Secrets of the Everfree

by PaisleyPerson

Chapter 7: Wild Flower

Author's Note:

A/N: The characters Wild Flower, Cedar, Nova and Honeysuckle all belong to my sister. Used with permission.

Chapter 7
Wild Flower

The jangling of a bell woke me up. I blinked my eyes open from sleep, and gave a hearty yawn. I rubbed my eyes, and groggily slid out of the armchair. It wasn’t the most comfortable sleeping arangement, but if it fit all three of us in the house, I was willing to put up with it. I realized that the bells I heard must have meant somepony at the door, and tried to wake myself up enough to look presentable to my customer. Luckily, it was just Spike arriving for his and Blaze’s appointment. My orange dragon friend had, in fact, opened the door.

“Good morning,” I yawned again.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to wake you,” Blaze blushed.

“It’s more a question of why you didn’t wake me up. Look at the time! I was supposed to have opened up half an hour ago!”

“Porcelain did that for you. I helped, too. She went to go visit Fluttershy this morning.” I remembered that the two had hit it off at Applejack’s dinner last night.

“Is Dad still upstairs?”

“No, Rainbow came by and wanted him to help arrange something for the Equestria games. He left with her about an hour ago.”

“Good,” I nodded, drowsily making my way upstairs. That meant I wouldn’t risk waking anypony when I went to feed Heckley in the morning. He’d be cross with me for delivering his breakfast so late as it was.

Indeed, the snake wasn’t on his usual perch, but impatiently waiting on the bed. He hissed indignantly when I finally appeared at the top of the stairwell, and made a few tight circles of irritation on the spot. “Sorry, bub,” I sighed, delivering the food in the usual spot. “Eat quick. We’re late, and I need you to help me get some more paint supplies.” I made my own paint here at Art Life. Typically, I’d buy the materials from the venders around town, but lately I’d been picking the flowers myself. There was a nice spot I liked to get them from in one of the sunnier spots in the Everfree. Those plants produced the most beautifully intense red I’d ever encountered. Heckley decided that the prospect of a field trip made up for the late meal, and scarfed down the insects he preyed on.

I removed my tye-dyed saddlebags from the wardrobe while I was up there, as well as my plaid hat. After nearly losing it the other day, I’d made sure to put it back last night. I adjusted the saddlebags so I didn’t have to fool with them later, and returned downstairs. My stomach was complaining, so I fixed myself a quick breakfast. I gobbled up the muffin, topped off with a daisy and washed it all down with a glass of milk. Heckley was coming down just as I put the dishes in the sink. He moved with extreme grace, even down the stairs.

“You ready?” I was answered with an affirmative nod. I started down the hall, and didn’t even have to stop for him to board. Heckley shot up my foreleg as I passed, winding his way up until he was comfortably situated around my neck. Making sure the boys didn’t need anything, I started to flip the CLOSED sign around.

“What are you doing?” Spike called. They’d started by replenishing the missing inventory out front, and a couple of jars clanked as he set an additional sketchbook beside them. I winced, noticing how close the glass was being pushed to the edge. Was this a good idea after all? Maybe I shouldn’t leave them on their own. Caught up in these thoughts, it took me a moment to realize that he was addressing me.

“I’m just making sure nopony walks in on you,” I assured, flipping the sign over.

“Aw, you don’t have to worry about that, Acrylic,” Spike almost laughed, returning to his work of placing drawing pads.

“We’ll keep the shop open for you,” Blaze agreed, removing the broom from behind the counter.

“Are you boys sure about this?” I stiffened. Blaze had never handled such a large responsibility before. Come to think of it, I didn’t think Spike had either. Spike sometimes watched the library for Twilight, but that didn’t involve any exchange of money. And he didn’t really have to do much more than fill out a check out slip, either.

“Sure thing,” Blaze answered.

“It’ll be a piece of cake,” Spike assured, returning for more merchandise.

“Alright...” I slowly consented, thinking it over. “But in that case, let me give you a quick run-down of how the place works. The prices should already be labeled, but if they aren’t, there’s a catalogue here in the back that lists everything.” I briefly moved around to point out the volume.

“Got it,” Blaze nodded.

“Keep the money in the register, sorted like it’s labeled,” I directed.

“Okay,” Spike said.

“And just in case somepony comes in with an order, the forms are over here.”

“We got it!” Heckley slid off my back and impatiently waited at the door, looking at it pleadingly.

“Well, alright, if you’re sure you can handle it...”

“Easy peasy,” Spike boasted.

“In that case, I guess we’ll be off.”

“Bye!”

“See ya later!”

“Maybe Heckley should stay back with you. He knows the run of the place.” My snake didn’t take to that idea very well, and zipped out the mail slot before I could catch him.

“Don’t worry,” Spike insisted, pushing me out the door.

“Everything’s under control,” Blaze put in.

“Have a good time!”

“Take care!” Spike nudged me over the threshold, and shut the door on me. The CLOSED sign flipped around to read OPEN once more in the window. I sighed, and reluctantly walked down the hill to catch up to Heckley. I wished Torchwood hadn’t been out today. Then they could at least have some adult supervision. Perhaps Mom or Dad would come in early. There wasn’t much else I could do but fret. I shook myself out of it. At some point or another, I’d have to learn to trust him. Blaze was getting older. He could handle it. Spike was even with him. And after all, it was only for an hour. What was the worst that could happen? My heart dropped again as my wild imagination began playing worst case scenarios.

I finally found Heckley at the base of the slope, waiting under a tree not far from the Carousel Boutique. My snake didn’t dare cross the yard on his own, or at least not with the cat Opalescence around. I retrieved him, and we crossed together without incident.

Unlike Blaze, Heckley loved my flying. As a snake, it wasn’t often that he left the ground. He let his upper body stretch out, as though he was trying to stick his head out of an invisible window to catch the air. Occasionally, he’d even let his forked tongue hang out. I laughed at his unintentional antics. Out of all the pets in Equestria, I’d chosen a rather comical one. Perhaps the most ridiculous trait was that he liked to paint. With his tail. Yes, you heard me right. I didn’t even teach him to do that. He picked it up all on his own.

The flight seemed to go quickly, even gliding gently above the white, misty clouds. Their cool moisture tickled the undersides of my wings and dampened my coat. My thick mane frizzed out severely in the humidity, but I brushed it back into submission upon landing. There was a small clearing coming out of nowhere on the Southeast corner of the Everfree forest that looked completely out of place, so it wasn’t hard to find. It reminded me of a slice of swiss cheese with only one hole. It just didn’t look right. Unbalanced, even. Artisitc critique aside, it existed, and housed the plants I’d come looking for.

The last time I was standing here, the final rays of sunlight were washing over the valley as dusk descended. Perhaps the dim lighting had thrown off my perception of the clearing, because I thought I remembered more flowers existing before I arrived. There were just a few of the bushy plants growing on the edges now, instead of the dense swatch I recalled. Had I picked that many last time? I didn’t think such a quantity would even fit in my saddlebags, but I came up with no other explaination. I shrugged. It just meant I’d have to plant a couple of seeds if I wanted to keep using them for paint.

Heckley finally slid off when I came to a stop before one of the plants. It was very bushy with deep red blooms. I almost regretted that I had to grind up the petals for pigment, it was so pretty. I’d have to get a few of these to plant out front. Heckley looked to me, awaiting instruction.

“Alright, Heckley. I want you to start by gathering as many of these blooms as you can. Not the whole plant, but just the blooms. Got it?” He hissed affirmation, and snaked off into the deeper part of the forest where they grew a little more densely. Meanwhile, I hung back to begin uprooting some of the larger, healthier plants. I hadn’t brought any pots with me, so I’d just have to be careful with the roots and hope they lasted the trip. I didn’t know much about plants to know what else I could do for them. I gently placed them in the left saddlebag. Once I decided there were enough, I just went after the blossoms. These were deposited in the right side.

I filled up half of the pouch on my own, but Heckley hadn’t yet returned. I snapped the top closed so the wind couldn’t gather up any of my harvest, and looked around. A snake wouldn’t be too easy to spot in this tall overgrowth, but it would be especially impossible in the shadowy Everfree. He hadn’t gotten lost, had he? This wasn’t a very well known area to me, but I didn’t think there were any Everfree creatures settled this region. Still, that didn’t mean they weren’t out there.

“Heckley?” I took a few uneasy steps towards the trees, but stopped dead in my tracks when memories of my last manticore encounter flashed through my mind. I really, really didn’t want to go through that again. And this time, no pony could come to my rescue. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. But how else was I supposed to find my pet?

“What do you think you’re doing? Shoo! Get away!” An angry voice echoed through the trees. It sounded like a pony. But who would be this far out, in the Everfree, no less? I suddenly forgot about the risk of facing off with monsters. Not many ponies were entirely comfortable around snakes. There was a good chance Heckley could be the cause of the outburst. If so, he could be in real danger.

I trampled any of the brush in my way, sprinting for the source of the voice. As it turned out, I didn’t get far before nearly colliding with a tall, forest green stallion. He had a short, navy mane brushed back and out of the way, streaked with slender waves of lime green. His tail looked even shorter, being as thin as it was. His eyes were blue to match the majority of his hair. His muzzle was more narrow than most stallions, and shaggy hair failed to completely obscure midnight blue hooves. A tree stump with an axe embedded in its side was displayed on his hide. He wore a leather, bark-colored vest with pockets filled with everything and anything he could stuff inside. He jolted at the sight of me, but I even more so at him. Dragon wings caught my eye. Thestrals were popping up everywhere!

“Oh! Excuse me, Ma’am,” he stuttered, backing away to give me space.

“No, you’re fine; it was my fault. I’m sorry.” I knew this stallion hadn’t been the source of the cry, because the voice I heard belonged to a female.

“Get out of here!” the voice shrieked again. Without so much as a glance at the other, we both took off running in the same direction. This time, I really did collide with someone, that someone being Heckley. He was flying out of the bush, somehow propelling himself into the air. He smacked into my throat and sheer momentum curled him around my neck. The sudden impact caused me to jerk, throwing myself off balance and tumbling back down to the ground. I bowled into the stallion’s legs again, but he somehow managed to maintain his footing and nimbly jump to the side. He wasn’t safe yet, as another figure charged from the woods. This flying form didn’t see us in time, and tripped on me, sending the three of us sprawling. Through all of it, the green stallion somehow remained untouched in the end.

I released an audiable groan in perfect sync with Heckley’s pursuer. My world was too fuzzy to make out anything, so I shut my eyes and rubbed my head.

“Are you girls alright?” the stallion wondered. The hoofsteps sounded near, though they were cushioned by the many layers of foliage scattered on the ground.

“Fine, Cedar,” the mare moaned. I finally let my eyes flutter open, and looked around for Heckley. He was fine, aside from being tangled in my forehooves. I brushed him off, and began picking myself up.

“Sis?” my companion gasped. My eyes shot open. I hadn’t yet gotten a good look at the second pony.

“WILD FLOWER!” I brought the both of us right back down to the ground as I tackled her in a hug. She’d been moving to do the same, and we met halfway so one didn’t land on top of the other. My sister had a bright teal coat and a natural chocolate mane. She kept it short and straight, hanging just low enough to brush her shoulders with bangs that bobbed up above her matching brown eyes. Her tail was allowed to become more wispy than a bob, and kept it a little longer. She was just shorter than me. Her cutie mark showed two pinecones, one upright and the other leaning on its side with a bright white daisy planted between them. Like me, she was a thestral.

“What’re you doing out here?”

“Looking for you, Mom and Dad! I heard thestrals were moving back, and couldn’t find you!”

“Mom and Dad are with me in Ponyville! I brought them back yesterday. We were looking for you!”

“How are they?”

“Fine, but worried about you. Where’d you go? I didn’t know you moved away from the encampment until yesterday. What’s the big idea, moving away and not even visiting me?”

“I ended up in Baltimare, but I did look for you. You moved to Appleloosa, didn’t you?”

“No, no, no! Ponyville!”

“But you said it was the closest town to the Everfree.”

“On the north side,” I groaned. “You went south.”

“Oh. That makes more sense.” The stallion with us awkwardly cleared his throat. I’d almost forgotten that he was there. We both turned to him. “Oh, right. Uh, Acrylic, meet Cedar. Cedar, meet my sister, Acrylic.”

“Elder sister, to be exact,” I clarified, stepping up to shake his hoof. “Nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” he formally nodded.

“YOU!” Wild Flower’s eyes locked onto my back where Heckley was still recovering. She started to lunge, but I interrupted her not only to protect Heckley but also to keep her from bowling me over again. I’d ended up on the ground once too many times as it was.

“Hold it right there, Missy.”

“But it’s-”

“He is my pet.” She froze for a minute, then straightened, nose wrinkled.

“That’s just like you, Acrylic. A cold, slimy snake as a pet?”

“He’s not cold and slimy, he’s cool and smooth. There’s a difference. It’s called texture.”

“Ah, yes. The artist knows all about that, doesn’t she?”

“She does. And what would the fru-fru flower girl choose as a pet, if not a snake?”

“I am not fru-fru! And I just so happen to have a beautiful hummingbird. Hey, where is Honeysuckle? And Nova, for that matter?”

“Is everypony okay? I heard yelling,” a voice wheezed. I looked up to the heavy flapping, and reeled back. She had a dragon companion too?

This youngster was Spike and Blaze’s age, perhaps slightly older. His scales were midnight blue, where a lime green underbelly stuck out like a sore hoof. His slightly rounded spines almost matched Spike’s, though these were colored a far more vibrant green. They were just a little shorter than Spike’s, too, and stretched all the way down to the base of his tail. His ears were blue like the rest of him, ending in three clean points. His tail was fashioned in a similar manner, ending not in a spade but three small, grabby tendrils. Two friendly lemon-lime eyes looked down at me from a branch above. Unlike Blaze, this dragon was already flying. Though they were about the same age, I didn’t realize how much taller this hatchling stood until he straightened up from the crouched position on the branch. He was at least a head higher than either Spike or Blaze, and was much slimmer than either. This contributed to his older appearance, but he still probably wouldn’t reach the height of Torchwood’s knees.

Suddenly, a tiny hummingbird dropped out of the sky beside the dragon. It was a beautiful green and red bird small enough to perch on one of my ears. A long, slender beak reached out from adorable puffy cheeks. It looked at me and chirped in greeting. I cocked my head in reply. In finally flitted down do land on Wild Flower’s head. She didn’t flinch under the weight. The bird was so tiny I doubted she even noticed her presence. I looked back up at the dragon, who was quizzically staring me down.

“Nova, get down here,” Wild Flower called. The blue dragon I assumed must be Nova flapped down and landed neatly. He shambled up to Wild Flower, unintimidated but curious. “Nova, this is my sister.” His eyes widened, and his lips pursed into an ‘O’ shape with realization.

“You’re Acrylic!”

“That’s right. Nova, isn’t it?”

“The one and only!”

“See? You two’ll get along fine. You like dragons, right Acrylic?”

“Of course! I have a little friend of my own, now.”

“You have a dragon companion?” Wild Flower gasped in disbelief.

“Is that so hard to believe?” I sniffed.

“Kinda... yeah.”

“How cool is that?” Nova exclaimed.

“He’s about your age, too,” I added. “His name’s Blaze. And I have a friend who has a dragon assistant, too. His name’s Spike. Goodness! We’re going to have a whole troop of you guys hanging around town!”

“Awesome!”

“Where’d you get a dragon?”

“Blaze is Ignition’s youngest.”

“Ignition! Well, that explains it.” Nova interrupted us.

“Wild Flower told me all about you. You’re a really good artist, by the way. She showed me some pictures you did of her flowers.”

“You kept those?” I grinned, giving her a teasing look.

“Well, what else was I supposed to do with them? Besides, I needed something to decorate the house with. To be honest, I was pretty overwhelmed at first. Those pony cottages sure are bigger than the thestral tents back home.”

“So you really did move. Mom and Dad told me so, but I had a hard time believing it. So Baltimare, eh? You didn’t go too far from home, either. That’s a fairly big city. You’re probably living on the outskirts in the country, am I right?”

“You know me. Nothing will pry me from my flowers. Not even that nuissance you call a pet.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your snake was trying to steal my autumn sage!”

“You mean these red blooms?” I held one up that was still stuck in her mane.

“Yes, those.”

“Well technically, they’re not yours. They were growing wild when I found them. And secondly, don’t blame Heckley. I asked him to help me gather them. They make great paint pigment, you know.”

“You’re grinding them into pigment?!”

“What’s wrong? Are they endangered are something?”

“Well... no... but they’re so pretty! How could you do such a thing?”

“Where else am I supposed to get my pigment, from beets and berries?”

“I’ve seen you do it before.”

“Not for the quality stuff, you knucklehead.” I pulled her into a noogie before it evolved into a hug. I let out a loud sigh. “I missed you.” Finally, she hugged me back.

“I missed you too.” The pony Cedar shifted again.

“Pardon me? I’m very happy for you both, but could we possibly move things along? The silence in the Everfree is making me... uneasy.”

“The quiet bugs you?”

“Have you ever heard the Everfree forest completely devoid of all sound?”

“Good point. Come on, everyone. I’ll take you all to Ponyville.”

Comments

[Dragon of Shadows]

What was the worst that could happen?

what is the worst that could happen WHAT IS THE WORST!!! THIS! THIS IS WHAT COULD HAPPEN!!!scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/12651147_980414868715380_3919962569685621962_n.jpg?oh=32f54619ade6cd8801b8ef123e0075af&oe=57272E5D

[Ephedianroyalty]

6956852
Murphy, clean up on isle four.