The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

A Good Day

Maple sat on the deck of the Immortal Dream, the night harbor breeze moving through her mane. She had taken her braid out, letting all of its length free, and simply stared at the subdued activity of the docks as the world went by. The ships on either side of them were dim and asleep or else unoccupied; half of the spaces across from them were empty, and no one had walked by save for a unicorn with an industrial broom half an hour before.

"Well, someone looks lost in thought," Amber greeted from behind her with the sound of approaching hoofsteps. "Hey, girl. How goes it?"

"Mmm... Thinking." Maple patted beside her with her tail, tilting her face to the wind. "And trying to relax. The last few days have been a little stressful."

"Good on you," Amber hummed, sitting down close enough that their shoulders were touching. "You've gotten a lot more resilient since Riverfall, you know? I saw that old explosion in Izvaldi and even I was frazzled. Don't get me wrong, it was cool, but Willow's stories from the sailors never really got it across that once stuff does that... it's gone."

Maple leaned slightly against her foalhood friend. "You think I have? I saw it and it shook me, and reminded me of Ironridge... but it hurt Valey and Shinespark a lot more, and I just had to be strong for Starlight. And her new friend."

"And for yourself." Amber poked her. "You're a lot cooler like this, you know. Not to say I'd ever blame you for all the stuff we've been through in the last ten years, but flying out here was worth it for nothing more than seeing you get your groove back. Makes me feel good inside."

Maple blinked. "You think I've changed that much? Not that I don't hope so..."

"Hahaha." Amber leaned harder, resting her head against Maple's neck. "Sure you have. The mare who worked that hard to regain her smile? Now spends her time caring for kids instead of getting messed up when an entire city gets mega unlucky. Look at you! Who's making you be out here, huh? Enjoying the night when there's sulking to be done... Ha."

"Thanks for the confidence," Maple hummed, laying her cheek atop Amber's head. "But I'm not that strong. I'm still out here to think and refresh myself, after all. Izvaldi did get to me, and hard."

Amber smiled in the embrace. "Yeah, and you just said it. You're here to do something about that, aren't you? Implies you think there's something that can be done, and that you've got enough strength to try. All by yourself, too. Didn't even need me or Willow by your side."

"Doesn't mean I'm not glad to have you." Maple adjusted herself slightly, Amber's warmth contrasting with the cool air. "Tell me about Willow. How's she doing?"

"Not much I'd know." Amber good-naturedly rolled her eyes. "I've been here for what, one month? Two? And spent a good month before that traveling, to boot. But she was holding up when I left. Faron and White Chocolate are happy, and she's happy that they're happy. Her kids are cute." A distant look entered her eyes. "A few more years on the go, and Yew could be talking when we get home. Imagine that."

"Her youngest," Maple murmured. "Hmmm..."

"Sorry if I interrupted whatever it was you were thinking about, by the way," Amber apologized. "Just had something to say and thought I'd say it. Figured a little pick-you-up couldn't hurt."

Maple gave a bare shake of her head. "No. I don't know if I'm processing so much as just clearing my head. Getting a little peace and quiet. It's peaceful out here, don't you think?"

Amber surveyed the docks along with her. At least two boats in the near distance were having late-night deck parties, close enough for their lights and voices to carry yet far enough to add to the atmosphere without being obtrusive. "Yeah. It's nice. Reminds me of when the Sosans would come, only now I'm old enough to appreciate it."

"It is like the old days, isn't it?" Maple sighed into her mane. "The smell of ships..."

Amber giggled. "Sure is saltier than I remembered. I guess that's the difference between Riverfall's docks and here. I always used to smell the salt on old ships, especially those times when we got invited aboard to see what they looked like. In the ropes, on the sail covers... Never quite knew what it was. Guess I do now."

"And the pulley grease," Maple whispered. "Do you remember the smell of fresh sealant when boats with wooden hulls would leave on their maiden voyages?"

"Now that was a smell." Amber grimaced in fond remembrance. "And the sweat of sailors on their way home? Anyone listening to us would think we're crazy. Those are supposed to be bad smells."

"But they wouldn't have lived it," Maple murmured back. "To anyone who's lived their life as a sailor, it probably smells like home. It smells like a better time, to me..."

"Implying we can't have a good time now." Amber said it with a laugh, poking Maple in the side. "But yeah... Those were good days. Our dreams were so alive, they showed up here for the ride." Her tail swished, touching Maple's flank and hers as well. "I've got so many memories of that shop I set up in someone's house while all three of us were teens..."

Maple sniffed, patting her on the shoulders and saying nothing.

Amber blinked. "Hey, are you crying?"

"Keep talking," Maple requested. "I forgot what it was like to remember like this for a while."

Amber softly grinned, brushing the fur of Maple's chest with a hoof that reached around her back. "Well. You remember that trip the three of us took south to the mountains?"

"Mhmmm."

"You remember the first night we camped?" Amber continued. "Rowing upstream was hard work, and Willow couldn't help because... you know. And neither of us were grown up, so we went at it with such gusto! Probably only rowed for an hour or two that day before we got completely tuckered out. And then we pitched the tent in that clearing because the rain could come at any hour, but Willow made us do it. Remember how much I didn't want to?"

Maple chuckled tearfully. "You climbed a tree and sat on a branch just out of her reach and blew raspberries at her, and thought she couldn't follow because she was so pregnant. And then she actually did, and got on that branch and shook it so hard you fell out, and then realized she had no idea how to come down herself. And both of us laughed at her because she wasn't that far up. I still have no idea how she made it up there..."

"Yeah... heh heh..." Amber wiped at her eyes, then looked up. "Hey. You really don't have any trouble talking about that anymore? I kind of forgot and let my mind go where it wanted to for a moment, and you just rolled with it?"

"What, our trip? Failing to go to Ironridge? I... Oh." Maple paused, ears falling. "You mean Willow... having foals."

"Something like that." Amber leaned back against her. "I know the whole having-kids thing was just... something you could never even talk about without freezing up, even when you were improving."

Maple closed her eyes for a long breath. "Maybe it's just because I'm feeling good right now. I don't know. I wish I could. Am I?"

Amber smirked wryly. "A little vague, there, girl. But I get it." She exhaled in solidarity, giving an encouraging nuzzle to Maple's neck. "It seriously hurts. But maybe just believing you're doing better is enough to start feeling better for real? Come on, you just finished a funny story about Willow being... like that. Whatever will help, tonight seems like a good night to make an effort for it."

Maple sucked in a wet sniff, then opened her eyes again. "It's not just that it hurts. When Willow had Alder, it was bittersweet, sure, because it meant no Ironridge." She wiped at her eyes again. "But by the time he arrived, it had been months, and we'd had a chance to come to terms with that. And it was t-truly magical. There have been times all throughout my life and this adventure when things have hurt. But getting cut with a sword or lost in a city or robbed... Those are bad things. They're supposed to hurt. B-Becoming a mother and getting to see that young life wasn't supposed to. It's supposed to be the most wonderful thing ever."

Amber massaged her shoulder with a hoof. "I don't know how much time you spent around other new moms in Riverfall, but I know Willow could tell you what it's like to get two hours of sleep night after night while your kid keeps waking up to cry. Probably a lot of ponies out there who would disagree with you on how wonderful it is."

"They're wrong," Maple muttered. "I know about making sacrifices for that new life. We all did, giving up on our dreams of Ironridge for that little Alder. You remember how much it hurt, when we couldn't do what we believed in so much that our cutie marks came for it. And we all saw that it was worth it. It was good, Amber. Intensely so."

Amber thought slowly, holding onto her as she contemplated how to respond. "I guess you're right. Probably feels like a broken promise, and all that."

"A broken promise." Maple nodded. "With Alder, we all helped Willow, and then when she had Fir too. We worked hard for them. And I don't know if you felt it as strongly as I did... maybe it was just me... but it felt so wonderful seeing their first steps, or their first words, or their first teeth... like all that work was paying off into a real pony."

"Yep. I thought it was cool too, but I know you were far more attached to Alder than I was. And not for my lack of trying." Amber chuckled carefully.

Slowly, Maple breathed. "I don't know how better to explain it. It hurts. Having a foal was supposed to hurt and also be good and overall be wonderful, but all I got was the pain."

"What you got was an experience." Amber's smile grew, reassuring and tight. "An experience that made you who you are, and is a big part of why you and Starlight now have each other."

"I did." Maple's voice cracked. "I don't know. Maybe I can't talk about this just now. Do you mind sitting here for a while?"

"Got you covered." Amber leaned into her, and the night went on.

Comments

[Boopers]

Czar, what happened to Nyala's original body? It hasn't been mentioned since forever. It's still alive, is it? Or did I miss something completely? Didn't they bring it on board? What happened to it? Did they forget about it and left it to starvation in some forgotten room below deck?
Also why didn't Valey ask the Night Mother about fixing Nyala?

[Hap]

I really dislike when Maple talks about... that. But it always feels a bit cathartic. Sometimes I wonder if Maple is me, or if I am Maple. Or maybe I'm just drunk.

[RoboRed]