//------------------------------// // Town Hall // Story: Your Smile // by destinedjagold //------------------------------// The brown stallion glanced at the clock hanging on the wall opposite to his door. It was twenty-two minutes passed noon, and he hadn't even touched his purchased bread yet. He was just lying on his bed, and he shifted his gaze on the ceiling. He took a breath and sighed. ‘I need a job. If I am to continue living here, I need something to do to earn myself some bits and to take my mind off of things. Huh, but I don't know where I should go to start looking for one. Hm... Maybe that pink pony could help me. What was her name again? Pinkie? But, that'd mean I'd be spending time with her.’ The stallion took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and sighed slowly. After a second or two, he opened his eyes again and kept on staring at the ceiling. ‘I need to stay away from other ponies' lives as much as possible. That way, I could easily go and won't leave any marks on any ponies' lives.’ He nodded to himself. He has told him this far too many times now. ‘Anyway, maybe there's a town hall here...’ There was a knock on his door. And then another, and another. The stallion groaned as he rose up and crawled out of the bed. He went to the door and opened it. And as he thought, it was the pink mare again, but she was panting so hard that she's even sticking her tongue out, though he didn't expect the air to smell sweaty. She was sweating, and her mane was messy — messier than usual — yet she was flashing him a smile. “So are—you rea—dy to—go ar—round town and—” she said in between deep breaths, and then she took a deep breath, “—meet every...everypony?” and she finishes it with a big toothy grin while still breathing hard through her nostrils. She just finished delivering all the invitation letters around town under the hot sunny weather, and went straight there to fetch the stallion. The stallion only stared at her with a bored look. “I think you need to head home,” he eyed a sweat running down on her face, and jumped to its doom to the floor. He blinked as he returned his gaze to her, “and you need to take a shower.” “Oh, that's a great idea!” Pinkie sprang back to her usual self, her mane went back to its normal poofy look and sweat on her face disappeared like magic. “So, how's that?” The stallion arched an eyebrow in confusion. “How's what?” “You said that I needed to go home and take a shower!” She lifted her front hooves happily in the air as she excitingly announces, “and I did just that!” The stallion narrowed his eyes in confusion, doubt and disbelief. He sniffed — unintentionally — and the air was no longer smelling sweaty. He blinked in confusion. She actually smelled...cottony...and he has no idea if that's a good thing or something to worry about. “So, you ready to go 'round town?” Whatever the mystery is surrounding this weird pink pony, he didn't want to know. He shook his head slightly. “Look, since you're here, I might as well ask for directions of where the town hall is?” Pinkie suddenly stood beside him and wrapped a hoof behind his neck. “Why won't I just walk you there while I show you around town!” She then stood in front of him and brought her two hooves on the edges of his lips, and lifted them up so it curved into a smile, though his eyes were as annoyed as ever. “And then I'll introduce you to everypony in town and be friends with them so you can finally have something to smile about, Nopony!” The stallion grabbed both her hooves and threw them back on the ground. He shook his head, walked outside his room, closed the door behind him, and walked towards the stairs. “Hey! Where are you going?” Pinkie asked behind him. He shook his head. “None of your concern. Have a good day.” And he walked down the stairs. Pinkie stared blankly at the staircase before smiling to herself and hopping towards the stairs. Outside, she manages to catch up on Nopony, who was asking for directions with an old mare. Nopony nodded his thanks and trotted on the earthy path towards the town hall, and did his best to ignore the pink bouncing pony that was following him. His eye twitched in irritation, but he said nothing. Upon reaching the town hall however, he could no longer hold his patience. He groaned, stopped, turned around, and glared at the pink mare. “Would you please please pleeeaaassseee stop following me?” he hissed. Pinkie smiled at him. “Following you?” She shook her head. “Nope, I wasn't following you.” She then turned to the large bulletin board standing a few hooves from the entrance of town hall. “I was showing you where the town hall is, and,” she extended a hoof and pointed at the board, “if you want to get a job, you can search for one here!” She then focused on the board, scanning every paper pinned on the board. “Hm...” Nopony blinked twice. How did she knew that he was going to find a job for himself, anyway? No, he shook his head, he has no time to trouble with her. He took a breath to calm his nerves. She did tell him that he could find a job at the papers on the board. He might as well thank her. “Hey uh,” Pinkie Pie regarded him with a side-glance, “thanks,” he nodded, a bit forcefully, “now could you please leave me be? I need to get a job...” She faced him and smiled brightly. “Okie dokie lokie~♪” and she bounced away to...wherever her hooves will take her. Nopony sighed in great relief now that she left him alone. He then turned his full attention on the board and read all the papers pinned on it.