A Cultural Exchange

by Illiad_Easle

An Exchange of Gardens

They traveled back up the path from the yard to the manor, then crossed over to where the remnants of the black wrought iron fence lie. From there, they cut the opposite direction as Blackwater Ridge was in, instead coming down the mountainside steeply for a few yards, until the crags around them formed a sort-of 'bowl', with a single, narrow little cleft in the rocks to squeeze in through.

And squeeze was the proper word to use in this case; it was a tight fit for Dax, and Illiad had a moment where he was almost stuck... but managed to pop through to the other side...

And it was a garden, but not in any traditional sense; it looked as though this had once been a place to entertain guests. There were the ruins of a gazebo-style structure, as well as two exquisite statues of Celestia and Luna, both at opposite ends of the 'garden' entrance, looming over whomever came through.

And there were trees, but no two trees were alike here - each one was a different type of flora, though all existing within the same, small area... small being roughly the size of a grand ballroom, in this case.

And everything, EVERYTHING had some sort of moss, algae, vine or fungus growing on it; even the statues had a layer of algae and ivy on them that gave one the eerie impression of the princesses being held captive in stone. It gave what would be a peaceful place a bit of a foreboding feel.

In the far corner, however, was a patch of dirt that was completely and absolutely barren - not even ivy reached out for it, growing away from the spot. It was this exact spot that Dax came to a halt on top of as he turned and motioned with a hoof to the lush green surroundings.

"This is the garden; my ancestors used to host tea parties here... but not normal tea parties, because it was very exclusive to ever be invited. Some family historians wrote records of possible secret cults and sects that met here, long ago. But the part I know about best is the one that deals with Lotus Black."

He grinned. "She had a green shoe, but she was kinda weird - she was a skilled botanist, and crossbred plants for scientific research. She ended up creating a reflexive/defensive plant that had pods big enough to swallow ponies whole... but they derived all their nutrients from soil alone, so they were just defensive measures - they'd hold the intruder until Lotus came to release them. She supposedly knew how to talk to them... and they would talk to her, in turn."

He walked along the ridge's edge, looking over the rows of jet black roses and eye-blastingly red zinnias.

"From what I've read from her diary, she spent all her time and effort tending to her plants, and spurned any romantic advances made toward her. This infuriated one thestral so much, he had a spell conjured to turn her into one of her precious plants for a day - an attempt to gain her attention. However, her uncle Weapon's journal says the spell backfired when she attempted to counter it with her magic - she exploded into a fine black mist, and was never seen nor heard from again."

He stepped next to the Trojan, and pointed to the bare patch of ground. "THAT is where it happened; the plants won't grow there out of reverence for her. It sounds nuts... but look how even the kudzu avoids it."

He shrugged. "But almost all of her amazing pod plants died within a month of her end - but seeds remained. Over the years, most of them got lost or misplaced. Of them all, only ONE seed survived, and the single solitary living remains of my ancestor's work is that little plant in the Celadon urn, sitting in Father's study. THAT is the last living Lotus Pod; did you notice it when you were in there?"

Illiad was saddened upon arrival that such a beautiful spot had been left to be reclaimed by the mountain. It seemed to him a waste that it had become so overgrown and less usable. He was especially saddened by the state of the statues. Oh that certainly won't do. He had immediately set to work in carefully removing what he could from the statue of Luna, transplanting moss and wrapping the vines and ivy in other places so that the statue could stand clear of it. Anything that would be killed by his attempts to move he left, he wasn't a botanist after all and he didn't want to hurt anything that lived here.

He was further saddened to hear about what had happened here, "That's... unfortunate. Though it surprises me that the garden was left alone in her absence. I would think a memorial of some sort would have been built rather than allowing her garden to outgrow any trace of her presence. I did notice that odd plant in the office, though I don't really know plants so I didn't pay much attention to it."

He looked around with a sad expression on his face. Perhaps it was a bit of his father within him, but he saw that this place had so much potential, had reached some extent of it, and them was abandoned, a shadow of its former glory. Whether it was grief or inability that led to it, the result was saddening to him. Worst of all was that he felt compelled to help, to make it better, but he knew he lacked the skills, resources, and ability to do so.

"I dunno... the place has kind of a sanctity to it, y'know? Like a little secret grove where- HEY!"

He trotted up next to Illiad as he cleaned the vines from the statue of Luna. "Hey, you're ruining the ambiance! You can't just..."

Seeing that it was already done, he gave a slight sigh. "Well... I suppose if you're gonna do THAT, then..."

He made his way over to Celestia's statue and grabbed a vine, pulling it hard to get it to let go of its' stony prey.

"Theef statufe whurr made bah wunno my anfefterf, too... Chifel Bwack..." His mouth full of vine, it was difficult to make out what he was saying, but Illiad could probably catch the gist. At any rate, the vine gave way, and a small blanket of moss came with it.

Letting go of the now defunct creeper, he continued. "Chisel was one of the greatest sculptors who ever carved a stone - but she never believed in fame, and already had a fortune, so her work's pretty much exclusively here at the quarry; a lot of the statuary in Blackwater Ridge is her hoofwork. My grandfather supposedly tried to sell some of it, but..."

A dark look and emotion crawled through Dax Blackwater like a sewer rat slithering into a slimy drainpipe; it was a strange thing to come from the usually chipper and kind stallion... it was a very controlled, distant sort of anger that was usually attributed to a long-ago betrayal or disgrace.

Whatever it was, Dax grew quiet and kept pulling floral detrius from Celestia's pedestal.

Illiad felt a small bit of pride at what he had been able to accomplish on the Luna statue despite being chided by Dax for his efforts. "Ambiance or not, it's pretty disrespectful to let such statues become overgrown. At least in Troy it's like an insult to the princess in effigy. Besides, it's bad for the statue if it wasn't designed to have plants on it as they contribute to erosion and other destructive factors on them. These seem to still be in decent shape though."

A thought occurred to him, he didn't know about Luna until he arrived in Troy, only Nightmare Moon, and this statue was not of Nightmare Moon, so either this statue was around a thousand years old, or they knew about Luna long after she had gone. "How old are these statues exactly? They seem in very good condition to be as old as I think they are, especially considering the effect of the overgrowth."

Dax considered the question for a moment.

"Well... Chisel Black lived here around... uhhhhhm... eight hundred years ago, give or take a decade. So I'd gauge they're at least THAT old. Been around here for a long time."

He placed a hoof on the statue of Celestia, looking up at them both. "Chisel was a master sculptor; her work was lauded and praised by art critics and geniuses alike... but she refused to sell her art, preferring instead to simply give her work away as gifts. That's why there are SO few of her works among ponykind today - in fact, it'd be safe to say that the Blackwater Quarry has the biggest and most exclusive collection of Chisel Black's work anywhere!"

His gaze kept going from one statue to the other, back and forth. "Y'know... I don't even think either princess has ever seen these. How would they? Chisel kept mostly to herself and her students - didn't get out much."

He stepped away from the overgrown podium, and turned back to Illiad. "Why'd you ask?"

Illiad managed to look away from the statue of Luna to look at Dax and the rest of the garden, "Oh, I asked because of the statue of Luna, I hadn't heard of her before I went to Troy, I'd only ever been told about Nightmare Moon. I had assumed then that the statue had been carved back when ponies would still know of Luna instead of Nightmare Moon, I just wanted to confirm. They are certainly in very good condition for being so old, especially after having been so overgrown. Statues in Troy generally don't last this long unless a special effort is expended to preserve and restore them on a regular basis, but that's more due to our climate and weather above anything else."

Another thought came to him, "Is the garden watered? It seems to be the only explanation as to how this place stays so green and alive if it doesn't rain here."

Dax shook his head. "Nope; runoff from the frosty Crystal Mountaintops flows underground through tunnels made by melting water flow for centuries... the garden sits directly above one of the thinnest parts of one of the bigger tunnels. The plants here get their water from underground, not the sky."

Dax seemed puzzled for a moment, then gave Illiad a strange look.

"Y'know... it's never occurred to me before to even wonder WHY it doesn't rain here... I just don't know why I haven't thought about it before. But I don't think I can ever-... wait."

Dax lifted his thoughtful brow. "Well... actually, I DO remember it raining here, but it was when I was still a foal; I can tell you for a fact that it hasn't rained here for at least a decade. Not that it matters to anypony - between the water tower, the family spring and Silver's pipes, we get all the water we need."

His brow furrowed once again. "... so why in Tartarus does it never rain here? And why haven't I asked this before?"

Illiad shrugged, it seemed a good enough explanation. "Silver actually asked the same question when I shared a dream with her, Selena's looking into it and we should have an answer to that shortly, though I wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with Taps. If she has something like the Jinx stone she could very well have something that could be interfering with the weather here."

He gave a slight smile, "Until Selena comes up with something perhaps it would be best not to worry about it for now. We'll get our answers eventually."

He took a moment to look around the garden a bit closer now that he wasn't so busy clearing off the statue of Luna. "This is a very nice garden."

Dax nodded and stared at the devegetated statuary. Then...

"Do you think the princesses would like to have these? Y'know, for the Royal Gardens? I mean, they're not doing anything but sitting here, so they're kinda going to waste... do you think, if I got permission from Father, that there would be some way to give these to them as gifts?"

The features, even with the age of years weighing on the statues, were crisp and sharp; each and every contour perfectly shaped and carved to match the subjects. Celestia looked benevolent and proud; Luna, exotic and mysterious. Even their eternally flowing manes were perfect, seemingly frozen in time - it was as if a cockatrice had gotten to the princesses themselves, they were so well-crafted. Chisel Black had, indeed, been a master of the art form - they almost looked ready to spring to life.

"I mean... maybe they should be on display for everypony, instead of just me. It would certainly be a..."

A twang of yearning and loneliness wobbled through Dax for a moment, then it passed as he gave a soft little sigh.

"... a nice gift for them, don'cha think? Do you think they'd appreciate them... or do you think it's better to just leave 'em where they are? I mean, they ARE a family heirloom, so to speak... but why keep something this pretty all to yourself?"

He grinned. "That's why I brought YOU here, of course. I'm glad you like it."

Illiad nodded his agreement, "That would certainly be a nice gift to them, provided your parents approved that is. I'm sure they would be able to appreciate such art as we have."

He gave another smile towards Dax, "I'm glad you were willing to bring me here, it is indeed a very nice place."

Dax nodded and smiled, walking over to one of the weeping willows and running a hoof through its' foliage for a moment. As he did, the Empathic felt his mood slide down a few notches... but no reason why on his face. However, when he spoke it became a bit clearer.

"Illiad... I'm kinda scared."

He began a very thorough investigation of one of the willow's branches, focusing his eyes on the greenery while his words sought his friend's ear.

"I've never really been outside of the quarry much; heck, I was only in school for a year before Mother and Father pulled me from it and got me tutors. I have my camp, yes - but it's not the same as simply trotting a while away; I'm not gonna be anywhere NEAR here. I've spent almost my entire life behind the quarry's walls, and as you've no doubt seen, it's rarely dull here... but now, I have the opportunity to see more of the world, right? I get to meet new ponies and travel to an exotic land and such..."

Now he looked at Illiad, and he did look a bit worried; his emotions were more excited than hesitant... but he couldn't seem but help being nervous.

"... but what if I accidentally embarrass myself? Or YOU? What if I say or do the wrong thing, and make someone angry? What if they really DO hold a grudge against me, simply because of Celestia? I mean, not that I can't handle rejection, but... Illiad, what will I do if they HATE me?"

Dax closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then released it slowly; it did wonders for his mood, though there was still a bit of worry and concern there.

"Well... if they do, then they do - there's no pleasing everypony. I just hope that at least some of them like me."

Opeing his emerald peepers again, he looked to the unicorn.

"Maybe if you tell me a bit more about who you want to introduce me to, it'll help me feel better. Uhm... would it be okay for me to ask about who you plan to have me meet? I mean, like, REALLY tell me - like, how'd you MAKE these friends, or how long you've known them, or even what NOT to do in front of them... anything. The more I know now, the less nervous I'll be while we're there."

He moved over to an algae-ridden rock and took a seat on it. "Please... would you tell me more about your friends?"

Illiad adopted a concerned expression as he listened to Dax's worries, they were certainly legitimate and honestly some of the same concerns he had had when he first moved to Troy. He took a moment to think before responding, this was the sort of thing that would have to be done carefully if he wasn't going to scare Dax away.

His expression shifted to a more comforting look as he took a seat near Dax, "Those are all legitimate concerns to have, many of which I had myself when I came, though you have the benefit of someone who knows about the area to show you around. Embarrassment is temporary, and really you'd have to be trying to actually embarrass me. If you make someone angry I'll do what I can to protect you, and if they hate you for Celestia, then they'll have me to hate too, I'm not a full blooded Trojan after all, the fact that you're there should be evidence enough that you're different from the rest."

He took a deep breath as he prepared to talk about his friends, mentally deciding how much he would tell now, and what he would leave them to tell about themselves when they actually met. "As to my friends, I can tell you a bit about them, but there are some things they'd prefer to tell you themselves. So the first one we'll probably meet is Midget Hooves since I'll need to meet with him once we get to Troy. We met when I decided to run for office and Luna said that he would be a good pony to run with, so I guess I only met him a few months ago but he's really a great friend. He's pretty soft spoken in public but he can speak pretty powerfully when he feels strongly about something, which has given him quite the successful career in the councils so far."

"Then there's Glen the doe, she works as a guide for caravans traveling through the desert, usually she does the route to South Port, but occasionally she'll guide out to a buffalo tribe or to North Port, when she isn't guiding she's often exploring out in the deserts, she usually comes back with cool items she's found and she sells them from a little stall in the Trojan Market whenever she has enough. I met her about a year after I came to Troy, she's kind and rather exuberant when the mood strikes her. While she doesn't mind talk about her not being a pony, try not to make a big deal about it, it makes her feel awkward to be singled out and she might single you out as well if you do."

"Next is Swift Message, I met him the night after I moved in and he took it upon himself to show me around town and really made me feel involved in the community. I guess we've been friends since I first arrived then, so a total of about two and a half years. He carries the mail around Deltrot, so he's pretty busy in the evenings but still makes time to talk a bit when he drops off my mail in the morning."

"Finally there's Carbon Copy, I met him just before the changeling attack on Canterlot, he's pretty level headed, really focused on exactness when it comes to his work, though he does relax a bit around his friends, for him under no circumstances should you dis what he does, even in jest. He's very careful about his actions so any unnecessary jibe against them would make him mad at best, and locked up at worst. Oh! He works as an assistant jeweler as his talent is in diamonds, well carbon items more specifically as he can also do pretty cool things with coal and graphite. It goes well with his rather grey appearance."

Illiad thought for a moment to see if there was any he had forgotten, he seemed a bit disappointed that he only had four friends to tell Dax about. "There's also Steel Rose the griffon, she runs the local blacksmith shop and does the molds and castings of the printing plates I design, we'll actually see her on this trip when I go to get those stamps and watermarks made for your father. I wouldn't really consider us friends though, more friendly acquaintances since we work together on occasion. In the brief time we're with her, if you have anything to say about her talons, they'll have to be good things or you'll get a demonstration. I learned that one the hard way when someone else was a bit too xenophobic."

He looked over at Dax with a slight smile brought on by memories of his friends, "I hope that helps ease your worries, I'd be happy to answer some more questions about them if you have any."

Dax sat there, paying rapt attention to Illiad's descriptions of his friends. The Trojan could feel the level of concentration coming from him; he was doing his utmost to memorize what he was being told, for later use.

When the unicorn finished, Dax sat there a moment, then smiled up at Illiad.

"They sound remarkable - it must be really great to know so many others like that. They sound like they'd be pleased to meet me... at least, I hope they will be. I'll be glad to meet them, I'm fairly sure." He grinned sheepishly. "I'd ask more, but like you said - we should leave 'em SOMEthing to talk about, right?"

He pondered a moment more, then spoke up again. "Do they know I'm coming? I mean, I blabbed about you to everyone I could here - what about you? Did you talk about me to... well, anypony? If you did, did they have anything to say about me? About the exchange? Or did you not want to share it with anypony else, because of concerns and such?"

Illiad seemed ever so slightly dissapointed that Dax didn't have any questions to ask, but he was also thankful that Dax still had other questions for him to answer. "I'd hope they know you're coming, I did tell them that you'd like to meet them after all. Glen and Swift are the most excited to meet you. I did keep the news of my departure on the down low as I didn't want there to be much talk about it until afterwards lest some of my less savory political opponents move to sabotage it. Thus only Midget and the friends I mentioned know about why I'm gone. I didn't tell them too much about you as you need something to tell them as well, but even with the little I shared they're excited."

He moved to ruffle Dax's mane, prepared to straighten it if he objected, "Don't worry so much Dax, everything is going to be fine for your trip."

Dax smiled as he took the touseling in stride. He gave a chuckle as he smoothed it back down with a hoof, then looked over at Illiad.

"I know, I know... still, it IS good to hear from somepony else, though. Thanks, Illiad - all of this has meant so much to me, really; I couldn't have asked for a better opportunity... or a better outcome... or a better friend, I think!"

He gave the unicorn a quick but tight hug, the affection for the Trojan quite apparent in his mood and his muzzle. After such he stepped back and regarded his friend. Then, seemingly from nowhere...

"Uhm... okay, this might sound like a weird question, but... why is his name MIDGET Hooves? Is... is he small? OOH! Is he from Shettish Isles? I've heard ponies over there don't grow very tall at all - is he from Shetland?"

Non-stop, mile-a-minute thinking; that was certainly one of the young stallion's trademarks, and here was evidence to further that thought. Apparently, there WERE some questions after all...

Illiad gave a slight laugh at the response to Midget's name. "While he is a bit on the short side he isn't too much shorter than a normal pony. It's actually because his hooves are even smaller than normal. It doesn't help his appearance that he's generally meek in public, but again he speaks with real power when he gets involved and he is a pretty strong flyer too."

Illiad gave a good natured smile as he laughed again, "I'm glad you consider me such a worthwhile friend and this adventure worthwhile as well. I've had a wonderful time here and though our time is running out I don't really regret any of the time i've spent here."

Dax smiled in return, then made his way over to the statue of Luna, looking up at it with reverence.

"I'm glad you have. It's weird, y'know... I grew up here, so I guess I never really realized what an outsider would see in this place. The novelty of it wore off when I was still a foal; seeing you taking in so much from it all... well, it kinda makes me happy, just knowing you're enjoying being here."

"But really, none of the usual things around here seem all that strange to me... so I guess I've been kinda living vicariously through your first experiences here. And I gotta say - you certainly seem like you'd fit in here just fine. The staff likes you - even Redd, I think - and my parents adore you, from what I can tell. You've really left a mark here, Illiad - Mother's smiling a lot this week, plus Oglevy's apparently given up on tormenting you. Heck, you kinda ended up making more friends here than just me - I hope I can do half as well as you did here, when I get to Troy!"

He sighed happily... then:

"An assistant jeweler? Hmmmmm... do you think they'd know about Blackwater Emeralds? I mean, Father says that a Blackwater cut is always clean... still though, I wouldn't insult you friend's work; that's downright rude. You think he'd have heard of us?"

Illiad simply smiled at Dax's praising words, "Carbon's pretty young still, and again mostly works with diamonds, and it's pretty unlikely any Blackwater Emeralds have made their way down to Troy being Equestrian, so it isn't too likely that he's heard of them, but who knows? Maybe if you brought him one he'd be able to do something with it. And given Carbon directly shapes his works with his magic it is usually a perfect cut."

With those words, Dax's eyes lit up like stars, and his mood shot through the non-existent roof.

"Hey, yeah... in fact, why don't we take ALL your friends a present? I could EASILY do that!"

He now began pacing, his excitement bubbling up from him like a Spring of Adrenaline as he continued to talk out his idea aloud.

"Sure! I could bring Carbon Copy a REAL Blackwater Emerald, along with some uncut ones for... well, whatever! Then, let's see... OOH! I know!"

He continued his path back and forth along the cracked cobblestones and mulchy dirt, but turned to look at the unicorn.

"You say Swift Message goes all over the place, right? Maybe a REALLY sturdy, warm coat would make a good gift, right? Something utilitarian!"

He was on a roll, now...

"And, and... and I could find one of the SlimFlasks the miners use for Glen - they hold a LOT of water, but they're streamlined and thin, for better travelling - and I'm pretty sure that Silver would let me have a set of her Enchanted Mining Horseshoes for Steel Rose; Silver makes them about as fast as miners wear them out, and YOU know the kind of work she does, Illiad!"

He smiled broadly; if his grin grew any wider, the corners of his mouth would meet at the back, and his fool head would fall off.

"Speaking of shoes... maybe we could get a set of shoes for Midget Hooves that might help... uhm, 'lessen' his hoof issues, or at least some that would fit him well, right?"

Dax seemed to enjoy giving gifts - which Illiad himself had seen firsthoof how generous Dax Blackwater could be.

"Oh, it'll be AWESOME! I could have presents for them all - how's THAT sound, Illiad?"

Illiad gave a slight smirk at Dax's guesses for gifts to his friends, "I'm sure they'd appreciate whatever you give them, though it shows that you don't really know them with your suggestions. For Carbon and Glen you're spot on, I think they'd love those things. For Swift and Midget though, you're on the right track. Remember it's still pretty hot in the evening in Troy, which is when he does his mail route, he would probably appreciate the flask as well, especially if it could be made so he could drink from it in flight. As to Midget, while he's comfortable with his body it would be poor form to draw attention to him in that way, his dainty little hooves are hardly a hindrance to his life or work."

Illiad paused as he seemed perplexed as to what would actually make a good gift for Midget, then the idea struck him and his face brightened, "Oh! Midget loves pillows, the softer the better, really if you gave him a pillow he'd be your friend in an instant provided it's a good one."

His face shifted to be a little less humorous as he moved on, "As to Steel, I'm afraid a griffon wouldn't have much use for horseshoes, given she lacks hooves. If that same enchantment could be applied to an insulated forge gauntlet I'm sure she would be quite appreciative. Best would be to simply give her the enchantment so she could have a local unicorn apply it rather than trying to guess the dimensions of her talons."

Illiad smiled at Dax's kindness, his desire to give gifts to those he was about to meet, Illiad was a bit disappointed in himself that he hadn't thought to give his friends gifts himself, having always thought he didn't really have anything to give them, other than the changelings who insisted that his presence and openness for harvesting was the best gift they could ever receive. He resolved that he would try harder to be a better friend than he had been.

Dax listened to his suggestions, and started thinking further on the matter.

"Hmmmmmmmm... well, I'm sure Silver could give me a copy of her enchantment - it's a sort-of hardening spell, and it keeps the horseshoes from denting or cracking under the high-impact work they do... maybe she could use that on her anvil? If... uhm, if she uses one; I don't know about armorcrafting, so..."

He shrugged, but his mind was still moving along rapidly.

"And I could probably get another SlimFlask for Swift... but I like giving unique things; it'll feel weird giving the same thing to two different folks. Maybe... hmmmm... y'know, Taps would probably be able to point me to something a letter carrier could use, since she's always- OOH!"

His face lit up, as did his mood.

"I could get Swift a new satchel! YEAH! Taps' had a hole in hers - that's what made me think of it! Sure! A REALLY sturdy satchel, one that can put of with a lot of wear and tear; something that'll stand up to sand blasting away at it. Yeah, that's perfect..."

He started pacing again; apparently, Dax was serious about his gift-giving... of course, Illiad had already seen, firsthoof, how Dax enjoyed gift-giving. As well as how thoughtful he tried to be when he did so.

Speaking of which, whatever happened to those donuts from Pony Joe's that he'd gotten?

"A good pillow... a good pillow... a good-... y'know, I'll bet Mother would be happy to donate one of her silk pillows for this trip! As extravagant as HER tastes are, I can guarantee that it'll be soft, smooth and oh-so-comfy - Mother NEVER sleeps on anything but top-quality sheets, blankets and pillows; she's got so many, I'm certain she'd let me have one if I asked."

He smiled at the Trojan, the very picture of kindness. Among the statuary and foliage here, Dax may have been dwarfed... but his precious heart almost made him seem bigger than the entire quarry, at times.

Illiad was again impressed by the level of thought Dax put into his gift giving. Illiad hadn't seen any problem with giving some identical gifts provided each would get a similar level of enjoyment out of them, but he could agree that given the situation it would be a bit more special if they did all get unique gifts. "I'm sure Rose will be able to put the enchantment to good use, if she were to add it to the items she makes it would definitely help her business, in fact she might just make the plates for free in exchange, she never was one to accept gifts without swift repayment."

Illiad too was getting a bit swept up in the excitement, though the seclusion of the garden itself lent its own calming aura to the pair, allowing them to both be excited and think clearly about their decisions. "That does sound like a good pillow for Midget, he does like soft things after all. Though for Swift, the Trojan Postal Service is a bit stricter on what their carriers use than the Pony Express is, thus his mailbag is provided and maintained by the service, but I think we're on the right track with Taps, she would probably know of something that would be a big help to a mail-carrier."

The thought of the doughnuts made him realize just how hectic the whole week had been, that night had been the king, then the next morning right off to Canterlot, he didn't return to the camp where he had left them until Havoc, and had that been just yesterday? Well, those doughnuts were no doubt stale by now, but at least he'd still have the cloak and the book. A shame they didn't get the chance to enjoy those doughnuts though.

"Swift repayment? For a gift?" Dax chuckled a bit. "Somehow, I don't think that's how gift-giving works... but if she's that keen on giving something back, maybe I could just ask to be her friend - heck, I plan to ask ALL of your friends that!"

He cocked his head to the side and lifted an eyebrow; a look of curiosity. "Well, I guess we could check with Taps; she WOULD know better, and it's a fair bet that she could direct us to something more along that line. But, Illiad..." He looked at his friend in earnest. "... I kinda got the impression you didn't like her - you sure you'd be okay with going back to see her again?"

Illiad gave a slight chuckle at the comments on Steel's peculiar ways, "Yeah, Steel has yet to call us friends despite our efforts. She returns gift giving efforts swiftly because she doesn't like feeling like she's in anyone's debt. Don't be offended if she doesn't call you her friend while you're there, she won't have known you for all that long after all."

At the mention of his apparent feelings about Taps Illiad looked a bit chagrined, "Well, while she can be rather abrasive at times and we may not see eye to eye on most things, it's not like I hate her for having a different opinion and outlook on life and the world. We have a bit of an understanding. Besides, when we left I got the feeling she might have wanted us to spend a little more time with her."

Dax sighed softly, grinning as he came back over to Illiad.

"Uhm... speaking of which... I was wondering something. You've spoken to Princess Luna kinda often from what I gather, and you have her ear, right? Would it be possible for you to send her a letter, asking her if she and Celestia would be interested in Chisel's statues? I figure you'd have a better chance at having your letter read than I might - she knows you - so it would get through much quicker than if I tried to, I think."

Illiad felt a slight tremble in Dax's mood; that crush on Luna again, no doubt. But for what it was worth, he didn't speak a word of it... but as an Empathic, Illiad was well aware that Dax didn't NEED to say anything.

"So... would you be willing to be my, uhm... my... 'emissary' in this venture?"

Illiad's face grew a bit more serious, though still smiling and excited, at the talk of Luna, "While my own letters would likely reach her faster, there is no doubt in my mind that she would be excited to read a letter from you. Unlike Celestia she doesn't get much in the way of fan mail from Equestrians, and even most Trojans look up to her too highly to see her as anything other than a symbol really, instead of a potential friend. There are some though and she's mentioned how much she enjoys reading those letters. Nevertheless, if you want me to, and your father approves, I will let the princesses know about the statues and see if they would be interested in them."

At mention of Luna, the butterflies in Dax's stomach started doing their fluttering number again; Illiad could feel the hope and anxiousness of that deep-seated crush bubbling inside the young stallion again. But outwardly, Dax only smiled.

"Well... I might, at that. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? No reply, right?" A quick ripple of worry across his emotional plains. "But I think I'll wait until after I get home from Troy; that way, I'll have SO much to write to her! I can even mention you, and how absolutely wonderful it's been being your buddy!"

His expression brightened in talking of Luna, "I'm sure she'd love to hear about anything you'd want to tell her. However, despite the fact that you know about Selena you should not convey any of that knowledge by any other means than dreams and private verbal conversation. If it were to be written than there's always the chance that others could get a hold of it and get suspicious."

Dax looked at Illiad. "Don't worry - as far as I'm concerned, NOBODY is to know about Selena... except you, me and Silver, right? Oh, and of course, Her Majesty."

But there was one more who might not have known much, but who HAD gotten a glimpse of her; Knee Slapper had been in the tunnels with Illiad when they were fighting the guard, and Selena DID show up there, so it was possible that there would have to be one more pony to swear to secrecy... that is, if Knee even REMEMBERED it had happened, that was.

Dax looked about the garden one more time, then turned to Illiad. "Your call - where to next?"

Illiad sighed as he looked around the garden one last time, "I guess we should go back to Taps real quick before dinner, then we'll have plenty of time on our trip to Troy to ensure we can get whatever she thinks would make a good gift for Swift."

Hearing the suggestion to visit Taps again, Dax grinned. "Yeah, the only time she ever gets company is when somepony has a letter to deliver - or me, of course. Otherwise, she spends most of her free time in the Pony Express office; she must spend it upstairs, because she sure doesn't stay behind the desk when her job's done for the day."

Illiad had seen The Closet; as much as was there, it wouldn't be a bad guess to assume that she was probably tending to her charges. The Trojan had seen rows upon rows upon rows of shelving down there, each filled with magical artifacts... chances were that poor Taps never really got a day off from her REAL job.

Dax took one last look around the garden, sighed happily, then turned to go.

"C'mon, Illiad - we can probably chat her up inside the office... y'know, so she can TALK to us this time?"

Apparently, Dax HADN'T forgotten the events of the other day; was Taps' artifact pillow on the fritz? What did she call it again?

From his own understanding, the pillow only made events seem less important rather than forgotten, and with things involving Illiad being rather important in Dax's own life it presented a contradictory set where Dax would both think it less important and more important at the same time. In the long term it would be the first thing about this exchange that he would forget, but not as quickly as he would forget most other things.

He wasn't worried about swearing Knee to secrecy either as Knee wouldn't really have much to go off of and was sworn to secrecy about the events of the cave anyway.

Illiad gave a slight smile as he followed Dax out of the garden, "It will be nice to not have to interpret her charade again, as cute as it was when I first met her it quickly becomes annoying when you know she could just tell you directly if she wanted to. Nonetheless, let's get moving."

Author's Note:

In which Illiad and Dax spend a pleasant afternoon in an overgrown garden.

Feel free to comment or PM me any questions/comments/concerns/suggestions you might have.

The next chapter, An Exchange of Taps, will take a bit longer to come out than these have. Just stay tuned and more updates will come shortly.

Comments

[Randimaxis]

Lotus Black, Chisel Black, Serious Black... all characters that are either mentioned in my own story, or who're slotted to have a chapter in it. I sort of wedged them in for flavoring in this story - if I ever really get any requests for more background, I'll probably be more motivated to finish them... but until then, I suppose these scant mentions will have to do.

The change from 'Black' to 'Blackwater' is a chapter unto itself... but let's just cut it short and tell you it was for love.