//------------------------------// // Dusty. // Story: The Ponyville Watch. // by Grinning Cheshire //------------------------------// One week. Today marked the eighth day since Mayor Mare had given Miss Watchnight permission to start up that town watch of hers. Surprisingly, there had been no complaints yet, and the persistent unicorn had stopped coming by the office every day. So far, it was working out pretty well. The grey haired pony, who was busy reading over her schedule for the third time that morning, couldn’t help but sigh in relief. The past seven days had been wonderful. Nothing had gone wrong in Ponyville, there were no special events to take care of, and what orders of business she did have to attend to all went smoothly. Best of all, nopony had spread rumors about her hair color. It had been a good week. “But why can’t I just wear the vest?” “Because the whole uniform makes you look more official.” “It’s itchy.” “It’s professional!” Emphasis on ‘had’. Mayor Mare let out another sigh, this time of despair, as the familiar green-coated unicorn briskly walked into her office, followed shortly, and considerably more slowly, by a burgundy-colored stallion, who was looking down at the outfit he was wearing in annoyance. The older mare felt a bit worried when she noticed that she didn’t recognize the earth pony, but this concern was very much overshadowed by the dread of what Watchnight could possibly want this time. Somewhere in the mayor’s mind, she questioned if perhaps she was overreacting. But before she could get an answer, the other mare spoke. “Miss Mayor, a good morning to you.” Watchnight said, putting on her best business face, as she nodded to the city official. “Thank you Watchnight, and who is this with you?” The spikey-haired stallion opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off before being able to utter a single syllable. “This is Mr. Dusty Trails, he’s my first volunteer, and I was bringing him here to introduce you two.” The unicorn stated, with no small amount of pride in her voice. Mayor Mare was visibly surprised as she examined the new pony, who gave her a friendly smile and a “Hello Ma’am.” The mayor returned the smile, before turning her attention back to the more vocal of the two. “I must admit that I’m impressed. It has only been a week and you’ve already recruited another member.” Then, a thought occurred to her, and her eyes narrowed. “You aren’t forcing him to do this are you?” Watchnight’s face turned indignant, and she groaned. “Do you really think I would do something like that? The whole reason I thought up the Watch was so I could help keep ponies safe! Forcefully making them join would defeat the purpose.” In truth, it was an idea that had become increasingly appealing to Watchnight throughout the first week, but she guessed the Mayor wouldn’t appreciate hearing that. “Sorry, but since the Ponyville Watch is technically a government program, I will be held responsible for any… less-than-pleasant events that may occur. Which, by the way, reminds me of something I have been… reluctant to talk to you about.” The tan pony closed her eyes and brought a hoof up to her head, as if suffering from a headache that wouldn’t go away. “As the mayor of Ponyville, I am committed to keeping this town, and its residents, safe. Now, part of the reason I have been content with allowing the brave ponies who life here to assist me in this goal is that the town’s government is not responsible for any accidents that occur. With the Watch however…” “I understand, Mayor.” Watchnight interrupted, straightening herself a little more. “Trust me, we will do everything we can to prevent any collateral damage to the town. After all, that’s the whole point of our job.” Sighing, Mare nodded her head slowly, giving the unicorn a slight smile. “I know. But do be careful. Any damage done to the town or the ponies comes out of the treasury. If the cost gets too high, I’ll be forced to shut you down. Understand?” The green-coated pony nodded in conformation. “Also, I am going to request that you send me a report on all major incidents that the Watch handles. I know it’s extra paperwork for you but…” “Not a problem, Mayor Mare.” Watchnight interrupted again, smiling. “I’ll be sure to record every single detail.” Strangely, to Watchnight at least, this earned another groan from the mayor. “Just… a simple recount will suffice. Now, I’ve got several more issues to deal with soon, so I won’t detain you two any longer. It was nice to meet you, Mr. Trails, have a good day.” Dusty, who had been standing silently the whole time, caught on to what the older mare really meant, and bowed his head to her. “Good to have met you too… Uh… Miss Watchnight, didn’t ya say somethin’ about patrolin’?” The purple-eyed pony, who was about to say something else to the frazzled civic leader, glanced over at her new assistant, then down to the small watch on her left front leg. “Oh! My, er, OUR rounds were supposed to begin five minutes ago! I’m so sorry Miss Mayor. We’ll get right to work! Follow me, Dusty.” Nodding again at the mayor, who mouthed a ‘thank you’, the young stallion hurried after his new boss, leaving Mayor Mare alone in her office. “Thank Celestia…” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Uh… Do we really gotta visit every pony in town? This seems like it could take a bit…” Watchnight, who was just about to knock on the door of the house directly across from the one they had just been at, gave the burgundy stallion a glare. “Of course we have to visit everypony! It’s our job to check in on the citizens and make sure their safe!” “Well sure, but all of ‘em in one day? Ain’t that goin’ to get tiren’?” The unicorn continued to glare at her comrade, before nodding and lowering her hoof. “Ok, it is obviously not the most efficient method,” She admitted with a sigh. “But until I have come up with an actual schedule, it’s the best way to keep track of any incidents. Besides, it’s a lot more official than just wandering randomly from house to house…” Dusty Trails blinked, and then tilted his head in curiosity. “So, uh, why ain’t ya got a schedule yet…? That seems like it’s an important thing to have.” It was more than a little surprising for Dusty when, in answer to his question, a blush appeared on Watchnight’s face, which she quickly turned away to hide. “Well, er, I was incredibly busy the first week preparing everything, making the posters, designing the outfits, and buying enough paper to… Um…” The unicorn’s excuse came to a stop, as she heard her companion’s laughter, turning back to his with a renewed glare. “Shut up! I just ran out of time, and needed to get the patrols started before the Mayor changed her mind about allowing me to do this!” Dusty, having forced himself to stop chuckling, bowed to the angry mare, a smile still present on his lips. “Sorry Ma’am, I just thought it was funny how flustered ya’ll was getting’. I shouldn’t have laughed at ya…” As Dusty finished, his smile did fade, and his look turned sheepish. “But really, we need a schedule. Ya look tired enough as it is.” Watchnight’s glare wavered, and then was replaced by a very small smile. “It’s ok; I know it is stupid of me to not have come up with schedule, especially since the Mayor is skeptical about this program already. But I was just worried that, unless I got out and made my presence known, nopony would volunteer. If there aren’t any volunteers, then what’s the point of a planning out the work?” “I can’t really argue with that,” The western pony gave a shrug, as he cracked another smile. “But ya got me now, and I’m pretty sure there’ll be more ponies that want to lend a hand around town. Trust me; ya’ll will have more helpers than ya know what to do with.” Watchnight stared at him for a second, and then found herself smiling much wider. “Thank you, Mr. Trails. You are right; I need to just be patient…” Sighing, the mare gave a chuckle and walked away from the house. “All right, I will go come up with a schedule. But first, it is way past lunch time, and you must be starving. Let me treat you to lunch!” “Ya’ll can just call me Dusty, Ma’am. And I appreciate the offer, but I still got some bits left from ma trip here, let me pay for it.” “That is very kind of you Dusty, but I insist that you allow me to pay. Think of it as a celebration of the Watch gaining its first volunteer!” “I’m glad to have helped, Miss Watchnight, but I should pay. I’m the stallion after all and…” “Dusty.” “Ma’am?” “I’m paying!” “Uh… Yes Ma’am.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A short while later, the two ponies were sitting at an outdoor table of the Ponyville Café, making small talk as they waited to be, well, waited on. Dusty, who had apparently never eaten at “Such a fancy place!” was still sitting awkwardly, as he had been the entire time, despite Watchnight telling him several times there was nothing to be worried about. “This isn’t some high-class restaurant in Canterlot Dusty,” the mare had said, motioning around to the outside dining area, which held only a few other ponies. “It’s a small diner in a small town; there is no need to be so… nervous…” It didn’t seem to help him much, however, as the stallion had simply kept staring at the menu that lay open on the table; it was getting to the point where Watchnight was certain she could see sweat on the other pony’s brow. “Dusty… Are you ok?” Swallowing hard, the stallion grabbed the menu with his mouth, and placed it on Watchnight’s side of the table. “I… Could ya…” Dusty stuttered out, before turning away and speaking the last part in a barely audible whisper. “…Tell me… What it says… Please?” Watchnight blinked, before glancing down at the menu, then back up at Dusty. “Why? Is there something wrong with… Oh.” With a look of equal concern and confusion, the mare leant forward and lowered her voice. “You can’t read it?” Dusty shook his head, a red blush visible even through his burgundy coat. “But you said you read the poster I put up. That’s how you found out about the Watch, right?” Again, Dusty shook his head, but did give a response this time. “I asked a passin’ pony if there was any place around town I could help out at, and he told me about ya needin’ volunteers… I wanted to do somethin’ useful while I was here, and it’s hard to get a job when ya can’t read or write…” Bowing his head, the stallion gave a long sigh. “I’m sorry for not tellin’ ya, but I was afraid ya wouldn’t let me in the Watch if ya knew.” Watchnight stared at the illiterate pony for a very long time, and then put a hoof to her forehead. “You know, I shouldn’t be all that surprised. After all, you could barely write your own name…” Realizing that she wasn’t exactly helping, the mare shook her head, and started again. “I am… upset that you were trying to keep it a secret, as I do not appreciate liars. However, you do seem to be a very helpful pony, and…” Chuckling, the mare’s horn started glowing, as she lifted the menu up. “I am short on volunteers, so I am in no condition to complain. If you are willing to put up with me, I’ll find a way to work around your… hindrance. Deal?” The big smile that appeared on Dusty’s face was all the answer needed. “So, how does a… ‘Daisy Sandwich’ sound?” “…Very nice… Thank you, Ma’am…” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “I am still unhappy with the sign color…” “Didn’t ya get to choose it?” “Unfortunately, no. I was a busy with setting some other things up and was not present to oversee the renovations to the old building… As much as I would have liked to.” Sighing, Watchnight glanced up at the light blue sign above the entrance to the Ponyville Watch’s HQ, office, and pretty much anything else they would need it to be. After staring at the painted wood disdainfully for a few seconds, she turned to Dusty and managed a smile. “Well, I guess we are done with the patrols, it will take me the rest of the day at least to come up with a proper schedule… For once I’m glad there are only two of us.” “Ya need any help?” “No thank you, Dusty. While I would appreciate the company, I would not want to bore you with sitting around while I scribble on several thousand sheets of paper for hours. You go have fun; after all, you’ve barely met anypony yet. If you are going to help the Watch, then you should get accustomed to the residents of this town…” A smirk crossed Watchnight’s face, as she leaned a bit closer to Dusty so she could whisper. “And believe me, there are definitely some weirdoes here that will take A LOT of time to get accustomed too.” With a wink and a laugh, the forest-green mare left her new assistant standing in the middle of the street, as she entered the recently remodeled building. Dusty blinked, as this strange sentence ran through his head several times. Deciding that he was going to learn what she meant soon enough, the stallion started walking back to the center of Ponyville. “Well, she said to go meet some folks, so I might as well make myself useful while I’m at it… Even if it does mean puttin’ up with this itchy shirt a bit longer…” After a few minutes of walking and tugging on the blue fabric which tormented him, Dusty finally came across what he assumed was the town’s market. There were several carts set up in an open area, with shopkeeper ponies advertising their goods, as customers shopped around. After wandering around the crowds, he finally spotted a cart that wasn’t busy, and walked up to the mare who was running it. She was amusing herself by counting the amount of carrots she still had left, so it wasn’t until Dusty spoke up that she noticed him. “Um, excuse me Ma’am?” “What?! Oh, I am sorry sir!” After yelling, the green-haired pony quickly apologized, blushing. “Welcome to Carrot Top’s Carrot Shop!... Well, ‘Cart’ really. How can I help you?” Smiling, Dusty bowed his head in greeting, and then pointed at the name on his vest. ‘I sure hope I do this right…’ “Howdy, my name is Dusty Trails, and I’m with the Ponyville Watch. I’m here to make sure ya’ll haven’t had any problems lately…” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “Alright… So we need to patrol the market at least once a day… and all the businesses at least twice a week. Now, how to divide up the home visits…” Sighing, Watchnight sat her quill back into its well on the desk so she could have rest. Her head was starting to hurt from both using magic for a long time, and trying to come up with a schedule. This new issue with Dusty certainly complicated things. It was more than likely that he would be unable to perform residential calls as he could not record any complaints or sightings. ‘Though he does appear to decently strong, probably having worked on a farm or a ranch.... That will definitely be useful…’ Sighing, the orange-maned mare climbed out of her chair and walked over to the only window, which looked out towards the center of town. ‘Well, Dusty’s situation is not so bad. I cannot very well expect every volunteer to be perfect can I? But, I am certain that the rest of the ponies who ask to help out will be normal, intelligent…’ Before Watchnight could finish the thought, a sudden chill passed through her body, and she could swear that a mischievous laugh rang out somewhere far away. After standing in complete silence for about a minute, the unicorn calmly walked back over to her desk, climbed into the chair, and adjusted herself. Then promptly let her head fall onto the wooden surface, letting out a cry of despair. “Celestia help me!” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ It was his boss’ worry-filled face that removed the smile Dusty had borne until entering the Watch’s HQ. “Um… Miss Watchnight, are ya alright?” He questioned carefully, not sure what could have happened while he was gone. Although she nodded, the stallion still couldn’t help but feel the sorrow that his new friend was, for some reason, suffering from. “I am fine, Mr. Trails. Did you enjoy your walk around town?” The look she gave him made it very clear to Dusty that Watchnight was purposely changing the subject. As if it wasn’t obvious enough. “Yes ma’am, there sure are some nice folks in this town, as well as some that are… uh…” “Odd?” “Yes ma’am, that.” A long silence followed, as Watchnight turned her eyes back to the many reports on her desk, though she did not actually seem to be reading any of them. Dusty spent a minute adjusting the jacket he wore over the uncomfortable blue shirt, before clearing his throat and walking over to the largest piece of furniture in the room. “Er, Miss Watchnight. I hope ya’ll don’t mind, but while I was gettin’ the feel of the town, I did some patrolin like ya showed me earlier.” The unicorn blinked, as she tilted her head to look at Dusty. She… honestly had not been expecting that. “Really? But I thought you did not know how to write.” “Well, I can’t. I just went up to ponies, introduced myself, and asked if’n they had seen anything suspicious or had any troubles. If they did, I asked ‘em what it was and if I could help ‘em out. Nopony needed any help, but they was all grateful that I had asked ‘em.” The male pony ended his explanation, the happy look from before returning to his face as he thought back to all the smiles of gratitude he had received, most of which had been from mares. In fact, now that he had thought about it, almost everypony he had talked to was female. It wasn’t as if he had avoided talking to stallions, it just seemed that there were not that many around. Very strange, when he thought about it; which was why he did not want to think about it for too long. Thankfully, Watchnight started speaking again. “Wow… I am… honestly impressed, Mr. Trails. That was… very ambitious of you.” She managed out, a strange look on her face that was somewhere between confusion and happiness. There was a bit more confusion added when she realized Dusty had suddenly started looking very self-conscious. “Heh… Paw always said I was a bit too ambitious for mah own good…” The unicorn sensed the sudden unease that had come upon her male companion, and though a part of her wanted to press his previous statement a little further, she definitely did not want to discourage such… good behavior, as patronizing as putting it that way sounded. “On the contrary, Dusty.” Watchnight said, smiling at him. “You have no idea how relieved I am. I was very worried about how we were going to manage the new routes I have come up with. But, if you really do get along so well with other ponies…” “Bein’ friendly is one of the things I am good at, ma’am.” The dusty-haired earth pony proudly stated. “Excellent. Oh, and speaking of the new routes, I have the schedule finished. Would you like to look… er, hear it?” the green mare stuttered, catching herself mid-sentence. Thankfully, her partner either did not notice, or did not care. “If’n ya wouldn’t mind…” “Of course not. Now, take a seat.” Watchnight levitated the newly written schedule off of one of the many piles of paper, and walked with Dusty the short distance between her desk and the slightly smaller table; two chairs glowed a dark green, as she pulled them back for the duo to sit in. “Oh, and Miss Watchnight?” “Yes Dusty?” “Can I please take off this stinkin’ shirt?!” Watchnight sighed. “Yes Dusty… you can take off the shirt.”