A week or so after Sand Castle got jolted at Sweet Apple Acres, she was at home with her brother and Doctor Twilight Sparkle, discussing their next course of action. “Even though this new talent is helping me at my job, I’m still extremely uncomfortable trying to use it at all. What should I do?” she asked between sips of coffee. An apple pie was on the table as well, or, it should be said, what started as an apple pie. Three slices remained.
Twilight had a piece of the pie. Not only did she find it delicious, she already has a pie reserved for her, to take back to the lab for later. “I really think you should take some time off and come to terms with your talent. Once you become comfortable with it, life will become easier for you,” she suggested.
“My talent is primarily non-visible, so nobody can suspect anything when I use it. Yours has visible manifestations, like Blaise’s arrows and shield. I know one way you can take some time off without too much question,” Wave Rider suggested from his place at the kitchen table, a half-eaten piece of pie in front of him. While he really enjoyed his mother’s recipe for apple pie, which Sand Castle had learned and perfected, he rather forcibly kept himself in check. He was slim, trim and racy, and intended to stay that way.
“How’s that, brother?” Sand asked after a piece of pie. While she never forced herself into a supermodel image, it still irked her a little that she and Wave weighed the same, despite the fact that Wave was five years older and eight inches taller than she is. She liked her padding. It felt right to her.
“Well, you are my designated caretaker in case I need one, right?” Wave countered. “You can take a three to six month leave of absence to look after me.”
Sand shook her head. “That’s unpaid, Wave. How are we going to make up the shortfall?” she asked. “While the house is paid for, taxes and expenses don’t stop.”
Wave and Twilight exchanged glances. “I know a way to handle that, Sand,” Twilight said. “Rarity offered Wave a salary that is twice what he is earning now, but he argued her down to what it is. A couple of words from Wave and myself will cover the shortfall.”
“You have to admit, a Ph.D. roboticist makes more than a grade two building inspector working for the city, yes?” Wave added, looking at his sister closely. “Even at what I’m making now. Double that will make our finances secure, even if you don’t go back to work for a while, right?”
Sand sighed before sipping some more coffee. “You do have a point, brother. Question is, what will I do with myself? I don’t like sitting around the house all day.”
“You can come down to Rare Innovations a couple of days a week, to test your talent out in different situations,” Twilight offered.
“That is a good start, but that still leaves me with a lot of free time.”
“We’ll come up with something, sister. Don’t let it get to you. I want you safe, secure, confident and happy,” Wave said, reaching across the table to take her hand in his and squeezing gently.
“I’ll also look into some other ideas in the meantime as well, Sand. Being bored is rather dull,” Twilight observed.
“Thank you, Doctor Sparkle,” Sand said as she squeezed her brother’s hand.
“Please, call me Twilight. We are friends, right?”
Sand Castle managed to get an indefinite leave of absence from work, to look after her brother some more while he undertook ‘experimental therapy’ in hopes of being able to walk again. Wave got his raise, so finances were handled. Twilight looked into getting Sand Castle a position at Rare Innovations, but there were not any openings that fit her skill set. Twice a week, Sand spent the day with Wave, practicing her talent under laboratory conditions, as well as working with Rip Current and Blaise Arrow to see how she could affect others with her electroshock. That still left her with plenty of time to brood with little to do. She did accompany ‘the boys’ on their weekend excursions most of the time, she got so accustomed to Blaise’s marred face and dull voice that she stopped noticing it, she did teach Rip Current how to cook small, flavorful meals that would satisfy his stapled and sleeved stomach, but, she felt bored. Blunted. Little to do.
Over dinner one night, Sand came to a decision. She asked Wave, “Brother, what would you think about us adopting a cat?”
“A cat? Why a cat?” Wave asked as he cut himself another piece of pot roast.
“A cat is low-maintenance, less destructive as a dog could be, and it will give me something to do when I’m sitting at home. Unless you LIKE me going out on shopping sprees,” she said to him, giving him an impish look.
“A cat seems like a good idea. Tomorrow, I have a day off, Twilight being booked to do a presentation on the Wonderbolt armor. How about we go cat shopping tomorrow? Know any pet shops we can go to?” Wave asked.
“My project for the evening. I’ll have a list in the morning.”
The search got off to a rocky start. By noon, they had gone to five pet shops, either finding they had no cats or the ones they had took a dislike to either Wave or Sand, the dislike shown with hisses, arched backs and swipes. They found themselves at a pet shop on the outskirts of town, hoping this one would end their quest.
When they went in, they were met by a young lady with pale yellow skin and pink hair that covered most of her face. “Can I help you?” she asked in a soft voice.
“Yes. We’re looking to adopt a cat, a young one. Do you have any here?” Sand asked, looking closely at the lady. She was sure she had seen her before but was not certain where.
“Yes, we have two kitties that can use a forever home. Would you like to meet them?” the lady asked.
“Yes, please. This is the sixth place we have been since morning, and either the shops had no cats, or the ones there did not like one of us,” Wave explained as he guided his wheelchair through the aisles, following the store clerk.
“Well, may you find your luck here,” the clerk said, escorting the two into what she called a ‘visiting room’. “Wait here and I will get the two.”
The clerk returned with two kitties, a white male with small black spots on his face, and a black female with small white spots all over her body. “These are Freckles and Starshine. They’re brother and sister, and don’t like being parted. Let’s see if they like you,” she said, putting the two on the floor.
Freckles scampered over to Sand, looked up at her, and meowed before starting to climb her leg. With a laugh, she picked up the white kitten and cuddled him. “Hi, Freckles!” she said to the kitty, who meowed back, jumped to her shoulder and gave her a cheekrub before licking her nose.
Starshine, in the meantime, marched right up to Wave’s wheelchair, sniffed at it, wiggled her butt, then jumped up over the foot rest to his left leg, which she scaled like an expert mountaineer going up a tricky slope.
“Good thing I can’t feel my legs, or else I may be hurting by now!” Wave laughed as Starshine achieved the lap before climbing Wave’s jacket. Wave caught her halfway up and cuddled the kitty, who balled up in his hands, radiating contentment. “Looks like you’re happy, Starshine!”
“I think we found our furry friends, brother,” Sand said as she petted Freckles.
“While I may not be the brightest bulb in the box, even I can see that, sister,” Wave agreed, putting Starshine in his lap and petting her gently. He then looked up at the clerk. “We’ll take them, along with all needed supplies.”
The clerk looked radiantly happy, smiling fondly at the two happy kittens. “I know you will be perfect pet parents. I have never seen such happy kittens leaving my store before. Mind if I take some pictures before I get a package ready?” she asked. Both of the customers agreed, and so a bunch of pictures were taken before the clerk made up a large box of litter, automatic litterbox, food, toys, bowls and other assorted kitty equipment, along with a large enough carrier for future growth.
“Excuse me, did you go to Canterlot High?” Sand asked as they paid for the goods.
“Why, yes I did. Did you?” the clerk asked in return.
“We both did. Wave graduated three years before the Catastrophe, while I was a sophomore that year,” Sand told her. “I’m Sand Castle, he’s Wave Rider.”
“I’m Fluttershy. Did you like the show?” she inquired of them.
“Up until everything went sideways, yes. That was where my back was broken,” Wave mentioned. “Details for another time. This is a happy time, so let it remain so.”
“Yes, let it be happy. Goodbye, Freckles! You too, Starshine!” Fluttershy said, sticking her fingers inside the wire mesh of the carrier door. Both kitties licked a finger before pulling back.
“Thank you, Fluttershy. With friends like these two, my days won’t be lonely!” Sand said, taking the box of supplies. Fluttershy took the carrier while Wave picked up the big litter jug. They got everything into the van, said goodbye once more and headed home.
As Fluttershy watched the van leave, she could hear a growl from within her mind. “Those two don’t look to be so tough. Why did you let them take the kittens?”
“Because the kittens chose them, and I recognized the man. He’s Wave Rider. He was a surfer when I was in school, and after. I remember a lot of the girls liking him.”
“Well, he’s not much now, stuck in that wheelchair. I can handle him with no problem.”
“Don’t be so sure, Andrea. I feel there is more to them than we think.”
“Yeah. She smells different, like acid and ozone.”