The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

Abandoned Warehouse

Braen paused halfway down the derelict warehouse's hallway to open an office that was still standing, where she deposited Howe, slumping him across a chair that looked newer than its dusty surroundings. Cautiously, Maple peered in behind her.

"He'll remain unconscious for a while longer," Braen explained, apparently sensing her curiosity. "He was stunned with a poisoned dart. It contains a fast-acting sedative that wears off after three to four hours, then mimics the effects of a hangover. By then, someone will have taken him to an Earth District town and left him to wake up on his own. It's how ponies coming here who are obviously unfit to go to Riverfall are dealt with."

"So this place is where ponies come to find their way there, then," Maple said, frowning. "I thought it might be."

"Shinespark didn't explain it to you earlier?" Braen's metal ears were immobile, though Maple almost expected them to swivel to face her.

"She had to leave," Maple answered, standing in the office doorway with Starlight on her back. "Who are you? You were stealing from the Sosan convoy yesterday morning before dawn, but now are acting like you're in on everything they're doing."

Braen turned around, causing Maple to instinctively step back. "I am Braen, commander of the Spirit of Sosa. Haven't you heard of me?"

Starlight miserably sneezed.

"...Right. You probably have more pressing concerns." Braen pushed past them, resuming her march down the dark hallway, her gold-plated horn the only source of light. "And don't be too suspicious. Unless you want to walk back through that weather, you don't have much choice but to trust me. You came here because Shinespark sent you, after all."

Trying to keep her teeth from chattering, Maple managed, "We came here of our own accord, actually. Can't you do a heat spell, or something? We can talk later! If you really are here to help us..."

Braen lifted a metal hoof, holding it upside-down and igniting the rocket booster attached to it, producing an open flame. "She didn't? Hmm. Here." She held it closer. "This should be warm enough. Isn't it?"

Maple pulled herself alongside the fiery aperture, turning so that Starlight would get the brunt of the heat. The filly shivered, leaning into it, and Maple stepped close enough that she could feel her hairs move as the water evaporated from them.

Eventually, she switched sides, and then Braen turned off the burner. "This way," she motionlessly beckoned. "We have other supplies here you'll want, including food and towels. You can stay as long as you wish; this place is secure."

Maple didn't answer as they climbed a stairway set into the side of the hall. Its slats were thin, metal and perforated for traction, and a brace that held the thing up halfway along looked far newer than the rest of the structure. "Has someone been restoring this building?" she asked, noticing the walls in some places had peeling paint and in others, none at all.

"Enough to make it functional." Braen paused at the landing, pushed open a door, and stepped inside.

It was a conference room, a long wooden table forming the centerpiece. One wall was dominated by a lengthy window, appearing as if the glass had been replaced, or at least cleaned meticulously, overlooking the dark central chamber of the warehouse. The other wall was stacked with crates and boxes, positioned slightly more neatly than abandoned materials but still lopsided enough to suggest they were in long-term storage.

With a hiss of metal sliding against metal, Braen stood... and her golden wings unfurled, revealing themselves to be far more flexible than mere side ornaments. Slowly, moving with delicate precision, the shiny feathers reached forward, acting as tools to open a box and pull something out.

Maple blinked, staring at the burning blue horn on her forehead. "What? You actually have wings? But... you also have magic! And why not use your magic to open the crate? And how did you manage to make armor that doesn't restrict the movement of your wings?"

"...This magic isn't very strong on its own." Braen held up a stack of towels, shifting them to her back. "In fact, it's mostly for show. We're working on improving it, but without a breakthrough it's going to stay this way. Arambai might have told you about it. But for what it needs to do, it's enough."

Wasting no time in seizing the towels, Maple nevertheless frowned, pulling Starlight from her back and rubbing thoroughly at the filly's coat, tail and mane. "What do you mean, not very strong on its own?"

Braen ignored them. "Shinespark will be here shortly. Will you be fine on your own, or is there anything else you need? I'm going to take care of the pegasus."

"As long as the roof doesn't start leaking." Maple shook her head. "We just ate. And... don't be too hard on Howe. He's weird, but there's always a possibility he's on our side."

"Noted." Braen nodded, stepping back and out of the room, nudging the door closed behind her with a hoof.

Maple exhaled long and hard, still rubbing Starlight with a towel. "Well, that was eventful. Maybe we should have stayed in Gnarlbough, huh?"

"M-Maybe..." Starlight's teeth chattered.

"Come here, you." Maple hugged her close, pausing to focus on her own coat for a second and then dropping the towel. "Sorry for not listening earlier when you said you were worried about the rain. I forgot all about your experiences with being wet..."

"Mmmph..." Starlight whimpered, burying her face in Maple's chest. Her fur stood spikey all along her coat, and Maple cautiously began licking it flat.

"I'm sorry," Maple repeated during a break, voice low. "Is there anything I can do?"

"I'm... I'm... Aaaaahhh..." Starlight sneezed massively. "CHOOO! I'm fine." She sat up, rubbing her nose and sniffing. "Maybe. And I don't know."

Maple leaned closer. "If you're fine, or if there's anything I can do?"

"I don't know..." Starlight rubbed her nose again. "I'm tired of this stupid city! I want to... go back to Riverfall, or somewhere else where ponies will leave me alone and not constantly be doing things!"

"Things like chasing us around," Maple agreed. "I want that, too. Remember how in Riverfall, we would wake up together and just sit there until one of us felt like moving, enjoying the mornings? Maybe we didn't do that for long enough to call it a routine, but... that's what I want. Maybe trying to live both of my life's goals at once is too much, huh? All this adventuring and excitement just doesn't leave us enough time to sit back and enjoy what does happen..."

Starlight sniffed.

"Hmmm..." Maple hummed, rocking her. "What do you think about Braen? I wasn't expecting her wings to be real. Her armor must have some really advanced motors to move like that. Unless... There was something weird about her magic, too, like it was artificial. Do you think she might actually be a pegasus?"

"Hrmph." Starlight leaned into Maple, ears folding. "I think I want a nap..."

"You take that, then," Maple murmured, holding her close. "I'll keep watch for... whatever there is to keep watch for. Hopefully there are real beds in this place, because I don't want to sleep on concrete or walk all the way back to Gnarlbough. There are towels, at least. I bet we could make a bed from those..."

Her words fell on deaf ears, Starlight's tiny body already slipping into slumber.

Comments

[Davidp1522]

Who are all the earth ponies that we've met? I can't think of anyone specific.

[Lexicon_Spark]

8653903
Correction: pegasi
Also, was Shinespark's mom a pegasus? I forgot which of the three she was?

[Lexicon_Spark]

Also, Sharpie?

[Czar_Yoshi]

8653903 Uhhhhh. I'll probably forget a ton, but let me try.

First off, Riverfall. Maple, Willow, Amber, Sycamore (bathhouse pony), Frond (Sycamore's daughter), Hemlock, Birch (mentioned by a stallion in Maple's store; never appeared), Pine (filly from Maple's store), Acacia (mare from Maple's store), Cedar (Amber borrowed his balcony to watch Gerardo), Ivy (Cedar's marefriend), Juniper (Cedar's mom), two unnamed shopkeepers in the market (corn seller and ice cream seller), Palm (mentioned as being in the crowd that came to Maple's house when Hemlock revealed where Starlight was from), Mangrove (rude mare from the streets whom Starlight crystalled), Ponderosa (mare who came to Maple's house to listen to Starlight talk about Equestria), and Papyrus (Ponderosa's second cousin who left while the boats were running, hasn't appeared in Ironridge).

Then for the Ironridge earth ponies, including ones whose species isn't specified but could be earth. Mudhoof (one of Valey's mooks), unnamed hotel receptionist, unnamed museum guard, Marin (Skyfreeze receptionist), Maia (angry clerk in the Yak Embassy), Redshift, unnamed Blueleaf mare who punched Maple, unnamed Blueleaf stallion who was actually helpful, Lilac and Pickle Punch (Blueleaf bar patrons), unnamed Blueleaf bar owner who flirted with Neon Nova, Elise's mother (unnamed), Non Sequitur, unnamed Karma Industries receptionist (she was called Lemon Cake in the rough draft), Dangerous Karma, White Chocolate, Snowshoe and Hayseed.

Since pegasi could be relevant as well, here's the (named and specified) ones from Ironridge: Tarfeather (one of Valey's mooks), Howe, Slipstream (flirted with Gerardo in Skyfreeze), Updraft (Slipstream's friend), Sharpie, Sand Stream (Defense Force member who's on speaking terms with Valey), Emil (from the Yak Embassy), Fernand (Redshift's brother), Pearl (Fernand's mother, only mentioned), Matryona (Shinespark's mom), and Grainwave (worked for Non Sequitur). Tangentially relevant are Valey, who is a batpony, and Blazing Rain, the historical figure Braen is named after. Riverfall has no pegasi.

[Hap]

Her cur stood spikey all along her coat,

I don't remember Starlight getting a dog...

[Jern]

I'm increasingly thinking that Braen is actually Valey. As far as I can remember the two have never been seen together and it would explain the dirt that Herman has on her along with Braen's conspicuous absence from the power plant and how Valey was able to so easily 'repulse' Braen's attack on the Defense Force base. It would also explain why Shinespark seemed so comfortable with Starlight and Maple being left alone with Valey along with Valey's insistence that they don't trust her.