The cart creaked along, pulled by Tree, and beside him skipping ahead and stopping often by distractions, was the filly Nova. Hours passed in relative silence, with a several short relief breaks, and a much needed lunch.
“Yummy! Why are you eating ground stuff again?” Nova asked Tree.
“Because, I don’t want to run low on food before we get to Las Pegasus. You have to eat more than I do.”
“But, what if somepony or a amin… animal went there?”
He stopped chewing and looked to the patch of earth he’d just exposed from nibbling and sighed. With a plop sound his mouth was emptied and he looked at the ball of half chewed mush.
“Yeah, I guess a carrot wouldn’t hurt.”
“That’s my bro!” Nova exclaimed.
“But, I’m gonna eat on the walk. We’ve got another couple miles to go before our next break or else we’ll fall behind schedule. Tomorrow we come across the first town, Fetlockilla…”
Nova squinted at him. “That’s a weird name for a town.”
“Yeah, I’ll stick to living in Ponyville, thank you very much,” he replied going to the back of the cart and rummaging under the tarp. “Got it, now, eat your snack quick, okay?”
“Heh, eeyup.”
“Hey,” he smiled at Nova, “that’s my line.”
“Yeah, and I’m borrowin’ it, reckon it’s all right, I reckon?”
Tree took a bite of his carrot and chuckled. “Don’t let Apple hear you say that out loud.”
“Nah, she’s okay with me doin’ that. As long as it’s not making fun of anypony, that is.”
“Well, if you did you’d be reckon your relationship with her!”
Nova groaned loudly and Trek snorted.
“Really? Another pun?”
“Hey, I’m making this trek just go by faster.”
Trek lifted her foreleg and pointed at him. “Watch it mister.”
“I would, but I’m married, thank you very much.”
“...” Trek glared at him and waited until his smile faltered before turning away and walking to the road from the spot they’d stopped at.
“But, then again…”
“That’s it,” she said lighting her horn and facing him with a scowl.
Before he could protest a muzzle guard was over his muzzle, sealing it closed.
He protested and tried to fight it off before he looked at her and glared, pointing to it.
“Nova,” Trek asked, “should I take it off and let him talk again?”
“Hmm,” Nova tapped her chin, “nah. Let’s have some not-not jokes for a while.”
Tree facehoofed.
“Oh, don’t you start now,” Trek said as she pointed to the hitch.
“Hook up, we’ll get better distance that way,” she winked and, with a flash of her horn the muzzle vanished.
Tree inhaled and exhaled, flexing his jaws. “Wow, you coulda told me to just put a muzzle on it, instead of doing it for me.”
“Ah-ah-ah,” Trek winked, “no more or I’ll hush you again.”
“Arf, arf,” he said flatly.
Nova giggled. “Hush puppy, I get it! Hush puppys are yummy! They are made with corn if I remember right”
“Oh, the two of you are definitely siblings. C’mon,” she smiled, “let’s get while the sun’s high.”
…
“Mgph hlp.”
“What was that?”
“Mgph hlp!”
“Oh, fine,” Trek turned back with a chuckle and dispelled the muzzle spell, “are we done joking around?”
“Yes! I’m sorry, please, stop muzzling me! I won’t make a joke again… no matter how many times we come around to it.”
“You know what,” Trek huffed and turned, walking backwards as she spoke to him sternly, “why is everything a joke?”
“Well, like Grape, I get bored too.”
“When I get bored,” Nova said pouncing onto a small bush to the side of the road, “I just talk.”
“Yes, filly, we know,” Trek said calmly, “but this is going to be a long trip ahead of us and if everything is going to be a pun-”
“Not everything,” Tree interrupted, “just when I get the urge. Now, guard us without muzzling me, or I’ll write a letter of complaint to somepony,” he said in a haughty accent.
“Yes, sir.”
With that she turned and returned to a steady march ahead.
Nova came over close to Tree. “I think you were kinda mean to her.”
“...I was joking and it went bad,” he said softly. “Safe Trek, I’m sorry, I wasn’t serious about the letter thing.”
“I know.”
“Then, why are you still upset?” He asked as he sped up slightly.
“I’m doing my duty.”
“Oh… okay then,” he said slowing his pace slightly.
Nearly half an hour passed, in which Nova had climbed into the cart and was taking time to imagine fruit were having an adventure.
“T-Trek? A-are you, uhm, thirsty… or maybe wanna take a, uh, rest?”
“I’m fine,” she said firmly as she marched ahead.
“Please, talk to me,” he asked softly.
“...”
“Please? I can’t stand the silence knowing you’re there.”
“...”
“What’ll it take? It’s been hours,” he exaggerated, “what’ll it take? No more jokes? How about I hold your staff? …That didn’t sound right,” he sighed.
Trek snorted and looked back. “You can’t hold my staff, I’m in the Royal Guard.”
Tree slowed to a stop and cocked his head, looking at her. “W-was that… a joke?”
“Nah, just your imagination.”
“Sounded a lot like a joke to me,” he smiled, showing some teeth.
“Look,” she slowed but didn’t let him slow down, “I have a job to do here. If you want, I’ll do that job exactly as is my duty. But that’d make a long trip for all of us. I’m not intending to cross any lines, and your jokes are that bad. But if they’re going to take the whole trip I may request a transfer.”
He hummed. “I can tone them down, I guess,” he replied with a shrug, “so long as you keep Nova entertained during our breaks. She needs a female and I didn’t plan for her to tag along so I hadn’t any time to learn what she needs while we travel.”
“I think I can do that,” Trek replied as her ears swiveled.
“Everything okay?”
“...Yeah, just had a feeling we were being watched.”
Tree looked around at the lightly, open wooded area around the path. “I don’t see anything.”
“I wouldn’t worry. It’d be nice to flex my combat skills, though.”
“Just, let me know when you need me. I watched a pony do some martial arts once; it didn’t look that tough.”
“Srrkt,” Trek snorted and coughed roughly, “yeah, nothin’ to it,” she laughed between coughs.