//------------------------------// // Chapter 14: Journey to Sire's Hollow // Story: One Thousand Years Ago // by Scroll //------------------------------// Cozy Glow is still yawning when she gets to the royal banquet hall, but the food that is placed in front of her helps to stir her awake. When she regards it, she attempts to give it an indifferent look, but the truth is that, even after all these years of being Princess Twilight's daughter, she still can't get used to how good this food looks and tastes. She wants to be like the snooty elite that can look upon such things and tastes with indifference or even disdain, but that distant past of slavery and poverty just won't let her go. Back then, all she was usually fed was some cheap gruel. Next to that, she just can't get used to quality this high. To go from one extreme quality to another in the course of one very short lifetime (so far), the comparison offers a very clear difference in perspective.     Cheese wolfs her meal down pretty quickly, but it took Cozy a while to notice that Cheese is not nearly as fast about it as her mother. If Pinkie Pie was still here, the pancakes would likely be flipped high into the air then gulped down in one giant bite upon landing.     There is much the pink mare can do which most are afraid to question. Cheese, in contrast, can do some of the things her mother can do, but Cheese is normally much more mellow. Given her background, Cozy feels uncertain why, but she is glad that her friend is normally not that over the top.     Cozy feels more focused when she watches Sunset Shimmer move to join them. She also notices her mother try to start a conversation, but she's typically met with short answers. One-word answers is pretty typical. Clearly, Sunset is not in the mood to talk considering the weight of the task on her chest, and she additionally still looks pretty tired.     Cheese had volunteered for Cozy to join Sunset on this mission. While part of her wanted to, she can't think of a way to contribute usefully. That alone almost kept her up all night until she closed her eyes for a second. After that, it was suddenly morning. For a brief moment, she thought her mother played a trick on her and rose the sun early.     But, no. Her mother doesn't actually turn the dial on a device that raises and lowers the sun anymore. Instead, she keeps the device in a clock that turns it for her. One she keeps well guarded. Cozy suspects her mother layered additional hidden precautions over the device to keep it from falling into the wrong hooves. If so, she has to admit that is a sensible precaution considering that the device governs the fate of the whole world on a daily and nightly basis.     Cozy grins as she pokes at her meal, thinking that maybe she had something to do with her mother's stepped up security around certain things. Cozy's previous experience with her mother alone was enough to convince the normally too trusting monarch to leave some room for doubt about the motivations of other creatures, at least when it comes to very sensitive and important things. Be that as it may, at least this means Equestria is that much harder to conquer again. It might serve as an obstacle for Cozy personally, but it's nice to know that some other tyrant won't grab the throne while she is busy scheming and gathering resources in the shadows.     “Are you going to eat that, or keep poking at it?” Cozy's adjacent friend playfully asks her. “We are going to have to leave soon, so if you don't want it . . .” Cheese trails off as she deliberately leaves that thought hanging. In response, Cozy growls at Cheese like an angry dog. But, as she considers that action from an outsider’s perspective, she has to wonder how ridiculous a mare as adorable as herself looks when she tries to be intimidating. She knew she can be intimidating, but it's often a much more subtle kind.     Cozy's expression softens from angry to concern as she passes her look from Cheese to Sunset. Part of her expected that Sunset had barely touched her food as well, but direct observation reveals to Cozy that Sunset has been proceeding with her meal at a moderate pace.     Cozy looks back at Cheese. When their eyes meet, Cozy subtly tilts her head in Sunset's direction while wearing a questioning and concerned look on her face, silently asking if Sunset is, or will be, okay.     In response, Cheese looks at Sunset for a little while. Their eyes met for a brief moment. During that time, Sunset flashes Cheese a thin, mostly empty smile but still a sincere effort to reveal that she will be fine.     “As well as to be expected,” Cheese whispers to Cozy softly to answer the pegasus's silent question. “Family can be a complex issue, but I suppose you would know about that.”     Cozy frowns as she looks at her plate. It just occurs to her that Sunset is a mind reader, Flurry can sense other’s emotions, and Cheese can feel other’s emotions physically. Why is she surrounded on all fronts by those who can so easily decipher through her lies? With uncanny accuracy, too. Ponies with that much of an advantage in sensing deception is normally very spread apart, but she already knows three of them in her personal life. This feels like unfair cheating. It also feels like some kind of scheme from her mother, but Cozy knows for a fact that her mother could not control the talents somepony like Cheese or Flurry was born with. As for Sunset, she inherited that gift with her magic crystal.     Cozy is pretty good at deciphering through lies and deception, but this is a skill refined through years of practice. Can't con a con, as many say, but even then, her defenses are not perfect. Conversely, ponies like Cheese, Flurry, and Sunset don't even have to guess. Their talents and/or magic can unerringly lead them straight to the perfect answer without fail. It feels so frustrating to be that exposed from so many angles.     For a moment, Cozy envies them for their gifts, but then she recalls how Cheese admits that bad vibes physically makes her sick, almost as if she is truly allergic to it. Because she is so sensitive, she either has to put in some effort to fix the situation by cheering others up, or leave. Typical fight or flight response. If Cozy had that same “gift”, then her getting sick around other creatures might be a problem if she wants to work with them. While it might give her some insight into the feeling of others, it also makes it difficult to hide her knowledge if certain reactions are too overwhelming.     Besides, Cozy's schemes require a certain level of cold detachment. That's hard to do if she has a condition that literally forces her to care for other's feelings.     She may envy some of her friends for their gifts, but in a way, she pities them as well.     Her mother sighing draws Cozy out of her revere and onto her mother quick enough to notice her saying, “Look, Sunset, I know this is going to be a hard day for you, but you'll get through this.”     “I know I will!” Sunset snaps bitterly for a brief moment, but quickly forces herself to calm down. “I know I will,” she repeats more calmly. “And thank you, Twilight, for your concern. I'm a strong woman now. I'll be fine.”     “All the same, I'm glad the two of you are going with her,” Twilight says as she directs her attention to Cozy and Cheese. “In this difficult time, it is important for friends to stick together.”     “Not just difficult times,” Cheese corrects. “Whether it is celebrating with joy or remorse in sorrow, friends make any situation better.”     Twilight smiles softly at Cheese as she commends, “Well put, Cheese Pie.”     After Twilight says that, she focuses her look on her daughter for a moment, but Cozy can't meet that look for long. Not under these circumstances. She wishes her reaction is a ploy, but no. When Cozy's genuine feelings get in the way, she feels much more vulnerable, and she hates that feeling!     Cozy squints a bit in minor irritation as Cheese Pie gives a shrill screech in excitement as soon as the pegasus chariot takes off. Although the space is limited, Cheese goes back and forth within the chariot to soak the view around them, even in this early morning when light is quite limited.     In contrast, Cozy rolls her eyes and sighs in annoyance. She folds her forelegs over the rail of the chariot and looks down. When she does, however, she starts to smile a bit when she beholds the beautiful sight of Equestria. Being a pegasus, it’s easy to take these sights for granted, but there were several times in her life when her freedom was quite limited. All three times, she was restricted in her flight. Aside from that, the sight itself would not have been as beautiful. The first time she was in a desert and a dirty city, the second time she was in Tartarus, and the third time she was locked in a statue, unable to see at all.     But Equestria is magically idealistic. The kind of place the young foal she was could only fantasize about without really believing such a place exists. When she got here, she soon realized that this place is significantly better than she could have ever imagined, for there are colors here she never saw before. The lakes are crystal clear, the sky rich azure blue, the rainbow waterfalls filled with bright, vibrant colors. It is picturesque.     Aside from all that, Cheese's joy and exuberance is a little infectious. At first, she thought it was sickening and pathetic, but there is something fulfilling about witnessing pure and innocent joy, and it's over something easy to cheer about. Equestria does have a lot of sweet and innocent charm, even compared to the human world, which feels stale in comparison.     “I'm so jealous that you get to see a gorgeous sight like this whenever you want!” Cheese cries to her friend excitedly when they cross beyond the boundaries of Canterlot. As the minutes go by, the spires and castles of Canterlot gradually get obscured behind tall mountain peaks.     “I have seen such sights before,” Cheese goes on to say, “but only with considerably more effort. Typically it requires bunches and bunches of balloons. You wouldn't believe how many my mother has.”     “Your mother has three balloons for a cutie mark,” Cozy remarks dryly while continuing to stare over the chariot. Her head continues to rest on top of her forelegs. “I doubt I'd be too surprised by the quantity she has. Aside from that, sometimes I think she is a balloon considering how easily she can stretch or inflate herself off the ground just by taking a deep breath.”     Cheese grins at her friend and says, “Yeah, my mother is the Element of Laughter, so she can laugh at anything, including the laws of physics.”     Cozy lightly shrugs as she says, “She doesn't just laugh at it. She should be indited as a criminal considering how many times she's broken the laws of physics.”     Cheese snickers mirthfully, then says, “Now that's funny, Cozy. You're funny!”     Once again, Cozy lightly shrugs, but this time she has no follow up comment.     “You know what else is kind of funny? The fact that you're riding with me in a pegasus chariot considering the fact that you are also a pegasus. These things were designed for every kind of pony except you.”     Having overheard that, one of the normally silent pegasus guards pulling the chariot clears his throat to gather attention. Once he has it, he says, “Begging your pardon, Miss Pie, but Cozy is the adopted daughter of the Princess of Equestria. She could be the ruler someday if Princess Twilight is unable to attend to her duties, so we're only too happy to serve her in this capacity. What’s more, Princess Celestia has often availed herself to such services even though she could fly herself.”     “Spike is the one who’s supposed to take over royal duties if my mother can't do so,” Cozy argues. “Realistically, by the time I become in charge of Equestria, I kind of doubt there would be anypony to rule over considering how much ponies trust me with authority.” Cozy turns her head enough to look back at Cheese, but continues to rest her head on her forelegs. “Besides, flight can be quite the chore with all these heavy layers of clothing on.”     Cheese takes a moment to examine Cozy's red and gold outfit that has a bunch of bows tied into it, the largest one is at the mid-back section, then she says, “Yeah, but you can just take off that outfit and fly because you are naturally equipped to do so. If I wore an outfit like yours, it wouldn't matter if I took it off. I'd still be unable to fly.     “Speaking of which, I almost do wish I had an outfit like yours right now. If I did, I'd be much warmer.”     “You and your mother seem to have an uncanny amount of stuff stuffed in your bouncy and tangled manes,” Cozy remarks. “Are you sure you don't have an outfit like this in there?”     Cheese rolls her eyes with a playful smirk as she says, “If Rarity had her way, I might, but as it stands, no. I wasn't prepared for this.”     Cozy squints at Cheese with a doubtful look as she points out, “I sincerely doubt Rarity, of all ponies, would encourage ensembles to be stuffed in your tangled and probably dirty mane, of all places. Instead, I'm pretty sure she'd want you to wear it.”     Cheese gives an innocent shrug as she says, “Well, none of that matters right now because I don't have such an outfit.”     Cozy frowns as she says, “I wish I remembered to warn you that high altitudes can get pretty chilly.”     “Oh, I knew that,” Cheese assures with a wave of a hoof. “I knew that, but also forgot that in my excitement.”     “Well,” Cozy says as she looks off the chariot again, “we're going to be up here for a while. Even by pegasus chariot, getting to Sire's Hollow is still going to take some time.”     “Have you been there before?” Cheese asks curiously.     Cozy lifts her head off her forelegs just a bit as she realizes with a blink, “You know, now that you mention it, no. I haven't been there.” She looks at Cheese. “I know Starlight and Sunburst came from there, but that's all I know about it. I hardly see those two, and I get the impression they don't like to talk about it either.”     “Sunset apparently came from there too,” Cheese reminds while tapping her lips with a hoof. “We know that as well.”     “I didn't know that before,” Cozy partially corrects. “Though it seems to me she's also uncomfortable talking about her past. My memories of my human self confirm the fact that she doesn't talk about her experiences in Equestria too much, and that's too bad. My human counterpart used to be very curious about this place until she came here.”     “What is she like?” Cheese asks her friend curiously with a tilt of her head. “Your human self, I mean. Since you have some of her memories, you must know what it's like to be that species and live in that world.”     “Well, um . . . she's a lot like me, I guess, though our histories seem to be different. She had a troubling past too, but it's not like mine. For the longest time, she was unaware of our world entirely, and I get the impression that is normal in her world. When she did become aware of it, though, she was strongly fascinated by the concept of exploring another world. The tales she heard of our world also made her feel giddy, for, in her opinion, we sounded adorable to her.”     “Don't they have horses in their world too?” Cheese checked.     “Yes, but they don't talk,” Cozy informs.     “Aw! Why not?” Cheese complains questioningly.     In response, Cozy just shrugs, then says, “From what I recall, horses in her world used to be considered beasts of burden and creatures to ride until machines took over that duty.”     Cheese widens one eye and narrows the other as she says, “That is weird.”     Cozy shrugs again as she says, “I don't make up these rules or determine their history. Things are the way they are. I don't know why they are and were so. I suspect she didn't know either.”     “If this other Cozy was like you, does that mean she tried to take over the world too?” Cheese asks curiously.     “Um . . . she thought about it,” Cozy admits. “Even took some steps towards that goal, but she had other agendas, too. Most notably, revenge schemes.”     “So she was a sourpuss as well?” Cheese figures. “I bet the solution for her is the same as you; you both just needed some friends!” Cheese cheers while throwing apart her forelegs. Inexplicably, a small toot sound and an explosion of confetti followed that action.     You are your mother's daughter, Cozy realizes firmly. You weren't prepared with a warm outfit for the high altitude, but Celestia forbid you leave your home without being equipped with many barrels of confetti . . . in case of 'confetti emergency'.     Funny thing is, the confetti she used quickly got swept away considering the wind and their motion across the air, so it was barely there for more than a few seconds. Cozy wondered if it was really worth using it just to emphasize a certain point.         Before Cozy and Cheese arrives at Sire's Hollow, Cozy pauses a moment to ask herself internally how the pegasus guards knew where they were going. The most likely answer is memorizing landmarks and having a good deal of travel experience, but then she thought about the systems the human world has. When she does, she has to admit to herself that, while it lacks the same level of charm, it is more organized. Over there, they have these magic windows that display different information depending on which picture is tapped on it. They come in various sizes too, but most of them are the size of a human hand. Cozy has no idea how they work, but she has an impression that her counterpart does know how they work, or at least a very good idea, likely because her adopted mother is kind of an expert and making things like that.     But, out here in Equestria, most creatures don't bother with such extraneous details. Instead, they do the best they can with what they got. They won't complain about a technology that doesn't exist because they are never aware of the idea in the first place. To compensate, an average creature may rely more on instinct or skill. If that skill happens to be their cutie mark, then it becomes so good for them that it kind of defines everything about them as a pony. The Apple family, for example, compares everything else in life to apples and they do it so often and automatically that Cozy suspects they are not even aware of it anymore. It's just part of “normal” for them.     Since Cozy is aware of another world with more organized systems, however, it causes her to question how ponies do everything in their own world so efficiently and proficiently. When she thinks about it, there are a dozen theories that come to mind for most things, but the answer does not jump at her face. More likely there are multiple answers, and they are different ones for each situation. It just works, and most ponies just simply shrug and leave it at that.     “There it is! There it is!” Cheese cries out excitedly while continually tapping Cozy on the shoulder until she lifts up her head off the edge of the chariot to look. When she does, Cozy widens her eyes slightly. She soon realizes that she did not know exactly what to expect, but most pony communities are pretty small. However, this one stands out quite the distance, primarily because of the height of some of the buildings. There are also tiny creatures flying about all over the city, or at least tiny relative to this distance.     What is not so tiny, even from a distance, is multiple airships flying about the town. After examining them for a while, they just seem to hover in the air or circulate around the town as if they are waiting for something to happen.     “Wow! I didn't know it was so big!” Cheese expresses with mystified excitement.     “Neither did I,” Cozy admits. “I suppose I did not know what to expect. This is my first time here, but for some reason, this place is catching me off-guard.”     “Sire's Hollow used to be much smaller until the flood of immigrants came in,” one of the white pegasus guards reports back to them.     “Immigrants?” Cheese asks with rising excitement.     “Immigrants?” Cozy repeats with rising caution to her voice.     Some of the pegasus guards glance at each other, then the one who spoke earlier goes on to say, “You'll see soon enough.”     When they fly above the town, they circle it enough to get an overview of it. At first Cozy wonders why they don't just land on the streets until she looks down and sees how busy the streets are. She grows much more alarmed when she notices that most of the species there walk upright, and there are many, many species roaming the streets.     Since Cozy has seen something like this before, dread sinks into her heart.     Her trepidation, however, is obviously not shared by her companion.     “Can-you-bel-ieve-this?!” Cheese asks Cozy enthusiastically as she grabs then yanks and propels Cozy back and forth with each word of that last sentence.     “Ah . . . no. I honestly can't,” Cozy admits with growing dread.     “A new and unique culture right here in Equestria!” Cheese expresses excitedly as she peers over the edge of the chariot. She races back and forth across the chariot like an excited puppy in order to take in all the sights as rapidly as she can.     Cozy had observed that Cheese usually has a keen instinct for other’s emotions, but there was an exception. If her own gets too strong, it can blind her from noticing others.     So there is a blind spot to her abilities, Cozy realizes again. Noteworthy, but ultimately unreliable detail. Not unless I manipulate her emotions just to hide my own. It can be done, but she usually catches on too fast to permit my schemes to develop serious momentum.     Since the chariot Sunset and Sunburst is on is ahead of them, their chariot lands first. Cozy notices how they do so in a place dedicated for that purpose. There is actually a runway for it, and it is the same area the airships are landing in. On closer inspection, she realizes why the other airships around the town are just floating up there or circulating. It's because this airport ran out of space to land in. Besides passengers, those other airships are loading and unloading a great deal of cargo.     Which makes Cozy recall that she saw several train tracks running through the town. It seems to her that those tracks converge at some point. She wishes she spotted it earlier, but she has a feeling it's not far from this airport. Very likely, the cargo that is getting unloaded from one of these airships will likely be delivered to the nearby train station so that it can be loaded into one of its cars for further delivery elsewhere.     Cozy secures herself to the chariot tightly when the vehicle nearly lands. When it does, the vehicle shakes back and forth for a moment as the stallions who are pulling the chariot try to slow the whole thing to a stop. Looking over at Cheese during this process, Cozy notices that her companion has no trouble holding her balance for some reason despite the jolting landing.     “Thank you, Sirs, for delivering us here. You're the best!” Cheese expresses gratefully as she hops out of the chariot and hugs each guard one by one.     “Just doing our job, Ma'am,” one of them says back as casually as he can, but his cheeks glow a bit crimson with the blush he feels for her attitude.     “No reason for me not to feel grateful,” Cheese says back before pulling down the edge of her mane for a second. When she lets it go, her fluffy pink mane bounces up again. When that happens, a cupcake shoots out of her mane which she catches when it lands. “Here!” She offers the cupcake to the one who spoke first. “An extra token of my appreciation.”     “You sure?” the guard double checks while eyeing the treat with temptation.     “Sure!” Cheese expresses so happily that she closes her eyes for a second. “I have one for each of you.”     “Thank you!” the guard expresses happily as he accepts the treat. “Don't mind if I do.”     Cheese Pie proceeds to produce more cupcakes from her mane, to which she offers one to each of the six guards who flew her here. None of them refuses her gift.     Which Cozy privately thought is a breach of security. If those cupcakes happened to be poisoned, then this is all it would take to take each of them down. Perhaps trust could be a factor here, and maybe it is also because they are not guarding a high-security place.     Ever since Flash Magnus took over as Captain of the Royal Guards, the palace guards have been more vigilant in the castle. Cozy remembered when she, and her partners in crime Chrysalis and Lord Tirek, were taken aback by all the extra security measures at the castle when they tried to infiltrate it years ago. Even the streets of Canterlot were more patrolled.     When I take over Equestria, I'll have to make sure I leave him in charge of security, Cozy thought to herself privately. After all, Flash Magnus is accustomed to a military experience during a time when Equestria wasn't tamed by a thousand years of peace.     When her mind flashes back to the snippet of information she gained from Sombra, she shudders. Considering what a pony like Flash went through to get that vigilant, maybe it wasn't worth it.     Although distracted for a moment, Cozy's ears shift to listen to Sunset and Sunburst as they approach, shortly followed by her direct attention towards them.     “I can't believe how much has changed!” Sunset explains to Sunburst as they approach Cozy and Cheese. “This town hardly bears any resemblance to the sleepy little town I remember before I left to Canterlot.”     “I agree,” Sunburst says back as he floats his ever sliding glasses back up his white top muzzle. “Believe it or not, this is actually the second time I've been caught off guard with how much this place has changed.”     “Really?” Sunset asks when she stops in front of Cozy and Cheese but continues to regard Sunburst. “What happened last time?”     Sunburst sighs in annoyance as his expression grows droll, then says, “Something ridiculous. My mother was trying to modernize everything, and Starlight's father, Firelight, was trying to preserve everything as if the town was some ancient relic.”     Sunbursts annoyed expression melts away into amazement as he looks around.     “Judging by the state of affairs here since the last time I visited this place, it seems as if my mother ultimately won that struggle,” Sunburst says with a mystified and slightly spooked tone and expression. “I wonder if anything of this town is preserved from the good old days.”     “Firelight is exactly the pony who has caused some buildings and traditions to be preserved in this town,” informs a stranger who apparently overheard them and decided to add.     The group regards the newcomer and grows startled to realize that the individual who spoke resembles an eight-foot tall arachnid, complete with multiple eyes on his head. The thing that sets him apart from a typical spider, aside from being that large and able to talk, is the outfit this stranger wore which looks like a tuxedo on the upper part of his body and a black tall hat on his head.     “Most of those buildings you'll find in the center of town square,” the arachnid stranger continues to inform while reaching up with one of his eight spider legs and using it to tip his hat at them. “Progress could not be stopped, so Firelight has since decided to compartmentalize his efforts towards more specific priorities. Many of the old buildings you'll find in the center of town. The new stuff that you don't recognize is built around them, mostly to accommodate for the immigrants. As you can see,” he gestures around at the various species that roam about them, “the needs of the newcomers are wide and varied. Some species have specific physiological needs that must be met which are not shared by every species. Accordingly, the needs of the town have adapted over time.”     The group shares a stunned silence for a moment, broken first by Sunset Shimmer, who extends a hoof.     “Hello. My name is Sunset Shimmer,” Sunset greets politely. “And you are?”     One of the giant spider’s eight legs reaches forward to shake Sunset Shimmer's hoof, during which time Cozy privately suspects she might have used that opportunity to scan this stranger’s mind and determine if he can be trustworthy. Still another leg reaches up to lift his top hat off his head entirely for two seconds before putting it back on his head in greeting.     “Chester Coppertop is the name,” the spider greets with civil words that serve as a sharp contrast to the menacing sound of his garbled throat that has just a hint of a multi-tone to it. “Tour guide is my game. As one can easily imagine, I find plenty of marks for business here at this air station.     “Sunset Shimmer, you say?” Chester reflects while tapping his sidewards lips which has two pincer claws on the side of his mouth. “Now that is interesting. You wouldn't happen to be related to the Duchess of Sire's Hollow, are you?”     “Indeed she is,” Sunburst confirms as he takes a few steps forward in order to stand beside his cousin. “In fact, that is basically why she has come to this town. We heard that her mother has recently become deathly ill. Sunset has come to pay her a visit before it's too late.”     The tour guide looks regretful as he says, “Yeah. Honestly, a lot of the new citizens of the town are really remorseful and worried about that. The Duchess is the primary reason most of us are able to come here. If she passes away, a lot of us are concerned what the new policy will be moving forward. Many of us owe her a great debt. We'll be sad if she passes away.”     “You really mean that!” Sunset says in a stunned voice. “Your motivations are obvious, but still . . . it's hard for me to reconcile any creature being grateful to her that isn't snobbish nobles.”     “Well, it's been a long time,” Sunburst notes to his adjacent cousin. “You've changed a lot since last you've been here. Maybe she has too.”     “That's hard for me to believe,” Sunset admits as she sweeps a gaze across the air station in amazement. “My mother's personality seemed very firmly entrenched before.”     “Ponies can change for all sorts of reasons,” Sunburst expresses with a simple shrug. “Especially over this much time.”     “Not for her,” Cozy reminds aloud while feeling slightly concerned that she's crossing her social bounds. “Time does not advance as fast in the other world.”     “Other world?” Chester asks while he scratches his slightly furry black head.     “She's right,” Sunset realizes. “Time hasn't passed as much for me where I came from, but it sure feels like it did. For me, it feels like I've been there for decades. About as long as I have actually been gone in this world.”     “Ah . . . right,” Sunburst agrees after a short pause and floating his stubbornly sliding glasses back up his muzzle again. “A great deal of time has passed since last you been here. Even my daughter is almost an adult mare now.     “Oh, speaking of which, she's been sent here to Sire's Hollow about a week ago. She's among the reasons I've been so well informed during the interim, at least when it came to our family.”     “Yet another thing I'll need to add to my, 'things to do' list,” Sunset expresses to Sunburst. “But this time, the issue is almost a pleasant one. I do look forward to seeing your daughter again. It has been a while. The last time I saw her, I think she stood up to my neck level.”     “Yeah,” Sunburst agrees as he looks up with a reminiscent look. “If I recall correctly, she was attending Princess Twilight's magic school for Gifted Unicorns back then.”     “Yeah, she was,” Sunset confirms. “I forget exactly why I came back then. Probably something to do with visiting friends and working on shutting more of the portals down. It was probably multiple issues at the time. Seeing your daughter was a very pleasant bonus.”     Sunset grins as she looks off to her side while thinking back before saying, “I have to give her credit. She wasn't too obvious in bragging about her magical exploits, but I have to hand it to her . . . for her age at the time, she was quite impressive.”     “Probably a rub off from her mother,” Sunburst figures. “She always did have a flair for showmanship. As for our daughter’s magical exploits . . .” He trails off for a moment to wipe a tear of pride from his eyes, then says, “I'm so proud of her! My daughter could already cast spells that neither I, nor her mother, ever could when she was still just a young foal. Clearly, she has inherited all the magical talent.” Sunburst focuses on and grins at Sunset. “I can't say she's the only one with such magical talent in our family, however. It's really uncanny how close she's followed in your hoofsteps, Sunset. I'm just hoping that she does not follow them so closely that she, too, gallops off into another world.”     “Let's just hope that she does not inherit my earlier rebellious nature either,” Sunset says with a sheepish grin.     “How long has all this been going on?” Cheese asks Chester with excitement in her voice. “Also, where do all these creatures hail from?”     Sixty percent of Chester's many eyes shift to look at Cheese as he returns her question with another question, “Do you mean before they came here?”     “Yeah!” Cheese confirms excitedly.     Chester's eyes look up as he thinks back, then answers, “The answer to that question is complicated. The new residents came from all over the place before, and ultimately, I don't know. As for how long they've been here, most of them filtered in across the past seven years.”     “Seven years? Really?!” Cheese asks in amazement, then regards Sunburst. “But you said that even you don't recognize a lot of the buildings here. Does that mean that all of them were built over the last seven years?”     “We've had some very skilled carpenters,” Chester informes. “Plus, a lot of the building materials were imported from other lands along with the immigrants, and they were certainly willing to work for a substantial discount if it meant having new territory to build their homes on. Many of these new citizens either didn't have a home before, or lived clustered in a smaller home.     “Many ponies here in Equestria have been very kind and hospitable to us, and for that . . . we owe you ponies a lot. Now,” he lifts one of his legs, “I won't say all ponies have welcomed us with open hooves, but compared to where we came from, this place is pure paradise.”     “Obviously a lot has changed since I was last here,” Sunset figures, “but I'm pretty sure I don't need a tour guide to find my own home, for the mansion stands out even from a distance. I spotted it while we circled the town before landing, so I'm sure I can find it on my own.”     “What do you mean?” Sunburst asks Sunset, feeling perplexed. “Why would you need to go there on your own?”     “Because I want to be alone, at least at first,” Sunset admits to her cousin. “Look, I love company and friends, and I know you all came here to support me, but this is a really personal and sensitive issue for me, so I want to simplify things upfront.”     Sunset takes a deep breath. As she does so, a look of resolve gathers in her eyes as if she is visibly summoning her courage.     “It's time I faced my mother once and for all, and I'll do it on my terms.” Sunset sweeps a look of soft gratitude to her present company. “At first that will be enough, but after that . . . I could use all of your help to recover. If you wish to support me, you can do it then.”     “What?!” Cozy asks with an astonished blink. “But . . . we came here to support you. I definitely didn't foresee that entailing you ditching us as soon as we landed. What are we supposed to do instead?”     “Wellllll,” Cheese expresses with a roll of her eyes while wearing a playful smile, “we do have a tour guide right here. I've never been to Sire's Hollow, and even Sunburst doesn't recognize a lot of the sights. He needs updating, and I want to learn about this brand new culture.” She focuses on Sunset. “We can see you afterwards, right?”     “I'd even be willing to do it for free!” Chester remarks happily which immediately draws Cozy's suspicious ire. “Us newcomers really do owe a lot to you ponies, and your family in particular.” He nods to Sunset. “To repay that debt, I'm more than willing to show your friends about the town. Seriously, it would be my honor. It would give me a chance to brag about our progress.”     “And I always believed that you get what you pay for,” Sunburst says back. “I don't skimp when it comes to information. You wouldn't believe how much money I've invested into my books, but then again, with a family like mine, I had a lot to start with. You will take our money for your services, Sir. As a gentlepony,” he places a hoof to his chest, “I must make sure that the spread of knowledge is rewarded, and you need to put food on your table.”     “If you insist,” Chester says to Sunburst. “But remember . . . I did offer, and I meant every word.”     “Are you sure about this, Sunset?” Sunburst asks Sunset with worry. “Believe me, I know what it's like to deal with difficult family. The last time I did it, I had a friend to help me through it. Thinking back, I have to admit that it helped a lot. To imagine you facing an even greater challenge without support . . .”     Sunburst trails off when his cousin places a comforting hoof on his shoulder before saying, “I am sure, Sunburst. Thanks to my friends, I know my strengths and weaknesses very well. Not only is this something I can face on my own, but it is something I must face on my own. After that, I'll be more than grateful for your emotional support.”     Sunburst looks at the hoof touching his shoulder for a moment, then proceeds to give Sunset a lopsided grin as he says, “Well, in that case, keep one thing in mind. I think my daughter is at the mansion to settle affairs there. If you change your mind, I'm sure she'll be around to help support you, and we won't be far behind.”     He looks at Chester.     “That said, my information on this town is badly out of date. I'd like to correct that oversight as soon as possible. I may not live here anymore, but that doesn't mean I don't care about this place. This was my home, so I'd like to see what has become of it.”     Chester bows to the ponies before him. Although his gesture is technically polite, ancient prey instincts makes it hard to escape the impression that the gesture also looks slightly sinister.     “It would be my pleasure to welcome you home,” Chester tells Sunburst. “I'll be more than happy to show you all around, especially considering the fact that this is my primary job.” He rises from his bow. “Besides, when I get a chance to brag to the others that I helped to give a tour to the family that are the original founders of the town, that reputation alone would help ensure success in my business. You want to help me keep food on my table? Your presence alone could help to ensure that.”     “Great!” Sunburst expresses in a chipper way. “I'm happy to help.”     “We've noticed that you ponies usually are,” Chester says back.     “If my mother wasn't so well-traveled, her mane would have been frizzed to hear that right away,” Cheese points out with a happy smile. “Fortunately for her, the wisdom she inherited in her travels permitted her to also be open-minded. That includes me.” Cheese cuts a hoof across the air. “Don't get me started on some of the traditions of Yakyakistan. When it comes to being fun, they really are the best at certain things.”     “I take it those 'certain things' aren't that constructive, right?” Cozy figures with one eye narrowing and the other eye lifting her eyebrow high.     “Some of them are,” Cheese points out. “The only things they have to smash is that which they first create.” Cheese waves a hoof through the air. “I think there is a certain lesson in enlightenment there about the cycle of life, such as how creation can lead to destruction and vice versa. Studying other cultures is very interesting to me because it helps me grow as a pony and broadens my eyes to wider horizons.”     Next, she points at Sunset as she says, “Go. We'll be fine and catch up with you later, and when we do,” she flashes Sunset an almost startlingly serious look for a brief second as she says, “we'll be ready to help you with whatever comforts that you require.”