Punky Print's Log: Day 10
I kept the flowers I found for everypony to eat yesterday. At the time I hadn't thought much of tucking the flowers into my mane, but now I'm really glad I did. I still don't have any other way to get us food, but luckily I still have enough to last until tomorrow at dinner. Cursive still disappears and brings back his own food when he's hungry. I guess he got used to doing it when I was gone.
Even after we all returned safely, Lemon Grass' dad still won't allow me to work on the farm. Apparently, Lemon Grass' mom got hit too hard when she was trying to protect him.
"I'm sorry," I said to Lemon Grass when he told me.
"I know." He wiped his eyes with his hoof, and I resolutely pretended that he wasn't crying. I feel guilty about her death, if the guard hadn't been there for my friends, she wouldn't have died. "It wasn't your fault, you know," he said to me, his voice dull and flat. In his downturned eyes, I could see he blamed himself.
"It wasn't yours either." He shrugged. "It wasn't. You couldn't have done anything to stop it, that guard just pushed her too hard." Lemon Grass laughed bitterly.
"The guards of the wall are expressing their condolences at the funeral." I gave him a disbelieving look. "My dad's just letting them. He won't even allow any of you to come, not you, not Coco, not even Rainy, but 'Commander Dagger' is going to be there flapping his gums about my mom." He grit his teeth as angry tears spilled down his face. I almost gasped in shock when I connected the name to the name of the guard who wanted to send a report to Celestia.
"I thought Brassheart was the Commander," I said, confused.
"They both are," he said. "That's why so many of the guards get away with being hesitant to follow Brassheart's orders." He shook his head. "The self-important jerk didn't even know my mom. And I mean, she actually liked you. The funeral shouldn't be about my dad's bucking issues, it should be about my mom!" I nodded.
"Is there any way we could just... sit apart from the funeral, but still be there?" He shook his head.
"Everypony that dies is buried outside the wall, so that they don't take up extra space," he said derisively. "There's no way to get you out there unless a guard escorted you, and well, you being you, I don't think that'd happen. Even if they were escorting a regular pony they could get fired!"
"Oh," I said. "Well regardless, is there anything I can do?" He shook his head.
"Thank you though, for offering."
"Of course," I said as I hugged him, "and if you find that you do need something, just let me know." He nodded and left for the farmhouse.
Once he had, I roamed the inside of the walls again, searching for some sort of work. Any sort, really. I knew I'd never find any here, but I still tried compulsively. As I walked by one of the corners where the wall met the cliff, an apple fell from a nearby tree just outside of the fence guarding it. The shining red fruit rolled towards the wide street through the center of the prison town, and my stomach growled. I watched it roll, casually following it to the main road. Quickly, I snatched it up when no one was looking and polished off the dirt.
When I bit into it, my knees almost buckled. I had forgotten how good apples taste, especially when they're as ripe and juicy as the one I had bitten. A bitter tear slid down my face in the middle of the main road, and I quickly pulled up the hood of my cloak to hide it. I decided to share it with Inky and tucked away the apple in my cloak.
I raised my head to look for the sky, and as my eyes glided over the rim of the wall, I saw the bright glare of sunlight off of armor. I looked away quickly, but I felt something strange and poisonous in my gut, defeat. I stared up at the glaring armor defiantly, and squinted when it hurt too much. Behind the armor I could make out a gray pony. I held my breath for an instant, and neither of us moved.
Slowly I removed the apple from the darkness of my cloak, and took another bite. I feel like maybe I stood there for hours, starring at the shining gray pony as I chewed my bite of apple pensively. I'm not sure whether the pony moved or the clouds did, but suddenly the glare of their armor was gone. I turned away from the wall and walked back to my house, my eyes still glued to the spot on the wall where the gray pony had stood.
Once I was back in our house, I told Inky about Lemon Grass' mother as we split the apple.
"And we can't go to the funeral or anything?" I shook my head sadly. "This is bull."
"I know, but there's nothing we can do. We're already on thin ice here anyway. It's best to just keep our heads down." Inky Pie's eyebrow rose.
"Speaking of keeping our heads down, how'd you get this apple, sis?" I blushed guiltily, even while having nothing to hide from her.
"It fell out of a tree and on to the road. I picked it up." Inky gave me a sly look. "What? that's what happened," I protested. She shrugged.
"Okay, I guess I shouldn't have assumed you had lifted it. It just seemed kind of suspicious, that's all." I smiled.
"I understand. Honestly, when it happened it seemed so lucky an opportunity, but I know that it was strange." For the rest of the day, Inky and I did nothing of note, really. Inky stayed in her room and read the books that she had brought with her, and I stayed in mine, practicing my magic.
I have never thought my magic was anything of note. Until a few days ago, I had never thought it could be used in any sort of significant way. But now, I know I have the potential for... something! Anything!
But first, I should at least find a way to feed my family.
AN: Oh man, I feel like this hasn't been updated in forever. I'm sorry! My sister was out of commission and I was just...weird. Like Pinky with straight hair. Except no one noticed...
Anywhoodle! I'm back! :D
