//------------------------------// // 62 // Story: Choice // by AnOrdinaryWriter //------------------------------// Your duplicate proceeds to pull out an extra five bits from the saddlebag and gives it to the waitress, who happily declares that their meals will be ready in a moment, and walks off toward the kitchens. As the two ponies look away from her, she suddenly stops, holding out her hoof. In that moment, much like the saddlebag that materialized on your clone's back, a tray carrying two plates of food pops out of thin air onto her hoof, and she turns around, walking back to the table and delivers them. After serving them, she walks off once again toward the kitchens, except this time, an explosion of light wipes her out of the picture. After the two eat, Vinyl announces that Pinkie's party would be starting soon before she gets up and starts walking past your clone. As you'd come to expect, the two ponies vanish. When you look out the windows at the front of the restaurant, you see them again, and gallop out of the restaurant to catch up. As soon as you leave, you spot them heading down the path that leads to Sugarcube Corner. However, at one point, Vinyl stops and looks at your clone. “I just remembered something. You go on ahead to Sugarcube Corner, I gotta go home and get Octy but I’ll meet you there, okay?” Your duplicate nods, and Vinyl starts running in your direction. Only, she doesn't acknowledge you at all despite making a beeline directly toward you. Suddenly, your vision is filled by a white flare of light, and you instinctively cover your eyes. When you look ahead of you once again, you see that Vinyl is gone, leaving just you and your clone on this path. You start following the pony as they begin to gallop toward the gingerbread roof behind the buildings and houses ahead. Your duplicate then stops and turns down the left turn in the path while you continue forward toward the bakery. Soon enough, you reach the front door of the bakery. Loud music and ponies inside chatting and laughing booms from inside, and you open the front door to go in. Inside, the room is bustling with ponies young and old. There is not one corner of the room that is empty, ponies dancing to the groovy music, playing one of the many games set up throughout the room or simply conversing at the tables. Along the walls sit tables carrying different flavored cakes, including the large one Pinkie had showed you inside the kitchen, and the place looks livelier than ever. The difference between when the place was empty and when it was filled is outstanding. You walk toward the crowd to join in. Among the crowd, ponies spot you and wave. There’s no one in particular that recognizes you, but they nicely acknowledge you, so you wave back, a smile on your face. You aren’t sure what you should do first—whether you should dance, or play some games and get to know some more ponies in town. But then you hear your name being called, and you look over. Pinkie is walking over to you from within the assembly of ponies in the room with a happy expression on her face. “Hey! glad you could make it. How are you enjoying yourself? Havin’ fun?” she asks excitedly, and you nod. “Yay! I’m so glad! By the way, I know you don’t know that many ponies here, so in case you feel uncomfortable, just know that Ponyville has the nicest ponies a town could ever offer, so there’s nothing to worry about.” You nod again in understanding, telling her that you’ll try to have as much fun as possible. “That’s what I like to hear!” she says, bumping you in the shoulder with a foreleg. “You wanna try out some of the games? I dunno if you saw when we walked in, but there’s apple bobbing and pin the tail on the pony, two of the more famous games partygoers tend to glide toward. Any of those suit your fancy?” Pin the Tail on the Pony____________________________________________________________________________Apple Bobbing