After the events of the Eternal Night and the return of Princess Luna, the Trixieverse 6 need time to recover before return to their normal lives... well, as normal as their lives can be.
The Trixieverse 6 had because the wielders of the Elements of Harmony, defeated Nightmare Moon, returned Princess Luna to her old self, freed Celestia, and literally saved the day from Nightmare Moon's Eternal Night.
But their connection to the Elements of Harmony and becoming the saviors of Equestria won't change who they are...much. After a few days, life in Ponyville returns to normal...or at least normal for Ponyville standards.
It's time to wind down and let things return to normal (with a few minor changes).
It had been two days since the dark Alicorn, Nightmare Moon, was defeated. The day was saved from Eternal Night. And now, there were new wielders of the Elements of Harmony.
When Trixie told Ocellus that they were going to move to Ponyville, the weakness that she felt after nearly dying seemed to disappear as Ocellus hopped around in joy. It was short-lived as she was still recovering her energy. But it was a reaction that filled Trixie’s heart with joy.
Now, Ocellus, back in her Unicorn disguise, was fully recovered and was going to Canterlot to get their things and to spread the news to Twilight and Spike. They were on the train to Canterlot with their new friends, Vinyl Scratch, Octavia Melody, and Silver Spoon.
Vinyl had her own goal in mind in Canterlot. She was silent on the train ride. Not by choice but because the Element of Loyalty that she was using as her voice synthesizer was no longer with her. Celestia had insisted that the Elements be taken to Canterlot to be shown in a museum. They were considered artifacts, after all…for some reason.
Vinyl didn’t understand why it was necessary since the Elements, without the six of them to use them, were just jewelry. That and the fact that the artifacts that should be in a museum should be the Element Stones. But Ocellus theorized that it was because the Elements were from the shards of the Elements Stones, they were still the old artifacts…more or less.
As the train pulled into the station, Vinyl used her magic to talk, projecting words on solid surfaces. ‘So, will we get to meet your friend? Starlight Twinkle?’
“It’s Twilight Sparkle. And yes, you will,” Trixie said, correcting the name as they got on their hooves to approach the exit, “You and the others were bound to meet her sooner or later anyway.”
“What’s she like?” Silver Spoon asked.
“She’s nice. And smart,” Trixie said as they exited the train car, “But I gotta warn you. Twilight is a real nerd.”
“A nerd, am I?” a familiar voice asked, causing Trixie’s face to go white and Ocellus and Silver Spoon to giggle at the reaction, “Well, I’d rather be a nerd than a boasting show-off.”
My little pony, My little pony Ahh ahh ahh ahhh…
(My little pony) I thought I had all the friends I'd need (My little pony) But in Ponyville I found a new lead
Raving music Kindness flying high A generous rhyme With an honest eye Sharing laughter A great and powerful feat And magic makes it all complete!
You have my little ponies Will you all be my best friends?
Trixie saw a jovial smile on her friend’s mouth, showing she was just playing into the joke. Trixie didn’t know why she was so worried. She supposed it was from how serious Twilight’s tone of voice was.
“It’s good to see you,” Trixie said, hugging her friend and fellow protégé, “So what was it like being Celestia’s body double?”
“Ugh! You have no idea just how frustrating the Canterlot Nobles are to deal with. I have a newfound respect for what Princess Celestia has to do on a daily basis,” Twilight groaned at the memory, “Although I was surprised by how helpful Prince Blueblood was.”
“Considering what I’ve been through, my mind is warring between being surprised about that news and completely ignoring it,” Trixie said with a groan of her own, “I won’t claim to know what being Princess for a day is like. But I do feel glad that I’m not the only one who had a tough time. But enough about me. These are my new friends, Vinyl Scratch, Octavia Melody, and her daughter Silver Spoon.”
‘You might want to get a doctor, Twilight! The Attention Seeking and Boastful Trixie said she doesn’t want to talk about herself anymore!’
“Trixie can’t talk about herself all the time,” Twilight said, “Once in a while, she has to rest her voice and let the Ponies around her talk about her instead.”
“Oh, ha ha,” Trixie deadpanned.
“So…is Vinyl mute?” Twilight asked, not knowing if it was an awkward topic.
“During the Rainbow Storm, Vinyl was struck by lightning, damaging her vocal cords beyond repair,” Octavia explained, “We’re here in Canterlot to get a new voice synthesizer for her. But personally, I’m enjoying the quiet.”
‘Ha ha.’
“Let’s go back to the library. I need to hear everything that happened,” Twilight said, leading the way, “And I’ll tell you what my night was like.”
‘I’ll meet up with you later. I have a voice synthesizer to get fitted for.’
“I’ll come with you,” Octavia said, “I can act as your temporary voice. Silver Spoon, you go with Trixie and Ocellus. We’ll meet up with you later.”
“Wait, do you even know where to meet us?” Twilight asked.
“The Canterlot Library, right?” Octavia asked, receiving a nod, “We know where to find you then. We grew up in Canterlot, and we know our way around.”
The group walked into the library, Twilight’s home away from home.
“SPIKE!!!”
Silver Spoon and Ocellus covered their ears as Twilight called for her number-one assistant.
“Twilight is loud, isn’t she,” Silver Spoon said, “Kinda like Sweetie Belle.”
“I think the reason mom is as loud as she is is because she’s losing her hearing because of Twilight,” Ocellus said with a giggle.
“SPIKE!!!” Twilight called again, “TRIXIE AND OCELLUS ARE BACK!!!”
“Have you checked behind the door?” Trixie asked.
Twilight closed the door to see Spike in a daze against the wall.
“Oh, my!” Silver Spoon said in worry, running to the baby dragon, “Are you okay?!”
Spike shook the dizziness out of his head, “Yeah, I’m okay,” Spike said, getting back up, “I’m a dragon, and dragons are tough. I’ve had a bookcase fall over on me once and only had a bruise.”
“And Twilight was in a complete panic when that happened,” Trixie added, “She spent several days asking if you were alright.”
“It’s not funny!” Twilight said grumpily, “That scared the life out of me!”
Trixie told her story to Twilight, and Twilight told hers.
“You actually met a Zebra?” Twilight asked.
“With everything that happened, it’s meeting a Zebra that interests you the most?” Trixie questioned.
“You’re one to talk,” Twilight countered, “The part of my story that you enjoyed the most was the noble who wanted to build a beach house.”
“Well, the part I enjoyed the most was your reaction,” Trixie counter countered, “He refused to talk to anyone other than who he believed would be the most gullible, he refused to take no for an answer, and you apparently lasted longer with him than even Princess Celestia and actually threw him out!”
“As frustrating as the noble was, I must admit that it was satisfying to throw him out,” Twilight said with a small smile, “I think we need to reevaluate who deserves to be a noble. I don’t even remember that noble’s name.”
Ocellus, Silver Spoon, and Spike were in the next room, peeking out from behind the door at their conversation.
“Why are we over here if they’re over there?” Silver Spoon asked in a whisper, “If we wanted to hear what they’re saying, what’s the point of being so far away that we can’t hear?”
“It’s less about what they’re saying and more about Twilight’s reaction,” Spike whispered, “I don’t know what they’re talking about either.”
“Don’t worry,” Ocellus whispered, “If I know Twilight, we’ll all know what they’re talking about when mom says it.”
“Do you know what they’re talking about?” Spike asked.
Ocellus just grinned. She didn’t tell her new friends about the news. And Silver Spoon being here would be a quick way to inform one of them. Showing her Twilight’s reaction was just a bonus.
“You and Ocellus are moving to Ponyville?!” Twilight exclaimed in shock.
“You’re moving to Ponyville?” Silver Spoon asked in a much more controlled manner.
“I wanted it to be a surprise,” Ocellus said, “This was still primarily to show you how Twilight overreacts.”
“In Twilight’s defense, that is shocking news,” Spike said, “But why are you moving?”
“Mom originally planned on us being able to visit once in a while since we both liked Ponyville,” Ocellus said before revealing her Changeling form, surprising Spike with how willing she was to show that form in front of others, “But not only did I make friends, when Nightmare Moon returned, all of the negative emotions all around Equestria and coming from Nightmare Moon was poisoning me. Before passing out, I dropped my Unicorn form and revealed my true form. But my new friends didn’t care what I was. They are my friends and accept me in this form. And it’s because of that that’s the reason why I’m still alive now. If I had been here in Canterlot when that happened…”
Ocellus didn’t want to think about what could have been. Picking up on her mood, Silver Spoon gave Ocellus a hug. If Ocellus’s newfound confidence in her natural form didn’t surprise Spike, seeing a Pony that she had just met hugging Ocellus in that form to comfort her did. But it was a good surprise.
“Well, you’ll keep in touch with us, won’t you?” Spike asked.
“Of course. You’re like a brother to me, after all,” Ocellus said, “But you’ve gotta promise me that you’ll come visit Ponyville too.” Ocellus then said in a whisper, “And I’m sure Twilight will be interested in their library.”
A moment later, Twilight opened the door, “Did I hear something about a library?!” Twilight said excitedly. The three children fell on the floor laughing.
“So, do you understand why moving to Ponyville is the best decision for both Ocellus and me?” Trixie asked, finishing up explaining herself.
“I suppose it makes sense,” Twilight admitted, “But what about your-” Twilight’s ears perked up, seemingly hearing something that Trixie didn’t. She then went over to the door and opened it to reveal the children snooping behind it, “Did I hear something about a library?!” Twilight said excitedly.
“Ocellus,” Trixie said to herself with a smile, “You and your friends are going to become real troublemakers, aren’t you?”
The group of five, Ocellus back in her Unicorn disguise, were walking down the street. Twilight had left a note for Vinyl and Octavia in case they didn’t return in time. And Trixie left a second note to fill in the gaps that she was sure Twilight’s note would miss.
“I thought you guys lived in a library,” Silver Spoon said.
“For as long as we’re there, we might as well live there. That’s why a kitchen was installed,” Trixie said, “But I’m not as comfortable surrounded by books as Twilight is. So we have a place that actually feels like home.”
“If it were up to Twilight, we would be living in the library,” Spike added.
“So where are we going?” Silver asked.
“To my parents’ house,” Twilight answered, “If Trixie and Ocellus are moving, then we have to get their stuff ready to move.”
“If we’re lucky, Twilight might be able to fit us in some time actually to tell them the news,” Trixie snarked. Twilight rolled her eyes but said nothing. After living with her for so long, she had gotten used to Trixie’s snarkiness.
The group opened the door to Twilight’s house and entered. In the living room was Night Light, Twilight’s father. Seeing them come in, Night Light got up and approached.
“Ah, there’s my favorite mare!” Night Light said.
Twilight opened up her hooves to accept a hug. But Night Light just walked past her and gave Trixie a hug.
“Really?” Twilight deadpanned.
“Oh, come now,” Night Light replied to Twilight, “Trixie may be my favorite mare. But she’s not my little girl.”
Night Light then gave Ocellus a big hug.
“Daaaaaad,” Twilight whined.
“You’d better acknowledge your daughter before she blows something up,” Trixie said, earning a giggle from Spike and Silver Spoon.
“Oh, you know I’m just teasing, right Twilight?” Night Light said as he hugged his daughter. Twilight tried to let out a groan, but her mood just made it come out as a content sigh.
“Although, I would like to know why I no longer hold the title of ‘favorite mare’,” Twilight’s mother, Twilight Velvet, said as she came out from the kitchen.
“Aw, Honey,” Night Light said, nuzzling his wife, “You’re great and all. But you can’t deny that Twilight and Trixie deserve that title. And if it means anything, I don’t think the term ‘mare’ applies to Ocellus.”
“Well, I suppose I had to let go of the title eventually. The competition is just too much,” Velvet said, “And I see you brought a little guest with you.”
Silver Spoon took this as her cue and did a slight bow of respect, “My name is Silver Spoon,” she said, returning to an upright position, “It’s nice to meet you.”
“And so polite, too,” Velvet said, “It seems so rare to come across such politeness. Then again, maybe it’s just the residents of this household.” Velvet finished teasingly.
“Politeness is nice and all,” Trixie said, “But you know that my style is all about flare!” Trixie then set off illusionary fireworks to emphasize ‘flare’.
“Silver Spoon is one of three new friends I made while in Ponyville!” Ocellus exclaimed, transforming into her natural insectoid form, “They even accept me like this!”
A warm smile spread across Velvet’s face, “Well, I’m glad you could make friends that you can be open with,” she said, “My name is Twilight Velvet. And this is my husband, Night Light.”
“You have the same name as Twilight does?” Silver Spoon asked.
“Twilight is a family name. It dates back several generations to the first Twilight, Twilight Twinkle,” Velvet explained, “Or at least that’s what my grandmother, Vivia Twilight, said.”
“As much as I’d love to continue talking, I do have some news that I’d like to say,” Trixie said.
Thunderlane, along with Spitfire, Soarin, Fleetfoot, and Surprise, were on their way to Canterlot to meet with Princess Celestia. The Grand Galloping Gala was coming up, and the Wonderbolts were invited as VIPs. But they still needed to register which members would attend so that any attendees would know ahead of time. This was because some ponies who wanted to see a Wonderbolt would know if their favorite members were attending. This will allow the attendees to plan around that.
The Princess always invited a total of five Wonderbolts. This was often because a Wonderbolts show will often be performed by a team of five Pegasi. So they were invited as teams. But some ponies were disappointed that their preferred members weren’t there. And the Wonderbolts wanted to get new talent into the spotlight. So rather than going as flight teams, they just chose who to go.
The Wonderbolts would choose from three popularity tiers.
Okay, that’s not entirely true. There were three popularity tiers, but they only chose from two. Spitfire and Soarin are the most popular, and so they always attend. The other two tiers are the general tier, which were members that had their fans, but there were too many members in that tier, and not enough fans per individual member to warrant constant attendance. And then there were the newbies. These members, for obvious reasons, haven’t had the time to grow a fan following or, in some cases, haven’t been seen yet.
Newbies are more likely to get a chance at going to the Gala than general members because there are fewer newbies. Even with two general members and one newbie per Gala, there are approximately three general members for each newbie. And some Wonderbolt members never see a Gala, since not all members of the Wonderbolts have enough fans to warrant inviting them.
After he became the wielder of the Element of Kindness, the Wonderbolts invited him to the Gala this year. They wanted to show off that one of their members was the savior of the world. Most of Equestria was unaware of the events in Ponyville and the Everfree Forest other than the Summer Sun Celebration and the Eternal Night. And other than Trixie, who already has fame as Princess Celestia’s student, the rest of the Element wielders didn’t care about earning fame through that. This was because they didn’t want their everyday lives to change.
Okay, Vinyl Scratch considered the fame, but she had a sister and niece that she didn’t want paparazzi to harass. She also didn’t want the rest of her family to get word and pretend to be caring after all these years. She knew that they would just use her to obtain attention for themselves.
Fleetfoot was perhaps the most overlooked Wonderbolt in relation to how often she appeared in shows. She didn’t mind so much. The attention would be nice, but if she could avoid cramps from writing autographs, less attention was preferred. But this would be her first Gala, as well as Thunderlane’s first.
Surprise was more of a wildcard. She wasn’t a newbie in the conventional sense, but there were no applicants for Wonderbolts Academy this year, so Surprise was chosen as this year’s newbie for the Gala, being part of last year’s newbies.
“So, is the hero of the day ready to go to his first Gala?” Thunderlane turned to Fleetfoot at that comment, “Your title of an Element wielder will certainly gain you popularity.”
“Doing the right thing isn’t a popularity game, Flatfoot,” Thunderlane replied, using Fleetfoot’s hazing nickname, “If ponies are just going to want to talk with me because I’m an Element wielder, then they just want to meet me for their own personal selfish agendas.”
“And that’s different from them wanting to meet you because you’re a Wonderbolt how?” Fleetfoot countered.
“If they want to meet me because I’m a Wonderbolt, then they will be acknowledging something that I worked hard to earn,” Thunderlane explained.
“So what you’re saying is that you didn’t earn the Element of Kindness,” Fleetfoot snarked, “It’s a shame I didn’t go into the Everfree that night instead of you. Then I would be the wielder of the Element of Kindness now.”
“The Elements don’t work that way!” Thunderlane exclaimed offendedly, “I became the wielder of the Element of Kindness because of who I am. But I worked to become a Wonderbolt.”
“Exactly my point!” Fleetfoot exclaimed, “You’ve earned your place in the Wonderbolts because of what you’ve achieved. You’ve earned the Element of Kindness because of who you are. Not everpony will see it this way. But if somepony wants to spend time with you because you’re an Element wielder, they will want to spend time with you because of who you are.”
“If you’re worried about ponies wanting to spend time with you because you’re an Element wielder and nothing else, unfortunately, that will happen,” Spitfire spoke up, “Canterlot is the snob capital of Equestria. The ponies there tend to stick their noses so far upwards that it’s a miracle that they don’t drown when it rains. However, there are ponies who will want to get to know you for you. Sure, it will sometimes be because you’re an Element wielder. But they’re genuine. Even if the entire night is full of snobs, if you get to meet just one genuine fan, it will make it all worth it.”
“Are you sure?” Thunderlane asked.
“We’ve been doing this for years,” Soarin added, “And every time, even if we get just one genuine fan, it means that you end up brightening up someone’s day by getting to meet you. And that makes it worth dealing with all of the snobs of Canterlot.”
Thunderlane smiled at the thought, “In all honesty, that does sound worth it,” Thunderlane said, “Especially if they’re a foal. My preferred fanbase is foals.”
“That’s the spirit,” Spitfire encouraged, “Now at attention! We’re almost there!”
One of the Royal Guards guided the Wonderbolts into the Throne Room of Canterlot Castle, which was standard procedure at this point. On her throne and accompanied by her newly returned little sister was Princess Celestia. The Wonderbolts bowed before the Princesses.
“Arise, Wonderbolts,” Princess Celestia said with authority, the Wonderbolts doing as commanded, “Captain Spitfire, Luitenant Soarin, who will be joining you in attending the Grand Galloping Gala this year?”
“We haven’t had any new recruits since the last Gala, Your Majesty,” Spitfire said, “So we’re inviting somepony from the previous year, Surprise. We’re inviting Fleetfoot, seeing as she seems to be underrated. And I’m sure I don’t need to explain why we’re inviting Thunderlane this year.”
“The wielder of Kindness,” Princess Luna said simply. Luna looked tired. And not in the sense that she looked like she needed sleep (though the bags under her eyes implied that as well). She just looked drained of energy. Most likely, it was the result of recovering her energy.
“Princess Luna, if I may ask, are you feeling okay?” Thunderlane asked. His nature drove him to be concerned for the Princess’s well-being, “I don’t mean to seem inconsiderate, but you just look tired.”
“In order to recover Our energy properly, Our body must expend as little energy as necessary,” Princess Luna answered, “Tis an unfortunate consequence of the Elements of Harmony stripping away the darkness that had consumed Us. And with the night being Our domain, We tend to be nocturnal. We are intent on joining Our sister in this process. But We assure thou that by the time of the Gala, We shall have regained Our stre…” Luna’s statement was cut off with a yawn before completely falling asleep.
“Luna had been taking on other duties while I had my own errands to run today,” Celestia said as she made sure Luna was in a comfortable position, “Honestly, she’s held out for longer than I had expected. I’d better take her to bed.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Spitfire said as she and the other Wonderbolts bowed, “We will take our leave so that you can tend to your sister.”
“I’ll have one of my guards escort you out,” Celestia said, “Captain Armor!”
A large white Unicorn with an electric blue mane responded. Though not as muscular as the stallion from Sweet Harvest Acres, the Captain of the Royal Guard, with his training, would likely make a match for him.
“Yes, Your Majesty?” the Royal Guard Captain asked, standing to attention.
“Can you escort the Wonderbolts out while I take my sister to her room to rest?” Celestia asked, “Also when you’re finished, you’re welcome to take the rest of the day off. Bellatrix and Ocellus are back. And I’m sure they would like to see-”
“Trixie’s back from Ponyville?!” A Pink Alicorn made her presence known, overhearing the news, “I was so worried about her and Ocellus after the Summer Sun Celebration!”
“I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to see you as well,” Celestia said with a warm smile before lifting Luna onto her back, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must get my sister to bed.”
As Celestia headed down the hall, the two new arrivals escorted the Wonderbolts out.
“Captain Spitfire,” Thunderlane said, “I would like to request that I stay here in Canterlot. I’d like to see how Ocellus is doing.”
“Our business here is done,” Spitfire said, “Permission granted.”
After the Wonderbolts were escorted out, they left, and Thunderlane went with the Royal Guard and the Alicorn.
“So, you two know Trixie personally?” Thunderlane asked.
“Trixie is Princess Celestia’s student, along with my LSBFF, Twilie,” Captain Armor said, his Royal Guard persona being dropped and replaced with a much more approachable persona, “So Trixie is also like my LSBFF.”
“LSBFF?” Thunderlane questioned.
“Little Sister Best Friend Forever. My name is Shining Armor by the way,” Shining Armor said.
“Thunderlane of the Wonderbolts,” Tunderlane said, “But I guess you already got that part.”
“And I’m Princess Mi Amore Cadenza,” the pretty pink princess said, “But I just prefer Cadance. And I used to foalsit them.”
A sly grin formed on Thunderlane’s face, “Can I assume you have embarrassing stories about them to tell?”
“Of course. After all, embarrassing them is far too fun not to remember a few stories,” Princess Cadance said, “For example, did you know that despite being Captain of the Royal Guard, Shiny here is a total geek?”
Shining Armor’s face went beet red at this, “What the…Cadie?” Shining Armor did not squeak. And even if he did…which he didn’t…if Thunderlane were to tell anyone, he would deny it with his life…which he’d never need to do because it never happened.
“What’s wrong, Shiny?” Cadence said playfully, “I think it’s cute how you and your old school friends still get together to play Ogres and Oubliettes.”
“When I asked for embarrassing stories, I was expecting stories about Trixie. Besides…” Thunderlane’s own face went red, “There’s nothing wrong with liking O&O.”
“You like O&O too?!” Shining asked excitedly before regaining his composure, “I-I mean, do you enjoy Ogres and Obliettes as well?”
“Maybe Thunderlane could join one of your games sometime,” Cadence suggested, “And of course, I have embarrassing stories of Trixie and Twilight, too. But it’s so much better if they were there when I tell them.”
It didn’t take the trio long to reach their destination. As they opened the door and walked in, Thunderlane was surprised to see all of his friends from Ponyville and not just Trixie. That included the Cutie Mark Crusaders, which in turn included Rumble.
“Hey, squirt,” Thunderlane said as he ruffled Rumble’s mane, “What are you doing here?”
“Princess Celestia brought me here!” the colt exclaimed.
Thunderlane looked around the room, “I get the feeling you all have stories to tell.”
With the defeat of Nightmare Moon, Trixie had been offered a most valuable boon. Octavia went with her sister to get Vinyl a new voice. And though the DJ has managed, she doesn’t have much choice. Thunderlane and the Wonderbolts went to speak on high with the Royal Guard about how to better protect the sky. Rainbow went with Flutters to get new automail. Her prosthetic legs have functionally failed. Then there’s Maud Pie seeking a new home in the town. But knowing her unique style, she should look towards the ground.
As for me, I have nothing special to do. But that is not a problem, for it is nothing new. I tend to have an obscure routine. And for that, I prefer to be rarely seen. And with Ponyville’s Ponies all in a buzz, I preferred to return to my life as it was.
The Everfree tends to provide what I require, so money is something I don’t personally desire. But the forest, despite its assisting deed, cannot provide everything that I need. So I still need to earn bits, though I don’t need much. Just enough to add that necessary touch. Me working at the hospital? Ponies think that’s a strange notion. But when they’re in need, they benefit from my Healing Potions. Whether it’s a wound that needs healing or recovering from mana drain, without my assistance, those issues would be more of a pain.
To make Mana Potions, a key ingredient I need is Magicae Herba, more commonly known as Arcane Weeds. When I came to a patch, I saw it was severely overgrown. That’s when something occurred to me that I had known. Arcane Weeds thrive in the moonlit night. I didn’t take into account Nightmare Moon’s Eternal Night.
I harvested just enough of the field so that it could still grow. Then, I headed back to my hut with the ingredients in tow. The surplus of ingredients took many hours to brew. So I could almost thank Nightmare Moon for giving me something to do.
That’s not to say I want Eternal Night as a friend. The bad outweighs the good. But not without a small benefit in the end.
Later that day, I went to Ponyville to the hospital, where I could share my good will. But what I was told ultimately made me frown. There is little need for Mana Potions in an Earth Pony town. But they were still happy to have a surplus nonetheless. But I still had a potion surplus to address.
At least my moneybag now had a little more weight. And I can worry about my surplus at a later date. On my way home, who do I spy? It was Rainbow and Flutters talking with Maud Pie. I had thought they would’ve left. They had things to do. Flutters’ automail. And Maud taking her time…wasn’t new.
“Flutters? I thought by now you’d be in Cloudsdale. Or was I mistaken on when you’d get new automail?” I asked. But what I did find was no worry in the scatter-brained Pegasus’ mind.
“Don’t worry, I don’t plan on being late,” the yellow Pegasus said, “Legend Bringer closes at eight.”
I said, “On a dime, you told a good rhyme.”
“I just hope this doesn’t end up happening all the time,” Rainbow, when she realized what she had said, the embarrassment made her look like she wanted to drop dead.
“You two spend too much time with her,” Maud said. And to a degree, I concur.
“Hey, Zee, Maud is looking for a new home. Do you wanna help her out?” Rainbow asked, quickly changing the tone.
“Perhaps I could help,” I said, “But tell me more. What is it that you are looking for?”
“Rocks,” Maud’s answer was as blunt as could be. But without more context, one word doesn’t help me.
“One word doesn’t help. Can you tell me more?” I asked, “I need more details to know what to look for.”
“A rock house,” Maud said.
Rainbow gave out a yelp, “Can you tell that she’s not gonna give you much help?”
Maud didn’t seem upset at that. It was who she was. She acknowledges it and accepts it as one of her flaws.
For a moment, I thought, despite going in mostly blind. But then, a thought suddenly came to my mind, “I may have an idea. And the rent is free,” I said, “if you don’t mind a cave in the Everfree.”
“The Everfree Forest?!” Rainbow exclaimed, “How could-”
Flutters said, “Has Zecora ever been untrustworthy before?”
I appreciated Flutters’ defense, but her words made my mind roam. My thoughts returned to my homeland and why I left my old home. But now was not the time to dwell on the past. The Pegasi said their goodbyes and then flew away fast.
With my still-filled bags, I hoped to go home to lessen the load. But Maud offered to carry them. I was grateful when we hit the road.
