The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

Little Gremlins

Starlight stepped contentedly out into the hallway, a muffled flush swirling from the room behind. Silently, she stopped, letting her ears listen to the noises of the quiet home, its air neither warm nor cold and pleasant against her mostly-dry coat. The tubular, twisty hallway was dark, just short enough not to be claustrophobic, yet long enough that one could only see both ends around the curve when standing in the middle, like she was.

She licked her lips, tasting dried salt and bean soup seasonings. Another bowl wouldn't be so bad, she decided... but not so much that she would be willing to go out of her way to ask. Her tail flicked, softly thumping against a wall as she tried to recall the kinds of food Riverfall offered. There had been pancakes, and some memories of grilled pineapple surfaced...

"Hey! Pssst!" a small voice suddenly hissed, sending Starlight's ears pivoting. She lowered her head, craning her neck to see who was calling.

"Yeah, you!" In the dim light, she recognized the white, suave-maned head of Snowshoe, the colt who had been with White Chocolate at the door. "Over here," he whispered, beckoning, stealthily crouched. "Come hang out with us!"

"Huh?" Starlight tilted her head, keeping her voice down too just in case.

"Come on!" Snowshoe beckoned again, giving a smile that was practiced, yet unable to shake off its foalish eagerness. "All the other kids live far enough away that we can only go hang out when it's daytime and their parents walk us over! Hang out with us!"

Starlight stepped forward, still watching dubiously. "What does hanging out involve?"

A filly she hadn't noticed before shifted in the shadows, punching Snowshoe's side. "Snow!" she complained, tossing her huge mane. "You're being weird! Don't scare her away!"

Snowshoe ignored her, jaw dropping. "You've never hung out before? I mean... you just talk about stuff, and say what you like and tell jokes and stuff. You don't know what you're missing out on."

"...Didn't your mom say you need to be in bed?" Starlight squinted.

"Yeah, but you're up," the other filly pointed out. "And it's not like she can do anything about it. There are, like, ten of us and one of her, and she's ultra slow."

"Eleven," Snowshoe corrected.

The filly rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Technically twelve, soon."

Snowshoe looked as if someone had just told him two plus two was one. "That doesn't count."

The filly smirked, triumphant. "Want me to go tell Mom you think her new foal doesn't matter?"

"I didn't..."

"This is bizarre," Starlight interrupted, standing straighter and starting to turn around. "I'm going to go back where the grown-ups are."

"Hey, wait!" both foals called after her, scrambling. "Don't go!"

Starlight stopped, listening.

"Come hang out with us!" Snowshoe urged, beckoning again. "We'll make it worth your while! Please! Nothing ever happens around here!"

"...You look like you're having plenty of fun with yourselves already," Starlight said, dubious. "Why do you want me to come?"

Snowshoe pouted in exasperation. "Because you're from a whole 'nother district!"

The filly shoved him. "Snow's trying to say there's probably a million things you've done and we haven't, and he wants you to tell us about them. I do, too."

"...Really." Starlight frowned. It seemed yet another similarity between Willow and White Chocolate was that both had foals who were dying to meet her... though at least neither of these looked like Sunburst. Shrugging internally, she closed her eyes and stepped forward, figuring Maple would find her easily if it came time to leave and she could use magic to escape if the meeting devolved into a big headache. "Why not?"

"Yesss..." Snowshoe pumped both forehooves, barely avoiding a faceplant.

"Well, hey, that's great!" Instantly, the filly turned cheery. "I'm Jamjars. And you are?"

"She's Starlight," Snow announced, proudly one-upping his sister.

"Well, boo to you, too," Jamjars huffed, shoving him. "Hey, Starlight! Do you like fillies or colts?"

Starlight stopped in her tracks. "...What?"

"Don't say colts," Jamjars sagely advised, watching as Snowshoe suddenly fidgeted, "or he'll ask you to be his fillyfriend. And don't say fillies either, or he'll try to sell you the magazines he's bored of for spending money, which aren't nearly as hot as he thinks they are."

Starlight's face scrunched, eyes torn between narrowing and widening. "What?"

"Sis..." Snowshoe tried to shove Jamjars back, but she dodged. "That isn't true!" Turning to Starlight, he pleaded, "It doesn't matter! Seriously!"

"Which are you, though?" Jamjars grinned, sharkish.

"...I'm leaving," Starlight decided, turning to walk down the tunnel away from the foals. "And for your information, I don't care about that stuff and don't want to date anyone. Now go back to bed!"

"Awww!" Snowshoe protested loudly. "Sis, come on! Don't you want to hear about the Stone District, or how Dad's doing?"

Starlight folded her ears. "The Stone District is full of hills, roads, buildings, and rocks. It's gray and brown, and you can see the mountains, sky and forest from it. Ponies live there. As for your dad, he's a unicorn and lives in a house. Ta-daaa."

"...You're kidding, right?" Snowshoe blinked unhappily. "There has to be more to it than that!"

"Nope." Starlight shook her head. "All of that is true. I've been there."

She turned back to continue retracing her steps to the bedroom... only to find Jamjars blocking her path. "No preference?" The filly grinned. "Hey, Snow, that's too bad. I guess she's not old enough for you. Better luck next year, or the year after that!"

Starlight squinted, trying to find Jamjars' head level beneath her voluminous mane. "Not old enough? It looks like I'm older than you..."

"Oh yeah?" Jamjars squared her shoulders. "I'm seven, and Snow's eight. Beat that, Starlight."

"...You're being incredibly rude for somepony who wants me to hang out," Starlight grumbled. "Please get out of my way."

Jamjars smirked. "You can't, can you? Ha! And come on, it's just a little friendly competition!"

"She's right, you know," Snow pointed out, coming up behind Starlight. "You are being rude. You should leave her alone."

"Oooh, are you white knighting?" Jamjars licked her lips. "Sorry, Snow, but she already said she wasn't into you. Good idea to try, though!"

Starlight felt her temper begin to flare, and tamped it down like a cork. Exhaling, she muttered, "Why does it matter? Leave me alone."

At that moment, Hayseed appeared behind Snowshoe, looking just as irate as Starlight felt. "Girls!" she grumbled. "And... Snow, though you're acting like a girl too. I'm trying to read, and you three are being really loud, so knock it off or I'm telling Mom, and she'll kick your rears all the way into next week."

"You're a filly too..." Snowshoe pointed out, cowed.

"Aw, come on!" Jamjars pouted. "Logloss makes way more noise than us with his snoring! You probably can't even hear us over him! Leave us alone!"

Starlight snorted at the irony of Jamjars' request, and tried to push past the filly, only to be swiftly denied.

"Nope!" Jamjars caught her with a forelimb. "We're just getting this party started! You've gotta stick around!"

"...I do, do I?" Starlight looked down at the leg holding her. It was squeezing slightly tighter than was necessary. "Because I really don't feel like it."

Hayseed frowned. "Are you two harassing our guest?"

"I had nothing to do with this!" Snowshoe quickly backed off, waving his forelimbs. "Serious! I just wanted to hang out! Jamjars was the one who made it weird!"

"Snow made it weird first," Jamjars countered. "All I want is to see which of us is better. Hey, Starlight!" She brushed back her giant, curly mane, revealing a very short, stubby horn. "You're a unicorn, I'm a unicorn. Want to see who's better at magic?"

Starlight blinked, trying to repel her through sheer stiffness of posture. "In a fight?"

"Yeah, sure in a fight!" Jamjars grinned. "I'll bet you three red-"

Flaaaaash!

Starlight extracted herself from the pile of glittering manacrystal that was Jamjars, horn shimmering teal. "Do I want whatever it is she was betting?" she asked, looking to Hayseed for guidance.

Nervously, Snow tapped his hooves. "...I think I'll be in my room now! We should still hang out some time! Bye!" Abruptly, he fled.

Hayseed stood with her mouth open. "Did you just turn my sister to crystal?"

"Yes," Starlight said, shrugging and tapping on the prison, within which Jamjars bore an expression of utter stupefication. "She'll be fine. But she deserves it."

Hayseed paused... when White Chocolate's voice echoed down the hallway. "Children?" she asked, stumping closer. "You're supposed to be in bed! What are you...?"

She appeared in the doorway, instantly freezing at the sight of Jamjars.

"She'll be fine," Starlight repeated, rolling her eyes. "She really, really deserved it."

To emphasize her point, the cage disappeared, sending Jamjars tumbling to the ground. "Hey, that's cheating!" the filly protested, gulping like a fish. "I hadn't said go yet! I want a rematch! And you didn't even make your side of the bet yet, so it doesn't... Mom?"

"Your foals are annoying," Starlight said frankly.

"...No offense, Mom, but most of my siblings kind of are," Hayseed agreed.

White Chocolate stared for a minute longer... then sighed. "Jamjars, are you alright?"

"Pfft! No!" Jamjars snorted. "Starlight cheated! I said I want a re-"

Flaaaaash!

A split second of crystal concentrated on her head was all it took to make Jamjars trip, toppling to the floor again and pouting. "Aaargh! Stop it!"

"Fine. Then I'm leaving." Starlight turned... and bumped straight into Maple, who had followed White Chocolate in.

Maple grimaced, Starlight's filly-sized saddlebags strapped largely across her back. Her face told Starlight she didn't have to guess what had happened; she knew the filly wouldn't use her magic unless it was necessary or provoked.

"I'm... sorry if they were an inconvenience," White Chocolate said, turning to Maple and Starlight. "I wish I could raise them better, but when it's just me against so many of them..."

Jamjars hesitated... and grinned. "And when you're puffed up like a balloon and move at zero miles per year. Catch me if you can, Mom! Hahahahaha!"

She took off for a nearby tunnel like a pegasus, only to slam into another temporary crystal barrier and bounce flat on her back. "Ow!"

"Can we leave?" Starlight asked, looking up at Maple. "I think I'm done with this place for now."

"That's exactly why we finished," Maple answered, leaning down. "I'm ready to go, and it looks like you are, too. Come on, kiddo. Let's get going."

They paced out toward the kitchen and the path to the exit, White Chocolate standing and looking overwhelmed as Hayseed held Jamjars in place, just in case discipline was in order.

Comments

[Davidp1522]

wtf JamJars. Villain of the year material right there

[sploopy slooder]

i mean jamjars is 8, but jesus christ. no wonder the mom is depressed as fuck,her husband left her stuck with a horde of demonspawn.