private Another Cultural Exchange (1x1 with Skylight Scintillate)

[Illiad Easle 3,199]

@Skylight Scintillate

On 2025-03-13 at 10:27 PM, Skylight Scintillate said:

If she wasn't successful, she would walk back to Nova and nervously rub her hoof against the back of her neck. "Hey uh, was I supposed to ask you how I'm supposed to catch the rabbit before we actually found it?"

Nova nodded, the rabbit had shown surprising strength and flexibility as it had wriggled free from her grip. Still, he spoke softly, "Your approach was good, and you actually managed to grab it, but your capture was bad."

He held up a hoof, "Hooves are good enough for holding things, but they don't have much grabbing power. If you want something to not get away, you need to use your fangs."

He bit the air in demonstration.

"If you get them with your teeth, they'll only hurt themselves trying to get away, though you'll have to be careful, or they'll kick you in the eye or the neck."

He thought for a moment, then approached, "You're supposed to kill one, but if you wanted to bring one back alive, you would try to grab them here, at the back of the neck." He touched the back of her neck, where her neck met her withers, showing that there was some loose skin there.

He turned his attention back to the forest, "Come on, let's try and find another one quick."

 

Nova would let Speckle try to find a trail on her own if she wanted, or point another one out for her if she let him, or grew frustrated. In either case they would follow it as before, this time finding a hare. It seemed to be breathing heavy, like it had just been chased. Maybe one of the other young thestrals had tried to catch it?

[Skylight Scintillate 2,116]

@Illiad Easle 

On 2025-03-16 at 10:40 PM, Illiad Easle said:

He held up a hoof, "Hooves are good enough for holding things, but they don't have much grabbing power. If you want something to not get away, you need to use your fangs."

He bit the air in demonstration.

"If you get them with your teeth, they'll only hurt themselves trying to get away, though you'll have to be careful, or they'll kick you in the eye or the neck."

"I-, I see..." Speckle replied. The thought of using her mouth and teeth hadn't really occurred to her before, but as she thought about it, the more it made sense. She would copy the motion a few times to try to familiarize herself with it before finding another trail. 

On 2025-03-16 at 10:40 PM, Illiad Easle said:

Nova would let Speckle try to find a trail on her own if she wanted, or point another one out for her if she let him, or grew frustrated.

Speckle would ask Nova to give her a hint without revealing the trail if Nova found one before she did. The past few times, Nova found the trail for her. However, this time, she wanted to try to spot the trail herself. If Nova spotted a trail first, she hoped that he would hint at it to narrow down the possibilities while still letting her work on this skill. 

On 2025-03-16 at 10:40 PM, Illiad Easle said:

In either case they would follow it as before, this time finding a hare. It seemed to be breathing heavy, like it had just been chased. Maybe one of the other young thestrals had tried to catch it?

Speckle was excited to see another animal to attempt to capture. However, she knew she had to calm herself down and analyze the situation rationally before jumping in. Compared to the previous situation, she figured that the hare could turn its head and spot her at any point. However, it seemed tired, so maybe it couldn't run away as fast?

Due to this, if she alerted the hare at any point, she would make the dash towards it. If not, she would do so from about two meters away. 

If she caught it, she would walk back to Nova with excitement on her face. She realized she couldn't talk with the animal in her mouth, so she would just copy or follow what Nova did next.

If she didn't catch it, she would go back to Nova, slightly disappointed, and ask him what she should do differently. 

[Illiad Easle 3,199]

@Skylight Scintillate

On 2025-03-18 at 9:12 AM, Skylight Scintillate said:

If she caught it,

Catching it was one thing, it started to move as she lunged for it, but she was able to correct for it in time, biting hard at the skin behind it's neck. It started to try to escape, twisting in an attempt to get away. She tasted something wet, and very warm, in her mouth.

It was bleeding.

 

If she maintained her composure enough to turn to Nova for instructions, she'd see that he was impressed, "You caught it! Now you-"

"Kill it."

Nova was cut off by Turning landing nearby. The teacher also seemed slightly impressed, but it was clear by his expression that she was being evaluated.

Nova seemed cowed by Turing's presence, so he couldn't give her advice on how to do it.

[Skylight Scintillate 2,116]

@Illiad Easle 

On 2025-03-22 at 9:46 PM, Illiad Easle said:

If she maintained her composure enough to turn to Nova for instructions, she'd see that he was impressed, "You caught it! Now you-"

"Kill it."

Nova was cut off by Turning landing nearby. The teacher also seemed slightly impressed, but it was clear by his expression that she was being evaluated.

Nova seemed cowed by Turing's presence, so he couldn't give her advice on how to do it.

Speckle squirmed nervously as she tried not to panic. She had no idea what to do, and she didn't like how intimidating Turning felt. It felt like he was scrutinizing her every action, ready to dole out harsh judgment for any mistake she made. She glanced back and forth at the other two for several moments, desperately hoping that one of them would say something that would help her. She squirmed some more as she tried to come up with a reasonable plan under the intense pressure of Turing.

After a few moments, she brought her hooves almost up to the hare, paused, and then set her hooves back down. Was she supposed to use her hooves? No, that didn't seem right. Maybe she was supposed to use her teeth? No, that didn't seem right either... Perhaps she could use something nearby in the forest? From a quick glance around, Speckle couldn't find anything that immediately stood out to use. It seemed like quite a far stretch, but maybe her wings or tail? She was getting pretty desperate at this point. She tried moving her wings and tail, but she couldn't see how they would be useful here. The pressure from Turing wasn't helping. 

She would glance at Turing and Nova again. What was probably less than five minutes in actuality felt like an eternity for Speckle. If by then, neither the pair of thestrals nor the hare had done or said anything, Speckle would collapse from the pressure. "I can't do it!" She would cry as she fell onto the forest floor, though if the hare was still in her mouth, it would come out as muffled cries of distress. 

[Illiad Easle 3,199]

@Skylight Scintillate

3 hours ago, Skylight Scintillate said:

She would cry as she fell onto the forest floor, though if the hare was still in her mouth, it would come out as muffled cries of distress. 

Turing's expression softened, just a bit, as she crumpled under the pressure, "I see, it seems you lack instruction on this part. That is not a failing, at least not on your part. You did well to not lose hold of the prey. Do you think you can carry it back to the clearing without losing it?"

If she nodded she'd be allowed to carry it as Turing led the way back to the clearing with Nova in tow. "The others have not yet been taught how to kill their prey, your capture will provide an excellent demonstration."

Otherwise he would come closer, use a wing to stretch out the hare's back legs before pinning them with a hoof, then instruct Speckle to let it go. Pinned as it was it couldn't escape. "I'll carry it back to the clearing, and there I will instruct you and the others on how to properly kill prey that is caught." He would then grab the hare's neck with his fangs to carry it back to the clearing.

 

Once back in the clearing the others were already gathered, each holding the small creatures they had caught, mostly mice, and quietly waiting for further instruction. If Speckle was carrying the hare herself the others would look impressed. At which point Turing would have her pass it over to him as above, pinning it to the ground before having her let it go.

"Our guest has done well for her first hunt, having caught this hare almost entirely unassisted." Turning nodded towards Speckle, and the others did likewise, it seemed to be a quiet sign of respect.

"Now, I will use her catch to teach you all how to kill what you have caught. While this hare is bigger than your prey, the process is mostly similar. First, you will go from the catch position to the pinned position like this."

He picked it up by the neck again, and demonstrated using a wing to extend the hind legs and a hoof to pin them before releasing. "Your grip must be firm or they'll escape. Don't be tempted to pin the tail, many small creatures will bite their own tails off to escape if they can."

He pressed a hoof to the base of the hare's neck on the back, right on the spine. "For smaller creatures you can press with your hoof here, down and forward, until you feel a pop and it stops moving. For larger creatures like this one though." He put his hoof under the head and lifted it backwards, the hare struggled, then stopped. "You can pull the head backwards to achieve the same result."

He lifted the hoof pinning the back legs to reveal it was dead, as it did not try to escape. "Now, you do likewise."

Turing would leave the hare to approach Speckle, "You did well for your first hunt. It would seem being raised around ponies has not left you so ill-equipped as I had supposed, or you are a quick study, and Nova an excellent guide."

He nodded a bit deeper than before to the both of them, "In either case, you have exceeded my expectations."

[Skylight Scintillate 2,116]

@Illiad Easle 

On 2025-03-24 at 4:14 PM, Illiad Easle said:

Turing's expression softened, just a bit, as she crumpled under the pressure, "I see, it seems you lack instruction on this part. That is not a failing, at least not on your part. You did well to not lose hold of the prey. Do you think you can carry it back to the clearing without losing it?"

Speckle thought for a moment. She desperately wanted to earn Turing's approval, but her mouth was feeling quite tired. She wasn't used to holding a large live animal like this in her mouth for so long, and she wasn't confident that she would be able to carry it all the way back. After a few moments, Speckle would shake her head.

On 2025-03-24 at 4:14 PM, Illiad Easle said:

Otherwise he would come closer, use a wing to stretch out the hare's back legs before pinning them with a hoof, then instruct Speckle to let it go. Pinned as it was it couldn't escape. "I'll carry it back to the clearing, and there I will instruct you and the others on how to properly kill prey that is caught." He would then grab the hare's neck with his fangs to carry it back to the clearing.

Once Speckle's mouth was free, she would nod towards Turing before rubbing the side of her face with a hoof. "Woah, that was tiring. It's strange holding things in your mouth like that..." Speckle said. At first, she was a little nervous over Turing's reaction, but she felt relieved that Turing maintained his softer attitude towards her. 

On 2025-03-24 at 4:14 PM, Illiad Easle said:

"Now, I will use her catch to teach you all how to kill what you have caught. While this hare is bigger than your prey, the process is mostly similar. First, you will go from the catch position to the pinned position like this."

He picked it up by the neck again, and demonstrated using a wing to extend the hind legs and a hoof to pin them before releasing. "Your grip must be firm or they'll escape. Don't be tempted to pin the tail, many small creatures will bite their own tails off to escape if they can."

He pressed a hoof to the base of the hare's neck on the back, right on the spine. "For smaller creatures you can press with your hoof here, down and forward, until you feel a pop and it stops moving. For larger creatures like this one though." He put his hoof under the head and lifted it backwards, the hare struggled, then stopped. "You can pull the head backwards to achieve the same result."

Speckle would observe silently, making notes in her mind as Turing explained what he was doing. "That... makes more sense now." Speckle would quietly say out loud to herself once Turing was done explaining. 

On 2025-03-24 at 4:14 PM, Illiad Easle said:

Turing would leave the hare to approach Speckle, "You did well for your first hunt. It would seem being raised around ponies has not left you so ill-equipped as I had supposed, or you are a quick study, and Nova an excellent guide."

He nodded a bit deeper than before to the both of them, "In either case, you have exceeded my expectations."

"Oh, uum, thanks," Speckle replied with a slight blush. She wasn't really sure what else to say, so she would contentedly accept the praise while glancing back and forth between Nova and Turing. 

[Illiad Easle 3,199]

@Skylight Scintillate

16 hours ago, Skylight Scintillate said:

"Woah, that was tiring. It's strange holding things in your mouth like that..." Speckle said. At first, she was a little nervous over Turing's reaction, but she felt relieved that Turing maintained his softer attitude towards her. 

Turing didn't respond to that comment, more focused on preparing to more the hare back to the clearing.

Nova simply nodded at Speckle's comments, but didn't speak up.

16 hours ago, Skylight Scintillate said:

Speckle would observe silently, making notes in her mind as Turing explained what he was doing. "That... makes more sense now." Speckle would quietly say out loud to herself once Turing was done explaining. 

There were eyes on her for a brief moment when she spoke up, but the attention quickly retuned to Turing.

 

16 hours ago, Skylight Scintillate said:

"Oh, uum, thanks," Speckle replied with a slight blush. She wasn't really sure what else to say, so she would contentedly accept the praise while glancing back and forth between Nova and Turing. 

Turing softly snorted before continuing, "You two are dismissed, take the hare to the cooks so they can prepare it."

Nova nodded, and would carry the now dead hare if Speckle didn't want to. In either case he wouldn't speak until they had a good distance from the clearing, where he let out a deep breath. "Oh, wow! I've never seen Turing act like that before... And you did your first hunt! I..." he sighed, looking away, "I'm sorry he put you on the spot like that, I think he was trying to punish me and you just got in the way. I thought he'd do something back there..." he shuddered, "Anyway, what did you think?"

 

They would have some time to talk before they got back to the main clearing, where Nova would lead the way into one of the structures a bit lower down than the rest. When they entered it was clear that it served as a food storage and prep area, low enough to be easily accessible, but high enough to keep most of the forest creatures from wandering in. They would be able to present the hare to the thestral there, who silently appraised it before nodding and proceeding to break it down quickly and efficiently while they watched, the parts being cleaned and sorted according to what they could be used for with minimal waste. Then the thestral there moved on to other tasks as Nova led the way out (Or sooner if Speckle didn't want to stay to watch)

[Skylight Scintillate 2,116]

@Illiad Easle 

On 2025-03-27 at 4:35 PM, Illiad Easle said:

Nova nodded, and would carry the now dead hare if Speckle didn't want to.

Speckle would prefer to carry it now. She would carry it on her back if it could stay there without falling off, and on her hoof otherwise. 

On 2025-03-27 at 4:35 PM, Illiad Easle said:

"Oh, wow! I've never seen Turing act like that before... And you did your first hunt! I..."

"...Never acted like what?" Speckle asked. She found the way Turing had suddenly changed his demeanour a little strange, and Nova's most recent comment amplified this. 

On 2025-03-27 at 4:35 PM, Illiad Easle said:

"I'm sorry he put you on the spot like that, I think he was trying to punish me and you just got in the way. I thought he'd do something back there..."

"W-what? Why would he do that?" Speckle stammered, confused, before Nova's comments about how the rest of the clan viewed him came to mind. She glanced around to make sure no thestral was nearby before whispering, "Is this what you mean by you feel like the rest of the clan doesn't like you?"

On 2025-03-27 at 4:35 PM, Illiad Easle said:

"Anyway, what did you think?"

"It was... Well, there were parts I found interesting, but there were also parts I didn't like. I didn't like the pressure Turing put on me. I liked the excitement of finding the animal after tracking it down. I appreciate the help you gave me on what to do. It was interesting to learn about things I didn't know before. I think you're an excellent guide," Speckle expressed her thoughts out loud. 

"Also, this reminds me of how I track down the raccoons after they do stuff like digging through the garbage. Those raccoons can do the strangest things, I'm telling you. It's almost as though they have unicorn magic or something. That's why they are nicknamed raccoonicorns in Canterlot," speckle rambled a random tangent.

On 2025-03-27 at 4:35 PM, Illiad Easle said:

They would have some time to talk before they got back to the main clearing, where Nova would lead the way into one of the structures a bit lower down than the rest. When they entered it was clear that it served as a food storage and prep area, low enough to be easily accessible, but high enough to keep most of the forest creatures from wandering in. They would be able to present the hare to the thestral there, who silently appraised it before nodding and proceeding to break it down quickly and efficiently while they watched, the parts being cleaned and sorted according to what they could be used for with minimal waste. Then the thestral there moved on to other tasks as Nova led the way out (Or sooner if Speckle didn't want to stay to watch)

As the pair entered the food prep area, Speckle wanted to take a little look around. However, she was a little squirmish about seeing the hare being broken down, so she would be interested in seeing what else was going on there. 

"So what kinds of foods do you prep here?" Speckle would ask as she glanced around curiously. "Anything interesting to note?"

[Illiad Easle 3,199]

@Skylight Scintillate

On 2025-03-30 at 11:29 AM, Skylight Scintillate said:

"...Never acted like what?" Speckle asked. She found the way Turing had suddenly changed his demeanour a little strange, and Nova's most recent comment amplified this. 

Nova looked a bit ashamed, "Well, whenever I messed something up, or failed to catch something, he would say it was my fault. That I didn't try hard enough. But for you, he said it wasn't your fault. Then again, you actually caught something."

On 2025-03-30 at 11:29 AM, Skylight Scintillate said:

"W-what? Why would he do that?" Speckle stammered, confused, before Nova's comments about how the rest of the clan viewed him came to mind. She glanced around to make sure no thestral was nearby before whispering, "Is this what you mean by you feel like the rest of the clan doesn't like you?"

Nova sighed, then nodded. "I usually don't catch anything because I'm too loud. Or that's what they tell me. When I'm alone, its hard for me to keep quiet, but I find it easier when I'm with you? I think it's because I'm trying to give a good example."

On 2025-03-30 at 11:29 AM, Skylight Scintillate said:

"It was... Well, there were parts I found interesting, but there were also parts I didn't like. I didn't like the pressure Turing put on me. I liked the excitement of finding the animal after tracking it down. I appreciate the help you gave me on what to do. It was interesting to learn about things I didn't know before. I think you're an excellent guide," Speckle expressed her thoughts out loud. 

Nova smiled at that, at least at the last part.

 

On 2025-03-30 at 11:29 AM, Skylight Scintillate said:

"So what kinds of foods do you prep here?" Speckle would ask as she glanced around curiously. "Anything interesting to note?"

The thestral that was working on breaking down the hare gave them a look, and Nova led the way out before responding. "There's a lot of sharp knives in there, so they don't want us loitering or distracting the cutters."

Once outside, he continued, "That's the cold house, where we keep meat and such until it can be cooked and either served or preserved. It's lower than the others so it can stay colder, but still off the ground so that the creatures cant get to it. Our clan mostly likes to eat the meat when its fresh, so not a lot is stored, and any remains are quickly smoked and dried so it can last without being kept cold. The cutters break down anything that gets hunted or caught, they have really sharp knives to cut the bones, which we can use to help grow the fruits and vegetables."

There was just a bit of sun coming up on the horizon, enough to distinguish the sky from the canopy of the trees. "Do you want to see where we grow things? Or do you want to just meet up with my mom? She'll be leaving soon for her stall in the Zebra town, but we should be able to see the fields if we hurry."

[Skylight Scintillate 2,116]

@Illiad Easle 

On 2025-03-31 at 4:13 PM, Illiad Easle said:

Nova sighed, then nodded. "I usually don't catch anything because I'm too loud. Or that's what they tell me. When I'm alone, its hard for me to keep quiet, but I find it easier when I'm with you? I think it's because I'm trying to give a good example."

"Well maybe we work better as a pair, because there was no way I would have caught anything without you. I probably would have kept trying to use my hooves or something..." Speckle said, trying to reassure Nova. 

On 2025-03-31 at 4:13 PM, Illiad Easle said:

There was just a bit of sun coming up on the horizon, enough to distinguish the sky from the canopy of the trees. "Do you want to see where we grow things? Or do you want to just meet up with my mom? She'll be leaving soon for her stall in the Zebra town, but we should be able to see the fields if we hurry."

"Ah, that's cool. Yeah, I would like to see where you grow things. I'll remember to make it quick," Speckle replied. She was quite curious about what the clan's fields looked like. Speckle hadn't ever thought about glowing wood before. Maybe they grew other unusual things as well.

[Illiad Easle 3,199]

@Skylight Scintillate

On 2025-04-02 at 10:21 PM, Skylight Scintillate said:

"Well maybe we work better as a pair, because there was no way I would have caught anything without you. I probably would have kept trying to use my hooves or something..." Speckle said, trying to reassure Nova. 

Nova looked a little reassured by that, and smiled, "Oh, um, thank you for saying so."

 

On 2025-04-02 at 10:21 PM, Skylight Scintillate said:

Ah, that's cool. Yeah, I would like to see where you grow things. I'll remember to make it quick," Speckle replied. She was quite curious about what the clan's fields looked like. Speckle hadn't ever thought about glowing wood before. Maybe they grew other unusual things as well.

Nova led the way down another path out of the central clearing which went a short way out before opening to another clearing, they could see the river running along the far side of it with irrigation lines running away from it towards the orderly rows of crops. Most of them were pretty standard, like you'd see in any rooftop or balcony garden up in Canterlot, just on a larger scale, and to one side there were rows of shimmerwood trees at staggered heights. Nova led the way over to them and explained, "Each year they plant a line of trees, so all the trees in a line are the same age."

There were a good forty lines of trees, and each line had maybe a hundred trees in them. The trees got taller the further down the lines they went until suddenly they were saplings. "They cut them down once they get big enough, then clear the line so the next set of trees can be planted. So these here are the oldest trees which will be cut down at the end of summer, and these are the youngest trees which were planted at the beginning of spring."

As tall as the oldest trees in this field were, they were much shorter than the trees that made up the forest.

If Speckle moved to get too close to the saplings, Nova would stop her, "Sapling shimmerwood trees are really delicate, they take a few years before they get strong. That's why they're so infrequent in the forest itself. But once they're really old they get really strong, there are some trees so big and strong that only the bark can be cut. There's one like that up in the original colony, they carve the clan history into it."

[Skylight Scintillate 2,116]

@Illiad Easle 

On 2025-04-09 at 4:50 PM, Illiad Easle said:

"Each year they plant a line of trees, so all the trees in a line are the same age."

"They cut them down once they get big enough, then clear the line so the next set of trees can be planted. So these here are the oldest trees which will be cut down at the end of summer, and these are the youngest trees which were planted at the beginning of spring."

"Oh wow, that's so cool!" Speckle remarked as she admired the trees curiously. It was pretty cool to line up with the rows and see trees of all the same height all in a row. She would make sure to avoid getting too close to the younger saplings. However, She would be interested in flying up to the canopy of one of the oldest trees to see if there was anything interesting in there.

On 2025-04-09 at 4:50 PM, Illiad Easle said:

"Sapling shimmerwood trees are really delicate, they take a few years before they get strong. That's why they're so infrequent in the forest itself. But once they're really old they get really strong, there are some trees so big and strong that only the bark can be cut. There's one like that up in the original colony, they carve the clan history into it."

"Oh wow, so like the trees go from like super soft to like super strong? Does that mean they can use the trees for different things depending on their strength?" Speckle asked. "What interesting things have you seen the clan use this wood for do you think?"

After glancing around for a few moments, feeling satisfied with having explored the place, she would return to Nova. Unless Nova had anything else to add, she would say, "Ok, I'm ready to go."

[Illiad Easle 3,199]

@Skylight Scintillate

On 2025-04-11 at 10:29 PM, Skylight Scintillate said:

However, She would be interested in flying up to the canopy of one of the oldest trees to see if there was anything interesting in there.

As tall as the oldest trees were, they weren't nearly so tall as the trees surrounding the clearing, and weren't quite as wide. They looked like they had been trimmed extensively to keep them growing straight up and to not crowd the other trees that were growing so close by. The canopies themselves weren't all that wide, and bore no evidence of any creatures living in or on them. It was like how many of the few trees that existed in Canterlot outside of the palace gardens were enchanted to keep the birds off, but how the thestrals here managed it without magic was a mystery even to Nova if Speckle asked.

On 2025-04-11 at 10:29 PM, Skylight Scintillate said:

"Oh wow, so like the trees go from like super soft to like super strong? Does that mean they can use the trees for different things depending on their strength?" Speckle asked. "What interesting things have you seen the clan use this wood for do you think?"

Nova nodded, "I mean, probably. I don't know what it all ends up getting used for, I just see them sending it away out of the forest. As to interesting things though," he looked thoughtful, "Hmmm, I guess we don't use it for all that much here. I mean, some of the houses are held up by shimmerwood trees, and we have some as signposts on the forest trails, but outside of small lamps inside the houses I guess we don't really do much with it."

He seemed disappointed in that answer, "Maybe they do more with it up in the central colony? We do send a bunch of it up there. And they do have the shimmerwood tree with the clan history carved into it."

 

On 2025-04-11 at 10:29 PM, Skylight Scintillate said:

After glancing around for a few moments, feeling satisfied with having explored the place, she would return to Nova. Unless Nova had anything else to add, she would say, "Ok, I'm ready to go."

Nova nodded, "Alright, let's go meet up with my mom then!"

They would encounter his mother just as she was leaving their house, her back strewn with several bags. "There you two are, I was starting to think you'd changed your minds."

She would start to lead the way out of the colony, allowing Speckle to carry a bag or two if she asked, Nova volunteering to do so. Once they were outside of the colony and walking in the forest Indigo asked, "So how did hunting class go? I smell a bit of blood, did it go well?"

[Skylight Scintillate 2,116]

@Illiad Easle 

6 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

As tall as the oldest trees were, they weren't nearly so tall as the trees surrounding the clearing, and weren't quite as wide. They looked like they had been trimmed extensively to keep them growing straight up and to not crowd the other trees that were growing so close by. The canopies themselves weren't all that wide, and bore no evidence of any creatures living in or on them.

After thinking it through for a moment, it made sense why there wouldn't be any animals up in the canopy of the trees. It probably didn't make much sense for animals to live in the trees that would be cut down for wood. However, Speckle did find it surprising how well-trimmed the trees were. Speckle thought that they almost looked like the decorative trees seen frequently throughout Canterlot. 

7 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

He seemed disappointed in that answer, "Maybe they do more with it up in the central colony? We do send a bunch of it up there. And they do have the shimmerwood tree with the clan history carved into it."

"I see," Speckle replied. "Well, maybe that's a mystery we can solve, together!" Speckle exclaimed. "What do thestrals use shimmerwood for?"

7 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

They would encounter his mother just as she was leaving their house, her back strewn with several bags. "There you two are, I was starting to think you'd changed your minds."

"Hello! No, we didn't change our minds. We just wanted to take a look at the shimmerwood trees," Speckle replied.

7 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

She would start to lead the way out of the colony, allowing Speckle to carry a bag or two if she asked, Nova volunteering to do so.

Initially, Speckle wasn't sure if she wanted to volunteer to carry a bag. However, after seeing Nova volunteer, she would ask if she could carry a bag. 

7 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

Once they were outside of the colony and walking in the forest Indigo asked, "So how did hunting class go? I smell a bit of blood, did it go well?"

At the mention of the smell of blood, Speckle sniffed the air, trying to pick up on what Indigo noticed. When she failed to notice any scent, she tried licking her fangs. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise as she noticed a faint taste. After getting over her surprise, she realized Indigo had asked her a question. "Oh, um, it was ok. I think that Nova and I work well together. Like, there was no way I could have caught anything on my own, but Nova was a lot of help!" Speckle exclaimed.

[Illiad Easle 3,199]

@Skylight Scintillate

On 2025-04-21 at 10:22 PM, Skylight Scintillate said:

"Oh, um, it was ok. I think that Nova and I work well together. Like, there was no way I could have caught anything on my own, but Nova was a lot of help!" Speckle exclaimed.

Indigo smiled at that, "Ah, that's good to hear! I'm glad you're having a good time here and learning from our clan. And I'm glad to hear that Nova's being helpful and a good example."

Nova enjoyed the praise, but his smile wavered a bit, "Turing was a bit hard on us, at least at the start after Speckle mentioned being from Canterlot."

Indigo looked more concerned, "Oh? I'm sorry about that. I hope he wasn't too hard on you?"

 

They were just about at the edge of the forest, and from there it was a bit of a walk along a dirt road into the zebra village. There weren't too many zebra up and about just yet, as the sun was just starting to shine over the horizon, but there were a few who waved as they passed through to the marketplace where several other ponies and zebra of various kinds were setting up their stalls. The ponies all seemed to have darker coat colors than the variety Speckle had seen in Canterlot, more stone and gem colors compared to the bright pastels common in central Equestria.

Speckle would be allowed to help Indigo and Nova set up the stall, which was mostly arranging the various colored inks, powders, and dyes that Indigo had brought to sell, there was still time for them to chat.

[Skylight Scintillate 2,116]

@Illiad Easle 

On 2025-04-28 at 4:29 PM, Illiad Easle said:

Nova enjoyed the praise, but his smile wavered a bit, "Turing was a bit hard on us, at least at the start after Speckle mentioned being from Canterlot."

Indigo looked more concerned, "Oh? I'm sorry about that. I hope he wasn't too hard on you?"

While Speckle tried to maintain a positive attitude, it faltered when the other two brought up Turing. “Yeah he felt kind of… mean at first… at least until I caught something,” Speckle sighed.

“And apparently, he’s kind of mean to Nova as well!” Speckle exclaimed, stomping a hoof on the ground in frustration.

On 2025-04-28 at 4:29 PM, Illiad Easle said:

The ponies all seemed to have darker coat colors than the variety Speckle had seen in Canterlot, more stone and gem colors compared to the bright pastels common in central Equestria.

Speckle would glance curiously at the ponies passing by. While she could tell that they were ponies, Speckle was surprised to see that they didn’t have the same bright pastel colors as the ponies seen where she lived. 

“Huh, the ponies here look kind of different,” Speckle whispered to Nova. “Does that mean you found is surprising when you arrived in Canterlot and found bright pastel colored ponies everywhere?” 

Speckle seemed to remember a bit about what Nova and Indigo said about the ponies that lived nearby, but it was still a little surprising to actually see them.

On 2025-04-28 at 4:29 PM, Illiad Easle said:

Speckle would be allowed to help Indigo and Nova set up the stall, which was mostly arranging the various colored inks, powders, and dyes that Indigo had brought to sell, there was still time for them to chat.

When it came to setting up, Speckle would mostly copy what Nova did. However, she would glance curiously at the various wares and compare the various colors to each other.

“How do you make these colors?” Speckle would ask out loud while she helped the other two set up.

[Illiad Easle 3,199]

@Skylight Scintillate

On 2025-04-29 at 6:55 PM, Skylight Scintillate said:

While Speckle tried to maintain a positive attitude, it faltered when the other two brought up Turing. “Yeah he felt kind of… mean at first… at least until I caught something,” Speckle sighed.

“And apparently, he’s kind of mean to Nova as well!” Speckle exclaimed, stomping a hoof on the ground in frustration.

Indigo looked saddened by the news, "Ah, I feared something like that might happen. Turing, like many of the older thestrals in the clan, have a rather dim view of ponies, or any that aren't pure-blooded thestrals. I had hoped he would care more about making a good impression."

She sighed, "In my home clan, such rudeness would not be tolerated, but the Eclipse clan has not been doing well for a long time, and it's hard to argue with the strength the Fastar clan has, despite its troubles."

 

On 2025-04-29 at 6:55 PM, Skylight Scintillate said:

“Huh, the ponies here look kind of different,” Speckle whispered to Nova. “Does that mean you found is surprising when you arrived in Canterlot and found bright pastel colored ponies everywhere?” 

Speckle seemed to remember a bit about what Nova and Indigo said about the ponies that lived nearby, but it was still a little surprising to actually see them.

Nova looked over at the ponies as Speckle mentioned them, "Oh? I hadn't really noticed, I mean, they're all still more colorful than thestrals. I guess the ponies up in Canterlot were especially colorful, now that you mention it. Maybe pony color depends on where you grow up?"

Indigo smiled as she added, "It has more to do with what color your parents are, and that their parents were. You remember the flower experiment? But it could be that ponies with similar colors tend to go to the same areas."

 

On 2025-04-29 at 6:55 PM, Skylight Scintillate said:

“How do you make these colors?” Speckle would ask out loud while she helped the other two set up.

Indigo nodded, "Well, most of these come from flowers and plants, different parts can be dried and ground into a powder that can be used to make paints and dyes. Other colors, like these blue ones, come from crushed rocks and stones like lapis. Some of the ones made from plants are safe to eat, so can be used to color food like in baking."

She pulled out a mortar and pestle along with some dried yellow flower petals, "Here, you can try grinding some yourself if you want?"

 

Soon they would start to have some customers, mostly zebra, and most of them spoke in a language that wasn't familiar to Speckle, though it was easy to pick up that the phrases they spoke seemed to rhyme. When Indigo spoke it in response it was clear she wasn't too good at it, and her phrases didn't rhyme as often as the zebra's did.

One of the zebra who approached, an older mare, spoke in standard Equish, "Ah, so big already little Lilac has grown? Oh so quickly the time has flown."

Indigo chuckled, shaking her head, "No, no, Madam Zeroni, Lilac is still quite young. This is Speckle, she's visiting us from Canterlot for a few days."

[Skylight Scintillate 2,116]

@Illiad Easle 

On 2025-05-08 at 4:19 PM, Illiad Easle said:

She sighed, "In my home clan, such rudeness would not be tolerated, but the Eclipse clan has not been doing well for a long time"

Speckle looked a little saddened by this. "What happened to your clan?" she asked, glancing at Indigo. 

On 2025-05-08 at 4:19 PM, Illiad Easle said:

"It has more to do with what color your parents are, and that their parents were. You remember the flower experiment? But it could be that ponies with similar colors tend to go to the same areas."

"Uum, what's the flower experiment?" Speckle asked. She tried to recall if she had done any experiments with Nova involving flowers. 

On 2025-05-08 at 4:19 PM, Illiad Easle said:

"Oh? I hadn't really noticed, I mean, they're all still more colorful than thestrals. I guess the ponies up in Canterlot were especially colorful, now that you mention it. Maybe pony color depends on where you grow up?"

"Hmm, I haven't really thought about that before. However, I haven't really been outside of Canterlot until now, so I'm not really sure," Speckle replied. She tried to recall if she knew of any ponies from outside of Canterlot that looked different. 

On 2025-05-08 at 4:19 PM, Illiad Easle said:

Indigo nodded, "Well, most of these come from flowers and plants, different parts can be dried and ground into a powder that can be used to make paints and dyes. Other colors, like these blue ones, come from crushed rocks and stones like lapis. Some of the ones made from plants are safe to eat, so can be used to color food like in baking."

She pulled out a mortar and pestle along with some dried yellow flower petals, "Here, you can try grinding some yourself if you want?"

"Oh wow, that's cool. I wonder if dyes like this are how they make those pastries so colourful in Canterlot?" Speckle pondered.

When Indigo pulled out the mortar and pestle, she glanced at it curiously. "Ooh, I'd be interested in trying," she replied. She would take the pestle in her hooves and try grinding the flower petals in the mortar, getting some of the powder on her hooves in the process. 

On 2025-05-08 at 4:19 PM, Illiad Easle said:

One of the zebra who approached, an older mare, spoke in standard Equish, "Ah, so big already little Lilac has grown? Oh so quickly the time has flown."

Indigo chuckled, shaking her head, "No, no, Madam Zeroni, Lilac is still quite young. This is Speckle, she's visiting us from Canterlot for a few days."

Speckle would glance up at the zebra customers when they approached the stand. Since most of them spoke a language Speckle didn't understand, she would quickly turn her attention back to the dyes she was attempting to make. 

However, when she overheard one of the customers speaking Equish, she would pause for longer, setting down the pestle to focus on the zebra. "Uum, hello, I'm Speckle," she introduced herself. 

[Illiad Easle 3,199]

@Skylight Scintillate

On 2025-05-10 at 8:17 PM, Skylight Scintillate said:

Speckle looked a little saddened by this. "What happened to your clan?" she asked, glancing at Indigo. 

Indigo looked thoughtful, "Nothing happened per-say, it has simply been struggling to keep up. Between the pony settlements expanding and cutting down the forests, more members leaving or marrying into other clans, increasing isolation due to being surrounded by Equestria, it is difficult for a clan to expand under those conditions."

She shook her head, "It's not something to worry about, there's very little any one of us could do about it."

 

On 2025-05-10 at 8:17 PM, Skylight Scintillate said:

"Uum, what's the flower experiment?" Speckle asked. She tried to recall if she had done any experiments with Nova involving flowers. 

Nova spoke up, "It's an experiment I did in one of my lessons with plants a few weeks ago. There are certain flowers, like snapdragons, that come in different colors. If you bring two different colors together then the seeds will make flowers of different colors between the first two," he looked to his mother, "Right?"

Indigo nodded, "It depends on the flower, some can form a spectrum of colors while others are more rigid, and sometimes colors can hide for a generation to come out in the grandchildren. It's similar for ponies, where a child of two ponies will often be some color between their parents, or among their parents and grandparents, though some unique colorations do appear from time to time."

"Like Miss Seinei? She's all white."

Indigo shook her head, "Not quite, although, well... Yes, but for different reasons. Miss Seinei is an albino thestral."

 

On 2025-05-10 at 8:17 PM, Skylight Scintillate said:

"Hmm, I haven't really thought about that before. However, I haven't really been outside of Canterlot until now, so I'm not really sure," Speckle replied. She tried to recall if she knew of any ponies from outside of Canterlot that looked different. 

Nova nodded, "I bet my dad would know, he's been all over Canterlot, and a bunch of places before then!"

 

On 2025-05-10 at 8:17 PM, Skylight Scintillate said:

"Oh wow, that's cool. I wonder if dyes like this are how they make those pastries so colourful in Canterlot?" Speckle pondered.

When Indigo pulled out the mortar and pestle, she glanced at it curiously. "Ooh, I'd be interested in trying," she replied. She would take the pestle in her hooves and try grinding the flower petals in the mortar, getting some of the powder on her hooves in the process. 

Indigo nodded, "I think that's very likely, especially if its an earth pony bakery. They tend to use plants and natural colors when they can. Unicorns though are more likely to use magic to color their goods since its easier for them."

She would give indigo some tips on how to operate the pestle, having her sit with her hind legs holding the mortar in place while her forelegs worked the pestle, leaving her wings free for balance if need be.

The powder itself wouldn't stain her fur unless it got wet and was allowed to dry, and even then would wash out in a few days, so Indigo wasn't worried about it. If Speckle looked closely she'd see that the fur around Indigo's forehooves was faintly stained with many different colors.

 

On 2025-05-10 at 8:17 PM, Skylight Scintillate said:

However, when she overheard one of the customers speaking Equish, she would pause for longer, setting down the pestle to focus on the zebra. "Uum, hello, I'm Speckle," she introduced herself. 

The older zebra turned towards her with a kindly smile, "Welcome child, you've come so far! What do you think of our grand bazar? Many things here, trinkets and tomes, so very different from your mountain home?"

Looking around the market there were indeed many things for sale that Speckle hadn't seen before, but the zebra mare seemed to be speaking more generally, asking how her experience here was compared to what she was used to.

[Skylight Scintillate 2,116]

@Illiad Easle 

On 2025-05-14 at 4:41 PM, Illiad Easle said:

Indigo looked thoughtful, "Nothing happened per-say, it has simply been struggling to keep up. Between the pony settlements expanding and cutting down the forests, more members leaving or marrying into other clans, increasing isolation due to being surrounded by Equestria, it is difficult for a clan to expand under those conditions."

She shook her head, "It's not something to worry about, there's very little any one of us could do about it."

"O-oh. I see," Speckle replied. She was kind of disappointed, but she tried not to worry about it given that Indigo said that there wasn't much that could be done about it.

On 2025-05-14 at 4:41 PM, Illiad Easle said:

Nova nodded, "I bet my dad would know, he's been all over Canterlot, and a bunch of places before then!"

"Oh wow that's cool! What places has he been to? And what are those places like? What are the ponies like there?" Speckle asked. 

On 2025-05-14 at 4:41 PM, Illiad Easle said:

Indigo nodded, "I think that's very likely, especially if its an earth pony bakery. They tend to use plants and natural colors when they can. Unicorns though are more likely to use magic to color their goods since its easier for them."

"Huh, that's interesting to know. How do you know this? Have you seen how earth pony and unicorn bakeries do things?" Speckle asked. She found this differencekind of interesting. 

On 2025-05-14 at 4:41 PM, Illiad Easle said:

The older zebra turned towards her with a kindly smile, "Welcome child, you've come so far! What do you think of our grand bazar? Many things here, trinkets and tomes, so very different from your mountain home?"

"Uum, yeah, everything is so different here. It's nothing like the big city. There is like so much nature around here. Also, there are so many things here that I haven't seen before. Like shimmerwood! There's also a lot of things that they do differently here compared to back home," Speckle replied.  

[Illiad Easle 3,199]

@Skylight Scintillate

On 2025-05-16 at 4:52 PM, Skylight Scintillate said:

"Oh wow that's cool! What places has he been to? And what are those places like? What are the ponies like there?" Speckle asked. 

Nova thought for a moment, "You'd have to ask him, I'm sure you could find him out on patrol once you're back in Canterlot, but he mentioned going to Spartrot like Scipio did, Canterlot, Manehatten, Trottingham, places like that. He didn't really talk much about how they were different from each other, more how they were different from our colony."

 

On 2025-05-16 at 4:52 PM, Skylight Scintillate said:

"Huh, that's interesting to know. How do you know this? Have you seen how earth pony and unicorn bakeries do things?" Speckle asked.

Indigo shook her head, "Not directly no, but I was taught by my own mother who learned how to bake from some earth ponies in Canterlot. And those I sold my dyes to before I moved here mentioned that that was what they used some of them for, though most used it to dye cloth for making clothes and things."

 

On 2025-05-16 at 4:52 PM, Skylight Scintillate said:

"Uum, yeah, everything is so different here. It's nothing like the big city. There is like so much nature around here. Also, there are so many things here that I haven't seen before. Like shimmerwood! There's also a lot of things that they do differently here compared to back home," Speckle replied.  

The zebra mare smiled and nodded at Speckle's answer, "Every place is unique, so far as I have seen. From Zebrica to Mohotma and everywhere in between." Her expression grew a bit more curious and concerned, "Though I sense that something troubles you. Perhaps there's a difference here that makes you so blue?"