Silent Jade

by Wanderer D

Chapter 2: Family

"Daddy? Are you home?" Rarity called, pushing the door open.

"I'm here, sweetheart!" Level Spirit called back from his workshop at the back of the house.

Putting her saddlebags down, Rarity troted over to him, scrunching her nose at all the wood shavings on the floor. Noticing the crib rocking magically in the corner, she made her way there to check on Sweetie. "How's work?" she asked. "I saw Mr. Rich's new house is being constructed, I thought you'd be there."

Level Spirit smiled at his daughter. "I'm taking as much as I can right now, but taking care of Sweetie doesn't leave me much time to get the bigger jobs."

"Daddy." Rarity shook her head. "You said that if you didn't get that job—"

"I know, honey," Level Spirit sighed. "We just can't afford a babysitter right now, you know that."

Rarity bit her lip. "But you said last week we would have enough for you to—"

"Don't worry, Rarity," Level Spirit said, taking a moment off to give her a hug. "We'll see this through, I promise."

Rarity grimaced at the feel of sawdust and wood shavings digging into her coat and mane, but returned the hug. "Are you sure it's okay for Sweetie to be so close to all of this dust?" She asked, stepping back.

Level Spirit chuckled and ruffled her mane. "I make sure to recast the fresh air spell on around her crib every few hours. But now that you're here, can you take her with you? It'll let me concentrate on my work."

Rarity nodded and used her magic to carefully levitate the crib out of the room.

"We'll be okay, sweetheart, things just need to even out."

Rarity nodded. "I know, daddy." She closed the door behind her, leaving him to his work.

When Sweetie started gurgling and calling for attention, Rarity quickly prepared some foal formula for her, warming it carefully and watched as Sweetie drank it all, making sure to pat her back when she was done so that her little sister burped before laying her down back in the crib.

The tiny foal giggled and held onto her hoof, cuddling up to her and slowly falling asleep. Smiling, Rarity slowly slid her hoof free and carefully levitated the crib across the living room and, after checking that Sweetie was still asleep and comfy, she quickly set up her sewing equipment.

She levitated her saddlebags up to her, and emptied the contents out into two piles.

"Okay, let's see... Cup Cake said these dresses had been torn a little at the seams, and Ivory Scroll said she needed this one done by tomorrow morning for her internship..." she slowly started sorting the damaged clothes she had been given and soon enough her sewing machine started it's hum as she fixed the several items she had been given by other ponies.

A dress was followed by an apron, followed by a delicate table cloth, followed by another dress, followed by curtains. Rarity would comb through all items, making sure to note the repairs she made, especially additional ones before folding them.

She slowly got into the rhythm of things, and the afternoon passed by unheeded, until at last she had finished with the last item; an old quilt Applejack had wanted repaired to give to her grandmother.

"I had wondered where those extra bits were coming from," Level Spirit said from where he had sat down.

Rarity squeaked and scrambled back, before realizing it was just him. "Daddy! You scared me!"

Level Spirit chuckled and shook his head. "How long have you been doing this, Rarity?"

Rarity sat down next to the crib. "Two weeks now."

Level Spirit's smile was a bit sad. "I'm sorry, Rarity I—"

"I just want to help!" Rarity interrupted. "I know you said you could take care of everything, but you can't! I'm very good at sewing and fixing clothes, remember when I got my cutie mark?"

Level Spirit sighed. "But that doesn't mean you should give up your happiness."

Rarity trotted over to him and cuddled him. "Oh, daddy. I'm happy helping! Applejack works at her farm too and she's happy!"

Level Spirit leaned forward and hugged her close. "That's very generous, Rarity," he whispered. "Never change."

Rarity grinned and pulled back. "You mean I can keep doing it?"

He chuckled. "Only if you keep good grades at school."

"I will, I promise, daddy!"

"Rarity could you get the door, please? I'll be right there after I finish changing Sweetie's diaper."

"Yes, daddy!"

Rarity trotted to the door trying to think if she was supposed to have any orders ready for the day, but everything she had so far wasn't supposed to be done for at least a couple of days more, maybe it was an emergency order? 'Or perhaps more work for dad?'

She opened the door with a smile. "Hello how can I—"

She cut off, staring in surprise at the dark gray feathered chest of a large griffon. She looked down to his sharp-looking talons, then up to his scratched beak, which looked like it could pierce through the wall. His green eyes—the left of which she noticed with some trepidation shared a scar with his beak, starting right above the eye and down all the way to the left side of his beak, which was chipped where the scar ended—shone with amusement at her obvious staring. The edge of his beak twitched slightly upwards.

"Aaaaaah!" Rarity scampered away, jumping right over the sofa in the living room and cowering behind it.

She heard her sister cry out in surprise and a second later the galloping hooves of her dad. "Rarity! What's wrong?"

When Level Spirit rushed into the room, levitating a bag of used diapers, he looked around wildly until he noticed the gryphon at the door. "G-gaius?"

Rarity peeked around the sofa, blinking in surprise when the gryphon started laughing. "Go take care of your little one, Level Spirit, I can wait," he finally said, still chuckling.

Level Spirit shook his head and chuckled weakly, giving the gryphon an uneasy glance. "Okay, I'm sorry, please come in, I'll be right back."

The gryphon nodded, stepping into the house and closing the door behind him. He then sat down on one of the chairs facing the sofa and smirked at Rarity. "Nice reflexes."

Rarity gulped and slowly walked around the corner of the sofa, keeping her distance from Gaius. "You know my daddy?" she finally asked.

Gaius nodded. "I knew your mom too, she was a very good friend of mine... I was her mentor, when she was growing up." He paused and looked around. "I'm glad that she met your father." He smiled. "It was the happiest I ever saw her... before you were born. You couldn't wipe that smile off her face."

Rarity frowned. 'Mentor?' She was about to ask for more details when Level Spirit returned, carefully levitating Sweetie Belle.

"I'm sorry about that, Gaius, I was busy taking care of Sweetie Belle."

"No problem, Level," Gaius grinned. "I did come unannounced, after all. Here, let me see her."

Rarity watched with some worry as her little sister was lowered into the waiting, razor-sharp talons of Gaius, who was surprisingly gentle with her baby sister.

"She's beautiful," Gaius whispered, holding her comfortably with one claw, as he pressed the foal to his feathered chest. He used the tip of one of his talons to very carefully push Sweetie's mane out of her face. He chuckled gently, making cooing noises at Sweetie Belle.

Rarity had some difficulty getting past the physical appearance of the gryphon and making sense of just how gentle he looked at that moment.

She realized that the gryphon was older than her dad now, but there was something familiar about him... when his words came back to her, she stared he did remind her of her mom! Maybe the way he spoke, gently to Sweetie Belle, or just turned up to look at them just like she remembered her mom doing.

"Say Gaius... Gaaaaiuuuus..."

Despite Sweetie simply gurgling in response, the gryphon seemed delighted and kept trying to coax words out of her.

"Daddy?" Rarity walked up to her dad while Gaius concentrated on Sweetie. "Who's Mr. Gaius?"

Level Spirit smiled and ruffled her mane. "He calls himself her mentor, but... he practically raised your mom by himself." He glanced at the entertained griffon, who had curled up a talon so that Sweetie could pull on it with her hooves without injuring herself. "He was her father, for all intents and purposes."

Rarity's eyes went wide. "My grandpa is a gryphon?!" she whispered in awe.

Gaius laughed as he carefully made his way on three legs to Level Spirit. "She's lovely, Level. She's got her mother's eyes, but that curly mane is all your fault."

"Thank you, Gaius," Level Spirit said with a small smile, taking Sweetie in his magic and lowering her own into her cradle.

"Yes, well," Gaius cleared his throat and looked away. "I'm just glad that Prench's legacy lives on." He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, that probably sounded rude, it's a gryphon saying."

Level Spirit shook his head, placing a hoof on Gaius' shoulder. "No. I understand, thank you for coming Gaius."

The gryphon nodded, and cleared his throat once more. "I should visit her, before I go, but for now..." He looked up at Level Spirit. "I hear you have some problems with making a living, Level. Let me help."

Level Spirit seemed taken aback. "Gaius, I couldn't—"

"Nonsense." Gaius sat down again, motioning at Rarity and Sweetie in turn. "With two fillies, Level, you are a good stallion, a good father and a great carpenter, but you are not making enough to take care of them or be able to take on real work. Let me help you."

Level grimaced, but didn't say anything.

"Rarity is reaching an age where she can become more than a seamstress' apprentice," Gaius said slowly.

"How did you know?" Level Spirit asked.

"I've kept tabs on all of you ever since Prench moved here. You're my family," the gryphon replied, shrugging. "She may not be with us here, right now, but she lives in all of us still. And I would be remiss to let my beloved apprentice—"

"Please," Level Spirit spoke up. "If we're going to do this, be honest with yourself too, Gaius." He smiled at the gryphon. "We're family."

Gaius closed his eyes and nodded. "...my beloved... daughter." He paused taking a deep breath, and he seemed to relax a little. He opened his eyes. "I want the best for all of you, so I come with an offer."

He motioned at Rarity with his talon. "Let me take Rarity abroad. I will make sure she learns the skills she needs to succeed. She will not be mending clothes for ponies... if she so wishes, she'll learn to design them. She'll learn to create from masters of the craft. She's Prench's daughter, and I see as much potential in her as I saw in her mother."

Rarity's eyes were wide. "I-I could learn that?"

Gaius nodded. "Not only that, but as my apprentice, she will be earning a certain amount of bits, which I will match and send as a gift from her to you," he added, looking at the stunned Level Spirit. "This way, she won't only be helping herself, she will be helping her family more so than she can with the limited work she can do here."

Level Spirit stood up. "I can't send Rarity away!" he paced a little in place. "Gaius, this is-I don't know what to say. I know it's a great opportunity. Prench loved to talk about your travels and learning her trade but... I don't know when I'd see her again!"

"I wouldn't be able to see my daddy and Sweetie Belle?!" Rarity gasped.

Gaius shook his head. "She will come back, Level. I will bring her back once a year to spend time with both of you." He sighed. "Were circumstances different, I would not think of offering this to you in such a manner, but the truth is she is not going to get far as she is here in this small town and you both need the help.

"The choice—as her father—is yours," he clarified, but he looked at the stallion with grim determination. "However, she has talent. And no one here can teach her as the masters I know can."

Level Spirit sat down, pulling Rarity closer in a hug.

Gaius smiled. "Let me take at least get to know Rarity and see where her interests lay," he said. "If she's not interested at all, I won't push it." He hesitated. "Prench asked me once to do this if she... well..."

"If Rarity were to choose to go abroad with you..." Level Spirit sighed, rubbing his face with his hooves. "You promise to take care of her?"

"Of course. If she wants to come."

Level Spirit nodded, tiredly leaning back. "You can talk to Rarity," he said. "But the final choice is hers."

Gaius nodded and looked down at Rarity, who really didn't like being in the spotlight at that moment. "Would you take me to see your town, Rarity?" he asked, smiling encouragingly.

Rarity looked to her dad, who smiled in return. "Show grandpa Gaius around, Rarity and... think about it, whatever you choose, sweetheart, I'll back you up."

Rarity nodded, and looked back at 'grandpa' Gaius. "Okay," she said, slowly walking to the door, followed by Gaius. She stopped at the door, levitating her saddlebags, where she had left Ardeur earlier. "But you have to tell me all about my mom!"

Gaius chuckled. "Well I don't know if I can tell you everything, I'm an old bird, see... but I will tell you what I can."

Rarity nodded more resolutely and led him out into Ponyville.