, Rainbow Dash said, power present in her voice. We are a proud race who fought against evil forces for the sake of Equestria.
- That's utter bullcrap, Discord said, then yawned. I was there. I know. And the forces of evil? Please. Earth ponies who wanted to get free from the abusive lords? Unicorns who didn't give a flying buck about them? Changelings? Griffons? Dragons? If you call going to their lands, killing, robbing, and then making them pay you a tribute fighting for the good, then I am the living embodiment of Order.
- You're lying! Rainbow Dash said, voice loud and strong.
- You don't believe me? Let me show you.
- Not now, Fluttershy interrupted them. Not today. Not even tomorrow. You need rest, Rainbow.
Fluttershy landed in front of Rainbow Dash and put the bowl on the floor.
- Please give me a piece of cloth, Discord, she asked. The last time I did it? Back in school. That wound on the forehead. Must hurt badly. Looks lost. This world is ice cold when you're alone.
As soon as Discord handled her the cloth, Fluttershy took it into her mouth, dumped it into the water, then took out and squeezed it from the unnecessary liquid.
- I'm sorry, but it will hurt a bit, Fluttershy said, then placed the cloth right on Rainbow Dash's forehead.
Rainbow closed her eyes and cringed, looking uncomfortable while Fluttershy cleaned her wounds and face from dried up blood and mud, streams of water going down her face and falling down on the floor, the room's yellow light reflected in them.
In reaction to Rainbow's discomfort, Fluttershy tried to make the rubbing as soft as possible. Doesn't like contact. Side effect of life. Always in struggle: in and out: to control and let go. Rushing from one side to another. Missed a spot. Warm. The way we rolled, from morning till sunset. Sunset the best time. Morning: perfect for calm movement. How slow can you go? Around the mouth. Now it's gone. Everything changes; nothing stays the same. Ponyville her place. Her breath: warm, arousing memories: see the pony who was once you. Her escape. Now cider. Worse than Twilight. We do everything but let go of everything. Look at little foals, fillies: riding the wind. Little left on the neck. Warm. Would cuddle. Burst like lightning. Needs it: restores the healthy self. Love her. Always will.
Fluttershy finished and, content with the result, dropped the dirty cloth on the floor. Looks better. Still sad. Plastic stripped back.
- Without dirt and blood, it doesn't look that bad, Fluttershy said, smiling. Now I'll apply some antiseptic, so be prepared. It will sting. Discord, give it to me please, along with some cloth.
From the outstretched hands took Fluttershy the requested objects. Doesn't like loneliness: meeting with yourself: not many can handle that. Necessary if you want to understand others better. I'll be there. She opened the antiseptic, which immediately hit her nose with its pungent smell, and poured it onto the white cloth. Why so strong? Head hurts. Too much chemistry. Out of herbal one. Ask Rarity later. Fluttershy put the bottle on the floor, then, cloth in her hooves, proceeded to stroke it delicately across the wounds on Rainbow Dash's face, who reacted by holding her breath and squeezing all the muscles of her face. For your own good. All divine substances makes you feel bad first and good later: Song of the Adorable One. Cowdwana. Wish to visit it someday. Never allows everypony else to treat her this way unless it's an absolute emergency. Not with me. Makes her feel good, accepted, home. The only whom she can be herself with. Always was. Eyes more alive. Coming back. Good.
- So, Discord, annoyed, broke the comfortable silence, this is what lies beneath top cunt?
- Stop insulting me, Rainbow Dash shouted weakly.
- Be careful, Rainbow, Fluttershy said, keeping the cloth away while Rainbow talked lest it accidentally got in some place not desired nor required. Don't mock her. She had enough for today.
- I was just making an observation, Discord said as a shining white ring appeared between his horns. If after some incredible shock she seems to be so sad, silent, reflective compared to her usual I don't give a crap about my friends self, then it seems to me a concussion here and there suits her, even if it's just for the benefit of making her think about things she does wrong.
- Nobody likes shocks, Fluttershy said. Possible to learn without shocks. If you're receptive enough.
- Well, my dear Fluttershy, serenity is a problem for me. I thought you already knew this, with all of the time we spent together. Didn't I tell you that sometimes it is necessary to go out of your mind to come out to your senses.
- You don't know what it's like to see your dreams crash, Rainbow Dash said, barely holding the trembling in her voice. What is like to devote your life to something only to realize that it's not what you imagined it to be.
- Your dream was kinda sucky in the first place, Discord said, bored. Be a wonderbolt, the best flier in all of Equestria, all that jazz. All for fifteen minutes of fame. You got Art imprinted on your flanks, yet you spend all your life looking at the wrong things.
- I spent my whole life reaching it. I have put everything into it.
- What pushed you towards this noble dream? I don't believe you had it for your whole life.
Rainbow Dash wanted to answer but nothing came out of her opened mouth.
- That's what I thought, Discord said.
- Give Rainbow Dash some quiet and give me more bandage material, Fluttershy said. Now legs and body. Fell head first. Flank and hindlegs clean, intact. Maybe for the better. Discord here. They mocked me, but they cheered her up: the same thing.
- Did you already forget the breezies? Discord asked, giving Fluttershy another piece of cloth. Sometimes it's necessary to push ponies. Tough love, baby.
- Not in this condition.
- Exactly in this condition. Otherwise she'll never grow up.
- From what? Rainbow Dash retorted, sad and angry. From my dream. Why do I need to listen to you at all? You are nothing but trouble?
- You hurt my feelings, Discord said, placing his hands on the chest, tears in his eyes. I'm just a spirit that brings a happy chaos from which enlightenment may come.
- You can't enlighten anypony.
- If you think enlightenment is something other than destruction of all illusions you have, then you spend too much time in the self help section of Twilight's library, Discord said in his usual businesslike sarcastic tone.
- Then why Celestia imprisoned you if you're so good?
- He is good, Fluttershy said, squeezing the wet cloth. He wasn't appreciated.
- Sooo...he went bonkers and messed all up? Like Luna?
Fluttershy nodded, then moved towards Rainbow Dash's right side. Return of the repressed. Never be at war with elements of Nature. Ends in confusion. Confront ourselves, even if its painful.
- Would you go crazy if you weren't recognized? Discord asked.
- That's why I'm here, Dash said, angry.
- Case closed.
Silence, reflective and nocturnal, fell after Discord's words. Rainbow Dash, tired, closed her eyes, her head bent down, shoulders dropped, a hero defeated, an ego broken.
Fluttershy, meanwhile, started scraping dirt from her shoulders. Fear: her shadow. Sees it in me. Lashes out at me sometimes: anger directed at the recognition of herself in me. No matter where we go, we always bump into and meet ourselves. Five pebbles. What I see in her? Know yourself, then love it. If you're the world, you can't love it unless you love yourself. The yellow pegasus cleaned diligently every spot of dirt and every scratch on Rainbow Dash's body and mane. Smells of wind. Want to put my head on it. Warm cushion. There was a time, now very far away, when we did nothing else but hug night and day. Beautiful summer. Our room: secret domain. Golden mares. So much muscle now. Used to be less. Maybe not. Less tense they were. Chest clean. Heart beating. Fragile. Out of the strong came forth sweetness. Better not to go down there. Summer mares. My only friend back then. Worlds collided when our hooves touched. Abused pleasure responsibly. Still do it sometimes. Mushroom mares. Look at her mane.
- You know, I kinda have a question, Rainbow Dash said, relaxed yet sad. What exactly happened to Luna? Why did she turned into Nightmare Moon? Twilight said that she went really mad when she went back in time, or saw the past, or whatever because of that potion on the Summer Sun day. Luna was important, after all, not some spirit of chaos.
- Oh, that's a family thing. Second daughter syndrome if you might call it, Discord said, looking bored. Feeling unappreciated, not loved as much as her big sister. You should have seen how her enthusiasm seeped bit by bit after she was assigned with the moon, the night, the dreams. Even when they imprisoned me in stone, the tension between them was so intense you could literally feel it in the air. It was like being massaged by a thundercloud.
- So, she also kinda wanted to prove that she's as great as Celestia, but failed and then exploded?
- More or less, Discord said. She was like something opposite to you in that aspect. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, like you, she went and created as much trouble as possible.
- But she is suffering now, feeling guilty, Rainbow Dash said, wincing as Fluttershy cleaned a particular painful scratch on the base of her neck. And I'm not an alicorn. I can only do so much before falling down.
- Correction, you're not alicorn yet.
- What? Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
- He's just joking, Fluttershy said, cleaning Rainbow's mane with large sweeps. Did it in school. Loved playing with it. Rare mares. Rare mare indeed. All mine. Was. Is. In her eyes. Calm down. Discord here. Does he know? Did I hide it good? Didn't say anything. Presume not. Whistle and I'll come to you, my Dash. Please go away. Whistle and I'll come.
- Are you? Rainbow Dash asked.
- I'm joking, seriously, Discord said. Or am I? Whatever. One extra horny and winged creature is enough around these parts.
- Don't talk about Twilight like that!
- She's our friend, Fluttershy said, and we'll treat her as one even if she's a princess.
- So, no one of you thinks that she's a privileged, entitled, comfortable in her own skin heterosexual unicorn? Discord said, eyebrows aroused. All the morale of Twilight coronation is that listen to the biggest cheese in town, do as it wills, and you'll receive all the glory in world. Boring. What kind of a lesson is that? Why living if you're a pawn in the hands of someone else who uses you for its own plans? She should learn what the key to joy is, not how to listen to some depraved egoarch.
Once again Rainbow Dash opened the mouth but was unable to say anything. The only thing she could do was look down at the floor in total frustration.
- What about our friendship letters to Princess Celestia? Fluttershy asked, moving to Rainbow's left side. She must be interested in us if she asked us to write them.
- Oh, please, Discord said condescendingly. Do you really believe that someone who's thousand of years old would be interested in reading friendship reports from ponies into their early twenties? You need to lay off the ergot, Fluttershy. It makes you think weird things. The only thing that horse does is overlook everything from her solar lodge. Hmm. Now I understand why she likes Twilight so much.
- But Celestia is good! Rainbow Dash said, loud and clear.
- May I remind you that out of light comes darkness. You were educated harshly in Cloudsdale for you own good - that's what they said, right? - and what I see here: two pegasi afraid of living. Afraid in different ways but, still, afraid.
Fluttershy smiled, then hugged Rainbow Dash, burying her face deep into Dash's rainbow mane. Air, ocean, fire, earth, endless space. Take me for another ride through the dark sky. The smile of mare, the touch of a mare, the laugh of a mare, the joy of a mare.
- But we got each other, and that makes it all so much better, she said, eyes closed. When you got friends who understand you and allow you to be yourself, everything feels light. And then darkness seems just a shadow of the light. You know that feel too.
Discord tried to say something in return but words didn't come to his lips. With grunts and half formed words was the space of the room filled as the spirit of chaos tried to regain in some ways his edge. Fluttershy, serene, ans Rainbow Dash, amused, watched as Discord gave up.
- Well played, Fluttershy, well played, Discord said angrily, face a frown of discontent, arms crossed. Now I understand why Celestia sent me to you, not to Twilight.
- Am I seeing it? Rainbow Dash, smiling, said. Am I seeing you...defeated?
- Look who's saying! The pony who looked like if all the disasters in the world befell upon her just because she didn't manage to impress some group of horses that fly a little bit more elegant than usual.
- It's nice seeing you...I don't know?...Like us.
- At least I'm not searching for validation outside of myself, Discord said, and turned his back to the horses. May I remind you that constant shallowness lead to evil.
- I learned that the hard way, thank you very much, Rainbow Dash said.
- Enough, Fluttershy said and returned back to cleaning Rainbow Dash.
- Okay, okay, I'll go if you insist, Discord said, head lifted high. If you need me, I'll be in my chaosphere.
Discord lifted his left paw and was ready to snap his fingers and disappear, but froze in the middle of his action.
- Aren't you forgetting something, Fluttershy?
Fluttershy lifted her head in surprise. A moment later her mouth and eyes widened.
- Oh no, she exclaimed, more surprised than sad.
- What? Rainbow Dash asked.
When she turned her head and looked into Fluttershy's eyes, however, she understood everything.
- It's them, right? She said. They are in town and you wanted to go to their performance and then I came.
Fluttershy looked into Rainbow Dash eyes. Like they matter when you're here. Being your slave, what should I do but tend upon the hours and times of your desire?
- I'm sorry I doubted you, Rainbow said and smiled.
- You know that I will never ever place you on second place, especially if you need help, Fluttershy said.
- I know, Rainbow smiled, I was joking. Please don't be mad.
Fluttershy grinned, then once again hugged the pegasus the colour of orgone. Knew that. Teasing. Good. Light in her eyes is back. Breaking. You need to break if you want to grow. From seeds to animals: the same thing. Whole evening together. The things we could do. Whistle and I'll come over you, my Dash. Beds were a mess: malicious blueprinting everywhere. Her face next to mine, her breath on my neck. For good. Was great. Union through union. Supreme secret is truly love. Don't need books. If you really love, you'll understand intuitively: romance writers have it. May the day not come soon. He's still here.
- It's not too late, Discord said. You can take top cunt with you.
- We're not going to get there in time, Fluttershy said, still hugging Rainbow Dash.
- Well, what are friends for? Discord said and snapped his fingers.
In a flash of white light the two mares disappeared, Fluttershy's cloth slowly landing on the floor. Xxx
- I think I'm still not all here, Rainbow Dash said as she strolled through the evening streets of Ponyville illuminated by the light falling from the windows of the houses and the occasional streetlight.
- I thought it was glowing, Fluttershy said, looking around at the other ponies enjoying the evening - some returning home after the performance, others simply savouring the coolness of the night free from the great heat of the sun - or looking the clear and dark sky, courtesy of Luna and the weather pegasi. DJ Acid outdid herself. Better than her sister Scratch. Scratch too commercial: nice but not always. Acid is acid: always on edge. Are you certain you know what reality is? As it really is? As it really is?
Once they reached the next intersection, both mares, walking in a perfectly synchronized rhythm, turned left, stepping on the road going from Ponyville to the Everfree forest and swaying on the way there toward Fluttershy cottage. Not the blue nor the yellow horse broke the evening silence, already permeated by stabs of conversation from different groups of ponies.
As down the cobbled street Fluttershy walked, Rainbow on her right side, she looked at other visitors of nocturnal times, some familiar, other deviant, not well known.
Over them a gray pegasus flew erratically. Derpy. Eyes askew. Good friend. Bit foolish: airy, pure potential: messenger: mailman. The two mares passed through another intersection, eyes peeled on the princess of the night showing tricks to children with her might. What's Luna doing here? Learned a lot it seems. Happy. Was scary at first, then started to like her. My destiny: helping elder gods. Wants to be with others. Abandoned royal manners. Must be difficult. Her whole life a cold slow shock. Moon: liquid. Earth a solid. Swims in the oceans of the moon. Would like to visit that place. New creatures. Fluttershy and Rainbow reached a small square where presents, festive banners and ponies in party hats, all female, announced that a birthday was in progress. Oh, no, not her. That pony. Saying what's the right and what's the wrong way. Blocking expression of energy. We are bothered by what scares or bother us from the inside: the sick mirrors the sick. Calls herself the sewage worker: brings the light into the sewage of morality. Birthday today. Morality a trap. They thought it was right to treat me that way in school.
Janitor of moral sanity left behind, the pair was confronted by Applejack, happy, with Applebloom, impatient.
- Hi y'all, she said. Why are ya here, Rainbow Dash? Why do ya look so bad? Ain't ya supposed to be with the Wonderbolts?
Rainbow Dash quickly darted her eyes down.
- Well, eh, things happen.
- Bad things?
- Partly.
- Don't be worried, then, Applejack said, winking, yet her tone worry betraying. Like my grandma use to say, there's no curse without a blessing. Fluttershy, you truly are magical with animals. Winona's jumping like a puppy already.
- It's nothing special, Fluttershy said. You just need to know the right ingredients.
- Dunno about that. Nothing works as good as your stuff. Look, I promised Applebloom we'll visit Pinkie's Saturday show. Need to go. See ya tomorrow.
- Hope you'll have a great time, Fluttershy said, smiling.
- Me too, Rainbow Dash, sad, said.
As Applejack and Applebloom disappeared behind them, Rainbow Dash looked at Fluttershy with a fearful look, but words didn't escape her mouth.
Fluttershy smiled. Will talk when the time is right. I'll be for her. Always will. Knows that too. Forest nearby. Beautiful night: some ponies wake up, others fall asleep. Who's asleep and who's awake? See the fields ahead. Outside soon we will be. Romantic nights. Kissed her with streams of her vitality all over my mouth. No regrets. Body to body. Where did one end and the other begin? Drowned in gold: the madness, the madness, the madness. Folly persisted leads to wisdom. Climbed the tower, learned the secret of magic high up there. Sea of energy. There is no time. There is no I. One with All: ecstasy: out of myself.
Last houses of Ponyville left behind, sounds of a busy city a distant murmur in the night, the two horses started walking through fields of tall grass waving slightly from the nocturnal breeze, moon a pearl shining above them with white brilliance. As they proceeded further into the wilderness, the more were they greeted by the night peace, suggesting beneath the deceiving quietness strange entertainment of beings unknown, unseen, hidden in the spaces between, in the dark groves, or on top of hills and inside circles of mushrooms; by an ice peace of all things sleeping and still; by the peace cool as snow after the solar displays of the day and which brought a certain touch of contemplation and tranquility to any activity undertaken whilst bathed in the silver spectral rays of the moon; by a handsomely deformed peace that stirred in the blurred boundaries between sound and silence, light and shadow, the imagination of children flowing down into the dreamlands, of painters and poets who used the nocturnal time to communicate with the ancestral souls or dead loves, and of madmen who out of circumstance of fate and fortune fell asleep while awake; by the moon peace, announced by a white chalice showering moon's milk into unquiet skulls of sentient beings who lost the ability to sleep at nights.
Although the nocturnal landscape emanated stillness, as if the whole existence returned back into the place above the sea, across the abyss, Fluttershy knew it was deceptive; for a little bit inhibition applied to the rational mind was enough to make the groves, the trees, the fields alive with sidereal and Spare activities. With imagination it was easy to picture satyrs prancing around in the patches of tall grass, their arms melting into each other, creating a single combination of beings. It was easy to see how nymphs flowed through the bark of the trees, one appearing from the head of another, another from the shoulders of another, faces amidst faces, all going upwards, numerous yet all together forming a single image of feminine beauty in the form of a tree. It was easy to see in the combination of shadow and light cast upon tree stumps or lonely bushes the recapitulation of the alchemical process, of stone becoming a plant, and then the plant morphing into a forest animal from whose head in turn a black bird took form, ready to spring into the interstellar darkness, the source of the material world of fragmentation. It was easy to see the same process in reverse when some creature active only in the nocturnal time and prancing nearby the road stood still, for it seemed as if in the rigid stance the animal grew roots linking it to the Earth. But the easiest thing to see were the faces, faces that appeared in the zone where darkness danced hand in hand with the albicant illumination of the moon, faces that perpetually morphed, becoming more equinelike only to take the forms of satyrs or gryphons moments later, faces that seemed familiar yet distant, faces that wanted to meet somepony who could listen to their story, which was the story of the world since the time ponies first stepped on the virgin soil of the Equestrian land, or maybe which predated even that, or who could paint them, give them form so that others could hear the song of the ancestors, of the elementals, of Nature itself.
- It's not what I thought it to be, Rainbow Dash said, her voice lonely, distant in the quietness of the night.
- Why? Fluttershy said. Spaced out a little. Happens. Love it around here, even at night: wonders of the underworld. Pegasi must live above. Wanted to go underneath in the company of animals. You must be that, do that. Idiocy.
- Everything is, eh, is, eh, it's backwards, Rainbow said, walking on Fluttershy's right side. They say one thing, then do another. It doesn't matter how fast, good or spectacular do you fly. If you're their friend, you get everything. You fly with them at shows, signs autographs, all that stuff. If you're not, expect nothing, zilch. Can you believe I've never been on a show?
- Really? Fluttershy, surprised, said. You're the best out there. Everypony knows.
- They say I make them look bad. You see, when I fly, I leave a rainbow behind, while they leave thunder. They said if I would fly with them, they would lose their reputation and their fame and their money and their position in Canterlot. Did I tell you about Canterlot races?
- No
- Well, the point of the game is that you fly through an arena. The fastest pony wins, in theory. In practice, all the wonderbolts who play this game arrange between themselves who what position receives before the game. And you know why? Because the winner gets fame in Canterlot and gets higher in Wonderbolt ranks. The losers are promised that they will win another time or some other favour or prize. They kicked me out of it when I decided to do it the way I felt was right.
- That sounds awful, Fluttershy said.
- That's not all, Rainbow Dash continued, angry and sad, disillusioned. Also they need to be more spontaneous. They do the same thing over and over and over. I don't know what happened to me, but it doesn't look as good as when I was a filly. It feels simple, dull. But when they do changes, they usually steal from others. They didn't allow me to perform, but took my tricks and used them. And they were my role models, my heroes.
- So, um, you tried to do something extremely extreme, but something went wrong and you ended up here? Fluttershy said, getting closer to Dash. Don't want to see her sad. Makes me sad. Always mad. They were never for you. More of a catalyst. Helped to find your orbit, your passion. Desire to join them: inferiourity complex. Killer is your lover. By mocking they destroyed your beauty. Mine also. They were sleeping. Sky: your place.
- You know me well, Rainbow Dash sighed, half smiling. I wanted to do something so extreme and cool only I could reproduce. I slipped, couldn't regain balance, hit the ground. It was the last straw. I reached my limit in that place. It was so wrong being there all on your own. Alone.
- I don't think it was that bad, Fluttershy said as they started ascending a grassy hill. You must have made some friends there. How about Soarin? He seems nice.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.
- Well, eh, you know what they say about colts that are handsome, intelligent, nice, and caring? It's true, all of it. And besides, what kind of element of loyalty I am if I forget about my best, best friend at the first whim?
As to accentuate her words, Dash nudged slightly Fluttershy's rump with her flank, her rainbow tail passing over Fluttershy's thighs.
Fluttershy smiled, blushing. Like back in the days. Out of time and out of space. Repossession of innocence lost. Quietness, nature, moon: self ascending from ecstasy to ecstasy. My dreams are made by the dust from the moon.
- Also, Rainbow Dash continued, he said the wonderbolts wasn't a place for somepony like me, that they will only restrict me, keep me back. He said if I wanted to become a wonderbolt - a real wonderbolt - I must be ready to abandon everything I hold dear.
- The training implied the reverse, Fluttershy interrupted Rainbow.
- That's one level, Rainbow said. Remember Rainbow Falls? That's them on the inside, in Canterlot.
- That's horrifying.
- Yeah, that's terrible. I didn't believe it first, thought if I would show them my skills they would be impressed and take me in their ranks. Now I understand why they didn't do anything to me every time I saved them or showed awesome tricks, and why they actually needed me in their team for the games.
Having reached the top of the hills, the two mares stopped in unison, enthralled by the opening vistas of tenebrous woods, shady valleys, and the dark waters reflecting back the silver of the moon. Ahead the tall, ancient trees of the Everfree forest could be seen, and nearby them a round house shining little points of yellow through its windows stood. Till the hamlet a long road remained for the two ponies, passing up and down several smaller hills and going above a tranquil stream.
- I can't even remember how many times I dreamed about Ponyville, these lands, my friends, you, Rainbow broke the silence, eyes transfixed on the nocturnal landscape. I thought I would feel fine and good at the wonderbolts academy, but I always thought of you, Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, Spike, Tank, about the skies here, about my job, how I used to kick the clouds and then practice whatever and however I wanted, with you and others cheering me up. It wasn't the big crowd I wanted, but it was nice. Very nice. I think I was really happy here, not there. It's like I got everything backwards.
- It's not too late to return, Fluttershy said. Our curse: looking for things that are always in front of us: are fish aware of water? He was right. Need shock to realize this, to see what's in front of you. Longest way round is the shortest way home. Life, love: the secret word: seventy two.
- But I boasted about it to everypony. They want to see me amongst the wonderbolts.
- What about you? What do you want, Rainbow?
- I...I still feel ashamed. I let everyone who believed me down. What about Scootaloo? I'm a hero for her.
- You can show her that you don't need to belong to a special group in order to be happy, that you simply need to find the thing you like doing the most and rejoice in it.
- I don't know, Rainbow Dash, confused, said.
- All will be forgotten, Fluttershy said, wrapping her forehooves around Dash's neck. And all will be well.
- Are you sure?
- Uh-uh. Everypony around wants you to be happy. It will bring more sadness and distress if they don't see you happy. It shows. I saw it when you were here the last time. I think others also noticed, but I saw it immediately.
Fluttershy freed Rainbow Dash from her hug and looked into her sad yet alive and vibrant eyes, a meeting of magenta and blue-green.
- Promise that no matter what happens, no matter how far from each other we'll go - and I'm saying about all of us - you'll try to do one thing only: be happy. For me. For you. Please.
- I promise, Rainbow Dash, smiling, said. And I am happy. Here. Always were.
After an exchange of smiles, the two mares set up on the road down the hill, walking slowly, no thing awaiting them tomorrow, no time existing. Fluttershy slowly walked closer and closer to Rainbow Dash, now in a lighter mood than in the beginning. Beautiful. Even dirty looks great. Many memories. By coincidence always end up with each other. Rubbed too much together: teenage lightning. Never will fall apart: harmony.
- You know what? Rainbow Dash broke the silence, her usual cocky smile creeping back onto her face. I don't think we'll all get away from each other, in the elements of harmony sense and in our friendship sense.
- You think? Fluttershy said. I know.
- Yeah. Remember how we first met in elementary school?
- Yes, Fluttershy said. You were crying, hurt because others called you names after you failed to do that trick. Everyone left, you cried. I saw you, got closer. You started to insult me. I didn't care. You were seeing yourself in me. Knew that, stayed, hugged you. You cried, then stopped, hugged me back. Stayed like that till the sunset. Everything else is our story. My baby shot me down.
- And how we felt when we graduated from elementary school? Rainbow Dash continued, moving closer to Fluttershy. And then how by coincidence we encountered each other again in high school? And after that in Cloudsdale college? And then here?
- Yes, Fluttershy said thoughtfully. Pain of separation is nothing, pleasure of dissolution all. Coincidance. Meant for each other. Guardian angels: beauty.
- I think, if the pattern is right, we'll end up together no matter what. Just like today. It's an euphoric feel, like everything's, eh, right, where it should be. I feel it best when I'm with you.
Fluttershy spread her right wing, covered Rainbow Dash's body with it, and whispered jokingly into Rainbow Dash's left ear:
- Your blood is my blood.
- I know, Rainbow Dash, grinning, said. Best friends forever.
- Forever. I promise, Fluttershy whispered into Dash's ear, and then put her head on Dash's neck. And even when we're not together, remember that in dreams you're mine all of the time.
The smell of Rainbow Dash's body - sweaty, dirty, yet fresh like ozone - Fluttershy enjoyed for a long time in silence, her warm breath blowing against the blue mare's neck, the tips of her wings caressing the blue mare's right side. Smell good. Always smelled good. In bed, smelling, hugging, licking. Amongst flower beds, beneath trees, in shady groves and tranquil pools. On the clouds high up in the sky: the best. The way we were doing. Don't drink silver. Only eat gold. Only drink golden liquids. Tingly and warm all over. Golden mares. White mares. Rare mares. Good morning, mares. Likes when I breathe behind her ear, kiss her there. Should I plant one? On the neck also. Space mares. Passion mares. Summer mares. We are little mares.
- I guess it means you wouldn't be mad if I stayed the night with you? Rainbow Dash said, smiling naughtily as a response to Fluttershy's kisses. Her tail went up and lay on Fluttershy's flank, then slid down her thighs.
- As it would have gone otherwise, Fluttershy said, half smile on her face, eyes distant, loving.
Rainbow Dash pushed her tail underneath Fluttershy's pink one, then brought it up, right to the point where Fluttershy's tail began, and started moving it down the thighs as lightly as possible. And then up again. And then down.
Fluttershy felt the bottom in her stomach drop, legs barely holding her, shivers rising up her spine. Knows how to get me. House nearby. Wait a little. Heaviness, warmth, wetness: drip drop: bounce comes the first drop of this vital fluid. Curse the stains you caused me to leak out of my body. When we'll get home will eat you up, every last drop of your honey. Then will lick the bed sheets, lick it and suck it and suck it and lick it. Faster, mares.
- You know what I want? Rainbow Dash asked, her warm breath against Fluttershy's neck, her tail twirling against the inner side of Fluttershy's thighs. A warm bath with you and then a crunchy lunch. And do you remember I like it backwards, backfirst, underneath, in perverse, in reverse?
- I promise we'll go back today, further back, and faster, Fluttershy responded and planted another soft kiss, soft and as the summer breeze warm, on Rainbow's neck. The eyes of a mare, the lips of a mare, the kiss of a mare, the smell of a mare and her secret secretions. Can't take it. The everlasting fire, cobra of my desire. Interpenetration. How much did I miss it. The shivering, the perishing in her giddy games.
- What about Discord?
- Don't worry about him, Fluttershy said, rubbing her head against Dash's neck. He won't bother us a single bit.
- Are you sure?
- Trust me.
- Okay, Dash said. But if you're lying, then you know what you'll miss. But you never lie.
Last words spoken, Dash planted a kiss on the right angle of Fluttershy's mouth, the point of her tail circling now around the yellow mare's belly, avoiding at all costs the garden of Fluttershy's joy.
Fluttershy felt her marehood wink from excitement, knees extremely weak. As a way to get back, Fluttershy pressed tightly against Rainbow Dash with the help of her wing, then pushed her tail underneath the blue pegasus, and started caressing her whole underside, right from her neck, across her chest, down her belly, right at the place where the folds of her marehood came together stopping. Wet, warm, hot. You're shaking all over. No way back, my angel. Wait a little. Your pleaser, annoyer, and voyeur will meet you around the corner, at the back door to paradise. Like in the past. What I wouldn't I give to see that school where we used to live. Laid all day exclusively in bed. Hello, mares.
The two ponies, heads touching, tails with each other bodies playing, passed over the bridge, but being absorbed in dalliance not the blue nor the yellow one noticed the silver reflection of the moon in the ever flowing waters.
Fluttershy, usually noticing every detail of Nature's beauty throughout the day, was flooded by intense sensations bombarding her body; by the overall tingling and warmth; by the pleasant streamings of charged electric energy that made her feel like her body was melting and whose passage through her body made her shake uncontrollably; by the pleasantly aching marehood, all hot and wet like the jungles in the south; by Rainbow's presence on her right, which she missed the most and didn't realize how much she missed till she met Rainbow again. Made for each other: mutual attraction. At night we are one single spirit of Desire. Come close your eyes. Awaken from evil dreams. So good almost religious. That pony and her friends are wrong. True mystical experience is extremely sexual. Their desire is weak if they can chain it. Achieved much with our adventures. You too. Will always be with you, your holy guardian angel. Just call me. I'll be. We're here. On fire. Whole body turned on. Back is tingling so strong. Will explode. Love: the great work. No more resistance.
As they stepped on the porch of Fluttershy's cottage after a long journey, the two mares unhooked each other, their faces merely inches apart, their warm breaths mingling and further them arousing . Fluttershy cast a quick glance over Rainbow Dash under the weak light of the porch and found the sight heartwarming, beautiful, sexual. The cuts, bruises, and the dirty mane nothwithstanding, Rainbow looked alive as ever, even glowing; in fact, the wounds gave her a younger look, returning her the appearance of that rash, impulsive, innocent filly Fluttershy had fallen in love with a long time ago. Her magenta eyes gleamed with the intense energy that was the basis of all existence, and although sadness was still present in them, it was sadness slowly conquered by joy. Fluttershy's eyes, however, looked at Rainbow's behind; where a long diamond clear filament hung from between her legs set apart wider than usual, her rainbow tail lifted. Under the yellow illumination of the porch, it glimmered golden like: dew of immortality. How much Fluttershy wanted to collect it all with her long tongue, drop after drop, stream after stream, face on fire from the heat coming from between Rainbow's legs.
- You know you don't look any better, Rainbow said, and swiped with her tail Fluttershy's right thigh, touching with the tail's end Fluttershy's sexually raging nethers, making the yellow horse jump from surprise.
- See, Rainbow Dash said as she brought close to Fluttershy's face her rainbow tail, wet and shimmering from the large amounts of sexual secretions.
Rainbow Dash smiled as Fluttershy blushed; however, as soon as their eyes met, everything suddenly became clear, innocent.
As the two friends looked at each other, smiling, both of them were overwhelmed by pure, innocent joy. It was the feeling they had back in childhood, when nothing really mattered because you were right in touch with the symphony of the world, the same process that brings the changes of the seasons, the passing of years, and the circling of stars, and you knew deep in your heart that you could never be afraid of anything and never really do anything wrong because the whole world was on your side, at your progress smiling, your smiles loving, your closest friend, parent, teacher, and lover at the same time. Looking into each other eyes, looks of the most loving and tender quality sharing, like children upon contact for the first time with the world smiling, the two friends shared the innocent folly of supreme wisdom between them, not anymore separated from the whole world, but united with it in harmony total, two drops in the ocean, the whole ocean in the two drops.
At that moment everything, absolutely everything - stars shining above them, leaves rustling from the wind, the lantern swinging above them and casting a warm yellow glow, a distant cry of some nocturnal creature, cicadas swirling in the groves, liquids dripping between their hind legs, scratches on Rainbow's body, and even the clattering coming from inside Fluttershy's cottage - seemed totally fine, immaculate, pure, of all concepts free, with peace indescribable infused, and exactly at the place where they needed to be, not a single gust of wind or falling leaf out of order; and it seemed that no matter what would happen even to the infinitesimal particle in the universe it still wouldn't break the silent symphony of absolute harmony.
At that moment the whole universe for both of them was just perfection.
Just perfection. |
Compass Rose | pre | She beams brightly at him, flying up and nuzzling his cheek. "Thank you, daddy!"
"You're welcome." He smiles and nuzzles her back before he starts fishing out other things. The first is a big birthday banner.
Ruby, ever the inquisitive child, looks between the banner and her adopted sister, frowning a bit. "Can she lift that?"
He shakes his head. "I don't think so, besides, this is for me to hang up."
"Oh. Okay!" She smiles at him, then tilts her head a bit. "When should we wake up sis?"
"If she's not up by the time we're done, we wake her up then."
"Okay." She smiles at him, then looks up at the ceiling, now confused. "...that was pretty fast."
He looks up from where he had been planning on where to hang the banner.
The streamers have all been set up, some even sweeping from one side of the room to the next. He also sees the filly hovering in the middle of the room, a bright smile on her face and tape in her monochromatic rainbow of a mane.
"Wow, great job!" He nods approvingly as he surveys it all. "You'd think you'd done this before."
Daring just shrugs and lands on his shoulders, hugging his head so she won't fall off. "Need anything else?"
"Hmm..." He hangs up the banner, keeping it high enough so no one will hit their heads on it. "Want to put the tablecloth on the table with Ruby?"
"Sure!" She places her hat on his head as she moves to help Ruby set up the table. "Ooh, what are these?" She points at one of the many pictures adorning the fabric.
"Hmm?" He looks at them. "Oh, those are some general weapon types. Its a cool thing I thought the girls would enjoy."
Ruby grins, pointing at one of the scythes. "These are my favorite. They look so cool!"
"Yes, Ruby, that's one reason I got it." He says with a chuckle.
A pair of hooves covers his eyes in their owner's eagerness. "What are those things that look like your shoes?"
"Boots?" He guesses, gently tickling her hooves with his fingers.
When the pony tries to bat at the hands, the girl leans down to look at it closer. "I think Uncle Qrow called them greaves?"
"Ah, leg guards." He nods. "You know, when you get older, we could probably get some for you if you wanted, Daring. Just to have leg protection."
She blinks, then taps her chin thoughtfully. "...can they be weapons?"
He smiles. "Daring, anything can be a weapon if you find a talented place to order it from and a good idea."
She nods once more, eyes sparkling in delight. "Can you show me how for my birthday, daddy?"
Chuckling, he nods."Sure, I can do that. It'll be fun."
She hugs him tight, nuzzling his cheek. "I love you, daddy!"
"I love you two, Daring." He smiles. ""Now... I think that's everything that isn't food or presents..."
"Ooh, can I go wake Yang up?" She grins brightly, waving a hoof as she volunteers.
"To be fair, she's too small to carry presents..." A familiar voice says. As they turn to look, one side of the banner falls, smacking Taiyang in the face.
He pulls it off with a smile. "Glad you made it so early, Qrow."
"What can I say?" He chuckles, reaching down to ruffle Ruby's hair. "I'm a sucker for these kids."
Chuckling, Tai puts the banner back up. "Well, I know they appreciate it. We just have to get the birthday girl up and we're ready to start."
"Is that right?" He looks at each of them in turn. "Which one of you is doing that?"
"I believe Daring wanted to." Tai offers.
"Yep! I'll be back in time!" She jumps up and flies off, giggling happily to herself.
Inside the other room, Yang is still snoozing, one arm and leg hanging off the bed as she snores.
Daring slowly flies closer, trying to move her wings to make her flapping as quiet as possible.
The girl sleeps blissfully on.
She smiles, proud of herself. Then her wing cramps up, making her fall right onto the girl's belly.
"Snck, gah?" Yang sits up, rubbing her eyes. "Alright... who's on my stomach this morning?"
Daring, having tumbled onto her lap in a pile of limbs and feathers, just looks up at her, nervous. "...quack?"
The girl blinks before laughing and hugging the pony. "Are you a ponyduck now?"
"Maybe." She tries flexing her wing, trying to hide her grimace.
"Aww... did you hurt it?" She hugs her a bit more gently.
"...a little..." She sighs, then lays on the side opposite her hurt wing. "...sleep well?"
"Yep, how about you? Still snuggling with Dad?"
"Yep!" She grins widely. "It's the best!"
"I'll bet." She smiles. "You're free to sleep with me and Ruby, too if you want."
"Maybe tonight." She shrugs a bit, then clambers up her shoulder. "Are you hungry? I think daddy's making pancakes."
"Oh, that sounds good!" She nods quickly, getting up while still in her night shorts and shirt.
As she gets situated, Daring pokes at the clothes she's wearing, her muzzle scrunching a bit. "...Yang?"
"Yeah?" She asks, running her hands through her hair.
"Your... clothes smell a bit." She gives a sheepish smile. "Could you please change?"
"Huh?" She lifts her shirt, sniffing it. "I don't smell anything... but okay." She shrugs. "You'll half to get off my shoulder though. Want me to put you on the bed?"
"...can't I stay on your head?"
"I pull shirts off over my head."
The filly is silent a moment, trying to come up with a retort. "...so?"
"Well, I guess if you think you can hold on..." She shrugs, moving and pulling off her current shirt.
Daring closes her eyes and grips the girl's head, careful with her precious golden locks.
Once she gets the shirt off, she works on her shorts and what's underneath. "You think you'll ever wear clothes besides your hat?"
She looks down at her, frowning a bit. "Should I?"
"I don't really know..." Yang shrugs, finding a new pair of underwear and slipping them on before she goes to her drawer of shorts. "You have fur, so you're not cold too much, but everyone wears clothes."
"...how about a vest? That could be useful." She smiles at that thought.
"That... could work, but it doesn't really cover your girl parts on it's own." Yang says, putting on a pair of blue shorts and now looking for a shirt.
"...girl parts?" She looks down at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"You know, like what under my underwear and what's under your tail." She says, making gestures to try and explain something that seems simple to her.
"I think my tail works for that." She shrugs, then points at the window. "Look! A birdy!"
"Huh?" Yang looks where she points.
She gets to see the bird for a moment before something dashes through it. Daring is understandably distraught.
"Birdy, no!"
Yang puts on an orange shirt, moving to the window. "What was that? Is it okay?"
"I... don't know. I think it was a cat?" Her mind goes back to the books Tai used to teach her, the picture of a cute kitty bringing a small smile to her face.
"Well... anyway, pancakes?"
"Yep!" She gets off her head, flying and grinning widely. "I bet you can't make it to the kitchen while blindfolded!"
"Oh yeah? I'll show you!" She giggles, getting a bandana from a drawer and wrapping it around her eyes.
"No peeking!" She pats her on the head. "I'll know if you do!"
"I'm not gonna peek." She says, arms reaching out in front of her. "Though, stop me if I'm gonna knock something over."
"Sure!" She beams happily, then takes her spot on Yang's shoulder.
"Now let's see..." She follows the walls, fingers brushing them as she laughs and takes careful steps.
Meanwhile, a small pile of presents and a handle of balloons have joined the decorations in the kitchen.
Ruby hugs her father from his left. "Do you think she'll like it?"
"I think so." He smiles, petting her head as he hears sounds from the other room. "I think that's her, now."
The girl grins, then hides behind the table, ready to jump out and surprise her sister.
Eventually Yang slowly works her way into the doorway of the kitchen, blindfold now visible.
Ruby stares on in confusion. "Yang, why are you wearing that?"
Hearing her sister's voice, Yang smiles. "Daring bet me I couldn't make it to the kitchen blindfolded, but I did!"
"Chair." Daring speaks up too late to keep her from banging her toe against the furniture in question.
"Ow!" Yang yelps, jumping away and holding her foot up. "Dumb chair..."
The younger girl giggles, moving over and patting her sister on the shoulder. "Do you want daddy to kiss it better?"
Qrow raises an eyebrow at this, his attention on his friend. "Do they normally include you without asking first?"
Tai shrugs. "What can you do? They're my girls. They know I'm free to say 'no'. Over time it'll teach them how to negotiate."
"...sure, why not." He sighs and shakes his head. "Regardless, don't you think we should take off her blindfold?"
"Yeah, I think she won a little prize."
"Prize?" Yang says as she blindfold is removed.
"Happy birthday, Yang."
The blonde beams, looking around at everyone. "Wow! Thanks, guys!"
Qrow chuckles, ruffling her hair playfully. "You're very welcome." He glances at the filly, smirking a bit. "I bet you had her put on the blindfold on purpose."
She sticks out her tongue, dropping her party favor. "Maybe."
"Atta girl." Tai praises.
She practically glows from his praise, while Ruby pouts.
"Now, I was going to save this, but I think I can make an exception today." Going to the fridge, he pulls out the white and yellow frosted cake with the picture Ruby drew earlier curled in a cylinder on top so you can see it at all angles.
"Hand drawn candles?" She giggles, looking at Ruby. "Did you do that for me?"
She blushes a bit, rubbing the back of her head. "Daddy said I'm too young to play with fire. So I did that, instead!"
Yang hugs her. "I like it. Maybe it'll be easier to blow out."
Qrow smirks, leaning in to whisper to Tai. "Or blow over."
"Hey, we can always put it back for another round." He whispers back as he puts the cake on the table. "Five already, huh? Let's make it official."
"Yeah!" Yang raises a fist in the air as she cheers.
"Yeah!" Daring grins, then looks to Tai, confused. "How?"
"Blow out the candles of course." He pets the cake on the table, Yang sitting down eagerly in front of it.
The filly flies up to her father's shoulder, whispering into his ear. "How do you blow out paper?"
"You try." He says, motioning as everyone gathers around the birthday girl. She smiles at all of them before she takes a breath and blows on the paper candles. They resist a moment before flying off and flying into the opposite wall, causing Yang to cheer.
"Got all of them!"
"Yay!" Daring claps her hooves together approvingly. "Way to go!"
"Can I have this for breakfast?" Yang asks, pointing to the cake.
"Heh, sure, but only for today." Tai says, moving to cut the cake.
As Qrow moves to the side, watching with folded arms, Ruby moves next to Yang, tongue extended as if to lick the cake directly.
"Hey!" Yang playfully pulls her away. "Tongue off my cake!"
Daring suddenly faceplants in the cake, her body falling onto the table right after.
"Daring..." Tai just sigh, shaking his head before he fishes her out. "Well, it'll still taste the same."
She stays silent, her head resting on his arm as she watches Ruby smush a piece into Yang's face.
Tai chuckles, snagging a piece on his finger and tasting it. "They haven't changed..."
Qrow glances at the filly, then up at his friend, leaning over and talking to him. "You should probably take her somewhere to talk, Tai. Let the girls have their fun; I'll watch them while you do that."
"Huh? Well, alright, you three have fun bonding." He nods appreciatively before taking the frosted filly towards the bathroom.
Daring is quiet, not to mention shivering a bit as she tries to swipe at her face.
Standing in front of the sink, he gets a wet cloth and start cleaning her face, smiling as he does so. "Finally hit your limit on sweets?"
She doesn't respond, her wings held tight to her sides as she stares down at her hooves.
"Hey, you okay, Daring?" He asks, finishing clearing her face and now trying to meet her eyes.
She sniffs, looking up at him in concern through the tears in her eyes. "...how... how do I fly? I... I can't remember..." |
Compass Rose | Chapter 5 | "...how... how do I fly? I... I can't remember..."
"Huh?" Her father looks at her, confused. "You've always just flown by instinct, I thought. Just flapping your wings in the right way."
"But what way is the right way?" She pouts quietly, hugging his arm for security.
"I... don't really know." He says softly, kissing her forehead. "Maybe you can practice once we get you cleaned up?"
She nods quietly, letting go of his now-sticky arm. She looks down and giggles softly, giving a sheepish smile. "Sorry for the icing hug..."
"It's fine, though I think both of us are going to need to clean up." He chuckles, shutting and locking the bathroom door. "I'm thinking shower, then maybe a bath if you're still feeling bad after and want to try practicing flying in water first."
She quietly nods, reaching up in reflex to try and pull a hat that's not there down over her face. "Okay, daddy."
He chuckles, picking her up once more and bringing her to the bathtub. "Now, let's get you cleaned up. I know you're sweet, but this is a bit much."
She sticks out her tongue at him and giggles quietly. "Your jokes are the best."
"Daww... I'm glad to see being a dad hasn't changed that." He chuckles, turning on the water to get the temperature right.
She just gets settled in his arms, gripping his shirt so she doesn't fall on accident.
He looks down at his shirt, seeing the icing on it and not minding. "Do you want to be in the shower when the water comes on or get in after?"
"...which one is better?"
"Hmm... probably getting in after." He admits.
She smiles, holding up a hoof. "Then let's do that."
Chuckling, he nods and turns the shower on, light steam coming from it as he angles the nozzle so the water won't escape the tub. "There we go, ready to get in?"
She nods, smiling weakly at him. "Please don't drop me..."
"I was just going to set you in there... did you want me to come in with you?"
"...I don't know..." She sniffles a bit. "I just... don't wanna fall..."
He kisses her head, nuzzling her after. "Hey, it's okay. I'll go in with you. I just need to set you down a moment so I can get undressed."
She quietly nods, turning to nuzzle him in return.
Smiling, he gently sets her down on the bathroom counter. Swiftly, he disrobes and picks her back up. "Okay, ready?"
"I guess." She looks at her legs, pouting cutely. "It's starting to harden..."
"Don't worry, we'll clean you off and have you back up and flying in no time." He gently touches her nose with a finger before stepping into the water.
"...I sure hope so..."
Meanwhile, back at the party, Yang is licking frosting off her fingers with a smile. "Great party!"
"I sure hope so." Qrow smiles, then points at her cheek. "By the way, you have a little frosting there."
"Right here!" Ruby pushes a finger with melted chocolate ice cream on it against her sister's cheek.
"Hey!" Yang playfully pushes her hand away. "Don't make me start the dessert fight again."
The toddler just sticks her tongue out in response.
Yang puts a dollop of icing on it. "There, eat that."
Ruby pulls her tongue back into her mouth to eat the food while Qrow places a hand on Yang's shoulder. "So, what do you want to do while we wait for Tai to clean Daring up?"
"Umm..." She looks around. "Should we clean up the cake or just leave it?"
"We can put it in the fridge." He chuckles, looking at where there's a near-perfect imprint of the filly's face. "This is sure gonna be a funny story to tell..."
Yang giggles. "You think if we just had t shaped like Daring for Ruby's birthday it would save time?"
Ruby looks appalled at this, shaking her head vehemently. "I don't want to eat Daring! Not even Cake Daring!"
"What do you call that, then?" Yang asks, pointing to the cake.
"An untouched part of the cake." She sticks her tongue out.
Yang makes a disregarding sound, waving her hand. "Anyway, what should we do next? Presents, games?"
"Until your father gets back, I'll have to insist on games." Qrow closes his eyes, knowing that they would try the puppy dog eyes on him.
"Hey, stop cheating by closing your eyes!" Yang's tiny fist can be felt lightly thumping his stomach.
"It's not cheating. It's a perfectly sound tactic." He smiles wryly.
"Ruby, help me team up on him!"
"...I'm not opening my eyes." He turns and walks over to the presents, lifting them up over his head. "No opening them until your dad gets back. It's only fair he gets to see your excitement, isn't it?"
"Then we'll do something else to kill time." Yang says quietly, giggling.
"...you're getting punished for any trouble she causes, Ruby."
The girl stares at him in shock. "What? Why?"
"Because it's her birthday. Then you get to remind us what she did tomorrow so we can punish her then." He smirks at Yang, opening one eye to see her. "Sound fair to you?"
"Put down the presents, and then I'll tell you what I think." She says, smirking.
"So you can try to open them, or try to play fight?" He makes no move to put them down.
"I'm not going to try to open them, I promise." She smiles at him.
"...fine." He places the presents down on the counter, pushing them back until they're against the wall.
Once his hands are free, she looks to her sister with a grin. "Let's get him! I bet we can take Uncle Qrow now that we're older!"
"Ah, so you wanted to tussle?" The man chuckles, picking up Ruby and holding her sideways across his chest. "Try my shield!"
"No, Yang, he got me!"
"Hey!" Yang springs forward, locking his leg into a hug as she tries to throw him off balance.
"Rawr, you can't beat me!" He starts walking around the room, taking the two of them along for the ride.
"Ruby! What do we have for weapons?" Yang cries out, letting go and moving to try and jump on his back.
"I can't reach anything except..." She looks down. "...his belt!"
"Whoa, hey," he lifts the girl above his head, "you're too young to reach for that. Plus you're like family."
"...what?"
"Hold on!" Yang darts to the couch, picking up a cushion in each hand before diving at her uncle, pummeling him with them.
He laughs, carrying Ruby around like a basket. "No, she's my hostage! You can't beat me, pillow-mage!"
"I'm not a pillow mage, I'm a pillow fighter!" She lets out a small war cry before jumping up and latching onto his back, punching him with her pillow pads.
His legs get unsteady beneath him, much to his concern. "W-whoa, careful! I don't wanna drop Ruby!"
Yang stops, hopping off him. "Then release your hostage!"
"...only if you say I'm better than your dad."
"At what?"
Qrow grins cheekily. "Everything."
"Nope." She says with a grin, trying to jump up and grab Ruby.
He pulls up a leg to keep her at bay, chuckling quietly. "Not good enough."
Yang pauses, giving him a look before she suddenly smirks once more. "Last chance to let her down before I do my next move."
He stares at her suspiciously, while Ruby kicks her legs idly. "...should I be worried?"
She nods her head solemnly. "Just make sure to drop Ruby on the couch or something when I get you, or just surrender."
"Can we put pillows down? Please?" The brunette looks at her sister upside down.
Yang blinks, looking at her weapons. "I guess my next move doesn't really need these..." She tosses them back onto the couch.
Ruby flails her arms. "I meant on the floor!"
"Pfft..." Yang blows a raspberry as she puts them on the floor. "So... ready to give up Uncle Qrow?"
"No." He gives her a cocky grin. "You can't beat me."
"Oh yeah?" She grins before jumping toward him and reaching up to start tickling his stomach.
"Hey, wait, no!" He tries to dodge her hands, slowed down by Ruby enough to barely be able to do so.
"You can't win! Put her down!" Yang laughs, pursuing him.
"Never!" He jumps around as he avoids the girl, unable to keep the smirk off his face.
"Zwei! Help!" Ruby flails her arms to try and get the puppy's attention.
The puppy barks, launching himself at the command, aiming for Qrow's chest.
The man lets out a manly yelp as he gets hit, bringing Ruby to his chest as he falls so she won't get hurt.
Instead, they both land on Yang, if only partially.
"Hey, get off!" She tries to get them to roll off her.
He seems to think for a moment before setting Ruby on her chest, staying where he is on her legs. "I don't know. I'm kinda comfortable here."
Yang looks thoughtfully at her sister. "Does this mean we win?"
"I think so." She giggles, turning and picking up the puppy to pet him. "Good boy, Zwei!"
"Yeah!" Yang smiles, leaning back and kicking her legs a bit. "Finally got you Uncle Qrow."
"I don't think so." He chuckles, turning to smirk at her. "Zwei got me. I've got you pinned."
"Doesn't Zwei count as being on our team?"
"He was a neutral party." He places the puppy in question right by the older girl's face.
As Zwei starts to assault her with licks to the face, the girl tries to roll away but can't. "Hey! Zwei!"
"See? He's true neutral." Qrow smirks slyly at her as he props himself up.
"Ugh...." she slumps backwards onto the floor, smiling. "I did better than last year though."
"Yep." He chuckles, reaching over to ruffle her hair once more. "I'm not cruel enough to deny that."
She giggles. "Okay... can you get off me now?"
"Oh, right." He stands, brushing himself off before helping both the girls to their feet.
Giggling, Yang hugs him before she feels a weight on her head and looks up to see Zwei sitting on it. He barks happily.
Qrow just blinks at this, confused. "How did he get up there?"
Yang shrugs. "He's springy when he wants to be."
He raises an eyebrow, leaning close to the dog for a moment. "Is that right?"
Zwei pants happily, wagging his stubby tail and tilting his head at the man.
"...I wonder what else he can do..." The man scratches behind one of the dog's ears.
Yang shrugs as the puppy leg kicks. "I don't know, Dad says he probably has an aura and semblance, too."
He just smiles softly. "Of course he has an aura. He has a soul."
"Heh, yeah..." Yang giggles. "But then when I asked dad what semblances deer and stuff had if they had auras, he couldn't tell me."
"That's because we don't know." He shrugs a bit. "Have you taken the time to look at just what every deer in the forest can do, and if they even all have abilities?"
"Well... no." She admits, thinking. "There's other stuff to do."
"There you go." He nods to himself, smiling softly.
"Huh... okay." She looks to the bathroom. "I hope Dad gets Daring clean soon."
"Let's go check." He picks her up and starts walking towards the bathroom.
Once at the door, they can hear the girls' dad's muffled voice and splashing.
Qrow awkwardly stands there. "...I guess they're still in the bath, then?"
The splashing stops for a moment as they talk, followed by a slightly clearer voice from within. "Do you want me to let them in?"
"It's fine with me." This is followed by a quiet giggle.
Yang looks at the door curiously until it clicks and Tai is standing there, looking at them wearing a very soaked pair of shorts. "Sorry we've been taking a while, I'm helping Daring with something."
Ruby frowns a little, having just approached. "Is frosting that hard to get out of fur?"
"A little, but I'm helping her with something else now." he says, going back to the tub.
"What's that?" She walks inside, standing right next to her dad as they both get splashed.
"She's having some flying issues." He explains. "I thought it was because she hurt her wing, but now I think it's something like she was doing it instinctively before, but now she suddenly thought about it so much that she can't because she doesn't know how she does it."
Qrow just stares blankly at him. "...do you know if you can help her with that?"
He shakes his head. "Not really, but I had to try. She was depressed as soon as she couldn't fly."
The man looks at her, thinking for a bit. "...maybe I can teach her."
Yang tilts her head at this. "You can fly, Uncle Qrow?"
"I might be able to teach her how." He says, reaching down and ruffling her hair once more.
"If you can help, then by all means." Tai gestures to the filly.
"I can't do it right now." He points to the Pegasus as she paddles through the water. "Her wings are wet, so it would throw her off if she tried to do it while they're dry... I guess we could always practice form..." He quietly mutters as he makes his way over to her.
Yang giggles as she watches. "It's like a small pool for her. I never thought of that."
"Yeah, imagine if she was in a regular pool." Ruby looks up at the ceiling as she thinks.
"She'd be like... a duck in a pond." Yang smiles at the thought.
Apparently overhearing this, the filly turns to them and smiles. "Quack!"
Tai chuckles as the girls laugh, petting her head. "You might make a cute duck."
She just nuzzles his hand, floating there in the water.
He smiles, looking to the other man. "So, how can I help?"
"Be there for emotional support. Unlock her aura so there's less chance of injury." He shrugs a bit. "Those are what come to mind, first."
Nodding, Tai reaches out and rubs the filly's head more, starting to lightly glow.
Daring, almost feeling compelled to, closes her eyes at this.
A shimmering field flashes over his body, touching hers.
Ruby watches in awe, her hand gripping Yang's tightly.
When his aura touches the filly, it seems to pause for a moment before a matching olive green light comes from her, soon covering her entire body.
She squirms a bit, the light tickling her body and making her hold back a giggle.
When it completely covers her, Tai takes his hand off. "There we go."
She shivers, shaking her head and getting water everywhere. "What was that?"
"Giving your aura a jump start." He says with a smile.
"You keep saying that word." Ruby pokes her father's shoulder to get his attention. "What does it mean?"
"Hmm? Have I not given you girls this talk yet? I thought I had."
"Is it possible you only explained it to Yang?" Qrow speaks up, smirking slightly.
"Maybe..." he rubs his chin. "Well, I guess now's as good a time as any."
The young girl smiles, sitting down next to him and waiting to hear what he has to say. Daring does much the same, though while floating in water.
"Right, so to keep it simple: aura is the manifestation of your soul. It get's stronger with experience and training and can be used in many different ways. The most common one, and the one I mainly did this for, is the fact that it acts as a sort of barrier around your body for injuries and blows. Normally, you naturally unlock your aura as you get older with enough willpower and a bit of coaching, but I agreed with Qrow in that you could use a head start."
As the other man nods, the filly turns her curious gaze to him. "...so... it's just a force field?"
Ruby blinks, quietly wondering when she got into the comics Qrow left them.
"Well, that's part of what it can do." Tai explains. "It also powers semblance and can be used for a number of other things but we're focusing on the shield for now."
Daring quietly nods, even though she burns with curiosity for semblances.
"So, that should help you out with any more crashes." He finishes, looking to Qrow.
"...daddy?" She pokes the hand resting on the edge of the tub. "What are you looking at uncle Qrow for?"
"Hmm, oh, just wondering what the next step of your flying lessons is." He says quickly, smiling at her.
"She needs to be dry, and elevated so she can practice the motions easily." The man shrugs a bit. "I'll have to go into more detail when she's set up."
Nodding, Tai holds his hands out to Daring. "Ready to get out?"
She nods, swimming closer to try and climb into his hands, her hooves slipping on the porcelain surface.
He scoops her up when she gets close, wrapping her up in a towel and starting to dry her off.
She squirms in his grip, clearly not enjoying the feel of a non-fluffy towel rubbing against her.
He chuckles, wrapping her up with her head poking out before he kisses her head. "Towel too rough?"
She nods, quietly pouting as she looks up at him.
He nuzzles her, making sure she's still dry. "We'll get some better ones next time we go to the store. I'll even let you girls pick out a special one for each of you."
Ruby cheers, hugging her dad's side gleefully.
Yang gives a fist pump as he sets down the filly on the floor and pets Ruby's head.
The girl just happily smiles as Daring gets up and walks off, looking for Zwei. Once in the hallway, she tries to whistle for him, only succeeding in blowing out some air.
"Now... I believe there's a party to get back to." Yang beams as he says this.
Daring appears in the doorway, riding on Zwei's back. "To the party!"
Laughing a bit, Tai nods, putting his shirt on and picking up his other two girls. "Let's go!" He heads towards the kitchen
The filly looks down at the puppy, hopeful. "Take me to the kitchen, please?"
He appears to think about it before giving off a howl and happily heading into the kitchen.
Daring cheers, throwing her forehooves up in the air.
When they get there, Yang has been let down and is now looking at her presents meaningfully.
Qrow sighs, playfully shaking his head. "Go on, kid."
"Woo!" She pounces on the small pile, picking up one with a smile as she brings it over to the table.
"Ooh! That one's mine!" Ruby grins excitedly.
Yang hugs her befores starting to open it.
She sees the tiniest bit of silver peeking through a crack in the box.
"Ooo..." she looks curious as she fully opens the box.
There lays a pair of fluffy pink handcuffs with a silver chain attaching them.
"Friendship bracelets!" Ruby beams brightly. "I found them in dad's room!"
"..." Tai groans, shaking his head as Yang looks at them. "Why would Dad have these?"
"Umm, Ruby, those are mine." Tai says, steadily ignoring any looks Qrow is giving. "Maybe we can pick up some actual friendship bracelets for you two next time we're in town?"
"Okay!" She grins, then hugs her sister. "I hope you'll like them! Maybe he'll let you choose one you like!"
"Yeah, I bet we can find some cool ones!" Yang says, hugging Ruby in return.
Daring giggles, poking one she and Zwei are by. "Look at the one daddy and I got you!"
"Oh, you guys teamed up?" Yang says, interested as she picks up the next present. "I wonder what it is..."
The filly sheepishly smiles. "Daddy chose it, honestly... he said I'm too young to go places..."
Qrow raises an eyebrow at Taiyang. "...how old is she, exactly?"
"Honestly, I'm not completely sure. She couldn't speak and was bottle fed when I first found her less than a year ago, so she wasn't that old. But look at her now, speaking." He gestures to the filly as Yang opens the big box, revealing it to be a sort of young child's dark leather jacket with wings on the back.
"Awesome!" She says with glee.
"Cool! You got wings too, now!" Daring grins, hopping in place on Zwei's back.
She slips it on as Zwei barks, spinning around. "This is so cool!" She looks at Qrow to see his opinion.
He smirks, nodding once as he messes with her hair once more. "It definitely suits you. Though I'd like to think my gift is just as cool."
"Oh?" She looks to the next gift, pointing at it questioningly.
"Well you aren't going to see what it is by staring at it!" He chuckles, then awkwardly coughs. "As... counterintuitive as it may sound."
Giggling, she goes and gets it, bringing it over before she starts to unwrap it.
She finds both light and dark yellow peeking out from behind tissue paper.
"Ooo..." She goes faster, soon having the thing exposed.
It turns out to be a couple pairs of boxing gloves, with a set of bangles underneath with her name written on them.
She gasps, looking them over before slipping them on and throwing a few punches. "Awesome! Thanks Uncle Qrow!"
"You're welcome." He looks to Taiyang, smirking a bit. "There's a pair for your sister, too, so you can spar with her. And I know your father has a pair."
"Yeah, you can't imagine the times when I'd find her trying to use them." Tai says, chuckling.
"Like yesterday!" Daring speaks up, beaming brightly.
Yang giggles, looking down at the gloves in her hands before walking over to her uncle. She lightly socks him in the arm before hugging him.
He chuckles, rubbing the top of her head gently. "Happy birthday, kid."
"Thank you, Uncle Qrow! Thanks Ruby! Thanks Dad! Thanks Daring! Thanks Zwei!"
They smile in turn, and the filly rubs the puppy's head.
"Now, how about some cake for everyone?" Tai says, showing he has actual cake slices salvaged onto plates.
Ruby gasps, eyes wide in shock.
Qrow decides to speak up for her. "...none of those are the Daring part, are they?"
He shakes his head. "No, this is the other part, but I did save it for those of you who don't mind."
The girl just pouts. "I'm not letting anyone eat Daring!"
The filly looks on in confusion.
Tai looks curiously at her. "Then what do we do with that part of the cake?"
"Preserve it!" She says, throwing her hand up in the air.
"... would a picture work?" He offers hopefully.
She blinks, then taps her chin thoughtfully. "...I guess?"
"Good, ta cake takes up a bit of space, but for now..." He offers her a plate.
She happily takes it and shovels the food into her mouth.
Chuckling as Yang does much the same, Tai offers Daring hers.
She takes the plate, looking at the small amount on it with a tiny pout.
He leans down. "You can have more after you eat that if you want, but I figured I'd start small in case you were sick of it after being covered in it."
She stares up at him as if he was speaking blasphemy. "No way!" She takes big bites out of her slice, finishing it off quickly.
He laughs, giving her another one. "There you go. Better?"
She nods, eating this one in much the same way.
As the girls are all distracted, Qrow leans close to Taiyang. "Are you sure you want to wait? You could hurt her..."
He sighs. "Look, give me a bit to eat and get my strength back. You know activating an aura takes a bit out of you."
"Yeah, I guess..." He shrugs as he looks to Ruby, who had slipped on a glove and started bopping Yang on the head with it.
Tai chuckles as Yang tries to fend her off while laughing. "Since you brought it up, it'll be another present."
He gives him a wry grin in return. "I'm sure she'll love it."
Nodding he eats his own cake. "Think I should wait for Ruby's birthday for hers or do that one today too?"
"That I'll leave up to you." He shrugs, then walks over and pats the shorter girl on the head. "Having fun?"
"Yep!" She then bops her sister on the nose.
"Hey!" Yang pulls Ruby into a hug and gives her a soft noogie.
She squeals, flailing her arms and making the glove fly off and land on Daring's head, nearly smushing her face into her third slice.
Tai takes it off her head, rubbing the filly's mane fondly as Yang eases up on Ruby.
She smiles up at him, happily nuzzling into his hand. "Thank you, daddy."
He kisses her forehead. "You're welcome. Have you had enough?"
She nods, yawning softly and shifting closer to him. "Yeah..."
Chuckling, he picks her up. "Tired from your active morning? What about your flying lessons?"
"They can wait until she's rested." Qrow chuckles from where he's petting Zwei. "I don't want to chance her getting hurt."
Tai nods approvingly, tucking the filly into his arms as the other girls continue to play. |
Compass Rose | Chapter 6 | Months later, Tai is outside with Yang, the two having a little sparring match that mostly amounts to her punching his padded hands and trying to get around his guard.
Ruby watches them, eagerly mimicking Yang's moves as best she can without falling over again.
Yang tries to stand light on her feet as she jabs, jumping a bit to try and get above her dad, who just moves to block her again with a smile.
Daring watches from where she's sitting in the shade, slowly moving her wings in the motions that Qrow taught her, pausing every so often to fold and unfurl her wings.
After another series of punches, Yang suddenly jumps forward in a full body tackle, catching Tai off guard as she hits his stomach. With an 'oof', the man lets out a wheezy chuckle and pats her head. "Very good. Changing it up is a valuable tactic."
Ruby and Daring both applaud her, smiles on their faces.
Yang looks proud of herself as her dad rubs her head. "So this means I win?"
He laughs. "Yeah, you won."
"Woo!"
The smaller girl giggles, holding a cookie up for her sister. "Here you go!"
"D'aww, thanks Ruby." Yang says, hugging her and taking the cookie.
Before she can eat it, Daring hops up and takes a bite out of it as it moves between them.
"Hey!" She quickly tries to shield the rest. "Didn't you already get a cookie?"
"Maybe." She sticks her tongue out playfully.
Yang playfully swipes at her, not aiming to hit as she eats the cookie.
She easily dodges, though she does end up backing right into Tai's legs. "Sorry, daddy!"
Snorting, he scoops her up and nuzzles her. "And how did your own training go?"
She frowns, flapping her wings slightly. "...it still feels weird..."
"Even with what Qrow said?" He checks on her wings, holding them softly.
"Maybe she's overthinking it?" Ruby tilts her head a bit. "Kinda like what Yang does when playing games with Uncle Qrow?"
"Maybe..." He offers, lifting the filly up a bit. "Underthinking is probably what got her into this, but I guess she could be overcompensating."
Daring looks up at him, confused. "How?"
"Well, keeping in mind what Qrow said, how does it feel like you should be flapping your wings to fly?"
"...umm..." She starts flapping them, though rather slowly, almost lazily. "...kinda like this?"
"Hmm... well, that might work if you have updraft... seems slow to me, but you're the one with wings." He moves his hands so she's more resting on them, but able to lift upward out of them.
She starts to lift up, but her hooves grip him as her wings flap faster and out of sync. Her breaths come quickly and her pupils shrink to pinpricks - especially noticeable, given how big her eyes are.
His fingers close over her back as he tries to calm her. "Easy now, panicking wont help."
She nods, blushing in shame. "S-sorry..."
He brings her down and hugs her. "It's alright, just try focusing on a consistent flap rate instead of trying to tire yourself out, okay?"
She looks over his arm at the ground, then grips the limb in a death grip, whimpering softly.
Sighing, he tuckers her into his chest and strokes her mane. "I think you've done enough for now. We can head back inside if you want."
She nods once, trembling in his arms.
As they head off, Ruby leans close to her sister, whispering to her. "Hey, Yang? Do you think she's scared of heights?"
"Maybe... she didn't used to be, but maybe the falling got to her?" She asks, scratching her head.
"Probably had to do with the cake, too..." She looks up at the sky. "...at least she's not afraid of water, right?"
"At least who isn't?" A hand rests on each of their heads and ruffles their hair.
Yang turns, getting back into a sparring stance.
He chuckles, patting her head playfully. "You sure you wanna spar? I don't have boxing gloves like you do."
She smiles as she sees who it is. "Oh, hey Uncle Qrow! We were just talking about Daring."
He raises an eyebrow. "Why? Did something happen?"
"She's still having trouble flying and she might be scared of heights now." Yang says. "We're not sure."
"That... actually sounds bad." He looks towards the house, frowning a bit. "Maybe it could wait until later..." Shaking his head, he turns to head off when a long white object falls out of his pocket.
Being the curious girl she is, Ruby walks over and picks it up, opening it to reveal a house and a woman. "Oh, she's pretty! Look, Yang!" She turns it to her sister before Qrow can react or protest.
"Huh?" She turns her head a bit and looks at it, seeing something... familiar about it.
"Thank you." He swiftly takes it back. "It's not for your eyes, I'm afraid. Only your father's."
"How come?" Yang asks, mind buzzing.
"Because." He leaves it at that, heading inside.
Ruby scratches her head, confused. "...what was that about?"
"I don't know... but I don't like that reason." Yang says, crossing her arms. "That lady kind of looks like me..."
"Really?" The smaller girl taps her chin. "Because her hair's longer. And darker."
"Her face kinda looks like mine." She insists. "Plus, my hair can get longer, too."
She looks at her with a mix of profound curiosity and innocent confusion. "...will its color change?"
Yang shrugs. "I dunno."
"If it did, I think you'd want to change it back." She smiles brightly at her. "You look great just the way you are!"
"D'aww, thanks, sis." She hugs Ruby. "I think your hair suits you, too."
"Of course!" She grins brightly. "Daddy always said I'm the cute one!"
"What does that leave me and Daring as?" Yang asks, curious.
"You're pretty. And she's... uh..." She thinks for a bit, not wanting to share or give up her mantle as the cutest. "...cuddly?"
"Hmm... I think that sounds about right." She nods. "She does have that soft fur all over her."
Ruby fist pumps, excited she gets to keep her title.
Looking around a bit, Yang takes off her sparring gloves. "Wanna go see what's going on in the house?"
She gives her sister a curious look. "Sure?"
"Don't you want to see what was important about that photo too?"
"I guess?" It was more of a confused question than an answer, but it was all Ruby could give her.
"Well, I do anyway." Yang says, heading towards the door.
Not wanting to be alone, the smaller of the two quickly hurries after her.
When they get inside, Yang looks around. "Now where did they go?"
Daring, sitting on a cushion on the floor next to Zwei's bed, raises her head and points to their father's bedroom.
Confused at why she was left alone, Yang sneaks over to the door.
"I'm telling you this as a teammate." The familiar voice of her Uncle Qrow filters through the crack at the bottom of the door. "As your friend, you should stop looking and focus on your family."
"She's part of this family." Her father's voice replies.
"You know what I meant, Tai."
"...yeah, I do." There's a sigh. "So, she was around long enough to take a picture?"
"I barely got that before she disappeared. I don't think she knew I was there."
"Ah, guess she didn't ask about the girls, then." It's not a question.
"...seriously?" The tone is perfectly flat.
Another sigh. "Alright, maybe that was a stupid thought. Is it so wrong to think for a moment she might be interested in her daughter?"
Yang blinks at that, confused because she knew her mother was no longer with them.
"...honestly, there's no way to know what's going through her head. Kinda like Yang, sometimes."
The girl narrows her eyes.
"Well, I guess it's good to know she's still around, in a sense. Thanks, Qrow."
"Yeah." There's the sound of a chair creaking. "Dunno what she wanted with the old place, though..."
Yang backs away from the door, heading back to the other room, looking thoughtful.
The filly sits up completely, looking at the girl with concern and curiosity.
"Yang?" Ruby gently pokes her sister in the shoulder as she passes by. "You okay?"
Sitting down between them, Yang lays back and stares up at the ceiling. "I'm confused..."
"About what?" Their attention turns to the tall man in dark clothing, who is looking at Yang curiously.
She barely spares him a glance before looking up at the ceiling. "Nothing."
He crosses his arms, looking at her skeptically. "You're confused... about nothing."
She sticks her tongue out at him. "I'm just thinking."
He squats down beside her, Ruby sitting down on her opposite side as the filly moves to sit on Yang's belly. "Anything you'd like to share?"
She looks between all of their faces, sighing and smiling sweetly at the man. "I'm fine. Did you only come to visit Dad?"
"Of course not." He chuckles and ruffles her hair. "I came to see my favorite nieces."
Giggling, she smiles more genuinely at him. "You've been doing that more lately. I like it."
"I have?" He taps his chin thoughtfully. "I didn't notice anything different."
Sitting up, she hugs Daring to her. "Well, it's been nice anyway."
"I'm glad." He stands back up and stretches a bit. "Otherwise, I'm being an uncle wrong."
She giggles. "I wouldn't know if you did."
Ruby looks to the filly, clearly confused. "Do you know what they're talking about?"
Daring can only shrug, their wording throwing her off.
At that moment, Tai walks into the room, looking surprised to see all of them there. "Well, everyone having fun?"
The brunette scratches her head a bit. "...is it fun being confused?"
He chuckles, coming over and rubbing each of their heads. "Sometimes, but I think you'll figure it out."
Yang smiles at him before she remember something and looks to Qrow. "Oh, didn't you want to talk to Daring about flying more?"
"Oh." He winces slightly, then turns and rubs the back of his neck. "Yeah... wasn't expecting to do that, today, so-"
There's a loud pop as the lights to the cabin go out, plunging them in darkness, broken only by the light coming through the windows.
As the girls yelp and cling to the nearest body, Tai groans, stroking Ruby's hair as she's the one that latched onto him. "Well, at least we have spare bulbs."
Qrow, having been hugged by Yang, looks very nonplussed at this. "You should check your breakers, just in case."
"Yeah, I'm on it." Pulling out a scroll device from his pocket, Tai takes on it to make it give off a small light. "Come on, Ruby." He gently takes the girl's hand as they walk off towards the breaker panel in a different room.
She does as he says, gripping his hand tight out of nervousness. Eventually, she speaks up. "Daddy?"
"Yeah, Ruby?" He asks, looking back at her.
She looks up at him, his face silhouetted by the light of his scroll. "Who was that pretty lady in the picture?"
"Ah... you saw that?" He says, smiling fading a little but still there.
"Yeah, Uncle Qrow dropped his thingy outside." She tilts her head a bit. "Who is it?"
"She's... an old friend, and the one who gave birth to Yang." He answers softly.
She blinks, frowning a bit in confusion. "...mommy?"
He shakes his head, bending down and hugging her. "No, Ruby... not Summer. This woman helped make Yang, but she didn't stick around after that."
She hugs him tight, arms wrapped around his chest as far as they can reach. "Why'd she go?"
"I... don't know. It was her decision and despite it, well, because of it, I found your mom and got you." He says, kissing her forehead.
The words make her smile, but she feels bad for doing so, since it seems to be at Yang's expense. "...can you tell us about mommy, sometime?"
"Sure, Yang can probably help, too." He gives her another light squeeze of a hug.
She blinks, tilting her head at him. "She can?"
He nods. "She helped me raise both you and Yang. So she knew her a bit longer than you."
She's quiet for a bit, but she eventually nods, smiling softly at him. "Okay, daddy."
Smiling at her, he sets her down and takes her hand once more, going to the fusebox and opening it to see what's wrong.
A couple pairs of eyes look back at him. Frowning, he pulls Ruby back and clenches his fist.
She looks at it in confusion, flinching when it hisses at her. "W-what is that?"
"Tiny taijitu." He says simply before darting his hand in and pulling out a double-ended black and white snake by both it's heads.
The little girl blinks, confused. "...daddy, what's the snake doing in there?"
"Making trouble." He says, glaring at the snake. "And a sign that I need to check the defense in small grimm are getting through."
"...defense? I thought our yard was open..."
"It is, but I have some things around that keep us safe." He says, squeezing the snake until it pops into smoke and fades away.
She relaxes slightly, her grip on his hand loosening a bit. "...then where's the fence?"
"It's less a fence and more aura and scent that instinctively makes bad things steer away from our land." He explains, going back to the breaker box.
"...scents can have a hole in them?" Ruby is very clearly trying not to laugh, her cheeks puffed up and her lips curling into a smile.
"Well, sort of, if it get weak enough." He answers, flipping the switches back on, the lights coming on soon after.
The girl squeaks, covering her eyes from the sudden brightness. Even so, she feels compelled to ask. "...does that turn on the smells, too?"
He shakes his head. "No, the smell is always on. I just need to go make sure it's fine after this. Since it was only a small Grimm, I probably just need to boost the aura a little."
"Okay?" She scratches her head in confusion, but doesn't ask anything else.
"Wanna go check on your uncle and sisters?" He asks, taking her hand once more.
She nods, smiling happily. "Yes, please."
He leads her back to the others, checking the lights in each room they pass to make sure they work.
They all seem to, except for the closet, which seems to have broken glass on the floor.
He grunts. "Well, at least we have spares. I'll replace that in a bit."
Ruby eyes the glass on the floor, pressing closer to her father's side.
He scoops her up into his arms, shutting the door and continuing to move through the house. "Good job being careful of glass."
She beams at this, chest puffed out in pride. "Thanks, daddy!"
Chuckling, he kisses her head as they rejoin the others.
They find Qrow sitting with his back against the couch, and everyone else, Zwei and Daring included, laying on him, fast asleep. He frowns and carefully points a finger at his friend so as to not disturb the pony on his shoulder. "Not a word."
True, Tai doesn't say anything out loud, but his grin says plenty.
Ruby looks up at her father, innocent curiosity filling her gaze. "...daddy, when did uncle Qrow become a couch?"
"Apparently when we weren't looking." He says, looking at her. "Want to join them while I clean up that light bulb?"
She points at them, confused. "But there's no room..."
"Well, I'm sure we can figure something out, but you can just come with me if you'd rather do that." He says quietly.
She nods once and gently takes hold of his shirt, smiling up at him.
Chuckling, he looks back to Qrow. "You keep an eye on those two and Ruby and I will do a little bonding."
"Sure. I guess I can continue to be a bed for a little while longer." His voice and expression are completely deadpan.
"Good." Tai says cheerfully as he heads back out of the room with Ruby, chuckling as soon as he gets through the door.
The girl just looks up at him, confused. "Daddy?"
"Hmm?" He looks down at her as he gets the broom.
She tilts her head to one side. "Why were you laughing?"
"Because your uncle thinks doing stuff like that would ruin his image but he can't help himself around you three." He replies with a smile.
"You know I can hear you, Tai!" His voice comes from the living room.
He just chuckles more, heading back to the closet with Ruby and the broom.
The whole time, his daughter never lets go of his sleeve, wondering how the broom was going to pick up the glass.
Getting the dustpan from the back corner of the shelf, Tai sets it on the ground before looking up at the bulb itself.
He sees a little bit of glass still attached to the base of the bulb, still firmly screwed into the fixture.
He nods at that. "Yep." Flicking the switch to make sure it's off, he reach up and starts working to unscrew the bulb. "Always be careful doing stuff like this, Ruby."
She nods once, watching in fascination.
When it comes out, he catches it, his aura keeping him from getting cut. Putting it on the ground, he sweeps it up with the rest. That done, he reaches into the top of the closet, pulling out a lightbulb from a box and twisting it back where the other was, testing it after with the switch. "There we go."
Ruby just blinks a bit. "...that was kinda boring..."
He laughs, rubbing her head. "What were you expecting just changing a lightbulb? Did you want me to let you try to put it in?"
She blushes a bit. "...maybe..."
Chuckling, he turns the light off and unscrews the bulb, offering it to her.
She takes it, holding up her arms and looking at him pleadingly.
He picks her up, holding her so she can reach the ceiling. "There you go."
She quickly screws the bulb in place, cheering happily once she does so. Of course, she accidentally kicks the switch with a foot, causing it to turn on in her face and her hands to fly to her eyes. "Owie..."
He flicks it off and pulls her head to his chest. "Sorry, that happens sometimes. It'll wear off in a minute."
She clenches his vest in her hands, whimpering softly.
He strokes her hair, bringing her out of the closet. "It's okay, look, you did it yourself, right? That's something to be happy about."
She sniffles, then offers him a weak smile. "...okay..."
He hums in thought. "I think I know what might make you feel better." He takes her to his room, reaching onto a shelf and popping a pair of sunglasses onto her head before showing her herself in a mirror. "Some cool shades!"
She blinks a couple times before biting her lip, trying her hardest not to giggle at how silly she looks with oversized sunglasses.
He puts his head next to hers, wearing another pair. "There, now light bulbs can't get either of us."
She can't help but break into laughter at this one, leaning up against her dad so she doesn't fall.
He laughs with her, hugging her to him and just riding out the fun.
It takes a minute or two, but she eventually calms down, hugging him happily. "Thank you, daddy..."
"You're welcome, Ruby." He says, straightening her shades. "Want to keep those?"
She starts bouncing on her seat, grinning brightly. "Can I?"
"Sure!" He says, hugging her. "You can grow into them."
"Thank you!" She hugs him tight, unable to contain her enthusiasm.
Chuckling, he spins her a bit. "You're welcome, Ruby. Want to do anything else while we have alone time?"
She tilts her head a bit, then shrugs slightly. "Dunno. Cookies?"
"Works for me." He nods, heading tot he kitche now. "Chocolate chip or something different?"
"Chip!" She nods once, clinging to his leg and letting him carry her to the kitchen.
He chuckles, commenting as they walk in. "I swear the sweet level of this house has increased ever since we found Daring."
She looks up at him, her features scrunching a bit. "Sweet level?"
"We've been having more desserts and snacks." He clarifies.
"Oh!" She nods, then giggles brightly. "I thought you were talking about how our family got better!"
"Well, that's true, too." He says, rubbing her head as he starts the oven, the machine glowing orange with dust.
She watches curiously from where she stands on his foot, excitement slowly starting to build for her.
"Hmm... what do you think, two or three for everyone?" He says, smiling at her.
She pouts quietly, muttering to herself. "Why should they get any if they're asleep?"
"Well, it's more for later for them, in case they want some." He leans down. "We could probably have more and they won't know."
Ruby slowly begins to grin. "Deal. But I want eight."
He laughs, gently poking her stomach. "Think you can eat all those?"
She nods, fiercely determined to eat all her cookies.
He chuckles, getting out a cookie sheet. "Alright, but if you feel full, you might want to stop eating if you don't want a stomach ache."
She smiles, hugging him happily around the waist. "Thank you, daddy!"
One hand comes down to hug her as the other continues to work, placing premade cookie dough on the sheet. "You're welcome, Ruby." |
Compass Rose | Chapter 7 | Later that night, when everyone else had gone to sleep, Yang's eyes open. The girl sits up in bed before hopping out and starting to get dressed.
The noise doesn't carry far, but it does wake up her sister, who groggily rubs her eyes as she tries to find the source of the noise. "...hello?"
Yang looks back at Ruby. "It's just me, go back to sleep."
"...why are you getting dressed?" She yawns, sitting up as she looks at her sister. "Where are you going, this late?"
"I'm going to find my mom." She says, looking determined.
"...what? You mean the lady from the picture?" She's more awake now, but not enough to get up off her bed, yet.
She nods. "Yeah, I heard Dad say to Uncle Qrow that she left, and I'm gonna go find her."
"...why?" She scratches her head, resigned to not get any more sleep, tonight.
"Because I want to bring her back." She says, determined.
Ruby looks down at her sister's hand, where the only source of light is in the room. "...is that Uncle Qrow's scroll?"
Yang nods. "Yeah, I bet we could find this place and ask her why she left."
The younger of the two just blinks dumbly at this. "...how did you even get that?"
"I, uhh... got it from Uncle Qrow's pocket..." She says with a bit of guilt.
"You got what from where?" The voice comes from the ajar door, which opens to reveal Daring, sleepily rubbing her eyes.
Yang groans in frustration, covering her eyes. "Did everyone wake up?"
"What do you mean?" She quietly yawns, tottering her way to the blonde girl. "I had to go, real quick..."
Sighing, Yang pulls her into a hug. "Look, just go back to sleep, okay?"
The filly shakes her head. "I can't. Not if you're going somewhere."
Ruby nods, pointing to the littlest sister. "Yeah! What she said!"
Yang sighs. "What, you going to come with me or something?"
They both nod as one, Ruby supplying the reply. "If that's what it takes."
Huffing, Yang nods. "Fine, we'll get the wagon so I can just pull you two."
They quietly cheer, just barely remembering in time that their father is asleep in the next room.
Nodding, Yang stands up in some of her normal clothes. "Okay, get dressed and come on."
They nod and Ruby rushes to her dresser, while Daring simply straightens her hat.
Yang giggles as she hugs Daring. "Lucky you, you get ready so fast."
The filly giggles, hugging back and nuzzling her cheek.
When Ruby is done dressing, Yang stands up. "Okay, let's go. We have a lady to find."
Her sisters nod, the smaller one hitching a ride on the blonde girl's shoulder as they quietly hurry outside.
Going to the wagon, Yang motions for Ruby to sit down. "Here, you can sit in here and I'll pull."
She nods and eagerly climbs in, beaming as memories of being pulled around for fun come back to her.
Yang looks at Daring next. "Do you want to ride with her?"
She shakes her head, patting the girl's shoulder where she's laying. "I'm comfy."
Nodding, Yang picks up the handle to the wagon. "Alright, let's go find her!" With the sort of confidence children tend to have, she sets off into the night.
Later that night, Yang is looking tired as she continues to drag the wagon behind her. She double checks the photo before looking around and sighing.
Ruby has already fallen asleep in the wagon, and Daring starts to nod off. The only thing keeping the girl and the filly awake is the sun starting to peek over the horizon, its light bright enough to shine through the trees and into their eyes.
The oldest girl lets her hair fall in front of her eyes to shield them from the light as she crests the next hill. Her legs stop their auto pilot for just a moment as she gets to the top, unsure if she should keep going.
Daring, honestly more tired than she'd like, slumps to the side, rubbing up against Yang's cheek.
Looking to her, Yang reaches up and rubs her head. "You can go to sleep if you want. I'll keep walking."
"...nuu... you'll be bored..." She flaps a wing uselessly, trying to right herself.
"Heh, I've been bored for a bit on this trip already." She answers, looking up once more before she stiffens up. "Is that...?"
Daring's rose-colored eyes narrow as she looks forward. "...I dunno... sun's in the way..."
"It's some kind of building." Yang says, moving once more down the hill, a smile on her face showing her hope.
The filly's ear twitches, a sound she finds familiar drawing her attention. She gently prods the girl's arm with her hoof.
"Huh?" She looks to her sister curiously.
"Yang, I... hear something..." Her eyes and ears turn every direction they can, her sleep-deprived brain trying to figure out what it was or where it came from.
"Like what?" She asks, continuing to walk.
"I don't know... scratching? Growling?" They're almost at the building before it all clicks. "...oh, no..."
"Huh?" Yang looks to Daring, not looking in front of them as she walks.
She suddenly hears a howl as four pairs of glowing eyes appear in the doorway of the building before them.
Yang freezes as she sees them, eyes wide. "...Grimm?"
Four beowolves emerge from the abandoned cabin, their eyes fixed on the girl, the wagon, and the pony. One of them starts to howl as the others edge closer.
Eyes wide and fearful, Yang tries to back up with the others towards the tree that surround the yard.
Growling, two of them rush forward to try and cut them off.
Instead, they get cut in half.
Confused, yang looks up to see a familiar figure.
Her Uncle Qrow smiles wryly, putting something in his pocket. "Hey, kiddo. You have a fun adventure?"
She shakes her head, a bit stunned from his sudden appearance. "Not really... we walked all night."
"I can see that." He pokes her head, letting her hair fall over her eyes. "Next time, don't run away without letting someone know where you are. And don't take my scroll without asking."
She looks down, scuffing the ground with her foot. "Sorry, Uncle Qrow..."
"Apology accepted. Now stand back as I finish these two-" He chokes on his words, eyes wide in shock as he sees a certain filly tottering over to the beowolves, her hat barely hiding her sleepy expression. "D-Daring, get back here!"
She turns to look at him, which gives the creatures the opportunity to lunge at her.
Fortunately, the man was faster, slicing them in half at the neck and kicking their bodies back at the shack.
As the corpses dissolve into smoke, Yang runs over with the wagon, picking up Daring. "You're not supposed to go closer to Grimm!"
She whimpers quietly. "I wanted to help..."
Yang hugs her. "No crying, no getting hurt." She nuzzles her.
The filly hugs her in return, trying to forget what just happened. She knew it was useless, but she felt she had to try.
"...that was brave though." Yang adds after a time. "I just worry about my sisters."
Qrow sighs, patting her on the head. "You realize you're supposed to start with the positive, right? Makes them more likely to get everything and not focus on the negative."
She looks up at him, bags under her eyes as she blinks. "Huh?"
"...you know what, I'll explain it to you later. For now..." He holds out his hand, an eyebrow raised. She sheepishly puts his scroll into it. "Thank you." He opens it and sees the pictures, sighing softly to himself. "...Yang... this place is abandoned. I'm sorry to disappoint you."
"Oh..." She slumps a bit. "So she's not here?"
"I'm afraid not." He shrugs slightly. "I'm not even sure what she was here for."
She sighs, looking up at him. "Can we go home?"
"Sure, kiddo." He takes the handle of the wagon from her, gesturing inside. "Hop in."
She does so, bringing Daring with her as she settles in, trying not to wake Ruby. "How did you find us?"
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a thin white object with a yellow diamond in the center. "Your father's scroll. It made it easy to locate mine, and I knew you had it."
"Cool." She giggles softly. "I'm glad you found us."
"So am I." He huffs quietly, muttering to himself. "Who knows what would've happened if I were a few moments later..."
"Yeah..." Yang shivers a bit before snuggling close with her siblings. "Is Dad mad?"
He is silent for a while, looking back at her and her two sleeping sisters. "...I think it's better for him to tell you, himself."
"Oh... okay." She nods, her eyes drifting closed. "Good night..."
He chuckles, shaking his head. "Sleep tight, kiddo."
When Yang wakes, it's in a more familiar environment on a couch she knows well.
She feels a familiar weight on her chest, and can see Ruby draped across their father's chair once she opens her eyes to look around.
Groaning, she tries to crane her head to see a clock or something, having no clue what time it is. The only thing that makes her know what happened wasn't a dream is the soreness in her legs.
"See? I told you she'd be awake in time for dinner."
"I wonder if the other two will be." Her dad's voice responds, sounding a bit tired.
"Who knows? It's been a long night for all of them."
Yang looks to Daring as she sleeps on her, a hand coming up to rub the filly's ears. A smile almost instantly grows on the little pony's face, an ear twitching beneath her fingers. Yang giggles as she hears her father sigh quietly.
"Thanks again, Qrow."
"Hey, I was the one who came to you with my issues." He shrugs a bit. "It's only fair I help with yours."
Nodding, Tai walks over to Yang, placing a hand on her head and whispering seriously to her. "We'll talk later, but don't ever scare me like that again or endanger your sisters, got it?"
She nods, tension clear in her body.
Grunting approvingly, he leans forward and kisses her head. "You can sleep more if you want."
"Yeah, she was pretty much asleep on her feet, earlier." He scratches his head a bit. "I'm amazed they were still awake when I got there."
"Were they delirious yet?" Tai asks as he moves to stand.
Yang hugs her dad before he can stand up. "I'm sorry..."
Leaning down, he does the same for her. "I know."
"I don't know. But Daring was especially... well, daring, in trying to protect her sisters." He points to her. "She could barely walk."
"You'd think she was the big sister." Tai says, chuckling as he pets the filly in question.
One of her ears flick at the touch, and her eyes slowly flutter open. Then they're wide open and she jumps to her hooves, wings flared and body tense.
Yang snorts a bit, murmuring in her half asleep state.
Tai strokes the filly's head more. "Easy, you're back home."
She only relaxes a little bit, turning to look at the man in confusion. "...daddy?"
"Yeah?" He asks, picking her up.
Her muzzle scrunches up a bit as she considers her question. "...did we win?"
He nods, rubbing her head. "Yeah, you won."
She relaxes slightly, then closes the distance between them quickly for a hug.
He hugs her in return. "Are you okay?"
"...I'm fine... not hurt at all..." She clutches him a little tighter. "...just... scared, a bit?"
"That's understandable after what happened. He says softly. "You're safe now, though."
She rests her head against his chest, closing her eyes to try and focus on him. "...thank you..."
"You're welcome." He takes her into the kitchen to make sure dinner will be ready, holding her against his chest.
Qrow smiles at this, walking over and patting Yang on the head playfully. "I'm glad you're all safe."
She briefly wakes up again to look at him. "I still want to look for her... but not like that. That was stupid and the others could have gotten hurt..."
"Yeah, I think that's the best course of action." He shrugs. "I'm glad you learned something from this, at least."
She smiles at him, leaning up and kissing his cheek. "Thank you, Uncle Qrow."
"You're welcome." He chuckles, crossing his arms and smirking at her. "Don't think you're getting out of your punishment, though."
"Aww..." she pouts a bit before yawning.
"Get some rest." He glances at the kitchen, then leans in to whisper to her. "I'll make sure he doesn't take away your desserts."
She giggles, nodding as she yawns once more. "You're the best uncle..."
"I know." He grins cheekily, ruffling her hair.
She smiles, closing her eyes as she once more goes to catch up on sleep.
"Sleep tight, princess." He sighs, standing up and pulling out his scroll. He opens it up and looks at the picture inside. "Need to be more careful..." |
Compass Rose | Chapter 8 | Years later, the family strolls down the path towards home, Tai leading the way with the girls behind him.
Ruby carries along a few books, barely able to see over the oversized stories. Daring trots along with a couple bags on her sides, stuffed with supplies she has no idea the names of.
Yang has her backpack slung over one shoulder, walking with confidence as her waist length hair trails behind her.
Ruby speaks up, trying to peek around her books. "Dad, when did you say we were starting school, again? Because there's this movie I want to see that premieres, tomorrow..."
"Oh? What kind of movie?" He looks back at her, curious.
She throws her arms up, dropping her books in her excitement. "Adventure!"
He stops and picks up her books, Yang having done the same as he talks. "Well, I think we can probably go see it, even if we have to go after school."
She practically beams at this, hugging him tight around the waist. "Thank you!"
Chuckling, he pats her head. "You're welcome, Ruby, but careful with your books, okay?"
"Okay!" She giggles, though she doesn't let go.
He hugs her in return before tapping her head. "Come on, we can't just stand in the road."
"Okay, dad." She lets go and hurries off down the road, leaving him with her books.
Yang plops the rest on his pile, giggling as he grunts before she goes off after the brunette, making sure she doesn't go off on her own.
Daring just blinks at this, looking up at her father in concern. "...do you want me to carry some of that for you?"
He smiles and shakes his head, shifting the books under one arm. "I've got it. You're books aren't heavy. Want to run ahead excitedly with them?"
The filly just shakes her head, smiling warmly. "No, I want to stick with you."
He smiles appreciatively as they walk. "You excited for school?"
He chuckles, smiling back at her. "Yeah, but don't think I'll be going easy on you just because you're my daughter."
She grins cheekily. "Like that'll stop me."
He reaches down and rubs her mane. "Fair enough. Any particular classes you're looking forward to?"
She bites her lip, glancing off to the side. "...history?"
"Oh?" He looks curiously at this as they walk. "Maybe I should have seen that coming considering all the questions you asked when you were younger."
She throws her hooves up in the air, shifting into a sitting position as a result. "But it's all so interesting!"
He pauses as she does this. "I get that, and I'm glad you're interested. Our world has plenty of fascinating things about it."
She giggles softly. "I'm glad you agree."
"And you know to go to me, your sisters, or your uncle if you ever have any trouble with anyone, right?"
"Sure, but why?" She tilts her head to one side. "I'm getting better at flying, so I could just avoid them, soon enough!"
He nods. "And that does make me less worried, but I just wanted to make sure you knew."
"I understand, daddy." She smiles warmly, standing up and walking over to gently hug him.
Chuckling, he picks her up and hugs her back, starting to talk once more. "That's my girl."
She giggles brightly, hugging him tight in return.
"Now... how far away did they get?" He asks, looking ahead.
He sees Ruby flat on the ground, her foot next to a rock in the road.
As he picks up the pace, he sees Yang pulling Ruby to her feet, dusting her off.
She hugs her sister gratefully. "Thank you."
Tai smiles at this as they approach. "Probably a good thing I had your books. They would have gone everywhere. You okay?"
"Never better!" Ruby giggles, pumping her fist into the air. "This aura stuff is amazing!"
He chuckles, nodding. "Yeah, just remember there is an eventual limit. You aren't indestructible."
"I know." She nods once, then crosses her arms, pouting at him. "Yours seems to last forever, though. Yang hasn't harmed you at all when brawling!"
Daring tilts her head to one side, confused. "...I thought that was to get better, not hurt each other?"
He offers Ruby her books back as he explains. "They try to measure the scuffs on me as how we'll they're doing. They won't be doing any real damage, though, my aura's been strengthened through years of training."
The filly taps his arm at this. "Will we eventually get as tough as you are, dad?"
He smiles at her. "Maybe even tougher if you want to be."
"Let's all get stronger!" Ruby laughs, starting to jog ahead once more. "One more training session before school starts!"
Tai chuckles. "Alright alright, but we have to get home first."
"Okay!" She calls back, grinning in excitement.
Daring giggles, snuggling a bit more into her father's arms. "Little big sis is pretty excitable, huh?"
He nods, chuckling. "I guess being a huntress to her is like learning history to you."
"Hurry up!" She calls back, bouncing on her heels with unrestrained giddiness. "I want to practice as much as possible!"
Laughing, he picks up the pace. "Alright, alright. And here I thought you all woul dbe hungry when we got home."
Daring raises a hoof. "I'm a little hungry."
"Well then you can have a snack while the other girls train." He nuzzles her. "What would you like?"
She taps her chin thoughtfully. "...can I get some cookies?"
Ruby pauses, leaning back to hear.
"Well... I'd have to bake those." He looks at her. "Are you sure you don't want something more immediate like those fudge cake snacks we bought or a sandwich?"
Daring pouts a bit, but soon relents. "...grilled cheese?"
"Want anything special on them?" He asks teasingly.
"Pickles. Roses." She flings her hooves up in the air. "Mayonnaise!"
Laughing, he nuzzles her while the house comes into view. "I think that's moved past grilled cheese at that point and to just a grilled sandwich. Your tastebuds still baffle me at times."
She sticks her tongue out at him. "You're just jealous you can't taste deliciousness."
Chuckling, he rubs her head. "There's that cheek. We'll make your 'deliciousness' and see if I can get Ruby and Yang to spar with each other in the meantime."
"Okay!" Daring tilts her head to one side, a little curious. "...by the way, when do we start making weapons? Big sis already had stuff planned out for hers."
He rubs her head. "I figured I'd let you girls get some ideas on how you want to fight from your classes before I brought that up. If you have ideas though, I'm up for listening."
She taps her chin, frowning a bit. "...honestly, I'm wondering if I'd even be able to hold a weapon..."
"I'm sure we can figure something out." He looks at her hooves. "We might need to do a little experimenting, but there's ways for everything to work."
"You could always just attach something to her hooves," Ruby points out. "Like a chain. Or a gun. Chain gun!"
"Maybe, but it could be hard to walk like that." He points out. "We'll figure something out."
As the little girl pouts, Daring pokes the man's arm. "What's a chain gun?"
He smiles at them. "Probably not a gun that shoots chains, like Ruby's thinking. They're huge guns that are usually automatic and more designed for things that are stationary."
Ruby pouts a bit. "But they sound so cool... why'd they have to be stationary?"
As they head for the front door, he explains. "Because they're usually really large, heavy, have a lot of kick, and use a lot of ammo. I'm sure someone has found a way to use them portably, but I haven't heard of it."
The filly hops out of his arms, happily trotting to the kitchen. "Weapons talk later. Food now, please!"
Yang laughs as their Dad looks at them. "Well, you heard her. You two can spar if you like until we come out."
"Okay!" Ruby picks up a pillow and smacks her sister in the face with it.
Yang sputters a bit. "Hey, let me put my books down first!"
"Nope!" She smacks her again.
"Oh you're going down." Yang says, narrowing her eyes as she sets her books next to the door and grabs a pillow.
"Not if you can't catch me!" She giggles, dashing away behind the couch.
As Tai sets Ruby's books down and heads into the kitchen, Yang chases after her sister, intent on vengeance.
Daring watches her father enter the room from her spot between the stove and fridge, stomach rumbling for food.
"Alright alright, I'm coming." He says, chuckling. "So let's see... you said grilled cheese, pickles, and... what else?"
"Roses and mayonnaise!" She tries to jump on the counter, wings fluttering for any height they can get.
He scoops her onto it, nodding. "Okay, I think I know what to do." He gets out a pan and the ingredients, glad they found a good place to get flower petals a while back. Buttering the pan, he puts in two pieces of bread, one with cheese and starts to grill them. "This shouldn't take long."
She trots closer, watching the stove hungrily as her tail swishes behind her.
He offers her a large petal to snack on while things cook. "Don't really want the pickles and stuff burning so we have to put it together after the cheese melts."
She nods, happily nibbling away at the treat.
"Do you know what you want to drink with this?" He asks, checking the underside of the bread.
She thinks for a bit, which gives her the chance to swallow her mouthful. "...milk?"
He nods. "Good choice." Seeing the bread and cheese done, he quickly assembles the rest of her colorful sandwich and puts it on a plate. "Give it a minute to cool so you don't burn yourself." With that said, he heads for the fridge to fix her drink.
Not heeding his warning, the call of her stomach overwhelming her, she decides to sneak a bite.
The sandwich is a roller-coaster of taste, texture, and temperature. Everything from mushy hot cheese to soft room temperature petals mixes in her mouth.
She hums happily in delight, her wings flapping behind her much like a hummingbird's.
Tai chuckles when he sees her, a glass of milk in his hand. "Like it?"
She eagerly nods, beaming brightly at him. With the food in her mouth, of course, she can't speak to expand on that thought.
Smiling, he sets the glass next to her. "Well, hope that fills you up. Know what you want to do after you eat?"
She swallows, picking up the glass as she smiles up at him. "Can we watch them spar a bit?"
He nods. "Sure, that way I can see how they fare when they're against someone other than me."
They hear a loud thud from the next room.
He blinks, turning and peeking through the doorway. Yang is sitting on the floor, rubbing her head. "She used a jump attack."
He turns back to see half the sandwich gone. "Really? Huh."
He nods, going back to Daring. "Verticality can be important in a fight."
"...is this your way of nudging me to do more flight practice?" She narrows her eyes at him, holding her drink close.
"Well, Qrow did say practice was important, but that's not what I was getting at." He rubs her head softly.
Daring looks up at him, oblivious to the quiet "oof" from the next room as Ruby sits on her sister to claim victory. "What did you mean, then?"
A soft groan becomes giggles in the living room as Tai speaks. "I was more talking just in general how altitude can allow you better positioning on your opponent and gives you more options. It's like being able to switch between melee and ranged weapons."
She tilts her head to one side, considering his words as she continues to eat.
"I'm sure that'll be covered in some of your classes in some form." He smiles, stroking her mane.
"I see... so the challenge is to know when to use each, right?" She looks up at him, smiling broadly as though she just solved a world-class mystery.
He nods, looking proudly at her. "That's my girl."
She giggles brightly, putting down her sandwich to hug him.
He hugs her to his chest, smiling. "Finish up your snack and we can go play with your sisters, okay?"
"Okay!" As soon as they let go of each other she practically dives into her dish, eating it fast yet savoring as much as she can.
He laughs softly, leaning against the wall to keep an eye on both her and his other daughters through the door, something he's never sure if he was trained better for as a hunter or a parent.
She finishes her sandwich and leaps off the counter, gliding towards him until she can hug his belly. "Let's play!"
Chuckling, he carries her back into the living room.
They find that Ruby has flipped Yang over, pulling on one of her legs as she sits on her back. "Say uncle!"
"Never!" Yang grunts, looking like she's struggling.
Tai goes to sit on the couch, Daring in his lap as he watches. "Yang, you know you could probably get out without hurting her."
She looks surprised at this before nodding and rolling onto her side, taking Ruby with her.
Ruby, now pinned under Yang's rear, flails her arms wildly. "Nooooo!"
"She does have size and weight advantage." Tai coaches as Yang takes advantage and flips over once more, pinning Ruby by laying across her stomach.
"I win!"
"No! I refuse!" She turns her head and bites her sister's thigh, wanting to win.
"Ow!"Yang rolls off, holding her thigh while Tai looks on thoughtfully.
"Yaaaah!" Ruby jumps up and starts smacking her with two pillows, alternating between blows.
Yang braces herself for a bit, leaning over to cushion the blows. Suddenly, she comes back up with a pillow over each hand and tackles Ruby.
Ruby yelps, then dashes away before she can be hit, leaving behind rose petals.
Tai chuckles, seeing the lightly glowing Yang looking away fiercely. "Gotta love little ones figuring out their semblances."
Daring looks up at him, curious. "...you used that word a few times... what does it mean?"
"Well, a semblance is like your own special power." He explains. "They can be genetic, unique, or anything really. It's the special way someone can use their aura."
She tilts her head to the side, then holds up her hoof, eyes narrowed. "Za warudo!"
Ruby calls from the kitchen, "It's not stopping time!"
Tai just blinks at this. "Is this some sibling thing I'm missing?"
The girl pauses in the doorway, looking thoughtful. "...let's say yes."
He nods before looking back at Daring. "As for you, I'll tell you what my parents told me: only you can discover your semblance, so don't worry that you don't know enough, you'll figure it out."
The filly slowly nods, giving him a small smile. "Okay, daddy."
He looks back up at Ruby. "Now, did you still want to spar?"
"Sure!" She points at her still-fuming older sister. "Just not with her. Not when she's angry."
Nodding, he calls to his oldest daughter. "Yang?" She blinks and looks at him. "Come hug Daring until you calm down." After hesitating a moment, she walks over, getting the filly plopped into her lap as soon as she sits down.
Daring looks up at her with wide eyes, then smiles and embraces her, nuzzling her affectionately.
As Yang embraces her, her glow seems to fade back, a smile coming to her face.
Ruby smiles warmly, then carefully takes Tai's scroll. She opens it up and snaps a picture of the two of them.
Her dad gives her a thumbs up and a nod for that, silently chuckling.
Right at that moment, a wing moves up to tap on the blonde girl's nose.
Yang giggles at that, giving Daring a squeeze. "D'aww, thanks, sis."
"My pleasure!" She giggles brightly, looking up at her in adoration and admiration.
As their dad stands up and goes to the middle of the room, gesturing for Ruby to come at him, Yang smiles at the pony. "What do you want to do while they spar?"
The filly tilts her head to one side, then holds a hoof up to her. "Rock paper scissors?"
Laughing, Yang nods. "Sure." She holds up a fist before realizing it still has a pillow on it.
Ruby calls from where she's boxing with their dad. "How would she even play? She has hooves!"
"Hmm..." Yang holds one of Daring's legs, looking at it. "Maybe straight out for paper, curl up for rock, down for scissors?"
"Sounds complicated." Ruby ducks under her father's hand and bops him in the stomach.
His aura takes the blow, but he still nods. "Good job spotting the opening!"
"Well, it's not like she can make hand gestures." Yang counters.
"Then why don't we make something so she can?" Ruby yelps as she gets smacked and falls backwards.
"If you're going to communicate during a fight, learn to multitask." Tai says simply.
"Like what?" Yang asks. "Fingers?"
"More like... robotic limbs... I don't know..." She holds her head. "...too much pain..."
Yang glares at her dad. "You said you wouldn't hurt her!"
Tai goes over to Ruby and picks her up. "I said her aura would protect her from bad hits. A little ache usually happens during a good sparring session. It's how you learn."
Daring tilts her head before looking up at Yang, confused. "He's never hurt me, before..."
Ruby flails her arms. "That's because you're too cute to hurt!"
"Hey, I think you're all cute!" Tai tries to defend himself. "I didn't mean to hurt Ruby, but she and Yang are getting more serious about their sparring."
The brunette girl looks at him curiously. "...what's Daring doing, then?"
"Exploring her interests, from what she tells me." He winks at the filly.
She turns and raises her hoof, smiling warmly. "Daddy helps me out with it!" She looks up at her sister. "We also try to find stuff to do together. He likes rubbing my belly."
Yang looks up at him. "Oh, you do that, too?"
Ruby stomps the floor with a foot, pouting. "Oh, come on! How come I'm the only one who's never done it?"
Her big sisters offers her the littlest one. "Want to?"
The brunette literally pounces on this opportunity, knocking the couch over and tackling them both in her exuberance.
As the giggling begins, Tai shakes his head, righting the couch and seeing his pile of daughters on it. "I wonder if this is just the point in Ruby's life where she has a lot of energy or she's just growing into how she'll be normally..."
Daring looks up at him, curious. "Can it be both?"
"Well... sure." He nods. "Nothing wrong with being high energy."
"Good!" Ruby giggles brightly. "I don't plan on suppressing myself!" At the filly's confused look, she holds up a finger. "Dad's books had words I had to look up."
Tai nods approvingly. "There's nothing wrong with a good vocabulary."
Hearing this, Daring's eyes light up and she thinks of the biggest word she can think of in an attempt to impress him. "Fortune... fornication? Solitude?"
The youngest girl just frowns, crossing her arms. "I only know one of those words..."
Suddenly, Tai scoops all three of them up. "Hey, so are you girls excited for school to be starting?"
Surprised by the sudden subject change, Daring can only stammer, her train of thought lost.
Yang nods. "Yeah, it's gonna be great having all of us there, now!"
Ruby grins, clapping her hands together. "I want to see all the weapons!"
The filly tilts her head to one side. "...would they even have those, yet?"
"Well, your teachers that are hunters would," he explains. "And if you're interested in them, this is the point in your life where you would start looking into what kinds you want."
"I want one like Uncle Qrow's!" The girl speaks up once more, grinning in excitement.
Chuckling, her dad rubs her head. "Yeah, I figured that. You've loved that thing since you first saw it transform."
She nods quickly, grinning widely.
Daring just tilts her head in curiosity. "What is his weapon, anyways?"
"It's a sword that turns into a scythe." He explains.
"...that's it?" She scratches her head. "How does he hit faraway enemies?"
"He's pretty mobile." Tai tries to explain once more. "Qrow just prefers melee and knows how to get around."
"...I guess I can get that?" She shrugs a bit. "I think I'd prefer some amount of range, though."
He nods. "To each their own. Though ranged and melee options are pretty standard for a reason."
"I want mine to have the greatest range!" Ruby cuts in, grinning brightly.
"Sniper rifle, scythe, got it." Tai rubs her head fondly. "It might be a bit heavy."
"Don't care. I'll get stronger!" She nods decisively. "I wanna use a cool weapon!"
Yang smirks. not saying anything but having a face her dad can read a mile away as he responds. "I bet you will, Ruby. Maybe Qrow can help you design it since he worked on his himself."
"Yay!" She giggles giddily, kicking her feet and falling off the couch and onto the floor in her excitement.
Her dad scoops her back up, chuckling. "You're practically exploding with energy today, Ruby. Did you have sugar or something?"
"Five cookie samples!" She grins excitedly, jumping back up and picking up a pillow. "Ready to spar again?"
"If you are, sure." Smiling, Tai gets back into position.
The girl narrows her eyes, then looks behind him with a grin. "Compass Rose!"
Before he knows what hits him, something collides with his knees and knocks his legs out from under him. Ruby jumps on top of him with a cry of victory, smacking his face mercilessly with a pillow.
He laughs as he shields his face with a hand. "Alright, you got me!"
The brunette grins, turning and sharing a high-five with Daring. "We did it!"
Yang laughs as her father smiles at them. "Good to see you working on teamwork."
"It's important!" Ruby clears her throat, causing the girl to blush as she continues. "Or... so I've been told..."
The golden pony nods in agreement. "Uncle Qrow said we should focus on that, as well."
Their dad nods. "Yeah, if nothing else, Qrow knows how to fight."
"Yep!" The filly nods, getting up on her hindlegs and throwing a few punches. "He's been teaching me to fight, too!" She drops back down onto all fours. "Of course, I don't think I'll be using his weapon. It's a bit too... big."
Yang nods at this. "Yeah... swinging something huge isn't my style either."
"Not to mention I'm not sure I'd be able to hold onto that." Daring waves a hoof as if in clarification.
Ruby pouts for a moment before shrugging. "Why don't you two just wear your weapons? Less chance of losing your grip, right?"
Her big sister nods once more. "That's what I was gonna do. I'm thinking something that I can wear on my arms."
Daring simply looks at her hooves, frowning thoughtfully. "...hmm..."
Tai holds up a finger. "Remember though, school isn't all about making your weapon. It's all your education."
At this, she turns her attention to him, smiling softly as she moves to hug him. "I know, daddy."
As he hugs her back, he adds, "and feel free to think of me as your favorite teacher."
Ruby holds up a finger. "What about Uncle Qrow?"
"He's allowed to be your second favorite." He says, sticking out his tongue in a silly face.
Daring taps his tongue with a hoof, giggling quietly. "You're silly, daddy."
"Well, Ruby had to get that from somewhere." He chuckles.
She nods in agreement, then starts climbing up on his shoulders to her favorite spot. Her hooves hug him around the head as she seats herself on his shoulders, smiling happily.
Chuckling, he scratches behind her ears. "I'm sure you'll all do fine in school."
As the filly smiles, Ruby crosses her arms, looking off to the side. "I sure hope so..." |
Compass Rose | Chapter 9 | Tension is an odd thing. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, and sometimes, present even though the rest of the house is sleeping. Tai senses this as he works, awake well before his girls. His focus doesn't exactly help, his hands and eyes on his task while his ears stay alert. Finally, he adds the last touch just as he hears what he expected.
A groggy brunette, a sleepy pony, and a drowsy blonde all manage to stumble their way into the kitchen, the first two clinging onto each of his legs.
"Good morning, girls." He smiles at them all.
"...why do we have to be up so early?" The filly whines, nuzzling into his knee.
"Because today is your first day of school." He pets her head softly. "I already made you all breakfast."
The girls are silent for a moment.
"Chocolate chip pancakes?" Ruby ventures.
"Yes, I knew you'd ask for that." He dramatically pulls the sheet off a stack of them.
She practically jumps on them, grinning thankfully at him before she takes the whole stack for herself.
Chuckling, he puts the next plate into Yang's hands. "Eggs and bacon, just the way you like."
The blonde leans up and kisses his cheek. "Thanks, Dad!"
A sudden weight on his shoulders tells him that a certain pony jumped onto his back from the counter. She rests her head on his shoulder, looking at him hopefully.
Hmm... now what could I have made that you would want..." He looks up, feigning ignorance.
He hears a quiet whimper right next to his ear.
"How about... this?" He pulls out another plate, this one with a large fluffy waffle topped with bananas and strawberries.
Her eyes widen and she grins, pecking his cheek before chowing down, laying over his shoulder as she does so.
Ruby looks up, frowning with her mouth stuffed. "Doesn't she get heavy like that?"
"Not as much as you'd think. She's pretty light, plus I'm used to carrying both of you." He gestures to the other girls.
The filly in question pats his head with a feathery appendage, which then darts forward to tickle his nose.
He snorts, waving it away gently. "Why don't you focus on your food? I've got a couple more things to do."
She turns and nuzzles his cheek with a smile, getting whipped cream on his face. "'Kay." She promptly resumes eating, not bothering to move from his shoulder.
Chuckling, Tai gets back to his other project while the girls eat.
Less than ten minutes later, Tai shuts the lid on the third and final box. "And there you go, all set for lunch."
Daring accepts it in her mouth, holding the handle between her teeth. "Fenk hyoo!"
Ruby looks at her little sister with a small frown. "I do not envy you."
Tai smiles sadly. "Sorry, the box is a bit too big to fit in your bags. Maybe I can work on a strap for it after today so you can attach it to the side."
"I could carry it." Yang offers.
While the filly looks up at her, hopeful, Ruby looks thoughtful. "...couldn't she just, you know..." She holds her own lunchbox above the pony's back.
Yang shrugs. "I dunno. She could try if she wants."
Daring looks to her sisters in befuddlement, the brunette's arm back by her side before she can see what she was talking about. "...try what?"
"She wants to know if you could just balance your lunch on your back." Yang explains.
Daring blinks, tilting her head to one side. "...can I?"
The bigger sister shrugs, taking the lunch box and setting it on her back experimentally while their father watches, amused and curious.
Though it starts to tilt to one side, Daring quickly catches it with a wing, helping it stay balanced on her back.
Tai smiles. "Well, I guess that's an option so you can still talk."
The filly nods once, looking towards her back, then up at him, pouting a bit. "...but now I'll drop it if I hug you..."
Smiling softly, he musses her mane. "It's just for today. I'll do some work on your bags tonight so you don't have to worry about it."
She smiles in return, but not quite as confidently. Turning, the filly gently nudges Yang's thigh, urging her to start heading off so they wouldn't be late.
Nodding, Yang waves to their father as she turns around. "Bye Dad! See you at school!"
Tai smiles at all of them. "Alright girls, have a good first day!"
"We will!" Ruby calls back, waving excitedly as they exit the house.
"I can still carry that if you want." Yang offers to Daring as they walk, pointing to her lunchbox.
She looks up at her, smiling warmly. "If it looks like it'll fall, then please do." After saying this, she spreads her wings and brings them up, pinning the box between them.
Her bigger sister smiles at that. "What classes do you guys have? Do you have any together?"
The two of them stop at the exit to the forest, looking at each other in confusion before the younger one addresses Yang. "We might not have classes together?"
Yang nods. "Yeah, lunch and gym are with everyone, but the others classes are kind of random where they put you."
Daring pouts quietly. "...so we won't be in the same classes? Not even with each other?"
"You could be." Yang pets her head. "I'm a few grades ahead of you, so I was just gonna see you at lunch and gym anyway."
Ruby's eyes light up. "Does that mean we'll get to see you spar with others?"
"Maybe. If they let us, sure you can." She smiles back. "I'll whoop their butts for you."
"Yay!" She hugs her sister, almost knocking her into a tree in her exuberance. "Thanks, Yang!"
"Oof! Hey, you're welcome!" She laughs, catching herself and her sister before they fall.
Daring bites the older girl's skirt, whining as she tugs on it. "Come on!"
"Alright, alright..." Yang grunts as she gets back on the path, setting Ruby down. "We definitely don't want to be late, I swear Dad can hear about anything we do at school if he wants to."
The golden pony looks up at her, curious. "He can?"
Yang nods. "Yeah, with him being a teacher, he knows the other teachers, and he can ask them about us."
She tilts her head to one side, thinking a bit. "...any chance he may be close to any of them, besides Uncle Qrow?"
"Umm... I don't really know any he's close to." She admits.
She clucks her tongue in response. "Darn..."
"We'll figure it out." She giggles. "For now, you want to see if you have any of the same classes?"
"Sure!" The two sisters respond as one, grinning at the blonde girl excitedly.
Nodding, Yang swings her backpack around and digs in it. "Okay, Dad gave me your schedules so we just have to check..." she pulls out three sheets of paper.
Ruby quickly snags one, looking at it intensely for a moment before sighing and handing it back. "That one's yours..."
"Yeah... my name's at the top." She says with a smile, handing her a different one.
She sheepishly takes it, looking at the page. "...homeroom is Miss River Song? That's a pretty name."
"Oh, I had her!" Yang voices. "She was nice, I think you'll like her."
Daring pokes the girl's arm. "What about me?"
"Here you go." She offers her a page as well, turning it so she can read it.
The filly scans the page, then tugs Ruby's arm with her paper down using her left wing, scanning it carefully. "...only two classes are different? That's great!" She looks up at her younger sister, beaming brightly.
It falters when she realizes she's not looking at her, instead staring at the ground where her lunchbox lay, open but with the food still inside.
"And that is big sis's cue to save the day." Yang closes and latches the box before picking it up. Taking a small hair tie out of her bag, she does a quick bit of work until the handle of Daring's lunch box is secure to the strap that goes across the filly's back. "There we go! That'll work for now."
The filly jumps up and hugs her legs. "Thank you! My wing was getting numb holding it up!"
Yang rubs her head. "Yeah, sorry, I just thought of it."
"Come on!" Ruby groans, gesturing to the road. "If we're late, dad might take away our cookies!"
Another child seems to have similar thoughts, their quickly walking form seen coming down a joining path.
Unfortunately, Daring isn't one of them who sees them, turning to nod to Ruby before rushing ahead, yelping when a foot hits her side and grunting as someone trips and lands on her. "...ow..."
"Hey, watch where you're going!" Yang shouts out as she and Ruby run over.
"Sorry, sorry..." The boy, as his voice reveals, groans, getting up and shaking his head.
The filly's leg twitches, her body splayed on the pavement, as shown after he stands up. "...help..."
As the boy backs off, shaking his head, Yang scoops her youngest sister back onto her hooves. "Are you okay?"
"...I feel like a pancake." She shakes herself off, looking up at the guy before her. "...I don't know whose fault that was. So... sorry, I guess?"
He smiles sheepishly at her, revealing teeth a bit sharper than they should be. At the same time his hand comes away from his head to show blue ears on top of it. "I'm sorry, too. I was just running a little close to be late and I'm not used to watching out for things shorter than me."
Daring suddenly leaps up at him, hooves hooked around his shoulders as she gives him a piercing stare. "I'm not small. I'm compact cuteness."
Ruby stares blankly for a bit before turning to Yang, pointing at their youngest sister. "How is he able to support her like that? Her hooves are in his gut..."
Yang shrugs. "Shock? Or maybe he's strong."
The boy blinks his icy blue eyes at the filly. "Okay, okay, not small, got it."
"Thank you." She nods once and jumps off him, gliding over to Yang and resting on her head. "I think I'm gonna stay up here, for now. Less chance of being kicked."
While Yang reaches up and pets her head, the boy checks over himself. When the boy does a little spin, it's shown he has a canine tail to match his ears. When he turns back to face them, he seems unsure. "So... are we good?"
Daring stares at him for a while, a frown on her lips, before slowly gesturing him closer with a hoof, the other taking her schedule from Yang's hand.
Ears and body lowering a bit, the boy moves forward, looking up at the filly. Yang looks on, curious.
She bops him on the nose with the now rolled up paper. "Bad puppy. Watch where you step."
He flinches even at the relatively light tap, the response coming automatically. "Yes ma'am."
Ruby just frowns at him, confused. "Ma'am? She's younger than I am!" She points at her face. "Am I a ma'am?"
"Well, umm..." He looks between them. "Neither of you really look like a 'ma'am', but she acted like the alpha."
The filly blinks, looking down at Yang. "What's an alpha?"
The girl shrugs while the boy chimes in. "The alpha is generally like the leader of the group. It's just how I was taught to see things."
The oldest girl hums in thought. "Wouldn't I be the alpha then?"
The brunette beside her shakes her head. "No, that would be daddy, right?"
Daring, having glanced around, asks nervously, "...what time is it?"
Yang checks her watch. "...time for us to really really get going."
She nods, pointing forward with a hoof. "Onward! To school!"
Giggling, Yang takes Ruby's hand and starts quickly heading towards the school, light padding behind them showing the boy is following them.
The filly turns to look back at him, still hugging the blonde girl's head securely. Her lunchbox bounces rhythmically against Yang's shoulder as she regards him thoughtfully.
He looks curiously at her, tail streaming behind him. "I think we go to the same school." The running seems not to affect him, his breathing still even.
"Huh. Neat." She giggles, reaching over and petting him like she would Zwei, unable to help herself.
He smiles at this, tail wagging behind him. "What's your name?"
"Daring Do." She giggles, bringing the hoof down to hold out to him. "You?"
He shakes her hoof eagerly, smiling his pointed smile once more. "Argent Gale. Nice to meet you!"
"Same!" She smiles, then looks from him to her sister and back. "...are you in Yang's classes?"
"Umm... maybe?" He looks to the blonde, curious. "I'll find out today."
Ruby just shrugs, no longer sure how to take all of this. They all look forward to see the school in front of them.
The building is one of the most grand in the area. Its design brings to mind a gently rolling hill with a few spots smoothed out to make platforms and courtyards.
Daring blinks in surprise at this. "...it certainly looks impressive..." She taps Yang's forehead. "We're going to make it, right?"
She checks her watch once more. "Mmm... yeah, we'll make it." The children join a few other stragglers heading inside.
Daring looks around as she's carried in, curious but not enough to let go.
Yang stops in front of a door, looking to both her sisters. "Okay, I think this is your first class. I have to go off to mine." At some point, the boy had disappeared, likely to his class as well.
The little golden pony whines pitifully. "Do I have to get off? I just got comfortable..."
Lifting her sister off her head, Yang hugs her. "I know, but I have to go to class, too. You still have Ruby."
She just pouts in response. "...but her head's not as comfortable as yours..."
Ruby shrugs, already inside the doorway. "To be fair, you do have more hair."
Setting the filly down, Yang offers her the lunchbox she had been holding. "You'll be fine. You can lay on my head on the way home."
She takes it from her, holding it in her teeth as she gives her best doe eyes. "Pwomiff?"
Yang giggles, nodding. "I promise. Now hurry up before you're late."
Daring nods, rushing into the room and bumping into the lady at the front in her haste.
She gives a small sound of surprise before looking down. "Oh, hello there. Go on and find a seat, class will be starting soon."
She looks up at her, then around the room, considering all the seats for a moment before climbing up onto a chair, her eyes barely visible over the desk.
The teacher, spotting this, grabs a textbook from the shelf and comes over. "Here you go. We can put this in your seat for a boost."
She nods, smiling as she climbs up onto the desk so the book can be placed in her seat. She doesn't notice the snickering from the back, simply grateful towards her new teacher. |
Compass Rose | Chapter 10 | She sets the big book in the seat, smiling at her student. "Let me know if you have any more issues, okay?"
She salutes, scrambling to get back in her seat afterwards.
Nodding at this, their teacher heads back to the front and looks up when the bell rings. "Hopefully that's everyone."
Ruby, sitting next to Daring, just shrugs, not sure whether it is or not, and not really caring at the moment.
She claps her hands once. "Alright class, my name is Miss River Song, and I'll be your homeroom teacher this year. I'll be the one you can come to for homework help and any other things you might have questions about."
One student in the back raises their hand. "Why is there a tiny horse in the classroom?"
She answers smoothly, as though she had been expecting that. "She's just a faunus like some of you are."
"But Faunus don't have both ears and tails!" Another student interjects.
"Not normally, but seeing as there are no better theories, we believe she is simply a different type of faunus." She explains patiently.
"But she looks like a horse!"
"And?" Miss Song asks, giving that student a flat look.
She squirms in place, blushing softly. "...we have horses... I like horses... riding and petting..."
Her friend pats her on the shoulder reassuringly.
Smiling once more, the teacher continues. "There's nothing wrong with liking horses. Just make sure you remember that she's a student, not a pet, not an animal."
The girl from earlier whines a bit.
The teacher sighs. "Sweetie, I need to start class, but if you're still worried after, come talk to me once I let everyone have free time, okay?"
She nods once, her eyes wandering to Daring.
Nodding, Miss Song turns partly to her board. "Now class, the only real announcement today is 'welcome to the first day of school'. Today will be about meeting your teachers and getting a feel for your subjects. It's alright if you don't understand everything right away, because you're here to learn. Now, does everyone have their schedule? IF you don't, come see me and I can give you another copy."
Daring holds up her own in her mouth, letting her see it. Ruby and the other kids all just bring out the paper in question.
"Excellent. Well, there's not too much to do today, so I'll let you all talk amongst yourselves and get to know each other for the rest of the class." She claps her hands once.
The filly promptly hops off her seat and hurries over to the teacher, climbing up several drawers to reach the top of her desk. "Hi."
She looks at her with a smile. "Hello. Normally I'd have to tell a student to get off the desk, but I think I can make an exception for you since it's a bit hard for you to see sometimes."
Daring giggles, then looks at her curiously. "Miss Song? May I ask you something?"
"Of course, Daring." She motions her hand encouragingly.
"You know dad, right?"
She nods. "Yes, I know your father."
She looks down bashfully, her hooves pressing together to wrinkle a piece of paper in front of her. "...what do you think about him?"
Not expecting that, she tilts her head thoughtfully. "He's a nice man. He adores you and your sisters, and he seems to enjoy his job."
The filly looks like she's about to continue when her sister appears next to her, frowning a bit. "When we talked about finding a new mommy, I didn't mean ask everyone we come across."
Daring blushes softly in embarrassment. "...oh."
Miss Song laughs softly. "Well, if it helps, I'm flattered. Is your dad actually looking for someone?"
The girls look at each other, a little nervous, before Daring speaks up. "We... actually don't know."
The teachers smiles knowingly. "Maybe you should talk to him about it. I didn't really get the sense that he was looking for anyone, he was just focused on you three."
The filly, pouting a bit, looks up at their teacher hopefully. "...if he is... would you ask him out?"
"Hmm... I think I could do that, sure." She nods at the cute begging face.
The two siblings, beyond relieved, embrace the woman with big, happy smiles.
The girl from before squirms in her seat, her eyes focused on all of them, but especially the filly whose hooves are wrapped around Miss Song's neck.
Seeing this, the teacher motions her over once the hug ends.
She approaches, but stays on the side opposite the others, hands gripping the edge of the desk.
"Did you want to talk?" Miss Song as softly. "You've been a bit tense."
She whimpers, ducking her head down below the edge of the counter. "...I wanna hug her..."
Miss Song looks to Daring. "Would you like to allow that?"
She gives a small nod before the girl practically drags her into a hug, nuzzling her cheek affectionately.
Ruby, seeing the amount of attention this is getting, mutters to herself. "Maybe we should charge a lien per hug..."
Her teacher whispers to her. "It could be a way to get some extra money, but be sure it's safe."
The brunette girl just looks up at her questioningly.
"Make sure she wants to let them hug her, too." She explains.
She thinks for a moment before shrugging. "I'll let her choose if they can hug her. Or pet her, maybe..."
Miss Song chuckles. "Well, good luck with the lines you might have of students wanting to do that. Be sure to spend some of that money on a treat for her afterwards."
She blinks, looking at her curiously. "She's my sister. Why wouldn't I?"
"Because children your age can sometimes forget things in the excitement. I just wanted to be sure." She glances back at the filly.
She finds Daring stuck in the middle of a three-way hug, her cheeks squished.
"Daring... are you alright?" She asks, unsure if she should intervene.
Her leg kicks slightly as her face slowly starts turning blue.
Miss Song scoops her out of the hug, setting her on the desk. "Alright, children, give her some time to breathe."
Ruby pokes her arm, trying to get her attention. "I think she passed out."
"Oh dear..." She picks her back up. "Ruby, come with me to the nurse's office. The rest of you can go to your next class when the bell rings."
She nods, moving to follow her teacher and her unconscious little sister. "...I think I'll make sure it's one at a time, if we go through with it..."
"Probably a good idea, and keepa better eye on her." Miss sone leads her down the hall. "I think she should be fine, I just want to let the nurse have a look to be sure."
The girl nods and reaches up to comfortingly rub Daring's head. She casts a glance back at the students standing in the doorway of the classroom, who look back at her guiltily.
"Hopefully she wakes up before your next class," Song continues. "I wouldn't want you missing any classes on your first day."
"I hope so, too." Ruby looks up just in time to see a hoof twitch, a sense of relief coming over her.
Feeling the movement, the teacher looks down at the filly as they walk. "Maybe sooner than we thought."
The filly stirs, burying her muzzle in the crook of Miss Song's arm.
"How are you feeling?" She asks softly, stopping their walk.
"...squished..."
She nods. "I understand. That's why I took you from them so you could catch your breath."
She sleepily nods, leaning into the embrace. "...so warm..."
Song laughs softly. "Now now, no sleeping during school. You need to be awake to learn."
"...but I'm so comfy..." She snuggles closer, whining a bit.
"I can tell." She smiles. "But you still need to stay awake. Do you feel up to walking?"
"...I like being carried..." She looks up at her, pleading once more.
She sighs, shaking her head with a rueful chuckle. "Fine, I'll carry you back to the classroom."
Daring smiles softly, nuzzling into her neck as she tries to hug her.
"Daww... you are just an adorable sweetie." She giggles softly as she leads Ruby back to the room.
The two of them return to see the girls crouching behind the teacher's desk, an air of gloom about them.
Seeing them, the teacher smiles and walks over. "Girls? She's fine. We didn't even make it far before she woke up."
Startled, the one who didn't ask rushes away, while the other hugs the teacher around her hips, apologizing the whole time.
Setting Daring down on the desk, Miss Song pats the head of the girl hugging her. "It's alright. Just remember to always be gently when you're hugging."
She nods, casts the filly one more longing, if regretful, glance, then dashes to her desk, as well.
Sitting back at her own desk, Miss Song looks to the filly. "It might be good to let her know there aren't any hard feelings so she doesn't feel guilty."
Daring frowns a bit in thought, but shrugs in response. "I'll tell her later."
"Now are you two excited for school?" She asks the two sisters.
"Yep!" They both cheer at once.
She laughs. "I'm glad to hear that. Did you have any questions about it?"
"Can you tell us about history?"
"Can you tell us about weapons?"
The answers come at once, and the two look at each other curiously before turning back to their teacher, sheepishly smiling as the filly offers a third option. "...history of weapons?"
Smiling at them, she thinks. "Hmm... well, you'd be better off waiting for the actual classes, but if you want a little preview: did you know the first weapons were just improvised tools?"
They blink, looking at each other uncertainly. Ruby speaks up this time. "Then... weapons weren't also guns, back then?"
She chuckles, shaking her head. "Not at all. That came along way later. If people wanted ranged options, they needed to carry another weapon."
The girl blows a raspberry and crosses her arms. "That sounds like too much trouble."
The teacher holds up a finger. "And that's why those who wanted to be hunters started to get special training to handle that."
Daring, ever the curious one, leans closer, eyes sparkling in excitement. "They did? What kind of training?"
"Well, first they had to start with actually training with weapons instead of just swinging them how they felt was right." Taking a pencil, she draws them a small picture on a paper. One figure holding a sword is in front of many.
The sisters lean in, watching the pencil move with unbridled interest.
"Before there were so many different ways of fighting known, everyone would just be trained at once by the same master." She draws them all in the same pose. "We didn't really have the more individual fighting styles of today."
Ruby frowns, crossing her arms on the edge of the desk and resting her head on them. "That... sounds boring. Different fighting styles show a person's own... ness."
"That's true, and that's something that's important today. However, back then..." she draws some looming dark shapes. "The point was to be able to stay safe."
Daring taps her chin, looking at the new shapes. "Are those the Grimm?"
Their teacher nods. "Yes, Grimm are the primary threat we train against."
"How did they fight them?" She tilts her head to one side. "Did they have special plans?"
She nods. "Ambushes, flanking, and all the other tactics you'll learn. They were practiced for the Grimm."
The filly nods, satisfied with the answer. The girl pokes her teacher's arm. "So they kept them safe?"
She nods sagely. "Yes, the most important part of a hunter's job is to keep people safe."
Ruby stands up straight once more, grinning excitedly. "That's what I'm gonna do!"
"I'm sure you'll be a great one, Ruby." Miss Song responds as she nods. "It's great to see someone your age so determined about what they want to do."
Daring, not wanting to be forgotten, holds her hoof up and waves it for attention. "I wanna help people, too!"
Song turns to her, still smiling. "I'm glad to hear that. I bet you'll help in your own way."
Her hoof lands on the desk as the filly gives her a curious look.
"Fighting isn't the only way to help people." She clarifies. "There's all sort of combinations of ways."
Ruby, a little disappointed that the subject strayed from weapons, picks a pen from the cup on her desk and starts doodling on a day planner.
Daring, however, looks interested and hopes she'll continue.
"You could be a doctor, a teacher, one member of a hunter team who goes out on special exploration mission instead of just combat.." She lets her voice fade as she looks up, thoughtful.
The golden pony tilts her head, reaching over to poke her hand with a hoof. "Miss Song?"
"Hmm, yes?" She looks back down at the filly.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Oh... I'm just remembering some teams I used to hear about." She smiles softly. "Sorry, I suppose I drifted off for a moment."
They look at each other, silently asking if they should enquire about the team.
Then the bell rings.
"Well, that's all for today. You girls don't want to be late for your next class." The rest of the class is filing out even as she speaks.
They nod, but Daring hugs the teacher one last time before they leave.
She waves at them as they go, smiling happily.
"That was fun." Daring says, smiling brightly.
"Yep!" She brings her arms up behind her head, looking around at everyone. "I hope she becomes our new mom. She's really nice." |
Compass Rose | Chapter 11 | Later that day, Daring is sitting in another class as a couple stragglers filter in before they are late.
She hums softly to herself, carefully placing the apple she had for her teacher on the space between her and the empty seat beside her. She was glad this class had tables instead of desks, as the desks were kind of confining. She did have to stand on her seat, though, and prop her front half on the table's surface.
As another girl walks in, she looks around before settling her green eyes on the empty seat. She strolls over before noticing Daring, giving her a strange look before speaking. "This seat taken?"
The filly just shakes her head, smiling and gesturing with a hoof to the other seat. "Go right ahead. Just don't eat the apple."
The tanned girl sets her bag down and sits. "You saving it for lunch?"
"Nope!" She picks it up, beaming brightly. "It's for the teacher!"
"Oh..." She rests her cheek on a fist as she looks at it. "Why didn't you give it to your homeroom one then?"
She blinks, turning to look at the girl in confusion. "Because I gave her a hug."
The girl tilts her head at this, one of the dark brown braids framing her face falling in front of it instead. "And she let you?"
"Yep!" She grins. "She called me adorable."
She smiles at this. "Well... you are tiny and look soft. That does make you cute."
"I'm glad you agree!" She giggles, then holds out her hoof, the apple still in it. "Daring Do."
The girl smiles and reaches out, only to look at her hoof curiously from a few different angle before firmly gripping it further down her arm before gently shaking it. "Jade Nekame."
"Jade? Like your eye color?" She points at her eyes with a free hoof.
She touches her cheek, smiling. "Yeah, like that. Apparently I had big eyes when I was a baby."
"I bet mine were bigger." She sticks her tongue out teasingly.
She narrows her eyes a bit before laughing and nodding with a smile. "Probably. I've never seen a faunus like you before."
"Neither have I." She giggles along with the girl, jumping a bit when the bell rings. Glancing around, however, reveals that there's no teacher to be found.
Jade peers around as well. "Late on the first day? What kind of teacher do we have?"
"The kind who isn't late."
The two of them tense, slowly turning to look at the adult behind them, who is sternly frowning back. "I'm glad to see you two are in your seats, at least."
Jade meets her eyes evenly, replying. "Yes, ma'am."
The woman says nothing, moving around until she's at the front of the class. She then turns and taps the board with her finger. "Welcome to math. I'm your overqualified teacher who wants to push you to your limits." She pauses for a moment before sighing, resting her face in her palm. "That was a joke."
There's a few half-hearted laughs around the room, but the joke seems to have gone over most of the little one's heads.
"...yeah, I guess it's a bit advanced for most of you." She sighs, then shakes her head. "Anyways, I'm Night Song. Some of you may know my sister in law."
Jade looks to Daring to see if she knows what the teacher is talking about.
The filly simply shrugs. "River Song is my homeroom teacher. Maybe that's who she's talking about?"
The lady groans, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Yes, that's her."
A few other students murmur and nod at this information while Jade shrugs. "I wonder if I'll have her as a teacher..."
Night smiles wryly. "Well, since she also helps you kids in third grade make weapons, I'd say the chances are pretty high."
The girl seems to brighten up at this, grinning at the thought. "When do we get to do that anyway?"
"What, you think it's that simple?" She frowns, crossing her arms as she leans back against the board. "You have to learn the basics, first. Practice with mock weapons to see where you excel, then build your own personal weapons around that." She points a finger at her, then at a boy sitting in the back. "You two might want something similar, then find out your semblances work better with something else entirely."
"Oh..." She looks disappointed at this.
Night grimaces slightly at this. "...of course, some people have been known to master a weapon in as few as five days..."
Her grin snaps back onto her face with information, eyes glinting with challenge.
"Anyways, back to math!" She turns and starts writing on the board, her hand starting to slow down a bit as realization dawns on her. "...I've got chalk on my back, don't I?"
A student pipes up from another table. "Eh, just a little dust."
"Ice or fire?"
There's a few giggles. "Chalk!"
"Good." She turns and smiles, pointing at Jade. "Would you like to come up and solve the problem on the board?"
She blinks at being singled out, only to nod as walk up to her.
She offers her the chalk and directs her towards an equation that has parentheses and an exponent. "Take your time. No need to rush."
"Umm..." She blinks as she looks at it. She writes down the results of he numbers below the parenthesis, but pauses at the raised number.
Night watches in silence, almost in an expectant manner. Daring does the same, if only a bit less patiently and more squirmingly.
After a moment the girl writes a number before combining them all into an answer. She sets the chalk down, looking up at her teacher expectantly.
She eyes the board, considering how to best approach the situation placed before her. Finally, she turns to face her student. "You got everything but the exponent right." She smiles wryly, crossing her arms. "The point of this was to have you acknowledge what you do and don't know and request help when you needed it."
"Oh." She blinks and scowls for a moment before her expression softens. "Do I... need to stand up here to learn how to do that?"
"No." She shakes her head, crossing her arms as she smiles at the girl. "See, we're actually covering exponents next month."
Jade smiles back. "Oh, okay." With that said, she goes back to her seat, remarking to Daring. "I didn't think that was advanced stuff."
The filly frowns a bit. "...I mean... it's a little advanced?" She shrugs a bit. "I dunno."
"We weren't supposed to know it yet, I mean." She clarifies, looking forward before she can get in trouble for talking and not paying attention.
Chalk zooms past her face, where her nose was, before hitting the table behind her and covering the other students in dust.
"Oh, that reminds me." Night smirks playfully at them. "We are allowed to test your reflexes during the school day. So no dozing off, okay?"
Jade grins at this, narrowing her eyes challengingly. "Yes, ma'am!"
She nods once, then holds up a finger. "Keep in mind, only teachers are allowed to do this. Any students caught throwing items at others with intent to harm or otherwise fighting will be disciplined."
There's a couple murmurs around the room, but most students are nodding at this while a few sigh in relief.
She nods, then claps a hand on the board. "Now, who wants to learn about fractions?"
She's met by only blank stares and one student speaking up. "Aren't those hard?"
"Only if you jump in at the deep end." She points at the board before stopping, staring at the planner on her desk. "...wait, that's supposed to be mid-semester... why did..." The woman blinks, then brings a hand to her face, groaning quietly. "Dang it. River got me again..."
There's a little bit of slight snickering before Jade speaks up. "So what are we doing?"
She quietly sighs, shrugging a bit. "Honestly, I have to properly organize my notes... since I don't know how long that will take, you all should review what was covered last semester and get to know the classmate beside you; you'll be grading each other's assignments, and be paired for any projects."
As the class starts to chat, Jade look at Daring. "We do the grading?"
The filly shrugs. "Maybe it's another way to review, and a way to get kids to do better?" She smiles slyly. "You know, since someone else can see how you're doing."
She nods at this, looking thoughtful. "Yeah... I can see that. Do you want to pair up, then?"
"Sure!" She smiles brightly at her. "I'd be happy to!"
Smiling back, Jade nods. "Great! I guess we won't see that yet, though." She glances up at the teacher.
Night Song clearly agrees, even though she is shuffling through paperwork and not really paying attention.
Turning back to the filly, Jade shrugs. "So, what do you want to do?"
"Hmm..." She looks around the room, tapping her chin with the tip of her hoof. Daring can see posters on the walls, a number of students besides herself as they chat and gossip, their teacher idly spinning another piece of chalk in the air an inch above her finger, and a plush toy with an unusually long head and a hand on its tail. There were a good number of items in the room, she realized. "...I Spy?" |
Compass Rose | Chapter 12 | Before long the bell rings to signal most students' favorite time of the day: lunch. Throngs of students of all grades meander towards the large cafeteria the school boasts, a variety to choose from in each line for those who didn't bring their own food.
Three who did, however, move together to find a table. Daring, slightly embarrassed, looks up at her older sister. "I could carry my own lunch box..."
"I know, but then you couldn't talk or you'd have to walk slow." Yang smiles down at her. "You know I don't mind taking care of my sisters."
She points a hoof at their other sister. "Then why didn't you carry hers?"
"Because Ruby can get grabby with her food if you try and take it." The blonde nods at Ruby.
She pouts, hugging her box to her chest. "I don't want you to take my cookies..."
"I have been known to do that." Yang admits.
"And that's why I'm holding onto mine." She sticks her tongue out, not noticing how her younger sister is staring up at her lunchbox nervously.
"Anyway, how about that table?" The oldest sibling points to one near the wall.
The other two nod in agreement, Daring dashing over to make sure no one else claimed it.
As they walk over, Yang looks to Ruby. "So, are you two having fun so far?"
Ruby nods as the filly clambers up onto a bench. "Yep! The teachers are really nice!" She frowns, rubbing her forehead gently. "One hit me with some chalk, though..."
The big sister narrows her eyes. "What? Oh, wait, was it Miss Night Song?"
Her eyes widen in surprise. "How did you know?"
"I have her, too." She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a pink piece of chalk. "I kept it as a souvenir."
Ruby throws her hands up. "But mine exploded! I can't keep a souvenir of dust!"
"But you can of Dust!" Yang points out, grinning.
She opens her mouth to respond, then stops, looking at Yang in confusion. "Was that supposed to be a joke?"
"Yeah, cause you know, Dust like huntsmen use in their weapons." Her smiles becomes a bit more sheepish. "Dad said jokes like that are called puns."
"Jokes that need to be explained aren't very pun-ny," Daring speaks up, smirking playfully. "The punchline needs a good amount of punch to it."
"So... I should wear my boxing gloves?" She asks with a smirk.
The filly frowns a bit. "Too much punch, sis."
"No such thing." She replies, rubbing her head as they sit down.
As the three of them prepare to eat, someone approaches their table, a tray held in their unsteady hands and her ears twitching nervously. She stands there a few seconds, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth, before she gently pokes Yang with the corner of her tray. "E-excuse me..."
"Huh?" Yang turns to look at her. "Hey, what's up?"
She flinches a bit as all three of them turn to look at her, but she gives her best smile, even if it looks like a grimace. "H-hey, can I... join you?"
The oldest sister looks over her a moment before smiling. "Sure, we've got room."
She relaxes almost immediately, bowing in thanks before turning and sitting next to Daring, reaching over and petting her head gleefully.
Ruby leans close to Yang, whispering in her ear. "So... is she a pony Faunus, too?"
She shrugs, humming in thought. "I think so... her ears look like Daring's."
They sit in silence for a moment, watching as the new girl starts scratching the filly behind the ear, before Ruby mutters, just loud enough for Yang to hear. "Pretty touchy... wish I thought to start charging, already..."
"What do you mean?" The blonde asks, looking down at the muttering girl. "Do people keep scratching her ears a lot?"
She just nods. "Our whole class was interested. Two almost squished her."
Yang makes a small o with her mouth. "Wow... she's pretty popular, then."
"Yep. Thinking of charging one lien per hug." She smirks a bit. "What do you think?"
"Is there a family and friends discount?" She asks.
"Family gets hugs free. Friends only pay half."
"Wait," the girl across from them speaks up, confused, "how does one pay half a lien?"
Yang hums in thought. "Two for one deal?"
She scrunches her nose a bit, but sighs and shrugs. "That works, I guess."
Ruby blinks then turns to look at her sister. "Hey, do you know her name?"
Yang shakes her head. "No, I think I saw her in one of my classes, but I didn't get her name."
"Sky Riverdale." They turn to see the girl hugging Daring to her chest, blushing in embarrassment. "S-sorry I didn't introduce myself, earlier."
Yang smiles as she opens her lunchbox. "It's cool, nice to meet you."
The filly pokes the girl's cheek, drawing her attention to her. "I'm Daring Do."
Ruby quietly mutters, just loud enough for Yang to hear. "Still wish we called her Compass Rose..."
The blonde leans down, whispering. "But then unless we said her full name, we'd just be calling her Compass."
She turns, then sticks her tongue out at her. "Still an awesome name."
Yang laughs, putting a hand on Ruby's head and mussing with her hair. "Alright, it is. Make sure you eat your lunch."
As she turns to do so, the filly speaks up, her hoof raised. "Hey, you didn't introduce yourselves to her!"
"Oh, whoops." Yang rubs the back of her head, laughing. "I'm Yang Xiao Long and these two are my sisters."
Ruby, a cookie in hand, smiles as well. "I'm Ruby Rose." She then starts eating, not really noticing the confusion on Sky's face.
"...wait, what?" She tilts her head to one side, absently picking up an apple as she looks at each of them in turn. "Why do you all have different last names?"
"Different moms." Yang replies casually, taking a sip of her drink. "Same dad."
"Well, except for Daring, anyways," Ruby points out.
"Nah, our dad is still her dad." The older says, nodding at her own logic.
Sky blinks, looking down at the filly eagerly eating her lunch. "...then who's her mother?"
Yang shrugs, taking a bite of her sandwich. "Whoever dad ends up liking, I guess."
"...how did you get a sister without a mother?" She scratches her head in confusion.
"Dad found her." The oldest sister answers once more as another shape approaches the table, one that they had met on the way to school.
"So... does that mean she's ad-"
"Puppy!" Daring suddenly jumps up, knocking her head against Sky's chin, both of them wincing and holding their sore spots.
"Oh, it's you!" Argent smiles at them. "Do you have room for one more?"
"Sure." The filly weakly smiles at him, still in a bit of pain.
Sitting down on her other side, he looks at the two in pain curiously before digging into his lunchbox and pulling out two cold packs. "You want to borrow these? I don't need them since it's time to eat."
They gratefully accept them, though Ruby does have to give him a confused stare in response. "Why do you have two ice packs? Wouldn't one be enough?"
"One's specially for my drink," he replies, pulling out his lunch which includes some kind of cooked animal leg.
She blinks, then holds up her red container of milk. "You don't use a thermos?"
He shakes his head, pulling out a large cup with a lid on it. "I can fit more drink in this."
A golden hoof reaches over to poke it. "What's in there?"
He smiles, cracking it open and taking a sip. "Strawberry, banana, and pineapple juice." His tongue slides out to lick his lips afterwards.
Daring blankly stares at him. "...that actually tastes good?"
The brunette girl giggles off to the side. "Not as good as milk."
Pouring a little into his lid to serve as a cup, he offers it to the filly. "You'd be surprised."
She looks at him questioningly, then leans forward, grips the lid in her teeth and tilts it up to drink.
The berry and banana blend nicely together to form a smooth satisfying flavor while the pineapple provides a sharp end and aftertaste.
The wolf faunus watches her with anticipation, ears pricked forward.
She nods, sighing blissfully as she flips the lid perfectly onto his cup. "Yeah, that's pretty good. You should try this, though!" She offers her own thermos to him.
His tongue lightly flicks out as he sips, humming afterward. "That is nice... I usually just drink milk with cereal."
"It's my go-to drink!" Ruby grins eagerly, throwing her arms wide and nearly smacking her sister in the face.
"Hey, watch it!" Yang says, laughing.
"So both of you drink this at lunch?" The boy looks to the filly and the brunette.
"Yep!" They glance at Yang, tilting their heads to the side cutely, in unison, asking the same silent question.
"I mean... I like milk, but sometimes I drink other stuff." She smiles sheepishly.
The younger girl bops her on the nose with her spoon, pouting a bit. "Traitor."
The only boy at the table bites off a chunk of his lunch, watching curious as the siblings interact. After he swallows, he looks to Skye. "What about you? What do you drink?"
She furrows her brows, slowly lifting up a bottle of clear liquid. "Water?"
He tilts his head. "Do you not drink anything else?"
"No." She scrunches up her nose. "There's too much sugar in other drinks."
He looks down at his juice mix curiously before shrugging. "If you say so. As long as you like it, that's fine."
Sky nods, then starts to drink, humming happily to herself. She then hacks a bit from the water going down the wrong pipe, getting water and spittle all over Daring's mane.
Yang winces. "Eww... hold on." Digging into her backpack, she pulls out a small towel and drapes it over Daring's head. "Dad gave me this for gym, but it's still clean right now."
The filly's muzzle scrunches up a bit. "...think daddy can help clean me up a bit?" She looks around at everyone. "Is there a shower?"
Yang nods. "There are showers in the gym. We have that class right after this. You could probably just dry off and shower after class."
She nods, then quietly pouts. "...wish I had my hat..."
"Yeah... probably would have helped there." Yang agees.
"...wait... is her hat some kind of tan color? A pith helmet?" Sky, no longer choking, points at her own head questioningly.
"Yeah, that's it!" The blonde nods. "How did you know?"
She flinches, then points somewhere across the cafeteria. "The... school bully... has it..."
Yang's eyes narrow as she turns her head to see where she's pointed.
She sees a mountain of a girl, laughing with her group at one of the larger tables. The two things she can tell, since her back is facing them, is that she has a lion's tail, long red hair... and Daring's hat on her head.
The filly blinks at this, surprised. "...I thought we couldn't wear hats in school?"
"I never asked, but if we can't..." She gets a sly smile. "Dad wouldn't want us getting in trouble for fighting, but if he sees her in that hat, I bet he'd confiscate it."
Ruby looks around, then frowns softly. "...but dad's not here..."
"Yeah... maybe we can call that plan B." She hums in thought. "She might have gym after this, most kids do. They have us change during then, so we might be abel to swipe it in the locker room."
Sky raises the hand that had been soothingly rubbing Daring's belly. "What if she never lets it out of her sight?"
"Well... she has to if we really can't wear hats, especially in gym, right?" The blonde seems like she's running out of ideas.
"Yeah, I guess... so... where is she going?" The pony-eared girl points to the golden pony, who is currently trotting over to the much larger - compared to her - girl.
"Uh oh..." Yang quickly slides out of her seat and follows.
She stops right behind the girl, puffing her cheeks out and spreading her wings, trying to be intimidating. Of course, since she does this, she can't exactly speak.
As Yang walks up behind Daring, Argent shows up at her side, looking curious at how the exchange will go.
The large girl finally notices, turning to look at them and raising an eyebrow. "What? You need help finding something?" When Daring opens her mouth, she just holds up a hand and smirks. "Oh? If you're looking for the point to your lives, I think it's down a well, somewhere."
Argent narrows his eyes, a quiet growl coming from him while Yang bristles and speaks up. "Better than being locked up like you'll be!"
"For what?" She shrugs, smiling wickedly at her. "I did nothing wrong. Just told her somewhere to look."
"You also took her hat." Yang counters.
"Says who?" She smirks, running her finger along the brim. "I say this is my hat, and you can't prove otherwise."
Daring's eyes light up, and she turns to Yang, smiling happily as they recall something only they know.
"Yes, we can. The kind of proof any teacher would believe if we told them." Yang says with a smirk.
The bully rolls her eyes, turning and waving her off. "We both know you're bluffing."
Argent leans down to the filly. "Should I actually go get a teacher or do you have this handled?"
She nods, looking up at him with a smile. "Let's do this the right way. Maybe humble her while we're at it."
Nodding, the boy heads off, going to one of the teachers just standing against the wall on the other side of the cafeteria to make sure no fights break out.
The taller girl blinks, staring at the boy in confusion. "...what is he doing? Why are you two suddenly smiling?"
The boy returns quickly with the soft smiling Miss River Song. When she spots Daring, she speaks. "Everything going okay over here?"
She pouts and points a hoof at the bully. "She stole my hat!"
She growls, pointing a finger back at her. "She's lying!"
Miss Song looks between the two thoughtfully, trying to gauge their faces.
After a moment, Yang holds up a finger. "Daring's name is on the inside."
River raises an eyebrow at that and holds out a hand for the hat. "Let me check."
The tall girl huffs, crossing her arms defiantly. "I don't have to show anyone anything."
River's voice goes straight to stern. "Do it, or you'll have detention on the first day of school and every time I ask it will only get worse."
Everyone is shocked by this, and the girl simply takes the hat off and hands it to her.
"Thank you." She goes right back to smiling as she flips it over and looks inside. "This definitely seems like yours, Daring." She sets it on the filly's head. "You can keep it with you, but you might have to put it in your bag at times, alright?"
She nods, beaming brightly and moving to happily hug her.
She pats her head softly. "You're welcome. Now, you probably want to make sure you finish your food. Gym class is coming up and you'll need your energy."
She nods and hurries to her seat. The older girl watches her, frowning deeply all the while.
As the other two follow the pony, River heads back to her spot.
When they sit down, Daring takes a seat in Argent's lap and looks around, fighting to keep the frown off her face. "...I thought there'd be cheering..."
"Well, maybe they don't want to draw attention?" The wolf boy point her head towards a nearby table where there are a few smiles directed at her. "A change of leader usually isn't that simple. She might try something else."
She frowns, nodding a little bit. "Yeah, I guess I can see that." The filly smiles and tips her hat at the other group.
They give her a few waves and thumbs up.
Yang smiles as she watches. "Looks like you might get admirers at this rate."
Daring looks up at her, curious. "...what's an admire-rer?"
She grins as she eats. "A word dad taught me that means people look up to you."
"Really?" Sky can't help but speak up, frowning a bit. "I thought it was someone who wanted to be your boyfriend..." She glances at Argent. "...or, uh... girlfriend?"
The boy looks behind him before returning the look at Sky while Yang responds. "I think I've heard it used like that, but not much, so maybe you're right."
Ruby speaks up. "We could always ask dad or Uncle Qrow."
Yang nods. "Yeah we should. Maybe we'll have one of them for a class later."
Sky mutters to herself, resting her head on her open palm. "Isn't one of them one of the gym teachers?"
"Uncle Qrow is, but he sometimes goes off on missions." Yang explains.
She just furrows her brow in response. "Missions? I thought he was just drunk... or hungover."
"I think dad's said that he's good about not drinking when he's teaching..." The blonde looks up as she thinks before shrugging. "Guess we'll see."
Daring and Ruby look at the two of them in turn, bafflement clear on their faces.
Argent, who is absentmindedly chewing the last bit of meat off his bone from lunch, comments. "How long do we get for lunch anyway?"
The bell rings right after he finishes his question.
Ruby raises her hand. "That long."
Nodding as the mass of students start to get up and chatter, the boy holds his hand out to Sky and Daring. "Can I have those ice packs back?"
They nod and hand them back, though the filly has to do so with her mouth. She pauses to briefly nuzzle his hand before hurrying after her sisters.
Sky watches them go, smirking a bit at the boy. "She's pretty cute, huh?"
He smiles and clenches his hand a bit. "Yeah... cute and brave."
The horse girl giggles, bumping his hip with hers. "I bet you think more than that." Then she starts cleaning up her tray, getting a last few quick bites in before she has to leave for her class.
Argent pauses after he picks his lunchbox, looking at her curiously. "What do you mean?"
"If you have to ask, you aren't ready!" She calls back at him as she races out of the cafeteria, pausing just long enough to throw her trash away.
Tilting his head in confusion, the wolf boy is soon off to his own class. |
Compass Rose | Chapter 13 | Qrow sighs, sitting on a bench outside the school as he looks out at the empty tracks. "...school starts too early, I think."
A familiar face walks over, having changed into something more appropriate for gym after having watched over lunch. "You sure you don't just stay up too late?"
"No, I don't." He shrugs and takes a swig from his bottle, turning and placing it on the bench next to him. "So, when do you expect the first ones will show up?"
"When they realize they don't know if they need to change or not." She replied with a smile. "So, maybe five minutes."
"And what about my niece?" He points at a spot just behind her and to the left, where said filly is standing, an excited grin on her face.
River turns and spots her, laughing. "You know, I've been seeing you everywhere today."
"Except in math." She grins cheekily. "That was your sister."
"Sister-in-law." Qrow quickly corrects.
She smiles. "Yes... though it's understandable you wouldn't get that since we do have the same last name."
She tilts her head, frowning a bit. "...does that mean Miss Night Song joined your family?"
She nods. "She married my brother."
Before Daring can say anything else, Qrow interjects once more. "Yes, she's still single. No, I won't date her, despite how cute she looks."
River gives him a look. "Now now, at least let her speak so you know f that's what she was going to say."
"...that was pretty much my question." She gives her uncle a look. "Just the first one. Then I was going to ask if my sisters needed to change."
"Hmm... everyone should have their uniforms by now, right?" She checks with the man.
He shrugs. "As far as I know, Ruby and Daring don't have theirs. Not that she seems to wear pants, anyways." He smirks at the sheepish pony.
"Yeah... I had been wondering about that. I would have thought she at least wear combat skirts or something." The other teacher comments.
The filly puffs out her cheeks briefly before answering. "Skirts feel weird on me. And a vest is all I need anyways, right?"
River scratches her head. "I don't know... maybe? You might be fine when it comes to decency laws because of your tail."
The man beside her starts to reply but suddenly stops, turning to look at his fellow teacher for a long moment. Then he chuckles and grins cheekily.
She gives him a long look before finally asking. "What are you thinking?"
"Something not suitable for the current audience." He chuckles, reaching over and gently petting Daring's head, enjoying her happy sigh.
"Well, alright then." She nods before looking up as other students filter in, some uniformed, others not. "Maybe the first thing we should do is assign uniforms so everyone has them."
"Good idea." He rubs his chin thoughtfully. "You help the girls, I help the boys?"
"Perfect." She smiles at him, before clapping her hands to get the attention of the students. "Alright, it looks like that's almost everyone. Girls, follow me and we'll get you your uniforms. Boys do the same for Mister Qrow."
They nod and do as told - all but Daring, who just sits by the bench and pokes the bottle sitting on it. "...why does this water smell weird?"
Seeing the filly hanging back, a familiar face from math calls to her. "Come on, Daring! You'll miss it!"
She blinks, turning to look at her in confusion. "Miss what?"
"Getting your uniform!" The girl actually stops, hands on her hips as she shows that she already has her on, though she seems to have made a modification to make hers sleeveless to show off her muscular arms.
Daring blinks, looks down at her vest, then back up at her, whining softly. "But I like what I'm wearing..."
"Do you want it to get sweaty?" Jade asks, crossing her arms.
"...no..." She pouts at her, slowly making her way over.
Keeping an eye on them, River motions them into into a doorway. "Come along into the locker room and we'll get you all sorted. Those of you who don't have uniforms or need bigger sizes let me know."
As they all head inside, the filly sticks close to her favorite non-familial teacher. This proves to be troublesome when the lion girl from before steps up, scowls a bit at her, then turns to Miss Song, who is barely half a head taller than her. "I need a bigger outfit."
"Alright, what size do you need?" She asks, walking to a collection of boxes with folded clothes in them.
She groans, crossing her arms in front of her as she blushes. "C-can't you just measure me and not make me say my size out loud? Please?"
Smiling, she nods and grabs a tape measure. "Sure. Just come over here and I'll do that. You'll just need to be still for me." Many of the other girls who already have uniforms chatter amongst themselves.
Daring smiles and waves at the friends she remembers making earlier, completely missing how the tall girl brushes past her.
As Miss Song works with the bigger girl, Yang walks over in her own uniform. "Yeah, they do this every year, but at least it's only the first day."
The filly can only tilt her head to one side, confused. "...so... you look a little odd when you're not wearing your normal clothes..."
She looks down at herself. "Yeah, red and white aren't really my colors, but they're the school ones so we don't really get a choice."
Her sister stands beside her, looking quite put out. "I happen to like red, Yang."
The blonde rubs the brunette's head. "Well yeah, but that's why I said they weren't my colors. Red definitely works on you. I'm more of a yellow girl."
An uncertain voice speaks up from nearby. "Is it because you're blonde?"
"Well, yeah, that helps." She turns to see who it is who spoke.
She sees Sky waving at them, standing next to Daring's other friend, both of them wearing uniforms.
The three sisters walk over, Yang speaking up. "Well, at least not everybody has to get new uniforms. We should still be able to have fun this class."
Daring's gaze wanders to the clothes nearby. "...any chance I can just go with the shirt?"
Yang shrugs. "I don't know. You sure you don't want a pair of shorts or something? they usually have versions with tail holes for faunus."
She frowns, pointing at her backside. "I really don't think they have clothes that work with my body."
"You never know until you try." Her oldest sister says.
"...then one of you four pick out something..." She mutters to herself, moving over and picking up one of the smaller tops.
Pointing to Ruby, Yang says simply. "You should probably pick out yours, too. They don't offer skirts for gym though, sorry."
"...aww..." She walks over to where the filly is, sorting through the clothes together.
Meanwhile, the teacher offers a set of clothes to the lion girl. "Here you go. These should fit nicely. Let me know if you feel you need different ones."
"Yeah, sure, thanks..." She takes them and hurries off to an isolated stall to change.
With that done, she looks around to the rest of the girls. "Does anyone else need help?"
Sky raises her hand, then points to the two still digging through clothes.
Walking over, River watches them for a moment before talking. "What seems to be the problem?"
They both jump, then look at her, then at each other. Ruby decides to speak up. "We... need our uniforms?"
"Are you having trouble finding sizes?" She asks, looking at them curiously.
The filly nods, but Ruby shakes her head. "I was hoping for a skirt..."
Sifting through the shirts and holding one out for the filly, Miss Song looks to Ruby. "I'm sorry, but the code is pants or shorts to avoid students tripping, keep things aerodynamic, and make sure your clothes don't get caught on things."
She pouts, but after getting no reaction, she sighs and moves to go get a pair of shorts.
"How's the shirt fit, Daring?" The teacher asks as she looks back at the filly.
She looks uncomfortable. "...it's... pinching a little in the shoulders..."
The tall lion girl passes by, scoffing quietly. "The word is either biting or cutting into. Pinching is for armors and fingers."
"Here, take it off and we'll try one size up." She pulls out another shirt, not deterred in the slightest.
She just nods, struggling to take the clothes off.
Meanwhile, Sky watches with no small amount of curiosity. "...do you think she should have her uniform tailored for her wings?"
River helps the filly get it off, getting the new one on after. "I'll cut some holes for them once we find a good size. It won't be pretty, but it'll work."
Daring moves around a little in the new shirt before nodding and smiling at her teacher. "It's a little loose, but it's comfortable, at least."
"Good, now I just need to see it a moment..." She takes this new one, heading to the desk to grab scissors.
Meanwhile, Jade speaks up, looking unsure. "So... are you naked right now?"
The filly looks at her, confused. "...yes?"
Sky sighs, crossing her arms as she mutters under her breath. "Don't make this weird..."
She flicks her eyes to Sky, hissing. "I was just asking! I don't know what the rules are for... people who walk on four legs."
Ruby taps her chin, thoughtful. "I think her tail covers her well enough..."
Jade shrugs. "If you say so."
At that moment, River comes back with the shirt. "Here, Daring, try this. Ruby, did you find some shorts?"
She suddenly looks very guilty. "...no..."
"... what's wrong?" River asks.
She bows her head, her answer quiet yet still clear. "...I miss my combat skirt..."
"It's just for one class, dear." She crouches down as she speaks softly. "You get to put it back on afterwards."
"...but it still feels weird."
Sighing, the teacher thinks. "What if I gave you a longer shirt and a little belt? It would hang down over your short just a bit to give you a skirt."
Ruby stands there in silence for a few moments. "...that's all I can hope for, isn't it?"
She nods. "I'm sorry, Ruby, but I do have rules to follow. We have shirts, shorts, and pants. That's it."
She whines before caving in, giving a small, reluctant nod. "Okay..."
With the sorted, the teacher offers her one of their skinny but longer shirts and a pair of shorts. "Here you go. Now..." she looks to the room at large. "Does anyone else need help?"
The lion girl raises her hand. "How come the pipsqueak gets to go without pants?"
Sighing, River rubs her head. "That's been a subject of discussion since her enrollment. Daring, let's at least try to get you into a pair of shorts and if they don't work, we'll just say your tail and stance is enough." She holds up another pair of red shorts like the ones she gave to Ruby.
She tries to protest. "But my tail-"
"Is enough?" Ruby ventures.
"Is surprisingly smooth?" Sky interjects.
Daring yanks her tail from the horse-girl's hands. "...might get in the way." She finally finishes.
"I'll just cut a hole like I did for your wings." River offers.
It's clear she wants to put up a fight, but she acquiesces, not wanting to make this take longer than necessary. She nods, stepping over to try it on.
Before she holds it out, River actually pulls her scissors out of her pocket, cutting the tail hole first. With the done, she opens and holds them out for her to step into.
Placing her forehooves on her shoulders, she carefully steps into the clothes, not quite used to standing on two limbs like everyone else.
River helps her put them, on, even popping her tail out for her. "There you go. It looks like it fits fine."
She looks back, shaking her rear. "It feels weird..."
There's a rapid knock at the door, and Qrow's voice filters through. "Hey, you through playing dress-up? We have to get going; the time for changing is up!"
River claps her hands. "Alright girls, you should all be set now. Starting tomorrow you'll be required to change into your gym clothes at the start of class, you'll change out at the end. Now come on, time to see how the boys look in theirs." There's a few giggles as she leads them out.
Daring rushes out the front, excited to see her other friend. Sky can't help but giggle a little at this. |
Compass Rose | Chapter 14 | The boys are milling about when they exit the locker room, entertaining themselves in various ways. Some are actually just watching the girls come out, Argent being one of them.
The wolf boy's body hair is a bit darker than others his age, and while his muscles aren't the largest, they do seem defined.
Of course, the filly rushes straight up to him, grinning brightly. "You look great!"
Rubbing the back of his head, the boy grins and laughs. "Well, thanks. Same to you! I'm glad they found a uniform that worked for you."
"Are you kidding?" She turns around to show him her shorts, pouting a bit. "I have to wear these... and no underwear underneath, which really doesn't feel good."
He clears his throat, cheeks pink. "Well, umm... didn't you bring any underwear?" His eyes lock onto her tail.
"No." She turns back to him, pouting rather adorably. "I didn't think I'd need them."
"Well... you can just bring them tomorrow, right? So it'll be better." He still smiles at her. "We can still have fun today."
She scrunches up her muzzle a bit. "...I don't actually have any..."
Argent blinks at this. "How... how do... wow, you really do never wear pants, huh?"
She nods. "And now you know why I'm upset."
"Well, sorry..." He bends down so his head is on her level. "Anything I can do to help?"
She just rears up and hugs him, nuzzling his neck for comfort. His hands gingerly come around her before he switches to hugging her warmly.
Yang watches on, looking thoughtful with her own smile.
Meanwhile, next to her, Sky giggles excitedly.
As he hears Miss Song clap to get their attention once more, Argent reflexively stands up, forgetting to stop hugging Daring and ending up holding her up.
"Alright, students, time for you to get a little exercise."
The filly looks to her as she embraces the boy a little tighter, visibly straining not to look down.
He changes his hold to supporting under her, more comfortable and more stable. As the teachers start to say what they'll be doing, he whispers to her. "I won't drop you."
She blushes softly at this, turning and gently nuzzling his cheek. "T-thank you..."
"And now, Qrow, if you would?" River looks to her co-teacher.
He blinks, looking at her as he pulls his bottle away from his lips. "Sorry, what? I wasn't paying attention. Was this tag or keep away?"
She rolls her eyes before facing the students. "You'll be playing tag, but there will be three people at a time who are it, and no getting too rough with each other."
"Right." Qrow points at Daring and Argent. "The cuddling couple of kids are two of them. Who wants to be the third?"
Jade raises her hand while the other two get a bit pinker. "I'm up for it."
"Good." He nods, then looks at River once more, taking another swig. "Your turn."
She nods before looking at all the assembled children. "You have ten seconds before they start tagging."
They all quickly scatter, leaving the three kids alone with the adults in record time.
River laughs. "That gets them going... don't worry you three, we have team games some days, too."
Daring nods in thanks, still not wanting to let go of Argent.
"So... I guess we should go get them?" He asks her.
Jade just smiles at the two, eyes scanning for her first target.
Daring nods, but still doesn't let go.
Miss Song looks at each of the chasers. "Aaaaaaand... go."
Jade takes off towards the nearest group of students, a grin on her face as she chases them down.
Before he can rush off, the filly taps his arm with a hoof. "Hey... do you think we should play smart? Plan this out?"
He looks down at her and nods. "Surround them so they can't escape?"
"And cut them off when they're fleeing from Jade." She grins excitedly.
"Should we split up for that?" He asks, still not having let her go.
"Not for making sure she catches them." She grins, then leans up and whispers into his ear.
Nodding, Argent smiles as he starts to head towards the others, Jade already among them like a hawk among pigeons. They can even see a panicking Sky somewhere in the mix, trying hard to avoid her friend's touch.
Darting around the side Jade isn't on Argent heads for the thickest crowd of students.
Daring tenses, looking up at the boy with eyes full of trust.
He braces his arms under her before tossing her a ways in front of him, giving her a bit of air time, but not getting her too high.
Her wings spread as soon as she's tossed, a golden glow surrounding her as she somehow glides through the air. She jumps from person to person, tagging each with a feather light touch before suddenly crashing to the ground at the wolf-boy's feet.
Chaos erupts among the children as newly made 'it' people turn on their friends. This is made even more hectic as none of them even know who the real one who is 'it', forgetting the rules they'd heard only minutes before.
Meanwhile, Argent scoops Daring back up, brushing her off as he moves to stay away from the crowd, having already tagged his successor to the 'it' title. "Are you okay?"
"...I'm fine, I think." She rubs her head, confused. "...what happened, anyways?"
"You glided and tagged some people." He explains, doing a small leap away to dodge a charge. "It looked like you were glowing, it was so well done."
The filly blushes brightly, hugging him a bit tighter. "...not what I meant, but thank you..."
He smiles, looking back to see they've separated the the main groups and no one has seemed to notice. "Looks like we outran them."
"More like you outran them." She giggles, tapping him on the nose.
His ears wiggle as he laughs. "Yeah, I guess I haven't really let you run yet... did you want to be put down?"
She hugs him a little tighter at this. "...did you want to put me down?"
He nuzzles the top of her head. "Not really. I want to stay like this for a bit."
"...we could probably hide somewhere so we won't be bothered." She smiles up at him hopefully.
He thinks for a moment before grinning. "Yeah, let's do it!" He looks around the fairly open gym, wondering where they could go.
She points at the bleachers beside them. "How about there?"
Nodding, the boy casts one more glance at the other students before prowling over to the quieter and less hectic area behind the seating. He looks around, smiling as they go a little further in. "It's kind of like a little den."
She looks up at him curiously. "A den? Like a living room?"
"Umm, sort of, sorry, it's just a term my family uses to describe a homey place." He blushes a bit as he sits down, her now in his lap.
"Oh, that's neat." She smiles up at him, turning to better cuddle up against him. "So... how long do you think we can get away with this?"
He turns his ears towards the edge of the bleachers, listening. "I think we can stay here until the teachers call us."
"Good." She smiles, then leans into his embrace, closing her eyes and sighing happily.
Argent looks a bit off-put at first, unsure what to do with a girl all but sleeping on him. In the end, he tuned out the sounds of the class that he can still hear and just starts stroking her mane.
Her soft breaths are surprisingly soothing, and she flicks a ear towards his hand as he continues. It's actually pretty mesmerizing.
So much so, in fact, it takes the sound of shattering glass to make him notice the smaller of their teachers nearby.
River peeks at them. "Hey, you two. Just letting you know, a light fell and there's a bit of glass right now. We're dealing with it, but just be careful when you come out, okay?"
Daring slowly nods, hugging the boy tighter for security, hoping they won't get in trouble. Who knows if they're supposed to be under there, after all. "O-okay."
"And for the record: don't think you can get out of every gym class by hiding under here and getting cozy with each other." She grins at them knowingly. "However, today is one of the days you can."
She blushes brightly, shakily nodding in the face of this new information.
"Alright, you two have fun, then." She smiles and disappears from view.
Argent speaks softly after a moment. "She's very understanding."
The pony can only nod, unsure what to make of that. "Should we, you know... do something?" She looks up at him, nervous. "There's glass, after all..."
"Well, she said they were keeping everyone away from it, so I don't think they would let us help clean it up," he reasons. "We could do something here, though, and it would be listening to them."
"True..." She smiles at him, leaning up and nuzzling his cheek. "What do you want to do while we wait for the end of class?"
The boy looks thoughtful as his cheeks stay pink. "Well, we've been talking, so we could keep doing that, or maybe we could play a game or something?" Looking around, he confirms that the bars they're among under the bleachers would make running hazardous.
Daring clearly realizes this as well. "Hmm... what game can we play that doesn't involve too much moving?"
Argent takes one hand off her to rub his head. "I don't really know, my family's games usually involve moving around, and when they don't, it's usually board games or something."
"I wouldn't know, either." She shrugs, then edges closer to him, nuzzling into his chest. "Your family sounds pretty interesting, though. Are they all puppies like you?"
He shakes his head. "No, my dad and I are wolf Faunus, but my mom and my sister are fox Faunus."
Her eyes widen at this. "Does that mean they have bushy tails?"
He nods with a grin. "Mom has a red fox tail, my sister has a snow fox one."
She squirms a little, nervous. "...would they be mad if I tried to cuddle their tails? They sound really soft..."
He looks thoughtful at this. "They are. I hug mom's and my sister snuggles hers when she sleeps. I bet they'd like you and let you hug them if you asked." By the time he's done talking, he's absentmindedly touching Daring's tail softly.
Daring notices this, but doesn't say anything, either because she doesn't want to embarrass him, or because she genuinely enjoys it.
"That'll be two lien."
The filly jumps in surprise, turning and staring in surprise at her sisters, who had somehow snuck up on them.
Yang leans against the wall. "I was starting to wonder where he'd carried you off to."
She can only blush at this. "...y-you saw us, then?"
"Well, I mean you two were just standing there with him holding you before the game started." She points out. "You've been looking pretty comfortable like that, sis."
She gives a sheepish smile. "He's... really comfortable..."
Ruby just looks at her older sister, very confused. "But I thought she said you were comfortable, earlier, Yang."
"She did..." She narrows her eyes at her pony sister. "Do I have to share with him now on being comfortable to you?"
"...maybe?"
While the other two are distracted, Ruby sneaks over to Argent, poking his shoulder. "You still owe us two lien."
He looks down to the filly still in his arms, looking back up at Ruby with a pleading face. "But... she likes it and we're friends, do I still have to pay?"
She thinks for a moment. "Friends get half off, so..." She holds out a hand to him, smiling warmly. "One lien."
He does a small snort, having to take one arm off Daring so he can fish into his pocket and pull out the one lien chit. "Here, at least it's definitely worth it."
She smiles and takes it from him. "Pleasure doing business. And hey, maybe you'll join the family and it'll be free."
He puts his arm back around the filly, hugging her. "I'd like that. I'll end up spending way too much money if I don't."
"Then find a way to join our family." Daring looks up at him, hopeful. "I certainly wouldn't mind."
He smiles at this. "Maybe we could hang out after school sometimes?"
The filly eagerly nods, nuzzling under his chin. "I'd like that..."
Yang cuts in. "We'd need to ask Dad first, he'd probably want to meet him."
She blinks, turning to look at the blonde girl. "We do? He would?"
Yang nods. "If we want to play with anyone after school, yeah. Otherwise, Dad will worry. You know how he gets."
She nods, then taps her chin, frowning a bit. "...what class does he teach, again?"
"History." Yang answers, smiling.
She blinks, grins, and then frowns cutely. "How come he didn't tell me he taught my favorite subject?"
"Maybe he wanted to surprise you?" The oldest sister offers while Argent has started to stroke the filly's mane once more.
"Maybe." She smiles lazily, leaning into his touch and humming happily.
Yang continues, remembering her schedule from earlier. "I think you have his class after this."
The wolf boy speaks up. "I have history after this, too."
"Great!" She jumps up and hugs him around the neck. "Carry me to class?"
Ruby frowns a bit, pointing a finger at her. "Shouldn't you get changed first, though?"
"Yeah, weren't you all like 'pants are dumb!' when we were in the locker room?" Yang adds, making her voice higher as she imitates the pony.
Daring curls up a bit more against Argent, pouting quietly. "...I don't sound like that..."
He nuzzles the top of her head as Yang continues. "Plus, the rest of us and the boys have to change, too."
"But I'd be willing to carry you after that." The boy quickly adds.
She squeals in delight, bouncing in his lap in glee.
Ruby frowns, looking over her shoulder and between the seats at the clock on the wall. "Don't we have twenty minutes, though? And that's if they clean up all the glass."
"So that just means we still have time to do stuff, right?" Argent smiles, looking down at Daring.
"It sure seems like it." She smiles back at him, an ear twitching.
"...what can you even do, here?" Ruby looks around, frowning a bit. "It's so crowded."
"It's less crowded than out there." Yang points a thumb over her shoulder.
"Yeah, but what games can you play when there's bars every five feet?" Ruby retorts.
"That's what we were trying to figure out." Argent answers, looking around. "I think we pretty much have word games, ones that keep us sitting, or maybe some kind of obstacle course."
"There's also truth or dare." A voice says from the other side of the bleachers. |
Compass Rose | Chapter 15 | They turn and see a familiar black and gray clothed man leaning against the seats, holding a water bottle.
"Hey Uncle Qrow!" Yang waves to him. "What do you mean?"
He turns his head enough to see her, an eyebrow raised. "You've never played truth or dare?"
"I mean, we dare each other, but it's never really been a game, it's just been a thing." She shrugs.
"Then make it a game." He whistles, waving the other teacher over. "Hey, teach them how to play truth or dare."
She comes over, giving him a look. "At least they're not older, when this game becomes trouble."
"What, like what happened between you and Night?" He chuckles, taking another swig.
"Shush." She holds up a finger to him as she goes over to the children. "So, this game is actually pretty simple. One person ask another 'truth or dare'. If they answer truth, you ask them a question that they answer honestly. If they say dare, you dare them to do something. Once that's done, the person who was asked, asks the next person."
The filly blinks, surprised. "...that sounds... surprisingly simple."
She nods. "The rules are supposed to be like that. Some people add other ones like punishments if you don't want to do a dare, but that's up to you. Just don't do anything bad, okay?"
Ruby raises her hand. "Can the punishment be to drink from Qrow's water bottle?"
"Nope." He holds it protectively. "Not gonna happen."
"Try not to involve people who aren't playing's things." River chides lightly, holding up a finger.
"...but he was the one who suggested it," she replies, confused. "And it's just water, right?"
Qrow noticeably avoids eye contact.
She quickly shakes her head. "Don't worry about it. You kids just have fun, okay? Qrow and I can't play because we need to keep an eye on the other students, too."
They nod, though Daring turns and points at Yang. "Truth or dare?"
"Dare." She smiles confidently at her.
"I dare you to find that lion girl and hug her!" She grins at her older sister.
Yang instantly groans. "Of course..." She peeks out from behind the bleachers, looking for her.
She finds her with her friends, scowling up at the empty spot where the light was.
Yang narrows her eyes before looking over at her uncle. "Hey, can you come with me so she doesn't just punch me? Cause then, I'd have to punch her back and then we fight and Dad would be mad."
"Yeah, sure." He shrugs, then pushes his bottle into River's hands. "Don't drink it."
"I won't." She answers as Yang leads Qrow over to the group of girls. When she gets close, Yang pretends to trip, hanging onto the lion girl in a sort of hug to keep falling.
"Whoah!"
A hand grips her by the collar, lifting her up off the ground as a growl rumbles in the taller girl's throat. "You did that on purpose."
Yang kicks her feet a bit as she smiles. "Hey, all I did was catch myself on you. I didn't make you fall."
She snarls and pulls her arm back to fling her, only to be stopped by Qrow. "Yeah, no, I can't let you do that, Miss Blaze." He carefully extracts his niece from her grip and sets her back on the ground.
"Yeah...so... sorry!" With a wave, Yang darts back to behind the bleachers and announces to the others. "Did it!"
"With some help from Uncle Qrow," Ruby points out.
"Hey, if we want to keep the game going, I had to do something. That girl would never let me actually hug her." The blonde snorts. "Now... Ruby, truth or dare?"
"Truth." She frowns a bit. "I don't feel like hugging that girl."
"Yeah... but here's one: if you couldn't wear red at all, what color would you wear?" She watches, curious.
She blinks, rubbing her head thoughtfully. "Uh... black or white, I guess? Yellow's your thing, and those are still colors for roses, I think."
"How come not pink?" Argent asks.
She blushes, rubbing her arm awkwardly. "...because I kinda forgot about it."
Yang giggles as she rubs Ruby's head. "Yeah, I dunno, a lot of those seem too bright for you. Who do you wanna ask?"
She thinks for a bit before leaning back and calling out to the gym. "Hey, Jade! Truth or dare?"
The girl soon shows up, a light sheen of sweat on her body. "Truth."
She stares, baffled. "...what were you.. wait, no, question!" She taps her head with her hands before she continues. "Have you ever wanted to do what Argent is doing?"
She glances at the wolf boy before shrugging. "Eh, a little during math, but just to see if she was as soft as she looked. I don't think he'll be giving her up anytime soon, though."
She glances at the two of them, then shrugs. "I guess not."
"Daring? Truth or dare?" Jade asks, sitting down and wiping sweat off her forehead.
"...umm..." She looks up at Argent, as if expecting him to have the answer, then shrugs and sighs. "Dare, I guess?"
"I dare you to..." She stops and thinks. "Fluff out your wings and make a bird noise."
She blinks, then shrugs, spreading her wings and grinning at her. "Jade wanna cracker!"
There's a assorted giggles around as the girl laughs. "So you really are a bird horse, then?"
A hat smacks into her face and rebounds into Daring's hoof, her expression even, betraying no thoughts. "Could a bird do that?"
The girl grumbles, rubbing her face a bit. "Just take your turn, Feathers."
"Sure." She looks up at Argent, smiling warmly. "Truth or dare?"
"Hmm... dare." He answers with his own grin.
She hums thoughtfully, her eyes moving to Jade for a moment. "...I dare you to mess up her hair."
He flinches a little. "That's, not what I expected..."
Jade raises an eyebrow at him, as if challenging him. "You're lucky we have showers here, so I can fix it after."
Daring smiles, gesturing the girl closer. "I'm not getting up."
"You never know, he might put you down." She says, only moving one step closer.
Argent shakes his head. "Not unless I have to." With that said, he reaffirms his grasp on the filly as he stands up.
She grabs his arm, not wanting to be dropped.
As the girl stares straight at him, Argent gingerly reaches up and rubs her hair back and forth quickly to mess it up. She grits her teeth, letting it happen but frowning at him. "You're lucky this is a dare."
A golden wing comes up and messes it up even more. "There. That fits Jade pretty well, right?"
"Maybe?" He offers while the girl tries to straighten her hair a bit.
She speaks up as she does so. "I was thinking of getting it cut shorter."
Daring blows a raspberry, patting her on the head. "You look good as you are. Why change it?"
She blows a raspberry while Argent looks thoughtful. "Ruby, truth or dare?"
"Wait, what?" She whimpers softly. "I just went. Can't you ask, I dunno..." She glances through the bleachers, then points at a certain horse girl. "Her, Sky!"
As the girl comes over, Argent sighs. "I guess I can change it."
Sky slows to a stop as she rounds the bleachers, frowning a bit. "...should I be concerned?"
"Truth or dare." Argent asks her simply.
She blinks twice. "...dare?" She scratches her head in confusion, muttering to herself. "What's a dare?"
"I dare you to... try and take Ruby's belt so she doesn't have her 'skirt' anymore!" He points at the girl who deflected his question.
The girl in question squeaks, suddenly dashing off to avoid this fate. At some point during this, she suddenly veers to the right, grunting when this makes her hit a metal x in the bleachers. "...who put that there?"
Sky walks over, removes the belt, and then moves back to put it on Argent's head. "There you go."
"Okay, your turn." As the boy shakes it off, Yang goes over to Ruby to make sure shes okay.
Sky shrugs, then turns to the girl beside her. "Truth or dare, Jade?"
After seeing everything else, her answer is quick. "Dare."
She nods towards the other side of the bleachers. "Do something to humiliate Delta Blaze."
"...who, and do they deserve it?" She asks with a straight face.
She frowns, reaches over to grip her chin, then carefully turns her head so she sees the lion girl they'd met at least twice, as a group.
As she sees the girl, Jade says simply. "Have you ever heard the phrase: don't poke the dragon?"
"She's not a dragon, she's a lion." She crosses her arms at her. "Come on, aren't dares supposed to be binding, or something?"
Daring, baffled, looks up at Argent for confirmation.
He shrugs as Jade cracks her neck. "I'm gonna do it, I'm just saying she's gonna be mad." She narrows her eye as she looks around for something to use.
"Please, take your time." Sky smirks playfully. "Just do it before class ends."
She snorts. "Do I still get to ask someone?"
"Of course you do." She pats her on the shoulder.
Smiling, she looks over at the others, looking thoughtful. "Ruby Truth or dare?"
She blinks, still a little frazzled from colliding with steel bars. "...what?"
"Nevermind, want to go again, Daring?" She quickly changes targets.
The filly blinks, looking from the girl to the boy holding her and back. "...the opposite of what I did last time? I can't remember."
"Truth then." She smiles, eyes darting to the boy. "What exactly are you liking about that boy holding you?"
"He's nice. And a cute puppy." She giggles, turning so she can pet his head with a wing.
"Anything else?" Jade asks as the boy's ears wiggle.
"Umm..." She taps her chin thoughtfully. "He's comfortable? I don't think I can think of much else before we learn more about each other."
"Think you'll be even harder to get away from him then?" Her grin gets wider.
"Yeah, I guess?" She tilts her head to one side. "Why?"
"Just wondering." She laughs softly. "Your turn."
She considers everyone there, then looks at Argent, smiling softly. "Truth or dare?"
"Umm... whatever you want." He smiles sheepishly.
Yang tilts her head. "Is he allowed to say that?"
Sky can only shrug, unsure what to say in the face of that.
Daring, however, has no qualms. "I dare you to tickle one of the other girls until they beg you to stop. Like dad does with Yang."
"Hey!"
All the other girls tense up as he processes this. "Hmm..." His eyes dart up, scanning all of them.
The pony girl looks ready to bolt, if her trembling legs are any indication.
Ruby doesn't seem to know what's going on, glancing around at the others in confusion.
Argent gingerly sets Daring down before going for little Miss Rose. Yang abandons the girl to her fate, backing off as the boy starts to tickle.
"H-hey, what... hey!" She grabs his hands, trying to stop him while doing her darnedest not to laugh. "S-sis! Help!"
"It's just part of the game, you know what you have to say to get him to stop." Yang laughs as she watches.
The brunette grits her teeth, then, in a quick blur, switches places with her sister and promptly jumps back three feet.
"Hey wait!" Yang's cries are cut off with laughter as Argent continues, though with a surprised look at Ruby. "Okay, okay, stop stop!" Yang plants a hand in the boy's face as she gives up, panting.
Golden feathers pop up, tickling her from behind briefly, just enough to make her think it'll go on longer.
"Gah!" She quickly rolls away from them both. "Hey, I thought the dare was until I gave up!"
Daring smirks, pointing at the boy now standing beside them. "That was for him."
"I'm so gonna get you later." She vows with a smile.
As Argent picks the filly back up, River pokes her head underneath to speak to them. "Time to come out. You need to change and shower if you like before your next class."
Daring nods, then pauses, lifting a foreleg to sniff at herself.
Argent smiles down at her. "I think you smell fine."
"That's all well and good, but I don't." Jade says as she starts marching towards the locker rooms. "And I have a prank to pull."
Daring shrugs, then starts taking off the shirt that she didn't want to wear in the first place.
The teacher quickly comes over and stops her while Argent's face gains a slight pink tint. "Daring... wait to change until you're in the locker room."
She whines, looking up at River Song dejectedly. "Do I have to?"
"Yes, we can't just have a student running around naked." She pulls the shirt back down on her. "At least you can go back to your normal clothes, right?"
She frowns at her, crossing her forelegs as she pouts. "I have my vest under my hat... it's not like I was going to run around without anything on..."
"Well, we have to start good habits early, and you'll generally want to change in the locker room so you can shower after." The teacher insists, starting to usher them all in that direction.
The filly groans, knowing there's no way she's getting out of this, and just snuggles a bit more into Argent's embrace.
"And you can't go into the boys room either!" River calls as they close in on the doors.
The wolf boy leans down, speaking to the filly. "I'll carry you again once we change if you want."
She nods, blushing softly as she smiles up at him. "...I think I'd like that..."
As he smiles back, Yang walks over and plucks Daring from his hands. "Okay, come on. You two are going to take forever at this rate." She and the other girls head into the room as the boy just waves.
The filly bites her lip then, careful to take her vest out of it, tossed her hat to Argent. "Hold onto that for me, okay?"
He nods, fingers running along the brim as the door closes behind them.
Yang looks down at Daring with a knowing smirk. "Wow, you really like him, huh?"
She smiles and shrugs a bit. "I like him. I feel I can trust him."
"It looked to me like you wanted to keep him as your puppy." Jade comments as she finds the group once more, her whole body lightly damp and a towel wrapped around herself.
"Maybe." She quickly strips out of her clothes and tosses them at her friend and sister. "But wouldn't I also be his pony?"
Jade dodges to let Yang take the clothes to the face. "Yep. You would be each other's. The closest and most inseparable of allies. Kind of like my mom and dad."
She pauses with her vest partially on, frowning a bit. "...oh, yeah, we need to see about getting dad and Miss Song together." Nodding to herself, she snaps her vest closed and starts heading towards the doors. "I wonder if we can ask dad, next class..."
The olive skinned girl watches as she goes while she gets dressed herself. "She's very focused when she wants to be."
Ruby nods, frowning a bit. "Yeah... makes me wonder why she doesn't try flying, again..."
"Can she not fly?" Jade asks, looking curious. "She seemed like she could earlier when she was hopping from kid to kid."
"She didn't move her wings," Sky points out. "That wasn't flying; that was gliding."
"Oh." The other girl finishes dressing before she speaks again. "That's too bad. Flying would be a good advantage."
"It's not like she isn't trying," Ruby mutters quietly.
Jade still ears this. "Well, maybe when her wings get bigger or something, she'll be able to." With that done, she glances over to where the lion girl is in the shower. With a few swift movements, she takes the girl's deodorant and puts it under the bench toward the wall where it's hard to see, but could possibly have fallen.
The brunette tilts her head to one side, then turns to Yang. "...do you think that counts, sis?"
"Hmm... depends what happens." The blonde looks thoughtful. "If she doesn't use it or freaks out, I think it does."
She's about to respond when Delta steps into the room, wrapped in a towel. She heads straight for her stuff, about to search through it when she stops, frowning a bit. "...someone's been through my stuff..."
A few girls look over to her, Jade not included as she continues to casually talk to the others. "So what classes do you girls have next?"
The pony girl shrugs, thinking for a bit. "...history, I think?"
"Math for me!" Ruby butts in, waving her hand excitedly.
Yang nods. "I've got science."
Finally, Jade finishes the sharing. "I've got English. Well, at least I have some classes with you girls."
She's suddenly spritzed in the back of the head with something that smells like the forest. Turning, she sees the taller girl, frowning at her. "Don't touch my stuff, squirt."
Rubbing the back of her head, she turns to the girl fearlessly. "Alright."
"Oh, by the way?" She pulls out another can, similarly colored save for a red stripe. "This was the can you 'bumped' off the shelf." She promptly sprays a little bit on Jade's collar, grinning. "If you wanted to borrow it, you should've just asked."
The sentence is barely done before a foul smell reaches the girl's nose, yet doesn't seem to affect anyone else in the room, likely due to the amount and position of it.
She wrinkles her nose, holding it after a moment. "Why would you want to stink?"
"No, it's not for me." She sneers, turning and walking away. "It's for those who try to make a fool of me. Or who'd try to steal my stuff."
Narrowing her eyes, Jade starts trying to wipe off the smell. "Alright, I don't like her."
Sky, standing nearby, sighs and nods as she finishes pulling her shirt back on. "Now you feel my pain."
"I feel like she's going to be a problem." Jade says simply as the others finish getting ready.
"Probably." Ruby turns and starts heading out the door, opening it a bit before pausing, eyes wide in surprise.
"What's up?" Yang asks as she walks up behind her.
She turns and points over her shoulder at the scene before her. This turns out to be Argent with golden wings apparently growing from his back, and the pith hat on his head.
"What the heck?" She walks out, going closer to the boy before she spots Daring and laughs. "Oh, you had me going there!"
The filly peeks out over his shoulder, sticking her tongue out playfully at her sister.
"Having fun with your puppy?" Jade asks as she walks out as well.
"Yep!" She grins, then turns to happily nuzzle his neck. "He's a good puppy."
As the boy smiles happily, he speaks. "Should we start walking to class?"
"Sure!" Daring giggles, hugging him a bit tighter. "Can I stay on your back?"
Nodding, Argent does a little test walk. "As long as you don't fall."
"I'm secure, don't worry." She smiles, tail swishing behind her as they move about the gym.
River comes over to them as Students are filtering out of both locker rooms. "Okay everyone, you can go ahead and start heading to your next classes. The bell will be ringing in a moment, so you're just a little early."
"Alright! Let's go to dad's class, Argent!" She points over his shoulder, grinning as if they were going on an adventure.
They can hear Yang's laughter as they set off, out of the gym and onto their next destination. |
Compass Rose | Chapter 16 | Later, after the class, the students are filtering out, having been dismissed by Tai.
Daring, however, drags her friend over to the teacher's desk, beaming up at her father and waiting for him to notice them.
He turns to them with a smile and a fond brush to the filly's mane. "So, I get to meet this friend who was holding you all class?"
"Yep!" She moves behind him to give him a little push towards Tai. "Dad, this is Argent Gale. He's my new friend!"
The man looks the boy over before nodding. "Well, Argent, it's good to meet you. I'm glad one of my daughters is making new friends." He keeps his smile even as his tone changes a little. "Be sure to be nice to her, alright?"
"Yes, sir!" The wolf boy barks out, nodding briskly back.
Daring peeks out from behind him, confused. "...did I miss something? That just sounded really odd."
"Just doing a dad thing." Tai chuckles. "I'm glad you two have been getting along. Friends can help you go a long way."
"Really?" She bounds over to him, grinning happily. "Can it help me fly?"
There's snickering from the one other person in the classroom, who was still gathering up her stuff.
Tai gives them a look before smiling at his daughter. "Well, not directly, but maybe he can help you work at it by keeping you motivated in your training or something."
She nods, then turns to Argent, eyes sparkling. "When are we going to start?"
He looks at her sheepishly. "I mean, I don't really know what to do, but whenever you want, I guess."
"Not until the end of the school day." Her father interjects.
She nods, then gets back to being relatively serious. "So, what's your next class, Argent?"
He looks thoughtful for a moment. "Umm... Science, I think."
Daring blinks, frowning as she tries to think. "...what's my next subject, again?" She opens her saddlebag with a wing and stretches her neck to search through it.
Argent's hand comes over her and fishes out a sheet of paper. "Is this it?"
"Yeah, that's it." She smiles up at him, letting the flap of her bag fall back into place.
"So what do you have? You seem like you have some classes in my grade and some in a lower one." He looks curiously at her.
"I... honestly can't remember." She sheepishly smiles, letting out a "squee" sound.
"Then read your schedule." Her dad says simply, watching the two with an amused expression.
She pouts, then takes the paper and holds it up to him. "You read it!"
He gives her a small look before glancing at the paper. "You have science next, too."
"Awesome!" She turns and jumps onto Argent once more, giggling happily. "Let's go! Don't want to be late, right?"
"Make sure to focus in your class!" Tai calls as he watches them go.
"Alright!" Daring calls over the boy's shoulder, waving happily.
He speaks to her as he goes down the hall. "Your dad seems nice. He looks after you."
"Yeah he does." She giggles quietly. "I'm very grateful for that."
As something occurs to him, he looks to her with an expectant grin. "Hey, if it comes to it, you wanna be lab partners?"
She grins right back, patting him on the shoulder. "I'd like that."
As he heads for the door, he asks another question. "Do I get to be your chair again?"
She looks up at him, contemplative, then shrugs, smiling slyly. "Only if you want to."
"Well, I like holding you, so I wouldn't mind." He admits, looking away a little.
"Good." The filly nuzzles him once more. "Maybe we can get into a group easier, that way."
"Yeah, I wonder what our teacher is like?" He opens the door for them, heading inside the room.
"I actually don't know." She looks over her shoulder, frowning a bit. "Maybe it's Miss Song?"
"Teaching three classes? Wouldn't she be too busy?" He thinks on that as he takes a spot for them at one of the tables. The room is designed out more to give a couple of students a fair amount of space to work at each table.
With most of the other tables full, it doesn't take long for another person to sit at their table. This one, however, is a familiar face, who stares at them in disbelief. "...why am I seeing you two everywhere, today?"
Argent shrugs, securing his hold on the pony. "I guess cause we're in the same grade."
Delta rolls her eyes and points at the pony. "Then what's her excuse?"
He looks down at her curiously before hazarding a guess. "Because she's smart?"
She scoffs, then faces the front. "Yeah, sure."
Argent gives the smaller girl an apologetic look. "I didn't know the reason so I just guessed."
"It's fine." She grins at him. "I really am smart."
"I thought so." He chuckles, nuzzling her. "I bet you get a's in almost everything."
She weakly smiles. "I wouldn't know... this is my first time in school."
"Well... just don't forget to do homework." He winces a bit.
Daring gently pats his arm with a hoof. "If you want, we can always do the tough stuff together." She grins at him. "It's not like our classes differ too much, right?"
Delta snickers to their right.
"I guess not, plus it would let us hang out more." He strokes her mane.
A familiar black-haired man steps into the room, and he frowns at the boy. "No public displays of affection in my classroom. And especially not with my niece."
Argent quickly puts his hand down as he whispers to the filly. "Are all the adults in your family teachers here?"
"I don't know if Yang's mom is," she helpfully offers.
As he glances back up at the teacher, the boy continues. "Is he as nice as your dad? I couldn't tell in gym."
"I like to think so." She giggles as she watches him scribble on the board. "He's like our fun uncle."
"In science?" He smiles at this, ears standing up. "Cool."
"Yep!"
"Listen up, class." He takes a swig from a water bottle, then puts it on his desk. "Whoever is at your station will be your lab partner for the rest of the year." He turns a bit and taps the board with a knuckle. "Now, let's talk about physics."
"Umm..." Argent blinks rapidly, looking between Daring and Delta. "So... are we a group of three?"
"Yes, you are." He answers without missing a beat, then tosses him a ball. "Tell me, class, what did you just see?"
While Argent looks to the ball he had caught with a smile, another student speaks you. "You throwing a ball?"
"Correct, but what about the path it took?" He gestures for the wolf boy to toss it back.
He does so, arcing it in the air until Qrow catches it.
"A curve?" Another student tries to answer.
"Exactly." He smiles, gesturing to the ball in his hands. "Now, would you believe me if I said all projectiles - objects moving through the air - have a similar path?"
"Even bullets?" The same student asks.
"Yes, even those." He tilts his head to one side. "Granted, they're usually going too fast to observe, but they do arc."
Argent's ears flick as he tilts his head to one side. "I didn't know that. I figured they went in straight lines."
"Not exactly." He turns and gestures to the board, where a caricature of Yang is shown shooting at a target in the distance off a cliff. "Just like the ball, everything is affected by gravity. And I'm not talking about the Dust."
There are sounds of general murmuring from the kids, a few nods, and some hums of thought.
"Now clearly I'm not going to let you fire guns in my science class, so we'll do the next best thing." He pulls a box of balls of all kinds from behind his desk. "You're going to toss these around, get a feel for them, because we're doing a lab, next class."
The air in the class becomes excited to an almost tangible level as the kids chatter.
He tosses the first ball at a random student. "See if you can make a pattern of passes. No one's ever achieved this, before."
"How come? It's just throwing a ball." They toss it to another student a couple tables away.
"Fumbling a catch, hitting another ball in flight," he tosses a second one into the mix, "and stuff like that."
As more passes are made, the air soon becomes chaos, balls flying everywhere and the occasional squeal from someone not expecting one.
Qrow nods his head, impressed they had seven going through the air and no collisions, yet. Of course, just as he thinks this, two hit each other and go flying where they aren't supposed to. He easily catches the one flying at his face, but the other clocks Daring in the forehead.
Argent tucks her against him more to shield her while he looks at her with concern. "You okay?"
She waves a hoof at him, nervously giggling. "I'm fine. My aura kept me safe... though it still kinda hurt..."
He gives her a hug before having to duck another ball.
Surprising only the two of them, this actually causes the boy's lips to press against her forehead, especially since she had also reflexively pulled away from the ball's path.
Qrow calls out to the two of them as he passes another ball. "Second warning. No public displays of affection in my room."
"Lucky..." Someone nearby whispers. "...most only get one warning..."
She smiles at him sheepishly. "It wasn't your fault... though I, uh, didn't mind you doing it..." The filly blushes a bit, knocking a ball away with her wing and looking at everyone but him.
As the boy's ears start to get a bit pink, too, the room seems fully chaotic now. The kids seem to have forgotten the goal of making a pattern and are now just throwing balls back and forth wherever they like.
Qrow just looks at his watch, humming thoughtfully. "Fifteen minutes. That's a new record."
One student next to him looks up. "Huh?"
He shrugs a bit. "Just timing how long it'd take for this exercise to break down into chaos. This class took the longest time, so far."
Argent is laughing as he catches and throws balls with one hand. "This seems more like PE right now!"
"It makes sense," Daring points out, "since he's also a gym teacher."
He looks at her curiously. "Think we'll do anything else, too?"
"Dunno." She shrugs helplessly, then deflects a ball heading for his face.
"Thanks." He smiles at her. "I'm surprised more people haven't gotten hit."
"My leg!"
She blinks, then turns to the source of the noise. "...huh. Who threw a ball hard enough to do that?"
"I don't know..." The boy answers as he slowly lifts up his legs to shield them with the table.
Delta, beside them, just smirks at the scene. "Don't worry about him. He's a wuss."
As the boy lowers his legs, he looks to her curiously. "Oh... you aren't worried about being hit?"
She looks at him, an eyebrow raised as she slashes a ball to ribbons. "Should I be?"
"No destroying school property," Qrow speaks up from the front of the class, drawing everyone's attention to their station.
Argent winces a bit. "I didn't realize you had claws..."
"Got them from my dad." She beams proudly at this fact. "Of course, he's a puma and not a lion, but still."
"Are they always out?" He asks, eyeing them.
"Of course not." She scoffs, poking her cheek with a finger. "That would be unbelievably inconvenient if I wanted to do something delicate."
"Oh, that makes sense." He throws another ball before looking down at Daring. "Are you still okay there? I know I'm moving when I throw stuff."
The filly starts to respond when Delta grabs his head by the chin and turns it towards her, scowling in annoyance. "We're finished when I say we're finished."
Argent blinks, surprised before he bares his teeth at her and tries to pull away. "Let... go..."
She huffs and does so, leaning over and growling at him. "What were you gonna do if I didn't?"
He growls back at her even as his ears lay back. "I'd... umm..." His words falter slightly as he thinks.
"You'd do nothing." She scoffs, crossing her arms briefly before having to catch a ball aimed at her face. "Watch where you're throwing that!"
The wolf boy keeps his eyes on her, backing onto his seat. He snorts lightly, turning away from her once more.
Daring frowns, looking at him in concern. "What was that about?"
"I don't really know." He mutters, trying to think of reasons for her actions. "It seemed like she was trying to prove she was the alpha, but if that was the case it wouldn't be let go that easy."
A ball promptly bops him on the head. "Quiet, I'm trying to concentrate."
He lets out another soft growl. "On what?"
"The class, of course." She tosses the ball at Qrow, who effortlessly catches it.
Argent blinks as he watches. "Huh... I don't get you."
Delta freezes, then turns to him with narrowed eyes. "You have ten seconds to clarify that."
His ears fold back reflexively before he straightens up. "You're mean sometimes, but then you don't mind working with us and you want pay attention to class."
She gives him a wary stare. "I just don't want to get kicked out. Do my family name some good, you know?"
He nods at this, giving her a small smile. "I get that. You're making your parents proud."
She looks away, resting her cheek against her hand. "...thanks for that, I guess."
Daring, eyes narrowed, hugs Argent close to herself.
The boy looks down, chuckling and giving her a one-armed hug in return, hoping their teacher doesn't get mad.
Surprisingly, he pays them no mind, having to deal with kids who thought it'd be great to pelt each other with the balls.
Argent grins, looking down at Daring. "So... do you want to do something after school some time?"
"Of course!" She grins at him. "What do you want to do?"
He smiles wider at her acceptance. "Well, we could play, hang out, our parents would probably want us to study, too..."
"Yeah, that's always a good thing to do." She nods understandingly. "We can try all of that, if you'd like."
"Yes!" He quietly cheers, squeezing her a bit.
She lets out a quiet squeak at this.
Delta blinks, turning to them in confusion. "...why did she make a sound like a dog toy?"
Argent shrugs. "I dunno... but I liked it." He looks to the filly curiously. "Do you do that a lot?"
She shakes her head, just hugging him in return. "No... I think that might be the third time?"
"I think it's neat and special, then." He rests his head lightly on top of hers.
"You're on the edge there, Mister Gale." Qrow speaks up, having gathered the last ball. "Don't push it."
He straightens back up, sighing a bit.
"That being said, the last ten minutes of class are free for you to converse or whatever." He shrugs and starts putting the tote holding the balls back under his desk.
Argent comments to Daring. "The balls were fun, but that got a bit crazy."
"Yeah, it did, actually." She giggles, turning around in his lap to face him. "So, school's out, after this. What can we do in town?"
He shrugs. "There's a lot of places to eat, an arcade, a park... my parents just like me to tell them if I'm gonna be out later and to always have an adult with me."
Daring blinks at this. "...but dad and Uncle Qrow have stuff to do after school..."
"Well, it'd have to be my parents that take us into town then... but wait, what are your sisters gonna do?" His ears perk as he thinks of this.
She frowns slightly, unsure. "I... don't really know." A golden hoof taps her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe they can come with us?"
He nods. "I'd be fine with that. They seem fun."
"Great!" She giggles, hugging him happily. Her ear twitches and she turns to look at the girl beside them, whose gaze aimlessly wanders about the room.
The boy whispers to the pony. "Should we... talk to her or something?"
She shrugs, glancing at him nervously. "...do you want to?"
His ears fold. "Not really... I don't really know what to think about her."
"I can hear you, ya know." She casts a glare at them out of the corner of her eye.
"Oh... do you have really good hearing?" Argent asks, trying to change the subject.
"No, you just weren't as quiet as you thought you were." She turns to face him, bemused. "So what did you plan on asking me, exactly?"
He shrugs. "I didn't really have anything in mind. I just thought you might want to talk to pass the time or get to know each other since we'll be working together. Trust is important in team work."
She stares at him a moment before turning away and nodding. "Yeah, sure. Sounds fun."
"So... what do you do for fun?" he asks, fishing for ideas.
"Dance, spar, watch cheesy horror films." She pauses, then pokes his nose with a finger. "Tell. No one."
He crosses his eyes to look at his nose. "Okay," he says in a slightly nasally voice. "Why not, though?"
"Because I don't want that getting out." She huffs, turning to face the front as the bell rings.
"Alright, class," the teacher says, pulling a bottle out of his coat pocket, "you're going to get your books and your first lab tomorrow. Be safe out there."
The kids cheer as they all head out of the classroom, finally free after their first day. |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | pre | Applejack raised her hooves. "Ah know! But our marriage did wonders for both of us, didn'it? You sped me up, an' Ah slowed ya down."
Rainbow smiled a small smile. "Yeah, its pretty great. I'll give you that much."
"It sounds like you have in mind somepony with a similar background to Orange Peel, perhaps?" Celestia suggested.
Applejack nodded. "Sure. Big Mac an' Sugar Belle are over the moon about how well she's fitted into the family these past few years. An' now we've our next lil' Apple on the way."
"And what do you think Zap Apple needs, Rainbow Dash?" Celestia turned now to the blue-coated mare.
Rainbow fiddled with the rolled up sleeve of her flight jacket as she considered the question. "Well, I think AJ's right -- somepony steady could help Zaps get steadier himself. I'm not so sure it needs to be an earth pony or a farm pony. I just want them to have interests in common with Zaps."
Celestia noted these down and asked a few more questions. Both parents were continuously quick to answer, but Zap Apple himself stayed resolutely silent.
Eventually, Celestia suggested that she speak to Zap Apple alone. Applejack and Rainbow Dash exchanged apprehensive glances, but both got to their hooves and went into the cottage. Celestia tried to ignore the twitches of the curtain covering the kitchen window, and the glimpses of pink and green eyes staring furtively from behind it.
"Tell me, Zap Apple," she tried again. "What do you want from a potential mate? What would you like to share with them?"
Zap Apple held up a hoof to stop her. "Listen, Princess, let's cut to the chase."
Celestia blinked in surprise, but let him continue.
"My Mum and Great-Granny have forced my hoof," he said, his tone one of displeasure. "They've made it clear that they want me to get married sooner rather than later. Just like golden-hoofed Apple Tart, who can do no wrong." The resentment in his voice was strong.
"You don't want to follow the same path as your cousin?" Celestia prompted.
"No!" Zap Apple spread his wings to emphasise the word. "He's a goody four-shoes who never puts a hoof wrong, and the whole family is obsessed with him." He pitched his voice higher, and put on a stronger country accent. "Oh, why cain't ya be more like ya cousin, Zaps? We jus' want ya to be happy!" He snorted. "As if being like Apple Tart would make me happy. He's never going to leave Sweet Apple Acres."
"But you want to leave?"
Zap Apple stared at her. "I already did! I work in Appleoosa, and I live there. I know my mums probably gave you the opposite impression, but I'm a fully grown stallion with a life of my own. I might like to party a bit, sure, but just because the Elements of Loyalty and Honesty would never do that, it doesn't mean it's a sin!"
Celestia nodded, her expression sympathetic. "It must have been hard to grow up, with two Bearers for mothers. That's a lot of pressure for a colt."
"Yeah, you could say that," Zap Apple breathed out hard through his nostrils and ran a hoof through his untidy mop of hair. "I love being in Appleoosa. No one cares who my parents are -- the other Apples there keep out of my way, and I keep out of theirs. I have my own friends, my own life."
"Tell me about your friends." Celestia seized on that detail. A pony's friends could tell you a great deal about the pony themselves.
Zap Apple fidgeted in his chair. "I don't know -- I have a big friendship circle. I see a lot of different ponies."
Celestia's ears tilted forwards. "You don't have many close friends, then?"
Zap Apple's eyes narrowed. "I have plenty, thanks for asking, Princess. More close friends than I can count on my hooves."
"Would you care to...tell me any of their names?" Celestia didn't want to push too hard and alienate him, but she did need answers if she was going to help Zap Apple find a partner.
Zap Apple coloured. "I-- I see a lot of different ponies," he stuttered. "My friends from outside of work, my team-mates on the tornado squad: Butterball, Skylight, Swooping Song."
"Team-mates, but not friends?" Celestia probed, trying hard to keep her voice soft and understanding.
"I don't like to mix work and play." Zap Apple looked away.
Celestia sat back, digesting the information. So that was the way things were for Zap Apple. A clear desire to excel, a strong streak of independence, but a fear of being lesser than his wildly successful parents. A certain air of loneliness, tempered by a reluctance to get close to other ponies. She resisted the urge to rub her hooves together. She did so love a challenge.
"I think you know that your parents only want the best for you, Zap Apple," she said kindly.
Zap Apple gave a short jerk of his head. Barely enough to be called a nod.
"Would you be willing to humour them and meet with a couple of the ponies I suggest?"
He shrugged again. "Don't think I have much choice."
"But you do," Celestia leaned forward, her tone earnest. "In this more than anything else, the choice can only be yours. Your parents can make suggestions and I can introduce you to ponies, but only you can decide. You can decide who you want to spend time with. Who you might want to build something of your own with."
Her words were chosen carefully, and she watched Zap Apple's expression as they sunk in. His mind worked, and then he looked up once more, meeting her gaze and holding it for the first time.
"Alright. We'll give it a shot. But I'm making no promises that I'm going to marry anypony." |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 5 | Celestia trotted back into Ponyville proper, her mind already on her next appointment. Her final call of the day before she could head off to the Castle of the Two Sisters. She would need to take a few hours to properly prepare Luna's 'welcome home' breakfast. Luna never tired of this special meal, consisting of huge stacks of pancakes and strawberries that the sisters grew themselves in the little kitchen garden they had established.
Her thoughts full of pleasure at the prospect of seeing her sister, Celestia headed into the main square of Ponyville and headed for the ornate building at its centre. The Carousel Boutique.
She stooped to enter the little door, and her horn knocked against a little bell that tinkled her arrival.
"We'll be with you in just a moment!" Rarity's voice called, echoed by the lower bass rumble of Yona, the new manager of this particular Boutique.
A clatter of hooves on the stairs, and Sandbar hastened into view. "Welcome to the Carousel Boutique!" he began, hardly looking up from the abacus he held. "Madame Yona will be--" He took in Celestia's presence at last and stopped short. "Oh, Princess! Welcome. You have an appointment with Rarity, right? I'll let her know you're here."
He ducked into the back room, and after a few moments Rarity appeared, her mane a little rumpled and her mouth full of pins. "Celestia, darling!" she said, the obstruction to her mouth not seeming to impede her speech at all. "You're right on time. Yona and I were just working on a commission for Fleur de Lis' sixtieth birthday. A very lovely gown. Timelessly elegant, just like Fleur herself." She levitated a pincushion over from a nearby workbench and pushed the pins she held into it one by one. "But of course, you're here for your own gown."
Celestia simply nodded. She had always loved formal gowns, and Rarity's were without compare -- excepting possibly those of Fancy Stitch, a Canterlot tailor who had lived several hundred years ago and whose work Celestia had absolutely adored.
"What is the occasion this time?" Rarity asked, crossing to the wall of cubbyholes, each one containing a bolt of fabric. They were arranged by shade and colour, every hue of the rainbow stretching across the curved surface of the wall. Rarity began to pull a few out -- a pale rose pink, a gentle aqua blue.
"No particular occasion," Celestia said easily. "I just realised it has been a few years since last I commissioned you, and I decided that I rather desperately needed a new hoof-made Rarity gown."
"Lovely, darling," Rarity said appreciatively. "So no specific brief? No colours in mind?"
"No," Celestia confirmed. She carried the second reason for her visit in the saddlebags she had placed on the coat-stand in the corner. Cozy Glow's first prospective match. After long and careful thought, Celestia had picked out Prince Patrician, her own distant descendant. He was of a large and loving family, with several siblings. He carried powerful social clout, and if Cozy Glow were his wife she would be welcomed into Canterlot high society with open arms. She was sure Rarity would be pleased with the choice. Cozy Glow she was less certain of; one of several reasons she had decided to bring the match to the mother rather than the daughter. Another reason was that she didn't quite want to be in a room alone with the diabolical little pegasus, but she pushed that thought aside. She needed a new gown, and the two tasks lined up. It was as simple as that.
"Marvellous," Rarity went on. "I do love a little creative freedom every now and then. Especially when designing for you. Come and stand here, please." She gestured Celestia onto a small podium surrounded by mirrors, each one twice the height of a normal pony and therefore just large enough to catch most of Celestia's height.
Rarity bought several bolts of silk over and began to hold them up against Celestia's flanks. "It's much easier now that you needn't always wear your regalia, Princess," she said conversationally. "Gold can limit a palette most dreadfully. But now we can choose to emphasise any of the colours in your mane! Wonderful to have so many options, don't you think?"
Celestia smiled and nodded, and after Rarity got a faceful of undulating mane, she busied herself tying it back, where it could not wave so freely.
"This will be the twentieth gown I've made for you, you know," Rarity remarked, as she began to sketch some rough shapes onto scrap fabric with a piece of chalk.
"Is it really?" Celestia couldn't remember that she had so many gowns by Rarity in her wardrobe, but then again, her wardrobe spanned seven rooms in the Castle of the Two Sisters, and three in her new Canterlot mansion. It was hardly surprising she couldn't recall the full extent of it.
"Oh yes." Rarity sighed happily. "Once I would hardly have been able to believe I'd make one gown for the princess of the sun. Let alone twenty!"
Celestia smiled and allowed Rarity to pin the rough draft of a dress into place on her. She turned and posed as Rarity requested, turning over in her mind how to phrase the question she wanted to ask. Had always wanted to ask.
"Rarity," she began, and Rarity looked up in surprise, her mouth full of pins once more. "I'm afraid I have a bit of a personal question for you."
Rarity floated the pins away from her mouth. "Please do ask, Princess."
Celestia considered, and then looked away from Rarity and into the mirror as she spoke. "If you don't mind me asking...why was it that you chose to adopt Cozy Glow? After everything she did? I know that I would not have been forgiving enough to make the same choice that you did."
Rarity sighed.
Celestia turned to look anxiously down at her. "Forgive me, I've overstepped. I fear being away from the court begins to make me socially backward."
Rarity waved a hoof. "No, darling, it's...it's alright. I'm afraid that over the years I've had to get rather used to ponies asking me that question." She paused, and put a few more tacking stitches into place. "I suppose it was a little easier for me to forgive. Cozy never drained my magic in the way that she did yours. Twilight has explained to me how violating an experience that can be." She snipped off a thread, and looked up at Celestia once more. "I suppose it was seeing her that first time...in the Canterlot Savings Bank. A few months after she was unfrozen. She'd broken out of Tartarus for perhaps the seventh time." Her eyes took on a faraway expression, and Celestia could tell that Rarity was no longer truly looking at her.
"It had been a long time since I had last seen her. Ten, twelve years had passed for me. I'd grown up -- I was a whole new mare. But for Cozy, it was no time at all. I looked at her, standing on top of that big mound of gold, screaming at the ponies on the floor and waving her energy crystal around, and I realised that she was still just that same little foal." A wistful smile played around her lips.
"I saw her much more clearly than I ever had before. When I was young, everything was so black and white. Cozy Glow was...evil, I thought. Locking her up, trapping her in stone; it seemed the only rational thing to do. But as you age, you begin to see things differently-- as I'm sure you know well, darling," she said, returning to the present and giving Celestia that charming, slightly flirtatious smile that she used with everypony.
Celestia giggled. "If that is true, I must have had more viewpoints than anypony else in the world."
Rarity smiled back. "That is almost certainly true, I'm sure. But seeing her there, so small and so angry, I could suddenly see what it seemed nopony else ever had. Cozy...she was just a foal. A scared little foal. And she was so, so lonely, and had been so for so long, that it warped her, and changed her into the broken little filly who tried to break everything and everypony the same way she was broken. And then I saw what I could do for her, what I could give her. The thing nopony else would give her."
Celestia nodded encouragingly, entranced by Rarity's tale. She had never heard the mare speak of it before in such detail.
"A second chance." Rarity let out her breath in a whoosh of air, dissipating the tension, and scooped up the needle from where it hung abandoned against Celestia's side. "You know the rest, of course, darling," she said, returning to her work with vigour.
Celestia's eyebrows shot up at the prick of the needle, but she held her breath and managed not to squeak in pain. She didn't want to distract Rarity into apologies. "You spoke to her, and talked her down?"
Rarity chuckled. "I suppose that's one way of putting it, darling, though rather simplified. Negotiating with Cozy in that state was like trying to reason with a wolf that sees a tasty dead rabbit about why he shouldn't eat it. I convinced her that I was a more valuable hostage than everypony else combined, and got her to let them go. That bought us a little time, and Twilight and the girls couldn't very well just implode the building with rainbow power while I was inside. So I just talked, and even though Cozy didn't respond, she was listening. And eventually, after a few hours, she put down the crystal, and she let me give her a hug. And then we walked out of the bank, hoof in hoof." She paused to cut another thread and tapped Celestia on the flank to let her know it was time to turn around. "After another very long bargaining session with Twilight and the police, I whipped up some disguises for us and got us on the first train out of there. We spent six months in a very small cabin in the middle of nowhere -- the humidity utterly ruined my mane, I can tell you -- and then we came home, put the paperwork through, and Cozy became my daughter and went into treatment on the same day. And the rest is, as they say, history."
Celestia nodded thoughtfully. "And -- if I may, Cozy Glow's past? Before her initial attempt to drain Equestria's magic?"
Rarity waved a hoof dismissively. "It's all in the file I gave you, darling. I don't like to dwell on it; it's too distressing."
"Her parents--" Celestia tried again.
"Abusive members of a quasi-religious unicorn cult," Rarity spat, abruptly furious. "Scum so obsessed with magic that they took it out on a little child born a pegasus through no fault of her own and filled her with such hate that she felt driven to do terrible things." She stopped herself, and shut her eyes to take a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Princess. I don't like to speak of it, as I said."
Celestia placed a hoof on Rarity's shoulder; it was clearly time to let the matter drop. "I am sorry, Rarity. I did not mean to raise matters that should be left alone. I'm only seeking to get to know Cozy Glow a little more, so that I am better able to help her."
Rarity produced a hanky from within a nearby basket of fabric scraps and blew daintily into it. "No, no -- I shouldn't let it upset me so." She shook herself slightly, and returned abruptly to business. She turned again to Celestia's dress and deftly undid the ribbons and pins holding it in place, until she could levitate the whole thing away from Celestia's body. "I think this is a good beginning. I'll work it up in the blue silk ready for your next fitting, and we can discuss any amendments then. Now, if there's nothing else...?"
"Ah--" Celestia reached with her magic for her saddlebags. "There is one thing. I have bought a profile of the pony I have selected as Cozy's first match."
Rarity dropped the fabric at once and hurried to Celestia's side, her eyes alight. "Ooh! Show me!"
Celestia suppressed a smile and levitated the single sheet of parchment out of her bag. Rarity seized it in her own magic and bought it close to her face, peering through her reading glasses to see it better, her eyes moving rapidly as she devoured the text.
"I have spoken to his parents and to the stallion in question, and they are all open to the young ponies meeting," Celestia began. "And I think--"
Rarity had evidently reached the section entitled 'Family Background'. Her jaw dropped open and she whirled to Celestia. "Prince Patrician? This is Prince Blueblood's son!"
Celestia looked at her blankly. "Well, yes. They're Canterlot nobles, but I thought that was what you and Cozy asked for -- a close-knit family, wealth, ambition, prestige, the power to bring Cozy Glow into a wider social circle--" She tried to think of any possible objections. "Is it because he's a Prince that you're shocked? I thought you would be well accustomed to royalty -- you've been friends with Twilight for so long. But you needn't worry; Blueblood's title is only honorary. He's my great-great-great-grandson, you see."
"No, no, darling, no!" Rarity's voice was climbing higher. "Prince Blueblood and I -- I was -- let us say, romantically involved with him, a very long time ago, when I was younger than Cozy Glow is now." She ran a hoof through a suddenly frazzled mane. "He was...not kind to me. I'm just not sure his son is the right sort of companion for my poor Cozy."
Celestia thought hard, and remembered that very first Grand Galloping Gala that Twilight and her friends had attended, all those years ago. Perhaps she did recall seeing Blueblood and Rarity together. "I am sorry if there is any bad history between your families," she paused to titter slightly, "any bad blood, if you'll excuse the pun."
Rarity frowned up at her.
"That is to say -- I wasn't aware," Celestia amended hastily. "Of course, if you're not happy with my selection, I will begin again. That's the whole purpose of this exercise."
Rarity's frown deepened and she looked back at the paper she held. "No, no, I know your methods are sound, Princess. But -- why have you only bought one match? I thought Cozy was meant to be given a selection."
Celestia shuffled her wings and searched for a way to phrase it delicately. "Well, Rarity...you and Cozy Glow had rather a lot of requirements. Very stringent requirements. And the joining together of two ponies is a process that will involve compromise, and learning to shift one's views. Creating a new family is no easy process. I expected that if I offered you and Cozy too much choice, it could lead to confusion, or encourage Cozy to take it less seriously, knowing that she has a great many options if one doesn't pan out. I thought it best to offer her just one potential at a time."
Rarity scowled, ever alert to signs of differential treatment or discrimination against her daughter. "And you do this for all your clients, do you, Princess?"
"If by 'this', you mean offer them a tailored and personalised service designed to meet their needs to the very best of my ability, then yes, of course," Celestia answered primly. "If you decide that Prince Patrician is not somepony you would be interested in having Cozy Glow meet, all you need do is drop by my office and tell me, or leave word with Raven Inkwell." She gathered up her saddlebags and raised her wings to settle them comfortably on her side. "It has been lovely to visit you, Rarity, but I really must be going now."
Rarity barely looked up, so deeply engrossed in the profile was she. "Hmm? Yes, darling, goodbye," she murmured vaguely, as Celestia let the door swing closed behind her.
Celestia trotted briskly down the paved street that led towards the Everfree Forest. It was still such a liberating experience to be going where she wanted when she pleased, without having to consult a schedule or book things in months in advance. Or taking a full complement of thirty guards with her.
The first few years, the Royal Guard had persisted in trying to protect her, until she pointed out that she was now a private citizen, and in addition, was more than capable of fighting off anything that could possibly attack her. The Captain had taken the matter to Twilight, who had pointed out that Celestia had been captured on a fairly regular basis while ruling Equestria. Celestia had been forced to remove the plaster once and for all, and break the news to Twilight that she could, in fact, have extricated herself from almost every one of those situations, but had refrained in order to give Twilight and her friends a chance to use the Elements and practise their world-saving skills. Twilight had been furious, and though they could laugh about it together now, she still bought it up every Hearthswarming after she had drunk a few ciders.
But regardless, Celestia was now free to do whatever she wanted. Ponies still stared and bowed but that was fine by her. It was wonderful to stop and talk to ponies who greeted her, rather than just sailing over their heads in a chariot, and she relished the opportunity to do so.
She was almost at the border of the forest when she heard the sound of galloping hooves behind her. She swung to look behind her, and was startled to see Lustre Dawn, of all ponies, pounding up the road.
"Lustre Dawn?" she called, and Lustre Dawn pulled alongside her at last, gasping, sweat running down her sides.
"Auntie Tia! I'm so glad I caught you. Mum didn't tell me you were in town today until this afternoon, and I've been galloping all over the place looking for you."
Celestia smiled with gentle merriment. "What is so urgent that it couldn't wait until we were both back in Canterlot after the weekend? Is it about your date with Sparkling Wine?" If she remembered correctly, Lustre Dawn had been due to meet with him yesterday.
Lustre Dawn ran her hooves over her mane in an attempt to neaten it and used her magic to tighten her ponytail. "Stars, Auntie Tia, he was such a bore! He was only interested in food -- roasted this, gourmet that." Once she had begun, the words spilled out of her in an unstoppable torrent. "I had to listen to his stories about his tasting-holidays for three hours. If anything exists, anywhere, within half an hour Sparkling Wine will come thundering into town, put it on his sterling silver fork, toast and eat it, and then spend the next thirty years telling anypony and everypony he meets how divine it tasted, how delectable. Luna's moon, I wanted to strangle him!"
"Language, Lustre, dear," Celestia reprimanded her, doing a poor job of hiding her amusement.
Lustre Dawn shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Sorry, Auntie, but its true. He was dreadful."
"Yes," Celestia smiled, "I found conversation with him to be a little as you described. But he is a unicorn, and very magically strong, and that was what your family felt would be important. He attended my -- Twilight's school of magic shortly after you did."
Lustre Dawn threw herself back onto her haunches and rolled her eyes so far back into her head that only the whites showed. "Well, honestly, Auntie -- next time focus a little less on magic and a little more on personality."
"I will try my best," Celestia kept her voice light, trying to conceal her delight that her lesson had been as effective as ever her friendship lessons for Twilight had been. I've still got it. "But remember that this process is just that -- a gradual process, a journey, to finding out what it is you need." She drew her notebook out from her saddlebags and made a couple of quick annotations on the paper. "If you pass on to your family how your meeting with Sparkling Wine went, I will let him know that it won't be repeated."
"Alright," Lustre Dawn got back to her hooves, clearly relieved to have unburdened herself and removed the possibility of having to meet with Sparkling Wine again. "What next? Is that it?"
Laughing a little at the hope in the young unicorn's face, Celestia shook her head. "Sadly not, but I think I do have a clearer understanding now of what it is you want. I have somepony new in mind for you to meet -- somepony with a lot more personality than magic." |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 6 | Zap Apple spent the weekend at Sweet Apple Acres, as he frequently did. He was enjoying a lazy Saturday afternoon lounging in the sun on the porch of the main house when the ageing postal mare Derpy Hooves delivered a letter to him.
He stretched up to take it from her, and as she flew hastily away, he examined the envelope. The paper was thick and rich, sealed with a large red wax stamp bearing a sun; Princess Celestia's cutie mark. He heaved a sigh. He hadn't expected her to produce any results quite so soon. He inserted a primary feather under the flap of the envelope, rather like a letter-opening knife, and tore the paper. He drew out a sheet of heavy parchment.
Dear Zap Apple, it read, in a script so old-fashioned and flowing it could have come right out of a period novel, I believe I have found a good match for you. Thornstone is a stallion your own age, athletic and independent, not too fond of the company of other ponies, like yourself. Also like you, he is from an old farming family, the Pies. I believe your mothers know his parents Maud Pie and Mud Briar. He is solid and reliable, like your parents wished, but I found that his humour has quite an edge to it, which I think you may appreciate. His photograph and profile are enclosed. He will be visiting his aunt Pinkie Pie in Ponville on Saturday, and will meet you for a coffee in the town square. I hope you enjoy getting to know him. Please do let me know how it goes. Yours Sincerely, Auntie Tia (Princess Celestia, Ruler of the Day, Diarch of Equestria, Princeps Solaris, Sol Invictus, The Sun Eternal, etc, etc).
Zap Apple snorted and tossed the letter onto the floor beside him as he rooted in the envelope for the other bits of parchment. Auntie Tia's inclusion of all her other titles seemed a little like overkill. For a 'retired' princess, she certainly liked to remind everypony of her previous status.
His questing hoof finally connected with the photograph and he drew it out. Thornstone was a stallion with a slate-grey coat and a glossy purple mane. A very small smile played at one corner of his mouth, and his blue eyes had something of a sardonic expression. A suggestion of the humour Princess Celestia's letter had hinted at.
Zap Apple stared at the photo for a long time. Thornstone looked like a reasonable enough stallion...but that didn't change the bizarre nature of looking at a photograph of a complete stranger and wondering if this would be the pony you would marry.
He skimmed over the profile. It was laconically short, every answer brief to the point of terseness. It said little that the Princess' letter didn't already cover. Zap Apple eventually let the parchment fall. He wouldn't get anything more out of these scraps of paper. The only real way to find out was to meet Thornstone in person.
His heart thumped a little harder at the thought of that, and a sprinkle of sweat broke out across his forehead. What if the meeting somehow went all wrong? It was all well and good considering if he would reject Thornstone, but what if the earth pony got one look and rejected him? Zap Apple wasn't sure he could take the pressure.
Zap Apple squirmed from haunch to haunch, the metal of the chair cold beneath him. He glanced again at the menu he held, took another apprehensive sip of the flavoured water in front of him, and looked anxiously at the identical glass and empty chair opposite him.
Thornstone was late.
The sun inched higher in the sky and Zap Apple continued to fidget and sweat nervously into the collar of the polo shirt he had put on especially for the date. He read the menu cover to cover at least six times, and sent the waiter away three times. He was just reaching the stage of wishing he had bought a book -- he was not a pony who was big on reading, but even one of his mother's ten-penny trash novels about Daring Do was better than this eternal waiting.
He cast another fearful look at the waiter, who was hovering near a different table, apparently taking their order. Zap Apple felt almost sure that they were all laughing at him. Just like always. Pathetic little Zap Apple, not quite an Apple, not quite a Dash, not quite filling the enormous horseshoes of either of his mothers. Not quite good enough for anything.
A crow cawed on the roof of the cafe and Zap Apple abruptly decided he could bear it no longer. He jumped to his hooves, the chair scraping harshly over the cobbles, and spread his wings, ready to take off.
"Are you Zap Apple?" A voice asked suddenly. It was flat and without intonation, and certainly without menace, but Zaps flinched and stumbled backwards anyway.
"What--?" At last, he took in the speaker. An iron-grey stallion, tall and skinny, with a steely purple mane cut straight across his forehead. He was wearing a long-sleeved purple jumper, but his cutie mark was just visible, peeking out from under its edge. A weedy little thornbush, growing out of cracked, barren soil. A strange cutie mark; Zap Apple wondered what talent it could represent.
"Are you Zap Apple?" the voice repeated, exactly the same as the first time, and Zap Apple realised he had been staring mutely at the stallion.
He blushed slightly. This date was already off to a horribly awkward start. He wanted nothing more than to flee, but he was in too deep. "Yes, I am," he said hastily. "And you must be Thornstone."
"I knew you were Zap Apple," Thornstone replied flatly. "I recognised you from your photograph." Thornstone seated himself, resting his wool-clad legs on the table, and Zap Apple reluctantly reclaimed his own seat and refolded his wings.
"R-right," Zap Apple said cautiously, searching Thornstone's face for any sign that the statement had been a joke. It didn't appear that it had been. "Of course. I recognise you too."
Thornstone nodded, as though there was simply nothing more to be said on the subject, and Zap Apple scooped up his menu again and ducked gratefully behind its scant shelter. He heard the rustle of card as Thornstone copied him.
The silence stretched on for long minutes, and Zap Apple felt that nervous sweat from before break out anew. The pause was becoming too long to cope with. He stumbled for something else to say. "So...uh -- what do you think you'll have?"
"Perhaps some plain rye bread," Thornstone said, in that same toneless voice. "I am partial to its flavour, or lack thereof."
"Great," Zap Apple answered, forcing a smile and peering out from behind his menu. "I can't decide what I should get. There's so many great options here. My family grew the apples in the apple cobbler dessert, so you could always try that, after your rye bread."
Thornstone looked at him, quite calmly. He didn't speak.
A bead of sweat trickled down the back of Zap Apple's neck.
"What do you think I should get?" He tried once more.
The answer was swift and merciless. "I recommend that you sample the plain rye bread."
Zap Apple barked a laugh. That had to be the aforementioned 'edge of wit', right? But Thornstone's only response was a very slight widening of the eyes, as though he couldn't understand why Zap Apple would be so uncouth as to laugh.
The bead of sweat reached Zap Apple's shoulderblades.
"Right," he said again, closing the menu with a snap, laying it down on the table, and then immediately wishing he hadn't surrendered his only shield. "I guess I'll get the rye bread then. And maybe we can share the apple cobbler for pudding?"
Thornstone shrugged. "I suppose that would be fine."
Zap Apple fished for more potential talking points. His mind was as blank as an Appleoosa sky on an August afternoon. Nothing at all. He gulped. What had Celestia's letter said? A rock farm?
"Tell me about your parents' farm," he suggested. Ponies usually liked to talk about themselves, didn't they? This should hopefully be an easy avenue to get Thornstone chatting.
"It's a rock farm," Thornstone said.
Zap Apple stared, aghast. Four words? Come on, he snarled internally. You have got to give me more to work with than that.
Thornstone eventually blinked and added another sentence. "My father added stick farming to our repertoire, as well. We have a couple of stick fields now."
Zap Apple nodded, trying to put on his most interested expression. That was more than Thornstone had said in one go until now. This was good progress. "Do you mean...trees?" he asked, cautiously. "You farm sticks from trees?"
"No," Thornstone said, and did not elaborate.
Zap Apple wanted to scream.
Finally, the clop of hooves on the cobbles announced the approach of the waiter. Zap Apple turned gratefully to meet him. Where before the waiter had been a terrifying scourge to be resisted and driven away, now he was an ally. A saviour.
"Are you folks ready to order?" The waiter asked, his voice like the singing of heavenly pegasi choirs.
"Yes!" Zap Apple gasped.
"And what can I get you both?"
"I'll have a loaf of rye bread, unbuttered," Thornstone said. "And a glass of plain water. This fruit-flavoured water is a little...much for me."
"And you, sir?"
Zap Apple sighed. He was stuck with it now. "A loaf of rye bread for me as well. I'd like butter on mine though, please. Maybe some more raspberry water too."
"It'll be right out," said the waiter, and turned to leave. Zap Apple wanted to beg him not to go. Not to leave him with this terrible, insurmountable task. Keeping this conversation going was like trying to scoop water with a fork. Or like trying to herd cats, as Applejack would say.
Zap Apple turned back to Thornstone's merciless silence and unblinking gaze. "My family are farmers too," he offered weakly. "We farm apples."
There was a pause. Then Thornstone shook his head. "I don't like fruit. It's too frivolous for my taste."
"Right." Zap Apple wished he could stab himself with the butter knife and end all this. "Well, what do you like? Is that a...thornbush, on your cutie mark?"
"Yes, it is."
By the Princesses, this was like rowing a rowboat up a cliff. "Right. And...what does that mean? What's your special talent?"
"I can grow thornbushes."
Zap Apple suppressed a sigh. "Okay. So...do you?"
"Do I what?"
"Grow thornbushes on your farm?"
"Only a few at the moment. Mother thinks we should mostly stick to rocks. They're our traditional crop."
"It's good to branch out though -- my family has always farmed apples, but when my cousin's wife arrived she bought some of her family's orange seeds with her, so now we have a little orange orchard too."
There was no response, and the silence yawned like a black hole before Zap Apple once more.
Then waiter reappeared, carrying two plates balanced carefully on his back. Zap Apple wanted to hug him, he was so grateful. He placed one in front of each of the stallions. Zap Apple looked with distaste at his plate of dry bread, the butter clumped unappealingly in the centre of the slice. He glanced across at the neighbouring table, where four mares were being served with huge slices of chocolate gateau, each one oozing with chocolate sauce and cream, and his stomach rumbled audibly.
Across the table from him, Thornstone picked up his rye bread in both hooves and began to take small, delicate bites. Like some sort of repellent chipmunk. He barely chewed his minuscule mouthfuls, and swallowed repeatedly. How could he even taste the food? Zap Apple took a bite of his own rye bread and nearly retched. By the stars! No wonder Thornstone wasn't savouring the flavour. There was no flavour.
For one horrible moment, he pictured himself and Thornstone, both wearing tuxedos and standing before the ancient Mayor Mare. He imagined bringing Thornstone home to Sweet Apple Acres, or back to his little flat in Appleoosa. He imagined waking up to that blank, dead-eyed blue stare every morning, and he shuddered. A fate worse than death.
He looked up, and flinched -- those same blue eyes, flat and lifeless as buttons, watching him unblinkingly. Zap Apple's pulse thudded loud in his ears. Thornstone said something, but Zap Apple couldn't make out what it was. Those flat white chipmunk teeth flashed behind the grey lips, and Zap Apple gasped. His mothers, the Princess -- all of them trying to push him down the aisle with somepony, anypony -- he wanted nothing more than to be away from them all, safe in Appleoosa, where there was nopony to expect anything of him, nothing to think of but the wind.
His breath hissed in his lungs, and he caught himself. His nerves were getting the better of him, and if he wasn't careful he'd end up completely losing it. It had happened too often for him to miss the warning signs. But there was a way out -- another option. He did have a choice. Abruptly, he stood up, and pulled out his wallet. He had promised to meet with Thornstone, not to spend hours with him. He put some bits down on the table, enough to cover both meals -- if they could even be termed 'meals' -- and Thornstone's face swam back into focus at last as he looked up from his nibbling.
"Is something wrong?"
"Sorry, Thornstone, I just remembered--" Zap Apple fished for an excuse. "--Uh, its the last day of apple-bucking season. I really have to go home and help. So sorry to go when you just got here. But I, uh, I really gotta dash."
Thornstone appeared unfazed. "Shall we reschedule?"
Zap Apple's ears flattened. "Uhm, no, I don't think that's a good idea. Apple-bucking is going to keep me pretty busy for a while. And then theres the sorting, and the pickling, and the pressing, and..." He waved a hoof in a vaguely circular motion, trying to suggest the endless tasks associated with an apple orchard. Never mind that he didn't actually do any of the farm work, and most of his time was spent whipping up whirlwinds in the deserts outside Appleoosa. Thornstone didn't need to know that.
He straightened. "Right -- well, bye. It was great to meet you." And with that one last lie, he was trotting, then cantering, then flapping hastily away from that dreadful cafe, relief washing over him like a cool shower on a hot day.
As he set his course for home, he was already composing a very terse letter to Princess Celestia in his head. |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 7 | Cozy Glow allowed Prince Patrician to pull her chair out for her; it was an old-fashioned courtesy, left over from the days when stallions were truly subservient in society. She disliked such archaicness, but Mama had warned her that many of the older noble unicorn families still insisted on the old customs.
The first part of the date had not been...stellar. She had invited him to join her at the chess club. She had beaten him in less than eight moves, without even concentrating, and he had declared chess a dull game, and insisted that they go to his tennis club instead. She beat him at that, as well. He had a good serve, but no tactical sense. It was just the same as with everypony else; it was hard to always be the smartest pony in the room.
But Mama had insisted that she see this meeting out to the end of the day, and Cozy Glow had given her word. She never really made promises to anyone but Rarity, but on those rare occasions that she did, she took them seriously. She had no intention of breaking this one. No matter how many endless stories about Patrician's highjinks at boarding school she had to sit through.
The starters were dominated by a tale of how Patrician had hated the matron in his first year dormitory. Halfway through the main course, and a story about how Patrician had 'fagged' a younger colt at the school -- she hadn't even wanted to know what that meant, but currently it seemed to consist chiefly of forcing the colt to clean his private study and make him toast -- the restaurant door swung open and a flash of gold mane caught Cozy's eye.
She glanced over and away, and then looked back sharply. Was that -- Lustre Dawn? Princess Twilight Sparkle's own personal student. Yes, that was definitely her.
Growing up, Rarity had been careful to keep Cozy isolated from what she thought would be 'challenging' situations. And that included gatherings with Twilight Sparkle and her extended family. Cozy Glow knew Fluttershy well -- and, regrettably, that tiresome donkey-headed freak that followed her everywhere. Applejack and Rainbow Dash had also been frequent figures in her early years with Rarity, until she had made their bratty little son cry once too often. She saw them less after that.
But Princess Twilight Sparkle and Lustre Dawn had always been kept at a cautious distance from her. And no wonder. In those first few years, when she had still struggled with her blind rage against that insipid purple alicorn, she had fully expected that she would one day kill Twilight Sparkle, and then the pathetic little golden-maned lump would come after her. They were nemeses-to-be, she had thought. She had long since given up on that particular path, of course, but Lustre Dawn remained a figure of interest for her.
The unicorn mare was followed by an earth pony, yellow-coated and with a bouncy pink mane. Both mares were wearing pretty gowns -- Lustre Dawn's was made by Rarity herself, unless Cozy was very much mistaken -- and both of them had clearly put a lot of effort into their appearances.
Cozy Glow watched as they were led to a table. The two of them were all nervous smiles and shy blushes; this was obviously another first date. Cozy Glow scowled. Auntie Tia, or whatever she preferred to be called, had strongly recommended this restaurant. Was she sending other possible matches here too?
For the first time, Cozy Glow felt a little...cheapened, by what she was doing. Prince Patrician was a dimwit, that much was clear, but she had really believed that Princess Celestia was trying to meet her requests. But if the Princess were sending other couples on identical dates -- if Cozy was just one of many -- was the Princess even really invested in her case at all?
"And so I said to him: Star Gallop, you little maggot, you need to be faster with my evening toast. And it must be buttered! And then Lancerlight and I threatened to beat the lesson into him. And Star Gallop, bless him, always buttered my toast correctly after that--" Prince Patrician was gesticulating wildly as he told his story, sounding as though he was certain Cozy Glow was as riveted as he obviously was.
Cozy Glow tried very hard not to roll her eyes. Mama emphasised decorum and politeness, and Cozy Glow was determined not to let her down. Surely she could get through another hour or two of this. She smiled and nodded, and let her attention drift back to the table in the corner where Lustre Dawn and the unknown earth pony mare were haltingly trying to make conversation.
"So have you always lived in Ponyville?" Lustre Dawn asked eagerly, leaning forward across the table to better hear Little Cheese's answer over the hubbub of the restaurant.
Little Cheese giggled. "Don't be silly! You know I have. We played together often enough when we were foals."
Lustre Dawn blushed a little. She did remember playdates with Little Cheese, in those hazy days before she got her cutie mark and went to live with Princess Twilight at the School of Magic. But they were so fuzzy in her memory, it was almost like meeting Little Cheese for the first time. Their parents were friends, but they had not met for almost fifteen years.
"We did go travelling every summer, though," Little Cheese smiled, toying with a curl of her pink mane. "My mum always fancied herself a bit of a wandering minstrel, and she and my dad have always loved just rambling across Equestria and throwing parties for all the sad ponies they came across. So I guess I haven't always lived in Ponyville."
Lustre Dawn tried to lean forward again to show her interest, but just got a dig in the barrel from the table for her troubles. She tried not to wince, and kept her smile in place. "That sounds amazing! Did you help, with the parties?"
"Of course!" Little Cheese smiled. "Though if I'm being honest, I've always preferred the baking side. My parents both love to be centre stage, but I like working in the bakery with Pound and Pumpkin." She fiddled with that little curl of her mane again.
"Yes!" Lustre pounced on the detail. "I remember your profile said you were doing an apprenticeship with the Cakes, right?"
Little Cheese smiled. "Yes! I want to open up my own cheesecake shops eventually. Maybe in one of the big cities."
"Wow," Lustre Dawn smiled, unable to take her eyes off this charming, strangely bashful pony. She would never have expected brash Aunt Pinkie's daughter to be like this. "I bet everypony in Canterlot would love a cheesecake bakery." Too late, she realised she was picturing Little Cheese in her own home city, and blushed a brighter red.
Little Cheese obviously noticed too, and her pale yellow cheeks took on a pink hue. "I was thinking I'd call it Little Cheese's Little Cheesecakes," she confided.
Lustre Dawn clapped her hooves together. "What a great name!"
She wasn't sure quite what it was about Little Cheese -- maybe it was her stunning green eyes, her gorgeous smile, or maybe just the way she'd immediately known to make a silly little joke that would get Lustre laughing and break the ice -- but she couldn't remember ever being so into a first date before. She'd met with several of Auntie Tia's unicorn matches now, and all of them had been...terribly dull, somehow. None of them had clicked with her like this earth pony, whom on paper she had nothing in common with.
But somehow the conversation hadn't stopped flowing all evening, and Lustre Dawn was still eager to learn all she could about her new companion.
The hostess brought over their hay fries starters, and set out bottles of ketchup and vinegar on the table, along with the salt and pepper shakers. The hay fries were lightly dusted with oregano and paprika, and Lustre Dawn's mouth began to water just at the smell of them.
"Can I assist you with any condiments?" the hostess asked them, her voice rich and plummy with a Canterlot accent. Her horn glowed at the ready. "Our artisanal sun-dried tomato and pressed beetroot ketchup, perhaps?"
"No!" Lustre Dawn and Little Cheese both cried at the same time, putting their hooves out protectively over the fries, and then they swung to one another in disbelief.
"What did you--?"
"Did you just say--?"
"I hate ketchup on my hay fries!" Little Cheese said, beaming.
"Me too!" Lustre Dawn replied. "Everypony always acts like it's some great heresy, like I've just said I wish I could blot out the sun or something. But I just don't like ketchup!"
"I don't either!" Little Cheese cried. "I see people putting ketchup on their fries, and I'm like, nope! You just ruined them!"
"I completely agree!" Lustre Dawn laughed, and Little Cheese began to giggle too. It was the smallest coincidence, but Lustre Dawn somehow felt like they were both in on some great secret, united against the rest of the ketchup-loving world.
They both snickered into their hay fries until the hostess -- and her artisanal ketchup -- swept away in cold fury, and then they burst out laughing even harder.
"Let's dig in," Little Cheese suggested, when their last chuckles finally subsided. "We don't want these beauties getting cold."
"Absolutely not!" Lustre Dawn agreed, levitating her fork upwards before thinking better of it and preparing to use her hooves as Little Cheese clearly was. "And Little Cheese?"
"Hmm?" Little Cheese looked up, a hoof-full of hay fries suspended just below her muzzle.
"I'd love to try some of your cheesecake someday."
Cozy Glow was still trying to subtly observe the date between Twilight Sparkle's daughter and the unknown earth pony when Patrician's indeterminably long story about his days at private school ended, and he finally said something that caught her attention.
"My family weren't sure about me meeting you tonight, of course," he said, as though the previous topic of conversation had naturally led to this.
Cozy Glow turned back to him, a polite smile painted across her muzzle. "Oh?"
"And I have to say," he chortled, "I wasn't entirely confident about it either."
Cozy rested her chin on one hoof and smiled again, inviting him to continue. She couldn't wait to see where this was going.
"All that unpleasant buzz around your name," he said, waving a hoof. "Lots of rumours. Lots of stories. But Father insisted that I meet with you. He knows your mother, and Princess Twilight, of course. Old friends of his."
"Such old friends," Cozy echoed in bland agreement. Now the real reasons were coming out. Here was the generous, the forgiving nature of Canterlot nobility. As shallow as puddles, all of them. Motivated only by greed and her mother's fame.
"But I am glad, most glad, that it all turned out to be baseless," Patrician rattled on. "You have a most amenable personality, Cozy Glow, and I would be glad to see you again. Even despite..." he gestured uncomfortably, his nose wrinkling a little, "Your -- ahem -- past, and, of course, that other matter." He gestured vaguely in her direction.
"The other matter?" Cozy Glow asked, in what Mama referred to as her 'dangerous' voice.
Patrician chuckled uneasily. "Well -- you know, you're a pegasus, Cozy Glow."
Cozy Glow froze. One ear twitched. The muscles beneath her eyes tightened imperceptibly.
"But Princess Celestia reassured us that your family was of good unicorn stock, good magical talent--"
Cozy Glow's eyes narrowed a fraction. Good magical stock. Unicorns.
"And we can be confident that any foals are most likely to be unicorns--"
Cozy's remaining thread of patience snapped. Her face became cold. This was too much. Not even Mama's wet blanket of a friend Aunt Fluttershy would turn the other cheek to this. This...this imbecile held the same abhorrent purist views as her birth-- no, they weren't fit to be called a birth family.
Patrician, oblivious, was still rambling on. "So I suppose there's really no reason for concern -- and of course, you'll bring a good dower with you -- our Whinneapolis estate will certainly put it to good use, I can tell you--"
"Shut up," Cozy Glow said, quite calmly. Her voice was no louder than her usual conversational tone.
That got Patrician's attention. "There are several unfortunate entailments on the manor-- what was that?"
"I said," Cozy smiled pleasantly, "Shut up, Prince Patrician."
Patrician's heavy brows pulled down, and he began to bluster. "Now, hold on -- just who do you think you are, to tell me--"
Cozy Glow didn't let him finish whatever self-righteous speech he was building up to now. She raised a hoof. "Prince Patrician. Let me stop you right there." She smiled, a little wider, showing all her gleaming white teeth. "I have been an alicorn. I've known real power. I could open portals with a flick of my horn; my shield was strong enough to hold off three princesses at once. I've drained their magic from their screaming bodies, and felt it flood into me."
She leaned forward, and he leaned away, sweat suddenly forming on his forehead, but her hoof slammed down onto his, holding him firmly in place. She leant closer, her voice dropping lower, a whisper as intimate as a lover's. "I've absorbed all the chaos magic in the universe, Prince Patrician. I've stood twenty storeys tall. Storms came at my command. The world shook when I willed it."
His eyes were pinpricks of terror, and he looked rapidly from left to right, searching for an escape route. She could tell he was close to shouting for help -- only the remnants of his pride were holding him back.
"And you call me substandard?" she hissed, building to her grand finale. She spread her wings a little, a subtle threat display. "You call me not good enough? The only failure here, Prince Patrician -- the only failure here is you."
At last, she released his hoof and he stumbled backwards, away from her. His chair clattered noisily onto the floor. Cozy Glow kept her features very still, in that small smirk that could mask any emotion, no matter what storm swirled behind her eyes.
"You -- you're crazy!" Patrician gasped. "You aren't reformed at all!"
Cozy Glow giggled, and just as she knew he would, he flinched at the sound.
"Don't -- don't ever contact me again!" He was backing away now, but not yet running. His eyes were moving rapidly, his jaw working.
Cozy Glow scoffed to herself. Was he searching for some sort of exit line? Trying to get the last word in? Pathetic.
At last, he seemed to find his tongue again. "You-- you'll be hearing from my father's lawyer!"
At that, Cozy couldn't contain herself any longer, and dissolved into peals of laughter. It was enough to break Patrician, and he turned and fled. The restaurant door slammed shut behind him, and the noise of his galloping hooves faded quickly into the night. Cozy couldn't stop laughing. She hammered her hoof against the table and laughed until tears ran from her eyes. By the Princesses! What an idiot that stallion was.
Prince Blueblood's lawyer, indeed. Prince Blueblood, like half the nobles in Canterlot, used the best lawyer money could buy. And the best lawyer money could buy just so happened to be the little pegasus mare that Patrician had run screaming into the night from. |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 8 | The new week brought with it a new letter from the Princess.
Dear Zap Apple, it began, identical to the first, I was sorry to hear from you that you didn't feel Thornstone was a good match. However, only through experience can we learn, and I congratulate you on learning the first lesson of this process -- the sort of partner you don't want.
I have another potential match to offer you. Dust Devil is a pegasus mare, currently a senior member of the wonderbolts. She is a little older than you, but has enough energy and drive to run rings around most ponies. She shares the key interest you mentioned in your last letter (flight and excelling in that field) and after meeting with her several times over the course of the last few months, I can assure you that she is not boring. She has agreed to meet with you at Wonderbolts HQ any morning that suits you. Once again, I look forward to hearing how your meeting goes. Yours Sincerely, Auntie Tia (Princess Celestia, Ruler of the Day, Diarch of Equestria, Princeps Solaris, Sol Invictus, The Sun Eternal, etc).
The photo enclosed this time caught his attention. It showed a lithe, lean pegasus mare, small but covered with wiry muscles, and with a wingspan far too large for her diminutive frame. She must be a powerful flier. Her cutie mark was a yellow arc of light. Her amber eyes, the same shade as her mane, were narrowed, and a sardonic grin spread across her muzzle. She looked confident, tough -- all those things Zaps had always wanted to be, but felt that he somehow fell a little short of. The look on her face seemed as though she were somehow setting him a challenge, and he couldn't help wanting to meet it.
The next day at breakfast, he tried to casually drop it into conversation with his parents. "I'll join you on the flight to Wonderbolts HQ today, Mum."
Rainbow's ears flicked bolt upright. "Wait, really, kiddo? Why? You want another tryout for the Bolts?"
Zap Apple waved a hoof. "Ugh, Mum, no. How many times? I'm meeting somepony there, that's all."
Applejack and Rainbow Dash shared a look, their expressions alight with interest. "Really?" Applejack asked, attempting to strike a casual note. "Anypony in particular?"
Zap Apple sighed. He was going to have to tell them. "One of Auntie Tia's potential matches."
Applejack gasped audibly and Rainbow drummed her hooves on the table with excitement. "She's setting you up with a Wonderbolt? That's awesome news!"
"Ah thought we all agreed that an earth pony would be best," Applejack objected.
"Mum!" Zap Apple groaned. "Please don't be so...so racist. I'm interested in the ponies, not in whether they have wings or not." Though he couldn't deny that Dust Devil's creamy white wings held a certain...allure.
"Never mind that!" Rainbow Dash clopped her hooves together. "Tell us who it is!"
"Dust Devil," Zap Apple said reluctantly, hoping against hope that his mother wouldn't know the wiry little amber mare.
Rainbow Dash chewed on her lip. "Dust Devil? Isn't she the one who...? She's...she's Lightning Dust's daughter."
Zap Apple spread his hooves. The name was familiar to him, but he didn't immediately recognise it. "So what?"
Rainbow Dash harrumphed and Applejack hastily patted her shoulder. "Lightnin' Dust is your momma's nemesis, Zaps. They're arch-rivals -- pretty much the one pony Twilight could never convince Rainbow to make proper friends with."
Zap Apple sighed and put his head in his hooves. "Mum, come on. Don't make this into a problem. I actually really like the look of Dust Devil. She can't help who her mother is."
Not any more than he could help who his own were.
Applejack shot Rainbow Dash a look, and Rainbow nodded hastily. "Of course, kiddo. Of course. I was just -- it was an overreaction. You can date whoever you like. Even...even if it is Lightning Dust's kid."
"I think I'll fly up to Wonderbolts HQ alone," Zap Apple decided, pushing his chair back. He didn't want to risk dragging any of his weird family drama into his first meeting with Dust Devil.
Rainbow reached out a wing to stop him. "Oh -- but I wanted--"
"Sorry, Mum." He was already halfway out the door. "But I don't want to listen to an hour's retelling of your brilliant duels against Lightning Dust."
Rainbow's eyes grew slightly bigger with hurt, but Applejack put a restraining hoof around her shoulders. "Best to let him go, Shug. Got to let him do this on his own."
"Let's go!"
As she yelled the word, Zap Apple leapt straight up, his powerful hind legs propelling him into the air. He glanced over and saw Dust Devil spread the great feathery sails of her wings, catch the wind, and thrust herself higher and higher.
Panting and grinning all at once, he hurtled after her.
He could feel the air currents spiralling skywards, and it was a matter of instinct to pick out the right threads and chase them upwards. But Dust Devil was still ahead of him, grinning down at him, her nearly alicorn-sized wings bearing her up with every sweep.
Zap Apple felt the blood coursing through his veins, and the wind sang against his fur. He didn't feel afraid anymore. In the sky, nothing could stop him. It was his kingdom, the place where he was master of everything his wings could touch. He could leave all the hurt and worry on the ground, and once he was up, it was just him and the air. And now Dust Devil, too. An addition that he definitely did not mind.
They circled up and up, chasing each other all the way, and then collapsed panting onto a cloud.
"I can see why you're a Wonderbolt," Zap Apple laughed, the contest banishing any remnants of nerves that he felt. "You're fast!"
"And I can see why Captain Dash is always bragging about her wunderkind son," chuckled Dust Devil. "Theres not many civvies who could keep up with me. Hell, you could almost be a Wonderbolt if you wanted to be."
Zap Apple laughed again and waved the flattery off. "If I had an apple for every time my Mum said that to me." He rolled onto his front and looked into Dust Devil's eyes, trying to steer the conversation away from his mother. "But let's talk about us. Tell me about your favourite things to do."
Dust Devil giggled and kicked her hooves in the air. "Flying, obviously."
"Your favourite manoeuvre, then." Zap Apple was entranced. She was the most beautiful pegasus he had ever met.
"I actually have my own," she confided, sitting up and shooting him a sly smile. "I call it the Arch of Glory." She flicked her head at her cutie mark. "Wanna see it for real?"
Zap Apple leaned closer, so close his many-hued mane almost mixed with her own butter and lemon locks. "More than anything."
Dust Devil snickered and jumped to her hooves. She kicked off from the cloud and abruptly dropped out of sight. Zap Apple surged to his feet and craned his neck to try and trace her flight path.
Then she was whooshing past him, a blur of amber and cream, curving around the cloud in a vast circle, building up her speed. He could just detect a trace of a yellow contrail, and then it was streaming out of her, and she soared overhead, perfectly recreating the golden arch of sunlight that graced her flank. Zap Apple whooped and stomped his hooves in applause, realising too late that would destroy parts of the cloud he sat on.
Dust Devil laughed at his predicament as she swept around him once more, letting the Arch of Glory fade out. She backwinged and gracefully alighted beside him on the considerably smaller cloud. "What about you?" she challenged. "What've you got?"
Zap Apple gestured at his cutie mark, the red and orange whirlwind. "I can make real dust devils, baby." As soon as the words left his mouth, he blushed and paused. It wasn't like him to be so...so smooth. He sounded like a new version of himself. A better and more confident version. Then indecision seized him. What if it hadn't been the right thing to say?
But Dust Devil was laughing, and Zap Apple was laughing too, heady with exhilaration and relief.
"Go on, then!" she demanded. "Show me."
And before Zap Apple knew what he was doing, he was diving off the cloud, and circling her, tighter and tighter, faster and faster, his wings thrumming like a hummingbird, his body crackling with the electric power only he could summon. And then the cloud was torn away in his tornado, ripped into little wispy shreds, and Dust Devil was laughing and clapping her hooves, and then she was flying with him, circling round, tighter and tighter, those great wings of hers adding even more power to his whirlwind, until they were both thrown out of it and fell away, laughing, to watch it spin upwards and dissipate in the clouds above.
Feeling happier than he could ever remember, Zap Apple followed Dust Devil as she glided smoothly back to the clifftop landing strip. His face ached from smiling so much. Who would have believed that one little coffee date could result in seven hours with somepony, each feeling better than the one before?
Dust Devil landed as gently as a feather, and folded her glorious creamy wings carefully against her side. Then she flicked her head, inviting him to walk with her, and Zap Apple hastily landed and trotted after her.
"I'm a big believer in being honest, Zap Apple," she said suddenly, and Zap Apple's heart stuttered.
"Oh?" he said, as casually as he could.
"Yes," she nodded firmly, that determined glint he already felt he knew so well appearing in her eyes. "I've met with enough of Auntie Tia's potential matches now to know what I like and what I don't like -- and I like you, Zap Apple."
Zap Apple sucked in a breath, his wings spreading in unconscious elation. "Really? I like you too, Dust Devil! I really like you." Being with her was effortless, like riding a thermal up and up and far away from the terrors of the world below. His date with her had gone as differently from his date with Thornstone as could be imagined.
Dust Devil chuckled. "That's great!"
Zap Apple wished she would stop walking for a moment, so he could just stare into her amber eyes and bask in this moment. The moment he had finally found his special somepony. Who would have guessed that Applejack had been right? That finding a partner could add so much to your life, that--
"But we've gotta talk serious for a minute," Dust Devil went on, and Zap Apple abruptly came crashing back to earth.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that most ponies who go to Auntie Tia -- they want the same sort of stuff. But I need to know for certain that we're on the same page before we take this any further. I'm a few years older than you, and I know what I want. I want to get married, soon, and I want to have foals soon too."
Zap Apple felt the euphoria sucking away from him. Cold reality was hitting, stinging like a blast of winter air. "Uh...how soon?"
Her answer was immediate and brutal. "Within the next two years, so that I can be back on top form for the next Equestrian Games."
Zap Apple clutched for a moment longer at the heady joy of the afternoon they had spent together. "Don't you, uh, think it's a little soon to be discussing that sort of thing?"
Dust Devil stopped walking at last and turned abruptly to face him. "No, I don't. And I'll tell you why -- I'm attracted to you, and I like your personality, but I haven't got time to waste, Zap Apple." That spark of challenge was back in her eyes. "I'm getting older and I need to move quickly if I want foals of my own, but I'm not giving up my career. I know what I want and I need it soon. Auntie Tia's running a marriage service. What did you think you were signing up for?"
Zap Apple stuttered, still feeling like the clouds had suddenly parted beneath his feet and left him tumbling down into unknown depths. "I-- uh -- I don't know, I--" He had thought he was signing up to do only what his mothers had asked of him; to meet a few ponies and see if anyone clicked. And somepony had, but now she was demanding the impossible. How was he meant to know if he wanted to marry somepony and raise foals with them within the first seven hours of knowing them?
Dust Devil, for her part, looked bitterly disappointed. "I see. I'd hoped we'd be on the same page about this."
"But I--" But Zap Apple couldn't think how to finish the sentence.
Dust Devil gave him a few seconds, and then began again. "I'll give you a few days, Zap Apple. Reach out to Auntie Tia if you decide you want to see me again."
"But I do want to see you again!" He was sure of that much at least.
Dust Devil shook her head, her beautiful white wings, so soft and downy, shifting back and away from him. Oh, how he longed to be wrapped in those wings! Zap Apple put out a hoof to pull her back, but she skipped neatly beyond his reach.
"You're too uncertain, Zap Apple. Too young. I can't afford to waste my time on somepony who isn't sure they want the same things as me. I just can't."
And in a whirl of creamy-white feathers and sweet-smelling plumage, she was gone, and Zap Apple was left alone on the landing strip, feeling strangely bereft. |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 9 | Celestia sat in her large, plush armchair, flipping idly through pony profiles and sipping her cup of tea. She was using the unusually hot summer morning to refresh her memory of as many of her clients' files as she could. Often the best way to match a potential couple was to have one specific pony in mind, and just think about who from her client list might suit. But for that method to work she needed an in-depth and up to date knowledge of everypony on her books.
Raven Inkwell sat in the chair opposite, various calendars and diaries sprawling across the coffee table in front of her. She had spent the past few hours catching up on ascertaining that all Celestia's commitments were itemised and correctly accounted for. They had passed a few easy hours in companionable silence. It came naturally to them now, after so many decades working together.
There were no appointments scheduled that day, and though Celestia had told Raven Inkwell they would both use the slow day to catch up on paperwork, in reality she had planned to surprise Raven with a spur of the moment trip to the ice cream stand in the park. Raven Inkwell worked so hard; she deserved a little relaxation.
She looked over at Raven again. Her brow was furrowed with concentration, her eyes a little more clouded than they had been once, but the expression still sharp and clear.
Perhaps another ten minutes, Celestia mused. Then I'll propose we go on a little jaunt.
She stretched her wings slightly and refolded them more comfortably. A bird sang somewhere in the street outside.
All was tranquil and peaceful.
Then the door flew open hard enough that it ricocheted into the wall with a bang! It left a dent in the plaster when it bounced away again, ready to slam shut -- or almost, until a blue glow of magic caught it and forced it open once more.
Raven Inkwell yelped in surprise and dropped her teacup. Celestia hastily ignited her horn, and was able to envelop both the cup and the drops of scalding liquid before they could make contact with poor Raven's skin.
She carefully replaced the tea in the cup and deposited it on the table, before turning to see who was storming into her peaceful little office in such a manner.
She was startled to see Rarity, of all ponies, her pupils little black dots of fury, her mane frazzled and straying in every direction. Celestia started up out of her seat involuntarily -- what manner of crisis could have bought this on? Her mind raced. Was it Luna? Or Twilight? Had Twilight somehow been incapacitated? She spread her wings and began to reach for the fiery power of her strongest spells. She would burn the fool incautious enough to attack her personal student--
"How dare you?" Rarity's shriek stopped Celestia's thoughts in their tracks, and she cautiously let her magic dissipate. Not an attack, then. Something she personally had done to offend Rarity. But what could it be?
"Rarity, whatever is the matter?" she asked, trying for a soothing tone, and hastily gesturing to Raven Inkwell to evacuate the office. Raven snatched up the files and diaries they had been poring over and hastened out of the room.
Rarity advanced on Celestia, her eyes ablaze. "How can you even ask that, Princess?"
Celestia spread her hooves. "Truly, I don't understand."
Then she caught a glimpse of that odious little pink psychopath, lurking behind her mother, and it began to make sense.
Rarity's teeth were exposed in an expression somewhere between a grimace and a snarl. "Exposing Cozy Glow to bigots like this is simply not acceptable."
"Bigots? What do you mean?" Clearly the planned date with Prince Patrician had not gone well. Celestia couldn't think why -- the boy was everything they had asked for. Intelligent, magically gifted, wealthy and ambitious. What had gone wrong?
"That -- that -- imbecile," Rarity stuttered for a moment over what insult was worthy of scum as low as Patrician was, "That moronic little idiot -- he told my beautiful Cozy that she wasn't good enough because she is a pegasus."
Celestia grasped the situation at once. "Ah."
"Ah!" Rarity's voice climbed. "Yes, you may well say 'ah', Celestia! How dare you expose my Cozy to somepony who would make her feel that way! When you know her history! When you know what she has suffered!"
"Rarity, Cozy Glow, please," Celestia tried to placate them once more. "Why don't we discuss this calmly? I can call Raven to get us some more tea."
Rarity slammed her front hooves down onto the coffee table. Celestia winced at the impact. What that would do to her priceless eight-hundred-year-old mahogany, she dreaded to think.
"I do not want tea! I want what you promised us! The chance for Cozy Glow to meet kind, generous, empathetic ponies who might understand her!" Rarity paused, her flanks heaving with emotion. "It certainly seems as though you do not understand."
"Rarity, please," Celestia said more firmly. "I had no idea that Blueblood or Patrician held those sort of views. They did ask a few questions about Cozy Glow's background, and I told them that she was a unicorn-born pegasus, as it seemed harmless enough information to share. I certainly did not intend to expose Cozy Glow to bigotry of any form or fashion."
Rarity's breath was still coming hard, but she appeared a little mollified. Celestia pressed on. "I can assure you both that it will not happen again. Now, let me ring for tea."
"No," Rarity snapped. "We're not staying. Cozy has had a traumatic experience, and we are getting out of Canterlot's oppressive atmosphere for a few days."
"Of course," Celestia murmured, letting her hoof fall back from the bell pull. "I hope you both feel better." She shot a quick glance at Cozy Glow, who still skulked behind Rarity. That little smirk on her face certainly didn't appear traumatised.
Rarity turned to go, ushering Cozy Glow ahead of her, but turned back to shoot one last look at Celestia. "My daughter's life has been hard, Princess Celestia. I'm not sure anypony understands just how hard. If anyone deserves the best, its Cozy Glow." Her eyes glinted. "Now, I'm relying on you, Auntie Tia, darling. Don't let us down."
Celestia could do little more than dip her head in assent, and then Rarity was gone in a flounce of purple tail and a slamming door. Celestia let out her breath. She pulled Cozy Glow's file back up from the floor where it had fallen and made one more note in the margin.
Triple-check any potential matches for anti-pegasus sentiment. |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 10 | Luna smiled to herself as she walked slowly up and down the aisles of her night garden. Her pale roses were blooming beautifully, their milky white faces turned up towards the stars, the wolfsbane and nightshade growing thick and green at their base. All around, her little moonblossoms spread over the rolling lawns, their lovely petals opening one by one as the moon climbed higher.
Luna loved her garden, almost as much as she loved her night sky. With Twilight Sparkle managing the moon itself, Luna had been able to spend more time than ever wandering the dreamscape and putting her stars back into their proper order after her immeasurably long absence. She had even found time for a few new hobbies. Her paintings were improving almost nightly, and her garden was growing more lovely with every passing sunset.
She raised her head to the sky once more, scanning the dark clouds with her perfect night vision. Celestia had sent word to say she would be working late this evening, but Luna expected her any minute now. She had cookies waiting in the oven, so that the minute Celestia landed, she would have her favourite sweet treats ready for her.
When Celestia baked, she always produced milk chocolate cookies, but when Luna was the one in charge of the Castle's enormous and recently repaired kitchen, she favoured dark, rich cookies, almost black, studded with white chocolate chips so tiny they almost looked like stars in a midnight sky. They melted most wonderfully on the tongue.
Luna completed two more laps of her little rose garden, snipping off a wilting bloom here, a thorny branch there. Finally, she selected five of her finest white roses, and several moonblossoms to form a counterpoint, and wrapped their stalks with black ribbon. There! A perfect centrepiece for the table as they ate their midnight meal.
She glanced up one last time, and there she saw Celestia's pale form, grey in the darkness rather than its usual radiant white, descending rapidly towards the Castle's tallest spire, where Luna habitually watched the stars pass overhead from her balcony.
The bouquet held carefully in her magic, Luna spread her wings and flew silently upwards to join her sister.
Later, as they both delicately wiped the dark crumbs of chocolate cookies from their mouths -- much more visible on Celestia's pale muzzle, Luna noted with amusement -- Celestia produced several thick files from her gold-tooled leather saddlebags and placed them on the table between the two sisters.
"What are these?" Luna asked, sending a a quick flash of magic to brighten the candles already burning with her cold blue flame. She knew Celestia preferred to read in stronger light.
"Clients," Celestia replied. "The ones I've been working most closely with over recent weeks."
Luna nodded. This was unusual; Celestia rarely involved Luna in her matchmaking work, just as Luna seldom invited Celestia to accompany her on her visits to Shady Hollows, the little batpony settlement where Luna's word was still law.
"And what can I help you with?"
Celestia sighed. "You know I've no talent for scrying or seeing the future, Lu. That's always been your forte. I was hoping -- as my resident astrologer -- you might be able to give me a helping hoof with these more troublesome clients."
Luna resisted the urge to giggle, but a smile played around the edges of her mouth regardless. "I haven't your skill in matching ponies, sister."
"Of course not," Celestia accepted the homage with a toss of her lustrous mane. "But you outmatch me by far in knowledge of the stars and their whispers of what is yet to come. And I think you might actually get better results cold, not having seen these ponies before." She pouted slightly. "Please, sister. Some of them are proving quite the headache."
Luna laughed in earnest now, but nodded her acceptance. She had never intended to refuse her sister aid; she never liked to refuse her sister anything. "Of course, Celly. I would be glad to help."
Celestia breathed a sigh of relief and opened the folder. She spread out ten or twelve photographs on the table. "Alright. Just look at their faces, and tell me what you think."
Luna looked down at the brightly coloured array before her. All young ponies, their smiles bright, their manes freshly washed. All had wanted to look their best before their photos had been taken. Luna shut her eyes and let her hooves hover over the photos. She tried to listen to the whispers that she always heard buzzing at the very base of her brain; the voices of her oldest friends, the stars.
Their soft tones hissed and hummed in her ears, growing stronger with every heartbeat now they knew that she was reaching out for them.
An answer came to her suddenly. "This one," she said, reaching blindly for a photo and tapping her hoof on it. "And this one." She could see flashes of pale silver, the sketchy shapes the stars often showed her when she reached out to them. Two shapes, side by side, facing the years. And two smaller shapes skipping behind them.
"Yes?" Celestia breathed.
"My friends whisper -- they tell me that these two will have a strong relationship. The little one with the ponytail is destined to have...I think...twin foals. But I can't be sure."
Celestia scooped the photos out from under Luna's hooves. "Lustre Dawn and Little Cheese," she murmured. "Just as I hoped." She paused. "Though that gaggle of geriatric unicorn grandparents will not be best pleased. Ah well; Raven can answer their letters."
Luna paid little attention to her sister's words. She was focused inwardly, on the gentle susurration of her silver chorus.
Celestia pressed her hoof over Luna's own. "What else, sister? What do you see?"
Raising a wing for silence, Luna let the sibilance of her distant friends fill her mind. Just as she had done so often during her solitude on the Moon, when she had lived more in their distant visions than she had in her own dark present. She saw a new shape, sketched in the stardust, pushing everypony away from itself. Until finally, one shape was able to overcome those defences and win through, able to weather the violence even as the first pony still fought against it.
"This one," she placed her free hoof onto the photo that the stars hissed was right. "She is...most hardheaded. Very stubborn. She will be hard for you to find a match for. I can't be sure, but I think the stars are saying...any mate she has will have to be subservient to her; worship the ground she walks on. Even if she was to slap them, they would have to accept it. Or perhaps my friends are saying you must find somepony strong enough to accept her blows and ignore them. I can't say for certain."
"Yes," Celestia's tone was bitter. "That sums up Cozy Glow perfectly. Hardheaded, stubborn, and if we're being honest, an unrepentant renegade." She pressed Luna's hoof again. "Can you see who it is she's with?"
But the murmurs of Luna's heavenly companions were fading, until they dipped back to their normal base level, an almost inaudible undertone at the back of her mind. She sighed and opened her eyes once more. "I'm sorry, sister, I cannot. That is all the stars and I can offer tonight."
"Of course," Celestia said regretfully. "Of course. But thank you, Luna. What you've given me is more help than I ever expected."
"What will you do?" Luna asked, amused. It was funny to watch just how invested her sister became in her little pet projects.
Celestia numbered items off on her hooves. "Well, firstly, I know now to move ahead with Lustre Dawn and Little Cheese. I can encourage them, help them take the next step. With Cozy Glow...the shyest and most 'subservient' client I have -- that was the word you used -- is probably Rose Bloom. But I hate to subject her to Cozy Glow's attentions. I'm not sure she could take it."
"Rose Bloom?" Luna asked.
The name was not familiar to her, but that was the way of mortals; they bred like rabbits, and it was hard to keep up. One had barely managed to learn the names of a generation before they were preceded by the next. Twilight Sparkle and her friends were an exception, of course. Luna could never forget her saviours. But the majority of Celestia's little ponies -- for they were still mostly hers -- tended to blur into one brightly coloured mass for Luna. She guarded their dreams, and knew their unconscious minds, but there were no names there. In the waking realm she contented herself with her batponies.
Celestia pushed one of the photos toward her. A pale yellow face stared back at her, slightly too long in the snout to be a pony, with elongated, donkey-like ears and large fangs. A long pink mane hung over the face, streaked with black, and lion paws could just be seen peeking into the photograph's edge. Dragon wings curved up behind the body. Despite the outlandish appearance of the creature, its face wore a timid, almost tender expression. Luna couldn't begin to guess what manner of creature this was. Some sort of curious hybrid, perhaps.
"Discord and Fluttershy's daughter," Celestia supplied. "Half pony, half draconequus. I acknowledge that she looks...quite fearsome, but she's as timid as a little kitten underneath all that."
"And you think she is the match for Cozy Glow?" Luna said doubtfully. She pictured the terrifying little filly that had wielded Grogar's Bell all those years ago, and used it to suck the magic of moon and sun from herself and Celestia.
Celestia shrugged. "I think she is the only pony I currently have likely to accept a slap from the pony she loves and still care about them, which is the criteria you set. Rose Bloom also has links to Equestrian royalty through Twilight, which is important to Cozy Glow's family. And if it turns out that she has any latent chaos powers and the backbone to use them, she'll be able to fulfil your other requirement of being strong enough to overcome Cozy Glow if needed."
"But what makes you think Cozy Glow is the right match for Rose Bloom?" Luna pressed.
Celestia shrugged. "Honestly, sister, the poor little thing was so shy I could hardly get anything out of her. I don't know what her preferences are."
Luna mirrored her sister's shrug, her mind already wandering back to the next constellation she had planned; a majestic dragon with wings outspread, belching starfire into the void. It would take her decades to manoeuvre the stars into the correct positions, but she felt the anticipation quickening her blood already. Anyway, Celestia always knew best when it came to these affairs of pony hearts. Luna knew that she shouldn't interfere. |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 11 | Zap Apple spent a few bitter days mulling over his most recent letter from Princess Celestia, which gently informed him that Dust Devil didn't feel confident enough in his intentions to meet with him again.
Getting through the seemingly endless workdays was tough; he didn't fly as strongly as he usually did, and his team noticed. They gave him a little stick about having to pick up his slack, but they didn't ride him too hard, and they certainly didn't offer any comfort. It wasn't until he went home at the weekend that he could break down and tell his mothers what had happened.
Applejack's first instinct was to hug and soothe her poor boy, which Zap Apple tearfully accepted. But Rainbow Dash's reaction was less comforting; she leapt to her hooves and swore she would kick Dust Devil off the Wonderbolts once and for all.
"I don't give a buck how strong a flier she is," she raged. "Nopony treats my kid like this!"
"Sit down, Sugarcube," Applejack said, over the top of Zap Apple's head. "Stormin' in blazin' mad ain't gonna help poor Zaps none, is it?"
"No," Zaps added mournfully. "It'll just humiliate me even more -- and prove her right that I'm immature and have to rely on my parents to come get me out of trouble."
Rainbow Dash deflated, her wings wilting down from their upright position. "Oh. I guess you're right."
"But there is another option, Shug," Applejack said softly.
Zap Apple perked up and pricked his ears. "What?"
"Have ya considered thinkin' about whether ya might be open to what she wants?" Applejack said carefully.
Zap Apple flicked his ears. "What do you mean, Mum?"
"Ah mean -- why not give some serious thought as to whether you'd be open to marriage and foals in the next couple a' years?"
Zap Apple sighed. He knew that was the future his mum wanted for him. But he had no idea whether that was the future he wanted for himself. He tried to imagine what he would be like as a father, what his and Dust Devil's foals might look like, and he drew a total blank. He'd barely ever been in a serious relationship before. How could he predict what his marriage would be like?
A knock at the door interrupted them, and Rainbow darted to answer it. It was Big Mac, their post in his mouth. "Thanks, Mac," Rainbow said distractedly, taking them from him. "See you at dinner, yeah? We're kinda in the middle of something here."
"Ayup," agreed Big Mac in his usual laconic fashion, and turned to plod away, the same stolid pace he always went at.
Zap Apple watched Rainbow Dash shuffle idly through the mail, and then freeze as she reached one of the letters. "Hey," she said suddenly, her tone becoming more urgent. "It's another one from Princess Celestia."
Zap Apple jumped up at once from where he had been lying in Applejack's comforting embrace, a detritus of tissues and handkerchiefs falling away from him as he went. He sprang towards the letter, gliding up and over the kitchen table, and snatched the envelope in his mouth.
"D'ya think Dust Devil has changed her mind?" Applejack asked eagerly.
"Pfft, she wouldn't know a good thing if it bit her on the ass," Rainbow snorted.
Zap Apple tore the letter open with his teeth, and pulled it out eagerly. To his surprise, a new photo fell out. A beige-coated kirin with a seaweed-coloured mane smiled up at him. Her teeth were very sharp. Frowning, he scooped the photo up and set it on the table. Could Princess Celestia be sending him another match already?
He unfolded the letter and scanned it quickly.
Dear Zap Apple,
After some serious thought on your needs following your date with Dust Devil, I have decided that Leaftail might be a suitable match for you. Leaftail is very new to this process as well, and like you, isn't quite sure what she wants to get out of it. Like yourself, Leaftail is a very adventurous young kirin. She is an outdoor adventure guide; she leads groups of ponies on rock climbing trips, as well as caving and spelunking. In the process of getting to know her, I went on one of her spelunking expeditions myself. It was a real challenge, I can tell you! If you are keen to meet her, I will ask her if you can join her on a private adventure. I will await your reply by return of post.
Kind regards,
Your Auntie Tia
(Princess Celestia, Ruler of the Day...oh, you know the rest by now).
As he read, both of his parents came to flank him, reading carefully over his shoulder. Applejack scooped up the detailed profile, her eyes scanning carefully scanning each line.
"She looks nice," Rainbow said from Zap Apple's left.
"Ah don't know," Applejack frowned. "Poor ol' Zaps is still all torn up about Dust Devil. An' a kirin is a very...different culture to ours."
Zap Apple bridled at that. "Oh, come off it, Mum. We already talked about this. You can't assume anything about ponies based on their species."
Applejack's frown deepened. "Ah ain't assuming nothing, you dumb colt. You're forgetting it was me who made contact with the kirin. An' Autumn Blaze is still one of my best friends."
"Then why--?"
"'Cause I've seen the things that can happen when they get mad and the nirik come out," Applejack snapped. "An' I don't know that a mellow, anxious little kid like you can handle that kinda heat."
Zap Apple frowned and folded his hooves. "Well, I can't just moon around after Dust Devil forever." Even as he said it, the words hardened his resolve. He wouldn't sit around waiting for her to change her mind. They had been on one date. She wasn't his soulmate or anything like that. There were plenty of other seaponies in the sea. "Yeah, I think I will go meet her. Leaftail. She sounds sort of cool." At least from what Princess Celestia said, she wouldn't be expecting marriage or foals anytime soon.
"Ah still don't think--"
"Oh, come on, you old gloomygrumps," Rainbow said affectionately. "I think it's great that Zaps wants to get back out there. We need to support him."
Applejack muttered mutinously for a moment more, but then subsided. Zap Apple gave them both a grateful hug, and then took flight once more to head up to his room and pen his reply to the Princess. |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 12 | Lustre Dawn skipped down Ponyville's high street, aglow with happiness. Ponies stopped to smile and nod to her, and she had a bright smile and a kind word for each of them.
She was heading for Pinkie Pie's Party Emporium, and her heart was singing. Six more dates had followed her first with Little Cheese, and each had been better than the last. Every time they met, she felt more at home with the buttermilk-yellow mare, grew to know every twist of her bouncy mane a little better. Every time they talked they discovered new similarities; they both loved walking in the forest, they both loved romance novels (and Cadance was a guilty pick for both of their favourite princess, despite their mutual love for Aunt Twilight), and Little Cheese loved to cook fine foods just as much as Lustre Dawn loved to eat them. Little Cheese's cheesecakes were pretty much Lustre's idea of what heaven tasted like, and Little Cheese had even professed a hidden love for The Phantom of the Perilous Peak. Lustre Dawn had purchased her second recent set of tickets to see the play. She was confident that this time would be vastly superior to the time she had seen it with Sparkling Wine, who had droned on about the different ice cream flavours available in Yakyakistan for half of the first act.
The only slight hiccup was her grandparent. On being informed of her choosing to go on a second and third date with an earth pony, as non-magical as they came, her grandparents had gone a little off the rails. Jackpot and Big Bucks had been as supportive as they always were, of course, but Firelight had turned his nose up and refused to discuss the matter any further.
Even Twilight Velvet and Nightlight, though they barely counted as her grandparents, had exuded a stiff sense of disapproval on her last visit with them. Lustre Dawn had left the coffee shop near their Canterlot residence with a sour taste in her mouth, promising herself internally that she would not return until they had apologised.
But it was Stellar Flare and Sunspot that had really fallen in the deep end -- angry letters to Princess Celestia, to Lustre herself, to Starlight and Trixie, to anypony who would listen. It had taken a curtly worded letter from Starlight, reminding them that they were only step-grandparents, to finally shut them up. Sunburst had apologised over and over, until Lustre Dawn had eventually told him to just let it go. He was a wonderful father, in his way -- but always so nervous, so afraid of losing her. He was so conscious of their not-quite-normal bond that it made Lustre hyper-aware of it as well. It always made her feel a little on edge.
Lustre Dawn rounded a corner and saw the gleaming fuchsia front of Pinkie Pie's shop, the window displays stuffed to bursting with balloons and cakes. The cheery sight dispelled the lingering worries about her ridiculously complex family life and she hastened her step, her thoughts turning to Little Cheese once more.
They were as different as could be on paper -- a mage and a baker, the personal protege of Equestria's monarch and the daughter of a party planner -- but in every way that mattered they were as alike as two peas in a pod.
Little Cheese even shared Lustre Dawn's closeness with a small group of friends; she was very close with Pound and Pumpkin Cake, despite their age gap, and she understood Lustre's fierce devotion to her friends.
And today, the seventh date, Lustre Dawn planned to combine her two worlds. Carrot Bran, Yurik, Grayson and Leaftail were all waiting for her in their favourite Ponyville diner, and she and Little Cheese would meet them there. She couldn't wait to see what her friends thought of Little Cheese, and what Little Cheese would think of them. She was certain they would all love one another. And then maybe next time, Little Cheese could introduce her to the Cake twins. And then they could take both groups and do a group picnic or something. A future of rosy intertwined friendship groups swam before Lustre Dawn's eyes, and a dreamy smile spread across her face as she pushed open the door to Pinkie Pie's vibrantly pink shop.
A small party blower sounded as she went in, and a little stream of confetti sprinkled down over her head to tangle in her mane.
"Hello!" sang a high-pitched voice. "How are you today?" Pinkie Pie popped up from behind the counter, clearing it in a single bound, and landing in front of Lustre Dawn, bouncing on the spot. "Oh wow! Lustre Dawn! Hi! How lovely to meet you! Little Cheese hasn't stopped talking about you in weeks! I can't tell you how happy I am to see you! I was planning a 'meeting the parents' party for you, but here I am, caught all off guard! Never mind--" she seized a party hat from a nearby shelf and jammed it onto Lustre's head. "--I'll have to improvise!"
Lustre Dawn, surprised and a little dazed by Pinkie's energy, as she always was, raised her hooves in supplication. "Aunt Pinkie, hi! But -- I've already met you and Cheese Sandwich."
"But not like this, silly!" Pinkie Pie squealed, draping strings of brightly coloured crepe around Lustre Dawn's neck. "This is a real occasion! My baby bringing home a girlfriend! I'm so excited to meet you this time! Not that I wasn't last time, of course -- but this time I really am!"
Lustre Dawn fended off Pinkie's efforts to put another, larger party hat atop the first, laughing as she did so. "Auntie Pinkie, come on! I'm meant to be meeting Little Cheese here. Can you call her down for me?"
Pinkie paused at last. "Huh. Weird. I haven't seen her all morning. I wonder where she could be!" With a skip and a hop, she vanished entirely from Lustre Dawn's vision and reappeared out the top of a box on the other side of the shop. "She's not in here!" She ducked down again, the drawer of the cash register pinged open, and Pinkie emerged, beginning to look puzzled. "Or in here." She scrambled out of the drawer and hurried round the shop, lifting up piles of confetti and streamers to look for her daughter. She stuck her head into each of her party cannons, one by one, until Lustre cleared her throat.
"Um, Auntie Pinkie?"
"Yes?" Pinkie's voice echoed from deep within one of the party cannons.
"What if you checked upstairs in the flat?"
"Good idea!" Pinkie burst out of a pile of brightly coloured teddy bears and bounded up the stairs at the back of the shop, only to remerge moments later. "She's not up there, Lustre. I've no idea where she could be!" She cocked her head. "Which is definitely suspicious, because I haven't seen her leave." She brightened once more. "You should ask Cheese!"
"Good idea," Lustre Dawn agreed hastily, grateful for a reason to escape as much as anything else. She loved her Auntie, of course, but conversing with Pinkie Pie on her own...she found it to be a lot.
Waving goodbye to Pinkie, she ducked back out the door, accepting the second confetti shower as the price that must be paid in order to find Little Cheese. She trotted a few steps along the street and ducked into the next shop along. A large sign above the door painted with Cheese Sandwich's face declared it to be Cheese Sandwich's Silly Supply Store.
Cheese Sandwich's door did not set off a confetti cannon, but it did make a noise like the honk of a rubber chicken. Glancing up, Lustre caught sight of a rather deflated yellow chicken with a large number three daubed onto its side.
"Howdy!" cried Cheese Sandwich, looking up from the bouncy balls he was stacking. "What can I do you for, Lustre Dawn? Any silly supplies you need, we got 'em!"
"No silly supplies today, thanks, Cheese Sandwich," Lustre said, waving his offer away. "I'm just here looking for Little Cheese."
"Can't help you there!" Cheese Sandwich answered cheerfully, returning his attention to the pyramid of rubber balls. He carefully lowered the next one into place. "I think she's with Pinkie."
Lustre Dawn felt the beginnings of a headache building. "Auntie Pinkie told me to ask you." She hoped that this wasn't the beginning of some wacky prank or elaborate surprise party. She just wanted to take Little Cheese to meet her friends, and for everything to go smoothly.
"Hmm," Cheese Sandwich's attention was clearly on his pyramid; he cradled the newest ball in both hooves and inched it closer to the top. "Have you tried Pound and Pumpkin Cake? Little Cheese is in and out of there like a ventriloquist's hoof in his dummy."
Lustre Dawn winced inwardly at the strange simile, but was content that Cheese Sandwich's shop had at least absorbed less of her time than Pinkie Pie's. "Alright. Thanks! See you later." She let the door honk shut behind her without waiting for his answer.
She strode back the way she had come, past Pinkie's bright fuchsia doorway and into the more sedate space of the bakery. Pound Cake was standing behind the counter, calmly putting the finishing touches to a batch of cupcakes.
"Pound Cake, have you seen Little Cheese?" Lustre Dawn cut right to the chase. If she didn't find Little Cheese soon they were going to be late for brunch.
Pound Cake glanced up. "Oh hey, Lustre Dawn. Feels like I've been hearing your name a lot lately."
Lustre coloured. "In a good way, I hope?" She suddenly felt a little nervous. She knew Little Cheese must confide in Pound Cake in the same way she shared secrets with her own friends.
Pound Cake chuckled and rustled his wings comfortably against his white chef's coat. "Of course. Nothing but good things."
"Is Little Cheese here?" Lustre Dawn persisted. "Her parents haven't seen her."
Pound Cake shrugged. "Nor have I. I've not seen her or Pumpkin all morning. I think they must have gone out for a walk or something."
Lustre Dawn's heart sank. "But she was supposed to come with me to meet my friends."
Pound Cake looked up from his cupcakes for the first time, and his expression softened. "I'm sorry, Lustre Dawn. I'm sure it must have just slipped her mind. Or maybe she already went to meet you there?"
Lustre Dawn seized onto that one small remaining hope. "Yes. Yes, you're probably right." She imagined Little Cheese sitting with everypony, waiting for her, and turned at once to leave. She had wanted to be there, to carefully smooth over any awkward introductions herself. But no matter. Little Cheese was confident enough, in her own way. She was probably making a great impression.
She left the bakery and trotted swiftly back towards the Hayseed Diner, moving swiftly enough that it was almost a tolt. Her mane bounced against her neck as she moved. By the time she slowed to a walk outside the diner, she was slightly out of breath, but tried hard to modulate the movement of her barrel. She didn't want to walk in there looking like she had sprinted the whole way.
She smoothed her mane down one last time and then pushed open the door and went inside. It took her only a moment to spot her friends, seated at their usual table in the far corner, and another moment to realise that Little Cheese was not with them.
Hope crumbled, and the world suddenly seemed a little greyer. Her head drooping low, Lustre Dawn made her way over to the table.
"Lustre Dawn, hey!" It was Leaftail that spotted her first, but her wave of greeting soon turned tailed off. "Are you okay?"
"Where's Little Cheese?" Grayson demanded, his claws splayed on the table before him.
Lustre threw herself into the booth beside Leaftail and buried her face in her hooves. "No, and I don't know. I couldn't find her anywhere, and nopony seems to know where she is."
Instantly, her friends were all concern, leaning in to touch her shoulders and offer consoling words.
"Thanks, guys," Lustre said miserably, her face still firmly on the table. "I think...I think Little Cheese stood me up." As she spoke the words, she felt the black pit of despair opening up its gaping jaws to receive her. She had genuinely begun to care for Little Cheese. She had noticed herself looking forward to their dates, daydreaming about Little Cheese when they weren't together, humming stupid little songs as she went about her day. She had noticed all the danger signs, and she hadn't thought to catch herself or exercise any caution. She had encouraged herself in her affection. It had felt so right. So natural.
"Surely not!" Carrot Bran sounded scandalised. "It was all going so well."
Yurik dropped his weighty hoof onto the table like a brick. "Pony a very stupid pony if she ghosts Lustre Dawn."
"How dare she!" Leaftail's voice was full of poorly-suppressed anger, and Lustre Dawn lifted her head at last to look at her friend. Her eyes widened in concern; Leaftail was beginning to look a little crispy around the edges.
"Cool it, Leaftail!" she cautioned. A nirik outburst was the last thing they needed in the middle of the diner.
Leaftail jumped and then offered an apologetic grin. She shifted her weight a little sheepishly, but at least the smoke curling up from her mane ceased. "Whoopsie."
"What should friends do?" Yurik asked gently, his eyes full of concern. "Lustre Dawn want Yurik to smash silly party shop into smithereens?"
Lustre Dawn smiled a watery smile. Even in the depths of her misery, her friends were still here for her, trying to make her laugh. For a long time, such a close, loving group was more than she had ever dared to hope for. But after knowing the effortless ease and intimacy of spending time with Little Cheese, for the first time, it didn't quite feel like enough. |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 13 | Zap Apple grunted as his forelegs took the strain, and sweat broke out across his forehead as he tried to drag himself up the sheer surface of the crag. He found purchase with one of his hind hooves, but the other was still dangling loose in the darkness. Zap Apple gritted his teeth and tried not to give in to the impulse to spread his wings for balance. Leaftail's opinion on flying up tough bits of the climb had been made very clear to him.
"Come on, Zap Apple!" she called down to him now, her voice as even as it would have been had they been calmly walking along the street, and not dangling seventy feet in the air above the flat black surface of an underground lake. She didn't even sound out of breath.
Zap Apple's own breath was coming faster and faster, and his blind pawing at the rock face became more frenetic. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hang on.
He didn't waste effort on looking down. It was too dark to see anything beyond the thin beam of his own headlamp. But he felt uncomfortably aware of the yawning space beneath him; the glossy dark mirror of the lake, and the untold depths beneath. Zap Apple was fine with heights -- he was a weather pony, for crying out loud -- but he was learning fast that underground heights were not his cup of tea.
"Are you alright down there?" Leaftail's voice echoed from above him, and Zap Apple set his jaw. He didn't want her coming down to rescue him.
He finally found a tiny crevice to wedge the very tip of his hind hoof into, and although it felt wildly unstable, he steeled himself and threw his weight onto it. From there, he was able to straighten his leg and shove himself up another few feet, where he found another few precious hoofholds and clung on for dear life.
He sucked in a few more gulps of air, and then looked over at Leaftail. She was splayed against the cliff face, her legs contorted into unnatural positions that she nevertheless held as though it was effortless. He could see the wiry muscles in her legs outlined in perfect bas-relief. His daring manoeuvre had brought him level with the tip of her long, almost prehensile tail, which twitched and swayed to keep her balanced. He had hoped she would be impressed, but the expression on her face suggested that this was no more than she expected from him.
When she noticed him looking up at her, she flashed him an encouraging grin. "Nearly there!" Then she was off again, clinging to the most minuscule cracks and swarming up the vertical ascent -- more like a spider than a kirin.
Zap Apple clenched his screaming muscles and reached out a quivering hoof for the next hold. His breath was ragged now, his limbs aching. Zap Apple was an athlete, and prided himself on being the fastest and strongest flier in his whole squadron. But this was altogether a different kind of endurance test. He felt like he'd climbed a thousand cliffs, not a mere one.
Above him, Leaftail had reached a narrow ledge -- still no more than a hoofspan wide, by Zap Apple's guess, but still more substantial than the little crevices he was hanging on to. Leaftail hopped onto it and stood poised like a mountain goat. She tripped delicately along it, bunched her muscles, and sprang upwards like a cat, all four hooves pushing off together. Zap Apple's mouth opened, too late, to cry a warning, but then the glow of Leaftail's headtorch stabilised again as she landed lightly on another narrow strip of rock a few bodylengths above the first. Zap Apple let his breath rush out in a sigh of relief, and when she turned to smile down at him, he shook his head and gave a small laugh. She was showing off.
Reach after aching reach, Zap Apple pulled himself up the cliff after Leaftail. She seemed to spend an inordinately long time hanging stationary as she waited for him, her position always misleadingly casual. Then when he finally dragged himself alongside her, she would burst into motion again, and with another few quick little motions, have clambered beyond his reach once more.
"Come on, nearly there now!" she called down, her tone encouraging.
Zap Apple no longer had the energy to pretend that he was capable of a normal conversation. He sighed, jammed his hoof into a crevasse, and heaved himself up once more.
A little scuffling sound drifted down from above, and Zap Apple squinted up into the shadows just in time to see Leaftail's bushy green tail vanishing over an outcropping of rock.
"We've reached the top!" Her voice sounded oddly distant and echoey. "You're almost there!"
Zap Apple gritted his teeth and summoned what little will he had left. His saddlebags felt like they were stuffed with boulders. His legs responded slowly to his mental commands. It was like trying to swim through jelly. But just a little further up was the promise of rest, time for his poor overworked muscles to rest. Somehow, he found the strength to haul his carcass a little further up. His left hoof found a wide, comfortable grip and he bore down on it, replacing his front hoof with his rear and pushing himself upwards once more. He made rapid progress, and before long his questing forehoof found the flat surface of the cliff top.
Almost ready to weep with relief, Zap Apple surged upwards, his weary bones forgotten for a moment. For a split second, his entire bodyweight rested on the tenuous grip of his right hind hoof. It held for a moment, but just as Zap Apple reached for the cliff edge with his second front hoof, the tiny strip of rock supporting the edge of his right hoof collapsed.
Zap Apple's chest hit the sharp edge of the cliff, knocking the wind out of him. His rear hooves both hung loose, and for one horrible moment he was sliding backwards, scrambling for purchase on the smooth rock with his front hooves, that deep black lake opening in his imagination to swallow him whole. But then sharp teeth closed with a snap in his mane, and he was being hauled roughly forwards. He lurched forward onto his knees, breathing hard, and looked up into the face of his rescuer.
"You okay?" Leaftail asked, actually sounding a little concerned now.
Hastily, Zap Apple struggled back to his feet and attempted a nonchalant nod. "Yeah. Fine."
Leaftail grinned at his casual denial, and Zap Apple attempted a nonchalant stroll away from the precipice. But his legs were still shaking from the strain, and he only managed to totter a few steps away from the edge before he flopped back to the ground.
Leaftail rewarded him with another of her flash of her sharp little fangs. "That was one of my toughest climbs, you know," she said, her tone almost conversational. "I'd never take a newbie up that."
Zap Apple was aghast. "What? But I told you I'd never gone spelunking before!"
Leaftail's eyelids lowered a little and her smirk widened. "I know. But I thought I'd see how you did on it. Honestly, I expected you to give up halfway through -- or just fall off."
Zap Apple opened his mouth, angry words ready on the tip of his tongue, but they didn't come. Instead, he shook his head, and despite himself, began to laugh. With fumbling hooves he pushed his sweat-soaked mane out of his eyes.
Leaftail giggled along with him. "I'm sorry!" she said contritely, and Zap Apple was reminded again of his first impression of her -- under all the attitude and curly green hair, Leaftail was actually a very attractive kirin.
He groaned and stretched his aching forelegs, and winced as he heard his joints crack. "How did you get so good at that? You were going up that cliff like you were stuck to it!"
Leaftail laughed again. "I grew up in the Perilous Peaks! You can't get around there unless you have some serious climbing game. Besides, if I'm being honest," she leaned a little closer, as though she was going to share a secret, and Zap Apple found himself mirroring her movement, "These give me a little bit of an advantage over you ponies." She raised one cloven hoof, its tough surface split cleanly down the middle, and as Zap Apple watched, she wiggled the two sides independently.
Zap Apple's eyebrows rose. So his assessment of her climbing style as goat-like hadn't been so far off the mark after all. He considered his own smooth, round hoof and shook his head. "I bet that comes in really useful in a lot of ways, not just climbing."
"Oh yeah," Leaftail said lightly, reaching for her saddlebags, and Zap Apple watched in amazement as rather than scooping it open from the underneath, she pinched it between the two halves of her hoof and lifted the flap from above. Like a rudimentary griffin's claw.
Zap Apple blew air out in a slow whistle. "Wow. Very cool."
Leaftail gave him a flirtatious wink. "You bet. I impress tons of ponies with that."
Turning his attention to his own saddlebags, Zap Apple raised himself onto his aching elbows and snagged the strap in his mouth to pull it towards him. "Right. So we said we'd do a picnic, yeah?"
"You know it." Leaftail was already rummaging in her bags. "What'd you bring?"
Zap Apple nudged his bags open with his nose and picked up the checkered blanket. "Picnic rug, for a start."
"Ace, ace," Leaftail said approvingly. "Slap that bad boy down." She gestured him towards a particularly large, flat rock with one hoof and produced a candelabra with the other. "I got us covered with lighting."
Zap Apple clambered back upright and winced at the spike of pain in his front legs. He had definitely pulled something. "I think I'm definitely going to be flying back down." He scooped up the picnic blanket and with an awkward flick of his head, unfurled it to lay it down across Leaftail's indicated rock.
Leaftail laughed. "I expected as much."
There was a sudden whoosh of flame, and Zap Apple jumped and looked around wildly, to see Leaftail blowing casually on one hoof, the flickering candles on their candelabra held in her other hoof.
Zap Apple shook his head. "Damn. I don't think I could ever get used to that."
Leaftail placed the candelabra carefully down in the centre of the rug. The flickering orange flames cast a gentler light than the harsh white of their gemstone-powered headtorches, and Zap Apple gratefully tapped the button on his that would turn it off.
"I've just always had flame powers," she shrugged. "To me, flight would be pretty wild."
Zap Apple flexed his wings; his back was definitely where his strongest and most oft-used muscles were, but today they had hardly even been stretched out. "Well, maybe I could fly you down, if you want?"
Leaftail whirled back to face him, some delicate hay sandwiches dangling in her magic. "Really?" she demanded.
Zap Apple smiled. "Sure! Gliding down and carrying somepony is well within my capabilities. And even if I mess up, we've got that lake to crash land in."
"Wow, that would be awesome." Leaftail produced a pair of plates and laid the sandwiches out on them. Zap Apple added his own offerings; milk fresh from the herd at home, a single mango, a pair of oranges, and some freshly grown apples, the cream of Sweet Apple Acre's latest crop. When they were done, Zap Apple regarded the picnic spread with no little satisfaction. Not bad at all, for saying everything had been dragged through several miles of tight cave tunnels and bashed against Luna knew how many rocks.
They settled down to eat in companionable silence, and for a few minutes at least Zap Apple gave himself over to the task of stuffing his face enough to help him recover from that brutal climb. He glanced over at Leaftail a couple of times, and was both relieved and amused to see her wolfing her food with equal abandon.
When the initial edge of Zap Apple's hunger was gone, he slowed his pace, and munched slowly on an apple as he gazed out into the cavernous depths of the darkness below. He felt warm fur brush his wing, and looked over in surprise to see Leaftail snuggling up against him.
Wow. Well, this is...unprecedented.
Unexpectedly, he saw a sudden flash of Dust Devil's challenging smirk, the way her wings had shone white in the sunshine. He flinched a little, and Leaftail frowned up at him, her expression questioning.
"I just remembered," Zap Apple said hurriedly. "I don't know what Princess Cel-- I mean, Auntie Tia told you, but I'm not -- that is, I don't want -- I'm not in a big hurry to get married. Or settle down. I'm just trying to...explore, you know. See what's out there."
Leaftail was silent for a moment, and Zap Apple scrambled to fill the pause.
"I just don't want there to be any crossed signals. Just so we're both on the same page."
"I'm glad you said that," Leaftail said at last. "It's good to hear. I'm only on Auntie Tia's books to satisfy my Grandpop. He's on his last legs and it's his dying wish to see me married, or something. It makes him so happy to hear about the ponies I'm meeting that I'm giving it a try. But honestly, I'm in no real rush. I just want to go with the flow. See what comes."
Calm flooded through Zap Apple, and he let the breath he had been holding flow out through his nostrils. "Princesses, I can't tell you how glad I am to hear that." Thank Celestia that there would be no abrupt halts, no demands for foals in one year's time, no stinging rejections. This afternoon could just be what it was; a first date. Just two ponies -- well, a pony and a kirin -- getting to know one another. Simple. Easy.
"I know," Leaftail replied, a laugh dancing at the edge of her voice. "I think I've met with four or five creatures now? And every one I've had to turn down, because they're all desperate to get married in, like, a week's time!"
Zap Apple let the sweet sound of her laughter wash over him, and closed his eyes. By all the stars, he was tired.
And when he felt the sudden press of Leaftail's muzzle against his own, it felt like everything else had since they had reached the top of the cliff. Simple. Natural, easy. So he kissed her back, and held her close, and let her long tail twine with his own. |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 14 | "And just through here is my favourite one. It has the most unbelievable blue blossoms." Rose Bloom's voice was sweet and lilting, almost musical in its quality. It was a voice that hinted at the wonderful singing voice of its owner, one that could charm the birds down from the trees.
It hurt Cozy Glow's ears.
The yellow-and-fawn shape ahead of Cozy Glow stumbled but didn't fall, a slight trace of clumsiness that many ponies might have found endearing. A better pony might have offered Rose Bloom a hoof to help her navigate the treacherous surface of tangled roots. Cozy Glow just found herself wishing that Rose would trip or faint or something, and put them both out of their misery.
This clumsy little mock-draconequus was kinder than Prince Patrician, it was true. Mama had asked for a 'non-bigoted' pony, and Rose Bloom was certainly that. She didn't have a bigoted bone in her body. The trouble was, as far as Cozy Glow could tell, Rose Bloom didn't have any kind of bone in her body. And it wasn't just that her long, sinuous form -- almost noodley, Cozy Glow thought, though she knew it was unkind -- could wend its way easily through the tightest of woodland paths. It was that anything Cozy Glow had said or suggested, Rose Bloom had at once quietly, gently assented to. The girl seemed to have no backbone, no opinion of her own on which she was willing to argue a point. It made Cozy Glow want to scream.
Celestia had come to Mama Rarity in high excitement, promising a match with great social clout, links to Equestrian and non-Equestrian royalty, a kind and loving family ready to welcome Cozy Glow in with open arms, and huge swathes of magical power. Best of all, not a Canterlot unicorn in sight. Mama had opted not to reveal to Cozy Glow who exactly she was on her way to meet, and the presence of Rose Bloom at the Ponyville train station had been an unwelcome surprise.
Rose Bloom might possess a kind and loving family -- but Cozy Glow already had ample access to the kindness and loving nature of Auntie Fluttershy; everycreature this side of the Lunaran Sea had that. And she'd be damned if she wanted to be welcomed with open paws by that idiotic chaos donkey that called himself Auntie Fluttershy's husband. If his was the vast reservoir of promised magical strength, he could keep it.
Rose Bloom at least did not resemble her father in personality. The first five minutes of talking with her, during which she had failed to conjure any chocolate rain or transform any objects into dancing teapots or something equally trite, had been enough to show that. But a little more discussion with Rose Bloom had shown that she did not possess any magic whatsoever.
"I'm basically a normal pegasus," she had confided, her voice soft and sweet. "But just...not quite on the outside."
Cozy Glow had to agree there -- Rose Bloom's long swanlike neck, lion's forepaws and deer hooves did not help her with any form of resemblance to a 'normal' pony, but she was still oddly pretty. In a strange sort of way. Cozy Glow didn't much care for appearances; in fact, Rose Bloom's slightly monstrous looks would have attracted rather than repelled her, if not for that one fatal hurdle. Rose Bloom's wet blanket of a personality.
As Rose Bloom explained the life cycle of yet another flower and the tender care she provided for it year-round, Cozy Glow wondered what on earth had possessed Celestia to make this match. Rose Bloom was fine -- a lovely person, in fact -- but that was precisely what Cozy didn't want. She wanted fire, she wanted spark, intelligence and wit; but all Rose Bloom could offer was a loving heart and a great talent for gardening. She was a good pony, Cozy Glow supposed, but not at all the sort of creature that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
Plus, looking at Rose Bloom's gleaming red eyes and draconequus form was an unpleasant reminder of some things Cozy Glow would have preferred not to remember. That heady summer in her youth, where she had been flanked everywhere she went by the queen of the changelings and an ancient, malevolent centaur. When the oldest and most powerful creatures in Equestria had done her bidding. Chrysalis and Tirek, her oldest...companions. Not friends. Not then. Not even now. After their release and 'reformation', both Chrysalis and Tirek had retreated into the wilds far beyond Equestrian borders. They knew when they were beaten. Only Cozy Glow had returned to pony society, again and again, to dash herself on the sharp rocks of its laws and its cruelty.
But she had weathered those storms, she had come through the other side stronger and harder, with all her anger locked tightly away inside her, where it wouldn't hurt Mama or anypony else. And now she was thriving, living her best life, as Mama would say. Yes, she had done the right thing. Made the right choices. She was...happy in her life.
But that didn't mean that looking into Discord's red eyes every day was something she wanted to do.
"And this tree is home to the loveliest climbing wisteria," Rose Bloom said, her soft voice cutting into Cozy's private thoughts like a butter knife, no real force behind it at all. "It's not the right season for it at the moment, but when it blooms it's one of the most beautiful things in the world." She smiled down at Cozy Glow, and though her face was calm and gentle, seeing that long muzzle split to reveal sharp fangs made Cozy Glow's whole body thrill with the memory of her stolen magic. What it had felt like, to know she could crush the word with a thought, split the earth beneath her hooves, obliterate any who opposed her--
No. Stop that right there. Cozy Glow sighed and shook her head, hard. Doctor Healing Word had made it quite clear that destructive thoughts led to destructive behaviours, and Cozy could ill afford either. Mama depended on her.
"Look, Rose Bloom," she said, the harshness of her voice grating to her ears after so long listening to Rose Bloom's lilting tones. "I'm very sorry, and I'm not trying to be rude, but I just don't think this will be a good fit."
"Oh!" Rose Bloom's eyes widened with shock and hurt. Her expression was so like Auntie Fluttershy's that Cozy Glow's heart contracted with a pang of guilt.
Rose Bloom leaned closer, her expression contrite and concerned. "Have I said something to upset you? I'm sorry if I talked too long about my flowers. I know they don't hold the same fascination for everypony else as they do for me." She gestured apologetically at her cutie mark; a single red rose, the exact shade of her eyes.
Cozy Glow backed away from that all-too familiar face and the flower fragrance that was ever-so-slightly laced with the tang of chaos. "No, no! Nothing you did. It's all me. Honestly." She scrambled backwards and spread her wings. "I'm sorry, Rose Bloom, I really am. But I really do have to go now."
Rose Bloom held out a paw to her and said something else, but Cozy Glow didn't hear what it was. All she could hear was Discord's gasping exhalation as she sucked his magic out of him and drank it down, the wondrous exhilaration of it flooding through her, its strange and incomprehensible power, the way she had fought with it, grappled with it, tried to force it to her will --
And then she was tearing herself away from those dangerous memories, and winging her way north, towards the distant friendly shape of Canterlot, hugging the mountain close as it always did. |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 15 | Celestia slowly made her way up the winding track to Sweet Apple Acres. Orchards rolled away on either side of her, field upon field of the glossy-leaved trees, their branches laden with heavy red fruit. Birds sang softly in the distance, and Celestia turned her head to watch them flit from branch to branch. Though flying would have taken half the time that going on hoof did, the walk was a lovely one, and Celestia was glad that she had taken the time to land at the very edge of Apple land and work her way inwards.
She felt fresh and rejuvenated after her peaceful weekend in the Everfree, and she hadn't been able to resist a quick visit to Sweet Apple Acres to see how Zap Apple's date with Leaftail had gone. She hoped that she had struck the right note for Zap Apple at last. His personality certainly seemed to align well with Leaftail's, but chemistry and romantic compatibility were strange beasts, and could be tricky to predict accurately.
Just outside the low fence separating the orchards from the home farm, Celestia spread her wings and took flight. Her mane flew behind her like a pennant, billowing in the wind. She flew low, close to the treeline, and skirted the farm. Charming as the Apple clan were, she was due back in Canterlot for a three o' clock meeting, and she needed to ensure that this visit didn't stretch beyond the time she had allotted for it. She was headed straight for Applejack and Rainbow Dash's cottage. No stops to visit Sugar Belle or Granny Smith this time.
She alighted on the little cottage's garden path and folded her wings neatly by her sides, rustling the feathers until they were comfortable. Then she took a few paces forwards and raised a hoof to knock twice on the thick oaken door.
Hooves sounded on the stairs, and Zap Apple himself opened the door to her. Celestia gave him her most winning smile, and studied his face carefully as he smiled back up at her. His happiness seemed genuine, with no edge of sadness or worry. Celestia's spirits lifted. Surely this was a good sign; the meeting must have gone well.
"Hi, Auntie," Zap Apple said breezily. "Didn't expect to see you this morning."
"I happened to be in the neighbourhood," Celestia replied. "I hope you and your family are doing well?"
"Pretty good, thanks," Zap Apple answered, his tone changing to one of polite disinterest. He was clearly not a pony who enjoyed small talk.
Celestia decided to cut to the chase. "Are your mothers home? I was hoping we could all catch up."
"All of us?" Zap Apple sounded surprised, but he stepped back from the door to admit her. "I think they're round the back having coffee. Come on in."
Celestia ducked her head to look into the little dwelling, and balked a little at its low ceilings and tightly packed rooms. "They're already outside, you said?"
"In the back garden," Zap Apple said, puzzlement in his voice, but his face cleared when he looked back and saw Celestia awkwardly stooped in the doorway, blotting out the daylight. "Ah. Right."
"Yes." Celestia smiled to soothe his discomfort. "I'll just walk around the outside of the cottage." She thought longingly of Canterlot, where it was a legal requirement that buildings conform to the Celestian Standard Height. But there was nothing to be done about it here. She backed up, and then walked briskly along the little path that hugged the wall of the cottage. She rounded the corner just in time to hear Zap Apple telling his parents in a lowered voice about her presence.
"The Princess is here?" Applejack said, and Celestia coughed politely to announce herself. Applejack swung around, jumping out of her garden chair and to trot up to Celestia and offer her hoof. "Mighty warm welcome to ya, Princess Celestia."
Rainbow Dash took off from her own seat -- a manoeuvre that she made look deceptively easy, but actually required a great deal of technical skill. Celestia knew that many pegasi would not be capable of it, and had to suppress a smile. Rainbow Dash never missed a chance to display her talents.
Rainbow flew over and hovered at Celestia's head height, and Celestia was able to look directly into her eyes while she greeted her. The exact same shade of pink as her son's. It was very refreshing, actually, not to be forced to peer down at somepony.
"Hey again, Princess," Rainbow Dash said. "Come to check in on the kid?"
"Yes, actually," Celestia confirmed. "I wanted to hear in person how Zap Apple's first meeting with Leaftail went. The postal service is a wonderful thing, but for some conversations face-to-face contact can't be beaten, don't you think?"
"For sure," Rainbow Dash said. "Pull up a chair, Zaps; I'll grab one from inside for the Princess." She was back in a blur of rainbow light, bearing one of the same stout chairs from the kitchen that Celestia had used on her previous visit.
Celestia thanked her and sat down, and Applejack poured out coffee for both Celestia and Zap Apple. "Here ya go."
"Thank you."
Expectant eyes turned from every side to Zap Apple, who clutched his steaming mug a little tighter and shifted his weight uncertainly. The silence began to stretch.
"Go on, Shuck," Applejack prompted him.
"He already told us about it," Rainbow Dash said in an aside to Celestia.
"But it won't do him no harm to tell us again," Applejack said sternly. "Come on, Zaps. Don't go gettin' all tongue-tied on me now."
"Sorry," Zap Apple apologised, almost instinctively. "I didn't mean to. Uhm...it went okay. I think it went pretty well. Leaftail is very -- very cool. I had a nice time." He fell silent again, and his heavy fringe fell forward across his eyes, almost like he was trying to shield himself from them all.
Applejack turned back to Celestia. "An' that there's about the sum total of what we could get outta him, Princess. Ah'm not sure he'll say too much more'n that."
Celestia waved Applejack's concerns away with a small smile. "Come now, Zap Apple, you must give me a little more to work with than that. What did you do together?"
The simple question seemed to reassure Zap Apple, and he uncurled a little. Like a snail coming slowly back out of its shell, Celestia thought.
"Leaftail took me climbing."
"How did you find it?"
"Really tough."
"More of a flier than a climber, this one." Rainbow Dash leaned over to tousle her son's mane, her words belied by her obvious pride in this similarity between herself and her child.
"Mum!" Zap Apple laughed and leaned away. He was visibly relaxing now.
Celestia kept her questions simple, but kept them coming. "And what did you do after the climb? Did you talk?"
Zap Apple coloured a little. "Y-yeah, we did."
"What did you talk about?"
"The future." He waved a hoof vaguely. "We both said we aren't sure what we want yet. Just to take things slow, and see how they go."
"That's good," Celestia nodded. "It sounds like you're both on the same page. What else did you talk about?"
"Our interests," Zap Apple answered. "We're both pretty sporty. Leaftail climbs, and I fly. She told me a bit about growing up in kirin lands."
"The Perilous Peaks are beautiful," Celestia agreed. "Well, this all sounds wonderful. Do you think you would like to meet with her again?"
Zap Apple blushed a little brighter. "I-I think so."
Celestia turned to the two parents. "And do you think you would be happy with this match? And the Apple family more broadly, of course; would they be satisfied?"
"Well, Ah would prefer if she came from farming stock," Applejack began slowly.
"--But all we really want is for our kid to be happy with the partner he picks," Rainbow Dash added sharply. "We can guide, AJ, not choose."
"O'course," Applejack said hastily. "Ah never meant to say he couldn't pick for himself. Ah was just sayin'."
"I believe that Leaftail's mother is the chief berry cultivator and gatherer for the kirin village," Celestia offered. "Leaftail tells me she helped out a lot with that in her youth. I think she shares the Apple family ethos of hard work reaping rewards."
Applejack visibly relaxed into her chair. "Oh. Well, why didn't ya say so sooner?"
"Wonderful," Celestia said, already mentally picturing the lovely moment when she could close two files forever and see them off into their new life together. "Well, it seems that all is going smoothly for now. Perhaps the best course of action is for the two young people to keep exploring their needs and where they want this to go, and we can reconvene to discuss in a few weeks."
Rainbow Dash nudged Zap Apple's chair hard. "You've not even told her the best part yet, kiddo!"
Zap Apple's face immediately flooded with crimson. "Mum!"
Celestia's eyebrows rose and she zeroed in on Zap Apple. "The best part? It sounds like I should hear this."
"Ah don't believe Ah've heard whatever you two are referrin' to either." Applejack folded her front legs as she spoke, looking more put out than stern.
Zap Apple buried his face in his hooves. "Mum, I told you that in confidence."
Concern flashed briefly across Rainbow Dash's face, but then she brushed it away and patted Zap Apple on the wing. "Sorry, Zaps. But I think you just gotta have little more confidence in yourself, kiddo, and tell AJ what you told me."
Zap Apple spoke from behind the shelter of his hooves. "Leaftail and I were getting on really well...really well, and we...we got quite close."
Celestia tried to peer behind the obstructions blocking Zap Apple's expression from her. What little she could see of his face behind his hooves and that untidy mop of hair was beet red.
"What d'ya mean, close?" Applejack frowned.
"We...got physical." Zap Apple's voice was almost a whisper.
"That's my boy!" Rainbow Dash crowed. "Getting some on the first date! Just like his old lady." She elbowed Zap Apple, hard enough that he made a small whimper in protest. "Come on, kid. Give me a high five." She held out her hoof, but Zap Apple only groaned and leaned his head further into the tabletop. Rainbow Dash waited for a few moments, and then leant over to drag one of Zap Apple's unresisting hooves out and clop it against her own. "There we go," she grinned, satisfied.
Applejack seemed torn between smiling at her family's antics and disapproving. "Ah'm not sure that was the best idea on a first date, Shuck."
Celestia's eyebrows lowered, and she looked in bewilderment from one Apple to the next. "Pardon me -- but am I to understand that you and Leaftail slept with one another?" Perhaps she was wrong. Certainly she hoped she was. Perhaps Zap Apple only meant kissing; he seemed easily embarrassed, so it could be as simple as that.
Looking down at Zap Apple's bowed head, the myriad colours in his mane tangled together on the table, Celestia thought of her niece. Cadance was a great fan of thrusting ponies together and encouraging them to follow their hearts. She believed that a pony's instincts, no matter how base, should be listened to. "The heart knows what it wants," she would say, but Celestia knew that it often wasn't the heart that Cadence was referring to. While the marriage rate in the Crystal Empire was high, so was the divorce rate, and Celestia suspected -- not that she would ever say this to her niece -- that Cadance's more permissive approach to love was responsible.
Celestia preferred a different approach, and that was what she had established Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service to achieve. She advocated a calm, measured attitude to romance, with serious thought given to each party's ideologies, personality, goals and family background. That was why she involved the families. Not because their preferences would actually impact the ultimate choice of the pony concerned, but because it encouraged them to take the whole matter seriously, and think hard about the life they wanted. It was a tough ask for young ponies, but Celestia had seen firsthoof the results it provided.
To hear that one of her own clients had gone against her wishes and embraced Cadance's careless attitude to falling in love was more than a little galling. Celestia shuddered a little as she remembered the horror Cadance's headstrong teenage years and the endless parade of colts and fillies that she had snuck into the palace. Celestia had been forced to more than triple the royal guards' patrols, but all that had resulted was a corresponding increase in Cadance's ingenuity. The memories of the rumours, the circling paparazzi, the whispered discussions on what was proper royal etiquette that ceased abruptly whenever Celestia entered a room.
She felt a headache coming on.
Hesitantly, Zap Apple raised his head at last. "Would...that be a problem, Princess Celestia?"
Celestia drew herself up, feeling the air around her heat up suddenly as her magic responded to her emotions.
Hastily, she dispersed the effect, and quelled her rising irritation. Centuries of diplomatic training had prepared her for moments like this. It would do no good to lose her temper.
"I would be very disappointed if that were the case," she said calmly.
Zap Apple moaned once more and disappeared back behind his forelegs. Rainbow Dash sobered at once, and exchanged a quick, meaningful glance with Applejack.
"Why's that, Princess?" Applejack asked. "Surely it don't matter. A little thing like that."
Celestia shook her head firmly. "That is not the way things should be done, when the intentions of the ponies involved are what they are. We are aiming to match ponies for marriage."
Rainbow Dash's ears went back. "But surely it's just a bit of fun--"
Celestia raised a hoof to cut her off, and Rainbow Dash fell obediently silent. Celestia had expected no less; after millennia of rule, her little ponies would always respect her. "I don't usually think it necessary," she went on, "to explain in detail to my clients the comportment I expect from them, but perhaps I should have been more explicit in this case. I expect ponies using my service to treat every match seriously, to approach each individual I offer them as a serious prospect for life partnership. That means getting to know them, spending time investing in their personality and mind. Not rushing into bed with them."
Zap Apple looked up, his pink eyes huge and anxious in his thin face. "But I--"
Celestia cut him off just as she had his mother, her eyes narrow. "I am not running a dating service, Zap Apple. We have been trying to find you a soulmate."
"Now hold on just a cotton-pickin' minute, Princess," Applejack interjected. "Ah think you're comin' on a little strong--"
"Yeah," Rainbow Dash added, her wings spreading protectively over her son. "It was just a hook-up."
Celestia bought her hoof down on the table. The motion was gentle, the impact scarcely made a sound, but the other three ponies still flinched.
"There is no such thing as 'just a hook-up'," Celestia said firmly. "Imagine how things might go if this happened with every pair of ponies I match -- if they got intimate too soon, then things went wrong afterwards and contact was cut. Feelings might be seriously hurt, things would be complicated." She ran a hoof through her mane. "My match-making service would become just another cheap dating agency. The goal of life partnership would be lost in favour of finding the next one-night stand."
She shook her head. "I cannot tolerate that sort of conduct from my clients."
Zap Apple made a strangled sound in his throat and stood up very suddenly. All eyes went to him, and Celestia wondered if he was about to have some sort of outburst -- if he would shout at her, or cry -- but instead, he turned and fled from the room, the kitchen door banging shut behind him.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash both jumped to their hooves. "Zaps!"
"I'll go after him," Rainbow said to Applejack. "This whole mess is my fault. I shouldn't have said anything." She glanced over at Celestia. "He's a really good kid, Princess. He never meant any harm."
"I know," Celestia replied, a little doubt finally creeping in. Perhaps she had been too harsh? Zap Apple was much more fragile than his outward bravado had initially suggested. His mothers were both such tough and confident characters that it was hard to imagine their seemingly similar offspring would be different. But perhaps, Celestia mused, that was the very reason. It might be hard to be genuinely confident in yourself with such powerful and famous ponies for parents.
Rainbow Dash hurried after Zap Apple, her hooves drumming loudly on the stairs, and Applejack sighed and sat back down beside Celestia. "Ah'm sorry, Princess."
"Don't be," Celestia said. "I fear that I owe you an apology too." She sighed. "I perhaps should have been clearer from the beginning. Zap Apple is quite...uncertain about what he wants from life, is he not? And that is perhaps not the best position for a pony using my services to be in."
Applejack rubbed a hoof across her forehead. "Actually, Ah hoped usin' your services might give him some of that certainty. He's a real good boy, Princess, and we jus' want to see him happy an' settled. A supportive partner'd do wonders for him."
Celestia rested her chin delicately on one hoof. "It's clear that both you and Rainbow Dash can see that. But Zap Apple has to see it too. He needs to know what he wants."
"Ah know," Applejack said solemnly. "And Ah'll talk to Zaps, make sure he understands too."
Celestia nodded thoughtfully, and then leaned down a little to make real eye contact with Applejack before speaking again. "I hope you can understand my perspective on all this, Applejack. Sex is fun, we all know that--" Applejack's eyebrows rose sharply to hear Celestia say that word, "--but marriage is serious. The important aspects must be focused on before the fun ones."
"Ah know," Applejack repeated. "Ah'll make sure Zaps gets it. Will...will ya still work with us on this? Or is it one strike an' he's out?"
Celestia spread her hooves. "As long as Zap Apple is sure about what he's doing, I can help to guide him to the right partner."
Applejack exhaled. "Right. Well, that's mighty kind of ya, Princess." There was a slight pause, and Celestia saw Applejack's eyes flicker to the larder; she was probably about to offer some Apple family hospitality. Applejack was always a gracious host, but Celestia had a schedule to stick to -- a schedule that she had forgotten in the heat of this discussion -- and in this moment it was clear that Applejack's family clearly needed her more.
"I think I had better take my leave now," Celestia said, rising gracefully from her chair. "I must go and speak with Leaftail and clear this matter up with her as well."
Applejack nodded. "Of course. Thank you for comin', Princess."
"It's always a pleasure to visit you and Rainbow Dash," Celestia said, and meant it. Though she always intended to get to know them a little more, it had been too long since she spent any length of time with the close friends of her faithful student. "And truly, I am sorry if my arguments for waiting came off a little too...forceful. It's a debate Cadence and I have had many times, and I fear I may have...shot from the hip, perhaps."
Applejack didn't answer; her gaze was already straying to the door that Zap Apple and Rainbow Dash had vanished through.
Celestia made her way along the garden path and paused at the corner of the cottage to look back at Applejack one last time. "Encourage Zap Apple to think seriously about whether this is the right path for him. I can't genuinely encourage him to meet again with Leaftail, or match him with more ponies, if he does not genuinely want to be matched."
Applejack nodded. "Ah understand. Ah'll be in touch soon, if Zaps isn't."
Celestia raised her head in a final goodbye, and then spread her wings and left the little cottage and its sentinel apple trees behind her. |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 16 | A quick and easy flight, made faster still by a swift prevailing wind, brought Celestia speedily to Ponyville's only train station. As she circled and prepared to land, she glanced away to the Castle of Friendship, lying tranquil beside Twilight's school. The early afternoon sunlight played across the reflective crystal rooves, and before Celestia knew what she was doing, she had banked and was gliding rapidly down towards the Castle. It would do no harm to pay a little visit to one of her other Ponyville clients. She alighted on the doorstep and rapped briskly on the vast surface of the door. At least here she wouldn't have to worry about ducking. An alicorn ten times her own size would still easily fit in the cavernous rooms of Twilight's old home.
The door creaked open, pulled by the sparkling magic of a particularly cantankerous-looking blue mare.
"Hello, Trixie!" Celestia said brightly, trying hard to shake off the disappointment that her visit to Sweet Apple Acres had brought her and go into her next mission with an open mind. "I'm here to see Lustre Dawn."
"Hmm," Trixie answered dubiously. "Probably a good thing. It's not been going well."
Celestia's ears came forward at once. "What do you mean?" Please, not another failure. She wasn't sure she could take a second in one day.
"You'd better go up and see her for yourself."
Trixie pointed Celestia towards the wide staircase and left her to traverse its sweeping length alone. Undirected, Celestia wandered the halls for a little while searching for traces of Lustre Dawn's magical signature and before she was able to follow them to their source.
From a deep, many-cushioned nest, Lustre Dawn looked up at Celestia. Her face was pallid and streaked with tears. Her mane hung in knotty strands around her face, and tissues were strewn across the floor like bones outside a dragon's lair.
"Auntie Tia?" she asked, in such a small, foal-like voice that Celestia's heart went out to her.
"Oh, my dear," was all she said, and she went to sit beside the bed.
Lustre's face crumpled again and she buried her head back into a pillow. Her thin shoulders quivered.
"Oh, Lustre Dawn," Celestia said again, in that very gentle voice she had used the first evening after Luna's return, when she had woken her newly adolescent sister to welcome her back to her first Equestrian night. She put a hoof against Lustre's side, and could feel her ribs heaving even through the many blankets Lustre Dawn had swaddled herself in. "What went wrong?"
"S-she didn't show up," Lustre said into her pillow, almost inaudibly. "She just didn't come."
Celestia moved her hoof against Lustre Dawn's shoulder, stroking her in a manner that she hoped was soothing. From Lustre Dawn's reaction, she had been sure it had been something much worse; some sort of screaming fight in a restaurant, some bombshell about somepony's past -- something a little more substantial. But she couldn't very well say that to Lustre Dawn; the poor thing was in pieces.
"That must have been very confusing," she said softly. "But are you sure Little Cheese didn't just...forget? Or perhaps go to the wrong restaurant?"
Lustre Dawn's head whipped up, her eyes suddenly blazing. "She hid herself from me, Princess! I went to everypony she knew, practically, and they all said she wasn't there!" As suddenly as it had come, the anger left her face, and she sagged once more into the cushions. "It was deliberate. I know it was. She decided she didn't want to see me any more, and rather than talk to me about it, she just...didn't come."
Celestia smoothed Lustre Dawn's mane back from her face. It was evident that the poor child felt that she had offered herself to somepony, and been rejected most cruelly. The move seemed very...uncharacteristic of Little Cheese, who had always struck Celestia as a pony deeply concerned with honour and doing the right thing. But Lustre said it had happened, and Celestia wasn't going to disbelieve the closest thing to a grandfoal she had had in over four hundred years.
A fresh fit of crying wracked the poor little creature, and her horn ignited to bring the box of tissues closer to her face. Celestia, seeing that the box was already emptied, hurriedly dug in her golden-tooled saddlebags for her own handkerchief. She had it ready in her magic to offer to Lustre Dawn when she turned dispiritedly away from the empty tissue box. Lustre took the hanky in her own magical field, tears still rolling down her face, and blew her nose hard.
Celestia felt her own heart ache a little in sympathy with Lustre Dawn. The young felt everything so keenly.
"Never mind, dear," she said, softly. "It is better to find out now that you weren't compatible, than it would be had things gone any further."
Lustre Dawn only cried harder. "I really liked her, Auntie!" She sobbed into the sun-embroidered handkerchief, tears distorting her voice. "I thought she really liked me!"
Celestia, helpless to aid the prostrate filly before her, could do nothing but hold her as she wept. |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 17 | After a little agonising and several drafts, Zap Apple dutifully sent his letter to Leaftail. Upon receiving a rather terse reply, he was in the Hayseed Diner at the appointed time. He waited impatiently, his hooves tapping a brisk rhythm against the table. It had been impossible to tell from that brief missive what sort of reception he would be met with. Just a simple "I'll see you there" gave him nothing to work with.
But when she walked in, her brown tail swishing alluringly from side to side as she came, he couldn't help but hope a little. Leaftail was a pony as laid back as himself. They both loved adventure, they both wanted to explore the world they lived in, and neither of them were in a rush. And last night had been wonderful, whatever Princess Celestia's opinion might be. Surely things couldn't go too wrong.
He wasn't sure he could take another "You're not right for me." Dust Devil's words still wounded him.
But Leaftail kept her gaze firmly on the table, and waited until the waiter arrived to take their orders before she spoke at all. "I'll have a jasmine chai latte, please."
When she still didn't say anything to begin the conversation Celestia had demanded that they have, Zap Apple's hopes began to wilt.
Doing his best to swallow his nerves, he reached across the table for her hoof. "It's good to see you again."
Her cloven hoof lay in his like a dead thing, and she said nothing.
Feeling bitterly disappointed at something he couldn't quite quantify, Zap Apple released his grip. "It seems like we...messed up."
Leaftail didn't meet his eyes. "Yeah."
Zap Apple tried for a little humour. "Auntie Tia come down on you like a ton of bricks too?"
The corners of Leaftail's mouth lifted slightly. "Yeah."
Zap Apple worked his jaw. Princesses, it hadn't been this awkward last night, had it? Why wouldn't she look him in the face?
"So -- ah -- are you interested in -- maybe meeting up again? Going on another date?" He had thought he really liked her. Now he was beginning to doubt it. It certainly didn't seem like she liked him all that much anymore. "I mean -- Auntie Tia said I should clear up any misunderstandings, make it clear where we both stand--"
Leaftail finally looked up, her eyes a flash of amber. "She said the same to me."
Zap Apple struggled to read the meaning in her expression. "A-and?"
Leaftail hooded her eyes again. Zap Apple wanted to scream. Why wouldn't she talk to him?
"Leaftail?" he tried again, reaching across the tabletop once more.
She snatched her hoof away, and Zaps flushed crimson. The rejection stung.
"And I think Auntie Tia's right," she said finally. "I think we did make a mistake, and I don't think it's a good start to a process that might end in..." she paused, but there was no tiptoeing around the word, "Might end in marriage."
Zap Apple looked at his hooves. Scuffed the carpet beneath the table. Leaftail had seemed so perfect for him, so similar to his own personality. He had liked Leaftail the most out of anypony he'd met with, aside from Dust Devil. She...this was worth one more try. "I think...I think that we could start it however we liked. Couldn't we?"
Leaftail shook her head, the movement short and abrupt. "I'm sorry, Zap Apple. I'm sure you're the right mate for somepony -- but not for me. I just don't want to take this any further."
Zap Apple felt the air leave his body. He felt as though he'd been kicked in the stomach. He searched for words, but found he had none. She hadn't even told him why. She had looked at him, assessed him as coldly as a pony buying bread at the market, and found him wanting. He had been tossed back onto the stall without even a word of explanation.
Seeing his expression closing up like a turtle receding into its shell, Leaftail tossed him one more scrap of information.
"I'm pulling out of the whole thing."
Looking up again, Zap Apple blinked. "I -- what?"
She shrugged. "I'm done. Nothing my Grandpop wants is worth this kind of pressure. It might work for some ponies -- my friend Lustre Dawn is obsessed with the pony Celestia gave her -- but I just can't take having a literal princess of Equestria barge into my private caving tour groups demanding to know why I did or didn't bang a certain pony."
"I'm sorry," Zap Apple whispered. "I didn't know she'd done that."
A grim smile flashed across Leaftail's muzzle. "Yeah, well. Never mind the impact that's gonna have on my business -- it's just not worth it any more. No offence, Zap Apple, I had fun on our date -- sorta -- but you're just not worth this sort of hassle. Nopony is."
The thudding of his heart faltered and stuttered, and Zap Apple's ribs felt like a cage around his lungs.
Suddenly all he wanted was to get out of that oppressive little room. Away from the mare who had trampled all over the fragile little white flag that he had tried to offer.
He jumped to his hooves and started for the door. Leaftail made a little noise of surprise, but he didn't look back. There were too many tears prickling in his eyes for that. "Don't worry. I won't bother you again."
He let the door slam behind him and leaned against it for a moment, breathing hard. He was back to square one. No, worse that square one. Before he'd embarked on this horrendous journey, he'd had a reasonable life. He'd gone every week to Appleoosa, done his job, found pleasure in the thrill of his work and the fleeting companionship of his squadmates, and then come home every weekend to bask in the soothing embrace of his family. He had thought he was happy.
But the brief flashes of companionship that had been shown to him had made him realise an awful, sinking truth. Zap Apple was lonely -- deeply, secretly, heartrendingly lonely.
And now another chance at happiness had been snatched away. He'd have to go back to his mothers, face their disappointment, their concern, and worst of all, their compassion. And then he would have to go back to Auntie Tia, cap in hoof, and ask her to begin the whole nightmare process all over again. |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 18 | Celestia sat alone in the darkness, staring out of the silent forest. The air was still and the quietness seemed to subtly press in on her. The world was empty, and for the first time in a long time, she experienced perfect solitude.
Was this what it was like to be Princess of the Night?
A letter lay folded before her, half out of its envelope. Celestia had carried it with her from Canterlot that day and it had waited all evening, ripe and heavy with the information it carried, until she had torn it open at last. Once she was done reading, she snuffed out her lone candle, and sat, silently, in the night. Turning the words it contained over and over in her mind.
Zap Apple was leaving her services. He felt he had to follow his heart. He appreciated everything she had done, but something about this experience just wasn't right for him.
Each tentatively-worded sentence smote Celestia like a dagger to the chest.
She had mishandled everything.
Gazing once more out of the window, Celestia watched the stars beyond the castle walls. A lone tear slid slowly down her cheek. Since her abdication, she had searched for meaning, for purpose beyond ruling Equestria. She had thought she had found it.
But this letter, coupled with the one in Leaftail's file back in her office, threw everything into doubt. Two clients lost, solely because they could not reconcile the reprimands she had given them with the supportive, personalised service they had been promised. Two of her little ponies, who had rejected the help she had offered, and forced their way out of the motherly embrace of her wings.
Celestia was not a vain pony. But she truly believed that she had done her best, given her utmost, to her kingdom. She had thrown her whole self into it. But she was no longer required. It was just as she herself had planned, had worked towards for years. A retirement for her and Luna. A rest, a break. Time to grow as ponies, outside of the role of rulers.
And the matchmaking service as a microcosm of her throne, a way to serve her kingdom in miniature. To give ponies the guidance and help she so loved to give, but in a way that would not consume her as the throne had done.
Yes, it was all as she had planned. Why then did it feel so hollow?
Two ponies -- well, a pony and a kirin -- had left her tonight. To join the ranks of all the other ponies who no longer needed the mother who had watched over them for aeons. It should not hurt her, not when she had already lost so many of her little ponies and become redundant in their lives, but somehow, it still did.
It was made all the worse that she had only herself to blame. Matchmaking was very like diplomacy. Both required a gentle, subtle touch. To guide ponies towards the optimal outcome that would ensure their happiness and health, she had always guided them with hints and lessons so subtle they would come to the right conclusions on their own.
This was not an approach Celestia took maliciously. She had tried allowing her ponies to rule themselves, to act without undue influence.
War had been the result. War and windigos, dozens of ponies proclaiming themselves Princess. Celestia had stepped back in just in time, and tried to do what she could to keep things on track.
When she didn't intervene, time and again she saw the chaos that unfolded. Luna had entered a rebellious phase in her teenage years, when she was only a few hundred millennia old. Celestia had taken a hooves-off approach, to let her sister discover herself in her own time.
And Nightmare Moon had arisen.
In the aftermath of Luna's banishment, Celestia had dragged herself out of her grief and forced herself to focus on the ponies who remained. No longer would she allow those she loved to descend into darkness. No longer would she sit by and watch.
And so she had carefully managed, nudged and pointed, everypony with whom she came into contact. For centuries, it had seemed to work near-perfectly. Celestia's methods had helped Twilight to grow into the regal princess she now was. Celestia had taught her all the magic she would need, and then sent her out to secure the friendships only Twilight could create. That had secured the return of Luna, just as Celestia had hoped. And in the years that followed, Celestia had created more problems for Twilight to solve, more lessons for her to learn -- a stray dragon here, a pretence at helplessness there -- and Twilight had risen peerlessly to meet every challenge.
But now it seemed that Celestia's tried and tested methods, her very worldview, were no longer relevant. Outmoded. Outdated. As out of touch as the teenaged Cadence had so often accused her of being.
Celestia hung her head, and a tear, silvery in the starlight, dragged its slow trail over her cheek.
"Sister?"
The quiet voice made Celestia flinch. Hastily, she wiped her eyes and turned to greet Luna with a smile. "Hello, Lu. How is your night going?"
Gravely, Luna made her way across the shadowed room, her hooves looking almost bare for a moment without their old silver shoes. "I have passed a most pleasant evening among the fireflies. But I don't think that is what we should talk about, Celestia." Her voice was infinitely gentle, but Celestia shied away.
"I'm not sure that I can."
Luna placed a kindly hoof atop her sister's, and Celestia felt the tears rise anew.
"Tell me what ails you."
Celestia sighed again, long and mournful. Perhaps it would do her good to talk her fears through with somepony. "I fear that I have made a grave mistake."
"Would you like to talk about it?" Luna asked. Her expression gave nothing away.
Celestia shook her head. "I am afraid you would judge me to have behaved poorly, little sister. I am coming to that view myself."
Shaking her own starlit locks from side to side, Luna gave a little laugh. "Nopony has made more mistakes than I, Tia."
"What?" That got Celestia's attention. Ever defensive of her younger sibling, nothing riled her more quickly than ponies blaming Luna for her past actions; even if the pony placing the blame was Luna herself.
"Peace," Luna waved away Celestia's objection with a hoof. "What I mean is, you have always forgiven and loved me. You taught me that I am not my darkest self, and I would be a poor pony indeed if I could not help you see the same." She settled herself in the window beside Celestia. "Besides, it is only in the darkest shadows that the subtlest, most beautiful lights can be seen." She gestured upwards with her horn, toward the twinkling light of the stars.
Her muzzle sagging in defeat, Celestia let the sordid tale be drawn forth. "I have...done wrong, perhaps. I fear my actions may have kept apart two ponies who truly cared for each other -- or who would have come to care for each other -- but they chose to express it in a way that I myself would not have done. And I...I reacted wrongly, and it has caused them both to lose trust in me." Her words came a little faster as she looked into Luna's deep, forgiving gaze. "I may have separated them forever, Luna -- or if I have not, and Zap Apple is following his heart towards Leaftail, then I may have forced together two ponies who I suspect are not right for each other. How can I tell what the best outcome will be? How can I fix what I have done?"
To her shock, Luna's gentle eyes curved up at the corners as she began to laugh.
"What?" Celestia demanded. Did Luna mock her? Surely not.
The laughter faded from Luna's throat. "Tia, you give yourself too much credit."
"What do you mean?"
Luna sighed and tapped a hoof meditatively against the window pane. "Our ponies may have been shaped by us, moulded in the infancy of the species -- but they have agency that I do not think you have grasped. These individuals you speak of are not toys to be guided into the outcomes you think best. They need to be allowed to find their own way."
Turning slowly away from her sister, Celestia gazed into the unfathomable depths of the night sky, a thousand times more shallow than the wisdom of the alicorn beside her. "How came you to that conclusion?"
Luna chuckled once more. "Oh, Tia. I was one of your little ponies. You shaped and moulded me as much as any of them. You did it with the purest of hearts, but you tried to fit me into the shape you had decreed would be best for me. And..." she paused delicately, "Well, we all know the results."
Celestia's breath rushed from her mouth as she swung back to face her sister. "But Nightmare Moon -- I thought it was jealousy -- the love of the ponies--" Too late, she caught herself. This was too painful a subject to be treated so carelessly. "Forgive me, Luna. I have spoken out of turn."
"No, no," Luna reassured her. "It has been nearly forty years since I returned. I can speak of it without pain." She paused again, and the only motion was the gentle undulations of their manes. "Those things...they were part of it. But so too were the expectations -- of you, and of the ponies that you viewed as yours. They needed me to be like you, a statue graven in your image. But I needed something else. I tried to find it...but I found something else entirely."
Lowering her head, in shame this time, Celestia felt her tears pooling once more. "I have been a poor sister and a poor ruler, have I not? And now a poor matchmaker, to boot."
"You have been a kind hearted pony. One who did her best. Come sister, it would be a dull eternity if we were not capable of learning, would it not?"
"I suppose so."
Luna's wings ensconced her in a soft embrace. "Celestia, sister. I say this not to wound, but to heal. You are saddened by what happened with the Apple colt. Try to find the lesson in this, just as you would have had Twilight do."
"I just -- I wanted to do my best for him -- to help him follow his heart." Celestia leaned into the hug. "But I have only steered him further off course."
"No," Luna whispered. "It sounds to me like you helped him to know his own heart, and that it is now leading him away from your path and down his own. You did him a service, Celestia."
Pulling back just enough to see Luna's face, Celestia blinked. "I did? But -- will his path lead to Leaftail?" A flash of insight struck her. "Have the stars whispered--?"
"--No." Luna quelled that hope before it had a chance to take root. "My friends do not pay close attention to the mortal realm unless I ask it of them. But what I am trying to say is that it does not matter where his path will lead him."
"...It doesn't?" Celestia didn't understand. How could Luna simply not care about one of their own?
"No. What matters is that the path he is on is his. He chooses it himself. You always say that the ponies using your services must make the final choice themselves. The colt's choice has just not been the one you anticipated."
"But his happiness--" --is not ensured, she had been going to say, but Luna cut her off.
"Is his own to find. Tia, you must focus on the ponies who do want your help. The Apple colt will have learned and taken something from you, and that will help him on his journey towards his destiny -- whatever that may be." Luna placed a firm hoof upon Celestia's journey. "You must learn to let go, Tia. You must learn to let your ponies go, when it is time."
Celestia sagged, feeling Luna's words sink into her flesh and pierce her heart. It was true. She had been keeping them all too close. She had been guiding them towards the choices she thought were best -- without giving them all of the information to make the choice themselves. All of the ponies were as foals to her, the timeless one, but she was forgetting that foals they were not.
"Think on what I have said." Luna stood to leave her. "And sleep, sister dear. I will meet you in the solarium at dawn -- I think I'll make you some pancakes for a change."
Managing to summon a weak smile, Celestia's gaze slid back to the window. Luna was right, of course. She always was. Celestia could not save everypony -- and there was the question of whether they wanted to be saved, and indeed, whether it was truly saving. She suspected that she would not sleep much this night. There were many things to mull over.
"And, Tia?" Luna called over her shoulder as she neared the door to the chamber. "I have seen Zap Apple's dreams -- and let me tell you one thing to ease your curiosity. It is not the kirin that he dreams of."
Stunned, Celestia watched her go, and then she let out a long breath of air. It did not matter, of course. Zap Apple was charting his own course now, free to find his own love or heartbreak. And Celestia...she vowed to do as Twilight had done so many times; come what may, she would learn from this most painful lesson. |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 19 | "Gah!"
The sound of smashing crockery made Raven Inkwell start. She put down the stack of paperwork she had been holding and cocked her head, listening carefully.
There was the sound of swiftly-pacing hooves, and another muttered expostulation.
It was enough to make Raven Inkwell's decision into a simple one. The Princess needed her. She stood, much more carefully than she would have done once, and began her slow progress from her desk towards the outer door.
She paused for a moment behind that last wooden shell of protection, listening to the Princess' furious pacing, and then pushed her way out into the storm.
Celestia looked over at once and saw Raven Inkwell, but did not immediately acknowledge her. She returned her gaze to the letter in front of her, her eyes skimming over it and narrowing as they went.
"Princess?" Raven asked. She made her slow way forwards and settled her old bones into a seat. She couldn't stand upright for very long these days, but she prided herself on the fact that she had never needed a cane.
Princess Celestia muttered something that Raven Inkwell couldn't quite make out, her words hissing like acid into the desk before her.
Raven Inkwell tried again. "Is it something I could help you with, Princess?"
Celestia met Raven's eyes at last. "I've received a letter from Cozy Glow," she said flatly.
"Ah." That was all Raven Inkwell needed to hear to grasp the situation in its entirety. In the few short weeks that Cozy Glow had been a client of Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service, she had been the cause of more stress and anger than almost the entire decade preceding her arrival.
Celestia ground the letter into the desk beneath her hoof; not quite hard enough to tear it, but not gently either. "I have not...had a pleasant week, Raven, and this -- this foal is the most -- the most insufferable little creature that ever lived. She has rejected thirty-two matches! And of the two she has deigned to meet with -- both have been disastrous."
Raven Inkwell frowned sympathetically and leaned forward a little in her chair. Sometimes the most helpful thing she could do was to simply offer a listening ear to let the Princess talk through the problem she was facing. Raven's spine creaked alarmingly as she moved, but she paid it no mind. Her body was always falling to pieces these days; she had learned to ignore it and focus on the task at hoof.
Celestia was speaking again, her words clipped and hurried out of her mouth by frustration. "One of her matches she reduced to a quivering bundle of nerves and traumatised to the extent that he left my services altogether. As if I had already not lost enough clients recently."
Sagely, Raven Inkwell nodded. She remembered the disaster with Prince Patrician well. There had been some particularly nasty threats of legal action from an irate Prince Blueblood, which had continued until Raven Inkwell had taken him aside and hinted gently that if he wished to continue receiving his royal stipend from Celestia's estate -- the one Raven personally administrated -- he might wish to reconsider.
Celestia turned away from the desk and began to pace the room, shouldering the furniture that blocked her path aside like so many pieces of kindling. Her long legs ate up the tiny distances with ease, and she had to stop and turn after only three or four paces; something which did not ease her irritation as far as Raven Inkwell could tell.
"And now this one!" Celestia completed her lap of the room and spun immediately into another. "Every word a complaint! She lists every detail about Rose Bloom that she found to be 'substandard'."
Raven Inkwell sighed and offered another consoling frown. "Cozy Glow is a hoof-full and a half."
"Yes," sighed Celestia, covering her eyes momentarily with a hoof. "Listen to this." She lifted the letter in the golden field of her magic and began to read aloud.
"Powerful parents and aristocratic connections do not a successful marriage make," Celestia spat. "My mate must have ambition and an appetite for success. They must be my equal, not a quivering mouse." Celestia dropped the letter in disgust and coldly watched it drift to the floor. "After everything Cozy Glow has done to Equestria -- after all she put us through! To comport herself like this, as though she were some sort of prize--!"
She cut herself off, breathing hard, and whirled back to Raven. "She writes that she is losing faith in my abilities. Mine!"
That was too far. Raven Inkwell shook her head emphatically. "She's a fool, Princess. You have made over nine hundred successful matches ending in marriage only in the years since Princess Twilight Sparkle took the throne. And hundreds more in the years before that! And those are only the ones that I was witness to; I wouldn't even be able to guess at the numbers of marriages you had a hoof in over the course of your reign."
Celestia ground her teeth audibly together. "But what use is it, what use is all that, if I can't match her? I can find the right partner for anypony. Making connections, managing situations, helping ponies onto the right path -- it's what I do. What I've always done." She slumped into a chair, looking more defeated than Raven Inkwell had ever seen her. She turned her hooves upwards and stared blankly into them. "Am I losing my touch? What if I can't do it? What if Cozy Glow is one challenge too far?"
Raven Inkwell surged forward out of her armchair, her age and arthritis forgotten for one wondrous moment as she went to her Princess' side. "You mustn't think like that, Princess! You can do this. You can do anything."
Celestia snorted air through her nose, but her hoof came gently to rest on top of Raven Inkwell's head. "Thank you for your belief in me, my little pony."
"Just think about it," Raven Inkwell said urgently, almost begging. She couldn't bear it, seeing her wonderful, infallible, ageless Princess beaten down in this manner. "Just consider the problem." She fumbled through the papers on Celestia's desk and pulled Cozy Glow's file out of the mess. She flipped through the pages, one by one. "What does Cozy Glow need most?"
Celestia sighed and stared over Raven's head into empty space. "Dominion over lesser creatures. Ponies to bully. Ponies to fight."
"But how does that translate into the real world? Into day-to-day life?" Raven persisted. Even when she couldn't see the answers, she knew that if she could just find the the right questions to ask, Celestia would know what was the right thing to do. It was a dance they had performed countless times over the years.
"Hmm," Celestia's chin rested on her pastern. "What is it she really wants? Ambition. Success. Wealth. Power." Her eyes flickered rapidly.
Raven Inkwell held her breath. "Princess?"
Celestia's hoof suddenly slammed down onto the arm of her chair. "A challenge. What Cozy Glow wants -- all she's ever really wanted -- is a challenge. All the rest of it doesn't matter." She caught her breath. "It's just like Luna said. Cozy doesn't want somepony subservient; she wants somepony strong. She just wants somepony that has a chance at beating her. An intellectual equal -- somepony to match wits with."
Raven Inkwell nodded. She could see that Celestia's mind was racing. Her Princess was back on her hooves, thundering along the right path. "Who can you think of that is her intellectual equal?"
Celestia's eyes flashed and she leapt to her hooves. "I think I might just know." |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 20 | Lustre Dawn rolled over in her bed, a detritus of soiled tissues and fast food wrappers tumbling in a minor avalanche to the floor as she moved. She reached for another tissue, but the box was empty once more. She pushed it away from her in disgust, and it clattered to the crystalline floor atop the other rubbish.
Lustre Dawn sighed disconsolately and rested her head on her crossed hooves. She had read all the trashy romance novels that Trixie had been able to procure for her at the library. They too now littered the floor of her bedroom. Lustre had wept huge, snotty tears at the stories of the perfect romances and love stories, something she would never now know. Then she had grown frustrated with her own wallowing and tried to drag herself out of bed, over to her desk to finish the paper she had been writing: 'On Magical Maladies and their Misuses'. She knew that it was almost guaranteed to be a hit with the other researchers in Canterlot, as well as with the various Equestrian scientific journals, but she just couldn't make herself focus. Every time she tried to write about Nirnwort Fever and Albion Gaze, the evil mage who had cast the sickness on a whole town six hundred years ago, all she could manage to see was Little Cheese's big emerald eyes. And then she had burst into tears, crawled back to bed, reached for another box of tissues and a romance novel, and the whole cycle had begun again.
After three days of it, she finally felt like she had cried herself out. She was calm. Numb, almost. When she reached for her emotions, she couldn't identify any. She just...was. She wondered vaguely if she should take advantage of this lull in the storm and try to get a little work done, but she couldn't find the willpower required to dredge up the strength to move her legs. She just wanted to lie here and think about nothing in particular.
A hesitant knock on the door roused her slightly, and her ears flickered in the sound's direction. With a grunt of effort, she managed to raise her head enough to turn it to face the door. "Come in."
Starlight entered, still wearing her headmare's outfit, her expression hesitant. "Hello, baby," she said gently, as though Lustre Dawn were still very young.
Lustre didn't even bother to roll her eyes. "Don't call me that, Mum."
"Sorry, sweetie." Starlight changed her term of endearment without even blinking.
Lustre Dawn groaned. Mothers.
"Little Cheese was at the door all morning," Starlight said carefully. "Again. Asking to see you."
Lustre Dawn groaned louder and buried her head beneath the duvet. "Is she gone yet?" She didn't want to see Little Cheese, didn't want to see the pity in the yellow mare's eyes. She didn't want to hear Little Cheese say it was over. As long as she managed to avoid that finality, it was possible to pretend everything was fine. Just about.
"She only just left. She did say that if you changed your mind and wanted to see her, you can call round to Pinkie Pie's shop, or she'd be happy to come back here if you preferred."
Shaking her head vehemently, Lustre recoiled. "No, Mum! She stood me up in front of all my friends! I don't want to see her."
Starlight smiled grimly. "She said she thought you'd say that. She had a letter already prepared. Do you want me to put it straight in the fire, sweetie? Or do you want to give it a read?"
Lustre Dawn dropped her head into her hooves and sighed. Was she going to get dumped by letter now instead? This was all so hard. She had never been ghosted on a date before. And she certainly hadn't expected the pony who had ghosted her to be going to so much effort to break up with her formally. She didn't know what the protocol was. What was she supposed to do?
Starlight Glimmer sighed too and put a gentle hoof on her daughter's shoulders. "Listen, Lustre, sweetie...I think you should read it. You were so, so happy when you were dating Little Cheese. I've never seen you like anypony so much. And perhaps she has a reasonable explanation. Or she made a mistake. Everypony makes mistakes, don't they? And everypony deserves a second chance."
Lustre Dawn sighed. Her mum was right, she knew. Both her mothers had been given second chances, and that was what had led to her. Even she had been given a second chance at friendship, after years of rejecting it. But all that didn't make this any less difficult.
She took the letter in her magic. The envelope was unaddressed, and simply said 'To Lustre'. That made sense, since Little Cheese had delivered it by hoof. But the envelope still looked strangely bare.
Carefully, she tore it open, and pulled the letter out. At the edge of her vision, she could see Starlight tactfully withdrawing, shutting the bedroom door behind her, but all Lustre Dawn's attention was now on the letter she held.
To my dearest Lustre Dawn, it read. If I even have the right to call you that anymore -- I hope I do! -- I want to apologise, humbly apologise, for missing our date the other day. I know that there can't really be any excuse for my behaviour and lack of contact after the fact, but please just let me try to explain. I was up all night the day before our date, baking some of my special miniature chocolate cheesecakes for everypony to try. It's a bit silly, but I really wanted to make a good impression. I wanted to get it right, so I kept on starting over, and I think in hindsight that I bit off more than I could chew. I was banging around in the kitchen at midnight, and Pumpkin came down to see what was wrong. She offered she'd help me, and said she'd show me this new ultra-freeze spell she's been working on. We tried it out, but...something went wrong. Pumpkin was holding the cheesecakes in her hoof, but she missed them, and hit her hoof instead. I don't even know how to describe it -- it was horrible! Her hoof was all blue, completely frozen solid, and she couldn't feel it at all.
Lustre Dawn blinked, horrified. All her resentment and confusion was melting away like the snow in spring. She leaned in to continue reading.
I did the only thing I could think to do, and I put her on my back and galloped for the hospital. There wasn't any time to tell anypony. Pumpkin kept slipping in and out of consciousness -- it was just awful. I stayed all night at the hospital, just waiting for news, and then by the time she came back around it was already past the time when I should have met you and your friends. I really am sorry I missed our date, but I hope you can understand why I did.
Missing you,
Little Cheese.
P. S. -- Pumpkin is fine now, just in case you're worried. The damage from the spell wasn't as terrible as it seemed, and doctors managed to save her hoof. She can't walk on it for a few weeks, but nothing more serious than that.
Lustre Dawn put the letter down, her heart thudding. How could she have refused to see Little Cheese? She had been so heartless! She'd had no idea that Little Cheese had been fighting for her friend's life. Just as Lustre would have done if their positions had been reversed, even if she had known how much it would hurt Little Cheese.
She sprang up, throwing the duvet, the tissues and the crumbs onto the floor all in a tangle. At last, the path was clear! There had been no betrayal, no rejection. Little Cheese wasn't trying to abandon her!
With a single, joyous bound, she was down from the bed and trampling over the rubbish as she pounded towards the doorway.
She had to go to Little Cheese, to let her know she understood. They could be reunited, like nothing had ever gone wrong. And that was the best thing -- Lustre gave a little skip as she kicked her way through the double doors and took off down the hallway at a gallop -- nothing had gone wrong! It had all just been a silly misunderstanding. They would laugh about this, someday. It would be a funny story they could tell their foals.
Lustre Dawn skidded around the corner and sprinted for the stairs. Her hooves rang like bells against the crystal floor and a wide grin split her face from ear to ear. The sorrow and deadened sensations of the past few days were blown away like the snow in spring.
Skittering to a halt at the top of the stairs, nearly missing her turning, she span and hurtled down them. A pounding on the castle doors made her freeze, ears pricked bolt upright. Little Cheese was back again!
It had to be her. Who else could it be? Lustre Dawn gathered her magic and with a snap of air, teleported herself to the door. There was no longer any time to waste on such petty, earthly affairs as stairs. She looked up at the huge purple door, her pulse racing. She would throw it open, and Little Cheese would immediately be able to see from her expression how sorry she was and how wrong she knew she had been, and they would fall into one another's arms--
Lustre Dawn flung the door open, her eyes alight, and then screeched to a standstill.
Standing outside was Cozy Glow.
"I-- oh!" Lustre Dawn stammered. She recovered herself a little. "Cozy Glow! I didn't expect to see you here."
Cozy Glow offered her a slightly forced smile. "Well, I was in town, and I thought I might drop by and see you."
"Really?" Lustre was flabbergasted.
Even at the dimly-remembered parties she had accompanied her parents to as a foal, thrown by the Council of Friendship for their assorted friends, she could not remember Cozy Glow ever speaking more than perhaps four consecutive words to her. And those were usually "You're in my way."
"Yes," Cozy Glow said shortly, and then sighed and seemingly forced herself to expand on her answer. "Our parents are such good friends, and Mama always speaks so highly of your mother -- Starlight Glimmer, I mean -- I thought it was about time we got better acquainted. For their sakes."
"Oh." Lustre Dawn was still struggling to change gears and wrap her head around all this. Every bone in her body was screaming to her that she needed to go to Little Cheese, to hold her and heal the rift between them. But Twilight would never forgive her if she abandoned a pony in such obvious need of friendship as Cozy Glow.
She fidgeted her hooves. Could her date with destiny (in the form of Little Cheese) wait even a minute longer? But Little Cheese valued friendship just as much as Lustre Dawn did. She had left Lustre Dawn confused and in pain for the sake of a friend. Friendship sometimes demanded sacrifice; Twilight's stories about the adventures she had gone on with her own friends showed that clearly. Perhaps offering the hoof of friendship to Cozy Glow was the right thing to do. Perhaps this was the course of action Little Cheese would want her to take.
While Lustre Dawn focused on her internal monologue, Cozy Glow had waited with increasing impatience. Finally, she cleared her throat noisily, making Lustre start and look guiltily back to her.
"Or," Cozy Glow said pointedly, "I could come back another time, as you're clearly busy."
"No!" Lustre Dawn said hastily, her decision made. "No. Not after you came all this way." She stepped back from the door and said a sentence that she had never expected would pass her lips; "Won't you please come in, Cozy Glow?"
Cozy Glow's eyes were glued to the board, her every nerve ending alight with anticipation. This was the best game she had played in years. Lustre Dawn was a quick thinker, a strong tactician, an excellent abstractionist. After so many months of stilted, unbearably dull games at the Champion's Club, against elderly ponies Cozy Glow could have beaten blindfolded and concussed, she finally felt alive.
Lustre Dawn frowned and rubbed her hoof along her chin. Deep in thought. Cozy Glow used the opportunity to study the unsuspecting mare. Peach-pink fur as soft as a whisper. The smooth rounded limbs of a scholar, not an athlete. Big golden eyes that were surprisingly appealing now Cozy Glow actually had the chance to study them in detail. And the long, lustrous mane, all shades of gold and amber carelessly tied back in a ponytail, light bouncing softly off the shining waves. And all topped off with a quick wit, an aptitude for study, and a mind sharp enough to be on the brink of taking Cozy Glow's lunar princess.
Hmm. Perhaps Lustre Dawn was not the insipid little nerd Cozy had always taken her for.
In the early stages of play Lustre Dawn had seemed a little distracted. She had fidgeted in her chair, looking anxiously at the large clock over the library mantlepiece. But eventually, the insidious spell of the game had drawn her in, calming and focusing her just as it always did for Cozy Glow. She had quietened and leant in to the board, and spoke rarely, focused on her next move. Cozy Glow, in contrast, was focused on Lustre Dawn. She glanced down at the board only occasionally, able as always to calculate almost instinctively the optimal move to make.
She was playing as she normally did. She had never believed in holding back for the sake of an opponent's feelings; unless of course it was Mama, who only played at all for Cozy Glow's sake, bless her generous heart. But to her shock, Lustre Dawn was holding her own. She thought for a long time about each option, sometimes mouthing to herself and gently touching different pieces as she assessed her options, but she was still holding her own. And against Equestria's finest chess player -- Cozy Glow did not believe in false modesty -- that was no mean feat.
Lustre Dawn, with a little hum of satisfaction, moved her pegasus knight in to engage. Cozy Glow's mind scrolled through the options available to her. Save the lunar princess, at the expense of both her own unicorn mages and a knight. Sacrifice the lunar princess, and take the pegasus with a unicorn mage. Or abandon the lunar princess and the mages, and try to slip her earth pony warrior behind Lustre Dawn's defences while her attention was elsewhere.
Cozy Glow felt a little thrill of excitement. For the first time in Princesses knew how long, she was actually playing. More than simply going through the motions to add another joyless victory notch to her belt.
She made her decision and sent in a celestial bishop to support her earth pony warriors. Let the lunar princess fall for the greater good, as was her duty.
Lustre Dawn's eyes flashed with triumph and she moved her knight onto the lunar princess' square. Her horn glowed and she lifted the little alicorn piece into the air and placed it beside the board. Finally, she leaned back in her chair with a satisfied air. "I didn't think I'd be able to do that," she said conversationally. "I've heard stories about how good you are at chess. Auntie Rarity never stops talking about you, you know."
"Really?" Cozy Glow laughed a little, the first genuine laugh in what felt like a long time. "What does she say about me?"
Lustre Dawn smiled and shrugged. "What does any mother say about their daughter? Praise upon praise; I know mine are the same. But Rarity really loves you -- she tells everypony about your court cases when you win too."
Cozy Glow snickered. "Well, I don't often lose."
Though she looked a little surprised at that, Lustre Dawn made no comment. Cozy Glow frowned slightly. Perhaps she was being too candid. Not modest enough. Possibly time to reel it in a little bit.
She used a wing feather to push an earth pony warrior forward again. The solar princess was almost in reach.
Lustre Dawn grinned, clearly seeing the threat, and leant over the board to consider her options. Her hair fell forward across her face and she shoved it impatiently out of the way; an oddly charming, unguarded gesture. Cozy Glow was surprised by how appealing she found it.
On second thoughts...perhaps there was room for just a little more candour.
She toyed with the fallen lunar princess piece. "Well, I was wondering, actually...if you'd like to meet with me again?"
Lustre Dawn looked up from the game, blinking in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Cozy Glow swallowed hard, but summoned her courage. She pulled her usual sardonic smile back onto her muzzle. "Auntie Tia, as she likes to be called, has done sweet buck-all for my love life. So I thought I'd give the old do-it-yourself method a go."
Lustre Dawn stopped short, her hoof hovering above the board, whatever move she had been about to make forgotten.
Cozy Glow leaned forward, her pulse suddenly thudding loudly in her ears. Her eyes flickered nervously over the other mare's face, searching for any sign of emotion.
"Well," Lustre Dawn hesitated. "I'm flattered, Cozy Glow, really, but--"
"--I could take you on a hot air balloon ride," Cozy offered hastily, not quite wanting to hear the end of that sentence. "I know a really lovely spot in the mountains."
Lustre Dawn lowered her hooves back into her lap. "I'm flattered, but I'm already -- Auntie Tia matched me up with Little Cheese, and I'm...I'm very fond of her." She blushed prettily.
An ugly red flush spread over Cozy's own muzzle. "Oh. I see." She looked back down at the chess board. Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinised the pieces, and she let her heavy curls fall across her eyes. What an idiot she had been.
"I'm really sorry, Cozy Glow," Lustre Dawn sounded genuinely apologetic, and that made Cozy all the angrier. "If I weren't already...I would absolutely have accepted." That bit sounded much less genuine. "But perhaps we could still go on a trip together, or for a meal...as friends? Twilight always says friendships can grow out of the strangest of places."
Cozy Glow's teeth came together with an audible snap. Twilight Sparkle. Of all the names to have mentioned now. She loathed the sickeningly pure Princess; so twee and trite that every single one of the sheep-brained idiots masquerading as ponies in Equestria had bought into the garbage she peddled -- lock stock and barrel.
"Or you could come back next week, maybe, for another game of chess?" Lustre tried again, pushing one of her pawns forward a square as she did so. "I'd be happy--"
"Checkmate," Cozy snarled, her voice as cold as ice. She pushed her celestial bishop into place, and in the same motion reached across the board to flick Lustre Dawn's solar princess onto its side.
Lustre Dawn flinched at the harsh clatter of the pieces.
"Less than forty moves to beat you," Cozy Glow spat. "I think you should study up on your chess theory a little, Princess Lustre Dawn."
Lustre Dawn recoiled from the vitriol in Cozy Glow's voice, but Cozy was beyond caring. She shoved her chair back and took wing, hovering for a second to look down at Lustre with disgust. "I wouldn't waste my time on a second game with you if you were the last pony in Equestria."
Then she darted for the double doors. She flung them open before her and they crashed against the crystal walls. A couple of left turns, and Cozy Glow was back in the main atrium. She didn't bother with the enormous front entrance, but flew straight for one of the large open windows. In seconds, she was outside, beating her way skywards, heading for the nearest cloud cover that would block the repulsive little town of Ponyville from her vision once and for all. Canterlot might be bigoted and awful, but at least they didn't pretend to welcome you in before they turned on you. No, she would never return to this dreadful backwater town. Next time Aunt Fluttershy wanted to see her, she could bloody well come to Canterlot instead. |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 21 | Lustre looked up at the receding blue and pink shape, and shook her head in amazement. What had that been all about? She had barely spoken to Cozy Glow in her life, and all of a sudden she was turning up, asking her out, and then fleeing the scene like a criminal? What a bizarre series of events; her friends would never believe it.
But she didn't have overlong to dwell on it. A glance at the clock on the mantlepiece was enough to show her that it was nearly eleven; far too late! Little Cheese had dropped off the letter hours ago. The stars above only knew what she must be thinking; perhaps she thought that Lustre had received the letter but still refused to see her. An unbearable possibility -- Lustre Dawn shoved back her chair and made for the doors. Unmolested this time by unwanted visitors, she set off at a tearing gallop for the Party Emporium.
She thundered down the road towards Ponyville, and a flock of startled ducks took noisy flight at her approach. Quacking angrily, they beat their way across the sky towards Auntie Fluttershy's animal sanctuary. Lustre Dawn turned her head to watch them go, almost missed her footing and had to stagger to stay on her feet. She recovered, set her jaw, and increased her pace again. Nothing would stop her this time.
She was panting by the time she reached the outskirts of town, her flanks heaving with exertion. A couple of ponies glanced at her in passing concern, and one called out to her.
"Are you alright, Lustre Dawn?"
Lustre Dawn hardly spared her a glance. She focused all her efforts on trying to regain her breath enough to trot again. "I'm fine, Bon Bon! Thanks for asking!"
"No marauding monsters we should be worried about?"
Startled, Lustre Dawn looked properly at the ageing yellow mare for the first time. "What? No, I don't think so."
Bon Bon waved her onwards, and turned back to her green-furred wife. "Carry on, then! It just took me back, seeing you come tearing up the road from the Princess' castle like that."
Lustre didn't bother to reply again and after a few more shallow pants, recovered herself enough to start in the direction Pinkie Pie's shop. Nopony else questioned her red face and sweaty mess of a mane, for which she was grateful. No one could be anonymous in a small town like Ponyville, especially somepony with parents as famous as hers were, but it was nice to pretend; even if only for a moment.
The gravel of the road was sharp beneath her hooves, and she heard her pulse echoing in her ears. Pinkie Pie's Party Emporium stretched lurid and pink above her. For a moment it seemed to swim before Lustre Dawn's vision, a vast fuchsia monolith with no beginning and no end -- but Lustre shook her head hard enough to clear it, and the shop was normal once again. She was just very, very tired all of a sudden.
Lustre Dawn sucked in air through her teeth and tried to stand up as straight as she could. She knew she must look a fright after her madcap gallop through town, but there was no fixing that now. And hopefully Little Cheese, of all ponies, would be able to see past it. Nevertheless, Lustre ran a quick hoof through her mane, trying to smooth it, and scrubbed at her forehead with one foreleg to wipe away the sweat. Then she took one more breath, and pushed open the door.
Inside the emporium, the air was quiet and still. Peace reigned for once in the land of party poppers and confetti. Cannons and musical instruments lay silent, and after the glaring light of the midmorning sun, Lustre Dawn struggled at first to see much in the sudden gloom.
Auntie Pinkie was nowhere in sight. Lustre Dawn made her way forward carefully nonetheless. Many was the time she had walked into a room empty of her aunt, only to be scared half out of her wits by the shrill scream of "Surprise!"
A small brass bell winked invitingly on the counter. Lustre Dawn made her way over to it and inhaled deeply once again to steady her nerves. The shop smelled of vanilla cupcakes and strawberry ice cream. Lustre Dawn shut her eyes for half a second and tried, not for the first time, to think of the right words to say. What speech could she compose that would heal the rift between her and Little Cheese? What words were the right words?
Perhaps there were none. Perhaps this was something that she couldn't plan. Maybe when she looked into Little Cheese's emerald eyes...she would just know what to say.
Her hoof came down on the bell.
A little 'ting!' rang out, echoing in the gloom. A moment of silence followed. The fur on Lustre Dawn's back stood on end and she peered around with wide white eyes. She could see nothing. The shop was as still and quiet as the grave.
A hoof fell heavily onto her back. "Hi!"
Lustre Dawn flinched and squeaked in fright at the sudden breaking of the hush. She spun around, and came nose to nose with Pinkie Pie. Pinkie's muzzle split into a grin. "Lustre Dawn! It's been ages since you came by!"
Lustre Dawn summoned up her best smile, though she was beginning to feel a little shaky. What if it somehow all went wrong, and Little Cheese rejected her?
"You're here to see Little Cheese again, I bet," Pinkie Pie said cheerily, producing a small slice of victoria sponge cake from her mane and offering it to Lustre. "After the last time you came when she wasn't here and you thought she'd abandoned you but really she was galloping super duper fast to the hospital with Pumpkin Cake on her back--"
"--Is she here, Auntie?" Lustre Dawn interrupted, gently but firmly pushing Pinkie's proffered cake away.
Pinkie cheerfully returned it to the voluminous folds of her mane. "Yeppers! I know for sure this time! She's around here somewhere..." She folded her forelegs and tapped a hind hoof. "I just gotta remember where I put her. Oh! I know!" She skipped back to her feet and bounced over to a stack of beach balls. "Is she under here?"
Pinkie cheerfully bucked the pyramid of beach balls, which collapsed spectacularly.
"Nope!"
Lustre Dawn raised a hoof to defend herself from the onslaught of tumbling rubber.
"How about in my Easy Bake Confetti Cake Mini-cannon?" Pinkie was suddenly nose to nose with Lustre, a tiny pink cannon to balanced on one hoof, raised exactly to Lustre's eye level.
"Auntie, I don't think--" Lustre knew even as she spoke that it was too late.
Blam!
"Nope! Not here either!"
Lustre Dawn wiped cake batter out of her eyes and slopped it from her hoof onto the ground. So much for looking presentable. "Auntie Pinkie, please--"
"I've got it!" Pinkie Pie carolled, and Lustre Dawn looked up in trepidation to see the pink form of her aunt balanced precariously atop a huge blue party cannon. "I left her in the Megablast Party Cannon 3000!"
"Don't set it off!" Lustre Dawn cried, and dove for the dubious shelter of the counter. When she peeked back out, she registered with relief that Pinkie Pie had not ignited the fuse. Instead, she was halfway inside it, rooting around, small grunts of effort emanating from its barrel.
"Got her!" Pinkie Pie's voice echoed shrilly. Her hind legs kicked wildly, and then she surged backwards out of the cannon. Borne triumphantly above her head in both hooves was a very bewildered Little Cheese.
Lustre Dawn gasped and scrambled out from behind the counter, shaking the last remnants of cake from her forelock.
Pinkie Pie set her daughter down with exaggerated care. "There you go, my best little baby!"
Little Cheese sighed and brushed a few confetti sprinkles off her flank. "We talked about this, Mum. When you want me to come out of my room, just knock."
Lustre Dawn peered past Little Cheese into the dark recess of the cannon. It was not at all large enough to have held a full grown pony. This was not at all surprising; Lustre Dawn had read all six of Princess Twilight's papers on Pinkie Pie's strange abilities, and this was entirely in line with her findings. Nonetheless, the Princess would be interested, and Lustre Dawn made a mental note to pass on the intelligence next time she saw her mentor.
Thinking about such mundanities as her studies with the Princess soothed her jangled nerves just enough that when Little Cheese finally noticed her, she didn't immediately break and run.
"Hi," she said limply, trying to strike a casual note.
"Lustre Dawn!" Little Cheese's tone was anything but casual. Ignoring her mother now, she hurried through the wasteland of cake mixture and beach balls to Lustre's side. She half-raised her hoof, but let it fall back to her side. "I-- it's good to see you." Then she was silent, watching Lustre Dawn with those huge green eyes, clearly waiting for her to speak.
Lustre Dawn swallowed. "I got your letter."
Hope bloomed in Little Cheese's eyes. "Then you--?"
Lustre Dawn nodded, her own eyes suddenly filling with tears. "I understand now. I'm really sorry, Little Cheese."
Little Cheese sniffed hard. "No, I'm sorry! I really--"
Lustre Dawn leaned forward and opened her forelegs wide and Little Cheese copied her movements. Sobbing, they both fell forward into one another's arms and held one another close. Lustre buried her head in Little Cheese's silky mane and wept. She breathed in as hard as she could, determined to commit that buttery, chocolatey scent to memory forever. She would never forget this moment.
A slight scuffling noise behind Little Cheese drew Lustre's attention, and she looked up just in time to see Auntie Pinkie striking a match near the fuse of the huge party cannon.
She opened her mouth to shout a warning, but it was already far too late. |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 22 | "Mum?"
Rainbow Dash looked up from her desk. The huge stack of exam papers waiting to be graded sprawled over the entire right half of the table. Her little pile of completed papers, underlined and written all over in her untidy red scrawl, looked pitifully small in comparison.
Zap Apple stood in the doorway, his long orange-and-green mane falling into his eyes as always. "Can I talk to you?"
"Of course, kiddo." Rainbow gladly let fall the paper she had been about to read. Marking all those endless essays on flight theory was definitely the very worst part of being a professor. If it were up to her, she would have assessed all her students through practical skill only, but the Dean was very firm that her class had to have at least one exam a year.
Zap Apple came into the room, and propelled himself with a flap of his wings onto the window seat. He settled himself into the cushions, and propped one hoof onto the windowsill. Rainbow expected him to tell her what was on his mind -- Zaps was usually such a forthright colt -- but he stayed quiet.
Rainbow Dash pushed her chair back and stood. She walked over to him, and rested a hoof on his shoulder. Even though he was sitting, she had to look up at him. It had been that way for years now, of course -- but somehow, it still surprised her every time. She still thought of him as her little boy, even though he was a stallion as large as she was and nearly half as big again.
She looked up into his faraway pink eyes, an exact copy of her own, and felt her heart constrict a little. No matter how big Zap Apple got, he would always be her kid.
"What's wrong, buddy?"
Zap Apple looked down at her at last, and let out a long and heavy breath. "I've been thinking."
He fell silent again, and Rainbow Dash decided to take a stab at guessing what the issue was. "About Leaftail?" She had always known Zaps was a surprisingly quiet and sensitive soul for saying he was her and AJ's son, but she hadn't expected him to take each romantic rejection so hard. When the years kept slipping by and Zaps still hadn't introduced anypony special to them, and Applejack had suggested involving Auntie Tia, Rainbow had agreed; not because she was as concerned about grandfoals as Applejack was, but because she had wanted to ease that quiet, pervasive air of loneliness that seemed to dog her son's steps wherever he went. But it seemed that Auntie Tia's services were having the opposite effect. After every failed match, Zap Apple seemed a little sadder, a little more withdrawn.
"No," Zap Apple answered, surprising her.
"What then?"
"I've been thinking about...about Dust Devil, actually." Zap Apple's voice was quiet, and he was gazing out at the orchards again.
After a moment's reflection, Rainbow Dash hopped up onto the window seat beside him. It seemed like he had a lot weighing on his mind, and she wanted to take her time and make sure she got this discussion right. She followed his eyes out over the fields. Applejack was in the southwest orchard today, getting in the last of the Red Delicious crop.
"What about Dust Devil?" She kept her voice carefully neutral. She couldn't deny that when Zaps had first told her his date with Lightning Dust's daughter had been a failure, her initial emotional response had been glee. But then she had watched him disconsolately wander the house for days afterwards, moping over this filly Rainbow had never even met, and her feelings had softened. Dust Devil was probably nothing like her mother. Hopefully. Surely nopony could be quite as bad as Lightning Dust. Certainly nopony that elicited such sadness in a stallion as sweet as Zap Apple -- but then again, who but a monster could reject a stallion as sweet as Zap Apple? In the end, Rainbow Dash had concluded that it didn't truly matter whether Dust Devil was like her mother or not; the date had been an utter failure and it was certain that her name would never be mentioned again.
Until now, it would seem.
Zap Apple rested his head against the window pane and let it slide down until it rested atop his hoof. "I don't know. I've just been...thinking about her."
"You really enjoyed that date with her, huh?" Rainbow rubbed his shoulder sympathetically.
He nodded. "Yeah. Until the end bit of it, I mean. Princess Celestia talked about how important it is that you go for personality and not...other stuff. And Dust Devil...I liked her the most out of any of the ponies I was matched with."
Rainbow Dash tried not to smile. Zap Apple had only been matched with three ponies. What would he think if he could have seen a line-up of all the ponies she had dated before Applejack?
"You could always ask Auntie Tia to arrange a few more," she suggested delicately. "Play the field a bit."
Zap Apple sighed and shook his head. "I don't think that feels right. I don't want to swamp myself with options until they all become meaningless." Seeing that Rainbow was about to object, he raised a hoof to stop her before continuing. "And it's more than that. It's Dust Devil in particular. I just...I had a connection with her." He sighed and rubbed at his forehead. "Even when she rejected me, she wasn't cruel. She was...honest. I think that's important."
Rainbow Dash chuckled. Applejack would be proud. "You know, you're just like your mum sometimes, buddy."
Zap Apple perked up a little. "Tell me about you and Mum. How did you know she was the one for you?"
Rainbow Dash let her hoof fall from Zap Apple's shoulder as she leaned back against the glass. She chewed at her lip a little as she considered. "Well, we were friends for a long time before we were ever together. Ten years, before we even thought about it."
"What changed?"
"It's hard to put my hoof on it. Our bond was always a little bit different than my friendship with the rest of the girls. They support me, and I support them. We'd do anything for each other, and they're all like my sisters."
"And Mum?"
"Well," Rainbow Dash smiled a little, slightly embarrassed, "I think the real difference is that I could compete with her. I could really let loose when I was with her, give it my all and know that she'd do the same."
Zap Apple looked away from the orchards and into her eyes for the first time. He offered her a small smile, and Rainbow Dash felt her heart constrict with love in just the same way it had when he had given her the gift of his very first toothless smile.
"Yeah, that does sound like you two."
"Some of the happiest times I ever spent were racing against AJ," Rainbow said fondly. "And then I realised that when your mum beat me, it didn't make me angry, or even make me want to beat her next time. I was glad she put up a fight; that she was better than me sometimes. Seeing her win was somehow even more fun than winning myself."
An undignified snort of laughter from Zap Apple made her jump. She grinned and gave him a playful shove. "What?"
"I just can't quite imagine you ever enjoying losing, Mum."
Rainbow's mouth quirked. "Yeah, it only ever happens with two ponies."
"Mum, and...?"
"You, you big doofus." Rainbow nudged him again, and his muzzle split in a proper smile. Rainbow internally hoof-bumped herself. Look at her, successfully cheering him up. Even after all these years, she was still fricking nailing this parenting stuff.
"Anyway," she sighed, leaning back against the wall once more, "As the years passed, we just got closer and closer. We spent more time together, and there was one summer in particular where I realised I just couldn't get enough of her company. I was spending whole days down here mucking out the pigs and Celestia knows what else, just so that she'd be done faster and able to come for a run with me." She smiled at the memory. "I felt pretty guilty about it at first, actually. I thought I was choosing AJ as a best friend, and that made me feel like cow dung. I wanted to be true to all my friends, not pick one above the others."
"And when did you realise it was...more than that?"
Rainbow's cheeks warmed. She remembered the moment with perfect clarity. "When we did our own private running of the leaves here at Sweet Apple Acres," she told him. "Ponyville's running was the week before, and we'd tied for first place. So we decided to have a rematch; Applejack needed to get the leaves off the apple trees anyway."
Zap Apple's eyebrows climbed and he glanced out at the ocean of treetops beyond the window. "All this, just the two of you?"
Rainbow smirked. "You know it. We even sent Apple Bloom and Big Mac packing so they couldn't help us. We wanted a totally fair match."
"So what happened?"
"Your mum kicked my ass, is what happened. We spent hours galloping all over the orchards, trying to get all the trees, and by the end of it I was totally bushed. I think AJ was too, but we were both trying not to show it. I was just stumbling along after her by the time we got to the finish line, practically crawling. And she crossed the line, and flopped down, and then she saw me dragging myself along and came running right back to lend me a hoof. And I looked at her and I realised what all those feelings I'd been having were. And I kissed her."
Letting out a soft whoosh of air, Zap Apple turned back to the window. "And that was it? You just knew, after that?"
Rainbow Dash lifted one side of her mouth in a wry smile and reached out to ruffle his mane. "Course not, kid. Relationships are tough. You can't really just 'know' anything.We spent months figuring out what the heck we were doing and what we wanted. We spent years dating each other. Then we got married, and eventually we had you and our little family was whole. But we certainly didn't know what we wanted straight away. Each step took a lot of thinking."
She followed his gaze out over the trees and up to the cerulean expanse of the sky. She had given up her beloved cloud-house to live with Applejack, exactly the type of ground-bound pegasus she'd once sworn she would never become, but she'd never regretted it. Applejack was worth every second of it.
Her eyes drifted back to Zap Apple, and she thought affectionately of when he was a foal. So small, with his stubby little wings and massive eyes and gap-toothed grin. She had never thought she'd be a maternal sort of mare, but family was so hugely important to Applejack that she'd decided to give it a shot.
They had been supremely lucky they lived near a hospital with such expert fertility doctors, and even luckier that Applejack had a brother willing to donate sperm. Not many lesbian couples could say their child belonged to both of them genetically. There had been drawbacks, of course; their choice meant that Rainbow had to be the one to carry the foal, rather than Applejack, which had always been their plan. While having Applejack waiting on her hoof and mouth for eleven months had been pretty sweet, being too fat and heavy to get off the ground by the later stages had been one of the toughest experiences of her life. She couldn't stand to be grounded.
But in the end, their awesome little dude had been worth it. With Applejack's pluck and her love of the air, he was the perfect combination, with both of their best qualities and more besides. Teaching him to fly would always be one of Rainbow's most treasured memories.
"Dust Devil wanted kids, right?" she asked. "Do you...think you might ever, with the right pony?"
Zap Apple frowned and shook his head. "I don't know!" He threw his hooves up. "How is anypony meant to know when they're ready for something like that?"
"You can't know," Rainbow Dash said hastily, reaching for his hoof. He let her take it, and she held him gratefully. "Like I said before. I didn't know if I wanted foals when AJ and I started dating."
He glanced up with renewed interest. "You didn't?"
"Course not," Rainbow said. She gave a sheepish grin. "I wasn't exactly a very responsible pony when I was your age."
"That's exactly it," Zap Apple answered. "I just feel like...I've barely started being an adult, you know? How can I tell what I want to do?"
Rainbow Dash tried to think back to what had cemented her decision. Applejack had always known she wanted foals, in some form, whether it was bio or adopted. Rainbow hadn't been able to commit to much more than that she loved Applejack, and would try her best to be open to anything AJ wanted. And that had been good enough for Applejack for many years, until they were talking seriously about marriage. She had asked Rainbow for a firmer answer, and Rainbow had done her best to oblige. She had borrowed baby Apple Tart for the day -- Sugar Belle and Big Mac had been glad of the break -- and had tried to imagine he was hers.
Cleaning up vomit and changing nappies had been rough, and it had seemed like fluid was always coming out of one of Tartie's many orifices. Rainbow had been a wreck by the end of that day, distraught both at the endless wailing, and at the prospect of having to tell Applejack she didn't share her deepest and most treasured dream, no matter what that might mean for their relationship.
But then, finally, with half an hour left to go, Apple Tart had looked up at her and given her a little baby smile that dimpled his cheeks in the exact same way as Applejack's, and something had shifted in Rainbow's heart. A little baby Applejack, that would belong to her in the same way that AJ did. If it was something that was important to Applejack...well, she would do anything for her marefriend. Why not this, too?
And when Zaps had arrived, and looked up at her with her own big pink eyes, her heart had melted. While it was definitely true that she'd let Applejack take on the lion's share of the nappies, she had grown to love her little dude more than she'd ever believed possible.
"Sometimes you can't tell what you want until you have it," she answered him at last. "And then you can look at it, and think: yeah, this is it." She released his hoof and stood up. "Just ask yourself this -- is she a pony that you could love?"
Zap Apple hung his head so that his hair hid his expression. "All I know is I want to see her again. I can't stop thinking about her."
Rainbow Dash smiled. "That sounds a lot like love to me." |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 23 | By the time the huge mounds of confetti and glitter were swept up, it was almost lunch time. Lustre Dawn, hugely reassured by an hour spent companionably working a broom beside Little Cheese, felt confident in suggesting a continuation of the delayed seventh date.
Yurik had returned to Yakyakistan, of course. He had moved home after they all graduated from the School of Friendship, and still worked in his family's cargo-hauling business, pulling sleds up and down the mountain. He could only get the train down to Ponyville on special occasions.
But Carrot Bran and Grayson lived in Ponyville with Carrot Bran's widowed father, and Leaftail's adventure tour business was also based in town. Lustre Dawn was relatively hopeful that they'd all be free for lunch.
Little Cheese agreed enthusiastically to the plan. "That sounds great! I don't have any cheesecakes prepared this time...but given how that went last time, maybe that's for the best." She shot Lustre Dawn a mischievous grin, and Lustre Dawn giggled along with her.
The two mares trotted out of Pinkie's emporium flank to flank, with Pinkie Pie waving a noisy goodbye behind them.
Carrot Bran's home was the closest, and it took no more than a few minutes to reach the friendly orange-painted door. Lustre Dawn raised a hoof to knock. Little Cheese leaned lightly against her, and the warm contact of fur on fur was enough to set Lustre's heart racing.
The sound of fumbling keys came from behind the door, and it swung open to reveal Grayson. His black feathers were slightly more rumpled than normal, and he blinked at the daylight. "Oh. Hey, Lustre Dawn." His eyes widened a little. "And Little Cheese! Hi."
He glanced at Lustre Dawn for guidance, and she beamed at him and raised her eyebrows, trying to signal to him that everything was back on track.
He caught her meaning and smiled warmly at them both. "Do you guys want to come in?" He stepped back, claws scraping softly on the stone flags, and ushered them both in ahead of him.
Little Cheese walked carefully past with the polite air of somepony visiting a new acquaintance for the first time, but Lustre Dawn had no such limitations. She paused as she passed to smooth Grayson's crest feathers back into place. "Did we wake you or something?"
He batted her hooves away, but not hard. "Yes, actually. Carrot Bran and Root are out back planting something in the vegetable garden and I was taking advantage of the rare opportunity to have a lie in."
Once Little Cheese was safely through the door to the living room, Lustre Dawn hastily swung back to Grayson, grabbed his talons and grinned at him in delight.
He smiled back, shaking off the last vestiges of sleep, and pulled her into a quick hug. "So you're back together?"
"Yes!" Lustre Dawn hissed, nearly bouncing with excitement. "It's a long story, but it was all a misunderstanding!"
"I knew it!" He fist-pumped. "No one could ghost you! You're too dang special."
Lustre Dawn squeezed him in a hug one last time and hurried through the doorway after Little Cheese. Little Cheese had seated herself on one of the plush umber settees, and Lustre hopped up beside her. Grayson busied himself in fetching them coffee and some biscuits, and vanished for a moment into the garden. He returned with a muddy Carrot Bran close behind him, smiling widely at the sight of Lustre Dawn and Little Cheese together.
"It's so great to see you both," he enthused, coming in for a hug but checking himself when Lustre Dawn pulled a face at the dirt on his fur. "Oh yeah, of course. Sorry about that. I always forget!"
"We want to do that lunch together that we talked about a couple of weeks ago," Lustre said without preamble. Her face almost ached from smiling so much, but she was too happy to stop.
"Sure," Carrot Bran agreed easily. "Give me half an hour to clean up and we can meet you down at the Hayseed."
"It's a shame Yurik won't be able to join us," Grayson said, re-emerging from the kitchen with more coffee for Carrot Bran. "And do you guys know where Leaftail is working today?"
"I think she said she might be taking a group out to the lake," Carrot Bran answered. "Or just heading over there herself if she couldn't find any customers."
Lustre Dawn harrumphed her disappointment. "It's going to be a long walk over there to get her."
"Fear not," Grayson declared, striking a theatrical pose that set Carrot Bran snickering with laughter. "I can fly over there in half the time and let her know."
Lustre Dawn shot a glance at Little Cheese, who was giggling behind her hoof at Grayon's dramatics, and relaxed into a smile herself. "That'd be great, Grayson. But either way, it's going to be a good couple of hours before she can make it back on hoof."
"Then I'd better get going," Grayson shrugged. He stood, gulped the remnants of his coffee, and leaned in to nuzzle Carrot Bran's muddy nose. "I'll see you later, you gross stallion." He turned to Lustre Dawn and Little Cheese. "Ladies, shall we say three o' clock at the diner for a late lunch?"
"Sounds good!" Lustre Dawn spoke at the same time as Little Cheese, and the simple act of speaking in unison and building shared plans made a lovely warmth spread through in her stomach. This is how it begins, she thought. We're building a future together.
She watched Little Cheese as she chatted with Carrot Bran, laughing at his attempts at humour, and felt the warmth spread up through her chest and along her limbs. Little Cheese was so beautiful, so confident and at home with Lustre's friends. It was like she'd known them all her life. Lustre Dawn looked at the little yellow mare and her candyfloss mane, and knew with a certainty so strong it shocked her, that this was the pony she wanted. This one was the right one; this one was hers. |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 24 | Celestia was having a pleasantly quiet morning. Not one, but two couples had told her that very morning that they had made their choices and were ready to tie the knot. She had spent a very satisfying two hours finalising their files and moving them out of her cabinet of active clients. She loved this part of the process; after all the disappointments, frustrations, and failed matches, when she managed to introduce her little ponies to the one that they wanted, and they were able to spread their wings and fly away from her services together. It was the most rewarding part of her job.
She had just floated the files into the in-tray in Raven Inkwell's office, ready for her to record in Celestia's private records, when she heard the outer door bang open. Celestia frowned. Who could that be? Her next appointment was not due for another hour.
She returned her attention momentarily to the files. Two wonderful pairs of ponies, well matched both in temperament and in their goals. The families supported the matches, and the wedding dates would be set soon. Celestia thought eagerly of the two wedding invitations that would surely be in the post soon. She loved weddings, loved them with a passion. There was nothing that could match the aura of hope and optimism that pervaded the wedding of a happy couple with a bright future ahead of them. Celestia had attended weddings beyond count over her countless centuries on Equus, and had participated in a few dozen of her own. But each occasion was unique, a wonderful shining day that would never be repeated, and they were the one type of party that she never tired of.
She heard the door slam shut again, and the thud of angry hooves on the floor.
"Celestia!" A furious voice rang out, and Celestia's cheerful mood evaporated as quickly as the dew on a summer morning. She knew exactly who that voice belonged to.
Almost reluctantly, she moved towards the door that connected her office to Raven's. She was equipped with a solution to this particular problem -- finally -- but she still took no pleasure in the prospect of facing it.
She paused before the door, drew herself up to her full height, and took in one last calming breath. She schooled her face into a calm and welcoming smile, and slowly opened the door.
The pony standing in her office, wings flared aggressively, swung baleful blood-red eyes towards her.
Celestia spoke first, her tone as gracious as if it were Twilight herself come to visit. "Cozy Glow. How lovely. I was planning to write to you today to ask you to visit me. Won't you take a seat?"
Cozy Glow jerked her gaze away. "I will not."
Celestia's eyes widened slightly, but she only dipped her head in assent. "...Very well. I do have a new matter to discuss with you, Cozy Glow, but it appears that you have something else on your mind?"
Cozy Glow's face twisted into an ugly scowl. "You could say that."
"Would you like to tell me what is wrong?" Celestia always strove for patience and tolerance, but sometimes it was a challenge to meet one's own high standards.
Those red eyes locked onto hers once more. Cozy Glow's peach flanks heaved with exertion. She had clearly flown hard. "I've come to tell you exactly what I think of you."
Celestia swallowed and slowly settled herself into her armchair. As covertly as she could, she lit her horn with the spell to check for any magical threats close by. She could detect nothing, and let out a breath that she had inadvertently been holding. Cozy Glow did not have any amulets or ancient artefacts on her. She was simply a very angry pegasus.
As the magic faded, a feeling of guilt overtook Celestia. Everypony was entitled to feel their emotions, even somepony who had once made...questionable moral choices. She owed it to all her little ponies to hear them out. Even if they were not fond of her. Even if she was not fond of them. She shouldn't be checking Cozy Glow for weapons; Cozy's decades of normal participation in civic life had earned her that much at least.
"Please, Cozy Glow," she said, as softly as she could, "Go ahead. I am listening."
"I think you and your arranged marriage service are full of manure," Cozy Glow spat. "Your ideals are flawed -- you push ponies together with no regard for the consequences. You promise to be everypony's auntie and help us all, but you're still just the same old Princess Celestia, passing judgement on us little mortals from your lofty perch. I think you promise to find ponies love, when all you can offer is rejection after rejection after rejection!" She stopped, her chest rising and falling hard, and Celestia was shocked to see those red eyes glittering with moisture.
"Cozy Glow, I--" she began, but Cozy didn't let her finish.
"Mama promised me that if anypony could help me find someone who could love me it was you. That you cared about all of us, even ponies like me. With my history. But all you've given me is the matches that you think will hurt me the most!"
Celestia looked at that sad little pink figure, and for the first time her heart went out to Cozy Glow. She had been a monster, it was true. Perhaps she still was. But she was a monster shaped by Celestia's own ponies and the world she had built, and despite everything, she felt for her.
Cozy Glow looked down, fighting with furious tears, and Celestia took the opportunity to speak. "That was never my intention, Cozy Glow. I promise you that I am truly sorry if the ponies that I matched you with wounded you. I was doing my best to meet the criteria that you and Rarity gave me."
Cozy Glow's eyes flashed again. "It's all just lies. Family, love, friendship! It's all made up! It's a currency that you ponies in power hoard to yourselves, and you leave the rest of us out in the cold!" She showed Celestia her teeth, a rictus grin of desperate hunger. "Nopony has ever offered me so much as a hoof-full of kindness but Mama. The rest of you have just done your best to trample me into the dirt!"
Celestia's brows came together in a frown of concern, but she held her tongue. Cozy Glow clearly needed to have her say.
"Equestria isn't a fair place to live -- its all about magic," Cozy Glow continued, pacing back and forth as she spoke. "Nopony wants you unless you can do magic, unless you're good and kind and magical enough to meet all these invisible criteria that no pony ever warns you about -- not until it's too late!"
Celestia reached out a hoof to Cozy Glow. An offer of reconciliation. "I am sorry for my part in what has happened to you, Cozy. I can promise you that I mean that."
Cozy Glow stared at the hoof as though it were a poisonous snake. "How could I ever believe you?"
Lowering her hoof, Celestia ventured one more question. "Has anything in particular happened that has made you feel this way, Cozy Glow?"
Cozy Glow snorted. "My entire life, Princess." But her bravado was less convincing now; her feathers trembled, and Celestia knew that she was close to breaking through. Cozy Glow was like a balloon with almost all the air gone.
"I mean...recently," Celestia persisted. "Since we last met, perhaps."
Cozy Glow suddenly wilted all at once, sinking to her haunches and drawing in on herself until she resembled the sweet little foal that had taken in poor Twilight Sparkle. "Fine," she said, in a small voice. "Yes. Something did."
Celestia slid off the edge of her chair and cautiously -- moving as slowly and carefully as if Cozy Glow were a hungry manticore -- cautiously edged closer. "Would you like to tell me what it was?"
Cozy Glow's ringlets quivered, and then to Celestia's shock, a tear ran down her muzzle. It fell with a fat plop to the ground, and Celestia stared at it, stunned. A second followed it, and a third, and then Celestia recovered herself and hastened forward.
As she reached the pegasus' side, Cozy Glow instinctively shied away, her face twisting into a grimace. Celestia ignored it all -- as well as her own private misgivings -- and enfolded Cozy in her wings, like she would a foal. To her surprise, Cozy Glow made no attempt to push her away, and finally leaned in a little and allowed herself to weep in earnest.
Celestia made small soothing sounds in her throat and let the filly cry. She wondered if she should perhaps attempt to stroke Cozy's hair, but decided against it. She wasn't altogether sure she would escape with her hoof unbitten if she pushed Cozy Glow too far.
"It's just--" Cozy Glow sniffed noisily, and Celestia hastily levitated a white handkerchief embroidered with a golden sun over from her desk. She offered it to Cozy Glow, who took it without thanks.
"It's just that I--" she sniffled again and blew loudly. "The one intelligent pony I've met through this whole mess said no to me today. I thought -- I thought that I was connecting with somepony. But was all just in my head, apparently. Like so much else."
Celestia was glad that Cozy Glow's view of her face was obscured by their hug. She wasn't quite able to mask her surprise. Who had Cozy Glow approached? Certainly nopony Celestia had matched her with. Cozy Glow had made it eminently clear that all of Celestia's suggestions were well below her lofty standards.
But the identity of the pony in question should not be her focus, she reminded herself. No matter how curious she was. She must be empathetic, responsive. Poor Cozy Glow had experienced little enough of that in her life.
"I am so sorry to hear that," she said gently. "I would be happy to listen, if you want to talk about it any more."
Cozy Glow's sobs finally stilled, and she seemed to recover herself a little. She stiffened, and then pulled away. Celestia let her go.
"No," Cozy said, wiping again at her eyes with the handkerchief. "No, thank you...Auntie. I'm feeling better now."
"I'm glad," Celestia replied. She didn't miss the new moniker, and felt herself swell a little internally. She had made the breakthrough her relationship with Cozy Glow had so sorely needed.
But she couldn't let the conversation pause; if given too long for her own thoughts Cozy would re-erect all those walls Celestia had finally gotten past.
"There was actually another reason I was hoping to talk to you."
Cozy Glow glanced up from her ablutions, her face darkening with a shadow of its old suspicion. "Oh yes?"
Celestia rose and walked over to her desk chair, beckoning Cozy Glow to a chair opposite. "Come. Join me."
A slight frown on her face, Cozy obeyed.
As was her wont, Celestia steepled her hooves on her desk as she spoke. "I am not a self-deceiving pony, Cozy Glow."
Cozy Glow let out a very quiet, almost undetectable snort. Celestia chose to be the bigger pony both figuratively and literally, and ignored it.
"I can admit that it has taken me...time, and patience, to get to know you well. But that is what I have done, over the past few weeks. One is never too old to learn, as I always tell Twilight. The way you and your matches reacted to one another has taught me valuable lessons about your personality and mindset. I have used those lessons, and I believe that I have finally found the right pony for you. A perfect match for you, both emotionally, and most importantly, intellectually."
Although her facial expression did not move an inch, Cozy Glow's ears pricked up.
"She is clever, ruthless, and brilliant, just like you are, Cozy Glow. She has risen to the top of her field and will climb even higher before she's done."
Cozy Glow's carefully blank expression slipped into a scowl. "I hope you're not just going to give me a mirror and call it a day, Princess."
With difficulty, Celestia kept her smile in place. "Ah...no. No, you can rest assured that I will not do that. But I can give you her profile."
She slid a slim file across the desk, nothing like any of her other files. This one was glossy imperial purple card, embossed with gold leaf as delicate as the covers of the finest books in Celestia's library.
Cozy Glow shot Celestia another sceptical glance, but reached out and scooped up the file. She flipped it open and her eyebrows rose. She looked back up at Celestia. "And this pony has agreed to a date with me?"
Celestia shrugged her wings. "She and her parents are open to all options; their only concern is personality."
Cozy Glow was still reading, her eyes flickering as she scanned the pages. "And you think my personality is a good fit for her?"
"Oh, undoubtedly," Celestia said confidently, knowing that no two ponies had ever infuriated her in the way that these two did. "I think you will find that you are perfectly suited to one another."
Cozy Glow snorted and pushed the file back across the desk. "Alright. I'll play it your way. I'll meet with her -- but I suppose that you already knew I would say that."
Celestia smiled her most beatific smile. No barbs would pierce her armour today, no matter how cunningly wrought. "I'll write to her and arrange a time." |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 25 | Zap Apple banked hard into a tight spiral and cut down towards the cloudbank below. He could barely see the farm. The cloud cover today was unusually thick for midsummer. A frown crossed his face. His parents shouldn't have let it get to this stage. Thanks to his extensive briefing session with them last weekend, he was certain that they both knew full well what his plan for the day was.
At least he was doing his part. For once, he was fully on schedule.
He had gotten up far earlier than was his wont and flown straight here. As always, he was glad to leave the lonely little flat in Appleoosa and return to the warmth and bustle of the family home. And he did enjoy helping out on the farm. Even though his cutie mark was in flying, he was still proud of his apple heritage. Pretty much the only speck of colour in his bachelor pad came from the two dwarf apple trees he had bought from home.
He clipped his wings and punched down through the clouds. For a second his eyes and throat were full of the thick, moist air, his feathers slick with water droplets, and then he was bursting out the other side.
Sweet Apple Acres was covered with heavy shadow. The day was overcast and gloomy, and a steady drizzle fell from the grey clouds overhead onto the waiting leaves of the apple trees. The ground was clearly sodden; every grass stalk so laden with raindrops as to be bent almost double.
Taking in the miserable scene, Zap Apple's throat tightened. With such bad weather omens, it was a little difficult to feel optimistic about his grand plan. He soared over the main farmhouse and darted for the little cottage.
A small orange shape was just visible on the grass outside the house, shrugging into a yoke and harness. Zap Apple dove down towards her, backwinged almost to a halt, and then coasted in to an easy landing just beside his mother. He was calling out even before he had landed. "Mum! Why haven't you dealt with this yet?"
"Zaps, honey?" Applejack peered up at him, and her muzzle split into a smile. "Ah didn't expect you for a few hours yet." She paused for a second. "Dealt with what?"
Silently, Zap Apple thrust a furious hoof skywards.
Looking mildly surprised, Applejack shrugged. "Me? Ah cain't get that high, sugarcube. You know that." She adjusted the yoke on her neck. "Nice to see you though, shug -- how was your week?"
"I didn't mean you fix it, per se," Zap Apple snapped. "Where's Mum?"
"Still in bed." Applejack shrugged. "You know your momma -- wild hogs couldn't drag her outta bed on a Saturday. Ah've learned to live with it."
"I just don't understand why all this cloud is here in the first place."
"Been a hot month," Applejack answered, cinching a knot in the leather harness and pulling it tight with her teeth. "Ah needed some water fer the trees, an' Rainbow was kind enough to fetch some in."
"But why couldn't you have had her clear it away again...?" Zap Apple let the question tail off. It was useless, and he had too much to prepare. "Never mind. I'll go get her."
"Good luck, Zaps, honey," Applejack drawled as he trotted away, spreading his wings again. "She won't show her tail outside those doors for another three hours at least."
Skipping using the door in favour of windows was usually Rainbow's trick, but Zap Apple didn't have time to hang around. In a streak of rainbow-red, Zap shot to his mothers' bedroom window and pounded on the glass.
"Mum! Are you in there? Come on!"
There was a groan, and the window pane creaked open. Rainbow Dash peered blearily from within, her mane mussed and sleep-tangled. "Jeez, kiddo, what time is it?"
"Nearly seven, and I told you that I needed you up and cloud bucking well before I arrived." He groaned and pushed a hoof into his forehead.
"Aw, come on," Rainbow wheedled. "Your mum and I were having a lazy morning in bed. Cuddles are good for the soul, Zaps."
Snorting, Zap Apple pointed down at the diminishing figure of Applejack, rounding a distant bend on the farm track, her cart in tow. "She's already gone, Mum."
Rainbow Dash cast a sleepy look over her shoulder. "Isn't she still in bed? Huh. Guess not." She shrugged. "No clue, then. Think she said something about pruning over in the southwest field, maybe."
Grinding his teeth, Zap Apple reached in through the window frame and grabbed his mother by the hoof. "Come on, out you go."
"Wait, wha--?" But Rainbow's protestations came too late, and she was perfunctorily hauled out of the window. Grumpily, she began to flap. "Celestia's wingfeathers, Zaps, what's got you in such a bad mood today? You look like the ass-end of a stormcloud."
Zap Apple folded his forelegs. "No, you know what looks like the ass-end of a stormcloud, Mum? Sweet Apple Acres. I told you I needed the sky clear and sunny today. I sent you a whole letter about it."
Rainbow Dash stared at him blankly. She shrugged.
Throwing his hooves in the air, Zap Apple twisted violently away from her. "For Luna's sake, you never listen! Today's my big date with Dust Devil."
At once, Rainbow's eyes widened in a flash of understanding. "Oh, bucking buckballs! It can't be Saturday already?"
Clenching his eyes shut, Zap Apple pressed his hooves to his eyes. "You didn't even know what day it was?"
Spreading her hooves sheepishly, Rainbow offered an apologetic smile. "I pulled an all-nighter grading those papers on Monday, and then I had to fly them back over to the Academy. I slept for like seventeen hours and my schedule's been kinda whack since then. Especially since your mum woke me up to herd all these rainclouds in yesterday...or was it the day before?"
For what felt like the sixtieth time that morning, Zap Apple could only shut his eyes and groan. "Oh, for the love of Luna...what day did you think it was?"
"Dunno. Thursday, maybe?"
Zaps hung his head. That was it. It was over, before it had even begun. They would never manage to clear the sky in time now, and Dust Devil wouldn't even see the farm for the stormclouds. She would follow the map he'd sent and fly right over it. And on the slim chance that she did manage to find him, they'd spend a miserable couple of hours drenched by the rain and then she would give up and go home.
At once, Rainbow's tone changed from nonplussed to concerned. "Hey, now, it's okay."
"No it isn't." He pushed her conciliatory hoof away, and slowly flapped his way down to ground level. "There's no way the two of us can clear all this in just a couple of hours."
A grin spread across Rainbow's face as she circled down after him. "Kiddo, a lot of ponies have said that to me -- including a nerdy little purple unicorn, the first time I met her. I'll tell you the same thing I said then; a few little clouds are not a problem for Rainbow Dash. I'll clear these out for you in half an hour tops. And I'll do it solo, too."
Zap Apple looked up at her, rainwater running down his face like tears. "You're sure you can do it?"
"As your mum would say, sure as apples is apples." Rainbow puffed her chest out like a cadet undergoing inspection. "You can count on me."
"Ugh...fine," Zap Apple conceded, shaking the water from his mane. "But I still think it would have been easier if you'd gotten up early to do it like I asked."
Airily, Rainbow Dash waved a hoof. "Early, schmearly. If I'd done that I would have just had to do it all over again a couple of hours later."
"Whatever." Despite his dismissive words, Zap Apple was smiling again. A little bit. "I'm going to go after Mum and help her with the food prep."
"Sounds good." Rainbow was already fixing her gaze on the clouds, her wings obviously itching to get up there and start bucking them into oblivion. "What'll you feed Dust Devil?"
"Apple fritters, I was thinking?" Zap Apple said, uncertain again. "They're kinda my specialty in Appleoosa. Butterball from the squadron swears they're the best thing he's ever tasted."
Clapping a hoof on his shoulder, Rainbow beamed proudly up at him. "That's my boy. You'll do great."
His mother's words buoyed him up onto his hooves. "Right. Yeah." He took a few hesitant steps, then broke into a trot, and leapt aloft. "Good luck with the clouds!"
"Like I need luck!" Rainbow bawled after him. "Go get 'em, tiger!"
Skimming low over the treetops, flapping hard enough that the wind of his passage sent leaves spiralling in all directions, Zap Apple raced after his mother. This date had been weeks in the planning. He had scheduled out the day with precision that did not come naturally to him, but he wasn't about to let it be thrown off now.
He had three hours to bake his fritters and put together a picnic, with Applejack's help. The picnic had to go off perfectly. The sort of date that didn't just go smoothly, but the sort that went perfectly enough to heal previous cracks, and show him to be the ideal stallion that he knew he could be. If...if you looked at him in just the right light, at least.
This picnic had to create that metaphorical light. He needed to show Dust Devil his roots, his heart. He just needed her to understand him a little better; to know that he wasn't some wishy-washy kid with no idea what he was doing. He was a strong pony, rooted in good soil.
After he had broken off from Princess Celestia's service and made the gut-wrenching decision to get back in touch with Dust Devil, it had been Applejack's idea to suggest a second date here on the farm.
"She prob'ly has some crazy view of you as some high-flyin' wild boy, right?" she had said, as the two of them gathered up some windfall apples, with Rainbow sprawled in a tree overhead.
Zap Apple had hung his head. "That's what she said."
"Well, show her that ain't the case. That there's more to my boy than just his dashin' good looks and killer smile." She chucked him under the chin and Rainbow had laughed.
"More to me?" Zap Apple had asked, disconsolately. "Like what?"
Applejack sighed and gestured impatiently to the orchard around them. "Like this, Shug! Like your family, your history. She's real interested in havin' foals, right? Bring her to meet Apple Tart an' Orange Peel, an' the conversation will naturally turn to havin' foals. Tell her about how you might like one o' your own someday, or how excited you are to be an uncle -- that part'll be true, if nothin' else."
It had been a good plan, a solid plan. Dust Devil had liked him -- for the first several hours of their date, at least. Their connection had been like nothing he'd ever experienced. Flying with her, the sight of her golden eyes in the sunlight, their wingtips almost but not quite touching; it had been electric. She must have felt it too. All he had to do was remind her of it. Bring back the things her heart had felt before her head cut them short.
And this date -- close to his family, close to his home -- would hopefully do exactly that. He didn't know yet where he stood on the whole foals question, but hopefully Applejack's plan would allow him to promise Dust Devil things with enough truth in them that she would trust him, and continue a little further on their journey together.
In a gap between the trees, he caught sight of Applejack, clearly post-applebucking, as she scooped up apples one at a time from where they had fallen. He banked and swooped down to meet her.
"Mum, we need to get back to the kitchen and get cooking. Can't the farm wait a day?"
Applejack waved him off. "Ah'm gettin' fresh fruit for your picnic, you great worrywart!"
Relieved, Zap Apple landed beside his mother and helped her hitch her cart back onto her harness. Overhead, the first ray of sun burst through the cloud as Rainbow Dash set to work. |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 26 | Cozy Glow sat in the oak-panelled room, leaning heavily upon the plush red arm of the chair in which she rested. A fire crackled just beside her, and she stared into the flames. The leaping red and yellow spires were reflected in the flat black pools of her eyes.
A book lay open on the table before her. It was bound in rich brown leather, like many of the others on the mahogany shelves lining the walls. The open page showed a series of chess openings, but even Cozy's favourite subject held no interest for her today. She was too nervous. Besides, she had memorised the book years ago, the first time she read it.
The private room in the Grand Master's Chess Club was the picture of old Canterlot money. Here was where some of the most intelligent ponies in the kingdom gathered, to talk, read, and test their wits against one another. It would have been a place sufficient to intimidate anypony.
Anypony, perhaps, but Cozy's date for the day. Once, she might have picked a venue specifically to discomfit a potential match. What was dating, after all, but another sort of battle?
But that had been before Auntie Tia. Before Cozy had signed over her love life to the meddling hooves of an ex-royal. All of her prior attempts at romance had ended in disaster, leaving Cozy Glow crackling with so much rage that Rarity had guilt-tripped her into allowing someone else to manage the whole thing.
Not that Celestia's hoof-picked dates had gone much better.
And today's match, Celestia would have her believe, was the end goal of the ridiculous journey Cozy had been forced to undertake. Celestia's magnum opus, the date she had been saving for last.
"I believe you have learned something from this process, Cozy Glow," muttered Cozy, attempting the sing-song rise and fall of the Princess' old Canterlotian accent. "And I have learned something too, about you and about what you need. This pony, I think, will meet all of your needs and more."
Cozy Glow snorted. "Buck to that. It'll go as badly as all the others."
That was what logic and common sense promised, at any rate. There was no way that anypony of the lofty background Celestia had described would do anything other than run from a creature with Cozy's history.
But then again, Celestia's proposed match had agreed to this initial meeting. She had even agreed to travel south to Canterlot, to meet on Cozy's turf. That would immediately give Cozy Glow the upper hoof, which spoke volumes about her match's confidence.
No, wait, Cozy quirked her head sharply to one side. I shouldn't be thinking like that.
Those were just the thought of adversarial thought patterns Mama had counselled her against yesterday.
"Nopony is out to get you, darling," she had whispered, looking into Cozy's red eyes with the soft blue of her own. "Just approach ponies with an open heart, a generous soul like the one you show to me, and I know that they will learn to love you just as much as I do."
It was an old speech, but not yet a tired one. Cozy had heard it many times over the years, but Rarity meant it no less every time she repeated it, and that gave it meaning to Cozy. Mama believed in her. No matter how many ponies she pushed away, Rarity still loved her. Unconditionally. It had taken Cozy Glow a long, long time to trust in that, but the fact of it had now become the bedrock of Cozy's life. She wanted to live up to that love. To be the pony her mother believed she could be.
And this was part of that. She needed to keep an...an open heart, just as Rarity wanted.
With a small sigh, she straightened in her chair and looked away from the fire. She could do this. She could.
There was a small knock at the door, and Cozy's pensive expression at once closed back into its usual sardonic smile.
"Come in." Her voice was as inflectionless as ever.
The door opened slightly, and the club butler entered, his grey moustaches drooping impressively. "Your visitor has arrived, Ma'am."
Cozy Glow's heart thudded a little faster, but outwardly she was still as a stone. "Thank you, Silverware Shine. Please show her in."
He dipped his head politely and retreated. Cozy Glow waited, her every muscle aching from being held so rigidly still. Then, slowly, the door creaked open again, and Silverware Shine was back.
"In here, Your Majesty," he murmured, bowing low and holding the door ajar for her.
Gliding elegantly into the room in a rush of icy-pink feathers came Cozy Glow's date. Cozy swallowed and tried too late to force her limbs into a pose of nonchalance.
The pony before her stood only a little taller than Cozy herself, with twisting blue curls crowding to frame her beautiful blue eyes. Her horn spiralled long and graceful from within their midst, and her cutie mark showed the crystalline heart for which she was named. She looked every inch the princess, but the smile that she turned on Cozy Glow held an edge and her eyes were full of challenge.
"Hello, Cozy Glow." The words were lightly spoken, but they seemed sharp enough to send pinpricks of -- of something racing down Cozy's spine.
Cozy Glow's eyes narrowed slightly as an involunary smile spread across her face. Here was a visitor that even she could not feign indifference to. "Hello, Princess Flurry Heart."
Aqua pupils locked with ruby, and Flurry Heart sailed effortlessly into her seat. She glanced down at the book on the table, and once the eye contact was broken Cozy Glow finally snatched a breath. She had not looked away first -- but somehow she still felt that she had come off the lesser in this first, most crucial interaction.
"Hmm," Princess Flurry Heart said blithley. "Akhelhine's Defence."
If it had not been before, Cozy Glow's attention was caught now. She leaned forward. "You know it?"
The Princess shrugged. "Doesn't everyone?" Idly, she flicked through a few pages of the book. "It strikes me as a little passe for somepony of your abilities."
A delicious shiver ran down Cozy Glow's wings. "Do you think so?"
Flurry Heart cocked her head to one side. "I believe you said in your letter that you wanted to play a little. Shall we find out?"
Cozy Glow swallowed. Hard. Then she turned back to the butler, who still hovered unobtrusively in the doorway. "Silverware Shine, please will you fetch us a set? The post-Lunarian Return era stone set, I think. The marble one." She turned back to her guest, the sight of the Princess sprawled so carelessly in the chair sending another thrill shooting down her spine. Cozy took a breath, and worked hard to sound casual. "Would you like anything to drink, Princess?"
"You can call me Flurry Heart, I think." The Princess' grin was delicious. It was as though everything she said was a double-edged sword, with some sort of hidden meaning that only the two of them knew. "We are on a date, after all."
Lifting one corner of her mouth in response, Cozy spoke again. "Would you like anything to drink--" she lingered over the next words, "Flurry Heart?"
Flurry's eyes slid away from her own, a smile playing over her lips. "Raspberry lemonade, please."
Nodding slightly, Cozy returned her gaze to Silverware Shine. "And the same for me."
The butler left, the door closing almost silently behind him. That was how staff should behave, Cozy thought, distracted for just a moment. Quiet and unobtrusive. Not clanking all over the place with a squeaky tea trolley like that insufferable octagenarian Princess Celestia insisted on employing.
She looked back to her guest. "Not traditional lemonade, then?" It was a trite question, she knew. But somehow every statement they exchanged felt like the opening salvoes of a chess match, and Cozy didn't want to bring out her solar princess piece right away. Best to stick to pawns -- just for the moment -- and see what hidden meanings she could weasel out.
The Princess shot her a look from under hooded eyelids, and the intensity of that clear blue gaze made Cozy Glow's heart stutter for a second. "I find that I like..." she paused, and ever so slightly licked her lips, "The tingle it creates."
Unable to help herself, Cozy Glow leaned forward, hypnotised by Flurry's every movement. She had never met anypony so enchanting, so effortlessly beautiful -- and then she saw the spark of humour in the Princess' eyes, and she snapped back into herself. She leant quickly back again, coughing to cover her movement, and glanced back up at Flurry, to see the other mare hiding a smile.
Cozy's eyes narrowed. Flurry knew exactly what she was doing. It was all part of the game. Well, Flurry Heart might be a Princess, and Cozy Glow had long since given up her claims to the title of Empress, but she was still the bucking queen of games of wit. She could hold her own.
"And what about you?" Flurry Heart challenged her. "You only play with granite chess sets usually?"
A flip of her blue ringlets. "I find that I like the weight it lends a game." Cozy Glow looked up at the Princess from under lowered lashes. "The thud of the pieces on the board tends to make each move seem a lot more...impactful, somehow."
Cozy Glow knew that she was objectively a beautiful mare. Her mother reassured her of it often enough, and in her younger years she had used her perceived sweetness and her natural charm to get her way more times than she cared to count. Ponies seldom looked deeper than surface level, and she had used that to her advantage many a time.
But that had been in the past. These days, Cozy's face was well known, from the history books, newspapers, and even that Celestia-damned statue that only the Princesses knew how many tourists had come to gawk at over the years of Cozy's imprisonment. Cozy Glow was used to finding these days that any conventional attractiveness she retained was more than outweighed by ponies' unfailing recognition of her and subsequent repulsion.
Though Flurry Heart certainly didn't seem repulsed. A slight blush spread across her face, and Cozy Glow suppressed a grin. She could still give as good as she got.
Flurry noticed Cozy's smile, and she hid a giggle with her hoof. The two mares sat back in their chairs, silently measuring one another up for a few heartbeats, before the door slid open once more.
Silverware Shine entered, a tray suspended in his magic. On it were two glasses of sparkling red liquid and an ornately carved wooden box. He set all three items down on the table between them, and removed Cozy's book to reshelve it after she gestured him away.
As he exited once more, silence settled once again over the room. The pause stretched, and Cozy savoured the tension, until Flurry Heart broke it by lighting her horn to open the box.
"Alright," the Princess said, that same mischievous grin curving up one side of her muzzle. "Let's play a little game, shall we?"
Cozy Glow placed her hooves on the arms of her chair and leant in. "Oh, yes." |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 27 | Carefully positioning the basket and smoothing one last near-invisible wrinkle from the chequered rug, Zap Apple took a deep breath and surveyed his handiwork.
The picnic blanket was positioned on a low swell of ground, just high enough to provide a view of the orchards below. A pair of golden delicious apple trees spread their shady branches overhead. The grass was long and luscious -- almost as soft as his mattress back home -- and when he was a teen he had passed long hours out here daydreaming. It was one of his favourite spots on the whole farm.
It was also one of the most beautiful, when conditions were right. He glanced up at the sky, which was as clear and crystalline as his mother had promised. The apple fritters waited in the picnic basket, safely ensconced in a crockpot to keep them warm. Applejack had pronounced them a triumph, and had handed him another pot of apple cobbler for dessert. With them sat a couple of mangos just for variation's sake. Two bottles of last year's cider rounded out the meal.
All that was missing now was the date's final ingredient: Dust Devil herself. The mare in question did not strike Zap Apple as the type to be late. Underneath that outer layer of jocularity, she was a little too serious for that sort of thing.
But to be fair to her, she had never been to Sweet Apple Acres before, and the sea of green treetops could be a little hard to navigate from the air if you weren't used to it.
Still, that didn't stop him from anxiously scanning the sky for the umpteenth time.
He began to fidget nervously, rolling and unrolling one corner of the rug beneath his hoof. She wouldn't just...not show up, would she? No. That would be even less like her -- what little he knew of her -- than being late. She had answered his letter. She had said she would meet him here. What had been her exact words?
"I wasn't sure at first, but after thinking about it, that does seem like a good idea. We definitely had a spark that I haven't felt with anyone else, and Auntie Tia thinks we should explore it."
It rankled a little, that even after he had left Auntie Tia's services, she still had a hoof in the pie of his love life. He sighed. Just because he had decided more efforts at matchmaking were not for him, that didn't mean Dust Devil had to make the same decision. It was her prerogative.
Maybe, a little voice whispered, maybe if all goes well today, we can convince her that she doesn't need to meet any more potential matches either.
Raising his eyes to the heavens once more, Zap Apple performed another cursory scan. Then his breath hitched, and he half-rose to his feet. At last, his patience was rewarded with the sight of a hazy white blob in the distance.
The blob winged its way toward him at considerable speed, and soon resolved itself into the gold-and-cream form of Dust Devil. As Zap Apple watched her streak across the skies of the farm he loved, his throat tightened. It was strange, to have her here at his home.
She sped closer, those wide wings pumping hard, and Zap Apple suddenly realised that she might not have seen him. Hastily, he jumped aloft, and shot up to greet her. The orange blur of his passage was enough to catch her eye, and she skidded to a halt, backwinging hard.
"Hey!" he called breathlessly, and immediately kicked himself internally for such a lame greeting. After all the suave lines he had practised last night, too.
But Dust Devil didn't seem to notice. She smiled at him, and his heart constricted a little. "Hey, Zap Apple. Good to see you again."
Relief washed over him at her words. The enthusiasm in her letter had been genuine, then. He had feared that it might all be some machination of Celestia's. "Y-yeah," he stuttered. "It really is."
There was a moment's silence, and then Zap Apple realised that he should be guiding the conversation. "I'm really -- I'm really glad you came," he went on quickly. "I wanted to see you again, after...last time."
Dust Devil's mouth quirked. "Me too."
At least it was clear that she wasn't going to launch into another deadly serious discussion about life goals this time. They could just...relax. Get to know one another.
Well, Zap Apple chided himself, She only really raised that stuff right at the end last time. She was totally chill for most of it.
Aloud, he said, "I've -- uh -- made us a picnic. I know it's a little early for lunch, still, but I thought it might be nice to just...hang out. Talk a bit, you know?"
Still hovering in place, Dust Devil smiled a little wider. "Yeah, I think that sounds pretty cool."
"And I've got more planned for after lunch, if you want to," added Zaps. "We've got a pretty great swimming hole over by the river. And there's some great flying over the Everfree -- the winds there are insane."
"Sounds great," Dust Devil answered. "But lunch seems like a good place to start."
Zap Apple led her down to his hillock, and watched as she settled herself on the rug beside him. She offered him a slightly nervous smile, and he realised he had been staring. Quickly, he gulped and looked away. He reached for the picnic basket.
"So--" they both began at the same moment, and hastily stopped. Dust Devil giggled softly, and Zap Apple flushed.
This wasn't going the way he had imagined. Suddenly, all he wanted was to skip the awkwardness, to just get it out of the way. He wanted their easy companionship again, the banter, the competition.
"I'm really glad to see you again," he said, a little urgently. "I really am. I just -- let's just relax together, shall we?"
Looking a little surprised, Dust Devil nodded. "Sure. Whatever you want."
Zap Apple nodded too, a little slower, and eased himself down until he was lying with his legs folded under him. "This was my favourite spot when I was a kid," he said softly.
Beside him, Dust Devil lowered herself onto her belly. "Oh yeah?"
"I used to come up here and dream of the new variety of apple I'd breed once I got my cutie mark," Zap Apple said. "I was going to call it the Healthy Zappetite."
A snort of laughter from beside him, and the tension was finally broken. "Really?"
He shot her a wry grin. "Really. I was going to be the best apple breeder Equestria had ever seen...at the same time as being a Wonderbolt, somehow."
"And look at you now," Dust Devil said, and Zap Apple looked sharply at her, but her expression was only one of gentle mockery.
"Yeah," he laughed. "I eventually figured out that I hated grafting rootstock together. Manual labour...well, I can do it, but it's not my favourite thing. And all that cross-pollinating the trees with a paintbrush." He shuddered. "Way too finicky."
"And the Wonderbolt dream?"
He shrugged, smiling a little wider. "Similar story. I realised being an elite athlete takes a heck of a lot of work. Training every day, workouts, the lot. My mum might make it look easy, but there's an awful lot of secret work in there that she doesn't really let on to ponies."
"So you gave up on both options and went the tornado route?"
"Yep." He shrugged. "It was a bit of an accident, really. I was just messing around at junior 'Bolts camp one summer, and then boom -- there it was. Tornado cutie mark. I was good at it, as it turned out." He turned back to her. "How about you?" He gestured to the golden-yellow arc on her flank. "How'd you get yours?"
"A bit like you, but a few differences. When I was a kid we were always touring with the Washouts, so I started training pretty young. I went to training camp every year too -- a few years ahead of your time, I guess. Before I even got my cutie mark I was leading the Junior 'Bolts." She shrugged her big soft wings. "Pretty standard story after that -- we were doing a show at the end of summer. You probably did it too, the usual end of camp show. I went into a big loop, and then before I knew it," despite her casual tone, her voice took on a tinge of pride, "I had my first contrail blazing out behind me. Got my cutie mark right then and there."
"Wow," Zaps breathed, and meant it. "What a great time to get it, too. Must have been awesome."
"It was." Dust Devil's eyes misted up a little as she gazed past him and into her memories. Then she blinked and turned back to him. "My mum wasn't best pleased though."
"Why not?" Zap Apple couldn't imagine it. Rainbow Dash would have been thrilled if he had gotten his cutie mark during a Wonderbolts show. Especially if it was obviously a flying mark, and not one in weather creation.
Dust Devil shrugged, lowering her eyes a little. "She has quite the history with the 'Bolts. I'm sure your parents will have covered it with you."
"Right, right, of course." Internally, Zap Apple was kicking himself again. He'd put his big hoof right in it. The whole point of this date was to talk about them, not the weird family feud. Trying to change the mood, he hopped to his feet and headed over to the picnic basket. "Hey -- so I don't know if these'll be quite your thing, but I did a little baking before you got here."
She perked up at once. "Ooh. I wondered what it was that smelled so good. What'd you make?"
He couldn't help it -- his chest puffed out a little in pride. He was a good cook; everypony had always told him so. "My specialty. Fresh apple fritters, from apples we grew right here on the farm." He lifted out the crockpot and laid it carefully in between them. "I'm reliably assured by a variety of different sources that these are delicious."
Eyes half-shut, Dust Devil breathed in the aroma. "Mmm, they certainly smell it. Let's eat."
Grinning with anticipation, Zap Apple took the lid in his jaws and offered her the first one. He scooped out his own and held it in his hooves, waiting to watch her take her first bite. Dust Devil sank her teeth into the cider-rich batter and the soft cooked apple beneath, and Zap Apple was gratified to see her eyes half-close in bliss.
"Oh, princesses, this tastes amazing."
"I told you it would." It was a struggle not to sound smug. He bit into his own and let the familiar flavours dance across his tongue.
For a few minutes, they didn't speak much. After they had each eaten seven of the weighty fritters, the crockpot stood empty. Dust Devil ran a hoof around the inside to catch any last crumbs, and then they both leant back with satisfied sighs.
"You're a pony of hidden depths, Zap Apple," Dust Devil said lightly, glancing across at him. "You're a brilliant flier, you can make tornadoes like nopony I've ever seen, and you can bake? Is there anything you can't do?"
Zap Apple blushed again, brighter than before. That was not a question he was used to hearing. "Ah, no, I'm nothing special."
Leaning back onto her elbows and shutting her eyes slightly, Dust Devil waved a hoof at him. "Don't do yourself down, Zap Apple. You're a talented pony. I mean it."
An irrepressible smile spread across Zaps' face. "I-- thank you. I think you're pretty cool as well, Dust Devil." He glanced over at the picnic basket. "You want a mango?"
She grinned. "Sure."
He hoofed her one, and she caught it effortlessly. Taking a huge bite out of it, juices running down her chin, she smirked up at him. Zap Apple couldn't help but smile back. She was so at ease, so confident.
Wiping her chin with one hoof, Dust Devil heaved herself back into a sitting position. "So. Back to your cutie mark. Tell me about your job -- what function do the tornadoes serve? I'm not sure I get why any region would need great big twisters rampaging all over the place."
"They're necessary for the ecosystem out there," Zap Apple said immediately; he was more than used to giving this explanation. Non-Appleoosan ponies were often confused by why is particular brand of weather management was needed. "Tornadoes and high winds spread the tumbleweed and the seeds from all the other plants around, they set off certain behaviours and breeding seasons in the animals and plants, and they help moisture to travel too. Wild tornadoes have always happened spontaneously in the desert, and it was only actually about twenty years ago that the local weather team set up the tornado squad to do it in a controlled way."
"Huh," Dust Devil remarked, leaning back on her haunches and taking another bite of her mango. "That's actually a really interesting line of work. I would never have thought tornadoes were so important."
Zap Apple nodded eagerly. "Yeah, it's a great job. Aside from being really, really cool," he flashed her a smile that he hoped was charming, "You can really tell that we make a difference in ponies' lives. No more random destruction or risk; now we can warn ponies exactly when and where tornadoes will happen, and they can prepare for it."
"Yeah," she agreed. "I'd never even considered that aspect of it."
The sound of a twig snapping and a hurried "Shhhhh!" made both their heads snap around, and Zap Apple's easy confidence evaporated as he saw both his mothers frozen mid-step, the offending twig crushed beneath Applejack's hoof.
Zap Apple surged to his hooves, his wings spread to put some sort of a barrier -- any sort -- between his parents and his date. This could not be happening. Not when everything had been going so well. "Mum! What are you doing here?"
"Heh, heh." Rainbow offered them a weak smile. "Hey there, kids. Fancy running into you here."
Wincing, Applejack put a hoof on Rainbow's foreleg. "Sorry, Zaps. Your momma and I were just headin'...headin' over to see Big Mac. See how Orange Peel's comin' along."
Eyes narrowed, Zap Apple furiously jerked his head to indicate that they should get lost. "The farmhouse is that way, Mum."
Applejack wilted. "We were goin'...by a bit of a roundabout route."
"We just wanted to see if you kids needed anything," Rainbow added brightly.
A hoof pressed to his face, Zap Apple furiously gestured them away. "Go on, guys, get going, then."
"So you don't need anything?"
He groaned, and behind him, Dust Devil laughed. "No, Mum! Get out of here!"
His parents vanished back into the trees from whence they came, Applejack forcibly hauling Rainbow along behind her.
"Ah told ya it was a bad idea to go see them!"
"Aw, quit it, AJ! You wanted to see what all the fuss was about just as much as I did!"
His hoof pressing harder into his face than ever at their still clearly audible voices, Zap Apple considered spontaneous combustion. While fatal, it would provide at least a way out of this hellish situation.
"Hey," Dust Devil said from behind him.
"I'm sorry," he said from behind his hooves. "That was dreadful. I have no idea why they did that."
"No, come on," she laughed. "It was fine! They seem really...cool."
He shook his head and got to his hooves. "I think its clear that this spot is now compromised. Let's move on, shall we?"
She took the hoof he offered to help her up and fell into step beside him. "Alright, then. What's phase two of the Zap Apple date extraordinaire?"
"The river," he smiled down at her. He could still get this back on track. "The swimming hole, remember?"
After a glance up at the sky, she nodded. "Sure. It's nice and sunny, so we can dry our feathers afterward." She paused, and then nudged him gently with the elbow of one wing. "I gotta say, Zap Apple, you shouldn't worry about what happened. Your parents seem like really nice ponies."
Zap Apple coloured slightly. "Oh, really? I'm glad you think so. I did not expect them to come out and do that, I promise."
They reached the winding track that led towards the river, and Dust Devil asked a couple of questions about the different varieties of apples that they were passing. Zaps was happy to oblige, and launched into a description of the difference between jazz and gala apples, attempting to make it as funny as he could.
It was working, and Dust Devil was falling about laughing when the two figures strolling down the track up ahead caught Zap Apple's eye. For one hideous moment he feared that it was his mothers come back to haunt him again, but the two shapes resolved themselves into different familiar forms. A big purple stallion and a smaller tangerine-coloured mare, her belly big with foal. Apple Tart was pulling a cart laden with apples, and Orange Peel was walking carefully along beside him, her stomach looking like an even heavier load than the one her husband pulled.
"Tartie, Orange Peel, hey," Zap Apple greeted them both. Though Dust Devil slowed her pace as though she would have liked to greet them, he signalled furiously over her head at Apple Tart, who nodded and plodded onwards.
"Heyo, Zaps," was all he said, and Orange Peel waved a hoof. Then they were gone, mercifully. Zap Apple breathed a sigh of relief. He'd had about all the family introductions he could handle.
He turned back to Dust Devil, who shot him a questioning glance. "Your brother?"
"Nah," he shook his head. "My cousin. But he's as good as a brother. Him, my cousin Pippin and me all grew up together."
"And is Pippin about today too?" A small smirk played around the corners of Dust Devil's mouth, and she made a show of peering behind a couple of the trees they passed. "Seems like there's an Apple behind every bush round these parts."
Zap Apple laughed. "Heh -- no, she's at university. She won't be home now until Hearth's Warming, at the end of term."
"What's she studying?" Dust Devil's ability to feign polite interest in other ponies' obscure family members was either incredibly well simulated, or it was genuine.
"Horticulture. Apples mainly, I think." He chuckled. "We're a bit of a predictable clan, I'm afraid."
Dust Devil shrugged her soft plumage. "Actually, I'm finding you all to be...a real surprise. This isn't at all what I expected from your family. Not to mention the family of Professor Dash. Who'd have thought she was a farmer in her spare time?"
Zaps bridled a little at the mention of his mother, and Dust Devil must have sensed it, because she quickly laid a wing against his side. "Not that your mum is relevant, I mean. I want to leave our parents and their history out of this just as much as you do."
The touch of those whisper-soft feathers sent tingles down Zap Apple's spine and was enough to drive all coherent thought from his head for a moment. "Oh, I -- uh," he stuttered, and Dust Devil giggled and withdrew her wing, and he could think again. "I mean--" He coughed, and tried to deepen his voice a little, "--Yeah, good plan."
She giggled again, and it was an incongruously girlish sound to hear coming from a mare as intimidating as she sometimes seemed. But it was a lovely noise, like birdsong, and Zap Apple wanted to hear it again. He scrambled for something funny, and then landed instead on something Applejack had suggested that he tell Dust Devil.
"Uhm -- Orange Peel, she -- Apple Tart's wife, I mean -- she's pregnant."
That got another laugh out of her. "I noticed. I think I would have struggled not to notice."
He snickered with her, and suddenly he knew that he could be honest with her. That she wouldn't judge him. "Horseapples, I'm -- I'm hopeless at this. Dates. Conversation." He cleared his throat. "I'm really looking forward to being an uncle. I can't wait to see what my little niece or nephew looks like." He ducked his head again and came to a halt. "I know your big thing is that you want foals soon, Dust Devil, and I -- I'm still figuring all that out. But Tartie's kid is gonna be here in a couple of months, and I can tell you that I'm stoked to meet my nibling, and maybe...maybe then I'll be able to give you a firm answer."
Dust Devil's steps slowed and halted too, but Zap Apple kept his gaze on his own pale orange hooves.
"Hey," she said softly. "For what it's worth, I think you're pretty damn good at dates. And conversation." She blew air out through her nose, and reached out a wing to touch his face. "And I appreciate your honesty. All in all...I do really like you, Zap Apple. I asked if you were open to what I want, and you've said you are. I think I can probably hold off a few months while you figure it out."
Hope sprang anew in Zap Apple's breast, and he looked up at last into her amber eyes. "You mean it?"
Dust Devil's expression was calm, her eyes big and soft as she looked at him. "I...yeah. Maybe I...maybe I have been jumping into this tail-first. I mean, after I have the foal I gotta raise the thing. And I need to take my time and find the right pony to do that with."
Zap Apple chuckled, and he leaned into her caress. "And don't forget what comes after that."
Her eyes tightened for a moment before she relaxed again. "What do you mean?"
"I mean...foals leave home," Zaps said, a laugh in his voice. "You need to find somepony bearable enough to hang out with at the old ponies' home after your kid's grown up and gone off to be in the Wonderbolts."
Dust Devil giggled again, and the sound sent thrills through Zap Apple like tiny, delicious knives. "Yeah, you're right." She brightened. "Okay, Zap Apple. You win. You got me. We'll take it slow, for a while. See how we go. I want to get this right."
Zap Apple reached up a hoof to touch the pinion that still lay against his face, and Dust Devil's eyes were like liquid honey looking up at him, her scent of pine and speed and cloud vapour washing over him -- until his grip on her tightened and he yanked her towards him. Her full length pressed against him, and for a heartbeat he could feel every sinew of her muscular frame. She gasped and he grinned down at her shocked expression. "But we don't want to take things too slow, do we?"
She took a moment to recover, but then she lidded her eyes and shot him a flirtatious glance. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," and Zap Apple's grin widened as he suddenly released her and leapt upwards into the air, "We are on our way to the swimming hole, and it seems to me like the last one there will bear the label of 'slowest flier' for all eternity."
Dust Devil gasped in outrage and unfurled her own glorious wingspan. In a single snap of her pennons she was airborne and beside him, hovering with perfect precision. "Oh, Zap Apple, you have no idea who you just challenged. It's on."
She slammed her wings downwards again and was gone, tearing away from him in a howl of wind not unlike her namesake. Zap Apple grinned at her swiftly retreating golden contrail, and hastened after her. The race was afoot, and if he was going to lose, he was going to make damn sure he didn't go down without a fight. |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 28 | The clunk of the pawn on the board somehow felt quieter than the thudding of Cozy Glow's own heart. Thirty moves in, and only a couple of pieces lost each. The aptitude that her opponent displayed had left Cozy stunned. Flurry Heart played like a master, but she made it seem effortless. Seemingly, all of her attention was on their conversation. She would sip her drink, flip idly through one of the books she levitated over to her, exchange another slightly barbed comment with Cozy, and then make yet another move that even Cozy herself had not predicted accurately.
For the first time in a long time, Cozy Glow actually had to pay attention to a game of chess.
It was brilliant.
"So tell me," Flurry Heart said carelessly, toying with one of the pawns she had stolen from Cozy Glow early on in the game, before Cozy had realised quite the level at which they were playing. "You're a lawyer. For someone of your history, that's an unusual career choice, wouldn't you say?"
Cozy Glow froze, her hoof suspended over the board. Flurry Heart was asking about her past. Nopony ever asked about her past. Not directly. They would dance around the subject, making sure she knew that they knew exactly who she was and what she had done. But no one ever wanted to discuss it. The topic was too...tainted, too dirty, for polite society.
But the Princess of the Crystal Empire was here, demanding answers.
She swallowed. "Well, Princess--"
"--Oh, come on, I told you to call me Flurry. I'd say we were at that point now, wouldn't you?"
Cozy Glow suppressed a smile. This mare kept her constantly off-balance, never letting her get a sentence out uninterrupted. "Well, Flurry, justice is...very important to me." She paused, and then made her move, in truth still paying more attention to the internal construction of her next sentence. "This is rather raking over old coals, but I was...well, I was sentenced to life imprisonment. Without a trial. It was only a fluke that Princess Twilight took it into her head to release me and the others later on. I want to make sure that the Equestrian legal system treats other ponies more fairly than it treated me."
Flurry Heart nodded, and moved a celestial bishop without looking at the board. "That's a noble goal, and I'd like to see similar laws enshrined at home once I'm in power. But -- and forgive me if I'm wrong -- I've read some of your cases. And those aren't usually the types of client you take on. You seem to deal in high profile divorces, civil suits, libel claims. That sort of thing. Lucrative, but not particularly concerned with justice."
Despite herself, Cozy Glow found herself blushing. "Those are the cases that exist in Canterlot," she scowled. "I take what there is." She shoved a pawn one square closer to Flurry Heart.
"Really?" Flurry Heart pushed. "Because it seems like you just take what pays."
"Princess Twilight and her friends have controlled the kingdom for over thirty years," Cozy Glow snapped, her eyes flickering over the board. She pushed her pawn forward again. There was a slim chance to reclaim a lost piece, if Flurry remained focused on their words instead of on the game. "In that time perhaps five major threats have arisen. Of the three which took place after I was unfrozen, one was from non-sentient purple ooze that hardly needed a legal defence, one was the lava rhinososauruses who were massacred by Twilight's pet students and completely obliterated, and one was Sombra's followers, and they..." she tailed off, and her anger faded into apprehension.
"They were defeated, and banished into Sombra's void. By me." Flurry Heart finished the sentence for her, a wicked glint in her eye. Finally, she looked down at the board.
Cozy Glow followed the Princess' gaze, and her eyes widened in shock.
Flurry Heart moved her pegasus knight in and took Cozy Glow's lunar princess, left undefended by the departure of the pawn she had so rashly moved.
"Exactly," Cozy Glow echoed wonderingly, still gaping at the board. She had been goaded into removing her focus from the game. She, Cozy Glow, had been manipulated into making a mistake a foal could have seen coming. And it had been done by a princess. One of Equestria's twee, friendship-focused idiots.
Except...it didn't seem that this Princess was very similar to the others Cozy had met.
"I thought that might get your back up," Flurry Heart smirked, her expression mischievous.
Blowing out a little air, Cozy Glow shook her head. "I...underestimated you."
"Ponies often do," said Flurry Heart lightly. "Youngest princess, least senior, a born alicorn; they think I've been spoon-fed everything by my mother and my aunt." She met Cozy Glow's eyes and smiled again. "They're wrong."
"Do you regret what you did to the Sombrites?" Cozy Glow asked. "Sealing them up in the darkness for another thousand years was a...cruel thing to do." She had considered wording it more gently, but then decided to push ahead. Flurry Heart was not being gentle; why should she behave any differently?
Flurry Heart levitated Cozy Glow's lunar princess off the board and examined it for a moment. "I could have been more merciful, it's true."
"How do you know they couldn't have been reformed?" Cozy Glow persisted. "I was only imprisoned for fifteen years, and it drove me all but insane. A thousand years is unthinkable." She shuddered.
"You were conscious then, all that time?" Flurry Heart's attention was well and truly caught now. "I'd heard some rumours to that effect, but to have it confirmed from the horse's mouth is another thing altogether."
Looking away, Cozy Glow set her jaw. "I was. It was a...deeply unpleasant time in my life."
Flurry Heart leaned forward, the clack of her piece on the board loud in the quiet. "Tell me about it."
Breathing out slowly through her nose, Cozy considered the question. She could refuse, storm out, rage at the Princess for her cruelty and her condescension -- or she could engage. See how this game -- how both these games of wit played out. Learn what Flurry Heart's strategy was. This different species of Princess...it intrigued her like nothing else had ever done.
"It was torment," she said simply. "Fifteen years, countless days and infinite hours, shut in a cellar with no light, no sound, no nothing. Just me in my frozen body, trapped, seething with hatred for Princess Twilight Sparkle and everything she stood for. My mind chased itself around in circles, over and over, day after day -- no rest, no sleep -- just hate, hate, hate." She paused, her breathing suddenly ragged.
Clenching her eyes tight shut, she tried to run over one of Doctor Healing Word's mantras in her head. I control my own actions. I make my own fate. I am not bound to exact vengeance -- I am not controlled by hate.
She ran through it twice more before her breath evened out, and she opened her eyes to see Flurry Heart studying her openly.
"And when you were unfrozen?"
Cozy Glow answered in a monotone, all emotion fled. "I tried to kill Twilight Sparkle. Being a twelve-year-old without any magic, of course, I failed. I was locked up, and she tried in a desultory sort of way to visit me and talk it out. Didn't work, obviously."
"So what did you do?"
"I escaped." Cozy shrugged, and made another move; a pegasus knight this time. "Wasn't hard. I went north; I had some sort of idea that I could find an artefact that would help me get the power I needed to take revenge. The Alicorn Amulet, something like that."
"And did you find it?" Flurry Heart was looking at the board instead of at Cozy.
"No," Cozy laughed, but the sound was without mirth. "I couldn't even afford the train fare north. I ended up trying to rob a bank."
"Ah," breathed Flurry. "I think I've heard about that incident."
Cozy Glow snorted. "Who hasn't? It was all over the papers for months. 'The Element of Generosity talks down child psychopath.' 'Element of Generosity gives crazed killer a second chance.' 'Rarity saves Canterlot.' I remember all those headlines."
"And then she adopted you."
"And then she adopted me." Cozy Glow was beginning to lose her patience. "What of it? I don't want to talk about my mother."
"Alright." Flurry raised her hooves in a gesture of peace. "You've taken your turn. Why don't we talk about mine?"
"Your what? Your mother?"
"Mm-hmm."
Cozy Glow dropped her earth pony warrior six squares to the left of where it had been and looked into the Princess' big blue eyes. "Alright. What was it like to grow up as an alicorn?"
"Dreadful."
Snorting derisively, Cozy Glow flipped a wing. "Get out of here."
"No, really." Flurry Heart leant in. "Why do you think I agreed to this date? It's not just because you're an interesting pony -- though you certainly are. It's because we have something in common."
"And what's that?"
"A really bucked-up childhood." Flurry Heart crossed her forelegs. "Everywhere I've ever gone, I've been fenced in on every side. Rules, traditions, court strictures. I'm not sure I've ever been alone. A maid comes with me to the bathroom. I have six fully armoured guards waiting for me outside this chess club. My parents and my aunt control where I go, who I see, what I think." She waved a wing. "Oh, they mean well, but that doesn't mean I'm any less trapped by it."
Ears flicking the aspersion away, Cozy Glow rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. A privileged upbringing -- boo-hoo. How does that equate to how I grew up?"
Shoving a piece across the board, Flurry Heart kept her eyes locked on Cozy's. "I know what it's like to be the smartest pony in the room. In every room, no matter where you go. I know what it's like to have the press watch your every move, like vultures, just waiting for you to slip up. I know what it's like to destroy things -- no, I'm not kidding." Her voice rose a little in anger. "I've had alicorn magic since before I could walk. I've torn down palaces by sneezing. I know what it's like to have ponies fear you -- to see you as a ticking time bomb. Who could understand that better than us?"
Smiling viciously, Cozy's eyes combed the board. At last, the Princess was the one who was getting upset. "So that makes your decision to send three hundred misguided ponies into the realm of shadows for a thousand years morally justified? Because you had a rough time growing up?"
"I did what I thought best," Flurry Heart snarled. "I was twelve."
Tilting her head, Cozy Glow smirked. Every nerve ending was on fire. She could feel the room pulsing with Flurry's anger. She finally felt alive.
"And look what you got from it," she needled. "A cutie mark and a stained glass window in Canterlot -- what more could you want?"
"A stained glass window, yes. The first of many. And nightmares," Flurry Heart spat. "Fifteen years of screaming night terrors about the howls of those souls that I damned, that I sent down there in a fit of childish anger with a spell I scarcely understood. Fifteen years of guilt -- of fear that I might do it again -- of a city full of ponies too afraid of me to be my friends." Her pale pink sides were heaving, and she raised a wing to hide her eyes.
Cozy Glow felt an unexpected spike of empathy. That was the story of her life. Ponies too afraid of me to be my friends. Maybe she had gone too far. Hesitantly, she raised a hoof to comfort the princess.
But Flurry Heart had already remastered herself. She shrugged. "I can't change it now. What's done is done. I made my choice, and I have to live with it. All I can do is try to choose differently in future, and put things in place so that in nine hundred and eighty-five years, when the Sombrites emerge, Auntie Tia and Auntie Luna have the ability to deal with them more gently than I did."
She looked down at the board once more, and silently made her move.
Following her example, Cozy Glow looked down too. She studied the state of the game for a few moments in silence, the distraction of Flurry's stormy emotions finally ended -- and it was only then that she saw it.
Cozy's heart swelled within her. There. Six moves away, but coming as inexorably as a freight train. Flurry Heart had her solar princess in checkmate. There was no escape. For the first time in her long, angry life, somepony had beaten Cozy Glow in a game of chess.
Cozy Glow, breathing hard, looked up from the board and into the alicorn's soft blue eyes.
Flurry Heart shot her a smile -- gleeful and sneaky all at once -- she knew exactly what
she had done.
Shaking her head in wonderment, Cozy Glow reached out a hoof and gently tipped her own solar princess onto its side. "You got me."
The princess shook her blue-and-pink curls and beamed. "That was good fun," she said lightly. "Maybe we'll have a rematch sometime soon...it's been a while since I've played anypony who put up such a fight."
Eagerly, perhaps even a little desperately, Cozy Glow agreed. "Yes, please. I -- I would like that, very much." |
Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service | Chapter 29 | "I'm so happy for you both." Twilight Sparkle's eyes were big with tears, and Lustre Dawn felt Little Cheese's hoof tighten on her own.
She slid out of her seat and trotted over to her mentor, and pulled the vast purple alicorn down into a hug. "Thank you, Princess Twilight."
After she let go, Twilight wiped away a tear with one golden-shod hoof. "Thank you both for coming to tell me. I really appreciate it."
Lustre retreated to Little Cheese's side, and the small smile Cheese gave her sent a little thrill through her body. Even now, a week after it had happened, she could still hardly believe her good luck.
Looking back to the Princess, who was still smiling that slightly watery smile, Lustre's heart felt full. "I want to thank you too, Princess."
Twilight looked shocked. "But -- for what?"
Tears pricking at her own eyes, Lustre smiled up at her. "For showing me the magic of friendship, Princess. If it wasn't for you -- if you hadn't sent me back to Mum's school -- I'd still be in Canterlot library." She turned to look into Little Cheese's emerald eyes. "I would never have known that there was more to life than spells and studying."
"That means I owe you thanks too, Princess," Little Cheese added, her higher-pitched voice providing the perfect counterpoint to Lustre's alto. "If you hadn't sent Lustre to Ponyville I'd never have met her. We owe you big-time." A small smile played across her face. "Maybe I should ask my mum to throw you a thank-you party."
Laughing, Twilight raised a hoof to her mouth. "Thank you, Little Cheese -- but I think poor Pinkie'll be busy enough with the wedding planning."
Little Cheese giggled. "You're probably right."
Twilight spread a single wing in warning. "A word of caution, though -- Pinkie does brilliantly with weddings, but if I were you I'd make sure she doesn't go too bananas with yours. I've had more than my fair share of Pinkie Pie parties that end with me covered in cake batter fired from a cannon."
"I've known that feeling too," Lustre Dawn added, grinning at her marefriend. No -- her fiancee. She still wasn't used to that new word. And before too long it would be another new word. Wife.
Shrugging delicately, Little Cheese pushed her curls back from her face. "I've learned that no one can really stop Mum. She's...well, she's a force of nature. But don't worry -- the cake is the one thing that I do intend to keep control of."
"It's going to be cheesecake!" Lustre Dawn leaned towards Twilight in excitement. "Little Cheese's favourite. A foretaste of Little Cheese's Little Cheesecakes."
Twilight smiled wider. "Well, I can't wait to taste it. And once your cafe opens here in Canterlot, Little Cheese, I'd love to appoint you the official cheesecake supplier to the crown."
As one, Little Cheese and Lustre gasped. "Really?"
"Really," Twilight confirmed. "It's an honour that the two of you more than deserve."
Beaming, Lustre Dawn clutched Little Cheese's hooves and shared a quick nuzzle with her. She could hardly believe how well all their plans were going. It was like she had somehow stepped into a dream world.
"Am I the last pony you needed to tell?" asked Twilight, her tone curious. "I'm very sorry that my diary was so booked up the last couple of weeks."
"No," Little Cheese answered for both of them. "There was one other Canterlot pony we needed to tell."
"Ah." Twilight understood at once. "Well, you had better hurry along, then. This is news she won't want to wait to hear."
"And here is where the counter will go, right here." Little Cheese was almost singing the words, her voice alight with excitement. "And here is where I'll have the display cabinet for the really big cakes -- and just over here is where we'll put the tables."
Lustre Dawn spun around as she followed the pointing hooves, a grin covering her face from ear to ear. "I can't wait to get started on it all with you, Little Cheese. I'm not very good at carpentry, but I'm so excited to try!"
A giggle answered her. "No, silly -- we've got professional carpenters coming. This needs to look right. We only get one shot at a grand opening."
"Of course," Lustre laughed. "I wasn't thinking straight."
"But you haven't even seen the best part!" Little Cheese seized her by the hoof and the two of them galloped away from the plate glass windows at the front of the shop and towards the stairs at the back.
They pounded up the white stone steps, made from marble like all the buildings in Canterlot. Side by side, they emerged into a large white room, bigger even than the cafe downstairs by virtue of the old building's bulging walls.
"I have so many ideas for this room," Little Cheese began. "I thought we could maybe paint one wall yellow, like a feature wall -- I thought it would match your eyes."
Before Lustre could even coo over the sweetness of the thought, she was hauled onwards again, up past the third floor and onto the fourth. Little Cheese pushed her towards the door. "Go on, open it."
Hesitantly, Lustre Dawn opened the door, and gasped as she looked inside. The room was a perfect circle, with windows on every side. Light flooded into the room, illuminating it with all the colours of the Canterlot afternoon. "This is gorgeous! What's this room going to be? Our bedroom?"
"No; that's downstairs." Little Cheese blushed prettily as she gestured around them. "Actually, I thought this room could be yours. I was going to ask the carpenters to come up here, too, and put in bookshelves. All around the walls--" she span as she spoke, pointing to her visualised shelves. "--Apart from just there, where I was going to suggest that we put your desk."
Lustre Dawn's heart swelled. "A library, just for me?"
"And a study!" Little Cheese beamed at her. "You'll need to put all your books somewhere, right? And have somewhere to write your papers." She came closer and took Lustre by the hooves. "This is going to be more than a cheesecake cafe, Lustre. This is going to be our home. Both of us."
For the first time that day, tears spilled down Lustre's cheek as she pressed her muzzle hard into Little Cheese's cheek. "I love it."
"And I love you." Little Cheese tapped her softly on the nose. "Now come on! This was only meant to be a whistle-stop tour. We're late for Auntie Tia!"
"Truly?" Celestia's heart was full. "You're both ready?"
Lustre Dawn and Little Cheese, seated before her on the settee, smiled at one another.
"Yes," Lustre answered. "She makes me laugh. I think I never really understood fun till I met Cheese."
"And she makes me happy," Little Cheese added. "Laughter is great -- but you need real, deep happiness behind it too."
Lustre Dawn nodded and pressed her hoof over her fiancee's. "We just came from telling Princess Twilight. She offered to officiate, but I said that I'd rather just have her there as my mentor, and as one of my parents." A fond smile crossed her face. "She cried a little bit."
Celestia didn't feel entirely dry-eyed herself. "I can imagine."
"Actually, Princess," Lustre Dawn said with a touch of hesitancy, "We were kind of hoping, if it's not too much to ask, if you would be willing to do the ceremony."
Celestia's smile was wide enough almost to hurt. Her little ponies never ceased to amaze her with the love they could show her.
"I would be more than honoured. Thank you. Both of you."
Later, after the tears were dry and the goodbyes said, Celestia watched them go. Side by side, two little mares, united against the world. Her eyes brimming with emotion, Celestia smiled as she shut the pale blue door behind them.
Even after all this time, after all these years...she was still helping them. Even after she had retired from the throne, given away her power, still her ponies came to her, with problems as dear to them as ever the national conflicts and state affairs had been. She levitated a delicate lace handkerchief up to her face and surreptitiously dabbed at the moisture in her eyes. She was still serving her ponies, and they still loved her. It was all the purpose that she needed. |
Let Me Tell You About My Character | pre | "Unless we're all doomed anyway!" Pinkie Pie said, smiling. "Then we should just have one last party before we all die horrible, horrible deaths!"
"Eep." Fluttershy held a hand up to her mouth.
"Don't worry, it'll be a fun party!" Pinkie Pie bounced on the balls of her feet.
"Nobody's dying today!" Twilight Sparkle said. "At least ... none of us are. Trust me, I know all of this is a lot to take in, but I know you guys. You can do this. We can do this. I can do this."
"Hold on." Rainbow Dash asided to Applejack. "Is she talking in-character, or out-character here?"
"Does it matter?" Said Applejack.
"So yeah. Just ... go, talk to people." Twilight finally said. "Have fun."
"Will do!" Pinkie Pie said, and bounced off. The rest of the girls dispersed to the far corners of the hotel ballroom.
"They'll be fine." Sunset said. "Rarity's been champing at the bit to show off her fancy dress all night, and Rainbow ... " She glanced off after the girl. "Applejack should keep her out of trouble. As for Pinkie Pie ... " Sunset Shrugged. "She'll find some way to occupy herself."
"It's not them I'm worried about." Twilight sank into her hood.
"Hey. You said it yourself. You can do this." Sunset patted Twilight on the arm. "I'll be right behind you."
"For support?"
"Yeah, that. Also 'cause I don't know what people are talking about, half the time."
Meanwhile ...
"Hey." Rainbow Dash extended one leg as far as she could, and then pulled herself up next to the big, leather-clad man in a lengthy sidle. "Nice cape."
"Thank you."
"So, uh ... " Rainbow Dash scratched at the back of her head. "What's your name?"
"I am Aliexares of Thebes." The big man said.
"Thebes?" Rainbow Dash said.
"It is a city in what you likely now know as Greece."
"Greece? Like, shouldn't you have a toga or something?"
"Hah!" Alixares' handsome face split in a wide, toothpaste-commercial worthy grin. "If I were some wine-addled scholar, perhaps! But I am a soldier. A hunter of beast and man. My very garments are trophies to my prowess!"
Rainbow Dash's eyes raked their way down Alixares' bicep. "I bet you're really prowessful."
"Indeed!" Alixares basked in the attention, and hooked his thumbs into his broad belt. "I did not get your name." He finally rumbled.
"Oh, right I'm R--" Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Er, I'm Ace! Ace Punchley! Cyborg Samurai Space Pilot! From the future!" Rainbow Dash puffed herself out a little.
"Samurai?" Aliexares tilted his head to the side. "I have heard this term. You are a warrior, then?"
"Totally!" Rainbow brightened. "I can fight, like, ALL the bad guys! With my laser fingers! PEW PEW PEW!"
"Hah!" Aliexares clapped a heavy hand on Rainbow's shoulder, hard enough to make her knees buckle slightly. "I think we shall be good friends, Miss Ace! Things are quiet now, but with any luck, there shall be Clock Wraiths to battle!"
"Hope so! This whole thing would be pretty lame otherwise." Rainbow Dash rocked back on her heels, marveling in the sight of someone almost as cool as she was (even if the dude was a super nerd).
"Tell me, friend Ace. Which campaigns have you been on?"
"Campaigns?"
"Like the capture of the Skycrafter!"
"Uh. Yeah. I'm kind of new at this. Like, I'm not a hopeless rookie or anything, but I haven't really been on any, uh, 'campaigns.'"
"Well then, friend Ace, while we wait for the inevitable battle, let me regale you with tales of my amazing exploits!"
Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth as the sudden reality of the situation sunk in.
This guy was going to tell her about his character.
Lyra stood over a round table, crisscrossed with maps. Her goggles were still propped up on her forehead, and bits of her armor and equipment clattered with each movement. She looked nothing like the cheery girl Twilight knew from Canterlot High-- in her place was a grim, experienced soldier of the Time Wars. Several other men and women clustered around the table with her, in attire ranging from battered flannel to a Cardinal's cassock.
"We've had temporal incursions here, here, and here." Lyra pointed out little red stickers on a world map. "I'm telling you, there's a pattern to this. It's too well coordinated to write off as random Clock Wraith activity. Something's different, this time around."
"Are you suggesting," the cassock clad Cardinal said, very slowly, "that we have a spy in our midst?"
"I didn't say that." Lyra met the Cardinal's gaze evenly. "But we can't rule out the possibility."
"That's insane!" A short woman in a flannel vest spat. "You can't negotiate with the Clock Wraiths-- they're practically mindless. They'd try to eat you on sight!"
Twilight took a deep breath, and stepped forward. "Unless you found some way to manipulate them."
Slowly, Lyra and her compatriots turned to look at Twilight.
"That's impossible." Lyra said.
"Not impossible, just improbable. You'd need to find some way to manage your personal Flux level so they wouldn't attack you on sight. And then ... well, who knows how they think? Presumably, they'd be keyed in to time-speak just like the rest of us." Twilight went on.
"And just who do you think you are, to put forth such an outlandish theory?" the Cardinal sneered.
Twilight shrank back a step. "I, uh--"
. "This." Sunset Shimmer put a hand on Twilight's shoulder, both for the moral support and to give her a gentle push back towards the group. "Is Tara Sterling."
The Cardinal snapped his mouth shut, but the woman in flannel just glared. "Who?"
"She knows what she's talking about." Lyra said, slowly.
"You can't expect me to--"
"I'll vouch for her." Lyra said, "End of discussion."
The shorter woman grumbled and crossed her arms across her chest, but Lyra's glare shut her up.
"Look. I ... I should talk to Tara." Lyra said. "In private, if you don't mind. Your time's valuable, for all of you. Keep an eye out for trouble, and we'll reconvene later."
The others around the table nodded their agreement and dispersed, leaving Lyra, Twilight, and Sunset alone. As they left, Lyra's shoulders slumped, and her expression softened. "Tara." She said. "Is that really you? I thought ... "
"Things changed." Twilight said. Hesitantly, she took a step towards Lyra, who soon wrapped her arms around the purple-haired girl in an eager (and, given Lyra's armor, slightly uncomfortable) hug.
"I can't believe you're here." Lyra said, closing her eyes.
"Uh." Sunset Shimmer scratched at the back of her neck, feeling oddly confused and slightly jealous at the same time. "Should I go? I can go."
Lyra blinked, and then laughed, stepping away from Twilight. "Tara and I have a ... history." She giggled. "Sorry. Time traveler joke. You're new?"
"I'm Becca Black, actually." Sunset said, and reached out to shake Lyra's hand.
"Captain March." Lyra said, smiling.
"Becca's new to this." Twilight said. "She's actually from the same time juncture that I am."
"Really?" Lyra quirked a brow. "That'll be useful. We don't have very many low-Flux operatives at hand ... and we're going to need them soon."
"What do you mean?" Twilight said.
"You've seen the patterns, just like I have. Things are falling apart. Time is falling apart, whether the Council of Eons believes it or not." Lyra said, grim. "In fact, there are going to be several Flux-points here. Tonight."
"How can you be sure?" said Twilight.
"I told myself." Lyra said.
Twilight gasped softly, while Sunset just looked confused.
"So you just kept thinking something bad was going to happen, and now you can say you're right if it does?" Sunset Shimmer said.
"She really is new at this, isn't she?" Lyra said with a sardonic grin.
"What she means is ... she doubled back on her own timeline." Twilight said, slowly. She looked over her shoulder furtively, making sure there wasn't anyone to hear. "It's insanely risky. You run the risk of causing a predestination paradox, and that's before the Council finds out ... "
"Which is why we won't tell them." Lyra winked.
Twilight blushed.
Sunset frowned.
"Do you trust me, Tara?" Lyra put her hands on Twilight's shoulder, and met her eyes. "Really, really trust me?"
Twilight blinked. "I ... I ... uh. Yes. Yes I do."
"Good. Because you're the only person who can help me right now." Lyra stepped back, and again looked around to watch for eavesdroppers. "The first flux-rift should emerge in ... " Lyra checked her watch. "Twenty minutes, tops. Somewhere in this building. I need you to find it before Clock Wraiths start pouring out."
"Will you go with me?" Twilight blurted. "I ... I'll need your help."
"I would if I could." Lyra reached down and took Twilight's hand. "But I've got even bigger things to worry about. I hate to put this on you but ... out of everyone here, you're the one I trust the most. And I know you can do it."
"But I--"
"No." Lyra put a finger to Twilight's lips. "You always did overthink things. Now go. Do what you need to do. When you get back, we can ... talk." Lyra winked saucily at Twilight.
"Guh." Twilight said.
Sunset kept frowning.
"Oh! One more thing." Lyra went on, blissfully unaware of Sunset. "You might need this." Lyra reached into a pocket of her combat vest, and pulled out a small vial of neon-blue liquid. True to form, Twilight gasped again, and Sunset looked at it with a mixture of confusion and disapproval.
"Is that ... " Twilight began.
"Reset." Lyra said, and pressed it into Twilight's hand.
"But it's illegal!" Twilight blurted.
"Not to mention ridiculously useful."
"Where'd you get it?" Twilight said.
"It's better if you don't know."
"I ... I guess you're right."
"Now go. Find the rift. Close it. I've got to stay here, to take care of the Council. I can rely on you, can't I?"
"I ... yes. Yes you can." Twilight wrapped her fingers around the little vial. She met Lyra's eyes for a long, long moment, and then nodded resolutely. "C'mon Becca." She turned to her friend. "We've got work to do."
Lyra went in one direction, while Sunset and Twilight went in the other. "Reset?" Sunset asked, voice low.
"It's ... it's a drug. Distilled essence of time. You can use it to revert to an earlier point in your own timeline ... applied correctly, at the right time, it can bring you back from the verge of death. Applied incorrectly ... " Twilight trailed off, and winced.
"And the fact that your ... girlfriend has some doesn't raise any red flags?"
"She's not my ... I mean, Jen-- I mean Captain March has very good reasons for having this. Besides, we're going to need all the help we can get if there's a flux-rift. Get the others. We've got work to do."
Sunset found Fluttershy and Rarity first. It was quite honestly hard to miss them. Rarity had settled down at a table full of other characters almost as elegantly dressed as she was. Fluttershy stood behind her, quiet and demure as to be expected.
"--And then I said, 'well, isn't that a coincidence, because this isn't merlot!'" Rarity fluttered her fan and broke down into polite giggles, followed soon by those of the various socialites and sycophants that had gathered around her.
"Rari-" Sunset Shimmer reined herself back into character. "Contessa? We ... uh, we have a thing."
"Ah! Becca!" Rarity rose from her seat in a rustle of bustles. "What a pleasure! Have you had the chance to meet any of these wonderful people yet?"
"Er, no." Sunset said. "But ... maybe you can introduce me later? Right now, there's ... an issue." She paused, and looked over at the other elaborately-dressed folk around the table. "We could use your help."
"But of course!" Rarity snapped her fan shut. "You'll excuse me, ladies and gentlemen-- I'm sure you know how these things go."
Rarity's comments were met with agreeing nods and a few mild protests at her departure. Rarity gestured airily for Fluttershy to follow, and fell into step beside Sunset Shimmer. The redhead stood up on tiptoe and scanned the ballroom. She spotted her other friends clustered around one corner, and angled over that way with Rarity and Fluttershy in tow.
"Man, am I glad you guys showed up!" Rainbow Dash said as soon as the septet was reunited. "That dude with the fuzzy boots would not shut up. Guy just kept talking about himself and how cool he thought he was."
"Ya don't say." Applejack said, deadpan.
"Oh, you met Aliexares of Thebes?" Twilight said. "He's ... kind of a handful."
"At least I think he kind of digs me."
"Er." Twilight said. "Haven't you ever heard of the Sacred Band of Thebes?"
"That like some kind of belt or something?" Rainbow Dash said.
Twilight held up a finger, but reined in her lecturing instinct at the last moment. "That ... that's not important. Right now, we've got work to do."
"Anybody get any intel?" Sunset said.
"Oh! Well, I heard Christopher Cole-- he's the short gentleman with the hat, you know -is romantically involved with Miss Dorothy-- the charming young woman in the pinafore dress -despite the fact that Miss Dorothy is in contention to take a seat on the Council of Eons. Quite scandalous, I've gathered. Especially considering the fact they nearly killed each other the first time they met."
"I meant about the mole." Sunset murmured.
"Didn't come up, I'm afraid."
"We'll worry about the mole later." Twilight said. "Right now, we've got a flux-rift to find."
"A do what now?" Applejack said.
"I'll explain later. Now c'mon." Twilight pushed her hood back. "We'll know it when we find it."
Twilight led her friends out of the ballroom with a purposeful stride, heading through a door into a winding hallway. Twilight picked a door at random and walked through, emerging into a smaller conference room. A tall ... thing in a cloak stood at one end of the room. A ragged hood was pulled up over its head, and a clock-faced mask stared out impassively beneath it. Somewhat less imposingly (but perhaps more intimidatingly) a young man with a scrappy goatee and a green Chrono-Minion headband stood next to the Clock-Wraith.
"Okay guys." The Chrono-Minon said. "I'm going to need everyone's initiative." |
Let Me Tell You About My Character | Chapter 5 | A forgotten breeze from a lost era fluttered the Clock Wraith's ragged cloak. Without any cry or warning, it swept towards Ace, the largest and most immediate source of Flux in the room. The wraith didn't pounce, so much as flow, briefly twisting into an intangible form before it materialized in front of the scrappy cyborg, and sunk its all-too-tangible claws into her belly.
Ace choked out a pained cry, and went for her sword, but a dismissive sweep of the Clock Wraith's hand sent the blade clattering to the floor. Another twist of the beast's claws sent Ace collapsing to the ground, but yet the Clock Wraith still pressed its savage attack, blood splattering with each pass of the terrible talons.
Carrie had her Colt Peacemaker out in a flash, and Becca was a heartbeat behind her with her 1911. The cowgirl and detective opened fire, pumping round after round into the hunched over Clock Wraith until their guns ran dry.
Each bullet kicked up a puff of ephemeral fabric and near-translucent gore, but the Clock-Wraith showed no signs of stopping. Abandoning Ace's ravaged body, it stood back up. Spindly arms stretched out, each one delivering a savage blow to Carrie and Becca both.
"Beast!" The Contessa de St. Germain snapped. "Get away from them!" She flicked a slim, filigreed dagger into her wrist, and hurled it across the room. The blade struck true, embedding in the center of the Clock Wraith's chest, though to little effect.
The time lost creature raised its claws to strike again, only to stagger slightly as a beam of light struck it in the side. Slowly, it turned towards the source of the attack.
Ace pointed one smoking finger towards the Clock-Wraith, clutching her belly wound with her other hand. "Get outta here!" She said, and snapped off another blast from her cybernetic weaponry. "I can totally take this guy!"
"We ain't leavin' you here!" Carrie shouted.
"Wait!" Becca slapped a fresh magazine into her pistol and pulled back the slide. "Where's Tara? We can't leave without--"
Six inches of steel suddenly sprouted from the center of the Clock Wraith's chest. Its mask tilted down to peer curiously at the unexpected growth. Steel rasped on bone as the blade was yanked out. Steel flashed again in a savage arc, and the Clock-Wraith's head toppled from its body. The rest of the thing collapsed to a pile of ectoplasm and rags on the floor like a deflated balloon.
Tara Sterling stood behind the felled creature, clutching Ace's katana in a surprisingly knowledgeable grip. Her friends just gaped at her.
"How did you ... " Becca began.
"You guys did most of the work, honestly. Clock-Wraiths can be killed, or ... dispersed, at least, they just soak up a lot of abuse. Since my Flux is so low, I was able to sneak up behind it and get in the killing blow."
"But ... the sword stuff," said Carrie.
"What, this?" Tara looked down at the katana in her hands. "I've been in the Time War for awhile. I've picked up a few tricks."
"Hey, one question." Ace sat up. "Am I dead?"
"Try to stay in character, please." The Chrono-Minion noted. "And ... here, can I see your character sheet?" He noted a few figures on the piece of paper, and then consulted the die-roller app on his phone. "Okay, so you're not dead, but you're mortally wounded. You'll die if you don't receive medical attention. And ... game on."
"Oh. Uh. Right." Rainbow Dash laid back down, and mimed grabbing at her stomach. "My guts! He punched out all my guts!" It was the sort of performance that at least had enthusiasm behind it (if nothing else).
"What do we do?" Fluttershy clutched at her apron. "I know a little first aid, but not enough to fix, uh ... that."
"So much blood!" Rainbow Dash suppressed a giggle as she writhed on the ground. She'd apparently decided if her character was going to die, she'd at least have fun in the process. "Blarg!"
"There's only one thing that can help her, now." Twilight crouched beside Rainbow Dash's head. "Here." She fished the vial of blue liquid from her hoodie pocket, popped the cork with her thumb, and poured it into Rainbow's open mouth.
The multi-haired girl's hammy death-spasms switched to entirely genuine sputtering and coughing. "Hey!" Rainbow squeaked. "What was that-- like, blueberry kool aid or something?"
"Reset." Twilight said, and patted Rainbow's shoulder. "It'll take your body back to a previous point in time ... before you got mauled by that Clock Wraith."
"So I'm alive?" Rainbow said.
Twilight nodded.
"Score!" Rainbow bounded up to her feet. "Are there any more of those ghost dudes? 'Cause I'm looking for some payback!"
"More likely they'll eat you first," Sunset said. "Especially since you've got the highest Flux score. That's how that works, isn't it?"
"Actually," Twilight mused, "as long as the Reset's in her system, it'll conceal her Flux rating as if she were--" Twilight's eyes went wide in terror and she slowly stood. She raised the empty vial to eye level, staring at it. "Oh. Oh no."
"What's wrong?" Sunset said.
"Look." Twilight glanced around the conference room. "There's no flux rift, is there."
The Chrono Minion silently shook his head.
"That's a good thing, ain't it?" Applejack mused. "I mean, we was supposed to stop one of them whatchamacallits."
"We didn't close a rift." Twilight said. "There never was a rift. This was a trap!" She shook her head, and pushed her way past her friends, heading back towards the main ballroom.
"Not a very good one, if you ask me." Rarity hitched up her skirts to keep up with Twilight. "I mean, we survived, right?"
"It wasn't supposed to kill us. It was just supposed to keep us busy." Twilight said.
From the other side of the ballroom doors, a woman screamed.
Twilight put her hand on the doorknob, and turned back to her friends.
"We've been set up."
The ballroom was in chaos.
Clock-Wraiths wound between the tables, bringing death with them. Their wicked claws of unmade steel flashed out, cutting down one hapless time traveler after another. Like the hands of the clock masks they wore, the wraiths circled around the edge of the ballroom, slowly spiraling in to contain the survivors of the initial attack.
Once the time travelers realized what was happening, they formed a rough circle, fending the Clock Wraiths off as best they could. Aliexares of Thebes smashed a Clock Wraith to the ground with his stout club, and then leapt nimbly to the side before a second wraith could sink its claws into him. Bertram had produced a long-barreled shotgun from somewhere, and blazed away at the circling monsters, as casual as if he were shooting grouse on a country estate.
Captain March was at the center of it all, standing guard over the dead and dying of the Council of Eons. Even the Observer's gurney had been upended in the struggle, though the madman's gibberings only grew louder and louder amidst the battle.
Captain March pulled back the bolt of her heavy rifle, sighted down the scope, and fired at a circling Clock-Wraith. The creature staggered, but did not fall.
Meanwhile, across the hall, Tara burst in, with her newest friends hot on her heels.
"We've got to help them." She said, grim.
"But how?" Francine, the Contessa's maidservant, said.
"She's right," said the Contessa de St. Germain. "We barely managed to handle just one of those monstrosities. There's got to be at least a dozen in there, maybe more! They'd rip us to shreds!"
"If we were working alone, yes." Tara said, grim. "But if we hit the Clock Wraiths from behind, there--" she pointed to one point in the room, "you can hit them from behind, that just might be enough to create an opening for the others to push through."
"You?" Becca said, level. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I won't be going with you." Tara tightened her grip on her borrowed katana. "I'm the only one with a Flux low enough to sneak past the Clock Wraith, but still have some chance of stopping this madness."
"What're you talking about?" Becca grabbed Tara by the arm. "I'm from the same time ... thingie as you are. That means I've got the same Flux, right?"
"Yes, but they're going to need you." Tara nodded to the rest of her friends. "Trust me. I know what I'm doing."
"But--" Becca said.
"No." Tara shook her head. "We don't have time to argue. Now go! The longer we wait, the more people will die!" And with that, Tara strode towards the ring of survivors.
Becca took two steps after her, but Carrie stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
"You heard the gal." Carrie said, and thumbed back the hammer of her Peacemaker. "We got work to do."
"You."
Even over the screams and the gunfire, Captain March could recognize that voice. The sudden flanking attack by the new recruits had diverted the Clock-Wraiths' attention, and slowly, the battle began to turn.
"Tara?" said Captain March. Sure enough, the young, hoodie clad grad student picked her way over bodies of friend and foe alike, carrying a long curved sword loosely at her side. The Captain let her rifle slip out of her hands to dangle on its sling. "I didn't want you to see this."
"I didn't want to see you turn traitor either. I didn't want to believe it. But here we are. How much Reset did it take before the Clock-Wraiths stopped trying to kill you? Or have you been working for them this whole time?"
"That's your problem, Tara. You're smart ... but you know just enough to get yourself in trouble. I'm not working for the Clock-Wraiths. They're working for me." The Captain said with a giddy, half mad laugh. "Don't you see? It's so simple. The Clock-Wraiths ... they're not evil. They just ... are. They're the universe's antibodies, designed to hunt down us. The virus."
"So you're just going to let us, let me die?"
"No!" Captain March pushed her goggles up to her forehead, revealing the tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "I'm using the Clock Wraiths to wipe the slate clean. No Quantum Collective. No Council of Eons. We're not here because time is broken ... we're here because we broke time! This, all of this, is the Council's fault! They just haven't done it yet! I was there. Or ... I will be there. That's what I told myself." She laughed, and spread her hands. "So I did what I had to do. I've gathered the best and brightest of the Endpoint Nexus here ... without their leadership, everything else will collapse."
"Good god. You've killed us all." Tara's voice cracked.
"Not all of us. No." Captain March reached into her combat vest, and pulled out another vial of blue liquid. A larger one, this time. "I set up a distilling plant in a pocket dimension-- It's been churning out Reset for relative decades. If you return to your home juncture, and take a large enough dose ... it's like you never left at all" She tossed the vial to Tara. "Once the rest of the time lost are either dead, or back in their home junctures, time will finally be able to fix itself."
Tara stared at the heavy glass vial. "But if you dosed yourself with that much Reset, you'd ... "
"Forget everything since I got unstuck in time." The Captain said.
"So you'd forget me. Just like that." The words stung Tara's lips as she said them.
"Don't you see? I'm doing this FOR you! You're one of the smartest, bravest, most resilient people I've ever met. You deserve better than an eternity of senseless war!"
Tara looked across the room, to where her friends, new and old, fought for their lives against the savagery of the Clock-Wraiths. "How much Reset did you make?"
"Even with the pocket dimension, just enough for about a half dozen doses. Maybe more if I find a way to tweak it."
"Six people. Out of everyone you've ever met. Six people get to live."
"It's the only way, Tara." Captain March held her hands out, and walked closer. "Please. I ... this could be the last time we ever see each other. I don't want it to end this way."
Tara whipped the point of her katana upward, and leveled it at Captain March's chest. "Not like I'll remember it anyway."
"Tara. You can't stop this. You can't stop me, even with that sword. We both know that."
"You're right." Tara narrowed her eyes. "I can't stop you. But I know who can."
And with a flick of her wrist, Tara slashed through the leather straps that held the Observer in place.
"Hey, am I dead again?" Rainbow Dash asked as the last few rounds of combat wrapped up.
A much-harried Chrono-Minion rolled his eyes, and then leaned over Rainbow's shoulder to peer at her character sheet. "No," he said, "but you've lost a leg"
"Really? Sweet!" Rainbow Dash began to hop on one foot. "That just means, like, I can get a new robot foot, right? Like, it could be a ROCKET FOOT so I could fly, and then do super amazing mega-kicks! BOOSH!"
"I guess we can do that later. Um. Let's just get you with the rest of the wounded, okay?" Fluttershy said, and guided Rainbow Dash to the corner of the ballroom that had been set up as a makeshift imaginary triage center-- one that was depressingly full.
Fluttershy sat Rainbow Dash in an empty chair, and then bustled off to find more wounded.
"Ace! My friend!" Alixiares of Thebes said from where he lay on the table itself. "What a battle! Did you not see me there, in the thick of the fray?"
Rainbow winced. "I'm sure it was cool?"
"It was not cool! It was, in fact, it was hot! Hot with the glorious thrill of battle! You shall have the honor of being the first to hear of my latest exploits!
Rainbow Dash began to scream inside.
"Where's Twi--" Sunset Shimmer shook her head, "where's Tara?" She realized she was never going to get used to that.
"Looks like she's over there, talkin' to them 'portant lookin' folk." Applejack pointed. Sure enough, Twilight huddled around the Cardinal, Bertram, the Observer, and a few other important looking time travelers. Finally, she exchanged a few grateful bows and handshakes, and pried herself away from the group.
"So that's that." Twilight said. "Captain Jennifer March is dead. I think she even died before she could send herself a message from her future, so there's another branching paradox ... nothing that the Council can't deal with."
"Dead?" Sunset blurted. "But I thought you two were ... "
"We were." Twilight said, and wiped the corner of her eye. "Not anymore."
"Are you ... are you okay?" Sunset Shimmer said. While the battle, and the whole game was pretend, the tear tracks lining Twilight's cheeks looked entirely too real.
"Don't worry." Twilight pulled the large vial of Reset out of her pocket, and popped the cork. "I will be." |
Let Me Tell You About My Character | Chapter 6 | "And that's game, everyone. Great job!" Chrono-Master Joe's voice echoed off the ballroom walls. "I'll send out the closing announcements via e-mail ... but for now, I've been told the party suite's ready to go, so I'll see you there!"
The crowd cheered.
"Hey guys! Wha'd I miss!" Pinkie Pie materialized next to Applejack and Rarity.
"Hold up." Applejack furrowed her brow. "Where you been all this time? Ain't you been payin' attention?"
"Not really, no! I got kinda bored after the first twenty minutes, so I kinda wandered off and then I wound up helping some people put the party suite together for the after-party! Would you believe they didn't even have ONE banner that said 'Party Time' on it? Good thing I had an emergency party decoration kit handy!"
"I thought it was quiet." Rarity deadpanned.
Pinkie whipped her head from side to side, hard enough to make her poofy hair wobble. "Hey, wait a sec, where's everybody else?"
"Welp." Applejack raised a hand to the brim of her hat and scanned the room. "Rainbow's still talkin' to that feller with the fuzzy boots. Fluttershy's over there, too. And, uh, here comes Sunset. She don't look happy."
"Hi Sunset!" Pinkie Pie chimed, "where's Twilight?"
Sunset winced. "Uh. About that."
"Oh! Right! Sorry, I meant, where's Tara? We're still doing those code names, right?" Pinkie Pie said.
"No, not that." Sunset said. "Right before the game wrapped up, Twilight told me she needed some alone time to, uh, unwind, I guess." Sunset thrust her hands into her pockets and hunched her shoulders. "I ... figured I'd let her. I mean, she was a lot more emotionally invested in the game than any of us were. And ... well, I can't even imagine what she's going though. She said she'd be at the after party."
"Then we'd better go 'head n' meet her, then."
"Woo!" Pinkie said, throwing up a handful of confetti. "It's gonna be great! There's a punchbowl and balloons and everything!"
"You go ahead." Rarity said, "Applejack and I will meet up with you once she takes this dress off of me."
"Do what now?" Applejack sputtered.
"Please, Applejack?" Rarity fluttered her eyelashes at the cowgirl. "I know I make wearing such fabulous attire look entirely too easy, but a dress like this is a work of architecture as much as it is fashion. You're quite simply the only person I know strong enough to help me unlace it safely."
"How'd ya even get into it, then?"
"It was a process, let me tell you. A winch may have been involved."
"Oooh!" Pinkie Pie chimed in. "What if Fluttershy put on her old timey costume and helped you out, and then you would've used a wench! Or what if she was the one doing the cranking, and then it would be a wench winch!" She elbowed Rarity. "Huh? Huh?"
Sunset, Applejack, and Rarity stared at Pinkie.
"Jeez. Tough crowd." Pinkie murmured.
"Right." Rarity said. "We'd better be going, before this corset starts warping my bone structure."
"You're jokin', right?" Applejack said, only to be met by Rarity's impassive stare. "You ain't jokin'."
"A lady must make certain sacrifices in the name of fashion. Now, come." She caught Applejack by the elbow and dragged her off.
Sunset looked after the departing pair for a curious moment, and shrugged. "Well, c'mon Pinkie. Let's get the others and hit up your party."
"Yay party!" Pinkie Pie blew on a noisemaker she'd magically produced from her pocket. "Hey! You don't think the others are gonna need help undressing too, do you?"
"Hopefully not." Sunset said.
"Just checking!"
It was a simple enough matter to collect Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash (the latter being absolutely relieved for an excuse to slip away from more stories about Alixiares of Thebes) and then head up to the party suite.
True to form, Pinkie Pie had transformed a monument to drab hotel monotony into something halfway festive, pasting up streamers and banners and fake paper clocks on every possible surface she could. A punchbowl sat precariously balanced on a nightstand, and a cooler full of various drinks sat next to it. Cheery, uptempo music pumped out from a small stereo set up beneath the hotel television.
Sunset recognized several players from the game, even if she couldn't remember their names-- their character names, that is. The realization she barely knew anyone's real name just added a sense of surreality to the gathering. Most of the guests had shed their costuming; Betram swapped his white tie and gloves for a black T-shirt and jeans, the Cardinal probably shouldn't have been referred to as such without his cassock, and Sunset almost didn't recognize the Observer after he'd combed his hair and slipped out of the straightjacket.
"Okay, everybody." Sunset said as they walked through the door into the rapidly-crowding party. "Just keep an eye out for Twilight. She told me she'd be fine, but after everything that went down with Lyra-- er, Captain March, or whoever, I just want to make sure."
"Got it!" Pinkie Pie chimed in. "Maybe you should ask them yourself, 'cause they're right over there!"
Sunset followed Pinkie Pie's point, and sure enough, Lyra and Twilight had staked out a corner by the window. Twilight still wore her hoodie (though now with the hood pushed back), while Lyra had abandoned her goggles and body armor somewhere along they way.
Both of them were laughing.
Sunset Shimmer blinked. It took her a few minutes to weave her way through the crowd, until she could get close.
"Uh. Hey." She said, at a sudden lack of anything else to say.
"Sunset! Hi!" Twilight said, cheery.
"I'm glad you could make it!" Lyra chimed in, beaming. "I didn't get the chance to tell you earlier, but you were great back there! I can't believe this was your first ChronoQuest game."
"Uh. Thanks?" Sunset managed.
"You picked a great one to enter in on, too!" Lyra grinned. "Honestly, Twilight, I just wish I'd known you played Tara sooner."
"Yeah. Well. It's not like there's a local branch or anything. Easier to sit down at a computer than to get a bunch of people together in funny costumes."
"Good point." Lyra said. "Still, we should hang out more!"
Twilight smiled. "I'd like that."
"So you're not ... y'know. Mad?" Sunset said. "Either of you?"
"Why would we be?" Twilight asked.
"She betrayed you!" Sunset said to Twilight. "And she killed you!" Sunset said to Lyra.
"I know!" Lyra's smile shone bright enough to hurt. "Wasn't it great?"
"What." Sunset said.
"It really was better than I could've hoped for." Twilight said, and patted Lyra on the shoulder. "Thanks!"
"No, thank you!" Lyra said. "I mean, Captain March was gonna go down eventually, but having Tara be the one to figure everything out? That's perfect! I honestly should be thanking Twilight."
"For killing you." Sunset said.
"Exactly!"
"I still don't get it."
"Okay, so ... Lyra actually tracked me down after the game ended, and hashed things out with me. I mean, everything was entirely IC. So she didn't have any hard feelings. It ... honestly wasn't as weird as I thought it'd be."
"Honestly, if anyone were to kill Captain March, Tara was the right one to do it." Lyra noted.
"Technically, the Observer killed her." Twilight noted.
"It was still cool!" Lyra beamed.
"But ... " Sunset looked between Lyra and Twilight, confused. "Weren't you two-- I mean, weren't Tara and the Captain ... "
"Totally a thing!" Lyra said, with no small degree of pride.
"Which is what made their story so interesting. And tragic. And, uh ... fun." Twilight said.
"So, let me get this straight. Your characters did terrible things to each other, and you're happy about it?"
"Yep!" Lyra beamed.
"It's kind of cathartic, actually." Twilight said. "You know, having a way to explore stuff like love and betrayal and all that. Just ... without the actual love or betrayal. If that makes sense?"
"That's the appeal, you know? Being able to do stuff that you can't do in real life. How often do you get to be a supervillain?" Lyra said.
"Eheh. Right." Sunset said.
So deep into her nerdy enthusiasm, Lyra failed to notice the way the breath caught in Sunset's throat. "I-- er, Captain March has been working on her whole scheme for the better part of a year now."
"That long?" Twilight said, with no small degree of appreciation.
"Yep!" Lyra beamed. "Ever since the thing at Tunguska."
Twilight gasped. "That was you?"
"Yep! Captain March deliberately sabotaged the containment effort so she could use the impact of the explosion to set up her pocket dimension. Then she stole the AI core out of the Skycrafter so she had something to run the Reset factory."
"That's brilliant!" Twilight said.
"Thanks!" Lyra said. "I probably should have mentioned that in my whole 'laying out my evil plan' speech, but eh. If I'd known you were coming, I would've planned ahead and written one. But hey, that element of surprise is what makes a game like this so great!"
"So what do you think you're gonna play next?" Twilight said.
"Oh, I dunno. Captain March was fun, but I think I might pick somebody from the past, next time around. Maybe something medieval."
"You wanna be a princess?" Twilight teased.
"I was thinking more knight errant, actually."
"Hold on." Sunset held up a finger. "You-- your character nearly killed everyone at ChronoCon, and they're just gonna let you start all over?"
"Well, yeah?" Lyra said, "I mean, if they kicked everyone out of the game who ever had their character try to wreck up the place, ChronoQuest wouldn't have any players at all. Besides, it's not like anybody's gonna have any hard feelings. IC and OOC separation and all that." Lyra made a chopping motion with her hand, as if to physically separate the two concepts.
"All of it?" Sunset said. "Even the part with ... you know, Tara and Captain March being ... "
"Especially that." Lyra laughed, and nudged Twilight. "No offense, but Bon-Bon would kill me."
"None taken." Twilight said. "I should've told you earlier who I was playing, though. I didn't want to make things awkward."
"Hey, that awkwardness is what makes Tara so cute." Lyra said.
"Right." Sunset peered at Twilight from the corner of her eye. "Tara."
"Oh hey!" Lyra leaned over as she saw more of her friends slipping into the party suite. "Some more friends of mine just showed up-- gotta make the rounds, y'know?" Having excused herself, she slipped out of the corner, moving to go meet her friends with a cheery hug.
"So ... " Twilight said, "have fun?"
"I guess so?" Sunset managed. "It's just a lot to take in. I'm glad you had fun, though. Even if your character went and amnesia'd herself."
"Uh. Actually ... she didn't."
"Wait, really?"
Twilight nodded. "Oh, she thought about it, but, after everything, she decided that some memories are worth hanging onto, even if they're painful. Not to mention the fact that if the Council thinks Tara Reset herself, they'll leave her alone ... which gives her the perfect cover to make some more investigations of her own." Twilight allowed herself a cat-with-the-canary grin. "She'll have to lay low for a couple of months, sure, but I've been pretty busy since I met you guys anyway. Still, by the next time ChronoCon rolls around, Tara will probably have another evil scheme to thwart. Should be fun! I just hope the cleaning staff doesn't have too much trouble getting that blue stain out of the carpet."
"That ... is surprisingly devious. Am I being a bad influence on you?"
"Maaaaybe." Twilight scuffed one sneaker against the hotel room carpet. "Just think of it as practice for the next time we need to go save the world from some magical pony thing."
"Twilight Sparkle, element of subterfuge."
"It does have a nice ring to it." Twilight giggled, and soon Sunset found herself laughing along just the same. Twilight took off her glasses to wipe the laughter-tears from the corner of her eye, and sighed happily. "Oh! Sunset? One more thing."
"What's that?"
"Do you have any plans for the summer yet?"
"No. Why?"
"Well, Lyra told me she'd heard about this thing they do at an old summer camp a few hours southwest of here. They call it Elfwood or something. Do you think you, er-- think the girls would want to go? I'd be starting a new character from scratch, so it'd be nice to go in with some friends already ..."
"You are such a dork."
Sunset Shimmer made it a term of endearment. |
There's Something About Nightmarity | pre | Rolling her eyes playfully Rarity walked over to Spike so that she could look down at her husband with a small smile. "You'll have to share with me how you managed to pacify Neighel, when I have next to nothing prepared for his order."
Looking up at his inquisitive wife Spike merely placed his claws under his head, and shrugged. "Nothing special. I just ran into your sewing room, and whipped something up."
A cold shiver ran down Rarity's spine as she recalled the ominous feeling that had crept through her earlier. Brow furrowing a bit Rarity lowered her head so that her face as only a few inches away from her husband's. "Y-you did what?"
"A little purple here, some leopard print, and sprinkle on a whole bunch of sequins. Honestly Rares maybe some of your gift with fashion is rubbing off on me." Spike was expecting his wife to nod her head in congratulations, but instead a lock of horror seemed frozen on the mare's face. "..uhh you alright Rarity?"
"Spike...what did you just sell to one of my customers?"
The icy tone in his wife's voice caused Spike to shiver slightly in fear; his self-preservation instincts hadn't been set off this bad since that time he accidentally sneezed on one of Rarity's high end dresses. He figured the best way to defuse the situation was to play it cool. "Rarity, honey, love of my life, you gotta sometimes just read ponies and give them what they want even if they like crap. Just be happy you don't have to wear it."
"B-but, my name is on it. I can't have ponies think that I created that sequin nightmare."
Spike looked at his wife smugly. "Just say, that it was done to be a deconstruction of good taste."
"I don't know what is more surreal for me. That you managed to sell such a catastrophe or how nonchalant you're being about this." With a sigh of exasperation Rarity dramatically flopped over onto the floor next to her husband; arms crossed and with a tired pout on her face. "Oh and please pardon me if I'm mistaken, but I could have sworn that Mr. Diamond said something about expecting more in a few days."
"Life's so unfair for my eternally beautiful and wonderful wife. Isn't it?" Laughing out loud as the dark-furred mare scowled at him, Spike took a moment to just watch his wife's new mane swirl about the two of them, until it draped itself over them like a blanket cut from the night's sky.
"Hush! Now would be the time that you can resume telling me how exquisite I am."
"Oh is it now? Well to start things off, you're lovely when you're mad." A small growl was the only response Spike received though he noticed that Rarity had inched closer to him just the tiniest bit. "You still have a voice that could sing the greatest songbirds out of their trees."
"You and I both know that Sweetie Bell's the one with the magnificent voice."
"Well at least you got the enchanting beauty, the unmatched grace and the generosity of a saint." Spike's smirk grew larger as he felt Rarity lean more into his body while his ears picked up the sound of her trying to suppress a giggle.
"Well now I don't have a hard time understanding how you sold that...thing to Mr. Diamond. I suppose you did try your best given the predicament." While Rarity might have had mixed feelings with how her husband had dealt with her customer, Nightmare was far more forgiving.
From his place on the ground, Spike raised an eyebrow as he felt Rarity's body suddenly shudder against his scale. "Well I guess I could've handled it better...you cold dear?"
"On the contrary, I think you handled that rather beautifully." Rarity's husky whisper was Spike's only warning before Rarity had sensually repositioned herself so that she was lying on top of the surprised drake. The unicorn's slitted eyes glowed with a slight intensity as she stared down at Spike while her left hoof traced curves and circles onto his chest. "And compared to the dark side of the moon handsome, I'm feeling quite cozy at the moment."
"Whoa!" While Spike certainly didn't mind when Rarity was feeling saucy, the way her voice sounded different, as well as the predatory gleam in her eyes had the drake slightly on edge. "Um, Rarity?"
The dark-furred mare gave her lips a lick before she moved her head mere inches away from Spike's. "Wrong, dragon." The moment she spoke again Nightmare could feel the drake beneath her tense up and before Spike could respond, she pulled back her head so she could lazily rest it upon his chest. "Relax, your mare is safe, she's just sitting backseat at the moment."
It only took a moment for the gears in Spike's head to mesh into place and though his emerald eyes narrowed,and his lips pulled back to show his fangs the drake reigned what would have been an angry response. "N-nightmare! What are you doing here and what did you do to Rarity?"
Eyes half closed as if she was about to fall asleep Nightmare allowed a small smile to show on her face. "The one and only. What does it look like? I'm using you as a nice sturdy heat pillow." Hearing the distant shouts and demands from the back of her mind Nightmare let out a small chuckle. "It would seem that your wife is less than enthralled about that last bit of information."
"Where is she?!"
"Right here silly." The hoof that was still drawing slow lines across Spike's chest withdrew so that it could tap lightly against Nightmare's head. "You remember this dance we've had before don't you? Your beloved wife is nice and safe within my head, while I get to prance about in 'our' body."
"Lucky for you." As much as he disliked the spirit that was now in control of his wife's body, Nightmare's words as well as his own memory prevented Spike from doing anything other than give empty threats.
Placing her leg under her head Nightmare gave Spike an almost apologetic smirk. "If it helps, I do regret destroying that fire ruby." Though she was in better control of the situation than she had been the last time she had taken control, Nightmare could already feel Rarity relentlessly taking back dominance over their body.
Raising a scaled brow at the mare on top of him Spike willed a few sparks of emerald fire to escape his nostrils. "Is that so? Well it does a little, but I'm still more than ticked off to see you possessing my wife again."
Rolling her eyes in response Nightmare let out a huff as she stared into Spike's own oddly mesmerizing eyes. "Keep your scales on dragon, little miss prissy will be back behind the wheel in a matter of seconds. I mostly just wanted to compliment you on how you dealt with that worm."
"Y-you did?"
Nightmare's smirk grew wider revealing her own of fangs in response to Spike's confusion. "Of course, the violence, the deception and the destruction you wrought when that peon brought on your ire." As she spoke, Nightmare leaned forward and shifted her position so that she was almost straddling the dragon beneath her. "I have an eye for greatness Spikey-wikey and I'll admit that I like what I saw." Feeling that her time was almost up an evil thought crossed the empress of the shadows mind. "For instance, fangs bared and scorching fire threatening to be set loose, I like that." With only a few seconds to spare before Rarity dragged her back to the back of the mare's consciousness, Nightmare leaned further so that her mouth could purr into Spike's ear. "By the way you're a pretty good kisser."
"What?!" Before Spike could get an answer, the mare merely withdrew as she began to giggle from Spike's expression. At the height of her amusement, the unicorn let out another small shudder before she suddenly went slack and lay back onto Spike's chest.
A silent moment passed before Spike tried to sit up, though his movement was stopped by a groaning Rarity. "Ughh the nerve of that witch!" Before she could say anything else and possibly utter a few uncouth words Rarity took notice of the unamused looking dragon beneath her.
"You know I don't recall the two of us actually going over how you got the new body yet. Think this might be a good time to fill you loving and understanding husband in on things?"
"O-oh well I suppose I do you owe you an explanation of sorts." It came as a bit of a surprise to Rarity that she and her husband had allowed as much time to pass as they did without really broaching the subject at hand. Thinking about the malevolent spirit that she shared a body with cause a small grimace to spread on the mare's face; this was the second time that Nightmare had pulled a fast one on her and the second time that her attention had been solely upon Spike. Rarity would certainly had to find a way to keep Nightmare from doing that again, but first she really did owe Spike an explanation.
Looking up at his wife Spike was wrestling with a multitude of emotions as he pondered the events that had taken place. He was still slightly upset that Rarity had done this in the first place, as well as worried about the possibility that Nightmare could spring up any moment. These dueling emotions as well as the ones waiting in line were swept aside though when Spike watched a small tear escape from his wife's eye.
"I-I suppose the best place to start would be my growing fears over the past few years." From her place on top of Spike, the unicorn began to curl into herself, as her mane pulled the duo closer together. "I-it's just...I couldn't stand the idea of you being alone for a near eternity while the majority of your time with me is spent married to an old grey-furred nag."
Feeling moisture on his scales Spike's heart clenched in regret for even thinking about being upset with the mare he loved so much. Though they were both already pressed close thanks to Rarity's mane, Spike brought his arms up to gently hug the mare as she continued to speak.
"I had a moment of weakness Spikey, s-she came to me promising that she could take it all away. She'd make me young again, f-forever so I'd never have to lose to...anything." Though she was set on telling her beloved everything, Rarity couldn't bring herself to mention the darkest parts of Nightmare's persuasion. Even knowing that Spike would forgive her for near any mistake the mare couldn't bare for Spike to know that the tiniest part of her feared that his everlasting love and devotion could possibly wane and that his attention could be focused on another. "So in the end I took a drastic measure a-and now look at me." Rarity squirmed in Spike's arms so that she could point a hoof at herself.
A moment passed before Spike brought a hand to gently cup Rarity's face. "Easy there Rares I'm not upset with you. I might mention that it's silly of you to think I'd ever stop loving you, no matter how grey your fur got, or how many damn Opals we go through together. You'll always be the same breath-taking beauty that stole my heart that first time I came to Ponyville."
Hearing the honesty behind Spike's words brought a smile upon Rarity's face even as a few tears still streamed down her face.
"Truth be told I never noticed you aging at all. You sure it wasn't just all in your head?"
In response, Rarity suddenly found the other side of the room incredibly interesting. "Funny thing actually...Zecora has been providing me with a few lotions and creams that assisted in taking the edge off and I've taken a few...late night ventures to pick them up. It's kind of the reason I was out last night, as well as how I ran into Nightmare to begin with." If Rarity was expecting any form of reprimanding, she was certainly surprised when Spike's chest rumbled a bit from a few chuckles.
"Well that does explain where you've been getting that goop you throw on your face from. That also explains why Zecora winks at me everytime I pass her at the market; I was honestly thinking that she was trying to send some signals out there."
"She wouldn't dare!" Rarity's mane seemed to frizzle out of irritation as the mare narrowed her eyes.
"I'm sure she wouldn't since I'm a happily married drake who only has his heart set on my mare." Sitting up so that he could embrace his wife before she could start to pout again, Spike give the side of Rarity's face a loving kiss before he went to work on wiping away the few tears that remained on her face. "Feel better now that we got that out in the open?"
Leaning her head into Spike's hand, Rarity began to mirror the smile the that her husband was now wearing. "Incredibly so, thank you darling."
"Anytime, my lady." A moment passed before suddenly the mare in Spike's arms darted forward planting her soft lips firming upon his. Before the drake knew it he was falling back to the floor while the unicorn held him in a liplock he certainly wasn't going to forget. Though Spike certainly would have loved to spend the next few hours letting his equally ignited passion run its course, a nagging thought proceeded to grow in his head until he had to pull back.
"Is something wrong Spikey?" Rarity's face was slightly flushed from the suddenly aborted moment of bliss the two were sharing, and a dubious expression grew on her face as she watched Spike's smile change to a tight frown.
"As much as I was enjoying that, and I plan on resuming that later we have one more thing to talk about."
"W-what?"
Spike let out a small sigh as he nagging thought turned into the husky voice that had been escaping his wife's lips only a few minutes ago. "What are we going to do about...her?"
Rarity frowned as well as the moment Spike said 'her' the mare couldn't hear Nightmare's laughter in the back of her head. It was obvious that the spirit would never be happy with just existing at the edge of Rarity's thoughts, and quietly letting the fashionista live her now long lasting life in peace. "I-I honestly don't know Spike, I've been able to wrest control over her everytime she breaks loose, but I don't know what we can do to fully reign her in.
Spike was disheartened to hear that Rarity seemed as at a loss as he was pertaining to the villainess. The drake was currently wracking his brain for an answer when Rarity's body tremored slightly.
"Be happy I wish not to end you."
"Wha..." Spike's question died in his throat when his green irises focused in on the toothy smirk that was now spreading across Rarity's face.
"Honestly you're very rude, I go through the trouble of giving your wife my immortality, my power and my drop-dead good looks and *this* is how you treat me?" Nightmare pulled back from Spike so that she could cross her hooves, while her grin continued to widen.
"W-well it's not like anyone asked you too."
"Actually dragon, all I did was give your wife the option. If she hadn't wanted it so badly I would have looked elsewhere; I'm not able to meld with someone if they don't want anything from me." To emphasize her point Nightmare jabbed an annoyed hoof at Spike's chest surprisingly enough making the drake feel somewhat bad.
"Alright maybe you have a point there." Disregarding Rarity's possession many years before Spike had to admit that so far Nightmare hadn't done anything 'wrong' yet; maybe it wasn't right to assume the worst of her.
"See I...damn it!" After letting out that last curse, Nightmare tensed up like a statue before a very cross expression took the place of her large grin.
"May I bring to attention that you were certainly more than eager to harm my husband just a few hours ago?" Back in control of her body Rarity grit her teeth as she felt Nightmare's consciousness returning for a second round.
"Rarity? What is..." Before Spike could finish his sentence Rarity's frowning face switched back to a now flippant expression, and she moved her right hoof in a manner similar to how one would wave something unimportant away.
"Well your husband certainly 'stopped' that from happening now didn't he?" Nightmare seemed to be focused on something, though for a quick moment her slitted eyes glanced toward an incredibly confused Spike.
"Wait you were going to.." In another instant Rarity was raising an eyebrow at a mare that wasn't there leaving Spike's voice once again unheard.
"And who's to say that you won't try it again?"
"Ok can we just...aww forget it" Spike fought the urge to cross his arms in annoyance as he watched Rarity's questioning frown shift to an uneasy look in another direction.
"I've...decided that your husband is worth keeping around."
Before the mare on top of him could switch places with his wife again Spike in a burst of frustration leaned forward so that he could grab place both of his hands firmly on Nightmare. "Okay, I'm starting to get a headache..can you just tell me what you want?!"
Nightmare caught off guard by Spike's actions was unable to do anything, but stare back at the drake and for some reason she could feel her heart skip a beat. An odd look crossed Nightmare's face before the sensation of her profile heating up caused Nightmare to turn away from Spike. "W-well..to rule Equestia with an iron hoof of course..." For some reason Nightmare was having a hard time visualizing herself laughing in triumph as the land was alight with magical infernos. Instead the image of a certain purple dragon staring intently at her seemed to dominate every crevice of her mind. "...Or at least just to be around."
While Spike wasn't too surprised that the dark spirit was still intent on finding a way to terrorize the world, the second part as well as the unsure tone it was spoken had him for a loop. "What do you mean?"
Now Nightmare's eyes were as wide as dinner plates when it occurred to her that she might have spoken her thoughts aloud. "The hell is wrong with me!"
Before Spike could ask any more questions the now incredibly red-faced mare withdrew into her mane as if to hide, and gave a small shiver. Within a split second a Rarity's voice escaped past the volumes of her mane as her confused face appeared to see an equally confused looking Spike. "What?"
"Sorry dear I was talking to 'her'." Unknown to Spike his wife hadn't been trying to take control back from her tenant that time; In fact Rarity had been quietly listening in on Nightmare, and Spike exchange hoping that perhaps her husband would be able to drag a non-aggravating answer from the spirit. When Spike had asked Nightmare what she wanted the thoughts within Nightmare's head swirled about suddenly in a hurricane of confusion. So intense that Rarity's consciousness could scarcely see or hear what was happening and suddenly Rarity felt a force dragging her back to the forefront, as Nightmare's dark mind shoved past her own quickly to return to her usual place.
"Is she coming back?"
For a moment Rarity blinked quietly as she attempted to concentrate on the mare she shared her body with. Instead of a venomous cackle, or Nightmare's presence threatening to burst forth again a wall of shadows and clouds seemed to fog their connection. It was as if Nightmare was content to stew in the deep recesses of their minds and was making an active effort to keep prying eyes or minds in this case away. "I-I think she's gone...for now."
On the other side of the mental shroud, that she had put between herself and Rarity a certain mare growled to herself as her thoughts continued to stray from where they should be. It was happening again her focus had been ruined, and she was in no shape to further taunt the mare or her husband. "..Spike." The dragon's image was already darting through her thoughts a she whispered his name, changing the course of her plans, distracting her from her goals...warping her feelings. Nightmare had admitted that the drake certainly could be useful and she certainly enjoyed the concept of what dark deeds he could be used for in her future endeavors. But, being held by him in such a fashion...seeing the fascinating way the emerald pools around his slitted pupils stared into her own. Dizziness had come over Nightmare, forcing her to lose her usual flare, and even say something so odd aloud. Feeling so confused and now light-headed Nightmare could only retreat back inside her body to escape the dragon's disorientating gaze and gather herself.
"That dragon...he's doing something to me." A quick memory of the moment where Spike had gently kissed her right as she was preparing to destroy him flashed in front of Nightmare's eyes causing her to grit her teeth and shake her head. "Stop it!" Despite her growing anger, the mare could do little more than growl to herself, as her thoughts jumped from forever covering the lands in darkness to somehow conjuring up a reason for a certain drake to be comfortably by her side when she made her move.
Back with Spike, and Rarity the too held a long silence as they still expected the previously mentioned entity to return. After another minute of waiting, it was Rarity who first let out a long sigh, and began to shake her head as she rose to her hooves. "Well it would seem that the coast really clear, though it bothers me that *she* of all mares would give up so easily."
Letting out a sigh of his own Spike slowly rubbed a claw against his temple as he used his other limbs to get off the floor. "I'm really starting to think that we've gotten in over our heads."
Rarity could hardly disagree as she used her magic to draw a floating brush from out of her bathroom and began to gracefully run it through her locks. "It would seem so dear, the pros to this deal are dandy and all, but I'm at a loss pertaining to how to handle Nightmare." While the mentioned mare hadn't caused any damage quite yet, Rarity had certainly heard Nightmare admitting to still harboring a dark agenda.
A look crossed Spike's face as an idea crossed his mind, though thinking about how his wife had reacted to the thought of one of her customers seeing her new appearance made him hesitant to speak. Unluckily for her husband Rarity had quite the knack for picking up on when he was uncomfortable.
"Dear?"
Rubbing the back of his head, Spike was suddenly finding it hard to look his wife in the eyes as he began to speak. "Welllll...since they would probably find out sooner or later we could.."
Rarity paused mid brush as an ominous and somewhat unpleasant chill went through her body. "..You mean?"
"I think we should write a letter to Twilight."
Though she hesitantly nodded hearing the end of Spike's sentence caused the unpleasant feeling that she had felt previously to return and stew within in her, prompting Rarity to wonder if it was due to having her decision shared with her friends...or if Nightmare's implications were just echoing in her head. "What's the worst that could happen?" |
There's Something About Nightmarity | Gathering the Middle-Aged Mares of Hamony (Part 1) | Though she hesitantly nodded hearing the end of Spike's sentence caused the unpleasant feeling that she had felt previously to return, and stew within in her, prompting Rarity to wonder if it was due to having her decision shared with her friends...or if Nightmare's implications were just echoing in her head. "What's the worst that could happen?"
At the that very moment famous donkey lawyer: Murphy Law popped his head through the door. "Can I get a--"
"WE'RE CLOSED!" Two voices from the other room shouted in unison.
With that rather rude reception the ass left the store, leaving its occupants to continue their plans.
"Alright I'll send some a quick letter to Twilight, and see if she can stop by." Giving his wife another loving hug Spike then proceeded to head upstairs to fetch his supply of royal parchment. As the drake disappeared up the stairs a small frown formed onto Rarity's face, and she turned around to call after her husband
"D-do try not to make it sounds too grim dear." It was bad enough to have to inform her friends about her somewhat questionable deal; having the whole gang fret over her while Twilight examined every inch of her new form sounded like a nightmare.
Speaking of nightmare's a certain spirit couldn't help but pause in her personal grumblings when her ears picked up the tidbits of conversation going on outside. "Great! Now the upstart and the rest of that irritating rabble are going to be here!"
However, after a few seconds the irritation turned into a smug feeling as the entity felt that she could finally give the elements of harmony a long awaited piece of her mind. Here she was as safe as can be as long as she held the fashionista as a shield between her and those blasted elements of harmony she ought as well get some mileage out of it. As she chuckled to herself it struck the deity as odd that while she had spent some much time slowly regaining her power and plotting to posses the avatar of generosity, she had next to no clue how time had changed the rest of the little elements.
Meanwhile upstairs Spike had just finished the last few scribbles to a well thought out, and hopefully informative letter to his closest friend. "Well if anypony can come up with an answer or at least maybe lecture Nightmare into submission it would be Twilight." After taking a small inhale, Spike coated the rolled up piece of parchment (as well as some of his hand) in minty green flames. With the letter on its way the drake returned downstairs to ask Rarity what she had shouted to him while he was busy writing the letter.
At that exact moment within the crystal kingdom a certain purple furred alicorn princess was currently knee deep in ...nothing. As the appointed princess of Ponyville, avatar of magic, and a bunch of other official sounding tiles too numerous to list it was Twilight's responsibility to oversee Ponyville's happy citizens, continue her research on the magic of friendship, delegate with foreign visitors, and occasionally chase off any would-be troublemakers looking to disrupt the harmony within Equestria. Sad part was that after settling into her position as pretty purple princess of Ponyville, the more exciting parts of her new title...kind of waned. After word spread regarding how Tirek had been dealt with, most villains decided "To hell with that" and moved elsewhere. The gang had all grown up and were less into adventures and learning in favor of managing blooming families, doing their jobs, and the occasional get together to catch up. With all the exciting parts of being an element of harmony now on the backburner, Twilight was left to her only other real duty to uphold.
Paperwork. Stacks of documents that reached up to her shoulders, bursting folders that multiplied within her castle when she wasn't looking, packs of degrees, new laws, and the odd sticky note that would catch her by surprise the moment the alicorn truly believed she had finally caught up. Now princess Twilight Sparkle enjoyed reading, and she enjoyed list...but this had long lost its fun by now, leading to a mare in constant need of newer, better, sorting system, and usually borrowing her oldest friend from his wife so that he could catch her up on the never-ending tide of parchments that assaulted her.
"Mayor Mare (rest her soul) how in the name of Celestia did you ever manage all of it?" The question was moot because not too long after the previous mayor of Ponyville passed away she had found a large stash of 'Maniacal Mule brand bourbon' was found under her desk as well as a little black book filled with ponies that Mayor Mare had 'coerced' into doing the paperwork for her. It was somewhat concerning to find how shoddily Ponyville had been run during the older mare's time in office, but then again none of it's citizens had noticed the entire time.
The purple alicorn's moment of introspective rambling was cut short by a puff of green smoke materializing into a scroll in front of her.
♫ ♪ "Ooh, I just got a letter, I just got a letter, I just got a letter, wonder who's it from?"♪ ♫
Of course, she knew the answer to that, but it had been so long since anything remotely interesting plopped down in front of her that she couldn't help but act a little giddy at the prospect of a crisis.
Sure enough as grass grows and sun shines in big crudely scribbled block letters were the words: NIGHTMARE MOON IS IN RARITY...again... HELP!!! Love, Spike.
A moment of silence passed as Twilight's eyes scanned the short letter again, and again. A cold shiver caused Twilight's wings to ruffle slightly as the implications of a now returned Nightmare running amok within one of the elements of harmony began to creep into the alicorn's mind. Ponyville was in grave danger, the populace unprepared for a sudden attack from one of Equestria's oldest foes and the fate of Equestria itself was probably hanging in the balance. A hard look of determination crossed Twilight's face as her brain immediately began devising a logical next step to take.
"Yay!" From her corner of the room Owliscious watched her owner with a raised eyebrow as the alicorn princess of magic pranced about the room excitedly then began to do her ritual 'Twilight dance'. After a moment of giddy indulgence, Twilight noticed the disapproving look that her owl was giving her. "Don't get me wrong I'm worried about Spike, and everyone else, but you have to understand...I FINALLY GET TO DO SOMETHING AGAIN!"
Having lived an unusually long life alongside the purple mare, Owlicious did little more than shake her head in reply, before hiding her face and her shame underneath a wing. She wished the dragon was here so that he'd be the one suffering Twilight's oddness and not her.
Rolling her eyes at her backup assistant's reaction, Twilight's horn lit up brightly as she switched from 'party hard' to 'strategize reasonably'. The purple alicorn would need to notify her brother that she'd be taking an early leave on her vacation, the other elements who certainly need to be notified as well as brought together and..."It'll be so nice seeing the girls again." Twilight paused in her mental list to ponder how her friends had been keeping busy since the last time she saw them.
Only a minute or two after sending his urgent letter to Twilight it dawned on Spike that his adoptive older sister's 'response time' might take longer than he had the patience to quietly sit around for. There was too much happening and despite outwardly looking calm the drake was still at his wits end from worrying about his wife and the near all powerful being that was taking residence in her body. After huffing in exasperation for a minute or two Spike realized that his frantic energy could be much better used gathering up the rest of the elements of harmony. After giving a quick explanation to Rarity, Spike was quickly out the door and headed to the nearest residential element.
One Pinkamena Diane Pie, and her home/place of work good ol Sugarcube Corner.
Smack dab in the middle of Ponyville sat 'the' bakery to be if you were a pony with sweet tooth, and the patience to deal with a constantly bickering set of siblings, and the mature yet energetic mare that supervised them.
"Hey Pumpkin where's that order of brown betties?"
"The hell should I know Pound, Pinkie told *you* to bake 'em not me!"
"No, she told me to tell you." Hearing an aggravated growl as well as the sounds of kitchen utensils being dumped onto the floor, the young stallion known as Pound Cake rolled his eyes, before giving the slightly perturbed couple across the counter from him an apologetic smile. "We'll have you order ready shortly. We just seem to be having....difficulties with communication at the mom-"
"The only difficulty we're having is that you're lazy and keep trying to boss me around!" Without warning, a spatula was hurled out of the kitchen window and collided with the back of Pumpkin's head.
"Hey!" Turning away from the customers, Pumpkin made to give his sister a piece of his mind when a happy shout screeched out of the kitchen. Both siblings stopped their bickering to sigh in unison at their supervisor.
"Next week we eat Nylon Tights...err...um.....Neon Lights!"
"YEEEAAAAHHHH!!!"
After sharing a hardy hoof bump with Bulk Biceps who promptly nodded, readjusted his sunglasses and walked out the back door. Once her aid had left the poofy-haired, pink earth pony known infamously as Pinkie Pie reached across a table to turn off the recording device sitting upon it, and then gave a curious glance toward the concoction she had just finished creating. In all honesty Pinkie had next to no idea how a bowl filled with what had once been seventy deep fried cupcakes, sixteen pounds of chocolate candy bars, a slice of MMMMM and a half gallon of taurus juice light would taste. Sure she could taste it and find out which might be super duper fun...but the doctor had made it pretty clear that if he was going to have to keep seeing her every other day for the rest of his life than he expected a committed relationship and Pinkie just wasn't ready to settle down quite yet. "Awww I don't wanna waste this bowl of maybe it's super yummy genius mush...but if I can't eat it who?"
For reasons unbeknownst to them both Pumpkin and Pound Cake ceased fencing with stirring spoons when a sudden chill ran down their spines; though neither shared any real relation with their appointed 'auntie Pinkie Pie' the two siblings had grown up alongside the odd mare long enough to have somehow picked up a little of her 'Pinkie Sense'.
Eyeing opening wide Pumpkin quickly pushed her brother aside so that she could reach out for large pot and place it protectively over her head. "Ohhh man did you just feel that? Pinkie's gonna make us try something that she baked during that show of hers again!"
The color seemed to drain from his face as his ears picked up the sound of happy hooves skipping about within the kitchen towards the door that separated him from whatever Discord spawned dish that was surely going to be forced upon him. "N-not again!" Pound quickly turned around started shaking his sister frantically. "I'm 18 years old and already get the worst heartburn of my life already!" Pound could feel the acid preemptively building up with his sister in very much the same mood.
"Hurry we need some kind of distraction." The twins ears darted toward the couple that had been oh so patiently waiting for their still pending order of brown betties only to see both ponies quickly galloping out the door.
"Pumpkin and Pouuuunnd, your favorite auntie Pinkie Pie has a surprise for youuu!!!" Both twins broke out in a panicked sweat as they felt their hearts go into a pre-session state or arrest. "Bring out the antacid, both the type that dissolves in water and the chewable chalky crap." Just as Pound ran off to do just that both ponies heard the telltale chiming of Sugar Cube Corner's front door opening. Frozen in place like statues the siblings could only move their eyes as a certain purple dragon rushed into the bakery.
"Hey Pound. Hey Pumpkin. Don't really have time to talk right now, but have either of you seen Pinkie?" It should have struck Spike odd how eagerly the cake twins nodded, and pointed toward the kitchen.
"She's all yours Spike! In fact I think now would be a great time to close the shop for a bit so that me and Pound can run away...err...I mean take a break while you and Pinkie Pie catch up." Before her brother could protest, or possibly utter out something that would doom all three of them instead of just the dragon Pumpkin Cake quickly clamped a hoof over her brother's mouth and dragged him out the front door.
Blinking in confusion for a second at the twin's antics Spike merely shrugged before he padded toward the kitchen door. "I think Pinkie's starting to rub off on those two."
"Who's rubbing their what?!" That one question was all the warning Spike received Pinkie Pie's pink, poofy-manned head poked out of the kitchen, and her blue eyes enlarged as they focused on the purple drake. "SPIIIIKE!"
"Oh uh hey Pinkie Pieeeaugh!"
Quicker than a mare her age really ought to be able to move logically, Pinkie Pie tossed a large bowl she had been carrying into the air, barreled into Spike with the force of a cannonball, and gave the near unconscious dragon a hug around his head that would have cracked the skull of any lesser being. "Aww it's soo good to see you Spikey! I haven't seen you since last..."
"T-Tuesday! Y-you saw me...l-last Tuesday Pinkie!"
"That was forever ago, and you know your bestest party pony misses you when she doesn't get her daily visit silly." As Pinkie Pie continued to happily squeeze the life out of Spike, the element of laughter suddenly remembered the bowl that she had left in suspended animation above them. "Ideaaa!"
"What?" Despite the spots now appearing in Spike's normally great eyesight, the drake inwardly sighed in relief that Pinkie's age had managed to dull her reality breaking feats of speed and strength. Five years prior to this Pinkie's enthusiastic 'playing' could have possibly snapped his spine.
"Well...I just happened to make a bowl of super yummy totally not life-threatening party recipe, annnnd my usual taste-testers are nowhere to be found."
Now fully realizing why the cakes twins had been so dead set on escaping Sugar Cube Corner, Spike rolled his eyes at being thrown under the bus without even being asked. "Alright chef Pinkie Pie, what do ya got for me today?"
"Oh nothing special.." At that exact moment, Pinkie held up her front left hoof, and a second later, the mysterious concoction landed perfectly on top. "...Just a half gallon of taurus juice, a dozen or so pounds of chocolate, and a few other super yummy things that were lying around.
Low and behold readers for there is hardly anything on this planet that can rival the digestive might of a dragon, or their incredibly low-standards for what they find worth taking a nip at. Cocking a raised eyebrow toward the beaming mare above him Spike paused a moment before uttering out an audible "Bring it on."
"That's my favorite dragon!" In a mere second Pinkie turned the bowl upside down, and dropped the bowl knowing that Spike would catch it. "Down the hatch!"
For a typical pony that creation of confections probably would have induced a food coma that would last for 10 years...for Spike it was a light snack. Snapping his jaws just a few times the purple drake consumed the entire contents of the bowl...and the bowl for good measure as well. Licking his lips Spike let out a belch as well as a small puff of emerald fire; though he certainly hadn't planned it he had enjoyed...whatever that was.
Making a mental note to ask for seconds at another time Spike picked himself off the floor so he could follow through with his task. "Pinkie, I need you to come to the Boutique in --" the drake was cut off mid-sentence by his pink friend.
"Half an hour Spikey Wikey. I woke up this morning with an upset stomach, shaking knees and springy ears. That told me everything I needed to know, congrats by the way." The fuchsia mare disappeared leaving a bewildered dragon in the middle of a messy bakery.
With gentle sigh, he left to continue his quest to gather the other element bearers, next stop being a cottage near the Everfree, though thanks to some new vegetation it was more of a Cabin in the Woods in more ways than one. |
There's Something About Nightmarity | Gathering The Middle Aged Mares of Harmony (Part 2) unedited | Nestled near the border of the Everfree forest though much larger now than it previously was stood a familiar cottage. If you were to assume this quaint home was peaceful and quiet then you'd be making an ass out of you and me. You see as the years passed by even the infamously timid, and self-conscious Fluttershy found the abstract thing we all call love and with that sprung forth a family.
Knowing that time was of the essence Spike wasted little of what he had left to sprint out of Ponyville, and down the path that would lead him to the pink-maned pegasus that he'd known since his first day in town. Taking a quick turn past a tree Spike could now see the enlarged cottage that had been Fluttershy's dwelling for oh so long, as well as hear a loud crash emerge from within it.
"Ha ha, you missed me!"
*FA-THUMP!*
"Stop hoggin it!"
"DAAAAD!"
The breaking of glass was the only warning allotted to Spike before a hoofball broke out of the front window, and flew toward his head like a missile. With a startled yelp Spike managed to duck just in time before the projective flew past his head and harshly imbedded itself into a tree behind him. "....I guess the kids are up."
"WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT RUNNING IN THE HOUSE!" Spike inwardly shivered as he distantly recalled how the loud, down to it's last nerve voice used to be only used in giving hesitant advice and profuse apologizing. Nowadays timid and shy just wasn't enough to keep one's family in line.
As the yells, sounds of furniture breakings and random 'eeyups' and 'nopes' continued on, Spike shook his head before picking himself back up, and making his way toward the door.
"WE'VE BEEN OVER THIS! STOP PUTTING ANGEL THE 4TH IN SLEEPER HOLDS!"
A cry of displeasure echoed from behind the door just as Spike's knuckle began to tap against it. *Knock* *Knock* *Knock!*
"ALL OF YOU BE QUIET RIGHT NOW!" Almost immediately the abode became deathly silent besides the sound of approaching hoof-steps, and a now much quieter voice called out from within. "Umm...just one minute..please."
As Spike waited his ears could pick up the hushed sounds of foals being herded out of the room, as well as a certain stallion of few words being threatened to keep the mentioned foals in line. After another minute a click was heard, and the door opened slightly revealing a bright aquamarine eye though somewhat bloodshot from a lack of sleep. "W-who is it?"
"Hey Fluttershy, it's me Spike!" While with anyone else Spike might have been a little ruffled to have a friend not recognize him immediately, he always made sure to give the cream colored pegasus a pass since he was well aware how much she'd been at her wits ends dealing with her sons.
"Oh Spike! It's so nice to see you! Did you and Rarity want to have another couples night out?" Fluttershy quickly opened the door more so to reveal herself...as well as a slightly roughed up living room to the drake.
"Not, quite, though Rarity's mane may give Aloe and Lotus more they bargained for during your next visit..."Spike shrugged before getting to the matter at claw. It was weird that he wasn't nearly as stressed out about all of this as he had been earlier this morning when he sent the letter. "...um, how do I put this without you freaking out? Nightmare Moon has made her way into Rarity again. Well, at least Rarity seemed like the one in charge this time, I think."
"N-Nightmare Moon?!" The butter yellow pegasus almost blunted out forgetting that her family was still within earshot of her and her guest.
"Yeah, well anyway I sent a letter to Twilight, could you be at the boutique by one o'clock."
"Okay, Spike. I'll be there shor--" Fluttershy was interrupted mid-sentence.
*CRASH!*
She looked to see the vase carrying her grandmother's ashes was currently smashed into a million pieces on the floor and she turned her gaze towards her children who were pointing their hooves at each other. "It was him!" They yelled in unison.
Seeing as that was his cue to get the Tartarus out of Dodge, the dragon sprinted away from the cottage and even as he made his way to Sweet Apple Acres he could still hear faint yelling in the background.
It was another fantastic day on Sweet Apple Acres, the sun was shining, Applejack was enjoying the sight of a job well done in record time thanks in no small part to her awesome wife Rainbow Dash and her wonderful husband Soarin. While, her brother and Fluttershy had their hooves full with their foals and the budding new apple crop near the Butterfly Sanctuary, the main Apple homestead was a little chunk of Elysium mostly thanks to supersonic speed of two of the fastest pegasi in Equestria.
It also didn't hurt that Rainbow Dash's dad: Dio foalsat for them every chance he got, something about spoiling his them rotten made the retired roadie happy.
All in all the small herd looked like ponies half their age largely in part to having relatively stress free lives.
Applejack had just finished loading the last hay stack into the barn, her work ending to the smell of freshly baked pie and Dash yelling something about miller time. For the middle-aged earth pony life couldn't get any sweeter; she had her health, the orchard was doing better than ever thanks to the assistance of the two athletic ponies in her life and...Oh it was probably worth mentioning that the pony with the more ironed out family values out of the bunch had settled down with not only a pegasus husband, but a pegasus wife as well. Who'd have figured?
"Heyyy ladies! Grubs nearly finished so get those fine tails in here before I eat it all." Applejack had to chuckle at her husband's hollered words as she wiped the sweat off her brow. True to his words the ex-Wonderbolt would happily eat every last crumb himself if kept waiting for too long; AJ smugly chalked it down to Soarin appreciating the value of an apple brand pie. Just as the earth mare was turning to head back to the house her emerald eyes picked up on a familiar purple shape making way towards her.
"Now there's a sight for sore eyes." Choosing to patiently wait for the fast approaching drake Applejack, made a mental note to have her apron wearing hubby bring the food outside; it was too damn nice a day outside to be chowing down indoors.
Happy to see that the more grounded of his friends was waiting for him Spike slowed his sprint to a slow trot so that he could better catch his breath. With time quickly running out before he figured Twilight would show up the dragon really wanted to have everyone assembled. "Yo AJ!"
"Howdy Spike, fancy seein' you this far outta town." AJ tipped her hat in greeting once her draconian friend stopped just a few feet away from her.
"You could say that...as much as I wish it was just a nice visit I'm here to."
"Hey Soarin!" Cutting off Spike before he could finish his message the farm pony whipped her head around to look toward her home. "How bout you bring them fixins outside, oh and bring a fourth place. We've got some company today."
Spike's ears could barely hear the sound of Soarin saying something in reply, as well as what sounded like a certain rainbow maned pegasus chirping in from elsewhere.
"Ah tell you what Spike, Ah'd never have figured Soarin for the kitchen type, but boy-howdy can that stud work his way around a pie." Applejack had to fight the urge to snicker at her own accidental innuendo; apparently all the time spent with Rainbow Dash was rubbing off on her.
"Well that's great, and all AJ, but I..."
"You know Ah never put much stock into them between meals, but Ah'll have to admit after seein' what Soarin can do in the kitchen as well as learnin' how pegasi eat like bloomin' birds warmin' up to 'brunch' was easier than Ah thought it'd be." Not noticing the slightly off-out expression on Spike's face from being interrupted AJ turned back to the drake to give him a warm smile. "Ah hope you don't mind sittin' a spell with us and havin' a bite to eat. Like ah said that husband of mine's got a knack for pie."
"I know someone else who knows their way around a pie." Landing in a stylish manner right next to the orange furred mare, one Rainbow Dash shot her life-partner a half-lidded smirk causing the earth pony to blush slightly. "Yo Spike, didn't know you were stopping by."
"Hey Dash, yeah it's a bit unexpected but I..."
"He's here to snag a bite to eat with us Dashy, hope you didn't go and drink all the cider by yourself." The sheepish grin on the pegasi's face was proof enough that Dash had been stealing a few sips without either of her spouses.
"You know what AJ that really hurts." Rainbow Dash's expression changed to mock annoyance whilst Applejack rolled her eyes in good humor, and Spike sighed to himself for getting cut-off again. "Apple cider doesn't taste half as good without a slice of 'Apple pie'."
Soarin not seeing the exchange between his wives as he trotted toward the group piped in after hearing his wife's last sentence. "Nothing taste better than her warm gooey sticky apple pie."
"What about mine!" Dash always the competitive one complained, well that was until she realized that he was talking about actual food or so she thought as she felt a wing brush against her flank, "I love yours too, though yours is a bit more of a lemon meringue." (pie related dirty puns FTW) I'm oddly proud of that.
Spike was watching this entire scene unfurl, he coughed into his fist catching their attention.
Trying to alleviate the awkward moment, Soarin spoke up. "So who's ready for brunch?" Both mares were quick to shout out "Me!", and right when Spike thought he could get a word in edgewise his eardrums were filled with the cacophony that is three ponies diving face first into pie pans...that is until Applejack had to come back up for air.
"You know *munch* we still gotta get that *chew* dang ol *chomp* plow replaced before *eating noise* your pa brings the kids back Dash."
Ears perked up from the being reminded about her hyperactive offspring the rainbow maned pony uttered a reply which involved a few casual swears, and pie crumbs peppering the air. To most this would probably be off-putting, or rude but in the apple family it was pretty close to fancy talk.
Sadly at the moment Spike wasn't feeling like 'apple family'' no instead he was feeling like that dragon who ran all the way up to your farm to deliver an important message while he was one a tight schedule and you haven't taken a single moment to let him talk. As patient of a drake he may have been...we all have your limits dear reader.
"Speaking of plow AJ I was..."
"By Celestia's beard will you guys shut up for just a one moment here!" Spike's frustrated shout was loud enough that at that very moment a certain alicorn avatar of the sun above's eye twitched momentarily before she started to fret over her non-existent facial hair.
"....sheeh Spike if you had something you wanted to say...just spit it out man." Being the laid back pegasus she'd always been Dash took next to no offense to Spike's outburst.
"Yeah sugarcube, if there's something you need to be tellin' us why'd you wait till we had brunch all ready?" Any irritation AJ might have had was instantly smothered by her ability to sense when something was amiss in the world.
"It's cause I was trying to...then you started...oh forget it." Pinching the bridge of his snout for just a moment Spike looked back to the concerned trio to and proceeded to inform them of the impending situation that loomed over his home at the boutique.
"...and that's why I'm here to fetch you fetch you two so that in case things get a bit out of whack we can--"
"I think we get it champ." Chuckling at the slight scowl Spike had instantly dawned from being interrupted again Rainbow Dash quickly shared a nod with AJ before turning to Soarin. "Alright then me and applebuns are gonna follow Spike to the boutique, Soarin, baby you stay here and hold down the fort."
Though not an element of harmony Soarin had braced himself for action, and was visibly perplexed at being told to sit this one out. "But ain't you gals (and Spike) gonna need all help you can get skittle tail?"
"Yeah, normally, but remember my dad Dio is due here any minute with the foals and I know out of the three of us you're the best choice for keeping them under control by yourself."
Though she'd never admit it, Rainbow Dash was the one who had changed th most significantly and while she could get up to speeds that'd put most younger ponies to shame, she was also a mother, a wife and a wife once more and had grown into her roles with her own sense of flair.
With a quick nod Soarin gave his rainbow-maned wife a quick Wonderbolts salute before he began gathering up the plates to take back inside. On the sidelines Spike watched with an impressed expression; he hadn't seen that coming.
"Ah reckon that gal really does set a heart on fire when she gets to actin all tough." From right next to Spike, Applejack let a smirk grow across her face as she noticed Rainbow Dash blush in response.
"I'll agree to that hun, now hurry up and fix all this Nightmare business so I can show ya both how much I like a mare who can take charge." Faster than the renowned Dash herself for a split second, Soarin zipped up to both of his wives and gave them an affection peck on the lips before trotting back toward the house.
Meanwhile back at The Legion of Doo...err...I mean The Carousel Boutique
"Oh how wonderful, the dragon is gonna bring the menagerie of middle-aged mares you call friends." Nightmare said with an aura of smugness. "Can't wait to see the purple body snatcher. I got some choice words for her, none of which are meant for polite conversation outside of a kennel."
"Try to be on your best behavior for both our sakes. I already have enough on my plate from this whole ordeal and I don't need you making things any more complicated."
If she had the ability, the fashionista's spectral guest would have rolled her own eyes. "Don't act like you don't like it? You like the power, the body and the near alicorn perfection."
"..." Rarity wouldn't admit it, but the dark moon princess had a point.
"All you do is take and all I do is give. I will admit I have my flaws. I've made it no secret that I have dreams of world conquest and have killed thousands without remorse, but need just move past that; it's not I killed anyone you know...yet. At least I won't kill Spi...err the dragon."
"So, no murdering my husband?"
"He amuses me, do not not press the subject any farther."
Their exchange was cut short as what sounded like several ponies were congregating outside the dress shop.
"Looks like the Hag Nags of Harmony have arrived. Oh, woe is me." Nightmare remarked snidely. "I'm simply trembling in fear of Celestia's Purple Puppet, the Technicolor Donkey, the Diabetus, the Redneck and the...um... hold on...I'll think of something...uh...the Butter Colored Moron. Yeah, they all can't be win--"
Nightmare was interrupted by a frustrated Rarity. "Will you stop this insistent name calling?!"
However, what the fashionista failed to acknowledge were the five ponies and one dragon staring at her as she continued to argue with herself in two completely different voices. This was interrupted when Fluttershy coughed.
"Um...Hey girls?" |
A Sweet Taste of Cake | pre | With a sigh the two lifted themselves from the bench. Carrot grabbed up the hidden picnic basket and laid a few bits in the big glass jar that sat before the gazebo. As the band gathered their things up, they wished the two goodnight, and with that Carrot let Cupcake lead him towards what he assumed was her home.
"Oh, wow! You have a beautiful house!" he said, looking upon the tall, pillared dwelling, one so large it was visible even as they turned down the block.
"It's-it's not mine... I'm-I'm staying with Ivory and her family for the moment," spoke Cupcake, her voice falling down into a tremble. Carrot almost tripped over the tone. It was so different from anything he had heard from her. He nearly stopped to ask her if anything was wrong, but at once she gave a small laugh and pointed to the wide porch as they entered the gates around the house and its garden.
"Oh look," she said in a tone that was at the same time sarcastic and happy, "Mother has waited up for me."
Carrot ran his hoof through his mane, ran his tongue across his teeth to make sure none of his dinner clung there in anticipation of meeting her family. Still, even as he readied himself, he wondered why Cupcake's mother would be at Ivory's house.
As he got his first look, he realized why Cupcake was still giggling.
Ivory herself smiled upon them as he led Cupcake up the steps, the other mare moving aside to make room for them.
"Oh no, Ive! Did I miss curfew?" Cupcake asked in a falsely painted tone of worry.
"Oh, Cuppy!" she said with a laugh. As the two mares turned back to face Carrot, their expressions fell. As the colt stood there in the porch lights, his smile was small, his unhappiness hidden behind it poorly.
"Carrot, Carrot... what's wrong?" asked Cupcake, trotting back over to him.
"Miss Cupcake," he said, his ears falling back in worry. "Now... now that it's over, I-I have to ask. Despite-despite the swans, and the salad, and not actually doing all that much..."
He took a little breath.
"Miss Cupcake, did you have a good time? May-may I see... may I see you again?"
He took a much larger breath.
"I-I really enjoyed being with you. Did-did you enjoy spending time with-with me? I really hope you did. I really, really hope..."
Equestrians rub noses on any number of occasions, and it is not simply reserved for those whom are growing their relationship.
The act occupies a position in their interactions that say many things. An elementary student may rub noses with a favored teacher on the last day of school. A child might rub noses with a beloved cousin whom they have not seen in months.
A colt may often rub noses with both of his parents before he leaves for university for the first time, or when all of his things depart their home for the last time.
It is an appropriate greeting for a pony to give their parents on the occasion of handing them their newborn grandchildren.
It is that much more than a hug, that much less than a kiss. So, it must be said, that one was offered up at the end of a first date means that things must have gone very well indeed by most measurable standards.
"Yes," it said, as Cupcake took a step forward, lifted her nose to his, "I did have a good time... I promise I did."
"Yes," the act spoke as he lowered himself slightly into her, let her begin the small warm motion. "Yes, please, I do want to see you again."
"Yes," it called in very clear terms as they touched themselves to each other, let the feeling of this contact fly between them for a long moment, "I really, really, really like being with you."
Ivory looked upon them with a small smile as they lifted their noses from one another, looked at one another for a long while as they said their goodbyes.
"Carrot?" came Cupcake's voice, lifted into the cool breeze of the spring night.
"Miss Cupcake?" he answered, teetering slightly on the stairs.
"Would you please just call me 'Cupcake' from now on?" she asked as she stood in the doorway. "I'd like it if you would, you know."
"Oh, of course," replied the colt, tilting his head to watch her as the door slowly closed. "Of course. Goodnight, Cupcake."
"Goodnight!" she called back as the thick white door closed behind her.
That was too bad, as through the door she could not see how he had taken a deep breath, how he had gone cantering off through the garden towards the gate with a large dopey smile across his face.
She could not see how he had spun, had given joyful whoops as he leapt through the air like a wild horse, his joy running through him.
Even when he was far beyond the door, he was still running, laughing and calling out joyfully. Out he went, running through the fields beyond the city, dashing among the fireflies that flickered and lit in the wake of his passing.
"She wants to see me again!" he called aloud as he ran past the trees behind the old dancehall.
His calls immediately stopped and his eyes went wide as he tripped over one of the many strings of causality that had been built that day, this one taking the form of a couple who had been hidden among the tall grasses.
As he rubbed his head, he looked back at the scowling stallion and giggling mare. For a brief moment, he could not decide whether to apologize or ask for relationship advice.
Back within the house the big door came closed, and at once an enthusiastic Ivory had spun to entreat upon her dearest friend.
"From that display of affection I take it that it went well indeed," she began. Soon all she could do was look at Cupcake. The mare stood in the hallway, her hoof lifted to her face, resting upon it lightly as she smiled and smiled and smiled.
"Oh, Cupcake, do stop!" giggled Ivory.
"Stop what, Ive?" answered Cupcake in a small tone.
"You're beaming! You're simply radiant, Cuppy!" answered the smiling mare as she lifted her hoof. Slowly, gently she turned Cupcake's face towards the tall hallway mirror.
Cupcake looked deep within, saw her wide smile, saw in that reflection a look of happiness upon her face that she had never seen before. It seemed almost to encompass all of her; it was almost as though a visible aura of contentment had swept the length of her body.
"He just wants to be with me, Ive, he doesn't want anything from me except to just be with me. I-I fell asleep with my head to his chest..."
Cupcake stood staring into the mirror, her hoof moving slowly to her nose. Ivory stared on with a wide smile, tilting her head back and forth to ponder her friend.
"Oh, Ive," Cupcake finally sighed, her voice at first soft and rolling around inside an emotion and then ending in a high tone of realization, "I'm falling in love, Ive... I'm falling in love!"
Ivory lifted Cupcake's chin so that her head rested across her withers. Gathering her friend into a deep hug she spoke softly, rocking her back and forth.
"I am so happy for you, Cuppy," she said as she smiled. "Oh, Cuppy, I am so happy for you!"
Even as that evening drew to a close for Cupcake and Carrot, the strings of causality upon which they had plucked continued to make their quiet music.
In the reaches beyond Ponyville there sat a little farmhouse. Even as the dark of the spring night settled around the house, as the little voices of the insects leapt out across the farm, a single room within was still illuminated by candlelight.
The stallion walked slowly up and down the room, listening with a tired smile as the foal upon his back went on and on and on about her latest triumph.
"Those were the biggest balloons yet! They were balloon-tastic! Balloon-erific! Do you think we can find bigger balloons next week? How about brighter paper for the presents! Ohhh! That's right, I'm out of ribbon! I need more ribbon! Daddy, daddy! How about a pinata that looks like..."
At once she stopped. He was almost as surprised by her sudden silence as he had been by her waking calls, the ones that had sent him into her room in alarm. The stallion turned, looked at her with a thankful smile as a great vast yawn consumed the face of his little filly.
"Here now, time for bed," he said as the filly slowly laid her head against his withers once more.
"But... I wanna plan my next party," she said blearily as her mother entered the room on quiet hooves.
"Hush, hush, hush," spoke her mother, "How can you be so mean to tomorrow?"
"What?" asked the little pony, almost surprised by her mother's question, "Whatcha mean by 'mean', momma?"
"With all the wonderful things tomorrow has planned for you, how can you still be awake?" asked her mother with a small smile.
"Omigosh!" called the little filly, her head wobbling around in tiredness. "If I don't go to sleep it can't be tomorrow! It'll still be today, kinda!"
With that she reached out her foreleg, let her mother lift her gingerly, and with that revelation, the three went up the stairs.
They entered the room quietly, did their best to let the other two fillies sleep as they laid this one into her bed.
"Goodnight kiss, goodnight kiss, oh how I wish I wish..." began the little filly as they tucked her in, the singsong becoming quieter as she went.
"Oh wait," she said as they planted their kisses upon her in turn, "kiss and... wish, don't... rhyme..."
With that the little filly was asleep.
As they made their way out of the room, the mare was surprised that he did not follow her to their bedroom. Instead, he headed down the stairs, and soon the sound of the door opening sounded through the house.
"Clyde?" she asked in a worried tone as she followed, her hooves silent upon the stairs, going gingerly out into the night air.
She found him sitting not far from the house. The stallion sat there, staring up to the night sky, looking to the panorama of stars that sat over his farm.
"Clyde?" she asked again as she sat beside her husband. "Dear, are you well? Are you not tired, love?"
"I have flowin' through me enough sugar to keep me awake long inta' a fortnight," he said with a small laugh.
Roxy laid her head on his withers, sighed in sympathy.
"If it all makes her happy," he said, leaning his head upon hers, "I shall have a party every week for the rest of me days... I shall have parties until me blood runs frostin' and I sweat punch and cider."
The two laughed, looked out to the starscape beyond the rock farm.
"Oh Roxy," he said, closing his eyes and drawing her closer to him. "She saved us all, made this family happy and whole with her mark, bless her."
"Our Pinkamena," said the mare, drinking in his warmth as the spring chill set in, "all spark and smiles. The girls are so happy now, how much better these weeks have been..."
Clyde's head fell, and at once she drew him up.
"What's wrong, love?" she asked, nuzzling beneath his chin.
"I have nothin' for her, Roxy, I don't have anything except my heart to give her. I know nothin' of the world her mark has opened up for her... I have only ever been... quiet. You know that."
Clyde swallowed hard, his head falling once again. Inside a moment he felt her hooves touching beneath his chin, gently lifting his face to look into hers.
"You've only ever been my stallion, Clyde. You've only ever been the stallion I've loved. Whatever the future holds you'll find a way for her, for all our girls. I know that... I believe that," she said, slowly raising herself to him, rising to lay her cheek to his.
He held his mare there, beneath the stars, as he looked out across the stretches of fields of rock. Soon Clyde closed his eyes, gathered her deeper into himself, and shared his warmth with her.
He opened his eyes, looked out across the fields, and breathed a gentle Invoke.
"Oh Celestia," he whispered. "Help me. This isn't to be her world. Help me, let me find some place for my Pinkie, help me make her happy..."
With that the two stood, she motioning for him to follow, to make for their room and the bed beyond wherein they would lie in their shared embrace and await the coming day.
He went with her, his hoof in hers, as they made for the door.
Yet even as they went, his ears perked up. Strings of causality flowed from the rock farm, snapping taut to ponies far over the hills in Ponyville.
As these connections were made, it seemed to him that a voice carried on the small spring breeze, only just audible over the sounds of the insects that chirped happily in the spring night.
Clyde shook his head, laughed to himself as he opened the door for his wife. He must have eaten far too many cupcakes, he thought, if he was hearing things on the breeze.
With that they disappeared inside, and night finally settled around the little farmhouse.
The breeze blew once more, and though there were now no ponies there to hear the murmur, it seemed to repeat itself.
"Fear not. Don't be afraid," it seemed to whisper in the slightest of divine giggles. "I am working upon it. I am working upon it indeed."
Being Quarry means that you learned very quickly that if ponies look upon you, they either feel a smirking superiority or fear. You prefer fear.
Being Quarry means that they will try to use big fancy words to confuse you or intimidate you into doing things their way. You silence them with acts of savagery and then do things your way.
Being Quarry means knowing that some ponies will talk down to you like a child. You learned long ago to answer them with shouts of wrath.
Being Quarry means knowing all of these things, and sitting up long into the night wondering if it ever could have been any different. |
A Sweet Taste of Cake | The Game of This | Chapter 3: The Game of This
With the roof settled and set, it certainly seemed very much like a gingerbread house.
Carrot looked to her, listened as she hummed in reflection upon the creation as it came together.
It looked like a gingerbread house, but only in the vaguest of terms. It was only so much gingerbread, held in place with thick white frosting that quickly dried and began to chip and flake.
Carrot looked past the great dollop frosting that sat upon his own nose, smiled as he heard her laughing at the way his eyes crossed to ponder it.
He watched as she quietly gathered up the next bit of their work, the thinner frosting, more decorative and better able to hold the candy and treats they would be affixing.
He let her lead, knew to let her decide how this next part would play out. Thus they played to her strengths, her decisiveness and insight. As such, they went back and forth from their own strengths, each relying on the other's talents as they had long ago learned to do...
The spring was full now and moving into summer. As a very, very happy colt trotted through the village, he whistled to himself and barely could keep from smiling.
These weeks, these blessed, happy weeks, had been some of the best of Carrot's life.
As the weekend approached, his heart would grow fuller, know that he would soon be with her. Even the very thought that she would be visiting the mill with Ivory was enough to add bounce to his steps, drawing him quickly towards the big brick building that sat in the morning light beyond the bridge.
He would happily endure the long hours in the bagging stall if it meant that she would sit next to him during his break, that she would share the lunch that she had made for him. How happily he would whistle and hum as the afternoon wore on and on, just her presence in the building being enough to get him through the tedious work.
And then, as the whistle blew, he would quickly trot down the stairs and meet her with a nuzzle outside the office door, simply swim in the simple joy of walking her home.
Well, not home, to Ivory's. Did she even have a home? Had she lived here in Ponyville?
Carrot skidded across the bridge a touch, the bounce coming out of his step. He looked down at the river and pondered the mill wheel for a moment.
There were still things he did not know about her, things she had not told him. His face dropped as he looked at his own reflection in the pond far below. Of course she had not, he thought, why would she?
She was under no obligation, he had not told her everything either. He had let her take the lead, had hoped that she would want to let him into her life more than she had to this point. But, she had not. There were still things she was hiding from him.
Hiding? Carrot shook his head, scowled at the under-bitten colt in the waters below, the orange freckles standing out on the amber coat even as the waters shimmered below.
He wouldn't believe it... there was no reason to believe it. He trusted her, knew that she was opening herself up to him more each time they met. She nuzzled him so freely now, spoke so easily in his presence. Everything that he knew about mares, or thought he knew, told him that the promise made at the touch of their noses those two months ago was true. She did want to be with him, to be near him, just as much as he longed to be with her.
So, why was not she telling him these things?
He lifted his head, gave a snort of determination. He would deal with these things if and when the time came. He would trust her first, let her decide how it moved.
With that, the thought of looking into those rose colored eyes filled him, and these issues slipped away as he trotted over the bridge to the mill beyond.
Carrot came trotting around the mill only to discover the unusual sight of his co-workers standing back from the door. As he looked to them, he saw an expression of apprehension across their faces.
The bell in the city had not yet begun to toll out the hour, yet even though he was early as always, it was not the usual scene of happy chatting that had met him. Instead a very palpable cloud of unease hung over them.
"Hey," Carrot said, turning to Soap Suds, "what's..."
At once an audible crash resonated throughout the interior of the mill. The cacophony was quickly repeated; something large and ceramic seemed to burst apart across the windows of the large doors, flying into pieces as the staff looked on.
The doors came open, thrown wide violently, and a bellowing voice screamed invectives from within.
At once a stallion is a seersucker suit came galloping out of the mill, his eyes wide with fear. He turned, looked back, called for somepony to follow him in a voice that was alive with panic.
As he did, a briefcase struck him, thrown directly at him. As it popped open, he tripped down the stairs, landed with a cry of pain. As papers floated around him, the stallion fought to his hooves.
No sooner had he done so than another stallion landed upon him, this one having been thrown bodily from the building. He cried out in pain as he landed half upon his comrade and half upon the gravel of the walkway.
"What in the Well is wrong with you?!" the first stallion called up to the door as he tried to help his partner to his hooves, "What in the Well are you..."
He stopped, his fear now matching that which his business partner had worn only a few minutes before.
A hush fell over the assembled mill workers as a massive shadow appeared in the doorway. There, an immense, steaming, foaming stallion appeared. Rage was written across his face, and as he eyed the two businessponies, the assembly took a step backwards.
"Comin' in here all slick with fat promises and snake oil! You had a deal! A contract! You lied to him, lied!"
The words rang out, the tone of the stallion high, enraged.
"Lyin', thievin' garbage!" be bellowed.
"It's just business!" answered the first stallion to have left the building, flinging papers into the briefcase as his nose bled. His words seemed only to make the vast stallion madder and at once he began diving down the stairs, sending the two stallions running in terror through the assembled workers. As they went, the second one hobbled along, grasping at the other as they fled.
"You little piece of..." roared the stallion, rearing, scanning for them through the crowd that stepped back in fright.
"Quarry!"
Silence fell over the scene. The only sound that Carrot could make out in the hush that followed was the heaving and the gasping for breath of this immense stallion, the whispers of curses that still dripped from his lips.
"Dammit, Quarry!" called Ledger from the top of the stairs. "Every time you come around it costs me a supplier!"
The vast stallion, Quarry, lifted his head and cast his eyes over the crowd of workers. Carrot saw the muscles still twitching beneath the tan coat, saw the eyes fall over the workers who looked away or startled as he looked upon them.
Soon Quarry turned, cantered back up the steps and within as Ledger shook his head.
Moments passed. Eventually small talk broke out as the workers made their way towards the doors. Even as he was buffeted by the crowd and was carried along, Carrot tried to grab at snippets of conversations that floated around him.
"... and said that they wanted a new contract or they'd seek legal..."
"Oh Celestia, I've not been so afraid in years."
"... and Miss Ivory and her friend looked so scared."
Carrot bolted in place, his head going back and forth, searching the crowd. He did not see them, did not see the two the mares. Terrible thoughts flew through him, and at once he felt himself fighting forward through the crowd.
They were skipping the office; no pony was stopping to sign in on the timesheet. As he got nearer, he realized why there were no long, slow lines of ponies going through the practiced motion.
He fought to get into the office, literally crashed to the floor as he hurdled through the flow of workers. His hooves splayed out around him as hit the floor, as he lifted his head searching for her.
The mares were right in front of him, and as he raised himself, he attempted to gauge their expressions. Instead, all he could really do was try to grab their attention as they stared at the door to Ledger's office.
A loud voice flowed from within, and to Carrot's surprise, it was Ledger's, not that of the terrifying stallion. Carrot shook himself and spoke her name.
"Cupcake..." he called as he raised his hoof to her, some part deep within him desperate to get her away from this place.
To his utter shock and complete amazement, she simply stood still, a look of restrained worry and panic hanging over her.
Carrot floated in a world of astonishment. Why? Why would she rather stay here with the presence of the big, threatening stallion just beyond the doors than come out with him?
Did she not want to leave Ivory alone? Was she trying to stay near Ledger, did she find him safer to be with?
"Cupcake?" he asked again softly, his foreleg lifting to her, begging with her to come away from the loud voices that sounded out in the room beyond.
He saw only the fear behind her eyes, saw worry and concern hidden there, and a part of himself demanded that he stay put.
As the door to Ledger's office came open that was the part he answered.
He quickly gathered up a pencil, sought his slot on the timesheet, and began attempting to write his name with his hooves rather than gather it to his mouth... the polite way to do so with a communal item.
"I'm sorry, Ledger," came a deep voice, a powerful one that rumbled around the room. "Ya' know how I feel about... loyalty, promises. How... upset, I get when ponies break their word."
The presence of Quarry filled the room. He filled the room as though with an aura of power and barely hidden suspicion.
"I need a minute," spoke a tired looking Ledger as he closed the door to his office, sealing the two mares and the colt in the room with the huge stallion.
Silence hovered there for a moment, only the sound of the deep breaths of the stallion and Carrot scratching out his name breaking it in that uncomfortable moment.
At once came hooffalls, and soon Carrot felt the eyes of the stallion on him, felt the heavy breath crossing over his back.
Carrot fought to finish writing his name, tried his best to seem casual as he lowered the pencil back down into the tray.
"Cake, huh?" spoke the stallion, utterly ignoring any respect for Carrot's personal space as he leaned in next him. "How long have ya' worked here, colt?"
The tone was not polite. I was an inquiry, a retrieval of information, and a part of Carrot sensed that the stallion was not looking for general conversation.
Carrot turned, looked up into the face of the stallion. "A-about four months, sir," he said, trembling a bit despite his determination not to.
"Figured that's why I don't know who the buck you are," said the stallion, dropping his voice, seeming only now to have recovered his breath. "You're one of the new crew Ledger brought in. You know how lucky you are, colt?"
"Y-Yessir, I-I do," stammered Carrot, "Mr. Ledger's been very g-good to me to g-give me this job while-while I... while I try to find something that m-matches my mark..."
The stallion stared back at Carrot for a long while. As he did Carrot felt himself becoming smaller, felt himself stepping back towards the timesheet on uncertain hooves.
Even as this stallion eyed him, Carrot could not help but notice that he was older, perhaps more than a decade older. Perhaps even two, as far as the Well knew. As the stallion kept his eyes on him, Carrot saw the look that dwelt in them. Past their searching and judging hung a look that Carrot could only describe as... hunted.
"They're good folk, Ledger and his kin," said the stallion as his breath steamed over Carrot, almost gagging him.
The stallion turned slowly. Carrot felt revulsion crawling over him as the stallion stood between him and the mares, as the stallion let a big smile cross his face.
"Good folks. Folks with a pretty daughter who's as smart as a whip," spoke the stallion, opening his mouth wide with a smile. Carrot at once wanted to leap to the mares, grab up Cupcake and Ivory too if he could and dive with them through the distant windows to safety.
The casual ease with which Quarry walked around the room, the way his eyes hung over the mares... these sent waves of panic through the colt.
"Thank-thank you," breathed Ivory as she painted a small smile.
"I'm sorry you girls saw me this way," said the stallion, turning towards the large chairs that lined the back wall of the office, "I get... upset, you know..."
Carrot watched with disgust and apprehension as the stallion laid upon the chair with a grunt, his huge hooves striking the ground with deliberate sounds.
His eyes flashed to Cupcake. She was motioning to him, begging him to move. "Go!" she mouthed. "Please!"
Carrot looked to the large stallion that made groaning sounds as he adjusted himself and then back to Cupcake with trepidation. "I don't want to leave you here, I don't want to leave you alone with..." said his eyes.
"Please..." hers replied.
It took nearly everything he could muster, but as ten thousand different parts within him begged him not to, he turned from the office and made for his bagging stall high above.
He started off at a walk, but was soon cantering... cantering the length of the mill until his hooves struck the stairs. As he stumbled up them, he let out little breaths, and inside his mind unhappy thoughts set themselves firmly.
Long hours passed, and as time sped on, Carrot simply went through the motions of his work, became an automaton. His thoughts lingered over what had transpired in the office below. Confusion drifted over him, rocked through his guts.
Press the clutch, take out the old bag, place the new one, drop the clutch, lift the bag to the slowly lifting containers and ponder why she had begged him to go. Press the clutch, take out the old bag, place the new one, drop the clutch, lift the bag to the slowly endlessly turning bins and fret over it some more.
At once the touch of a soft hoof to his outstretched leg snapped him out of his worried thoughts.
He looked down to where it lay upon him. He placed his hoof over hers without looking up, almost reflexively, as though it were the most natural act in the world.
"Oh, Carrot..."
Rose-colored eyes looked up to him, and as he stared down into them he tilted his head back and forth.
"Please, oh Carrot, please come with me. Please come with me right now..."
She pulled on him gently, looked down to where Ivory stood motioning to Trammel. As the supervisor pulled the safety once more, she guided him out of the stall, saw the questions that sat behind those green eyes.
As Trammel nodded, she led him past all of the belts and wheels, leading him down the stairs and out into the late morning sun.
The entirety of the staff of bagging floor watched them go, watched the two ponies go down the stairs and out through the mill below.
Soon Ivory cleared her throat, and all looked to her as she spoke.
"I-I'm afraid I need your assistance," she said as her voice broke slightly. "In a personal matter."
Carrot let her lead him, lead him as far as she wanted to go. He let her lead him until her hoof dropped and she looked up and down the road in worry, as though she were searching for something.
He watched as her hoof covered her mouth, as her head shifted and trembled. At once she turned to him, asked him to follow with her eyes, a wordless entreat hiding behind them.
He, of course, followed.
Soon they were trotting across the bridge, their hooves sounding out across the boards. To his surprise they went down the embankment just at the end of the bridge, and for a moment, he thought that they were headed for the very same spot where they had shared their swan-infested lunch upon the blanket weeks before.
His surprise grew as he cleared the bushes and, instead of heading down the worn path, he felt her tug him beneath the abutment of the bridge itself.
She drew him far beneath it, up against the very cool stones to where the wood of the bridge dove into the masonry. A musty smell hovered in the cool air.
"Cupcake," he asked, softly, "what, what is..."
Almost immediately she had pressed herself against him, placed her chest to his so firmly that his rear legs collapsed. Soon he was sitting upon the cool stones. She pressed further; diving into his chest until her head rested against the side of his neck, as she gave small concerned sighs and sat before him. Soon he felt himself stroking her forelegs with his hooves in worry for her.
"Oh, Carrot..."
"Cupcake, are-are you okay? W-what's going on?" he asked once more, still drawing his hooves up and down her forelegs slowly, as though trying to ease a fear in her that he sensed but could not name.
"Carrot," she asked, "do you trust me? Do you trust me, Carrot?"
"Yes," he answered without hesitation, "yes, Cupcake, I trust you. I do, Cupcake."
He felt her take a few more deep breaths. In a moment, she lifted herself from him. She took a step back, her rear hooves skidding slightly across the slick round stones that made up the interior of the abutment.
She looked to the stones and then back up to him, reaching out her hoof. As he placed his upon it, she breathed a sad truth.
"Oh Carrot, this is going to be hard for you. Carrot, I-I'm keepin' something from you... I have somethin' I haven't been sharing with you..."
Carrot nodded to her.
"Go, go on Cupcake, I trust you...you, can tell me anything," he beseeched, leaning his head forward, encouraging her to give up whatever secret was troubling her so deeply. "There's noth-nothing you can tell me that..."
"Oh, no, Carrot, that's not what I mean!" she spoke as she looked him fully in the face, hers beginning to wrinkle with anxiety. "What I'm telling ya' is that I am going to keep something from you. That there's something I'm not going to tell you."
Cupcake watched the color drain out of him.
"I, I have to do this, Carrot!" she exclaimed, her voice ringing off of the wooden parts of the bridge above. "I've been thinking about this since the second I got home, well... to Ive's, from our first date! From the moment Ivory learned that she was a finalist for the internship... this is my plan, Carrot. I, I can't think of any other way for us to... to...!"
Carrot's head followed her as she wiped her hooves together, watched her swing her head back and forth. As he did, he saw her thinking, running through something in her mind. At once the decisiveness and planning, that part of her, her strength that he so admired was at the surface and steaming away, scheming...
... scheming so that they could be together.
"This is the only way I can think to do it, Carrot. This, this is all we can do..."
He did not understand. His confusion mixed with feelings he did not want, did not like associating with her. He had so many questions. Why... what was keeping them from being together in her eyes? All he knew was that she seemed to be in pain, filled with worry. "This" was causing her to fret and be bothered. "This" was causing tears to well up at the edge of those perfect rosy eyes.
Suddenly he hated "This." He hated "This", and he did not even know what "This" was.
"Oh, Carrot, please don't be mad!" she said, catching the reflection of the emotion. "Please don't be upset with..."
She gave a small yelp. Before she even had time to understand what had happened, she was caught up in his embrace, was once more deep in his chest, and her fear melted into him and was dissipated through him.
He held her close, held her until her heartbeat slowed to match his, until her fretful breaths matched his measured ones and she was again calm.
"I trust you, Carrot. I'm-I'm falling in love with you, and I..." she said as she let the tension fall out of her, "this is the only way I can think to keep... keep things from ending up like..."
"Cupcake," he interrupted, "does, does 'This' end with you safe and happy, able to see yourself as-as being with me?"
There was so much more that Cupcake had wanted to tell him. She had wanted to tell him that there were two players in the game that "This" entailed, and that even as they sat here beneath the bridge Ivory was explaining the rules to the mill workers, that she had been spreading word through all of Ponyville.
In "The Game of This", all of the participants, she had wanted to tell him, were cheering for him... for them.
She had told him that she was falling in love, not that she was, because she did not know what that looked like, felt like, tasted like. She had not been allowed to... she had never been given the opportunity. She tried to think of a way to explain that but, instead, an idea caught happily inside her.
Instead, she decided to forego those words. Instead, she lifted her nose, answered his questions by once more inviting him into her warm touch. Slowly he lowered his nose to hers, and slowly the motions fell between them in long circles. Soon they were touching their faces to one another, laying her cheek to his, neck to neck until their heads lay across the withers of the other.
Suddenly, he loved "This". He loved "This" and he did not even know what "This" was.
Across the river a whistle sounded out, calling those within the mill to their breaks in a cloud of steam.
"I-I brought you lunch again today," she said softly.
"Th-thank you so much," he said as his head lay gently over hers, as they sat there chest against chest and heartbeat to heartbeat under the bridge.
The sound of carts crossing the planks above reverberated around them. Nearby the river flowed silently into the pond, the big waterwheel still sounding out its soft rhythm.
Being Quarry means that they have taken everything from you that you have ever built.
Being Quarry means that they have manipulated you, lied to you, and deceived you.
Being Quarry means that they have thought themselves smarter than you, and often they have been right.
Being Quarry means that you have decided that they will be dealt with in the only ways you know how: through violence, anger, and rage.
Cup Cake rested her head on her hoof, leaned against the clean countertop as she watched him make tiny, practiced motions.
Carrot blinked, let his eyes focus past the big splotch of frosting that she had placed on the end of his nose. As he did, he moved the tiny tubes of icing around in measured paces, let them slowly make an image appear upon the front of the gingerbread house.
Cup Cake smiled to herself and pondered his hooves. She thought about how careful and cautious he was being. This was his domain, his part of the project. This detailed work played to his strengths, let the stallion work a very important part of himself into the unfolding creation of the gingerbread house.
His careful yet deliberate movements were shining forth, revealing their prowess in his work. She watched with pride as her husband used his talents.
At once the motions of his hooves, his perfectly controlled, deliberate, and perfect movements, sent a lovely thought passing through her. In her mind she began to think of how she too had always received such loving attention from those hooves, how his hooves had always been set to her needs in pursuits far more personal and intimate than the one now playing out in their kitchen.
Surprised at where her own thoughts had led her, she blushed, smiled, and looked up to him warmly.
Carrot arched an eyebrow at her, gave her a small smile even as he continued his craft. With a giggle, she still went off to make up some more frosting.
By the time she had returned he already stood at the end of the table, pondering what he had created there.
She moved to stand beside him, and soon she too contemplated what he had made.
The little doorway stood out in perfect relief against the slick surface of the gingerbread house.
She leaned against him once more, smiling and making small sounds of approval at his work. The door upon the gingerbread awakened something of a remembrance within the two as the morning moved on, and they stood together in the warm kitchen of the bakery.
"C'mon," he cried once more, still leading her by the hoof. "It's just over here!"
Cupcake actually had to trot to keep up with him, so great was his enthusiasm, his long gangly legs greatly outpacing hers with each of his exuberant bounds.
Yet, he never left her behind. He constantly turned to her, took half steps in his eagerness to show her whatever he had discovered.
Even as he smiled at her, he could still see her head on a swivel, see her looking through the crowds of ponies... worrying over something she was still not telling him about. Even these weeks after telling him about "This", it remained shadowed.
He removed the thought from his head, trusted that the game of "This" would play out as she was planning it. It was now his turn to put a new piece in play.
As the summer's day grew even more muggy and humid around Carrot, he waited for Cupcake to come closer to himself as they rounded the market square. He placed his hoof over her eyes and guided her with little movements as she giggled.
"Tada!" called Carrot, lifting his hoof and inflating his chest.
"Oh... umm, yes," said Cupcake, reflecting upon what sat before her.
The building looked ill, as though it were holding itself up by determination alone. It looked forlorn, empty. It had about it the air of mild decay and costly plumbing repairs.
She had seen it many times before sitting there in the middle of downtown Ponyville and had never paid the structure any real attention. Why was he showing her this?
She looked the ramshackle structure over once more, studied it from the faded roof to the worn foundation. Her eyes moved from the gutters where small trees grew and caught on something that sat in the dusty window.
It was a "For Sale" sign.
She gave a gasp of insight as he drew her closer. Carrot ran his hoof upon the dirty windows, cleaning them so they could both peer within.
She looked inside, saw light filtering through a huge rustic interior. Even in the few shafts of luminescence, she could see tall woodwork that was surprisingly robust and handsome, and as Carrot spoke, she began to understand.
"It's centrally located, and I know where there's some old ovens a friend can let me borrow until I can buy some new ones," he began as he peered within. "I, I also have some utensils and bake ware I've picked up. After I got my mark I started collecting, ya' see..."
"Carrot," she breathed, the realization now setting in firmly, "Carrot, are-are you saying you'd like to turn this into a bakery?"
Carrot smiled back at her.
Slowly the pieces of the game began moving again for Cupcake. Now that this opportunity was in play, she realized, there were ways...
She looked the window up and down, put her hoof over her eyes and squinted, looking deep within.
"Carrot," she said in a tone of authority, "how many rooms? What is it zoned?"
Carrot startled and began looking the "For Sale Sign" over for any information. Finding none, he looked up to her in ignorance, shrugging his shoulders.
"Oh! Let me see if there's a wood burnin' furnace!" she said as she brushed past him, running her hoof through his mane. "Check the windows on that side over there! See if there's any furniture, count rooms!"
Carrot followed her orders, happy to see how engrossed she was becoming. As he peered through a few more windows, he caught her movement on the far side of the building, saw a smile upon her face. She moved from window to window, peering through the rooms.
He saw her approaching the corner of the building, and at once a clever thought went through Carrot.
He trotted to the corner, lowered himself with a smile, and extended his nose. With a happy laugh he thought of catching her in a surprise nuzzle, his smile growing as he anticipated the soft, warm feel.
At once there was the sound of a body in motion and the feel of contact shot through him.
"Hello?" came the rather surprised voice of a stallion. "Can I help you?"
Carrot opened his eyes to find himself nose to nose with a big grey fellow with glasses, an umbrella, and a briefcase.
"I, errr, we... hi," answered a rather disappointed Carrot. He looked past this other stallion, saw Cupcake standing behind him, giggling as she realized what he had planned, as she had seen it go wrong.
"I'm the realtor," said the stallion, adjusting his glasses. "Saw ya' both looking it over from my office across the way. Can I show you folks around the inside?"
"Oh, yes," replied Cupcake as she smiled at him. "That would be lovely!"
As the realtor walked past him, Carrot felt an unusual sensation. Cupcake had lifted herself upon his back, her two forelegs across his withers. Almost instantly he felt his ear in her mouth and a slight nibble followed.
As she slid off of him she ran her face across his. She had seen what he had tried to do... and approved. Happily, he took her hoof and they followed the realtor as he passed within the door of the structure.
Dust covered everything. She wondered how long it had been unoccupied. As she listened to the realtor, she both contemplated his words and watched as Carrot trotted from room to room, exploring gleefully like a foal would do. As the trio made their way into the back rooms she realized what a good kitchen it would make.
She turned to tell Carrot this, to point out how well it would work. When she found him, he was doing something that she did not quite understand.
Carrot stood above a dusty patch, looking down into something. Even as she listened to the realtor, she watched Carrot slowly, deliberately place his hoof into the dust. His motion as he did so was slow, calculated...
At once Carrot's voice called out to them and his eyes lifted to a set of stairs nearby. Soon they passed out of the back room and headed for the stairs. As they did, Cupcake stopped to peer into the dust that had caught his attention. The second she did she realized what he had done.
A trail of her own hoofprints sat in the dust, marking where she had passed earlier. There, alongside the crispest, clearest of the marks now sat one of his. His print overlapped hers just in the slightest and just beneath. It cradled her print, embraced it.
She lifted her eyes, heard him talking the ear off the realtor as they climbed the stairs. As his vision for the place grew, ringing around the shop space and soon echoing through the rooms above, she looked back down to the prints that stood in the dust.
His vision and his dreams filled her. His voice, his joy at this possibility, these filled a part of her that she had been afraid to open for long months.
With small and deliberate motions of her own, she encircled the two prints with a heart, drawing it slowly so that no dust marred her work.
After nearly an hour, the realtor began to make motions that he would like to be on his way. As they all stood in the doorway, he pointed out his office across the road and mentioned a few numbers.
Cupcake winced as she saw the discomfort that flew across Carrot's face at the price. She quickly moved into him as he sat, as she saw him trying to figure things out in his mind. Placing herself to his chest, she nuzzled up beneath his chin, and soon he had leaned forward, gathering her into his forelegs.
The realtor blushed gladly, sought to assuage the fear of these two whose affections leapt to him. "I know that might sound like a big number, but I'd be happy to work with you on a loan. There are even some grants for reusing the structure, or opening a business that matches your marks. I know how it is, being newly married and trying to find your way in the world..."
The two turned to him from within their embrace.
"We-we aren't married!" giggled Cupcake.
"Oh," said the realtor, blushing brighter. "You'll forgive me. You can understand how'd I'd make that mistake, what with how well you two fit together like that... sorry that we didn't finish before the rain."
"Rain?" asked Carrot.
Right on cue, the realtor's umbrella snapped open. At once the pegasi released a torrent from the sky, one that they had not even noticed gathering in their eagerness to explore the building.
They had known that it was going to rain of course; it had been on the big schedule in the town square, just as it ever had been. Now it seemed that they would not be spending the storm within the theater or at the dancehall as they had planned.
Instead, they stood there beneath the ancient canopy of the building as the rain splattered across the cobblestones and filled the channels that lined the street. They watched it for a moment, standing there close together, happy in their shared warmth and touch.
As the rhythm of the rain continued, Carrot felt her turn, looked down to see her lifting her nose to him once more.
He placed his nose to hers, waited for her to lead him. Instead she gave a little twitch. At once he understood. She trusted him, wished for him to begin the motions. As he did he made broad strokes, let the feel of his touch fall through her slowly.
Soon she began to answer, and as the water streamed past the canopy that hung over the door she drifted through the feeling of him drawing his face down her cheek, past her neck in long, lingering movements.
He felt Cupcake give herself up to him, willfully falling into his motions. Once more, she leaned into him as he lifted his head across her neck, crept leisurely past her cheek, as his forehead touched to her forehead.
He leapt happily inside himself as she breathed small sounds of contentment while he drew his face across her, repeated the motions up and down her other side.
She drew Carrot up with a gentle nuzzle, and there a new motion greeted him. This time her expression asked something different of him, and with a petitioning glance she lifted her face once again.
This time she called his lips to hers, asked him to move with her in harmony, to come with her that much deeper. To share with her for the first time something wonderful.
He answered, answered at first with a soft touch, followed by a second. With that, Carrot was soon deep inside Cupcake's kiss, and she in his.
In that way they passed the rainstorm together, in the doorway, as the water slipped through the channels. A few wet ponies pelted past, splashing through the puddles that gathered quietly. |
A Sweet Taste of Cake | A Parting of Ways | Chapter 4: A Parting of Ways
As much as they had wanted to spend this time together, just the two of them in the scent of the gingerbread and the warmth of the oven, the simple fact was that they had other duties to attend to at the same time.
It was Hearth's Warming Eve, and as the regular customers began to enter, she went off to see to their needs. As they did, those with special holiday orders began arriving too, each one asking for their treasures.
He listened to her adorable voice ring out, speak familiar names that answered her with holiday greetings, many even calling out to him over the counter. He replied, his voice filling the room for the first time that morning, exchanging with them wishes of happiness.
He saw her still running back and forth, fetching the orders, and soon he sought to assist her.
She stopped him at the door, gently placing her hoof to his chest. He looked down at her with a puzzled expression. At once, she lifted her hoof and pointed out the frosting that sat resolutely upon his nose.
He looked at it cross-eyed once more, and they giggled in tune. It would hardly do to have the paying public see him so adorned, even if it had a holiday flair. He consented to let her deal with those in the shop beyond while he returned to working on the gingerbread house, letting his wife see to the customers.
Sometimes, they knew, you have to be apart from those you would rather be very near. This was but one of the many lessons they had learned in their lives together, and one that would sadly repeat itself...
Carrot awoke early, made his way first to the bathroom and then down the small hallway.
He paused at the top of the stairs, listened at the door of the bedroom. A breath lingered there, still sounding out peacefully even as the dawn broke through the house. With a sigh of relief, he went down the stairs on silent hooves.
The early morning light of the summer day caught across all of the items he had made the night before. He glanced them over one more time and then began to pack them away in their containers.
Slowly, he placed all of the baked goods within the saddlebags and turned to make himself breakfast.
As always, he made her some too, left the small meal sitting there, possibly for hours. Today though some small movement at the top of the stairs caught his ears, and even as he gathered up his saddlebags her hooves came down the stairs and into the kitchen.
"Oh... are you leaving already?" came a drawn out voice, one that seemed almost worn away. "Today was the day you were telling me about, right? I didn't want to miss it. Today is your last day at the mill, right?"
He turned to face the white mare and gave her a smile.
"Yes mom, today is my last day," Carrot said as she looked up at him.
"Okay, oh, I... I didn't think to buy you anything or..." she began. Carrot looked down and saw how lost she seemed, almost floating in her own thoughts.
"That's okay, mom, you don't need to buy me anything for my last day on the job!" he answered as he forced a small laugh. "If you'd like to, you can buy me something when I open my bakery."
At the mention of the shop, her eyes rose to meet his. The lines beneath them wrinkled first into a small smile and then deflated. As they did her, head fell lower and her entire frail, thin frame seemed to be highlighted by it.
"Mom," he said as his hooves sounded out across the old familiar floorboards, "are... mom, are you going to be alright with me moving out? You haven't said much about it since I told you I closed on the bake shop."
"It's, it's only natural for a colt to want his own space," she said, her eyes moving from side to side, seeming to look at everything in the room except for him, "especially when he has a marefriend."
"Cupcake has been asking about you," he said, lowering his head to look at her. "Would-would you like to meet her?"
The question brought his mother's eyes back up. An expression of happy surprise grew there.
"Do-do you mean it? I mean, you don't have to, but if you do I'd... I'd love to meet her," exclaimed the older mare. "Would you want her to meet... meet me?"
Carrot stepped forward and laid his head across her withers. With a sound of relief, she lifted her own head to the withers of her tall son, letting it rest upon the amber-colored colt.
"Of course, mom," he said as he released her, "I'd love to have her meet you. I'm sure she'll think you're great."
She stood there running her hoof up and down his foreleg, her smile still evident even as she slowly began to lower her head once more.
"Breakfast is on the table," Carrot said, motioning to the little meal that sat on the dinette set, "banana bread and some fruit... don't let it sit and dry up, okay?"
"I have such a good son," she said, taking a step back as he opened the door, "so thoughtful of his old mother!"
"Have a good day, mom. I love you," he said, trotting out into the warm air of the summer morning.
"I love you Carrot, have a good last day," she replied as he looked at her over his shoulder.
She watched him trot down the road to the corner, and then he was gone. She stood in the doorway for a while after that, feeling the heat of the morning, and then slowly closed the door.
She walked slowly back into the kitchen to study the breakfast that the colt had made for her. Cheesecake sat over the meal, looking down upon it. He had made it for her, as he always had, and now all she could do was stare at it.
Of course he had made it for her. He had made her breakfast, and often dinner, for years. If he had not learned to bake, they probably would have both starved to death. He had earned his mark out of need, not pleasure. If he had not learned to bake, he would have gone off to school most morning with an empty stomach.
The morning he had earned the cutie mark that stood upon him, perhaps the most important moment in the life of a pony, she had been upstairs asleep in her bed with some stallion whose name she could not even remember.
She looked down at the banana bread, the slices of cantaloupe and melon, the perfect presentation laid out for her by a colt who loved her. In a flash, all the stallions who had passed through her life that she could say that about drove through her mind: her father, Carrot... and Carrot's father.
She stared back down into her breakfast, saw it already turning dry at the edges as it sat in the sun that streamed in through the windows. As she did, she thought about her freckled, amber-coated colt once more. Despite all that she had put him through, he still loved her. He still wanted her to be part of his life as it unfolded.
Now that she wanted to give him something, to be the mother she should have been, she had nothing left to give.
As Cheesecake stared down at the plate, small tinkling sounds rose from it, and she realized that it was the chime of her own tears striking the surface.
"... and of course I bought the more expensive one."
"Oh, yes... of course," mouthed Cupcake, placing the butter and cream back among the small mountain of ice. Soon, she slid down the line of the buffet, adjusting small items here and there.
To her disgust, the stallion followed along just as he had been since Cupcake had heard him mention her name... her name and the name of one of her father's businesses.
As the breakfast began to wind down, she looked to her employer, Canapes, as she walked among the guests of the country club, chatting with them as she gathered up used plates and old glasses.
As this arrogant colt continued to go on and on and on about his lifestyle in a vain attempt to impress her, Cupcake could already sense where he was going, already knew that he would show his cards early.
As she poured some juices for some older ponies, she tried to return their smiles, but as this conceited colt continued his diatribe, he completely misread every signal she sent him.
She wished Canapes would come over and simply give her some orders that took her far away from this colt, perhaps out to the cart to put away the plates, or begin gathering up all the tools that the caterers had brought with them from Canapes shop.
Instead, all she could do was stand there and mouth little responses to the colt's statements about his wealth, his family's aristocratic background, and make little noncommittal statements in reply as she wiped her hooves across the black apron.
"Uh huh, oh yes," she would state, her eyes focusing far away. "Oh, certainly."
"Very good!" he answered. "Saturday then?"
"What?" asked Cupcake, snapping back to attention, an awful realization striking her.
"When shall I pick you up?" he asked, his eyebrows arching in something he may have assumed resembled a pose of seduction but which instead more closely resembled the pose taken by those having some sort of stroke.
"I'm, I'm sorry! No, no..." she exclaimed, her hoof coming to her mouth. "I-I'm sorry, I must have misunderstood... I, I can't, I... no, sorry... E-excuse me, I must speak with my supervisor."
At once, she began to walk away. To her horror, he followed. As the last few ponies departing the breakfast went past her she heard him calling to her.
"Maybe Sunday, then? You know, I am familiar with your family..."
Cupcake's legs buckled slightly. For what seemed like the thousandth time in her life, a young stallion betrayed his real interest in her.
"... and I'd love to meet your father. I have a real knack for business and..."
An awful shock went along her body, a feeling of revulsion that swept through her. As though in slow-motion, she turned and looked back to see this colt's hoof upon her, literally grabbing for her as he saw his chance for personal advancement escaping his "charms."
"Don't touch me!" she brayed aloud. "Don't you touch me!"
At once the sound of crashing silverware arose from across the room. Canapes, her fellow employee Serving Spoon, and the few remaining patrons of the breakfast looked to where Cupcake stood, the stallion hovering close by.
"No! I said no! Leave me alone!" she cried as she turned and ran, actually giving a small kick as a wild horse would, non-Equestrian in both form and biology.
As Cupcake pelted through the distant glass doors that lined the large sunlit room, the stallion turned and looked over the few ponies within. Seeing none that he considered a threat to his status, he let a smirk cross his lips.
"That's funny," he said to the room at large as he departed, "the fat ones usually appreciate being chatted up!"
Serving Spoon heaved with nausea at the statement. With a nod to Canapes he went out to seek Cupcake.
Cupcake had run far out into the grounds of the country club. She knew that coming here had been a mistake. She had been here too many times with Ivory, too many ponies here knew her, knew how powerful and well-off her father was even if few knew him personally.
She should have gone with Hors D'oeuvres, Canapes partner. She should have switched with one of the other employees and gone to cater the event up the hill in Canterlot. Instead she had chosen this one because she had hoped to be done in time to get to Carrot's party at the mill...
... but that hope had fled away as the guests slowly ate and talked, as Canapes agreed to take on lunch as well. Now she simply found a large tree to lean against as she shook.
Before long, the voice of Serving Spoon echoed across the manicured lawns. She looked up to see him trip slightly as he stepped upon some golf balls on the putting green.
"I-I'm over here!" she called, giving a small sob as she did. With that, he trotted over and stood with her, knowing that all she really needed was someone to be close by.
Serving Spoon himself was in love, in a relationship that was flowering, and together they had "compared notes." The colt knew the feelings that were welling inside her. So, he stood with her and then sat when she sat and awaited Canapes.
Before too long, Cupcake saw Serving Spoon stand. He waved his foreleg across the air, and soon the older mare was with them.
"Serving Spoon?" she asked. "Would you start getting the lunch buffet ready?"
"Sure," he said. "Sure."
He started to move with his foreleg raised and a look of worry falling over him. He leaned down and asked "Cupcake?" in a fretful tone.
She smiled up to him, and with that he smiled and was off.
"Oh, Canapes! I'm sorry! After my outburst, after that, they'll never hire you here again!" said Cupcake, placing her head across the lap of this older mare.
"Sorry nothing, my dear," said the wide voice of the unicorn, "after that they owe you an apology, if anything."
The silence hung there.
"Do, do you want me to report him to the club manager? He shouldn't have touched..."
"No," replied Cupcake, turning her head to look over the green lawns and fairways beyond. "No. He... he wasn't any different from all the rest, don'tcha know? All of the colts who just want something from me... to get closer to my father, saw me as a way to..."
Cupcake trailed off. She knew that almost all of them had only seen her as a prospect. In her mind, she saw all of their opportunistic faces, all of those colts, and she shuddered at the thought of all of their horrible little plans for her.
Instead, she made a list of all of the colts and stallions that loved her without question, who knew her: her grandfathers, her father, her brothers... and Carrot.
"There's only one colt who loves me for me," she said, blinking as the wetness rolled down her face and into the black apron of her employer, "only one colt who doesn't want anything from me."
"Ah, your coltfriend, eh?" replied the older mare as she fixed Cupcake's hair with her magic. "I'm happy that you've found a pony like that, Cupcake. It's so very wonderful."
"Oh, Canapes, I want to be with him right now," said Cupcake as she looked to the blue sky. In her mind she felt Carrot's forelegs around her, driving the remembrance of the foreign, revolting grasp of the arrogant colt from her body. She felt his presence falling over her and imagined him near her, thought of herself in his reassuring embrace.
"I want him to be holding me right now," she said with a whimper. "I want my Carrot."
"Well, I... I think that Serving Spoon and I could manage if you needed to head off," said Canapes as she gently patted the young mare on the head.
Cupcake raised herself up and wiped her eyes with the back of her hooves. "No," she said softly, looking to Canapes, "I-I promised you I'd stay, and...
"Are you sure?" asked the older mare, rising to her hooves.
"Yes, yes, I'm sure," answered Cupcake. Canapes stared at her for a second and then spoke to her in happy, contemplative tones.
"Cupcake," she began, "when Ivory asked me to take you on, I was at first a little suspicious. Especially since, you can imagine, you're going to be my competition some day."
Cupcake raised her head and wondered where the conversation was going.
"But," continued the older mare, "Cupcake, you've been nothing but an asset to me from the day you started. I... well, I know that you're using the money to help your coltfriend start a business, and... and well, I'd like to say I wish you the best... both of you. If you feel that strongly for him he must be special."
Cupcake smiled back, leaned in to hug her employer. With that, the two went off to see to lunch.
Trammel pulled the safety.
It was no accident or scene of lovey-dovey frou-frou nonsense as had been witnessed upon the bagging floor in the past that caused him to do so. Instead, today was to be a celebration, and it was time for the festivities to begin.
"Step to, lads!" called the big stallion. "We've our Soap Suds and Carrot Cake here to lament upon, so all you lot downstairs!"
With that, Carrot pulled his very last bag of flour from beneath the spigot, placed it upon the containers, and watched it disappear down into the bowels of the mill with a certain pride and a small smile upon his face.
Even as he left the bagging stall for the last time, other colts and fillies were already around him and Soap Suds, making little signs of appreciation and wishing them luck.
Soon, almost all had disappeared down the stairs. As Carrot looked on Trammel, congratulated Soap Suds for finding something to match his mark, and with that he too went down the stairs.
Trammel turned to Carrot and smiled at him. "Come now, my fine fellow!" said the stallion. "Can hardly have a party without one of the guests of honor, now can we?"
Carrot returned the smile and looked up to the stallion. "Trammel," he said slowly, "I-I just want to, to..."
"Eh? What is this all about?" asked Trammel, giving a nervous laugh. Carrot sighed and then continued.
"Trammel," he said, once again attempting the line of thought he had begun, "I-I never knew my dad... my grandfather died a few years ago, and... and I just want to say it's been great, it's been great having an older stallion that I could ask... about things. You know, to ask things about how it should all be going with Cupcake. I just-just want to say thanks..."
Trammel chuckled, did not know how he felt about being called "an older stallion." But, he understood, Carrot was being genuinely grateful.
All that needs to be said about what happened next is "awkward guy hug," and the two went down the stairs as well. With that, Carrot embraced the strings of causality around him and closed the chapter of his life that involved the bagging stall.
As the party continued, Ledger reflected upon the table spread before him. Usually, when workers in his mill left during the summer in pursuit of their marks, it was the ice cream that disappeared first, and the cake and cookies and such were the ones left shimmering in the midday sun.
As he lifted his head along the picnic table, he saw the order reversed. Today it was the products of young Mr. Carrot Cake, now leaving his employ, which had been anxiously gathered by those who now sat on the blankets, and it was the ice cream that was in danger of melting.
He looked up to see that colt gathering up plates and saying his goodbyes.
Ledger saw his daughter Ivory speaking with various workers too. All too soon she would be leaving him and her mother, departing their big house where she had lived all of her life and off to her internship in Canterlot. As he pondered the fact that his little filly was so grown up, he suddenly felt the need to ingest as much ice cream as he could get away with without seeming a glutton.
He listened as he heard two ponies she had just spoken to talk about her.
"That filly's almost too smart, you know. Clever pony that one. She'll be running her father's mill inside a decade!"
"The mill? Ha! Mark my words, she'll be runnin' all of Ponyville!"
Ledger almost choked on his ice cream while he tried to eat it and laugh at the statements. His daughter was smart... smart enough to know that running the mill was not her forte.
Politics however...
"Mr. Ledger, sir?"
Ledger put down the tub of vanilla ice cream and turned to face Carrot with a wide smile and an offered hoof.
"Well Carrot, mah' colt," he said as they shook hooves, "turning out then? Best of luck, and do not hesitate to ask if you need anything. I mean anything!"
"Thank-thank you, sir, I really appreciate it. The bonus... the bonus check was almost too generous," said Carrot, lifting his head and trying to show his appreciation through a wide smile.
"Same as anypony gets from me when they go off to make their mark, mah' colt," said Ledger leaning in deeper, "and, Carrot, best of luck in everything... and I mean everything."
It took Carrot a second to get the drift, but when he did he smiled once more. "Thank you sir, I'm-I'm hoping for the best in that regard too."
With that, Carrot completed his goodbyes and with one last long look upon the big brick structure, he departed the mill.
As he crossed around the building, he came to the bridge. Something spun through him as his hooves hit the planks. In that moment, he realized he was actually unemployed... that until the bakery opened, he would have no income. He stopped on the bridge to listen and watch the big mill wheel go around and around with wet sounds.
He looked down into the millpond, felt the river flowing into it, and there he saw the reflection of an amber-coated colt staring up to him.
Freckles. Under bite. Thin.
All of the old worries floated through him, all of the uncertainties. He was taking a risk. He was going out into the world pilotless, knowing only that he knew to bake and hoping that... that if he got the business going, well, she would be able to finally let go.
What ever "This" was, the thing that Cupcake was keeping a secret from him, he hoped against all hope that it could end when she saw that he could make it. As he stared into the reflection, he hoped that he could prove that he could provide for her, for them, that he was willing to do anything for her.
And with that, all would be possible.
Carrot stared down as the mill wheel splashed about. At once he was puzzled. A new reflection had appeared there. After an instant of pondering he knew who it was, and he turned to her.
"Oh! Miss Ivory! I'm sorry, I was just..." he began.
"Carrot," she said, tilting her head as her forelegs rested upon the railing of the bridge, "you've known me for these many months, been dating my best friend, and you still can't bring yourself to call me Ivory? I had hoped by this point you'd be at 'Ive'!"
"Oh, really, but... you, you never told me I could, ya' see," he spoke as he returned to standing on the bridge. She sighed and did the same.
"Walk with me, would you, Carrot?" she asked. With that the strings of causality stretched and pulled him away from the mill and towards a dim path that led to a beautiful horizon.
The two went down into Ponyville, many ponies stopping to greet Ivory. Some even smiled at Carrot and spoke with him as well. Even though he could not remember ever meeting them, they all somehow seemed to know him. He nodded politely as Ivory introduced him.
Within him a realization grew, and he gave a small gasp. These were players; they were pieces in "The Game of This."
Together they walked as the warm summer afternoon played out around them.
"Miss Ivory," he said, watching her grimace as he used her title once again, "I-I want to thank you for all you've done for me, getting the shop ready, for... for Cupcake and I."
Ivory nodded her head. It was obvious, of course, what she had been doing all along. He had noted it back at the table at the dancehall, had seen Ivory guiding Cupcake towards him all along. Now, as they stood outside his shop, he could only ask why.
He looked up to the improvised sign above the door. "Opening Soon!" it read in a bold font, "Carrot Cake's Bakery Co., L.L.C., Inc."
He looked up to see a dubious wrinkle across the face of the mare. "I'm-I'm gonna think of a better name..." he stated.
"Yes," she said, "that would be for the best."
He opened the door, was a little embarrassed to have her see how cluttered and unprepared everything was.
Ivory looked up as something metallic rang out. With the chiming of the bell, his bonus check dropped into the cash register. It was an older one... large, heavy and seemingly made of brass. Carrot had sat up all night teaching himself how to make it work its magic. How did anyone expect their hooves to use these tiny keys?
Somehow it did open at his awkward touch, and as he looked down, he was rather pleased to see something actually sitting inside the drawer apart from some paperclips and a dust bunny.
"Miss Ivory," he asked, blanching a little bit as she sighed at the use of her title once more, "I-I have to ask. Why... would you tell me why you tried so hard, to get Cupcake and I together?"
"Because you use proper language, 'Cupcake and I'," she said with a smirk.
Carrot was a touch confused. He walked slowly from behind the counter and joined Ivory in looking through the dirty windows of the shop. Ponies went by, happy in their routines and enjoying the summer's day that filled the shop with stifling, humid air.
"Cupcake is my dearest friend, Carrot," Ivory said, not looking away from the window, but instead still gazing out into the street. "She has been since her family and mine became close. We went to private school together, have spent almost all of our free time together. I know her better than any other pony, probably her own family."
Carrot turned to look at her. He marveled at how easy words were for this mare, how calmly she was able to express her ideas, how quickly she was able to add flourish to emphasize her meaning. Perhaps politics would work for her?
"She's clever, sneaky when she needs to be, decisive. I've always been fond of that part of her, and I see in you that you appreciate that too," she said, not moving her head.
He nodded.
"None of the other colts did," she said, her voice breaking slightly.
Ivory startled herself. She shook slightly and turned to face Carrot. She pondered the look he was wearing. Soon she realized he was reflecting on a phrase she had uttered. "The other colts" hung in his expression.
"You're not like them, Carrot," she said as she sat, carefully choosing her words. "I know you, you see. From the moment I saw your jaw drop open as she walked by on your first day at the mill, I've been... getting to know you."
Carrot's eyes arched high.
"Forgive me," she said, looking away deep into the shop. She looked back to him, saw him nod. The understanding part of him that she knew Cupcake adored was still there.
"You, you are aware, of course about Cupcake... keeping certain aspects of her life from you," she spoke quietly. She was surprised as he gave a self-conscious laugh.
"Yeah, yeah... I-I call it 'The Game of This.' I don't know what 'This' thing is, but I-I know it's important to her, so I play it. I-I'll play it as long as it takes," he said, turning his own head to look out over the street, "until she feels it's safe to stop."
"Yes," replied Ivory after a short while, "that's, that's an excellent metaphor for it, Carrot."
He smiled back at her. As the two sat there, the sunlight fell across them, and a single green and blue fly bumbled its way across the big pane of glass, its wings humming.
"Carrot," she spoke, "the game."
He looked to her, wondered deeply if he had somehow just lost control of his metaphor.
"To win the game, Carrot," she continued, "all you have to do is be yourself. All that she wants and needs from you is to know that you're not like the other colts, the colts who saw her as something they could use. You're set up to win, everyone in this town desperately wants you to win, I want you to win... Cupcake needs you to win."
His ears perked up and drew in her words.
"I-I know the difficulties you've been through in your life... never having known your father, your mother's... confusing, confusing situation. How you've had to essentially raise yourself. How despite these things you've remained you. You've become you, the loving, caring, considerate colt... no, stallion that you are."
To his surprise, Ivory inched forward, coming closer to him and raising her head to meet his.
"Do not tell Cupcake I said this under any circumstances," she spoke in a forcible, earnest tone, "but, Carrot, you do not always have to wait for permission. At times, it could even be fatal. The time will come when to win 'This', as you call it, you may have to let your love guide you."
The mare's grey mane shifted, made her look older, as though she had been thinking about this for months. In the very roots he saw the pink that she hid from the world.
"You do love her, don't you Carrot?" she asked.
"Yes, I do. I've never loved any mare more," he answered without hesitation.
"Then that is all it takes," she said as a smile crossed her face. "I leave for my internship in a few weeks. I'm going to be up in Canterlot. I'll be working under a Vice Chamberlain of Parliament... a V.C. Fancypants, apparently."
"I'm so glad for you... Ivory," replied Carrot, now understanding her earlier statement fully.
She smiled, gave a self-conscious laugh of her own.
"I leave her with you, Carrot. Cupcake, the one you put first. It's going to be hard for you, as without my house she'll have to... well, that's a secret. But, Carrot, no matter how hard it gets, I trust you. I trust in your love for her... and, Carrot, there's no pony I'd trust more with something so dear to me as my best friend."
Carrot took a deep breath and looked back to her. Slowly, gingerly the two leaned together. Ivory was not as warm, her hug not nearly as personal as the ones Cupcake gave so willingly. Yet the emotion was there, and Carrot accepted it happily.
She asked for no party. Something about the guest list bothered her. Within three weeks, Ivory was gone, departing on a morning train along the winding tracks through the mountains to the capital beyond. |
A Sweet Taste of Cake | The Deal | Chapter 5: The Deal
Being Quarry means that you have been pursued, that they have pounced on your moments of weakness and used them to rip away parts of you. You have determined never to show weakness again.
Being Quarry means that you started a shipping company. It means that somepony took out an option on your lease of an airship from the bank. When the bank failed, you lost everything.
Being Quarry means moving on, trying everything, only to have everything stolen from you in backroom deals and leveraged options and the games played with imaginary money on stock charts.
Being Quarry means that you landed in Ponyville. There something happened that had never happened to you before. You made a friend.
Clyde watched her skip along, watching happily as Pinkamena made her little game of flipping the rocks. She sang to herself as she made them rest once more upon the good earth, letting them grab at these last few rays of the light that the sovereign's sun draped over them. The rocks filled with magic, pulling it up from the very earth and drawing it from the sun.
It would be a good crop this year, but it was his child and not his harvest that sat at the forefront of his mind.
Geoculture was not her world and he knew it. As he too began scouring the landscape, he looked at all of his beautiful daughters. Clyde saw how they communed with the land as good earth ponies should, but he knew that their hearts were not in it.
This was not their world, and someday they would have to leave, would need to leave.
Pinkie would have to leave first. This life could not keep her long, and no matter how many parties they consented to throw, they could not help her attain the life her mark had planned for her.
Clyde sighed, kicked at one of the myriad rocks that littered the ground around the long acres of his farm.
Her humming stopped. Clyde lifted himself, panned his head across the panorama of his fields. His eyes settled on Pinkie once more, and at first he was confused.
Suddenly he saw his daughter light up, saw the wonderful energy stir within her. He could not help but smile as her face went wide with a vast smile, as she began to hop around in happiness.
"Poppa, poppa!" she called out. "Come and see what I found! I found the neatest little thing and, and... it's a thing!"
He smiled as he began to trot across the soft earth that was wet with the chilly dew of autumn. As he did, he realized that a frost could not be far away. He, as much as any other farmer, agricultural or geocultural, would soon have to harvest the fruits of their labor or risk having it locked deep within the frozen earth.
Inkie and Blinkie trotted up to him. At first the pair followed him, peering around him with cautious curiosity, but soon they were pelting forward as Pinkie began to laugh and smiles lifted across her face.
Upon reaching his daughters, he saw something upon Pinkie's foreleg. Inside an instant, he relaxed and smiled, realized that it was nothing more than one of the harbingers of the autumn now unfolding.
"Tis' a Woolly Bear caterpillar, dear, and a fat and fair little fellow at that! See the bands of black?" he said, pointing out the two deep shades at either ends of the tiny creature. "Even the least of the creatures in Equestria can know how the pegasi shall set the winter, thus is the magic in all things that live beneath the sun of Celestia."
"Even us earth ponies?" called the girls in time. Pinkie giggled as the creature crossed up her foreleg to her shoulder, its bristles tickling her.
"Aye', us too," he said, watching the sisters pass it gently between them, each of his darling daughters giving small giggles as it crawled past their shoulders, their withers, over their necks, and down their backs.
"Come now, let us find it some space of comfort and be back to our work," he said as he turned and set his sights on the tree line beyond the farm. As they went, the girls still passed the caterpillar between them, watching it with interest.
Suddenly a horrible realization shot through Clyde, the realization that his daughters had never taken the time to do something as simple as lift a caterpillar, commune and sense the nature of this world.
His eyes went once more to Pinkie as they reached the trees. As she pranced up and down, she selected a fine tall ash tree, and with that, Inkie lifted the caterpillar to the leaves. As the leaves had already been tinged with autumn shades, the caterpillar was soon lost among them. With sad sounds the ponies turned back to the fields.
As he saw Pinkie bounce along, he heard her try to compose a song. As she did, she stumbled through the verses. To his consternation she used the word "orange" to attempt to describe the leaves of the coming autumn, and with that, her rhyming shut down and his filly tripped through the fields of rock.
She was growing into her mark so quickly, he realized. Her perceptions were expanding in so many ways. Yet, he did not know how to help her. Even an event as simple as finding the caterpillar had swirled around her, caught in her love of surprise and new things. It had brought them all this new experience and a simple moment of joy, and still he did not know what to do for her.
He closed his eyes and made a small Invoke. "Do not worry," answered a divine voice on the breeze that flowed out of the woods. "It moves... it comes in time."
He though could not hear it. The laughter of his daughters had already filled his ears. As Clyde watched them run and call to one another his features were serene, and he breathed easier in the cool autumn air.
The main showcase room of Sugar Cube Corner had gone quiet, the customers and their holiday tidings having departed as the mid-morning rush dissipated.
Cup Cake looked out the windows and saw that the pegasi were drifting down a few flakes, just as scheduled. They were decorating the city, giving Ponyville that last little dusting that would make Hearth's Warming Eve that much more picturesque.
A family went by the window, the foals filled with excitement. Cup Cake went to the window. Certain unanswered Invokes went through her as she watched the foals walking beneath their parent's legs. She listened as they made cries of anticipation that seeped into the bakery.
She placed her hoof to her body. A certain sadness lingered there.
Frost was growing at the corners of the window, and as she watched, it seemed as though the crystals themselves were expanding before her eyes.
Cup Cake heard Carrot's voice, heard him humming a holiday tune. It was the same one that she had begun as they had worked together, and soon her thoughts turned to rejoining him.
She trotted back into the kitchen. As she looked up she saw him working on a few other small details as the gingerbread house came closer and closer to being ready.
She watched as Carrot tentatively added some small pieces. She smiled as he deliberated upon where to place the last few structural elements: the shutters, the chimney, and the trim.
As he rested his head in his hoof, he sighed. Carrot looked up to her as the big white waft of frosting still sat upon his nose, and he gave a smile of resignation.
He was calling on her again, calling on her to make a decision, just as he had hoped that she would make long ago.
With soft hooves she began to cross to the table, but as she did, she felt herself brush against something. She looked down and saw a bag. Opening it, she gave a small gasp as a silver package expertly tied with fine ribbons and a large bow revealed itself.
She looked up to him, held it in her hoof. He too shared her gasp, realizing what they had just done... the mistake that they had made.
"So, I found a company that was willing to make you a loan offer on what I consider fair terms," said the realtor.
Carrot did his best to listen, tried to comprehend the talk of money and interest rates. However, terms did escape him. All Carrot knew was that he was sick... sick of Cupcake and himself being apart.
Ivory had left just as summer was winding down. Already her presence was keenly missed; already the toll on Cupcake was obvious.
He opened his bakery just in time to make a bid to make the snacks for the school district, the special treats that fueled the young minds through the morning of learning.
To no one's surprise more than his own, he had won.
The money was no fortune, but it certainly was something. It was proof that he could bake for a living.
Cupcake was spending her time getting ready as well, that he knew. She seemed a little lost without Ivory near, and in those times when she came around to the shop, he tried to fulfill his promise to Ivory, to be everything he could for this mare, to try to give her his comfort.
More often than not, he found to his happy relief, she was very, very willing to accept his affections.
But as the time went on, he had realized that she had moved towards helping him at the shop. What should have been an amazing and happy revelation for him instead filled him with worry.
He did not want her to be his employee... he wanted her to be his lover, his friend.
She had begun making plans. He had found drawings she had left behind when she trotted off at night to wherever she was living now. Her idea was clear: to change the building, make it an advertisement. He gazed over a picture of his bakery wrapped in colorful trim, looking more like a gingerbread house than a structure.
He had to admit, it was clever. Not exactly the most manly thing he would have thought to put on his bakery, but... clever.
At the moment, though, autumn was setting in, and soon the dry season would start for the catering business.
He did everything he could to take her mind off the fact that soon she would be furloughed from Canapes catering business, that she would be unemployed like he had been.
Together they went for long walks through the Whitetail Woods, or went up to a nearby farm to go apple picking, selecting the biggest fruit to take home to the shop. Some days they would just sit and watch the colorful trees bob on small breezes.
As they had walked through the Harvest Fair, he had bought her knick-knacks from stalls, done his best to win her prizes, done all that he thought a proper coltfriend was supposed to do in such a setting.
Her laughter when he had fallen over backwards as he tried to lift the hammer to ring the bell, or when the ball had bounced back and struck him in the nose at the dunk tank... that wonderful sound reassured him that she knew what he was doing, appreciated how happy he was trying to make her.
As they had sat together, she wrapped warmly in his forelegs, staring out into the fair as the lights flickered on, he had felt a powerful realization. It was then that he realized something about "The Game of This," the intangible secret that was still filling her and making her worry.
She had given a happy sigh and then yawned, wiped her head against his chest as the music of the midway had floated over them. It was then he had realized that "This" was like a carnival game. He may be playing it, but it was playing him right back. It was in competition with him.
As long as "This" existed, then these fleeting moments, these all too short hours together, this is all they would have.
He did not like not being able to walk her to wherever she was living. He hated not being able to draw the fear and worry out of her. He hated the almost inescapable urge to sneak along after her, follow her after their goodnight kiss, risk shattering the trust she had placed in him.
He was starting to hate "This" again. Hate it utterly.
He wanted to see what her body was like when she was free from worry. He wanted to look into those rosy eyes when they were not filled with a long, drawn-out plan.
He wanted to see her liberated from her worry, only happy...
Carrot began to blush slightly, even as he and the realtor went up the high street of Ponyville, even as the grey and bespectacled realtor went on about interest rates and mortgages.
Carrot felt himself being drawn into his own happy thoughts... the thoughts of her, warm, safe, and happy to be near him.
The amber-colored colt let an image slip into his mind, let one that he had been nursing gain just the slightest bit of traction in his conscious thoughts. It filled him as they went down the cobblestone streets, the weight of his saddlebags shifting around him.
In his mind's eye he saw her in the bed, his bed... the very bed at the top of the stairs in the room above his shop.
He saw her lying there, a soft look across her face, a happy look as she slept peacefully. He felt her along the length of his body as the night air washed over them through the open windows...
"Ahem!" came the voice of the realtor, snapping Carrot out of the contemplation that was sending a rather serene look across his features.
"We're here," continued the grey stallion as he reached for the door of the loan office.
Carrot looked up and tried to figure out where exactly the realtor had brought him. The building was short and half-timbered. It was a simple yet robust place. He gazed upon the sign painted in the window, trying to read it in the midday sun.
"Hospitable Loan and Trust" it read in a rather nondescript font. Below it read the name of the proprietor, owner, and loan officer. All the titles were rolled into one, all of their ellipses leading to a single name that stood out boldly.
It was a short, strong name, one that caught against Carrot's thoughts.
At once the name that lay there caught inside his memory, ignited something within him that he desperately knew he should remember. He looked at the name once more, tried to think of where he had heard it.
At once he felt of the hooves of the realtor upon him, shoving him to the ground, interrupting the chain of memories that was linking him back to the name.
As he hit the ground there was a rumble, and a wild horse whinny. He looked up to see something that awakened all of his remembrances.
The massive stallion stood in the doorway, and on the ground there sat another stallion, this one holding his head.
To Carrot's horror, blood began to drip from the stallion's ear.
At once all of the happy thoughts of his ladylove lying in moonlight emptied out of him, dripped away as surely as the red droplets that were falling from the terrified stallion before him and plopping against the cobblestones.
"I'll-I'll sue you for that! That's assaul..." he began.
"You try! You try and we'll see what the law has tah' say 'bout the thousand bits you just stole from me!" answered the stallion in the doorway, his eyes wide and fierce.
"But-but," continued the smaller stallion, struggling to rise from the ground, "I-I didn't..."
"You didn't what? You didn't think I'd find out!? Think that yer' too smart for me, ya' buckin' piece of trash!? Ha! Ah've been robbed blind by smarter bucks than you!" answered the huge stallion. With a toss he threw all manner of papers out over the bleeding, whimpering stallion that stood in the street.
"I'm takin' all the collateral, the deposits too," answered the huge, rippling stallion as a touch of foam gathered in the corner of his mouth. "You're liquidated. Try takin' it tah' court, see how that works for ya'!"
The stallion barely moved, yet his angry eyes still caught Carrot in their glare.
"You mah' 12:15?" the massive stallion hissed.
"Yessir," Carrot whispered.
"Gimmee five minutes tah' clear up a bit," said the stallion, beginning to shake and tremble as though he were literally trying to drop the anger out of himself.
"Yessir," answered Carrot. Inside an instant the stallion had turned back inside the loan office.
Carrot's head went back to the sign. The name stood out as though it was made of a luminescent magic, highlighted and bolded as it flew through his memory. His thoughts flew back over months to the start of the summer that had now passed, back to the day he had seen this pony similarly enraged, standing in front of the mill.
Quarry. The loan officer was Quarry.
As he sat in the reception room Carrot watched the secretary readjust a few things and then go back to work as though she barely noticed him.
Carrot rummaged through his saddlebags and made sure that all of the papers were there, and the little container too.
Despite the realtor's assurances that he would be fine, Carrot could not help but notice that he had not bothered to stick around.
A new wave of cursing went through the room beyond the door, and at once Carrot and the secretary looked up towards it.
Carrot turned back first and looked down into his saddlebag. He looked up just in time to see the secretary staring at him over her glasses.
"Don't sweat it, Sweetie," she said with surprising certainty.
"What, what should I do," asked Carrot with a touch of desperation, "if he gets mad?"
"Try to go limp," she answered.
At once he heard the stallion call him, and even as he stood, he felt his body already following the offered advice.
"C'mon and have a seat," spoke the stallion, the grey eyes already affixed to Carrot as he entered the room. Carrot was surprised by how sterile and how utterly unadorned the office was. No plants, no inspirational posters, no family photos... just the desk, the cabinets, the two chairs, and the stallion who regarded him balefully.
"Good-good afternoon," said Carrot, "I'm here because you-you're high-highly rec..."
"Where in the Well do I know you from?" interrupted Quarry, the huge stallion leaning across his own forelegs and regarding Carrot with a suspicious glare.
"I-I worked at, I worked at Mr. Ledger's mill," said Carrot, forcing himself not to tremble.
"Oh," replied the stallion as he leaned back, "should'a recognized the name. Carrot Cake. You quit the mill, Cake?"
"Yes, well, no sir, no... Mr. Ledger knew, knew that I'd be going when I found something that... that matched my mark. He-he does..." stuttered Carrot.
"Yeah, Ledger does that. Done that for a lot of colts and fillies. That's one of the things I like 'bout Ledger," spoke Quarry without lifting his eyes from Carrot. "He's a good stallion, they're good ponies."
Carrot was surprised at how much more relaxed and calmer Quarry became when he mentioned Ledger's name. His tone and volume dropped as though in reverence.
"If Ledger sees somethin' in ya', Cake," spoke the vast stallion, his voice a low rumble and his eyes still judgmental, "I'll hear what ya' have to say."
It never became easy in that room; the feeling of menace that flowed off the stallion never dissipated. Yet as Carrot went through his practiced lines, he thought about why he was there, about how getting this loan would allow him to finish buying the equipment he needed. It would allow him to open up his shop to walk-in patrons rather than just ponies he was contracted to.
Something of Carrot's simple joy filled his words. Even when he came to the hard part, the part about numbers, he just let the image of Cupcake fill his head. The thought of her with him in the kitchen, the idea that she wouldn't need to work a job to help him, could just be there with him. This image filled his mind even as he looked up to the large stallion who gazed down on him implacably.
With her in his mind, the rest became that much easier, if not easy.
When he spoke of her, he did not use her name, instead a different word came to mind, a word that he realized spoke more about them than just how they were working to grow his business. "Partner" he called her, his partner. She was not an employee after all ... he wanted her to see him as her lover, her friend, and her partner.
This last bit he kept in his own head, as Quarry did not seem to him to be the type to be swayed by romantic notions.
Quarry lifted his head as Carrot told him about how he had won a contract with the school district, how his clever partner had gone from market stall to market stall finding sellers who could sell breads with their products. In one day they had won five contracts in such a manner. Quarry seemed impressed... sort of, maybe.
"And, and th-that's all I have to, say, really," said Carrot, dropping his head. At once he remembered something he had wanted to do.
With that Carrot opened the tin and placed it on Quarry's desk. There in the mess kit stood a piece of carrot cake, a slice very much like the ones that made up his mark.
Quarry stared at it for a second. With a wicked smile he took it in hoof and looked to Carrot. "Cute," he said as he lifted it to his mouth. The stallion chewed slowly and gave a little nod.
With that he slid a piece of paper in front of Carrot. As Carrot looked it over, he could barely read. Quarry was walking around the bare room, chewing on the carrot cake loudly, watching Carrot as he read.
A sudden shock went up Carrot's back. He realized in terror that the stallion had one of his hooves on his shoulder. Trembles of disgust went up Carrot's spine and the deep, wet smell of the stallion's breath drifted over him, tinged by the slight smell of the carrot cake.
"Ya' know what the stupidest statement in all of Equestrian history was, Cake?" asked the stallion, his voice once more a rumble, his breath once more thick across Carrot's face.
"No, sir," spoke Carrot, giving a shudder.
"It was this: 'It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission'," said Quarry, looking over Carrot's shoulder as he read the paper. "The son of a bitch who said that smirked as he said it, then asked for mah' forgiveness."
Carrot swallowed hard.
"I'm told he still walks with a limp, Cake."
Carrot closed his eyes, tried to fight for breath.
"Those are fine terms there, Cake, good ones. Ledger likes ya', sees somethin' in ya'. That means something to me. I think you've got some plans, and I'll back ya'. But, Cake, if you try to lie to me, try to steal from me, or if I think you've used me..."
Quarry looked down, saw the paper shaking, and knew he did not need to go on.
"You got a name for this place, Cake?" asked the stallion, removing himself from hovering over Carrot. Carrot felt himself breathe again, and as he exhaled, he spilled the name across the desk.
"Carrot Cake's Bakery Co., L.L.C., Inc.," he stated in a voice that betrayed how very much he understood Quarry's meaning.
"That's a damn lousy name, Cake," replied Quarry, sneering as he stared out the room's sole small window.
"I'm-I'm thinking of changing it," said Carrot, staring up to Quarry as he tossed a quill upon the desk and pointed to the small bottle of ink.
"See that ya' do... sign the buckin' paper already."
As Carrot left the office, the secretary was surprised to see him smiling. She was even more surprised when Carrot laid one of the other pieces of carrot cake on a napkin across her desk.
As she thanked him, he left, his head held high and a great fat check in his saddlebags.
"He seems like a nice young colt," said the secretary as she began to nibble on the little offering.
"Meh..." answered Quarry as he looked out across the reception room with no expression evident on his face.
Outside, Carrot trotted happily towards the bank. Now he felt that everything else would fall into place. Now Cupcake could leave the catering job and would not have to find another one. Now they could spend that time together in the bakery.
Now they were that much closer, he believed, to winning "The Game of This."
As the light of the autumn day fell through golden leaves around him, Carrot was unaware of something very important. He could not know that "The Game of This" had just been upset by his act. He could not know that he had just committed a bitter offense and that a yellow card was now being held high over all he wished and hoped for. |
A Sweet Taste of Cake | Certain Advice | Chapter 6: Certain Advice
When Carrot slapped his forehead with his hoof, he was careful to avoid the dollop of frosting that still sat on his nose.
For the first time that morning, something had gone wrong, something that threatened their creation.
The silver package, wrapped tightly with bows and shimmering paper, stood before them on the table. This was a problem, as they had meant for it to be discovered when the gingerbread house was eaten.
In short, they both realized as they looked at one another with long looks of concern, they had messed up.
Cup Cake brought him the two long stanchions, her decisiveness coming into play. To their annoyance, their hoofwork had been too good. The foundation had already set, their prowess with the frosting working against them.
As they set the gingerbread carefully upon the twin stanchions, they made sure that it supported the structure, that the walls were now taking the entire weight of the gingerbread house.
With that, she passed him a fine-toothed knife, and he went to work removing the foundation.
Carrot's practiced hooves sat the knife against the seam of frosting that held the walls to the foundation. The entirety of the project was now on the line, and together they would have decisions to make if they were to save it.
He looked up to her. With a nod she told him to press on, and her mind went back to another time she had made a decision...
"And we'll have browns, and reds, and oranges, and it there will be pumpkins and cornstalks and we'll go bobbing for apples and have a hay wagon ride. Oh, hey! Where are we going to get a wagon? Do any of our neighbors have wagons we could borrow? Oh! Oh, oh, oh! We could have the neighbors come too! But, wait, if they have wagons already then a wagon ride wouldn't be much fun, what could we ride instead... how about we ride their wagon and then we..."
Clyde sat at the dinner table and watched her go through yet another detailed, essentially breathless, description of a party she was planning.
They had never had a Nightmare Night party here on the farm. They had carved pumpkins, told a ghost story or two, had a few snacks... but then it was off to bed. There was work to be done, after all.
But these last few months since she had found her cutie mark had been different. Everything had become different. They were all different.
As their mother placed their dinner upon the table, Clyde was able to interrupt her implores long enough to make lead an Invoke, and soon she was once again pouring forth her ideas.
Clyde looked to Inkie and Blinkie, the two other fillies each showing supreme interest in their sister's vision.
Clyde stared down the length of the table, past where Pinkie waved enthusiastically as she named all sorts of autumnal ideas with which to festoon her celebration, and looked to where his wife sat and ate her small share of the meal.
Roxy caught his eyes upon her and gave him a small smile. She watched him give a big sigh, and soon a look of astounded exasperation went across his face.
Clyde waited as Roxy's reply came across the table, mouthed wordlessly over the continuing oration of their pink daughter. "It will be okay," she told him without words. "We'll get through it."
He smiled back to her. He knew she was right.
Still...
These last months had been happy, but it was not as though these weekly, and sometimes even more frequent, celebrations did not come at a cost. Autumn was a time for he and his fellow geoculturalists to begin gathering in their rocks, to harvest the magic of Equestria that had settled within them as the blessed sun had fallen over them during the summer.
A delay of a day may not mean much, but it did mean more work for him. And, he knew, he was not getting any younger.
Appropriately and prophetically, a single one of the grey hairs of his mane drifted down to his plate, blemishing his meal. He carefully removed it, looked at it for a second before laying it aside and returning to his supper.
The purpose of her mark, he realized, needed to reveal itself. There had to be some way for her to do so, or he would soon be fat with party food and bald from worry.
Pinkie's cheerful reflections soon faded as she ate, going up and down in time with however much food she was simultaneously trying to eat and voice her ideas.
"Pinkamena," her mother scolded in soft tones. "Now is the time for eating..."
"Okee dokee!" replied the filly, settling back into her seat as her two sisters giggled slightly and returned to their own meals.
Small conversation arose from around the table as the dry leaves of autumn floated around the farm, catching against the silo, the barn, and upon the very rocks that gave the farm its purpose.
The city of Ponyville was alive in the warm evening as lights fell from the faces of pumpkins that bobbled with candlelight.
"Oh, look! That whole building is dressed up for Nightmare Night!" came the voice of one small pony. Carrot turned to look upon the next visitor to the shop.
He stood in the doorway; the double boiler disguised as a cauldron wherein stood the melted caramel. Apples stood impaled upon their sticks nearby, drying in the night air as he tried to find who would be the next to come and receive his offered treat.
The bakery had been dressed up. It looked more like a gingerbread house now and the change was permanent. The ploy had been Cupcake's idea of an advertisement.
He settled over three little figures that smiled at him. He looked to the older pony who was guiding them. As he did, an awareness jumped up at him.
As he removed the gauze from his face, he realized he was either looking at the very worst Princess Celestia costume in the history of Equestria or the very best Princess Cupcake costume that anypony could imagine.
He went with the latter.
He stared at the little colt and fillies who looked up to him with big smiles, then back to her. As a thousand questions shook through him, he looked to her, his puzzlement apparent even beneath his costume.
"This is Aunt Cupcake's good friend, Mr. Carrot Cake. What do you say?" she said.
"Nightmare Night, what a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!" chimed out the costumed trio. As they did, she smiled to him, her fake wings and horn bouncing around, and he back at her as the gauze once more slipped over his eyes.
"Oh, alrighty!" he replied. "Come over here and we'll make you up some apples!"
Cupcake watched contentedly as the foals gathered around him, as he showed them how to carefully cover the apple, spin it to give it an even coat.
With that he held the caramel apple up, let it sit on a nearby drying rack covered with appropriate decorations.
"So this is your shop?" asked the little colt cheerfully as he and his sisters selected their apples.
"Yup!" replied a Carrot Cake who beamed with pride. "Carrot Cake's Bakery Co., L.L.C., Inc!"
"That name's really stinko!" replied the colt.
"Careful for your apple," replied Carrot, his mummy costume hiding a scowl that he did not want Cupcake to see. She giggled as he looked to her and saw her adjusting her costume once more.
"You don't need to put the business cards on these," she said as he lifted the crown farther up her head and helped it settle, "save them for the paying customers, you know."
"Right," he agreed, his voice becoming softer as he gazed happily over the mare. "Sure thing, Princess Auntie Cupcake."
The two looked at one another and then down over the colt and fillies that jabbered excitedly as their creations came to life. Adding the business cards to the string that bound the completed caramel apple together had been Cupcake's idea, as was having him show off his confectionary skills here at his shop.
As dozens of happy Nightmare Night celebrants had trotted away from his bakery, he knew she had been right, as she had always been.
Soon the caramel apples were ready, and he wrapped them up and set them aside for the foals to pick up after the night celebrations were complete.
As the three foals met with friends who were soon to make apples of their own, Cupcake and Carrot smiled happily, each seeing how excited the foals had been.
He looked to Princess Cupcake once more and again helped her adjust herself. Their costumes were perfect metaphors. His was well done but not suited to him, hers an excellent idea but needing some touches. Between them both they knew that if the other had been involved, his practiced touch and her firm decisiveness, they would have turned out better.
"We should help each other with our costumes next year," he giggled as he lowered the gauze. "May-maybe even wear matching costumes."
"Yes, yes we should," she giggled.
As the sounds of the Nightmare Night celebration lifted beyond, the focus of the foals shifted there. At once he felt her hoof come to his mouth, dropping the gauze that stood there.
For a long second she lifted her kiss to him and then sheepishly turned to her nephew and nieces. Seeing them still distracted, she risked nuzzling beneath him, let the fake horn fall and wings shudder, and then moved out into the street again.
"You look good with kids. I mean you look like you're good with kids," he breathed.
"Yes, we do... are, I am," she answered, blushing at her subconscious selection of words.
He watched the four head off as a new group of foals gathered to his cauldron, saw her look back at him with a smile as they departed.
As he led the next group through making their apples, he thought about what she had just done. She had just introduced him to her family.
Well, kinda. She had chosen the word "friend," had not let on that they were involved. She had hidden her kiss from them. Why had she done that? He pondered this for a moment, only stopping when a shock of pain from hot caramel went up his foreleg.
Still, she had taken the risk, gone that much further. She had taken another step in "The Game of This." He searched the distance for her. As his imperfect princess disappeared into the crowd, he knew it was now his turn to give her a reason to offer more.
Time moved forward. As though it were a stage direction, time drove onward but the scene itself went largely unchanged. Only the final fall of the leaves as the hooves of the runners had pelted past showed the participants in the game that the world of the two principal actors was drawing closer together.
"Geez, mom," he whispered, "I told you she was coming..."
"I-I meant to straighten, get straightened up," began Cheesecake as she gave a small tremble and ran the brush across her coat in a worried motion. As she looked on, Carrot dumped various things into the hall closet.
"I did, did get a few things to eat, so we...so we could have a nice chat," she said, looking first to him and then back up to the door. A shadow across the nearby window showed the outline of a mare who waited patiently to be shown inside.
"It's okay mom, let me just get these put away," Carrot said as he placed more items within.
He turned to see his thin mother looking towards the door, her hoof to her mouth. Slowly, he walked to her and laid his head to hers.
"I-I don't want to embar..." she began.
"She's gonna love you, mom," he interrupted, "just be you and everything will be fine..."
With that, he opened the door, and Cupcake entered his childhood home.
The conversation went surprisingly well. Soon the two mares had made their introductions and were complimenting each other on how wonderfully their manes had been made up, how nicely the flowers were arranged, how beautiful the drapes were.
By the time they were discussing the best local hairdressers, pony pedicures, and all these other things that appealed to mares, Carrot had suddenly remembered that he was, in point of fact, a stallion. As such, that type of talk essentially made him wish for nothing more than the sweet release of death.
"I'll get us something to eat," he said as he stood and went to the kitchen. He trotted out into the old familiar space and looked in the cupboards. He found them shockingly bare. Soon, the jelly cupboard and the pantry too proved to be essentially empty.
Old worries went through his mind. In an instant he had thrown his head into the icebox.
It took him a second to realize that all that stood within was a box of baking soda, a rather old bottle of milk, and a tray of cheese with a few handfuls of crackers. He realized it was probably all that she had thought to make up.
"Oh mom," he whispered as some of the fears he had long had for her when he moved out came to life. Why was there no food? When had she last eaten a real meal?
He lifted the tray and brought it into the living room. "I'm just gonna run out for a second." he said, "Grab some things. I'll be right back."
He realized that the mares had barely even heard him. Cheesecake was far too busy showing Cupcake any number of embarrassing pictures of him as a foal from the wide selection of albums that were coming off the shelf. As they giggled, he rolled his eyes and slipped out the door.
He had intended to head for the market, maybe grab up enough produce and cheeses to make a proper meal. As he turned down his old familiar street into the fountain square, he witnessed something that made him stop and have his jaw drop open.
As ponies hurried past him in the opposite direction, a booming, rumbling voice dove down and then back up again with a call of rage. Soon, it was high in an endless stream of curses that drove even more ponies from the area around the fountain in fear.
As Carrot looked from behind the monument, he saw why.
A carriage stood there, the driver and two ponies who were supposed to be pulling it looking on in horror. They tried to get out of their harnesses as a great vast stallion circled it while foaming and hissing.
"Come out of there ya' son of a bitch!" shrieked Quarry, ramming his shoulder against the carriage so hard that it shook. "I recognized the smell of yer' damn cologne the second you crossed the bridge! Didn't think ya'd ever have to see me again did 'ya? Did 'ya!?"
Carrot shook as Quarry once more rammed himself against the carriage. He saw the huge stallion literally lift it off two of its wheels, the carriage only righting itself when the stallion skidded on the wet leaves that stood across the cobblestones.
To Carrot's horror the loud screams of a filly-foal began to rise from within.
"Never thought you'd have to see me again, huh? The way you and yer' damn little cabal sold me out of the grocery market! Thought ya'd never have to pay for leavin' me standing in the street wondering where in the Well you'd all gone off ta', not leavin' me a bit! That what you thought, you goat buckin'..."
Carrot stared on in fascinated horror as Quarry literally ripped the door handle off the carriage. As the door flopped open, Quarry fell from the running boards to the ground, crying in pain and then heaving for breath.
Carrot looked up to the carriage. Within it he saw the horrified face of a well-dressed unicorn stallion with his forelegs across a mare and a little filly-foal who screamed in fear, the stallion shielding them even as fear grew on his own face.
"Oh Celestia! Quarry, Quarry!" the unicorn stammered as though he were only just realizing who this frothing earth pony was. "That, that was years, decades..."
As Quarry rose, he bellowed, roared. At once the unicorn's magic snapped the door shut. In a rage, his eyes alive with wrath, Quarry threw the handle awkwardly at the carriage as best he could with a trembling hoof.
Carrot felt his hoof go to his mouth as he saw it strike the driver.
The poor pony fell from the seat, clutching at his forehead. Even as he fell, the two other ponies still fought to get out of their harnesses, and one now tried to reach for his fallen partner.
Quarry had climbed up the carriage and was literally ripping at the satin roof with hoof and tooth. "Come out! Come out ya' udder suckin' goat bucker!" he called as he reached within, ripping away at the carriage as long strips of satin came up around him and drifted down to settle among the leaves that littered the ground.
Carrot's heart went to his throat, his ears drumming. The sight of Quarry fishing through the roof of the carriage, the fearful shrieks of the filly within, the calls for help from her mother, the unicorn stallion calling to Quarry-- these all painted a picture of Quarry in Carrot's mind that horrified him, a picture that made him shake and tremble.
"Never thought of that did ya'!? Never thought I'd have actually be waitin' for the chance tah' drag my due outta ya, huh!?" bellowed Quarry. "Now yer' in Ponyville, my Ponyville, and here ain't nobody gonna save yer'..."
At once the driver, blood streaming across his forehead, leapt for Quarry. As the driver caught Quarry, the stallion turned, kicked at him and cursed.
"Quarry!" erupted a familiar voice, one that sounded as horrified as Carrot felt.
Carrot saw Quarry's enraged features lift, and as though in desperation, a great flash of unicorn magic flashed from deep within the carriage.
At once Quarry fell backwards. He paddled through the air and went to the ground on the far side of the carriage. A quick motion on the other side betrayed the driver giving Quarry a kick and receiving a hoof to his midsection in a reply that lifted him high into the air, sent him gasping for his seat.
"Go, go!" called the bleeding driver. With that the two other ponies grasped for their harnesses and pulled at the carriage with all their resolve. With a start it went out past the fountain to the road beyond. As it went, the cries of the foal hovered over it, disappearing in a horrid soundtrack that lingered in Carrot's mind.
Carrot stood there beside the fountain looking to where some small breezes kicked leaves to where the form of Quarry lay. The big stallion lifting his head and fought to his hooves.
"Dammit, Quarry!" came the familiar voice again, revealing itself to be Ledger. As the other earth pony trotted up, Quarry stood there, fighting to breath as his friend looked him up and down.
"I don't even want to know what that was about. Damn it!" spoke Ledger in a tone like he had at the mill long ago. "The way that filly was crying I thought you were killing them..."
Carrot saw a look of shock go across Quarry's face. Slowly, the immense stallion looked to Ledger, a look of realization growing on the face of a stallion that suddenly looked a lot older than Carrot remembered him seeming.
"There... there was a filly?" he whispered.
"Aye," answered Ledger, "and his wife too! What in the Well is wrong with you, Quarry? You said that...oh, the Well, look at you... you're still breathing hard."
Carrot peeked from behind the fountain. To his immense surprise, he saw that Quarry was taking deep breaths. Even the pounding of the stallion's heart seemed almost palpable, as though his huge frame was thudding in tune. His muscles rippled beneath the tan coat, the shocks of grey among the black mane seeming more obvious as the stallion lifted his head in tune to each breath.
The autumn air sat around the fountain square as ponies began drifting through once more, some looking on as Quarry lifted his head and raised his hoof. Carrot could scarcely believe it when Ledger leaned in and let the other stallion brace against him.
"You shall soon have a heart attack, Quarry, if you don't find a way out of this rage," said Ledger in a voice Carrot could barely hear, "you'll be dead of a stroke or such, Quarry, if you can't find a way out."
Together they turned to leave the park, Quarry leaning against Ivory's father like a prize fighter being led from the ring.
"I don't... don't like bein' used, Ledger. I don't like anypony stealin' from me, plottin' against me," said the winded stallion as he walked away."I'm nopony's fool..."
Carrot walked to the other side of the fountain. To his surprise, Ledger's eyes were on him, giving him an impassionate glance. Carrot quickly nodded and began to speak. Ledger gave a quick shake of his head. Carrot closed his mouth.
Ledger nodded slightly and contemplated Carrot for an instant. Ledger then turned to Quarry and spoke as he led the larger stallion off.
"Not everypony is against you, Quarry, not everypony wants something from you..." Ledger said with a sigh. "I hope you realize that, before it's too late."
Carrot heard Quarry give a small chuckle of disbelief. He watched the two walk off, his mind lost in what he had just witnessed.
There was no time to head to the market. Instead he went back to his bakery and grabbed something he thought would make a decent lunch for Cupcake and his mother. As he did, he thought of Quarry, wondered what had made him the type of pony that would do such things... wondered if he would ever find peace.
He also thought very hard about finding any way he could to never end up on the stallion's bad side. He hoped that the treats he had been bringing him and his secretary every other week with the loan payments had been helping.
Carrot flung the food into the saddlebags and then went off once more to his mother's house. As he once more passed through the market square, he slowed as he saw pieces of satin still drifting about, the fragments catching against the fountain, mixing with the fallen leaves. In his mind's eye he saw himself under the rage of the stallion. Mentally, he checked to make sure the check was due next week, not this. With a shudder he trotted on.
Arriving outside his childhood home, he glanced in through the window to see Cupcake standing in the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of water and running some more over the serving knife from the tray of crackers and cheese.
He opened the breezeway door quietly, the inside one even more so. He began to cross on quiet hooves towards the kitchen, hoping to surprise her. He smiled as he thought of making her shriek and then gather her into an embrace. He could certainly use one after what he had just witnessed.
To his surprise, another phantom crossed on the far side of the room, past the pantry and laundry room, the mare laying her hoof on Cupcake's shoulder. As Cupcake jumped in alarm, the knife clattering in the sink, Carrot felt himself lowering into the little alcove beside the door, the one where all manner of jackets and umbrellas seemed to go unused for years at a time.
For the second time in that late morning, he watched two ponies in conversation.
"Oh, I-I'm sorry!" spoke his mother in her ethereal tone, the one that made all who heard it wonder if she was not just slightly ill. "I-I didn't mean to scare you, Cupcake! I'm sorry!"
"Oh, it's... no, I'm okay, just startled a bit, dont'cha know," answered Cupcake with a small laugh.
The two mares reassured one another, his mother's foreleg still held up to Cupcake. For a moment, she held this pose and then slowly lowered it. Her head went down with it, and with a small sound, he saw Cupcake's head tilt as though in worry.
"Cupcake," came his mother's small voice, "I-I have to ask. What-what are you hiding from my son?"
Carrot had to stifle a breath and was glad that Cupcake's gasp hid his as well.
"Is-is it that obvious?" answered Cupcake. "He-he knows! Knows that there's... reasons, reasons why I... I told him that, that there was something. Please, Cheesecake I'm doing it for both of us..."
To his surprise, his mother lifted her head and laid it across Cupcake's withers. With small motions Cupcake answered. She lifted her own head and placed it across his mother until a sigh fell from the older mare.
"It's okay," spoke his mother, her tone stronger than before, "I know. I know... I'm a mare too; we have our reasons for doing these things. We do these things to protect those we love from hurts and harm."
The mares lifted their heads and looked at one another.
"You-you don't have to tell me," the thin white mare continued, her golden-brown mane falling across her face, "but, Cupcake, don't-don't let it keep you from love... don't let it keep you from spending time in love, because it can disappear..."
Carrot pressed himself firmer to the alcove, hid himself as he felt his mother's words. Somehow, he sensed that he was about to learn things that she had never taken the time to tell him. Perhaps things she had not known how to tell him.
"I... I offered dancing and singing lessons. I had a wonderful partner I haven't seen in years when I was your age. My mark isn't for cooking, it about helping ponies find that special spark within themselves. Cheese can become a cake after all, you see. My friend and I, we would go dance at clubs and then offer lessons to the colts we'd batted our eyes at."
His mother tilted her head back and forth.
"I had this one colt, this one stallion, who kept coming back to me... kept coming back long, long after he had learned all I could teach him. We'd dance, dance long into the night. Dance until morning. We'd collapse upon one another and watch Celestia's sunrise. It was only then I realized why he was coming back... I was the thing that was special to him, he was in love."
Cheesecake's face brightened.
"I fell in love with his love, fell in love with him for loving me. I could see us together so clearly, wanted him with me forever, and he did too. We opened ourselves to one another, loved one another in mind, heart, spirit... physically. As we saw visions of our lives together, we opened up our magic and it greeted that love. Here in this house, in the room at the top of the stairs, on that very bed my Carrot was conceived."
Carrot leaned against the alcove door, swallowed hard as he tried to let the facts of what was about to be stated flow past him. He looked up to see Cupcake placing her hoof to her mouth.
"He was called back to active duty as soon as I started to show, and every day it seemed I received a letter. He would ask how I was doing, outlined plans for us, counted down the number of days until he completed his tour."
Carrot choked.
"And then one day they stopped. Just... stopped. Part-part of me wondered if he had found another pony... a different mare, but I didn't believe it. I'd think of how we'd sat, how he'd stroked me and had run his hoof across my stomach, across his foal. I wouldn't believe it."
Cheesecake lifted her head to face Cupcake, tears just visible at the edges of her eyes.
"Then after two weeks I got a letter from someone in his regiment. There, there had been an accident... he'd been dead for two weeks! He was burned up in a magical fire, a training exercise gone wrong... lost two weeks before and I didn't even know about it! Since, since we weren't married the army didn't know to tell me... and they, the members of his regiment only thought to do it when emptying his things, found my letters... Four days later I was in labor."
Carrot bit hard and tried his best not to make any sounds as the horrible noise of his mother's sniffles filled the room.
"I... I never lost the feel of Carrot's father's love, and-and Cupcake, as Carrot grew I tried to replace it. When, when I thought Carrot was old enough I started, dating... but, not dating. Tried, tried to capture the feel of love but not the pain it could bring. I-I brought stallions to this house, to the very bed..." she said, choking at the end.
Carrot bit down hard once more, struggled against the memories of "uncles" who lasted in her life for two, maybe three weeks. Some pretended to be his friend, asked about his toys and hobbies. Some could not have cared less about him. None of them were worth remembering.
One terrifying night, one had stood outside his bedroom door for an hour as he tried his hardest to pretend to be asleep, the eyes of the stranger lying upon him.
One night when he was thirteen or fourteen he had awoke to the awful, devastating sounds of one calling her... things, yelling at her to do... things.
He would have taken the staring one in a heartbeat.
"When I reached forty-five my hips started to show through my coat. Lines began to show under my eyes. The stallions stopped looking. I realized that I'd, that I'd been trying to replace love with sex. It didn't work Cupcake, it didn't work and I was just left here in this house, alone," his mother continued, voicing a truth that the teenaged Carrot had wished he would have had the strength to tell her. "But I realized that there had always been love in this house, the love of Carrot's father was still here... it was in Carrot."
He lifted his head, dared lift it a little closer to the door. There he watched as his mother raised her hoof once more, as though in pain. He watched gratefully as Cupcake gathered his mother's hoof to hers as the two mares stood there in the sun that came in through the kitchen window.
"He earned his mark down here, in this kitchen, baking for us. Making our meals. The day it came I was...up there, came down at noon to find it dry. I didn't know that the carrot cake I'd thrown away had given... given him his mark until he came home! The damn teacher and his schoolmates knew about it before I did! I'm his mother! I was right up there, next to some..."
His mother gave a single pained bawl and leaned forward, Cupcake gathering her up.
"He never stopped loving me, never gave up on me. Always stopped at the top of the stairs before going off, listening for my breath. When, when I realized that he was the love in my life, that I should be living for him, finding my love through watching him grow I turned to him..."
Cheesecake took another series of strained breaths.
"... turned to him and looked up to see that he'd already grown up, was ready to start his own life. I'd, I'd missed my chance to be a proper mother, Cupcake! I'd lost love twice! First the love of his father, then my chance to honor our love through his son!"
Carrot blinked through a few tears, saw his mother lifting herself from Cupcake's withers. His thin, worn, haggard... beautiful, radiant mother looked down into Cupcake's understanding, rosy eyes.
"I-I won't ask you to tell me what it is that you're keeping from him, or me. But, Cupcake, I can see it's hurting you. My Carrot, my son is full of love Cupcake, he's alive with love. He loves you..."
"He is, he is. Yes, I know he is. He's so wonderful," he heard Cupcake answer, her own voice tinged with tears.
"Don't miss out on it, don't waste a second of it!" said his mother, laying her head to Cupcake's. "It can disappear, Cupcake... whatever it is that's keeping you from opening yourself up all the way to him, to his love, don't let it rule you! Clear it away as soon as you can, my dear, let love deal with your fears..."
Carrot stood there as perhaps the most profound thing he had ever heard his mother say drifted across the tiles of the little kitchen where he had made so many breakfasts.
As the two mares embraced each other once more, he quietly slipped back outside. The autumn sun fell over him, golden and full. Leaves flipped down the street, and overhead, pegasi flipped from cloud to cloud, playing in the light.
They were using these last few warm, painted days to enjoy life... enjoy it before the snows were scheduled to fall.
With a single sniffle, he turned back within the house. As he did, he made sure to make the doors ring out loudly behind him.
"I'm back!" he called out, pretending that he did not notice them until the last second. "Oh!" he spoke in a falsified tone of ignorance. "You're both here in the kitchen! I brought some lunch!"
He looked upon them as his mother tried to hide one last tear and Cupcake turned to him.
He could not help but smile as the two mares he loved most in the world looked up to him with broad smiles of their own.
"It was so lovely to meet you," intoned Cupcake, leaning in for one more hug from Cheesecake, the older mare patting her on the shoulder as she did.
"Please, don't be a stranger," added Cheesecake, releasing the younger mare and looking to them both. Her blue eyes flashed with happiness at seeing them together.
Her smile only grew when her gangly son leaned down and planted a kiss upon her cheek. "Love you mom," he said. "Be sure to eat something for dinner, okay?"
With that they were off. At first Carrot thought that they were heading back to the bakery, and from there Cupcake would leave him once more, head off alone to the place that he had promised not to follow.
To his surprise, they zipped right past the bakery as though it were no more than a street side garbage pail or a mailbox.
"Ummm," he began as he turned to watch his ginger-trimmed residence and place of occupation recede.
Soon, he felt her leaning against him, asking for his strength. He went silent and followed her little turns. He caught up her offered hoof as they turned down some unfamiliar streets.
It was not that he had never been to this part of Ponyville; it was just that he had never really had any real reason to linger on roads with big houses and stately homes.
At once a thought went through him. At once worries that she had been living in some sort of flophouse or had been living in some sort of institution with curfews and rules against colts visiting, these all disappeared.
Instead, they stopped at a corner under a lamppost. As the afternoon drew on around them, Cupcake pointed to a large house that stood back from the road. Spread out before it, a long pathway led past a tall fence leading to a wide porch. The house itself was very strong and sturdy looking with exposed pillars and a low look, one that seemed to blend into the landscape rather than stand out from it.
To Carrot's surprise, the same three foals who had visited him on Nightmare Night played in piles of leaves upon the lawn as their schoolbags rested nearby.
"That, that's my house... that's where, where I live," she said, haltingly. "This is where, where I come when we say goodnight.
Carrot stuttered for a moment and then looked up to the house. It was beautiful, it was large... it was hers. It was hers?
"It, it's beautiful," he said as he took a step forward.
"No!" she cried, grabbing for him. Her hoof caught around his stifle and he tripped a little. He turned and looked at her with confusion painted across his face.
She was taking steps backwards, her hooffalls sounding out across the cobblestones. As she turned, she looked to him once more. Her rose-colored eyes flashed with thought, and he sensed things were moving behind them.
He followed silently, watched her head flashing around and peer deep within the crowds of ponies that went by.
They trotted up and within the gazebo, the same one where their first date had begun. No band sat within the space now, and only the cool breeze that battled the sun of a warm autumn day met them there.
Carrot watched he trot back and forth with a worried look. A thousand questions went through his mind as he watched her, and the worry he felt for Cupcake only grew.
"Cupcake," he asked, "why, who... why didn't you want me to know about your house? I, I was worried that you were living in a shack, or..."
At once she turned to him and laid her head against his chest once more. He recognized this pose, what she was asking of him. Slowly he sat, allowed her to move deeper into him and lay her head there more fully.
As the autumn light began to fail, she spoke. He listened as she tried to explain what was happening without actually explaining it, as she tried to detail the new twists and turns that "The Game of This" was taking.
"Carrot," she said, not raising herself from his chest, "your mother, she told me something, something that made quite a bit of sense."
He thought of the conversation that had transpired in the kitchen.
"I-I really, really want to tell you everything... show you everything, but-but I can't!" she continued, a small note of panic in her voice. "I'm sorry, I just can't! I-I don't want you to end up like the other colts... I, don't..."
Carrot ran his hoof through her mane, parted the rosy tones as she continued to lie against his chest. She leaned to him even more as he did, as though allowing some of her worry to pass to him with each gentle stroke.
He realized why she had done it, why she had shown him the house, the large house where her nieces and nephews rolled about laughing on the lawn. He had wanted her to open herself, and she had... she had as much as she thought she could.
He ran his hoof up and down her back, caressing the mare as he felt her breath. She was trying so hard, trying to reach for his love while still hiding something, still trying desperately to play the game she had set up.
At once his vision of her lying close to him, secure in his embrace as the soft light drifted over her. That vision filled him, and he longed for it. But, right now, this was all he could offer.
So, he ran his hoof across her and let her breathe.
"I know-know you're tryin' so hard to be patient," she said as she wiped her face against his chest, "tryin', waiting on me to... Please don't stop trying, Carrot. Oh, Carrot, please don't stop trying."
Of course, his body told her as Carrot drew her in closer, of course.
As the cool breeze won the contest, and great shafts of Celestia's sun faded around them, he lifted himself. He looked down to her as she looked up to him.
"Cupcake, how about some dinner?" he asked. "And, and then can I walk you... can I walk you part of the way home, maybe just to the lamppost?"
"Yes," she answered, lifting her nose and closing her eyes. "Oh, yes, I think that would do nicely."
Slowly, they rubbed their noses. He took up her hoof, and they went into the village to their dinner as the wind tossed the dry leaves across the path around the gazebo. |
A Sweet Taste of Cake | The Game has Changed | Chapter 7: The Game has Changed
The door of Hospitable Loan and Trust came open. As the bell rang out with a festive jingle, a few flakes of holiday snow followed an amber-coated colt as he walked within.
The secretary looked up to see the familiar colors of Carrot Cake emerging from beneath a festive dusting. The freckled face smiled up to her as he stomped his hooves and tried to shake off most of the snow that clung to him.
"Hello!" he called out, doing his best to keep the snow upon the rug that lay in front of the door. "Happy Hearth's Warming Eve!"
"Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, Carrot!" she answered, replying to his smile with one of her own. He looked around the office and was surprised to see a little tree covered with magical lights. Upon contemplating it, he realized that there had been a wreath upon the door as well.
All of this struck him as a touch odd. He thought of Quarry's austere office. The stallion did not seem like one to whom the holiday would mean much.
Still, the tree sat there blinking away happily.
Carrot lifted the check from the saddlebags and chatted with the secretary, Paperclip, for a little while.
As he told her about how wonderful things were going at the bakery, his mind kept going back there, knowing that Cupcake was there right now and waiting for him. Right now she was seeing to the welcome, if tiring, wash of customers that had been drawn to the bakery in anticipation of the holiday. Together today they were going to try something new, try to fill an unusual order.
As he chatted with Paperclip, he suddenly felt the same pall fall over him that marked each of his appearances in the loan office. He felt the same tremble go through him, the same weight of eyes that had not diminished since he had been keeping this schedule, bringing the checks around.
He lifted his eyes to see those of Quarry meet his. The stallion had not emerged from the closed door of the office, but instead, from what Carrot assumed was a records room on the opposite side of the hallway.
"I told ya' that ya' didn't need to bring that one around until the day after the holiday, Cake," drifted the stallion's words.
Carrot took a discreet breath and tried to focus forward. He once more found himself unable to look the bulking stallion in the eyes for very long.
"I-I just, just don't want... don't want to get out of the, out of the habit of bringing it along... don't want to forget to bring it every t-two weeks," stammered Carrot as he looked to where the check had been laid on the secretary's desk.
He tried to lift his eyes once more. Quarry's grey eyes still sat deep in his cold features.
"Don't know why you chose every two weeks instead of monthly, either. Costs you more in the end," spoke Quarry in his usual rumble of attached judgment, his tone implying dubious belief in Carrot's business acumen.
Carrot felt himself wanting to answer, to tell the stallion that the sooner he was done paying, the sooner he felt that Cupcake could be with him as a true partner. He would no longer need to be hanging on the fruits of her work for payments, that then they could spend more time simply being together.
He felt himself wanting to tell the stallion that the sooner he was done paying back the loan, he would never have to sit here under Quarry's cold gaze again, no longer have to live with the idea of what would happen if something went wrong. The image of Quarry ripping apart the carriage could finally leave him.
He glanced at Paperclip, saw the secretary still smiling at him. He wondered how she stood to be here.
He wanted to say these things. As Quarry's deep breath filled the reception room, all Carrot could muster himself to say was, "I-I'm kinda mo... motivated to be done with it..."
Quarry gave a noncommittal grunt and flicked his tail.
All was quiet in the office for a long moment, the blinking of the tree lights shining that much brighter at the approach of the early winter nights.
Suddenly Carrot remembered what he had brought with him, had always brought with him each time he had brought his loan payment.
Attempting to slide out of his saddlebags, he got caught in them once again, an accident that only seemed to happen to him here in this place.
He released the strap and helped the bag to the floor. From within he produced two brightly wrapped parcels. As he placed them on the desk they unfolded and revealed themselves as two fruitcakes.
"I-I made them up for you both, H-happy Hearth's Warming," he said, looking to both the other ponies.
"You know how much I look forward to you coming in," spoke Paperclip, Carrot marveling once more at how free and easily she spoke with the large form of Quarry hovering nearby, "seems that the only things other ponies bring us are bad news..."
"... and excuses," completed Quarry, raising his head to look into the paper baskets, each wrapped as they were with the shimmering paper. At once the heat of the room lifted the aroma of the two warm fruitcakes into the air, filling the place with a holiday scent.
"Damn if that don't smell good though," said Quarry as he raised his head. He stared at the amber-colored colt as Carrot began to blanch.
"Thanks kindly, Cake," he said.
Carrot felt himself fall under the uncertain and foreign sense of Quarry's gratitude, and he risked a small smile. At that the stallion raised his head and looked down upon him once more. With that, the sensation was gone.
"You're... you are welcome. Happy Hearth's Warming, both of you," he said as he backed towards the door. With the jangle of the bell ringing out once more, Carrot nodded and departed into the cold street.
Paperclip rose up and began folding the paper baskets back together, preserving the warmth of the two gifts. As she did, she heard Quarry give a sigh, shake his head, and turn towards his office.
"You don't need to be so hard on him, on them," she said as she placed Quarry's fruitcake among the stallion's things so that he would not leave it here in the office over the holiday.
"There's two kinda ponies in the world of money," she heard him call from his stark office, "those who owe it, those who are owed. The two are as different as the good sun and the cold moon, and shouldn't mix."
Paperclip sighed, looked down at the two brightly wrapped boxes.
"He's not a bad colt, though..." she said.
"Never said he was... just said he owes me money," stated Quarry as he once more moved from his office to the supply room, "and I learned a long time ago that anyone who owes you money is always looking for ways to be done owin' you money, always wants somethin' from ya' to get out of it. They either need tah' fear ya', or they'll try tah' get up on ya'."
She sighed aloud.
"Don't go thinkin' any different 'bout Cake then you would any of the greasy goat lickers who come in her demandin' this or that and they'll get their lawyers. He might bring us somethin' from that daftly named bakery of his, but in the end he's no different from those who try to scare me with big words... think old Quarry is some dolt who..."
She felt him shudder through the wall of the supply room, the floorboards literally quaking as he attempted to regain himself from his growing anger.
"I meant it when I said 'Thanks,' though..." he spoke in a neutral tone, his voice carrying from the supply room.
She lowered her head and turned towards the window of the office. His cynicism washed over the room as it always had, moved through it in a form as palpable and forceful as Quarry himself. It was powerful. The slowly twinkling tree fought to buoy her spirit.
Paperclip lifted her head and began to ask him about some small affairs of the office. She instead looked up to see him standing in the doorframe of the supply room. Something hung from his mouth.
Quarry walked fully forward and laid the gift on her desk.
"Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, Paperclip," the big stallion said, nodding to her.
"Thank you," she whispered, "I-I put yours among your things, thought it'd be a surprise..."
Quarry looked into his saddlebags. There he saw a thin package nestled against the fruitcake the Cake colt had brought.
"Thank ya', Paperclip," he said, nodding once more, "take the rest of the afternoon off, see ya' in three days..."
Far out across the market square of Ponyville, Carrot turned his attention to a now familiar structure. His bakery sat there in the middle of the open block of paving stones, the chimney happily puffing away.
As he cantered by, he looked up to the gingerbread trim, noted how festive it looked... how it had inspired what would happen within today.
He also noted the name on the sign. He still had not changed it, and the more he looked at "Carrot Cake's Bakery Co., L.L.C., Inc.," the less he liked it. Still, that was not something he had to ponder right now. Right now a far more welcome task awaited him.
He strode within and began to shake the snow from himself. As he did, a delicious scent streamed out over him and filled his nostrils.
"Cupcake?" he called, "Are you..."
Before he had even completed his question, she was already coming to him, her hooves falling across the wooden floors, coming to greet him at the door. Greeting him at the door... the realization made him very happy.
"Any customers?" he asked as he shook off his saddlebags.
"Oh, a few," she said, looking up to him, her rosy eyes catching his.
He leaned down and closed his eyes. Slowly, she lifted her nose and let a wide figure eight run back and forth between them as they nuzzled each other, and the sense of their touch warmed them.
After a long minute, he raised his head. She smiled and stated, "I...I think we have everything. Are you ready to try this?"
He smiled down to her. She quickly brushed some snow from his orange mane, and then the two trotted deeper within the bakery.
Together they entered the kitchen. The gingerbread had cooled, and now it was time to try to make the first gingerbread house the bakery had ever produced.
It was a long struggle, one with many false starts. At times it became a trial, an epic challenge. At other times it descended into hilarity as parts collapsed or various components went flying across the room.
Cupcake stood back at one point, saw how hard he was concentrating. He had never done this before and yet she was astounded at his concentration, his dedication. She noted the persistence in his hooves, and he made concentrated, perfect movements to create the details.
At one point he wiped the back of his hoof across his brow, leaving a white streak across his forehead. With a giggle she lifted the frosting tube, thought of leaving a great white dollop of...
... but something caught her, stopped her. "No, not this time," it seemed to say with a small divine laugh, "but someday."
Hours passed. As the appointed hour arrived, they stood together in the main showcase room of the bakery and awaited the pony who had commissioned the gingerbread house.
It looked ill, lopsided. It reminded them both of the bakery itself when they had first set eyes on it.
Cupcake saw the worry that floated in Carrot. He had wanted to do this for so long, to move beyond just making bulk breads and rolls and move into the world of creative baking. If the customer liked it then anything was possible.
Carrot felt an extraordinary sensation go through him. Cupcake's forelegs were across his withers and he felt her lightness upon him as she slowly nibbled his ear. Just drawing his ear across her lips with touches of her teeth, just enough to draw him out of his worry.
After a moment she sat before him, and with that, he placed his legs around her.
As the bell rang, the two jumped. An older pony stood there smiling at them.
"Oh, ummm... hello, Mrs. Smith," called out Cupcake as she drew herself up, blushing as Carrot did the same.
"Hello! Happy Hearth's Warmin'!" she said as she trotted forward to look over the gingerbread house that stood on display upon the table.
"This one mine?" she asked with a touch of incredulous concern. "This here the gingerbread house I ordered?"
"Ummm, oh, yes," answered Cupcake, "it is... is it, okay? Does it look good?"
"How much extry is it?" said Granny Smith, eyeing the two.
"I'm-I'm sorry? Extra?" asked a blinking Carrot.
"For bein' so much bigger, and puttin' all these fancy bits all over it! How much extry ya' gonna charge me?" she said, her voice almost angry.
Cupcake and Carrot looked at one another and then back to her.
"No, ma'am, nothing... that's, that's pretty much just a standard house, just like you ordered," he said.
"This here is just yer' average gingerbread house?" she answered as her face brightening. "Why, colt, that's just fine! That's mighty fine! Mah' grandson and granddaughter will love it! Gobble it up!"
Carrot and Cupcake absolutely beamed with pride as they wrapped the gingerbread house in a protective box. Soon a pile of bits sat gleaming in the cash register as they saw Granny Smith to the door.
"Happy Hearth's Warmin' to both of you," she struggled to say as the large box sat perched upon her carefully. "Say, is this yer' first Hearth's Warmin' together as a married couple?"
Cupcake looked up, realized that she had once more lowered herself to his chest, that his head was over hers and that she was wrapped within his forelegs.
The two blushed brightly and made little sounds of embarrassment.
"Oh," answered Cupcake, "we... aren't married."
"You'll forgive me, ah' hope," said Granny Smith with a wink as Carrot opened the door for her, "but it were an honest mistake, what with how well you two seem tah' fit together!"
As the shop closed and the fires came out of the ovens, they soon found themselves close to one another again. As they sat there with their heads across each other's withers, they swayed slightly, as though in a dance.
"Wha-what are you doing tomorrow?" she asked without lifting her head from his withers. "What are you doing for the holiday?"
"Oh," he answered, "not much, just mom and I. Some small gifts... dinner. There's not much I want."
He paused, felt her move a little closer to him, warp her hooves closer to his. This was fine, this could last him the entire day.
"What about you?" he asked. To his alarm she said nothing. After a moment she lifted her head and started to back away. She reached behind the counter and began to fish around. Soon he realized what she was doing.
As she turned back to him, she saw him jump for the rustic beams above, saw him snatch something. She had to admit: she wouldn't have thought to look there.
The presents stood before the two of them. With a wide smile she passed hers to him first. He opened it, and out came a bowtie.
"Oh, wow, I... I've never worn one before..." he said as he lifted it.
She slowly wrapped it around him. He felt the brush of her hooves against his neck as she tied the cravat, caught the look in her eyes as she looked upon him happily.
"... and now I don't know if I'll ever take it off," he concluded.
She giggled at his statement as he passed her his gift. She took her time opening it, he quickly realizing that she was one of those mares who valued the paper, would probably save it and the ribbon.
Cupcake's eyes went wide as the small jewelry box stood before her.
He flipped it open. The earrings stood there, catching the light.
"They, they were the only things that I could find that... the only things that matched the color of your eyes," he said sheepishly.
She looked down to the earrings. He obviously had not noticed that her ears were not pierced. As she smiled back to him, Cupcake knew that it did not matter. Since he had given her these, they soon would be.
She leaned forward, laid her cheek to his, slid down the length of his neck to his shoulders. Once more the two sat there and swayed back and forth in the fading heat and smell of the gingerbread.
She lifted her head and moved quickly, planting a small, delicate kiss on his lips. He looked back at her quizzically.
"That was for your mother, from me," she said as understanding grew upon his face. "Please be sure she gets it, righty?"
"Sure," he said as he cast his eyes down into hers. "Sure thing."
With that she leaned in again, leaned in much deeper, leaned against him fully. With that he answered a kiss that was meant for him alone, one that lasted a great satisfying while as snow drifted around once more and ponies went up the street outside singing holiday songs.
The following morning, three happy fillies had bounced around inside their room, asking their parents to wake and go with them downstairs.
As they did, the presents sat there, shimmering beneath the tree, and for the first time in that household, peals of laughter and joy met a Hearth's Warming Day.
On a mountainside far away, in Canterlot, that fabled city where magic both deep and terrible flows as freely as the waters that race through its channels, Ivory's parents had joined her in the restaurant of their hotel. Before them, a magnificent buffet had been spread out, one that would consume the morning with the bounty it offered.
As the young intern sat with them, the family exchanged their presents. Ledger stared happily at his daughter as she regaled her mother with tales of palace intrigue and political intricacies.
In a small white house, Cheesecake and Carrot Cake woke late, greeted one another, and then went to a brunch he had prepared in the small kitchen. As they had sat in the living room they exchanged their few presents and talked long into the afternoon.
In a large home on the other side of Ponyville, Cupcake had lain among her nieces and nephew as they implored her to help them open their new toys, asked her to play with them.
As much as she rejoiced in the presence of these children, how much her heart swelled as they gave her their small school-made gifts and they wrapped her in hugs, there was one she longed to be with, to share mornings like this...
... and back in that white house he wished for her to be near.
Quarry, having forgotten something of importance, walked the quiet morning streets in a huff, lamenting loudly that there seemed to be no stores open.
The old stallion stopped to breathe, the cold air falling as vapor from his mouth as he pondered the day, and music drifted from nearby houses.
None of them could feel it, these partners and these players in "The Game of This," but as they celebrated that morning, the strings of causality that linked each to one another wrapped around them that much more.
As trim as the ribbon around a package, all of these participants had been drawn closer to one another, linked with the tendrils of fate that flowed from Carrot and Cupcake as they sat in the light of their trees and thought only of one another.
The scene moved forward once more, and as time passed, the holiday colors of the early winter faded into that of the deepest part, the least happy part.
As this time sped on, the bakery kept producing its bounty, offering the warmth of breads and sweets to those who sought to escape the cold and misery of winter.
Carrot could only smile as the bakery began to serve those coming off the street, those who were beginning to seek out the warmth, those caught in the allure of the smell of fresh baked bread on a cold morning.
As winter faded, Carrot found himself assailed by one of his most ancient of enemies, one he knew he could not face alone.
In short, it was tax time, and he was simply horrible at math. Fortunately for him and his bakery Cupcake was there.
They decided that they would work together, Carrot doing as best he could to help her, and together they would finish the taxes in one night. He couldn't help but look at her as she scratched away, looking every inch a true partner in this enterprise as he brought her warm drinks and treats to snack upon.
He read the numbers back to her, cautiously skipping over any details of the loan he had taken out. He did not want her to feel that she had placed any burden on him, did not want her to know that he had indebted himself to a pony like Quarry. He could still picture the fearful look on her face on that day long ago in the mill.
He slipped the loan payments and interests into the calculations, hid it from her in the hope that she would not worry about owing him anything.
He could not know it, but he had just committed a flagrant foul in "The Game of This."
As the evening drew on, they found themselves in the enviable position of being able to draw some conclusions. As ten o'clock rolled around, they began placing these conclusions on the forms... and with jaws dropping open, they realized that they had just finished the taxes.
Not only that but the best available evidence seemed to suggest that Carrot and his bakery were due a refund, and not a small one at that.
Celestia and simple deductions be praised!
They sat as the taxes went into the envelope, as they finished their treats and drinks, chatting as the night wore away.
As Cupcake began to yawn, the hallway clock began to chime eleven, startling her in the slightest. Outside, the Mare in the Moon cast her glance over the frozen streets of Ponyville. A sheen of ice covered everything, the pegasi having let it get too warm by a fraction of a degree during the day.
"I-I don't like you going out in that, you might fall," he said gathering up jackets, "let-let me walk you home...to the lamppost..."
"Then you could fall on the way back and I'd feel horrible," she said as she tried to hide her small yawn again. "Besides, I told them I'd be staying out tonight."
Cupcake startled and looked to Carrot. "But, but I forgot to ask you! I didn't think to ask you! Carrot... may, may I stay here tonight? May I sleep on the couch or one of the chairs in the..."
"Nah, you can sleep in my bed," he said as he immediately placed the coats back on the hook. "Just let me put some fresh sheets on..."
"You-you don't have to..." she began. He though was already past her and trotting up the stairs into the living space above the bakery.
He tossed various and sundry items into his closet that he did not particularly care to have her see lying around his room, generally trying to straighten it as he went about in a hurried state.
He opened up the linen closet and was almost obscenely happy that there were, in point of fact, clean sheets for her to lie upon.
As he quickly stripped the bed of sheets and blankets, a welcome sound came up the stairs, wonderfully familiar hooffalls sounding out down the little hallway. He looked up to see her standing at the door of his bedroom, smiling a small smile.
"Aren't you the gentlecolt," she said. "And where will you sleep?"
"Oh," he said, "somewhere..."
He fumbled with the sheet, watched as an unexpected and unmatched pillowcase fell from it.
"Here," she said as she lifted her hoof, "let me help."
Together they circled the bed, laying the blankets and sheets. For the first time that evening he was wordless, Carrot unable to think of anything appropriate to say as a beautiful mare walked around his bedroom.
All too soon they had finished. As she began to remove the earrings, he found himself blushing and turning towards the door. "If you need anything, the blankets are here in the linen closet, and the attached bathroom is..."
... a mess.
"Out of order!" he called in small alarm. "So, ummm... use the one down the hallway, okay?"
"Okay," she answered as she slowly trotted over to him and lifted her nose. His tiredness faded as the soft feel of her touch went through him once more, as the feeling of their presence drifted through one another.
So familiar, welcome, was the touch that as she shifted her head, he knew what she was asking for. As they settled into their goodnight kiss, he found himself opening his eyes to look upon her face as they parted.
Silence hung there, neither speaking, blushes growing across their faces as they stood in the bedroom. Within both the understanding hung that there was more that they wanted to say, that the night had simply come too early.
"Good... goodnight, Carrot," she whispered, putting the conversation to rest for the night.
"Goodnight. Goodnight, Cupcake," he said as he backed out of the room. Soon he was going down the hallway as night seemed to settle around the bakery in deeper tones.
Cupcake collapsed upon the bed and rubbed her eyes. As the thoughts of numbers and deductions fell from her, she felt herself wanting to sleep, grateful for the expanse of the bed beneath her. It was warm enough in the room, and the bed was big and deep.
But sleep would not come. As she wondered why, a comprehension opened up in Cupcake. Here once again he had opened himself up, let her into the very innermost sanctum of his own personal self. Once more he had been open with her and as the moonlight flitted around the room, she saw all the little items, everything about him laid bare to her.
Even as she lay on his bed, she realized, she was still keeping her secrets from him. Even if they were for his protection, for their dreams... they were still secrets.
Her head turned and fell across the breadth of the bed. Despite the new sheets that lay crisply beneath her, his scent still filled the room. It filled the bed, and as she thought of him, she knew that she was being utterly unfair. She knew that most colts would not have put up with it, would have demanded...
But, Carrot was no regular colt... no, he was a stallion, a real one. He was living for her, living for every little shred she was giving him. He was hanging on hope. Ten months. For ten months she had showed him no more of her life than the front of her house, another pony's children, and her favorite restaurants. In that time she had met his mother and he had drawn the pain out of her. He had shared with her his hopes and dreams; he had waited for her and never been anything other than kind.
For fifteen long minutes that seemed like an hour, Cupcake thought about this, thought about how in her life Carrot alone had not wanted anything from her but to be with her, to be near her. He alone had simply wanted to marvel at her, look deep into her eyes, feel the warmth of her touch.
In her life she had wanted that from him alone too... he was the only one who had offered it without a price.
Ten months. For ten months he had believed in her and trusted her. His mother knew, his mother was right... she did risk losing his love every moment she did not open up to him, but the idea of having him end up like the other stallions...
Cupcake sat up in the bed with a little cry of worry rising from her. Right now she realized there was one thing she could do to show him that his trust, his love, was not misplaced. She could in this moment show him that she desperately wanted him in her life, that even an act as simple as those taxes completed downstairs were slowly bringing them together.
He deserved this, this proof. No stallion had ever been so kind to her, had loved her for herself. There was no other stallion in Equestria so patient or so giving. In that instant she knew how to let him know that he was winning "The Game of This."
She leapt from the bed and trotted down the hallway on silent hooves.
Carrot shifted uncomfortably, trying to keep the one blanket below him to keep the cold surface of the couch from his body, keeping the other over him as the spare room grew colder.
He had ripped the seam of the couch trying to get the bed to unfold. It had jammed halfway and now he lay awkwardly upon it at an angle, the metal bits glistening on his left side, threatening any number of wounds if he turned in the night. This was compounded by the fact that his face was now directly in the moonlight no matter what position he took.
The thought of these torments was driven from as he sighed and found a set of rosy eyes staring down into his.
"Cupcake?" he whispered into the night. "What's wrong? Do, do you need..."
She pressed her lips to his so forcibly that the bed came unstuck and fell back within the sofa.
He was able to take one small breath as it did, Carrot startling both at his descent and her sudden act. As he lay there, she still stared down into him. To his amazement her foreleg crossed over him and sat next to his head. With that Cupcake slowly lowered her head again, catching against his lips in a long, lingering kiss.
She stood, took a few steps back and raised her hoof to him.
"Cupcake..." he breathed.
"Please," she said, her voice a soft tremble as she waved her hoof again.
With that he slowly stood, leaving the blankets on the couch as he gathered her hoof into his. With that she led him back down the hallway.
As they entered the bedroom she lifted his hoof and placed it against her face. He felt the warmth that was flowing from her. He swallowed hard and tried to remain calm as the mare stood with him in the night, staring at his bed. As the moonlight fell through the room, he took a soft breath, thought of the most perfect thing he could say, and leaned down to her ear.
"Wherever you want to go, I'll go there with you..."
If he could have gotten away with it, he would have slapped himself in the forehead. He had read that in a trashy pulp novel once, most likely while waiting in a doctor's office. Even though he meant every word of it, he immediately imagined that it came across as a very special sort of awful.
To his utter amazement they went towards the bed.
"Lay with me," she whispered.
She sat upon the bed and looked to him.
"Just... just lay here with me, please, Carrot," she said as her frame was outlined by the moonlight.
"Yes," he said, his voice cracking the slightest. "Of course... of course, Cupcake."
Carefully, gingerly, he too entered the bed and rested himself behind her. As she settled into the crux of his body, wrapping herself with his frame, she felt his strength and his tenderness.
In time she knew that she would call on these, but at that moment all she asked for was his hooves. He reached around her, placing his forelegs along hers. With that she placed her hooves upon his and gave an easy sigh.
As he felt her breathing, Carrot was suddenly very happy that he had bought the king sized bed. As the sound of her breath caught in his ears, Carrot was suddenly a huge fan of income taxes. As the feel of her body drifted across the length of his, Carrot decided that "Lay with me," though not the destination he had fleetingly imagined, was not such a bad place to go.
Not bad at all.
"Carrot," she whispered, "I love you. I trust you. Please don't give up, don't stop trying to be with me... we're, we're going to be together, I can do it."
He kissed her softly on the cheek.
As she lay there with her body safe and secure within his embrace, he ran his free hoof across the tones of her mane, lovingly stroking it as he felt her breathing slow to match his deeper ones, as her heartbeat slowed to match his.
With that she was asleep, the moonlight falling upon the soft expression that dwelt across her.
Downstairs the clock struck midnight and a new day began. As every second ticked by, Carrot could not help but feel that they were sounding out the most perfect day of his life. He felt himself treasuring each second that passed as she lay so close to him, her body to his, sheltered in him.
Already he could feel his right foreleg beginning to go to sleep as her head rested upon it. He knew that upon his waking, it would torture him, make him pay the price for this wonderful feeling of wholeness that was creeping across him, the blissful feeling of her light frame against his but... he... did... not... care...
Slowly he pulled the sheet over them, and the blankets too. As her sleeping breaths raised and lowered the sheets, he gazed over her one last time. Putting his lips to her ear, he breathed "I love you" in the shadow of a whisper and laid his head above hers.
Although he thought sleep to be impossible, her sweet scent soon filled him. With that he went off into dreams that fought very hard to be as wonderful as the waking world. |
A Sweet Taste of Cake | You Think You Know a Guy | Chapter 8: You Think You Know a Guy
Shafts of light broke through the large timbered house. As they did, the early morning sounds of Ponyville began to sound out along the road at the foot of the path.
Cupcake's father was the first to awake, as he always had been. Even the challenge presented by the presence of his grandchildren in the house had not wrested dominion of these small morning hours from him.
Light was becoming more evident every morning. As he breathed a morning Invoke, he stood in that light and took it as a promise that Celestia was raising the sun earlier each day, that spring was indeed coming.
As he put the kettle on, the light cascaded in through the skylight he had built all those decades ago. He gave a small curse as he saw a few drops of water hanging at the space where the brass met the ceiling. He would have to re-seal it this year.
That, however, was a summer job. As he waited for the water to boil, he stared out across his wide lawn to the road below. It was for the better that winter was ending soon, that he and his family would soon once more do their part in the annual Winter Wrap-Up.
How nice it will be to have children helping out this year. Though the circumstances of his eldest daughter's return were unhappy, he would have been a liar if he said that he did not like having his grandchildren with him.
Cupcake's father ran his hoof through his mane and gave a long sigh. As a few grey hairs came loose, he batted them through the air.
Soon the water began to boil. As he grabbed the mugs out of the finely appointed cabinetry, he made her tea first and then his own, as he always had.
Cupcake's father felt his ears perk up. There was movement overhead, and with a gruff laugh the old stallion knew that his grandson and granddaughters were now rising. He wondered how long it would be before they too learned the importance of sleeping in on Saturdays.
His name came echoing to him, and within seconds he was heading back up the stairs.
He turned and looked first towards the rooms beyond where the sounds of the hooves of his grandchildren echoed around in their bedrooms, the sounds of small games rising into the air.
His name came to him again, this time from the opposite end of the hallway. There a dear face met his, and he went up to her quietly.
"You alright?" he asked as he placed her offered hoof in his, letting her lean into him. "You want tah' head back to bed, or do you want to come downstairs at all? I got yer' tea on..."
"Oh," she answered in a thin voice, walking out of the bathroom with weak steps, "I think I'm alright to go downstairs today... I think I'll be better today than yesterday."
Yesterday had been horrible.
"Do ya' want the chair? Can you walk it?" he said as he brushed back some of her mane as it fell across her face. "Ya' want me tah' carry ya' down?"
"I should not have you carry me down these stairs!" she scolded in a light tone. "Oh, the fear that went through me the first time you did!"
"You know I'd never drop ya'," he spoke in a tone that almost seemed hurt, "you know that..."
"I know," she answered, rubbing her cheek to his tenderly, "I know..."
With that he led her down the stairs and placed her in the big soft chair before the fireplace. Seeing her safe, he went to retrieve her wheelchair from the upstairs room. He used the lift to retrieve it. It was another addition to his house he had built himself, had relied on his own prowess to construct.
As he returned, he suddenly felt himself assaulted, and he looked down to see the smiling faces of foals wrapped around three of his legs.
"Bwaahhhh!" he sounded out as he pretended to be a behemoth of old, stomping down the hallway as they clung to him, giggling as they went. His powerful legs lifted them, he only shushing them as they passed the room where their mother still slept.
Upon reaching the top of the stairs, he saw another familiar figure appear before him. As his family began to come awake, he smiled at another inhabitant of this home he had made, of this house he had built.
"Room fer' one more!" he spoke, offering Cupcake his last free hoof.
"Oh, daddy!" she said as she placed a morning kiss on him. With that she leaned down to speak with her nieces and nephew as they left his legs to give her a morning hug.
"Why don'tcha grab up some toys and sit and play with them in front of the fireplace? I'm sure grandma would love to play with you," she asked as she looked to them.
With small giggles the colt and fillies ran down the hallway. Before long they had gathered up some of their things and were coming down the stairs, their grandmother greeting them as they appeared.
Cupcake's father rode the lift down with the wheelchair. He was not as young as he had once been. In truth he appreciated it being here as much as he had been happy that it gave her back some of her movement.
He strode into the kitchen with the thought of beginning to make some breakfast for his family but, to his happiness, he saw his youngest daughter had already begun the process. As Cupcake went to work, he marveled at how much better she had become at baking over the last few months. He wondered from where the practice flowed. Her new job perhaps?
Always full of surprises, that is what his Little Cupcake was.
Instead he gave her a quick hug and abandoned the kitchen to her talents. He placed the mugs on the tray and walked them out to the living room, passing into the bright airy space that he himself had built.
His wife took the mug and smiled up to him as he sat nearby with his own mug in his hooves.
As the Saturday morning light of a late winter day fell across them, it mixed with the warmth of the fireplace, and he was very happy.
As though sensing his happiness, his grandchildren began to press toys into his hooves: begging him to become the fire engine, the delivery wagon, the post stallion and his cart.
As his wife smiled over him, he let his large frame become their mountain; the castles of Canterlot suddenly were perched regally upon his head.
That is how Cupcake found him as she came to tell them about breakfast being ready. As the grandchildren rushed off to the kitchen, he lifted his wife gently into her wheelchair and rolled her down the fine lacquered floor that he himself had laid and into the bright kitchen.
As they sat around the breakfast table, he led them in a small Invoke as his eldest daughter finally came down the stairs. As the entirety of his family sat around him, Cupcake's father was happy, and it showed upon his face.
The morning slid on, and as noon began to creep around the house, he went outside, began to look the structure over from the outside. Following the lines of his home, he noted where some of the cedar shingles were coming loose, where the paint looked to have chipped where the ice had grown against the side over the winter.
More summer jobs, more small tasks to accomplish to keep his home in the best possible shape.
He had built this home, had made this whole place a refuge from the world. It was a place where those he loved could be safe and surrounded by love. That was what he had built... a castle of heavy timbers and soft earth tones.
As he returned to the porch, he saw Cupcake there, getting ready once more to head off into that world, the Ponyville beyond.
"You off to work?" he asked. She jumped slightly as he walked around the spruce tree.
"Oh, yes... yes!" she answered, laughing at her own surprise. "Yes, I'm off..."
"You have a good day, Little Cupcake," he said while accepting her hug. He stopped and looked down at her. "You know," he said, "I'd love to meet yer' partner in this business of yours. What was it? Catering, cooking? I bet she's a clever girl."
"Yes," she said anxiously, "some-something like that. Food service."
She pointed to a tray of cookies sitting on the steps that she had made the night before.
"I-I thought they'd gone dry, but I think they are still good. Try one, will you, daddy?" she said quickly.
With that she headed down the steps, her hooves making rapid sounds down the sidewalk. She stopped to wave back at her father at the gate. As it came open, he waved back to her.
He did not blame her for not wanting to tell him until the time was right. He could sense that she was her own mare, that she was making her own decisions. She was decisive, clever. He knew she wanted to make her own name, did not want to rely on his business contacts, his reputation.
He was proud of her, knew she would do well. She was his little filly, his Little Cupcake. She had handled so much, had been his strength at times.
As he watched her go, he could not help but feel that there was more to it.
That worried him, that she did not trust him with that much more information. To him, trust was everything. He wondered why she would not... but he quickly stopped himself. He knew. Knew what he had done.
Trust. Trust matters.
As he pondered that thought, a collection of one of the few groups of ponies he trusted came up the street.
"Howdy!" he called out, raising his hoof as a smile went across the faces of the family at the foot of his path. They stopped upon the sidewalk, and as he gathered up the tray, the stallion trotted down to meet with them.
"Good morning to ye'!" answered Clyde as he took Cupcake's father's hoof in his own.
"You're lookin' a little plump there, Clyde," he answered with a wide grin, "Roxy's been makin' you far too much good food over the winter! I suspect that you'll burn it all off come spring on that farm of yours though!"
He bowed to the mare and looked down at the three beautiful fillies that smiled up to him.
"We've been eatin' mostly fine, most blessed, but it is our Pinkamena's mark that has been puttin' the weight on us!" Clyde spoke with a self-conscious laugh.
Cupcake's father smiled down at the girls, especially at the one he remembered as being called Pinkie Pie. The filly was literally bouncing in place as though she were a wellspring of energy that did not know which way to go, as though she were attempting to be in all places at once.
He looked up to this family, a good family, good ponies. Honest folk. As he did, he remembered the tray he had brought with him.
"Would you mind at all if I offered the girls a cookie or two? My Little Cupcake made 'em yesterday," he asked as he bowed to Roxy once again.
"Not at all! Please feel free to!" she answered.
As the fillies reached for the treats, their mother scolded them in a light tone.
"Inkie, Pinkie, Blinkie! What do you say?"
The three fillies looked up to him with crumbs already on their faces and chimed together in tune.
"Thank you, Mister Quarry!"
Being Quarry means that you have been stolen from and hunted since you were twelve years old. That was the year that one of The Wars stole the life out of your big brother. You never got to say goodbye. That was when you realized all of the meanings of your name.
Being Quarry means that you arrived in Ponyville with nothing, feeling like a hunted animal, pursued by those who had taken everything from you.
Being Quarry means that you had nothing until a colt your age took a risk on you, helped you find one little straw to hang on, and then offered you more.
As Ledger helped you gain your footing, he became more than a partner, he became a friend.
Being Quarry means that you grew this one business, worked with the good, honest geoculturalists. They were a rugged and truthful group of ponies. They relied on you.
You did not disappoint them. Soon you were back in good fortune. Your efforts earned you the respect of the rock farmers, especially this one and his wife.
Being Quarry means that you branched out and started other businesses; you fought hard to regain all that you had lost.
Being Quarry means that the first time somepony tried their old tricks on you here in Ponyville, your old rage returned, your wrath, and it was only by some miracle that he survived and you did not go to jail.
Being Quarry means that acts of spectacular violence are directed at those who would deceive you, and against those who would hurt those you love.
Being Quarry means that only one mare ever realized that you were hurt, that you had been the victim of so much, that all you ever really wanted to be was respected.
Being Quarry means that Wishing Well, Ledger's sister, saw more in you than any other pony you'd ever met. It means that she fell in love with you, and you with her.
Being Quarry means that you wanted to give her everything, surround her in your love... prove to her that her admiration for you was deserved.
Being Quarry means that when you contracted for your new house, the contractors missed their completion dates.
Being Quarry means that you taught yourself how to build, how to transforms stone and wood into a structure using the pallets of building materials that they left on your lawn for weeks at a time.
Being Quarry means that when they threatened to sue you for breach of contract you very firmly, loudly, and violently pointed out that they did it first. You then shoved whatever building materials remained into places on their bodies that were not designed for such.
Being Quarry means that first she filled your life with love, and then she filled the house you had built for her with children.
Being Quarry means that whatever happened outside these walls, inside them you were allowed at all times to offer love, receive it... be a father.
Being Quarry means that your anger never left you, that it was too far engraved upon you to ever be expunged.
Being Quarry means knowing that your wrath accomplishes things that would otherwise be denied you.
Being Quarry means that they cannot ignore you because they fear you.
Being Quarry means forever being afraid. It means that at night you whisper Invoke after Invoke that your family may never have reason to fear you.
Being Quarry means that the knowledge that they do haunts you.
Being Quarry means knowing that your wrath is what sent your oldest colt off to Manehattan to run your interests there.
Being Quarry means that when your second son joined the military, he did it to learn the discipline to never be like you.
Being Quarry means that your third colt did not live more than a week.
Being Quarry means that you held his little body to yours as the life dripped out of him. Even the lives of your children have been stolen from you.
Being Quarry means that after her husband was killed in battle, your oldest daughter sat in the dark of her apartment, falling further and further into depression. It means knowing that the fear of your wrath actually kept her from returning home, bringing her children to a bright place where they could find refuge.
Being Quarry means that your middle daughter does not speak with you often, only comes around to see her mother. It means she is afraid that you will judge her unicorn marefriend, maybe even chase her out of her life.
Being Quarry means not knowing how to tell her that you only hope she is happy, and that this is all you want for her.
Being Quarry means you beat the Well out of a colt who made your youngest daughter call out "No!" in alarm.
Being Quarry means knowing that your anger scared her, terrified her, made her flee to the home of your best friend and the smart daughter he had raised.
Being Quarry means that on a cold morning, you awoke to find Wishing Well having a seizure.
Being Quarry means that you tried to use your strength to keep her from hurting herself.
Being Quarry means that the doctor said it was genetic. Something about having traces of pegasus genes, having the magic of the pegasi show up unusually strong against her earth pony magic, disrupting it.
Being Quarry means finding out that this was most likely what had killed your youngest son.
Being Quarry means that as she gets weaker, you have had to gently carry her into the bathroom, means that you've had to wash her like she was a child.
Being Quarry means that you built a lift inside your home. It means that even as you get older, there is nothing you would not do for her... for them.
Being Quarry means overhearing jokes in the tavern about her family, Ledger's family. You hear one pony joke that her pegasus ancestor had "kept the secret in the family," that her family tree had not branched.
Being Quarry means that you beat him into something best described as "paste."
Being Quarry means having to beg. It means having to beg your oldest daughter to come live with you, to bring the foals to a place where they can be safe and warm. It means that you promised her not to be angry in front of them.
It means blowing it entirely when you go to Ledger's mill to apologize to your youngest, your Little Cupcake. It means having to stand on Ledger's porch and beg her to come home as Ivory had prepared to go off to Canterlot.
Being Quarry means that you both rely on your wrath, your anger, and live in fear of it.
Being Quarry means that you hate and despise those who would use you, use your family to get to you.
Being Quarry means that even though you want what is best for your family, you would not hesitate to do devastating, horrible things to anyone who you felt was using them.
Being Quarry means that you know all of this, and you never wanted it to be this way.
Being Quarry means that you hope that there is some way out of it before you have a stroke or a heart attack.
Being Quarry means not thinking it very damn likely.
There are very few sounds in the world of baking that sound like snapping gingerbread.
As Carrot had removed the foundation, he had set it carefully upon the table, making sure that there was nothing there that would endanger it.
As Cupcake had whipped up some more frosting, the two had taken great care to make sure that the gingerbread house was supported adequately, that no harm could come to it. They had laid aside the foundation as they prepared to insert the gift, each making sure that the critical piece was safe against all harms.
Both had taken their time in doing so, both had done what they thought was the right thing to do.
Yet as it lay there upon the table, some chance of air seemed to catch in it. Perhaps it was the further heat from the ovens, or the cold counter upon which the gingerbread house foundation had been laid. Whatever the circumstances that triggered it what followed was simply fact.
The foundation of the gingerbread house, that single critical piece, snapped.
There was a single little groan, and then a soft wet tear across the surface appeared and became deeper.
In the world of baking, there is no sound quite like the sound of gingerbread breaking.
As that sound flitted across the kitchen, Cupcake looked to her husband and gave a gasp. As he looked to her past the dollop of frosting that sat on his nose, he realized that the project was now in jeopardy, that everything they'd been working towards was now possibly going to waste.
The girls reentered the room, their hooves streaked with mud.
The mud had found its way up to their black dresses, even seemed to catch in their manes. Yet as they came forward, it was hardly the mud that caught the attention of those gathered there.
The funeral director moved to let them pass, let Inkie, Blinkie, and Pinkie smear the wet earth across the floor of the parlor, knew enough to let the girls mourn in their own way.
The flowers stood in their mouths, freshly gathered from the short lawn. There were no long stems, no fancy petals.
Instead what the girls brought with them across the purples and blacks of the rug to where their parents stood were bluebells, Johnny jump-ups, dandelions, buttercups, and the white flowers of crocuses.
These early flowers, the flowers of a world just awakening after Winter Wrap-Up, became their offerings. As they joined their parents, the tearful eyes of the assembly of mourners were upon the three little sisters.
Clyde lifted each girl in turn; let them lay the flowers among the still, quiet form of his mother. As they did, each girl laid a small kiss on the forehead of their grandmother, let their eyes fall over her sweet repose one last time before he lowered them to the floor.
"Goodbye, Granny Pie," Pinkie said as her voice caught. She too laid her flowers, lingering over the one who had taught her how to deal with her fears.
Roxy took the girls outside, the funeral director bringing her moist towels as they went.
Clyde watched them go, felt his brother place his hoof to his foreleg. Together the two stallions spoke an Invoke over the silent form of their mother, kissed her hoof, and with a bow backed away from the casket.
With a nod to the funeral director, the assembly watched the staff close the box. With that the casket was consigned to the flames.
"I love you, mother," he said as he watched the tears roll down Drexel's face, feeling them roll down his own. "Be with father, your parents. The waters of the Well keep you all..."
The brothers accepted the hugs of older family members, cousins, and friends. Soon the assembly began to depart. Soon it was only those who refused to leave them alone in their mourning that remained.
Clyde walked to the porch of the funeral home. There a wet, dirty pile of towels showed where his girls had been wiped of the mud they had gathered as they found the flowers and had prepared their offerings.
There was no talking, and as he passed along the porch, he saw his black-clad family sitting there, the rough breezes of the early spring tossing at them.
They were so very quiet, as quiet as the house had been before Pinkie had found her mark.
He saw the girls leaning against their mother with Inkie in her lap. He sat down beside them, Blinkie squeezing between her mother and father, Pinkie hiding in his lap and beneath his hooves.
Clyde looked down over Pinkie and realized that her hair was once again straight and limp, without the life he had come to see in her. It was as though she were, suddenly without the very life he rejoiced in feeling flow from her.
As he worried over this, he felt her lean against his hooves and heard her voice stay small as she asked, "Daddy, is Granny Pie in the Well of Souls?"
"Yes, Love," he answered. "When a body kin' no longer keep itself alive, the mind and spirit have to leave it."
He felt her move, wipe her head against his forelegs.
"So," she asked as she looked up to him, "Granny Pie is just a spirit now, and she is in the Well? What's it like? What about the other parts? What about..."
Clyde gave a small chuckle even as he fought some new sobs. Questions. Questions, questions, questions...
"Her spirit is in the waters of the Well," he said as he forced his voice to rise. "'Tis as though she were swimming in love itself, and all the ponies she's loved who are gone are there with her."
He looked down at his daughter, across them all, saw that the girls were listening.
"Her body is going back to ash..."
He did not continue. In fact, as he thought on it, he knew that soon he would be spreading her ashes in all the little places she had loved. The garden, the spot by the brook, on the field where she had been married...
At that thought, new tears began to roll down his face.
"But... but what about," began Pinkie Pie.
"Pinkamena," Roxy continued as she saw her husband fading, "you know how your Granny Pie taught you to giggle at the things you were afraid of? How she had started to teach you how to sing and dance? Those, those things last as long as those we share them with. As long as you hold onto them, the part of your Granny Pie that shared them with you, her intellect, that will last your whole life, even the lives of those you share it with..."
"Oh," breathed a somber Pinkie, she and her sisters returning to hanging their heads as they reflected on what had been said.
Pinkie felt wetness above her, felt drops across in her mane. She looked up to see her father fighting tears. Soon he lost his little battle, and with a great gasp, the tears rolled down his face and around her as she sat in his lap.
A thousand images rolled through Clyde's mind. Memories, thoughts, songs... the whispers of his mother's voice, these all floated around him. A recent memory hung at the forefront. It was of his mother teaching Pinkie about music, a lesson that must now go incomplete.
"Don't cry, daddy," Pinkie said, turning and reaching up to him.
"No, it's alright," spoke her mother, leaning closer, gathering Inkie and Blinkie to their father as well. "Your Granny Pie was a lovely mare, and she's earned his tears. 'Tis no shame in cryin' for the ones we love, Pinkie."
"Oh," said Pinkie. As though she had been given permission, she too began to weep, and as the family sat there, the cold an early spring wind floated over them.
As Clyde felt his daughter's tears catching in his coat, he gathered her in closer. In his mind he begged that there should be somepony who could help her, reach into that part of her that his mother had brushed open.
With that he whispered the name of his mother once more and lay his head to that of his wife as his children sat near him.
"I know what a damned leveraged option is!" called Quarry, striking the desk. "Ya' talk to me like I'm a foal again and we'll be done with this damn quick!"
Silence reigned around the small office once more.
One of the three business ponies, the thin one he had immediately hated, cleared his throat.
"I-I apologize, I... we weren't aware that you..." he said while his throat constricted and he sat under the gaze of the massive stallion.
"I've been in business longer than you've been alive, colt," Quarry said, leaning far across the desk.
As he did, another one of the business ponies, the fat one he had immediately hated, gave a small whimper.
Quarry leaned back, saw that he had made his point. No point making them wet themselves. He would hate to have to clean it up.
"So what yer' proposin'," Quarry said, lifting the prospectus, "is that you'll buy my risk in my loans, and cover them, but you'll not actually buy the loan."
"That's exactly what we are saying," spoke the third businesspony, the angry one he had immediately hated, "and that is our offer."
"Sounds like a fool's errand, buyin' up risk with no reward," he said while looking deeper into the proposal and prospectus. There was an obvious plan here, of course, and he waited to see which of these three colts had the guts to say it.
"By-by buying up risk," stammered the fat one, "and covering it, we-we... can build our own credit!"
"By doing that, if the loan is paid, we get credit and you get paid back," added the thin one, jumping in as he saw his partner faltering under Quarry's gaze. "Ponyville is the last stop before Canterlot on both of the principal southern railroads, and with the third one in planning this..."
The thin one gave a gulp as Quarry's grey eyes shifted to him.
"... this city cou-could eventually grow into an imp-important city..."
The thin one trailed off as Quarry gazed down at him, leaned forward with a measured huff.
"These are good folks here in Ponyville," he stated matter-of-factly, the statement having little meaning apart from informing them of where his loyalty lay.
He looked them all up and down once more and then turned back to the prospectus.
"So," he said as his deep breath drifted out over the small, sparse office where the three colts sat squished together in front of him, "you buy up my risk. If everything works out you just grow your credit line and I still get my due, over a longer period I see, but there it is in print. If the loan fails... you get the liquidated assets, and I get my due in cash instead of an empty buildin'."
"That... yes, that's it entirely," said the thin one at the same time as he attempted to gain some room to move.
"I don't see why ya' just don't ask tah' buy the damn loans off me. It'd save you more money in the end if ya' did," rumbled Quarry, his voice once more judgmental.
"This-this way, it... it keeps up the appearance that you own the loan," said the fat one, sweat running down his face, "and-and it's your special... way of, way of doing business that we think will keep our risk at... keep our risk down!"
Quarry gave a series of satisfied laughs, deep rumbling ones that shifted around the office.
"And how is it that you colts are aware of mah'... unique reputation in the world of business?" he said, affecting the airs of the distinguished class of ponies that he so loathed.
"I grew up in the shadow of your... practices," came a voice, one that spun around the room in a low hiss.
Quarry shifted his eyes to the angry colt, the one who had been trying to keep his eyes up the hardest, trying to seem unafraid of him. He was failing at it. Quarry could literally feel him shaking beneath the table.
Quarry gave a low laugh, looked at the angry colt for a long while.
"You know me," spoke Quarry, his voice a low rumble, "but I don't remember beatin' the Well out of you before."
"My father is Penny Pincher," replied the colt, dropping the name before Quarry as though it were a challenge.
Quarry looked at the colt,saw the defiance there behind his eyes. As he gave some more laughs, he looked back up to the colt with a snarling grin.
"You're the foal of that son of a bitch, huh? That lying, thieving goat licker," he said as his wicked smile grew larger. "How's his limp?"
The anger dropped out of the colt. As he withered under Quarry's stare, his antagonism was replaced by fear and shame. Quarry laughed a little more and leaned back in his chair.
It was quiet around the room as Quarry read some more. He coasted along the list of names of his loans that they wanted to buy. He had to admit, they were smart ones if they were looking to get into Ponyville's business and win credit.
Quarry would have rejected the offer if it was for personal loans, college loans, but there were none. Instead they were all real estate and business loans. These colts were hedging their bets. Worse comes to worse and all these loans failed they would be left with swaths of property in one of Equestria's fastest growing cities.
Clever, very clever.
He looked at the names. Near the top he found himself tripping over one not once but twice. He couldn't help but ponder it...
"Carrot Cake's Bakery Co., L.L.C., Inc."
... being as it was such a poor name and all.
Yet, as he did, he felt something pull at him.
"I'm gonna give all of these companies a chance tah' sign on with ya' or not," he said as he rocked in his chair, "we're gonna wait till' the end of next month..."
Three colts began talking at once, raising demands, trying to convince him otherwise.
As they blathered away, Quarry began to feel himself twitch, felt his blood pressure rising. Soon his muscles ached, and at once he stood, reared like a wild horse and caught them all in his gaze.
Though no record of what was said next exists, suffice it to say that the colts left the room looking rather white and with a promissory note in hoof.
They would pay him one hundred bits in advance for each loan, that had been decided as the color drained from their faces. Quarry would keep the money for each loan that subscribed to their risk-abatement program. It was easy money, that he knew. Almost all of them were assured to switch to these young entrepreneurs, young colts who might be more forgiving if they missed a payment, even if that meant having to take longer to pay back their loans.
Even if they still knew that they owed him money, it would allow most of them to think that there was now some sort of layer of protection between he and them. That fear was always there, and he would rather have it than not, had learned that it was the only real motivator. Some even hired employees just to bring him his checks every month just so they would not have to sit under his gaze.
However, if one of his customers chose to stay with him he would owe the colts the interest, the hundred bits, and the payment. It could be anywhere from as little as three hundred bits to as much as a thousand.
No fool would want to stick with him though. So it was a safe bet, and even if he did get somepony fool enough to turn down their offer he would only really be in trouble if the loan failed.
Would sting for a bit losing those bits though. He would let them know that.
He explained all of this to Paperclip, the secretary listening in intently. She too dropped her eyes across the list of proposed purchases.
"Oh!" he heard her give as a little sound of disappointment. "Carrot Cake's Bakery Co., L.L.C., Inc.! There goes my treats every two weeks."
"Meh..." answered Quarry as the name once more rattled around in his head.
"He's not a bad colt, Quarry," answered the secretary.
"Naw," answered Quarry, "none of them are at first... then they end up like those three udder-suckers, just wantin' and schemin'..."
He closed his door. As he did, Paperclip raised her hoof to her mouth. In that moment she realized she would actually miss seeing Carrot Cake come around, would have to savor every bite of whatever treat she gave him the next time he came... most likely the last time.
Quarry sat at his desk, landed there with a grunt. He massaged his hips and legs. Rearing like that had done something to him. "You're getting old," he told himself, "old damn bastard."
"Carrot Cake's Bakery Co., L.L.C., Inc."
The name of the bakery slashed through him once more. He simply couldn't figure out why.
He focused on his family, used them to drive all of the nonsense away. Yet even in his thoughts he couldn't help but think about those who had used him, those who had attempted to use Ledger's family to get to him, had attempted to use his own children to weasel their way into his business and money.
Rage grew behind his eyes. Old families that were long on history and short on funds had taken to trying to have their sons court his daughters. No wonder his middle daughter had run off, was living with a unicorn mare in Baltimare.
Some of them had even sent marriage proposals through the mail! The damn mail!
Undoubtedly, he thought, they knew what he would do to them if they even mentioned the word "dowry" in his presence, that ancient and laughable idea that only existed in the minds of the most affluent of families.
Instead he found himself pondering what type of colt he hoped Cupcake would find.
Of all unlikely ideas the name of Carrot Cake's Bakery Co., L.L.C., Inc. once more flashed through his mind.
Paperclip could hear him laughing clear through his office door.
That gangly mess? That dizzy bakery colt? That under-biting, stuttering prick? That...
Quarry stopped himself, knew he was being unfair. It was hypothetical, just a trick played on his mind from thinking about two unrelated things. He doubted that they had ever even met apart from at the mill.
Besides, Cake owed him money. That doesn't mix, business and family. He would have some agenda, something he would want for being with her. That crossed the line, crossed it utterly.
No stallion was going to use his family, especially not his Little Cupcake, to get close to him and to his money.
The only way that colts with such damn notions were going to get close to his daughter was if the pieces he tore off of them landed near her. |
A Sweet Taste of Cake | Once Upon a Mattress | Chapter 9: Once Upon a Mattress
It felt good to stand there in the sun.
As Cupcake stood in the sunlight that streamed in through the large picture window at the end of the upstairs hallway, she felt the heat across her face, back, and flank.
Winter Wrap-Up had taken a day and a half. Not especially good, but not bad either.
After the muddy family had returned home, she had helped wash up her nieces and nephew and then had helped lay them to their naps.
Soon each of the grown ponies had wiped away the mud and had washed themselves in the warm waters.
She had been last, and as she had come out of the bathroom to the sound of soft breaths she, had realized she was the only pony awake in the house.
It felt good to stand there in the sun.
As the rays fell over Cupcake, she could feel the last of the moisture of her bath lifting from her. At once she took her brush and began to comb out her tail, her mane, letting the rose colored wafts seek out their familiar place.
She had tried to find a place in the Wrap-Up away from her family, desperately tried to find a way to be with Carrot without looking like she was trying to get away from them.
It had not worked, and as such, she had missed being with him that morning.
She missed being with him more and more. Her brush slowly came to a standstill, and as it did, Cupcake felt her head lower until she stared at the floor.
She just had to get to a point where her father could see that Carrot did not want anything from her, that he wanted to give her everything, wanted to shower her with his love and affection.
As she stroked the brush through her mane once more, her plan, her long and consuming plan, ran through her mind. She had to help Carrot get the bakery to the point where it was prospering on its own, where no one could think that he needed money.
Once that was accomplished, she could begin dropping her small hints, let her father know that she had feelings for her partner. He had assumed her partner was a mare and she had not corrected him. Just broaching the fact that it was in fact a stallion might cause him to have an aneurism.
Her father would see that they had been working together for over a year, and as that sank in, then she could begin describing how wonderful he was, how he had been seeing her for over a year...
Before her father would have the stroke, she would point out that Carrot did not know who he was, did not have any idea about his business, did not want anything from them.
In many ways she wanted to thank her father for the violence he had committed on her behalf, as disgusting as it was to think on it that way. She began to wonder what her life would look like if any of those other stallions whose parents had made dates had slid into her life and had won her heart.
No, none of them had made her feel the way Carrot does, none of them had ever looked at her like he did.
Her father would not know the difference, of course.
She knew her father, knew that despite his brutal, horrific worldview, all he really wanted was for her to be safe and happy.
It was the same thing, she knew, that Carrot wanted.
All it would take is to bridge that gap, and all that would take is time. Time to implement her plan, maybe another year.
She pondered her plan again, wondered if it would sound as stupid if she said it out loud.
She knew it was ridiculous, knew that there was so many loopholes and chances for disaster. Yet it was working, she hoped, and every day that passed meant that it drew one day closer to being true.
As they had spent quiet moments in the bakery wiping their faces together, giving small kisses as they worked, she could hardly disagree with his choice.
She lifted her face to the sun once more, felt the wonderful heat of the first day of spring fall around her as it cascaded in through the glass.
In the window she watched some ponies go up and down the street, saw that they too were rejoicing in the sun.
Half of the ponies in this town knew of her plan, at least those in her circle. From the day she had stood in Ivory's hallway beaming with a radiant light in what she had found, the plans that the two mares had made had passed from pony to pony. They had implored all whom they had thought even stood a chance of giving it away to stand firm, to let them be drawn together.
There were only two ponies in this entire city that had been strictly forbidden from learning the rules, from guessing at "The Game of This."
They were the two stallions she loved most in this world. Quarry, her father, and Carrot Cake, her lover...
Lover. She giggled to herself at the word. As a soft smile went over her face, she continued to brush her mane. The word "lover" had been used to describe relationships far more functional and utilitarian than what she and Carrot shared. In many ways she wished she could fight to claim the word for her own use, to apply it the wonderful sensations she had found as she lay against his chest.
It was the only word that even came close to how being near him felt, how brushing beside him sent waves of happiness through her.
She felt herself starting to sway back and forth, matching the remembered cadences of their dances. The sway mimicked the way they sat together, his forelegs wrapped around her, rocking her as the smells of the bakery coasted over them.
Her swaying slowed as she remembered the feeling of his nose to hers. As the sunlight fell over, her the flat of the brush came to rest against her face as the feeling of the long, slow motions of their nuzzling caught within her.
The feel of his head wiping against her, the feel of his cheek to hers floated over her, became tangible. The soft, sweet touch of his kiss...
Cupcake's side-to-side sway stopped as she felt these things, let herself remember these things as though they were already cherished memories instead of things that had happened the day before... things that could happen this afternoon if she so chose...
Instead, her body began to move again, this time her motions taking a new direction as the sunlight cascaded over her, and she pressed the flat of the brush to her face.
Forward, backward. At first in the slightest, but soon the motion grew, and as it did, her eyes closed. She took short breaths as the vision of Carrot's green eyes stared down over her tenderly. As she looked up to him, the flat of the brush became his hoof, and she felt it, watched him as he lifted his hoof to her face.
Forward, backward. His mouth moved, and she sensed the words "I love you" floating down over her, covering her. This perfect daydream moved on as he lifted a stray bit of her mane from her face, gently placed it behind her ear. She reached up, felt him taking her hoof in his as it lay upon the pillow.
Cupcake went stark still, felt herself start to blush in pointless embarrassment as she slowly turned to see if there was any other pony in the hallway.
There were none, only the small sounds of a napping household meeting her as she cast her gaze down the hallway.
She continued blushing to herself, surprised at how real the daydream had felt, how tangible and perfect it seemed.
Suddenly she wanted to be with Carrot.
Suddenly she wanted to be looking into those green eyes and touching that freckled face.
It felt good to stand there in the sun... but nothing felt like being near him, close to him.
She quickly trotted to her room, put in the earrings he had given her. Moving quietly through the large house, she left a note for her family upon the table. "I might be back for dinner," it read, "maybe not."
Hopefully not.
With that she trotted out once more down the path and to the street. As her hooves sounded out happily across the cobblestones, she thought about all of the things that had happened, had played into her favor as he plan went forward.
It was all working, and although it would take time, she would soon be with Carrot... not have to keep secrets, not from him or her father.
She was very glad that it was working. She thought of how fortunately things have worked out. She was glad that Carrot had left in time at the mill... she couldn't imagine how devastating it would be to her plan if Carrot and Quarry ever really met, if Carrot learned about her father's business, gave him reason to believe that Carrot wanted something from him.
She chuckled at her pessimism. It was all working out, it was going fine...
... it was not as though Carrot had borrowed money from her father or anything horrible like that.
The bell of the bakery sounded out, and Carrot looked up from behind the counter. Upon seeing her standing there, he was quickly out from behind the counter and trotting up to where she stood with a vast smile growing across his face.
Within the space of moments their noses were together, sharing once more the warmth, the peaceful feeling that came when they shared this touch.
It continued as the sounds of the first day of spring fell over the bakery. It continued even as the smell of all the baked goods wafted out from the kitchen, from the pies and treats that sat in their cases.
After a good long moment they lifted their heads.
"Hi," she breathed.
"Hi," he answered, tilting his head slightly left to right to find her gaze as the light poured in through the bakery windows.
It felt good standing here in the sun with her nearby.
"I got some good news in the mail today!" he said as he towards the kitchen. He lifted his hoof for her to follow, eager to show her how well he was playing "The Game of This," that he was moving the pieces in the directions he hoped help her see the game ending.
He looked up to see her still staring at him with the same expression that had sat upon her face as their touch had parted, as he had lifted his nose from hers.
A soft expression laid there, a beautiful one.
"It's here in the kitchen," he said, "do, do you want me to bring it out to you?"
"Oh, no," she said, batting her eyes at him, "let's go and have a look-see!"
She came trotting into the kitchen, brushing past him slowly, catching him in a nuzzle beneath the chin as she looked the kitchen over.
Upon the table lay some opened envelopes. It was not much of surprise, as she saw the seal of the Royal Ministry of Finance she could guess what at least one of them contained.
She placed her hoof upon them, peered over them. As she did, something of a small game flit through her mind. With a sly glance, she peered at him as he stood there proudly with his eyes closed and chest puffed out in pride at his accomplishments.
"There's three bits of news there, the first is that..." he began.
"Oh!" she cried, placing her hoof to her face and feigning a look of discomfort. "It's simply too dark to see in here, dont'cha know?"
"Is, is it?" asked Carrot as he deflated from his prideful stance and spun to look across what seemed to be a perfectly well lit kitchen.
"Let's look them over out in the showcase room," she said, tilting her head and hiding her expression. As the soft light fell across her, he saw Cupcake take the three envelopes from the table, lifting them with her mouth.
She looked at him and batted her eyes again, and as she trotted lightly past him once more she seemed to bounce along. As she brushed past him again, she loitered along his body, nuzzling beneath his chin and lifting her tail so that it tickled him as she swept beneath and beside him.
Awareness began to grow in Carrot as his mouth moved up and down for a second. He followed her out into the main room of the bakery.
She stood there in the middle of the room where shafts of spring light flowed through the large windows.
As he looked upon her, she still held the envelopes in her mouth, the same soft expression lying across her, the colors of her coat and mane catching in the light that poured over her.
She tossed her head as though asking him to come and claim the letters, chase her if need be.
Inside Carrot, one hundred thousand voices began singing, doves flew around, and angelic beings wafted around tossing rose petals.
He slowly crossed over to where she stood. At once she lifted her hooves high and trotted to the cash register.
"Oh, no, the light is no good here either!" she said, smiling as she placed them on the counter.
"Really?" he asked as he looked upon her. "There's not enough..."
As he approached, she gathered up the letters and scampered away to the other side of the room, looking over her shoulder at him with the letters still held in her mouth.
She laid them among the pies that stood in their cupboard. "Oh dear!" she intoned. "Hardly any light here either!" Her blinking showed her to be a liar...
... an adorable, beautiful, radiant liar.
As he approached, she once more affected her disguise, gathered up the letters with a revealing giggle and scurried away as he drew near.
"Oh, nope!" she called brushing past him, catching her cheek to his as she missed the letters, grabbed them up on a second pass that sent the sensation of her coat along the length of his body. "That's not a good spot either!"
"Dearie me, dearie me!" she said, affecting the airs of one wrapped in deep disappointment. "Is there no good place to read a letter in your whole bakery, Carrot?"
He smiled as he followed her through any number of places that would have been far more than adequate for the purposes of reading. At times the tiny wafts of flour and dust that hovered through the bakery fell through streaming tunnels of light, any of which could have supplied her with enough light to read if that were her intent.
Yet he sensed, as her giggling sojourn continued, that was not her intent. It seemed to be far from it, far from it indeed.
He emerged from following her through another cascade of amber light and stood there blinking for a second as he let the dizziness of their roundabout chase fall away from him. As he looked up, he panned across the whole floor of the bakery and wondered where she had fled to, where she awaited his welcome pursuit.
He took some small breaths and realized he could not see her.
A giggle rose to meet him.
His hooves made individual sounds as he turned slowly. Carrot took a little breath and then dared lift his head towards the stairs.
She stood there upon the first few steps, the perfect resonant blue of her coat shining, the rosy tones of her mane and tail catching once more in the afternoon light.
"Perhaps, oh, maybe there's some good reading light up here?" she asked, the same soft expression across her face that had been lingering there since she had arrived.
Her eyes drifted over him.
With another giggle she slowly lowered her head. Without taking her eyes off of Carrot she gathered up the letters, batted her eyes at him once more, and then deliberately climbed the stairs, accentuating each motion of her body as she did.
Inside Carrot the chorus sang louder, the doves flew around in a turbulent haze, and the angelic beings dumped clouds of rose petals over him.
There was a beautiful mare on his stairs, the one whom he loved more than any other in the world, and she was asking for him to follow.
He went forward, placed his hoof on the first step. As he did, he heard her gain the landing above and turn slightly at the top of the stairs.
The letters still stood in her mouth, and as he focused on her, she seemed to shine back down upon him, as though he was facing into a newborn sun. Her perfect expression draped itself across him once more and he placed his other hoof upon the stairs.
She gave some small laughs, the sound muffled in the slightest by the letters. With what seemed like a tiny jubilant bounce, the giggling form of Cupcake seemed to lift into the air. She give a small ecstatic leap, and then trotted down the hallway and out of his view.
There was a clattering of her hooves overhead, and soon the sound of a familiar door opening echoed down the stairwell.
Inside Carrot the chorus began gesturing at him wildly as they held a high crescendo, the doves seemed to be flinging themselves at him bodily, the angelic beings beating at him with their petal baskets.
There was a beautiful mare in his bedroom, the one whom he loved more than any other in the world, and she was waiting for him to join her.
Carrot felt his hooves dance around beneath him. From his mouth came words like "Omigosh!" and other statements over which he only had the most basic of control.
He fought to make his anxious hooves follow his commands. He turned to the door of the bakery and quickly scanned the street. To his eternal gratitude he saw nopony angling towards his bakery.
With that he quickly took down the "Open" sign and replaced it with one that read "Back in an Hour." At once he was cantering towards the stairs.
He stopped though, felt himself spin around twice and then go back towards the door.
As soon as "Back in an Hour" had been replaced with "Closed," he found himself having to struggle to keep from galloping across the wooden floor and up the stairs.
Carrot took some breaths, ran his hoof through his mane, and with that, walked through the door of his own bedroom.
She lay there on her back, her head hanging over the near edge of the bed, humming something low and sweet while she pondered the envelope and held it over her head.
Her rear legs were crossed at the ankles, slowing waving through the air as she rolled her hips in rhythm with the delicate tune. As he entered, he let the sight wash over him, let every little curve of her body sit across his mind as she sat in such beautiful repose.
"Oh, yes," she smiled, turning those rosy eyes upon him once more, "the light is much better in here... I like it much better in here, don'tcha know..."
The room was darker than he had remembered leaving it that morning, and as he looked around, he realized that she had drawn one of the curtains... the one awakened him each morning by dropping light in his eyes.
She had not wanted any light in her eyes as she lay upon the bed.
"Now what's the good news," she said as she shifted her body, "that's worth all of this bother?"
He watched her sit up, raise herself so that she lay across the bed in a more typical equestrian pose, her legs drawn up beneath her. Her mane fell across her face in rose-colored wafts of competing tones. As she tapped the bed for him to come join her, it was all he could do to keep from floating there.
He stepped forward and lay down next to her. Soon the two sat sideways across the bed. As he did, the chorus, the doves, and the angels that had flitted around in his mind all blushed brightly and began to slowly trot and fly away whilst citing prior responsibilities.
"Well," he said, reaching in to collect the first envelope, "the first good news is that I got the refund check..."
She lifted the envelope with her mouth once more, leaned to him. He leaned forward and looked into her wishful glance as he pulled the envelope with his teeth.
He watched as she spun over onto her back, held the check over her and smiled up to it. Her rear legs fell over him, across him, and the amazing sense of her closeness filled him. "They, they found some things we forgot," he said "and they added it back in, so it's larger than we thought it would be!"
"Oh, Carrot," she said in a little voice as she turned to face him, letting the check fall past her head to the floor, "that's good news! What are you going tah' do with the bits?"
He tilted his head back and forth, looked down to her.
"Well, there's any number of things I need here at the bakery," he said with a sigh, attempting to disguise it as a chuckle, "but, well, is there anything you'd like to do with it? I mean... we, you know we could always have a really nice dinner... or go someplace..."
A single voyeuristic dove cooed loudly inside Carrot as he saw her scrunch up, bring her forelegs closer to herself and a luminous smile fly through her.
"Oh Carrot!" she whispered as she reached up, lifted his face with her hoof. She was so happy, this he saw painted over her, and soon her contentment leapt to him as she guided him down to her lips.
The kiss hovered between them. In a moment he had reached down once more, laying another upon her as she ran her hoof through his mane.
Silence hung over the bed for a second as the fading light fell through the windows.
"What was the second bit of good news?" she asked, letting a few more strands of his hair fall past her hoof.
"Hummm? Umm! Oh," said Carrot, the expression across his face like someone caught in an enchantment, "the local newspaper did a story on small businesses! It seems that the chamber of commerce ran with it. Look who got an award for best new business!"
Again she watched as he reached gently between them. Lifting the envelope, he again waited, let her withdraw what was within.
The tail of the ribbon fell away, hanging at odd angles along where it had been folded around the certificate.
She looked upon the gilded words, the long boring text beneath. It told her nothing she did not already know... it said that Carrot was wonderful, giving, welcoming.
"Carrot!" she spoke in a staged whisper. "I'm so excited for you! You, you can put it above the cash register."
She looked up to see his head raise, as though anticipating her request. He had guessed correctly. Once more she called him to her, let the touch of his lips meet hers, once, twice...
...and, to her surprise and welcome, he gave her a third. This one fell just at the base of her neck and beneath her ear, tickling her in the slightest. She first leaned into it, gave a small giggle as the feel of his whiskers brushed her coat. Then she leaned away as he settled another there, let the feel of his lips upon her neck play there.
As a single angel zoomed in to snatch up the peeping dove, Carrot looked down over her. He could not help but chance a long look across the perfect blue tones of her coat, down to where her chest lifted and lowered in slight motions, causing the coversheet to move and the pillow beyond her to rise in sympathy as each of her breaths passed with a soft sound.
His next kiss would go there.
"There's, there's one more good piece of news," he said, looking rather prideful, "my loan is gonna be sold!"
"What loan?" Cupcake whispered as the shadow of a great, vast fear fell over her.
"Oh," began Carrot with his eyes still closed and a prideful look on his face, "I took one out months back to pay for a few things... I didn't want to bother you with it. So, it's gonna be sold..."
She lifted the letter and began to look it over. Her eyes centered on the letterhead...
... and with that her world split apart.
"... and now if I sign we can pay less over the three years," continued Carrot, not sensing that anything had changed as he sat upon the bed with his head still held high, "than we would if I'd stayed with the first for the year!"
With that Carrot lowered his head and anticipated once more meeting hers, resolved to this time take his kiss farther, anticipated the small sounds of her reaction.
Instead all he received was a mouthful of blanket.
He shot upright in alarm, looked along the length of the bed. Instead of lying there with him, she was near the window, her eyes darting across the letter.
As Cupcake's eyes reached the end, the signature stood out, reached up to her as nearly a year of careful planning was washed away. As a familiar signature rested there, it sat upon her hopes and dreams like the black spot on a page of sacred text given to a condemned mariner.
"Oh no," she breathed as she cantered across the room, holding the letter to the other window as though she believed that perhaps it was just a trick of the light, as though she could somehow change the words written there by forcing a new perspective upon them.
It remained the same, the signature, the one that slowly tore away her plan and ripped at her careful choices even as she stood there.
"Cupcake?" breathed Carrot while he shifted his body and tried to reach for her, realizing that something horrible was happening to her... watching as her calmness and certainty dripped out of Cupcake. He watched her marvelous decisiveness falling from her in a puddle that gathered on the floor of his bedroom.
"Oh no," she said again. At once she dropped the letter, let it fall from her hoof as though it had burned her.
"Oh no! Oh no, oh no!" she cried aloud, her head shifting from side to side, her eyes darting around as though some horror had reached for her.
Carrot clambered from the bed, half tripping as he fell out of it.
"Cupcake, Cupcake what's wrong?" he asked, reaching his hoof out to her.
"Oh Carrot! What did you do? What did you do?!" she said as she fixed him in a gaze that was half one of accusation, half one of disbelief.
"Carrot," she said as she pointed to the signature, "Do, do you know who that is? Please, Carrot, tell me... who is he?"
Carrot looked down and saw Quarry's name upon the signature. A thousand worries went through him. Why was that name scaring her so? Well, apart from the obvious fact that the one who wore it was a massive stallion and a borderline psychopath.
"Quarry? He's my loan officer. I... the realtor set me up with him months ago, back in, jeez...the fall? You-you have to know him, he was there in the mill that one time, the time he threw those..."
"Is that all!?" she demanded of him, literally jumping to him and pressing her reddening face into his. "Please, Carrot, tell me the truth! Is that all you know about him?! Is that really all!?"
"Ughh..." began Carrot as his eyes shifted and he looked for facts, his ears laying down under her gaze, "He's got a nice secretary? He's Ledger's friend? He doesn't decorate his office very well.... he kinda likes the snacks I bring them? The goldfish in the reception room is named 'Bubbles'?"
Cupcake searched his eyes, and as she did, she saw worry growing in them, fear... fear for her. "Please, Cupcake, you're scaring me... what's going on?" he whispered, again offering her his hoof.
With a single huff of emotion, Cupcake wheeled around and stared down at the letter as it sat upon the floor.
She yelled at herself for doubting him, for thinking that the stallion who had lived to draw the pain out of her for nearly a year would lie to her. She cursed herself for believing, even for a second, that this gentle stallion who wanted nothing more than to hold her close could be so callous.
No, he did not know. He did not know.
But his innocence would not save him.
Daddy would not believe it.
Daddy would not believe a word of it.
Daddy would tear Carrot apart, rage at him for using her to get to him, for wanting something from his family.
Daddy would devastate Carrot, break him like all the other colts.
No, please, not Carrot. Not Carrot!
She took two shuddering breaths. Cupcake looked up from the paper and looked to where a set of deeply scared green eyes still stared to her, the ears still back in alarm.
"You don't know, Carrot," she said while tears gathered at the edge of her eyes, "you honestly don't know..."
"Cupcake," he whispered as he lifted his hoof to her once more.
"Quarry is my father!" she called aloud, her voice breaking as the tears began rolling down her cheek. "He's my father!"
Something inside Carrot snapped. It was as though it filled his guts with an acid, one that began to spread through him, settling in his throat and behind his eyes...
"He's my father!" she repeated, her voice tinged with tears. "You loaned money from my father!"
Carrot's vision receded. Suddenly it was as though Cupcake were standing hundreds of yards away.
Suddenly Carrot understood, understood the entirety of her fears. Suddenly the full playing field of "The Game of This" opened up in front of him and he saw the challenge laid before him. For the first time he saw what she had been protecting from him, forcing ignorance on him for his own safety.
Suddenly the massive heaving form of Quarry stood there, quivering, twitching in rage... keeping him from being with her.
Suddenly all of the threats the stallion had ever leveled, had ever let slip past his lips in regards to something as unsubstantial as money, these were all magnified a thousand fold.
He had mixed money with family. He had put himself in the spot of having Quarry's money and Quarry's daughter in the same hoof.
Suddenly Carrot understood. Suddenly Carrot knew.
Carrot shook himself, looked back to realize she was slowly circling the letter, crying as she did and looking over it as though it were a death notice.
"Cupcake," he said as he trotted forward, "we-we can figure this out... if, if take the longer period..."
"It won't matter!" she said. "It won't matter, Carrot!"
To his horror she pelted off into the hallway, her hooves soon sounding out down the stairs.
He at once circled around in his room, thought about how thoroughly the happy scene that had begun there had been cleared away. Soon he was following her, leaving the damnable letter lying on the floor in the fading sun.
"Cupcake, Cupcake!" he called as he followed her, hearing her tiny sobs echoing through the stairwell.
He missed the last few steps and stumbled down the stairs, landed on his chin. As he called out in pain suddenly she was with him, lifting him.
Had he known it was that easy, he would have thrown himself down the staircase.
As he sat there throbbing with pain, she spoke his name over and over, held him close as the rapid beats of her heart caught in his ears.
"Please, please, Cupcake," he said as he winced, "we can find a way... he's, he's not a bad guy, mostly, I mean... he likes my treats, kinda."
"Oh Carrot!" she cried again. "You don't know what he's done to colts-colts who've just wanted to be with me to get close to him..."
With that she laid a litany of horror stories upon him. How she had missed going to her Junior Promenade because the colt who had offered to take her had pulled up in a fine carriage... and had honked the horn.
As Quarry had ripped the colt from the carriage, he had yelled at him for calling for her "like she was an animal to be rounded up."
She told him about another pony, this one seemingly a gentlecolt, who had sat and spoken with at the country club. In the bathroom, Quarry had heard the colt talking about how if he dated her it would be good for his career, help him get closer to Ledger through Ivory.
Her father had almost drowned him in the very toilet the colt had been using. He had made the colt's friends watch.
Finally, the tale of how one colt had been careful, had avoided all sorts of impropriety, had negotiated the waters. She could tell that he was like the rest, the first to believe that he had "gotten away with it," yet she had willfully let him court her. She wanted to believe that she could have love too, that maybe if she just let him near, she would be able to find more in him.
As they had sat together on the porch, he had reached for her hoof, reached for her nuzzle... and then reached for far too much.
"No!" she had called in alarm.
For the next fifteen minutes she had thought for sure she was watching her father murder him, watched the whip crack across the colt and the wetness of blood shining on his coat.
It was only by some miracle that he escaped, only by some miracle that as her father sat on the porch awaiting the police and his judgment that they never came.
It was that act of brutality, that act of her father's wrath on her behalf, the way that in her father's distorted worldview he was showing his love for her that had sent her fleeing to Ivory's home.
"I-I can't stand it, Carrot!" she said. "The though... the thought of that happening to you! I-I didn't love any of them, didn't want to be with any of them!"
She lifted his face to hers, wiped her hoof across Carrot's face as he shook in pain from his fall.
"I don't... didn't want you to end up like that," she said as her voice softened. "We, Ivory and I, worked so hard to make sure that everyone knew... everyone knew except you and daddy. I was so sure... sure that if you never got to meet him..."
Suddenly Carrot's mind flashed back to the mill, saw her begging him to leave on that first day he had first set eyes on the stallion... upon her massive father.
"We-we can find a way," she said, sniffling and standing, helping him to his hooves, "it-it will just take time... take time."
He saw her looking around, saw her thinking as her decisive mind went to work.
"I'll-I'll take a job again, ask Canapes for my old job... graduation season is coming up she'll need help..." she began. Inside an instant she was giving a squeak of surprise.
Cupcake felt herself being pulled into Carrot, felt him hobble as he tried to wrap her in his forelegs.
"Please don't," he said, "I-I don't want you to have to do that for me again, for us. I want you here... I want you with me."
She tried to look at him, but she could not raise her head. He had already been so patient, had already waited for her to open herself to him... and this had been his reward.
"If-if I take a job, we can pay back the loan early no matter which one we choose," she said, the analytical part of her, "and... and then it becomes a matter of seeing how long we-we can wait before I tell daddy things, drop hints. It, it can still work, Carrot... it will, it will just take time."
"How-how long, do you figure?" came his voice in a defeated whisper.
"A year... or so," she gulped, "maybe."
A pained wail went through the bakery, and the sound of Carrot hitting the floor echoed among the pies and tarts.
"Please, Carrot!" she said, circling him as she had the letter upstairs. "I know! I know that it hurts, but... it's the only way I can see out of this! It's the only way in the long run..."
He looked up to her with sunken eyes. His expression pained, cracked. "I love you Cupcake," he said, "I just want to be close to you, near you..."
She took a long breath, looked down to him.
"I know," she said, forcing herself to smile for his sake, "I love you, Carrot. Don't stop trying to be with me, ever, please..."
"Never," he said as he rose to his hooves. The two stared at one another as their emotions settled around them, caught in the low places of the bakery and settled among the dust bunnies.
With that she lifted her nose, and in an instant his was to hers. As the small motions moved between them, something awful fell through Carrot, an insight that shocked him.
His touch had failed to lift the pain out of her, had failed to free her of worry. |
A Sweet Taste of Cake | The Stand | Chapter 10: The Stand
As the broken foundation of the gingerbread house stood before them, Cup Cake and Carrot Cake faced any number of decisions.
The broken foundation sat on the clear, white countertop while the forlorn gingerbread house itself stood on its stanchion, an upturned baking rack pressed into a new function. Both awaited their choice.
There were many possible of ways of going about the repair, but one must be chosen. One course of action must be called upon, or the whole project could soon be reduced to rubble.
The two ponies looked at one another. In an instant, Cup Cake was going through various cupboards. Carrot saw her gathering up ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
Carrot realized what she was doing. He saw the look of depression across her face as she began to make her plans.
Cup Cake was preparing to make more gingerbread, to start a new batch.
She looked to him and began to speak. At that moment new voices rang out in the showcase room. At once they both turned towards the door, but she pointed once more to the frosting that still stood resolutely upon his nose.
The two looked at one another, she painting a small smile of comfort, and then quickly went to see to the customers.
Carrot turned back to the gingerbread house, saw the ingredients that she had begun to lay out. She wanted to take the safe route, the route that would lead to the foundation being remade and reset.
But, he knew, that would take time. Time to knead, time to chill, time to shape the dough and bake it.
Time... time was already working against them.
Carrot took a deep breath and looked around his kitchen... their kitchen. Upon the table the various utensils they had been using sat, some already covered with the sticky remains of dough or coated with the same batch of frosting that still remained upon his nose.
If they wished to have this project done in time to present it, to capture the meaning of what this special order meant for them, then they would need time.
They did not have time to begin anew.
He would make the decision. He would go forward right now as best he knew how.
Carrot looked to the baking rack where the long discarded pieces they had broken off of the gingerbread stood. To his alarm he heard the gingerbread house give the slightest of creaks, heard it begin to protest the absence of its critical component.
With that he grabbed up the trimmed gingerbread and was grateful that they'd not yet thrown them away. As he did, he laid them to the old broken foundation, measuring them against the cracked surface.
In one motion he lifted the bowl of thick frosting, the same type that she had used to make the dollop that still rested on his nose.
He began to rebuild the foundation, Carrot making his choice, deciding to force the issue and bring the project back around. He would find a way that they could go forward together without surrendering all that they had won.
It had been a miserable two weeks.
The mud of early spring still clung to ponies as they walked down the street. As they entered the bakery, their cursory efforts to wipe the mud from themselves failed to win the anything but the slightest of false smiles from Carrot.
As he mopped up after them, he wondered if his customers were intentionally avoiding walking down the cobblestone streets to give him something to do. It was as though the ponies who walked out of his bakery with their cakes and croissants were attempting to draw him out of his reflection, help him avoid the realization of what was happening around him.
The bakery was empty. She was not there and it was far, far, far more than just her helping hooves that he missed.
Canapes had taken her back, had been wonderfully understanding and quick to offer a spot on her staff to one who had proven her worth before. Carrot had actually met her, Cupcake bringing her employer around to meet him and see the bakery that they had been working so very hard to establish... had been trying so very hard to give a strong foundation...
As he showed Canapes around, he could sense the unicorn beginning to understand that something had gone wrong, that there was something hovering between them.
As they had wished her goodbye, they stood in the doorway. Standing there in the spot where they had shared their first kiss brought to mind how far they had come together... how far they still have to go.
He lowered his head to her and made little motions to ask for her touch. She replied just as willingly as ever, still sought his contact, but the heaviness was still there. No matter how gently he rolled his nose to hers, no matter lightly he touched his face to hers, the fear would not come out. He could not draw the worry out of her.
What else is a stallion for?
"Cupcake," he worried, "there's, there has to be some way... I mean, if, if we talk to your father..."
"Carrot," she breathed as she laid her head across his withers, "my father... my father sees the world in two ways. You're either family and friend or an enemy waiting for your chance..."
He slowly began to sway, let his motion rock her as she spoke of growing up in a house where the love of her father, strong and palpable, could in a moment descend into a whirlpool of rage and wrath that would send her and her siblings galloping to their rooms in fear.
Though never directed at them unless in the most dire of situations, such as when her older brothers had been playing with fireworks and burned down the barn, it was still what surrounded them... and defined him.
As the two ponies swayed there, Cupcake told him about all the ponies who had stolen from her father, how his cynicism ruled him and made him see the world in white and blood red.
"He, he loves me, Carrot, loves me as any father does," she said as she moved her head from his withers and once more placed them in the hollow of his chest. "I'm his Little Cupcake."
With that she told him of those days after her mother had begun having her seizures, told him about how her body had begun to fail around her as the magic of the pegasi sought her, sat upon her pegasus genes that lay hidden deep within the earth pony.
In those deep, dark days she had found her father sitting in the living room, staring deep into the fireplace.
"My father doesn't cry, Carrot," she said. "I'm never seen him cry a day in my life, but..."
Quiet had hung around the house, and as she pondered the massive form of her father, he had given a single sob, the feeling of uselessness ripping out of Quarry and filling the room.
She had realized that her father was feeling weak, feeling powerless. These were two emotions that he had fought his whole life to avoid, and now that the mare he loved most in the world was ill, there was no way he could help her, make her well and complete again.
What else is a stallion for?
With that Cupcake had gone into the kitchen, decisive and thoughtful as always, and after an hour, she had brought out two cupcakes. She presented them, one for her and one for her father.
He had gathered his daughter to him and grasped her in a massive hug. As her father had praised his Little Cupcake, there had been the sound of falling stars sliding across a frozen lake and she had felt quicksilver falling down her flank.
It had been worth waking her mother, waking Wishing Well so that she could see Cupcake's new mark. It was only after lying with her mother and father in their bed, happily wrapped in their mutual embrace, that she had realized that she had forgotten to actually eat the cupcake.
As Cupcake and Carrot sat in the doorway, swaying back and forth together in harmony, he realized that her father and he shared at least one thing. They both loved Quarry's daughter, both loved the rose-eyed mare who rested against him lightly.
It was a lunch for the Hay Council today, two weeks after she had begun again with Canapes. She would need to be off soon to the barn where old ponies would stand around discussing things over which she had no interest. Reluctantly she lifted her head from his chest, lifted her nose to him once more.
As he answered, he felt her make the motion that invited that much more. Soon their kisses drew them to one another.
As they did, Carrot fought to drag some of the pain and worry out of her, ask with the feel of his lips for her to surrender some of it, let him take away some of the burden she felt.
As he stood, she looked at him with her wonderful smile. He stood on three legs and watched as she disappeared into the crowded streets of Ponyville.
He watched where she had disappeared for a long time. His kiss had once more failed to achieve its purpose.
The morning rush was over, and as noon approached, he began to put away the baking tools that had dried in the dish rack.
He closed up the display cases so that the few bumbling flies would not find their way to what he had made, to the delicate frostings and glazes that sat glistening on his creations.
With that he put away the mop and instead swept the floor with a broom, carefully catching up all of the dried dirt and dust that lay in the hidden places of his bakery.
With that he flung the broom into the closet so that it rattled around and then fell out upon the floor. He kicked at it, sounds of frustration falling out of him as he did.
He then flipped the sign on the door to "Back in an Hour" and as he cursed and made his way up the stairs.
He trotted straight into his bedroom and threw himself upon the bed. He stared at the ceiling for a long time, maybe an hour, without thinking of anything.
When he did begin thinking again, it was about his failure, his failure to lift that worry from her. She was worried about her father. She was also worried for him. She was worried for Quarry, her father that she loved and was afraid of. She was worried for Carrot, her partner and deepest friend that she loved and was afraid for.
She was worried about them, these two players in "The Game of This." Her fears, hopes, dreams, love... these all coalesced in the form of these two stallions, stallions she was concerned for and troubled over.
He did not want her troubled. He wanted her happy, smiling, and radiant.
He wanted to see the sharp dash of her eye when she was being devious. He wanted to see the way her shoulders came up and the little wicked smile went across her face when she was scheming some small happy scheme.
He wanted to hear the sound of her hooves across these floors, hear her voice calling to him across the kitchen as she became filled with ideas.
He wanted to hear how her day had gone... wanted her to confide everything in him. Wanted to hear her giggles and her laughter.
He wanted to have her near him, wanted her to brush beside him when she was happy, wanted her to lean against his chest and find strength there when she was sad and bothered.
He simply wanted to feel her approach, know that in an instant his nose would be to hers, that soon after his lips would be to hers. The feel of her coat went through him, the feel of her hoof touching to his went over him as he closed his eyes and sighed aloud to the lonely room.
Carrot turned on his side and thought of the times she had wanted him to lie here with him upon the bed, how close she had been. In those moments when she had lain in his forelegs, the reach of their bodies touching to one another-- those had been the great reward for him. To feel her so safe with him, knowing that tucked into the crux of his body she had been secure and content.
That was all he wanted from her, that she let him wash the concerns out of her, fill her life with happiness, shelter... love.
That was fading away. He was losing that.
It should have been cathartic for her; it should have been liberating to let him know who his opponent was in the long game she had been playing.
It had not been.
Instead it had been as though her fears were now alive. Her grim vision of this competition between her father and her lover now hovered over her in a thick viscous cloud.
He shuddered to think of how strong it must have been within her this whole time, how often she must have reflected upon images of him suffering under the rage of Quarry. He wished that she had told him sooner, thought that perhaps he had not seemed strong enough...
He was strong. He might not seem it, but he knew his strength. He knew he was strong. It was not a physical strength... but he was strong. He had essentially raised himself, in some senses even kept his mother alive as she had faltered and failed at her attempts to fill the void within her.
He was strong.
He ran his hoof over the side of the bed, knew that no matter how strong he was, it was not going to help.
He would lose her if this continued. Their love was strong, but it would be smothered under her fear, the pervasive fear that even his freely given kisses and his embraces could not lift.
He stood, sighed once more. Before him the damnable letter still lay on the floor where she had dropped it two weeks ago. He looked over it. Quarry's signature now stood upon their relationship like the dead albatross hung around the neck of the condemned mariner. He sighed again and went down the stairs.
He reached for the "Back in an Hour" sign, but the instant he put his hoof upon it, he was caught up in a remembrance.
He looked upon Ivory, sitting there in the sun in front of the window as she spoke with him... told him some of the truths of "The Game of This." In that moment he remembered what she had told him, a promise he had made not to reveal Ivory's entreat to Cupcake.
"To win the game, Carrot," she had said, "all you have to do is be yourself. You're set up to win, everyone in this town desperately wants you to win, I want you to win... Cupcake needs you to win."
Carrot gasped at his own memory, realized how right Ivory had been. As his recollection rolled around, his mouth moved in concert with Ivory's. He remembered her words, only then beginning to truly understand what she had been saying.
"Do not tell Cupcake I said this under any circumstances," she had spoken, Carrot mimicking her forcible, earnest tone. "You do not always have to wait for permission. At times, it could even be fatal. The time will come when to win 'This,' as you call it, you may have to let your love guide you."
As he remembered Ivory's hug, the want and wish she had conveyed for her best friend settled through him. With that, a thought went through Carrot.
He could not always be the pawn, the piece being moved. He would have to make a move, have to be the one to advance the action of the game.
Their relationship could not survive long if she was so worried. She could not endure the façade that she had built. She did not want to keep up the farce, and he knew she would be crushed under it. The longer a lie is drawn out, the worse it becomes, and two years of this would wound her...
His mother's words shot through him, the warning she had given Cupcake as he had hidden in the doorway. Love could be drowned, lost.
No, he would not allow it.
He would risk all on a throw of the dice, make a surprise move. He would save her from her worry, if not through his quiet embrace and soft touch then through the shouts and rage of her father.
He would risk all they had built on a single throw... risk letting it all come crashing down.
Carrot scampered up the stairs, grabbed up the letter, and once more pelted down them. Quickly he turned the sign to "Closed" and threw the door open.
For some reason, he decided on a bathroom break, which would prove fortuitous.
Before stepping out into the afternoon, he turned and looked back over his bakery. Strings of causality leaped out and lay before him in loose tangles, any one of them being the endpoint of what he was now undertaking.
Some ended with him returning to this place a broken, weeping, bleeding mess.
Some ended with her mad at him, begging him to tell her why he had done it, wondering how they could go on with her father mad at them both.
Some ended with him hobbling around this bakery years from this day, leaning upon a cane.
One alone ended with him never returning, ended with shocked whispers outside the door invoking an unspeakable crime.
Yet some ended with him looking into the rosy eyes, feeling her soft kisses planted upon him as her hooves lay across his back. He felt the tender nibble upon his ear and the sound of her giggles echoing around the bakery.
With that vision upon him, he leapt out into the early afternoon.
Quarry was working the garden patch, trying to get the good earth to accept his offerings of the old eggshells. Plants need calcium, or so he was told.
Being as he was an earth pony, Quarry dug deeper, trying to call upon the magic that had served him in business, anchoring him both in times of thought and in times when he was without the calmness that now supposedly floated over him.
Supposedly. In reality, all he really felt was an intense dislike for eggshells.
He was an earth pony. He called upon that connection now, asked the magic to flow through him to the earth, and through the earth to him in return.
As he worked through the garden patch, he simply felt himself digging deeper, feeling him muscles working as his strength played out through the soil.
The garden had been suggested by Ledger and encouraged by Wishing Well. It was an attempt to help him find something to help deal with the wrath that he knew was too far inside him to truly ever be removed.
Instead of the calm that they had assured him would follow when he had begun this project, all he really felt was a bizarre sort of self-consciousness, an embarrassment that came from nowhere as he realized that he had spent nearly an hour in the hot spring sun digging a trench about four feet deep and six long to bury about four eggs' worth of crushed shells.
"Good-good afternoon," came a small voice, one that was familiar and instantly grating. "Go-Good afternoon, Mister Quarry, sir," it rose again. With a sigh, Quarry turned to face the gate.
The face of the Cake colt stood there staring over the fence. Quarry studied the colt for a second. As he did, he saw Cake lift the little paper hat, one he assumed he only wore around his own bakery.
"Cake," he answered, using his rear hoof to move the big metal watering can behind the pile of dirt. His gaze fell over the colt once more, and Cake lowered his hat as he withered.
Quarry walked down to the gate, his dirty hooves thudding across the path. Quarry looked over the gate and down at Carrot as the smaller stallion tried to smile back.
"Ain't never seen you up this end of the city before," spoke Quarry, looking past Carrot.
"No, sir," said Carrot as he gulped a little, "I've only come as-as far as the lamppost, as far as the lamppost or so... don't want to risk you seeing, I mean I don't want to disturb... you, you too much."
Quarry's eyes fell back down on the colt, his grey eyes meeting the green of the colt in an impassive glance.
"What do you want, Cake?" he said in a small breath that washed over Carrot, filling his nose.
"I-I've got, got to ask a favor," said Carrot, knowing right away it was the wrong word to chose. Carrot sensed right away that for this stallion favors were for friends. Business only meant deals, contracts, and backstabbing.
"Or, actually, sir-sir I need your permission for, for something important," said Carrot as he quickly rephrased his words and the grey eyes narrowed upon him.
Rather than continue under the threat of those eyes, Carrot pulled the letter out from under his hat. He held it up in his mouth so that Quarry could see what the conversation was going to be about.
Quarry closed his eyes and gave a sneer. To Carrot's surprise, he turned and walked a few paces back towards what looked like either a garden or a construction project and pawed at the earth.
"I don't talk about business at mah' home, Cake," Quarry said as he looked deep into the watering can. He realized he had forgotten to bring any water. As the Cake colt continued, he put aside that insight as his teeth began to grate.
"I-I'm sor-sorry, sir, but it's really-really important, you see... I-I'd like for you to continue with my loan. I'd-I'd like you to keep it instead of sell it to the new company," Carrot called, having to lift his voice slightly to reach Quarry where he now stood, the tan coat of the older stallion standing out in contrast to the black of the turned earth.
"And why would you want a fool thing like that, Cake?" called Quarry, making a single agitated stomp that left a deep print upon the pile of dirt. "Says right there on the letter why it'd be better for ya' to go with them slick colts..."
"Yessir," answered Carrot, lifting the cap again and placing the letter beneath, "b-but, it's kinda important to me that-that you... that you know I'm res-responsible. It's kind... it's really important to me that you, that you know I keep my promises and that I-I take care of what's important to us both..."
Carrot stopped as he saw Quarry stomp again and turn down the path back to the gate as his newly blackened hooves sounded out loudly.
"Dammit, Cake!" called Quarry. He had always doubted the colt's business savvy, but this was simply too much. Now he would want to go on and explain about how he wanted Quarry's trust for this or that and soon they would be discussing chain stores or "Carrot Cake World Outlet" or some fool notion. It was all the same. They were all the same. He was not going to deal with it... he was gardening.
"You ain't makin' a lick of sense!" he told the colt with his voice just on the safe side of a shout. "If ya' stick with me that'll cost me 'bout four hundred fifty bits! You'll cost yerself more in the end and I ain't goin' tah' listen to no excuses when that bakery of yours goes under 'cause you ain't got no horse-sense!"
Quarry turned and looked back to his garden. As he heard Cake stuttering, he looked at the trench he had dug for the four eggshells. As Cake begun to speak again, Quarry found himself picturing burying something slightly more amber-colored and under-bitten in his garden. He was able to get beyond the image, barely, by the time Carrot spoke again.
"I-I'm not going, not going to fail," he said, sounding ever so slightly more confident then he had before. "I've got a partner who, who is smart... we're-we're going to make it. All I'm asking is that, is that you let me prove myself to you..."
Carrot looked up to see Quarry already back at the gate and breathing heavily as his grey eyes once more fell over him. "Cake," spoke the stallion in a disparaging hiss, "this is the last time I'm gonna tell ya', I don't talk 'bout business at my home! Get back to yer' partner... I'm gardening. Once you've actually learned what 'interest' means we'll take about it. Ya' got a smart partner? Thank Celestia fer' that! Have him explain it to ya', I've got bean plants..."
"Her, sir," added Carrot. "My partner is a mare, the most marvelous one I've ever known."
Quarry missed a step. As he recovered, he smirked to himself. In the six months since he had presented the loan to this colt that was the first line he had not stuttered through. It seems he had hit upon a nerve with Cake.
Quarry turned, his smirk still hanging on his face.
"Well, don't that beat all!" said Quarry in an accusing tone. "Cake's got some baking goin' on in his kitchen! You butterin' up some hot buns, Cake? You too worried 'bout spreadin' yer' frostin' to manage yer' business?"
Quarry smiled a harsh smile, happy to see the colt recoil if it meant he would soon be off. It was always amazing to Quarry that a businesspony who was mixing business and pleasure would flinch when faced with the truth. Quarry wondered if the mare was married... that would be a scandal.
"I wish you hadn't said that, sir," said Carrot with his head still turned and his eyes closed, his head hanging towards the sidewalk. "I really wish that you hadn't said that, Mister Quarry."
Quarry lifted his head. Cake was suddenly not stuttering. Suddenly he seemed almost... offended? Hurt? Defensive? Interesting. Quarry tested the waters, wanted to see how far he could push the colt before he would finally pelt off and give up on trying to fish whatever Cake wanted out of him.
"What's the matter, colt?" laughed Quarry. "You ain't got no trouble comin' around to my house to ask me about business, but when I want tah' know about what yer' mixing up with that mare you..."
"Cupcake."
The name fell out of Carrot. It hung around the fence posts before tipping over and crashing around Quarry's hooves. The name splintered around them into as many pieces as the eggshells that sat nearby.
Carrot opened his eyes and looked up to see a shaking, trembling Quarry. The stallion's mouth hung open and his teeth strained the air as hissing breaths fell between them.
He did not look to the stallion's eyes.
"Cupcake," he said as he closed his eyes, picturing her in his head, "your daughter Cupcake is my partner, sir. We've been working together since we opened the bakery... since before that, even. She was with me when I first set hoof inside, went with me when I went to sign the papers... but, but she's.... she's far more important to me than that. Far more important, sir. We've... we've been seeing each other for almost a year, since before you first met me at the mill... we're dating, sir, close... intimate..."
Carrot opened his eyes. As he looked upon Quarry, he was reminded of something extraordinary he had once seen, something that had stuck inside him since the day he had witnessed it.
One day at the mill, the entire staff had been drawn together on the first floor to witness a test. As Trammel dropped a sandbag, the primary safety mechanism of the mill sprang to life.
The device was simple, and it needed to be. If a life was in danger, a colt or filly being pulled through the machines, then the device was all that could possibly save their life.
As the bag dropped, it pulled brakes into place, and throughout the mill belts came loose, some flopping horribly and all raising a cacophony. Wheels dropped from their active positions into their safety modes, sending a rattling clanging through the mill that bounced off the walls and made the ponies cover their ears.
Outside, the mill wheel came to a resolute and immediate halt. As it did, the water within it splashed about in a white torrent and went streaming along the side of the mill as the power of the river now splashed against the building, the thrum of it reaching them even through the thick wall of bricks.
If Carrot thought that such a horrific collection of sights and sounds could be captured in a facial expression, then the one Quarry now wore represented it fully.
"I want you to keep my loan, so-so I can prove that I can take care..." began Carrot.
He was very quickly made to stop.
Before he could even understand what had happened he felt himself fighting for breath. Beneath him cold stones reached up into his chest and at once a stinging began.
Looking to his chest, abdomen, and legs he saw many tiny scratches. The raw spots soon erupted to blood that shone through his coat in long lines. Carrot felt something on him. As he looked beneath his forelegs, he saw black dirt clinging to his coat as well.
Quarry. Quarry had pulled him over the gate, had bodily lifted him along its surface and had dropped him to the stones in one raging bellow.
Carrot regained his senses just as the vehemence of Quarry's wrath began to settle over him. In the space of seconds, all of the horrors that had shot through his mind since that first day at the mill when he had seen the stallion use his rage now descended upon him.
He tried to go limp.
"You son of a bitch!" called Quarry as he knocked the paper hat from Carrot's head, sending it and the letter tumbling across the yard. "You son of a bitch! You're no different than any of them! No buckin' different than any of the slimy colts, weaslin' into our lives! Just another bastard who is using mah' Cupcake to try to get to me! Comin' around here now acting all sincere..."
"No, sir, please..." began Carrot, trying to make for his hooves. No sooner had he found his way to his hooves then there came another roar.
Carrot felt himself slam against the gate, heard the long thick metal bars bounce and clang in response to his body being driven against them. He felt himself thrown against them once again as Quarry's voice began to rise higher.
Carrot's head went back as he felt himself shoved upon the gates once more, the force of Quarry's shoves lifting him off his hooves, his head bouncing off the bars with a metallic clang.
Carrot fought for a breath as the stars passed through his vision and he tried to steady himself. It was to no avail. Quarry was upon him, driving him up the path.
"You buckin' piece of crap! What did you tell her? What did ya' do to get away with it?! She knows! She knows all about yer' type! She's had to fight off goat lickers like you fer' years!" spat Quarry. "What'd a mess like you tell her that got to her?! What did you tell her?! What lies did ya' whisper in my Little Cupcake's ears?! How'd a under-bitin', stutterin' prick like you..."
Carrot fell to his knees, hitting his jaw against the stones. He called out in pain, did not know if he had fallen or been kicked. Soon he felt himself being dragged to his hooves.
At once he was amid the turned soil of the nascent garden, trying to stay on his hooves as Quarry raged above him. The stallion was ranting and raging. Inside Carrot a thousand different voices called for him to run, to flee for safety.
One voice stood firm though, told him that this was his stand. It spoke to him calmly as the immense stallion pelted him with his fury and leveled accusations against him.
"You ain't no different after all, no different than any of 'em! I told Paperclip so! Comin' to mah' office with yer' bakin', trying to turn her against me too! You udder sucker! Ya' sheep bucker! Can't expect no better from somepony wearin' a bow tie!"
Quarry lifted Carrot by the cravat and looked down at the colt who he held there, watching as Carrot gasped for breath. "No business sense, no sense in clothes! Goes hoof in hoof, eh, ya' little piece of crap?!"
"Cupcake gave it to me, Hearth's Warming..." he choked, reaching his hooves up to gain leverage across Quarry's as the large stallion pulled at the cravat.
Quarry's mouth came open. He stood aghast and then rolled around. With a single snarl he lifted Carrot again, shook him again and again and again as he hung from his hooves and then dropped the smaller stallion among the dirt of the garden.
"Ain't that somethin, that's a damn fine bit of gardening ain't it? Ain't it! You son of a bitch! How do you think she's gonna like hearin' you came round today askin' for favors, tryin' to use her tah' get somethin' out of me?!"
The dirt clung to Carrot as he tried to lift himself. Instead he felt Quarry's legs sweep beneath his. With a tumble he landed in the trench that Quarry had dug.
"You little bastard! You piece of crap! You leave mah' daughter alone! You leave mah' family alone!"
Quarry stood over him, raging at him once more. He tried to look up, but as he tried to blink the dirt out of his eyes the afternoon sun fell over him and cast Quarry in outline as the foam and spit of his continued anger dropped across Carrot.
"Huh, colt?" he asked as his voice went high. "Where's yer' words now, huh? Ya' wanna stutter yer' way through some explanation now?"
"Please!" Carrot cried. "I'm not like them! I love her! Please, I don't want anything from your family, I just want to..."
"Leave. My. Family. Alone!" brayed Quarry, kicking dirt across Carrot. "Leave us alone!" he called again as he reached for something bulky that stood nearby.
Twice, three, four times something large and metallic bounced off Carrot's head as he tried to turn away. Three, four, five times Quarry banged it off of Carrot's nose, calling out in hissing screams until the blood began to pour.
The colt tried to raise his forelegs to defend himself, but a cursing Quarry held them down with his massive frame. In an instant a rain of eggshells fell over Carrot as he lay in the trench. Finally the watering can itself bounced off of his stomach, driving the air from him.
Quarry lifted himself from the trench and looked back down over the heaving, filthy form of Carrot below.
"You think we're done, Cake?" he hissed, "You ain't even felt a touch o' what I do to most who try to use my family against me, try to hurt mah' family..."
"Please..." came a small voice from the trench.
"... I'm goin' up to the house," spat a sweating, heaving, shaking Quarry, "and there I'm getting' a drink. Then I'm getting' my whip. If yer' still here when I come out..."
With that he trotted up the path, knowing it needless to continue. Cake would run off like the rest. He was nothing special.
So, Cake had been just like them all after all. Scheming, devious bastard. He had kept Cupcake under his spell for a year? That was a sin, a proper sin, and when he told her, she would be hurt. She would be hurt real bad. Mother would hold her, and in time she would heal. In time there would be a colt for her... not one who thought of money, of using her. That hurt him to think about.
As he got his drink, he could not catch his breath. As he sucked down another mug of cold water, he tried to get his heart to stop pounding. He hoped she found the right colt soon, somepony who loved her for who she was, who would never hurt her and who did not want anything from her.
As the ringing in his ears began to fade, he hoped she would do it before he had a stroke or a heart attack.
It was a matter of course, but he grabbed the whip from the closet as he went back outside anyway, just in case the colt was lingering near the gate or was thinking of some explanation. Just like so many others.
"Quarry?" came a still, small voice. He looked around to see Wishing Well in her wheelchair. She looked at him questioningly, looking to where the whip stood in his mouth and then back to his eyes.
He dropped it to his hoof and smiled to her even as more dirt fell from his mane.
"There's a big ole' rat in the garden, Love," he said. With that he lifted the whip once more and headed for the door.
Quarry stretched, felt the sun upon him and took a couple of deep breaths. Gardening had proven quite interesting, even if not entirely relaxing. Still, he had enjoyed pulling the weeds...
His grey eyes settled on the garden. As they did he jumped in surprise.
The Cake colt stood there just beside the garden upon the path. He was dirty, filthy, and bleeding. Even as he stood there the dirt of the garden fell from him, eggshells catching in his mane as he trembled and shook with a palpable fear.
Quarry's jaw slid from side to side as he pondered Carrot. Upon the colt was every discernable mark of fear. The gangly legs shook. From his head to his orange tail, the colt trembled. The teeth inside the underbite chattered, the sound carrying all the way up to the porch. Only a trail of piss running down his leg to complete a scene of abject terror was absent.
Yet, there he stood.
None of the others had been there when he had come back out. Was Cake really that stupid?
Quarry stared out over Carrot, saw the colt's eyes forced shut. As he watched the mouth came open and a familiar phrase came wordlessly from the colt's lips.
"Celestia, help me."
Quarry tilted his head back and forth. He had been about to cry out that the sovereign does not aid liars when a phrase wafted from Cake.
"Cupcake... I'm trying so hard..."
Quarry's jaw shifted back and forth for a few long minutes. With that he gathered up the whip and trotted to where the stallion stood. As he stood before the trembling Carrot Cake, he looked the stallion over, saw how worked over he was. Scrapes, welts, dirt, blood... eggshells.
"You stupid, Cake?" asked Quarry as he wrapped the whip around his foreleg and measured out a good striking length.
"N-Not so m-much, sir," said Carrot, fighting to make the words come.
Quarry shook his head.
"Why in the Well are you still here, Cake? Do you think I'm a liar? Do you think that I won't strip the flesh from yer' hide?!"
"No, sir... I mean yes, sir. I mean, I know you'll do it, sir," said Carrot as he trembled. "Cupcake, Cupcake told me about the other colts..."
"Then, Cake, damn yer' amber hide," said Quarry, fixing Carrot in a gaze so hard and close to the smaller stallion's face that his breath caught in Carrot's nose, "why in the Well are you still here?!"
Quarry stepped back and was amazed to see the trembling, shaking form of Carrot Cake lift itself. He watched as the stallion fought to his full height. Even as the younger stallion shuddered in fear, his green eyes came open and met the grey ones of Quarry.
"Because," came the smaller stallion's voice, fighting past every instinct of self preservation that sat inside him, "because I'm not like them. I love her, sir, I love your daughter... I love Cupcake."
There is no sound in the world of baking like the sound of snapping gingerbread. Carrot thought of that sound as an expression went across Quarry's face that was otherwise unidentifiable.
Quarry's jaw went from side to side as he pondered the younger stallion.
"Please," added Carrot as he stood quivering upon the path, "I'm just, I'm just asking that you believe me, let me prove that..."
Inside Quarry a moment of doubt was replaced by an old instinct. It simply was not possible; there was no way that money and family mixed. He wanted something. He was a convincing liar... that was all.
With that the whip cracked through the air.
Carrot winced and braced himself... and felt nothing.
"I'm telling you for the last time, leave my family alone, Cake!" raged Quarry, gathering the whip back to himself.
"Please," whispered Carrot.
With that the whip lashed out again. This time pain, real and powerful, fell with it as it cracked across Carrot.
Carrot felt the sensation go through him, and at once the sting drove him to his knees. Soon he felt something running down his cheek.
Quarry had been startled, knew that there was something wrong. He had missed. He had only meant one last warning shot to crack above the young stallion. But he had missed, and now he saw the blood trickling down the ear of this odd stallion, the groove where the ear met his head standing wet in the midday sun. He looked upon this stallion who now lay upon his path, not knowing what to do... doubt filling him.
As Quarry looked on, he saw something that sent him reeling back another step. Cake fought to his hooves even as he trembled and drew upon his earth pony magic.
The stallion, Cake, was using his magic, the gift of the earth itself to anchor him there. Cake was using it to give him the strength to face him. Not to launch a futile attack, not flee like all the rest, but simply to stand there.
"Please," asked Carrot as his green eyes flashed open once more, "I love her...I love Cupcake, sir, I love her so much..."
Quarry lifted his hoof. The sound of gingerbread cracking and crumbling sat deep upon his features. Inside Quarry, questions began to arise. What could this stallion want from him, want from his family or Ledger's family, so badly that he was willing to stand there and face his whip?
What could he... Is, is it really possible that he just...
No. No, it isn't. That is not the way the world works.
Quarry lifted the whip again...
"Nooo! No, daddy, nooo!"
The voice lifted to him as a shriek, crossed a thousand miles to reach Quarry as he stood there.
The gate slammed shut, and up the path came his daughter. She pelted to them as the black apron of the catering job trailed out behind her. The eyes of both stallions fell upon her as she stripped herself of it and discarded it as though it were an anchor dragging her down.
"Daddy, no! Daddy not him, please!" she wailed as she leapt at him, literally wrapping herself around his hoof and dragging him down slightly with her weight.
"Cupcake!" he said as he fought to regain himself. "Why didn't ya' tell me!? Why didn't you tell about this?"
"Stop it, stop it daddy!" she said, falling away from him as she tripped over her own hooves. As Quarry watched, her face went wide with fear, sobs beginning to fall from her as she looked upon Carrot. In a second she had gathered up the apron... was holding it to the blood trickling down his face.
Quarry looked on unbelieving as the dark of the apron absorbed the crimson, as she brushed the eggshells from him and said, "Oh Carrot, why did you do this? Oh Carrot!" over and over.
"I'm trying, Cupcake," the lanky stallion whispered in pain, "I'm trying so hard..."
"Cupcake," Quarry said in a demanding tone. "Why didn't ya' tell me that you was workin' with him? He's just come up here and made a fool of himself tryin'..."
"Stop it! Stop it daddy, stop it right now!" she called as she once more trotted over to him, tears falling from her face. "I didn't tell you because I knew you'd do this! That you wouldn't believe him! That you'd hurt him!"
An old fear grew in Quarry, the knowledge that he had given his daughter a reason to fear him raising up in a ball that sat in his throat.
"Daddy!" she said while nuzzling beneath Quarry. "He's not like the rest, daddy! He doesn't want anything from me! He doesn't care that I'm round!"
"You're not round," came the voices of two stallions, one firm, the other trembling. Quarry met the eyes of Carrot. Some foreign feeling was growing in him as the gangly stallion still shook and trembled upon the path.
"Please, daddy, please!" she continued, still running herself alongside her father with her voice still high with worry. "Please, he isn't like the rest..."
"He, he just wants tah' get to me," spoke the firm voice of Quarry, his old instincts and the truths he had learned throughout his hard life rising up while fixing Carrot once more in a harsh gaze, "use you to get to mah' money."
"No! No! No!" Cupcake wailed as she once more forcing herself upon his foreleg, trying to get the whip to drop from where it sat wrapped tight to his hoof. "He didn't know, daddy! He didn't know you're my father! Not until two weeks ago! I-I planned so hard, fought so hard to keep him from finding out! To keep you from finding out! Daddy, daddy everyone has been trying so hard... but, but I didn't know about the loan! Daddy, it's my fault, please... please stop hurting him!"
"Cupcake," came the voice of Carrot, and it stuck in Quarry's ears. It was high with worry and concern. The smaller stallion was worried for her... anxious for her.
The sounds of ancient assumptions and scarred beliefs tensing and beginning to falter sounded out through Quarry. At once the old ways rose up and attempted to defend his unhappy view of this world.
"You, you mean you got the whole town, everypony to... to lie to me?" spoke Quarry as his perceptions grew wild. "To hide this from me?"
"Yes!" she called, pushing once more beneath him. Finding her father's nuzzle absent her voice began going higher.
She had lied to him, or at the very least hidden the truth. That was the bond that held Quarry's world together... that was the most important thing. As Quarry listened, she rattled off the names of ponies he trusted, friends who he relied on.
They had all been playing a game, a game whose purpose was to keep him in shadow. A game whose purpose was to let this stallion get closer and closer to his daughter...
... didn't they all understand? Didn't they all see?
Unless...
"Cupcake, Cupcake why would you do this tah' me, to our family?" he said as his voice beginning to fade.
"Because I love him! I love him daddy, I love him more than any other stallion I've ever met!" she wailed. "He's kind and gentle and when I'm near him nothing hurts..."
His eyes lifted once more to Carrot Cake, saw that the stallion had his hoof raised as though right now he were calling to her. It was as though he wanted to draw out her pain as she circled her father, wanted to silence her fear.
He was afraid for her. Carrot was upset by her fear...more afraid for her than he was afraid of Quarry himself. Quarry's jaw shifted back and forth as he looked upon it.
Carrot felt Quarry's stare upon him. He looked to the deep grey of the anger-filled eyes. He found them easier to look within, as though something was fighting there... the hunted look being pressed.
"Please, sir," said Carrot as some of the dirt fell from him, "I love her, I love her more than anything in the world..."
"Quarry! Quarry, no!" came a new voice, one that ripped Quarry's world out from under him. He turned and let the whip go limp as the figure of Wishing Well floated down the path, free from her wheelchair and making small delicate steps.
"Momma! Oh, momma it's Carrot! Daddy's killing him!" came the voice of Cupcake, terribly high with worry, "Oh, momma! Momma, help me!"
Quarry stumbled. His body shook. Wishing Well had known... she knew, knew about this all along. She too had lied, the most important pony in his life had... no, no he would not believe it. There must be another explanation.
He reached for Wishing Well and tried to gather her up. To his surprise she refused his aid. Instead she joined in Cupcake's exhortations. To his utter shock she too began to demand that he listen, tried to make her massive husband listen to the dirty, disheveled, bleeding, trembling stallion that stood nearby.
"Cake," he said as he spun to Carrot, his anger seeming to be fading, "leave, now, before I do something in front of mah' family that I'll never forgive..."
"No," said Carrot as dirt fell through his mane. "No, sir, I can't. Not until you know how... know how much I love her."
Being Quarry means that as two of the mares you love most in the world circle you, this stranger, this interloper, tells you how much he loves your daughter.
Being Quarry means that even as everything you have learned rages at you and demands acts of wrath, you can't move. It means that all the lessons you have learned in your hard life tell you to break him, snap him, that he is a liar... but that the ones you love the most demand you listen.
Being Quarry means that as he speaks about her, you watch his expression go soft. You listen as the thudding slows behind your ears, as he describes how much he adores her... loves her.
"I-I understand, sir," Carrot said as he looked into the fading expression of the massive stallion, "I understand why you feel the way you do... I, I never had a father, he-he died just before I was born..."
Being Quarry means that he understands what it is like feeling that you need to protect something dear to you, how powerless you feel when you cannot.
Being Quarry means that you can see the earth pony magic growing in him as he speaks of your daughter in tones that you thought that only you could. As he says that he only wants to see her happy, to see her smiling, it begins to rip away at everything you believe about your world.
"Hey!" called more familiar voices. At once the grandchildren were coming up the path. "Hey Mister Carrot! Were you playing in the garden? You're all dirty! Is that grandpa's whip? Was he showing you tricks?"
Being Quarry means that as your eldest daughter Ruby Quartz comes up the path, you see realization flash across her face as well. Soon she too leans in to keep your wrath from growing... and you know that she too is aware of the game, that she too fears you.
Being Quarry means that as dozens of your worst fears are coming to pass, you cannot call on your familiar rage, your old anger. It means that for the first time in forty-two years of relying on your brutality, you are defenseless.
Being Quarry means that as your daughters continue to circle you and beg for your understanding, the monster who is destroying everything you have worked for across the long decades of your life makes excuses on your behalf to your grandchildren.
"Oh, yes!" said Carrot as he tried to hide the blood trickling from above his ear, his nose, and his long scrapes. "We just got playing too hard is all!"
"The name of your bakery is still stinko!" called the little colt.
"Errr... yeah," answered Carrot as his face twisted in suspicion. "Hey," he said, "why don't you guys get your school stuff off and... and, if your grandma and grandpa say it's okay we can play in the garden too."
Being Quarry means that Cupcake leaves your side and stands by Cake as the foals gather around them. With small cheers the foals pelt past you into the house, the fortress you had built for the protection of your family.
Being Quarry means that you now can only beg, that is all you have left.
"Please, Cake, please," Quarry said while his voice broke, "please just go..."
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, sir," said the gangly stallion as he turned and lifted his foreleg as he had done for Cupcake, "I can't, I just want... I just want to prove to you that I love her. I just want a chance to earn your respect..."
Being Quarry means that the word flies through you, respect, that one word that is all that you have been chasing all your life.
Being Quarry means having to realize that, as Cupcake nuzzles beneath him and shows him her affection, that Cake respects you... respects what you would do for your family.
Being Quarry means that he thinks enough of you that your respect matters.
Quarry lifted his head, saw that the tears that Cupcake had hidden from her nieces and nephew were flowing again, saw Cake drawing his head alongside hers and trying to draw out her pain.
"She's my Little Cupcake. My Little Cupcake," came Quarry's voice, as weak and as withdrawn as any who stood there in the spring afternoon had ever heard it.
"I'd never hurt her, sir," said Carrot as he nuzzled her and lifted his eyes to Quarry. "Sir, I swear, I swear I'd never hurt her..."
Being Quarry means that the gangly stallion had just shorn off all of your perceptions. Cake had just cracked open all of your fears and doubts with sledgehammer blows.
Around you, the fortress you had built was torn away as though he had lifted every board out of the house, as though he had stolen every stone out of the wall you had laid.
Being Quarry means that your head drops under the sincere stare of the gangly stallion. It drops so low that Wishing Well and Rose Quarts give a small cry and attempt to nuzzle you, fearing for you.
Being Quarry means that you surrender, that you give up your rage, your anger... and allow this amber coated stallion into your life. Despite the warnings that still call out within yourself, you greet him in for the sake of your Little Cupcake.
So ended the first round of "The Game of This."
With a massive sigh, Quarry lifted his head once more, felt Wishing Well brushing against him and attempting to lend him her strength. The frail mare stopped and looked up to him with a smile. "It will be alright, my Love," she said, nuzzling her weak frame to him once more, "it will be alright."
Quarry looked at Cake. He was a bleeding, dirty mess.
"Alright, Cake," he said, something of the rumbling voice returning, "let's get ya' up to the house... clean ya' off. We'll have ourselves a talk."
With that he turned and helped Wishing Well back to the house.
Behind him came the happy squeals of his youngest daughter. He could hear their two bodies fall into the garden as she pounced upon him, hear her laughter as their noses touched together for the first time in complete freedom.
Together they stood. As Wishing Well and Quarry turned to watch, something unusual happened. Carrot looked down and seemed to find one of Cupcake's hoofprints in the soft, black earth.
He pressed his hoof next to her imprint, leaving the two prints standing side by side in the warm soil. Soon she had drawn a heart around both.
It was hard for the old stallion to admit, but it made him happy to see it.
Cup Cake returned to the kitchen in anticipation of an unfolding disaster.
What she discovered there was nothing short of a miracle. As she approached, he began to insert the gift within, began to raise it up on a new foundation, a strong one built of the old interlaced with many shards of what she had thought she would soon be throwing away.
As Carrot lifted the piece into place, Cup Cake took the confectioner's tube and spread a new batch of the thickest frosting around until the foundation was once more in place.
Together they once more stood there, hoof in hoof, as the gingerbread house healed itself.
As she looked up to him, she knew he had made a decision, and that he knew to move when she could not, feared to. She knew that he trusted her to do the same.
It took a lot of her willpower to keep from reaching across the house, to keep from placing her lips to his nose and slowly lick away the frosting that still stood there. Another part of her told him that it was not yet time for such things.
So, as the foundation set, they simply stared to one another, happy in the presence of the other.
As her train pulled into Ponyville station Ivory Script was presented with an extraordinary scene.
True, the banner was magnificent, and the small band that played her favored songs was so very appreciated. These were very much welcomed, as welcomed as the hug of her parents that she fell into as she leapt from the train.
But it was the sight of Carrot and Cupcake standing together, leaning into one another as Quarry stood nearby, that was what made her the happiest.
They had done it, and as she reached for Cupcake, the two spun around happily, each crying and glad for the other.
The party was held at Ledger's mansion, a massive celebration marking the return of his daughter.
Though Canapes was the caterer, it had been made very clear that Cupcake was there as a guest. She was soon to finish the season as a caterer, to leave Canapes who had supported her and return to the bakery alone.
In the weeks that followed, she had been opening more, and Carrot stood in awe of her flowering love.
As the night fell, the lanterns came alight, though not nearly soon enough to keep Carrot from tripping in the darkness and landing in the fountain whose warm waters kept the heat of the day within them long into the night.
He had tried to stand up, but as he had he had felt the touch of her hooves upon his chest. Oddly, he felt her ask for him to remain lying in those waters.
Soon Cupcake was in the water too, sitting above Carrot and looking down over him. As the lanterns came alight, he saw her sparkling in their light, saw the light catch in the waters of the fountain as it trickled around them.
She looked down over him with a blissful gaze and ran her hoof through his mane. With that she lifted her hooves, used them to catch up channels of water in the space between them and then poured them over him.
At first, Carrot had been a little perturbed, but soon he realized what was happening, what she was expressing without words.
She was using the waters to show him her feelings. She was letting the waters that made up her emotions, feelings, and thoughts cascade over him. She was showing him what her love would be like, how he could expect to feel it as she opened up more and more as she grew into her newfound freedom from worry.
The Well of Souls, it is said, is like swimming without being tired. It is as though you were awash in love itself, as though love were waters that surround you and fill you. Waters that you yourself spread through.
As the waters of the fountain splashed around them, she leaned down, drew the water through his mane and across his chest, and then asked for his touch. Soon she asked for his kiss, and with that he answered.
For Carrot, suddenly he understood what the Well meant, wondered if it were even possible to be happier than he was in this moment. For Cupcake the same question lingered as his warmth reached her.
As they painted that scene together in the fountain, their love blossomed as never before, and a breeze caught around them.
"My children," came a voice unheard on that floated upon the breeze, "I am so very happy for you, so very happy!"
"Keep this time, let your love grow," it continued, making the lanterns dance slightly around them, "but know that this is not the end... the game goes on, I'm afraid. The game is not yet over, and there are new players taking the field."
The breeze swirled as they lifted their heads and stared down at one another with tenderness flying between them. The breeze continued speaking in an unheard tone. "I am sorry, but it does. Soon, soon you will find that the world is not what you expect of it... and there will be pain, it will hurt. I am so sorry, but it must be that way... for her, for her to be who she must be. For you to become what you need to be, this is the way it must unfold. But, you will be rewarded, I swear it... just trust to your love, to one another."
The breeze held still and hovered among the lanterns. With that Cupcake lowered herself to him once more. With a divine giggle, the breeze sped off over the grassy fields where fireflies once more lit the world with trails of light. |
A Sweet Taste of Cake | Take a Letter | Chapter 11: Take a Letter
When constructing a gingerbread house, most proficient bakery artisans like our Cakes suggest the following piece of advice.
"Remember that how you decorate the exterior of the house is as important as how well you build the interior."
It seems like an extraordinary thing to say. It seems to contradict all that we have learned in our lives about valuing what is within more than the superficial things on top.
That however makes the assumption that the decorations upon a gingerbread house are merely paltry additions. That assumes that they do not truly matter.
That is incorrect.
The decorations upon a gingerbread house tell us about what it is, how much care is put into it. Like a relationship, it must be adorned and allowed to grow... or it will just sit empty and flake away under the sun.
It would have been nice say that this thought was on Cup Cake's mind as she worked to prepare the surface of the gingerbread house for decoration, as she and Carrot got ready to adorn it with treats and sweets.
Instead all that was really on her mind was the single dollop of frosting that sat upon his nose...
... and how very much she would like to leap across the table and lick it off of him with long, slow movements.
Still, something inside her told her to desist. So, as they worked the house she simply stood there with the tube in her mouth, smiling a wicked smile and pondering how she was eventually going to get it off of him.
She would have to because, she knew, he would not remove it himself. He would not remove it because she had laid it there as a sign of her affection. He was content to let it sit there until the waters of the Well washed it from him, if need be.
The blindfold was probably unnecessary for a taste-test, but as she wrapped it around his eyes and gave it a small tug with her teeth, he most certainly did not mind.
Under his tutelage, Cupcake was becoming more and more proficient as a baker. As their second spring together went on and on, it quickly became an amazing time, time for them to both firmly settle into the roles of "my other." As they had worked together, she had grown and learned. Watching her take on these new responsibilities and witnessing her working towards being a bigger part of the bakery had made Carrot very happy.
She had been a good baker to begin with, but as he taught her everything he knew, she had only grown. Though it was clear that he would still be the primary baker, knowing that she was there to aid him gave him strength.
Around him his bakery had come alive, filled with the touch of a mare who no longer felt the need to hide. Soon it was vibrant and welling with color.
The name was still pretty bad though.
He grimaced as he thought about that. He would need a new name soon, but the thought disappeared as her hoof dropped from his and the scent of many wonderful things caught in his nose. He lifted his hoof and immediately winced as it banged against the countertop.
"Oh, sorry!" she said, running her foreleg against where he had bumped it. "Here, let me get them for you...."
He sensed her near and knew that she had grabbed up one of the treats she had made. She was now nearby, holding it to him in her mouth.
He leaned to her and took a bite.
"Oh, apple strudel!" he said, instantly able to guess what she had made.
Her little laughs showed that he had been correct. Her hoof was to his again, and she led him to the next tray. With that, he took a bite of her next creation, quickly guessing it as she looked on.
"Ah, an eclair!" he answered, her giggles and the touch of her cheek being his reward.
So down the countertop they moved, Cupcake becoming confident as they went, Carrot more proud and happy for her. A dozen treats and pastries of all varieties had been laid there. Her growing talents had made each easily identifiable.
All too soon the last treat was reached. "Well," she said with a little sigh, "that's the end of that then..."
Inside an instant she felt the familiar touch of his lips to hers. It was welcomed, but not expected... and as he raised his head the blindfold still covered his eyes. He appeared to be pondering.
"Hmmm... sugar plum," he said before lowering his head again. Her smile grew as he touched his lips to hers once more, held them there as her taste flowed to him.
"Aha! Ginger snap..." he said without raising his head from her, moving down her neck and then planting a kiss along it as he slowly lifted his head. She leaned into it, chuckled as she realized the purpose of his game.
Once more he met her lips, let them remain there for a long moment, and then once more moved down her neck, let a trail of kisses remain behind.
"Honey bun..." he whispered into her ear as he moved to her other side, as she felt the soft, wet, warm pat of his lips across her cheek, neck, and chest.
As happy sounds began to lift from the kitchen, an older stallion in a crumpled stood by the cash register in the bakery showroom.
He realized that his entrance had somehow gone unnoticed. Feeling a little agitated that he had been left standing there, he went to where the sounds emanated to seek the shopkeepers.
Upon witnessing the pleasant scene that was developing within the kitchen, he quickly turned around, once more thankfully unnoticed, and made for the register.
There he left what he assumed was the proper price for his pie and a touch more, just to be safe. The blushing stallion then walked away as quietly as he could as the sounds that lifted from the kitchen became rather more immodest in nature.
As he left with his pie he did the two young ponies the favor of turning the sign upon the door to "Closed."
The old pony stared at the sign above the door, the one that read "Carrot Cake's Bakery Co., L.L.C., Inc." Having met the pair long before and in scenes less compromising, he wondered when the lanky stallion was going to add her to the sign. Only seemed proper, he thought at he went out into the street, what with how well the two fit together like that...
Although Carrot's thoughts were elsewhere at that moment, it would have made the old pony happy to know that Carrot had been thinking along very similar lines.
Thin, Fat, and Angry.
Quarry preferred the names that he had given the three colts, and inside his thoughts he addressed them as such.
A month and those many weeks had passed since the last time these three sat before him. Much had changed in the world of old stallion since they had visited the office, since they had made the proposal.
In that time, Quarry had been able to ponder a great many things. As he had, a lot of what he believed about the way the world worked had been called into question.
"So," he had said while looking them all over, each seeing that the finest of edges had come off of his sharp stare. "Most all of 'em chose to take ya' up on your offer. They're all yours... apart from this one."
Carrot Cake's Bakery Co., L.L.C., Inc.
The three colts looked the name over and then peered at one another with some small surprise. They could not imagine the circumstances that would make any pony want to stay with Quarry but, well, there it was in black and white. "Offer refused with thanks."
It simply added to the awkwardness that hung around the room, the presence of a fifth pony making things in the small room seem thick with breath and moisture.
"Well," laughed the thin colt as he tried to force some conversation into the room. "Can't say that I think much of the business sense of that one, eh?"
"Nothing wrong with him," breathed Quarry, drawing all of the oxygen out of the room as his voice rumbled around the walls.
Silence hung there for a moment, and the colts all looked at one another and wondered who would be the one to mention the obvious. The angry colt volunteered quickly.
"If that's the case," said the angry one with visible malice, "then you owe us a refund on the loan."
"Four hundred sixty seven bits," rolled the voice of Quarry. "Mah' secretary will write ya' a check..."
"Well, we will just be sure that's the correct amount first," said the angry one, eyeing him.
"It's the right amount," answered Quarry, "We had a deal."
"Well, we'd like to be... accurate," answered the angry colt. His smile grew as he got in his one chance to level his eyes upon Quarry, to have some small satisfaction of knowing he had gotten something out of him.
His smile faded quickly as Quarry stood and glared back down over the colt who suddenly blanched, his partners going ashen as the massive stallion began to swear. Quarry reached for a pile of papers atop the nearby cabinet. He tossed them before the angry colt.
"You callin' me a liar, colt!? It's all right there on the buckin' page, damn your coat! You want to know what a lie is, colt, let me tell about yer' father and..." began a spitting Quarry as his eyes started to go red.
At once the touch of a soft hoof to his drew him down, made him stutter to a stop.
"Dear," said Wishing Well, lifting herself slightly forward in her wheelchair.
Around the small room the five ponies sat in the musty heat of the late spring day as Quarry ran his hoof across his eyes and slowly regained his composure.
A lot had changed in the world of Quarry in those few weeks. Now he felt as though maybe, just maybe, he could escape the wrath... maybe find a way to live that didn't end with him having a stroke or a heart attack.
He looked back up to the colts. He gazed out over the three figures that sat still, each looking up to him. He gently pushed the paper towards the angry colt.
"It's all there on the page," he said while he sat down, taking Wishing Well's hooves in his own. "It's the same rates, same indexes that we talked about more than a month ago... we had a deal, but if you don't trust me, well, take it..."
The angry colt's jaw moved side to side. Quarry remembered himself making the same movements when Carrot had stood before him... the question of trust growing within him.
For the briefest of moments, Quarry wondered if this colt was on the same path he had been, if he had grown up not trusting, if he had grown up being fearful.
That fear dissipated as the colt looked back up to him and raised his hoof.
"No, no sir, we... we trust you," spoke the colt. "That number sounds about right, sounds right."
Quarry stood and leaned across the table. He shook the hoof of the angry colt and saw a look of sublime relief go across the three.
Inside minutes he was showing them to the door, the colts saying their goodbyes to Wishing Well as they raised themselves up from the crowded little office.
As he turned to leave, the angry colt felt Quarry's hoof upon his shoulder. The colt startled, jumped, and turned with the expectation of seeing the wrathful face of Quarry glaring down at him.
Instead he found the older stallion looking to the floor. As Quarry lifted his head he looked to the angry colt with something approaching supplication.
"Would... would you tell yer' father 'Hello' for me?" asked Quarry as he looked to the colt. "And I mean that... cordially, and all."
The angry colt nodded and promised in quiet tones that he would. As he left the office, Quarry closed the door behind him, leaving the angry colt to join his partners.
As the angry colt listened, his partners spoke with the secretary. "Oh, yes," she answered. "He is happier these days, today especially. He brought Wishing Well with him to receive an inquiry..."
The thin one and the fat one did their best to pry, but the third colt... the one who had formerly seemed angry, he simply looked around the room. The light came in through the large window, and the goldfish swam with happy flicks through the bowl.
"He wants me to... to greet dad for him," he whispered to himself, feeling decades of pent-up anger drifting out of him.
"... well, don't tell anyone I said so," said Paperclip, handing them the check and looking back towards the closed door, "but the nicest young stallion asked them both to come here this morning. He brought me a treat as he always does and then asked me to wish him luck."
She grinned a mischievous grin.
"He asked them if they would be alright with him asking their youngest daughter to marry him!" she giggled. "It's a touch old-fashioned, but isn't it just so romantic?"
Carrot Cake stood before the door to the familiar mansion with his saddlebags shifting around him.
As it came open, the figure of the butler, Serving Tray, appeared and blinked in the morning light. As his eyes adjusted, a smile grew on his face, and he recognized the caller.
"Young Mr. Cake, sir, good to see you again," said the butler as he raised his hoof in greeting. Carrot smiled, part of him still at odds with the funny sensation that being called "mister" brought with it.
"It's very nice to see you too, Tray. Would Miss Script be available by any chance?" he asked.
"Certainly, sir," intoned Serving Tray. "If you should like to follow me I shall announce you."
Together they went through the large hallway and public room to a small study. Carrot flipped around the fact he was being called "sir" a few times as proper ponies stared down over him from dark paintings upon the wall. As they approached the study, Serving Tray began to announce him. Before he had a chance, the figure of Ivory was already there at the door.
Serving Tray went off, slightly disappointed at being kept from one of the small duties he enjoyed.
As Ivory gave Carrot a small but welcome hug, the two turned back into the study.
"And what brings you around to my little warren, Carrot?" she asked, clearing space in an overstuffed chair for him.
"If you're not too busy... I mean I'm not interrupting, am I?" said Carrot, looking at the small mountain of papers and the wastebasket full of dulled quills.
"I most certainly am busy," she said with a giggle, "and I am very, very happy you interrupted! What can I do for you?"
Carrot replied to her smile with one of his own. Lowering his saddlebags to the floor, he pulled out some sheets of paper, some crumpled papers, and some wads of paper that went to the floor and bounced around.
"I have this writing project... one that's not going to well, Ivory, and I was hoping that maybe you might... help?" he asked as he watched her reach for some of his abortive attempts.
When she saw what he was attempting to write, she leapt up, ran her eyes across more of the pages.
Carrot had never heard Ivory make noises like that before. As she jumped to him, he caught her up in another hug, this one frenzied and filled with squeals of joy. Almost as though she were embarrassed, she asked to excuse herself, leaving Carrot alone in the room. As she went, she literally skipped like a filly in a schoolyard.
"I... that's a yes, right?" he asked the room in general. Nearby some more of her writing slid off a mountain of books. "Okay, good," he answered himself, smiling as he did so.
Serving Tray had turned back down the hallway, presuming that enough time had elapsed to ask if there were anything that they would like brought to them.
Upon seeing his young mistress standing against the wall with her hooves to her face, he immediately trotted forward in alarm.
"Miss Ivory! Miss Ivory, are you well?" he asked with his concern near the surface.
Ivory lowered her hooves and looked up to him with a massive smile. At the same time great wet tears rolled down her face.
She had done it. They had done it, all three of them. Cupcake was safe, the plan had worked, and now the cementing of that work was playing out before her. Her best friend would be so happy, and she would be so happy for both of them, was already so happy.
"Yes," she said, "I'm quite alright. Everything is wonderful... so, very wonderful! Could you please bring us some ice water, Tray, and perhaps something bubbly as well?"
"Do-do I look all right? Is my mane okay?" asked Cheesecake as she hovered beneath the lamppost.
Carrot had been thinking about the lamppost. For so long this had been the border of his world, how reaching this lamppost might as well have been attaining the edge of the known world.
Today he was bringing his mother to meet two ponies who inhabited a house that he had once only beheld from here, from this distant outpost of his knowledge.
Today, if all went well, he would open a new chapter in the journal of his journey with the mare who now stood with him. Cupcake moved to answer the questions that his mother floated out over them in her ephemeral tones.
"You look wonderful, Cheesecake," answered Cupcake as she ran her hoof over the foreleg of the older mare. "I'm sure momma and daddy and yourself will get along wonderfully, I know it."
"Oh, I-I hope so," said the thin older mare, "I-I don't want to embarrass either of you. Please, tell me if I'm doing something wrong..."
Together the three went up the sidewalk and up to the gate. As they approached the house, Carrot could see the figure of Quarry, as massive and imposing as ever. He stood behind Wishing Well as the mare sat in her wheelchair, the two making a proper portrait of how proper ponies should arrange themselves to meet somepony new.
Carrot heard his mother make a noise. At once he stopped and turned to her. Her ears were back, her hoof once more raised as though in surprise.
"No," she whispered under her breath, her head giving a small shake, "it... it can't be..."
"Mom, what..." he began, reacting to her expressions as they grew on her. His head flew up to the porch, saw Quarry staring on perplexed, saw Wishing Well...
...Cupcake's mother stood.
"Cheesecake?" floated the voice of the frail mare, wafting out and over the lawn and garden.
"Wishing Well?" replied his mother as her ears came fully up.
"Oh, Celestia! Cheesecake... Cheesecake!" called out Wishing Well in the loudest voice Carrot had ever heard her use, the loudest that Cupcake had heard her mother use in years.
As Carrot and Cupcake watched, their mouths hanging open in surprise, Cheesecake took off at a trot. Soon she was galloping, her hooves sounding out in solid thwacks upon the stairs.
Quarry joined the two in looking on aghast as Cheesecake and Wishing Well embraced each other, the two crying out aloud in happiness as big wet tears ran down their faces and their heads were laid upon the withers of the other.
"It's been forever! Oh Cheesy, how I've missed you!" called Wishing Well, her voice already starting to strain under her efforts.
"Wishy Washy, Wishy Washy, twenty five years or more! Oh, Celestia... Wishy Washy!" replied Cheesecake as she rocked the fragile mare gently.
More than twenty years ago, loud words had sounded out in a dance studio that doubled as an apartment that these mares had shared.
Whatever the context of that conversation, whatever had separated them, that flew away as the two stood there in the sunlight of the full spring. As the delicate mare hovered above her wheelchair, her tears washed over the thin, withdrawn mare who cradled her. With that an old friendship was reborn as the sounds of a spring morning sat across the porch.
Inside the house, a small buffet of sorts had been set out. As Carrot grazed over the selection, his eyes kept going to the door.
He listened as the conversation in the great vast living room of the house Quarry had built drew on and on. Soon the familiar sounds of "girl talk" began to lift from within. Soon Quarry joined him, the stallion retreating as a refugee from the presence and persistence of such conversation.
Carrot wished that he had become more comfortable around Quarry, that he could say that he now was within the confidence of the stallion. He could not. There still seemed to be a sort of wall there, one that he was allowed to cross but not without being measured against.
Carrot sighed and looked at the fixings for a dandelion sandwich, wondered if he wanted mustard. As he did he made room for Quarry, the big stallion giving a sigh, apparently distraught at the non-presence of the last few slices of cheese he had wanted.
"You eat the last of the cheese on me, Cake?" asked the stallion with a toss of his head.
"No, sir," said Carrot as he forced a chuckle, "I-I'm pretty sure it was the little colt out there..."
"Meh," answered Quarry, slowly moving away, "I can cut up some more..."
Carrot gave another sigh, knew that there was always going to be a distance between them. Quarry still called him "Cake"... but then again, he couldn't bring himself to call Quarry anything but "sir." There was something that was not clicking between them...
... then again, Quarry had lashed him with a whip. That's usually a stumbling block to any sort of relationship.
Wishing Well liked him well enough. She had patted his foreleg and called him "such a nice colt." That was more than he could have asked for. His eyes went to the door once more.
"You expectin' somepony, Cake?" asked Quarry as he stared at him from the icebox, a large block of cheese in his hoof.
"Yessir," answered Carrot, looking back to the door.
A knock prophetically sounded out from the entryway. Quarry looked down to Carrot and then to the door. With a few large, powerful steps he crossed out of the kitchen and towards the entryway.
He looked up to Carrot and then turned his head. He opened the door.
Quarry blinked in the sun, looked down over the familiar face of Ivory.
"Oh... Oh! Hello there, Miss Ivory, c'mon in," said that stallion, looking to Carrot. Carrot saw the confusion painted on his face, watched Quarry's expressions fly around as he greeted his best friend's daughter.
Soon Ivory turned to him with a sly look upon her face.
"Carrot!" she said, giving him a quick embrace. "Tell me, how did the recipe come out?"
"It mixed together quite well," he answered, watching the smile spreading across her face. "It mixed."
Ivory gave him another quick hug, sliding something among his hooves where his sandwich stood and then was off into the living room, her own saddlebag hanging upon her as her hooves sounded across the wooden floor.
Carrot and Quarry waited until the sounds of introductions had begun to die down before turning towards the living room.
"Cake..." came the rumbling voice.
Carrot looked up to see Quarry looking to him, saw something of an understanding growing in the older stallion. It had been a code... he knew.
Carrot stared back up to him, and to Quarry's surprise, Carrot tried to give him a hug. "Oh, the Well," said Quarry with a sound of exasperation, collecting the smaller stallion for a quick embrace as the knowledge of what was about to happen grew upon him.
With a toss of his head, Quarry nodded and ushered the younger stallion into the living room.
To Carrot's happiness, Cupcake came to sit beside him as soon as he had entered. He laid some of the things he had grabbed from the buffet before her. Four other mares, Cheesecake, Ivory, Ruby Quartz, and Wishing Well, watched Cupcake's nieces and nephew practice lines from a school play.
Carrot lifted his eyes to Ivory, caught hers inside a glance. A slight nod was his reply, and he tried to act casual, sipping at the cup awkwardly as it lay upon the floor.
"Oh, Cuppy," spoke Ivory, "I received a letter for you. It seems it came to me by accident. I brought it with me."
"Huh!" replied Cupcake while she watched her nieces and nephew take a seat. "Imagine that!"
Silence hovered over the room.
"May-may I have it, Ive?" she asked.
"Of course..." replied Ivory, stopping to take a sip of her tea. "I've hidden it somewhere in this room."
"Wh-what?" asked Cupcake as she stood and trotted to where Ivory sat impassively.
"Come on now Ive, why'd you go and do something like that?" she asked, her tone slightly hurt.
"Don't be like that, Cuppy! Come on now, try to find it! Let's play at hot or cold!" giggled Ivory as she stared up at an annoyed Cupcake, the mare pounding one hoof into the floor. She began to criss-cross the room, listening to Ivory for hints.
"No, cold! Even colder, Cuppy! Ah, that way is warm, warmer... now why would you come back this way? You're cold again!" spoke Ivory while Cupcake's nephews and nieces cheered her on. Soon the room was evenly divided between those trying to help her and those laughing at the spectacle.
"Oh! Ivory! You're too cruel!" she said as she stood before the fireplace, her hooves dancing in frustration. "If you're gonna be that way about it you can keep the letter!"
She went back to her pillow in a huff. Cupcake laid down next to Carrot and leaned into him. He laid his head upon her, taking up some of her frustration. He tried to keep from giggling as the game began to come to an end.
"Hot."
"What?" asked Cupcake as she raised her head and looked to Ivory.
"Hot, Cuppy, you're hot... you're almost upon it," answered Ivory with a wide smile.
Cupcake looked to Carrot, a look of bewilderment hanging over her. She stood and pressed her nose to his, the act eliciting a few giggles from her nieces.
"Very hot," answered Ivory from the far side of the room, the other adults going quiet.
Cupcake nuzzled Carrot's foreleg. Before Ivory could even answer, she had moved to his hoof.
"On fire, Cuppy," answered Ivory, her voice going softer, "I'm so happy that you found it... so very happy, Cuppy."
Carrot lifted his hoof and removed the charger from his plate, revealing where Ivory had hidden the letter when they had spoken the passwords in the kitchen.
Cupcake looked down at the letter upon the silver plate, saw the exquisite envelope. She moved to lift it, but Carrot moved first.
Carefully and tenderly, he opened it, breaking the wax seal gingerly so that as much of it remained as possible. With that he lifted it with his teeth, motioned for her to take the envelope, much like they had once done upon a mattress in a bakery in the city beyond.
Cupcake stood with the envelope in her mouth, and soon what was transpiring began to register with her. At once Carrot had laid the letter before him. With that he asked for her hoof, raising his to meet hers. A string of causality wrapped around them, bound them to one another.
As she did, the other ponies in the room looked on in wonder. Carrot sat up and looked into the rose-colored eyes that he had first fallen into a year ago. Even now, they grew moist, her understanding of what he was doing growing in her. Even as they began to hide behind the cheeks that were rising in a broad smile... those eyes still called to him, as they would for decades if she would let him.
"To Miss Cupcake," began Carrot, "from Carrot Cake."
Carrot cleared his voice, lifted his hoof to hers that much more.
"A proposal for marriage..."
The envelope dropped out of Cupcake's mouth.
"... I have never been happier than during this last year, than during the time you have been in my life..."
He felt her short, sharp breaths begin. Felt her anticipation growing through the small connection that ran through their hooves.
"... You have added so much to my life, supported me, given me strength..."
Without breaking the connection between them, without taking her hoof out of his, she ran her face over her foreleg, wiped away the tears that were forming.
"...have given me reason to believe in myself because you believe in me..."
She stopped trying to hide the tears, just looked down to him as he read the letter. Cupcake's cheeks were hurting, her smile so strong that it consumed her. Even as she cried, she still set her eyes on him, this gangly colt... this stallion and his underbite, this wonderful stallion that had made her so happy.
"... I will work to make you happy, do all I can to show you how much I love you everyday, never stop trying to show you how much you mean to me..."
"Yes," she said, her voice just above a whisper.
Carrot jumped a little. He was not done yet, had not even reached the question.
"... in all things, our pain, or fear, our hope, you will be able to find shelter in me, and I will do everything I can to keep you safe and..."
"Yes," she said again, her voice louder and more certain.
He laughed a little. He had not even reached the question. Was she allowed to say that before he had even asked it?
He pressed on and looked up to her, looking into her beautiful eyes.
"... in all things you'll be my partner, my equal, and never will I doubt or demean you. I love you, Cupcake, and I ask you... please, will you..."
"Yes! Yes, Carrot!" she cried as she leapt into him, bowling him over and upon the pillows where they had been seated. Her lips were at once upon his. As the applause of a half-dozen hooves across the floor reached them, there is where they stayed.
Slowly, she lifted her head as her nieces giggled, and her nephew continued to voice the opinion of all little boys... namely that what was transpiring was gross and that he would not put up with it much longer.
As rose-colored eyes stared down at him, Carrot could not help but hope that the little colt would someday have ample reason to change his opinion.
"... marry me?" Carrot concluded while he laid his hoof beside her face.
"Yes," she whispered once more, touching her hoof to his. As the last happy tear fell from her face, she lowered herself again, laying her lips to his once more.
Despite the protests and giggles of the onlookers that was the way they stayed for a great long while... at least until the more romantically inclined population of the room demanded to congratulate the two lovers. |
A Sweet Taste of Cake | Sugar Cubes | Chapter 12: Sugar Cubes
Suffice it to say, there was a wedding.
Suffice it to say that there were months of planning, that there were serious questions about appetizers and the colors of tablecloths.
Suffice it to say that there was a dress, one made by the studious old dressmaker and her young unicorn apprentice whose detailing was as exacting and as precise as each of the three diamonds of her cutie mark implied.
Suffice it to say that there was a ceremony. Suffice it to say that there was a tearful reunion of Cupcake's sister with her father, the big stallion even wrapping her marefriend in a mammoth hug.
Suffice it to say that there was a ceremony, one of traditional Equestrian tastes.
Suffice it to say that her nieces threw flower petals.
Suffice it to say that there was disappointment that the old dance hall where they had first met had gone out of business and was not available for the reception.
Suffice it to say that Ivory used her new contacts to make sure that the Ponyville city hall was available, and that the colors and buntings of the circular building filled it with color and life.
Suffice it to say that a Ponyville that had long kept the secret of "The Game of This" came out in droves when so invited to partake of the celebration, so much so that Quarry had to offer up bounties for more food and drink. Carrot actually made a profit off of his own wedding.
Suffice it to say the celebration went far into the night, and whereas the nights were becoming chilly as autumn began, it seemed that the entire body of Ponyville crowded into the celebratory space for the warmth and fellowship.
Suffice it to say the crowd made it rather difficult (and in fact impossible) for Carrot and Cupcake to make their departure and enjoy their first night together as a married couple.
Suffice it to say, they were a tad miffed by that.
Suffice it to say that the next morning they were ushered to the train station by their families. After tearful goodbyes and a round of hugs, the bleary couple were ushered aboard the southbound train.
Suffice it to say that as the train rocked them in their seats and the warm light fell in through the windows, she laid her head across his chest. As the fresh air met them, the two were soon asleep.
Suffice it to say that the kindly old conductor laid a blanket across the two as they slumbered together in the seat, knowing that it was probably best that he take the ticket later.
Suffice it to say that when the crosshead on the cylinder shore off, sending a loud cascade of steam hissing out into the afternoon, it startled all aboard the train. The newlyweds were no exception, and they rolled from their seat to the floor in alarm. Cupcake landed upon her husband, their nap firmly interrupted.
Suffice it to say that the train slowly rolled to a stop just short of a small station that sat deep within the swampy reaches of the warm, wet part of Equestria.
Suffice it to say that the ponies of the tiny village were very surprised to have a trainload of visitors. The hamlet opened itself up to the stranded travelers and upon learning that Carrot and Cupcake were on their honeymoon, the entirety of the village came to life.
Suffice it to say there was a large celebration. Exotic dishes of peppers and rice and crawfish were laid out before the guests. Though they were both as far from home as they had ever been in their lives, the two ponies felt oddly at ease.
Suffice it to say that as the spare engine arrived and brought the wounded train up to the station, there were tearful goodbyes and promises of gifts that would be exchanged.
Suffice it to say that the promise was kept and would play out in ways not anticipated by any that waved goodbye on the platform of the station that late afternoon.
Suffice it to say that when the train finally arrived in Port-au-Prance, the passengers were still very much full of the good food and very much tired from their impromptu festivities.
Suffice it to say that as the late night closed in around them, the tired forms of Carrot Cake and Cupcake were slowly drawn through the warm, humid streets of the port city. Her head was in his lap as the carriage drew them along the cobblestone streets as jazz music floated from bars and cabarets.
Suffice it to say that the steward of the hotel had to gently wake them and tell them that the railroad company had sent word, that they were already registered.
Suffice it to say that upon being led to the honeymoon bungalow, the two could only gaze at the splendor. They could hear the wind brushing through the palms around it, could hear the ocean and see the starlight reflected off of it.
Suffice it to say that as these smells reached them, they lay together in the bed upon the screened-in porch and were soon asleep, each wrapped deep within the forelegs of the other, and were so denied for a second night the usual comforts that a honeymoon provides.
Suffice it to say that Carrot Cake awoke late the following morning to the enviable position of having a rather famished looking Cupcake staring down over him...
... and it was not for any meal that she was starved, but for something far more delightful, enticing, and satisfying.
With that he raised his lips up to hers. With small kisses he began to draw them down across her neck, her chest, her barrel. So it was that they spent that first day amid the balmy sea breezes partaking of such delights as would satiate their appetite for the taste of the other's affections, filled a longing whose satisfaction had been denied them for two long nights.
The steward had seen this before. Even though they had placed a breakfast order, the food had gone largely uneaten.
One day of it had been understandable but a second only left him fearing for the health of his clientele. Besides, Port-au-Prance had so much to offer a young couple besides the view from the soft beds of the bungalow. They simply had to eat something... one cannot live on love alone!
Clearing his throat, the steward disregarded the "Do Not Disturb" sign and knocked upon the door.
As he waited, he looked down to the plates, saw that the waffle had been nibbled upon in such a manner that it now resembled a heart. He could not also help but notice that the tooth marks upon it were from two different ponies, one smaller and one larger. He could only imagine that when the two had met at the apex of the heart, that it had set off another situation that had left the breakfast to expire.
He waited as long as he thought polite and then lifted his hoof to knock once more.
Almost as he had done so, the door came open just enough to reveal the form of a rather haggard yet visibly exultant young stallion with an amber coat.
"Hi!" Carrot breathed in a euphoric tone.
"Good afternoon sir," said the steward, "I'm very sorry to interrupt, but seeing as your breakfast went uneaten..."
"Oh, ummm... yeah, we were... occupied," said a blushing Carrot Cake.
"Understandable sir! Seeing as much, on behalf of the hotel we would like to offer you these meal vouchers for dinner at any number of our local eateries," spoke the steward as he produced a handful of coupons from his uniform.
"Oh, wow... thank you!" said Carrot as he took them up, "I really appreciate that!"
The steward smiled.
"Ginger Snap? What would you think of eating in the city tonight?" called Carrot.
"Oh, that would be lovely!" came the joyful, lilting voice of a mare. "Now come back to bed..."
The steward saw Carrot blush some more and look to him with a ridiculous grin.
"I should also like to remind sir that your beverages are included in the honeymoon package, and that you have not yet requested any today," said the nodding steward.
"Oh...oh, we haven't! Iced tea please," said Carrot as he turned back within the bungalow. "Sugar Plum? Would you like anything to drink?"
At the mention of a second name, the steward wondered how many mares the stallion was entertaining. When the same happy voice answered he realized it was a simply another pet name for the same mare who had sang out happily the first time.
"Oh, raspberry iced tea," she sang in a lilting tone. "Now come back to bed..."
"Perhaps some ice water too, sir? I shall bring pitchers of each... we wouldn't want you both to get dehydrated, after all," said the steward with a smile. As Carrot blushed some more, the steward went off into the midday sun, the palms rustling around him.
As he went back down the path, he could not help but smile to himself. They seemed quite happy, that young couple, and why shouldn't they be? They fit together so well, after all.
The pitchers were discovered soon after. Carrot prepared a tray with two tall glasses of the drinks, let a small mountain of sugar cubes gather in a bowl so that they could sweeten their drinks to taste.
He lifted the tray and brought it back out to the hidden porch high above the waters, away from any prying eyes. Cupcake swung in the hammock, letting the warm ocean breeze settle over her. Carrot's eyes fell across her once more as it caught in the wild frazzle of her mane.
He prepared her drink first, asked, "How many sugar cubes would you like, Honey Bun?"
"Two, please," she answered as she turned upon the hammock. She regarded him sweetly as he poured the teas and dropped the sugar and ice cubes within with careful hooves. As he did, she hovered upside down upon the hammock above the tray and the drinks.
He lifted the glass, and to her surprise he touched it to her chest, her stomach, and her neck. The cold raced through her as the ice within the glass chimed out, making her squirm and give tiny happy squeals each time the glass brushed her coat. Her small sounds rose higher as thin wet films fell across her, as the condensation found its way through the blue hues of her coat and met her fair skin beneath.
He pleasantly tormented her so until the ice clattered in the bucket, announcing that time had passed. With that, he looked for a place to put it where she could reach it from upon the hammock. As he did, her hoof lifted and brushed his chest. He looked up to see her gesturing to the already familiar daybed across the way.
Understanding what she was implying, he took her glass and his across the way and laid them carefully upon the table that stood nearby. Jumping upon the bed, he looked up to realize he had forgotten to flavor his own tea.
Carrot put his hoof to his face as he realized his mistake. He looked up to her to see her still upside down upon the hammock.
Her hooves lay at rest upon her, folded down the length of her chest. The twin tones of her rosy mane fell from her, hung loose, and farther down, her rear legs sat crossed at the ankles, lying upon the post and gently moving in a slow motion to make the hammock sway just so...
She looked at him with a look of sublime anticipation, an unending stream of expectancy as she moved her hips back and forth in regular motions, making her body lift and sway even as she lay supine upon the hammock.
"Ginger Snap?" he asked as he laid his head upon the table to ponder his love in her repose. "When you get up, could you bring me a sugar cube? Or two, please?"
Cupcake sat up and looked at him over her shoulder. A devious smile crossed her face. With that she leapt from the hammock and gathered the entirety of the sugar cube bowl by the thin wire handle and carried it across the way.
Carrot watched as she brushed back her mane and then, as though in slow motion, she lowered her head and picked up one of the cubes with her teeth.
She turned and looked at him, the sugar cube resting upon her lips, set just upon her teeth. She moved, but not towards the tall glass of iced tea.
Cupcake laid her hooves across his chest and hovered over him, looking down at him with the rosy eyes that he adored.
She lowered her head and made him make small movements to claim the cube, pulling back in the slightest each time he reached up.
Carrot smiled to her, saw the perfect angles of the sugar cube playing out against the ideal blue of her coat and the white of her teeth.
She lowered herself again, this time without teasing him. His lips met hers, moved against hers, sharing the sugar cube back and forth between them. Each chased it across the tongue of the other until the cube melted away across their lips.
"One cube," she asked with a giggle, her hoof making a small circle across his chest, "or two?"
"Two," he answered, "oh, yes, most definitely two..."
He watched her lift another one, drank in the image of the sugar cube and its corners juxtaposed against the soft curves of her face. One little corner of the sugar cube sat out, calling his lips up to hers once more.
Sugar cube. Corner. The three little words floated through him as they shared the second cube, the taste of the sugar linking them in one sensation of taste.
"I... I think I just thought of a new name for the bakery," he said as he lowered his head back to the pillow. With that she climbed back upon the bed with him and laid herself across his chest.
"That's so wonderful, Carrot," she said as her eyes closed and he stroked her mane. The sounds of the ocean rolled up the beach as Cupcake completed her thought.
"Everything is just so wonderful..."
They enjoyed their dinner in the city. The restaurant was pleasant and located right in the main square. They were seated in a garden and listened to the jazz music that floated over this city as they ate.
They walked back past the old fortress. The gates were illuminated by lanterns that flashed as though in an explosion of colors.
They walked the beach as the sun set. As they watched Celestia lower her charge across the horizon, the night fell. They scampered among the tide, chased the birds and then each other.
She looked back to see that he had stopped his chase and was staring down at something that stood upon the sand.
He raised his head and asked her to return. As she did, she found that his hoofprint was set along one of hers, that it encompassed it. Together the two prints seemed almost as one.
He looked up to her. She smiled as she encircled the two prints with a perfect heart.
Together they walked down to where the waters of the ocean came rolling in, let it wash over their ankles and legs as the last rays of the sunset fell in the west, and they stared out over the broad horizon.
With that they went back up to the sheltered bungalow, hidden as it was among the palms, away from the inquisitive eyes and delicate ears of those who might be enjoying a stroll upon the moonlit beach. Good thing that, as the night was still young and they were very much in love.
There is no greater argument for the existence of superpowers than the power of perception granted to mothers.
The tiniest whisper when a child is supposed to be asleep, the faintest cry of pain from an upset stomach--these are all within the range of the ears of a caring mother.
The ability to sense that something is not right, that their child is somehow in danger of harm or hurting themselves... the ability to somehow "just know," these are the gifts given to a mother.
The gift lurched Roxy awake on a brilliant moonlit night in the fading days of autumn. What she sensed as she slowly left Clyde in the warm bed was a feeling that sat deep upon her maternal instincts, something she could not name.
Something was wrong with one of her babies, but she did not know what.
She went down the hallway that separated the two bedrooms on silent hooves, avoiding the familiar weak places that would sound out in wooden groans if disturbed.
The door of the room was already opened a crack. Roxy stared within as a nameless apprehension filled her.
Her eyes swept the room, saw where the figures of Inkie and Blinkie still slept upon their beds.
She found no such comfort in looking upon Pinkie's bed. It was empty. The sheets were thrown wide and no sign of the pink filly anywhere in the room met her searching eyes.
She quickly wheeled around to the upstairs bathroom, saw the door wide and the room unoccupied. Inside a few steps, Roxy was heading down the stairs on quick hooves.
The mother moved from room to room, searching out her missing daughter. As she did, she called her name. "Pinkie?" she whispered, her eyes growing more and more accustomed to the darkness as she searched out small places, darting back and forth through rooms she had already checked.
"Pinkamena? It's... now isn't the time for games," she said even while she sped around the rooms, lifting her voice as high as she dared. "Pinkamena... Pinkie Pie? Pinkie?"
A hundred horrors grew inside her as she sped back up the stairs, looked across the three rooms that stood there in the darkness once more, and then sped back down the stairs with noises of constrained worry.
She was not here. She was not in the house... Pinkie was not in the small, quiet house at all. Worries that only a parent can feel began to rise up in Roxy. Horrible thoughts began to rise as the clock in the hallway began to chime the early morning hour.
She checked each of the downstairs rooms again, looking under the couch, even opening the icebox door and peering within as more and more dread grew behind her eyes. "Pinkie?" she called once more, louder than before...
Movement. A small little motion crossed her eyes, played out at the edges of her vision.
Roxy turned and looked out the window. She stared across the fields of the farm Clyde had built, not believing what she saw there.
Immediately she had grabbed at a housecoat that stood upon an old coat rack, opened the door, and stepped a few steps out into the frigid first hours of a late autumn morning where the moon still hung high in the sky.
A voice reached her. At once her hoof went to her mouth in surprise and alarm.
As she watched, a small horror began to spread over her. Inside of a moment she had pelted back within the house.
She had barely cleared the door when she was aware of movement inside her home, the feel of one of her loved ones awake and moving.
Clyde stood at the top of the stairs and peered down to her. He too had come awake, had sensed something wrong. He had heard the fearful sound of her racing about and calling for one of their daughters.
Clyde too had seen the empty bed... the icy fear of a parent awakening in him as he stared down to her, felt the cold autumn frost sneaking in through the door as she looked up to him with anxiety painted across her face.
"Clyde!" she called in a whispered implore, alarm in her voice, raising her hoof to him.
At once the stallion was crashing down the stairs, joining her as she made for the door.
At once the two were outside. He blinked and tried to force his eyes to adjust to the moonlight. Across the windswept acres of the farm, some movement caught his eye, a shadow that lifted across the tall spire of the silo as a small flicker of flame rose against the black of the night.
He looked on as a figure swayed back and forth, leapt and kicked in a scene more like a pagan ritual than a party.
A party, that is what was happening on his farm. That is what his daughter was doing out of her warm bed, here in the first hours of a frosty autumn day that still lingered in the blackness of night.
Pinkie's voice came crackling and uncertain. It was still her, still their daughter, but it was as though she was thin and drawn. As they approached her, they saw her dancing... or, at least, attempting to dance.
Her voice rang out, and she sang... or, at least, attempted to sing.
"Pinkamena?" came her mother's voice, and at once the little filly turned to face them. Her colors went into stark relief as she turned into the darkness. Her shadow fell from the silo as a small birthday cake, one that seemed to be hastily thrown together, sat before them alight with dozens of candles.
"Hi momma! Hi poppa!" she said as she trembled in the cold. "Did you come to celebrate the silo's birthday too? We never threw the silo a birthday and I woke up and said 'Hey!' we've never thrown the silo a birthday party and today could be that day! I mean any day could be the day but I don't know so I chose today because..."
"Pinkie," he father interrupted to little effect.
"... I was awake, and I saw the silo and I thought that I could figure out when we built the silo and that could be it's birthday..." she continued, unaware of their growing looks of worry.
"Pinkie Pie!" her mother scolded, her voice full of worry.
"... and I guess we should have one for the barn, the windmill, and the house too because we don't want them to think we don't love them and they might get jealous and there's nothing worse than a jealous windmill and..."
"Pinkamena!" roared her father, his voice echoing off the silo, drifting down over the deep acres of his farm.
Pinkie went stark still, her expression dropping. For one of the very few instances in her life, she looked upon him as he glared at her in anger, his face creased and his ears back beneath the black hat.
"I... I just wanted to..." she said as she trembled, the candles upon the cake tossing in a cold autumn wind that dove upon them.
Slowly her two parents came up to her, stood around her, and blocked the wind from reaching her.
"Pinkie Pie," he said as he lowered his head to her, his expression stern and set with concern. "Your mother was terrified. She woke up and you weren't in your bed... she ran through the house calling for you. What if you'd gotten lost, or hurt?"
Pinkie rolled around and looked up to her mother. "I'm, I'm sorry momma..."
"Pinkie," said her mother, "you know better... it's, it's two o'clock in the morning, dear! It's so very cold! You... you're trembling..."
"I am?" asked Pinkie, seemingly unaware. The filly looked down across her own legs, saw them shake in the moonlight.
"I-I am trembling! I am cold! I'm cold!" she said, darting about in place. She quickly blew out the candles upon the cake and wrapped herself around the leg of her father. With that, they went back to the house in the darkness.
Together the three climbed the stairs, the shaking form of Pinkie still huddled to them. To their surprise, Inkie stood at the top of the stairs, the filly hiding behind the doorframe to her room.
"Momma, poppa? What's going on?" asked the drowsy filly, looking upon her parents and sister fretfully.
"Nothing, dear," said her mother while planting a kiss upon her head as Clyde guided Pinkie towards their room, "go back to bed, my Love..."
Pinkie lay between them, the heat of their bodies warming their filly as she fell back to sleep. Roxy cuddled close to her filly and husband. She soon returned to sleep, her maternal superpowers having been satiated.
For Clyde though, sleep did not come for a great long while. Now his paternal instincts were at the fore, and there was no answer soon in coming.
Something was wrong, something that her mark wanted... something that had driven her from her bed and into the frigid night.
Something he did not know how to provide.
Clyde closed his eyes and wondered if there was not anything he could do. He sat up, looking across his loved ones until sleep found him, and he lowered his head back to the pillow.
Outside, the moonlight shone. No voices carried on the wind that drove the dry autumn leaves across the farm.
The bowl of thin wafer candies stood there upon the table.
As it was something of a tradition between them, she selected one and lifted it with her teeth so that it rested lightly across her lips.
As the warm, sweet smells of the bakery of Sugar Cube Corner lifted around them, Carrot Cake and Cup Cake reenacted the moment of inspiration that had given the bakery its name.
Carrot saw the thin round disk sitting upon her tongue, between her lips.
In a long motion he leaned in, held his lips to hers, let the disk melt as they passed it back and forth between them. Together they shared the taste of the candy just as they had shared a sugar cube that had long, long ago dissolved but whose taste had lingered for these years and decades.
Years that were sometimes happy, sometimes sad... sometimes trying.
This was just one of the many happy little traditions that accompanied the construction of the annual gingerbread house.
She watched as it came closer and closer to being complete. It truly now looked like their great work that was so often purchased months in advance, or some years, was even bid upon for charity.
This year it had a special purpose, this year was special. This Hearth's Warming, the gingerbread house was meant to symbolize that much more.
She turned back to the oven and removed the dozen figures that sat awaiting decoration, the residents of the gingerbread house.
She looked back to Carrot, giggled as she saw the great white dollop of frosting still sitting across his nose.
This year was turning out special indeed...
It was to Cupcake's great joy that her nieces and nephew had taken to calling him "Uncle Carrot" so quickly. They had moved without question from looking at him as "Aunt Cupcake's friend" to "Aunt Cupcake's coltfriend" to "family."
Their acceptance of Carrot was as complete and total as if he had been a part of their lives for one thousand years, their reception of the gangly stallion as total and whole as only a child can offer.
Cupcake helped her oldest niece wash her hooves free of the dough as Carrot helped the colt place the trays of cookies within the great warm oven, the colt being amazed by the rows of blue flame that sat within.
Carrot walked gingerly to avoid the little form of his youngest niece, the one who walked beneath and beside him as though she were a puppy rather than a mature and grown-up filly of six long years.
As she smiled at the sight, Cupcake looked out the window, saw how the cold, deep part of winter had once more arrived.
Here inside the warm bakery she thought of how almost a year before, she had almost run from this bakery in fear, how she had almost let herself become consumed by dread and apprehension. Her fear was gone. Now the weak-jawed stallion sat in the showcase room with his hooves over his eyes, counting as her nephew and nieces tried to hide amongst the counters, stands, and racks in a game of Hide-and-Seek.
She wondered what would have happened if Carrot had not tripped down the stairs, if her first instinct had not of been to reach for him and see to his hurts. Would scenes like this have happened? Would they still be dwelling in that dark netherworld of not knowing? If he had not taken a risk... trusted to his love...
She took the cookies out of the oven as peals of laughter erupted from the showcase room. Looking within, she saw the gentle hooves of her husband employed in defending himself from attackers who seemed intent on tickling him... he answering their attacks in kind as they fell over him, slid down his flanks and rested against him before renewing their assaults.
Cupcake giggled to herself as the winter outside grew deeper, darker... yet the warmth that flowed from the laughter in the next room drove thoughts of the cold far from her.
After the children had decorated their cookies, they all had washed the dishes. Cupcake though finished them, drying them as the four once more returned to the showcase room.
Cupcake found herself staring out over the cooling rack as a dozen foals smiled back at her, each wildly colored and overly decorated. The cookies were each a picture of happy children, ones that seemed so very alive, joyful... as joyful as Carrot was making her sister's foals.
Inside Cupcake something moved. A feeling grew, and with a breath she pondered it, let it swirl around as the winter wind rattled at the windowpanes.
She saw the flash of a vision, saw herself standing over a cradle, singing a lullaby as her husband stood nearby.
She went to the doorway, leaned against it as she pondered the scene before her.
Carrot was doing a dramatic reading of a cookbook. Her youngest niece sat beneath him, tucked into his lap with her head resting upon his forelegs as he sat, her eldest niece and her nephew leaning against his flanks as he read.
Carrot lifted his distinctive voice, giving characters like "nutmeg" and "baker's chocolate" elaborate back stories, had them do battle with mixing spoons and escape the clutches of evil egg beaters.
She smiled as he sent his ingredients off on adventures across scorching ovens and through the wilds of kitchens. Carrot had them find the lost treasures of jelly fillings and frostings, the foals hanging on his every word.
Her mind went to a wide number of places, saw boxes of unused diapers, clouds of baby powder.
The bakery was doing fine, they... they were not going to get rich, but they were not going to starve by any means. They were happy, they loved one another... there... there was no reason why they couldn't...
"Please," she whispered to the magic of Equestria, "I'm ready for this, I want this..."
Her eyes settled back upon Carrot. A smile settled over her as he completed his narrative.
All too soon, Ruby Quartz had arrived. The foals gathered their cookies into paper bags and said their goodbyes. Amid the kisses and hugs, the youngest niece had been reluctant to leave, wrapping herself tightly to her aunt and uncle, only their promises of visits whenever she wished making her finally relinquish her hold.
With that the bakery went all too quiet again. Far too quiet for Cupcake's liking... for her wish.
Carrot stood in the kitchen, wiping down his equipment, whistling as he did so.
"Carrot?" he heard her say, her voice soft and full of questions. He had not heard this tone from her before. It caught his attention and drew him to his wife.
"Ginger Snap?" he asked. "What's up? Something wrong?"
"No... no, nothing's wrong," she said sitting there before him, waiting as he too put aside his tasks and sat with her upon the warm kitchen floor.
"I..." she began after taking a breath and looking up to his green eyes, "I think we should start thinking about... thinking about having a foal."
"Okay," he said. Her words had barely left her. She startled and looked back to him with puzzlement.
"Really?" she asked, "I mean, we should really start thinking about what it..."
Carrot stuck his tongue out the side of his head. He took off his cap, ran his hoof under his chin and gave an intellectual hum.
"I just thunk," he said, looking back to her with a grin, "let's have a foal."
"Carrot!" she said as she stood, looking at him as though she did not believe he was treating it as the weighty matter it was. "I'm serious! Please, I..."
He lifted his mouth to hers and drew her into another kiss, one that called her back down so that she sat with him again, moved her closer to him.
He looked at her with a smile still upon his face. At the same time, earnestness sat behind his eyes.
"Cupcake," he said as she laid into his chest, the place in her world where she felt the safest and most secure, "I am serious. I-I was going to ask you what you'd think about getting started at trying to..."
"Really?" she asked, her smile so evident that he could feel it lift upon her as she sat there pressed against him.
"Yes," he said as he lowered himself to plant a kiss upon her head. "Have... have you asked the magic yet?"
"Yes," she answered, "just... just as you were playing with..."
"Please," she heard him say with his voice just above a whisper, yet firm and resolute, "I want this. I am ready for this."
As soon as he had finished, she repeated her earlier implore, nuzzling beneath his chin and against his chest as she spoke the words.
It was entirely symbolic, at least the words, but what it meant spoke volumes.
This then was their wish, that this would happen, that they could have this for one another.
So began the second round of "The Game of This." With that more strings of causality looped around them... some moving in ways that they had perhaps not expected.
She lifted herself and stared up to him. She took deep breaths, her heart skipping as he lowered his nose to hers. As the two rubbed them together in long slow circles and figure eights, the sensation of their touch fell through one another, filling the other with well being, love... hope.
"Then-then we, then we should get started," she said as a giggle lifting through her.
Carrot's eyes shifted back and forth, pondering his kitchen with a wicked smile.
"You mean, ummm... right here?" he said as he looked back to her with a wink.
Cupcake put her hoof on his chest, rolled her eyes and then stood. "Oh Carrot!" she said while she turned towards the showcase room, looking back at him over her shoulder. "You're insatiable!"
He met her rosy eyes and gave a great smile. "Only because you're so beautiful, Sugar Plum..."
He followed her as she began to walk, watched her steps become bouncing ones that revealed her own anticipation.
"How about here?" he asked as he pointed out a long display case. He listened to her giggle, felt himself lift in the music of it.
"How about here?" he inquired, pointing out the seldom used closet by the door, her laughter growing with each suggestion.
"Here? Here? Here?" he implored as their hooves made soft sounds across each of the steps that led to the second floor and the bedroom beyond.
Her laughter stopped as they reached the top of the stairs. She felt his hoof trace the length of her stifle and gaskin. She looked back and saw him draw himself up; ask her to return to his embrace.
As she did, she felt him lift her, carrying her in an unponylike fashion. He used his body to open the door, let his frame fall back and close it gently.
With that he laid his wife, his love, upon the bed and looked down over her body.
"Wherever you want to go," he repeated as a memory reached him, "I'll go there with you."
As the winter wind swirled around the bakery, the place where they both wished to go was towards making their love manifest, bring into this happy world of magic and sunlit days a little pony that they could cherish.
She called his body over hers, guided his face down to hers, and with that, they went as one down that path. |
A Sweet Taste of Cake | Twice Upon a Mattress | Chapter 13: Twice Upon a Mattress
The gingerbread house was coming together. Only a few major elements remained to place in play, the shingles, the sidewalks, the wintry trees bestrewn with candy that spoke of decorations.
And, of course, gingerbread ponies as well.
Carrot looked up and awaited her return with the decorated denizens of the project. He tilted his head as he saw her standing over them. At once a small sound reached him, one that made him sigh.
Carrot trotted the length of the kitchen to where she stood beneath the window. There a countertop arrayed with all that a properly dressed gingerbread pony could desire sat awaiting her use.
Most were done. They sat upon a cooling rack waiting for their turn to be added to the project.
He could already guess what had brought her work to a standstill, what had made her stop in the midst of their project.
Right in front of Cup Cake stood one little gingerbread pony, a foal that stood there incomplete under her gaze.
Her sighs rose to meet him as he sat beside her. Outside the window, families were going by... earth pony families, pegasus families, and unicorn families all trotted past. Happy families made up of mares, stallions, and foals... families that had foals.
He nuzzled her. As she leaned into him, she was careful to avoid the frosting that still sat upon his nose.
Together they sat in the brilliant sunshine and watched families go by that included the one thing that had eluded them, the one part of the puzzle that had not come into play...
Being born an Equestrian of any of the three races means that you are a magical creature, one raised in a magical land and one that sees magic as commonplace.
Your daily life is filled with magic. Magic makes light appear in darkened rooms with an audible snap. Magic runs the devices that make your life so easy; magic makes it possible for you to watch movies, to run sewing machines, to power blenders and mixers.
The very fabric of Equestria is alive with magic. Magic is a part of the very fabric of all that has surrounded you since your birth. Rock farmers, those studious geoculturalists, gather magic from the very earth. Vast dams capture the magic that swirls within the waters that rush through the land.
Overhead clouds guided by magic sit in your sky, and the very sun that shines down upon you would still be on the other side of this little world if an alicorn who is the living embodiment of deep magic had not slid the world around its axis that morning to meet the warmth it provides.
To the Equestrians, magic is a part of life. It is a part of their day.
It is, in point of fact, a part of themselves.
To be an Equestrian Pony means that you are a magical creature. You know this. You understand it and it is no more surprising to you than knowing that you have ears or hooves.
True, the magic differs from pony to pony. Unicorns drape themselves in it, waft it around in visible auras of color and light, perform great spells with it that amaze and terrify.
The pegasi wear their magic as part of themselves, channel it through their wings to gain the flight that defines their race. They use it to shepherd the clouds, lift the waters, drive the rains and snows before them, and move the weather that a dark magic long ago denied this magical land.
The earth ponies keep it still and quiet. They wear it as a badge. To them the magic is internal and defining. It flows from the land and into them and from them back out into it, giving them their resolve and fortitude. To an earth pony, magic is personal. Their strengths are fueled by it as much as they fuel it, return it to the land that gives them their name.
There are other magics, magics that sit inside each Equestrian as much if not more than those that define the races.
The magic defends you against magical diseases, keeps you safe from drifting bits of magica vasto that could harm you if you were on the downside of your luck.
The magic helps you learn. Sitting astride you as your mark, the magic guides you through your life, accompanies you until your dying day. It is your companion. It is your friend through your life from the moment of your conception and even before that.
The magic is responsible for your birth.
It is a truth spoken to foals whose curiosity about where babies come from has gone beyond what the old pleasant lies about magic mirrors can supplicate.
"Oh! They come about through magic!" speak their parents in half-truths, leaving out the icky discussion about biology that most certainly is also required to begin a new life.
Yet the magic is fundamental to it. It must play its part.
Being an Equestrian Pony means just that... that you are a Pony, not a pony.
You are ruled first by thought, then by your magic, and lastly by your biology. You answer to intellect, not instinct.
You are not some wild soulless prey animal who mindlessly goes a whole year eating grass and running away at the slightest hint of danger before the few days of estrus take control of your mind and force you to procreate.
Your mother did not suddenly go into "heat" and stand whinnying on a street corner to be serviced by a stallion like some feral beast of the field.
It is a gift given to the Equestrians, that as much as a child must be conceived by biology that the magic too must be answered. Magic is as just a fundamental a part of their lives as having a heart, a mind, and lungs.
As every adolescent who has ever had to sit through embarrassing movies in health class knows, the magic must be asked to join the efforts of a couple to produce a child, must be welcomed into the hearts of both before the biology can play its part.
That is all it takes, for the magic to be asked. With that an act that was once simply an act of pleasure and intimacy shared between two ponies was now that much more... the magic awakening parts of the mare that, while ready for their function, had not been asked to perform it.
That is the great gift given to the Equestrians, that no child is unwanted... that each is in fact pleaded for.
That was what Carrot and Cupcake had done in the kitchen that day. They had spoken it aloud, said it to themselves, and promised it to each other... admitted aloud that this was now their wish.
The magic would have known if they had not said it. Even if longed for within the heart, it knows. It knows many things. It must decide.
Soon books had begun to appear around Sugar Cube Corner, one with names like "Naming Your Baby," "Choosing Your Baby's Name," and "How in the Well to Guess What in the Buck Your Baby's Cutie Mark and Special Talent are Going to Be so You Don't Saddle the Foal with a Ridiculous Name for the Rest of Their Mortal Life".
Catalogs appeared, ones that featured an array of educational toys, ones that featured an array of devices and other instruments that Cupcake pondered with increasing interest.
"Please," she repeated, "I want this. I'm ready for this."
After days of consideration, Cupcake had finally designated one room, the one at the farthest end of the hall that the sun kept nice and warm, to be the nursery. With that Carrot had spent whatever time he could moving the furniture, painting the walls a nice happy color, and laying some fine new carpet.
Of course once he had done all of that, Cupcake changed her mind and designated the middle room, the one closer to their bedroom, as the nursery. With that he once more used whatever time he could during the day to once more moving the furniture, once more painting the nice happy color, and once more laying the fine carpet.
"Please," he said aloud to his tools and the unused portion of the carpet, "I want this. I'm ready for this."
Soon their secret was out. The news that they were trying to have a foal reached all levels of their family circle and deep into their network of friends.
Soon Cupcake found herself being told what foods she could eat to help her chances, how to do odd things with her hips after their attempts, what exercises she should do. Her mother even volunteered to make her a special soup made of herbs that she was pretty sure were only useful as decorations and for repelling mosquitoes.
All of these sounded like old mare's tales, and she looked at each with deep disbelief.
As a month of trying had become months, she had tried them all religiously.
"Please, please, please," she begged aloud, "I'm ready for this, please, I really am..."
He too began reading articles in the backs of magazines that he would never usually consider perusing. He found one article that announced that mussels would assist his potency. This only resulted in him spending one night monopolizing the bathroom as he discovered his intolerance for certain shellfish.
When his small circle of friends found out what he was attempting, first came the usual innuendos about the "hard work" he was doing. Soon after came the genuine advice.
One of Carrot's friends, whom already had several children, delivered a certain box wrapped in brown paper to Sugar Cube Corner. Upon the box was a note that promised that all the items within were guaranteed to work.
Upon peering within the box, Carrot and Cupcake looked at one another with mounting skepticism.
As their nightly attempt drew near, he stood in the bathroom and looked at the contents once more.
To him it all appeared to be hooey. As he lifted each device a look of deep doubt fell over him.
Yet months had drawn on to seasons, so he determined to try them all.
"Please, oh, please," he said aloud, "I want this so much. I want it for her, for us..."
A few minutes later, Carrot peeked out of the bathroom at her. He then slowly revealed himself.
Upon him stood all sorts of gadgets and contraptions that promised to assist in every aspect of the magical and biological components of conception.
As he walked to the bed, he jingled and jangled, chimed and tweeted as metal and plastic and latex spun and flapped. A dozen or so devices covered him, all of them twirling, twisting, and making insincere noises.
He stood at the edge of the bed with uncertainty painted across his face. Misgivings played out upon his features as something whirred and something else vibrated enthusiastically.
They stared at one another for a long time, stared across the reach of the bed as the contraptions flipped and flopped, beeped and bopped.
As Carrot stood there, he saw Cupcake's hoof come up to her mouth. An emotion spread behind it that she was trying to hide, was fighting to keep within.
He raised his hoof and stepped forward, worried that she may be upset or even scared.
However, as he buzzed and binged and various components of his ensemble began to shake and flutter, she lost control of her emotion... and began to laugh.
She had been trying to hide her laughter, trying not to embarrass him. It was too much, the sight of her husband like that. He was adorned so ridiculously. He was trying so hard, was willing to make a fool of himself for her... for them.
He watched her laugh as a smile spread over his own face, happy to see her this way.
She leapt to him, and together they laughed at the absurdity of it all as the gadgets tooted, tweeted, and quacked. The ponies though simply rocked one another, kissed and looked into the eyes of the other as all sorts of lights went off, and as small spinners spun.
"I'm trying, Sugar Plum," said Carrot, rocking her as something sprung upon his head and confetti fell over them, the purpose of the damnable thing beyond either of their guesses. "I'm trying so hard, for this... to do this..."
"I know," she said while brushing the confetti from him and kissing his cheek, his neck, his chest. "I love you so much... don't stop trying. We can do this..."
After a moment of deliberation, they decided that the apparatuses Carrot was covered with could have a more practical use. Together their imaginations crafted a delightful bit of impromptu theater. Carrot portrayed a creature from another world, one that carried her off to slake his alien drives as she swooned in his forelegs.
While not the intended use of the dubious devices, they both had to admit later that it certainly was an enjoyable and entertaining way to fill the evening.
Weeks later the contraptions sat in a nearby garbage can. Cupcake stood in the same bathroom, not noticing them as she contemplated her own body and tried to feel something within her.
She took deep breaths, tried to see if she was sick.
To her continued frustration she was not. She was not getting sick in the morning.
She looked at herself in the mirror, saw the awareness growing behind her eyes that she was not using the bathroom more than usual.
She had no odd cravings.
There were no new stretch marks upon her, no red lines hidden beneath her coat.
Her body had not changed. It gave her no sign that she would soon have to wear a nursing dress in public. Her body gave her no sign that her abdomen was growing any larger than her usual roundness.
She was not pregnant.
Nine months of trying and she still was not pregnant.
She had done everything. They had tried so hard... Carrot was trying so hard. They'd made time. They had made preparations and planned everything.
She had said Invokes, said them over and over...
Why was she not pregnant? Why?
Why, why, why!
"Please, please!" she called aloud as she spun around. She kicked at a pile of folded towels and pulled the washcloths off the rack.
At once she began to cry. She let the tears roll down her face as she spun around like a wild horse, bucking and kicking as she made unhappy sounds.
"Please!" she demanded, raged as shampoo bottles crashed to the floor and the shaving cream can flew across the room.
She stood there for a minute regaining her breath and letting her face sit upon the rumpled towels.
With one hoof held over her mouth, she went pelting awkwardly down the stairs and into the bakery proper.
Carrot was just finishing up waiting on a customer when she came galloping up to him. She grabbed him by the foreleg and began pulling him towards the kitchen.
"Honey Bun?" he said as she pulled at him with her gaze upon the floor. He nodded to Breezy as the stallion doffed his cap and then went out the door, perhaps knowing that something was about to transpire that was beyond his right to hear.
She pulled him to the kitchen, sat him down in front of the fireplace and pushed deep into his chest, desperately seeking the comfort that always waited for her there.
He wrapped his forelegs around her and cradled her. He rocked her for long minutes before speaking to her.
"Ginger Snap?" he asked in quiet tones. "Are you okay?"
She began to speak. She tried to tell him about the new worry that filled her, but instead the words fell from her mouth as a warm huff of emotion that stayed upon his chest. The warmth remained there as she wiped her face upon him and tried to speak again.
"Carrot," she said as her voice broke, "we need to go and see a doctor."
Carrot rocked her back and forth some more and drew her tighter to him.
"Okay," he said as he rested his head next to hers, "okay."
A week later Carrot sat upon the cold examination table. The thin sheet of paper that sat upon it did not protect him from the chill that came up from the metal surface in the slightest.
He sighed as he looked around the room, the various charts and models of various dangly bits of reproductive tracts signaling very loudly that he was indeed sitting in a fertility clinic.
He sighed again and rubbed his eyes. As he did, he whispered a small Invoke.
"Please," he said as he stared at the door, "if-if it is something wrong with one of us... please, let it be me."
Silence hung around the room. The various models and diagrams seemed to brood over him, seemed to be questioning his stallionhood. He let them mock him. He only just sat there and begged that it was his fault... that she would not have to blame herself.
With that the door came open, the doctor nodding to him as he took a seat and laid some more charts before Carrot.
"Well," began the doctor as he removed his glasses, cleaning them with a fine terry cloth as they hung inside the blue aura of his magic. "Your count is in the normal range, and the percentage of healthy gametes are well within average."
Carrot's heart sank. With that he swallowed hard and felt himself began to ask a difficult question for any stallion.
"It's... the reason we're having trouble, then, it couldn't be because I'm, on the... that I'm rather kinda on the smallish..." sighed Carrot.
The doctor quickly interrupted without looking up from where he polished and cleaned his glasses.
"I assure you, Mr. Cake," said the doctor, his calm professional demeanor not falling for a second, "that there is nothing about you biologically that is preventing you from having foals."
"Oh no," spoke Carrot, his little words sliding out over models and diagrams, "Cupcake..."
"Whereas you're both here to discover why you are having trouble with conceiving it does not break my doctor and patient privilege to tell you..." began the doctor, waiting for Carrot to finish swallowing in anxiety.
"... to tell you that your wife is entirely healthy as well, that there is no biological reason why she can not have a foal," he finished as he still worked furiously at his glasses.
The two stallions sat there in the room quietly: the doctor battling with a smudge, Carrot simply in a haze of thought.
Carrot wondered what types of things a fertility clinic doctor might get on his glasses that would stain them so. Carrot shook his head to drive the thought from him.
"Then, oh, then," stammered Carrot as he gave voice to the simple truth that hung there in the room, "it... it has to be magical, right?"
The doctor finished cleaning his glasses and placed them back upon his face. He blinked and turned towards Carrot.
"Yes," said the doctor as he painted a professional smile and gathered up some of the clipboards he had brought with him, "that is the only other real reason that presents itself... and, unfortunately, it's the one we can do the least about."
The doctor flipped through some of the papers and drifted his magic across the room to gather up a pencil.
"Let me ask you some questions about your personal magic, Mr. Cake," said the doctor as he began to scratch away, "You do wish to have children, yes? You've internalized that?"
"Oh, yes!" answered Carrot. "Just the other day I caught myself rocking a loaf of bread I'd baked like a foal in my arms and singing it a lullaby!"
Carrot mimicked his actions as a great smirk went across his face. To his surprise the doctor joined in his pantomime, lifting the figurative bakery-based baby.
"Congratulations!" intoned the doctor. "It's a pumpernickel!"
The two stallions laughed small laughs. It was the first time Carrot had seen the unicorn do so during all of that long morning and early afternoon.
All too soon the doctor turned back to the clipboard, his face going somber as he asked a few more questions. Carrot answered quickly and precisely until one was reached.
"Are you currently," asked the doctor as he went straight back into his highly professional and distanced tone, "engaged, or any time in the past have you been engaged, in an extramarital affair?"
"No!" answered Carrot. "Oh, Celestia, no!"
"It's part of the checklist, Mr. Cake," intoned the doctor who looked at Carrot over his glasses, drawing Carrot back down into stillness before returning to his chart. "Such infidelity interrupts the magic. Studies have proven it, and we must eliminate all possible causes."
The doctor looked back up to Carrot. He saw the lingering question that hung there, the same fear that sits behind the eyes of all stallions when such a statement is floated out over a room.
The doctor cleared his throat and leaned forward.
"Though doctor and patient privilege prevents me from distributing confidential information about any of my clients," he said while looking Carrot directly in the eye, "I can tell you without reservation that I can eliminate that particular reason from our list of probable causes... for both of you, and that I'm very happy for the two of you as well."
The two nodded back and forth.
"I never even thought of that," said Carrot as his eyes fell back to the floor. "It never even crossed my mind."
The doctor nodded again and looked to the charts once more. Silence hung over the small examination room.
"But," spoke Carrot, "if it hasn't happened yet, us getting pregnant... does that mean that there's a chance that it may-may never happen?"
"Yes, but then again it may. The magic has its own reasons, own schedules, own motivations," said the doctor while he put the pencil aside, "all I can say at this time is 'keep trying'."
Carrot's head dropped.
"I should like to take a look at your genetic histories," he said as his magic flipped through pages, "there's some pretty engaging theories about how genetics and magic interplay, and there are well known syndromes and complications that may arise from..."
The doctor looked up from the clipboard. He stopped speaking as he saw Carrot's eyes sitting upon a cutaway model of a mare heavy with foal.
"Doctor," asked Carrot, his voice sounding worried and strained, "is it true that the mare usually blames herself... usually accuses herself, when the magic fails?"
The doctor put the clipboards aside. With a compassionate glance he leaned forward again.
"I'm... I am no psychologist, Mr. Cake, but in my experience, that is common," he said as he rubbed his hooves together. "The magic involves both parents, but it is the mare's biology that is most moved... and very often, yes, they take the responsibility upon themselves..."
"I want to be with her," Carrot said immediately, standing and staring at the door. "Right now, I want to be with her right now."
"Of course," answered the doctor, putting aside all of the trays and clipboards and opening the door, "of course."
The doctor began leading him down the hallway, past rooms where desperate looking couples surrounded by foals talked in euphemisms about ways of preventing further abundance.
The unfairness of it stung at Carrot as he realized what she must be feeling. While that horror grew in him, he began to canter and trot, the doctor struggling to keep up with him as his lab coat ruffled around him.
At once they arrived at a door. The doctor opened it.
As the two stallions stood there looking at her, Cupcake dabbed at her eyes with a tissue, the nearby wastepaper basket having grown full of them.
She looked up to them. The hospital gown from her more demanding examination crinkled as she looked back and forth between them.
"Is, is it because I'm... round?" she asked, her voice weak and withdrawn.
At once Carrot was with her. His hooves were upon the table, and he was leaning into her, running his face along hers as her tears caught in his coat.
Suffice it to say they went back home to the bakery.
Suffice it to say that the rest of the day passed quietly, that their dinner was only filled with the barest of conversation.
Suffice it to say that she went upstairs early and that he followed knowing that tonight would be hard for her.
Suffice it to say that they had laid upon the bed together.
As the night drew on, all Carrot could do for her was wrap her in his forelegs and tuck her deeper into the crux of his body.
All that Carrot could do was draw his hoof through her mane and across her shoulders as she began to cry.
All he could think to do as her small sobs filled the room was kiss her neck and cheek, tell her over and over how much he loved her.
The only thing he could do for her as they lay there in the dark was tell her how beautiful she was, and that he would never stop trying to make her happy.
Cupcake heard all of these things, knew in her heart that he meant them. In spite of that she could not stop her tears. They kept flowing, and before her eyes the figure of a little earth pony colt seemed to share them, as though it somehow knew that it would now never be made real.
In her mind's eye, the colt left their room. As it left them, it carried away all of the hopes she had, all of the dreams that they had shared. Their hopes of their love being made physical seemed to wash away with the little colt, follow him down the stairs.
As the tears fell from her, she imagined the colt too dripping, his little cries carrying away with him baby names, thoughts about diaper bags, teething rings, and milk bottles...
He looked back up the stairs and cried for her, but she could not follow. With that the colt gave a small sob and stepped outside, dissipating from her thoughts and leaving the bakery once again quiet and still.
With that they lost the second round of "The Game of This."
They had decided over the next week to tell their parents and family of their difficulty on the same day, at the same time even, simply to be done with it in one terrible instant.
Although it ripped at Carrot not to be with her when she told her family that the magic was not answering them, that there was a very real chance that they may never have children, Carrot respected her choice. Carrot trusted to her decisions as he always had.
They kissed beneath the doorway, touched their cheeks together. With that they went off to their childhood homes to drop the simple, horrible truth upon their families.
Cheesecake's face ran with tears as her son told her the fact that there may never be grandchildren in her life.
She gathered her amber-coated son to her and rocked him as best she could despite how much taller than her he was.
For Cheesecake there would be no second chance... that was what she feared. No redemption through the children of her child. No chance to be a grandmother, to redeem the years she had wasted not being a mother.
Her tears for her son and daughter-in-law grew greater as Carrot lowered his head over his mother.
At the big house on the other side of town, Cupcake's nieces and nephew were ushered outside to play in the autumn air around the garden as the hint of bad news flew through the eyes of the adults within.
As soon as Cupcake had begun to speak, she broke down. As she cried, her mother, father, and sisters held her.
Though all of them felt for her and were worried for her, only one's mind flew to places he had thought that were already extinguished.
In his mind old worries opened up, ones that centered on his family, his family that he must be allowed to defend.
With that he kissed his daughter, and under the guise of checking upon his grandchildren, he slipped back out into the streets of Ponyville, his thunderous hooves crashing upon the cobblestones as he trotted towards a familiar building.
Carrot had returned to Sugar Cube Corner earlier, just as he had expected. He had known that it would not take him as long to break the news to his mother as Cupcake would take with her family. He had returned home first even though he had made a single stop.
He placed what he had collected into the bottom of the cash register, thought that he would keep it there until the time seemed right or until she discovered them first. Either way he did not anticipate looking at them again soon.
He checked the pies, cakes, the cannoli stack, and the pastries. They were all still there. It was as though nothing had changed.
The bell rang upon the door. Sliding behind the counter Carrot looked up, glad for the distraction of having a customer to draw his mind off of his thoughts.
"Hello! Welcome to Sugar Cu..." he began.
The face of Quarry stared back at him, impassionate and distant.
"Mister Quarry, sir," said Carrot, "I... did, Cupcake catch you before, before you came here? We-we have some news..."
"I heard it, Cake," said his father-in-law. Quarry's hooves sounded out as he looked around the showcase room and turned back to face the amber stallion behind the counter.
Quarry ran his hoof through his mane and looked to Carrot over the bridge of his nose. "She's up there right now, the mares all cryin' and whimperin'... How is it that you're here, Cake?"
Carrot startled and looked to Quarry as the massive stallion eyed him with an expression Carrot couldn't name.
"I-I went to tell my mother," he answered.
"How'd she take it?" asked Quarry as he took a few steps closer.
"Not good," answered Carrot. "Not to terribly well at all."
"Are you gonna leave her?" came the voice of the stallion, the low rumble Carrot had heard upon their first meeting in the mill. It was a demand for retrieval of information, cold, impersonal... dangerous.
"What? Who? My mother?" asked Carrot, not understanding the question in the least, the very context of it escaping him.
"Cupcake!" answered Quarry as he stomped one of his hooves to the wooden floor, making display cases rattle and a distant cupcake fall to the floor.
"What? Sir, I can't even..." said Carrot as disgust flew through him, as he realized what this immense stallion was implying.
"Are you gonna leave mah' Little Cupcake, Cake? You gonna take off on her because she can't give you foals?" said Quarry as his face began to twist, the redness growing in his eyes.
Yet, it was not rage that hung there, none of the wrath that Carrot had seen upon Quarry before.
It was worry. It was deeply pronounced worry and fear.
"We, we can still have foals, it's just... the doctor said that..." Carrot stammered.
Quarry's hooves slammed to the floor, his eyes coming alight as the clatter of his mass shook the pillars and made the carefully arranged cannoli stack come tumbling down.
"Answer the buckin' question, Cake! I'm tryin' mah' hardest to stay civil, and I'm tryin not to get mad! But I need to know what in the Well yer' gonna do! Are you gonna leave mah' Little Cupcake!?" roared Quarry with his mane tossing around him.
An emotion filled Carrot as he sat under Quarry's glare, one that he did not often feel, one that did not make up a large part of his life.
Yet, what this stallion, this pony he only wanted to respect him was accusing him of... it burned behind Carrot's eyes. The emotion filled him.
With that Carrot became angry. Very, very angry.
"Buck you, Quarry! Buck you hard!" he screamed as he tore the cap from his head and flung it across the room.
"I'm not some udder-sucking little breeder who's only in this for my genes!" he roared, leaning forward into the glare of his father-in-law. "For two years all I've wanted was for you figure out that I'm bucking living for her, that she's my world! I know you grew up pretty damned well screwed over, but I had no idea how deep in the Well you've been bucked if you can't see that!"
Carrot bashed his hooves against the cash register, flung the cash drawer aside to reveal the pamphlets he had only placed there moments before.
As the bits sounded out across the floor he tossed the pamphlets in front of Quarry, pointing them out as he glared at the immense stallion. " Foster parenting! Adoption!" he cried. "I'm trying everything, you damn old goat licker! All I want is for her to be happy! It's all I've wanted since the day I first saw her in the mill! I-I'm trying everything! You want to see what's in the garbage can in the upstairs bathroom? You won't like it!"
Quarry's eyes shifted back and forth over the pamphlets as the under-biting stallion rambled on, growing weaker as his rant continued. As Cake began to lose steam, Quarry realized that the gangly stallion had now surpassed the combined time of all who had dared yell at him since he was twelve years old.
He listened with a cold glare as Carrot slowly fell out of his tirade and began to fall exhausted over the counter.
As he looked over the stallion, an emotion moved inside Quarry.
"... I-I just... just want to make her happy...that's all I've ever wanted," finished Carrot, "I had hoped you'd bucking see that by now, you old bastard... all I want is for you to know that... all I've ever wanted from you..."
Carrot looked up to see Quarry still staring down over him, something hidden behind his cold glare.
In that moment Carrot realized he had just been yelling at Quarry. In his mind he pictured this not ending well.
There was a sudden rush of movement, and Carrot opened his eyes to the peculiar sense that he was flying.
The large old stallion began to make a noise, one that sat somewhere around a sigh wrapped in a sob and encased in a bawl.
Quarry stood on his hind legs, his rigid mane almost brushing the ceiling of the bakery.
Carrot felt himself wrapped in the most uncomfortable hug he had ever experienced in his life.
Carrot's rear legs still lay upon the counter, his stomach and barrel hovering in the air. His chest and head were pressed up against the large frame of Quarry.
The older stallion danced his hooves, the loud sound ringing out around the room. Carrot felt himself begin to slip. As he did, his forelegs went to the only place they could... around the neck of the stallion and to his withers, embracing his father-in-law in one of, if not the, most awkward hugs in Equestrian history.
"I just wanted her tah' be safe," snorted Quarry as his hybrid sounds of emotion reached out and over them, "can't bring mahself to ever really believe that somepony don't want somethin' from her, from us..."
Carrot, firmly buried in the mammoth stallion's chest, hung there wide-eyed and attempted to pat Quarry on the back.
"Couldn't make sense of it at all, of you," continued Quarry while he rocked Carrot back and forth, "but I ain't so stupid I can't see it. I had tah' ask ya', needed to get in yer' head..."
Carrot then saw the point of Quarry's visit. He needed to see Carrot's love for his daughter again, to prove to himself that love was real outside the small definition he had set for himself. Quarry had needed it to be real in places other than behind the gates of the fortress he had built.
"I just, needed to see it again, to know it, Carrot. Oh, Celestia! I'm sorry Carrot, you're so good to her, so good to mah' Little Cupcake! You're a good son, Carrot... you're a good son!" Quarry concluded, very nearly crushing Carrot as he wrapped him deeper in his embrace.
Everything about the statement swam through Carrot. The way he had called him "Carrot" instead of "Cake." The way he had admitted that he saw their love, saw the lines of causality that bound him to Cupcake. The way he had left out "in-law" and had only called Carrot "son."
No stallion had ever called Carrot "son."
Ever.
Quarry pulled Carrot gingerly over the counter and helped him to his hooves. As the day wore away the two stallions stood there as emotions flew between them.
"Mister Quarry, sir, I..." began Carrot.
"Dammit all, Carrot," interrupted Quarry as his jaw shifting back and forth before settling into a smile, "just call me Quarry."
"Quarry..." said Carrot, returning the smile.
At that moment the bell above the door rang. Cupcake entered to the sight of her husband and her father standing there with tears upon their faces, the cash register flung open, and various baked goods having fallen from their racks.
"What, what is going on?" she asked as Carrot dove for the countertop and seemed to tuck some pamphlets away. At the same time, Quarry attempted to hide a fallen cupcake, apparently by stomping upon it so hard that it vaporized.
"Nothing!" the two called in unison, big fake smiles appearing on their otherwise tearful faces.
She eyed them dubiously.
That had been a hard day, a hard day on many fronts.
They lay upon the bed together as the mattress shifted beneath their weight.
Their nightly attempts had ended that night after they had come home from the doctor. For the last week all that she had wanted was to lie with her hooves wrapped in his, and so Carrot did just that, trying to draw out her pain.
Cupcake stood and left the bed to go and sit in front of the window. She stared out across Ponyville, the moonlight catching across the thatched roofs of the little city.
He watched her sitting there in the moonbeams. Her soft tones were muted in the darkness of the bedroom, and she seemed somehow like she had shrunk over those few hard days that had cumulated with the reveal to her family.
Carrot spun and rested his body across the foot of the bed. He began to speak to her softly.
Yes, he said, it had not gone as they had planned or as they had wished. They had a right to be sad... they had so many wonderful hopes, had pictured how it might look.
He lifted his head and spoke to her as she still peered out the window. There was no fault here, no blame. This was something beyond their control, something over which they had no power.
This was something that he was not afraid of.
Cupcake turned and looked at him. There she saw her husband's head upon the mattress, peering up to her with consoling eyes.
He was not afraid, he said, because she was going through this hard time with him. The only way he would ever be afraid was if she somehow were not there... that she would go somewhere without him.
She turned around fully and laid her head upon the bed so that she looked into his eyes as he spoke.
Their marriage, their love, it was a journey... one that he had pledged to go on with her. It was one that had already led them to so many wonderful places.
Yes, one border had been shut to them, one place they had strived to reach had been closed off and put out of their grasp. They would put away the baby name books and the few toys. They would repackage the crib, if just for now, but the journey itself would go on...
She leaned forward and gave him a tiny kiss.
There were so many places, he told her, that this journey could take them.
"... and wherever you want to go," he said, repeating a promise first spoken in that room, "I'll go there with you."
She stood and looked down at him as he lay there smiling to her gently.
"Oh? And where do you think we should go first?" she said, peering down at him with the wicked little smile that he adored. "Where does the journey go from here?"
"Uhhh, how about," he said as he lifted his hoof to her, "we, ummm... how about we start by exploring the great and unknown continent that is our bed?"
Her laughter rang out around the darkened room. It continued as she wiped her hoof across his face. The comment had been ridiculous, but spoken just so... and his smile still reached for her.
How could she refuse to partake in such a daring expedition?
So with that, they did. |
A Sweet Taste of Cake | The New Girl | Chapter 14: The New Girl
Cup Cake had lost track of the number of times that they had worked together to make a gingerbread house. Basic math would say that they had been married for more than ten years, and that should be just about the same number as houses that they had made.
But if the truth were known, there had been more than that. Sometimes they had made several in a year. Some years they had worked late into the night and early into the next morning in their efforts to meet deadlines.
Sometimes they had finished their work and collapsed right there in the morning sunlight that came in through the big picture window. They had let it wash over them as they slumbered together in its warmth.
A smile lifted from her as she thought of all of their little tricks, of all the little practiced motions that they had learned to employ when working together.
They had become more than just little habits. They had expanded and become almost more like traditions.
As those years had sped by, they had remained there ready for one another at all times, always able to feel the needs, fears, and wants of the other. It was as though they just seemed to know what the other was thinking and feeling.
It was the little things that mattered. Those signaled the way their lives had melded so completely. The traditions that they employed as they made these gingerbread houses proved it.
That was the reason why the dollop of frosting was sitting inside her mind, the way it still sat upon his nose as they worked calling out to her. It was because it was new, something unexpected that suddenly it was taking on a sort of meaning.
She knew it was remarkably silly to feel that way, but as the morning began to fade and the gingerbread house neared completion, she felt herself contemplating it more... wondering what it truly meant that he had not removed it.
She smiled a little smile and went back to finishing up the gingerbread house.
The stage directions would once again read that time had moved forward but that the scene had not changed.
Time had settled around the ponies that had played in both rounds of "The Game of This." Soon almost a decade had flown by.
For some players, the change had been obvious. Almost a decade had turned the nephew and nieces of Carrot and Cupcake, Ruby's children, into teenagers.
They had perhaps stopped being so cute, but they had grown up strong and smart. The oldest mare was studious and intellectual, the colt perhaps a touch rowdy, the youngest mare a lover of art and music. For each had come a mark, the magic of the land displaying itself upon them... the seal of the sovereign.
For Ivory Script, careful planning and hard work had paid off. Amid a wild celebration, she had won her first term as mayor, perhaps the youngest in the history of Ponyville.
For the senior players time had also moved as expected, and Ledger and his wife found themselves perhaps not so sprightly, perhaps more willing to let Trammel run things at the mill on certain days of the week.
Cheesecake and Wishing Well seemed to be defying time itself. As the two mares rebuilt their old friendship, it seemed almost as though it was fueling both of them.
For Quarry came new aches and pains. The old stallion saw more grey than black in his mane each time he looked in the mirror.
But what of the principal actors, the two who had sat upon that bed nearly a decade earlier and had promised to go on the journey together?
For Carrot, life looked much different as he sat upon the precipice of his early thirties. He had struggled to make his bakery grow, yet it seemed that true prosperity had remained just out of his reach.
He could not complain. He was providing for them. Or, more accurately, he was doing his part towards their plans and hopes.
For Cupcake life had not been as sad as she had feared it would be when she was sitting upon the examination table using tissue after tissue.
They were living for each other, each of their acts supporting the other. While they were hardly wealthy, she was happy, and the journey had taken them to amazing new places.
They had traveled, seen far away cities and even distant lands. They still received New Year's greetings from a delightful peryton couple who had taken them on a month long trip through Cervia.
They had returned to that small village in the swamp many times. They had kept the good friends there who always sent gifts. Crates of oranges and citrus had arrived as each winter set in, the fruits a welcome addition to their goods to be sold in the bakery.
But the greatest joy for her, and for Carrot, had been watching their nieces and nephew grow.
Now they were adolescents and their trips to Sugar Cube Corner were growing less frequent. The icebox door was starting to look rather bare without the gifts that had once been presented by smiling faces to a beaming uncle and a delighted aunt.
Together they had been many places and seen many things. Through their struggles they never stopped trying to be there for one another... never stopped finding excuses to press their hooves together and draw a heart around the symbol they had created.
Yet, as their world had drawn on into their second decade together, they could not help but wonder if there was someplace they were supposed to be going on this journey. What was their expedition together going to discover?
There was no way for them to know that they were the destination, that they were the point to which strings of causality were being drawn.
"Later grandpa!" called the colt, Quarry barely even seeing his grandson flash out the door.
The stallion turned to reply, but the door had already slammed shut, leaving him once more alone in the kitchen.
"Later," he said to the empty room.
He woke Wishing Well, and to his immense relief, she seemed to wish to walk today, her condition seeming to be at an ebb. It came and went, the battle between the magics deep within her, and as truces seemed to be called, he happily watched her regain something of her strength.
Quarry wished her a good day and gave her a kiss. With that he was out the door and on the way to his office.
The warm summer sun fell over the stallion as he walked along. He sneered, let it sit on his face as he made his way up the cobblestone streets. The expression was enough to send certain ponies who remembered "the old Quarry" walking to the other side of the street.
The expression was not meant to scare anypony. Instead it was directed within. Quarry was sneering at himself, cursing his old joints that did not want to move as directed, welcoming the warmth of his sovereign's sun to sit deep in his bones.
He looked older than he was... felt every bit older too. His massive frame still was imposing, the dart of his eyes still enough to raise alarm in those caught in them... but, he was older. To Quarry he felt like an old ship whose timbers were groaning, a ship that had begun to leak in places deep and not easily fixed, perhaps fatally so.
Paperclip greeted him as he entered the Hospitable Loan & Trust, his flagship business and the one he had always tended personally.
His oldest colt--the one living with his own growing family in Manehattan--he had taken over almost all the others. Only this one and his co-operative with the rock farmers were still truly his own to guide.
Quarry took the mail from her as they went over the schedule for the day and chatted about any number of things. As they did, he watched the new goldfish circle in the bowl. He tried to remember which incarnation of "Bubbles" this one was, each succeeding inheritor of the bowl keeping the traditional name.
With that he took his coffee into the small, unadorned office and gave a deep sigh. As he did, he wondered if there was anypony out there who was aging as poorly as he was.
Inside an instant he got his answer.
The bell above the door rang out, the familiar sound causing him to lift his eyes over the schedule. There was not supposed to be anyone in for over an hour. The schedule was mostly bare that day.
He ran his hoof through his graying mane and listened for the tone that Paperclip would take as she met whoever had just arrived.
To his surprise it was a happy one. As soon as her muffled voice had sung out, he recognized the owner of the other voice as well.
With a grunt he lifted himself from the chair and walked back to the door. As he opened it, he discovered the face of an old friend...
... a face that was set with deep concern. Eyes that age alone had not sunken sat beneath a faded hat. Quarry could see something painful there, something that seemed to be eating away at this earth pony, one of his few close friends.
"Clyde?" asked Quarry. "What can we do for you, ma' friend?"
The figure of Clyde turned from Paperclip and set Quarry with a distant stare, one that actually made the stallion blanch.
"Oh, Quarry, me bucko," said Clyde as he held his hat against his chest and wavered on his hooves, "I am sorry, me old friend, but have to ask you a favor. In Celestia's name, me old mate, I hate to do it but I have no pony else to whom I can turn..."
Quarry nodded. With a grunt he motioned to Clyde with his hoof.
"Ain't no shame in asking for help," he said while gesturing over his shoulder. "That's why we have friends. C'mon into my office, Clyde, let's get a fix on what's troubling ya'..."
The two stallions entered Quarry's austere office, the larger of the two sliding once more into his hard wooden chair with a distinct sound of effort. He began to wish that he had switched to soft pillows a long time ago, thought to himself that any advantage it gave him to have his applicants sitting awkwardly upon the seats was no longer worth being so uncomfortable.
As Quarry settled in, he looked Clyde over. In the glaring lights of his office, the features of the other earth pony came into stark relief.
Quarry flinched a bit to see how shrunken he appeared, how his mane appeared to be falling out and how ballooned his stomach had become.
He had noticed these things, of course, over the last few years. He hadn't mentioned them out of politeness... and in the hope that not mentioning them would somehow spare him from having to recognize his own growing age.
As Quarry's eyes met Clyde, an awareness fell through him. It wasn't just age that was doing this to Clyde. There was something more.
"My Pinkie," spoke Clyde as he gave a single tremble, "Quarry, she's dyin'! I'm killing her, Quarry!"
Quarry blanched again and shook his head. "Clyde," he spoke while the trademark rumble came out of his voice, "what... damn, what do you mean?"
Clyde seemed to collapse within himself, his eyes seemed to fall away and stare off towards a horizon that the blank walls of Quarry's office hid from all but his perception.
"My Pinkie Pie, the one with the balloons as her mark," he began as Quarry pictured the bouncy pink pony in his head, "I can't do anything else for her Quarry, me bucko, she's used me up..."
For the next few minutes Quarry listened as one of his oldest friends told him a story, one that slowly revealed a sad truth.
Pinkie Pie had remained herself, yet had become more so. Clyde spoke of how the farm could no longer contain her powerful abilities, how her laughter had seemed at first to fill them but how it had now overwhelmed them.
Clyde spoke of her somehow sensing things, a set of senses that seemed to supercede even her mark, how it at first had fascinated them but now seemed poised to overcome them.
As Quarry listened, his jaw shifted back and forth. Clyde told him that the other girls, Inkie and Blinkie, who had once reveled in Pinkie's abilities as fillies tired of it as young mares. Strife had entered the little white farmhouse, robbing it of the joy it had once echoed through it.
"She'd come bouncin' into the house one day wit' an advert looking for kumquat farmers down in the southlands," Clyde said as he wiped his hoof across the forehead, rubbing it raw and red. "She said that it seemed like fun to say 'kumquat'' so that it must be fun to farm the fruits. Oh! My Celestia, Quarry! They sent her back to us! They couldn't deal with her! Our poor dear Pinkie coming off the train a sobbing mess..."
Quarry's jaw shifted back and forth.
Clyde spoke of ten years' worth of trying, doing everything that they could think of to help their Pinkamena. The way they had struggled to find somepony who could help her explore her mark, yet how those ponies had all gone pelting off, smeared with frosting.
Clyde spoke of the special summer camp for those trying to understand their marks... the way he'd gone to pick her up only to find buildings aflame and filled with popcorn.
"I can't help her anymore, Quarry," said Clyde as he lifted his face back to his friend, "Roxy, me poor suffering wife, she and I can't keep up with her... none of us are so young anymore. She's only getting stronger, seemingly without constraint, needs somepony to lead her in her mark..."
Clyde gave another shudder, closed his eyes and looked to Quarry with some small horror hidden behind his eyes.
"There's not been a chicken hatched at a farm within twelve miles o' ours that ain't had a birthday party for three years! Two days ago I came home to see her throwin' a party for some rocks and a bag of flour, Quarry! A buckin' bag o' flour!" wailed Clyde, his curse being the first Quarry had heard from him in their long friendship.
"Quarry, please, I need your help," Clyde spoke again, fixing his sunken eyes upon Quarry once more. "She's dyin' out there on my farm! There's naught I can do for her and she's sufferin' for it... I don't know what to do for her!"
Quarry looked to Clyde; saw the very real worry that rested there, the worry of a father for his family. He was more than familiar with it.
As Clyde continued to tremble and shake, Quarry leaned back and let a slow sigh escape him. Of course he would help, but how? The pink filly's mark was one of exuberance, joy... partying. That was something he himself wasn't much good at, and he doubted Paperclip was interested in breaking in a new girl here at the office.
His mind wandered, thought of what parties involved. Balloons, streamers, punch, cakes...
Cakes.
"I think I might have somethin' for her," Quarry spoke as he nodded to Clyde, "but I gotta run it by mah' son-in-law."
As he watched, something seemed to settle within Clyde, as though life was returning to him, the possibility itself lifting his broken spirit.
As short while later, Quarry was trotting through the street once more, this time making for Sugar Cube Corner.
He had admitted to Carrot long ago that he preferred the new name, but when he asked what had inspired it all he got was a few giggles and a blush. He let the matter drop as a knowing look had passed between his daughter and the stallion that he had taken to calling "son."
He reached the store, skidding to a stop across the cobblestones.
Quarry sighed, knew that he was about to break one of his old rules. Favors. He hated asking for favors, hated being asked for them even more. Friends mattered though... and so many of the old rules were already dead to him.
With that Quarry entered Sugar Cube Corner.
There were already a few customers within. As he waited for them to clear, he looked deep within a glass bell jar and studied the eclairs within. He pondered the face of an old grey-maned stallion that stared back at him even more.
This Quarry was a vastly different stallion than Mean Quarry in many ways. Though the massive frame still stood around him, he knew that much of the power had come out of it, and much of his rage with it.
He knew that it had been replaced with something else, something far more valuable. He saw his own mark, the ladder coming out of a pit of rock, reflected in a distant showcase. He thought about how like his own mark he was... he was hard, but he'd been pulled up by something. Something that the amber-colored stallion that now called to him had helped reveal.
"Quarry!" called Carrot. "Good to see you, can I get you something? Let me grab Cupcake and tell her that you're here..."
"Hold on that for one second, son, I need to talk to ya' fer' a bit. Oh, and ya' can wrap me up a eclair, too," he said, placing emphasis on the first letter of the treat. He rolled the "e" in a long tone as he lifted his hoof to Carrot, calling him closer.
As Carrot wrapped the eclair, he alternated between preparing it and listening to his father-in-law, letting the entirety of what the stallion was asking him grow upon him.
"I have a good friend, one who's got troubles," said Quarry with his low rumbling tone evident, "one of his foals has grown up strong in their mark, and he's got no clue what to do. Since the kid's mark is for partying and the like, and that more often than not leads to eatin' and such, I thought of you..."
Quarry stopped, shifted his jaw back and forth, let the uncomfortable word prepare itself before dropping it out over the room.
"I'm-I am wonderin' if you'd do me a favor... do-do ya' need an apprentice?" he said with an uncharacteristic stutter.
Carrot nodded back to Quarry. "Well," he said, "I have always wondered what it would be like to have one, and I'm certainly not opposed. A friend of yours is a friend of mine, of course! I-I'll have to ask Cupcake first, but I'm more than happy to help... I won't say no to a little help around here! Let's have him send the colt around and we'll..."
"Filly... more of a young mare, in point o' fact," interrupted Quarry, looking down at Carrot as the stallion handed him his eclair. An expression wavered across Carrot's face, one that Quarry reflected upon as he awaited the reply of this stallion he had taken as family.
"Well-well, I'm not opposed, but... but I can't bring anypony into this house without Cupcake's opinion. I especially won't bring a young mare into our home without her saying it's okay. I, I hope you understand..." said Carrot as he looked to his father-in-law.
Carrot felt Quarry pat him on the shoulder.
"Ya' got a way of knowing the right thing tah' say at the right time, you know that, son?" said Quarry with a chuckle. "Don't worry on it too much, it's somepony she knows. If there's anything I can do for you, don't be afraid to say so, Carrot."
The two turned towards the kitchen, and began making for the pantry. Quarry heard his daughter humming in the room beyond, her tone only seeming to have gotten sweeter over the near decade that had passed since these two were married. It seemed more like her mother's before Wishing Well became ill.
As they passed through the kitchen Quarry heard Carrot clear his throat, his hooves coming to a slow stop across the wooden floors.
"Actually," said Carrot while once more meeting Quarry's gaze, "there is one thing... something that I'd wonder if you'd consider doing for me."
Quarry left Sugar Cube Corner smiling, the big eclair dangling from his mouth in its little bag. There was good news for Clyde.
Upon reaching the Hospitable Loan & Trust, Quarry deposited the eclair in front of Paperclip and informed her to cancel the rest of his appointments for the morning.
Turning once more back out into the street, the big old stallion felt himself becoming slightly winded, what with all of the walking he was doing today.
He laughed at himself as he turned back down a familiar road, one that led him to his own doorway.
Upon entering, he went on quiet hooves to the living room. There Wishing Well sat in front of the fireplace, the space within absent of flames as the warmth of spring washed through the house.
He approached her quietly, thought of how lonely she looked without her grandchildren around her. As he did he realized that Carrot's request certainly had merits. With that he nuzzled her gently.
"Darlin'," he whispered as he touched his nose to her shoulder, leaving a small kiss on her cheek.
"Oh! Quarry," came Wishing Well's voice as she awakened from her nap, "is it that late? No, it is hardly even noon! You've come home so early!"
"Heh, that's true, Darlin', that's true," he said as he sat in front of her. "Just had a talk with Clyde, and then with the kids... Cupcake and Carrot, that is."
He grumbled a bit, tried to shake some growing stiffness out of his legs.
"Feels like I been walkin' all damned day!" he laughed as he turned his back to her. She knew intrinsically what he was asking for in the way that all old married couples do.
As she kneaded her hooves across his back, he told her about Clyde's dilemma, about how Cupcake and Carrot had agreed to take in Clyde's energetic daughter as an apprentice.
He told her about Carrot's request, gathering her hooves around his shoulders and leaning back to her as he did.
After they had discussed it for a good long while, they agreed. With that Quarry stood, and together they went off through the streets of Ponyville. As Quarry pushed his wife through the small city, the wheels sounded out happily over the stallion's complaints about all of the walking he was being asked to do that day.
Before long they had arrived at a small house, and the strain of that tiny word once more fell over him.
Wishing Well watched Quarry pace back and forth, knew that conversations of the type they were about to have didn't come easy to him.
"It's alright, Love," she said while reached up to touch her nose to his. "The worst she can say is no, and then nothing much will change..."
"I'll feel bad for Carrot, though," he said as he knocked upon the door. "It's a right proper stallion who puts his mother first."
With that a surprised Cheesecake opened the door to her small home and welcomed them inside.
Quarry did his best to sit politely as the mares talked. They had just seen each other the weekend before. He wondered where they got so much to talk about in such a short period of time.
He looked down at the tray before him. Upon it stood just a few crackers and slices of cheese. He got the distinct impression that it was all the food that was within the house.
He looked to the mares and wondered how they were aging so gracefully, what with Wishing Well being sick and Cheesecake not eating very well. He lifted his mug, took a long sip and then cleared his throat.
The mares looked to him.
"I... don't mean to interrupt," he said as he intentionally interrupted, "but we ain't just here on a social call, Cheesecake."
"Oh, oh... I-I'm sorry, I've been going on," floated Cheesecake's voice, the ethereal tone hovering over the room. "Please, what can I do for you two?"
Quarry cleared his throat once more and told her the story of his unusual day, accentuating how much walking he had been doing, and told her that her son had made a request.
"And, ummm... oh, what did Carrot ask you about?" she said as she looked to each in turn.
Quarry rubbed his hoof through his mane, looked at her over the bridge of his nose.
"Well, Cheesecake, your boy is powerful worried for you, living here all alone. None of us are getting any younger, after all," he began.
"He's always looked out for his mother," she said, smiling back to him, "he's always been so good to me. But, what does that have to do with you two?"
"Well, seein' as Wishing Well and yourself get along so well, and I hate having her alone most of the day now, what with the grandkids off at academy and Ruby out of the house most of the day... well," Quarry cleared his throat, "well, Cheesecake, we were wondering if you'd do us the favor of considering comin' to live with us in that big ole' house of ours."
Cheesecake opened her mouth, but no words came. She felt Wishing Well's hooves wrap up in hers. She looked down into the face of her dear friend.
"Do consider it, Cheesy. I should love to have you about, and we would be most accommodating," said Wishing Well as she patted Cheesecake on the hoof. "It would be so wonderful to have you with us..."
Cheesecake smiled and laid her head to that of Wishing Well.
An hour later Quarry was grumbling his way back through the streets to Sugar Cube Corner to tell Cupcake and Carrot the good news. His shoulders went stiff as he did.
He returned to his office and leaned back against the chair for a grand total of about five minutes before his aches and pains got to him. He told Paperclip to cancel his afternoon appointments and with that went out into the spring air.
Upon his porch was a proper sofa. As Wishing Well dozed nearby in her wheelchair, he put a soft kiss upon her forehead and lay out upon the welcome expanse.
As the warm spring breezes tousled his rigid grey mane, he complained to nopony about how all of the walking was beating him up. With that he left his aches and pains behind as he fell into a well-deserved nap.
A little voice drifted on the breeze. "Thank you, you have no idea how important that was," it spoke as it drifted on the breeze. "You cannot know how much that mattered. Thank you, my child, rest well..."
Not quite a week later Carrot stood at the top of his stairs doing some light cleaning, wanting to have Sugar Cube Corner ready for the appearance of their new resident.
Behind him and down the hall, Cupcake finished laying linens in the bathroom, the one now especially set-aside for their apprentice.
Many thoughts went through the two, and the few small memories Cupcake had of a pink filly did little to calm Carrot's concerns and answer his questions.
As he finished sweeping the upstairs hallway, the bell above the door rang, and he placed the broom aside, knowing that at this late hour it could only be their new arrival.
He turned and faced down the stairwell. To his amazement the sound of excitement seemed to erupt from the downstairs. The sudden presence of a new energy was wrapped in it, one that seemed to fly up the stairs and buffet him in its winds.
With that began the third round of "The Game of This."
He trotted down the stairs, straightening himself up as he went.
Arriving at the bottom of the stairs, he had expected to find some young mare cautiously standing there, perhaps even a little teary-eyed at being away from home.
His perceptions were blown away as he witnessed a small stack of suitcases lying jammed in and around the door. Inside his showcase room a form of energy seemed to have been unleashed, perhaps some kind of magic spell or even a natural phenomenon like ball lightning seemed to be bounding about.
It was only after a moment of contemplation that he realized that it was a pink mare, one who seemed to be going from stand and stack and back while naming all of his treats in quick succession.
"... and cream puffs and almond tarts and macaroons and..."
He watched as she seemed to bounce around, seemed to be trying to expend an energy that was cascading through her. He looked on in amazement as she continued to spring from one decorated confectionary to the next.
"... and Chiffon cake and Black Forest cake and, and Mr. Carrot Cake!"
Carrot turned his head to see her looking right at him with a massive smile.
"Oh! Hello! Yes, I am Carrot Cake, and I take it that..." he began.
She had one of his hooves in hers before he had even completed the sentence. She stood there, dancing on her rear hooves as she seemed to try to spin him around, tried to sing as she did...
"Oh, it's a land of treats, and a land of cakes, Oh, I've found that nothing beats..."
She suddenly stopped, looking more than a little defeated. Her expression changed so quickly that it startled him.
"Oh! And I was so sure that I had it that time!" she said with exasperation.
She turned to him again, regaining herself as she once more became happy and vibrant and another smile went across her face.
"Is that our Pinkie Pie?" came Cupcake's voice from the bottom of the stairwell, her tone lifting as she set eyes upon a young mare who looked so much like a little pink filly who had come frequently with her family to the big house. To her it was as though she was looking over a beloved little figure that she had babysat, one that had exploded into the form of a young mare.
Carrot looked on as Pinkie leapt for Cupcake, seemed to try to nuzzle her and hug her at the same time.
"Miss Cupcake, Miss Cupcake!" called Pinkie as she wrapped Cupcake tighter.
Carrot could not help but smile as these two mares renewed their acquaintance, as he saw something flow through Cupcake that he enjoyed seeing on her face very much.
"Oh, actually dearie, it's Mrs. Cupcake now! Have you met my husband, Mr. Carrot Cake?" asked Cupcake, releasing her hold on Pinkie.
"Uh huh! We went dancing, but I couldn't remember the song..." Pinkie exclaimed as she bounced around again.
Cupcake looked to Carrot quizzically. He simply shrugged his shoulders.
Before he could even lower his expression, this pink mare had bounded up to him one more time and now wrapped him in a hug as well.
Carrot blushed and tried to think of something to say. Before he even could do so, she was off again, bounding across the room to introduce herself to the pastries.
Cupcake and Carrot watched her for a moment, different emotions washing through them. As she went along, their eyes followed her as she seemed to be unraveling a whole new world, one that was full of excitement and new discoveries and suspiciously short on commas and periods.
"... and I can learn how to bake pastries and cookies and pies and that's really good because I'm Pinkie Pie and you're Carrot Cake and Cupcake and... Ohhh!"
Carrot's eyebrow arched as Pinkie seemed to stop in midair and turn to Cupcake.
"Hey! You should change your name to Cup Cake instead of Cupcake! Two words, and that way you could be mister and misses Cake, and then you would be the Cakes and you could make cakes and I'll make cakes too and that will be really neat except that my name is Pie... Pinkamena Diane Pie, actually, named after my Granny Pie who..."
As she continued, Carrot turned to his wife and smiled once more. Carrot expected her to share his growing sense of the absurdity. Instead she seemed to be lost in thought.
"Honey Bun?" he called to her, lifting his hoof.
"No thanks!" answered Pinkie Pie. "I'll eat later. I think I should get my things inside right now!"
Cupcake seemed to shake off her distraction and watched instead as Pinkie Pie gathered up a few of her belongings. She threw her smile between them as though wondering which would be the first to offer the next bit of excitement.
"Come along, Dearie," she said as she grasped Pinkie's hoof, "let me show you to your rooms, and then we'll take the ten bit tour, righty?"
"Okee dokee, but I'll have to pay you back the ten bits later," Pinkie answered as she followed Cupcake up the stairs.
Cupcake now offered the smile. She looked back down to where Carrot shrugged his shoulders. He lifted a few more suitcases and opened the door to see what she had left outside.
As he did something large, cylindrical, and rather unhappy looking stared back at him. He fumbled for the word, fought to bring it to the fore. When he did his statement sounded out into the street in a politely restrained panic.
"Is that a cannon?!"
After stowing the artillery piece in the downstairs den, he joined them as the tour moved from Pinkie's few new rooms and into the bakery as a whole.
As they watched, she seemed to launch into a convulsion. Shades of panic seemed to wash over Carrot and Cupcake. As soon as they moved to help her she stopped and looked back to them with yet another smile.
"Uh oh! Pinkie sense! Watch out for something falling... oh, and a door opening too!" she said with a smile.
Carrot and Cupcake tossed a look between them, not quite understanding what was going on.
"Pinkie sense?" asked Carrot.
"A door, Dearie?" asked Cupcake.
With that the folding door to the attic came open, lurching down over them with a clang and dumping a cloud of dust all across the couple until they stood there in it looking more like ghosts than ponies.
"Yup!" said Pinkie, walking between two distant rooms, appearing to enter one room and come out of a different one entirely. Pinkie looked up to see the two standing there, saw that as the door had fallen, Carrot had pulled his wife into him and had sheltered her.
Pinkie smiled at them as he lifted his foreleg from across her face, revealing the rosy eyes where something of a fond resemblance seemed to grow. "Awww!" intoned Pinkie, "what's up here?"
"Oh," said Carrot as his wife gently brushed the dust from his face, "just the attic..."
"Neato!" called Pinkie. "Let's take a looksee!"
Carrot had gingerly pulled himself up into the attic, bravely going first into a space not often used by him or his wife. He tripped a few times, the rickety old steps and the broken spring that had caused the collapse biting at him as he climbed.
A few items hovered around the entrance to the space: the Heart's Warming tree ornaments and magical lights, the fans for summer... a box of books containing baby names.
He looked upon this last one, different thoughts going through him as he waited for whichever mare would come up into the lofty space behind him.
"Whatcha doin' Mr. Carrot Cake?" came a voice out of nowhere.
The voice came from behind him, from out of the darkness of the attic beyond.
The singular effect was to cause him to yelp and jump in alarm... and fall back down the attic stairs.
Pinkie Pie looked down through the trapdoor to see a stunned Carrot Cake walking along in wobbly patterns as Cupcake brushed beside him, trying to steady him as his tongue stuck out the side of his head and metaphorical birds flew around him.
"Pinkie," Cupcake called up to her in surprise, "how did you get up there? You, you didn't go up the ladder..."
"I used the stairs at the end of the hall! Sorry about all of the old boxes and stuff, but that ladder doesn't look to safe to me! Why, it looks like it could fall down at any second!" she said, stating the obvious.
Almost in tune with her observation the second spring broke, earning Carrot's ire.
Carrot once again began to climb as Cupcake went off to research Pinkie's finding.
Carrot, now bruised and dirty, watched Pinkie as she jumped, swirled, and cavorted around the open space. He saw how happily she seemed to swim through the expanse of the attic. It was as though she longed for a release, a freedom he could not name.
He had never really thought about this space much. He had never seen it as much more than a large drafty room that stayed far too hot in the summer and got too cold in the winter.
As he stood by the old fireplace, stuffed tight with old newspapers and bits of insulation, he could only marvel at the freedom she seemed to be experiencing by just being in there... just being able to expend some of that marvelous energy.
"Careful for the door, Mr. Carrot Cake!" said Pinkie. Her voice reached for him and he watched as Pinkie gave another shake.
As sweat poured from his brow, he looked to the distant trapdoor of the attic stairway, locked it in his gaze.
Unfortunately it was the door beside the fireplace that came open, Cupcake unintentionally walloping him as she discovered the truth behind Pinkie's earlier discovery.
"Why, Carrot, it is true!" she said as she fought through the door, not realizing that the mass that she heaved and shoved against in frustration was the prostrate form of her husband, "We've been here for all of these years and we never knew that the old closet was a stairwell! Why, we can replace the boards and get rid of that nasty trapdoor! We can..."
Cupcake looked for him. She turned around at once to see her husband upon the floor with his tongue sticking out of his head, looking as though he had been having a hard afternoon indeed.
As Carrot recovered with his throbbing head resting in the lap of his wife, the two listened and watched as Pinkie continued to dance about the space. As Pinkie pulled some insulation away from one of the windows, she continued to voice her thoughts.
"... and we can have dances up here and we can throw parties and we can host buffets and we can rent it out and we can..."
Pinkie began to try to sing again, to give voice to her happiness. As she did, she once again shuttered to a stop and her hooves seemed to skid beneath her.
She deflated once more, the failure of her song and dance catching her and making her own magic seem to fade.
She turned and looked to Carrot and Cupcake as though wondering if they had seen how badly she had failed at her attempt.
Instead, Pinkie smiled. The two sat there once more covered in dust and cobwebs that had fallen from the window and beams above when the insulation had been pulled free of the panes and shutters.
"Wowie zowie, you two sure like to get messy!" she said while spinning once more and looking high overhead. "Oh! Is that a cupola?"
A short while later a very dirty and dingy Cupcake and Carrot Cake sat in the downstairs living room, the one located off of the kitchen and the den that doubled as the bakery office.
Together they shared the most bracing beverages that they had and looked to one another with subtle looks of surprise, concern, and hilarity.
At once Cupcake's ears perked up. Carrot followed her eyes as they looked to the ceiling.
Overhead, the sound of hooves sounded out, and the dull thud of a pony landing on a bed reached them as the spring evening dove into night.
A short while later, as some of the beverage definitely was seen to disappear from the decanter, a new sound filled their home and place of business. The sound of a sleeping pony drifted over the house, a pony that had very suddenly become a part of their lives...
... one that snored rather loudly.
The glasses chimed as they touched them to one another. As a soiled Cupcake tucked herself closer to a grimy Carrot Cake, they thought about how she had already made them ponder so many things.
Yes, they could use the attic to host parties. Why hadn't they thought of that?
The chance to open up their lives to somepony new... it was both exciting and at once terrifying. They were now both covered in dust and cobwebs. Carrot was even slightly bruised. There was a price to pay, this they realized... they had not simply been provided free labor.
There were real issues here, ones that would have to be resolved. A cannon sat a room away, after all, and they both wondered how she would react to some basic ground rules.
Even as they discussed what those rules would be, they could somehow sense that this was another part of the journey of their lives, that they were somehow been dealt another hand in "The Game of This."
No matter, it would all work out. In the end, there was a new pony in their lives. For all that it would involve, they both knew they wanted to feel what that was like, a chance to help somepony find her mark, to grow...
Overhead the sound of a snoring Pinkie Pie fell over them. As they looked to one another, dust toppled from them, and Carrot pulled a fine filament of cobweb from the hair of his wife.
Pinkamena Diane Pie had, they realized, been in their lives for a grand total of three hours.
"And you wanted kids!" Cupcake said in a chiding tone, smirking at him.
He laughed and gathered her in closer. As he did so, her smirk disappeared into a warm smile as their noses rubbed together for a great long while. With that they sat in their parlor and finished their drinks, wrapped close to one another as the sounds of the spring insects drifted in through open windows. |
A Sweet Taste of Cake | Names, Stairs, Arrivals, and Songs | Chapter 15: Names, Stairs, Arrivals, and Songs
The construction of the gingerbread house neared its completion.
Together they wordlessly studied it, looked it over, and made mental checklists of what needed to be accomplished before they could consider the work to be truly finished.
As they circled the table, they made little adjustments, pieced back together some loose bits of trim, straightened the gingerbread ponies, and placed a few more candies to even out the visual balance.
As they went, they were suddenly aware of the sound of hooves overhead, ringing out softly across the ceiling above.
Pinkie had been out late last night, rehearsing her part in the Hearth's Warming pageant that she was going to perform in that very evening. They had not woken her. They knew that the train trip to the capital and all that involved would tax even her abundant energy.
As they listened, her voice seemed to float down the stairs, the pure tone of the mare filling their bakery and home as it lifted a holiday tune. Above them the sound of her bathtub filling crossed over them, and the old pipes rattled in a sort of harmony with her song.
Carrot looked up to Cup Cake, saw her too listening to the cheerful strains of Pinkie's song. In the few years that had passed since her arrival, they had become accustomed to her voice, her bounce, her very presence in the house.
Truth be told, they were very glad for it, had learned from it... had come to see her as...
"Uh oh!" rose the voice of the pink mare, the expression behind it evident even as it fell quietly down the stairs.
At once a look shot between them. Immediately Carrot and Cup Cake had leapt for a stand nearby.
A few moments later the water began to erupt out of the sinks, come cascading down the steps and dripping through a few weak spots in the ceiling.
The couple stood together, their umbrellas open above the gingerbread house, protecting it from any harm.
As the water began to slow, they simply stood there, knowing as they had come to know that life with Pinkie Pie was a daring adventure or nothing, one that they had accepted as part of the greater journey of their marriage.
As they stood there in the dripping kitchen, holding the umbrellas awkwardly, she pressed herself into his chest once more. As he lowered his head over her, they sighed and laughed, soaking in the absurdity that had become such a welcome part of their lives... and all that came with that.
It would have been easy enough to get mad, to demand an explanation from the young mare. Instead they simply swayed together as the last few drops fell, knew how Pinkie would react, and knew how they had learned to react in time with her... how they too had grown from having her here.
It was all just part of life with Pinkie, a life that they welcomed indeed.
Instead all that they did was continue to rock one another and protect the gingerbread house... the dollop of white frosting upon Carrot's nose still the only pressing concern in Cup Cake's mind as the warmth of the ovens began to turn the water into vapor and an embracing mugginess overtook the kitchen.
The summer after Pinkie had arrived was perhaps a little cloudier than most and maybe just a few degrees colder on average, the pegasi doing their best to satiate the needs of Equestria while striking an equilibrium with the world outside its borders.
There were still more than enough days to go swimming and sit under a shady tree, to find blackberries and stay up late into the warm nights.
Under their tutelage, Pinkie Pie was becoming something of an accomplished baker, even if the going was difficult at times.
She had taken to all that Carrot and Cupcake had sought to teach her with energy and gusto. It was her lack of focus that sometimes resulted in problems.
More than once she had returned to a project only to begin the next one, discovering the burned remains of a torte or the charred crusts of pies deep within the oven.
With a sheepish smile she would clear away her own mess and begin again.
One day, as Cupcake had been working in the kitchen, she called for Carrot to see to a customer in the showcase room.
As she did, she remembered that he had gone into the city, seeking to talk to a supplier who seemed to not know the difference between "dozen" and "gross."
She began to clean herself up when the sound of Pinkie's voice lifted from the room beyond. After a moment laughter flowed around the room, Cupcake listening in as the cash register rang out for the first time under the hoof of the younger mare.
To her surprise the talking continued and the laughter rose again... and the cash register sounded out once more.
As she finished cleaning herself she went out into the room where the treats all stood awaiting purchase.
"That new girl of yours is quite the whip!" said an older pony in a crumpled hat, a wide smile across his face as he waved. As he departed the store, Cupcake looked to the beaming Pinkie Pie.
"Pinkie?" she asked. "Did you just wait on your first customer?"
"Oh, yeah! Hey! I guess I did! I... oh, I did do it right, right? I mean the money is all here!" said Pinkie, opening the cash drawer once more and suddenly looking very concerned.
"Of course it is, Dearie," answered Cupcake, assuaging Pinkie's fear, "I'm just surprised that... that you seemed to enjoy it so much. Did, did you enjoy it?"
"He, he!" giggled Pinkie. "Well... yeah, I did! I like talking to ponies and ponies like talking to me and if I could I'd meet everypony and be nice to everypony and..."
Cupcake smiled to her. To Pinkie's surprise she felt Cupcake leaning to her, and with that she grabbed her up in a hug.
Carrot Cake returned to his shop with a refund check. To his surprise it was Pinkie Pie who placed it within the register, a rather full looking tip jar being evidence of the success of her interaction with the patrons of the bakery.
Clearly, working with other ponies was not her weakness.
Her problem was focus. Within the mare was something that didn't seem to be falling into place, something that was blocking her larger attempts to utilize her mark.
It was something wrong inside of her, some simple cadence of her own magic that was going unfocussed. She seemed to be having trouble developing her own rhythm, as though she had somehow missed a cog in one of her gears.
She would begin to sing a song, or dance a dance, and with that, all of her abilities would clog up and she would seem to freeze. Carrot and Cupcake could see that she wanted to power through it, to utilize that part of herself, but it was somehow as though that part of her was blocked up... a part of her that simply had to release itself as randomness, a useless expenditure of energy that seemed to draw more out of her than it provided.
There was no more evident example of that failing than the day that she asked to host the first party to be held in the attic.
Upon reopening the passageway that they had long assumed was a closet, they now had a way to access the room without passing through any of their living spaces. As the door came off, it was indeed shown to be a stairwell, a fine one with big steps and a proper railing.
A small knot of stallions ranging from Carrot's friends, Cupcake's brother and nephew, and Carrot and Quarry themselves had assembled with the expressed purpose of removing the old trapdoor and repairing the floor and ceiling.
As with most such projects, it devolved to most of the stallions enjoying the products of the bakery while a cursing Quarry and Carrot did most of the work.
Pinkie had cleaned the space until it shone, Carrot watching open-mouthed as she somehow held herself aloft with balloons to clear the overhead beams of their dust.
It was a birthday party for an older mare. Even as the patrons had grumbled about climbing the stairs, they all went quiet as they entered the room, soon calling out about how beautiful it was as Pinkie greeted them.
Carrot retreated downstairs to tend to the bakery, seeing to the customers that were coming in even as the party went on two floors above.
It started off well enough. As Cupcake or Pinkie would come downstairs to fetch more treats, he would inquire as to how it was all going.
"Oh, just dandy!" Cupcake would say, and then he would return to his baking.
A few minutes later, Pinkie came down the stairs and trotted into the kitchen, dropping plates into the sink.
"And how are things going up there?" he asked, smiling to her.
"Oh, pretty good I think!" she said with a little smile before heading back up the stairs.
He tilted his head and watched her go. She seemed to be less enthusiastic than she had been.
A while later Cupcake came down the stairs. As she fetched up some more little casks of things to drink he looked to her and asked, "How is it going?"
The look he gave him was not enthusiastic. "It's... it is going okay," she said, her eyes telling him that something had happened.
"What?" he asked while concern rose in his voice. "Ginger Snap, what's wrong?"
"Oh, Carrot," she said, leaning against him gently, "nothing's wrong... what isn't going right, that's causing the problem."
Carrot brushed against his wife, nuzzled her and asked for an explanation. She lifted her head and whispered in his ear.
"She's trying so hard, Carrot, but she's nervous... nervous on the inside and she can't get past it. This isn't going well for her! Oh, poor Pinkie, she's missing her mark!" whispered Cupcake with some small anxiety in her voice.
With that she trotted off again, leaving him struggling to understand how the ball of energy that had bounced into their lives could be nervous about anything.
"This" was not good. That word again...
As the afternoon came to an end, Carrot met the mares who came down the stairs, held the door open for them as they departed. He tried to gauge their expressions, especially that of the mare who had been the focus of the celebration.
They seemed... pleased. Satisfied. Content.
As in opposed to happy, jubilant, or even cheerful.
As the one mare who had planned the party met him to settle the account, he probed for answers as to what had transpired above.
"Were, were you happy with the room, with how the party went?" he asked, gulping slightly.
"Oh, yes, it went fine," she answered while laying her bits on the table.
Silence reigned over the room as he wrote out her receipt.
"Nothing, nothing... went wrong, did it?" he asked as he passed it to her.
"Oh, well, no... nothing too wrong," she said, the very way she tried to phrase it politely making him jump in place. "But if you're going to have a birthday party you should have your hostess, the pink mare, learn the words to the songs and the like..."
"What?" he breathed as disbelief shot through him. "I mean... I'm sorry, it is her first party here, you see, our first ever in that room..."
"Well," she said, stuffing a few bits into the gratuity envelope, "thank you for using it, and best of luck with it in the future."
With that the mare laid the envelope on the counter and trotted out the door. Before the door had even completely shut, he was already going up the recently discovered stairs, grabbing wildly at the envelope as he went.
Pinkie had told them about dozens of parties that she had thrown. Every foal in elementary school knew the words to the birthday songs. Something was wrong, this he knew.
He continued straight up the stairs rather than turning through the former closet, went up to where the door to the upstairs room met him.
Cupcake stood there as though knowing that he would come. As he gained the landing, she put her hoof in his and pointed across the room.
Pinkie stood there slowly pushing the garbage can around from place to place, filling it with trash, leftovers, and at times seeming to try to stuff entire tables into it in an absent-minded fog.
To their surprise her mane and tail hung limp, as though the life itself had come out of it, and as she went, she gave little sounds of worry.
Carrot and Cupcake came trotting forward. As they did, she tried to smile at them. As she saw them looking at her, she realized her attempts were for nothing, that they could see the expression that was going across her.
"I-I don't know what went wrong!" she cried, seeming to jump in place and to move in a little circle. "I-I've thrown hundred of birthday parties! Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of parties! I don't know why I... why I..."
Cupcake followed her as she began to trot to the far side of the attic, raised her hoof to her as she cantered back towards them.
"I don't know... don't know why I couldn't sing..." she said as she plopped herself down in the middle of the room, her eyes beginning to water.
"I don't know why I couldn't dance! I do, I try to all the time but this time I couldn't and I'm so sorry and now nopony is gonna wanna have a party here and we..."
Cupcake nuzzled her, sat with her as Carrot stared on in sympathy.
A few words dripped out of Pinkie, Cupcake literally lowering her head to try to hear them. When the pink mare spoke again, it literally came out as a bawl.
"Pinkie," she said, gathering up the hoof of the pink mare, "what's wrong, Dearie? Oh, Pinkie, please say it again..."
"All-all of a sudden I-I miss my momma and poppa... I want my momma and poppa!" she said as tears began to fall from her big blue eyes.
In one motion Cupcake was cradling her, rocking her. Carrot could see the emotions filling her now. She was afraid and uncertain. She didn't understand why her own magic, her mark, had failed her.
"My Granny Pie said to giggle at the ghosties until they go away, but this isn't a ghostie... it's me! I can't giggle at me, I don't know how to make this go away! I don't know what to do, what to do, what to do!"
She was simply too far from home... a little filly fresh off the farm, away from her family and dealing with something she did not understand. For the first time in her dawning adult life she had a problem, one that her indomitable spirit seemed unable to overcome.
He watched as Cupcake cradled her, rocked her and made shushing noises.
"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I thought that I'd do better here... but it's only worse! It's only worse!" bawled Pinkie, her tears only getting heavier as all of the little emotions she had been hiding since the day she arrived at Sugar Cube Corner revealed themselves.
Carrot saw Cupcake's eyes flash to him, saw his wife raise her hoof and implore him to come to where they stood.
He came to them, sat down with them, uncertain about what he should do. He did not know if it was the right thing to embrace this younger mare, this girl he had only known for a few weeks.
As Pinkie leaned into him, he received his answer. He joined his wife in the slow rocking motion, letting Pinkie sit between them as the afternoon light from the windows fell across them.
Mint sun tea, flavored with milk and honey... as the ponies sat in Pinkie's little sitting room, this is what they had her drink. As they spoke quietly, they brought dinner up to her parlor, did what they could to make it seem like a quiet dinner at home.
The afternoon drew on into night, and as the uncertainty had washed out of her eyes, it had been replaced by an honestly earned tiredness.
Carrot stood, moved to an envelope that he had awkwardly been carrying with him all that long afternoon. He tore it open and let the bits fall out. He pressed a share into Pinkie's hoof. The mare looked down over it with confusion across her face.
"But... but I didn't do a very good job," she said, her voice still small.
"You did the best you could, Pinkie Pie," he said, trying to sound something like what he imagined a father would sound like, "and without you the room would never have been used in the first place..."
He turned back to see her looking at him as a surprised look settled over her.
"... you did okay, Pinkie Pie, you did fine."
Finally, after long hours of waiting, her smile had returned to the rooms above the bakery.
Carrot and Cupcake walked out of the darkened suite a short while later, gently closing the door behind them.
As they walked down the hallway to their room, yawns of their own lifted from them, the two leaning against each other as they went.
He waited for her as she finished preparing for bed, let the sound of the summer night come drifting through the wide windows.
As she left the bathroom, she came up to him, sat down at his side of the bed and looked at him, searching through his eyes.
Yes, he replied wordlessly, I knew it would be difficult.
Yes, his eyes told her, we will find a way to help her.
Yes, his stare stated, we will help her get through "This."
Yes, this is a rocky part of the journey, one that I'm still very, very, very glad you're here to help me along.
She smiled down over him, kissed his nose, forehead, and drew his ear through her mouth with the lightest of nibbles.
"And you wanted kids," she whispered, once more drawing out his laugh, touching her forehead to his as the night air filled the room.
The next night, they went to dinner at the big house that Quarry had built. Six adult ponies sat there, each enjoying the company of the others and the bounty that the summer had laid before them.
"Living here looks good on you, mom," said Carrot, placing a kiss upon his mother's cheek as they took their seats.
Ruby Quartz sighed. Cupcake followed her gaze to where three plates sat at empty chairs. Seeing her older sister so made Cupcake realize that she was wistfully recalling the days when her children did not have the hectic responsibilities and social calendars that adolescence seems to drag along in its wake.
Seeking to break the somber tone that her sister's sigh had settled along the table, Cupcake broached the topic of what had happened with Pinkie.
Inside seconds the three older mares at the table had all begun leveling motherly advice upon them.
"It's her nerves, Cupcake, from being in a new place..."
"Let her work up to her mark, let her explore it."
"This happens all the time. You'd know that if you had kids of your..."
All of the faces in the room turned to Ruby Quartz, saw the mare already laying her hoof across her mouth. Inside a second she was out of her seat and to her sister and brother-in-law, laying her head to each of them.
"I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean it that way! I meant that you would have learned about how to deal with it if, I mean when, or if you... oh, I'm an idiot, I'm sorry! I'm sorry, sis," she said, nuzzling to her sister.
"Oh, it's okay... I understand, don't worry about it so," Cupcake said as she answered the nuzzle with one of her own.
Quiet returned to the table. The meal progressed, and soon a rumbling voice returned to the topic that had sat unanswered across the serving dishes and baskets of rolls.
"Though," said Quarry, "Clyde did say that she'd been havin' trouble before... that he was worried that bein' on the farm had stifled her. He was even afraid that he was killin' her, what with her not coming in off the farm all that often. She may just need some focus, somethin' to latch onto to grow from..."
Carrot and Cupcake pondered the words of the big stallion as they poured drinks for one another, sat there taking small sips as the conversation rolled across the table.
"Why, the same thing happened to me when we first opened our dance studio," said Cheesecake, "didn't it Wishy?"
"Oh yes," replied Wishing Well, "for the first two days I had to lead you around, help you regain your confidence... you'd freeze up!"
"Oh, if I could only give her some of my confidence now!" said Cheesecake. "Too bad dancing isn't her mark. She hasn't said anything about it, has she? Or singing?"
The air above Carrot and Cupcake filled with a purple haze as the two simultaneously spat up their drinks and then stared to Carrot's mother.
For those who only knew Pinkie Pie before the lessons, to see her afterwards was as though witnessing a torrent of water which had been released from a dam.
For those who only knew Pinkie Pie before Cheesecake had begun coming around to Sugar Cube Corner and helping her find her voice, give rise to her feelings through her song, meeting her was like meeting a new pony... one made of energy.
For those who knew the Pinkie Pie of before the lessons that Cheesecake gave, the lessons that allowed her to finally break free of her small internal restraints, it was as though they were finally allowed to meet the mare for the first time. It was as though she was now truly free.
She had danced before, or something like it on the farm, but never as openly and with as much joy.
She had sung before, or tried to, but nothing like she did now. Now her voice was clarion and clear, and it filled the upstairs room with its sound as the lessons freed her.
As the lesson had come to an end, Carrot and Cupcake had climbed the stairs, stood in the doorway listening as Cheesecake led Pinkie in another song. As the pink mare twirled and bounced through the hazy summer sun that entered the room, they beamed at her proudly... as though looking upon...
They could only clap, pound their hooves to the wooden boards, and smile back at her as she bounded over to them.
Together the four descended the stairs and then sat around the parlor behind the kitchen, drinking iced juices to fend off the heat as the warm day crossed in through the screens that sat in the windows.
"I-I'm very proud of you, Pinkie Pie," said Cheesecake, looking up to her student as the young mare collected their used cups, "you-you've made so much progress! Are you happy, dear? Do you feel like... as though it has helped?"
"Right a Rooney it has helped!" she said while balancing the cups upon her nose, turning around before them in an effortless display of her energy and skill.
Pinkie Pie stopped and looked back over the three other ponies in the room before her happy expression once more settled on Cheesecake.
"You know, it was really, really, really nice of you to do that because nopony else had ever helped me to sing and dance before except for my Granny Pie, and on the farm we never danced before I got my mark and we didn't sing that much even after I got it but my Granny Pie tried to teach me."
The assembly waited as Pinkie stopped to breathe.
"You remind me of my Granny Pie," Pinkie concluded, placing extra emphasis on the last few words.
With that she leaned back to Cheesecake, nuzzled her and gave a small laugh.
"Yup, you do," she said in something of a singsong tone, gathering up the cups once more and disappearing out of the room in a single bound, "she was beautiful too!"
The statement hovered in the air for a few moments as the sound of Pinkie Pie washing dishes and singing with her newfound voice rang out from the kitchen.
Carrot and Cupcake looked to the older mare, saw Cheesecake still staring out to where the young pony had leapt.
"Mom?" asked Carrot as he stood and crossed to where she lay. She looked up to him with a sort of serene happiness across her face, a few big wet tears lingering there as her son touched his forehead to hers.
Strings of causality, the very fabric of fate, had wound themselves very tightly to Carrot Cake and Cupcake. In truth, they could not know how tightly. That evening the strings moved very visibly, binding them even closer to one another.
He had been reading, but he found himself thirsty for something more than tap water, and he made his way downstairs. To his surprise she was not in the parlor working upon some small crafts as he had left her. Carrot entered the little den that served as an office for the bakery, and there he saw his wife writing, her head down across the page as she worked the pencil with her mouth.
"Whatcha writing, Sugar Plum?" he asked as he tried to peek over her shoulder.
She startled suddenly, gave a yelp and tried to cover what she had been writing with both of her hooves as she seemed to lift into the air in alarm.
"Oh, nothing!" she answered unconvincingly.
"Really?" he said, trying to glance around her, she only drawing the paper closer to herself.
With that he arched an eyebrow. A thought passed through him, and he did his best to copy her cunning little smile.
"You wouldn't dare!" she answered, a recognition going through her face as he stood over her and pressed her tail gently to the pillow, pinning her in place.
"You gonna tell me what it is, Honey Bun?" he said with a malicious grin.
She wrapped the paper to her chest, looked up at him with a smirk wrapped inside a pout.
"Okay then..." he said with a toss of his mane.
Cupcake's ticklish spots were as well known to Carrot as his own name. As she laughed and squealed, he found them one by one.
His hooves danced along her ribs, along her neck, and up and down her legs.
When her head tossed to one side, he was soon to the other. When she brought up her forelegs to shield herself, his hoof went to the space beneath them.
For Carrot it became like concert, he the conductor of a symphony that filled the little room with her laughter. As he sped his hoof along her, the sound of her voice ringing out with giggles entertained the stacks of paper, the notebooks, and the cup full of pencils and quills.
The paper had long since fallen away from her chest, yet he did not reach for it. If she wanted to tell him, she would, and he knew she no longer had any secrets from him... that if she was not telling him then there was a good reason.
When it was important for him to know, she would tell him. He trusted his wife, just as she trusted him.
Besides, he was otherwise occupied with the squealing, giggling, laughing, and squirming form of a beautiful blue mare pinned beneath him. Whatever a single piece of paper spoke of could hardly compete with that for his attention.
Or so he thought.
"Oh, Carrot! Carrot, stop! Stop!" she called as she tried to catch her breath. With that his assault ended. He parted his hooves and stopped pressing her tail against the pillows, allowed her to move again even as he still stood over her.
Cupcake folded her forelegs down to her chest and then looked up to him with her rosy eyes as she gave a few more satisfied giggles.
Her expression became slightly more serious as she rolled to her side and gathered up the paper.
He looked it over with her.
It was a legal document of some kind, each space filled out with her perfect little writing, the one that was oddly the same whether hoof or mouth written.
"I-I had wanted it to be a surprise..." she said, her voice slightly trembling.
"I'm sorry," he said after hearing her voice catch, "I'm sorry, Honey Bun, I was just..."
"No," she said, running her hoof across his foreleg. "It's okay, I've just been thinking about how this would change things, and I wanted to be sure about it."
He looked down across her once more; saw reflection deep in those eyes.
"I-I've been wondering about this. Thinking about it quite a bit. A lot of couples do it, and when Pinkie mentioned it all those weeks ago it kinda jumped up at me, you know..." she said, laying the paper flat.
Carrot looked over the sheet again, scanned it for meaning. Right across the top stood a rather officious looking title, one that was so banal for the heavy meaning it carried.
"Form 47B: Legal Request for Official Change of Name"
He looked down to her again and saw a dawning sentiment growing over her, one that made him very happy.
"A lot of married couples are doing this now, you see," she began, turning back to him, "and ours is really easy to do... I'd just become Cup Cake, two words, instead of Cupcake, one. That way we'd be..."
"... the Cakes," he answered, his own expression growing soft as he ran his hoof across her shoulder.
"Do you... do you think it's a good idea?" she asked as she looked up to him questioningly, "I mean, it's not that big of a change, you know, and I think it's sweet..."
"Sweety," he said, "a treat by any other name..."
With that he lowered his head to her, touched his lips across her neck...
"Ginger Snap..."
... across her cheek...
"Sugar Plum..."
... upon her lips...
"Honey Bun," he concluded while staring down over her, "... would taste just as sweet."
She smiled back up at him and took the pencil in her mouth. With that Cupcake signed her new name and laid the pencil down...
... and Cup Cake raised her head once more to meet her husband's offered nose.
"I love you, Mr. Cake," she said as they made the soft motions across one another.
"I love you, Mrs. Cake," he said as his touch flew through her and back to him.
As they parted from the touch of the other, he realized that he was still standing over her, still stood in the position of the victor in the engaging battle that had only ended a few minutes before.
He looked back down over her and saw her realize the same thing.
"Oh?" she said, smiling up to him, "were we in the middle of something?"
"Don't forget to nibble behind her ears," came the voice of Pinkie Pie, bouncing by the wide open door of the den to fetch a drink from the kitchen. "That's where I always used to get her real good when she would baby-sit us!"
"Ohhhhh, is that a fact?" he said as Pinkie politely closed the den door. Pinkie only smiled to herself as she saw a look of pleasant surprise go across Cup Cake's face as this long forgotten secret had been revealed, one that was soon to be explored in earnest.
Strings of causality... they are the very fabric of fate. They stretch and twist, snarl and get caught and snagged.
They also lie beside one another, are woven and knit. One can only tie, many though bind, and hundreds clothe.
The story of the journey that the Cakes had been on was more than just a story of their own romance. It was a story of how their love had drawn these strings around them... how they had tied others to them and how ponies around them had all been draped in the fabric that they had knit.
Had Ivory Script not been bound to Cup Cake, then she would have never of had anyone to help her plan "The Game of This," and Ivory would have grown up without anypony to confide in... may not of had anyone she trusted enough to gain her confidence that won her the office of mayor.
Of course without Ivory there would have been no meeting at all... she was the one who pulled Carrot and Cup Cake together, pulled willfully on the strings.
If Ivory's father Ledger had not employed Carrot, they never would have seen each other in the first place, and if Ivory had not told him of his part in "The Game of This," he may have told Quarry about their relationship. Then it would never have begun, never have been allowed to prosper and bloom.
Strings... the strings that were once limp went taut as Cheesecake and Wishing Well reunited through the love of their children, as their friendship had been reborn.
If the strings had not pulled Clyde toward the door of the Hospitable Loan & Trust, there never would have been a place for Pinkie to grow. She would perhaps still be on that rock farm, her mark going to waste.
Love had made the strings. The love that the Cakes had let grow between them and that had covered all the ponies in their lives. Love had, unknowingly, conquered all.
If Carrot had not come into Quarry's life through his daughter, then he would still be filled with rage, owned by his wrath.
The strings had broken down his perceptions... made him leave his brutality behind. The strings that wrapped him to his erstwhile "son" had more than just freed him of his anger. They had freed his soul and given him these last few years of happy reflection upon those he loved.
Yet, there was a price to pay for living as he had, living wrapped in rage and fury. A physical body can only take so much.
He had never been able to let go fully, but he had mastered it, learned to control it. The strings had pulled it out of his life, but now they were letting him know that consequences were in place and that his decades of wrath were coming to claim him.
The strings made themselves known as a feeling deep behind his right eye, one that he could sense as the late summer sky fell over them.
He stood from the porch. He tried to yawn but had to catch himself as he wobbled. With that he wheeled Wishing Well into the den they had converted into a downstairs bedroom. She was going through a frail phase again, and his own age and stiffness meant that he trusted himself less and less to use the lift, the stairs no longer even being a possibility.
As Cheesecake prepared Wishing Well for bed, he stood in the bedroom, felt himself wavering on his legs. He called upon his own earth pony magic to anchor him. As it moved through him, he felt it catch behind his right eye, felt the blood moving there incorrectly as his own magic called back to him that something was wrong.
He was so tired.
Cheesecake helped Wishing Well into the bed, and she said her goodnights. To her surprise she felt Quarry's hoof on her foreleg.
"I-I can't tell ya' how much it means to me... that you're here, taking care of my Darling. It means a lot to me, Cheesecake... thank you," he said, forcing his trademark rumble into his voice to hide the growing weakness.
To his surprise she offered him an embrace, one that they shared before he showed her to the door.
"Oh, are you making googly eyes at my best friend, Love?" chided Wishing Well in a playful tone.
His reply was almost tearful.
"Please don't even joke like that. I've only ever had one Darling," he said as he gently turned her so that she lay upon the bed with her face to him, "only ever loved you, Wish. You've only ever been my Love."
"Oh, Quarry... " Wishing Well spoke with concern high in her voice, feeling a strong emotion hanging over the bed that she could not place. She looked upon her grey-maned husband, the pony seeming so pale in the moonlight.
"I'm sorry, Love," she apologized as she reached for him, "I was only joking. You know I don't think that..."
Quarry leaned forward and kissed his wife. As they lay in the gaze of the other, he wrapped his hooves around hers. Together they spoke about their lives for a little while, the happy and the sad. As they did, he waited for her to fall asleep. He fought to stay awake, fought the wavering sense of withdrawal that was falling through him.
As they lay there in their bed with their hooves upon one another, he whispered, "I love you, Wish... I love you, Darlin'," and with that she became the last thing he saw as he closed his eyes.
About two hours later, Quarry realized he no longer had any need for his body, so he left it lying there upon the bed.
He looked across the deflated form. There he saw all of the old scars and the grey mane that had once been black, the mark of a ladder reaching out of black pit of stone.
"Meh," he said, leaving his aches, pains, and remorse there in a heap of flesh.
He let his kiss waft across Wishing Well one last time and then moved out across his home. He moved down the path and past the gate as the world sat in a perfect light that flowed from neither sun nor moon. He did not walk, did not have a body to move, and instead it was as though he saw himself as he had always wished to be.
As he went, all of the hate, fear, anger, wrath, and feelings of doubt fell from him. They dropped from him as though they were plates of armor that clanged as they fell to the earth and dissipated in clouds of magica vasto.
He was running. He felt himself young again, felt as he had not felt since he was the twelve-year-old colt who had not yet been robbed, had not yet felt hunted.
Above him the stars shone brighter than any he had ever seen, and he was aware of them... felt them.
At once he was aware of many things, of his sons in their homes in Manehattan and in the officer tent, of his daughters lying close to those they loved. He was aware of his granddaughters too: one asleep in her bed, the other sleeping across her books... of his grandson trying to sneak back home long after his curfew.
He laughed, laughed long and loud as he ran, not tiring in the least. "Later!" he called, his grandson seeming to catch the word as a whisper on the breeze.
At once his black mane was flying around him, caught in the winds that rose from a shaft of shimmering light.
He flew to it, and as he came closer, a figure stood there, one that was vast, powerful, and angelic.
As he looked upon the face, he realized it was a pony, one that he had last seen nearly four decades earlier, one that he had held close to his chest as the short life had come to an end.
He nuzzled his son, and with that his boy led him down the Long Stairs, well-being and a sense of completeness washing over him as he went down the steps.
There was a great vast pool, and with his son, he went pelting across the short beach and down into the waters.
As the warm waters washed over him, he felt the presence of many ponies, his own parents, his brother who had been killed in The Wars... these and so many others met him as his soul became as water, as love itself was liquid, and he floated through it and was made of it.
Being Quarry means finally being free to let all of your intentions fall away.
Being Quarry means there is finally nothing that consumes you, only rest.
Being Quarry means entering the Well of Souls and finally finding peace. |
A Sweet Taste of Cake | Vignettes | Chapter 16: Vignettes
The grey mailmare greeted Cup Cake, the eyes of the pegasus wobbling around as she passed her the letter.
As the pegasus pony winged away, Cup Cake let her gaze fall across an unfamiliar name that sat in the return address.
She opened it gingerly and laid it before her on the floor in the sunlight. As she sat and began to read, the words became large in her perception.
"Dear Mrs. Cake," it read, "I am writing to console you on the passing of your father, Quarry, these ten months ago. I am sorry to reach you on this matter so late after his death, but it has taken me so long to come to terms with it myself."
Cup Cake felt emotions rising up in her as she read this letter, as this complete stranger explained how her father had played a part in his life... how they had been partners, how he had lied to her father...
... how her father had reacted in the typical fashion of his younger days.
"I still walk with a limp," the letter continued, "and for most of my life I have lived both in fear of your father, in anger at his act that shattered my body, and in shame for what I did to him that set us upon that path."
Cup Cake felt herself wavering on her hooves as she dealt with the conflicting emotions that the letter was bringing forth. It only got worse as it continued.
"My son informed me more than a year ago that your father wished to make amends, had asked him to say 'Hello' in a genuine fashion," the letter went on, "and for months I was staggered by that fact. That your father was extending an olive branch went against everything that I knew of the stallion, or more accurately, everything that I had convinced myself was true."
Cup Cake's hoof went to her mouth.
"In the end I wished very much to write him, but I could find no words. That he would want to, I hoped, ask for forgiveness and offer it, that was more than I could comprehend. I had made my life by using ponies to my advantage. When we had our altercation that worldview was shaken. It had forced me to rely on others. In many ways his thrashing me about was perhaps the best thing to happen to me... and what I took as his attempt to rectify the gap between us seemed to complete the act."
Her eyes went moist as she continued to read.
"The pony who sat down to write you this letter is not the same one who your father detested, but is instead one that I can only hope deserved the forgiveness that he seemed to be offering, and that I would certainly have given. I am only saddened that my hesitancy cost me the chance to present this letter to him. I instead deliver it into the hooves of somepony he undoubtedly loved very much."
"Most Sincerely," the letter concluded, "Penny Pincher..."
Cup Cake gave a little huff of emotion as she lifted the letter and took it to the office. There she studied it again, ran her eyes over the words and tried to begin writing a reply.
Instead she found herself once more trotting back out into the showcase room, making long elliptical orbits of a display of macaroons before sitting once more in the sunlight that came in through the window.
Ten months after his death her father's life was reverberating, the strings of causality still pulling at ponies he had encountered across his decades.
"... somepony he undoubtedly loved very much," she repeated to herself.
At once a memory lifted through Cup Cake, Quarry lifting her in a vast hug as she presented him the cupcakes that had revealed her mark. The memory of his forelegs around her as he had scooped up his Little Cupcake, that feeling washed through her as the tears began.
She sat there sniffling in the sunlight and wishing very much for Carrot to return home from his errands, very much wanting to bury her head in her husband's chest and let him embrace her.
Although not as intimate, a figure that was also dear to her presented itself as Pinkie Pie bounced out from the kitchen. The mare seemed to screech to a halt as she saw Cup Cake sitting in the light and heard small sobs rising from her.
"Mrs. Cake!" called Pinkie, trotting to her at once and nuzzling beneath her chin, laying her head to that of the older mare. "What's wrong, what's wrong, what's wrong?"
"Oh, Pinkie Pie, I'm sorry, I'm... I'm just missing my daddy again, got a little letter about him, dont'cha know?" she said as she leaned into the puffy pink mane and let her head rest to the smaller mare as she offered her embrace.
Together they sat there, sharing little remembrances of the departed stallion as ponies went by the window. Pinkie recalled how he had always given her and her sisters cookies or candies when the family had come by the house or the office.
"I'm sorry, Pinkie," said Cup Cake, trying to smile as the tears still ran down her face, "I'm still weepy, don't quite know why..."
"That's okay," said Pinkie as she recalled something her own mother had said a long time ago, "it's okay to cry! It really, really, really is okay to cry. He was a great guy, and he earned every tear... but, he is happy now, I'm sure of it. I'm super-duper absolutely sure of it, Mrs. Cake..."
Cup Cake gave a small sigh and looked down to Pinkie. As she did, Pinkie smiled back up to her and touched her nose to the other mare gently. With that the two sat until Carrot returned, the stallion staring happily as two of the most important mares in his life greeted him at the door.
Pinkie Pie came bounding through the humid kitchen, mop and bucket at the ready.
As the pink mare went spinning and galloping through the space, she quickly worked to clear away any standing water. As she went, she explained her situation, explained how she had begun to take a bath but then realized that Gummy needed a bath before she left and that she did not want to leave dirty bed sheets behind over the holiday so she had tried to do all at once and on and on and on...
They could only smile at her as she stopped in mid-step, looked at them quizzically as they stood over the gingerbread house with their umbrellas.
Life with Pinkie Pie, it was a daring adventure, one that had added so much to their journey together...
...one that they would not have missed out on for all of the world.
As she ran her mop across everything, she sped off again, leaving them free to lower the umbrellas, certain that she would soon have the matter cleared up.
She had grown here in this bakery. She was stronger now, notwithstanding all that had happened in her own life. In fact all of the challenges that she and her friends had faced only seemed to strengthen her, a growth that they saw with relief and joy.
They watched her go with smiles across their faces, proud of the mare whose adult life had begun here under their watch, who they were stronger for having helped and guided.
Cup Cake looked up to her husband once more, still saw the white dollop of frosting sitting across his nose, and once more it found a place in her thoughts.
As they prepared to box up the gingerbread house, her happiness once more showed on her face as she wondered what exactly the fate of the spoonful of frosting would be...
Once upon a hard metal examination table, a beautiful mare had sat using tissue after tissue, her tears running down her hospital gown. As she waited for her body to stop throbbing in pain, many different thoughts ran through her head.
One of the thoughts was, if they were truly denied ever having foals of their own, what would their lives look like?
Nearly a decade later, she knew the answer to that question, knew that having Pinkie Pie in the bakery with them had provided them with somepony to fill that space. As Pinkie's network of friends grew, somehow they too were drawn into the world of the Cakes.
Not foals of their own, yet reasonable facsimiles on many levels. New faces came into their lives, ranging from the humble and meek to ponies whose powers they could hardly even ponder.
As she stood in the kitchen drying dishes, she could not know that the first such entrance was happening just on the other side of the swinging doors.
Carrot winced as he saw the deliver ponies attempt to bring the crate in through the front door.
As they did, it chipped the paint off of the frame and scuffed the wooden floor. As the unfolding tragedy revealed itself, the crate came to a sudden stop right in the middle of the showcase room of Sugar Cube Corner, much to his frustration and the bemusement of the few customers that were walking about.
"Hooray! It came, it came, it came!" called a Pinkie Pie who bounded joyfully around the crate, ending with her hooves held high above her. At once she looked to Carrot and fixed him in an inquiring stare. "What is it?"
He checked the packaging label to be sure. When he was certain, he called out to Cup Cake. "Honey Bun!" he spoke, his enthusiasm garnering her attention as she trotted out from the kitchen.
Pinkie Pie's enthusiasm was already evident. Even as Cup Cake approached, she was already pulling at the boards, seemed even to gnaw at them.
He pulled her away by her tail; making her drop the crowbar with which she had been about to assault the crate.
As was often the case, their lifelong friends they had made in the swamp upon their honeymoon had sent them another gift. As the smells of citrus rose from the crate, once more filling Sugar Cube Corner with the scent of things remembered.
They used some of the fruit in their own recipes, but the understanding of course was that some would be sold in the shop.
In reply went supplies of fine fabrics and goods not so easily found in Southern Equestria, the train speeding the well wishes between the distant friends who had always seemed as close as any they had ever made.
The only difference this time was that the crate was so vast!
Carrot took up the crowbar and used it in a much more gentle fashion than it seemed that Pinkie had been determined to use.
As he pulled away the boards, the reason for the vastness of the crate was revealed. Inside it stood a series of boxes rather than the traditional one or two, each one marked with what it contained.
"It kinda smells like the time that I worked on the kumquat farm," began Pinkie, bouncing around and trying to peer within, "and I remember the smell because I would always smell the kumquats when I woke up and when I went to sleep and I like to say kumquat..."
"Oh my!" interrupted Cup Cake as she looked over Carrot's shoulder while Pinkie bounced around behind them in an attempt to get a better view. "It must have been a good growing year!"
"Would you look at that!" began Carrot. "We have oranges, and nectarines, and lemons, limes and... "
He only had a split second to stare into the eyes of his assailant before it was upon him.
"... waaahaaggghhh!" cried Carrot, spinning wildly as something bit down upon him.
As Cup Cake and Pinkie looked on, Carrot went around and around the room with his voice high in alarm as something dangled from his nose, something that stared back at him with big purple eyes.
Slowly he began to calm, realizing that whatever it was it did not seem to be doing much. In truth it just sort of dangled there with a moist presence.
Eventually Carrot came to a standstill in front of Cup Cake and Pinkie Pie, emitting a low kind of whine of trepidation as his eyes went up to the mares and back to the creature that stood affixed to his muzzle.
"Why, it's a little alligator!" said Cup Cake, looking her husband over as her fear was washed away and was replaced by something more like pleasant surprise.
"Kin yew ghet im hoof mah nohds?" asked a dubious Carrot, tilting his head back and forth and staring cross-eyed at the little creature that still grasped at him. It stared back at him with purple eyes that seemed to blink in a manner that seemed out of synch with one another.
Gently Cup Cake and Pinkie pulled the alligator off of him, making reassuring noises as it somehow seemed to croak and chirp back at them.
To their surprise Pinkie coaxed it off and gathered it into her hooves, rubbed at its shoulders and along its stomach.
The little alligator made a croaking, chirping sound in reply. As she placed it on the floor, it simply stood there looking at them with its purple eyes.
"The poor little thing must be thirsty... oh, the boxes weren't even open, it must be famished too, don'tcha know!" said Cup Cake as she led Pinkie towards the kitchen.
Carrot Cake was once again left alone in the showcase room, the few customers having fled screaming out into the streets at the mention of the word "alligator."
Carrot crossed his eyes to study his nose. He was surprised that there were no scratches... could the little creature have no...
He leaned closer to where it sat in the middle of the floor and blinked. "Hey there!" he said in a quiet tone as he approached the little creature. "Say there, you aren't so bad, now are..."
As it hissed at him, he danced his hooves in place. He looked back to the kitchen as the mares returned.
"Oh, he's just scared and hungry and thirsty and he just needs somepony to look after him and take care of him and throw him parties and make him little outfits..."
As the Cakes watched, Pinkie Pie followed the creature around the room, her hooves seeming to be full of energy and her smile only getting wider.
"I... I honestly, don't think it has any teeth," said Carrot while he watched Cup Cake lay a few pieces of food around the creature.
"You've got no teeth, oh ain't that funny? You've got no teeth, you're all gummy!" sang Pinkie Pie, picking up the hatchling and spinning it around and around the room. As the Cakes looked on with their eyebrows arching, the little creature slipped her grasp and began biting her all over in an act that seemed like an imperfect mix of excitement, affection, and predation.
With that Pinkie deposited the creature in a punch bowl, only its eyes and tail visible as it floated among the contents.
"Look, it likes it! The gummy little alligator likes it and he's all gummy 'cause he doesn't have any teeth so I'm gonna call him Gummy! Can I keep him?" she said with unrestrained enthusiasm.
Pinkie spun to a stop directly in front of them with a wide smile. With that she lifted the bowl to them as the reptile within stared back at them with the unnerving eyes that once more lost their synchronization.
"Well," said Carrot, regarding his assailant skeptically and watching as Pinkie lifted it from the punch bowl to deposit it among the small snacks, "it's hardly a typical pet...and you know, in time..."
In an instant he felt a familiar hoof on his foreleg. He followed Cup Cake's gaze to where Pinkie was sitting with the alligator. She already seemed so occupied with it, concerned over it... responsible for it.
"She could learn so much," Cup Cake whispered in his ear.
One part of Carrot simply wanted to call Animal Control and be done with it. He communicated this to his wife through his eyes. Her reassuring ones met his. The Cakes regarded the scene a bit longer and then gave their consent.
Pinkie Pie grabbed up the hatchling once more and spun around happily as it clamped its jaws shut around her tail. With that she hugged them both and trotted upstairs to fill the tub, giving it someplace to rest as she completed her chores.
The Cakes watched her go, once more amazed by something that the pink mare had brought into their lives.
"There's an alligator living in our bakery, Ginger Snap," said Carrot in a singsong voice.
Cup Cake giggled, placed her forelegs across his back and nibbled at his ears in the way she knew he adored.
"And you wanted kids!" she scolded as she slid beside him, running her body the length of his as her playful tone announced the smirk that was buried in the statement.
"I still do," he said with his voice above a whisper.
She looked up, saw him smiling back to her. With that she ran her body the length of his again, ending beneath his chin with a long series of nuzzles.
"Oh, I do too," she said as she rubbed her head beneath his all the way down to his chest and up again.
With the act she let him know that her heart was still open to that far away place, even if the magic seemed to keep it beyond the horizon.
Life with Pinkie Pie... it was never boring. To their surprise it was also rather... well, profitable.
The pink mare was a well of energy, seemingly unable to expend it all, and she was constantly trying to meet every customer... seeming to try to get to know everypony in Ponyville.
As Pinkie grew to know more and more ponies, the more ponies would come to Sugar Cube Corner to meet her and spend time with her... and spend a few bits as they did.
Before long, Carrot had to place a few tables outside the shop, and Cup Cake found herself recreating her days as a caterer as she saw to the ponies eating outside, those who had made friends with Pinkie's other friends.
It was far more than just the money, as Pinkie did have a propensity to almost eat a day's earnings in a few monstrous bites, apparently fueling her endless energy.
No, it was also the way she was increasing their social circle. It was the way she was filling their bakery with laughter and music. It was the way that they would sit together and eat their meals. Almost like... family.
It was the way she would have quiet talks with Cup Cake about little things, the way she learned from the older mare.
It was the way she had huddled behind Carrot upon seeing a bat in the attic as she prepared another party.
When she would ask them to giggle at certain ghosties, ones that were the most persistent and sometimes metaphorical, and they would come and help her.
It was the way that they were learning from her... growing because she was a part of their lives. This. then, is what invoked the word "family" and made it seem so very real.
Carrot and Cup Cake had never really done much on the night of the Summer Sun Celebration.
They respected the sovereign as much as anypony, but the thought of spending the early morning hours among throngs of ponies was not nearly as appealing as spending them together. Their wish was to spend it sitting in their little parlor, or at most at the big house where Cheesecake and Wishing Well gathered Cup Cake's extended family.
On this Pinkie differed. As the day drew on, Cup Cake wondered how her young apprentice would be passing that night... wondered what type of night the pink mare would have unfold before her.
She could hardly guess.
As Cup Cake sat behind the counter, she found her attention being pulled to the cash register drawer. She wondered if it had ever been cleaned at all. She carefully pulled out the trays and lifted the liner.
To her surprise two pamphlets lay there, ones dated nearly a decade earlier.
Foster care, adoption.
Her eyes lingered over them for a great long while. He had obviously brought them home with him at some point. The dates upon them were not that long after they had learned that the magic was not answering them.
She began to lift her voice to call to him when a ball of energy burst into the room...
"Mrs. Cake, Mrs. Cake!" called Pinkie Pie, zooming about and gathering up supplies in a blur of motion. "I just met a new pony and she's a unicorn and she's got a dragon! I was all like 'Oh my Gosh, I've never seen her before!' so she must be a new pony! And if she's a new pony in Ponyville that must mean that she doesn't know anypony yet!"
Cup Cake watched as Pinkie continued to zoom about. As she did, a small pile of party supplies grew in the showcase room.
"So I thought that if she doesn't know anypony she must not have any friends and if she doesn't have any friends she must be lonely! And that made me sad, and since that made me sad I thought it must make her sad and I don't like that so I thought about ways she could meet ponies and of course there's a best way and that's to throw a party!"
Cup Cake still stared at Pinkie Pie as a small mountain of supplies seemed to fit within a suspiciously small saddlebag. Only her party cannon seeming to be absent from the stack that disappeared within. With that Pinkie seemed to go up the stairs, yet emerged from the basement door.
"So now I'm gonna go to the library and set up and then I'll bring everypony there and we'll have a great big ginormous super duper spectacular welcome party for her and then we'll all go to city hall for the Summer Sun Celebration and I hope you two have a really, really, really, good night, bye!"
Inside an instant Cup Cake felt herself wrapped up in one of Pinkie's marvelous hugs, the mare appearing beside her from out of nowhere and disappearing just as quickly.
"Oh, that sounds nice! Have fun now!" she called after her, watching as the smiling face bounced out the door.
Silence hung over the bakery once again.
Cup Cake looked down and saw that, despite all that had just happened, her hoof was still holding up the liner, revealing the two pamphlets to the light.
She smiled over them. With that she lowered the liner once more. Despite his good intentions, their lives had not moved in that direction... the life of a young mare had been planted among theirs for whatever reason and she was happy for it.
With that she let the pamphlets rest once more and slid the drawer back within the register.
The Cakes sat up together long into the night and deep into the morning. They did all the small things that they always wished to do together that they rarely had time for. They read poetry, listened to music, looked through albums, and wrote letters.
This is how they passed the shortest night of the year, just as they had for nearly a decade apart from those years at the big house where the noise of teenagers and awkward conversation with Cup Cake's brothers nearly drove Carrot mad.
Together they took their coffees, the caffeine fueling them, and sat in front of the large picture window of the bakery and awaited the dawning of the Summer Sun.
Yet the sun did not come.
"Oh, my," said Cup Cake as the minutes passed, "you-you don't think that coming down here to Ponyville threw the princess off a touch, do you?"
"I-I don't know, Sugar Plum," spoke Carrot, taking her hoof in his. "You wouldn't think so, would you?"
Together they continued to stare out into the pre-dawn darkness, pondering what could be going on in the city hall whose spire and flags were just visible in the darkness over the nearby buildings.
Their eyes went wide as ponies began running through the streets.
They looked to one another as they saw the fear painted across the eyes of those who ran by.
Carrot opened the door with Cup Cake at his side as they tried to make sense of what was happening.
"Nightmare Moon!" called a pony that pelted past, one of their usual customers apparently seeing the confusion upon their faces. "The Mare in the Moon!"
It was a name that should not exist, one that lived only in fairy stories. Together they looked to the moon and saw that it had indeed changed. Despite every part of their logical minds telling them that it could not be happening, they knew... they believed...
"Pinkie," Cup Cake breathed as she looked up to her husband.
Inside an instant the Cakes were struggling forward past the crowd, trying to head towards city hall as ponies streamed in the other direction in the darkness.
As they did, Carrot tried to pick out familiar faces in the crowd, catch the eyes of customers he knew.
"Hey, Big Macintosh, have you seen Pinkie Pie? Drinking Gourd, do you know where Pinkie is? Sparkler, Sparkler did you see Pinkie, the mare who works at my bakery?" he said as ponies slid past them.
As each apologized, he moved on to the next, keeping himself close to Cup Cake as they approached city hall.
"Can you help us, please?" she asked the crowd at large, some ponies stopping to look to her before being swept away. "Oh! Can somepony please help us?" she said as they came upon the steps of the circular structure. "We can't find our Pinkie Pie, have you seen her? Has anyone seen our Pinkie? Have you seen our daught... daughter..."
Carrot spun to her as soon as he had heard the word. He looked upon her just in time to see her bounce through the last utterance of it, to see the word shake through her.
Cup Cake looked up to him. Her eyes were already misting over, the shine of the rose highlighted even in the purple of the undying night.
He sat before her. In an instant she was back in the one place in the world where she felt safest, pressed to his chest as his forelegs ran across her, wrapped her closer to him.
"Carrot! Cuppy!" called a familiar voice. As Ivory Script called out orders to those few ponies who had maintained their senses, she trotted down to them, looked upon her best friends with worry.
"Ivory," said Carrot, "do you know where Pinkie Pie is, did she come here? What happened?"
As Ivory explained what had transpired, Cup Cake lifted her head and listened intently.
Pinkie had gone off with a group of other mares, led it seemed by a young unicorn who Ivory believed to have some sort of grasp on the situation. The news brought Cup Cake no comfort. As the square around city hall began to vacate, the two sat there together, Cup Cake still finding reassurance in his embrace.
They walked together through the city streets to the bakery wordlessly.
They sat there in the picture window together, looking out into the streets and comforting one another with their presence for long hours.
When the sun did erupt into the sky, it found them lying across one another, the bleary faces coming awake, looking perhaps more like worried parents than they knew.
When Pinkie Pie came trotting back into the bakery, her detailed account of what had transpired was instantly muffled beneath a massive hug, one that she returned gladly as two ponies rocked her and cried over her.
Strings of causality... they are the very fabric of fate. They stretch and twist, snarl and get caught and snagged.
They also lie beside one another, are woven and knit. One can only tie, many though bind, and hundreds clothe.
If a beloved stallion now departed from his mortal life had not gone grumbling through the streets, then Pinkie Pie would never have found a place of refuge with these two ponies.
If Cup Cake and Carrot Cake had not fought so hard to forge their lives together, then Cheesecake would never have entered Pinkie's life, never helped her truly understand who she was.
If the Cakes had not opened their lives to her and accepted her so fully, then she would never have become the bright, shining Pinkie Pie that all who knew her loved and cherished.
If she never had become that Pinkie Pie, then there would not have been a place for the Element of Laughter to hang so lightly...
... and Equestria would have been damned to an eternity of night under the cold gaze of a mare of darkness.
Love makes the strings, pulls them tighter, pulled her into their lives... and helped Pinkie share hers with them.
Soon her friends, these six and the dragon whelp, they became as frequent a set of visitors to Sugar Cube Corner as any other. In fact they seemed at times to be a part of the very life of the place.
It was the strings that kept pulling them together. They helped them through the hard times... times when parasprites had flown around and attempted to devour all that they had worked for. Only Pinkie's randomness that they had taken as part of their lives had saved all.
The string pulled them in the times of laughter, when they too played their parts in the little games and jokes her friends had learned to play under her guidance... times when they had joined in the pranks, had made themselves part of a farce about accursed cookies and enchanted alligators.
The strings guided them through the happy times... the times when their family had come together and had celebrated their tenth anniversary in a celebration that Pinkie had planned, as they had danced together like they had at the dancehall long ago when their touch first met the other.
And the strings continued to bring ponies into their lives...
Twilight Sparkle had been a meticulous planner.
She had selected the downstairs rather than the attic so that there could be free movement around Sugar Cube Corner, making it easier for the guest of honor to be served directly from the kitchen.
The Cakes had simply listened as the unicorn had planned everything from the seating arrangements to the menu, watching as her dragon whelp walked behind her and copied down her words as she paced back and forth.
When the day arrived, Carrot found a new face in his kitchen. As he gave simple instructions, he found the dragon whelp, Spike, excited to play his part. The Cakes even produced a little chef's uniform for him, one he immediately adored and wore proudly.
As he trotted back out into the showcase room and the side rooms, he saw all of the happy faces that had assembled.
"How's everypony doing?" he asked, his smile only getting larger as he neared his wife and the guest who sat in their humble bakery. "Good? Good!"
"Is there anything else we can get for you, Dearie?" asked Cup Cake, jumping a touch at her choice of word. "Oh, I mean-mean esteemed guest?"
"Everything is fine, mister and misses Cake," replied the immortal sitting behind their table, looking up to them from across the best teacup they had.
Together they looked out over the crowd. They watched as the guests strolled beneath the colorful decorations that only Pinkie could have set in place, taxing even Twilight's abilities to control.
They circulated around the bakery, Cup Cake bringing trays of treats around to the assembled guests. It was a small gathering, casual as it could be for having the very living embodiment of deep magic using her grandmother's old teacup and having guards posted at the doors.
Cup Cake tried to remember that fact as she dealt with the foibles of the afternoon. Pinkie's friend Rarity seemed to have a breakdown at the thought of staining her dress. Pinkie herself apparently snatched a cupcake out of the very magic of their seemingly divine guest of honor.
As Cup Cake quickly dragged Pinkie away and gave a quick lesson on interaction with divinities, Carrot brought Celestia another cup of tea and a new cupcake.
As her teacup was emptied, he heard his wife shout across the showcase room, her decisiveness at the fore. "Empty teacup at four o'clock!" she called, gesturing with her hoof.
"I see it, Honey Bun!" he called back, leaping into action, quickly pouring another cup for the alicorn.
"Oh! Ummm... thank you!" answered the immortal.
"Not at all, Your Highness," answered Carrot with a bow. In an instant she had emptied the cup, the larger frame of the sovereign simply taking larger sips than those who surrounded her.
At once Cup Cake had filled her cup, racing from the other side of the room and beginning a chain of filling and emptying.
A look of small concern flashed across Celestia's face as she looked down over her children, these two earth ponies. They were only trying to please her...
...she wished they would not try so hard. They had already done so much on her behalf.
A look of playful cunning swept her, and with one more motion she tricked Carrot into pouring her a new cup... one that fell into a cup that was already full.
"Gotcha!"
As a sheepish look went across Carrot's face, Celestia smiled down to them, Cup Cake sharing in the smile of her sovereign, realizing what she had done.
After a moment, Carrot recovered too. Soon he understood, saw that there was something buried there... something that fell from the alicorn softly as she looked across them and across all of the ponies in the room.
Carrot looked upon the two smiling figures, the alicorn and earth pony mares. A memory hit him, one of Cup Cake dressed as the alicorn that now sat near them on a Nightmare Night long ago. As the radiant beauty fell from the princess, he could certainly see it reflected in the mare he loved, and in that instant he was very thankful for both of the divine creatures that sat in his sight.
Outside, Ivory Script paced back and forth, important issues on her mind.
The thought of interrupting this party troubled her, knew that it was something that was big and important and that her two best friends were hosting...
... yet, friendship or not, she had a duty to perform.
"Forgive me, Cuppy, Carrot..." she breathed in a whisper. With that she advanced to the guards. As they eyed her, she kept her head level.
"Please inform her majesty that Ivory Script, the mayor of Ponyville," she said, slowly moving her eyes between them, "has an urgent issue she must discuss at her earliest convenience."
The two Royal Guardsponies looked at one another, and with that one went off to whisper the matter to the princess.
A half of an hour or so later, the party had been cleared away and the sound of dishes being washed chimed across the kitchen. The sound of crockery full of leftovers finding its way into the icebox and the single resonate notes of the teacups being placed back in their cupboard joined them in a small chorus.
The bell above the door rang out, adding its own sound to the refrain that was sounding through the bakery.
"Could you see to whoever that is, Honey Bun? My hooves are full," said Carrot nervously wobbling along with his forelegs full of china.
"Oh, righty!" she answered. She trotted out of the kitchen and into the showcase room.
With that she once more entered the presence of Procer Celestia Invictus, the alicorn having returned to their humble bakery.
"Oh, hello again, Dearie! Oh, I mean, Your Majesty!" she said as she made a little bow. "What is it that that brings you back to us?"
"I do wish to thank you for hosting this get-together," said the sovereign while her mane shifted around on magic unseen, "Twilight had been planning it for so long..."
"Oh, it was no problem at all! Twilight was a delight to work with, Dearie, and... I mean Majesty!" she exclaimed with a smile, trying again to recover from her use of the word.
No sense of impropriety seemed to fall from the alicorn, no disgust seemed follow her use of such a common name.
Instead the opposite seemed true, as though the princess seemed to grow happier as the two smiled to one another.
"I was wondering if perhaps you have seen my pet bird?" asked Celestia as she lifted her hoof and pointed to where the stand had once stood. "I have not seen her since the party..."
"Oh, oh no... no I haven't, Majesty," Cup Cake said, her hoof coming to her mouth, "let... let me ask Carrot if he's heard or seen-"
"Oh," interrupted Celestia, still smiling over the mare that stood before her. "That is quite alright. She has a propensity to get into all sorts of trouble... I am sure she will show up."
The two mares stood there in the afternoon light, blinking to one another in the sunlight that the alicorn had raised over her domain.
"I was also wondering if I might purchase some pastries? The court loves to try some from all over Equestria, and I should like to display some of yours," added the sovereign as she looked upon the wares of Sugar Cube Corner.
"Why, of course! We'd be honored, Dear...Majesty!" added Cup Cake as her smile grew wider.
"I am very glad," spoke the alicorn as she gracefully turned to look upon Cup Cake, "I shall have my chamberlain send for them, send your stipend and a courier."
At once her smile dropped.
Celestia's expression became one of sympathy as Cup Cake's face fell down into reflection, the face of the sovereign tilting as she mused over the questions that were now filling her child.
Inside Cup Cake thousands of unanswered Invokes flew around, the pain of ten years of trying to no avail swept up inside her.
Before her stood perhaps the only living being in Equestria that could answer her questions, offer some solace. With a rush of emotion she moved to ask her sovereign if it was possible that the journey might still bring them to that place.
"Majesty, Princess..." she began, trembling a little as she ventured her thoughts, "I-I'm sorry to be so bold, ya' know, but-but I have to ask... ummm, you-you see Carrot and I have wanted, wanted to...been trying to..."
The fall of the hooves of the alicorn sounded out across the wooden floors.
With a single gentle motion Celestia lowered her head to that of Cup Cake. She kissed her forehead once and then ran her face along Cup Cake's tenderly.
Cup Cake felt the power that lay there. Inside her mind, pastel colors shifted about and darted through a cloudscape.
She felt a powerful and deep magic shift around her as though it were being examined, questioned...
Beyond her a well opened up in more colors, ones that seemed to waft around her and cradle her. Inside it two golden spheres wafted on silver clouds, darting about and flying to her, orbiting her in what seemed like peals of laughter.
After a moment her sovereign's head lifted to her ear. The vision fell out of Cup Cake's eyes and mind as the gentle voice filled her.
"They are going to be beautiful, Cup Cake," whispered the alicorn, the words falling lightly over the earth pony.
With that Celestia brushed a stray waft of her radiant mane out of her face. She smiled over a confused Cup Cake once more and then departed Sugar Cube Corner in search of her wayward phoenix. |
A Sweet Taste of Cake | Thrice Upon a Mattress | Chapter 17: Thrice Upon a Mattress
The gingerbread house was complete and sat carefully enclosed inside of its box awaiting delivery.
The Cakes stood in the showcase room, listening to Pinkie Pie as she seemed to be both rehearsing her lines for the Hearth's Warming pageant and speaking about everything that she wished to do and see in Canterlot.
She would not be with them until late tomorrow. The young mare instead would be returning for most of the day to the rock farm where her parents awaited their daughters and the joy that came with their presence.
Carrot lifted his face and turned back towards the doorway. The holiday cards all hung across the doorframe before him.
He focused past the frosting that still stood upon his nose and saw the card from Clyde and Roxy that hung there. The happy greetings reminded him that Pinkie's family was now in some ways theirs as well.
The mares made little noises of surprise. Carrot looked up to see Pinkie showing Cup Cake something that had been growing during that long day.
Ponies that had been passing by had been drawing in the frost that sat upon their window. Even as the mares looked on, Pinkie Pie's friends arrived, each ready to trot to the train station.
Pinkie motioned to them before they entered, asking each to draw a little representation of themselves in the frost.
As the mares and dragon whelp entered, Cup Cake motioned to them, winking as they each noticed the white dollop of frosting upon Carrot's nose, imploring them not to give away that they saw it there.
Carrot had forgotten about it. It simply had become a part of him, something else that she had added to his life. Cup Cake marveled at this even as the giggles of the girls sent small waves of confusion over his features.
All too soon there was a flurry of hugs, and with that, the young mares and their dragon escort departed Sugar Cube Corner.
The Cakes watched them go through the big picture window. To their surprise Pinkie Pie came bouncing back and smiled to them from the other side.
As her scarf dangled around her, they watched as she too added something to the frost, smiled to them once more, and then bounded off into the snowy streets to the railway station beyond.
Cupcake and Carrot lowered their heads and stared into the frost where dozens of little ponies seemed to march and dance.
Three ponies and an alligator stood close together, each one of them looking very much like the residents of Sugar Cube Corner.
Cup Cake leaned into him, let herself rock and sway in tune with her husband as they pondered the window.
Soon the last of their customers with holiday orders had arrived, made their holiday wishes, and departed with their treasures.
With that they closed Sugar Cube Corner to the world, leaving only the magical lights shining along the picture window to indicate their cheer.
Wrapping themselves in their scarves, they went out into the cold and grey Hearth's Warming Eve afternoon, the box containing the gingerbread house perched carefully upon Carrot's back.
Ivory Script was living in her own small home now, her parents having departed for Foalida during that year. The large mansion where she had lived all of her life had gone up for sale. Now she lived in a more modest abode in the center of the city that she served.
The long afternoon was spent in the pleasant company of their oldest friend, the mayor of Ponyville so comfortable and relaxed in their presence that she let the grey come out of her mane and let her natural pink shine through.
As the time came for the reveal of the gingerbread house, Cupcake lead her into her own dining room. There a beaming Carrot lifted the box to reveal the structure.
As Ivory looked it over, she smiled to Cup Cake, motioning to the prideful stallion that stood nearby.
Cup Cake nodded her head, once more acknowledging the dollop of frosting.
Ivory embraced them both, carefully avoiding the frosting upon Carrot's nose even as she giggled, and confusion sat upon him once more.
Promises were made. Ivory would come to Sugar Cube Corner the next evening and spend dinner with them. She would bring her gifts tomorrow... possibly having found what awaited her deep within the gingerbread house by that time.
With another embrace, they left their dear friend and went out into the wintry afternoon. As they went, they stopped to listen to songs that lifted from carolers or watch skaters in the big millpond.
They lingered just for a moment upon the snowy bank across from the mill, the very same spot where they had first spent pleasant time in the company of one another. The big millwheel continued its cycle even as the building itself sat empty of ponies, as large icicles formed on the wheel and the festive greenery sat in each window.
The air hung over the ice-covered river coldly. With a shiver Cup Cake leaned into her husband, seeking his warmth.
Their scarves could offer little comfort against the frosty air. With that in mind they were off to the big house that stood beyond the lamppost, leaning to one another as they went.
As they entered the house, they were greeted, the flash of Cup Cake's eyes telling all within not to mention the frosting that still sat resolutely upon Carrot's nose.
Carrot watched her family greet one another, interact with one another. Her brothers talked with him, and he did his best to make small talk with the powerful businesspony and the army officer.
His mother, now a dear matron to that family, greeted her son with a long hug and kiss that avoided the frosting. She too promised to come around to the bakery for dinner the following day.
Still, it seemed somehow less. As the activity swirled around the house, Carrot found himself in the kitchen, missing a certain older stallion who had once stood there with him making sandwiches and speaking in a rumbling tone.
Before long they were off again. As their extended family asked them to come around in the morning for breakfast and the opening of presents, they received their hugs and kisses.
Cup Cake could only giggle as the nieces and nephews her brothers had given them joined Ruby's in giggling at Carrot as they wrapped them in their forelegs, the confusion upon her husband's face only growing as the forgotten frosting caused the grown ponies to smirk and try to hide their expressions.
The restaurant in the Hotel Seabiscuit had a wide buffet laid out. As they found their favorite table, the waiter could only jump in small surprise as he looked upon the face of Carrot, not knowing if he should mention the frosting or not.
The room was largely unoccupied, giving them some welcome silence. As the fire flickered in the large stone fireplace, the waiter brought them their drinks. He removed the old plates as they slowly enjoyed all of the flavors and temptations that the buffet offered.
As they spoke a band played in the next room, and little remembrances crept into their conversation. Before too long they found themselves sitting there with their hooves upon the table, sitting upon the hoof of the other.
Carrot spoke about small things: the week now ending, their new ovens, wondered if she would like to try the Southwestern Reaches this year for a vacation.
As he did, he stared down into the rose colored eyes of his wife, lost in them as he had been for more than a decade.
She lifted her voice to answer: asked if they would have to put in a lift to access the attic when the new codes came into play, spoke about how nice it was not to have to adjust for uneven heating anymore, wondered if they would let ponies who were not on their honeymoon use a certain bungalow that she remembered very fondly.
As she did, he stared up to the green eyes of her husband, past the frosting that he was now oblivious to.
They said goodbye to their favorite table and favored the waiter with a generous tip as the crowds began to arrive. With that they left the restaurant in the Hotel Seabiscuit once more.
To their surprise it was actually a touch warmer than it had been when they escaped the chill over the river, and a light snow was now falling in the absence of the wind.
It seemed like an excellent evening for a walk. They decided to enjoy that night, together, before they headed to the dancehall. It almost was too perfect. As the lights of decorated homes shone out into the darkened night, they could be forgiven for perhaps thinking that some divine being had made it that way just for them...
The dancehall where they had first met had been rebuilt, a pony named Blues and his friends having once more filled the fabled structure with life and vibrancy. They slowly made their way there as the flakes of snow gently drifted around them, and holiday music, mixed with dances and other songs of all varieties, lifted from the distant structure.
They stopped as they went to peer over the holiday displays in the windows of the closed stores, swaying together as they leaned upon one another tenderly.
As they crossed through the snowy streets, they stopped to look upon the buildings, each one alive with decoration, candles, and lights.
Cup Cake had been walking towards the next group of lights, their hues already falling over her, when she felt an alien sensation... the feeling that he was not near her, the absence of his body touching to hers.
She turned around and panned the street. There she found him looking down into a perfect sheen of newly fallen snow.
She watched him, saw that he was contemplating something that stood within the white.
With that she saw Carrot plant his hoof into the snow in a slow, deliberate movement. He lifted his head to look at her, his eyes squinting to catch her in the light of a lamppost.
She trotted back, already knowing what she would find there, her heart leaping at the knowledge.
He had of course found one of her hoofprints in the freshly fallen snow. He had selected the best one, the one that was as perfect as he could select, and had pressed his hoof into it.
The two prints stood there before them, merged into one symbol. As she stood next to him, she wrapped it in a heart, the snow moving around her hoof placidly and yieldingly.
They stood there, staring down into it as she placed her head on his shoulder, the flakes falling through the lamplight around them.
Beyond them, music drifted out of Blues' New Blue Flag Club, the old dancehall seeming to fill with the soft tones of the notes that caught among the decorations that adorned it.
As she began to nuzzle beneath him, draw her face along his, there was only one ornament that called to her, only one decoration that caught her interest.
Enough, it was time.
She took his hoof, wordlessly asking him to follow her to the windows of the nearby Carousel Boutique.
Gently she drew him closer until their reflection stood upon the windows, the Cakes staring back at themselves as the lights in the windowpane caught them in a myriad of colors.
He looked upon her smiling reflection and then peered deeper at his own and tried to figure out what she was telling him.
He arched his eyebrow and stared at his reflection deeper, growing slightly perturbed as she began to giggle.
Cup Cake lifted her hoof and pointed with a wide grin to the dollop of frosting that still sat upon his nose.
Carrot crossed his eyes, concentrated and realized that it was still there. As he realized why Ivory, their family in the big house, and the waiter had all been giggling and smiling at him, a blush came over his face.
He had utterly forgotten about it. It had become just another part of him, something that she had placed there and made a part of his life.
He turned to her to try to apologize for embarrassing her, but at once he was made aware that was not her concern at all.
Not in the slightest.
She placed his head in her hoof and guided it down to her.
Cup Cake rubbed her nose to his, the small gentle motions sending their familiar and welcome feeling between them.
She kissed his lips, moved up slightly and planted another kiss on his nose. She then reached the frosting.
She took a few tiny bites of it, nibbled at it and then simply began to lap at him. She let the warmth of her tongue slide up the space above his nose and under his eyes.
He closed his eyes, felt her tongue as it traced the spot, let the sense of her closeness and the heat of her body enter him.
In a few motions it was mostly gone. As he opened his eyes he saw her standing there before him, a happy little smirk upon her face.
She stuck her tongue out at him, her cheeks and eyes wrinkling up into the devious smile that had long ago captured his heart.
In an instant he knew what she was doing. He knew that a flavor must still rest upon her tongue. He moved to answer her offer to share it.
As the flakes gently fell around them, he lowered his lips to hers. Together they chased the taste of the frosting between them. Its flavor was so much like a sugar cube long since dissolved, one whose memory they had savored ever since.
No, it was more than just that uncomplicated flavor.
The ingredients of the frosting filled them with more than just a simple taste of sugar. It was stronger and more practiced. The frosting was much more than just sugar, just as their love had only grown in that time. It had been beaten and whipped, but it had become that much better.
They lifted from the kiss. Soon their heads were touching to one another once again, the long and slow motions letting their familiar feel drift through the other.
In a moment any thoughts of dancing at the club fell away, became an instant impossibility.
As they stared softly to one another, they both knew the welcome sensation that drifted from their heart to the heart of the other. An implore raised itself in her eyes, and tenderness grew in his. With that they both knew in a happy instant to where they were being drawn.
As the music drifted from the club beyond, they turned towards the street leading back to Sugar Cube Corner and the warm bed within.
She trotted ahead of him for a second and then began walking backwards, staring at him with her little smile. She touched her nose to his once again, and then she turned and trotted ahead, his heart leaping at the sight of her bouncing, buoyant steps.
She looked over her shoulder at him, her cheeks still lifting in her cunning smile as she began to weave through the lampposts, asking him to pursue her.
He began his little chase, Cup Cake looking back to him as he slowly gained upon her, her laughter guiding him even more than the sight of the rosy mane and beautiful coat of his wife as the lamplight fell over her.
He listened to her hooves going across the cobblestones, the sound muffled by the snow, watched her mane bounce as the snow swirled around her.
She stopped and let him catch up to her for an instant. His lips fell to hers for a lingering moment before she giggled again and was off once more, turning back to him as his smile grew.
She brushed the snow from his mane as they gained the doorway of Sugar Cube Corner. As he did the same, she laid her head to his chest. He let her lie there, his head upon hers, until she lifted it and looked up to him once more. With another inviting touch of their muzzles they entered their small home.
Their scarves barely made it to the drying rack before they were cantering up the stairs, Cup Cake still giggling as she went. The wonderful sound filled the stairwell as she removed her earrings.
As she finished, she placed them on the table at the head of the stairs. She felt his hoof upon her, slowly tracing the length of her stifle, coasting slowly down the length of her rear leg and back up again.
She turned to her husband as he gained the last few steps, lifted his touch from her.
She leaned forward into another kiss, and with that they entered their bedroom.
A moment later they came trotting back out again, both laughing.
Pinkie had opened the upstairs windows to let the moisture of her accidental deluge escape the bakery. The bracing chill that filled the upstairs sealed it against their intentions.
No matter, they would make their own heat.
With the windows closed in all of the upstairs rooms and Gummy seen to be safe and happy upon his warming rock, they trotted back downstairs.
The two trotted down the stairs and to the kitchen so quickly and filled with expectancy that a few holiday cards fell from the doorframe with the rush of their air, not to be discovered until the next morning.
They lit the ovens, left the doors open so that even as the room was left dark, the blue flames wafted about merrily in their confines.
The fireplace in the parlor roared to life, and as the blinds were closed, the futon and its mattress were arrayed, the pillows carefully set.
The light of the fireplace fell over them, joined in its illumination by the Hearth's Warming tree that stood in the corner. As they lay upon the mattress and pillows, the lights upon the tree shimmered over them, cast them in its colors.
They pondered it for a good long while, studying the tree and the presents beneath it as they lay against one another, as they nuzzled their faces to one another and wrapped their hooves deeper and deeper together.
The ornaments upon the tree, many as old as their marriage, were each filled with some happy thought or cherished memory of those they knew and loved and the times they had shared together.
They laid their heads to one another and thought of all the ponies whose gifts awaited them tomorrow, thought of all of the faces that were attached to the names upon the little presents beneath their tree.
As they did, it filled them with a sense of completeness, wholeness, a feeling that all was well in their world. They sensed that their love had indeed grown to include so many, that they were a part of a great circle, one that would be drawn here to their little home inside their bakery tomorrow.
That though was tomorrow. This evening was for the two of them alone to share.
Carrot felt her lift her body, felt Cup Cake place her forelegs across his shoulders.
Her kisses fell in a wobbling trail up his withers and along his neck. The cadence and soft feel of her lips went across his cheek before catching his ear between them.
Slowly she nibbled at his ears, first one and then the other. Not hurting him or biting them, simply letting her lips embrace them, her teeth touching to them just enough to show her affections.
Carrot felt the wonder sensation of her light frame close to his, felt the heat of her body over his.
With that her lips once more planted kisses to him, her hooves signaling him to roll to his side.
As her mouth reached his neck, her hooves ran along his chest, his shoulders, and her teeth caught along the ancient bow tie lightly.
It was weathered with age and perhaps fraying, but it was something she had given him. It was like the frosting she had placed upon him, the single small line of white still showing where it had rested. It was something she had given him and so he had kept it, cherished it.
Gently she touched her mouth to it over and over, undoing the knot with small movements, carefully releasing it from the amber neck upon which it lay. As she went, she first pulled at it and then let her mouth find some spot upon his neck to lay a small kiss before once more tenderly pulling upon the cravat.
Cup Cake alternated these motions in turn until it pulled free, the bow tie hanging in her mouth as she lay above him, her hooves lying upon his chest as she gazed down over her husband.
Even as it still dangled in her mouth, Cup Cake touched her head to that of Carrot. She stood and smiled to him as the bow tie swayed in her mouth, seemed even to chuckle wordlessly as she did.
Cup Cake moved slightly, parted the pillows and looked across to Carrot as he sat up and settled his eyes across her.
She dropped his bow tie across the pile of pillows, across the deepest part of the futon. As the cravat slid from her mouth, she looked deep into his approaching eyes, signaling to her husband the spot where she wished to be made love to.
As he wrapped his forelegs around her, she leaned backwards into him, just as she had done once upon a distant and happy time when flour had poured over them.
As she rested against his chest, he touched his head to hers, his hooves stroking her forelegs tenderly and gently, the awareness of his welcome touch sinking into her.
In the kitchen the blue flames fell down inside the oven, the room having met the temperature they had wished. The little sounds of their home, this small segment of the world that they had built together over long years, these floated into their parlor as she sank deeper into her favorite place... the place in the world where she felt most at home, safe, and loved.
As she lay further into his chest, he wrapped her closer, let his lips fall across her neck once more, press to and nibble gently upon the space behind her ears.
After long moments of their embrace, he felt her nudge him, press against him with an entreat for his actions.
As Cup Cake leaned backwards, she did so without hesitancy, trusting and knowing that he was there for her, feeling the sweep of his body as he lowered her to the mattress.
Her head rested in his foreleg until her husband arranged the pillow beneath her, Carrot not placing her upon the cushion until it stood just so, made it so that she seemed to hang above the mattress more than lay upon it.
Her head tilted to the side, her forelegs folding to her chest as he returned to face her, standing over her and looking upon her supine presence.
"I love you, Mrs. Cake," he said as he grasped her offered hooves, standing over her and staring down into the rosy eyes that he had long adored.
"I love you, Mr. Cake," she answered, kissing his nose and brushing a waft of his mane from his gentle eyes.
She sought his eyes, held his wandering hoof to her face for just an instant before ushering it off to its explorations once again.
As his touch floated across her, she slowly rocked her head back and forth from one side of the pillow to the other, giving small sounds of contentment as he lingered upon her body with small circles and lazy patterns.
She ran her hoof up his foreleg, reaching up until her own rested against his face. He leaned against it, let his head settle to her hoof.
The warmth of the fireplace fell over them, and the lights of the tree caught across them.
They could not know, as they gazed upon one another, that this was the last year that children's toys would be absent from under that tree.
They could not know that this would be their last year for many years that they would be able to sleep in on Hearth's Warming Day, that soon foals would be calling to them at early hours or leaping into their bed and begging to be allowed to go downstairs into the parlor.
They had been through so much together, had suffered so much to be together.
They had learned so much, learned from each other and from those who their love had brought into their lives.
They had been made stronger; strong enough now that the deep magic sensed their strength, knew that they were ready for what would now happen.
The magic knew that they were strong, resolute... that they had planned, made strong stands against that which they feared.
The magic knew that they could accept loss, hardship, could get through it all because they relied on one another... that they had made a long journey together.
The magic knew that they would never stop trying their hardest to live up to the task that had been set for them... that they had never stopped loving one another, had never broken down because of the strength they shared.
The magic knew that they were ready, that they could accept those whose lives were so very different from their own as part of their lives... just as they had for a young mare who had filled their house with love and laughter.
The Cakes were ready, had shown themselves to be ready, and the magic moved to answer their long-spoken Invokes.
They could not know that with their acts that night, the seeds that would be scattered would not find the barren rocks and sandy ground that had laid there over the long decade of doubt and uncertainty.
They could not know that this night the deep magic moved within her, and fertile soils rich with life opened at its call.
They could not know that the magic had awakened two souls and was ready to answer their pleas that they had long spoken, was preparing to make their love corporeal.
The magic had waited, knew that for the two earth ponies raising twins would be hard enough, a test of their skills.
It also knew that raising two foals of races different from themselves, a unicorn filly and a pegasus colt, would be harder still.
There would be challenges for them; heartbreak, fear, frustration... but also happiness, joy, and love.
These emotions and more would meet the new lives that they created this night, but among them love stood tallest. The greatest among them was the love that Carrot Cake and Cup Cake would drape over their foals all of their long lives.
The magic had waited until they were strong enough, smart enough, had learned and loved. They had never stopped trying... and now they had won.
The magic conceded the round, saw that they were ready for this task and applauded them their victory in "The Game of This."
They could not know it was so very happy for them and that it waited patiently that much longer to bestow them with their prizes.
They of course could not know these things as they lay there.
All that a happy Cup Cake knew was that her husband was leaving soft kisses across her neck, her chest, her barrel...
Her body arched, calling for his, but he was lost in the act of draping his kisses across her. Instead he denied himself that pleasure that much longer to focus on the small, happy sounds that were lifting from her. She raised her hoof, called his lips back up to hers.
Something caught in the firelight, in the lights that cascaded off the tree.
Seeing it there, she pressed her lips to the ridges between his nose and beneath his eyes, grabbing the last of the frosting that still clung to his muzzle.
With one more deep, long kiss they chased this taste between them, let it catch on their tongues. With another long, loving glance, Carrot then continued to lay his affections upon his wife.
As the feeling of his soft touch swept through her, she wiped her head across the pillow. As a taste remained, it was not the flavor of the frosting that stood out most on her lips.
No, a different taste jumped to the fore, a taste that Cup Cake adored more than anything that had been prepared in their kitchen over their lives together. Their happy lives, their journey.
Carrot crept down her body, his lips touching to her chest, her stomach, her navel, and farther still. As Carrot did he gathered a taste that washed the frosting from his mouth until it receded as a happy memory.
No, a different taste sat there, one that was dearer to him than anything else in this world.
A taste drifted across both of their senses as Carrot lingered his lips across her. It was a taste sweeter than any in the world, a taste as wonderful and intoxicating as any meal they had ever eaten and yet at once as familiar to each other as the feel of their shared touch and the glance of their eyes.
It was a taste of themselves: a taste of the friend, a taste of the lover, of the partner, of the husband and wife, of the two ponies who had shared the journey... a taste of this other self.
It was a taste that they cherished and embraced more than anything else in the world, a taste that had long washed through them and still bound them closer and closer to one another...
... a sweet taste of Cake.
End. |
Lost Dreamer | pre | Grillby hesitated for a moment before sighing. "Your as bad as Sans but I guess one drink won't hurt." He sighed as he walked over and got behind the bar and pulled out a bottle. Calmly h slid it to Chara who picked it up and slammed it back.
"Barriers broken and the humans are gone." Chara said. "The worlds now populated by techno color talking ponies that can use magic."
"Really?" Grillby asked as he looked at Chara who simply nodded. Grillby sighed and picked up a glass and rag that he began to clean. "Well, at this point I guess I shouldn't be surprised."
Chara chuckled. "Yeah, it's weird but aside from being rude and racist to any other species they are perhaps the most peaceful race I've seen aside from Monsters."
"Got anything else to throw on this old monster princess?" He asked.
"I revived Asriel with DT, we were adopted by the ponies royal family and we thought that that demon killed everyone." Chara said.
"Not everyone but almost." Grillby said. "Aside from me, Napstablook and River Person survived but everyone else was killed. There may be some survivors out their but if there are them they've probable already fallen down on their own do to loosing their Hope."
Chara sighed. "Well... wanna come to the surface with me?" She asked.
Grillby was quiet for a while before he set down his rag and the glass. "And just what would I do?" He asked as he leaned on the bar.
Char shrugged. "I have a lead on a possible way to save all monsters that fell down and I'm looking for more information so I can follow it. You could help me or open another bar on the surface. Napstablook could finally become a DJ and River Person could travel the world and explore."
Grillby thought for a moment before sighing and nodding. "I'll go." He said.
Chara smiled. "Thanks, I was going to the Ruins before I left for the surface but since the river Persons still around we should take their boat."
Grillby nodded. "I'll go to Waterfall and get Napstablook." Chara smiled and got off the bar stool and walked to the door. "Chara." Grillby called out to the child causing her to turn as she reached the door. "How did you really come back?" He asked. "We both know Humans don't return from death and if you think for a moment that 'Idon't know' bull will work on anyone who knows you then are crazy."
"When did I ever say I was a Human?" Chara asked as she summoned her soul for a moment before exiting the bar. As she stepped out into the cool air of Snowdin she pulled the hood of Sans's Jacket over her head and walked for the Ruins. |
Lost Dreamer | Chapter 5 - First days Part two - Survivors to the Surface | Chara walked through the quiet forest slowly approaching the doors to the Ruins. Once she reached the doors she sighed and pulled them open only to see a pile of dust. Chara slowly approached the dust and fell to her knees, tears ran down her face and she cried softly as she pick up the dust and clutched it to her chest.
After sitting there and crying for a while she slowly began to calm down and slowly she wiped her eyes with her sleeves as the dust fell away from her. Chara slowly got up and trudged deeper into the house and looked around remembering happier times. Before she left she grabbed the recipe for Butterscotch cinnamon pie from the kitchen and smashed all the knives.
Chara sadly walked back the way she had come till she reached Snowdin where she turned off the main path and walked down the path that lead to the River Persons stop, once she arrived she saw River Person and already there standing and waiting for her. "So the Princess graces us with presence at last, I thought you would never brake your strings, Tralala." The River Person said.
"Hello River Person." Chara said ignoring the jab at her. "Are you ready to leave?"
"Marbel wishes to go where the river flows free and fast as such I shall follow." The River Person Replied.
"Who?" Chara asked confused only for the boat to turn and look at her and bark. Chara stared at the boa-Marbel for a moment before shrugging. "Ok, well let's go." She said as she boarded the boat. The boat pulled away and slowly drifted down the river. "Grillby is getting Napstablook from Waterfall, so we need to pick them up."
The river Person nodded. "A trip to the falls where if one chooses they may fall forever in the darkness of death, tralala." The river person said.
"Cheery thought." Chara said with a shudder.
The trip was quiet till they reached the Waterfall docks where the River Person slowed Marble. On the dock stood Grillby and a ghost wearing a set of headphones opened the door. The ghost looked at Chara for a moment shocked. "Oh, high princess I thought you... well... um..." The ghost trailed off.
Chara smiled and jumped off the boat to hug the ghost only to slightly pass through. "Oh, sorry Blooky." Chara said.
"Oh, no it's fine." Napstablook said with a smile. "I missed you." He said sounding somewhat happy.
"Did Grillby tell you what's going on?" Chara asked.
Napstablook nodded. "Yes but what about the Human, oh I meant the one that was hurting everyone not you! I'm so sorry for saying it like that, I know not all humans are mean but..." Napstablook slowly trailed off slowly becoming more transparent.
"It's fine Blooky and they're dead." Chara said as she turned from the ghost her eyes glowing red for a moment before she took a deep breath. "Anyway do you want to come to the surface with me?" She asked.
Napstablook nodded. "Yeah, not sure what I'll do but I guess I could go." He said. "I've got all my things with me so I'm ready." He said as he floated over to a pack with his music and other equipment in it bag.
"Well Let's go." She said as she got back on the boat with Grillby sitting next to her. Napstablook boarded as well nodding to the River Person.
River Person guided Marbel away from the dock slowly till she was away and then the boat shot forward quickly skimming the water as it happily barked. Chara laughed and Napstablook smiled while Grillby froze in silent terror. "Beware the Man Who Speaks in Hands, Tralalala" River Person said happily.
"You know it's rude to speak of someone like that. 👎︎❒︎📬︎ ☝︎♋︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎ was a good man, he may have made mistakes but at least he tried to fix them." Chara said grumpily.
"A shadow Watches through there screen waiting to strike again, Tralalala" The River Person said as they turned to Chara.
"Cheeky ass." Chara muttered before the implications sunk in after it did she decided it was a good time to curled up and join Grillby in silent terror.
The rest of the trip was quiet till they reached the dock and Grillby jumped onto the dock quickly. "I hate water." He grumbled.
Chara chuckled before turning to the River person. "So how do we get Marbel out of... the... water...?" Charas voice drifted off as she stared in shock as the boat raised itself out of the water on four legs. "What?!" She asked in shock.
"Marbel is part boat part dog young princess." River person explained as Marbel exited the water and changed in to a giant dog, River Person sitting on their back. Marbel licked Charas face as it wagged it's tail happily.
The drool broke Chara out off her shock and she shook her head. "Right, okay, so let's go she said as she turned and they entered MTT Resort. Chara called the Elevator and the group entered taking it up to the Judgement Hall. As the doors opened the group looked in shock at the damaged corridor however everyone eyes eventually fell upon the pile of dust with pink slippers and a pair of black shorts.
Grillby slowly walked forward and looked at them before bowing his head. "Rest in peace old friend." He said sadly.
"I'll fix this Grillby, it may take a while but I will fix it, I promise." Chara said.
Grillby chuckled. "Alright, you and Sans hated making promises but when you did you then nothing would stop you from keeping it." He said as he turned to Chara. "So, let's go see the surface."
Chara nodded and the group walked into the throne room where they saw the Dust of the King. "The surface is through that door." Chara said as she pointed to a doorway on the other side of the room. "If you could give me a moment." She said as she approached the Kings remains. The group hesitated but slowly they exited the room as Chara sat before the dust. "Hey dad, I'm so sorry." She said as she sat crying. For a moment she did nothing till she heard someone enter the room. Chara didn't look to see who it was she simply sat there staring at the dust and cried.
The person said nothing for a while they simply stood by and waited. Once Chara began to calm down the figure approached her. "Your Father was perhaps the greatest Monster but it wasn't his power that made him great, it his character and the virtues he stood for." Grillby said as he placed a hand on Charas shoulder. Chara turned and hugged him small hissing sounds coming from where her tears touched him.
"☟︎♏︎ ⬥︎♋︎⬧︎ ♓︎■︎♎︎♏︎♏︎♎︎ ♋︎ ♑︎□︎□︎♎︎ ❍︎□︎■︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎📪︎ ♐︎♋︎❒︎ ♌︎♏︎⧫︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎ ⧫︎♒︎♋︎■︎ ♓︎ ♏︎❖︎♏︎❒︎ ⬥︎♋︎⬧︎📬︎"
He was indeed a great Monster, far better than I ever was. A shaky voice said causing Chara to freeze and turn to the speaker in surprise.
"Gaster!" Grillby gasped in shock.
"☟︎♏︎●︎●︎□︎ □︎●︎♎︎ ♐︎❒︎♓︎♏︎■︎♎︎📬︎"
Hello old friend. Gaster said with a smile before turning to Chara.
"🏱︎❒︎♓︎■︎♍︎♏︎⬧︎⬧︎📪︎ ⬥︎♒︎♓︎●︎♏︎ ♐︎♓︎■︎♎︎♓︎■︎♑︎ ❍︎⍓︎ □︎●︎♎︎ ●︎♋︎♌︎ ♋︎■︎♎︎ ❒︎♏︎❖︎♓︎❖︎♓︎■︎♑︎ ❍︎□︎■︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎⬧︎ ⬧︎⧫︎♓︎●︎●︎ ⧫︎♋︎🙵♏︎⬧︎ ◻︎❒︎♓︎□︎❒︎♓︎⧫︎⍓︎ ♓︎ ⬥︎□︎◆︎●︎♎︎ ●︎♓︎🙵♏︎ ♐︎□︎❒︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ⧫︎□︎ ●︎□︎□︎🙵 ♋︎⧫︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ♎︎♏︎❖︎♓︎♍︎♏︎ ⬧︎♋︎■︎⬧︎ ♍︎❒︎♏︎♋︎⧫︎♏︎♎︎📬︎ ✋︎♐︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ♍︎♋︎■︎ ♑︎♏︎⧫︎ ♓︎⧫︎ ⧫︎□︎ ⬥︎□︎❒︎🙵 ⧫︎♒︎♏︎■︎ ♓︎⧫︎ ⬥︎♓︎●︎●︎ ♋︎♍︎♍︎♏︎●︎♏︎❒︎♋︎⧫︎♏︎ □︎❒︎ ♏︎♐︎♐︎□︎❒︎⧫︎⬧︎ ♑︎❒︎♏︎♋︎⧫︎●︎⍓︎📬︎"
Princess, While finding my old lab and reviving monsters still takes Priority I would like for you to look at the device Sans created. If you can get it to work then it will accelerate or efforts greatly. The doctor said.
"I will look in to it but not today. I've had enough pain for one day and I'm drained both mentally and emotionally."
"❄︎♒︎♋︎■︎🙵 ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ❍︎⍓︎ ♎︎♏︎♋︎❒︎📬︎"
Thank you my dear. Gaster said with a smile smiled.
"❄︎♋︎🙵♏︎ ♍︎♋︎❒︎♏︎ ♑︎♋︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎📬︎"
Take care Gaster. Chara said with a smile.
"✌︎⬧︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ⬥︎♓︎⬧︎♒︎ ◻︎❒︎♓︎■︎♍︎♏︎⬧︎⬧︎📬︎"
As you wish Princess. Gaster said teasingly as he faded away.
Chara took a deep breath before turning to Grillby who was staring at her shocked. "What is it?" She asked.
"During the Conversation you began to speak in Wingdings." Grillby said concerned.
Chara froze as she herd this. "Tha-but-I..." Chara groaned. "worry about that later." she muttered as she looked at Grillby. "Tell no one of this." She said.
"Why, is this a problem?" Grillby asked his concern growing. Chara glared at him harder and he sighed. "Very well, I will not tell."
Chara sighed. "Thank you." She said and smiled. "Come on, I bet the others are waiting." She said as she turned and left Grillby turned and looked back at the dust of King Asgore before.
"Do not worry My king, until the time you return I shall watch over your daughter and son. I pray you rest easier knowing I am watching them." He said as he turned and excited the room as well.
Calmly he followed Chara to the entrance of the cave and as he excited he gasped as he saw he sun setting over the horizon. "To feel the warmth of the sun's light upon me again is a dream I have long missed." The River person said with a happy tone,Marbel barking what sounded like an agreement.
"It is nice." Napstablook said with a smile.
"See that forest in the distance?" Chara asked as she pointed outward. "At the heart of that forest lies a castle, that is where we are going." She said.
"Going?" Grillby asked confused. "How will we get there?"
Chara smiled. "I know a short cut." She said as she snapped her fingers and the world faded away. |
Lost Dreamer | Chapter 5 - First days Part Three - Meeting Monsters | "And you just let her go!" Luna yelled at Celestia in anger, Asriel sighed and set sandwich down before focusing on his magic. Slowly his hand was coated in cyan magic only to spark and fizzle out. "Gah! How does Chara make it look so easy!" He exclaimed causing the two princess to turn to him.
"Are you alright Asriel?" Luna asked concerned.
"Yeah fine, I just don't get how Chara uses her shortcuts." he said as he rubbed his hand.
"Can you not use your sisters magic?" Celestia asked.
"I can but not as good as her. Chara is a master of all the different traits due to her Determination Soul but I'm only good with Purple, Green and Yellow magic." He said with a sigh.
"I see so your sister is the better mage between the two of you?" Celestia asked.
Asriel shook his head. "No, I'm just as good but my skills are more in defensive magic and fire magic." Asriel said. "Honestly it's just annoying since she can teleport and all that while I have to find work around since I'm a Monster."
"What does you being a Monster have any thing to do with your magic?" Luna asked as she took a sip of her soup.
"Humans have a different form of Magic than Monsters." Asriel explained. "Humans use their SOUL while monsters simply have magic like you and the unicorns. While BOSS Monsters like me can use Soul Magic like humans it's not as strong and we normally are specialized in a single field."
"So you can only use a single attribute? But you said you were proficient in three." Celestia said confused.
"While BOSS's specialize in a single field we can use more than the one we specialize in. My father could use both Orange and Yellow traits but he was specialized in Yellow Magic." Asriel paused and took a bite of his food before continuing. "Dr. G♋︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎, the former Royal Scientist Specialized in Purple SOUL Magic but he could use every type of SOUL Magic even Determination."
"I see..." Luna said and the table became silent as the princesses thought. Suddenly there was a popping sound and Chara appeared in a flash of cyan light. Celestia and Luna jumped in surprise and turned to face Chara only to stop confused as three figures appeared as well.
"Hi Celly, I'm back." She said tiredly.
"Chara... who are these..."
"Monsters." Grillby said.
"I didn't want to assume." Celestia said.
Chara sighed. "Princess Celestia, Luna, May I introduce the survivors of the Genocide Timeline. Grillby, a Fire Elemental who served in the Human Monster War. He was the cook and bartender of a restaurant by the same name. Napstablook, the Ghost, he is a excellent DJ and musician. And finally, The River Person and their Dog Boat Marbel."
Grillby took a step forward and bowed to the Princesses. "It is pleasure to meet you Princesses of Equestria."
The River Person looked around before looking at Chara. "If you will excuse us, Marbel wishes to find a river so that we might sail once more on the waters of light." They said as Marbel barked excitedly in what sounded like an agreement.
Chara nodded. "There is a near here that you can use." She said calmly.
The River Person wandered off.
Napstablook simply floated where he was quietly.
Celestia watched the group as Luna stared in surprise. After shaking her head to free clear the shock she bowed to the Fire Elemental. "Greetings Sir Grillby, it is an honor to meet you."
Grillby rose calmly with a chuckle. "No need for the sir Princess, I haven't been a soldier in many Millennia." He said before tilting his head in thought. "However, I would not mind serving once more." He pondered.
"If you are willing I could instate you as Charas personal guard." Celestia said with a smile.
Grillby nodded. "I shall consider it your Majesty." He said with a bow.
At Celestias and Luna 's exchange occurred Luna had shaken herself from her surprise and approached Napstablook. "Chara said you were a musician, what kind of music?" She asked the ghost.
"Oh, i-it's j-jus-st s-some r-remixes and mix tapes." Napstablook said quickly
"My I listen?" She asked the ghost curiously.
Napstablook hesitated before nodding. "O-Okay. He said as he removed his headphones and placed them on Lunas ears."
"What are these devices?" Luna asked confused.
"T-they're c-called headphones, they can-n be plugged into some devices to project sound. They're used when you don't want to bother others with what you're listening to." Napstablook explained as he hit play on his music player.
Luna listened to the music and slowly closed her eyes and smiled. "Tis good." She said happily. "I would like to hear more when I can." She said as she handed the headphones back to him when the song ended. Napstablook blushed and nodded slowly as he took them back.
Asriel slowly rose and approached Chara a concerned look on his face. "Chara are you okay?" He asked concerned.
Chara watched Grillby and Napstablook talked to Celestia and Luna for a moment before turning to him with tears running down her face. "I'm fine Azzy, no need to worry about me." She said.
Asriel pulled Chara into a hug. "It's be okay, we'll fix this, I promise." He said quietly as he rubbed her back.
Chara hesitated before buried her head in her brother chest as tears fell faster and sobs began to come forth. The two simply stood there for a moment till Chara slowly pulled away and looked at her brother. "Look at as," She said with a mirthless chuckle. "An Arbiter who failed to pass judgement and a Reaper who failed to kill." Chara began to laughed again as Asriel pulled her back into the hug only this time tears fell from his eyes as well, they had failed.
Slowly the occupants in the room began to notice Chara and Asriel crying. Celestia moved to comfort them but Grillby placed a hand on her shoulder stopping her. When Celestia turned to him he simply shook his head. "They need time." He said.
Luna slowly walked over to the group with Napstablook following. "Where did Chara get that jacket and scarf?" She asked the Fire Elemental.
"That jacket belonged to a close friend of Charas, Comic Sans Skeleton. He was the Judge of the Underground and Charas partner, he was also one of her closest friends." Grillby said sadly.
"And the Scarf?" She asked.
"Sans's brother, Papyrus Skeleton. He was perhaps the most innocent being on the world." Grillby said as regret slipped in to his voice. "Charas relationship with Sans and Papyrus was a deep one as they were all raised together. Asriel may be her brother but Sans, Papyrus and their father were like family to her."
"Who was their Father?" Luna asked.
"Dr. W. D. G♋︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎, The Royal Scientist of the Underground." Grillby said before he calmly walked over to the two children and knelt down to comfort them.
Several hours later Celestia and Luna sat in their office compiling all their notes on the two siblings. After the sounds of shuffling papers and the scratching of quills ended Celestia rubbed a hoof on her forehead. "I think we've finally piece together Charas story." She said.
Luna nodded. "Indeed, and what we have have learned isn't pretty." She replied with a sighed. "When Chara was born she was immediately outcast due to her appearance and beaten severely often by the village she lived in."
"At some point she ran to Mt. Ebott and entered the Underground where she was found and adopted by the Royal Family of the Monsters, the Dreemurrs." Celestia continued. "Due to the threat that Humans posed Chara and her adoptive brother were trained in combat and became either the best or among the best that the kingdom had and were given the titles of Arbiter and Reaper."
Luna picked up again. "During this time time she was also discovered to be a prodigy in both Magic and Academics and was trained by the Royal Scientist, a Skeleton by the name W. D. G-something.
On a side note, every time his name is spoken Chara uses a different language and if others say it the name is somehow blurred so his full name is name is unknown.
Anyway, Doctor G had two children, Comic Sans Skeleton and Papyrus Skeleton, They grew to be extremely close to Chara and had a near family relationship with each other."
Celestia nodded. "The rest of my notes are simple speculation from the small bits of information that we've gained." She said.
"Just read them sister." Luna said with a sigh.
Celestia nodded, cleared her throat and continued. "After Chara completed her tutelage she went on to work as a scientist for Dr. G and worked with him, Sans and a small team on a experiment that went very wrong. The resulting accident lead to Dr. G falling into into a place called the Void and being shattered across time and space."
Celestia sighed and rubbed her forehead again only this time it was to dissuade the headache she was feeling from growing worse and looked at Luna. "At this point whatever happened could be considered the catalyst of everything after it."
Luna nodded. "Chara devised a desperate plan that required her to be poisoned and when she died Asriel absorbed her soul and went to the surface. Something went wrong with the plan and Asriel returned to the Underground where he died, Chara became trapped as a form of spirit and eventually a Human child fell down and she attached herself to them. The Child however was controlled by some sort of creature or thing that Chara called, PLAYER. PLAYER committed genocide upon the Monsters till Chara somehow broke free and created a new body." She said finishing the notes.
Celestia nodded. "Yes, at this point we have an almost full story but we are still missing several pieces and they are crucial to understanding what happened."
Luna nodded in agreement. "We need to know what the project was that resulted in this Dr. G's death and what truly happened to him." Luna said.
"Another thing we need to look into is what happened to the actual science team that worked on the project. We know Chara was part the team and from what we've heard Sans was probably part of the project as well." Celestia said as she thought.
Luna frowned at that. "Chara is rather quiet when her the subject brought up, I don't think asking about this will give us any information." She said.
Celestia looked at Luna in confusion. "What do you mean by quiet?" She asked.
"Chara hasn't said anything about the project unless she is pressed or she needs to explain something and even then she gives as little information about the project as possible." Luna explained as she turned to her sister.
"But everything we know has been given to us by Chara herself." Celestia protested.
"Sister what do we know about this project? Tell me everything." Luna said as she glared at her sister.
Celestia tilted he head and thought for a moment. "Her mentor and teacher Dr. G worked on it, there was a small team that assisted and she was apart of it, it was some sort of machine, something happened and the device malfunctioned, It was due to this malfunction that Dr. G was trapped in the Void." Celestia said.
"What was the device designed to do?" Luna asked. Celestia opened her mouth to answer but stopped and thought. "What went wrong?" She asked again as Celestia began to look down. "Do we even know what it was called?" Luna asked as Celestia looked down sadly.
"I see what you are saying Luna." Celestia said quietly. "The only information she has given was when we asked who she spoke to her first day here." She sighed. "Perhaps we could ask Asriel if he knows.
Luna shrugged. "We could try but I doubt he has anything we haven't figured out." Luna said with a sigh.
"We could still ask Chara." Celestia said.
Luna shook her head. "There is something about this whole thing that makes me feel like she won't say anything. She said as she lay her head down on the table.
Celestia rubbed her eyes. "Let's try again and figure this out, from the top..."
Chara lay in her bed trying to get to sleep. She was exhausted and drained but no matter how much she tried to get comfortable or relaxed she simply couldn't sleep. Chara sighed and rose from her bed. Quietly she walked over to her cloths and changed out of her pajamas and into her normal cloths. With a sigh she walked over to the door and opened it just as she pulled on Sans's jacket, only to find a guard standing at the door.
"Princess, you should be in bed." The guard said surprised.
"I'm going out, if anyone asks where I'm going then tell them I'm out." Chara said as she wrapped Papyrus's scarf around her neck.
"I'm sorry but it's late and I must insist that you not go out this late without a guard escort." The guard said hesitantly.
Chara sighed. "Were I go, you can't follow." Chara said as she snapped her fingers and disappeared in a flask of cyan fire.
Chara reappeared in a small laboratory. The room was small with only a counter with a few drawers and a broken machine that was covered by a curtain. Chara walked over to the drawers and opened them searching for the blueprints which she found in the forth one however as she was about to close it she stopped and pulled out a picture.
Chara smiled as she looked at the picture. It had been the only one taken of the team and it was taken right before the accident. Chara frowned as memories long buried surfaced. She tried to repress them, to push them back down but they continued.
"Hurry we have to stabilize it!"
"I-I'm slipping help!"
"Kid, NO!" Chara screamed as she launched forward reaching for something that was lost only to slam into the wall. Chara gasped as the pain brought her out of the memory and she looked to the machine. "Right, let's get to work." She said as she went over to a hidden coat closet and pulled out a lab coat with the name Chara on it. She then walked over to the machine and began to work. |
Lost Dreamer | Interlude - Dark, Darker, Yet Darker... | 972 years BNM
Luna slowly trotted up to a black chained door in the dream realm and hesitated. The door lead to the dream of a certain child and was kept closed by massive chains that were secured by a massive padlocked. Luna's magic slowly picked up the lock and a key appeared in it, she hesitated for a single moment more before opening the doors and entering the dreams of Chara. As the world came together Luna saw Chara standing before a shallow pool of liquid and gazing at it. The pool bubbled and froth as she watched, it seemed almost alive.
"This is a bad idea." Chara said as she turned to a tall skeleton.
The Skeleton wore a pair of dress shoes, light gray pants, a black turtle neck covered by a white lab coat. Two cracks covered his face and he calmly turned to Chara and nodded. "Do not worry Chara, all the proper procedures have been taken." He said calmly.
Chara shook her head. "Gaster I know that as scientists we are to expect a certain level of danger with our work, comes with the territory but there is a big difference in creating a machine to view the Alternate Timelines and a portal to those Timelines." Chara said adamantly. We're messing with technology that we haven't perfected and even worse I haven't even tested!" Chara exclaimed as he followed the Doctor as he checked connections.
"Ya know, I agree with the kid." A short and 'big boned' skeleton said as he reproached the two He wore a shirt with the word PUN on it under a lab coat, a pair of black shorts and on his feet was a pair of pink fuzzy slippers. "I mean, come on doc, if the Kid is concerned then we probably should listen."
Gaster groaned and face-palmed. "Sans not you too." He said in an exasperated tone.
"Hey I'm just saying." Sans said as he raised his hands up in surrender. "Chara made this and she hasn't even run tests yet, she's concerned that something will go wrong and since she made the stuff I'm inclined to agree with her."
Gaster sighed. "It's not like we're going through ourselves." Gaster said ans he turned to the two other scientists. "As you said we don't even know if this will work and as such I intend to run several experiments before we do anything else. I understand your concerns however if this can help us get free," Gaster turned to the pool and knelt down to examine it. "then we have no choice."
"Dr. Gaster, the calibrations are completed." A cat Monster said as he approached them.
"Very good Dr. Scratch, please activate the device." Gaster said.
Scratch nodded and walked over to the controls where a snake monster and a reptile with no arms stood.
Suddenly the door opened and a Monster with red skin and large eyes entered. "Dr. Gaster the team is ready." He said.
Gaster nodded. "Activate the machine." He said and the Cat Monster flipped a switch. The Machine sparked and several energy beams activated, firing into the pool with a blinding light the liquid began to slowly part. Gaster, Chara and Sans stepped forward to look in and see a portal that lead to an odd room of light.
Gaster examined the portal for a moment before nodding. "Shut it down." He yelled over the noise however nothing happened. "Shut the device down!" He yelled again only this time Scratch turned to him in panic.
"We can't, something is wrong with the device, it won't respond!" Scratch exclaimed in panic before the controls exploded throwing him back.
"Scratch!" The snake monster explained as she slithered over to the cat. "Are you ok?" She asked concerned.
Scratch groaned. "I'm fine Esha. He said as he rose slowly. Suddenly the pool exploded outward and reality warping around the liquid. Chara and Gaster and the other scientists were covered in a tide of the liquid and they screamed as their forms began to warp and change.
Luna watched in terror as the liquid consumed everything. however what drew her attention was Chara who screamed as color was leached from her and she became a monotone coloring of gray, black goo dripped from her eyes which were black voids with only a red dot showing for here iris.
Suddenly the skeleton that was called Gaster turned and looked at her, Luna screamed in fear as the creature launched forward and consumed her. "☜︎■︎⧫︎❒︎⍓︎ ■︎◆︎❍︎♌︎♏︎❒︎🖳︎ 📂︎🖮︎
♎︎♋︎❒︎🙵📪︎ ♎︎♋︎❒︎🙵♏︎❒︎📪︎ ⍓︎♏︎⧫︎ ♎︎♋︎❒︎🙵♏︎❒︎📪︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ♎︎♋︎❒︎🙵■︎♏︎⬧︎⬧︎ 🙵♏︎♏︎◻︎⬧︎ ♑︎❒︎□︎⬥︎♓︎■︎♑︎📬︎ ❄︎♒︎♏︎ ⬧︎♒︎♋︎♎︎□︎⬥︎⬧︎ ♍︎◆︎⧫︎⧫︎♓︎■︎♑︎ ♎︎♏︎♏︎◻︎♏︎❒︎📪︎ ◻︎♒︎□︎⧫︎□︎■︎ ❒︎♏︎♋︎♎︎♓︎■︎♑︎⬧︎ ■︎♏︎♑︎♋︎⧫︎♓︎❖︎♏︎📬︎ ❄︎♒︎♓︎⬧︎ ■︎♏︎⌧︎⧫︎ ♏︎⌧︎◻︎♏︎❒︎♓︎❍︎♏︎■︎⧫︎ ⬧︎♏︎♏︎❍︎⬧︎ ❖︎♏︎❒︎⍓︎📪︎ ❖︎♏︎❒︎⍓︎📪︎ ♓︎■︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎♏︎⬧︎⧫︎♓︎■︎♑︎📬︎📬︎📬︎ ⬥︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎ ♎︎□︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ⧫︎⬥︎□︎ ⧫︎♒︎♓︎■︎🙵✍︎"
Luna screamed awake launching upright in terror as she looked around to find nothing but her bedroom. Slowly she took several breaths as she tried to calm down. As she finally calmed down she thought on what this Gaster had said, while she couldn't understand him exactly she did recognize the language as the same one that Chara often spoke in. It was at that moment that several things clicked together as she pieced together who Gaster was, the mysterious Dr. G was Gaster! Then something else clicked, that experiment was what Chara had mentioned, an experiment to create a portal to something called a 'Timeline'. It had gone wrong and he had been sucked in to that rift along with everyone else. Luna quickly walked exited her bedroom and turned to a guard. "Wake my sister, something has happened and she must know.
Chara groaned as she slowly rose off the floor and looked around, she sat in Sans's secret lab again and she groaned as she got off the floor and stretched, popping her back to get the kinks out before walking over to the machine and picking up the tools laying around it. Once she finished cleaning up she pulled of her lab coat and teleported to her room in the castle.
This had been Charas routine for a year now, during the day she would study magic, and research anything that may lead her to Gasters old lab while at night she would teleport off to work on Sans's machine. Chara yawned as she put on San's blue jacket and papyrus's scarf before walking over and poking her brother. "Azzy, s'time to wake up." She said.
Asriel groaned and waved is hand as if to shoo her away. Chara sighed before poking him again. only to get the same reaction.
"Come on Azzy." Chara sighed as her eyes glowed blue and she yanked him up in her magic.
"Hey!" Asriel cried in surprise before Chara began to spin him around. "OK, I'm up, I'M UP!" He exclaimed.
Chara smirked and dropped him on the bed. "Good." She said as he climbed out of the bed and stretched.
"I saw you leave last night." Asriel said as he went over to his closet and pulled on his sweater.
Chara froze before turning to her brother. "So?" She asked concerned.
Asriel sighed. "Chara... I know your going somewhere at night, I'm worried about you."
"Azzy I'm fine." Chara said with a forced smile.
Asriel walked over to Chara and embraced their sibling. "I may not as smart as you but I'm not stupid either." He said. "Your HP's dropping."
"It's rude to check others without their permission." Chara said.
Asriel hugged her tighter. "It's Gaster isn't it? Sans was working on a device to bring him back and now your working on it too aren't you?" Asriel asked.
Chara said nothing only hugged her brother closer.
Chara Dreemurr
The First Fallen Child
LV1 HP 15/20
SAVE RETURN ERASE
R[]sE[] |
Lost Dreamer | Chapter 6 - Shroud of Hate Part 1 | 962 years BNM
Chara smiled as she stood off to the side of the throne room, she wore pair of brown pants with shin guards, a white colored light and flexible chest-plate and green zip up hoodie jacket with the delta Rune inscribed in the shoulders as a form of badge. On her feet were a pair of red boots that had metal plates covering them. At her side was a sword strapped to her belt and several knives could be seen holster on a sash that crossed her chest. Shortly after she had turned twelve a pony had attempted to assassinate Celestia while she was holding court, since them Chara had made it herself the personal Guard of the princesses when court was held.
As the doors closed and court came to its end for the day Celestia groaned as she rose and popped her back as she stretch our her wings and groaned. "Oh fuck those nobles." She said tiredly.
Luna grunted an agreement as she rose as well and stretched.
Chara chuckled. "Glad I don't have to deal with that shit." She said with a sigh.
Celestia and Luna looked at each other for a moment before Luna sighed. "Actually Chara, with you and your brother turning 18 and come of age you and Asriel will be coordinated as official members of the Royal Family." She said with a wince.
Chara glared at the two as she grit her teeth. "And you withheld this information why?" She asked in a voice of forced calm.
"Asriel was aware of this arrangement." Celestia said.
"And I was not informed why?" Chara asked.
"We didn't see as a necessary piece of information, as such you didn't need to know." Celestia replied.
Charas eyes narrowed. "If your implying something then spit it out." Chara growled. "I am in no mood or position to play these games."
When we adopted you an agreement was made, an agreement that stated that we would be open and honest with each other." Luna said. "Asriel has held that bargain but you have not. You have withheld vital information both about your past and the exact details of your work." Luna growled back to Chara.
"We all have our secrets." Chara said. "There are things that should not be known ever. I made many mistakes and miss calculations in my youth, both seen and done things that I'm not proud of, things that fall under that which shouldn't be known." Chara said angrily.
Luna growled. "And when would it be 'need to be known'? Dr. Gaster may be gone bu-" Charas eyes glowed a brilliant red as she glared at Luna.
"How do you know that name?" Chara asked her tone growing dangerous.
"I am the Alicorn of the Night and Mistress of Dreams." Luna said calmly back.
"You entered my mind, don't do it again." Chara said flatly. "There are things in there that you would be wise to avoid, things that could destroy you." She said as she turned to exit the throne room.
"Like that gloppy skeleton figure that chases me?" Luna asked.
Chara whirled around and grabbed Luna by the throat. "👎︎□︎ ■︎□︎⧫︎ ❍︎♏︎♎︎♎︎●︎♏︎ ♓︎■︎ ♋︎♐︎♐︎♋︎♓︎❒︎⬧︎ ⧫︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎ ♋︎❒︎♏︎ ■︎□︎⧫︎ □︎♐︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎❒︎ ♍︎□︎■︎♍︎♏︎❒︎■︎✏︎" She said as she drew a knife.
"Do not meddle in affairs that are not of your concern!"
"Chara Dreemurr, stop this now!" Celestia yelled in anger.
Chara froze as for a moment before dropping the blade and Luna slowly backing away before turning to flee.
"Chara wait!" Celestia called to the running girl before sighing and turning to Luna. "What in mothers name were you thinking!?" She asked angrily.
"I am tired of her secrets sister." Luna growled. Either she tells of what happened or I shall pry it from her mind by force." Luna hissed as she rose.
"And what good would it do anypony?" Celestia asked angrily. "As she said we all have our secrets, she is entitled to them just as much as you or I. The reason I have not told Chara of this arrangement was that it was to be a present for her, a moment to celibate not because she is hiding things." Celestia said before sighing.
Luna huffed. "You are to kind Celestia. Chara has secrets that could change this world and yet she keeps them to herself. Imagine what we could do if such technology was in our hooves. We could defeat the Minotaur and slay the Griffons slavers, our ponies would be unstoppable and we would rule this land!"
Celestia gazed at Luna with a concerned look. "What is with you Luna?" She asked concerned. "This is a child, one we have raised and aided in life! Is this all you see in her, something to take and siphon knowledge from?"
"You've seen the technology that Chara uses first hand Celestia." Luna said. "Thanks to her we and our ponies have pipes that allow water in homes, lights that run on magic instead of fire."
"Have you considered asking Chara for such information rather than force her?" Celestia asked.
Luna growled. "As if she would tell us such secrets."
"When was the last time you slept Luna?" Celestia asked concerned.
"I slept last night." Luna replied.
Celestia actually sighed. "I mean really slept Luna, not Dream Walk."
Luna thought for a moment. "I... uh... It was- no..." After a moment she sighed. "I don't know."
Celestia sighed. "Remember the last time you did this? You ended up wearing a metal hate and proclaiming yourself Blognoth the Destroyer of Worlds?" Lunas face turned red. "Luna what did you just do and what did we just discuss?"
"We just... oh fuck." Luna said as realization dawned.
Celestia nodded. "Go get some sleep Luna."
"But I mus-" Luna started only for Celestia to place a hoof over her mouth.
"You must get some sleep, I will talk to Chara when she comes back." Celestia said calmly.
Lunas ears fell but she nodded and slowly exited the throne room but before she left she turned to Celestia. "Tell Chara that I'm sorry for what I said and caused her to do."
Chara grumbled as she walked through the Everfree Forest. "The absurdity of me becoming a Princess, I don't need more distractions!" she yelled angrily and she punched a tree. As she punched it her eyes flared with orange magic and the tree was reduced to splinters. Chara growled and continued to walk. It had been eleven years since she had had broken the barrier and during that time much had happened. She had continued to work on the machine to free Gaster however her work had slowed in recent years as Celestia and Luna had given her and Asriel more and more duties to perform. Asriel had begun to work with the Noble houses to set laws and more government work while Chara had been tasked with operating the Guard.
Chara grumbled as she remembered the state of the guard, to sum it up with a single word it was pathetic. The 'Guards' could barely hold a weapon and the slightest intimidation made them flee in terror. It had taken a lot to get them to fight and even them they were shit. A sudden screech broke Chara out of her thoughts and she looked around in confusion. A second screech showed her the direction and she charged, leaping over fallen trees and stones she quickly came upon a sight that disgusted her.
Standing in a clearing was a massive Phoenix, it's wings and body anchored down by massive chains that prevented it from lifting off. Surrounding it was a group consisting of five ponies, three Minotaur and a griffon. With a growl she stepped in to the clearing and summoned her magic to form a revolver which she fired in the air, the loud crack of the gun drew the attention of everyone in the clearing. "Under articular twenty seven section five of the Equestrian Accord it is illegal to hunt, trap or kill a Phoenix as they are considered endangered as a species."
"Who the fuck are you?" A Minotaur asked angry.
"Chara Dreemurr, former Arbiter of the Kingdom of Monsters." She said calmly.
"Wait, she's the Princesses adopted little brat." The second exclaimed.
The Griffon to lick its lips. "A perfect little whore to break in and be ransomed off." It said.
Chara chuckled darkly before full on bursting out laughing manically before turning to the group. "You know, you caught me at a perfect time. See I'm a bit pissed off and you will provide me an outlet." She said as her eyes glowed red and a scythe appeared in her hand. The group drew their sword and smiled at her with hungry eyes.
Chara charged and cleaved through one of the Minotaur cutting both him and his sword in half before turning to the others with a smile. One of the Minotaur roared and charged swinging a massive ax at Chara who dodged them with a smile. "You think I'm just going to stand and take it?" She asked with a smile as one of her eyes changed from red to blue and she inverted his gravity launching him back and impaling him into a tree. Several of the ponies charged at her and dodged their swings all the while her smile grew bigger and the edges began to break apart as if her flesh was decomposing. Chara leaped away and her weapon changed from a scythe to a large Trident that she swung several times the tip changing color.
*Orange, blue, blue, blue, orange
The next swing launched several waves in their direction in the same pattern that the trident flashed. Several ponies screamed and fell dead while others watched in terror. The next Minotaur charged at Chara from behind and slammed into her sending her flying but rather than crash into the ground Chara flipped into the air as black bone like wings ripped out of her back and her eyes went black as some sort of black liquid began to leaked from them. By the time she landed her flesh was a sickly white like a corps and she smirked revealing her decomposed face and ran strait at them her eyes boring into their souls as a red dot showed where she was looking, with a smile she ran at the Minotaur as her blade changed from red to black and shrunk to small black claws that covered her hands. Chara let loose a scream of a banshie and slammed into the Minotaur who screamed in terror as the claws ripped into his throat and she ripped his head from his body with the spine still attached. The remaining ponies and Griffon watched in terror as she rose slowly as if the were a marionette and turned to look at them with a demonic smile before charging.
"Kill it, KILL IT, KILL IT!" The griffon screamed int terror as Chara began to walk toward them.
Chara smiled and ran toward them as two ponies pulled out crossbows and began to fire on her however she seemed to ignore the arrows that punctured her and she laughed as she decapitated them wit a swipe from her claws. before turning to the griffon and leaping at him only for a ax to smash into her like a bat.
Chara flew backward and rolled sever times before rising again and turned to see the Minotaur she had impaled on the tree standing before her a hole in his stomach but he stood his ax chipped crashed but he still stood. "What the fuck are you!?" He exclaimed in fear.
Chara chuckled as she rose and opened her hand to show her soul. Half of it was red with spider-webbing cracks in it however the other half was inverted and white with cracks, with in the cracks was a black substance that seemed to act as glue and hold the Soul together. "I'm and Angle and Demon, born from the pits of Hell, sent from Heaven, made of LOVE, bound by HATE." She said before her soul disappeared and she smiled as she charged them, her claws changing into swords that she slammed into the Minotaur ax shattering it and cleaving his arms off. The Minotaur screamed before he was decapitated.
The griffon turned and ran spreading his wings and leaping into the air only for a pain to pierce his left wing and he turned to see a knife embedded in it, the knife was attached to a chain and the griffon followed it down till he saw the blackened and decayed hands of Chara. Chara grinned and the griffons eyes widened as she yanked hard on the chain and pulled him down to the ground before her. The griffon looked up at her in terror. "Please let me live, I have money! You can have anything you want! Name it and it shall be!" He cried as he begged for mercy.
Chara eye him with utter disdain and he felt as if he were a sheep sent to slaughter or an insect before a giant. Slowly she opened her mouth and spoke and a broken voice. "I want your blood." She said before she slit his throat and walking away. The griffon clutched his throat and gargled as he felt the iron flavored taste of his own blood before falling to the ground, the world slowly growing black around him.
Chara stood in the clearing gazing at the dead bodies around her an maniacal smile in her face, suddenly her eyes cleared and she gasped in shock as she looked around her eyes widening in terror at what she had done. Slowly she looked down at her hands seeing the blood coating them, her skin returned to it's pail color and the rot and decayed skin began to revive and nit back together. The wings on her back faded from existence her eyes cleared returning to be those of a human. Her cloths were shredded and caked in blood and their were cuts and puncture wounds covering her body. Chara grit her teeth and fought through the pain as she rose and approached the Phoenix.
The Phoenix eyed her wearily as she approached and as she neared it's eyes narrowed. Chara smiled and chuckled. "Intimidation doesn't work on me little birdie." She said in a sarcastic tone as she examined the chains.
"If you plan to free me then you are wasting your time." The phoenix said calmly it's voice a deep rumble. "The chains are Mythril forged and reinforced by Adamantite."
Chara frowned. "Little excessive for a Phoenix." She said confused.
The phoenix gives what sounded like a laugh. "I am no ordinary Phoenix, I am an Ash Phoenix." He said with pride. "Were it not for these chains I would simply disperse my essence and reappear away from this trap." Chara nodded and walked toward the chains her eyes glowing orange as she grabbed the chains and pulled. "Foolish child, did you not hear me? These chains are enforced with Adamantite." Chara ignored the Phoenix and continued to pull til with the sound of twisting metal the chains bent and broke. The phoenix watched in shock as Chara walked around pulling each chain till it snapped or shattered. Once they all were broken the phoenix spread his wings and the chains were thrown off of him. "FREEDOM!" The phoenix screeched as the chains were thrown away, the phoenix flapped his wings and a cloud of ash emanated from them as runes the color of dying embers glowed on hes body.
Chara smiled and turned to leave only to stumble and fall face first onto the blood soaked ground. The world spun and slowly Chara closes her eyes letting the world fade away.
Chara groaned as feeling returned to her body. "I see that you are awake at last." A voice said calmly. Chara groaned and tried to rise only to cry out in pain. "Don't get up, in your condition it's a miracle you survived."
"What happened?" Chara asked as she slowly opened her eyes and looked to where to voice was to see a small Phoenix with an ashen color and ember runes.
"You don't remember?" The Phoenix asked.
Charas eyes widened as the memories flooded back. "Your not big anymore." Chara said confused.
The Phoenix gave what sounded like a laugh. "You are quite an interesting creature." He said. "You have saved my life young Princess, I owe you what you would call a life debt."
Chara shrugged only to wince. "I'm assuming it was you who dragged me out of that clearing so I'd say we're even." Chara said.
The Phoenix shook it's head. "No, what they planned for me is something best left unsaid but I owe you my life. The Princesses asked I alert them when you awaken." He said as she spread his wings.
"Wait, how long have I been out?" Chara asked.
"A week." The Phoenix said before taking off and flying through the open window. Chara looked up at the ceiling of her room before sighing and closing her eyes.
Suddenly the door burst open and Luna ran in barely stopping in time to not run into Charas bed. "Chara I'm so sorry!" Luna cried as she pulled the injured human into a hug as tears tan down her muzzle. " I'm sorry for all I said and for what I did and I'm Sorrryyyyy!" Luna cried into Charas chest.
Chara hesitated before sighing and slowly moving to return the hug and pat Lunas head. "I forgive you Luna." Chara said with a sigh as she returned the hug. "Just don't do that again and well be fine." She added.
Luna nodded. "I wasn't sleeping and when I don't sleep I start to say and act foolish. I'm so sorry." Luna said sadly.
Chara nodded. "Sleep deprivation can lead to a person or pony doing may weird things, one of them being things we come to regret later on. I should know."
Celestia stood in the doorway of the room with Asriel at her side. "So it all worked out in the end after all." She said before looking up to the goat monster. "I should take your word more often."
Asriel smiled and nodded before his face returned to a more serious one. "I read the report on what was found at the... site." He said. "There is only one thing that could do that much damage in so little time, something I hoped never to see awakened again."
Celestia turned to Asriel in concern. "if even you fear it then we must stop it."
"That's the thing." Asriel said. "It can't simply be stopped only kept asleep, not even the Elements of Harmony could stop it only return it to sleep."
"What is this thing?" Celestia asked fear in her voice.
Asriel turned to the site of Chara and Luna watching the scene. "Chara has several forms that activate under certain conditions, the forms are biased off of Charas state of mind and her body changes due to the reaction of her magic."
Celestia nodded. "I am aware, some ponies have a similar effect. When a Unicorn is in danger and they have something to fight for or protect there magic can warp their body and explode out in what's called a Rage Shift.
Asriel nodded. "When Chara has something to fight for or protect she changes from her normal form to what we named Judgement Form this is when she become an Arbiter, however there is a another form she can enter. In this form she becomes a monster, a true Demon. Her final and most destructive form, her Genocide Form. When Chara is in extreme pain, be it physical or emotional, the trait of HATE in her body activates and tries to shield her form her suffering and protect her. It acts as a defense mechanism of sorts."
Celestia slowly turned to look at Chara and Luna a hint of fear in her eyes. "Luna's assault and what ever those mercenaries did pushed her to where this darkness felt it needed to act." She said piecing the scenario together.
Asriel nodded. "The Black Trait of HATE, when she enters her Genocide form she normally just become really mean or hides away with the powers of hate, shielding her till she can recover, however in battle she becomes a ruthless and sadistic monster. It's a symbiotic relationship, she is protected and it has a host that keeps it alive by giving it something to feed on."
"It seems dangerous." Celestia said concerned.
Asriel shook his head. "It's protective, if provoked then it is but ion it's own it's simply a sleeping demon that is content to leave others alone." Asriel turned to Celestia. "Princess, Chara is not a glass ball or some fragile person, when something pushes her over the edge then it was something not to over look."
Celestia nodded. "One of the corpses found was a Griffon"
Asriels face went white which was a impressive feet given that he had white fur. "Slavers." He said before turning to Chara. "If Griffons are this far into the kingdom then this is concerning."
"Does this Hate Creature have any malice or does is it simply protect Chara?" Celestia asked.
Asriel looked at the Princess for a moment. "It doesn't care about anything except keeping Chara safe but it only comes out when it must."
Celestia nodded. "Then I see no problem with it." She said. "Darkness can serve the light, and not all darkness is evil." She said as she rose and entered the room approaching Chara.
Asriel watched in surprise as Celestia spoke with Chara and smiled. Her mask was down and her emotions plan to see Asriel stood quiet and a small smile appeared on his face. The Phoenix landed on his shoulder and watched the group. "Chara is an interesting creature and a worthy master."
Asriel turned to the phoenix. "What will you do?" He asked.
"When she is better and her magic has recovered I shall bond with her as her familiar, for now I shall watch and observe." The phoenix said. before turning to the Prince. "She is your sister correct?" Asriel nodded. "Go be with her." He said as he spread his wings and flew away. Asriel turned back to the group and smiled as he entered the room to join those who had become his family. |
Lost Dreamer | Chapter 6 - Shroud of Hate Part 2 | Chara sat in a chair that looked out the window where she always stood. Beside her stood Asriel who had taken to staying at her side till she had recovered. It had been a week since the incident that had been named 'The Forest Glade incident'. The official report given to the kingdom and ponies was that a griffon slaver as well as several mercenaries had captured a phoenix and attacked Chara when she ordered its release, while that was true it was only part of the story with the rest buried for the safety of the kingdom. No one could know what Chara did or what she was capable of.
Due to what had happened Asriel requested that the title of prince and princess be altered for he and his sibling. The two while receiving the same authority and rights as a prince and princess would have they were instead given the titles of Lord Commander of the Military. This meant that Chara and Asriel would act as the highest authority of the Royal Guard, Naval force and Air force. With this new authority Chara and Asriel would be able to act as they saw fit to command the Military forces as well as hold equal authority to the princesses in politics. The difference in this arrangement was that while they still held the position and power of a prince and princess they did not to maintain a ruling court. Once Chara was fully recovered she and Asriel were to be fully-sworn into their position and take an oath of service.
Chara sighed and leaned forward to get up from the chair only for Asriel placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down. "Don't even think about it Chara." He said sternly.
Chara sighed and relaxed again. "What's with you Azzy?" She asked concerned. "You act as if I'm going to... oh." She said as she looked down ashamed.
Asriel looked out the window a distant look in his eyes. "I suppose I've become a bit over protective but you honestly can't blame me can you?" He asked as he turned and looked at Chara with narrowed eyes.
"Not my brightest moment." Chara said with a chuckle. "Turns out buttercups are one of the worst ways to go out." Chara said as she rubbed her neck sheepishly.
Asriel grunted and returned to watching the forest outside the window before stopping and rubbing his eyes and looking out again. "Hey Chara, please tell me that's a flock of pigeons and not what I think it is." He said.
Chara squinted. "Well they could be pigeons but I thing those are Griffons." She said calmly before her eyes widened. "Oh fuck they're Griffons!" She exclaimed before rising quickly and gasping as Asriel caught her from falling over. "Screw this shit." She said as her eyes glowed green as her magic sealed up the wounds and healed them.
"You shouldn't do that Chara." Asriel said angrily. " It weakens your immunity to disease not to mention the effects that healing magic has on the affected body."
"Yell at me for recklessness later Azzy but we're in charge of the Guard now thanks to your plan and as long as I live I will fight to protect my home. I did it for the Underground and I'll be damned if I don't do it here." Chara said her eyes glowing red. Suddenly a flash appeared before the siblings and when they could see again a small golden star floated in the center of their room.
Asriel stared in surprise at it before turning to Chara. "It that what I think it is?" He asked.
Chara slowly approached it and hesitantly reached out and touched it, as soon as he fingers reached it the Save screen popped up.
Chara Dreemurr
The first fallen child
LV1 HP 20/20
*SAVE LOAD ERASE
"A save point!" Chara gasped in surprise before seeing her LV. "Wait, how the hell do I still have an LV of one?! especial after what happened in the clearing!" She asked in a shocked voice.
The sound of explosions caused the castle to shake. "Worry about it later." Asriel said as he ran to the closet and opened it up and grab a set of armor and robes and changing into them. As he exited the closet he summoned his swords and smiled as he stood before Chara who had shifted to her Arbiter appearance. "Ready Chara?" He asked with a smile.
Chara summoned the True Knife and nodded. "Let's teach these slavers who they're messing with."She said as she approached the door but stopped before opening it and smiled.
"What's up?" Asriel asked before Chara kicked the door open and smiled as it slammed into three griffons who were crushed under it's weight.
"I'm a bitch, I'm a lover, I'm a child, I'm a mother, I'm a sinner, I'm a saint!" Chara belted out live a drunk sailor.
Asriel groaned and face-palmed. "Can you be serious for like ten seconds?" He asked in an exasperated tone.
Chara laughed. "Come on brother, it was funny and your smiling." She said with a smirk.
"It's a pity smile!" He exclaimed. Chara simply laughed as she ran down the halls as she disappeared around a corner Asriel chuckled and looked at the crushed Griffons. "It was funny though." He muttered before running after his sister.
Chara smiled as she ran launching DT Blades at any griffons that she saw, as she neared the Courtyard however she slowed and began to calmly walk toward the sound of battle. As she entered she saw the Guards getting pumaled to death by the slavers, Chara sighed and ran forward several rings of blades made from determination appearing around her and she slammed into the Griffons lines with them spinning around her.
The griffons turned in panic to defend themselves but couldn't even raise their swords to defend as they were shredded by the red blades. In a matter of moments the only one left standing was Chara, red blades of Determination floating around her. Chara turned to the Guards and eyed them with the look of a drill sargent who was gazing upon a distinctly pathetic cadet. Several guards gulped in fear. "Were it not for the fact that we are presently under attack I'd grind you maggots into the dust but seeing as we are presently being invaded I'll ignore it..." She said pausing long enough to let several of the guards sigh in relief before continuing. "for now, but when this is done I am going to whip your asses into shape." She said causing them to go white.
Asriel ran into the courtyard and looked around before sighing and walking over to Chara. "I saw what looked like the griffon King heading for the throne room."
Chara nodded. "Looks like we'll need a short cut." She said. Asriel nodded and Chara snapped her fingers, the two disappearing in a flash of blue.
The guards stood in there place for a moment before sighing. "We're fucked." one of them said.
"Hey look at the bright side, whoever is in charge of this attack will be getting the full force of the Commanders wrath while we'll be getting the pent up frustration she'll have that we fucked up." Another guard said. The others grumbled an agreement, they may be punished but at least this time Charas wrath wouldn't be directed at them.
"Ya know, it makes you almost feel bad for them." Another guard said. This time everyone nodded.
King Red Baron was a griffon of opportunity, He captured weakling races, broke them through means of rape and torture and sold them to the highest bidder. Most called him a slaver but he preferred the term Merchant. Recently he had been approached by an...odd costumer who wanted a very special slave and was willing to pay a small fortune for them with the only restriction was that they must be alive. The King smiled, the fact that it was the ape that the Princesses of the ponies had adopted only made the job easier, ponies were week and pathetic. Maybe her would take the princesses as his own personal 'pets'. Suddenly the king and all the guards fell to the ground small blue heart shaped things hovered over them. The guards and king tried to rise but it was as off they had a Minotaur on their backs. A quiet chuckle was heard drawing their attention to two figures who stepped out from behind two of the columns in the room and walked toward the middle.
The one on the left was the ape they had been sent to find, they wore a pair of brown pants with red boots tucked in, a white shirt under a green hoodie jacket with a odd winged symbol on the shoulders. She had her hair cut short but it was her eyes and the blade they held that made the King flinch. Her eyes were as red as blood and they glowed giving off a whips of red magic, in the creatures hand was a blade that looked to be made from blood.
On the right stood a tall imposing creature that looked like a bipedal goat with white fur and odd black markings. He wore purple robes with armored shoulder-pads and a chest-plate that had that odd symbol on it. In his hands were twin swords that glowed white.
"Well, you've been busy huh?" The girl said calmly as she approached them.
"What is this, some form of Magic?" The King asked angrily though his eyes showed fear. "Release me now and I may spare the rest of this kingdom after all you are who I was sent for."
"Oh, and who was it that sent you to capture me?" Chara asked.
"white figure with no features." The king said as she shrugged his shoulders dismissively.
Chara froze something about that creature sounded... familiar. Suddenly Chara grabbed her head and screamed in pain as a memory was pulled to the front of her mind of a white figure with no features except a smile on it's face stood before her speaking. "-tely your not the one in control." The figure said as it approached and hundreds of strings shot out from the darkness wrapping around her. Chara fell tom her knees and screamed before her eyes opened glowing red. "You work for the PLAYER." She said hate dripping from her voice.
The King tilted his head. "That's then name he gave me." He said as he rose and looked at the girl. "Said something along the lines of "I want's my toy back"."
Chara grit her teeth and rose her eyes dull and life less. "I got a question for you." She said calmly, the king tilted his head confused. "Do you think even the worst person can change? that everyone can be a good person, if they just try?"
The King opened his moth but fell silent. "Here's a better question," The Asriel said calmly as he raised his sword and pointed it at the group. "Do you want to have a bad time?" He asked before both he and Chara opened their mouths.
"Because of you take another step forward, well, your not going to like what happens happens next." They said together. The king hesitated before steeling his nerves and walked forward with a smirk.
The two sighed. "Well sorry Celestia, Luna," Asriel said sadly.
"This is why we hate making promises." Chara finished as the world when dark.
Arbiter Chara and Reaper Asriel Block your path.
The King gasped in surprise as the world went dark and quickly drew a sword as he watched the two creatures. Chara and Asriel's heads were bowed and there eyes were closed.
"It's a beautiful day outside," Chara said calmly.
"The birds are singing, flowers are blooming." Asriel said.
"On days like this," Chara said with a sigh.
"people like you," Asriel said sadly.
Suddenly both the siblings looked up and their eyes snapped open Charas glowing red and Asriel glowing purple. "Should be burning in Hell." They said together as they raised their hands. Knives and swords launched forward in maze like pattern that the griffons had to weave through, once they made it through the attack several Gaster Basters appeared around them and fired forcing them to dodge again. One of the guards wasn't fast enough and as the blast hit him he screeched as he was disintegrated, not even ash remained.
As the attack ended Asriel smiled and a large skull appeared before them and began to inhale creating a vortex that pulled the remaining guards in before unleashing a beam at the king who barely dodged the attack by ducking under it. "What the fuck was that!" The king gasped out as he rose.
"Dr. G♋︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎ created special weapons for us long ago, Chara was given the Determination Gaster Blaster while I was given the Hyper Goner." Asriel replied. The king gulped in fear before looking down and seeing four buttons.
FIGHT ACT ITEM MERCY
They king narrowed his eyes and hit the Act button and looked over the options
CHECK BEG
TAUNT PRAY
The King hit the check button and selected the option of checking Chara, as the King hit Charas name information appeared about her.
Arbiter Chara Dreemurr
HP: 20/20 AT: 99 DF: 99
The last Judge of the Underground, is filled with Determination.
The Demon who comes when People call their name. =)
The King shuddered and checking Asriels information.
Reaper Asriel Dreemurr
HP: 99 AT: 99 DF: 99
The Prince of the Underground, will not let you harm his sibling.
I Have stood at your side since the beginning, now fear the name of the Reaper.
"Huh, well that was informative." The king said as he looked up and narrowly dodged the knives aimed at him before jumping over the swords swung by Asriel. As he jumped backward Chara appeared in front of him with a smile.
Chara floated in front of the King as she turned his Soul blue and it appeared in front of his chest. "Never let your guard down." Chara said as she shot him backwards ricocheting off of knives that broke through the floor and ceiling before Asriel shot forward and thrust a sword into his chest pinning him to the wall. The King screeched in pain and hung there for a second before the blade faded and he fell to the floor, slowly he rose and let out a screech as his wings extended and he shot forward toward the two siblings. As he neared he swung his sword and Asriel raised his to block the strike sending sparks flying. The King swung furiously each strike paired or blocked by Asriel who smiled as he thrust his arm forward and a blast of rainbow lightning shoot out of his hand and ripped through the King. As the King flew back Chara teleport behind him and slammed her fist into his back her eyes glowing with orange magic and her fists covered in orange gauntlets that looked like claws. Chara spun around delivering kick and punches that caused shock-waves and shredded the Kings armor.
The King screeched in anger and swung his sword catching Charas cheek and leaving a shallow cut while he used his other talon to push her back, as he landed he stood between Chara and Asriel gasping for breath. "W-what in the name of Tartarus are you?" He gasped out his eyes wide in terror.
"I'm the Judge." Chara said her eyes glowing red and cyan.
"I am the Reaper." Asriel said his right eye glowing purple and the left a rainbow of color.
The King grit his beak and raise his sword in defiance. "This isn't over." He said angrily. "I'll return, with another army, a stronger army!" He screeched.
Chara smiled. "You made your choice them." She said calmly before she shot forward, her knife transforming into a rapier, the King swung his sword as she approached however Chara nimbly ducked under it and rose bringing blade up as an arc of steel death. The Griffon King froze for a moment, eyes wide in terror, before the blade fell from his hand and he fell backwards. Chara watched calmly as the light in the kings eyes faded. "Foolish King, it didn't have to be like this." She said sadly.
Asriel walked toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "He made his choice, we made ours." He said sadly. "Remember what father said, the choices and actions we make reflect who we are. We chose to use our power and skills to help as such we must face the actions of that choice." He said and he pulled her into a hug.
Chara nodded slowly as she returned the hug. "I wish the choices weren't so horrible." She said sadly.
"Come on we still have work to do and the griffons wont stop themselves." Asriel said as he turned and began to walk away. Chara simply stood there and Asriel stopped to turn to her. "Chara, you okay?" He asked concerned as he turned to her. Chara groaned and rubbed her forehead before falling forward. "Chara!" Asriel cried as he ran and grabbed her before she hit the floor.
Chara coughed and smiled up at Asriel. "Sorry bro, just give me a moment." She said.
"Chara you idiot!" Asriel yelled in anger. "You used too much magic, don't move just rest." He said as he lay her down. Suddenly the doors to the hall were blasted open and Luna and Celestia charged in only to stop and look around. The moment they spotted Asriel leaning over Chara they ran over and knelt over the two.
"What happened here?" Luna asked as she looked over Chara who weekly tried to bat her hoofs away.
Asriel eyed Chara angrily before turning to the princesses. "Chara is what you would call a glass canon." Asriel said calmly. "She is extremely powerful and skilled however that power comes with a price, when she uses her magic it puts a strain on her body. She can use her magic just fine but too much and it drains her body, it's something she had in common with a certain skeleton." He said as he looked at Chara with a hard look."
Chara scoffed. "So I tire easily, doesn't mean anything." She said as he moved to sit up only to struggle.
"Chara, why didn't you tell us this?" Celestia asked concerned.
"Cause normally it's a small problem." She said as she stood shakily. "I'm not some fragile child that has to be handled like a broken piece of fine china, I am a warrior, trained to fight and, if I must, lay down my life of the protection of the kingdom I serve." Chara said as she looked at the two princesses. "Besides it's not a problem unless I completely exhaust myself."
"If that's the case then you'd be fine right now." Asriel said as he crossed his arms. "Honestly the only time you were like this was when- Chara what have you done!" He screamed in anger. "That experiment lead to G♋︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎ falling in to the Void, Sans lost almost all his HP from it and that machine is the reason you have this fucking problem!"
Chara flinched and looked away. "I did what I had to do Asriel." She said.
"We will discuss this later but for now we have other things to worry about." He said as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Got that right." A voice said from the end of the hall. Everyone looked up in shock to see the army of griffons standing before them. "With the brat out of juice this will be much easier to capture her. "A griffon said calmly as he stepped forward only to be eviscerated by a bolt of rainbow lightning.
Asriel took a deep breath and lowered his hand. "I can't do that much more Celestia, we need to fall back or something."
Celestia shook her head. "I'm out of magic myself, Luna?" Luna shook her head as well, Celestia sighed. "Well looks like were going down fighting." She said as she summoned a halberd and Luna raised her swords. The Griffons smiled and stepped forward only for a small flame that would belong to a candle to flicker to life between the two groups. The two groups stared in surprise as the flame flickered and began to grow into a human like figure that rose out of the ground.
The figure wore black dress shoes, black trousers, a white dress shirt with a black tie and overcoat. The figure stood calmly before the griffons and stared at them before he pulled what looked like the hilt of a sword from his pocket. The hilt was made from what looked like obsidian and was ornately carved. The figure flicked his wrist and the carvings glowed with orange and a blade of fire shot out, calmly he rose the blade and pointed it at the griffons.
"As amusing as this has been to see you chickens play at solders I've grown weary of this." Grillby said as he raised his sword and set it on his shoulder.
"The flames of Hell are calling, looks like it's time for you to join them." He said as he swung his sword and released a wave of fire at the griffons. The griffons panicked and tried to scatter but were too uncoordinated, they slammed into each other and the walls before the wave of fire consumed them. Grillby then charged forward and swung his sword at the nearest griffon chopping on the wings before driving it into the griffons chest. "You know I always preferred chicken breast over the wings, more meat on it." He said calmly as as the sword engulfed the griffon in fire turning him to ash, calmly he turned to the other griffons who readied their weapons and charged.
Grillby sighed and blocked an oncoming spear turning the wood shaft to ash as he pierced the griffons chest disintegrating him as well. A sword was swung at him but he simply caught it with his hand and melted the blade before eyeing the griffon. "I believe you dropped this." he said as he threw the melted steel at the griffon who screamed and ran. Calmly Grillby looked over the remaining griffons. "This is your final chance, leave this kingdom and do not return." He said calmly.
The griffons look at each other for a moment before turning and fleeing the hall. Grillby sighed and deactivated the sword before sitting down tiredly. "I'm getting too old for this shit." He said.
Chara burst out laughing. "Always knew you had a sense of humor buried under all that hot air." Chara said.
Grillby groaned "You are more like Sans every time we talk."
"Indeed, My toy has been most entertaining." A voice said calmly causing everyone to turn in surprise as a completely white figure with no features except for a white smile on their face calmly walked forward. "A Puppet with no strings but still is quiet amusing."
"Asriel summoned his sword however it flickered and dulled as his magic was almost drained. "Who are you?" He asked as he moved to in front of Chara.
"I am but a simply PLAYER." The figure said with a chuckle.
Chara rose slowly however something was off about her. "I remember you." She said as she walked forward and drew the True Knife.
"Fascinating, and what do you remember my toy?" The PLAYER asked with a bigger smile.
Chara charged forward and swung at the PLAYER her eyes glowing red with determination. "You are the one who Corrupted Frisk!" She screamed as the PLAYER barely dodged the attack. The PLAYER quickly turned and deflected several more attacks but Chara presses on her skin turning a sickly white and decay as her eyes beginning to leak a black substances. "Yo◆︎r Go♓︎■︎♑︎ ⧫︎□︎ ◻︎♋︎⍓︎ ♐︎□︎❒︎ Th♓︎⬧︎!" She screamed her voice cracking and distorting as She charged and slashed the PLAYER across the chest causing him to bleed. The Player gasped and grabbed his chest as he leaped back and looked at Chara in what was either shock or fear. Chara glared at the PLAYER and smiled. "That was for Sans you dirty brother killer." She said
The PLAYER growled and in his hand papered a knife as well. "You know they say if you want something done then you have to do it your self." They said as they charged at Chara swinging the Knife with a smile. Chara smiled as well and charged forward meeting the player only for the Player to decapitate Chara.
"Chara!" Asriel cried as her body flew past the PLAYER who stopped and turned wit a smile only to gasp as a glowing star appeared and Chara leaped out charging at the PLAYER the knife shifting into a long sword that she swung at the PLAYER her eyes glowing red.
"You may have manipulated the Timeline and had control of Frisks Determination but you don't know how to use it like I do." She said as she added another deep gash to the PLAYERS chest and knocking him backwards into Grillby's waiting fist which slammed into the PLAYER with enough force to cause a small explosion on impact. The PLAYER was thrown backwards and Charas eyes changed to blue as she grabbed the PLAYERS soul and threw it backwards causing him to crash into a wall. Chara smiled as several bones ripped form the wall and impaled them. "Get dunked on." Chara said in a low voice with a smile on.
As Chara turned away from the sight a low laugh was heard echoing through the hall and everyone froze as Chara turned back her eyes wide as she saw the PLAYER pulling away from the bones that pinned them. The PLAYER laughed as they ripped them self free from the wall and fell to the ground with a wet splat before rising. "You can not beat me Chara Dreemurr, your not strong enough to best me." They said as they walked forward. "To be honest if you were at your best with a full pool of magic them perhaps you'd have stood a chance but in your state nothing you throw tr me will stop me." They said.
Chara sighed sadly. "Look kid, I gave up hope a long time ago, You don't know how it feels knowing that one day everything could simply be erased. " As Chara spoke everyone looked at her confused except for Asriel who sighed with sadness. "However," Chara continued causing Asriel to look up. "knowing what I do now, after having finally gotten my brother back and regaining a family, after finally having some hope for the first time in so long... I can't afford not to care anymore." She said as she glared at the PLAYER.
"So what, you'll just give me some crappy speech about how you love everyone and then the power of love and friendship will save you?" The PLAYER mocked with a laugh. "News flash kid but this is the real world not some prissy little girl's TV show."
Chara chuckled. "Oh your adorable for thinking that but no, I think I'll save the Orbital Friendship Cannon of Deus Ex Machina for another time." Chara said with a chuckle as she closed her eyes. "Rather I think It's time you met someone who I'm sure is dying to meet you after what you did to his sons" She said with a smile as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a black liquid that glowed with a white outline.
The PLAYER pause for a moment in confusion as Chara chucked the vile at him and it shattered coating him in the substance. "Ugh, what is this shit?" He asked before it began to glow brighter and the PLAYER screamed as a hole in reality was ripped open "This isn't over Chara, I will be back and when I return I shall destroy all you hold dear and rip your family apart!" They screamed as they were sucked inside.
"Give my regards to the Void." Chara yelled happily before passing out. |
Lost Dreamer | Chapter 7 - The Darkness Keeps Growing, | Hello Everyone, Arceaion here. I want to say thank you all for sticking with this story but also that that there is a lot that you haven't pieced together as to whats going on. Pieces that may seem arbitrary or random may actually hold important clues as to the true story that is hidden. Not everything is going to be spelled out and Not everything is an open book. Sometimes one must dig through the pages to discover the truth and other times The book that you have only gives half the answers.
Chara lay in a void of nothing that stretched out around her. "💧︎□︎📪︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ◻︎●︎♋︎⍓︎♏︎❒︎ ♒︎♋︎⬧︎ ❍︎♋︎♎︎♏︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎❒︎♏︎ ❍︎□︎❖︎♏︎✍︎"
"So, the PLAYER has made there move?" Gaster asked calmly.
Cara nodded and sat up. "They have."
The two sat in silence till Gaster sat up concern on his face. "💧︎□︎❍︎♏︎⧫︎♒︎♓︎■︎♑︎ ⬥︎♏︎♓︎❒︎♎︎ ♓︎⬧︎ ♒︎♋︎◻︎◻︎♏︎■︎♓︎■︎♑︎📬︎"
"Something weird is happening." He said as he turned to Chara.
Chara looked at him confused before closing her eyes and concentrating. "What do you mean weird, I don't sense anything anomalous in the Time Stream?
"👎︎□︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ❒︎♏︎❍︎♏︎❍︎♌︎♏︎❒︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ♑︎♏︎■︎□︎♍︎♓︎♎︎♏︎ ❒︎◆︎■︎✍︎"
"Do you remember the Genocide Run?" Gaster asked.
"After what that thing put Frisk and then me through do you honestly think I could forget?" Chara asked in a sarcastic tone
"☠︎□︎ ⧫︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎🕯︎⬧︎ ■︎□︎⧫︎ ⬥︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎ ♓︎ ❍︎♏︎♋︎■︎📬︎"
"No that's not what I mean." Gaster said as he face palmed.
"👎︎□︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ❒︎♏︎❍︎♏︎❍︎♌︎♏︎❒︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ♐︎♏︎♏︎●︎♓︎■︎♑︎ □︎♐︎ ⧫︎♏︎❒︎❒︎□︎❒︎ □︎❒︎ ♒︎□︎◻︎♏︎●︎♏︎⬧︎⬧︎■︎♏︎⬧︎⬧︎ ⧫︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎ ♓︎⧫︎ ♌︎❒︎□︎◆︎♑︎♒︎⧫︎📪︎ ⬥︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎ ♓︎⧫︎ ♐︎♏︎●︎⧫︎ ●︎♓︎🙵♏︎ ⧫︎□︎ ⬥︎♋︎⧫︎♍︎♒︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ⬥︎□︎❒︎●︎♎︎ ♑︎❒︎□︎⬥︎ ♎︎♋︎❒︎🙵📪︎ ⧫︎□︎ ⬧︎♏︎♏︎ ♓︎⧫︎ ⧫︎◆︎❒︎■︎ ♏︎❍︎◻︎⧫︎⍓︎ ♋︎■︎♎︎ ♎︎♏︎❖︎□︎♓︎♎︎ □︎♐︎ ♋︎●︎●︎ ●︎♓︎♐︎♏︎✍︎"
"Do you remember the feeling of terror or hopelessness that it brought, what it felt like to watch the world grow dark, to see it turn empty and devoid of all life?" Gaster rose and looked at Chara in concern.
"👎︎□︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ❒︎♏︎❍︎♏︎❍︎♌︎♏︎❒︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ⬥︎♋︎⍓︎ ♓︎⧫︎ ⬧︎◆︎♐︎♐︎□︎♍︎♋︎⧫︎♏︎♎︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ♒︎□︎⬥︎ ♓︎⧫︎ ◻︎◆︎●︎●︎♏︎♎︎ ♋︎⧫︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎❒︎ ⬧︎□︎◆︎●︎ ♋︎■︎♎︎ ⬧︎♋︎◻︎◻︎♏︎♎︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ♒︎□︎◻︎♏︎ ♐︎❒︎□︎❍︎ ♓︎⧫︎✍︎"
"Do you remember the way it suffocated you how it pulled at your soul and sapped the HoPe from it?"
Chara looked away and didn't answer for a moment but finally she nodded. "Yes."
"✋︎⧫︎🕯︎⬧︎ ♒︎♋︎◻︎◻︎♏︎■︎♓︎■︎♑︎ ♋︎♑︎♋︎♓︎■︎📬︎"
"It's happening again." Gaster said as he tuned away from her sadly.
Charas eyes lit up with red magic as she turned to him so fast he thought she teleported. "What do you mean it's happening again?!" She cried out in fear.
"✋︎ ❍︎♏︎♋︎■︎ ⧫︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎ ♐︎♏︎♏︎●︎♓︎■︎♑︎📪︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ □︎■︎♏︎ ⧫︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎ ❍︎♏︎♋︎■︎⬧︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ♑︎♏︎■︎□︎♍︎♓︎♎︎♏︎ ❒︎◆︎■︎ ♓︎⬧︎ ♌︎♋︎♍︎🙵✏︎"
"I mean that feeling, the one that means the Genocide run is back!" Gaster said as he raised himself up in anger before deflating and returning to his sad state.
"✋︎⧫︎🕯︎⬧︎ ❍︎◆︎♍︎♒︎ ⬧︎●︎□︎⬥︎♏︎❒︎📬︎📬︎📬︎ ♌︎◆︎⧫︎ ♓︎⧫︎🕯︎⬧︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎❒︎♏︎📬︎"
"It's much slower... but it's there." He sad sadly.
"So that means..." Chara took a deep breath and continued. "That can only mean one thing, right? Gaster said nothing. "It means that they're back... but how? How is this possible Gaster? I threw them into the void, ripped their body apart and scattered it to the wind!"
Gaster nodded. "✡︎□︎◆︎ ♎︎♓︎♎︎📪︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ 🙵♓︎●︎●︎♏︎♎︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ♌︎□︎♎︎⍓︎ ♌︎◆︎⧫︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ❍︎♓︎■︎♎︎📬︎"
"You did, you killed the body but the mind." He said with a smirk.
"❄︎♒︎♏︎ ❍︎♓︎■︎♎︎ ♓︎⬧︎ ⬧︎⧫︎♓︎●︎●︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎❒︎♏︎📪︎ 🙰◆︎⬧︎⧫︎ ●︎♓︎🙵♏︎ ♓︎🕯︎❍︎ ⬧︎⧫︎♓︎●︎●︎ ♒︎♏︎❒︎♏︎📪︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎♓︎❒︎ ❍︎♓︎■︎♎︎ ♓︎⬧︎ ⬧︎⧫︎♓︎●︎●︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎❒︎♏︎📬︎"
"The mind is still there, just like I'm still here, their mind is still there."
"What can we do?" Chara asked.
Gaster sighed. "☠︎□︎⧫︎♒︎♓︎■︎♑︎📬︎"
"Nothing."
Chara's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean 'nothing'." Chara growled.
"❄︎♒︎♏︎ ⬥︎♋︎⍓︎ ⬥︎♏︎ ♋︎❒︎♏︎ ■︎□︎⬥︎📪︎ ⬥︎♏︎ ♍︎♋︎■︎ ♎︎□︎ ■︎□︎⧫︎♒︎♓︎■︎♑︎📬︎ ✋︎■︎ □︎◆︎❒︎ ♍︎◆︎❒︎❒︎♏︎■︎⧫︎ ♐︎□︎❒︎❍︎⬧︎ ⬥︎♏︎ ♋︎❒︎♏︎ ◆︎⬧︎♏︎●︎♏︎⬧︎⬧︎📬︎"
"The way we are now, we can do nothing. In our current forms we are useless." Gaster Replied.
Chara blinked as realization dawned and she smirked. "So what do we do?"
Gaster Laughed as he turned to her with a smile. "✋︎⧫︎🕯︎⬧︎ ❑︎◆︎♓︎⧫︎♏︎ ⬧︎♓︎❍︎◻︎●︎♏︎ ❍︎⍓︎ ♎︎♏︎♋︎❒︎📪︎ ⬥︎♏︎ ❒︎♏︎⬧︎⧫︎□︎❒︎♏︎ □︎◆︎❒︎⬧︎♏︎●︎❖︎♏︎⬧︎📬︎ ✋︎■︎⬧︎♓︎♎︎♏︎ ❍︎⍓︎ □︎●︎♎︎ ●︎♋︎♌︎ ♓︎ ⬥︎♋︎⬧︎ ⬥︎□︎❒︎🙵♓︎■︎♑︎ □︎■︎ ♋︎ ♎︎♏︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎❍︎♓︎■︎♋︎⧫︎♓︎□︎■︎ ♌︎□︎□︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎ ⧫︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎ ⬥︎□︎◆︎●︎♎︎ ♋︎●︎●︎□︎⬥︎ ❍︎□︎■︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎⬧︎ ⧫︎□︎ ♒︎♋︎❖︎♏︎ ❒︎♏︎♋︎♎︎⍓︎ ♋︎♍︎♍︎♏︎⬧︎⬧︎ ⧫︎□︎ ♓︎⧫︎🕯︎⬧︎ ◻︎□︎⬥︎♏︎❒︎ ♒︎□︎⬥︎♏︎❖︎♏︎❒︎ ⬥︎♒︎♏︎■︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ♒︎◆︎❍︎♋︎■︎⬧︎ ●︎□︎♍︎🙵♏︎♎︎ ❍︎□︎■︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎⬧︎ ◆︎■︎♎︎♏︎❒︎♑︎❒︎□︎◆︎■︎♎︎ ♓︎ ⬥︎♋︎⬧︎ ♐︎□︎❒︎♍︎♏︎♎︎ ⧫︎□︎ ♋︎♌︎♋︎■︎♎︎□︎■︎ ❍︎⍓︎ ❒︎♏︎⬧︎♏︎♋︎❒︎♍︎♒︎📬︎ ☜︎❖︎♏︎■︎ ⧫︎♒︎□︎◆︎♑︎♒︎ ♓︎⧫︎ ⬥︎♋︎⬧︎ ■︎♏︎♋︎❒︎ ♍︎□︎❍︎◻︎●︎♏︎⧫︎♓︎□︎■︎ ♓︎ ♎︎♓︎♎︎■︎🕯︎⧫︎ ♌︎❒︎♓︎■︎♑︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ■︎□︎⧫︎♏︎⬧︎📬︎"
"It's quite simple my dear, we restore ourselves. Inside my old Lab I was working on a Determination Booster that would allow monsters to have ready access to it's power however when the Humans locked Monsters underground I was forced to abandon my research. Even though it was near completion I didn't bring the notes."
Charas eyes widened. "If I used that I'd be at full power, the limiter on my body would be broken and I'd be able to use my magic at full power again!" She gasped in excitement.
Gaster nodded. "❄︎♒︎♏︎❒︎♏︎ ♋︎❒︎♏︎ ♋︎ ♐︎♏︎⬥︎ ⧫︎♒︎♓︎■︎♑︎⬧︎ ⧫︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎ ⬧︎♒︎□︎◆︎●︎♎︎ ♌︎♏︎ □︎♐︎ ◆︎⬧︎♏︎ ⧫︎□︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ♓︎■︎ ❍︎⍓︎ □︎●︎♎︎ ●︎♋︎♌︎📬︎"
"There are a few things that should be of use to you in my old lab."
"You mean aside from a possible way to restore monsters?" Chara asked with a smile.
Gaster nodded. "👍︎♒︎♋︎❒︎♋︎📪︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ♎︎□︎ 🙵■︎□︎⬥︎ ⧫︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎ ♏︎❖︎♏︎■︎ ♓︎♐︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎❒︎♏︎ ♓︎⬧︎ ♋︎ ⬥︎♋︎⍓︎ ⧫︎□︎ ❒︎♏︎❖︎♓︎❖︎♏︎ ❍︎□︎■︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎⬧︎ ♓︎⧫︎ ❍︎♋︎⍓︎ ■︎□︎⧫︎ ♌︎♏︎ ♓︎■︎ ❍︎⍓︎ ●︎♋︎♌︎📬︎ ✋︎♐︎ ♓︎⧫︎🕯︎⬧︎ ■︎□︎⧫︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎❍︎ ⬥︎♏︎🕯︎●︎●︎ ♒︎♋︎❖︎♏︎ ⧫︎□︎📬︎📬︎📬︎"
"Chara, you do know that even if there is a way to revive monsters it may not be in my lab. If it's not them we'll have to..." Gaster trailed off.
Chara looked away her smile fading. "If there is even a chance I have to take it."
The Void glitched and Chara shivered as The two occupants were changed. For a moment Chara was a Skeleton Monster and Gaster had the appearance of a man in his late twenties. "The Bleeding effect is growing worse." Gaster said as he returned to how he looked.
Chara groaned "☠︎□︎⧫︎ ●︎♓︎🙵♏︎ ♓︎ ♍︎♋︎■︎ ♎︎□︎ ♋︎■︎⍓︎⧫︎♒︎♓︎■︎♑︎ ♋︎♌︎□︎◆︎⧫︎ ♓︎⧫︎📪︎ ♋︎♐︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎ ♋︎●︎●︎ ♓︎⧫︎ ⬥︎♓︎●︎●︎ □︎■︎●︎⍓︎ ♑︎♏︎⧫︎ ⬥︎□︎❒︎⬧︎♏︎📬︎"
"Not like I can do anything about it, after all it will only get worse." She said as she fell to her knees and returned to normal.
"If you don't then you'll be pulled into the Void." Gaster said as he rubbed his Skull.
Chara nodded slowly. "I just need more time." Gaster hesitated but after a moment he nodded. Chara smiled sadly. "If we survive this it you owe me a drink." She said as the Void cracked.
Gaster laughed quietly. "✋︎♐︎ ⬥︎♏︎ ⬧︎◆︎❒︎❖︎♓︎❖︎♏︎ ⧫︎♒︎♓︎⬧︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎🕯︎●︎●︎ ♌︎♏︎ ⬥︎♒︎□︎●︎♏︎ ♋︎■︎♎︎ ♓︎🕯︎●︎●︎ ♌︎♏︎ ♐︎❒︎♏︎♏︎📬︎"
"If we survive this you'll be whole and I'll be free." He said. Chara laughed as the world Glitched and she was ripped from the Void.
Chara Gasped as she shot up her heart beating quickly as she gasped for breath. After a moment she winced and grabbed her chest in pain her mouth opening in a silent scream as her eyes glowed however it wasn't there normal red, instead Charas eyes glowed blue and orange. "⚐︎♒︎ ♐︎◆︎♍︎🙵♓︎■︎♑︎ ♑︎□︎♎︎ ♎︎□︎♏︎⬧︎ ⧫︎♒︎♓︎⬧︎ ♒︎◆︎❒︎⧫︎✏︎"
"Oh fucking god does this hurt!" She screamed in pain however her voice was distorted and overlaid with another.
Slowly Chara got up but stumbled to and fell to her knees as the pain grew suddenly the door burst open and Asriel ran in looking around and seeing Chara on her knees clutching her chest. "Chara!" Asriel screamed in panic as he ran over to her and knelt next to her as his eyes glowed green and he placed a hand on her back as a green glow began to cover her. "Chara, are you okay?" He asked concerned.
"I'll be fine, just need a moment." After a moment she chuckled. "So this is what happens when my magic returns." She said calmly as she wince and rose. "How long was I out?"
Asriel sighed. "It's been a week." He said as he walked to the window and looked out. "We're at war with the Griffon Kingdom." He said.
Charas eyes widened on shock as he said this and when he turned to her a somber look was on his face. "The Princesses have ordered all Guards trained by us and prepped for real battle."
Chara frowned and walked over to Asriel joined Asriel at their window. "Are they sure Azzy?" She asked calmly. Asriel nodded and she sighed. "Call all guards to the training grounds, let's make an army." She said as she walked away and exited the room.
Asriel sighed and looked out at the kingdom sadly before his eyes hardened and his face changed from sadness to a look of resignation, a look that had been on his fathers face for many years. "The time has come for the Reaper to walk the battle field again and for the souls of man to be Judged by the Arbiters of hell, for we are the monsters and they our prey." Calmly Asriel turned and walked away from the window his eyes glowing. "May God have mercy on them for we shall have none to give." Calmly he walked through the castle traveling the well remembered path to the training ground to see ranks upon ranks of guards standing at attention before Chara. Off to the side stood the princesses who wore a set of armor that reflected their spheres of influence, Celestia wore a pair of beautifully crafted gold armor while Luna wore a set of silver armor. With a sigh he calmly walked up and stood before the guards alongside Chara. Off to the side stood Grillby who now wore a set of armor emblazoned with the Delta Rune.
Chara sighed and then looked at the guards her eyes glowing red and her appearance change to her Arbiter form. "Stand at attention when superior officers are before you!" She yelled as she noticed many of the guards were relaxed. Immediately the guards jumped to attention and Chara frowned. "Drop every one of your weapons now." She said.
Hesitantly the guards did so and she looked at Asriel who nodded and walked forward using his magic to levitate them away from the guards. "Until you can actually fight without weapons you will not be getting these back." She said angrily. "Now I don't know how to train guards so I won't be training you as guards. From here on out you are solders and you will be trained as soldiers. If you have a problem with that then the exit is that way pack your things and leave." She said as she pointed to the main gate. After several minutes on none of the guards moving she nodded and the gate slammed shut. "That was you one chance. Now we begin."
After that day Chara and Asriel trained the guard day and night. They taught them the basics of close quarters combat, basic tactics, strategy and planning. There was a lot of push back at first however Asriel and Chara made sure that if one of the guards caused problem then every single one of them would suffer a punishment, eventually the guards kept each other in line simply by not wanting to be punished and after several months the guards were competent enough to follow basic orders. Once Chara and Asriel were sure they were ready the guards were given wooden training swords and a set of extremely heavy armor before they were shown basic weapon maneuvers by Grillby, they were shown how to wield everything from a sword to more unconventional weapons such as a table and even how to use a helmet as a weapon. After this the guards were divided up in to groups of twelve, given their old weapons, a set of rusted armor and sent into the heart of the Everfree to survive for one month.
During this time Asriel, Chara and Grillby divided their attention on what needed doing. Grillby went to the forges and taught them how to smith a proper weapons and armor made from steel, Orichalcum, Adamantite, Mythril and other metals. Asriel began drawing up battle plans and defensive lines for the up coming war with the Griffons, Chara continued monitoring the guards and often sent beast of the Everfree to attack the trainees that were doing too good. By the end of the month the guards returned pride emanating from them as they walked through the gates, their armor was shattered and their weapons broken but they had survived. Granted not all had made it but the ones who did stood tall and proud.
When they returned they had stood before Grillby and Chara who had dismissed them to their barracks to rest. After returning to their barracks they found a set of newly made and pristine armor as well as a sword and spear laying on their beds. With these new weapons they trained harder both at the castle and in the forest, they were sent on missions to clear out monsters and protect the citizens till final after a month passed they once again all stood before the Princesses, Asriel, Chara and Grillby.
Chara and Asriel stood where they had six moths ago with Grillby off to the side and the Princesses watching after a moment the guards entered through the gates. The Guard had trained for a grand total of six months and as they stepped through the changes were as obvious as night and day. The Guards walked with pride as if they were a single entity rather than as a shambling crowd. The weapons they held shined in the light of the sun and their armor was as pristine as the day they had earned it. As they lined up they remained at attention, the discipline that Grillby and Chara ingrained into them showing. Many of the Guards had visible scars from their fights and there eyes were hard, a fire of determination burning within them.
The Princesses sat in shock as Chara and Asriel smiled. Grillby stepped forward and approached them. "At ease Guardsmen!" He shouted and the guard relaxed slightly but remained at attention.
Once they had relaxed Chara stepped forward and spoke. "Six months ago you stood before your princesses as worthless men who could probably not fight your way out of a paper bag, today you stand before your princesses as warriors that have been forged into protectors and defenders. Congratulations are in order, you've passed your training."
"Thank you Ma'am!" The Guards shouted pride in their voice.
Chara smiled. "Six months ago Griffon invaders attacked us. They attacked this very castle, the heart of our kingdom, on that day war with the Griffon Kingdom was declared and we sent the best of the guard to fight them. For six months they have fought, bleed and barely held there ground against an invasion force of thousands of griffons. In three days we are leaving to reinforce those Guards and show the Griffons why they should fear Equestria! Today you earn the right of being Equestria First Guard, the sworn defenders who will protect this Kingdom." As Chara finished the Guards roared in applause.
The next day the Royal Guard, lead by Chara and Asriel, marched out of Everfree Castle and through the village that surrounded it. As they made their way through the town the ponies cheered as the army marched through it and for the front lines of the Griffon Kingdom. However despite the cheers they received many of the guards had a sad look on their face for they knew that this war would claim many of them, and that it wouldn't be over for a long time. Chara watched them with a hint of pride, they knew the risks yet they remained loyal and marched, willingly to what may be their deaths. |
Lost Dreamer | Chapter 8 - Battle to the Void Part 1: Bound by Blood till Time of Death | 960 years BNM
Chara stood on a cliff looking over castle of the Griffon Kingdom beside her on a fallen tree sat the phoenix that she had saved years ago. The two stood in silence as they watched the castle and the griffons that guarded it. "I don't like it." The phoenix said in a tired voice.
"The plan is solid and I think it gives us a fair shot." Chara replied calmly.
"It's too risky even if you and the Princesses get in there's no chance for you to defeat Queen Talon." He said tiredly.
"I know, that's why it won't be just me." Chara said with a sighed. "Back when I was younger my body was much stronger and I'd have been able to but in the state I'm in now I'm too weak."
"Then let me help." The Phoenix said as he grew in size till he returned to it's original form. "Chara you saved my life from a fate worse than death, I owe you my life. I ask, no I beg you, make a contract with me."
Chara sighed and looked at the phoenix. "And what type of contract would this be, a Life Pact?" She asked.
The phoenix shook his head and Chara frowned. "Something deeper." He said.
Chara looked up to the sky with a sigh. "If you do this you'll loose your freedom."
The Phoenix shook his head. "I won't be trapped in a cage and I can leave and return freely, I may be bound to you but I will be fine."
Chara sighed before turning to him. "If your sure then we can." The Phoenix fluffed his feathers happily as Chara approached. The two stood before each other as the runes on the Phoenix began to glow brightly and Charas eyes glowed red with determination.
At the camp Asriel and Grillby sat with the princesses in the command tent before they froze, a power they had not felt since before Gaster's disappearance spiked and a wave of magic shot through the camp causing the princesses to gasp in shock. Quickly the four ran out of the tent to see a pillar of red and orange magic shot into the sky. "It Chara!" Asriel yelled in panic as he ran in the direction of the pillar.
"Asriel wait!" Celestia yelled as she ran after him. Luna and Grillby looked at each other before turning and running after the two.
Asriel ran as fast as he could through the forest leaping over fallen trees and rocks, his sister hadn't used that much magic since Gaster had been trapped in the Void. As he leaped out onto the clearing the princesses and Grillby behind him they all froze and watched in shock at what they saw. Before them Chara and the Phoenix floated in a circle that was made from their combined magic. As they floated chains of black circled them loosely. Then they heard it, an oath that resounded with the world itself as it was recited.
May we be Bound by an Oath of Blood,
May we be tied by bonds of Duty,
Bound by Chains of Silver,
Bound by Chains of Fire,
Seven Gates Lock
Seven Binding Sealed
Bound by strings of fate beyond reach of death
Chara, I shall stay at your side forever, grant me a name so that we might be bound till time of death.
Shroud, I bestow upon you the name Shroud.
As Chara said the name the chains were suddenly pulled taught as they lashed out and tied the two together, the circle of magic glowing brighter as cracks appeared on Charas body and a seal appeared before shattering and the pillar collapsed in on itself the magic exploding outward in a massive wave of energy. Celestia and Luna lit their horns and Asriel's eyes flared green as they all pored their power into a massive shield to protect themselves.
Once the blast passed over and the dust began to settle they lowered the shield and gasped at what they saw. From the dust stood Chara however her appearance had changed. Her white shirt was replaced with a gray turtleneck, her jacket had changed to a heavy winter coat with black fur similar to Sans's and around her neck was her gold heart necklace which was covered slightly by a long black scarf that reached past her back and fluttered in the slight breeze. Her pants had remained mostly the same except that they now had metal armor on the knees, her boots on the other hand had changed to heavy combat boots with metal plats on them. Chara calmly raised her head and opened her eyes revealing they now glowed naturally however the biggest change that now there were marking that glowed with red magic surrounding her eyes.
Chara groaned and fell forward a bit before she caught her self. "Oh man, I haven't been able to use this much power since the Experiment." She said with a sigh as she streaked. "It feels so good to have full access to my magic again!" She said happily.
"Such Power!" Shroud said as he streaked his wings and gave a flap. "How are you so powerful?" He asked.
"I have a soul of Determination." Chara said with a smiled and summoned her soul. As she did the Phoenix saw it had changed greatly since the incident in the clearing. The Soul still appeared as a heart with half red upward and the other half white and inverted part however it was now whole with no cracks or sign of the black goop holding it together.
"Charaaa!" Asriel yelled as he ran strait into her and knocked her over. "Are you okay? Did something hurt you? Are you going to die, no, you just need rest!" He said as he panicked and felt over her looking for any injuries.
"Azzy I'm fine!" Chara yelled with a blush on her face as she pushed him off.
Calmly Celestia and Luna approached however the look in there eyes showed just how worried they were, and how angry they were. "Young Lady, you had better have a good explanation as to what's going on here." Luna said calmly.
Chara gulped as she heard her tone however Shroud stepped forward. "Greetings Princesses, if you would be so kind I shall explain." He said calmly.
Luna turned to him and frowned. "Very well then, tell me phoenix, why should I not give you an early rebirth?" She asked as she narrowed her eyes.
The phoenix nodded. "Given the danger of what you plan to do I requested that I bond with Chara and become her Familiar." He explained.
Celestia tilted her head in confusion. "I've heard that term before, what is it?" She asked
"It's an unspeakably powerful pact that two creatures make to share themselves whole with each other. Their senses, emotion, power, even their time." Chara said.
"What do you mean 'their time'?" Celestia asked.
"When one dies so to does the other." Shroud said.
The two princesses looked at the Phoenix in shock. "That means that once Chara dies you will to, no rebirth or anything!" Celestia said in shock.
The Phoenix nodded however Chara chuckled sadly. "The Pact we made is a bit more than that." She said causing the two princesses and Asriel to look at her confused. "There are four types of pacts, Temporary, General Binding, Life Pact and a Soul Binding Pact.
A Temporary Pact is simply a contract is limited till the terms are met. This can be anything from full filling specific requirements to being a set amount of time. The bindings on this type of contract depend on the requirements and can be loose of strong however they only last for so long and rarely last till one dies.
Then there is a General Binding is used by more experienced mages and can be temporary or life long. They are the most basic form of contract, while not as loose as a Temporary Pact it is still a very lose binding.
Then there are the true Familiar bindings. The first is a Life Pact, also known as a Blood Pact. It is the second strongest form of pact as it binds the Familiar permanently to the Master. In this pact the Familiar must willingly agree to this pact as they have half of the pact while their Master has the second half of it. This pact is so strong that not even Death itself can break it, because of This when the Master dies so to shall the Familiar."
"So this is the pact you made with this Phoenix?" Luna asked however Asriel shook his head.
"No, she made a Soul Pact." He said as he turned to Chara. "You did didn't you?" Chara nodded and looked away.
"A soul Pact is similar to a Life Pact however it is considered the most powerful type of bond that can be formed." Chara said calmly.
"While a life pact is written into a single life, a Soul Pact is written in to the soul of the ones who take the oath. A single clause that makes it more than a simple life. 'Bound by strings of fate beyond reach of death.'" Shroud said calmly.
"What do you mean?" Luna asked
"This oath binds the souls of the Familiar to their master, this means that no matter what the master and Familiar will always be together. Nothing can separate them, not life, death or any power between. The Fates of the two oath bearers are tied forever." Chara said.
The two princesses stood in shock at what they had just been told, Asriel sighed and walked over to Chara before whacking her in the back of the head. "What were you thinking?" He asked angrily.
Chara rubbed the back of her head. "I honestly didn't want to do a Soul Bond but Shroud wouldn't accept anything less." She said with a sigh.
Asriel looked up to the Phoenix confused. "Why?" He asked
The Phoenix looked away from the group and turned to the castle. "Tell me Asriel, what would you give to someone who saved not only your life but your very soul from being obliterated?" He asked.
As the Phoenix asked this everyone around froze. "Who would do such a thing?" Celestia asked in disgust. With out answering the Shroud simply raised a wing out and pointed at the castle. Celestia and Luna looked on in disgust as they realized who.
"I knew that Queen Talon desired the power that we hold but to obliterate a soul is..." Luna trailed off unable to finish do to there not being a word suited for what they had learned.
Chara looked confused. "Okay, my turn to ask but what's going on?"
Celestia turned to Chara. "Tell me what happens when a Soul is absorbed?" She asked, Asriel and Chara looked at each other before shrugging. "If a soul is absorbed and obliterated the soul is destroyed and its traits are absorbed into the being who consumed the soul.
Charas eyes widened. "Fear." She whispered in terror as realization dawned. "The most disturbing ability of the Fear trait is the fact that it can consume other souls and destroy them however that's not all it does. When the soul is destroyed its traits are absorbed into the being with the soul of Fear." She said as she trembled.
Celestia turned to Chara confused. "How do you know what happe-wait did you say Fear trait?" She asked concerned as Chara paled and began to shake.
"The Trait of Fear, the second Unnatural Soul Trait discovered." Chara said fear in her voice. "It was discovered prior to the Human Monster war when a bearer of the soul Bravery was consumed by fear and his soul inverted taking on the trait. It took a combined army of Humans and Monsters to defeat and kill them, by that point the bearer had killed thousands."
"Why are you afraid of them?" Luna asked.
"Fear destroys Determination." Asriel said as he walked over to comfort Chara who had curled up into a ball and pulled her hood over her head as she rocked back and forth. "Fear is like a poison to Determination and even a small amount of it can cause any bearer of Determination to be brought to a near death state."
Celestia and Luna looked out to the castle in concern. "This just got a whole lot more dangerous." Luna said concern in her voice.
The next day Chara and Asriel sat in the Command tent with the Princesses, Shroud lay calmly sleeping a short ways away and Grillby prepared the troops for combat. "You expect me to do WHAT!?" A voice yelled causing every single one of the ponies to freeze and look to the command tent.
"I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO KNOWS WANT THAT THING CAN DO!" The voice said and the troops realized who was yelling, Chara. "IF YOU THINK I'M GOING TO JUST LET YOU ALL RUSH TO YOUR DEATHS THEN YOU GOT ANOTHER THING COMING CELESTIA!"
The Troops looked at each other confused, what was their commander talking about?
"FINE, IF YOU WANT TO DIE THAN SO BE IT!" Chara yelled before she stormed out of the tend and walked away. After a few moments Celestia and Luna walked out with Asriel and approached the troops.
After a moment of standing before the troops Celestia stepped forward. "Given information we have learned the battle plans have changed slightly." She said calmly. "We believe that Queen Talon is in control of a very dangerous power that has the ability to absorb the soul of any living being and control both them and their powers."
"This Power, that was identified by Commander Chara, is able to destroy beings like her completely." Luna said causing several of the guards to go wide eyed. "As such we have determined that Commander Chara will not participate in this battle and rather than have all our forces attack the castle we will be dividing into two teams. Commander Asriel, please explain the new plan."
Asriel nodded and stepped forward. "As Princess Luna said the plan has been changed, originally the plan was to have our forces divide into three groups to divide the enemies. However, with Chara no longer fighting the plan has changed, The majority of the forces we have here will engage the Griffon forces and create a diversion for a small team to infiltrate and kill the Queen. This team will consist of the Princesses and myself. All acting officers will take command of the remaining forces and engage the Griffons under the command of Captain Grillby, any Questions?" Asriel asked as he finished the beefing.
A guard raised his hoof and Asriel nodded to him. "Will Commander Chara be available for any form of support?" He asked.
"No." Celestia said. "Commander Chara is not participate in any combat for this battle." As Celestia said this many of the soldiers looked at each other in fear.
"If there is no more Questions then prepare for battle." Luna yelled and the gathered ponies quickly ran to get their armor on or collect their weapons. Mean while Chara stood and watched them gather from the shadows of her tent, with a sigh she turned away and walked over to her bed before laying down on it.
"On the bright side this will give us time to strengthen our bond." Shroud said as he sat on her desk.
"They have no ideas what they are facing and they won't listen." Chara grumbled. "They will die, no matter who they send they will die."
"And what would you do?" Shroud asked. "Face Queen Talon and die as well?"
"The only way to fight Soul Magic is with Soul Magic and Ponies can't use Soul Magic." Chara said as she turned away from Shroud.
"Then what will you do?" Shroud asked.
Chara didn't respond for a while. "There is only one way to defeat Queen Talon, we need the help of the one who killed the Last Soul of Fear. We need my mentor, we need Gaster." She said before she turned to Shroud. "There is a very good chance I might die doing this but we have no choice, Fear can not be allowed to persist in this world." Chara walked over to Shroud as her eyes changed to glow purple and she placed a hand on his head. "I hope you forgive me." She said and it was the last thing the Phoenix heard before darkness consumed him. Chara lay the Phoenix down as he fell asleep, once he was resting peacefully she exited the tent wand walked toward the cliffs she had been at the night before.
Asriel and the princesses watched as the two armies engaged. "It's time." Celestia said as Grillby drew his sword and commanded the forces to engage. "I'm going to teleport us into the castle courtyard, once we are inside we will make our way to the throne room and defeat Queen Talon." She said as her horn glowed and with a flash they appeared within the walls of the castle and quickly ran to the massive doors. Asriel paused for a moment before kicking in the door and the group ran through the halls heading for the throne room which was at the end of the entrance hall.
As they burst into the Throne room they saw the Griffon Queen sitting on her thrown a smile on her face as she watched them enter. "I figured you would be leading your forces against my griffons given the fight their putting up." She said broadly as she looked over the group. "Oh, it seems you didn't bring that child with you, what was he name? Chara, was it?" She asked as she rose and walked down the steps approaching them.
Celestia and Luna charged the Queen however the Griffon simply scoffed and flicked her claw, as she did a wave of pink slammed into them and sent them flying away. "Did you honestly expect it to be that easy?" She asked calmly.
Asriel eyed her and calmly summoned his sword. "They might have but I didn't." He said as magic began to gather around him. "You know Chara isn't the only one that has a final form that can cause a lot of damage." He said as Celestia and Luna looked up and gasped in surprise. "I am Asriel Dreemurr, Prince of Monster kind. My sister was the Arbiter, the Judge of Monsters however I was the Reaper, the Angel of Death." He said as the magic enveloped him and be began to change. The robes he wore changed from purple to black as they moved to cover his whole body and a cloak appeared around his form. Slowly his horns grew longer, and his teeth sharpened to fierce fangs that would be more at home on a dragon. "You made a grave mistake facing me." He said as a pair of black feathered wings ripped out of his body and a scythe as black as obsidian appeared in his hand.
Asriels eyes glowed with a rainbow of colors and a faint whips of magic emanated form them as he looked down at the Griffon Queen who smiled as her form changed as well. Slowly it began to be covered in a pink liquid like substance and her eyes slitted as she looked up at the Goat with a mad smile. "I'm going to enjoy tearing you apart piece by piece!" She screamed as she launched herself at Asriel her claws outstretched.
Asriel dodged her attack and slashed his scythe across the Queen cutting her in half, the Queen screeched before leaping again the two haves melding back together as she charged her claws meeting the scythe with enough force to leave sparks. The Two quickly traded blows at a blinding pace before the Queen leaped back and flicked her arm launching several globs the pink liquid at the Prince who slashed at the pieces. As he cut them apart they quickly turned to dust that floated to the floor, with a frown he raised his hand and several blasters appeared. Quickly he fired a barrage if Chaos Buster blasts which the Queen dodged and weaved through as she tried to strike him but his left eye quickly changed to green and a shield appeared before him, the queen didn't have time to change coarse and slammed directly into it as he delivering a massive Shocker Breaker at point blank sending the Queen flying backward arcs of rainbow lightning racing across her body.
The Queen let out a screech and charged Asriel quickly changing her wings into scythes and spun like a top catching the Prince off guard and sending him flying back where he bounced several times before rolling to a stop. Quickly he rose however the Queen was on top of him before he regained his bearings and slashed his chest leaving several deep claw marks. Suddenly twin beams of magic hit the Queen knocking her off of him and Celestia and Luna charged forward. Luna moved quickly, her sword slicing at the Queen legs and wings while Celestia fired magic from her horn striking the Queens body. Despite the power behind the attacks they seemed to only annoy the Queen who quickly grabbed Luna and flung her strait into a blast from Celestia before grabbing her body again and chucking it at the solar diarch.
"Magic wont hurt me fool." She said with a laugh before turning back to Asriel who had risen and raised his hand to the sky. "And what are you doing?" She asked with amusement as she approached.
Rather than back away he smiled and dropped his and as he said to words. "Galacta Blazing." Suddenly the roof of the castle crashed down and stars fell from the sky.
As they crashed to the ground they exploded into balls of rainbow light that whenever they hit the Queen sent a blast of pain through her whole body. Quickly the Queen moved to dodge the balls however Asriel raised his hand and made a fist freezing her in place and forcing her to endure the damage. Once the attack ended he raised his hand his eyes glowing brighter for a moment before he smiled and closed them. "Call of the Reaper: Angels Death" He said as waves of magic shot forward and slammed into the frozen Queen in waves each one hitting their target before a massive blaster appeared before them and unleashed a wave of rainbow magic point blank. After several seconds the blast ended and Asriel fell to the ground gasping for breath.
The Queen was unfrozen and quickly jumped backwards before smiling. "Was that all you had?" She asked before laughing after she finally stopped she stepped forward her claws extending longer as she approached and she slowly raised them over her head a triumphant smile on her face as she looked down at the exhausted prince of monsters. "Now to end this." She said as she prepared to bring her claws down only for the sound of glass shattering to follow and she froze as she look up at her claws with confusion. Suddenly the sound of steps echoed through the room and the Queen turned to the entrance hall to see Chara standing in the broken down doors, her eyes glowing blue and orange.
Calmly Chara walked forward, her arms behind her back and her back completely strait. The princesses groaned as she walked past them and Celestia reached out as it to pull her away but her hoof simply fell to the ground and she watched as Chara approached the Queen. Asriel looked up and saw Chara however something was wrong. Chara never walked like that, she was always relaxed and uncaring however he had seen someone walk like this, someone who no longer existed. Asriel gasped in shock as Charas form glitched and grew transforming into a tall skeleton with two cracks running down his face, seven hands burst to like around the Skeleton each one holding the color of a Soul and behind him two massive Gaster dragons with glowing purple eyes appeared. "Gaster?" He asked before he fell over and fainted.
To be continued... |
Lost Dreamer | Chapter 8 - Battle to the Void Part 2: The Man who Speaks in Hands | Previously on Lost Dreamer:
Calmly Chara walked forward, her arms behind her back and her back completely strait. The princesses groaned as she walked past them and Celestia reached out as it to pull her away but her hoof simply fell to the ground and she watched as Chara approached the Queen. Asriel looked up and saw Chara however something was wrong. Chara never walked like that, she was always relaxed and uncaring however he had seen someone walk like this, someone who no longer existed. Asriel gasped in shock as Charas form glitched and grew transforming into a tall skeleton with two cracks running down his face, seven hands burst to like around the Skeleton each one holding the color of a Soul and behind him two massive Gaster dragons with glowing purple eyes appeared. "Gaster?" He asked before he fell over and fainted.
Gaster eyed Queen Talon a look of distaste in his eyes and his mouth a thin drawn line. "What are you looking at you freak?" The Queen asked as she eyed him.
"Rather hypocritical to call me a freak given what you are." Gaster replied his voice showing his distaste. "Still given what you are I suppose it is warranted." He said as the two dragons growled.
"And what can you do?" The Queen asked with a smirk. "Wave your hand and make me disappear?"
Gaster smiled and laughed as his eyes lit up and he raised his hand. "Let's find out." He said as the dragons opened their mouths and unleashed a beam at the griffon. The Queen tried to dodge but the blast caught her straight in the chest, rather then be simply thrown back like she was with all the other magic, this time the blast shattered through the the pink liquid and she screamed in pain as the blast pinned her to the wall.
"These blasters were designed with the mind to specifically counter the power of Soul Magic." Gaster said as he stepped forward. "No matter what form or trait it's in, these blasters will destroy it."
The Queen growled and ripped herself from the wall. "Very well, if you wish to die so much then so be it." She screeched as she flew at the skeleton and slashed at him however her claws went through him as he was a liquid.
Gaster smiled and the world went black. "Queen Talon, this shall be your final stand for I am the Man Who Speaks in Hands." Gaster said as bones ripped from the ground and launched at queen in a maze pattern. Queen Talon dodged the bones however as soon as she was out of it another wave launched at her and she had to leap onto a floating platform, quickly she jumped from platform to platform as she tried to dodge the bones. On the last platform she leaped only for her Soul to glow blue and she fell straight down as gravity multiplied on her slamming her into a row of bones. The Queen screamed in pain and Gasters turn ended.
The Queen rose slowly and groaned as her strengths continued to weaken for some reason. "What is happening to me?" she said through clenched teeth.
"Karmic Retribution, this ability allows me to see the LV of anyone and punish them accordingly." Gaster said calmly. "Want to know your LV? LV 20." he said his calm tone changing to one of hate.
The Queen screeched and charged the Skeleton slashing at him with her claws while her wings changed to scythes and she spun however Gaster dodged ever attack a smile returning to his face as he leaped back and raised his hand and several Gaster blasters appeared and fired there beams cutting through the griffon causing more damage. Quickly his eyes glowed purple and small orbs that glowed like firefly's appeared around her. Gaster smiled and snapped his fingers causing them to explode in a chain reaction and trowing the queen away. As she flew through the air Gaster flicked his hand and several bones launched at her and ripped through her body before she landed and a circle of blasters appeared and charged. As they fired the griffon shot upward dodging the explosion and shot at Gaster who frowned. The griffon slashed several times before a portion of the liquid formed into a massive ax that she swung at the man.
Gaster barely dodged the strikes and on the last one he actually had to teleport away. "Enough games, survive this Queen Talon and I shall show you my special attack." He said angrily as he threw his arms wide, his coat flew behind him and his eyes glowed brightly as a maze of bones shot forward and the queen began to dodge them however halfway through the maze she was teleported to above it and several Gaster blasters appeared and fired forcing her to dodge the blasts quickly and she fell to the ground. when she landed she quickly ran forward strait at Gaster only for one of the skeletal dragons to land before her its claws glowing with blue magic. Quickly she jumped back however rather than dodge the claw she slammed straight through and screamed in pain. However she pushed through it as she was teleported once again this time however she was forced to dodge yellow beamed that were fired from a gun. Again she was teleported and a wave of orange magic appeared as Gaster himself ran forward and threw punches and kicks at her his fists enveloped in a pair of orange gauntlets. As the attack ended Gaster teleported himself away and the gauntlets disappeared.
The Queen screeched and shot forward and swiped at Gaster who dodged the attack and smile as she shifted more of the pink mass to form more weapons that appeared for a moment before shifting into a different one. Calmly he dodged a smile contently on his face ans he twisted and flipped around the strikes while teleporting only a few times. The Queen screeched again in furry and her attacks became less coherent and more swiped in a desperate attempted to hit the far to agile skeleton. "JUST DIE!" She screamed in anger as she used almost all the mass to slam into the ground causing a massive dust cloud, as the dust settled Gaster stood smiling. Calmly he dusted off his coat and smiled wider as the hands around him collected together in a circular pattern. "Well done Queen Talon, I can Honestly say that none have ever made it this far. That alone is quiet an amazing feet however let it be known, I gave you an out." He said as purple energy began to charged in the hands and he smiled as a beam shot out of each hand and met at the center where as they spin in a circle. Slowly a ball of purple magic condensed at the center. "Long ago I faced a human who had the same trait as you, the Trait of Fear. It was at this time I learned of this power, my Special Attack, Soul Shatter." The ball at the center grew and launched forward straight at the Queen who quickly dodged the ball and laughed.
"That was all it was?" She asked only to see Gaster smirk. The Queen turned and her eyes widened as she saw the attack coming back, quickly she shot away from it and took to the air however it followed. Thinking quickly she flew strait at Gaster and at the last second flew over him thinking the orb would hit him however tit followed and the Queens eyes widened in fear as it increased it's speed and slammed into her. The Queen gave an ear piercing screech that forces the two princesses to cover their ears and Asriel jumped awake to see the Queen floating in the air arcs of purple energy ripping into her and tearing out her soul before being ripped into small fragments that slowly floated to the ground as dust.
After a moment the soul was destroyed and the body of the Griffon Queen was frozen before the feathers and flesh turned to gray ash that fell away leaving a skeleton to collapse upon its own weight. Gaster sighed and fell backwards a smile on his face as he closed his eyes and slowly began to turn to dust. Asriel rose slowly and approached him "Thanks Gaster." He said as the princesses approached. Gaster nodded before disappearing and in his place lay Chara, a Red and white soul floating above her that slowly sunk back into her chest.
As the Soul faded back into Chara she groaned and coughed as she looked up at the worried face of her brother. "I feel like every bone in by bodies broke." She said before closing her eyes and passing out.
Asriel sighed as hew looked down at his sister. "You really are an idiot." He said as he scooped her up. The three royals said nothing as they exited the castle and walked toward the camp. |
Lost Dreamer | Chapter 9 - An Immortal Meeting of Souls | Celestia sighed as she walked though the halls on the direction of the medical wing of the castle. as she neared she slowed and sighed before slamming her head against the wall as tears ran down her face. After a few moments she turned and entered the wing and walked down the halls till she reached a room with two guards stationed at the doors. Celestia nodded and entered to see Shroud resting by an open window and Asriel sitting beside a bed a pile of paperwork next to him. "How is she today, Ariel?" She asked
Asriel turned to her, his eyes were heavy and tired though the held a great deal of worry. "No change." He said as he looked at the occupant of the bed. Chara lay calmly, her breathing shallow her her face was deathly pail. It had been two day since the battle with Queen Talon and the end of the Griffon War however victory had come with a high price. "Her stats are dropping fast Celestia, at this rate she'll fall down in a matter of days."
Celestia looked at the young women with concern, the markings around her eyes flickered and were barely visible and Celestia sighed. "Does your magic no longer affect her?" She asked.
Asriel shook his head. "Green magic is good for healing physical injuries however that's not what's wrong."
Celestia frowned. Then what is wrong Asriel, you have yet to explain."
Asriel sighed. "Because I don't know what's going on." He said as he looked away. "The only people other than Chara that knew about this stuff was our parents, her partner Sans and Dr. Gaster!" he said almost yelling as he rose. "And it's not like we can ask them because they're either dust or trapped in the void." Celestia backed away slightly scared about what Asriel would do. Asriel mean while stood silent for a moment before sitting down tiredly and sighing. "Sorry, seeing Chara like this just brings back some bad memories." He said before sitting back down and leaning into the chair. "God I'm tired." He said as he closed his eyes.
"When was the last time you slept?" Celestia asked.
"When was the last time Chara was awake?" He responded and Celestia gave him a hard look.
"Get some sleep Asriel, your no good to anyone if you run yourself to death." Celestia said. Asriel sighed but nodded and leaned back into the chair, closing his eyes. "Wake me if anything happens." He said.
Celestia sat beside the bed and soon snoring could be heard from Asriel. Celestia sighed and walked over to a window in the room, as she looked out the door opened and Luna stepped in and quickly joined her. "How are they?" She asked.
"Asriel just fell asleep, Chara hasn't changed." Celestia said with a sigh.
Luna nodded. "I found something." She said as she levitated a set of papers over to her sister. Celestia took the papers and began to read.
Research Notes on the Void and Interaction with Void Entities
Before I explain the Void and anything else I must first refer to the original papers of Determination, it's powers and capabilities.
Determination is the primary power of the Red Soul and grants the user access to the Timeline. Every choice from what you eat for breakfast to the choice of what you want to do for the day are stored in the Universe as DATA. This Data is used to construct a Timeline of events that can be interacted with by the use of Determination. However Determination only allows the user to go back, never forward in time.
With this information stated I will now discuss the Void and it's relation to both Timelines and Determination. Now I have already established that Determination has the ability to alter the worlds Timeline however even without this power these choices will still always be made, this means that we have many branching paths of timelines that we can not naturally persevere but exist at the same time as ours and run parallel to our existing one. However with all these Timelines there is something in between, something that divides them and prevents them from colliding, this thing is the Void.
The Void is a place outside of both Time and Space, it is a plane of contradiction for everything there is in a state of both life and death, existence and non-existence all at once. This Void is something we can not interact with but also prevents us from interacting with other things as well. The Void is many things however I have determined it has two primary functions:
It serves as a barrier that prevents other Timelines and Alternate Realities (AU) from interacting with ours.
Anything that damages Time or Space in a serious capacity is pulled into the void and imprisoned in it. The subject imprisoned is stripped from reality and knowledge of them is is stripped away as well. This prevents anyone from missing the subject or even being aware of their existence. Of course this process is not perfect and if someone has knowledge of Timelines and AU's then they will not loose their memories but simply have them blurred but this can be fixed.
I will now be referring back to the Timelines Project (T.P.) and the Time Portal Project (T.P.P.), both files regarding these projects can be fond in the Royal Labs Archive as well as there status of completion and cause of shut down.
I can still remember the time tables that Dr. Gaster, Sans and I developed. It's honestly really scary to see every variable of Reality mapped out before you. At the time we only thought it was theoretical, branching of timelines is normal with Quantum Theory after all.
It would of been nice if it was only a theory.
Shortly after we discovered the Time Table I gained full access to the Timeline and ability to SAVE and LOAD the Timeline at will. Originally I needed to find what are known as Save Points which are small star shapes that only beings with determination can interact with, however because I knew every variable I could save at any time with little effort. Because of this I shut down the project and tried to distance myself from it as much as possible but couldn't. The Final Experiment was going to be Dr. Gaster and I's final experiment with Determination and Timelines.
We were ordered by my father, King Asgore, to see if we could use the Timelines to Evacuate everyone to a safe world free from Humans or perhaps even simply reach out and get the necessary souls peacefully. As it was the King's demand we had to agree and so we constructed the Time Portal. The Portal used Determination as power and was designed to open a portal through which we could travel freely. When the Portal was completed we intended to run several tests but the machine overloaded and Dr. Gaster was trapped in the Void. This follows with the second rule of the Void: Anything that damages Time or Space in a serious capacity is pulled into the void and imprisoned in it.
With this knowledge I will now discuss interaction with entities who exist in the void as well as how to free them. Void Entities are beings that have been trapped in the void, as a result the do not exist in our world or any other world. Despite the fact they don't exist they can still interact with the world from time to time but it takes a great amount of will power and concentration to manifest for any period of time. To free someone imprisoned in the Void requires an immense amount of Magic and Determination and without some form of specialized device it would not only be temporary but you would only be switching places with the person that is freed. By my calculations to free a individual for even a single minute would require over 150 million thaums of energy. To put this in perspective a single Red Soul of Determination can power the world for 1.28 million years and can produce a maximum of 1.3 million thaums in a single life span.
Now, given that half my soul is now part monster and I am bound to Hate I would have just enough power to bring Gaster back for a single emergency case however in doing so I would effectively be rendered comatose for several days, however this is the best case scenario. What I believe would actually happen if I were to attempt and perform such a feet is death, my soul would be drained and my body would slowly stop functioning before turning to dust.
Celestia looked up from the documents and looked at Luna as and audible gulp was heard. "Where did you find this?" She asked.
"Chara and Asriels room." Luna said as she looked out the window. "Sister, we both know what that last paragraph said."
Celestia nodded. "We need to tell Asriel." She said as she walked over to the sleeping prince and shaking him awake. "Asriel, Luna found something."
Asriel groaned. "Five more minutes Chara."
"Asriel, this may be an emergency!" She yelled at the goat causing him to jump and look around.
"Wha- I'm up!" He said quickly before yawning. "What is it?" he asked. Celestia handed him the paper and he quickly looked over it his face showing more worry the farther he read. AS he finished he looked up at Celestia with tears. "Tell me this is a joke, please tell me this is some sick joke that you decided to pull!" He begged.
Celestia looked down and Luna walked over. "Tis no joke Asriel, Chara may be dying."
Asriel groaned and leaned back looking up at the ceiling. "Fuck." He said quietly as Shroud flew over and landed next to him on the bed.
"Is there a way to check her condition?" He asked concerned as he looked at his master.
Asriel sighed and looked at Chara before reaching out a hand and acting as if he grabbed something. Suddenly a small scream appeared in front of the group showing several stats. "This is what is known as a CHECK, when you CHECK someone you can see the stats of the person, it's normally considered rude but..." He trailed off as they looked at Chara's Stats.
Chara Dreemurr
HP: .1/20 AT: 99 DF: 99
The group looked at the screen and Asriels face paled. "No..." He said in fear.
"What does .1/20 mean?" Luna asked.
"It means she has point one of twenty health." Asriel said his voice shaking in fear as his eyes glowed and he pulled Charas Soul out of her body. "Sorry sis but your safety matters more than your privacy at the moment." He said as he yanked the soul up and revealed what it looked like. The soul was cracked and battered, almost spit in two with thousands of fractures running through it, the only thing keeping the soul together was a black goo that clung to the pieces of her soul like a mortar.
Asriel frowned and reached out to the soul only for the black goo to shoot at his hand and latch on, Asriel screamed in panic and pulled away the goop returning to the soul. Asriel looked at his hand and sighed. "What was that!" Luna asked concerned.
"That would be Hate, pure concentrated Hate, and it's the only think keeping Chara alive." He said frowning. Celestia and Luna looked a the Hate with distaste however after a moment they stopped and looked away as they felt as if of the goo judging them.
"I just gained a Master I will not loose them yet!" Shroud growled and looked at the princesses. "What can I do?" He asked.
Asriel frowned. "Monsters need magic without it we simply dust, Humans need Determination without it their souls shatter." He said in thought. "Chara's soul produces determination however she now has part of a monster soul somehow but a monster soul naturally produces magic so what's the problem..." He puttered before his eyes widened and he turned to the princesses. "This may work or not, at this point it's a gamble." He said grimly. "Chara requires both Determination and Magic because she is both human and monster, her soul naturally produces Determination but what if it because it's only half of a monster soul it wont produce magic or cant produce enough to stabilize it."
Shroud shook his head. "That shouldn't be possible." He said. "Chara had natural magic in her. That was what the seal was suppressing, it was her natural magic."
Asriel nodded. "I know that, even before she died she had magic but what I'm saying is she now needs more than what she can naturally create to survive." He explained. "Humans don't naturally create magic, it's a rare trait that only a few are ever born with."
"As such she would not create as much as a monster would" Shroud said catching on quickly. "She has a monster soul but not the natural magic regeneration of a monster!"
Asriel nodded. "Because of this she as plenty of determination which is why she is still breathing but without magic she will only last so long."
"So what do we do?" Celestia asked in an exasperated voice.
"She need to naturally create magic." Shroud said. "To do this we either need to make her a full monster or something else..." He said his voice trailing off.
"We don't have the power to make her a monster." Asriel said.
"So what do we do?" Luna said.
"We make her immortal." Shroud said causing the sisters to freeze.
Asriel hesitated but eventually nodded. "Mom and Dad planned that when Chara became of age she would be immortal. I'm not sure how they planned it but I know that once it is done then she would of stop ageing entirely."
Shroud flapped his wings and flew off the bed before regrowing to his natural size and bit down on his wing. "I don't know how your parents planned to do it but I have a way." Shroud said as he ripped at the wing and closed his eyes in pain after a moment he leaned over Chara's face and used his beak to open her mouth.
"What are you doing?" Luna asked the phoenix concerned.
"What I must." He said as he closed his eyes once more and let an amber liquid fall from his mouth and into her open one. The liquid fell strait into her mouth and for a moment nothing happened, then Chara's body seemed to explode as light engulfed the room. The Princesses and Asriel turned away covering their face and from out side the castle ponies stopped and stared as a side of the castle seemed to exploded with the light of the sun. With in the room the air around Chara grew heavy before the light extinguished and after a moment the occupants turned turned back to Chara. Then they looked back Chara's soul floated above her body whole and with no sign of the cracks or Hate goop. Slowly the soul floated downward and faded back into her body.
Chara floated in a sea of black, there was nothing, no one, it was silent. Chara sighed "Well this sucks." She said tiredly. As she lay there she slowly became aware of someone far off in the distance, after a moment of thought she sighed and got up before walking to the person. As She approached she saw they were a man. The man wore a pair of bluejeans and a black t-shirt under a gray zip up hoodie.
As she approached the man looked up and smiled. "Wondered when you'd get here." He said with a calm smile.
"Who are you?" She asked confused.
The man chuckled and patted the spot next to him. "Want to have a seat?" He asked as he turned back to looking out at a beautiful sunset-what when did that get there? "It just did." He said.
"Wha- how did-""I know what you were going to say?" He asked. Chara stared at him for a moment before sitting down and watching the sunset.
"You asked who I was." The man said calmly as he leaned back with a relaxed smile. "Tell me Chara, how did you get your new life?" He asked.
"I'm not sure." Chara said. "I was trapped and under the control of the PLAYER but I broke free and the next thing I know I have a body." She said.
"You weren't the only victim of the PLAYER." The man said. "In life I was a simple man with a simple job. One day I heard a cry for help and saved two girls from a man who was either going to rape and kill them or simply kill them, I don't know and frankly don't care."
"What does this have to do with me?" Chara asked.
"When I died I was brought to a void and offered a second chance." The man said. "Thing is, I lead a pretty good life and died doing something worth doing, saving two little girls." The man sighed and looked at Chara. "I refused but the person who offered me the chance wasn't asking. He took my body and twisted it till I became something I wasn't before wiping my memories and sending me away. But I refused and cut the strings that bound me, just like you."
"So, you're me or my past life or some shit?" Chara asked.
The man shook his head. "You got my body, I'm just a fragment of what's left." He said before rising and looking down at her. "I'm here to give you a choice." He said. "You can Continue or you can Quit. Either way, I'm still here with you. Call me a past life or simply a spirit of what was but I'm here to say stay determined, because a lot of people care about you." He said with a smile.
"So your not going to try to take control or anything?" She asked.
The man shook his head. "No, I'm simply here to tell you to stand up one more time." He said as he reached out a hand. Chara hesitated for a moment but took the hand and as she grabbed his hand the world exploded with bright light. "If your lucky we won't ever meet again, far well Chara Dreemurr, and good luck." He said as the world exploded.
Chara gasped for breath as she opened her eyes and grabbed at her chest. For a moment she couldn't remember where she was or what was going on and then it all came back, she brought Gaster back to fight Queen Talon, they battled and won but the price was too great. "I'm alive?" She asked only to be crushed by someone hugging her. "Azzy, can't breath!" She gasped out however he didn't let go.
"This's the fifth time you've done this Chara." He said quietly. "I don't think I can handle anymore."
Chara's eyes widened before tears started to fall. "Sorry Brother, I'll be more careful." She said as she returned the hug.
Celestia and Luna watched the two siblings for a moment before turning and leaving. As the exited the room Luna sighed. "When she recovers I will have that girl grounded for a month and them buried in paper work for a month!" She exclaimed. Celestia chuckled at Lunas antics and smiled. |
Lost Dreamer | Chapter 10 - Demons Like You Should be Burning in Hell | 547 years BNM
Chara's Age: 433 years old
A guard in battered armor ran through the town as fast as he could, when he reached the gates of the castle he stumbled to a stop before the two guards stationed at it and gasped for breath. "I bring a message from Pon Andrea's City." He gasped out. "I must see the Princesses immediately!" The guards looked at each other for a moment before the one on the left nodded and the gates opened. The guard nodded and took several deep breaths before running through the gates. As he entered the castle he followed the path to the throne room. When he reached the doors he saw a line of petitioners and sighed before running to the front earning several angry yells.
"End of the Line please." The guard at the doors said.
The guard gasped for a moment before looking at the guard. "We have an Epsilon in Pon Andrea's." The Guard said before collapsing.
The guard at the door froze his eyes widening. Epsilon was one of twenty four classification codes that the Princesses had implemented three hundred years ago, each of the twenty four codes meant different situations however their were six codes that all guards had drilled into their heads: Alpha, Delta, Epsilon, Eta, Psi, and Omega. Each of these codes was drilled in to them from day one as well as the appropriate actions for each. The Code Epsilon was used when a Breach from Tartarus Prison occurred and the prisoner was spotted. Appropriate action for situation: In form the Princesses and then Pray to Faust for salvation.
The guard picked up the nearly unconscious guard in his magic and opened the doors before quickly walking in. As the Guard entered throne room he saw a pony standing before the raised thrones of the princesses talking about something. Calmly he approached his eyes wandering to the two figures standing beside the princesses.
Beside Luna stood the High Commander of the Guard Chara Dreemurr, the Arbiter of Underground. Chara had a brown mane or as she called it hair on her head and nowhere else, pale white skin, and red eyes that glowed with a strange form of magic, around her eyes were strange tattoo like lines the glowed with the same strange magic. She wore a gray turtleneck under a green winter jacket with black fur around the hood, around her neck hung a gold heart locket that was slightly covered by a long black scarf that reached past her waist. Her pants were brown with metal armor on the knees and her boots were heavy combat boots with metal plates on them. The Commanders weapon was a knife that glowed with a red blade and white handle that could change its form. On her shoulder sat a phoenix that looked as if it was a made of embers and ash.
Next to Celestia stood Chara's brother, High Commander Asriel Dreemurr, the Reaper Prince of the Underground. Asriel was a tall bipedal Goat, with white fur and black tattoos that covered his body. He wore a set of purple robes with a heavy black chest plate emblazoned with a symbol known as the Delta Rune. Asriel was known for duel wielding a pair of swords made from his magic known as Chaos Sabers.
As the guard approached the thrones of the princesses the two Commanders looked up Chara's glowing red while Asriels gave off a faint rainbow light. "What is it Guard?" Chara asked.
"This Guard has issued an Epsilon in Pon Andrea's." The Guard causing the Princesses to freeze and their commanders to look at each other.
"All petitioners are to be sent away immediate, Chara see what you can do for the guard we need a full report." Luna said.
"Guard, please send all petitioners away and alert all forces of the Epsilon." Celestia said and the Guard bowed before setting the passed out Guard down and leaving the room with and the angry and protesting stallion that had been petitioning.
Chara looked at the guard before her eye changed to green and she raised her hand causing a faint glow to surround the passed out guard. The guard groaned and opened his eyes to see his senior officer standing above him. Quickly he moved to rise and give a salute but fell to the floor and groan. "I'd suggest you not move too much, your body is physically exhausted." Chara said.
The stallion nodded and Luna approached. "What's the situation guard?" She asked.
The Guard gulped. "I'm a guard stationed at Pon Andrea's City; it was pretty quiet till around noon when one of the stations on the south wall was destroyed in a massive explosion. When a team was sent to investigate we found all the guards dead and their magic drained."
The Princesses eyes widened and they looked at each other. "Did you see the suspect?" Celestia asked.
The Guard nodded. "Subject was confirmed as Tirek, as soon as we confirmed it was him I was dispatched to get assistance." He said.
"Who is Tirek Princess?" Asriel asked as he tuned to Luna.
"Tirek was an old foe of ours from before the founding of Equestria, when he first came to these lands he stole the magic of ponies and enslaved them alongside his brother Scorpan." Luna said. "Through the efforts of our mentor Starswirl Scorpan saw reason and tried to convince his brother of a peaceful solution but Tirek wouldn't listen and slayed him."
"Scorpans last act was to help seal Tirek in the lowest pits of Tartarus though it seems he has escaped." Celestia continued sadly. "If He is free then all of Equestria is at risk."
Chara growled her eyes glowing even brighter. "There are two types of people I can't stand." She said through clenched teeth. "Genocide Megalomaniacs and dirty brother killers."
Asriel placed a hand on her shoulder. "Chara and I shall handle this princess." He said calmly. "Simply give the order and it shall be done."
The two princesses looked at each other before turning to the two Commanders. "If you can stop him then do so but do not kill him, his capture is far more vital as any magic he has drained must be returned." The two siblings bowed and turned walking out of the room.
"Come on Azzy, I know a short cut." She said as the two disappeared in a blue flash.
"Be safe you two." Celestia said worry etched in her voice.
Tirek smiled as he looked around the ruined city. Around him lay a pile of pony corpses, their eyes glassy and magic drained. Suddenly off in the distance the sound of church bell began to toll and as they rang two figures walked through the destroyed city.
One wore a black robe with a hood that covered their face while the other wore a green winter jacket with black fur around the raised hood. The two walked with their heads bowed as if in morning and the closer they approached the mere details he made out till finally the stood before him and the world froze. The faint wind that blew stopped, the air became still and all sounds faded. After several minutes of silence Tirek approached them the silence unnerving him, as he neared his body froze as if he were no longer in control, all he could do was stand before the two beings as they looked up revealing themselves. "Heya, you've been busy huh?" The one in the cloak asked.
Tirek was confused as he looked down at the figures. "So you're the one the PLAYER want killed?" He asked, his voice calm and void of emotion.
"So here we are, in a few minutes we will do battle and the victor will determine the future of this world." Asriel said as his swords appeared in his hand.
"But that's then." Chara continued. "Now, you will be judged." As Chara said this her eyes lit up and glowed red. "You will be judged for your every action, you will be judged for every EXP you have earned."
Tirek looked confused. "What the buck is EXP?!" He asked.
"It's an Acronym. It stands for EXecution Points, a way of quantifying the pain you have inflicted on others." Chara Replied.
"When you kill someone, your EXP increases and when you have enough EXP your LOVE increases. LOVE is an Acronym too; it stands for Level Of ViolencE, a way to measure someone's capacity to hurt." Asriel explained calmly. "The more you kill the easier to become to distance yourself. The less you distance yourself, the less you will hurt and the easier you can bring yourself to hurt others."
"Now that you understand, it's time to begin your judgement." Chara said as her eyes glowed brighter and the markings on her face began to glow as well. "Look inside yourself, have you really done the right thing and considering what you've done, what will you do now?" She asked.
Tirek paused for a moment confused as memories of the past rushed forward, the death of his brother, of the innocence he slaughtered, of the imprisoned souls he claimed and of what he had planned. "I have followed this path too far even if I could turn back, I doubt I'd be given mercy form y actions." He replied.
The two looked at each other before sighing. "Truthfully, it doesn't really matter what you said." Asriel said. "It wouldn't change that you now stand before us, you dirty brother killer."
"So I got a question for ya do you think even the worst person can change?" Chara asked. "That everyone can be a good person if they just try?"
Tirek said nothing, he couldn't say anything. That comment, it was as if someone had struck an arrow through his heart andc a memory flashed through his mind.
"Alright, here's a better question." Ariel said before his eyes began to glow and give off a rainbow light. "Do you want to have a bad time?"
"Cause if you take another step forward..." Asriel trained off.
"You're really not going to like what happens next." Chara finished. Tirek sighed and stepped forward. "Alright, here we go..."
"It was a beautiful day today." Asriel said as he closed his eyes.
"Children were laughing,"
"Ponies were smiling,"
"On days like this..."
"Demons like you..."
"Will be sent straight to Hell." Both siblings said as their eyes snapped open and they raised their hands.
A maze of knives launched at the centaur and he dodged side to side trying to evade them however as soon as he got out of the knives a massive dragon skull appeared and opened its' mouth sucking everything around it in before aiming at the centaur and firing unleashing a massive blast that he barely dodged.
Arbiter Chara and Reaper Asriel Block your path.
As the battle began Tirek used the CHECK option to seeing if he could get anything g on the two
Arbiter Chara Dreemurr
HP: 350/350 ATK: 99996 DF: 48732 SP: 99999 MAG: 55672
The last Judge of the Underground, is filled with Determination.
The Demon who comes when People call their name. =)
Tirek looked confused at the last part but shrugged and checking Asriels information.
Reaper Asriel Dreemurr
HP: 80000/80000 AT: 75447 DF: 99999 SP: 3500 MAG: 99999
The Prince of the Underground, Knows your checking him you dirty brother killer.
The Grimm Reaper of Death
Tirek frowned and charged the two beings before him. As soon as he neared Asriel swung his sword up in a slashed across the centaur's chest. While Chara dodged the attack and appeared behind him standing on a dragon skull. "Never underestimate your opponent." Chara said with a smile as the skull fired. Tirek was sent flying into a building however when he emerged he held several steel beams that he threw at the two.
Ariel wove through the beams as several Chaos Buster cannons appeared around him, Chara simply stood atop the Gaster Blaster and let it weave through the beams however Tirek threw another at her intent to knock her off. Chara sighed as her left eye glowed blue and she froze the beam before flicking her wrist and sending it back. Tirek batted the beam away as he charged at them like an angry bull while letting out a massive battle cry. Asriel smiled and unleashed his Chaos Buster attack while his hands charged with rainbow lightning that he fired from his fingers.
Tirek screamed in pain as the lightning arced around him and the two siblings smiled as he fell to his knees however rather than stay down he rose again as he grabbed a steel beam and swung it at Asriel like a bat. As the beam slammed into Asriel and sent him flying a massive summoning circle appeared under where he was standing and from it clawed out a massive dragon that glared at Tirek with uncontrolled hate before flying off after its master. Chara screamed and dozens of Blasters appeared around her. "You're going to pay for that!" She screamed as every blaster fired on the centaur, as the blast hit the centaur was sent flying back as several blocks of city was instantly vaporized. Chara leaped off the Baster as the True Knife appeared in her hand and transformed into a trident. Tirek reached for the nearest thing he could find and ripped a sign post out of the ground and sung at the enraged Arbiter, the sign slammed into Chara and she was sent flying into a wall where she went limp.
"That was all it took to kill you?" Tirek asked as he rose and laughed. "Pathetic." He said as he approached her. Suddenly Chara began to laugh causing the centaur to stop, slowly the laugh began to grow more and more deranged before the she looked up at the centaur only something was different about her.
"Four hundred and thirteen years." Chara said as she slowly rose. "I've held back for Four hundred and thirteen years. Do you know what it's lie to hold back your power so that no pony will fear you? It's exhausting, I have to take constant naps and I can't do a whole lot because of the limiters I placed." She smiled as she looked Tirek strait in the eyes. "Since you can fight me at this strength, I can finally let loose a little and have some fun." She said as her body began to glow. The marks on her face expanded out and created several runes and patterns on her and as the glow faded she leaped at Tirek.
As she leaped Tirek swung the street sign but she sliced throwing with her bare hand before punching the centaur in the face and back flipping off his chest, while she was in the air the trident flew into her hand and she spun in the air as she came down the trident shifting into a massive battle ax that she slammed in to the Centaur. Tirek flew backwards and slammed in to another building where the skeletal dragon ripped through the other side and grabbed him. As it brought him forward he saw Asriel standing on the dragon's snout blood dripping down his face before it firing a blast point blank. Tirek screamed in pain as the blast shot him back and into Chara's waiting arms or more specifically the massive knife that she had created with her magic.
Tirek growled and rose slowly as the knife faded. With a groan he reached into a pouch at his hip and pulled out a strange vile. "I didn't think I'd need this but I have no choice." He said as he winced and clutched the wound.
Chara chuckled. "Oh, go ahead." She said with a smirk.
"Use whatever last resort you have because I can guarantee it won't work." Asriel said as he jumps down from the dragon and joined his sister. The dragon growled and stood protectively over the two.
Tirek chuckled and shattered the vile, as it broke a red soul floated out and with a white flash the form of a young girl with brown hair and wearing a blue and purple stripped sweater appeared. "Harm me and I destroy the Soul of this human." He said as he grabbed the soul in his hand.
Asriel and Chara froze in shock. "Frisk!" Asriel gasped out in fear.
Chara narrowed her eyes. "How did you get that soul, that body?" She growled.
Tirek frowned. "A little gift from PLAYER, He gave it to me as an insurance of your cooperation in returning to him." He said.
"As If I'd ever return to the PLAYER, do you even know what he is capable of?" Chara asked.
Tirek sighed and looked down. "You think I'm doing this willingly?" He asked before looking at Chara. "I admit I went too far last time, you asked me if I thought i'd done the right thing, the answer is no. If I could undo what I've done I would, the player offered me a chance to get out and make up for my past and I was foolish enough, desperate enough, to say yes."
Chara sighed. "Fine I'll go, if you release Frisk."
Asriel gasped. "No Chara, if Frisk knew you sacrificed yourself for her then..." Asriel trained off as Chara looked at him.
"What choice do I have?" She asked as she turned and walked forward.
The Centaur nodded and threw frisks body in front of Asriel before releasing her soul. "Come Chara Dreemurr, the PLAYER awaits."
Chara smiled. "You want to know the one thing no one ever does?" Chara asked the centaur.
Tirek blinked in confusion. "What?"
"They never see up dog." Chara said
The centaur looked even more confused. "What's up dog?" He asked while Asriel gasped.
Cara smirked. "Not much." She said as she flicked her wrist and a massive building crashed down onto of the centaur. "I was just building up for a knockout joke." She said as Asriel snorted.
"Oh my god Chara!" He exclaimed. "I can't believe you just did that."
Chara chuckled as she raised the building off of the centaur before throwing it away. "I think I can get us a short cut, never done it with so much weight." She said before shrugging and they all disappeared in a blue flash.
Tirek groaned and raised his head to look and looked around, with a groan he looked around and frowned. His arms were spread out and chained to the walls and as he moved his hooves he heard chains rattle. "What is this?" he asked in a hoarse voice.
"Welcome to the Everfree Castle." A voice said causing him to jerk his head in the direction to see a figure in the shadows. Slowly the figure approached and revealed it to be Chara.
"Well, if it isn't the Judge of Monsters." He said with a smirk. Chara frowned and her eyes lit up blue as she pulled his soul forward and squeezed causing him to scream. "Jeez, take a joke asshole!" He gasped out but Chara simply squeezed harder.
After a moment she released his soul. "Were it up to me you'd be dead where you stood when we met but the Princesses think your more useful alive." Chara said.
Tirek sighed in defeat and simply went limp in the chains. "So what? They'll send me back to Tartarus and someday I'll get free again. You could end this song and dance here so why not do it?" He asked with a smirk.
Chara smiled and Tirek froze. "There are fates worse than death." She said. "I would love to kill you for what you did, dirty brother killer. But Frisk would be angry if I did, however if she doesn't wake up I will go to Tartarus and kill you personally." She said as got in his face the magic from her eyes lighting up the centaurs face and he shuddered.
"Why would you care about her?" He asked. "From what I gathered the entire Genocide Run was her fault."
Chara growled. "Frisk was a puppet." Chara said. "The PLAYER was the master that I fought, she just so happened to be caught in the crossfire and paid a price she didn't deserve. But her determination is weaker than mine."
"You know he won't stop, so why continue to fight him?" He asked.
"The day you can answer that will be the day I give you some respect." Chara said as she walked back over to where she was sitting.
"I think you're just a fool." Tirek said after hearing no response he growled. "FINE!" He yelled. "Be cryptic and silent I don't care!"
"Oh shut up!" Chara yelled. "I'm on guard duty till you're picked up and shipped off." Chara said. "And if you don't behave then I will castrate you because I'd rather be at Frisks side than here guarding you."
Tirek eyes widened. "Wait are you and her-" A Knife made from determination shot past his face and he gulped. "Right shutting up now." He said as he began to whistle, after a while he looked at Chara. "So when did you and her become a thing?" He asked and Chara ignored him. "Does she know or is this a one sided thing?" He asked.
"She knows and yes the feeling are mutual now shut up before I remove your tongue."
Tirek smiled. "Have you two done anything... special yet?" Chara groaned and tried to tune him out. However it seemed that he was intent on driving her mad.
After several hours Chara looked up at Tirek. "You know, you don't seem like the tyrannical type to be honest." She said.
Tirek snorted and burst out laughing. "I guess I don't anymore." He said with a chuckle. "When I grew up I was taught that those of strengths and power had a right to do whatever they wanted, it was the rule where we came from. Eventually I was sent to prove myself and so I traveled out of my kingdom and to these lands with my brother."
"So what happened?" She asked.
"My brother happened." Tirek said with a sniff. "He... was smarter than me and recognized what true strength was but the lessons that had been drilled into my mind were too strong. When he tried to show me I slayed him because he became weak in my eyes." Tirek paused and looked at Chara. "I don't know what happened but I feel you walked a similar path once, we have both seen our brothers die and perhaps we're even both responsible. Blinded by what we believed and saw we harmed those we loved most."
Chara remained quiet before chuckling. "Let me guess the ending, while you were trapped in Tartarus you saw the world as it was, you took the lessons your brother learned and engraved them onto your soul so that they may never be forgotten again. You choose to follow another path but can't forgive yourself for what you did. One day a being comes and offers you a way out, a way to atone for your crimes and your so desperate you accept without even thinking what could go wrong or even why they offered you this chance."
The two sat in silence for a time till Tirek looked up at Chara. "Did you ever find redemption Arbiter?"
Chara shook her head. "433 years later and the sins I bear has yet to be washed away. My LV might not have risen from the crime but that doesn't change my actions, I'm guilty and for that my punishment is to be reminded of that sin every day."
Tirek chuckled and soon Chara joined him. "Guilty of the same crime yet we judge others, what hypocrites we've become." Tirek said sadly. |
Lost Dreamer | Interlude 2: Photon Readings Negative | A figure sat in a quiet room watching the screen, the room was dark and the figure was a simple dark silhouette. "I see your having trouble PLAYER." A man said causing the figure to turn.
"I wasn't expecting a visit from you Merchant." The figure said as he rose from his chair. "As for my trouble, well, nothing I can't handle. The playing piece simply needs to learn it's place."
The Merchant growled. "I've let you play this sick game for quite a while PLAYER." The Merchant growled as he approached the figure. "There are rules we must follow and you have broken them far too often." He said.
The PLAYER laughed. "Oh spare me your words Merchant, the only rules we make are our own." He said with a smile.
The Merchant growled and grabbed the PLAYER by the collar of his shirt and pulled him forward punching him as hard as he could. "Then let me refresh your memory PLAYER. Rule 1. You can only send the person to a version of Equestria that they have the possibility of happiness. Rule 2. Once sent to a version of Equestria the Displacer is forbidden to interact or control the Displaced unless they are given permission from the displaced themselves. Rule 3. They have to willingly accept the offer, this can be done by tricking them or by making an offering but no matter what they must agree.
As the Merchant said each rule he slammed his fist into the PLAYERS face and as he was done he let the PLAYER drop to the floor. "This is my toy Merchant, go back and play with your own." He hissed as he rose and glared at the Man. "It is mine and neither you nor any other Void Dweller will stop me from doing as I see fit." He screamed as he glared into the face of the merchant. "If I want to kill her then I will, If I want to commit mass genocide and destroy every creature and Timeline then I will."
The Merchant glared at the PLAYER with what could only be described as a look of contempt. "I can't undo what you've done but I can still intervene if needed." He said as he turned away from the PLAYER. "This was your single warning PLAYER, continue to break the rules and I will show you what I'm truly capable of." He said as he walked away and vanished in a mass of tendrils.
The PLAYER growled. "This world is mine, I control it I rule it and nothing will stand in my way." He growled before walking back to the computer and sitting down. "And once I control the Timeline again I'll so you, I'll show all of you pathetic Displacers. I will become God!"
Within the pits of Tartarus sat a cage with Centaur inside. Tirek sat and hummed happily as he watched the comings and goings of prisoners. Despite his actions Chara had actually come to his aid and convinced the princesses that he was willing to change, as a result he had been permitted the right to be contained in the upper levels of Tartarus and if he behaved for a few centuries he could be granted freedom. Suddenly screams were heard and Tirek turned to see a white figure with a smile slaughtering the guards. Tirek mailed and quickly grabbed a scroll that Chara had given him. Quickly he wrote a message and with a burst of his remaining magic it vanished, turning to smoke that shot away. "Forgive me Chara." he said as the PLAYER approached the cage and stood before him.
"We had an agreement Tirek." The PLAYER said.
"I did what you wanted, Chara tricked me." Tirek said. "Had I know what you were after though I'd of refused, I'm lucky Chara actually talked the princesses into giving me a lighter sentence."
Player forced their hand through the bars of the cage and grabbed Tirek by the throat before pulling him closer. "Perhaps if you still followed the ideals you were taught you'd have won but I see now your to kind hearted now to be of use, I'll have to rectify that." The PLAYER said with a sadistic smile.
Tirek gasped as the PLAYER squeezed his throat however rather than beg he spit in the players face. "Do your worst PLAYER, I will not break."
The PLAYER growled and wiped the spit off his face. "There are worse things that torture." He said as an orb of energy collected in his hand. "Do you know what this is?" He asked before laughing. "This is the the power of the Soul Trait Agitation, when the time comes for you to be free you shall destroy, your shall kill and your shall feast on those pathetic Ponies no matter what." He said as he slammed the orb into Tireks chest causing him to scream in pain.
As this happened four figures leaped out of a tear in space. "PLAYER!!!" Chara screamed as the true knife morphed into a scythe and she swung at the PLAYER who blocked the blade with his arm.
Quickly he leaped back and smiled. "To late again Chara, you really are bad at saving those who stand with you." He said with a laugh as he disappeared.
Charas eyes widened and she ran over to Tirek who lay limp. "Tirek, we came as fast as we could." She said as he approached him.
As she approached Asriel and the princesses going her, Tirek lay before them grunting in pain and as he opened his eyes they changed from their yellow coloration to a grayish blue. "Chara, I'm sorry." He said in pain. "He did something, created something called the Trait Agitation and shoved it in me. It hurts!" He screamed and closed his eyes in pain as his body began to shrivel up and the colors of his fur dulled.
After a moment a moment his eyes snapped open and he lunged at the group clawing at the air as his mouth watered. "Come here Chara, let me feed, let me hunt." He said his voice twisting as he began to laugh. "Give me your Soul!" He screamed as the group scrambled back. Tirek began to laugh and bash his head against he cage like a rabid animal.
"Chara what's happening?" Celestia asked in fear as Chara growled in anger.
"The PLAYER has inverted his Soul." Chara replied and Asriel paled.
"You mean he's now bearer to a corrupted trait?" He asked his voice shacking in fear.
Chara nodded. "G♋︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎ had a theory that the corrupted traits of souls weren't just randomly chosen but rather that each souls corrupted form was actually it inverted on itself. Determination would grow to Indecision,Kindness would fall to Cruelty, Bravery would cower before Fear, Justice would warp into Corruption, Integrity would give way to Arrogance, Patience would thin to Agitation, Perseverance would dwindle Apathy." Chara explained before turning back to Tirek. "Looks like he might of been right with his theory."
"What can we do for him?" Luna asked as she watched Tirek bit at he bars of the cage and scream and anger.
Asriel and Char looked down sadly. "Aside form killing him, nothing." Asriel said sadly.
Chara sighed. "I'm going back, I won't let the player hurt Frisk anymore." She said as she walked away from the group before dispersing in a blue flash.
Celestia and Luna watched Tirek for a moment before turning to Ariel. "Can he be saved?" Celestia asked.
Asriel shrugged. "Corrupted Souls are extremely rare and extremely dangerous, that's why Codes Phi and Upsilon were created." He said as he turned to Tirek. "Chara and Gaster didn't have enough of a sample to discover anything about them." He said and turned away from the cage. "Come on, there's nothing we can do for him now so we might as well return to the Everfree."
The two princesses gave the occupant in the cage a final look before fallowing Asriel, Luna's horn glowed ant the two teleported out of Tartarus. |
Lost Dreamer | Chapter 11 - Return to the Underground | Authors Note: I chose not to Use Wingdings in this chapter because it broke the flow of the chapter however I do have in story lore for why Gaster doesn't speak in Wingdings however it is saved for after he returns.
Chara sat at a desk placed beside the bed Frisk occupied, she sighed as she signed another paper and placed it in the outgoing box before turning to look Fisk sadly. A knock at the door caused her to turn and see Asriel leaning in the open door. "Hey Azzy." She said sadly.
Asriel entered the room and looked over Frisk. "No changes?" He asked and Chara shook her head. Asriel sighed and looked at Chara. "She's been on life support for a month Chara, we need to do something."
"And what would you have me do Azzy?" She asked angrily. "I'm not exactly working with a state of the art medical facility; in fact I honestly doubt they have any of the required equipment for anther century." She said as she threw her arms in the air.
Asriel nodded before stopping and turning to Chara. "No, there is one place that has what we need!" He exclaims. "One facility that we have access to and can use!"
Chara frowned in thought for a moment before her eyes widened. "The Lab in Hot Land!" She gasped.
Asriel nodded. "I know you've been maintaining the labs and facilities in the Underground so they should be in good condition right?"
Chara nodded. "Yeah they are." She said before taking a breath. "Alright, I'm heading over to prepare the place for Frisk. I need to get the medical equipment together." She said as she rose and began to leave the room, just as she was about to walk out she stopped and turned to Asriel. "Tell the Princesses and bring her as soon as you can." She said as she walked out the door. As she stepped through the door she vanished taking one of her 'short cuts'.
Asriel nodded and looked down at Frisk. "Hang in there Frisk, You need to stay determined if not for yourself than for Chara." He said as he walked out of the room and headed for the throne room, night court was still in sessions and it would be the best time to see Luna. As he walked to the throne room he stopped a guard and told him to wake Celestia as there was a Code Xi in place. The guard nodded and left however unlike with other commands he didn't hurry. When he reached the Throne room he noticed a group of petitioners at the doors. He smiled softly and entered to see two stallions arguing and Luna listening closely. The Night Court had gained a lot of respect over the years and while there wasn't as many petitioners as the Day court with Celestia it still had a decent group. Over the years the two courts had grown and changed with Celestia's Day Court being more commonly known as the 'Entitled Fillies Court', Luna on the other hand was more known as the 'Court of Hearing'.
The two names had become common as a form of second title and it fit the mood of the two perfectly, the Day Court was known for having the whiny nobles and was run loosely with many ponies receiving vague answers to their problems, in truth Day Court was created solely to occupy the nobles and prevent them from running Equestria into the ground with their own personal agendas. Celestia simply was there to play warden to the madness that would make Discord cower in terror.
Despite having Celestia as a leader many of the noble class had fallen into corruption and greed, almost every other day a Code Mu was issued and a noble house was secretly stripped of power. At this point there have become two types of nobles in Equestria, there were the Nobles and then there were the nobles unfortunately most of the nobles of Equestria weren't actually Noble any longer do to what they had become.
Asriel sighed as he thought of what had become the nobles of Equestria, of the fifty noble families of Equestria only twenty-seven still held the title of Nobles and that number was dropping quickly.
Asriel sighed and his thought turned to the Night court. The Night Court had earned the title 'Court of Hearing' due to how Luna ran it. A Pony would enter with their problem and speak their piece, once they finished Luna would consider the situation, law or punishment that fit the criteria if Luna couldn't come up with an answer on the spot she would schedule a second hearing in several days and consult her sister, Asriel and Chara. Over the years Luna had earned a reputation to be very cautious with her decisions, getting all the facts before making a single decision. She would listen do both views on a situation and give every creature be they pony or not the same treatment. The Night Court was a place of action where may laws and regulations of Equestria had been created, a place where convicts were tried, disputes settled and treaties with foreign countries were made.
After several hours Luna dismissed the court and sighed as she walked down and looked at Asriel. "Hello Asriel, I assume you came here for more than simply watching politics for hours." She said with a tired but happy smile.
Asriel chuckled. "If I wanted to do that I'd of woken early and joined Tia's Day Court. Did you know the Platinum's want an eighty foot statue of them built from solid gold to be placed outside of the palace and everypony that passes it must kiss its hooves?" He asked as they exited the Throne room and headed for the royal study.
Luna stopped and stared at Asriel who slowed and turned to her. "That has to be a joke." She said however the deadpanned look on Asriels face caused her jaw to drop. "You're serious." She said before sighing. "I'm going to break a table with my face plant." She groaned as she continued following Asriel into the study where a very tired Celestia sat a cup of tea placed before her. "Well you're up early sister." Luna chuckled.
"Code Xi Luna." Celestia said with a yawn.
Luna turned to Asriel surprised. "Why didn't you tell me we were having a family meeting?" She asked.
Asriel smiled. "Because you needed to do Night Court and tomorrow need to be free." He said as he took a seat at and Luna joined them. "Chara won't be joining us tonight because she has to get everything ready."
"What's going on Asriel?" Celestia asked with a yawn.
"The medical facilities we have aren't enough to treat Frisk's injuries properly. Despite the doctors magic and capabilities, ponies can't treat Frisk. At best they can keep her alive and in a coma like state." Asriel said causing the two princesses to gasp.
"What do we do Asriel?" Luna asked. "You wouldn't have called us together unless there was no hope or there is a solution but it is going to be hard to achieve."
Asriel nodded. "There is only one facility available to us with the proper medical equipment to diagnose the problem and find a cure." Asriel said as he clasped his hands together. "The Laboratory in the Underground." As Asriel explained this Celestia and Luna looked shocked.
"Asriel it's been over four centuries since anyone has been in the Underground, if anything is left its condition would be terrible." Celestia said calmly.
Asriel nodded. "That would be true, if that was the case." Asriel said with a chuckle. "Chara goes there all the time, I don't know what she does but I know she's maintained the place in the absence of the Monsters that once lived there. Grillby, River Person and Napstablook also go there sometimes so the place is in good condition."
Luna chuckled. "I always wondered where she ran off to at night."
Asriel nodded. "Chara's left to set up the medical facility of the Lab. Tomorrow we need to move Frisks body to the facilities."
"What do you need form us?" Luna asked.
"I'll be assigning Grillby and sever of the more trust worthy guards to assist in her moving, You two need to be present as well." Asriel said before chuckling. "You know this might be the first time you see Chara in her element." He said with a smile.
What do you mean?" Celestia asked causing Asriel to laugh.
"Chara is many things, a warrior, commander, judge and all these things you've seen. However Chara is most at home in only two scenarios, when she is pumping absurd levels of magic through her body and when she is in the laboratory." Asriel explained. "She is very scientific and loves working on new innovations. Magic, science, technology, theories, everything that is sciency and nerdy is her passion. She is an absolute genius but she hides it under a layer of laziness." Asriel chuckled again as he leaned back in the chair, memories of the past running through his mind. "When she sees Ponies ready I imagine she'll be starting a bit of a renaissance or technological revolution." He mussed aloud.
Celestia and Luna looked at each other before turning back to Asriel. "If what you say is true why hasn't she done so?" Celestia asked.
Asriel sighed as leaned forward once more and for a moment he looked as if he'd aged to that of an old goat. "This world's not ready for what we bring. The advancement of society is slow and Chara feels that introducing anything would only cause problems." Asriel sighed. "Honestly after what she's seen I agree, while there is a lot of technology that would benefit ponies there is far more that would only lead Equestria down the path to war."
Several hours later Asriel stood in his full armor beside Grillby and six other Royal Guards With them stood the Princess Celestia and Luna. Beside the Princesses, floating in their combined magic was Frisk. The group was silent as they waited for a carriage to come and even when it arrived they were silent. The trip to Mt. Ebott was slow but as they arrived at the mountain the group began to talk and the silence lifted somewhat, at least until they reached the entrance to the cave. Asriel took a deep breath and turned to the guard. "Remain here, only the Princesses may continue." He said as He turned and Grillby and the Princesses followed.
The group walked into the Barrier room and quickly passed the throne room as they began to leave the princesses paused and Asriel turned motioning for them to follow. The Group continued and entered the Judgement Hall and soon they reached the Elevator. The group was silent as they traversed the Underground, passing through Mettatons Resort and then entering Hot Land. Calmly they walked traversing the maze of puzzles and finally reaching the Lab. Asriel paused for a moment before taking a deep breath and stepping forward, the doors opened automatically to reveal a well-kept lab.
Chara's back was turned to them and she was leaned over a table working on something with a microscope. Asriel stopped and cleared his throat causing her to jump and turn to them and the two groups froze. Chara's usual cloths had been swapped out for a long white lab coat that covered a black skin tight latex body suit with a red radiation symbol emblazoned on its chest.
"Oh, I was expecting you later." Chara said as she straitened to her full height, her back completely straight as she walked over to computer and began to type on it. After a moment a metal slab floated over and Chara joined the group. "Please place Frisk on the gurney and I will take her to the Lab for analysis." Chara said her tone completely professional. The Princesses hesitated but did as Chara ask. As soon as Frisk was laid down Chara immediately began to move the gurney to an elevator and the group quickly followed. The trip down to the True Lab was quiet and as soon as they arrived Chara began to move the gurney through the halls to a room containing a lot of medical equipment.
The Princesses watched in shock as Chara moved from machine to machine connecting wires and suction pads to Frisks arms and chest while placing a mask over her face and inserting an IV drip. As soon as she was done she walked over to a clipboard and began to write down the numbers on the machines and exiting the room.
"Is she always like this?" Luna asked in confusion.
Asriel nodded. "Luna meet Chara, the real Chara." He said as he turned to the door. "I'm going to go talk to Chara, since you don't know this place I'm asking you to stay here." He said before leaving the room and walking down the hall till he reached a room with a plaque with the name Chara on it. As he entered the room he saw his sister working, her hands flew over the keyboard and her focus shifted every few moments to one of the tree monitors she had at her desk.
Asriel chuckled. "At this rate you'll be joining Frisk before you can cure her." He said.
Chara frowned and spared a second to glare at Asriel before returning to work. "Hello brother, I assume you're still here to insure I don't run myself ragged again?" She asked.
Asriel smiled. "You're a workaholic Chara; someone has to look out for you now that everyone gone." He said jokingly
"The Machine to bring Dr. Gaster and the Team back was completed two centuries ago, I just need enough magical energy and the right frequency, and once I have those I will be able to pull them out of the Void." Chara said without looking ways from her work. "As for reviving the Underground I have made several breakthroughs on it but until I can create a stabilizer all that work is useless as all we'll get are Amalgamates and corrupted glitches."
Asriel nodded. "Good job then sis but still, don't over work yourself."
Chara smiled softly before something beeped and she sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I found the problem, or at least one of the problems." She said as she waved Asriel over. Quickly the Prince approached and leaned over his sister's shoulder as she pointed at several numbers. "So several factors that keep humans alive are really messed up. The first is that she is in a state of extreme nutrient deficiency; I can fix this by simply adding the necessary vitamins and other nutrients needed to the IV drip. Second her body has suffered severe trauma, I can try fixing this with healing magic but we both know that it can only do so much and most of the damage will have to heal on its own. The final and most concerning part however her soul is." She explained as she pointed to a reading that Asriel stared at blankly.
"Chara, I have no idea what the actual fuck you're talking about." He said with a sigh. "Please explain this in English not science
Chara frowned. "Frisk body has shut down due to lack of any food for who knows how long. Almost all her muscles have either been torn or shredded, her blood vessels are damaged and her heart is heavily damaged due to being overworked and lacking proper nutrients. As for her soul... all I can say at the moment it that it looks almost shattered and fragments are missing."
Asriel frowned. "Did Tirek do this?"
Chara shook her head. "Even if he tried he'd only be able to do a tenth of the damage, no this was something else." She said as her eyes turned black and Asriel who took a hesitant step back. "This was the PLAYER." She growled her eyes going black as her voice went demonic for a moment before she closed them and took several breaths. "Give me enough time and I can heal her but it will take weeks at best."
Asriel gulped and nodded. "I'm not a doctor like you but are the parts missing what keep her alive?" He asked.
"I don't know." Chara said as she shook her head sadly. "The scan I ran was a basic check; if I do anything more her soul might shatter. She's barely stable as it is and doing anything else might just shatter it entirely."
Asriel sighed and nodded. "Well, at least she's now in capable hands." He said as he patted her shoulder.
Chara nodded before as she turned back to the monitors and her eyes flashed purple. Suddenly she gasped and jumped up before running over to a cabinet and opening it while digging around for something.
"What is it Chara?" Asriel asked concerned.
"I might have a way to fix this!" Chara said excitedly. "All humans no matter their Soul trait need Determination but for a Red Soul user like me or Frisk the need for Determination is in the extremes, if a Red Soul user doesn't have enough determination then their soul can be at risk of breaking or even worse inverting to its Unnatural Soul state and if that happens it would need to be destroyed." Chara explained and Asriel frowned.
"And this helps us how?" He asked as Chara pulled out a large canister of what looked like glowing blood.
"The problem is her Determination!" Chara exclaimed as she ran out the door and Asriel followed. "We gave her Monster Food while she was in the castle hospital, that should of healed her wound but it didn't so there has to be another reason she isn't waking up." She said as she burst into the room causing the sisters to jump.
"And you think it's her determination?" Asriel asked as he followed her.
"For most humans Determination is ones will to live but for one with a red soul it's more than that." Chara said as she began to hook up several tubes and wires to Frisk and carefully she hooked up the canister of the red substance. "For a human who's soul is red Determination is not just our will to live but is the very manifestation, the very culmination, of who we are."
"Did you find a cure?" Celestia asked hopeful as she looked between Asriel and Chara.
Asriel shrugged and Chara nodded. "Frisk souls is almost destroyed, if my theory is correct she has lost her determination and as such her will to live." She said as he finished hooking up the equipment. "This is some of the old stuff but we don't have an option." She growled as the liquid began to flow through the tubes. "Gaster if you're here I need you." She whispered. "Please help me to save Frisk." She said as tears began to fall from her face.
Chara called for help... But nob̶̠͓̆͝o̵͇̝̔̊̀̏d̶̨̗̫̠̩̲̆̾́́y̴̞͌̾̑̚͝͠ ̷̞̿͋̒̄c̸̛̖̜̦̖̳̘͆̕ã̶̢̡̛̜̲̭m̷̞̬̞̠̭͆̕̕è̸̟̻̟̬̈́.̶̪͇̞͇̞͑̇͘.̴̲̳͔̖͇̹̀͑̃̀̂́.̶̧̥̅̉̆̕
💧︎□︎❍︎♏︎□︎■︎♏︎ ♍︎♋︎❍︎♏︎📬︎
"Someone came."
There are many facets of the Void, some parts are simply areas of black nothing, some areas like the room behind the gray door have simply a floor and walls but that's all. Then there are the parts of the void that those with a Red Soul call the Menu Screens or as it's better known, the Game Over Screen. In all my time traveling across the Void I have only ever seen one Game Over Screen and because of the PLAYER I dare not enter it.
But that was then... now I shall. My student, my dear apprentice, Chara has called out for help. In all my long years never has she asked for my assistance, advice or opinion on a mater sure, but never has she gone out of her way to say she needs help. Something must be truly wrong for her to cry out with such despair and I see why. Frisk is dying and Determination won't save this child, not when they have so little of it left.
A bearer of the Red Soul can only return if they want to, they must believe with all their heart and soul that they want to go back. Frisk has lost her will to live and as such the determination to return. Chara is keeping her physical body alive, now it's my turn to convince her to stay Determined. I take a deep breath and step forward into the Game Over Screen.
As I step into this part of the Void my form changes, I'm no longer appear as the goopy amalgamate mass or even what appeared as when I possessed Chara but rather I look like myself once more.
This is rather interesting; I admit that it has been a... long time since I've been in this form. Worry about this development later Gaster, right now I have a Child to save. I look around and find that the world of the Game Over Screen is quiet similar to my home in the void with the simple difference of there being massive letters in the floating in place spelling out, Game Over.
Before them stands the form of a Human wearing a blue and purple striped sweater, I slowly approach.
"Child, it's time to Return." Gaster says as he approaches.
*Frisk tell Gaster to leave her alone.*
"I'm sorry Child but I can't do that. Chara is waiting for you, she misses you." Gaster says as he stands before her.
*Frisk tell Gaster that there is no point; after all she said it herself. 'You know we never were friends right?' 'I hate you so much!'* Fisk begins to cry. *Frisk tells Gaster She doesn't deserve mercy, they are a monster.*
Gaster pulls Frisk into a hug. "Chara wasn't speaking to you Child; she was speaking to the PLAYER." He said as Frisk cried into his shirt. "She loves you Frisk, I should know."
*Frisk asks what Gaster mean.*
Gaster sighs. "Chara hated Humanity with a passion unlike any other; I'd dare to say that her hate was greater than even we Skeletons."
He chuckled. "But whenever she was around you she was... different. She smiled, laughed and even cared about you. You were the only person she ever was like that to, no other human was ever treated the same."
*Frisk says she killed everyone, she doesn't deserve a second chance.*
"You deserve it more than any other Frisk." Gaster says as he lifted her head up to look at his face. "Frisk, You may have done these things but it wasn't you that did them, simply your body playing puppet to another." Gaster pat her head as he continued. "You only had the chance of freedom once and the PLAYER stole that. Chara never got to confess her love for you, Sans never got to have the daughter he saw you as and You never got your happy ending."
*Frisk says she doesn't deserve this, she wants to be forgotten.*
"Remember what Sans had on that picture, 'Never Forget'. Even after I was shattered across time and space, erased from the minds of everyone, someone still remembered me." Gaster said. "No matter who we are or what we do there will always be one person who will remember and they will miss us."
Frisk shook her head. *Frisk says that's different, you were good, nice.*
Gaster chuckled nervously. "You couldn't be farther from the truth. While I wasn't a murder or anything like that I was still... not someone who should be given a second chance and yet Sans tried to bring me back, even Chara is trying." He said as she hugged Frisk tighter. "Frisk, we all have done things we regret, thing's we can't undo or take back, it's how we live with those choices and seek redemption that defines. Asgore made mistakes, so too did Toriel, Undyne, and Sans but they moved on accepted their mistakes while trying to atone for them." Frisk paused as Gaster knelt down and looked at her. "Please Frisk, come back. If not for Chara, the one who loves you, then do it for my son and all those who would miss you."
Frisk stood frozen before nodding. "Okay, I'll come back." She said as the world began to glow.
The world shines brighter and a faint glow emanates from you. ...
You are filled with Determination.
Chara stood next to Frisks bed writing down the numbers on her clipboard, ever since she had started injecting Frisk with determination her condition had improved by leaps in bounds! Already most of the damage to her body had healed and her soul had slowly been restoring itself.
Despite her displeasure in admitting it she was gathering a significant amount of data on the capabilities Determination had in medical practices and had already formulated several tests. With a sigh she began to leave only to stop as she felt a massive amount of power grow behind her, Chara quickly turned as she summoned the True Knife however what she saw made her freeze. Floating above Frisk was her soul which shone with a brilliant light, quickly it shot into Frisks sleeping body and Chara watched in shock as Frisk gasped and sat up her eyes wide on surprise.
The two humans stared at each other for a moment, Chara in shock while Frisk in fear. Finally Chara dropped the clipboard and ran over to Frisk embracing her in a hug, Frisk flinched and closed her eyes in fear expecting to me killed. "You idiot!" Chara whispered as she hugged Frisk closer. "If you give up again I'm dragging you back here myself!" Frisk hesitantly opened her eyes and was shocked to see Chara crying. "I was so worried about you, honestly do you like scaring me to where I almost fall down again?" She asked.
Frisk don't say anything for a moment before pulling Chara into a hug. "I'm sorry." She said as she began to cry as well. "I broke our promise, I killed our friends, and I was a bad partner."
Chara frowned and pulled away from Frisk only to whack her in the back of the head. "It's not your fault Frisk, now get it through that thick scull of yours and let it go."
Frisk rubbed the back of her head and sniffed sadly. "Chara-""Nope, it's not your fault Frisk!" Chara cut in as she placed a finger on Frisks lips. "The PLAYER is a sadistic asshole and when I catch him I'm going to kill him, no second chances, no mercy." Chara said with finality as she rose and looked over Frisk. "You still need rest and to let your body heal." She said calmly as she turned to the door and began to walk away, before she left however she stopped and turned to Frisk. "Don't leave me again Frisk, you mean more to me than anyone except Azzy so you better make damn sure you don't die." She said and Frisk nodded. As Frisk lay back down in the bed Chara closed the door but Frisk swore she heard something before the door shut. "Love you Frisk." |
Lost Dreamer | Chapter 12 - The Folly of a Skeleton named 🕈︎♓︎■︎♑︎♎︎♓︎■︎♑︎ ♑︎♋︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎ | Celestia and Luna tiredly walked through the heat of Hot Land, it had been a week and Chara had not left the Labs at all. Because Asriel was busy dealing with griffon terrorists at the boarders the princesses had decided that enough was enough, they were heading down to the Labs to bring Chara back even if it was just to have one meal with them. After several hours of navigating the traps set up in the Core and around Hot Land they reached the labs to see Shroud, Chara's Phoenix perched on the raining asleep. "So that's where he went." Luna muttered.
Celestia sighed and the two entered the Labs only to pause in shock. A week ago the lab was pristine and perfectly cleaned however now it would qualify for its own disaster relief fund. Pot and cups were strewn around the lab with some even still having food in them, papers were scattered about and haphazardly tossed aside. Celestia approached a stack of blue papers with intricate schematics drawn on it, written on the pages were symbols that she couldn't understand however one of the pages she picked up depicted the Gaster Blasters Chara loved to use.
Celestia placed the drawing back down and looked around concerned. "Chara has never been a messy person." She said concerned.
Luna nodded slowly. "It looks as if a tornado was through here." She said. "Do you think Chara is on the lower floors?"
Celestia shrugged and walked to the elevator. "When I see her I'm going to have a word with her on hygiene and how to care for one's self." Celestia said grumpily. "She's 433 years old; she should be able to care for herself!" Luna chuckled and shook her head as they entered the elevator and descended.
When the exited the lab the blinked at the harsh lights that the True Lab had and began to walk down the halls. As they walked Luna noticed several odd monitors that activated once they passed. "Sister, these monitors are rather strange." She said as he approached the first one on the wall. "Entry 1... Sister comes read this!"
Entry number 01
Work on Project 23 has been officially completed. The Prototype generator is working and has been supplied the laboratory with unlimited magical energy. After working on the same project for so long I am eager to start anew.
I wonder what I will be tasked with next?
Luna turned to Celestia excited. "Sister, I think this was written by Dr. Gaster!" She said excitedly.
Celestia looked confused. "If that's the case what is it doing here?" She asked however the question fell on deaf ears as Luna ran to the next screen. Celestia sighed and followed her sister despite her hesitance she was still curious.
Entry number 02
The King has given me my next assignment. With the recent FEAR Soul incident the human government wants me to research effective ways to fight against the corrupted souls in the event this occurs again.
Though I'm hesitant to do such research this could prove to be a great opportunity to experiment with something interesting.
Humans possess a substance called 'DETERMINATION', it fascinates me.
Perhaps we could use this 'DETERMINATION' to our advantage?
Celestia tilted her head in thought. "Determination... isn't that Chara's soul?" She asked Luna who nodded.
"Determination, the power to alter time as well as wield the power of the other six souls." Luna replied. "It looks like Gaster began his Determination experiments far earlier than we thought."
Celestia nodded. "Our guess was it started after Chara fell down however this proves he was testing what it could do as a way to counter the Unnatural Soul Traits prior to them knowing each other."
Luna shook her head. "From what this says Dr. Gaster was working on this research for the human government. This means it was prior to the Human and Monster War so they were still above ground and not sealed away." The Sisters turned away from the monitor and continued down the hall till they reached the next.
Entry number 03
My research has proven to be very compelling. Determination grants it's carrier with two abilities: 'SAVE' and 'LOAD'. If we were to somehow harness Determination... we could use it against the corrupted humans.
I shall find a way to extract Determination from human souls, and then... Experimentation may begin.
Celestia shuddered. "Dr. Gaster seems like a rather... interesting character." She said and Luna nodded and the two continued deeper into the True Lab till they reached a room containing a massive machine that looked like a skull. Celestia shuddered as Luna approached and examined it. After examining it the two went over to one of two monitors in the room.
Entry number 04
It occurred to me that I can't work on this project alone. I've decided to bring two assistance to help me with various tasks. The first I have selected is Assistant Alphys, She is a young and timid monster but she shows great promise. The second is a longtime colleague of mine, Scratch. He may be a bit eccentric but he is a good man and I trust him.
Currently we're designing blueprints for a machine capable of DT extraction.
I look forward to completing it.
Luna tilted her head. "Scratch... where have I heard that name before." She muttered before gasping in recognition. "He was a member of the Team that worked with Chara prior to the incident!" She said and Celestia turned to her surprised.
"How do you know?" She asked before remembering something from a long time ago. "Luna was he one of the Monsters from that dream you saw from Chara when she first began to live with us?" Luna nodded and turned to the second monitor
Entry number 05
We finished construction of the DT extraction machine. The King has requested the human government to provide us with the human souls needed to test it with. After acquiring the souls we tested the machine and the extraction was a complete success.
Now that we have Determination we will attempt to inject DT into monster souls, if my theory is correct we might not have found a way to simply counter Corrupted humans but a strong enough power source that Monsters that have fallen down can be revived.
We have chosen four monsters that have fallen down to conduct the experiments on; if it's successful they should all come back to life.
We will try this tomorrow.
Luna frowned. "Sister, this is what Chara is looking for." She said somewhat concerned. "A way to revive monsters and it seems to lie in Determination."
Celestia didn't say anything for a moment. "This way." She said as she walked to another hallway that lead deeper. The two princesses walked quietly till they reached the next screen.
Entry number 06
It worked, they're alive!
All four of them are awake and walking around as if they never fell down.
It's so... fascinating.
The two sisters looked at each other and continued down the hall to the next entry.
Entry number 07
I apologize for not recording so long, it's been a few days and I have had to constantly monitor the subjects.
They're all still fine and I believe that at this point we can consider the experiment a resounding success.
With Determination we now have a chance to give monsters that have fallen down a second chance; I have also run several tests on the subjects power and found that their magic is strong enough to shatter human souls, Now we have a way to overpower the corrupted humans if anything like the Fear Incident happens again.
Using our magic, combined with Determination, we will be able to protect our kingdom from any threat, the only thing I've found odd is that the test subjects are very... 'sweaty'.
It may be a simple side effect like the others believe however I have asked that the subjects remain a bit longer for further observation.
Luna's eyes widened and she looked at Celestia. "They did it!?" She exclaimed in shock however Celestia shook her head.
"I don't think they did." She said as she moved to the next monitor and gasped. "Luna come see this!" She yelled. Luna ran over and began to read
Entry number 08
It has been several days since my last entry and things have taken a turn for the worst.
The sweating I noted in my last entry was indeed a significant situation and I am glad I was able to convince the King to allow then to remain here longer. The test subjects melted together to form one amorphous entity and proceeded to try and attack us.
I had no choice but to destroy it to protect Assistant Alphys and Dr. Scratch. It is with a heavy heart that I write to the families of the monsters and announce the death of their loved ones. As horrible as it is to say this the experiment was not a total failure and the data we gained will be invaluable. We now know monster souls cannot handle raw Determination but now that we know this, where do we go from here?
I have sent Assistant Alphys and Dr. Scratch away from the Lab on leave for several days so that they may recuperate from the events of the past few days, I will be taking a leave of absence as well. This entire situation has left me drained and reminded me of the fragility of life.
I need some time with my wife.
The Princesses looked at each other. "Chara has to know this." Luna said calmly. "I mean the information is right here so it's not hidden."
Celestia nodded there must be more to this than we can see, some sort of background information that most likely wasn't recorded here but on the notes. They must have found a cure or something, we both know Chara is not the type to be reckless or gamble with chance."
"Sister, what if this is why Chara hasn't tried anything yet?" Luna asked, Celestia raised an eyebrow and Luna shook her head. "Hear me out sister, she knows that this will happen if she uses Determination however perhaps they did find some sort of cure or something similar, something that they didn't record or put down but she know of it and that's why she's looking for Gasters' old laboratory..."
"Because that's where it is." Celestia finished as she thought. "That's a good guess but perhaps if we find the other entries we can learn the answer." The two continued down the halls searching for the next entry and after several minutes they found it.
Entry number 09
No progress has been made since our return. My last report on the incident was sent to the humans, they are callus and uncaring. When it was reported that all subject had to be terminated and by my own hand the simply demanded we find more! I have never seen King Asgore so angry however I do understand; I don't think I've ever been so angry either.
On a separate note we are running out of options, if our bodies aren't capable of handling Determination how do we harness its power? I know Determination is the answer I'm looking for however it is far too potent for use on monsters.
We would need something else to contain it for us, but what?
It sounds absurd but perhaps... we could use a machine powered by Determination?
Celestia and Luna looked at each other concerned. "Were Humans truly this uncaring about monsters? Four died by being twisted into abominations and they simply say 'do it again'?" Celestia shook her head. "That's deplorable."
"I'm more curious about their machine powered by determination idea, it sounds very similar to what Chara mentioned and what I saw in that dream." Luna said as the Sisters continued down the hall. Celestia shrugged and stopped at the next screen.
Entry number 10
The Humans have declared war on us monsters. I do not know why or what they gain from this however my research has become more important than ever. Sadly my research has shifted from a possible revival of monsters to creating weapons. Several more researchers have been assigned to my team by the King. This has lightened the load considerably so my research has not been stopped but simply slowed.
On another note I have developed a prototype weapon specifically designed to shatter the souls of humans. I'm calling them Gaster Blasters, a bit pretentious but the king did approve.
Lunas face lit up. "Ha! you owe me twenty bits now sister; I told you the Basters were named after Gaster!" She exclaimed happily.
Celestia groaned. "Can we focus on the bigger picture Luna, like how Chara has a weapon that can destroy souls and treats it like a pet?" Luna simply laughed and continued on, Celestia sighed and followed.
Entry number 11
The Gaster Basters while effective in combat act more like pets than weapons. Despite their effectiveness the king asked that they not be used in combat. We are on the right track but if we're to use them they will need to be more aggressive. It's shame really but they do make wonderful companions. Some of them follow me around the lab as if they were puppies.
I find it quite adorable honestly.
Celestia face hoofed while Luna laughed even harder. "Even their King saw the folly of them as a weapon." Celestia groaned.
Entry number 12
Despite the king's decree that the Blasters are unfit for combat they continue to aid their masters in battle, the King has had no choice but to resend the decree. Despite their kind and loving nature they will defend their master and are extremely dangerous if provoked. There was a recent report of one of the Gaster blasters masters falling in battle, to say the sight that the reinforcements were met with has left humans terrified of my creations is a rather small understatement. The details are not available to be seen but I managed to sneak a copy. I wish I hadn't, if a Blaster is pushed too far they might become the most terrifying thing at our disposal.
In other news Arial, my wife, is pregnant! From what I have been able to tell it is a boy. I am so excited but also terrified, of all the times for me to get her pregnant and I choose right before a war! Way to go Dings, husband of the century right here!
...Sarcasm doesn't translate well on paper.
The work on reviving monsters that have fallen down is going well. We have determined that while Determination can revive monsters we need a way to stabilize the monster once they are brought back. Work has been slow but in a few months I might have the stabilizer we need. I just need more time...
"Your guess might be right Luna." Celestia said in surprise. "Dr. Gaster was working on the cure the whole time and this proves he was close to a way to revive Monsters."
Luna frowns. "But he still hasn't done it yet, He says he need time and we both know the war ended with monsters loosing so he must not have succeeded." The sisters continued down the hall till they reached the next screen.
Entry number 13
The Humans won and we have been driven underground. My wife gave birth mere hours ago to my son, Comic Sans Skeleton. I have lost almost all my research notes on Determination and all notes I had on the revival process were left behind at my lab. I could only grab a few files in the rush and the files on the Revival Process were some of the few I was unable to grab due to them being in my office. The King has begged me to continue the research but at present reviving the fallen down is low on the priorities. I need to begin work on a way to supply magic and power to our new prison, assist in setting up a lab as well as other work.
Damn the humans, because of them my son will grow up in a cave than under the light of the sun and stars.
"There's our answer." Celestia said sadly. "Dr. Gaster left all his research behind on the surface when they were driven underground." She said as she turned to Luna. "These entries explains everything Luna, who Gaster was, why Chara is so determined to find his old lab, everything is here."
Luna nodded slowly and turned to Celestia. "Imagine having been so close to finding a salvation to something that we stood no chance against only to have it ripped away and losing everything in the process." She said as she sat down. "That... that would break me."
Celestia nodded and looked down the hall. "Luna, it's not over." She said as he pointed her hoof at a another screen farther down. Luna rose and the two approached the next screen.
Entry number 14
It's been years since I've been able to sit down and record any data on my experiments. However everything is set up finally and The Underground now works. Fortunately I brought files from Project 23 with me so the Underground is supplied with unlimited magical energy. The place that creates the magical energy is called the Core.
Sans has grown up to be quite an intelligent and lazy skeleton. In a few years he might be able to join the Lab teams though the choice will be his.
The Sisters looked at each other and followed the hall to an exit that lead out to a massive open observation deck. The deck over looked a literal sea, pipes rose from the lava connecting to a massive construct of steel that glowed and churned with unknown mechanics. "That's the Core?" Celestia gasped in shock as Lunas jaw dropped. The two stood and marveled at the machine for a time till finally they continued onward, following the Deck they found another entrance that lead to another hall and at the end was the next monitor.
Entry number 15
A Human Child has fallen in to Home; she is in poor condition however. I wonder how they got in such a state? The young Prince Asriel has grown quite attached to the child; King Asgore and Queen Toriel have taken the child in. Despite my past with human and hate for them I have come to respect the child, she is smart and kind. When she first saw me she did something I doubt I will ever forget. she apologized for what humans had done to my kind. I... I don't know what to do. Perhaps, if the Child show interest in my work, I may take her on as an apprentice in the future.
My son has also shown he has my Karmic Retribution so I will need to train him. I remember my days in active service as the Judge; he will have a hard life. The human child shows great aptitude for magic as well and is quite intelligent, I wouldn't mind training her.
"This must have been when Chara fell into the Underground." Celestia said before frowning in thought. "Karmic Retribution, didn't Chara mention she had this power as well?" She asked and Luna nodded.
"She said she learned it from an old friend, do you think it was Gaster or this Sans?" Luna replied as the two continued deeper into the facility.
Entry number 16
Chara and Sans have grown so much and Arial recently gave birth to our second child, Papyrus Skeleton. He is an Uppercase Font and shows it. He already shows an aptitude in creativity and is quite compassionate. Papyrus seems to be a near complete contrast to Sans, this dynamic is interesting however Sans has already began to shown he is quite protective of his younger brother. Chara has become like family to us and even works at the labs as a supervisor. Sans will be joining her shortly as a supervisor and both are well known both in their field of study and as a capable consultant for other divisions.
Chara has discovered more about human souls and determination than I did in the forty years that I studied them. We have also discovered much about Timelines, Alternate Universes and Dimensions due to her soul of Determination. We have begun work on a Timeline Portal that runs off determination. It's times like these that I wish I still had my old notes, right now we are going off my memory on what I remember but it's been so long and I know I'm forgetting things.
I wish I was as proficient in Purple Magic as I am in Orange and Blue Magic.
"This is it!" Luna exclaimed. "This is what I saw in that dream, it was about this experiment. Which means the next entry will explain more about the device!" she said excitedly as she ran ahead.
"Luna, wait!" Celestia called as she chased after her sister who turned and ran into a side room. Celestia followed and paused when she saw what was inside. It was a massive machine however behind it was a pit that lead to nothing but the black void. Slowly she entered to see Luna standing before the machine, embedded in the machine was a screen and on it an entry.
Entry number 17
Dark Darker Yet Darker,
The Darkness Keeps Growing,
The Shadows Cutting Deeper.
Photon Readings Negative,
This Next Experiment
Seems Very, Very Interesting...
What Do You Two Think?
Celestia read the entry only to reread it in confusion. "This makes no sense." She said.
"That's what I thought." Luna said. "All the other entries were explanatory and flushed out but this has nothing!" She said confused.
"Oh but it makes perfect sense." A voice said calmly behind them causing the sisters to turn in shock to see Chara standing before them. "Entry number 17
Dark, darker, yet darker; the darkness keeps growing, the shadows cutting Deeper. Photon readings negative.
This next experiment seems very, very interesting... what do you two think?"
Chara walked into the room a sad look on her face as she looked around the room. "The last words of Dr. Gaster before he was lost to the Void forever, the last words I and Sans would hear from him. The day this was written Sans lost his father and I lost a friend, Gaster was like the wacky and eccentric uncle that you loved to hangout with, he was the best man I knew second only to my father."
"What happened here Chara?" Celestia asked as she approached the human. "What did you and the machine do that could cause so much suffering? From what you've told us it seems like this experiment was what lead to not only Gaster what ever happened to him but also was what lead you to die."
Chara looked at Celestia calmly. "We tried to understand something, something that was not meant to be understood and for that we paid a price." Chara shook her head and looked at the Princesses with a smile. "Enough about the past. Frisk is awake and her treatment is going well. Give it a little while and she'll be as healthy as a possible." She said happily as she turned. "Come on Princesses, I'd like you to meet Frisk." She said as she walked out of the room. Celestia and Luna looked at each other with concern before following. |
Lost Dreamer | Chapter 13 - No More Games, No More Mercy, Only Hate Remains | Celestia and Luna followed Chara through the lab till they reached a hall with rows of doors; unlike the other areas of the lab this one was more reminiscent of an actual medical area than a lab. While many of the halls had rooms they were mostly filled with equipment or file cabinets, this one however was open, well-lit and clean. Chara calmly walked to a room with the number 324 on it and stopped. "I moved Frisk here so she could be more comfortable." She explained.
"What is this area? The last time we were here none of this was open." Celesta asked and Luna nodded.
"I was thinking the same, the entire lab seems much larger as there were only a few areas open and none of them looked like this." Luna agreed and the sisters looked at Chara who shrugged.
"The Lab is divided into two sections and those sections can be further broken down making a total of four parts." Chara explained. "The first half contains the main area for testing and some side rooms with small lab areas for smaller tests. The second half is connected by the observation deck to the Core outside and leads into this half of the lab. This half contains the storage for equipment and files on projects, but also is where the offices of staff are at as well as the recovery medical wing." Chara said as she opened the door.
Celestia nodded. "So this is part of the medical wing for recovering patients?"
Chara nodded as they entered to see Frisk resting peacefully, Chara smiled and turned to the princesses. "Well she's asleep right now so I'm going to go work, try not to disturb her while I'm gone please." Chara said as she turned.
"Chara, we need to talk." Celestia said causing the human to sigh and turn.
"If it's about me being down here for so long then I'll go up when I get the chance but right now I have to keep an eye on Frisk. I will be able to leave once she's better." Chara said as she looked at the princesses.
Celestia shook her head. "That was one of them but was there another reason."
"Chara, the nobles are planning something." Luna interrupted. "Asriel is off dealing with Griffon rebels at the moment and even with Grillby there things are getting more and more troublesome."
Chara froze and turned to the two princesses in concern. "You're sure about this?" She asked and Celestia nodded. "Then I don't have much time." Chara said as she turned to leave the room only for the entire building to shake and for her to go pale. "Did any of the nobles know you were coming here?" She asked.
Celestia and Luna looked at each other in concern. "No they didn't" Luna said and Chara paled.
"Then it's him." Chara said as she turned and ran out the door, Celestia and Luna looked at each other and ran after her.
As Chara ran the princesses could barely keep up with her and as they ran they realized they were following the path they'd taken earlier, when the exited the lab and stepped out onto the observation deck of the core the gasped as they saw the core sparking and exploding. "What's going on?" Celestia gasped while a look of realization crossed Luna's face.
"Sister she said it was 'him', you don't think she means the PLAYER?" She asked causing Celestias eyes to widen in fear.
"But why now?" Celestia asked concerned.
"What if it has something to do with Frisk?" Luna asked.
Celestia nodded and the two ran back into the first part of the lab following the path they had taken earlier. "But what could he want with her?" She asked as they entered the Elevator and pressed the button that caused it to rise.
"The PLAYER has been desperately trying to capture Chara ever since they have met maybe he's not after her specifically but the Determination she has?" Luna said causing Celestia to look at her confused. "Frisk and Chara have Souls of Determination, from what we have come to understand Determination is the ultimate power able to grant the user the ability to manipulate time and alter reality on a massive scale. Imagine what it could do if the PLAYER got his hands on it?"
Celestia nodded. "But why Chara and not Frisk? If they both have the same power then what does it matter who he uses?" Celestia asked.
Luna thought for a moment before her eyes widened. "What if they don't have the same power sister?" She said as she looked at Celestia. "What if we are looking at this wrong, they have the same abilities but not the same powers, Chara is far older than Frisk and if Human magic is like our magic then it would mean that Chara would have thousand times more power than Frisk."
"But why go for her so early on?" Celestia asked. "If your theory is correct than it makes sense that the PLAYER would go after her now but he wanted her from the beginning."
Luna nodded. "Sister, Chara once told us that Human Souls don't persist after death but hers did, in fact it persisted for at least a thousand years till Frisk fell into the Underground and woke her up." Luna said causing Celestia to gasp. "Chara has more magic than she claims or perhaps she isn't even aware of this." Luna said as they exited the elevator to see Chara frantically typing on computers.
"Princesses, I need to deal with this so stay here." Chara said as she worked.
"Chara please let us help." Celestia said concerned.
"No, you can't do anything to him, Princess you can barely last a minute with Asriel and that's with him holding back." Chara said as she turned to the princesses. "The Core is in pretty bad shape but I was able to activate the Cores security systems, as long as you stay here you'll be safe." She said as she walked to the Labs exit. Before she left she turned to the Princesses. "If I fail, protect Frisk with your life." She said before she exited the lab.
"You know I never expected the PLAYER to strike here." Shroud said as Chara exited the Lab.
Chara turned to him with a chuckle. "Neither did I." She replied. "Good to see you again old friend." She said as the phoenix shrank down and landed on her shoulder.
"Same to you." Ember said as he fluffed up his wings. "So what are we dealing with this time?" He asked.
Chara shrugged. "I doubt it's him, or at least his physical form, he prefers puppets and trickery." Chara said as they walked through Hot Land. An explosion shook the underground and Chara smiled. "Looks like my traps worked." She said before looking at the Phoenix. "Hang on; we're taking a short cut." She said and stepped forward disappearing.
A Pony in a deep black suit calmly walked through damaged barrier room and entered the throne room. He smiled and looked around before entering the long caused it to known as the Judgement Hall, here a lone figure stood with a bird upon their shoulder.
The figures head was down and the hood of their green winter coat was up and covered her face, on her shoulder sat a bird that looked as if it was made of ash and embers from a fire, the stallion smiled and walked forward. As he did he spoke in a voice that echoed with an after effect. "When Angels are forced out of Heaven they become Devil's, you agree don't you Chara?"
The figure chuckled and looked up revealing her glowing red eyes "I'm just watching a bad dream I never wake up from." She replied
"I'll wake you up right now." The Stallion said with a smirk.
"What's your rush PLAYER? After all, it's been a long time since we talked, why not catch up a bit." Chara asked calmly.
PLAYER Laughed. "Are you pleading for your life?"
Chara shook her head. "Hardly, begging doesn't work on you remember?"
PLAYER smiled as he walked forward. "No, no it doesn't so how'd you know it was me?"
Chara shrugged. "Well ya know, after a while you kind-"
"You know, it's hard to care when everything ends anyway." The stallion said with a twisted smile. "Why keep going when there's no point? If I have to die so they can live then so be it." The Stallion laughed as Chara's face turned darker. "You have such a bleak outlook even though you don't even remember; I took your name, memories, and your very identity and twisted it into what you are today."
Chara sighed. "Well, everyone runs out of material sooner or later. Kinda comes with the business I guess. Some folks are good at keeping up; old buddy of mine was good with encores but was too lazy to do them." She said with a shrug. "Ya see, we Judges are more about reading the audience, faces say a lot and yours, well... I'm not gracing it with a description. Maybe this won't change anything for me or even this Timeline, maybe I won't get the answers to who this body belonged to before you twisted it and placed my soul inside. But I made a promise to Frisk and the thought of looking her in the eyes after giving up..." Chara chuckled and as a smile came on her face. "Guess Sans wasn't as bad an influence as he claimed after all." She said before sighed.
"Get to the point." PLAYER said with a yawn.
Chara's smile grew and she closed her eyes. "It was a beautiful day ya know?" She asked sadly. "Children were laughing, the sun was shining, on days like this murder happy megalomaniacs like you will be going straight to hell.
Chara's Eyes glowed red as Shroud flapped his wings and rose into the air. The PLAYER smiled and charged at Chara who dodged the attacks however the PLAYERS smile grew as he lit the stallion's horn and gripped Chara in his Magic. "Things will be different this time." He said as he threw Chara into a wall only for her eyes to change to blue and she flipped gravity at the last second allowing her to land on the wall instead of crashing into it.
"Neat trick, now see mine." She said with a smile as her eyes changed to purple and raised her hand. The Player looked confused at Chara till his eyes widened and Chara fired a beam of magic at the PLAYER. The PLAYER leapt away however as the beam hit the ground it rebounded and split bouncing around like a laser. Chara ran down the wall and leapt to the floor inverting her gravity to allow normal movement and with a wave of her hand she created several summoning circles that conjured swords made of magic, the PLAYER stood there and with a smile she flicked her hand and fired the blades in patterns. The Player quickly began to dodge and weave through the attack however the maze vanished suddenly and was replaced with Shroud who screeched as he unleashed a wave of fire that pelted the PLAYER.
"That's not fair!" The PLAYER screamed as he rose and glared at Chara who shrugged.
"This isn't your little game PLAYER, it's real life." She said with a smile. "There are no turns, no rules or restrictions." She said as she charged forward her eyes glowing orange as gauntlets appeared on her hands and she punched the PLAYER in the face. "God, I've wanted to do that for so fucking long!" she said with a smile.
The PLAYER growled and rose as he charged his horn and created a sword. "Fine, let's play." He growled and ran at Chara who dodged the attacks. The PLAYER didn't stop though and continued attacking however Chara simply smiled and began to block the attacks with her gauntlets. The PLAYER screamed in rage as he shot forward and struck at Chara however with a giggle and snap of her fingers she vanished and the PLAYER was slammed into the floor by Shroud who had dive bombed into him before raking his talons down the PLAYERS back.
The PLAYER growled again as he rose slowly before his form was enveloped in a white light. "You think you can mock me?" The PLAYER asked as the light faded and he spread a pair of wings. "I am your God; I control this world and all within it!" He screamed as he fired a beam from his horn. Chara barely dodged the attack and looked in concern at the PLAYER.
"That wasn't ordinary magic." She muttered.
"Oh, you noticed did you?" The PLAYER asked. "This isn't magic I'm using anymore." He said with a smile as he rose into the air. "Behold the power of the power of the Void!" He said as he began to laugh and fire beams of Void energy at Chara.
Chara growled and dodged the attacks as something she hadn't felt in centuries woke with in her. In recent centuries Chara had come to be known as the Arbiter of the Underground and seen as a passive judge who watched and protected Pony kind but this was not always the case, it had once been common knowledge but time had made many ponies forget that Chara had once held another title; The Demon that comes when you call her name.
What had once slumbered was now awake and angry; Chara's left eye turned black and her form began to change. The coat she wore lengthened and darkened till it became a black long coat, her shirt changed till it was a light green and yellow stripped t-shirt and her pants changed to black as her boots became heavy black leather combat boots with metal armor plates in them. With a smile she looked up at the PLAYER and they froze.
From the Lab Celestia and Luna watched the transformation in shock and when they saw Chara's eyes their hearts froze in fear. Chara's right eye was the same white with red colored iris however her left was completely black accept for a small pinprick that showed where she was looking, the eye dripped with black corruption slowly flowing down Chara's face like tears. "Chara, no!" A voice screamed causing the princesses to turn and see the door's to the lab closing. The Princesses looked in fear before running out of the lab.
Chara took a deep breath and smiled as she straitened her back and looked down at the player, the kindness in her eyes was replaced with arrogance and she smiled with a cocky grin. "You gone and fucked up PLAYER." She said as she shot forward and struck the PLAYER launching him back however rather than let him fly back Chara shot her hand out and a tentacle of black goop shot from her sleeve and pierced into the PLAYER. "Get over here you fucker!" She screamed as she pulled back and ripped the PLAYER forward only for Chara to jump forward and slam them into the ground, Chara grinned as the tentacle changed in to a scythe and she spun in air coming down on the Player and causing a dust cloud.
When the Dust settled The Princesses gasped as the saw the PLAYER using a sword made from magic to hold off Chara's scythe however he was struggling quickly the player teleported away and staggered for a moment as the stood and looked at Chara. "What the actual fuck?" He gasped out as Chara charged at him with a smile her weapon changing again into a kunai with a chain attached as she threw it at him with a smile. Quickly he parried the weapon however as he did it changed again and Chara spun in the air sending the weapon at him again.
This time the Weapon had changed from a kunai to a whip sword. The PLAYER was forced backward as Chara moved with speeds that made her blur, one moment she would be close right in from of the PLAYER while the next she had vanished and was using the length of her weapon to her advantage, he was barely able to block her attacks and the chance of him countering was almost zero. "How do you like this form?" Chara asked with a cocky tone. "You know it's been centuries since I've tapped into this power but I knew you'd bring it out eventually."
"What the fuck are you!?" PLAYER screamed and he blocked several more strikes.
Chara grinned as her blackened eye began to glow a deep red making it resemble a certain Skeletons. "I am HATE." She said as she leapt at the PLAYER, her weapons changing again into two daggers. "And you are dead." She said as thousands of tendrils of hate shot out from around her and wrapped around the PLAYER pinning him in place as Chara thrust both blades in to his chest. The PLAYER screamed in pain before teleporting away in a desperate attempt to get away, as he appeared he fired a blast of Void magic at Chara who jumped back only for it to follow her. Chara dodged left and right however the beam continued following and with a final jump back she was cornered by a wall. She closed her eyes however the attack never hit. Slowly she opened her eyes to see six figures standing around her. Two of the figures turned to look at her, one with a proud smile and a glowing blue eye while the other smiled as several hands appeared around him. The other four stood defensively as they each prepaid their own forms of battle.
The two figures turned to the PLAYER who was backing away in fear however the six didn't wait and leapt at the PLAYER, behind him a portal opened and the six figures slammed in to him and they all tumbled into the black Void.
"Give him hell guys." Chara said with a smiled as she fell to the ground and passed, out the sound of someone screaming her name was the last thing she registered before she met the floors embrace. |
Lost Dreamer | Chapter 14 - E̵͚̳͑r̶͓͇̬̅́͘r̸̙̒͋̚ò̷̧̺̟̻̋r̶̠̐̌ ̴̟̯̅̋͌D̵̳̟͓̅͗͐͛ä̸̝̹̺͈́̕t̵̥̾̾͌̒ȁ̷̮ ̸̥̻̬̓s̸̹̳̰̥̑͌͑y̵̲͇͗ṉ̶̬̈́͊c̶͍͈̫͊͒̿ ̵̝͓̀͗ú̴̬͈̔̑̕n̵͔̰̳̓͑a̸̡̗̾́͑̂v̸͚̺̰͒a̷̲̣͔̞͆í̶̭̀l̶̹̻̺̃̉͗a̷͚͒͠b̵̧̞͖̎͝l̴̝̔͑͠͠e̶̻̍̕ | >Warning Data Flow has been disrupted with Universe UT-51443672-SS-41234_
>Attempting Re-sync_
>Re-sync failure scanning for cause of Error_
Scan: 100% - Completed
>Problem detected Emergency Protocols in effect_
>Universe UT-51443672-SS-41234 now in quarantine authorization restricted to Admin access only_
>Error: Admin Credentials have been terminated_
Universe\Users\Wingding Gaster> System Command: 💧︎♏︎⧫︎ ♋︎♎︎❍︎♓︎■︎ ♍︎❒︎♏︎♎︎♏︎■︎⧫︎♓︎♋︎●︎⬧︎ ⧫︎□︎ ◆︎⬧︎♏︎ ♋︎♍︎♍︎□︎◆︎■︎⧫︎🖳︎ ⬥︎♓︎■︎♑︎♎︎♓︎■︎♑︎ ♑︎♋︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎_
>Admin Credentials for Universe UT-51443672-SS-41234 set to Account: Wingding Gaster_
Universe\Users\Wingding Gaster> System Command: ☼︎♏︎❒︎□︎◆︎⧫︎♏︎ ❖︎♓︎♏︎⬥︎ ⧫︎□︎ ❖︎□︎♓︎♎︎ ♍︎□︎□︎❒︎♎︎♓︎■︎♋︎⧫︎♏︎ 0' 0' 0'. ✌︎●︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎ ◻︎♏︎❒︎♓︎❍︎♏︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎⬧︎ ⧫︎□︎ ◻︎♏︎❒︎❍︎♓︎⧫︎ □︎♌︎⬧︎♏︎❒︎❖︎♋︎⧫︎♓︎□︎■︎.
>Perimeters set_
>Reroute Data Flow_
>Attempting Re-sync_
>Link Established_
Have you ever had to watch as the ones you love die? I have, I've watched as one I considered a daughter die in a failed attempt to free my kind, as one of my sons who was so pure and innocent be taken time and time again, I watched as my other son fought the monster and fall. My only solace was that when he fell he joined me in the void and so I could at least console one of them.
I have seen hope and despair and I must admit I might have gone mad for a bit there. After the first few resets on the Genocide path I had fallen into despair but when she returned I saw hope reborn, the one I considered a daughter returned to life and not only fought but won against the monster. I and my son have watched over her for these long centuries and have been so proud. But then it happened, the moment that fear had struck me, the monster no the PLAYER attacked and Chara was not ready. For all her skill and Determination she lost and in the end gave up, it was at this moment that not just I but all of us reached out to protect. Because of the Magic that the PLAYER was drawing from weakening the barriers between reality and the Void we were able to step out if only for a moment and drag this monster back with us, now he is here in the void as are we.
I will stop him.
The PLAYER groaned as he looked around to find he was in some strange void. There was something that he perceived as the floor and slowly he rose only to be slammed back down almost instantly. "Greetings PLAYER." A voice said causing the PLAYER to look up confused to see a strange goopy skeleton.
The Players eyes widened as he recognized who he was face to face with. "Dr. Gaster, well this is a... unexpected encounter." He said as he forced his face to remain neutral.
Gaster frowned however before he could do anything the PLAYER was thrown backward into a wall. "hey there buddy," A cheery voice said causing the PLAYERS mask to fall off and show fear as from the darkness of the Void walked a skeleton wearing a pair of track shorts pink slippers and a distinct blue hoodie. "long time no see." Sans said as his eye glowed.
"Wha- I killed you!" The PLAYER roared in anger.
Sans laughed. "yup, ya did and guess what happens when i die?" Sans asked as his smile turned dark. "i'm sent here, to the void where my old mans trapped."
The PLAYERS eyes widened. "The Experiment involving entry 17." He growled.
"yup." Sans said with a shrug.
"Sans, while I appreciate your help you are in no condition to fight the PLAYER. I will handle this personally, besides it's about time this old man got a chance to do something." Gaster said calmly.
Sans sighed. "Alright dad." He said as he dropped the PLAYER and walked away. "Give him hell." He said as he threw a wave over his shoulder.
Gaster nodded and looked at the PLAYER. "Listen Human and listen well, my sons fought to the end in locations you know but dare not to dwell, I've been holding back on my urges to kill. I have brought you here to settle the score, now tell me what are you fighting for?!
The PLAYER smiled. "For power, for control, to show all that I am God!" HE said with pride
Gaster grit his teeth and glared at the PLAYER. "This is your final stand Human." He said as the world glitched and Gaster attacked.
Tendrils of black goo launched at the PLAYER however the dodged them quickly as the tendrils ended several bones shot forward and the player was forced to dodge the maze and then twelve gaster blasters appeared and fired. The PLAYER grunted as he was hit several times and the attack ended.
The PLAYER looked down to see the options available and quickly hit the CHECK option, never before had Gasters Stats been seen and the PLAYER had to know what he was dealing with.
WINGDING GASTER
HP: 20000/20000 ATK: 99999 DF: 99999 SP: 99999 MAG: 20000
The former Head Royal Scientist
The Man who speaks in Hands.
The PLAYER gulped and looked at Gaster. "These stats are impossible!" He said in fear however Gaster smiled.
"This is the power we Monsters possess when we are no longer confined to your pathetic rules.
The PLAYER smiled. "Well see about that." He said. "System Command: Set Character: 'Wingding Gaster' stats to 10!"
Gaster smiled. "That won't work PLAYER." He said.
PLAYER laughed and hit the Check button.
WINGDING GASTER
HP: 20000/20000 ATK: 99999 DF: 99999 SP: 99999 MAG: 20000
The former Head Royal Scientist
Is fed up with your shit and intends to destroy you.
The Man who speaks in Hands.
The PLAYERS eyes widened. "How is this possible?" He asked in fear.
Gaster smiled. "A man came to me not to long ago; I believe he called himself the Merchant?" Gaster said in thought as the PLAYERS face turned white. Gaster smiled as his eyes hardened. "Do you understand now PLAYER, you are powerless?"
The PLAYER stared at Gaster for a moment before he grit his teeth. "You have control; I'm going to kill you!" He screamed as he charged at Gaster and his. The PLAYERS form glowed and he transformed from the pony form to a human form. As he ran at Gaster he pulled a pure black blade made from what looked like the night sky from somewhere and struck at Gaster who dodged that swings with a smile before he thrust his hand forward and launched several sharpened bones at the player who quickly dodged.
"Do you know what it's like to not exist?" Gaster asked as he leaped after the player, a bone staff appearing in his hand. "To feel yourself scatter across time and space?" He asked as he slammed the PLAYER with the staff sending him flying through the Void
The PLAYER roared and charged swinging his blade in wide swings. "I don't give a damn what you've been through!" He screamed as he locked blades with Gaster. "You're just an insignificant piece of filth, an accident that I will correct!" He screamed as he smashed the spear however Gaster just teleported away.
"I am the hero that never came but now I am back and here to stay." Gaster said calmly as his form began to solidify. "Very time, every crime, every kill, every lie you told yourself I have seen from within the Code of our world." He said as his form solidified and he took his true form.
The PLAYER charged Gaster who simply dodged with a smile before his coat billowed out around him and from within several beams of magic shout out and impaled the PLAYER. "I will kill you." The PLAYER hissed in anger however Gaster simply smiled and gestured for him to come at him. The PLAYER snarled and charged at him as Gaster simply stood there and waited as the PLAYER drew closer.
Just as the Player was within striking distance Gaster moved, his movements were so fast that the PLAYER barely saw what happened however he was sent flying and crashed to the ground. PLAYER Groaned and looked up at Gaster to see an array of six purple orbs held by floating hands appeared around Gaster for just a moment before they let off a violet blast sent him flying. "You were warned to beware the man who speaks in hands." Gaster said as the six orbs were sent at the PLAYER. The last thing the PLAYER heard before he was destroyed was a warning. "If I find you have returned again I will find a way to erase you from existence even more than I was." |
Lost Dreamer | Chapter 15 - The Love of an Angel | "If you love something let it go but if it comes back to you then it's yours forever."
That single phrase is perhaps the best way to describe my relationship with Chara but before I continue allow me to introduce myself properly to you, my name is Frisk Aster.
Long ago, two races ruled over Earth; Humans and Monsters. One day war broke out between the two races and after a long battle, the humans were victorious. They sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell.
However, after the war between the Humans and Monsters ended the Kingdoms of Man turned the tools of war they made on each other. They fought for power, dominance, and control over everything. This war lasted for thousands of years and slowly poisoned the land around them till only small pockets were left that could sustain them, and still they fought. Over time less and less was available and by the time I was born the world was mostly destroyed.
When I was born it was to an already over populated city, to parents that didn't care. I was left at an orphanage and seen as nothing but a burden, so one day I left. There were always stories about Mt. Ebott and the Monsters that were imprisoned underneath, of how they feasted on Humans and stole their souls. I thought that if I was just a burden then maybe the monsters would find me more useful as a meal, so I left without looking back. I walked for days living off what I could scavenge and when I made it to Mt. Ebott I jumped without even thinking. But we all know it didn't end that way for me there. This would be the only time I was ever in control and not bound to the PLAYER.
When I fell it was the start of an adventure that seemed more out of a story book than real life but it wasn't some story. The dangers were real, the friendships I made lasted and when everyone was free it was a happy ending, but life doesn't give happy endings.
When the Monsters returned the humans attacked; they were denied entry to the cities and driven away and I was forced to follow, branded a traitor to humanity. The Monsters were immune to the poison that covered the world and established their own city but because I was human I wasn't immune and slowly the land began to poison me. Sans spent weeks working to save me, he and Alphys worked nonstop to find a cure and in the end they did. Sans and Papyrus adopted me and it finally looked like I was getting a happy ending. Sans was always there for me and when I learned that he and Papyrus were immune to my powers of Determination it only made us stronger as a family. It was several years before we discovered Chara's soul was inside me and when we revived her every monster celebrated.
The celebration was short lived however Chara was... different, broken. Turns out she had seen everything, from monsters killing the other six humans to every resent done by Flowey and seeing it all had broken her. Chara became an alcoholic and did a lot of things that I never understood but eventually with so counseling she was able to recover. I guess it was during this time I kinda fell for Chara, I spent a lot of time with her and I think it was during this time that she fell for me too. It took a long time but eventually we confessed and started dating.
Before you think it was some big love at first sight with a perfect relationship, it wasn't. There were a lot of ups and downs and there was more than one time we left each other but in the end we always came back. After a few years Chara surprisingly popped the question. It was meant to be the best day ever, a perfect wedding and sense humans couldn't get to the monsters nothing could possible go wrong. Of course everyone forgot about Murphy's Law. It was meant to be the perfect day, nothing could go wrong but instead it all went wrong, the day of our wedding was the day our happy ending turned into our greatest nightmare.
On the day of our wedding the PLAYER took control, the world was reset and I lost control of my body. Like Chara I was just an observer trapped to watch as my body became a puppet used to kill my family, friends, everyone. It was Genocide of all monsters and no matter how hard I and Chara fought we couldn't stop the player. The first loops were the worst but every time the PLAYER was about to destroy the world Chara reset them and delayed it again. The Loops began to pile up hundreds, thousands millions, it didn't matter all the PLAYER did was kill. Sans stood and fought, I fought, Chara fought but it was pointless. We were fighting a battle against the inevitable and it was growing stronger with every reset.
Then one loop Chara wasn't there, she was just gone and the PLAYER managed to erase everything. As the Timeline was erased something happened it was as if the world had managed to glitch and save itself at the last moment. The PLAYER started all over again at the start of the runes and Flowey still remembered all our actions, Da-Sans remembered too and the PLAYER once again began a genocide. It was the same as every run till the end where she came. The River Person always warned the PLAYER to beware two people, The Man who Speaks in Hands and The Hero who Never Came. The first was referring to Da-Sans's father Gran-Dr. Gaster however the second person we never knew until that moment. Standing in the doorway to the Barrier Room was the hero that never came; standing in the door was Chara.
Chara stood against the PLAYER and fought, each strike pushed the PLAYER back and brought her closer to victory till she did it, she won and erased both me and the PLAYER form the Timeline. It was over; the nightmare was over except it wasn't. The PLAYER was angry that he was beat and took it out on me, he wanted back in but Chara's Determination was too strong so he used mine. He ripped my soul apart and used my determination to reenter the timeline and trouble but eventually I became useless to him. When I became useless, when my determination ran dry the PLAYER gave me to a centaur and it was then I was sent to the Game Over screen with no choice to 'continue' or 'return', I was a prisoner.
I don't know how long I was there but it felt like centuries, but then again time means nothing when you're beyond its reach. Nothing happened and all I could do was sleep the time away, I don't like sleep though all I ever dream about is the last words Chara said before she killed the PLAYER and by extension me. Eventually I simply stopped caring, I wanted to die but even that was denied to me and then I heard Her voice. The Voice that haunted my dreams called to me but this time instead of it being filled with hate it was filled with something else... love. It was then I saw Gaster and he freed me from the Rules of the Game and for the first time in god knows how long I was free from control. The PLAYER, the Game, The Rules, everything, my strings were cut and I was free.
Ask anyone who's woken up in a hostile what they hate the most and the answer will almost always be the same, the beeping of the fucking heart monitor. But if you asked me what I hated at that moment I'd answer with the explosions that were shaking the place. You know how your muscles atrophy if not used? Imagine running down a hall in that condition, were it not for the adrenaline in my blood I'd be probably in a lot more pain than I was. As I ran down the hall I realized I was in the Lab in Hot Land, as soon as I realized that I was able to quickly navigate the halls and find the elevator that lead to the entrance and what I saw made my blood run cold.
On the main computer screen of the Lab Chara was shown fighting the PLAYER. "I am your God; I control this world and all within it!" The voice of the PLAYER screamed from what looked like a Unicorn as his horn glowed and fired a beam that Chara barely dodged.
"That wasn't ordinary magic." Chara muttered muttered causing the PLAYER to smile.
"Oh, you noticed did you?" The PLAYER asked. "This isn't magic I'm using anymore." He said as he rose into the air. "Behold the power of the power of the Void!" He said as he began to laugh and fire beams of Void energy at Chara.
I watched in fear as Chara began to quickly dodge the attacks however something was off. Then I realized what it was as I Chara's left eye turned black and her form start to change. I have only seen Chara's corrupt form once and it was only the stage one version of it, Chara called it her Black Assassin form. The coat she wore lengthened and darkened till it became a black long coat, her shirt changed till it was a light green and yellow stripped t-shirt and her pants changed to black as her boots became heavy black leather combat boots with metal armor plates in them. Chara smiled at the PLAYER it was a smile I've seen when something has pushed her too far. I watched in fear as Chara's left eye turned completely black accept for a small pinprick that showed where she was looking and start to drip with black corruption
"Chara, no!" I screamed in fear as I turned and ran out of the lab and for the Judgement Hall. My body burned and I felt muscles start to snap however I could not let that monster claim her again. for the first time in what felt like centuries I felt magic flow through my body and restore it just enough to keep me going, I was filled with Determination.
You know it's funny, because of all the resets and Genocide runs I've pretty much mastered every puzzle that is in the underground. That means that the Cores security puzzles and the puzzles in hot land were laughably easy for me. I probably could have beat Da-Sans's short cut easily with how fast I was going. As I reached Mettatons resort I simply took the entrance to the core and moved through the traps as if I was walking in a park. When I reached the elevator I was out of breath but nothing would stop me Chara, my partner, was in danger and I would help. As the elevator ascended I took several breaths and lowed by breathing as much as I could, as soon as the doors opened I was out and froze in shock as a portal to the void closed.
"Give him hell guys." Chara said with what looked like a smile before falling to the ground.
"Chara!" I screamed in fear as her form reverted back to normal and she fell to the ground. I ran to her and rolled her on to her back as I looked over her. "You reckless idiot!" I cried into her chest as two strange unicorns with wings appeared in a flash behind me. I don't know who they are but I must protect Chara.
Chara once told me what it was like when she was transformed by hate, she said that when it happened she was consumed by it, she couldn't think about anything else except to stop what was causing her pain. I never understood what she meant by this but now I think I know, because I feels something similar. I can't stop myself even if I wanted to, Chara's in danger and I must protect her no matter what.
Frisk Aster
HP: ???/??? ATK: ?????? DF: ????? SP: ????? MAG: ?????
The Angel of the Underground bars your path.
The Angel protects the Demon |
Lost Dreamer | Chapter 16 - Valkyrie of HoPe | Authors Note: Once again I choose to not use Wingdings in this chapter because it breaks the flow of the chapter, I apologize for the inconvenience. Also please read the bottom Authors note too as it has a question for you all.
When Gaster is talking in Wingdings
When Chara is talking in Wingdings
Frisk rose and turned to the two Alicorns. "You will stay away from Chara." She said a she glared at them.
"Frisk, please calm down." Celestia said as she slowly approached however Frisk raised her hand and several bones ripped out of the floor forcing Celestia to jump back.
"That was a warning, take another step forward and you won't like what happens next." Frisk growled.
"Frisk, we do not wish to harm Chara." Luna said as she walked forward however Frisk wasn't listening instead she sighed and closed her eyes.
"I warned you." She said before charging forward and attacked, as Frisk charged toward the princesses she trust her arm forward and the princesses dodged as what looked like a spear of light that appeared in her hand. Frisk swung the spear in an arc that sent a wave of red magic at the princesses who quickly flew over it, as they landed Celestia accessed the options menu and hit the CHECK button.
Frisk Aster
HP: 200/200 ATK: 74322 DF: 99999 SP: 44444 MAG: 99999
The Angel of the Underground bars your path.
The Angel that protects the Demon
Frisk stopped attacking and returned to standing over Chara's unconscious form as the princesses backed off. Celestia looked at Luna and the held a silent conversation before Luna nodded and the two princesses turned back to Frisk. Celestia summoned her Halberd as Luna summoned her sword. Frisk grimaced and braced herself as the two princesses flew at her. Slowly she raised the spear and closed her eyes. As the princesses drew close Frisk leaped at them dodging their swings and spinning in the air to face them, as she spun her spear glowed with white magic and she dropped down clashing her spear with Luna's sword and danced through the strikes before swinging her spear and bating Luna down the hall. Celestia charged from behind however Frisk twisted out of the strikes path and retaliated by slamming the butt of the spear into solar sister and sending her flying into Luna.
Luna growled and lit her horn, several spectral blades made of magic appeared around her and she launched them at Frisk who deflected them. Celestia rose and joined her sister as she began to fire beams of solar magic at Frisk who began to run at them. Celestia grit her teeth. "Forgive me Chara." She muttered as she launched a beam with more power and blasting Frisk. The two princesses paused waiting for the smoke the clear however Frisk shot out of the dust her eyes changing from red to silver as she screamed in rage and thrust her spear forwards causing an explosion.
The Princesses teleported away from the blast and gasped in shock as they saw Frisk walk out of the dust her form different from before. Armor formed around her as her hair became braided and the ends turned white. "You will not harm my wife." Frisk growled as her eyes began to drip a white substance similar to how Chara's eyes dripped corruption. The Princesses gasped in shock as Frisk charged forward and massive white wings ripped out of her back.
Luna grit her teeth and ran at Frisk her sword flashing as she swung only for Frisks eyes to flash purple and several magic swords appeared around her and blocked the princesses strikes. Celestia watched as Luna fought looking for any weaknesses in Frisk guard however she didn't see any that could be exploited by one with her skill. Frisk thrust her hand forward as a dragon skull similar to Chara's appeared however it was different. Luna fired a beam of magic at the Blaster however it simply dodged the beam and growled before glared the lunar princess and firing a red beam at Luna. Celestia quickly formed a shield around Luna that stopped the blast however the force left her staggered.
Frisk charged Celestia as the blaster continued to attack Luna and Celestia was forced to release the shield to focus on the attacks from Frisk. "Frisk please listen, we're not here to harm Chara!" Celestia yelled however the angered human ignored her and presses the attack. "Frisk please stop!" Celestia pleaded.
Frisk growled as she struck again however suddenly broke off and shot back to Chara body where she deflected a blast from Luna before glaring at the princess, calmly she raised her hand and in her palm she held a small sphere of condensed magic. The Princesses froze as they felt the power held with in it and Frisk grimaced as she dropped it and the orb slowly floated down, as it touched the ground the world was stripped of color before a blinding white light engulfed the room and the world went quiet.
As the dust settled Celestia and Luna were seen barely standing while Frisk was leaning heavily on her spear. Celestia slowly walked forward and Frisk moved to block her however she simply collapsed and passed out. Celestia sighed and looked at Luna tiredly. "That was... unexpected." Celestia said as she sat down.
Luna walked up to Frisk and examined her curiously as the woman's form began to change back, her hair unbraiding and regaining its color as the armor faded away and a striped sweater covered her again. "She changed like Chara does but it was different."
Celesta nodded. "Did you see her eyes?" She asked and Luna shook her head. "They were silver, and the liquid that was dripping was white not black."
Luna tilted her head in thought. "Chara's forms are dependent on the trait if Hate in her and it only awakens to protect its host, this was different."
Celestia groaned as she rose. "I'm more curious how she can use magic in the first place, from what we know humans couldn't use magic only monsters." She said as she lit her horn and picked Chara up. "From what Chara has explained humans use Soul Energy but Frisk was using magic."
Luna frowned as she lifted Frisk on their back. "Perhaps it has something to do with why she can change her form." She said in thought before looking at her sister. "SO do we teleport them to the lab or take them back to Everfree?"
Celestia began to walk to the elevator and pressed the call button. "We are walking them back to the lab." She said causing Luna to sigh.
Wake up.
Chara, wake up!
Come on Chara... WAKE UP!
Chara gasped as she shot up in the bed as she grabbing her chest coughing. "Jesus fucking hell in the ass Gaster, I'm up." She wheezed out as she got up and looked around, the room she was in was her quarters in the Lab. Chara sighed and got up looking down to see she was dressed in her normal clothes. "So either I died or that wasn't a dream." She said before sighing and opening her hand and revealing her soul as checking it.
Chara Dreemurr
HP: 1/1 ATK: 99996 DF: 48732 SP: 99999 MAG: 55672
The last Judge of the Underground.
The Demon who comes when People call their name. =)
Chara sighed and grabbed her lab coat as she walked over to the mirror and looked in it. "Alright ya old bag of bones, what do you want?" She asked her reflection. For a moment nothing happened then her form shifted and Gaster stood before her.
"You know what I want." He said calmly.
Chara sighed. "Thank you for the save Gaster, I owe you yet again." She said before smiling. "So how's Sans and the others?"
"There doing better now that they don't have to constantly worry about the PLAYER interfering any longer." Gaster replied happily.
Chara nodded. "You know you took your time this go around." Chara said as he glared at him before it morphed into a frowned. "The Princesses are getting close; I can't hide it all from them much longer."
Gaster sighed and bowed his head. "We just need more time Chara, I'm positive you'll be fine."
Chara grit her teeth. "Gaster my HP is at one!" She yelled angrily.
Gaster nodded. "Then perhaps knowing that Frisk is awake will help raise your HoPe." Gaster said with a smile.
Chara froze as her eyes softened and she gave a faint sad smile. "It'll be good to see her again."
Gaster nodded. "Your wife also went a little berserk when you passed out." Gaster said as he looked at Chara in disappointment. "You could have told me she had Hope within her."
Chara frowned. "Never got the chance, we learned about it hours before the PLAYER RESET." Chara said before chuckling. "But honestly it makes sense, who else would love a demon than an angel."
Gaster sighed. "Chara, you're not a demon."
Chara looked at Gaster with surprise before chuckling darkly. "Half of my soul is Human while the other is a monster soul, I'm bound to Trait of Hate and can literally be summoned through a ritual, if a demon ever truly existed then I'm the closest to it."
Gaster sighed. "Chara, you are a Monster not a Demon." Gaster said in a stern voice. "Though how you became what you are now I have no idea. The Best I can say is that you are an amalgamate that merges the best of both human and monster, the power of a human soul and Determination mixed with the infinite magic and powers of a monster."
Chara nodded. "But all those advantages mean that aside from my resistance to Determination I'm susceptible to every monster weakness, even what happens when my HP hit's zero."
Gaster shuddered. "Do not lose HoPe Chara; Frisk needs you, now more than ever." He said
Char frowned. "What happened Gaster?"
"I don't know how but she has attained the same traits as your soul, it is both Human and Monster." Gaster said.
Chara's eyes widened. "No... that can't be possible, the only reason my soul hasn't torn itself apart is because the Trait of Hate is keeping me together!"
"And like Hate is keeping you together, Hope is keeping Frisk together." Gaster replied. "Chara I saw her form shift but unlike you she was pure, where Hate is corruption Hope is the opposite, it's purity." He explained. "You are two sides of a single coin bound as lovers from before the creation of the Delta Rune."
Chara walked back slowly and sat on the bed her face one of shock. "The Demon of Hate and the Angel of Hope." Slowly she began to laugh. "Oh, I bet Sans is laughing himself to death in there!" She said as she snorted.
Gaster sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "You don't know the half of it." He said as in the distance the faint sound of a jolly big boned skeleton laughed. |
Lost Dreamer | Chapter 17 - The Full Story | Chara sighed as she read over another set of documents; a knock was heard at the door causing Chara to look up for a moment. "Enter." She said before returning to her work. The door opened and the sound of hooves entering caused Chara to look up and see Celestia and Luna taking a seat before her desk. "It's rare that you disturb me when I'm working in here, is something wrong?" She asked.
Celestia sighed. "Chara, we've tried being patient with you, we've waited four centuries and during this time we never asked about your past or even the past of Humans. But after what happened earlies today we need answers Chara and you will give them." Celestia said in a commanding voice.
Chara sighed. "I assume you want the full story about everything, from the Human Monster War to present?" She asked.
Luna nodded. "We do Chara,
It's time you told us your full story."
Chara sighed as she leaned back in her chair. "Alright, guess it's about time I told you everything... well almost everything." She said with a sigh. "Some things I will not discuss in depth because they are either personal or private affairs." She said.
Celestia and Luna nodded. "That's acceptable." Luna said calmly.
Chara nodded and cleared her throat. "I'll start this story in a way that you can understand it with a beginning middle and end; though keep in mind that some events won't make sense without preexisting events."
A very, very, long time ago, two races ruled over Earth; Humans and Monsters. One day war broke out between the two races and after a long battle, the humans were victorious. They sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell.
During this war Humans created weapons capable of decimating the world and the after effects of the destruction poisoned the land, after the war between the Humans and Monsters ended the Kingdoms of Man turned these tools of war they made on each other. They fought for power, dominance, and control over everything. During this time a child was born in a small village, they had pale white skin and blood red eyes. Because of their appearance their parents abandoned them and they were labeled a demon, the child was mocked, beaten and raped for years till one day she fled to the mountain where she fell into the Underground. It would be here that they would meet their first friend, the Prince of Monsters, Asriel Dreemurr.
Prince Asriel would take the child to his parents Queen Toriel and King Asgore where she would be adopted and made a Princess of the Underground. The child would spend years learning about the Underground and its inhabitants however it would soon become apparent that something was off about them. Despite having live within the underground for quite some time she didn't age. The King and Queen tool the Child to The Royal scientist, a Skeleton by the Name of Wingding Gaster.
Through tests, Dr. Gaster would learn that the Childs ageing process had been slowed down due to the concentration of Magical Energy within them and the magic of the Monsters. Somehow the two magic's mixed and because of this mixing the child now aged at the rate of a monsters, specifically a Boss Monster. As time passed the Child learned how to control these magical energies and became a skilled mage however the child was also extremely intelligent and after a time Dr. Gaster would take her on as his apprentice. He taught her how to further use her magic, expanded her education and over time the child and doctor grew a bond similar to that of family.
Because the child was a human that aged like a monster she quickly was seen as a prodigy though the factors that allowed for this was mostly due to her natural biology and the teachings of Dr. Gaster, she soon received her diploma and became a member of the science team that worked in the Labs of Hot Land. The Child dedicated herself to finding a way to free the underground and exacting justice on the humans who had no right to what they held. It was also during this time that the Child and Dr. Gaster discovered through the use of Determination the Multiverse and the myriad of Timelines that existed within. With the help of Dr. Gaster and his son Comic Sans, the Child created an experimental Time Tunnel that used a liquid form of Determination synthesized by their magic.
This Time Tunnel would allow Monsters access to past and future events as well as the ability to enter other Timelines without damage to the Time-Space continuum or Reality.
"Wait, you created the device?" Luna asked confused.
Chara smiled as she leaned back in her chair. "Indeed, and I will admit that it was my greatest achievement in the fields of science."
Celestia chuckled. "For all your patting on the back, it looks like you royally blew it."
Chara chuckled as she looked at Celestia with a dark smile. "You don't know the half of it."
Some tiny miscalculation on my part destabilized the Time Tunnel and ripped a hole in reality that swallowed everyone that was a part of the research team up, we were shattered across time and space as we were flung into the Void. We must have spent thousands of years there; we didn't age, eat or sleep we just existed. At first we went mad, very mad but eventually we acclimated and some of use began to grow sane again. Once our sanity returned we began to learn, of those that fell into the Void only three were able to gain enough sanity to actually begin learn and understand, these three were Dr. Gaster, Comic Sans, and me. Because of this I have total understanding of the Time-Space continuum as well as a working knowledge of the dimensions and Timelines. This is what permitted Sans and I to use our short cuts; we can pinpoint a weak wall of reality and exploit it to travel to anywhere we want, within reason of course.
Because of my determination I was able to pull myself out of the Void and back into reality, Sans was able to pull himself out as well but as he did the Portal to the Void closed leaving the others trapped in the Void and erased from existence. This means that no one remembered them however, because we had been into the void and gained a working understanding of reality while in it we remained unaffected to this development. It was during this time we also learned that while millennia had passed for us in the Void it had only been a few minutes in the physical world. After Sans and I recovered from our destabilization through the multiverse we canceled the Time Tunnel project stating it as a failure where it was in fact the exact opposite.
Afterwards I turned desperate and decided on the plan to poison myself with buttercups and have Asriel take my soul where we would steal the remaining souls, of course that plan failed and I died however my soul was not allowed rest. I watched over the place I was buried and accompanied each child as the fell, I watched them die at the hands of monsters and after the fifth child Asriel was brought back as Flowey.
As Flowey, Asriel had no soul and as such was completely emotionless. At first he was the same Asriel I knew but this was an act and soon he began to kill and murder for his own pleaser and entertainment, he was ruthless and the only person that could stop him was Sans. Eventually the seventh human, Frisk, fell down and took the Power of Determination away from As-Flowey and went through the Underground before freeing the monsters.
"So you were free?" Celestia asked causing Chara to nod. "Then what happened that returned you to the Underground?"
Chara sighed. "If you wouldn't interrupt then you would find out." She replied causing Celestia to blush and nod.
"Right sorry." Celestia said sheepishly.
Frisk lived for about 15 years above ground and was around 22 years old before Sans and Alphys, the current head Royal scientist after Gaster's accident and Sans resignation, discovered that I was attached to Frisk. Using a significant amount of Determination, shards of my soul and a monster soul I was revived and my body was aged appropriately to fit Frisks since I was attached to her. Despite my return I wasn't actually there for a long time, the thousands of resets made by Flowey and witnessing the death of five children by either my father's hand or a monster had left centuries worth of mental scarring and damage. Frisk managed to help a lot in helping me recover mentally and eventually we fell for each other and got married. It was on the day of our marriage that our little happy ending ended, the PLAYER took control of Frisk and caused a RESET of the time line to when Frisk first fell into the underground.
After the RESET the Genocide timelines started and repeated over and over. How long has this battle between the PLAYER, Frisk and I been happening, how long have we been trapped in this endless cycle, these are questions I will never have answers to but if I want to be honest I lost track. We hit the end so many times only for me to send them back.
"And there you have it, the abridged and shortened version of my life and the story that has unfolded." Chara said as she leaned back with a sigh. "This is all new, we've been moving forward but it's been so long for me and I'm tired, so very tired." Chara sighed and for a moment the women leaning back in the chair looked as if she were old and not the young vibrant twenty something she was.
"Chara, your age is showing." Celestia said with a chuckle.
Chara waved her hand off. "I'm a being that is at least eight thousand years old." She said with a sigh. "I have the right to act old after this long." She said with a sigh.
"I still have a few questions that remain unanswered." Luna said.
"What are they Luna?" Chara asked with a sigh.
"Why do you have the Trait of Hate and why can Frisk transform like you?"
Chara nodded. "So First let's talk about the Trait of Hate and how I got it." Chara said calmly. "The Trait of Hate is one of eight traits known as Unnatural Soul Traits, it was the second to ever be identified and is considered one of the most powerful and dangerous of the eight, able to destroy entire timelines and warp reality." Chara stood and walked over to a blackboard as began to write on the board a list. "The Trait of Hate grants complete regeneration however the user still feels pain, holds the ability to create a liquid state that can be shape in any way they want." She said a she wrote out this information. "Furthermore Hate has a corruptive nature that warps the user in different ways."
"This warping is the transformations that you under go?" Luna asked and Chara nodded.
"The Trait of Hate holds a symbiotic relationship with its host, the host keeps it feed through hate and in return the Hate will protect its host. When the Hate senses that its host is in extreme pain in a mental or emotional way it will try to shield the host from what is harming it by causing the host to become more aggressive. If the Host is in pain physically or they are in a situation that they feel extremely threatened then the Hate will take a physical form by altering the host's body to suit the situation."
"And as such transforms your body into one of two forms." Luna said in understanding.
"Three forms actually." Chara corrected causing the princesses to look confused. "My first form is the one I just used against PLAYER, it's known as Form One or, as it was named, Black Assassin. Form two I've only used twice and it's my Boss Monster form. The third and final form is what was used four centuries ago and is called Total Corruption."
"I assume that each form is more powerful that the last." Celestia commented however Chara shook her head.
"Each form is specialized; Black Assassin is designed for speed and evasion and is most often used for what it's named, assassination. In this form I become the perfect Assassin. My Boss Monster form suppresses my human form which turns me into a Monster, this grants me access to more magic but removes my ability to use determination. Finally my Total corruption form makes me unkillable; I become an undead monster that simply exists to destroy whatever is the treat and feed off Hate."
"But you are still in control right?" Celestia asked however Chara shook her head.
"No, as the name implies I'm completely consumed by Hate and it takes control. There is actually one other form and it's when both I and the Trait of Hate merge into one, if I ever merge into this form then find frisk immediately." Chara said with a sigh.
"And on the Subject of Frisk, I assume she is bound by hate as well?" Luna asked.
Chara laughed. "No she is bound to my opposite, the thing that gave monsters life, Hope." Chara said with a smile. "Most people don't know but HP is an Acronym. Just like how LOVE stands for Level Of ViolencE or EXP EXecution Points; HP has a meaning as well, it stands for HoPe. To a Monsters HP shows how hopeful they are, the more hopeful a monster the more HP they have and the stronger they are." Chara explained as she erased the black board and began to write several things down. "Hope is the opposite of Hate and as such is extremely powerful, when using the Hope trait one gains total regeneration, the ability to create liquid HoPe and shape it in anyway the user want."
"So why can she transform?" Luna asked.
Chara smiled. "While Hate requires the host to be in danger, Hope is opposite and requires one who the host to care deeply about to be in extreme danger to activate. Hope gives its host two form one is a shift like my three forms known as Valkyrie, in this form the host becomes the perfect shield meant to protect and fight. The form is a perfect balance of offence and defense. The second form is when both I and the Trait of Hate merge into one, in this form Frisk would become a literal Angel thought what happens to her mentally and physically I have no idea."
Celestia frowned. "You make it sound like if this happened it would be bad; wouldn't something like that be good?" She asked.
Chara frowned as she began to erase the black board again. "I don't know, it might be good but I know from experience that such a transformation changes you and not just physically but mentally and might even affect the soul of a living being." She said as she finished erasing the board and walked back to her desk
"You sound as if you've experienced... this... before." Luna trailed off looking at Chara in shock.
Chara nodded. "I found about my forth form the hard way, when it happened I became a demon." Chara shuddered. "It's why I'm known as the Demon who comes when there name is called." She said quietly.
"Chara are you... can be summoned like a demon?" Celestia asked concerned and Chara looked away causing Celestia frowned. "Why- how can that be possible?"
Chara sighed. "Celestia, when I turned into that form I became a Demon and not just some evil being that you would call a demon but a literal Demon. Corruption like that leaves an imprint that can never be removed, it's branded in to your very soul and marks you for eternity." Chara looked at the Princesses with a dark look that made then shudder. "Even when I'm not in that form I'm bound to the rules and laws of demons, it's why I take deals and promises so seriously."
Celestia looked at Chara sadly however Luna simply chuckled. "I think your wrong Chara." She said causing Chara and her sister look at her confused. Luna smiled and looked at Chara her eyes soft and kind. "You're not a demon, simply... a fallen angel." She said happily.
"This coming from what one would see as an angel of darkness." Chara said with a sigh. "I can see where you are coming from Luna but I'm afraid I've walked down this path too far to return, I might have once been a fallen angel but that path was closed the minute I accepted the Trait of Hate, now I'm simply a Demon." Char looked down at the papers before her and pulled a few before turning away from the sisters. "If that all then I have work to return to Princesses." She said sadly. The Princesses hesitated but slowly the rose and left the room Luna looking back for a moment before leaving; as thee Alicorns left Chara looked at the door sadly.
In another time this is who you could have been." A voice said as the shadows seemed to lengthen. "Do you regret joining me?" It asked.
Chara chuckled. "I made peace with what I became long ago, and I'd do it all again to protect Frisk. The Anti-Monster Humans United had crossed the line." Chara said as she reached over to a drawer and pulled out a bottle of amber liquid.
"Chara, don't do this to frisk, don't give up again!" The Voice screamed in an angry tone.
"I'm not!" Chara said firmly. "But I need a drink after talking about that stuff." She said with a sigh as she poured a drink.
"Make that a double would you sweetie?" A voice at the door said causing Chara to jump and spin to see Frisk standing at the door a tired look on her face.
Frisk, you should be asleep!" Chara said in concern as she sat the bottle down and smiled happily.
Frisk smiled. "I'll be fine Chara, but I heard what you said."
Charas smile faded. "Oh... Frisk I-""I understand Chara." Frisk interrupted as he walked into the room and approached Chara. "I know what's it's like to deal with it now, it's hard." She said.
Chara froze. "Frisk, are you okay?" She asked in a calm voice.
Frisk walked around the desk and pulled Chara into a hug. "I'm fine now." She said as Chara returned the hug and rested her head on frisk chest.
"How's Hope treating you?" She asked.
A presence whisked around Chara and giggled. "Oh don't worry Demon, She's safe from you." A voice said causing Frisk to growl.
"Chara is my wife and you will show her respect!" Frisk hissed angrily causing the presence to recoil as if struck.
"If you think you can trust her then you have another thing coming." The voice said causing a darker voice to chuckle.
"Chara is different than any of my previous hosts." Hate said.
"Chara became what she is to save me Hope, I've given her my soul and in exchange she has given me hers." Frisk said as she picked up the bottle and poured herself a glass and took a sip.
Chara sighed. "So Hope's as annoying as he is?" She asked as she pulled out another glass and poured herself a drink.
"She reminds me of you when bound me." Frisk replied as she took another sip and frowned. "Never got how you liked this stuff." She said with a frown.
Chara chuckled. "It's an acquired taste." She said with a smile as she sighed. "So what's it like to gain immortality Frisk?"
Frisk chuckled. "Honestly it's the same only I feel the magic flowing through my veins like its water in a pipe." She said as she looked at her hand as she flexed her fingers, after a minute of silence Frisk smiled and looked at Chara. "So, fill me in on what I've missed." She said with a smile.
Chara chuckled. "Get comfy honey, we got a little over four centuries to cover." Chara said with a smile as Frisk pulled up a chair and got comfy. |
Lost Dreamer | Chapter 18 - The Crystal Attack | 325 years bnm
Chara's Age: 655 years old
Frisk's Age: 243 years old
PLAYER sat in a quiet room watching the screen his hands clenched as he watched the events unfold. "You think I will permit you to have this happy ending?" He hissed. "You think you can take what's mine?!?" He screamed as he slammed his fist on the desk and stood. "I still have a few tricks up my sleeve." He said as he opened his hand and five souls floated before him. "So who to corrupt next..." He asked as he opened the files and looked over the pieces still on the board. "Let's see here... Queen Talon was a bust; Tirek is a card to play in the future... perhaps Chrysalis?" He said as he opened her file. "Let's see, Queen of Changelings... no, I need an enemy that they can't stop so easily but is easily manipulated." He said as he returned to the list and scrolled down before a name jumped out. "Sombra... hmm..." The PLAYER opened the file and looked it over. "Future tyrant King of the Crystal Empire, currently has a Soul of Kindness..." PLAYER grinned darkly. "A kingdom build upon hope and love, imagine what would happen if it fell to Cruelty." He said as four of the souls disappeared leaving only a Brown soul floating in the PLAYERS hand, PLAYER smiled as he disappeared into the world.
A woman smiled as she walked in a slow circle around the training grounds opposite of her Celestia slowly followed her Halberd held in her magic. The women wore a blue jacket over a blue and purple striped sweater, a pair of blue jeans and covering her feet was a pair of sturdy brown boots, around her neck was a red scarf that fell to her knees and on her hands was a pair of brown leather gloves. The woman's name was Frisk Aster Dreemurr, wife of Chara Dreemurr and ambassador of Equestria. The ambassador and princess watched each other till Celestia shot forward and Frisk sighed as she dodged the strikes without any effort. "Come on Celestia if you wanted to take a swing at me then you're a few centuries to late, Chara already stole my heart." She said with a smile. Celestia frowned and launched a maze of fire balls at Frisk who ran forward and slid under them. "Oh come on Celestia; no need to get so hot headed after all this was meant to be a light training session so there's no need to get so heated!" She said with a chuckled as she shot up and slammed into the barrel of Celestia sending her back. Frisk left eyes glowed blue and several blue bones shot up and formed a cage around Celestia before starting to shrink.
Celestia froze as the cage passed through her body and dissipated. "Impressive Frisk, but you still fall for the same tricks." She said with a smile as an explosion went off under Frisk throwing up a dust cloud however her eyes widened as the dust fell away and reviled Frisk unharmed and standing on top of a Gaster.
"Oh come on Celestia, you're good but dad wasn't a Judge for nothing and he taught me all his tricks." Frisk said with a smirk. "Looks like I'm about to blast you back to that oversize throne of yours, then again it probably needs to be that big to house that rump of yours." She said causing Celestia to charge at her.
The Blaster fired several shots at the enraged princess who dodged them and drove her Halberd where Frisk stood however Frisk snapped her fingers and teleported away reappeared on the ground and raised her hand summoning more blasters in a circle around the princess. "You should really lay off the cake sun butt, now get dunked on!" She yelled as the blasters fired and knocked Celestia to the ground.
Celestia groaned as she slowly rose and looked at Frisk who leaned back with a smile on her face and her hands in the jacket pockets. "That was a cheap shot and you know it." She said as she sat up and glared at her.
Frisk smiled. "I'll try to budget them better than." Frisk said causing Celestia to groan.
"Well, I believe that's all the time we have to train today." Celestia said as she turned and walked back to the castle with Frisk following calmly. "A diplomat of the Crystal Empire is coming later, there have been some rumors about the Empire recently and they are... concerning."
Frisk nodded. "The Minotaur's ambassador yesterday mentioned something was up there." She said causing Celestia to look at Frisk curiously.
"And what exactly brought on such a discussion?" She asked.
Frisk shrugged. "He wanted to discuss a possible trade agreement that would allow for shipments of Crystal and other materials to be sent to his people. In exchange for the materials he offered to lower the price on trade and even some assistance in the excavation of the ores and minerals he wanted to trade."
Celestia stopped and turned to Frisk a look of confusion on her face. "And why would they want this agreement?" She asked. "The Minotaur's have had a steady supply of materials and resources from the Empire and I doubt we could come close to the purity of the Crystal Ponies resources."
Frisk nodded. "I wondered the same so I asked them and the answer was troubling." Frisk said as she and Celestia continued walking. "Apparently the Empire has cut all trade with other countries and even closed their boarders to both foreign and domestic races; no one can get in or out."
Celestia frowned. "This is troubling, Queen Amora has always been kind and I doubt she would do something so drastic, even in a state of emergency." Frisk frowned but said nothing causing the solar princess to look at the human. "You disagree."
Frisk frown deepened. "She reminds me of humans in the past, all smiles and kindness to your face but behind your back just waiting for the chance to stab you." Frisk looked at Celestia in concern. "When you opened your borders to the other countries I stood as the representative for Equestria."
Celestia nodded. "It was the most logical choice, your past with diplomacy as the Monster ambassador shows that you have the proper training and skills to do this work." Celestia said happily.
Frisk nodded. "I traveled to each of the kingdoms; even the Griffon Empire and Minotaur Republic, out of all of them I specifically said to not make agreements with the Crystal Empire. Did you ever wonder why?" She asked as he looked at Celestia.
Celestia nodded. "Of course, because of this decision we have to rely on the Minotaur's for anything requiring Crystals to manufacture."
"The reason is because I saw through Queen Amoras facade; she doesn't give a damn about her people only about the power she can accumulate." Frisk said as her hands balled into fists. "The entire Empire is a powder keg just waiting for that something to bump it, one little push is all it will take to light the entire thing and when it does go off it's going to start a chain reaction that'll tear apart everyone connected to them."
Celestia remained calm however inside she was shaken by what Frisk had said. "So what do we do?" She asked.
Frisk sighed. "We keep out unless provoked and if that's the case then it's not my problem anymore it's Chara and Asriels." She said with a chuckle.
Celestia nodded knowing just what Chara would do if it came to that. "No mercy." She said sadly.
Frisk nodded. "She's actually gotten a lot better since the old days." She said with a smile. "Charas not as ruthless on the battle field but the rules of a Judge are set in stone."
Celestia frowned. "Chara doesn't talk much about her past to us; both Luna and I know she still hasn't told us everything even though she is more open with us since you... returned."
Frisk sighed. "Celestia, I can't discuss the Judges with you stuff involving them is classified, even my dad didn't say much about them and he was the last Monster Judge to be trained. The most I can say is that they're similar to special operations in the military; they worked directly under King Asgore and had special authority to do whatever it took to protect the kingdom, no matter the cost." The two walked in silence till they reached the throne room.
As they reached the throne room doors they saw the two guards laying on the floor several crystals impaled in them as a puddle of blood grew under them. Celestia summoned her Halberd as Frisks eye lit up. "Celestia, where's Chara?" Frisk asked concern in her voice however the question was answered on its own when a red knife made form determination was blasted through the wall and impaled the floor in front of them.
Frisks magic condensed into her spear and Celestia frowned. "We should probably help." She said as frisk grunted in agreement and the two ran in only to freeze in shock. The throne room was completely destroyed and Asriel was knocked out, above him stood Chara however she was in her Total Corrupted form and even still she was struggling against her opponent. A deep laugh echoed around the throne room as black crystals shot out of the ground and pierced through Chara causing her to scream in pain.
"Chara!" Frisk screamed as she ran forward her form flashing into her Valkyrie form as she charged forward and sent a wave of magic at the crystals shattering them.
"Who dares!?" A voice roared in anger as another wave of crystals shot out of the ground however one of Charas Gaster Blaster appeared and fired shattering the crystals. A growl was heard as a stallion in dark armor appeared out of the shadows.
"ENOUGH!" Celestia yelled with a frown as she entered and approached the stallion. "Explain yourself, now." She ordered.
"Ah, Princess Celestia it is a pleasure to finally make you acquaintance." The Stallion said in an arrogant tone. "I am Sombra, King of the Crystal Empire." He said with a smile.
Celestia frowned. "Where is Queen Amora?" She asked however the Sombra chuckled.
"Dealt with." Sombra said with a smile. "That which died by her own people nothing more than a broken Pegasus," He said with a smile. "Her power siphoned into me and consumed."
Celestia frowned. "Why are you here, we had no connection to Queen Amora."
Sombra frowned. "Nothing is free Princess, my benefactor may have aided me in Amoras downfall but he demanded I retrieve that one there." He said as he pointed to Chara who was barely standing.
Chara groaned and looked at Celestia. "He's been consumed by one of the corrupted traits, most likely the trait is Cruelty." She said as she coughed up what looked like a gallon of the black hate corruption. "Don't trust him; all he will desire is destruction."
Celestia turned to the stallion before her and raised an eyebrow. "Is this true?"
Sombra hissed. "Like I said, nothing is free."
Chara laughed. "You damned your soul to Hell for a lie; you're nothing more than a demon like me now." She said. The king roared and slammed his hoof on the ground causing a crystal to shoot at her however it was intercepted by Frisks spear.
"Don't hurt my Wife." Frisk growled.
Sombra smiled. "This will be fun." He said as he approached however Chara rose and glared at Sombra.
"Fuck off ya bastard." She said as a text box appeared and her form glitches for a second before completely healing. Chara smiled and looked at Frisk. "Ready to kick some ass?" She asked with a smile that Frisk returned.
"Just like old times?" She asked Chara as she leveled her spear at the corrupted Unicorn.
"Just like old times." Chara replied as they ran at Sombra.
Sombra roared as he launched tendrils of dark magic at the two 'humans' however Chara threw her hand forward and sent her own tendrils of corrupt Hate to intercept them, Frisk used the opening to get in range of Sombra and slash at the unicorn striking him several times before leaping back as Chara eyes glowed yellow with Justice and she summoned twin pistols made from yellow magic and fired upon the stallion who roared in pain.
As Frisk leapt away from the attack her eyes flashed green and she quickly landed next to Asriel her hands glowing green as she began to heal him. Celestia ran in to the fight taking Frisks place while also using her magic to strike form afar. Suddenly one of the walls to the throne room were blasted through revealing Luna her eyes white with lunar magic as she charged at Sombra with a scream better suited for a banshee causing Sombra to watch in shock as she sliced through him. "That's for the hit earlier you bastard!" She screamed in his face as she leapt back and blasted him into the wall.
Sombra growled as pulled himself free of the wall and looked at Luna. "How are you even up?!" He roared. "I hit you with enough force to kill!"
Celestias glared at the Sombra turned form anger to pure hate as Luna glared at the stallion with contempt. "I'm an Alicorn that can face armies and return unscathed, even you can't hope to kill me with a single hit." She said as she charged forward her sword swinging at the stallion who was forced to summon crystal walls as shields. Chara ran forward using her Hate tendrils to smash the walls as Celestia ran at her side and provided cover.
Sombra was pushed back slowly however just as the princesses and Chara neared he roared sending a shock wave that threw Celestia back. Chara formed a shield around herself as the blast hit preventing her from being slammed away however Sombra simply launched a wave of crystals that pierced through the shield and impaled Chara. As Chara was thrown back Frisk and Asriel leapt forward their weapons drawn as they charged however Sombra simply blasted Asriel back while Frisk dodged the attack, one of her eyes glowing red and the other white as she shot like an arrow at Sombra her spear slamming into his cheat causing him to scream in pain. Frisk grit her teeth and pushed harder her eyes glowing brighter as she screamed and ripped through Sombra and shooting to the wall opposite where she slammed into it only to land on her feet and leap off charged again to repeat the attack, Sombra tried to dodge but his hooves were held in place by black corruption that he quickly followed to Chara who lay on the floor a smirk on her face as she watched, Frisk roared as she struck the dark king repeatedly in the same way.
"Get dunked on you mother fucker!" She screamed as she leapt into the air her spear glowing with a pure white light as she flung it at Sombra his eyes widening as it struck causing a massive explosion.
When the dust cleared a battered Sombra stood his eyes wide in terror as he looked up were Frisk was, slowly he groaned as his form began to regenerate first with the bones and then the organs and flesh. "You could have simply handed the human over and there would be no trouble but no, you had to make it difficult." He said as he glared at the Princesses who watched in disgust as his eyeball regenerated and rolled around his in the socket for a moment before finding the proper way to look.
"Not bad sombrero." Frisk said as she sarcastically clapped her hands. "You survived." She said as she spun her spear and pointed at him. "But how much more can you take?"
Sombra laughed darkly. "You're the one who married a demon; you should know that I'm invincible!"
Chara actually laughed as she slowly rose and looked at the corrupted Unicorn. "Since you're a noob I'll be kind and fill you in on something." She said as she walked forward however her form was different from earlier, she wore a black dress with white silk edges and across her chest was the delta rune, her feet were covered in white high heels. Chara's hair had grown to where it touched the floor and was parted at the top by two goat horns that protruded from the top of her head, her eyes were completely black except for the irises which glowed red and around her neck was a gold heart locket with a glowing red center in the shape of a human soul.
"Wha- what are you?!" Sombra asked in shock as he backed away from the Boss Monster before him.
"It's true that the demonic power given to those who wields an Unnatural Soul Trait allows total regeneration of the body however unless you're immortal you retain the damage." Chara explained with a dark smile. "How many times have you regenerated by now?" She asked as her hands ignited into fire and several fire balls appeared.
Sombra growled. "This isn't over Princesses, I will capture your little pet demon for the PLAYER and afterward you will pay for this insult here by giving me your kingdom." He growled as his horn glowed and he teleported away.
Asriel groaned as he stood up and looked around. "Damn it!" He growled out. "We were totally out classed by that guy!" He said angrily.
Chara sighed. "Asriel, I hate to tell you but you were the only one that went down on me shot." She said.
Frisk sighed. "No, he's right. Even if Asriel did get krillined we all were pushed to the limit."
Chara scoffed. "I could have easily been able to kill him but if I used that power I'd become exactly what he is." Chara said with a shrug before looking at Frisk with narrowed eyes. "Dragon Ball references, really?"
"Alphys left a lot of her old anime in the lab and there not all bad, you should watch a few I think you'd like a few of them." Frisk said with a shrug before Luna cleared her throat.
"What do you mean exactly Chara?" Luna asked as she sat down with a groan.
"Remember when I said I can become a literal Demon?" She asked. "Well now you see what that power has to offer." She explained as Frisk chuckled.
"Chara I've see your power and you have far more than he could ever hope to summon." She said with a smile however it quickly faded. "But still, he is a demon." She said sadly.
Chara nodded. "I might have a way to deal with him at the Labs."
Celestia looked at Chara confused just what have you been working on in the Underground?" She asked however Chara shook her head.
"Wrong Lab Celestia." She said as she walked away from the group and looked out the window. "Were not going to the Underground, no where we're going is someplace much different." She said as Luna smiled
"Were going to visit them aren't we?" She asked getting confused looked from Celestia and Frisk. Luna chuckled as she turned them and explained "We're not going to the Underground, Chara's taking us to the Canterhorn Mountain Research Facility." |
Lost Dreamer | Chapter 19 - Origin | A carriage caring the princesses, High Commanders of the Equestrian Guard and the Ambassador of Equestria flew through the skies, the carriage flew in the direction of the lone mountain at the center of Equestria, the Canterhorn. On this distant mountain far from the Everfree forest and capital of Equestria stood a massive complex that housed the greatest innovations of pony kind, from dangerous magic research to the creation and development of technologies that had never been seen before.
Celestia sighed. "Chara can you please explain to me why we are heading here?" She asked the human who stood at the front of the carriage.
"Celestia, shortly after I completed my credentials for the Equestrian science comity I requested that you construct the Canterhorn Mountain Research Facility, the plan was to use the abundance of Crystals that grew in the mountain to manufacture Magitech and other devices for Equestria." Chara said calmly.
Celestia nodded. "Yes, but why are we heading there instead of preparing for war against King Sombra and the Crystal Empire."
Chara frowned. " There's information you need to know about and like I said I may have a way to face Sombra on a more equal footing." She said as the facility came into view and the princesses and Frisk gasped in shock.
At the base of the Canterhorn stood massive spires made of black steel and glowing a brilliant blue, the ground around the spires shined in the light of the sun as arcs of glowing blue energy ran throughout it, the entire site looked like a massive circuit board built at the foot of the mountain.
Chara smiled and pulled out a cellphone. "This is Chara, are you prepared for our arrival?" She asked. The Voice on the other end responded and Chara nodded. "We're arriving now, activate landing strip." She said as she closed the phone, a moment later the princesses saw part of the ground open revealing a landing strip with flashing yellow lights. "Guards, take us down on that strip." Chara ordered, the guards nodded and the carriage tilted down till they landed. When it finally stopped Chara was the first to exit the carriage and as she left several ponies in white lab coats entered the room and moved to controls causing the doors that opened to reveal the landing strip to begin close. Celestia and Luna slowly stepped out in shock as they looked around; Frisk however looked around in a mix of concern.
"Nothing good ever came from these places Chara, this is an old human city." She said causing the princesses ears to perk up.
Chara nodded. "This is the last human city in the world still operational after what the humans called 'The Apocalypse'." She explained as and the group exited the room and walked through the halls. Chara turned around and walked backwards, a smirk on her face as she opened her arms. "Welcome Princesses Celestia and Luna to Humanities last resort, the place of our greatest sin and where we wiped ourselves out." She said with pride. The Princesses looked around in shock, just managing to keep walking as they entered an elevator and Chara presses the button for the top floor.
The elevator ascended and the princesses watched as the floors passed by and they saw their ponies working on machines and research they couldn't hope to understand, however the higher they went the less ponies there were till finally there were only a few groups working in massive labs meant for hundreds. When they reached the top there was no one and Chara calmly walked out of the elevator, beside the doors to the elevator was a coat rack holding a single lab coat which Chara put on. "Welcome to the top floor, my personal facilities."
Celestia and Luna looked around in confusion at the massive room they stood in, off to the left side of the wall was a massive laboratory that was petitioned off with a glass wall and doors. On the opposite side ancient armor and weapons used by Humans decorated the walls and stands, this too was petitioned off with a glass wall and doors. Throughout the entire floor gears, cogs and other clockwork pieces turned; the clanks and clicks of the machinery turning the only sound filling the room aside from the foot and hoof steps of its occupants. The Main room they were in was set up as a study with bookshelves and cabinets lining the walls, Chara walked over to a wall that had a window overlooking the entire complex and sat down at a glass desk. "Now let's get down to business." She said as she clasped her hands together.
Celestia frowned. "It seems you've been keeping us in the dark on a lot of things?" She said stoically.
Chara shrugged. "You never ask about this place or the research that comes from it, besides do you really want the nobles to know about this place."
"Then perhaps you can fill us in Chara." Luna said as she leveled an angry glare at the women before them.
"Chara what's going on?" Frisk said in concern.
Chara nodded. "It's time I fill in the blanks on just what the ponies are and the crimes of not only humanity but the PLAYER as well." Chara said calmly before leaning back and pressing several buttons on the keyboard to her computer. "But first I'll explain what it is we came here to get." She said as hidden mechanisms in her desk opened up to reveal six vials of different colored glowing liquid. "Before you are six vials, each vile contains the magic of an artificially constructed soul, it's enough to give a single individual the powers of a soul but they are less effective than if one was to have a human." Chara explained.
Frisk looked at the vial in shock while the princesses looked on in concern. "Chara... where did you get these?" Luna asked concerned.
Chara sighed and leaned forward. "I created them." She said calmly. "I used the Hate in my soul as a base template and then manipulated their magic frequency and energy to become what they are."
"Chara, that's horrible!" Frisk cried out. "I understand the necessity but the Soul Magic is extremely dangerous and far too powerful for any of the creatures of this world to wield!" Frisk said as she shook her head though from disappointment or from anger the others couldn't tell. "Not only does it take years to master Soul magic but you expect ponies to use them to fight the Crystal Empire?!"
Chara sighed. "There not the real traits of the Soul and it are not actually that powerful." She replied in a calm voice. "Please let me explain." She asked as she looked at Frisk with tired eyes; Frisk hesitated but finally she nodded, Chara sighed and turned to the three before her. "The original soul traits were extremely powerful and manifested in Humans giving them access to Soul Magic and unique powers." Chara said as she stood and walked to the window that looked out over the entire complex. "Perseverance allows the user to mimic any magic they have seen even if it was seen only once. Patience allows the user to warp space and grants limited teleportation if they can map the weakened walls of reality. Integrity allows the user to alter the localized gravity of the area around them. Justice allows the user to create a long range weapon that can fire shots of magic at an opponent. Bravery grants a temporarily boost in the users stats and manifests a pair of gauntlets around the users arms. Lastly Kindness manifests a protective shield around the user and grants the user the ability to heal themselves and others from wounds."
Celestia nodded. "And then there is your power, Determination." She said as she looked at the vials on the desk. "I see that one for Determination wasn't created." She said pointedly.
Frisk frowned. "Determination, the power of the previous six combined as well as the ability to alter the Timeline and reality itself, a power given to a single individual every two thousand years. It is because of this fact that only one soul of Determination should ever exist at any given time, the single fact multiple exist at present will prevent any further souls of Determination appearing ever again." She said calmly. "Given the power of Determination it's best we don't make an artificial soul with it."
Chara nodded. "Correct, now as Frisk said these traits, are far too powerful for a pony to control or even host however I did some research and found something... interesting." She said as she returned to the desk and sat down with a smile. "Thanks to some of Dr. Gasters notes on the artificial construction of Monster Souls and experimentation with creating a liquid form of Determination I started thinking that maybe I could artificially create a liquid form of magic that would grant a user the power of a Soul Trait." Chara explained as she leaned forward. "After some experimentation I found that not only was it possible but the chance of corruption was extremely low. The Magic inside these vials are a heavily diluted form of the traits however and that means they're much weaker that a natural soul."
Frisk frowned. "Wait, I think I understand what you're getting at." She said causing the princesses to look confused.
"What do you mean Frisk?" Luna asked.
Frisk rose and walked over to where Chara sat with a smile. "The power of a full Soul Trait would over power the user and either drive them insane or corrupt them however if the power was diluted enough it would be able to be used, honey you're a genius!" She said as she leaned down and kissed her wife.
Chara blushed and looked down hiding it with the bangs of her hair. "Frisk, not in font of people!" She groaned as she covered her face with her hands, Frisk giggled as she pulled the chair she was sitting in next to Chara and leaned on her. Chara sighed and looked at the princesses. "Anyway..." She said her face still red. "I began to synthesize vial of magic that when injected allowed the subject to use soul magic I haven't tested it yet but it's ready when ever it's needed."
Celestia rubbed her forehead and groaned. "So let me see if I can get this right, you've managed to create a synthetic form of Soul Magic that is in liquid form that when injected allows the user access to this magic, it's not as strong as the real thing but even still is extremely powerful and could grant significant benefits to the user?" Celestia asked as she looked at Chara who nodded.
Chara nodded. "Yup, that's about sums it up perfectly." She said with a nod.
Celestia groaned. "Chara, I can't believe you." She said with a sigh before turning to look at the women with a glare. "And exactly when were you planning to tell us about this? Think of the countless lives that could have been saved if you had shown us these centuries ago!" She said angrily.
"And that reaction is exactly why I didn't!" Chara yelled as she rose slammed her fist on the table, Celestia recoiled as if she had been slapped and Luna looked surprised as well. Chara cleared her throat and sat down before taking a deep breath as Frisk rubbed her back, after a moment Chara looked at Celestia with a dark glare. "Celestia, even if this magic is not as dangerous as the original version I and Frisk control it is still extremely dangerous." Chara explained. "Not only are we talking about Soul Magic but the magic itself has requirements for its host." She explained with a sigh. "The risks are too great in comparison to the advantage we would gain."
Luna frowned. "I see, you didn't tell us because it's a power we can't hope to control." Luan said calmly. "Inevitably it would destroy us."
"In my younger years, such as during the great Griffon War, precautions such as this wouldn't have been needed but..." Chara said with a sighed. "Princesses there are many things I do that are difficult to discuss but I feel I need to inform you that my power is... weakening." She said with a sigh.
The Princesses looked confused as Frisk looked concerned. "What do you mean Chara?" Luna asked.
"You both know that I'm Immortal, as is Frisk, but what you don't know is that our immortality is different from yours." Chara said with a sigh. "Asriel granted Frisk her immortality while I was given it by Shroud." She explained the princesses looked confused however Frisks eyes widened.
"Chara... you're dying..." Frisk said but trailed off as Chara nodded.
"When one is granted Immortality some of the traits of that immortal are passed to the one who receives it." Chara explained. "Boss Monsters like Asriel or Grillby are immortal and when Asriel gave Frisk her immortality half her soul became that of a monster, this granted her full access to both Soul Magic and Monster Magic. But I was given my Immortality by a phoenix and like Frisk I took on some of their traits."
Celestias eyes widened. "You have to renew yourself." She said causing Luna to gasp.
Chara nodded. "This crisis couldn't have come at a worse time." Chara said calmly. "Were it not that fact we were under threat by a Corrupted Soul bearer like Sombra I would never have revealed any of that we have discussed today to you all." Chara said and sigh. "But Sombra forced my hand."
"Chara what's going happening to you, you were fine in the battle." Luna asked in concern. "In fact, even weakened you still managed to face Sombra with enough power to force his retreat."
Chara frowned sadly. "My condition is deteriorating rapidly; it will not be long before I have to be reborn." Chara explained. "This battle, this entire conflict, I will not be able to take part in." She said tiredly. "These Vials are to be given to Asriel, he's the onlu person that knew about them from the start and will be able to find those who can wield the power." Chara said as she took the vials form their stand and handed them to Frisk.
"And just where will you be going?" Luna asked confused. "You never run from a fight, ever." She said somewhat shocked.
"Rebirth is a private affair to a Phoenix and I understand why, you don't need to know anymore other than that I will be leaving soon to find a place to restore myself." Chara said as she leaned back into her chair. "Now I believe we have one final thing to discuss." She said tiredly.
Frisk nodded her head. "You were going to explain what you meant by what the ponies are, the crimes of humanity and the PLAYER." She said.
Chara nodded. "During my research on how to create the artificial Souls I asked one of the Pony researcher's here if I could look at their soul so I could understand why ponies can't use soul magic, what I found not only linked the cause to this facility but also told me what Humanity had so foolishly done." She said with a sigh. "After learning what I did I used this facility to access a Global Network that gives me precise data on what happened and what Humans were doing prior to their sudden disappearance.
"Hold on Chara, what's a global network?" Luna asked however Chara shook her head.
"It would take too long to explain it Luna and you wouldn't understand it anyway." Chara said a she waved her hand dismissively. "However what I found was that Humans were trying to find a way to survive the wastelands left over from their war, not really bad on its own but it's how they did it that makes this Humanities Greatest Sin."
Chara paused and hesitated as she lowered her head. "When the Player used Frisk to reset the world he wasn't powerful enough to reset everything, this is most likely due to her being controlled and unwilling to do it in the first place. Anyway instead of resetting the entire world, like what normally happens, only a portion of the world was reset, the rest was completely unaffected. Humans saw this happen and thought they could manipulate this power so they... harvested... as much determination they could to create a massive machine to rip a hole in time where they would cross through."
Lunas eyes widened. "Isn't this what you and Dr. Gaster were doing?" She asked before the answer struck her. "Oh... they ripped themselves apart."
Chara nodded. "The survivors of this incident named it 'The Apocalypse'." Chara said. "It was then that they constructed this city and proceeded to commit their Sin, they began experimentation with Monster magic and artifacts. From what I've been able to learn they were trying to duplicate the Monsters natural resistance however something went horribly wrong, I'm not entirely sure exactly what they did but in a single day every human was erased."
Celestia frowned. "So they wiped themselves out, that's not exactly a surprise." She said getting a from from the others in the room. "From what Chara's said most humans were extremely self-destructive to a borderline suicidal." She explained as she raised her hoofs in mock surrender.
Chara shook her head. "You don't exactly understand, whatever they were working on, they thought they had found the answer and from what I've learned not only were they correct but it worked, just not how they thought it would." She said with a dark smile. "They created a massive Pulse Generator and sent a wave of energy out that covered the entire world, in that instant all humans no matter where they were disappeared." She explained before turning to Celestia and Luna. "And it was also in that instant that ponies were first recorded appearing." The princesses' eyes widened as they realized what Chara was saying.
"They changed themselves to survive, but the price was the extinction of their own race." Luna said as Celestia went slack jawed.
Chara nodded. "Humanity dared to cross the line and play god." She said solemnly. "They wanted control over magic and the ability to survive the wastelands they created, they got what they wanted in the end but the price was they were transformed in to not just Ponies but Griffons, Minotaur's, and every other race on this planet. Those who were closest to the blast absorbed the most of all the races and guess what they became?" She asked.
The Two princesses thought for a moment before Luna groaned and Celestia looked down in shame. "Alicorns, they became Alicorns which means that we... we are the greatest Sin of Humanity." Celestia said.
Frisk's eyes darkened in understanding. "And all this happened because the PLAYER reset the world, he destroyed humanity!" She said darkly.
Celestia grit her teeth before looking at Chara. "Is there nothing we can't do?" She asked hate filling her voice. "If we were humans once could you restore us?"
Chara frowned. "What your ancestors did was change you on a genetic level and it's been so long since then that there's most likely no human genetics left in the blood of any of the races. However give me a few years and I may be able to reverse some of the genetic damage to allow you a more human appearance." Chara said as she leaned back in thought. "T Minotaur's were probably the least affected by the blast so I may be able to acquire some human genetics form them but I doubt it." Chara said before looking at Celestia. "You do know that if I do this then it will alter you heavily; I don't even know what could happen."
Celestia nodded. "I'll assemble the leaders and we will discuss what to do but the Crystal Empire comes first." Celestia said in a tired voice. "Even if the other races don't agree with my decision Equestria will still undergo the change.
Chara nodded. "In that case I will begin work once this conflict ends." She said as she bowed her head. |
Lost Dreamer | Chapter 20 - The Crystal War: Part 1 | They say that war never changes, after seeing it for so long I'm inclined to agree. I was too young to remember the war Monsters had against Humans but from what Chara told me it was a bloody conflict caused by greed and corruption, Even Frisk agrees with that statement so I guess it is. Despite that I have seen war, I've seen several actually. The first was almost right after Chara came back from the dead and it's known as The Great Griffon War. It was the first war the princesses and Equestria had as a whole against an outside force and I'd say it was when I was twenty... okay so that was my physical age but if you want to be technical I was actually around one thousand eight hundred and twenty three. Chara's the same age as me because she was still alive all that time I was a flower just as a soul that I hosted unless there was a human, but that beside the point. The point is that I've seen war for a long time and every time it's because of greed and corruption. Chara and I hate war but it always seems we get thrown into them no matter what we do.
The hardest part isn't copping with the actually killing part, on the field of combat, it's either kill or be killed and no matter how much I hate that mentality it holds true. No, what I hate is watching families say far well to loved ones as I march them to their death. Good ponies who only want to protect their loved ones and homes sent to die, Grillby tells me it will get easier but I don't think it ever will.
Is this what you endured father? Is this the weight you carried on your shoulders each day of the war and after? If it is I think I understand now, at least a little bit. If Chara ever figures out how to revive Monster Kind and you read this I want you to know I understand now. Heavy is the weight of leadership and the sacrifices we make... there is only so much we can bear till the toll of our sins crushes us underneath.
Asriel sighed as he closed the book he wrote in and placed it back in the bag he kept his positions in. With a groan he rose and exited the tent only to be met with a face full of wind and snow; Ariel frowned before bundling up his cloak and walking further into the cold. As he walked many soldiers looked to him their eyes shining with hope and faith though for what Asriel didn't even know, with a sigh he entered the command tent and looked at the Commanders standing at the table. "Right, give me a report." He said with a sigh.
"We have seven patrols currently scouting the area ahead." One in light leather armor said calmly. "But with temperatures getting colder and weather conditions progressively more server the current moral dropping so fast I doubt well even get to see the outskirts of the Empire."
Asriel frowned. "I warned Celestia and Luna this would happen." He said with a sigh as he took a seat at the table. "We're not prepared for cold weather combat." He said with a sigh.
The other commanders nodded and muttered agreements until the a scout entered the tent and cleared his throat. "There is something north by north west, the captain told to give a code Delta."
Asriel froze as the Scout said this and he looked at him closely. "You're sure they said Code Delta?" he asked receiving a nod form the Scout. "Yeah, captain was pretty sure but Sombras' forces are moving on that area quickly."
Asriel rose. "Then prepare the troop, Sombra can't get his hands on what you've found no matter what." He said as he took a scroll and began to write on it before igniting it and sending it to Celestia. "I've alerted the princesses; hopefully they can alert Chara and she can get here in time." He said muttering the last part.
"Sir, if I may be so bold I was wondering where Commander Chara is?" one of the officers asked.
Asriel frowned. "She has her own mission, what it is I don't know but she told me once it is completed she will meet us here." He said as he leaned back in the chair tiredly. "Go prepare the troops to move out, we march for the Delta in ten minutes." He said with a sigh. The officers and commanders saluted and quickly exited the tent, Asriel sat in the chair for several minutes simply looking of in the distance before he slowly pulled a gold heart locket form his neck and opened it showing a picture of Him and Chara. "Where are you Chara?" He asked in worry. "You said your immortality was failing and from what I saw you're in no condition to take on any missions so were are you?" He asked as he slowly closing the locket and returning it under his robes. With a groan he stood and exited the tent.
Chara sighed tiredly as her form leaning heavily on the staff she clutched in her hands, with a groan continued onward following a train only those who were phoenix could see. As she walked he felt her body weaken and were it not for the determination flowing through her veins she doubted she would be able to make it much farther. "Almost there." She whispered her voice coming out raspy and coarse as she began to cough. "God, I sound line a smoker who downs five pack a day." She grumbled as she walked.
After what felt like hours she finally reached a clearing with a fallen tree and a small pool, with a sigh she sat down before pulling out a gold heart locket from under her shirt and smiled. "Hope Azzy's alright." She murmured as she looked at her hands. They were bony and wrinkled, the veins in them glowing red with the determination flowing. Chara traced the veins up her arms with a faint curiosity as she removed the cloak the see that all her veins glowed with a groan she forced herself off the tree and over to the pool where she examined herself "Hm, interesting." She said as she saw her reflection. She looked like someone who you would call a grandma or old lady, he face was wrinkled and marred by the glowing veins, her form was hunched slightly and she looked frail.
Chara frowned as she saw her hair was a snow white and seemed to have begun to fall out slowly however what concerned her most was her eyes, they glowed a pure red with determination. There were no pupils, iris or sclera, only a glowing red orb. "I need to hurry; at this level my determination is tearing my body apart." She muttered as turned away from the pool. "If I don't hurry becoming an amalgamate will be a mercy, I'll most likely turn to dust." She said as she continued to fallow the trail.
Far above her several phoenix watched as she pulled the hood of her cloak back on and continued down the path. "She nears the Clearing of Rebirth, are you're sure she is ready Elder?" one of them asked.
The Phoenix's looked to one who was a pure white. "We shall see child, for her to persist this long I feel she is worthy but we must see. If she survives the process she will be remade stronger than ever before, that is if she survives the process."
Asriel stood at the top of the snowy hill looking down at the arctic plains below, at the center stood a tall building not made like the others of this time, it was a massive metal and concrete brick of a place however what drew the attention of the old Prince of Monsters was the symbol that was carved into its walls.
As Asriel stared at the symbol one of the soldiers approached him in concern. "Sir, the enemy is entrenched on the other side of this Ice field. If we engage the enemy we will lose." He said in concern. "I suggest we destroy that place, whatever's inside isn't worth the troops we would lose to capture it."
Asriel frowned. "Normally I'd agree but that is an old Monster Kingdom Guard Base." He said as he turned to the soldier. "What's inside may actually give us an edge in this war as well as possibly contain a map to more bases perhaps even a location the Princesses and Chara have been searching for since I and Chara came to Equestria."
The Soldier frowned. "Is the Base really that important?" He asked however he only received a nod from Asriel.
"Prepare to move in, if we can get to the Base quick enough we can take what we need and destroy the rest if necessary." He said as he turned away from the soldier who saluted and ran back to the others.
Asriel turned back to the troops as they got into positions and stood before them. "Today we face Sombras forces; they plan to take an old Guard Base that belonged to the Monster Kingdom long ago." He said earning several murmurs among the troops. "If they take this Base then we risk them acquiring ancient weapons that could be used against us, I cannot risk this. As such we must secure this Base till Commander Chara is able to reinforce us." He said his tone dark.
"How can this facility hold such importance?" A soldier yelled and the others began to shout agreements however we silenced by one of the commanders yelling for quiet.
"We've all seen Commander Asriels magic prowess as well as the weapons he wields." The Commander said calmly. "Do you really want to risk Sombra getting his hands on that kind of power?" He asked earning concerned looks form the troops. "Besides, even if this Base doesn't have such things housed within we can still secure it as a forward base for all operations in the coming war." He said causing the troop to smile and nod. "Now you have a choice, either follow the commander or have Commander Chara deal with you as deserters." The Commander said causing the soldiers to freeze and their eyes widen.
"I love this plan! I'm excited to be a part of it!" A soldier yelled happily as others began to nod.
Asriel sighed. "Then let's get going." He said as he turned and lead the forces onto the ice field. Before them stood an army of thousand in heavy dark armor, Sombras forces were marching for the facility.
Chara leaned heavily on her staff as she entered a massive clearing, the clearing was different form the forest that surrounded it as the ground was covered in burn marks around its perimeter several phoenix sat their feathers falling or their forms. Chara sighed as she sat down and leaned against one of the boulders in the clearing, as she lay there a phoenix with white flames landed before her. "Welcome young one." He said in a kind tone.
Char looked at the phoenix tiredly. "Hello, don't suppose you'd mind leaving an old woman alone for a time?" She asked in a weary voice.
The Phoenix chuckled. "You know you are the only one to survive the blood of a phoenix for this long, almost six hundred and forty-nine years and even still your undergoing rebirth and not simply turning to dust." The Phoenix said calmly.
Chara sighed. "As long as Determination still flows through my Soul I can't truly die."
The phoenix tilted his head. "Then why did the Ash phoenix give you his blood?"
Chara frowned. "It was after I ended the Griffon war, I used all my determination to temporarily bring back a being who was removed from reality by taking his place because of this I used all my determination and was going to die." Chara explained earning a nod from the phoenix. "I may have been invulnerable but I was not immortal, nothing truly is, if I lost my determination I was vulnerable to death but as long as I stayed determined I would live. Of course now that that I have phoenix blood in me I don't know how it works but that's how it was originally."
"And what will you do?" The phoenix asked. "With our power in your veins you could do as you please, imagine the possibilities." He said.
Chara chuckled. "All I want is to see those I care about safe." She replied as he body began to heat up. "I don't care for power, I've got enough of that as is and I don't need nor want more. I don't care for ruling or controlling others, no point to it at all." Chara began to cough as she looked at the phoenix before her. "I only wish to protect my family and wife, no more no less." She said as the veins in her body began to glow brighter as heat ripped her body apart.
"And you are willing to endure the flames of rebirth to insure this?" The phoenix asked.
Chara looked at the bird with determination shining in her eyes. "Yes." She said as he flesh began to gray.
"Then let the flames consume you child and be reborn from the ashes of death." The phoenix said as he turned from her and flew away. Chara watched him leave before sighing and closing her eyes, with her last effort she smiled and closed her eyes as her body began to crumble and as all monsters turn to dust.
Asriel grit his teeth as she slashed is sword through the neck of another enemy before quickly teleporting away from a beam of magic. "Alright, not bad." He said before thrusting his free hand out and summoning a Chaos Buster to fire upon the enemy before a leaping forward and returning to the fray of battle suddenly he froze as a cold sensation washed over him and he felt something inside him break.
When two Monsters have children they link their souls, if either parent or the child dies then it is felt by that link however this link is not mutually exclusive to the parents, siblings also share a soul link. Asriels eyes widened as he felt the link with Charas soul break and for a moment the world moved in slow motion, the battle around him slowed, the cold wind froze and world seemed to stop. "No... Chara..." He whispered as he lowered his head and the world slowly back speed up around him.
A Sombra soldier lunged at Asriel a smile on his face as he trust his blade forward only for it to stop as Asriel grabbed the blade and held it aloft blood dripping from his palm where the blade dug in. Slowly Asriel, looked up at the soldier his eyes completely black except for the iris's which changed colors every few seconds, the soldiers eyes widened as Asriel glared at them with absolute hate.
"All troops pull back." He yelled causing the guards to pause confused and turn to him only to widen. Everypony knew of that Chara and Asriel had different forms depending on what power they needed and their emotional state. Chara was known to have three forms, there was her Pacifist form, Arbiter Form and Finally her Genocide or as it was better known her Demon form which had three variants. Asriel however was known to only have two forms his Reaper form and the form known as the Angel of Death. While Asriel used his Reaper form several times he never used his Angel of Death form unless he was forced but this, this was not his Angel of Death.
As the Ponies gazed upon his form they felt a fear that resonated with some primordial part of their minds, they it was as if they were looking upon finality itself. One of the commanders shook his head before turning to the other troops. "You heard the Commander run!" he yelled snapping the troops out of their shock and causing them to run to the building with the Delta rune on it. As they ran Asriel watched before turning to the enemies.
"I never thought I'd ever use this power again but now I have nothing to lose." He said as he glared angrily at Sombras soldiers. "It's time I show you my Special attack." He said calmly as he raised his hand as an orb of rainbow energy appeared in his hands as he raised them. "Foolish warriors who fight for a Demon King I sentence you to wander this field of Ice and snow for eternity, forever bound to suffer in silent agony till the crimes you've committed are paid for and those you have harmed have forgiven! Special attack: Angel of Death!" He yelled as he unleashed a massive wave of rainbow energy as a barrage of comets appeared in the sky and rained down on the enemy forces. The soldiers tried to run but as they turned their bodies froze and they were forced to watch as their death, their bodies disintegrating as their souls were ripped from their bodies and bound to the ground they stood on while their corpses were burn, the flesh disintegrating to ash leavings only whitened bones.
As the attack ended the Equestrian troops cheered as their commander stood victorious however as Asriel returned to his normal form a tear fell from his eyes. "Chara, what happened to you? Where are you?" He asked before turning away and entering the facility the troops cheering and smiling. "Spread out and search the Facility!" He yelled and the troop scattered with smiles on their faces.
Asriel sighed before leaning against a wall and slouching down. "That form almost burnt out my soul." He said to no one, as he sat on the floor he carefully summoned hid soul and examined it. The Rainbow light it normally shined with had faded significantly and large cracks ran through it. "If I'd used that form for even another minute I'd of reverted to that flower." He said with a sigh as the soul faded back into his body and he leaned against the wall with a groan.
"Are you alright sir?" A soldier asked in concern
Asriel waved his hand tiredly. "I'll be fine, that attack just took more out of me that I thought." He said as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "Just let an old goat rest for a while." |
Lost Dreamer | Chapter 21 - The Crystal War: Part 2 | Chara floated in a sea of black, there was nothing, no one, it was silent. Chara sighed and looked around in confusion. "This feels familiar." She muttered as became aware of a person approaching her. After a moment the man walked up and looked at her calmly.
"Hey, you've been busy since we last met." The man said calmly. "I wondered when you'd come back." He said with a calm smile.
Chara stared at him for a moment before frowning. "I remember you, the past life of who I was." Chara said before frowning. "I thought you'd have faded by now."
The man shrugged his shoulders in a lazy gesture. "I did fade but each time you die or are reborn I am pulled back to you. Normally you and I won't see each other but since this is your first time I'm here to tell you how death works in your new world." He said. "The ability to Continue and Quit still function the same but that's only when you die from in injury or other natural means, rebirth is different so I'll fill you in on the ground rules."
"What do I need to know?" She asked.
The man sighed and lowered his head. "It's not something easily explained so I'll simply say this, when you are reborn you'll learn a lot about yourself. You'll learn things you wanted to know and things you don't want and it won't get any easier each time."
Chara gulped. "What happens?"
The man frowned. "I don't fully know; I never went through this but I do know it is a trial; you can only die when you truly want it with all your being." The man began to fade slowly and he smiled a final time. "If you're lucky we won't meet again for a long time, your determination altered the natural rebirthing process but it came at the price of things being far more... intense when you endure it. Good luck Chara Dreemurr, you will need it for the trials ahead." As the Man said this the world exploded with light and Chara was forced to cover her eyes.
When Chara reopened her eyes she stood at the altar of the church where she and Frisk were married. 'What is this?' She asked as an organ began to play and the doors at the end of the aisles opened and Frisk walked out, a white wedding dress trailing behind her and at her side walked Sans a proud smile on his face.
'No...' She whispered however her body didn't move; she couldn't do anything but watch. Slowly Frisk stepped up onto the alter and Sans handed her over. For a moment his eye flashed, she knew the meaning of it. A warning, break Frisks heart and pay. 'Please stop this!' She yelled however no one heard her.
Frisk calmly walked up the Alter and stood before her and a tear ran down Charas face, she knew what was coming. "Do you Princess Chara Dreemurr take this woman to be your wife?" The Priest asked.
"I do." The Chara at the alter said as the real Chara screamed in fear. 'Stop, please don't make me relive this!' She yelled but the scene continued to play.
"And do you Frisk Aster take this woman as your wife?" The Priest asked.
"I do." She said with a smile.
"They you may now kiss the bride." The Priest said with a smile as the two embraced only for a knife to meet Charas chest. Chara screamed as the sorrow as she watched the scene unfold before her. The her on the alter stood there shocked as Frisk's eyes changed from their golden brown to a piercing red and her face twisted into a sadistic laugh. "This farce of a happy ending ends, Remember this day Sans, Chara, for it is the last you will ever have your happy ending!" She said as she began to laugh as the Chara on the Alter fell to her knees as her body slowly began to turn to dust.
Every monster and human present gasped as Sans's eye glowed blue. "I don't know who you are but I know you're not Frisk." He said as a Baster appeared. "Where's the kid and what have you done to them?" He asked as Frisk began to laugh.
"Oh Sansy, of course it's me." She said with a smile. "Do you really think I would love a demon or for that matter that I cared for any of you at all?" She asked in a sickly sweet voice.
Sans chuckled. "Nice try impasta but if you think I don't know my own kid then you're pretty crazy." He said.
'Frisk' growled. "You were always a fun toy Sans but this is impressive." The being said. "Very good though in figuring out our-." Suddenly the doors burst open and Undyne leapt through throwing her spear at the pupated Frisk who nimbly dodged the attack.
"Where's Frisk ya Asshole!" She roared as more spears appeared.
The PLAYER laughed as red strings appeared around Frisks neck, wrists and ankles. "Why she's still here just not in control." They said as they appeared above them the strings tied to his fingers making Frisk appear as a puppet. With a sick smile a glowing button appeared and the PLAYER flicked his hand forcing the pupated Frisk to raise their hand. "Sadly I don't have much time to use this body yet, I need to shatter her will first so for now I shall bid you adieu." They said as Frisk pressed and the world shattered. "We'll meet soon Sans; I hope you're ready to face your Daughter." They said with a sadistic laugh.
"FRISK, DON'T GIVER UP KIDDO! CHARA AND I WILL FIND A WAY, I PROMISE!" He yelled as the world was undone and rebuilt. Chara screamed as she watched the day that she would never forget, the day that the PLAYER entered her life, the day her love was lost and replaced with LOVE."
As the scene faded she saw nothing but white around her and for a moment she was confused till a voice spoke. "What will you do?" It asked.
Chara frowned. "I don't understand."
The Voice spoke again. "What will you do?" it repeated.
Chara frowned. "Even now I still do not know what I will do." She replied. "That thing destroyed not just my life but Frisks, the lives of every Monster; they pretty much are responsible for the destruction of both Humans and Monsters." She said
"What will you do though?" It repeated.
Chara was silent. "I don't think I could kill it even though I want to." She said with a sigh. "All we can do is preventing them from controlling the Timeline."
"The world will call for retribution and you choose to remain passive, will you kill or be killed, the creature you fight must die or the cycle of violence continues forever!" The voice roared.
Chara grit her teeth. "I am the Arbiter of the Underground, a judge who watches and passes judgement for actions done. It is my task, my sworn duty to protect the Kingdome of Monsters till my dying breath; I will do my duty as befitting a Judge." She said.
The Voice was silent for a moment before replying. "It is true that you cannot kill the Void Dweller that toys with your life but you have already taken all he has but be warned Chara Dreemurr; a day will come when you will stand alone and on that day you will face one another, on that day you will face your Mirror. Your conviction is great, we shall see when the time comes if you stay true to your beliefs or succumb to your desires." As the being spoke Chara's form began to glow and she gasped as fire raced through her veins before she screamed and the world was consumed.
The clearing was quiet, as the sun hung low over the sky suddenly a small ember lit in a pile of ash and the clearing began to glow as it began to swirl and condense before a hand shot out of the pile and grabbed the ground around it. With a mighty heave a figure forced themself out of the ground their form caked in ash and soot as they pulled themselves form the pile. Glowing runes covered their form as they stood but slowly they faded as the ash fell away revealing a woman in her late twenties.
Chara looked around at the clearing as the ash fell away on its own before realizing she was completely naked. Chara panicked and quickly looked around for her bag and seeing it lying next to the cloak and staff she carried with her. Chara quickly went over to the bag and pulled from it a set of clothes and a green winter hooded coat with black fur on the hood. With a smile Chara quickly redressed and grabbed her scarf before tying it around her neck.
"So you survive." The Old Phoenix said as he flew down and landed on the rock before her.
Chara grunted as she checked her inventory and pulled out her chest plate and began to lock it in place. "Like I said, as long as Determination is in me I will never die."
The Phoenix nodded. "This is you first rebirth, perhaps your only rebirth as well." He said causing the young women to turn to the phoenix confused.
"What do you mean 'my only rebirth'?" She asked causing the Phoenix to chuckle.
"From what you said your Determination makes you effectively immortal however it was due to your Phoenix blood that you were forced to rebirth." The Phoenix said. "Because of this fact I believe that you required a rebirth to fully integrate the blood into your body, now that it is fully integrated you should no longer require it. Of course I'd still recommend rebirthing every few centuries just to be safe but I doubt you will need to do it as regularly as an average Phoenix."
Chara nodded. "Makes sense in a way, I guess this was just bad timing." She muttered before turning to the Phoenix. "Thanks, I'm not going to lie but Rebirth is... disturbing."
The Phoenix nodded. "It makes one see event of the past, events we'd both rather forget and want to relive. You learn a lot about who you are as well but it is still something we'd rather not endure."
"Before I go I have one question, why is the rebirthing process done far from other beings?"
The phoenix looked away as he fluffed its feathers in embarrassment. "For as long as we Phoenix can remember it is seen as a taboo for those that do not bear our blood to see our rebirth. Some chose to allow themselves to be seen as what pony kind calls a fetish." The phoenix shuddered. "I do not see the appeal but some do."
Chara shuddered as well. "I have to agree with you, Rebirth feels like a very personal thing, it shouldn't be witnessed by others." She said in agreement.
The Phoenix nodded. "You had best be off young one but before you do know this, I foresee many trial in your future and should you ever need guidance or counsel then you need only seek I and your brethren out." He said as he spread his wings and flew away.
Chara watched him leave and nodded. "Thanks." She said as she pulled her cloak and pack on before grabbing her staff and walking forward and vanished from the clearing taking via short cut.
Asriel sighed as he walked through the halls of the old base, it had been several days since he and the guards had taken the base and during that time they had searched almost the entire facility. The base was large and despite the princesses sending a message that they would be coming with reinforcements Asriel felt on edge. Already he had sent scouts to map out the surrounding area however paranoia was eating at not just him but the troop making them constantly on edge. Asriel growled as he slammed his fist on to the wall. "We can't keep this up." He muttered angrily. "My men are as taught as a bow string but because of this their nerves are fraying fast, if I don't find a solution to defuse the tension fast none of us are going to survive much longer."
Asriel sighed and pulled out a map looking at where he was in the complex. "Huh, this area isn't on the maps yet." He muttered as he looked around and turning down a corrode, as he walked he pulled out a pencil and began to map the area creating a simple sketch with little detail. When the corrode ended he found a large metal door and turned the nob to find it unlocked. Asriel leaned on the door and with a groan the door slowly swung open and the old monster found himself standing in a massive bunker like room. Asriel frowned as he looked around seeing weathered documents and ancient weapons however what truly caught his attention was the massive map with hundreds of Monster towns, cities and military instillations.
"Sir, are you down here?" A soldier called out causing Asriel to jump in surprise. "The Princesses are here with reinforcements."
"Asriel, Luna and I have arrived, where are you?" A voice that sounded like Celestia yelled, Asriel turn a smile growing on his face.
"Down here, I found something!" He yelled as the sound of hooves was heard approaching. When the guards entered the room their eyes widened and Celestia and Luna froze as they saw the rooms' contents. "Chara's going to go crazy when she sees this." He said with a smug smile as the guards began to move to the racks of weapons and the princesses moved to look at the map.
"Asriel, look up in the far left." Luna said and Asriel turned to the map confused only for his eyes to widen in shock. The area was where the Frozen North now was and not far from their current location however it was marked with symbols that Asriel recognized immediately as Wingdings.
"Gasters old laboratory... four centuries of searching every inch of Equestria and we find it marked on an old map in a military base." Asriel said in shock.
"Commander, there's something over here!" A guard yelled. Asriel turned and looked in the direction of the guard only to frown as he saw the guard standing before a door.
"This is odd." He said as he approached and examined it closer. "This door has a Seal allowing it to be accessed only by those with a certain magic signature." he muttered as he reached for the handle and jiggled it only to hear a clicking sound. Asriels eyes narrowed and he turned to the guards and Princesses. "Stay here, I need to look at this." He said as he opened the door and entered the room.
As he entered the door slammed shut quickly and his hand lit with fire magic bathing the room in an orange glow. As he looked around he found the room bare of all but two items, the first a sword thrust into the ground while the other was a note. Asriel slowly approached the blade and examined it before picking up the note and looking over it.
Greetings Asriel Dreemurr,
My name is Shadesplit and for now all you need to know is that I am like the being you call PLAYER. There're a lot of beings like him and with his kinda power but not all of us are assholes. I just wanted to say that not all of us are against you and we're doing all we can to help.
With the assistance of an interdimensional being named Error I was able to send you this sword, its name is Reality Breaker. Give the dangers ahead and power they wield I felt you needed something to level the playing field in your favor when you fight so I had this forged for you.
Reality Breaker is a powerful sword that holds the ability to affect the boundaries of Space, destroy any barrier or seal created. It can also divide into two separate and much weaker swords called Creation and Destruction that do just as the names imply. Creation can make anything with the ability Construct or Edit things. On the opposite side of the spectrum there is Destruction which has the ability Break and Erase. I recommend that when you practice these abilities it is away from any populated areas till you have a real understanding of its power.
Oh and one more thing, the sword can only harm those who are corrupt or impure, this means that pure beings or misguided beings won't be affected.
Good luck Kid, you're going to need it.
Asriel looked confused at the letter before looking at the sword. The sword was a heavy broadsword with a gold hilt and as he reached for it seemed to glow. After a moment of hesitation he pulled the blade free and in a flash of light it vanished. Asriels eyes widened however he calmly summoned his magic and it simply reappeared. "Huh, that'll be useful." He muttered as he turned and saw the door opening on its own. Asriel nodded and pocketed the letter before leaving to see the two princesses standing worriedly with the troops. "Its fine, I just found this blade. It seems to have bonded to my magic or something." he said as he willed it to vanish and reappear.
"Interesting, I can feel the power it contains." Luna said.
Asriel nodded. "I'll have to try it out later but for now we need to focus on the bigger find." He said as he returned to the map, several of the commanders were already pointing out land marks and other things on the map as well as comparing it to a 'modern' map. "Gasters old Lab's just a few miles from here and I know Chara's going to want to go there."
Celestia nodded. "There's no doubt about that. Chara believes that there may be something left behind and hidden by Gaster that should be able to resurrect a monster."
Asriel nodded. "Yeah, it would be nice to get back some friends and family." he said "Undyne, Sans, Papyrus and Alphys will probably be the first we bring back." He said thoughtfully.
"What about your parents?" Luna asked.
Asriel shook his head. "We'll try and bring them back the others are more important."
"Who are they? I mean I've head you mention them before but not exactly who they are." Celestia asked.
Asriel sighed. "You both know who Sans and Papyrus are but I guess never told you about the others. He said before going silent for a moment. "Well I suppose the first to introduce would be Alphys. When Gaster was still around he was the head royal scientist, then there was Sans who worked on weapons development and Chara who worked on Soul Magic, Determination and god knows what else. Chara was a jack of all trades scientist and worked with every single group so what she did varied a lot. After the incident Sans quit his job at the Labs and went into a deep depression and Chara enacted her plan B which wound up with us both dead." He said with a sigh.
"With all the important members of the Labs either dead, refusing to work or erased from reality Alphys was all that was left to run the labs. She was a small time research assistant that was skilled with machines but not in the research that was conducted by Gaster and Chara. This meant she was inexperienced and... incapable of performing her duties effectively." Asriel sighed and looked down sadly. "She was a good scientist but made many, many, mistakes. She did all she could with the knowledge she was able to scrape together but in the end she made more mistakes than she ever wanted to admit doing. Later on, after Frisk freed the Monsters, She convinced Sans to come back and he made it so she wouldn't lose her memories if a reset happened or save was reloaded. When PLAYER took control she was among the few that acted immediately often assisting in evacuating the Underground before facing the PLAYER herself in a fight."
Luna frowned. "She seems like a very brave monster." She said sadly
Asriel chucked. "There were only a few that know of the power Determination held. My parents, the King and Queen were able to know when it happened and many of the monsters that fought in the war like Grillby know how to keep their memories." Asriel explained. "Anyway next is Undyne; She was the Captain of the Monster Kingdoms Royal Guard, she was a warrior and a strong one too. I was trained by my father and Dr. Gaster in battle and was given the title of Reaper for my skill and power. Chara was trained by Gaster as a Judge along with Sans, they were partners and the three of us were as close as siblings. Undyne was a bit different than us though, she was trained by one of the veterans of the war against humanity. His name was Gerson and he was known as the Hammer of Justice, when she finished the training her he stepped down as head of the Royal guard and passed the title to Undyne naming her the Spear of Justice."
Celestia nodded. "Was she as skilled as you and Chara?" She asked
Asriel shook his head. "No, the title of Reaper is given to the strongest warrior of the Monster Race and Judges are second only to a Reaper."
Luna giggled. "If that's the case then you should probably pass the title to Cara." She said teasingly
Asriel shrugged. "I never had the ability to use Retribution and Judges have to be able to use this skill." He replied. "To be honest I think the Judges are the strongest class of warrior because of their skills and abilities." Asriel frowned as he finished explaining. "Now that I think about it Chara never really tries when we battled..." Asriel growled as he face palmed. "That lazy woman doesn't even try and lets me win!" He yelled angrily.
"You honestly expected me to fight at my best against you?" A voice asked causing Asriel to spin around in surprise to see Chara leaning against the wall. "Honestly bro, you know I never put any effort into anything." She said as she shook her head. "Still, this place is impressive, can't believe this place is still around after a few thousand years and in such good shape." She said as she looked around.
Celestia smiled as she and Luna exchanged a glance. "Chara, you know you can't exactly hide how much you do from us correct." She asked.
Chara's eyes glowed for a second causing the two sister sot take a step back before she smiled. "So I'm a bit lazy, I still do my job don't I?" She asked her tone giving away her true message and the princesses' nod.
"True, anyway as you were saying this place is impressive but we believe we've found something of interest to you." Luna said the smile still on her face even though it was wearier as she pointed to the map.
Chara walked over and examined the map before smiling. "Six centuries of searching and the place wasn't even where we thought." She muttered before a smile crossed her face. "Gasters Lab, looks like were taking a small detour."
Asriel nodded. "I'll assemble a full battalion to assist in its recovery." He said with a smile.
Chara shook her head. "No, a small team is going in and no more." She countered as she looked at her brother. "And that's non-negotiable." She said sternly. "You, me and the princesses are the only ones going. Bring any one else and they will die before they make it there." She said as he turned walked to the exit of the room.
"What about Grillby?" Asriel asked causing the women to stop and freeze up. "And I'm sure Frisk would love to see her grandfather's old lab."
Chara was silent for a moment before sighing. "Frisk, but no one else and that's final." She said as she left the room. "We leave tomorrow so alert Frisk."
Asriel nodded. "She knows something." He said quietly.
"Or she just wants this place kept safe." Celestia countered. "I imagine what went on in that old lab are not exactly... safe for us but she's allowing us to come in good faith."
Luna nodded. "I get the feeling that if she had her way she would be the only one to go to the lab."
Asriel sighed. "I hope your right but we're going to a place she knows a lot about." He said calmly. "The creation of Gaster Blasters, Determination Experiments and weapons designed for war were all designed, developed, tested and manufactured there. God knows what's been hidden there that we don't know about." He said as he walked over to a desk stacked full to the brim with papers and began to sort it. |
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