//------------------------------// // Part One: Your Song // Story: Galley Alley // by The Red Parade //------------------------------// Just leave just leave just leave just leave just leave Low Res took a deep breath and tried to maintain her smile. She shifted uneasily on her rear legs, rocking back and forth as she tapped her front hooves against the counter.  The two pegasi occupying the shop floor were wandering up and down the aisles aimlessly, occasionally pausing to poke at an item.  Just leave just leave just leave! Leave already! The first pegasus sighed, rubbing his eyes wearily. “Come on, Rocky,” he muttered. “We gotta get back to Velvet.” “Fine,” muttered the second. The two turned in unison and headed for the door.  “H-Have a nice day!” Low Res called after them. She didn’t move when the door swung shut and the bell rang: instead she held her breath and counted to ten. When she was certain the customer was gone, she dropped back to all fours and swung around to glance at her pale purple flank. An oversaturated and slightly fuzzy-rainbow stared back at her. Low Res squinted carefully, first at her left then her right before spotting something which confirmed her fears: on her right flank a corner of the rainbow was peeling upwards. She sighed, hanging her head in disappointment, before heading for the backroom. “Just great,” she muttered. Low Res gave a pull to the corner and the entire rainbow peeled off, wincing slightly as it took a few of her coat hairs with it. It quickly folded up onto itself, the adhesive making the ends stick together. With a grunt, Low Res crumpled up the sticker into a ball and tossed it away. Underneath the sticker was of course nothing: just like how there was nothing every single day of Low Res’ life.  “Still no cutie mark,” she muttered, head hanging in shame as she sulked over to her workbench. She opened a cardboard box, filled with dozens of sticker sheets. Inside, dozens of identical, fuzzy rainbow stickers stared back at her.  In a practiced movement, she tore a sticker from the sheet and applied it to her flank, running a hoof over it to flatten it once it was set. She sighed, checking in the mirror to make sure it looked somewhat natural. Obviously it was far from perfect: any pony with an eye for detail could detect that something was off with it, but Low Res was determined to never hang around someone long enough for them to find out. The rolling of thunder cracked from outside, only adding to Low Res’ gloom as she folded her ears and felt her cheeks burning with humiliation. As she turned in the mirror, she decided to reapply her right flank’s sticker as well. But as she reached for the sheet there was the ringing of a bell and hoofsteps from the shop floor. Low Res’ breath hitched in her throat as she ran back for the counter. As she reentered the room, a mare with a pale orange coat turned to look at her. “Hi!” Low Res blurted. “Welcome to my store! We sell stickers and stationary items! I’m Resolution, can I help you?” The mare giggled. “Hiya! I’m Lilac Meadows, I run the flower store down the street!” Low Res blinked. “Oh, right! I don’t think I’ve ever gone, though.” Lilac hummed, tapping her chin. “Don’t think so. Anyways, I pass your store a lot and I’m looking for a new supplier for labels. I had a deal with Clear Tape at the Stall Depot but he’s decided to retire.” “I see,” Low Res said, nodding mechanically.  Lilac smiled brightly. “But I take it your specialty is stickers?” Specialty? My specialty is nothing. “Y-yes,” Low Res replied, rubbing the back of her head. “But I can make labels as well!” “Oh, stickers could definitely help spice up my bouquets,” Lilac replied, trotting up to the counter. “May I see your inventory?” Low Res brightened. “Sure!” She scampered to the backroom, quickly grabbing boxes and sheets. It wasn’t often that someone wanted to see her work… even if Low Res didn’t think it was very good. Her pace slowed at that. There was probably already a pony in the city whose special talent was in sticker making. Who was she to take away their business when she wasn’t talented at anything? Low Res shook her head violently to clear the thoughts. She had a customer, and it was rude to keep her waiting. “Here we go!” she said, spreading out the boxes and sheets over the counter. “I can do mostly anything, and in any style you need.” “Ooh!” Lilac began shuffling through the sheets, eyes gleaming in amazement. “These look great! Do you do the art yourself?” “Er, sometimes,” Low Res answered as she shuffled on her hooves nervously. “If you have an artist with some designs I could definitely do a custom order.” Her eyes lit up with realization. “Oh, here!” as she reached for one of the sheets her hoof brushed against Lilac’s, and for a second she froze. But Low Res quickly shook the feeling off, flipping over to a sheet filled with flower stickers. “These might be suited for what you need.” “These are lovely!” Lilac looked up, eyes brimming with energy and eagerness. “I’d love to have these for my store, would you accept a monthly or bimonthly order?” Low Res paled at that. “Wow, of course! I don’t think I’ve ever had a repeat customer like that before!” Lilac laughed, clapping her hooves together. “Then Equestria doesn’t know what they’re missing out on!” That got a smile out of Low Res. “Oh, what about these? You seem to have a lot of them,” Lilac said, pointing to a sticker sheet.  Low Res followed her hoof and realized she had accidentally included the sheet of her “cutie mark.” “Isn’t that your cutie mark?” Lilac asked. Low Res sucked in a breath at that. “Y-yeah! I just like to, y’know, include them in orders for free. Gotta promote myself, y’know?” she offered a weak chuckle. Luckily, Lilac seemed to accept this. “That’s amazing! You’re really good at brand-building, huh?” “Um… thanks?” Low Res felt her cheeks flush at the compliment. “I can bring around some demos to your store tomorrow. It’s the one two blocks down, right?” Lilac nodded. “Sounds good! I’ll be looking forward to it! I’d love to chat with you more but I really need to get back to the store. See you tomorrow?” “Yeah!” Low Res answered. “I’ll see you then!” With that, Lilac turned and trotted to the door. The ringing of the bell finally snapped Low Res out of her haze. The entire store seemed darker and gloomier now that Lilac was gone.  Low Res sighed, almost in disbelief at what had just happened. “Wow… nobody’s ever that nice to me.” A smile crept onto her face, but as she began to gather the sticker sheets she felt a cool breeze against her left flank. The smile vanished as she glanced back and realized that her other sticker, the one she hadn’t replaced, had peeled off nearly halfway. Low Res gasped, going stock still. Did… did Lilac notice? She considered this. Lilac hadn’t said anything, and her expressions felt so warm and genuine… She couldn’t have noticed. Right? Low Res groaned, slumping onto the counter and burying her head in her hooves.  “Why does life have to suck so much?” For once, life didn’t suck so much for Low Res. The difference was that Lilac Meadows was now in it. After several deliveries and conversations, Lilac began stopping by more and more, even helping Low Res close up the store. “Yeah, these are great! I think they’ll love them!” Low Res beamed as Lilac poured over a set of stickers. The stickers each bore the colors of a particular pride group: brilliant shades of blue and white, purple and blue, and several others covered the entire sheet: in bold defiance of whoever dared oppose them. Lilac smiled as she put them in her bag, putting some bits on the counter. “Thanks a ton!” “Yeah, no problem. I give some of these out to customers, too. Tell them to put them wherever they want,” Low Res continued. “Ooh, good idea. I wonder how far from the cities these get… Do you ever travel, Low Res?” Low Res tapped her chin. “Uh… not really? I mean I guess it’d be cool to visit Canterlot.” “Not big on travelling?” Lilac nodded, her mane bobbing up and down. “That’s fine! I've always wanted to go to Manehattan myself. The city sounds so beautiful and exciting!” “Manehattan’s cool,” offered Low Res as she hefted a box onto the shelf. Her companion was quiet for a second. “So, Res,” Lilac said after clearing her throat. “I’ve been doing some thinking.” Low Res perked up. “Oh yeah?” Lilac was quiet for a few seconds, fiddling with a page in the sticker book laying on the countertop. “Well… in a couple of days a local musician is holding a rooftop concert where I live. It’s gonna be a pretty big deal! My friend Star Hunter is organizing it and he’s pulling out all the stops. He hired me to make these flower arrangements and everything. Do you… do you wanna go with me?” Low Res froze, eyes going wide. A… concert? With other ponies? “Uhh…” Lilac eagerly awaited a reply, gazing at her with a placid smile. It made Low Res sweat as her mind began to race. I couldn’t possibly go there! What if someone finds out? But as she opened her mouth to reply she caught Lilac’s gaze again and her mind grounded to a halt. “Uhh…. sure? Sounds… fun?” Lilac gasped. “Oh, fantastic! It’ll be so much fun! I just know you’ll like my neighbors, everybody there is super nice!” Low Res barely heard any of it, the panic of what she had just said finally hitting her. I’m going to a party… with other ponies. Who will be looking at me. “I really hope it goes well,” Lilac said, leaning against the counter. “Apple Split hired me to do the decorations. Plus, I… I really want to show you the gardens there. They’re so pretty.” “Um. Yeah.” Lilac glanced at the clock mounted on the wall and sighed. “Well, I have to get going. See you there?” “See you there,” Low Res said automatically. She didn’t breathe until the ringing of the bell shook her from her trance. What did I just get myself into? “Of course it’s raining.” Low Res paced the floor of her shop nervously as rain continued to pound the streets outside. A cart filled with stickers was behind her, packed, covered, and ready to go. The only thing that wasn’t yet ready was Low Res. That was because Low Res hated the rain. Rain didn’t mix well with adhesive; perhaps there was a magical solution, but Low Res wasn’t a unicorn and as such had no answer to rain mixing with her sticker. Even a raincoat and umbrella offered minimal protection, especially when the wind was behaving as erratically as it was now. “I knew I should have had one custom made,” she cursed, fiddling with the zipper of her poncho. She sighed, squeezing her eyes shut.  She had to do this. She had made a commitment and she was going to follow through on it. She couldn’t let Lilac down.  With a deep breath for confidence, Low Res pushed out into the storm. The city was bathed in water. It streamed down from the sky and fell from awnings, creating virtual oceans and lakes in the streets and alleys. The wind instantly smashed into her, sending droplets of water into her face. Low Res growled, quickly checking that the tarp over her small wagon was secure, before heading off into the storm. Water lapped around her boots as she trotted, with the wind constantly harassing her. Every now and then Low Res spared a glance back at the cart, but for the most part she kept her head low. By the time she reached the flower store she was certain that she was more water than pony. The door was unlocked, and Low Res practically collapsed into the room, wearily relishing the warmth. “You made it!” She looked up to see Lilac trotting over to her, herself wearing a raincoat. “I was going to head over to take it myself but it looks like you beat me to it!”  “Yeah, it was no problem,” Low Res panted. She glanced at her flanks and was relieved to see that the adhesives had held so far.  Lilac moved the wagon over to a corner of the room. “Oh geez, you’re soaked!” She rushed over to Low and put a hoof over hers. “And you’re freezing!” In truth, Low Res hadn’t noticed how cold she was until Lilac pulled her hoof away. Her body missed its warmth almost immediately. “I have an idea,” Lilac said. “Why don’t you come home with me, I’ll treat you to some tea!” “Oh, that’s… that’s really not necessary,” Low Res stammered. “Nonsense, it’s the least I could do,” Lilac insisted. “C’mon! Besides, I want to get to know you better!” Low Res considered this. On one hoof, going with Lilac would mean returning out into the storm. But on the other hoof… “Okay,” she finally said with a smile. “I didn’t have any plans for tonight anyways.” “Great!” Lilac exclaimed, clapping her hooves. “C’mon! Let’s go!” And with that, the two left the store again. Lilac extended her umbrella, allowing Low Res to hide beneath it. “Gee,” Lilac said, raising her voice over the storm. “I hope this rain stops soon, we still need to set things up for the concert tomorrow.” “I’m sure it will,” Low Res offered.  Lilac nodded. “Well, we’ll make do no matter what happens. Have you ever been to Galley Alley?” Low Res tapped her chin. “I’ve heard of it, but no, I’ve never been,” she admitted. “It’s really neat! Most of it is an apartment complex, but the alley in between is filled with all sorts of cool stuff, like pop-up stores and cafes.” She sighed wistfully. “The community there is fantastic too, I’ve never felt so welcome.” They fell into a comfortable silence, allowing Low Res to take in the city. Somehow, despite the gloom of the city and the sky, she felt safe beneath Lilac’s umbrella. Like nothing could hurt her. And she smiled a bit wider. “Oops, here, let’s make sure this thing fully covers you,” Lilac muttered, moving closer to Low Res. Instantly she felt Lilac’s warmth as it almost radiated onto her body. The heat rose to her cheeks and she looked away in embarrassment. “Gosh,” sighed Lilac. “I just love the rain. The smell of earth and ozone, the way the clouds look as the wind shapes them… it’s just so pretty!” Low Res nodded. “I… never thought of it that way. I usually just hide inside when it rains.” Lilac laughed and it was beautiful. “Why, we’ll have to get you to go out more, silly!” As they rounded the corner, they paused in front of a light pole that was covered with familiar stickers. “Huh,” Low Res remarked, trotting up to it. “Well, you did tell ponies to use them ‘wherever,’” Lilac laughed. “Guess so.” Low Res faintly heard the clopping of hooves against the cobblestone. She began to turn, but only caught the passing taxi cart in her peripheral vision before the cart plowed straight through a puddle.  Her vision was blurred with water as the splash drenched them both. “Hey!” Lilac shouted as the cab faded away. “Geez! The nerve of some ponies.” Low Res shook her head violently to get some of the water out of her mane, much to Lilac’s amusement. “That’s one way to do it, I guess! Don’t worry, I’ll get you a warm towel once we get home.” “Thanks,” Low Res muttered, tilting her head and jumping to get water out of her ear. The two continued before Lilac pointed out two large buildings ahead of them. “There it is: Galley Alley.” The buildings were made of brick and ivy, with cozy windows tucked into its nooks. In between them was an alley which twisted and snaked out of view, guarded by a rusted iron fence. “Come on, let’s--” “Mommy!”  The two turned to see a foal and their mother across the street, pointing at them. “Mommy, how come that pony doesn’t have a cutie mark?” Low Res’ blood turned to ice as she whipped her head around to look at her flank. To her horror, the sticker was gone. Ohnoohnoohnohnoohnohno Her mind sputtered to a halt, with her eyes growing wide. “Low Res?” She tried to form a reply but her mouth just flopped open and closed uselessly. Lilac was looking at her, but her panicked mind couldn’t identify the expression. Her cheeks burned with humiliation as her entire form began to tremble nervously. “I--” Lilac moved, cutting her off. She put a foreleg around her neck and pressed their bodies together, using her own body to hide  Low Res’ naked side. “Shhh,” she whispered. “Come on, let’s get you someplace warm.” Her body continued to move, but Low Res barely recognized it. Her mind desperately tried to restart itself, vaguely registering the stimuli from the lobby, staircase, and hallway. By the time it finally began processing again, Lilac was unlocking an apartment door and ushering her inside. “Wait here,” she instructed gently before dashing off into the house. Low Res looked around the room. It was small but cozy, and the scent of candles and flowers met her nose. She would have enjoyed it more were she not still completely mortified. Lilac reappeared again, a towel in her hoof. “Here,” she offered. Low Res accepted the towel and began to dry herself off. She paused when she noticed her other sticker, now soaked and peeling, but decided not to do anything about it: the jig was already up. Now she’d have to deal with whatever Lilac thought of her. “C’mere,” Lilac said again, guiding Low Res over to a couch. They sat down as another crack of thunder sounded from outside.  Low Res was quiet, studying the carpet beneath her hooves. She sniffled, squeezing her eyes shut as tears began to well in them. “I… I’m sorry,” she whispered. “What for?” asked Lilac. “For lying to you! I… I don’t have a cutie mark,” Low Res blurted, burying her head in her hooves. “I’m a fraud! I don’t have a special talent in anything, I’m just a useless--” She was cut off when she felt a foreleg around her. Lilac had pulled her into a hug and began nuzzling her gently. “Shhh, don’t talk like that, honey,” she whispered. Low Res turned to look at her, wiping tears from her eyes. “W-what?” Lilac smiled. “You don’t need a cutiemark to be special, you know.” “But how?” Low Res asked. “Well, let me put it this way. Every pony in Equestria is unique, right? We all lead our own lives, sing our own songs. But… you can’t live your life to the fullest if you’re trying to sing someone else’s song. You’ve got to sing your song!” Lilac scrunched her nose. “...If that makes any sense. Look, what I’m saying is it’s fine to be you! You don’t have to be ashamed!” “But I’m 21 and I don’t have a cutie mark yet,” Low Res sulked. “How… How can I not feel like I’m useless? Like I’m nothing at all?” “Because,” Lilac answered. “You’re my friend, and that makes you something!” Low Res turned to look at her. “I… I am?” “Of course you are!” Lilac exclaimed. “I meant it in your store, your stickers are so, so good! Who cares if you don’t have a cutie mark in it?”  “I… I guess,” Low Res muttered.  Lilac sighed. She leaned over and enveloped Low Res’ body in a hug, letting her warmth wash over her. “Hey,” she whispered. “Tell you what. I’ll help you find your special talent, ‘kay?” “You… you’d do that?” sniffed Low Res, fresh tears in her eyes. “But… Why?” “Because friends have each others’ backs,” Lilac answered, ruffling her mane and sending small specks of rainwater flying. “And, um… welltobehonestIthinkyou’reprettycute,” she blurted, a bit of red stinging her cheeks. Low Res blushed as well but leaned into the hug. “I… Thank you. Nobody’s ever been this nice to me. Everyone just looks at me funny and I… I hate it so much,” she muttered, bitterness tingling her voice. Lilac sighed. “Well, here’s what I say: screw them! They’re a bunch of jerks anyways. You don’t deserve them, so who cares what they think?” “I… I guess you’re right.” Low Res hesitantly hugged her back. When Lilac didn’t pull away, Low Res buried her face into her new friend’s chest, sobbing deeply and letting her cheers fall into her coat. Behind her and unnoticed by either of them, Low Res’ sticker slowly fell off her coat and drifted to the floor.