//------------------------------// // 3. Aftermath // Story: High-Water Mark // by bkc56 //------------------------------// Quicksilver awoke to a room awash with soft morning sunlight. He yawned and stretched. The bed was comfortable and warm. And then he remembered. Eyes wide, he jerked his head around to look for Misty. He relaxed with a sigh at seeing her sleeping soundly next to him. He reached out with a hoof and gently touched her, just to assure himself she was really there. He slipped from under the covers to the floor. Momentarily light-headed, he leaned against the bed to steady himself. His balance returned, and he stood up straight. Slowly, he turned and went into the bathroom to clean up. Afterwards, he stood in the doorway for a few moments, watching Misty breathing softly. As quietly as he could, he left the room and headed downstairs to get something to eat. As he descended the stairs, he stopped and leaned against the wall. Still a little weak and unsteady, he continued at a slower pace. As he reached the bottom, he was greeted by a smiling Mrs. Lodge. “Good morning, dear. I do hope you’re feeling better today.” He nodded. “Yes, I think so.” His attention was drawn to two ponies trotting over from the restaurant. He recognized them as the twins who had helped Misty. “Good morning,” one said with a smile. “It’s good to see you up.” The other added, “If you’ll excuse us, the mayor wanted to know as soon as you were awake.” With a small dip of their heads, they trotted outside. Quicksilver watched them leave, then turned back towards Mrs. Lodge. “That storm last night sure seems to have cleared up quickly. It looks like a beautiful day.” She looked nervously outside. “Uh, well, you see, Mr. Quicksilver, the storm was actually two nights ago.” She glanced towards the stairs. “You two slept all day yesterday.” He stared at Mrs. Lodge for a moment, unblinking. “Huh.” He glanced outside and back again. “All day?” Bringing a hoof up to the back of his head, he added, “I guess that explains why I’m so hungry.” Hearing hooffalls on the stairs, he looked up to see Misty coming down. “Misty! You’re awake. How are you feeling?” She smiled at him. “I think I’m okay.” She winced as she fluttered her wings. “I am a little sore though. Did I hear correctly that the storm was two days ago?” He glanced at Mrs. Lodge. “Seems so.” He watched Misty as she reached the bottom of the stairs and turned toward him. “Over twenty-four hours of sleep is a new record for us.” They both laughed. Misty walked over to him, and they nuzzled for a moment. They closed their eyes and stood quietly together, basking in each other’s presence. The sound of galloping hooves approaching drew their attention to the door as the first of the twins returned from delivering his message. Quicksilver smiled as three ponies entered. “Mayor. Heavy Pony. Good to see you. Is everyone from the hill doing okay?” Mayor Bigwig replied with a smile, “Everyone is fine.” He paused for a moment. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” His forehead furrowed. “Are you two okay? We were worried because you were asleep for so long.” Before Quicksilver could reply, a white unicorn mare stepped into the inn. The other twin trailed her by a few paces and waited outside. She cut a direct path between Bigwig and Heavy Pony straight to Quicksilver and Misty. “Good morning.” She nodded slightly. “You probably don’t remember much from the other night. I’m Nurse Forte. Are either of you in any discomfort?” With an almost imperceptible lift of her head, she regarded each of them in turn. Misty said, “My wings and back are a bit sore, but that’s it.” Quicksilver just shook his head. “That’s good. Allow me to do a quick magical scan.” She closed her eyes as her horn began to glow, and each of them in turn were surrounded by a blue aura. The mayor noticed the quizzical look Quicksilver gave him. “We’re an earth pony settlement, but everyone is welcome here. Nurse Forte moved here from Manehattan with her husband when we founded this place. She’s a nurse practitioner, and we’re very lucky to have her here. I guess she found the idea of running her own clinic in a frontier town to be more appealing than catering to the rich and privileged in the big city. Go figure.” “Shhhh!” Nurse Forte hissed without breaking her concentration. The mayor and Heavy Pony both took a step back. Bigwig looked a little like a scolded foal. Heavy Pony’s eyes went wide as he glanced between Nurse Forte and the mayor. His look screamed, “It wasn’t my fault, it was him.” Finishing her scan, she said, “I don’t sense anything amiss. But I want to see you both in my office this afternoon for a full physical.” Quicksilver replied, “Oh, I don’t think that’s really neces--” An icy stare cut him off as she locked eyes with him. “This afternoon.” She did not move or even blink. The mayor and Heavy Pony took another step backward. “Yes, ma’am,” he squeaked, shifting his weight nervously. “We’ll both be there right after lunch.” Her face softened into a pleasant smile. “Wonderful. I’ll see you then. Now if you’ll all excuse me, I have patients waiting at the clinic.” With a nod to the mayor, she trotted out the door. “We’re lucky to have her, even though she scares us all to death,” the mayor said softly. Everyone stood silent for a moment. Heavy Pony blew out a breath, glancing at the mayor. Quicksilver and Misty looked at each other. Mrs. Lodge spoke up, “Right, you two need something to eat. Let’s get you seated.” She signaled to one of her daughters who came over and led them to their reserved table. There were a few small groups at various tables who nodded or smiled at them. With bright eyes and a chipper smile, she asked, “What would you two like to have this morning?” “I don’t have any idea.” Quicksilver sighed. “Just bring me something.” “I’ll have what he’s having,” Misty added. After a bit, she returned with haycakes, a couple of muffins, a small bowl of fruit, and orange juice for both of them. As breakfast progressed, the conversation became strained, filled with unfinished sentences and unanswered questions. For perhaps the first time ever, they didn’t know what to say to each other. It was clear to both of them that they were avoiding the manticore in the room. As breakfast ended, Quicksilver saw that Misty was fighting back tears. “Misty, what is it? What’s wrong?” In a strained voice tight with emotion, she said, “I was so scared. Everyone was counting on us. I wasn’t sure I could keep going. And I could see how weak you were getting. I was afraid that… What if you had… What would I have done…” She put a foreleg across her eyes, rested her head on the table, and started to weep. Each incomplete sentence felt like it physically struck him. Quicksilver jumped off his chair and wrapped both forelegs around Misty, resting his head against her neck. Misty continued, “In the wagon, on the way here from the bluff, I asked Heavy Pony what happened. He told me what you did.” She lifted her head and pulled back to look Quicksilver in the eyes. “I was so proud of you. Though I know his type. No matter how bad he said it was, it was actually ten-times worse. Quicksilver, I almost lost you. I know I almost lost you.” He sat down and pulled her into his embrace. He whispered, “I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere.” Misty was trembling as she wept. After a few moments, he pulled back so they could again look eye-to-eye. “Yes, it was pretty bad right at the end. I did what I needed to do. The whole time I… I was haunted by one thing…” He lowered his head. “When you took off on that last trip and were blown down-river, I panicked. My mind raced with things I could try. Telekinesis. Shields. Teleportation. And then you were gone. All this magic I have, and I was totally helpless.” He looked back up at Misty. “I believe in you, but it was so far, and you were so tired. I couldn’t shake the thought that it could be the last time I saw you.” Quicksilver’s eyes glistened with tears. “I know what you felt. I know, because I felt the same thing standing on that hill. And I’m so, so sorry.” They embraced and softly sobbed together. Quicksilver tightened his grip. Misty opened her wings to wrap around him.  The other patrons, many with tears welling in their own eyes, quietly got up and walked out of the restaurant to pay their bill and leave.  After a few minutes, the two drew apart, using napkins from the table to dry their eyes. Quicksilver said, “Let’s head up to the room, clean up, and walk around town until it’s time to go see Nurse Forte. I need to be outside in the sun, with you.” Misty nodded, and they got up. As they walked past Mrs. Lodge, also dabbing her eyes, Quicksilver remarked, “Sorry, it looks like we drove everyone away.” “Don’t worry about it. Lots of folks in town are dealing with what might have happened the other night. It’s good to get it out, but it’s also painful. What you just experienced is normal and healthy. Keep sharing with each other, and you’ll be fine.” After strolling around for a while, Quicksilver and Misty found themselves on the bluff. The clear sky and bright sun completely changed the scene. The fields were still flooded, but the water was calm, almost peaceful. Much of the hill was visible again. The terror of that night was gone, and tranquility had returned. “It’s like the other night was just a bad dream,” Quicksilver said softly. Misty only nodded and moved closer to him. They stood for a while, each lost in their memories, and, as if by mutual agreement, both turned to head back towards the settlement. As they wandered among the buildings, Quicksilver spotted Heavy Pony. The couple pivoted in his direction. As they approached, they noticed him sharing a nuzzle with a mare. A young colt stood by, watching. “Hi, Heavy Pony. So, you have a family?” Catching her eye, Quicksilver nodded at the mare. “Hi, you two. Yes. This is my wife Summer Fields and our colt Golden Harvest.” “Nice to meet you both,” Summer added with a smile. “I know you two,” Misty said cautiously. “I carried both of you off the hill. Summer, you were the last mare out, when we were blown down-river.” “Yes, that’s right. I wanted to thank you. You were so kind and reassuring to Golden when he was scared. It was so hard for him to fly off alone with a stranger.” Quicksilver turned to Heavy. “Why didn’t you say something?” He pointed at the two with his hoof. “We could have gotten them out on the first trip.” “I was in charge of everyone’s safety. I couldn’t show favoritism.” He glanced at Summer. “Besides, I tried, and my wife rejected it,” he said with a wink. She smiled back and then looked back at Quicksilver. “He was in charge of getting everyone to safety, and I was overseeing the foals and mares. I had to stay until they were all safe.” “I’m not sure I could be that brave,” Misty said, looking down at the ground. “Are you kidding me?!” Summer almost shouted, stomping a hoof. “You flew like twenty trips carrying ponies as large as you are to safety through a storm I had trouble just standing in. I have never seen anything like that in my entire life! Every time I saw you returning to the hill, I wondered how you could convince yourself to take that risk again.” Misty replied softly, “How could I not?” She looked down to see Golden Harvest cautiously walking up to her. He reared up and wrapped his front legs around her neck. Instinctively, she lifted one leg around him, returning the hug. “Thank you for saving me and my mom.” He squeezed a little tighter. Misty closed her eyes and spoke softly, “Oh, honey, you’re welcome.” He let go and stepped over to Quicksilver. Looking down, he pawed at the ground once in indecision. Then he lifted his head and raised a hoof. “Thanks for saving my dad.” Quicksilver gently exchanged a hoof-bump with the colt. “Your dad is a very brave pony. It was my pleasure to help him.” Satisfied, Golden Harvest grinned for a moment before trotting back to his mom’s side. He pressed tightly to her side as if to hide from any further attention. “Just the ponies I needed to see.” Everypony turned to see Mayor Bigwig trotting up. Heavy Pony gave him a simple nod. “Good day, Mayor,” Quicksilver said. “What can we do for you?” “Well, now that you’re both up and appear to be feeling better, the town is wrapping up the planning for a party in your honor. It will be tomorrow night in front of the inn. The whole town will probably show up.” “Well, you see, we’re not really party ponies. And we don’t want all that attention. It just feels awkward.” The mayor nodded. “I understand that.” He paused for a moment. “This community went through a really scary situation. It was hard for those on the hill, but it was also hard for all the relatives and friends here on the bluff. There’s a lot of pent-up emotion. Nurse Forte was clear that it is required for the emotional health and well-being of the community.” Misty grinned. “I imagine that’s a direct quote.” The mayor laughed. “Yes, it is. You don’t have to do anything. I’ll instruct everypony to be respectful and not talk you into another coma. Though honestly, as you hear ponies’ stories, I believe you’ll get something out of it too.” “Well, you can ignore what Quicksilver said.” Misty gave Quicksilver a playful shove with her shoulder. “We’ll be there, and,” she glanced at Quicksilver, “we will have fun.” He smiled weakly. “Right!” said Summer. “And we’ll both be around to help if it gets a little overwhelming. My husband can be very effective at getting ponies to back off a bit when needed,” she added with a smile. Heavy Pony just rolled his eyes and smiled back. Quicksilver snickered, shaking his head. “Well, Nurse Forte will be expecting us soon. We need to grab something light to eat and head over. And I have the impression we should not be late.” “Oh!” the mayor exclaimed. “That’s right, you don’t want to keep her waiting. Go, go!” He shooed them away with his hoof. “We’ll see you at the gathering tomorrow.” The sun dipped low as ponies gathered in the street in front of the Oats and Rye Inn. The air hummed with the sounds of talking and laughter as the crowd milled about amongst the refreshment tables stocked both by the inn and the residents in true frontier style.  After a while, the mayor stood on the porch of the inn and addressed the crowd. “My friends and our honored guests. Doing something new and different is often difficult. We knew that when we first founded this settlement. We all wanted the type of life that earth ponies can have, with a close connection to the land and all it provides.“ He gestured to the crowd. “And look at us now. Every member of our community has food and shelter. We have vast fields to the west, and a thriving orchard still expanding to the east. We have economic strength and brisk trade with neighboring towns. We have been successful.” He paused, glancing in the direction of the river. “It hasn’t always been easy. The first couple of years were hard. We’ve had many hurdles to clear. This last week brought one of the biggest risks we have ever faced. Though, as if to remind us of the connection we have with the unicorn and pegasus races, we were spared from disaster by visitors and new friends.” He looked directly at the couple. “Quicksilver and Misty risked everything to save our families, relatives, and friends.” He scanned the crowd again. “While we can not repay a debt like this, we can make tonight a collective ‘thank you’ from everypony here. Please feel free to speak with them this evening if you wish. I just ask that you be respectful and not overwhelm them.” He looked back to Quicksilver and Misty. “Finally, I want to personally address Quicksilver and Misty. I know it wasn’t your intention to be heroes in a little earth pony settlement, but that’s what you are. And you are our friends. We’ll always be grateful for what you’ve done here. Thank you.” And with that, the street exploded into thunderous hoof-stomping and cheering. The attention was embarrassing. Quicksilver rubbed his neck, and Misty stepped closer to him. Ponies who were close turned to face them, smiling brightly as they cheered. Misty’s ears dropped as she hid her face in his neck. Finally, the mayor raised a hoof. It took a while for ponies to notice, but after a few moments, they quieted down. “Please, everyone, enjoy the evening.” As Quicksilver and Misty strolled around, they noticed two young fillies walking towards them. The bright yellow one cleared her throat. “Hi. I’m Daff, umm, Daffodil.” She had one front leg crossed in front of the other, eyes downturned. Misty replied, “Hi there. Wait... Aren't you the filly who waved at me in the restaurant a few days ago?" Looking at Misty, she smiled. Then the smile faded as she resumed talking, "This is Bluebell. She's my bestest friend in the whole world." She put a foreleg around her dusty-blue friend. “Hi, Bluebell. I’m Misty.” The corners of Bluebell’s mouth went up just a bit. Daff pawed at the ground and continued, "Our parents think we don't understand, but we can tell something’s wrong. They just… act and talk wrong.” She paused and glanced at Bluebell momentarily. “Bluebell lives on the hill with her parents each spring or, um, used to live.” “Oh, I see…” Misty said softly. Daff blushed, her hoof scraped the ground once more. “My mom thought I was asleep, but I wasn’t. I stayed up watching the bluff out of my window. All the adults were out in the rain. I knew it was bad. And the storm… I… I was so scared.” She shivered and clenched her eyes shut. Misty sat down in front of the fillies. "I'm sorry, honey. I'm sure no one wanted you to be scared."  "But I was. I heard my parents talking the same way they talked when grandma got sick last year. A few days later, she... she..." Daff looked down and pawed at the ground again. Misty reached out and stroked her mane. She noticed a mare standing a short distance off, wiping a tear from her eye. Daff took a deep breath and looked Misty in the eyes. “Then I saw you flying back with Bluebell. I yelled so loud my mom came in to see what I was doing. We watched you land. Later you brought back her mom too.”  For the first time, Bluebell spoke, barely above a whisper, “You said we’d be okay, but I was so scared, flying over the water. You fly so good. Thanks for bringing me back to my friend.” She and Daff looked at each other and smiled. “Oh, you’re welcome.” Misty smiled. “I’m so glad to see you two reunited.” She glanced up at the mare again who smiled back and nodded. Both fillies jumped forward, each wrapping one of Misty's forelegs in a hug. She nickered softly, lowering her head to briefly nuzzle each one. After a moment, they jumped back. With big smiles on their faces, the pair turned to trot off. Looking up, Misty saw the mare still watching. Holding a hoof to her chest, the mare silently mouthed, “Thank you.” Misty smiled and nodded in response. The mare turned and walked in the same direction the fillies had scampered off in. Quicksilver took a step forward and sat down next to Misty. “Are you okay?” He put a foreleg around her shoulders and squeezed. “I think so.” She rested her head against his neck and whimpered softly. “There was no time to think about what they all felt.” She pushed deeper into Quicksilver's fur.  He gently patted her arm. “Who?” She raised her glistening eyes to him. “Everypony here. Unlike us, all they could do was just… wait and hope. Wait for a miracle so that they’ll survive till morning. Hope that they’ll see their family and friends again.” She shuddered as she took a breath. “Like a certain filly, secretly watching from her room, muzzle pressed to the cold windowpane, wondering if she’ll ever play with her bestest friend again. Compared to all that, flying back-and-forth over the river was a pleasant distraction.” Quicksilver gave her a firm hug. “You need to remember she did get to see her friend again. You rescued that scared and helpless little filly, her mom, and a bunch of others too.” He looked directly into Misty’s eyes. “You were the hope they were waiting for.”  “Yeah, you’re right. It just makes you think.” She paused for a moment. “I understand now.” Releasing the hug, he shifted so he could face Misty. “Understand what?” She looked around the crowd surrounding them. “I think I understand much better why tonight is so important to these ponies.” Quicksilver added, “And perhaps important to us too?” Misty nodded and smiled. “How about we wander around some more now?” Misty nodded again, wiping her eyes with her leg. They stood up and continued walking through the gathering. "Hi, you two." Quicksilver and Misty turned around to see the twins behind them accompanied by two identical mares. Quicksilver and Misty stared blankly for a moment. One of the mares spoke up, "Nope, you're not seeing double. We're twins too." The other mare added, "Yup, twins married to twins." They both giggled. Quicksilver and Misty sat down as the two sets of twins launched into a rapid-fire explanation. "We grew up in the same town." "Our houses were about a block apart." "We played together all the time." "The best was playing pranks on other ponies." One of the sisters pulled a hoof around her husband’s shoulder. "Two of us would sit somewhere. When a pony walked by, one of us would say 'hi', the other wave." He gave a little wave. Misty and Quicksilver switched their gaze to the second sister as she continued, "The other two of us would be down a ways, in the same pose. Then we'd wave and 'hi' the same." Her husband smiled and gave an identical wave. “We practiced together to get it exactly the same.” One of the mares grinned. Her sister flashed her a carbon copy of the same grin. "Ponies would be so bewildered." "The looks on their faces..." The four ponies glanced at each other and laughed. They sat down with Quicksilver and Misty. "Anyway," one of the stallions continued, "We wanted to thank you for what you did the other night. We had friends on that hilltop. Good friends. I'm not sure this community would have survived, had we lost all those ponies." Quicksilver’s smile faded. "I hope you realize your part in that. We ran out of time to rescue ponies at the end. Without that sling you two made allowing Misty to help, we'd have lost about a third of the ponies." One of the mares added softly, “That third included our older sister and her youngest foal, Bluebell.” The other mare nodded. Quicksilver continued, "And I didn't get a chance to thank you two for finding Misty and bringing her back. I was a bit of a wreck until I saw her safe again." He put a leg around her and pulled her close. The stallion glanced at his brother while rubbing his neck. "They were just things that somepony needed to do. Things that we could help with. We were just doing our part." “Well, it meant a lot to us. Thank you.” Quicksilver bowed his head briefly. “Yes,” Misty added. “Thank you.” "Anyway, sorry about the overload with our story. We don't want to keep you, just beyond saying hi and thanks." With that, the pair of twins got up, smiled at them one more time, and walked off into the sea of ponies. Quicksilver and Misty turned to each other and burst out laughing. “Twins married to twins. That’s amazing,” Quicksilver said. “Oh, that felt good.” Misty gasped as she stopped laughing. “If they didn’t live so far away, I bet we could all be great friends. They’re clearly our kind of strange.” “Absolutely. What about something to drink?” Quicksilver stood up and reached out to help Misty up. Still snickering, they headed towards one of the refreshment tables. Night had descended upon the settlement. The otherwise dark street bathed in light from the inn. The Lodge family started cleaning up, as the crowd slowly thinned out. Quicksilver and Misty had just finished a little snack. “Look over there.” Quicksilver pointed. “That’s Nurse Forte.” “We should go say hi,” Misty replied. Forte noticed them approaching and smiled pleasantly. “Good evening, Quicksilver, Misty. I trust you found the evening enjoyable?” “Yes, we did, although it’s been exhausting.” Misty sat down, and Quicksilver joined her. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s been good. We’ve met a lot of ponies and heard some moving tales from the other night.” Forte took a seat in front of them. “Yes, dealing with the emotional repercussions can be tiring. But as we discussed, your mental wellbeing is critical. Tonight is just as important as the private conversations you’ve shared and need to continue to share.” She gently touched Misty on the shoulder. “And remember when you return home to be open to seeking out professional help. Especially if you notice any long-term signs of stress.” She paused as she stared at the ground. Misty broke the silence. “Was there something else you wanted to tell us?” She looked up. “Yes, there is. It wasn’t appropriate during your physical yesterday, but…” She cleared her throat. “I would like to apologize for the other night and not being able to assist you. All my magic training is in support of medical care.” She waved her hoof. “I can’t even teleport across a room. And when I showed up on the bluff, the mayor ordered me back to the clinic. He made sure each rescued pony was directed to the clinic so I could check them for injuries. Some ponies were also ready to provide first aid immediately, should it be needed. He of course made the right decision based on the situation.” She paused in thought for a moment. “The mayor’s lack of formality can be… irksome, though he is more than competent both in administration and crisis management. I believe he may be the leader this settlement needs, someone whom I can respect.” Quicksilver and Misty glanced at each other. Before they could say anything, Nurse Forte stood up. “It’s evident to me that this gathering has taken its toll on you. And I was very specific in my instructions that you two need to rest. Therefore, this evening is concluded and you two should return to your room.” They both stood up as Misty spoke, “Thank you, Nurse Forte. We appreciate all your help.” Quicksilver added, “And no need to apologize about the other night. We all had a part to play. ” Forte stepped forward. “Enough, you two. To your room, now.” With a surprisingly warm smile, and a wave of her hoof, she added, “Shoo, shoo.” Misty’s ears and head both drooped as they walked up the streets of Canterlot. “I am so tired. I can’t wait to get home.” “You know it. Perhaps we should have rested another few days before starting the three-day trip back. It was kind of exhausting, but we’re almost there.” Coming in the front door, Misty called out, “Tinker, are you here? We’re home.” There was a crash of something falling to the floor in the kitchen, and Tinker practically galloped into the front room. His eyes were wide as he slid to a stop. “Oh, thank Celestia. You’re both okay. We didn’t know what had happened to you. Both your parents have been by to see if I’d heard anything. All the flooding… We didn’t know....” His breathing was fast and shallow. “Whoa, whoa, slow down, Tinker,” Quicksilver blurted out and gently pushed the hyperventilating stallion away. “Calm down. Please, back up, start at the beginning, and explain what’s going on.” Tinker took a deep breath and nodded. “A few days after you left, we got news of a huge storm in the Crystal Mountains and flooding along the Neighagra River both above and below the falls. We knew you were in the area, but no one knew exactly where. The reports from below the falls were pretty bad. Lots of destroyed buildings and such along the river. We assumed it was bad where you were also. All we could do was wait for some word.”  Quicksilver tapped his chin. “It did get a little tense where we were during the flooding, but as you can see, we’re both fine. We can tell you more about it later.” He turned to look at Misty. “Misty, you should fly to your parent’s place and let them know what happened so they know you’re okay. I’m going to trot over to my parents and do the same.” He cleared his throat. “Oh, and you may want to downplay a few of the more, well, dramatic parts of the story that could upset them.” “I think that would be a good idea,” she replied with a smile. “Tinker, we’ll probably be gone for a few hours, so you can finish whatever you were working on and head home. We’ll see you tomorrow.” After that bit of excitement, life quickly returned to normal for the couple as they picked up where they had left off before going for a little walk. Unfortunately, Quicksilver still had to figure out the mixture ratio problem he has been working on.