Fae Green Archive


                                            ///These are as posted, so there is probably(most likely) mistakes///


                                            -Fae in the countryside-

                                            >Sometime you question the weird requirements for some spells.

                                            >You currently are in the middle of the countryside, surrounded by windmills and sheep.

                                            >Speaking of sheep, the spell your trying to cast seems to 'require the presence of a sheep, preferably a ewe.'

                                            >That's an odd request right? Especially for a levitation spell, which your having no luck casting by the way, which means you might actually need to find a sheep.

                                            >You've jerry-rigged a branch and some string into a small lure, and attached your rather pitiful lunch onto it.

                                            >Do sheep even like carrots?

                                            >You hope so.

                                            >Ah!

                                            >Here comes a sheep.

                                            "H-here sheepy sheepy!"

                                            >The sheep stares at you with it's inquisitive eyes, or maybe your just reading to much into it.

                                            >It's coming closer!

                                            "C'mon, I'll give you a carrot... yum yum!"

                                            >The sheep now is stand in front of you.

                                            >You slowly extent the lure, making sure to dangle the carrot in front of the sheep.

                                            >It seems to be working, as it try's to get a good angle to bite the carrot.

                                            "Alrighty..."

                                            >You pull out your spellbook, or rather your spellpamplet, you forgot you actual spellbook at the tower.

                                            >You have everything else, now you just have to say the magic phrase.

                                            "N-no, Ewe!"

                                            >Weird phrase.

                                            >Wait...

                                            >It's working!

                                            >The sheep seems to be floating, though it doesn't seem all that bothered by it.

                                            >. . .

                                            >Oh no.

                                            >It's not coming down!

                                            >What are you going to do?!

                                            >Something is coming towards you from the distance.

                                            >You see a pegasus flying towards you, with a rather tired look on her face.

                                            >You have a feeling you're going to get yelled at...

                                            >And maybe you shouldn't have tried a spell specifically made to float away sheep.

                                            >At least you levitated something!

                                            >"What are you doing?!"

                                            >The pegasus quickly pushes the sheep back to the ground, funnily enough the sheep looks a tad disappointed.

                                            "Sorry, I didn't realize that it would just... keep going."

                                            >The shepherd pegasus stares at you for a moment.

                                            >"Let me guess... Faint?"

                                            "W-wuh?"

                                            >"Thought so, go home kid, not in the mood to deal with this sort of thing anymore."

                                            "How do you know my name?"

                                            >She chuckles.

                                            >"Had to deal with a rather rambunctious filly back in the day, and the resemblance is uncanny."

                                            "Oh... you knew her?"

                                            >She rubs her chin.

                                            >"Hard to say, she wasn't one to stay long, always on the move, surprised she settled down in the first place."

                                            "Sorry about the sheep, again."

                                            >"Ol' Twine didn't seem to upset by it, so I guess it could have been worse."

                                            >You didn't think about the sheep having a name.

                                            "Bye um... Twine."

                                            >The sheep gives you a 'bah' before going back to eating grass, you assume that meant she didn't hold any grudges.

                                            >"Well then, off you go! I got sheep to herd, and mills to sleep under, ehehe!"

                                            >With a quick yawn, the pegasus flies away, toward the nearest windmill.

                                            >That didn't go so bad, but you realize you never asked her name.

                                            >Maybe you'll come back, and see if you can coax out some information about your mother.

                                            >For now, maybe it's best to grab something to eat.


                                            -Fae and Mossy part 0 (Mossy POV)-

                                            >The sound of flowing water and the ever-present buzzing of cicadas filled your ears.

                                            >Usually you don't go this far downriver, but you haven't been down this way for a while, so it seemed like a good idea.

                                            >You were keeping an eye out for any interesting moss, unfortunately you only encountered your arch-nemesis: peat moss.

                                            >Apparently at one point this town had cultivated a huge amount of peat moss, but that was a long time ago, and now its just sort of everywhere, which kind of makes your job a bit harder, seeing that all the other mosses sort of end up in a 'needle in a hay stack' kind of situation, but in a way, it makes finding something worthwhile way more rewarding.

                                            >After a few more minutes of walking, you find a few stones, laden with moss, and luckily it isn't peat this time.

                                            "Hmm..."

                                            >You take a closer look, trying to figure out what kind these are.

                                            "This stuff looking kinda like a little fern... maybe hylocomium? No wait... yeah this is definitely thuidium!"

                                            >Pretty common moss, but you'll take what you can get.

                                            >You decide to take a bit, seeing that you don't have any on hoof at the moment.

                                            >Taking a look around, it seems that there are a few more patches of the stuff in this area, it probably would be a good idea to take a mental note of that.

                                            >With a few more half-hearted glances around, you decide to head back for the day, not all that productive to stick around if your not going to find anything worth the trek.

                                            >You wonder if you could convince Daze to come with you next time, it'd be nice to talk to someone while looking around, it can get pretty dull.

                                            >After passing the old crumbling stonewall, you stop to stretch a bit, though you notice a mare mulling about, seemingly a bit lost.

                                            >You consider asking her if she needs help, though she seems to notice you.

                                            >She trots over, clearing wanting to say something, it takes her a bit to finally manage the words.

                                            >"Excuse me?"

                                            "Yeah?"

                                            >"Um... Do you know anything about... moss?"

                                            >Oh thank Celestia, finally someone who needs your expertise!

                                            "Sure do! Whatcha need?"


                                            -Fae and Mossy Part 1-

                                            "Excuse me?"

                                            >"Huh, what is it?"

                                            "Um... do you know anything about... moss."

                                            >"Sure do! What are you looking for?"

                                            "I'm gathering reagents and I need moss, but all I know is the description of it."

                                            >"Well, that's certainly a start, what do you know?"

                                            "It's kind of cushy like a pillow… and green."

                                            >"That... can describe a lot of mosses. Anything else?"

                                            "It's round! And kind of looks like a hedgehog? (Or at least that's what Ari said it looks like...)"

                                            >"Leucobryum glaucum"?

                                            "Huh?"

                                            >"Pincushion Moss, It seems that's what you're describing, it's pretty common around here, there's loads of it near the pond over by Book Marquette."

                                            "Oh! Thank you."

                                            >"No problem, hey, want me to help you find some? It'd be easier with me around."

                                            "That'd be nice, seeing that I'm kind of... banned from Book Marquette."

                                            >"How'd you manage that?"

                                            "I'd rather not talk about it..."

                                            >"It's alright, I won't prod."

                                            "What's your name?"

                                            >"Mossy Knoll, yours?"

                                            "I'm Fae."

                                            "...Thank you for helping me Miss Knoll."

                                            >"Just call me Mossy, no need to be so formal."

                                            "Okay, Mossy."

                                            >"You don't get out much do you Fae?"

                                            "Not really, I said I'd go into town more often but there's way to many ponies there..."

                                            >"Well you're in town now, or at least the outskirts of it anyway, So you're doing a good job so far."

                                            "Thanks... You sell moss right?"

                                            >"Yeah?"

                                            "Can I just... buy some pincushion moss off you? I don't think I can handle going to Book Marquette again..."

                                            >"Well, we're not going into the store, just going to walk around it, so it should be fine."

                                            "B-but the salesmare is mean! She yelled at me and said I couldn't come back, what if she sees me snooping around!"

                                            >"Pink mane or blue mane?"

                                            "The pink one."

                                            >"She quit a while ago, You'll be fine, I'll be here to smooth things over if they get funny."

                                            "Are you sure?"

                                            >"Positive."

                                            "..."

                                            "Alright."

                                            >"Good! Let's keep moving then."

                                            "Mossy?"

                                            >"Yeah?"

                                            "Can... Can we be friends?"

                                            >"Who's to say we weren't already?"


                                            -Fae and Mossy Part 2-

                                            >"See this right here? This is the stuff you're looking for."

                                            "That's a lot of moss! Wonder how long it takes for that stuff to accumulate?"

                                            >"Less time than you'd think! Ol' Mossberg here has been around for awhile now, but only got this big recently."

                                            "Mossberg? Do you name the moss?"

                                            >"Hmm? Oh! Um... Yeah. I do. Is that weird?"

                                            "I don't think so, then again, I'm not exactly the prime example of 'not weird'."

                                            >"Heh, yeah I get you, I'd say its kind of odd to find someone who *isn't* a little weird."

                                            "Are you sure I can take some? I know you said it was fine before, but, you know, seeing that it has a name and all."

                                            >"Don't worry about it, He gets nibbled by all sorts of critters, a little chunk ain't gonna hurt him."

                                            "Alrighty then, well... Thanks again Mossy, I'll make sure you're the first one to see the result of this spell!"

                                            >"What are you trying to pull off anyway?"

                                            "Well, its kind of complicated, I guess to put it simply, I'm trying to extract the excess mana from these reagents and crystalize them. It's kind of hard and there's no guarantee that it'll work, but if I pull it off, I might be able to finally get some practical research done!"

                                            >"It's not gonna like, blow up or anything right?"

                                            "Trust me, I'm done with spells that can backfire like that for awhile, if this one doesn't work, nothing's gonna happen.

                                            >"I see... Hey, just curious, did you so happen to be the reason Book Marquette got a renovation?"

                                            "It wasn't on purpose I swear! I-I didn't realize the bottles in my saddlebag broke and then they reacted to the spellbook I was going to buy, and one thing led to another then--"

                                            >"Kaboom?"

                                            "It was more of a 'Kablooey' but I don't think that matters anymore..."

                                            >"At least no one was hurt, so that's all that matter, right?"

                                            "If you don't count my reputation with society..."

                                            >"Fae, trust me, I've known worse, and you're certainly not a menace to society. Hey, how about we go into town, maybe get something to eat?

                                            "I... sure, what's the worst that could happen?"

                                            >"(We could run into Sweets...)"

                                            "What did you say?"

                                            >"Nothing!"


                                            -Fae and Mossy Part 3-

                                            >You didn’t like going into town, not one bit, but you felt it couldn’t hurt to try.

                                            >Mossy had led you to a small café near the outskirts of town proper, it was quaint and homely, though you wish you didn’t have to sit outside, apparently they’re rather popular, seeing that the inside seems packed, maybe this was for the better.

                                            >The ponies milling about outside weren't too bad at this hour, most seemed focused on their commutes.

                                            >Luckily Mossy seemed fine with relaying your order to the waiter. You *could* have done it yourself but, well… It’s probably better this way.

                                            >”So you know what I do already, what do you do, Fae?”

                                            “Well… I’m currently conducting magical research, though in all honesty it’s kind of going… poorly.”

                                            >”How so?”

                                            “Well for starters, my old spellbook went up in flames, and this town doesn’t seem to have any in stock anywhere, and all I have left are a few pamphlets filled with super situational spells! I guess this is what I get for not making a copy…”

                                            >”Yeah, not a lot of places would have that kind of stuff on hoof, you might have to order a new one.”

                                            >You rest your head on the table.

                                            “The post office has a list of items that they won’t ship, and unfortunately, a spellbook is one of them. I think they said it was a ‘Safety Hazard’? Dangit, I have a license! I should totally be able to get a new one.”

                                            >”A license? For what?”

                                            “To handle magic items, it’s less important in most other provinces, but apparently, we live in the *one* place that has an iron grip on that sort of thing!”

                                            >With a defeated sigh, you sink further into your chair. Maybe you're just being dramatic.

                                            >Mossy taps her hoof on the table, seemingly to get your attention.

                                            >”You're certainly more chatty than I gave you credit for, at least when you're mad.”

                                            >You frown, unable to think of something to say to that.

                                            >”I’m sure you’ll get through it, just got to keep a cool head, ya hear?”

                                            >You attempt to say something, but notice somepony coming closer, Mossy seems to notice too, waving a hoof at them.

                                            >A mare with a beanie trots up to the table with a smile on her face.

                                            >”Hiya Mossy! I wanted to see if you wanted to check out this sweet terracotta bust of Celestia I found, you know the ones, with all the funny seeds you grow on it?

                                            >Luckily, the mare doesn’t seem to be paying attention to you, which is a good thing since she seems… excitable.

                                            >”Sweets, why would I want to look at that?”

                                            >”I thought we could do it together, seeing that you know all about plants that grow on rocks and stuff.”

                                            >”Some other time, I’ve got company.”

                                            >This seems to spark the mare's interest, who seems to now be staring at you, to your dismay.

                                            >”Hi, I’m Sweetroll, nice to meetcha!”

                                            >Sweetroll extends a hoof, though you're unsure what she means by this.

                                            >Just keep it together, don’t make it weird, just say hi, you can do it Fae!

                                            “...”

                                            >”You alright?”

                                            “Hi…”

                                            >Nailed it.


                                            -Fae's New Spellbook-

                                            >You were about to leave when something caught your eye, a open book nestled in a corner of the aisle you where in.

                                            >You approach it, not expecting much, but you recognize the writing almost immediately.

                                            >It's a spellbook! And a rather recent one too!

                                            >You read the open page, which seems to be detailing a spell that pertains to cleaning dishes without the need of water.

                                            >Huh, you suppose that'd be kind of helpful?

                                            >Most spellbooks these days are rather tame, not like the ones your parents used to have, those ones even had combat magic! (Well, mostly just defensive cantrips, but it was still pretty cool!)

                                            >Of course, you take what you can get, so you check the price tag.

                                            >It's affordable *and* on sale! A steal if you've ever saw one!

                                            >You grab the book and trot toward the register, with pep in your step.

                                            >Though your excitement wanes when you realize you have to talk to the clerk.

                                            >It not that big of a deal, just give her the book then give her the bits, easy as pie.

                                            >Wait, pie is kind of hard to make though, who would think that's easy? You don't think you've ever had a easy time making pi--

                                            >"All set?"

                                            "Wha!"

                                            >The clerk's voice startles you. You didn't realize it was your turn yet.

                                            "I uhm... I... B-book please...

                                            >You're fine! Just set the book down, don't make it weird, Fae!

                                            >With shaky hooves you set the spellbook on the counter, and then scramble to grab your bits from your scarf.

                                            >You place the bits down a *bit* to hard, resulting in them scattering, luckily they don't leave the counter.

                                            >You quickly glance at the clerk's face, who doesn't seem all that bothered.

                                            >She gathers the bits, then puts them in the register, sliding the spellbook back to you after she finishes.

                                            >"Have a nice day!"

                                            "Y-you too..."

                                            >You pick up the book and clutch it to your chest, and proceed out the store entrance.

                                            >Now out of sight, you look at the spellbook and smile.

                                            >You finally found one, it took awhile, but you finally found one!

                                            >You hug the spellbook, intent on not letting it suffer the same fate as your old one.

                                            >You'll be able to resume your studies now! No doubt Ari will be proud of you.

                                            >You start walking home, getting more and more excited with each step.

                                            >Soon, you can't help but hum a tune.

                                            >Yeah, things are finally going your way!


                                            -Ari's Potion Order-

                                            >You open the door and walk into the tower.

                                            >The bottom level was always so cozy, though you usually stayed in your room.

                                            >You put your scarf on a hanger by the door and set your new spellbook on the table.

                                            >You wonder where Ari is?

                                            >...

                                            >Oh!

                                            >You notice behind a crate of orange tinted potions on the table, is Ari, who seems to have dozed off.

                                            >You walk up to your sister and lightly nudge her side, which gets her to groan in response.

                                            >She lifts her head up and looks at you, her eyes have dark circles under them.

                                            >”Oh… Hi Rune-e….”

                                            “Rune-e…?”

                                            >Ari giggles a bit. It’s mildly hysteric in nature. “Hehe do you like it? I just thought it up…”

                                            >She nods off a little, but shakes her head and looks at you again.

                                            “When… when did you go to bed?”

                                            >”I didn’t, I had to fill an order.” She gestures loosely toward the potions.

                                            >”Hephaestic Drought…” She yawns and rubs her eyes a moment. “Blacksmithing guild in Canterlot wanted some for a ceremony… or whatever… It pays good though, so I took them up on the offer.”

                                            “Hephaestic Drought takes several hours to brew… and you had an order of… a bunch of them? Sisters divine, you… didn’t sleep for a while now, huh?”

                                            >”Maybe a day or so? I lost count after hour twenty-three… Hey, look at this thing…”

                                            >Ari sprawls herself on the table and giggles as she rolls a stray marble around.

                                            >She really needs some sleep.

                                            “Uhm, how about I get you to bed? You need it. Badly.”

                                            >”Nuh-uh! I got to mail these posthaste! I’m glad you woke me…”

                                            >You stop Ari from getting up, which gets her to huff a little.

                                            “I can mail them! I did it last time anyway, so how about I get you some tea and you go rest, alright?”

                                            >Ari nods a bit, though you're unsure if she’s agreeing or trying to stave off sleep.

                                            >”What’s the book for?”

                                            “I got a new spellbook! But… I’ll tell you about it later, you’re more important right now.”

                                            >You make some tea, chamomile, to be specific, for that extra knockout punch.

                                            >By the time you bring the tea back to Ari, she’s fast asleep.

                                            >You gather a blanket and pillow from a nearby closet and bring them to Ari.

                                            >You drape the blanket over Ari and lightly lift her head to stick the pillow under her.

                                            >Luckily she’s out like a light, so she’s not getting up anytime soon.

                                            >You set the tea nearby and take the crate of potions and set them by the door.

                                            >You hum a light tune as you make up a cup of tea for yourself.

                                            >It’s not even noon yet but Ari’s sleepiness must have rubbed off on you, since you're feeling kinda tired too.

                                            >You feel yourself start to drift as you're pouring over your new spellbook, so you grab another blanket and bundle up next to Ari.

                                            >What dreams do the stars have in store, Fae? You’ll know soon enough…


                                            -Fae and the post office-

                                            >You decide to go to the post office in the early morning so you can get there before things get too busy.

                                            >It’s totally not because you’re trying to avoid contact with other ponies or anything!

                                            >The post office is on the edge of town, which is inside your comfort zone. Although you might even dip into town proper afterwards to get some cider from that café Mossy had shown you.

                                            >You trot at a brisk pace with Ari’s wagon trailing close behind, filled to the brim with potions.

                                            >It’s honestly not as heavy as you thought it’d be.

                                            >The constant clinking of bottles is starting to make you a bit nervous, after what happened last time you had so many potions in your possession…

                                            >You almost had a breakdown at home, but Ari reminded you that Haphaestic Drought wasn’t reactive, which calmed you down.

                                            >Sorta?

                                            >Actually you're still pretty anxious, despite Ari’s peptalk.

                                            >You can’t be trusted with something this important!

                                            >Why’d you tell her you’d do this?!

                                            >Think Fae, think!

                                            >Be-Because…

                                            >Because Ari needed your help!

                                            >Yeah! That’s it! You’re doing this because it’s the right thing to do!

                                            >Besides, you’ve been accident free for a while now, so you’re feeling a little more confident in your ability to *not* mess this up.

                                            >All you have to do is hand these over to the mailmare and be on your way!

                                            >Easy Peesy!

                                            >...

                                            >Wait, do you need stamps or something?

                                            >Last time Ari took care of everything and all you had to do was drop off the box, but this time you're going in blind.

                                            >Not to mention hauling a crate of potion in a cherry red wagon, rather than that tiny carrier that Ari had given you last time.

                                            >Gosh, you hope the mailmare doesn’t get mad at you for being a burden…

                                            >Maybe… Maybe you should turn back and go ask Ari?

                                            >Well, seeing that the post office is just up ahead, it's probably too late to chicken out.

                                            >Might as well give it a fair shot, right?

                                            >You pause at the post office door and hesitantly look through one of the windows.

                                            >There’s only four ponies inside, including the clerk, so it’s not that bad.

                                            >Okay Fae, just take a deep breath and let’s get this over with…

                                            “I can do this…”

                                            >Can you do this?

                                            >Being in public isn’t the issue, it's more so having to talk to strangers.

                                            >But as long as you don’t freak out, you should be fine!

                                            >Oh! Remember to make eye contact, like Mossy told you!

                                            >That's... Easier said than done...

                                            >But you'll still try!

                                            >After psyching yourself up, you open the door and walk inside.


                                            >You stand around waiting for your turn, fidgeting with your scarf.

                                            >You’re trying to figure out what to say to the clerk.

                                            >Hmm… Maybe… ‘Hi! I’m mailing these in the stead of somepony else! Would you kindly help me through the process of getting these mailed?’

                                            >That… that should suffice.

                                            >After a few minutes you finally make it up to the front.

                                            >A unicorn with a disheveled mane is at the desk.

                                            >As you make your way up with the wagon she smiles.

                                            >”Hi there! What can I do for you today?”

                                            >You do an unnecessarily formal bow.

                                            ”H-hi… I… I’m m-mailing t-t-these…”

                                            >You pause and attempt to curb your stuttering with a deep breath.

                                            >You're fine, Fae! Just focus on getting the potions mailed!

                                            “I need help… please?”

                                            >The clerk nods and points to the wagon. “I’m assuming you want these mailed?”

                                            “Yes! How… How do I do that?”

                                            >”Don’t fret, I was expecting you.” The clerk pulls out a clipboard from under her desk.

                                            >”This order is being filled by a miss ‘Airy’, correct?”

                                            “It’s pronounced ‘Are-e’.”

                                            >You hope she doesn’t think you're being nitpicky…

                                            >The clerk pauses for a moment then writes something down on her clipboard. “Got it, I’ll get these all wrapped up and dispatched posthaste.”

                                            “Thank you! I… I guess Ari is a regular?”

                                            >”Uh-huh, not many packages going out other than hers, I suppose it keeps us on our hooves!”

                                            >Seeing how little mail traffic the town gets, it isn’t all that surprising.

                                            >At least the letter business is still pretty solid, by the sheer amount of envelopes being sorted in the bit of the backroom you can see from here.

                                            >The unicorn lifts up the potions with her magic and starts funneling them into cushy looking carriers.

                                            >She certainly makes it look easy!

                                            >Unicorns really are something, huh?

                                            >You can barely pull off a proper levitation spell that doesn’t involve sheep…

                                            >...

                                            >Long story.

                                            >Anyway… You probably should ask about payment.

                                            “I need to pay for this, right?”

                                            >The clerk shakes her head once she finishes packing the potions. “Everything’s in order, so we’re all set.”

                                            “Oh, Okay.”

                                            >You shuffle in place a bit.

                                            “Can… Can I leave then?”

                                            >The clerk looks you dead in the eyes, which makes you freeze up.

                                            >D-did you do something wrong?

                                            >I-isn't eye contact a good thing?

                                            >She cracks a weary smile and waves dismissively. “You're all set, dear. Have a nice day.

                                            >The clerk nods towards you and then starts taking the potions into the backroom.

                                            >You shake off your apprehension before attempting a farewell.

                                            “S-so long, miss mailmare!”

                                            >You assume she heard you, since her ears perked up a bit as she was leaving.

                                            >Conversation Success!

                                            >Those tips Mossy gave you really paid off!

                                            >You walk out of the post office without much fanfare and breathe a sigh of relief.

                                            >That went better than expected! Now all you have to do is go home.

                                            >You look up and watch the autumn leaves fall from their trees.

                                            >The cool breeze prompts you to nuzzle into your scarf.

                                            >You feel like you can *almost* justify having it on all the time.

                                            >You think… you think you’ll give that café a shot.

                                            >If you can *sorta* talk to a clerk, then why not a waiter?

                                            >You can always hide behind the menu if it gets too much.

                                            >But you're not gonna!

                                            >You're on a mission! A mission for cider!

                                            >You feel your tummy grumble.

                                            >…And maybe some pumpkin pie as well.

                                            >Hehe, a reward for a job well done, eh, Fae?


                                            -Fae and Mossy Part 4-

                                            >”If you could be any kind of animal… What would you be?”

                                            “That’s what you're starting with?”

                                            >”Aw c’mon Fae! You can only have so much fun looking for moss, just roll with it!”

                                            >You sigh and take in your surroundings.

                                            >The trees are almost bare and the sky above is partly cloudy.

                                            >It’s a tad chilly, but nothing your scarf couldn't handle.

                                            >You turn to Mossy, who gives a slight smile and lifts up a hoof, revealing a pillbug resting in the middle of her hoof.

                                            >”I, personally, think I’d be a roly-poly!”

                                            “Why’s that?”

                                            >Mossy ponders the little isopod on her hoof for a moment.

                                            >”These guys are pretty cool, they live in the soil and are overall beneficial. So I thought… ‘Hey! I like the soil and being helpful too!’ So uh… y-yeah.”

                                            >She sets it back down and looks at the ground with a mildly embarrassed look on her face.

                                            “You didn’t think that one through, huh?”

                                            >”N-not really…”

                                            >Mossy gestures towards you in what you can only assume is an attempt to deflect.

                                            >”See anything interesting?”

                                            >You glance over to a patch of moss by a cracked boulder.

                                            “Is any of this stuff good? It looks kinda weird.”

                                            >Mossy narrows her eyes. “It’s just peat moss… loathsome no-good peat moss...”

                                            >You stifle a laugh and Mossy pouts.

                                            >”My peat-iful plight amuses you?”

                                            “I-I’m certainly… at a moss for words.”

                                            >You're not very good at puns, but it was worth a shot, right?

                                            >Mossy turns dramatically and you giggle a bit, which gets her to crack a smile.

                                            >Your antics are interrupted by an unknown bug landing on your head.

                                            >...You only screamed a little.

                                            >”It’s just a moth!”

                                            “R-really? What kind is it? I uh, can’t get a good look at it…. Seeing that it’s on my face.”

                                            >”I dunno Fae, it’s white…. Or maybe a light gray? It’s probably something really common.”

                                            “Huh, you know, I always thought moths were neat, even if they can be sorta annoying at night, bumping into your lanterns and such. Gosh, I always feel so bad when they get a bit too close and burn up…”

                                            >Mossy prods at a odd ball of moss on the ground while you continue monologuing.

                                            >”Uh-huh.”

                                            “...Moths may not be as vibrantly colored as butterflies, but they're just as pretty, I’d say.”

                                            >The moth departs, fluttering into the treeline.

                                            “So long, miss moth!”

                                            >You gaze over at Mossy, who is diligently balancing the ball of moss on her head, she looks… proud?

                                            “You didn’t hear a word I said, huh?”

                                            >Mossy rolls the ball off her head and into her outstretched hoof, before gingerly placing it in her satchel.

                                            >”Well, It sounds like you found your animal, Fae!”

                                            >You ponder this for a moment and then grin.

                                            >A moth and a pillbug, looking for moss!

                                            >Heh, that gives you an idea.

                                            “...Hehe, Hey Mossy! A moth and a pillbug walk into a bar…”

                                            >You doubt the joke landed, but Mossy laughed anyway…

                                            >If it was anypony else, you’d think it was out of pity.

                                            >But with Mossy, you know she's being genuine.


                                            -Fae's Attempt (Potion Motion)-

                                            “I didn’t think you’d notice…”

                                            >”I keep a log of the rejects, Fae. It was bound to happen eventually.”

                                            >Ari lightly shakes the potion, which produces more bubbles.

                                            >”I’m more curious as to how you managed to make a potion fizzy!”

                                            “I… I don’t know? I did everything by the book and yet it ended up all wrong…”

                                            >”Actually, this is a perfectly viable potion, it’s not under-mixed in the slightest. The fizz just adds a bit of character. What were you going for, anyhow?”

                                            “I-I… I, uhm, wanted to make a health potion for your birthday.”

                                            >Ari sets the potion down and gives you a smile.

                                            >”You did good, Fae.”

                                            >You look at the floor for a moment, not entirely believing her.

                                            >She’s your sister, of course she’d say you did good! It’s like a familial consolation prize!

                                            >You didn’t really do anything special, all you did was follow directions in a dumb book!

                                            >And then the potion came out all weird! How’d you mess *that* up?!

                                            >Your thoughts are interrupted by Ari pulling you into a hug.

                                            >You didn’t even notice her walking up to you through your self-deprecating haze.

                                            >”You know, I probably don’t say it enough, but I love you, you know that, right?”

                                            >You wriggle a bit in her grasp before finally processing what she said. Which in turn makes you freeze up.

                                            >You shakily return the hug, tears welling up in your eyes.

                                            >After a few minutes of quiet whimpering, you calm down enough to let go of Ari

                                            >You just wish you didn’t have a breakdown in front of her.

                                            >It…It was sorta pathetic…

                                            >You wipe your eyes with a hoof and glance over to Ari, who gives a small wave.

                                            >”Feel better?”

                                            >You nod, knowing full well that if you tried talking too soon you’d just end up squeaking out something dumb and half-legible.

                                            >”Seeing that it’s *our* birthday, maybe we could do a few potion workshops? Maybe do an exchange on the big day? Doesn’t that sound fun?”

                                            >Ari stretches momentarily before continuing.

                                            >”I for one, would like to do some research on how to do something with raspberries, maybe a nice vigor tonic? Hmm… Or maybe just a simple drought? Tenenbaum Drought doesn’t sound half bad… it'll be rather pepperminty though! The possibilities are rather enti-”

                                            >You prod Ari’s shoulder, which gets her attention.

                                            “I… I'm glad you're my sister, Glyphy…”

                                            >Ari tilts her head before giving you a warm smile.

                                            >”Likewise, Fae.”

                                            >Ari ruffles your mane, which, after a moment, you ruffle her mane back.

                                            >Mutual ruffling!

                                            >You get up and take a deep breath.

                                            “Do you want some tea, Ari?”

                                            >"Don't force yourself, Fae."

                                            "I'm fine, really! Now, chamomile or mint?"

                                            >"...Peppermint."

                                            "Ari, I'm not putting candy into the tea."

                                            >"Don't knock it til' you try it, Fae!"

                                            "I'm the teameister here! No candy tea!"

                                            >"It's not *candy* it's *mints* there's a difference."

                                            "Mints *are* candy!"

                                            >Petty banter aside, you're glad you've got Ari.

                                            >...

                                            >Even if she's weird.

                                            >But you're weirder.

                                            >So it evens out.


                                            -Familiar Fillies Plan Their Nightmare Night-

                                            >"...And after we hit the houses near the town square, we'll go over to Miss Bumble's place! She's handing out caramel apples!"

                                            >Ari rummages through her satchel and pulls out a crudely drawn map of town. She then points to a drawing of a hedge maze.

                                            >"Once we finish up all that... We'll go do the hedge maze! They're giving out lotsa candy to anypony who finishes the maze, sound good Fae?"

                                            >Fae eyes the map, mildly concerned.

                                            "Isn't... Isn't the hedge maze haunted?

                                            >Ari waves a hoof dismissively. "I ain't afraid of no ghost! Besides, Dad said that only corn mazes can be haunted, so this one's fair game!"

                                            >Fae nods before she gets up and adjusts her hat, making sure its tilted *just* right.

                                            "I...I believe you Glyphy! I wanna see Foolhardy's show after we do the maze though, is that okay?"

                                            >Ari gathers her map and gets up as well, an excited smile on her face.

                                            >"As long as we keep on schedule, we'll have all the time in the world!"

                                            >Ari glances up at the moon and narrows her eyes.

                                            >"...Speaking of time, we should get moving. You ready?"

                                            >Fae picks up her makeshift staff and nods once more.

                                            "Mm-hmm!"

                                            >"Great! ...Hey, do you wanna hear about this idea for a potion I had?"

                                            "That'd be nice."

                                            >"Okay! So, I thought it'd be neat if Helio Phial was purple instead of red, and Mom said it doesn't take much to change a potion's color without messing up the mixture, which brings me to..."

                                            >Ari prattles on as they walk, Fae listening intently.

                                            >A night of fun and fright awaits!


                                            -Asking For Directions (Anon POV)-

                                            >A cold breeze assaults your face as you walk down some countryside path.

                                            >In the distance are an array of snowy mountains and the sky is crystal clear.

                                            >You’re… not entirely sure where you are.

                                            >You guess this is a reminder not to take carriages drunk.

                                            >Your current objective is to ask for some directions to, well, anywhere really.

                                            >You’re not picky, although you’d prefer Ponyville, since that’s where your house is.

                                            >You scan around, looking for someone who isn’t preoccupied, although you mostly come up blank, as most of the ponies around are tending to a problem relating to a pegasus porter’s cargo strap snapping and a fridge firmly planted into a very upset farmer’s field.

                                            >You spot a mare sitting by a snow topped fence, idly humming to herself as she flips through a book of some kind.

                                            >Well, it’s better than… whatever is happening down there.

                                            >She notices your approach rather quickly, as she slowly shuts her book and sets it aside.

                                            >You clear your throat and do your best to sound cordial.

                                            “Hey there! I’m sorry to interrupt, but do you by chance know what… or where the nearest town is?”

                                            >Her eyes dart down to the ground.

                                            >After a moment she mumbles something under her breath.

                                            “Come again?”

                                            >She lowers her head and takes a deep breath.

                                            >”B-b-b…”

                                            >You cup your ear and listen.

                                            >”...”

                                            >”BUCKSBY!”

                                            >You jolt, not expecting the sudden outburst, and from her rapidly flushing face, you assume she didn’t mean to do that.

                                            >She covers her mouth and shrinks down.

                                            “Hey now, it’s alright! You uh, did great! …How far from Ponyville is that?”

                                            >She sits up again and narrows her eyes to the ground.

                                            >Well, at least she isn’t panicking anymore.

                                            >”From town… It’s… Um… about a week's walk on hoof… Without stopping.

                                            >Oh, that's… kinda far? How the hell did you end up in this predicament?

                                            >You rub the back of your neck and sigh.

                                            ”Thanks, sorry for… startling you.”

                                            >”I…I’m sorry too… for freaking out.”

                                            >She gets up and brushes snow off her scarf.

                                            >”I promise I d-don’t usually do that…”

                                            >She tilts her head and looks you up and down.

                                            >”What are you, if you mind me asking?”

                                            “Human… I’m sorta… new?”

                                            >You’re not entirely sure how to explain your situation, but luckily she just nods.

                                            >”That's…”

                                            >She eyes the snow on the fence.

                                            >”C-cool.”

                                            “Heh.”

                                            >”Ha…”

                                            >You both share an awkward half-laugh.

                                            >”Do you want help? Getting to town I mean.”

                                            “I wouldn’t be against it, …Hey, you got a name?”

                                            >She grabs her book and tucks it snugly into a satchel by her side.

                                            >”Fae.”

                                            “Nice to meetcha, Fae. I’m Anon, I uh, get around… I guess?”

                                            >Fae waves at you, despite you being right in front of her.

                                            >”Hiya, …Anon.”

                                            >You both walk down the trail in relative silence, with Fae occasionally trying to make small talk.

                                            >You feel like you’ve made an acquaintance of sorts.

                                            >Maybe blind carriage rides aren’t that bad after all!


                                            -Faint's Familiar-

                                            >Fae ponders the sigil in her mother's spelltome and then looks down at the crude chalk drawing on the floor of her candlelit room.

                                            >It was supposed to be intricate, with several interlaced patterns that all spiraled into a singular point in the middle.

                                            >She had done her best at recreating it, but she certainly needed practice.

                                            >Lots and lots of practice...

                                            >With much apprehension, she pulls herself away from the tome and gathers her reagents.

                                            >Three sprigs of wanderer's tongue.

                                            >Two hooves worth of gildermoss.

                                            >A small vial filled with the essence of a sunny day.

                                            >And of course, an apple.

                                            >She couldn't find a tuft of starswirl's beard, so she had to substitute for gildermoss, which was *almost* as potent.

                                            >Thank goodness Ari had some on hoof, or else she might have had to give up altogether...

                                            >With a deep breath, Fae sets her reagents in their proper places.

                                            >She holds onto the apple as she glances once more at the tome.

                                            >'Wound the sacrifice and then place it in the center of the circle. Once done, complete the ritual with the sacred phrase.'

                                            >Fae stares at the apple with a bewildered look.

                                            >How does one 'wound' an apple?

                                            >With a little thought, Fae nods to herself before taking a big bite out of the apple.

                                            >Her face twists a bit, taken aback by its sourness.

                                            >Why anyone would eat green apples habitually, she had no idea.

                                            >She sets the now 'wounded' apple in the middle of the sigil as she chews.

                                            >Fae trots up to her spelltome and scans over the next few lines.

                                            >She takes yet another deep breath and twirls around to face the sigil.

                                            "Alrighty Fae... L-lets do magic!"

                                            >She clears her throat.

                                            "K-king of wild woods, I beseech thee! Upon the stars above, I humbly ask for thy aid!"

                                            >Fae shrinks down momentarily as the chalk begins to glow.

                                            >It- It's okay! K-keep going!

                                            "May life take this fruit a-and shape in justly!"

                                            >She glances one last time at the spelltome.

                                            "Come forth, O familiar mine! Let sun and moon grace thy leaves once more!"

                                            >She inhales sharply.

                                            "Gnilpas Ehnt!"

                                            >The reagents melt away and spiral towards the apple, enveloping it fully.

                                            >The glow grows brighter, illuminating the once dark room in a rainbow of hues.

                                            >There is a flash of blinding light, which makes Fae cover her face.

                                            >As the light fades, she hesitantly lowers her hooves.

                                            >The sigil is gone and so is the reagents.

                                            >All that is left is what looks like an oversized apple seed.

                                            >"D-did it work?"

                                            >Fae rubs her eyes for a moment and squints at the seed, noticing little nubs near the bottom of it.

                                            >She approaches and picks it up.

                                            >The seed now covers her hoof in its entirety and-

                                            "AH!"

                                            >She nearly drops the seed as she feels the nubs start wiggling around.

                                            >Fae twirls it around and watches in awe as the 'feet' of the apple seed move around.

                                            "Wow it's- it's actually... alive?"

                                            >A grin slowly makes its way to her face.

                                            "I- I did it! I really did it!"

                                            >She hugs her new familiar and giggles.

                                            >She made her first familiar!

                                            >And once it sprouts...

                                            >She'll have her first friend too!