The Wanderer's Guide to Equestria and Beyond
A soft hum filled the air, the sound of telekinetic magic was one that was familiar to Twilight. It was one of the few noises she could tolerate while skimming through knowledge, as the noise had become synonymous with reading for her. Her mind had rarely wandered but today was special, as she peered down at the daintily written name on her appointment sheet. She didn't often receive visits from ponies that weren't her friends, someone barging in unannounced or unscheduled, or a random tour visiting the castle. Her mind continued to wander as she flipped through books, she hadn't helped anypony with book related issues since she lost the Treehouse Library. As Twilight continued to wonder, the sound of the library doors opening made her turn towards them, her mind quickly focusing.
Twilight peered at the rather matured pony sauntering into the castle library. The first thing she noticed was the beautiful silver eyes, peering back at her and a motherly smile across her face. A silver glow of magic was encapsulating a tome, carrying it and beginning to tug several others out of a saddle bag. A lovely voice filled the air, she thought it a tone that one would consider a loving mother to use, it took a moment for Twilight to realize it was coming from the mare.
"Hello, Miss Sparkle, I'm Serenade Silver. I was hoping you could lend me a hand in a matter pertaining these books?~" She hummed, her voice bringing an odd ease to Twilight.
"O-Of course! Sorry for the mess, I think I let my mind wander a bit." Twilight mumbled, peering around at the rather large pile of books she had accumulated from her mindless skimming. The familiar hum and hue of purple magic sorted the books back in a quick and orderly fashion. "Please, call me Twilight. What did you need Miss Silver?" queried Twilight, suddenly pondering the mare's choice of words.
"Call me Silver!~ I was wondering if you could help me compile the interesting bits of these books into one." Silver spoke with the same motherly tone as before. The tomes slowly floated onto the table, being gently settled down onto the surface. The tomes seemed to vary in forms of wear, the one slid closest to Twilight seemed like it had been through rough times. Twilight's head tilted as she inspected it, no visible title could be seen on the surface.
"Excuse me for prying, but where did you find this?" questioned Twilight, tilting her head as she opened the book.
"It's a personal piece of work, I thought maybe you could help me skim it down. The thoughts of a pony do tend to wander quite terribly and don't mesh very well when it comes to reading!~ I can assure you they become more focused, I had quite a bit of practice later on."
"Oh, these are yours? You want me to... Help you make a book!?~" exclaimed Twilight. She wasn't quite an author, however it was an interesting opportunity, she was glad she didn't have any plans today! "Well Silver, I think I can assist but, this is more than a bit of light reading, even for me!"
"Oh, I can schedule for a few days if need be."
"It's fine, I'll just take a look at- Oh dear." Twilight paused, peering down at the words. Seemingly at loss, she turned the pages back slowly until she reached the beginning, a soft murmur leaving her lips. "I suppose I should have asked earlier, but what exactly are these about?"
"Well, right now they're simply journals."
"Journals?" questioned Twilight, peering at the fresher text scribbled onto the inner cover of the book, reading the brief message.
"Traveling far distances on hoof sounded quite wonderful at first, I figured I would be able to see beautiful landscapes and find an answer to the grief that sent me out on this journey. However, amidst the sight seeing I've found much more than eye candy. Ponies, dragons, living rocks, and many other wonderful personalities, the adventures I shared with them have been the true treasure of my journey. Perhaps one day I will give this journal to someone who can share it with the rest of the world."
Twilight was almost in awe as she peered back at the first real page, reading the date marked on the page. "This is quite awhile ago, goodness... You must have had a lot to write about." mumbled Twilight, her curious mind tugging the newest looking tome close, opening it to a random page.
"When you travel beyond Equestria, you tend to find some interesting folks Twilight...~" Silver's words barely scraped Twilight's ears, a soft flick and a nod in response. The purple unicorn was peering through the words eagerly, she wasn't even sure where the events her mind was taking in. "Twilight?" Silver let out a soft giggle, bringing Twilight back down to earth.
"Oh, goodness I... Should probably start from where I am supposed to, I hope you don't mind if I take these off your hooves for a day or two. I'd like to properly read them, and I doubt you want to be around for hours watching me read." Twilight shifted the first tome back to her attention, settling the other two nearby.
"That's fine, I trust you'll keep them in good condition." Silver gave a small giggle, as the first tome had certainly seen better days. "Better than me, at least~. I'll see you tomorrow, at the same time? I'd like to know what you think of them!~"
"Absolutely."
"Farewell!~" hummed Silver, in a familiar silky tone, turning and sauntering back out the Library Doors, as Twilight slowly opened the worn tome, and peered down at the slightly faded words.
Yesterday was the day, I finally had built up the bits and the courage to leave. I made enough to where I could move along without fear, as terribly long as it took I can't think of anything else I wanted to do anymore. I suppose I should explain why I am writing this in the first place. After all, it barely took a day and I am already wondering if I should turn back to Ponyville and forget this crazy little idea in my head. Maybe writing it down will help me continue on, and remind me why I really left.
It all started with an awful letter. The parcel that made me realize how terribly lonesome I was in Ponyville. Through a lonesome piece of paper, I learned that my parents had both passed in a day. It made sense after all, they were the same age and both unicorns. It wasn't like ponies their age to have a child, and it certainly didn't help their financial situation! I never told them, but I moved away to make sure they could even continue living in the little flat they owned in Canterlot. It was all they really knew.
I visited the city to attend what little bit of a funeral session they had performed. There wasn't even a eulogy, after all it's the responsibility of a family member or close friend to deliver it to the others. There wasn't much point to speaking to myself, my head certainly didn't stop itself from pondering it though. I suppose that was why I was birthed so late in their lives, no one would have visited their funeral if I hadn't been at least conceived. I didn't really have anyone left aside from a few nice co-workers back in Ponyville.
However, it was during this visit I realized my love for sightseeing. I wasn't going to let the loss of my parents keep me from enjoying my visit to my home city. As awful as that may sound, I wasn't the type to let such things keep me down for very long. Enjoyment in life comes from enjoying the moment, perhaps occasionally what was, but you can never dwell on such a thing. Anyways, I let out my sorrows at the graveyard, and began to rediscover the city I had left as just a teenage filly.
I was quite in awe at how much the city had changed, or perhaps I never took the time to really appreciate what had made the city beautiful. For once in my life I was experiencing a place simply to drink in the sights. The many alleys of fashion, music and song filled my eyes and ears with a wonder I hadn't felt since I had first decided to settle in Ponyville. The sorrow in me sunk away, I couldn't imagine my parents having terrible lives in a place so rich with culture. It certainly surprised me to see a rather young filly with an awful grimace on her face, sitting alone in front of a coffee shop, even without a cup to accompany her. I couldn't quite help myself, as I approached her with a question ready on my lips.
"Is this seat taken?" I queried, motioning to the other end of the table. Her eyes glanced up at me, then around. The other tables were filled, it seemed to be a good hour for coffee. She responded with a shake of her head before placing it back down on the table. I gave her a smile as I sat down, setting my saddlebags to lean against the chair.
"Hello Miss, Can I help you with anything?" a voice suddenly queried from beside me, I turned to face the mare with a smile.
"Yes, could I have one coffee and..." I looked down at the grumbling filly for a moment. "A chocolate milk." I knew I had gotten her attention, because her ears perked up. Whether it was because she wondered why a mare had just ordered two drinks, or she knew it was for her I won't quite know.
"That comes out to three bits." she responded politely, a small smile coming to her face as I floated the coins out from my saddle bags. I turned back towards the filly, who seemed to be peering at me curiously now. The little scowl seemed to be present still, but it was overwhelmed by curiosity.
"What? You look like you need it. I certainly need this myself, I don't usually get around during this hour." I gave her a small wink, then a soft smile as her expression had simply softened a bit. "What's got you down? I'm sure it's nothing too terrible."
"I didn't get into the Celestia's School." The filly said quickly, "I guess I'm not very gifted." The scowl returned in record time, just in time for the drinks to arrive. I simply slid the chocolate milk over to her, to which her face brightened again. "Thanks, but I am not sure if a treat can help me very much right now.
"That's quite a serious thing a pony your age to say ya know?" I questioned, not exactly expecting an answer, I continued. "I'm all grown up and I barely consider such bleak things as you! I am not so sure if it's as a terrible burden as you might think." Her eyes stared up at me, too busy sipping down the sweet beverage to respond. "After all, it's a prestigious school that looks for a very particular talent. A school for 'Gifted Unicorns' seems like a bad title when that means every unicorn."
"Wha? What do you mean miss?"
"Well it's pretty simple! Every mare is gifted in their own way, something as humble as gardening is still a gift. It's in our nature to be gifted wouldn't you say?"
"When you say it like that... Why didn't they let me in then! I tried my hardest, that egg test was a fluke!"
"Because it wasn't testing for being simply 'Gifted' it was looking to see if you were gifted in the art of magic in particular." I gave a small chuckle as I continued. "Think of it like this, the school isn't looking for gifted ponies, rather a latent magical talent." I smiled, as she seemed to slowly understand what I was getting at.
"So, I can still be special?"
"Of course! Look at me, I might look like the type of unicorn who knows about magic." I giggled, looking up at the sky, then back down at the filly. "I am simply, gifted in a very humble way~." I could see the surprise in her eyes, as I let the words come out in a very frilly way. I sipped the last of my coffee as I stood from my seat. "Well, I hope you find what you're looking for." I gave a small nod as I sauntered back into the depths of Canterlot.
I had spent the rest of the afternoon pondering my meeting with the filly, even while I had stared at the most beautiful pieces of art inside the Canterlot Art Museum. I'd look at the paintings and continue to wonder if I had made a difference, giggling to myself as I wondered why my head was so focused on the little mare. It wasn't often I got to interact with another pony in such a way, the most I did was possibly make my co-workers blush with my words. I wasn't able to focus on it anymore as my steps lead me up to the door of the meager flat my parents used to live in.
The door creaked open, as if it hadn't been opened in some time. Slowly lighting up the darkening room with candles, looking over the familiar room. I had stayed in Canterlot much longer than I anticipated and I needed a place to stay, the flat had been inherited though I won't say I was very comfortable waltzing in here without my parents about. Not that I had for a very long time anyways. I sat upon the couch with a huff, not wanting to dive too deep into my childhood home.
I think I took a nap, I may have left my sorrows behind but I still couldn't help but ponder why I had ever left this beautiful city. So that my parents could live in peace, and not worry about money? I found myself doubting even the excuse I had used for years, I rarely even sent them a letter. I remembered the first time I saw Ponyville, the simple town had a similar effect on me. The wonderous little sights and ponies I met, they made me want to stay so... I did.
I finally took a moment to truly inspect the room around me, my eyes landing on a little note on the table. It was a simple to-do list, the still familiar dainty writing of my mother and the rough crossing of my father. The list made me shudder, they seemed to be aware of what was coming. They always were prepared for anything, the ordered graveyard plots, a will, and to send a letter to me... It wasn't crossed out!
I gulped, I wanted to look around and see if there was anything left for me. Perhaps it wasn't right to snoop around the home I had left so long ago, but I figured if they wanted me to see something they would have at least started writing it. So, I searched for it, pacing through each quaint little room. I wasn't going to resort to turning the place inside out, but I didn't have to as my eyes peered upon a little envelope with my name on it. I slowly floated it to my eyes, peering upon the date. It was addressed to be sent a mere day after they had passed, they knew it wasn't long but... I sniffed, slowly tugging the note loose from the envelope.
"Dear Serenade,
I wish you could send more letters, or at least go by your first name! You're a Canterlot unicorn, you should always put yourself forward as graceful as possible. It's always been like you to try and find the most humble reasons and ways to present yourself. Anyways, I'm rambling. Something I find myself doing more often than I would like to admit in recent days. I'd like you to come and visit, Serenade, since your father and I haven't been in the best condition recently. I'd like to see you one more time before we go and join the rest of the family. I still feel sorry about driving you out all those years ago, having older parents isn't the best thing for a young filly. I just want to see you again, your silver eyes. They remind me of my mother, I see so much of her in you. Goodness, I'm rambling again. Come visit! I can promise you Canterlot has more to offer now that you're all grown up.
With love, Mom & Dad."
At first I wasn't sure what to think, it was the first time they had requested a visit from me. It was also the first time I had heard they felt they drove me away, which I didn't think of course! I sniffed, slowly packing the letter back into the envelope and sealing it. I drifted back over to the couch and pushed the envelope into my saddlebags, turning and slowly walking towards the small balcony.
When I stepped into the night air, I wanted to shiver and turn back. But I didn't, slowly settling in the lovely breeze I stared out into Canterlot. The wonderful city, alight with life even during the darkest hours. I leaned against the edge of the balcony, and looked beyond Canterlot. The height of the city allows you to see deep into Equestria, some even say you can see the borders of the neighboring countries from the great mountain city. I glanced upon the specks of civilization, Ponyville was clearly visible from the great city and something lit in my heart. All I wanted to do was see all these lovely little places. I sniffed, exhaling slowly and giving a soft chuckle as I realized I was crying. I let myself cry, staring out at the vast untapped land of Equestria, surely no other pony other than the Princess herself had seen it all. After what seemed like hours, I turned back into my old home and laid upon the couch to drift into sleep.
I returned to Ponyville in the morning, an awful idea was burning in my chest but I couldn't ignore it any longer. I wanted to go, somewhere, everywhere. Equestria was a beautiful place, and it's towns and cities were filled with many wonderful landscapes and things to see! I suddenly felt cooped up, even in the lovely open town of Ponyville. I spent a few bits on map of Equestria, they weren't very common and sometimes not very accurate. It took me awhile but I decided on Las Pegasus to be the first place I travel to. I couldn't quite imagine taking a trains if I planned to travel to many places, so I decided I would hoof it to my destinations.
I'll spare the months where I spent as little as I could manage, I was glad I did since I quickly got used to living off apples. I suspect I might find myself having to eat the lovely little morsels for quite awhile just from my first day out on the road. Most food I've encountered that isn't apples would run me out of bits in just a month or two! However, I certainly gained a nice buffer of bits from my thrifty spending. Though I couldn't just leave everything as it is, that would be wildly unfair to the great ponies of this place. So I started to work on making sure my leave wouldn't make anyone unsatisfied or unhappy.
I started with my workplace, a simple little news station that decided it wanted to feature bits and pieces of my work for an honest bit of living. They needed a piece for each week's installment of the newspaper. All it was is a simple bit of philosophy or a poem, so I began to write like a madmare! I wasn't sure just how many I wrote, but I looked at each one with care and made sure they were actual words instead of tired ramblings. The look on my boss' face when I dropped a stack of papers onto her desk was unforgettable.
"Uhh, Silver?" she slowly peered around the huge stack of papers.
"Yes?" I responded, giving a very small giggle.
"Do you plan on leaving for awhile? You did just go to Canterlot the other day and well..." She slowly hoofed through several of the sheets. "For like, several years or something?"
"I'm honestly not too sure, I just know I wanted to go for a bit. I'm sure I'll be back someday, I just couldn't leave you without some sort of material to put in that little spot of mine until you found a replacement."
"You're quitting?"
"Well... I suppose so, I really did enjoy working here but I simply have something I must do. I don't expect any sort of payment for all those so don't worry about it!"
"Mmh, You've been working here for so long I guess it caught me off guard. Did you find something more your speed?"
"Well, I suppose that's what I'm going to find out! I'm just going on a vacation, one where I don't quite know when I'll be back." I stopped myself for a moment, I must've sounded quite odd to her.
"Don't get lost, you hear? I'd hate to hear of it." She stated, I simply nodded as I headed off to my next bit of business.
I traveled to my home in Ponyville to meet the newlywed couple who were down in their luck, they needed a place to stay and I happened to need someone to watch my home while I was gone. I believe it was time I admitted just how long I might be gone to them.
"F-Forever?" The teal mare stammered, her mouth agape. I simply gave a small chuckle as I floated my jingling saddlebags onto my back.
"Well, possibly. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone Mrs. Cake, and I wouldn't be able to collect any payments on the home if I sold it to ya." I smiled slowly, looking at her shocked expression. "I'm sure you could run your shop down here, the studio upstairs is spacious enough to serve as somewhere to sleep."
"G-Goodness, you're a saint Miss..." A yellow and lanky Stallion responded, "I don't think you know how much this means to us we've been-"
"Pay it no mind. I've got a place to stay when I come back, I'd hate to have this place vacant without someone nice to take care of it." I smiled, almost wishing to cry myself. "I hope you can make a life for yourselves here, I certainly made part of mine."
"I, hold on just a moment, I can't..." Mrs. Cake trotted away nervously, I gave a small smile to her husband who was simply sitting there. I was about to turn and leave before I heard her speak again. "Miss Silver, I can't let you leave just yet." I turned, and gave a small giggle when I glanced back at her.
She was presenting a scarf with a silver hue seemed to match my eyes quite perfectly, a small box that jingled with bits, and a pin with several colored gems embedded in it. I moved close to her, my eyes peering over the scarf. It seemed to be quite aged, but still vibrant. I ran a hoof over the lovely silken cloth, the smoothness bringing a smile to my face. She began to speak again before I could comment.
"It's, something my mother gave to me when she passed. It never matched my coat very well, but I think it would be in much better hooves with you." I blushed, standing still as she draped it around my neck. "There, and this." She slid the jingling box forward, "It's what we were saving to start buying a home, I don't think we'll be needing them anymore." Finally, the pin was placed into a seemingly familiar spot onto the scarf. "A gift from 'Mr. Sappy' over there, I was going to sell it but..." She seemed to struggle to find words.
"These are all wonderful gifts Mrs. Cake." I mumbled, part of me wanted to take the scarf off and shuffle it back into her hooves, but I could see the look in her eyes. It would tear my heart out to make her feel like she still owed me... It's a terrible insult to not accept a gift given in good faith. "I'll take good care of them, as you take good care of 'Mr. Sappy', and the home." I chuckled, embracing the mare.
As I left, I swear I could hear the most giddy noise come from the inside of the house. There certainly was much for celebration for those two. I trotted towards the edge of town grunting with effort as I struggled to get used to the weighty saddlebags. Unfortunately, my saddlebags wasn't the only weight I was bearing. My mind had begun to wander, and my hooves started to slow until I was standing still. I slowly dragged my hoof along the scarf hanging from my neck, mumbling to myself until I heard a rather high pitched voice fill my ears from the nearby playground.
"That's no fair!" A rather small filly had practically screamed, foals aren't exactly known for their volume control. The voice stopped me in my tracks nonetheless, slowly sauntering close to the edge of the playground to listen in on the sudden yelling. I'm not quite sure what possessed me to do so, perhaps I was avoiding leaving Ponyville, even if it was only for a few short minutes. I entered the clearing just as the filly spoke up again, "There's only one ball and I grabbed it first!"
"Well you cheated and used magic to grab it!" A similarly sized colt responded, his friend piped in.
"Unicorns cheat!"
"Nuh uh, Pegasus cheat. Wings are faster!" chirped a filly beside the first filly.
"You're a pegasus too, you dodo."
I giggled and looked at the small argument take place, beginning to hum a simple tine. The foals all turned their heads towards me as I continued on to start simply making noises of the simple beat. "Ba da da de da de dum~ Ba da da de da de dum~" I bounced my head to the simple beat, I could see their expressions soften as they simmered down. They followed my voice, their heads bobbing gently. Continuing the tune as I slowly levitated a few stones into place, making a makeshift goal on either end of the fillies. Dragging a small branch through the ground to draw a rectangular boundary around them. I levitated the ball between the two pairs and plopped it down.
"Why not a friendly game to settle this, eh?" The fillies seemed a bit confused at first, before I continued. "It's simple! Kick the ball into the other end, and no going out of bounds! An age old conflict, Stallions versus Mares. Colts versus Fillies!~" I could see their excitement build in their eyes, they turned to face each other in this simple game. "While your at it, why not mix it up even? All the ground bound fillies versus pegasi?" I watched them think it over before they began the game.
It didn't take very long for them to completely forget why they were playing in the first place, I smiled as I watched the fillies play. Soon enough, the whole playground of fillies were involved. Each of them shouting ideas who should play next, how many points needed to be scored. I began to hum my little tune as I sauntered off back onto the road, I turned back and met eyes with a single pegasus filly. Her eyes were alight with wonder as I simply winked, continuing down the road to Celestia knows where.
I certainly put practice into what I'd have to eat for this journey, but I certainly wasn't thinking when I left with simply saddlebags! I figured I'd only been walking for a mere mile before I started to ache softly. I suppose it would have been smart to think about the physical repercussions of traveling long distance by hoof. I wasn't bright in a logical sense back in that moment, or now I suppose. Anyways, I pushed onward deeper into what I considered unknown territory.
I looked down at the path I was walking, it seemed hooves rarely passed the trail I was treading upon. Though I suppose I would have to get used to the feeling of treading rarely walked paths, I stopped to look up at the landscape around me. I peered back at Ponyville, I had happened to be going up a hill. The large rolling hills of apple trees were behind me, and I could barely make out the roof of town hall. I already began to miss it, having to wrench my eyes away from the beauty behind me, I peered ahead.
The landscape seemed to spill out around me, the beauty of nature was one that I never quite appreciated until I was part of it. Though, nature wouldn't get me to any new places currently. I shifted my saddlebags until I produced a map of Equestria. It wasn't the most reliable guide, it is really just a rather large oversimplification of what lay inside of Equestria's borders, as well as what lay just outside of them. Many of the towns were barely marked, and only major landmarks and cities were placed upon it's surface. I continued onward, suddenly realizing my path was bordering a rather deep crevice in the ground.
It was filled with brambles, steep cliffs, sharp rocks, and some sort of large eel creatures that made my skin crawl. I couldn't imagine such a ghastly place being so close to Ponyville, but it seemed like it was contained within itself. I decided to take a small break and peer down into the crevice further, peering down at the seemingly peaceful bottom of the gorge. I mumbled to myself, "What an awful looking place"
I slowly shuffled back to where I had laid my saddlebags, laying down in the grass and idly twiddling my hooves. I started to wonder just how many places I would cross that were like this. Perhaps it wasn't the greatest idea anymore, I've had the awful idea in my head for months. I suppose I was just nervous, after all I wasn't even harmed by what was in the gorge, it simply existed on it's own. I levitated my bags onto my back once more, shifting them comfortably into place as I continued onward.
I feel like the sight of a light on the side of the road was the most welcome thing I had seen in my entire life. It must have been twelve hours since I left Ponyville, and I only had myself and the increasing weight of my saddlebags to keep me company. The darkening skies were beginning to make me nervous, I didn't realize just how far away Las Pegasus was from Ponyville. The map certainly made it seem a lot closer than it actually was, and I didn't have any readily available camp supplies. I almost forgot my legs were tired as I practically galloped up to what seemed like a campsite, a large cart was off to the side and a lone stallion sat next to a crackling fire.
"G-Greetings!" I huffed, the Stallion hopping up with a jolt from my sudden introduction.
"Goodess to Celestia, you surprised me..." He grumbled softly as he slowly settled back down onto the grass, "What brings a filly like you out here at this time? You look like the type you'd see in Canterlot." He motioned to the scarf draped around me, I blushed and tilted back on my legs.
"Oh, well I was just traveling to Las Pegasus by hoof. I seem to have been a little well, ill prepared to say the least!" I shuffled my hooves, before getting onto the point, I could see him questioning why I stopped. "I was wondering if I could share this fire with you tonight, if you... Don't mind." I gave him my best smile before he gave a simple nod.
As I settled down, I noticed him give a soft chuckle. Before I could ask what he found amusing he began to speak again. "You don't know about hoof travel at all do ya? I can tell by your saddlebags."
"No sir, I'm sorta out here on a whim. I uh... My saddlebags?" I lifted them off my back and set them next to the wheel of his cart. They jingled quite noisily, the sound of bits bouncing about could be heard.
"You've only got coin huh? A lot of it from what I can tell, you'd have been better off getting a cart than hoarding it for supplies."
"Well uh, uhm..." I bit my lip, realizing he was right. A spacious enough cart would be good enough to carry any items I had. Food, water, souvenirs and provide a place to sleep that wasn't the floor. "I suppose that would have been, a good idea." I gave a sheepish smile, but he shook his head.
"I'm glad you're not a shy pony, If you really plan on hoofing it to cities you gotta have a little bit of know how for the road. If you're willing to listen I can give you a hoof, ain't got much to do at this hour anyways." He stated his next bit clearly, "I don't exactly want to hear of fine mare as yourself getting starved from taking a journey too long."
"I would be happy to learn as much as you could teach me Mister...?" I queried, leaning my head sideways.
"Brooks." He stated firmly. "Just Brooks."
"I'm Serenade Silver. You can just call me Silver."
"Awfully pretty name, you really are a Canterlot mare ain't ya?"
"You can tell that much huh?"
"Somewhat, but that ain't what you wanted to discuss right now is it?" He stood, pushing a pot over the campfire, filling it with water and several vegetables. "You know how to cook over a campfire?"
"Not really, but I do have these!" I retrieved the few apples I had in my saddlebags, munching on one as I realized I had grown quite hungry from my walking. "Mmm"
"Good choice. Quite cheap, but not effective if you're planning to move a lot. There ain't apples everywhere, and not everything tastes as good raw."
"Quite true." I mumbled, thinking about my choice of food carefully as I bit into it again.
"I'd suggest you learn how to cook like this, or you'll find apples to be revolting if you're on the road long enough." He chuckled from what seemed like experience. "Here, pay attention."
I spent the next hour listening to Brooks, he had much more to offer knowledge on than simply cooking. I wish I had my journal back then to write down just about everything he spoke about. I do remember him speaking that a cart should be my number one priority if I decide to continue traveling. He gave suggestions on how I could earn coin to keep myself running should I need to purchase any necessities. It was getting late into the night when he stopped discussing how I could get acquainted to traveling the long roads.
"You should find it easier to walk these distances after you've done it a few times. Ain't nothing gonna prepare you for walking for hours other than doing it."
"You're telling me, my legs don't have any feeling in them at this point." I reached back with telekinetic magic and massages the sore bit of my back, "I never want to carry saddlebags again."
"You shouldn't have to once you get your hooves on a cart. I promise you a metal ring begins to feel natural after awhile. It'll make you feel light as a feather when you got it off."
I couldn't help but giggle, looking up at the sky before I spoke. "I'm not the most prepared road traveler you've seen am I, Brooks?"
"Nope, but you're certainly not stupid neither."
"Huh?"
"I can tell you're serious about moving about like this." He motioned to the cart next to him, and to the saddlebags full of bits. "Someone who'd turn back in a day would have stuck around and not asked a single question. Nor would they have admitted to being not prepared."
I sat there in a bit of silence, slowly smiling at Brooks. He was busy tugging his cooked soup off of the fire carefully, I simply levitated it off, and dropped it in front of him carefully. He gave a soft nod of appreciation, before I slowly began to hum.
"Ba da da de da de dum~ Ba da da de da de dum~" I hummed softly, slowly bouncing my head to the little beat that had filled my head. He stared for a moment before chuckling and simply listened. I continued the melody for a few minutes, mixing in little bits of improvisation. I could tell the music was bringing a bit of relaxation to his nerves, perhaps he hadn't heard a sweeter voice in quite awhile. I was starting to drift off before I was suddenly given a soft shove. "Whahuh?"
"Sleep in the cart, I can rough it tonight." A rather tired looking Brooks was smiling down at me.
"Mhuhm? You don't gotta do that Brooks I'm rrrather fine..." I mumbled sleepily, my tired legs lifting me as I mindlessly sauntered into the cart. I was laid upon some rather fine feeling blankets before I drifted into sleep.
I was woken up slowly to the sound of the rumbling wheels of the cart beneath me. My head slowly poking out of the covers of the cart to see Brooks was tugging it along the road. A quick glance and I realized I had slept all night in the cart, I looked about and saw my saddlebags were places alongside the many crates stuffed into the travel cart.
"Rise and shine, Canterlot mare. You've got a lotta walkin' to do before we reach Las Pegasus." He slowly stopped and looked back at me with a grin.
"Huh? What time is it?" I looked about, the sky was still a bit red.
"Early, bout the time you wanna start moving if you're on the road."
"This early?! Goodness." I clambered out of the cart, I felt him place my saddlebags on my back, grumbling annoyedly at the weight on my back.
"Cheer up missy, I wouldn't be doing you any favors by pampering you on your first days. It's best you learn to deal with it, I doubt you'll find a good traveling cart here in Las Pegasus."
"Huh?" I walked alongside him, his pace felt rushed compared to the leisurely stroll I was taking yesterday.
"Las Pegasus ain't exactly the city for simple folk like me, the most they probably have is a stand for food vendors. So you'll likely have to make a walk like this again."
The color drained from my face, "Again? I hope there's a place closer than this walk. It'd certainly be a lot easier if I could make it without worrying about having to sleep in the open..."
"It's not just that. Ya think I could carry all them crates on my back with you sittin' on em?"
I pondered it, he did look quite burly. Perhaps if it was only for a moment, to move them from one spot to another. I saw him staring at me with eyes that can only be described as, ridiculing. "A-Ah, I don't suppose so, at least only for a few moments."
He stared for a moment longer before chuckling, shaking his head before giving another gruff chuckle. "Goodness, you look to be the epitome of a Canterlot mare, yet you've got the spirit of a simple towns pony." I watched him chuckle again, his throat rumbled. "Been too long since I enjoyed company on the road."
"O-Oh." I stammered softly, a soft blush graced my cheeks. "I'm glad that I'm not a burden Brooks, I would hate to trouble you on your travels." I smiled and leaned towards him slightly.
"Keep your saddlebags on missy." He stated without even peering at me, I begrudgingly lowered them back onto me with a soft mumble. "This cart might be lighter than those bags, but you don't get the luxury till you got a cart of your own."
"You seem to stress the importance of a cart, even in last night's conversation. I'm assuming I should invest in one the moment I reach Las Pegasus."
"Like I said, you probably ain't gonna find one there. Best you might be able to do is try and build one yourself but it takes some real practice and determination if you're going to make one sturdy enough to last even a few trips."
I pondered it, there had to be somepony who was skilled enough in woodworking to give me a hoof. I didn't expect it to come at a very cheap price, it'd end up being a custom job since they probably wouldn't sell carts fit enough to sleep in. I spent so much time thinking of what I would want in a cart I didn't notice that a few hours had passed by before I spoke again.
"Something sturdy, spacious enough to sleep in and carry a decent load of gear an souvenirs, as well as feel homey." I thought aloud.
"That sounds about right." Brooks responded without thinking, I suspect he's used to hours of silence.
"Yours doesn't seem very homey, or pony accessible." I mumbled, peering back at the rather archaic cart.
"That's cause it's meant for finding a home, not for being a home."
"Oh, have you been searching for a place to stay?"
"Nope, but plenty of other ponies are. It's my job to find habitable places in Equestria and help start settlements. It helps newer families find a place to stay, since sometimes places are scarce in the bigger cities."
"So, you settle places. Do the hard work so other ponies don't have to?"
"Mhm, it's a bit lonesome. I used to have a crew but they all got attached to a place we settled, or grew too old to keep walking trails." He let out a quick huff. I wasn't sure if I should keep prying, but I was simply too curious.
"Think you'll ever stop? To settle down in a place you helped build rather than leave it in somepony else's hooves?"
"I reckon not, unless something happens that makes me fall in love with a place myself, eh?" He chuckled, seeming to get over his earlier disappointment. I smiled back before continuing to speak.
"So, what has you traveling to Las Pegasus anyways? If you're looking for untapped land, wouldn't you want to stay off the trails?"
"Supplies is all, really. I came from Ponyville, and they didn't have much selection when it came to morsels." He grunted in a bit of disapproval, I thought for a moment, chuckling at his distaste for apples.
"Sweet Apple Acres grow apples that aren't like any other apples you've tasted before sir, I can assure you that." I plucked the final apple from my saddlebags and lifted it to his maw, which was met with a soft grunt of distaste.
"I'm fine missy."
"It's the least I could do for all your help, I insist." I smiled at him, which he rolled his eyes at. I was about to pull the apple away before he took a small bite. I honestly didn't expect him to enjoy it but he tugged the apple from my telekinetic grasp. I watched him slowly turn the apple in his maw, expertly munching the juicy bits into his maw while slowly turning it. Soon the core fell away and he was left munching on the tasty remains. I let out a soft giggle as he swallowed, looking up at him expectantly.
"Alright fine, it was good I suppose. You're lucky I don't like disappointing mares." He said with a bit of joviality in his tone. I looked away, my cheeks alight again. I softly kicked a rock off the path, starting to wonder just how many times he had been on the road to have gained a distaste for the most common and delicious snack in Equestria. After all, there was a reason why ponies could stand to eat the little red globes for centuries.
The hours passed surprisingly quickly, little mumbles of the landscape were all I could muster for the rest of the trip. It almost seemed unreal to me, as I stared forward and the city of Las Pegasus slowly drifted into view. It was practically night by the time we arrived, and my legs were dead tired from the saddlebags I was lugging about. I smiled over at my companion, who gave a simple nod. We had finally made it to our destination, one that I hope it will be the first of many for me.
I gave Brooks my thanks, and a quick hug for good measure once we actually reached the city. He wished me good travels, and told me not to forget what he said. My first instinct was to copy it down somewhere, I needed a way to write down everything he taught me before I forgot it all. So, I picked up this empty book, a few more apples, and a room to stay in for hopefully only a day or two. I'd rather not blow all my bits before I found a cart to use, and I certainly didn't wish to end up stuck here without a coin to spend to save my haunches.
Writing this all down really did help, perhaps I can continue on after all. It's only been a day but, I've already been graced by a kind soul. One I never would have met if I didn't decide to step out of Ponyville.
A cart is what I need next, perhaps somepony can help me find one. Once I have it, Equestria awaits!