Mending Light

by Kiromancer

95 - Freedom

Things were normal. At least, as close to normal as things around Ponyville ever got. Normal was always relative, especially around Dusky, and especially with the idea of moving forward together. She had started to make preparations to move in with me, as well as starting to make the plans for our wedding. The fact that it was all real and moving ahead was enough to shake me out of any illusion that things were ‘normal’.

Before we could get to any of that, however, Dusky wanted to be there for Ivory. After what Mint had told me the Canterlot Guard was labeling ‘The Pasture Incident’, Ivory had been a ‘special guest’ in Canterlot Castle. Mint had assured us it wasn’t anything ominous, but it was enough to put Dusky back on edge. Even if in her head she knew Ivory wasn’t being mistreated, her heart worried for her friend having to suffer more after a lifetime of persecution.

I gave her my best smile in support, as we made the flight to the castle together to meet with Ivory for the first time since we’d returned home.

We landed outside the castle and made our way to the guard house where we were expected to meet her. It was the same purple and gold motif as the rest of the castle, the stones a stark white, making it utterly unobtrusive amidst the grand towers and pinnacles above the tiny-seeming two-story square of a building. Between us and our destination was a simple iron gate with two Royal Guards watching over it, a sight that made Dusky tense for a moment before she released the worry.

It wasn’t a long wait. Beyond the gate, the door to the guard house opened, and a white-coated figure emerged. Ivory had no dark cloak this time, instead she wore a sheer purple mantle with a silver edge on it.

Her sister, Feather Reed, followed after, but by the time she had shut the door behind her, Ivory was practically galloping to the gate. It took a moment before Feather caught on and rushed to follow after. Besides me, Dusky bounced in place like an over-excited filly. My smile grew as her worry and paranoia fell away.

The guards stood ready, watching carefully as Ivory slowed down on the other side, grinning wide. They showed no reaction one way or another, only turning their attention away from Ivory as Feather caught up. Sergeant Reed, though not wearing her armor at the moment, shook her head and smiled, walking up to exchange a few words with the guards, and a moment later, Dusky and Ivory were reunited.

Despite a moment of awkwardness from Ivory, the two embraced each other. I turned to Feather and smiled, and I’m pretty sure we were on the same page. It was good to see these two so happy together, as both Dusky and Ivory had suffered so much to reach this point. There were few in Equestria who knew that fact better than myself and Feather Reed. She nodded back at me, turning to watch the pair of friends catch up.

Ivory hugged Dusky tight, “Dusky! I am so glad to see you.”

Squeezing her hooves around Ivory, Dusky nodded. “Likewise, Ivory. I hope they treated you well?”

Ivory released her hug, stepping back to nod at Dusky, “They didn’t keep me in the prison, if that’s what you were worried about. They took me to another room, in one of the far wings. While they made it clear that I wasn’t allowed to leave, it was almost like one of the rooms back home. It made me feel a little nostalgic.”

Feather chuckled, “They knew she was no evil sorceress. The only reason we even needed to go there now was to settle the final paperwork.”

Dusky nodded, but she still turned her head back to carefully appraise Ivory . At last, she smiled, “Nice outfit. I’m guessing that’s not standard issue.”

“No.” Ivory glanced back at her flank, her dress mostly obscuring the cutie mark beneath it. Her face betrayed just a little bit of pain beneath her smile. “Even after they cleared my name, I… I wasn’t so sure about letting the whole world see my cutie mark. I don’t think they’re ready.”

“Sadly, it’s true.” Feather saw the expression and dipped her head towards her sister. “It is difficult to convince ponies to break their prejudices. Better to be cautious.”

Ivory reached a hoof up to her neck, glancing down at the dress. “Which is why I wanted my cloak.”

Feather cringed a little and sighed, “Sorry, Ivory, but there’s no way the smell of… you know… is coming out of that old thing. Besides, what better way to mark a new beginning than with new clothes?”

I smiled, hoping to help Feather move the conversation back to more pleasant territory. “I think it looks good.”

“Me too.” Dusky nodded, appraising the mantle again. “As far as modern fashion goes, it’s very you.”

Ivory paused, taking a moment to let all of it sink in. At last, she nodded, “I guess I’m just not used to anything so fancy anymore. Thank you, Feather.”

Feather answered with a grin, “It’s the least I could do after so many missed birthdays.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. Feather and Ivory definitely had a lot of catching up to do, and it strangely reminded me of myself and my siblings. Maybe not so strangely, though our circumstances were greatly different, the distance and the strangeness of being family again was still there.

Ivory smiled at her sister, then looked towards Dusky and I. “Where are we going, anyway?”

“Stardust Tea Temple,” Dusky motioned away from the castle. “Just three blocks down the road.”

Feather raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I’ve heard of that one. Isn’t it a bit gimmicky?”

“Most of the high-end places are.” Dusky shrugged, “Stardust does private rooms, though, so we have a bit more control over our environment.”

I jumped in, “They have high quality tea, too. For all the gimmicks, they actually care about the flavor of the tea.”

Dusky had asked me to help her make a selection. She wanted somewhere close, wanting to make sure Ivory would be comfortable, but still high quality. Or at least, high quality enough. Stardust was as gimmicky as Feather had guessed, and a little on the pricey side, but at least they served good food and tea.

For her part, Ivory was fairly quiet on the walk into the city, as she watched the city with mixed curiosity and nervousness. Both were understandable, my own first visit to Canterlot wasn’t too long ago, under much different circumstances. Hopefully, Ivory’s nerves would be offset by walking with friends.

Three blocks went by fast, and we had soon come to the Stardust Tea Temple, an oddly designed storefront made up to look like an ‘authentic temple’, with a low porch that served as a walkway, guiding guests up a gentle slope into the wooden wall adorned with thick paper windows, all acting as the entrance into the cafe.

Chimes rang over the door as we entered. Inside, a vaguely floral scent hung in the air alongside the smoky smell of burning candles, a little much but not altogether unpleasant.

An earth pony dressed in a traditional looking robe stepped out of the shadows and dipped her head. “Welcome to Stardust, where you can set your mind at ease. How can I help you today?”

“Reservation for Dusky Down.”

She grabbed four menus and slipped them into the side of her robe, then nodded, motioning us to follow, “Right this way.”

The building was set up as one long corridor that looped around, with private rooms all set off the side, and a larger open area in the center. The paper windows let in enough light that the private rooms weren’t completely dark, but they weren’t exactly well lit. Between that and the incense, there was a rather restful aura to the place.

The server directed us into the reserved room, laying down the menus before bringing a pot of chamomile tea. Then, she bowed to the group, and slid the door closed.

I began to pour the tea out into the teacups and pass them around.

Dusky took her cup and smiled, sitting between me and Ivory. “So, now that you’re free, what are your plans?”

“I don’t know.” Ivory took her tea and looked down into the cup. “It’s strange. Now that Prideful is in jail and I no longer need to deal with his machinations, I just… don’t know. I know that’s supposed to be a good thing, but I guess it had been going on for so long that I never thought about what I’d do if this ever happened.”

“That is an odd thought, isn’t it?” Dusky blew across her tea, “He was the one pushing for change and yet, his inability to let go of one grudge left him as the pain point, the thing keeping things in stasis. But, now you and the townsfolk are free to choose your own fate.”

Ivory sighed, looking up past us all. “I… suppose I’d like to rebuild my home. The manor has been in a sad state for far too long.”

Feather leaned against the table, humming softly. “Is that wise? The Princesses may have cleared your name, but it could be some time before Pasture accepts that.”

“I know, and yet, it’s my home, Feather.” Ivory took a breath and sighed. “I just can’t abandon it. I can’t.”

Dusky shifted to put a hoof on Ivory’s shoulder. “I think I understand. No matter where I go or what I do, I always return to Ponyville. It’s my home and being there just feels right. I don’t know much about carpentry, but you can count on me to help you however I can.”

I perked up, “We could make sure the skies stay clear while everypony works.”

“Good idea.” Dusky grinned at me, and I could see the wheels turning, “I could talk to Terra and see if Stalwart’s crew wants to take the job.”

“Not to be a wet blanket,” Feather smiled apologetically, “but I still think we should wait. I’ll definitely help when the time comes, it’s just we should make sure everything is settled with the villagers. It wouldn’t do to start work and then get into conflict with them.”

Ivory slumped a little, looking back into her tea again. “Oh. Yes, that does make sense.”

Feather paused a moment, swallowing. I could tell, she’d been waiting for this moment, but wasn’t quite sure. “I have an idea: why don’t you come see Mom and Dad?”

Ivory stiffened, her gaze not moving up from her cup. “Mom and Dad… I, Feather, I don’t know. Would they even want to see me?”

My heart broke for her. I was pretty sure I’d said those exact words about my own family not too long ago.

Feather had clearly wanted to arrange it, the look on her face was both pained and hopeful as she nodded at her sister, “Of course! I know it looks like they might not, but trust me, they miss you.”

“They left me alone in Pasture.” Ivory’s tone was hollow.

“I know. I can’t speak for them, but I can tell you what I know.” Feather closed her eyes a moment and frowned. “I was too young to understand the situation at the time, but I could tell they were terrified beyond imagining. There was lots of angry shouting outside. The help was running all over the place. Everypony inside was calling, ‘Where’s Ivory?! Where’s Ivory?!’ They didn’t want to leave. I could feel it. But they had to. There was no other choice. I guess that doesn’t really excuse anything, but if you can find it in your heart to forgive them, I can tell you right now that they’d be happy to see you.”

I knew this was different, but I could hear Mint’s words to me echoed in Feather’s plea. I nodded slowly, “I also can’t speak for them, but I know after being separated from my parents for a long time…they missed me. I had made a lot of mistakes, but so had my parents. We all regretted where it had brought us... might be worth the chance, just to hear them out, at least.”

Ivory sat quietly, keeping her eyes locked on her tea. I fell silent again, and neither Feather nor Dusky interrupted her thoughts. The server opened the door, peaking in with a refill on tea and the intent of taking our order. It seemed even she could feel the weight of the moment. She quietly excused herself to give us a few minutes more.

Ivory finally sighed, “Alright, Feather. I… I’ll try it. On the condition that you’re there too.”

“Of course!” Feather nearly cheered, nodding her head happily. “Just say when and I’ll make the time.”

“And… if I’m to say good-bye to Pasture for a while, I need to go back one last time.” Ivory glanced towards the window and the muted sunlight.
Feather furrowed her brow, considering, “Well, if you lay low, I guess it would be okay. You’re not worried about mercenaries occupying the town again, are you? Because I can guarantee that won’t be a problem.”

“No, I just have a few things I’d like to clean up. Maybe a few I’d like to bring on our trip.” Ivory reached out for her tea, but did little more than rest her hooves on the cup.

Dusky leaned in towards Feather, “Speaking of mercenaries, are they keeping true to their promise?”

Feather kept her eyes on Ivory, but shifted her gaze to Dusky to think. “As far as I’ve heard, they haven’t even approached the border towns for resupply. In all honesty, when they said that work would be more plentiful in other countries, they were right. I suspect we won’t see them again, though if we do, we should know long before they can start causing trouble again. Why do you ask?”

“It’s… complicated.” Dusky wrinkled her nose, “I guess the long and short of it is that I’ve done things in the past that have made me long-standing enemies. It’s a relief to know that it’s very unlikely in this case.”

I bit my lip, hoping that her fears were unfounded. The circumstances that had made an enemy of the Leaf Cartel were very different, but I knew there was a fear there, that the Crimson Hooves and their Leader might try to mark her, to hunt her, just like the Cartel had done for so long. I wanted her to finally, finally feel safe.

Dusky saw me, turning her head to smile. Even if there was a concern, at least she wasn’t letting it worry her too much.

Feather nodded. “Understandable. I cannot guarantee that you will be safe outside of Equestria, but rest assured, within the borders, should the Crimson Hooves return, the Guard will take care of it.”

“Thanks, Feather.” Dusky lifted her cup and took a long sip of tea. When she set the cup back down, she was smiling. “Now that that’s settled, I have one more thing I’d like to ask Ivory.”

I knew what Dusky was about to ask, and I imagined it’d be simple compared to the difficult questions about the life ahead of her and reuniting with her parents. I took a long sip of tea to hide my growing smile.

Ivory indeed seemed a little guarded now, peering at Dusky. “Well, then, out with it.”

Surprisingly, it was Dusky’s turn to be nervous as she smiled at her friend. “Well, as you know, Night and I are engaged and hoping to tie the knot within the next year. Plans are still in the works, but—and no pressure or anything—I was wondering what you might think of being a bridesmaid.”

Ivory stiffened again, but she didn’t look as unsure as she had before. Despite how much she’d tried to be ready for anything, Dusky had still managed to catch her off guard.

Dusky raised a hoof, “Ivory? No pressure, remember. I don’t need an answer now.”

Releasing her teacup, Ivory moved her hoof towards Dusky, waving it dismissively, “No, no, it’s fine, Dusky. Just… another one of those questions I’d never thought I’d ever have to answer. I think… I think I’d be honored.”

Comments

[Yami Vizzini]

Moving forward with life can be just as scary as anything else. Still a vast improvement, though.

[Kiromancer]

9889998
For both Night Flurry and Ivory, change is scary, but ultimately will be better. Night is concluding that journey, while for Ivory it is just beginning.