//------------------------------//
// A Busy Sunday 
// Story: Living in Equestria 
// by Blazewing 
//------------------------------//

Well, my piano lesson could have been a lot worse. Lyra had told me I was making progress, but I still saw no difference in my playing. When I eventually took my leave, Rainbow decided to accompany me, saying she had to get going as well. We walked together in silence for a time, then, at the same instant, we both said,

“Can I ask you something?”

Followed by,

“You first.”

Then,

“No, you.”

Until finally, with a gracious gesture, I allowed Rainbow to speak first.

“Do you mind if I head up to Canterlot with you when you go? I’ve got some shopping I’ve gotta do there.”

“You sure it’s not just to browse around the Wonderbolt store again?” I asked, wryly.

Rainbow rolled her eyes.

“I had to promise myself I wouldn’t,” she said. “Me plus Wonderbolt merchandise on Hearth’s Warming equals splurge of the century. As awesome as that would be, I’ve got some gift ideas that I’ve gotta budget properly. I can’t go nuts.”

“Wow. That’s really loyal of you, Rainbow,” I said, earning a grin from the pegasus. “I know just how you feel.”

“Yeah?”

“I’ve still got quite a few gifts to get, but I can only get some in Canterlot. That’s kinda why I took the job at Bon Bon’s. I love helping her and Lyra, but I can’t use my stipend to splurge on gifts.”

“I getcha. So, can I go with you?”

“Of course! If anypony else wants to come, they’re welcome. Maybe I’ll ask Twilight. I have to see her about something anyway.”

“All righty!” said Rainbow. “Now, what were you gonna ask me?”

“Oh! Right! Do you think there’s a way I might be able to get my hands on some liquid rainbow?”

“Liquid rainbow?” Rainbow asked, puzzled. “Why do you want that?”

“I personally don’t, but I heard Bon Bon say she wants to use some with her baking. I thought it’d make the perfect gift for her.”

“Mm…” Rainbow murmured in thought. “Yeah, I think I can set you up with some. Being chief weather-mare of Ponyville’s got its perks, after all. Thing is, raw liquid rainbow is some powerful stuff, but if Bon Bon can work it into candy, I’ll be super impressed!”

“Thanks, Rainbow. I’ll let you know when Bon Bon says I can have my time off.”

“All right. See ya, bud!”

And with that supersonic roar that usually accompanied her flying, Rainbow took off. As for me, I still had some ponies I needed to see and speak to before it was too late. 

First off was Berry Punch, so I headed for her juice shop. When I arrived, it was to find several ponies leaving with her new holiday drink stuffed into their saddlebags or held with their unicorn magic, whatever the case may be. The Earth pony was delighted to see me, and even more delighted to accept an order for a bottle of her Jura wine, to be sent to Octavia. 

“And since it’s a gift from you,” she said, “I’ll send it free of charge.”

“Really? Berry, you don’t have to-”

“I know, but I want to,” she said, with a sincere smile.

Who could say no to that?

“Well, thanks, Berry. I really appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome, and I’ll bet Octavia will really appreciate the Jura. It can be stressful when you’re playing in front of thousands of ponies.”

With that, I bid adieu to the friendly brewer and directed my steps to the library. A festive wreath was already hung on the front door, and I could hear the tinkle of ornaments through the door before I knocked. After a few moments of waiting, Spike opened up, wearing a pair of fake reindeer antlers on his head.

“Hi, Dave!” he greeted. 

“Hiya, Spike. Nice antlers.”

“Heheh, thanks. Twilight and I are just decorating the library. Did you wanna come in?”

“Yeah, I had something to ask Twilight about. Thanks.”

The little dragon showed me inside, and I looked about at the interior, which was festooned with garlands, holly, tinsel, and ribbons. Twilight, wearing a Santa Claus-esque hat, was just levitating a golden star out of a box beside a decorated evergreen tree in the center.

(A tree within a tree? Tree-ception?)

Twilight looked up as we entered, setting the star down gently.

“Hello, Dave!” she said.

“Hi, Twi. I hope this isn’t a bad time.”

“Not at all. All that’s left for now is the star on top.”

“Ooh! Let me do it, Twilight!” pleaded Spike, raising his claw eagerly like a little boy wanting to ask his teacher a question. 
“Please?”

“Of course, Spike,” said Twilight, giggling at his antics. “I saved it just for you. Come here.”

Beaming, Spike rushed over to Twilight and picked up the star. The unicorn then screwed her face up in concentration, and Spike became enveloped in her magic aura. Slowly and steadily, he was lifted off the ground until he was level with the treetop, and he proudly stuck the star onto it. Twilight brought him back to the floor.

“Good job, Spike!” she said, giving him a playful noogie, then added, turning to me, “So what did you need, Dave?”

“I’m going to take a couple days off this week to do some shopping in Canterlot, once Bon Bon decides when. Rainbow Dash is coming with me, so I wondered if you’d like to come as well.”

“Ohh, bringing back the old crew from your first visit?” she asked, teasingly. “Sure, I should be able to find time to come up there with you. Just let me know when and I’ll be ready.”

“Great! Also...” 

I hesitated. Should I ask her? Was there even any hope of a positive answer?

“Is something wrong?” Twilight asked.

“Well, uh...there was something else I wanted to ask about,” I said, fidgeting my hands together.

“Yes?”

“As you may have remembered, during our Q&A, I said that my world celebrates a holiday just like Hearth’s Warming, called Christmas. It’s a time of giving, family, and togetherness. What I’m trying to get at is...has there been any change in your look into-”

“No,” Twilight cut me off, sadly. “I’m sorry, Dave, but nothing’s come up. The cosmos are as uncooperative as ever.”

“Oh,” I said, feeling my spirits drop.

It was a long shot anyways. She’d have said something if anything had changed. I felt her put a hoof on my hand.

“I can’t begin to imagine how you must feel, spending the holidays away from your family.” 

With a sigh, I said,

“As long as they know where I am and that I’m safe and sound, that’ll have to do. That’s what sending the letter back was all about. You’ve done more than enough for me by even allowing me to do that, Twilight.”

It was more or less true, but inside, my guts were burning at the thought that I’d be missing Christmas with my family. As much as these ponies helped me adapt and adjust, I couldn’t just forget my true roots willy-nilly. Still, I had to put on a brave face for this situation, and be an adult about it. I didn’t think it heartless, but mature.

Twilight smiled kindly, but the smile faded as she looked closer into my face.

“Are you feeling all right, Dave?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“You just look...so tired,” she said, rearing up and putting a gentle hoof to my cheek. “There’s bags under your eyes. Have you been sleeping well?”

“Are there? I hadn’t noticed. I guess I’ve just been stressing myself out over Hearth’s Warming coming up, trying to find gifts for everypony, and I do mean everypony.”

“Oh, Dave, you’re just too sweet,” said Twilight, getting back on all fours. “You don’t have to run yourself ragged over something like that.”

“Well, that’s what this trip to Canterlot fixes. I’ll have practically everything off of my list, if I can find it all.”

“All right, then. Let me know when your days off will be, and I’ll be ready.”

“Ok. See you later, Twi. Goodbye, Spike.”

“Bye!” called Spike. 

He was up on a ladder, adjusting a bit of garland that had come loose from its anchor point on the wall.

“Spike, I can do that,” said Twilight, looking up at him. “I don’t want you hurting yourself.”

“I’m fine, Twi-whoops!”

In one swift motion, Spike lost his balance and tumbled to the floor. Luckily, he was intercepted by a box still full of holiday hangings, sending a cloud of pine needles flying from his impact. Twilight rushed over to check on him, and the dragon emerged, spitting out pine needles like one spits out water from taking a dive. He sheepishly chuckled at his pony guardian, while she gave me a wearied smile that said ‘He’s fine’. With that assurance, I took my leave.


***


Since I was still in the midst of Ponyville, I decided to spy out one of these antique shops I heard Bon Bon and Lyra talking about. If their argument held true, I might be able to find something seapony-related for my nutty but sweet unicorn friend.

It took a bit of time, but I finally located a shop that looked like it had been around longer than its neighbors. Its exterior was of faded brown wood, but still intact shape-wise, and the sign above it read ‘Bric-a-Brac’s Knickknacks’. I was almost irresistibly reminded of Mr. Charrington’s shop from ‘1984’, but I doubted this place would have a secret hidden room upstairs with a telescreen behind a steel engraving, or that this ‘Bric-a-Brac’ would be an agent of the Thought Police in disguise. At least, I hoped not.

The air inside smelled musty and kind of like mothballs, the sort of smell you’d expect when looking around an attic full of forgotten junk. The shelves were lined with old books, statues, figures, and clothing, while suits of armor, paintings, and racks of weapons lined the wall. I didn’t like the way some of the paintings were leering at me, even if they were just canvas and paint. My inner cartoon junkie couldn’t help but imagine the eyes of those portraits moving, like in the old Scooby Doo cartoons.

“Welcome! Is there anything I can assist you with?”

I gave a jump. The voice was soft-spoken, but came out of nowhere. Looking about, I saw the owner of the voice: a wizened unicorn stallion with a mustache and eyebrows so bushy, they masked his mouth and eyes. It was a wonder he could even see me.

“Are you Mr. Bric-a-Brac?” I asked.

“That’s what it says on my birth certificate,” said the stallion, chuckling wheezily. “Now, what brings you around here? I hope you’ll excuse me, but we currently don’t have any items from human civilizations. Very hard to come by.”

“Er, that’s all right,” I said. “I’m looking for something for a friend. She’s very interested in seapony culture.”

“Ahh, the seaponies!” said Bric-a-Brac, fondly. “A fine culture, indeed. It’s a shame that all we have left to remember their legacy by is a few scattered mementos, but I luckily possess some of them. Now, let me see…”

He ambled about the shelves, muttering absent-mindedly to himself. I was still amazed how he was able to spy anything from under those eyebrows of his, but perhaps he was so used to it that he had learned to compensate.

“No...no...oh, I’d forgotten about that...Now, how did that get here...Aha! Here we are!”

He pulled down a smooth, ruby-red box from atop a shelf and brought it over. The box itself was adorned with what looked like a giant seashell on the lid. There was even a vague, salty sea smell about it. It glistened in the sunlight as he held it up.

“This was once owned,” said Bric-a-Brac, “by a seapony princess. The box itself is marvellous, but the real treasure lies within.”

With that, he slowly opened the lid, and I couldn’t help letting out a soft gasp at what I saw inside. Normally, I wouldn’t have for what it was, but the way it looked was another matter. It looked like an ordinary hair comb, but it was made of a silvery substance that glimmered in the glow of the sunlight upon it. The handle was studded with tiny sea-green gemstones.

“Wow…” I breathed.

“Made of real pearl,” said Bric-a-Brac, proudly.

“She’d love it,” I said, “but it must cost a fortune, even without the box.”

“Normally it would,” said Bric-a-Brac, closing the lid, “but business has been rather slow. Nopony seems to take much stock in the olden days anymore.”

“What, are you kidding?” I asked. “I love old stuff, and I know my friend will like this. Name your price, sir.”

Bric-a-Brac’s mustache crinkled into what was unmistakably a smile.

“For your lady friend, son, I’m willing to part with it for 15 bits.”

“Consider it a deal,” I said.

I was heading for the checkout counter, when something else caught my eye. It was a small wooden mask, though it must have been quite old. It was painted very fine and intricately, though the colors had faded a little over time. The eyes looked like they were closed in contentment, and there was a small smile on the lips.

“Excuse me, sir,” I said, “but what’s that mask there?”

“Mm?” murmured Bric-a-Brac, looking round. “Ah, that! That is an authentic Zebrafican mask. It stands for ‘friendship’ or ‘companionship’.”

(A Zebrafican mask that represented friendship or companionship? If that doesn’t spell ‘gift for Zecora’, I don’t know what does!)

“How much for it?” I asked.

“Very eager, aren’t you? chuckled Bric-a-Brac. “I’ll let that one go for...8 bits.”

“Deal!” I said, as he gingerly picked up the mask as well.

We went to the checkout counter, where I fished out 23 bits from my coat pocket and handed them to Bric-a-Brac. He counted them out, nodded in satisfaction, and packaged up the mask and comb box for me.

“Thank you very much,” I said, accepting the packages.

“No, my dear boy, thank you,” said Bric-a-Brac. “It does this old heart good to see youth still interested in the days gone by. Come again.”

I took my leave of the old stallion, carefully carrying the wrapped packages as if they were made of china. I just knew Lyra would love the comb, but I wondered if she would even use it. She didn’t look like the kind of mare who brushed her mane, but then, why would she use such a priceless antique? Antiques were usually meant to be admired, so this would still suit her nicely. As for Zecora, I didn’t know if she already had a mask like this one, but, since she would know what it means, I hoped she would appreciate the gesture.


***


With that business out of the way, my next destination lay in the Hooves household. I could only hope Sparkler wouldn’t feel too overwhelmed being asked to perform a duty that would serve the country and potentially bring about peace between two nations. The sarcastic part of my brain chimed in at this:

(Nah, of course she won’t feel overwhelmed. It’s like asking to borrow a cup of sugar. ‘Hello, Sparkler. Would you mind lending your knowledge of gems to patch up a dispute between ponies and dragons? Just thought I’d ask, if you’re not too busy.’)

As I approached the Hooves home, I could see that the snow fort was beginning to melt away. I was actually kind of surprised it had managed to stay up that long. Scootaloo and Dinky had been very diligent at maintaining its structure. The kids were nowhere to be seen, however; they were probably inside, warming themselves.

I knocked at the door, and was met by an explosive duo of sneezes from the inside. The door cracked open, revealing Sparkler. Lucky me!

“Oh, hello, Dave,” she said, opening it wider. “Sorry for that. Our home is currently quarantined for a double case of colds.”

“Scootaloo and Dinky?” I asked.

“Yep. Thank Celestia their vacation’s started, and that Mom hasn’t caught it too, otherwise I don’t know what we’d do.”

“This might be a bad time to bring this up, then,” I said, warily.

“Bring what up?” asked Sparkler, stepping outside and shutting the door.

“Well, I don’t know if you’ve heard anything about it, but Princess Celestia has been trying to negotiate a peace treaty with the dragons, with promises of shared gems.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, but we’ve been having trouble finding enough to satisfy them. Now, I had proposed the idea to my superior, Minister Ironmane, to start up restaurants for dragons to enjoy gem-based cuisine, and he thinks it could work.”

“Ooh,” said Sparkler, sounding interested. “Very clever!”

“Heh, thanks. The only thing is, we still need somepony who has enough knowhow about gemstones as to find the most abundant stockpiles, as well as the most delectable by dragon standards, to use. Out of all the ponies I can think of, you, Sparkler Hooves, are just such a pony.”

I waited for her reaction. She just stared at me, blinking in surprise.

“Me?” she finally asked. “Find gems for dragons? For the sake of Equestria? Goodness, Dave, that’s not something I can say yes or no to lightly…”

“I understand that,” I said, “but you’re the best pony for this situation. You’ve got a lot of knowhow about what makes a good gemstone. Remember that lexicon of jewelry lingo you were throwing our way when the Crusaders and I came to help out at your store? Plus, you must have as good a head on your shoulders to be able to find all of those jewels to be brought in for cleaning and reshaping.”

Sparkler’s already pink cheeks turned a deeper shade at this praise.

“But what about Rarity?” she asked. “Wouldn’t she be just as good an option? She’s always hunting for gems to use in her outfits.”

“That’s true,” I assented, “but her use for them’s purely cosmetic. Besides, meaning no offense to her, but Rarity wouldn’t be the best choice for two reasons. First, she’s got enough on her plate making outfits to be fussing about gem-hunting. Second, I doubt she’d be thrilled to know the gemstones she would be collecting were just intended for dragon food.”

“Mm...I don’t know, Dave. I’m just not sure.”

“Well, you don’t have to decide right away,” I said. “Give it some thought, and get back to me. Ok?”

“All right. I’ll definitely think about it.”

While not entirely confident, there was an affirmative note in her voice that gave me some hope.

“Sparkleeeer!” Dinky’s voice whined. “We ran out of tissues!”

“Already?” Sparkler asked, more to herself, then sighed. “Sorry, Dave, duty calls.”

“Should I fetch a doctor?” I offered.

“No thanks,” said Sparkler, with a smile. “We already have one.”

“You do? Well, you’re sure lucky. See you.”

Sparkler went back inside, closing the door behind her, but not quickly enough to shield another bout of sneezes. I hoped I wasn’t putting her in a bad spot, having to think about a nation-altering decision while dealing with two little fillies with snot-clogged sinuses. Must be tough to be the elder sibling. I made a mental note to, once I returned home, tell my older sister how much I appreciated her putting up with me all these years.


***


Once back inside, I went over my list again to check and see if everything I could in Ponyville had been gotten. Rarity was probably working on Derpy’s muffin scarf and the bowling jerseys, and Rainbow Dash was going to see about getting me the liquid rainbow. That left the chocolate fountain for the Crusaders and the deluxe bag of candy for the council, all of which could be gotten easily. That then left Pinkie’s family visiting, confirmation on the Golden Griffin Grapes, and everything else in Canterlot to take care of. I was right on track!

As I was putting my list away, there came a knock on my front door.

“Can’t be Sparkler,” I muttered, “unless she decided that easily.”

Making sure no gifts were out in plain sight, I went to the door and opened it up. There stood Moonlight, looking as chipper as ever.

“Hello, Dave!”

“Hi, Moonlight, come on in! You’re looking hale and hearty today,” I added, as she stepped inside.

“That’s because it’s almost Hearth’s Warming! I can’t wait!”

She unfurled her wings, bristling with excitement. I didn’t know what it was, but it felt like there was something different about her. It wasn’t her mane again; it was still in those cute pigtails she had decided to go with. When she took off her winter gear, I could see what it was. 

When I’d first met her, she was a bone-thin, scrawny thing, even skinnier than Fluttershy. Now she seemed to have grown a bit. Her limbs and body were thicker; not fat, but more healthy-looking, kind of like Trixie when she was recovering herself. Her wings even seemed to be fluffier and more pronounced than before. She had grown up quite a bit from the frightened mare I had met a few months ago.

“What’s wrong, Dave?” Moonlight asked, cocking her head.

“Huh? Oh, nothing. I just...you’re looking very nice today.”

Moonlight looked slightly surprised, then smiled bashfully.

“Thank you,” she said.

“Are you ready to continue the story?” I asked.

“You bet I am!” said my pegasus pal.

She took her usual spot on the couch while I grabbed The Batpony King from where I’d left it last. With the two of us settled in place, the book between us, we dove right in.


***


“‘...It would take a hundred years to uncover all of the secrets King Pferdermaus’ castle held, but Daring could rest easy knowing that at least one mystery had been solved, and that the reputation of the good king would repair itself over time. The curse of Count de Volblutt was extinguished at last.’”

I closed the book with satisfying finality, and Moonlight was the first to speak up again.

“Wow. So Pferdermaus wasn’t Volblutt after all.”

“Took me by surprise,” I said. “Although, he didn’t really help ease the suspicions around him by keeping a hutch of vampire fruit bats.”

“Yeah,” said Moonlight, giving a shudder that had nothing to do with the cold.

*Knock-knock*

“Now who could that be?” I muttered.

I got up to answer the door while Moonlight stretched, making her joints crack and pop. Opening the door up, I found Sparkler standing there, looking oddly resolute.

“Oh, hey, Sparkler,” I said. “What’s up?”

“I gave it some thought, Dave,” she said, “and talked it over with Mom. She and I both feel you’re right.”

“Huh?”

“I want to help out this dragon business like you said I should. I’ll talk about it with Minister...Ironmane, was it?”

She was agreeing to it?

She was agreeing to it!

“Sparkler, that’s wonderful!” I said, clasping her hoof in both of my hands. “You have no idea what this could mean for Equestria!”

Noticing the embarrassed look on her face, I said, hastily,

“Not that I’m trying to pressure you, mind.”

“No, no, Dave, it’s ok,” she said, giggling. “I’m actually quite interested in this idea: dragon restaurants with gem dishes. I’ll bet Spike would be a regular.”

“Haha, yeah, very true,” I laughed, then said, soberly, “Seriously, Sparkler, if you can make this work, the entire council, maybe even all of Equestria, will be in your debt. You’re an awesome pony.”

I drew an arm around her in a hug, and she, still smiling with a hint of bashfulness, nuzzled me warmly.

“I’ll write to the Minister, and we’ll arrange a meeting as soon as we can,” I said, releasing her. “He usually stops by here on Sundays, but I wonder if Hearth’s Warming may be an exception. We’ll have to see. Hopefully the dragons can hold out until then. Otherwise, maybe I’ll see him when I got to Canterlot this week.”

“All right,” said Sparkler. “I hate to just leave like this, Dave, but I’d better get back home. The kids are nearly due for another dose of cold medicine. They hate the stuff.”

“Just tell them what my dad always told me,” I said, “‘The worse it tastes, the better it works’.”

“I’ll remember that,” said Sparkler, grinning. “Good night, Dave.”

“Good night, Sparkler.”

Sparkler trotted away back toward home, and I shut the door after her. I’d done it! I’d gotten a step further in helping solve the dragon debacle! All that was needed was a talk between her and Ironmane, and we would be golden! She deserved something special to go with it, if it did work out. Maybe a sign, or some other decoration.

“You’re heading to Canterlot?”

I froze in my mental victory dance. I had nearly forgotten Moonlight was still here, looking curiously at me.

“Yeah,” I said. “I have some shopping I need to get done there.”

“Ooh,” said the pegasus. “Do you think...is it ok if I come with you?”

“You want to come with?”

“Yeah! I’ve never seen Canterlot before! At least, not as far as I can remember.”

“Well, I’d be glad to have your company, then,” I said, graciously. “Twilight and Rainbow Dash will be joining us as well.”

“Wonderful!” said Moonlight. “Let me know when and where, and I’ll be ready.”

“Of course.”

“I’d better head off to bed, then,” said Moonlight, stretching cat-like before getting off the sofa. “Another busy day tomorrow.”

“Same here,” I said, walking her to the door. “Good night, Moonlight.”

“Good night, Dave.”

I watched for Moonlight to make it to her house, then shut the door behind me. Grabbing a piece of paper and my ink and quill, I wrote out the following letter:

“Dear Minister Ironmane,
I asked Sparkler Hooves about assisting with the dragon gem restaurant idea, and she gave her approval! When would be the best time for you and her to speak about it? I will be in Canterlot sometime this week, the exact date currently unknown as of the writing of this letter, so hopefully I’ll be able to see you, as I’ll be shopping. Otherwise, if it suits you, I suppose you could meet here on Sunday, though it will be Hearth’s Warming. I’ll leave it to you to decide.
Sincerely,
Dave”

I sealed the letter up in an envelope and took it out to my mailbox as an outgoing message. With that out of the way, I set about making a late dinner. These Daring Do books knew how to keep a guy invested; they make you lose all sense of time.

Sunday, December 18
Lyra: Seapony something
Zecora: Zebrafrican friendship mask
Sparkler: Something for the dragon restaurant