//------------------------------//
// Problems Within Problems 
// Story: The Olden World 
// by Czar_Yoshi 
//------------------------------//

"They don't work out?" Valey instinctively bristled, arching her back and then wincing. "But that's like... Bananas, that's not fair. You just said they were mad at each other or something, right? Amber and I aren't mad at each other. Are we?"

Amber shrugged apologetically at Valey. "Not me. I'd be fine if you wanted to indulge yourself, and have been saying it for a while now. You're not mad at me, are you?"

Valey tilted her head. "Should I be? I don't think so..."

Amber folded her ears. "Would you be mad at me if I had been seeing someone else while you were all the way out here?"

"Uhhh..." Valey blinked. "Bananas, I'd have to think about that. I... have no idea." She swallowed. "I mean, I do kinda like it that you're flirty and all. Seems like I wouldn't, with all you and Sparky just said, but maybe it would just turn me on. Were you?"

"No." Amber shook her head. "I wasn't on the best terms with Riverfall or with any time to sink into that while I was there, since I spent all my days investigating what happened with Hemlock and my nights rebuilding Maple's house. And that griffon airship wasn't a vacation. I might have returned a grin or two, but nothing major."

"Huh." Valey sank further into the bed, using her cast as a chinrest. "Sounds like we gotta figure that out at some point. Or not. Mostly sounds like the only one who's mad is me at myself." She sighed. "Sparky? Words of wisdom?"

Shinespark bit her lip. "You're right that it's not a perfect analogue. If you aren't mad at each other, you could work something out. What do you want from each other?"

"Her to be happy." Amber took no time to reply. "Relationship between us or no. It's what I do as a friend."

"I dunno." Valey helplessly shrugged. "Bananas, I have no idea. I'm not used to asking others to do stuff for me. I just know I like what I've got. And it's weird! You'd be happy if I got out and enjoyed myself, wouldn't you?" She pointed a wing at Amber. "So it seems like it should work out even more!"

Amber thought for a moment, sighed, and glanced over to Shinespark. "Sorry in advance if this makes you uncomfortable, but..." She turned to Valey. "Remember that time in Riverfall we were hanging out on this boat and you had just gotten that bow in your mane and were teasing Shinespark? You were laughing your head off afterward. I don't think that made you uncomfortable... What was the difference?"

Shinespark reddened and drew back into her chair, suddenly probed by Valey's gaze. "I... Oh yeah! I remember that!" Valey remarked, grinning for a moment. "Hah. Yeah, sorry, Sparky. You were pretty fun to tease, though. I bet I still have that bow around here somewhere. And I dunno." She dug around in an ear with her free hoof. "I mean, you had to practically tell me to do it, right, Amber?" She frowned. "Hmmm... Maybe it was, like, we had only been together for a day or two? Hadn't really done anything yet? Or maybe that was right before we went back to Ironridge. Argh, I forget. Any ideas?" Her ears perked hopefully.

"I just think it's weird." Amber shrugged apologetically. "You used to be absolutely shameless, right? You've told me stories about shower rooms, the marefriends of guards and other things you did. And nothing stopped you then. And the only thing that's changed now is you're in a re-"

"Don't say it!" Valey urgently stuck out a hoof, pausing Amber mid-word. "Don't... It's not the only thing that changed. I changed. Big-time. I used to be a capital jerk, and now I'm, like... a lower-case jerk? Sometimes? When it won't hurt anyone. I think." Her eyes crossed. "Bananas, I have no idea what I am. Maybe I just beat up people who need it. Or, whatever." She shook her head rapidly to clear it. "But nah. I wouldn't dare mess with someone else's relationship now, you or no you."

Amber glanced at Shinespark again. "And what about someone who isn't in a relationship?"

Shinespark's redness returned, and she gritted her teeth and looked away.

Valey just stared for a moment, so Amber shrugged and continued. "I feel like you and me does have something to do with it. Do you not trust me to be fine with...?"

"Stop!" Shinespark interrupted, sitting back upright in a flash. "Don't question your trust in each other. Amber, maybe you're saying that for a better reason than I usually hear it, but that's always a question ponies in Ironridge would ask me when they were wondering what went wrong. Does he not trust me? Does she not love me? Please just..."

Valey watched as she trailed off, frowning a little. "Sparky, I'm... pretty sure it's a question that needs to be asked, though. And the answer is no way. I completely trust Amber." She glanced back to Amber, then sagged. "Pretty sure the one I'm having difficulty trusting here is myself."

"Yourself?" Amber folded her ears.

"Yeah. Like, what if I was an idiot and even though you're the best, I didn't act like it?" Valey hesitantly kept eye contact. "Then you'd be cool and forgive me for it or even tell me you're happy for me or something. And that, like... I don't think it would make me feel all that better about myself. 'Cuz you're not the one I'm afraid of crossing."

Amber gave her a watery smile. "You're still feeling that strongly about making sure you're a good pony, huh?"

"Yeah!?" Valey's voice cracked. "I mean, what do you think? That just because it's been a month or two means I've forgotten all about the moon glass and Nightmare Module stuff and what that means about me? I don't wanna be a blight! I'm trying to move away from being the small-time menace I was in Ironridge, a-and..."

"Shinespark, help me hug her," Amber commanded, getting out of her chair and crossing over to the bed. "And that means holding yourself far too accountable for your own happiness, doesn't it?" she asked, reaching Valey and putting a hoof on her cheek. Amber smiled. "Valey, I bet you care more about being a good pony than most everyone in this city."

"S-So?" Valey sniffed, Amber leaning down and putting a foreleg around her neck. "I... Bananas..."

Shinespark appeared hesitantly beside them, giving Amber a trusting nod before laying down next to Valey, touching her with her side and putting a hoof over her shoulder. "Sorry. I'm not really sure what to say here."

"That's perfectly fine," Amber assured her. "Valey? Do you want to keep talking about relationships right now? Because I'm pretty sure we just hit the bigger issue that needs to be addressed first, before any of that."

"Good luck," Valey sighed, putting her head down, feeling her friends beside and in front of her. "Bananas, unless you can prove that a giant meteor made of bad stuff that looks like it was designed by an intelligent, malicious force and contains a bunch of weird maybe-souls that have to do with using that bad stuff to do worse bad stuff in fact has a completely innocent or even benevolent explanation, which I'm pretty sure not even Starlight can do, there's no way to address this. Only live with it. And that means dealing with the consequences."

"Why Starlight?" Shinespark frowned.

Valey blinked. "Who else would you ask to do the impossible? Besides me? You know I only went back to fight Herman in the skyport because I was following her lead, right? And she killed a million windigoes while I was busy freezing to death. And apparently almost died from it but came back, and also crossed an uncrossable mountain range, and is somehow able to survive and recover after exposure to those Nightmare Modules that... Sparky, you saw what they did to that pirate! Like, I know she's got issues of her own that are probably even worse than mine, but... I dunno, really. I shouldn't be saying this. I guess it's just a feeling."

Outside the door, Starlight lowered her hoof, having been about to knock and now just blinking.

She swallowed, folded her ears, and stepped back before she could overhear any more. Whatever her friends were talking about, telling them Maple had decided to take Senescey's advice and wanted to go get her horn looked at by a doctor could wait a few minutes. Mostly so she could think about how in the world she was going to convince Valey moon glass and Nightmare Modules weren't evil.