Chapter 12: A Taste of the Greener Grass
Twilight found herself at the beginning of another memory once again. She was surprised by the sheer sensory overload as all around her were humans along with a plethora of noises. Looking around she spotted various stands and colorful structures she quickly realized were amusement park rides.
"An amusement park?" She asked herself as she tried to find Shirou. She caught a glimpse of him along with his sister. Illya was eagerly pointing at a rather large rollercoaster as she pulled a slightly exasperated but happy Shirou along. She smiled at the endearing sight.
Before she could follow them she felt a presence enter the dream. Turning to face the source of the disturbance, she spotted a rift closing behind a deep blue Alicorn. Before her stood the regal Alicorn of the Moon, and upon the royal's countenance was a look of thoughtful concern.
"Greetings Princess Luna!" Twilight bowed in respect. This drew the Princess from her thoughts.
"Greetings to you as well young Twilight!" Luna's voice bellowed out, drowning even the noisy surroundings. Twilight cringed at the volume, the worst of it was mitigated by the outdoor environment thankfully. "Ah, apologies good Twilight. I still find myself unable to shake old habits it seems."
"It's completely understandable Princess," Twilight was quick to respond. Fortunately the dream was outside and not indoors. "I see you are here, but where is Shirou?"
"I am here to collect thee in order to take you to the dreamscape we shall have our meeting. I shall retrieve Shirou after I have guided thee there." Luna aimed for a gap in the crowd, and created a new rift. "Please, follow me."
"Yes, Princess." Twilight followed behind Luna and stepped through the portal. On the other side she was greeted with a sky full of stars. They stood in a vast courtyard with a full moon directly above bathing them in its calming light. It was a beautiful scene to witness, and it took the sound of another portal opening to grab Twilight's attention.
She saw Luna step through once more before disappearing into another dream. Twilight only had to wait a few minutes before she returned. This time she was accompanied by a slightly bewildered Shirou. His eyes darted around, taking in the new surroundings with wariness. Ever battle ready it seems. She grinned a bit at seeing him this wound up by Luna's dreamwalking.
"Hi, Twilight," he greeted her upon finishing taking in the sight of the courtyard. He also gave her a little wave before taking his place at her side so they could face Luna together.
"I am certain both of thee have various questions to ask of me. This meeting is for both our benefits as I too have questions pertaining to the state of thy dreams. Thou seest now that dreams fall under mine authority as the Princess of the Night."
To drive home her point, she flared her power and wings in a grand display of her might. It was impressive to Shirou how quickly she had recovered from her weakened state after they had cleared her madness as Nightmare Moon. The light that poured from her was much like the light of the moon above, both radiated with her divinity. Even the stars twinkled brightly during her display. The scent of her mana momentarily overwhelmed Shirou's senses as well. Normally it was reminiscent of chill air from the first cold front that heralds winter. Now in its full glory, it was no gentle breeze carrying off the last leaf of autumn, but a piercing presence that harkened from the depths of a frozen night.
"Then allow us to answer your questions first, your majesty!" Twilight, ever eager to please the rulers of Equestria, responded first. She had been entranced by Luna's power and the sheer majesty of Luna's presence and form. She's so beautiful. She truly is Celestia's sister with such power and control, oh how I hope to reach even a small portion of their abilities! There must be so much Princess Luna could teach me too. I should ask her if she'd be willing to help me with my studies. But I shouldn't impose on her too much either, she is probably going through a lot trying to adjust to Equestria after such a long absence. And she would probably want to spend as much time as she can with her sister. These thoughts raced in Twilight's mind, as her curiosity and need to gain knowledge warred with her concern for the Princess of the Moon.
"I thank thee for being so forthcoming dear Twilight." She took a pause to look upon the pair properly before continuing. "As thou knowest, mine… absence from my duties means there is much work to make up for. Due to my unique ability to walk amongst dreams, of which my sister does not share, I had long ago been entrusted with ensuring that all in Equestria may have wonderous dreams free of nightmares. This is a duty I have taken upon myself once again and it was during this time I came upon a strange phenomenon." She paused to allow them to fully take in the information she had provided.
Shirou remembered the conversation he'd had with her during the party back in Canterlot. She had mentioned her ability to dreamwalk then and he had made a request of her to watch over Twilight. I'd wager that this meeting has something to do with that request and the Dream Cycle.
"Thou know I have knowledge of the strange link between the two of thee through a contract." They pair nodded at her summary of their bond. "The nature of this contract has intrigued me greatly, for I do share a greater inclination and curiosity to the arcane than even my sister. Though that would not normally be enough for me to require such an impromptu meeting on the matter. No, what troubles me is the nature of this link in relation to thine dreams." She looked to Shirou, recalling what he'd briefly told her before. "Good Shirou made me aware of the fact that this contract has repercussions in the dreams of those bound by it. Now that I have witnessed a few of these dreams I would like a greater explanation of their nature."
"If I may," began Shirou, seeing as he was still the most informed on this matter and had been the one to tell Luna in the first place. "I was a former Master and now as a Servant I do feel I've gained a deeper understanding of the basis of this bond between Twilight and I. Though, I will admit this contract is different from the norm as it is neither facilitated by a powerful magical artifact such as a Holy Grail, nor has it summoned me from the Throne of Heroes in a container of my respective class." Despite her desire to know more about the mentioned subjects, Luna patiently listened to Shirou.
"Differences and circumstances aside, one of the main similarities to the contracts I am familiar with is the inclusion of the Dream Cycle." Luna finally had a name to attach to the phenomenon she had been witnessing. "The Dream Cycle is a means by which a Master and Servant can deepen their understanding of each other. It does so by having each party experience the memories of the other during their dreams." Luna nodded in acknowledgement that she still recalled this much. "This way the Master can better understand the extent of their Servant's power and their values. In turn, the Servant comes to understand the kind of person their Master is and what drives them. Usually this would help cement their bond for the Grail War and make them a more effective fighting pair. I am sure you recall my concerns about these memories leading to nightmares for Twilight." Twilight found herself feeling slight terror as she briefly recalled the first memory she had witnessed. This was quickly replaced with a deeper sadness, oh Shirou why do you still blame yourself for these things. It's not your fault I have to see those memories. To even bother the Princess with this, at least you've learned to ask others for help. She did her best to take solace in that, though she was a tad surprised Shirou had kept this conversation from her.
"Indeed, I have been observing Twilight's dream as per our accord, but now that I have seen some for myself I simply needed to know more. I do thank thee for the additional information thou hast provided me. As per our agreement you may ask of me a question in turn and I shall endeavor to answer as best as I can." Luna looked upon the pair, processing Shirou's words while also preparing for whatever they might ask.
Shirou looked to Twilight, while he had his own curiosity of matters surrounding the Princess, he believed it only right for Twilight to ask first. Twilight received his intent clearly and decided to ask first as Shirou would be too stubborn to ask first.
"Princess Luna, I don't mean to sound rude, but are you truly feeling well enough to so quickly take up your old duties again?"
Luna experienced a brief lapse in her thoughts as she was thrown off by the direction of the question. She blinked once before staring intently at Twilight, she carefully considered how to reply.
"I am grateful for thy concern for mine own well being, but do not worry I am more than capable of resuming my place alongside my sister Celestia." She smiled at Twilight in reassurance, hoping to alleviate the unicorn of her worries. I needn't cause these valiant beings any further grievances with my own inability. Though it is endearing to see them so concerned for my own sake, I am not so deserving of such attention. Her bitter self deprecating thoughts remained hidden to the pair, or so she thought. She didn't catch the slight glint in Shirou's eyes as he peered at her with greater attention than before. Simply considering his own concern for her well being much like Twilight's.
"In fact, I shan't consider that as one of thy questions for this exchange, so please do ask another." Seeing as the pair was going to object she added, "I insist and I will not budge on this matter so let us not waste further time deliberating the matter."
With some exasperation the duo decided to leave the matter be. No point butting heads in a dream realm that neither truly understood how time functioned in. Especially not against the Diarch in charge of the place.
"I am curious as to what your duties are aside from watching over ponies' dreams. I am quite familiar with the duties of Princess Celestia and I'd like to know more about your own. If you don't mind explaining them to us of course." Twilight couldn't help but wonder what matters were now being handled by the Princess of the Night. After all, how many of those duties had been part of Princess Celestia's own after all this time.
"Mine own duties vary and are equal to my sister's. Quite a few parallels exist, such as the Day and Night Courts. It is one of my main duties to oversee the Night Court and handle any matters brought up by our denizens." She took a brief pause before continuing. "Unfortunately, despite the preparations for the Night Court having been handled prior to our celebrations a few days ago, few are the ponies willing to attend. Either as part of the Court or to request answers to their issues from the Court. Though I cannot fault them as many ponies are likely used to attending Day Court for such matters. I just wish that they would seek out mine own counsel so as to lessen the amount of petitioners my dear sister must answer to." Despite how stubborn she's been about not letting me take on so much work so soon. I don't need to continue being a burden to her.
"Aside from the Night Court and keeping order in the Dream Realm, I am in charge of the vaults containing magical artifacts and ancient tomes." She swelled with some pride, "my ability to understand the arcane is above even my sisters," she deflated a bit, "despite her larger magical reserves. She only cares for fiddling with artifacts and enchantments. Due to this, she believed it best that I focus on the magical side of Equestrian matters, even going as far as handling most of the politics." She could still remember those times, back when Starswirl had believed them fully capable of running Equestria on their own. To think we had been so eager to rule back then. Prepared for anything we thought, how wrong we had been. Even now have we, have I truly learned anything?
"Does that mean the library in Canterlot would be under your jurisdiction?" Twilight could only wonder what kind of arcane knowledge Princess Luna was privy to. How many ancient artifacts and formulas does she remember? Oh how I really want to spend some time just probing her mind of all the things she could teach me. Her eyebrows furrowed as she recalled a tid bit Luna had just said. "Wait, Princess Celestia never told me she liked to work on magical artifacts."
"Hm? Strange, perhaps she has not found much time in recent years to tinker as she used to." A small pause as Luna considered it who's fault it was. "To answer thy first question, yes. Especially the wings dedicated to ancient and powerful magical tomes. I do believe my sister has mentioned thou's interest in the magical arts. If thou wish I would not be opposed to setting up future meetings for us to discuss such matters." Celestia places much trust in Twilight's abilities and I have yet to truly verify her own aptitude. I do not wish to doubt my dear sister, but it is crucial that Twilight is ready for what lays ahead. Especially from what Celestia has told me she expects of her.
"I'd definitely appreciate further tutelage under your Highness!" Twilight responded eagerly. "Although, I admit I feel I'd be taking up time from your already busy schedule to largely benefit myself." She added with some trepidation.
"Worry not good Twilight, for thou can do me a great service by aiding me in growing accustomed to the current state of pony society. Consider an equal exchange of knowledge." Luna smiled upon Twilight who couldn't help but quickly nod in agreement. The prospect of learning and helping out a Princess simply too much to ever disagree. "Now, our time is limited in this realm and I still have questions I must ask. So please excuse mine blunt approach, but I must know, what manner of past hast thou had to invoke such strange dreams for Twilight?" Luna stared at Shirou with determination.
"Before I answer you, Princess, may I know what you have seen in Twilight's dreams?" He had to mentally prepare himself for what she may reveal. Perhaps I was too bold in asking Princess Luna for this favor, now I've gone and subjected two individuals to those memories.
"Hmm, it goes against the nature of our agreement to ask a question before answering mine own, but I suppose it is to facilitate thine response. I have seen a strange machine in the most recent one that contained many of your kind. Within I spotted Twilight as she overheard a conversation you had with a petite individual with white hair. Would I be wrong to presume said figure was thy sister?"
"You would be correct Princess, that was more than likely my sister Illya." With a simple nod Luna accepted his reassurance and continued.
"In another dream I bore witness to a most spectacular yet worrying sight. It featured thyself along with a few others whom I could not identify. I bore witness to the combined efforts of thy group in overcoming a most powerful opponent and their own allies." Shirou mulled over what she had just said in an effort to pinpoint the memory in question. "It appeared to be an individual of incredible magical prowess as they were able to keep your group at bay with the use of various complex spells. I did find myself quite entranced by their ability and the spellwork they weaved." Luna blushed in embarrassment a little at being so focused on what was obviously one of Shirou's former foes.
"My attention was quickly derailed by the advent of a being rippling with muscle and divinity." The more she spoke, the more Shirou was certain this had been the showdown with Caster who had conspired with Archer at the time. "Despite their arcane might, thy foe was unable to deter this being for long. Soon the massive warrior reached them and struck with such speed I would haven't believed possible from its bulk. The spellweaver stood not a chance as their attack hit true and spelled the end for them. It was an impressive display, especially when factored into the larger plan that seemed to take place. For the red clothed individual that had been working with the caster was forced to contend with a knight who was no longer being held back by said caster. Along with them I saw thou, Shirou, face off against a human who seemed adept in the martial arts. I could tell they were being empowered by the Caster, but even then you were able to gain the upper hand. Especially with the assistance of thy sister. Your abilities with blades is truly something to behold." Shirou felt sheepish at having Luna compliment his swordsmanship.
"Nonetheless thy teamwork was able to overcome such an assortment of powerful individuals. But this only served to pique my interest further in your origins. To have met such incredible beings must be quite the tale." Luna paused before adding, "though the level of violence and gore you have witnessed I can glean from the results of that battle alone. I now understand why thou hast such fears that dear Twilight may be exposed to things most unpleasant."
Luna's words brought back a rush of memories of that fateful night. The night Shirou, Saber, Illya, and Berserker had stormed Caster's base of operations, Ryuudou Temple. Archer, the bastard, had turned on their group and had allowed Rin to be taken hostage. All to have a chance at killing Shirou. The plan was simple: Berserker and Illya would deal with the servant guarding the steps to the temple, Fake Assassin. Meanwhile, Saber and Shirou would slip by and try to locate Rin before regrouping with the other two and finally facing Caster.
Initially Saber had objected as it placed Shirou in far too much danger due to the possibility of facing both Caster and Archer, along with a reinforced Kuzuki, with only Saber by his side. Especially when it was exactly what Archer was hoping for. Things were made all the worse when they couldn't locate Rin before Caster confronted them. They were only saved by the fact that Caster had to respond to a disturbance elsewhere in the temple, ordering Archer to handle the mess he had made. It wouldn't be till later that they learned that an unexpected ally had used their assault to launch a more covert rescue operation. Rider had managed to find Rin first and aided in her escape before being intercepted by Lancer. Why so many Servants had been present at the temple that night was a mystery unto itself.
Thanks to Rider's distraction, they were able to hold off Archer and Kuzuki who had stayed to assist by facing off against Shirou. The tide nearly turned in their foes' favor when Caster returned, having helped Lancer fight Rider till she decided to run off, having already saved Rin. Once again fortune favored Shirou's side when Berserker came crashing down on Caster who had been busy providing long range support to Archer and Kuzuki. Poor Fake Assassin hadn't lasted long against the absolute beast that was Berserker. With Caster occupied, Illya was able to provide just enough aid to Shirou for him to strike down Kuzuki. In turn, Archer was forced to flee once he saw that his allies had been decimated. It was a hell of a night and Shirou felt sore all over once all was said and done.
"That was certainly an eventful night," Shirou began bemusedly, "I might tell you all about the events of the Grail War someday, but suffice to know that was probably the largest battle that took place during that time."
"I was wondering what was going on, with all the fights happening at the same time I had trouble keeping track." Twilight chimed in, she had been waiting for a time to bring up that particular dream. "You definitely have to tell us more about your time during the Grail War. In fact, I distinctly remember you promising to tell us more about your world." Twilight gave Shirou a scrutinizing look as he looked away from her.
"Fine, once we all have time, and that means you and your sister too Princess," Shirou added the last bit knowing how busy royals could get. The promise went both ways after all.
"Of course, it would be remiss of us not to show up. And I relish the chance to learn more of both your world and its arcane arts." Luna looked around, using her power over dreams to check the time remaining. "Unfortunately our time is quite limited, thus I must ask again, with a bit more precision. What possible horrors dear Twilight may encounter that I should be wary of? Having caught a glimpse of the violence that lays in your memories I'd like to be prepared. It is still my duty to look over all the ponies in Equestria, including Twilight." And you as well Shirou, her thought went unsaid.
"That's certainly easier to discuss than a full background story," Shirou couldn't help but snark at the previous question's scope. "From what I recall, Twilight already had the unfortunate pleasure of seeing the Fuyuki Fire, but if any such fire related nightmare were to recur please do prevent it. I'm not exactly sure how powerful the Dream Cycle is, but if anyone could manipulate it then I think it would be you Princess."
"I appreciate thy confidence in mine own abilities and will make every effort to ensure no nightmares plague dearest Twilight." Luna beamed in confidence while Twilight blushed a little at the constant use of 'dear' to refer to her.
"As for other memories to look out for, there are the Dead Apostle hunts. Those usually take place in the woods, towns, or at worst cities. A quick way to tell it's a hunt is if I'm wearing the armor I was summoned with. It was fashioned specifically for those hunts after all." He could still remember how stubborn Rin had been about getting him armor for the hunts. How she had been able to find armor like that was beyond him, but the enchantments she wove into it had saved his life more than once. Something I never did properly thank her for. "For as bloody of an affair as the Grail War was, I don't think the events were anything beyond a tad harrowing at the time and unpleasant. I leave those up to your and Twilight's discretion."
"Understood, in any event should either of thee have nightmares do not hesitate to call out to me. Within the realm of dreams I can hear thy calls for my presence from anywhere within the realm. I unfortunately cannot answer during Night Court as I am awake, but I always make sure to do rounds before and after it to cover the most dreams possible." Luna looked at the moon above once more, though what she was trying to puzzle out from it the other two weren't sure.
"It is truly unfortunate that our time draws to a close, I have further duties to attend to tonight. I am more than pleased that we were able to come to a better understanding of thy situation at least. And I look forward to hearing more of thy origins, Shirou Emiya." Luna summoned two rifts this time, one to each dream she had pulled them from. "Please step through so you may return to your current dreams. I do believe neither is a nightmare so do enjoy this peaceful slumber."
"Thank you Princess Luna!" Twilight was very grateful to the Princess both for her promise to meet together in the future and ensuring that she wouldn't suffer the worst of Shirou's memories. Though she found herself hoping that she wouldn't miss any important details of Shirou's past due to the Princess changing a nightmarish memory. Perhaps she'd hash out further details on this accord with the Princess later. "I hope to see you soon," with a final bow Twilight stepped through the portal. She found herself once more at an amusement park following the two siblings.
Luna smiled, happy to see Twilight so full of joy at the expectations of their future meeting. You found a most eager student dear Sister. Now she looked upon Shirou as he stood before the portal leading to a peculiar little dream. One where she had spotted Celestia's adopted niece playing with young Twilight. I should take more peaks at the memories Shirou is seeing, they seem surprisingly adorable.
"Thank you, Princess." Shirou added a bow, and paused, considering something to add. "If you need anyone to just listen to your problems don't be afraid to ask for help. I know you said you're fine, but," he hesitated a bit "I saw that look in your eye and it was far too familiar. Just know we're here for you, Luna." Why did her eyes look so familiar? Those pained eyes, have I seen them before? If this continues, I will have to convince Twilight to let us step in. I won't allow anyone to suffer if I can help it, but even I understand some things can't be forced no matter how much it hurts.
Luna looked at him, slightly unsure of what to say. Should I? No, I must not push this burden to another, I must take full responsibility to ensure I never cause problems again.
"I am deeply touched by thy and dear Twilight's willingness to aid me in any way you can. But I assure thee that I am more than fit to undertake my role as Princess of the Night now." She gave him a final reassuring, or so she hoped, smile as he passed through the portal.
Alone in that courtyard, she took a deep breath. While she had dismissed Twilight and Shirou, there was still something she needed to take care of before she could return to her duties. Let this serve as mine own reminder of mine sin.
-{/}-
Morning in Ponyville was a normally calm affair. Everypony had their tasks for the day and went along their way. The general feel was quite relaxing despite the early buzz as ponies went to work or did their morning chores. That semi-relaxed attitude wasn't as present in a certain store.
Inside the Sugarcube Corner, the residential human was about to start his tryout for bakery assistant. He was clothed in a simple pair of gray sports trousers with a maroon shirt. On his feet were his boots, I need to see when I can ask Rarity to make me some shoes. Combat boots are a bit overkill in a kitchen. Currently he was in a conversation with Miss cake as she was giving him a tour of the facility.
"So dearie, how familiar are you with bakeries?"
"I've generally just done home cooking and the occasional meal when camping. Though I did learn plenty of new recipes along my travels. A fair amount of them were pastry recipes. Baked goods are one of the things I encountered a lot through the cultures I came across." It's surprising how often you'd find the idea of baked goods amongst all sorts of societies and peoples. A shame I couldn't learn all of their recipes. I wish I had some of the cookbooks I got back then. Maybe the library here has some I can look into, it'd definitely help learn more about what Twilight and the others eat.
"Sounds like you had quite the adventures then dearie!" Mrs. Cake smiled at Shirou, but he could only feel bemusement at Enforcer excursions being called adventures. "I'd love it if ya could share some of those recipes someday. If you don't mind, of course. It's always a joy to learn new things to bake."
The pair had entered the kitchen during their conversation. Now they stood before a large metal door with a small window that had been frosted over from the inside.
"Now then Shirou, this is our frost storage. We keep most of our dairy products here, such as milk, cream, butter, and the like." She moved a bit further and pointed to a familiar metal box. "This is our freezer, which contains many ingredients we use for quick access." Shifting a bit to the side, there were a series of tables lined with various tools and machines. "This is the main kitchen and sink area. We keep most of our utensils here along with the machinery used for preparing our pastries." On the other side he could see a cupboard, stove, and additional table. "This side is where most of the baking takes place," she finished.
This is barely different from a modern kitchen. The level of technology in this place continues to confuse me. Shirou gave the kitchen a final appraising look. Making sure to remember every important detail.
"And where the magic of baking happens!" Shirou nearly jumped at having Pinkie manifest out of nowhere. How did she even do that? I'm no slouch when it comes to detecting nearby presences so how'd she get this close without me knowing?
"That's right Pinkie dear!" Mrs. Cake responded, seemingly used to the pink pony's antics. "Now we do have an official recipe book for all the items we bake here, but I do believe Pinkie is more than happy to tell you about those herself once we have time." She smiled as she saw Pinkie bounce in joy at having the chance to share her knowledge with Shirou.
"Yeppers! I know it so well I can even recite it backwards!" Pinkie took a deep breath, only to be cut off.
"Maybe later, dear. Now it's time to show Shirou our baking process." Mrs. Cake said some haste.
"Okie dokie lokie! Here's your apron Shirou." Pinkie tossed a maroon apron at him. His quick reflexes made it an easy catch. Where she had procured the thing was beyond him, and if the look Mrs. Cake gave him was any indication, it was best he didn't linger on it.
The next few hours went by rather quickly as the duo made different pastry with Shirou following along. The recipes themselves were similar to the ones from Earth, if loaded with more sugar than usual. That could also just be a Pinkie thing due to how much of a sweet tooth she had. How she's fine with the levels of sugar she consumes daily is another mystery to add to the curious being known as Pinkie. He sighed to himself before continuing listening to their instructions.
Shirou was currently cleaning the used bowls and instruments. Pinkie was making finishing touches on the pie with a surprising amount of dexterity. Despite having hooves, she was moving with the technique and certainty of someone with opposable thumbs. I have to wonder if all ponies are so skilled with those stubby little hooves or if it's just another of Pinkie's eccentricities. It would explain how they've been able to reach this level of technology if they all were able to use their hooves in such a manner I suppose.
"Hey are you thinking funny stuff about me?'' She asked in a teasing voice. He simply shook his at her before resuming his work.
Nope, I am not questioning that, that way lies madness. He focused his mind on his task and forgot the previous train of thought. Simple work like this was the best for relaxing after all. Best to enjoy it. Thus he fell into a calm rhythm of helping Pinkie with the baking.
Mrs. Cake came in a few times to either help with a big order or check in on how he was doing. It was sweet of her, she really has a caring and motherly vibe he thought to himself with a small appreciative grin. Pinkie didn't miss this little grin.
"Aha!" She pointed to him with an accusatory hoof, "that's nearly a smile!"
"What?" Shirou was slightly thrown off by Pinkie's sudden outburst. He looked at her quizzically as he waited for her to elaborate.
"Don't act confused with me, mister!" Pinkie continued, "So far most of your smiles have been half hearted at best!"
Shirou's only response was to keep staring at Pinkie in further confusion.
"Don't you know?!" Pinkie ranted, "that's super duper bad! Everypony should have full fledged smiles full of joy to spread to others! Or even better yet, to laugh out loud with happiness!"
"Is that what's got you all riled up?" Shirou asked.
"Of course! What kind of party pony would I be if I couldn't make my friends smile and laugh as often as possible!" Pinkie insisted.
"I'm sorry then," was Shirou's sheepish and short reply.
Before Pinkie could go on about her need to make him more joyful, they were interrupted by Mrs. Cake returning. The look Pinkie gave Shirou did drive home that this wasn't the last he'd hear of this. Though having someone be this concerned about his apparent lack of joyous expressions wasn't something he'd ever thought could happen. Especially with how serious Pinkie was being about it.
"Well now, it seems there are less orders coming in, so you two can take a break!" Said Mrs. Cake as she carried in a final tray of sweets. "Hope you worked up an appetite, dearies!"
"Oh! Oh! Snack time! I love eating those scrumptious, delicious treats!" Pinkie Pie rapidly bounced in place as if she was already riding a sugar rush. Mrs. Cake simply smiled at her antics, well used to her high energy nature.
"Of course Pinkie dear, but please leave some for Shirou!" Shirou found himself surprised as Pinkie halted mid bounce to nod her head vigorously while Mrs. Cake gave her a stern look to ensure the message got through.
"Of course! I wouldn't want him to miss out on the absolutely yummy food you brought us!" With that declaration, she approached the tray and began to dig in.
"Thank you, Mrs Cake," was all Shirou could speak out as he was still reeling from the shift in conversation and Pinkie's eccentricities.
"Oh don't you worry dear," she smiled at him. "You've been a wonderful help and it's great seeing Pinkie find a new friend who enjoys baking with her."
When Shirou gave her a small, sheepish smile he noticed Pinkie giving him a pointed look, though it was blunted by the frosting scattered on her face.
"Well now, since we finished up quite early today, I was wondering," Mrs. Cake began, "would you be so kind as to share a recipe from your home with us? We should have plenty of time for a single batch at least, of course only if you wish to, dear. There's no need to push yourself just to sate our silly little curiosity."
"Sure, it'd be nice to recreate something from back home and see what you all think of it." Shirou's joy of cooking for others shone through as he quickly prepped for the recipe he had in mind. "I think I have a simple yet tasty recipe I've been meaning to try out again."
Before the two ponies could ask what he had in mind, he set to work. He made his way through the kitchen gathering the ingredients and tools he'd need. Grabbing flour, milk, eggs, cooking oil, salt, sugar, and some water. As well as some butter and a knife to spread it on the blini.
He started by breaking two eggs into a bowl. Then he poured in a cup of water, one and a half cups of milk, one tablespoon of salt and two tablespoons of sugar. Lastly, he added the flour and began to mix the ingredients together.
"Oh! Whatcha' making Shirou?!" Pinkie finally spoke up as she and Mrs. Cake continued to watch him blending the mix.
"Blini, they're a regional variant of pancakes, quite similar to crepes, but not the same. Got this recipe from an old recluse during a trip to Eastern Europe." Satisfied with the mixing, he checked it for flour clumps before moving to prep the pan. He chose a shallow pan to place on the stove, using a brush to coat the pan with cooking oil. Once it heated up enough he carefully poured the batter in with the help of a ladle. He then rotated the pan to make sure the batter spread evenly. "I've only made it a few times before, so I figured I'd try it out again and see what you think."
After a short time he flipped the blini, revealing a side that had been perfectly cooked. Pinkie bounced around a bit, looking over his shoulder as he continued, eager to try the new treat. Despite its similarity to the pancakes she knew, this one definitely had a different air about it. Once done, Shirou slid the blini onto a plate and spread a little butter on it before offering it to Pinkie. He started on the next one as soon as she took the plate.
"Yummy!" Pinkie yelled out as she took a bite, then proceeded to devour the blini, with smudges of butter around her muzzle. "That was so good! Can I have more!?"
"Sure, but make sure to leave some for Mrs. Cake." Shirou placed the next one in a separate plate so Mrs. Cake could have it.
"Thank you dearie" Mrs. Cake smiled as she took the plate and bit into the blini. Her eyes lit up with joy as she felt its wondrous texture and flavor. "Oh dear, this is truly wonderful!"
"I'm glad you're enjoying it." Shirou smiled a little at the two, seeing the bliss on their faces as they ate. "Next time I'll make something from my homeland, though I'd like to make sure we have everything for them ahead of time." He'd probably see which sweets were easier to make with the ingredients the ponies had around here.
Soon he finished using up all the remaining batter, having a sizable stack of blinis as a result. He spread some butter on one before slowly eating it. Hmmm, definitely closer to the ones I tasted back then, but I should adjust the mix and cooking time a bit. I may be subconsciously defaulting to crepes still when making these as they are a tad thinner than they should be. Still much left to learn in the kitchen.
"Hey, Shirou, you said this was a regional variant of pancakes so what was that region like? Oh! And why were you there? Also who showed you the recipe? And-" Pinkie was cut off by Mrs. Cake before she could continue.
"I'm sure Shirou dearie would love to answer your questions Pinkie, but we should let him tackle them one at a time." Mrs. Cake gave Pinkie a placating smile before turning to Shirou expectantly.
"I don't see why not. As I mentioned I got this from a trip to Eastern Europe. The region tends to be on the colder side, especially when I went around winter. There's plenty of rural areas and forests too. I actually stumbled upon a small hut in those woods when I got my first taste of a blini." He took a bite as he recalled the incident. It had been a standard apostle hunt, for as standard as they could be. "I was there on a mission with a group of enforcers, but I got separated when a strange blizzard hit us. I was lost and injured when I came upon the hut. It was a quaint little home, but certainly out of place." He took another bite, there were plenty of details he was leaving out for the sake brevity. "Nonetheless it felt like I was being invited in by the owner once I spotted the hut. So I decided to knock on the door, it wouldn't be wise to upset a host when you're on their territory." He shivered a little at the thought of his other run-ins with the occasional moonlit being in those areas.
"Upon knocking, a granny opened the door and invited me in. She said she had been expecting me so she had prepared some food. Seeing no reason to turn her down I entered her home and partook in a meal of blini with an assortment of spreads." He grabbed a second blini, before speaking up again. "That reminds me, you can add more than just butter to these."
Immediately understanding what he meant, Pinkie zoomed off and came back with more spreads. Namely different jams and cottage cheese. Grabbing a few blinis to spread each one on. Shirou and Mrs. Cake also tried a few of the different options for their own blini.
"Thanks Pinkie. Now where was I, oh yeah the granny and her hut." He was still surprised at how well that all went considering what he knew of her kind's reputation. "After my meal I was told to stay the night as it would be too dangerous to travel in the dark. When I woke up the next day, I was laying against a tree. My wounds had healed and I felt energized, but the hut was nowhere to be seen. Funny enough she had left a piece of paper on me, it contained the recipe for her blini." He was quite bemused by the whole ordeal. Of course he'd left out the conversation he'd had with the granny. Seems humans aren't the only ones who despise Dead Apostles. I still wonder what she meant with all her cryptic comments. He remembered the strange things she'd said. How she was but a minor detour and how much she'd have enjoyed testing him were it not for another already claiming him. Among other things, he was glad she never made things difficult for him. The whole time he could absolutely feel that all it would take was a flick of her finger for him to suffer a horrific fate. "I managed to find my squad soon after, and we were able to complete our mission, but I was the only one to encounter that strange hut. I don't think I'll ever understand what really happened that day, but at least I got a neat recipe out of it."
The trio continued to eat, with Pinkie occasionally asking more questions and Shirou answering them. They were simple questions, from how he learned cooking to how extensive his knowledge of recipes from his world was. Mrs. Cake would also ask her own questions about how he was feeling living in Ponyville and if he had any trouble adjusting. Surprisingly, he found he was quickly becoming used to living among the small multi-colored equine. She also mentioned adding blini to the menu, which he found more than agreeable. Even writing down the recipe for her to try them out herself. Thus a relaxing day at the bakery came to a close.
-{/}-
Shirou considered heading back to the library, but seeing as the sun was still out with plenty of daylight left he chose to look for Rainbow Dash. It'd be a shame to let such a nice day go to waste when I can get some training in and it'd be good to get an idea of what kind of training Rainbow Dash could use.
After asking around a bit to see if any of the ponies had seen Rainbow Dash, he was pointed in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. From there he was able to pick up her magical scent and found her napping on one of the apple trees at the edge of the property.
"Sorry to wake you, but I figured you'd want to start training as soon as possible." Shirou declared as he reinforced his hand and rapped his knuckle against the tree. It shook enough to rouse RD from her sleep.
"Huh?! What? I'm awake, Applejack!" Rainbow Dash blurted out in a sleepy daze. Only to blush lightly in embarrassment when she realized it was Shirou and not AJ who had awoken her.
Shirou chuckled at her reaction and waved at her in greeting.
"Didn't mean to spook you, sorry about that." He smiled sheepishly at her while presenting his hands in a placating manner. She shot him a quick glare, but then flew down and landed in front of him.
"So, uh, what did ya want?" Rainbow looked at him inquisitively. Still a tad disgruntled at her interrupted nap, but mostly out of embarrassment due to her reaction.
"Well I'm done helping out at Sugarcube Corner for the day. So I thought you might appreciate some training since there's still plenty of daylight left."
"Oh! Awesome! Let's get to it! I know this pretty good clearing we can use too." Rainbow Dash excitedly unfurled her wings to take to the sky and lead the way. She looked back to check if she needed to slow down, only to be pleasantly surprised that Shirou was keeping up.
They traveled in relative quiet, Shirou in a light jog behind RD. The quiet was interrupted when Shirou's curiosity got the best of him.
"So, what was that reaction earlier all about, hmm?" He gave her a teasing smile. Which she elected to ignore lest it cause her to stumble mid flight.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She sped up a bit, not that Shirou had any trouble catching up even then.
"Are you sure? You seemed pretty confused that I wasn't Applejack."
"Ah, hmmm. Fine, I'll tell you. I'm just used to Applejack being the one to wake me." Shirou's smirk grew at her growing embarrassment. "It's just that those apple trees are the best to nap in, okay? And well every once in a while I'll end up sleeping in a tree she's bucking and that causes me to wake up. So I got used to her waking me up from naps, even if its a rougher wake up call than I'd like." She rubbed her neck with a slight grimace at remembering the pain from her previous falls.
"You must be close to her then. Having known her for a while now." His smile turned a bit more somber, remembering his old friends from so long ago.
"You could say that, though I haven't known her as long as I've known Fluttershy." Seeing his slight surprise, she decided to elaborate. "Fluttershy and I both come from Cloudsdale. Plus I knew her back when we were fillies, still in flight school. She wasn't much of a flier back then either, but it seems she's at least found a place of her own here." A ghost of a smile graced her face.
"Huh, I didn't know you two were from out of town. Honestly the more I learn about this world, the more questions I have. Didn't think there would be a flight school for Pegasi but that seems like a line of thought for another time."
"You're right about that! If ya wanted to talk about that stuff you already have Twilight. We're here to train, not be eggheads." She highlighted her point by pointing to the clearing they had finally arrived at. "Still got some of the gear I use with Applejack's help." At Shirou's raised eyebrow she continued in slight indignation. "What!? There ain't any other pony willing and able to help me train. Plus she always likes being helpful around town and she's really strong, which is great for training. Honestly, you kind of remind me of her now that I think about it." She gave Shirou a scrutinizing look over, as if searching for more similarities.
Shirou ignored her studious gaze and instead looked around the clearing. Taking stock of the area and planning how to start the training. He took note of the leftover equipment, some of it looked normal enough, but other parts made him question how exactly they were training here.
"I think it'd be best to see what you can do and then focus on what to improve." Shirou began stretching to start off. He nodded at Rainbow Dash as she did the same. "Let's start with the basics, I assume you would know what those are for pegasi."
"Of course! I am the best flier around after all!" With a flourish, Rainbow Dash showed off her skills, performing simple maneuvers taught to her back in flight school. From quick turns to straight shots up into the sky and back down again. They weren't anything fancy like the moves she liked to practice but were still useful to go through to ensure she was in top form.
"You certainly do justice to the legend of the Pegasus with your speed." Shirou still found it amazing how similar these ponies could be to their Earth counterparts at times. I wonder if she could actually accomplish a feat similar to the Pegasus from Earth.
"If you think this is fast, you should've seen when I performed a sonic rainboom!" With that declaration she accelerated and flew off into the skyline before turning back to land in the clearing, wings spread proudly.
"Sonic rainboom?" Shirou looked at her with slight confusion.
"Yeah! When somepony goes so fast that they cause an explosive, rainbow colored blast! You should've seen it!"
"I'll be sure to catch it the next time then."
"I'll hold you to that!" Rainbow Dash flashed him a smile and thought of how much she'd wow him with her sonic rainboom. "By the way, did you figure out how to help me get even better at flying?"
"I have an idea, seeing as you're already plenty fast it'd be best to focus on other aspects. Mainly your reaction speed and ability to make immediate changes in direction." He traced his bow and a few blunted arrows. "To start, I'll fire a few arrows and I want you to catch them. We'll start with 3, then I'll launch them with more force and spread them out more and more. You think you can do that?"
"Of course! That'll be as easy as pie!" Rainbow Dash prepped herself to launch into the air.
Seeing her ready, Shirou readied the first arrow, aimed straight ahead, and let it fly. Following up with the other two soon after. Rainbow Dash had no problem catching up to the first one before chasing down the other two.
With the first round done, Shirou prepped for the next batch. They spent the rest of the day this way, Shirou firing more arrows and spreading them out, while Rainbow Dash caught them in quick succession. Occasionally she'd fumble and Shirou would give her pointers using his own experience with dealing with faster foes and attacks.
"As fun as that was, please tell me this isn't the only training we're gonna do. It's getting kinda annoying to just play catch the whole time." Rainbow Dash landed, dropping the arrows she collected at Shirou's feet. "Plus I thought you were gonna teach me some cool moves and secret techniques!"
"We'll do some sparring next time. I just wanted to get a grasp of what your abilities are for now. Can't really help you train if I don't know what you can currently do." Shirou willed his projections away. RD looked at the arrows disappear into motes of light. "Catching my arrows also helped see how good your reaction speed is. Especially since I'll be aiming for you next time when we spar."
"I'll definitely look forward to that. You better be ready to have your socks knocked off!" Rainbow Dash's competitive spirit bled into her challenge.
"Good, you'll need that energy to make the most of our training. I think I will be available at the same time tomorrow. How does meeting me here tomorrow sound?"
"That's fine, I usually just take a nap around this time. It'd be better to spar than sleep, especially since I gotta make it into the Wonderbolts." Rainbow Dash looked around the clearing again, stopping to stare a moment at each of the still waiting equipment. "Maybe we should ask Applejack to join us next time. She may have said it was only because she liked to be helpful, but I think she really enjoyed training." Rainbow Dash's smile beamed at Shirou with that comment.
"I'll see you tomorrow then, I'll be sure to run the idea by her whenever I see her again."
With a final wave goodbye, Rainbow Dash flew home. Shirou decided to take his time to return, he hadn't truly exerted himself with the light training they did. Seeing he still had a little bit of daylight, he did some more intense training. The clearing really was perfect for working out.
Soon after he too made his way back. He could use a bath before prepping dinner. I'm sure Twi will have plenty of questions about my day too. It's not so bad to have a place to head back to at the end of the day.
-{/}-
Dinner was a fun time, Shirou decided to make some pasta with a tomato sauce. In addition he roasted some veggies to go with it as a side dish. Overall, Twi and Spike loved the food. Making short work of it as they dug in.
With dinner over, the trio relaxed and enjoyed the calm atmosphere. It wasn't long till one of them broke the silence though.
"I've been waiting to ask, but I really would like to know, how'd your day go Shirou?" Twilight looked at him in eager anticipation.
"Things went really well at Sugarcube Corner. Mrs. Cake is a good boss, and I even got to try out a recipe from my world. Speaking of which, I should probably make it here sometime. Would be a good choice for breakfast." Shirou briefly thought of what ingredients they'd need to make more blini. "Afterwards I did some light training with Rainbow Dash. I find myself being surprised by the speed of pegasi given their smaller size to their Earth counterparts. She also mentioned something called a sonic rainboom. Would you happen to have a better idea of what that is?"
"Oh! A sonic rainboom is an incredibly rare phenomenon. In fact it was thought to be a myth for the longest time. It wasn't until Rainbow Dash caused one that the myths were proven true. Unfortunately there isn't as much information on them due to how rare they are. From what I can gather, it is a combination of causing a sonic boom by flying faster than the speed of sound and the inherent magic of a pegasi mixing together. Hence the creation of a rainbow exploding outward as a shockwave. I'd need to study it more to draw a deeper conclusion. Perhaps I'll get Rainbow Dash to help me look into it sometime."
"She did mention wanting to show me it sometime, I'll be sure to tell you if she decides on a specific time." Shirou felt a small smile take form as he saw the joy in Twilight's eyes as they lit up.
"That'd be wonderful!" Feeling a little self conscious after her outburst, Twi sunk back into seat sheepishly. "I'm also glad that your day working at Sugarcube Corner went so well. I'm sure Mrs. Cake and Pinkie enjoyed having you around as well."
"You should definitely make some of those sweets for us next time!" Spike spoke up, despite being full from dinner he couldn't help but drool at the thought of some desert. "I would love a gem cupcake, those are the best."
"Sure thing Spike, I'll have to ask about those first though. I haven't made any gem-related pastries yet."
"It'd be great if you could learn some more dragon dishes." Spike looked at Shirou with imploring eyes. "Since Ponyville is mostly ponies, they don't have much dragon food. I'd really like it if you could learn some."
Twilight couldn't help but feel disappointed with herself. This whole time I've been treating Spike like any other pony without regard for how he might be feeling as a dragon.
"I don't think I'd be able to eat dragon dishes, but I definitely would like to increase my repertoire of recipes. I'll make sure to memorize any dragon dishes I encounter, but I'll need you to taste test them. No better judge for dragon food than a dragon after all." Spike's bright smile at his promise momentarily stunned Shirou. He hadn't expected Spike to be so grateful about such a simple thing.
"Awesome! Thanks a bunch Shirou!" He was thrown for a further loop when Spike decided to hug him. Twilight couldn't help but giggle at his reaction to the hug. Seeing this scene, made Twi promise herself to help Shirou out with finding those recipes. As well as a promise to take better consideration of Spike's unique needs as a baby dragon.
"I think there might be a few recipes around here, just gotta find the cookbook section." Twilight added helpfully. "I'll also check out the Canterlot Library the next time we go visit, surely there'll be some there as well."
"Sounds like a plan, plus there may be more clues to my summoning in that library." It just didn't sit right with Shirou to have been summoned for a single incident. It wasn't enough justification for the amount of energy and planning required to have him be summoned through time and space into another world, perhaps even dimension.
"We'll go together then, hopefully I'll be heading to Canterlot sometime soon. I still have plenty of questions for the Princesses and would like to see Shining Armor. I left in such a hurry that I forgot to say goodbye to him."
"It'd be nice to meet your brother. Wouldn't be right to not meet my Master's family after all." Shirou laughed at the slight blush that appeared on Twilight's face at being called his Master.
"It'd be nice to see family again," agreed Spike. He liked when Twi's parents doted on him and Shining Armor was pretty cool. Especially when they played Ogres and Oubliettes. "Oh! We should play some games with Shirou too. I'm sure Shining would appreciate the extra player."
"I'm sure he'd appreciate more players." Despite her comment, Shirou noted she had a nervous smile. Twilight was hoping that Shining wouldn't take it badly that she'd left to live with a strange stallion without even notifying him. Surely he'd have a very calm and appropriate reaction to all this, right?
Twilight's concerns aside, the group continued conversing about more casual topics. Most of it centered around getting used to living in Ponyville and getting to know the town's various denizens.
Soon the night came to close and each of them headed to bed. Content that the day went well and eager for what dawn had for them when they'd awaken. A quiet life one could say, but hopefully a happy and fulfilling one. Alas, quiet lives are not granted to those who can achieve greatness. Especially those who can go beyond just greatness. Before all that though, there were still friends to help and make, for no one could get far alone.
In another part of Ponyville, one such friend found herself exhausted. Work had been a heavy affair after an unfortunate accident had incapacitated her brother. There was still much left to do, and that wasn't accounting for all the promises she had yet to fulfill. After all, she had made a promise to help out all over Ponyville, and to go back on her word would make her a liar. And she was no liar.