“Permanent Vacation”
Stare Master or Twilight Gets Stoned
“Hey, Dad. Can I go to Sweetie’s sleepover tonight?”
I glance up from reading the newspaper at Scootaloo. “When did this come up, and when were you planning on telling me?”
She rubs the back of her head. “Heh. Sweetie brought it up yesterday and I kinda, maybe forgot to tell you right away.
I sigh and shake my head, but smirk anyway. “Fine. Go enjoy yourself tonight, and don’t give Rarity too much trouble.”
“Thanks, Dad! I’ll see you tomorrow!” Before I can respond, she’s out the door.
I roll my eyes and smile, turning my attention back to the newspaper. Frankly, I could care less about the articles, save for one. Trixie’s School for the Performing Arts (She finally settled on the name after some gentle nudging from outside parties) was due to be opening in Ponyville soon, and already ponies were applying to be students or have a job as part of the faculty. With a smile, I briefly scan the article for anything that I didn’t already know. Finding nothing, I fold the paper up and toss it in the trash.
I think we need to have a little celebration in honor of Trixie tonight. Time to hit up the girls and see who’s available. With a spring in my step, and Sonja’s too, we head out into the fresh morning air. Since it’s the closest, the first stop is Golden Oaks. I push open the door and walk in. “Twilight! Spike! You here?”
“Well, obviously she or Spike is. They wouldn’t leave the door to the place unlocked if they were both out.”
“In the kitchen!” I head over to the kitchen, finding Twilight sitting at her table. “Morning, Blake, Sonja. Want something to eat or drink?”
I shake my head. “Nah, I already ate. Thanks for the offer though.” I jerk my head towards Sonja. “You can feed her attention though.”
She giggles. “Of course. Come here, Sonja.” Sonja eagerly makes her way over to Twilight and sits at her feet. Twilight reaches down and starts rubbing the back of Sonja’s head. “You hungry?” Sonja’s ears perk up. “Alright if I give her some food?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t see why not.”
With her free hand, Twilight grabs a small piece of toast off her plate and holds it down near Sonja. Sonja gingerly takes it from her hand, then quickly backs away to wolf it down. Twilight just smiles. “So, what did you need? I don’t think you came here just for a piece of toast for Sonja.”
I chuckle. “Nah, I actually came to invite you to a little celebration.”
“Oh? What’s the occasion?”
“I’m sure you read the paper this morning?”
She nods her head. “Of course. I read it everyday.” She snaps her fingers. “Oh, are you talking about Trixie’s school?”
I nod my head. “Yep. It’s a momentous occasion for her, so why not celebrate it?”
“It’s a wonderful idea, but I won’t be able to attend. I’m supposed to be meeting Zecora today. She’s giving me some lessons on zebra potion making and some insight into her culture.”
I shrug my shoulders. “Okay, was worth a shot though. I’ll be seeing you around then. Enjoy your time with Zecora.”
“I will, as long as you enjoy your celebration tonight.”
I smirk. “Oh, we will, Twilight, we will.” With a whistle, I turn around and head for the front door. I hold it open as Sonja heads out, stepping out after her and shutting the door behind me. Now, who would be the most logical to head to next? I’m saving Trixie for last, so she’s out. Hmm… Today might be the day Applejack’s at the market, so looks like she’s next. As I walk, I idly hum to myself. It’s a nice day, positively brimming with sunshine. Maybe I’ll spend some time outside today after all.
“So, I hear you’re planning a party for Trixie?”
I look to my right. It’s somewhat unnerving how Pinkie is able to sneak up on anyone without them knowing. I nod my head. “Yes, I am. How’d you know?” …I instantly regret asking that after the words leave my mouth.
She giggles. “Pinkie Sense, duh!”
I sigh, but smile anyway. “Should have known there’s a Pinkie Sense for that. What’s the signs?”
“No signs, I’m just messing with you! I actually overheard you and Twilight talking.” I raise an eyebrow at that. We were inside the library, and to my knowledge, there wasn’t any windows open. Not gonna ask.
“But I am! So, how’d you hear them, Pinkie?”
“…Why you gotta start shit?”
“Just to see you squirm.”
She giggles. “Oh, that’s an easy one! I was actually refilling my party stashes inside the library!”
“…Party stashes?”
She nods her head. “Uh huh!” I stare at her. “What? You thought they magically refill themselves?”
I shake my head. “No… I’m just questioning how many of these stashes you have, just for parties only, and how many of them you have stashed in my house.” I place a finger to her lips before she can speak. “But I honestly don’t care how many there are, or where they are, as long as they don’t interfere with my life.” I slowly pull my finger away from her mouth.
“Okie dokie then! So, how big a party you gonna throw?”
“Nothing major. Just a little get together with you girls and Trixie, maybe Vinyl too if she’s up for it.”
Pinkie seems to pout a little, but the bubbly smile returns to her as fast as it disappeared. “Small parties can still be fun! Who else have you talked to?”
“As of right now, just you and Twilight. I’m heading to Applejack’s market stand right now, and then I’ll head over to Vinyl’s.”
She nods her head. “Okay! I’m always up for a party! I’ll go see if everypony else is able to come! Don’t you worry, Blake! Pinkie Pie, party planner extraordinaire, is going to make sure this party goes exactly according to plan!”
“Pinkie, you don’t—” And she’s gone, a pink blur dashing away. Well… Guess my work here is done? If she’s handling who’s coming, then I got nothing else to do. With a shrug, I figure I should go see Trixie’s school. I haven’t seen the progress on it since the foundation was laid.
Due to how limited building space is in town, the school itself is situated on the same path to the Ponyville schoolhouse. So with a little concentration, I teleport Sonja and myself to the schoolhouse. Classes are in session, so I don’t disturb anybody as I materialize on the front lawn and start walking down the road. Sticking to it, I follow it back towards Ponyville till the sounds of construction become clear. Right before an offshoot in the road is the sign directing me towards my left that this is the direction to follow if I want to reach the school.
While it isn’t finished, I still give a whistle of appreciation to what I see as the school comes into view. The outside is done, so most of the sounds I’m hearing must be coming from inside. It takes a bit, but I finally realize that the overall architecture is strangely reminiscent of Canterlot High. Huh, that’s… Weird, I must say. “Come to bask in Trixie’s school?”
I tear my eyes away from the school to look at Trixie, Sonja already at her feet and getting some well-deserved attention from Trixie. “Of course. Wanted to see how extravagant the school really was. I’m curious though, where’d you get the idea for the design? It seems so out of place when compared to the rest of Ponyville.”
“Would you believe me if I said it came from a dream?” I nod my head, prompting her to continue. “It was so vivid that I could recall every detail of the exterior. At first, I was hesitant to even consider it, simply because of how different it was from the rest of Ponyville. But the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. This school is meant to be a place for the performing arts. That means being unique and different from everypony else, and being free to express yourself. The students can’t be that if the school isn’t like that.”
I smile. “A wise choice, I must say.”
“Oh, I need to show you something too. You’re gonna love this.” Trixie grabs my hands and start pulling me towards the back of the school. She takes me to the top of a little hillside and lets go of my hand. “Well, what do you think?”
Nestled at the bottom of the hill is a massive amphitheater. With a grin, I teleport down to the stage, turning around to gaze out at the rows upon rows of seats built into the side of the hill. There’s even enough aerial space for any pegasi to move clouds in to sit on instead. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Even now, I can hear the crowds calling my name and screaming for more.
A hand on my shoulder snaps me out of my fantasy. “So…?”
I smile. “You didn’t do this just for me, did you?”
Trixie rolls her eyes. “Of course not. What type of performing arts school would this be without a stage to perform on?” She then smirks. “However, if non-students wish to perform here too, Trixie won’t stop them.”
I smirk. “And you want the first use of it to be by me?”
“Like I said, Trixie won’t say no.”
Now it’s my turn to roll my eyes. “Come on, Trixie. I know you better than you think. There’s some ulterior motive here.”
She scoffs, closing her eyes and placing a hand to her chest while looking away. “Trixie should be insulted that you’d even insinuate such a thing! Trixie is merely informing you of her brand new stage for performances.”
I chuckle. “Come now, Trixie. Just come clean already. Or need I remind you that you schemed just to steal a jar of peanut butter from me?”
She points a finger at me. “Successfully, I’ll add!”
I shake my head. “Not something you should be proud of.”
She shrugs her shoulders. “Eh, I’ll take what little victories I get.”
“Now, what is it that you want?”
She huffs and crosses her arms. “You take the fun out of some things, you know?”
I nod my head. “I do. Now quit stalling.”
“Fine. Would you be willing to guest lecture at times? It’ll generate great publicity, and I’ll let you be the first one to use the stage.”
I pause. Honestly, wasn’t expecting this. I’m no teacher, let alone an expert in my field, but like Trixie said, it’ll generate great publicity… I nod my head. “Yeah, I’ll do it.”
She smiles. “I figured you wouldn’t say no.”
I roll my eyes and chuckle. “Right, cause you know me so well. Then tell me why I’m really here.”
“You’re here to tell me that you’re throwing a party tonight to celebrate the school being almost complete and my success in life so far, and you want me to be there.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Uh… Yeah. How’d you…?” I pause. “Pinkie told you already, didn’t she?”
She laughs. “Of course she did!”
I sigh and roll my eyes. “Well, so much for me being the one to surprise you. I take it you didn’t decline?”
“Me? Refuse a chance to be in the spotlight, basking in the adoration of ponies? Surely you must be joking?”
I nod my head and smirk. “Right, right. The great Trixie never misses a chance to be the center of attention. Then I expect for you to be at the party.” I teleport back up to where Sonja rests on the hillside. I pat my hip for Sonja to heel, and begin focusing on making the leap to home.
“Um… Actually…” I stop focusing and glance over my shoulder at Trixie. “Pinkie maybe neglected to give me all the details… Such as where and when.”
There’s a rumbling sound that’s coming from the ground. A few seconds later, a hole opens up and Pinkie pokes her head out, dirt coating her face and hair. She also has a mining hat on her head. “Ohhh, yeah, that’d be helpful to know!”
“Six, and my place.”
“Okie dokie then! I’ll make sure to tell everypony else that from now on!” She disappears back into the hole. Before I can look down into it, it’s filled back up with dirt.
“Well, there’s your answer.” I turn my attention back to Trixie. “Anything else you’d like to know?”
Trixie just stares at where the hole was. “Uh… Has she… Always been able too…?”
I shrug my shoulders. “Probably. I mean, it is Pinkie. If you’re gonna live here, I suggest you learn the first rule of Pinkie. Don’t ever question the logic or abilities of Pinkie Pie.”
Trixie shakes her head. “But she just dug a tunnel from here to wherever at speeds nopony should be able to and without any visible equipment!”
I chuckle. “Like I said, don’t question it. Yes, it makes my brain hurt and is not logical, but trying to understand it is more pain than it’s worth.”
She sighs. “Something I have to look forward to, I suppose. How do you deal with it anyway?”
I smile. “Ignorance is bliss. Also, the occasional drink of something. Helps to forget what it is I want to forget.”
“…There gonna be some of these drinks tonight?” I nod my head. “Good, because I’m gonna need it.”
“Right… Well, I’m gonna leave you be, what with me actually having to get everything ready for the party, but I’ll see you later.” A quick teleport later, and I’m back inside my house. I’ve got a lot to do in such a short amount of time, so better get started now.
I’m so engrossed in finishing up everything for the party that I don’t even realize what time it is until Sonja barks to inform me of someone at the door. I glance up at the clock. Wow, a quarter till six. Time really flew by. I head to the front door and open it. “You’re early.”
“Trixie wanted to be absolutely sure she was the first one to get to her party.”
I smirk and lean on the door frame. “Pretty sure you got beat in that regard. In the time it took for me to answer the door, Pinkie probably got inside somehow and will be sitting in the kitchen with all the food and drinks.” I stand aside and motion for her to come in.
She scoffs as she steps inside, as I shut the door behind her. “Please, nopony else has arrived yet, I know that… For…” Her words die as I watch her enter the kitchen.
Unable to suppress a giggle, I follow her into the kitchen. Pinkie has wrapped a now wide eyed Trixie in a hug. “Congratulation on your new school and job, Trixie! I’m super-duper happy for you!” Pinkie let’s Trixie go and looks behind her at me. “Hi, Blake! Wow, you’re getting really good at guessing what I’m gonna do! It’s like you know before I do!”
I smile. “I guess I must be good at guessing then, Pinkie.” I walk in front of Trixie and snap my fingers. She blinks her eyes and shakes her head. “Those drinks I said about earlier? On the counter, mix them yourself.” I managed to have enough time to head out and stock up on a bit of alcohol for tonight. Nothing top shelf, mind you, and some common mixer ingredients I deemed sufficient enough to suit everyone, plus some non alcoholic stuff to add some variety.
“Yeah… Yeah, that’d be great right now.” She walks over and starts combining some things with what seems is practiced ease.
Pinkie comes over to my left side and leans on my shoulder, watching Trixie. “Soooo… Think I broke her too soon?”
I turn my head to look at Pinkie, noting the coy smile she has on her face. Oh, she know’s exactly what she did. “Nah, better to start early than to have another Twilight incident on our hands. Just… Try not to break her too much, please? I really don’t want her to be drinking herself into a stupor.”
“Okay, dialing it back down to eleven!”
I hear a knock on the door. “Okay then… Why don’t you, Uh… Get some food and something to drink and enjoy yourself while I go get the door.”
She giggles and makes a beeline for the food. “Already enjoying myself!”
“Keep her away from the alcohol, please. I don’t want to know what a drunk Pinkie can do.”
“Duly noted.”
I go to the door and answer it. Vinyl and Rainbow are waiting on the other side. “Heard you’re throwing a party.”
I smirk. “That I am, Rainbow, that I am. Come in.” I stand aside for them both.
Rainbow wastes no time in going to the kitchen. “Aw geez! You’re already starting, Trixie?! You could have at least waited till everypony else was here!”
Vinyl glances at me. “She started what, exactly?”
“First introduction to Pinkie Pie reality warping, and I provided booze. Not that hard to figure out what happens next.”
Vinyl nods her head. “Ah. The only logical response to being introduced to that side of Pinkie for the first time.”
I can’t help laughing. “All too true.” As I go to shut the door behind Vinyl, an aquamarine hand grabs the door. I motion for Vinyl to get going while I pull the door open once more.
“We too late for the party?”
I shake my head. “Actually, you’re ahead of schedule, Lyra.” I turn my attention to the other mare with Lyra. Greenish grey skin, cobalt and fuchsia hair reminiscent of Sweetie Belle, and wearing white shorts with a belt buckle in the shape of a wrapped candy, and a sky blue shirt with three more wrapped candies on it under a white jacket. Only one person who this could be. “And you must be Bon-Bon.”
Bon-Bon nods her head. “Ponyville’s only candy maker extraordinaire, and lover of this troublemaker.” She reaches up and tousles Lyra’s hair. She forgot to add in ex-secret agent to that list, but surely I wouldn’t know anything about that, nor would I divulge any info if I knew anything, which I don’t.
Lyra swats her hand away. “Oh, don’t act like you don’t enjoy bailing me out of trouble.”
Bon-Bon smirks. “Well, I won’t deny that there’s a certain appeal to it.”
I can’t help smirking at the sight before me. These two are definitely ‘Best Friends’. “Come on in before you two ravage each other on my front lawn.”
“Tempting offer, but we’re not dressed for it.” Bon-Bon gingerly closes my mouth for me as she walks by me into the house. Damn… I like this girl. Although I thought she would be the voice of reason to Lyra.
“If she wasn’t taken, I’d tell you to be all over that!”
Lyra giggles. “Now you see why I love her.” I nod my head as Lyra follows Bon-Bon into the house. I shake my head and close the door. The people I make friends with sometimes makes me question my own sanity.
I pour myself a cup of coffee and idly take a sip from it. All in all, things went smoothly. Everyone had a good time, I managed to clean the place up, and got some decent sleep. Not a bad night, I’d say. Everyone was also sober enough to leave of their own volition. A knock on the door draws my attention. I blink. Huh, wonder who that could be? Scootaloo wouldn’t be home yet. Setting my coffee down, I go to the door and open it. “Ah, morning, Rarity. Here to drop off Scootaloo?”
She smiles. “And a good morning to you too. I’m actually on my way to pick up the Crusaders from their sleepover. Would you care to join me?”
I raise an eyebrow. “I thought they were having that over at your place?”
“That was the plan, yes, but I got so behind on orders that I wouldn’t be able to work and chaperone them.”
I lean against the doorframe. “So… Where are they then?”
“Why, with Fluttershy. She offered to let the Crusaders have their sleepover at her home instead.”
I stare at her. “With… Fluttershy…”
She tilts her head. “Yes. Is something the matter? Fluttershy assured me they’d be no trouble for her, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
I shake my head. “Oh, I’m not worried about her ability to chaperone, believe me, but you do know what kind of trouble those three get into when crusading, and considering the fact they’re extremely close to the Everfree…”
The smile on Rarity’s face slowly drops to a frown. “Well, I do see your concern…”
I sigh. “Stand still, I’ll teleport us there.” I step outside, shut the front door, and focus on Fluttershy’s cottage. More specifically, the bridge across the stream out front. With a bit of extra power because of bringing Rarity along, I feel the familiar sensation of teleportation yank on my being.
I do a quick glance around. Yep, right on target. I hear laughter from around the back of the cottage, and Rarity must have too since she’s already making her way there. I catch up to Rarity, and together, we round the corner. The Crusaders themselves are running around and playing what looks to be tag, while Twilight and Fluttershy sit at a table drinking tea and talking.
“Good morning, Fluttershy, Twilight,” Rarity says.
They both look at us. “Good morning.”
“Oh, good morning.”
I nod my head. “Morning to you both.” I turn my attention to Twilight. “Didn’t expect you here, Twilight.”
She rubs the back of her head and looks away. “Neither did I. It’s kinda a long story.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Oh? Tell me in a bit here. First,” I look at Fluttershy, “I trust you had no trouble with the Crusaders?”
She giggles. “Oh, they were perfect little angels.”
Rarity and I share a glance. “Forgive us dear if we find that hard to believe.”
I shake my head. “But, you were the one in charge of them. If they behaved for you, so be it.”
“Well, I do suppose you’re right, Blake. And I’m terribly sorry, but I’m afraid I need to get back to the Boutique. Fashion to create and ideas that need inspiration and all that. Girls!” The Crusaders keep playing. “Girls! Please, we need to get going!”
Fluttershy stands up from her seat. “Girls.”
The Crusaders stop what they’re doing and line up in front of Fluttershy. “Yes, Fluttershy?” They say in unison. I raise an eyebrow and glance at Rarity, her eyes wide and mouth open.
“Blake and Rarity are here to take you home. Please get everything you brought together so they can take you home.”
“Okay, Fluttershy!” The Crusaders run into the Cottage, leaving us alone.
I turn to Fluttershy. “Okay, spill the beans. What did they do, and what did you do to get them to listen to you like that?”
“Umm… Please don’t be mad, but they… Went into the Everfree forest.”
“They did what?!” I cringe at Rarity’s shriek.
I raise an eyebrow. “For what reason?”
“Elizabeak, one of my chickens, got loose and ran into the Everfree. I don’t know how or when, but they snuck out when I wasn’t looking to go after her.”
“And… That doesn’t explain how you got them to listen to you.”
“I was getting to that. Once I saw they were gone, I followed them into the Everfree. I didn’t find them right away, but I did find Twilight turned to stone.”
“I’m terribly sorry, but did I hear you right, Fluttershy? Twilight turned to stone?”
Twilight nods her head. “Yes, you heard right. On my way back from Zecora’s, I ran into a cockatrice. By the time I realized what it was, it was too late for me to do anything.”
I can’t suppress the smirk on my face. “So, you’re saying you got stoned?”
“Turned to stone, yes.”
I shake my head. “Nah, it’s funnier if you say stoned, but please continue.”
“After I found Twilight, I realized what was out there and looked harder for the girls. I found them just in time too, because the cockatrice showed up and turned Elizabeak to stone.”
“Oh my stars. What happened next?”
Fluttershy kicks the ground with a hoof and looks at Twilight. “Well… I stared it down.”
I blink. “Okay, you stared it down? What the hell does that mean? It’s a cockatrice, something you’re not supposed to look at.”
“Umm… I have this thing with my animals where I stare at them if they’re unruly to get them to listen. I guess I did the same thing with the cockatrice.”
I raise an eyebrow. “You guess?”
She nods her head. “It really became a blur once I saw how frightened the Crusaders were. Anyway, it backed off and turned everypony, and chicken, back to normal.”
I nod my head. “And the Crusaders listen to you out of respect for facing down a cockatrice.” …Or fear, whichever works. But anybody being afraid of Fluttershy? Impossible. “I must say, I’m impressed you faced one down. Kudos to you.”
“After that, we came back here and I had just finished bringing Twilight up to speed when you showed up.”
Twilight nods her head. “Your story will make an excellent friendship report to the Princess.”
I cross my arms. “And what’s that lesson? Don’t bite off more than you can chew?”
“Actually, yes it is.”
Before I can say anything else, the Crusaders come back out, so I turn my attention to them instead. I glare at Scootaloo. “Uh… Did I do something wrong?” I continue glaring, but raise an eyebrow. “I swear, we didn’t do anything this time.” I start tapping my foot on the ground. “Okay! We went into the Everfree without an adult! Geez, you happy now?!”
I smirk. “Yes I am. You girls should know better.”
“We were only trying ta help.”
“Yeah! We know how much Fluttershy cares about her animals, so we wanted to find Elizabeak for her before something happened.”
“We didn’t mean to worry everypony so much.”
“That’s no excuse for running off into danger without telling somepony first,” Rarity says.
The Crusaders hang their heads and say sorry in unison. I can tell they’re genuinely sorry for doing this. “And you’ve learned why we don’t want you in the Everfree?” They nod their heads. I sigh. “To be honest, I can’t truly be mad at you three.” All eyes turn to me.
“How can you say that, Blake? They went into one of the most dangerous places in Equestria unsupervised, and you’re saying you aren’t upset?”
I shake my head. “Back it up a sec, Twilight. I never said I wasn’t upset. I’m not mad, but it still upsets me. In the same token, I do need to thank them for going into the Everfree.”
“I’m not sure I follow, dear.”
“Okay, let me say this. How long do you think Twilight would have been stoned before anyone found her, let alone found the cockatrice that did it? How many of us would have been stoned, or worse, while searching for her in the vast and uncharted forest known as the Everfree?”
“When you say it like that, I can understand. I mean, I only found Twilight because I was looking for the Crusaders. Without them, who knows who long it would have been before Twilight was found.”
“So… You aren’t mad since we technically saved Twilight?” Scootaloo asks.
“Again, no. But you’re still grounded.”
Scootaloo sighs. “Dang it.”
I smirk. “You didn’t think you’d actually get away without a punishment, did you? I’m not raising you right, apparently.”