A Story Told

by Lil Penpusher

Father and Son

And so, Edmond Dash made his way towards his home. His small shadow travelled with him along the ground as he passed by the market, blacksmith and city hall. The ponies in the streets paid no attention to him, however, as a flying pegasus was nothing extraordinary.

Edmond lowered himself back to the ground, landing in the middle of a small street at the edge of town. Not many ponies would travel these streets, apart from those housing nearby. In front of him stood his home. It was not big, as it was just an ordinary house after all, but it offered enough space and comfort for him and his father.

The cyan blue pony cleaned off some dust that had settled on his sailor clothes. He slowly put a hoof on the handle of the door in front of him, opening it with a quiet creaking.

“Father?” he asked, closing the door behind him, but he was met with no response.

Curious, he wandered off upstairs, where his father’s bedroom was. Every step he made on the stairs was accompanied with a loud creaking of the old planks of wood. Having arrived upstairs, he dashed over to his father’s bedroom. The door was wide open.

“Father?” he asked again, quietly stepping inside.

“Edmond...?” a familiar voice replied from inside. “Edmond! My dear son!” his father exclaimed with joy, sitting in his favourite armchair in front of the great window of his room. The chair was a gift from his Edmond’s mother, who had died three years ago. Since then he would spend most time in the armchair, thinking, observing.

“My dear father! Oh, how glad I am to see you!” Edmond replied, sprinting towards his father and falling him in the arms.

“As I am, my son. I had already believed you fell victim to harm and misfortune,” his father said, stroking through his son’s hair as they remained in a tight embrace.

“Not me, father, the captain,” Edmond said to him, finally breaking the hug.

“The Captain? What happened, son?”

“He caught an evil fever as we set course for Baltimare...” Edmond sighed at repeating the sad story once more, “and he died...”

“Truly a great misfortune,” his father replied. “The remainder of your journey was of no trouble, yes?”

Edmond chuckled at the caring gesture of his father. “Yes, father, our journey was a jolly one apart from this incident. No further problems, though Danglarjack almost brought upon him the wrath of a local clique when we laid anchor at Fillydelphia,” Edmond said with a smile.

“Hah, well, that is truly Danglarjack. He cannot help but tease others.”

“True, true,” Edmond agreed. “And what have you done these days, father? Were the bits I gave you before my departure sufficient?”

His father became quiet, a disappointed expression on his face.

“Father, what is the matter? Was the money not enough? Did somepony rob you?”

“No,” the father replied, “no, my son, it is not that.”

“Then what is it? Truly, your mind is filled with worry.”

“When you departed, you had forgotten to pay back a debt to our neighbour, Berry Puncherousse. He reminded me of this shortly after you left, saying that if you did not pay him now he would be paid by Mrs. Firrels instead. I was worried this would hurt you,” Mr. Dash told his son.

Edmond was shocked to hear this. “Well?” he asked his father.

“Why I paid him.”

“But I owed Puncherousse one hundred and fifty bits!” Edmond shouted, more so complaining to himself than his innocent father.

“Yes,” his father said.

“And you paid him using the two hundred bits I left you?” Edmond asked.

“Yes...” his father said again.

“So you have lived on only fifty bits during my absence?” Edmond asked with shock.

His father was quiet, replying quietly after a few seconds: “You know how little I require, Edmond.”

“Dear Celestia, have mercy on my soul!” Edmond exclaimed, once again falling into his father’s arms. He began to sob and eventually cry.

“My son, what is the matter?” Edmond’s father asked, holding him in his arms.

“I will never forgive myself for this, father!” he replied loudly, his voice weak from sobbing and crying.

“Never mind it, son. It is all over now, and you are back again.”

Edmond wiped off the tears in his face. “Yes...yes, here I am,” he said, “With a new, promising career and a little money,” Edmond added, pulling out a small, red purse.

His father watched curiously as his son walked over to his bed, emptying the bag above it. Bronze, silver and golden coins now laid on the bed, glimmering in the sunlight that shone through the window.

“Who does this belong to...?” Edmond’s father asked, never having seen such a large amount of money brought home by his son.

“Me,” Edmond said. “You...” He corrected himself, tearing up again. “Us. Take it, father, take it all, and buy whatever it is you require. Be happy, I shall bring more tomorrow,” Edmond said to his father, in tears once more.

“Calmly, my son, calmly,” his father said, wiping off a tear on his son’s cheek. “With your permission, I shall use your funds moderately. It is your money, in the end, and I would be in the wrong to spend it on my own well-being.”

“Do as you wish, father,” Edmond replied, a slight smile forming on his face once more, “but make sure you hire a servant. I simply cannot leave you by yourself for so long.”

“You are well aware, Edmond, that I hold a grudge against personal servitude,” his father opposed.

“Then I shall be the one to find a suiting servant for you, father,” Edmond insisted.

Suddenly, the door behind Edmond creaked loudly as yet another pony entered the room.

“My, my. You’re back in Baltimare already, Edmond?” the voice of Berry Puncherousse echoed through Edmond’s mind. He turned around to see that it really was who he had heard, that dreadful neighbour of theirs.

“As you can see,” Edmond replied monotonously. “Who has given you entry into our home?” he demanded to know.

“This was me, Edmond,” his father admitted. Edmond looked at him with surprise. “Never mind the debt, Edmond. He is our neighbour, and has done us a great service on multiple occasions.”

“True, true,” Puncherousse agreed with a smirk, leaning himself onto the doorframe. “Apologies for the interruption, dear Edmond, but I simply had to come when I first heard of your return.”

Edmond looked back at him with judging eyes. “And why would somepony like you honour us with a visit?”

“Calm yourself, dear Edmond, you owe me money no longer. I lent you money, you returned it. No need for grudges,” Puncherousse replied.

“My questions remains unanswered,” Edmond said, almost with a grumble.

“Why, to say ‘Welcome back’, of course!” Berry said, smirking as he did all this time. “I am so glad I made my way to the docks today, as I unexpectedly met my old pal there...Danglarjack.”

---

“Danglarjack?” Berry asked out loud as he approached the sailor. He sat at a table at the docks, writing something on a scroll while also counting bits that laid on the table next to him.

“Danglarjack, is that really you?” Puncherousse asked again, causing his old friend to look up at him, “You? In Baltimare?”

“As you can see,” Danglarjack replied annoyingly, looking back down onto the scroll.

“I thought you and the Venturer were in Fillydelphia.”

“We were,” Danglarjack replied, continuing to write on the scroll, not looking up to his friend, “but now we’re back, at last. Our ‘Captain’ caused us much delay as we travelled back home.”

“Captain Fleclerc?” Puncherousse asked.

“Nay,” Danglarjack replied, finally looking up to Berry, “He went ill and died on our journey, shortly after we left Fillydelphia. Some child that goes by the name of Edmond Dash decided to take command afterwards and become Captain.”

“Edmond Dash?” Berry Puncherousse repeated. “You mean the young Edmond that is my neighbour?”

Danglarjack nodded. “That one.”

Berry Puncherousse thought about what to do, considering the situation. “And...where is our little Edmond, at this time?”

Danglarjack shrugged, “probably with his father.”

“I see...” Puncherousse said quietly.

---

“And so, I came as fast as I could to shake hooves with my good friend, Edmond,” Berry said to both Edmond and his father.

“See, Edmond? I told you Puncherousse was a good, caring neighbour,” his father praised.

“Indeed I am,” Berry said with pride. “I respect and care about you because honest folks are so... rare... ” Puncherousse froze as his eyes wandered off towards the bed where the money of Edmond still laid, the glimmer of the coins attracting Berry’s eyes like a magnet.

“It seems you came home with quite a full purse, young one,” Puncherousse stated.

“T-This is not my money. I was simply explaining to my father how worried I was that he had no money while I was away, so he emptied his purse on the bed,” Edmond attempted to explain. “Father,” Edmond turned to his father who still sat in his chair, “put your money back in your purse.”

It took him a moment to agree, but his father eventually rose from his chair, pulling out his own green purse and collecting the money that had been spilled on the bed.

“Well, Edmond,” Puncherousse said to him, “I hear you stand very well with Mrs. Firrels. Lucky you.”

“Yes, yes. Mrs. Firrels has always been exceedingly kind to me,” Edmond replied.

“Then you were wrong to refuse to dine with her,” Berry revealed.

“She invited you to dine with her? And you refused?” Edmond’s father asked in shock.

“Yes, father...” Edmond admitted.

“But why, my son, why did you refuse?”

“I refused so I could see you again, my father. I was worried about you,” Edmond told his father with honesty.

“But surely it must have offended Mrs. Firrels, young colt. And if you really are looking forward to being Captain then it was a wrong move to annoy the owner of the ship,” Puncherousse commented.

“I explained to her the cause of my refusal, and she seemed to have fully understood,” Edmond said in his defence.

“Yes, that may be true,” Berry said, “but to achieve an influential position in life one must do a little flattery to one’s patrons.”

“I would prefer to be Captain without that...” Edmond answered him.

“The better, the better! For if you achieve your goal, your old friends will be as joyful as you. Though I hear that there is a certain somepony in town that would be even more joyful than the rest...” Puncherousse indicated with a quick wink.

“Is this Shycedes you are talking about?” Edmond’s father asked, having finally collected all the money.

“Yes, father, and with your permission, I would like to request that I pay her a much-needed visit, now that I have seen you and know that you are well,” Edmond requested of his father.

“Go, my son. Enjoy this time with your wife as much as I ever enjoyed the time with mine,” his father replied.

“His wife? You are going a step too far, dear Louis Dash: She is not his wife just yet.” Puncherousse said to him.

“But according to all circumstances she soon will be,” Edmond’s father replied with confidence, at which Edmond smiled back at him.

“Yes, yes...” Berry replied in a slightly annoyed voice, “you were quite right to return as fast as possible, young Edmond.”

“Why is this?” he asked.

“Because your lovely Shycedes is a fine mare, and mares like her have at least a dozen followers at any time.”

“Is that so?” Edmond asked again.

“Take my word for it,” Puncherousse said with a lifted hoof, “but no need to worry, for you will soon be a Captain, and no mare could possibly refuse you then.”

“That is...” Edmond said, “if I wasn’t already a Captain!”

“Already a Captain?” Berry Puncherousse asked himself out loud, stunned with disbelief, “Uh...yeah...”

“I am more than certain that Shycedes is not like the mares you know, Berry Puncherousse. She will forever hold onto me and stay true,” Edmonde said to him.

“All the better! Go, now, and announce your arrival to her,” Berry told the young colt, secretly wishing he would just disappear already.

“I shall go right away!” Edmond said joyfully and eagerly. He turned to his father one last time, who had lowered himself onto his chair again during their talk.

“I will be back soon, father,” Edmond said to him, hugging him one last time. “Now, I best be on my way! I shall not have her wait any longer!” Edmond said, dashing off through the door. Both Berry Puncherousse and Louis Dash remained silently in the room, the silence broken only after they heard Edmond shut the door to the house.

“Well, well,” Puncherousse said, “though I would love to stay, I must go and attend my own business now.”

And with that, he too was gone. All that was left was Louis, sitting in his armchair, with a purse that was filled with the hard-earned money of his son.

---

The mischievous figure of Berry Puncherousse, shutting the door of the Dash home with a great slam behind him, wandered down the street, carefully, almost nervously, looking around the street, as if he were having the feeling of being watched.

“Psst,” a pony called to him from a dark alleyway. Puncherousse, after looking around the street, which was fairly empty at this time, approached the alleyway and pony that waited inside it.

“Did you see him?” the voice of Danglarjack echoed through the empty alleyway.

“I did,” Berry replied. An evil smirk formed on Danglarjack’s face.

“Was he talking about his hope to become a captain?” he asked Berry.

“Ugh, he talked as if he were one already,” Berry replied.

“As I expected!” Danglarjack exclaimed loudly.

“And it seems Mrs. Firrels already promised him the thing,” Berry explained.

“So he was quite ‘joyful’ about it, yes?” Danglarjack asked.

“So joyful that he got too confident and daring, I fear,” Berry said regretfully. “I wish he would have never become a captain. It is impossible to have a normal conversation with him.”

“Woah, woah, he’s not a captain just yet,” Danglarjack interrupted, “and if we do this right, he never will be; and perhaps be even less than he already is...” Danglarjack mumbled to himself.

“W-what do you mean?” Berry asked confusingly.

“Nothing of the matter,” Danglarjack reassured him. “Is he still in love with that mare of his?”

“Yes, very much so, and he is just off to visit her. Though there is likely to be a contender with her at the time.”

“A contender? Explain yourself,” Danglarjack demanded.

“Why should I?”

“You don’t like Edmond, right?” Danglarjack asked him.

“I never like upstarts...” Berry grumbled.

“Just tell me what you know about that Pegasus mare,” Danglarjack said to him again.

“I know nothing for certain, but I have heard rumours that our future captain will run into trouble when arriving at Shydence’s place,” Berry told him.

“What trouble? Tell me, already!” Danglarjack demanded again, impatiently.

“Every time I have seen Shycedes walk around the town these days, she has been accompanied by a purple-eyed alicorn, with purple fur and a blue jacket. The fellow seems to always wear a quite serious face, too, unlike her,” Berry revealed to his friend.

“Really? And you think this pony has something for her?” Danglarjack asked again.

“I suppose so, yes.”

“And you said Edmond went to see Shycedes?”

“He left for her shortly before I myself left, yes,” Berry confirmed.

“Then let us go the same way as him. We shall stop nearby and have a glass of wine. Perhaps we can find out more about Shycedes and this mysterious alicorn fellow,” Danglarjack told his friend, trotting down the street with him.

“So long as you pay the score,” Berry said with a chuckle.

“Of course, old friend...”

Comments

[Sollace]

Ooohh :O

This is getting good.

And I say that as a person completely unfamiliar with the story.