Chapter 6: What Is That Smell?

Chapter 6:  What Is That Smell?

Clover had warned Celestia that there would be odd smells in Starswirl’s chamber, but nothing could prepare her for the putrid aromas that awaited her.  Starswirl giggled as he lifted a bowl of muck up to his new houseguest.  “Fragrant, isn’t it Whitey!” he chuckled, watching her put her hoof over her offended nose and make a few unladylike gagging sounds.

Celestia had to suppress her gag reflex as she followed Clover around the cluttered room.  “What died in here?!” she exclaimed, squealing in disgust at whatever mushy thing she just stepped in.

Clover crinkled up her nose as she examined what got walked on.  “Um, Starswirl?” she said, looking just as grossed out as her young accomplice.  “I think we found Princess Platinum’s missing hamster.  Poor thing never had a chance down here.”

Starswirl ignored the girl’s complaints as he levitated a broom and dustpan.  “You win some, you lose some,” he said as he swept the dead pet up and dumped it out the window.  “Now, we need to get a cure going for Whitey’s hot horn so she’ll stop making such a fuss.  Clover the Clever, get me a sprig of jewelweed out of the herb cabinet.”

Doing as she was instructed, Clover opened up the cabinet with her magic.  She stood back as she saw a giant wolf spider the size of a plate scatter out of the way.  “It looks like we’re out of jewelweed,” she said, watching the spider slink onto a thick cobweb.  “On a more positive note, I found Webster.  Silly spider got into the herb cabinet again!”

Starswirl smiled genuinely as he rushed up to the cabinet.  “There you are you sneaky little sucker face!” he said affectionately, allowing the spider to crawl onto his head.  “Off hunting crickets again big boy?  I really should feed you better, shouldn’t I?  Yes I should!  Yes indeedy I should my big boy!”

Celestia stood back uncomfortably as she watched Starswirl dote over the huge fuzzy arachnid like an old mare would a pet cat.  Starswirl turned to her with the spider still standing on his head.  “You wanna meet Whitey boy?” he asked the spider in a mushy gushy voice, sounding more like a crazy cat lady than a professional spell caster.

Celestia winced as the spider was brought up to her, letting out squeaks of disgust as she attempted to pet the spider.  “Nice boy?” she said in a shaking voice, shrieking when she heard it hiss.

Starswirl laughed heartily at her reaction, giving the spider a tender pat on the abdomen.  “I think Webster likes you Whitey!” he said, letting the spider down from his head to wander around freely.

Clover was used to Webster’s antics, and did not even flinch when she saw him crawl into the dying herb garden she kept near the window to dig for worms.  She pet him on the abdomen as she watched him chew on a live worm like it was a dog toy.  “He’s not so bad Whitey, really!” she said, watching Webster begin to dig around in the dirt for more worms.  “He’s actually quite useful with the insect problems we tend to get down here.”

Celestia didn’t think she could get more grossed out, but the mention of an insect problem made her face screw up to new levels of disgust.  “Insect problem?” she replied in a terrified chirp, her eyes darting around the room looking for the offending little pests.

She screamed the moment her eyes landed on a cockroach.  Starswirl was quick to act on it, bringing out a jar to catch it.  “Thanks!” he said, watching the cockroach amble about in the jar.  “Webster loves these things!  I owe you one!”

By now Celestia was terrified beyond all comprehension.  “Just cure my horn and get me out of here!” she screamed, bouncing up and down for fear of any bugs getting on her.

Clover began to root through the crackling plants.  “I think we killed it,” she said, holding up the browned remains of a dead herb.

Starswirl peered down his nose at the plant’s remains, adjusting his glasses to get a better look at it.  “Confounded all!” he said, sneering at his dying efforts.  “I should have known those seeds the earth ponies sold were nothing but garbage!  ‘Tender loving care’ they said!  ‘Sun and water’ they said!  Bah!”

Clover dusted it off with her hoof, trying to stay optimistic about the whole thing.  “It’s pre-dried at least,” she said, holding it up to the less than impressed Celestia.  “We can still make a tea out of it, don’t you think?”

Starswirl stuck his tongue out at the dead sprig of jewelweed.  “Best we got until we can get to market again,” he explained, levitating the herb to his mortar and pestle.  “I can make a compress with it, but it might take longer to get that horn healed because of how dry this thing is.  We just need something to make a bandage out of.  Clover the Clever, where are those material scraps?”

Doing as she was told, Clover opened up a drawer where she kept various lengths of scrap material.  She jumped back the moment she noticed something looking back at her.  “We have a problem,” she said, her wide eyes not leaving the drawer.

Starswirl rolled his eyes as she went up to the storage drawers.  Using his own magic, he opened up the drawer to see what was the matter.  “Well, this is something,” he uttered as he used his magic to lift a snake out of the drawer.  “Cute little guy.  What do you think, new pet for the princess?  Not sure if she’s into snake skin, but what do I know from women’s fashion.”

Celestia let out a blood-curdling scream as the snake stuck its tongue out at her.  “I’ll take the cold over this!” she yelled as she ran for the exit.  She tried using her magic to open door, only to have the pain in her horn overwhelm her and her spell fail.  Without her magic to aid her, Celestia desperately kicked the door off its hinges to escape the mess.

Clover and Starswirl stuck their heads out the broken door to watch their guest run through the snow.  Starswirl was glad to watch her trip over something hidden under the snow and fall flat on her face just before the sun disappeared again.  “Hey!” he shouted as Celestia lifted her head out of the snow to spit out what ended up in her mouth.  “Get back here and fix this door!  I’m not trying to heat up the whole town!”