Gossip Spreads Quick

“I want you to promise me you won’t got into the woods,” Carrot Top sat Noi down at the dining room table. “Under any circumstances, am I clear young lady?”

“Yes Mother,” Noi propped her head up with a hoof. “I already know this. Why are you telling me again?”

“Because that creepy pony returned again yesterday and I’m making sure you remember. Even if she didn’t, I’d still tell you even if you already know. The forest is dangerous as heck. You came from me,” Carrot Top pressed her hoof into her filly’s chest. “You are the best part of me. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”

“Mom, you’re embarrassing me,” Noi grumbled and Carrot Top chuckled as she sat back down.

“That’s part of being a mom. Mom did the same to me but not as bad as dad did. Dad used to embarrass the heck out of me,” Carrot smiled fondly at a picture of her parents on a book shelf. “We should go visit them sometime soon. You’ve gotten big. Last time they saw you was when I had just got done giving birth and they visited me at the hospital.”

“Ooh,” Noi mused and gave her mom puppy dog eyes. “Can we go see them in Canterlot? Pleaseee?”

“We will see kiddo,” Carrot Top chuckled and rubbed her mane. “Now head on up to bed and I’ll be up to tuck you in after I talk to Aunt Shoeshine.”

“Okay mom. Goodnight Aunt Shoeshine!” Noi called out and waved. Shoeshine was sitting on the couch lazily with a wine glass in front of her and a bowl of popcorn as she watched some movie from a projector.

“Night kiddo. Sleep well!” Shoeshine called back and chewed on some popcorn with a lazy wave of her own. Shoeshine yawned as Noi trotted up to her room and Carrot Top joined her. “So, Aunt Shoeshine, huh?”

“Yeah. I mean, you’re an honorary member of my family. Even Momma and Daddy say so. Noi called you it randomly a few days ago in conversation with Dinky and Skeedaddle,” Carrot Top answered and stole a sip from the red wine, licking her lips with a content sigh.

Based on the taste, she figured out Berry Punch bottled it. Berry Punch’s wines had a unique, sweet after taste. Primarily the bottles she teamed up to make with Strawberry Sunrise.

A bit too sweet for Carrots liking, but as usual with most of Berry’s products it was a hit in the town.

“Gonna spend time with Screw Loose tomorrow afternoon so I won’t be home for lunch,” Shoeshine broke the silence and snatched her wine back.

“Have fun. Tell her hi for me,” Carrot Top nodded and stretched out her hind legs and forelegs with a content groan. “Alright, I’m gonna go check on Noi and settle her down for bed. Have a goodnight Shoeshine.”

“Night.”

Carrot Tops hoof steps echoed as she continued walking up the stairs till she reached a brown door with some lopsided stickers slapped on it.

She pushed the door open after knocking and Noi froze, train in hoof as she glanced up at her.

“You’re supposed to be in bed waiting for me, not playing with your toys young lady,” Carrot Top scowled down at her. “Bed. Now.”

Noi grumbled incoherently before tossing the few toys she had taken out into her toy box and felt Carrot pushing her flank onto the bed.

“Thanks.”

Carrot Top made a mental note to lower the bed so Noi could at least climb up there on her own as she she bit the blanket and draped it over the filly.

“What book are we reading tonight?” Carrot Top asked and picked up a book that was sitting on the edge of the bed. “The Filly In The Cupboard? Again, Noi? Aren’t you tired of this book?”

“I love it. You said you got it read to you when you were my age. Can you imagine if I had a cupboard that brought all my toys to life? That’d be amazing!”

“It would be something. Maybe they would put themselves away after being played with,” Carrot Top teased as the filly blushed.

Carrot would never say it out loud, but she had the same hopes as her daughter when she was her age. The irony of the realization didn’t escape as she snickered softly to herself.

“Did you get the same talk from Miss Hooves last night?” Noi asked and took another bite of her sandwich. She, Dinky, Ruby and Liza sat under a tree as they ate their lunch.

“If you mean the conversation of being careful of not talking to strangers, then yeah,” Dinky confirmed after swallowing her peanut butter sandwich.

“I meant about not going into the Everfree unsupervised or well, in general,” Noi corrected and Dinky scrunched up her muzzle.

“No? But that’s common sense,” Dinky snorted and rolled her eyes.

“Exactly!” Noi cried and flung her forelegs up. “She’s treating me like I’m eight.”

“You are eight though,” Liza pointed out dryly after a minute and ignored the glare Noi sent her. “And same here. Mom talked to me about it too. I’ve never seen Mom that serious before. Or Aunt Bon Bon, for that matter.”

“Lyra? Being serious?” Ruby scoffed and laid on her back. “Get real. She’s the second most carefree mare in town.”

Liza resisted the urge to make a snarky comment strictly because well, she didn’t have one set up and ready to go. She’d probably think of one hours from now. Most likely when Lyra was tucking her into bed.

“I could say the same about your mom,” Noi shot back and raised an eyebrow at Ruby. “Berry Punch is pretty chill and laid back too.”

“Sure as heck wasn’t the other day,” Ruby grumbled and levitated a rock in front of her face to examine it before tossing it aside carelessly. “She was ranting for an hour about me needing to be careful when the Unknown One enters town.” Ruby wagged her hooves in the air as quotation marks. “That’s actually how she referred to that pony, by the way. The Unknown One.”

Noi and Dinky both giggled as they all listened to some shouting and turned to look. Scootaloo was staring down Diamond Tiara as the other filly laid on the ground holding her nose.

“Well, looks like Scootaloo gave Diamond Tiara a lesson,” Liza allowed a cruel grin to spread across her muzzle. “Serves that bitch right.”

“You know Lyra would wash your mouth out with soap if she ever heard you talking lot that?” Dinky pointed out and paled. “I don’t even want to imagine what my mom would do to me if she heard me curse.”

“I heard her say it when she fell down the stairs. If she can say, I can say it,” Liza answered and received a few doubtful looks.

“I’m not sure if works like that,” Ruby mused after moment. “And I’m not so sure Scootaloo is gonna get out of it unsca- uncat? Unharmed!”

She pointed at Cheerilee moving to the two fillies faster than the entire class had ever seen her move with a scowl on her face.

For not the first time, the four fillies were glad to not have Cheerilee angry at them.