Sugar-Dusted Rainclouds (Icy, Open)

[IceStorm]

~~~Sugar Moonlight~~~

 

 

Ah, no wonder the statement had such strong repercussions. She heard Gloomy talk about how if properly made, an iron kettle wouldn't have such flavor, and that you weren't suppose to scrub them, you were supposed to let them build a film. The statement that got her though, was the fact that she had inherited hers from her grandmother. That made Sugar feel genuinely awful. She could tell that the smile that Gloomy was trying to wear was strained. Still she smiled. "Well, I image that your grandmother must have been a wonderful pony. After all, you are a wonderful pony, and they say here that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," she said with a smile. "So, why don't you tell me a bit about it? The tea set that is. It's obviously something that you cherish and for good reason. We all have our heirlooms that are passed down from generations before. So, you tell me a bit about yours, and I'll tell you a bit about mine," Sugar smiled. 

[Blueblood]

Gloomy nodded.  "I didn't have much time with her, but she left her tea set and journals with me, and that's where I learned a lot of poetic forms from."  Rubbing her forelegs together, she brought her one uncovered eye back up to look into Sugar's.  "The teapot and cups have a gold dusting all around the outside, with a long dragon going all around the outer edge.  I don't know if he's supposed to be regal or silly; he manages to be both, somehow... Funny thing, I don't know where that design came from.  Apparently my grandmother got it from her grandmother, too."

[IceStorm]

~~~Sugar Moonlight~~~

 

 

Sugar listened intently as Gloomy spoke. She looked into the amethyst eye that she could see and she could see the emotion that she felt. She may not be able to see this sparkle or whatever they could see, but she could see how the mare felt talking about this in front of her. She explained that her grandma was where she got a lot of her poems from, and started talking about the tea pot. She told her that the set was actually from her grandmother's grandmother, which meant it was very, very old. Much older than any porcelain set would have lasted... Maybe she could be swayed to the side of iron after all.

 

Plus the design sounded nice to look at. A long dragon of the ancients, looking both serious and silly surrounded by gold would definitely be quite a site. And the gold would probably help with the flavor issue as well. But with a pot that old, she doubted it would have any metal flavor at all from the start. "That definitely sounds special. I would love to see it at some point! Oh! Wait here for a second!!!" Sugar said, getting up and almost prancing to get bedroom with what looked like a small jewelry box.

 

The paint was a bit weathered, but it looked very well kept up. The edges had the same maroon glitter that could be seen around it's edges and the wood itself painted gold with a light grey stick filly and am older looking pink pony both reaching for the lock on it. "This is the single most important thing that I own..." She said, handing the box over to Gloomy. "It was the very last thing that my grandmother and I made together before she... Well... You know," Sugar started. Even ask this time later she still had trouble admitting that she was gone. She supposed that was like that for any family though. 

[Blueblood]

On seeing the box, Gloomy knew at once how special it was.  It wasn't the sort of thing that would look precious to anypony who didn't know the heart and the love that went into it, a lingering memory that an ignorant pony wouldn't buy at a garage sale for more than a bit or two.  "Memory is the only barrier that keeps us from the great garbage heap of oblivion.  Keep true to your love and heart, lest time sweep you away anon."  She reached a hoof out to tenderly received the box, testing the weight, before setting it down on the coffee table in front of her, as if she was somewhat scared to handle so great a treasure.

 

"I think... I would like for you to visit sometime."  And she managed a much more effortless smile this time.

[IceStorm]

~~~Sugar Moonlight~~~

 

 

 

Sugar watched as Gloomy took the box from her, and then gingerly set it on the table. She nodded at the roundabout way that she said that so long as we have our memories, those we loved are still with us today. She was also ecstatic to hear that Gloomy would love for her to visit herself sometime. That sounded exciting. "Absolutely!! Though I would have to do it after one of your visits. At least for the first time. I've never been outside of Maretime Bay before, and I'm not exactly good with directions," she said, noticing the mooch more natural smile.

 

Her eyes then went wide for a moment. "Shoot!! I promised you chili and tea and I haven't even started either one yet!"  Sugar proclaimed, quickly moved to the other side of the counter, finding her kettle and filling it with water. "What kind of tea would you prefer? I have green and red clover, black with raspberry, and honeysuckle camomile," Sugar asked.

[Blueblood]

"Oh, I'd be glad to show you the way.  Though I hear there's plans for Zephyr Heights to restart its airship transport hub?  Alphabittle was talking about that before I left."  She paused, wondering, "Have you ever wanted to fly?  I... never really did.  You can't really see the sky from Bridlewood, even when there's no cloudy days.  And there were a lot of cloudy days.  Less these days.  But maybe it just seems that way."

 

The sudden remembrance of tea by Sugar sent the mare up in a fluster, and the unicorn couldn't help but smile in return.  "Black, please.  If you have a bit of molasses, you can add that.  I prefer it to honey, but it wasn't easy to come by in Bridlewood."

[IceStorm]

~~~Sugar Moonlight~~~

 

 

 

Sugar would give a nod and a smile as she set the kettle on the stove and started a pot of water to boil, dropping a couple of the tomatoes that she bought into it. She made sure to poke some holes in the peels so that it would help them boil down into the stock that she would use for the chili. She was glad to hear that Gloomy would be happy to show her the way. When she started talking about the airships from Zephyr Heights, and asked about if she ever wanted to fly, she immediately shook her head, apparently sharing Gloomy's opinion on the matter, but for different reasons. "Well, weather wise there had been more clear days recently than normal, which means the storm that's coming out off of the bay is going to be a doozy. But as far as flying goes, I prefer to keep my hooves on the ground. After seeing ponies literally get blown away by some of Canterlogic's contraptions, and watching Sunny fall out of a collapsing lighthouse... I've come to the conclusion that earth ponies aren't meant to be in the air," she said with a giggle.

 

"I do have molasses, but I do need to warm you that the black and the raspberry leaves are mixed through the same batch. I'm not sure how the flavors usually interact. I usually drink mine unsweetened because the raspberry flavor makes it sweet enough for me," she smiled, grabbing the molasses out of the cabinet for Gloomy. If she wanted to try it with that flavor she was more than welcome to. In fact, in the spirit of things Sugar decided that she might as well give it a try as well. 

[Blueblood]

"Less for lack of a dream, more for the presence of fear?"  Gloomy asked, in her own rhythmic, singsong way.  Not that she could really blame Sugar; the prospect of falling didn't take much imagination to conjure, and the terror of the experience and pain of the result just added up to a big old "No Thanks!"  "No shame in that.  Not all ponies are given the sky.  It would be rude to horn in... oh dear."  She didn't mean to make the pun, it just happened!  Wordplay was instinctual, but it always felt unnatural for her to indulge in cheap ones like that.

 

"It's alright.  I do have a bit of a sweet tooth."  She would say, in the times before, that the darkness of her soul had bitters enough to balance any amount of sugar put on her.  But voicing that... might not have really reflected the truth anymore.  Plus, the wordplay there might lead Sugar Moonlight's thoughts... elsewhere.  Best try her tea first.

 

 

It took some time to make the tea.

When it came to her, she would levitate the cup to hold it out for the other pony to pour, which sped the cooling process, if only slightly.  Some blowing of steam off the top, then a huff of the aroma.  Blackstrop and berry, undergirded by tannin and smoothed by soft water.  Sip.  "Ah... yes, very nice.  You're very sweet- the tea!  The tea is very sweet.  I like it."  And there she was, blushing again.

[IceStorm]

~~~Sugar Moonlight~~~

 

 

Sugar would nod as Gloomy's words pretty much hit the nail on the head. It was less that she'd not dreamed about it, but more that she had, and the prospect terrified her. Especially after watching two of her friends fall victims to said effects of falling. She couldn't help but let out a small laugh, going a bit chipmunk cheeked as she held her hoof up to prevent more from coming out as she heard Gloomy mention something about horning in. So unicorns did use their horns as part of normal conversation and amusement. That was one thing that unicorns and earth ponies had in common. Honestly the list seemed to be getting longer and longer at this point, and Sugar felt rather silly believing otherwise at any point. Though it did beg the question what else they used their horns for. Sugar couldn't help but blush a bit as a few naughty thoughts came to mind before shaking her head. "Hey," she started, using the topic to take her mind off of where she was going. "It's not as some of the ones that we use. Not everything that Canterlogic ended up making came with instructions on how to use it, so we came up with the phrase 'Hoofing it' as ponies tried to figure out what they actually did on their own. Sometimes with... interesting results..."

 

When Sugar gave the warning about the flavor interactions, Gloomy responded that she had a bit of a sweet tooth. "Oh, I'm definitely right there with you on that one," she said smile. "Just about everything I eat has some sort of Sugar in it," she giggled, playfully sticking her tongue out with a wink.  She then realized what she had said herself, and then blushed a bit. It definitely didn't feel like proper talk for two ponies that had only just met. Sugar had already been caught staring at her flank, and had thought of other things more than once. She wasn't sure what was going on with her today. Whatever was in the air, she hoped it wasn't contagious, or maybe that it was... she honestly didn't know at the moment. And hey, the flank staring wasn't entirely her fault! Gloomy was showing it to her! Granted, it was more to punctuate her joke... but still! Come on Sugar, get it together... you're making everypony else look bad... she thought to herself.

 

Once the tea was finished, she turned the other pot down to a simmer. It wasn't quite time for her to start working with the other ingredients of the chili yet, so she had time to partake in a few cups and a bit more conversation while they waited. Like Gloomy, she too decided to try some molasses in her tea. When she did, she was quite happy with the flavor. She might have to start adding this to tea more often. She had been expecting the molasses to overpower the raspberry flavor, and she determined that it very well could if a pony used too much, but just a couple drops added just enough sweetness to complement both the tea and the raspberry flavors. She couldn't help but giggle a bit more when she heard Gloomy's slip up, saying that she was sweet, and then adding that she meant the tea. Maybe the naughtiess really was in the air! She could see the mare blushing a bit and smiled. "That's okay, I think you're pretty sweet too! After everything you've told me so far, how can I think you're anything but amazing! Bridlewood is really lucky to have you living there," she smiled.

[Blueblood]

Whether it was 'proper talk' or not, Gloomy was finding it increasingly hard to deny to herself that she was enjoying the banter with Sugar.  Little hoof-dips into naughty thoughts had been occurring since... well, since they first met.  Why was that?  Perhaps it just came with her making efforts to get out of her shell, opening up let all kinds of things out.  She had a taste for mares, pretty exclusively, and there was no doubt that Sugar was a very cute mare indeed!

 

And the fact that both of them were doing this little dance around each other was clue enough in her mind that maybe, just maybe, things could go in that direction.  Maybe.  Hope and fear were locked in a stalemate right about now.  But that little slip up of calling Sugar sweet (which she was!) started to crumble the last of her reserve, and she blushed even deeper.  "Gosh, thank you..."  She brought a hoof to rub the back of her neck, turning her head away, but keeping her eyes on Sugar Moonlight.

 

"So, uh... is there anything Canterlogic made, or makes, that would be worth taking back home with me?  The other unicorns are very interested in other places right now, and Alphabittle always has a place for interesting things in his collection.  I'd like to get him a thank-you gift for sending me out here... so I could meet you."

[IceStorm]

~~~Sugar Moonlight~~~

 

 

 

Sugar smiled and couldn't help but giggle a bit at Gloomy's response to Sugar calling her sweet in return. The bashful look was so adorably cute on her. Sugar could just eat her up right there! Not literally though. She had no desire to turn a pony into food today, or ever for that matter. She was perfectly happy with the fruits and vegetables that were being grown in their farms with the occasional fish from the sea. Fish Tacos were quite yummy! As it was, she was going to need to start preparing the rest of the ingredients for the chili soon. 

 

When she heard Gloomy ask about some of the things that Canterlogic made, asking if there were any that might have been interesting. She said that Alphabittle was always looking for interesting things for his collection and right now unicorns in general were curious about the other races now. "Well, you could always take me," she said, playfully sticking her tongue out. "But as far as what they made... well. I do still have that helmet... Be right back!" she said, making her way back to her bedroom with... a bit more of a sway in her hips than before. She would disappear into the room and then come back out with the device that looked like a helmet... with a unicorn horn on it. "This was the helmet that I was telling you about. Canterlogic designed it thinking that Unicorns could read minds. This, in their words, was supposed to prevent that. Honestly... I'm not even sure how at this point. Without having magic itself, how were they expecting it to counteract magic? still, if you paint it up it could be made into something funny, or used for other means of enjoyment," she giggled.

 

She would hand the device over before moving back over to the open kitchen and start setting everything out on her cutting board before she spoke up again. "Before I start mixing things in, is there anything here that you don't like or can't have? I have tomatoes, which are already cooking... as it's making the stock for the chili... but for everything else here, I have kidney beans, chili powder, a chili pepper, onion, cinnamon, and some mustard leaves. Usually the recipie calls for a bit of apple cider which is where the cinnamon usually comes from, but we didn't get a large harvest of apples in this year, or so I was told."

[Blueblood]

Gloomy giggled, then straightened her face suddenly, pretending to seriously consider Sugar's offer.  "Well, Alphabittle probably is going to be wanting a brighter act to entertain in the tea shop.  Just having you around would be attraction enough for some ponies."  And the offer itself was semi-serious; Gloomy herself would certainly pay regular visits to any cafe where Sugar was willing to strut her stuff, a conviction only strengthened when she actually got to see the other mare strut off.  Wow, yup.  Totally model material.  Except possibly for the fact that Gloomy might not actually notice anything Sugar was wearing, watching those swaying hips and swishing, sparkling tail...

 

*You're staring again.  But it seems she wants you to.*  The thought made her feel... giddy inside.  And since that was a real change from Gloomy's normal... well, gloom, that was a right welcome change indeed!

 

When the earth pony mare came back with the helmet, the unicorn had to snort at the look, and the explanation of its purpose.  "Well, we can't read minds, that's for sure... but it's distracting enough so that we would have a harder time reading the face of anypony wearing it.  I suppose that works in a way..."  She had to take this helmet, handle it for herself.  It was surprisingly weighty, and it did make her hooves feel funny and tingly when she held it.  It wouldn't fit on her head, though, unlike her beret, it had no horn accommodation, obviously.

 

Still looking over the device, she called back out to the kitchen, "My body is an open temple, all may come in supplication.  Ah, food, I mean.  No objections."  Okay, those slips were getting serious.  Something she'd have to talk to a good, trusted friend about... the sort of friend she didn't have yet, which was why she was in the house of a pretty mare to get to know her.  Life apparently did not care at what pace you wanted to live it...

[IceStorm]

~~~Sugar Moonlight~~~

 

Yeah... she wasn't sure what it was, but at this point there was a little voice inside of her that was practically screaming for the two of them to share a bed tonight. The slips that were starting to pop out were getting more and more saucy each time. She couldn't help but giggle a bit when she heard Gloomy say that her body was an open temple, and that all may come in... supplication? She couldn't say that she heard that word before, but given how things were going at the moment, she wasn't sure if she should ask what that word actually meant or not. With that, she just nodded and went to work.

 

Hearing that this Alphabittle was looking for some brighter acts for the shop, Sugar smiled. She then blushed a bit more when she heard Gloomy say that just having her around would be and act in of itself and would entertain plenty of ponies. "Well, if Alphabittle has anything he'd like me to model, or wouldn't mind me modeling a few outfits from time to time," she smiled and started dicing the onions, careful to keep her hooves out of the way. A hospital visit because she stabbed herself wasn't on the agenda for the day. When she heard Gloomy's comments on the anti-mindreading cap, she paused for a moment. "Huh, I never thought about distractions doing something like that. I just know that it's heavy and uncomfortable, and I'm more than happy to not have to wear it anymore," she smiled, scooping the onions off the cutting board and into the pot.

 

"So, you said that you couldn't read minds," Sugar said as she moved to the tofu. It needed to be cut just right. It would get too chewy if left too large, but would have a weird texture if too small. After years of trial and error, she felt like she had the right size. "But that has piqued my curiosity. What can unicorns do with their magic? I imagine the possibilities are limitless," she said.

 

 

[Blueblood]

Gloomy tried to imagine convincing Alphabittle to put in a catwalk for Sugar Moonlight to strut her stuff.  Maybe if he had a larger collection of jewelry and accessories, rather than just a load of gadgets and knicknacks... "Well, he's no tailor, but there are a few unicorns in Bridlewood who are, its a respected profession.  I think they would all be glad to have somepony like you to show off their wares."  Placing the helmet back down on the coffee table, the unicorn got up to join her new... friend?  Was that the right word now?  

*Well, why not?*  Gloomy shrugged, smiling a bit as she entered the kitchen behind Sugar.  *Not like I've done this sort of thing with anypony else before, so I think we can call her my first real friend!*  That thought alone was enough to kindle a small spark of joy in her, which almost frightened her more than anything else.  Gloom and darkness could be as comfortable as a blanket if you didn't think you were meant for anything else, but one hint of a brighter, better life brought a calling and terrible hope...

 

She blinked, the onions making her tear up a bit.  And not anything else!

 

Sniffing, she held off approaching closer until the onions were safely in the pot.  "Oh, well, perhaps they are."  She responded, when asked about the magical potential of unicorns.  "I mean, there are some old stories that are certainly incredible, about what wizards of the past can do... but there aren't any wizards anymore.  At least, not that I've met in Bridlewood.  Mostly it's just about lifting and moving things, making them glow or sparkle, and seeing the sparkling aura of ponies.  But, we only just got magic back.  It will take a long time before we're using it like we used to."

[IceStorm]

~~~Sugar Moonlight~~~

 

 

 

Sugar nodded as she watched Gloomy get up and start making her way over to the kitchen, presumably to start helping her with the Chili. She saw her give a bit of a pause and saw a couple tears in her eyes. She was about to ask her what was wrong until she looked down at the cutting board and saw what was left of the onion sitting on it. She then lifted the board over to the rubbish bin and scraped it off. "Well, if you think anypony over there in Bridlewood would have a need for a regular ol' modeling pony like me, then I would be happy to do so! As I said, I am looking for new work since I left Canterlogic. That and modeling somewhere other than Maretime Bay might be fun. Plus I'd be closer to you so you wouldn't have to come all the way to Maretime Bay just for us to have tea together," she said with a smile. She wanted to say among other things, but she didn't want to be that forward yet. She didn't want to scare the poor mare off. They may have already been quite flirtatious, but that didn't mean that she could make that kind of joke yet. 

 

When Sugar heard Gloomy say that while there were stories of great wizards that used to be, at the moment all the magic was very limited. It was basically just making things glow or moving things. That revelation made sugar feel kinda bad for the unicorns. The pegasi got their flight back and most of them seemed to have picked up where they left off. It seemed that the unicorns got the short end of the stick so to say. After being so excited she imagined that it had to be a bit of a let down, especially when Gloomy said it could be a while before they were back to their former strength. "Well, then I for one wanna help in any way that I can. Not that I'm sure how an earth pony can help a unicorn with magic, but if there's a will there's a way. Maybe we can have Sunny take us on one of her other adventures, or maybe we can go to Western Equestria, and see if there's anything over there. I heard from my grandparents that there used to be cities over there. Maybe one of them has something that will help!" Sugar smiled as she started mincing up the mustard leaves before putting them and the beans in the pot, or at least she was going to before the can slipped out of the opener and started rolling across the floor. "Hey! Get back here!"

[Blueblood]

Gloomy's ears began to perk up, tilting the beret on her head a little bit.  "You... would be coming to stay for a while, then?"  The thought brought a surprisingly intense series of reactions in her, her heart beginning to thump quite strongly in her chest, for reasons she couldn't quite fathom.  Nervousness?  Excitement?  "I'd... like that."  She concluded, after a minute's thought.  Sugar Moonlight was proving to be the sort of pony she would be glad to have more of in her life, and the fact that she was so willing to be so was something she just could not ignore.

 

What was the reason for that, actually?  It wasn't what she had been led to expect from earth ponies; Sunny Starscout aside, it wasn't typical behavior, surely, for earth ponies to care so much about unicorn welfare?  Was it a personal interest in Gloomy herself, or a general desire to assuage her conscience?  She didn't know, but was grateful all the same.  "Thank you- oh!"  Noticing the can rolling, she reached out with her magic to pick it up.  "Heh, that would have been a lot harder to keep a hold of before.  Maybe it's for the best that we get these powers back a little at a time, so that we can really learn to appreciate them.  So many ponies take what they have for granted."

[IceStorm]

~~~Sugar Moonlight~~~

 

 

 

Sugar would smile and nod when she heard Gloomy almost questioningly acknowledging that she would be heading that way. Hearing her say that she would like that and the general body language that the unicorn was displaying made Sugar feel a bit tingly. Her smile grew even more when she actually got to watch Gloomy use her magic to catch the can of beans that started rolling away from them. Watching the can get grabbed in the purple glow was mesmerizing. She smiled and she took the can back, hearing Gloomy say that maybe it was for the best they got their magic back a little at a time so they learned to appreciate what they had.

 

"I can see that, especially being without it for so long, like you said it would make so many every day tasks easier. But I still think an adventure to the western lands would be fun at some point, if not dangerous. I don't have any idea what might be beyond the Bridlewood Forest, and from what I heard from Sunny, it didn't exactly look to be the safest place to be caught unaware itself. If this was something we did, we might want it to be more than just the two of us. Maybe we could find a Pegasus to recruit. Have a pony that could fly and see further ahead would do wonders for us to be able to avoid dangers we'd stumble into otherwise," she says, successfully opening the beans this time. "Also... You... Wouldn't mind staying at my place for a few nights while I tied up some loose ends here... Would you? Then we could head back to Bridlewood together," she smiled. 

[Blueblood]

Giving back the can of beans to Sugar, Gloomy nodded sagely at her thoughts on an expedition, and the likely necessity of at least one more accompaniment.  "I had been about to say, going on adventures is rather a new thing for me, and by the looks of things, you as well.  Inexperience is dangerous in any journey."  Not that some melancholic part of her soul hadn't enjoyed the thought of meeting her end, clinging to the one friend she had in all the world... but that was one of those thoughts she didn't share with anypony.  Darkly romantic but clearly non-sensible things such as that were, in her experience, not well received by either the practical or whimsical.

 

"Stay?  Well, I... didn't make any other plans..."  She supposed there might be some kind of inn or hotel in town, but given how rare visitors had been until recently, would she really trust the broken tradition of hospitality in strangers?  "So, thank you!  If it's not too much trouble, I'd be glad to stay the night."  She was smiling again, grey cheeks almost permanently pinked, as if she had applied rouge.

[IceStorm]

~~~Sugar Moonlight~~~

 

 

 

Sugar would nod when she heard Gloomy say that they seemed new to the tune of adventures. That inexperience was dangerous in any journey. "Yeah. We should probably look around and see if we can find somepony else that can help us. Maybe I can ask Sunny if she knows anypony that would be interested in helping out," she smiled. Sugar thought that the wind be okay if it were just the two of them as long as they stuck together, but at the same time it was that type of falsy confidence that got ponies into trouble, and no pony had any idea what was on the other side of the forest. It was entirely possible since of those places were still inhabited by others that had lost touch with the eastern world, and they could be the ones that were the outcasts and behind in the times. That was for future discovery though. "Whatever happens though on that front, I know I wanna do it together," Sugar added.

 

Her smile widened, and she felt a sense of giddiness when she heard Gloomy accept her invitation to stay with her for a few nights! She could feel her own heart beating rapidly in her chest, and the pink on Gloomy's cheek was sending her heart a flutter. She wasn't sure why, but something just felt... Right, with her here. Like Gloomy was meant to be in this very room with her right now. She clapped hey hooves happily, and if her sparkle had been brought before, it could be blinding now. "Yay!! I'll try to make things as quick as possible! Mostly it's just getting my bits from the bank since I don't think Bridlewood has a 'First Trust of Maretime Bay' in it. Otherwise it's just letting a few friends know that I'm going away for a bit, and possibly moving depending on how things go. If there's more business for me in Bridlewood than here then there's little point in my staying here," she smiled, shaving the cinnamon down into the pot with the chilis. She periodically tasted it as she was going to make sure it wasn't getting too sweet. 

 

[Blueblood]

Sunny?  That made sense; from what she remembered of the determined little earth pony who showed up one day to turn all of Bridlewood upside-down, she was definitely a mare that knew her way around adventures.  Still, she couldn't help but wonder if their potential companion was alright with the idea of inevitable relegation to 'third wheel' status, given the way things were currently going between her and Sugar.  That look of giddy joy in the earth mare's face was enough to show that she truly valued Gloomy's company, and the unicorn had to blink at the shine of her sparkle.  Heck, even non-unicorns might be able to see a little extra shimmer in her mane!

 

"Heh, you're right, there's not really a bank from any other town in Bridlewood.  And coins are pretty hard to come by, actually; some ponies get by with barter or trade in kind.  Not that they'll turn down bits, mind you.  They'll probably be grateful to have more cash in circulation."  She brushed a strand of purple mane out of her eye as she mused.  "The golden river of commerce turned, and left us a backwater, burned.  But what will be fed by newly-income streams?  Will it wash us away, or water our dreams?"

 

She was stuck between habitual gloom, and strange new hopes, the latter more encouraged than ever by Sugar allowing the possibility of moving to Bridlewood with her.  "Oh!  I'm sure I'd- we'd all love to have you."  *But me especially*  She'd not had a friend for more than a day, but already lonesomeness was distinctly unattractive.  
"Um, may I have a taste?"  The chili was beginning to smell rather nice, and she wanted to see how it was coming along!

[IceStorm]

~~~Sugar Moonlight~~~

 

 

 

To hear the plight of the unicorns first hoof made Sugar feel sad. Most of them didn't have money? She supposed that in a forest that wasn't a terrible thing as you could scavenge for seeds and the like and be able to provide for yourself, but even then, if you didn't have a good spot for it, it wouldn't grow properly because it wouldn't get enough light. And that's just the food. She was now more determined than ever to go there. While she wasn't rich by any means, she wasn't hurting either. Being the top model at Canterlogic paid well, but since she's stepped away she'd been eating into her savings a bit. With a smile Sugar spoke. "Well, I at least know that I'm going to try to help water your dreams. Try to make Equestria happier one show at a time," she smiled. 

 

When she heard her say that she'd, no the unicorns would love for her to move there, her smile grew a bit warmer and nodded. That little slip didn't go unnoticed either, she decided to take it a step further and test the waters a bit. "Then it's settled, though it was already settled... Now that I think about it, I am going to need a place to stay once I get there, at least until I can find my own," she said while Gloomy and to taste the chili. With a smile and a nod, she gathered some in the spoon and held it out for her.

[Blueblood]

When the spoon was held out to her, Gloomy stuck her neck out a bit to slurp up the sample, running it over her tongue for a bit before swallowing.  "There is a heat and sweetness, rounded by combination, and yet not permeating the whole."  Which was to say, the mix was good, it just needed a little time to stew.  With a little more work, she could make her food criticism rhyme.  In fact, maybe that was something she could do; at least making a little descriptive poem for each of Alphabittle's tea blends.

 

When Sugar noted that she would need a place to stay when visiting, Gloomy knew what she had to do.  "Oh, well, we hardly have a hotel or inn ourselves, but since you've been so generous with hosting, I'd be more than happy to offer my own place."  Be still her fluttering heart, was that new magic flowing through her veins to so spark her inner workings, or just strong emotion?  Maybe the two were connected; so much of what magic was had been lost, that its aspects were unrecognizable.  They might be planning a future adventure, but as far as Gloomy was concerned, they were on one already!

[IceStorm]

~~~Sugar Moonlight~~~

 

 

 

Sugar smiled as Gloomy commented on the chili. It wasn't anywhere close to ready yet. It would need time to simmer so they the flavors would truly meld, but she was delighted to see that she enjoyed what she tried. She also couldn't deny the small show of intimacy that the mare displayed by taking the bite from the spoon directly from her, rather using her magic to hold the spoon herself. "Indeed! It's all coming together. We'll let that simmer for an hour or two and then everything should really start taking shape," Sugar smiled.

 

Then the big question in the room was answered, and she was certain that she could see a much brighter mood coming from gloomy. She already seemed much happier than she was when she first came into town. Sugar was happy that she had such an effect on her and hearing Gloomy speak and return her own offer for a place to stay. She could still feel the giddiness inside her build up and still be boiling over. "Yay! I promise I'll try to be as unintrusive as possible! I'll also try not to bring to much with me. I don't want to overcrowd your home," she said with a smile, holding up the tea kettle. "More tea?" She asked, happy that she was able to hit off so well with this new pony. Gloomy had all the workings of an amazing friend, and maybe more. There was definitely a unique feeling with her, and she could feel her heart flipping within her chest the longer they were together. She could definitely say that she hadn't felt this excited for anything ina long while. 

[Blueblood]

"Thank you."  Gloomy said to the offer of tea, lifting the cup in her magic for Sugar to pour the kettle into.  It was cool enough by now to sip directly after the pour, which she did so with a quiet sort of contentment.

 

Of course, with their travel plans settled, what was there to talk about next?  The unicorn wasn't actually sure, and the pause grew longer and slightly more awkward for her, as if some hidden audience was waiting for her to speak.  When she did, she found herself letting out a bit of buried curiosity.  "That helmet, they never actually tested its effects on unicorn magic, right?  So... we don't know that it doesn't work, or is tame."  Some thoughts were ticking in her head as her gaze returned to where she left it.  "I... am curious to see if it was all fake, or whether there's some reality to the claim."

[IceStorm]

~~~Sugar Moonlight~~~

 

 

 

"You're very welcome," Sugar said as they conversation started to die down a bit. They had covered several topics offer the course of their brief time together, so it wasn't surprising, and they had a bit more time to kill while they were waiting for the chili to finish cooking. With another sip of her own tea, she heard Gloomy start asking about the device again. She acknowledged that the helmet was never tested, and that curiosity was getting the better of her to see if it actually worked or not.

 

"Nope! At least not to my knowledge. I don't think that they had any unicorns in the back that they were using for testing..." She said, shuddering at the thought. Honestly at this point, she wouldn't be shocked if Phyllis had a unicorn captive back in her lab the entire time. But then that would mean that she was beyond the evil that she'd even thought of her now because that many she knew that magic didn't exist then and was still propagating that lie. "So no, but honestly... I do kind of wonder myself, but I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to address. But then again, we've had our fair share of moments during our conversations already... So I don't think inappropriate matters anymore," Sugar said, poking her tongue out playfully. "Though that does bring up the questing whether the device was safe to begin with. You already said a unicorn can't read minds, but I wonder what would happen if you zapped it?" she pondered, looking at the device herself. "I'll be honest, I'm more scared of the device now that magic does exist, because we don't know what it does..."