Florid Deal (My Little Pony Fanfiction)

Chapter 12: Apprentice

The sun lazily rose over the clouds with its warm orange glow. The treetops illuminated brightly with the morning dew. The sunflower fields turned to face the rising sun and gently flowing streams turned golden with the sunrise. 

Two months after the Grand Galloping Gala, everything returned to its usual pace. Everypony returned to their regular schedules and tasks. Ponies soon enough stopped talking about the annual party and life moved on.

Sunbeams shyly peeked from a small opening of the banana tree curtains of Evening Primrose's room. The golden light cast over her tightly shut eyes, enough to stir her. She moved away from the light and crossly muttered in her sleep, but soon enough she forced herself up with inhuman strength. Without opening her eyes she reached for her alarm clock, wildly ringing at its master. She shut it off and stood up from her bed, rubbing her eyes. She stretched her wings and hind legs and began walking to her small restroom.

She clumsily opened the door and looked at herself in the mirror. Her mane was a disaster, as it was every morning since she was a filly. She magically lifted a hairbrush as she started to brush it to tame its wild nature. Once done, she washed her face and walked to the living room and kitchen.

Needless to say, her hallways and living room always seemed as if a tornado of leaves and petals had done its course inside the hut. Evening never bothered clean it up, since every time she tried to it would only become a bigger mess in her outside storage area. Books and lose papers lay around her small coffee table along with quills and a spilled bottle of ink. 

After checking her list of errands for the day, Evening put on the radio as she started to brew herself some coffee. The sound of the news started to spread inside the small room as she fixed herself a cucumber and cream cheese sandwich for breakfast. 

-"Most recent news! Wonderbolt Academy looking for new recruits for the coming racing season! Who will the lucky mares and colts be?" The radio host announced. 

Evening rolled her eyes, sports had never been her thing. 

After she finished her breakfast, she flew out of her hut and started her daily tasks. Surveying the treetops, she landed in a clearing and started looking around for anything out of the ordinary, which was difficult to find once she had spent over five centuries looking after the forest. Everything looked fine to her, besides a couple of magical plants. They had lost their fruit and petals in a strange pattern, almost as if somepony was harvesting them. 

She didn't think much of it, as sometimes birds her curious about her plants. 

The weather began to darken as she arrived to check in the Sisters' old castle. She had gotten used to the eerie feeling of being watched while she assessed the ancient architecture and the booby traps in every square foot of the castle. If she could, she would rebuild the place with more booby traps for the sake of watching ponies be confused. 

The halls were the same as they were the last time she had checked, the tapestries we still where they were the day Luna turned to Nightmare moon. She still remembered that day all too clearly. After a brief inspection, she decided to turn to the abandoned library to find a new read about magic to boost her power. It didn't take long for her to find a book from Celestia's former collection and take a few others with her. She wasn't a big fan of studying, but she could use a hobby every so often.

After checking on the Ursas and getting rid of several thousand parasprites, she returned to her hut. 

The weather had become rather violent in that time, as the wind howled and the tree branches snapped loudly. Leaves came off their mother trees and followed Eve all the way home. She stepped inside just in time for it to start heavily raining. 

-"Perfect timing," She smugly said to herself as she started brewing a cup of tea to pass the time while it rained.

She wasn't a big fan of being soaked by the rain, she always found it to be "ultimately uncalled for." She put on a robe and sat down on a chair to start reading. 

The rain didn't seem to cease during the time that she read and tried to replicate the spells written. Her gift wasn't magic, but she could try anyway. A knock on the door caught her off guard as she was halfway through a paragraph on passwall spells. She got up from her chair and came to answer the door, her tea levitating next to her.

She opened the door and looked both ways. Then up and down, and there she saw it: A small zebra filly with large bags on her back that reeked of chlorophyll. 

-"Uhh... hey kid. You good down there?" Evening bent down to look at the filly more closely.

-"Please don't hurt me! For I am lost in this place. But I would love it if you could help me find some dry space," The filly cried out.

Eve stood straighter and curiously bent down again, "This is a dangerous place, are you on your own? Where are your parents?"

-"I come on my own to seek knowledge alone. If you can lend me a thought, I'd appreciate it so,"

This kid can rhyme! Eve thought to herself, "How about you come inside and warm up a bit, we don't want you catching a cold now, do we?"

The small zebra stepped inside and was greeted by a warm towel from Eve's closet. She sat the filly down on her sofa and gave her some warm milk. The filly had left her bags near the door inside as she got comfortable. Eve sat next to the filly as she sipped her tea. Once she knew the filly was more comfortable and warm, she decided to ask some questions. Just to be safe.

-"So, you're alone here?" Eve asked.

The filly nodded.

-"I haven't seen a zebra around these parts before, what brings you to my humble forest?"

-"I have come with the purpose of learning new ways. Nature is kind to those who stay out of her way. I wish to learn magic for healing alone, so I may heal others on my own," The filly replied, "I heard of a sorceress that lives around these parts, perhaps she can help me learn the way in her arts,"

Evening smiled gently and put her wing around her filly, "What's your name, hon?"

-"My name is Zecora,"

-"Well, Zecora," Eve gave her a small azalea, "My name is Evening Primrose, I am the sorceress. Would you like to be my apprentice?"