The next day, about mid-afternoon, I decided to head on over to the library and see if there was something else Moonlight and I could read together. Otherwise, we’d probably just have to find something else to do. Maybe I could bring her on walks with me, or we could play board games, or find films to watch, like we did with the Daring Do movie. I had to admit, though, reading Daring Do together had been a lot of fun.
“Hey, Dave.”
“Hey, Spike.”
It took a couple seconds for me to process what I’d just heard and said, and stopped short. Wheeling around, I saw Spike sitting under an awning, a comic book in his claws.
“Time away from Twilight again?” I asked.
“Yep,” said Spike. “Thanks for not telling her where I was yesterday.”
“No problem,” I said, still remembering Twi’s ‘instructions’ and ‘precautions’. “What’s that you’re reading, by the way?”
“Power Ponies,” said Spike, looking up. “You oughta check it out sometime, Dave. It’s awesome!”
“Well, I’ve never been much into superhero comics,” I said, “but that’s not to say I don’t like superheroes in general. What’s ‘Power Ponies’ about?”
Spike, keeping his place in the book by holding his thumb between the pages, turned it around so that I could see the cover. I could see a pair of mares, a pegasus and an Earth pony, dressed in colorful, stylized jumpsuits, standing in battle-ready poses, as a stallion in the guise of an Egyptian pharaoh loomed over them menacingly. The pegasus was dressed in navy blue and white, had a wild mohawk and a lightning bolt chain around her neck, while the Earth pony was in red and black, with green wrappings around her mane and tail, a black saddle on her back, and a lasso belted at her side.
“The Power Ponies are six superheroes who protect Maretropolis from the forces of evil!” said Spike, zealously. “These two here are Zapp and Mistress Mare-velous! Zapp can call upon the power of storms with her lightning pendant, and Mistress Mare-velous battles with super strength, a psychic lasso, and hoofarangs! And the guy up there is Pharaoh Phetlock, who controls a huge army of mummy minions!”
“Wow,” I said, already noticing some parallels between these heroes and ones we had back home. “Are either of those your favorites?”
“Oh, every one of the Power Ponies is awesome!” said Spike. “But I’ll always have a soft spot for Radiance. She can make energy constructs from her jewelry. Now, I know what you’re thinking,” Spike added, shrewdly, “and I don’t blame you. A lot of fans think she’s the least interesting out of them, and that all she cares about is looking good. Sure, she’s appeared on the cover of fashion magazines at least 3 times, but they don’t understand the core of her character, her sense of altruism, her constant self-sacrifice in the face of danger! Heck, she took down High Heel all by herself when she threatened to flatten Maretropolis with giant cleats! Hers is a character only a true comic fan can appreciate!”
“I see,” I said, both amused and bemused at this. I hadn’t been implying anything at all.
“It’s an awesome series, Dave!” Spike went on. “You should totally check it out!”
“Maybe I will check it out,” I said. “You’ve definitely intrigued me.”
Spike beamed at this, and with that, we bid each other good day, and I continued on toward the library. Did the library itself carry Power Ponies comics, or would I have to borrow them from Spike? I wondered if he’d be so willing, friends though we were.
At last, I arrived at the library, and knocked on the door.
“Hoo.”
I’d know that hoot anywhere.
“It’s me, Dave,” I said.
“Hoo-hoo.”
I supposed that must mean ‘come in’, so I opened the door and stepped inside. Owlowiscious was sitting in the window closest to the door, like a vigilant lookout.
“Hey, little guy,” I said, stroking his feathers. “Is Twilight in?”
“Hoo.”
He pointed his wing in the direction of the kitchen.
“Ah, all right,” I said. “I’m just gonna browse the shelves. Now that Daring Do’s on hiatus, I need something else to read, know what I mean?”
“Hoo.”
I headed over to the bookshelves and started browsing them, beginning from the very topmost shelf of the immediate left-hand bookcase. I didn’t know what I was looking for, but I figured it paid to start from the beginning, so as not to miss anything.
“Let’s see. What would be a good genre to pursue after so many adventure stories? Hmm...Romance? Nah, I don’t think so. Horror? Ugh, definitely not. Mystery? I always did like a good mystery. I wonder if Moonlight does, too.”
“Hello, Dave!”
I looked up at that familiar voice. Twilight had trotted in, looking pleased to see me, but she wasn’t alone.
“Zecora!” I said, pleasantly surprised.
My zebra friend gave me a warm smile.
“My dear Dave, you’re a pleasant sight to see!” she said. “Would you care to join us for some tea?”
It was only then that I noticed Twilight was levitating a tea tray, fully laden.
“Well, don’t mind if I do,” I said.
The three of us sat down at the nearest table, and a mug full of tea, bearing a rather strong aroma, was placed before me. I took a tentative sniff at it, blew on it, then took a sip. The taste was as strong as the smell, and the shock nearly made me spit it back out, but I swallowed it. It reminded me of very strong spearmint, not bad-tasting, but staggering in its kick.
“Wow!” I said, with a slight cough. “That’s some powerful stuff!”
“It’s Zecora’s personal recipe,” said Twilight, “made from all-natural herbs growing in the Everfree Forest. Her blends work wonders for what ails you.”
“There is potent magic hidden in every herb and root,” said Zecora. “Bringing it out to the fullest is a worthwhile pursuit. The tiniest leaf, the smallest seed, the very merest twig can pep you up, restore your health, or make you do a jig.”
“That’s almost poetry right there,” I said, “though I don’t quite fancy doing a jig in the Everfree Forest, where the timberwolves are likely to see me.”
Twilight giggled, and Zecora chuckled.
“We were just talking about Winter Wrap Up,” said Twilight. “Since the Everfree Forest handles its own weather, there’s nothing Zecora needs to do for her neck of the woods, so to speak, so she offered to help us out in Ponyville.”
“For you ponies who showed me such kindness of heart, I am more than willing to play my own part,” said Zecora. “I will be content to be one with the crowd, as I am aware that magic is not allowed.”
“You’re not allowed to use magic during Winter Wrap Up?” I asked.
“It’s not advisable,” said Twilight. “Back in Canterlot, the unicorns use magic to clear winter away, but Ponyville was founded by Earth ponies, so we respect their legacy by doing it their way: without magic. And besides, I learned my lesson during my first Winter Wrap Up.”
“What happened?” I asked, curious.
“Well…” said Twilight, her cheeks going pink, “let’s just say I was a little desperate to do my own part, and my efforts kind of...snowballed into a big mess.”
“Oh,” I said, wondering why she laid so much emphasis on the word ‘snowballed’.
“But that’s all in the past,” said Twilight, brightly. “This Winter Wrap Up’s going to go smooth as clockwork, mark my words.”
“With you at the helm, how can it not?” I asked.
Twilight smiled.
“So, what were you looking for when Zecora and I came in?” she asked.
“Oh! Well, since Daring Do’s on hiatus-”
“Don’t remind me,” Twilight muttered, a definite bitterness in her tone.
“-I decided to see if there was anything else that Moonlight and I could read together, if no other pastimes strike our fancy. I was actually thinking about taking out a good mystery. Do you have any personal recommendations?”
Twilight’s eyes twinkled in a way I recognized: her inner bookworm had awakened.
“As if you need to ask!” she said.
Her horn flared up, and Zecora and I had to duck as several volumes came whizzing over from every corner of the room. They rotated around her head like a planetary ring, displaying the covers for me to see.
“You can never go wrong with the classic Sherlock Pones stories, or even the Nagatha Christie line: suspenseful, gripping, and full of more twists than Pinkie Pie’s hoof-made pretzels. Buuut,” she added, an idea seeming to strike her, “I think you’d also do pretty well with the adventures of Shadow Spade, one of the cleverest (and most sharp-dressed) mares in fiction!”
She showed me a volume with an attractive unicorn mare on the front cover, dressed in a burgundy rain coat and matching fedora hat, one hoof held to the brim, her visible eye looking askance with a look of serious thoughtfulness.
“I got Rarity hooked on it just recently,” said Twilight. “Normally, she’s all for romance novels, which there’s nothing wrong with, but I’ve never personally indulged in them all that much. However, once she started reading the Shadow Spade series, and saw what a mare of fashion she was, the rest was history!” She giggled, then went on, “Plus, I heard she and Moonlight really hit it off at the spa, so this could be something the three of you could enjoy together!”
“That sounds perfect!” I said. “Hook me up with the first volume, then, Madame Librarian.”
Smiling, Twilight placed the book she’d just shown me into my hands, and I set it gently aside, while the three of us commenced with our tea. I wondered how Moonlight would feel if our readings together expanded to include one more pony into the fold, or if she’d rather just confine it to the two of us and keep the subject as a talking point with Rarity whenever we met. I honestly didn’t mind either option, but I’d have to see for myself just how engaging these stories actually were before coming to any snap judgements.
“I think it’s great that you’re expanding your horizons, Dave,” Twilight said. “I just wish I could get Rainbow Dash interested in anything besides Daring Do, but I’m starting to think it’s a lost cause.”
“Truly, anypony stubborn or brash will meet their match in Rainbow Dash,” said Zecora, shaking her head.
“Oh, I dunno,” I said. “If A.K. Yearling ever gives Dowser a spinoff series (which she ought to), I’m sure Dash’d be hooked on that as well.”
“Oh, yes!” said Twilight, her eyes twinkling again. “I mean, think about it! Now that Dowser’s on his own, without Daring to shelter him, there’s so much potential to write about his own adventures! A.K. Yearling’s planted the seeds for so much potential excitement and adventure! I’m sure she gets letters about it all the time these days, so the idea can’t have escaped her. If you ask me…”
And she was off on another tangent again. Zecora looked bemused, but at least I could follow the conversation...up until Twilight started calculating the odds of a certain scene in one of the earlier books becoming foreshadowing for the next. The math flew right over my head.
Monday, February 25
***
Moonlight had been busy the previous day, and I wanted us to experience Shadow Spade’s adventures together, so I held off on reading it for myself for the time being. The next morning, I was out for my daily walk, when I heard the crunch of hooves on snow, and a familiar voice called,
“Going my way, friend?”
I looked ‘round. Lyra had trotted up to me, sweater-clad and smiling up at me, so I smiled back.
“Hey there,” I said. “I haven’t seen you or Bon Bon for a while. Where is she?”
“Back at home. She was up late last night working on a new recipe, so I let her sleep in. She looks so cute when she’s sleepy,” Lyra added, fondly. “Heck, she’s cute all the time.”
I had a fleeting mental image of Bon Bon fast asleep in a bed, and Lyra, up and awake, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek, bringing a smile to the candy mare’s face.
“So I take it things are going well between you two?” I asked.
“Really well,” said Lyra. “Do you know what it’s like, Dave, to wake up and realize that you’re sharing a room, a home, even, with the mare you love?”
“I can easily imagine it being a near-heavenly feeling,” I said.
“Couldn’t have put it better myself,” said Lyra, beaming. “How’s the diet going?”
“Pretty well,” I said. “I’m still waiting until Winter Wrap Up, or at least the night before, to give myself a final weigh-in.”
“Ahh, holding out for a dramatic finale, huh?” asked Lyra, winking. “I getcha.”
“And how about you?” I asked. “You’re looking a lot fitter than usual.”
“Flatterer,” teased Lyra. “I don’t think I’m ever gonna be ‘belly-less’, but I feel fantastic! I’m fitting in a lot of my old clothes now, ones that were feeling too tight on me before!”
“That’s wonderful!” I said. “And to think, what a fuss you made before we began, back when you were so big you broke a chair.”
“Oh, shush,” she said, bumping me in the side with her hip.
“Oh, relax,” I said. “I’m only teasing.”
“I know.”
“And how about Bon Bon?” I asked.
“She’s always been skinnier than me,” said Lyra, “so that ‘pudding belly’ of hers is practically gone now.”
“Ahh, that’s good to hear.”
“And how about your piano practice, my young grasshopper?” Lyra asked, in a mock-scholarly tone.
“I’m getting along, sensei,” I quipped back. “But I wouldn’t have made any progress without you or Bon Bon, so thank you.”
“No problem, buddy,” said Lyra. “That’s what friends do: look out for each other, just like you and Bonnie supporting me on this diet.”
She nuzzled up beside me, and I put an arm about her, smiling. After that, the pair of us just walked on in silence, content just to be side by side. At least, until a snowball hit me in the back of the head. When I turned to see who had thrown it, I didn’t see anyone, but Lyra was whistling a little too innocently, with a fading glow around her horn. That told me everything I needed to know. I retaliated with one of my own, and soon, our leisurely walk had turned into a childish snowball fight, both of us laughing like little kids.
***
That evening, after drying off and warming up, I again waited for Moonlight to potentially show up, but again, I was disappointed. I didn’t just sit around doing nothing, of course. I didn’t know whether or not she’d actually show up, as she didn’t stop by every day, but I still kept half an ear open for any knock at the door.
I wondered what it could be that was taking up her time. Was she working longer hours at Sugarcube Corner? If that was the case, then being too tired or preoccupied for anything else was perfectly justifiable. Maybe she was trying to put more time into that story she was writing, the one she apparently didn’t want me to know about. I couldn’t help wondering what the end result of it would be, if she ever did finish it, but I hoped she did, so I wanted to respect her wish to keep it quiet until she wished otherwise.
Whatever the case, I wasn’t about to begrudge her spending time doing stuff that didn’t have to do with me. She was fun to hang around with, and it warmed my heart how far she’d come since I’d first met her, but she was fully at liberty to do whatever she wanted and with whomever she chose. She was accomplishing that nicely, too, from what I could see. She was working with and hanging out with Pinkie, and had even found something in common with Rarity. Maybe she’d been spending time with other ponies I hadn’t even heard about. More power to her.
I was just putting in some more piano practice when there came a knock at the door. Wondering if that could be Moonlight, I got up to answer, but it wasn’t her. It was Rarity, levitating some rectangular clothing boxes beside her.
“Oh! Good evening, Rarity.”
“Hello, darling,” said Rarity. “I’ve come bearing the gift of new apparel, and just in time for spring!”
She separated the boxes in her magic, opening them up and displaying the contents one by one. Besides some more underpants and socks, there were two new T-shirts, a pair of jeans, and a pair of khaki pants. There was also, displayed last of all among these, a bowler hat, which she levitated onto my head. It fit perfectly.
“A bowler?” I asked, pleasantly surprised. “Rarity, you spoil me with these fancy hats.”
“Only because they suit you so well,” said Rarity, giggling. “And last, but not least, as requested by Twilight, voila!”
The last box she opened contained a large vest, dark blue, with a shield-shaped emblem close to the hem, bearing a sun symbol. She held it up for me to take a good look.
“Snazzy,” I said, approvingly.
“Isn’t it, though?” asked Rarity, fondly. “Blue suits you very well, Dave, but the brown vest of the animal division would really bring out the color of your eyes, the sort of brown that works well without needing to be an accent. Otherwise, I might have objected to it when I joined the animal division.”
“What do you do?” I asked.
“I assist in building bird’s nests,” said Rarity. “When the weather team guides the southern birds in from their time away, they’ll find very pleasant nests to live and lay their eggs in, once we’re done.”
“If you’re making them, I’m sure they’ll be lovely,” I said, sincerely.
“Oh, stop, Dave,” said Rarity, batting my hand lightly with her hoof. “If I spoil you with new clothes, you know how to spoil a lady with words.”
I couldn’t help blushing.
“I just delivered Moonlight her vest before coming over here,” Rarity went on.
“Oh? So she’s home?” I asked.
“Yes, but the poor dear was yawning worse than Applejack when she tried to harvest the apple orchards by herself. Whatever she was up to, it must’ve been exhausting.”
(Probably pulling an all-nighter on that story of hers. Poor thing.)
“Poor thing,” I said, aloud.
“I quite agree,” sympathized Rarity. “Well, if she ever needs to unwind at the spa again, she knows where to find me. I’d better be off, then. Ta, darling.”
“Good night, Rarity, and thanks.”
“You’re very welcome.”
She repacked the clothes into their boxes, gently stacked them in my arms, tipped me a wink and a smile, and trotted off back towards Ponyville. Two emotions were uppermost in me at the moment: gratitude for Rarity’s gift, and concern for Moonlight. I hadn’t even thought to bring up Shadow Spade while Rarity was here; it hadn’t felt like the proper time.
“Whatever this story Moonlight’s writing is,” I muttered, going to put away my new clothes, “I hope she finishes it soon, for her sake.”
Tuesday, February 26
***
The next day, Ironmane must’ve realized he’d forgotten to tell me how I was getting to Canterlot this time, and, to be honest, it had slipped my mind as well. Be that as it may, I received a brief letter from him which read,
David,
Be ready at 9 A.M. for your carriage to Canterlot. I apologize for not relaying this information to you earlier.
Trusting you will be punctual,
Yours sincerely,
Minister Ironmane
Thank goodness for that. Otherwise, I might have jumped the gun and made the pegasi pulling the carriage come for nothing. On the other hand, this also meant another high-up ride, and in an open carriage this time, too. My fear of heights was really being put to the test in Equestria.
Today, I took to wandering around Ponyville, paying little visits to ponies I hadn’t seen much of as of late. Daisy, Lily, and Rose were in good spirits, and had been collaborating with Golden Harvest, Applejack, and fellow market-ponies to prepare seeds for planting crops and flowers once the snow was cleared away. Even Caramel was in on it, as he’d been tasked with preparing the grass seeds, and seemed very particular about them.
“If I forget them this year,” he told me, grimly, “I’ll really be in for it.”
I didn’t quite know what he meant, but I wished them all the best of luck. Berry Punch invited me to sample some grape-lemonade she had made recently, which tasted so delicious that I immediately bought a bottle. She also showed me a new white-grape wine she had prepared for welcoming spring in, called ‘Springtime Swig’.
“Gotta ring in the new season with the good stuff, y’know,” she said, proudly, and all I could do was agree with her.
I even paid Screwball a visit at her eccentric home. It was around lunchtime, and she was so delighted to see me that she invited me in for a meal. How could I refuse? She served macaroni and alfredo ready-made and piping hot by dumping it out of a freshly-opened soup can, thumping the bottom of it like a stubborn bottle of ketchup, and poured apple juice into glasses by simply dropping fresh, whole apples into them, whereupon they spontaneously liquified, without leaving seeds behind.
“Delicious and inventive,” I told her. “You’d make a lot of chefs jealous with your skill.”
Screwball beamed, which made the sound of a baby cooing.
***
I was still roaming about around mid-afternoon, and was just on my way back home when I heard someone call out.
“There he is! Dave! Oh, Dave!”
I stopped, and turned around. I knew that voice. Sure enough, Diamond Tiara was trotting purposefully up to me, accompanied by Silver Spoon, though both were looking fairly benign.
“Hello, girls,” I said. “Something I can help you with?”
“Yes, actually,” said Diamond Tiara. “Your b- er, I mean, your Crusader friends were passing these around yesterday, and we figured you might be able to explain what they’re all about.”
I could tell she’d been about to say ‘blank flank’, and even though she had to stop herself, as though it were a bad habit she was trying to break, I was glad she restrained herself. Silver Spoon handed me a flyer, which I saw bore a doodle (and an admittedly good one at that) of a curtained, spotlit stage bearing a piano, and surrounded by musical notes. The title read ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders Amateur Concert’, and there were various captions around it. ‘Spectacular performances!’ ‘Special guest performers!’ ‘Date: To be determined’.
“Is this just another ‘Crusade’ to get their cutie marks?” asked Silver Spoon, adding sarcastic emphasis on the word ‘Crusade’.
“Yes and no,” I said. “We decided to put together an amateur concert for all of Ponyville to see. We still haven’t decided on a date, but we welcome anypony who’d like to perform. Would you two happen to be interested?”
Both girls looked surprised, then looked at each other, then back at me. Diamond Tiara looked like she was about to say something, stopped herself, then gave a scoff.
“If the Crusaders are behind it, it’s bound to at least be worth watching,” she said, though her tone suggested that this wasn’t meant as the usual compliment. “I mean, I’m sure you’ll add some class at least, Dave,” she added, in a more sincere tone.
“Thanks,” I said, willing to just accept the compliment.
“I might consider it,” Diamond Tiara went on, loftily, “if I’ve got nothing better to do.”
“Me too,” said Silver Spoon.
“Well, the more the merrier,” I said, enthusiastically.
The two fillies merely smirked at each other. However, they bid me a cordial adieu before moving on. I watched them go, feeling at an utter loss about what to make of them. They still seemed to retain some remnants of their old behavior, and yet they were usually quite polite with me, even friendly, despite their comments about my friends.
Not to mention, Silver Spoon had sent me a Hearts and Hooves card, so she at least was a degree or so friendlier than Diamond Tiara. Having met Spoiled Rich, I could see where her daughter had gotten her better-than-thou attitude, but was that the same for Silver Spoon, I wondered? It seemed even less the case, for as they were walking off, Silver Spoon turned to look back at me, and gave me a little smile, which I reciprocated with a wave.
“If I ever have kids,” I muttered, wending my way home again, “I’ll spoil them sweet, not rotten, if it ever comes to that.”
Wednesday, February 27