End of Spring
It was another peaceful slow spring day in Ponyville, as most days of the temperate season tended to be. the seasons were beginning to shift toward the heat of summer, thus ponies were out and about enjoying themselves. Twilight Sparkle and her friends were doing just that, as they sat outside of a busy cafe around a circular table and finished an afternoon lunch together. Rarity took her time sipping her cappuccino, to enjoy the mildly sweet and refreshing scent of her drink. Across the table, Pinkie happily licked the whipped cream from her hot coco as the other mares talked idly. Applejack perked up a little as she realized what time of the year it was. "Oh hey! It's gettin' close to time for the Spring Festival!"
"Oh yes." Rarity spoke with a delicate smile, "I have an absolutely fabulous design picked out for the festival." a dramatic flair coming to her voice as she told of her most recent masterpiece.
"I hope they hire the same band as last year..." Fluttershy said softly as she sipped her green tea. "I really enjoyed their music."
"Yeah!" Pinkie replied with a little spot of whipped cream on the tip of her nose. "I could really move to that beat!" She giggled and licked the cream from her muzzle.
Twilight smiled warmly and nodded. "I think that can be arranged."
"Yeah..." Rainbow Dash smirked as she sat, and folded her forelegs. "The Spring Festival is a really good night to hook up but...” The sky blue pegasus sighed a little, as she rested her chin against one of her forehooves. “I don't think we're going to get to enjoy much of it.”
"Why?" Twilight asked her friend curiously and in slight concern, as she lowered her cup of hot tea.
“Well, don’t you girls remember Nightmare Night?” Rainbow Dash replied with a question, the mention of the holiday bringing up fond memories among the six friends. Although perhaps to a lesser extent for Fluttershy.
“Yep! I got lots of candy!” Pinkie Pie answered happily.
“Pinkie, you got to enjoy all the fun for the foals.” Rainbow Dash continued. “Don’t get me wrong, I like party games as much as the next pony but that night all of us missed out on...Um...” Pinkie blinked as the stunt flier searched for the right words. “Uh, twilight, what am I trying to say?” the rainbow maned pegasus asked the living dictionary.
“...More age appropriate?” Twilight said dryly still trying to figure out what her friend was getting at.
“Yeah! More age appropriate fun.” Rainbow Dash replied with a triumphant smile and a flutter of her wings.
“I had fun!” Pinkie stated perplexed, clearly missing what Rainbow Dash was suggesting.
“I know, but girl I heard some of those Nightmare Night parties got pretty wild...” Rainbow Dash grinned widely and was a little starry eyed for a moment. But, she quit shortly after realizing how awkward she was coming across as. “...Anyway, weren’t you suppose to watch the foals?” Pinkie nodded, and the winged sky blue pony continued on. “And Applejack didn’t you spend the whole night running like half the games?”
“Yeah, but that’s just because Twilight asked me if ah would.” The orange country mare said as she adjusted her hat.
“And, didn’t you have a job that night?” Rainbow continued to ask, turning to the lavender mare.
“Well, I did organize the majority of the events, and I suppose I did use a little magic to help provide a creepy atmosphere...” Twilight Sparkle replied, starting to get the stunt flier's point.
After that, Rainbow Dash turned turned to Rarity with a raised eyebrow. “And I didn’t even see you on Nightmare Night.”
The white unicorn drank in the last of her cappuccino and sighed woefully. “I had a fantastic costume planned, but with all of the other orders I didn't have time to make it.” Rarity then looked at Rainbow Dash with suspicious eyes, as she inquired. “What about you? I heard you just floated around on a dark cloud scaring ponies with lightning of all things.” The other element bearers agreed, recalling the antics of the darkly costumed pegasus.
“Well, yeah!” The stunt flier replied matter-o-factly. “My job was to keep the night sky spooky, and well, that gets boring really quick. I had to do something to keep from going crazy!” Rainbow Dash smiled her usual cocky grin as she added, confident as ever. “But like I always say, I’ll never let Ponyville down. So when somepony asks, and I know somepony will, I’ll keep the sky clear for the festival too.”
“What, even after all that?” Rarity asked voicing all of the mares' confusion.
“Yep!” Rainbow Dash said as if they should know why already, “Ditzy Doo's daughter is finally old enough to go to the festival and she's really excited to take her this year. Plus most of my crew will be working full shifts for the next few months so I couldn’t ask them to pull extra hours, you know.” Rainbow Dash smiled and jumped to her hooves with her wings held high and proud, saying. “Besides, when you look as good as I do you really don’t need some town dance to get a stallion.” The other five mares giggled at that.
Rainbow Dash sat down seeing the Mayor approach the element bearers. Mayor Mare smiled as she greeted the girls in the same way she always did, when she needed them to do something. “Girls, I’m sure that you all are aware that Spring festival is approaching.” She paused to allow the six younger mares to nod. Pinkie Pie stifled a giggle as she noticed a single pink hair in the mayor's gray mane. The mayor ignored the pink pony and continued. “I would like to ask if you all would being willing to help out with the festival.”
Twilight and her friends paused for a few seconds. Rainbow Dash was right, but if they were the best ponies for the job then they should do it, so all six of them offered to help. Twilight then added, “What do you need us to do?” being the unspoken leader of the friendly bunch in these kinds of situations.
“Very good.” The Mayor thanked them with an appreciative smile, and she began to assign tasks to the six mares in which they were typically most efficient in. “Rarity, Twilight, and Pinkie I would like you to organize, decorate, and host the festival.” Naturally the three agreed, Pinkie loved to be a hostess, Twilight was an organizational queen, and Rarity enjoyed creating art. The older mare then turned to the other three, to ask. “Applejack, I’m sure that Sweet Apple Acres will be willing to help provide stalls for refreshments and treats?” Applejack nodded. “Fluttershy, I was hoping if it would be alright with the organizers that you could get your bird chorus to do the opening music?” Fluttershy nodded with a deep blush. “...And of course, Rainbow Dash. Will you work with your friends to find a suitable pegasus to keep the sky clear?”
“I'll do it myself!” Rainbow Dash said aloud, beaming with pride.
“Excellent, well I have to get back to the town hall. Have a nice day girls.” Mayor Mare smiled one last time before she hurried back to her office to get some other work done. The element bearers said their goodbyes to the mayor and decided it was time to get back to their own jobs. Rainbow was gone in a multicolored blur remembering that she was almost late for her shift on the weather team. Rarity hurried off as well having a suit to finish. Pinkie Pie hopped away saying something about making ponies smile. Leaving Applejack and Fluttershy to walk Twilight Sparkle home.
“Hey Twi. Why didn’t Spike come to lunch?” Applejack asked as the Golden Oaks library came into view. The cafe was only a few minutes away from Twilight's home and workplace.
“Not sure, when I left he was just checking out Cheerilee's class. He should have made it.” Twilight answered.
“Well, tell em we missed him at lunch today." Applejack said, then added her farewells. "Later Twilight. Later Fluttershy.” The orange earth pony turned away, as she started down the road toward Sweet Apple Acres.
As Applejack left, Fluttershy soon took her leave as well to follow after the farm pony, saying timidly. “Goodbye Twilight...I hope Spike isn’t mad at us or anything...”
Twilight smiled at her friends as they went along their own path. The unicorn trotted up to the massive oak, she looked up at the beautiful sky before entering inside. Spike sat on a stool behind the checkout desk by the entrance with his head resting on his claws looking bored, grumpy, and most likely hungry. The lavender pony looked at the green and purple little dragon curiously. “Hey Spike, why didn’t you come to lunch?”
“Cause you said never leave the library unattended when it has a customer.” Spike droned out, looking up at Twilight with more annoyed at something else rather than the rule he had recited.
Twilight looked around the empty library after hearing that. Nothing seemed to indicate that there were any recent visitors. She then pointed out the obvious. “There’s no pony here.”
“That wind guy is in the Ponyville archive.” Spike said with a humph, none too happy about starving and missing a meal. “He said he was only going to be a minute."
'Wind guy?' Twilight thought, now noticing that the door to the archive was open. “Oh, you mean Winchester. Wonder what he could need in there?” The unicorn's curiosity had to wait when she heard the unmistakable growl of a dragon stomach. Twilight smiled as she looked back at Spike, and levitated a small pouch of bits over to the young dragon and said. “Here, go get yourself something for lunch.”
“Really?” Spike blinked in surprise, looking at his equine care taker as if he were being given an extra allowance out of nowhere. A break from the arduous task of maintaining the library was nice too.
“Yes, my treat.” Twilight said with a warm smile. Spike garbed the coin purse and ran out the door laughing like a school colt. “Just be sure to get some real food!” The lavender pony called after him in a motherly tone. She then sighed and closed the door. “He's going to come home with a belly full of ice cream.”
Twilight Sparkle trotted into the Ponyville archive. It wasn’t hard to find the blue stallion as he compared old town records with each other, for what reasons Twilight didn't know. The mare was about to say something when the knight cut her off with his own greeting, “Hello fair keeper of the written word.” he smiled at her from behind a pair of reading glasses.
“Hi Winchester. I didn’t think you used town archives for your stories.” The lavender mare replied, as she checked that he wasn’t getting into something he shouldn't, even if there wasn’t much a knight wasn’t allowed to look at.
“I don’t.” Winchester said sighing, lowering his glasses and rubbing his eyes with his hooves. “I’ve always hated reading this stuff.” He set the records he had been reading back where they belonged. “I’m trying to find the right pony to help me find a house.”
“A house? Here?” Twilight asked in surprise, not quite expecting him to be searching for something as mundane as a house in Ponyville. Unless he was looking for specific place, but soon he began to explain why.
“Yep.” Winchester replied. “This town is just about perfect.” He smiled and stood to look out a window. “I’ve been questing for too long now...” He looked back at her with a weary, yet gentle smile. “I sound like an old horse don’t I?” Twilight nodded without thinking, and Winchester just chuckled at that. “Anyway, now I’m going to finally have my own home, and have time to write and read all the books I’ve missed out on.” The tall blue unicorn stallion had completely changed moods as he then said, “Like this one!” and held up a book in his mouth.
Twilight read the book's title, “Pony Predestination, a study of names and cutie marks?” the lavender pony stared at the blue stallion with a baffled expression...Not sure exactly why such a topic would intrigue the knight as much it seemed to.
Winchester set the book down on a desk next to him and smiled. “It's a fascinating book”
“Really?” Twilight tilted her head a little, apparently it was a book she had missed the chance to read. There were many books in the Golden Oak library, it stood to reason that she may have overlooked one or two.
The tall blue unicorn then explained to her the subject matter and research of the text. "It's a study about how names, cutie marks, and ponies' special talents seem to match up.” it was a topic that was long debated throughout generations of pony culture that anypony was familiar with.
Twilight raised a hoof to tap her chin, as she reflected back on her time in Celestia's school for Gifted Unicorns. Old questions were reawakened in her analytical mind...What could create something as elaborate as a cutie mark? On a metaphysical level, what causes one to appear? Why do cutie marks bestow one with an unnatural talent in a narrowly defined role? How does a name given at birth match the image representing a cutie mark, even though a pony could change in personality as time passes?...However, she cut off that train of thought and commented simply, as not to derail the conversation with an assortment of advanced scientific theories and algorithmic magical equations that would undoubtedly require a chalkboard to properly contain. “Yes, that is the title after all.”
“Well, let's take you for example.” Winchester began. “Your name is Twilight Sparkle, and what is your cutie mark?”
“Hmmm...” Twilight glanced at her flank, thinking as she tentatively answered. “A star?”
“With sparkles,” Winchester added. “and it represents Magic as your special talent.” The lavender pony nodded in agreement. “But, if you were an earth pony or had a different name...Would it still be the same?”
“Well...Maybe?” Twilight tried to answer, unsure of exactly what the unicorn stallion was trying to prove or disprove.
"Or for example, your friend Applejack.” Winchester continued. “Would her talent for farming still be displayed by apples if she say, worked on a cabbage farm? What about her name for that matter. How about Fluttershy? On the day she was born, how could her parents pick a name that fits her personality so well and sounds so much like the butterflies that adorn her flanks?” Twilight watched Winchester as he walked around her. “The same is true for Rainbow Dash. Her name comes from more than just her mane. What about Rarity, perfect jewels like those on her flanks are rare indeed.” he smiled as he stopped circling Twilight.
Twilight however noticed that one of her friends had been skipped over, and questioned it. “Wait, what about Pinkie Pie? That's just her nickname, and her real name has nothing to do with making ponies smile or parties.”
“Yes.” Winchester answered in an unfazed manner. Attempting to apply logic to the pink mare's multitude of absurd abilities was an impossibility, he had concluded up to this point that she was akin to some random force of nature. “She's an exception that proves the rule.”
Twilight accepted that, then asked as she looked at him intently. “What about you? Does your name have anything to do with your cutie mark?”
“I was named after my great aunt Wind Chaser, on my father's side.” Winchester replied, and added after a brief pause. “She was a pegasus and a weapon maker, or to be exact, a smith.” Twilight nodded, and the tall blue unicorn continued with an explanation of his lineage and how it connected. “My name represents my talent for war, and my cutie mark represents my passion for writing and creating stories. Yet, while I may not be a smith of weapons, one could say that I am a word smith. You see?”
Twilight listened and wrapped her mind around those words as she paused to ponder on it. It reminded her immediately of her parents, Velvet Crescent and Night Light, and discovered that similar consistencies and traits were prevalent within her own family and those of others. Eventually, the unicorn mare sighed as she brushed a few loose strands from her streaked dark violet mane and turned to leave as she said. “I shouldn’t let you talk.”
“Why?”
“Because every time you do, you shake the foundations of my world.” Twilight Sparkle answered, before she looked back at him and chuckled a little as she headed for the door that lead back into the library's main area.
Winchester laughed and called to her, “I’m in the same boat as you! That’s why I told you.” and the two unicorns smiled at each other for a moment. After that, Twilight exited the archives, and Winchester continued his rummaging of dusty old folders and records.
*****
Rarity, ever patient in her detailed hoof made stitch work, was putting on the final touches on the custom suit that Winchester purchased the day before. She had decided that simplicity was key. It was in a style that allowed the elegant fabric of the suit and the pony's toned body speak for themselves rather than the additions to the formal attire. She hummed an old favorite tune of her's as she threaded the Equestrian crest into the collar, one of the few extras she had assumed her customer would enjoy.
The door to the Carousal Boutique opened with a chime. Rarity removed her red framed sewing glasses and set them to the side with her magic. She raised her gaze from her task, and sweetly greeted. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is sleek, chic, and magnifik!” She smiled at the dark gray stallion with a sliver mane and tail that entered. Rarity recognized him as Thunderlane, the thunder cloud shooting a lighting bolt on his flank confirmed it.
Thunderlane smiled at Rarity as he greeted her, after a few pleasantries the stallion finally asked what he came there to ask. “I was just wondering if you had a date to the Festival in a few weeks?”
Rarity was taken back. Most stallions couldn’t build up the nerve to ask her out, and those that did would normally stutter and stammer over their words. “Why no, I do not.” Rarity replied as she eyed the athletic Pegasus. The white unicorn mare remembered that he had come down with a rather bad case of the feather flue last rainy season, and he almost didn’t pull through. However when he did, the once lazy pegasus had a new found fearless out look on life. His dare devilry was lately starting to even rival Rainbow Dash's.
Thunderlane's confident smile grew a little as he asked, lifting a hoof in a sort of shrug. “I was thinking that maybe we could go to the Spring Festival together. Perhaps then we'll see were it goes from there?”
Rarity thought about it for a moment, she didn’t have a date to the festival, and she was pretty sure she wouldn’t get one if she didn’t go looking nor did she have the time to do that. So, she decided that she should at least give the stallion chance. “If you are to escort me to the Festival, you will have to wear a suit. Nothing too extravagant, it is a dance after all.”
“Well, I don’t have much in the way of clothes.” Thunderlane said as his mood deflated somewhat. Like most pegasi, he didn’t care much for clothing as it restricted their wings' movement. “But I could head to Cloudsdale after work and pick something up.”
“Oh no no no, you won't have to do that! I, of course, could lend you something.” Rarity said with a pleasant smile, she always liked dressing up other ponies. She looked Thunderlane over for a bit, thinking about what would go well with the dark gray stallion's style. What was his style for that matter? She needed to know a little bit more about him to know for sure. “Would you like to stay and chat? It would help me to get to know you a little better.” She asked with a chipper voice, and added. “It's always nice to have someone to talk to while I work.”
“Umm...” Thunderlane looked at a clock hanging off of a nearby wall. “Sure. I don’t have to pick up Rumble from school for a while, so I have time.”
“You have a little brother?” Rarity asked as she returned to the suit for Winchester resting on her sewing table.
“Yep.” Thunderlane replied. “He's a good little squirt. I walk him home from school just about everyday. It's cool, though I like to have him around most of the time. We kind of keep each other in line.”
“That must be nice.” Rarity replied as she put the final stitches the suit. “Sweetie Bell and I clash more often than I care to admit.” She moved the suit to the side and moved another order into it's place, this one was a dress for a mare in town.
The two adults talked for a long time together starting with what they had most in common having younger siblings, knowing Rainbow Dash, before moving to their own interests, and some of their beliefs. Although they didn’t like many of the same things, they didn’t seem to mind as they just enjoyed talking to one another. Rarity smiled as Thunderlane even tried to help her with her work while they talked. Thunderlane was able to keep from being bored and inactive by hovering over the dress's form and holding fabric for Rarity.
As their conversations got more personal, Rarity learned that Thunderlane held family in as high regard as Applejack and that he enjoyed playing drums because they sounded like the thunder in a storm. He was even in a band with a few of his friends. Rarity revealed that she was indeed more then just a fashion minded mare. She enjoy many things like cooking and dancing, and that she always strived for perfection no matter what she was doing.
The time seemed to fly by and Thunderlane realized he was almost late to pick up his brother Rumble from school. Rarity decided to join him and walk Sweetie Bell home as well.
Thunderlane and Rarity made their way through Ponyville. They caught the tail end of another one of Pinkie Pie's over-the-top songs, which they didn’t have time to investigate. Rarity and Thunderlane soon arrived at the humble schoolhouse, and they joined a group of other ponies that were waiting for their foals just as the school bell rang. The colts and fillies hurried out the front door. Some just ran over to the play ground, while others trotted into town normally with a member of their family. Sweetie bell soon appeared in the doorway with her two friends, Applebloom and Scootaloo. They stopped when a young light gray pegasus colt flew over the three, Scootaloo glared at him enviously as he trotted towards Thunderlane. The orange filly then saw Rarity and pointed her out to Sweetie bell.
"Rarity!" The unicorn filly called out as she rushed over to her older sister. Sweetie Bell noticed something odd in Rarity's eyes as she told Thunderlane that they should meet for lunch tomorrow.
Rarity smiled at her sister, as she greeted. “Hello Sweetie Bell. Did you have a good day at school?”
“Yes.” The filly replied, although a tad confused by her being there for her. “What are you doing here?”
“What? I can't walk my one and only sister home once in awhile?” Rarity answered, slightly offended.
“No!” Scootaloo cut in.
“Yeah...” Applebloom said dryly, “Who are you and what have you done with Rarity?” unfamiliar with the unusual behavior Sweetie Bell's older sister was exhibiting. Rarity was always either too busy for them, or preoccupied with fainting dramatically on couches.
Rarity was at a lost for words. “I, uh, it's just...” Unable to find an answer, she sighed and looked at the filly sternly. “Well sometimes I just feel like changing up my routine now and again!” The white unicorn could tell they didn’t believe her. She sighed again, and decided to tell the truth. “...Rumble's older bother Thunderlane asked me to accompany him to the Spring Festival and well-”
“What?!” The three fillies yelled together startling many ponies nearby.
“Like a date?” Scootaloo asked, as she zipped next to Rarity in a blink of an eye.
“A real date?” Applebloom added, as she too zipped beside Scootaloo.
“A really real date?” Sweetie Bell asked aloud as her voice cracked and joined the other two. Rarity nodded, the fillies' enthusiasm had struck her speechless. Soon the three fillies we're dancing around her singing 'Rarity and Thunderlane siting in a tree', a classic to be sure.
It took no time for the white unicorn to grow very annoyed at their song and shushed them. “Now girls...This is not a matter to take lightly, and it's not something to discuss out in public with other young fillies around.” She added, seeing how some of the mares that were walking their foals home looked at them. “Now let's get you all home.”
*****
The next day well after lunch time, Twilight Sparkle sat at the Golden Oak library’s large central table. Her eyes kept creeping from the partly restored tome of Star swirl to Pinkie Pie who bounced around the room as they waited for Rarity.
“Wonder what's taking her so long.” Twilight said concerned, as she sat up. “She was suppose to meet us right after lunch. Now we're way behind schedule.”
“Well, maybe she's caught up with all her work at the store. She did have a lot of orders after all!” Pinkie Pie replied as she stopped her hopping, the pink pony could only sit still for so long and was soon hopping around the room again.
“Yes, but Rainbow Dash said she saw Rarity heading to the cafe.” Twilight replied with a sigh.
“well maybe she was meeting a big wig about a big dress to go with their wig.” Pinkie said giggling as she lost her train of thought.
"But that was almost two hours ago.” Twilight replied with another exasperated sigh. “I guess we should start the planning with out her.” Spike was a little disappointed hearing that, he finished checking his scales for the eighteenth time just as the tea he was brewing started to whistle.
“Okay!” Pinkie said plopping down next to her lavender friend.
Just before they got down to the business of organizing the Spring festival, the library door opened and Rarity walked in saying. “Sorry girls, I got caught up-” She stopped as she looked herself over realizing she had forgotten something. “Oh my, where is my head today? I forgot my design notes! I’ll hurry home and get them.”
“No no, allow me!” Spike said running past his crush and out the door with out waiting for the mare's reply.
“Thank you Spike.” Rarity said to the air. “Hello girls!” The white unicorn added as she trotted over to the table. Both Twilight and Pinkie Pie greeted their friend.
“So, what was it that got in the way of our planing?” Twilight said still upset that her day's schedule was ruined.
“Oh yes.” Rarity smiled and giggled. “Well, I have a date to the festival.” She giggled some more before regaining her composure. “Thunderlane asked me to accompany him to the dance, and well, I had no idea he was...Oh, I just cannot find the right words...”
“Congratulations!” Pinkie said bouncing around the room again.
“That’s so nice.” Twilight said smiling. “I don’t think any pony is even interested in asking me.” She lowered her head before perking up with a confused expression. “But wait, what does that have to do with being late?”
“Oh well, we had lunch before he had a 'Jam Session' with his band and I just had to see him play.” The mare's eyes sparkled as she thought of what she had just seen.
Pinkie Pie and Twilight watched Rarity, one with a smile but the other began to scowl. The lavender unicorn cleared her throat and asked. “Um, Rarity, what about Spike?”
Rarity snapped out of her thoughts of the new stallion in her life. “Oh Spike, he's just like my little brother.” Rarity had almost forgotten about the baby dragon's crush. “I mean he's not much older then Sweetie bell. Darling, there’s more of an age difference between you and I then those two.”
“I just don’t want you to break his heart.” Twilight said with concern, quite aware of how sensitive the little dragon could be at times.
“yeah he may be a kid but he's still pretty grown up.” Pinkie Pie warned in her serous voice.
“Girls, girls...It's alright.” Rarity said to silence them. “I barely know Thunderlane. We may not even make it a week as a couple.”
“Says the mare who swoons just thinking about him.” Twilight incredulously replied with an eye brow raise.
“Well I never!” Rarity dramatically exclaimed, then pouted. “This isn’t about my love life.”
“We're not talking about your love life. We're talking about Spike.” Twilight said, as her tone became more maternal then worried.
“What about me?” Spike said panting in the door way holding Rarity’s note book.
“Oh nothing, nothing.” Rarity quickly said as Spike walked over to her and placed her note book on the table. Rarity smiled and thanked him by wrapping him in a affectionate hug and kissing him on the cheek. “Oh Spikey whikey, you know you are a really good friend right?” Spike was frozen with a red face, but was able to mumble a feeble yes. “...and that I really care for you right?” Again the dragon mumble his reply. “Good.” Rarity said releasing the baby dragon. Spike stumbled up the stairs and to the bed room trying hid his red face. Rarity’s smile slowly disappeared, she looked at Twilight noting the glare the lavender unicorn was giving her. Pinkie stayed quiet knowing that this was between her two friends. Rarity sighed and looked away. “If this thing with Thunderlane goes anywhere, it's going to kill him.”
“That’s why I want you to tell him now before it's too late.” Twilight agreed, worried on many levels.
“I will.” Rarity replied while siting down so they could get to work. “Well, let's get to work.”
“Oh oh oh!” Pinkie pie smiled, happy that she could talk after being silent for so long. “I have some great ideas for some new party games that I think you girls will love!”
“And I have several designs to show you girls, they are quite impressive if I do say so my self.” Rarity opened her note book and showed the two mares a few of her designs.
Twilight Sparkle wasn’t having as much fun preparing for the festival as she thought she would. She was angry with Rarity, but she had to admit that the white unicorn had a great design for the main street. The strings of lights and canopies that would line the festival grounds gave off a lively feel in appearance, like one of her imaginative party dresses.
After Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle finished admiring Rarity’s designs, Pinkie hopped around the table talking quickly about some of the ideas she had for the games. The most important of which were the prizes for the many games and raffles. Twilight nodded, but she didn’t know if the mayor would allow most of the prizes. Pinkie may spare no expanse for her parties and gifts, however the mayor was a little more frugal, and to confound the problem further was that Rarity’s decorations would cost a lot in the first place. Twilight couldn’t forget the wages of builders and ponies to run the booths and pay Sweet Apple Acres and other farms for their produce. The lavender unicorn had her work cut out for her when it came to getting everything organized and on budget.
Over the next week, Twilight and her friends had a few more planning sessions. Applejack and Fluttershy joined them a few times to get an idea of what they needed to do. Rarity was late to most of the get togethers, and was completely absent for the last. Twilight Sparkle was starting to get very upset even as the white unicorn normally explained that she was working, although with a little prodding she did reveal that Thunderlane was around.
Finally, with less then a week before the festival, Twilight was ready to show the mayor their plans. The unicorn was worried, despite all her number crunching and cost saving ideas the whole festival was 350 bits over budget. Pinkie Pie bounced alongside of Twilight Sparkle with her usual happy smile. Rarity was suppose to join them, however she was once again late.
As the pair neared the town hall they stopped as they heard Rarity call to them. Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie turned around and saw Rarity hurry to join the two. “Sorry girls!"
"Thunderlane's fitting took a little longer then I thought. Pegasus wings are hard to work around.” The white unicorn skidded to a halt seeing the glare on Twilight’s face. “Don’t give me that look Twilight. He was just there for his fitting.”
“That’s not why.”
“I know...” Rarity said a little ashamed, as she looked away for a moment.
“Hey, come on! Let's go!” Pinkie Pie said not wanting to let bad conversion start.
“Yeah, let's go.” Twilight Sparkle said as she lead the way into the town hall.
The presentation went well, Pinkie Pie and Rarity played their parts well, yet as the mayor looked over the papers Twilight had given her...The young mares could tell the Mayer wasn’t happy as she looked at the budget. “Everything sounds great and the decor is beautiful...” She looked up at the three mares and sighed. “Unfortunately, it's just too expensive.” Twilight and her friends were disheartened. “You have to cut something.”
“BUT,-” Pinkie Pie replied with an impossibly cute pout.
“-the estimated profit won't cove the cost of the festival it self.” Mayor Mare cut in, not in the least fazed by pink party pony's pout as she repeated. “You have to cut something.”
Pinkie Pie and Rarity looked distraught, neither wanted to compromise. Twilight Sparkle had to think of something. “Maybe another raffle.”
“But prizes for that will cost even more.” The Mayor dead panned.
“Not if its something that’s free.” Twilight Sparkle said thinking quickly. “Umm something like..... a dance with, oh, a famous pony.”
“That would cost even more then.”
“Not if they volunteer.” Twilight cut the mayor off, “We're famous and I’m pretty sure any stallion would give his left leg to get the chance to dance with one of us.”
“...That could work.” The older mare said, looking over to Rarity as did the other young mares. She raised a forehoof to her chin as she pondered the idea.
Rarity noticed their eyes on her. “Well I can't do it. I’ve got a date.”
Before anypony else could say anything Pinkie pie chimed in happily. “I’ll do it, it sounds like fun!”
“That will work.” Twilight Sparkle said with a smile.
“It should.” The Mayor agree eying the pink pony knowing how young stallions think and with the wild reputation Pinkie Pie had, this idea could work. “What about for the mares? Do you have any stallion in mind?”
Twilight Sparkle was again at a lost, “Uh...” she said, as she thought about the stallions she could ask. “Big Mac will be running the Cider stand so he'll be busy...Might as well ask Winchester, he is a knight after all.” It was going to feel weird to ask the stallion something like this.
Hearing this offer, the Mayor finally agreed with a nod. “If he will agree to it, then I approve.”
The three mares celebrated with a high hoof and giggled as the Mayor excused them with a smile. The three trotted out of town hall. Rarity told Pinkie pie that a dress would be ready before the festival. The pink pony knew better then to turn down a gift from her dressmaking friend.
Twilight Sparkle meanwhile had to hurry off to ask Winchester if he would help with the dance raffle. The lavender unicorn made her way to the stallion's new home, it was a modestly large house on the edge of town. She knew where he lived from a chance meeting while out the other day...Winchester had just bought it and had been spending much of his time moving in. Twilight Sparkle trotted up to the door and gave it a good knock. She found the role reversal a little funny as Winchester answered the door.
“Oh, greetings Twilight.” Winchester said the accent of Canterlot thick in his throat.
“Hi Winchester.”
A loud chime came from inside the house drawing Winchester attention. “Oh, hey, my baked potato is ready.” He looked back at Twilight Sparkle and smiled. “Oh do come in, I was just about to have a late lunch. I could make you something real quick if you like.” Winchester said nodding for her to enter as he turned inside and hurried to the kitchen.
“Well I wasn’t going to stay long I just had something to ask you.” Twilight replied.
“That’s okay, I just need to get my lunch ready before it burns.” The hungry knight replied. “Come in and look around. I should just be a minute.” Winchester really didn’t give Twilight the time to say no, so she just walked in and closed the door. The Writer's home was filled with expansive furniture however it was nothing Twilight hadn’t seen, she spent so much life with the princess after all. In the living room she noticed that the armor that Winchester wore to battle was on display with his sword hung on the wall above it.
The lavender mare looked around the room, she noticed many stuffed beasts. She had seen many in her books and all of them were dangerous. Ranging from a large lion head on the wall to a conman Timber wolf, although this example of the wooden beast was far larger then the ones around Ponyville. There was even a few mythical beasts mounted to the wall like a cockatrice and a claw from a manticore. Judging from the other items around the room Twilight correctly guessed that they were all trophies from Winchester's adventures. 'Fluttershy should never come here.' She thought with a slight grin.
Twilight Sparkle turned to Winchester's fire place she expected there to be a dragon's head hung over it. She was wrong, there was simply a selection of pictures siting on shelf above the fireplace. She passed a large reading chair to get a closer look. The first on the far left was of a stallion that looked a lot like Winchester with a shorter mane and a dark orange coat, who was alongside of a mare that must have been his wife judging from the wedding jewelry hanging from their ears who was sky blue with blond mane. 'Must be his parents.' Twilight thought. The next picture were of the same stallion with Winchester. He must have been no older then Applebloom and her friends perhaps even younger, and she noted that the mare was not with them.
The next pictures came from many different sources, from photo cameras to clipped from news paper. Each was of a young and proud Winchester clad in armor and armed with a sword neither of which were the ones he had displayed on the other side of the room. As Twilight continued to move from one picture to the next, Winchester grew older and he was accompanied by other Ponies. Twilight started to recognize the more stand out individuals, like the large and tall zebra whose the top of his head was normally cut off by the frame. Another was a mare that always seemed to be close to Winchester as well as a few more. By the time the picture showed Winchester being around Twilight’s age the group that was with the stallion numbered nearly fifteen ponies, she also noticed the absence of the zebra and a few other ponies from earlier pictures.
Yet, a few pictures later, one that was most definitely taken from a newspaper showed Winchester's group returning to a small town most likely from a hard fought battle judging from the state they were in. The mare that had always been so close to Winchester was gone as were four more of the group. As Twilight neared the end of the shelf there were no longer new faces joining Winchester and his group. Finally the last photo was of Winchester clad in the armor displayed in the back of his room and his large sword on his back, however he was alone again and he looked confused, like he was veary proud of what he had become but it made him want to cry.
Twilight lingered on the picture for a short time till she heard Winchester say, “That's both the proudest and saddest day of my life.” and the knight set down his potato that was covered in butter and cheese. “The day I was knighted.” He looked at each of the pictures and added. “Each of those pictures has a story with it, victory and sacrifice, for peace and life.” He looked at Twilight and smiled. “But you are not here to hear about the difference between my facts and the fiction it made. So what was it you wanted to ask me?”
“Oh yes.” Twilight said drawn form her thoughts of the stallion's past. “well you may know that the spring festival is soon and...-”
“Wait let me guess.” Winchester said looking at Twilight with a playful smirk, Twilight blushed as she tried to stop the coming misunderstanding. The stallion however continued his guess. “You want me too...help out with the festival you and your friends planed in some official capacity?”
Twilight sighed, before she replied. “Why yes, the festival is over budget and the first solution I could come up with is a dance with a celebrity pony. Pinkie Pie agree to it already...” Winchester nodded, and Twilight stumbled over words. “...and well...”
“You want to raffle me off like some shiny trophy to be won?” Winchester said having trouble hiding his smile.
“Huh? Well uh...” Twilight Sparkle was caught of guard by the stallion's joke.
“I’m just messing with you, it sounds like fun.” The Stallion said with a smile as he watched Twilight’s face change from confused to a half annoyed smirk. “Plus maybe fate will intervene and I’ll run into my soul mate.” Winchester said half jokingly.
“Yeah.” Twilight said with a dreamy sigh. The lavender mare quickly shook her head and regained her composure. She ignored Winchester's chuckle as she said. “Anyway, that’s great to hear.”
“No problem. It will give me a chance to try out the suit Rarity made me.” Winchester said settling on eat his potato.
“Cool.” Twilight replied with a smile. “Well see you around.”
“Probably in the library.” Winchester retorted with a grin.
“Hopefully not at four in the morning.” Twilight said making light of the stallion's most annoying habit as she trotted out the front door.
Winchester watched her leave with a slightly lecherous smile as he said. “I make no promises.”
With in just a few days Mane street was hustling and bustling with workers. Booths were built, tables were set in perfect rolls with enough space for the coming hoof traffic. Everything was perfectly planned out by Twilight Sparkle. Pinkie Pie helped as much as she unfortunately got in the way. Whenever she broke something she did her best to fix it, and she always just looked too cute in the end for anypony to really stay mad at her.
Rarity was of course was in charge of setting up the decorations. Even though a certain dark gray helper was quite the draw of her attention, she kept her wondering eyes in check...She was a professorial after all and she would settle for nothing less then perfection. Thunderlane to did his best to keep their relationship out of the workplace, besides, they hadn’t even kissed yet despite his best efforts to woo her. She was a lady, and he would be a perfect gentlecolt even if it killed him.
Rainbow Dash was busy clearing the sky. The job was a little harder than usual with the numerous clouds that were being blown into town from the Everfree forest. She had the sky cleared in about fifteen seconds only to have more heading her way. She sighed angrily and went on about her work. She hoped that this wasn’t an omen for the night of the dance.
Applejack and Big Macintosh were setting up their booth. Which was the largest of all of the farms in attendance. Mainly this was because of Sweet Apple Acres being one of the oldest and largest farm in Ponyville, as well as one of the only farms with a liquor licenses. Big Mac worked hard to maintain the quality of their liquor and spirits just like his father had. The apple family was not just selling several types of hard cinder but also some stronger drinks and refreshments for all ages as well as snacks and even full meals. Soon everything was ready for the festival.