And More
Months later...
I squatted behind a lab table deep inside the Golden Oaks library. An array of alchemical solutions bubbled and frothed before me as I dipped a crystalline compound into a liquid container.
"Is it working?" a unicorn mare asked, leaning over me.
"I... do believe so..." I said. I raised a pair of lab goggles up over my forehead and smiled at the chemical reaction taking place on the work station before me. "Once again, Amethyst Star, you're a life saver! This is just what Spike needs to make his predatory repellent spray!"
"Oh!" Amethyst Star trotted happily in place, giggling. "Oh, that's so wonderful! I've been working on those crystals for days! I was really hoping they were enchanted just right!"
"Why should we be surprised?" I smiled at her. "You always deliver the best reagents."
She bit her lip, smiling bashfully. "I try my best..."
Wheels suddenly scraped over the wooden floor of the laboratory.
"Scootaloo?!" I hollered over my shoulder. "What has Spike told you about riding that thing around the lab?"
"Whoops! Eheheh... my bad!" The adolescent pegasus parked her scooter to a stop and flew the rest of the way. "Force of habit." She landed beside me and Amethyst Star, observing our work. "I came back with the extra glass vials—whoah! Is that the reagent we were waiting for?"
"Yup!" I nodded. "Unless my ingrained metallurgical skills have gotten rusty."
"And they never do!" Scootaloo raised her goggles and smirked at Amethyst Star. "Thanks a ton, Amethyst. Thanks to you, Spike can clear the edge of Everfree Forest from carnivores—just in time for the Breezies to finish their migration safely!"
"It was my pleasure," Amethyst said. "But you should really be thanking Gold Petals here. It was her idea to work with me again."
"Yeah. Funny." Scootaloo scratched her chin in thought. "It's the third time this month that she's specifically referred Spike to you—"
"AHEM." I placed my instruments down and turned about. "Scootaloo and I have lots of work to do!" I smiled in Amethyst's direction. "At least... if we're to finish in time to join you and the rest of the girls at the card game tonight."
"Sugarcube Corner?" Amethyst Star asked. "Eight o'clock sharp?"
I winked. "I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world." I folded my forelimbs. "Just tell Lyra that she better not be dealing a stacked deck again or else I'll talk Zecora into using her horn for a zebra aphrodisiac."
"Hahah... I'll relay the message." Amethyst Star fumbled a bit in place.
"Something wrong, Amethyst?"
"At the risk of sounding weird, Gold Petals, I was simply curious..." She peered at my head. "Do you ever plan on growing your mane long?"
"Hmmm?" I glanced into a nearby beaker. My distorted reflection sported a golden hairdo—boyishly short as ever. "Eh... I don't really think so. To be perfectly honest..." I turned to smile at her. "...I've always liked it this way."
"Ah. I see." Amethyst Star said. The dimples of her cheeks reddened slightly, and there was a slight smirk between us as she leaned forward and murmured into my ear: "And to be perfectly honest, that's the way I like it too."
I blinked. Hard.
She leaned back—that same smirk still trailing after her, even as she exited through the door. "I'll pass your wise words to Lyra. Don't be late, now..."
"Er... right..." I coughed. "Zebra... aphrodisiac..."
She left, and Scootaloo murmured into the empty space: "What was that about?"
"Mrmmff..." I returned to the labwork in front of us. "I'll tell you when you're older."
"Oh please." She leaned in, assisting me in monitoring the alchemical equipment. "I can fly now, can't I?"
"Just because you can stick your wings in new places doesn't mean you have to do the same with your nose," I muttered.
"Sure. Whatever you say." Scootaloo smirked up at me. "Soooooooo? When are you going to ask her out?"
I sighed in defeat. "Not right away."
"Why not?"
"Because..." I winked down at the adolescent. "...I want the flirtation to last longer. Just for a little bit."
"Uh huh." Scootaloo capped off a few vials and beakers before they could overflow. "Waste of time, if you ask me."
"That's why you're Spike's apprentice and not Princess Cadance's."
"Hardy har. Go clean the crud up from the corner of the lab, Third Broom."
"Ugh..." I groaned as I shuffled over to dust off the floor. "How I hate that nickname."
"Not my fault you agreed to volunteer here."
"Believe me. If Spike had a cave that needed mining, I would be there in a heartbeat." I grabbed a broom and began sweeping away. "By the way..." I looked across the lab. "...what's keeping him in Canterlot this long?"
"Beats the heck out of me," Scootaloo said, putting equipment away and making a few notes on a chalkboard. "He's been planning this solution to the Breezies' situation for weeks now. He was only supposed to be gone for a few hours."
"Maybe Princess Luna's bending his ear again over the local noise complaints."
"Heheh..." Scootaloo blushed ever so slightly. "Spike's a real champ for covering for me."
"I could never see how 'parasprite fireworks' would improve the future of Equestria."
"Look. I endeavor to be different. Okay? It's innovation!"
"It's a miracle the roof to the bowling alley didn't catch fire."
"One step at a time. Babysteps. It's just like Fluttershy used to always say—" Scootaloo winced. "Erm..." She looked briefly over her shoulder. "Sorry..."
"It's alright."
"Sometimes... y'know... I forget that you've only been here for—"
"Scootaloo, it's okay," I said breathily. I paused in sweeping to smile at her. "I cherish the wisdom she's allowed you to carry on. All of theirs." I nod. "It's almost as if they never left that way."
Scootaloo smiled at that. "Yeah. Yeah, true that."
We were both startled by a knock on the large window overlooking the work area.
Scootaloo looked up, ears pricking. "Whoah! Speak of the devil!" She flew up to the window and opened it with a creak. "We weren't conjuring parasprite fireworks! I promise!"
"Save your breath, Scoots," a deep voice rumbled. It took a few seconds for Spike to fit his massive frame through the window. At last, he landed, standing a good two feet above the two of us. "Besides..." He slid a pair of monogrammed flight goggles off his eyes while his purple wings tightened behind his back. "...that excuse only ever worked on me once."
"And once is enough to make me g-giggle at you," Scootaloo said, giggling.
As she closed the door, I swept my way in Spike's direction. "Welcome back, Spike. Amethyst Star brought by the reagents we needed for protecting the Breezies."
"Good to know, Goldie," Spike said, unpacking several alchemical tomes and spell books from his person. "Is that all she brought you?"
I rolled my eyes. "So spill it. Why are you back so late?"
"Yeah! The card game's in two hours!" Scootaloo hovered before the window with her forelimbs crossed. "Did Princess Luna have something to say to you?"
"As a matter of fact..." Spike calmly shuffled across the room on his scaly limbs. "She did." His voice cracked, so he cleared it momentarily. "A bunch of random royal business... which is to be expected..."
"Like...?"
"Oh. Nothing much." He shrugged. "Yakyakistanians being a nuisance to the north. Some ponies out in the desert reportedly getting their cutie marks stolen. A new economic crisis in Griffonstone..."
"Heh..." Scootaloo smiled. "Sounds like business as usual. Hardly worth the time of an up and coming dragon wizard."
"No, I suppose not." He scratched his chin—a little anxiously. "Oh... but there was something else."
"What's that?"
He turned towards us with sudden swiftness. His slitted eyes narrowed. "It's a full moon."
"Yeah?" Scootaloo asked. "So?"
"Luna's heard back from her."
The room fell dead silent.
Scootaloo trembled suddenly. Stupidly, she murmured, "Heard back from wh-who?"
Spike's smile was a practiced one. "Who else...?"
Scootaloo's jaw hung agape. She drifted and drifted until all four hooves landed on the ground. Soon, the filly was gazing numbly at me.
I looked back at Spike and his apprentice. Friends in a strange place, past the shadows of life's many obstacles. Like this one—or so I had thought.
A tear fell down my smiling face as I hugged the broomstick to my chest. "Oh..." Exhaling. Squeaking. "...is that all?"
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Ow. My feels.
She's been there this entire time and not said anything.
8187488
derpicdn.net/img/view/2016/5/22/1160054__safe_artist-colon-seahawk270_rarity_the+saddle+row+review_spoiler-colon-s06e09_floppy+ears_levitation_magic_newspaper_no+spoilers_open+mouth_s.png
OMFG YES!!!!!
Rainbow is sure in for a surprise if and when she comes back.
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
That was beautiful.
8187495
8187488 spoilers brother. I don't even want to read the story now that I know.
Well, hot damn. I've always wanted to hear about how things were going in the meantime during Rainbow's journey, and to see one of the character's she's met actually make their way to Ponyville or Equestria.
But daang, I didn't expect it to be Gold Petals. Haven't heard that name in a looong time.
This was very nice.
...Am I going nuts, or did I just get an out-of-Austraeoh reference/callout?
*yeeeee*
8187521 double SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
And so, the Austraeoh Expanded Universe came to pass.
Very very nice -- Gold Petals where she belongs in Ponyville. :)
weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/cuteness-overload-rage-face.png
8187563 It already did long ago, Austraeoh Abridged is canon.
8187586 I meant in that we're seeing stories dedicated to ponies and places outside of the eastward journey.
Wonderful. The moment when Luna hears back from Rainbow after her hiatus is actually the only thing I've gone back to read multiple times in this saga, so this is pretty great. Scoots was even organizing Rainbow Dash days when they thought she was dead!
Semper Filly scoots
THE FEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLSSSSSS!!!!
That was pretty sweet. And I'm still impressed Gold Petals pulled that trek off on hoof. Wonder if she ended up wandering through any caves?
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
I'm grinning ear to ear!
I love this take on the main story!
100% fav and I love you for writing it.
You know how J. K. Rowling has slowly expanded the Harry Potter universe after the main seven books? I really hope you continue to do more of these from time to time even after the main series is complete.
What an awesome little side story, love it
This was incredible.
Wow, awesome side story to my favourite saga!! It'll make for an interesting reunion when RD makes it home (And I pray it's a when, not an if)
Thank you, Skirts. This was beautiful. Honestly, I don't even mind the Utaan-to-Ofolrodi hiatus so much now that we got this out of it.
I'm sure I don't need to tell you this, but other Austraeoh mini-stories like this would always be more than welcome.
Well this was very nice and heartwarming
What a treat.
Hmm... Heh heh.. this was nice, it was nice to see exactly what became of ponyville, of it's inhabitants.
Heh heh heh...I can't help but chuckle to myself. This was just that nice.
I.. kinda want to see more like this, just little excerpts from Equestria... from Ponyville, as Luna hears more about Dash's journey...
I'm going to make a 6th bookshelf, just in the hopes that more stuff like this happens.
8187876 Oh, no no no. Imploding Colon never backtracks. It's always onwards and eastwards.
Oh boy, that was quite the adorable little story to read before going to work. I never knew how much I needed this story to be told before now.
This story was chill.
So, when do we get a story about a strange flying ship piloted by a mildly crazed antlered ungulate and a black unicorn showing up in Ponyville?More seriously though, I really like this side story, gives a sense that the world Dash has passed by is still going about itself behind her... I wonder if we will see more of this?
awwww, yeah, Gold Petals great story!
Super charming titbit. Funny to think that anyone made this sort of pilgrimage prior to the events of the sequels, let alone Goldy.
8187473
She might have assumed it'd make for an... awkward long-distance reunion? I'd get that.
Even if Rainbow heard straight from GP about her lengthy trek west and the amount of determination needed to leave her old life behind, something like this has the potential to distract one from Easting/confounding confederacies.
8188430 You should read the rest.
So.... When do we get to see Floyden?
Yaay, Golden Delicious made it to the farm but didnt buy it. Spikes definitely a growing boy, maybe all that honour, defence and loyalty to his horde of ponies. Hopefully Zecora has plenty of cream for the possible rapid growth itching.
There are so many side stories accross the whole plane, I mean, if Rourke and the Goblins turned up at the head of the Lightning Rail? Theyd have a good go at getting Cadence back at least the same time as Dash. As for powering it, well theres all those skystone deposits that might form a nice solid anchor base as well as power source.
Everyone on board for The Oddball Express.
Well, we're going to need a folder for expansions in the Eastverse (Austraeohverse? Eh, whatever)
8188858 When my colon implodes, it only tends to proceed uni-directionally as well.
It makes me happy to see Gold Plate again...err, I mean Gold Petals.
Yaaaassssssss, this is beautiful!!!!!
And I'm still freaking crying from the end of Utaan, like what?????
8189172 We've already got one.
8188294 Full steam ahead!
8190089
Oh. Well shit
Gah, this story is so great.
I love all the little details foreshadowing that it's Gold Petals, and the contrast between Equestria and the realms Rainbow has visited, and the fear and hope that Scootaloo shows when Spike tells her Rainbow is alive...
... awesome!
Oh my. This was nothing like what I expected but everything I could have wanted. Thank you, Skirts, for giving us a look into what's going on back in Equestria while Rainbow is on her journey and giving us another chance to see a character long since left behind but not forgotten. It's pretty awesome to see some closure (or a new beginning?) for a character who deserves it.
This makes me feel a lot of things and I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry.
That was something I really, really needed.
This a wonderful addition to the Eastverse. The idea of Gold Petals making the arduous journey to Ponyville and making a life there makes me warm and fuzzy inside. It'd be awesome for her and Rainbow to meet up again someday (assuming the series has a happy ending and whatnot).
My only issue is one I've seen some other people bring up: It seems odd that no one mentioned this to Rainbow during one of their monthly conference calls. It seems like a hell of a thing to simply slip their mind repeatedly. Maybe Gold Petals just told them not to mention her, for whatever reason. I mean, I know the real reason is probably just that Skirts hadn't had the idea for this story until after he'd written those chapters, but still, some kind of after-the-fact explanation in-series would be welcome (even if it doesn't come for a long, long time).
Equestria to Easthorse: We read you.
Well, with a conclusion like that, I almost feel like we need someone, or you, to write this "While on hiatus" expanded universe. We now have Gold Petals in Ponyville, and that can be perfect for a string of stories. I'm already getting ideas.
Also, I guess Rainbow will have to fight Amethyst to Gold Petals if she wants her.