[Coralwood Corral] The Thunderhoof Blossom

[DoodleDev]

As Keylime Dream ushered her last customer out of the shop, she could feel her aching hooves needing a break. She had been standing nearly all day serving customers. Keylime took off her apron and set it on the counter. The tired unicorn sunk to the floor in exhaustion. "Oh my, what a long day..." she said out loud. She closed her bright orange eyes, fearful of looking around the shop that needed to be cleaned for the night.

After a moment's rest, Keylime finally stood up, her legs quivering just a bit below her. She began to do her cleanup duties around the shop, sweeping the floor, washing the countertops, and soaking all the dishes. She relied on her magic to help her levitate things around. Even Anne Bonny, Keylime's pet iguana, did her best to help by pushing a cleaning rag across the counters. Keylime finished an hour later and set down the mop. The chartreuse pony looked around her now sparkling clean shop and sighed with content.

She walked onto her front porch and sat down, admiring the beautiful landscape in front of her. The sun had already set, but beautiful dark oranges and pinks still graced the tropical sky, illuminating the bottoms of a few storm clouds on the horizon. "Aaaa..." she sighed. "What a busy day it was Anne..." Anne Bonny had waddled out to the porch with Keylime and snuggled up to her. Keylime lay on her porch, the small lights she had up quietly illuminated her charming shop. She pondered for a moment what she should do tomorrow. It was her only day off during the week, so she usually used it as a cleaning or relaxing day. "Hmm, I should probably restock my fruits and flavorings tomorrow." she pondered out loud.

With that thought, Keylime got up and trotted back inside, making sure to close the bead curtain behind her. Anne Bonny jumped onto Keylime's back. Keylime went to the cold storage under the stairs to check her supply of exotic fruits, flavor extracts and various other baking goods. "Hmm, I should pick up some oranges, apples, limes, perhaps some cherries too... Oh, and it looks like I need to get more coconut juice and pineapples! Those 'Filly' Pina Coladas are getting popular!" Keylime ventured further into the cold storage, making sure she checked everything. "Oh my goodness gracious!" she exclaimed. How could I be out of Thunderhoof Blossom Extract already!? I could have sworn I portioned those mixes properly... I suppose I over calculated..." Keylime paced the cold storage, a look of frustration set on her face.

She finally stopped and stamped her left hoof down, now with a look of determination. "I'll just have to go and get some myself!" but suddenly her determined attitude turned to worry. "Oh, but I can't make it up the mountain alone... I usually send some stronger pony to get it for me. But I just don't think anypony would take such a hard task on such sort notice..." Keylime hung her head in defeat, knowing that she would not be able to hike the dormant volcano alone.

A thought suddenly entered the unicorn's mind. That's it! I can ask around the town if anypony could come with me! Keylime happily trotted out of the cold storage, shutting the door behind her. "I'll even hang a sign in the city center! Somepony is sure to be free tomorrow!" Keylime quickly got to work on making a sign...

ASSISTANCE NEEDED

Hello possible traveller! My name is Keylime Dream, and I am in need of some help getting to the top of Thunderhoof Volcano. I am in need of a rare and special flower called the Thunderhoof Blossom that blooms near the ridge of the dormant mountain. The extract from this plant is incredibly sweet and I use it in some of my most popular recipes. I'm currently out of stock of this lovely extract, and I need more by tomorrow night. In return for your help, you will receive 100 Bits, and free lunch at my shop for life! (This is one lunch per pony of course!)If you are interested in taking this offer, please meet me bright and early tomorrow morning in front of my shop, The Tutti Fruity Cafe.

After finishing the sign, Keylime Dream looked it over. She finally approved of her handiwork and rolled the parchment up using her magic. "Now Anne Bonny, I need you to stay here while I run into town to put this up. It will only be a moment!" Anne Bonny nodded her head in agreement and climbed to the counter. Keylime picked up the poster in her mouth and trotted off to the city center...

[Greenhorn]

Captain Timberflank

It was a misty and eerie morning, nothing could be seen beyond one's snout, but a peculiar sound could be heard: three clops and one knock, the last one more prominent than the others, the secuence repeating itself ever nearer. Suddenly a shadowy figure appears, tall, intimidating, majestic. It could perfectly be a knight, a king, a god blessing the simple peasants with his magnificence. But no; it was and adventurer, a stallion of the sea, a mighty and heroic warrior who has won as many battles as he has fought. A quite handsome specimen too, someone who melts the heart of every mare and filly who is unfortunate enough to lay her eyes upon the master piece that is his body. Then, in a sudden movement he lifts both his front legs, a thunder roars in the distance. Truly an awe inspiring image.

Sadly, an image that only existed in the imagination of the emaciated captain Timberflank. Or maybe it was an hallucination caused by the hunger. The poor pony could barely crawl and looked like he had been recently caught by a tornado. The only sentiment it could inspire was pity, if anything. The thunders he heard were caused by his stomach, which hadn't gotten any food in days. Also, it was a sunny morning.

- "Confounded traitors, they shall be keelhauled for this!! Of course... when I get a keel in which they can be hauled... But when I do, they will taste my FURY!!"

- "GRRRRR" answered his stomach, apparently sharing the same hatred as the captain.

- "But first... I shall find some food... anything will do... I'll even eat another pony if I have to... Somepony has to be well fed enough as to last for a week. Maybe if I take off my peg and smack someone in the head I-"

Suddenly he stopped murmuring. Something had caught his attention, one single word: "lunch". The captain slowly turned his head to the right and saw an announce. It didn't just say lunch, it was FREE lunch. For LIFE. He started reading the announce from the start. "... dormant mountain... 100 bits...". That was enough for him: adventure, money and free food. He didn't finish reading; completely reinvigorated by these prospects, he stood up and immediately ran down the street, ready to meet this opportunity that fate had laid in front of him.

Ten seconds later the captain returned with an annoyed expression to read the announce once again: "Mumblemumble... The Tutti Fruity Cafe! ONWARDS!!!"

After half an hour of running in circles and constantly tripping the captain finally reached his destiny. But before he could open the door, he saw his reflection in a window. "Is that really me? I can't introduce myself looking like that! I am, above all, a gentlecolt, and I must cause a good first impression". The captain spent a few more minutes trying to clean himself up and combing his hair. He found a small string laying on the ground, which he used to tie his mane in a ponytail, and proceeded to enter the cafe with a dignified stance.

[DoodleDev]

A beautiful misty morning greeted Keylime as she woke up in her bed. The sky was tinted a light pink as the sun rose over the sea. A shaft of light nudged it's way through the trees above Keylime's window and fell on her pillow. She squinted and yawned, still a little tired from her long work day before. Stretching her forelegs out in front of her, Keylime brought herself to a sitting position on the bed.

Keylime got up out of her bed and trotted to her vanity. Her hair was a bit messy from her slumber, so she began to comb it out using her magic to levitate the hair brush. "Hmm, I wonder if anypony saw the poster last night..." she wondered out loud. After straightening out her mane and tail, Keylme Dream clopped down the stairs into the kitchen of her restaurant, Anne Bonny waddling behind her.

She made herself a fruit tart with some coffee for a breakfast and walked into the main restaurant. Coming through the door was an usual sight.

"Oh my stars..." Keylime said under her breath. This poor soul looked like he had been through a hundred sea storms and back. Keylime set down her breakfast on the counter and trotted over to the stranger. Anne Bonny stared at this unusual pony entering the shop, but was quickly distracted by Keylime leaving her delicious fruit tart unattended...

"My goodness sir, you look like you need some care!" She looked the strange pony up and down, noticing is many scars and prosthetic leg. He had clearly seen many challenges in his life, and Keylime was sure he had some amazing stories to tell. She noticed his thin figure, assuming he hadn't eaten in quite some time. "Please sir," she said with a warm smile, waiving a hoof at the stools in front of the bar that faced the kitchen. "Have a seat here and I would be happy to arrange a breakfast for you! I hope you like sweet foods!" Keylime got to work on cooking up a pleasant meal for the stranger...

[Greenhorn]

Captain Timberflank

The captain followed her directions and sat on one of the stools. "Ahhh... a breakfast sounds good right now, thank ye. I can't be picky, just drop in everythin' ye got" he said, as he gazed at the cute hostess while she went into the kitchen. He noticed that the red collar around her neck and the flower she had in her hair gave her a quite exotic appeareance. "By the way, I'm captain Timberflank. I read yer announce and it interested me, so yer hired... I mean I'm hired... I mean I want ye to hire me. I could use the money, not to mention the exercise."

The captain looked around the place, trying to think of a conversation topic. "So... this seems like a nice place. Did you build it yerself?

[DoodleDev]

Keylime Dream worked quickly to make a delicious stack of hotcakes piled high with fresh strawberries. She shooed away Anne Bonny who was trying to get a bite of the fruit tart she had left on the counter. Listening to the blue pony's words, Keylime jumped up when he mentioned her announcement. "Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Captain!" she exclaimed with a big grin. She brought his food over. A stack of hotcakes piled five high with strawberries on top, a side of biscuits, a small bowl of a fruit mix, and a glass of apple cider.

After hearing his question about the shop she blushed a bit. "Oh, I didn't build it all myself Captain. But I did all of the design work." She pointed to a painting of a group of seven ponies hanging on the wall behind her over the stove. "I also painted this! It's the Keylime family. We've been making sweet food for the island for almost ten generations now!" She looked back to Timberflank. "So you're a captain you say? Do you have a ship? Do you sail across the sea, looking for adventure?" Keylime Dream made a brave stance after her last question, imitating what an adventuring pony must look like.

[Greenhorn]

Captain Timberflank

When Keylime came back with the piles of food, everything else faded from the captain's mind. The succulent dishes looked shinier than any treasure he had seen in his adventuring life. With a huge effort he mantained his composure and tried to eat as slowly as was considered proper, but the hunger was just too much to bare, and the poor captain swooped on the food like there was no tomorrow. So focused was the captain that he barely listened to what Keylime had to say about the place and the decorations.

However, when he heard the word ship his face inmediately changed. A deep frown appeared where once was a gleeful expresion, his gaze fixated in a distant point, and he stoped eating (there wasn't much food left anyways). "A ship... I had a ship once. It was the biggest, prettiest, awe inspiring-iest vessel you could ever imagine. "Equestrian Pride" was his name, and he surely lived up to that. Me, my ship and my crew traveled the seas, visiting far away islands, finding new settlements and trading with them, fighting against the raging storms and no less scary creatures. But that life is no more... ". The captain remained silent for a few seconds in a trance like state, before finally snaping out. "Anyways it is a long story, and I guess you don't have time for that. You'd want your plants as soon as posible"

[DoodleDev]

Keylime Dream watched happily as the captain quickly ate his breakfast. She was finishing her fruit tart and coffee when he told her of his ship. "My goodness sir, I wish there was some way I could help..." Keylime set her now empty mug in the sink and ran some hot water. After Timberflank finished his breakfast, she washed the dishes.

"Well sir, you are right, we should get a move on before it gets too late!" Keylime Dream levitated a bag by the back door and set it over her back. "Captain Timberflank sir, our adventure today will me a hike to the top of the Thunderhoof Volcano!" She trotted over to an old map of the island that she kept framed on the wall. She levitated a wooden mixing spoon from the counter and tapped it over a marked mountain located on the south west side of the island. "The blossoms I need grow only here, and they have a deliciously sweet nectar that I use in some of my recipes." Keylime put the spoon back on the counter. "Now normally, I would have sent someone to do it for me, but my usual shop helper is in Hoofington to visit their family." Keylime walked back over to the captain. "And that's why you're here Captain Timberflank. I need a strong pony to escort me through the jungle and up that mountain. There's all kinds of dangerous things out there like Snapping Blooms, Biting Fungus, Strangle Vines and even some big dragons." Keylime looked over the large blue pony and smiled. "But I'm positive you're the right pick for this mission!"

Keylime motioned to Anne Bonny and the large iguana hopped onto her back. She headed for the front door and turned to Captain Timberflank. "Well sir, we better get going!"