Ghost of the Everfree

by David Silver

19 - Read a Book

Dry inclined his head down at the open book in front of him. "Huh..." He reached out a hoof, carefully brushing the next page up just enough to grab it easily in his lips and bring it the rest of the way. He did not have the curiously dexterous hooves of Equestrian ponies, however that worked. He still wasn't sure. But the book was worth the effort of reading. "Huh..."

Though it had a lot of information, a lot of that information was about getting more information. It talked about how to handle and categorize books. It talked about the scientific method, which was an idea he'd never known of before. It discussed proper etiquettes, between fellow researchers and other people far removed from that. A studious god of friendship was who the book was for, and so it had all those details for those that may wish to pay heed to her and follow her ways.

"Dry!" came a shout from outside. "C'mon, school!"

Dry blinked softly. His study of the book didn't get him excused from other studies, clearly. He abandoned the book, scampering out to join Apple Bloom and head off to class.

"Ya look different." Apple Bloom inclined her head as he came down the stairs. "Yer mane." She reached out and patted his puffy hair, to his mild confusion. At least until she drew out a mirror for him.

"Oh!" His mane was... simpler. Like a round fluffy shape instead of the ephemeral whisps it usually was. "What happened? Am I sick?" Was there a sickness that did that?! He didn't know.

"Do ya feel sick?" Apple Bloom held the small mirror steady for him. "Ya don't look sick, just a little funny, up there. Actually, ya look a little normal, up there."

"Normal?" Dry shook his head. "That isn't normal."

"Fer you," countered Apple Bloom. "But normal fer us. Ah think ah mighta heard somethin' 'bout this. Ah'll check. Fer now, time fer class!" She tucked the mirror away and resumed walking.

"Okay..." He wasn't in pain, and didn't feel sick, just a bit worried, so he trailed after her. Drawing the ire of their teacher wouldn't help the situation at all.

The lesson of the day was about how rainbows were made, both with and without pegasus assistance. "Now, pegasi prefer to keep weather-related things like this under their control," instructed Cheerilee with a smile. "But a rainbow is rarely something to be worried about. So while they could prevent wild ones, what pony would want to?" She flipped to the next sheet that showed a nice big rainbow over crude drawings of smiling ponies. "They don't hurt anything and may bring a smile."

Dry took notes, a little differently than he had before. The book of Luminace had given tips and hints about that. He focused on the important bits, instead of copying every word Cheerilee said down. He was becoming a better learner! The thought brought a smile to his face as he scratched away with his mouth-wielded pencil.

At lunch, he found himself seated with all the foal Everglow Survivors. "What's the scariest thin' ya done run into?" challenged Apple Bloom, her eyes on Silver and Diamond.

Silver raised a hoof quickly. "Like, definitely the temple."

"What about the ghost?" countered Diamond. "We didn't know what was going on back then. That was pretty scary."

"But in the temple we were, like, separated and being chased. It was scary even when we did know what was going on!" Silver took a big sip from her juice box. "Oh." Her eyes were on Dry. "You're the scare expert. What's the scariest thing you ever saw?"

Dry let out a little hum. "The scariest..." He hadn't actually spent a lot of time considering what was scarier than the next thing. They were all kind of scary. "I... Oh, I think the scariest thing was when I was watching that devil attack that strawberry farmer. I knew if I stayed safe, she would be hurt, bad, or maybe killed. But if I came out, we could both end up hurt. There was no sure answer." He began to worry his hooves on one another. "But I couldn't sit there and watch her get hurt."

"Aw." Sweetie threw a leg over Dry. "That's how heroes are made." The other crusaders cheered on that idea. "Being scared like that and leaping into action anyway? You definitely have crusader material."

Scootaloo clopped her hooves together. "Sorry I wasn't there to start or I would have helped. Good job keeping her safe long enough for backup to get there."

Silver smiled at Dry without words for a moment, but noticed something. "Hey, your mane." She reached to pat the puffy mass much as Apple Bloom had. "I like it."

Dry warmed in his cheeks. Whatever had happened, at least, it seemed, everyone liked it, even if he had no idea... "It just happened. Apple Bloom said she'd find out why."

"Ah got an idea." Apple Bloom nodded firmly. "Also pretty sure it ain't a terrible thing, so don't worry none. On the case!"

"How's the book?" Silver's eyes darted, but there was no book about for her to find.

"Thank you," gushed out Dry quickly. "It's very nice. I didn't bring it here. I don't want it to be hurt."

"Good idea." She wobbled a hoof at Dry. "You're already, like, thinking right. How far did you get?"

"I was reading about library etiquette." Dry rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. "I didn't know there were so many rules."

"The most important ones." Silver sounded officious with her big smile. "Would be that you want to keep quiet for other readers, and not to make a mess of the books. If you pick something up, you put it back where you found it. It's just polite, right?"

"Right," echoed Dry with his own smile. Those rules made sense. "Is there a library here?"

"There used to be," sighed out Silver. "A big mean jerk, like, blew it up! Twilight saved all the books she could, and they're in her place now." She pointed at the big tower that was home to the local princess. "Bet she'd let you read some if you were polite."

Diamond nudged against her friend. "As if you visited the library often when it was around."

Silver went red. "I learned to appreciate books later! At least Dry's learning nice and early. Good on you."

Apple Bloom pushed away from the table and hopped up to her hooves. "Ah'm all done. See ya in class."

It was about time to get back to it. Randolph silently descended on Diamond and Dry's remnants, whisking them away.

Not a fact missed by Dry. "Thank you," he whispered to Diamond on the way back to class. "For feeding me."

Diamond smirked softly. "You're making Silver happy. Keep that up." She tapped at his shoulder. "You joining her club or not?"

Dry's ears danced atop his head, shrinking a moment. "Why don't you?" Not an accusing tone, though he realized how it could be taken a moment after saying it. "You don't have to!"

"Of course I don't." Diamond rolled her eyes, smirk on her face. "As if she would even try. And that's the problem." She tapped Dry on the nose. "I don't like taking orders. Those gods will have to find somepony else to go chasing after them."

Dry returned to his seat, wriggling into place, pencil in mouth, but mind on that idea. Ultimately, he wasn't opposed to... following. If who he was following knew how to be safe, following them was a good idea! The trick was learning who was actually good at that, and who was genuine in wanting to keep you safe, rather than just themselves.

He glanced aside at Apple Bloom. She had been a good choice! She protected him, and was good at it. She was a good pony all around. Luminace had good things to say about such friends, but she also emphasized that one had to return those favors. Friendship was not meant to be a one way thing... But how could he repay Apple Bloom? There wasn't much he could do that she couldn't do herself, better, and likely faster...

Scootaloo he could take pictures of! She liked it when he caught her doing something dangerous. The more dangerous, the happier she was. He didn't quite understand why that was, but it was true, and so he could repay her kindness. Just catch her at the right time, and she was made happy.

Sweetie Belle... She was nice and cheerful, but he wasn't even sure what she wanted. She had no... She was just a happy filly! How does one repay a pony that had no desires?

"Dry?" Oh no. There was Cheerilee, looking at him. "You're normally so attentive. Is everything alright?"

Dry sat up stiff and straight, coloring darkly at being caught not paying attention. "Sorry! Um..." Well, since he had her attention, he raised a hoof to point at his altered mane. "Do you know why this would happen?"

Cheerilee inclined her head. "Hm." She paused whatever she had been teaching to come closer to Dry, looking him over in a slow circle. "Hm, well, it would seem to me..." She reached out, running a hoof through his mane. "That it isn't hurting you." This much was true. "Why don't you visit the hospital, after class? The ponies there would be far more knowledgeable than I am about this. Does it hurt?" Dry quickly shook his head. "I'm glad to hear that. In that case, please pay attention for now." And back she went to the front of the class to resume the lesson at hoof.

Once class was over, Dry did not rush to the hospital. For one, he had no idea where it was. Or... "What's a hospital?" he asked Apple Bloom as he walked alongside her.

Apple Bloom waved vaguely in its direction. "It's where sick or hurt ponies go to get better. Now, should note, Equestrian ponies don't got healin' magic like Sweetie and Silver have."

Dry softly ohed at the idea, realization coming to him. "But if they don't have magic, what can they do about this?" He pointed to his newly rounded mane. "I don't think a physician can do much about that."

Apple Bloom blinked. "Ya didn't know what a hospital was, but ya knew what a physician was?"

Dry considered that as he walked. "We have physicians and healers, but an entire building full of them? The closest to that would be a church full of clerics, which is not the same thing." He suddenly closed with her. "What does Sweetie Belle like?"

Apple Bloom's brows went up together, her bow somehow going askew. "That's a sudden question! Sweetie likes a lotta things. What makes ya ask that?" She went in as quickly as he had, brows lowering in a sly expression. "Ya fallin' fer her? Aw!"

Dry sputtered at the implications. "No! I mean, she's nice..." He crashed to his haunches. "I just want to thank her, for being a friend, and for helping me. I know what you like, and what Scootaloo likes. I don't know what she likes. As a friend, I'd like to know, and to repay her for being nice."

"Wouldn'ta blamed ya." The little filly shrugged, walking right along. "But fer a gift, hm. If it's something ya made, pretty sure she'll be super happy to get it. She loves personal touches, and she loves her friends, which you are, so somethin' personal from a friend? She'll be super happy."

"Personal," echoed Dry, scrambling to catch up with Apple Bloom. "What would you not have blamed me for?"

Apple Bloom hiked up a brow even as giggles came over her. "She's a pretty filly. A colt falling for her hardly seems that surprisin', really. But she isn't on the market, as it were." She bumped against Dry. "Not ready."

Dry had learned more than he had bargained for. "Oh..." They were still young yet. Not everyone was... He shook those thoughts free. "So about my mane?" Yes, hair problems were so much safer to consider.

Author's Note:

Apple Bloom! You can't just drop a bomb like that on a poor innocent colt. There may be other typos hiding besides that obvious one.

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Comments

[badninja]

Once again the age issue rear’s it’s head. First Sci-Twi and now Sweetie Belle. I wonder if any of the creatures that have gone to Everglow have had that fun, off screen.

[David Silver]

11131920
Dry isn't seeking love, just friendship, and safety from a dangerous world.

[Booster Spice]

A Hospital? What is it.?

[howard035]

11131920
In Everglow I believe they call it dancing.