Kiwe's Journey

by Mocha Star

Dream Hill

“There’s the sign! It’s only a few miles away, we’ll be there by supper and I can’t wait to sleep in a real bed! Aren’t you excited, Kiwe?! This’ the first town you’ve been to outside Manehattan!”

“Yes, yes,” Kiwe smiled at Jade’s enthusiasm, “however, I would like to save my energy for when we’re in the town itself to see what I can while you are stumbling tired like an old stallion after a night at the tavern.”

Jade gasped and pranced around Kiwe as the unicorn kept his pace. “I have my mark, I can go into the tavern and get a drink! I haven’t had anything to drink since I left the Empire because ‘marks denote maturity,’ bleh. Want me to take you with me? Once I flash’m this baby,” he waved his hips proudly and heard a girlish squeak from behind them.

“Yes, Jade, they are still behind us. Try as you might they will stay for as long as they can. They know where we’re going and the best path to get there that we’ll take, so you will have to get used to them or go ahead to scout.”

Jade’s ears perked. “Scout? Like a hunter looking for its prey, Jade guides his friend through the deepest jungles, finding the path to the lost city of-”

“How to be quiet!” Violet shouted from behind them. Jade turned back to see the fillies approaching quickly at a canter. “The once lost city was so loud and arrogant that a spell was cast upon it, silencing its inhabitants and making them all go crazy from the boredom that the silence brought.”

They fillies shared a laugh and Kiwe couldn’t help but snicker. “See, even Kiwi’s laughing! It’s funny, Jade. What?” The awkward looks she was getting from two of them and angry glare from Jade confused her. “What’d I say?”

“His name is Azikiwe, and you’re still a plot-headed bully!”

They all stopped at Jade’s outburst, Mist stomped toward Jade and snorted hot air when her snout was almost against his. “Buck you, I’m getting help.”

“You ran away from the help, you’re as bad as before, aren’t you?”

Jade winced when Mist lifted her pink foreleg. “Look, at my skin,” she glared at him. His eyes darted to her leg and back to her eyes. “Or are you scared?”

“I’m not a’scared of anything,” he looked intently through the hair that covered her and gasped at what he saw.

“Yeah, so can you drop it now or do I have to tell everypony?”

“I already know, so that just leaves Kiwe that doesn’t know.”

Mist turned her glare to Violet then softened. “Fine, I have a disease and that’s what I’m getting fixed. No it’s not healed, and yeah it makes me moody,” she used her extended foreleg to shove Jade back two paces, he stumbled but didn’t fall.

“Is that why you’re a bi-” Jade stopped as he was yanked by his saddlebags backwards, stopping beside Kiwe.

“It’s okay, Mist. As long as you’re kind then I’ll let it go and we can begin anew, yes?”

“Yeah, fine, whatever, just don’t bug me about my problem, alright?” the pink filly groused. Violet sidled next to Mist and lay her neck across Mist’s to calm her.

“Mist, let’s just go ahead. There’s a comfy bed up ahead,” she sing-songed, “with your name on it.”

Mist stepped away and began walking again. “Fine, but if any of you try to take my bed I’ll charge you five bits.”

Jade snorted and followed her with Kiwe by his side. “When’d she become the leader?”

…

“So, the tavern is the hotel.”

“Inn, cool colt.”

“Why do you call him that?”

“Who cares what colts do, as long as it gets us dinner and a comfy bed.”

They walked in and ahead to the service desk and glanced at two swinging doors to either side and the stairs behind the mare at the counter. “Hello, welcome to Dream Hill B and B, I’m Dreamy Mound how can I help you?”

Kiwe moved to the from of their gaggle. “we are in need of rooms and supper. How much for the night?”

The other three had lined up and sat on their haunches looking as sweetly as they could. “Aww, four foals on the road? How sweet.”

Mist huffed and mumbled to herself about not being a foal.

“Yes, how much and where may we eat?”

“I like you, sixty bits for the night.”

”What?!” they all cried out in unison. They moved to the counter and began bombarding her with questions.

She held a foreleg straight up and the children quieted. “Still works like a charm,” Dreamy smirked, “look, it’s twenty a night plus five for food. That’s one hundred bits, if you don’t like the deal.” She looked at them slyly and they looked between each other. They began counting their bits and pooling them as she pointed to the right.

“That way is the tavern, if ya want a drink you pay on your own, not included with your stay. You go the other way and its the restaurant. You can choose any one of four meal specials. The stairs just aside me lead up to the rooms. No keys, but they lock from inside. If you leave through the window when you’re done and don’t unlock the door it makes it a bit annoying for me, so please don’t do that.”

She took their bits and looked them over before sliding them into a drawer out of sight. “Have a good evening.”

She took a step back and sat on a cushion, opened a book, and began to occupy herself until her shift was over.

“Very well, we are here and hungry, so shall we eat?”

Mist walked around the group. “I’m dropping my bags off, they’re a pain in my hindquarters.”

Dreamy looked up. “Oh yeah, rooms 1 and 2 are taken,” she returned to her book.

Mist ascended the stairs while the others turned left into the restaurant. A room the size of a basketball court with two tables that could seat four each and a wooden divider about one third of the way from the last wall with the words ‘kitch’n, employees only’ painted across the top.

They took a seat and quickly a colt, slightly older than Kiwe, came out with laminated menu’s in his mouth. “Water or beet juice?”

The trio looked between each other and chose both. Looking over the menu they heard a familiar filly shouting and Violet sighed loudly as she slunk from her seat before the colts could offer or ever ask what was happening. They shared a noncommittal shrug then looked over their choices.

“Number six is meat,” Jade whispered.

“Fish isn’t meat, well, not really, but it’s okay.”

Jade perked up at that and replied in a loud whisper. “You eat fish?! I love fish, wanna share?”

Kiwe shook his head. “I will share mine with you, yes. If we both eat the same dish it will not be enough.”

“So, halfsies?”

Kiwe grinned. “Yes.”

Violet returned with Mist, held in a purple glow through the doorway before the magic faded and the pink filly landed on the floor. “Mist is upset again.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” Jade snarked back with a deadpanned expression.

Mist stomped to the table and took a seat on the floor beside her friend. “We have to share a room. There’s one bed and I call dibs,” she stated with finality.

Before Jade could protest and begin an argument, Kiwe extended a foreleg to quell the conversation. “I will sleep fine on the floor with Jade, you young mares may have the bed.”

The table fell silent as Jade clenched his teeth and the fillies looked intently at the table, slightly embarrassed. “Y-you think we’re mares?” Violet asked. Mist bumped her shoulder into her friends and shook her head when she looked up. “B-but, nopony’s called me a mare before.”

Mist cleared her throat and looked at the menu until the colt returned with their drinks, Mist taking a water, having no interest in having a purple stain on her fur. Orders placed they sat in awkward silence until their food arrived.

“Yummy.”
“Fresh? That’s awesome!”
“Mmm, stew is good for the spirit, mother says.”
“Fish’n chips, aww-yeah.”

The fillies fell silent as the last plate was placed before Jade. “Did you say ‘fish?’ As in fish, fish?”

“Yes, Mist, I did and it’s gonna be great. I used to eat this stuff every couple days back in the north.”

“But, we’re vegetarians, we don’t eat animals!”

Kiwe chuckled. “Crickets, grasshoppers, eggs… to name a few.”

“That’s different!”

“Mist,” Violet’s horn glowed as she took a steamed carrot to her mouth, “who cares? It’s food and it’s not like it’s an animal or we’re suddenly gonna start eating other sentient creatures or animals. And before you start,” she chewed the carrot with attitude, “plants eat meat, too. So get over it.”

Mist frowned and looked at her plate of oats and vegetables, then Violet’s hot and cold salad. “Fine, whatever. If you get the trots, don’t even talk to me.”

“I already had them,” Jade winked to the grossed out filly. “I can share if you want.”

“Eeyuck, colts are so gross, right, Violet?”

Kiwe used his magic to snag a fry and ate it, regretfully not testing its temperature as he bit down; a puff of steam and potato pulp well over the boiling point of water, squeezed into his mouth. Even though it was a terrible pain, his heart was warmed by how much each other pony at the table cared to help him with the burning pain, through laughter.

He moved his drink to his mouth and downed it, moving to Violet’s next drinking half of it before the pain ebbed enough for him to move his tongue around his mouth. “It th’tings,” he whined as they laughed. “Ith not fth’unny, I buwn’d my mouf.”

Jade wiped a tear from his eye. “You’re so funny, Kiwe. What’re you even saying?”

A clambor from the kitchen got their attention and a laughably tall pegasi stumbled through the door with a first aid kit in her left wing pinions and ran to Kiwe. “Burned mouth! Clode six, open your mouth, I can fix you,” she said dropping the box onto the floor and spilling the contents and nosing through the supplies.

“Wow, she’s a retard,” Mist said aloud, “what, Violet? She is.”

At Violet’s glare, though she still managed to take a bite of her food and talk around it. “You don’t have to be mean to everypony you meet.”

Mist rolled her eyes. “I haven’t met her, she’s just showed up out of nowhere and is acting all… you know,” she gestured at the pegasus that perked up happily when she found something.

“I got it, open up and I’ll look at your owies, like this, aaaaaah.”

Kiwe raised an eyebrow but compiled as she placed a lollipop in his mouth, to everypony’s surprise. Jand and Mist burst into laughter as the mare moved back and nodded. “That’ll make it all better, I’m Flitter and I’m a pegasis!” she flapped her wings and hovered casting gusts with each flap.

A wooden spoon thwacked against the back of her head and she fell to her hooves, one slipping on the spilled medical kit, landing her chin on the table. She stood up and whined, rubbing her lips with her wing. “I’ll clean up, I’m sorry, I maked a mess.”

“Get back here and wash the dishes,” a mare scolded her and turned back into the kitchen. “And bring me my spoon.”

Mist snorted and took a spoon in her fetlock, loaded it with oats, brought it to her mouth, and grinned at Violet. “Told you, re-tard.”

Jade threw a piece of fish that landed in Mist’s vegetables. She glared at him, wishing him pain in her gaze. He ate a fry proudly, a puff of steam escaping his mouth as he chewed. “You are what you eat, so eat some meat like a monster,” he pointed at the fried fish in her food.

She growled and slapped her plate from the table without thinking, wincing as the ceramic slapped against Flitter’s head and spilled vegetables and chunky plain oats across her face and into her first aid box. Four sets of eyes looked at the pink mare who gulped and opened her mouth slowly.

“Flitter?! You made a bigger mess? That’s it, I’m done with you, you worthless pegasus. You can’t do your job, you can’t keep your feathers out of my prep, you can’t even leave our first customers in three days alone! You’re fired!” the mare picked up her spoon from beside Flitter and tapped her on the head twice.

Flitter’s eyes watered and she galloped from the room and out of the hotel. “Leave the door open, why don’t you?” Dreamy shouted after the pegasi. The children looked between each other, eyes landing on Mist and narrowing. “What, I didn’t have anything to do with that, she was the screw up. You heard the chef.”

The others moved their plates away and slid from their spots and stood up, Kiwe using his magic to lift the first aid kit and rolling the sucker in his mouth as he used a napkin to clean out the first aid kit as best he could. Violet filled it with the supplies and closed it, taking it in her magic from Kiwe.

Jade walked around the table to Mist, who still sat at her spot quietly. “Mist, you’re just the meanest meanie I’ve ever known, and I knew Sombra.”

He walked past her, flicking his tail at her and going upstairs to their room. Kiwe and Violet didn’t offer her acknowledgement and quickly moved out of the hotel and looked around, seeing the pegasi standing beside the building quietly crying.

Kiwe and Violet looked between each other and Kiwe moved first. “Miss Flitter, I am Kiwe and I apologize for the action of my traveling companion. We fixed your kit and the sucker is helping a lot.”

She looked aside to him and smiled. “Thanks you. I’m Flitter, I’m a pegasis, but I make mistakes sometimes.”

Violet stood beside Kiwe and felt for the mare. “It’s okay, so do I, and my friends, and Mist. Don’t be sad, please.”

Kiwe extended a hoof. “Come with us, we’ll take you home, yes?”

Flitter sniffled. “I can’t cross the street without help, can you help me?”

“I would be honored, fine mare.” Flitter giggled and blinked her teary eyes, took his offered hoof in her wing, and stood still.

Violet looked around. “Okay, where do you live?”

Flitter looked across the street and pointed with her wings in an arbitrary direction, then she turned and pointed her wing back to the hotel. “I live there, under the tables to keep them warm so the food stays warm and makes you happy!” she grinned weakly back to Violet.

The foals look between each other. “Where else can you stay?” Flitter shrugged, still smiling like she didn’t know how to stop. “You can sleep with us tonight, but tomorrow we’re leaving, okay?”

“Yeah, I like sleepovers with ponies! Can I bring my friend?”

They looked at her. “Why can’t you sleep at your friend’s?”

Flitter snickered and laughed. “I can’t sleep in my friend, I’m too big now,” her gaze went to the first aid kit, “and there’s only one First Aid,” she leaned in closer to Violet, “and she’s not into mares, she likes suitcases.” She winked at her and leaned back.

“Uhm… Okay?”

“Well, yes, that is good to hear. Follow us up the stairs to sleep the night, we will part ways after starlight.”

Flitter giggled and pranced in place, her face drying quickly now from her movements. “You sing nice! More? More!”

Kiwe smiled and turned slowly. “I shall guide you to our room, you may tell us about you,” he shrugged at Violet and she nodded. “My rhyming is something I learned from my mother, it comes and goes.”

Flitter skipped a step. “Apple!”

“Okay, yeah, apple,” Violet looked at Kiwe and silently told him ‘she is crazy.’

They led her inside and past the glaring, to their room, passing a closed door with sounds that both intrigued and disgusted both children, then to their room. They saw Mist lying on her belly on a bed first when they opened the door, then a second bed, lastly a third bed that Jade lay upon, glaring at the disinterested pink filly.

Mist looked at the two and mare. “Great, now we’re babysitting. You can’t even cross the street, or what?”

An apple flew from Jade and smacked Mist on the crown of her head. She turned her attention to Jade and bristled. “You butt chewing, tail chasing...!”

Jade had never looked more smug. “I know you are but what am I?”

“A million stinky butts all going off at once.”

“I know you are but what am I?”

Mist snorted and turned her nose up, looking away. “You're too dumb to talk to!”

“I'm rubber and you're glue, anything you say bounces off me and sticks to you.”

Mist smirked. “You're the kindest, prettiest, smartest pony ever,” she flicked her mane.

“Thanks!”

“She startled, sitting up tall, and sputtered. “Buh, wha-”

“Only good stuff gets through the glue, bad stuff gets stuck back on you.”

What?! You can't do that!”

“Yes-huh! It's my glue so it does what I want it to do.”

“Well then me too, I'm rubber and you're glue!”

“You're really smart!”

Mist beamed a smile. “Thanks.”

“I was talking to me, because it bounced off you back to me back to you back to me.”

Mist stood on her bed and huffed righteous indignation. “Then I'm extra sticky double rubber…”

Violet and Kiwe backed from the door and closed it, leaving the two to argue. “Wanna get supper, again?”

“Sure, Flitter can come with us, yes? I will buy her a meal and later they can get their own,” Kiwe furrowed his brows. “We still have to pay for them, don’t we?”

“Yeah, but it’s cool. I’ve got-”

Flitter fluttered her wings and gusted the hallway. “It’s cool out because the sun is setting, that means it goes to sleep until it wakes up.”

“Please, stop doing that,” Violet shouted over the rushing wind, then Flitter landed. “Thank you. Let’s get some food without throwing any, okay?”

Both Kiwe and Flitter agreed at the same time.

…

“No, get her out of here, she’s nothing but trouble.”

Flitter flinched and extended her wings by instinct. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t give me that, you’re trouble, a problem, a disappointment, and an embarrassment; and I won’t have you working here anymore.”

Flitter flinched and cowered back with each word directed at her.

Kiwe moved between the mares and smiled awkwardly. “Miss, we’re not here for her to get a job, just a snack that we happen to lack. I can help if you need it, as you seem to be down an assistant.”

The cook looked from Flitter to him and then Violet. “What makes you think you can even hold a knife without cutting yourself?”

Kiwe’s horn lit and lifted the toque from her head and brought it to his own. “I’m not as bad as you may think, and the food I make will be ready in a blink. It is for us three only,” he gestured to his small group.

“My name’s Pepper, get your flank back here and I’ll show you the day’s special.”

Kiwe shot Violet a grin and hurried to follow the mare into the back. He was unimpressed with what he saw, but knew every kitchen wasn’t going to be as grand as the ones in his dreams. “The sink’s over there, wash your hooves and put on gloves. I’m already cooking some stew for tomorrow, not like it’ll be eaten, so I’ll be over there by the stove.”

She used her foreleg to swipe her hat back and placed it on her head giving him a stink eye.

“Yes, chef!” he shouted suddenly, rushing to the sink and turning it on with his forehooves and beginning the process by plugging it with a towel and pouring in some soap. He giggled while the bubbles formed and multiplied, then a sharp pain stung his foreleg. He looked at where it came from. Pepper stood with a scowl on her expression and wooden spoon in her mouth.

“Are you trying to get everypony sick?” Kiwe shook his head and rubbed the spot she’d stuck. “Do you want to ruin my business?” Kiwe shook his head again. “Turn off the water and unplug the sink,” she growled at him around the stirring spoon in her teeth. He complied and was about to ask why, but the look in her eye stopped him.

“First, you start the water. Then you soap your hooves, then scrub them while singing the First Hearth’s Warming song. Scrub them everywhere from the nooks and crannies of your frogs to your fetlocks. Every hair must be cleaned,” she emphasised by tapping the sink with her spoon. “When you’re done you keep yourself on the edge of the sink and rinse your hooves, turn the water off with your mouth, then use one of the towels you used to plug the sink to dry your hooves.”

Kiwe nodded and went through the motions with her watching. It took seven tried before he did it to her liking, but she let a smile slip when he dried his hooves and didn’t plant them back on the floor. “Not bad, slip your forehooves into the gloves and follow me.”

Kiwe looked at the box of hoof shaped plastic gloves on the wall beside the sink and pressed his legs into the stack, covering his hooves, then moved to the stove. “Here, we have stew. Classic potato, everything’s grown in the valley here, nothing imported,” she smiled with pride into the steaming pot that was just above his height.

She slid a stool to him and he used it to look inside. “It looks ok, but,” he sniffed, “it needs something.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Yeah, and I need a hooficure. Let’s state the obvious,” she rolled her eyes. “I use what my mom used, it was amazing back then so you’d think it’d be a huge seller and get the locals into the hotel to eat again, but nothing here impresses these new ponies, the foals do what their parents do, and their parents would rather order something from Manehattan,” she stepped back and stomped her hoof.

“May I make a suggestion?”

“Are you my great grandmother?” she snapped back.

“No, but I would like to make this better. I have experience and would like to help.”

She chuckled dryly. “You can make your own and I’ll see how it turns out before I let you change a single thing in my family recipe,” she pointed to the back wall where three tables were placed, “that’s the prep station, no fridge but the garden’s in the back. Have at it, if it’s bad you and your party are gonna have a story to tell, because I’m not serving crap from this kitchen.”

“Then why would you have my friends and I eat it if it is not quality?”

“Because I didn’t make it, it’s got your name on it. Not mine,” she poked him gently and when he dismounted the stool she sat on it, “get to it.”

The next twenty minutes went by faster than Kiwe realized. He’d peeled potatoes, diced vegetables, and started a small pot of water boiling. He added the potatoes and then vegetables, herbs, spices, and tasted it before he added salt. He stepped back from the stove and stirred the pot a final time then backed away.

“Well, that was fun,” Kiwe used a paper towel to wipe his forehead with his magic, “how long will it take?”

“About four hours,” Pepper said looking at her right forehoof. She smiled when she heard his reaction. “Don’t get your diaper inside out, kid,” she moved from the stool and took a necklace from around her neck with a green gem on it, “magic is great for cooking, if you use it right. Stay back,” she moved the gem over his stew and closed her eyes, whispering an incantation he couldn’t hear and couldn’t repeat regardless.

The air around the pot glowed a pale orange for a few seconds and Kiwe felt an unusual but familiar magic tickle his horn faintly. “There we go, Kiwi,” he frowned, “try it, but no barfing in my kitchen, got it,” she winked at him. “I watched you, you’ve got some potential, Kiwi.”

“My name is Kiwe, not Kiwi.” He took the spoon in his magic and brought it to his lips and blew on it.

She shrugged. “As I was saying, you’re not as bad as I thought you’d be. I’ll be honest, I was expecting you to run out crying before you finished washing your hooves. A little pressure from anypony in a kitchen is gonna happen and how you handle yourself is what it’s all about.”

He chuckled quietly as he swallowed his stew. “Yummy,” he whispered. She took her spoon from her stew and dipped it into his, took a taste and froze. “Uhm, are you alright?” She trembled and sniffled. “Too spicy?” She blinked finally and looked at him, her eyes brimming with growing tears.

He sagged, his ears fell, and he took a step back.

“Kiwe,” she said with a shaky voice as she took another spoonful to her mouth and all her knees trembled as she hummed and mewled while she chewed and took another spoonful before she’d finished the previous one, finally sobbing quietly and swallowing more than should have been healthy without chewing.

He looked around the kitchen nervously, but didn’t know what to do. A mare, and adult, was crying feet from him after tasting his stew. She opened her forelegs and waved him over for a hug.

“Okay,” he moved closer knowing hugs make almost everything better. She hugged him tightly and his cloak ruffled under her squeeze.

“I don’t know why I’m crying, but that’s the most amazing thing I’ve eaten in years and I wasn’t very nice to you and I’m sorry.”

He patted her back as she sniffled her sobs away and moved back, wiping her eyes. “Fix my stew, please.”

“You still with me, or ya diggin’ a hole to bury yourself in?”

Kiwe blinked at the soup pot on the stove and sighed. “I’m still here, I was thinking about cooking like that.”

She barked a laugh and patted his back. “It takes time, kid. Show me what you can make and maybe I can show you from there.”

…

“Dinner is served,” Kiwe called as he walked with three bowls of stew and a grinning mare behind him with a domed plate on her back. He grinned as he set the bowls down and took a seat.

“Hmm, it looks good,” Violet scrutinized it and sniffed it while Pepper set the plate down and lifted the lid. A puff of steam exposed five grilled cheese sandwiches that everyone looked at in passing.

Her ears perked up and she took a spoon in her magic, dipping it into the stew she took her first bite, followed by another and another.

Flitter licked from the bowl, then buried her muzzle into it and slurped while chewing.

Kiwe took a spoon and tasted it. “Hm, not bad.”

“What’d’ya mean ‘not bad?’ This is great, Kiwe. How’d you make it so quickly?”

He blushed and glanced around the table. “I, uh, made the sandwiches.”

Violet looked at them and took one in her magic right to her mouth and bit a piece off. “This’ good too,” she dipped it into the soup and resumed eating with more subdued excitement.

Flitter finished her stew, licking the bowl and then her muzzle, giggling when her tongue tickled her nose. “This’ really good, like it always is because you make it the bestest.”

“Flit, uhm… I’m sorry about earlier,” she looked at the floor beneath her hooves, “you’re not bad, you’re good. I was mad, and angry that I couldn’t make good food, but all I had to do… is what I should have done in the first place.”

“It’s okay, mommy, you just get mad sometimes, I still love you.”

Kiwe and Violet froze mid bite and looked at the two, then each other. “What?”

“Wait, you talk to your own daughter like that?!” Violet asked loudly spitting chewed potato across the table that Flitter quickly snatched and ate. “Ew! Flitter, gross.”

“But it’s so yummy!”

“Okay, everyone calm down,” Kiwe extended his forelegs between the mare and filly, “this is a family matter that we aren’t a part of, Violet. We helped, and we get free dinner out of it, yes?”

Violet grumbled, glaring at Pepper before returning her attention to her meal. “Fine, whatever.”

“Mommy’s not a bad mommy, just moody.” Flitter looked at Pepper’s withering glare. “That’s what Gran-gran says.”

“I’ll have a talk with her then. It’s about bedtime for my special little filly so are we all about done, here?”

“What about our friends? They have to eat, too.”

Pepper sighed. “Fine, Flitter can go play until bedtime, I’ll be in the kitchen. Just let me know when your friends are here.”

The group finished their food quickly and left for their room to see their friends asleep on the floor, side by side. “Aww, they’re so cute!”

Both of them woke up and noticed how close they were to the other and scrambled away. “Gross, what’re you doing?!”

“You’re one to talk, creeper.”

“You’re the creeper, jerk face.”

“Butt face.”

“Butt head.”

“You’re a smelly butt.”

“You’re the smelliest butt!”

“Foals, your dinner’s ready,” Violet shouted to stop their bickering. She barely dodged being knocked over as they rushed through the others to the stairs.

“Well, who would like to tell a bedtime story?” Kiwe asked as he led Flitter and Violet into their room. “I know a couple but I want to share those later.”

Violet climbed onto the bed she was sharing with Mist. “How about where you’re going. So I can tell Mist.”

“Wait, you don’t know?”

“N-not really, welcome to my bed, Flitter,” Violet grumbled and looked back at the only colt in the room as he took his cloak off and shook his body. And smoothed his mane around his face for the first time that day to a quiet appreciative sigh from across the room.

“I don’t know, but perhaps I can make up a story. Lie down and rest your heads, for this story may fill you with dread.

A mare went to a park with her filly in tow to see a very exciting show. The filly was filled with delight, unaware of the upcoming fright. Candy and treats and sweets came a’plenty, when finally they sat to watch the show as they were meant to be.

The stage was lit with fire light that night, colors across the rainbow filled the crowd with delight. The magician stepped out and began the show, when out of nowhere it began to snow. No pegasi nor alicorn could figure out why, until they heard a ghostly howling in the sky. There above them a Windigo did appear that surrounded the crowd to leave them panicking there.

The magician cried with all the others, until she boldly stood up and shouted, “Away with you and your brothers.”

A spell she did cast into the night sky that banished the beast in the blink of an eye. The magician was hailed a hero that night, showered with bits, and monies, and affection to her delight. As she was basking the a hero’s glow, her illusionary magic did show.

Upon the earth a Windigo did appear, that washed across the crowd and caused mirth, not fear. The traveling magician was insulted and ran, to begin a show in another land. The lesson to know is quite true, be cautious of traveling magical mares from families that are blue.

“And that is my story, what do you think?”

He basked in the sound of clapping hooves. “Yay, that was great, did you make that up just now?”

“Mostly,” he shrugged, “a little was a story from Zebraca, a little was from a story heard of years ago about a failure of a magician that could not succeed regardless of how hard she tried.”

He yawned loudly and smacked his lips, leading the other two to do the same.

Flitter flittered her wings. “Well, I like story time. G’night everypony,” she climbed from the bed to the floor, under the bed, and rounded twice before nuzzling her tail.

“If you’re gonna sleep here, you’re not sleeping on the floor, under the bed. You’re a full grown mare, you know.”

“Yes,” a voice came from under the bed, “but Mama says special fillies sleep under because-”

“Nope, not hearing it. Get your feathers up here or I’ll push you up here,” Violet stomped her hoof quietly with a squeak from the mattress.

Reluctantly, after a short squabble between them, and frown from Violet, Flitter climbed on the bed awkwardly and nervously lay down, twitching at every sound for the first few minutes, finally falling asleep while Kiwe and Violet talked quietly.

The door opened quickly and was barely stopped by Kiwe’s weak magic. “What’s she doing in my bed?”

“Shush! She’s staying the night, just get over it.”

Mist glared between the mare and filly, then turned to the last bed and climbed up with an snort. “Go to sleep with the retard then, maybe you’ll make a new best friend more on your level.”

“Why’re you such a heifer, you old nag?” Jade asked frowning, cuddling next to Kiwe and resting his neck across his back.

“Because everypony’s dumb but me,” she turned her back to the rest and curled up alone, fake snoring for a few seconds until she fell silent.

Kiwe, Jade, and Violet looked between each other and shrugged. “Let’s just go to sleep and let the bully have her way, maybe she’ll have a good nightmare,” Jade said turning and nuzzling into Kiwe’s side. Kiwe lay down and yawned.

“Do not be rude to our traveling companion, Jadeite, or it may return to you in spades. Good sleep to us all, then.”

“Night, Kiwe,” Violet said quietly as the lights dimmed in the room.

“Night, Violet.”

Comments

[Bluecatcinema]

Now this was a fun chapter, especially when Kiwe showed his cooking skills.

[Mocha Star]

8879519
Thanks for the comment, glad you liked it.
The same mad skills is how I started, so he's on the right track.