//------------------------------// // Chapter 27 - Cookies and Clashes (Part 2) // Story: A Pony Displaced: Homeward // by NoLongerSober //------------------------------// Note to self, keep a better mental tally of my liquor stocks. Barrier groaned and dragged a hoof down his face as Swiftsword strummed on her electric guitar with Hatty and Winter Gem providing the lyrics to her “music”. “For the honor of love!” “We have the power, so can yoooooouuuu!” Faust, what did I do to deserve those I care about having such horrible musical taste? Barrier sighed just before a ding came from the oven. “And that’s the last two trays!” Erica sweetly smiled as she slipped on some oven mitts before pulling the trays out and gently placing them on cooling racks. “Are the cookies done, Ms. Erica?” Wind Whistler leaned forward on her mother’s head, her tiny hooves causing Fleet’s mane to block her vision. “Yep.” Erica beamed as she grabbed one of the cooled trays. “Now for the best part. Everyone take two for a little taste test.” Various thanks were given as Erica carried the tray around, from short and polite thanks from Forge to a happy squeal from Wind Whistler before rapidly devouring the tasty treat. “Barrier?” Erica held the tray up to the charcoal coated stallion. “I’ll pass.” Barrier gently pushed the tray back. “Thanks for the offer, but sweets and I don’t get on that well.” “Not a problem.” Erica smiled as she set the tray down while Verdant set a large plastic container on the table. “Besides, that just means some more for the bake sale.” “I think I may fly by to purchase a few,” Hat Trick said as he wiped some crumbs off of his muzzle. “I must admit…” Forge softly spoke up, “You are a fairly skilled baker and your cookies were pretty good. Thank you.” “No sweat, Forge,” Erica replied as she and Verdant started the fill the container full of cookies. “It was pretty nice meeting all of Verdant’s close friends and doing all this.” “Thanks for letting us do this, everypony,” Verdant said as the last cookie was carefully placed in the box before placing the lid back on. “I’ll take care of the dishes for you.” Erica started to make her way to the sink, only for Swiftsword to raise a hoof in front of her face. “Nonsense, Erica,” The unicorn mare said with her horn alight, carrying the dirty dishes and utensils in her magic. “You are our guest and you’ve given us such delectable treats. I shall handle the dishes for you.” “Oh… well thank you, Swift.” Erica happily nodded before grabbing the box of cookies and placed them in her wagon. “In that case, I think I’ll get out of here. I promised my dad I’d help him with some stuff at his store.” “I must say,” Winter Gem placed a hoof on Erica’s shoulder. “It was surprisingly nice meeting you. You’re much more…” She paused, trying to find a suitable and polite term. “Pleasant than any past griffin I’ve ever met.” “Thanks for that, Gem.” Erica smiled as she wrapped her tail around the wagon’s handle. “I’ve got to admit,” Verdant spoke up, placing the last of the trays and leftover ingredients in the wagon. “This actually went a lot smoother than I expected.” “You’re not the only one, Verdant,” Fleetfeather said before extending a foreleg to the griffin. “Nice to meet you, Erica.” “Thanks. I had a great time.” Erica shook the one-eyed mare’s leg with a smile on her beak. “Well, I’d better get going.” Everyone in the kitchen followed Erica to the door as she pulled the wagon behind her. “Thanks for everything again, you guys,” Erica said as she reached the door and gently opened it. “Especially you, Verdant.” The green stallion lightly blushed and gave her a dismissive wave of his hoof. “Please, I didn’t do that much. I just helped pour and stir.” “You did a lot more than that, Verdant. I’ve been wanting to do this for weeks and I couldn’t have done it without you.” Erica pulled Verdant into a tight hug. “You’re seriously the best boyfriend ever!” “BOYFRIEND?!” The four former cadets shouted at varying volumes, causing Verdant and Erica’s pupils to shrink to the size of pinpricks. “Umm… w-what I meant to say was…” Erica stammered before pointing towards a grandfather clock. “Ohlookatthetime, mustbegoing! Can’tkeepDadwaiting! Bye!” She then bolted out the door as fast as her legs could carry her. “Verdant…” A horrified Forge drew closer to his friend. “Here it comes.” Verdant sighed and placed a hoof on his forehead. “Have you lost your Faust cursed mind?!” Forge panickedly said as placed his forelegs on his friend’s shoulders. “I know she seems nice because of today, but she’s clearly luring you into a trap!” “Forge.” Verdant gave his friend a flat look. “She’s not, trust me.” “I trust you, Verdant. It’s them I can’t trust. Not after all they’ve done.” Forge took a breath, trying to regain his composure. “I don’t want to lose anypony else to the griffins. I… I can’t.” “Forge.” Verdant softly placed a hoof on Forge’s foreleg. “I appreciate the thought, but the griffins have changed since our time.” He gently took Forge’s leg off his shoulder and onto the floor. “I know it’s hard to adjust to, but the war’s long over and the griffins consider what happened then to be an atrocity.” “How can you be sure?” Forge struggled to keep from shouting his question. “How long have you known her? How long has this been going on between you two?” “Well I first met her a month and a half or so ago,” Verdant answered as he placed a hoof on Forge’s other foreleg and set it down. “She first asked me out for a date about…” His face scrunched for a moment as he tried to recall. “I’d say just shy of two weeks ago.” “Still, how can you be so sure?” Forge pushed closer to Verdant’s face. “Because I’ve spent a lot of time with her outside of the classroom.” Verdant looked away as he answered. “Remember how I said I bribed Tablier for extra lessons? I lied. I was actually spending time with some of my classmates, getting to know them all better. Erica included.” He then looked back up, looking his cobalt companion in the eye. “Erica’s trustworthy, Forge.” “My friends…” Forge turned back to face his squadmates. “Please, help me make him see reason in all this.” To his surprise, the ponies he trained and fought beside for so long looked away, seeming rather uncomfortable. “I don’t know, Forge.” Hat Trick rubbed his hoof along the floor, keeping his eyes off the pair. “Erica seems pretty nice and the world’s unbelievably different from how we grew up. Trains, coal powered ships, can openers…” He took a deep breath and finally turned to face the two. “I don’t think a pony and a griffin becoming a couple for real is impossible.” “Hat Trick…” Forge looked horrified as he pulled away. “I think I’m inclined to agree with him, Forge.” Winter Gem stepped forward. “She seems completely different from the griffins we’ve seen or were warned about and meat’s pretty easy to come by here.” She then placed a hoof on the cobalt stallion’s shoulder. “I really don’t think this is a honey trap.” “Perhaps…” Forge looked away. “But…” “My friend.” Swiftsword stepped forward, speaking authoritatively. “We have encountered griffins several times since we departed for the Crystal Empire and none of these encounters were unpleasant. We have been in restaurants with them more than once, seen them while we have been walking about and Verdant and I have even shaken hooves with the griffin queen after she offered her forces to aid Equestria against Sombra.” “Anything you’d like to chip in?” Barrier asked as he faced Fleet and Daring. “I am… torn…” Fleetfeather looked away from the crowd in front of the door. “She seems nice enough, but I have fought the griffins for so long, seen what they’ve done…” “It’s okay, Fleet.” Daring place a foreleg across the blue mare’s withers. “I get where you and Forge are coming from.” She drew closer to her and gently nuzzled the side of Fleet’s cheek. “When you’ve had stuff like that happen to you for so long, it leaves an impression on you.” “What do you think, Professor?” Verdant asked the golden mare, drawing her away from Fleetfeather’s side. “I think you’ll be okay.” Daring offered the green pony a small smile that was swiftly returned. “You’ve got an okay head on your shoulders, you can probably handle things if crap hits the fan, which seems unlikely to me.” “I…” Forge stuttered as he was stunned by the words of Daring and his squadmates. “C-captain!” He spoke up pleadingly as he drew close to the taller unicorn. “You’re the eldest of us and have the most experience with griffins. Surely you have something to say about this, right?” Barrier stepped forward, facing the smaller green stallion. “Verdant, should the worst come to pass, do you think you can handle yourself in a fight?” “Yes, sir!” The smaller pony firmly replied. “I still do my exercises and practice my archery every morning before breakfast. Plus, I have combat experience from the empire and recall all the weak points of a griffin’s body you taught us.” “Right then.” Barrier shrugged before taking another swig from his flask. “In that case, if you’re going to try to court this griffin, I won’t stop you.” A thankful smile came to Verdant’s face as he nodded. “But sir-” a horrified Forge tried to interject, only for Barrier to hold his hoof up. “I think you can handle her and hope you two have a good time.” Barrier then lowered his hoof and faced Forge, his voice shifting to his ‘captain’ tone. “Forge, I want you to promise that you won’t interfere with Verdant and Erica’s romantic pursuits unless one or both of them’s in immediate danger. Understood?” “I…” Forge gazed sadly at the floor, knowing he had lost. “Understood, sir.” “I promise, Forge. Everything will be f-” Verdant placed his hoof on his friend’s shoulder, only for it to be shrugged off before Forge started to climb the stairs. “Forge, where are you going?” “I’m heading for my room,” the blue unicorn sadly replied, not bothering to look at those behind him. “Maybe building something with my Kre-O bricks will remind me there’s still some sort of sense in this world after you’ve all gone mad.” “I…” Verdant paused as Forge disappeared from view, followed shortly by the sound of a door closing. “Do you think I should talk to him?” he asked his captain as he put away his flask. “No.” Barrier shook his head before patting Verdant’s shoulder. “I think it would be best to just leave him be and let him calm down for a while.” “Alright…” Verdant sighed before slowly going out the door. “I’ll go tend to my garden. Give me a shout when you want dinner,” he said before closing the door behind him. “I’ll…” Hat Trick spoke up, gazing out the door’s window. “I’ll go get us something to eat in a bit. Hopefully we’ll feel a bit better then.” “I hope so, Hat Trick,” Swiftsword replied while she headed for the living room, the others following soon after. “Uncle Barrier, do you think things will be alright?” Wind Whistler hopped off her mother’s back and onto the charcoal unicorn. “I wish I had an answer for you, Windy.” Barrier said as he marched on. “I just don’t know.”