//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 - Welcome Home // Story: Monado Of Harmony // by Yosh-E-O //------------------------------// Everyone insisted that Yosh and Isabelle stay at least until the next day. This allowed them to enjoy the victory party Pinkie had thrown together while also getting a good night’s rest before catching the Friendship Express back home. *** Upon returning to Canine Crossroads both Yosh and Isabelle were surprised to see how many residents had shown up to celebrate their return. “I take it you figured out what that relic was?” inquired Blathers the owl. “We did,” grinned Yosh. “So what was it?” he further asked. “Where is it now?” The dragon-duck put a finger to his bill as Isabelle answered. “It was the Monado Of Harmony,” she said proudly. “And our very own mayor became an Equestrian hero with it!” “Hero?” thought Blathers. “You two wouldn’t mind drafting some documentation for me to add about the relic and your heroism for the museum, would you?” Isabelle shook the bells in her hair to say ‘Yes’ as Yosh replied. “We’d be happy to, Blathers,” he said. “For now, though, we… uh… I just want to go home.” Yosh couldn’t see it but the owl winked towards Isabelle. “Hmm,” she thought. “What is it?” asked Yosh. Isabelle brought Yosh closer to her side. “I guess we’re going to find out,” she replied giddily. *** Dark Light and Larimar were waiting by Yosh’s house. However, at least to Isabelle, much had changed since they were last there. “Your house…,” she trailed. “Is something wrong?” panicked the blind dragon-duck. Isabelle giggled. “Quite the opposite, Mayor,” she replied. “Gaba!” babbled Larimar upon noticing the pair. “Welcome back, Yosh!” greeted Dark Light as the dragon-duck was tackled by the purple-eyed teal-colored baby dragon. “Did you do this?” inquired the shih tzu. Dark Light shook his head. “Nope!” he announced. “It kind of just ‘appeared’.” “What appeared?” struggled Yosh from beneath Larimar. “It seems you have a new home, Mr. Mayor,”the yellow canine stated. “Care to check it out?” Dark Light helped Yosh get Larimar off of his back. However not before the yellow-bellied dragon plopped his eggshell hat upon the dragon-duck. “Ta-da!” cheered Larimar. “If it’s not too much to ask,” said Dark Light. “Could I spare a moment of your time after you get a good look at the new place?” Yosh nodded. “Sure, Dark Light,” he said. “What seems to be up aside from this home upgrade you all keep mentioning?” “It’s about two strange ponies I met in the forest the other day,” he said. “Perhaps you could write your friends and see if they know them?” Yosh looked towards Isabelle who used her bells to let him know the choice was up to him. “Sure,” he replied. “Meet me back at Town Hall in an hour?” “Sounds good,” flapped the black-coated Pegasus. “It’ll give me time to feed and clean up Lari.” *** CA-CLICK “Wow!” awed Isabelle. “It’s beautiful!” “What?” begged a very excited Yosh. “What’s beautiful?” The yellow shih tzu linked her right arm to Yosh’s left. “You just need to ‘feel’ it!” she cheered. *** Yosh was in awe at how the entire home had acquired different textures, sounds, smells, and other elements that made moving around it without sight super easy. “I can’t believe this!” he marveled while touching a foam-like surface that lined the bedroom door. “Now I don’t have to worry about accidentally hurting myself if I take a turn too early or forget where I am in proximity to an obstacle!” A gentle breeze blew through the hallway that caused the bells in Isabelle’s hair to jingle lightly. “I’m so happy for you, Mayor,” she said calmly. “Now I’m wondering when Tom Nook is going to send us the bill,” joked Yosh. “That’s the real ‘surprise’, right? Kind of like those pitfall seeds I kept finding along the road.” “To be fair,” the shih tzu chuckled. “I’ve fallen through a few of those, too.” Yosh blushed. “Remember when we hit one of those together?” he asked. “Yeah,” she beamed. “Your padding really came in handy then.” Yosh’s blush changed from one of nervousness to one of embarrassment. “Yeah…,” he trailed. The light breeze blew through the hall again. “I want to know where that breeze is coming from,” stated Yosh. “Follow me!” Isabelle gasped as Yosh just started running forward without any sort of guide. However he was also gliding his hand along the wall which seemed to allow him to know how to navigate blindly with ease. “Coming, Mayor!” she called. *** The gentle wind, along with all the other non-visual aspects of the home, allowed Yosh to find a paddock-style door that had the top part of it open. “Oh, Yosh!” awed Isabelle. “Just wait until you go inside!” The dragon-duck felt a surge of excitement. “What’s in there?” he asked as he felt for the lower doorknob. The shih tzu smiled. “Just listen,” she said. CHIRP CHIR-TWEET CHIRP “Birds?” wondered Yosh as he opened the lower part of the paddock to go inside. QUACK-QUACK HONK TWEE-CHIRP FEE-BEE “What is this place?” the dragon-duck wondered. “Based on what I see,” stated Isabelle. “I do believe we have ourselves an office of friendship?” “Office of friendship?” pondered Yosh as he linked arms with his canine colleague. “Yeah!” cheered Isabelle as she sped up her pace. “I see one of those Cutie Map tables up ahead with two chairs that have symbols on them like those at Twilight’s castle!” *** Full exploration of the room revealed that the air current was a result of a vacuum that had been designed into the house so that following the breeze would always lead to the Office Of Friendship. It had a path made of smooth river rock that became sanded alabaster around the table itself. The ‘Cutie Map’ appeared just as the one in the Castle Of Friendship except there were more tactile features to help illustrate which areas were which. Beyond the table and path was a flower-filled grassy space covered with trees and shrubs. There was also a small pond and fountain towards the back. It made the entire place a glorious aviary. “Well,” said Isabelle as she sat down at the chair that featured a green leaf upon it. “I think I could get used to this.” “Me, too,” beamed Yosh as he sat in the chair that had his blue duck with a rainbow Cutie Mark printed on it. “Oh, wow!” marveled Isabelle upon spotting a clipboard underneath her part of the table. “I’ve always wanted a new clipboard!” Yosh felt around his part of the table and discovered a soft stone that seemed to vibrate gently in his hand. “I wonder what this does?” he pondered while rubbing it. QUACK-QUACK SPLOOSH Some ducks landed in the nearby pond. Isabelle playfully jingled her hair bells. “Looks like we’ll get to find out,” stated the shih tzu. “Together.” Yosh smiled as he got up from his chair and moved towards where he heard his colleague’s voice. “Thank you, Isabelle,” he said. “You’re the best thing to happen to me and I’m eternally grateful for you in my life.” MUAH Yosh blushed as she gave him a peck on the cheek. “Me, too, Mr. Mayor,” she giggled while playfully patting his backside. “But don’t we have some business with one of our newer residents?” Yosh tried to push back the flow of emotions he had. “Yes…,” he said bashfully while rubbing at the back of his head-spikes. “Dark Light said he needed to ask about some ponies he saw while we were away.” Isabelle hooked onto Yosh. “Then let us be off,” she said with a smile. “Our work is never done but together it is always fun.” The dragon-duck took a moment to nuzzle his cheek against Isabelle’s. “That’s right,” he added. “And maybe we can share this special home… together?” Isabelle jingled her bells to show her agreement. “Sounds good, Mr. Mayor,” she replied. The pair then left the Office Of Friendship and returned to Town Hall to continue making Canine Crossroads a happy place to visit and live in. Peace had been restored and it would be many years before the Monado Of Harmony would make itself known as the battle between Harmony and Anarchy would be taken on by a new set of heroes both inside and out of the magical land of Equestria.