Sisters of Willowbrook

by Starscribe

Chapter 25: Fae Doorstep

Snacks procured, and soon they were on their way. Derek expected a servant to come rushing for them at any second, hurrying to drag them back to captivity in the vast manor house. The servant never came, and so every step made her feel freer.

They crossed through the holdings of House Vale, past fields of things she couldn't identify. Maybe those stalks were corn? But so far as she could tell, it was still spring, so maybe that was wrong. There were orchards too. The trees were burdened with fruit, yet they didn't look quite natural. They were skeletal and misshapen, with only patchy green leaves. Even so, workers struggled to load their produce into heavy baskets.

"Is that magic?" she asked, nodding through the fence as they passed. "Those trees look like they've got bark beetles or something. But they're still producing."

Charlie followed her gaze. Now that they were together, Derek had a chance to see things about her she'd never noticed in captivity. The pegasus moved different than either of them. She was light on her feet, and occasionally opened her wings to glide along the ground between her steps. Maybe there was some truth to urging her not to practice too much without permission. She was also taller than either of them, though Risk's horn almost made up for it.

He'd insisted on wearing the vest outside the house, along with the saddlebags of their extra snacks. If asked, he would be able to truthfully say he'd come to serve her.

"Yeah, but a different kind. House Vale serves the True Gods, not the pretender Celestia. They aren't useless like she is, only interfering when someone stops the flow of sugar and circuses into Canterlot. The Old Gods actually do help us."

Derek shared a look with Charlie. She mouthed the words, "That's what they think we are." But Charlie showed no sign of recognition. She'd need to wait for more privacy for a chance to explain that.

"It's not just House Vale who worships them," Charlie said. At least she didn't sound like she was going to give up and cry with every word. Like Derek, her friend had adapted enough to her own voice to get used to it. "I think everyone in town does. I haven't heard a good thing about Celestia since I got here."

The road wasn't wide—it was big enough to accommodate a single cart taking up the entire path, with nothing more than gravel to mark it and sometimes not even that. At Derek's size, that was fine. But they were running out of farms, and running out of road too. There were trees beyond, huge old-growth woods growing so thick and green that she could see almost no distance at all through their arboreal barrier.

"There's not much to say," Risk whispered. "But it's one of those things you can't talk about if you leave. Away from here, ponies just accept that she banished her sister. Nopony cares what happened to the other Alicorns. She saved us from Discord, didn't she? She raises the sun each day!" He rolled his eyes. "But behind all that, she's a tyrant. Ponies who cause her too much trouble, they just go away. Or if they're smart, they move here."

"Iris explained that we can't ever get discovered," she explained, mostly to Charlie. "There's something about us, Firefly. If we're found, the princess will have us killed. We have to stay boring."

"Why?" Charlie asked. Her voice sounded more hurt than angry. But that kind of pain fit the body she wore. "We've never even met her. Why would she care?"

"She shouldn't," Risk answered. Even he slowed as they reached the edge of the tree line. He lifted out his map, glancing at it again. The trail continued through the trees, though it got much narrower. They were small enough that they didn't have to walk single file, but an adult pony probably would have. "But I'm sure Mistress Vale said it for a reason. She wouldn't be wrong."

"There's a reason, you just wouldn't believe it," she said. She gave Charlie a knowing look, one she hoped could at least communicate something as simple as “we'll talk about it later.”

Risk spun, putting his back to the trees. "The Sylvan Woods are mostly safe, but there are some rules we have to follow. Okay?"

Charlie rolled her eyes. "Rules? Leave no trace, right? Take only P—" She melted, pressing one hoof against the side of her head.

Risk didn't notice, and kept right on going. "Never leave the path, never start a fire, never unroot a tree, and... be kind to the butterflies." He recited them in a little musical poem, keeping on-key with imaginary music as he said it. Like something he'd memorized his entire life.

Charlie shook herself out. She spoke more carefully this time. "That sounds basically like... any wilderness rules. Keep the trail from eroding, and... why would you need something specific for 'butterflies'?”

Risk shrugged. "I don't know why. But we need to follow the rules, Lilac. That's what keeps us safe. If we want the forest to accept us as visitors, we have to follow the rules."

Derek raised a hoof, silencing Charlie's next argument. She really didn't seem to be getting along with Risk very well. "It's not any sillier than anything else we have to do, Firefly. We're here looking for magic, and magic sometimes has complicated rules."

Charlie grunted, folding both wings closed. "Nothing makes any sense anymore. I'll remember. Trail, trees, butterflies. Got it."

Risk was the first to step off the trail, his horn glowing faintly in front of him as he held the map. Even so, he looked like a brave hero pushing through the undergrowth, like he was going to defend the helpless girls in his expedition.

That only made Derek more annoyed, and she hurried to keep up with him, leaving Charlie to trail behind the two of them. "It's a long walk, but I'm sure you'll be fine with that, Lilac. Earth ponies have tons of endurance. I should be able to tell when we're getting close.

They walked for at least an hour through the thick forest. They weren't silent exactly, but with Risk there they could only speak so freely. Even without magical compulsion keeping their months closed, Derek didn't feel brave enough to talk about what she'd learned from Iris, or to tell Charlie her suspicions. Those things would have to wait until they had more time, maybe later that evening.

But she was brave enough to say some things, and to answer questions.

"So can you tell me exactly what we're looking for?" Charlie asked. "Must be pretty cool if we're hiking up into the forest to find it." Her wings fluttered with annoyance. "You don't know this Risk, but last time we were together in a forest, it didn't end the way I expected. I don't really want a repeat of all that."

Risk seemed confused. "You two really do know each other."

"Yes," Derek agreed. "For a long time. Firefly, we're looking for magic. I need to find a big supply of it if I'm going to cast big spells. Risk says he knows where we can find enough."

"They're magical all right," he said. "That doesn't mean much about Willowbrook. Almost everything here is magical somehow. All the stuff the princess doesn't want, all the creatures that want to stay out of her sight, they come here. Our rules are different—nopony has to worship the True Gods, they just have to leave each other alone."

"Okay, so... I'm still on the basics here," Charlie said. "We need lots of magic to cast a big spell, like one that would... be used for traveling. Who are we getting the magic from? Not a big hole in the sky above a waterfall this time. So who?"

"Well, they're... probably out here. There are lots of stories of their little city out in the woods. Visitors sometimes go up here, break the rules, and don't come back. And they've made deals with ponies in the past. I don't really know what they want, only that my family... makes me promise to never ever go there."

"I thought you said they were nice!" Derek argued. She stopped in her tracks on the path, right in the middle of the trail. As she did, the forest seemed to come into better focus around her. This was old growth, never felled by axe or flame. The canopy overhead grew so thickly that she could see only thin shafts of sunlight glowing through the leaves. The underbrush swayed gently along to a steady breeze, blowing down from above. It carried strange smells with it, perfumes of flowers she had never seen. Some of these plants bore vague resemblance to species she knew from her Earth life. But the more she looked, the more she saw that didn't correspond easily to any of her memories.

"They are nice." Risk looked back at her, frowning. "Just so long as you're nice to them. The hard part is knowing what that means, knowing which rules matter to them and which ones don't. That's why most ponies just stay away if they're smart. Leave some honey for them on feast days and kindling to keep warm in winter, and that's it."

Charlie stopped too, though she was far more open with her annoyance. "Are you saying Willowbrook is full of weird monsters hidden away? Things that aren't people, living in secret, that hurt you if you upset them?"

Risk tilted his head to the side, staring. "Why would that be weird? That's the whole world, Firefly. Everypony is bigger and stronger and more important. We don't get to live somewhere else, we just get to decide who we want on our side. If we pick someone strong, then we'll have their protection. That's why we're coming out here, isn't it Lilac? You want somepony else to share their magic with you. Ponies can't do that, but other things can."

Charlie finally nodded her agreement. "I guess that makes some sense. Into the forest, temping dangerous forces, so we can get the power to get home. I understand."

They started walking again. The forest crowded close around them, keeping it hard to even stay on the path. There were fewer trees as they progressed, but larger, older ones. Grasses and wildflowers now dotted the space between, with both frequently crossing the path before them. Risk hadn't said anything about flowers that he had for trees, but she did the best she could to avoid stepping on those too. The tree-ents or whatever the hell was out here would probably appreciate it.

"What do you mean go home?" Risk asked, a few minutes later. How long had he been thinking about that before he asked? "Where else would you want to live, Lilac? You're like... the most important pony in Willowbrook. If the mistress doesn't have any other children, you'll inherit all of this. The farms, the forest... it's all kinda yours. Where would you want to go?"

The question made her fall silent, considering. Two weeks ago, she would've given him a very different response. But now, she couldn't quite find the answer. She couldn't bring herself to lie.

Charlie apparently had far fewer reservations. "You wouldn't understand, Risk. Lilac and I come from somewhere, a whole different place. We have families and homes there. Lilac is the expert trying to get us home again, one day."

Risk looked back at her, and there was some actual pain on his face. "Is that true?"

She looked away from him. "I'm trying to learn magic again. It's gonna take a long time before I can ever do anything with it."

"Oh." He was silent for another few minutes. The path got narrower, with underbrush crowding so close that plenty of it was over Derek's eye-level. She was so small by now that she might as well be in a jungle, buzzing insects and all. And yes, some of them probably were butterflies. "Why did Mistress Vale adopt you, Lilac? I know the family needs an heir, but... why not pick a unicorn filly for that? Then nopony would ask awkward questions about who your parents were."

She opened her mouth to answer, but stopped short. She looked over her shoulder. "Firefly?"

Her friend wasn't there. She spun, circling slowly in place—and Risk wasn't there either. "Oh... crap."

Comments

[minibox]

Wonder if we're dealing with breezies. They seem to fit the bill. Regardless of who they are, Derek certainly has their attention. Let's see if she can negotiate well.

"Yeah, but a different kind. House Vale serves the True Gods, not the pretender Celestia. They aren't useless like she is, only interfering when someone stops the flow of sugar and circuses into Canterlot. The Old Gods actually do help us."

Again, we only have side. Celestia certainly is beloved in her realm, all of it earned. But there is a possibility of "written by the winners". We're going to need more evidence of the past to see if a major injustice was done.

"But behind all that, she's a tyrant. Ponies who cause her too much trouble, they just go away. Or if they're smart, they move here."

"Iris explained that we can't ever get discovered," she explained, mostly to Charlie. "There's something about us, Firefly. If we're found, the princess will have us killed. We have to stay boring."

There's always small groups that get marginalized even in the best governments. Everyone has skeletons in their closet. Sooner or later we're going to find out what's in Celestia's.

"Well, they're... probably out here. There are lots of stories of their little city out in the woods. Visitors sometimes go up here, break the rules, and don't come back. And they've made deals with ponies in the past. I don't really know what they want, only that my family... makes me promise to never ever go there."

It's not great when you have to work with the devil you don't know.

Charlie apparently had far fewer reservations. "You wouldn't understand, Risk. Lilac and I come from somewhere, a whole different place. We have families and homes there. Lilac is the expert trying to get us home again, one day."

Risk looked back at her, and there was some actual pain on his face. "Is that true?"

That's going to cause issues with the cult if they hear that from him.

She opened her mouth to answer, but stopped short. She looked over her shoulder. "Firefly?"

Her friend wasn't there. She spun, circling slowly in place—and Risk wasn't there either. "Oh... crap."

Let's hope the butterflies aren't temperamental.

[Lithl]

11072882
Breezies do seem likely, with the "little city" comment. And they're basically pony faeries, with a lot of the rules and behaviors Risk is describing matching up with the fae in real world mythology.

[Cedric Bale]

Dealing with fae Breezies. On the one hand, I love the flavor of it; on the other, I'm actually pretty scared for our MCs.

[FanOfMostEverything]

Celestia’s reign was bountiful, but fragile and flawed. Though the gradual return/emergence of other alicorns will do… interesting things to the anti-Sun narrative.

In the meantime, trucking with the fae rarely ends well, especially when your guide goes missing. We’ll see how this goes. At this rate, Derek’s going to end up blacklisted by every esoteric force in Equestria.

“That filly? No, we don’t mess with her. She’s nuts.”

[Luckyfanisaac]

"They are nice." Risk looked back at her, frowning. "Just so long as you're nice to them. The hard part is knowing what that means, knowing which rules matter to them and which ones don't. That's why most ponies just stay away if they're smart. Leave some honey for them on feast days and kindling to keep warm in winter, and that's it."

Sounds like they are looking for the deers.

Edit 4/10/2024:

That only made Derek more annoyed, and she hurried to keep up with him, leaving Charlie to trail behind the two of them. "It's a long walk, but I'm sure you'll be fine with that, Lilac. Earth ponies have tons of endurance. I should be able to tell when we're getting close.”(——

[tsaukpaetra]

Next lesson: words have meaning, pay attention!