//------------------------------// // The Welcome Wagon Part Two // Story: The Twilight Child // by Detectivefish //------------------------------// Midday Eclipse counted her blessings that it was a weekday, and only half past ten at that, making rushing around downtown Ponyville easy enough. She rushed down alleys and side-streets, Spike holding onto her tail for dear-life and therefore being shaken like a purple and green leaf. "That way!" the dragon said. "Which way?" She responded, not turning her head, knowing that if she did she'd probably run into someone. "Your left!" She turned. "Your left, your left!" the dragon yelled. "I am going left!" she said, turning to look at him without breaking her stride. "Then I'm upside-down!" Any further argument was forestalled by her slamming into a door. "Ouch." She intoned. Spike, who had comically slammed into the door above her, slid down onto her head, before tumbling down and bouncing off of her neck. Shakily getting to her hooves, she ignored the dizzyness and stepped inside, dragged Spike in and slammed the door. Then she saw where she'd entered. "Welcome to the Carousel Boutique, where everything is-" The shop-owner said, before a rather encumbered clothes rack fell on her. "Rarity, are you okay?!" Spike yelled. "Oh, Spike, I don't mean to be a bother, but would you and your new associate mind freeing me. It's getting rather hard to breath under these dresses." Came the fashionista's voice, from beneath a twisted pile of fabric and metal. As was the case in any collapse, one of her legs was sticking out of the pile at an unusual (perhaps even comical) angle. "Coming!" Spike said. Midday sighed, and focused. In an instant the pile of clothing had been moved, leaving a rather confused looking unicorn lying on the carpet. She quickly rolled onto her feet and looked about. "Thank you, miss. Another few minutes under those old rags and I might have lost track of my train of thoughts." She paused, looking like she was trying to remember something. "Oh. No, wait. I've forgotten." She sighed angrily. Then she stared at Midday. "But where are my manners?" She extended a hoof. "Rarity, owner of the Carousel Boutique, at your service, Miss...?" Midday shook her hoof. "Midday Eclipse." Rarity seemed to be staring at her hoof with an all too familiar analytical eye. "I don't normally end up crushed under my own works, you know. I am afraid I simply got distracted by inspiration." She sighed. Then she noticed something in the corner of the shop. "OPAL, NO! STAY OFF OF MOMMY'S SWEATERS!" Midday looked (once she recovered from the shock) across the store, to where a medium-sized overweight cat slowly moved off of a small pile of identical woollen sweaters, all in black. The cat moved in the exact way needed to suggest it had been bored of sitting there anyway, and was going to go find an expensive sofa to victimise. "I do apologise for yelling, those sweaters took several hours to knit though, and I'll be damned if anyone touches them." she said, smiling an incredibly worrying smile. Then she blinked slightly. "Where was I?" "Distracted by inspiration." Spike said. Midday looked at him, trying desperately not to react to the love lights in his eyes. "Yes, inspiration..." Rarity mumbled, staring at Midday's hair. She snapped back to reality. "Would I be right in guessing that you are from Canterlot?" "What gave me away?" Midday laughed. "You look quite similar to a friend of mine, y-" "I am not a Twilight Sparkle fangirl." Midday hissed. Spike sniffed the air. "Do you smell burning?" He asked. Rarity started sniffing. "No, I cannot say I do." She went back to looking at Midday. "I don't mean to be rude, but would you mind terribly if I could just use you to demonstate some of my works?" "I... suppose?" Midday said, turning to Spike, who didn't look like he was going to be much help. This was going to be a long morning. ***** This, Twilight Sparkle thought, was going to be a long morning. Pinkie had been quite insistant about throwing a party today to welcome Midday Eclipse to town, and after the unfortunate 'incident' of Pinkie's birthday no-one had been willing to say no. She looked at the notes she'd gathered on Fluttershy's missing chicken, Edwina. "Sparkle's log..." She paused, looking around for a calendar. "Spike? Spike?" She called out. There was no response. She fumed. If he had decided to try and pig out on ice cream while she was out again, she was going to be furious. She still vividly remembered Spike's last stomach-ache. "And wasn't that fun." She muttered to herself. Well, the date wasn't important. "Sparkle's log, date unknown. Have been convinced to attend a Pinkie Welcome-to-Ponyville-Party for newcomer Midday Eclipse." Something about that name just didn't sound right. Now that she thought of it, why would Celestia send an accountant to Ponyville? What possible reason could there be? "Maybe I should send her a letter." There was a brief pause. "Oh, yes. Spike isn't here." ***** Pinkie bounced merrily toward Sweet Apple Arces. Rainbow Dash had instantly agreed to go to her party, and was probably arranging some of her usual welcome pranks, like the ones she'd used on Gilda. Pinkie started bouncing slower at the thought of Gilda. Then she noticed something. She was still getting Pinkie-sense notes about a new pony in Ponyville. "But that doesn't make sense. I already met her." She gave her hindquaters a brief tap with her foreleg. It stopped twitching. Maybe once the party was over she would send a letter back home, ask her parents about what to do with malfunctioning Pinkie-sense. Then she remembered why she was standing next to an orchard. "A party isn't a party until you know how many ponies are going to be there." She chirped. Applejack had been working extra-hard lately, and would surely appreciate the chance to relax, she just knew it. ***** Midday struggled to breath as she was subject to what could have been considered unlawful dress-making techniques. She found herself having flashbacks to when she was eight, visiting a certain (sort of) sister in-law in her Canterlot home, and being forced to wear... frilly dresses. And those little tiny dainty shoes. Five hours of dress after dress, each frillier than the next. And her mother had wondered why she'd refused to wear a dress to the Gala. She found herself imagining a gallery of shocked nobleponies, jaws seemingly dislocated by shock, and then started giggling. "Please, don't move." Said Rarity, placing a hoof on her shoulder as she sang... that song. Midday struggled to ignore it, to ignore the catchy tune. Then Rarity stopped. Midday opened an eye she hadn't even realised she'd closed and stared. Rarity was staring at an empty spool. "Something wrong?" "I've run out of taffeta." Rarity said. "I've run out of taffeta." She repeated. Midday noticed the look of fear on Spike's face. Both of them could see where this was going. Rarity sighed dramatically. "Oh, of all the possible things that could happen, this is...." She took a deep breath, Spike covered his ears. Midday, unable to grant herself that luxury, simply braced herself, and prayed that tinnitus was fun. "... really annoying." Rarity tossed the spool across the room, where it landed in a waste-paper basket with an anti-climactic 'clunk'. "Still, no matter. I can always... order more. Yes. I can order more. But I'll just see if I don't have any in the back room." Midday waited until she was certain Rarity was gone. This was going to require skill, and finesse, to remove the very constricting undergarments. She slowly started trying to unravel it, without destroying what was no doubt hours of Rarity's hard work. "I~DE~AH!" Came Rarity's voice. She muttered something unladylike. Apple-nuts to restraint. Rarity rushed back into the room, a variety of fabrics floating behind her. "I just had this flash, this touch of genius" she sang, "And I... Oh. She's gone." She frowned, picked up the discarded dress. She looked around the room, and stared at one of the mannequins, just sitting off to the side by the changing room doors, going unusued. She smiled, and got to work. After a few minutes she started singing again. ***** Pinkie bounced down the road leading back to Ponyville. "A party is still a party, even if Applejack is too busy to make it." She smiled. Though she wished Applejack had been a bit more diplomatic in her choice of words. ***** "Must. Keep. Running. Must. Go. Faster." Midday told herself, Spike being dragged along by her magic. When she realised he didn't want to leave. "Next time I'll just walk to Dodge Junction!" she told herself. ***** Twilight jumped when Midday burst through the door dragging Spike behind you. "And where have you been?" She asked. "Madpony... madpony... different madpony.... uncomfy dress!" Midday hissed, leaning right into Twilight's face. Then she looked like she'd forgotten something. "Oh, and something about a party." "We went for a walk." Spike said, looking for all the world like he was trying to figure out which way was up. "And met Pinkie Pie?" "Mentioned us, did she?" Midday asked. "She did." Midday looked up at Twilight's smirk. She knew that smirk. It was the sort she had when she thought she knew something the person she was talking to didn't. "I don't want to go to a party. I don't like parties... most parties. Some parties. Parties which involve dancing." She said, working her way down the list to most accurate summary of her feelings regarding parties. "Oh, don't worry. Pinkie's parties are really enjoyable." Midday decided not to try and argue any further. She simply slumped onto the ground in exhaustion. "Plus, Pinkie's pretty persistent at persuading ponies to participate in her parties."Twilight added, to which Spike chortled. "Try and say that three times real fast." Spike laughed at his own joke. Twilight Sparkle just stared at him. "Participate? Parties? Please! I've been press-ganged! Pressured by professionals! To attend a party of... blast." Midday stopped, and frowned. "I was on a roll there." Twilight rubbed small specks of spittle off of her fur. "I noticed." "So when will this party take place?" "When Pinkie finds you." Spike said, ominously. "Spike, I've told you about turning off the lights." "Sorry." he muttered, before turning the lights back on. There was a knocking on the door. Unicorn and dragon turned their heads. "I'll get it." said Spike. He walked over to the door, Midday found herself crouching, ready to try and escape should need be. She knew she couldn't out-run Pinkie. She just had to out-wit her. That would be easy enough. She shook her head. Out-wit Pinkie? What was she thinking? She didn't have a snowball in Tartarus' chance. Spike reached towards the door, opened it... And standing there was a pegasus, a silver-grey female pegasus with blond hair wearing the regulation uniform of the Equestrian Postal Service. Midday silently breathed a sigh of relief. It was just Ditzy Doo. "Wait. Ditzy Doo?" she mouthed. "Oh, good morning Ditzy." "Morning Twilight Sparkle, Spike." The pegasus smiled. She handed Twilight a small parcel. "Sorry it's late. Things have been a bit nutty at the post office since... well, forever." She laughed. Twilight opened the parcel, revealing... a book. Naturally. "I have been waiting weeks for you, you brilliant little thing." She smiled. "I didn't know Equestrian history was one of your hobbies." Ditzy said, flapping her wings gently. "It is now." Spike said, in the way only a dragon who has been made to transport several heavy books on the subject could. "Bless you, Ditzy." She said, hugging the mailmare. "Um, Twilight?" "Mmm?" "I do have a lot of mail to deliver this morning." "Mmm." "Twilight..." The mailmare said, in the exact same voice she used to scold disobedient little unicorns. Twilight Sparkle withdrew, looking mildly embarrased. "Sorry. I've just been looking for this book for... what date is it today anyway?" "The twenty-ninth." Midday said. Ditzy looked up at the mare. "Oh, sorry. Didn't see you there." She smiled, "I'm Ditzy Doo" Midday quickly siddled over. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Midday Eclipse." She tried to not stare. It was a bit difficult. Or rather, impossible. Like trying to walk through a room which for no readily apparent reason has an elephant in it. "You're new in town then?" Ditzy smirked. "Yes." "I wondered why I saw Pinkie asking ponies to show up for a welcoming party." "Did she say when?" Midday asked. If she knew when, she'd have time to prepare. Perhaps. "Sorry, didn't hear her." Ditzy shrugged. Behind her, Midday could hear Twilight whispering truly bizarre things to her new book. "Now, if you'll excuse me. Good day, miss Eclipse." "Nice meeting you." She said, waving goodbye. Once the door was closed Spike fixed her a Look, the weaker variant of the Stare. "Nice not staring." "Really? I thought I'd made a massive hen-up of it." She sighed. Spike patted her gently on the shoulder. "It happens to all of us." he said solemnly. "Right now I feel like a party." She muttered. Then she reflected on what she said. "No, wait, I don-" Something smashed through the front door. A pink, bouncing thing. "FOUND YOU!" Pinkie Pie yelled, setting off streamers and bouncing around Midday. "YouseefirstIwenttogeteveryponyreadyforyourwelcometoponyvillepartybutthenIgotbackandyouwerentthereandIwent" She gasped, "SoIlookedeverywhereandinvitedafewmoreponiestothewelcomepartybecauseafewotherponiesturnedmedownandIdidntwantothrowapartywithoutasmanyponiesasIcouldfindtheretocelebratewelcomingyoutoponyville" She continued onwards, oblivious to Twilight's attempts to hide her book, or Midday burying her face in her hooves. "I have only myself to blame for this." Midday sighed. ***** Although actually, she did enjoy the welcome. And the free cake. Then, while everyone was relaxing in Sugarcube Corner (about the only place big enough to hold a party with everypony Pinkie wanted to invite) Rainbow Dash made what some would label 'the first move'. "Hey, Midday, look at all these presents. Ya gonna open them?" She said, pointing to several varying boxes all arranged with bows. Midday raised an eyebrow. "How in Equestria did anyone have presents just lying around for a party thrown at random?" Rainbow Dash shuffled and made an almost-convincing show of looking innocent. "We... uh... just did. Because we're awesome." There were a few murmurs of agreement in the crowd. Midday walked over to one. Rainbow Dash leaned on her. "Try that one." She smiled, and pointed at a totally harmless looking present. Distant memories of an old story she'd heard when she was younger, recounted by one Pinkamena Diane Responsibility Pie to anyone who would listen, seemed to come to mind. Something about booby-trapped presents and Rainbow Dash, followed by yelling. Plus, an assortment of suspicious pranks at events she'd been to where Rainbow Dash had been present. "Oh, I don't know..." she said, "I mean, all these much larger presents taking up so much space, I should probably deal with them first, work my way down via size." "Logical." said Twilight, who Midday noticed was standing, along with almost everypony else, several feet away. "Oh come on, just one little tiny present first. Start your way with the small ones, and work your way up." "Also logical." Twilight said, though she sounded nervous. Midday tried not to smirk. "But these larger presents, the ponies who bought them must have wanted to make such a first impression to spend as much money as they did." Everyone looked at Twilight. "What?" She asked defensively. "Yeah, okay, great theory there." Rainbow Dash said, putting on her best greasy smile. "But these little presents, sometimes..." she sighed wistfully, "These little presents can mean the whole world to somepony." She nudged Midday. "Well.... How about I... start with a gigantic big present bought out of amazingly canny love and acceptance, and then go on to the small tiny present that would mean 'the whole world' to somepony?" Rainbow Dash considered this. There was a noticable aura of tension in the crowd. Rainbow Dash frowned. Her honor as a prankster was at steak against an egghead. "Well..." Then she smiled. Sure, let the new girl be taken in by a real present. "Okay." There was a rustling of paper. "An ironing board? ... Bit fitting, I suppose. Even if I am just squatting, it'll be useful when (if) I get my own house (like hellfire)" "Go on, open the next one." Rainbow Dash smiled. Midday looked at the small cylinder. Her magic faintly glowed and she delicately placed it on the floor between herself and Rainbow Dash. "Go on then, y' gonna open it or what?" Rainbow smiled. Somewhere towards the back of the watching throng a violet-colored earth pony fainted. "Oh, the tension." she cried. Suddenly, strange music filled the air, adding to the already somewhat annoying level of tension. "Pinkie, dearest, don't do that." Said Rarity (who still wasn't sure how she'd been convinced to come to a party mid-inspiration). There was a slight 'aw' from Pinkie as she turned the music off. "Open the thing already." Yelled a blonde-maned pegasus. "Well, if everyone insists..." Midday scratched her lower jaw with her hoof. She flexed her muscles. "SOMEPONY OPEN IT!" Fluttershy wailed, from over by the window where she was holding onto a curtain, shaking like a really large pegasus-shaped leaf, her eyes clenched shut. Actually, it was more like a security cling that just 'holding'. Midday lowered her head, and focused her horn on the wrapping. The crowd leaned in, leaned in... leaned in (Pinkie fell over). There were a few seconds of grunting and straining. There were a few seconds more of grunting and straining. Eventually she slumped down. "I can't open it. The wrapping paper's made out of steel or something." Rainbow Dash scoffed. "C'mon New Girl. Even Fluttershy can tell you aren't trying." "You don't need to bring me into this!" said Fluttershy. "I'm not kidding. Celestia herself couldn't open this infernal present." Rainbow Dash stared at her. "Really? That's your excuse?" "SOMEPONY OPEN THE BLASTED THING!" Rainbow Dash scowled. She seized it, and tore at the wrapping paper with her teeth. And then the spring-loaded snakes hit her in the face. The entire room exploded with released tension, expressed in the form of laughter. Fluttershy let go of the somewhat crushed curtain. "Nice try, Rainbow Dash." Midday smiled, offering a hoof. Rainbow Dash simply glared at her. "C'mon everypony, this is a party!" Pinkie yelled, "What are you waiting for? Chineighs New Year? Get partying" Midday was then surrounded by ponies, cutting her off from Rainbow Dash. ***** Some time later, Twilight was standing by the refreshment table. "Oh, Twilight dear, aren't you going to dance?" asked Rarity. "No thanks Rarity." The unicorn stared at Twilight. "Surely Princess Celestia's prize pupil isn't afraid to dance on her own?" Twilight blushed. "No, not at all. I just... it looks so... Well, I have... student's cramp" She said, holding up her front hoof and wobbling it slightly. Rarity did not look impressed. "I believe that as much as I do one of Generous Embrace's claims of success." she said. "I thought you'd gotten rid of her." "She survived. She's like last decades' fashions. She survived, and she always returns, sooner or later, worse than before." Rarity shuddered. Then her expression lightened. "But I am trying to relax, and not think of that cheap penny-pincher who dares call herself a student of fashion." She smiled that alarming smile. "I think I shall go have a cup of tea. Relaxing, soothing tea. Always calms the nerves." Twilight watched as Rarity calmed walked into the kitchen of Sugarcube Corner. She didn't notice Fluttershy behind her. "Oh no. Is she making tea?" "Yes." "Oh dear. I hope it's not Embrace again." "It is." "I thought Rarity defeated her last year." "Apparently not." "Oh my." Rainbow Dash slowly slouched towards them, fury over her face. "No good, rotten low-down, dirty double-faced trickster egghead making fool of me, get revenge whole world..." was all Twilight and Fluttershy heard. She looked at them. "I don't like her." "Who?" "Midday Eclipse." Rainbow Dash spat. "Rainbow, you tried to trick her into opening a gag present. She just... outmanuevered you. And I don't think she meant any harm by it." Rainbow Dash stared at Twilight. "That's not the point!" she hissed. "She humiliated me in front of everypony in town." "Applejack isn't here." Fluttershy said helpfully. "Almost everypony." "Or Big Macintosh." Twilight added. "I get it." "Or Snowflake." "How is he?" Asked Fluttershy. "Not good, but he's improving." "I really get it." "Or Sweetie Belle." "You can stop now." "Where is she anyway?" "On holiday." "Were your school holidays as long as they are now?" "You can really stop." "No, mine were always so short. Just as I start relaxing.... it would be over." "I never really had holidays when I was in Canterlot. What would I do with a holiday? Check out a new library?" "I was done with this conversation before I started." Rainbow Dash muttered. At which point Pinkie jumped on top of her. "Aw, is somepony feewing all down in the dumps? C'mon Dashie, smile!" The party pony grinned. "Don't wanna." "Uh-oh, negative nelly needs Doctor Pinkie!" Rainbow Dash's eyes went wide. "Imfeelinbetternowmuchbetterbye" She said, before shooting out the back door. "So, Pinkie, how's the party going?" Pinkie shrugged. "Not bad. I mean, if Applejack were here, then it'd be a Par-tay..." She sighed, "But right now it's just a par-tay." To this she blew into a small horn, which made a sad trumpeting noise. "Has she started telling stories yet?" Asked Fluttershy. Pinkie nodded vigourously. "She's got some weird ones. Actually, I think it might be the same one. She takes a long time to get to the point." They heard laughter from the front of Sugarcube Corner, they looked. Midday was talking to a whole group of ponies, several of whom were grinning. "- and all of us completely were fine at that moment, so I turned to them and said: "Are you crazy, I'm not going back in there! It's full of oatmeal!" This seemed to get more than a few laughs out of the listeners. "I've not heard that one..." Pinkie frowned. "I think she's going to be okay." Twilight said. Though something about that pony was... really familiar. But it could probably wait.