//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 Back in Canterlot Part 2 // Story: Twilight adopts a foal. The adventures of Comet Dust // by Itztli FP //------------------------------// Chapter 8. Back in Canterlot (Part 2) Next Morning. The sun was starting to rise, but none of the guests were wake up yet. Twilight was sleeping peacefully when she fell down from the bed due to a strong push in her back. It happened so suddenly she didn’t have enough time to scream, just groaned when she hit the ground. It was loud enough to wake up Spike, who saw un confusion Twilight on the floor. “Comet, do you think it fun…?” Twilight complained, but she interrupted herself when she saw Comet. He was fast asleep spread all over the bed, reason why he’d thrown her. “Twilight, what´s happening?” Spike asked sleepy. “Comet Threw me out of the bed.” She answered rubbing his right shoulder, where she hit the ground. Then, a delicious smell started to filtering through the room. A soft and sweet smell of mass that caught anyone who smell it. “Do you smell it?” Comet said unexpectedly, surprising both of them. He was fast asleep a few seconds ago and now he was even more awake than them. “The only thing that can wake up Comet that easy, breakfast.” Spike laugh. His stomach growled a few seconds later. “He is not the only one, it seems.” Twilight said laughing as well. “Well, what are we waiting for?” Comet jumped down the bed and opened the door to go running downstairs. “That´s why he wakes up” She said feeling a little offended. “Your mom is doing waffles, who wouldn’t do it? –Spike walked toward the door. “You never did it when I cooked them.” “That´s different. Your waffles could wake a corpse.” He mocked and quickly followed Comet to the kitchen. “Hey, what´s that supposed to mean?” She exclaimed annoyed. After breakfast, Comet took a bath, cleaning himself and matching his with fur on his chest; he brushed and untangled his mane and tried to comb it the best he could. Tan, he went to his bedroom to dress up; there wasn’t going to be school that day and there wasn´t anything to hide to who he was going to visit that day, but he got used to wearing cloths and cleaning himself, being part of his diary routine. Besides, he knew how good he looked wearing them. “Where are you going so trim?” His grandmother asked when she saw him. “Who are you going to see?” “Cary” He said smiling and too excited. “Who’s Cary?” “Cary was Comet´s caretaker in the orphanage. When I told Comet we were coming to Canterlot, he insisted paying her a visit.” Twilight explained. “Why is that important this Cary?” “She raised me before Twilight. She was like my first mom.” Comet answered with a melancholic smile. They went out of the house in midday since they spent the rest of the morning packaging his baggage, they’ll return to Ponyville later that day. They took their way to the orphanage in the west side of the city, carrying the second package they picked up in Sugar Cube Corner with them. However, there were two unexpected accompanists. Twilight´s parents wanted to meet Cary too, because she seemed to be a good and kind pony by the way Comet talked about her. They got to a secluded area of the city, where the huge building the orphanage was stood out from the rest of houses around. An enormous mansion of three floors adapted to it new function several years ago surrounded by a large garden with bushes of flowers and a large backyard, where the foals went out to play. The moment they trespassed the bushes fence, Comet made them signals to keep in silence and gave twilight the box. Carefully, he got close to the corner of the house to investigate. If Cary adhered to her customs, she would be in her personal garden taking care of her flowers. She was actually there indeed, watering some bushes Comet didn’t remember they were there when he left. Comet made signals to his family to get close and, speaking very low so he wouldn´t be dicover, he said them to stay still and be quite. After a little glance to corroborate Cary didn’t notice them, he slowly walked close to the unaware pony, with the help of the noise of the grass and the water spilling out of the hosepipe covering his steps; just as a cat hunting a mouse. When he was just behind her, he stopped for a moment. He was close enough to heard that Cary was humming very low a song they used to listen sometimes. When he was sure she was completely distracted, he prepared himself. His family were hiding behind the corner, carefully watching what Comet was doing. They didn’t understand what he was planning, except for Spike and Twilight, which had already guessed it. “HEY, CARY!” Comet yelled. The mare jump and let out a short, but loud, scream because the surprise. Due to the scare by such sudden attack, she lost control of her magic, inactivating her horn, making the hosepipe shake violently, hitting Comet in the face with a waterjet as a just punishment for his joke. There was only one colt who would dare to do that to her. So, instinctively she turned back and yelled. “Comet! I have told you a billion times that…!” Then she interrupted herself in confusion. That was impossible. But he was there. “Comet?” Comet spat out a little of water that entered in his mouth with an ironic expression. “That went better in my mind.” He exclaimed. “Comet… Is that you?” She asked unbelieving what she was seeing. “Hi, Cary.” He said with a loving smile. “Comet! I´m so glad to see you back again.” She took the foal between her arms and gave him a big hug. “Wait a minute. What are you doing here? Don’t tell me you escaped again.” “No. I’m not alone.” He indicated his family to come out of hiding. The three ponies and dragon got close to them. Twilight and Spike were smiling but Twilight Velvet and Night Light had a confused expression mixed with a smile in it, making a rare and funny face to see. “Comet insisted to come here.” Twilight said. “He was too excited with the idea of seeing you again. I hope it wouldn’t be a bad moment.” She added. “Of course not, Princess.” She bowed to Twilight. “I wat you to know my new family.” Comet said happily. “Your new family?” She repeated looking behind him to meet the ponies he was talking about, greeting kindly and introducing herself to all of them. “You already know Twilight, my… new mom.” He said a little embarrassed. He didn’t know yet if it was correct call her that way. But in the moment he said that word, he felt happy. “He is Spike, my dragon brother; and these are my grandparents, Twilight Velvet and Night Light. “Cary! We heard screams. Is everything ok?” Two mares came out of the building with worried expressions, one of them carrying a bat. But this one changed to one of confusion when they lowed their eyes and saw the foal next to her. “Comet?” The two of them asked at unison. “H-hi, Morning. Hi, Lullaby.” He greeted nervously to one of the other caretakers and the headmare of the orphanage respectively; two ponies that didn’t take his jokes as well as Cary. After explaining them what happened and the scream was because one of Comet’s occurrences, both ponies went back inside the building with reproachful glances to Comet, as if he actually was interrupting something important. “Look at you, Comet.” Cary said lovingly, continuing with the interrupted conversation. “I can barely recognize you. I’ve never seen you so happy in my life; that new outfit and I never thought the day would come when I would see you combed. You look very good. Much things have changed in a few weeks, it seems. “And it’s all thanks to you.” The foal said giving the mare a tender glance. “Me?” She asked confused. “Yeah. If you had never obliged me to go to that interview, I won’t be here. You encourage me to keep trying. You had faith in me when I already lost it. That´s why I want to give you this.” He picked up the box from Twilight and put in front of Cary. There was a cake in it that said “Thank you” in big letters on the cover with her Cutie Mark as well. A hearth shape protected by two wings as if were hugging it. Comet’s words touched everyone present, specially Cary, who can’t help but let out some tears. Even though he had a new family and a better life she could ever gave him, she gained a special place in his hearth. Cary and Comet brought a table, dishes and cutlery to enjoy the cake they brought. As chairs, they used some cut logs Cary save from the time they had to cut down an old and death tree in the backyard. While they were eating that delicious desert, Cary told them about all the antics and “adventures” Comet had with him. Much of them got Cary really angry in that moment, but now they were just anecdotes to laugh at it. The time was over them, so they couldn’t stay for any longer, they still have to pick up Comet’s violin before take the train back home. Even though, Twilight find the time to talk with Cary alone about the personality of him, since she knew him better than anypony, and about his dememorising spell. Among all facts she gave her, Cary mentioned something that make Twilight uneasy: “Comet is very cunning, especially to evade promises. If he didn’t tell the words “I promise”, probably he won’t keep his word; but when he promises something, he never let you down, and that´s a problem too.” Those were her words. Instantly, the conversation he had with him when she found out about the spell came to her mind, increasing the doubt and concern. After that, they said goodbye, Comet promising to Cary visit her every time he were in Canterlot. With just one thing left to do, they took their way to the fountain square of the last day, where the Chords’ workshop was. Since Twilight’s parents knew the city better than they, they leaded the way so they arrived easily. The five of them entered into the store. All of them were so anxious to see how it was after seeing it in that deplorable state. They had high expectative, and it wasn’t for less, the reputation of the Chords preceded them. “Ah, Princess. I was waiting for you.” Bass said cleaning his sideboards. He looked tired, probably from being working all night, but his face shine with satisfaction of a well done work. “Allegro, bring me the special order, please!” He asked to a pony that wasn’t in sight. A few seconds later a young colt, maybe younger than Twilight, of slate blue fur and water green with white mane came out from behind the store carrying what looked like a suitcase, putting it on the bar. Because it was too high to see it, Comet climbed to his grandfather’s back and Spike on Twilight Velvet’s, excited to see the results. When Bass opened it, they were speechless. The suit case resulted to be the violin case, but they left it aside for a good reason; it was hard do believe that this one was the same old and mistreated violin they saw yesterday. I was completely different. The wood was now smooth and lustrous; the hole disappeared, with a little plate with the emblem in its place; and the scroll, that was chipped, was smooth and shiny now. It was tinted in a tone a little bit darker than walnut and the varnish was that polished that reflected like a mirror. Aa an added touch, on the front cover, in a place where the chin ward didn’t cover it, standing out in an metallic emerald green color and impeccable calligraphy the letters CD, Comet Dust’s initials. Letting the initial excitement pass, they started to inspect the case, which didn’t was leave behind. It was crafted with hardwood, but it was padded and velvety inside, in the same color of Comet’s fur, to protect the instrument. In the base, there was violin´s place, using almost all the space, with a little place to the replacement strings in the right side of the neck and, on the other side, there was a golden metallic plate with the letters C, D and S emulating the shape of a treble clef graven on it and under this, a pentagram with the word “CHORDS” in capitals. In the top there was places for the two bows, both of them with his initials as well; the maintenance kit; a transduced amber color stone Comet didn’t know what it was until Bass explained him; and, behind everything a little envelope with the authenticity certificate that showed it was a Chords and Comet was its legitimate owner. “Incredible. I can´t believe is the same violin.” Comet said opened wide eyes, sparkling with emotion. “Believe it. Almost everything is my father´s work, except some parte we had to replace them.” Bass explained. “Wanna play it?” The pony named Allegro asked. “Can I?” Comet asked. He thought it was to beautiful to be played, it should be in a museum. “Of course. It´s yours now.” He answered him. Following Bass instructions, Comet rubbed the bow with the amber stone, apparently called colophony, before start playing. He started to play the first chords of one of the few melodies he knew. When the sound commenced to be emitted, he could hear instantly the difference. It was a softer, cleaner and more melodic sound than the older strings. Even though it wasn´t the best interpretation, it was obviously Comet had more practice with this one than the one he played in the castle. Comet had no word to express how happy an excited he was in that moment. But he didn’t have to say anything, his family and the Chords could see it in his eyes, taking his big smile as a “Thanks”. Comet put back the violin in its case and Bass helped him to close it. Then everyone could see that on the top of it there were the initials of comet as well in the same metallic emerald green, matching with the other accessories. “Do you like them?” Bass asked. “That´s my son’s work. Normally, wue put the cutie mark of the owner, but the Princess had the idea to put your initials. “I love it.” Was the only thing Comet could say. After pick up the Comet’s “new” violin, they had few hours to prepare everything before go to the train station. The train arrived just in time. They left their luggage in a cart so the employees of the station could place it in its correspondent wagon, where they will be kept until they get to their destiny, except for Comet´s saddlebag, where there were his books, and the case with the violin in it, not wanting to be far from it. After a long goodbye, they got up to the train after hearing the whistle that indicated the train was about to leave. The convoy moved at constant speed with the typical rattle of the wheels on the rails. There were more ponies than the last trip. Lots of ponies were on his way to Ponyville like them and the other cities further south. But Comet were too excited to worry about what other ponies thought about him. Besides, being next to Twilight, it was less probably that anypony say anything, one of the advantages of being princess son. The son was setting on the horizon. As usual, Spike was already asleep and Twilight and Comet reading their books. Everything was going very tranquil. The wagon wasn’t in silence at all, but it was expected taking in count all the ponies there. There was still a good stretch to get to town and by the speed they were, probably they would arrive for dinner, just as they anticipate. Trains in Equestria rarely were delayed. Suddenly, the train abruptly braked, throwing everypony from their seats. With quick thinking, Comet ignited his horn to hand the case and prevent it to fall down on the floor. Among all the confusion and dizziness inside the wagons by all the ponies who ended in the floor, it could be hear that everypony was doing the same question: “What was happening?” The same question Spike asked when he woke up by tremendous fall he recived.