The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

Obsidian Curse

When White Chocolate's hoofsteps finally faded from earshot, Maple let out a long sigh.

"She looked happier," Starlight remarked.

"She did..." Maple hummed uncertainly. "But I can say from experience it's never, ever that easy. She's probably right about tomorrow. And the days after..." She hung her head. "Well, I don't know. We can come back once, but we do need to get home. We'll just have to find something else... Hopefully we can convince Shinespark to help her for us. There's still a possibility bringing her with us is the right choice, too."

Starlight sat and frowned... then looked up to the room's high window, its shutters failing to hide the night's darkness beyond. "So what are we going to do about ourselves? It's past bedtime."

"Is it?" Maple blinked. "I'm tired all the time, and the sun sets early here, so I can't tell..."

"I dunno." Starlight shrugged. "I'm not that tired. But you look like you've been going to fall over all day, and I can't carry you back."

"I am," Maple said with a grimace. She greedily eyed White Chocolate's plush bed, eventually settling for laying down in the spectacularly fluffy carpet, loudly exhaling. "I feel like I could practically hibernate. But don't you worry about me... I'll manage."

She leaned forward, rubbing between Starlight's ears with a hoof, causing the filly to squirm.

"We do need a plan, though," Maple eventually murmured. "She'd probably invite us to stay here if we wanted, but with this many foals running around, I don't know if it would be a very good sleep. She might not even have room. Besides, Valey and Howe are waiting for us, and while they can take care of themselves, it would be rude to leave them out alone."

"Yeah, well, Howe's weird," Starlight huffed, flopping down beside her and sinking up to her shoulders in carpety fluff. "I don't trust him. He's always looking at you when he thinks nobody is watching, and he says a bunch of stuff that's too ridiculous to be true, which means it might actually be. We can leave him behind unless he does something trustworthy."

"He makes me uneasy too." Maple shuffled her forelegs, trying to get more comfortable with her back against the bed's side. "I don't like judging books by their covers, though. I mean, look at Valey! She can complain all she likes, but her actions have all been in the right place. And she's waiting for us, too."

Starlight shrugged. "Do you think there are any hotels in Gnarlbough?"

"There might be," Maple admitted, ears perked in thought. "I have no idea how we'd find them, unless Howe or Valey already knows where they are. I do have some money left, though. I haven't really been spending ours..."

"If we can't find one, we can go back to Grand Acorn," Starlight offered. "I know I saw a hotel there. If that's the capital of the Earth District, it's probably a nice one, too."

"Hmmm..." Maple shut her eyes. "That would put us closer to Sosa, but we'd have to backtrack if we wanted to come here in the morning. Although we are still going to see Shinespark again... so maybe she'd find us more easily if we were where she last saw us? Hopefully I'll feel better in the morning, though, so backtracking won't be an issue..."

As they thought, a bustle of heavy hoofsteps heralded their host's return. White Chocolate pushed around the door, a tray of bowls balanced delicately on her back and a broad smile on her face.

"Here it is!" she announced, nodding to the tray. "I didn't heat it up, but it should still be a little warm. Please, help yourselves."

"Oh, yum..." Maple climbed to her hooves, nose twitching as she relieved White Chocolate of the tray, taking it in her teeth and setting it on the chairside table. "Finally, food that isn't fruit! I think I've eaten enough fruit to last a whole month..."

White Chocolate stood cautiously by. "Well, I hope you like it. It was a hit with my children last time I made it, so this time I made extra, but apparently there was too much..."

Starlight climbed up on the rocking chair to reach her bowl, carefully balancing on the uneven hoofing. It was, as had been said, bean soup... though rather than the thick, pasty mash she associated with the food in Equestria, the beans were still whole, floating in a watery but rich broth that shone tan in the light. She lapped at it, and quickly found it adequate.

"This is really good," Maple announced, straightening up after several seconds of drinking. "Thank you. We needed..." She tilted her head. "Huh?"

Starlight looked up, following her gaze to a corner, where White Chocolate stood with her back to them, inspecting a dresser. "Go on," the mare said, ears swiveled backwards. "I'm just getting something."

"Oh..." Maple grinned sheepishly. "I just wanted to say it was good, and thanks."

No reply. Starlight kept watching as she drained her bowl, then cleaned it with her tongue, noting as White Chocolate checked drawer after drawer, occasionally moving objects around and grunting in frustration. At last, she stood up, having found her prize... and Starlight quickly looked away, not wanting to be caught staring.

"I have something for you," White Chocolate announced, hesitant. "If you really mean it, about wanting to remember me..."

Maple and Starlight both looked up, attentive.

"...Here." White Chocolate reached out, holding something on a string.

It was a small gray-black pendant hanging from a severed string, jaggedly cut and about the size and shape of Starlight's ear. The light that reflected as it swung freely was cold and unnatural, and somehow, the very act of looking at it caused a dull pain in Starlight's chest. She squinted. "Is that...?"

"This is my piece of moon glass," White Chocolate whispered, touching it with a hoof and producing a tinkling that sounded like it belonged at a funeral all the guests had forgotten to attend. "It's empty, so it shouldn't be dangerous or valuable to anyone. All it is is a reminder, and not a happy one. But if you'd like it..."

Maple stepped closer, curious. "Are you giving it to us?"

"If you want it," White Chocolate said, the pendant swaying in her grasp. "If you mean it about wanting to remember me for the broken pony I am."

"We'll... Thank you..." Hesitantly, Maple reached out, taking it and holding it to her eye. "Wow. It really does reflect the world in only gray..."

White Chocolate shook her head. "Don't thank me. It isn't a happy reminder, I said. It's a weight that should be my job to carry."

"Then we'll keep it safe," Maple assured, "and carry it always. Although..." She looked aside at Starlight. "Given what this is, I'm not sure my usual way of carrying things is the best idea, here..."

Starlight blinked. Of course, using a cutie mark to store an artifact known for containing evil, fake versions of cutie marks sounded like it could have unintended consequences... and after seeing the moon glass then and there, she had little doubt about Valey's truthfulness when describing it as bad.

"Give me my saddlebags," she offered. "I'll carry it. I'm not tired."

White Chocolate tilted her head. "Your usual way of carrying things? I don't see any-"

Abruptly, Maple produced Starlight's bags as if from nowhere, and White Chocolate gasped. "How did you do that?"

"My cu... err, brand." Maple shrugged. "It lets me store things. Here."

She offered the bags to Starlight, who took them and slung them on. Starlight then reached to take the pendant in her teeth and tuck it away... but when she made contact, she instantly spat it out, sending the dark stone rolling into the carpet. "Ew! It's sticky!"

"What?" Maple and White Chocolate both looked at the glass in concern.

"It is?" Maple picked it back up, tapping it with a hoof. "It feels very solid to me..."

Gingerly, Starlight approached it and pressed it against her hoof. When she pulled back, it stuck, even without trying to grab it or hold on. She shook it lightly, staring in curiosity and trying to ignore her sudden tightness of breath.

"Starlight..." Maple took a step forward, concern heavy in her voice. "Is that-"

"Waaaugh!" With a snap of gray lightning, Starlight's vision fuzzed... and when she managed to focus, the world was entirely colorless. "What...? What...!?" she panted, hyperventilating and starting to shake her hoof. "I can't-!"

Maple nearly tackled her, grabbing her hoof and yanking the obsidian pendant off. It bounced away again as more light crackled in Starlight's vision... and eventually, colors began to fade back in.

"I thought you said it was empty!" Maple hissed, rounding on White Chocolate with hackles raised. "What was that!?"

White Chocolate backed up, ears flat, nearly tripping in dismay. "It is! I don't know what... I was just given it! I already used it on myself!"

"Then why did her eyes turn gray?" Maple stalked forward, tail lashing dangerously.

Still recovering, Starlight hastily checked her flank... and it was bare. "Maple!" she squeaked, reaching out. "Wait! I'm okay!"

Maple halted, looking back... and slowly deflated, turning around entirely and wrapping Starlight in a hug. "What happened...?" she whimpered, rubbing Starlight's back.

"I dunno," Starlight muttered, staring mistrustfully at the spot in the carpet where the stone had come to rest. "It stuck to me, and then everything I saw went gray. It didn't make my horn feel better, either. I'm fine now, but I don't like that rock."

Stiffening, Maple let her go... and poked the cursed glass with a hooftip, earning the same hard clink as before. "It must be something about you..." she breathed, standing over it. "Give me your saddlebags. I'll wear them. You're not carrying this."

"...You still want it?" White Chocolate asked from a corner where she had taken refuge, slowly moving closer.

"Yes." Maple nodded. "We'll just have to be more careful about carrying dangerous objects. If there are things out there that are uniquely harmful to Starlight, I... guess it's better if we know about them. I'm not mad. I'm... sorry for yelling."

Unsure, White Chocolate offered Starlight a hoof, though the filly was already standing. "I'm sorry too," she said, ears still flat. "I had no idea it would... I thought it was harmless!"

"Well..." Starlight shook her head, wincing as the last of the effects wore off. "I'm not a normal pony, so it must be different for me."

"Is there anything I can do?" White Chocolate whispered. "Any way to make it up to you? Anything you need?"

Starlight hesitated. "Uhhh... I just had three cups of tea and a bowl of soup... Do you have a little filly's room?"

White Chocolate beamed, grateful for the chance to act. "Of course! Go out that way, then straight, then left, then right..."

Comments

[alamais]

hmmmmm

[RoboRed]

...Well, that couldn't have been good...

[Sypher]

I’m guessing this is related to Starlight being an Equestrian - seems like the process of acquiring cutie marks works much differently down (up?) south.

[Quinch]

It was, as had been said, bean soup...

Well, it was bean soup... but what is it now?
I'll get my coat.