In the late summer of the year 1102, the Confederation of Pies, a nation of mountain-dwelling ponyfolk, had found itself short on living space. The great halls of Barrelhoard, the biggest (and only) Mountainhome under the Scintillating Peaks, could no longer contain the growing population. In this time of need, the noble dwarf-pony king Gatal the Crystal Beard had decreed the establishment of several outposts across the outlying lands, hoping that the brave ponies who venture out to construct them will survive the wilderness and build the foundations of the new cities that will expand the nation. The populace responded with enthusiasm, and within days many wagons and carts streamed out of the great stone gates of Barrelhoard, pulled by rugged ponyfolk with imposing beards and a gleam of resolve and adventure in their eyes.
That gleam had long left the eyes of Dansen, a stone-grey unicorn dwarf who led this particular expedition. Their journey had lasted more than a month, much longer than any had anticipated. Their supplies for the outpost have dwindled, and the reduced weight of the wagon he had to pull did not raise Dansen's spirits in the slightest. His five companions, tired from the long journey and diminishing rations, felt no better.
First there was Starkey. He was a bit unsteady outside of the mountainhomes, but he was at least well versed enough that he and Debesh were able to forage enough supplies that they didn't starve. Those two had been the only two capable of doing that.
Debesh himself was unhappy. It wasn't a secret, either. The mountainhome was the only place they'd known. The friends he had had there he had to leave behind. But this had to be done. Dansen knew that Debesh would do his duty.
Slag was...well, he was harder to read. He was optimistic, if not overjoyed. Something told him, he had confided to Dansen, that they would be coming to a town soon enough. What it was, Dansen didn't know, but with any luck, it would be true.
Then there was Frieden. When she'd volunteered for the mission, Dansen had felt honoured. She was well known among the mountainhomes, and her willingness to come was a vote of confidence in him. She was the best doctor by a long way.
Last, of course, was Urist. She was the only enigma among the group. No one else in the group had known her before the expedition, but she'd proven to be quick at making friends. She and Slag had been talking shop all trip, and the two seemed to be quite firm friends.
Dansen shook his head at the irony. Back home, none of them would have even noticed each other, even with the large rest hours. But out here, with no time for anything but focusing on the task ahead, they were socialising more than ever.
He rose as the sun started to appear over the horizon, and blearily shook the sleep from his eyes. It was time to wake Debesh and Starkey for the day's foraging.
~ ~ ~
Debesh, Starkey decided, was the best hope the caravan had of making it out of this forest. He was good on the woodcraft, having been able to find paths nopony else had even thought of. He was a great forager too, and was enthusiastic about finding the plants he did know. That, of course, was low, but it was enough that everypony got fed each night.
But even with that, there was little hope in the caravan that they would make it to their destination. The forest was too thick, and long ago the path had disappeared. Starkey had gone ahead to try and find some way out. Debesh was good on the woodcraft, but he was no pegasus; Starkey had no problem shooting far ahead beyond Debesh. And while he wasn't an expert on the woods, he had done some play-hunting at home, with a toy crossbow. He smiled as he remembered his home life when he was young. His brothers and he...well, they'd played all the typical games of young colts. Ponies and buffaloes was their favourite, though, and he had picked up quickly some of the warning signs of the forest.
As he passed through the trees, he could see light, a clearing. Maybe...maybe there was hope. He ran forward now, anxious to find any signs of safety. The trees had definitely thinned out...and there! He stopped and squinted. Yes. It was true. There was safety here, safety he'd thought disappeared after Fikod.
He put the memories behind him. In front of him were buildings, a settlement. Starkey hurried back to get the others. The forest was thick and dark, but not even that would prevent a ranger of his caliber from finding a way through.
He ran through the trees. His trusty crossbow was ready to protect him from any danger the forest might hold, and it was soon that he reached the camp that had been set up last night (or, at least, what they thought was night - the tree cover was so thick that barely any light penetrated. It could well have been morning, and the leaves had prevented the light from penetrating through.) It was right where he thought it was.
Once he reached camp, he saw them just lying down. "Everypony, up! The forest ends soon...and there's a settlement nearby!" While the first part had not excited them, safety and the possibility of a good ol' booze up did, and they made ready to make the last leg of this journey. They talked about each of their anticipations.
“I’m looking forward to a meal that doesn’t make you pray to Armok that there’s nothing poisonous in it. No offence, Starkey, but the plants around here aren’t exactly appetising,” was what Slag said. He licked his lips.
“Ha! Food, food, food. That’s all you ever care about, isn’t it, Slag?” roared back Dansen. “I’m looking forward to improving myself here, you lout!” A chorus of laughter filled the air after that comment. “Yeah, shut it! I’m sure there’s somepony here who can teach me about something new.”
“Maybe teach you about romance, eh?” cut in Debesh. “No offence, Doctor, it’s just that maybe not everypony looks the same in this town, eh?” The colts in the group were nodding sagely at this, as if it were some great wisdom. Debesh kept walking and didn’t notice the wing heading to his face before it hit.
“You want me to bandage that up or reapply it?” demanded Urist angrily. The rest of the group were silent at this. Urist had had some bad trouble back in the mountainhomes, and had joined this group to get away. “I’m just looking forward to meeting some new people. And, of course, to getting more booze!” If the laughter after Dansen’s comment had been a chorus, the cheering that met this was an entire choir and orchestra, for if there was one thing you could count on with these ponies, it was a thirst for alcohol.
Frieden cut in after the cheering died down, and said “Well, a town like this might be small enough they don’t have a doctor. Might be able to help here, and the practice will come in useful once we settle down ourselves.” Muted nodding came after this, and especially from Starkey.
“What about you, Cap’n?” asked Dansen after a while. Starkey was deep in thought for a while, but then he had decided how to answer.
“I want some real food too. If I can find a proper stew, a pie, even a simple apple, well, that’ll be enough for me.” Slag nodded at this. Somepony had their priorities straight. They continued along in silence, and less than ten minutes later, they had emerged from the forest, and they too saw the buildings. They sped up again. Their goals were nearly achieved!
~ ~ ~
Rainbow Dash was busy. Yeah, busy. She had a nap to take. That's why the skies were still cluttered with clouds on what was supposed to be a fine, clear day. She opened one eye to check if anypony had noticed the hint of color on her lofty perch, and saw something unexpected yet familiar.
On the horizon, heading to the town at speed, was a large cloud of dust. She stood up, drew breath into her lungs, and cried out in warning. "STAMPEEEEEEEDE!"
Below her, the ponies who had heard the warning ran to their houses in a panic. While the Mayor tried to get things under control, Rainbow flew towards the stampede. Sure, Applejack had gotten the last one...two...five... !hat just meant it was her turn this time! Her turn to be praised for saving the village. As she drew closer, her heart sunk.
It wasn't a stampede at all, merely six ponies and a wagon. She stopped flying and hovered.
"Hey! Stop!" she yelled to them, but if they heard they gave no acknowledgement. Rainbow Dash sighed, and flew back to town ahead of them.
~ ~ ~
"It's not a stampede! It's six ponies who won't slow down."
Twilight poked her head up. "Six ponies, causing all that dust? They must be in a hurry. What are they here for?"
Rainbow Dash set down, and shook her head. "I dunno. They wouldn't even stop to talk to me, those crummy..." She shook her head. "Anyway, they're coming this way. What should we do?"
Pinkie Pie stuck her head in the middle of the gathering group. "Ooh, I know, I know! Let's throw them a party! That's why they're coming here so quickly. They must have heard I was throwing a party!" She thought. "But...I didn't know I was throwing a party till today....Ooh!" She started bouncing up and down. "They must have a Pinkie Sense too, only more of a Pinkie Pie Party Sense, hay?" She bounced away to Sugarcube Corner to start the preparations for the Biggest Pinkie Pie Party Ever.
Applejack took this moment to appear, and walked up to Twilight and Rainbow Dash. "Now what all is this racket about?" she asked.
"Oh, well, it seems that Rainbow Dash has seen some ponies coming to town. Quite rapidly, in fact." Twilight bit her lip as she finished speaking. The cloud had gotten closer, and it was now just over the bridge between the main town and the park. Everypony had gotten out of the way, but she worried nevertheless.
The haze of dust continued forward, raising coughing fits among Twilight and her friends. As it dissipated, she could see the six ponies and their wagon, drawn to an abrupt halt a short distance away. Twilight forced a smile, and went to greet them.
"Hello, I'm Twilight Sparkle, and we'd like to welcome you to our town. Can I ask what you're doing here?" she said.
"Ah, Miss Twilight," spoke up one of the larger ponies, though whether mare or stallion she couldn't tell. "We are from distant lands, here to build a settlement so more of our people can live in peace. We are in need of supplies, as our trek through the forest has exhausted our food and drink. My name is Slag. If we could humbly beg your assistance, we would greatly appreciate any aid you could offer."
Twilight was happier now, curiousity satisfied, with a genuine smile across her face. "We don't have much, but if you follow my friends and I," she spoke happily, gesturing at Rarity, Applejack, Spike, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie, "we should have enough for your needs."
The ponies split off into pairs and small groups, with a promise to meet each other come nightfall.
~ ~ ~
Two pegasi cruised lazily above the expansive fields outside of Ponyville, occasionally shifting course to avoid clusters of bare-limbed trees. The Running of the Leaves had been completed several weeks earlier, and much of the ground was blanketed in a bright array of colors, only now beginning to fade to a vibrant shade of brown which somehow still exuded a feeling of health. A crisp, cool breeze whistled across the open meadows, causing Rainbow Dash to shiver slightly.
Her companion inquired, “Are you cold, friend? We need not speak out in the wilds.”
“Nah, it’s all good. A little cold isn’t going to bother a pony as awesome as I am! Still, you’re probably right. Come on, we can talk at my house!”
Their pace quickened as the pegasi, one cyan, with a brilliant spectrum of colors in her mane and tail, the other a mix of dull greys and browns, with a rather incongruous beard, beat their wings with increasing speed, bolstered by their native magic as they hurried toward an imposing house floating in the distance.
~ ~ ~
"Your assistance is greatly appreciated, young mare," the powerfully-built stallion said. "The fact that ponies are willing to help a group of ragged strangers is admirable."
"It's... um... not a bother," the yellow pegasus replied softly. "It wouldn't be very nice of us to turn you away."
The stallion nodded. Leaves crunching underhoof, he and his companion - Fluttershy, he recalled - were travelling to the edge of the Armok-cursed forest that he and his companions had spent so long in. They were on a mission; the pegasus had been kind enough to volunteer her knowledge of the native plants, which he didn't recognize.
The pair traveled in silence for a while, the pegasus too shy to talk and the stallion taking in the sights of Ponyville. The town was very simple, but a nice change to the towering caverns and sharp geometrical shapes of his own home.
"So..." Fluttershy offered softly as they drew close to the forest. "Um... Twilight said you needed plants, so... um... what do you need?"
"Well, I brought a variety of plants for our voyage," the stallion began. "Plump helmets were to be our main source of food, pig tails for textiles, rock nuts for oils, and dimple cups for dyes. They were unfortunately all lost or stolen on our voyage. All of those crops grow underground, so I doubt they would be located in this forest here."
"Well, I know of some plants like that..." Fluttershy timidly offered.
"Very well then. Would you be so kind as to take the lead?" The pegasus nodded and started towards a bush with small green berries.
"These are salmonberries; you can eat them, although they're kind of small..."
~ ~ ~
While his five companions and their guides went their separate ways, Starkey remained with the wagon. Even without food or drink, there was still plenty of value left inside. Hand tools for carpentry and stoneworking. Mechanical parts, to turn the wind and the water into work. Picks... oh Armok if somepony ran off with one of their picks...
No. He had no intention of letting that happen. So long as Starkey was on the job, nopony would lay hoof on these supplies. Nopony. Neither greedy Diamond Dog, nor skulking Keishi, nor-
"Howdy, pardner!"
One of the local ponies had remained behind: an orange earth pony mare, her mane tied back and topped off with an odd felt hat.
"Ah... good afternoon, miss...?"
Starkey found himself pulled into a rough hoof-shake. "Applejack. Pleased ta meet you, mister!"
"Starkey, ma'am. Can I help you with somethi-"
"Actually, ah was hopin' I could help you. Twilight said y'all needed plenty of food fer a long trip."
"I... Aye, that's true ma'am, but you should-"
"Well then ah'd be more'n happy to help y'all! You just come along with me, and ah'll fix you right up."
"That's very generous of you, miss Applejack, but I'm supposed to stay here and guard the wagon and-"
"Horseapples! Nopony's gonna go rootin' around in some stranger's luggage. now come on, time's a-wastin'!"
At once, the stallion found himself being dragged along by his tail. Despite his struggling, Starkey couldn't break free - this mare was much stronger than she appeared. Starkey sighed.
"Alright miss, I'll come along."
~ ~ ~
Rarity led the strange pony into her shop. Before she had opened the door, she heard the sounds of her younger sister and her two friends. Her face dropped for a second, but then she was smiling again.
"Sweetie Belle!" she called.
"Yes, Rarity?" came the distant reply, and the sound of feet began to fill the air.
Before long, Rarity and her visitor were surrounded by three rapidly questioning foals. Her visitor, who called her(him?)self Doctor Frieden (whoever heard of a pegasus as a doctor? These new people had many strange customs, including their deity, who seemed to be called Armok. Oh, well. Rarity knew she was able to be polite even with the strangest of ponies), seemed to endure the foals' questions and pestering with good humour, answering as many as he(she?) could. But it wasn't long before Rarity knew that her social graces required that she rescue her guest.
"Girls, why don't you go check on Flutter-" She stopped. No, Fluttershy was as busy as all her other friends. She thought rapidly, thinking of something that would keep them busy. Oh, yes! "Girls, why don't you go check on your clubhouse and make it clean? Once you've done that and Frieden and I have finished our work here, you can show..." She was paralysed. Was Frieden a mare or stallion? All of them had been...rather...difficult...to discern what they were. They were all heavily bearded. In most of them, their entire head was covered in beard, except for two holes near the eyes and a small gap near the mouth.
Frieden had noticed her discomfort and leapt in. "Yes, you can show me the burrow you've got." Rarity privately let out a sigh of relief, while wondering at her strange term for the clubhouse.
The three foals shouted their affirmation with their typical catchphrase "Cutie Mark Crusaders Cleaners! YAAAAAY!" and hurried away. Rarity allowed herself to relax...before once more turning to her guest.
"Dear, you do seem quite...what's the word? Dirty from your journey. Why don't you have a nice shower while I get the supplies you needed?" Somehow, Rarity knew that Frieden was smiling when she had suggested it. She showed her(it was her, wasn't it? Not him?) to the shower, and hurried back to her workshop.
This was where she created her masterpieces, and it was here where all her thread and cloth was. Thankfully, she had enough of it that this need would still be requited. Even though she hadn't seen that pegasus' cutie mark, she knew that anyone who had been given the title of doctor would be very skilled in making the most of any situation. Even with only the few supplies she would be able to donate...She pushed the thought out of her head. All would come right in the end.
~ ~ ~
Rainbow Dash hesitated slightly before speaking, “So, I know Twilight asked us to each help one of you, but I’m not really sure what you need. I mean, I’m the coolest pony you’ll ever meet, so I know that I can solve whatever your problem is, but I’m not exactly sure what it is, uh, what was your name?”
“Urist,” replied the grey pegasus, clad in a set of rather ragged, dull-colored clothes, “Urist Vaultbridge. I and my noble companions were dispatched on a journey to distant lands, ordered to found a new colony at a fitting site, for the glory of Armok, bless his name.”
“Uhm… Oka-a-a-ay. So, what’re you having trouble with, exactly?”
Urist grimaced slightly, as if reluctant to speak what came next, “We appear to be lost. Worse, we have exhausted our supplies of booze.”
Rainbow Dash was puzzled over that last bit, and enquired, “What was that again?”
The stout little pony exclaimed, “Booze! Liquor! Alcohol! The nectar of Armok himself, without which we cannot possible continue! You… you do not know what horrors we have faced in every waking moment since the last barrel ran dry… This is but the greatest of our troubles, of course.”
“Wait, so stuff like brandy? I could probably talk to Applejack about that; from what I hear, some of her relatives brew all sorts of things from their excess crop. For that matter, I enjoy the occasional drink myself, but not so much that I would ever say I need it. You sure this is a good idea, pal?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Without replenishing our supplies, there is no possibility of us moving on. Your friend requested that you attempt to help us, did she not? Is it that you are not capable of helping me? If so, well, I can understand that. It is not an issue.”
“Fine! You’ve got a problem, colt, and I’m the solution! I’ll have you a wagon full of alcohol outside of town before you have a chance to blink,” Rainbow Dash shouted, matching actions to words and bursting through her own front door, leaving a contrail of vividly colored air in her wake.
“I’m a mare…”
~ ~ ~
Dansen walked on the rocky plains, Spike on his back. Dansen was an odd example of a dwarf pony. For one thing, he was much larger then most dwarves. His yellow hair was short-cut and he was quite muscular. He was the picture of a dwarven miner, ready to work on the stone of some dark corridor for days on end, not stopping for anything. He was also a unicorn.
"Yeah, this is where the gems are." Spike said, getting off Dansen's back. "Right, so, uh... What do you do?"
"I'm a miner. I'm also pretty good at organizing things, so if this fort gets off the ground I'll be the bookkeeper." Dansen adjusted his miner's helmet. The pickaxe made a cracking noise as it hit the ground. Dansen continued to crack at it.
"Okay, Dansen." Spike said. "Hey, how come you are a unicorn, but you are using your mouth?"
"Well, as it turns out, unicorns--" Crack, went the pick. "Are pretty rare in dwarven society. We use our mouths for pretty much everything, so I just used it. I only use my horn when I analyze the ground."
"Ooh. Really?" Spike smiled. "That must get you a lot of gems, right?"
"Yep. Most of it I have to throw away to give to the dragons. Did you know dragons have aluminum for bone instead of calcium like everything else?"
Spike shook his head. He did not know that.
"True. It's disputed, but I am one of the ones who think that it's a real fact." Dansen smiled. "Wow, the amount of time I wasted debating with friends. Bah."
"I never knew that my bones are completely different to yours."
"Interesting fact. Makes sense. Gems are essentially baby food, since it helps your bones grow. After that, your diet gets pretty varied." Dansen looked at the sparkling gems he had found. "We are going to have a great time if we set up a fortress! This is barely below the surface! I wonder how far down adamantium is."
"What's that?"
Dansen stopped digging and looked at Spike. "Oh, it's just the thing that all dwarf ponies strive for. All our legends refer to this beautiful metal, which can be made into swords and armor that are light as a feather, yet will not break with the hardest of blows. You know, nothing important." He chuckled and returned to mining.
~ ~ ~
Starkey trotted up the lane to the orchard, chatting with his companion all the way. Once Applejack had calmed down enough to let him finish a sentence, she was quite pleasant. Being a foreigner, Starkey had many questions about Ponyville and Equestria, which Applejack was more than happy to answer. Applejack, not caring much for fanciful tales of far-off lands, mostly inquired about his travelling companions, or occasionally the pegasus himself.
"By the way, what's that thing on yer leg there?"
"This?" Starkey lifted his left forehoof. Strapped to the lower leg was an intricate mechanical device of wood and steel. "This is my crossbow, ma'am." Recieving only a blank stare, he elaborated, "It's a weapon. It flings sharp metal spikes with great force."
Applejack grimaced. "Sounds like a nasty piece 'o work. Do y'all have trouble with monsters back home?"
"Occasionally. From time to time something particularly nasty may crawl up out of the deep. But we have much more powerful weapons to handle threats like that. No, this is meant more as an antipersonnel weapon." Another blank stare. "It's for killing ponies."
Applejack stopped short, very nearly falling face-first in the dirt. "Say what now?!"
"Crossbows are designed to find weak points in a pony's armor. It isn't strong enough to pierce the hides of the strange beasts that dwell below."
"Y-ya mean you have...?"
"Fought a forgotten beast? Armok no, thankfully I've..." he paused, noticing his companion's pale face and shocked expression. "...Oh. Yes, miss Applejack, I've taken lives before. I'm a soldier. I've fought wars."
"Oh," she responded, "We... don't have many o' those around here."
"I rather figured as much. You live in cities without walls. You have no guards in the streets to keep the peace." He allowed a slight smile to cross his muzzle, "You see a band of strange ponies galloping towards you, and your first instinct is to greet them as friends."
~ ~ ~
True to her word, a fair sized wagon overloaded with barrels of various sizes, stood in the center of the road outside of Ponyville, with a smug cyan pegasus leaning in feigned nonchalance against the side. Urist let herself lazily circle down towards the waiting pony, thinking hastily over the preparations she had been making while the other pegasus was busy.
Rainbow Dash called out, perhaps a bit too hastily, “See? Just like I said, no trouble at all. So whatchya gonna do with all this, anyways? Seems like a bit much for just seven ponies.”
“Oh, no. We will live off of this for quite some time, at the very least until we can set up an operational still at our new home. But I am sure that our plans are not interesting to a pony of your caliber; we are only simple settlers, after all.”
“Nah, it’s cool. Everypony does something important, even if it isn’t as exciting as my life.”
Seeing Urist harnessing herself to the cart, Rainbow Dash hastily interrupted, “Hey, aren’t you a little short for a draftpony? You’ll hurt yourself pulling that alone. I’ll give you a hoof.”
Urist replied, “That would be much appreciated. You have my thanks.”
“So where’re we taking this to?”
“Oh, we can stop at this little abandoned shed that I and my companions passed on the way out of town. We agreed to leave our supplies there, so we would have a place to meet up when we left. Actually, I overheard our leader talking to your friend, Twilight Sparkle, and another pony, the pink one, about having a surprise party for everypony, to thank you all for helping us with our troubles. We should probably check in and see how they’re doing.”
“Sounds good to me, pal, I never pass on one of Pinkie’s parties,” Rainbow Dash said, grinning to herself and her new friend.
~ ~ ~
The two ponies left the forest with the sun at their backs, turning the sky behind them red with sunset. Fluttershy was covered in dirt, having spent a large amount of time digging up plants, but the stallion's coat had hardly changed color, it being an earthy brown in the first place. His blue and purple hair, messy from weeks of being unkempt, had reached the peak amount of dirt possible, and any more would simply slide off. The bulging saddlebags at his side were filled with the fruits of the pair's labors; berries, roots, vines, and other plants that could theoretically be used for some purpose.
"So... um, what do you need all this for?" Fluttershy tentatively asked. "It seems to be quite a lot. Not that you aren't strong or anything, it's just..." she trailed off nervously, and the stallion laughed.
"My companions and I have been travelling for many a moon, and our supplies were worn out by the time we arrived here. In order to have a sustainable outpost, we require plants and their seeds, and those we have."
Fluttershy nodded. "That's good. I'm glad you have what you need. Um... actually... you never told me your name."
"I am Debesh, planter and brewer," the stallion replied. "My name, as are most, is in the Olden Tongue of our ancestors. If it makes you more comfortable, you may call me Crazy."
"That's not very nice," Fluttershy said, then squeaked, hiding in the impenetrable fortress that was her mane. "Your name is lovely! It's just that calling you crazy would me mean, and..." she trailed off into silence, provoking another laugh form Debesh.
"Do not worry about insulting me. My name is far from unusual in my country, and I am glad that I was not named something embarrassing." Fluttershy briefly considered asking what would be an embarrassing name, but decided against it.
"Well... um, would you like to go back to my house? I don't want to show up dirty, and we can have tea..."
"After living off of water and raw mushrooms for weeks, that sounds amazing."
~ ~ ~
Eventually Frieden had finished the shower and came out gleaming like new, and Rarity had to admit that the dirt had been clinging to this pony for a long time (and that the pony did look good. But don't let the others know about this).
"There, see? A shower has done you a world of good!" declared Rarity. She turned back to the table, where she had arranged a selection of cloth and thread. "Is this enough? Do you need anymore?" she asked, anxious to help.
"No, this will be fine," came the gruff answer. "Thank you for your help." Frieden moved to pack the saddlebags that he(she) carried, but Rarity, ever the gracious host, used the magic in her horn to lift the cloth and thread, and placed them in the bags.
"There!" Rarity said in triumph. "Now, where are you dropping these off?"
"There's an old shed by the entrance to the town. The group has decided we will use it to store our supplies until we move out," replied Frieden.
"Oh, good to know you're prepared... Hmmm, have you had anything to eat recently? Or drink?" asked Rarity, her face suddenly darkening in concern.
Again, Rarity had the strange feeling that the face, beneath all that beard, was lighting up. "By Armok's beard! We've been out of alcohol for the better part of a season now. Having any of that to consume would make me most grateful!" Rarity's face froze. Alcohol? Was her guest...that...that... She shook her head. No. Frieden was just new! Just didn't know...Her face glazed over, then she shook herself again. She was a host here...
"Uh...yes, we have some wine here. Would that be suff-" Rarity began, but she was cut off by the clearly impatient doctor.
"Yes, yes! That will be enough! Oh, merciful Armok! Booze at last!" Frieden grabbed the bottle that Rarity had taken down. Before she could guzzle it all, a knock came at the door. Rarity went to answer it, and it was her sister and her friends. Before she could stop them, they rushed in to Frieden.
"We've cleaned it now do you wanna come it's a great clubhouse you'll love it come on we'll show you there!" came their voices, bursting out their entire conversation in one sentence.
Frieden smiled, and said "Yes, of course I would! But before we do, I'll just make you and Rarity a little treat from my home. I think you'll love it!" The three foals let out words equating to yes, but of course in many more words than that.
Frieden hurried into the kitchen, while Rarity and the foals talked. A little more than five minutes later, she came out, carrying a saucepan of what seemed like a big stew.
"How did you cook this so quickly?" asked Rarity as she ate her second bowl of the stew.
"Just a skill I learned at home. Do you like it?" asked Frieden anxiously. Rarity nodded vigorously as she continued eating, with almost as much gusto as the three foals. "That's good."
~ ~ ~
"Wow... "
Starkey marveled at the farmer's handiwork: before him sat a small wagon, significantly smaller than the traveler's caravan, but laden to the wales with stacks of deliciously prepared food - all of it containing apples in one form or another. Not that he minded this, of course - any change from the potluck meals of the past few weeks was certainly welcome, and the days they had left to travel thankfully weren't quite enough to get sick of the stuff.
Starkey turned to his benefactor, beaming with pride over her handiwork. "This is... exceedingly generous of you, miss Applejack. I'm sorry I couldn't have been more useful." True: fourteen years of combat had taught the pegasus little in the way of culinary skills, leaving him to sit on the sidelines and watch Applejack and her legion of relatives - he didn't even bother trying to remember all their names - prepare this mountain of rations for the travelers, occasionally pausing to offer a sample to their guest. He didn't complain at first: it felt quite pleasant to finally have something substantial in his belly after so long. But the whole thing soon became... excessive, to say the least. To the point where he very much doubted he would be able to eat (or for that matter, fly) again for the next several days. Applejack thumped a hoof on the stallion's back.
"Aw horseapples mister Starkey, don't you go apologizin' for that. It just wouldn't feel right puttin' a guest to work, y'know?"
"Aye, I understand ma'am," he responded, "but all the same, I couldn't just take all this without giving you something in return." With that, Starkey reached under his travel cloak, producing a small, lightly jangling pouch. Applejack raised a hoof to object, but he had already emptied the pouch onto one of his hooves, and held it out for her to see: a small hoofful of bright, shiny gold coins, no more than a dozen or so.
"It's all I have. I'm afraid I don't have any of the local currency, but... they're gold, at least. They should still be worth something."
"Oh, mister Starkey, ah couldn-"
He pressed the coins into her hooves, gently clasping them in his own. "I won't take 'no' for an answer. Please just take them, miss Applejack, for my benefit if not your own."
"Well, alright then... thank you." Applejack gazed down at the money in her hooves. She held one up to inspect it. the front bore the stern-faced visage of a strange, important-looking stallion - something universal across all currencies, she guessed. She flipped it over. On the reverse was an image of a pony and cats stamped in gold. The pony was making a plaintive gesture. The cats were... laughing? She thought to ask Starkey the significance, but decided against it - it was probably better she didn't know. instead, she set about hitiching herself to the loaded wagon. "Well, it's gettin' to be late, the rest o' your friends are probably finishin' up right about now. Where are we s'posed to meet up?"
Starkey stood beside her, hitching himself as well. "There's an old shed on the outskirts of town. We all agreed to meet there. I'll show you the way."
~ ~ ~
"This is quite refreshing," Debesh said, sipping his tea, "but you don't happen to have anything... stronger, do you?"
Fluttershy glanced up from her crackers. "What do you mean?"
"Well," Debesh began, "it is customary for my people to celebrate new friendships with drink." Debesh didn't mention that it was customary for his people to celebrate everything with drink.
"I have some... uh, wine," Fluttershy offered. Secretly, Debesh was dissapointed, but he nodded anyway.
"Any amount of decent drink would be welcome after our journey."
Fluttershy went off to get a bottle of wine. Halfway through pulling out a bottle of fancy red wine she blushed intensely, realizing that Debesh had called her a freind.
The wine flowed freely, Debesh describing his homeland, the vast caverns filled with unmined gems and veins of ore. Fluttershy detailed her daily life, taking care of her animals and going on the occaisonal adventure with her friends. The wine was quickly replaced by brandy, and then a bottle of whiskey. Debesh found this perfectly normal, although many of Fluttershy's friends would have found it... odd that Fluttershy had such a vast array of drinks available. The two were interrupted in their tale-telling only by the need for a light, which reminded the pair of the time.
"We should meet the others to report our progress," Debesh noted. Fluttershy nodded and turned to walk out the door. The wall, unfortunately, did not have hinges on it. For the third time that day, Debesh laughed good-naturedly at the mare's antics. In his homeland, females and males acted identically; he was still unsure about the gender of several of his companions, and he had been travelling with them for weeks. Having an obviously feminine and shy pony was something to contrast the stoic, bearded faces of his kin.
He offered a hoof to the dazed mare, gently pulling her off the floor.
"Come," he said, guiding her out the door and closing it behind him. "I believe that we are missed tonight." Making sure to pick up the load of plants as they left, the two headed for the town center and the gathering of the foreign ponies and their new friends.
~ ~ ~
Spike smiled. Dansen seemed like a pretty funny guy. Pretty smart, too. "Hey, there was another reason why I wanted you to come with me."
"Ahuh?" Dansen asked, stopping his current activity. Spike felt hungry at the sight of all those gems. He tried to ignore the feeling.
"I've been kinda..." Spike awkwardly shrugged. "I'm really tired of the girls."
Dansen laughed. "Oh my, can I sympathize... Be glad you aren't around dwarven fillies, Spike, or you will be in a living hell."
Spike laughed too. "Yeah, but it's kinda nice talking to a colt once in a while. You know. Just colt stuff."
"Hey, you use pony terms. Not dragon terms or anything. How long have you been around ponies?"
"Oh, about..." Spike thought. "My entire life, I think."
"That's kinda odd. And you are an assistant, right?" Dansen looked at Spike, with a slight look of concern on his face.
"Yep."
"Hmmm. I don't think I really like that. Seems a bit too much like slavery to me." Dansen tut-tutted and then returned to mining out the gems.
"Slavery? I don't really think of it like... that." Spike thought for a second. It was kinda slavery.
"Hm. We don't think about a lot of things. Such as dwarven syrup, or carp." Dansen shook. "Burr. Dwarven syrup."
"What's so wrong about syrup?"
"I dunno. The cook doesn't want to cook it anyway, so I guess it must make a tree grow out of your chest or something. Maybe you become a pile of dwarven syrup. I dunno. It's just that the cook at my fortress was completely opposed to cooking it. On a matter of 'Principle'."
"Maybe he prefers solids?"
“Maybe, I didn’t really like him that much.”
“I certainly wouldn’t like hanging out with him if he is going to get all angry about cooking and that.” Spike said aptly. "So, how is the gem situation?"
"90 gems found so far, of nice quality. If used for a craft, it could be considered at least professional. We are going to have a great time when our fortress is set up. We'll be the new capital." Dansen smiled.
"You wanna continue, or...?" Spike said.
"Nah, let's get a drink." Dansen pick up all the gems, put them in a leather saddle bag, got out of the hole and looked to Spike. “Well, if you could show us the way back to Twilight Sparkle?” Spike nodded and quickly lead him back to town.
Spike thought happily that this was the beginning of a friendship.
~ ~ ~
“It’s an honor. We haven’t come across any help since we left the mountainhome.” Slag bowed before the purple pony afore him, but Twilight Sparkle just lifted his face back to eye level with her hoof.
“We don’t get too many visitors to Ponyville, and even less so in such dire straits. There is nothing you need to thank us for, knowing we are able to help is more than enough.” Twilight smiled at the fur-covered, yet well-groomed, face. “Now, I heard you needed supplies?”
“Oh, yes. We have several things that we need, the most important being food.” Slag chortled, his beard somehow twisting into a smile-esque shape. “Some of my comrades seem to think that alcohol is more important.” The brown pony shook his head. “It may feel important to us, but we can live without alcohol.”
“Why would you need alcohol in the first place?” Twilight questioned, a gentle glimmer in her eyes.
“Heh. You’re a curious one, aren’t you? Well, nobody knows why we ‘need’ alcohol. All that we know for sure is that anypony of our little breed who does not drink alcohol for a time will begin to physically be unable to work as fast as normal.” Slag looked around the small town. “Tell me, where are we going?”
“Oh, sorry. We’re going to my friend Pinkie Pie’s. She lives in a bakery and works as an apprentice. She’ll be able to supply you with some treats. It’s not food, exactly, but it should help to keep things from getting too bland.”
“HEY TWILIGHT!!” The pouncing pink pony bounded around the counter and wrapped her hooves around Twilight’s neck. After Twilight returned the gesture, she introduced the new pony.
“Hi Pinkie, this is Slag.” Slag once again bowed, and Pinkie rapidly returned the gesture, accidentally leaping into the air on her return. Twilight continued, “He...you are a he, right?” Slag nodded once. “He needs to get some food for a big journey he’s making. He’s got a couple friends that are coming with him, so he’s going to need a lot.”
“Oki-doki-loki, big guy! I don’t know how long it will take, though. Baking isn’t as quick as I am!” Pinkie began bouncing back toward the counter, but was stopped by a gentle grip on her tail.
“Thank you,” Slag opened his mouth, releasing the tail, “but if you have raw supplies those will work just as well. I’m certain at least one of us can cook while we’re on the move.”
“Oh. Okay, then, this way!” Pinkie began to bounce toward a door behind the counter, with Twilight and Slag in tow. As Pinkie reached the downward stairs, though, she began to walk normally. Slag followed at the same pace, but Twilight had trouble moving safely down the steep steps. “Don’t worry about me,” she said as Slag stopped to wait. Slag shrugged and continued to descent into the darkness.
The torch on the wall flared up to reveal grey stone walls and simple wooden shelves stocked with various bags. “It’s creepy down here, isn’t it?” Pinkie said, hopping down one of the aisles. “I don’t really like to come down here, but I know it’s safe. And sometimes I come down here when I want to practice something without bothering anypony else.”
“What kind of stuff do you practice?” Slag questioned nonchalantly as he analyzed the various bags.
“Oh, just party stuff, like singing and dancing and playing games and pranking people and just party stuff!” Pinkie Pie looked over at her guest. “And what do YOU practice?”
“Me? I practice butchery.”
“What’s that?”
“Well, I take a corpse, remove the skin, and cut the meat from the bone so that we can reuse as much of the body as possible. I specialize in removing the skin.” Slag looked over to the suddenly not-so-pink pony whose eyes were wide as saucers. “Umm...are you okay?”
Pinkie Pie’s face slowly twisted into a terrified frown as Slag looked on. “Oh, I get it, it’s...scary. Do you not reuse things? I could imagine how a culture with so many supplies might go about wasting their excess. Unfortunately, we often lack the necessary supplies to survive. What we do is grisly work. But it must be done.” Pinkie’s color began to return, but darker, with mane flat against her neck.
“Hey guys!” Twilight exclaimed as she dismounted the last step. Seeing Pinkie depressed, she quickly added, “What’s wrong?” Slag dropped the bag he had begun to carry.
“Apparently our cultures have slightly clashing morals. It appears to have frightened her somewhat.” Twilight went over to talk with the flattened filly as Slag took up the bag and moved up to the stairs. However, something caught his eye and he put the bag down to investigate. He walked up to a simple wooden door. Opening it revealed a small cell-like room in which there were a few shelves full of various odds and ends. Across from the shelves were a set of wall-mounted shackles, underneath which was a metal ball with four chains. There were a few pipes underneath the shelves as well.
“Oh.” Slag turned around to see a restored Pinkie Pie suddenly returning to a frown again. “That stuff is Mr. and Mrs. Cake’s. It’s another reason I don’t like coming down here.”
Slag looked again into the room. “Kinky.” He moved toward the shelves to inspect their contents as Pinkie Pie retreated from the room. Twilight shook her head and followed him in.
