//------------------------------// // Departure // Story: Scarlet // by Skijarama //------------------------------// Scarlet, Primrose, and Lens had spent another whole week on the Apple Family farm, giving the wounded time to recover and Lens time to poke and prod at the lamp. Between bouts of rest and study, Scarlet and Lens had made themselves useful by helping out around the farm wherever they could. As Scarlet continued to insist, it was the least they could do to pay the Apples back for housing them for so long. It had been a restful and refreshing week, to say the least. For the duration, Scarlet had finally started to feel like a regular mare again for the first time in months. The simplicity of working on a farm to earn her place and carry her weight, listening to the Apple family joke and banter and laugh with each other, and the delight of hot, home-cooked meals every night… it reminded her of simpler, happier times.  But no matter how much she wished otherwise, they could not stay forever. In truth, they had probably stayed for too long already. With every day that passed, the creeping fear that Silent would finally recover and resume his hunt gnawed at her more and more. Finally, it had become too much, and the decision was made at dinner to leave for Newcanter at first light. That very light now shone in through the front windows of the house. Golden shafts of early morning sunlight came in through the open windows, illuminating the interior and slowly increasing the temperature in the space. Scarlet stood by the front door, her cloak once again draped over her back, and her saddlebags secured on her withers. Lens was by her side, checking over their map and planning out their route. And then there was Primrose. She sat in the center of the room, putting some final things away in her small saddlebags. A few apples, her dagger, and, of course, her lamp. Windrain sat with her, the two speaking in hushed tones. Apple Juice and Star were standing a little way to one side, watching the whole scene unfold quietly. Star occasionally shifted in place and glanced hopefully towards his father, silently asking for permission to approach. Each time, he was met with a slow shake of the head. They could wait their turn. Scarlet eyed them with a small frown. In the week since Prim had woken up, it became clear that she shared a particularly strong bond with Windrain. Scarlet couldn’t say for sure what the reason for that was, nor did she dare prod into their privacy by asking questions. This wasn’t her family, after all. “Okay, I think that’s about everything,” Wind declared after a few seconds, trying and failing to sound cheerful. She gave Primrose a strained smile. “You’ve got everything you need for the trip.” Primrose nodded along without a word, slipping the saddlebags onto her back. Once they were secure, she turned to look up into Wind’s eyes. “Thank you, Wind,” she whispered. Apple Juice and his son took this as their cue to approach, both of them bearing somber expressions. Star spoke first, his voice low. “Do ya really hafta go, Prim?” he asked, scuffing the floor with a hoof. Primrose turned to him, her ears drooping. “I don’t wanna leave, no… not again. But I have no choice. I need to find out more about my lamp, and I can’t let Silent find you guys. You mean too much to me,” she told him before putting on a small smile. “But I’ll come back someday and visit again. And I’ll tell you all about the adventures I’ve had when I do.” That small assurance made Star’s expression lighten up, albeit only a little. “Y… ya promise?” he asked, his ears lifting. Primrose’s expression wavered, but she nevertheless nodded. “I promise. I’ll come back someday and tell you everything.” “Ah sure as hell hope so,” Apple Juice remarked with a more light-hearted grin. “Star’s gonna go nuts if ya go back on yer word there, Prim. So y’all make sure ya ain’t lyin’ and come back home safe.” Primrose giggled at that, looking up at Apple Juice. “Well, I have to now, don’t I?” she asked, her smile growing. “Damn straight!” Apple Juice responded, reaching down to ruffle her mane. “Mama,” Star suddenly called over to Wind, giving his father a stinky-eyed look of disapproval. “Papa said a bad language word!” Apple Juice’s expression soured from his son’s accusation. “Now you listen here, ya little twerp…” he growled in a playful manner, leaning down towards Star. Whatever he said next was quiet enough that Scarlet couldn’t make it out, but given the giggles Primrose and Star were both letting out, it probably wasn’t anything for her to worry about. Just a father having fun with his kid. Probably. Windrain merely rolled her eyes at her family’s antics before turning to Scarlet. She trotted forward and gingerly laid a hoof on the unicorn’s chest. “You’re sure you’re ready for this?” Wind asked in a serious whisper, her brow wrinkling with concern. “I know you used to be a soldier and all. You’re tough and strong, and long journeys are nothing to you. But… we can keep housing you if you need it.” Scarlet blinked, briefly taken aback by the offer. She looked over at Lens, trying to see what he thought of the idea. But, predictably, his nose was still buried in the map, and he was muttering furiously to himself as he weighed the pros and cons of sticking to the highway versus using side roads. Micromanaging Sharp Lens. How typical. After a few seconds more, Scarlet turned back to Wind with a slow shake of her head. “I’m sure. As Primrose said, we can’t afford to put you in danger by letting Silent find you,” she said in an equally hushed voice. “And that means we need to go.” Windraid nodded slowly, seemingly unsurprised by that answer, though nonetheless disappointed. She let out a quiet breath, her eyes looking down towards the floor. “Right… of course,” she mumbled to herself. After a moment, she met Scarlet’s gaze again. “Just… promise me you’ll take good care of Primrose for me? Please?” Scarlet didn’t even hesitate. “As if she were my own flesh and blood,” she said, bowing her head. “I’ll guard her with my life to the very end. This, I swear to you…” the next words caught in her throat for a second before she forced them out. “...As one mother to another.” Wind’s eyes widened in surprise. “One mother to… you have a child?” Scarlet’s hoof drifted up to gingerly caress the metal yoke of her cloak, fond memories now forever stained with blood flickering before her eyes. Her ears lowered, and she visibly sagged. Lens must have taken notice of her sudden loss of posture, as she felt his hoof press into her shoulder to offer her some support. A small gesture, but one that she felt very grateful for. After a moment, Scarlet nodded, lifting her gaze to meet Wind’s. “...I used to.” Wind tilted her head in confusion for a second. “You used to…?” she asked quietly, not quite registering the morbid implication. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for it to click into place, sparing Scarlet the grueling task of recounting even a fraction of the tail. Realization dawned on Wind’s face, her hoof wandering up to cover her mouth. “Oh… oh, no, no, no... oh my word, I… did you… lose them?” Scarlet’s hoof tightly curled itself into the fabric of the cloak to anchor herself to the here and now. She screwed her eyes shut and sucked in a deep breath, forcing herself to stay composed. “...Y-yes,” she said quietly, her voice breaking for a moment. “A few months ago. I would rather not speak further of it…” She felt Lens’ grip on her shoulder tighten, steadily bringing her emotions back into life. Wind was quiet for several seconds. Then, to Scarlet’s surprise, she leaned in and gave her a warm hug, squeezing her close. “I’m so sorry,” Wind whispered to her. “I am so, so very sorry. You have my condolences.” Scarlet was quiet for several seconds, momentarily reminded of how those same words had been emptily echoed to her over and over back in Swanrun. For a moment, the same irritation flared in the back of her skull before she was able to reign herself in. She knew this was genuine, this time. With a sigh, she returned the hug with one hoof. She didn’t say anything, though. After a few seconds, Wind backed away and put her hoof on the yoke as well. She didn’t say anything else. After a few more seconds, she quietly backed away, leaving Scarlet and Lens to themselves. The stallion’s brow furrowed in thought as Scarlet turned to face him, and he withdrew his hoof. “Crystal got you that cloak, didn’t she?” he asked in barely even a whisper, his eyes roving over the piece of apparel. Scarlet looked down at the fabric, her heart twisting when she saw the various tears and rips it had suffered in their journey so far. “Yes,” she eventually confirmed with a sigh. “She went behind my back and worked at a local tailor for months so she could get it for me. It was… it was for our trip to come see you.” Lens was quiet for a few seconds. He folded up the map and placed it back in his saddlebags before leaning in to offer Scarlet an affectionate nuzzle, one she swiftly returned. The two remained that way for several moments before Scarlet cleared her throat and turned back to Primrose, who was currently enveloped in a group hug with Apple Juice and Apple Star. “Primrose,” she called out, drawing a surprised look from all three of them. “We need to get going. Finish your goodbyes.” “Does she have to?” Star repeated for what was probably the millionth time. “Does she really gotta go?” “She does, boy,” Apple Juice answered with a slow nod. He slowly released Primrose from his grasp and looked into her eyes. “Now, y’all be a good filly, ya hear me?” “I will,” Primrose replied, standing up to her full height. She paused, her ears lowering. “I… I’m going to miss you.” “And we’re gonna miss ya too,” Juice replied, ruffling her mane. “But we know yer in good hooves.” He looked directly at Scarlet as he said that. She gave him a dutiful nod before using her magic to open up the door. Primrose hesitated for a moment longer before shuffling back a few paces. She glanced over at Windrain, who smiled and nodded at her encouragingly. “Go on, sweetie,” she said. “We’ll be here when you come back.” Primrose relaxed at that, her ears lifting. She held her head high, and when she spoke again, it was loud enough for everypony to hear her. “Thank you for saving me… all of you… goodbye.” And with that, she turned and made her way to Scarlet’s side, her jaw set and her expression determined. Scarlet felt a small amount of surprise, seeing the usually timid filly with such a look.  “I shouldn’t be surprised,” she told herself after a moment, smiling. “She has a lot to come back too… and promises to keep.” “So, shall we?” Lens asked, scuffing the floor and glancing nervously back towards the Apples. “I mean, we have a long way to go, so if there’s anything else we should do here…” “We’re ready,” Scarlet assured him with a slow nod. She turned and slipped out through the door, Primrose following close behind her, followed shortly by Lens. Once they were all outside, Scarlet went to close the door. She hesitated when a thought occurred to her, though. She bit her lip for a second before turning back to face the family that had so generously offered their home to her when she had needed the help the most.  Scarlet’s face lit up with a warm smile. “And thank you. All of you. Thank you for everything.” “It was our pleasure,” Wind replied with a nod and cheery smile, her family nodding in agreement. “Be careful out there,” Apple Juice added. “And bring Primrose back!” Star concluded with a small jump. “She promised me she would! Make sure she keeps her promise!” Scarlet smiled back and nodded at all of them. “I will,” she said with finality, then closed the door. She, Lens, and Primrose stood in silence for a moment after that, allowing the silence to envelop them.  Scarlet took a long, deep breath, then turned to face the path ahead of them. It wove through the community for a time before leading off into the distance, vanishing between the grassy foothills and pockets of trees. It was going to be a long journey… Scarlet held her head high and drew in a deep breath. “Let’s go,” she said simply, starting into a brisk trot. Lens and Primrose were quick to match her pace, and together, the trio made their way out of Hoofrest Shire.