It had been a rough week for Brimstone. He was distracted from class, distant from his friends, and his relationship with his mother was strained. Painfully strained. Luna cared for only one thing. Results. She had left a note under his door, a warning once again about noble gestures and the price required for making them.
And it concerned him. He didn’t have a clue about what to do. Brimstone’s real talent was language. At least, as far as he was concerned. Stink and strangling gas came second. And now, he was staring at the wall in class, listening to the teacher drone on and on about magical theory. All around the class, ears were drooping as students slowly succumbed to the coma the lecture had in store for them. Out of all of them, Brimstone was the only one who looked attentive, but magical theory was the furthest thing from his mind. The teacher seemed pleased that Brimstone was awake and alert. Candlewax’s lessons were surprisingly like her name. Long, with slow steady dribbles.
Ivy looked like she was going to expire at any moment. Her tail was completely asleep, laying limp and dead upon her desk, where nopony would step on it. Minerva looked nearly comatose, her chin shiny with drool. Hoodwink’s head kept snapping forward with a snort as she struggled to stay awake.
All around him, Brimstone watched little ears as they drooped, waiting for little ponies to nod off.
Candlewax continued to drone on. And on. And on. Her class had started early in the morning and would last until noon. She was nattering on about wild surges and the theories that existed about why they happened. It was something that Brimstone already knew, and knew quite well. He had detailed notes about it from an earlier project. Precious notes, notes that he wouldn’t let Hoodwink come near. Hoodwink was the destroyer of well made notes. Brimstone hated her just a tiny bit for her merciless destruction of words and her need to bring what she called clarity. He hated her just a wee bit because she really did bring clarity. Her edited notes were right to the point and could be combed through in minutes, while his notes took hours to read and understand.
And Hoodwink was just a little too smug about it.
A week and nothing. It was becoming unbearable. Not one idea. Nothing. Just a fevered empty brain. His brain had never failed him like this before. Usually, he had ideas, even if they were bad ones. Candlewax’s monotone was becoming almost painful now, each word cutting into his thoughts, protruding, unwanted entry into his mind, which was failing him.
It was only ten o’ clock.
Candlewax went on about wild surges, talking about Twilight Sparkle’s famous surges of pure raw magic and the chaotic results they brought about, the rare example of harmonious magic becoming completely and utterly unpredictable.
More ears were drooping, some of them completely against little heads, and little heads were bobbing. Some fell onto desks with a thump, waking them up and causing them to snort and blink with embarrassment. Candlewax’s chalk danced against the board, producing the most horrible screeching, causing the class to instantly shudder awake as one.
Every ear in the class rose upon hearing the chalk.
And Brimstone’s mind remained empty. Blank. A quiet rage began to fill him, resenting these intrusions. Candlewax’s snore inducing monotone. Every snort, every cough, every clearing of every throat, it all filled him with a quiet seething rage.
Brimstone realised what was happening, and drew his emotions into a tight ball of control. No. No more mistakes. Ever. No more accidents. Those he loved were in this room. The thought of hurting them caused even more emotional turmoil. He pressed that down as well. He squashed it down, burying it deep, resenting himself even more that this posed a problem.
Brimstone took every emotion he had and violently evicted it from his conscious mind with a vicious inner snarl, flogging his brain into submission, his frustration manifesting outwardly with an audible grunt in his throat.
Brimstone exploded once again, leaving behind a cloud of malodorous stench and a rapidly growing flood of vomit in the room that he had just exited.
Elsewhere…
Luna was sleeping soundly. Her head lay on a pillow covered in black silk, with delicate purple trim. She lay in a dreamless sleep, recharging her mind and trying to prepare herself for whatever the night might bring.
And she was rudely awoken by her foal exploding violently into existence above her once again. She coughed and gagged, thankful that her stomach was empty, and Brimstone fell from the high ceiling above her. He landed on her, both of them making grunts from the sudden collision.
“Brimstone, we must stop meeting like this.” Luna said, still gagging slightly. Luna rubbed her eyes, trying to clear her vision, green smoke everywhere.
“Mother, I need you. Please don’t send me away…” Brimstone pleaded.
Luna lifted her foal slightly away from her using her magic, then she lifted her blanket with a foreleg, and then pulled Brimstone close to her, covering both of them with the blanket as she lowered her leg and curled it around him.
“I’m so afraid of failing.” Brimstone said, his voice pleading. “Please, indulge me this once. Don’t punish me for weakness.”
Luna lay there, quiet. Usually she pushed Brimstone ever onward, and Brimstone responded well to the pushing. Now was clearly not one of those times. Now, he was a scared little foal once again, not an adult trapped in a foal’s body. She felt him snuggle closer to her, pressing against her, quiet sobs beginning to wrack his body.
She let him cry as she held him, waiting for the worst to pass. She also took comfort in this moment, as it had been a long while since they had been this close.
“I’ve made a mistake mother.” Brimstone said. “I made a promise I don’t think I can keep. I’m so ashamed. I don’t know how to face Ivy. Or my friends. Or you. I ran my mouth and now I can’t deliver what I had promised.”
Luna said nothing, but squeezed. Now was not the time for harsh lessons. Brimstone seemed remarkably fragile at the moment, not at all his usual self.
The stench clung to the room, the smoke lingering, and Luna wondered how Brimstone had managed to break through the powerful wards protecting her personal and private chambers.
Luna felt her heart slowly breaking, realising that Brimstone was going to learn a very harsh lesson. Luna knew that Brimstone’s friends would forgive him. She would forgive him, of course, but Brimstone would probably never forgive himself. He was too tightly wound. This was going to be a lasting wound that would fester and become worse with time.
It was as she had feared.
And Luna continued to say nothing, letting Brimstone have his moment of weakness. When Brimstone needed her to goad him onward, she knew that he give a sign, and their usual relationship would resume. But for now, she was content with this moment, holding him close, feeling his warmth, feeling his breath against where her neck and chest met one another. She felt the sobs subside, and his breathing deepened. And she knew that he had fallen asleep. He had finally sniffled and snotted his way to sleep, leaving a wet and slightly gooey place upon her chest scruffle, the thick and slightly curly patch of hair usually held in check by her lunar regalia.
It didn’t take long for Luna to resume her slumber, smiling broadly, glad to have her foal.
Later…
Brimstone awoke. He squirmed slightly, and then stopped, not wanting to wake his mother. He yawned, doing so as silently as possible.
“Sleep well?” Luna asked, pulling him closer.
Brimstone nodded, not thinking that Luna wouldn’t be able to see it.
“Brimstone?” Luna asked, her voice as soft and gentle as the moon rising on a spring evening, her legs gently pulling him close and cradling him, her body radiating a quiet sense of love.
“Yes mother?” He replied, feeling uncertain, worried what his mother might say, a faint trace of panic beginning to buzz in his brain.
“You made a promise. A well intentioned promise.” Luna paused, feeling her foal beginning to shudder once again. “Be still Brimstone.” She whispered gently. “You made this promise and I expect you to keep it. I know that you will find a way, even if it takes you a little longer than you might have expected. If you must, you will spend your life trying to find a way. But I will hold you to it. Because I believe that you can. Clear the clutter from your mind, gather up your strength, and take courage. I know the depth and breadth of your mind. Most would fail to keep this promise. I know that you will. Do not disappoint me by giving up. I expect you to keep trying, even if it seems that there are no results to be found.”
Brimstone took in her words, taking each one to heart. He had feared her fury, and while there was the possibility of her anger at some point, now was not that point. He pressed his face against her, drawing deep breaths, thankful for this moment of respite.
“It is late afternoon,” Luna said. “We should rise, find something to eat, and you should attend to whatever tasks you may have.”
A short while later…
Brimstone strode down the hall, a new sense of confidence kindled in his chest. He thought about everything he had in his life. He had a bright future in the Royal Guard. Shining Armor had taken him seriously… And Brimstone had already spoken to a unicorn about future officer training. His mother believed in him. He had a special somepony that really, really liked him and wasn’t bothered by his smell. And two very special friends that accepted him without reservations, even if one was a notorious note destroyer. He walked with his head high, nose upward, his hooves practically bouncing with each step.
It was a good day to be Brimstone. He had no idea how he was going to fix his problem, but he didn’t care at the moment. It was just too good of a day to be Brimstone. He had something that he had to do while his spirits were riding high. A certain task. It had to be done. He had to stop being so shy and reserved and not be afraid of expressing his feelings. He had been open and honest with his mother, and it had all worked out. And now, it was a great day to be Brimstone. Yes it was.
He rounded the corner, coming closer to his private quarters and the room of the three fillies that were his friends. Well, two fillies as friends, and one filly a friend in a very different way. He licked his lips, feeling a faint prickle of fear. He pushed it away. He was Brimstone. And this was a great day to be Brimstone.
He pushed the door open and heard surprised cries of greetings of three fillies happy to see him. He ignored two of them, at least for now, as he had something he had to do. He turned, looking at Ivy, who was sitting at the table, licking some apple butter from a spoon.
He went straight for her, never slowing, never stopping. She looked surprised, frozen, the spoon fell out of her talons and clattered to the table. He invaded Ivy’s personal space, pulling her close, wrapping his forelegs around her long neck, trying to pull her in, and then planted his two lips upon hers.
He heard squeals and woo woo noises from Hoodwink and Minerva, cheering him on. He could taste a faint hint of sweetness in the kiss. Apple butter. He felt Ivy’s lips open slightly, hot smoky breath blowing hot against his lips, and Ivy began to let out a long squeal of surprise as he planted a long wet sloppy and oh so very clumsy kiss on her lips.
He finally pulled away with a wet smack, leaving her stunned and breathless. “That’s going in the journal.” Brimstone said, unable to think of anything better. His mouth tasted of apple butter and smoke. Ivy remained in his embrace, unable to speak, her ears pivoting around wildly upon her head.
Brimstone watched her ears. Her beautiful tufted ears. They were graceful. Delicate. Brimstone sometimes daydreamed about whispering things into them but he hadn’t quite found the courage to do so.
But now, her ears were doing something else to him.
“Ivy!” He exclaimed. “You’re brilliant!” He pulled her in for another clumsy kiss, this time daring to nibble lightly on her lower lip with his teeth, squeezing her as hard as he dared.
He let go of her, raising his forelegs into the air as he balanced on his haunches, his body leaning against table. “I have a brilliant idea!” He exclaimed as Ivy fell to the floor with a thump, her eyes pointing in different directions, her face an expression of love struck confusion, her ears still flailing about wildly.
“What did you do to Ivy?” Minerva said with some concern.
“Nothing that Ivy didn’t deserve.” Replied Hoodwink, looking down at her friend, watching her eyes roll about wildly. She picked up Ivy’s spoon and placed it upon a small plate, and put the lid on the apple butter.
A faint giggle finally came from Ivy.
The two fillies ignored her. “You said something about an idea?” Minerva said, looking at Brimstone.
“Yes I did!” Brimstone replied, his brain full of crazy feelings that he lacked the words to describe. “Ivy’s ears gave me a brilliant idea.”
Ivy continued to titter on the floor, clutching her tail and squeezing, her hind legs kicking and twitching around a bit.
“So, out with it!” Hoodwink demanded.
“Ponies say everything they really mean with their ears!” Brimstone shouted, his excitement boiling over. “Ponies say one thing sometimes, but their ears say another. Look at Ivy’s ears right now. How they move. All of the range of motion. Think about how we communicate with our ears. We can say so much without saying anything at all sometimes. Concern. Anger. Sadness. Boredom. Love.” Brimstone paused, and looked at Ivy, who was looking up at him with a cockeyed grin of adoration. “She’s beautiful.” Brimstone whispered, looking down.
“Help me understand Brimstone.” Minerva said, her face twisting into her concentration mode. Her brows furrowed. It was a look Brimstone was pleased to see.
“I don’t know yet.” Brimstone said, shrugging. “We assign an ear position or perhaps a movement of an ear or both ears in a certain way to a letter in the alphabet, with special ear gestures for common words.”
Hoodwink fell silent, trying to take it all in. Her mouth dropped open. “Brimstone…” she whispered, her eyes going wide with realisation, “you, you are brilliant.”
“I’m nothing without Ivy.” Brimstone said, suddenly very serious. “If I hadn’t of kissed her, I don’t think this idea would have happened.
Ivy pulled herself up, her talons gripping the table, she was still breathing heavily, a dopey grin on her face. She wobbled unsteadily. “Brimstone, I had no idea…” Ivy began.
Brimstone cut her off with another kiss, this one short and brief, but on the lips.
Ivy fell over with a thump once again, laying on the floor breathless.
“I’m going to need your help.” Brimstone said. “To make an ear alphabet. An ear language. Something that all ponies can use, without magic. A piece of chalk and slate is too slow and clumsy for everyday language and sentences. Plus, chalk tastes terrible. Imagine having to bite down on chalk every time you wanted to say something. It wouldn’t take long before you didn’t want to say anything at all, conditioned by the horrible flavour of the chalk into silence.”
“Brimstone, if you can make new words the same way you make stink, I think this will work.” Minerva said, becoming thoughtful.
“What about ponies that don’t know ear language?” Hoodwink asked.
Brimstone paused. He hadn’t thought of that yet. Giving the ability to speak back to a pony was useless if other ponies couldn’t understand what was being said. He scowled. This was a major flaw.
“Ponies will have to learn.” Ivy said, pulling herself together on the floor. She rose to her hind feet, scurried over to and then up the bunk bed, and climbed up to hang from the rafters. After she settled, suspended by her tail, she continued. “Family members. Friends. Those that know the deaf and mute pony will have to learn the language as well and act as translators for those that don’t know. But ponies will learn. They’ll have to. In time, the ear language should spread, as deafness is a problem. I’ve been doing a little reading.”
Brimstone looked up at Ivy, feeling his doubt melt. He wanted to kiss her again. But she was currently out of reach.
“We should get started.” Minerva said, rolling a pencil towards her with a hoof. As she did so, a tiny stuffed pony pranced over the table, pushing papers around with its nose. Minerva watched the small pony, marveling at what Hoodwink had done.
The stuffy pony was immensely helpful with schoolwork as they had discovered. It liked to leave everything cleaned up and organised upon the table.
“So we make some ear gesture, cocking one ear one way, one ear the other way, matching it up to each letter of the alphabet.” Minerva said, laying out the plan. “And we draw and make notes about each gesture, each letter, and once we have the alphabet down, we work on words.”
Brimstone nodded.
“This is a really good idea.” Hoodwink said. “Even if it takes time to catch on. Brimstone, you are going to be remembered for this. You made a new language.”
“No I didn’t.” Brimstone refuted. “I had help from my friends. WE did this. Well, we are going to do this, given enough time. I had the idea. But all of you make this possible. There is no way I could do this alone.”
It was a good day to be Brimstone.