//------------------------------//
// Amber's Ideas 
// Story: The Olden World 
// by Czar_Yoshi 
//------------------------------//

Starlight yawned at her soup, letting the flavorful steam drift up and around her nose. Maple was tired, and she had at least gotten more than two hours of sleep the night before. Bed couldn't come quickly enough... Mmm, bed... She blinked herself awake before her head could sink too low, dunking her messy mane in the bowl.

The rest of the table was still in conversation, though. "You're thinking of taking the boat and leaving, Amber?" Maple asked in surprise. "But we just got back! And the rest of the world is..."

"I said some day, Maple," Amber chuckled, patting the tan mare's back. "No way any time soon. Sounds like the world's a little crazy right now, and you need me. Both of you." She winked at Willow, who smiled back appreciatively.

Gerardo drummed his talons in a wave across the table in a pointless show of dexterity. "Well, Sosan-made crafts have a reputation for being durable. I imagine with proper care it will run just as well a decade from now as it does today. Where are you thinking of going, if I may?"

"Heh, I don't know." Amber rolled her eyes. "Out. Away. Somewhere cool and different and big."

"That's what we thought Ironridge was," Maple added with a grim smile. "And, well..."

"It was different and big, but not cool?" Amber raised an eyebrow. "Yeah... I might even go there. Gotta give as good as we got, you know? Wait until things settle down and then have the time of a lifetime, and enough fun to make up for all that stuff you went through."

Maple's eyes turned downcast.

"I am thinking, though..." Amber glanced away. "You think the ferry survived? The one you used to get to Ironridge? I know it didn't stay here after Matryona got dropped off."

"I'm afraid that's unlikely, then," Gerardo answered. "Sosa resembled a crater that had filled with a lake when I saw it last. I'm not sure the secret mooring place we used on our way in even exists these days."

Amber swallowed. "Being serious for a second... I can actually see myself becoming the new ferrypony."

Everyone's eyes were on her. "You'd be what?" Maple asked, eyes wide.

"Think about it." Amber shrugged. "From everything you said, Riverfall needed to stay a secret from Ironridge because of all that Sosan planning stuff. They didn't want to, like... Okay, I actually don't understand what they were thinking. But you know White Chocolate and Faron? How many other ponies do you think are like that? I bet there are other Sosans here who'd go back home if given the chance. There are probably a lot of Sosans left who would come here, too. I mean, the town is expanding, and if we got more workers, we could expand faster. Definitely better than being a homeless refugee. And while Arambai's food pile in the tunnels didn't flood when the river ran highest, it's not going to last forever. So if I've got a boat, like boats, and feel like going beyond Riverfall..."

She looked upset, as if she felt she were betraying her friends by still wanting to go to Ironridge after what had just happened. For a moment, she moped... and then Maple squeezed her shoulder. "I think it's a great idea," she said.

"You do?" This time it was Valey who spoke out in surprise. "Err, I mean... You do?"

Maple stared straight at her for several seconds before relenting and looking away. "I do. Maybe I'm feeling too optimistic to be realistic, since things are good right now and the curse is wearing off and I have all you back, but I think Ironridge can be better. Starlight, do you think this is a bad idea?"

"Huh?" Starlight woke up again, rubbing her eyes and leaning back in her chair. "Are you being what?"

"Ironridge," Maple said. "If Amber tried to become the new ferrypony with Gerardo's boat, do you think that would be a good idea? Letting any of us go back there so soon?"

Starlight bit her lip. She didn't trust or like that city, but... "Well, there was a lot of bad luck that it blew up when we were there. And it probably won't blow up again now that everyone's stopped fighting?"

"Either way, everyone, don't take this idea seriously for now," Amber interrupted, laying both forehooves on the table. "At the least, it would have to wait until the river finishes draining all that floodwater, and I'm not even thinking about going anywhere until both Maple and Willow are perfectly fine. It's just a distant idea for what I could do in my future. I've got a lot of time left ahead of me."

"Hmmmm..." Gerardo continued to drum his talons. "Speaking of time, part of the conditions on which I pacified the crowd was that I return at the crack of dawn tomorrow and continue regaling them with my exploits. They seem an easily-excited bunch, and as I'd hate to leave such adoring fans waiting even a minute longer than necessary, I ought to see about turning in for the night. Would anyone be offended were I to retire now?" He waved his cleaned and polished soup bowl.

"As long as it's not in my bedroom," Maple murmured, her own eyelids starting to slip.

Gerardo snapped his talons. "I wouldn't dream of it. An adventurer sleeps beneath the stars, or sometimes canopy if those are unavailable. And this town possesses quite a nice quantity of flat, empty roofs for me to choose from."

Excusing himself primly, he disappeared down the staircase, followed by the wooden clatter of a door several seconds later.

Maple stared distastefully at where he had sat. "He forgot his sword."

The black-sheathed object sat propped against his chair, complete with a belt for strapping it to one's side and a plain handle sticking into the air. The triangular hole in its hilt sat empty, almost as if something belonged inside, and the entire blade was concealed, belying the magic that allowed it to do something a lot more powerful than cut ponies.

"Yeowch." Amber picked it up in two hooves, holding it away from her as if she were slightly afraid of the sword herself. "You know, it does look kind of nasty. Not exactly like a storybook villain made it to show off their ego, but it definitely doesn't have 'hero' written all over it, either. This thing really did you in, huh, Maple?"

Maple grimaced. "A sword hilt sticking out of your chest isn't something you're supposed to survive seeing. It nearly broke me, but I guess it could have been a lot worse..."

Willow hummed, scooting her chair closer over to Maple's side. "Being unable to move must have been especially hard for you."

"It was." Maple swallowed, looking away from the black sword. "I remember saying this already, but it was exactly how I felt... before. It wasn't that I didn't have strength; I could still breathe... but my body wouldn't move when I told it to. I'd want to get up, and I wouldn't, and that would make me sadder and angrier, and..." She buried her face in Willow's shoulder, sniffling once. "Sorry. It was just a sword. Not the real thing. And it only took me a few days to come back from it. But I still can't stop remembering..."

With the sound of metal on velvet, Amber drew the sword, instantly snapping everyone's eyes to her. "Yo, what are you doing?" Valey asked, looking slightly alarmed.

"That's what this did?" Amber glanced from the sword to Maple and back several times. "It was like being too depressed to move?"

Maple nodded. "Sort of. I think the feelings were still mine, but the sensation was exactly the same. It made me helpless and useless, no matter how important getting up was..." She blinked, focusing. "What are you thinking?"

Amber shook her head, sheathing the sword again. "Something you probably need to slap me for, hard. Sorry for waving this around, Maple. I'll go stash it out of sight, and Gerardo can pick it back up tomorrow."

"No, what were you thinking?" Maple pressed, looking at the sheathed blade in concern.

Amber glanced at it as well. "I mean, I was just... remembering. Back when you wouldn't get out of bed and I'd keep you company, or even carry you out into town so you could see stuff other than the inside of your house. I never wanted to leave you, but I never really got it, either. Even after however many times you've tried to explain it to us all, I just can't comprehend being awake and lucid and completely healthy, but unable to will yourself to do more than drink a glass of water. And then Willow gave her big speech and I guess I was... wondering what it was like."

Maple paled, and her ears went back. "You were thinking of using that on yourself?"

"I told you it was something I should be slapped for," Amber said, setting the sword aside. "What happened to you was serious. Probably the most serious thing we've ever dealt with as friends. Not a toy for me to play with because I'm curious. It feels disrespectful even thinking about it. But... I am curious, and have wished I could understand what you went through. I don't know, maybe it would even make me a more sensitive pony. But I'm..." She gulped. "Trying to talk myself into this. Sorry. I'll-"

"Amber." Maple stopped her with a hoof, meeting her eyes. "I wouldn't want anyone to feel that way, especially not my best friend. Ever. Please don't think I've ever thought you didn't understand."

Valey lounged against a wall, clearing her throat and reminding everyone that she was still there. "You know, technically, if you want to experiment with weird, self-destructive magic, this is the best possible place for it. Nothing's exploding, you're already just going to be sitting around listening and talking and probably cuddling forever anyway... you know? And if anything bad does come around, I'm pretty sure I can thump whatever garden-variety villains this town has without breaking a sweat. Besides, it's evening now. If you gored yourself right now and slept off the worst of it, at the rate Ironflanks went, you'd be whispering again by morning. I mean, just sayin'."

Amber's gaze flickered back to the sword. "That's what's making it hard to talk myself out of this. Willow? What do you think?"

Willow smiled forlornly at her. "I'm the wrong pony to ask, Amber. Any other day, I'd tell you it's never healthy to want bad things to happen to yourself, and now something's happened to me that I wished had happened to me instead of Maple long ago. It's up to you two to decide if this is a serious consideration."

"Speaking as a professional unlicensed fraudulent and unwillingly drafted therapist," Valey added, "ragdoll ponies are also excellent for snuggling and make great crying bags if you've got issues you're too spooked to work out with a pony who can talk back." She hesitated, chewing her lip with one fang poking past. "Well... You can still move your eyes to talk, I guess. Left means yes, right means no, up means I don't know, and down means please give hugs."

Amber went bright red, and Maple covered her mouth with both hooves to stop from laughing. Slowly, though, her expression sobered. "You're serious, though," she said. "That time in the eastern valley-"

"I'm serious about three things: bad jokes, banana peels and trashing bozos." Valey counted to three on the spokes of her wings. "The three Bs, or something. Just don't stab me with that thing. After seven years of Ironridge, I'd like to do things in addition to sleeping on my vacation. Speaking of sleeping, though..." She fanned her mouth and yawned, standing up. "Nyup nyup. Not even sundown, but who cares? Maybe I'll get up early tomorrow and trawl this place to see who's funnest to annoy, or something."

"Hemlock." Amber pointed a friendly hoof as she made for the staircase. "Look for a stallion named Hemlock. He can always use a little mischief in his life."

"Cool! Noted!" Valey called back as the door slammed behind her.

"Amber..." Maple started to stand once the room was in silence.

"Nah, I know. We're good, Maple." Amber winked, kicking the sword into the cupboard Valey had hidden in. "Willow? I think the rest of us are tuckered out. If we're having a sleepover, think you can manage an early bedtime?"

"Never have foals if you think you can't manage it," Willow replied, standing up and clearing her own bowl. "Starlight? Is there anything you need?"

Starlight blinked. "Me? No. Why?"

"Because you've been quiet," Willow hummed. "I'm still looking forward to talking with you whenever you like. I'm betting a lot happened to you in Ironridge."

Starlight stretched, nodding. "Maybe tomorrow..." As it was, she was falling asleep on her hooves.

"Amber." Meanwhile, Maple had gotten up too and had a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "I think Valey was right," she said with a smile. "If you really want to know what it was like, this is the safest time and way to do it. It would be guaranteed to wear off, and since me and Willow could do things for you you wouldn't feel the emotions and wouldn't be in danger and..." She sighed. "It would be like an exercise. Not one you could cancel midway through, but still. I can only speak for myself and what it's like having gone through that for real, and I never want to feel that sword again. Brrbrrbrr... But you're not me, and if you think it's worth it to know, I won't try to stop you."

Amber grinned lopsidedly. "What is it with us and rushing into ideas? We're way too good at goading each other into things like this..."





Starlight approached Maple's round, nestlike bed, the room's lights on and removing the need for her horn. Orange sunset rays beat against the windowscreen, even filtered for miles by the vertical grain of the forest, but that wouldn't stop her from getting to sleep. She wasn't sure she would even make it that far...

Maple, Amber and Willow entered the room together, the elder two supporting Amber on either side. The yellow mare was completely limp, her eyes haunted and unfocused, a huge amount of thought spinning on behind them, but when asked if she was holding up, her eyes slid to the left.

They piled into the bed, and Starlight suddenly realized where Maple's cuddly tendencies had truly come from: they instinctively arranged themselves such that Maple was balled up between Willow's forelegs more tightly than should have been possible for a grown mare, with Amber draped out sideways across Willow's back like a log. A vision flashed through her head of the trio ten years younger or more, with a young adult Willow rocking her eager almost-filly sisters to sleep and telling them the day's gossip from the docks about Ironridge. They were instantly at ease, ears relaxing and eyelids lowering as their breathing slowed and they began to drift away.

"Starlight?" Willow cracked an eye, making Starlight realize she had fallen asleep on her hooves. Was it a minute later? Ten? An hour? She almost jumped or spun around... and Willow added, "Can you get the lights?"

"O-Oh." Starlight turned, noticing the switch. That wouldn't be too hard to get with her horn. Before she could fall asleep again, she crossed the floor to the bed, climbing in and tucking her legs beneath her, pressed against Maple's back and Willow's shoulder. "Is here okay?"

"Mmm," Willow murmured, her chin resting atop Maple's softly-breathing side.

Starlight's horn sparked once, and the lights went out. The rest of the house was dim, and she was out too, a new accessory to the warm, slumbering pile.