Crying in a Bottle

by Starlight_Flight

Almost Freedom

Chapter Seven: Almost Freedom

The dawn was cool and fresh, the rooster an unpleasant shock. Trixie carefully lifted off the blanket and looked over to see Thunder blinking sleepily. Good, she thought. Her dreams must have been awful, too. And then the response, What if she's just tired? Trixie still had no answer to that little voice of compassion.

"Good morning, Ms. Star. Did you sleep well?"

"What is that horrible sound? Is that a rooster?"

"Why, I believe it is! I met him yesterday. Such labors! His primary job appears to be as an alarm clock to the farmers here."

Thunder sighed, turned around, and tried to get back to sleep. And then Harvest was up, and coming down the stairs. Trixie smiled to herself. A tired investigator was a sloppy one, and Trixie might just be able to plan out a day that kept them from speaking to each other as much as possible.

"Trixie, you're up, good. Let's give Ms. Star a bit more sleeping time while we get breakfast ready."

"Very well." Trixie was feeling her old confidence quite thoroughly by now, and walked lightly into the kitchen behind Mrs. Full.

"This is going to be a hard day. We'll have to prepare one of Happy's fallow fields, and plant a late crop to replace the lost oats. That's almost a two-day job, and it's going to take both me and Sunny, and anyone else who can help. Meantime, I know you aren't used to such heavy labor. Could you please go with Mystic to Ponyville to fetch us some construction help? We have buildings to rebuild, and we're short on materials and labor."

"Buildings, plural?"

"Yes. There's Lucky Bit's house that blew down, and two sheds. I don't know why he won't just move in with one of the fillies trying to get his attention, but he's paying for all three to be rebuilt, and none of us want him to do the work. He's the shoddy builder who put that wreck together the first time."

So she wouldn't have to avoid the Inspector at all, as they'd be travelling separate paths! Trixie's heart rose still further. Then Thunder Star walked in.

"My apologies, I couldn't help overhearing. Lucky Bit moved here?"

"Yes, he did. It seems his winning streak angered the wrong sort of ponies."

"Ma'am, I'm one of those ponies! I still don't know if he cheated, but I'd like to see what use he's made of my funds."

"I'll tell you what, let's have breakfast first. Sunny's out feeding the chickens, but he'll be back shortly with some milk, and we can get the meal together."

As if on cue, Sunny walked in with two bottles of rich, warm, foamy fresh milk. Harvest prepared the food while he and Trixie set the table: apple slices, oatmeal muffins, and toast with raspberry jam.

"I thought the town's supply was cut in half."

"Yes, Miss, but we'd already had this jar. Now if you lovely fillies will excuse me, I need to wake the boys and get them in here."

And then Thunder Star said, almost out of nowhere, "Do you know, Trixie, I think I might accompany you to Ponyville? Once I investigate the damage here, that is. I need to see the whole track of the tornado, to evaluate its strength and whether another might be on the way soon, and I've already seen the westerly zone where the storm started getting rough."

Trixie felt like she'd been smacked in the face with a soggy dish towel.