//------------------------------// // Sunday, Busy Sunday // Story: Living in Equestria // by Blazewing //------------------------------// It was just around midnight when the train finally pulled into Ponyville’s station. Pinkie was still asleep, so I was worried I was going to have to lug her off all the way to Sugarcube Corner. She hadn’t exactly been eating daintily at the farm, if the size of her belly was any clue. However, as soon as the train stopped, her eyes snapped open, and she sat up, looking as bright and chipper as if it were morning. “Come on, Davie!” she said. “No time to dilly-dally!” And she trotted off, singing tunelessly as she did. Bewildered, I gathered up my luggage and followed after her, my legs stiff. The glow of the lanterns in the dark stung my eyes as I disembarked. “Hey, Davie?” Pinkie asked, turning to look at me. “It’s pretty dark out. You want me to walk you home, keep you company? I know Ponyville like the back of my hoof, so you don’t have to worry about me finding my way back.” She gave me an encouraging smile. I was about to say I’d be fine going home by myself, but an inexplicable tingle ran down my spine as I looked out at the darkness before me. It brought into my head visions of dark, unsavory beings lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce and surprise me when I least expected. I was even reminded of that dark shadow that had spooked me the night after I’d delivered my speech. At this late at night, I really didn’t want to be out by myself, as childish as that sounded. “Sure, Pinkie, I’d like that,” I said. “Great!” said Pinkie, happily. “Let’s go!” She really must’ve known Ponyville like the back of her hoof, as she led the way flawlessly, not once giving any indication that she didn’t know her way. As we went, however, I couldn’t help constantly looking over my shoulder, out of a paranoid worry that someone or something was watching me. I was being stupid, I knew, but I just couldn’t shake off the feeling. At last, we arrived at my own house. Moonlight’s home and the Hooves residence were both dark and quiet. I’d have been surprised if anypony had been awake at this hour. I looked down at my pudgy pink guide. “Thanks, Pinkie,” I said, gratefully. “I appreciate this.” “You’re welcome, Davie,” said Pinkie. “Just call on Pinkie Pie to keep the ooky-spookies away! I’ll giggle at them until they’re gone!” (Laughing in the face of danger, huh? You would do that, Pinkie.) “Good night, Davie,” said Pinkie, “and thanks again for coming with me.” “Thank you for inviting me,” I said. “Good night, Pinkie.” I had a feeling I knew what was coming, and sure enough, I opened my arms in time for Pinkie to throw her forelegs around me. This time, I was able to reciprocate. Pinkie giggled. “You’re learning,” she said. “You know when I’m gonna hug you.” “Not all the time,” I said, grinning. “You still know how to surprise me.” Pinkie just smiled and nuzzled me, then released me and started bouncing off into the darkness. “Oh!” she called as she went. “Congratulations, by the way!” “Congratulations? What are you-?” But Pinkie was already gone. I scratched my head in puzzlement. What the heck was she congratulating me for? Earning her family’s favor? Staying up until past midnight? “I swear, I’m gonna live to be 100, and still never completely understand that silly pony,” I muttered, before finally unlocking the door, and heading inside my home sweet home. *** I woke up later in the morning than usual, around 9 o’clock, but feeling completely refreshed. I did my usual daily routines, and had just finished breakfast when there came a knock on the door. Once again, it was a Canterlot guard delivering my weekly dues. Though I still politely accepted them and thanked him, I had to wonder how long this was going to go on. Perhaps Minister Ironmane would make that clear when we met this Thursday. Only about 5 minutes after he’d left, there came another knock at the door. Wondering who that could be, I opened it up, saw no one at first, then looked down. It was Apple Bloom. “Oh!” I said. “Good morning, Apple Bloom.” “Mornin’, Dave!” she said. “Ah was hopin’ you’d be home today! Ah’ve got good news!” “Yeah? What’s that?” “Ya know the concert we talked about last week? Well, Ah talked it over with the others, and they think it’s a great idea!” “Oh! That’s excellent!” I said. “We’re havin’ a Crusader’s meetin’ right now to talk about it!” Apple Bloom went on. “That’s why Ah came over: to fetch ya!” “Right now? Well, give me a second, and I’ll be right with you!” Hurrying to put my gear on, I soon joined Apple Bloom outside, and the two of us hurried on to Sweet Apple Acres. *** Our fellow Crusaders were already waiting for us by the time we arrived, seated around the little table with glasses of juice in front of them. The chocolate fountain I had gifted them had been given a place of pride in the middle of it. I could even see a half-empty bag of marshmallows and a box of graham crackers sitting close by. It seemed they’d made liberal use of it. It made me happy to know they enjoyed my gift so much. “Hi, Dave!” the three chorused at the sight of me. “Hello, girls,” I said. “I see you’ve been putting that chocolate fountain through its paces.” “It’s the best!” gushed Dinky, and the others nodded eagerly. “Heh, good to hear,” I said. I sat down between Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. The former slid me a glass of apple juice. “Oh, thanks,” I said, gratefully, taking a sip before continuing, “So, Apple Bloom’s told you about the brain wave we had, huh?” “Yeah!” said Scootaloo. “A Crusaders concert sounds like a great idea! I mean, the last time we had a big performance was at the school talent show.” “And, er, it didn’t go exactly as we planned,” said Apple Bloom, awkwardly. “We were tryin’ to show Ponyville who we were as the Crusaders and what we were aimin’ to do, but, well...” “Was it that bad?” I asked. “Let’s just say we were all doing the wrong jobs,” said Sweetie Belle, sheepishly. “It was pretty funny, though!” said Dinky, giggling. “You three did win ‘Best Comedy Act’!” “Yeah, but we didn’t even get cutie marks for all our trouble,” mumbled Scootaloo. Ouch. To win an award for comedy when you were being completely serious? That felt kind of harsh. “But we know what to do this time!” said Apple Bloom. “Yeah!” said Scootaloo. “This time, we’re gonna do it right!” “Sounds great!” I said. “Sometimes, you’ve just gotta learn from your mistakes. So, did any of you have any ideas?” “Well, you said you can play the piano, right?” asked Scootaloo. “Yeah.” “Then that’s one act down already!” she said. “I still need to decide on what I wanna do.” “And Ah could play somethin’ on mah harmonica!” said Apple Bloom. “Ohh, right,” I said, recalling her tuneful during our pirate adventure. “That’ll be neat! Anypony else?” “I can sing!” said Dinky, her voice squeaking with excitement. “I can sing!” “Is that so?” I asked, intrigued. “Let’s hear something.” Dinky stood up, cleared her throat, then started singing, “The sun will come out Tomorrow Clears away the cobwebs And the sorrow” She paused, smiling expectantly around. We all stared. Scootaloo voiced my opinion. “Wow, Dinky! How come you never told us you could sing like that?” Dinky shrugged. “Nopony asked,” she said, simply. “How about you, Sweetie Belle?” I asked. “I love music and singing,” said Sweetie Belle, passionately, then added, in a more subdued voice, “but I don’t really like singing in front of crowds. If it’s all the same to you, I think I wanna work in the background. Like, maybe I could find music for you all to play, or do something with the audience.” “That sounds like a good idea,” I said, giving her mane a little ruffle. “Even the ponies in the wings have important roles to play, after all.” This put an adorable smile on her face. “Question, though,” I added, addressing the group at large, “are we limiting this to us, or do we want to include other performers as well?” The four fillies looked at each other. “Huh,” said Apple Bloom. “We didn’t really think that far ahead. What do you all think?” “I think that’s a good idea!” said Dinky. “Yeah!” said Sweetie Belle. “Anypony who wants to perform could sign up!” “Sounds like a plan to me!” said Scootaloo. “Well, all right, then!” said Apple Bloom. “Great idea, Dave!” “Oh, it was nothing,” I said, modestly. “Now, this is probably going to take a while to prepare. I mean, we have to decide what we’re all going to perform, send word out to everypony and find out who’s interested, set up a place to perform, all that kind of stuff, you know?” “We know,” said Apple Bloom, “but it’ll be worth it, if it means you might get your cutie mark!” All four fillies beamed at me. I smiled rather awkwardly back. I’d almost forgotten about that. “A-heh, yeah, right,” I said. “Let’s do this!” said Scootaloo. “Yeah!” said Sweetie Belle. “This is gonna be so much fun!” said Dinky. They all reached across the table and bumped their hooves together in a high-hoof. A little late, I gently bumped my knuckles in. They all smiled at me, and, infectious as it was, I smiled back, genuinely, this time. *** After that bit of excitement, I went to take a nice long walk through Ponyville. I wondered if anything had changed while I was away. On the one hand, Ponyville was such a quiet town. It didn’t seem likely that anything huge could’ve gone down in just a week. On the other hand, a week was still quite a length of time to be away. A lot can happen anywhere in a week. Well, as far as I could see, everything looked just about the same. Ponies were milling around, going about their daily lives, greeting me as I passed them, and I greeted them in turn. However, my ears were soon greeted by a familiar, yet quite unexpected, voice. “Hello, Dave! So good to see you!” Turning around, I saw Octavia trotting briskly up to me, her face glowing with delight. “Hey there, Octavia,” I said, pleased, though surprised. “Long time no see.” “Oh, I know,” said Octavia. “Too long, dear. I never got the chance to properly thank you for that bottle of Jura at Hearth’s Warming. It was very sweet of you,” she added, warmly. “You’re welcome,” I said, “and thank you for that record. Your ensemble’s amazing.” “Oh, it was my pleasure,” said Octavia, waving an airy hoof. “It just touched my heart that you would send me a gift, even when we haven’t had that much time to truly bond. Half of the time, it was in consequence of Vinyl.” “Yeah, that’s true,” I said. “Well, what better time to make amends for that lack of contact than the present?” “What do you mean?” I asked. “I’ll show you, if you like,” said Octavia. “Will you walk with me?” “Of course,” I said, giving her a bow. “Lead the way, milady.” Octavia smiled gently at me, then started off towards the opposite end of Ponyville. Wondering what she had planned, I followed behind. *** We went quite a distance outside of Ponyville, almost akin to what it was like in my own neck of the woods. However, I could soon see what Octavia must have been aiming for: a two-story cottage with a cobblestone path leading up to it. It would’ve been quite ordinary, if not for the decor. The exterior looked as if two different houses had been cut in half, and half of one and half of the other were put together. One side was made of brown stone with yellow thatching, the other of gray stone with brown thatching. Even the curtains in the upper window were of different colors. Not just that, but there was a blatant musical theme about the place. The flowerbeds under the windows looked like piano keys. Organ pipes rose from the roof instead of a chimney. Even a hedge sitting in front of the place was shaped like a musical note. “Does a friend of yours live here, Octavia?” I asked, bemused by the whole thing. “Not quite,” said Octavia, still smiling. “You see, Dave, I’ve made a very important decision: I’ve moved to Ponyville.” It took a second or two for this to register with me, and I did a double-take when it did, jaw hanging open. “W-What?? Really?” Octavia nodded. “So then, that house-” “-Is mine. Quite a fitting choice, wouldn’t you say? That’s what sealed the deal for me when I was house-hunting.” “Octavia, that’s great!” I said, delighted. “Congratulations! Now you and Vinyl get to be closer together!” “Oh, yes,” said Octavia, her smile widening, “even more so than I could’ve wished, since she’s decided to live with me.” “And, boy, when you said ‘fitting choice’, I couldn’t have agreeeee-wait, what did you say?” What Octavia said had only just hit home. I was really slow today, it felt like. “Did you say Vinyl’s going to live with you?” Octavia nodded. “By the end of the month, she’ll be able to officially move out of her apartment, and she and I will be sharing this home together.” “Really?” I asked, bewildered. “And this was a mutual decision? I mean, you both knew the, er, ‘risks’ involved?” I was thinking of Vinyl and her Wub-Meister, not to mention how she got on Octavia’s nerves in general, from the times I saw them interacting. “It was,” said Octavia. “Vinyl’s, well, rather helpless by herself, and as much as she annoys me a lot of the time, I do miss having her around. I really think this is the best thing for both of us.” “Wow,” I said, touched. “Well, if that’s what you think is best, I say go for it!” Octavia smiled kindly. “Thank you, Dave. We’ve still got quite a bit to get done before we’re completely settled in, but once that’s done, you can drop by anytime, perhaps for some tea, or even some music. Lyra’s told me you’ve mastered the piano recently,” she added, keenly. “Aw, well, I wouldn’t say ‘mastered’,” I mumbled, bashfully. “I’m still learning. I mean, I’m not good enough to put on a professional concert just yet.” Concert… Aha! “Actually, Octavia?” “Hmm?” “Maybe you can help me and some friends out,” I said. “We’ve decided to put on an amateur concert, and it just occurred to me that you might be able to help us with that. After all, you have concerts with your ensemble all the time, so you know the ins and outs, right?” Octavia looked intrigued. “Well, yes, I suppose that’s true.” “So, maybe I could bring them over once everything’s settled here,” I went on, “and we could do a little brainstorming, or a jam session. I’m sure Vinyl wouldn’t mind helping, either.” “That’s a splendid idea, Dave!” said Octavia. “I’ll gladly help where I can!” “Great! Thanks, Octavia!” I took her hoof in my hand and shook it energetically. I wasn’t quite sure we were on ‘hug’ level yet, and didn’t want to offend or surprise her. She seemed gratified all the same. After that, I took my leave of her, so she could continue getting her new house ready, my mind positively abuzz, and it wasn’t even noon! *** Later in the day, I took a trip both to the marketplace and to Barnyard Bargains to do my usual grocery shopping. I was on my home when I heard a voice call out to me from behind. “Hello, Dave!” I looked ‘round. Twilight was trotting briskly towards me, a clipboard floating beside her. “Hi, Twilight! What’s up?” “I was looking for you, actually,” she said, a keen twinkle in her eyes. “As All-Team Organizer for Ponyville’s Winter Wrap-Up, it’s part of my duties to assign tasks to anypony not already assigned one.” “Ohh, I see,” I said. “All-Team Organizer, huh? Fits you like a glove, I’d say.” “Thanks,” said Twilight, with a slight giggle. “So, I picked out the perfect task for you and Moonlight to do together. I figured you wouldn’t say no to having her as a partner.” “Definitely not,” I said, earnestly. “You’ll be helping the Weather Team with clearing the rooftops of snow. And don’t worry,” she added, raising her voice, as she seemed to foresee the protest I was ready to give. “I’ve already taken your acrophobia into account. You’ll be on the ground level with a wagon, ready to catch the snow Moonlight shovels down. When the wagon’s full, you’ll cart the snow to the designated drop-off point. Lather, rinse, repeat. Does that sound all right?” I considered it for a second or two. It didn’t sound too difficult or demanding. It definitely sounded better than being on the rooftops myself. “Yeah, I think I can do that,” I said, nodding. “Great!” said Twilight, happily, as she levitated a quill to jot some notes down on the clipboard. “I’ll let Rarity know to make a pair of blue vests for you and Moonlight, then! Now, be sure that the two of you are in the town square at 7:30 AM on the dot. We need to get started as soon as possible, and every minute counts! I know it’s early, but try to put in a hearty breakfast as well, preferably oatmeal, and some fruit wouldn’t hurt, either. You’re going to need a lot of energy to keep you going. Make sure you’re dressed properly as well. It’ll be cold at first, of course, but it’s warm work, and we’ll eventually end up in springtime, wherein winter gear will be completely unnecessary, so plan accordingly for that. We do break for lunch and dinner, but for 20 minutes exactly, so make sure you don’t use up precious eating time with unnecessary chitchat or idle dilly-dallying. Bathroom breaks are allowed, 5 minutes at most, though I hardly think you’ll need that long, and should be timed accordingly so as not to interfere with your work. You’re allowed to chat with your fellow ponies during work, but don’t let it keep you too distracted. Follow all that, and Winter Wrap Up will go as smooth as ice!” She smiled a bit too widely at me after this lengthy, persnickety speech. I just stood there, speechless and flabbergasted. I’d been so used to Pinkie’s gift for gab that I forgot that Twilight had an occasional case of motormouth as well. “Got all that?” she asked. “Er, yeah, I think so,” I said, finally. “Good! I’m just glad I didn’t put on too much weight over the winter,” she added, looking down at her belly. “My vest’s one of a kind, and Rarity wouldn’t be too happy if I outgrew it.” I managed a weak chuckle. “You look fine to me, Twi.” She gave me a kind smile. “Oh! That reminds me,” she said. “If you see Spike, could you tell him I asked him to come home? He’s been out and about, but I haven’t seen claw or scale of him.” “Sure, I can do that,” I said, still reeling from that onslaught of information. “Good. See you, Dave!” “Bye!” Twilight trotted off, the clipboard now floating in front of her eyes. She was so absorbed, in fact, that a couple ponies had to jump aside to avoid her running into them. No sooner was she out of sight, when I heard a sharp ‘Pssst!’ I jumped, as my first immediate thought was that there was a snake nearby. However, upon looking around, I saw Spike peeking out of a nearby bush. He put a claw to his lips, then motioned for me to come closer. I knelt down, puzzled. “What are you doing in the bushes, Spike?” I asked. “Hiding out from Twilight,” Spike whispered. “I can’t stand being around when she’s in one of her ‘organizing’ moods. I thought Reshelving Day was bad enough, but it’s even worse now that she’s the Winter Wrap Up All-Team Organizer! I need my peace and quiet, man!” “I getcha,” I said, knowing all too well what he was talking about. “What do you plan to do, then?” “Oh, just bum around Ponyville, keep out of Twilight’s sight, be back by dinner,” said Spike, casually. “I see. So, is that all you wanted to tell me?” “No. Twilight told you to tell me to come home, right?” “Oh, so you heard that. Yeah, she did say that, and since you’re here, I’ll say it: she wants you to come home.” “Well, if that’s all she asked you to do, then it doesn’t really have an impact on you if I say ‘yes’ or ‘no’, right?” Spike asked. “Sorry?” I asked, confused. “It’s simple,” said Spike, looking rather shrewd. “Twilight told you to tell me to come home. Well, you’ve told me. That’s all you were supposed to do, right? Nothing else?” “Err, I guess so?” “Well, then, since you’ve done your part, you don’t have to worry about me wanting to go home right when you tell me.” Spike looked immensely proud of himself for being so clever, while I was still trying to wrap my head around his logic. “I...think I see what you mean,” I said, finally. “In short, you’re abusing a loophole.” “Something like that,” said Spike, grinning. “So, then, if Twilight runs into you again, could you keep quiet about seeing me? Please? Do me a solid, Dave.” He clasped his claws in supplication, begging me with reptilian puppy-dog eyes. Technically, Spike had a point, especially since I had witnessed Twilight’s super-nitpicky attitude first hand, but even so, she was my friend, too. What was I to do? At last, I heaved a sigh, and said, “Ok,” I said. “I won’t tell her I saw you just now.” Spike’s face brightened up at once. “Thanks, Dave! You’re the best!” And he disappeared back into the bush. Before I could even stand back up, Twilight’s voice made me jump. “Dave? What were you doing just now?” I had honestly not expected her to come back this way so soon. I stood bolt upright, turning to look at her. Her head was tilted to one side in polite curiosity, an expression absolutely adorable in a pony. What I’d just promised Spike flashed into my head, and a hot sweat broke over me. What was I supposed to tell her? “I...thought I dropped something,” I said, “so I was bending down to see if I had. Turns out I hadn’t, heh-heh.” I tried to look as innocent as I could, and could only imagine I was doing a poor job of it. Miraculously, however, Twilight smiled. “All right, then. See you later, Dave!” “See ya, Twi.” And Twilight trotted off, burying her nose back in her clipboard. As she left, I couldn’t help feeling worried about Spike. After that micromanaging speech, I felt the little guy was perfectly justified in wanting some peace and quiet. I would, if it were me. I had to wonder how he stayed sane with Twi’s nitpicky, persnickety tendencies, Winter Wrap Up or no. That wasn’t even taking into account how he had to suffer through her little hissy fit when she was first told she was going to have a test. To endure all that and to only express a need to keep out of the way for the day was pretty remarkable. “He must really have a strong bond with her, to stick with her for this long,” I said to myself. “Twi’s a great friend, but I don’t think I could handle being her assistant.” *** That evening, I was at the piano once more. I hadn’t played in about a week, and I didn’t want to lose any progress. I’ll admit, I kind of lost myself in playing, and couldn’t help singing out loud. “...You raise me up So I can stand on mountains You raise me up To walk on stormy seas...” “Keep playing like that, and the whole neighborhood’s going to come running to hear.” I looked up. I’d left my window open, and there, leaning on the sill and being very giggly, was Moonlight. I smiled at her. “Hey, you,” I said, genially. “Come on in.” Moonlight climbed in easily, being such a thin pony, and settled beside me on the bench. There, she sidled up right beside me. “How was your trip to the Pie farm?” she asked. “Surprisingly eventful,” I said. “I think you’d really like it there, Moonlight. The idea of a rock farm’s off-putting at first, but once you get to know Pinkie’s folks, you’ll see they’re practically as close-knit as the Apples, and that’s saying something.” “Wow,” said Moonlight. “Pinkie talks about them sometimes at work, during one of her rambles, and she’s never had a bad thing to say about any of them. I’d love to meet them.” “I’m sure they’d love you,” I said, putting an arm around her and giving her a little squeeze. “A pony like you could make friends with a hydra, if you wanted to. Mind you, I’ve never actually seen a hydra in person (thank goodness), but-” Moonlight laughed. “That’s sweet of you, Dave, but I’m no Pinkie or Fluttershy.” “That’s only because you’re too good at being you,” I replied, smiling. Moonlight smiled back and leaned against me. We sat there in silence for a bit, before I suddenly remembered what Twilight had said. “I’ve got good news!” I said, right at the same time Moonlight said it. We blinked at each other in surprise. “You go first,” we both said, in the same breath. “No, you,” we persisted. Moonlight giggled, breaking up the spontaneous synchronization. “Seriously, Dave, you can go first,” she said. “All right, then,” I said. “Has Twilight been by to see you?” “Yes, she has!” said Moonlight, eagerly. “She told me! We’re working together for Winter Wrap Up!” “I know!” I said. “Isn’t that great?” “It is! I just hope I don’t mess up too badly. I’ve never been part of a Winter Wrap Up before. I don’t think so, anyway,” she added, looking thoughtful. “Trust me, Moonlight,” I said, dryly, “if anyone’s got reason to worry about messing up, it’s me. I feel like I’m always messing something up when I’m needed the most.” “Oh, don’t be so hard on yourself,” said Moonlight, nudging me in the side. “Would you still be part of the royal council if you were as big a screw-up as you think you are?” I considered. “Well, ok, you have a point,” I consented. “I do tend to exaggerate sometimes. I guess I’m just kind of nervous.” “So am I,” said Moonlight, “but we can do it together!” “Definitely,” I said. “So, what was your big news?” “Oh! Right!” Moonlight looked excited. “While you were away, they announced the next Daring Do book!” “What?! Really?” I shouted in surprise. “What is it? When’s it coming out?” “It’s called Daring Do and the Rings of Scorchero, and right now, it’s due to come out in two months.” Moonlight’s excited mood dropped a bit when she got to the release date. I didn’t blame her. “Two whole months?” I asked, disappointed. “That’s two months too many.” “I know, right? Rainbow Dash is already counting down the days.” “She and Twilight both, I bet,” I quipped, unable to keep from chuckling, and Moonlight giggled. “Well, at least we know when to look forward to it.” “Mm-hmm,” said Moonlight, nodding. I then noticed that she was looking me up and down, looking thoughtful. “Something wrong?” I asked. “No,” she said. “Far from it. You really look like you’ve lost weight, Dave!” “Do I?” I asked, looking down at myself. “I guess I never really noticed. I’m tempted, but I’m still holding off on a final weigh-in until Winter Wrap Up. I don’t wanna build up false hopes in myself and risk an early relapse out of cockiness.” “Heh, good idea,” said Moonlight. “I wonder how far Lyra and Bon Bon have gotten, if you’re doing this well.” “Well, Lyra’s been doing really well since she started,” I said, “but I’m more concerned about how soon she’ll start packing on the pounds again once she’s allowed to taste-test normal candies once more.” Moonlight burst into a fit of the giggles, and I wasn’t long in joining her mirth. With the window opened, I’d wager the Hooves family at least could hear us, and wonder what in Equestria was so funny. Sunday, February 24