Chapter 22
Armed with his essays, and what he hoped was unwavering courage, Sumac Apple returned to Twilight’s castle with two things on his mind. The first, confront Starlight Glimmer, give her the essays, and maybe come up with something witty to say, and the second, find Trixie so that he could walk home with her. It was getting about that time.
He strode up the stairs with as much confidence as he could muster, his hooves clattering over the glittering, crystalline surface. Boomer was awake, no doubt with a sugar rush, and he could feel her tail wrapped around his ear. She had snatched a flying bug of some sort on the walk over, which was awesome.
As Sumac approached the enormous double doors, one of them opened. Sumac peered into the darkened entrance, the shadows were long in the dim light. A lone figure stepped out. Sumac paused when he saw Starlight.
“Sumac Apple… truth be told, I was expecting you,” Starlight said to Sumac.
“I finished those essays… including the one about life not being fair.” Feeling brave, Sumac looked Starlight in the eye. He didn’t give her the stinkeye though, he wasn’t quite brave enough to do that.
“Pebble helped you.”
“Of course she did. She understands how unfair life is.” Sumac raised an eyebrow. He had spent a long time practicing this very thing in the mirror. Trixie’s mirror. It was Trixie who had taught him. Without meaning to, his lower lip protruded as he stared at Starlight.
The mare smiled, pulled the door shut behind her, and then sat down on the landing. She patted the spot beside her with her hoof, an inviting gesture for Sumac to come and sit beside her. “Come and sit with me, Sumac.”
Still glowering, Sumac did as he was told. He sat down beside Starlight and he felt her foreleg slide over his withers. She pulled him closer, which he resisted a bit, but then gave in. She was trying to be nice and he supposed that counted for something.
“Pebble must be a very special friend,” Starlight said in a soft voice to Sumac.
“Is this going to be a special somepony talk?” Sumac asked.
“No.”
“Good.”
There was a low chuckle from Starlight and she gave Sumac a warm squeeze. “There is a lesson to be learned in all of this. Would you like to know what it is?” Starlight looked down at the colt beside her.
Giving Starlight a sidelong and upwards glance, Sumac nodded.
“A pony can have all sorts of friends in their life,” Starlight began, “but it takes a very special sort of friend indeed to help another pony with an essay. Especially a boring essay. You are very lucky to have a friend like that.”
Saying nothing, Sumac considered Starlight’s words. His eyes dropped and he stared down his muzzle at his own front hooves. There was a great deal of truth in what Starlight had to say. Pebble didn’t have to help him, but she did. Thinking about it made him feel squirmy.
“Life isn’t fair, Sumac, but you know that already. Perhaps you know it more than most. There’s a lot of spoiled, coddled foals and their idea of what isn’t fair is ridiculous. Life isn’t fair at all. And this is why it is important to have friends… I sort of figured that when I gave you the essay assignments that you’d go to Pebble for help. Which is what I wanted you to do. While life might not be fair, we can have friends that can make things better. Special friends, who will stick with us through thick and thin, good or bad, and even when it comes time to write out some boring old essay.” Starlight gave Sumac another squeeze.
“Having Pebble as a friend confuses me,” Sumac admitted.
“How so?” Starlight asked.
“Well, she’s a filly for one thing,” Sumac replied.
“Sumac, as you grow older, you’ll find that your opinion on that will change.” Starlight chuckled again, causing her whole body to shake. “When I was little, my very bestest friend in the whole wide world was a colt. Sure, he had cooties, but I forgave him for that. We’re still very dear friends, even now.”
“It’s awkward and hard.”
“Why?”
“I dunno.” Sumac shrugged beneath Starlight’s foreleg. “It just is.”
“Do fillies confuse you?” Starlight asked.
“Yes.” Sumac nodded to show emphasis.
After taking a deep breath, Starlight blew a loud, long, lingering raspberry, her bright orange tongue flapping everywhere. Sumac, who tried to remain serious, let out a small, reluctant laugh. After her tongue was slurped back in, Starlight joined Sumac in his laughter.
Taking a deep breath, Starlight became serious. “One day, you’ll feel different. You’ll see Pebble in a new and special way. Or it might not be Pebble. It might be some other filly. But, if you and Pebble are close enough, you might have a very special sort of filly friend that you can talk to about other fillies. She might be able to help you, give you advice, tell you what to say, and what to do. Or it might not be a filly. You may find that somepony else catches your eye.”
“Like who?” Sumac asked.
“Maybe a colt,” Starlight replied.
“Hmm.”
“You’re not disgusted, that’s good. It shows you have an open mind.” Starlight turned her head and looked down at the colt beside her. “Hey, look at you, being all thoughtful.” She gave Sumac a little hug. “You do look a little confused though, but that’s okay. Tell you what…”
“What?” Sumac looked up.
“You get one free pass next time you’re in trouble with me. But just one. Okay?”
“Thanks.” Sumac smiled, a warm genuine smile.
Behind the two of them, the door opened, and hooves could be heard upon the landing. Sumac felt somepony sit down beside him, he turned, looked up, and saw Trixie. He heard more hooves and saw a flash of yellow. Lemon Hearts sat down on the other side of Trixie.
“Ready to go home, kiddo?” Trixie glanced up from Sumac and looked at Starlight. “Did you get your essays?”
“No, but I’m about to,” Starlight replied. “Sumac and I were just having a talk.”
“Eh, he looks pretty happy, must have been a nice talk.” Trixie looked down at Sumac again. “Hello, Boomer. You look wide awake.”
“She ate a mess of peanut butter.” Sumac looked upward at the hatchling clinging to his horn. “She had trouble chewing… it was funny to watch.”
“Is that so?” An amused grin spread over Trixie’s muzzle and then she let out a cry of surprise when Boomer lept from Sumac’s horn to her own. She looked upwards, almost cross eyed, trying to watch as Boomer began to make herself at home.
“We never did decide what position you fill in our little family, Boomer.” Trixie let out a giggle and her body shook with laughter as Boomer made herself at home. She looked down at Sumac after he poked her with his hoof.
“Pebble called her my familiar,” Sumac said to Trixie. “I didn’t understand it.”
“Oh dear… well, I suppose that might be somewhat true in the very loosest sense of the word, but Boomer is so much more.” Trixie took a deep breath. “Some unicorns bond with certain animals, cats, dogs, owls, things like that, and it is a special bond. It goes beyond being a pet. They share feelings, enhanced senses… the bond between them isn’t fully understood, it is some kind of primal magic, and one that needs study. I suppose that it could be viewed as a type of friendship magic.” Trixie’s eyes narrowed. “I wonder how much Twilight knows about it.”
“Twilight has a familiar,” Starlight said.
“Her owl.” Lemon Hearts leaned into the conversation. “And Princess Luna has a familiar named Tiberius. He’s an opossum. The familiar bond has done something to him, because he is far, far older than any opossum has a right to be and a whole lot smarter, too.”
“Now that I think about it, Owlowiscious hasn’t aged a day since I’ve known him,” Starlight said as her face scrunched up into one of serious consideration. “Can a dragon be a familiar? I… well…” She fell silent and shook her head.
“Familiar carries with it a weighted meaning.” Lemon Hearts looked at Boomer. “It might be possible for a unicorn to develop a familial bond with a dragon, but I think a dragon would be so much more than just a garden variety familiar.”
“Boomer certainly knew when trouble was starting… she split when Twilight gave Sumac more zap apple jam.” Trixie’s expression mirrored Starlight’s. “So what happens if a unicorn develops a familial bond with a dragon? Why hasn’t Twilight developed one with Spike? Or has she, and nopony has noticed?”
“Does anypony else think that Tiberius is super creepy? He brought me a scroll from Princess Luna one night. I still don’t know how he got down to Ponyville from Canterlot. And his eyes… his eyes were all weird and white and kinda glowed.” Starlight shivered and shook her head hard enough to make her ears flap.
“That’s kinda creepy,” Lemon Hearts agreed, her ears drooping. “But Princess Luna is kinda creepy to begin with. Why should her familiar be any different? I mean, she’s nice and all, but something about her scares me.” She cleared her throat, gave herself a shake, and then she turned to Sumac. “Give Starlight her essays. I want to get home and cook dinner. I’m starving and I want waffles.”
“Waffles?” Trixie turned to look at Lemon Hearts.
“I’m a responsible adult, I can eat whatever I’d like. And that includes waffles. With lots of whip cream and fruit. Fruit is good for you. It’s healthy. And we should eat more of it. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Nodding, her ears bobbing as she laughed, Trixie turned to look at Starlight. “We really must be going…”
Not far from Lemon Hearts’ house, Trixie came to a halt when she spotted Cinnamon Fire, one of Sumac’s classmates. She turned to look at Lemon Hearts, her eyebrow raised, and then turned her head so she could look at the colt again. He was sitting on the steps of a house, looking forlorn.
Remembering all of the times that she had been helped, Trixie was moved to compassion. She made her way up the cobblestone path to the steps where the colt was sitting, a warm smile upon her muzzle.
“Hiya… I know you,” Trixie said in a low voice.
Standing beside Lemon Hearts, Sumac watched, wondering what was up. He glanced up at the mare beside him, his worry causing the corners of his mouth to droop a bit, and then looked over where Trixie was standing.
“Is something wrong?” Trixie asked.
The colt did not answer, but sat there, shifting from side to side, looking apprehensive about saying anything. He looked up at Trixie with wide, fearful eyes. Trixie took another step closer, and then, her knees popping, she sat down in the soft grass.
“He forgot to leave the key,” Cinnamon said to Trixie. “He gets busy sometimes, I’m sure he didn’t mean it.”
“He?” Trixie asked. “Your father, I’m guessing?”
“Yeah… he’ll only be gone for tonight… he has business that he has to look after. He’s very busy.” Cinnamon gave Trixie a fearful, worried smile. “Please don’t tell him that I told you. He’ll be angry. He’s always angry. I think his business makes him angry.”
Scowling, Trixie turned her head to look at Lemon Hearts, then turned back around to look at Cinnamon. She sat there with a very sour look upon her face, her ears drooping, and her tail swished around in the grass behind her.
“So you are just going to sit out on the steps and wait?” Trixie leaned forwards and her ears perked, then angled over her eyes. “What about dinner? A place to sleep?”
“Well… I…” Cinnamon blinked a few times, then shrugged. He had nothing more to say and sat there in silence, his eyes wide while they glimmered with emotion. His ears drooped and then his face fell as he stared down at his own front hooves.
“Do you like waffles?” Trixie asked.
Cinnamon looked up from his hooves. “Oh, I couldn’t… I’m not supposed to go off with strangers.”
“Well, you can’t stay here,” Trixie replied.
Nervous, Cinnamon began to stammer, “But I… but if he… if he finds out that I—”
“There is no way Trixie is leaving you on the steps overnight and that is all there is to it.” Standing up, Trixie kicked out her right hind leg to stretch her knee, then her left. Her tail swished around her legs as she let out a whinny of annoyance. “Trixie has been on her hooves all day and is tired. She wants to go home so she can be comfortable. You are delaying her.”
“I’m sorry—”
“Don’t be sorry, come home with me and have waffles.”
“Okay.”
“We’ll find a spot for you to sleep,” Lemon Hearts called out. “It’ll be great… like a sleepover… I’ll get a fire going in the back garden and we’ll make s’mores.”
“There is the wagon,” Sumac suggested in a low whisper to the mare beside him.
“And also the couch,” Lemon Hearts replied as she gave Sumac a nudge.
“I didn’t think of that.” Sumac blinked and gave the yellow mare beside him a sheepish grin, which faded after a few seconds. “What if his dad gets angry?”
“We’ll deal with that if it happens.” Lemon Hearts watched as Trixie coaxed Cinnamon off of the steps. “Sumac, try not to worry about it. Poor little guy, he looks scared. Let’s just focus on making sure he has a nice night and he’s comfortable, okay?”
“Okay.” Sumac nodded, then turned and watched as Cinnamon followed after Trixie. As he watched, he couldn’t help but wonder if there was some kind of friendship lesson to be learned in all of this, and if so, what would both Twilight and Starlight have to say about it?
Dangit, now I want waffles with whipped cream and fruit... 
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This is what happens when you talk about food in your fics. How have you not learned this .
Now I wish I had a Waffle Iron To make waffles so I can put whipped cream and fruit on them... meh. I will settle for some Blueberry pancakes and buy some vanilla ice cream to put on them then add chocolate syrup
7244365
Hey... that sounds good!
Sumac and Pebble STILL need to confront Pinkie, Tarnish, & Maud about their use of essay-writing to give Pebble busy-work when they don't want to deal with her admitting to being bored. They need to acknowledge that she has the right to admit to being bored, and then actually put forth a modicum of effort to address her boredom, rather than just demand a 5,000 word essay to get her out of their manes.
7244370
But how else will she learn about geology, geography, medicine, botany, and all the other stuff that Pebble knows?
She became a little know-it-all because of what they did. It worked. Now, she has a wide variety of interests to keep her mind keen and her time occupied. She has a broad range of interests. They did her a favour.
only twilight would create a school for making friends. omg... she does know that it pretty much happens on its own?
7244400
There is actually a lot more to it than just that.
7244406
casadelindquist.com/uploads/images/food.casadelindquist.com/Belgian%20Waffles/Homemade_Belgian_Waffles_Betty_Crocker_Style05_large.jpg
7244368
Normally do it with strawberry pancakes but don't have the money for strawberries to dice up and the ice cream and I already have Blueberry Pancake Mix.
Ugh, my family went to Mangnolia pancake house and they ordered 5 waffles to heat for future breakfast. No mors waffles please! They are great at the restaurant, but after the toaster i hate them!
Hrm... just got an urge to do a crepe with asparagus and a burre blanc tomorrow....
i feel sorry for Cinnamon being a latchkey kid without a key. As to Trixie or Lemonheart being in trouble over the situation. I find it highly unlikely more likely if her father complains he will be the one in trouble.
7244400 I agree there is much more going on than that. Alot of the foals we've seen are unique and for one reason or another would be unlikely to make friends in a 'normal' school much like sumac and Pebble..
7244370 Pebble has several issues the essays probably helped her deal with, while keeping her engaged with the world around her. She is probably a genius raised with almost no other foals she can relate to around her. If her intelligence wasn't bad enough like her mother Peeble is very strong and knows it. This leads to the issue that she could seriously hurt someone and knows it and none of this coats the fact like Maude she has sensitive skin so playing outside scares her
By familial you mean "like a familiar" not "like family" right?
... Since familiars are typically master-servant relationships, with the relationship being one of a master raising the abilities of an inferior beast to match them by loaning them part of their superior magic and intelligence so that they can be competent servants... Well, I don't like the implications.
I suppose it might be "special" in this case and not be a subordinate relationship but...
It gives me the unease. The unease!
7244377
7244699
Oh, no doubt that the essays are effective in helping to educate Pebble, but her relatives are nonetheless guilty of not taking her feelings into account. Their strategy may yield results, but Pebble still feels belittled and punished, which I sincerely hope was NOT the goal her family had in mind. They're inadvertently training Pebble to bottle her emotions up, because when she doesn't, she gets punished for following her family's instructions. She still needs to voice this sentiment, and her family still needs to recognize the validity of her feelings and work to change how they address Pebble's feelings.
Everyone up there is going on about waffles, and essays, and familiar stuff.
I'm just down here wondering how serious a lesson we are gonna get with Cinnamon and his dad.... Cause that stammering, and the comment he made about dad always being angry has me worried this is going to be a very serious lesson indeed....
Why is this story not popular, it deserves to be popular
7244902
Or, you know, rather than whining about being bored, she could actually do something productive, rather than just sit there and continue to do nothing.
Just saying, see it from outside of her perspective and through the eyes of another. Think about the Pie family at large as seen in The Weed and Venenum Iocus. They aren't ones for lazing about and doing nothing. Complain about having nothing to do and you'll be put to work. It's just how they are. For good or for ill. That earth pony work ethic is what drives Maud to be the sort of pony she is, and Tarnished Teapot as well, who has embraced it. Constant improvement.
7245242
I think I get where you're coming from, but my mind keeps trying to hear "nah, Pebble's opinions on and reactions to her own feelings are invalid, give her a pat on the head and another essay to write." Again, I know that's not what you're intending to say, but my sympathies are with the child who feels like she's being condescended to, not the family who asks what their non-expressive little filly is feeling and then promptly treats her answer as invalid. Just because the rest of her family share one viewpoint and she holds another, doesn't mean that Pebble's perspective is irrelevant or wrong. Maybe it's just a sticking point with me, but I really do want to see her confront her family over what she sees as their hypocrisy regarding her feelings.
Regardless, loving the Weed-verse & all its component stories quite a bit
7245259
I'm not taking taking sides or saying who is right or wrong, I am just presenting both sides. Tarnish and Maud are less than perfect parents. It's true. They're still learning and make mistakes. They're different parents. Pebble was the first and you never quite get it right on the first try. Both of them are hard working professionals that have a lot expected from them.
For many of their excursions, they brought Pebble with them. To amazing archeology digs, to fantastic geologic sites, to places with amazing flora and fauna. You know, the sort of places where Tarnish and Maud do their job. Their work. And for Pebble to say that she's bored in one of these places... well, you get the idea. Her parents took it as an affront.
Pebble has a complex relationship with her parents, and it is about to become even more so.
7244368
Poor Cinnamon... Hopefully things aren't as bad as I'm thinking...
Why do I get the feeling that Sumac is going to use Starlight's free pass before the week is out?
Yes, dragons would definitely go above and beyond the usual familiars. One might go so far as to call them Improved Familiars. Of course, Sumac probably isn't anywhere near seventh level.
As for Cinnamon Fire... this could go pleasantly or very nastily. The fact that Cinnamon goes to Twilight's school suggests that he has some degree of parental care, but this degree of neglect and fear is quite worrisome. Still, probably best to withhold judgement until I get more information.
7244368
Just got done making it for everyone at home and eating it. It was glorious!
MMM waffles. n.n eh damn now i want waffles..
7244926 mhmm lesson here is some business men put their work before family and are often abusive to children being they thing their in the way, and or expect them to be proper around clients..
7246060 one never knows, but is a shy but good little colt.
orig14.deviantart.net/f2de/f/2016/147/2/d/young_cinamon_fire_by_heathfiedler-da41nz1.png
Damn it now I want waffles too.
Yep. It's enough to make up for some of the inherent unfairness of life.
In fairness, I understand that fillies frequently find colts confusing, too.
IMO the question of familiar or not probably comes down to whether Boomer is sapient or not. Spike's not Twilight's familiar, after all, but Owlowiscious is in spite of coming along much later.
But then again, maybe Twilight has multiple familiars. Alicorns are wierd, after all.
Alicorn weirdness case in point.
Ah hell. Well, he probably won't be upset about one of his son's teachers taking him home for the night, though sometimes parents in this sort of situation let the embarrassment fuel anger at the other adults involved.
I suppose the familiar thing would have more effects on the pony than the dragon. Maybe the pony would live longer.