//------------------------------//
// Story Telling 
// Story: The Olden World 
// by Czar_Yoshi 
//------------------------------//

Maple, Amber, Willow and Starlight sat in a circle at the table as the soup bubbled and afternoon lengthened, two taking turns telling the story and the others listening intently. Amber sometimes stopped them with questions, and Willow with condolences, with much attention paid to the scenery and museum visit early on. Late into the first day, when Maple was captured and Starlight stowed away, they came to an unexpected halt, paused by a rapping on the window.

"Gerardo?" Maple's ears folded as she saw the griffon hovering outside her house, seeming to have shaken his following. "Should someone let him in?"

"On it!" Amber sprang across the room, hoisting the window with youthful vigor and offering him a hoofbump as he stepped inside. He took it with a grin.

Maple shook her head at the duo. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but you might be just in time. We're telling each other what happened in Ironridge, and I don't think me or Starlight know what happened to you between us getting separated and reuniting at that warehouse."

Gerardo proudly dusted himself off. "Then it seems I am, indeed, just in the nick of time. And fear not, I've taken evasive measures to ensure we won't have the doors broken down by a very curious crowd. Though really, I've been speaking all day as it is, and if you have something for my throat, I'd be much obliged."

"There's soup," Amber offered with a shrug, looking reluctant to share. "Maple, how's the soup coming?"

Maple got up to check the pot. "The same. You could eat it now, but the more time it gets, the better."

Gerardo bowed, then coughed. "Well, I don't mind if I do. I must admit, it's good to see you back on your hooves, miss Maple. For much of our flight I sequestered myself as the lonely steward of our noble vessel, and didn't get the chance I wanted to check on you. Truly, seeing as your injury was by my weapon..."

"It's fine," Maple growled, lifting a ladle with her teeth. Much to her chagrin, the sword was still hanging at Gerardo's side, his uniform having been pressed some time since they returned.

"So where'd that pegasus with you get to?" Amber asked, leaning casually against the banister. "The one who was hanging around with you while you were entertaining that crowd?"

"Ah, good Slipstream." Gerardo snapped his talons. "You see, I made the discovery that pegasi are somewhat of a rarity in this town, and of immense curiosity for multiple reasons to certain numbers of the locals. Let's just say I abandoned her in a promising situation and hope she is enjoying the benefits of such popularity. I think it would do her a world of good."

Amber turned red, Maple and Willow shaking their heads. Starlight glanced between the three, not getting it but somehow glad Jamjars wasn't there.

"Well, then!" Gerardo took a gulp from his bowl. "Ahh, this is quite good. Where were we?"

Amber cleared her throat, regaining her composure and returning her cheeks to their natural yellow with a wink. "In the story? At the part where Selma kicked your tail." The griffon winced, and she quickly added, "No offense, though. Probably would've wrecked me. My kung fu skills are limited to the time I punched a tree for two hours when I was little because I wanted to be a ninja and thought it would toughen me up."

Willow smiled fondly at the memory. "You know, though," Amber continued thoughtfully, a grin forming on her face. "Maple and Starlight were originally just telling their story for me and Willow, but what if we get an entire Ironridge chronology put together here? You know, try and track down some of the others who were there? Who else played a big part...?"

Starlight watched her expression carefully. It was like she wanted someone else to say Valey for her, unless she somehow was trying to remember Shinespark. Certainly not White Chocolate...

"Valey?" Gerardo suggested glibly. "I'm aware that my route and hers in fact never intersected save for an encounter or so early on and a very tense moment in the skyport at the end, but from what I've gathered she was quite pivotal."

"Seriously? What about the entire Flame District? I'm not that forgettable, am I?"

Everyone jumped a little as a cupboard door beneath one of Maple's countertops nudged its way open and a pile of black and green sprawled its way onto the floor. Valey blinked blearily, shading her eyes with a hoof as they dilated to the room's warm, even lighting, her already-ruined mane even more of a mess as it spilled out beneath her.

"Valey!" Maple looked taken aback. "How long were you in there?"

"Hey, Ironflanks." Valey waved from the floor, looking drowsy. "I was just chilling, waiting to see how long it would take you to wonder where I got to. Congrats, you lasted... uhh... this long."

Amber narrowed her eyes in confusion. "You were... hiding in Maple's cupboard to do what? Why?"

"Because this house is super duper nicely lit." Valey didn't even bother trying to get up. "Not a lot of good snooping places. Seriously, sorry for spying on your little heart-to-heart earlier. I might have plugged my ears just a bit. Like I said, I just wanted to see if you'd miss me."

Maple folded her ears, abashed. "I just thought you were exploring the town, or... flirting, or something."

At that, Amber blushed again, and Valey pretended to ignore it. "Yeah, I wouldn't have ribbed you for it too hard. Nice place, by the way. Who'd you steal it from?"

Amber would have spat out her drink if she had one. Maple, who was far more used to Valey's antics, just shook her head. "Amber bought it for me from a friend who was growing her family and needed somewhere bigger. This house is a perfect size for one mare, with just enough room for get-togethers."

"Snazzy," Valey purred. "But hey, story time. Lemme know when we get to Blueleaf. I want to brag about how I smooshed that hipster dude into guacamole."

"Excellent." Gerardo set his bowl down with a clunk, holding it in both talons. "In that case, I might as well continue with-"

"And for the record?" Valey interrupted. "He totally spent the whole entire flight yukking it up on the bridge with those other dudes. Dior and that pegasus. So it wasn't actually lonely. Just so you know."

Gerardo hesitated with his beak open, then clicked it. "I... Thank you, yes, we finished that conversation a while ago... Now, upon coming to after my narrow loss, I found myself in the company of a most undesirable..."





The narration continued. Maple and Starlight took turns with Gerardo telling their respective paths for the second day, with Valey eagerly hopping in to tell Blueleaf and instantly glossing over the cart ride to Grand Acorn. Maple tried her best to do Elise's story justice, but constantly fumbled with the dates and eventually just gave up. It was suggested to return to the ship and look for Dior, Matryona or Shinespark, but that was all the way across town and they weren't deemed essential to the tale.

Their stories reconvened in the Gnarlbough warehouse, after a lengthy section from Maple introducing White Chocolate in which she had to wipe her eyes several times. Starlight made sure they didn't forget about details like the moon glass or windigo hearts, but she didn't know enough to be specific on the artifacts' workings and Valey chose not to back her up. A description of the ship and Shinespark's project broke into a lengthy segue on Arambai's Riverfall experiments and floating machine, and the best anyone could say was to ask Shinespark herself once they returned to the ship. They covered the evacuation, their combined efforts to move White Chocolate's family, and Starlight getting lost with Jamjars, giving Valey a headache when she realized just how tenacious the sharklike filly could grow to be. They discussed the power grid, their plan to free Valey, and made it all the way to the point where they were taken to the Flame District.

After that, the story started to grow disconnected. Valey insisted on telling certain parts, then said almost nothing about them, skipping entirely her breakdown in the barracks and everything that had transpired in the eastern valley after the dam. She didn't stop Maple from telling the resolution to the mercenary fight, but from the point Maple and Gerardo left to search for the airship onward, she said almost nothing, leaving Starlight to tell the section she had been blinded for herself. As best as she could, Starlight recounted Skyfreeze and the Spirit fight in the skyport, omitting anything Valey might want to hide and dancing around the fact that Grenada had died. Valey returned in full force to give a blow-by-blow rundown of her battle against Herman, and that was it. Gerardo mentioned the windigoes. No one backed him up on it. Neither Maple, Starlight nor Valey wanted to admit that had happened. And when all was said and done, the soup was still bubbling and the air was turning to evening beyond the window.

"Oof..." Maple yawned, then yawned harder, fixing her jaw with a hoof when it popped from the effort. "I don't know how I stayed up through the whole day, but I'm definitely not going to bed late tonight..."

"Heh heh..." Amber rubbed the back of her neck, nodding in agreement. "I've been doing a few late-nighters working on that boat to come get you, myself..."

"My old ship?" Gerardo asked, brows raising. "Ah, how is it treating you?"

Amber shrugged. "Well. I mean, it floats. Still going to take a bit for me to get it finished and done, but I can take it easy now. Are you going to want it back?"

Gerardo shook his head. "Nay, I believe my ticket out of Riverfall is that glorious airship, once Shinespark gets it fixed up. So many broken boats! Regardless, that ship is my gift to you, should you ever have adventurous desires of your own to pursue."

"Huh." Amber looked warmly at her soup as it was set before her, finally cooked to perfection. "You're a cool catbird, Gerardo. Not today and not tomorrow, but some day, I'm probably going to do just that."