Finding What Was Lost
By Winter Quill
Mary was already wide awake when the sunlight started to shine through the half-closed window. Well, being awake implied that she had been asleep and that was far from the case. Instead she had spent the night dreading the day to come. With a sigh she threw off her blankets and swung her legs off the bed. With the sun up there was no reason to stay in bed.
She pulled on a simple shirt and a pair of long pants, they weren’t the most fancy of clothing but they put up with her job. And that was really all that mattered anymore. On the other hand her old sneakers had seen better days, they were ripped in a number of places and the soles were starting to pull free. She didn’t know how much longer they would last, or how in the world she was going to replace them.
Not that it mattered, the shoes were just another distraction for her, trying to keep her mind off everything that had happened in the past year. If she dwelled on it, it would overwhelm her. Running her fingers through her short cut brown hair she decided that she was presentable for the day and headed downstairs.
She ducked into the narrow stairway, tucking her head under the low slung doorway at the bottom. Her boss was still asleep leaving breakfast to her, but that was part of her job as a farmhand. At least it provided her a place to stay and bits to spend, so it wasn’t a bad arrangement.
Mary walked into the kitchen, pulling down a pan from the wall along with a small sack of potatoes before stoking the fire. Pumping the bellows with one foot as she started to chop up the potatoes.
Bellows… that was something that had taken a long time to get used to, along with the lack of any other sort of modern convinces. At least there was indoor plumbing, that was something she couldn’t do without, and decent lights. She would have thought after a year she would have gotten used to this world she had found herself in, but it seemed like the truth was exactly the opposite.
Once the pan was hot she threw on the chopped potatoes along with some oil and a bit of spices. The smell quickly filled the farmhouse as the potatoes cooked, popping softly as she shifted them around on the pan. She wasn’t surprised to hear the sound of hooves coming down the stairs a few moments later, probably attracted by the smell.
Mary pushed the potatoes to one side of the pan, then picked up some eggs from the shelf next to the stone. She cracked both of them into the pan, keeping them separated from the potatoes. She would have loved to have gotten some bacon or even a slice of ham, but those were hard to come by in Ponyville.
“Good morning Mary,” Golden Harvest said as she walked into the kitchen. Her carrot orange mane was in disarray and sleep was still pulling at the corner of her eyes, yet she still somehow found a way to be far too perky at the crack of dawn.
“Morning boss,” she replied, stirring the potatoes. “Breakfast is almost ready.”
“It smells wonderful,” the earth pony mare replied as she walked over to the cupboard and pushed it open with her foot. She pulled out a pair of plates, balancing them on her back with ease as she collected some silverware and moved them all to the small kitchen table.
Mary tried to ignore the fact that she shouldn’t have been able to pick up anything with her hooves, but it was hard. Though in the grand scheme of things it was hardly the strangest thing she had seen since she had woken up in this world. From princesses that controlled the sun and moon, to a pile of driftwood that thought it was a wolf, Equestria was a strange place.
She checked her eggs, deciding that they were done. Picking up the pan she walked it to the table, dividing the food between the plates. After putting the pan back on the stove she sat down on the short chair, sitting oddly to tuck her legs under it as she picked up her fork. “So, what’s the plan for today?”
“Market day,” Golden Harvest replied as she added some fresh cut grass to her eggs.
She tried to hide her frown, she didn’t like market day all that much. Working the stall meant being out in public and the ponies always seemed to stare at her, though at least they tried to hide it. She understood why they did it, she would have done the same if a pony had showed up in the middle of downtown Portland… well maybe not downtown itself, it was Portland after all. Still, she wasn’t about to complain, it was her job after all. Though why did it have to be today of all days?
They fell into a comfortable silence as they ate. Once her plate was clean Mary headed outside to lead up the cart with crates of carrots, her boss coming out to help after getting cleaned up. After they finished loading the cart the mare harness herself into it and started pulling it down the road at a steady pace.
Mary stopped back in the house to collect some bits, just in case she wanted to do anything in town, then hurried to catch up with Golden Harvest. A number of other ponies were already on their way into Ponyville, a few of them giving her sidelong glances. At least they were all familiar to her.
“You’re unusually quiet,” Golden Harvest said as they neared the outskirts of Ponyville, easily marked by the rainbow glow shining off the crystal palace that towered over the far side of the town.
“I suppose,” she replied, kicking a stone down the road.
The mare moved to the side of the road and came to a stop, turning her dark green eyes to look at the human. “What’s wrong Mary?”
For a moment she considered lying but decided that it wasn’t worth it. “It’s been a year since I came to Equestria,” she answered, digging the tip of her shoe into the dirt of the road.
That brought the earth pony up short, a frown crossing her face as she looked down at her hooves, shuffling them slightly. “Then why don’t you take the day for yourself. I can handle the stall on my own.”
“It’s okay,” Mary replied with a wave of her hand. As much as she didn’t care for being in the market the work would help keep her mind off of things.
“No, I insist,” she replied, lifting her head up and looking intently at Mary. A moment later she nosed open her saddle bag and dropped her muzzle into it, coming back with a small bag of bits. With one practiced motion she threw it to Mary. “Just go and do something nice for yourself.”
She caught the bag easily and bounced it against the palm of her hand, the bits clinking together. “This is a lot of money,” she said, not quite sure how much it was but guessed it was at least two months’ pay.
“It’s an early Hearths Warming gift. Go, maybe visit the spa or Princess Twilight, just do something nice for yourself.”
Chewing on her lip for a few moments she finally gave in, slipping the bits into her pocket. “Okay boss, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Take an extra day if you need to,” Golden Harvest added as she started back towards town, the cart creaking as it rolled after her.
With herself suddenly free she found herself at a loss of what to do, so instead she stood on the side of the road and watched the ponies as they filled into town. After a few minutes she decided that if she was going to make a decision it wasn’t going to be standing there like a cow… then again the cows were rather nice and thoughtful, so that wasn’t a good comparison.
Finally she started into town, taking her time and just enjoying the feeling of the sun falling down on her shoulders. Instead of the market she headed towards Sugar Cube Corner, starting to whistle softly to herself as she walked, hardly noticing it for the first few moments.
When she realized what she was doing she forced herself to stop, glad to find that the music faded away just as easily at it had come. It was a relief, one of the strange things about Equestria was how musicals numbers just seemed to happen on their own. One pony would start singing and soon everypony around was joining in on the number. After having found herself in a few choruses she had become a bit wary of unbidden music, though once she was satisfied that she was just whistling to whistle she allowed herself to start again.
As she walked towards the bakery she had a moment to wonder if anypony would join in, but luckily that didn’t happen. She had no idea what she would end up singing about in that case… probably her loneliness at being the only human in this crazy world.
That killed her mood, the whistling coming to a stop as she entered into the bakery. It was doing a brisk morning business with a number of ponies lined up inside. Quickly she stepped to the back of the line.
“Hey Mary!” The pink tornado said the moment she was inside the shop. The always perky pink earth pony was bouncing around behind the counter as she served the ponies in line. Much to her own embarrassment she couldn’t remember the hyperactive mare’s name, even after the welcome to town party she had thrown for her.
She gave the pony a nod and waited in line behind three other ponies, trying to think of what she should do with her unexpected free day. The idea of a visit to the spa was an interesting one, but somehow that seemed a bit too decadent for her now. It was a better fit for the person she had been when she had first arrived in Ponyville, but now it felt wrong to her.
There was a mug of coffee and a plate with a muffin waiting for her when she reached the counter, exactly what she would have ordered. It was a surprise as it was her third visit to the shop over the last year. “Thanks,” she said, dropping a couple bits on to the counter and taking the food. She moved to a table near the window and settled down, kicking her legs out straight under the table to compensate for the low chair. She couldn’t remember the last time she had just taken a day to herself, any time she had off work usually resulted in her just staying in her room or going into town for new clothing. She never really did anything for herself.
She started to pick over her muffin as she pondered getting a pair of saddle-bags, then taking up Ms. Rarity’s offer to make them into something she could wear. It would be nice to finally have something she could carry stuff in, though the unicorn still insisted on trying to come up with a cutie mark for Mary to make up for her natural lack. Apparently a saddle bag was just bare without one. She had suggested the ‘N7’ logo—as her last name was Shepard—but that didn’t go over to well.
Of course if she was going to get anything she should find a way to replace her shoes. Maybe with something a bit closer to work boots than trainers. As comfortable as they were, they didn’t exactly do anything to protect her feet from dropped boxes… or being stepped on. Turns out hooves hurt, even if they belonged to a pony.
“I didn’t think your feet were that interesting,” a familiar voice said from across the table.
Mary started and looked up from her feet, having not even realizing she had been focusing on them. “Good morning Lyra,” she said, taking a drink of her coffee while motioning to the seat across the table.
The unicorn smiled as she sat down, her own muffin hanging in her golden aura. “I’m surprised to see you here this morning, aren’t you usually at the stall?” she asked, a hint of worry underlying the words.
She couldn’t help smiling as she took a bite of her muffin. Lyra was one of the very few ponies that she would be willing to call a friend, though that was only by the thinnest of threads. They always talked on market days, even though she never needed carrots. Unlike most every other pony in town she had never stared or gawked (or like Roseluck, panicked). Instead she had treated Mary like any other pony from the very first day she had arrived in town. Of course they never talked with each other outside of market days, and she had only been into her wife’s candy shop a couple times, but that still made the mare one of her closest friends.
“Golden Harvest gave me the day off, told me to go do something nice for myself,” she replied, wiping the crumbs off her face with her sleeve.
Lyra nodded and tore her muffin apart with her magic, eating one half in a single bite. “This is a good start, but what are you going to do next?”
“I haven’t decided yet. She gave me some extra bits, but I don’t really know what to do with them.” She took another bite of her muffin and chewed on it while she thought about the problem.
The unicorn tapped the edge of her hoof on the table, her ears perking up as a smile slowly started spreading across her face. “Well… I need to go to Canterlot today, you should come with me! You can go see the big city, do some shopping or take in a show.”
That required another drink of coffee, gulping it down and nearly taking the mug as well. While the idea of spending time with her friend was a good one that seemed like a bit more of a trip then she was willing to take. “I’m not sure,” she finally said as she set the cup down, her eyes dropping down to look at his fingers as she fidgeted with the mug.
“Canterlot is being constantly visited by every species, so I doubt anyone would pay more attention to you there then here,” she said as she finished the last of her muffin.
“Or assume I’m some sort of shaved minotaur cow,” she muttered. That had not been a good day for her.
“And if you’re worried about the time, we’ll be back before midnight,” Lyra added.
She sighed and looked back up at her friend, watching as her ears slowly sank down against her mane. “Well… I’ve been to Canterlot before…” she trailed off, looking back down at the table before picking up her muffing and taking another bite.
“Oh, I didn’t know that. When did you go?”
“It was when I first came to Equestria… it was kind of a bad day.” That was an understatement.
The unicorn tapped her hooves on the table again, then cocked her head to the side as she thought for a moment. A small smile playing across her face. “Well then, you can tell me all about it on the train,” she said then slipped of the chair and started to trot out of the shop. When she was at the door, she looked back at Mary and motioned for her to come along.
She sat there for a few moments, watching as the door closed behind the mare. A second later she made up her mind and gulped down the rest of her coffee, grabbed the remains of her muffin and followed after her friend. She barely noticed the pink tornado waving goodbye as she went towards the door, she responded with a wave of her own before stepping out into the street.
During her time in the shop Ponyville had come to life. Ponies of all colors filled the street, going about their mornings with hardly a care in the world. She could see Lyra in the distance, half way to the train station. She started after the mare, picking her way through the crowd with practiced ease, her height making it easier to find her way around them.
She finally caught up with her friend just outside the train station. “Why do you have to go to Canterlot?” she asked, getting in line at the ticket booth. They were cutting it close as the next train left in only a few minutes, and it was the last one until after lunch.
“Errands. I have to pick up a couple orders for the candy shop,” she replied as she paid for her ticket. Mary followed suit, trying to hide just how nervous she was. She didn’t exactly have any positive memories about her last visit. Mostly it was just worry and fear.
Luckily the train was waiting at the station, so the pair of them were able to get directly onboard. They eventually sat on a pair of benches in the main car. It wasn’t as fancy as a private cabin, but neither of them had the bits to afford that.
Lyra relaxed on the bench as the train lurched forward, sitting upright with her back against the wall. It was a strange position for a pony to take, but one she seemed to prefer. Mary sat down on the bench across from her. “We cut that a bit close.”
“We did, but we made it. So, what happened to you when you were in Canterlot?”
She took in a long breath, trying to find a simple answer as she let it trail out through her teeth, instead she found herself wringing her hands. “Nothing good really. I mean, it was when I first came here. It was a year ago and there was a lot of panic on my part.”
“A year ago? Is that why you’re looking so glum?”
“You noticed huh?” she asked, turning her head to look out the window, watching as the trees moved past as the train picked up speed, the smell of the wood fired boiler filling the air in the car.
Lyra nodded slightly. “You might not have the ears for it, but I can read you pretty well. I’ve always wondered, why did you come to Equestria in the first place? You don’t really seem very happy here.”
That brought a sour laugh from deep in her gut. “I didn’t exactly choose to come here. I just woke up one day in a field outside of Canterlot surrounded by guards. I can’t even remember how I got here, I mean the last thing I remember was going to work and then I was being marched up to the castle at spear-point.”
“I’m sorry you were treated like that,” she said, reaching out to place a hoof on the side of her leg.
“Thanks Lyra… you know sometimes I wonder if something horrible happened to me, like I died and this is my hell.”
The unicorn pulled back in surprise, her ears twisting downwards as did her lips. “Equestria is hardly Tartarus,” she sputtered out.
Mary shook her head, not sure if the change in words came from the translation spell or not, she had never been too sure how it had worked, just that it did. “I can’t go back home, ever. I lost everything, my friends, my family, everything I had or cared for. I’m trapped in a world that I barley comprehend, and where I’m the only human. That seems like a good definition of hell if I’ve ever heard one.”
“I never knew that,” she replied, her eyes dropping down to look at her hooves. “There’s no way home, at all?”
“None at all. I’m not the first human who’s come to Equestria, it doesn’t happen often, maybe even century or so, but none of them had ever gone home. Not even the princesses know how we came to be here, so I’m stuck. I’ve kind of accepted it, at least enough to get by.” She really didn’t know why she was spilling everything to the unicorn, it wasn’t anything she needed to know, or that anypony needed to know… yet she actually felt a bit better for having finally shared it.
By now Lyra was looking crestfallen, rubbing her hooves together as she sagged in her seat.
Mary was worried she had offended her friend. “It’s not like your world is bad, it’s just not mine. You have talking ponies, mythical creatures, magic… we don’t have any of that. Magic is amazing, if it wasn’t for the translation spell I wouldn’t even been able to talk with you. I’m just glad I have a roof over my head, a job and friends. It’s more then I could have ever asked from you,” she said, reaching out to place a hand on her friend’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry, I never knew.”
“I don’t have much of a reason to talk about it,” she replied, falling into silence after a moment. Pulling her hand away she turned to look out the window, watching as the scenery whip by. “But maybe I should talk about it… isn’t that what friends are for?”
“It is,” the mare replied, looking up and showing a hint of a smile. “So… why did you come to Ponyville?”
That made her chuckle. “It wasn’t my idea. After I was calmed down the guards to me to see Princess Celestia,” she bit the word off a bit too short. The white mare was a little too intimidating and kind of scared her… but in a motherly way.
“She tried to help me but there wasn’t much she could do, and I didn’t take it well. She sent me here because she hoped the Princess Twilight could find me a way home, but that’s not going to happen. So the princess set me up with a job at Sweet Apple Acres, which didn’t really work out. Not much I can do when you can empty a tree with one good buck, and can’t even carry as many baskets. On the other hoof, hands are good for working in the soil and with carrots, so Golden Harvest hired me. She’s been a good boss, but we’re not exactly friends.”
Lyra smiled and shook her head. “Twilight can be a bit tricky mare to get to know, but she likes to help people and she won’t even stop if she thinks there’s a way. It’s funny, I knew her back when we both lived in Canterlot, but she doesn’t even remember me from there. She was kind of snooty back then.”
“I would never call her snooty, a bit obsessive maybe and she doesn’t seem very comfortable with being a princess. Though her majordomo is kind of cool, and not just because he’s a dragon.”
Her smile turned into a laugh. “If you want obsessive you should see here when she forgets to do her homework, it’s not pretty. Luckily that hasn’t happened since she became an alicorn.”
“You know, I’m kind of glad I wasn’t here for that,” Mary said, suppressing a chuckle. “She’s been researching a whole bunch of old magic mirror spells, she thinks she might be able to make one back home but I’m not that sure about it myself.”
The mare’s ears shot up as she leaned forward. “Magic mirror? Is that the portal? I’ve heard rumors about it, but no one has said anything for sure.”
“They are true, the first thing Princess Twilight did was take me through the portal. Turns out the other side is a human world, but it’s not mine. It’s some kind of strange connected world where everyone was in high school. The whole place had a Third Impact vibe going on, I was actually glad to get out of there and get back to Equestria… which I think is about the only time I’ve ever said that.”
Lyra’s happy expression seemed to fade, her eyes looking away from a second then back up at Mary. “If you could go back home… would you?”
She didn’t even have to think before answering the question. “Yes, I would. Though I would miss my friends, which is pretty much you and Max,” she paused for a few moments to gather her thoughts. Max was the leader of the nearby diamond dog clan, they got along fairly well. “I’ve enjoyed knowing you, you’ve been more than a friend than anypony else. They don’t stare at me anymore, but most of the ponies here are still unsure how to deal with me. Most of them are still trying to figure out they don’t have to say my full name.”
The look of disappointment on Lyra’s face turned to one of displeasure. “I’m sorry so many ponies have treated you badly. Though in their defense your name is rather unique and it’s not obvious that Marian would be Mary.”
Mary shrugged, worried the she had come off more negative then she had meant to. “It’s not all bad, honestly I don’t think it’s even mostly bad. Ponyville is a nice town, the weather is usually good and the rain is warm. I have a good job that I actually enjoy, which is also something I never thought I would say. Honestly, a year as a farmhand has done wonders for me. I’ve lost the weight I was fighting with, I’ve put on some extra muscles and I have more energy then since I was kid. My worth ethic is ten times better than it ever was back home, I feel like I would even be able to finish college now. Heck, I’ve even learned how good vegetarian food can be, though I would still love a good hamburger now and then. When you get right down to it, I’m a better me now then I was when I got here and while I’m not perfect by any means… I’m happy with who I am. Which is a third thing I never thought I would say.”
“That’s wonderful!” Lyra replied then leaned forward and gave the other woman a quick hug. “You should tell Twilight about this, she’s always interested in hearing how ponies grow and change.”
She returned the hug for a few moments then disengaged from the mare. “That had never even crossed my mind. I guess it wouldn’t hurt if I talk with her about it next time she renews the translation spell. She is supposed to be watching over me after all.”
“Knowing her, she’s probably grilling Golden Harvest about you every time your back is tuned. Talking with her would at least keep your boss from the trouble of dealing with that.”
Letting out a laugh she nodded her head. “I suppose that would help.”
They fell into silence for a few moments, but that didn’t last very long before Lyra spoke up again. “Other than your friends and family, what else do you miss from your world?”
She had to think about that one for a few seconds. “Well… when I first got here I would have said TV, or cars but after a year it’s the little things. I miss just being able to hang out downtown, that I could meet so many different and odd people. There was this fun ice cream shop just off the light rail that had the craziest flavors, most you wouldn’t even think would work as ice cream.. and some that didn’t.”
“That sounds nice.”
A comfortable silence fell between them, and soon Mary turned to look back out the window, watching the rolling hills passing by them, the distant mountains getting closer by the moment. Apparently the trip had used to be longer but they had put in a bypass after the two had gained a princess. It wasn’t exactly normal for any of the royalty to live outside of Canterlot.
That jogged her memory about something Lyra had said, causing her to look back at her friend. “You said you used to live in Canterlot, so when did you move to Ponyville?”
A dopy smile crossed over face as her ears rocked happily to the side. “I moved around the same time as Twilight did. I was visiting Bon-Bon when Nightmare Moon returned, after that I couldn’t do the long distance relationship anymore, so I moved to be with her. I’ve never regretted it.”
“Is that why I’ve never seen you play a lyre?”
Her smile momentarily turned into a frown before returning to a neutral expression, but the cant of her ears showed that she was bothered by the question. “I still play, but working at the candy shop limits how much time I have. I fear that my skills are not what they once were. I used to play in the Royal Orchestra before I left, and while I do miss performing I don’t regret leaving.”
The look of sadness on her face was clear even to Mary. “I’m sure Bon-Bon is willing to give you the time you need to play, and I know Ponyville has musicians. It’s not an orchestra, but I’m sure ponies would appreciate it. At the very list Ms. Rarity has been talking about having some sort of garden party, you could play for that.”
“I’m not sure…”
“It’s your cutie mark after all, it seems like you shouldn’t ignore it.” That was assuming she was right about what cutie marks actually meant. She had gotten an earful about them from a trio of fillies soon after she had moved to Ponyville, but she couldn’t claim to really understand the subject.
“Maybe, maybe not… but I don’t feel the need to ask.” The look on her face made it clear that she didn’t want to talk about the subject and Mary wasn’t going to press the issue, but did hope that she could hear what the lyre sounded like someday.
* * *
Canterlot was an imposing town, and it wasn’t just the massive castle that seemed to fly over the city around it. The city itself was filled with tightly packed streets and buildings that had built up over the city’s thousand years of existence. It was a tight and busy place that ran down the mountain side like a glacier, piling up against the century old walls at its base. The whole city had a weight to it, one that seemed to permeate every part of it. It made Mary feel like she was being watched.
Well, being watched by those in power. There was always somepony watching her, it was hard to avoid that even as she stepped off the train behind Lyra. The station was under renovation, being expanded to add more platforms to other parts of Equestria.
“So, where do you we need to go?” she asked, as they walked towards the exit of the station, moving along with the flow of ponies.
“To the lower city, come on,” the mare responded as they stepped out into the wide square in front of the station. She started trotting through the crowd with Mary following close after. During her last visit she had mostly spent time inside the castle, so she hardly knew her way around the town. The last thing she wanted to do was get separated from Lyra, though that was less of a problem once they got out of the crowds in the square.
Soon they were heading down a long and winding hill that lead down to the lower part of the city as the noonday sun fell down on them for above. As they went downwards the buildings grew older and the road itself became narrower. While the crowd seemed to be getting heavier out the narrow street forced everypony together making it feel more busy then it was. She was happy when Lrya turned off the street and down a narrow shopping arcade lined with a number of curio and clothing shops. While many of the shopkeepers were ponies there were also a few other species scattered around, including a pair of minotaurs who were almost too tall for the shop and had the tips of their horns corked.
Soon she noticed that the signs of the building has started to change. Instead of the usual curving and curling scrip of the ponies they were sharp lines at right angles. It looked less like words and more like a collection of chicken scratches. Griffons had started to join them on the street, and this time it was Mary’s turn to try and not to stare. She had only seen the griffons at a distance before, this was the first time she had gotten a chance to see them up close. They weren’t just a combination of lions and eagles but of all sorts of different felines and raptors that she couldn’t name. None of them seemed very interested in her, not even giving her a second glance unlike many of the ponies around.
Soon the griffons were outnumbering the ponies as they came to a large open square that surrounded a tall oak tree, the branches spreading out over them and nearly touching the buildings around them. A number of decorations had been hung from the branches, small pieces of paper, gems, and even a couple of lights. While there wasn’t a theme to it there did seem to be a structure, it wasn’t just garbage in the tree but it actually meant something.
She was about to ask Lyra about it when the mare came to a stop and started to look around the square, clearly searching for something.
“Is this where you need to go for you errands?”
There was a moment where the unicorn frowned and looked down at her hooves before focusing back at her friend. “Um… well no, not really. I didn’t really have any errands, I just wanted to cheer you up and you mentioned meat back on the train and I though the griffons might have some.”
Mary dropped down to sit on the grass with her back against the tree. “Thank you, I really needed this even if I didn’t know it at the time. I do feel better and don’t worry about getting me any meat,” she placed a hand around the mare’s shoulder. “You’re a good friend.”
“While we’re here, do you want to go see the palace gardens? I hear the hedge maze is fun.”
“Sure, why not,” she replied, standing back up along with the mare. It wasn’t clear which direction was the best way to get the palace with all the winding streets but Lyra seemed to know where she was going, starting down a different street then they had taken to get to the square.
Mary found herself whistling again, this time though the random notes started to fall into a familiar song, one that she hadn’t thought of since she was in high school. It was oddly comforting to her, even if it did make her feel a bit melancholy. No one seemed to be taking any notice of it, or even her, it was just something that was just her own. It felt kind of nice.
The song was dancing through her head even as she walked past what looked like a pawn shop, just barely noticing what looked like a clarinet propped up in the window. In her a few seconds to register what she was seeing, her steps slowing down before she took a few steps back. “Lyra, wait,” she called to her friend.
She didn’t even wait for her to respond, instead pushed open the wide door and stepped into the shop. The whole place was crowded with bric-a-brac of all sorts leaving only a few narrow walk ways through the clutter. There was an old earth pony stallion behind the counter, his fur mostly silver with a bushy mustache hanging over his lips. He was focused on a book not even looking up as she came in.
“Is that a clarinet?” She asked, pointing to the instrument in the window. It looked like one, the shape was right though it was kind of a marble color then white.
The pony kept reading his book. “That’s what the griffon said it was, I don’t know, can’t play it,” he replied, turning the page with the edge of a hoof.
“Can I take a look at it?”
“Go head,” he replied, still completely disinterested.
Mary reached out and picked the instrument up from the stand. She had played a clarinet all the way through school and the weight felt familiar in her hand. Running her fingers over the keys they seemed to all be in the right place, though felt maybe a little bit further apart but not enough to be an issue. She quickly ran her fingers through a full scale, everything felt right but she wouldn’t know unless she played it.
“That’s a griffon instrument,” Lyra said as she walked through the door.
“I used to play one,” she replied, turning the interment over and looking at the mouth piece, it was the right shape but it was missing a reed.
She turned back to the stallion. “Are there any reeds for this?”
The stallion finally looked up, his eyes going wide when he saw Mary. “Don’t know, there was some wooden bits in the box,” he said, walking over to a shelf full of clutter, digging around with his hoof before pulling out a black case, with a quick flick of his hoof he dropped it onto the counter.
Mary opened the case, finding the familiar outline of the different pieces inside. In addition to that were a few other items, including cloth, a tube of something she assumed was cork grease, a few sheets of music and a small collection of reeds laying loose around the inside.
She pulled out a few of them, quickly finding one that didn’t seemed damaged. She quickly put a reed against the mouth piece, tightening down the leather strap until it was in place. Everything looked right, so she put it to her lips and gave it a quick test, getting a familiar note in response. She went through her scales again, listening to the notes, they sounded exactly as she remembered them. She then followed that up with the opening notes of Smoke on the Water, the familiar tones bringing a smile to her face.
“How much is it?”
“Seventy bits,” the stallion replied, turning back to his book.
“Did the griffon who sold you this sell you anything else?”
He shook his head. “Nope, just the instrument. So, do you want it?”
She looked down at the instrument, still held tightly in her hands, her fingers resting on the familiar keys. It was comfortable feeling, a reminder of the life she once had and that seemed so very far away now. Strangely enough it wasn’t a bad feeling, in fact it made her feel warm inside.
Lyra looked up at the human and smiled. “I think you should buy it.”
“I think you’re right,” she said, then setting the clarinet on the case she fished out the bag of bits and counted out the correct amount, setting them out on the counter. The stallion didn’t even seem to notice until she put the last coin down.
“Thank you,” he said, and gathered up the bits.
“You’re welcome, Scruffy,” she replied, tucking the instrument under her arm and snapping closed the case. There was more of the scratch like writing on the bottom, partly warn away from the wood. She couldn’t read it, the translation spell only covered equine language and not griffon. With the case held tightly in one hand she and Lyra walked out of the shop.
Coming out of the shop she found herself feeling a bit overwhelmed, this was not how she had expected to spend her day. “I need a place to sit down,” she said, looking around the street.
“This way,” her friend said and started trotting down the road. Mary followed after her, still holding tightly to the case and the clarinet. It was made of a fine wood that was smooth and warm in her hand, the keys were probably made of silver but she wasn’t sure, but they contrasted with the color of the wood.
A short distance down the road was a small park tucked between two buildings. It wasn’t very populated, with griffons sunning themselves near a shrub row. There were a pair of unicorns sitting on the grass, sharing a picnic with a lion and a lioness. On the other side of the park a pair of pegasus parents were teaching a young colt how to hover, something that he was putting his all into.
She and Lyra walked over to a bunch that was in the shade of a small tree and sat down. Mary took clarinet in her hand, turning it in her fingers. She took her time to check the joins, finding them tight enough but still able to move them. The thumb rest was larger than she had expected, but it worked well enough.
“When did you play?” Lyra asked, taking her familiar position on the bench next to her.
“When I was in school everyone had to learn some sort of instrument and I decided on a clarinet. I was hoping for an electric guitar but they didn’t offer that,” she mused softly, looking down the length of the instrument.
With a nod, the unicorn looked closer at the instrument. “I’ve never heard one of these before. I never played with a griffon orchestra.”
Mary smiled to her friend. “I would be happy to show you,” she replied then placed the mouthpiece on her lips. She paused for a moment before starting to play the song she had been whistling before. It was one of her favorite songs, and she had been excited when she had found some fan-made notation for it online. It came easily to her, almost without even having to think, the first few notes hanging in the air for a moment before she had even really thought of them.
She played through the first part of the piece, it the music floating around her in the space between the notes. Without even thinking she closed her eyes, allowing the music to take her as she played along with it, the sound of it growing with every measure she played. Each note was like an old familiar friend returned to her after a long absence. Lost and yet found again.
The song transitioned to the second part of the piece, the tone of the music changing, almost singing along with itself as she played it. It rose and fell, bobbing like a leaf in the wind. She could almost feel it around her, lifting her and filling the small park. It sounded like more than just her clarinet, and even though it was missing the accompaniment of other instruments the music still sounded whole.
Mary found herself drifting back to the first time she had played the song, hidden in the small corner of the band room after school with a printout of the music. She had only been playing for a few weeks and this was so far beyond her but she wanted to play the song. The first few tries were terrible, her fingering and timing were all off and it was a muddled squeaky mess. It was discouraging but she never gave up, every day she tried to play once again, and each day the music became more real and alive. Each note and measure slowly came into focus as she played until the song was whole.
As the last note faded away she smiled, letting the clarinet fall from her lips. The song had felt perfect in every respect, more than it had ever been before. Slowly she opened her eyes to look at her friend and was shocked to see that not only was Lyra staring at her, ever other being in the park was as well. There were even a number of squirrels lined up on the tree looking down on her with stunned expressions.
“Was it good?” she asked in a sheepish voice, almost wilting at all the attention.
“It was beautiful,” Lyra replied, a sentiment that everyone else seemed to share as they all started to speak at once.
She found herself blushing at all the attention. “Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
One of the griffons cocked his head to the side, looking at her with one close eye. “I’ve never heard that piece before. It’s not griffon music, is it?”
She shook her head.
“Do you know anything else?” the young colt asked, his wings fluttering so fast that it lifted him off of his hooves.
“I do,” she replied. “Would you like to hear some?”
There was a general sound of affirmation around the crowd which had moved in a bit closer to the bench. Everyone was watching her and for the first time since she had arrived in Equestria it wasn’t because of what she was. It was a new and wonderful experience for her.
She gave Lyra a smile as she licked her lips. “I think I can still play Rhapsody In Blue,” she said then taking in a deep breath and started playing, easily playing the trill and the long slide up the scale. The crowd sat enraptured as she played, watching as she worked through the familiar music, enjoying every second of it.
By the time she had finished the piece a trio of other musicians had joined them in the park and started to play along with the next piece. Soon it turned into an impromptu orchestra performance as others joined them including a unicorn playing an ocarina, an earth pony with a cello, another griffon playing a flute and even a zebra with a large drum. It was quite the eclectic group yet somehow it worked together. For a short time she simply forgot everything that had happened to her, and simply allowed the music to carry her along to a better place.
Author's Note
Now with some story notes!
I'm not the biggest fan of human in Equestria stories, they all seemed to fall into the same two or three story lines, usually with the human ended up as best friends with the mane six or the princesses. So I wanted to try something that felt a bit different and have Mary end up as a background pony. I don't know how different it really is, but I like how it turned out.
Time wise, Mary would have arrived in Equstria shortly after Rainbow Rocks, putting this story near the end of 5th season.
I'm not sure if there will be other stories with Mary, I'm not sure what I could say about her that wouldn't feel like rehashing something someone else has said. But you never know, if I get a good idea I might run with.
The piece Mary was playing was Nausicaä Requiem, from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. While I can't find anyone doing the clarinet version online (which does exist) I did find a lovely version played on a flute.
