Winter Welcome was not canceled as many expected. It was postpone to the next day, lest anymore foals went missing or any unforeseen disasters befell Ponyville. However, it now seemed that it was safe to get the celebration underway, but there were minor problems . . .
“The street will be too cold for their little feet,” Fluttershy lamented over the boxes of peeping chicks.
Jelly sat on her haunches, studying the colorful horde of chicks while cradling a blue one between her hooves. “Could they ride down the street? On a wagon or cart?”
“All the wagons and carts are being used. I already checked.” Fluttershy looked sadly at the tiny balls of fluff apologetically. “And they so wanted to be part of the parade. I hate to disappoint them, but the cold could . . . k-k-kill them!” Her face twisted as the thought devastated her.
The earth ponies had tried to do away with the snow, but Discord’s snow storm had done its job and had left a thin layer of snow across Ponyville. They were able to clear the streets for the parade and for the games and food stands, but the cold had everyone wearing coats and scarves. Jelly had to wear a scarf she borrowed from Fluttershy.
Jelly looked down at the chick between her hooves. The little thing looked as if it was ready to nestle down for a nap in her hooves. And chicks didn’t seem worried about missing out on a parade, but then again, they were Fluttershy’s chicks so it was assumed she’d know them.
“Would carrying them on our backs be alright?” Jelly suggested. “We could and maybe some others walk down the street with the parade and the chicks could ride on our backs. It’d keep them off the street and they can still be part of the parade.”
“Oh, we could do that . . .but . . .I don’t think that I can . . . not with all those ponies staring at me . . .”
“They wouldn’t be looking at you. They’d be looking at the chicks.”
“I-I don’t know.” Fluttershy lowered her head to hide behind her mane.
Jelly quickly said, “I’m sure we can find enough volunteers so you won’t have to be part of it.”
“Oh, okay.” Fluttershy looked relieved.
Jelly put the chick back into the box and Fluttershy poured food in a small pile at the bottom which the chicks scrambled to get out. The shy pegasus spoke softly to the tiny avian creatures telling them eat up to become strong chickens when they grow up. She spoke as a loving mother would to her children.
Jelly never saw such genuine love for non-sapient creatures.
Once Fluttershy was sure each chick would get their share, she closed up each box. “Now to check on Benjamin.”
“Benjamin?”
“He’s the raccoon that fell from a tree. He has a broken paw and terrible gash on his leg. It was infected by the time I found him. He’s better, but it hurts him.”
Fluttershy led her back inside the cottage and to a back room that she reserved for sickly animals. Inside this room was cabinets filled with medical supplies and bags of animal food. On the floor against the back wall, was a wicker basket with the bottom lined with layers of soft clean cloth and in the middle was a dark furred raccoon. A low growl rolled from the basket as the ponies came in.
“Oh, Benjamin, I know you don’t like it, but it’s time to change your bandage.” Fluttershy’s sweet voice would have sooth any burn or heal any wound. She was the perfect nurse; her kind demeanor didn’t change no matter how much the patient complained.
Jelly on the other hand, kept her distance. She wasn’t familiar with animals, but she knew enough to know that it was wise to leave a growling one alone. She watched how painstakingly Fluttershy unwrapped the bandage from the raccoon’s hind leg.
Just as Fluttershy exposed the weeping wound to the air, the raccoon lunged forward and sank its teeth in her leg. Fluttershy yelped and Jelly cursed as she galloped forward. She reared back onto hind legs to bring her forehooves onto the creature’s body.
“Jelly, no!” Fluttershy threw up hooves to stop her. “Just let me talk to him.”
“He bit you!”
“It’s alright. He didn’t bite me too hard.” Blood rolled along her bitten leg. “Just bring me some gauze from the shelf there and I’ll be alright.”
Jelly didn’t believe it was sanitary for her to grip the gauze with her mouth, but her magic couldn’t even handle carrying a light gauze roll. And without hands, how else could she grasp it? She tapped her hooves on the floor in a near panic while Fluttershy calmly bound her bitten leg. The raccoon’s sides heaved as it breathed heavily, it’s gold eyes watching them.
“Fluttershy, maybe you should go to the hospital.”
“It’s alright, it’s not deep and he didn’t rip the skin open.”
“But he might have . . . a disease.”
“Oh no. He’s wounded, not sick.” She turned her face to the raccoon and said in a soft tone with a small edge, “Benjamin, you know biting is wrong and it hurts.”
The raccoon actually looked embarrassingly away. And there were no further problems while Fluttershy finished changing out his bandage. Fluttershy continued to speak sweetly to the animal as if the bite had never occurred. It was a trespass that was forgiven before it was committed.
“I don’t see how you do it. I like animals too, but this is . . .excessive.” Jelly looked at the rafters of the cottage which contained birdhouses in every corner and nests. There were even holes that she had seen mice, chipmunks, and squirrels slip in and out.
“Taking care of animals is my special talent.” Fluttershy beamed happily at the rafter homes. “I don’t know what the animals would do I wasn’t here to take care of them.”
Fend for themselves? Let nature take its course? Jelly didn’t voice any of this, she instead shrugged her shoulders. Her time with the ponies had taught her that they were in full control of their environment. The earth ponies cared for the land and animals while pegasi managed the weather. It was just an exceptional case for Fluttershy, a pegasus, to be attuned with animals.
“I hate to leave, but Mom and I are having lunch at the café.” Jelly offered Fluttershy an apologetic smile. “But I’ll find Twilight Sparkle and tell her about carrying the chicks for the parade. I’m sure she can get some people together.”
“It’s alright. You don’t have to do that,” Fluttershy said, but Jelly noticed that she looked relieved for the offer.
“It’s no problem. If you don’t want to be in the parade, then I’ll do it. I don’t mind being looked at now.” Jelly collected her satchel from the side hanger with her mouth and with a practiced toss of her head she was able to get it to slide down her neck.
“Oh? Oh! It’s because you got your cutie mark!” Fluttershy presented a gleeful smile as she turned her eyes to Jelly’s flank.
At her flank was a bright red heart with white gauze wrapped around it. A bandaged heart.
“Do you think it means that your special talent is nursing?” Fluttershy asked hopefully.
“I don’t think so. I can see why it would seem so.” Jelly glanced at her newly acquired mark. She didn’t know when it appeared. Yesterday, while she was passing a mirror in the inn room she shared with Laotaner, she saw it for the first time.
When she showed it to her mother, the commander unicorn looked at it and replied, “God finally stenciled a tattoo on your ass. Whoo.”
Despite Laotaner’s dismissal, she was still pleased with it. She wondered what triggered it to appear. Was it the nanonites finally catching up and granting her a cutie mark or did something happen? Did she find her special talent? And if she did, what was it?
“I’ll talk to you later before the parade, okay?”
As the aqua colored unicorn treaded down the path toward the town, she reflected back on her failed meeting. Victory never showed up at the café yesterday. Jelly ended up sitting at the table alone eating a daisy sandwich and sipping tea. When she returned to the inn, Victory was there reading several books she collected from the library claiming that she had forgotten their get together.
Yes, she promised she would show tomorrow, dammit.
And today was tomorrow and maybe, just maybe, Victory would show up this time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Victory planned on showing up to lunch, but she also planned on having a stomach ache ten minutes to get out of there. She was having too much fun studying magic.
The fire spell she had inadvertently cast had opened her mind to many possibilities. After she received her orders, she decided that it was advantageous to explore her magical capabilities.
When she was supposed to be having a meal with her daughter, she had foregone the appointment to visit Twilight Sparkle. A little purple lizard answered the door. “Yes?”
“What are you?”
“I’m a baby dragon.”
Victory knew she should be surprised, but because of the last 24 hours, nothing surprised her anymore. “Is Twilight Sparkle available?”
“She’s asleep right now. She had a rough night.”
“I was there.” Victory forced a smile trying to be civil as normal people would be. “If this is a library, then I want a book on magic.”
“Could it wait? I mean we’re not exactly open.”
Victory maintained her grin, though it tightened at the edges. “It’s important.”
“Well, I guess we got some basic magic books lying around you could check out.”
“That will be perfect, thank you.” Mentally, she was planning on turning him into purple shoes after she bombed this planet back to the Stone Age.
The book looked as if it had been a school text book, but it gave very basic instruction for each spell. Levitation was the first chapter followed by horn glow and first aid magic, but then the later chapters intrigued her. Teleportation, transformation, and even advanced levitation filled the chapters.
By now she learned how to teleport which was simple enough. In a flare of blue light she was able to blink herself across the room and she found that she could move objects as well. She wondered if it was possible to teleport a live grenade inside a living body. That would definitely be something to experiment with later.
Transformation was a bit trickier. She was only able to turn a spoon into a spork instead of a fork. The book offered instruction, but not the detail that she felt would help her. Maybe discussing her skills with another unicorn would be helpful. She wondered if Twilight could be that unicorn.
No time to ponder about it. She had an appointment that she had to keep or else contend with a pouting green unicorn for tonight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Hey, Mom.” Jelly offered her a smile when she arrived. It was a hopeful smile with her large pony eyes seeking something in her that she was certain died a long time ago.
It was annoying.
But Victory managed to give her a neutral nod as she took up a cushion across from her. “Hello.”
“I. . . ah . . .went ahead and got us water. You can order something else when the waiter comes back.” Jelly actually looked nervous, as if fearful that she wouldn’t approve of the water.
“It’s fine,” she replied wondering if she could get away if she faked a cramp five minutes into the meal.
“Um, I . . . I wanted to bring something, but I didn’t think it was . . . safe . . .to bring out here . . .”
“Then it was good that you didn’t.” Victory glanced about feeling exposed and vulnerable suddenly.
“Maybe it’s something I can show you later tonight? After the dance?”
“You’re going to that thing?” Victory arched an eyebrow.
“I already went through the trouble of getting a dress and Rarity will have a stroke if I don’t go. We already planned on having a spa treatment before the dance.” Jelly sipped her water, her ears nearly laid back.
*“And what about Smokey . . . ?” *
* “He’s going to the dance with June Bug,” * Jelly replied firmly.
Victory’s right ear twitched in surprised and she nodded, pleased. * “Then I guess I only have to worry about Winter then.” *
*“What about Winter?” * Jelly inclined her head curiously.
* “He’s been hanging around with some unicorn girl. Same shade of green as you with a white streak in her hair.” *
Was that disappointment or revulsion she saw in the unicorn’s eyes? * “Really?” *
Noa did take some satisfaction in saying, * “I think they may have been screwing. Fortunately, the TIGGER causes sterility so no worries about any freak babies.” *
*“W-w-what!?” * The horror in her eyes was priceless.
Deep down, in a very small part of her that grew smaller and smaller each day, a little voice told her that it was wrong to upset her daughter, but dammit, the larger part of her was enjoying it too much. * “Calm down. In women the chances of becoming sterile is decreased by 30 percent.”*
*”Oh.” * She didn’t look too comforted.
The waiter arrived and took their orders. Jelly ordered a Flower Power platter while Victory requested a salad. The waiter dutifully took their orders and with a small bow and assurance their meals will come quickly departed.
Victory idly stirred the water with her straw with a small glow of magic. * “Has your magic improved?” *
*”No, but I really haven’t been practicing.” *
* “Don’t bother. Save yourself the embarrassment and work on things you know you can do.” * She had to bite her tongue to keep from saying ‘like failing’. What was wrong with her that she should want to hurt her daughter like this?
* “It’s . . .alright.”* Jelly blinked her eyes several times. * “May I ask you some questions about dad?” *
* “Yeah.” * There, that was civil.
* “How did you meet?” * Jelly attempted to hide her nervousness by a small sip of water.
* “Really wanna know?” * Victory leaned her face on her hooves, her eyes on Jelly.
* “Uh, y-yes.” Jelly looked as if she regretted asking the question.
* “I was so high on painkillers that your father looked like a fine piece of ass and I took it. Sorta forgot that my birth control implant was running low and it resulted in you.” * The stunned look she received was priceless. Victory couldn’t contain her throaty guffaws. She wiped a tear away with the edge of her hoof and spoke through a stretched smile, * “What? You thought we were dating or in love? It was just a quickie. I didn’t see or meet him since that night. By the time I found out I was pregnant, we were on separate ships. In fact, he didn’t know about you until you were born.” *
* “Dad wanted to find you. Or he was going to try to before he died.” * Jelly swallowed as her eyes casted to the side, not meeting Victory’s inquisitive stare. * “I know I’m not what you planned for and you might resent me for it . . . but can we . . . try to have a relationship?” *
Before Victory could respond, a blue unicorn holding a folded paper in his mouth approached their table. He spat the paper onto the table and asked, “Are you Victory Jam?”
They had never seen him before. He was wearing a tweed hat with a hole for his horn and a pen and pad tied to a string around his neck. For his cutie mark was a typewriter. Victory inclined her head, her eyes fixing him with a firm stare. “Depends on who’s asking.”
“I’m Printed Word from the Canterlot Daily Paper. I was wondering if I can get an exclusive about your rescue of the Victory Trio.”
Both Victory and Jelly blinked. “What?”
“Oh, you don’t know. Take a look, please.” With green magic, he unfolded the paper and on it was a snapshot of Victory outside the hospital carrying Sweet Hearts and the zebra foal on her back. The pale unicorn’s face was staring to the side stoically. Next to her was Jelly’s rear end, then without a cutie mark, with Ember sitting on her back.
Thank God, I got my cutie mark or this would have advertised me as a blank flank. Jelly scanned the article which gave a brief summary of the group of ponies led by Victory Jam who went out to rescue the foals, Ember, Sweet Hearts, and Xel from a mite infestation. She noticed with disdain that all the ponies’ names, but hers was mentioned, she was just referred to as Victory’s daughter.
“So how about it? I can have your interview posted in tomorrow’s paper.” The reporter pony had his pad up with a pen floating above it ready to take notes.
“I’m sorry, but you came at a bad time. My daughter and I are currently having lunch. Maybe if you tell me how I can contact you, I’ll give you an interview later.” Victory spoke with such politeness that Jelly barely recognized her.
“Oh, well, I’m staying at the same inn as you. Room 303. Anytime you’re ready come on up or leave a message at the desk and I’ll get in touch.” He tipped his hat to them and left.
When he was out of earshot, Jelly leaned forward and hissed, * “Are you serious about the interview?” *
*”No. I hate the fucking press. They are always nosey and wanting to twist words to sale papers. Especially, in the colonies that believe is ‘free speech’. I prefer Haven or the metropolitan colonies where that nonsense is kept on a tight leash.” *
The waiter arrived with their meals then. After he served them and made sure that they had what they needed, he left them to continue their conversation. Jelly dipped her head to snag a flower with her teeth and relished it.
*”You are eating flowers.” * Victory muttered watching her eat.
* “They’re good,” * Jelly murmured through a mouthful of daisies and tulips.
* “When are you going to start using magic so you don’t eat like a dog?”* Victory leaflets of lettuce toward her mouth.
* “I’ve . . . been practicing,”* Jelly lied. She was too embarrassed to try her magic. It was very disconcerting to not being able to lift a feather when she had seen so many unicorns use levitation as easily as she would use her hands.
* “Liar.”* Victory called her out on it. * “It doesn’t matter. Eat up so we can get back to our duties.” *
* “Winter Welcome will start in a few hours. Are you going to attend?” *
* “No, I have reports to write. Winter is, but he’ll be with that green unicorn.” *
* “Oh. I have to help set up with Twilight and I might be participating in the parade.” *
Whatever Jelly had expected from Victory, her response was likely wasn’t it. Victory sneered, * “Well, look at you, little miss socialite of ponies. Organizing parades and shit.” *
Jelly surprised herself when she knocked her hooves on the tabletop so hard it nearly spilled their water. * “Would it kill you to be nice? To just say something, I don’t know like, ‘that’s nice, Jelly, I’m sure you’ll do well’”*
*”Look, you wanted to stay and help in this mission and I let you.” * Victory’s voice was a low hiss. * “You wanted this lunch and I came. I didn’t promise any more than that. If you don’t like what you see, then you better look somewhere else for a mother, because you won’t find what you’re looking for in me.” *
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Sorry love, but I don’t think it’ll come back. Not with this crowd around.” The black pegasus stood beside her, his hooves perched on the bridge railing to look down in the water with her.
Lyra drew back from the railing in a sigh, “You’re right. He hasn’t come back since that night.”
“Hey, don’t look like I shot your balloon. I said that he won’t come back around with this crowd about.” He motioned toward the busy bustle of ponies going to and fro to hastily prepare for the celebration that had been postpone for too long. “Let’s try again tomorrow night, after Winter Welcome. Let’s go get a cup of hot chocolate.”
As Lyra followed Winter away from the bridge, she drew close to him till her side was nearly brushing against his. “Thank you.”
“For what?” Winter spread a wing across her back, his ebony feathers creating dark slashes along her side.
“For not making fun of me. A lot of ponies tend to make fun of me for my . . .quirks. Bon Bon is nice and she’s my friend, but sometimes I think she gets exasperated with me.”
“Lyra, Lyra, the pony who tugs my Heartstrings, make me a promise, please?” Winter drew them off onto the street into the privacy of a small alley.
“Yeah?” Lyra felt her cheeks flush as she felt his warm breath on her face.
“Don’t ever change. No matter what anyone says, or had frustrated they get, don’t change. You keep sitting however way you want. It’s cute.” He kissed her cheek and then nuzzled her jaw. “And if they make fun of you, tell me, and I’ll send a lightning bolt up their ass.”