I was awoken the next morning by somepony gently shaking my shoulders, cracking open my eyes I saw Grass Snake leaning over me.
“Sorry to wake you so early,” she began, standing up once she saw I was awake. “But I needed to make a quick run into town and I was wondering if you could do some things while I’m out.”
“Of course,” I replied in a groggy voice as I sat up, my back popping as I did. “Whatever you need.”
“Mainly I just need you to keep an eye on the girls until Lock Pick is up,” she explained. “He’s not feeling too well this morning so I thought with you around he might be able to get a lie in.”
“No worries,” I assured her. “Anything else?”
“There’s some herbal tea in the kitchen cupboard,” she continued. “Could you make up a cup and take it up to Granny Willow please?”
“I can do that,” I said as I stood up and began rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.
“Thanks a lot,” Grass Snake said as she headed towards the door to the hall. “While I’m in town I’ll ask around and see if anyone could give you a ride to Port Mule.”
“You would?” I asked slightly surprised. “I would greatly appreciate that.”
Grass Snake flashed me a quick smile before heading out to the front door, calling back one last time to ask me to lock it after her. I set straight to making the tea, which wasn’t hard to find since the kitchen cupboards were almost entirely devoid of any contents. I would certainly have to be generous when it came to paying Grass Snake at the end of all this, although I needed to be careful not to give away too much and end up not having enough to get me to Mule.
While I waited for the pot of water to boil over the pathetic heat of the stove, I thought about the residents of the house. I had been properly introduced to everypony after my conversation with Lock Pick the night before, besides Pixie Dust, the other fillies were called Caramel and Emerald. They all slept on the second floor and while they were shy around me at first, they quickly became more comfortable in my presence to the point where they were chatting away quite happily with me. They were all very nice girls, bright and inquisitive, reminded me in many ways of my sister.
Thinking about Sweetie Belle brought back the hollow feeling in my chest, so I took out my compass to alleviate the feeling. As I removed it however, the bright stone that Sweetie Belle had delivered to me also fell out. I had kept it wrapped in the note that came with it and stored alongside the compass, I had also thoroughly forgotten about it. When I got a moment alone I took the time to examine it properly for the first time, I didn’t really know any spells for analysing magical objects, but I was sure the stone was magical.
I was tempted to ask Lock Pick if perhaps he knew anything about it, but something told me I should keep the stone to myself, at least until its properties became clear. In the end I hid it away inside a hollow space in the back of the compass itself which could only be accessed if I unscrewed the back disc. Besides the three fillies and Lock Pick, Grass Snake also looked after an ancient earth pony mare whom they all referred to as Granny Willow, despite not being related to any of them.
The poor dear was the feeblest excuse for a pony I’d ever met, utterly bed ridden and often going into fits. I didn’t get much opportunity to speak to her, Grass Snake told me that her moments of lucidity were getting fewer and further between, so most of what she says is incomprehensible or completely devoid of rhyme or reason. She slept on the third floor with Lock Pick, who had to be helped up and down the stairs everyday by Grass Snake as he too could barely walk.
I wondered why he didn’t just sleep on the sofas, but it turned out that’s where Grass Snake always slept, and subsequently I did too. The reason why Lock Pick didn’t sleep there was obvious after about ten minutes of lying down on one of them and trying to get to sleep, I had been more comfortable sleeping on the hard ground in the pass. Everypony in the house was so close and compassionate with one another, it was clear that when Grass Snake referred to them as ‘the family’ she was being completely serious.
Once the water was boiled I prepared a cup of the herbal tea and levitated it in front of me as I left the kitchen and made my way up the stairs. Both bedrooms were as bare and lifeless as the den below, as I passed through the second floor I saw the girls were already up and about, washing themselves with old cloths in a wooden tub of cold water that was meant to constitute a bath. They all smiled and waved at me as I continued on up the stairs, I was sure to smile back and mentally add a few more bits to the amount I was planning on giving at the end of my stay.
Once I was upstairs I found that Lock Pick was still sleeping soundly which pleased me, while Willow was half sitting up in her bed, staring out the gaps in the boarded up window. She really was one of the oldest looking mares I had ever laid eyes on; she looked like one of those weird dogs with the amount of wrinkles. Her coat was a haunting shade of blueish green, while her wispy white hair seemed to drift slightly around her despite there being no draft entering the house.
“Um, Willow?” I began; it didn’t feel right for me to call her granny. “I brought you some tea.”
She didn’t speak, didn’t even move, I wasn’t sure if she had heard me or even knew I was there.
“Do you need some help drinking it?” I asked, realising I had no idea what I was doing.
Still she didn’t acknowledge me; desperately I looked about and spotted an old bedside table over by the wall. Lifting it over, I set it right next to Willow’s bed before setting the cup down on it.
“I’m going to leave this here for you,” I told her, raising my voice slightly in case she was also a little bit deaf. “I’ll come and check in on you again soon.”
When she still didn’t move I let out a little sigh and turned to make my way downstairs, perhaps I could ask one of the girls if there was something specific I should be doing.
“Oh, there you are child,” a croaky voice spoke behind me, making me freeze. “I was wondering when you’d come to visit me again.”
I turned very slowly, hardly daring to believe that she had really just spoken to me. Sure enough she was now turned away from the window, looking directly at me, her cloudy eyes bright and her drooping mouth turned up in a warm smile.
“No doubt you’ve come to hear more of my stories,” she continued in an amused voice.
“Actually, I thought you might like some tea,” I tried to say, gesturing to the cup.
Willow glanced at the tea cup, a surprised look on her face. She began to reach out with trembling hooves but I rushed forward and scooped it up for her, bringing to her lips. She drank gratefully from it before smacking her lips and looking at me again.
“Now, where did we leave off last time?” she asked, causing me to raise an eyebrow. “Was it the story of the Crystal Empire? Or perhaps the story of how Princess Celestia defeated the god of chaos using the Elements of Harmony?”
“Aren’t they just fairy tales?” I asked, forgetting about my prior confusion regarding her addressing of me.
“All fairy tales and myths have some grain of truth to them,” she informed me. “Or have you forgotten?”
“Forgotten?” I repeated in a quiet voice.
“I know, how about Granny Willow tells you the story of the Isle of Serenity?”
I smiled at that, while I wasn’t sure what Willow was thinking, that if she really knew who I was or not, I definitely knew about the Isle of Serenity.
“Everypony knows about the Isle of Serenity,” I told her. “The forbidden island where only the righteous may tread on their pilgrimage to the Temple of Unity.”
“Aye, but have you ever heard about it from somepony who’s actually been there?” Willow said with a knowing smirk.
My jaw dropped at that as my mind struggled to comprehend what I had just heard. I had learned about the Isle from a very young age, everypony who lived in Panchea did. It was located just off the south eastern corner of the mainland, and was forbidden to everypony who had not received a personal invite from the Isle’s mysterious inhabitants. The idea that I was talking to one of the few ponies who had set foot on the island was mind blowing.
“You’ve been on the Isle of Serenity?!” I asked in disbelief and amazement. “How? When? What was it like?”
That actually got the old mare chuckling, I blushed when I realised I sounded like an excited filly.
“Your granny’s lived a long life,” she replied. “She still has plenty of surprises up her sleeve.”
I was still confused by the way she was referring to me, but now that she had piqued my curiosity I was inclined to ignore it and let her talk.
“I was just a little pony at the time,” she began, taking on a wistful expression. “About your age I would imagine, when I received the summons. And when I say summons, I really mean it, there is no refusing the call of the King Crow.”
“King Crow?” I repeated, a faint memory sparking in my mind of the crow that I had seen while aboard the Siren.
“I guess you don’t know everything about the Isle after all,” Willow said with a little self-satisfied smirk. “If King Crow has a real name, nopony but those who live on the Isle know it. It acts as their eyes and ears, bringing those they deem worthy to the Isle to be tested.”
“Tested for what?” I asked eagerly, unable to get the memory of the crow out of my head.
“I may not say,” Willow replied, shaking her head solemnly. “Only those who complete the pilgrimage and pass the trials may learn the secrets held within the Temple. Ah but the Isle is beautiful, it certainly earned its name. Even now in my old age I will never forget the things I saw there, even if all else fades away I know those memories will stay with me to the grave.”
“That good?” I muttered with a smile. “I actually saw a large crow a while back; do you think it could have been the King Crow?”
“Perhaps so,” Willow agreed. “Very few ponies ever catch a glimpse of it, even fewer are approached by it. I don’t know of anypony that has received a summons since I did all those years ago, but then I always did say there was something special about you, perhaps you will be the next to travel there.”
As I helped her take another swig of tea, I thought about what she had said, what she had kept alluding to. The way she spoke to me, it was as if she thought I was somepony else entirely. If she was confused about who I was, what else might she be confused about? As much as her story and the thought of me going to the Isle someday tantalised me, I had to wonder how much of it was true.
“Are you not allowed to go back to the Isle?” I asked once I set the cup down again. “Once you’ve completed your pilgrimage.”
“Even if I wanted to I don’t have to energy to anymore,” Willow explained.
“Meaning you don’t want to?” I pressed.
“No,” she said firmly, shaking her head. “I saw many things there, learnt many things…”
She drifted off and started staring into space. I blinked a few times waiting for her to continue, but she never did. It was like she had reset to the way I found her when I first entered the room.
“Um, Willow?” I began, hoping she would snap out of it and continue her story. When she did not I decided it was time to leave her be. “I’ll let you get some more rest, I’ll bring you up more tea later and perhaps we can talk again.”
She didn’t reply, so I stood up awkwardly and made my way down the stairs, completely bewildered by what had just happened. For a while I just sat in the den and played with the girls, which I was well used to from time spent with Sweetie Belle, the three fillies definitely seemed to be growing fond of me. Eventually I heard a knock on the door followed by Grass Snake announcing herself, Pixie Dust rushed to get it again and I waited with the other two for her to return. Once all the locks were redone, Pixie Dust and Grass Snake entered the den, the latter carrying a shopping bag and a sack of apples.
“Guess who I ran into today?” Grass Snake asked in a playful tone as she presented the bag of apples to the fillies.
All three of them were ecstatic at the sight of them, rushing forward to thank Grass Snake before taking one each.
“Don’t thank me,” Grass Snake told them. “Thank the kind ponies who gave them to us, or at least do so next time they’re in town, we can all go see them together.”
“Friends of yours?” I questioned, gesturing at the sack of apples.
“Sort of,” Grass Snake replied. “Some apple farmers who live south of Pivot, they come into town most weeks to sell their products, but lately they just give out bags for free to anypony who needs them.”
“Did you find anyone who would be able to give me a lift?” I asked.
“Yes actually,” Grass Snake said brightly. “The pony I just mentioned actually, their homestead is about halfway between here and Mule, so they agreed to give you a lift that far. I don’t know if they’ll be willing to take you the rest of the way, even if you paid them, but it’s certainly a good start if you’re interested.”
“You mean they aren’t charging me to go as far as theirs?” I asked in amazement.
“No actually, since it’s not out of their way they said they would do it for nothing,” she confirmed.
“Are you leaving already?” a timid voice asked behind me.
I turned to see Caramel and the other two all staring up at me with the same big eyes that Sweetie Belle tried to use on me just before I boarded the Siren.
“I’m afraid so,” I told her, trying my hardest not to succumb. “But don’t you worry, once I get settled in my own home I’ll be back here as soon as I can and I’ll pay you all a visit. I’ll even make you those dresses I promised you.”
“Please do visit again,” Grass Snake said from the doorway of the den. “It would be nice to see you again.”
After trotting back upstairs to say goodbye to Lock Pick and Willow, although the latter was now fast asleep, I returned to the front door where Grass Snake was waiting to escort me to where the apple farmer was waiting. The journey back to the town square felt much quicker than the journey away from it the night before, even though we were taking it much slower this time, perhaps it was because I was eager to get moving. I was going to be sad to see Grass Snake and her family off, but by the same token I wanted to get home. Once I was settled back in, I’d be in a much better position for coming back and helping.
It was a bit earlier than it had been when our party arrived in Pivot the day before, so there were a few more ponies out and about. Some ponies were making a brave attempt at setting up market stalls, although most of their time seemed to be spent watching out for homeless ponies sneaking up and stealing their merchandise. Our target was already packing up their cart, which despite its large size, had managed to rid itself of every single apple that it had brought. As we approached the cart, the huge red stallion saw us and turned to greet us.
“Hey again Big Mac,” Grass Snake began. “This is the mare I was telling you about. Rarity, meet Big McIntosh.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I began, offering my hoof which he gave a small shake.
“Eyup,” he replied with a smile.
“Grass Snake mentioned that you could take me as far as your homestead,” I stated.
“Eyup,” he confirmed with a nod.
“And that’s about halfway between here and Mule?” I questioned.
“Eyup.”
“She also mentioned that you didn’t want payment, are you sure that’s alright?” I asked, slightly concerned that I would be taking advantage of him if I didn’t. “I can pay if you need me to.”
“Enope,” Big Mac stated flatly, shaking his head.
“Well if you’re really sure, then thank you very much,” I said sincerely before turning to Grass Snake. “I did however promise you some money.”
“I almost feel bad taking it now that we’ve gotten to know each other,” Grass Snake replied, looking awkwardly at her hooves.
“Nonsense, you have those girls to be looking out for,” I insisted, opening my satchel with magic and levitating out my coin purse.
I was pretty thankful then for the additional money father had given me. Since the start of my journey, I had already spent some money at the bar in Daybreak and the tavern here in Pivot, I had managed to get away with not paying for our room at Glean following the owner's little incident. That still left me with most of what I started off with; still I knew I could make the last leg of my journey with only a fraction of this. Hoping my father would agree that it was for a good cause, I removed about a fifth of the bits from the bulging purse before passing the rest to Grass Snake.
“Rarity No!” she exclaimed. “When I asked for money, I meant like a dozen bits or something, but this…”
She opened the purse and began trying to count, her eyes widening even more.
“I can’t accept all this,” she said, her voice shaking slightly.
“You can and you will,” I insisted. “This money will go a long way in helping you and your family, and once I get myself sorted in Mule I’m coming back with even more.”
“This is… this is…” Grass Snake began mouthing wordlessly, tears rising to her eyes.
“Well, just use it wisely,” I said awkwardly.
Suddenly I was being suffocated as she threw her forelegs around me in the tightest hug I’d ever received.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she said, almost squealing. “I’ll get this straight back to the house and lock it somewhere safe. Please come back and visit soon, you don’t have to bring any more money, just promise me this won’t be the last time we see you.”
“I promise I’ll be back,” I assured her.
After a final farewell and a quick word between her and Big Mac, Grass Snake departed, a new spring in her step. Once she was out of sight I turned to Big Mac who was looking at me with an unreadable expression.
“Do you need any help packing or are we ready to go?” I asked.
“We’re ready,” he said, taking me slightly by surprise as those were the first proper words he’d spoken.
He gave me a boost onto the cart before hooking himself in and beginning the steady march down the main street out of Pivot. The trip out of the town was completely silent but for the trundle of the wooden wheels on the stone road, it was only once we were free of Pivot that he turned his head to me and spoke.
“That was a really generous thing you did,” he said in an odd tone. “This country needs more ponies like you.”
With that he turned his head forward once more and continued walking.