Living in Equestria

by Blazewing

Off to the Lounge

By the next day, in spite of the shock I’d received yesterday, I felt more or less completely cured when I woke up. I could breathe through my nose, my throat didn’t hurt, and there was no phlegmy feeling in me. I didn’t even feel the urge to cough. I’d have to find out which doctor Sparkler had gotten my medicine from, because he really knew his stuff.

“Davie!”

“GYAH!”

Oh no! It was happening again! Pinkie’s face had pressed itself up against my bedroom window, smiling at me. I tumbled straight out of bed onto the floor. Before I could say or do anything else, however, she disappeared from the window. I heard the front door open, and in bounded Pinkie, just one Pinkie, pouncing on me with a very tight hug that knocked the wind out of me.

“P-Pinkie!” I gasped. “What are you-?!”

“Oh, Davie, I’m so sorry!” Pinkie cried, squeezing me even tighter. “It was all my fault! Please forgive me!”

“F-Forgive you? For what?”

Pinkie finally let go of me (thank goodness), and plunked herself down on her hindquarters, looking me full in the face.

“I made a boo-boo, Davie,” she said, contritely. “I thought I was missing out on fun I didn’t even know was happening, and it was too much for one Pinkie Pie to handle, so I made more of me in the Mirror Pool, and then things really got coco-loco!”

Well, that explained absolutely nothing, but I was sure she tried her best.

“Okaaaay...” I said, slowly.

“Twilight sorted everything out,” she added, smiling again. “I’m so lucky to have such a brainy friend.”

“Well, good,” I said, still as clueless as ever when it came to Pinkie.

“Sooooo,” Pinkie went on, “I was doing some thinking about the Brimstone Lounge.”

“Yeah?” I asked, glad to be back on a subject I understood.

“Mr. and Mrs. Cake were invited because they’ve been dabbling in gem baking ever since they made Spike a sapphire cupcake for his birthday. I guess that Ironmane guy you work for found out, and he invited them. If you wanted me to come with you, that would mean I’d need somepony else to watch the twins while we were gone. Not just that, but it had to be somepony the Cakes could trust them with. They already turned down Gummy, even though they ought to know how dependable he is. I would’ve asked Twilight, but she and Spike are going too, and all our other friends are busy. I wasn’t sure who I was going to ask, but then, it hit me! Moonlight can watch them!”

“Oh, really?” I asked.

“Yeah! The twins love her! And Gummy’s always coming down to visit her during work!”

That would work. It also made me happy to know a few familiar faces would be joining me at the Lounge. That way, I wouldn’t feel so alien amongst all the dragons that would be there.

“I’m gonna go ask her right now!” said Pinkie. “I’ll need to make sure she’s really qualified for the job, after all,” she added, in a more serious tone that slightly chilled me, before returning to her usual cheery self. “See ya, Davie!”

And she was off, just like that. I sighed and shook my head, but I couldn’t help smiling.

“There’s never a dull moment with that girl,” I muttered, as I got up to get washed up.

***

When Sparkler came over later to check up on me, she was very pleased to see that I was in good health once again, having given me a basic run-through just to be safe..

“All in order,” she said, checking a thermometer she’d just plucked from my mouth. “You’re no longer restricted to the house.”

“Thanks, Sparkler,” I said. “I really appreciate you helping me get better.”

Sparkler smiled kindly and patted my hand with her hoof.

“Anytime, Dave,” she said. “So, you’re going to the grand opening of the Brimstone Lounge?”

“Yep. Minister Ironmane told me about it last week.”

“Good! I was invited too, though not in person like you.”

She used her magic to fish around in her saddle bag until she pulled out a very official looking letter, written in very elegant cursive and bordered with gold. It gave the date of opening as tomorrow, as Ironmane had said was the estimated day at the time he told me.

“That’s great!” I said. “I’ll feel a lot more comfortable with friendly faces around me.”

“I feel the same way,” said Sparkler, giggling genially. “So, who’s your plus one?”

“Pinkie,” I said. “She’s just making sure Moonlight can watch the twins and Gummy, since Mr. and Mrs. Cake are going, too.”

“Oh, ok!” said Sparkler. “I’m bringing Mom with me. I would’ve asked Dinky or Scootaloo, but they didn’t seem too keen on going to a restaurant full of dragons. Funny, though,” she added, musingly, “they seemed excited about the prospect before. I wonder what changed their minds.”

I shrugged. I hadn’t the foggiest idea.

“It’s a shame Moonlight won’t get to come, though, if she agrees to babysit in Pinkie’s place,” I said. “After all, she helped out, too. She gave me the slogan for the...for the…”

My train of thought had suddenly hit a bend in the track as a horrible thought came to me. I clapped a hand to my face.

“...Oh no! I don’t believe it!” I groaned.

“What? What’s wrong?” asked Sparkler, concerned.

“The sign! I forgot to give the sign to Minister Ironmane when he visited! It was all ready to go and everything! Argh!”

I grabbed fistfuls of my hair and yanked at it in frustration, then started smacking my forehead with my palm.

“Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!”

“Dave! Calm down!”

Before I could smack myself again, Sparkler stopped my hand with her magic, inches away from my forehead. She looked at me with earnest sternness, though thankfully not with the same dangerous gleam in her eyes I’d seen when I didn’t obey her right away.

“Take it easy. You were sick at the time. It’s no wonder you’d have forgotten. I’m sure Minister Ironmane will understand. Besides,” she added, with a smile, “maybe it’s better this way. That sign gets to be the final touch before the Lounge is officially opened.”

Gently, she used her magic to lower my hand down again. I took a deep breath, and began to gradually feel calmer.

“I hope you’re right, Sparkler,” I said. “Minister Ironmane’s been a lot more civil with me lately. I’d hate to ruin that.”

“I understand,” said Sparkler, “but it’s all going to be fine. Trust me. I have the word of a good authority on it.”

“Hi again!”

Both of us jumped. Neither of us had heard Pinkie come in, but there she was, smiling around at the both of us.

“Hey there, Pinkie,” said Sparkler, recovering her composure. “Dave told me he invited you to the Brimstone Lounge’s grand opening.”

“Yep!” said Pinkie. “I just got Moonlight’s A-OK on watching the twins, and Mr. and Mrs. Cake were on board, too! So,” she added, saluting with one foreleg, “Plus One Pinkie Pie, reporting for duty!”

“Excellent!” I said. “Between the three of us, Derpy, Twilight, Spike, and the Cakes, this could be a lot of fun.”

“Couldn’t have put it better myself, Davie!” said Pinkie, both she and Sparkler grinning from ear to ear.

Saturday, February 2

***

I was up and dressed earlier than usual, clothed in my Canterlot ensemble. Something as grand and prestigious as the opening of a restaurant, one that, moreover, was to stand as a sign of peace between ponies, dragons, and the rest of Equestria, was a special occasion. As much as it made me feel awkward to get dressed up like this, I could really use the extra layers outside. I had no idea when we were actually supposed to leave, but I guessed Ironmane would come for me around his usual time, and we would be off.

The only question was, how would we get there? The dragon wastelands lay in the southeast of Equestria, but I had never, on any map I’d seen, found a railroad line that went through it. Maybe they’d rented a carriage to take us from the nearest station?

Sure enough, around Ironmane’s usual time, there was a knock at the door. I hastened to answer, the sign under my arm...but it wasn’t Minister Ironmane at the door. Instead, it was one of Canterlot’s royal pegasus guards.

“Councilstallion David?” he asked, crisply.

“Er, yes?”

“We have come to collect you and your fellow guests and convey you to the Brimstone Lounge, as per Minister Ironmane’s instructions.”

“Oh. I see,” I said, slightly bemused. “I was sort of expecting him in person, so I could deliver this sign for the Lounge to him.”

“That shall be accommodated,” said the guard. “As there are currently no train lines within reasonable distance of the spot where the Brimstone Lounge is situated, we shall go by air.”

Oh no. I was afraid he’d say that…

“Moreover, as it is a long flight, and this being a special occasion, Minister Ironmane deemed it appropriate to hire a special carriage for the trip, and Their Majesties approved.”

He indicated for me to take a look a little ways down, and what I saw made my mouth fall open. A magnificent, and rather large, four-wheeled carriage stood in the snow, closer to the Hooves’ house. No less than five winged pegasi, all of them strong and sturdy in appearance, were harnessed to it. They must have been made of really tough stuff, as they all looked solemn and stoic, and none of them showed any sign of being disturbed by the cold. A sixth harness was empty, probably for the guard talking to me.

“Wow,” I breathed.

“Oooh, look, it’s here! We’ll see you later, dears! Come on, Sparkler!”

“Coming, Mom!”

The door to the Hooves’ house had opened, and Derpy and Sparkler came out, both of them wearing dresses, simple but nonetheless nice. Derpy’s was bright green, Sparkler’s violet, and both were wearing necklaces with pendants resembling their cutie marks. They looked very charming, and Derpy’s ensemble especially complimented her figure nicely, in spite of her winter pudge. She was, however, fidgeting with the collar of it, as well as the thin sash belted around her middle. She must have been quite uncomfortable.

“Good morning, ladies,” said the guard, bowing his head as they approached.

“Good morning,” said Sparkler, bowing in turn, as did Derpy. “We’re very pleased to have this honor.”

I looked over at Derpy. She was smiling in a way that told me she was slightly embarrassed by all this. She wasn’t the only one.

Glancing at the house, I could see Scootaloo and Dinky peeking through the living room window. I waved to them, and they waved back with adorable energy. It looked like there was someone else in the house, but I couldn’t see properly. My only guess was it was whoever was looking after the two of them while we were gone. The guard cleared his throat.

“All aboard, then, everypony,” he said. “Once we have picked up the remaining guests, we shall be on our way in earnest.”

We boarded the carriage. The interior was very spacious, and the seats were exceedingly comfortable. It was some consolation that we’d be flying in a closed carriage rather than in an open one, especially in this cold air. After making sure my sign was secure, I glanced at Derpy and Sparkler, who both smiled at me, so I smiled back. Once the door was shut, and the guard had harnessed himself alongside his fellows, the six of them stirred into action, and we were soon rumbling off through Ponyville.

***

Ponies everywhere stared as the coach rolled through the streets, stepping quickly out of the way. I was sitting by one of the windows, so I was easily recognized. Several ponies waved at me, and I waved back, grinning bashfully. This didn’t feel quite the same as sledding through with Pinkie.

Speaking of, our next stop was Sugarcube Corner, where Pinkie and the Cakes were already waiting outside the door. Pinkie hopped aboard, wearing a white dress that was speckled here and there with pastel streaks, as though she was a birthday cake, or else covered in confetti. She settled herself right next to me, beaming at me, and giving off a sugary aroma that lent credence to my first theory. The Cakes then followed, Mr. Cake in a crisp suit and bow tie, Mrs. Cake in a cream-colored party dress. I’d only ever seen them in their work aprons, so this was a surprising change for them.

At the door, we could see Moonlight, looking hale and hearty. She was wearing a pair of baby carriers at her sides, bearing Pound and Pumpkin. On her head sat Gummy, as placid as ever. Moonlight waved to us, and we waved back. The twins waggled their little hooves in the air, letting out excited squeals that brought big smiles out on the faces of all present.

“I’m glad Moonlight agreed to watch them,” I told the Cakes.

“So are we,” said Mrs. Cake. “With Pinkie coming along as well, we thought we’d have to go around looking for another babysitter again.”

“But then Pinkie volunteered Moonlight,” said Mr. Cake, “and she was more than willing to help out.”

“I know Moonlight’s up to the challenge,” said Pinkie. “I gave her a Pinkie-brand inquisition, and she passed with flying colors! Although, the only colors she has are blue and white, and yellow from her cutie mark, and she is a pegasus.”

(‘Pinkie-brand inquisition’? I don’t even wanna know.)

After that, the carriage rolled up to the library. Twilight and Spike climbed aboard, the former in a navy-blue dress that seemed to sparkle like a night sky, and the latter in a dapper tuxedo jacket with a ruffled dress shirt underneath. He looked absolutely excited, and it wasn’t hard to guess why.

“You ready to try some gem dishes, little buddy?” I asked Spike, grinning.

“You know it!” Spike said.

“As soon as I received the invitation, there was no question who I was bringing with,” said Twilight, smiling in an amused way. “It’ll also be a good opportunity for him to meet dragons that actually care about making friends with ponies.”

“Yeah, not like last time,” said Spike, his smile fading a little.

“Everypony aboard and comfortable?” called the guard who had spoken to me.

“Yes, sir!” Twilight called through the window.

“Very well, then. Off we go!”

There was a great lurch, sending me right against the back of my seat, and the carriage was carried right off the ground. A sinking feeling went right through my insides, and I winced as I looked out at the slowly shrinking land beneath us. Even inside, it wasn’t a comfortable sensation.

“Are you going to be all right, Dave?”

I looked up. Twilight was looking at me with mild concern on her face. She must have known what I was going through; she’d witnessed my freakout on the way to Cloudsdale, after all. I took a deep breath, and tried to give her the most confident smile I could.

“Y-Yeah,” I said. “Don’t worry about me, Twi. I’ll be fine.”

She smiled back, then fell into talk with Derpy, while Pinkie drowned out my uneasy thoughts by telling me about how she got into an argument with a customer the other day over the concept of a baker’s dozen, and especially over it being ‘unlucky 13’.

(Well, I wasn’t expecting to be up in the air again. This was not how I intended to head to such a huge event. Then again, hopefully the opening of the Lounge will counterbalance all that. It’s going to be full of dragons, so it’ll be interesting to say the least.)

Sunday, February 3

Author's Note:

Here's to the start of Season 6!

Comments

[Regreme]

Another great chapter, as per usual with your works, eh?:D

[Valhuir]

Wait... so HOW many beings are in that carriage? And how many total ounting the guards? 13 is an unlucky number after all...

[Booster Spice]

NOONE, Expects the Pinkie Inquisition.

Transport is ready sir. Sign here, and here, and that sign there, and please sign for the sign here, and the sign for the sigh for the sign of the sign is all done. Thank you sir.

If they got Trixie and Vinyl in doing a special one off gig at the Brimstone Lounge, would they go as Jem and the Holograms?

[PinkiePieFox]

Weeee!!! I enjoyed the chapter, next one will be exciting!

[jkreader]

7064233 Dave and Pinkie + Derpy and Sparkler + Twilight and Spike + Mr. and Mrs. Cake + the six guards = 14

[Valhuir]

7064914 *whew* Dodged that bullet. I thought for SURE that was foreshadowing.

[Greatmane]

No drama yet from inviting Pinkie instead of Moonlight?

I keep waiting for the other (horse)shoe to drop!

[Black Ash]

I can't quite put my finger on why, but is anyone else just the tiniest bit suspicious of Moonlight? It might just be me but...

[jkreader]

7065017 Are you thinking she might be Trixie's old friend, Star Glider? Because that's what I'm thinking.

[Black Ash]

7070176 honestly? I'm not sure. Something's just been nagging at me about her since she showed up.

[Mr Page]

A short but sweet chapter. After hearing about it for so long, we're finally on our way to the Brimstone Lounge! Dave; his best friend, Pinkie; Twilight and her lovable dragon, Spike; Mr. and Mrs. Cake, and Sparkler and Derpy will bear witness to what will surely be a monumental moment in Equestria's culinary history. That, or they may just become part of culinary history if one of those giant dragons mistake them for a snack!

I bet the Brimstone Lounge will be the size of a mountain! Maybe it'll even be part of a mountain! I wonder, though . . . will it have a drive-thru (or, in this case, a fly-thru)? Either way, it's bound to be quite the chapter.

It'll also be nice to see the members from the Foreign Relations Council again. Given that the Brimstone Lounge was primarily Dave's idea, they're sure to be impressed. At least, I hope so.

Thanks for the update, and on the premiere of Season 6 no less! What a lovely treat!

[monkeytsu]

I enjoyed this chapter, but I really cannot wait for the next one.

[Vutava]

The twins waggled their little hooves in their air,

the

[-headshot123-]

“Mr. and Mrs. Cake were invited because they’ve been dabbling in gem baking ever since they made Spike a sapphire cupcake for his birthday.”

dabbing

[Luckyfanisaac]

or something else covered in confetti.