Norrath, Earth, Equestria. A Construct's Journey

by Nimnul

Dinner...

Author's Note:

I rewrote and rewrote and rewrote these chapters and I'm still not entirely happy, but I'm real tired of tinkering with them, so there you are. Hope you enjoy anyway!

Landshark had seen what had to be a dining room of generous size, but the five of them were having dinner in the kitchen. The elder Heartstrings had explained that the dining room was for entertaining guests. Her tone had suggested that some guests were merely tolerated, not welcomed. Maybe it was a Canterlot society thing? The kitchen was a place for the family, or friends close enough to disperse with upper class affectations around.

As promised by her mother, Lyra's father had arrived just before dinner. As stallions went, he appeared unremarkable, although being compared to his wife probably made him appear leaner than he was. Additionally, he seemed to be aging somewhat less gracefully than his wife, but this hadn't slowed down his movements yet. There was also a much clearer family resemblance to Lyra, although his coat's shade of green was darker.

Lyra had hugged her father with enthusiasm, grinning all the while. "I missed ya, dad!"

"Missed you, too, filly." The stallion had chuckled, then nodded at Bon Bon. "Good to see you too. Business good as usual?"

Bon Bon had touched hooves with Lyra's father and offered her own smile. "Yeah. Good season, like every winter. I'll be losing some walk-in sales, closing up to visit, but ponies had plenty of warning. Most of the big orders went out before we left." She shrugged. "Some things, money can't buy, right?"

"Hmm." He had nodded. "It means a lot to have you both here. Maybe next year Enny and I should visit you."

Landshark hadn't previously considered the opportunity cost of closing the candy store over Hearth's Warming Eve, but Bon Bon had never seemed careless about her business, so the construct assumed it was a bearable loss.

The stallion had introduced himself as Mutual Advantage to Landshark. "You know, my parents were encouraging me towards politics? There's no honest money in it, so I went into business instead. At least I was honest about being out for myself, right?"

"Well, you obviously did well for yourself, and your family. Good to meet you."

Now, Landshark was watching everyone else have dinner, following the light traffic of bowls, platters, and a bottle of wine. There was some minor small-talk before Advantage addressed his daughter. "Lyra, I'm getting out of the shipping business."

"Really?" Lyra appeared unsure what to say. Landshark remembered that Lyra had once claimed her parents were disappointed she had not followed them into business, but the construct was beginning to suspect some of Lyra's memories were colored by her anxieties. "Retiring?"

"I guess." The stallion took a sip of wine. "Times are changing for the company, and I frankly don't care for the stress of riding it out."

"It's the Crystal Empire, of course." He nodded towards Bon Bon and Landshark before continuing. The construct assumed it meant that Bon also wasn't totally familiar with the details of the business in question. "We pull in a lot of bits running those long haul caravans north along the winter roads, but the train connection to the empire is going to change the whole equation."

Here was a pony who apparently enjoyed talking about his work. He became noticeably more animated. "When the winter roads were usable, we shipped ... just about anything really. At first, mostly food and manufactured goods. Once trust was established, we shipped just about anything the locals requested. Southwards we took anything they mined. Diamonds, for one. Some other precious metals. Some animal pelts. There's some hunting up there, I assume they trade the meat to the dogs."

"Barbarians, the lot of us," his wife joked before gesturing vaguely at the surrounding apartment. "In many places, many of the trade goods we get from Equestria go straight to the dogs. They like quality tools and luxuries, too." It seemed that Lyra's mother was well-used to contributing when her husband started talking about his work.

Advantage smiled warmly at his wife. "Well, most ponies still think the northerners are all crazy. Trading with diamond dogs! Northern trade with the heartland was rather underdeveloped for a long time, they only got the barest essentials to make it through the next winter, trading with yaks and the northernmost Equestrian villages."

Landshark tried to take stock of the situation as the stallion talked. It didn't seem like her friends were being bored too badly for the construct's benefit. Bon Bon and Lyra were eating their dinner with gusto, only half-listening now, going by the positions of their ears. Both had helped themselves to much more generous portions than the older ponies at the table.

A great deal of pride swung in Advantage's voice as he continued. "I put that region on the map again, at least in the minds of ponies. It was considered a risk at the time, of course, but other businessponies soon followed our example."

Offhandedly, he added, "I made enough money back then to buy this building – it seemed smart at the time to have something solid and permanent as a back-up. We did have Lyra on the way by then, I think, and we'd built enough trust and routine for me to stop micromanaging and hire more personnel."

"Yes, yes, I am happy that you decided to explore the region also." Enny chuckled before appearing to look thoughtful. "But change is coming. Ponies here, they actually consider the Crystal Empire as civilized, yes? They take an interest, now. Some of our settlements will trade with the empire for food. Some will be on empire territory now, or perhaps mining resources the crystal ponies wish to claim. I am sure some will be preparing for armed conflict, already angrily suspecting the empire might extend its rule, and its tax collectors, over the white wastes."

"All true, I expect," her husband conceded. He apparently wasn't done considering the economic angle, however. "We have ponies hard at work mapping out the bureaucratic process of shipping goods to the empire by train and from there out into the wastes. Should save a lot of money, but empire bureaucracy still hasn't wholly recovered from Sombra's rule before their absence, so we can't say for sure what their cut is going to look like. Still, the train is the crown's responsibility, while for the caravans, we have to hire armed escorts for the entire trip. That's a big item on the list of expenses. Not to mention the reduced travel time. Very soon, I expect, the empire will be the major stopping point for trade in the region. It's not like anypony else up there has the means to maintain a rail line, or much of any infrastructure."

He smiled. "And of course, if anyone from the empire plans to establish mining outposts in the polar night regions, the company might get in on the ground floor with the supply runs. I expect they'll manage."

Enny nodded along, chewing and swallowing before speaking up. "The northerners were very thankful when Sombra was defeated the first time. But nopony expected the empire to come back. Crystal ponies are too much like Equestrians, having them so close will cause friction. I am not sure we will be treated fairly." She frowned. "Many of us are set in our ways, and many will think that they have been there first – twice over. We have survived the wastes since the three tribes united, before the discovery of the crystal heart."

Rubbing her chin, she continued. "Maybe the crystal ponies did not experience their long absence. Maybe. But in those centuries, our generations rose and fell steadily. A thousand years may as well be an eternity for us mortals, no? They will look on generations of their ancestors living in those lands, and feel resentful over any part now claimed by the returned empire." Gesturing with a knife, she added, "There will be brash, hotblooded fools on both sides. Our people are few, but I am afraid most know better how to die than how to surrender, if there is to be fighting."

"It's a funny old world." Advantage sighed. He did not contradict his wife directly. "They're all good ponies, I trust. Equestrians, and perhaps crystal ponies as well, are justice-loving sorts, by charter and statute." He grinned briefly. "I suppose we have to be, it's the only way to rein in nobles and other rich folk. They'll surely have maps of their claims and borders." Shaking his head, he continued. "But the northerners, earth ponies, unicorns, pegasi and all their local allies, they're wrong-resenting types, according to their guts and hearts. Even the ones that aren't now on imperial territory might resent the return of the empire, as you said, and the fact that our politicians are now actually paying attention to the region."

He seemed earnestly surprised. "They had a yak prince visit Equestria! That's downright shocking. Most ponies are actually worse at dealing with other creatures than they like to think. A thousand years ago, attitudes were probably not better. Even today, if it doesn't grow a cutie mark, it may as well be a monster with no honor and no rights, if you ask some of the ponies out there." Advantage nodded, apparently sure he was entirely correct. "Mark my words, the dogs are going to suffer first before trouble starts for ponies, Enny. At least you're ponies and the yaks have a proper nation."

"Pah! Justice-loving, eh?" Enny smirked and jabbed an accusing hoof at her husband. "I think it is to protect the nobles and the politicians from having their teeth knocked out by the regular ponies. The character of justice in the north would be little help for half the parasites infesting the capital here. I will not argue with the rest, though. If upper class ponies in the empire are anything like the ones here in Canterlot, their new princess may have the whole mess explode in her face when they botch it for her. Maybe not today or tomorrow, no. But if the wrong sort of pony handles the situation, there will be a lot of foals and pups growing up with stories about their folk never having a voice and always getting the raw deal. I smell a long feud in the making."

She shrugged. "Still, I imagine it will barely make the news, here in the heart of Equestria. After all, the return of the crystal empire is very big success story, involving princesses and heroes."

Landshark had listened intently. The implications of the Crystal Empire's emergence for functionally independent frontier settlements hadn't exactly made it to front pages in the newspapers she had read. Still, she supposed you couldn't just drop a nation into territory that had been settled, however sparsely, and not expect some sort of adjustment period. She hoped Lyra's mother was being a little too pessimistic. Still, who knew what attitudes towards foreigners were like, so long ago?

The construct reminded herself that her hosts had likely been presenting some of their opinions as facts. It was a common habit for most people. She wasn't convinced the older Heartstrings could state with any real authority that crystal ponies would act just like Equestrians, for example. That didn't invalidate her concerns, but it did cast some doubt on her pessimism. Perhaps Princess Cadenza was well aware that she would have to ride herd on her nation's reintegration, both geographically and into modern culture. She had seemed insightful enough during their meeting. She might avoid at least some friction with the locals.

"Interesting. I guess there's going to be some major re-orientation required for the company, then, since you don't want to get involved in whatever's cooking up north?"

It took a few moments for Advantage to answer, as he finished his portion. "Exactly, but I just don't have the energy for it anymore. The north gave me my wife and my fortune, but I'm done. My successor knows there's stormy waters ahead, but she's got a good head on her shoulders, too. She'll be able to find the right contacts in the empire and figure out where the profits will be. Politically, I expect this mess, or at least a sack full of resentments on all sides, to outlive me handily. Trade tends to find a way of happening, though."

"I can imagine," Landshark agreed. "I hope things work out."

After a few minutes of relative silence, she turned to look at Enny. "So, what do you do all day here in Canterlot? You don't strike me as a fancy society pony. Actually, I have absolutely no idea what rich people do all day."

Lyra's mother chuckled warmly. "Ah, I think you overestimate our standing. We have money, perhaps, but we are not important, see? We do not often get invited to those events ponies have to see and be seen. It is a blessing, I think."

"Sometimes Fancy Pants will invite us to events he's hosting," Mutual Advantage pointed out. "Not sure why. Socially, we're nowhere near in the same league as him and Fleur, but for big shots, they're mostly alright."

"There are simple, uncomplicated ponies under all those layers of Canterlot etiquette, I think. Fancy invites us because he sometimes enjoys our company. I do not think he has another motive. But perhaps it amuses Fleur to see how their peers react to me. I think you can imagine, most mares find me dreadfully inelegant."

Enny laughed. "Canterlot unicorns look so fragile. Sometimes if wonder if they even play with their foals. Remember when we would play in the snow during vacation when you were smaller, Lyra? I was very popular with your little friends!" She seemed very fond of the memory, presumably recounting it for Landshark and Bon Bon's benefit. "Imagine some of the little ones holding onto my back. They are all bundled up against the cold. I use my magic to form a big wedge and plow through deep snow at best speed, other foals trailing in my wake." She laughed again. "I suppose you are mature enough to know now, I was using magic to kick up more snow to the sides to make it look more impressive. Everypony wanted to have a ride on the snowpiercer."

Lyra threw up her hooves. "Nooo, my world just collapsed, mom. How could you?" She started giggling. "Seriously though, that is a good memory. A lot of the other fillies would say they were jealous I had the coolest mom. Later some of them got a little too Canterlot and turned up their noses, but screw 'em. The good ones didn't stop liking you."

Lyra's mother nodded, a warm twinkle in her eye. "When I am not managing the affairs of this building, I do volunteer work. Laugh if you must, but I have love to spare. I help out at the orphanage in lower Canterlot. I sing, I read stories. I am very big and very fuzzy to them. They love to pile all over me as I read to them. They are taken care of, but I think they do not have enough tenderness."

Shaking her head, the big unicorn continued. "Every so often, I offer my help at the immigration office. It is not very busy there, I think maybe Canterlot is intimidating to the inexperienced. I do not discriminate. It is my instinct to offer warmth and affection to those less fortunate and I am used to dealing with non-ponies. I understand that is most important to changelings, who must worry the most where their next meal will come from in a strange land with reason to be angry with their kind."

Her grin grew huge and she banged one of her great hooves onto the table. "I do not fear the changelings. They are flimsier than ponies, even! During the wedding, I was at the orphanage. Matron Slateheart and I, we beat so many of them! The old nag is cold and, I think, not kind enough to her wards, but she fought like a demon, that day!"

---

Enny held a chair in her magic and glared at the bizarre monster she had backed into a corner of the orphanage's front office. For the time being the ... thing had stopped trying to fight back. Slateheart had agreed to fetch a guard, after all, a bizarre shapeshifter in the capital on the day of the royal wedding? Probably a bad sign. She didn't understand why this one had tried to subdue her and the matron, however. The only seemingly possible explanations were making her blood boil. She had a building full of little colts and fillies and this thing had bloodsucker teeth.

As the door opened, she glanced over her shoulder briefly, spotting Slate and a guard, and called out, "Worst injury last week, Slate?"

"Orehoof picked a fight with Cowslip and had three teeth knocked loose for his trouble." Slate sounded agitated, which was bad, because Slate was one of the more phlegmatic mares Enny knew. "There must be thousands of them, Enny! They broke through the shield and they're rounding up ponies! This guard here can barely walk, let alone protect us."

Fear gripped Enny's heart. The shield had been created at the palace, she assumed, and she knew her daughter would be there that day. She wanted nothing more than to charge up there and find her filly, but she knew she might not even make it without being captured, and if she abandoned the orphanage now, she might never forgive herself later. Staying here and helping Slate might be the more pragmatic choice, and the little ones deserved her protection while there were ponies at the palace who were better suited to solving problems than she would be, but having to chose at all left the big unicorn trembling with sudden rage.

With a flare of her magic, she slammed the edge of the chair she was holding into the monster's throat before turning to face Slateheart and the guard. The armored unicorn looked a fright, bloodied and battered. He seemed unsteady on his feet. "Okay, you, guard, try not to fall over. Slate, get the foals to the basement." She started moving a filing cabinet with her magic. "Well?"

Slate was watching the odd bug pony claw at his throat with something like morbid fascination. Apparently the hit with the chair had well and truly caved in the monster's windpipe. She seemed vaguely nauseous as well. "Uh, sorry. I've just never seen anypony asphyxiate in front of me!"

"Yes, very regrettable way to go. Maybe in next life, will think better than going after little foals." She grunted with the effort of shifting furniture, for the first time thankful that lower Canterlot's orphanage was a horribly depressing building, made of grey stone and with barred windows. "Slate, tell me. You have done something in your life that made you proud?"

"Well, yes, when I ..."

"Good, good," Enny interrupted the matron. "Now, we make sure the little ones maybe have a chance to do something in life to be proud of, too, yes? We two already had nice life. Now MOVE," she bellowed at the top of her lungs. "Take useless guard and foals to basement, then come back and help me."

---

The fighting had been bad. The enemy was at a disadvantage in close quarters, but there were so very many of them. They'd battered down the barricade and taken the front office by sheer weight of numbers. Now, Enny and Slate were holding the area immediately outside the stairs to the basement. The injured royal guard seemed to be doing a terrible job of keeping the children calm. The frightened crying from below was driving spikes into her heart. The guard had looked pretty bad, but he'd probably not traumatize the little ones further by dying in front of them.

The main thing slowing the enemy down now was fear. No one seemed particularly eager to go first and be crippled or killed. With that kind of attitude in evidence, they probably didn't have any kind of real team leader to keep them focused. Perhaps the orphans just weren't any kind of priority target.

Enny still hoped that if only they were a sufficiently unappealing target to swarm, a miracle might yet happen. She certainly didn't expect to be taken alive, she'd fought too dirty to expect any quarter.

Slateheart appeared to have realized that rescue might be a while in coming. After her initial shock, she'd held up admirably. Whatever sort of shell those black beasts had, it didn't hold up too well to a determined earth pony. But the matron was old, she would probably not stay lucky much longer. Already she was covered in cuts and bruises. Enny wasn't doing too much better. A little extra fat and a thicker coat only went so far to protect her, and her fur was matted with her own blood. She wasn't very good at shields, and her magic was nearly exhausted. Pretty soon she was not going to be able to protect herself and Slate from weird glue attacks.

The strange buzzing sounds by which the beasts communicated changed. "Slate. Slate, I think they may be preparing another attack." She tried to calm her breathing. "I am no earth pony. I tire. Did you know, my daughter was to be a bridesmaid? If not for that, she might be safe in Ponyville now." She gnashed her teeth and blinked tears out of her eyes. Maybe she was getting a little tired, and perhaps blood loss was going to start weakening her eventually, but she was also angrier than she had ever been in her entire life. "The uncertainty is torture!"

Without waiting for a reaction from Slate, she yelled, "Come on! Who is next? Anypony else care to have their wings torn off, their legs broken? You have seen your friends! They died slow! You'll all die slow!"

She didn't think she had killed very many of the monsters, but she had hurt several of them very badly. The colts and fillies downstairs were not hers, of course, and this was not her house, but that did not matter now. The knowledge that she could do nothing while her daughter was in danger elsewhere in the city was still threatening to drive her mad with fury, however. For all she knew, Lyra might be dead already.

"Enkindle Heartstrings of Iceclad! Remember the name! Spread it in the afterlife!" She didn't even know if all of these things even understood their language, but she had to do something, anything, even if it was just yelling. "Throw away more lives, why don't you? How many of you will die so you can say you beat two old nags?"

"I'm real glad you were here today with me, you damned savage." Slate snorted. "You know, I never had a foal. This is all the family I've got, and they don't even like me." The old earth pony shook her head. "There's more of them now, I hear it too. The next push'll do us in, Heartstrings."

That seemed true. There was little left of the available furniture but kindling. Nothing with which to prevent the monsters from just running at them. Slowing them down with all manner of makeshift obstacles so Enny could attack them directly with her magic had worked so far to minimize their numerical advantage. Now, they were out of furniture, nearly out of magic, and out of places to fall back to.

"It is likely, yes," Enny agreed, voice strained. "I always thought you were a frigid witch of a pony. No wonder the little ones do not like you. You act more like their landlord than any kind of family. I did not want that to go unsaid." Her hooves were shaking very badly now and she was developing a splitting headache from using too much magic. She was grinning, showing far too many teeth. "I tire of waiting. We will force the issue." If she didn't get one of those insect monsters under her hooves right now, she feared she would remember any of the times a tearful child had complained about mean old Slateheart and hurl the smaller mare down the stairs in her rage.

"Might as well sally forth." Slate sounded resigned, but the earth pony was too stubborn to go down easy even if she thought it was hopeless. She'd take some more beasts down with her just for spite's sake. Together, they trotted towards the enemy, presumably still drawing straws on who would head the next attack, or whatever monsters did to decide that sort of thing.

The enemy had been somewhat inattentive, clearly they hadn't expected their cornered prey to come to them. Enny grabbed one with her magic, yanking it towards Slate's waiting hooves. The earth pony didn't hesitate to hit hard. A second one Enny pulled to herself as she crushed its windpipe. Her magic was beginning to fail her, however. She dropped the choking beast and, putting up one last shield, charged the enemy, smashing one against the wall with her bulk and striking others with her heavy hooves. The ceiling was low enough that their wings offered little advantage, but the fragile bugs were nonetheless nimble, now that they had recovered from the surprise attack.

---

"It was hopeless, of course," Enny explained with a small sigh. "They had us in cocoons by the time that big magic from the palace swept them away. I was very surprised. I was cruel to them, so I expected some angry soldier to kill me even if they were ordered to take us alive."

There was awkward silence, although Mutual Advantage did not appear surprised. He likely knew the story. Lyra spoke up first. "Damn, mom, you never went into all that detail before when you mentioned you were caught at the orphanage. I didn't know you fought a bunch of changelings."

Enny sighed. "I did not fight the old instincts, that need to protect my loved ones at the expense of any other living thing. Choosing to stay there and leave your fate in the hooves of others was the worst pain I have ever felt, Lyra. I tell myself, the little ones needed me more, you are a grown mare, but oh, how I hated them for creating the situation. They had no right! When I heard that you were safe, I was so relieved, I burst into tears. Big, messy crying, with lots of snot. Very disgusting, but I won't be ashamed. The little ones, badly shaken themselves, came to comfort me."

"I forgive the little changelings. Yes, it is bad that they did not refuse to serve their mad queen, but she lies about ponies to make us seem enemies of all changelings. The ones that seek shelter among ponies now, they are all alone. They need us. But ... at times I grow uneasy. Sorrowful for the lives I cut short. I did not know that they would take everypony alive, and that all would be well regardless of our fighting. I suppose love is a monster."

Mutual Advantage got up and rounded the table to stroke his wife's mane. "I was out of town, by the time I got the news, it was all over. I came home as quickly as I could. I always figured Canterlot was the safest place in the world."

"Heh. You and me both, M," Bon Bon agreed with a crooked smile. She quickly turned serious however, and made eye contact with Enny. "That doubt just means you're a normal pony who doesn't like hurting anypony else, even if circumstances forced your hoof. It's healthy if you accept it, but don't obsess over it." The earth pony clung to Lyra, who appeared subdued. The royal wedding was not a good memory for her, either. Bon Bon sighed. "I felt real rotten myself over not being there for Lyra, but realistically, what was I going to add to the situation? A few more dead changelings and then whoosh, problem's fixed by magic. No sense beating myself up over it."

"I'm real glad you were okay, mom, but I'm proud, too." Lyra seemed to shake off the gloom and found back to her usual smile. "I've got to introduce you to Berry and Ditzy sometime, they'll like to hear the story."

It was actually a little difficult to imagine Enny flying into any kind of rage. She was quite large, yes, but she did not seem physically threatening. Quite an achievement, considering Landshark would ordinarily feel rather flimsy next to a pony so stout. But in the short time the construct had observed her, Lyra's mother had presented herself as a slow, ambling mare, easy in her steps, moving with unhurried grace. The infectious, slightly unconventional smile and the barely restrained delight with which she seemed to look at the world only added to the impression.

"Thank you, Bonny, Lyra." Enny's mood was already brightening again. "In any case, it was good to know that I am not yet too civilized to look after my own, yes? Perhaps there is some tenderness to the conscience, but my will was as stone. I would not do anything different."

"Well, how does it go? 'The female of the species is deadlier than the male'?" Advantage learned in closer, a fond smile on his lips. "I love you, Enny. You always make fun, but I know you want to like everypony. You never met anypony looking to dislike them, no matter what you heard. Everypony gets a chance. Many chances, even. You're not just pretending to be big and cuddly."

Enny reached out and pulled her husband into a hug. "It is true. It was easy to forgive the changelings. I am sad for them, most of all. They need love, and there is so much of that in the world, their lot should not be so bleak. It is not right, not at all. But the attack made them very hard to like, for most ponies."

"Hmm." Landshark tapped her chin. "Seems like the attack was a pretty risky all or nothing plan. It doesn't seem like most regular changelings are all that tough. Don't see how they could have occupied much of anything for long. Whatever the queen's endgame was, she probably ruined a whole lot of lives. I imagine there were changelings just living normal lives until everyone got more careful and more suspicious because changelings revealed themselves to the world here in Canterlot."

Her own former changeling employee had admitted that he had been part of the attack on Canterlot, conscripted and tossed at the shield despite his lack of training. No-Toes had also mentioned that what little hive-bound changelings knew about ponies was distorted or outright false. Perhaps the queen could practice information control through telepathy? It seemed like integrating changelings into other societies should not be too difficult, unless their culture was deliberately kept uneducated, xenophobic and encouraged to think of other species as prey, lesser beings. After all, changelings were versatile neighbors and all they needed to live was affection. Ponies were big on friendship, it should be working out.

"Seems a fair assumption that the queen was aiming for some personal power, or maybe she actually bought into the whole idea that she couldn't possibly coexist peacefully with ponies. What a mess." Blaming the changeling queen seemed like a safe bet.

"Agreed. But I think in the long run, it'll work out" Mutual Advantage smiled with confidence. His tone was cautious, however. "Maybe not in our lifetime. A lot of ponies won't forgive easily. But Princess Celestia has a long memory, she won't forget that changelings should get to be happy as well. If she can't get all of the current generations to accept that, she'll work on it." He shook his head. "Well, may I be excused, Enny? I'll be out on the balcony."

"There is one more thing." Enny narrowed her eyes. "Lady Pyrite owes two months rent now. We both know she's got enough income to pay on time. We can't let our tenants jerk us around now that you're retiring!" She stood up with a frown. "This is my house. No free rides."

"Well," the stallion exhaled in apparent exasperation. "You're right. I didn't know that at first, but that mare has no need for my lenience." He paused and a brief grin flashed over his features. "But don't worry. This is the capital. Nopony can cheat you here and just escape south. Especially not somepony like Pyrite. Think of the scandal!" The thought was obviously funny to him.

Landshark noted that Enny had spoken, for lack of a better term, more proficiently. She'd used contractions, which she had only done inconsistently earlier, and where before she had constantly seemed faintly amused by the world around her, she evidently saw nothing funny about late rent payments.

"Somepony new moved in?" Lyra appeared only mildly curious. "I guess there's always some adjustment period." She nodded in Landshark's direction and offered an explanation. "Dad may have bought this building when he first struck it rich, but mom usually handles the residents."

"Yes." Enny was still frowning. "Please write her another reminder, dear, you're better at it. Next week I'll go collect personally, if she hasn't paid or at least explained herself somehow." She stood up and started gathering dishes through her magic, suddenly grinning at her husband. "I can still take on anyone under this roof, you realize."

"Oh, I wouldn't doubt that, but are you sure the northern savage act is the right approach?" Her husband returned the grin, it didn't seem like he expected Enny to change her mind.

Bon Bon quirked a brow while taking a slow drink of wine.

Lyra's mother paused and shook her head. "I will let you know when it stops being funny to me. But maybe I am slowing down. Let's say I can take anyone two falls out of three. Of course, everypony pays up rather than risk doing something uncouth the neighbors might gossip about."

Bon Bon cleared her throat, and couldn't hide a smile.

"Fine! I could take anyone who actually lives here." She pretended to huff in annoyance. "Being serious, what would she do? Go to court because she finds me menacing? Hah, she is a noble. You said it, think of the scandal. Our family has no past in Canterlot, and no future. What do I care about reputation? She can never cost me as much as I can cost her. She will realize this, she will pay up, and we will put this behind us."

Her face lit up with her vaguely goofy smile. "I am very fair to my tenants, and I do not carry long grudges. I am sure she will come around." She nodded firmly. "Now, you are excused. I have plenty of help for the dishes."

"And by plenty she means me," Lyra groused. "After all, I'm part of the host family, Bonny and Shark are the guests."

"Also, you have magic." Bon Bon hadn't said much of anything during dinner but seemed to be in a good mood. "Delicious as always, Enny."

"Bah." The mare leveled a disapproving glower at her daughter. "Engage brain before speaking, Lyra. I already put your new friend to use preparing dinner, it's your turn now. Bonny will be spending plenty of time in the kitchen with me soon enough. Hmpf. Guests." She rolled her eyes before addressing Landshark and Bon Bon. The construct suspected she was mostly speaking for her benefit. "You are welcome at my fire, in my kitchen. But if asked to make yourself useful, you will."

"Yes Ma'am." It seemed Lyra's mother had two parallel versions of hospitality, one for the kind of guest that would be entertained in the nicely furnished dining room, perhaps business associates of her husband, and another sort of hospitality for people close enough to the family, and casual enough, to be willing to pitch in with chores.

Lyra accepted the admonishment with good humor and a covert eye-roll. "Sorry mom. Let's get on with it."

As Mutual Advantage left the kitchen, the construct couldn't help indulging her curiosity. "I'm curious about the way you talk, Enny. What are you going for?" It seemed to Landshark that Lyra's mother was capable of speaking a more natural version of the local language than what she normally used.

"Ah, of course, of course." Enny snickered with evident amusement. "Perhaps I can speak the exact Equish. It has its uses, sure enough. But, to speak as I do, it is an asset! Look at me. It is not usually my intention to intimidate. Is it my fault the local unicorns appear so fragile? So, I invite their gentle ridicule. A foreigner, she cannot even line her words up right." She winked. "Everything seems more harmless to a pony who thinks themselves your better, yes?"

"By now, it is a habit. And sometimes I boast! Some of them will mutter and say 'somepony who thinks so much of herself cannot be worth much'. That is so funny to me, coming from the ponies of the capital."

Landshark supposed that made some sense. Perhaps if Enny didn't have her goofy smile and funny way of talking, she'd primarily be seen as a shaggy brute due to her stature. Enny hadn't had any compunctions to use violence to defend others, but she clearly preferred to be seen as a mostly harmless pony. "I can understand that."

Lyra took that moment to step closer and nuzzle her mother gently. It was a genuine gesture of affection, without the embarrassment Lyra seemed to have suffered during their greeting earlier. "I think if you started talking like everypony else this late in the game, you wouldn't feel quite like my mom anymore. It'd be so weird. I always felt lucky to have you and not some of those stuffy parents my friends had. Maybe I should have said that more."

"I could always tell, little Lyra. But it feels good to hear it, yes." Enny reached out and tussled her daughter's mane playfully. "You are still little Lyra to me. I can tell you have worried. I say to you, I could not be prouder of the mare you grew into. I want you to remember this."

Seeing as she was apparently excused from helping, and Bon Bon was in the process of heading back to her own room, Landshark decided to leave Lyra and her mother to their tender moment and look at the sizable apartment some more, since she had never had cause to very thoroughly look at a wealthy home. Perhaps Lyra had slightly downplayed her parents' affluence, or, equally likely, Landshark simply had too little context for how rich people actually lived, how much expensive things cost, and what counted as a high income.

Comments

[Fireeaters]

Blaming the changeling queen seemed like a save bet.

*safe
This also happened once or twice in dialogue.

[Greatazuredragon]

Really liking Enny.
Nice chapter, good work.

[Schroedingers_Katze]

Yepp, Enny is a Russian Momma and I love her.^^