//------------------------------// // (45) Life: Renovations // Story: The nature of the beast. // by Kintra //------------------------------// When Moon Mist and I had left the restaurant it was already almost four in the afternoon, I knew I had spent some time with her, but wow. I figured I should try to find Rainbow dash, see how she is doing. I knew that Twilight was fine, she had enough energy this morning to nearly bust down my door. Which now that I think about it, why didn’t light come to help me? What a jerk. Unless of course his mind popped, but that shouldn’t happen yet. He hasn’t even finished shrinking! Actually, he might have. I should really have checked on him. I feel kinda bad now. What if his mind popped and he’s a little baby colt just being all sad under the covers because he doesn’t know where he is? And why does it make me giddy thinking of light as a kid? *Sigh.* I shook my head as I walked further along the path to my house, if I’m not mistaken at around this time rainbow should be at home. If not, then it really shouldn’t be hard to find her. I walked around the back of my house and looked up to Rainbows cloud house. It was a way behind but really, it still looked cool. After a good minute of walking I was directly underneath it. “Rainbow! You up there!?” I watched the rim hoping she was, and I know I smiled when she peaked over the edge with some massive bed head. “Eclipse? What do you want? I’m trying to sleep!” I laughed. “Sleep? It’s only like... what, five o clock! Come down here and say hello!” She thought about that. “Only if you carry me!” Oh…Oh she is good...Like I would say no! “Deal!” she pretty much dive bombed off of the side and hovered in front of me, I plucked her out of the air and just held her. “How’s your day going?” She rested her head on my shoulder and folded her legs to my chest, it was really comfortable. “It was going really slow. Not much weather duty today so I practiced a few tricks and came home to rest. Then you yelled at me.” I laughed. She started burying her head into my neck. “I didn’t yell at you, I was just coming to see if you were okay after yesterday.” She yawned. “Yea…I’m okay… I…” She started snoring. Why is it that even when they fall asleep on me, I just can’t bring myself to wake them? Her mane was falling into my face and all I could do was find a nearby tree and sit as gently as possible. She must have been seriously exhausted to have just, passed out like that. I leaned against the tree and just waited. Nothing I could do. Poor girl. I have been here for a while and I knew practically nothing about these ponies, I mean, what I saw in the show sure, but…How old are they? “Ugh…” I sighed and leaned my head against the tree. No reason in thinking about it now. I’ve got a rainbow Pegasus sleeping on me in a world where trees can talk. Not much that should surprise me anymore. “Good night dash...” I closed my eyes as I felt little Luna climb out of my pocket and into a gap between dash and myself. Good night little Luna… I woke to an extremely uncomfortable poking on my chest. When I opened my eyes I saw dash sitting on her haunches poking me in the chest with her hoof. “Uhmm…Hi.” Dash always managed to sound embarrassed. “Hello Dashie… have a good rest?” She blushed and got really loud. “What! No, I mean! Oh Geez I am so sorry!” I laughed and stroked her mane till it was looking less like bed head. “It’s fine Dashie, if it was that big of a problem I would have woken you back up. However, it most certainly was NOT an issue. Speaking of which, how much training did you do yesterday? You looked exhausted.” She shook her head and her mane straightened the rest of the way. “I only did a few dozen tricks, I’m way behind on my practice, I mean, I had been thinking of you and it just…Got in the way, Sorry.” I smiled and sat up some more, causing little Luna to tumble a bit before she woke up and crawled into my pocket. “A few dozen? Dashie if you start feeling tired I want you to stop okay? I understand it’s important to be good but killing yourself isn’t going to make you better.” She nodded. “Good, Now I’m glad you’re doing tricks and stuff again but take better care of yourself okay?” I had to hug her for emphasis; she just sat there and looked at the grass. Hurt like hell to see her that way. “Alright, one last question dash. And don’t take this the wrong way, How old are you?” she looked at me like I was stupid. “I’m seventeen why?” Seventeen…That’s, not so bad. Okay. “And how old are the others?” She thought a moment “Let’s see, Pinkies 16, fluttershys 17, applejack is 18, rarity is...I’m gonna say 17, and twilight is 18.” Wow, So only a year difference between any of them. “And for a pony you girls are considered?” “Uh, pretty young I guess. Why?” I had to phrase this next question carefully. “Are you girls old enough for sex?” she sputtered, I put so much thought behind that. “Eclipse! That’s, wrong!” I laughed. “I’m asking for educational reasons not offering.” Why does she look disappointed? “Well, yea okay. We are yes. We ponies start being able to do that stuff at about fourteen.” Okay. Okay! Good! “Why, are humans different?” Eh…. “Not really, just had to make sure.” Bad taste in my mouth now… Is that vinegar? “Right, now that my day is scarred I have work. So…” I nodded. “Hey actually, hold up. When do you get off?” “Uh… about three normally why?” “You know Misty's magical blah blah? The shop?” “I do yea, she sells unicorn things.” Yes she does. “Come in to the store at about five okay?” “Uh…Okay. I gotta go.” “Yup, see ya later Dashie.” “Bye eclipse!” hate to see her go but love to...Never mind. I started the trek back to the house I needed to stop in and see thorn, convince her to help me with the cleaning and shit. Maybe Be could help? She found a job yet? Doesn’t matter. I entered the house to find Thorn talking to a now very childlike light. And my first thought was “Oh shit he lost his memories.” Thankfully he hadn’t. “Oh, hello eclipse. Have you come to talk to light?” I looked at thorn and then to a very unhappy light. “Nope, I’ve come to request both of your assistance.” Light looked a little happier when I said request. Like he could turn it down, I didn’t give him a chance, I walked forward and picked him up, He was brew sized! Squee! Wait, that doesn’t work. “Put me down Eclipse!” I laughed. “Nope, I need you and thorn to help me remodel a nice ladies shop so it doesn’t go out of business.” “Oh, that sounds like fun! I’ll get my supplies!” If she sounded anymore like fluttershy, I would be impressed. “Eclipse come on! Just let me explode! It’s not like I’m strong enough to do any of that stuff anyway!” “I don’t need you to help build, I need you to keep moon mist distracted because she’s been very sad lately. You my good sir happen to be adorable, and I need to exploit that.” He laughed at this “Your weponizing my cute?! You’re sadistic!” As far as final moments go, this isn’t a bad one though right? “Okay. I’m ready.” Thorn walked down the stairs with saddlebags full of rags and cleaning supplies. “Wow, Take your job seriously don’t you thorn.” She just smiled as I led the way to Misty’s store, carrying Light made me feel a bit weird, but not a bad weird. When we finally arrived at the store I saw Moon mist was tapping her hooves like she was waiting for us just outside her shop. Once I got close enough I put Light on the ground. “Here watch my kid.” She gave me a dumbfounded Look and Light chipped in. “Trust me when I say madam, I am neither a child, nor in need of watching. You can take your leave at your earliest convenience.” Score, Moon mist fell all over light. “OHMIGOSH LOOKATCHU USING ALL DA BIG WOORDS” Thorn and I looked at each other and headed into the shop. There was a lot of work to be done making this place decent for all races. First thing we had to do was raise the roof, which wasn’t as hard as it sounds; she had an attic so she just used a spell to manipulate the wood upwards while retaining durability. After that we extended the store and moved the various stands around to more accessible locations, everything was within reach of the smallest earth ponies. Which ended up being lights job, and we were able to get the place spic and span, The last thing we did was tear down the walls next to her door and replace them with standing windows, After that it was just cleaning and replacing some of the “Unpopular” artifacts around the place. At least until Light brought up a really good question. “Hey Moon Mist, Couldn’t we charge these items with magic so non unicorns can use them?” She stopped in her tracks and looked at him. “I…Never even thought of that.” Ah, the simple solution is always the hardest to catch. “Well shit, let’s try it then, here try this color shifter.” I gave it to her and she focused her horn until a small spark floated down and hovered just above the shifter. “There we go, Now Thorn wanna change your color?” She got really happy. “Oh. Yes! That would be wonderful!” She took the color shifter in her hooves. “Umm...How?” We looked to moon mist. “Just push the orb into the device and think about what color you want.” She pushed the orb into the small box producing a bright flash and when it cleared she didn’t really look any different “Busted box maybe?” She nodded then thorn got really giddy. “OH MY GOSH IT WORKED! Ahahaha! Yay!” I looked at her. Oh. Wait. “Did you really just darken yourself a few shades?” she nodded enthusiastically. “Well alright, Mist you think you can charge any object a pony wants?” She nodded once and went and sat behind her desk. Charging a couple starter objects. A few hours of daylight left, we finished everything. The place could easily be moved around in for all species, (including myself thanks to the raised ceiling) and thorn had begun charging objects as well, soon enough we could open for the first “Grand reopening.” Or whatever. And I felt good. I had helped this pony, and if It saves her shop? That’s just all the more a bonus. When rainbow arrived at about eight I was just packing up to head home. “Sorry Eclipse there was a bad storm on the east side of town I just couldn’t get control of!” Understandable. “Here anything in here that would catch pegasi interest?” She started flying around. “Uh… Yea, there are a couple things here that could help a Pegasus. But we don’t have magic. “I laughed she looked at me like I was stupid. “What’s one of the objects that could help?” “Well these home compasses are pretty useful. They always point to the place you consider home.” I nodded. “Moon, how long does a charge last?” She shrugged. “Depends on the object, for a compass? I’d say a few days.” Right on. I picked up one of the compasses allowing mist to charge it before handing it to dash. “Whoa.” Was all she said as she twirled circles. “Pretty cool right? Light had this awesome idea of giving the items delayed magical charges. “No way, so earth ponies and pegasi can use them too?” I nodded. “That’s so awesome! I’m gonna be coming here tomorrow with some money!” I laughed. “Good that’s the point! Thanks for helping out dash.” She smiled and handed me the compass before heading out the door. I looked at the compass and saw the dial was spinning. “Hard to pin down the center of Equestria huh...” I gave moon mist a few bits for the used items and wished her a good night. Tomorrow, let’s see how she does.