//------------------------------// // Small Talk // Story: Somepony who loves you // by Nonagon //------------------------------// Small Talk A Somepony who loves you story It was unspeakably dark outside the wagon. Peachy Pie peeked just her face out, drawing the curtains of the wagon around her so that no light escaped. It was like looking into a wall of blackness. Thick clouds stretching from horizon to horizon blocked out the moonlight like a concrete ceiling, creating the impression of being underground even in the night air. A glimmer of candlelight spilling around her hooves illuminated the wooden boards, but nothing else. Outside the wagon, the world just stopped. “Dad said not to go outside,” a voice behind her cautioned. “I’m just looking,” she called back, not withdrawing. The darkness echoed her voice back to her. Her eyes were starting to ache, like her vision was repeatedly kicking the impenetrable wall in front of her. Over time, though, it started to become a little easier to see; Cheerilee had said this was caused by her students dialling or something like that. It might have been a trick of her brain, but she could just barely see the motionless road ahead, and maybe the tallness of trees on either side, and what might have been the silvery curl of clouds way up high. Satisfied, Peachy moved her head back inside. The interior of the wagon was packed with boxes up to the roof, leaving barely enough space for three tangled bedspreads in the middle. It was illuminated by a single candle, which a minute ago had seemed barely bright enough to light up a shelf, but after Peachy’s jaunt outside was almost painful to look at in its intensity. At the back of the wagon sat Sunny Days, nearly her double save for her platinum blond mane, rummaging through an overturned crate and glaring at her. “Well?” she snapped. “Well what?” Peachy answered. “Did you see anything?” “No,” she admitted. “But you should try it. It makes everything look bright after.” Demonstratively, she looked around. It was already fading, but their little roof didn’t seem as high or full of shadows any more. It was almost cozy. “I’ll pass. And you’re going to get in trouble.” Sunny huffed and turned back to her crate. She was a year older, and acted like it, taking every opportunity to boss Peachy around when Mom and Dad weren’t around. Which they weren’t. Peachy hoped they’d be back soon. For want of anything better to do, Peachy returned to the bundle of sheets that she’d claimed as her own and rolled herself up in it. She stared at the fading ceiling and listened. There was no noise from outside, not a gust of wind or the trickle of a river, even though she was sure they were supposed to be right by one; just her own breathing and Sunny’s rustling. The quiet bothered her, so she started humming. As the world around her got darker, she moved through random notes to an improvised tune that she could bob her head along to. In terms of brightening the wagon, the two about cancelled each other out. That was one of the weird things about life; the smaller your world got, the harder you had to work to keep it filled up. “Dad said not to make noise,” Sunny Days said, even though she’d started to bob her head along with the tune as well. “I’m not making noise, I’m just humming.” Peachy rolled over uncomfortably. However often she walked around the wagon, her legs were stiff from not being able to run. Maybe that was why Mom had run out. It didn’t explain why Dad had run after her, though. She wondered if Sunny would let her leave if she said she had to go to the bathroom. “Do we have any water?” she asked. “I’m looking,” Sunny said. She stuck both forelegs into the box, digging around in frustration. “Why do we have so many toothbrushes?” she asked. She pulled out a dozen of them, still in their individual wrapping. “There’s nothing else in here. It’s just toothpaste, toothbrushes and floss. Why are we bringing all these?” Peachy clicked her teeth together a few times, pondering. “Maybe Hoofington has some kind of dental emergency?” she offered. “Maybe.” Sunny abandoned her search and tore open a new box, messily rummaging through it as well. “This one’s just full of creams and stuff,” she said. “Seriously, what is all this?” Peachy Pie eyed her with a sly smile. “Didn’t Dad say not to make a mess?” she said. “Wha-” Sunny turned red and slammed the box shut. “Sh-shut up!” “You’re gonna get in trou-ble!” “Shut up!” Peachy giggled, but it faded. Quiet bubbled around them, bordering on the absolute silence outside. She wanted Sunny to start going through the boxes again. “Do you think Mom and Dad will be back soon?” she asked. “Of course.” Sunny took to watching the candle. “How soon?” “How should I know? Soon.” “What if they got lost?” “They’re not lost.” “But what if they are? It’s really dark out there.” “If it’s that dark, then they won’t have gone far enough to get lost. So there.” Sunny’s logic, as usual, was impeccable. Peachy wasn’t satisfied. “Then why aren’t they back yet?” Sunny’s grumpy frown twisted into a wicked grin. “You really wanna know?” “Yes!” “I bet it’s because they’re making out.” Peachy Pie took a moment to absorb this, then recoiled. “Ewwwwwwwwww! Sunny!” “I bet they are, though,” Sunny insisted, holding in laughter. “They’re not!” Peachy protested. She was aghast, which only made Sunny laugh harder. “Mom and Dad don’t make out! They’re old!” “Of course they do. Where do you think baby ponies come from?” Peachy tried to find fault in this, but couldn’t. “But why?” she asked, images floating through her head that she knew would last for weeks. “We don’t have room for a baby! I don’t want another sister!” “Making out doesn’t mean you have to have a baby, stupid,” Sunny corrected her. “It’s just something ponies do when they’re in love. And I bet Mom and Dad do it all the time.” “Ew, no they don’t!” “Not in front of you, because you’re such a big baby about it. But why do you think they keep going to bed early on weekends?” “You mean...” Peachy’s eyes widened, and she made a face. “Eww!” “And what about when they keep sending us outside to skate?” “Ewwww!” “Or whenever we’re in the bath?” “Ewwwwww!” Peachy gagged. “Sunny, stop it! You’re being gross!” Sunny didn’t laugh, but her tail flicked happily behind her. “What? I’m just telling you the truth.” “No you’re not. You’re just making fun of me.” Peachy Pie curled up and huffed. “Besides, Mom and Dad wouldn’t make out out there. It’s dark and it’s creepy and it smells like worms.” “Yeah, but it’s either that or stay here with you,” Sunny retorted. “If you’d been cooped up with you for two days, wouldn’t you want to sneak away and make out somewhere?” “I wouldn’t, because making out is gross,” Peachy Pie insisted. “Really?” Sunny’s voice became teasing. “Not even with Piiiiiiiiiiiiineapple?” Peachy’s flushed face and hushed gasp were all the answer she needed. “Oh my gosh!” Sunny squealed. “You want to make out with Pineapple!” “No I don’t!” Peachy squeaked. “H-he’s too old and he’s too tall and m-making out is gross!” “I don’t think you think so!” Sunny singsonged. “You wanna make out with him!” “No I don’t!” “Peachy and Pineapple, sitting in a tree! M-A-K-ing-O-U-T!” “Stop iiiiiiiiit!” Peachy put her hooves over her ears and wailed. “Dad said not to yell.” “I’m yelling because you’re being grooooooooss!” Something moved outside the wagon. All teasing and wailing stopped. The two girls fell quiet and looked towards the back of the wagon, listening. “Did you hear that?” Sunny asked. “I... don’t know.” It was hard to tell. The world outside their bubble had returned to silence; in the abyss of noise beyond them it could have been loud or quiet, near or far. Peachy was becoming less sure with every second that she’d heard anything at all. Sunny glanced at her. “Do you wanna look?” “You go look!” “You’re the one who likes looking!” They waited a second more. There was no more noise. “Do you think it’s Dad?” Peachy asked. “Yeah,” Sunny answered, nodding rapidly. “I bet it’s Dad.” More silence passed. The candle hissed at them as it started to burn down. “Sunny?” Peachy whispered. “Yeah, what?” “Have you ever made out with anypony?” “No,” Sunny answered, but she hesitated. “I can’t. I’m not in love with anypony.” “What’s that got to do with it?” “You can only make out if you’re in love. Otherwise it’s just kissing.” “Oh.” “Stupid.” They both watched the back curtains. There was still no sound. “I bet you anything that was Dad just now,” Sunny added. “You think so?” “Yeah. They’ll be back any second now.” “Okay.” They sat and waited, listening for the sound of hoofsteps. The candle flickered, just once. It would only last about a minute longer. “Boo!” Dad yelled, bursting through the curtains. “Eeeeeeeeeeek!” Sunny and Peachy screamed, then fell onto their backs laughing. Dad started laughing too. “Honey, that was mean,” Mom said, lying across his back. “Was it? I’m sorry,” he said, even though he wasn’t. He ruffled Sunny’s mane and helped Mom to the floor. “Sorry we took so long,” he explained. “Your mom hit her hoof on a rock and hurt her leg. You two look after her, okay?” “It’s just a bump,” Mom said with a roll of her eyes, folding her bruised ankle underneath her. This wasn’t quite satisfying enough. “Why did you run out?” Sunny demanded. “We were worried about you.” This wasn’t quite the truth, but Peachy didn’t correct her. “I had to... powder my nose,” Mom admitted with a blush. “It caught me a little bit by surprise, that’s all. I’m sorry if I startled you.” “But it’s all right now,” Dad said. He leaned down and kissed Mom on the nose (Sunny leered at her sister, and Peachy gagged) and then walked away. “Well, time to get back on the road again,” he announced, turning on the lantern on the wagon’s front and disappearing out the curtains. There was a low rumble as Dad hitched himself up and the cart began to move again. Mom laid her head down, suddenly looking very tired. “Mom?” Peachy asked. “How much longer until we reach Hoofington?” “Oh, I don’t know,” Mom sighed. “Maybe tomorrow.” Sunny lay down next to her. “Do we have any water?” she asked. “I’m sure it’s around somewhere. Don’t worry about that.” She smiled at them. “Try and get some sleep, sweethearts. It’ll be morning soon.” She leaned down and blew out the candle. The wagon trundled on into the darkness.