The Everfree Shadows

by The Ohvist

Heavy Rain and Rotten Mail

While the rain began to let up slightly, most of the family decided to retire indoors already and began to huddle around a simple fire and recount the events of the day.

"It can't be all bad dear," Said Shoesmith as he comforted his sister solemnly as she grasped a tear-streaked scroll in hoof, it's scroll band resting on a table with the insignia of a smithing hammer, "Cousin Blacksmith will find a new job. But we have to make-do without his financial support. Hard to believe that his business was bought out by a conniving two-bit con artist without paying him even a fourth of what that business was even worth."

"Without that money, we won't be able to make ends meet before our orchard is even half a year old." cried Loomsmith as she dropped the scroll to the floor, "I don't want to leave here, the Princess was so kind to let us have this land for us."

"I suppose I'll have to find a job over in the next burg." sighed Appletune as both he and Appleseed looked out at the site of the ungrown orchard through the windows; already the slightest green bulbs beginning to emerge from the dirt patches, "Me and Pa heard about a mining business being undertaken at the San Palomino. Perhaps we can start there."

"Don't you dare say that, Pa." stated an alarmed Applesmith as she gazed at her father and older brother intently, "You know as well as I do that nopony can make it through that desert and survive."

"We survived that desert crossing." Responded Appletune firmly, "These ponies are falling on hard times too, many of the folks are searching for decent work but can't seem to make ends meet. Your uncle Blacksmith for consideration has been forced out of his family-run business by bigger ponies than him, and all that money needed to support us is about to run dry because of that." Appletune saw as his kid sister slink back in her chair and stare off into the fire, "I know that it's not fair for all of us. But it is all that we can really do. It's not like we can go out and get a job when there's nowhere between here and Canterlot for miles around. Unless there's some way of having ponies pack up and move here, than nothings' going to change for us." The Pegasus shifted her forehoof, looking to the wall. Only been here half an hour, she told them that she was a guest for the evening and would be gone soon as she found her husband.
"Tundra is the only Pegasi city nearest to here save Canterlot. Why are you and your husband out here anyway?" Asked Appleseed to the Pegasus.
"The two of us travel a lot of times and just wander wherever we end up in." Responded the Pegasus Mare, "Nothing big or grand like that, just casual exploring here-and-there. Sometimes it's scary, but most of the time its' pure fun."
"Sounds like it's great." Spoke Applesmith as she stared back to the fire as it crackled and glowed distantly in her eyes.
"The rain seems to be letting up now." Spoke the pegasus as she walked towards the door, "Maybe my husband will come find me. He always does."
"Why are you out here in the Everfree Vale?" Asked Loomsmith, "You never did answer that one for us."
"My husband heard about an old ruin that he wanted to explore, he told me to wait until late at night for his return." Spoke the Mare.
"Isn't that dangerous?" Asked Shoesmith, "I've never heard of anypony exploring an old ruin at night, especially on one like this."
"Nah, he can handle himself on his own." Smiled the Mare as she stood up from her chair, "Besides its' only a small ruin anyways; nothing like that castle out in the Everfree Forest I keep hearing about."
"Oh, that's right." Said Appleseed, his attention grabbed, "Rumor has it that there's an old castle out in the forest that the princess once lived in."
"It used to belong to something else long ago, though I'm lost on who it was that lived there before the princesses reign." Affirmed the Mare as she grabbed her saddlebag, "Anyways, I think I can already hear him out there now. Best not keep him waiting." As the Mare approached the door, the Smiths heard a strange sound followed by a pale green light emnating from the Everfree Forest, only to hear their front door swing open as the Pegasus stepped outside.
"Wait. You still didn't tell us your name miss." Said Appleseed, as the Mare turned back around to them and smiled.
"I'm not from around here is all you'll know now." Replied the Mare as she turned her attention to Applesmith as she looked back, "I just wanna say one last thing for you and you alone Applesmith. I just want to say: if at first you don't succeed, try again and again."
A sudden gust of wind blew the door shut on the Smiths. By the time Appleseed got to the door and opened it up again, the Mare was nowhere to be seen at all, neither in the distance nor in the still darkened skies above.

Author's Note:

I'll try to make edits as soon as I can, hopefully this story will pick up more in later chapters like I imagine it will be. Keep your spirits high, I've not yet pulled in the catch yet...

Comments

[JohnIsOffline]

Sound really sad, somehow...seem remind me something.