Fever Enigmatic

"Moonlight? Moonlight, what's wrong?"

---

Winter sighed in relief, then attempted to get a better look at the pony

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ZamuelNow wrote:Burning Intuition gave the type of grin that a non pony would usually describe as a mouth full of daggers.  Adjusting his monocle with his magic, he replied to Birthday Cake, "Why, I was merely letting Ms. Plan know that a realtor such as herself should set her goals elsewhere.  I don't think she planned this out very well.  We both know you're quite...persistent...in your blockade of progress.  I was merely doing all three of us a favor by suggesting she take her business elsewhere.  You simply heard the disagreement between a professional and a mare who sells property."

Birthday Cake was silent for a time.

Eventually, she opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again.

"I am tired," she finally said. "It's...it's been a tiring day. I've got a lot on my plate recently - ponies coming and going, field trips, business deals and lack thereof. I enjoy what I do and I enjoy being with other ponies, but I  get so awful busy sometimes, and the rest of the time I'm hardly doing anything at all! So...I'm tired of a lot of things. But mostly?" She shook her head regretfully. "I'm tired of talking to ponies like you. At least with everything else I...get somewhere." She didn't give Intuition time to respond, instead turning back to reenter the Party. "Stand out here and gloat or whatever you want to call it if you like, but you can't come inside. I'm done talking."

Moonlight Fresh points into the sky,  "What's she doing here?  There's nothing for her in this town."

---

As Birthday Cake walks back into the store, Winter Dreams can see the stallion chuckle to himself and walk off.

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All the foals in the store seem to be happily eating their sweets as Apple Bright watches over them.

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"I guess so.  I can't think of any other reason she'd be here."

Summer's face scrunched up. "What, you know her? Who is she?"

---

Winter let out a sigh of relief, then snuck back into the room. There was a counter near the back where he could  turn visible without anypony noticing. One he had done so, he sidled over to Aunt Birthday.

"Aunt Birthday, Can I speak to you alone?"

Birthday looked around, smiling. Well, if there was anything to make it all perfect, this would be it. A roomful of...

...hrmm...urgh. A roomful of foals, and a mouthful of yawns, apparently! Well, there would be time enough to sleep later. For now, it was time to get back in there and...

mjh6 wrote:"Aunt Birthday, Can I speak to you alone?"

Birthday looked down at her newphew. "Hmm...well, I dunno..." she tapped her hoof a few times against her chin, eyes roaming the ceiling as if she could divine answers from the wood and save herself the trouble of thinking about it. "I'm awfully busy right now..."

A smile the sight of which was not unlike the smell of croissants the first thing in the morning, and perhaps Birthday Cake hadn't had to think about it after all. "But I'm never too busy for you, sugar. Come on, I don't think anypony's noticed I'm back yet; we can stick to the kitchen for a couple minutes, and who knows? I might be able to sneak you an extra snack."

Having whispered this last sentence in her most sotto voice and followed it with a resounding giggle, Birthday led her nephew back into the kitchen for what she hoped would be a pleasant chat. "So then, sugar, what was it you were wanting to talk about?"

"Yes, I suppose that's true." Sunset Stroll let the conversation lapse for a moment, uncertain of what to say.

Winter followed his aunt to the kitchen, at the same time contacting Summer mentally.

"What is it Winter? I'm busy..." Summer said at first annoyed, but slowly realizing that he was upset and scared. "What's wrong?"

Once they were safely in the kitchen, Winter took a deep breath, and tried to tell them as quickly as possible. "I wanted to know what was going on outside, so I did that trick I can do." Winter said vaguely, knowing they would know what he was really talking about. "I went out and looked around, but then when I was there, somepony... saw me. She whispered to me, telling me how silly I was to hide, and that she knew I was a pegasus. What-what if she knows about me?" He finished, looking looked bac and forth irrationally hoping to see this mystery pony somewhere.

Sunset Stroll blinks and quickly fills in his pause in the conversation. "Sun Rush, you've lived in Friendship Gardens all your life, yes?"

Moonlight Fresh looks like she's about to cry,  "She's the reason we lost our old house..."

---

Fairy and Marvel easily traverse town to get back to her house.  As they unpack, a teal mare seems to be curiously watching.

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"Of course I've lived here my whole life, just like my mother and her mother.

Why do you ask..?"

"It was primarily a segue, as a matter of fact." Sunset Stroll says, growing more animated again as the conversation moves away from Treasure Plan. "I was wondering where Midnight Clover came from. Did he grow up here too?"

"Here it is," Marvel said as they approached her house, trying to sound cheery. "Let's put it right there," she said, pointing to a spot near the door. She noticed a teal mare out of the corner of her eye, and elected to ignore her. Or so she thought. She glanced back as she unhooked herself from the wagon. She was watching. She looked again as she grabbed the first thing (the spade.) Still watching. Another look after she had dropped it and picked up the next thing (the hoe.) She was still watching. She put the hoe down.

"Fairy Charmer. Do you know who that is?" she asked of the unicorn, nodding her head to indicate the teal mare.

"Hmm?"

Fairy turned her attention from the house to look at Marvel, and then to look at the pony Marvel was looking at looking at Marvel.

Fairy was sure that the cool expression only crossed her lips, and that even that was for less than a moment.
"Oh, that's just one of the local residents," she said, trying to sound casually off -hoof. "Lustrous Ivy. She's the local hairdresser... and completely harmless."

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mjh6 wrote:Once they were safely in the kitchen, Winter took a deep breath, and tried to tell them as quickly as possible. "I wanted to know what was going on outside, so I did that trick I can do." Winter said vaguely, knowing they would know what he was really talking about. "I went out and looked around, but then when I was there,  somepony... saw me. She whispered to me, telling me how silly I was to hide, and that she knew I was a pegasus. What-what if she knows about me?" He finished, looking looked bac and forth irrationally hoping to see this mystery pony somewhere.

Brithday was silent for a moment before gently walking - it is uncertain how she 'gently' walks, but she manages it - over to Winter. "I promise," she said, giving the young colt a hug, "I won't let anypony or anything hurt you. Alright?"

Someone was going to pay for scaring her nephew like this.

Summer trued to think of what to say. She wanted to agree with Aunt Birthday, an tell Winter that everything was going to be alright, but she didn't know that, and Winter would know she didn't know. That's was part of the trouble of being mentally inked with someone. Winter- Don't- We're going to think of something. Aunt Birthday's right. We'll look make sure of it.

She was so focused on this, she missed most of what Moonlight said. "I'm so sorry, could you repeat that?"

Winter leaned into the hug, trying to take deep breaths. He did feel a little better, hearing Aunt Birthday and Summer, but the problem wasn't going to just go away. What should we do?" he whispered

Moonlight Fresh pointed a hoof with a voice that was less fearful and more one of animosity,  "You see that mare in the sky? Her name is Treasure Plan and you should NEVER trust her. EVER."

---

Lustrous Ivy more boldly trotted up, "Hello Fairy Charmer.  Shall you be introducing me to your darling new friend?"

---

"Yes, Midnight Clover has been here his whole life.  So has a lot of the town."

Summer looked back up at the pony, trying to get a better look.

"I think she's the pony trying to buy my Aunt's shop.

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Lustrous Ivy more boldly trotted up, "Hello Fairy Charmer.  Shall you be introducing me to your darling new friend?"

"Oh, Ivy!" Fairy smiled, as if only seeing the mare for the first time.

"Did you know, I was just saying that to Ms Marvel here. You didn't overhear us, did you?"

She laughed at the, very deliberately, innocuous suggestion. She flipped her mane again- it seemed to be a bad habit of hers.
"Marvellous Misfortune, meet Lustrous Ivy, Friendship Gardens illustrious hairdresser."

mjh6 wrote:Winter leaned into the hug, trying to take deep breaths. He did feel a little better, hearing Aunt Birthday and Summer, but the problem wasn't going to just go away. What should we do?" he whispered

Ah, yes, the tough part of being an adult. Needing to have all the answers. And, of course, never actually having them.

Birthday thought for a few moments before drawing back, settling a hoof on Winter's shoulder. "We'll talk to somepony who knows about magic," she finally said. "We'll...get you something that'll protect you. A, S, A, P." She smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring way. "Until then, make sure your parents know what's happening - I expect you've already told Summer - and stay close to ponies you trust. We'll get through this together, sugar. We always have."

Marvel kept an even expression, allowing enough flexibility for a raised eyebrow. "And to what do I owe the pleasure this time?"

Treasure Plan had a pale pink coat and a teal mane in a fresh mane cut.  Sorta looked like Ivy's work since there was that one businesslike trim she'd often suggest that nopony seemed to dislike but none actually requested. This was the same mare who briefly stuck her head in the store earlier.  She was wearing very dark and thick shades as she flew around.

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"I simply adore meeting new ponies. Marvelous Misfortune is a simply darling name. What brings you to our humble little town?"

---

Sun Rush stopped, "I have to wonder if the next question is going to be about relationship advice."

Sunset Stroll lets out a long, merry, laugh, stopping and shaking his head. "No, nothing of the sort. I'm just interested in the spirit of Friendship Gardens. You two are at the heart of that, it seems."

Summer frowned. This Treasured pony just shows up, and starts poking around her aunt's and her parents'  shops. And apparently Moonlight had some bad experiences with her too.
She focused on her memories from the academy, on how somepony might see through invisibility, and whether or not a pegasus could do things like Winter described.

Winter nodded absently. Parents. He guessed that Summer's parents were the closest things he had to parents, but... he never felt quite welcome with them Not the way  eh was with Summer or Auntie Birthday. However, she was probably right about telling them. He tried to smile up at Aunt Birthday. "Do you have any chocolate chip cookies, Auntie?" He asked. After he asked, he scanned the room again, just in case he could see signs that he wasn't the only pony who could turn invisible and follow others.

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