Tour Eiffel hurried through the streets of the market, shivering as she
passed a familiar stall, blackened by fire. Her basket of apples and
vegetables from her apple tree and her garden was clutched tightly in her
mouth. She was lucky the enemy hadn't found her cottage and apple tree, and
her garden.
She lowered her head, and marched on towards the center of the market where she could sell her apples for a bit of money. Enough to buy some bread to feed her two children. It wasn't much, but they couldn't live on apples and carrots forever. Just like whoever she'd buy the bread from, couldn't live on bread forever. They were all linked now.
She looked up at the clouds. If only her husband was home. Green Star was such a comfort. But he was gone to look for odd jobs he could do. Then he would return, and maybe he would have enough money to get them through the winter. Maybe not. They could survive through the winter with the dried fruits and such in the cellar, but the cottage was badly in need of repairs, and they hadn't enough money at the moment.
Tour Eiffel arrived at her spot. Each pony had a spot they chose to sell, and nobody ever stole one. She was sickened at the sight of some of the spots that were no longer filled. Her friends.
She sat down, and waited for the ponies to begin to arrive,
She remembered when she had been a tailor in a fancy shop, sewing up fancy skirts and dresses for the important ponies. She had been poor then, and thought she had the worst. then she met Green Star, and they fell in love. They married, then they had two children, E'toile and Silver Star.
Green Star had been an odd job pony back then as well, but there had been many more odd jobs back then. He had had plenty of money. He wasn't rich, but he had had a fairly good amount.
Then they had built a cottage beside a beautiful apple tree, and near a stream. It was well hidden.
That was when the war started, and Green Star went as all male ponies did, to fight. Times got worse and worse, and Tour Eiffel lost her job. The village was invaded, and many shops were burned, though they had been rebuilt now.
Tour Eiffel had worried every day that her cottage would be found by the ennemy on a village raid. Tour Eiffel and her children had spent many a day huddled in the cottage as dark smoke billowed into the sky, and the sound of screams and explosions rent the air. It had been pure luck nobody had found them.
She had never gone to the village once before a raid. She always waited until after one to go, because there was not a chance of second one, or of being followed home. She would quickly trade with ponies who had managed to get into the secret tunnels under the village, then she would hurry home. Frightened, she would come home, relieved to find her cottage and children safe.
Then, the war had ended, and it was finally safe to leave her home. The whole of Ponyland rejoiced their victory, and many had stood crying on the grass as they gathered in front of Dream Castle, and Majesty stood on the balcony, and held her hooves to the air, crying herself, yelling "The war is over!" to the crowd below.
There was much rejoicing, and then they began to repair what was broken.
The soldiers came home. They were rewarded with medals of bravery, and enough food to last them and their families for the entire year. But that was for only one year. And they had barely scraped by last year, and the year before that. Would they be able to make this one?
Soon ponies arrived, and Tour Eiffel sold her apples for some bread, and as a treat, she bought a sticky bun with some of the cabbages she had picked for extra. Then she made her way back to the cottage.
It was a pretty cottage, with flowers growing all over, and a little stream running through it. Stones had been laid down from the door of the cottage to the garden, to the stream. The apple tree was in the front.
"Hello!" called Tour Eiffel. The door burst open and her children came running out.
"Mama!" said E'toile. "Mama, you're back!"
Silver Star grinned. "Mama! How did it go?" He was the older brother, and was always relieved when she came home, Tour Eiffel knew. She understood that E'toile could be a handful at times.
"It wen't very well, and I have a surprise for you." said Tour Eiffel, and she pulled out the bun.
"Yay!" cheered E'toile, "Thank you so much, mama! Thank you, tank you, thank you!"
Tour Eiffel glowed at the happy looks on their faces. She loved her children, and they had grown closer than ever after the war.
They entered the cottage, and Tour Eiffel cut the bun in half, and then in quarters. She handed one piece to E'toile, one to Silver Star, and she took one for herself. It was delicious! E'toile was wolfing hers down. Tour Eiffel stopped her.
"Eat slower," she said "You may not get one for a while, so enjoy it."
E'toile nodded, and ate slower.
Just then the sound of hoofsteps anetered the clearing.
Panicked, Tour Eiffel peered out the winter, and then screamed.
"Green Star!" she shrieked.
She ran from the cottage, and there was a flurry of nose rubbing and nuzzles,and then the children came out,and there was more. Once they calmed down, Green Star was led up to the house, and they all sat down once more. He talked as he ate the remaining piece of bun.
"I had many jobs," he said happily, "And we will be able to repair the cottage enough for the winter, and alo have much food. Times are getting better!"
He nuzzled Tour Eiffel across the table, and swallowed.
"That's wonderful!" said Tour Eiffel, "The roof can be re-thatched now! Maybe stones can now be laid on the path! And...no more wooden dishes?" she held her breath.
"Yes!" said Green Star, "All of that."
She sighed happily. It seemed too good to be true.
"Our luck is changing." said Green Star.
"But best of all," said Tour Eifffel, "You are back, to stay for the rest of the year!"
She lowered her head, and marched on towards the center of the market where she could sell her apples for a bit of money. Enough to buy some bread to feed her two children. It wasn't much, but they couldn't live on apples and carrots forever. Just like whoever she'd buy the bread from, couldn't live on bread forever. They were all linked now.
She looked up at the clouds. If only her husband was home. Green Star was such a comfort. But he was gone to look for odd jobs he could do. Then he would return, and maybe he would have enough money to get them through the winter. Maybe not. They could survive through the winter with the dried fruits and such in the cellar, but the cottage was badly in need of repairs, and they hadn't enough money at the moment.
Tour Eiffel arrived at her spot. Each pony had a spot they chose to sell, and nobody ever stole one. She was sickened at the sight of some of the spots that were no longer filled. Her friends.
She sat down, and waited for the ponies to begin to arrive,
She remembered when she had been a tailor in a fancy shop, sewing up fancy skirts and dresses for the important ponies. She had been poor then, and thought she had the worst. then she met Green Star, and they fell in love. They married, then they had two children, E'toile and Silver Star.
Green Star had been an odd job pony back then as well, but there had been many more odd jobs back then. He had had plenty of money. He wasn't rich, but he had had a fairly good amount.
Then they had built a cottage beside a beautiful apple tree, and near a stream. It was well hidden.
That was when the war started, and Green Star went as all male ponies did, to fight. Times got worse and worse, and Tour Eiffel lost her job. The village was invaded, and many shops were burned, though they had been rebuilt now.
Tour Eiffel had worried every day that her cottage would be found by the ennemy on a village raid. Tour Eiffel and her children had spent many a day huddled in the cottage as dark smoke billowed into the sky, and the sound of screams and explosions rent the air. It had been pure luck nobody had found them.
She had never gone to the village once before a raid. She always waited until after one to go, because there was not a chance of second one, or of being followed home. She would quickly trade with ponies who had managed to get into the secret tunnels under the village, then she would hurry home. Frightened, she would come home, relieved to find her cottage and children safe.
Then, the war had ended, and it was finally safe to leave her home. The whole of Ponyland rejoiced their victory, and many had stood crying on the grass as they gathered in front of Dream Castle, and Majesty stood on the balcony, and held her hooves to the air, crying herself, yelling "The war is over!" to the crowd below.
There was much rejoicing, and then they began to repair what was broken.
The soldiers came home. They were rewarded with medals of bravery, and enough food to last them and their families for the entire year. But that was for only one year. And they had barely scraped by last year, and the year before that. Would they be able to make this one?
Soon ponies arrived, and Tour Eiffel sold her apples for some bread, and as a treat, she bought a sticky bun with some of the cabbages she had picked for extra. Then she made her way back to the cottage.
It was a pretty cottage, with flowers growing all over, and a little stream running through it. Stones had been laid down from the door of the cottage to the garden, to the stream. The apple tree was in the front.
"Hello!" called Tour Eiffel. The door burst open and her children came running out.
"Mama!" said E'toile. "Mama, you're back!"
Silver Star grinned. "Mama! How did it go?" He was the older brother, and was always relieved when she came home, Tour Eiffel knew. She understood that E'toile could be a handful at times.
"It wen't very well, and I have a surprise for you." said Tour Eiffel, and she pulled out the bun.
"Yay!" cheered E'toile, "Thank you so much, mama! Thank you, tank you, thank you!"
Tour Eiffel glowed at the happy looks on their faces. She loved her children, and they had grown closer than ever after the war.
They entered the cottage, and Tour Eiffel cut the bun in half, and then in quarters. She handed one piece to E'toile, one to Silver Star, and she took one for herself. It was delicious! E'toile was wolfing hers down. Tour Eiffel stopped her.
"Eat slower," she said "You may not get one for a while, so enjoy it."
E'toile nodded, and ate slower.
Just then the sound of hoofsteps anetered the clearing.
Panicked, Tour Eiffel peered out the winter, and then screamed.
"Green Star!" she shrieked.
She ran from the cottage, and there was a flurry of nose rubbing and nuzzles,and then the children came out,and there was more. Once they calmed down, Green Star was led up to the house, and they all sat down once more. He talked as he ate the remaining piece of bun.
"I had many jobs," he said happily, "And we will be able to repair the cottage enough for the winter, and alo have much food. Times are getting better!"
He nuzzled Tour Eiffel across the table, and swallowed.
"That's wonderful!" said Tour Eiffel, "The roof can be re-thatched now! Maybe stones can now be laid on the path! And...no more wooden dishes?" she held her breath.
"Yes!" said Green Star, "All of that."
She sighed happily. It seemed too good to be true.
"Our luck is changing." said Green Star.
"But best of all," said Tour Eifffel, "You are back, to stay for the rest of the year!"