From the Weatherworn Wagon (Bon Bon and Topaz)

[Deleted]

The faded flyer in the Old Neighborhood in Canterlot, its staple piercing it against a post, had advertised a multi-day backpacking trip near Smokey Pass into the snowcapped mountains of the Unicorn Range. It had her groggy, pre-tea attention. Experience the Journey of a Lifetime! Walk the Pilgrim’s Path and discover the Grotto of the Crystal Ball Flower! On the Evening of Your Arrival, see It Bloom and Show a Vision of the Future!!! Synth Pop believed the flier’s silly claims so little that she nearly glossed it over entirely. But an organized walk into the mountains for several days? She blinked her eyes forcefully to clear the drowsiness from her vision and looked again. Three days later, she boarded the train that went from Canterlot through Ponyville, then westwards towards Smokey Mountain. Smokey Pass was the name of the bend wherein the train would pass through the Unicorn Range on its way to Tall Tale. It was also the name of her stop, a town off the tracks that served mountaineers on their way to Smokey Mountain to the west and the Range to the East. The ride was an entire day and night. By day, she spent most of her time looking out the window of one of the passenger cars, watching the forests that stretched for miles up to the mountains. She watched raptors glide and fly on long wings next to the car before banking away, perhaps towards prey or a distant nest. She watched steams glisten in the sunlight as the train passed over bridges like quicksilver in a dream. She watched the sun descend from its perch from behind the tint of her shades. When she squinted just right, she thought she could see the exact contours of that perfect circle of flame before she closed her eyes and watched the afterimage lingering in her retina. Her special talent was making noise with a keyboard. Another’s was raising that giant light. With little to do but wait in her seat, her thoughts often drifted to such things. By night, Synth lay awake in the sleeper car. The sound of the tracks, the displaced wind whooshing by … she listened, and though she tried to imagine the sights to come, the wonderful drone made all the more serious thoughts about her life come by and gawk at her like the eagle flying along the windows or ... perhaps another bird... She opened her eyes, and watched the sway of the bunk curtain, the dark-dyed cotton holding the touch of moonlight in its weave, promising perhaps a different world on the other side. She fell asleep, not in her bed, but at a seat back in the passenger car, after hours of looking out to the fields holding lunar blue like a sheet hung on the clothesline through the night. At some point, the drone and gentle rocking of the car eased her until her chin rested on the seat, and she dreamed of a familiar cold, grey world, and the glide of a certain seagull. Smokey Pass was a town only two miles long. The white paint had gone thin on old houses' doors, revealing splinters made by wood swelling in the rain then settling in the dry over the course of the lives of ponies who lived there when coal was the primary industry in the Pass, not cityponies looking for a whiff of cedar like herself. Porches held rusted relics and wind-battered bric-a-brac and quiet, scruffy ponies that had nothing to say to the mare with giant shades and a silk necktie. The main street offered eateries made from supposed former miner bunkhouses, though the old general stores remained. She made a few purchases there, adding slightly to the weight she carried, neglecting the Smokey Pass keychains, carriage stickers, coffee mugs, and so on, instead buying a cheap bottle of something the food car back on the train should have had and – because she craved it – a bag of dried apple slices. She had supplies with her as supplies were not included, which was an essential piece of knowledge. After all, if she had forgot to bring tea on a long walk like this … it brought up a memory that only she would recognize for being traumatic. At the end of the town, she would be meeting her group. With her bags on her back, she waited at the meeting place named in the flyer, at an ancient, derelict wagon in sight of the last house of the road, in sight of a thin part in the grass that marked a stretch towards the east. There, she waited while nibbling on a slice of dehydrated apple, looking at the remains of the wagon where not a single thread of canvas remained and the wheels were long gone, iron axles and hubs rusting away in the soil, the only cargo of the wagon being a lone candy wrapper stuck on a twisted nail of the bed, plastic flapping in the mountain breeze. Synth absentmindedly poked at the ground and looked to the town, wondering whom she would be sharing the so-called journey of a lifetime with.

[Topaz Dream]

Topaz had just left a restaurant, having cleaned up to pay for the meal her limited bits didn't really allow. She was happy that the owner allowed her to clean the store in exchange for a meal, as it gave her a way to survive as she searched for a job. Her mind wandered as the train left the station heading north. She wasn't on it, though she should have been. She still had her job, cleaning the castle for Emperor Shining Armor and Empress Mi Amore Cadenza. She didn't want to disappoint them, but on the other hoof... She wasn't chained down anymore. She was given the freedom to go where she wanted and to do what she wanted to do. Her eyes drifted across a flier and she read it. Topaz read the flier again, thinking. There was no way a flower could do that, right? Though, it was possible, with how much magic was in Equestria. She pondered for a bit, and hastily made her way toward the Train Station... After a quick stop for some provisions for the week. So here Topaz was, sitting on a train. She walked slowly from car to car, sweeping up the things that needed sweeping. Her passage being paid for by her work. She paused, staring out the window at the beautiful moon in the distance as she worked, a happy smile on her face. This was going to be a fun adventure, she was sure of it! She noticed a solemn looking pony staring out the window as well, sitting in this cab instead of one of the cabins. Topaz quietly worked, leaving the pony to her peace. When they arrived, Topaz looked around. This town was the smallest she'd been in, but it looked nice and quaint. She quietly thanked the conductor of the train for giving her the ride and walked along, browsing a small store for a few moments to pass the time until the group was supposed to be meeting up. As she exited the shop and made her way toward the meeting area, she noticed the pony that had been moon-gazing. She slowly, quietly approached with a nervous step. "H-hello. Are y-you going to s-see the Crystal B-ball flower, t-too? She inquired, and thus her vacation began.

[Deleted]

Hearth's Warming was over. Hearts & Hooves Day was over. Even the Spring celebrations, such as they were, were done. Now Bon Bon was looking down the barrel of a long, hot summer in Ponyville as soon as the spring season ended; a whole three months full of half-melted gummis, a boiling-hot kitchen with all the fans on, a roommate who'd doubtlessly be whining just as much as she herself wanted to, and of course, no major holidays to get customers flocking to. She loved summertime down-time, when she could walk through the park wearing nothing at all, sipping a lemonade and watching the foals frolick to their heart's content. But Celestia almighty, she hated the working hours. So she decided, in preparation for that, she would be taking a getaway. Not some huge trip to Prance or anything, but... well, she had seen this flyer. About a flower that showed the future, apparently. She was aware it was probably snake-oil, something like what those two weird unicorns and their awful cider machine were trying to peddle. The extra exclamation points pushed that point forward—she knew darn well that you don't write three on your advertisement unless you're selling to children or being sarcastic. (Heck, she'd done it before last Nightmare Night. Try Our Terror Tarts—They're To DIE For!!! Ugh...) Still, it... well. The thought intrigued her. She figured, worst case scenario, it's a bunch of horseapples and she just gets to go wander around in the woods for a while. Why not? She liked the smell of nature, and it would definitely get her out of town for a little while. And in the best case scenario, she'd still get to do that, but she'd also get to see what was in store for her. And... if it was true, it'd be kind of nice. The future was something that made her anxious a lot of the time, and if she could see even a little glimpse of it then it could mean a whole world of difference. She was sure of it. So. That was what led Bon Bon here, to this weird little pass-through town, hauling not-small sacks at her sides and looking around for where this group was supposed to meet. She saw past the rustic buildings and weathered roads, and saw into it a little bit; ponies still lived here, after all, and this was home to them. There were touristy traps and eateries, sure, but she saw homes, too. Bikes leaned against buildings, windows glowing yellow, beaten paths that led where someone passing through would have no interest. She felt a little out of place with her bright mane and nicely-stitched saddlebags. This was a humbler town. That "good ol' Ponyville cheer" would come off as forced and insincere, no doubt. After a bit of walking and reflecting, she found her way to the meeting place. Couldn't be more obvious, there was one Crystal Pony mare who sparkled like the summer sunshine and another who had apparently come in a nearly-complete Blues Sister costume. (Just needed the hat.) And she seemed to be eating... Is she eating dehydrated apples? How boring of a snack is that...? That's like the dry white toast of fruit. She shook the thoughts from her head and smiled anyway, hearing the first mare talking to the other with a noticeable stutter. It was funny, she'd never seen a Crystal Pony in the flesh before. The moonlight made her look like some glittering alien come from another world. "Hey, um..." Bon Bon felt like it was obvious even before it came out of her mouth, but she asked anyway. "...We're not pulling that wagon, are we? That thing looks like a deathtrap..."

[Deleted]

Synth Pop watched the first pony tenderly make her way towards the wagon, but did not point her face at her as she approached; she supposed that would have been rude. Behind her sunglasses, she closed her eyes, listening to the wind brush the patchy grasses by the path. It was a lonely sound. She had heard it many times in many places, that sound the world made before she was there to experience it. When she was long gone, the world would keep on like this: no words and no thoughts to form them. The wind would blow, and the grasses would bend, and that was all. She listened, and soon heard light hooves padding through the dirt. The setting was there, and here was the protagonist, a wanderer? An explorer? Or just somepony who was lost? Synth nearly smiled at the lazy playfulness in her head. "H-hello. Are y-you going to s-see the Crystal B-ball flower, t-too?” Synth opened her eyes and looked. A mare, and she was quite literally shimmering, even in the dull light of the cloudy sky. She had heard about them: Crystal Ponies. Synth had imagined the name to be an exaggeration … perhaps they were just as Earth Ponies that got messy with glitter, but as it turned out, the pony in front of her held light like cut topaz and emerald, and yet she did not seem as stone or gem in any other sense. She looked and sounded soft, not the delicate of wet paper, of something that would fall apart with one’s help or not. Rather, Synth felt as though she were looking at a lone, blooming canary flower neither bent or brittle in that chilly breeze. “I … yes. I am … incredulous about the claims, but … I suppose I am attracted to the journey more than the destination. I … do not know if-” Between her thoughts and talking, she had missed another’s approach. "Hey, um..." The second pony was an Earth Pony too, though she – like many ponies – looked about as far from Synth as conceptually possible. This being the norm, Synth did not dwell on the differences, or even similarities (they both had eye colors in the blue family). Synth could not place it, but this mare had a certain … energy. Perhaps it was as simple as her bouncy curls or the complex sum of posture, stride, and more. "...We're not pulling that wagon, are we? That thing looks like a deathtrap..." Synth looked to the wagon. The wheels being long lost to time, it was perhaps not much more than a skeleton left to the elements, claimed by the soil. At any rate, she doubted the three of them could budge all that rusted iron or splintered wood if it were the only way to preserve a crumbling world. “No … I believe it is just a … convenient landmark, perhaps … marking the trail.” She looked behind the mares out towards the town. Nopony else walked towards them or the wagon. “Is … this all of us?”

[Topaz Dream]

Topaz jumped slightly as a voice asked about the wagon. She turned, lowering her head slightly to the newcomer in a bit of a half-hearted bow. "I g-guess I should i-introduce myself. I'm T-topaz Dream. F-from the Crystal E-empire. It's nice to m-meet you two." She said, keeping her head down. She looked to the wagon, contemplating the answer. It lacked wheels, but it could, in theory, be fixed up and used, right? Not that she had the know-how of how to do it. She shook her head lightly. "I b-believe She's right... just a l-landmark to bring u-us together?" Topaz offered with a light nod. Was this everyone? Topaz wasn't sure. There was a meeting time on the poster, but could ponies be running late? Were these three going to be the only three on this journey, or was there some kind of guide going with them? She had no clue... "I'm... n-not sure. We m-might be?" she said softly, looking back toward the train for any stragglers. Looking back toward the two, She smiled. "Y-you two did pack e-enough food for the journey, r-right? I-if not, the general s-store probably has some things y-you can buy. N-not that you t-two don't look l-like ponies who would c-come prepared! I was j-just making s-sure!" She scrambled over her words, trying not to look like she was insulting them. She lowered her head, and decided to keep quiet for the time being.

[Deleted]

Alright, well, she got the idea so far; these two were gently-spoken ponies. So she would have to tone down her outside voice a little. That didn't bug her any, she had to raise her voice in the shop all the time when kids got too out of control (or, as was more common, adults did). It was gonna be nice to just... not, for a while. Do other things. Focus on the more important stuff. "Good," she said more softly, sighing in relief at their answers about the wagon. "You couldn't pay me enough to sit in that and expect it to take me down the mountain. Um..." She looked behind, then around, turned in a circle—then turned in a curcle the other way—and stopped. "Unless somepony's late, this is probably it. I guess we don't have a guide." She smiled anyway. The pilgrim's path, emphasis on path, implied many ponies came and went this way. Surely it was safe, and the way was clear. And anyway, she'd bought a map—though she wasn't sure if city-pony here would be able to read it with those big honkin' spacemare sunglasses. She bowed her head back at the Crystal pony, politely. "I'm Bon Bon, and yes, I packed plenty. I can share if either of you run low, too, I'm a cook. It's nice to meet you Miss Topaz, and miss...?" She looked expectantly to the other pony, her mind racing with don't say Elwood don't say Elwood don't say Elwood.

[Deleted]

They … didn’t have a guide. “… Synth Pop. It’s … a pleasure to meet you two.” What was the point of putting up a flier when there was not anything behind it, no goods or services to cover the cost of the printing? Synth looked to the path, a ribbon of trodden dirt just wide enough for one pony to stand in next to a splintered sign, arrow gone dull, the letters only vaguely reading “PILGRIM’S PATH.” The path was thin, grasses bending inwards, over the ribbon like a tiny canopy. How often did anypony really walk this path? She looked back to the other two ponies. “I … packed carefully, I believe. I also brought a means for us to enjoy some music when we camp, and I did not forget to pack tea that is well-suited to wilderness travel.” Part of her could not help but suspect that she was a bit of an idiot to want to continue despite the oddity of the situation. She knew herself just barely enough to know that she had to have this, had to get away from Canterlot, and if the other two ponies did not back out, perhaps this trip would be the first with company, and they did seem like pleasant company. She looked to Topaz Dream for a moment. The mare seemed … nervous? It was not a feeling or an assessment she made of ponies often. Often, she was the one who was nervous. Perhaps it was her first walk like this. Synth bowed a little as she looked to her by some strange reflex. “As long there is a path, however odd, it should be passable … if … not enjoyable. I am prepared to give it a try if you two are.”

[Topaz Dream]

Topaz nodded to the two, happy these two packed enough for the trip. She patted her light-looking saddlebags and nodded. "I h-have enough bread and w-water to last me t-the week~" She said happily, looking toward Synth with a bit of a nervous look. "I h-have... admittedly, n-never tasted Tea." She blushed lightly. She had tried wine on her Hearts and Hooves date, but other than that she was limited to water. She nodded to the two of them. "It's a p-pleasure to meet you Miss S-synth Pop and Miss Bon B-bon~" She said, looking up the trail. New friends and a new adventure. This was so much more than Topaz thought it would be already. She figured a large crowd, and she'd quietly follow along and keep out of the way. But now, it was just three ponies, each a bit on edge, none of them actually knowing what to expect. She looked up the path with a determined gaze. "I've s-spent far too much time inside t-the castle. In the c-cold... I need to do t-this for me. I d-don't know either of you that w-well, but that d-doesn't matter... We're a-all here, so we'll be j-just fine!" She said, a surprised look crossing her face. She wasn't sure where that came from, but she nodded, agreeing with Synth. She was ready to face this journey!

[Deleted]

Right... okay. So the Blues Sis--no, Synth Pop--was a total city slicker, and apparently did the usual city slicker thing, bring comforts rather than necessities. And the other mare, Topaz, could not have been more out of her element if she had ripped out half her protons and declared herself a noble gas. Living in a castle was even further removed from living in a city--was she being serious about the tea thing? And here Bon Bon was expecting to be the one who had no idea what she was doing... Oh well, though. In for a bit, in for a bundle. She was sure the two would be totally capable of carrying their own weight. She smiled brightly at them, and then at the creepy, strange path ahead of the three. ...She smiled a teeny bit less brightly and adjusted her saddlebags, swallowing a wee lump in her throat. "Well! No time like the present, right, ladies? Who needs a guide anyway? We have a map and I guess some tea, so we'll figure it out~" She chuckled a little, more sardonic than before. "Oh, um, and watch your steps. All I know about first aid I learned from a stupid pre-movie roll last month. So if you start choking on something, I'm your mare, but if you sprain your ankle or something I hope you're a good hopper~" ...Oookay. Maybe that was a little dark. But it would help keep their collective spirits up, right? She smiled betwen the two and started slowly walking forward, conscious not to bump into one of them with her overstuffed bags. These are your buddies now, Bon... don't freak 'em out...

[Deleted]

"I h-have enough bread and w-water to last me t-the week~" Synth Pop blinked behind her lenses in immediate response. It seemed that Topaz was even more frugal and straightforward than she was. She kept it simple, but just bread and water? Would that not become … bland? She would completely forget about the bread and water consideration entirely when the Crystal Pony drew a breath and spoke, perhaps, one of the most shocking statements Synth Pop had ever heard. "I h-have... admittedly, n-never tasted Tea." For an instant, any thought was condensed into tears that reflexively started to form, as if from a yawn, and her jaw dropped ever so slightly. How was this possible? Tea was the divine right of the Citizen, from the sun-raising head of state to the lowliest alleyway waste licking the bottom of infested apple barrels. And yet her voice, and yet her smile … Synth felt a firm beat in her heart. It was the beat of a cause. Her cause: she would make this mare tea that night. It was as much a duty to her as ever a cause could become one. The Crystal Pony turned her head and looked to the path, a lick of wind pulling a wisp of her mane out from her hairband, her eyes reflecting in clear, glittery prism. "I've s-spent far too much time inside t-the castle. In the c-cold... I need to do t-this for me. I d-don't know either of you that w-well, but that d-doesn't matter... We're a-all here, so we'll be j-just fine!" Such immense dignity. Synth Pop was not very familiar with the emergent Crystal Empire, but what could it be other than a writhing dystopia to deny the noble pony in front of her the very taste of pony dignity? She took a step to make her oath, that they would be fine by every effort of her power, however limited, and that there would be tea at camp. It would be steeped perfectly, served perfectly. Bon Bon stepped forwards first. "Well! No time like the present, right, ladies? Who needs a guide anyway? We have a map and I guess some tea, so we'll figure it out~" There was a sense about Bon Bon to Synth; the absurdity of what they were about to do was not lost on her, it seemed. She seemed sharp. Synth wanted to smile a little, a silent admission that she imagined Bon Bon would notice more dangerous things than her. If it was just the three of them, Synth thought, she would have to try not to spend as much time in her head. "Oh, um, and watch your steps. All I know about first aid I learned from a stupid pre-movie roll last month. So if you start choking on something, I'm your mare, but if you sprain your ankle or something I hope you're a good hopper~" She started for the trail, and Synth looked to Topaz with what she wished her face would show as a sporting, supportive smile before she started to follow Bon Bon onto the thin path. “I … do not predict too many issues … at least from intuition. As you said, a map and tea … the mind and heart of safe travels, Miss Bon Bon. I … have spared no expense in my selection for us. And … I offer my apple slices if anypony could use a snack as we begin.” She waited for Topaz before she found her pace.

[Topaz Dream]

Topaz watched the ground as she walked, keeping a bit of a distance between herself and the other two. She didn't want to seem like she was crowding them, or trying to lead them. She was content with staying back and following. She also made sure to watch her footing as they walked. She'd never been walking on a trail, but it seemed Bon Bon knew what to watch out for. A sprained hoof sounded like a horrible fate. And with no one trained in fixing that up... she wouldn't want to hinder the others by hurting herself. Topaz watched the ground for the most part, keeping quiet so the other two could converse how they wanted. But her head perked up when Synth spoke. She spared no expense on the selection of tea. How much did tea cost? It couldn't be that expensive, right? "U-uhm... How much d-does tea usually c-cost?" She asked quietly. She was curious, but didn't want to offend Synth by asking anything rude. Her head then turned to Bon Bon, and her head tilted slightly, curious about something she had said. "A-and what's a Pre M-movie Reel?" Topaz had been out of the empire for a couple weeks, but she mostly kept her head down and kept to herself, cleaning for ponies that would hire her. She was still getting accustomed to all of these new things that had happened in the last thousand years.

[Deleted]

Bon Bon couldn't help but feel a tiny... tiny bit worried about this now. They were both following her. Her. The mare who bit her chair because she'd stubbed her hoof on it in the dark. If these two were going to trust her as... like, the reliable or sensible one or something, then Celestia help them all, none of them would be seeing home again. "Uhm... no thanks on the apples, and I guess tea's important too, but... I'd go with shelter over tea if I had to pick. You both have tents? Or is somepony gonna bunk?" Better to get the important stuff figured out now rather than later, right? If she had to share with both of them, though... well. She'd have to hope they were alright with a snorer. She did a double take at the crystal pony's question. ...Right. 1000 years or something. The poor (or lucky) mare wouldn't even know what most music these days sounded like. "It's like..." she struggled to find the right phrasing. "...A 'movie' is like this moving, talking picture that tells you a story. You sit down in a dark room and watch it for an hour or so. A pre-movie roll is the stuff before a movie that, like, tries to sell you popcorn or soda pop, and sometimes they have emergency information stuff. I learned how to give somepony the Heimlich from one! ... Never had to actually do it though, so I'd probably just break your ribs and make you puke." A couple of beats passed. Bon Bon turned around, looking a bit sheepish. "On second thought, a dried apple piece sounds lovely, thank you."

[Deleted]

Synth Pop stopped in front of Bon Bon, took out the bag, opened it, and offered it to her, releasing the faint scent of dried goldrenettes. “I … do not believe we will need to bunk. I have brought a backpacking tent. It is … very light and compact. I bought it a while ago … normally I travel alone … but I should be able to fit another if needed, though … personal space would be … nonexistent, I am afraid.” Normally, Synth travelled with a big dome tent, but that was when a journey was shorter, a hike of a few hours, perhaps, and weight was less of an issue. She could made concessions for the sake of tea & music and little else this time. “I have … made a point of bringing delightful tea for the journey and cups as well ...” She looked to Topaz with a slight nod. “The best tea may carry a steeper price, but isn’t … prohibitive. And … in matters of tea, I prefer to spare no expense. Thread counts in sheets can be … lower, or … glass is good instead of crystal. The peace of tea … is … a vast but simple pleasure.” She took on a sheepish tinge in her expression to both Topaz and Bon Bon. They both less uptight than her in their speech. Somehow, she would have to find a way to relax, her tinge taking a slightly wry angle when her first thought was tea. That’s your answer for everything, Synthy. She took a slightly less uptight breath of the mountain air.

[Topaz Dream]

Topaz listened to the description of the Pre-Movie Reel. That was interesting... Magic could do a lot of things nowadays... including moving, talking pictures? She nodded a bit, trying to picture what the mare was talking about, but smiled and nodded either way... And then her eyes widened at the comment about broken ribs. "T-that doesn't sound p-pleasant at all..." She said quietly, looking to Synth as she spoke of the Economics of Tea. She sniffed the scent coming from the bag as Synth offered it. It smelled delicious! She started to reach for a piece, but paused, retracting the hoof. Manners Topaz. "M-may I have one, a-as well? She asked quietly. Thread Counts? Glass vs Crystal? Topaz wasn't sure what it meant. She knew the King liked only the best for himself... But she didn't have the luxury to get any use of it. Topaz nodded slightly, looking between the two for a moment. Tent? She looked back at her bags. One held some food, the other a blanket. She smiled back to the two with a nervous smile. "I'll b-be fine~" She said confidently. No need to worry two strangers, right?

[Deleted]

"Hey, thanks. I owe you one." Bon Bon took the apple slice and started chewing right away, grateful for the opportunity to mash a piece of fruit for a while instead of talking. (The saying "I have to chew it over" didn't come from nowhere, after all.) Thankfully, the apple was well and truly dried—it was like gnawing on tasty, fruity rubber, and she didn't have to embarrass herself further for a few minutes. She smiled at the both of them, a tad sheepish. Kept chewing. Didn't have to let herself make weird comments about breaking their ribs or anything like that. Just let them talk about tea, and tents, and speak up again when... when... oh, Celestia. This Dream chick didn't have a tent, did she? That look she made at her bags said it all. Bon sighed through her nose and finally swallowed the apple bit. "Gck!" But, it wasn't chewed all the way—the skin caught in her throat and made her eyes water. She coughed, though, thumped her chest once, and it was gone. "Ooph... e-excuse me. Well, my tent's, um. Could squeeze somepony in if they need. It's chilly up here, you wouldn't wanna sleep outside." She smiled, addressing the both of them in case the Crystal Pony was easily embarrassed or something. "I'll warn you girls, though. I'm a roller and maybe a snorer. Hey, can I have another apple slice...? That was actually kinda good."