Feeling a deep sense of loss and regret, Sumac thought about everything lost to the fire. His mother’s journals were a particularly painful loss, as they had been his primary means of learning about her. Now, if he wanted to know something, he had to go through the trouble of asking her. Off to the east, there was a faint hint of sunlight, but the mountains and hills blocked most of it. What little sunlight came through was blocked by the many trees, leaving everything around him in shadow.
It was cold here in the early mornings as winter approached, but the trees were all in their own protective biomes and sheltered by powerful magic. Everything here was magic. The sound of Boomer crunching upon a crystal apple made Sumac’s ears perk, and he was happy that Boomer was happy.
A flying fish went sailing through the air, carrying with it a bubble of water, which dribbled and watered the plants in the garden as the fish flew over. Sumac had been told that Caper and Dandelia both made new life, just like an artist makes new paintings, and Sumac was seeing their lifetimes of reckless experimentation in the flora and fauna all around him.
Shivering, Sumac watched as an owlmeleon settled down upon a branch to go to bed after a long night. He didn’t know if it had a different name, he wasn’t even sure of what it was, but the owl changed colours to blend in with its surroundings. It’s feathers rippled with magic, almost like a changeling, or so Sumac guessed.
“Apple?”
Hearing Boomer say a new word, Sumac forgot everything around him as he focused upon his tiny companion. Watching, waiting, expecting Boomer to burst out with whole sentences at any second, Sumac was overcome with a happiness that chased away the darkness in his mind.
“Apple…”
“Yes, Boomer, apple. Aaaah pull.”
“Boomer Apple.” Blinking her yellow eyes, Boomer stood up on her hind legs, flexed her front claws, and then pointed at herself with one extended tiny finger. “Boomer Apple?”
It took a few seconds, but Sumac realised that she had inadvertently heard ‘Boomer Apple’ when he had said ‘Boomer, apple.’ He didn’t see any point in correcting her though. She could be Boomer Apple if she wanted to be.
“Apple Boom.” Boomer looked puzzled as she tried to make a new sentence. “Apple Boomer. Boom Apple. Boom boom baboom?”
“Boomer Apple.” Sumac reached out and touched Boomer with his hoof. Pulling his hoof back, he touched himself. “Sumac Apple.”
“Soo-mac.” Boomer blinked and took a moment to process this new information. Her reptilian eyes showed a keen intelligence as she stared up at Sumac. “Soo-mac. Soo-mac. Boo-mac?”
“Sumac.” Sumac tapped on his barrel with his hoof.
The tiny dragon mimicked Sumac’s movements. “Boo-mac?”
“No.” Sumac shook his head. “Boomer.”
“Soo.” Boomer blinked, again processing this sound, and then said, “Boo.” She looked confused as she broke the words into their parts and she flexed her tiny fingers. “Mer. Mac.”
“I wonder if I was like that.”
Startled, Sumac looked around to see the intruder and Boomer took off leaping through the grass after dropping the remains of her crystal apple. Sumac saw Spike standing a few feet away, and Boomer, glad to see another dragon, began bouncing around him while puffing out her frills.
“I can remember just about everything that has ever happened, that’s the advantage of dragon memory, but I have trouble remembering when I was really little.” Spike sat down in the grass and was beset by his admirer, who scurried all over Spike and caused him to giggle.
“Spike, what are you to Twilight?” Sumac asked.
“What do you mean?” Spike, tired of being tickled, pulled Boomer into his arms and held the wriggling hatching in a tender embrace.
“You called her parents ‘mom and dad,’ so I started wondering,” Sumac replied. “Are you her brother?”
Spike’s face contorted and his eyes narrowed. He looked down at Boomer, who had curled up, and then became lost in the moment, staring, just staring, and saying nothing. Sumac watched with great interest, and with a tiny yawn, Boomer started to drift off to sleep, having eaten too much and worn herself out.
“It goes beyond that.” Spike’s voice was a smoky draconic whisper that was a little hissier than usual. “Since I’ve become penpals with Ember, I’ve been learning a bit more about dragons. The dragons have a word for it, but ponies don’t. I don’t know what the word is, because it can’t be written down, it has to be roared.” Spike looked up at Sumac and blinked a few times. “But if I knew the word and could say it, I would go around roaring it to let everypony know.”
“And you can’t even try to put it into words?” Sumac asked.
“It’s not a word, it’s a whole series of concepts.” Spike looked puzzled and he visibly struggled. “Dragons have large broods. Well, some. Many eggs are laid and every hatchling is technically brother and sister, but in such a large brood, when they happen, some hatchlings have a special bond that, uh, well… it kinda comes out as family within a family, but it is more than that, at least, that’s how Ember explained it. There is a lot of competition and rivalry among dragon siblings and as a species, most of us are jerks. These special bonds make sure that we survive into adulthood.” Looking troubled, Spike shook his head. “The biggest danger that dragons have when we’re little is each other. Only the strong survive. Twilight and I together, we’re strong. We have each other’s backs. I have powerful instincts that compel me to protect her. It’s complicated. I have no desire to eat her as a sibling. Being a dragon is complicated.”
That was complicated. Sumac didn’t laugh, he didn’t make any jokes, and he didn’t say anything snarky. Spike had just bared his soul and Sumac wasn’t about to screw this moment up. Unsure of how to respond, Sumac did the only thing that he felt was right to do.
“Thank you, Spike.”
“Don’t mention it,” Spike replied, “and thanks for not being judgmental about it. The last pony I tried to talk to about this… it didn’t go well. She screamed and fainted.”
That struck Sumac as being rather rude and he didn’t like it. The muscles on the back of his head tensed, becoming tight as his ears stood up to listen—the sounds that Boomer made while sleeping always intrigued him—and he watched as Spike cradled the smaller dragon. It was obvious from Spike’s actions that he cared for Boomer and her well-being. There was a question that Sumac longed to ask, but he didn’t want to hurt Spike’s feelings, and perhaps he was better off not knowing the answer.
A dragon, like a pony, was more than the sum of their instincts.
Shivering, Sumac sat by the fire after being outside for far too long. Ponyville was a good bit warmer because the sun shined on it, but Lulamoon Hollow already felt like it was in the throes of winter. As he sat there with his teeth clattering and chattering together, Dandelia threw a blanket around him. It was heavy, a little coarse, and already warmed.
Half awake, Boomer had crawled into the fire and was now sound asleep again.
The scent of spiced cider, sweet cocoa, and the lingering smell of breakfast filled the room. Ponies were gathered in groups and it was mostly quiet. Sumac couldn’t help but notice that Twilight was smiling and laughing. He also couldn’t help but notice that she seemed to have inherited some natural gift towards deceit from her parents, or perhaps they knew what was going on and they too, went along with the act. Sumac couldn’t tell up from down anymore.
“So,” Sumac said as he looked Dandelia right in the eye. He could feel one of his moods coming on and he was just a teeny, tiny bit confrontational. It bothered him that Twilight was miserable. “Where do I fit into all of this? What happens with me?”
“Whatever do you mean?” Dandelia asked.
“I am my mother’s son, but she didn’t birth me. What becomes of me after all of this settles?” Sumac felt a deep sense of satisfaction when Dandelia began to squirm, and he couldn’t help but notice that every eye in the room was now focused upon him and his exchange with his grandmother. He could hear cups rattling on saucers as magic trembled.
“Well, you are—ahem—adopted, so we can’t include you as family. Lulamoon Hollow is for the Lulamoons. You are welcome to live here, of course, should you desire to when you get older, but if you are wondering if you can be an heir, I am very, very sorry, but you will have to learn to live with disappointment.”
The pendulum swung and once more, Sumac wasn’t too fond of his grandmother. There was something haughty about her voice, her mannerisms, and her entire demeanour. Yet, she was trying to be kind to him. She did seem sincere when she was nice. More than anything, Sumac just felt confused and just a little bit angry.
“And that right there is why I am leaving the first chance I get.” Trixie’s voice was acidic and dripped with bile. “As soon as the will is read and everything is resolved, I am getting out of here, even if it means I have to walk home to Ponyville and I’m taking Sumac with me.”
“I was trying to be diplomatic—”
“YOU DIDN’T TRY VERY HARD!” Baring her teeth, Trixie glared daggers at her mother.
“Dandy Lion, your words had a cruel bite to them.” Twilight Velvet’s words cut through the tension like a knife and Dandelia flinched as she heard them. “I’ve said it so many times, you never stop to think about how you sound to others. As your friend, I know that you mean well, but all too often, your words are careless.”
“A trait I have no doubt passed along to my daughter.”
Something about his grandmother’s words made Sumac boil over. The back of his neck was now hot enough to roast potatoes on and the heat in his ears was painful enough to bring tears to his eyes. Reaching out with his telekinesis, he snatched up a cup of cocoa, heated it to scalding in seconds, and then chucked it at Dandelia’s head with as much force as his rage could muster.
Again, it was Twilight who prevented disaster. The cup halted, frozen in place, a mere inch or less from Dandelia’s face. Both of her now purple eyes crossed as she stared down at the cup and its scalding, steaming contents. As she sat there, staring in shock, Trixie had already pulled Sumac into a protective hug, fearing her own mother’s reprisal.
There was a crackle and Trixie was gone.
Looking infuriated, Princess Luna cast a fierce glance around the room and her eyes glittered with withheld anger. The corner of her left eye twitched and her left ear bobbed in time to her eye tics. The muscles in her neck rippled and her wings fluttered against her sides. As she opened her mouth, everypony in the room flinched, expecting her to begin shouting.
“We cannot leave you alone for any length of time, can We?” Princess Luna’s quiet whisper was somehow even more terrifying than her shouting. Disappointment and anger made her eyes gleam in a manner almost maternal. “You”—she pointed at Dandelia—“We are most displeased with you and there will be words later. You have earned a lecture from your Matron.”
Like a kicked foal, Dandelia wilted away from Princess Luna’s harsh glare.
“It is Our belief that Twilight was foolish to save you. Perhaps a scalded muzzle might teach you some much needed humility.”
“I’m sorry—”
“Silence your tongue!” Princess Luna’s words carried with them the irresistible compulsion of magic and Dandelia’s mouth kept moving, but no words came out. “We spent most of the night last night, Our glorious, miraculous night, We might add, in the bowels of the royal archives and We are sickened by the actions of Arcturus, Our long distant son. Whatever good he might have accomplished, whatever stability, whatever glorious future he secured for this fiefdom, it is all left tainted by his actions and his vile, repulsive, disgusting acts! His love of slatterns and scullery maids has shredded any last vestiges of royal dignity from this family.”
Shaking her head, Princess Luna added, “Your only redeeming qualities seem to be your unwavering loyalty to mine sister.”
Shamed, Dandelia hung her head.
“We shall go and extract Miss Lulamoon from her chambers so that the will might be read and so that We might leave this place. We feel soiled for having stood in this tower where so much vileness has taken place. We wish to be gone.”
Ears drooping, mouths sagging, both Twilight Velvet and Night Light looked at Dandelia with pained expressions…
Can't help it Battle Royale!
Wait for 10:22 discord Kaiju class.
I'm not surprised you're tired, I'm pretty certain that's three chapters during one day, with no dip in quality.
A little surprised at Luna's response, though not displeased, it definitely seems the House of Lulamoon is in need of serious reform, if not being put out of its misery, and Luna's wrath could well be the catalyst for either. Not sure whether to be pleased Sumac can't be part of the house so he won't be tainted by it's corruption, or disappointed he won't have the opportunity to resurrect its faded honour. It appears Arcturus was more than a little of a hypocrite, given his reaction to Dandelia's apparent indiscretion and the revelations here.
At least Trixie and Sumac will soon be able to return to Ponyville, unless there's something unexpected in the will.
The insight's into Spike's relationship with Twilight are interesting as well, it's fascinating to see how draconic and pony psychology differs.
7741590
I was up till about 5AM, and then I was up again about three hours later.
I'm not sleep deprived at all.
That's why you don't piss off your goddess.
You get an immortal scolding.
I've said it elsewhere, and now I'll say it here: Sometimes, the best gift that you can ever give to someone is a good ass whuppin'.
YOU NEED TO SLEEP!!!
7741605
Oh Goddess, I wish I could!
7741610 Geez, staying up all night, ruining your health, why a follower could just die...
7741612
My health is already ruined. That's why I can't sleep.
What I need is rum. Lots of rum.
While I do not disagree with Luna's words, I think one has to take into account that Caper was Dandelia's father and that it is Luna's position that has given them their high pedestal in the first place. Dandelia is a product of her environment, and like Luna stated, it was a horrible environment.
While that does not excuse her harshness and snobism, and while I do not like her that much, she could be far worse I suppose.
7741610 It's political TV commentary deprivation, you need it to put you to sleep again, you miss it.
7741622
Dandelia has Stockholm Syndrome.
7741618 And now he's drinking... oh the fall of our great kudzuhaiku! Now, go drink your rum, go to sleep, and than write more chapters so I can read them! GO, OFF WITH YOU!
7741632
The rum is gone. I have no booze. Which is bad, because I'm having a really bad rheumatoid flare up and I'm in pain.
At about 3AM, I was running a 102 degree fever and I shivering uncontrollably.
7741610
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7741610
Have a sleeping pony for your troubles...
7741638 images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/22100000/Why-is-the-rum-always-gone-johnny-depp-22177012-500-183.gif
Bugger me it's 39°F there, hope you're rugging up?
7741638 Well shit, I know how you feel,(Well, how it feels to be sick with something at least.), my postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome has been flaring up the last few days, can't even leave my bed without almost passing out from dizziness and throwing up. Hope you feel better! (Oh god the hives)
I feel like you could make a fortune as a therapist in Equestria with all these interpersonal issues flinging themselves at each other.
Dandy clearly doesn't listen to others. Twilight warned her that Sumac was the one she should really be wary of. Personally I'm with Luna and I think she should have gotten hit with the cocoa.
So, Arcturus was a cheat with the servants?
And by god Sumac is getting temper tantrums a lot. Although, can't say I blame him. If someone was unsulting my mom constantly, they'd get a right hook. And Dandelia was so lucky, but at the same time, I feel bad for her obvious Stockholm Syndrome.
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Sumac's favourite morning pick me up.
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7741597 piss them off too much and your lucky if all you get is an immortal scolding..
7741594 Impressive amount of work in such a short time.
7741590 Not surprised at Luna's reaction in the least. She could of been more nasty also considering Luna went back to Canterlot I'm a little surprised not to see Celestia. I'm sure if she had found out Luna was upset and even a hint of why she'd add in her two cents as well. Not sure about kudzuhaiku's head canon but a will is just a statement of a person's last wishes. Maybe Trixie have to forfeit her inheritance bt she can leave.. Only point I ponder is Dandelia's statement that Sumac basically isn't part of the family and yet to the rest of Equestria he is Trixie's son
7741618 Mt work schedule has totally fubarred my sleep schedule working nights and maybe gettign 5-6hrs sleep between shiftd
7741670
Like any good nobleman...
7741670 Don't forget the slatterns (had to look that up but could have guessed )
Which makes this website seem strange?
https://kitchenslattern.com/tag/wine/
Especially there banner slogan.
I'm not sure why... but chapter 90 left me unsettled...
I was actually pretty happy at Twilight's reaction to the knowledge that Trixie was her sibling, but to then find out it was all an act... not to mention how jaded and bitter Twilight was... bothers me, it bothers me greatly. It's like, while there is hope and happiness still possible for a lot of the characters in the story, for her it seems like there's nowhere to go but down... especially as she seems to be setting herself up for direct confrontation with Celestia.
Damn it, now I'm going to be sad for the rest of the day.
7741746
Give the Princess of Friendship a chance.
7741760
I will, but only because of how much you've stuck to the mantra of the Weedverse you've created... you get dangerously close to being hopelessly bleak at times... if not borderline grim dark, and yet you always pull back at the last moment. It's one of the things I've really enjoyed about these stories.
Still... twists my feels into knots...
7741746 this is true for both celestia and Luna they keep pushing ponies like Tarnished Teapot , Twilight and Sumac they'll gonna get a surprise they won't like ether they'll break or they'll push back one way or the other and that won't be pretty but very need for celestia and Luna . Their both treating ponies like chess pieces and this particular chess pieces rival celestia and Luna in power and the signs are showing in all three that their getting fed up with this.
7741746
I think in a way it was real. It's just not the only way Twilight felt. It's not that she wasn't happy, but that she was happy and unhappy about different things in the revelation, but the expectations on her force her to bottle the negativity away. This, of course, makes her even more upset when she finally vents on her own -- enough to wonder if it was all an act.
It may be better than it looks though. These chapters make me think this particular Twilight is now an introvert forced to act like an extrovert, so the fact her venting was so mild is a relief. The type of tantrums Sumac is throwing when things get overwhelming are not limited to children, so either Twilight is bottling more than we know, or Twilight is dealing with everything remarkably well.
What the heck was that for you S-class tail-hole of an author?!?!?! Why did you have to send everything crashing down on Trixie's mother like that? Are you trying to prevent mother and daughter from reconciling their differences like that so they could have a more pleasant relationship?
7741873 What, Trixie's supposed to forget an entire lifetime of resentment and hostility overnight?
Now to wait for the landmine that's probably in the will.
7741960 On top of that, the way her mother phrased things basically said "Sorry, commoner, you can be a servant, but you will never be a Lulamoon."
Trixie had a RIGHT to be pissed, so did Sumac, and remember - they had only just hours before even agreed to give her a chance. You don't forgive and forget everything in hours, days, or even weeks.
7741873 Wow ! Hold your ponies there ! Kudzu´s stories are like that: emotional tsunamy, followed by a storm of shit feelings ´till the resolutions (sometimes) comes. Let the story develop...I´m sure a lot of things will happen during the will reading...
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Yeah, I was thinking these chapters really came in quick succession.
It was nice but all good things must allow time for kudz to rest!
And Spike is addressed! Right after those speculations, too. I am rather surprised.
The instinctiveness of his protectiveness of Twilight it... combined with how the adults were, no doubt, pushing for Twilight to be the best she could because of how important she was... well they both probably contribute to Spike's position as Twilight's assistant.
I'm interested in how Twilight feels about it, though. Someday!
I wonder if Pinkie knew the whole thing, or if she was only given a vague description. "The last pony" doesn't mean that he might not have told anyone before (I'm guessing Twilight knows, at least) but that doesn't say whether or not Pinkie knew the whole thing or just the general thing.... but maybe Pinkie was the one that fainted?
Or possibly someone he told afterward, softening the blow.
I'm... divided about Dandelia. I actually feel some sympathy for her, despite her being a haughty jerk who doesn't know if she will accept Sumac or not.
I guess mostly I feel like if she was dragged to it, she'd come around. Trixie was hardly much better, when she started out.
7741808
They are RULERS. Their job is to make chess pieces of their subjects - that is what ruling is, people who don't understand that often criticize any princess who isn't simpering over someone's individualistic comforts. There's the flock, which has its place but can't do anything individually - and has to be kept at least in working condition for the country to survive, and then there's exceptional individuals who can help with the former, and MUST help with the former because it cannot be allowed to destabilize.
You can't think of every single person as an individual or even their individual wants and desires. Think about being a ruler, are you going to be on a first name basis with say, fifty million people? Are you going to know their wants and desires? Will you go to their millions of houses for dinner? No? You won't because (you can't and) it's your job to see to it they can live their lives and do their part as one of the biggest wheels that makes the machinery of the country move, not to be their friend who worries about scraped knees and helps them pick out what to wear out.
When you have exceptional individuals who are needed to help you protect that big wheel, its interests, and keep it properly greased, what do you do with them? "Oh I sure hope they decide to help me, since I really need their help or all of society will crumble and good people will die in droves." Or do you start removing chances that they won't help you? Do you start pruning the tree of possibilities until they wind up in your corner wanting to be useful and helpful to protect their fellows? Relying on some 'inherent goodness' quality is a gamble, and you don't take big gambles with the lives of everyone who trust their well-being and safety and happiness to you by the millions. You don't flip a coin to decide if they all die or live, you hedge bets, you manipulate fortune and fate and outcome, you do whatever it takes to keep them alive and as safe and happy as you can possibly manage.
No matter what it costs you. Celestia did this when she chose to banish Nightmare Moon. She chose Equestria, and by extent, the world, over her sister's well-being. She chose to shear her family in half, to lose the pony who'd been there with her always, to save Equestria present and future, all those generations of ponies living their lives that day, and every day after for a thousand years. They've both sacrificed far more than Twilight or Sumac have to protect this nation, so while their grumbling and bitching about being herded in the right direction is something that, as a reader and individual little dot on a page that we all are in reality, we understand their feelings - at the same time they aren't the ones who know better. Twilight, up until the point she verbally condemned the others for this and just blurted it out to Sumac, at least understood this.
The greater good is all that matters. If even the pony gods will bleed and suffer for the greater good, why can't these little geniuses born with more talent and ability than everyone else? Excess consideration for their personal wants and needs if it interferes with what they can do for Equestria is unfair to Equestria, and wanting it so much they might do something about it is just selfishness. You can HOPE someone does the right thing for their own reasons - in which case, again, it's a coin flip whether they will or not (and they would likely still be resentful at times), or you can stack the deck so they're on hand to help you keep everyone else safe and the machinery running smoothly for the benefit of the lives of millions of others, and the world at large.
Think of this from the perspective of those in charge, who are loaded with the task of protecting and providing. Not some individual who doesn't like that people unknowingly or knowingly rely on them to see the next sunrise.
7742140
But by coming out right out and being direct, Twilight now has the best of both worlds. She has Sumac's spoken promise to help with 'Sorcerer' stuff and she has Sumac's happiness.
That's good princessin' right there.
7741618
That sucks. I hope you are able to get some sort of napping in during the day if you can't sleep at night. Because, despite what toddlers and children think, you're never too old for a nap if you need one.
7742190 Yes they are rulers and yes they can't know every one in their country or every pony under them.However one of the is a member of Stiff Upper Lip Society that funny thing is a very prominent member Helianthus who turns out to be a sentient piece of celesta's soul. the other is a fellow princess. And of course you have Sumac who is a child a fairly powerful child but still child. celestia and Luna have been shown in one way or the other the royal sisters have a vested interest in these three and not above doing their best to make sure that they follow a path that benefits the crown. and as shown in The Perilous Romance of Swans what's good for the country is only good only if it's their way. Twilight has a book that basically is a cheat sheet to some of the problems that their facing and ones their gonna face in the future of their economy but since Celestia disagree how twilight got the book it has to be ignored.
With Sumac they need to be careful cause if he snaps under the stress of all it he could be turned to the enemy side cause he feels he never had a choice and was forced to do what the crown wanted or else which when you think about it sounds like the basic argument for the equalist movement.
Dandy is simply suffering from lack of forethought. And dear boy is if fucking up a lot of this. And now i want to see those archives.
7742521
We never knew what was in those archives prior, right? This is new information?
There can be so much to keep track of sometimes.
Pardon, but wasn't Arcturus the name of Luna's own son from whom came the line of Lulamoons?
7742364
She takes after her mother.
Though assuming Sumac is anything like me if the older folks in his life had provided all the resources he needed to pursue the avenues they wanted him to and suggested that it might be an intriguing line of inquiry and left him to his own curiosity he would have ended up pursuing one of them. Pressure him however subtly, and that stubbornness kicks in.
7742754
Castor and Pollux.
7742190 While perhaps taking a more direct and honest path might be a gamble, it is the honest one. It doesn't matter if something is for the greater good or not at the end of the day, because a lie is still a lie. No lie lasts forever. When the truth surfaces, it breaks trust and builds fear. With fear comes foolish actions that are harmful to all parties involved. Furthermore, While it is a rather cynical reality, the princesses have a very long time ahead of them to try such gambles or alternate solutions. They can sacrifice as many lives as they want in the long run. In a twist of their own logic, the ends justify the means, they can risk the destruction of society if the result is worth it. Which presents a valid argument supporting their logic as well an argument as to why it's flawed. I invite discussion.
Twilight had to choose between What is Necessary and What is Right.
She decided to do What is Right.
Personally I believe that she made the correct choice. Both choices had consequences but taking away someone's ability to choose their own future, especially at such a young age, is never the right thing to do.
...
unless Sumac is destined to become Pony Hitler ... Never be Pony Hitler kids. Someone named Godwin will fall from the sky and strike you down...