//------------------------------// // Chapter 68 // Story: Welcome to the jungle // by Hiver //------------------------------// Luna and Celestia came to a halt by a medium sized tent. It had a number of spears on a rack outside it. Luna paused and looked at Celestia, “It’s just like I remember it,” she said quietly. Celestia nodded and shifted her wings slightly, taking half a step back, “...Suddenly I’m hesitant to enter,” she admitted, “I saw them in a dream before, but this time it feels different.” “Last time, it was a surprise,” I said and walked up next to Luna, looking over towards Celestia with a small smile, “This time you have had time to think about it.” “I suppose that’s true,” Celestia admitted and scraped her hoof against the grass covered ground, “I didn’t really have time to consi-” “Where have you two been?” a voice asked, drifting out from inside the tent before Meadow Dew poked her pink maned head out, “I sent you to get water two-” she started to say before she stopped and blinked before she smiled at us as she stepped out into the sunlight, “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize we had a visitor.” I smiled and gave her a small bow, “My apologies, I didn’t mean to impose. I am a traveler and your daughters were kind enough to offer me shelter for the night.” Meadow Dew smiled at me and then looked at Celestia and Luna, “Did they now?” Luna suddenly stepped forward and hugged her tightly. Meadow startled and blinked before hugging back, “Lu?` What’s wrong, my moon?” “Nothing, mama. Just missed you,” Luna answered quietly and hugged her tighter. Meadow smiled and hugged back and whispered something into her ear. Whatever it was, it caused Luna to turn as pink as her mother and quickly stepped back. Meadow smiled and touched her cheek with her wing before she looked between them, “I thought I sent you two for water.” “My fault entirely,” I interjected, “I’m afraid they met me before getting there and I may have distracted them.” “No,” Celestia said and shook her head, stepping forward, “It’s my fault, mother.” Meadow smiled and looked between us, one ear flicking before she nodded, “I see. Well, I suppose it’s no trouble. We have enough for dinner in any case. Come on, in you two go. Go help Silver with dinner.” Celestia and Luna both filed into the tent without protests. It just shows that thousands of years later or not, dream image or not… mother is mother. I felt a pang of pain, a sudden strong longing to see my own family again hitting me like a small truck. But that’s never going to happen. “You flew a long way to get here?” Meadow asked me with a small smile. “A fair long while, felt like a few thousand years,” I admitted and slipped my pack off to rest it on the ground, “It’s very kind of you to offer me shelter tonight. It feels like it will rain tonight.” Meadow smiled, “We’re more than happy to…” “Oh!” I said and shook my head, “I’m sorry, I’m afraid I may spend too much away from other ponies. My name is Blank Page.” “I am Meadow Dew,” she answered and glanced towards the tent, “As those two should have said when we met,” she added a bit more quietly before she turned back to me, “You’ll meet my wife Silver Cloud once we move inside. Our husband Spear Point is out gathering wood and won’t return until dark, I’m afraid.” I put my hoof against my bag, “Well, if you’re giving me shelter for the night, I have some fruits and such to add to dinner,” I said, “It’s the very least I can do.” Meadow smiled, “That’s kind of you,” as her eyes flicked up to look over my mane. Likely looking for feathers. Apparently I was doing good so far. This was silly, she was a dream image of a pony dead for thousands of years…nothing but a memory. But somehow it felt important to me to make a good impression. “A traveler you say?” She then added and motioned for me to follow her into the tent. I nodded, “From far away, I travel this realm quite a lot, exploring, learning… helping where I can,” I agreed. “Why not settle down with a tribe? It’s rare to see a lone stallion traveling like that. It’s not safe.” “Not yet, but in the future… definitely,” I said and ducked beneath the flap to follow her inside, finding the inside to be rather roomy, a small pot on a small fire in the middle. Luna and Celestia were chopping up some sort of roots while Silver Cloud were rolling some oats between a couple of flat rocks. Luna and Celestia were using their horns to handle the knives which apparently made it a lot easier. I moved to pull some mangos and apples from my satchel and handed them over to Meadow Dews waiting wing. “Thank you,” she said with a smile and moved to pass them over to Silver Cloud, “This is Blank Page,” she said, introducing me and glancing at Luna and Celestia, “Our daughters met him while getting water and invited him for the night.” “Did they now?” Silver said with a smile, “About time they invite a colt home.” “Mother!” Celestia exclaimed. I pretended not to hear and instead I dug through my satchel, creating a stone knife before pulling it out with my muzzle, “Anything I can do to help?” I asked and moved closer to the fire. “Not a thing,” Meadow said with a smile, “You just settle down and rest your hooves and wings. Tea will be ready in just a few minutes.” “That’s most kind of you,” I said and sank down, stretching my wings for a moment before folding them again as I put the knife back into my satchel. Silver looked at her in surprise but nodded and got up and started to get some ready. It did indeed not take long. Water were already boiling in a pot by the fire and some were added to a simple clay bowl and some tea from a small leather pouch were added to it before Luna picked it up with her magic and rounded the fire to offer it to me while leaning in to whisper, “Mother likes you,” she said quietly with a small smile, “This is actual tea, not pine needles or rose petals. Tea is grown by earth ponies far from here, it’s really expensive. She’s trying to impress you.” “Trying to marry her daughters off?” I asked quietly with a small smile and sipped the tea, “In any case, it is working.” “Thank you for this, My Page,” Luna said quietly, “This was a wonderful gift.” “Anything, My Sky.”