This Ain't Compendium: Holidays

by Xfiles90210

VIII. Ponyville's Downtown

Ponyville’s downtown

Richtofen and Braeburn were walking down the crowded streets of Ponyville while they were laughing and caressing each other’s coat. They didn’t seem to care the fact almost everypony was looking at them with disgust and disapproval. Even though their relationship was well known for a while now, the mere idea of two stallions being together was too much for most ponies, making them to stay away from the couple as long as they could.

“Hey, Doc!” Braeburn said with enthusiasm as he pointed at the barrel full with water and with apples in it. “Ah bet ya can’t catch more apples than me!”

“Silly Burny,” he replied with a wide grin, “ze doctor never loses.”

“Wanna bet?”

“Sounds interesting. What do you have in mind?”

“The winner gets a free sandwich.”

“Wunderbar! Let’s go then.” Both giggled and headed towards the barrel. When they reached it, Braeburn looked at the orange pony who was looking after the container and grinned widely.

“Hi, AJ!” He said with enthusiasm. “What’s yer dressin’ this year?”

She looked at both stallions and sighed before replying with lack of happiness: “howdy, Braeburn. Howdy, Edward. Ah’m dressed like a walker.”

“Walker sounds boring”, he replied, “oh, better be a zombie pony!”

“Or zompony”, Richtofen complemented.

“Heh, good one.”

The orange mare sighed and said: “so, ya came ‘ere t’try t’catch an apple or t’point at mah flaws?”

“Chill out, Jackie”, Richtofen answered. “We’re just joking as always. You know your cousin doesn’t come here everyday.”

“Ya mean yer coltfriend”, she replied with deep disappointment, “just get closer and give it a try. Be quick.”

“Ya don’t seem happy, AJ,” the earth pony said concerned, “why are ya upset?”

She just grunted and glared at him. “You know why, Braeburn. Don’t push yer luck”

“Mah luck?” He replied confused. He then felt a hoof on his shoulder and looked back at the green unicorn.

“Let’s just play, Burny. Seems like Miss Jackie is being grumpy”, he said with a mocking grin. Then, he got closer to the barrel, took a deep breath and, while holding it, moved his head in it.

“Go for it, Eddy!” Braeburn said with enthusiasm, trying to cheer his friend up. The orange mare just rolled her eyes and looked away. After a moment, Richtofen moved his head up again, gasping and with an apple in his mouth. “yay, y’are the best, Eddy!”

“Of course I am!, he replied while grinning and still holding the apple in his mouth. “Wanna ite it?” He asked as he moved closer to the earth pony and winked. Braeburn smiled widely, nodded fast and then bit the apple while both were looking at each other’s eyes.

“Oh, for the love of...” Applejack thought as she felt nausea and covered her mouth with her hoof. After both finished eating the apple, she just said with disgust: “are ya done now?”

“Not yet, ‘s mah turn now,” her cousin replied with a smile and moved closer to the barrel. “watch this, doc!” He said with happiness as he moved his head inside the barrel. Richtofen giggled and waited for his friend to get a second apple. Suddenly, he heard a voice close to him, calling his name:

“Edward”, he turned to his right and his smile faded after noticing who she was. “I’ve been looking for you. The speech’s almost beginning and I need a favor.”

“Mayor”, he said and sighed, “I thought it was mein free day.”

“I know,” she replied with a serious tone, “but Zecora, our story teller, is ill and we have nopony to fill her role.”

“I see”, he looked back at his companion, his head was still inside the barrel, “but ich can’t leave mein friend here.”

“Oh, I’m sure he will understand,” she grabbed the green unicorn’s hoof and said: “Come on, please do me the favor of replacing her.”

“I don’t know...”

“I’ll double your salary for the rest of the year.” She interrupted.

“Double?” He gasped and said with a high pitch tone, “double the pay means double the pleasure and double ze fun!”
“Well... yes”, the Mayor replied awkwardly.

“But ze doctor can’t leave Burny alone,” he looked back at him and smiled slightly, “he’s mein coltfriend after all and Ich can only see him once in a while.”

The grayish amber mare sighed and said as she was starting to lose her patience: “Very well then. Bring him with you, but do not let him ruin the show.” She then pulled out a scroll with her mouth and put it on the grass. “There’s the script of the story you must tell. For the love of Celestia...” She leaned closer to him, glaring at his eyes with complete seriousness, “...Make sure it goes according to the program, no matter the cost.”

“Yes, ma’am”, he answered with a snicker as he took the scroll with his magic, “ze doctor will assure this will be flawless.”

“I hope so”, she finally answered before turning back and began to walk away as he was looking at her with slight disappointment.

“Mmph, this is not what I expected,” he said as he turned back to Braeburn; his head was still in the barrel. Then, Applejack looked at him and asked with curiosity:

“Wow, that must be somethin’ so important the Mayor look’d so serious. What’s that scroll ‘bout, Richtofen?”

“Let’s see”, he unfolds the scroll and reads: “The return of Nightmare Moon...” Suddenly, he’s interrupted by his partner, who lets his head out from the barrel, having nothing in his mouth. He stops reading and says with a wide grin: “hey Burny, guess what?”

“What is it, partner?” He answered with happiness and then noticed the scroll. He smiled widely and said while he took it: “Ohh, thanks for the towel!”

“Wait, that ain’t a tow...” Applejack tried to say, but it was late. He dried his face off with it and threw it away. “Braeburn, you dumb stallion!” He yelled upset.

“Woah, what?” He replied, shocked at her cousin’s words. “Ah swear ah did nothing wrong”.

“This time you did!” She replied as she pointed at the wet scroll. “That wasn’t a towel. That was a scroll, a very important one.”

The stallion gasped and said worried: “Really? Oh, ah’m sorry”, he then looked back at Richtofen and said: “sorry if I ruined it, doc.”

“Don’t worry, Burny”, he replied with optimism as he was taking the scroll with his magic and moved it closer to him. “I’m sure Ich can still read this”, he said with a smile as he opened it. After noticing the ink was all blurry, his smile faded and said: “or maybe not. Oh shit, what are we going to do now?”

“Ah’m so sorry, doc”, he said with sadness. “Please let me make this up to ya”.

“How so?”

“Well...” the stallion thought for a moment while he rubbed his chin with his hoof. He then smiled and said with hope:“...Ya mentioned somethin’ ‘bout a story, right?”

“Ja”, Richtofen answered, “so?”

“What ‘bout if we tell a spooky story by ourselves? Ah’m sure nopony will notice the difference.”

“That’s...”, Applejack looked surprised, “...Actually a good idea. Wow Braeburn, y’are surprising sometimes.”

“Thanks!” He answered with a huge grin.

“Oh Wunderbar! Come on, Burny. Du und Ich have a story to tell”, Richtofen said with excitement as he grabbed Braeburn’s hoof and both ran towards the stage.

After the couple of stallions ran away, Applejack sighed in relief as she looked back at the barrel. “Well, ah hope ah don’t see ‘em together for the rest o’ the night”, she mumbled as she put more apples in the barrel.