A loud, blaring sound roused her from her rest as the train came to a slow halt. Briar sat upright, taking in her surroundings as the daze from her nap began to wear off. Adjusting her glasses and turning her gaze to the window, she saw Ponyville. Doubt loomed in her heavy heart as she found it difficult to move. She recalled feeling something similar when she boarded the train to leave for Manhattan months ago. It seemed so strange to have this flood of hesitation and concern when one returned to their hometown, but often when one returned it was under better circumstances. Finally, she took in a deep breath and stood from her seat. The gold metal bangles on her front left leg sounded as she slowly moved her way down the train cart and to the open doors.
The sounds, or lack thereof, were so foreign to the timid mare. She was used to the hustle and bustle of Manehattan, returning to the small town of Ponyville put her on edge. No pony had told her to watch where she was going, or rudely cut in front of her. Though it was pleasant surroundings, she felt so out of place; she hadn’t even left the station yet..
Emerald and gold eyes traveled the landscape as she drew closer and closer to the town's core. She raised a brow as something caught her attention. Large, withered husks of monstrous vines littered the once familiar setting. She watched as ponies of all types moved about to help clean up the remains of what had to been an epic event. Not wishing to hinder their progress, she was mindful of where she walked, hoping to not get in any pony’s way.
She had a sense of nostalgia and caution as she trotted through the unpaved streets of Ponyville. Taking in the visuals, taking note of how little the village had changed in her absence was comforting. At the same time she was worried, held up on what others might think about her homecoming. Briar’s eyes soon drifted from the buildings and landmarks and found themselves gazing to the ground.
She was never good at keeping in touch. During her few months in Manehattan she had possibly sent her mother one letter. And with her abrupt move she didn’t have time to get any form of warning to her mother before simply arriving, looking for a place to stay while she tried to get on her hooves.
Her attention was drawn to some noise of struggle caused by three fillies trying to move one of these vines. They had a rope tied around it and the other end tied to a scooter. “It’s not gonna budge!” The small earth pony called out as she pushed the vine alongside a small unicorn. A young pegasus was on the scooter trying to make it move, likely attempting to pull the vine. “Just push harder!” The pegasus called. “Well maybe if we didn’t try to move the BIGGEST vine around here, we wouldn’t be having this much trouble!” The young unicorn shouted back in protest. Briar moved from her path and trotted towards the young fillies. A pale green aura engulfed the vine as it began to lift from the ground, leaving the fillies in a state of shock and awe.
“Mind if I help?” Briar asked as the fillies soon took note of who was moving the vine. The unicorn and earth pony both looked up to Briar with a bit of a pleading smile as she awaited an answer, but everypony’s attention was drawn to the pegasus as she protested. “But then we won’t get credit for getting rid of the biggest one! What if we get our cutie marks for this?”
“For what? Debris removal?” The earth pony replied. Briar gave a soft smile. “I appreciate your tenacity. It is rather valiant that you want to tend to the largest vine. But, what if we take a look at the picture as a whole, hm?” Briar motioned that the fillies look at the rest of the town, still littered with the large black vines. “You’ve spent so much time worrying about this one large problem, I think you overlooked the overall issue. It is true this here is a mighty vine, but removing this one won’t fix everything.”
She moved over and looked at the young pegasus’ scooter and the rope they had employed to help with this problem. Briar used her magic to untie the rope from the vine and moved it in front of the smaller unicorn, gesturing for her to take it. “I think you will make a much bigger splash if you gathered a lot of smaller vines - use the rope to tie them all together. I am sure you’ll be able to gather them quickly with that scooter of yours. With you three working swiftly with the smaller ones, other ponies will have more time on their hooves to get the larger ones, thus cleaning Ponyville much faster.” She concluded with a smile.
The fillies took a moment to think on Briar’s words, but soon came to an agreement that she was right. As they spent so much time with this large vine, they were not contributing to the recovery. They were stuck on this one problem when their efforts could be better used elsewhere.
“Alright Cutie Mark Crusaders! New plan! Let’s do a speedy clean up of all the smaller vines!” The pegasus cheered with determination. The other two followed suit as they quickly darted towards the center of town. Briar soon looked to the vine she still had levitated, realizing that her journey to her mother’s would have to be put on hold temporarily. Not that she minded much; facing her mother in her current circumstances wasn’t something that she was eager to do.
By the time the cleanup was done, the sun had already set. Briar looked to the darkened sky with a sense of achievement. She was able to help out and make a difference - not to mention the ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders’ from before seemed rather pleased with all they had managed to accomplish. Lanterns had been set up near town square and ponies of all types walked out with food and drink; a reward for today's hard work. Briar watched as these small town ponies began to socialize and enjoy themselves. She began to feel like a stranger again - all these ponies knew each other and had likely grown up together. It was true she had been here as a filly, but she wasn’t really the type to go seek out social interaction.
After the hard work and effort she had put in today, thirst called her to the table where a purple mare had set up what seemed to be a berry punch. Briar gave a shy smile as she made eye contact with the mare while accepting a glass, then quickly moved on. She sat in the corner away from the others who celebrated and simply watched. Her eyes followed their movements as some took to dancing and cheering. Sounds of enjoyment soon filled the air and brought a warmer smile to her lips. Briar moved the half finished glass down to a nearby table as she motioned to her suitcase, opening it and gathering her sketchbook and pencils. She opened the book to a blank page and began to make rough sketches of what she saw. The motions and movements seemed so natural and fluid to her. Her eyes acted almost like cameras as she captured each moment to memory and translating it quickly to the page. So immersed in this, Briar hadn’t noticed that she gained an audience. Laying down at her sketchbook by this point, a small gasp of amazement caused her to look up to her left. There, she saw the three fillies from before. A faint glimmer of blush ran under her cheeks as instinct spurred her to cover the page. “Aww! Don’t cover it up, I wanna see more!” The young unicorn spoke with a smile. Briar raised a brow, a little staggered by this eagerness. The earth pony then chimed in, giving a nod as she agreed with her friend and also added a compliment. Briar half looked down to her sketchbook as she soon gave in to the awkwardness, moving her hooves from the page. Her hasty actions had left dirt mixed with the charcoal sketches, leaving her sprawled works smudged and dirty.
“Oh no!” The pegasus gasped as she leaned down to look at the ruined lines. Briar gave a somber expression as she was a little saddened by this, mentally kicking herself for ruining these quick doodles. She leaned towards the page and blew on it, hoping to move some of the looser dirt. It did clean the page, but only slightly. “Sorry for startling you.” The unicorn offered in a guilty tone. She looked back to the fillies, their notions of guilt made her feel bad instantly.
“Oh no, it was my fault. I reacted without thinking,” Briar offered with an embarrassed smile; but that didn’t seem to ease the fillies
“Uh well… Here!” she started while flipping to a new page. Briar adjusted so she could face the fillies a little more head on. “H-How about I sketch you now?” she offered. She was hesitant, worried that she wouldn’t perform well under pressure but it was a little too late to take it back now as the fillies had instantly become excited. Briar gave a forced giggle as she faked a smile, hoping to mirror their amusement.
She moved the pencil to her will again, glancing up at the fillies mostly but looking down on occasion to make sure she was where she wanted to be in the sketch. The three seemed to be trying to hold a pose as though they were having their picture taken, but Briar assured them that they didn’t need to do that. She would rather that they act natural and talk to her. She felt more confident about portrait drawings when she was able to get a sense of the the pony she was illustrating.
She learned a little about them during these talks. Their names, what the ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders’ meant and the crazy adventures they tackled to try and unlock their Cutie Marks. She began to ease and relax around them, no longer stiff and terrified, but now a little more natural. The excitement they expressed when talking about their potential Cutie Marks warmed her heart, even though her experience was not that pleasant, she was hopeful that these fillies would gain theirs on joyous terms.
After what didn’t seem like a long time, the illustration was done. Briar presented it to the Cutie Mark Crusaders looking for approval with a sheepish smile. This was often the hardest part - putting a piece of your soul onto paper to show the world and fearing its rejection. But, it seemed that she had done well this time around as the fillies gave gasps of astonishment. She felt her heart beat steady as her body eased; relief washing over her. Though it was only meant to be a small doodle, she had grown attached to the memories associated with this sketch. Briar placed her sketchbook back down as she took the pencil once more and signed the bottom of the page. She then took the page from the sketchbook, causing alarm in the fillies. Briar looked back up to them with a warm expression as she offered the page to the girls.
“Here. I think it will serve better in your hooves,” she smiled. Sweetie Belle’s horn lit up as she took the image from Briar’s control, bringing it closer to her and her friends. “Are you sure about this?” Scootaloo asked quickly, giving wide eyes to Briar. The brown mare nodded as their genuine gratitude lifted her spirits. She was touched that the Cutie Mark Crusaders liked how she captured their likeness.
“We should hang it in the clubhouse!” Apple Bloom cheered, a notion that was quickly accepted by the other two.
Briar began to stand on her own hooves as the fillies started to say it was getting rather late. She nodded, agreeing that the CMC should go back to their homes. Surely it was close to their bedtimes, if not passed it. With brief words of goodbye and goodnight, the three fillies ran off. Briar watched them go before she began to gather her things and pack them away in her luggage once more.
“Briar?!” her ears twitched about as she heard someone call her name. Briar looked about in a small panic as she tried to locate its origin, her emerald and gold eyes soon falling upon an older mare sporting a tan and white spotted colour scheme. Her greying, chocolate brown mane was pulled back into a messy bun and her voluminous tail braided. She wore elaborate jewellery; bracelets, a necklace, a metal jeweled clip at the base of her tail braid, and even rings in her ears. Pale green eyes fixated on Briar as she seemed to be frozen in place. The familiar unicorn soon walked towards the timid mare, causing her to lift a hoof as the temptation to flee ran through her. But the older unicorn simply wrapped a leg around her, pulling her into an embrace.
“H-Hi mom….” Briar stammered.
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The brown mare watched from her seat at the table as her mother, Autumn Chain, moved quickly about the kitchen. Her horn glowed as she gathered tea cups and tea leaves, preparing them to be ready for when the kettle boiled. Though this was the home she grew up in and knew well, she felt like such a stranger. A heavy, thick air was between the mares as silence seemed to build a gap between them.
She eyed her luggage which sat in the corner. Her mind screamed at her to take it and run, but she wasn’t entirely sure why. She was simply at home with her mother… Nothing scary about that… Nothing to fear… But her heart pounded in her chest. Briar closed her eyes as she faced forwards once more, taking in a deep breath as she tried to calm herself.
Autumn soon slammed a cup down in front of Briar, causing her to practically jump out of her seat as her eyes shot open. “Raspberry and Rosehip - your favourite,” Autumn chimed as she circled the table to take her own seat.
Briar levitated the cup and brought it slowly to her lips. Her eyes locked onto her mother as she settled. “I must admit, I was rather surprised to see you in Ponyville! I thought you were working with that Suri girl in Manehattan,” she began, being rather straightforward as always. Briar gave a fake smile as she lowered her cup. “I was; until this morning.”
“Oh? What brings you home? Surprise visit?” her eager mother asked. Briar didn’t have a real chance to think about how she was going to explain her current situation to her mother. She knew she didn’t want to admit what Suri had done as it would cause Autumn to go on a warpath. But could she really lie to her mother? Was lying something she really had to do? It was possible that through colourful and tactful wording Briar could give a satisfactory explanation without revealing that ugly truth to her short tempered mother.
“I um… Well…” Briar looked down to her cup as though the deep red brew would give her some solace. “... I guess Manehattan was just not for me…”
“Oh?” the older mare commented instantly. “What happened to that drive and determination I saw when you left? Are you still sketching those designs?” she asked. Briar did her best to ignore the panic that swelled in her brought on by the seemingly never ending questions. She shifted back in her seat as though she was able to step away from the conversation. “I still sketch… I just don’t think I’m cut out to be a designer…”
“What makes you say that? Your sketches are lovely!” Autumn stated quickly, almost as if it was a reflex.
Why did these compliments always seem so easy? Why was it almost like second nature for Autumn to say them? Briar disliked that her mind took compliments from her mother as mere bias for her daughter's work. It was something she was obligated to do, she really didn’t mean it…
“I… got a glimpse of the industry… The fashion world is not what I thought it would be. Its cruel and unyielding… Ponies like me just can’t survive in a cut throat environment like that.”
Autumn eased in her seat as her eyes looked over the defeated Briar. The brown mare seemed to melt in her seat as though she was made of jelly. Autumn pursed her lips before giving a sigh. “You are always so easily discouraged, Briar. I am sure you would love being a designer if you just learn to put your hoof down from time to time. Be a pushover and everypony will treat you like a doormat.”
She felt a pang in her heart as her mother’s words washed over her. Briar froze, not even inhaling as she tried to contain her feelings. She was sure her mother meant well… Maybe she was right. Maybe if she learned to be cut throat and use other ponies as stepping stones she would be able to make it in the fashion world. But that would not make her happy… Being on the receiving end of such treatment, Briar knew that she would never want to treat another pony like that.
“You’re right mother… I’ll try harder next time.”
She was used to this. Though her mother surely had good intentions, Briar always felt like she was never good enough. All she did and what she was comfortable with was not good enough for Autumn. She told herself she was a disappointment; surely her mother had hoped for a daughter with more backbone and confidence. She would sit in silence as her mother berated her for her actions - or lack thereof, rather. It just seemed easier to let her get it out of her system. Briar learned early on that making excuses or explaining her actions only made this uncomfortable time longer. If she simply sat there and waited for her mother to be finished, the sooner she could leave.
She admired the strong, independent entrepreneur Autumn was. The warm coloured leaf that appeared to be made of metal was that Cutie Mark she had. It told her she was meant to be a jeweler, a pony who made beautiful, original accessories for others to admire and wear. All of her work was one of a kind and showed the excellent care put into every little detail. Briar would often design outfits based off of pieces she liked when she was a filly; looking at the colours and shape of the metal and gems used inspired her.
Her eyes fell to the gold bangles on her left hoof; their sound almost soothing as they resonated together. Autumn had made them for her when she was younger. What started as a meaningful gift turned into so much more as Briar had grown to find comfort in them. The sounds they made often helped her calm down when she felt panic setting in. Almost like they centered her - brought her back to reality.
“Well…” Autumn spoke, breaking the silence that seemed to drag on forever. “I suppose you’ll need a place to stay? I already repurposed your room for storage… But,” she paused. Briar looked up, seemingly not surprised by her mother's uncanny ability to read her mind. “I still haven’t done anything with your grandmother's home. It is in need of a little TLC, but it’s vacant. I can help you move your old bedroom stuff to it.”
Briar’s eyes lit up as Autumn offered her, her grandmother’s old home. Her grandmother had passed a few years back and the home was left to Autumn, but she simply didn’t know what to do with it. It was on the outskirts of town so setting up her shop there made no sense. And she was already happy in her current home, which was attached to her storefront so moving didn’t really appeal to her.
Briar was a little stunned and clearly at a loss for words. Her mother was offering her an entire house. Yes, it was a little on the smaller end, but it would be a place all her own. She would be able to live as she wished and not have to worry about the opinions of a roommate or a family member.
“Yes!” she said with excitement and enthusiasm. Briar soon felt embarrassment for her sudden out burst, so she eased back in her seat with a sheepish expression. “Yes… I would like that very much.”
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The two mares worked late into the night getting Briar’s old things to her ‘new’ home. Briar was already working on little sleep as it was and she had worked hard removing vines during the day and now she was helping her mother move furniture. Needless to say she was running on fumes at this point.
The older home had clearly not been tended to in a few years. There was a layer of dust on every surface, cobwebs hiding on the corners, white fabric was draped over the furniture that remained and the whole home had a smell of stagnant air. Windows were opened when they made their first trip over and it seen began to remedy the problem, and it had.
Briar moved about the home the soon after her mother left for the night. Though faced with the large workload this home would require, she felt a sense of freedom and excitement. This was her home. She would be able to do with it as she pleased. Colours danced about Briar’s mind as she thought about what she would do with the neutral browns that homestead currently had to offer.
As she walked about the dim light rooms, she removed the coverings on the chairs and such, piling the fabric in the corner of the main room. Sleep deprivation might have contributed to her seemingly whimsical mood; her movements picked up as she seemed to be lighter on her hooves. Her slow walk soon turned into a skip as she almost danced about her new home. A large part of her wanted to grab the broom and start cleaning now, but there was a small voice that longed for rest. The little voice seemed to be a guiding presence as Briar found herself in her room, staring at her bed through tired eyes. A small sigh left her parted lips as she caved, lowering her head with a soft smile as she slowly trotted towards the inviting sheets. Briar placed her glasses and bangles on the nightstand beside her before climbing into the familiar plush of her childhood bed. It didn’t take long for sleep to consume her as she was a rather willing victim.