Luna's Lacunae

by kudzuhaiku

Chapter 35

The toy store, while rather small, was packed with toys. Beside Maeve, Fuschia let out an excited squeal that was almost ear piercing. Maeve, still young enough to see the appeal of a good toy, was almost as entranced by the displays as Fuschia. Blinking, Maeve took a moment to take in all of the wonder around her.

Model trains moved on tiny tracks, some of them electric, others were steam powered. Miniature engines huffed and chugged along tiny scale mountainsides and over bridges that spanned rivers that were filled with actual water. Some of the train displays had real weather. Clouds dumped rain and snow down upon the cities, mountains, and valleys below. Magic was a wondrous thing, and Maeve, even though she was a girl, found herself wanting a fancy train set. Maeve didn’t think it should matter, girls could play with trains and boys could play with dolls, it shouldn’t be an issue. As Maeve stood watching, a tiny thundercloud flashed with lightning and let out a crack of thunder.

Little castles sat upon miniature mountain tops ringed with real fog and actual snow. Dollhouses held the most amazing level of detail. Maeve was almost certain that the furniture had been made at full size and then shrunk down with magic. Each chair, each table, each desk, each lamp, each bed, every piece was more marvellous than the last. It was a feast for the eyes and Maeve found that she could not look away.

“Up! Up! Can’t see!” Fuschia cried as she ran in a circle around Maeve’s legs.

Bending down, Maeve scooped up Fuschia and cradled the little earth pony filly in her arms, lifting Fuschia up so the foal could see. Together, the pair looked into the dollhouses, the castles, and at the trainsets with wide, entranced eyes while Blueblood stood close, keeping an eye on the other ponies in the store.

Fuschia’s excitement crested and the foal let out a squeaky, adorable yawn as she rested her head against Maeve’s chest. She still looked at the displays, but did so from the comfort of Maeve’s embrace.

Tearing herself away from the displays, Maeve gave Fuschia a little hug and said, “Let’s find you a doll, sleepyhead.” She moved through the store, heading to the stuffed pony displays.

“Not sleepy,” Fuschia replied. “Nope.”

“So what kind of pony would you like, little Miss Not Sleepy,” Maeve asked, which caused Fuschia to let out a shrill whine of protest. Maeve smiled and gave the filly another squeeze. Fuschia’s pelt was smooth, touchable velvet beneath the fingers on her right hand and she stroked Fuschia’s neck.

“That one,” Fuschia said, pointing at a vibrant blue earth pony with a bright orange mane and tail. “That one is pretty.”

“Are you sure, there are lots of other dolls to see…”

“No, I like that one.” Fuschia waved her hoof at the earth pony and then yawned once more. The filly covered her mouth and then sank into Maeve’s embrace. “She has a mane just like yours.”

Bright orange and frizzy, Maeve thought to herself. With her arms full of filly, she wasn’t sure how she was going to get the stuffy off of the shelf. She shifted from one foot to another, and then saw a golden glow around the stuffy. Turning, she saw Blueblood give her a dutiful nod.

The toy, surrounded by a golden glow, was placed into the waiting embrace of Fuschia, who gave the doll a squeeze. Maeve redoubled her grip on Fuschia, the filly was as heavy as a sack of potatoes. The filly let out another yawn, squeezed her toy, and looked upwards at Maeve with a sleepy smile.

It was time to check out, pay for the doll, and head home. The cinnamon rolls would have to wait until another day, as Maeve did not believe that Fuschia would be awake long enough to enjoy them. Perhaps Red could come along and join them.

---

The filly had grown heavy in Maeve’s arms and it was difficult to keep a hold on her. Fuschia was asleep, her chin resting upon Maeve’s shoulder, and she drooled as she slumbered. Her arms ached and Maeve felt a painful twinge in her spine, but she was determined to carry Fuschia home.

Maeve was at an age where she was still young enough to have an interest in toys, but was also old enough to have a strong maternal feeling of responsibility for anything left in her care. As she walked, she could feel Fuschia breathing against her neck and she realised that this little pony was very dear to her.

Red Russet was also very dear to her. Maeve felt a closeness for the equines in her life, it was a joy to know them. Red had been with her almost since she had arrived here. He was her near constant companion, her friend.

During her moment of introspection, Maeve realised that she was alone, save for Bjarke. She wasn’t human, as she had been raised to believe, and it had become clear that she didn’t belong with humans. Her left arm, now made of living wood, was proof of that, as well as her long, pointed ears. Of course, there was also her magic to take into consideration. How could she live around other humans with magic? Somehow, her mother had rid herself of her magic, and the thought of doing so made Maeve feel rather sad. To have such a wondrous, miraculous thing, and then to cast it aside.

Shaking her head as she walked, Maeve came to an understanding that she belonged here, if she belonged anywhere. Here, there was magic. Here, the world was fantastical and even the toys were almost beyond belief. Here, imagination came to life.

Walking beside her, Blueblood was silent, and Maeve wondered what he was thinking. He was somehow different since their meeting with Miss Lullabye. Maeve, unable to put her finger on what it was, could only think of the silence as evidence that something was different.

Or maybe, like Fuschia, Blueblood was just tired.

---

Nervous, anxious, Maeve wiped her sweaty right hand upon her skirts, further messing up the now very wrinkled garment. She was tired, her feet hurt from walking, and her back ached. The thin slipper like shoes she wore were fine for around the palace, but were terrible for traversing the many streets and walkways of Canterlot.

As she walked, she thought about other pairs of footwear, like a pair of boots she had to wear that were far too big and newspaper had been stuffed into the toes. Or clothing made from scraps. Used dresses and skirts. Now, at least, she had nice clothing. For a brief second, Maeve wondered if she was rich or poor. She never really saw any money, or bits as they called them. Things she needed were just provided for.

She wiped her sweaty hand on her skirt yet again, leaving behind a faint mark upon the fabric. Fuschia was tucked away in her bed, sound asleep, and she had been tucked in with her new stuffy. Much to Maeve’s surprise, Blueblood had performed a bit of last minute detail work, making certain that Fuschia was covered, comfortable, and her pillow had been properly fluffed. Watching him fuss over Fuschia made Maeve feel funny, and she didn’t know why, but the scene touched her, of that there could be no doubt. Maeve thought of her father, before the change had come over him. Then she thought of the change. Blueblood had been so kind and gentle, just as her father had once been. She felt a rising lump in her throat and the icy claws of panic grazed her spine.

“Sorceress Maeve?” Beside her, Blueblood came to a halt, his face, what little bit of it that was visible beneath his helmet was lined with concern. Maeve lifted her hand, gave herself a shake, and took a deep breath.

“I’m fine… I just had an unpleasant memory, that’s all.”

“I am sorry, Sorceress. Had I the power, I would protect you from those things that torment you.”

For whatever reason, Blueblood’s words made Maeve feel a little better. She looked at him, noticing a curl of golden mane that had found it’s way out of his helmet, and she found herself liking Blueblood, at least just a little bit.

“I think I need a bit of a break, a nice sit down, and some of my tea.” Maeve reached up and brushed her frizzy, curly orange hair away from her face. She took a deep breath, had a moment of thought, and realised that she had experienced a good day so far. She had liked getting out of the castle. Canterlot wasn’t so bad. The ponies had not panicked, freaked out, or even paid her much mind. She had encountered griffons, minotaurs, and even some diamond dogs. She was just one more oddity in a city full of oddities.

She wondered if Red would like to get out, but then thought of Red’s brittle bones. The walk would do him in. The many stairs would be a hazard for him. Reaching up with her hand, Maeve stroked her chin and then began walking, distracted as she was. Maybe a nice ride around the city in a wagon would be a good way to get Red out to see the city.

As Maeve stumbled down the hall, she did not realise that she was thinking about a date.

---

“Hello, Sorceress Maeve… did you have a nice adventure?”

The sudden sound of Princess Celestia’s voice startled Maeve, causing her to jerk, to jump in her chair, and her wooden hand flexed, crushing her teacup. Before the hot, steaming liquid could even fall into Maeve’s lap and scald her, Celestia’s magic surrounded the shattered cup and it’s contents.

As Maeve sat watching, the cup reassembled itself and the tea was sloshed back inside. It was a neat trick, as far as magic went. Maeve composed herself, taking a deep breath, and then set her cup down upon the table.

“I did not mean to startle you, my apologies. Might I join you?”

Lifting her right hand, Maeve gestured at the cushions around the low table that sat in the middle of a cool, shaded section of the garden. A vine covered canopy was overhead, white flowers bloomed, and bees buzzed all around. “I tried to get Blueblood to sit with me, but he refused. He’s standing over there and doing a statue impression.”

“Blueblood, really…” Celestia clucked her tongue, rolled her eyes, and sat down upon a cushion. She made herself comfortable, wishing that Blueblood would at least give her an indignant whinny, but no protest seemed forthcoming.

“I want Blueblood commended,” Maeve said to Celestia as the white alicorn poured some tea. “He was very attentive today, he was kind, helpful, and he protected me from strangers without being rude.”

“Oh, really?” Celestia lifted up a cookie off of a tray, looked at it, stared at a raisin protruding from its edge, and then took a dainty bite. As she chewed, she looked at Maeve, studying the strange little girl that had grown so much in the short time that Celestia had known her.

“Fuschia wore herself out and I had to carry her back. She fell asleep. She never woke up once the entire way home, not even when I tucked her into her bed. She was very well behaved.” Maeve lifted up her teacup, feeling reassured about her ability to hold on to it, and took a sip.

“I am glad that you had a pleasant time.” A faint, teasing smile crossed Celestia’s lips. “There is a little red colt that wishes to see you, when you get the time. He did very, very well on his lessons and he is quite proud of himself. He is currently with his mother in the orchid greenhouse, telling her of his accomplishments—”

Sighing, Celestia watched as Maeve scrambled away, her skirts swishing around her legs. She raised an eyebrow as she watched Blueblood move from the spot where he had been rooted, and took off after her.

Now all alone, Princess Celestia sipped her tea.

Author's Note:

Theme music for this chapter and this story in general.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

How do you pronounce lacunae?

[kudzuhaiku]

6807547

Google it?

[cogwheelbrain]

I love this story.

Here, have a gold star. findicons.com/files/icons/236/merry_christmas/128/golden_star.png

[richfiles]

Gah! There were no updates in November, and I somehow missed the December update in my feed...
DOUBLE CHAPTERS AFTER INTENSE WITHDRAWAL!!! YAY!

[ChibiChabot]

Delightful! Thanks kudzu.

[Captain Nibbles]

Aww...damn. I wanted a scene with her purchasing the stuffy from the counter. Toy shop owners seem to always be so nice and have wonderful and interesting things to say.

[Raul]

6807547 La-kune-ay
6807563 really?

And yes, nice chapter.