//------------------------------// // Meeting Botania // Story: Of Hooves and History // by Ahmad J Charles //------------------------------// Given her bubbly, excitable attitude, I honestly expected Izzy to be rushing around her kitchen and throwing stuff all over the place. But she didn’t – and in a mere hour or so, the first batch was ready. “So how did I do?” Izzy asked excitedly, leaning in with a pleading grin. “Hold your teacups,” I said, holding up a hand and shuffling over to the table. “You’ve just put down the tray. Let me find Sunny.” I stood up and took off out the door, heading straight for the teahouse. Apart from Izzy’s home, there was no other place I recognized or was otherwise familiar with. Besides, I did express my objective to ask about unicorn history… so naturally Alphabittle would be a good start, given his age. I tapped on the door twice and stepped inside. As in Maretime Bay, there were a few gasps but most remained calm, and a few even smiled at me with a couple good mornings here and there. Sunny was at a table in the far corner, talking with a senior unicorn mare. “Hey,” I said softly, pulling up a wooden barstool. Right away the old mare’s head turned, eyes wide in astonishment. “This is the guy I was telling you about,” Sunny said, her voice a little slow and awkward. “It’s good to meet you, ma’am,” I said with a warm smile. “My name is Aiden.” The old mare reluctantly extended her hoof, and we exchanged a gentle handshake – one unlike any I had ever experienced before. Beneath her hands lay skin that felt like a thousand years of life in all states and phases. It felt like I was connected to the magic of the forest and the spirit of nature itself. “I’m Botania Petals.” “Wow,” I whispered silently. Her voice felt as fluid and wholesome as the leaves in the breeze. I might as well have met a Native American shaman or healer. Now I was convinced; if there was wany pony in Bridlewood who would know about ancient Equestrian magic, it was her. But first, I had to take care of breakfast. “Rolls are waiting on you and I – and they’re getting colder by the minute,” I teased. “Let’s eat.” “Botania’s been involved in the ancient Equestrian practices of spells and natural healing all her life,” Sunny said excitedly as we fast-walked back to Izzy’s house. “Well, let’s hope inter-dimensional travel is amongst them,” I quipped, tapping a knock. The door opened, and a slightly disappointed Izzy stood with a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls suspended with her telekinesis. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to be away that long.” “It’s understandable, especially when – ” “– You meet an older pony who knows about a lot old Equestrian magic and history?” Sunny piped up with a double hoof-kick floor tap that caused a great struggle for me not to chuckle with a blush at how cute it looked. “…Yep,” I finished flatly, making my way over to the table. The first batch was surprisingly still warm, and Sunny and I savored every mouthful in silence as if we hadn’t eaten deserts in years. There was no doubt: my preserved recipe was revolutionary by Izzy’s standard. “This is… amazing, Aiden!” Sunny exclaimed, her lips smeared with cinnamon paste. “We should offer some at the tea house.” “Absotutely!” Izzy chimed in, scooping up the remainder and dropping them into a cloth-lined wicker basket. I retrieved my iPad from the kitchen, checked to ensure the stove was off, and we returned to the tea house. Right off the bat, I became the center of attention. It was as if the battle of last night had been wiped from their minds. Questions about the recipe and its history came pouring in. To thwart any possible jealousy, I gave Sunny a few gentle headpats to reassure her. Eventually the circle was broken up by Alphabittle, who stepped in with a level of curiosity. One bite was all it took – his face lit up with delight. “Can I have the recipe please?” he asked in a mockingly demanding manner. Unfazed by his teasing, I simply unlocked the iPad screen. He pulled out a quill pen and started writing it down with impressive dexterousness. We exchanged a hoof-handshake, and as I scanned the tables for Botania, the door swung open. In walked the wise old mare herself, alongside a stallion with a bandaged horn. Guilt struck me as I knew who was behind that injury. “How are you? Feeling alright?” I inquired, trying to look into his eyes. He caught sight of my own, and recoiled in shock with a jolt. For a moment it was unclear if he was just surprised, actually still fearful, or just confused. “Let his hands be ones of care and support, rather than harm or malice,” Alphabittle encouraged. The bandaged stallion stepped forward, and I softly beckoned him to raise his hoof. Slowly, he did, and I put my hand underneath and gently caressed it, all the while wearing a warm smile. His face relaxed, and I eased him up into my arms like I had done with Izzy, stroking his mane and neck. “I’m so sorry I hurt you,” I whispered solemnly, giving his forehead a tender peck. “I never thought I could inflict such damage in combat.” “I’ll live,” he replied sheepishly. “Name’s Branchie.” “Cool name.” I gave him a cinnamon roll and we promised to meet again after my quest was complete. Izzy, Sunny, and I all headed out the door while the unicorn townsfolk thanked me (yet again) for the cinnamon rolls and waved goodbye. Botania led us down a gravelly road to a small tree villa – half the size of Izzy’s. She ushered us inside and closed the door. “Now, dear stallion, tell me, how did a… creature like you arrive in Equestria?” she inquired, sitting down in a leaf-adorned wooden chair. Like a student before a martial arts trainer, I humbly sat cross-legged on the ground before her, then gradually explained the whole story (and what certain human items were) event by event – entering the Bermuda Triangle, the forces behind the vortex, getting sucked into it, the way my body felt, and resurfacing off the coast of Maretime Bay. “… and in addition, I noticed before departing Maretime Bay that my battery levels were at 100% - full, basically. Before getting sucked into the vortex and upon arriving at Maretime Bay, they were approaching empty.” Botania nodded and paused for a full minute before speaking. “I believe a spell was cast with a very high level of magic, some of which escaped through to your world and stirred up the vortex in that patch of ocean. There’s likely to still be some weaker remnants encircling your submarine due to the batteries on board. While I am not sure exactly what materials batteries use to store energy, it is likely that the magic from that spell has some sort of connection to it.” “Cool, so now we just need to find out about this spell,” Sunny eagerly piped up. I shook my head at her giggity face, thereby wiping it off. As if she was reading my mind like a spiritual psychic, Botania continued. “There is an old tree in the deepest depths of Bridlewood, back when it was just a tiny scatter of a couple tree homes. In there used to live a pony who was an avid fan of Twilight Sparkle – researched and collected everything about her – books, scrolls, artifacts, everything.” She turned to Sunny. “Your father may have known her in his younger days, for I simply cannot imagine anypony else who would have such a degree of knowledge and information on Equestria’s past.” “Do you know where this tree is?” “Not exactly. By a rough approximation it’s a good afternoon’s walk to the north and east. I doubt you will find much there – it’s been abandoned for hundreds of moons. Some unicorns here don’t even believe it’s real!” “Whereever it stands, we will find it, and survey for whatever remains,” Sunny declared firmly, standing up straight. “Thank you for the insight on my observations about the submarine, Ms. Botania,” I replied humbly. “I do hope Sunny and I can locate the tree and find more historical information for this quest.” “And I look forward to your eventual return,” she said with a grandma-like smile. “Best of luck to you adventurers. Here, take this.” I held out my hand and Botania placed in it a rusty key and a yellowish-brown scrap of paper which threatened to crumble in my grasp like an autumn leaf; it was so dry! But I slowly opened it up to reveal a faded map. With the prospect of finding the tree feeling more promising, we set off, Izzy happily bringing up the rear. “Do you think Botania knows a bit more than she initially let on?” Sunny inquired, but all I could get out was a “Yeah, felt that”. Under the warm glow of noon, the forest off the beaten path felt tranquil and mystical. The occasional butterfly flew by, and soft bird chirps harmonized above our heads. “I do hope you’re not lost,” Izzy teased as I sat down on a log to rest and compare the path we’d just taken to the map. “Not really,” I replied. Sunny hopped up beside me and we peered over the map together. There wasn’t much besides a couple streaked lines and rectangle-shaped marks, but with a closer look, I started to make out symbols, dashed lines, and arrows. A little sprouting plant was marked at the bottom left, with some arrows leading up and right, with a couple faded marks along its length. “I wonder… yes!” I exclaimed, holding up the map to the treetops. A few spots began to glow in the sunlight. Sunny was so stoked she wrapped a hoof around my torso and pointed up to one of them. I stood up and squinted at it like a peephole in a door. The streaks made it hard to discern paths, but I soon managed to visually assemble the shape of a… rune by the looks of it. “My God,” I breathed, gradually making out the shapes of a few others on the map. “You ponies have the same rune symbols as the ancient Norse clan back in my world. Exactly the same shapes.” “Can you read them?” Sunny asked. “Yes. I studied these as far back as middle school. There are a few other symbols too. Hold on… got it!” “Got what?” Izzy asked, having been distracted by an orange glowing butterfly. Sunny’s face lit up, and I briefly explained. “The symbols read a phrase that goes like this: ‘Walk a quarter of a day, to where the sun is split by a rift.’ There’s an asymmetrical X at a certain point, which indicates a gift. I can only presume the rest of the symbols are printed on trees somewhere. Let’s start looking and see if we find a pattern.”