//------------------------------// // Ch. 43 - Home Sweet Home // Story: A Trail Leading Home // by Hades Shadow 92 //------------------------------// Chapter 43 – Home Sweet Home – “And what do you think you’re doing Missy?” Trail said, opening the door to his bedroom.  Starlight stopped in her tracks, her attempt to escape her prison of cloth and comfort thwarted by her stallion. She groaned and laid back in defeat.  “Trail, I’m dying here. I need to get out of this bed.”  “The doctor said another week and you can walk around as much as you want dear. Until then, no can do.” Trail reminded her.  “Uuuuugh. This is torture.” Starlight groaned.   “Oh so getting pampered and waited on by a handsome stallion like myself is torture. I see how it is.” Trail grinned, laying a tray on the bed.  “You know that’s not what I meant.” Starlight pouted.  Trail laughed, “I know dear. I want you walking around again too. I miss our morning coffee dates.”  “Sweet Celestia I miss coffee…” Starlight said, her voice low.  “Well caffeine isn’t exactly nutritious. We’ll go for a cup soon as you’re out of bed.” Trail said, floating over her orange juice.  Starlight took a sip and leaned up, looking at the tray of food her stallion had brought. Daisy muffins, waffles with maple syrup, and wheat toast.  Starlight leaned in to nuzzle Trail, “Thanks Trail. I really do appreciate you taking care of me.”  Trail returned the nuzzle, “It’s my honor and pleasure to nurse my marefriend back to good health. Can’t believe it’s been three weeks already.”  “Has it been that long?” Starlight said, holding a piece of toast in her hoof.  “It has. We’ve got a long way to go, but you’ll be ok.” Trail said, laying on the other side of Starlight in the bed.  “I wonder how things are going at the school. Comet tells me Twilight has taken my place as Counselor until I get well enough to walk. I haven’t talked to Twilight in over a week. I wonder why she hasn’t come by.” Starlight asked.  “I’m sure she’s swamped in all the students who miss their beloved counselor.” Trail joked, leaning against the mare.  Starlight blushed, “Oh hush you.”  Starlight gave him a little shove, then rested against him as she ate her breakfast. It took a while to get used to eating without magic, but Trail was a big help. She really couldn’t have gotten through all this without him.  A knock on the door got both ponies' attention. Looking towards the door, it opened after a second, revealing Tala.  “Hey lovebirds, you done with all the mushy stuff? The kitchen isn’t gonna clean itself after Trail’s little stunt.”  “Stunt?” Starlight asked.  Trail rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, “I might have gone a little overboard with breakfast. There was supposed to be hashed brown, but the potatoes had a bit of an accident.”  “Yeah, he got impatient with peeling and the potatoes ended up all over the floor and cabinets. Now get your butt in here and help me clean casanova.” Tala snarked.  Starlight laughed as Trail groaned in embarrassment. He gave Starlight a kiss on the cheek and left her on the bed to enjoy her breakfast. Closing the door behind him, he glowered at the griffin.  “You couldn’t wait till she was done?” Tala scoffed, “What, so you two could have time to kiss and stare into each other’s eyes? Not getting off that easy bro.”  Trail glared at her as they made their way into the kitchen, to find Zecora making quick work on the potato catastrophe. She had almost all of it cleaned up and in the trash.  “Woah, how the heck did you get this all clean so fast? I was gone for like 5 minutes?” Tala asked.  Zecora simply smiled, “This small mess is nothing to me, who has lived in the Everfree. Potions and plants litter my floor, cleaning has become a daily chore.” “Dang, we should hire you. I hate cleaning.” Tala said.  Trail chuckled, “Thank you Zecora, we really do appreciate all the help you’ve given us these past few weeks.”  “It is no trouble at all, I was happy to heed the call. Caring for two patients and a child can be tiring, so we split the care we are providing.”  “Yeah, and I’m sure you’ve been enjoying all that alone time with Zala, huh?” Tala said, giving Zecora a smirk.  Zecora blushed, “Yes, she is truly a delight. A good friend both day and night.” Tala chuckled, “Yeah, good friends.”  Zecora blushed more, “What is this chuckling? I find it quite puzzling.” “Come on Zecora, I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. And how happy Zala’s been since you stayed here to look after her with us.” Tala said.  Zecora looked away, “I was only doing what I felt best. She needed proper care and bedrest.”  Tala gave her a few pokes on the shoulder, “Come on. I know the real reason. Come on.”  Zecora swatted at her talon, “I do not know to what you are referring, no the cause of that smirk you are wearing.”  “You got it bad, I can see it on your face. Course I can’t blame ya, she did turn a lot of heads even when we were kids.” Tala smirked again.  “My head is not turned, your meaning I have not discerned.” Zecora said sharply.  Trail stepped in, “Tala, stop teasing her.”  “I’m not teasing. I’ve been waiting for this since she and Zala got close. It’s so obvious to everyone, I can’t stand it.” Tala pointed her claw at Trail.  She immediately went right into Zecora’s face, “You like my sister, admit it.”  Zecora’s blush deepened, she sputtered trying to get the words out. She failed for about 10 seconds before she sat on her rump.  “I can’t.” She said, shocking both Trail and Tala. She didn’t rhyme. Tala immediately felt bad and moved to her side, Trail following right behind.  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed it. I don’t know what got into me.” Tala said softly.  Zecora shook her head, “You need not apologize, you had every right to hypothesize.” She then looked up and both of them, “And you were correct, it is exactly as you suspect.”  Tala and Trail smiled and hugged the zebra mare.  “Knew it. Why not go tell her?” Tala asked.  Zecora shook her head, “I could not, for my heart is tied in knots.”  Trail chimed in, “Zecora, take it from a guy who was friends with a mare he liked for a while. Letting those feelings out can make those knots go away.”  Zecora closed her eyes, “But what if she doesn’t feel the same, what if I cannot be her heart’s flame?”  Tala flicked her in the ear, making her flinch and look at the griffin, “Zecora, my sister totally has the hots for you. She talks about you all the time.”  Zecora’s eyes widened, “This is true? You do not deceive me do you?”  “I can vouch for that, she does love to talk about you non-stop.” Trail said.  Zecora smiled for a moment, but it fell away once more, “But she is so perfect and refined, how could she want someone so flawed and plain aside?”  “What flaws do you speak of Zecora? And plain is hardly a word I’d use to describe you.” A new voice joined the conversation. All three beings looked up to find Zala, standing in the doorway to the kitchen. She had a bandage on her head, her injury from Chrysalis still healing.  “You mustn’t be out of bed, you are to be resting your head.” Zecora said, getting up to lead her back to her room.  But as Zecora went to pull at her foreleg to move her, Zala stood firm. Zecora looked back to see Zala staring at her. Her expression was one of a mare waiting for an answer.  Zecora looked away, “Why do you like at me like that? Your eyes sharp like a cat.” “I want an answer Zecora. Why did you say those things about yourself?” Zala asked.  Zecora’s ears flattened against her head, “How much did you hear? When did you first appear?”  “Around the time you were sputtering with your words. I was curious what all the noise was about.” Zala smiled.  Zecora blushed, “I… I do not know what to say. It feels like my throat is full of hay.”  Zala moved closer to the mare, “Zecora, you can tell me. I want to hear it. You are not plain, and whatever flaws you think you have, everyone has flaws.” Zecora looked into Zala’s eyes, blue meeting green in a moment where nothing else existed. Both zebras stayed there for several seconds before Zecora broke the trance.  “I… I…” She tried to speak.  Zala waited patiently.  Zecora swallowed the lump in her throat, “I truly wish to say, you take my breath away. Zala my dear, you make my heart explode that much is clear. My happiness would truly transcend, if you would become my marefriend.”  There it was, the words had come out. Trail and Tala stayed in the kitchen, waiting for their sister’s answer.  Zala’s smiled shined bright upon her face, she leaned in and held Zecora’s face.  “You don’t know how long I’ve waited for a mare to say those words to me. I’d love to be your marefriend Zecora.” Zala said, with tears in her eyes.  Zecora’s smile threatened to shatter reality, she couldn’t help herself but lean in and kiss the mare in front of her. Zala’s eyes widened at first in surprise, but quickly closed in bliss as the two mares shared their moment.  Tala and Trail looked at each other and gave each other a hoof/talon bump shouting, “YES!” A giggle came from upstairs, a little filly sliding down the railing and landing on the couch next to the two mares. They broke the kiss to see Comet grinning from ear to ear. She was bouncing on the couch.  “Auntie Zala has a marefriend, Auntie Zala has a marefriend!” Comet chanted over and over.  Zala and Zecora smiled at the filly and then at each other, Zala leaning in and nuzzling into Zecora’s neck. Zecora blushed from this, but still nuzzled the top of her mare’s head.  Pinkie Pie walked through the halls of the school, well more like bounced her way through the halls. Typically Pinkie.  She then suddenly stopped and a great tremor went through her entire body.  “Woooooooah, my Pinkie sense is going nuts. Somepony is up to no good.” Pinkie said.  She had no idea where it was coming from. “What do you mean? it’s coming from the library silly.” Pinkie said, to… no one.  Wait what? “Anyway, to the library. Wee!” Pinkie said, bouncing along.  When she reached the library, she followed the feeling of her Pinkie sense all the way to the farthest side of the library. She bounced around, but didn’t see anypony.  “Hello, is somepony up to no good around here?” She said, skipping along the shelves.  She heard books fall over a few shelves down, and proceeded to jump over each shelves on her way to the source, despite the shelves being so tall.  “Eh, that’s nothing. You should see me jump from the top of the school all the way to the Sugarcube corner.” Pinkie said, again to… no one.  When she found the stack of books that fell over, there wasn’t anypony there. But her Pinkie sense was still going crazy. She looked over at the books, finding some magic books and one book that was really out of place.  “Oooooo, a history of centaur mythology. I haven’t seen this book. Huh, maybe somepony is throwing a surprise party!” Pinkie shouted.  Her Pinkie sense then alerted her to somepony running in the library, “Hey, Twilight’s rule #7, no running in the library!”  She skipped towards the source of the running, she was in hot pursuit. “This is Officer Pinkie Pie, pull over and let’s see your library card!” She then clamped her hoof over her mouth, “Oops. Twilight’s #1, no shouting in the library Pinkie.”  The one running did not heed her warning, so she sped up, determined to catch the perpetrator. But as she neared the entrance to the library, her Pinkie sense suddenly lost him.  “Huh? Well he’s not running in the library anymore. And it’s ok to run in the hallways. So no biggie I guess. Wee!” Pinkie said, making her way down the hallway.  She then stopped and remembered something. She pulled the book on centaurs out of her mane. Wait, when did she pick that up? “Duh, when I found it.” Pinkie said, smirking at nothing again.  Before anything could be questioned, she turned in the direction of Twilight's office.  “Twilight will love this book, I bet she can come up with the best centaur themed party ever!” Pinkie said, bouncing down the hallway.  As the pink mare bounced out of sight, somepony looked around the corner.  “Darn it. My book. Good thing I memorized it already. It’s almost ready. Just need a few more ingredients and the spell will be ready.” Somepony said.  “Soon, I’ll be the most powerful unicorn in all of Equestria. Stronger the so called “Element of Magic” herself. No, stronger than Celestia and Luna! I’ll be on top forever!”  He cackled, but quickly held his hoof over his mouth. He looked to see if Pinkie had heard him. She was gone though.  “This better work. That jerk better be telling me the truth about this.” The pony walked back towards the dorms. His time would come. Soon.