Chapter 5 - Essential Supplies - Redone
Chapter 5 - Essential Supplies - Redone
Sunbeam stretched out in the bed... and thought about getting up. The bed, the first real bed she’d slept in for ages, was exceedingly comfortable. Rolling over, she went back to sleep.
‘The Pony’s Leg’ was a decent enough inn, nothing outstanding under normal circumstances, but after too long on the road, or in a cage, being able to have a hot shower, some cold beers, a smuggled-in pizza and a soft bed, Sunbeam was in paradise.
* * *
Sunbeam glared at the sunlight coming in through the window that had woken her up. Flipping the pillow over onto her face, so that it covered her eyes, she pinned it there by stretching her forelegs over her head.
‘Breakfast will still be served for a while longer yet. Just five more minutes...’
An hour later, she got to the dining room. Just in time for the final sitting of breakfast.
Studying her options, she noticed the sign next to the apple bowl. It apologized that the apples weren't from ‘Sweet Apple Acres' as the clan reunion was currently under way. She could hear the grumbles from the other diners as she happily munched on one. ‘Picky bunch, these are quite nice. Pity about the coffee though.’ She pushed the coffee mug away with a hoof tip, hardly touched. ‘Somepony needs to learn to rinse the mug out properly after washing it. Soapy coffee… Eww! Now that’s just wrong!’
Returning to her room with another apple, she seated herself down at the small desk. Emptying out her saddlebags, she took stock of what she still had. All her bits had been deposited into the bank yesterday, before a wide-eyed young stallion teller.
Going through the maps and documents, ones that she felt were still useful were thrown onto the bed behind her, anything else was thrown into the bin. The bandolier of daggers was also thrown onto the bed with a mental note to: ‘oil them later’. Finally, the small pouch of herbs was placed on the desk. Opening it, she studied the top of it.
‘Going to need another dose soon, let's find out who much I have to chuck thanks to -Miss- Scarlet.’ An old map was floated out of the bin and laid on the desk. Making sure that there were no drafts, she carefully emptied out the pouch onto it.
“Oh Buck!”
Once past the top layer, almost all of the herb mixture was stained green.
“Buck, buck, buck.”
Trying hard not to rush, and with a shaking hoof, Sunbeam did her best to separate what was still good and what was ruined.
She stared at the distressingly small pile of unstained herbs. “Miss Scarlet, be bucking grateful you aren’t here right now. That’s almost a six month supply you’ve ruined.”
Sunbeam rubbed her face. “Deep calming breaths. In, two, three… Out, two three... Okay, ‘Night Owl's Slumber' isn’t that hard to make... and it’s only been three weeks since my last dose. I’ve still got a week-or-so before my dreams become vulnerable.”
‘A week until the Night Princess can find your dreams… Then, if you’re very lucky, she’ll only kill you in them. If you’re not... she’ll tell the Day Princess. And then the Day Princess will come looking for you.’
Sunbeam shivered. ‘Remember: don’t let the Day Princess take you alive! Whatever you do, don’t let the Day Princess take you alive! Any fate is better than that. Any!’ Sunbeam shook her head when she realized she had started mouthing the words.
“Ugh, focus you stupid bitc…”
Looking up at the ceiling, she took a deep breath in before letting out a slow exhale. “I chose to come here, I chose to be this close to the Day Princess.” Sunbeam snorted in amusement. “They wouldn’t think to look here, I mean, what snake, even an ex-snake, in their right mind would get this close to her. They would have to be crazy.” Sunbeam made circular motions next to her head.
“Seemed like a good idea at the time. Being this close to the… Ugh! Best if I try to not even think about the Day Princess. I know it’s a just a silly superstition! I know thinking about her won’t call her to me! In fact… Pink elephants, I’m gonna think about pink elephants now.”
Sunbeam stared at her hooves.
“One crisis at a time you stupid mare. Night Owl’s Slumber is my current problem. Most of the ingredients should be readily available from the local shops. Two could be problematic, though. Rhillion extract is a rare herb, whereas Mortanis Root is illegal. I certainly can’t go into a shop and just ask for it. Well, let’s see what I can get and then worry about the rest later. Maybe get an un-soapy coffee as well.”
Making a list of ingredients, listing Mortanis down as 'MT', she then levitated up the tourist pamphlet and started looking through it for apothecary shops... and coffee shops.
* * *
Sunbeam had found the apothecary's shop after asking around. She finished her coffee outside before going in.
Willow Bark, the owner, was a chestnut coloured slender mare that befitted her name. The range of stock she held was impressive, holding all the ingredients, bar the Mortanis Root, that Sunbeam needed. Even a little Rhillion extract was in stock. Sunbeam made sure to buy a few other herbs as well, so nopony could pin down exactly what she was making.
Sunbeam watched as Willow Bark tipped some shredded Salme into a pouch for her. “So, where do you get all these herbs? You’re certainly a lot better stocked than most apothecaries I've seen, and that includes most of the big towns.”
Willow Bark smiled. “Thank you. We get most of it from the Everfree Forest.” Her smile dropped. “But it's a dangerous place to get it from. So most ponies, including me, avoid it.”
“So how do you get it?”
“Zecora. A zebra that actually lives in the Everfree Forest. If you can believe it! Comes into town sometimes to trade herbs for equipment and other things.” She looked uncomfortable. “Of course, there was a time where…” Willow trailed off. “Well that's all water under the bridge now, she is more than welcome in my shop and, as you can see, she provides an excellent range of herbs. My shop is the envy of every other apothecary shop for miles around. I even get orders from Canterlot.”
“So, how do you get in contact with this Zecora? Like if you wanted to place a special order for the next week?”
Willow Bark frowned. “That would be difficult, she only comes in monthly and she was here only last week. Other than that, you could always walk into the Everfree to find her.” She laughed. “If you’re suicidal that is.”
Sunbeam forced a smile. “So if I wanted to leave a message for her, where would I leave it?”
Giving Sunbeam a puzzled look, Willow Bark shook her head. “Even walking up to the Everfree is dangerous.”
Grinding her teeth, Sunbeam tried again. “Yes, but let’s say you needed an ingredient for a rush job, where would you leave the note to make sure she sees it.”
Willow blinked at her. “If you must, the path starts a little way before Fluttershy's place. Big oak tree, looks like it's been split in two, marks the beginning of the path. Don't linger though, Timberwolves have been know to come out of the Everfree sometimes. She still probably won't see any note until next time she comes out though.”
Sunbeam relaxed and smiled at her. “I’ll risk it.”
‘Besides, as long as I’m careful, how bad could a forest be?’
* * *
Sitting there on the path, she looked at the forest.
“Okay, the pamphlet was quite understated in its description of the place. ‘Creepy as Tartarus’ would have been a better description. Ugh, let’s get going.”
Standing up, Sunbeam entered the Everfree.
* * *
The track became narrower and the twisted branches of the trees on either side overhung the path, interlocking over it, blocking out the light. The light that did make it through the canopy was filtered green and a smell of damp earth was prevalent. Further in, the light dwindled into a gloomy green as the air became damp and clammy. Trailing vines hung down from the branches, making the track feel narrower than it was.
Sunbeam stopped as she finally became aware of the mist forming, cutting down her visibility even further.
Sitting down, Sunbeam threw her forelegs into the air. “Oh gimme a break!” Glaring at the forest on both sides, she set off again.
Sunbeam’s back crawled as she got further into the forest. The feeling that she was being watched only got worse the deeper she went. She tried to shake the feeling that it was the forest itself watching her.
Three pairs of eyes, low to the ground, watched her as well.
Tense, and unable to relax, Sunbeam continually scanned the forest, frequently looking over her shoulder to check behind her. Her fur slowly became sodden in the humid air, only further souring her mood. A brief attempt to look for auras had quickly been abandoned when the entire forest became one huge blinding glow.
“Oh, this is definitely not one of my better plans. Let’s go into the creepy forest, let’s follow the path and find this Zecora... somewhere in the middle of it. Let’s also hope she actually has some Mortanis root and is also willing to sell it. All this for some damn herb mixture...”
‘A herb mixture that keeps the memories at bay, that keeps the Night Princess at bay and that keeps your dreams at bay, in that order of importance. A mixture that allows you to function in society without being a quivering mess on the floor. Oh, and keeping you out of the hooves of the Day Princess is also a nice bonus.’
Sunbeam viciously stamped on a branch laying across the track, snapping it. “Okay, I admit I need it. Doesn't mean I have to like being a slave to it.”
Her head fell. “Horesapples, I’m being introspective. Nothing good comes from that.”
‘That’s because you’re too scared to look inside, to find out exactly what’s looking back out at you.’
Sunbeam staggered, almost falling over. Letting out a faltering exhale, she ran a hoof through her forelock. “Damn it! Looks like I’m gonna need a dose sooner than I thought.”
* * *
Sunbeam followed the path for almost an hour more. The forest had gotten thicker and more overpowering; the track she was on rougher and narrower, to the point where two ponies would have had trouble walking side-by-side. More than once, a trailing vine, or a branch sticking out from the edge of the track, brushed against her back, resulting in a stifled yelp as she spun round, horn glowing and heart pounding.
Jumping at every little noise, seeing shadows moving in the shadows, Sunbeam fought the urge to run blindly. With her horn constantly charged now, her eyes and her ears moved constantly, searching for the smallest sign or sound of movement.
So focused was she on the edges of the track, Sunbeam didn’t notice it until she was upon it.
The path split into two.
Sunbeam let out a scream of frustration before sitting down.
‘Left or right? I so don’t want to spend any more time that I have to in this bucking place…’
Sunbeam stared at the split, indecision gripping her.
‘Com’on. Choose…’
She didn’t move.
Sunbeam threw back her head and laughed before pointing a hoof at the forest.
“Okay I admit it, you’ve got me scared. Well done!” She giggled. “But you can’t drive me crazy!” She jabbed the hoof at the forest. “You’re too late! Someponies already beaten you to that prize!”
She stared at her hoof, pointing at a tree, for a while. Bringing the hoof back in, she rubbed her eyes with it, trying to regain her composure.
‘Get a grip you stupid mare. The forest is messing with your head. Just choose a path… any path!’
She looked down at the two paths and pointed a hoof.
“Eeny, meany, miny…”
The stared down, at all the fresh hoofprints on the right fork, with virtually none on the left.
Sunbeam facehoofed.
* * *
Sunbeam came to the hut quite soon after taking the right fork. A small wooden shack, with a chimney on one side. The clearing in front of the hut was mostly devoted a small herb garden, with a chopping block and a pile of covered wood next to the hut.
Walking up to the door, feeling considerably more relaxed now, Sunbeam knocked. She stood there for a minute before she realized she wasn’t getting a reply.
“Of course, she'd be out during the day, collecting herbs and such like. And I’ve no idea how long she’s going to be. Buck! How long do I wait? I do not want to be heading back in the dark. This place is off-the-charts creepy in the daylight.”
Sunbeam lay down next to the hut. “I’ll wait here for a bit. No way am I going into a zebra’s hut without permission.”
Sunbeam was actually dozing off by the time a voice came from behind her.
"Somepony I've not met before has found herself outside my door."
Sunbeam jumped and scrambled to her hooves. ‘Where the buck did she come from?’ Pulling herself together she turned to face the zebra and smiled.
“Can I assume that you are Zecora?”
The zebra smiled and nodded. "By that name, I indeed am known. But why do you, yourself alone, dare venture through the Everfree for naught but to parley with me?"
Sunbeam pointed a hoof at Zecora. “A better question is: ‘why do you live here?’ I can understand not wanting visitors, but damn. This place is creepy!”
"Of course, to virgin eyes, this place would seem a fright and a disgrace. But I have not a cause for fear, these woods are more than they appear. The trees accept me in their grace, and calm for me is always near."
Sunbeam looked around the clearing, at all the trees surrounding it. The feeling of being watched returned.
Sunbeam rolled her shoulders as she looked back at Zecora. “I need some Mortanis Root.”
Zecora didn’t even flinch. "This request, most all would view as dangerous, illegal too. For what concern would you be pressed for me to fulfill this request?"
“You’re an alchemist, Mortanis Root has lots of properties. And living alone like this, no pony is going to...” Sunbeam cut herself off and took a deep breath in. “Look, I need it to make some Night Owl’s Slumber.”
Zecora blinked at her. "I have heard tales about this brew, a potent dream suppressant stew. So powerful, it's said to be that even others cannot see the dreams of those who take a drink. Even a princess, I would think. But brewing it takes quite some luck, for if you err..."
Sunbeam looked up. “I know what I'm doing, I’ve made it enough times. I can tell you how I make it if you’re worried about that.”
As Sunbeam listed off the ingredients, the ratios and how she’d mix it, Zecora stood there, nodding occasionally.
Zecora looked impressed. "I see no flaws in what you know, you've surely learned the way to go. But why the shredded leaf of Salme? It does not improve on this balm."
Sunbeam adopted a poker face. “It stops it tasting like you've already thrown up in your mouth when you take it.”
Zecora looked blankly at her for a minute before laughing, a deep melodic sound. “Somepony desperate enough to come into the Everfree, just to ask for an ingredient, is desperate indeed... Desperate not to have dreams.” Zecora added darkly. Sunbeam looked down as Zecora studied her. "How long have you taken this for?"
Sunbeam rubbed her chin. “Erm, about eight-nine years now.”
Zecora showed no expression. Sunbeam could hear the sounds of the Forest around her.
“Err, can you help me then?”
Zecora studied Sunbeam for a long while, before apparently reaching a decision with a nod of her head. “I will help you.”
Sunbeam sagged with relief. ‘Now to figure out what she wants for it and organize getting it delivered to Willow Bark, suitably disguised, on a regular basis.’
* * *
Turned out that Zecora wasn't too interested in bits, but upon telling her about her frost talent in magic, Zecora almost bounced with glee.
Leading Sunbeam into the hut, Zecora gave her a pouch with the root in it from one of the shelves that lined the hut. Looking around, Sunbeam could see a small bed, a cauldron, and a little circular table. She cringed back at the sight of the wooden masks on the wall. Most ponies would assume that they served as nothing but decoration, but she’d met a zebra before and knew better. She kept a careful eye on them all the while she was in the hut.
Zecora picked up an empty bucket and went out the hut, indicating that Sunbeam should stay. A few minutes later she returned with a pail of water.
"The skills you claim shall just suffice. Please turn this water into ice."
Giving Zecora a puzzled look, Sunbeam charged up her horn and dipped the top of it into the water. Sunbeam made sure to pull away just before the water froze solid. She'd made the mistake of having her horn in water before when it turned to ice. Never again!
Zecora smiled. "This serves to keep the heat at bay during the vexing heat of the day and help me sleep at other times. As for your payment..."
* * *
Sunbeam trotted along the path feeling smug. ‘Well, that went better than I thought. I can make up some Night Owl’s Slumber tonight and secured a source of Mortanis Root. All I’ve got to do is visit Zecora a few times a month to assist in some preservation of herbs. Sweet!”
Her trot slowed down as she looked around. ‘Huh, the forest seems a lot less oppressive now. Go figure. Even the feelings of being watched have stopped.’ Slowing to a halt, she looked back along the track and raised an eyebrow. ‘And what did you mean ‘The forest has accepted me’ Zecora? Are you trying to freak me out or what?’
Sunbeam looked up at the sky through the trees. ‘Still only early afternoon. So if I get a move on, might be able to visit the Mayor's Office today and sort out a house for…’
A filly's scream up ahead stopped her dead in her tracks. Sunbeam’s shoulders slumped before her head fell. Lifting her left foreleg out to the left, she swung it back, half-heartedly aiming at a small stone on the path. Skimming the top of it, it only rolled an inch to the right.
Sighing, she looked up and started galloping in the direction of the scream.
“What a great idea, let's run towards the bucking screaming!”
* * *
Crouched down in the undergrowth, Sunbeam could see five timberwolves and three fillies. The three fillies had somehow managed to climb a tree in a small clearing. The timberwolves were seated below the tree, all looking up at them.
‘The sound suppression spell should stop them from hearing me. And I hope that they’re too close to the fillies scent to be able to smell me. I mean, I did shower yesterday. Five should be okay, with the element of surprise. I hope.’
From her hiding spot in the edge of the clearing, Sunbeam took note of where the timberwolves were in relation to her. Two were standing close to her, side-by-side; two were sitting down, looking up at the fillies; and the fifth was circling under the tree.
She silently cursed the fillies, timberwolves, Miss Scarlet, and a quite a few other things out of general principle as she backed up.
* * *
Scootaloo hung desperately onto the branch, unsure of how she'd actually managed to climb the tree in the first place. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom had also seemed to have gained the ability as well.
‘Maybe a cutie mark...? Not now Scoots! Oh, where were you Rainbow? Perhaps we shouldn’t have followed that unicorn into the Everfree. She did have a white back and looked all suspicious...’ Scootaloo slipped a fraction on the branch, causing her to tighten her grip.
Applebloom looked over at her from her own branch. “Darn it Scootaloo. I told you we shouldn’t have gone into the forest!”
“If we hadn’t lost that unicorn this wouldn’t have happened!” Scootaloo shot back. “It was your idea to head back anyway.”
Applebloom glared at her. “How was I supposed to know we were going to meet a pack of Timberwolves taking a nap in the middle of the track? Besides, you...” Applebloom yelped as the Timberwolf pacing under the tree, suddenly jumped up at her, trying to grab hold of her tail that was hanging down.
Sweetie Belle, seated on a branch and clinging onto the trunk of the tree, threw her tail over a nearby branch, the other quickly following her example. “Please don’t argue girls! I’m sure they can’t get us up here. All we need to do is wait for our sisters to come looking for us and…”
All three winced.
Applebloom spoke the thought on all their minds, suddenly unmindful of the timberwolves below. “We’re gonna get our hides tanned for this, ain’t we?”
Scootaloo nodded as she counted the timberwolves around the tree again. ‘Two sat down, one circling, two stood over by the edge of the trees… and one more a little way off. Six, six in total. Rainbow is gonna be so mad...’
The unicorn they’d been following charged out the undergrowth, slamming into the timberwolf nearest her, throwing it into the timberwolf next to it. As both timberwolves were sent tumbling, the unicorn skidded to a halt in a sitting position, her forelegs spread wide.
Scootaloo watched open mouthed as the unicorn, her head already lowered, aimed her horn at one of the timberwolves seated under the tree, just starting to look around at her. A beam of white light caught it in its midsection, causing it to explode in a shower of branches. Swinging her head around to the right, she fired off two more beams of light, one at the other timberwolf seated under the tree and one at the timberwolf pacing under it. The second beam missed it’s target, going past its head by inches, the third beam caught the wolf on the hind quarters, causing it’s rear-half to explode. The unicorn quickly turned her head back to the second wolf and fired again as it stood up to face her, this beam caught it full in the face.
As the headless wolf collapsed, she charged forward, rearing up over the two timberwolves laying on the ground, struggling to untangle themselves. Bringing both her forehooves down onto the head of one of them, Scootaloo could hear the crunch as it’s head disintegrated into broken sticks. The unicorn aimed her head at the other timberwolf as it got up. At point blank range, she fired a beam off at the fifth wolf.
Scootaloo went to scream out a warning as the unicorn started to trot towards the tree with a smug look.
The sixth wolf jumped onto the back of the unicorn, causing her to stagger with the weight of the impact. Biting down on her shoulder, just behind the neck, it sank its teeth into her.
Rearing up on her hind legs, Sunbeam screamed out in pain.
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hooves, not hoofs
kinda seeing a problem with the zecora scenes with you rhyming a word with the same word.
Zecora really is a hard one to write for, ain't she
Stupid CMC... Getting other ponys hurt... AGAIN
Plural of wolf is wolves, not wolfs. But in that line just "wolf" is fine. "second and third wolf."
NO!
She'll fit-in well then.
Well, despite getting injured, Icef... I mean Sunbeam just did one of the best things she could to survive a meeting with the dreaded Day Princess.
Nice story so far, great work.