Ch. 14 Autumn Embers "And The Puns Keep Coming..."
Crickets and the crackling of our campfire echoed around us as we sat in silence, the mood somber as Autumn and I stayed close to the fire. We laid next to each other, my eyes locked onto the fire as I tried to process what happened a few hours ago.
According to Treehugger, the forest we went through was called The Breezy Forest. Since the creatures were super fragile, their forest home is filled with a fog that puts people in some kind of dream dimension. It apparently wasn't uncommon for someone to come here to use the fog for enlightenment or to get over phobias as a form of shock therapy. Granted, it was usually done as a last resort, but that was beside the point. There were a few herbs and potions you could take to make you immune to the fog's effects, but...
I sighed as I turned my head towards Treehugger.
She was wrapped in my blanket, cheeks and forehead pink, and wheezing. I could see Autumn turn her head in Treehugger's direction out the corner of my eye. I didn't need to be a psychic type to guess what was on her mind as I let myself remember what happened earlier in the day.
***
"Let me get this straight," I growled, paw massaging the middle of my forehead as we stood under a now clear late afternoon sky next to the wagon. "You brought Autumn and I through a forest that would've dumped us into some pocket dimension and didn't think it was a good idea to give us a heads up in advance?!"
"Yes," she sighed, sitting on her haunches and staring at the ground.
"Why?" Autumn growled, eyes glowing white and flames covering her tail as she glared at her.
Treehugger continued to stare at the ground as she answered.
"Brother Alex needed to face himself in order to heal, to be able to allow himself to be happy. I could see it after we left Ore Town."
I thought back to how things were around that time and realized she had a point. After Autumn's confession, I was doing everything I could think of to put some distance between us. I made every excuse in the book just to deny how I felt about her. Looking back, I knew how stupid I was being, but at the time they felt like the right calls to make.
"Okay," I sighed, letting my paw leave my forehead. "I can see where you are coming from, but couldn't you have warned us?"
Treehugger teetered a bit before she said, "You wouldn't've gone through with it if you knew."
I was about to argue when I noticed how out of it Treehugger seemed. Don't get me wrong, she always seemed to be in her own little world, but this was different. Her shoulders were slumped and she kept swaying side to side. It was subtle at first, but as she sat in front of us it gradually got hard not to notice.
"Are you okay?" Autumn asked, her body going back to normal as she gave Treehugger a concerned frown.
"Y-Yes sister," she stammered, finally looking up at us. "Grogar's Beard has some powerful side-effects is all."
I reared back at how glassy her eyes looked. Her cheeks and forehead were pink as well, like she had a fever or something. Autumn practically ran towards her looking like Treehugger was about to die as she placed a hoof on her forehead.
"Grogar's Beard?! Are you bucking kidding me?!" she exclaimed, gently opening Treehugger's mouth and looking inside.
"What's Gro-?"
"No time!" Autumn cut me off, looking at me frantically. "Quick! Get me your blanket and set up a fire! I'll get her kettle and make her comfortable!"
I nodded and got to work. It took me a few minutes to find any fallen branches that would make a decent fire without getting caught in the forest's fog, but I managed to make it work. After I got all of that taken care of, Autumn set up a stand for Treehugger's kettle and went through all of our driver's herbs while the water boiled. While she did that, I kept an eye on Treehugger.
I think my heart fell into my stomach when she fell over panting.
***
What happened after that was a blur, but whatever happened ended with Treehugger wrapped up in my blanket looking like she caught a flu from hell. I sighed as I stared back into the flames, not really sure how I should feel about the situation. On one hand, I was furious with Treehugger for basically drugging me, but on the other I felt kind of glad that she did. While I wasn't ready to go all out with Autumn, I was more willing to let whatever happens between us happen.
Speaking of, it was kind've hard to stay angry with Autumn leaning into me. I never really noticed how warm she was or how soft her fur was. I mean, sure, fire creature with fur equals a lot of heat, but it was still a fact that grabbed my attention now that I wasn't fighting the whole situation. It was nice, to be honest.
The only thing that ruined the moment for me was a question that had been nagging at me since Treehugger got sick.
"What's Grogar's Beard?" I asked.
Autumn sighed, but kept staring into the fire as she said, "It's a really powerful herb that can be used to temporarily nullify magic. The downside is that using it can temporarily shut down somecreature's own magic as well. It can also make them sick for a couple days if they eat it."
"Is she going to be okay?" I asked, giving Treehugger a worried look.
"Yeah," she sighed, following my line of sight. "A little rest and with the right herbs, she should be good to go after tomorrow."
"Good," I groaned, then smiled as I looked down at her and added, "Don't want to lose a friend after getting a girlfriend."
Autumn's eyes widened as her face turned bright red. A small squeak came out of her as she quickly looked away, a small orange flame appearing on the tip of her horn. Good god this girl was cute!
"G-Girlfriend?" she stammered.
"If you want," I shrugged. "If you don't, I get i-"
"No-no!" she stammered, looking up at me again still blushing. "It's not that! It's just... are you sure?"
I nodded and said, "But I don't want us to rush anything. Nothing too extreme until later if we're cool with it."
"Right," she smiled, then sheepishly avoided eye contact as she asked, "Can we... cuddle?"
I blinked at her as my brain short circuited for a few seconds from cute overload. Once I managed to reboot, I nodded and chuckled as I put a foreleg over her back.
"Haven't we been doing that all along?" I winked.
She giggled at that and leaned into me as she said, "I guess. Maybe we can have a proper date when we get to Ponyville."
"I thought the drinks we had when we first met was a date," I said with a fake look of shock.
She laughed and shook her head.
"Nu-uh," she smirked. "I want the full package. Dinner, drinks, and a show."
I gave her an evil smile as I said, "My, my. I'd better start getting to work when we get there. Unless you want to pay me to give you a show."
Her blush grew to her ears as she babbled at me. I laughed loudly as I pulled her in a little closer.
"A real date sounds good," I smiled. "But yeah, it's gonna take me a while to figure out how I'll get the money first."
"I'll help where I can," she said, resting her head on top of my shoulder.
"Looking forward to it," I said happily as I rested my head on top of hers.
***
Near silence filled the night sky, the stars and half-moon the only sources of light as crickets sang the song of their kind. A hastily built camp stood at he heart of an open field with a wagon and three creatures sleeping around an already dead fire. One of the creatures, a light-green Earth Pony mare came back to the waking world with a weary groan. Treehugger raised her head to get a better look at her surroundings, her body still feeling sluggish as her body fought against the effects of the herb she ate.
What she saw brought a soft smile to her face.
Laying roughly ten feet away from her were her two travel companions, both snuggled close together with smiles on their muzzles. Even without access to her special vision, she could see that her gamble had payed off. She could sense the care the now couple shared almost as acutely as a Changeling as she watched them sleep. A small laugh slipped past her muzzle as she let her head rest on the ground.
Her mind drifted to how her friend was the day they met. On the surface, she could see a suffering creature on the verge of falling apart. When she "saw" him, the damage was far worse than she ever thought possible. When he told her of his past, a rancid black aura surrounded him like a rotten odor. Red patches of toxic energy covered his back where she now knew his former mate stabbed him. Black manacles of the same poisonous energy chained his neck and paws to the ground. Just the memories of the state Alex's soul put a cold chill down her spine, but one detail made her optimistic that he could be saved. At the heart of all that pain shined a bright flame that begged to be set free. When Treehugger helped that flame escape its confines, Alex's heart started to change for the better.
It was slow at first, but the poison in his soul gradually started to burn away as his true flame flowed freely through him. By the time she brought him to Ore Town, all but the tiniest traces of the infection killing his soul was removed. Small flecks of foul red energy stained his back were his physical scars remained, but that was to be expected. No matter what happens, some negative energies never leave a creature's body, nor the traumas that birthed them. However, the worst of his soul's damage was replaced by the vibrant glow of his inner fire.
Now that he had finally opened his heart to somecreature, she could see his inner flame burn like a wild bonfire as it mixed with Autumn's inferno. A part of her worried that her friendship with the new couple was now over, but if it helped them move forward together, then it was a sacrifice that was well worth the price. She knew that was the risk when she decided to use the forest's power long before she began this journey with the Ninetales. The inclusion of Autumn in the journey made her a little more optimistic moving forward. That grew as she saw how close they became.
Be happy my friend, she thought as she let her consciousness drift away.
***
Every day I live in magic pony world, I learn something new. Unicorns and Kirin have The Force. Pegasi can work with animals. Earth Ponies can poof things into existence. The fact that I was watching a different Earth Pony devour an entire crate of apples by herself was the latest new thing I've come to learn about this world.
"Is this normal?" I asked, sitting on my haunches next to an equally gobsmacked Autumn.
She shook her head as Treehugger pulled out an apple and tore into it.
A few minutes ago, we woke up when a loud thud came out of Treehugger's wagon. When we got up and investigated, we found Treehugger sitting in a crate practically inhaling apples. I had to admit, a part of me was impressed that she was able put all that away, but, uh.... let's just say she really liked apples.
After a while, Treehugger ran out of apples and let herself lean half out of the crate with a sleepy smile and belched.
"That hit the spot," she sighed dreamily.
An awkward pause filled the air as Autumn and I traded looks before I broke it.
"Looks like someone's feeling better," I chuckled.
She turned her head towards us and gave a sheepish smile as she nodded.
"Good to know," Autumn sighed as she approached Treehugger, placing a hoof on her forehead. "Grogar's Beard can take awhile to recover from."
Treehugger gave her a small chuckle as she gently pushed Autumn's hoof off of her forehead.
"Be at ease soul sister. I've always had a strong tolerance towards poisons."
"Still," Autumn frowned. "I don't want to take any chances. We're going to stay here for a couple days so you can rest. No arguments. No negotiations. Am I making myself clear?"
Treehugger gave her a surprised frown, then sighed as she nodded.
"Good," Autumn nodded, then gave her a cheeky smile as she asked, "Did you leave any breakfast for the rest of us?"
Treehugger nodded and pointed a hoof at another crate further in the wagon.
"There should be a pot and some oatmeal in there."
"Perfect," she smiled. "Now get out of there and get some rest."
"Yes ma'am," Treehugger giggled as she slid the rest of herself unsteadily out of the crate.
I rolled my eyes and made my way towards our fire pit to see if I needed to get any fresh wood.
It's way too early for me to be dealing with this shit, I thought with a tired chuckle.
The sound of someone clearing their throat caught my attention. I looked up from the fire pit towards the sound to see Treehugger standing next to me.
For a few seconds, she just stared at me, then smiled and said, "Thank you."
"For what?" I asked raising a brow.
"For not hating me," she said with her usual lazy smile.
Okay, either I was the easiest person to read, or this pony could read my fucking mind. I mean, sure, I was a little mad at her for what happened, but the fact that she poisoned herself to get me and Autumn together kind of made it hard to hate her. Not too many people in my life have been willing to go quite that far for me and it was a lot for me to take in. Besides, it really ate at me to see Treehugger looking so helpless last night.
"Don't worry about it," I sighed. "Just focus on getting better. Don't think I didn't notice you staggering a bit back there."
"I will," she smiled, then placed a hoof on my shoulder as she added, "Don't let her slip away this time."
My face heated up as I got ready to tell her I had no idea what she was talking about, but then I just gave her a sheepish smile as I nodded. What the fuck was the point anymore? Autumn and I are a thing. Might as well get used to it from this point on.
I cleared my throat and gave the fire pit a passing glance before I said, "L-Looks like we need more wood. I'd better head out and doe, er, do something about that."
I picked a direction at random and hauled ass before I could make a bigger ass of myself. Not fast enough to escape the cheeky smile I saw on her face out the corner of my eye.
God damn it.
***
Autumn hummed as she sat in the wagon and sifted through Treehugger's collection of spices from a barrel. While it didn't surprise her that much that a traveler like her would have a lot of spices to choose from, the fact that she had such an exotic collection at her disposal was a different story all together. Most of the labeled jars she levitated out were the kind of things that would've bankrupt most ponies just to get a pinch of. Her jaw nearly fell off of her head when she saw a five pound jar of powdered Saddle Arabian Saffron float out of the barrel. Opting to steer clear of the more exotic options, she tried to figure out which of the spices she was more familiar with would work best with what she had to work with.
As she debated with herself, Treehugger came to her side and settled down onto her haunches.
"Cinnamon and white sugar is a good choice, soul sister," she smiled, earning a small flinch out of the Kirin.
"I know that," she frowned, rolling her eyes as she glared down at the jars. "I just want to make this a little special, you know?"
Treehugger nodded, then sported a faintly impish smile as she said, "New mates make us work harder, don't they?"
Autumn chuckled and sported a small smile to go with her blush as she nodded. Treehugger stifled a giggle behind a hoof, happy to see the Kirin doe so open about the situation.
"Did you show him your dance?" she asked.
Autumn's eyes went wide at that as her blush grew to her ears as she turned to face the Earth Pony.
"W-What? N-No! Of course not!" she stammered, steam coming off the tip of her horn in a thick cloud along with the sound of a whistling kettle. "W-W-We've only just become a pair!"
"I see," Treehugger nodded, small smile still present on her muzzle. "Best practice for later then. Fall will come sooner then you think and you don't want to be left unprepared."
Steam started to come off the tips of her ears as the poor Kirin let her driver's words and their implications sink in.
"D-Do you think he'll be okay with it?" she asked, eyes locked onto the floor. "W-We kind've agreed to take things a bit slow for awhile a-and I really don't want to scare him off, you know?"
Treehugger gave her a soft smile and said, "Then practice for when the time is right. If you let your heart guide your hooves, then you will not fail."
"I hope so," she sighed, the steam dissipating from her body as her blush faded. "I don't want to go through what happened after Ore Town."
"You won't," Treehugger said, placing a reassuring hoof on her friend's shoulder. "Do you know why?"
Autumn shook her head.
"Because Alex cares too much about you to let it happen again."
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Bleach is still my favourite anime, if you cut out all the fucking filler. Their zanpakuto and 'inner world' concepts are just so fucking neat to think about, even in the years after the comic's end.
10129773
No argument there.
Whoah woah woah, "Grogar's Beard"... that sounds like it's probably gonna have some side-effects and not the fun kind
That is the sound of experience talking
She's got Saffron? That's one well-traveled earth pony.
You should not use Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie as standard for Pegasi and Earth ponies.
10130144
They are the only extreme examples he can make.
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Twilight: They are singularities, not extreme examples. I can tell from experience.
Alex: Ponies in this town is weird.
Spike: Congratulation, you have found Ponyville.
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The town with the broadest homeowner insurance policies in Equestria.
Nice chapter, wonder when their gonna get to ponyville tho
"Fuck you I can't eat all these apples!"
Nice chapter. Very wholesome, feels good.
Yup. Just as I figured it would be. It was the fog of the forest that was messing with them. Many commenting on the last one saying loveable Treehugger put something in their drinks. Ppsh! They not reading the story right. She just took a peaceful midnight walk through a forest magic fog while the passengers had inner me time.
10132555
Ten points to anyone who gets the reference.
10130300
Just like Berk. Ponyville has been around for 300yrs (give or take a couple hundred), but every building is brand new....
*the Tuesday-Monster-Of-The-Week shows up, and either the Mane 6, Student 6, Bon Bon, or somepony else takes care of it, but the village is completely demolished in the process. Again.*
...like I said, every building: brand new.
After reading the last chapter, I figured the darker version was his subconscious and ego giving a sort of generic bad guy vibe to make the scenario seem hostile and to push Alex to the edge of realization to get it through his own thick skull.
Glad to know there was a reason behind what happened and it seems to support my thoughts.
10138737
There's actually a metaphor in that scene. What was the one thing stopping Alex from getting closer to Autumn?
10140394
Easy, it was himself essentially. His own fear, not to mention his own past and mistrust. I mean come on taking the leap of getting a girlfriend after coming to Equestria? Yeah that would have been a hop skip and a great big leap of faith.
But I can see the why. For now to see if it was wise? Remains to be seen.
This is the second story I've made the likes number 666...Laughs evilly once more
odor
This sentence is saying that most of the negative energy was still there.
To fix this you could change 'all but' -> 'only' or 'remained' -> 'had been removed'.
friendship
Now that bit there was rather pointless, and just makes Treehugger look like a cunt. There is no way that was "helping", she brought him there to have them all attacked and beaten up by a random magical creature or dream monster with no connection to anything other than being a kitsune.
10142870
Some people need a punch in the face to get better others need a talking to. For this talking would have worked.
10142870
10143494
I agree with these two using magic to zap someone better just isn't ethical especially when their problems could have been easily solved by just talking with each other instead of taking the dangerous dream magic route people need to have their own time to heal and while a small push might be needed sometimes (magic dream forest is not a small push) people need to figure things out for themselves Treehugger could have easily fixed things by just the small push of talking about certain subjects also taking the drastic route doesn't seem like something Treehugger would do especially if the so called "damage" that she could see was so minimal at that point I mean come on we are talking about the horse that used humming to save the gala why would someone so good with a needle switch to using a hammer?
Okay, now I'm getting annoyed by her persistence.
10132555
10134516
Yo, Treehugger, if you eat all those apples, you're gonna get a wicked bad tummy ache!
*Apple.Mov Intensifies*
10541498
Actually I think I know what she is talking about. Amongst some creatures there is a Dance they do called a Mating Dance and I suppose in this version of Equestria they would do this as a Ritual
10142870
*Fp* why is it that some people don't see shit.
It was mentioned the Black Kitsune had a Distortion to his voice but he still sounded like Alex. Dear Lord have none of you heard of Shadow Link? How about White aka Hollow Ichigo? The Black Kitsune was Alex, his Fear and Self Hatred made manifest to test him and get him to WAKE THE HELL UP about how he feels about Autumn. And trust me I have seen MUCH faster Ships then this. I actually prefer something like this personally.