Guardian of the Hearthfire

Guardian of the Hearthfire

Ch 3:

Fall Friendships

The streets of Ponyville were nearly empty. Many of the shopkeepers were closing their stalls early, to watch the Running of the Leaves. The only shop still open was Sugercube Corner which continued to get a steady stream of customers. Ophelia stayed close to Fluttershy, her head hung low, too preoccupied to wonder where everypony had gone. So much had happened that day that she didn’t really know what was going on. All she did know were her mother’s final words, which echoed through her head.

I will find you little one...one day.

Why can’t it be now? All Ophelia wanted was to have everything to go back to normal, to be with her family, to play with Moonbeam in the pond near her house. She wanted to hear her mom’s singing again, to hug her daddy and have him spin her around. Overcome with memories, Ophelia plopped down in the middle of the street. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. Her life felt like it had been turned into a raging river, and she was just struggling to keep her muzzle above the water. The welling tears spilled silently from her eyes. She didn’t know how long it took, but just as Ophelia felt like she could cry no more she felt a hoof raise her head. She looked into Fluttershy’s blue eyes and saw soft kindness there. She sniffled as Fluttershy wiped a tear from her cheek.

“Everything will be alright, Ophelia. Twilight will figure it out, and you’ll be home with your family in no time,” Fluttershy assured her, as she wrapped Ophelia in a warm embrace.

After a moment, Ophelia slowly returned the embrace, her fears and troubles washing away. She really is the Daughter of Kindness, whatever that is, she thought. She still wished her mommy hadn’t sent her away, but she was grateful that it had been to Fluttershy. For the first time since appearing on the yellow pegasus’ doorstep, Ophelia smiled. She looked into Fluttershy’s blue eyes and breathed a silent “thank you”. The pegasus returned the smile, then let her go so they could stand up. The two of them continued through the market. Feeling a little more secure, Ophelia strayed a small distance from Fluttershy to look at the fall decorations. “What is the town celebrating?” she asked.

“The Running of the Leaves,” Fluttershy replied, hesitating a little.

Ophelia cocked her head. “What’s that?”

“It’s a Ponyville tradition,” Fluttershy said, her voice fast and high. Ophelia thought she might be nervous about something. “Ponies race through the woods so the leaves will fall.”

“Oh.” Ophelia said, looking back at the decorations.

“Don’t they have a Running in Nightingale?” Fluttershy asked.

“I don’t know,” said Ophelia, shuffling her forehoof against the ground. “My mommy and daddy keep me at home. They clear the trees near our house with magic,” she added.

“Well then, will you watch the race with me?” Fluttershy smiled down at the filly.

Ophelia smiled excitedly and scampered down the road.

====SSS====

Iron Luck sat at his desk, two large stacks of paperwork flanking him. A single sheet sat in front of him, a report from an operative in Manehatten. He had been trying to read it for the past ten minutes, but couldn’t concentrate. He was about to try again when a knock rang at his door. “Go away,” he said, pulling another report down from the stack on his left. Maybe it would be easier to read. Nevertheless, a voice came from outside. “Um...Sir, may I come in?”

Iron Luck barked at the door. “Can’t you tell I’m busy, I have a lot of work to—” the door swung open and an earth pony mare poked her light blue head into the office. Iron Luck coughed contritely. That could only be Night Lily. “Sorry...please come in,” he said. She looked around the room, then did as he had asked.

“Are you all right?” Night Lily asked, taking a seat across from him.

“No, I’m not,” he said, shaking his head. “Though I’m glad you came.”

“What’s wrong, Iron Luck?” she asked.

“I feel awful, Night Lily. I don’t know what to do,” Iron Luck sighed, massaging his brown temples with his hooves. “Scarlet has Dragon Lily and our daughter, and she used me to capture my best friend,” he whispered.

Night Lily gave him a long look, her deep purple eyes unblinking. “Well,” she said quietly, “are you going to do anything about it?”

Iron Luck shook his head, “it’s impossible.  Too many ponies here are loyal to Scarlet.”

Night Lily took Iron Luck’s chin in her hoof and made him look at her. “There must be something we can do. Dragon Lily’s my big sister. I’m not giving up on her, and I’m not letting you give up on her either.”

“No!” Iron Luck tore his head away and slammed his hooves on desk. He breathed deeply then continued, fighting to keep his voice low. “Stop that kind of talk! What if we’re overheard?”

“We won’t be,” Night Lily replied laying her hoof on top of his. “I’m tired of being afraid, tired of wondering if my sister is even alive. We have to do something.” The blue earth pony’s eyes burned with a fierce defiance. “Or Scarlet will have us running in fear for the rest of our lives.”

“Silver and Crystal are in the lower dungeon,” whispered Iron Luck, Night Lily’s passion spurring him to action despite his doubts, “but I don’t know where Scarlet is keeping Dragon Lily and Moonbeam.”

“Leave that to me,” she said, smiling confidently. “I’m Scarlet’s messenger, so I know all the secret passages in this house. I’ll just have to keep my eyes out for anything I don’t recognize.”

“What if you get caught? I can’t come to your rescue, no matter how much I want to.”

“I won’t get caught,” she said as if it were just that simple. She jumped out of her chair and slipped out the door before Iron Luck could protest.

====SSS====

Ophelia balanced precariously on Fluttershy's back, trying to get a better view of the racers warming up. A cool north breeze blew through the trees, knocking a few of the brown and yellow leaves from their branches. They tumbled by Ophelia on their way to the ground. Somewhere, a bugle called out a fanfare.

“Do you know any of the racers, Fluttershy?” she asked.

“Applejack and Rainbow Dash are two of my very best friends,” she said, wincing slightly as the filly’s hooves dug into her back.

“Which ones are they?” asked Ophelia, craning her neck.

Ophelia grabbed Fluttershy’s neck to keep from falling as she flapped her wings and rose off the ground. Fluttershy pointed her yellow hoof at a blue, rainbow-maned pegasus and an orange earth pony wearing a wide-brimmed hat. “They both take the Running very seriously,” Fluttershy said, as Rainbow smiled and thumped Applejack on the shoulder. Having introduced her friends, she sank back to the ground, careful not to let Ophelia fall.

“So, when does it—” The clanging of a bell cut her off and set the racers running. Ophelia grabbed onto Fluttershy’s neck as their hoofbeats shook the ground. She did not have to hold on long; the racers quickly disappeared around a corner, followed by a billowing dust cloud. Ophelia hopped off of Fluttershy's back and landed on a few of the newly fallen leaves. She looked up at Fluttershy. “So what now?”

Fluttershy smiled warmly at Ophelia. “Now we go to the finish line and wait.” They were stopped, however, by a polished voice from behind them.

“Fluttershy, dear, how are you?” Ophelia turned around to see the speaker: a unicorn whose stylish purple mane bounced while she walked, her white coat gleaming in the sun. Trailing behind her was a unicorn filly about her age, white like the older mare but with a purple and pink mane.

“Oh!  Hi, Rarity, I'm fine,” Fluttershy said, sounding surprised. “Did you come to see the race?”

“Yes, I promised Sweetie Belle I would take her since she didn’t get to go last year,” said Rarity. “Unfortunately, I got so carried away designing my fall fashion line this morning that we missed the start.” Rarity grinned sheepishly at Sweetie Belle, who had her head down, pouting. “Anyway, who’s this little darling?” Rarity asked, crouching down in front of Ophelia.

“Oh I'm sorry, how rude of me. Rarity, Sweetie Belle, this is Ophelia. She’s staying with me for a while.”

“H-hello,” she mumbled, her head bowed, afraid to make eye contact with the newcomers

“Ophelia, what a lovely name,” said Rarity. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She waved her hoof at her companion. “This is my sister, Sweetie Belle. I can tell you’re going to be the best of friends.”

Sweetie Belle’s dour mood vanished as she looked up and the other filly. She bounced up from the ground and took Ophelia’s hoof, surprising Ophelia with the sudden contact.

“Hey, do you wanna meet my other friends?” she asked, still grinning as though this was the best idea she’d ever had.

“Sure!” Ophelia replied, excited. Her cousin Moonbeam had been her only friend back home.

Sweetie Belle looked up at Rarity, her eyes wide. “Can I take Ophelia to Sugarcube Corner to meet Apple Bloom and Scootaloo?”

“But Sweetie,” said Rarity, sounding shocked and disappointed, “I thought you wanted to watch the race.”

“I do, but we were going to meet there after the race started. we’ll meet you at the finish line!” Sweetie Belle grabbed Ophelia by the hoof and the two ran off into the crowd.

“Ophelia seems like an absolute gem,” said Rarity. “But Fluttershy, why is she staying with you? Doesn’t she have parents?”

“I'll tell you on the way to the finish line,” said Fluttershy.

====SSS====

Ophelia followed Sweetie Belle to what looked like a giant gingerbread house. “That’s Sugarcube Corner?” asked Ophelia.

“Yeah,” said Sweetie Belle, leading Ophelia inside. The sweetshop was just as sugary inside as out, the walls lined with baked and boiled treats for sale. “And these are my friends,” said Sweetie Belle, pointing a white hoof at two fillies, indicating a yellow earth pony and an orange pegasus seated at a table across the room.

“Hey Sweetie Belle! Who’s that?” asked the earth pony, the pink bow in her red mane flapping a little as she turned her head.

“Cutie Mark Crusaders,” said Sweetie Belle, her a voice as formal and pompous as her sister’s, “Please let me introduce Ophelia!” The two fillies listening clopped their hooves on the table. “She’s staying with Fluttershy.”

“Nice to meet'cha Ophelia. Ah’m Apple Bloom," said the yellow filly.

“And I’m Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash’s biggest fan,” said the orange pegasus.

“Nice to meet you, both of you,” said Ophelia, smiling despite tripping over her words. “How come you aren’t at the race? Isn’t Rainbow Dash running?” she said, looking at Scootaloo.

“Yeah,” said Scootaloo, a faraway look on her face. “But it’s too crowded to plan our next crusade by the racecourse.”

“Crusade?” Ophelia asked.

“Yea, we’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders. We’re on a quest to find our cutie marks!” said Apple Bloom. “Have you got yours?”

“Um, no...” said Ophelia, embarrassed by Apple Bloom’s directness.

“Then it’s settled!” said Sweetie Belle. “You’ll come crusading with us!”

“Sure, but we’ve got to think of something we haven’t tried first,” reminded Scootaloo. “We don’t want to get our cutie marks in...what was that word you used yesterday?”

“Redundancy,” said Sweetie Belle, with evident pride.

Listening to the three talk made Ophelia a little dizzy, but Sweetie Belle showed her to a seat and soon she was resting her head on her hooves like the others, trying to think of something to do. “Sorry, Ophelia, we already tried that,” said Sweetie Belle, when Ophelia suggested snorkeling. “Oh, I know, how about we show you our clubhouse!”

“Yea, then we can think of some awesome stunts in our thinking spot,” said Scootaloo, hopping off her chair, her wings buzzing. “But first we’ve got to see Rainbow Dash win the race!”

“Nah you’re wrong,” said Apple Bloom, dismissively dropping to the floor. “My big sister’s gonna win for sure.”

“No, Rainbow Dash is going to win!”

“Applejack!”

“Rainbow Dash!”

“Who’s that?” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo stopped their argument to look where Ophelia was pointing. Standing at the door was an earth pony filly with a silver tiara pinned in her pink mane. Looking around the store the earth pony looked in

there direction and started towards them.

“She’s trouble,” rumbled Apple Bloom.

“Why, who is she?” Ophelia asked.

“Diamond Tiara,” said Sweetie Belle, nodding at the pink filly. “A big bully at our school.”

“Morning, blank flanks,”said Diamond Tiara, a smug look on her face. “Have you made a new friend?” she asked, pointing a hoof at Ophelia.

“Leave her alone Diamond Tiara!” Apple Bloom yelled, jumping in front of Ophelia.

“You touch me,” huffed Diamond Tiara, “and I’ll tell my daddy.” She stepped around Apple Bloom, who seemed rooted in place, and gave Ophelia a searching look. “That’s a pretty necklace,” she said, eyeing the jewel in the center.

“Thank you, my daddy gave it to me,” said Ophelia, wondering what her friends were talking about. Diamond Tiara didn’t seem that bad.

“Is he important?” the pink filly asked. “I haven’t seen you before, so you must be from out of town.”

Ophelia nodded and looked away. She didn’t want to talk about her daddy.

“Did he come to Ponyville with you? Did your mom?” Diamond Tiara drew closer. Ophelia shook her head and backed up a few paces.

“I guess they abandoned you, then.” Diamond Tiara laughed. “I can’t say I blame them, blank flank.”

Suddenly, Ophelia’s horn lit and a powerful wind began to swirl around her. Silver magic jerked Diamond Tiara’s body into the air, cutting off her laughter. Her eyes shrank to the size of pins. Ophelia’s eyes opened wider than ever, burning with a blinding white light. “My parents would never abandon me!”

Ophelia, whispered a sweet voice. Let go of your anger Ophelia. Calm your heart.

I-I-can’t, she thought, tears streaming down her face. Help me.

Ophelia felt a soothing presence wash over her. Now, calm your heart Ophelia. You must not let the power control you.

Ophelia took a deep breath. The glow around her horn faded, letting Diamond Tiara sink to the ground, then winked out as she touched down. Ophelia staggered, but felt somepony catch her shoulder and lower her gently to the floor. She could hear the sound of galloping hooves.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she whimpered, looking up at the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Diamond Tiara was gone. “I couldn’t control it.”

“She deserved it,” snorted Scootaloo.

“You okay to go to the race?” said Apple Bloom.

Ophelia nodded and clambered upright. Silently, she followed her friends to the finish line.

====SSS====

Tracer slowly climbed up the stairs to his hotel room, exhausted after working the ovens at Sugercube Corner. He nudged the door open, then looked up to see Hawk lying on his bed, flipping through a magazine.

“Have you been up here all day?” Tracer asked, falling heavily on his bed. “That’s the same spot where I left you this morning.”

“No,” Hawk said nonchalantly. “I just couldn’t find any work in town, so I came back here.”

Tracer could tell he was hiding something but decided not to bring it up. “You could at least have looked for the amulet.”

“I could have, but then that would have required effort,” said Hawk, turning another page. “Besides we just got here,” said Hawk turning the page. “So, how was working at that bakery?”

Tracer rolled onto his back, “Exhausting. Seemed like the whole town was in and out of there with orders.”

“Anything interesting happen? According to these,” Hawk said, waving his hoof at a pile of discarded newspapers and magazines, “this town sees a lot of action.”

“Come to think of it, something did happen at the bakery today.” Tracer rolled over onto his belly and rested his head on his hooves, recalling what he had heard earlier today. “I didn’t see it myself, but from what I heard from the customers a white unicorn filly levitated another filly for a short time.”

“What’s so unusual about that?” asked Hawk, setting his magazine down.

“Well, for starters they said she didn’t have a cutie mark and that she looked no older than four or five. So either this filly is magically gifted or she drew upon a powerful source of magic.”

“So you think she might have the amulet.” said Hawk walking over to their dresser.

“It’s a possibility. At the very least we should keep our eyes peeled for her.”

Hawk mumbled something as he went looking through the dresser. After a few moments he pulled out a black dress shirt. “Perfect,” he said to himself.

“Where are you going?” asked Tracer as Hawk began to pull the shirt over his head.

“I’ve got a date,” said Hawk smiling.

====SSS====

“I can’t believe she pulled it off!” Scootaloo said looking at Apple Bloom,

“Ah know, it was a great race,” Apple Bloom replied, then turned to Ophelia. “And Ah’m real glad Fluttershy let you come with us.”

Ophelia smiled. “Me too,” she said, looking around at the rows of apple trees. “But where’s your clubhouse?”

“You’ll see soon enough,” said Scootaloo. “But first you need to close your eyes.”

Ophelia did as she was told. One of the others took her by the hoof and guided her along a firmly-packed path. Eventually, however, her hoof landed on something wooden.

“Um...can I open my eyes now?” she asked.

“Not yet,” said Scootaloo. “Just keep walking till we tell you to stop.”

Ophelia took a tentative step forward and caught her hoof on something sticking up from the planking. She slipped, yelped, and nearly fell.

“Okay, so maybe you should open your eyes,” said Scootaloo sheepishly.

She did and looked down. The wood underhoof was the bottom of a ramp. what she had tripped on had been one of many slats placed horizontally along the boards. Ophelia followed it up with her eyes, and found the nice, little clubhouse nestled in the crown of a nearby apple tree. The roof was as brown as the trunk and the walls were the color of nectar. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom bounded up the ramp to the porch that wrapped around the clubhouse, and beamed with pride.

“Welcome to the Cutie Mark Crusader Clubhouse!” they shouted.

“Wow,” said Ophelia, amazed. “You get this all to yourselves?”

“Yup,” said Apple Bloom. “Come on up and we’ll give you the tour.”

Ophelia scampered up the ramp, stopping in front of a wooden door. Apple Bloom pushed open the door and they entered.

“Well ya saw the outside,” she said, “now here’s the inside. Let’s get ya acquainted.” She stepped into the center of the room. “Over there is where we do roll call,” she said, pointing to a large white piece of paper with lines next to simple portraits of the Crusaders.Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle dashed over to a table with place settings. “Over here is where we eat our lunch,” they started pretending to eat lunch. “And sometimes we stand over here and think up great crusading ideas!” said Apple Bloom pointing at Sweetie Belle who was standing in the middle of a red and white target.

“So, now that you’ve seen our clubhouse,” she continued,

“And you know what were about,” chimed Sweetie Belle,

“We’d be real happy if you joined our club!” they said in unison.

Ophelia barely gave it a moment’s thought. “I’d love to!”

The three fillies beamed as they quickly collected three red cloaks from the wall. They threw them over their heads, revealing the emblem sewn onto the side: a blue shield with a rampant, cape-wearing yellow pony.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle walked over to a tall, wooden podium. The unicorn nodded solemnly to the pegasus, who pulled a pair of large drums from behind the podium. She began to beat them as Sweetie Belle intoned, “Ophelia, step forward.”

She looked at each of the three Cutie Mark Crusaders in turn, then took a tentative step forward, then another, until she stood just in front of the podium. Sweetie Belle looked down at her. Scootaloo began to beat faster and faster on the drums til her wild flailing created a frenzy of percussive sound that shook the walls. Just when Ophelia thought she could take no more, she stopped and the silence was louder than the heaviest beat. Sweetie Belle continued, holding up a piece of paper.

“We, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, elect Ophelia to join us as a sister, friend, confidant...”

Apple Bloom sighed and proffered a second piece of paper. “You grabbed the old one,” she whispered.

Sweetie Belle’s cheeks turned a rosy red. She cleared her throat and started over. “We, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, elect Ophelia to join us as a sister, friend, and fellow Cutie Mark Crusader. You are hereby sworn in here this day in witness of your fellow sisters and friends. We hereby welcome you to the Cutie Mark Crusaders.” Sweetie Belle ducked behind the podium, then reemerged carrying another red cape like those the other three fillies wore. She threw it around Ophelia’s shoulders and tied it around her neck. As she finished, Ophelia was showered with confetti and streamers from the ceiling.

“Thank you so much,” she managed to say. “You don’t know how much this means to me.” A tear slid down her cheek, though she promptly wiped it away.

“No sweat Ophelia,” said Scootaloo. “You’re a cool filly, almost as cool as me!”

“Yeah,” Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom echoed.

“Now let’s get to some crusading!” said Scootaloo, rearing up on her hind legs, and kicking her hooves out.

The others nodded, and soon they were all huddled around the thinking spot. Just a minute later, a deafening shout of “CUTIE MARK CRUSADER LEAF RAKERS YAY!” was heard across Sweet Apple Acres as the three fillies scampered towards the White Tail Woods.

====SSS====

Crystal and Silver lay down on the cold stone floors of their neighboring cells, their bodies horribly bruised and beaten. Fighting through the pain, Crystal shifted onto her side so she could look at her husband.

“S-Silver,” she said weakly.

Silver opened his eyes and grunted halfheartedly.

“Do you think Ophelia’s al-alright?” she said, clenching her teeth as she tried to raise her head.

Silver met Crystal’s gaze. “She’s a—” his head dropped back to the floor. He lay still for a moment, catching his breath. “tough girl...She’ll be fine. They still don’t know...where to find her.” With great difficulty, he pushed himself towards the rusty iron bars separating the cells. Crystal joined him. “We should...think about...escape,” he whispered.

“How?” she asked, wincing at the pain of lying on her belly. “I-I can’t even stand.”

“Ophelia’s...still in danger. Her caretaker...doesn’t know...who she is.”

“I trust her,” Crystal replied.

Silver didn’t seem convinced, and Crystal supposed he had the right, but he dropped the subject. Instead, he nudged the bars with his nose. “Can you...teleport?”

Crystal looked resignedly at the floor. She could see every bit of grit and gravel. “I already tried. The bars are enchanted.”

Silver smacked the stone floor with his hoof. “Must be...something.”

“We’ll just have to wait for an opportunity,” Crystal said, her eyes beginning to droop.

“Sleep?” Silver sounded disappointed, but his eyes were already closed and he was beginning to breathe deeply.

Crystal smiled sadly. She closed her eyes and started to hum softly.

A twinkle in the night sky far far away.

A golden star I gaze upon in my dreams.

On a sleepless evening I sing alone,

Tomorrow I'll sing with you on the wings of a dream.

On a sleepless evening I sing alone.

Tomorrow I'll sing with you on the wings of a dream

“Good night, little one.” Crystal quickly fell into a restless sleep.

====SSS====

“Thanks for walking me back,” Ophelia yawned, leaning against Sweetie Belle as they approached Fluttershy’s cottage

Apple Bloom yawned too, and smacked her lips. “It’s no problem. Well, good night.” She and Sweetie Belle waved good bye and headed back towards Ponyville.

Ophelia waved back tiredly, then stepped into the house. Fluttershy was on the couch, petting a little white rabbit. The yellow pegasus looked up to see who had come in. “Hello Ophelia, did you have a fun time with your friends?” Ophelia yawned again and nodded. “Oh, you poor thing,” cooed Fluttershy, leading Ophelia upstairs. “You look exhausted! Follow me. I prepared a cozy little bed for you.”

Ophelia was surprised by what was in the loft that she stepped into, a large bed sat between two windows, a trunk at its feet and a red area rug underneath. Birdhouses hung from the rafters, and there was a fireplace set into the wall for warmth and light.

Ophelia started towards the big bed, but Fluttershy guided her off to the side. “Oh no, that’s where I sleep. Your bed’s over here.” It was circular and low to the ground, with woven sides and plenty of room for a filly to stretch out. Ophelia was about to lay down when something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. Looking over to the window she could see a large twinkling star. Slowly she walked over to the window, put her front hooves on the sill, closed her eyes, and began to sing

A twinkle in the night sky far far away.

A golden star I gaze upon in my dreams.

On a sleepless evening I sing alone,

Tomorrow I'll sing with you on the wings of a dream.

On a sleepless evening I sing alone.

Tomorrow I'll sing with you on the wings of a dream

Fluttershy quietly came up beside Ophelia. “That’s a lovely song.”

“My mommy would sing it to me when I had trouble getting to sleep,” Ophelia explained.

Fluttershy smiled and looking up at the star, then closed her eyes and began to sing the same tune.

A twinkle in the night sky far far away.

A golden star I gaze upon in my dreams.

Ophelia smiled as she joined in.

On a sleepless evening I sing alone,

Tomorrow I'll sing with you on the wings of a dream.

Tomorrow I’ll sing with you on the wings of a dream.

On a sleepless evening I sing alone.

On a sleepless evening I sing alone.

Tomorrow I'll sing with you on the wings of a dream.

Tomorrow I’ll sing with you on the wings of a dream

“Good night mommy,” Ophelia whispered. “Thank you Fluttershy.” Ophelia wrapped her hooves around the yellow pegasus. “Thank you for being so kind.”

Fluttershy returned the embrace, and kissed Ophelia on the head. “You’re welcome Ophelia.”

The two broke the hug, Ophelia went to her bed and curled up under the covers. Soon she was fast asleep.