Their first day as guests of Green Leaf Cottage was odd to say the least. But the one's after that steadily grew more odd until...
“Azazel get down from there right now!” yelled Cerulean. The de-aged gryphon he was currently yelling was perched on the roof of their temporary home, ready to jump. Azazel glared at Cerulean and shook his head defiantly. He was determined to regain his flying abilities, despite his now under developed wings being unable to carry his weight.
It was an early and crisp morning. Cerulean should still be asleep in the guest bed he was given, not trying to talk down his friend from a ledge. “You know you can’t fly yet! Just get down before you kill yourself, or break something!” He called out. Azazel sent him another dirty look and replied with an inappropriate gesture. Cerulean saw said gesture and became livid.
“Wait till’ I get up there! I’d like to see you do that with broken talons!” Cerulean yelled even though he had no idea how to get on the roof, he didn’t even know how Azazel managed since he couldn’t fly at the moment.
Azazel gave a knowing smirk to Cerulean and gestured where the earth pony could place his threats. Cerulean glared at his friend with fury burning in his eyes, the world seemed to grow hot for a second before he slumped into the ground. Azazel stared with wide eyes and Cerulean heard a whistle in the background. “Wow I didn’t know you could do that.” said a familiar voice. Cerulean turned weakly to see Honey Comb approaching, her mane was messed with sleep and Cerulean blushed.
“I’ve been trying to get him off the roof but he’s being difficult, like always.” Cerulean said as he turned back to Azazel. The little gryphon had taken the moment Cerulean looked away to jump on the roof and Cerulean yelled in shock and fear. He ran towards the falling gryphon with great difficulty and he ran knowing he wouldn’t make it, nut still trying to save his frined. Suddenly a yellow flash flew through the air and landed. The yellow flash was honey how now had Azazel pressed up against her body and she hugged him fiercely.
“Thank goodness you’re alright! What in the world were you thinking?” she asked, clucking like a mother hen in Azazel’s opinion.
“Took the words right out of my mouth.” came Cerulean’s cold voice. Azazel winced and risked a peak at the pony, he really wished he hadn’t though. Cerulean had a stern look on his face and his anger burned cold rather than hot like earlier. Cerulean smacked the gryphon in the back of his head and pulled him close in a crushing hug. “You idiot!” Cerulean said as he squeezed the gryphon. He felt someone tap hid shoulder; he looked up to see Honey watching them, amused.
“Um, I don’t think he can breathe.” She said pointing to the struggling gryphon in his arms. Cerulean gave an embarrassed laugh and released his friend from the death grip. Azazel wobbled slightly.
“Sorry about that Azazel. You had me scared to death! I can’t lose my best friend just because he’s stupid you know.” He said jokingly. Azazel gave him a halfhearted glare but then hung his head in shame. Cerulean placed a comforting hoof on the gryphon. “Look I know you want to go back to normal, I do too. I mean I can’t even walk down the stairs without tumbling forward like a slinky.” He said. The two creatures gave him an odd look. “Toy from my home.” He explained. The two nodded even though they still didn’t understand.
“Honey, we’re going to need you to see Free Spring. The water talisman seems to be on the fritz.” Sequoia said as he walked out of the cabin with a sleepy Uther following behind. Honey nodded.
“Alright, I need to run some errands anyway. I’ll take Cerulean with me and you can watch Azazel and Uther.” She said. Sequoia arched in eyebrow in questioning. “Azazel’s too small, Uther is a dragon, and you have to pick and dry the herbs.” She said. Sequoia just nodded and chuckled, leading the gryphon and dragon into the gardens. Honey gave Cerulean a smile that would have made him stumble even if he hadn’t touched the blue plant. Honey quickly went to get her saddle bags and was ready to go.
He and honey left towards the village of soft trot at a snail’s pace as Cerulean struggled to walk. By the time they reached soft trot, Cerulean had figured a way to let him walk without too much difficulty but he had to be extremely careful and slow. He watched hone seemed to greet everypony they passed, knowing them by name. Eventually they made a stop to a small stall that had the picture of a horse shoe painted on a sign.
“Iron Hoof, you in?” Honey called as she trotted toward the building behind the stall. Cerulean followed behind carefully watching his steps. The chink of metal seemed to answer her question. As they entered the spotted a large unicorn stallion, built much like Sequoia. His coat was a bronze color and his mane was a dark brown that was cut short. The magic surrounding his tools was a silvery color and he had a cutie mark of a hammer striking hot metal. The stallion turned to them and smiled.
“Hey there Honey. Here pick up your dad’s shoes?” he said as he turned his focus back on the project at hand. The metal was flat and looked formless; Cerulean had no idea what it was supposed to be.
“Yup, his birthday is coming and he’ll be so surprised!” she said as she walked over the four shoes on the workbench. They were shiny and looked sturdy; Cerulean would have liked to have some new shoes of his own. Blacksmiths were had to come by in the frozen waste land; none could generate that much heat. She used her wings to slip them in her saddle bags and pulled out some bits and placed it on the table. At least the money system was the same, Cerulean noted. He looked at Iron Hoof and Iron Hoof stared back.
“Well, I’ll be! I didn’t know you got a coltfriend Honey!” he said as he dropped what he was doing and trotted over to Cerulean who was blushing so hard he almost passed out. “What your name, stranger?” he asked with a grin.
“My name’s Cerulean Scribble, and it’s not really like that with me and Honey. I’m just helping her in return for her help to me and my companions.” He said whishing he was lying. Iron Hoof didn’t seem to believe him but nodded anyways.
“I get it, keeping it a secret huh? Well I guess I’d be wary too if I had to break the hearts of every single stallion in Soft Trot.” He said slyly. Cerulean was confused, annoyed, and embarrassed, while Honey was blushing an odd orange color.
“Well Iron nice to see you bye!” Honey squeak as she practically pushed Cerulean out of the building. Cerulean was confused still but decided not to ask, though that could have had something to do with that dark look on Honey’s face as she bluntly said “Not. A. Word.” Mares were crazy and weird, but if Honey wasn’t the perfect mare despite that.
After that escapade and a few more stops they finally made it to Free Springs house. Honey seemed exhausted and
Cerulean was ready to gauge out the eyes of every single stallion that dared look at Honey. Honey nodded and the door swung open with a motherly ‘Come in’ from Free Spring.
They both walked in and found an older Unicorn mare that could have been Cerulean’s mother based on looks alone. Her coat was a lighter blue than Cerulean’s with a waterfall cutie mark and her mane was was an extremely light blue that curled slightly. She was beautiful, but not in the same way as Honey. Free Spring seemed to carry that sort of aged beauty you see on mothers or grandmothers.
“Free Spring it’s been a while hasn’t it. I know I said I’d visit but I’ve just been so busy, and it a shame the only time I come over is for business…” Honey rambled and Free Spring laughed.
“It’s alright Honey, it’s alright. Now I’m guessing something’s wrong with the talisman I gave you right?” she asked, Honey blushed when she realized had been rambling and nodded.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with it but my dad said that it was on the fritz so me and Cerulean came over and-” Honey was cut off once again.
“My poor colt! What on earth has happened to you!” she said as she rushed over to Cerulean. The stallion struggled to come up with an answer.
“I’ve been traveling-“ he managed to say before he was levitated by a blue magical aura.
“Well that is no reason to walk as though you been dragged throught the dirt. We must get you cleaned up.” She said as she carried him to her was room. Honey sat alone in the sitting room puzzled by what had transpired. She got up to follow but heard shouts of “Ahh it’s hot, I can clean there myself and you barely know me.” And decided to sit and wait. An hour passed and Honey gave a board groan and decided to find the two. She eventually got to the wash room where she found Free Spring combing and braiding his mane.
“And then Honey found us and gave us a place to stay.” Cerulean said. The mare smiled at him from the mirror.
“What an amazing tale, my dear! And all this to find a home?” she asked. Cerulean nodded. “Well I do hope Soft Trot is what you’re looking for; we need a nice stallion like you around here. Not that the others are bad, they just need a role model and I think it should be you. Cerulean blushed at the praise and admired the braid she had done. He wasn’t the only pony admiring his looks. Free Spring gave Honey a knowing look, to which Honey blushed. “Now about that water talisman, I do apologize for getting distracted but this was an emergency.” She said as she walked past Honey and to her front door. Honey and Cerulean both shared a look and Cerulean walked over to her.
He froze and stared down at his hooves, he was cured. He was cured! Cerulean practically jumped up in joy and he galloped passed Honey who was so confused she felt a headache coming on. She shook her head and followed Cerulean wondering if there was something wrong with blue ponies in particular. When she finally caught up to the two ponies she found Cerulean bouncing up and down foalishly and Free Spring watching him in amusement. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!” he cried as he hopped circles around the older mare.
“Can I ask why exactly you are thanking me?” she asked as Cerulean continued to hop. Cerulean stopped and placed his hooves on her shoulders.
“You cured me! Something you cleaned me with removes the effects of that blue flower!” he said. Free Spring looked a bit surprised and confused.
“Well all I did was clean you with an herbal bath I threw together. I( just thought it smelled lovely.” She said. Suddenly Honey was right next to her with a serious face.
“What was in it?” she asked. Free Spring named the herbs and flowers she had used to make the herbal wash and Honey stared at her. “I have all of these things growing behind my home. I could have made that cure ages ago!” she said as she trotted away to her home grumbling. Free Spring turned to Cerulean who was still grinning like mad.
“Let’s get going shall we?” she suggested as she followed Honey. Cerulean nodded and hopped beside her, feeling as happy as could be.
Once they made it back to Green Leaf Cottage the found Azazel and Uther dirty and tired. Sequoia was there to greet them and swiftly lead Free Spring to the talisman. Honey quickly rushed off to gather the ingredients for the cur and Cerulean hopped up to his friends happily.
“You’ll never guess what happened while we were out!” Cerulean exclaimed happily. Azazel quickly wrote something inappropriate in the dirt. Cerulean hit the gryphon sending him beak first into the ground. “Not that you pervert. I found the cure for the blue plant. I’m not stumbling like an idiot anymore!” Azazel lifted his head from the ground and wrote his reply in the dirt, only to end up with his beak reacquainted with the earth. Uther made a happy noise and hugged Azazel who squirmed but didn’t make any noises of horror.
“I’m not intruding am I?” asked Honey and she trotted over. Her saddle bags looked a little fuller and she seemed a lot less irritated. All three males shook their heads no and Uther dropped Azazel who once again got closely acquainted with the ground below him. “Well good, with Free Spring’s help I’ll have this cure in no time!” she said as she trotted away with a huge smile. Cerulean then turned back to his dirty companions.
“So what did you do with Sequoia?” he asked. Both Azazel and Uther shuddered at the mention of the stallion’s name, leaving the earth pony puzzled. “What happened?” he asked confused. The two creatures before him seemed to cling to each other as they relived the memories of only a few hours ago. Azazel shakily wrote on the ground.
“So much green and dirt.” The message said. That only seemed to confuse the pony further but Azazel didn’t look to be in any shape to be answering questions, and Uther is still whimpering. Cerulean then made a vow to never get on the stallion’s bad side. Not long after that both Free spring and Honey came from the cabin telling them the cure was ready. Uther and
Azazel rushed into the cottage comically pushing and pulling each other to get to the mares first.
Surprisingly the little gryphon won and not five minutes after entering the wash room did he sprint out full sized and sopping wet whooping in happiness. “I me again!” he shouted as he hugged Cerulean leaving him sopping wet, Azazel didn’t even look like he was pretending to be sorry. Azazel just ran outside and attempted to fly, only to remember his wings were still wet and he’d have to wait for them to dry before flying. He began cursing and Sequoia quickly taught him not to say certain words in front of mares. The screams were ignored.
Then it was Uther’s turn and Cerulean decided to be there with him when he shrank. Right be for his eyes he watched as Uther shrank from the out of place adolescent to the adorable hatchling Cerulean missed seeing. Uther was dried and immediately he climbed onto Cerulean’s back to take a well derved nap. Needless to say it was a very interesting day.