“So you two are off to the Ghastly Gorge?” Igneous, one eye almost squinting, peered at Maud over the breakfast table. “That place is dangerous as I recall. Something about eels.”
“Quarray Eels. There are also giant eagles and a number of other dangerous predators.” Maud spoke about the danger in very much the same way she talked about everything else, sounding as though she was bored to tears with it.
“There is also dangerous flora. Stranglesnatch, needler cactuses down in the canyon, and vomiting violets—”
“What is a vomiting violet?” Limestone asked, cutting Tarnish off mid-sentence.
“Vomiting violets are magical plants that live in extreme areas, usually growing in sand, or taking root in the crevices of rocks. If you get too close, you’ll become violently ill, or as botanists like to say, violet-ly ill and barf, thus providing the vomiting violets what they need to grow—moisture and fertiliser,” Tarnish replied.
“I’ve ran into those… very pretty.” Maud ate some of her plain oatmeal and shook her head. After swallowing, she looked over at Tarnish. “I found that I really wanted to look at them.”
“They use a mild compulsion based magic. You see them, think they are pretty, go over to have a look, get too close, and, well, you know what happens next.” Tarnish’s ears pinned back against his skull. “I like reading about magical plants.”
“Maud, you found yourself a budding botanist.” Marble glanced at her sister, a smirk causing the corner of her mouth to curl upwards as a collective groan could be heard around the table. “What? Tarnish has a growing interest.”
“Marble…” Igneous looked at his daughter with one eyebrow raised. “It is too early.”
“For what, Daddy?” Marble’s eyes opened wide and she tried to look as innocent as possible. She hunched forwards over her oatmeal to make herself look smaller.
Ignoring the contest of wills between Marble and Igneous, Cloudy Quartz turned her head to look at Maud and Tarnish. “I’ve packed a few special treats into the trunk with the food. I packed a few extra blankets just in case. I know it is summer, but odd things can happen. Igneous has gone over the wagon… the axles are greased and everything is in good repair… Igneous says that the wagon comes out to over six hundred pounds of load with the increased supplies… are you going to be able to pull that Maud?”
Chewing, Maud’s eyes narrowed somewhat and her brows crinkled. Her ears splayed out sideways. After a moment, her eyes widened ever so slightly and she looked over at Tarnish. “When I was pulling the wagon with you in it, and the rocks I brought home to study, the weight of the wagon was about five hundred pounds. I was able to pull for fifteen to twenty miles a day without serious fatigue on flat ground. I think I should be fine. Tarnish doesn’t look like much, but he’s solid for being so gangly.”
“I’m getting old… I don’t know that I could pull a five hundred pound load for twenty miles.” Igneous’ brows furrowed. “We need to help Tarnish get his wagon license.”
“I have no shame, so I’ll come right out and admit, I doubt that I could pull a wagon with any sort of load.” Tarnish gobbled down more oatmeal that was loaded down with dried fruit. “I am the weakest pony at this table.”
“Tarnish, don’t be self depreciating. You’re not an earth pony, you’re a unicorn. You don’t have our strength, but you do have your own strength. Any comparison between the two of us is irrelevant,” Marble said to Tarnish in a soft voice.
“Yeah Tarnish, as a unicorn, your job is to do unicorn stuff… whatever that is.” Limestone gave Tarnish a grin. “I have no idea what unicorns do, but I’m trying to be nice.”
“I am positive that Tarnish will find all sorts of useful talents on the road.” Cloudy lifted her spoon to her lips, paused before taking a bite, and said, “Just be careful. Both of you. I worry every time you leave, Maud. And now, now I have you to worry about, Tarnished Teapot.”
Looking bashful, Tarnish ducked his head down, bending his long neck.
Blinking, Maud looked at her parents. “Tarnish can protect me from being lonesome.”
“See, I am useful!” Tarnish gave everypony a sheepish grin and then tore into his oatmeal in earnest.
Standing in the yard, Tarnished Teapot realised that he had reached a transition point in his life. Ahead of him was his future. Behind him were his many mistakes, but also some of his secret successes. His mistakes had led him here. His future, whatever he wanted it to be, would depend on hard work and continuing to learn from his mistakes. Using his magic, he adjusted his pith helmet. It was dry for now, but he could wet it if he needed to so his head could stay cool.
He heard the jangle of tack and turned his head. Maud was strapping herself in and getting hitched up so they could go. She was wearing one of her mother’s broad brimmed sun bonnets, protecting her eyes, her face, and her neck from the sun.
“Maud, I wish you would reconsider, taking the southern highway that leads along the south end of the Froggy Bottom Bogg—would it be so bad to take a few extra days and follow the highway that goes through Ponyville?” Igneous looked his daughter in her eyes, his worry plain to see.
“Daddy, that highway follows along between the Everfree and the Froggy Bottom Bogg… it is dangerous too—”
“Yeah it is! I know from experience… manticores can be found along that stretch of highway!” Tarnish, recalling a troublesome memory, shuddered and felt his skin crawl with revulsion. “Big, mean, nasty manticores… ugh.”
“You encountered a manticore?” Limestone asked.
“Yep,” Tarnish replied.
“And you got away?” Cloudy looked at Tarnish, her eyes narrowing. “Well, that makes me feel a little better. If you can dissuade a manticore from eating you, you can keep Maud safe.”
“Yeah, I dissuaded the manticore from eating me,” Tarnish said in a low, squeaky, embarrassed whisper. “Dissuaded. Yep. That’s what I did.”
“How is your leg?” Cloudy took a step closer to Tarnish, eyeing him and trying to determine if he was road worthy. The wagon was full, very much so, and there would be no way for Tarnish to ride without the wagon becoming overloaded to the point of danger.
“It hurts a little sometimes, but I can walk on it. Still hurts to put weight on it though.” Tarnish lowered his head. “It’ll be fine, don’t worry. Walking is the best thing I can do to make the bone strong again.”
“Maud, be careful,” Marble said as she gave her sister a hug and then gave her sister a loving head-bonk. “Come back to us soon. I miss you when you’re gone.”
“Yeah Maud, be careful.” Limestone’s cheerful demeanour faded and her ears splayed out sideways. She stepped forward, pushed Marble aside, and also gave Maud a loving head-bonk. Standing snoot to snoot with Maud, Limestone took a deep breath and then her ears perked forwards. “Maud, don’t stay gone too long. I know there is a lot of neat stuff to look at out there, but we miss you here at home.”
Feeling a bit miffed by Limestone pushing her aside, Marble focused on Tarnish. She walked over, smiled, and then headbutted the unicorn, almost dropping him to the ground. “Tarnish, you be careful. Stay close to Maud and everything will be fine.”
Seeing stars, Tarnished Teapot wondered what had started the earth pony custom of butting heads together as a form of affection. He looked at Marble, seeing two of her, and gave both of them a smile. A second later, something else impacted with his head, causing him to stumble backwards, and then there were at least four to six fillies in his vision.
“You’re the only brother I have. Don’t mess that up. Stay safe,” Limestone said.
“Both of you, stay safe.” Igneous let out a gruff grunt and then just stood there, looking rather sulky. “If you change your mind, you can come home at any time.”
“Goodbye both of you. Now get out of here before we start crying.” Cloudy Quartz reached up and wiped the corner of her eye with her fetlock. “Go on. Both of you are grown ups. Go out there and live your lives. Do good things. Be kind to all you meet and if you find somepony in trouble, help them. Don’t do anything that would make me ashamed of you.”
Tarnish raised his hoof and gave a little wave. “Goodbye.”
Leaning into her harness, Maud began to pull the wagon. It creaked and then began to move forward, the well greased wheels moving with ease. “Goodbye… I love you all.”
“Wait, we’ll walk with you all the way to Rock Haven!” Limestone shouted as she bounced into place beside Maud.
“Yeah, Rock Haven.” Marble pulled up alongside Tarnish and then gave him a sidelong glance. “We do this almost every time that Maud leaves.”
“Sometimes our parents come with us,” Limestone said to Tarnish.
“Wait, wait for us!” Cloudy trotted forwards and Igneous was right behind her.
“A little walk won’t hurt us.” Igneous pulled up alongside his wife and fell into step with her, the brim of his hat bouncing as his hooves thudded against the dusty path.
“There is no promise of tomorrow. Each moment we have together is precious and we should make the most of it.” Marble bumped into Tarnish and gave him a smile.
Limestone, smiling, glad to have her family around her, flashed a brilliant smile and said, “You know, maybe someday, all of us should go on the road together!”