//------------------------------// // Herbs // Story: Blackest Knight // by D34dly F1ng3r //------------------------------// Blackest Knight Chapter 18 John was already awake when Twilight awoke. She met him in the sitting room, “Why don’t we get breakfast at Sugarcube Corner? I’ll let Spike sleep in for once.” “Alright,” John followed her out the door and they walked silently to the bakery. “Hello Twilight, hello John!” Mrs. Cake greeted them when they entered. John made sure to scan the area as he entered. He checked everywhere around him and made sure that the pink mare was nowhere in sight. He even checked the ceiling. Not a flash of pink was to be seen and he returned the greeting to the blue mare. “We decided to let Spike sleep in today, and I didn’t want to make a mess in the kitchen, so we came here for breakfast.” “Breakfast?” A familiar voice called from upstairs. John’s eyes snapped to the stairs. He was going to watch them until she came down. “Hello John!” A pink face filled his vision. John hadn’t even blinked, she was just suddenly there. He managed not to jump this time. Barely. “Hello Twilight,” Pinkie said as John felt the familiar weight suddenly burden his shoulders and waist. Twilight yelped again. She had been watching the stairs as well. “Uh, hello Pinkie. Um, where did you come from?” Pinkie jumped off John. “Upstairs silly.” John and Twilight exchanged looks. They decided not to pursue the question. “So you said that you’re here for breakfast? That means I get to make John a super duper cupcake!” Pinkie rushed off to the kitchen. John realized something, “I never told them that I can’t eat.” Twilight facehoofed. “This is the worst time to tell her now.” “Why?” John’s question would go unanswered as Pinkie returned with a large cupcake on a tray. She set it on a table and looked at John expectantly. “Here you go John!” John hesitated, “Um, Pinkie?” “Yes!” Her eyes shone. “Uh, I can’t eat.” Pinkie Pie did not move. Her mane slowly deflated after a pause. It hung flat from her head before her face slowly changed to one of utter sadness. Her eyes grew as well as her pupils. Tears began to well as she asked, “Are … are you allergic … to cupcakes.” John felt demolished to see Pinkie in this state. “No, I’m not allergic to cupcakes, I meant that I cannot eat at all. My stomach won’t accept the food.” John didn’t think it was possible for her to look sadder, but she managed it somehow. Her head fell, “So you can’t eat my cupcake?” Her voice was tinged with tears. John looked at the sullen mare. “Um, I guess I can eat your cupcake.” Pinkie’s mane reflated instantly and she returned to the normal happy mare, except that her grin was wider than John thought physically possible. “Really?!” He could, but he’d be in complete discomfort until he threw it up later. “Yes.” Pinkie squeed in excitement and John sat down to eat. Twilight sat down with a daisy sandwich opposite him. John took the cupcake and bit into it. His taste buds flared to life. It was actually one of the best cupcakes he had ever had, but his stomach instantly began to churn. He ate it quickly. “Was it good?” Pinkie asked before he swallowed the last bite. “Yes,” John replied. “In fact, it was probably the best cupcake I’ve ever had.” It was not a lie, but his stomach seemed to have really liked its lax life and did not enjoy the intrusion of the tasty treat. Twilight had finished her sandwich and they left before Pinkie tried to get John to try more of her treats. “Are you alright John?” “Yeah, I think I’ll be - hurgh!” John’s stomach betrayed him by trying to return the cupcake. Twilight sighed, “Let’s swing by the library before going to Fluttershy’s.” John and Twilight left the library, and a dragon that was not happy about the toilet, and made their way to Fluttershy’s cottage. They arrived just as Rainbow Dash was leaving. “Hello Rainbow!” Twilight hailed the pegasus. “Hey guys,” She returned before flying off. Twilight knocked on Fluttershy’s door. The door opened and Fluttershy greeted them. “Oh, um, hello Twilight.” John almost couldn’t hear her voice. “Hello John.” She waved them in. “How are you doing today Fluttershy?” Twilight asked as Fluttershy closed the door behind them. “Well … I was about to go out and collect some herbs for Angel, he’s sick.” “Why don’t you let John and me help?” Twilight asked. “That will help it go faster.” “Well, if you don’t mind.” Fluttershy looked between the unicorn and the human. “We don’t mind,” John answered. “Well, thanks then.” Fluttershy showed them a book with pictures of the herbs they would need. “I know those herbs,” Twilight noted. “They are native to the Everfree forest.” “The forest out there?” John asked. Fluttershy nodded confirmation. She looked a little nervous about going into the Everfree. “Is it dangerous?” “Quite so,” Twilight answered. “Many dangerous beasts lurk out there, but if we don’t go too far in, we should be fine.” “Well, I have my sword just in case, let’s go,” John said. Fluttershy handed out three glass jars each. John led the way into the forest. They split up to cover more area, John and Twilight went left and right respectively, Fluttershy went straight. John searched for around half an hour before he found a large patch of the herbs. He gathered a bunch of them into two of the jars. He was about to gather more when he noticed a patch of bright blue flowers. He figured that two jars would be enough of the herbs, so he decided to gather six of the flowers. He could give one to each of the six ponies, as a symbol of friendship. He carefully plucked each one by the stem, so as not to disturb the petals, and placed them gently into his third jar. He secured the jars to a makeshift rope belt and prepared to leave when he heard a scream. Fluttershy went forward while John and Twilight split off. Her saddlebags were filled with the empty jars. She walked slowly through the forest. The yellow mare had always been afraid of these woods, and always hated entering them, but the market had been out of these herbs and Angel needed them now. Fluttershy quickly found a small patch of herbs, but they only filled one of the jars. She continued her search and found another small patch after around the twenty minute mark. She found a third patch in a small clearing ten minutes later, but as she was removing the last jar from her saddle bags, she heard a growl. She snapped toward the sound. A large wooden timberwolf stepped from the shadows. Fluttershy’s eyes grew in fear and she was about to run away when her hoof caught on an unearthed root. The root twisted her hoof and she fell. The jar flew from her grasp and landed near the timberwolf. The wooden beast backed away to avoid the flying glass as the jar shattered. Fluttershy tried to pick herself back up, but her injured hoof could not support her weight. She screamed in pain and fear. The timberwolf licked its teeth as it realized its prey was helpless. Fluttershy tried to crawl from the beast, but she backed into a tree. The timberwolf slowly approached her while four others emerged from the forest behind it, and she screamed again. Suddenly, a jar filled with blue flowers struck the lead timberwolf’s head. Fluttershy recognized the blue flowers immediately as one landed next to her. She looked back at the timberwolf that had been struck as it shook its head. Its jaw fell off. The timberwolf looked down at the fallen jaw for a moment before yipping and retreating back into the forest. The other four timberwolves stayed however, and faced the direction the jar had come from. John emerged from the trees and drew his sword. The large black sword made the timberwolves hesitate, but one launched itself at him. John deftly sidestepped and brought his left arm down on the leaping beast. His arm sparked and hit the timberwolf down to the ground unconscious from the knock out spell. A second timberwolf lunged at John, but he caught his sword in its mouth. The timberwolf bit down on it as John grabbed its throat and delivered the same spell. He coated the timberwolf with the spell as well and picked it up off the ground. He threw the beast into another, and the coating delivered the knock out spell to its third victim. The fourth timberwolf tried to feint John, who pretended to take the bait. The beast lunged at his exposed right side to find John ready for it. He sidestepped and delivered a final knockout spell in a punch that connected with the timberwolf in midair. John sheathed his sword as he turned to Fluttershy. Twilight bust into the clearing moments after John dispatched the timberwolves. She saw John walking toward Fluttershy, as well as four bodies surrounding the duo. “Are you alright?” John asked Fluttershy. “I … I think I twisted my hoof.” John knelt over her and took her injured hoof in his right hand to examine it. His gentle touch calmed Fluttershy, and he was careful not to hurt her. He raised his left hand over the hoof and Fluttershy felt it become numb. “I healed it, but I think it will be numb for an hour or so, so that the pain doesn’t return.” He slung Fluttershy’s dropped saddlebags over his back and scooped her up. “Let’s get you home to rest.” He began to walk, carrying her in both arms and heading back toward her cottage. “How did you know about the poison joke?” Fluttershy asked as they walked. Twilight caught up to them. “The what?” John asked. “The blue flowers, they are called poison joke. They infect ponies by playing a practical joke on them.” Fluttershy looked up as John chuckled. “I was actually picking some to give to you and your friends. I didn’t know they did anything bad.” The two began to laugh and Twilight walked behind them, smiling. Fluttershy fell silent and rested her head against John’s chest. She could hear his heartbeat. They walked on. His gentle heartbeat and the gentle movement of his arms as he walked lulled Fluttershy to sleep. She felt safe.