Part 1
It was on the verge of midnight, and most ponies were in bed. But one pair needed the late hour for their plans. The carriage had long gone off the cobblestone paths that lined Canterlot’s streets, and now drove up a long dirt path that led to a manor house that was separate from its neighbors by the woodlands around it.
Inside the carriage, a green unicorn mare gazed out the windows in apprehension. She had grown up in the city, so was uncomfortable around vegetated areas larger than a garden. The carriage jostled over a rock under one of its wheels. The mare held herself steady against the carriage wall with one hoof while the other protectively covered her round belly, an action that had become subconscious these last six months.
“Are you alright, my dove?” The blue unicorn stallion seated next to her asked.
“Yes Aviary, I'm fine,” She snapped back. “Is it really necessary to see a Name Seer about our baby's name? It's really out of fashion nowadays.”
“Is that because it's out of fashion, or is it that you don't get along with my mother?” Aviary asked with a chuckle. His wife pursed her lips to avoid saying something rude, but her sour expression was easily softened by her husband’s gentle hoof stroking his wife’s mane.
“She divined my name and it suited my Cutie Mark.”
“But you inherited your father's Bird shop. It doesn't take magic vision to choose an appropriate name for someone likely to take it over.”
“But how would my parents have known that I would take over my father's business? Listen dear; I know you don't like it, but what would it do to my mother's business if her own son didn't use her to scry for names for his children? You certainly would hate it if my parents had to come live with us.”
His wife stewed in silence for the rest of the ride there.
The dark brown Manor was four stories tall with four tall steeples that looked eerie against the night sky. Each steeple had a stained glass window featuring a crescent moon lit by flickering candlelight. Aviary’s parents- Crystal Pendulum & Steady Pace- were firm believers that Equestria had once ruled with a Moon Princess to balance out the fiery energy of their Almighty Sun Princess Celestia, so they built their house to honor the supposed Princess of the night. To the general population an idea of Moon Princess was pure fiction- if they had heard of one at all. Yet his parents raised Aviary on the idea, so he wasn't as unsettled by the decor as his wife, who had been raised to fear the pony monster Nightmare Moon. Aviary causally let himself in and raised his voice.
“Mother we’re here!”
While Crystal’s business wasn't as popular as it had been a decade ago, she and her husband had been a smart saver sand were living comfortably in this house that could have been home to three large families. The ceiling in the entryway was tall enough for a Giraffe with a second giraffe on its back to walk comfortably with headspace to spare. The wallpaper was blue, the curtains were blue - even the floor was a pastel blue tile with elaborate rugs woven in design of dark blue starry skies.
“Welcome home, Aviary!”
The middle - aged mare stood dramatically at the top of a dark brown staircase carpeted in cobalt blue rugs. She was a lavender-pink furred pony with a purple streaked long white mane tumbling loose around her shoulders and adorned in a navy and black ruffled ball gown. She floated down the stairs and embraced her son.
“It's good to see you too Grass-is-Always-Greener,” she said after releasing Aviary.
“Moth-fur, you know my Greener Pastures doesn't like to be teased.”
“Ok, I'll play nice. But you're still fair game, right Fever-y?”
Mother and son laughed together, and Gree knew she was in for a long night.
That same night on the edge of Froggy Bottom Swamp, an earth pony colt was born in a small two bedroom shack. There were already three older children and their ma, pa, granny, and Gramps all living together in that shack, but none of the family saw the baby as anything other than a blessing.
The Pegasus mare held her baby to her for feeding, then smiled at her earth pony husband. Their diverse family was frowned upon in some circles, but no pony was treated less than neighborly in Froggy Bottom Swamp.
“You got your names figured out?” her unicorn mother-in-law asked the couple. It was a tradition for three generations now to name the baby as a family. Any pony who could talk could vote. Monsoon nodded in answer to the pink unicorn mare’s question, and eyed her husband mischievously.
“I'm going to win this time, Gator, now that there are more girls able to vote in our family.”
“You win the votes most of the time, anyway. I've only been able to name our firstborn, Croc Tooth,” Gator Bait guffawed.
“I like my name, Pop,” Croc Tooth declared from his grandpa's lap.
“You always been your father’s boy,” Monsoon sighed jokingly, and Gator Bait beamed at his family.
“Can we get started?” Grampy Croc bait grumbled. “I need my afternoon nap.”
“Yes sir! May I submit for your voting needs… Skeeter!” Monsoon declared.
“Like the bug?” Gator Bait sneered.
“Hey, they float really beautifully on top of water, like little dancers who can perform miracles.” Monsoon defended. “Don't you think it's pretty, Seashell?” Monsoon asked her only unicorn baby who was just learning to talk. The filly giggled as her mother tickled her until her husband scooped up the filly.
“No fair trying to sway the voters!” Gator Bait said in a mock serious voice. “That's my thing!” He proceeded to blow raspberries into Seashell’s belly until Grammy Lotus took the child from him.
“Now quit stalling and share your name!” She snapped playfully.
Ok, ok. For my name choice, I carefully thought about it and I now present to the family the name ‘Rain Puddle’.”
“Rain Puddle?” Monsoon asked incredulously.
“It's a refreshing source of life for the ground, it isn't as grand as a lake nor as uppity as a pond, or even endless like the ocean - but it reflects the sky all the same.”
“Ain't that interesting,” Lotus said matter of factly. “Let's take it to vote.”
“All for the wonderfully graceful name that Skeeter implies?” Monsoon asked, and hooves went into the air. As she counted the hooves they went down. Everypony looked at Gator Bait.
“All for the best choice, Rain Puddle?” Gator bait asked and a different set of hooves went up. Having decided the name, the ponies spent the rest of the day partying and lavishing attention on the newborn.
Gree lay belly-up on a fancy blue fainting couch, but definitely wasn't relaxed. Her mother in law stood behind the couch, bent over Gree with a chain in her fore hoof. Dangling on the end of the chain was a round purple crystal just barely above her belly. It had begun to move in small circles, but Gree was skeptical If this was energy like crystal pendulum claimed, or if the elder pony’s hoof was moving it around.
“This babe has a lot of feminine energy.” Crystal Pendulum said joyfully.
Considering Around 70 to 80% of ponies were born female, it wasn't a long stretch to say she would be a girl. but Gree kept quiet, knowing her husband respected his mother's methods. In the other room, a piercing whistle broke into the conversation.
“Hot water is done, mama,” Aviary called.
“Good, we could start scrying for the name now.”
Crystal Pendulum led her daughter-in-law out of the sitting room and into the kitchen where Aviary was pouring hot water into a dark blue teapot embellished with a white crescent moon and trim.
“Such a sweet dear, to make the scrying tea for me, Crystal said.
“I used to do it all the time, mother, as you know,” Aviary replied with a smile.
“I must apologize to you, Greener Pastures - usually I prepared a much more dramatic ceremony for customers. But since you’re family, I thought we could do it the simple way.”
She took the teapot from her son and began to pour it into matching teacups. Gree was worried about the lack of tea strainer. Aviary noticed her discomfort before she said a word.
“The tea leaves are how she divines our baby’s future cutie mark.”
“I know we are keeping it simple, Aviary, but you're stealing all my lines.” his mother said with a wink. “Drink your cup normally, and I'll look at the leaves left on the sides of it.”
In what she viewed as civilized company, Gree may have been able to slow down and enjoy the fragrant scent of the tea. But with ponies watching made her want to finish drinking it as fast as she could. The tea was very hot and her tongue got scalded in her haste to finish. Now she couldn’t even enjoy the taste since her tongue was numb by the burn. Like they would a child, they added an ice cube to the tea to soothe her tongue. She hoped Crystal wouldn’t gossip about this- she’d never escape the shame of it.
When she’d finished her tea, Crystal took the cup from Gree and, over a wash cloth, turned the cup completely upside down three times with her silver magic. She then looked inside at the loose tea leaves that had stuck to the sides of the cup.
“What do you see, mother?” Aviary asked.
“A bird… yes, a bird with large feathered plumes coming out of its head. It is on the bottom of the cup, so it must be a flightless, or a nesting bird.”
“Does that mean she’ll have a talent related to birds? That she can inherit Aviary’s business?” Gree asked, getting excited despite herself. She had put a lot of her own inheritance into Aviary’s business and it would be great to keep it within the family. Her mother-in-law paused, staring quizzically into the cup instead of answering right away.
“Possibly,” she finally said, “I’m getting a lot of nurturing energy from these leaves.”
“It doesn’t matter if she does or not, as long as our daughter’s happy,” Aviary added, caressing his wife’s shoulder and kissing her forehead affectionately.
Gree wasn’t so sure.
Bird of Paradise stepped off the train at police station with a lighter heart than she had in all of her life. She wore her favorite yellow summer frock, and a matching bonnet over her long braided dark green and striped orange mane. After lots of trial and error working at her family’s bird shop back home, Bird of Paradise felt more certain than ever that she here she would get her Cutie Mark soon.
On her heels was a prim, lanky mare whose frown aged her prematurely. She also wore a dress, but the light brown unicorn’s maroon dress was a turtleneck with long sleeves. Where Bird of Paradise’s outfit was loose and breezy, Sweet Dough’s was conservative up to her brown mane tightly pinned up under her small hat.
Growing up, ponies often joked that Sweet Dough’s personality had been switched with her sister, Sourdough, who often made the ponies around her smile. But Sweet Dough always focused more on baking for her family's bread business then making ponies happy.
Sweet Dough wouldn't have bothered to get married, if her father hadn't insisted that she add heirs to their family line if she wanted to inherit the business. So she let them arrange a marriage to the Real Estate Tycoon heir Summer home- a deal that got them many new stores across Equestria that made ‘Bread Family’ into a household name.
As parents, Summer Home and Sweet Dough were too busy to pay much attention to their their daughters -had been raised by a nanny, and Sweet Dough thought of Bird of Paradise as more her daughter’s daughter rather than her granddaughter. She was unused to messy and ill mannered children.
But in this instance, Bird of Paradise needed a chaperone since her parents were in Canterlot, busy with their new son. Sweet Dough’s daughter, Greener Pastures, insisted she take Bird of Paradise in hopes the filly could get close to her Grandmother. Just in case Bird of Paradise didn't have that talent to take over Aviary’s shop, Greener Pastures wanted her mother to consider her granddaughter as an employee.
The Elder mare and filly were in Ponyville because it had been suggested in the upper class circles that the city could be too stressful for young ponies looking for their Cutie Marks, and there were many success stories of late bloomers getting their Cutie Mark in rural areas this way. It seemed to Greener Pastures and Aviary to be a good idea to send their late bloomer daughter to the nearby town of Ponyville.
“We should head for the Mayor's office and formally introduce ourselves, and perhaps have somebody there give us a tour.”
“Yes Grandmother Dough.” As Bird of Paradise struggled to keep up with the older mare’s pace, she noticed they seem to be catching every pony’s attention that they passed- and looking at them, the reason for it soon became clear: She and her grandmother were the only ones wearing clothes covering their entire bodies. Bird of Paradise tried to make herself small, but her grandmother wouldn't stand for that.
“Stand up straight girl - a lady doesn't slouch or cower.”
“Yes Grandmother Dough.” Bird of Paradise stared straight ahead, wishing she couldn't see the ponies gawking or worse- laughing. Her favorite dress had become worse than walking around without any fur at all.
She walked with the fake bravado her grandmother demanded of her until she nearly crashed into the older mare, who had stopped in front of a two-story ginger colored building with a white roof.
“Grandmother?” Bird of Paradise asked hesitantly, lest she be scolded. It looked like Sweet Dough’s sharp features became those of a perky cat who'd spotted a bird. The elder mare came back into herself by her granddaughter who made herself known with a soft tug on her sleeve, and resumed her usual sour demeanor.
“Bird of Paradise, there is no sense in walking around town if we don't have a snack first.” The mare insisted, walking towards the building. Stepping closer, Bird of Paradise smelled sweetness wafting from it, and knew what had delayed their plans - a Bakery. Bird of Paradise held back a giggle as she remembered her mother's words:
“Your grandmother can't resist sweet baked goods. She may pretend otherwise to keep up a ladylike exterior, but as a child her parents wouldn't keep any baked goods in the house because she'd find wherever the treats were kept and eat them all- punishment be damned.”
A skinny teenage stallion not much older than Bird of Paradise stood behind the counter between two tiered displays of cupcakes and cinnamon buns.
“Welcome to Sugar Cube Corner! How may I help you?” The orange maned earth pony asked with a sales pony smile.
“Good day, young stallion. Do you have a menu that I might peruse?”
As her grandmother became absorbed in the paper he slid to her, Bird of Paradise wandered around the store in the various glass cases at the brownies, cakes, and pastries on display. She wondered if her grandmother would remember to get a treat for her- she often forgot and would get angry if she was reminded. Bird of Paradise treasured anything she could get, but had learned not to expect anything.
The filly’s attention was caught by the chiming of the bell over the door. Turning around she locked eyes with a light pink pony with a curly lime green mane. The stranger was flanked by two other fillies: a dark pink filly with a yellow mane, and a cream coated filly sporting a scarlet mane with pink streaks. She didn't like the look they exchanged between them, and took a step backwards as they strolled to her.
“Hi, you must be new in town. I'm Daisy,” said the light pink pony. “this is Rose Luck -” she gestured to the cream filly.
“-And I'm Lily Valley,” said the dark pink filly. All three fillies had Cutie Marks matching their names, and Bird of Paradise felt a stab of envy-but was thankful her frock covered her blank flank.
“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” she said, hiding her emotions. “I'm Bird of Paradise.”
“What a mouthful,” Rose giggled quietly to Lily.
“You sure seem fancy. Are you from Canterlot?” Daisy asked.
“Yeah, you must be a noble pony,” Lilly added.
“That's a common mistake. My family is actually just gent-”
“Hey, would you like to be our friend?” Daisy interrupted. Bird of Paradise was in the bottom of her class at Celestia's school for gifted unicorns, so was targeted by the noble ponies in her class who thought she was beneath them. They would often suggest her parents had bribed the school board so she could get in. Ponies that had worked hard for their position in this school resented her because of that rumor, Ponies that like to tease ponies who didn't have cutie marks bullied her, and everyone else avoided her lest they be picked on too. As a result Bird of Paradise didn't have friends her own age. The idea that here she could make friends so easily lifted her heart, but she couldn't help thinking of the look they shared earlier. Would they really be her friends?
“You really want to be my friend?” She answered hopefully.
“Of course! So, as our new friend, would you buy us a treat?” Rose asked.
“A treat?” Bird of Paradise’ heart sank. Her grandmother had all of the bits! She would call these earth fillies street urchins and shoo away Bird of Paradise’s potential new friends if she asked her grandmother for some.
“I can't, I'm sorry.”
“Sounds like she doesn't need any friends,” Lily said, walking past Bird of Paradise.
“Who wants to be friends with a snotty rich unicorn, anyway?” Rose sneered. Bird of Paradise held back tears. Of course, nobody ever wanted to be her friend. Maybe her brother Blue Bird would be when he was old enough to talk. Bird of Paradise fled towards Sweet Dough for comfort, only see her absorbed into eating a plate of powdered donuts. Her grandmother had been within earshot of that conversation, and seemingly had not noticed or cared. Miserable, Bird of Paradise just wanted to go home.
Since it seemed nopony cared where she went, she left the Bakery and stepped out onto the dusty path outside. Unlike in Canterlot, the earth pony population outnumbered the unicorns, and Bird of Paradise didn't know how to act around the earth ponies wandering the roads. Timidly, she watched the ground and scampered around looking for the train station. All she could remember is that there weren't a lot of buildings near it, but all the buildings looked so similar.
After what seemed like hours of looking, she still hadn't found the station. Her hooves hurt and she was hungry and tired, making her even more desperate to find it. It didn't seem like the town settlement was that big when she first came here. She was wondering if she should ask for directions, when she finally saw that the number of cottages lining the roads thinning. But it wasn't empty planes or train tracks she saw through the cottages, but forest.
Her Grandma Crystal’s house had trees around it, but somehow as she stepped into the uninhabited landscape she felt she had never breathed fresher air. The ground was littered with dead leaves and twigs that felt soft under her weary hooves. The trees were a mixture of tall and thin, each twisting their branches together in a battle to reach the Sun, which peered through the leaves in rays like transparent curtains. Curiously, she walked further in despite the obvious fact that she had gone the wrong way. Maybe she could get her Cutie Mark here.
In her garden back at home, every plant, bush, and tree had been shaped and cared for with the intention of best suiting the needs of the birds that lived there. Even the sky was tethered with a net that covered the grounds- high enough so the birds could fly freely, but leaving no opening where they could gain their freedom. Her father said they were tame birds and wouldn’t survive in the wild, but Bird of Paradise couldn’t help feeling sorry for them.
It was clear no pony tended these woods- plants weren’t in neat little rows, the trees weren’t evenly spaced, and things like moss and cobwebs could be spotted in every nook and cranny. A tree had fallen on its side, and instead of being removed so it could be put to good use- as a bridge over a creek or chopped up into firewood- it lay on its side, rotting away. Even with what little she could see through the tree canopy, it appeared that the clouds in the sky seemed to move on their own instead of by the weather team.
She could hear birdsong- which normally made her feel at home- but the birds were timid, choosing to remain unseen. No bird calls she had learned from her father brought any into view, either. The deeper in she walked, the thicker and darker the woods became. She was a little unsettled, but each piece of vegetation growing in an odd way to get sunlight drew her attention. She was still on the same path she walked in on, after all- she could go back anytime she wanted.
The sound of splashing nearby reminded Bird of Paradise how thirsty she was. She was maybe a little tired too, so the filly told herself she would go back after she had a drink. She noticed as she followed the sound that the trees were thinning again, and she realized the splashing sound was not a constant noise of running water. It sounded as if something was splashing around in it. She suddenly wondered if maybe what she was hearing was perhaps a dangerous creature, like a bear or a river dragon.
When she was close enough to see the edge of water, she peered hesitantly through a bush and braced herself for the worst. She was awed. She was on the edge of some sort of swamp-or a bog perhaps- with dead leaves and green gunk throughout. Dragonflies hovered above the water's edge, and the trees on the banks of the bog had long roots dangling into the murky water. Maybe it wasn’t the best water for drinking.
Right up to his knees in the bog water was the dirtiest earth pony colt Bird of Paradise had ever seen. Was he tan or was it the mud? His sopping wet mane had twigs (and who knows what else sticking in it) was a dark... something. The colt leaped and pounced after something in the water, then he finally thrust his head into the bog and paused. As he slowly lifted his head, he muttered something to himself that Bird of Paradise couldn’t make out. The filly took a step closer to hear better- but her foot slipped on moss, propelling Bird of Paradise off the bank and into the bog. Her screech of surprise drew the attention of the colt, who whirled his head around. Spotting her, he smiled and casually strolled over.
Bird of Paradise’s favorite dress was ruined, and she felt slimy all over, but what horrified her most was she could now see a wriggly green frog being held by the leg in the colt's mouth. He spit it into his hooves, expertly holding it so it wouldn't slip away, and smiled at the filly.
“Hi there.” His smile was the warmest, most affectionate she had ever seen, and somehow it was transcribed across his entire body. Bird of Paradise’s feelings of disgust vanished.
“Hi,” she replied shyly.
“Are you okay?” He asked her.
“Yes, thank you,” she answered. She hadn’t ever remembered caring that much about how she looked- her parents got mad if she got dirty so she tried to keep clean, but she didn’t see the point of going to the trouble otherwise. In front of this colt, though, she desperately wished she hadn’t fallen into the bog. Her face felt hot with shame -she didn’t want to stare at him, but somehow it was impossible to break eye contact.
“I've been catching frogs - wanna help?” the earth pony asked.
“With my mouth?” she asked, horrified.
“It's easier to hold things with it,” he said with a sheepish grin. “But you can use my net if you want.” He pointed to a small fishing net on a pole lying haphazardly on the bog’s bank.
“Ok,” she agreed giddly. She wondered why she felt so happy about catching frogs, but he did seem to be having fun earlier. She wadded past lily pads and stuck her head through reeds to grab the net’s handle with her mouth. It may be easier to use her magic, but something about the net’s weight in her mouth was pleasant. She waved it around, playing at catching something, and smiled at the colt who himself looked pleased.
“I'm Rain Puddle,” the colt introduced himself.
Bird of Paradise hesitated. The earth pony fillies back in town said her name was a mouthful. Would he think she was a snotty rich unicorn, too? Than she remembered the nickname her Grandpa Steady called her: Birdie. The memory of her Grandpa made the unicorn filly smile. He always just let her be a filly.
“I’m Birdie.”
The two children went right to work, splashing around and chasing the frogs that hadn't been frightened away by the noise the ponies made. They quickly came up with a strategy- Rain Puddle cornered the frightened amphibians and Birdie- all fatigue forgotten - caught them with the net. They didn't catch much, but what they did catch went into an old wicker picnic basket.
When they finally began to tire, the two ponies decided that they had enough frogs, and Rain Puddle led Birdie back to his house for lunch.
His neighborhood reminded Birdie of the Pier next to Lake Canterlot, only a lot more rustic and rickety- looking. Half the houses were on wooden poles over the bog, and the other half were raised up on porches on the edge of cleared forest. Every porch was connected together, making one big pier Birdie and Rain Puddle walked down with lots of other ponies going about their day to day business. The small shack he brought Birdie to was at the end of the ‘wooden street’, which was half on land and half over the Bog. A large wooden fence surrounded the back of the house and continued as mesh, fencing a good portion of the bog away from the town.
The front porch also had stairs leading to the ground, and Birdie was memorized by the tall flowers growing against the house. They stood tall among almost bushes of long, ribbon-like leaves, and the flowers themselves were colored like flame, spiking out in different directions so it almost looked like a plumed bird with a long neck. Rain Puddle playfully nudged Birdie to remind her of his presence, and she smiled at her friend.
“What are you going to do with the frogs?” Birdie asked.
“Going to feed them to our Gators and Crocs,” Rain Puddle answered cheerfully.
“What?” Birdie shouted in surprise, but her attention was drawn away from that horrid thought as a group of young ponies raced towards them. There was an earth pony colt, a pegasus filly, a unicorn filly and a small earth pony filly, all looking unkempt and fierce. Birdie looked at Rain Puddle, and saw from his stiff pose and glare that she should be wary of these peers.
“You sure got a big frog,” the greenish-tan colt sneered, leering at Birdie.
“I'm not a frog!” Birdie whined.
“Maybe she’s a Jackalope,” the light blue Pegasus filly suggested, mischief in her eyes.
“Yeah!” the lime green earth pony filly agreed. She barely looked old enough to talk- how did she get so mean?
“Hey, stop picking on Birdie!” Rain Puddle snapped. The four ponies circled Birdie and Rain Puddle, making Birdie wish an adult would come by soon- Teachers were the only thing that stopped the bullies back at school, so she had come to depend on adults to save her.
“Hey, she's a unicorn too!” Gasped a sea green filly unicorn with a wavy yellow and pale blue mane. She wasn't much bigger then Birdie herself, who was tall for her age. “Can you do any magic yet?”
“Yes,” Birdie replied hesitantly. She was after all in Celestia's school, but saying so aloud in front of ponies that didn’t look like they could afford much felt like bragging- even if she wasn’t the best student.
“Let's see some then!” A blue Pegasus filly insisted, rolling her eyes.
“She doesn't have to do anything, Sea Mist!” Rain Puddle yelled.
“I bet she can't even levitate a pebble yet,” A tannish green earth pony colt sneered.
“Yeah, my big sister can do magic way better than you!” a tiny green filly with a light pink mane declared. As if to prove the filly’s theory, crackly bursts of blue magic came from the unicorn filly’s horn, and it wobbled as it held up three pebbles at eye level as if she was daring Birdie to do better. Birdie wilted behind Rain Puddle - why didn't any ponies her age like her? She hadn't said anything mean.
“Aw, is the little filly scared?” the earth pony Colt mocked. “I bet she's not a unicorn at all, but a goat that was born missing a horn.
Rain Puddle growled like a wolf, and tackled the larger colt, pushing him off the pier onto the ground next to the house. They wrestled on the ground while the other fillies chanted “fight” over and over again. Birdie didn't want her new friend hurt! Her eyes searched the town nearby until she spotted a bucket sitting on the brim of a stone well.
Birdie’s orange aura came out as a steady beam that she used to brush the bucket gently, an action that went unnoticed by those watching the fight. She sensed the bucket was empty, but as they were right on the edge of the bog, liquid certainly was plentiful- so she needn’t waste any clean water the well might hold. She levitated the bucket away from the well and off the side of the pier, submerging it into the murky water. Gathering all it could hold, she moved it above the fighting colts, her stamina failing as her magic began to fizzle.
When she was sure it would hit her targets, she let it go, throwing slightly so the bucket landed on the ground next to the young ponies. Bog water splashed all over the colts and drops even hit the fillies who had crowded around the fight. The fillies Squealed and scattered, leaving the two earth pony Colts soaking wet on the now muddy ground looking puzzled.
A mare laughed, and Birdie saw a grey Pegasus mare step towards them from off the porch. Her mane was an uncontrollable mess resembling both the mane of a lion and the fleece of a sheep. Only one part didn't stick out, and that was because a green pegasus baby lay across the top of her head.
“That's a great idea for breaking up a fight!” She guffawed. “Too bad they are all muddy now. Bath time!” the mare shouted the last two words musically, and the young ponies groaned.
“Aw, Ma, we're just going to get dirty again!” Rain Puddle jokingly complained.
“Put that mouth to good use and get the water ready,” the mare ordered him with a smile. “Croc Tooth, help your little brother clean out the tub.” The tannish green colt Rain Puddle had just been fighting with nuggied Rain Puddle, causing the colt to playfully mouth ‘help me’ at Birdie before he was dragged into the house.
“You’re Rain Puddle’s mother? You’re all related?” Birdie asked, dumbfounded.
“The name’s Monsoon. Welcome to our home!” said the Pegasus mare, gesturing to the house behind them. Mixed marriages were almost nonexistent in Canterlot- no matter how much their princess preached harmony between the pony races- so the sight of a pegasus as the mother of an earth pony was something Birdie had never seen before. She could have guessed Rain Puddle had been adopted if not for the fact they shared the same eyes. As all the Fillies and Colts gathered on the porch, she could see all six of them shared features with the Pegasus mare. She had never been around such a large family. How easily they slipped into friendliness with each other after that fight made Birdie feel lonely.
“So, new girl, let's get you out of that poor dress and see if we can get you cleaned up too,” the mare said while leading Birdie inside.
“Please, call me Birdie.”
“I’m Petunia!” the small Earth Pony filly said, almost challenging. “My big brothers are called Croc Tooth and Rain Puddle, and my big sisters are called Sea Mist and Spiral Shell. I have a little brother, too- he’s called Dragonfly,” she pointed at the tiny green pegasus Monsoon had moved from her head into a basket cradle.
“Petunia, will you get the soap for me, scamp?” Monsoon asked.
“Okay!” Petunia agreed, bouncing off inside excitedly.
The inside of the shack seemed smaller than the outside. The one room was as large as her entryway back home, and there was enough furniture crammed in it for three rooms. Half of the floor was cracked, moldy tiles and the other half was a wooden floor that had began to warp. It creaked as they walked in. On the tiled half was a small drum stove, wooden counter, three banged up wall cabinets, a cupboard missing a drawer, a small box Birdie thought was an ice chest, and a water pump. Croc Tooth and Rain Puddle were currently using it to fill several large stove pots, their movements like a well-oiled machine.
Next to the kitchen was a long wooden table with mismatched chairs, all which were nicked, scratched, and cobbled together. Stuck in the center on top of the table was a mix of different sized used candles. Barely a foot away from the table was a couch with patches that had patches, a small side table with an oil lamp on it, and an old rocking chair that was being used by a pale pink unicorn mare Birdie’s grandparents’ age. The unicorn was knitting something indistinguishable with her hooves, and smiled when she made eye contact with Birdie.
“ I’m Lotus, child. Glad to meet you,” she said, and Birdie smiled at her.
An open door to the right of the rocking chair revealed a bedroom crammed with beds. It was half the size of the room they were in. The unicorn and pegasus fillies were rummaging around in there, and Birdie soon saw towels in their hooves.
A Yellow-green earth pony stallion came in from the back door next to the kitchen stove, dragging a large metal tub that he placed on the tiled floor side. Birdie saw a lot of Rain Puddle in the stallion’s features and guessed he was the colt’s father.
“We grew another kid?” He asked Monsoon, eyeing Birdie with amusement.
“It's weird, usually our numbers grow when food is served, not when it's bath time,” Monsoon joked. “Birdie, this is my husband Gator Bait. Gator, this is Rain Puddle’s new friend.”
“Rain Puddle’s friend, huh? Do you like Alligators?”
“I, uh…” Birdie had only really seen them in books.
“How about Crocodiles? I like Gators a little more, but I’m biased ‘cause that’s my name ‘n all.” Monsoon playfully swatted her husband’s flank.
“Stop pestering the filly and help your sons with the water.”
The colts and Gator Bait added the water they had been heating on the stove to the tub, and when it was finally three thirds full, Monsoon stuck her hoof in to test it.
“Water's fine, fillies, get in here.”
“Aw, Ma, they take up all the hot water!” Croc Tooth complained.
“It was colts first last time,” Monsoon countered. “Be patient.” The colts moved to the living room side of the room, and Sea Mist and Spiral Shell carried out a worn standing screen from the bedroom. They placed it in front of the tub to block it from male eyes.
Gently, Monsoon pulled off Birdie’s spoiled frock and folded it over the mare’s forehoof. As much as it was a relief to have the weight of the soiled dress off, Birdie felt guilty looking at it. Not only was it filthy with bog scum and mud, she could see that her rough play earlier had torn it a little. She would likely be getting a lecture from Grandma Dough and her mother.
Even though ponies usually don’t wear clothes, Birdie felt uncomfortable bathing with ponies she didn't know. Before she could protest, she was dropped into the tub with the other three fillies. The water was just hot enough not to burn, but the sudden temperature change shocked Birdie. It was a tight fit in the metal tub and no pony could lay down- only sitting upright was comfortable, and even then it was hard not to touch each other. Wordlessly, Monsoon handed soap bars to the fillies.
“Can you help me reach my back?” Sea Mist asked her mother, stretching her wings so they draped outside the tub, therefore making her back easily accessible. Her mother did so efficiently and was even able to do her daughter’s wings while preening out loose feathers.
“Sorry we teased you earlier,” Spiral Shell apologised, while using her magic to levitate her soap bar down her own back. She kept on losing control of her magic, dropping the bar into the tub repeatedly as a result.
“I don't mind helping you with that,” Birdie offered quietly. She didn't know where she got the courage to offer something so bold, but the fillies seemed much easier to talk to now, especially in the intimate setting.
“We can do each other,” Spiral Shell said with a smile, taking her soap into her hoof and touching Birdie’s back with it. The unicorn filly’s touch was surprisingly gentle for somepony with such a rough magic aura, and Birdie suspected Spiral Shell more commonly used her hooves than her magic. Birdie did her best to intimate the unicorn’s careful job.
“Can I have my rubber ducky?” Petunia ask Monsoon, who at that point was already shampooing the earth pony filly’s pink mane.
“Next time, kiddo - you don't have a lot of room in there.”
After the fillies were all clean and toweled dry, they lounged on the sofas while the colts had their turn in the tub. Birdie had been lent a comb and was in the process of combing the tangles out of her mane and tail. She was beginning to feel comfortable again, and used the process of braiding her hair to keep the thought of her now ruined dress out of her mind - even though its image kept popping back up. The end of the couch Birdie sat on pointed to one of the windows facing the front yard, and as she peered out the window her glance landed once again on the orange flowers against the house.
“What kind of flowers are those?” She asked Lotus, who was still in the rocking chair.
“The orange ones? Can't say I know - we just took some bulbs we found in Everfree and planted them here when my husband built this place,” the old mare chuckled. “Say, would you like to take a bulb home with you?”
“Can I really?”
“Sure thing. I have a few bulbs stored away - the Bog floods sometimes in the rainy season, tends to kill the land plants - so we have plenty extra.” The Unicorn dug through a cupboard drawer and plopped something drop-shaped wrapped in tissue into Birdie’s hoof.
Half an hour later the fillies and the colts ate watercress sandwiches around the table. Birdie could barely focus on her sandwich since she saw Rain Puddle after his bath. He barely resembled the messy colt she played with almost all morning. He had a tan coat with a dark blue mane and tail that was only slightly scruffy. Somehow his cleanliness highlighted his smile. He chatted with his family members, doing his best to include her in the conversation. She couldn't look away from him.
An urgent knock on the door made Rain Puddle’s smile slip away, its absence of disappointing Birdie- but it finally allowed her to take a bite of her sandwich. The watercress was wonderfully fresh like it had been just plucked from a garden- but the bread, while not stale or moldy, definitely wasn't fresh. Birdy refuse to complain about it, since it seemed like they had little to share. Birdie didn't want to spit on their generosity, and she was awfully hungry.
In answer to the knocking, Gator Bait calmly stood up from the table and strolled over to the door. He opened it wide, without a care in the world. Standing on the porch was a golden-furred teenage stallion with the red bandana around his neck and a Stetson hat on his head. He promptly removed his hat in the presence of Rain Puddle’s father.
“Begging your pardon, but I'm on the lookout for a lost unicorn filly in a the yellow dress. Your neighbors said someone fitting that description might’ve came here?”
“We found her!” Petunia giggled. Rain Puddle glared at her.
“You were lost, Birdie?’ Sea Mist asked.
“Is there a reward?” Croc Tooth added.
Subdued, Birdie left her half-eaten sandwich on the table and slowly approached the stallion.
“Are you Bird of Paradise?” the stallion asked her. Birdie nodded.
The stallion frowned down at Birdie. “Your granny's worried sick about you,” he scolded. “She has practically everyone in Ponyville looking for you,”
Birdie flinched, knowing the tongue lashing Sweet Dough had likely prepared.
“Sorry for your trouble,” she replied sadly. The stallion’s expression softened.
“T’weren’t no trouble at all - a good mystery once in awhile sure livens up our peaceful little town. But we'd best hurry back so your granny doesn't worry.”
Rain Puddle stood up so fast his chair fell on the ground, and all eyes fell on him.
“Do you really have to go?” Rain Puddle pleaded, his voice rising with disappointment.
“Aw, don't worry kiddo, she can come over and play next time she visits,” Monsoon insisted, hugging her colt close with her wing. Birdy sniffled - it was unlikely her parents would let her come back after this debacle.
“Don’t leave this behind now, “ Grandma Lotus said, holding Birdie’s dress in a soft white aura. Birdie was astonished- the dress was almost like new! No stains were visible, and you could see the mending that went into fixing the rips only if you looked really closely. Tears of relief and joy in her eyes, she hugged the old unicorn tightly.
“Thank you so much,” she sobbed into the unicorn’s mane. The unicorn helped her slip the dress back on, then levitated the bulb Birdie had received earlier into the filly’s hoof. She wiped away her tears, and looked at everypony there, her eyes finally landing on Rain Puddle, who looked like he was close to tears himself.
“Goodbye, everypony, and thank you!” She said as she walked out, clutching her flower bulb against her chest. Everypony waved goodbye with varying their expressions on their faces, and as she left the Bog it was quite a while before Birdie’s melancholy left her. To be concluded in part 2
