Teachings of a Very Smart Cookie

by pokefreak13

Lesson Three: Magic Can't Solve Everything

Smart Cookie’s garden was arranged in rows of six. Three rows held pumpkins that were about the size of a snowpony’s head. The other three held an assortment of butternut squash and turnips. A picket fence aligned the vegetables.

“This is amazing I...what is that?” Celestia asked while pointing a hoof at the bathroom window that overlooked the garden. Below it was a slowly fading mound of bubbles that, if they were thrown any closer, would’ve been on top of the turnips.

Cookie raised an eyebrow at Celestia. “Ya sure ya don’t know who the culprit is?”

Celestia lowered her ears. “Luna. Smart Cookie, I am so sorry for my dear sister’s lack of judgment.”

Cookie only chuckled. She grabbed a pail near the side of the house and set it near the bubbles. “When yer sister decides to join us, ah’ll just have her clean this mess up.” She turned back to Celestia, a sparkle in her emerald eyes. “So today ah’ll teach ya how to check the plants for any damage.”

Celestia used her magic to gently lift up one of the many pumpkin vines. “Don’t you just have to check the leaves or vines for bug bites?” She lifted her purple eyes to the rows of pumpkins. “Also, why do you have so many pumpkins? If you don’t mind me asking that is.”

Cookie rubbed the back of her neck. How would she explain the nature of her boss to these fillies? “Well, um, my boss loves throwing a harvest festival. So I grow the pumpkins for her.”

Celestia’s eyes widened. “You’re not a boss of any sort? But y-you’re so intelligent and brave and patient!” Her wings begin to quiver. “That must mean your overseer must be something extraordinary! Is she some wise saint? A highly intelligent scholar? Or is she a mighty knight?”

“If only.” Cookie muttered under her breath.

“What was that?”

“N-never mind! Let me teach ya all ya need to learn about checking a vegetable to see if anything’s wrong with it.” Cookie returned to Celestia’s side before tapping a pumpkin that was in the midst of turning orange. “Now, checking for bug bites is a good start. But ya also need to check to see if the color is vibrant and if the texture is what ya expect it ta be.”

Celestia used her magic to lift up a pumpkin ever so slightly above the ground. “How do you check if they’re all connected by vines?”

Smart Cookie smiled. “Lots of patience.”

Cookie and Celestia worked side by side, silent save for a few remarks from Cookie. She smiled at Celestia who was trying her hardest to chase away any aphids that were feasting on the lush leaves. When they were done with the first row, a set of hoofsteps diverted their attention to the house. Luna appeared in seconds with crumbs surrounding her muzzle.

“Wait I-darn it, you guys started without me, didn’t you?” Luna whined.

“Well, now that you’re here, clean up the mess you made.” Celestia said while pointing at the bucket beneath the window.

Luna shifted her gaze to that direction, but raised an eyebrow at her sister. “What mess?”

Celestia did a double take. The bubbles that were once there seemed to have disappeared, leaving nothing but a faint residue on the dirt. “Wha-how?”

“Just put the contaminated dirt in the bucket. Ah’ll refill that spot when we’re done.” Cookie said.

“Okay!” Luna sang.

As her younger sister got to her task, Celestia couldn’t help but feel anger towards her sister. Luna’s carelessness with the soap could’ve ruined some of Cookie’s squash, yet her sister gets off semi scot free. Celestia glanced at Cookie who was busy checking on a butternut squash. Why is Smart Cookie so passive when it comes to my sister? Then an idea flared to life inside of her mind. I know! I’ll just use magic to speed up the process of checking on the squash and turnips. Then Luna can’t help and she’ll be properly punished for her carelessness.

So Celestia’s horn crackled to life. The rows of vegetables were engulfed in brilliant blue aura. Cookie raised an eyebrow at Celestia while Luna, who noticed bugs and off colored squash slowly levitating off the ground, tossed her bucket aside, her eyes full of fear.

“Tia don’t-!” Luna shouted.

“What is she-oh no.” Cookie pressed herself against the fence. A gigantic mass comprised of the unwanted organisms swirled in the sky.

Sweat dripped from Celestia’s forehead. She tried to move the sphere away from the garden. Her magic fizzled in and out of power, allowing bugs and the unwanted squash to splat on the ground.

“Tia, stop! You’re over...you’re using too much power.” Luna said.

“I-I’m f-fine.” Celestia huffed.

“Celestia, stop using your magic,” Cookie said, but the pounding in Celestia’s ears muted Cookie’s plea.

Luna lit up her horn and fused her magic with Celestia’s. The mass moved quicker away from the garden until it reached the forest’s edges. Then, the two sisters released their magic. A giant thud shook the ground as the bugs and unwanted food slammed against the ground.

Celestia wiped the sweat from her brow. “And done.” She looked over at Cookie who was scowling. “Heh, um, yes?”

“What were you thinking, Tia? If I hadn't help, who knows what would’ve happened?” Luna stomped her hoof. “What is up with you? Now I won’t be able to learn how to garden!”

“I did it because you got off way to easy! Those bubbles you threw out of the window could’ve ruined Cookie’s harvest!”

“At least the bubbles weren’t some giant bug invest sphere that could’ve destroyed not only Cookie’s garden, but also her home!”

“Its pronounced big infested and-“

“ENOUGH!”

Luna and Celestia cowered low to the ground, their eyes hesitantly turned to face Cookie. The mare had tears in her eyes, but she tried to wipe them away.

“What am ah even doing?” Cookie muttered before looking at the two sisters. “Do ah have ta be stricter? Or are y’all better off being with a unicorn?”

“You’re a great substitute mom, Cookie.” Luna said.

Cookie picked up a bruised turnip and sighed. “Magic is completely out of my league. Y’all saw what happened, if Luna hadn't help, we all could’ve been injured, and ah couldn’t have done anything to save y’all.”

Luna shot a glare at Celestia before walking towards Cookie. “If it means I can’t live with you, then I won’t use my magic. I’ll be an earth pony just like you.”

Cookie chuckled and gently ruffled Luna’s mane. “Ah appreciate yer proposal, but ya have magic that needs ta develop. Ah just wish ah lived closer ta Clover, she’d probably help ya ta control yer magic.”

Celestia’s ears shot up at the mention of Clover. “I…how far away is Clover?”

“You want to live with whoever this Clover is?” Luna gasped.

“No I…that’s just a name I’ve heard mother talk about before.”

At the mention of their mother, Luna’s ears drooped. A choking silence fell across the trio. Cookie’s mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and ideas. Clover’s home was a good month’s trot from her cottage, but she may be the only unicorn who could help Celestia and Luna. The journey would be treacherous, and the state Cookie found the sisters before nulligated any notion of just sending them off to find Clover themselves.

“Ugh, I don’t want to think about this!” Luna picked up a bruised squash and tossed it into her bucket. “Let’s just harvest these plants and forget about whoever this Clover is.”

“Why don’t ya go inside? We’ll harvest tomorrow.”

“Fine.”

When Luna was inside, Cookie trotted towards Celestia who averted her eyes. “Clover is a good month’s journey by hoof. Y’all will probably be able to make it in half the time just by flying.”

“W-why are you telling me this?”

Cookie placed a reassuring hoof on Celestia’s shoulder. “Magic’s very important to you, right?” Celestia nodded. “Clover is ah great unicorn. If ya want to go to her right away, then ah won’t stop ya. But next week, if ya and yer sister still want to see her, then we’ll make the trek together.”

“Okay,” Celestia said with wide eyes.

Cookie nodded her head before heading out of her garden and towards her home. “Ya com’in?”

“Yeah, in a little bit.”

When Cookie disappeared, Celestia used her hooves and mouth to pick up the limp and bruised squash before dumping them into the bucket. After several minutes, she gave a small smile before heading inside to wash up.

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[The Fiery Phoenix]