//------------------------------// // For the price of a song // Story: Sumponeigh Knot Yew visits Pony Ville // by Uncle Knot //------------------------------// Outside Fluttershy’s home, near a tree where her bird friends had gathered to sing. Fluttershy is conducting the birds in her bird band and as they finish their piece, a stranger addresses Fluttershy “Hello miss” said Uncle Knot “your birds sing very nice. What a wonderful concert they treated me too” “Hello” said Fluttershy “My name is some pony not you” said Uncle Knot “and I believe you are Miss Flut-ter-shy?” “Yes, I think I have to go now” said Fluttershy “I was hoping you would introduce me to some of your animals” said Uncle Knot “REALLY! HAVE YOU COME TO ADOPT ONE?” asked Fluttershy “No, I only adopt ponies” said Uncle Knot smiling “So tell me how long have you been living here? “Since I came to Pony Ville” said Flutter shy “and you look familiar. Have we meet?” “Maybe, but I don’t think I could forget such a pretty young filly” said Uncle Knot “Oh my” said the blushing Fluttershy “I love what you did with the old place” commented Uncle Knot “did it cost very much to buy it?” “B-b-buy it?” queried Fluttershy “Yes, I suppose some pony sold it to you so are you renting it?” stated Uncle Knot “Renting it” queried Flutter shy “Oh my” “Oh, but wait, I am so glad to hear that no pony tried to sell it to you as I still have the deed here in my saddlebag” said Uncle Knot pulling a deed out of his saddle bag “Me and my animal friends will move out right away” said Flutter shy “if that is okay with you” “It is certainly NOT OKAY” said Uncle Knot “you have made SERIOUS ALTERATIONS to the old place that make it UNUSEABLE to me. I think I shall allow you to stay and pay rent” “Rent, oh my” said Flutter shy “I can’t really afford too much, with food for all my animal friends there isn’t very many bits left” “Well perhaps you can have your birds sing for your rent” said Uncle Knot “The ponies of Pony Ville don’t pay very much for my birds to sing to them” said Flutter shy “they don’t even pay enough for the bird seed” “No, Miss Fluttershy” said Uncle Knot “that type of thinking will not due. Have your birds SING TO ME to pay the rent” “Of course, now I remember you” said Fluttershy “your father’s portrait hung above the mantle place when I first moved in” “That wasn’t my father” said Uncle Knot “that was me. I got rid of my bushy mustache years ago, since they are no longer in style” “But I thought that portrait was very old” said Fluttershy “It is very old” said Uncle Knot “do you still have it?” “I put it in the attic” answered Fluttershy “do you want it now?” “No thank you” responded Uncle Knot “keep it until I grow myself a new home” “But where are you staying?” asked Fluttershy “and did you say ‘grow’?” “The railroad is lending me space at the moment and call me ‘Uncle Knot’” :”Why are you being so nice to me and my animal friends?” asked Fluttershy “Because if I were to claim all my land and property back - half of Pony Ville would have to move away” said Uncle Knot “That’s very nice of you” said Fluttershy “In addition the land I still possess has risen in value because Pony Ville is here” said Uncle Knot “what concerns me most is that a certain princess seems to have been giving away my land and property” “Oh no“ said Fluttershy “Not Twilight” “Not Twilight is correct” said Uncle Knot “thank you for this month’s bird concert. I hope to see you before next months…” “LOOK OUT” shouted Rainbow Dash arriving and scattering the birds off the tree. “Did you see my latest trick Fluttershy?” then noticing she wasn’t alone repeated her question “did you both see how awesome I was?” “Rainbow Dash” said Fluttershy trying to introduce “this is some pony not you” “No Miss Dash, we didn’t see your new trick” said Uncle Knot “I bet it was smashing” “Smashing? It was awesome, cool, and radical” exclaimed Rainbow Dash “so Fluttershy who is this old starch?” “I’m her Uncle Knot” interrupted Uncle Knot Pinky Pie then interrupted “his is also Zecora’s Uncle Knot too” “So his is not Zecora’s uncle” said Rainbow Dash “Do you always appear out of nowhere Pinky?” asked Uncle Knot “He is not my uncle either” said Fluttershy “Pretty much” said Pinky “so he is Fluttershy’s Uncle Either, Zecora’s Uncle Knot, and my Uncle Too” “I’m hungry” said Rainbow Dash “Nice to meet you Hungry” said Pinky “I’m too” “Nice to meet you Miss Too” said Uncle Knot “Shall we seek out some refreshments?” “Do you mean go to Sugarcube Corner and get something to eat?” said Fluttershy “Either” said Rainbow Dash “That’s Uncle Either to you” said Pinky The group of four began their arduous trek to the pastry shop. Pinky bouncing along with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flying at eye level to Uncle Knot, while continuing this conversation. “What kind of pony name is Uncle Knot?” asked Rainbow Dash “Silly Dashie” said Pinky “he is not our uncle so we call him uncle not” “But he is your uncle Too” responded Rainbow Dash “Silly Dashie” said Pinky “he is my Uncle Knot, not my uncle two” Rainbow Dash hoof her head in a grimace “What is his name?” “Some Pony Not You” answered Pinky “Yeah, I know he is not some pony not me” said Rainbow Dash “Oh no Rainbow Dash” interrupted Flutter shy “he is not some pony not me, he is some pony not you” “She’s right” said Pinky “he is some pony not you” “So who is uncle too?” asked Fluttershy “I call myself Sumponeigh Knot Yew or Uncle Knot” “I think I can call you some pony not my uncle” said Rainbow Dash “That’ll work” responded Uncle Knot “It will?” said Pinky “How do you do Some Pony Not My Uncle, it is always nice to meet a new pony” “But we already meet” said Uncle Knot “I already meet Some Pony Not You” said Pinky “and now I am meeting Some Pony Not My Uncle” “So where are you from?” asked Rainbow Dash “And why are you here?” asked Pinky “I am from around here” said Uncle Knot “before there was a here” “Oh, that was a long time ago” exclaimed Pinky Pie “Not that long ago” said Uncle Knot “Pony Ville has only been around 3 or 4 generations” “And why are you here?” asked Rainbow Dash “Collecting rent” muttered Fluttershy “Magical Experiments” said Uncle Knot “That sound like something Twilight would like to do” said Pinky “I can only hope so” said Uncle Knot “so tell me does Spike have a special some pony?” “Rar…” said Rainbow Dash “Shush” said Pinky “it’s a secret” “Some secret, ha ha” laughed Rainbow Dash “Every pony in Pony Ville knows that Spike likes…” “Shush” said Pinky “Thank you, but no thank you” said Uncle Knot “if it’s a secret, then I don’t need to know” The group of 4 entered Sugarcube Corner. Pinky returned to the kitchen as Uncle Knot ordered 3 slices of cheese cake topped with cherries. Fluttershy ate her slice nervously, while Rainbow Dash said “I won’t be able to fly for the rest of the day with this in my belly” As Fluttershy was about to take her last bit of cake, Applejack and Apple Bloom entered and immediately spotted their friends in the company of a strange and older brown pony. “Howdy” said Applejack “Oh Fluttershy” said Apple Bloom teasingly “you are so in trouble” “Oh my” said Fluttershy “Can we have it with (Apple Bloom gasps) cherries” asked Applejack “That is so traitorous” said Apple Bloom “You can have some cheesecake with apple slices and chocolate syrup” said Applejack “mmm” said every pony “Hi Applejack” said Pinky bounding out of the kitchen “Hi Pinky” responded Applejack “Let me introduce myself as Uncle Knot” said Uncle Knot “Oh yeah” said Applejack “I just had a long talk with Twilight about you” “Oh?” said Uncle Knot “She says you got some magic you would like to try” said Applejack “but she doesn’t know if she can trust you” “Did she tell you what it would do?” asked Uncle Knot “No” responded Applejack “she says it wouldn’t work if she tells” “mm” said Uncle Knot “It’ll still work if she talks about it, I just need her to keep it a secret until I get it to work” “Oh, so it is a big secret” said Pinky “Of course every pony thinks his or her secret is big and with me being as big as I am“ said Uncle Knot “big ponies always have big secrets” “That explains a lot about Big Mac” said Fluttershy :”What was that, sugar cube?” asked Applejack “Oh, never mind” said Fluttershy “Well, this has been delightful” said Uncle Knot” but I have one more errand to run. I must be going” “And that errand would be?” asked Pinky “I think I will need a new cape soon” said Uncle Knot “You should go to Rarity’s Carousel Boutique” said Applejack “she makes the greatest dresses” “Sounds good and where would that be?” “I can show you” volunteered Apple Bloom “We’ll both show you” said Applejack As Uncle Knot, Applejack and Apple Bloom left the shop, Rainbow Dash took to the sky and Fluttershy flew low home. Pinky went back into the kitchen to clean up at the Carousel Boutique. Applejack introduce Uncle Knot to Rarity while Apple Bloom spoke with Sweetie Belle. “Thank you Miss Applejack” said Uncle Knot “you and your sister were a fine assessor to my stroll” “Oh, a gentle colt” said Rarity Applejack looked puzzled. Directing her response to Applejack, Rarity said “that was a compliment to you and your sister for being such good company” “Or as some might reckon on the farm” said Uncle Knot “you have a nice … hat” Applejack turned a delicious shade of Roma apple at that. Yelled for Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom that they had to leave and quickly escaped Rarity’s boutique “Its nice to see some color in her visage” said Rarity “I hope I didn’t overdue it” said Uncle Knot “Maybe, but she needed it” said Rarity “ so what do you need from me?” “Discretion with a bit of sewing” said Uncle Knot “I am going to need a new cape” “Discretion is my middle name” said Rarity “can I use your cape to make a rough pattern?” “Of course” said Uncle Knot removing it. Rarity levitated it to her cutting table and started her tracing, trying not to look upon Uncle Knot. He was a big pony, bigger than Big Mac. Taught muscles seemed to play beneath his brown and tan fur. The mane also in brown and tan offset against his silhouette, and his eyes were big and green with narrow slits for pupils, almost like a changeling. But the real shocker for Rarity was… Sweetie Belle came charging through the fitting room “I forgot my back pack” “Sweetie Belle!” demanded Rarity “you are to KNOCK before entering the fitting room” “Sorry” Sweetie Belle yelled out as she scampered up the stairs, but only part way before stopping short. Her head turned around slowly and she stared open mouth at Uncle Knot. “You … you don’t have … a cutie mark?!” “So much for discretion” muttered Uncle Knot “Sweetie Belle! Go to your ROOM!” demanded Rarity “but … but … you don’t have a cutie mark!” said Sweetie Belle “Perhaps an explanation is in order” said Uncle Knot “I hunt the monsters that hide beneath the bed, I seek the beasties that lurk in the closet, I chase the troubles in your head, I squeeze the last drop of water from the facet. I cook the monsters for breakfast, I catch the bumps in the night for snacks, I hang the skins of shadows on the mast, I watch over your shoulder from behind your back. You have no need to worry, No cause to be afraid, Your lashes need not flurry, Your debts have all been paid. I am not your uncle, But you can call me 'uncle knot’ “ “In other words, the reason I do not have a cutie mark is because I am not cute” said Uncle Knot “and I need you to keep this secret for a few more days. Can you do that Sweetie Belle?” “Yes” said Sweetie Belle “would you like to be a cutie mark crusader?” “If you keep my secret, I would be most honored to join your illustrious group, now go get your backpack and rejoin your friends” Sweetie Bell ran up to her room, got her stuff and ran out. “I’m very sorry about that” said Rarity “you seem to be good with foals” “I have raised several orphans over the years” said Uncle Knot “like Zecora, she was one of my first” “Yes, she is a good friend of Twilight’s” said Rarity “but getting a new cape isn’t the real reason you came to my shop, is it?” “Quite right” said Uncle Knot “you are more perceptive than most. I have a much more difficult task for you”