Swift Wanderings

I awoke the next morning, packed my things, and trotted towards Vanhoover. It only took me a few hours to reach the city. It was a bustling sea of legs, reminding me of just how short I was.

Which was really short. I was maybe a bit taller than your average foal, before they had their growth spurt. I cantered along a street, hunting for a cheap place to stay the night. I could always camp out, but a bed would be nice after so many days of feeling the ground from underneath my blankets.

Unfortunately, luck was not on my side today. Everything I found costed upwards of thirty five bits per night.

Camping it is, then.

With that out of the way, I headed to the city market. A nice gentlecolt had given me directions, so I knew where to go, ev,\en with such an unfamiliar environment. I needed about forty days’ rations in dried fruits, and possibly jerky, so I needed to start hunting for some grub.

Luckily for me, dried fruits were very cheap. At about two bits for one days’ rations being the national average. Unluckily, being tiny meant ponies thought that I was an idiot foal, and easily conned out of a few bits, if not first weirded out by my appearance.

A mare with a lavender coat and pink mane leaned over me. She smelled of cheap perfume. “Now, sweetie, what in Equestria does a little foal like you need that much fruit for?”

I sighed, rummaging through my saddlebags. “Miss, I’m twenty-five. I’m just really, really, short.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Now, sweetheart, you really shouldn’t lie-”

“You might want to rethink that once I find- Aha!” I said. I pulled out a small plastic card. It read:
Swift Traveling
Gender: F
Age: 25

I tapped it, and it shone with a golden glow, responding to my unique magical signature. I grinned internally, watching as the mare’s eyes widened. “Are you ready to bargain with me like a mare?”

Realizing that I wasn’t offended, as this happened to me quite often (like I said before), she smiled devilishly. “Been a good long while since I had a real barginer.”

I walked away from the stand, exhausted but satisfied, forty days’ rations filling my left saddlebag, seventy-five bits poorer.

It was early afternoon, so I decided to hunt around for a magic shop. I quickly found one. It was smaller, but fairly popular, as there were three scholarly-looking unicorns browsing the shelves.

On the outside of the window, a small sign advertised magic item recharging for fairly cheap. I pushed open the door. A bell pleasantly tinkled, announcing my arrival. The unicorn behind the counter looked up at me, taking in my small stature, green cloak, saddlebags, and hat.

“Hello miss.” he said. “What can I do for you?” He obviously was curious about my person, but assumed I might leave if he said anything. Quite clever of him.

I trotted up to the counter, sliding off my saddlebags, wondering if he thought I was in some kind of costume. “There’s a class 5 refuelable dimensional transcendence enchantment on my saddlebags. It’s Starswirlian, so I think you should be able to refuel it quickly.”

He looked surprised. “How do you know all this? No offense, Ma’am, but that’s some fairly obscure knowledge right there. Those bags are pretty new, so that enchantment cannot be older than you.”

“I make sure to be familiar with all of my equipment.” I stated. “As for how I got ahold of it, a fairly powerful unicorn owed me a favor.”

“Well then, this shouldn’t take more than five minutes. Are you okay with waiting?”

I nodded. “I’m fine. Do you have a place I could sit down?”

He waved towards a plush chair. “That should be fine.”

I sat and waited. True to his word, the unicorn was back within five minutes. He was sweating. “That t-took a bit m-more out o-of me than I thought.”

I gave him a concerned look. “Here, sit down.” When he protested, I got up, and tapped him. He instantly collapsed into the chair.

He grinned weakly. “M-maybe that was a good idea.”

I shared a few of my apple slices, paid him, and left. Once they hear how fast my bags charge, they assume it doesn’t need much energy, either. He’d be fine, though, as long as he relaxed for a while.

It was getting dark out. I jogged towards the forest. By the time I reached a suitable spot, it was nearly dark. I pitched the tent, lit a fire, and my dinner. When I curled up in bed, I pulled the picture of Joy out.

“Goodnight.” I told her perfect face. “I love you.”

The next morning, when I rolled out of bed, a realization hit me. “Sweet Celestia, I’m broke.”

I took down my tent, but I marked the campsite on my map for future use. Time to go back to my roots.

My mother’s grandmother’s whole family was about storytelling. Grandma told Ma the same stories that she told me. Now, I’m going to entertain, and make money. I walked into town, and looked for a quiet place that still had some hoof traffic.

I sat down, and began to weave a tale. “Once upon a time…”

There were gasps, and screams, giggles, and shouts, and not an eye in the crowd was dry. I turned to go, but a small hoof grabbed me. A little filly, she couldn’t have been more than three, placed a bit in hoof. “Tell me another?” She asked.

I sat and wove another tale. And another, eventually, I lost count. Everypony was laughing by the end. “And that’s why pigs can’t fly.”

My bit bag was overflowing. I yawned. It was nearly dark. “I’m sorry, everypony, but I need to go.”

“Awww…”

I galloped off. While I was not normally a particularly fast pony, I could be if I really wanted to. Just outside of Vanhoover, I pitched my tent.

I ate dinner, and removed my cloak, the hoodless cover sliding easily and smoothly off. I brushed my mane, tail, and teeth.

I rolled over to go to bed, but I couldn’t. So, I wrote a letter.

Dear Joy,

It’s only been about two weeks, but I still miss you more than anything. I wanted to stay so badly, but I just can’t. I don’t know why, but I need a road under my hooves, and bags on my back to feel like me.

I love you so much,

Swift

I watched the letter burn, like so many of the letters I’d never sent.

“Good night, Joy.”