"We all carry baggage throughout our lives, and we gain more with each new experience, but it is how we carry that baggage that defines who we are." — Unknown

Chapter Two

A young blue-green, teal-maned pegasus filly stuck her head and front legs out of the window of a passenger cart. Her lavender eyes were wide with excitement as the train approached the massive Forest of the Oak. She was looking directly at the towering oak tree that stood in the forest's center. Even from this distance, the tree easily stood out.

The young filly squealed in excitement as the train passed into the wood's fringe, the trees passing by in a green blur. They were moving to a new home, one away from the hustle and bustle of Manehatten, in the quiet forested town of Greensborough. The filly was bursting with excitement at the idea of exploring a new and mysterious place.

"When do you think we'll get there, Dad?" she asked a gray pegasus, who was reclining against the wall of the cart. His coppery mane was tied back in a long ponytail, and his cutie mark was an easel.

"It shouldn't be too much longer, Tourmaline." His sky blue eyes had a warm, yet weary, look to them as he watched his daughter. "Come on, get your head back inside before a bug hits you."

"Oh, don't worry, Dad." She head held high in complete confidence. "I'm not gonna—" she began to cough and gag, her expression a mix of disgust and horror. "Gah, I—" she coughed some more "—swallowed a bug!"

"Told you," he remarked dryly. This earned a snicker from another foal, a rust-colored unicorn colt with a burnt-orange mane.

The filly took a large gulp from a bottle of water, shuddering in revulsion. "That was vile." She stuck her tongue out in disgust before closing the window to the cart. She shook her head and her mane settled into its usual place, though she had to brush aside one lock of hair that frustratingly kept falling in front her face.

"Try not to let it bug you, Tourmaline," her dad said with a smile, which only caused the colt to laugh louder.

Tourmaline glared first at her dad for the atrocious pun and then at the colt for laughing.

"You're as bad as Dad is, Tormod." She huffed, but the mood couldn't hold up to her growing excitement. "What do you think it's like in Greensborough? Do you think they actually live in the trees? That would be so cool!"

"I guess it would be if you like keeping your hooves off the ground," Tormod muttered. He looked at a book and map that was beside him. "According to this, Greensborough is just like any other small community. The only difference is that it is inside the woods." He picked up the map with his magic and studied it for a moment. "Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing what the town has to do and to see our new school."

Tourmaline groaned. "We can do that anytime. I can't wait to see the forest. There are supposed to be a whole bunch of mysterious things to find in there, and I'm going to find them all." She looked at the colt with a wide smile. "Aren't you excited, Tormod? A new home, a new place, and a whole huge forest to explore. I can't wait!" She hovered in the air, her wings beating with excitement.

"Well, yeah," Tormod admitted with a nod. "After I get to explore the town."

She flopped back down on her seat. "That sounds boring." She rested her head on her hoof in an exaggerated show of boredom.

"Says you," Tormod said. "Though I do wonder what our house will be like." The two foals began eagerly discussing their soon-to-be home, their plans ranging from practical to ludicrous.

Their father watched them with a warm smile. For him, it was a bittersweet event, moving to Greensborough. It meant that his two foals would grow up in a wholesome, small-town community instead of in the big city. The quiet, rural setting also meant he could further his work as an artist in peace.

He smiled wider as he saw the two pouring over the map. His two foals, and his art, were his life now.

He heard a voice behind him say, "We're coming up on the station, sir. Can I see your tickets?"

The pegasus nodded and hoofed him their tickets. "Get your bags, you two. We're almost there."

With an excited shout, the two were quickly on their hooves. Tourmaline hovered above, collecting their carry-on luggage while Tormod carefully put his map and book away.

"Heads up, Tormod." Tourmaline dropped one of the bags down to him.

Not expecting it, Tormod looked up in confusion. "Wha—" his eyes widened and the heavy bag crushed him with a resounding thud.

"Oops…" she said meekly, holding her hooves over her mouth.

"Tormod!" her father shouted in concern, shoving the bag off of her brother.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!" Tourmaline cried, as she landed next to her brother.

Tormod had an almost comical, dazed expression on his face. He shook his head to clear the dizziness away, rubbing at his head. "We haven't even gotten there yet and already you're dropping things on me," he muttered and looked to the bag. "Hey! That is my stuff!"

"Sorry, I thought you were paying attention," she said, not looking entirely ashamed.

"Tourmaline, you need to watch what you are doing. You could hurt yourself or somepony else because you weren't thinking. Use your head, girl," her father said with a disappointed frown.

"I'm sorry, Dad," she said, lowering her gaze.

"Don't tell me, tell your brother."

She looked to the unicorn, who sat patiently. "I'm sorry," she said more earnestly.

"It's alright," he said, shrugging slightly. "It just gives me reason to get you back." He grinned at her.

She grinned in turn, more than willing to face that challenge. Their father, however, was not amused.

"Enough fooling around. Get your stuff and let's go," he said as the train rolled into the Greensborough Station.

-0-

Their father led them off of the train without further mishap. Once off the train, the three gazed upon their new hometown. Tall trees of ringed the town, towering over the tallest building. The buildings themselves were made of cut logs with thatched roofing. A spring breeze blew past them, ghosting through the tall trees and buildings. The warm breeze almost felt like the forest itself was welcoming them.

They could see ponies going about their tasks at the train station. Ponies boarded and disembarked the train while workers busied themselves unloading and loading baggage and commodities. The platform itself was fairly busy with hoof traffic, though nothing that compared to Manehatten. A few vendors hawked their wares to travelers, each of them trying to outdo the others.

"So where are we supposed to go, Dad?" Tourmaline asked as she adjusted her saddlebags.

He set down his own suitcase. "Our home is on the eastern side of town." He looked around a moment before settling on the ticket master's office. "Better buy a new map. Tormod, go buy us a new map," he said to his son, who was busy taking in the sights.

"You got it," the colt said excitedly. He ran for the ticket master's office before his dad called after him.

"Yes, Dad?" he asked in confusion.

The stallion flipped him a bit with his wing, a humored grin on his face.

"Oh…right," Tormod said sheepishly, his face flushing a bit. He took the money and hurried away.

Tourmaline and her dad shared a laugh and waited for Tormod to return. She looked around with wide eyes, marveling at all the sights of the new town. Deep down, she had a feeling that she would get her cutie mark somewhere in those woods; she was determined to find her mark, as was her brother.

She heard a shout and turned towards the commotion. She saw a young colt getting a lecture from his mother before being dragged off by the ear. The colt's expression was a cross between fear, resignation, chagrin, and a silent plea for somepony to save him from his upcoming punishment. She giggled at the sight. It had happened to her more than she would admit.

She looked back as her brother returned, the newly purchased map hovering in the air.

"Here is the train station, Dad." Tormod pointed to a place on the paper. "So where is our home?"

The pegasus studied the map a moment before pointing to a place along the eastern side of the town. "There. It is not too far from a restaurant named Colton's. We'll get some takeout to eat at… home."

The two foals were too excited to notice their dad's hesitation.

-0-

Their dad pushed open the door and flicked on the lights. The two young ones rushed inside to find the already furnished home waiting for them. With excited shouts, the two dropped their stuff just inside the doorway and zipped around to explore. It was a comfortable, two-story house with a living room, kitchen, and bathroom downstairs and three bedrooms and one bathroom on the upper floor. The home was a far more humble than the home they had left in Manehatten, but that didn't matter to two foals.

Their father sighed in exasperation as the two ran around wildly. He understood their desire to explore, but they had things to do.

"Alright, you two, take your stuff up to your rooms and unpack. We'll eat after you are done," he said after he dropped the bags of takeout food on the kitchen table.

"Yes, Dad," Tormod said at once. Tourmaline sighed in disappointment before a loud grumble from her stomach hushed her. She wasted no time in running upstairs to put her things away.

When the two had gone upstairs, their father removed a few things from his own bag until he came upon the item he sought after. It was a framed photo of himself, his foals, and his wife. The four of them stood next to each other at a park in Manehatten, smiling to the camera. It had been a happy day, the four of them enjoying the rare day off their mother got from her job at the New Yoke Stock Exchange.

He rested his hoof over the image of his wife. "You always did worry about work more…" he said to himself. The two had loved each other at one point in their lives, but things just didn't stay the same.

He looked to the picture for a long moment before placing it on the mantle over the fireplace. He stepped back and looked to it again, closing eyes in disappointment before turning away to set dinner.

-0-

Later that night, Tormod lay awake in his bed, sleep not coming easily in the new setting. The room was dark, save for the light from the moon that shone through the window. The Mare in the Moon was bright tonight, he noticed idly as he stared through the window.

The move to Greensborough had been a sudden change for him. Being the calm individual that he was, it was not as hard on him as it had been for his sister and his dad. Tourmaline hid her hurt under endless excitement, while his dad endured it quietly. Tormod saw his dad's expression when Tormod suspected he was thinking of mom. It broke Tormod's heart that his family was now separated. He was old enough to know what it meant, and he was sure his sister did as well. He sighed quietly, his gaze on the visage of a mare on the face of the moon, and silently swore that he would be strong for both his sister and his father.

His head turned towards the door as he heard it open slightly, and he saw his sister peering into the room.

"What's wrong, Tourmaline?" he asked.

"I can't sleep. Can I come in?" she asked.

He sighed. "Yeah, come in, but keep quiet, alright?"

She pushed open the door, dragging her blanket by her teeth and balancing her pillow on her back. When the door opened, Tormod heard an atrocious sound from the hallway. He winced at the sound of their dad's snoring; it was likely loud enough to keep all of the town awake.

"I hear that Dad is asleep," he muttered dryly.

She giggled as she closed the door. "Yeah, he almost sounds like one of those mechanical saws we saw earlier."

He laughed. "He does, doesn't he?"

The two joked about their dad's snoring all the time. The foals only got a bigger laugh out of their dad when he would swear by the sun he didn't snore.

Tourmaline laid down on the hardwood floor of the bed room and wrapped up in her blanket. The two lay there in silence, only the sounds of the crickets breaking the silence with their enduring chorus. The two listened to the insects for a while before Tourmaline spoke.

"What do you think Mom is doing?"

Tormod shrugged. "Hopefully sleeping. It's late."

She hummed an acknowledgement. "So what are we going to do tomorrow?" She yawned long and loud.

"Probably walk around town and see where everything is. I can't wait to see our school," he said.

She yawned again. "I wonder what all the other foals are like? Wonder if they all have their cutie marks yet?"

He smiled inwardly. "We'll find out Monday."

There was a long silence before Tormod finally spoke. "I wonder if they have a bookstore or library here. What do you think?"

When no answer came, he turned to see his sister was sound asleep, her blanket rising and falling with each breath. He smiled again and settled into his bed.

"Guess I'll find out tomorrow," he said to himself before he too drifted off to sleep.