//------------------------------//
// 10: Spare Pony 
// Story: But Wait...There's More! 
// by McPoodle 
//------------------------------//


But Wait...There’s More!

- 10: Spare Pony - 






“Vinyl, are you in here?” asked the voice of Octavia. “Vinyl, I’m coming in there. Comrade, do you have any idea what time it is? It’s past two in the afternoon! Get up, get up! Fix your...you know what, I’ll fix your mane...there! Trust me; it’s as good as you ever bother to fix it. I’ve got something to help you out on your quest—a booth in the city square! It’s the one I use to sell season tickets at the end of summer. I spent all yesterday filling out the paperwork, so it’s completely legal for you to use it to promote your righteous cause. Are you just going to stand there? Here, let’s get your things together...oh, they’re still in the cart. Well come on, let’s get out there. Wait, can’t forget the sunglasses. And...onward! It’s alright...little baby dragon whose name escapes me...I have things well in hand! Let your masters see this note when they come back. Now let’s get you out to that booth, Vinyl...and on to your destiny!”

The musician resumed speaking a few minutes later. “Now let’s see, how do I put this together again? Long walls, short wall, back wall, and...there! Now we’ll set up your boxes and...those other boxes...no, don’t bother to lift a hoof, I’ve got this! Yes, yes I do believe that will do nicely! Oh, you need a sign! I’ve got this covered, so don’t you move!”

Indeed, Vinyl had not moved of her own volition the entire time—she had just walked dumbly in whatever direction she was prodded. It seemed as if she was just one more part for Octavia to assemble. “Step 18: Balance Part P (pony) on top of Part S (stool)...”

In a few more minutes, Octavia returned with her sign, which she appeared to be quite proud of. She then excused herself to go give a demonstration for an elementary school class (and utterly failing to get Vinyl to repeat the name of the school in case anything came up), before finally leaving Vinyl to her thoughts.





Of which she had absolutely none. Vinyl just sat there in the booth, immobile. Seven hundred million years passed. Well, that’s what it felt like. Nopony approached the booth. Vinyl wouldn’t have noticed if one did—she experienced the world as a mish-mashed jumble of noise. She hoped that one of the ponies would take off her glasses. She hoped that they would start laughing at her blindness, that they would kick her to the ground and start tearing her slowly to pieces.

It was what she deserved.





Eventually, Octavia came back for her. “Oh, look!” she exclaimed. “You made a sale! See, you have one less box than when we set up!” It was almost certainly stolen. “That’s pretty good. I’m sure Sunday will be even better, especially if we get you up a little earlier. Well come on, this booth is not going to take itself down!” By which she meant that she was going to take the booth down by herself.





Vinyl Scratch was taken back to Rarity’s apartment and put back in her bed, and then Octavia left to cover for DJ Pon-3 at the party she was supposed to host that night.





And so ended Saturday.