//------------------------------// // Start Your Day // Story: Choice // by AnOrdinaryWriter //------------------------------// You shoot up in your bed, a cold sweat covering your brow and drenching the front part of your mane. You look around, seeing the welcoming, comforting sight of your bedroom just as you remember it before you went to sleep. Just a nightmare. You sigh in relief, slipping out from under the warm covers and setting all four hooves on the floor. Traversing across your bedroom to the window, you pull the blinds open, freeing the sunlight from the outdoors and allowing it to stream inside, bathing the walls in the delightful shade of morning gold. You smile. Today is going to be a good day. You can feel it. A stream of energy courses throughout your body, whisking away any tiredness you felt. You start toward your bedroom door, stepping out of the room and heading to the kitchen, preparing yourself a quick bite to eat. Peanut butter and jelly with a glass of orange juice. Not too complicated and delicious. Eager to get the day started, you wolf the whole thing down in less than a minute, gulping down the juice and placing everything in the sink to be washed when you get back. You face the front door as it stands, waiting impatiently and beckoning for you to open it wide and step out into the midst of a wonderfully exciting day. And so you walk up to the door, place a hoof on the handle and throw the door open, embraced immediately by the rays of a pleasant summer sun. Your coat radiates the reflection of the sky’s luminance, and with a bright grin, you walk down the steps of your home. Your day has officially begun! With confident, eager strides, you march forward down the town’s road. Around you, ponies with matching enthusiasm carry out their own day’s tasks. Whether that be checking off their grocery lists early or heading to meet up for events with friends, it’s blatantly clear that everypony in the town feels just as ready to tackle the day as you do. Ponies passing by give you gleeful waves, and you wave back, never giving up your consistent smile. You also overhear the mention of a later affair in the day from various other ponies, and are reminded of one of the many reasons for your current anticipation of the day ahead, and likely that of everyone else as well. Pinkie Pie had hosted a special party commemorating the 60th anniversary of when Ponyville was founded, and she promised that it would be her biggest one yet—as if she hadn’t said the same about her other parties as well. Though, this claim was a little more believable, since the pink pony had invited everypony in Ponyville and even organized a huge parade afterward involving the entire town’s population. And since it’s Pinkie Pie, and she always makes the best parties, there’s no doubt in your mind that it’s going to be a blast! You continue to walk forward, a bounce in your step, before you reach a fork in the road. You stop when you notice two of your friends coming toward you from either direction: Vinyl Scratch and, speak of the devil—or in this case, pink ball of bouncy energy—, Pinkie Pie herself. “Heya!” Pinkie’s high-pitched voice calls out to you as she bounces in your direction with an audible spring. “He-hey, what’s up, dude!” Vinyl says, walking up to you with a similar chipper attitude, though unsurprisingly outmatched by Pinkie Pie’s sugar overdose-induced behavior. You nod your head to both of them, returning the greetings given to you by the two ponies as they approach you before stopping at the end of the paths they walked along. “So glad I came across you,” Vinyl begins. “Octy is rehearsing for her big performance this friday at the Ponyville theater and you’re invited to chill with us if you want.” “Oh. Well, actually, I was wondering if you wanted to come over and help taste test some new recipes I put together for the party later!” Pinkie says to you, slightly let down. “But if you wanna go with Vinyl, that’s fine by me.” You turn to Vinyl. “Oh, I mean, you don’t gotta come with me. If you wanna go with Pinkie, I’m all good with that.” Conflicted by the two offers, you find yourself faced with a tough decision. Going with Vinyl sounds cool, and from what you have heard, Octavia is the best musician in Ponyville and one of the best in Equestria. On the other hand, spending time Pinkie Pie sounds equally as fun, and considering she’s the best baker in town, who wouldn’t want an opportunity to be her taste tester! Two options… both evenly appealing… which will you choose? Go with Vinyl Scratch__________________________________________________________________________ Go with Pinkie Pie