Having considered everything that happened from fighting the Plunderseed Plants to overworking myself at Sweet Apple Acres, I decided that I needed a break. A decently extended break. A vacation, if you will. I just needed some time alone, to take my mind off of all my stresses and worries. So, the next morning, I gathered the girls in the throne room to tell them the news.
"I'm sure you're all wondering why I've gathered you here. It's because...well...I've decided I'm taking a vacation."
"A vacation? What's this about?" asked Twilight.
"I've been overworking myself, far more than I ever could in one sitting, which is saying something. It's saying something bad. From fighting Plunderseed Plants to overworking on AJ's farm, to the ghost pepper incident, I'd been putting myself through too much work and chore. So, I've decided I'm taking a vacation....to Las Pegasus. I heard they have nice hotels and beaches. And beach-hotel is just the kind of thing I need to take my mind off of everything that previously happened. Besides, if anything major happens there, I'll know I'm only destined for a life of action that never ends."
"Well just be careful which hotel you pick..." Applejack mumbled.
"I'll only be gone about....4-5 days, but I won't have any way to contact you, as I have no magic, no messenger...and no dragon breath. So, if there's anything you need to tell me to keep in mind, let me know, so that if needed, I can take it off my mind - but not in the 'it's unimportant' way, I'll note down the important stuff to remember. So, does anypony have anything to mention - any plans, ideas, parties, anything you would like to tell me about?"
"Well... I've kinda got this thing coming up in Canterlot - we all do, sort of. Even Princess Celestia, Luna, and Cadance. I've been... planning a festival. A Friendship Festival. It's coming up in the next few days, and to be honest, I've kind of been stressing over it...." Twilight admitted, sheepishly.
"The Friendship Festival? This suddenly came up, though it does sound major and interesting. What the occasion of the celebration?"
"There really isn't one. It's just... y'know, a big get together for all of Equestria to celebrate the magic of friendship."
"Hmm...you know what, that actually sounds like fun! And somewhat exhausting. Tell you what, I'll make the trip a day or two shorter, so I can try to make it back to the Festival. It sounds like something I wouldn't want to miss. As for the stress, well....let's just say I have a simple, and hopefully effective way to counter it. But it'll have to wait till the train station, to really build up the moment. Alright, I'm gonna go start packing. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Keeping the Friendship Festival on my mind, I decided I would try to return back in time for it, which would mean I'd cut my trip a day short. I packed my bags (and suitcases), with a toothbrush, toothpaste, a pillow and small blanket, books, a camera with a full film, sun lotion, a towel, sunglasses, a drawing notepad, in case I felt inspired, and a pen.
An hour later we all headed down to the train station (honestly, it doesn't surprise me. Anytime someone's leaving for someplace by train, a lot of ponies would meet there for a farewell. Shortly before the train arrived, I turned to the girls (and dragon).
"Alright, you girls take care of yourselves, okay? I'll be back as soon as I can to join the Festival. And I know you'll all do your best. Pinkie, you make the best cakes and confectionary anypony will remember stuffing their faces with, okay? Nopony can turn down a cupcake calling to their confectionary cravings."
"I'll make the bestest cakes TOPPED with cupcakes!" Pinkie said, a huge smile on her face.
"AJ, assuming you're likely helping with the games and booths, ensure everypony has a mighty good time. After all, for all I know, good old fashioned fun is your game! Pun intended."
"Well actually we were gonna lend a hoof helpin' out with the food, but thanks for the support either way! 's far as I'm concerned, the old fashioned way is the best way!"
"Rarity, you make the best designs everypony would want on their wardrobe, and possibly pay decently for. If you're lucky, it might lead up to another photo shoot for inspiration and a muse or two."
"Oh why thank you, darling, but personally I'm more concerned with doing a good job decorating the stage for the performace of a lifetime from Equestria's pony pop idol!" Rarity gave an ecstatic laugh. "It's a lot of pressure, but if anypony's up for the job, it's me!"
"Fluttershy, I can easily guess you'll be orchestrating the music, because I've heard you play, and I will admit I wish I had that ability. So you do your best to create an unforgettable tune. And Rainbow, I can guess you'll be putting on a good show. So all I can say is - knowing you, I know you can turn that show into a Wonderbolts routine, featuring the all-time famous Rainboom."
"Oh, thank you... My birds are certainly nervous, but we're doing our best to work things out before Songbird shows up!"
Rainbow gave a chuckle. "Well, I'm sure the Wonderbolts are gonna have quite the show to give everypony. As for a Rainboom.... not without Spitfire's say-so. ...And.... Twilight's."
Turning to Twilight, I knew exactly what to say, and knelt down, gently placing a hand onto her shoulder.
"Twilight....I understand that a festival this big, loud and fun can also be rather unsettling, or even nervousness-inducing, as you'd not only be setting up the fair; you'd also be the heart of it. But remember this - if things get tough, or hard, or even distressing, there's nothing an Alicorn Princess like yourself can't do. After all, you're Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship - and friendship, no matter what form, is something you truly excel at. So, just do your best, never fearing the worst. Nopony will be disappointed if everything isn't perfect. They'll all know their Princess tried her hardest to put in a lot of work. So, don't worry too much - you can handle *anything*. You handled Discord, the Plunderseed Plants, even a giant Centaur, for Celestia's sake. So for you, a big festival is nothing to worry about. Plus you have your friends to help you. So I guess my point is, just don't worry - knowing you, *anything's possible*."
For the final reassuring nail in the hopeful coffin, I actually did something I hadn't done in a while. I pulled Twilight into an embrace, to really give the impression she had full support.
Twilight smiled and returned the hug. "Thanks..." Just when she was about to release him, she felt more hooves wrapping themselves around her. She looked up to see all her friends joining in the hug, as well.
You might think this was a bit over-the-top, having a goodbye like this, but the reason was because this was the first time I was willingly going to be on my own for a while. Not in the 'living alone on Earth' kind of way, but more in the 'while I'm alone, I still have my friends, though distant, to guide me' kind of way. But I wanted to let them know we still had each other, even through tough times. It was like that loving goodbye at the airport when you were flying away from home into another state for two weeks. "I'll miss you girls. You all take care of yourselves."
Spike gave a heavy sniff, tears welling up. "I'm not going to cry...I'm not gonna cry.." I just chuckled. Typical Spike. I figured this kind of thing would get him. Then, what Fluttershy said registered, and confusion hit me. "Wait...who's Songbird?"
"Oh... she's a singer. Twilight booked her as the main event at the Friendship Festival, and I'm given to understand it wasn't easy..."
"Another pony of pop, I'm assuming. First Sapphire Shores, then Coloratura, and now Songbird? I assume the next generation of music is going to include Elvis Pone-sly."
"Who?"
"I'll explain later."
Later that day, I boarded the train at 2:36 PM, to which the train would arrive in Las Pegasus at around 8:42 PM. As it slowly pulled out of the station, I quickly rolled down my window, and called out to the girls. "I'll sketch some things in Las Pegasus to share with you all!" I called out, waving goodbye.
The train ride was a bit more scenic than the one for the Crystal Empire. On the way to LP, I saw a double rainbow, fire rainbows (look them up), beautiful cloud formations, and lots of lush, green grass. It looked soft enough to roll around in. I napped for half of the ride, and read one book for the other. As we finally pulled into the station hours later, I could see beautiful architectural buildings surrounding the station, combined with a giant fair in the distance.
This was going to be a rather interesting vacation. But first, I needed to check into a nearby hotel. As I walked down the street, I passed by a few ponies, trying to ask for directions, but they all seemed too busy or disinterested. It didn't matter, anyway, because I found the hotel on my own. The outside of it had golden-colored walls, with gray/silver colored corners, with a big sign with red fancy letters, 'THE COME INN'. Classic 'inn' pun-related hotel names. I liked it.
I headed inside, and the inside was just as beautiful. A red carpet had been rolled out, leading up to a wooden front desk. There were some of those square couches placed on both halves of the hotel's interior, with a giant fountain in the middle, splitting the carpet along the bases of it. It was like being inside a mansion. Getting a good look at the place, I approached the front counter. The receptionist was a gray mare with a light gray mane and deep blue eyes, and a friendly smile. She was wearing a red scarf and red-rimmed empty-frame glasses.
"Hello there, sir! How may I help you?" She greeted. "Are you here to rent a room?"
"Yes." I nodded. "I'm here on a vacation, and I don't know if you've heard of me as the hero of Ponyville?"
"OH! Actually, we have! I have to admit, I didn't think it mattered until some of the ponies began acting strange on the day that....monster appeared. I only heard the story passed on from several ponies, and eventually from my friends. So, I decided that should you come here, you get a 75% discount!"
"Oh, really? That's very generous of you! So how much is it?"
"100 bits a night, instead of 400."
"That works!" I said, pulling out a bit pouch, and pouring the bits out. The mare scooped them into a drawer below the counter. "Which room would you like?"
I looked at the list of rooms. "How about room 19?"
"Oh...sorry, that one's taken. To make it easier, rooms 2-20 are taken. We have one room left."
"All but one are taken?"
"Yes, unfortunately. An odd group of ponies in white stepped in, demanding specifically rooms 2-20. 19 ponies, all in one group."
"That's odd...but, I guess I shouldn't pay it any mind. I'll take it."
"Thank you. Would you like room service? We have quicker deliveries nowadays."
"I'd like that. Thank you, miss...?"
"Decker. Miss Decker."
"Thank you, Miss Decker."
"Same to you, Mr...Loyal, was it?"
"Yes."
"Same to you, Mr. Loyal. Have a nice stay."
I nodded gratefully, and was handed my room key. "Second door on the left on the second floor."
"Thank you." I headed down the hall she pointed me towards, finding an elevator not too far ahead. It would be more convenient than the stairs. I pushed a golden button (they really like their shinies), and waited for a few moments, before an elevator descended to my level. It opened up to reveal two of the possible white ponies (and I mean white, as in uniformed, not coat color) hustling out, bumping into me. They didn't even bother to apologize.
"Well, excuse you, too." I snarked, heading into the elevator. I pushed the button marked '2', and felt the elevator ascend. I felt happy. Finally, I was getting a break from so much action. I was going to sit back, relax, maybe sketch and read. I had to make sure I made it back in time for the Friendship Festival, though. It sounded fun, and like a great way to make some new friends. Maybe I'd even....well...fall in love with someone. I hadn't thought about romance in a long time. I hadn't even thought about who I'd ever fall in love with. So far, it was no one. But I knew one day I'd find the mare for me. Or maybe a mare would find the male for her. Maybe we'd both have the same fate and meet up. The elevator let out a ding, and the doors opened, revealing a more basic hallway. It had four doors. I made a beeline for the second door on the left. Inside, the room was beautiful, just like the lobby.
The carpet was a beautiful velvet red, and the bed was a king-size, covered in a soft, clean white sheet, which looked fluffy and warm. There was a balcony view showing the sights of Las Pegasus outside, the same fair as before in the distance. The bathroom looked basic, but just slightly fancy. The air smelled of morning dew, and it was slightly warm in the room. Those 100 bits were definitely worth it. I set my suitcases down onto the floor, relieved to have lost the weight they added. I decided that the first thing I would do was sketch the beautiful nighttime horizon view the balcony provided. I got my notebook and pen out, headed over to the balcony, and propped it up against the near-invisible glass railing, slowly beginning to sketch the majestic view.
Around two hours later, I had finished the sketch of the view of the outside of the hotel room. I had to admit, it was the most beautiful things I had ever made. Wanting ot keep it safe, I tucked it into my suitcase, at the bottom, before changing into my pajamas and getting into bed. Tomorrow would be a rather busy day, trying to enjoy my vacation with no worries about anything. It was only a little tough to fall asleep, due to the ponies in the other rooms laughing loudly, and sounds of metal banging could be heard. I could very faintly hear voices through the walls. I could hear 'blast' and 'the bomb' and 'exploding with success'. Either they were making decent bomb puns for kicks, or they had too much cider. But I finally did manage to fall asleep. And after that, I slept for the rest of the night without any trouble.
The next morning, I woke up, feeling a lot better than usual. I'm not going to bore you with the details of my morning routine, so we'll say it felt diffrent being in a hotel. I headed out of my room, and back down to the main lobby, to look at a map of where a nearby cafe was. Turned out, there was one just down the street from the hotel, not too far from here.
So, I headed out and down the street, and the clamoring of crowds was broken when a loud banging sound filled the air. I immediately recognized it at the same time last night. The ponies who were in the room must have een working on something, but what? Well, whatever it was, it was none of my business. As I arrvived at the cafe, the metal-banging sound grew smaller.
Walking into the cafe, the smell of coffee and mocha filled the air, giving me a nostalgic feeling of being in a Starbucks. As I approached the counter, a barista with a french beret (don't ask, it's her style), came out front. "Hello there! What can I get you?" She asked. Looking at the menu behind her, I recognized the pumpkin spice latte. I still couldn't believe I was allergic to pumpkin spice...so I just got two regular coffees, grande.
"That'll be 20 bits." She said. Jesus, 20 bits for a coffee? Well, this was Las Pegasus, the pricey kind of place, but I didn't expect coffee to be included. Regardless, I paid my money, and she went out back, and, I kid you not, five seconds later, came out with a coffee in hoof. "Here you go!"
"How did you make the coffee in five seconds?"
"Oh, I didn't! The coffee is pre-made ahead of time."
"Oh...well, that's convenient."
"It saves time and energy. Enjoy!" She handed me the coffee, before heading back into the back room. It was kind of odd how she suddenly went back into the room without warning. But I didn't have time to question it, as right at that moment, the doors flew open, revealing the same white ponies I had run into yesterday as they filed out of the elevator. They made a beeline for the counter, pushing me aside, causing me to spill half my drink onto a white Pegasus with blue eyes. "Oh, my goodness, I'm so sorry!" I cried out, but the mare dismissively waved a hoof. "It's fine, it was just an accident. Besides, those jerks have caused more trouble than I can remember."
Sitting down at her table, I looked at them, wondering why they were here. "Who are they?"
"They call themselves the High-Hoisters. Supposedly, they're just a group of ponies who act all tough and threatening to everypony around them. Nopony knows how long ago they got here, but have been causing trouble for the past week. And sounds of metal banging could be heard from one of the rooms. And I hear one of them's allergic to coffee beans, so they stay behind to guard a room."
"That's the sound that I heard last night and this morning."
"Yeah, it's been going on for the past three days now. Everypony's too afraid to go in there to find out what, ever since one pony went in, and was kicked out, threatening that if they went in there, they would never come back out."
"Hmm...sounds threatening, all right..'
"You're...you're not ACTUALLY thinking of going in there, are you?"
"Well, yeah, of course I am! And not just for the sleep, but to find out what's going on here!"
"Well, I wish I could help, but I'm not the kind of pony to wander into danger."
"Well, I am...though I'm not a pony."
At that moment, one of the white ponies, wearing a red armband, declared, 'Alright, everypony, let's get a move on! We have a lot to do today!" The ponies filed out in a hurry, and before the leader left, he gave everypony a warning look, before heading out.
"Yeah, he's definitely up to something...all right, well it was good talking to you."
"You, too. Good luck. Nopony's ever had the guts to stand up to them before."
I gave a friendly smile, before sipping what was left of my grande, and heading out. I followed the white ponies, keeping out of sight, following them back into the hotel. Two ponies diverted, and headed back out, carrying brown suitcases. All I can say is, the best thing to do was eavesdrop from outside before busting in. So that's what I did.
I pressed my ear up against the wall, listening to the ponies conversate:
"All of them in..."
"blowing it up.."
"sent out.."
"noon..."
"Pounds.."
I couldn't make out a lot, but by the 'blowing up' part, I could tell they were up to no good. I listened for another good five minutes before I felt something tap my shoulder. Turning around, I came face-to-face with one of the white ponies. "Well, well, looks like we got a stalker, a-ha." He spoke with a thick, plain accent, only a little difficult to understand. "You got no business listening to our conversations! So beat it, before I make you, a-ha!" He shoved me aside, opening the door and slamming it once inside the room. I could hear the room get quiet, as if they were talking quieter.
Still, I knew something was up, so I had to take action. Rolling up my sleeves and pant legs, I cleared my throat, knocked on the door, and in my best impression of the receptionist, said, 'Hello, it's room service! I have that hot bag of whole wheat donuts you ordered!' Cheering could be heard coming from the other side of the room as somepony approached the door opening it. 'Alright, well come i--"
"*WHOLE WHEAT'S FOR SISSIES!*" I declared, punching the pony's lights out, and barreling into the room. "I know you've all been up to something, and I intend to put a stop to it!" The room suddenly fell silent. "Stop to what?" A voice called out. "Stop to our own vacation?" The ponies parted to reveal what I would have assumed to be the leader, sitting on the balcony railing. "You think just cause we's been rude and loud and pushy, we's plannin' something despicable? Ha! What a laugh! I can't' tell you how many ponies suspected wrongdoing on our part. So tell ya what - I'll forgive yas. Common mistake."
"I don't buy any of that! What about the metal clashing sounds I'd heard overnight and this morning?"
The pony pulled out a metal box. "Empty crate. We's planning on putting all our luggage into it. And the reason we's so rude is 'cause we only got a limited time to do a lot in Las Pegasus, so it's stressful planning it all."
"Well, one thing I've noticed is that all of your voices shift around in the room when listening to your conversations...all except ONE." I pointed to a pony in the west corner. "HIM. I was told that one of you ponies stays behind to guard this room. And he's also allergic to java! He never moves to avoid contact with it. But I did hear him mention something about 'guarding this thing'." I made my way over to the allergy pony. "He's guarding something hidden right here! And considering your 'the bomb' and 'blast' jokes, I know what it is - explosives!" I pushed the pony out of the corner, and noticed a small rip in the carpet he was standing on. Pulling it back, the carpet folded back to reveal a small trapdoor. Opening that, I discovered an entire supply of flammable oil, bombs, and yes, even a few C4s. So they DID have bombs in their possession! "I knew it! You're all planning on bombing something! Well, I'm going to put a stop to it!"
The leader pony narrowed his eyes. "Nice observation, Sherlock Pones...but it's too bad that info ain't leaving this room. *GET HIM!*"
The ponies all lunged at me, piling and latching onto me, punching, kicking, even biting me. In only a matter of seconds, I was rapidly being covered in bruises and cuts, which was surprising, considering the ponies in this world were soft and furry...I guess not every pony was like that. But one by one, I managed to punch and throw them off, though they quickly bruised and cut me (for vegetarians, these horses' teeth were strong!) all over. Dodging, punching, and kicking my way throughout the fight, I managed to knock out all but two of the ponies.
The silence of violence was broken when the leader began clapping. "Bra-vo! You've done well surviving this long, I'll give ya that. But youse is too late! We've already gotten what we needed from this city. We've been robbin' every single bank in this joint, and the crate's for magnetizing all the money up into our possession. Let's go, gang! We got us a date with a lifetime of riches!" The leader pony chuckled, and actually leapt off of the building, only to be raised up by a platform that was ascending. The two other ponies jumped on, as the platform began to move away. "See ya later, chump! Tell the receptionist we ain't payin' her no more!" He said, letting out a sinister chuckle.
Thinking quickly, I ran to the elevator, and pressed the button for the top floor. The slow and painful ascent was intense, as I didn't know if I could make it as each second passed. When the doors opened, I dashed up a flight of stairs onto the roof, and barreled across the rooftop. This was going to very well be one of THE dumbest decisions in my life, but I had to do something!
Reaching the edge of the roof, I inhaled sharply, and leapt off the building, as far as I could. I could feel my life flashing before my eyes as I soared through the air. I managed to grab onto a rope hanging from above, almost missing it. I looked up and could not believe what I was seeing. Up in the sky was a large airship, with a material for the air-filled part, almost looking like it was perfectly reflecting the sky, like it was invisible. It was half the size of a Ferris Wheel, yet still looked enormous. Had this airship been sitting here the entire time? After some thought, I realized what must have happened - there must have been ponies waiting on this airship to recieve orders to drop into drop zones to raid the banks and steal the money from them. Well, there was no way in the deepest living pits of Tartarus I was at ALL letting this slide.
I began to shimmy up the rope, but due to me sucking at climbing, it took plenty of effort. But I managed to shimmy up to a spot inside the airship, where, luckily, nopony was inside. I had to find the leader of these Heavy-Hoisters and take him down. Speaking of the name, I found a crate with the name inscribed upon it. Wiping the dust off, I found out what they were really called. The Heavy-HEISTERS. Now the name made a lot more sense - they were thieves!
I began proceeding through the airship, feeling like each second, I was getting more and more lost. I finally found a hallway that looked promising, but it was guarded by two ponies. How was I going to get past them?
After a bit of thinking, I had an idea. I pounded my fists against the floor, and yodeled, before hiding behind a nearby crate. I could hear the ponies' footsteps grow closer, until I saw them pass by.
"What was that?" One of the guards asked.
"I don't know, it sounded like it came from over here.." Said the other.
I used this opportunity to lock the door behind them, and shortly after, pounding could be heard. I made my way through the hallway, and into a small room, which was FULL of bits. I guess Las Pegasus banks were a lot smaller than I'd imagined. But I had to return these to Las Pegasus and its citizens. Passing through the room, I made my way down another hallway, and made a right at an intersection. This led me to what I would have assumed to be the front of the airship, where the leader pony was sitting, dumping more bits into a crate. "Send this to the bit room, and count them all for me!" He ordered a pony next to him, who nodded, and began moving the bits out, when he saw me. "Boss, we got trouble!" He said, directing the leader's head in my direction. "WHAT?! How did you get on my airship?!"
"Return the stolen bits at once! Those are city property!"
"They're MY property now! I've always dreamed of being rich, and now my dream has come true!"
"If you don't return all of those bits, I'll MAKE you!"
"Try me, punk! But first, let's play a little game I like to call 'Subdue or Save!" The leader pressed a big red button on a control panel, and the ship rumbled for a moment, before the ship seemed to move...faster.
"What did you just do?!"
"In exactly five minutes, the bomb I have released and set up will explode, right in the core of Las Pegasus' oil factory! The smog will be set ablaze, and every pipe with oil in it will spontaneously combust, destroying Las Pegasus! But you can save them...only if you pay me no further mind."
"You're saying to let you go?!"
"Let me go....*or let them die*." He said, smirking. Wow, this got severely dark. Just went to show that not everypony was as happy as anyone would think. So, I could let him go, and still have time to defuse the bomb....or I could fight him and win, while the city below was wiped out...along with everypony with it. But I thought about it - those bits were replaceable. The ponies, however, weren't. As much as I hated to do it..I had to let him go. Coming onto this airship was a waste. So, I thought for a bit, finally deciding on a choice I'd hate making.
"Alright...fine. You win. I'll let you go."
"A wise choice, my friend."
"Just one favor, though."
"And what would that be?"
"When I leave, I hope you...JAVA NICE VACATION!" I pulled out the second cup of joe I ordered from the cafe (don't ask me how I carried it all the way into the airship, I have my ways), and threw it across the room, splashing it across everything, including the console. The console sparked, causing it to malfunction. The airship suddenly rumbled, and outside, the city of Las Pegasus slowly tilted into view. The airship was going down!
"NOOOO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" The leader shouted. "You've killed us all, you idiot! Now the ship's going to crash!" The leader opened a nearby emergency hatch and put on a parachute. "I'm bailing, forget all of this!"
"Wait! What about the bomb?"
"It's shut off, no thanks to you destroying the console!" That being said, the leader pony jumped out, the parachute successfully deploying. I could hear him call out, "ATTENTION ALL CREW MEMBERS! THIS IS CODE NINE-ALPHA! REPEAT, CODE NINE-ALPHA! ABANDON SHIP IMMEDIATELY! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"
I saw other ponies jumping out, too, until I was most likely the only one on the ship. But the day wasn't saved yet. Las Pegasus was going to crash and burn, like the ship was. I had to do something! Dashing towards the controls, I could see sparks flying and spewing out. I inhaled sharply, and rolled up my sleeves again. I only had one shot at this. I had to rewire the controls to control the ship. And it was going to be very painful. There was a very good chance I wasn't going to survive this, but I had to try. I took a deep breath...
...and stuck both hands into the console's inner sparky wiring.