//------------------------------// // Progress // Story: Scarlet // by Skijarama //------------------------------// “So, what will it be?” An attendant asked as Scarlet and Primrose stepped up to the prize counter a little while later, sweeping a hoof over everything on display with a large grin. Scarlet looked over it all and raised an eyebrow, somewhat impressed by the selection on offer. A collection of display shelves made up the brunt of the back wall of the stand, each one loaded with a collection of smaller items ranging from cups, mugs, and various pieces of appropriately festival-themed cutlery to folded up pieces of clothing and travel attire in all manner of bright colors. A few larger prizes, including a giant stuffed orthros, were arranged in various poses to frame the shelves. “Not many things that would be all that practical,” Scarlet thought quietly to herself, trying to remember that they still had a long journey ahead of them when they left the city. Whatever she got, she would want it to serve some pragmatic purpose to help them in their travels. After a few moments of indecision, she glanced down at Primrose to see how the foal was taking it. Her eyes were as wide as saucers, her jaw hung open in awe, and her ears were at attention. “Wait… you mean, I can pick… any of these?” she asked after a second. “Absolutely, little miss,” The attendant answered happily. “Any one thing, no matter how large or small.” Primrose pointed at the giant Orthros plushie. “Even that?” The attendant nodded. “If that’s what you want, although your mom’ll probably have to carry it,” he said, patting the nearly five-foot-tall stuffed animal on the back with a glance at Scarlet. She shook her head at Primrose with an apologetic look on her face. She hated to let her down, but they needed to remember their situation. “Sorry, Protea, but I think you should pick something else,” she said soothingly. “Something like that, as huggable as it is, is just too cumbersome for us to reliably carry around. If we brought it along, it would just get shredded on the road by the time we got anywhere.” Primrose pouted at Scarlet’s words. “I didn’t say that’s the one I wanted,” she pointed out before looking around at the stalls for a moment longer, a look of indecision crossing her face. “I just… There’s so much. I dunno where to start…” Scarlet’s expression softened as the realization hit her. Primrose had probably never had a chance to pick something for herself like this before, having spent as much time as she had on the run and in hiding. Much of what she had in her life was whatever she could scrape together, or whatever the ponies who took her in saw fit to grant her. “Um…” Primrose mumbled after a few seconds before her eyes landed on something. Her eyes widened, and she pointed with an enthusiastic smile. “That! The yellow one on the shelf, right there!” The attendant looked where Primrose was pointing, a puzzled look crossing his face. “Er, you sure, little miss? It’s a bit big for you.” “It’s not for me!” Primrose chirped before turning and patting Scarlet’s foreleg a few times. “It’s for her!” Scarlet blinked. “What?” Primrose’s smile softened. “I wanna say thank you for bringing me out here… and, you know, everything else you’ve done for me,” she said, her voice quieting down with sincerity. “You’ve given me so much. I wanna give something back…” “Aah, the filly’s making a gift of it,” The attendant said with realization before smirking at Scarlet. “That’s a nice foal ya got, miss.” Scarlet stared at Primrose with wide eyes, completely taken aback by the idea. She opened her mouth to protest, but the words did not come. Eventually, she closed her mouth and smiled. “Well, two can play at that game,” she thought to herself before turning back to the attendant as he returned with Primrose’s choice. It was a sun-yellow shirt made of a thin, silky fabric with an abstract pattern of a sunrise, or sunset, weaving all along its surface. It looked lightweight but warm, and more than that, it looked far different from Scarlet’s usual attire of an increasingly-damaged blue travel cloak. That, and it just looked really nice. “Thank you,” she said quietly, taking the shirt in her magic and floating it back to hover with her cloak a few feet behind her. Still caked in mud as she was, she had no interest in making either of those pieces of attire dirty. “Now, then, time for my choice…” She swept her eyes over the shelves, thinking critically on everything she knew about the filly by her side, and what she could possibly need. It took her a minute, but eventually, her gaze settled on something, and a smile spread on her face. “There. The saddlebags.” Primrose raised an eyebrow. “Huh? But… you already have-” “Not for me,” Scarlet cut her off with a cheeky grin and sideways glance. She reached out and mirrored Prim’s earlier action by patting her on the head. “For this little one, right next to me.” “Aw, that’s sweet,” The attendant cooed before moving to fetch the indicated item. Primrose’s eyes widened. “Wha- B-but, Scarl- I mean, Sapphire! I already got you a gift, why are you giving me one?” she asked, clearly shocked by the idea. Scarlet rolled her eyes before crouching down to be at Primrose’s eye level. “Because, Protea, in the time since I met you, you have given me something far more precious than any other gift I could ever get from you… and I will never be able to stop repaying that kindness,” she whispered before leaning forward to offer her a gentle nuzzle. “A second chance… and a reason to keep going.” When Scarlet retracted, she was met by the wide-eyed stare of a completely stunned Primrose. Several seconds passed where neither of them said a word, merely looking into each other’s eyes. The moment was subtly interrupted when the attendant returned with a pair of saddlebags in his hooves. They were made of fine leathers, each piece having been expertly stitched together and trimmed with ornate sunrise and sunset patterns.  Scarlet took the saddlebags in her magic and presented them to Primrose with her smile growing. “I’ve always seen how small your saddlebags are compared to you. They’re old, beat up, and far, far too small for you anymore. So…” she allowed the larger saddlebags to drift into Primrose’s shaking hooves. “Here. This is in your size, and it can carry so much more.” “I… I…” Primrose whispered, looking the bags over in complete awe. It was true, they were much closer to being her size. If anything, these saddlebags were actually too big for her, albeit not by much. But that just meant she could grow into them and that they would last for a long, long time if she took care of them. After a few seconds, Primrose’s expression shifted from awe-filled shock to elation. With a humongous grin, she set the saddlebags down and launched herself forward to tightly hug Scarlet around the neck. “I love them!” she squealed, squeezing her protector tightly. “Thank you! Thank you so much!” Scarlet laughed, returning the hug with one hoof and burying her face into Primrose’s still muddy shoulder. “You’re very welcome, Protea,” she said after a moment before pulling back. “Now, what do you say to us finding a bathhouse and cleaning ourselves off? I can’t try out the new shirt you got me when I’m all covered in mud, dirt, and sweat, now can I?” “Nearest bathhouse is right around that corner over there,” The attendant pointed out helpfully without missing a beat, probably having done so countless times that day alone. “Tell them you came from our game, and they’ll probably give you a small discount.” Scarlet nodded at him before standing back to her full height. “Thank you, sir. Have a good day,” she said before reaching out with her magic and setting Primrose on her back. She made sure to add the new saddlebags to the floating trio of items she carried behind her before turning and making her way for the bathhouse. “You too, and enjoy the rest of the festival!” The attendant called after them. A few hours later, Scarlet and Primrose finally found themselves back in their inn room. Presently, while Primrose was over transferring things from her old saddlebags to the new, Scarlet found herself standing in front of a tall vanity mirror that rested against one of the walls to see how she looked in her new shirt. She had to admit: yellow worked surprisingly well on her. Even more so after she tied her mane back close to her head into a high ponytail. It gave her a very different look than she was used to, and she found herself unable to tear her eyes away.  “Is this what I might look like when all of this is over?” she thought idly to herself, an amused smile spreading out on her face. She could see it, her walking through the streets of Lover’s Shade, looking just as she did in the mirror, Primrose cantering along beside her, maybe with a nice mane cut or something, so she didn’t look so ratty all the time. It was a pleasant mental image, to say the least... Her smile slowly faded away as she remembered that something not too far from what she was imagining had been her life only a few months ago. She may not have looked like this, exactly, but she had wandered through Swanrun with Crystal at her side, the two of them laughing and smiling and chatting as they went about their lives. And then it had all ended in tragedy. Scarlet closed her eyes and took a deep breath, forcing down the memory. However much she needed to mourn, the fact was Primrose needed her to stay calm and focused even more. “What are you thinking about?” Primrose asked after a moment, causing Scarlet to snap open her eyes and turn to face the filly. She had tilted her head to one side, a curious look on her face. Scarlet chuckled and shook her head. “Nothing. Just some idle fantasizing,” she dismissed before making her way to their bed and joining Primrose on it. She curled down behind her so that Prim could use the side of her barrel as a pillow if she wanted. Primrose narrowed her eyes in childish scrutiny for a few seconds before seemingly accepting Scarlet’s explanation and turning back to transferring things from one pair of saddlebags to the other. A few minutes passed in silence for the two, both of them enjoying the quiet and peace. The softness of the mattress did not go unappreciated, either. The soreness and stiffness that had crept into their muscles from so much travel, not to mention their rather taxing game against Fluffernutter earlier, finally ebbed away so they could relax. The silence could not last forever, though. It was soon broken by the door opening and Sharp Lens stepping inside with a proud, if tired, look on his face.  “Lens,” Scarlet called over to him, lifting her head. “You’re back. What did you learn?” Lens turned to look at her and opened his mouth to speak. He then fell silent, clamped his jaw shut, and tilted his head. Scarlet blinked. “What? What’s the matter with you? Speak up, we’re listening.” Primrose shifted to look at Scarlet with a knowing smile. “I think he’s admiring the view,” she whispered mischievously. The view? What view- Scarlet’s face flushed as it occurred to her that Lens had not seen her looking like this yet. She looked at him intently, and sure enough, Primrose had hit the nail on the head. Lens’ own partial blush was a dead give away. He awkwardly cleared his throat after a moment. “You, uh… you look good, Scarlet,” he complimented with a crooked grin. Scarlet’s tail flicked in mild agitation. “I… Uh… th-thank you, Lens,” she stammered out before shaking her head and focusing. “Okay, enough with that. Stop ogling me and start talking, mister.” Lens stiffened at the word ‘ogling,’ but was quick to recover and get himself back on track. With a quick flick of blue magic, he withdrew Primrose’s lamp and levitated it over to her. “Here you are,” he said with a smile. “You’ll find no new scratches, I think.” Primrose immediately snatched the lamp up in her hooves and clutched it close to her chest with a squeak and relieved hum. She retreated closer to Scarlet, making good on the unspoken offer to use her barrel as a pillow. Scarlet placed a hoof comfortingly over Primrose before nodding at Lens more seriously. “Did your research yield anything of note?” she asked, hoping that maybe they could finally start to get some tangible answers. Lens nodded. “Not much, but yes. A moment.” Scarlet watched as Lens turned, his horn lighting up again. The entire room briefly glowed blue before flickering and shimmering. When the magical glow faded, they were left in complete and total silence. Even the ambiance of the festival outside had ground to a total halt. Primrose looked around wide-eyed. “Woah. What did you do, Lens?” she asked. Lens adjusted his glasses and trotted over to his own bed. “I cast a sound-proofing spell over the room. Nopony can hear us talking now,” he said before hopping up and sitting down on his haunches. “I also put my portable proximity wards around the inn in hidden spots before coming inside. I’ll know if anypony is coming or going.” “Smart,” Scarlet said simply before sitting upright. “Now that the precautions are dealt with, no more delays. What have you learned?” “Yes, of course. Ahem,” Lens cleared his throat and sat upright. His eyes fell on the lamp with a whole new layer of appreciation. “You know how I spoke before about the lamp having the capacity to contain something, yes? Well, my research today allowed me to deduce that not only can it house something, but it actively is. There is something sealed inside that lamp.” Primrose’s eyes widened, and she clutched the lamp closer to her chest. “What kind of something?” “Hard to say,” Lens answered with a frown. “I can only say that there is something sealed inside. Whether it be a spell, an object, or even a living being, however, eludes me. See, I was able to piece it together when I probed at some of the finer intricacies of the enchantment. The patterns suggest that it’s holding something inside, preserving it.” “Preserving?” Scarlet echoed, a number of implications making themselves known in her thoughts. Lens nodded. “Indeed. And considering that this lamp comes from the same age as the Fall, perhaps even predating that apocalypse, it stands to reason that whatever is inside, if it’s an object or a creature, is a perfectly preserved piece of the past. Who knows what we could learn if we could get it out?” Scarlet glanced down at the lamp with a furrowed brow. That made things interesting, and in some ways, it actually lent a degree of clarity as to why the lunar council would be after it. Assuming, of course, that they knew anything at all about it. Silent hadn’t made any outward indication that he knew what it was he was tracking since Scarlet had gotten involved. “So… there’s a pony in here?” Primrose ventured after a moment, studying her lamp with curiosity. “Somepony from before the changelings… ruined everything?” “Again, we don’t know what is in there,” Lens stressed. “Pony, object, spell. Hell, it could be a giant spider egg for all we know. All I can say for absolute certain is that there is something in that lamp of yours. Until I get another chance to probe at this thing, I cannot be sure of anything else.” “Not like it matters,” Scarlet sighed with a slow shake of her head. “Even if we knew what was stored inside this thing, we would have no way of opening it. I’ve felt the enchantment firsthoof, and so have you. Neither of us is in any way capable of breaking through such a complicated and powerful labyrinth of wards. And if we were to try and brute force it open, we would destroy the lamp, and by extension, whatever was sealed within.” “So, then, how do we find out what’s inside?” Primrose asked, sitting upright. “If it’s a pony, maybe they’ll know why my family was protecting the lamp!” “Or they were sealed inside because they were dangerous,” Scarlet was quick to point out, not keen on the idea of letting out something that was sealed away with good reason. Lens nodded. “A valid point, but regardless. In order for me to decipher what is inside, I’ll need more time and continued access to the tools at the academy.” Scarlet frowned. “Which means we would have to remain in the city…” Lens nodded reluctantly. “I am afraid so… I can postpone that research until we get to Lover’s Shade if you think it’s too risky, but I feel like I’m close to figuring this thing out,” he said slowly. Primrose turned back to Scarlet, her expression pleading. “Can we stay another day, please?” she asked, placing her hooves on Scarlet’s chest and gazing deep into her eyes. “Please? I really, really wanna know what’s in my lamp. And…” she looked down, her lips twitching faintly into a small smile. “And I really had fun at the fair today… I wanna play there some more if we can.” Scarlet was quiet, indecision wreaking havoc on her mind. On the one hoof, knowing that there was something in the lamp made her even more curious about it than before. In truth, as far as she was concerned, the lamp had been something of a secondary priority ever since they left Hoofrest Shire. She had cared more about getting Primrose somewhere safe before anything else. But now that she knew that there was something contained within, something that predated the Fall itself… It had piqued her scholarly curiosity.  But at the same time, they were literally sleeping right under the noses of those who had ordered Silent to hunt Primrose down to begin with. All they would need to do is look down for even a moment, so to speak, and Scarlet, Primrose, and Lens would be almost certain to die… For a moment, she thought that might be the end of it. The lamp could wait until they reached the sanctuary of Lover’s Shade, and they would leave in the morning before their followers could catch wind of their presence here. She opened her mouth to announce that plan, but then she looked into Primrose’s eyes again. The words died in her throat when she saw the hope, the pure desperation in those teal orbs. “How long has she wondered what it was all for?” Scarlet thought, her posture sagging. “How long has she asked herself why the ponies she loved had to always be ripped away from her? How long has she wanted to know what her family died for? How many families has she lost without getting those answers? ...And how long has it been since she truly, honestly, got to be a filly for a change; To laugh, and smile, and play?” There was a moment of silence. “...Too long. Far, far too long.” Scarlet lifted her head. “One more day,” she said, finding it difficult to even reach that compromise in her head. “No more than that. And if I suspect that we have been compromised, then we are to drop everything and go. Do I make myself clear?” Primrose grinned and lunged in to hug Scalet again. Lens, for his part, nodded his head respectfully. “Yes, ma’am,” he said. Primrose snuggled deeper into Scarlet’s chest fur, humming in gratitude. “Thank you, Scarlet…” she whispered after a moment. Scarlet sighed and leaned down to give Prim a nuzzle on the head. “You’re welcome.” “I can only hope that I do not regret this decision,” she thought quietly. Through the window, the last light of the sun dipped below the horizon, and night claimed the world.