Blazing a Trail to the Past.

by Daylight_Dreamer

34- A taste of home.

I woke up with a slight headache, I was glad I hadn't gone too far overboard with the cider. Just a little overboard. I remembered why Gilda was on my arm, and that we didn't do anything but sleep.

My head wasn't hurting too bad but I was still thinking I should ask Apple Bloom for a potion to fix it. Then I remembered that she was staying in town so it would be a bit before I could ask her.

'No big deal,' I thought, 'I just need some lavender or ginger, and amethyst for potency. That should do for a headache.'

I had no idea where that thought had come from but I was visualizing where I could find the items I needed. The first thoughts were of a garden I don't actually remember seeing, on the edge of a woods I felt no longer existed. I was losing hope in the thought when I remembered Apple Bloom had an herb garden behind the barn.

I slowly slid my arm from under Gilda and managed to climb out of bed without waking her up. However, I barely had my pants on when she rolled over and looked at me.

"Where are you going?" she asked, "Don't tell me you have to leave already."

Just to be sure I checked my phone. It was only 8. "I just have to run outside for now. I'll be right back in to start breakfast. I do have lunch planned with Pinkie to talk about my cutecenyera, but I have a few hours before that."

"Don't worry about breakfast," Gilda smiled, "I brought a little something."

"You didn't have to do that," I said.

She sat up and looked at me, "Well I did," she said, "I wasn't going to show up uninvited and empty-clawed. In the middle of the night no less."

"Not like I would have complained," I said, "my friends are always welcome."

"And that's why I lo..." Gilda stopped herself and paused before saying, "like you."

"I like you too," I laughed causing my head to throb, "I gotta step out. I can help with breakfast when I get back in."

"Take your time," she said, "I got it. It's not like it's hard to make, just time-consuming. I actually started it last night."

"Started what?" I asked. I wanted to know what she was up to.

"You'll see," she said, "just take your time. I should have things ready in about an hour."

"Whatever you say," I decided not to fight it. Whatever she was making. It had to be better than eggs and pancakes again.
---
Once I had the herbs I needed I figured I may as well put the potion together at Apple Bloom's cauldron. I would have rather used a kettle, but I didn't know why, so I figured it must not make a big difference.

Turns out making potions is a lot like making tea, but the ingredients must be added to the water at just the right moment, and be prepared in just the right way. Do it right, and they dissolve turning the mixture a designated color. In this case red, I was put in mind of healing potions on video games.

I poured the mixture into a waiting jar.

'It's so much easier to pour from a kettle,' I thought 'cauldrons are so awkward. I never liked using one. The only advantage is even heating over an open fire. A stove and kettle do the same thing.'

I took a moment to meditate. Learning of my past life seemed to have somehow unlocked some of Daylight's memories. I was sure that sip I took from the potion in the canteen had no small part either. I was terrified yet fascinated by what else I may remember. Daylight, or rather I, lived to be 85 years old in the midst of a war. I was wondering how much my past self was hoping would be forgotten for good.

I was about to head back when I remembered Applejack had been drinking with me and she didn't know potions. Gilda did say to take my time so I figured it would be fine. I poured half the potion into another jar. I had made plenty.

I found her in the east orchard slumped over a basket of apples.

"You alright, Sugarcube," I teased.

"Ah'll be fine," she said, "its muh own fault, anyway. Ah'm sorry about last night. Ah don't know what ah was thinking."

"I think we were both trying not to," I said, "you have nothing to apologize for. Have you heard from Apple Bloom?"

"No," she spat, "and ah could really use a headache potion."

"I just happen to have brought one," I said, "Fresh out of the cauldron. I hope your sister doesn't mind I used a few of her ingredients."

"Like she would mind," she scoffed, "but how did you manage that?"

"I was a rather famous potion maker back in the day," I laughed causing my head to throb again, I needed to eat before drinking my own potion, magic is hard on an empty stomach, "I better get back to the cabin, I forgot to eat before making these. Take care."

"You too, thank you," said Applejack before downing her potion. Her face went funny, "You'll have to tell Apple Bloom your secret. It worked just as well as hers but it also tastes good."

"Mint goes with everything and adds an antacid effect. It's great for hangovers," I laughed as I walked away causing my head to throb yet again. If Gilda wasn't done with breakfast I was gonna have to smoke one to take the edge off.
-
I got back to the cabin to find it filled with the smell of sausage.

"Just sit down and load a bowl," Gilda called when she heard the front door, "we just gotta let the gravy set up and the biscuits cool."

"You made biscuits and gravy?" My mouth was watering. It smelled just like my mothers cooking.

"Sure did," she said, "it just needs to cool. Let's smoke up an appetite."

I was beginning to wonder what took me so long to see it. The woman of my dreams was waiting on my doorstep with a chicken dinner and my vision stopped at the chicken. I guess being raised in a world where dating her would be frowned upon will do that.

I let her spark the pipe as I rubbed my temples trying to collect my thoughts. I reached out to take it from her and nearly jumped out of my chair. For a moment, I swore Feather Touch was holding the bowl out to me.

"You alright, dweeb?" Gilda sounded concerned.

"I'm fine. Don't you have deliveries to make?" I asked, hoping for the subject to be dropped.

"I paid Gabby to cover my last two weeks," she said blushing.

"That must have cost a fortune," I said.

"Luckily she likes helping," Gilda said, "So she's doing it for the pay I was gonna get. I just have to tap into my savings until I get paid for working with you."

"But wasn't that supposed to cover your new place?" I asked.

"Oh," she was blushing, "I was going to see if I could rent your spare room, but I'm sure I can find something."

"I bet I could still find room for you," I laughed, "You just may have to share mine instead. The rent is cheaper. I'm just surprised you let two weeks of pay go so easily."

At that, she stood up and walked to my chair. Pulling me into an embrace, she put her beak to my lips.

"Who said I let it go easily?" she said, "I couldn't talk myself out of it."
-
Gilda opted to hang out at the cabin while I talked to Pinkie, but she insisted on making a batch of griffin-scones before I left so I could bring them to her.

I found Pinkie waiting in a booth at Sugarcube Corner, she already had a dozen doughnuts waiting.

"Help yourself," she said as I sat down. I couldn't help but suspect this was a test to determine my favorite flavors. No two doughnuts were the same.

I grabbed the all chocolate one as soon as I saw it.

"So here are the designs I have for invitations, well, cutecenyera anyway." with a strain she lifted a book to the table that was far too thick for its own good, flipping through it revealed thousands of layouts for cutecenyera invitations.

I suddenly felt my mind drift. I am used to this with my ADD but I couldn't reel it in this time. The daydream was too powerful.
---
I was sitting at a more private table, next to a human I didn't recognize.

He had just set a huge pile of technical manuals in front of me. I recognized the blueprints of a shelter laying on the table beside them, only this set had all the details in the margins just like the wiring diagrams for the sound equipment.

I reached out a hoof to get a closer look when I was pulled back to reality.
---
"Jerry? You in there?" Pinkie was knocking on the table in front of me.

"Sorry," I said, "I was thinking something simple. I don't need a bunch of frills or anything."

"I like that you're thinking," she said, "I like this for simple cutecenyera invitations." She flipped to a page that just had a few random cutie Mark designs around the border with plenty space for the information to be filled in around a blank spot that read 'your cutie mark here'.

"Works for me," I said, "I assume they are all a little childish."

"Cutecenyeras are usually for foals," she said, "the only exception I know of is a griffin named Gabby, and the Crusaders made her mark. Speaking of which, did you want to make the party for Jeep too?"

"What do you mean," I asked.

"Well the Crusaders made a cutie mark for Jeep," she explained, "Did you want to combine the parties? Seems silly to throw a separate party for Jeep if you don't like parties."

"Pinkie," I said rubbing my temples, "You do realize the jeep isn't alive right?"

"So?" she asked, "it still deserves a party."

"If you insist," I sighed.

"OOOOOK," she said, "so if its all good with you I thought next weekend would be a good time to throw this Jerry and Jeep cutcenyera and going away for a while party. That way you have a good few days to check out your presents and pack for the trip before you have to go."

"Sounds good," I said, "anything else you needed from me?"

"Just one thing," she said, "Will you be bringing a date? I need to know for the seating arrangement."

"I believe I will," I laughed. If she had asked the other day...

"Oooh," Pinkie squeed, "is it, Gilda? A fly on the wall told me you were at the club together."

"By fly on the wall, you mean a Pinkie in the DJ booth don't you?" I asked.

"Maybe..." She tried to look sly, "just tell me! Is it Gilda? Is it? Is it? Is it?"

"She sent you some scones," I laughed.

"I knew it," she said, "I know all my friends, so I knew you two would get along."

"Pinkie, Pinkie, Pinkie," I sighed, "you put the psychic in psychotic. What are you writing?"

"Just a few wedding plans for later," she said, "for, um, another pony, nothing to worry about. You can head back home now. These are for you." She pulled a box out of nowhere and scooted it across the table. "Open it right when you get home."

"OK," I said, "catch you later."

On the way out I could only think, 'that damn pink pony, why does everything seem so obvious yet un-explainable around her?'

My mind wandered again as soon as I got in the jeep.
---
I was sitting in a park on a sunny day, I was staring at a book of flight maneuvers, not really interested in what it said. I just had to come up with one flight pattern for my entrance exam.

I was resenting my father for making me try out for these 'Wonderbolts'. I wanted to study potions.

He seemed to think the only good one could do at times of war was line up and fight. 'Battle scars make a colt into a stallion' he said. It's like he didn't even realize how many of those scars would have been mortal injuries if not for the healers.

Just then a ball hit me in the face. I looked up with a scowl to see a mare I had never met before. Her purple mane bounced as she skipped her way over. Her enormous smile looked out of place on her bright orange face. I was just too annoyed to care that I found her beautiful.

"Sorry about that," Feather Touch laughed, "The ball got away from me. Say, you look grumpy. Do you know what always cheers me up? Ice cream! Wanna go get some? My treat."

"I don't have time for that," I scoffed.

"Well at least take this," She put a daisy in my mane, "I hope we meet again." She trotted back to her friends.

I took the flower and held it in the air, suddenly coming up with a flight routine didn't seem so hard, and here I thought I would have to ask my buddy Easy Glider for help.

"Something tells me, we will meet again," I said aloud to the flower, "I hope I'm right."
---
I got home to find the place empty, Gilda left a note saying she was chillaxing with Rainbow Dash.

I opened the box from Pinkie and found cookies. Some were fire and ice yin yang's to match my cutie mark, some looked like Scootaloo's cutie mark, and some were feathers. I would have thought this was just because Gilda has no cutie mark, except for one thing. On the top was one cookie of a unique shape... a daisy.

I heard Pinkies message loud and clear. She is not random. She's just the only one that knows the whole pattern and it isn't her job to tell anyone. I was indeed starting to worry about the wedding plans she was scribbling as we spoke.

I got the impression that she planned it all so I would open the box after that vision, but before Gilda got back. It's not like I wanted Gilda there the moment I realized the cookies Pinkie made her were in the shape of Daylight's wife's cutie mark. She wouldn't understand.

Comments

[Daylight_Dreamer]

9109407
I know. But my editor is busy. He hasn't gotten to it in weeks. I'm trying but I just suck at it.

[Daylight_Dreamer]

9109481
Just went threw everything released. I hope I caught them all. I want people to enjoy my story, not cringe at my bad typing.