Quete

by Comrade Bagel Muffin

Maison de la Forêt

Escutcheon walked up the stairs that wound up the tree to the house above. A basket of fish floated next to him. After three weeks he was finally able to eat meat without nauseous side effects. Most of the time he'd still prefer berries or greens over meat, however fish did have a unique flavor, he didn't like it, but he didn't mind eating it, not anymore anyways. He walked into the tree house that for the past four months had become his home. The first two months he had stayed to help build the bat pony city, all of which was up in the trees, several were actually in the trees. The last two months he stayed there because, well things just always needed doing. Fishing lodges needed setting up. Trade deals needed negotiating. Diplomatic ties needed making, and Dusk and Nebula were willing to let him stay with them.

"Hey Dusk, we're having fish tonight." Escutcheon set the basket on the table. Dusk poked her head out of a curtain that separated the main living area, dining area, and kitchen from their bedroom. She smiled as she eyed the basket of fish. "Whatcha doing?"

"Nothing. She blushed you'll see tonight, but you're not allowed to go in until then." Escutcheon smiled.

"Aw, but Dusk I really want to take a nap." He playfully whined and headed for the curtain.

"No. Take a nap in the living room." She stepped out from behind the curtain. Her wings flared blocking the unicorn colt's advance. "No peaking." Escutcheon gave her his best pouting face as he continued his advance. "No, take one more step, and you'll regret it." Escutcheon smirked and took one more step. Dusk pounced him. He tried to get her off of him, he put up a good fight until she started his ear. He burst into laughter.

"I-I surrender. I surrender Dusk. Plllease stop." He pleaded between laughter. "I won't look. I won't look, Dusk. Please stop. I swear I won't look." Dusk content that she had gotten her point across stopped nibbling on his ear. She leapt over him, and he rolled over. He joined her over at the kitchen area of the tree house. The two of them started preparing the fish for supper that night.

Nebula arrived back to the house just as the two of them had finished cooking the fish. "Fish, my favorite." He dropped his saddle bags to the side of the door. "Hey sweetie." He caught his daughter as wrapped him in a hug.

"Welcome home dad." She dropped down and trotted with her father to the dinning room table. Escutcheon floated three plates to the table with as he joined them.

"Only fish tonight." Nebula grinned. "Dusk must have done all of the shopping today."

"Ha-ha-ha. Very funny. I've been eating meats for at least three months now." Nebula and Dusk laughed.

"And you've been putting the protein to good use." Nebula nodded. "It's only been three months and you're already half a hoof taller than when you started. You're filling out into quite the stallion." "And that's not just in height. You've been a great help to our family and community." Escutcheon felt himself blushing at the complement.

"Thanks, I just want to help. It's what Mother and Father would expect me to do."

"I'm sure they'd be proud at how hard you've been working."

"Yeah, but they'd not be approving of my new diet."

"I'm sure that they wouldn't mind. To much," Dusk said between bites.

"Maybe not, but several of mother's friends definitely would," he answered after swallowing another bite. "Though I'm sure that most of them would understand. I think I lost my appetite." He pushed the plate away from him.

"Hey, do you wan to see what I did today?" Dusk got up and took Escutcheon's hoof, leading him to the curtain that lead to their room. "So, I noticed that other than your blanket you never took anything out of your saddle bags, so I got something for that." She pulled the curtain back. The room was the same except for a small three layered shelf that held all of his belongings. From the little candle that had become obsolete to the sapphire shard. Even his books fit on the small shelves with plenty of room to spare. "Escutcheon?" Dusk looked at him worriedly.

"Um-uh. I need to go." His ears flopped down as he felt himself becoming pale.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset."

"You didn't." He hoped he sounded more convincing to her than he did to himself. "It's my stomach, I. I just need to go." He hurried out of the house and down the steps to the forest floor.