The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

House Redshift

A full hour later, Starlight was finally dry.

Soaked first by cold rain, then a hot bath, she sat in a fuzzy, filly-sized robe on a dull red couch in a room trimmed with wood and shiny metal, reflective glass everywhere in the form of display cases, protected paintings, and a high-up window to the gray outside. The cream-colored pegasus who had insisted they stand in the rain leaned against a doorway, watching.

Soon, Maple returned, evidently leaving Redshift the last turn in the bath. Stiffly, she walked across the carpeted floor, around a low table with a vase of green flowers, and deposited herself next to Starlight on the couch with a massive sigh. "I needed that," she hummed, looking straight ahead. "I really hope we don't have to leave immediately. It's still raining, and I'm so tired..."

As she snuggled contentedly into Starlight and invited the filly to do the same, the pegasus in the door spoke up. "My niece usually keeps her charges for around a day," he explained. "Until she gets tired of being here and runs off to the slums again. She'd probably keep them all indefinitely, if she could. Our family seems to have a predisposition to that..."

"Huh?" Starlight looked up.

The pegasus ignored her. "You cleaned up much better than the usual kinds of ponies Redshift brings home. You don't look as desperate, or as untrusting. What did she see in you?"

Starlight hesitated. Were she to lie, there would be no way to safely bring Redshift in on it, and that could get them in trouble. But the full story would serve them no better... so she went with half of it. "We found her on the bottom level and traveled together for a while. Then it started to rain and she offered to let us stay here while we wait for a friend to finish an errand so we can leave. We don't live in Blueleaf; we're just passing through."

"...Makes sense, I suppose." He leaned back, taking a breath. "I won't say 'make yourself at home' because ponies tend to take that far too literally, but it's good to see someone with slightly more class. So far, you seem to know how to be good guests, at least."

Maple frowned, looking up from Starlight. "You don't like the lower-level ponies as much as your sister, do you?"

"Niece," the pegasus corrected. "And don't confuse not liking someone with not feeling sorry for them. But Redshift only goes below because she can... To her, it's a game where she is the hero, and she always has this home to return to when she needs it. I was born there, and even a decade later have more than had my fill of ponies who smell and need more than a fancy room for the night to get their lives back on track."

"You were born on the lower levels?" Maple's eyes widened, then her face scrunched in confusion. "But... hold on, aren't you related to the mayor?"

"His is an elected position." His face darkened, and he added, "There's no such thing as inheriting power from your parents, anyway. And even if there was, he's my brother-in-law. We aren't actually related."

Alarm bells went off in the back of Starlight's mind. The pegasus' statements reeked of drama and intrigue just below the surface, and getting into that with Gerardo's delivery was exactly why they were trying to leave Ironridge in the first place. Whatever was prompting him to be upset about hereditary positions, whatever had brought him up into the mayor's household, she wanted no part of it. The only thing that mattered was to rest, enjoy the peace, and eventually move on without anything bad happening, and that meant ending the conversation then and there.

"I'm tired," she suddenly grumbled to Maple. "Can we talk about this later? I want to sleep."

"We probably should..." Maple smiled sadly. "I am curious though, but..." She fought back a yawn. "We've had an exhausting last couple of days, with a lot of walking and travel, and..."

"Of course." The pegasus nodded. "Sleep as long as you like. I'll inform my niece when she's done in the bath that you're resting."

He backed out of the room, closing the door to a crack... but Starlight could still see the fur of his back, him seated watchfully outside.

"Ohhh I'm tired," Maple sighed, nuzzling Starlight's ear. "I'm so glad we're somewhere safe at last... mmm..."

Starlight nodded minutely, leaning back into her in the darkened room, thick raindrops audibly drumming on the roof and giving her a slight chill with their noise. She didn't need to respond, only rest... and in a matter of seconds, she had slipped away into a well-deserved sleep.

---

The shimmer of magic and thundering of little hooves illuminated Starlight's sleepy ears, and she stirred.

"See? I told you she brought someone back. Look at them!"

A raspberry was blown. "Yeah, but these don't look like hobos, and you specifically said 'from the lower levels!' So nyah!"

"You can't prove that. Maybe they spent all their money looking nice and that's why they had to move down there."

"Hey, Redshift! How sure are you they aren't hobos?"

"Fernand! Make them leave Maple and Starlight alone!"

"That would be..." More magical shimmering. "Easier if I could move my body..."

Growling softly, Starlight cracked her eyes. A pair of rust-red fillies, both unicorns at the very start of their growth spurt, leaned excitedly over her with glowing horns. Their grins broadened when they saw her wake. "You're up!" one exclaimed. "So we need to know: are you a hobo?"

"Please say no," the other added, nodding sagely. "I have my whole allowance bet on this and you can have half the winnings!"

"Say yes!" the first demanded. "I'll give you three quarters of mine!"

Starlight's teeth bared, and her own horn lit with a swirl of teal. The fillies both stepped back in shock and dismay, revealing the pegasus from earlier suspended in midair in a combination of their auras, limbs locked as he looked on helplessly. Sighing, Starlight let her horn go dim, head already twinging as a reminder that it wasn't ready to be used yet. "This isn't a nice way to wake up."

To the side, Redshift hung her head, standing in a fuzzy robe of her own. "I know. Sorry..."

"I completely agree!" the pegasus exclaimed from his magical prison. "Twins, let me go at once! This is not a question! I will tell your sister!"

The unicorn twins both paled, turning to look at him... but didn't dispel their yellow auras. Maple grunted and snuffled, shaken from her own slumber. "Starlight...? Wha..."

"That's it!" the pegasus snapped. "Redshift, go tell Elise the twins are being poor hosts."

Redshift was gone in a flash. Slowly, the shine of magic in the room went out... and the pegasus freed himself, gliding to the floor and folding his ruffled feathers. "Thank you very much," he grumbled. "Copper Cable, Ribbon Cable, apologize to our guests. Now."

The twins pouted as one, drooping. "Sorry, Fernand..."

"Not me. Them." Fernand pointed a cream-colored hoof at Maple and Starlight. "It's our duty and tradition as ponies of the Earth District to be good hosts, within reason, regardless of the origin of our guests. It's also rude to place bets on who Redshift inevitably brings back. Don't make fun of ponies who mean well."

"Sorry..." Copper and Ribbon repeated, turning back around. One hesitated. "So are you hobos, though?"

"No," Starlight grumbled as Fernand brought a hoof to his head. "Are you?"

The twins looked uncertainly at each other, and then one smirked. Maple interrupted, asking, "Sorry, what's going on here? I'm still half asleep, but..."

Fernand sighed. "My easily-excitable siblings here ambushed and incapacitated me while I was guarding your room. Curiosity is their vice and virtue, unfortunately..."

The filly who had lost the bet rolled her yellow eyes. "You're just jealous you don't know how to be happy now that the lights are back on. We can actually stay up reading again, so ha!" She stuck her tongue out at him, then turned back to Starlight and Maple. "So I'm Ribbon Cable, but you can call me Ribbon. That killjoy is Fernand, this is Copper, and who are you?"

"The lights are just going to go back out again in a few days, you know," Copper grumbled.

Maple blinked at them. "Sorry, I've... met so many ponies within the last two days I'm almost definitely not going to remember all of your names. But I'm Maple, and this is Starlight."

"Cool, cool..." Ribbon nodded nonchalantly. "That's kind of the point, though."

Copper backed her up. "Even Fernand can't tell us apart. If he could, he'd know that I'm actually Ribbon."

The other filly blanched. "Says you! I thought we agreed to use or real names today! Dad was getting angry after we messed with that contractor from Grand Acorn yesterday, remember?"

"Fine..." the first pouted. "I really am Copper."

Maple bit her lip. "I'm not even going to try."

"Don't bother," Fernand added from the background. "It's not worth it. These two are incorrigible, and I've lived with them since this household was established."

"...Okay, then," Maple said, sighing and relenting. "You two are Redshift's sisters, then?"

The twins shook their heads in sync. "Aunts," one said.

"Half-aunts," the other corrected. "But it doesn't matter. Elise is like everyone's mom, even though she's actually our sister. Even to that crab over there." She pointed to Fernand.

"Speaking of which..." Fernand huffed. "Maple and... Starlight were sleeping when you so rudely interrupted. I think it would be a good idea if you made yourselves scarce so they could resume their rest. This rain doesn't show any signs of letting up soon so you'll get your chance to interrogate later, if they're willing. Now shoo!"

"Actually..." Maple shuffled slightly on the couch, Starlight pressed into her side. "We did sleep for a while last night. Mostly, we just need to get off our hooves, so..."

Fernand raised an eyebrow at the exact moment the twins' smiles returned. "If you're sure about that. It's your funeral."

"Sweet!" The twins flopped onto an empty, opposing couch, sprawling massively to hog as much room as possible, preventing Fernand from joining them. "So, if you're not hobos, where are you from?"

Maple skipped a beat. "Umm..."

At that moment, the door swung open, and Redshift strode through imperiously. At her back was a grown mare, old enough to conceal signs of age yet young enough to do so flawlessly. Extremely short, she was lithe and supple with a muzzle a hair longer than normal and perfectly curved ears. Her sky-blue mane was heavy and full, pinned back with a hairclip shaped like three triangles in a pyramid, her coat was a slightly lighter shade of brown than Maple's, and a fluted horn sat proudly on her forehead. Her cutie mark was an arrow, folded violently back on itself in a sharp reversal.

Both twins gasped and sat bolt upright. "Mom!"

To the side, Fernand looked at his hooves. "My apologies, Sister. These two were getting out of hoof, and I didn't-"

"It's okay, Fernand!" Elise reassured with an airy, regal laugh, mane bouncing slightly as she talked. "Redshift told me the twins were being rowdy, and that's hardly cause for alarm!" She looked importantly at Maple and Starlight. "You two aren't offended, are you?"

Starlight wanted to say maybe a little, but Maple shook her head. "We're fine."

"Good," Elise replied, walking across with fluid grace and seating herself between Copper and Ribbon. "Because now that I'm here, you're stuck with me. I wasn't doing anything important, anyway." She looked across at Fernand, who was still standing awkwardly near the doorway. "Fernand? If you could bring tea, that would be wonderful. Redshift, darling, have a seat." She patted the cushion next to her, smiling warmly at Maple and Starlight.

"So..." Maple paused, humming. "You're Redshift's mom, then? And their sister? Sorry, I'm..."

"Trying to get a sense of our family tree?" Elise smiled back. "It confuses most ponies, but that's right. Everyone here is my sibling, except Redshift, my daughter, and my husband, who is out today. And since everyone asks, I'm thirty-six."

"Huh." Maple blinked. "Isn't that a pretty big age gap? I mean..."

Elise shrugged, shoulders shifting against her flowing mane. "It's strange, but not impossible. If you're curious, I have nothing but time, and nothing better to do but tell how our household came to be to whoever will listen. Are you interested?"

Maple opened her mouth to agree... but Starlight cut her off. "Hold on," the filly objected, "we've been in a whole lot of trouble because we keep getting mixed up with others who want things from us and give us obligations that get us in bigger messes." She narrowed her eyes. "We won't have to take your side in any sort of war, will we?"

"I'd never ask that." Elise graciously shook her head. "Everything that happened here is in the past. The last thing I would want is strangers getting caught up in issues of ours that have already been resolved."

"...Fine." Starlight relented, and leaned back into Maple. "Then what is your story?"

Comments

[Hap]

Sooooo...

How do they keep pegasi out of the 5th level?

[Czar_Yoshi]

8541053 I don't remember if I mentioned it earlier, but Blueleaf's pegasus population is pretty small. Alternately, that's where all the pegasi are.

It's less a "this must be 100% effective" thing and more of a "good enough is good enough" one. And the walls are just as much to keep the residents from needing to see out as they are to keep others from seeing in, if not more.

As for the weather... well... this is a world where pegasi can push clouds around by touching them and create tornadoes by flying in circles. Maybe the mountains are magic.

[Hap]

8541563
hehehe, I didn't figure you were writing a treatise on meteorology.

[Boopers]

Intersting. That's the second time this particular symbol is appearing. I start to wonder if it's not only a random reference, but will have some importance to the story, especially when considering who owns the other one.

[bronyheat]

but Starlight cut her off. "Hold on," the filly objected, "we've been in a whole lot of trouble because we keep getting mixed up with others who want things from us and give us obligations that get us in bigger messes."

Starlight's like me playing an RPG and trying to avoid getting side-quests added to my journal. Skip...Skip... SKIP!

[Venlinelle]

Maple blinked at them. "Sorry, I've... met so many ponies within the last two days I'm almost definitely not going to remember all of your names. But I'm Maple, and this is Starlight."

You and me both, Maple. If this story keeps adding new names at this rate I’m going to have completely forgotten everypony from these chapters by the end.