//------------------------------// // Chapter eight: A contest of wills // Story: Wizards of Everfree Valley // by Dafaddah //------------------------------// The wake: Mango Leaf I made the wake, but just barely. The wedding preparations with Gillette were in the short strokes, but I felt obliged to come, after all, it was Firefly’s situation that forced me to face how I’d been avoiding settling down, and wasting time that I could have spent with Gillette. When I told her why she just nodded a held me tight. “Give him my thanks,” she told me. I would. When I arrived Princess Twilight herself was receiving the guests, along with Rainbow Dash, a Royal Pegasus Guard-pony, and a unicorn wearing a tie and jacket. “Your Majesty!” I said as I bowed to the princess. Next to her, Rainbow Dash did a double-take. “Hey!” the pegasus exclaimed. “You’re the Froyo dude, Mango Leaf, right? I love that stuff! Where’s your cart? I didn’t see it in town!” Princess Twilight hid her smile behind a hoof. I rose from my bow. “Miss Dash, it’s good to see you again! Although it looks like I might to have to disappoint the mare who’s the very definition of a loyal customer. I did't bring it, this time”. The princess laughed out loud. “Poor Dash! Your froyo is practically all she talks about whenever you’re in town.” She tilted her head. “I take it you knew Firefly, then, Mr. Leaf.” “Yes, I met him, your majesty, but only just once, a few weeks ago.” “Oh yeah!” said Rainbow Dash. “You were in town for only two days instead of the usual week or two! What gives?” “What gives, Miss Dash, is that I met Mr. Firefly in the park.” “So he liked Froyo too?” Dash looked at the other ponies. “I mean, who doesn’t!” I laughed. “Actually, he didn’t!” If I hadn’t been at a wake I would have bust a gut from the look of disbelief on her face! “So then, what did you guys do, if he didn’t eat the Froyo?” asked Dash. I paused to think. It was a good question. It reminded me of why I had felt so compelled to come here. “We talked, Miss Dash. We talked about fate, and happiness, but mostly we talked about time...” Chapter Eight: A contest of wills Mango Leaf, Firefly Mango Leaf trotted into Stinking Rich Memorial Park, pushing his cart ahead of him with magic. He paused and chuckled. Every time he passed under the commemorative gate, the same thought came to mind: Anypony who names their kid Stinking needs to have their head examined! He had arrived just yesterday in the Friendship Rainbow Kingdom – another moniker for the ages! – and immediately experienced great satisfaction selling Fro-yo in the very same park. As in previous visits to Ponyville – a thoroughly sensible name for a hamlet full of ponies – he had parked his wagon near where the library tree used to be, before the scuffle with Tirek had destroyed it. This time, however, he had expanded his sales options: he had purchased a new magically insulated push cart that allowed him to sell Fro-yo where his wagon couldn’t go, such as within the confines of many parks and even indoors. It had turned out to be a great investment, demonstrated by the day’s excellent sales! This afternoon, he wandered in a different direction than on the previous day, looking for new souls to bless with his frozen good humor. A turn around some tall hedges brought him to a small lake lined with willow trees. They provided welcome shade for several stone benches from which ponies could observe as ducks, geese, and swans engaged in their own culinary pursuits. At the shallow edge of the lake, two small foals played with toy boats under the kindly supervision of a frizzy red-maned filly in her early teens. A lone orange-coated pegasus with a fiery-red mane sat on the middle bench, head down, as if completely oblivious to the picture-postcard prettiness around him. Ah-hah! A pony in dire need of Fro-yo if I ever saw one! Mango approached, already smiling in anticipation of that wonderful moment when the stallion’s eyes would light up with that first magical taste. “Hello sir!” he called out, “You look like a pony in need of an epicurean epiphany!” The stallion looked up at him in confusion then concern. “What? Cure? An epipen?” He rose up from the bench and stood teetering on his hind legs, his right hoof touching a large amulet hung from a silver cord around his neck, his left clutching a rolled-up scroll. “Are you having an allergic reaction?” “No! No! Certainly not!” Mango laughed and waved a hoof in a pacifying gesture. “I meant, you look like you could stand some Fro-yo felicity!” The stallion looked at him as if he was from another planet. “Fro-yo!” Mango repeated. “It’s a dessert made from –” “– frozen yoghurt. I know.” The pegasus slowly sat down. His cutie mark seemed to be some insect with a glowing posterior. A firefly. “No thanks,” said the pony. His head dropped down as he resumed the same introspective posture as when Mango had first arrived. Mango's lips compressed. Oh-ho! A challenge! His smile came back even wider. “Fro-yo is not just frozen yogurt! It’s a delightful concoction that can also include fruit, chocolate, candies, special essences, spices, even certain vegetables. Why, the possibilities are endless! Now, I’m sure I could prepare a Fro-yo cup that would simply change your life for the better. I guarantee it!” The pegasus flicked an ear. “No, thanks.” “Sir? Have you ever tried Fro-yo before?” The pegasus chewed his lip for a moment. “Nope! And I don't intend to.” Mango felt one of his ears fold back. “As I take your reticence for a challenge, I offer you, sir, your very first Fro-yo cup absolutely free!” “You don’t have to do that.” “Really, I insist!” “Really, you shouldn’t.” “And why shouldn’t I?” “Because I still won’t eat it, even if it’s free!” Both of Mango’s ears fell flat against the back of his neck. Despite his words, the stallion’s expression had hardly changed during the entire exchange. Mango prided himself on being able to handle even the most skeptical of Fro-yo deniers, but the fact that the orange pony couldn’t care enough to even look annoyed was beginning to annoy him tremendously. Time for a change of tack. Mango took a deep breath to calm himself. “Look, maybe we started on the wrong hoof. My name is–” “–Mango Leaf and you pass through Ponyville selling frozen yoghurt once or twice per year. I’ve heard your name from the other townsponies, and my former boss won’t shut up about you and your Fro-yo whenever you’re in town!” He finally looked up again, sighed, and extended a hoof. “The name’s Firefly.” Mango Leaf’s eyes widened. Firefly – the inventor of that personal magic thingy! His smile restored, Mango shook his hoof. “I’d be honoured to serve my signature dish gratis to such a distinguished pony!” Firefly sat back and crossed his forelegs over his chest. “Like I said, no thanks.” Mango stared at him, nonplussed. “And why in Celestia’s name not!?” The pegasus glared up at him. “Because, I hate eating anything frozen!” Mango stood, dumfounded. His ears twitched, his fur itched, and all four legs trembled as the bitter words echoed through the farthest recesses of his mind: ... hates eating anything frozen... It was impossible to unhear what the stallion had said. It took him several heartbeats to recover his customary aplomb. “Hate is such a strong word, Mister Firefly. How did a respectable stallion such as yourself come into possession of such a calamitous culinary handicap?” “Handicap?” Firefly’s ears rose up. “I’ve never seen it that way!” He shook his head. Then his eyes narrowed and his wings sprung partly open. “Wait a minute! I’m an adult, and I’m free to like or dislike whatever foods I choose, especially the ones that give me brain freeze!” As if only now noticing his outburst, the pegasus blushed. Looking sheepish, he folded his wings back into place. “Brain freeze,” remarked Mango. “You know that only happens if you eat frozen foods too quickly.” Firefly’s blush deepened. “Well, for me it happens every time!” The pegasus seemed to shrink-in on himself. Mango felt his heart melt. The poor pony looked so miserable! “Besides...” said Firefly in a small voice. “Besides what, my good pony?” ask Mango leaning closer. Firefly smiled shyly up at him. “Besides, everything tastes better warmed up, anyway!” Mango felt his heartbeat stop. Or at least he thought it stopped. How could it go on beating after hearing such heresy? He slammed a hoof against his chest to make sure the poor thing awoke from its stupor. He was relieved to hear its beat resume, although the episode left the taste of bile in his mouth. On a sudden inspiration, he floated a frozen strawberry from his cart. “I am going to prove scientifically the error in your assertions! See if you can resist this fabulous frosty fruit!” Firefly rubbed his amulet. The unicorn-head shaped gem at its center glowed and a gold-coloured magic field retrieved the fruit from his own. Mango had seen many ponies wearing such amulets recently. “Wow! So that’s how those Personal Spell Casters work! You know, I’d never thought to check them out –” he tapped the tip of his horn with a hoof “– seeing as I’m a natural spell caster myself.” The strawberry spun in the air as Firefly examined it from all sides. “You’d be surprised how many unicorns use PCs these days. They’re very convenient for storing long spells, or bundling a bunch of smaller ones together into a magical toolbox for doing more complex incantations. Some ponies have even begun selling packaged spells to automate tasks.” He nibbled the berry delicately, and after a moment made a face. “Frozen strawberries are really very bland.” He rubbed his amulet again. The fruit’s colour deepened as he flash-defrosted it, then popped it into his mouth. He chewed contentedly for a moment. “Told you, warmer is much better!” “But, but...” Mango stuttered. He toasted my frozen strawberry! Mango engaged in a breathing exercise he’d learned from a wise old stallion during his travels in the Haymalayas. All the while, Firefly licked his lips appreciatively. Time to up the ante! Mango’s horn glowed once more. This time he selected some nuts and chocolate bits. “This is one of my most popular garnishes for Fro-yo! Nopony who’s ever tasted it has walked away dissatisfied! Again, Firefly took the chilly treats from Mango and floated them over to his mouth. He nibbled some chocolate, and then crunched a nut in his mouth pensively. “Better, but...” This time Mango noticed that Firefly’s eyes glowed as he rubbed the PC amulet. The nuts and chocolate began to swirl around each-other. Soon they were moving so fast all he could see was a blur. There was a flash and the movement slowed to a stop. A slightly elongated lumpy brown mass levitated in front of Firefly. He took a bite and chewed contentedly. “Mmm–mmm! Not as good as one of Bon-Bon’s chocolate-nut bars, but I don’t exactly have a kitchen here!” He winked at Mango Leaf. “Want some?” The unicorn repressed a shudder as Firefly took another bite and chewed. His muzzle sported a big smile flecked with bits of melted chocolate. Mango glared at him and flipped open the cart’s cover. A quick scan inside provoked a feral grin. Perfect! He floated out a frozen pineapple spear. “This is one of my greatest discoveries from my wonderful years in Haywaii. Let’s see what you think of frozen pineapple!” Again, Firefly took the piece in his own magic field. He gnawed one end carefully. “Definitely better. Not bad, even! Say is that cinnamon, and this salt?” Two small shakers rose from Mango’s cart. He nodded. Firefly floated them over and dusted the pineapple spear liberally with both. His magic field then flared white hot, wrapping the spear in an intense flame that lasted several seconds. The fruit had been seared golden-brown. He took a bite, and raising one eyebrow offered it to Mango. The unicorn tasted it. Memories of Luaus came back in a rush. Faces of friends, cousins, aunties and uncles played in his mind’s eye, his first sight of Gillette, astonishingly beautiful as she hovered over the beach in Hoofalulu. The images brought a sudden longing for that happy time in Haywaii. It was a moment before he noticed that he’d eaten the entire spear. “Told you,” Firefly said with a smile. Mango wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. “I’m willing to concede that you may have a point with the pineapple.” He looked again at the smirking pegasus and his magical amulet. His melancholy hardened into resolve. No more foaling around! It’s time to call out the A-team! “Hey, kids!” he shouted out loud. “Anypony want some free frozen yogurt?” Three heads locked onto his faster than he could have thought possible. Then the two foals turned towards the filly, as if waiting for a signal. She trotted at a dignified pace to the center bench. “Mithter Firefly,” she lisped, “do you know that thtallion?” “Yeah, Twist. He’s Mango Leaf, the Fro-yo guy. I’ve only heard nice things about him.” She leaned closer and whispered into Firefly’s ear. “Tho it’th okay to thay yeth?” He smiled. “Sure. Go ahead. Tell your parents and Mister and Missus Cake I said so, if they ask.” “Gee! Thankth!” She turned to the lake where the two foals waited still as statues in the inch-deep water. “Pound and Pumpkin, you want thome ithe-cream?” The youngsters barreled out of the water and screeched to a halt next to the filly. They nodded vigorously as they shook the water off of their fetlocks one leg at a time. What a sweet bunch! If this sight doesn’t get him to try Fro-yo, nothing will! thought Mango with glee. “Pound’ll have the lemon-mango-orange with thprinkleth, and Pumpkin the blueberry-cranberry-banana with thocolate,” said the filly. Mango raised an eyebrow. He scooped ingredients with a bar of Fro-yo into a mixing press. He extruded the result into a cup and hoofed it over to the little orange-maned foal. “You certainly know your charges very well, Miss Twist!” She blushed under the praise as he started making the second foal’s cup. “Mith Pie ith teaching me how to babythit. Thee knowth everything about everypony! It’th a lot to remember!” The moment he gave the little colt his Fro-yo he dug in with gusto. “I’m sure it is. And what about you, miss? What flavor of Fro-yo do you want?” The filly pulled some peppermint sticks from a small purse she kept around her waist. “Can you make one with thith?” He examined the candy carefully. “Sure!” He put one of the sticks aside, and with his horn field snapped the others into pieces, which he then put into a mixing press. Finally, he extruded all but a spoonful into a cup which he gave the filly. He then squirted the last spoonful into his own mouth. His taste buds exploded with the spicy dual zing of peppermint and cinnamon. “Wow! This is really good!” he said. “Is that cinnamon with the peppermint?” “Un-huhn! It’th my own thecret rethipe!” said the filly, smacking her lips. She gave him a brilliant smile. “Thankth, Mithter Leaf!” she turned to Firefly. “And you too, Mithter Firefly!” With squeals of excitement the kids retreated excitedly back to one of the other benches, laughing as they ate and sampled each-others’ Fro-yo. Mango sighed. “Isn’t that a sight!” Firefly looked on the happy trio with affection. “They’ll remember this for a long time, Mister Leaf. It’s memories like these that lift a pony up when life throws them a real zinger.” Mango felt that something was off. He took another look at the stallion sitting on the bench. His posture didn’t match his words... There’s more than Fro-yo aversion going-on here! he thought. His instincts bade him to sit down next to pegasus. The only sounds were the day’s light breeze wafting through the willows, and the contented sounds of the children eating and whispering secrets to each other. Mango let the summer’s gentle serenade of sunshine and crickets sing sweetly to them for a while before he spoke. “You can call me Mango. Tell me, are life’s zingers why you’re navel gazing on a park bench on a beautiful day like today?” he asked. Firefly’s eyebrows flicked upwards briefly before coming back down slowly. He took a slow breath. The corners of his lips curled up. “There are zingers, Mango, and then there are zingers.” He nodded, letting the pony take the conversation where he would. Firefly looked at him sideways. “Do you know what cutie marks really represent?” he asked gently. Mango raised a single eyebrow. The question surprised him, but having an unshakable faith in his own cutie mark, Mango didn’t hesitate to answer. “They represent a pony’s special talent, the thing they can do better than anything else. Sometimes the meaning of the cutie mark isn’t that obvious to others, but to the ponies themselves there isn’t any doubt!” Firefly gazed out over the lake. “I guess that’s true for most ponies, but somehow, not for me.” He crossed his forelegs again, the scroll crumpling slightly where it was crushed against his chest. “I’ve always known I wanted to do magic, but unlike all my friends, I never could connect what my heart told me with my cutie mark. It’s been a major point of argument between me and my parents my entire life. Even after I started the whole Personal Spell Caster thing, I still couldn’t figure it out.” Mango scratched his head. “Come to think of it, I don’t see what a firefly has to do with spell casting, either.” He shrugged. “But then frozen food’s my specialty, not metaphysics.” Firefly chuckled. “It isn’t mine either, so I decided to consult an authority: I asked Princess Twilight about it. At first she was surprised I would ask and then she told me pretty much the same thing you just did. When I continued pestering her she admitted that she’d never really given it much thought! She got this funny look on her face and then spent nearly a week obsessively trying to find the rationale behind it.” He laughed. “That’s when her assistant Spike forced her to send a letter to Princess Celestia asking for her advice on the matter.” “Wow. Your question made it all the way to the biggest kahuna of them all! So did our Lady of the Sun shed any light on the issue?” Firefly nodded. “Yes, but it didn’t make much sense to me at the time.” Mango waited. The pegasus looked at him out of the corners of his eyes. “She said that cutie marks are in actuality a reflection of a pony’s destiny. That’s why in the majority of cases it naturally reflects their talent, but sometimes a pony’s particular talent isn’t the defining aspect of their life.” “I can buy that,” said Mango. “But it sure doesn’t help me figure out the meaning of your cutie mark. How about you?” “Oh, it didn’t help me either. And that’s the way things stood until yesterday.” Mango felt uneasy. The stallion had left the door open for him, so probably he wanted him to ask the question, so he did. “What happened yesterday?” He smiled. “I found out that I’m a firefly.” Mango leaned back. His gaze fell on Firefly’s amulet and he pointed to it with a hoof. “Well, you certainly glow when you use that thing!” he laughed. “But I don’t think that’s what you meant!” Firefly laughed with him. “No, unfortunately for me it isn’t.” He took a deep breath. Mango scratched an ear. “Okay. Let’s see. What else are fireflies known for...” he gulped as the realization hit him. Their gazes met, and the pegasus nodded. Mango felt his chest constrict. “How... how long?” he asked in a low voice. “Two weeks. Maybe three.” replied Firefly. “There’s nothing that can be done? The hospital? The Princesses?” “Nothing... but wait for my destiny to be fulfilled.” They sat in silence for a while. Mango was dumbstruck. The whole idea made him feel a bit angry, and helpless at the same time. “But you don’t look like somepony who’s... you know! How is this possible?” Firefly shrugged. “I’ve had a few close calls already, mostly of my own doing.” He touched his amulet. “There were a few bumps along the road getting to this, and I’ve accumulated a lot of damage along the way.” He grinned. “Run-ins with manticores and timberwolves didn’t help. So the doctors tell me my body has run out of resources and things are... coming to a head just now.” Mango’s throat felt swollen. He swallowed, but it didn’t make him feel any better. “So why aren’t you travelling? If I were in your horseshoes I’d be... I dunno, trying to fill out my bucket list, see everything I can, before... well.” Firefly held up the scroll. “Busted!” His hoof dropped down to the bench. “Or at least, I tried to write a list, but when it came right down to it, the few years I’ve spent here in Ponyville have been by far the happiest of my life. I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be.” “What about your family, your friends? Do they know?” Firefly lifted a hoof to his lips, and flicked his gaze briefly towards the foals. “I’m being very discreet about this. Other than the doctors and Princess Twilight you’re the first pony who’s heard about it, and I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t tell anypony else.” Mango’s anger deepened a bit. “That’s a pretty selfish point-of-view! Don’t you think they deserve to know?” Firefly’s eyes widened. “Well, when you put that way... but, I guess I just don’t want them making a big fuss about it and moping around for weeks on my account.” “Firefly!” Mango started loudly, but then glancing at the youngsters, he moderated his tone. “Tell me, which do you think will be worse for your friends, a few weeks of sharing the end, or a lifetime of regret at not having spent some of those precious last days together? Sure, this is a crappy thing to have happen, but you’ve got what most other ponies will never have: a chance to tie up loose ends and make proper goodbyes.” Firefly hid his face in his hooves. It was a while before he lowered them again. Turning moist eyes away from the foals, he wiped the fur on his face with a hoof and rose. “Thanks, Mango. You’re right. They’ll feel even worse later if I don’t tell them, and I don’t want to do that to them.” He looked towards Ponyville. “I think now I can scrape up the courage to let a few special ponies know. I owe it to them.” He rose from the bench. “Well, there’s no time like the present. Besides, it’s too beautiful a day to waste feeling sorry for myself, don’t you think?” Mango glanced around. The brightly shining lake. The breeze in the willows. The laughing children. “Yeah. On that count you’ll get no argument from me!” Mango stood up and Firefly offered his hoof again. They shook and with a nod Firefly turned towards the direction from which Mango had arrived. He’d barely taken a step when tiny Pumpkin Cake galloped up, her little horn sparking as she floated her Fro-yo cup over her head. She screeched to a halt in front of the pegasus and a spoonful of Fro-yo rose out of the cup. It was an amazing feat of levitation for such a young unicorn. The spoon wobbled precariously as it floated in front of Firefly’s muzzle. “Try?” she said in a sweet pre-schooler’s voice. Uh-oh! Thought Mango. He moved to intervene, when without objection Firefly opened his mouth and floated in the spoonful. He made a big deal of chewing and then smacked his lips loudly. “Do ya like it?” asked Pumpkin. He knelt down and gave the filly a hug. “I sure did! Thank you, Pumpkin! That was the best Fro-yo I’ve ever had!” With a final pat on the filly’s head and a wink to Mango, he rose to all fours and waved goodbye to the youngsters. Then he made his way along the curving path between the willows until he was lost from sight. Mango sat down on the bench. He rubbed a fetlock across his eyes. Time. He’d always thought of time as an infinite resource, that the days stretched before him without end, and if today didn’t fulfill his ambitions, well then, there was always tomorrow. It’s strange how something that’s infinite has no value! But then, for Firefly tomorrow wasn’t infinite at all. Tomorrow had, through scarcity, assumed almost limitless value. The thought made him shiver! Mango considered all the ponies he loved and who loved him, ponies he had left behind in his wanderings through Equestria. The sweet face of Gillette swam to the fore in his mind’s eye. The way she looked and how she’d hid her tears when, again, the urge to travel had led him to leave Canterlot. A mare like that wouldn’t wait forever. And she shouldn’t have to! Again, resolve firmed within his breast. Firefly’s right. The day is too beautiful to waste! All the days are too beautiful to waste! He stood up and grabbed hold of his cart. It was time he got back to Canterlot and gave Gillette the answer she had been patiently waiting for all this time. It was, finally, time to go home. The wake: Twilight Sparkle Everypony has left the wake. As usual Pinkie is the last mare standing. Me and the rest of the girls are reclining on some cushions, doing last minute planning for the funeral tomorrow. No too long ago, Spike showed Mild Manners to his guest room at the castle and hasn’t been back. I assume he did the smart thing and just went straight to bed. He’s got a big day tomorrow as master of ceremonies for the funeral. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without the very first dragon ever appointed Prime Minister of a pony kingdom, even a rather tiny kingdom like mine! I look into the corner and see the coffin, surrounded by flowers and wreaths. Celestia still won’t tell me if since my ascension my lifespan will be different from other ponies, although she looks a bit sad when she says it. I think it’s because she knows that I’ll outlive all the ponies I love, which is something I haven’t the faintest idea how I’m to bear. Dragons live a long time as well. Maybe that’s why she had me hatch Spike’s egg. At least he’s one friend who might stay with me when all the others have turned to ashes. Now that's a morbid thought! I get up and walk slowly over to the casket. I feel the need to say something. I know the dead don’t hear, but still, even in dying, Firefly is challenging me to think about things that I ordinarily wouldn't! “Goodbye, Firefly,” I whisper. A shiver runs down my spine. “I look at your casket, and I tremble. You know, I can’t decide which I fear most, death, or my own potential immortality!” I smile ruefully. “You know that sounds really selfish, even to me! Here I am, jealous of a stallion who saw barely thirty summers! Still, you lived your dream and saw it through. I’m glad! What you and your friends did was nothing short of liberating magic! Starswirl transformed magic from a bunch of superstitions into a science. But what you did put it into the hooves of every Equestrian, and nopony’s benefited more from it than unicorns. Celestia has told me that in just a few years, PCs have done more to integrate unicorns with the other tribes than a thousand years of careful cultural engineering. Ponies of any tribe can live and work in Cloudsdale, or grow crops on solid ground. The last barriers between unicorn, pegasus and earth pony are falling fast. Cadence says even the Crystal Ponies are warming up to magic, though many of them still harbour memories of Sombra’s tyranny.” I wince. “Sorry for having gone into lecture mode again! You were a good pony, a good friend, you lived a good life, and you’ll be missed. All the rest is not very important, like you said on your deathbed. Having seen all the ponies who came to pay their respects, and having heard the stories of your friends today, that’s amply clear.” I sigh. “I really don’t know if there is an afterlife, but I do know that a lot of what you were will live on for years after most other ponies’ lives are forgotten. That’s a form of immortality maybe even Princess Celestia would agree to acknowledge! Your light burned brightly, but for such a short time, Firefly. Still, I’ll remember you. Who knows, maybe for a thousand years or even longer! I can’t make promises I’ll live that long, but for however many years I do live, I will remember you. Maybe remembering ponies is the most important job we princesses have.” I suddenly am feeling better about so many things! I bow to the pony in the coffin, turn and leave the room.