Still feeling woozy from the ride, I thanked the guard for the transport and went inside my home to change. Once I was back in my street clothes, I took a walk to the Ponyville marketplace to see if I could find a stall that sold calendars. Frankly, I had no idea why I had put it off for so long, but if I was going to live in Equestria, I was gonna have to keep track of anything that might be coming up.
As I entered town, it took me a while to notice, but the streets were deserted. The streamers, banners, even the stage was gone, save for some mislaid decorations that nopony had bothered to pick up yet. There were very few, if any, ponies about, and even they still looked a little drowsy. I guess they were still trying to sleep off Nightmare Night.
“Hiya, Davie!”
I stopped short and looked toward the source of the voice. Pinkie was bouncing past, wearing a yellow tank top, green shorts, leg warmers, and a headband. I had never known her to exercise before, so the attire was a little amusing to see on her. Still, it must have been a regular thing for her, because she looked like she had already burned off the pudge she had gotten from last night. How was that even possible?
“Hey, Pinkie! Good to see you up and about. Looks like everypony else is still drowsy.”
“Yeah, they’re a little party-pooped,” said Pinkie. “I was, too, but I’m just out getting my Pinkie-cise done, since I missed it this morning.”
“Pinkie-cise?”
“It’s when I work myself out to be the Pinkiest I can be!”
(The Pinkiest you can be? How much more Pinkie can a Pinkie Pie be?)
“Well, it looks like it’s doing you good. You’re looking hale and hearty.”
“Thanks! Know what’s even better?”
“What?”
“Whenever I Pinkie-cise, I’m in the mood for a cupcake right afterwards! Can I get a ‘bo-nus’!”
She smiled expectantly at me for a moment or two, before I finally took the hint.
“Er, bo-nus!” I chorused. “Don’t let me keep you, Pinkie. I was just off to buy a calendar.”
“Ohh, ok! See you later, Davie!”
And with that, she bounded away, humming what sounded like ‘Eye of the Tiger’.
“Should I even be surprised anymore?” I muttered to myself. “She’s always gonna top the craziest thing I’ve ever seen her do.”
***
After a bit of searching, I was able to finally purchase an Equestrian calendar for 8 bits, but I would have to renew it in a couple months, since we were already in November. It seemed Nightmare Night did correspond with Halloween, being on the last day of October. However, with the Equestrian calendar, there were only 4 weeks in each month, making exactly 28 days a month. It probably wouldn’t take too much to get used to, being so uniform. It actually sounded like something that would suit a pony like Twilight or Rarity, those two being so neat and tidy.
Come to think of it, I was in the area. It wouldn’t hurt to drop by the library. Maybe I could check up on the Daring Do series, and even tell Twilight about the meeting. I’d bet she’d be interested to know about the delegates.
Filled with this idea, I pulled an abrupt about-face and headed for the library.
***
At first, no one answered when I knocked on the door. Then, finally, Spike opened it, a broom held in his claw.
“Oh! Hi, Dave! What brings you here?”
“Hey, Spike. Is Twilight home? I need to ask her something.”
“Yeah, of course! She’s upstairs. I’m just doing a little sweeping, but you can come in.”
“Thanks.”
I stepped inside. Owlowiscious was floating above the floor with a dustpan held in his talons. He seemed to be assisting Spike with sweeping. How generous.
I did indeed find Twilight upstairs. She was engrossed in a book floating right in front of her muzzle. The cover read, in elegant cursive, The Spellcaster’s Guide to Advanced Unicorn Magic. She didn’t seem to have noticed my coming in.
“Very uncanny,” she muttered. “The effects match perfectly, but then-”
“Twilight?”
Twilight yelped, snapping the book shut. Her eyes fell on me, and she relaxed.
“Oh! Dave, it’s you. You shouldn’t sneak up on me like that.”
“Sorry. I just wanted to drop by and see how you’ve been.”
“Of course! Please, have a seat.”
She patted a spot on the bed beside her. I ascended the small stairway leading to her loft and sat down next to her.
“How did your meeting go? Did you meet all the delegates?”
“Yes, I did. To an extent,” I added, remembering the empty chairs.
“Great! Who was all there? I wonder if there’s been any other new additions since the last time I heard.”
“Well, there was somepony there that I think you’d be happy to hear about.”
“Oh? Who?”
“Princess Cadence.”
Twilight’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Cadence?” she breathed, in an excited tone. “You got to meet Cadence? Oh my gosh, you’re so lucky! I had no idea she was part of the Round Table!”
“You said she was your foalsitter?”
“Mm-hmm! Next to Shining Armor, she was the closest thing to a friend I had as a filly. She’s the only pony I’ve ever met who’s been able to spread love and kindness wherever she goes.”
“Wow. She sounds really special, and your brother is one lucky guy, marrying a pony like that.”
Twilight beamed.
“She did come across as a very sweet pony when I saw her at the council,” I continued, “and she did sound quite fond of you when I mentioned I was a friend of yours. She said she and Shining Armor have been tied up with other matters since their honeymoon, but came back to meet the new delegates.”
“Ohh, I see. Well, I hope they’re doing fine, whatever they’re up to.”
“She said she’d love to come see you one of these days.”
“She did? That would be wonderful!” Twilight gushed. “It feels so long since we’ve seen each other!”
For a moment or two, she just sat there, mentally basking in the idea of her sister-in-law seeing her again. It was really sweet.
“So, who else was on the council?” she finally asked.
“Well, let’s see...”
I described each of the council members, and Twilight filled in some blanks, as she knew some of the more senior members.
Cornelius was an author, and a traveler in his youth. He had written several books, including Earth Below and Sky Above, which was an insight on how ground-bound equines and pegasi were much more similar than ponies generally think.
Eagle Eye had been the captain of a small sports team of fliers, though not quite in the same league as the Wonderbolts. Despite that, she was actually acquainted with several of the ‘Bolts, being on good terms with Spitfire herself. Before that, she had served as an aerial guard, a job which toughened her already-steely nature. Her militaristic but fair attitude made her an inspiration among her crew, who both revered and feared her. After joining the council, she continued on as her team’s coach, her agenda not altering one bit.
Sure Shot, also known as Capony’s Colt, had once been a notorious hit-stallion, feared on Manehattan’s East Side. However, something inexplicable happened that made him go straight, and now he was using his talents for the good of ponykind. Ponies wondered why he converted, but he never gave the same answer twice in a row.
Apollo, as well as his father before him, was a wealthy aristocrat and philanthropist. The Griffellow family had always been respected in the Griffin Kingdom, as well as Equestria, for their charitable donations to society and gala events.
The only ones she didn’t seem that knowledgeable about were Rock Solid and Rolling Stone. She did admire the fact that Rolling Stone was willing to represent the buffalo for Equestria, especially after what happened in Appleloosa, and could understand a minotaur like Rock Solid being a formidable bodyguard. The one she was really surprised about, however, was Brutus.
“A dragon? Princess Celestia got a dragon for the council?”
She sounded both intrigued and surprised.
“Yeah, and not a pony-sized one like Spike,” I said. “I’m talking 15 feet tall, fangs, claws, the whole shebang!”
“Well, what’s he like?”
“He’s...well, to be honest, he’s not exactly a brute. He’s just kind of abrasive, a little rough around the edges. Kind of a wiseacre.”
“Hmm,” murmured Twilight. “Well, if Princess Celestia thinks Equestria will benefit from his input, I shouldn’t argue. This is a rather historic event, having a dragon cooperate with the Equestrian cabinet.”
“Well, he said he wanted to stop the misconception that dragons were savages, to show the world they’re creatures of honor and valor, and because he might get gems out of it.”
“Well, that’s a given, unfortunately,” said Twilight. “Nothing surpasses a dragon’s affinity for treasure and gemstones. But, if he’s willing to give what he knows for the benefit of Equestria, I can only stand by the princess’s choice.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to as well.”
We sat in silence for some time, until I finally asked,
“So, what was that you were reading when I came in?”
“Hmm? Oh! It’s a book on advanced spells!”
She held it up in her telekinesis, showing off the elaborate hard cover marked with miniature stars.
“It never hurts to brush up on higher magic. I have the feeling Princess Celestia may give me some tougher assignments in the future, and I want to be ready.”
“Sounds cool! Is that where you found the ‘Send Home’ spell?”
“Yes, actually. I still wish it wasn’t so darned specific. I’ve been charting the night sky, but there’s been no progress as of yet.”
“Oh. Well, I’m grateful that you’re at least monitoring for me, Twi.”
She smiled gently.
“Has Rainbow Dash sent you the Daring Do book she borrowed yet?” she asked.
“No, not yet.”
“Well, she’d better if you want to keep up with the series. A reader should never skip installments, especially when the plots stay connected with each other between volumes.”
“Yeah, I can imagine. I once did that with movies and their sequels: not a pretty feeling, I can tell you.”
Twilight giggled, then her eyes fell on the calendar I’d just bought.
“Oh, you got yourself a calendar?”
“Yeah. To be honest, I should have gotten it a lot sooner. I figure it’ll help me keep track of when Ironmane-”
“Minister Ironmane, Dave,” said Twilight, in a corrective tone.
“Er, right. When Minister Ironmane sends me an assignment.”
“Well, that sounds good, but you know what else you could do with it?” she asked, an oddly enthusiastic gleam in her eye.
“What?”
“Set a monthly goal.”
“Monthly goal?”
“Yes. What you want to do is set a goal for the end of the month and work to achieve it. For example, for November, you could say ‘I want to read 5 new books by the end of the month’, or ‘I want to lose 10 pounds by the end of the month’. All you need is a reasonable achievement to strive for, and you’ll have your days occupied with trying to meet it. You’ll never lack for activity that way.”
“Hmm...you know, that’s actually not a bad idea. All I really need now are some realistic goals. I’m already tearing apart the Daring Do library of books, though I suppose I could stand to lose a few pounds. It actually sounds doable when I say it out loud.”
“Then that’s the first step to a successful goal,” said Twilight, encouragingly.
“Awesome! Thanks a bunch, Twi.”
“Anytime, Dave.”
She smiled up at me, but her smile slowly faded from her face. I had no idea why, but her expression became...faintly curious, as if she had just thought of something.
“Twi? Something wrong?”
The look faded away almost instantly.
“No, nothing. Just a funny idea. Nothing you need to worry about.”
(The heck was that all about? Did I have something on my face?)
“Well, I guess I better get started, then,” I said. “Thanks again for the advice, Twi.”
“Of course, Dave. You’re always welcome to stop by if you need anything. Take care!”
I stepped down from the bed and took my leave. As I descended the stairs, I saw that Twilight had immersed herself in that spell book again, and was probably deaf to all distractions about her once again.
***
I had barely set foot outside the library before I heard a familiar voice coming up the street.
“Dave! Hey!”
Scootaloo rode into view on her scooter, Dinky riding behind in a little red wagon, and both wearing bike helmets. Turning sharply into a skid-slide, the little motorist pulled to a halt at my feet.
“Hey, girls,” I said. “You’re looking chipper today.”
“We’ve got a Crusaders meeting!” Scootaloo announced.
“At O-now-hundred hours!” chirped Dinky.
Chuckling slightly at her attempt at military lingo, I saluted and said,
“Lead the way.”
Scootaloo grinned at being given leader status, turned her scooter around, and buzzed off once more, while I jogged behind. Over the whir of Scoot’s wings, I heard her say something to Dinky.
“...totally excited! Didn’t you see her?”
“Yeah! And I think he’s....and a bow tie, too!”
“I know!”
What were they talking about? It seemed to involve two ponies, a male and female, both of whom seemed to be in good spirits about something. Then again, it was probably something I shouldn’t stick my nose in, so I concentrated on keeping up with the fillies.
***
When we got to the clubhouse, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were already seated around the table. The Hooves sisters and I joined them.
“Glad y’all could make it,” said Apple Bloom. “We have a special announcement to make. Sweetie Belle?”
“Thank you, Apple Bloom,” said Sweetie Belle, standing up. “Crusaders, the Ponyville Junior Derby is set for the end of November, and every foal in town is gonna be making their own cart. The way I see it, this could be our next big chance to earn our cutie marks. We’re gonna be...Cutie Mark Crusaders Race Car Drivers!”
“Yay!” chorused the other fillies.
“Yay?” I joined in, a little late.
This drew their attention to me.
“Do you have an objection, Crusader Dave?” asked Sweetie Belle, in a curious tone, not a demanding one.
“Well, not so much an objection, but a question.”
“Hmm?”
“Have either of you ever raced before?”
“Sure!” said Scootaloo. “I’ve raced other foals plenty of times! No one can beat the Sonic Afterburner!”
“Sonic Afterburner?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“It’s what I call my ride,” said Scootaloo, proudly. “Fastest four wheels in Ponyville!”
“Sure, scooters are fine, but what about cars? I know we’re just talking pedal power or something, but does anypony else have any driving experience? If you all want cutie marks in racing, shouldn’t all of you have some kind of racing prowess?”
The fillies looked at each other for a moment, then Apple Bloom said,
“How hard can it be? Just like ridin’ a bicycle, right?”
“Well-”
“Besides, it’s like you said,” said Sweetie Belle, “the Cutie Mark Crusaders aren’t afraid of anything!”
“Did I? I suppose I recall-”
“So then why should we be scared of car racing?” asked Sweetie Belle.
“Well, the thing about that is-”
“It’s unanimous, then!” said Apple Bloom. “Our next Crusade is gonna be: car racing!”
The fillies cheered, while I just sat there in dumbfoundment. They hadn’t heard a word I’d said!
“Any other questions, Dave?” asked Sweetie Belle.
“Er, yeah, just one more,” I said. “Since Scootaloo’s scooter, the, uh, ‘Sonic Afterburner’, isn’t exactly a car, what vehicle are you girls entering?”
The smiles faded from their muzzles.
“You don’t have a car, do you?” I asked, flatly.
“No,” they said, unanimously.
“Can we use yours?” asked Dinky.
“Me? I don’t have one. Even if I did back home where I come from, I wouldn’t be able to drive. I don’t have my license.”
The girls appeared to become downcast by this information.
“But,” I added, hastily, “what’s to stop us from building a car ourselves? You said this derby was at the end of November?”
The four nodded.
“Perfect! Then the five of us will work together to build a car for the team: a car fit for the Cutie Mark Crusaders!”
Their little faces lit up with excitement.
“It’ll take some effort,” I conceded, “but the best things often do. What we need is materials, and money to get said materials. I think if the five of us pool our resources and work together, we can make it happen! Are you with me?”
“Yeah!” they cried in unison.
“I can’t hear you!”
“Yeah!”
“ONE MORE TIME!”
“YEAH!!”
“That’s the spirit I like to see!”
“Then it’s settled!” said Sweetie Belle, her cute little face aglow. “Our new mission: build a Cutie Mark Crusaders Cart in time for the derby! Mark it where you can see it, Crusaders! Like Dave said, this is going to be a team effort! Understand?”
“Eeyup!” said Apple Bloom.
“Uh-huh!” said Scootaloo.
“Yep!” said Dinky.
“Aye-aye!” I said.
“Great! Meeting adjourned!”
The five of us stood up and began to descend the ladder leading up to and down from the clubhouse.
“This is gonna be the bestest car ever!” Dinky said, excitedly.
“Of course it will be!” said Scootaloo. “It’ll have ‘us’ written all over it!”
Dinky paused, looking puzzled.
“Why would we write ‘us’ all over it?” she asked.
“No, what I meant was-” Scootaloo began, then thought about it before saying, “Never mind.”
“You really think we can do it, Dave?” asked Apple Bloom.
“As if you need to ask,” I said, confidently. “A month is plenty of time to put a good car together, if you know how. I’ve seen a bunch of stuff happen in at least a month that I didn’t think I could have experienced if it took a year.”
“Well, then, Ah know it’s gonna be great!” said Apple Bloom.
“We’ve got to think about decorating it,” said Sweetie Belle. “Maybe Rarity could give us ideas. We could paint it all sorts of neat colors!”
“Ooh! We could give it racing stripes!” said Scootaloo. “Or lightning bolts! Or flames! Or-”
“Slow down there, girls,” I said. “Let’s save that for when we actually have something like a car built.”
“Oh. Ok!” said the two.
It was great to see them so excited about something like this, but to be perfectly honest, what did I know about building, or even driving, a car? Was a month long enough to find out either of those?
***
“I had no idea I’d be implementing Twilight’s monthly objective system so soon. Still, it’s something.”
I had returned home after the Crusaders meeting and hung up my new calendar. November’s picture featured a hilly landscape at dusk, decorated with trees bearing brown and orange foliage. On the 28th, I wrote, in ink,
“Help Crusaders build car for derby”
Now, there was only one more problem looming in my face: where the heck was I going to get money for materials? We’d need wood for the frame, wheels, a steering wheel, pedals or some kind of propulsion, besides who knows what else. This wasn’t just gonna be some elementary school science fair project. This was gonna take time and money. The former we had, but the latter? That was going to take a bit of effort. I couldn’t just splurge everything I had from Ironmane’s stipendiary payments on materials. I had to set up a kind of economic system.
A savings jar! That was easy enough: a little jar set aside for the derby car. They did that on TV all the time.
So I set up a glass jar, labelling it ‘CMC Car’ and dropped a few bits into it. It sounded kind of hollow, hearing the bits plunk straight to the bottom like that. Still, every project had to start somewhere, and this was as good a start as any. I couldn’t let the girls down.
We were going to build the best darned derby car Ponyville had ever seen!