//------------------------------// // homebound // Story: The Alley Outside of 7/11: An Anthology // by The Red Parade //------------------------------// The very last train from Ponyville to Dodge Junction just happened to be the very last train that left the station. Which made it an excellent option for someone who wanted to travel unnoticed. The station platform was void of ponies, save the sleepy ticket master who closed his window seconds after sliding the mare a ticket. Daring Do collapsed on the bench, ticket in her shirt pocket with a disgruntled sigh. She hadn’t bothered with her disguise, reasoning that it was three in the morning, the lighting on the platform was horrible, and that the chances of being recognized in Ponyville were slim. She just had to hope that Rainbow Dash wasn’t camping above the station for some reason.  Besides, she was exhausted. She didn’t want to go through the hassle of pulling her disguise from her bags and sitting in that itchy dress for the entire trip. A frown found its way onto her face. She had spent the last few days desperately searching for answers before seeking out Twilight’s assistance. Even then, she didn’t have a solid answer, but only a hunch. But it would have to do. Caballeron already had a massive head start on her. The explorer dropped her head in her hooves and let out a much louder, barely restrained yell of frustration. “Long day?” Daring jumped at the voice. She hadn’t noticed that there was a mare sitting on the bench next to her. Whipping her head around, she saw a yellow coated earth pony with a cobalt blue mane. A white stetson hat sat on top of her head and a red bandana was tied around her neck. She wore a light green shirt and stared at her, concerned. “Mighty sorry,” she apologized. “Ah didn’t mean to startle you.” As her heart rate returned to normal, Daring relaxed. “It’s fine. I just didn’t see you there.” She took a second to consider the irony of the statement. Noticing traps and finding clues were second nature to her, yet she somehow missed an entire pony sitting on a bench next to her. If this mare was an assassin, she’d probably be dead. Luckily for her, this mare didn’t seem like any assassin she had met before. The mare chuckled. “Yeah? Ah get that a lot. But in my line of work Ah reckon that ain’t a good thing.” Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to the bench, where Daring realized an open book lay. “Really?” Daring shifted in her seat. Normally she wouldn’t keep up a conversation with a total stranger, but she was tired and not thinking straight. And maybe she was a little curious. “And what line of work would that be?” The mare offered a smile and reached under the bench, pulling out an old, battered instrument case. She patted the case on the side twice.  “Musician, huh?” “Travelin’ musician, to be exact.” The mare extended a hoof. “Name’s Fiddlesticks.” Daring accepted the hoofshake. “A.K. Yearling,” she heard herself say. “Pleasure to meet you. What do you do, if you don’t mind me askin’?” At that moment, Daring was glad she wasn’t wearing her pith helmet as it would have made lying about her profession significantly harder. “I’m a writer, primarily.”  Fiddlesticks’s eyes lit up at that. “Really now! What do you write?” “Whatever I feel like,” came the almost automatic response. “But mainly adventure and action.”  The mare nodded, taking in her words. “Wow. That’s pretty cool. Any novel Ah might know?” Daring shifted in her seat. “Probably not.”  Fiddlesticks rolled her eyes. “You underestimate how much Ah read,” she chuckled. “So, where you headed?” “Dodge Junction, same as you probably,” Daring responded. “I’m headed down there to do some research.” “That’s nice,” Fiddlesticks said. “Ah always appreciate some accuracy in books.” Daring smiled at the compliment. ‘You have no idea,’ she thought. “What about you? Heading home?” Fiddlesticks’s smile faltered at that. “No, not really. Ah am a travelin’ musician, after all. Haven’t called any place mah home in a long time.”  The pegasus blinked at that. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to-” “Nah, it’s fine,” Fiddlesticks replied, regaining her smile. “Thing is, this is just the life Ah live. Ah’m a roamer, a free spirit. Ah go wherever Ah feel, and if Ah stay in one place too long Ah get restless. My home is wherever Ah happen to be.” “That’s one way to think about it.” “Ah reckon it is. Though Ah guess Ah’ve always had a soft spot for Ponyville.” She sighed, glancing behind her, towards the town center. “Ah was only here for a family reunion, you know. Ah came like Ah always do, to provide the music. Wasn’t expectin’ to get cornered by one of my  cousins.” Fiddlesticks laughed aloud.  “Apparently, she was under the impression Ah was livin’ up in Appleoosa. When cousin Brae told her Ah wasn’t, she asked around and panicked when she couldn’t find out where Ah was livin’.” Her smile faltered again. “She said ‘Why didn’t you tell me you were homeless?’ Like it was a bad thing or somethin’.” She blinked, remembering where she was. “Mighty sorry. Ah’m ramblin’ again, aren’t Ah?” Daring shook her head. “It’s fine. The train’s not due for awhile, and I’m more than happy to listen.” Inside, she questioned why she was so invested in her story, and why Fiddlesticks found her trustworthy enough to talk to in the first place.  “Well, anyways, she didn’t really understand when Ah told her what Ah told you. That Ah’m a wanderer. She offered to give me a place to stay and a job and some bits. Ah told her it wasn’t about that, and that Ah was gettin’ by just fine. Took a lotta convincin’, but she backed off in the end. But you know what, she still didn’t understand. To her, a home meant much more than a place to stay. To my family, there’s nothin’ more important than plantin’ roots, and that’s somethin’ you can’t really do if you’re in a new place every other week.” Her voice had taken on a sad tone, Daring noticed. “And that talk made me wonder what Ah was missin’ by not settlin’ down.” As she was listening, Daring’s mind was working hard, choosing her words carefully. By the time Fiddlesticks finished her story, she had an idea of what to say. “Hey, I can understand where you’re coming from. I’m constantly moving around too. A long time ago I found out that a normal life clearly wasn’t for me. While in school, I learned a new eterm: nomad. Someone who doesn’t have a home and is always moving. I decided that I was a nomad.” Fiddlesticks listened intently, leaning in and urging her to continue. “My research has taken me all over Equestria. And yeah, I have a tiny little shack that I live in when I’m not out, but to me that’s not my home. My home is the badlands beyond Equestria, the deserts of Saddle Arabia, the forests of the Amarezon. To me, home is where I am. Wherever it may be.” Daring gave Fiddlesticks a reassuring smile. “There’s a phrase that I’ve thought to be pretty cheesy, but I think it might help you. Not all who wander are lost.” The mare fell silent at that, pondering over Daring’s words. “Huh. That’s interestin’ alright. And Ah guess it does make sense.” “And just because you’re a wanderer doesn’t mean you don’t have a shot at family,” Daring added. “It’s not something I care about all that much, but I’ve known people who did it. You don’t have to wander forever.”  Fiddlesticks  chuckled. “Yeah. You know what, Ah like what you said. That your home is where you are. Sounds a lot better than sayin’ you’re homeless.” “Well, what makes a home? Some ponies say it’s where your heart is. Others say it’s where your house is.” Daring paused. “Or maybe I’m completely wrong. I don’t know. Am I making sense?” “Sure you are. And don’t worry, what you’re sayin’ sounds right enough to me.” Daring exhaled. “Good. Sorry, I’m never sure if I’m making sense or not.” A brief silence passed before Fiddlesticks giggled again. “It’s funny. I guess when you put it like that, we’re both headin’ home then, huh?” The pegasus considered that. “Yeah. I guess in a way, we are.” The two shared a laugh. Fiddlesticks yawned and stretched. In doing so she knocked the open book off of the bench and onto the floor. “Here,” Daring offered. “Let me-” She paused as she reached for it. The book landed upside down, with the cover facing upwards. And on the cover, Daring saw a very familiar face. One look at Fiddlesticks answered Daring’s question. The mare blushed and looked away, embarrassed. The adventurer quickly put two and two together, figuring out just why this mare seemed to trust her so much. Normally, she would have been upset. She probably would have turned and left the station at that second, before the endless questions about her life and if she was real started. But for some reason he didn’t. Instead, she laughed. “So you did recognize me after all.”  Fiddlesticks rubbed a foreleg. “Ah might have. But Ah figured you wouldn’t want to deal with some crazy fan at this hour.” “Well, thanks.” She blinked at that statement. “For what?” “For not treating me like a celebrity. It does get a bit annoying when everybody’s treating you like some hero. It’s nice to just sit down and have a conversation sometimes.”  “But you are a hero,” Fiddlesticks interjected. “Your books give ponies hope. They gave me hope.” Daring shrugged. “Anyone can give anyone hope. That’s nothing special.” Fiddlesticks shook her head. “Ah disagree. Ah don’t think someone like me could give ponies hope.” “No, I disagree. Music has amazing powers, that’s why almost every culture in Equestria has used music in some way. You know, the ancients almost thought of their musicians as kings, and that their music was the voices of the gods. I’d say that gives ponies hope.”  The other mare sighed, staring off wistfully into the distance. “Miss Do, do you ever regret what you do? Callin’ wherever you are home?” The pegasus thought for a second. “Yeah, yeah I do. Especially when it came to my parents. One of the last letters I ever got from them ended with ‘I hope you’ll be home soon.’ And when they passed… I guess it really made me wonder about my choices.” “Ah’m sorry. Ah reckon that’s a bit of a sore spot for you.”  Daring rubbed her eyes at that statement before replying. “No, it’s fine. I really appreciate this. It’s been awhile since I got to have a conversation with another pony, without them constantly fawning over me.”  Fiddlesticks coughed awkwardly. “Well, Ah know you don’t like it and all, but Ah was wonderin’... it’s fine if you don’t…” The pegasus just laughed, already guessing the question. “Tell you what. If you play me a song, I’ll give you an autograph.” The mare hesitated before answering. “Deal,” Fiddlesticks said. She opened her case, pulling out a well worn fiddle and a bow. “Now Ah hope Ah don’t disappoint you,” she said bashfully.  “Please, any sound you can make will be miles better than anything I can do,” Daring replied as she sat back in the bench. Fiddlesticks smiled and nodded, and began to play. Daring relaxed and closed her eyes, as the soft melodies filled the quiet air. And they sat, enjoying the music and each other’s company.