Departure
Silvia and Wander walked side by side through the crowded town market, the throng of ponies surrounding them attempting to make their last-minute purchases before the stalls closed for the day.
“We have a few things to talk about, once we’ve got some privacy,” Wander whispered, raising his voice just enough for Silvia to hear him.
“There’s nothing wrong, is there?” Silvia asked, turning a concerned eye to Wander. “Did something happen with Gran Gran after I left?”
“No nothing like that,” Wander said. “Just a few things we learned around town that I thought you should be aware of.”
“Such as?” Silvia asked, moving to hold the door for her brother as they approached Sugar Cube Corner.
“Later,” Wander responded, nodding in appreciation as he walked through the door.
Cocking her head in confusion at her brother, Silvia stepped through the door and face-hooved when she saw her sister. Standing at the front counter, face glued to the display case, was Moontide.
“Ohh, one of those too, please,” Moon said, pointing to an orange and red swirled cupcake.
“Okie dokie,” Pinkie giggled, taking the cupcake from the display and adding it to a large plate on the counter that was already overfilled.
“And… maybe one of those, too,” Moon said, now mentioning at a green and blue cupcake.
“Ohhh, the ‘forbidden fruit’ cupcake,” Pinkie said, pulling the cake from the case and holding it out between the two of them. “These are all the rage with the teenagers right now.”
“Then maybe you should make it two,” Moon replied, licking her lips as she eyed the sugary treat.
“How about just the one, and we’ll see about getting some of the others to go,” Wander said, rolling his eyes as he approached the counter. “Add a banana-nut muffin to that as well, please.”
“And just a chocolate chip cookie for me, please,” Silvia said, stepping up beside her brother.
“Silvie, you’re back!” Pinkie cheered, jumping over the counter to pull her into a hug. “Did you get a chance to stop in and see Twilight and Spike yet? They were so worried about you after you left, but I knew you’d make it back ok.”
“Yeah, we just came from the library,” Silvia answered. “Saw Applejack and Rarity there as well.”
“And what about your brother and sister?” Pinkie asked. Placing a forehoof to the bottom of her chin, she stuck her tongue out and scrunched up her face in concentration. “At least, I think they were your brother and sister. They said they were, and they do look just like you.”
Taking a step back, Silvia looked back and forth between Pinkie and her siblings in bewilderment.
“You mean them?” Silvia asked, motioning towards Moon and Wander with a foreleg.
“Yes!” Pinkie gasped. Diving back behind the counter, she popped back up with a smile and turned to address the three siblings. “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner, what can I get ya?”
“But, you were already helping me…” Moon said, pointing at the plate of cupcakes that rested on the counter.
“Oh, silly me,” Pinkie giggled. In one swift motion, she hooked a foreleg around the plate of cupcakes and spun around, taking the plate with her without losing a single cupcake. After a few quick rotations, she came to an abrupt stop and dropped a large gift-wrapped box on the counter, as well as three small bags on top of it.
“Alright, I’ve got one forbidden fruit cupcake, and banana-nut muffin, aaaand a chocolate chip cookie,” Pinkie said, her smile widening as she pushed the packages towards Wander. “Can I get you anything else? Maybe a drink to wash everything down?”
“A water each, please,” Wander requested, fishing his bit bag out of his cloak as Pinkie trotted off to grab their drinks. “But what’s with the box? I know Moon had asked for all those treats, but unless she’s paying I can’t really afford all of these.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Pinkie said, waving him off as she returned with their drinks. “It’s on the house, think of it as a ‘going away’ present from yours truly.”
“Aww, that’s nice of you, Pinkie,” Silvia said. “But are you sure that’s ok?”
“Definitely!” Pinkie cheered. “I can just take them out of my daily allotment of snacks the Cakes let me eat.”
“Don’t argue with free cake,” Moon snapped, grabbing the box from the counter and hugging it to her chest.
“Just make sure you make them last,” Wander sighed, shaking his head. “I don’t want to hear you asking me to turn around tomorrow so you can come back and get more.”
“But... but they’re so good,” Moon whined, clutching the box tighter as she gave her brother her best ‘kicked puppy’ expression.
“Yeah, and if you squeeze that box much tighter you’ll crush them,” Wander pointed out, causing Moon to gasp and almost drop the box. “Besides, I’d like for you to leave at least a few of them for the others when we get home. I’m sure I have an empty container back in the wagon with a preservation charm that will keep them from going stale.”
“Fine,” Moon moped. “But you better get me that necklace we saw in Fillydelphia on our way back in return.”
“If he’s willing to trade for it, I’ll consider it,” Wander conceded.
Grabbing the bags containing their treats, Wander thanked Pinkie one last time before departing the counter to find an open seat. Grabbing the drinks, Silvia bumped Moon to get her attention before following their brother to an empty table near the back.
“So what did you want to talk to me about?” Silvia asked, taking a seat across from Wander.
“Later,” Wander stated. “We’ll talk about it once we get back to the wagon and there aren’t as many ponies around. For now, let’s just enjoy our time together.”
“And we can start,” Moon cut in, licking the frosting from her lips as she wiggled her way in beside her sister, “by giving me more cake!”
Rolling his eyes, Wander fished one of Moon’s cupcakes from the box and tossed it to her.
“So how have you been, Silvia?” Wander asked, turning his attention to his younger sister. “Have any problems on the way back?”
“Not really, no,” Silvia said, gnawing at her own sweet. “I ran into a traveling troupe on the way back, and they had this really loud-mouthed showmare traveling with them. She was pretty good with magic, if not a bit boastful, but she turned out to be pretty nice once I got to know her so I wouldn’t really count it as a problem.”
“Hmm, led by a pony named Dream Weaver?” Wander asked, rubbing his chin in thought. “Green pegasus with a knack for playing the lute, has a bunch of different ponies traveling with him that specialize in playing instruments?”
“Yeah, that’s them!” Silvia said.
“Huh, so they have a magician traveling with them now?” Wander asked, leaning back in his seat. “Usually when I run into them it’s mostly just musicians and the odd juggler filling out their ranks… maybe it’ll be worth checking them out again if they’ve added a magic act.”
“I’d suggest it if you do happen to run into them,” Silvia said. “Like I said, that showmare was pretty good with magic. Unfortunately, from what she was telling me she wasn’t planning on traveling with them for long. Sounded like she was hurting for bits when she joined up with them.”
“Makes sense,” Wander said, returning to his muffin. “Most of them don’t travel with the troupe full time, so they almost always have different members whenever we meet.”
“I just wish I could remember the mares name,” Silvia groaned. “It was Bela… Belladonna I think? She said she had a traveling show before, but fell on hard times after a run-in with an ursa. From the way she was talking her plan was to save up enough performing with the troupe to buy a new wagon and go out on her own again.”
“Well, then maybe I’ll run into her out on the road,” Wander said. “With how successful this trip has been, I’ve been thinking of changing up my trade routes a bit so I come through this area more often.”
“That’s great!” Silvia beamed. “You have to promise to stop in and visit when you’re in the area.”
“Don’t worry, I will,” Wander chuckled. “And with how much Moon here seems to have enjoyed the trip, I’m sure the rest of our siblings will be nipping at my heels to bring them.”
“Can you blame me?” Moon said, reaching for her third cupcake. “That pink mare’s baking is absolutely delicious! I’ve never had anything this good before!”
“Yes, we can tell,” Wander sighed. “We are eating them, too.”
Finishing his muffin, Wander took a sip of his water before returning his attention to Silvia.
“So how about around here,” Wander asked. “Anything else interesting happening since you got back?”
“Not really, no,” Silvia said. “I mean, it took me almost three weeks to walk back, so I’ve only been back for a few weeks.”
“Has it only been that long?” Wander asked. “I lose track of time sometimes when I’m traveling, but I could have sworn it as longer than that.”
“Yep,” Silvia giggled. Finishing her own treat, she downed her glass of water before continuing. “Besides living with Twilight and working for the Apples full time now, not too much has changed.”
Noticing that her brother and sister were finished eating, Moon finished her own treat and closed up the box. Standing from their seats, the three made their way out of the cafe and into town.
“So, where do you have your cart parked?” Silvia asked. “I went through the market on my way into town, but I didn’t see it.”
“I’ve actually got it parked next to where Applejack usually sets up,” Wander said, leading the way. “There was a nice big open spot next to her stand, and she was kind enough to let me use it.”
With the market mostly empty, it was easy enough for the siblings to navigate their way to where Wander had his cart parked.
“Oh, wow, I must have walked right past it,” Silvia said. Walking up, she began inspecting the cart while Wander unlocked it. “It looks a bit different than I remember, though. Did you do something to it?”
“Not recently, no. You probably just haven’t seen it all unfolded like it is now,” Wander responded. Opening the door, he stood to the side and motioned for his sisters to climb in. “There isn’t a whole lot of room inside, but it’ll give us some privacy.”
The three of them climbed into the cramped quarters of the wagon, the small sectioned towards the front that Wander kept as a sleeping quarters acting as a makeshift sitting room for the group.
“Now that we have some privacy,” Wander started. Shifting around in an attempt to get comfortable, he turned his attention to Silvia. “There are a few things Moon and I learned while we were here that we thought you should know.”
“Like what?” Silvia asked. “I’ve known most of these ponies for a few years now, I’m sure most anything you have to say about them I’m already aware of.”
“So you’re aware that your roommate is the personal student of the Sun Princess?” Wander asked, frowning at Silvia. “Or that the Nightmother returned, and your friends are the ones that stopped her?”
Silvia opened her mouth to respond, then froze when what her brother had said hit her.
“Wait, so Twilight’s mentor is Princess Celestia?” Silvia asked. “As in the Princess Celestia, ruler of the nation and one of the ponies responsible for hunting out ancestors to near extinction?”
“The very same,” Moon confirmed.
“Then I need to leave,” Silvia stated. “I need to pack my bags right now and leave.”
Standing from her seat Silvia moved for the door, but Wander moved to stop her.
“Silvia, just calm down and let’s talk about this,” Wander said, placing a forehoof on Silvia’s shoulder.
“But I can’t stay,” Silvia said, trying to push her way past Wander. “Twilight is already suspicious of me, and…”
“Exactly,” Wander said, cutting off Silvia. “Twilight is already suspicious of you, and it would be even more suspicious if you just up and left all of the sudden.”
“And thanks to Wander’s impromptu history lesson, if they decided to come after you they know exactly where we live,” Moon pointed out.
“She’s right,” Wander sighed. “That one is on me, but it’s just another reason why you can’t just up and leave. The ponies here care about you, and if they got it in their heads that you left because you were in trouble they would come after you.”
“Then… what do I do?” Silvia asked, finally relenting and returning to her seat. “If I leave they’ll come after me and discover our family, but if I stay it's just a matter of time before I’m discovered.”
“I hate to say it,” Wander sighed, “but it seems like your best bet would be to just sit tight and hope things blow over.”
“He’s right,” Moon said. “The best thing to do would be to just hang out, keep your head low, and work on getting your own place as soon as possible. The rest of these ponies here respect you enough to keep their noses out of your business, but something tells me that Twilight won’t stop until she gets the answers she wants.”
“But what about everyone else?” Silvia sniffled. “If they do discover me then it's only a matter of time before they come after the rest of you.”
“I hate to break out the tough love, but that’s a risk we all agreed to take when we decided to move out and go our own way,” Wander said. “It’s up to you to deal with the consequences if you get caught. The most Moon and I can do is warn everyone when we get back home.”
“This is it, isn’t it?” Silvia asked, wiping the tears from her eyes. “After all this time, I’m going to be the one that sells our family out.”
“I’m sure everything will work out,” Moon said, placing a comforting hoof on Silvia’s side. “Just… just be careful, ok? As long as you’re careful and don’t do anything to draw attention to yourself I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
“I can guarantee it,” Wander said, sidling up to her other side and giving her a comforting smile. “This’ll all blow over and in a few years we’ll be laughing at how silly we were being.”
“Thanks,” Silvia said, smiling at her siblings' attempts to comfort her. “And what was that you were saying about the Nightmother?”
“We learned from your friend Applejack that apparently the Nightmother returned while you were back home,” Wander said.
“And apparently her, along with Rarity, Twilight, and a few other ponies, managed to stop her,” Moon finished.
“Actually I believe ‘cleanse’ was the word they used,” Wander corrected. “According to your friends she was corrupted by some dark magic, and they used something called the Elements of Harmony to cleanse it from her.”
“So not only do I have to worry about Twilight discovering me and ratting me out to the princess, but now you’re telling me that the Nightmother is back, too?” Silvia groaned. “Why did I ever leave home?”
“Never regret coming here,” Wander said. “You’ve made a lot of wonderful friends here that you would have never met had you stayed home, and I doubt any of them would sell you out if they found out.”
“Except for that Twilight mare,” Moon said. “She seems like the type that would go crying to teacher if things didn’t go her way.”
“Which is exactly why you need to just keep your head down and not step on anyone’s tail,” Wander said.
“So, getting away from the more somber talks,” Moon said, attempting to change the subject, “got your eye on anypony in town?”
“You just couldn’t stop yourself, could you?” Wander chuckled, rolling his eyes.
“What? You act like you aren’t curious as well,” Moon said. “Besides, you’re the one that had to go all ‘responsible big brother’ on her and kill the mood, I’m just trying to lighten things up.”
“Well, sort of,” Silvia said, giggling at her siblings despite her dour mood.
“Oh, do you hear that, Wander?” Moon asked, bouncing in place. “Little Silvie has a crush! You’ve got to give us all of the juicy details!”
With the mood successfully lightened the three continued to discuss various topics, many laughs shared as they shared stories of their time apart.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“So, this is where the Apples live?” Moon asked, glancing at her sister as they stood before the large Apple farmhouse.
“Sure is,” Wander said, replying before Silvia could. “Of course, you’d know that if you’d actually came with me the other day.”
“It’s not my fault you were coming here to talk about boring business stuff,” Moon said, scrunching her nose in disdain at the idea. “I’d rather do pretty much anything else.”
“Like spending the day at the library playing with Spike and antagonizing Twilight?” Wander asked. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re the one with the crush, not Silvia.”
“I do not have a crush on Spike,” Moon snapped, her face flushing in embarrassment. “He’s, like, half my age!”
Having stepped up to the door, Wander paused mid-knock and turned to face his sister.
“I… actually wasn’t talking about Spike,” Wander said, shooting his sister a sideways glance.
“Now, are y’all gonna just sit on the porch and argue over who’s got a crush on who, r’ are ya gonna come in n’ eat?” an older mare spoke up from behind Wander, causing them all to jump.
Turning to face the door, the three were surprised to see an older green mare with a gray mane standing in the doorway.
“Granny Smith!” Silvia said, holding a hoof to her chest. “You scared us! You… you weren’t there long, were you?”
“Not very,” Granny Smith said, snickering to herself. “Now why don’t y’all come on in and make yourselves comfortable. Mac’n Ah aren’t quite finished cookin’ yet, but AJ and lil’ Bloom should be in tha family room.”
Grabbing the door from Granny Smith, Wander stepped to the side and held the door open for his sisters, nodding his head in response to their thanks. Once everyone had entered the house, he followed his sisters into the family room as Granny turned down the hallway to the kitchen.
“Silvia, y’all made it!” Applejack called out, spotting the trio as they entered the room. “Ah told Granny ta expect y’all, but Ah was startin’ ta think ya wouldn’t make it.”
“And miss out on free food? You’ve got to be kidding me,” Moon said, earning a cuff from her brother. “What? If the food is even close to as good as the stuff at that bakery, then it’ll be loads better than anything we’ll find until we get home.”
“Not meanin’ ta brag,” Applejack said, puffing her chest out as she polished a forehoof on it, “but while that Cakes may have us beat when it comes ta bakin’, nopony can whip up a good home cooked meal like the Apples can.”
“It’s true,” Silvia confirmed, joining Applejack and Apple Bloom on the couch. “I hate to say it, but most of the dishes Granny can cook put Ma’s cooking to shame.”
“Then I suppose I’ll have to try it for myself,” Wander said. Stepping into the room he began inspecting the plethora of portraits lining the walls.
“I don’t know about that one,” Moon scoffed. Getting a trotting start she leaped over the back of the couch, completing a full flip as she plopped herself down next to Apple Bloom. “I’m sure their cooking is good and all, but I doubt it’s better than moms.”
“Well, Ah guess you’ll just have ta try it an’ see,” Apple Bloom said, giving Moon a friendly nudge.
“Y’all won’t have ta wait long,” Big Mac said, poking his head in the room. “Come on ‘n get it.”
“Oh, who’s the stud,” Moon asked, turning to smirk at Silvia, “and is he on the menu?”
“Moon!” Silvia hissed under her breath.
Ducking the swing as Silvia attempted to cuff her, Moon and Apple Bloom trotted into the kitchen while giggling at her reaction.
“Just ignore her,” Wander sighed, turning to follow as Applejack lead them into the kitchen. “You know she’s only doing it for a reaction.”
“I know, but…” Silvia started, glancing at Applejack.
“But what?” Applejack asked, shooting Silvia a teasing smirk. “Ain’t nothin’ wrong with a bit a’ teasin’ between siblings.”
“It’s embarrassing, though,” Silvia groaned.
“Sugarcube, if ya think a bit a’ friendly teasin’ from yer sister is gonna change my opinion of ya, then you have sorely misjudged me,” Applejack laughed. “Now, quit bein’ all mopey and git yer behind ta tha dinner table.”
Stepping into the room, Silvia was quick to take the empty seat between her siblings as Applejack took the seat between hers. With everyone present Granny Smith wasted no time in dishing up her plate, signaling for everyone present it was ok to start.
“So, how’re ya findin’ our quiet little town?” Granny Smith asked between bites. “Everypony’s treatin’ y’all well, Ah hope.”
“They’ve been going well,” Wander said, pausing in his own eating to answer. “Once your granddaughter helped get word around that I was ok to do business with, I sold all my wares in no time. I can’t thank you all enough for putting in a good word for me, you wouldn’t believe how much it helped.”
“Oh, think nothin’ of it,” Granny replied, waving off his thanks. “Silvia here is basically part a’ tha family, an’ that makes y’all family as well. Us Apples take care a’ ther own.”
“Well, if any of you Apples wind up in Saddle Arabia, send them my way and I’ll make sure to return the favor,” Wander offered, digging back into his plate.
“‘S that where ya got them seeds?” Big Mac asked, turning his attention to Wander.
“Some of them, yes,” Wander responded. “Others I traded for from various merchants along my route. Why do you ask?”
“Them’re some nice seeds,” Big Mac explained. “React real well ta earth pony magic. Was gonna ask ya ta keep yer eye out fer more.”
“Of course I will,” Wander said. “Although, I’m not sure if some of the merchants I got those off of are still around. I’ve been holding on to most of those for a while.”
“Not sellin’ well?” Big Mac asked.
“Just not a lot of ponies in the market for seeds along my route, it seems,” Wander responded.
Satisfied with his answer, Big Mac nodded his head before returning to his food. Sensing a lull in the conversation, Apple Bloom took the opportunity to ask a question that had been on her mind all week.
“So, Silvia, mah sister said ya went campin’ in tha Everfree, is that true?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Mm, that right,” Silvia said, taking a moment to finish the food in her mouth. “I just got back today from spending a few days there.”
“Why would ya wanna do somethin’ like that?” Apple Bloom asked. “Everypony’s always tellin’ us about how dangerous tha forest is, an’ how we should stay away.”
“They’re right about that,” Silvia responded. “There’s lots of dangerous stuff in those woods, and somepony needs to go in there from time to time to remind those dangerous things that that’s where they’re supposed to stay.”
“Woah, really?” Apple Bloom gasped, her eyes twinkling in wonder. “And how exactly do ya do that? Do ya gotta beat’em up or somethin’?”
“Something like that,” Silvia giggled. “Have you ever seen the timberwolf with the orange eyes?”
“Once or twice, yeah,” Apple Bloom nodded. “Ah seen him hangin’ around tha edge of tha forest a few times. Has a big ol’ hoof print on his chest?”
“That’s the one,” Silvia nodded. “I named him Saif, and I’m the one that gave him that hoofprint.”
“Woah,” Apple Bloom gasped once more as she began fidgeting in her seat. “That’s so cool! How’d ya do that?”
“I ran into him in the forest when I first moved here,” Silvia explained. “Turns out he’s the alpha of the pack whose territory borders Ponyville. I was trying to convince them to leave Ponyville alone, and sometimes ‘convincing’ means proving you aren’t worth the effort.”
“And ya didn’t get yer cutie mark fer that?” Apple Bloom asked, tilting her head.
“Unfortunately, no,” Silvia giggled.
“Now Apple Bloom, enough with tha questions,” Granny Smith chided. “Let our guest eat before tha food gets cold.”
“Ok, Ah’m sorry, Granny,” Apple Bloom apologized, slouching in her seat.
“No, it’s ok,” Silvia said, causing Apple Bloom to perk back up. “I don’t mind.”
“So you’ll tell us how ya do it?” Apple Bloom asked excitedly.
“Sure,” Silvia said, giving Bloom a smile. Taking a large bite of her food, she took her time chewing it as she thought over how to word her explanation. “Now, where to start…”
“Ya could start by tellin’ us how ya do it, first,” Applejack suggested. “Ah admit that Ah’ve always been curious mahself.”
“Well, first ya gotta make yourself look as big as possible,” Silvia explained. “If you can convince the predator you’re not worth the effort, they’ll usually lose interest pretty fast.”
“So ya just stand up real tall n’ they leave ya alone?” Apple Bloom asked, cocking her head in confusion.
“It’s a bit more than that, but yes,” Silvia giggled. “Although, that usually only tends to work on the solo hunters. Pack hunters like the timberwolf require a bit… more.”
“More how?” Applejack asked.
“Beating the alpha is one way to earn the respect of the pack,” Silvia responded after a short pause to eat. “Although, I wouldn’t suggest it. They may be made of wood, but those teeth and claws are sharp.”
“So, s’ther another way ta scare ‘em off, then?” Big Mac asked.
“Wolfsbane,” Silvia responded through a mouthful of food. “I’ve got a friend in the forest, a zebra named Zecora, that mixes up some potions and powders for me in the forest, and the one she makes for the timberwolves has wolfsbane in it.”
“Wolfsbane?” Applejack parroted. “Never heard a’ tha stuff.”
“Neither had I,” Silvia admitted. “Zecora told me about it when she was patching me up after my first little scuffle with them, offered to mix me up a few repellent potions.”
“Ya wouldn’t be able ta get yer hooves on a few extra fer us, would ya?” Applejack asked. “Havin’ somethin’ like that that can scare a timberwolf away without havin' ta fight it seems like it would be handy ta have on hoof.”
“I could certainly ask,” Silvia offered, “although I very much doubt Zecora would tell you no. In fact, this last time she made the potions for me she gave me a few more than she usually does. I can bring a few with me when I come in for work tomorrow.”
“Nah, I couldn’t ask ya ta hand over somethin’ ya spent yer own bits on,” Applejack said, giving Silvia an appreciative smile. “Besides, we were already plannin’ fer ya ta take tomorrow off as well, so ya can see yer brother an’ sister off.”
“I really don’t mind, the potions didn’t even cost me anything. In fact, Zecora wouldn’t take my bits even if I insisted on paying,” Silvia explained. “I stop by and see her whenever I’m in the forest, and she gives me a list of plants to keep an eye out for. Apparently, while I was out this last time, I collected an excess of the plants needed for the wolfsbane potion, so she made me a few extra.”
“Well, then that’d be mighty neighborly of ya, Silv,” Applejack said. “Ah’ll make sure ta throw an extra few bits in next time Ah pay ya.”
“Oh, no, that isn’t necessary,” Silvia said, trying to politely decline the offer. “I get the potions for free, so I wouldn’t feel right profiting off of them.”
“‘Course it’s necessary,” the apple matriarch cut in. “Ah’d give up every bit Ah own, and tha farm, if it meant Ah had a way ta protect mah family. Them varmints ain’t layin’ another claw on a member of our family if Ah have anything ta say about it.”
Reminded of their loss, the Apple siblings fell into silence following Granny’s outburst. Unsure of how to broach the silence, or even if they should, Silvia and her siblings turned their full attention to their food.
The sound of silverware scraping against dishes slowly came to a halt, signaling that everyone had finished their meal. Standing from her seat, Applejack walked over to Granny Smith and whispered something to her before leading her out of the room. The sound of two ponies climbing the stairs could be heard, and a few minutes later one pony could be heard descending the stairs before Applejack returned.
“Ah’m sorry ‘bout that,” Applejack sighed. “Pa ain’t the first pony she lost ta timberwolves, so when they get brought up she tends ta get real emotional.”
“I’m sorry,” Silvia said, hanging her head in shame. “I didn’t mean to upset anyone.”
“It ain’t yer fault,” Applejack said, walking over and rubbing Silvia’s back comfortingly. “If anything, it’s mah fault. Ah got so lost in the conversation Ah completely fergot.”
“Ain’t no use in mopin’ over it,” Big Mac said. Standing from his seat, walked a few short steps to the window and grabbed a fresh pie that had been cooling on the window sill. “So long as ya learn from yer mistakes, ain’t nopony gonna hold it against ya.”
Setting the pie gently in the center of the table, he grabbed a knife and a pie server and handed them to Applejack.
“Mac’s right,” Applejack said, giving her brother a smile. “Now, hows about we dig on inta this pie. There should be some ice cream in tha icebox, too, if anypony wants any.”
Before Applejack had finished speaking Apple Bloom was already out of her seat and sprinting towards the icebox, Moon right on her tail.
“Again with the sweets?” Wander said, teasing his sister in an attempt to lighten the mood. “I was joking about having to roll you home, but if you keep this up I may actually have to.”
“She sure does love her sweets,” Applejack said, smiling and shaking her head as she cut the pie. “Can’t really blame her none, though. From the sounds a things, y’all don’t get this kinda stuff back home too often.”
“Just what I can bring home,” Wander sighed. “Sugar is hard to come by back home since it has to be imported, so we normally can’t afford much.”
“She’s just lucky I love her so much,” Wander continued, shooting Moon a playful glare. “If I didn’t make sure to bring some home for her, I doubt she’d ever get any.”
“Oh, do you doubt my sugar-fu?” Moon asked, balancing a tub of ice cream on her head as she stood on her hind legs and struck a mock karate pose. Giggling, Apple Bloom placed the ice cream scoop she had been carrying on her own head and struck a pose next to Moon.
“All right, you two,” Applejack said, rolling her eyes. “How’s about y’all put the ice cream on the table before ya drop it.”
“Aww, ok,” the two groaned in unison.
Carefully removing the tub from her head, Moon placed it on the table before returning to her seat to pout.
“Killjoy,” Moon huffed, mumbling to herself.
Ignoring the barb from Moon Applejack took slice pie and split it up onto smaller plates, giving each pony one piece. Popping the lid off of the tub with practiced ease, she scooped a generously sized scoop of ice cream out of the container and plopped it down on her slice of pie.
“Anypony else want some?” Applejack asked, glancing around to see who else wanted some. Seeing everypony raise a hoof she smiled kindly and dug back into the tub of ice cream, putting a large scoop on everypony else's slices.
While Applejack had been busy with the pie, Big Mac had slipped away to prepare some coffee. As his sister finished divvying out the pie Big Mac returned with a tray balanced carefully on his back, and in one smooth motion transferred the tray from his back to the table.
“Coffee,” Big Mac said, taking a steaming hot mug for himself.
“Creamer,” Mac said, reaching across the table and gently tapping a small glass pitcher with a stylized ‘C’ on it.
“Milk,” Mac continued, picking up a similarly sized glass pitcher with a stylized ‘M’ on it and pouring it into his coffee.
“Sugar,” he finished, using a spoon to scoop some sugar out of a small glass jar with a stylized ‘S’ on it. Pouring the sugar into his coffee, he then dipped the spoon in and began mixing it.
“Creamer and milk?” Wander asked, taking a cup of coffee for himself. “That seems a little redundant, doesn’t it?”
“Some like one, some like the other,” Mac simply said, taking a sip from his cup. Glancing at his sister, he watched as she grabbed her own cup off of the tray and downed half of it in one gulp. “Some like neither.”
“Ahh, makes sense,” Wander said, finishing taking a sip of his own drink.
It didn’t take long for everyone to return to their seats, and shorter yet for Apple Bloom and Moon’s antics to return the happy atmosphere to the room. The pie quickly disappeared, and after returning to the living room for some comfortable conversation Silvia and her siblings soon excused themselves with a promise to return on their next visit. Despite the shocking revelation she had had earlier in the day about who Twilight’s mentor was, Silvia had never felt more secure with where her life had taken her than she did at that moment.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The bell above the door chimed as Silvia and her siblings stepped into the boutique, alerting the owner of their presence. The sounds of a sewing machine from the back room paused momentarily before continuing once the door swung closed and chimed the bell again.
“Just a moment,” Rarity’s melodic voice called from the back.
“It’s just us, Rarity,” Silvia called back.
“Oh, Silvia, darling,” Rarity responded, sounding more cheerful. “I’m assuming that Moon and Wander are with you as well? Go ahead and make yourselves at home in the kitchen, you know where it is. I’ll be out as soon as I finish this stitch.”
Leading her siblings through the store Silvia crossed into the private part of the shop, holding the door open for her brother and sister. Following them in, she was surprised to see Sweetie Belle sitting at the table pouring over some papers.
“I’m sorry, but customers aren’t allowed back here,” Sweetie Belle said without looking up. “If you turn around and head back up front I’m sure Rarity will be with you shortly.
“And who said we were customers?” Moon asked with a smile, causing Sweetie’s ears to perk up.
“Moon!” Sweetie cheered, abandoning her papers to launch herself at her friend. Tackling moon to the ground, the two began giggling as they switched between wrestling and hugging one another.
“Now, Sweetie,” Rarity said, playfully chided her sister as she walked in. “I thought I told you you couldn’t leave the table until you finished your homework.”
“But Rarity,” Sweetie whined.
“Ah, no ‘buts’,” Rarity said, cutting off her sister before she could try to argue. “You knew you had a lot of homework today, and you still spent all afternoon playing with your friends.”
“Aww, ok,” Sweetie sighed, untangling herself from her friend and returning to the table.
“If it’s alright with your sister, I can help,” Moon offered, glancing at Rarity.
“I’ll agree to that,” Rarity said, causing the two to smile excitedly at each other. “Just make sure you let her answer the questions herself, rather than just giving her the answers.”
Sweetie Belle’s smile momentarily turned into a pout before she scooched over and patted the seat next to her. Hopping up and squeezing into the chair next to her, Moon grabbed the closest paper and began looking it over.
“Well, while they’re doing that, why don’t we excuse ourselves to my workroom,” Rarity said. “Assuming your cloak is the same as both of your sisters, I’ve taken the liberty of laying out the materials we shall need ahead of time.”
Rather than going back through the shop, Rarity instead directed them through a side door that led directly to her workroom.
“I really appreciate this,” Wander said, removing his cloak and offering it to Rarity. “I’ve been meaning to ask Gran Gran about a new cloak, but she’s started to have trouble with needle and thread, and then she got sick…”
“Don’t worry about it, darling,” Rarity said, giving him an understanding smile as she took his cloak in her magic. “It’s perfectly understandable. Besides, despite the amount of traveling you do, your cloak is in quite good condition. Silvia’s was an absolute nightmare when I got my hooves on it.”
“Hey,” Silvia spoke up, feigning offense. “My cloak wasn’t that bad.”
“Not that bad?” Rarity parotted. Turning, she tilted her head forward to look at Silvia over the top of her glasses. “You cloak was held together by a few threads and a bit of luck. All it would have taken was a branch snagging it in the wrong place and your entire cloak would have fallen to pieces. Even I wouldn’t have been able to save it after that.”
“Wasn’t bad,” Silvia pouted, sitting on her haunches and crossing her forelegs over her chest.
Rolling her eyes at Silvia, Rarity laid Wander’s cloak out across the only clear space on her work desk and eyes it critically.
“It seems I was slightly mistaken,” Rarity said, scrunching her muzzle in concentration. “It seems your cloak is just as worn as Silvia’s was, if not more so.”
Looking at her brother, Silvia stuck her tongue out, closed her eyes, and blew him a raspberry.
“However,” Rarity continued, “it seems you did a much better job of patching and caring for your cloak than she did.”
Glancing at his sister, Wander cocked an eye at her as she returned to pouting.
“The same treatment I gave Silvia’s cloak should do just fine,” Rarity concluded. Turning her head, she glanced back at Wander. “Would you like me to put any enchantments on it while I’m fixing it? Increased durability, waterproofing, anything of the sort?”
“Oh, no, that’s ok. You don’t have to,” Wander said. “It’s enough that you’re patching it for me, you don’t have to do all of that.”
“Nonsense,” Rarity said, returning to her work. “The enchantments are easy enough to do, and I don’t even have to add a gem to hold them. These lovely medallions the three of you use as clasps have a gem embedded in the back that is just perfect for enchanting. They're even cut in a way that allows them to draw in the latent mana in the air.”
“After looking at the three of them, I’m certain they had been enchanted to do something at one point.” Rarity continued. Pausing in her work she turned to look at the siblings. “You wouldn’t happen to know what they were enchanted to do, would you? The original enchantment seems to have dissipated completely, and I find myself rather curious as to what they did.”
“Honestly?” Wander responded. “We all just thought they were decorative… although it was weird they were on the back.”
“A shame,” Rarity tsked. “I’d have loved to know what they did, and reapplied them if possible.”
“Oh, that’s perfectly alright, Rarity,” Wander insisted. “I appreciate the offer, but you’re already repairing my cloak without asking for anything in return, I couldn’t possibly ask you to enchant it as well.”
“Besides, that spell you used to fix my cloak took a lot out of you,” Silvia pointed out. “Neither of us would want you to exhaust yourself for our sakes.”
“Oh, pish posh, darling,” Rarity giggled, waving a hoof at Silvia. “That was all acting, I was supposed to keep you distracted here until they finished setting up for your party. The spell actually isn’t all that difficult… at least, not for a garment as simple as a cloak.”
Feigning offense at being lied to, Silvia turned her nose up and to the side as she returned to her pouting.
Shaking his head at his sister, Wander turned back to Rarity and watched with rapt attention as the swath of fabric was encased in her magic and seemed to melt into his cloak. Taking a few steps forward to get a better look, his eyebrows slowly rose in surprise when he saw that the cloak looked brand new again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rarity’s horn flare four more times before she folded the cloak and floated it back to him
“There we go, good as new,” Rarity beamed, her magic fading from the cloak as Wander took it. “And I even included enchantments to increase the cloaks durability, as well as ones to make it waterproof, resistant to wind, and to help regulate your body temperature in cold weather.”
“Oh, Rarity,” Wander said, looking guiltily at the cloak. “I said you didn’t…”
“Didn’t need to. Yes, I know,” Rarity said, giving him a friendly smile as she laid a forehoof on his shoulder. “But I wanted to. You said yourself how cold it can get traveling through the northern territories, and if you’re anything like Silvia you don’t handle the cold well.”
“I handle it better than most in my family, but it still gets to me,” Wander admitted. “But I can’t accept this without paying you, I’m sure these spells weren’t cheap or easy to learn.”
“I’ll admit that a few of them gave me trouble, but with a friend like Twilight acting as my tutor it didn’t take long at all to pick them up,” Rarity replied. “And she already had a copy of the spellbook in her private collection, so I didn’t even need to buy a copy myself.”
Igniting her horn, Rarity draped the cloak over Wander’s shoulders and secured the clasp around his neck. Once she was satisfied that the cloak was on properly and securely, she surprised Wander by pulling him into a tight hug.
“Now, stop worrying yourself about paying me and make sure you have a safe trip home,” Rarity told him before pulling back from the hug. “I’d never be able to live with myself if I found out you were distracted by something I’d never even dream of charging a friend for and hurt yourself.”
Releasing him fully, Rarity turned back to her workbench and ignited her horn. The scattered scraps of cloth and sewing utensils became encased in a matching glow as they floated off of the desk and to their respective spots. Once everything was where it belonged her sketch pad floated over from her desk and affixed itself to the easel at the end of her workbench.
“Now, as uncouth as it may be, I’m afraid I must cut this visit short,” Rarity said, turning her attention to the rolls of fabric she had floated over to herself. “Unfortunately, if I’m to stay on schedule I have one last dress I must finish before I’m allowed to relax, and that will be a difficult enough task once my sister finishes her homework and comes looking for attention.”
Taking the hem of his cloak in a forehoof, he held it up to look at it before smiling and heading for the kitchen.
“We’ll grab our sister and see ourselves out, then,” Wander said, motioning for Silvia to follow him. “Thank you, Rarity, for everything.”
“It was my pleasure, darling,” Rarity responded, glancing over her shoulder to smile at him.
“Tell ya what,” Wander said, stopping as he reached the door to the kitchen. “I’ve got an offer for you, something that will make me feel better about not paying you for this.”
Curious as to what his offer could be, Rarity paused in her worked and turned to face him before motioning for him to continue.
“If you ever think of anything you need,” Wander started, turning and taking a step back into the room. “Needles, thread, fabric, anything… you ask Silvia to send me a letter and I’ll make sure to have it next time I’m in town.”
“That is a very generous offer,” Rarity said, nodding her head in thanks. “One that I will be certain to keep in mind.”
Turning once more to her work she placed a roll of fabric on her workbench and unrolled it as a pattern and pin-cushion full of pins floated over to her.
“Now, shoo you two,” Rarity teased, “before you put me any further behind.”
Smiling at the interactions between her brother and one of her best friends, Silvia lead the way as they headed to the kitchen. Stopping briefly to collect their sister from the kitchen the trio left the kitchen, the slowly setting sun on their backs as they returned to Wander’s cart.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon as Wander secured the last of the trade goods in his cart.
“Well, looks like it’s about that time,” Wander said, turning to face his sisters as he wiped some sweat from his brow.
“Aww, already?” Silvia asked, giving her brother puppy dog eyes. “You’re sure you can’t stay one more day?”
“Unfortunately no, we can’t,” Wander responded, tussling his younger sister’s mane. “I’ve already stuck around longer than I normally would.”
“Don’t worry, though,” Wander continued, moving to hitch himself to his cart. “I’ve already decided to make Ponyville a normal stop on my route, so you should see me again in a few months.”
“And maybe next time I’ll be able to convince him to bring Rose along,” Moon said, nudging her sister’s side. “I know how much you missed her before.”
“Yeah, it would be nice to see her again,” Silvia sniffled.
Taking both of her siblings by surprise, Silvia grabbed both of them and pulled them into a tight hug.
“I’ll miss you guys soooo much,” Silvia said, rubbing her face on her brother’s shoulder. “Have a safe trip home, and tell everyone I love them and miss them.”
“Will do,” Wander promised. Turning back to his cart, he prepared to hook his newly donned harness to its hitch but paused before moving for the door. “Actually, before we go, I have something for you.”
Curious as to what it could be, Silvia waited impatiently as he stepped into his cart and began rummaging around. A few moments later he stepped out from his wagon, stopping only to unhook his harness when it got caught on the door.
“Here we are,” Wander said, offering Silvia a medium-sized wooden box.
Taking the box from her brother, Silvia gasped as she immediately recognized the hoof-carved cannon sized case.
“Is this…” Silvia started, looking to her brother for confirmation.
“It is,” Wander nodded.
“Gran Gran decided to give it to you,” Moon said. Pausing in thought for a moment, she began snickering before continuing. “Efflorescence told everyone ‘it was fine’, and that ‘it didn’t match her mane anyways’, but we could all tell she was jealous.”
Silvia glanced between her brother and sister before looking reverently upon the box. Carefully opening the box, she gasped when she saw what was in the box. Sitting upon cushions of faded red velvet was a bone-white mane pin ending in an expertly carved white rose. Inlaid in the center of the rose was a small hoof-carved fire ruby, the sunlight caught in the gem giving it the appearance of a dancing flame in its center.
“It’s Gran Gran’s manepin,” Silvia gasped in wonder. Turning to her brother, she gave him a questioning look. “I thought she said she’d never part with this, so how’d you get it?”
“She gave it to me,” Wander replied. “She said she felt like you needed it more than she did.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Silvia asked, glancing between her siblings.
“None of us could figure it out,” Moon said with a shrug, “and she wouldn’t say anything else about it. I say you just take the thing, 'cus if you don’t then Effy certainly will.”
“Of course I’ll take it,” Silvia quickly said, gently closing the case and holding it to her chest. “But, why? This thing has been in the family for as long as anyone can remember and…”
Silvia paused for a moment before a look of dread crossed her face.
“You don’t think…” Silvia started, giving her brother a worried look.
“I don’t think it’s anything like that,” Wander assured her. “From what I’ve heard, she’s only gotten better since we left.”
Shifting his gaze, some sadness flashed across Wander’s eyes as he looked off into the distance.
“I’m thinking that getting sick this last time may have reminded her of her mortality, so she wanted to make sure her most prized possessions got to who she wanted to have them,” Wander explained. “You aren’t the only one that got something.”
“I’m not?” Silvia asked. “Who else got something?”
“So far just me,” Wander said. “She gave me the saber that had been hanging in the living room, the one she said belonged to her father.”
“He didn’t bring that one with, though,” Moon said, helping her brother hook himself up.
“Of course not,” Wander responded, pausing to thank his sister. “The two of them are priceless, and it was bad enough I was carrying one of them through bandit country. I’d never be able to live with myself if something happened and I lost both of them.”
Having finished harnessing himself, Wander glanced at the sun to check the time before pulling the cart out onto the path.
“Well, it looks like we better get going,” Wander said, nodding his head towards the sun that had just finished rising above the horizon. “Time’s a-wastin', and I’d like to make it to the next town before lunch.”
“Aww, do we have to leave?” Moon groaned. “It feels like we just got here.”
“I know,” Wander sighed, gesturing towards his cart with his head, “but everyone back home is waiting on us to get back with this stuff.”
“Maybe next time you visit I’ll have my own place, and you can stay longer,” Silvia offered. “Any of you, make sure you let everyone back home know.”
“Will do,” Wander replied, giving his sister a smile.
Turning his attention to Moon, he gestured towards the road with his head before slowly making his way down the path.
“You make sure you take care of yourself,” Wander called back over his shoulder.
“And make sure you keep your head low and keep us updated on what happens with Miss Twinkle Sprinkles,” Moon said, giving Silvia one last quick hug before cantering after her brother.
Don’t worry, I will,” Silvia responded, giggling at the nickname her sister had given Twilight. “You two make sure you have a safe trip, and send me a letter when you get home!”
“We will!” Moon called back, turning to wave as the two made their way down the road. “And make sure you write us when you finally ask that hunk out!”
Blushing at her sister’s comment, Silvia looked around to see if anyone was up and about before turning to watch her siblings. It didn’t take long for them to disappear into the distance, and with a sigh, Silvia returned to the library.
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Ah. Always nice to see this little gem again
Though if the ending in the last chapter is anything to go by, then there is one thing that I fear. There's another story that I've read recently, I'm not gonna say, where Twilight was being SO unreasonable to the point where she was practically unlikeable...and that's the LAST thing I want to happen to this great story. I mean, I know how her personality is, she DOES overreact and will want to know the answers to anything that catches her attention, that's one of her quirks that I like about her. But, I just hope she isn't COMPLETELY unreasonable to where she's unlikeable. She's my favorite pony after all
I hate hating her.
Regardless, I just hope you keep up the good work my good man
Great chapter, but it really feel like a filler chapter, and i'had hoped for a more epic scene for the revelation of the teacher of twilight being celestia.
Also, I'm pretty sure the manepin will be important (a pretty evident Chekhov's gun), like a symbol who will let the 'night mother' know who she is. but we will see =).
And a good reward for the patience it was lol, but seriously another great chapter. Keep up the good work scoots and everyone else who helps with the sotry, editing and so on :)
Lovely chapter just chock full of those warm fuzzies. Perfect calm before the coming storm, and also further cementing those relationships that will rush to Silvia's defense when the truth comes free.
I don't think Twilight means to cause the coming confrontation, but that's out of her hooves now...and Tia may be surprised to have half of the Elements vehemently oppose any idea of harming or imprisoning Silvia.
Reminded me about this gem
Was it intentional? Or it was just a random jab at Twitwi?
Happy birthday!
I really enjoyed the Apple family home scene. To me at least, it absolutely felt like a loving and real family gathering. By the time it was stated Silvia felt at peace there, so did I.
Update!!!
Always fun to read your characters interactions and thoughts.
But now we wait for Twilight.
8863067
I've never seen that before, funny stuff! I've actually called Twilight "Twinkle Sprinkles" for a while. I even drew my own picture of her! i.imgur.com/cR7Ha2B.png
Sibling bonding is always a fun time.
Looking forward to the next one.
Eagerly awaiting the next chapter
9070098
I was actually using the Aztec's version of Quetzalcoatl, the god of wind, air, and learning. In fact, once I start getting more into the history of the race you'll draw a lot of parallels between their culture and that of ancient Mayan's and Aztec's.
Is this a reference to mlp movie in a nutshell
This is a great story, can't wait to see more.
I lol'd hard at this bit :p
“Ohhh, the ‘forbidden fruit’ cupcake,” Pinkie said, pulling the cake from the case and holding it out between the two of them. “These are all the rage with the teenagers right now.”