//------------------------------//
// A letter by a beloved one 
// Story: A Game of Homes. 
// by Lethrael 
//------------------------------//

A letter by a beloved one.

Curryfeather took a huge wooden spoon with her right wing and mixed the oats into the boiling water. Today she was preparing a soup for lunch and she was late. The break in the weather factory was in only two hours and she just began now. She gripped a bunch of spice with her mouth, while her wing stirred the soup. She shoved  the mortar with her front hoof nearer. 
Her left wing lifted now pieces of vegetable from a chopping board and threw them in the pot.	She pulverized the spices with the pestle in her hooves and added more vegetables to the soup. She was so focused into her work, that she failed to hear the doorbell and looked surprised up, as a grey Pegasus mare stood directly before the counter.
“I'm not ready with the soup yet. But if you wish you can order something else.”
She sounded so pleasant as she was able too, but harried in the same way. She looked repeatedly into the pot and then to her guest again. First she spotted the cap and the yellow mane under it.
“I uhm...I'm just here to submit a letter.”
The mare whispered and smiled gently. Curryfeather smiled back and paused for a moment. The bright eyes of the guest starred both past her and were rolling involuntary to the ceiling and to the ground.	But she hadn't time for additional observations. The boiling soup was catching her full attention and she stirred further.
“I've got a sandwich and a little cup of tea. Please take a cloud. I will be there for you in a moment.”
She didn't listen and followed the task of preparing the soup. She adjusted down the heat on the stove with her left wing, laid a cap on the pot with her mouth and fluttered a comfortable cloud to her guest. She flew aloft with a few flaps, took a plate with her teeth and landed again. Then she gripped the sandwich with her right wing. She pushed a cup in position with her hooves and placed the plate besides on the counter. Together with the sandwich she poured the Tea in with her left wing and smiled as she was finally ready to talk again.
“Excuse my lack of attention. I've never seen you here. I'm Curryfeather owner of the Curryparadise Cloudsdale.”
Pride and strain sounded both in the speech, she was able to resonate even a little kindness in her voice. Her guest lowered herself to the cloud and took the sandwich with her mouth. She took a bite, held the rest with her forehoof and chewed slowly. Her eyes were wandering independently around in the diner while she ate. Gray Cloudwalls were forming the diner, only interrupted from red curtains. The center of the diner was the pantry, a wooden plate on white clouds. Behind the pantry stood a dozens piles of plates, dirty cups and a few pots on a metallic sink. In opposite of this mess stood a Cloudstove, a very special furniture. It was filled with the magic of the Pegasi, lightnings were sparkling within it and were heating the iron pots with their power. The gray pegasus swallowed her first bite and licked her lips. She closely beheld the sandwich and snuffled very interested on the spread. She smiled again.
“That's very tasty. What's that?”
Curryfeather glanced fast to the sandwich and smiled too.
“Oh, that's just my own jelly. Lemon with ginger and a wisp of cinnamon.”
Again she was distracted from the pot, his cap began to clatter. She adjusted down the heat again and looked afresh to her guest.
“Curios. It's taste like apples.”
The gray mare licked a little jelly from the sandwich and starred dizzied to Curryfeather. She paused again and examined the sandwich. She fondled her mane with the right wing and took a few sweat drops with it. She exhaled and recovered herself.
“Yes, it's right. This is the apple jelly. Sorry about that.”
Her guest smiled and shrugged her shoulders. Her eyes caught the dirty vessels for a moment, then drifted to her own dirty plate. She hesitantly put the sandwich back and gripped the cup.
“I'm arriving on a poorly moment.”
Her voice got hardly through the pantry, but Curryfeather shook her head. She took a cup for herself and poured tea in. She drank and smiled.
“It's okay. Really. I'm simply not minding. That's all. How may I could help you to feel welcome, finally?”
The gray mare smiled too and gripped the sandwich again. She ate up and emptied the cup. Then she turned the cup in her hooves for a while and seemed to ponder, if she have to speak.
“I'm feeling very well. Usually I am rarely in Cloudsdale. I wasn't good enough for the weather factory. 
But I've found a labour and have make good friends.”
Curryfeather listened now very carefully, blocked out her chore and looked encouraging to the pegasus. She loved this part, once her guests were opening and speaking from themselves.	She was good enough as cook, to lower other ponies defence and make them feeling comfortable.
“I am understanding. I was feeling the same. I was unsure for a long time, whether I really had to work as weatherpony. 
But I've found an other labor.”
She drifted her glance through the diner and smiled.
“Here I am ready to try out many recipes and be able to help my guests with their problems, but I've nopony for myself.”
She stopped and looked briefly to the pot. She lifted the cap and stirred the soup. Than she returned to the pantry and nipped on the cup without any reaction for her interrupted sentence.
“Which actual work do you have?”
Her voice sounded harassed and took her inner turbulence with it.	The gray pegasus looked like she was far away and her eyes drifted independently again to the ceiling and to the ground. She returned quickly and shook her head.She hit her eyes back to the normally position with a hoof and smiled hesitantly.
“I'm a mailpony in Ponyville.”
She pushed her cap with a certain proud in her voice in position and lifted the cup with one hoof. But now she realized, that she was empty. Curryfeather emptied the last pot in her cup and shook it disappointed.
“Do you like more tea? I could make some new and.”
The gray mare shook her head and  laid her head askant. Her eyes shined gently and her voice sounded even so gentle over the pantry.
“For what don't you have somepony?”
Curryfeather paused and turned with an open mouth to the gray pony. Despite her obvious strange eyes she was attentive for other ponies feelings.
“Me. Nothing which I'll tell you.”
Her voice sounded so offended and she felt in her words the harassment, which she should control. She only wanted for her guests, that they felt comfortable and the guest were talking about their feelings. She helped everypony.
“What's with you, you have said you aren't often in Cloudsdale. Why?”
Again the gray pegasus interrupted her and understood more, than Curryfeather wanted.
“I believe you have problems. May I could help you?”
The great yellow eyes pierced both into her forehead and her chest, but the voice sounded so gentle, that Curryfeather had to avoid herself.
“Why should I talk to you, a stranger?”
Her own voice sounded so high and fast, she laid her hooves onto her mouth and stroked  herself.
“I believe, that somepony strange could be the best help. Like a cook, who listens. Or the mailpony, who comes for a letter.”
Again the voice was calm and without urging undertone, so Curryfeather turned over and lost herself in the eyes of her opponent.
“I've send my child to Ponyville. She wanted to be there, because we here are glancing at her pitying.”
She sounded louder, than she wanted, but the gray pegasus smiled and nodded. She stood silent and lifted the cup, almost as she would may elicit more words out of Curryfeather. It worked.
“I've told her, I would accompany her. But she didn't want. I am looking at her pitiful too. 
That she has been said to me. I've only wanted to help her.”
She broke up and turned over. Her wrought up would broke free, but she had them under control.
The gray mailpony stood up and drooped her head. Her trait made a slip for a moment and her mouth became very small.
“I'm sorry. I don't want to force you into a corner.”
She drew back and her voice sounded so quietly, it got hardly over the pantry. Curryfeather was able to understand her. She shook her head voiceless and tried to open her mouth, but only a sigh escaped he.
“I don't like to be so dopey. I'm just trying to help. But I believe I've been making it worse for you.”
The gray pegasus closed her eyes and turned over. Her cutie mark seven bubbles appeared under the mail uniform and she went to the door.
“Wait, please. I am sorry. A good host shouldn't bother her guest with her problems.
But maybe I could make you more than a guest. What's your name?”
Curryfeather retook control over her voice just in time. She made that the gray pegasus didn't leave the diner.
“I'm Derpy. Derpy Hooves and actually I have to deliver a letter, which has been entrusted to me.
Scootaloo has told me, that I should be hurry to bring it here.”
The gray pony lifted a hoof and pulled a letter out of her saddlebag.
She stepped hesitantly to the pantry and laid it down. Curryfeather looked to the sender and read
“Wingdaloo, Ponyville, Sunny Rays cottage.”
She looked over and a guarded smile appeared on her face. Her voice sounded a little bit faster, but not so harried at all.
“Thanks Derpy.”
She couldn't say more and took the letter into her shaky hooves. Derpy looked  once again into her face, she retired fast to the door, as she saw the tears in her eyes.	She gripped quickly into her saddlebag, laid a bit onto a nearby desk and opened the door.
“One is happy to be of service. Now I'm letting you alone with your letter. Good bye, Curryfeather.”

“Dear mummy,
I've arrived Ponyville safely and...”

Curryfeather read the letter twice and looked pondering to the picture from her daughter. Than she looked out of the window and thought.
“Dear Scootaloo,”