//------------------------------// // 4 - Memories 1 // Story: SiE // by Bubbleshy //------------------------------// Not much occurred for the remainder of the day. Tornado returned Blood Cry to the barn under the promise that he would return later that night. Cry sat before the wooden doors, staring at the large wooden figures. A few hours passed before Cry started looking around the building. Light had begun receding from the barn, and the changes did not go unnoticed by him. He gave a sly smile, and galloped further into the barn on both his hands and feet. He began gathering straw and carrying it to a single location in the middle, little by little. The rest of the farm was quiet as the sun set. After Doc had left, the farm followed a peaceful vibe. It was a nice break from the constant ruckus made from the Star Child. Not that Firm Roots would know. Inside the house, Roots sat at his desk with an almost complete letter. He poured his heart into the letter and used every bit of knowledge and professionalism he had. Firm was sure if he mailed this letter out tomorrow, it would be in the Princess's hooves within the week. Firm Roots sat at his desk and looked upon the finished letter. Exhaustion poured over him. Straining one's mind was much different than physical labor. Roots sighed as he laid his head upon the desk. What was it that lead to all of this? How did it come to this point? ----- "Well, come on Tornada, I saw the meteor fly off dat-a-way!" called an earth pony stallion as he climbed up the steep hill. His coat was a dark brown with a fully grown farm patch for a cutie mark. While his mane and tail were a light brown and messy with a straw hat placed upon his head. He stuck out his tongue as he continued to climb the hill. "We'll never see what landed there if'n ya takes yer time like ya does." "Aww, come on paw," calls a small black pegasi colt from below. His mane was bright yellow, but his tail was a muddy combination of his own hair color and his father’s. The two had been enjoying the night sky even with the stars and moon had been covered in a thick gathering of clouds. A cloudy night usually meant the third of their party was off making sure the storm didn't get worse than it was. They found this to be a marvelous reason to keep awake in the wee hours. "You're always keep'n me in the dust when you get all excited like ya is!" Tornado leapt forward, and began to vibrate his wings. The effect didn't allow him to fly, but he was able to hover up to his father. "Quit yer belly achin' colt! We've got ourselves a treasure to be collectin'. Whatever came a-flamin' down o'er thur has t'be worth a fortune!" "That's just it paw, how're we gonna get it if'n we ain't got nothin' to carry it with?" "Colt, why you think I got this bag with me?" Tornado looked to his father's side. Nothing was there but the fur on his coat. The pegasi squinted and noticed a part to his hide was swaying. The pegasi reared his head back as he made the connection. "Paw, it's as dark as a dragon’s smoke cloud out here. It ain't helpin' none that that there bag just looks like your own fur! You really need to get a new bag." Firm Roots just looked down Tornado and scoffed. Roots probably would be there by now if he had just put the colt to bed and came out here on his own. Though, he also thought it was a lot closer than this. Tornado was at least good for passing the time through his little conversations. "How much farther we gots until we're there paw?" "Now don't cha start that again! I done told ya that I'd go get your maw if'n you kept that up any longer." The pegasi just looked at his father odd. "Paw, how you think you're gonna get her if you can't fly like her?" Firm Roots gave his colt an odd look. "Now Tornada, don' make me have y'all turn back an-" he started. Just then, the two of them got to the top of the hill and found themselves overlooking a crater. Tornado had yet to notice the wreckage and laughed at his father. "What's that paw? I can't hear ya over the sound of your- what in the name of Celestia be that?" The earth pony just shook his head. "I've got not a clue there son. Maybe we should get a better look." Firm Roots turned to find his son not even there. When the earth pony looked around for the child he couldn't find a sign of him. Finally the stallion caught Tornado hovering over to the cause of the crater. "Now careful colt! You've got no idea what that thing might be." The warning fell on deaf ears as Tornado approached the center of the crater. In the pit sat a near perfect sphere. The object was much larger than three ponies combined, and had seals going all around it. Where the largest seals were was a protruding orb made of glass. Tornado peared into the glass but found he couldn't see through it. "Paw, I'm not thinking this be a rock!" Just as Tornado finished his statement, the main seals to the pod fumed with the pent up gases held in the craft. Tornado took note of the fumes, and did his best to fly back to his father. As he took wing, the seals of the craft extended out and opened to allow the inside of the craft fresh air. The earth pony kept approaching the opening craft as Tornado hid inside his father's bag. Tornado peaked out of the bag once his father came to a halt. Inside was a padded hull of a craft with a small creature inside. The being was a tiny hairless ape with a short mane and a monkey's tail. This creature laid peacefully inside the ship, and slept soundly as the two ogled at it. "What in th' name o' the great Creators is that?" cried out the stallion. "I dun know paw, but I think it eats meat! I read somethin' about wild amnimals from far away once. I'm thinkin' that be like an ape or a monkey." "Colt, what has I told y'all about them darn books? Ain't no use in ya learnin' anythin' other than what cha needs ta know! Anythin' else'll just make y'all depressed like. Like your uncle Corn Popper. That poor pony been struck all like he be ill with the book depressions." Firm Roots took off his hat and placed it upon his dark brown chest while lowering his head as he spoke. "Oh come on now paw! What about maw? She's been readin' all them fancy books. Tartarus, she's the one who's been givin' me the books." Firm Roots looked back up and placed his hat back on his head. "Now don' be silly colt. Your maw be a special case. She be one of them smart ponies. Celestia knows not how a bucker like me got her hoof in marriage." Tornado stepped back in shock. "Paw, that be one of them bad words I can' be hearin'!" Firm Roots looked down at Tornado with a stern look. "Colt, you know I make a livin' in buckin'! The word is not bad when ya don' use it bad." With all the commotion going on, the baby began to stir. With the last comment from the stallion, the child started to cry. Both ponies backed off from the screams of the creature: Tornado out of fear, and Roots from annoyance. "Creatures be damned, that there be one loud lil beast." Firm Roots approached the child with a look of concern. As he got closer, Tornado slid out of his bag and backed away. The little colt shielded his ears from the shrieking child as his father raised himself to the inner workings of the pod. "Come now lil’n. There be no need to be a-hollerin’ like that." The stallion reached a hoof into the pod and pet the child's cheek with his wrist. Firm Roots’ fetlock began calming down the child. Soon enough the boy stopped screaming, and began cooing as he reached up and tugged on the fur. "There now. Y'all be likin' the fur, don' cha? No tellin' how nice that feels when you're all hairless." Just as Firm Roots stopped commenting away, the baby pulled his hoof as close as possible and chomped down on the fuzzy pony. The old stallion gasped in pain, and held his breath so to not disturb the child. Firm used the baby's own grip to lift it out of the pod, and gently placed it into the sack on his side. The baby’s grip slowly loosened as it became accustomed to the softness of the bag. Once the stallion found his opening, he ripped his hoof from the bag. "Lil thing nearly bit my hoof off." Tornado looked up at his father. Worry construed itself in his eyes, and his ears laid flat upon his head. "I dunno paw. I don' like the idea of takin' that thing." Firm replied by rolling his eyes and flicking his hoof. “Not to worry Tornada! Tomorrow night I’ll go get the good Doctor and he’ll help us figure out where to go from here.” ----- “Honey, I won’t tell ya again. Get down here and get ya some supper!” Firm Roots snorted himself back into the world of the conscious. He lazily pulled himself off the desk and looked up at the letter he wrote, but knew he couldn’t check it with his condition. Firm knew this was as good of an edit as he was going to get anyways. He shook off the dream as he slid to the floor. “Why did I ever have to make that decision back then?” he asked to no one in particular. As Firm Roots made his way to the stairs, he realized one last question buzzing in the back of his mind. “Why didn’t I give the child to the Doc when I first showed it to him? He would have loved to have raised it himself.” Knowing his lament over the past would not answer his questions, he made his way down to enjoy a meal with his family. Topic of the night: their futures and how bright they were looking.