Rob's New Beginnings

Fair warning about this chapter: because of its material, this chapter will be rather jumpy compared to the last ones, and the length might not hit everyone’s and everypony’s fancy. I try to apologize in advance...^~^

Chapter 7

The last week's time was mostly spent frivolously trying to complete these walls so he could get a proper roof in place. With what little money remained in his account, Rob bought a good sized amount of lumber, which had to be shipped in from Fillydelphia, through Manehattan. A certain mare was quite surprised to find out her and her team were to deliver lumber!

While working on it one pointedly bleary day, Rob heard hooves heading up the path up to his home. How, he figured, he didn’t know, because of the noise the wind made as it scraped through the tree’s branches, and the sound of the hammer driving nails home. He looked down, and saw the mailmare… walking.

A tad perplexed, he called out, “Hey, Ditzy, why are you walking?”

“Oh, hiya Rob! I’m walking ‘cause of this awful wind!

“It’s a particularly blustery day, huh?”

Sensing she was trying to hint at some piece of literature he most likely hadn’t read, he simply replied, “Yeah, and it’s making my job a touch harder.”

“You shouldn’t be talking, you silly colt!” she said, not out of anger, but fun. “Anyways, I have a package for you.”

“……let me guess, sender--”

“--unknown, yeah.”

“Alright, well, let me get down from here, so I can take it, eh?”

He climbed down rather quickly - he was getting better at not falling out - and began to take the package, before noticing its size. “Well, what could be in here?”

Ditzy shrugged, before commenting, “beats me! It’s really light too, and thank goodness, I don’t think I could take on too much heavy things, what with the weight of paper and muffins.”

“Heh, yes, I would think so. Well, thank you Ditzy! I’ve got to get back to work now, heh.” He left it at that, and climbed back into the tree as Ditzy walked off. Standing near his bed, he set down the package, but had to hold it down, as the wind nearly picked it up and blew it away!

He carefully opened it, before getting a good look at its contents: a scarf! ‘Somepony must be thinking about the winters coming soon,’ he wondered. It was a really nice looking scarf, too… the entire thing was a red color, not dark like his own mane, but not too bright that it hurt to look at it. The lacing was done in almost Boutique-like quality and fashion; the warp and weave were intricate, leaving very little spacing, but not so much that it wouldn’t stretch, and even the ends were in-lined with a touch of golden-colored wool.

‘Gives it a wonderful touch,’ he noted, before noticing something else he did not notice before: it was giving a fairly familiar scent… like that of flowers. He felt around the scarf, before touching a round orb. He brought it to eye level - or, at least, as close as he could, what with the wind blowing about - and saw those aromatherapeutic beads one would see all the time down at the Spa. He even knew, finally, the scent he had been doggedly pursuing an answer for - lavender and cherry blossoms. ‘I’ve seen these beads being displayed in the shop, just waiting to be bought. Well,’ he surmised, ‘it seems somepony finally did, and for a purpose.’

He wrapped the scarf around his neck, and immediately took notice to the scent that arose from the simple action.

‘Whoever made this, they knew about this scent, and must have known how I like it so.’

One part of the mystery of the letters from nopony solved, he got back to finishing this wall. Then it was time to lay supports for the roof. However, for now, he was going to leave the walls and roof slightly incomplete. The corner they would make - the part of the home that stuck out of the foliage - was to be a temporary window. Plus, it gave him a wonderful view of the area’s mountains, and where the mountain, town, and Everfree met.

The next morning was met with the sounds of quiet, still air, sounds of nature awakening to meet the new day with vigor... and a small intruder inside Rob's home...

……’mmm? What’s there…?

‘It’s… I can hear it, but not where it is… sounds like… claws.

‘And scales against the floor...

‘Alright, Spike, you rascal, you want some of me today, don’t you??’

Rob awoke rather suddenly as he felt his tail under attack by a great amount of pressure! He began to run around the room, before falling, yet again, out of the tree. ‘Dammit!! Isn’t this the fourth time?! Or is it the third?’

He quickly got up, and spun around to get a look… sitting on the end of his tail was--

“Gummy!!”

Erm… Pinkie… could you let me tell the story?

“And why would I do that? I mean, I am a character!”

Yes, but you’re not the narrator. That’s my job.

“Aww! You get the fun job…”

…anyway.

“Gummy! Where have you run off to?!” Pinkie yelled out, trying to locate her suddenly-missing pet.

“Pinkie, he’s right here,” Rob clarified, before the pink blur narrowly avoided tackling him for the umpteenth time this month.

“Gummy! You know better than to run off like that!” she mildly scolded the alligator, knowing he probably wasn’t able to comprehend what she said… the alligator just stared off into space, as was usual. “Sorry about that, Rob, I really hope he didn’t startle you,” she apologized, sighing.

Rob chuckled, before replying. “Nah, he just woke me up was all… and good thing too, I needed to be up right now.”

“Well, still, I hope he wasn’t any trouble.” Pinkie looked away, most likely thinking of further along today. “I’m going back to the Corner now, cupcakes need to be made! Heehee!”

“Well, you enjoy that. I’m off to… hm, I don’t think I have much to do today, actually. Gotta check on the ranch… and that’s about it.”

“Great! Then you’re coming to tonight’s party!”

“Another one? What’s this one about?”

She shrugged. “Just to throw a party, I suppose!”

Rob barely avoided not laughing at this comment. “Well, that is standard from you, so… sure, I might be able to come tonight.”

“Oh, wonderful!! See you at 8 then!”

“Alright, take care! And try not to mix up the hot sauce and drinks again!” He remembered back vividly to a few parties ago, where all the punch was somehow replaced with a very hot brand of pepper sauce… needless to say, fireponies were called to the Corner.

“I’ll try not to! Heeheehee!” She bounced off, Gummy clenching onto the back of her mane for his life. Rob shook his head, before proceeding to the ranch, sure that everything, like the last time, was alright. He was thinking the whole way over, however, how the little gator managed to find his way over here.... without having ever been here before, as far as Rob knew... it seemed, to him, that anything associated with Pinkie had their own mysteries, and it spooked him a little.

A little later in the day, Rob began to work on the roof once more… what he didn’t notice was the aura beginning to emanate around the tools he was using. With no warning, the hammer he was currently using was ripped out of his mouth, and it, along with the others, floated out of the house!

“Get back here!” he yelled, forgetting that a) nopony was even around to hear him, and b) the tools were inanimate.

Charging after the flying tools, he noticed they were rapidly approaching the Everfree Forest. ‘Oh, great… I cannot afford to lose these tools anywhere in here!! I’d never get them back!’

He never noticed the rather amused mare hiding behind a row of shrubs, her horn aglow with the same aura surrounding the tools, with a couple of voices desperately trying to silence their laughter.

Deeper and deeper he ran, avoiding all sorts of objects, from branches and roots, to spiderwebs and pits, and even a ferocious creature! He dared not slow down, in fear the lion-bat-scorpion-thing would actually catch him; he was not about to become lunch.

Eventually, a low hut came into sight. The tools charged at it provocatively, and followed them did Rob.

Inside, a zebra was in the middle of her daily meditations… calmly, she balanced on a pole resting freely upon the floor. Most interesting was the way she balanced. It wasn’t as some ponies might think. She was cross-legged - well, as far as an equine could be - and upside-down, balancing on the top of her head.

Her loose state of trance was shattered, just as her window was, as an angry hammer flew through it. Her door followed not soon after, as an unknown colt crashed through it! ‘What is this world coming to?’ she thought in anger.

“Halt there, fair stranger!

“Do you pose me any danger?”

The colt, confused by the situation he was experiencing, thought about this statement quickly, before realizing the implication.

“No, no no, I do not. I was just following these tools, which began their unexpected trek through the air on a whim, it seems.” He said all this quickly, before stopping himself to pick up the tools, and try to at least help clean up the glass.

“I can feel the magic off of the tools which it does flow,

“And it seems you were just made a foal of, though…

“Even though we have not ever met, and, against the lack of better judgment,

“I can tell you are not of malicious intent.

“I am Zecora, and this is my home.

“Tell me, if you wish, your name and where you do roam.”

The colt began to think again, before deciding that he would speak.

“My name is Rob, and… um, I presume ‘where I roam’ means where I live?” Getting a nod in reply, he continued: “I’m a resident of Ponyville. I must say, I never expected anypony - or zebra - to be living so far into the Forest.”

Chuckling she replied, “Ah, truly nopony does, and some even think me mad…

“But you have yet to tell me why you hail from Stalliongrad.”

“Wait… how’d you know that?” Now he was really perplexed, but astounded and even intrigued, as well.

“I didn’t. I simply made a guess.

“And it seems I was not amiss.”

Fumbling for words, the colt took a while to reply. He did, after a while of trying to figure himself out, it seemed to her.

“Yes, I do originally hail from Stalliongrad… but I’d like to leave it at that, for reasons I wish to not be known…”

“You do not have need to hide things from me, Rob McRaec. I know more than you might wonder.” Not allowing him a chance to retort, she continued on.

“Of course, you might be upset at them, but it’s not their fault at all.

“What I must say to you will have cause to ponder,

“But know this: the Ponies which Drove You Out will eventually fall.”

And indeed, Rob fell silent, thinking about what she just said.

It took him a few minutes of contemplating silence before he began to ask, “how do you know this? Why do you know this? And how did you figure out my name?”

She chuckled, and replied rather swiftly, “It was not hard, for I have met many a pony, yet quick,

“that did hire your own father to keep them in front of the bar and brick.”

“And how did you know it was my father?”

“Simple. Your mannerisms, although you may try to hide,

“are just like his, as if you were by his side.”

Rob only turned his head, as if hiding a blush; in truth, he was hiding a scowl. Zecora took no notice, however, and continued to speak.

“While here, would you care for tea?

“Whichever you choose, I’ll let you be.”

Rob turned back to her, and, trying to hide any discomfort, replied, “I’d be grateful, but I really must get back. I’m not even sure of the time, and I’ve heard more than one thing about this forest.”

Chuckling again, she claimed, “when as affluent in potions and magic as I,

“those mystic creatures have sense to let one by.

“It still doesn’t hurt to be wary, if one is to be sure,

“for there is always more to harm oneself, which may not be in sight.

“When the occasional lost soul stumbles in, not sure how to endure,

“they are given, often than not, a perilous plight.

“But do not be afraid, dear Rob, for I’ll give you this:

“an enchantment, which will last until you are out.

“If for any reason should things seem amiss,

“you know where I live.”

“Well, then. It was nice to meet you, Zecora,” he said in departure, realizing, shortly after, she did not rhyme.

“Be careful when you are out and about.”

‘There it is,’ thought Rob, smiling that she did finish it after all.

Walking back through the Forest, Rob was astounded, not at the fact that nothing was bothering him, due to Zecora's enchantment, but by the very intimate nature of the woods. The untamed growth did so in such a way that it seemed like it was given a directed, but unguided, hand in its development. It was, simply put, just a lot to take in.

So much, in fact, that he didn’t notice that he was back at the edge of the Everfree, right near his home. When he looked around, he saw the row of shrubbery that he passed on his way in. Standing behind it, of course, was a very tall colt clad in a dark colored cloak, with a dark metal helmet upon his head. The helmet itself was adorned with some kind of darkened cloth or moss, and a pair of massive antlers. Seeing Rob, he began to speak to him. “Halt!!”

Noticing the strange pony talking to him, he responded. “Erm, yes?”

“I cannot allow you to pass!!”

“Oh? And why not?”

“Because, we are the guardians of this pass!”

‘We?’ he thought. “We?” he asked.

Suddenly, he was surrounded by normal-sized ponies, each similarly clad as the giant one.

“We are the Knights who say Ni! and we require something for you to pass!”

“Okay, first off, I’ve never even seen you lot before, and, what would you need?” Rob was quite confused, but it was like that one word… what was it - ni - pierced his mind.

“We require…… a shrubbery!!”

Somewhere in the background, a rather sharp dramatic chord played.

Rob only stared in amazement, as if the Knight had revealed a profound discovery.

“…a shrubbery?”

“Yes, a shrubbery!!”

“You’re standing right in front of some!!!” He tried to hide his annoyance, but ultimately failed.

Looking down, the giant pony said, “oh. So there is.

“Very well, then!! You may pass!!!”

Still quite annoyed, and, simply shrugging it off as some kind of reference or plot device, Rob walked the short distance to his home… but not before noticing a set of little hoofprints, adorned with some markings, which looked like they belonged to a miniature set of wings, brushed along the ground... ‘I think I know just who was making my tools move…’ he thought. ‘I’ll have a talk with them… as soon as I know where they are…

‘Why, of all the days they choose not to be everywhere at once, did it have to be today?’

End of Chapter 7

A/N: Well, there it is. The unobtrusively (and somehow obtrusively) short chapter.

I don’t think I’ve written a chapter this short since the first few, but it was mostly side events.

“Events?! Just events?!? Nay, sir, We cannot allow this to sit that way!!!”

Oh… no… GET BACK IN THE STORY, NOW!

“NEVER!! Now you will continue this story… or we, the Knights who say Ni will be forced to say……!

“NI!!”

I SAID BACK. IN. THE. STORY. NOW!

“NI!!”

Go on then!!

“NI!!!”

Shut up!!

“NI!!!!”

Alright!!! Alright!!!

I’ll continue the story…

“Very well, then! Knights!! We’re off!”

……next chapter.

“NAY!! We said for you to CONTINUE the story!”

I AM! Just not this chapter!

"……We concede defeat. Stupid loopholes…

"Quickly Knights! We must find some shrubberies!!"

End of Act I