“I. Am. NEVER. Drinking. Again!”
To say Moe felt like absolute hell was putting it lightly. His entire head felt like it had just been put through a paint mixer. It pounded as he remained lying face down on the bed, spread out in what was possibly the most undignified pose he had ever been in. One arm hung limply off the bed, fingers brushing the cheap hotel carpet. The other was draped over the mountain of blankets deposited next to him. His mouth tasted and felt as if some small animal had used it as a toilet and then died in it. Every muscle in his body hurt, but no more than the faint pain in his lower regions. It was as if something heavy had been dropped on it multiple times without mercy.
With a groan, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Well, he would have stood up if his left knee hadn’t buckled from the weight at the last second. Falling to the floor, he let out a pained moan as he buried his face in the carpet. He slowly rose to his knees, grimacing as the movements caused him even more pain. As his vision cleared, he became aware of the sheer volume of empty bottles and cans that were deposited around the room. Every piece of furniture was flipped either upside down or in shambles.
“Oh my god...” He held his head in his hands as he moaned into his palms. With the utmost care, he made his way to the bathroom. Avoiding hitting any of the scattered containers, he flicked on the lights. He gasped as his dishevelled appearance was fully reflected in the mirror. Bruises and cuts lined the entirety of his chest. His hair was absolute chaos, the long blond strands all tangled and knotted from whatever activities he had done last night.
The second thing he noticed was the distinct lack of clothes on his body. The only articles of clothing that was actually on his body was his left sock and the tie sitting loosely around his neck. His mind began to panic as he took a breath and leaned on the bathroom counter. A haze of events ran through his mind, most of them blurs and unclear.
What did I do last night? He thought as he turned on the tap. He splashed a few handfuls of cold water on his face. He shuddered as the droplets of water fell off and collected in the clogged sink under him. Coppa always said he’d try to remember the earliest point of the night when he got blackout drunk. So where did I start out?
A moment passed before he was able to remember the general location of the city he was in at the moment. Oh right... we went to Manehatten.
******
The day started out like any other with Moe being the first to wake from the confines of his warm bed. It took him only a few minutes to hop out of bed and get dressed in some brown khakis and a grey shirt. It was more casual than anything he would have normally worn, but he was still riding off the high from the previous night. He still bore the same stupid grin from the last night as he made his way down the stairs and to the kitchen, recalling each moment of the date.
It had been a wondrous occasion, almost perfect in his opinion. He might have been getting a tad excited about a single date, but it only kept replaying in his mind. The dinner, the clothes, and even the feeling of their breath mingling before they were interrupted. It just kept repeating like an endless loop, keeping him from noticing the sounds of hoofsteps on the stairs.
“My my, up early as always,” Rarity said, causing Moe to turn around. “Isn’t it usually the duty of the host to provide for her guests?”
“I know, but as a close friend, I thought perhaps it would have been a pleasant change from the usual routine,” he said in a cheerful tone as he turned around, grabbed a pan from a nearby rack, and placed it on the stove before turning back to Rarity. “Besides, I think I should reward my lovely host for her hospitality. Is there any particular breakfast item you prefer?”
“Perhaps something simple to start off the morning,” Rarity mused as she made her way to the cupboards on the opposite side of the kitchen, humming along the way. Moe waited quietly, taking in the soft sound of the mare’s voice while she rummaged through her pantry. She came back with a few items levitating in the air, surrounded by her magic. “How about some Prench Toast?”
Moe chuckled and began the meal, continuing to talk with Rarity. “I’d assume that’s the equestrian version of French Toast?” He wasted no time in turning on the stove and beginning to crack and beat the eggs. His attention became divided between the actual preparation of the food and the fact that Rarity had trotted up and was leaning into him. He smiled, looking down towards the pony who simply hummed as she began to assist him. “I thought I explained that I was doing this for you?”
“Oh, you did,” Rarity chimed with a giggle. “But I think that I’ll supervise your progress, just to make sure we get everything right.” She gave him a smirk before running her tail up his leg. “Someone has to make sure we’re free of any distractions~”
Her singsong tone, mixed with the feeling of her silken tail running along his leg sent every nerve of his body on fire. He visibly tensed, a few hairs standing on end as she leaned into his side. “First, we need to actually prepare the toast itself. Can you coat it in the egg?” she asked as she began to prepare the stove using her magic. Various knobs twisted and turned, enveloped in a soft teal aura, setting the flames alight. A pan floated over the stovetop and was set over the flame, a small dollop of butter soon followed and began to melt as it heated up.
Moe took up his own station and carefully coated the toast in the beaten egg. With a flick of his wrists, he managed to get rid of the excess egg. Finishing that, he brought them over to Rarity who merely watched them sizzle before turning them over. Moe had to admit, there was something about the two of them cooking together that made the minutes fly by. Soon enough, their combined efforts resulted in a mound of toast piled high on two separate plates.
“My, it seems we certainly outdid ourselves,” Rarity chimed as she sat down at the table. Moe simply nodded as he took his own seat. Both took up their utensils as they prepared to begin their breakfast, with Rarity taking the liberty to start off the meal. “Well dear, Bon Appetit!”
Knock Knock Knock
Their brief respite was disturbed as the sound of a hoof making contact with the door replacing the morning calm. Moe leaned back to see a vague shape through the drawn curtain covering the door. He pushed his chair back, gesturing for Rarity to keep eating before he made his way to the front door of the Boutique. When he opened the door, he looked down to see a gray Pegasus mare that looked at him with just as much curiosity and confusion in her googly eyes.
“Umm... How can I help you?” Moe asked as he let the door open a little wider. His voice seemed to break the mare out of her trance, as she began to re-adjust the mailmare hat sitting on her head.
“Mail for Rarity!” she stated politely and with a cheerful demeanour. She rummaged through her saddlebags and pulled out a small envelope with a seal depicting three crowns. Yet Moe’s attention was still on the mare as he took the envelope. He was not sure why, but he knew the mare was looking at him; it was just that neither of her eyes were looking directly at him. Instead, as he moved slightly, one eye would follow him while the other would move slightly towards the opposite side. The mare did not seem to notice this but fidgeted slightly as a puzzled Moe kept staring. “What are you looking at?”
“Oh, sorry, I was just looking at your eyes,” Moe stammered as he broke eye contact. The mare sighed slightly and looked away. Moe swallowed nervously as he realised he had touched an unspoken nerve in the mare. “I’m sorry, that was rude of me.” He extended a hand and gave the mare a smile, which seemed to break her out of her funk. “I’m Moe, by the way.”
“I’m Ditzy Doo!” the Mare said as she saluted instead of shaking Moe’s hand. He chuckled at the gesture and put the envelope away in his pocket. The mare’s mood seemed to darken as she spoke again, her walleyes misting over slightly. “Some call me Derpy though...
“Why would they name you that?” Moe asked, his smile replaced with a frown. “Seems a little rude of them.”
Then again… Derpy and Ditzy are rather similar in meaning.
“They say it's because my eyes are weird and I keep messing things up...”
“What? Why? I find your eyes fascinating,” Moe said as he patted Ditzy’s head. The mare’s eyes lit up at his words and the grin that formed threatened to split her face in half.
“Thank you,” Ditzy said as she lunged forward and wrapped Moe in a hug. Caught off guard, he couldn’t do anything except stumble back and crash to the floor with Ditzy on top of him, forelegs wrapped tightly around his midriff. The mare looked at him, a sheepish grin on her face and a small blush accompanying it. “Oops, I just don’t know what went wrong!”
“It’s all good,” Moe said as they both got up. Ditzy trotted towards the door and gave Moe a small wave before shooting off into the sky. Unfortunately for the house, she crashed through the roof causing Moe to cringe visibly as wood and paint flew everywhere.
“What was that?” Moe heard Rarity shriek as he stood there gazing at the damage. Rarity’s eyes widened as she came to front and her mouth dropped as she saw the damage. Her voice began to stutter as she levitated a reclining chair next to her. “T-this is terrible!”
“She certainly did a number to the porch,” Moe muttered in disbelief. In the distance, he could see the shape of Ditzy struggling to maintain a straight course in the air. Moe then remembered the mail in his pocket. “You’ve got mail by the way,” he said, pulling the envelope from his pocket and handing it to Rarity, attempting to redirect her attention from the wreckage.
“The roof though…” Rarity murmured as her gaze remained locked on the damage. “This is just horrible. How will I manage to fix this?”
“The letter says it’s from somepony named Fancy Pants,” Moe countered as he waved the letter towards Rarity again. He handled the letter with care, inspecting the high grade paper and the intricate wax seal that closed the letter. “From the looks of the envelope, this pony must be pretty important.”
“Give me that letter,” Rarity ordered as her horn lit up. “I MUST read it now.”
The fashionista firmly grasped the letter with her magic, enveloping it in a light teal aura. It escaped Moe’s hand and opened up as Rarity rested on her fainting sofa (as Moe had come to call it). The unicorn mumbled to herself as Moe assessed the damage, separating what pieces of wood could be salvaged from those too broken to be of any use. Many had been broken or reduced to splinters by Ditzy’s hard head, and maybe three out of ten planks could be used for something other than the roof. Moe sighed before his peaceful state of mind was shattered by a resounding shriek from Rarity.
His head snapped towards her, the sudden speed of his action almost giving him whiplash. His body followed suit as he crossed the distance to her. The Unicorn was spread out on the sofa, one foreleg across her forehead and the other one hanging limply off the piece of furniture. The letter had fluttered to the ground as Moe reached the sofa. He let out a breath he hadn’t known that he was holding as he checked Rarity. A soft breathing told him that she was fine and her pulse had begun to return to normal. Carefully, he picked up the letter and began to read the rather neat hoofwriting.
My dearest friend Rarity,
It is with great joy that I request your assistance in a matter of utmost importance. Fleur has practically begged me (not that it was necessary) to invite you to our little gathering. We both agree that you are one of the most capable ponies in all of Equestria in regards to this. We don’t wish to spoil the surprise, however we do feel that you can keep this confidential.
Tomorrow evening, Fleur and I will be hosting our engagement party and would be elated if you could be present. We do not require any dresses, but simply wish for our good friend and rising star in the fashion world to attend. I have already enclosed train tickets for you and your assistant to come. However, certain limitations restrict how many of your friends can be accommodated.
We patiently wait with earnest hope that you will be able to attend.
Sincerely, your friends,
Fancy Pants and Fleur De Lis
Moe chuckled as he folded the letter back into the envelope. He gently grasped the two tickets, sliding them back into the envelope. He put the envelope on a stand before he stretched and smiled.
Looks like I have some packing to do for her...
******
Ponyville Train Station was just as busy as Moe expected. Ponies bustled on every inch of the platform, carrying luggage in carts and reading the paper as they waited for their trains. Some were obviously returning from vacations, their travel bags bursting with souvenir’s and gifts, whereas others were impatiently waiting to begin theirs. There were fillies and colts playing in the midsts of the crowds, ducking and dodging others as they played their games in the forest of adults. For a town that never seemed to be in a hurry, the train station almost seemed like it didn’t belong there.
“Y'know, up until now, I didn’t know Ponyville even had a train station,” Coppa said as he dropped the last of Rarity’s travel bags. Most of the girls, with the addition of Spike and Coppa, had come to the station with Rarity and Moe, the only exception was that of Fluttershy who had decided to stay at the hospital to watch over Sam for just a little while longer.
Moe grinned at the thought of his little match up going so well, yet his revelry was short lived as his mind recounted the day’s events. His thoughts centered on the tiny dragon he had given advice. Yes, he had helped break the child out of his depression before it even started, but his actions afterwards were contradictory to say the least. Helping a child get over rejection by their long time crush, only to immediately go on a date with said crush, and nearly kiss her?
Talk about kicking someone when they’re down...
So what did that make him? On one hand, he wanted to just call it a freak line of coincidences; something that he couldn’t help but follow along with, yet both he and Spike would know that this was a complete lie. He had the power to not go on that date, not eat dinner with her, not attempt to kiss her underneath the moonlight, and most definitely to not schedule another date in the future. Yet he did all of that without as much as a second thought. On the other hand, he could just explain it to Spike bluntly. Sure, the dragon would most definitely be angry with him, probably hit him once or twice, but it was better than lying.
For a moment, he looked around in a search of the immediate area for the tiny dragon. He found Spike sitting on one of the platform’s benches while everyone kept to their conversations as they waited for the train conductor’s call. He didn’t seem happy or sad, rather a content impassiveness mixed with boredom was plastered across his face. Only when Moe sat himself down next to the dragon did Spike do anything.
“Hey Spike, you okay?” Moe asked as Spike remained silent. Moe took a breath as he leaned back in the chair, playing with his fingers nervously. Sure, Spike wasn’t exactly threatening to say the least, Moe just wanted to find the right words to express himself. Yet with each passing second, the dragon began to look at him with more annoyance than anything else. With a little trepidation in his voice, Moe decided he might as well take the plunge. “Can I ask you something?”
“Yeah, go ahead. But if you’re going to ask me if I’m going with Rarity, I’m not,” Spike said as he watched Moe fiddle with his thumbs. “Why don’t you go?”
“Well I, wait... What?” Moe questioned the dragon’s choice as he sat up. The dragon looked at him with a sort of look that read along the lines of ‘are you kidding me?’. Moe however, maintained his confusion at the dragon’s passive dismissal of going along with Rarity to Manehatten. “Why not?”
“Well I think it would be kind of awkward,” Spike explained in a passive tone. “I was also thinking about what you said last night as well. If I go with Rarity to Manehatten, I’ll just end up back where I started. Besides I think that being friends with her is good enough. I just need to take a break from mares for a bit and consider my options.”
“Wow Spike... I don’t know what to say.”
“It’s okay Moe, besides, I think that you should go. Manehatten is more for adults anyways.”
“What you just said was pretty adult like in my opinion Spike.” Moe’s grin seemed to infect Spike and he turned away, a faint redness in his cheeks. Moe chuckled at the sight of the flustered dragon. Perhaps he had misread the situation, Spike seemed to be completely reasonable and perhaps he would take the news in stride. “I also wanted to ask you something Spike. Last night, I went out for dinner with Rarity.”
Spike said nothing, simply watching as Moe explained what had happened after they had separated. The dragon’s face betrayed nothing as Moe described in detail everything from the suit to the dinner. He remained like that as Moe explained how he and Rarity had nearly kissed and his hopes that perhaps he and Rarity might be able to go on a future date. Moe had to admit, Spike had an incredible poker face and even the elf who prided himself on being able to read the mood, found himself dumbfounded as he tried to read the dragon.
“So you two are pretty close now, huh?” Spike asked, his tone wrenching on Moe’s already guilty conscience.
“Listen Spike, I know what I did wasn’t the smartest move,” Moe began slowly. “I could have said no to the entire thing, but I didn’t. I was just... so caught up in the moment. It wasn’t like me not to consider how you might have felt. I’ve always been the one to make others happy; to give them advice like I did last night. I guess I just want to apologise to you Spike.
“What for? It sounds like you and Rarity had a great time.”
“B-but I went behind your back... Went on a date with Rarity almost immediately after she rejected you,” Moe stammered. His confusion was heightened as Spike simply nodded and placed a claw on his shoulder. “Doesn’t that seem, I dunno... a little sleazy?”
“You don’t need to beat yourself up over it Moe,” Spike said calmly. “Did Rarity have fun at least?” Moe nodded much to Spike’s satisfaction. “Then you shouldn’t be worried. If Rarity had a good time, then I’m okay with it.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah,” Spike said with a smile, “Besides, you two seem like you’d be happy if you guys became a couple.”
“You’re one of a kind, Spike,” Moe said as he held out a fist. “So we’re cool?”
Spike bumped his own claw against Moe’s outstretched fist. “Yeah. Besides, guys need to stick together! Who else is going to be my wingman when I finally start cruising for chicks!”
“Don’t get cocky, Casanova,” Moe laughed at the dragon’s enthusiasm. The dragon joined him as the whistle signalling the train deafened the entirety of the platform. “Looks like it’s time for me to get a move on. Thanks again Spike.” He said as they began to make their way to the train.
“It’s nothing Moe,” Spike said calmly before his happy eyes turned hard. “There is one thing though...”
“What would that be?” Moe asked, completely unnerved by the dragon’s stare.
“Hurt Rarity in any way, and I burn you to a crisp. Are we clear?”
“Crystal,” Moe said backing up. His heart was beating a mile a minute at this point. His mind raced at the thought. Spike didn’t seem all that threatening, but looks definitely could be deceiving. Either way, Moe wasn’t going to tango with a dragon; fully-grown or baby.
“All aboard!”
“Well it looks like you should get going,” Spike said as the conductor repeated himself. Moe nodded and followed the baby dragon, trying to imagine how destructive the he could be. His own world had dragons as well, ancient beasts that thrived on destruction and pandemonium. Unlike the ones in Holdeah, Spike was an intelligent dragon, a significantly more dangerous trait. However, Spike seemed to be in good spirits, or at least trusted Moe enough to make good on his hopes. He even waved goodbye along with everyone else on the platform as the train whistled and began to chug along the tracks.
“Goodbye!” they all called as they continued to wave. Moe smiled and waved back along with Rarity through the open window as the platform began to shrink. When it was gone from sight, Moe pulled his arm from the window and followed Rarity as she made her way to their seats.
“Please take your seats everypony, we will be arriving in Manehatten in a few hours.” The conductor called as he checked the passengers and their tickets. “Please have your tickets ready to be checked!”
Taking his own seat, Moe attempted to find a comfortable position. However, it proved to be rather difficult due to his anatomy. Eventually, he managed to find himself in a semi-comfortable position that didn’t place too much pressure on his spine. The rocking of the train and the rhythmic pounding of the machine soon caused his eyelids to become heavy. Rather than fight it, he allowed himself to drift off into a dreamless sleep.
*****
He wasn’t sure how long he had slept for, but Moe was suddenly awoken by the high pitched whine of the train’s whistle. He yawned as he stretched his limbs, mentally cringing as his joints cracked back into place after remaining stationary for so long. A slight pain in his neck told him that his body hadn’t appreciated the posture he had chosen for his nap. He attempted to shift his weight, hoping that he might find a better position. A few minutes of shifting yielded nothing and he soon became increasingly bored as the silence of the train car stagnated.
Forsaking any hopes to make himself comfortable again, he attempted to pass the time by staring out the window of the train. Great rolling hills and fields of green moved past the train as it rolled along the tracks, appearing through the window like a moving picture. Every now and then, sections of the plains were replaced with a sprawling farm or small town that Moe had yet to see on Equestria’s map.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Rarity said as she joined him in admiring the landscape. “It’s almost like a perfect picture.”
“It’s quite something,” Moe agreed with a nod of his head. “Hey Rarity, can I ask you a question?”
“What’s on your mind dear?” Rarity asked as she continued to gaze out the window.
“It’s about Spike...” Moe said, watching Rarity’s ears pin back at the mention of the Dragon’s name. “I told him about last night.”
“How did he take it? Is he angry with me?” Rarity began to shake as she could only imagine the heartbreak such a revelation might have caused the dragon. Despite what Moe had told her during their dinner, she still felt terrible. “Please tell me that my little Spikey-Wikey hasn’t come to hate me!”
“What? No, he’s not angry at all,” Moe said quickly, much to her relief. “He’s actually taken it quite well. He told me that as long as you were happy, he was happy. He actually told me to come with you because he thought it was for the best.”
“Oh thank Celestia,” Rarity sighed, calming herself down. A soft smile took hold of her mouth, complimenting the gentle look in her. “Spike has always been such a gentledrake. He’s unfailingly generous and very helpful when he wanted to be or when you needed him.” Rarity added before he voice grew low. “I almost didn’t believe it when he had his greed episode.”
“What do you mean?”
“Dragons are usually greedy creatures. As Twilight explained, they grow larger and more violent as they begin to hoard objects. Spike nearly destroyed half of Ponyville during his little episode.”
Hurt Rarity in any way, and I burn you to a crisp
The tone of the unicorn told Moe that she was not lying. The memory obviously didn’t help calm Moe’s nerves either. He felt the palms of his hands grow clammy and felt the Goosebumps start to rise on the back of his neck. A faint shiver ran through him as he tried to imagine just how large Spike had grown. If they grew larger with greed, what was to say they could not change due to other emotions, possibly anger? Moe made a mental note to schedule a visit to the Golden Oaks Library to brush up on the subject. That thought was interrupted as a loud crashing resounded in the air, shocking every passenger, and causing many panicked looks and shouts.
Moe rose as his ears picked up the direction of the noise. His acute sense of hearing was one of the many traits he was thankful for in these sorts of situations. It had assisted him countless times in the past, allowing him to pick up sounds that his friends wouldn’t have heard normally. Coppa had once proclaimed that Moe once had been able to ‘hear a fly fart from at least six feet away’. It was a crass boast, usual of his best friend, but not far off in all honesty. This time though, he didn’t need an acute sense of hearing to locate this noise. It had come from the baggage compartment, near the end of the passenger car he was in. He listened closely, hoping that it was just some luggage that had fallen free of its restraints. The following moments proved him otherwise as his ears picked up a new sound. Whatever it was, it was alive, trapped in the baggage car.
More importantly, it sounded incredibly aggravated.
Without so much as a word, he got up from his seat and made his way towards the source of the noise. He chose to ignore the fearful stares of the ponies on the car as he strode forward, intent on finding out just what managed to get in, or on the train. Without any hesitation he entered the car, shut the door behind him, and locked it, effectively trapping him in the car with whatever was in there.
Carefully, he stepped over a number of suitcases that had fallen. He took care with each step, trying not to tread on the clothes and possessions of the other passengers. It took more time for him to traverse over the fallen baggage, but he was thankful for that. Doing so would give him time to locate whatever this thing was, and the piles would give him enough cover to sneak up on the thing. As he approached closer the source of the noise, he took up a perch on top of one of the baggage piles. There he remained motionless as he waited for the creature to appear.
His patience was rewarded when a growling black figure emerged from an adjacent pile on all fours.
Without so much as a noise, Moe leapt in the air. Then, with as much grace as a charging rhino, he crashed into the creature, slamming both of them into the ground. Although he was winded from the fall, Moe spared no time in wrapping one arm around the creature’s neck and driving its face into the floor. He maintained his hold as the thing bucked and struggled, desperate to drive him off.
“Same team! Same team!” The creature shouted, struggling to breathe as Moe’s arms loosened slightly. “Moe, It’s me!
“Coppa?” Moe was definitely confused now. Coppa had been on the platform when they had left, Moe had seen that much. He couldn’t have chased the train, his legs were way to short and there was no reason to. There was absolutely no conceivable way for the dwarf to be on the train or in the baggage car.
Either way, Moe wanted to know.
“How did you get here?”
“Two words: Pinkie Pie,” Coppa retorted as he rubbed his neck. He was completely covered in clothes that were too small for his frame. To Moe, it looked as though he had just jogged through a clothing tornado. “She said that you were going to need help with something,” He added as he pulled off a pair of rather racy underwear that was hanging off his ear. Looking at the article for a moment, he tossed them aside as his embarrassment became evident on his face. “She kept spouting something about twitchy tongue or tail. I dunno what it was but one second I was going back to the farm, the next second I end up underneath a bunch of panties and crap.”
“How does that even make sense?” Moe asked. Coppa opened his mouth to explain but Moe beat him to it, realising how rhetorical the question was. “Never mind, it’s just Pinkie being Pinkie. We don’t need to repeat what the others already told us.”
“I’d also like to not have a headache if that’s an option.” Coppa sighed as he removed the last article of clothing. Moe nodded in agreement just before the sound of the train coming to a stop filled their ears. “Looks like we’re here.”
“Seems so.” Moe sighed in exasperation as he got up and smoothed out his pants. “Come on, let’s go,” he said as he began to walk toward the door. “We can deal with this later. Rarity and I need to meet with Fancy Pants."
“Really? Fancy Pants?”
“Shut up,” Moe said more annoyed at Coppa’s continued chuckling than anything else. The two made their way out of the baggage car and entered the passenger car just as the ponies began exiting the train. The two became part of the great current of bodies exiting the train, unable to move against the tide. Soon enough, they managed to escape the press of ponies and found themselves on the train platform, flustered, but in one piece. Now their next plan of action was to locate Rarity.
“Moe, we’re over here!” Rarity managed to say as she attempted to project herself over the crowds. A unicorn couple stood next to her, staring directly at him with looks of curiosity. The lone stallion, which Moe assumed was Fancy Pants, was dressed in the upper portions of a tuxedo and stood slightly taller than Rarity. As Moe drew closer, he could make out the three crowns that made up the pony’s cutie mark. His blue mane was combed in flowing waves and his similarly coloured eyes. The mare beside Fancy, Fleur De Lis if Moe remembered correctly, was equally as tall, and in his opinion, a rather stunning pony. She practically exuded elegance; her white coat and long pinkish mane were pristine as could be. Her light purple eyes were enhanced by just a visible trace of pink eye shadow. Her own flank was graced by three Fleurs-de-lis, which Moe assumed to be the origin of her name.
As they drew even closer, Rarity’s face turned to one of confusion as she noticed Coppa’s presence next to Moe. Before she could say anything, Moe interjected with the explanation Coppa had supplied. Rarity’s frown turned into a knowing smile as she simply nodded her head and quietly giggled. “Pinkie has always had a flair for the dramatic.” She turned to Fancy Pants and Fleur who were continuing their examination of Moe and Coppa. Fleur politely coughed into a hoof causing Fancy to direct his attention back to Rarity. “I am terribly sorry if this puts a dent in your plans. It seems my friend Pinkie Pie has caused Coppa to become stranded.”
“It’s quite alright Rarity,” Fancy said with enthusiasm as he turned to Coppa and Moe. “I am sure we can accommodate an extra addition somehow.” The stallion extended a hoof to Moe and smiled as he greeted himself. “I am Fancy Pants and this is my lovely fiancé, Fleur De Lis.”
“A pleasure to meet you both,” Moe replied as he shook Fancy Pant’s hoof. He offered a small bow to Fleur who took it with grace and offered her own in return. “I am Moe, and this is my good friend, Coppa.”
“Best friend,” The dwarf corrected. He shook Fancy’s hoof and bowed to Fleur as well. “Sorry to intrude on this occasion Mr. Pants. It wasn’t my intention to be a pain in your necks, I’ll try and keep a low profile and stay out of your way.”
“It is no issue at all Coppa,” Fancy said as he adjusted his monocle. “For now, we should depart back to my abode. There we can discuss an important issue that needs resolving.”
“We leave ourselves in your capable hooves Fancy,” Rarity said as he gestured towards the main road leading from the platform. The ponies moved on their way with Moe and Coppa following close behind.
“Hey Moe?” Coppa asked as they maintained a slight distance behind the three unicorns.
“Yeah?”
“Fancy Pants doesn’t wear pants.”
“You’re such an idiot...” Moe said as Coppa chuckled at his own joke. Despite the fact that he had originally wanted it just to be a trip between Rarity and himself, Moe felt a sense of comfort in the fact his best friend was there with him. This’ll should be a great time either way.
He had no way of realizing just how wrong he was…