Nothing's More Important

Justin trotted through the village, pausing to wave or greet a pony on the way. "Oh, these two? They're my mares." He emphasized the word with a grin, perhaps taking pride in his find.

Alice seemed quite happy at such introductions, and used the opportunities to close on the ponies in question and sniff them a bit, while saying hello. As more and more ponies survived the process unscathed, the rest became somewhat less skittish around her, but it was a matter of degrees.

Finally, they reached the grocer’s shop, Peachy Keen’s Fresh Foods. The owner, a peach colored mare with pink mane and a filled paper bag cutie mark, welcomed them to her store. “So these are the outlandish mares you came back with, Justin? I’d heard word, but seeing is quite another thing! Super keen to meet you both!”

He held out a hoof towards Peachy for a bump. "Peachy! It's been a while." It had been a whole three days. "Good to see you. We have a big list of supplies to get through today."

“Great! Let me see!” she requested, as she bumped his hoof, and promptly absconded with his list. “Oh, fish? That’s a new one for you, but I certainly have a bit in stock. Is this going to be a regular thing?” she asked, looking pointedly at the wolf.

“Yes, please,” Alice said. “Every day, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“N-nothing’s too much trouble to keep you fed and happy, ma’am,” Peachy said, a hint of nervousness slipping past her cheery facade as she began filling the order, starting with the fish.

Justin gently nudged her with a hoof. "Relax, she's an amazingly friendly pony, er, wolf, pony wolf." He wagged his tail. "Being my mare makes her at least part pony."

“I promise not to bite you,” Alice said somberly. “Ever.”

“It looks like she bit you, though, Justin,” Peachy objected.

“That’s different. That’s because he’s my stallion. I marked him, cause he’s mine,” Alice said.

Justin coughed into a hoof. "That was… playing. You know, like romance books."

“Oh!” Peachy said, giggling emphatically. “Well, I guess I’m safe there, then! Here’s your groceries,” she said, before quoting a price.

Justin reached for his money… to realize he left it back in the human world and turned pale. "Shoot! I left my money… Can I get you back for this in a few days? You know I'm good for it."

“Where… oh! It’s back at my house!” Amelia realized. “We just left all kinds of things behind, didn’t we?”

“Alright, Justin, I’ll start your tab back up again,” Peachy said, still eying Alice a bit nervously, perhaps because of her toothy grin. “Can’t let you and your mares go hungry. Pay me back when you can.”

“Thanks, Peachy,” Alice said with a grin, before picking up one of the bags in her mouth. Amelia grabbed another two with her hands, leaving the last bag for Justin to pick up.

Justin snatched it up and spoke around his full snout, "I'll get it back to you as soon as I can. You're the best, thanks!" He hefted up the bag and trotted towards the door with his prize, already considering what jobs he could do around town to earn the money back.

With the timing Equestria was known for, a yellow pegasus mare with black mane and a pot of honey as her cutie mark showed up. “Justin, you’re back! I’ve been looking for you all day yesterday. Do you have any more of that stuff that calms the bees down?” Honeysuckle asked sweetly. “They’ve been so upset since that mean old bear came around again.”

“Do you need help convincing the bear to stay away?” Alice offered.

Justin bobbed his head quickly. "I could have a batch brewed up in just an hour, Honey. What bear?"

“A big brown bear came and stole a bunch of honey from my poor bees. It damaged their hives, and upset them all terribly, and now they won’t even let me get close. I want to help, but they won’t let me, poor frightened things,” Honeysuckle explained. “Your stuff helped so much last time they were upset, I just hope it’s enough this time.”

“You know the way there, Justin? We’ll be by as soon as we can. I might be able to help calm them if Justin’s alchemy isn’t enough. And I’m sure I can convince the bear not to come back and trouble them again,” Alice said. Finally, something in her element!

Justin swiveled an ear at Alice. "Peacefully, of course. I'm on the way!" He moved to trot from the store as he muttered ingredients required for the bee-calming potion he'd need to have on-hoof before approaching the hive or their bear menace.

“Of course,” Alice confirmed. “But it’s good to be able to take him or her in a fight. Predators can sense fear or confidence, and react accordingly. And they might try to pick a fight. I won’t bite first, but I won’t back down or lose. Though… bears can be quite painful to fight with,” she admitted.

Justin paused and set his bag down a moment. "You've fought bears before?" He shook his head. "Of course you have. My darling warrior mate, you don't cease to amaze and terrify your stallion." He snatched the bag back up and quickly made his way back home.

Alice simply nodded and wagged. “No need to be scared of me. You’re mine. I’ll protect you from anything.”

“If it’s any consolation, she scares me a bit too sometimes,” Amelia said to Justin in a bit of a ‘stage whisper’.

Justin giggled but didn't slow. Once he arrived at home and set his things aside, he got to shoving things away hastily. "I hope you realize I don't mean anything bad by that. I knew you were scary when I first made you mine, and I love you just as you are, terrifying and all."

Alice shrugged. “I’m a wolf, I’m supposed to be scary. It’s not insulting to me. It’d be like me saying you’re smart. That doesn’t offend you, does it?” She nuzzled him gently, then whispered. “Or pointing out how ‘big’ of a male you are.~”

Justin gently colored with her statement and his tail began to sway. "If we didn't have a job ahead of us…" He gave her an approving look before he finished putting everything away, then hurried along to the small lab attached to his house. He soon had things boiling and other things being grounded under his patient hooves.

Amelia busied herself cleaning the little house, and finding places to store her things. The house had been a bachelor’s house, and it showed, but it wouldn’t by the time she was done. But Alice joined him in his lab, watching curiously while giving him room to work, not wanting to slow him down. Rather than ask questions, she sniffed everything as he went, seeing what strange foreign plants he was using.

Many were similar to earth plants, but some didn't have straight copies, just as he had been amazed at the new species he had seen. Without asking he sighed. "I wish I had gotten some seeds from your grove. Ah well, you can't go back in time." He held up a vial with triumph. "This should solve the bee problem. It won't make the bear any easier to deal with, however."

“I’ll talk to the bear,” Alice promised. “I’m sure we can get him to cooperate. Do you think Honeysuckle would be willing to offer him some of her honey? He was probably just hungry. It’d be a lot better to give him a bit here and there then have him try and take it himself.”

He quickly bobbed her head. "If he's hungry, sharing food would be a good idea. Only a few ponies are so attuned to bears that they can talk to them straight up, and only one pony I've ever heard of could just talk to any animal, and she's not here." He tucked the vial away on his belt and moved for the door. "Coming, Amelia? We should be back soon if all goes well."

Amelia set aside her work and nodded, joining them on the way out. “The rest of the cleaning will wait. I can't be hiding in the house all day if I want other ponies to get used to me."

The trip to Honeysuckle's home was quick and uneventful. The house itself, however, was abuzz with excitement. The yellow pony had a half dozen beehives spread about her yard, surrounded by a fairly impressive flower garden, and neighboring a large orchard. The garden had suffered a rather destructive stomping, and the hives had large claw marks, hidden behind clouds of angry bees.