//------------------------------// // Busy First Week of Spring // Story: Living in Equestria // by Blazewing //------------------------------// *splish* “Oh, for crying out loud…” Just as I had predicted last night, the second I stepped out my front door the next morning, I stepped in the puddle that had pooled there. The water surged into my shoe and soaked my sock. Even the cuff of my pant leg got drenched. I sighed. “Well, that's on me,” I muttered. “I knew that would happen, and I completely forgot about it.” I got my morning mail, went back inside, and did the best I could to dry off my shoe and foot before putting on a new sock. There was only a single letter and the newspaper. Looking at the former, however, I saw that it bore an official-looking seal on the envelope, and read ‘Councilstallion David, Ponyville’ as the recipient, and ‘Prince Shining Armor, Crystal Empire’ as the sender. Wondering what Shining Armor could be contacting me for, I eagerly opened the letter and read it out. “Dear Dave, I hope you’ve been doing well. Things have really been picking up ever since the Empire was saved from King Sombra. Ponies are pouring in from all over Equestria to see it. You and the rest of the Council must’ve done a great job promoting it in your speeches. Cadence and I have been kept really busy making sure everypony gets the full Crystal Empire experience, and Minister Ironmane’s been lending a hoof as well. It’s been a bit exhausting, but it’s all worth it. The real reason I’m writing is because we’ve uncovered something that could really benefit the Brimstone Lounge. The Empire has a special group of royal geologists and mineralogists, including some alumni from a prestigious institute of rockology, the finest I’ve ever seen, and they recently unearthed a pocket of gemstones. A big one, too; if the one Sparkler Hooves recommended ever runs dry, she can rest easy knowing we’ve got even more to keep the dragons at the Lounge fed with. Some of the gems that have been found would really fascinate Rarity. Perfectly-formed icosahedrons, like a traditional O&O die, and I’ll bet they roll perfectly. Then again, Cadence and I have been told that the shape doesn’t dictate the taste of gems for dragons; it’s the luster and color that determine a gem’s flavor. At least, whenever I’ve asked Spike how a gem tastes, he always describes it as though he’s eating candy or potato chips. Anyways, I think the Lounge is gonna do just fine if we keep having luck like this. I know Twilight has no reason to complain, either. Now that ponies and dragons are friends, she’s probably already ordering whatever dragon-related literature she can. I wouldn’t be surprised if she submitted a research paper on the subject. Still, I’m glad she also finds time to help you out with your council work. Hope to see you again soon. Sincerely, Shining Armor” Well, this was fantastic news! The Lounge was sure to prosper under such good fortune as this! Still, what on earth was an ‘O&O die’, or an icosahedron? That was the only part that puzzled me, but I set aside the letter all the same and picked up the morning paper. As I flipped through it, I thought I saw a familiar image printed in the advertisements. A second later, I realized it was just something else, an ad for Serenade’s music store. However, for a moment, I thought I’d seen the flyer for the amateur concert printed there, and was about to question how the girls had managed that. Still, by this time, I was certain word had already spread all throughout Ponyville. “I just wonder how long it'll be until Vinyl and Octavia are settled in,” I said to myself, “not to mention who else is gonna sign up.” For that matter, I didn't even know what I was going to play. Sweetie Belle said she was going to be on the lookout for songs, but now that it was Monday, I supposed I'd have to wait until after school one of these days to hear from her. In the meantime, I couldn't leave my dragon assignment sitting idle for too long. I'd have to go see Twilight about it, check and see when she'd be available to help out. I could only imagine how much she'd freak out over new information on dragons. As I gathered up the materials I'd gotten from Cirrus and Nimbus, to let her peruse for herself, another thought came to me. Twilight hadn't said anything recently about the possibility of sending me home. I could only suppose that meant nothing had changed in our favor. It was ridiculous to assume that she'd forgotten. But then again, a lot had been going on: everything to do with the Crystal Empire, Winter Wrap Up, and whatever may have constituted a normal day for her otherwise. She had much more important things to worry about than dealing with me 24/7. Was it worth it even to ask? In the end, I decided to let the mood she was in decide my course of action. If she was irritable or busy, I'd simply ask when would be a good time to conduct another homework session, then take my leave. If she was in a better mood, I'd risk inquiring after talking about the assignment. Plus, I could show her her brother’s letter. With that in mind, I gathered up my materials and headed out. *** When I arrived at the library and knocked, it was some time before I got a response. Then, there was a clatter, and the door was flung open by Spike. “Oh! Hey, Dave!” “Hi, Spike,” I said. “Is Twilight in?” “Yeah, she’s upstairs,” Spike said, gesturing with his thumb. “Did you want to see her?” “Only if she’s not too busy.” Spike glanced at the papers in my hand, considered for a moment or two, then shrugged. “You should be fine, buddy. Come on in.” “Thanks.” I headed inside and up the stairs. I found Twilight seated on her bed, holding two books in front of her magically, as well as a quill over a piece of paper next to her. Every now and then, she would scribble something on the paper. The books obscured her face from me, so I was sure she didn’t know who had come in, until she said, in a casual tone, “Hi, Dave. I’ll be with you in just a second.” I stared, perplexed. “How did you know it was me?” I asked. “Have you been practicing a divination spell or something.” “No.” With a snap, both books closed at the same time, revealing Twilight’s face, wearing a slightly smug smile. “Your shoes don’t make the same sound as Spike’s claws do,” she said. “I’ve learned to differentiate the two by now.” “Oh,” I said, taken aback a little by such a mundane answer. “Er, right.” Twilight still smiled, but it was her usual gentle and friendly smile by now. “Was there something you needed, Dave?” “Only if it’s not a bad time,” I said. “You look kind of busy.” “Oh, this?” Twilight asked, gesturing to the tomes floating beside her. “It’s just a little side project I have going on. I’m comparing a recent, modern edition of Donkey Quixote with the original text, to see what was changed, and to make notes on whether or not these changes were for the better.” “Oh,” I said, intrigued. “What have you discovered so far?” “Well, so far, the recent adaptation flows just as well as the original,” said Twilight, “and it’s easier to understand at some points, too, but at other times, the changing of dialogue or use of different descriptions lessens the impact for a true fan, so it’s hard to decide which one you’d rather read. I also found 17 typos!” she added, with an excited little squeal. “Oh,” I said. I wasn’t really sure if that was something to be proud of, but then again, this was Twilight. “But, like I said, it’s just a side project,” said Twilight. “What was it you needed?” “Well, I think I have a project that’ll really suit your fancy, Twi,” I said, grinning. “Minister Ironmane sent me a new assignment, to write about dragons. I was hoping we could arrange another homework night.” At the sound of the word ‘dragons’, Twilight's eyes lit up with acute interest, the books landing with heavy thuds on the bed beside her. Next second, however, her lips were pursed in a thoughtful way. “I'd be glad to, but I don't think we could do it today. This is a long book, so it’s going to keep me busy for a few days at least. Princess Celestia also hinted that she was going to send me some new spells to practice soon.” My heart sank a little, but her work did come first. “I understand,” I said. “When is this assignment due?” Twilight asked. “In two weeks.” Twilight rubbed her chin thoughtfully for a second or two, then called, “Spike! Could you fetch me my planner?” Within seconds, Spike appeared at Twilight’s side, a leather-bound day planner in his claws, and the expression of one complacently accustomed to this sort of routine. Twilight accepted it in her magic. “Thanks,” she said, before opening it. She flipped through several pages, mumbling to herself as her amethyst-colored eyes roved left to right, top to bottom. I waited on tenterhooks, worried that she might not be able to find a free space of time in her schedule. I know it seemed like I was utterly dependent on her for these assignments, but her assistance meant a great deal. She made it all easier to understand. At last, she nodded and turned back to me. “How does a week from today sound? I’ll need to read over what you have to gain a good understanding, but that’ll still leave us plenty of time.” My heart lifted again. “Great! Thanks, Twi.” “Of course,” said Twilight, smiling. “So, if you’re ok with it, could you leave what Minister Ironmane sent to you with me? Brutus promised that dragon literature would be hitting the shelves and archives soon, but it hasn’t arrived here yet. I promise you’ll get them back in good condition,” she added, with a wink. “Oh, of course!” I said. “I’d be glad to!” As I handed the papers over to her, Twilight’s eyes fell on the letter Shining Armor had sent me. “Oh, right!” I said, remembering, and handing it to her as well. “Your brother happened to send that to me.” “Did he now?” She lifted it up and read it through, giggling a little as she progressed. “That was really nice of him,” she said, at last. “And them finding even more gems for the Lounge is great news!” “It is,” I agreed. “Only, what does he mean by ‘O&O die’ and ‘icosahedron’?” “Oh,” said Twilight, rolling her eyes in amusement. “He means ‘Ogres and Oubliettes’. It’s a fantasy role playing game he and his friends used to play in high school, and it uses an icosahedral, or 20-sided, die. He’s got Spike hooked on it, as a matter of fact.” “You say that like it’s something to be embarrassed about,” said Spike, loftily, his arms folded. “I wouldn’t expect you or the girls to understand. I’m sure if Dave saw it for himself, he’d love it.” “I’m sure I would,” I said, grinning. “It sounds a lot like a game back home, one I’ve never actually played before, but always wanted to.” “Then we need to set up a guy’s night to get you initiated, my friend,” said Spike, with a grin of his own. “All right, all right,” said Twilight, giggling. “Was that all you needed, Dave?” I was about to say ‘no’, when I remembered what else I’d planned to ask. I looked awkwardly down at my feet, shuffling them. “Er, actually, Twi, there’s one other thing,” I said, tentatively. “I, er, don’t suppose you’ve seen any...you know, changes to...certain arrangements?” I finished, waving my hand vaguely and grinning very awkwardly. I knew I was doing a poor job of being subtle about the matter. Spike stared at me as if lobsters were coming out of my ears. Twilight seemed to guess what I was trying to ask, however. She shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry, Dave,” she said. “I’ve been very busy with other work, but whenever I get even the slimmest chance, I check the signs. Still nothing.” I was expecting that, but it still left a dull pang inside. Spike now seemed to understand, as he looked from me to Twilight, a slightly anxious look on his face. “It’s all right, Twilight,” I said. “You’ve got better things to do than fret about me 24/7, let alone helping me with all of my council work.” “You’re worth fretting about, Dave,” said Twilight, patting my hand with a kind smile. “I want to find out how you came here and how to get you back just as much as you do. If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s an unsolved mystery, especially when a friend is entangled in it.” “You and me both,” I said, feeling a surge of gratitude for her compassion. “Besides, Princess Celestia and Minister Ironmane know I’m something like your ‘court advisor’,” Twilight went on. “I’ll always be here to help you when I can.” “Thanks, Twi,” I said, gratefully. “I should probably leave you to your side project. I’ll see you again next Monday.” “See you then, Dave,” said Twilight. “Spike, could you walk him out for me?” “Sure thing,” said Spike. As the two of us walked off, Twilight picked her books back up and began scribbling again, immersed in her side project. At the front door, Spike tugged my pant leg to get my attention, then motioned for me to come closer. I bent down so that my ear was level with his face, and he whispered, “Next chance the two of us get, I’ll fill you in on all things Power Ponies and O&O. I’ve been trying to organize a guy’s night for a while now.” “That’d be pretty sweet,” I said. “Maybe you could come to bowling tomorrow night, see if anypony else on my team might be interested.” “Sounds great! I’m sure Twilight won’t mind. See ya then.” “See ya.” Spike opened the door for me with a smile. I nodded my thanks and headed off back for home. Monday, March 4 *** Tonight’s bowling was as fun as ever, in spite of the doozy of a downpour going on outside. The coming of spring seemed to have instilled new vigor into my bowling pals, and it was reflected magnificently in their playing. Their balls sped down the lanes as though they’d been recently waxed, and the crash of the pins being knocked over was like the concussive blast of a cannon. Spike had been granted permission by Twilight to come to the alley. He didn’t have much interest in playing, since he was, by his own words, ‘on a scouting mission’, so he sat by cheering us on as we played. I couldn’t help noticing, however, that the only players he cheered for as loudly as my team were Magnum and Pearl. I had a shrewd suspicion as to the reason, but I kept quiet and kept my laughter about it to myself. Speaking of Magnum and Pearl, the talk of that night was of their taking a trip to the Crystal Empire that very evening, right after bowling. Now that was some hardcore dedication to traveling. “Between what Rarity and Dave said,” said Magnum, “we’ve got a powerful itch to see it for ourselves.” “Might wanna put some lotion on it first,” quipped Caramel, earning a laugh all around. “I’ve only seen it after it recently came back,” I said, “so I can only imagine what it might be looking like now, bustling with ponies come to see it for the first time. And it’s all thanks to the girls and Spike.” I glanced at the little dragon, who puffed his chest out with pride. “Ah need to see about findin’ time to see it maself,” said Big Mac, who had just come back from scoring a skin-of-the-teeth spare. “Applejack hasn’t been rubbin’ it in, but she says those crystal berries they grow are mighty tasty.” “We’ll be sure to bring some back if we can, hun,” said Pearl, smiling. “The soil’s really good there, from what I’ve learned,” I said, “so they grow and ripen pretty quickly.” “We’re thinking about closing up the shop for a little while and seeing the Empire for ourselves,” said Bon Bon, nodding her head to indicate Lyra, who nodded. “I heard Fluttershy talking to Dr. Fauna about the adorable crystal ewes they have at the petting zoo, and I just have to see them for myself.” “And I wanna see me some jousting!” said Lyra. “The seaponies had their own version of it with lances made from narwhal tusks, you know. Of course, coming from the sky at first, it took them a while to get the hang of it.” Bon Bon simply rolled her eyes. “It would make for quite the field trip,” said Cheerilee. “I’m sure the foals would love it as a nice ‘end of the school year’ treat.” Screwball, after sending her ball down the lane in a way that somehow made it roll back and forth once or twice, like a yo-yo, before hitting the pins, simply grinned, making a sound like a parrot’s squawk. In the downtime between games, Spike went around our team, asking if any of them would be interested in being part of a guy’s night with him and me. Meadow Song politely, albeit quietly, declined. Caramel said he’d be glad to, but he’d have to see it his schedule was open, what with plans for his and Sassaflash’s wedding. Magnum said he’d have to think on it after he and Pearl came back. Big Mac seemed the most interested, and promised that he’d get back to Spike after talking with Applejack and Granny Smith first, just to be sure nothing would be wanting if he wasn’t there. Spike seemed very pleased. The evening passed off pleasantly, until it was time to head home, when the rain had thankfully died away. Magnum and Pearl had already said goodbye to Rarity and Sweetie Belle before coming to the alley, and so they hailed a taxi. We all wished them a fun and safe trip before they rode off, and then we all went our ways to our separate homes. “Once you and Twilight get done with this dragon assignment of yours,” Spike said, “I’ll see about arranging a guy’s night between me, you, and Big Mac, if he can make it.” “Sounds like a plan, little buddy,” I said. “Want me to walk you back to the library?” “Nah, I’m good,” said Spike. “Thanks, though. See ya later!” “Good night!” Spike went off his way, and I headed off mine. It was another quiet night in the streets of Ponyville, but thankfully, no mystery voice screamed in my ear about snakes on a rooftop. Otherwise, I might have collapsed from a heart attack, and I had enough near-ones from Pinkie popping up and surprising me. She was nowhere in sight, either, though. Tuesday, March 5 *** Wednesday proved fairly uneventful, until early evening, when Moonlight came by so that we could finish our reading of Shadow Spade. She seemed in a very good mood when I let her in, even more so than usual. “And what are you so smiley about, my friend?” I asked. “Because I’ve finally arranged an evening for me and Almond to hang out!” she said, beaming. “Oh! That’s great!” I said. “Congrats!” “Thanks! We’re gonna meet up outside Sugarcube Corner on Friday and take a walk through Ponyville Park, then see where it goes from there.” “Sounds like the perfect date,” I quipped, unable to resist this time. “Oh, be quiet, you,” chided Moonlight, cuffing my hand, but her tone was more playful than angry. “What about you and your date with Pinkie Pie a month or so ago?” Oooh, now that was a fine retort. “‘Touché,” I said, approvingly. “I think Shadow Spade’s rubbed some of her wit off on you.” “‘A lady does not mince words, nor does she waste them’,” said Moonlight, in a fine imitation of a lofty woman’s voice. “Well said,” I said. “Well, shall we proceed?” “By all means,” said Moonlight, smiling cheekily. “But I’m betting you that Mr. LeBronc’s not guilty at all.” “Oh-ho, is that so?” I said, grinning. “Well, I’ll bet you that if he’s not the main culprit, he was at least complicit. There’s too much history between him and Madame Pennyfeather.” “We’ll see,” said Moonlight. Soon, the two of us were snuggled together on the couch, Shadow Spade open before us, right where we left off, and we were soon immersed once again in her world of mystery, suspense, and fabulous costumes. *** “I knew it. I knew it!” Moonlight was thumping the armrest on her side of the couch, a look of triumph on her face. I was feeling a bit sour myself. The book lay, finished, on the coffee table. “You see?” said Moonlight, prodding my nose with her hoof. “I told you LeBronc was innocent! It was Weed Whacker the whole time!” “All right, all right, don’t rub it in,” I said, gruffly. “Aw, come on, I’m only teasing,” said Moonlight. “Don’t be such a grump. It’s not like you.” She poked my side with her hoof. The tickle wiped the frown from my face in seconds. “I know, I know,” I said. “I was just so sure it wouldn’t be Weed Whacker. I thought it would’ve been too obvious if it was him, seeing how openly antagonistic he was, but they managed to find a way to make it less obvious, and even a bit clever, when they kept finding new evidence that pointed away from him. It really threw me for a loop.” “I know!” said Moonlight. “Like how Silver Kettle and Duster heard LeBronc threatening Madame Pennyfeather, but it was Weed Whacker mimicking him! That line about him once being an impressionist wasn’t just a throwaway after all!” “And he knew playing on everypony’s suspicions about LeBronc’s past with Madame Pennyfeather would work in his favor,” I said. “It was well done, I have to admit.” “It really was,” said Moonlight. “But you’re one smart cookie, deducing how it was gonna go,” I said, belatedly returning the tickle she gave me with one of my own on her skinny belly, making her giggle. “Aw, shucks,” she said, modestly. “I just thought there was more to it than the obvious answer.” “Maybe you ought to write one of your own someday,” I suggested. “You’ve definitely got the thinking for it.” Moonlight’s cheeks flushed. It was either bashfulness at my praise, or it was the fact that she was writing something, though I was still pretending I didn’t know what it was. I decided to change the subject. “So, do you feel like we should continue with this series?” “Oh, yes, absolutely!” said Moonlight, fervently. “It’s a nice change of pace from the action of Daring Do.” “I agree,” I said. “I’ll ask Twilight for the next volume next chance I get, but don’t feel obligated to come back so soon for it. I wouldn’t want to make you spend too much time away from your new friend,” I added, slyly. Moonlight said nothing, but the couch pillow she threw at my face was answer enough. However, her aim was off, and it sailed past me and bumped against the coat rack hanging on the wall. There was a sudden loud ‘*clunk*’ that made both of us jump. “W-What was that?” Moonlight asked. “No idea,” I said. “Maybe you just threw that pillow really hard.” That seemed the only likely answer, so we just shrugged it off, though she quipped that if I didn’t want her aim to get better, I ought to drop the subject about her and Almond. That set us both laughing, and soon after, I walked her to the door and saw her on her way home. I was glad she couldn’t stay mad at me for teasing her, but I was genuinely interested to see where this budding friendship between her and Almond would go. It was a never-ending source of comfort and surprise to see how far this former shut-in had come since that fateful, stormy day. “Let’s just hope the Crusaders don’t find out about them,” I said to myself. “The last thing we need, if Cheerilee’s story was true, is Moonlight drunk on love potion.” Wednesday, March 6 *** The next day, I was taking a walk down the main street of Ponyville, when I heard a small commotion. A crowd of ponies had gathered by Daisy, Lily, and Rose’s flower stalls, talking excitedly about something. Craning my neck, I saw that at the center of the hubbub was Rarity. She was wearing a frock dress, of a purer white than her alabaster coat. It seemed such a simple dress at first glance, but when I looked closer, it appeared to give off a soft flow in the daylight. The effect was rather staggering. The ponies around her were talking in animated admiration of her outfit, and she seemed to be drinking it all in with immense satisfaction. Daisy, who was now being helped up by Rose after an apparent fainting fit, handed Rarity a dozen daffodils. After thanking her and paying for the flowers, she moved on, the crowd still lingering to watch her go. Hastily, I stepped away, so that Rarity didn’t bump into me. Consequently, she caught sight of me. “Hello, Dave,” she said. “Lovely day, isn’t it?” “Not as lovely as you right now, Rarity,” I said, before I could stop myself. I clapped a hand to my mouth, blushing. I hoped Spike hadn’t been around to hear that. Rarity, however, giggled. “My goodness, Dave, you are such a flatterer,” she said. “But thank you. This is my latest seasonal piece: my Daffodil Days dress. It was a bit of a gamble, going for a simple white dress, but the secret is in the silk. Take a closer look, dear.” She levitated a jeweler’s loupe in front of me. Curious, I lifted up my glasses, fitted the loupe against my right eye, and bent down to look. My jaw dropped. It looked a cluster of stars was twinkling on her dress. “Are those diamonds?” I asked. “Diamond dust, darling,” Rarity gently corrected. “Not ice, of course, but diamonds ground into a very fine powder. Just a splash, mind, so as not to overpower the natural appearance.” “Wow,” I said, handing the loupe back to her and straightening up. “That’s incredible, and I’d just gotten finished reading about the time and attention Shadow Spade gives her outfits.” At this, Rarity let out a delighted squeal. “You’re reading Shadow Spade?” she asked, eagerly. “Moonlight and I just finished the Pennyfeather case,” I said. “Ohh, wonderful!” said Rarity. “Ever since Twilight introduced me to her books, I’ve been hooked for hours on end! I barely made one of my order deadlines because I was so wrapped up in one,” she confessed, with mild embarrassment. “But they’re just that good!” she added, zealously. “They definitely make you think,” I said. “It certainly got Moonlight’s mind going. She’d hypothesized who the culprit was by the halfway point, before things got really twisted.” “Sharp girl, Moonlight,” said Rarity, approvingly. “Well, I hope the two of you enjoy the rest of Shadow Spade’s adventures as much as I do.” “After a first story like that, I’ll be eager to see it get even better,” I said. Rarity smiled, then gave a start, as if she’d remembered something. “Oh!” she said. “That’s right! I’d been meaning to see you about something, Dave.” “What is it?” I asked. “It’s not set in stone, mind,” said Rarity, “but I’m considering taking a trip to Manehattan next month, assuming Mother and Father aren’t afflicted with wanderlust again, and I would be very much delighted if you could come along with me.” I could only blink in surprise at this for a few seconds. “You want me to go to Manehattan with you?” I asked “If all goes to plan, yes,” said Rarity. “I believe I’m right in assuming you’ve never visited the city before?” “No, I haven’t,” I said. “One of my peers on the council’s from there, though, and he highly recommended it.” “And so do I,” said Rarity, smiling. “So, do you think you’d be up to accompanying me?” There could only be one answer for such an offer! “Rarity,” I said, giving her a grand bow, “I would be deeply honored to. As long as nothing else crops up, count me in.” “Splendid!” said Rarity, now positively beaming. “Now, I really must be off, but I’ll keep in touch if there’s any change of plans. Ta-ta, darling!” “Bye, Rarity!” With that, Rarity strode off with a light and graceful step in the direction of Carousel Boutique. As I went on my own way, delighted at the idea of seeing Manehattan at last, and with a good friend like Rarity alongside me, I couldn’t fail to notice that the ponies around the flower stall were still gushing about Rarity’s dress, and that there was quite a demand for daffodils going on. Thursday, March 7 *** Around mid-afternoon the following day, I was taking another walk through Ponyville, where I saw that Daisy, Lily, and Rose had miraculously restocked on daffodils, when the rattle of wheels hit my ears. I turned, and saw Scootaloo barreling towards me on her scooter, her wagon trailing behind her, bearing the rest of my Crusader friends. She was coming so fast that I thought she was going to crash into me. I froze, cringing (not the smartest thing to do in the approach of a vehicle, admittedly), but the little pegasus spread out her wings, causing the foursome to slow down and come to a stop, right at my feet. “Hi, Dave!” they said together. “Hello, girls,” I said, relaxing. “Is school out already?” I checked my watch. It was indeed some minutes past 3 already. “Yep!” said Apple Bloom. “We came to find ya, cuz we’re headin’ over to Vinyl Scratch and Miss Octavia’s place!” “Oh? Have they finished moving in?” “Miss Octavia said they did, when Mama brought them their mail yesterday,” said Dinky. “So we’re gonna visit them and get started on putting our concert together!” said Scootaloo. “Does that mean you all know what you want to do?” I asked. “Well,” said Apple Bloom, “not entirely.” “I at least know what instrument I wanna play,” said Scootaloo, “just not what to play on it.” “And I still don’t know what I want to sing,” said Dinky. “But we’ve got tons of options to choose from,” said Sweetie Belle. “Look!” With a slight effort, she held up a stack of papers in her hooves, and lifted one page in a sputtering magic aura to show me it was all sheet music. “That does look like a lot,” I said. “I’ll be surprised if we all don’t find something we like in there.” Sweetie Belle looked very pleased with herself. “Well, ok, then, girls,” I said, “let’s get going!” Scootaloo flapped her wings, and she and the Crusaders started off once more, much quicker than I had anticipated, leaving me behind. “Hey!” I called. “Scoot! Wait for…” Too late. She and the others were already out of sight. All I could do was sigh and hurry after them, wishing I had something like Scootaloo’s scooter that I could use to get around quicker. “Nothing wrong with walking,” I muttered, “but this is ridiculous.” Friday, March 8