//------------------------------// // Finding a Cure // Story: A Filly's New Life // by BananaPeeler //------------------------------// Chapter 9. Cherry's Point of View. While I was curious about what happened to my father, Rose needed to be tended to. She wasn't extremely sick, but she did have something that required medicinal attention to cure. "So what do you think she has?" I say to Mrs. Cheerilee. "I think it's just a cold." She says. "Do you have anything that can help fight it?" Rose chimes in "No, I wasn't prepared for any sickness. I was going to go get some supplies from Ponyville after Cherry's arrival, but I didn't really have time to." "Ponyville is the only place that has the proper herbs to cure a cold." Cheerilee continues "Do you think you can make the trip?" "I don't think so. I feel pretty tired and I think I need my rest." Sheepishly stepping forward, I volunteer, "...I could go. I'm healthy, and I want to go to Ponyville anyways!" "Absolutely not!" Yells Rose. "You're just a foal!" "Well what else do you suggest?" I say. "I don't know, but you're not going to Ponyville! It'll take a day at the least! Do you actually think you can survive that?" Rose seems very flustered. "Yes!" I blurt out. She calms down after a few seconds. Mrs. Cheerilee tries to get in the conversation "Well it would do her good to get her slightly independent from you, and this would be a perfect chance to do so." "I suppose..." Rose looks down to the ground, thinking. "Plus I can work on my reading while I travel!" I say "That might work..." "Cherry will do fine on her own, I could show her the way." "Maybe..." "I'll even travel in the middle of the day." There was a dramatic pause, both Cheerilee and I were waiting for an answer. Rose seemed to be thinking about the 'trip' quite pensively. After waiting for a minute or two in silence, she says. "Okay, you can go." Both Cheerilee and I cheer extensively. "But only if Mrs. Cheerilee decides to go with you. AND you'll go during the morning. No traveling during the night. Even though most of Equestria is safe during the night, I don't want you walking about during the night." "Thanks Mummy!" I say "We'll leave tomorrow morning!" "That's fine by me!" Mrs. Cheerilee says. I think for a second, after calming down from the excitement, and say, "I think I'll go out for a walk to pass the time." I start to walk out around in the forest, looking at the beautiful landscape that I've been oblivious to in the previous week. I think about how the earth ponies do it. It's really amazing. Now that it's crossed my mind, we all owe the earth ponies a big favour. All this must be hard work, and yet amazingly, they get it all done. Around 7 hours pass by as Cherry walks around the forest, learning her surroundings and the general location. She smells the flowers, watches the birds, and even took a nap under a tree. By time I had gotten back, Mrs. Cheerilee had already cooked up a very nice stew. It had potatoes, carrots, broccoli, all in sweet, sweet apple broth. (Remember that a pony's diet is strictly vegetarian.) We ate nearly all of it, simply not having enough room in our tummies to keep eating was the only reason we didn't finish it! "That was the best stew I've ever had!" I said, laying on my side because my stomach was too full. "Thank you!" "I certainly hope tomorrow will be good. We'll leave early in the morning, after having a nice breakfast, then we'll talk about different things, and maybe learn some new letters and words." I actually felt excited to start learning. It's strange, yet somewhat soothing. My thoughts form a soft blanket around me as I slowly fall into a deep, calming asleep. The next day. "Get up Cherry!" "uuuggghhhh" I reply. "Breakfast is ready!" Cheerilee calls out, which causes me to immediately spring up from my position on the ground in excitement. She had already made warm apple sauce with a side of cherry cocktail. I ate it, devouring the whole thing, enjoying every last bite in a nirvana of bliss. "So are you ready to go?" She said. I noticed Rose was still asleep, so I lowered my voice slightly. "What am I supposed to bring?" "Well we're going to need some way to pay for the food and the room." "We're staying the night there?" I say "Yes! It is a day long trip you know." I thought for a second, then continued. "What are we going to pay with?" "Well, all of Equestria has this thing called currency. The most important form of currency is a 'bit'." Mrs. Cheerilee was quite knowledgeable about this sort of things, probably because she was a teacher. "We can use bits to buy all sorts of things. You could buy fruit, vegetables, furniture, seeds, watering pales... basically anything and everything under the sun." She says. "Okay, how much is a bit worth." She thinks for a second, then replies, "Well, you could get a cherry for a bit or two." "Wow...I'm expensive." I joke. Both Cheerilee and I laugh quietly, making sure we don't wake Rose. "Well, I've packed about two-hundred bits, so we should be good. I've also got four apples to get us through if we get hungry. She mentions. "Well then, let's be off!" We start to walk, and although awkward at first, our conversation seems to become interesting. We talk about different animals and what's special about them. Some animals can burrow deep into the earth, making them good hiders. Some can fly at super-sonic speeds, making them agile and quick-witted. Others have there own specific talent, similar to how ponies have their own talent. She mentions that not all animals are good, some only have one purpose, and that is to be evil. Similar to how a cockatrice is. They only cause pain in everything they do, so all ponies must be cautious of what they do around those creatures. There comes the occasional silence in our conversation, because we just simply can't talk all the time, but every now and then, we will notice something especially bright or something that's just truly amazing, and our chit-chat is rekindled. The day goes by casually, Cheerilee often times holding up a book during our rest. Inside would be a few letters and their explanation. Just like before, I learn them quickly, memorizing them and their meaning. I start to realize the meaning behind the 'day long trip' expression, because dusk begins to set in. The birds start to fall asleep, the sun begins to fall, the moon begins to rise. "Are we almost there?" I ask "Nearly. When night time arrives, we will be there, then we will rent a room. Tomorrow we will find those herbs we've been looking for." We continue to walk as the night grows longer. I've never noticed how beautiful it was, the stars, the moon. All of it was gleaming in the sky. Even the clouds looks more sympathetic to the night sky. It was somewhat soothing. I felt tire work into me. Work into my bones, into my muscles, and as I look back down from the sky, I notice that I can see Ponyville and it's wonderfulness. It's street lamps were lighting up the town, allowing ponies from all over to see it. A sliver of relief passes through me, and I start running towards Ponyville, with Cheerilee trying to keep up behind. I felt the wind flowing through my mane, same as before. It only takes about a minute to arrive at a full gallop, and when we do get there, I felt as though I could cry it was so stunning. There were buildings everywhere. The Town Hall, SugarCube Corner, the Library, all of which were so much better then my mother's description. Mrs. Cheerilee quickly shuffled over to the 'Pony-Inn', hoping to get in bed as quick as she could. Nearly running past the pony standing at the desk, Cheerilee throws a small bag of bits and grabs a key off of the wall behind the counter. She speedily goes to her and my room, unlocking it. She throws her things near the floor, followed by her on the bed... I smile, knowing that she probably hasn't traveled that far in a while. It brought joy to me, knowing that she was getting relief from the stress she was feeling right now. I look around, and notice that there are two beds, one for me, and one for Cheerilee. I set my things down, which were a few books about spells and letters and words, and lay down on the soft bed and started to think about Rose. I slightly missed her. I was saddened, but was also cheered knowing that I was doing something to help her by coming here and retrieving these herbs. Although the grass at home is very soft, I have never felt anything so heavenly before. It feels like I'm laying on a cloud, made of the finest sheep wool and knitted together with golden yarn, suited for a king. Tonight I didn't need my thought for a blanket or to help me fall asleep. I simply went into a deep daze, dreaming about today and tomorrow.