Chapter 30
It was with a great deal of trepidation that Flicker approached the farmhouse, scared in a way that he wasn’t usually scared. He had a nagging suspicion that Pinkie Pie was still about, and that one fact alone was plenty unnerving. His mother had said a few things to him that he was still trying to piece together, and he didn’t want to see his mother at the moment, not exactly, but his companions had goaded him into coming back home.
A quick look around confirmed that his father was wonderful, which was to say that he was outstanding in his own field. The joke was Flicker’s mother’s and he thought about the fact that she had such a warm sense of humour. What did he have? Not much. He could see his father’s faint outline near the riverbank, quite a ways down. Just behind him, there was a teeny, tiny little silhouette, and Flicker knew that it was Knick-Knack.
A part of him became angry, just angry enough that the corner of his eye twitched a few times. He didn’t want her to work the fields all day, pulling heavy farm equipment. No, he wanted, no, needed her to go to school, get a good education, and go to college. Neither his mother or his father had ever finished school, both of them had only gone to primary school, and his father had dropped out a year before finishing primary school to get a job.
“Ah-hah!” Piper cried. “Feelings! Now, whatever that was, hold on to it. What made you react so strongly?”
Somewhat annoyed with Piper, Flicker turned his heavy gaze upon her, the corner of his eye now twitching a bit more. “I don’t want my sister getting swaybacked… I want her to go to school… and I don’t want to see her out in the fields.”
“But she’s an earth pony—”
“Hennessy, she is an earth pony that will work with her mind.” Flicker’s dull, heavy gaze now fell upon Hennessy.
Chuckling just a little, his eyes merry, but also a little troubled by Flicker’s intensity, Hennessy’s ears leaned forwards as he stared right back at Flicker, and then he clucked his tongue a few times before he replied, “And what if her cutie mark sets her up to do something else? What if she’s destined to do hard work and nothing else?”
At these words, Flicker’s face fell, and he whirled around to look off into the distance at his little sister once more. His mouth opened, as if he was about to answer, but no words seemed forthcoming. No witty phrase or rejoinder volunteered themselves for departure after having been hoisted by his own petard.
“You can still save yourself, you know,” Hennessy drawled after Piper poked him in the neck with her hoof, prompting him to keep going. “There has to be more to life than cutie marks and work. There is more to life than your precious order. There is all of the little things that fill up the spaces in-between.”
“I don’t follow,” Flicker replied, his voice almost cracking in a most embarrassing way.
“Like, right now.” Hennessy made a gesture with his hoof, indicating everything around him. “This is an in-between space. Right now, we ain’t working, and this has nothing to do with our cutie marks. And we’s all full of ourselves with highfalutin—”
“Been reading the dictionary, I see,” Piper interjected.
“—talk of purpose and destiny and your anger at the idea of your little sister working.”
“And what of it?” Flicker asked, not seeing the point.
“Damn, you is one dense, ‘tarded sumbitch.” Hennessy stood there, muttering to himself for a moment, and then his eyes brightened. “What if your sister asked you to help her learn to dance, or paint, or sing, or all that stuff you have trouble doing. You’d let her down—”
“Meow.”
“Shut up, Spud.”
“These in-between spaces matter… these empty spaces is where the meaning of life is. We done s'posed to keep the light of civilisation burning, Flicker, that’s our job. That’s what we get paid to do. And that’s a noble job and all… but what good is it if’n we don’t enjoy what civilisation has to offer? If we is all like you, all work and purpose, there would be no need for civilisation, for fun, for dancing, or art, or music, if we was all like you, civilisation would fall. We’d just be vessels that serve our marks and nothing else. Purpose too, can be a plague. How do we protect ourselves from that?” Hennessy, without realising that he was doing it, batted his eyelashes at Flicker. “I could keep going… I came from a desert of culture, a place where I starved, and you don’t know how good you got it—”
“Okay, okay, I get it, the empty spaces that are between the big events matter!”
“Feels like… victory,” Piper said from atop her noble steed as she lifted her head and held it high. “We have come to Murder Mountain, and with great success, we have wounded its lord and master.” She sniffed, and her nostrils flared. “I’m feeling lightheaded and I think I need more morphine. I’m feeling really alive right now, and I don’t know why. When the rats were chewing on my legs, I kept thinking that I was going to die, but now, here I am with my two friends, talking about the meaning of life. I tell ya, life can be funny sometimes.”
Mᴇᴏᴡ
“Did anypony else think that Spud sounded a bit strange just now?” Hennessy asked.
“I didn’t notice anything,” Flicker replied.
“Neither did I, but I wasn’t paying attention.” Piper looked down at the mutant cat and smiled at him. “I was too busy thinking about how precious life is and how much having all of you as friends means to me. I really like all of you… even you, Spud.”
“Meow.”
Flicker moved about his mother’s kitchen, turning on the stove, putting a kettle on so that it could boil, pulling carrots and stalks of celery out of the icebox, (he wished that his parents would buy a real refrigerator) some apples were pulled from the larder, and everything that was needed for tea. Flicker too, was in much pain and feeling a bit lightheaded, but before he and Piper could take any medication, they needed a bite to eat.
Piper and Hennessy sat at the kitchen table, looking subdued, both watching Flicker as he worked, though for very different reasons. Piper marvelled at Flicker’s efficiency of movement, he was almost mechanical as he moved about, and she felt as though she was learning something by observing him. He was very much like a big predatory cat that didn’t do much of anything until it was time to pounce, and then it was beat-down time. Exciting things happened when Flicker began moving, terrible things, yes, but exciting.
Hennessy watched for very, very different reasons.
Lifting a cleaver, he examined the edge with his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth from his state of intense concentration, and then Flicker went to work on a cucumber, shaving off slices that were paper thin and translucent. In no time at all, some very basic cucumber sandwiches were made and put upon a platter with chipped edges that had seen better days decades ago. The harvest gold colouring of the platter was a dead giveaway of its age.
The platter of sandwiches was put down upon the table, and Flicker turned around once more to continue his task in his usual single minded fashion. Unbeknownst to him, a far more dangerous predator had entered the kitchen, and she moved with an uncanny silence only available to supernatural horrors and mothers everywhere. Hennessy and Piper, smart, responsible sorts, remained silent as Twisty snuck up on her son, though Piper was a bit worried about how Lord Death of Murder Mountain might react to a sneak attack.
Piper’s fears were unfounded and proven baseless. When Twisty wrapped her wings around Flicker, he just stood there with a blank, vacant expression, and with his magic, he continued about his task. This wasn’t the reaction that Piper was hoping for and the filly began to feel Flicker’s mother’s frustration.
“I’m sorry, Flicker, but I said what I said hoping to shock you into some kind of reaction.” Twisty closed her eyes and leaned into her son, hugging him, and holding him close. “You know, Flicker, I was still a filly when I had you. I was scared, and young, and my whole world turned upside down, and I was terrified of having to grow up so young.”
“Mother…”
“But you came along, and everything was okay. I was still a playful little thing at that age, and you played with me. You splashed in mud puddles with me, we played in the mud together, and I taught you how to make mud pies to throw at your father.”
The kitchen was filled with the sounds of Flicker’s strained breathing and there was a look of absolute worry upon his face, as perhaps he feared his mother dropping more unwanted revelations upon him. One somewhat swollen ear twitched when his mother opened her eyes and the downy feathers in her wings tickled his neck.
“I worried so much about you. Like I said, I was a little thing… I worried that you wouldn’t get enough to eat, that my body couldn’t produce enough milk for you.” At her words, Flicker’s face darkened, and Twisty let out a maternal sigh. “But I was one proud pegasus. I had made a little friend for myself, and what a curious little friend he was.”
Flicker’s sharp inhale was an audible wheeze.
“I was a different pony then… I can’t believe how stupid Conk and I was… the doctor actually had to explain to us how you came along, because we were totally unaware that what we were doing would get me knocked up. You were quite a surprise, and you changed my whole world.”
Using her magic, Piper grabbed Hennessy’s foreleg and draped it over her withers as she leaned in a little closer to him, scooting her chair over as she did so.
“I was angry, Flicker, because I felt like I had lost my friend. It was bad enough losing my son… but my friend… my playmate… that hurt me, Flicker, it hurt me real bad. It’s left a big ol’ empty place in my heart and I’ve had to get some counselling for it, and it’s made Conk and I bicker a bit, because he don’t believe in headshrinkery. He thinks private stuff that happens at home should stay at home.”
“I’m sorry…” Flicker breathed these words as the tea kettle began to think about getting warm enough to boil.
“I am too,” Twisty replied, her voice husky and her eyes shimmering with excess moisture that threatened to come spilling out.
“I’ll get some help,” Flicker promised.
“Sometimes, he was even funny,” Twisty said, speaking to Piper and Hennessy. “Sometimes, when his mama farted, he would say, ‘You can’t have the pegasus without the gas us.’ Maybe I only found it funny because I’m his mother, but I was proud of him for being witty.”
Hennessy began chuckling, a slow, drawn out, hickish sounding laugh that filled the kitchen. The tea kettle edged a little closer to deciding to boil, and Piper wiped her eyes with her bandaged foreleg, mindful to be careful.
“I want my friend back, Flicker,” Twisty said, making her intentions clear. “I want the little colt that I took to Canterlot back. Even if I can only see him for a few minutes at a time. I know that he has to be in there, somewhere, and I want him back. And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll give him to me.”
The water in the teakettle on the stove began to burble as it approached a boil.
“That little colt I miss went down into the cellar and a different pony came back up.” Twisty let go of her son, stepped away, and folded her wings against her sides. She kissed her son on the cheek, then backed away, retreated, and sat down at the table. Blinking, she began wiping her eyes while trying to smile.
“I miss my Ma…” Hennessy said as his laughter came to a sudden, abrupt stop. “I don’t miss my Pa none, but there’s a powerful ache inside when I think of my Ma.”
Reaching out, Twisty took Hennessy’s fetlock into her own and gave it a squeeze, giving him a silent suggestion that she had motherhood to spare. Together, she and Hennessy watched as Flicker continued his task, and the flurry of movement that came when at last the kettle began to whistle as it boiled.
“My mother is pretty special, even if she drives me crazy sometimes,” Piper remarked. “She doesn’t respect my privacy and she takes my growing up as an affront, but I still love her.” Piper paused, shook her head, and added, “And deep down, I think my mother thinks that my magic is offensive, as she is always going on about the earth pony way and she becomes visibly upset sometimes when I use my magic. I have a troubled relationship with my mother.”
“Oh, I’ve always liked having Flicky’s magic around.” Twisty leaned over the table and looked into Piper’s eyes. “Magic is just a part of what makes him so special. Conk had some trouble adjusting at first, but I gave him a good, stern talking to. Conk’s happy now because Flicker got his father’s work ethic, and Conk don’t care how that work is done, just so long as it is done. Conk is one of those ponies that respects results. That’s really all that matters to him. Yields and results. He don’t abide no laziness.”
“I like Conk, he’s nice.” Hennessy’s head swivelled around to look at Twisty. “He don’t shout and he was nice to me when I was helping him. He had nothing but kind words and I don’t get that much from other ponies. I ain’t used to it.”
“I tried to help my parents when they worked.” Piper’s expression became sulky. “My father came right out and said that the food was tainted with magic and he got upset. I was just trying to make things easier… you know, come to think of it, I’m rather glad I’m away from home. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love them both, but I can’t be me around them.”
“Don’t feel bad, Piper, I can’t be myself around my parents either,” Hennessy drawled.
“Poor dear, that must be hard.” Twisty gave Hennessy a knowing look and something that was almost a smirk lurked upon her muzzle. She glanced over at Flicker for a moment, then back at Hennessy. She gave the earth pony colt a wink, waggled her eyebrow, and then made a gesture at Flicker, who had his back turned to the three of them at the table.
Hennessy, looking a little frantic and afraid, nodded, glanced at Flicker, and then looked back at Flicker’s mother as he squirmed in his chair. When Twisty nodded back, Hennessy’s ears stood up and the unspoken communication continued. Again, Twisty made a saucy eyebrow waggle, and she gestured at Flicker while giving Hennessy a meaningful stare.
Pegasus ponies were observant creatures; some more so than others.
Looking excited, Twisty went almost still when Flicker turned around and began to carry the tray loaded down with the tea over to the table. She gave Hennessy a final wink, a hopeful look, and poor Hennessy, overcome with emotion, trembled in his chair, causing the somewhat warped legs to rattle against the floor. When faced not only with acceptance, but open encouragement, from the mother of his crush no less, Hennessy did not know how to respond.
“Hennessy, if you please, run out and get my father. Tell him the tea is served.” Flicker set the tray down upon the table. “Thank you, Hennessy.”
Confused, flustered, and even a little excited, Hennessy bolted for the door to do as he was told, thankful and glad for the opportunity to escape.
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Hennessy: "GOSH IT'S GETTIN' AWFUL WARM IN HERE I THINK I'M GONNA STAND OUTSIDE."
I thought the A/N would be "Shut up, spud." XD
Lima meow
Unexpected Lima Cat.
Yes, Mr. Ollivander
And there's a pegasus fart joke because it wouldn't be a proper Kudz story without one.
Lima cat!
We need a Meowlator app, to translate Spudese.
Sounds like both Piper's and Hennesey's parents need an intervention. I will say from the TV show Piper's parents reaction to her using magic isn't too extreme. After all look at Applejack's reaction to Twilight using magic around the farm from time to time
7775609
So, You've Given Birth to a Unicorn is a very popular book. Over a million copies sold.
But more parents need to buy it!
That's it! That's what's been nagging me ever since he got those 2 blades. Flicker reminds me of a Clockwork Soldier from Dishonoured 2. Mechanical, single-purposed, tireless, flawlessly obedient, long beaked, immensely intimidating, and with more sharp edges than is strictly necessary.
pre00.deviantart.net/99a4/th/pre/i/2016/167/8/3/dishonored_2_clockwork_soldier_by_bobafett176-da6jnew.jpg
Darn, send an error repor- Oh! Wait, there he goes...
7775624
If only So You're an Ignorant, Bigoted Backwater Asshole, Here Is How To Fix It sold just as well as that.
7775624
FTFY
7775609
It doesn't help that Applejack's exact reasoning for "no magic" is vague. For all we know, unicorn magic actually does something to apples if used on them before they've been picked. Most taboos usually exist because there was, once upon a time, a reason for them to exist (granted, some of these unfortunately remain held even when there is no longer a reason for them to be a point of concern, but hey, societies don't last for very long if they disregard traditions and mores anytime someone says, "We don't need this anymore" without supporting evidence).
I'm still more in favor of Piper X Knicker Shipping, but I would be content with a Hennessy x Flicker Ship.
Also, Twisty is just...hilariously terrible. I look forward to seeing what she gets up to next! <3
This coming from the mare that was telling her son she wished he wasn't like he is because she misses her playmate?
I get that watching your child grow up so much at such a young age can't possibly be easy, but Twisty is being kinda selfish. Yes, Flicker needs a life outside of his job, but demanding, yelling and sharing the details of her sex life, shortly before telling him he's an accident, strikes me like it's the wrong way to go about it.
Then she has the balls (or ovaries) to say that she's sorry Hennessy's dad doesn't like the way he is. He was worse about it, sure, but Twisty is guilty of the same thing to a lesser level, with different reasons behind it.
If she wanted Flicker to have a life and a personality, then it should be because it's not healthy to become absorbed by one's porpuse, and she should appreciate the fact he has friends and a sort-of crush (even if one of his friends is an abomination-cat that sometimes channels Death, and he doesn't know he likes Hennessy).
Instead, that isn't good enough, and she yells at her son.
7775733
It was stated from the beginning what would happen. There was a blog post about it. People have brought it up in the comments.
I had to throw folks a bone here and the Weedverse needed a little fabulousity.
7775747
She is far from perfect. What do you expect from someone who only completed primary school. (Or elementary school) That's kinda the point...
But yes, she is a flawed individual. She has her own issues to deal with.
Of course, she has a reason for what's she's doing, and it might have something to do with the fact that she and Wicked communicated before Flicker went home.
7775733
http://www.fimfiction.net/group/210355/weed-world/thread/289633/exciting-announcement
7775724 I wouldn't say they don't give a reason.. Its been said several times Ponyville is an earthpony town and they prefer doing things the way they've always done them the traditional way
7775624 with the companion books "So You've Given Birth to a Pegasus" and "So You've given "Birth to an Earth Pony" Though I cant imagine those two would be popular amoung some of the nobles.. Maybe Tarnished needs one "So You've Given Birth to a HyBrid That You never Knew About"
7775767
7775747 It doesn't help that Flicker is chronologically still a colt. He's went from the little colt she knew to somewhat an adult sense the last time she saw him. I mean he is sending money home decent amounts of money but there is a disconnect from cause and effect when you can't see it. Who know if he writes home let alone if he tells his parents beyond the bits he sends home
7775906 I suspect he may the pony most qualified to write that one in a few years time.
7775517
Twisty:
7775707
For those sorts, it would have to be an audiobook... turned up to 11.
7776120 Are we sure 11 is high enough maybe they need a 2x4 helping to thump the message home
7776200
Methinks Spinal Tap would disagree.
Plus, it's a clue by four, not a 2x4....
7776254 Wasn't sure everyone would understand that.. And for some people it probably needs multiple clue by 4s strapped together
7776399
Or maybe a clue tree, as compared to a yew (no u!) tree.
Yes Piper, it might be the morphine, or altitude sickness, you've been riding Hennessy long enough.
7776415
That sounded SO wrong.
7775262
It is possible that a large part of society there is okay with it but from what Hennessy describes the area he specifically comes from does not seem okay with it at all. Kind of the difference between say San Francisco and some small town in Louisiana. Same nation but very different ideas of what is okay.
7775767
7775918
I understand this, but it just bothers me that no one in the story stops and tells her "What the fuck are you talking about?"
And if we're going to bring up that Flicker's a colt, then it's possible that everyone around him is overreacting just a bit. He's ten, and a bit dense. Getting angry at him won't make him understand the philosophical qualities of being someone outside of your purpose, but still love your job. All it'll achieve is to make him cry on his own in the woods (or at least on his own until his friends come along).
Look, I understand that no one is perfect. It'd be ridiculous to say that, considering I'm the second most flawed person I know personally. But the fact is that Twisty isn't acting like a mother. She's acting like she's Knick-Knack's age. And only having completed Primary/Elementary school doesn't make her innocent.
Tarnished Teapot is a prime example that being academically dumb doesn't excuse you from being emotionally dumb. She's a mother, for god's sake, and about twice Tarnish's age when he became a full-fledged druid. Yes, he's flawed, and kinda silly at times, but he grew the fuck up.
He stopped being a whinny child and matured into someone that could make his wife happy, maintain a stable and extremely close relationship with another couple, and shoulders ridiculous amounts of responsibilities. All while struggling with his inner demons.
And what does this mare that's about twice his age struggle with?
"Oh, my child is maturing into a gentleman and keeping my nation safe, and he still manages to find time to write home, send money to us and gifts to his sister between the extensive training, not to mention he has friends, role models, a decent education, and seems to be falling in love for an honest and proper coworker. But since he doesn't play peekaboo with me anymore, and his sister clearly isn't as much fun to play with, I think I'll get angry with him even he didn't do a single fucking thing so that he goes back to being three years old."
I don't know why, but that seems like a pretty fucking wide leap in logic.
I understand that she's worried he has a dangerous job, like any mother should be, and I understand that I can't ask for the same level of emotional intelligence and maturity from every character, but if no one mentions this, wouldn't that be a little weird?
7775609 we need dr Phil all up in this shit!
...
Lima Bean, if i may inquire, why are you speaking through other beings? And what did you say through Spud right there?
7776454 There is physical age and emotional mental age for one thing. Along with traditions sad to say while Flicker's parents are decent enough both seem to have stopped growing emotionally shortly after getting out of school. There was nothing really pushing them to develop.. Then Flicker is running into traditions while it was acceptable for him as a Unicorn to improve himself their parents see no reason for Knick-Knack a Earth Pony to waste time with worthless learning
7776480 Mixed feelings about Dr Phil and like all doctors for all they know there is probably just as much as they don't know. Every drug or treatment has people that they don't work on or have nasty side effects while the majority do very well
7776454
It isn't quite about what you think it is about. That's just the only way she has of expressing it, but in reality, it is so much more. She lacks the ability to fully express her opinions, her feelings, and her thoughts. She's watched her son collapse in upon himself, and the only thing she can really do to express her feelings is refer to him as he used to be. She too, is emotionally stunted, and a part of her has never fully grown up, as she hasn't recovered from having her own childhood abruptly ended.
Just because she says something, it doesn't make it entirely true, and there is more depth to it than she is capable of expressing.
7776421 OBJECTIVE ACHIEVED!! yay
7776480 Dr Phalomino? Where are you?
Wha...?
7775517
A twist of the ears
A silent Conversation
It's too hot in here
Flicker did mention at least once that him and Spud shared a special bond. I guess three's a party!
Oh look, DEATH got Spud as well.
7775906
7775956
Odd Offspring
Tarnished Teapot's original guide to the care of crazy chimeras, adorable abominations and other terrifying treasures.
Contains sections on the psychology, physiology and dietary needs of all known half-pony chimeras, as well as more general advice on the care for and understanding of hybrid children.
Odd Offsping is updated regularly. If your particular case is not covered by the guide, feel free to contact Tarnished Teapot for free advice.
8207957
I would love to read that.