Ghost of the Everfree

by David Silver

16 - Broadening The Herd

The second half of class went by pleasantly, so far as Dry was concerned. He had a notebook full of notes in the form of a transcript of everything the teacher had said. Armed with new knowledge, he marched from the classroom with his head held up high and a merry pronk to his steps.

"Don't go too far." Oh, Diamond was there, waiting for him just outside. "I want to talk to you."

Apple Bloom slipped between them. "Ah'm sure Dry's kinda tired. This was his first day of school."

"The first day at this school," he corrected. "And with so many students. Do you think they liked me?"

Diamond smirked softly at that. "You are cute for something from Everglow, but, hey, count me and at least one pony likes you."

Dry applauded, well, himself. Apple Bloom was more cautious. "Ya barely know him yet."

"Which I'm trying to fix." She prodded Apple Bloom lightly. "Why are you so on edge?"

Sweetie arrived with a pleased smile. "Another day, another lesson. A shame Cheerilee doesn't know any magic to share."

Diamond laughed at that. "Now that would be something. Sadly, there are few ponies around that know the kinda magic we know."

Silver stepped up beside Diamond. "We Everglow survivors are a different, like, you know, breed." She waved a hoof in a circle, pausing on Diamond, herself, Sweetie, and Apple Bloom. Only to land on Dry. "You're from there, aren't you? What magic do you know?"

Dry sank to his haunches. "Um. Well..." He began to worry his hooves together. "I don't... actually know any. I know about magic, but nobody taught me any spells or anything." He tensed with worry. "I'm just a foal!"

Apple Bloom gently bumped against him. "So are we. We just jumped in the deep end."

Sweetie shook her head. "You're not... You don't have to learn magic. We're the odd ones here."

"Oddly awesome." Diamond tossed her mane, looking quite pleased with herself. "Still, you must know interesting things. You said you came from a 'ghostly' place. Wanna share?"

Silver bobbed her head. "Yeah, now that's a class I wanna sit in on."

Apple Bloom inclined her head. "Only if ya want to." But she sat, also curious to hear of the ghostly place.

"The ether..." Dry glanced left and right. "Imagine a place with no light, but it isn't dark either! Most of the color's gone, which just makes the places with color all the brighter." He brought up his hooves, pantomiming as he tried to explain. "Things come in two sorts. Soft and flowing, or hard and pointy." He clopped his hooves. "Both can be dangerous! It's um, an emotional place. Not... like 'this place makes me sad' kind of emotional."

He took a breath, marshalling his thoughts. "The things in it usually have an emotion and live it. The plane is emotions." He pointed at himself. "Guess you could call me fear. That's an emotion last I checked."

Apple Bloom quirked a smile. "Fer bein' fear, you were mighty brave just the other day."

Dry colored in his cheeks, a little smile forming, but only for a moment. "There is no gravity in the ether." He jumped in place. "If you're good at it, you can fly, even if you have no wings. But you have to be careful!"

Diamond nodded at the bouncing ghost colt. "I bet you have that part down."

"I'm still alive." As if that was proof enough that he had sufficient skill at the careful part. He tapped at his own head. "It's called a ghostly place for a reason, besides the bleached look and the flowing. Powerful thoughts can be given form there, usually from things living in the prime material." He danced in place. "Including actual ghosts."

All the foals there squeaked in alarm. Sweetie waved a hoof wildly. "Happy ghosts or sad ghosts or angry ghosts?"

Dry leaned in towards Sweetie. "You never know until you run into one, and then it's a bit late to complain." Oh, for once he got to see the others looking scared. It was a rare moment of... Oh! He lifted the camera strapped to his head and clicked a shot of them with a grin.

Diamond bonked him. "Hey!"

Dry snapped up the picture. "I will treasure this."

Diamond rolled her eyes. "So, you like taking pictures, huh?"

Apple Bloom burst into giggles. "It's his favorite thin'!" She pointed at his rump. "He likes to hide, so he can get a good shot."

Dry blinked softly. "That is fun," he admitted, clearly considering the idea. "Is it bad if I capture paintings of you?" He looked between the fillies.

Silver suddenly laughed. "Get a look at this colt. He wants pictures of all the mares." She leaned in, lashes fluttering. "How, like, super bold of you."

Diamond prodded at Dry with a smirk. "I thought you said you were fear. Sure looks like you're brave enough to me."

Sweetie's horn glowed, tugging lightly at the photo, even if Dry wasn't releasing it. "A photo of friends isn't an awful thing, but it'd be even better in a frame."

Dry recoiled a little. "Frame?"

Apple Bloom made a box shape as best she could with sweeps of her hooves. "A wood thing you put the picture in." She pointed at the dangling photo. "Keeps it safe and shows it off."

Dry's attention was captured instantly. "I want it to be safe. Where do I get a frame?"

Diamond held out a hoof. "Give up the painting and I'll get it framed." Dry was looking at her with obvious uncertainty. "Gonna have to trust me."

Dry looked at his other friends, who were just waiting for him to do something. "Um..." His mouth opened just enough to let the photo fall, becoming Diamond's in short order. "Please be careful with it."

"I'll get it back. Randolph!" The butler hurried to her side. She thrust the photo against him. "Be a champ and get this framed all nice for our new friend." She gestured with her free hoof at Dry. "Thanks."

Randolph tucked the photo away into a pocket that only Equestrian ponies had. "Right away, ma'am. Do you want to go home now?"

"I'll head there when I'm ready." She lashed a tail, clearly not ready just yet. "But I can walk myself." That was codeword for Randolph being let off duty. He dipped his head and walked off. "Now, with that taken care of." She clopped her hooves together. "Let's talk about you."

Sweetie thrust a hoof between Diamond and Dry. "Let's not overwhelm him. Dry's a pony in a new place, doing so many new things." She burst into giggles. "Like when we went to Everglow. Would you want someone pumping you for your life story right at the start of that?"

Diamond cringed at the memory. "Ugh... Alright, alright. You have a point." She hiked a brow at Dry. "But this isn't Everglow. I bet you haven't even fought one monster so far."

Dry sat up with a big grin. "Two!" He thrust up both hooves to count them. "I've faced two monsters. I only actually fought one of them, but I was there. I was... a part."

Apple Bloom nodded firmly. "Uh huh. That dang Bugbear came back. Then there was the--"

"--Demon!" piped Sweetie Belle. "Or was it a devil? I'm still unsure of the difference..."

Diamond looked Dry over with new eyes. "Huh, you took on both of those?"

"I fought the devil." Dry bobbed his head. "They helped." He pointed to Sweetie and Apple Bloom. "And Scootaloo. Oh! We're supposed to visit her."

Sweetie stood up. "Yeah, she got stung by that monster and wasn't feeling very good today."

"That's why she ain't here." Apple Bloom was already moving. "You two wanna come along?"

Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara exchanged a look before they were both up and moving, an entire herd of foals setting off from school towards Scootaloo's house.

Silver was at Dry's side. "That's kinda amazing, that you didn't get hurt." She had an ear turned towards him, talking away even if he hadn't replied. "I mean, Scoots and the crusaders have fighting experience. You were, like, saying you didn't. So that's cool." She nodded as if to some beat, or maybe just agreeing with herself. "Good on you! What were you thinking, when it was happening?"

"Um..." He went quiet again a moment, glancing over at her. "Um... I... I had to help my friends. They were in danger."

"Aw!" Silver leaned in. "That's, like, the best reason. You get at least, mmm, five Lumie points!"

Dry quirked a shy smile. "How did you... come to worship Princess Luminace? She isn't even a god here... is she?"

"Is she?" echoed Silver. "I feel her power." She raised one hoof, ambling along on the other three. "I can feel her presence if I'm quiet enough with a good book. Like, what makes you think she isn't here?"

Dry hummed and hawed. "Well, I'm not... I don't know that much about gods," he admitted. "If you follow her, and you're here... Maybe that makes her here?"

"Maybe," agreed Silver with a big smile. "I'm alright with that. Means I'm bringing the princess here, and she's a good pony." Silver glanced away and back. "Actually! Do you have a god lined up?"

"No," admitted Dry without hesitation. "Mom said picking one is a very big choice."

"It is!" explosively agreed Silver. "May I suggest Princess Luminace?" She grinned widely. "She's super nice and loves to make friends." Silver leaned in. "And she loves studying magic," she sang out temptingly. "If you want to learn magic and be with friends, not many gods can even compete!"

"I've heard of her." Dry inclined his head. "She likes reading, doesn't she?"

"Reading is good." Silver Spoon bobbed her head firmly enough to need to adjust her glasses. "Reading new books with a friend? Even better. Making new friends, learning new things, treasuring old friends... Doesn't that sound like--"

Diamond Tiara suddenly thumped her friend away. "Cool yourself, Silver. Why are you pushing the new colt so hard?"

Silver's ears danced as she frowned, but the expression lifted quickly. "I'm not pushing! I'm explaining. He's from Everglow, so he's already used to the idea of gods, and being faithful to one. Equestrian ponies are still kinda... mostly confused by the idea." She rubbed at her cheek. "What if I don't wanna be the only one? Being the only friendship faithful is, like, way sad."

Apple Bloom thrust up a hoof. "Ah got no idea what yer talkin' about."

"See?!" Silver burst into light giggles, looking to Sweetie Belle.

Sweetie shook her head quickly. "Sorry."

Silver tried her best to get around Diamond, with limited success. "So let us talk about Luminace. I know you're not interested, Diamond."

"She's way too... Hmm, what's the word." She put a hoof to her chin as she walked, considering a moment. "Soft. Soft and squishy. Too soft for me! Just making friends isn't gonna get things done, Silver."

Silver rolled a hoof. "Which is why you learn more magic. Magic and friendship, and things get done." She nodded with confidence. "It's thanks to her 'soft' magic that we got out of Everglow, don't forget."

Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes. "She did help." She let Silver get in close to Dry, wandering off herself a bit. "But so did that fox."

"The fox that Luminace sent!" sang out Silver in cheerful defiance. "Unless you have a better reason for a new friend just... appearing out of nowhere."

Dry blinked, eyes wide. "Will you tell me about your adventures? I'd like to hear it, if you want to share."

"Since you asked." Silver slid up against Dry with a giggle. "I guess I could tell you a bit about it."

Suddenly Apple Bloom and Sweetie were closer. They hadn't heard what actually happened to the Terrible Duo on their trip, just that they came back and seemed far less prickly to be around.

Author's Note:

Gotta say, The Expanded Universe of MLP/Ponyfinder is actually kind of fun, with the various threads coming back together to say hi. Nothing like thinking back on those typos.

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Comments

[Booster Spice]

Pity Randalph isnt there to write everything doown.

[howard035]

I love Silvie evangelizing. And it seems like, right after Apple Bloom finished class with Cheerilee, she began attending Jelly School.