Heat of the Desert

Morning’s radiant light shined what it could through the closed curtains covering the window to Rarity and Rainbow Dash’s room. The mares themselves awoke rather easily, being as rested as they were from their trip. Rarity decided to open the curtains and let in some light, and she was firmly reminded that she was in Equestria’s outback.

“ My word!” Rarity was bombarded with a massive slab of sunlight unlike anything she’d experienced elsewhere. The blinding amount of light blasting her nearly made her swear that Celestia’s sun was mere inches in front of her, and she fell back out of shock.

Rainbow Dash snapped out of her groggy state when she heard the impact of her friend hitting the floor. “Whoa! You okay, Rare’s?” It was then that she too was greeted by the Austallion sunlight. “Ack! Jeez!” She covered her face as Rarity picked herself up and closed the curtains with her magic.

“Well then! I suppose it’s a good thing we brought those clothes.” Rarity said.

“Yeah. But let’s worry about that later. I think I smell something cooking downstairs!” Dash said excitedly.

Without hesitation, the two went downstairs to find Brekky and an elderly earth pony stallion in the kitchen. Brekky was washing some dishes while the stallion was cooking the breakfast they’d smelled from their room. “Oh! Mo’nin’, you two! Sleep well?” Brekky said.

“Good morning, Brekky! Oh, we slept babies last night.” Rarity said. “Although the sun gave us…..quite the rude awakening.

The stallion wheezily chuckled as he was cooking. “That’s Austallion weather fo’ ya, love. Good ol’ sun is always the first one to jump out n’ tell ya ‘G’day!’.”

“I guess you’re Tucker?” Dash inquired.

Tucker nodded as he plated the breakfast he’d just cooked. “Ow ya goin’?” he greeted. He placed his food on the bar separating his kitchen from the dining room. “Better grab a feed! It’s gonna be another hot one.” He wheezily chuckled.

Rarity and Rainbow Dash sat down at the bar after grabbing some paper plates. While Rarity was more reserved with her proportions and placement of her food, the athletic Rainbow Dash didn’t hesitate to fill her plate with a nice, hearty meal. Brekky then used her horn to pass them some small tea cups and a plastic jar. “Here’s some eucalyptus tea and some vegemite fo’ ya toast, loves.”

“Oh! Thank you, Brekky.” Rarity said. She and Dash took a sip of their tea. It tasted….oddly familiar. They were expecting a more exotic flavor given that they in an exotic place, but it was quite reminiscent of mint with a hint of licorice.

“Huh….I like it.” Rainbow Dash said.

“Oh, yes! What a heavenly yet simple brew.” Rarity.

Brekky giggled. “Good to hear. Give the vegemite a whirl too.”

Rainbow Dash and Rarity took turns spreading the foreign ingredient onto their toast. It’s odd appearance compared to other spreads made it seem a little unappetizing at first, but the tea was just fine, so maybe this was too. Rainbow Dash was the first to take a bite, and was shocked by just how unprepared her palette was. What her taste buds were treated to was a strange mixture of dried vegetables that had been salted with an odd flavor that for some reason reminded her of the cows that lived near Sweet Apple Acres. She cringed a little, but managed to swallow. “Whoa! That’s uh…..that’s new.”

“Oh, darling. Don’t be so rude. I’m sure it tastes just fine.” Rarity said just before taking a bite of her own toast, and she instantly saw what she meant. Shocked by the odd taste, Rarity desperately resisted the urge to spit it out purely out of courtesy to her hosts. However reluctantly, she too swallowed the exotic mixture. “G-Goodness! It um…. Oh dear….”
Tucker wheezily chuckled again. “No drama, loves. If ya not an Aussie, it’s an acquired taste.”

“You’re telling me.” Dash muttered. She nevertheless cleaned her plate, powering through the slice of toast smothered with vegemite while Rarity avoided hers altogether. “Wonder what Pinkie would think of this stuff?” Dash thought to herself.

Just as they were finishing their meal, their heard somepony walk into the kitchen. “ G’day, mum! G’day, dad!” When the two looked over, they were surprised to see that is was Safari Bush! “Well, blimey! If it ain’t the two o’ you! How was ya first night in Austallion?”

“Safari Bush!? What’re you doing here?” Dash inquired.

“Ain’t it obvious? Ah live here too! Brekky n’ Tucker are me folks.” Safari answered.

“You loves met our daughter?” Tucker asked.

“Yes, darling. She directed us when we got off our train.” Rarity explained.

Brekky sighed. “Safari, ya know we don’t like when ya force ponies to come here.”

“Ah didn’t force ‘em, mum! Ah just recommended the place. Besides, I’m just doin’ me job as a tour guide.” Safari Bush argued.

“Don’t give us that piffle, love. Ya gonna overwork us what with all the guests that’ll be coming from every which way but where.” Brekky said.

“Ya let us worry ‘bout the inn, Safari. You’ve the rest of ya life ahead o’ ya, fair dinkum?” Tucker said.

“Ah know, dad, but Ah live here too. We’ve all got some responsibility towards this ol’ place.” Safari said.

“And you’ve responsibility towards Austallion. Mayor Straya wouldn’t have given you the job if ya didn’t love it here and know it like the back o’ ya hoof.” Brekky said.

“Well…. Ah s’pose that’s fair.” Safari said.

Rarity and Rainbow Dash looked at each other, eagerly suspecting that they had found their problem. “How is business here anyway?” Rainbow asked.

“Right n’ dandy, Ah’d say.” Tucker said. “Can’t recall a time we weren’t stable in all the years we’ve had the place open, n’ Safari Bush has been workin’ hard as she could to help us.”

“Sometimes a li’l too hard as ya might guess.” Brekky said with a wry smile. Safari blushed.

“Well, it’s certainly not unwarranted, darling. This is a lovely little establishment you have. We slept just fine and woke up to a scrumptious breakfast. You’re husband’s quite the chef.” Rarity said.

“Ya too kind, love.” Tucker said. “Say, what brought you two down under anyway?”

Rarity and Rainbow Dash explained how they had been sent by the Cutie Map at Twilight’s castle to solve a friendship problem that had apparently brewed in the outback. Explaining just how the map was supposed to work, at least according to their experiences with was a bit awkward. “Err…..not sure Ah rightly follow, but Ah s’pose we’ll play along.” Safari Bush said.

“Does anything in particular come to mind? If you know this place as well as you claim, then surely you’d be the pony to ask.” Rarity inquired.

“Well, it’s not my parents and I. I can promise ya that.” Safari answered.

Rainbow then thought of something. “Say….there was a big picture of a family upstairs that looked like it was taken a long time ago. Is that you guys in it?”

Brekky nodded. “That it is, love. Myself, me husband, Safari Bush, and her brother, Lightnin’ Strike.”

This caught the mares’ attention. “You have a brother? Well, where is he?” Rarity inquired.

“He doesn’t live here.” Safari answered. “He…….lives with his marefriend…” her tone turned slightly sorrowful, and her parents seemed to follow suit with their expressions.

Rainbow Dash grimaced. “Miss him?”

Tucker sighed. “We do. He comes to see us every so often, and we’ve never had any problems with him.”

“He’s just the sweetest boy.” Brekky said gloomily. “But holdin’ ya sprogs back is about as cruel as kickin’ ‘em out into the blisterin’ desert altogether.”

“We all wants best fer him, and he wants the best fer us.” Safari said.

“What does he do?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“He err….. Well, it’d be bloody difficult explainin’ it to a couple o’ yanks who haven’t been here before.” Safari said. “Tell ya what, let me tour ya through town so can spot ya little ‘friendship problem’. Once ya get a better feel for Austallion, Ah think Ah’d be able to explain it better. Who knows? We might bump into the ol’ bastard anyway.”

Rarity and Rainbow winced at what Safari had just called her brother despite speaking no ill of him. “Darling! I thought you held your brother dear!”

Safari cocked her head. “Err…..Ah do, love.”

“But you just called him a bastard.” Dash pointed out.

Safari facehooved. “Bloody yobbo travellers…” she muttered under her breath. “That’s a nice thing to say ‘bout somepony ‘round here, love.” She explained.

“Oooooooh!” Rainbow and Rarity said simultaneously.

“R-Right then. Let’s get on with the tour. Fair dinkum?” Safari said. Once again, Rarity and Rainbow weren’t sure what to make of her phraseology. “Ugh! Just follow me, will ya?” She said as she led the two out of the kitchen.

As they exited the kitchen, Brekky creased an amused smile and shook her head. “Bless that mare’s heart…”