One Stubborn Mare

by TheKing2001

Everypony Has A Hobby

“Sparkler!” Derpy shouted as she shut the front off of her house and paused in the doorway. “Where are you, I need you.”

“Over here!” Sparkler called back as she crossed her hindlegs on the couch and set her book down. “What’s up mom?”

“I need a favor. I need you to write up like a speech for Sunset. If you don’t mind of course,” Derpy said as Sparkler swung herself up and shrugged.

“I think I can get something together. Why does Sunset need a speech?”

“Sunset won’t be reading it. It’s for her,” Derpy explained as she sat down next to the unicorn. “I have to convince the mayor to let us do something with town hall but everypony has a hobby and the mayor is big into cameras and collecting old ones.”

“I can get something together while Sunset is watching me and Dinky,” Sparkler said as she levitated a quill and notebook over to her.

“But keep a surprise. We’re waiting for it to be all set up before we tell Sunset,” Derpy said as Sparkler nodded.

“I think we can do that. I’ll get a rough draft up and show you later tonight.”

“Sounds good. We owe you big time for this.”

Sparkler gave a nod as she went back to writing.

“Take Dinky straight to Sunset’s. She might be a bit busy because it’s that time of year where all the town representatives are running around busy with paperwork but she said she could look after you two,” Derpy said as she stretched her wings. “And stay out of trouble!”

“I never get in trouble.”

---

Derpy shoved open the doors to the mayor’s office as she paused before trotting in fully.

“What can I do for you Derpy?” Mayor Mare asked as she looked up, gesturing at a chair. “Sit. Not often I get an appointment with you.”

“So I need your permission to use town hall,” Derpy said as she sat down on the chair and tucked her forelegs under her.

“What reason?”

“Uh to recognize Sunset for all she does for the town?” Derpy offered as Mayor Mare gave her a smile.

“You should have started with that. Sunset helps out quite a bit here even though she does have an uncanny ability of getting on my nerves, she does work hard and is very helpful. What day do you need it?”

“Uh I’ll have to check with Shoeshine. She is making a trophy like thing for Sunset I believe she said,” Derpy answered as Mayor Mare nodded. “I’ll drop by when I find out. But most likely next few days. And there’s some more cameras at that flea market in Rainbow Falls I reserved for you after I dropped an package off there.”

“Ooh thank you!” Mayor Mare clapped her hooves together excitedly before inhaling. “I’ll just mark the town hall as being reserved all week. Will everypony be there?”

“I didn’t think of that. Potentially,” Derpy admitted as Mayor Mare nodded. “Thank you. I gotta get to work, my shift starts soon.”

“Okay! Fly.....” Mayor Mare started as Derpy slammed into the door frame. “Safe.”

---

Dinky, Silver Spoon and Sparkler sat on the floor as Sunset ran around the room in frenzy that Dinky would describe of a shark in the ocean as Sunset flung open various filing cabinets.

“Do you want help?” Sparkler asked finally as she looked up from her writing.

“No focus on your schoolwork. I don’t need help anyway, I got this. Where in Equestria did I put my calendar with all the meeting I have on it? Silverspeed, have you seen my calendar? Silverspeed!”

The grey pegasus shoved her head as she stared at the messy room with papers and quills everywhere with wide eyes.

“Looks like a tornado went through here. What’s up Sunset?”

“I have a sh-” Sunset started and paused as she looked at the two fillies. “A lot of paperwork and stuff to do, got these two to look after-”

“I’m a well behaved filly!” Dinky protested and scrunched up her muzzle in a failed attempt to look angry as Silverspeed and Sunset both looked at her.

“-I was going to say they’re well behaved as is your sister but that was a failed attempt at appearing. You just looked adorable,” Sunset grinned as she rubbed Dinky’s mane.

“Sparky is the one who misbehaves!”

“I do not!” Sparkler said as she gave Dinky a flat look. “I’m a well behaved teenage mare!”

“You snuck out last night to spend time with Minnie and Sea Swirl,” Dinky pointed out as Silver Spoon snickered into a hoof. “Why is she even here, her friend hates us.”

“Because Silverspeed is making me,” Silver Spoon answered as she twirled her ponytail around a hoof. “And just because Diamond Tiara is a bully doesn’t mean I am one.”

“Follow her every move,” Sparkler snarked as she narrowed her eyes. “And I don’t see you stopping her. Dinky does come home crying sometimes and I promised to rip the coat off of anypony who hurt her. Don’t even get me started on Liza and Scootaloo.”

“Well, she is a chicken,” Silver Spoon muttered as Silverspeed gave her an unimpressed look.

“We’re gonna talk about your friends later in private Spoon. Now what did you need help with Sunset?”

“Have you seen my calendar?” Sunset asked as she reclaimed her spot in her office chair.

“Here,” Sparkler levitated a calendar full for red marks on it onto Sunset’s desk. “You have a full schedule. Who does it for you?”

“I do it myself,” Sunset answered as she sighed in relief. “Thanks.”

“You want me to take some of your work load?” Silverspeed offered. “I’d be more than happy to help you.”

“No thanks. I appreciate the offer but I’m used to a lot of work. It’s just how life is,” Sunset shrugged as she stood up. “I’m gonna busy like this till I quit I suppose but that’s easily decades from now.”

“Uh I don’t think that’s healthy,” Silverspeed scratched the back of her head with a hoof. “You’re one mare and you have a week full of helping me and the others, your normal workload and the stuff the mayor has given you.”

“Look, do you trust me?”

“With my life,” Silverspeed said instantly as the other three in the room heads swiveled to watch them go back and forth.

“I can do this. Now let’s go have our weekly sparring practice.”

---

Sunset and Silverspeed stood on an empty field near the Everfree as Sparkler, Dinky, Silver Spoon and Raindrops watched Silverspeed pick up a wooden sword.

Raindrops had opted to take her break and watch the two practice once she had seen them a few months back during her shifts.

“I thought swords were made of metal,” Silver Spoon as Silverspeed smirked.

“They are. These are training ones. They used to use real swords hundreds of years ago for practice some guards often got hurt or killed so they switched to these. Cheaper too,” Silverspeed said as Sunset swung hers experimentally with her magic. “Hooves only.”

“Fine fine,” Sunset rolled her eyes as she caught her sword with her hoof and stood on her hind legs.

“Wow,” Raindrops muttered as Silverspeed copied Sunset. Standing on their hindlegs for ponies was a skill not many had. Raindrops could do it for a while but not as well as these two.

“I can do that!” Dinky said as she shakily stood on her hindlegs. “See?”

“Nice work kid,” Raindrops chuckled as Sunset and Silverspeed’s swords connected with a loud thunk. “Money is on Sunset.”

“My sister will beat Sunset,” Silver Spoon snapped as she glared at the older mare.

“Shut up and watch,” Sparkler grunted as the two fell silent.

“Nice move,” Sunset said as Silverspeed sidestepped Sunset swinging down at her.

“Thanks,” Silverspeed said as she blocked Sunset’s attack. “That was a good parry, I’m impressed.”

“Thanks,” Sunset said as the two continued their fighting.

“Your hoof work has gotten better,” Silverspeed noted as she barely avoided Sunset’s sword.

“Practice makes perfect,” Sunset teased as Silverspeed’s eyes widened slightly as Sunset started pushing her back as she applied more force and speed to her swings, Silverspeed barely blocking them.

“You should probably give up,” Sunset panted as Silverspeed swung low and knocked Sunset off of her hooves as her eyes widened and her sword fell to the ground. Silverspeed kicked her friends sword aside and pointing hers at her throat. “Oof!”

“Nice work,” Silverspeed smirked as she dropped her own sword and helped Sunset up. “You almost had me there with your attacks all at once. You’re good at keeping me on my hooves like that.”

“I try,” Sunset panted as Silverspeed tossed her a water bottle and Sunset gave her a grateful nod.

“You would be good in the guard,” Silverspeed said as she and Sunset finished drinking. “Maybe you have a future there.”

“I like where I’m at. Thanks though,” Sunset said as she wiped the liquid on her jaw with a hoof. “Going again or are we going hoof to hoof?”

“Hoof to hoof. You’re probably gonna beat me though. You usually do,” Silverspeed said as the two circled each other. Sunset was usually faster on her hooves barely but Silverspeed could fly and had the high ground technically so she had an advantage Sunset didn’t.

“I wonder if anypony ever gets worried about them practicing up here,” Sparkler muttered as the four watched Sunset swing a hoof at Silverspeed’s chest.

“Who knows?” Raindrops said as she watched the two go rolling after Silverspeed tackled the unicorn. “But I can say one thing that after watching them practice for a good while, I wouldn’t try to intervene if they were actually fighting. Especially since they could easily kill each other.”

“They could?” Dinky asked nervously as Sunset kicked Silverspeed off her.

“Well yeah. Silverspeed is a Royal Guard. They’re trained to kill if they have to and Sunset is Princess Celestia’s daughter. Pretty sure she’s told me she knows enough spells to cause physical harm and defend herself.”

Sparkler could agree with that. She saw Sunset first hoof hurt somepony who tried fighting her once. And it wasn’t necessarily a memory Sparkler liked to remember. Seeing a grown stallion get beat up by a mare and have his bone sticking out of his leg was enough to give anypony around a sick stomach.

Sparkler quickly shook the memory from her mind and went back to watching her friends as Sunset wrapped a foreleg around Silverspeed’s throat with her hindlegs around the pegasus’ waist.

“Darn,” Silver Spoon muttered as Silverspeed hastily tapped the ground and Sunset released her and helped her up.

“Nice work,” Silverspeed said as she and Sunset shook hooves. “Wanna get lunch now? It’s late and I’m pretty hungry after all this.”

“Me too. Cherry’s?”

“Cherry’s,” Silverspeed agreed instantly as the two trotted down the hill laughing about something.

“Let’s go home. Mom should be getting home soon,” Sparkler said as she levitated Dinky onto her back and Raindrops picked up Silver Spoon. “See you around?”

“You bet.”

The four waved as Sparkler galloped off with Dinky holding on for dear life as Sparkler gave a faint smile.

Not only did she get to skip cleaning her room, Sparkler also got her work done her mom had asked for.

Win win in her book.

Author's Note:

Mayor Mare is the long time mayor of Ponyville, most often seen giving speeches or officiating a wedding. She's widely respected around the town for her efforts to keep Ponyville in order. She works closely with Sunset at times to keep the peace and secretly admires the unicorn. She officiated Bright Mac and Pear Butter's wedding and funeral after their deaths. She often gets into verbal disagreements with Trixie about using town property for magic shows after Trixie destroyed a town building accidently in a show. While she does care about the town, she is a politician and looks to move up in the world. And yes, she does dye her hair grey.

Motto: Too much information is never enough.

Status: Alive.

Abilities: Mayor Mare is a skilled leader and public speaker, often writing her own speeches and gets attention quickly when ever Sunset and the others are fighting off monsters in the town. She has average strength and slightly above average intelligence.

Allies: Sunset, Derpy, Dinky, Trixie, Shoeshine, Silverspeed, Sparkler, Celestia, Raindrops, Carrot Top, Applejack, Big Mac, Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, Bright Mac, Pear Butter, Mrs. Cake, Pinkie, Rainbowshine, Cloudkicker, Luna, Cadence, Twilight.

Enemies: Sombra, Tirek, Chrysalis, Discord(formerly), Nightmare Moon (formerly).

Weaknesses: While respected around town, most are a bit wary of her about whether she actually cares about the town or is just using it as an ends to her own means. Her average strength doesn't help often when a stronger pony is necessary.

Comments

[Bronycommander]

Good Attitude of spoon

[Comickook]

Splendid job on the dialogue, characterizations and future chapter set-up. REALLY loved the work on the speech for Sunset, as well as the stuff about Sunset watching her language in front of the children, the point out concerning Silver Spoon's following Diamond Tiara, Sunset's spar with Silverspeed and Sparkler's reflection on Sunset defending herself rather effectively. Mayor Mare's bio was well done too.

I am definitely looking forward to more of this.