Chapter 8 - Sun-Mare Oranges

You find yourself walking through the everfree forest, the moon high over the night sky. You look back to your notes to recall the ingredients you came for. With the information firmly memorized, you switch your notes out for a map and a makeshift compass.

"According to my notes, most of the ingredients can be found close to the edge of the forest." You remind yourself.

Walking past trees and through bushes, you walk deeper and deeper into the forest. Your trek finally bears fruit when you come across the first ingredient. "There you are." You remark as you pluck and inspect your prize before placing it in your saddle bag. "One down, and the Apples made this sound dangerous."

You look behind yourself to see any hint of the outside world vanish as the forest seems to expand and surround you all at once. As your breath quickens, you turn your head from one end of the forest to another trying to find an exit. You hear rustling in the bushes and quickly turn in an attempt to find what made the noise. "Whose there?"

With an understanding of how stupid it was to give away your position like that rushing to your brain, you immediately fall to the ground as silently as you can and hide amongst the grass as timber wolves seemingly jump out of nowhere and begin to survey the area.

"Timber wolves." You think to yourself. "Like from Granny Smiths story?" Filled with fear and tears beginning to form in your eyes, you begin to recall her tale and think what might come of you. Before you can fall any deeper into despair you shake your head furiously. "No. I have to get out of this."

You begin searching for an escape and find a far off cave. "If I can make it there I can cast some fire spells on them without fear of the others taking me from the sides." With a plan in mind, you teleport as close to the cave as you can before making a run for it as fast as you can manage."

No need to look behind you, it takes only a few howls and the sound of wooden paws beating the ground to know you are being followed. Luckily you had teleported close enough to the cave that it took only moments for you to reach the entrance and begin casting fire spells at the timber wolves, making short work of them.

After you feel you are safe enough, you plop your flank to the cave floor for a well deserved rest and let out a sigh of relief. "Maybe coming out here on my own wasn't such a great idea after all." Unfortunately you would not get to ponder this much longer, as you hear from behind you, the breathing of what you can only presume is a large creature.

You stand to your hooves and turn your body to see what is behind you. Standing there only less than a yard in front of you is a giant bear made of stars. Before you can say or do anything, a pony dressed in black with a black hooded robe walks in from behind the ursa. "So you managed to make quick work of my timber wolves did you?" She askes in a surprisingly melodic voice.

You step back only fear resulting from hearing such a voice. "It can't be."

"Oh but it can." She says as she takes off her hood to reveal herself as none other than Princess Celestia. She points her hoof at you accusingly. "Get the clone!" With a terrifying roar, the Ursa lunges at you claws first.

You scream at the top of your lungs as you sit up in your bed. Before you can calm down, you hear running coming from outside your room as the door shoots open, Silver Smith bursting into your room. "What happened?" He asks with concern on his face.

You finally begin to calm down as realisation sets in. "I just had a nightmare is all." With a forced smile, you try to convince him that it's no big deal. Unfortunately, the tears falling from your eyes give away your true feelings about your situation.

Unconvinced, Silver Smith turns to his wife. "Do you think you can help her, I imagine it would be easier for her to work through this with a little girl time."

Silver Sales gives a confident nod. "Of course dear."

As Silver Sales enters the room Silver Smith looks to his own foals who had come to see what the noise was about. "As for you two, it's almost morning, so we might as well start getting ready."

With a scowl Polished Silver leaves to her room as Silver Shade looks to his father. "Is she going to be okay?" Silver Shade asks.

"Don't worry son. She just had a nightmare. Now go get ready for school." With a nod Silver shade leaves for his room.

Silver Sales conjures a hoofkerchief to wipe away your tears. "Would you mind making some room for me?" You scoot to the side of the bed and Silver Sales lays herself beside you before opening her forlegs, inviting you to snuggle. "Care to talk about it?" She asks as you embrace her.

"Remember how Silver Smith told me not to go in the forest?" You ask.

"That was a dream. What we do in dreams is of little concern to reality."

"I know. I just ment that I still had thoughts of going anyway."

"Are those thoughts still there?"

You end your embrace and lay yourself back into Silver Sales before fidgeting with your hooves. "Kind of." You admit. "But they aren't as loud anymore."

"Good." She praises.

"Princess Celestia attacked me in my dream. I think I felt betrayed, and I don't understand why."

"Well, I'd feel pretty betrayed too if the princess attacked me for no reason."

"But I don't even know her. And I don't think I've been around long enough to see her as much of anything yet, have I?"

"Maybe it's because of memories Sunset passed onto you." She provides as she leaves the bed. "Now why don't we get you in the shower so you can wash the rest of those bad thoughts away."

You hop out of bed with a chuckle and a nod. "Yes Ma'am."

Silver Sales opens the door, steps out of your room and points down the hall. "The bathroom is just over there." She then looks your way quizzically. "Do you know how to use a shower Twin-Sun?"

"Sunset's dad had a maid give me a bath before I came to your place. Are showers any different?"

"They are similar." After teaching you to turn the shower on and off she then leaves for the door. "Expect me and my husband to be gone when you get out. And please try to get along with our daughter."

"Yes ma'am." You agree before Silver Sales leaves you to your shower.

As you step out of the bathroom refreshed and ready for the day, you smell an aroma that leads you to the kitchen where you find Polished Silver and Silver Shade eating pancakes. You sit in front of a free plate of the sweet breakfast item you presume to be for you before plunging your fork in for the first bite.

"Good aren't they?" Asks Silver Shade.

You give a nod of agreement. "Very."

"The day spa doesn't open till 10:00 AM." Polished Silver explains. "On the other hoof, the library opens at 8:00 AM. I'd rather relax at the spa before we head to the library." She then stares in your direction. "If you want to go to the library first, we leave at 10:00 and we won't be going back." At this she looks back to her food and takes a bite.

"I don't think I'll need a lot of time." You answer. "I know the kind of book I need, and I'll just ask for help finding it."

Polished Silver gives an annoyed sigh. "Fine. Just remember, we won't be going back, so you'd better find what you want before 10:00. And if your just getting 1 book, I'll let you use my library card so we can leave as soon as possible." Polished Silver looks to Silver Shade as he finishes his last pancake. "You better get going before your late Silver Shade."

Silver Shade swallows the last of his orange juice before hopping off the chair and walking to a nearby closet. "Bye Oranges. See you later."

"Oranges?" You ask.

"Yeah, cause if you put two suns together, they look like oranges."

Polished Silver bursts out laughing. "Oranges. that's the perfect nickname for you. I don't know why I hadn't thought of it."

You give a huff and look back at Silver Shade who opens the closet door and walks inside. "Silver Shade, what are you doing?" You exclaim as you run over to see him step on a small round platform in the middle of said closet.

"Bye Oranges." Silver Shade waves before you watch him vanish right before your eyes.

You look back to Polished Silver in surprise. "You weren't kidding when you said he was good with magic. He just teleported. And at his age."

Polished Silver rolls her eyes. "C'mon Oranges. Don't tell me you've never heard of a teleport pad. Surely your dad has one."

"Stop calling me Oranges. And how many times do I have to tell you I'm not Sunset?"

Polished Silver folds her hooves together. "I don't see why I should believe you are who you say you are unless you can give me proof. And I'm not gonna stop calling you Oranges, it's just too perfect a nickname for the so called Twin-Sun Shimmer."

Author's Note

I hope you all like oranges. I rewrote some of this chapter to make things line up better.