//------------------------------// // Here Comes a Thought // Story: Human Rituals // by Aegis Shield //------------------------------// Human Rituals Here Comes a Thought (2 Years, 2 Months Since Arrival) Hearts and Hooves Day had been a bit awkward the first time around, but two years in it didn’t seem so bad. After the Flower Festival it didn’t seem so bad anyway, haha. Pinks and reds were everywhere, decorating all the social spots in town. Twilight and her friends had gone to the Crystal Empire for the occasion, taking Spike with them. So, I had all of Castle Friendship to myself, really. But, that didn’t mean I had to be a stick in the mud about the entire holiday. Putting my bits pouch on my cord-belt, I decided to go see what sort of exotic candies and foods popped up for this holiday. Couples. Couples everywhere I looked. Nuzzling under trees, looking into each other’s eyes at café tables, and sharing kisses and candies… I couldn’t help but smile. Ponies were adorable, they really were. None of them would really look at me that way, but I didn’t figure I was missing too much. It was just like Valentine’s Day. Sugar Cube Corner was certainly bustling, and it certainly took some time for Missus Cake to answer my window knocking this time. She was dressed in scarlet and hearts, like a decorative… well, cake. “Oh hullo Peaches!” she waved as I knelt to see her better. “Happy Hearts and Hooves Day!” “And you too, Missus Cake,” I smiled. “Or as I call it, Single’s Awareness Day.” She gave a gay laugh, shaking her head. She gave me a free chocolate-with-red-sprinkles cupcake for being such a frequent customer, and I bought a box of simple dark chocolates for myself. Finding a bench someplace, I sat to pony-watch for a while. The colorful pastel equines milled about in their revelry. One thing the tiny town did love was all of their holidays. Holidays, festivals, harvests… even Nightmare Night was a very big deal around here. I suppose a small place like this out in the middle of nowhere had to have something going on to keep it exciting. My thoughts wandered for a long time, as lazy clouds rolled overhead shading and un-shading me. For some reason, they kept landing on Applejack. Not sure why really. Her family gave me a lot of work when I needed it or was short on bits. My Father, who was a printing house worker, used to always lecture me about an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay. If only he could see me now. Applejack was always very kind and honest with me. And, of course, the thoughts started wandering into the more ‘romantic’ realms. I laughed before I could stop myself, startling a passerby. I smiled apologetically, stuffing another chocolate into my mouth. That would be like making love to a squeaky toy half my size, I thought. Not exactly healthy or ehh… practical, in the long run. “Take a moment to think of just. Flexibility, love and trust,” I mumbled, staring at my open chocolate box. More than a few ears turned. “Take a moment to think of just. Flexibility, Love and Trust.” Heads started perking and a drumbeat started somewhere. “Is… is that Peaches?” Somepony gaped, but I was a bit absorbed. “Somepony get a camera, Peaches has a song to sing!” It was no secret ponies could break into song and dance, as their ‘creator’ (or god or something) really liked musical numbers. Music could be ethereal and come from nowhere. “Here comes a thought that might alarm you, what someone did, and how they loved you,” I stood as a swirl of flower petals flew about me. The chocolates lay forgotten as I was almost carried away in my own song. “Peaches is experiencing a Harmony Moment!” somepony cried. Leaves and flower petals swirled all about, vaguely resembling a human shape. A young woman in a sun dress and long, beautiful hair. “And oh, I’m losing sight. I’m losing touch. With all the little things that used to matter so much. And they confuse me. And I might lose me.” She offered her hand, and I hesitated too long to take it before the leaves flew away in a spray of spring color. A blurry pony shape took her place before vanishing. “Ohhh!” A pony leaned out a window as the music took hold of the townsponies. Little dance formations formed around my waistline and a path was made. It was like a hive mentality of song and dance numbers. Everypony knew their part even if they’d never played it before. Such an odd thing to see. “Take a moment, remind myself to, take a moment to find myself. Take a moment to ask myself if this is how love falls apart,” A long-forgotten wallet and ancient picture floated from my back pocket to unfurl about me. “But it’s not, but it’s not, but it’s not, but it’s not, but it’s not…” I touched the curled, torn picture. I could barely recognize the face anymore. The wallet was pure habit, since I couldn’t keep bits in there. It fell apart before my eyes and the tiny picture was caught in the wind. “It’s okay, It’s okay, It’s okay, It’s okay, It’s okay,” Another spin of flower petals and wind sent me to an ice cream store window. A mare and stallion sat side by side in a booth, sharing a float. I imagined myself there for a moment, a faceless mare giggling quietly next to me. “I’ve got nothin’, got nothin’, got nothin’, got nothin’ to fear. I’m here, right now! I’m here, right now!” The wind TORE the tiny photo away into oblivion. “And this is just the start!” Ponies applauded, whistling for my short song. Harmony moments, I’d always been told, were from the heart and nature itself would help one express such feelings. *_*_*_*_*_*_* The scream of the arriving train sounded when the sun touched the horizon. Twilight and her friends got off as a laughing, chattering herd of stories and jokes and glittery heart stickers being thrown by Pinkie Pie. “Oh hey Peaches!” Rarity waved, making everyone’s head turn. “Take a moment to think of just, flexibility love and trust…” I mumbled, eyes set on Applejack for a moment. The trees trilled quietly in a phantom breeze. “Uh, A-Applejack, can I talk to you?” I asked. “Sure thing, Sugarcube. Oof! Help me with this bag, huh? They weighed us down with food on the way out!” She said, heaving a great big cooler filled with who knew what. Twilight and the others watched us go, whispering conspiratorially amongst themselves. Months of working together passed before my eyes. The harvest rushes, the barn painting and odd jobs. That coy smile and shoulder-punching, more than something a big sister might do. It felt right. Applejack and I dated for about a year. And yes, it was like making love to a squeaky toy. The break-up was mutual, but not too painful as breakups go. But at the end of it all, I realized I’d gone native amongst these cartoon colored ponies.