The Lovely Mary Jane
He walked alone.
His mother wouldn't be expecting him, mostly because she was going to be at work tell late (as usual).
He was a young stallion, not even earned his cutie mark yet. It hadn't been two months since he had started his freshman year of high school in the small village of Ponyville.
And already his heart was broken.
Her name was Moon Rose, and she was the most beautiful pony he had ever known. She had the most elegant blood red mane and tail that complemented her cream colored coat perfectly, and her voice was like a gentle breeze through a field of wild flowers.
They weren't really friends, but they had known each other for a long time.
On this day, he mustered up his courage and told her how he felt. But her reply was that she didn't want him to speak to her ever again.
So he walked alone.
"Im going to be alone for the rest of my life." He said aloud, the sun was almost at its peak in the sky as he reached the outskirts of the small town.
Looking up from the path he saw the dark looming form of the Everfree forest. He was about to turn around and go back, when a thought occurred to him.
"Ill just walk into the forest. And if I die? Well…..who wants to live like this anyway?" With a deep breath he solemnly trotted into the dark forest.
"What will it be life? What scary, pony eating monster will you send to end my short, non marefriend having life?" He asked to nopony as he stepped over rocks and fallen brush on his quest to meet his end.
He looked left and right and up and down, but it seemed that today was a slow day for scary meat eating predators. But still he trekked on. He came to a river and quickly crossed it by jumping between rocks that came above water.
On the other side he spotted what looked like a small, narrow dirt path. It looked like it hadn't been used in years as weeds and grass grew between the remaining rocks that lined it.
"This must lead to a cave or something. If nothing else I can spend the rest of my life in there."
The narrow path winded up small hills and around sand banks. Ahead he spotted what looked like a grove beyond some trees.
The bright sun shined ahead as he approached the grove.
He cleared the brush and was greeted by a garden of green plants that he had never seen before.
The leaves grew out into several separate leaves that had little points along them, and thick, fuzzy green clumps clung to the branches of each and every plant. Out of curiosity he sniffed one of the buds.
It had an odd smell to it that was unlike anything he had ever smelt before. Sort of a mix between pine trees and wild spices.
"What are these?" He asked aloud.
"They are my plants, of course." He spun around fast to see who the stranger was that snuck up behind him.
"Wah, who-who are you?!" The young stallion stuttered as he fell on his back.
He looked up at the pony who had snuck up on him, as he did his jaw fell open. The pony he saw was without a doubt the most beautiful mare he had ever laid eyes on.
She was tall and slender, but with the right amount of girth around her flank. Her coat was a smokey grey, and her mane was the color of the forest itself, which was a lush vibrant green. The coo de gra had to be her eyes, which were a brilliant sapphire blue.
She appeared to be in her late twenties, but she was more beautiful than the pictures of Fleur Di Lis he had seen in his moms copy of Victorias Pony, (He liked to read the articles).
"Oh my, Im so sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I don't get many visitors these days." The mare apologized as she extended a hoof to help the young stallion up.
"Thats ok, its my fault. I didn't know this was someponies garden." The young stallion explained as he took the mares hoof and got back upright.
He blushed as he realized that he was holding hoofs with suck a pretty mare, and quickly released it.
"W-well, I guess that Ill be going now. Sorry for trespassing." The young stallion turned to leave the grove and the beautiful mare.
"Wait, you don't have to leave so soon. May I ask your name?" To this the young stallion stopped and turned to face her again.
"My name is Ebon Wind, but you can call me Ebon." The beautiful mare let out a happy giggle.
"Well its very nice to meet you Ebon, my name is Mary Jane. Welcome to my garden." Ebon felt his face get hot as his new acquaintance smiled at him.
He looked down out of embarrassment when he saw something that stood out to him. At the base of Mary Jane's hoofs, there appeared to be green tendrils coming out of the ground and attached to her hoofs. Cautiously he pointed to the odd attachments.
"Excuse me, Miss. Jane-"
"Oh you can call me Mary."
"Right, Mary, it looks like you have something stuck to your hooves." Mary looked down at her legs like she had forgotten something.
"Yes, well, those are kinda…....part of me." Ebon was now a little confused, and more than a little scared.
"What do you mean "Part of you", if you don't mind me asking." Mary Jane looked down at her hoofs with a weary smile.
"Well it was a long time ago, and its kind of a long story. Would you like to hear it?" Ebon sighed before sitting down on the soft grass.
"Ehh, Ive got nowhere important to be. Lets hear it." Mary Jane sat across from Ebon and cleared her throat.
"Well, if my math is right, it happened seven hundred and sixty three years ago-"
"Whoa, whoa! Im sorry to interrupt, but are you telling me that your almost a thousand years old?" Ebon didn't want to believe it, but something about all this did seem more than a little odd.
Mary Jane's cheeks turned a light pink.
"W-well, yes, if you must inquire about my age. I am over seven hundred."
Ebon suddenly felt like a huge jerk, and began mentally kicking himself.
"Im sorry, that was rude of me."
Mary Jane flashed him a forgiving smile as she flipped her lush green mane away from her face.
"Thats ok, Im sure that it is quite a shocking thing, meeting a pony as old as me." She batted her eyelashes as her bright blue eyes glittered in the noonday sun.
"It was a sunny spring day. I was taking a trot through the forest. You see, I was feeling very sad that day and I needed to clear my head."
Ebon thought that this story was starting to sound familiar.
"I finally got up the courage to tell this stallion that I loved him. But he told me that he was already engaged to marry a mare from Trotingham. I was broken hearted, but I didn't hate him. How could I be mad that he had found love?"
This story was very similar.
"As I made my way deeper into the woods, I came upon this beautiful grove. And thats when I heard it."
Ebon was now very curious.
"Heard what?" He asked.
"The plants, of course. I was able to understand them in a special way."
Talking plants? Ebon thought to himself.
"And what did, or do, they say?" He asked trying not to sound cynical.
Mary jane giggled like he had asked a funny question.
"Silly, they don't actually "talk", its more like, I feel what they mean."
Ebon scratched his short black mane.
"Im sorry Mary, but I don't follow. You hear them but you don't?" Mary Jane taped a hoof to her chin as she pondered a better answer.
"Well, I guess its like……..sunflowers!"
"Sunflowers?"
"Yes, sunflowers, you know how a sunflower smells?"
Ebon thought about it for a minute.
"Ya, I guess." He replied.
"But sunflowers have no smell. and yet you know what one smells like right?" Mary Jane looked to one of her plants with a fond smile.
"Guess I never really thought about it." It was true, he hadn't.
"Its the same thing with me and my plants. I hear them from within myself. Anyway, I heard them. They told me that everything was going to be ok, that they loved me and wanted to be my friends."
Ebon looked at the plants that filled the grove. He couldn't help but wonder how a plant could say all that.
"They told me that if I ate some of there buds that I would understand everything."
"You eat them?" Ebon asked.
"I know it sounds strange, but after I ate one of the buds, it was like an awakening. I saw colors and patterns I had never seen before. I felt so good and happy, it was like feeling love and joy I had never felt before. They helped me get past the hurt. After that I dedicated all my free time to tending them and making sure that they were happy."
Ebon listened to the strange mares story, it was odd but he didn't have a reason not to believe her.
"What are these plants?"
"This may sound funny, especially after all these years, but I have no idea. No record of them existed back when I first found them, and as far as I know, none exist now."
Ebon now had more questions than he did before.
"Ok, what about the green things on your hooves?"
Mary Jane looked down at her forelegs and suddenly remembered that she had gotten off track.
"Oh, sorry, I got side tracked. Well one day when I was tending to my plants, an enchantress came upon me here in the forest. I guess that she saw how happy I was, tending and caring for my plants and, well. She cursed me."
Curses now? This story is getting good.
"Cursed you how?" Ebon knew before she answered that it couldn't be good, curses never are.
"She said that I would become what I love the most, and that I would never leave this grove. Before I knew what was happening, my hooves were entwined with my plants roots, I didn't need to eat anymore and was able to absorb sunlight like a plant. I've been here ever since then."
"Why would she do that to you?" Ebon asked.
"To be honest, I don't know. Maybe she just wanted to hurt somepony. Maybe she was unhappy, and seeing me with my plants made her angry."
Ebon didn't know what to say at first. What a terrible curse.
"But didn't anypony come looking for you?" It seemed ridiculous to Ebon that such a pretty mare wouldn't have loved ones that would miss her.
Mary Jane gave Ebon a cheerful smile.
"Of course they did. It was shocking to everypony, and no one knew how to break the curse. They brought in unicorns from all over the land, but none knew how to revers the effects."
"What about Princess Celestia? Didn't anyone ask her to help?"
"Well, back then the princess had confined herself to Canterlot castle. After she had had to banish her sister, she was overcome with a deep depression. I don't know how things are now, but in those days, she only came out to raise and lower the sun and moon."
"So what, everypony just left you here?" Ebon was getting angry at how messed up this whole story was turning out.
"Oh no, what happened next was the happiest time of my life. I told everypony who came to see me about my plants, and they tried them. Soon enough, ponies from all around came to see me and experience the love and joy my plants had to offer."
Mary Jane gestured to the grove around them with a foreleg.
"Back then, it was so much fun. There were parties, and music, and dancing. Everypony was happy, and I was happy that they were happy. It was then that I earned my cutie mark."
Mary Jane turned to show Ebon her flank. Her cutie mark was a green heart, blooming from the stem of one of her plants. Ebon blushed a little at seeing the beautiful mares round butt.
"I had never been so popular."
"What happened? If everypony loved your plants so much, then why don't they come to see you now?" Ebon almost felt bad about asking since it was obvious that no pony had come to see her in years.
"After a couple of years, rumors started to go around that my plants were bad. They said that my plants made ponies crazy and violent. They said that they made ponies do bad things."
Mary Jane looked down at the ground as she recalled the awful things that ponies said about the thing that she loved.
"Do they?" Ebon asked. To this Mary Jane took on an urgent look.
"Of course not, all my plants have ever wanted was to make ponies happy. They would never hurt somepony."
Ebon looked away from Mary Jane.
"After that, ponies just started visiting me less and less, until one day, I realized that no pony wanted to see me or my plants anymore."
Ebon took in the whole sad story. After hearing that, he couldn't really remember what he was so sad about anymore.
"Wow Mary, thats such a sad story." Mary Jane moved closer to where Ebon sat and placed a hoof on his shoulder.
"Please, don't feel sad. I have no regrets, I have wonderful memories of those days. And I have my plants to keep me company, caring for them and tending there needs makes me happy."
Ebon looked up at her.
"But, your cursed. Arn't you, upset about that?" To this Mary Jane smiled down at the young colt.
"Iv'e had a lot of time to make peace with that. Everything happens for a reason. Im hear because I'm supposed to be."
Ebon thought how she had a good outlook on life.
"And I'm especially happy today. Because I got to meet a nice pony like you, Ebon."
Ebon blushed at the nice words the beautiful earth pony said to him. Ebon then had an idea of how he might be able to help Mary Jane.
"Hay, do you want me to go and get you some help? I can tell my mom, and we can see if theres some way to reverse the curse."
Mary Jane looked a little startled.
"Oh, thats ok. After all these years I don't think I can handle meeting a lot of new ponies, please keep me and my garden a secret."
Ebon didn't agree with her request, but it was her wish, and Ebon could never refuse the request of a mare.
"Well, all right." Ebon then got a look at where the sun was in the sky and realized that it was getting late.
"Oh wow. Im sorry Mary, but I gotta get headed home soon. I have school tomorrow." Mary Jane gave Ebon a cheery smile.
"Then you better be on your way. Thank you for listening to me ramble on." Ebon stood up and dusted off his foreleg with the other as he returned Mary's smile.
"Its no biggie, I, uh, like talking to you." The young colt said shyly.
Mary Jane walked with Ebon to the edge of the grove. Ebon turned to look at Mary Jane who stood at the edge of her garden. The green leafy plants framed her in the late day sun. In the light she looked like some old world goddess of nature, which only made Ebon feel more nervous being in the company of such a lovely mare.
"Thanks for the company Mary. It was a nice way to spend an afternoon." Mary Jane didn't say anything, she just smiled at him as he turned and began to trot away.
"Ebon?" she called.
Ebon stopped and turned to see Mary looking back at him with a strangely sad smile.
"Yes Mary?" The earth pony looked down at her hoofs then back at Ebon.
"If I never see you again….it was really nice meeting you." Ebon moved closer to Mary and scratched the back of his head.
"Actually, I wanted to ask if it was alright if I came to see you again, like maybe, tomorrow?" Mary Jane suddenly looked like he had asked her the perfect question.
"Of course! Please come back whenever you like."
Ebon gave Mary Jane a big grin before he waved her good bye, and made his way back to Ponyville.
He sighed with frustration. Now he had to go home and deal with a mare that he didn't want to deal with.
His mother.
~Later that night~
Ebon sat in his room reading a book when he heard the familiar sound of the front door opening followed by a tired sigh.
"Moms home." He thought to himself.
He left his room to go and greet his mother after her long day of work.
Her head was in the refrigerator looking for something to drink when Ebon approached her.
"Hi mom, how was work?" He asked trying to initiate some sort of family conversation.
The light blue earth pony retrieved a bottle of apple juice from the ice box and without looking at her son gave her reply.
"Ebon, Im much to tired to even talk. So please don't bombard me with a dozen questions. Please tell me that you've eaten already."
This was nothing new to Ebon. She was tired, she was cranky, and she had no time to even try and converse with her son.
Same as usual.
"Ya, I ate." Ebon replied.
His mother then moved to the counter where she pored herself a glass of juice and began to drink it slowly.
"Hay mom, I know you're tired and all, but I had a question I wanted to ask you."
The tired mare looked up at him with droopy eyes and a look like she wanted this exchange to be over.
"What is it Ebon?" She asked flatly.
"Well I heard something in school today about a strange plant, and I wanted to ask if you knew anything about it. The leaves point outward and kinda look like a dragons claw, and it has these thick fuzzy clumps on its branches. Have you ever heard of a plant like that?"
His mothers face quickly shifted to one of shock and worry as she grabbed Ebon by the shoulders.
"Where did you hear about that plant?!" She demanded in a threatening tone.
"I-in a book, why?"
She looked at her son with a deadly serious expression.
"That plant is nothing but trouble! If you just touch one. Why, you could go insane! You could get addicted to it! And no son of mine is going to be known as a loser."
Ebon was at a loss for words. For years the only interaction he got with his mom was when she was either coming or going.
She knew nothing about Mary, or what a nice pony she was.
"Ya, ok mom. I won't go near it." Ebon brushed off his mothers forelegs from his shoulders, and without a word made his way back to his room.
"So, the grove with Mary, tomorrow at noon." He said to himself as he jotted down what he said in his schedule book. She didn't care about him, all she cared about was that she didn't look like a failed mother.
Mary Jane was the first pony to ever…..smile at him. He resolved to himself then and there that he would never abandon her.
No mater what anypony said.
~Noon, the next day~
Ebon crossed the river and looked for the tuft of his black mane that he had used to mark where the path was. Once he located it, he made his way down the winding path to Mary Jan's grove.
The green of the grove shined through the brush like an emerald in the sun. Ebon all of a sudden was filled with an indescribable feeling of peace as the lush green plants surrounded him.
"Mary?!… Mary?! Its Ebon! I came back just like I promised!" Ebon looked around for any sign of the grey colored mare. Ebon heard a rustling from the far corner of the grove. He followed it and moved one of the plants to see what it was.
All of a sudden he felt his face get hot as he beheld the sight of Mary Jane teetered on top of a rock. She stood on her back legs as she tried to pull down a loose tree limb, her curvy flanks swayed back and forth, and her tale flicked and swished as she struggled with the branch.
"Uhm, uh, Mary?" The mare sprang up several feet before she came crashing down on the young stallion below her with a loud 'oomph'.
Mary Jane looked down at the pony that lay face down under her ample rump, and felt her own face grow red. She quickly got off of the colt, and in a fumble helped him up as well.
"Ebon, oh, umm. Good marrow to you, Ebon Swift."
Ebon brushed some dirt from his chest before looking up at Mary Jane and noticed that her face was as red (if not more ) as his own.
"Good whato?" Ebon asked, unfamiliar with the strange greeting.
"I-it means good day, or hello. I guess that ponies don't say it like that anymore. Im sorry about falling on you."
Ebon gave Mary Jane a sheepish smile.
"Thats ok Mary, it was an accident. Its nice to see you again."
Mary Jane looked down at her hooves with a shy smile as she began to draw circles in the grass with her hoof.
"So Mary, why were you on that rock anyways?"
"Oh yes, I noticed that some of my plants weren't getting enough sunlight, because of those tree branches. So I was trying to clear some of them away. But the boundaries of my grove don't reach far enough for me to get them all."
Ebon nodded in understanding. He used to help his granny when she needed him to hang a picture or get something off of a tall shelf.
"Would you like me to see if I can help?"
Mary Jane looked flustered at Ebon's offer to help. She covered her mouth with a hoof.
"Oh no, I couldn't ask you to do that. Its fine, Ill just use a branch to move the limbs latter."
Ebon sighed and rolled his eyes. Mary was a really nice pony, but Ebon was starting to notice that she was to shy for her own good. That coupled with the fact that she had lived alone out in this grove for so many years. She was used to being self reliant because she had no other choice.
Ebon's heart had a twinge of pain, he felt sorry for the lonely mare. Everypony at one time had just used her for her plants, and when it wasn't socially acceptable anymore, they abandoned her. When rumors started they all jumped on the ban wagon, after they had used her and gotten what they wanted, they turned on her and left her all alone.
"Let me see it." Ebon said with a heavy sigh.
Mary Jane fidgeted as she mumbled and tried to think of something to say to sway him from helping. But in the end she took a seat on the grass and smiled as Ebon went to work.
Since Ebon wasn't bound by the confines of the grove, it was to easy for him to clear the branches that obstructed the sunlight from reaching the plants in question. After a few minutes of breaking and pulling at the tree limbs, the light had returned to Mary Jane's plants.
"Thank you so much Ebon. I could have never done that on my own." Ebon always felt self conscious about being thanked. He felt like it took away from the act of doing a good deed.
"I-its no problem Mary. I don't suppose that you have any other things around hear that need doing?"
Mary Jane tapped a hoof to her mouth as she thought about any other tasks that she couldn't do on her own.
"Well, now that you mention it. The stream that runs through my garden has been flowing a little weak lately. Its probably just some leaves and stuff blocking it, but I can't check because…….well you know why."
Mary Jane showed Ebon to the stream, which was at the other corner of her grove. The water had slowed down to a trickle as it gently trickled down the smooth river rocks and collected in stagnant pools along the bank. Ebon was not only concerned about the lack of water to Mary Jane's home, but also about the mosquitoes that had taken advantage of the stagnant pools of water to lay there eggs.
Ebon puffed out his chest in his best attempt at looking stallionly.
"Have no fear Mary. I won't rest until that stream is flowing like a-uh….stream."
Mary Jane gave Ebon an amused giggle before taking a leaf from one of her plants and waving it at Ebon like a fair madden waving a hanky at a knight of yore.
"I await you're swift return, sir Ebon the Wind." Ebon blushed and scratched the back of his head with a hoof.
"Ill be back soon ok?" Mary Jane waved to Ebon as he made his way up river.
Ebon slightly regretted taking on this "knightly" mission. The big rocks and thick brush made trekking upstream an exhausting task and he had yet to find the source of the obstruction. He pondered just abandoning his mission and telling Mary Jane that he couldn't find whatever it was that was blocking the stream.
But he couldn't.
Ebon felt no guilt or trepidation about lying to his mom, mostly because she was never around. When she was it was never very long or memorable.
But with Mary Jane, all he wanted was to make her happy. When he saw her laughing before he left, he felt something……..good. It felt like all he wanted was to do right by her. The thought of lying or doing anything but the best he could for her felt wrong.
He wanted to do and be better, for her.
Ebon was so distracted by his thoughts of Mary that he didn't even see the rock that caught his hoof. With a flailing of his limbs he fell face first into the wet sloshing water of the stream with a big splash.
"Some knight I am." he grumbled to himself as he stood and shook the water off of his coat. He had finally come to a break in the thick forest, as he looked around, he gave a loud 'ah ha!'. Right in front of him was a line of rocks which acted like a sort of dam. It was as Mary Jane had said, congested with leaves and twigs, the accumulation of years of fall leaves getting caught in the rocks.
Ebon got to work clearing and gathering the leaves and derbies from the rocks and moving them to a pile on the bank of the stream. It was almost more exhausting than the hike to find it. The big clumps of dead rotting leaves were heavy with water, and the slush was hard to move and smelt like wet garbage.
It was times like this that Ebon wished that he was a unicorn. Magic would make this sooooo much easier, he thought.
After almost thirty minutes of scooping and clearing, he had finally made it so that the stream flowed like it was supposed to. Ebon splashed his face with the cool refreshing water before looking over his work.
"Not to shabby, if I do say so myself." Ebon let out a satisfied sigh as he gave himself another splash of the refreshing water.
He was about to start making his way back to the grove when an idea hit him.
"I should move some of the rocks so that this doesn't happen again." Ebon thought. Mary Jane couldn't do this by herself, so just incase something were to happen to prevent him from returning, he would make it so she didn't have to worry about it ever again.
Ebon moved a few of the rocks (with some difficulties) in a way so that some debris would get caught, but more water would be able to flow through.
With his work done and a feeling of accomplishment, he began the hard trek back to where his fair maiden awaited his triumphant return.
Somehow the march back to the grove felt easier than the way up. Maybe because he was so eager to see Mary Jane and tell her about his good work.
Ebon returned to the grove expecting to see his lady fair. But instead he was greeted by an empty garden. Ebon looked around and began to feel a twinge of worry. What if a timber wolf came into the grove while he was away? What if it attacked Mary jane?
Ebon now darted back and forth as he looked for any sign of the lovely mare.
Just when Ebon was about to freak out, something jumped out at him from behind one of the more bushy plants.
It tackled him to the ground and wrapped him in a tight embrace. Ebon was about to fight his attacker when he noticed that whatever it was smelt too good to be a predator.
"M-Mary? You scared the life out of me." Ebon said as he tried to catch his breath and slow his racing heart.
"Oh, I'm sorry Ebon, its been so long I thought that Id have a little fun with you."
Ebon wanted to be mad, but seeing Mary Jane's beautiful blue eyes just melted all the anger away.
"I thought that you were eaten by a timberwolf."
To this Mary Jane gave a silly laugh. Ebon on the other hoof batted an eyebrow.
"Oh Ebon, Im sorry, I'm not laughing at you. Its just that no predator has come within two miles of my garden in over six hundred years."
That sort of made sense to Ebon, considering that he didn't see anything the other day when he came into the forest.
"But why not?"
"To be honest, I don't know. Maybe part of the curse made it so that predators didn't want to come near. But I like to think that my plants told them to stay away."
Ebon didn't really by it, but he was just happy that Mary Jane wasn't in danger.
"Well, anyway. I got you're stream running again."
Without warning, Mary Jane threw her forelegs around Ebon again in a tight hug, her face beaming as she held him.
"I noticed. Thank you soooo much, Ebon. My plants are grateful as well."
Now Ebon wasn't crazy about being thanked or shown appreciation for something he did willingly or forcefully. But he didn't mind so much when it came from Mary Jane. Ebon didn't fully understand what he was feeling, he felt happy making her happy, something he'd never felt before.
"Now that the stream is flowing I can make some tea- Oh, but I don't have enough wood for the fire."
Ebon pondered for a second before a lightbulb came on. He swiftly trotted over to where he had left the old branches he had pulled down earlier. They were just dry enough to be used for firewood.
Ebon dragged the dry branches to Mary Jane who had a look like somepony had just said cake.
"Oh Ebon! You really are a knight in shining armor!" Mary Jane said with great glee as she bounced up and down like her hooves were made of springs.
"Oh come on Mary, you're embracing me. But really its no problem."
Ebon had never seen a mare so happy about such small things. Last summer he had taken Moon Rose to the market on a kind of date. After spending all day taking her to all the shops and stands that she wanted, and spending every bit he had saved up on all the stuff she wanted, all he got was a half hearted "thanks".
"You've done so much for me today that Id like to do something to show my gratitude." Mary Jane said as her eyes glittered like an excited school filly.
"I couldn't ask you to do something like that Mary. It was my pleasure." Ebon said feeling self conscious again.
"Oh, but I insist. Its nice having a big strong stallion around to help an old mare like me. I have to do something."
Ebon tried to keep his mind from thinking of perverted things that the sexy mare could do for him. Most of them involving her rump.
"Well, maybe I could join you for some of that tea. What kind is it?" Ebon went with the idea of having afternoon tea with his new friend.
"Oh, um, I don't know if you would like that Ebon." Mary Jane said wearily.
"Oh don't worry Mary. I have an acquired taste for tea. My granny made me drink every kind, so Im no stranger to odd tasting tea."
Mary Jane looked down at her hooves as she thought about what Ebon asked.
"I make it…..from my plants."
Ebon perked up at the thought that her plants could be made into tea.
"You can do that?" Ebon asked.
"Yes, I discovered it not long after I found the garden." Mary Jane started drawing circles in the grass with her hoof. She hadn't done what she was about to do in manny years.
"I-if you'd like. I could make us tea for tomorrow afternoon." Mary Jane felt like time had sloan down, she hadn't asked a stallion to join her for tea in many years. It was only more difficult that Ebon was such a cute, younger colt.
"But only if you want to. My plants will make you feel very different. I don't want you to feel like you have to if you don't want to. Ill completely understand if you say no."
Ebon had a brief flash back of his mother and her worry and threat of what would happen if he got involved with the strange plants.
"Id love to join you for tea tomorrow Mary. You said that your plants were harmless, and I believe you."
Mary Jane smiled warmly at Ebon even though she was jumping for joy on the inside.
"Oh Ebon thats wonderful. Leave everything to me, Ill make sure that its all perfect." Ebon was now feeling excited at the thought of having tea with Mary Jane.
But at the same time he was nervous of what was going to happen after he drank tea made of this plant that Mary Jane said would make him feel "different".
"I can't wait Mary." Ebon said with a shy grin.
"Well Ebon, Ill get everything ready and Ill see you tomorrow at noon."
"Do I have to go now? Its only three Mary." Ebon knew that Mary Jane wanted to get everything ready, but he didn't think that she wanted to get started so soon.
"If I'm not wrong, it is thursday right?" Mary Jane asked giving Ebon a serious look.
"Uh, yeah, it is. Does that mean something?" Ebon asked, curious about how what day it was meant that he had to go home.
"It means, that you have school tomorrow young colt." Ebon let out an amused snort and looked at Mary Jane as if to ask if she was serious.
"Oh come on Mary. What does that matter?" Mary Jane did not look amused.
"It matters Ebon, I didn't get to graduate. You have a great opportunity, don't wast it." Ebon felt bad about poo pooing his studies when Mary Jane didn't get to experience the end of her education.
"Ok Mary, you win. Ill go home." Ebon said with a hint of guilt.
Mary Jane gave him a big smile before walking Ebon to the edge of her garden.
"Ebon?" Mary Jane said as they reached the edge of the grove and were about to part ways.
"Yes Mary?" Mary Jane beamed at Ebon before pulling him into a soft hug that made both of them fell comforted.
"Study hard tomorrow ok, for me?" Ebon felt a swell of responsibility. Mary Jane wanted him to study, so study he would.
"Yes ma'am. Ill see you tomorrow, Mary." Mary Jane waved to Ebon as he walked the path back to Ponyville.
~Ponyville High School~
Ebon was realizing pretty quick that studying hard was just that, hard. His teacher spoke with such a slow monotone voice that it was like listening to white noise. The warmth from the sun outside didn't help matters either, it was nice and comfortable as a gentle breeze blew in from an open window.
Ebon felt like he was being tested as he sat behind his desk, trying to focus on how the fall of the Hoofton empire was relevant to the financial flux of the modern day economy.
He wanted to sleep, to lay his head on his desk and let sweet sleep wash over him. But he had made a promise, and by Celestia he was going to keep it.
He diligently scratched down notes and referred to his text book when told to, he wondered if this feeling of doing something that he didn't want to do but did anyways was what responsibility was about.
Just when it felt like his class would never end, the bell rang out, indicating that school was out for the weekend. What made it even better was that it was going to be a three day weekend. Usually Ebon didn't care much for long weekends, they only meant that he would be alone at home for a long period of time.
But now things were different. Instead of spending three days sitting at home wishing that he had something or somepony to spend his time with, now he could spend all three days with a beautiful older mare.
Ebon didn't even notice that he was trotting with an extra spring in his step as he descended the steps of his school. He was about to take off at a gallop back to his house to get a few things when he heard something that made him freeze in his tracks.
"Ebon!" Came the voice of a pony he used to love hearing.
Ebon turned around to see a cream colored mare with a deep red mane. Her designer saddle bags were made of a silver and dark blue silk, and shimmered in the sunlight as she happily trotted up to Ebon.
"Moon Rose, uh, nice to….see you?" Ebon asked hesitantly.
Moon Roses was looking especially good today. She had done something with her eyelashes to make them longer and more fluttery. She wore a pink lipgloss that made her lips look moist and sweet.
"Its so nice to see you too, how have you been?" Moon Rose asked batting her lashes at Ebon like they were butterfly wings.
Ebon looked at Moon Rose like she had snakes coming out of her ears.
"Um, I've been good. Moon Rose, what are you doing?" Ebon asked, wondering if this was the same pony.
"What do you mean Ebon, Im saying hello, duh." Ebon didn't by it, unless she had lost her memory or something.
"What I mean is that the other day you told me that you didn't want to talk to me ever again. So whats this all about?" Ebon asked not bothering to beat around the bush.
"Oh Ebon, you always take things so seriously. You must have misunderstood me." Moon Rose replied with a flip of her mane and another flutter of her eyelashes.
Ebon may have been young, but he wasn't a foal. He remembered the other day vividly, ( it was the day that he met his new love interest). Moon Rose was serious when she told Ebon to, "never talk to her again". There was something else going on here, and Ebon could venture a guess at what she really wanted.
"I guess I did. So whats up, did you need something?" Ebon asked with the hopes of getting to the bottom of this, and getting the whole exchange over with.
"Well, you see. Im going to Canterlot this weekend to stay at my daddies villa, and I wondered if I could ask you a favor." For a brief second Ebon had a flash in his head that Moon Rose was going to ask him to join her for a fun weekend in Canterlot.
"Its just that I noticed you taking all those notes in class. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind copying them for me while I'm gone?" Ebon would have felt proud of himself at her noticing his diligent note taking, if what she was asking wasn't so insulting.
Ebon felt anger that the pony he once loved and would have treated like a princess was now asking him to take on her grunt work.
He wanted to explode into a rant about how she had torn his heart out and now was asking him to do her a favor. But suddenly he thought about Mary Jane, and the right response just popped into his head.
"Sorry, Moon Rose, I have plans."
The pretty school filly's face went from one of a seductive gaze, to one of crestfallen insult in ten seconds flat.
"B-but Ebon, sweetie. My whole weekend will be ruined if I have to spend all my time reading and making notes. Tell you what, if you copy the notes for me, Ill let you take me to dinner when I get back. What do you say?"
Ebon only took a moment to think about it and come up with an appropriate response.
"Moon Rose?"
"Yes Ebon?"
Ebon turned away from her and looked over his shoulder at his once crush.
"Grow up." He said before trotting off. He didn't even look back at her as he made his way back to his house. He waited until he was behind a building before he jumped up and clicked his back hooves together with glee.
He felt good. He felt like he had handled that in the coolest way possible. And now he was even more excited about seeing Mary Jane.
~Ebon's house~
Ebon.
Ill be in Trottingham all weekend on an urgent work call.
Bits are on the counter for food.
Love mom.
Ebon rolled his eyes before throwing the note into the trash.
Ebon didn't need to get much. Mostly he wanted to get a few snacks for his tea with Mary Jane. He grabbed some blueberry muffins and a bag of oatmeal cookies. Ebon hatted oatmeal cookies with a passion, but he thought that Mary Jane might like them.
Mary Jane had told him that she didn't have to eat, since the curse made it so that she could perform photosynthesis. But that didn't mean that she wouldn't enjoy having a treat after hundreds of years of just absorbing sunlight.
After he was satisfied with his selection of snacks he was on his way to the Everfree forest.
~The Everfree forest~
Ebon rounded the last bank on the path to Mary Jane's garden. He entered the grove and was instantly greeted by both the warm rays of the sun and the smell of a delicious tea being brewed.
Ebon followed the smell of tea until he spotted Mary Jane laying under the shade of a tree. In front of her was a small circle of rocks that acted as the fire pit.
On top of it sat an old looking brass teapot. The spout had steam rising from it as Mary Jane added a small saucer of some dark purple goo.
Mary Jane laid out on a rug that she had kept safe all these years. A similar one laid next to her, (set up for Ebon of course).
The rugs were of Saddle Arabian make, from what Ebon could tell. They were beautiful with red black and sand yellow designs weaved through them into spirals and zig zags. Mary Jane had a small plate to he left that was piled with little green sticks, which Ebon assumed were stems from the buds she had plucked for the tea.
Mary Jane looked up from her tea pot at the young stallion.
"Ebon, you're right on time." She said happily.
"As if Id keep you waiting." Ebon trotted up to where the tea pot sat and took a deep inhale. It smelt like nothing he had ever smelt before, like wild spices and sweet berries.
"We were just talking about you." Mary Jane said as she placed two white ceramic cups in front of her.
"We?" Ebon asked as he set his saddle bag down next to his rug.
"Me and my plants." The beautiful mare explained as she poured tea into the cups.
"Good things I hope." Ebon replied as he sat on the rug. The soft grass beneath combined with the expertly woven rug made it feel like he was laying on a soft mattress.
Mary Jane smiled with a giggle as Ebon took his place next to her.
"They told me a lot about you. They said that you're kind and gentle, and that you do things for others without thinking of how it might benefit you. Of course they didn't tell me anything that I didn't know already."
Ebon felt his face get warm as Mary Jane lavished him with praise.
"T-they sure say a lot, don't they?" Ebon asked as he nervously scratched the back of his head.
Mary Jane giggled as she passed Ebon his cup.
"Well they have been very excited to share themselves with you, its all they have been talking about since you left yesterday."
Ebon pulled the cup towards him and looked down at the dark green tea that swirled and sifted inside.
"Im Excited too, but I'm also a little nervous about this."
Mary Jane reached over and placed a hoof on Ebon's shoulder. Ebon looked up at her and felt instantly relieved at the mares smile.
"Don't worry, Im hear with you. I won't leave your side." Ebon felt his anxiety wash away after hearing Mary Jane's comforting words.
"Thanks Mary. Oh, before I forget, I brought some snacks to go with our tea." Mary Jane's eyes lit up.
"Oh Ebon, thats so nice of you. But you didn't have to do that." Ebon pulled the muffins and cookies out of his bag and placed them between the two of them.
"Sure I did, whats tea without snacks?" Ebon picked up his cup and was about to take a sip when Mary Jane placed a hoof on his to pause him.
"Ebon, before we begin, there are a few things I need to tell you." Ebon put his cup down to listen to what it was that Mary Jane wanted to say.
"Ok, what is it?"
"Its very important that you not fight my plants once they start taking effect on you. Remember, its not about feeling, that comes naturally. Its about release, and letting go. Don't dwell on bad, or sad thoughts. Let yourself go, like flowing down a gentle river. Also, its a good thing you brought those snacks."
"Why's that?" Ebon asked.
"Oh, you'll see." Mary Jane said as she picked up her cup.
It sounded like a lot to know for just drinking tea. But if he was going to do this, he was going to do it right.
"Ok, well here goes."
Ebon raised his cup and took a deep breath before taking a small sip of his tea. It tasted…..good! He wasn't expecting it to be so nice and flavorful and sweet.
He took another sip and let out a satisfied 'mmmmmm' as the tasty warm drink assaulted his senses.
Ebon looked over at Mary Jane who had just takes her second sip as well. She took a deep breath as a gentle breeze blew threw the garden. Ebon thought how nice this all was. He could tell that Mary Jane had put a lot of thought into making this as comfortable for him as possible.
Ebon took a longer sip of his tea. He was wondering how long it would take to start feeling the effect of the tea. But he was injuring the moment to much to worry about it.
After his fifth sip, Ebon was wondering if the tea was going to work. But just as he finished thinking that, he felt……something.
His heart began to beat faster, and a little bit harder. His head began to feel light and fuzzy. In fact, it felt like his insides were light as air, and a strange feeling of being light as a feather but at the same time heavy as a stone came to him.
He didn't even notice that he was staring intently at the cup in front of him for a good while. He honestly didn't think that he could move any of his limbs, and moving his head felt like hard labor.
"Ebon, are you ok?" He heard the words but didn't at the same time. The beautiful voice echoed in his ears as he repeated the sentence in his head over and over again.
Finally he looked over at the beautiful mare next to him, but as soon as he did he felt like he couldn't breath.
It looked like colors and light were radiating off of her like she was a shining star. Ebon couldn't think to well, but in his mind he thought that she looked beautiful and elegant and sexy.
He realized that he hadn't answered her yet, but instead of looking annoyed or angry, she just gazed at him with a knowing smile.
"Im sorry, Mary….what did you say?"
Mary Jane giggled happily as she looked on at her companion.
"I asked if you're ok." Mary Jane knew full well what was happening to Ebon. Her plants were taking effect, and she could tell that he was feeling it.
"I-I don't know. I feel a little nervous. What should I do?" Ebon was in unfamiliar territory. Part of him wanted to curl up in a ball and disappear.
"Theres nothing for you *to* do. Like I said, let go." Those last two words echoed and repeated in Ebon's head.
"Let go"
Ebon felt himself do just that. The light and colors of the garden seemed to meld and combine together in perfect harmony.
His eyes returned to Mary Jane who was looking off into her garden with a happy smile. Ebon felt something new welling up inside of him. He wanted to be closer to her, to feel her warmth and her soft coat against his. He wanted to touch her and smell her. Part of him wanted these things in a sexual way, but mostly he wanted to feel the closeness and connection.
His embarrassment and trepidation caused his heart to ache, but at the same time, the feeling of ache filled him with joy and rapture at just feeling it.
Mary Jane was right. It did make him feel different.
Mary Jane looked over at Ebon, as she did he darted his head back to his glass.
"He's sneaking glances at me." Mary Jane thought to herself coyly. Ebon was feeling one of her favorite sensations after consuming her plants.
Love.
Or "the cuddles", as Mary Jane had taken to calling it. She knew that it didn't necessarily mean that Ebon loved her, it just meant that her plants had filled him with feelings of love, and wanting to be close to somepony.
Back in the day, Mary Jane would get into cuddle sessions with mares and stallions every day. She knew all to well how nice and comforting it was to snuggle up with somepony, especially one of the opposite sex.
"Ebon?"
"Yes…Mary?" The teenage colt was transfixed by the forest and garden around them, but still he couldn't shake the nagging desire to get closer to Mary Jane.
"Would you like to lay with me?"
Ebon's mind was a wash in a thick, pink haze after hearing those wanted words leave the lips of the mare next to him.
He tried to think of some smooth reply, but all he could think was how badly he wanted to curl up next to the beauty that lay only inches away from him.
As if his body were acting on its own, he rose up and moved to lay next to Mary Jane.
Ebon laid next to her and was instantly greeted by the warmth of Mary's body. He laid his head on his forelegs as he felt Mary Jane wrap a foreleg around his back and nuzzle into his mane.
Mary Jane could hardly contain her excitement, not only was she overjoyed that her plants were agreeing with him, but also that now he was laying with her. He was so cute and cuddly all curled up next to her that she wanted to hug him to pieces.
Ebon didn't know what it was that he was feeling, Mary Jane smelt so good, and her coat was soft and warm against his own. He closed his eyes and let the flurry of colors and depths take him.
"Ebon, Ebon. Wake up, you've been sleeping for over an hour."
Ebon opened his eyes slowly, the green of the garden greeted him as he remembered where he was. But the most forward thing on his mind was how unbelievably hungry he was.
He sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he looked around. Mary Jane was sitting up as well, she took a bite of an oat meal cookie as she smiled at the sleepy colt.
Ebon gazed at the cookie with wide eyes and a drop of drool hanging from his mouth.
Mary Jane giggled as she pushed the container of cookies to Ebon, who promptly began wolfing them down. He had completely forgotten his dislike for oatmeal cookies, and all he could think was how unbelievably good they were.
Ebon closed his eyes and tilted his head upward with his cheeks stuffed with cookie. He listened to the rustling of the leaves in the trees, he listened to the wind and the birds, and it sounded like the most beautiful music. In that moment, he wanted to just drift away with the wind, and become one with the river of life.
"Would you like to go take a dip in the river with me, Ebon?
He said nothing as he stood up, swallowed his mouthful of cookie, and nodded with a big smile.
They splashed and played in the cool stream water, to Ebon the water droplets seemed to float through the air as they splashed. Mary Jane's coat and mane were soon wet and Ebon was mesmerized by how hot she looked soaking wet.
"So, Ebon, how are you finding your first experience with my plants?"
Ebon realized that he was transfixed with the stones under the water when Mary Jane asked him the question. His eyes were red and his mouth was dry before he took a big drink from the river, he looked up at Mary Jane with a goofy smile.
"Mary, I've never felt better, or had this much fun in years. Thank you so much, Mary."
Mary Jane giggled as a warm sensation moved through her chest and into her tummy, she laid herself out on a rock so the sun could dry her coat. She smiled to herself as she looked at Ebon, he was wet, and his eyes were a little red, but his smile beamed like he filled with pure sunshine.
"Its me who owes you the thanks, Ebon. I can't remember the last time *I* had this much fun."
Her mouth felt dry as she remember the thing she wanted to ask Ebon. But she had to ask him.
"E-Ebon, would you…..like to spend the night?"
Author's Note
This story was a labor of love for me. I recently watched a story on TV about a little girl who takes a marijuana goo for her seizures, and in my mind I like to think that she watches ponies.
I wanted to finish this story, but got too excited and decided to do it in two chapters.
Hope y'all like
Love-H
