Siren hummed to herself as she trotted down the road towards town. Well, one could call it a road, but it was barely more than a narrow ribbon of packed earth, kept open by the occasional passerby off to seek adventure in the untamed wilds. Tangled thickets and overgrown fields lay on either side of the path left abandoned and fallow. It had been some time since the last rainstorm. Small clouds of dust were kicked up as the mare's eager hooves trotted across the ground. Siren Song’s mouth formed into a smile as she passes the dusty wooden archway at the edge of town. Across its frame the word ‘Terra’ had been painted.
Some time ago, a rich vein of ore was discovered in the hills nearby. Brave souls and reckless youths alike flocked to the hills to seek their fortunes excavating this new resource. A trading outpost was set up out of necessity, but as more miners came, the entrepreneurs followed closely behind. A town sprung up seemingly overnight to provide some comfort to the haggard workers, and the nearby forests were cleared to make room for farms to support the fledgling community.
Then the mine ran dry. Those who could, packed up and moved on to greener pastures. Some stayed behind, unwilling to leave their homes, but as time went on, their numbers dwindled. Now only a dry husk remained. Old boarded up buildings squatted in the dusty streets beside the only run-down establishments that remained: the post office, the courthouse, an inn named the Rusty Spoon, and the Two-Bit General Store. The only ponies that remained in the area were those too stubborn to let go of the past... or those who had something to hide from.
To Siren, it was a beautiful. She paused in the middle of the street to inspect the buildings around her, as well as the few ponies on the street as they continued their day-to-day business. Her heart rate picked up as she realized that she was finally here alone. Up until now, she had only visited once a year on her birthday to pick up her cake from the general store. Each time her mother accompanied her, never letting Siren stray from her side. The young mare took a deep breath, taking in the scent of dirt, flaking paint, and sweat. It smelled like freedom.
The door to the Terra Post Office groaned slightly as Siren Song pushed it open. She looked around at the faded, whitewashed walls and the notice boards with aging yellow flyers held in place with pins, nails, and whatever else could be found to fit the bill. She approached the counter, which was stained and warped slightly around the edges. There was no one in sight, but she could hear somepony moving about in the back room. She prodded the bell sitting on the counter, and it gave a half-hearted ding.
"Coming, coming," a muffled voice called. Moments later, an old, grey pegasus trotted into the room, his neck bent with age. His mane was disheveled, and he had a stamp stuck in his hair. He straightened his spectacles and smiled at her. "Why hello, young filly, what can I do for you?"
Siren narrowed her eyes slightly at the "young filly" comment but decided that, in his eyes, most ponies would be considered young in comparison. "I'm here to pick up a package for Sky Song, please."
The stallion nodded absent mindedly and turned around. His frayed tail caught her across the nose, causing the mare to frown and rub at it with the back of her foreleg. "Now where is it?" he muttered to himself as he wandered back into the storeroom. The now-inaudible mumbling continued as the sound of boxes shifting and paper rustling echoed through the building. There was a loud crash, and a cry of "Ahh-hah!"
Siren put her front hooves on the counter and craned her head, trying to see into the back room. "Are you alright, sir?" she called tentatively. Perhaps the poor old fellow had managed to hurt himself back there.
A rather dusty pony came trotting out of the storeroom with a small brown package tied up with twine hanging from his teeth. He set it on the counter and opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by a loud sneeze. "Oh dear." The stallion fished out a checkered handkerchief and held it over his nose. "Here it is, youngster. Can I help you with anything else?" he asked, words muffled slightly by the cloth over his face.
"No, thank you—” Siren Song furrowed her brow and scanned his body carefully. “Are you okay?" she asked.
Much to her surprise, he chortled loudly. "Of course, happens all the time. Not to worry, there's still some life in these old bones." He stuffed the handkerchief back into his pocket and beamed at her.
She blinked at him for a moment, trying to process what he had said. "W-well then, good bye." Picking up the package, she headed for the door. The old pegasus waved at her as she left. She shook her head slightly at his peculiar behavior. He seems happy enough she thought. I just hope he retires before he hurts himself. She smiled at her own folly. Her mother had spoken about the old mailpony off and on for years, and he was still going strong. If anything, the old bird would outlive them all. Her smile widened. It was time for a bit of fun.
With a bounce in her step and a box on her back, the pale blue pegasus entered the Rusty Spoon. An old bar and inn, the Rusty Spoon was once filled to the rafters with noise and bustle. Now only a few locals and the occasional drifter lingered here, nursing their drinks in silence. She headed over to the bar, where a husky, middle-aged blue earth pony wearing an apron was running a rag over its surface. The mare would periodically pause in her scrubbing to peer near sightedly at the stone surface for stains. Hearing the approaching hoofbeats of a customer, the proprietress looked up from her work and grinned widely at the young pony, saying, "Well, lookie who it is!" Leaning over the counter, the older mare wrapped Siren in a tight bear hug.
Siren Song smiled sheepishly, cheeks red as she awkwardly patted the other mare’s back. "It's nice to see you too, Mrs. Bell."
The store owner put her down and looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "How many times have I told ya, jus' call me Blue." Her serious expression cracked, and she smiled softly at the pegasus. "I must say, I'm surprised to see ya here, what with your birthday bein' last month an' all. How'd ya like the cake anyways? Thought I'd try a new recipe I got from that city feller who passed by last fall."
"It was as delicious as always, Mrs. Bell. I just came to pick up a package—by myself." She puffed up a little as she added the last two words.
"Finally gettin' off on your own then? Good for you! Me an' Hare are so proud of you." Mrs. Bell gave her a friendly slap on the shoulder, making the young mare stagger a bit.
Straightening up, she looked around. "Where is Mr. Bell anyways? Isn't the general store closed this time of day?"
"That fool stallion fell off a ladder n' dropped a sack of potatoes on his self last week. It scared me half to death." Bluebell sighed and ran a hoof through her mane. Though she had her head turned away, Siren could see a distant look in her eyes as she angled her gaze downward and fell silent for a moment.
Siren Song’s mouth dropped slightly, and her eyes shifted back and forth, searching Bluebell's expression. "I-is there anything I can do to help?" Siren asked. Internally she sighed even as the words left her mouth. She knew what the answer would be, and she didn't like it.
The proprietress looked her over for a moment, before nodding stiffly. "Maybe ya can. Your songs always make him happy. Follow me, I'll take ya upstairs." Swinging open a hinged portion of the counter, the blue pony joined Siren on the other side before closing it again. She removed her apron and tossed it into the bar area. The earth pony glared around the room, as if the power of her stare alone would keep her customers from stealing a drink while she was gone. She glared the longest at a pair of cloaked figures seated in the far corner of the room. "Drifter troublemakers..." she grumbled. Snorting, she turned and led Siren Song upstairs.
Despite its name, the Rusty Spoon's bedrooms were clean and cozy. The floorboards had been washed so many times that the wood grain had started to fade slightly. The furniture and blinds had the same roughness to them that all local items had. Everything in town was made with whatever local materials could be found and cobbled together with one's own two hooves. Everyone did their best to save bits in lean times. Even so, they were sturdy and functional. Bluebell led her through a door labeled ‘OFF LIMITS TO ALL GUESTS’ and up a second winding staircase that led to the top floor and into the Bells’ bedroom. "Hare dear, I brought somepony to see ya," she called quietly to the dirt-brown earth pony lying swaddled in bandages on the carved oak bed.
He opened his eyes and looked at them. In spite of the bandages on his face, he smiled. "Little songbird, have you come to sing for an old fool like me?" Harebell asked.
With a frown, his wife came up alongside the bed and stroked his mane gently. There was a stool set up by the bed, and it showed signs of frequent use. Bluebell sat down on it with a sigh and looked at the pegasus expectantly.
Siren closed her eyes and sighed. There was no turning back now... and part of her wanted to do this anyways. She began to sing, starting quiet and letting each individual note ring out with tender care. She let the song build, feeling it swell in her chest as her voice grew louder. She quickly lost herself in the music. She could almost see the notes themselves, dancing before her.
As the pure notes floated to the ears of the bed-ridden pony, he let out a small groan as he relaxed into the sheets. The creases in his forehead faded along with the pain in his bones. He smiled gently and closed his eyes. His wife sat beside him, breathless with the purity of the music. Her body swayed slightly with the song's tempo as her own worries melted away. The music slipped down through the cracks in the floorboards, and the patrons down below stopped to listen as well.
An old drunken stallion paused with a mug halfway to his mouth. He set it back down on the counter and tilted his head to listen. He stared up at the ceiling as if he could see straight through it to the sky above. The music reminded him of the bittersweet days so long ago, the dark clutter of memories that he tried so hard to wash away.
A young mare took off her hat and set it on the table. She lay her head down beside it, neck outstretched. Closing her eyes, she let the music fill her as she thought of a tiny cabin miles away, where a lantern hung in the window and a warm presence waited for her. She smiled gently and reached out as if she could touch the worn pine door.
A scruffy grey-green unicorn stopped to listen. Unlike the other patrons, he grew more and more excited as the song continued. He stood up and threw on the hooded cape he had left draped over the back of his chair. Licking his lips, he dashed for the door, visions of riches swimming in his head. His smile had a hard edge to it as he ran for home.
The cloaked pair in the corner listened as well, though they showed little sign of movement. The larger one's eyes tracked the progress of the eager unicorn as he barreled out of the room. He looked down at his smaller companion, who nodded slowly. They both stood up, the shorter one pausing to toss a few bits on the table before the two headed out of the Rusty Spoon at a much more sedate pace than the previous guest.
As the song finally wound down, Siren Song opened her eyes slowly as she tried to hold on to the peace the music brought her. Despite her efforts, the feeling of comfort faded away along with the last notes. She sighed, drooping slightly as it left her. A warm hoof rested on her shoulder, and she turned to meet the smiling face of Bluebell, her hard eyes softened with tears. She put a hoof to her lips and nodded towards the bed, where her husband was sleeping soundly with a peaceful expression on his face. Bluebell tucked him in like a mother would her newborn foal before leading the young singer downstairs.
Bluebell paused at the second floor landing to wrap Siren in another hug. "Thank you, for everything," she whispered, her words faltering as she blinked her moist eyes. The mare would not break down in public—after all, she had a reputation to uphold.
The pegasus smiled, pulling out of the embrace. "I didn't do much," she said, looking down at the floorboards.
A firm hoof lifted her chin until she looked into the sharp, dark eyes of the other mare. "Now, I'll have none of that," Bluebell said. "You'd best not treat your gifts so poorly. Your voice is a wonder. Never forget that, ya hear me?" The innkeeper's expression was firm as she waited for a response.
Bluebell was famous throughout the area for her bullheadedness, so Siren Song only nodded in agreement.
The mare smiled and patted her gently. "You'd best get on home then, 'fore your mama gets worried."
Siren nodded and headed down the steps, the concerned eyes of the innkeeper following her as she went. As she entered the bar, the remaining two patrons turned to stare at her as well. Their eyes seemed to bore holes into her coat as she picked up the pace, breathing heavily and hunching slightly, as if it would make her a smaller target. This was why she didn't like to sing in public. Everypony always stared at her afterwards like she was some sort of specimen pinned to a card, on display for the world to see. She sighed with relief as the door shut behind her, shielding her from view. Siren leaned her head against it and closed her eyes as she tried to steady her breathing. The cool wood felt good against her hide, helping to push back the headache that had been building ever since she had first set hoof on those stairs. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her stance and turned for home.
When she glanced at the sky she was surprised to see that it was already late afternoon. She had spent more time at the Rusty Spoon than she had originally thought. Picking up her pace, she headed out of town at a trot, hoping to shave a few minutes off her journey and be home before the sun started to set. If she came home after dark... Siren shuddered. Her mother could be very overprotective at times, the last thing she needed was for Sky Song to decide the trust she had placed in her daughter was unfounded. She had better hurry.
In her haste, the pegasus did not notice the two cloaked figures behind her, ghosting along at a fair distance, but always keeping her in their sights. Despite his large size, the bigger of the two was surprisingly light on his feet. "You sure she's the one?" he rumbled quietly to his companion.
The second figure merely nodded his head in agreement.
The big one shook his head. "Oi sure 'ope you know what you’re doin'..."
His companion made a silencing motion before dashing to the next patch of cover, eyes still focused on the pale blue pegasus.
The giant sighed and joined him in the bush. He saw a flash of movement up ahead. Several caped figures were slinking through the fields, keeping in step with the oblivious pony. He raised an eyebrow. "Boss..." he whispered.
The small companion nodded. "I know. We have competition," he said flatly. A small smile crossed his face for a brief instant. "This should prove to be a worthwhile diversion."