//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: New Arrivals // Story: Retirement Blues // by Alaborn //------------------------------// Retirement Blues By Alaborn Standard disclaimer: This is a not for profit fan work. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is copyright Hasbro, Inc. I make no claim to any copyrighted material mentioned herein. Chapter 2: New Arrivals Gold Watch never had trouble rising with the sun. Even in his new and unfamiliar home, away from the bustle of Canterlot’s streets, the gentle brightening of the sky touched his senses and roused his mind and body. Following a quick shower, he tackled some more unpacking while waiting for his daughter to arrive. Even though their meeting earlier had been contentious, Colgate had agreed to help him settle in. He was determined to work on their relationship, though he knew more than a few bumps would be found on that road. Colgate knocked on his door at precisely 7:30. He opened the door, greeting his daughter. “Thank you for volunteering to show me around town,” Gold Watch said. “I didn’t have an 8 AM appointment today, so I’m happy to show you around Ponyville,” Colgate replied. Gold Watch levitated his saddlebags onto his back. “I’ll be ready to see the town once I have my morning coffee and doughnut,” he said. Colgate pawed the ground nervously. “Actually, Dad, there isn’t any place like Pony Joe’s in Ponyville. And I’ve only seen coffee served in restaurants.” “What? How is that possible?” Gold Watch exclaimed. “You’ve lived in Canterlot your entire life, dad. Things are different here,” Colgate said. “Let’s talk over breakfast. I think you’ll like Sugarcube Corner.” Gold Watch stopped and stared when Sugarcube Corner came into view. The building, decorated like a madmare’s gingerbread house, could never exist in Canterlot. Even if the building codes and historical architecture committees would allow it, the ponies of Canterlot would turn up their noses. But judging from the crowd, the ponies of Ponyville loved it. He trotted to catch up with Colgate. There were several ponies already in line, giving Gold Watch a chance to observe. There were three ponies working, between the kitchen and the front counter. A mare and stallion, looking to be a bit north of thirty, moved with the familiarity of a married couple. Both had cake-related cutie marks; they were likely the owners of the establishment. The other pony, with a very distinctive poofy mane and pink coat, appeared to be the main worker at the front counter. She was perhaps a few years younger than his daughter, and didn’t appear to be related to the married ponies. Younger ponies had a level of energy that Gold Watch hadn’t known for many years. But this pony was several levels above that. He didn’t see a coffee pot, but the pink pony’s hyperactivity gave him hope that there might be coffee here. When Gold Watch got to the counter, the pink pony smiled almost impossibly wide, brilliant white teeth reflecting the bakery’s lights. “Hi, hi, hi! I’m Pinkie Pie, and let me welcome you to Ponyville and Sugarcube Corner! What can I get you?” He didn’t see what he wanted for breakfast, but it was worth checking. “I don’t suppose you serve doughnuts?” Gold Watch asked. “Don’t be a silly-dilly. This is a BAKE-ery, not a FRY-ery!” she replied cheerily. “In that case, I need a little more time to decide.” “How about you?” The usual?” Pinkie Pie asked Colgate. “The usual,” she acknowledged. “One half of a blueberry scone, coming right up!” Pinkie Pie deftly cut one of the scones in half with a spatula, and passed it to Colgate. “One half, Colgate?” Gold Watch said. “Yes. They’re very sweet, and I’m not going to put my teeth at risk,” she replied. Gold Watch turned to Pinkie Pie. “Does anypony buy the leftover half?” “Nope nope nope! I’ll normally take it with me after work,” she explained. “Well, let me buy it today. And add in... a chocolate chip muffin.” “That’ll be three bits!” she said. Gold Watch paid and joined his daughter at one of the outdoor tables. “That pink mare, I take it she’s one of your patients?” “No!” Colgate replied. “She eats nothing but sugar, never goes to the dentist, and still has perfect teeth. It’s maddening.” “You know, you shouldn’t just buy half a scone. Nopony will buy the other half. It isn’t fair to the store,” he said. “Try it first,” Colgate replied. “You’ll see why I only want half of one.” Gold Watch levitated his half of the blueberry scone and took a bite. It was delicious, but incredibly sweet. Most scones he had tried had that dense texture as the most prominent note, but with this one, the sweetness was the first thing he noticed. It made him wonder how sweet the muffin would be. “And speaking of things you shouldn’t do, that’s a pretty big breakfast,” Colgate said. “I’m going to be on my hooves all day, exploring the town. I’ll be fine,” he said. “You were ‘on your hooves’ all day as a cop, and look where it got you,” she noted. Gold Watch laughed sharply. “More like having my rump planted in a chair, stuck behind my desk. I know you’re concerned about my girth, but I’m an adult, too. And I promise to work on it.” “I’m just concerned about you, Dad. I do want to reconnect, but I also want you to be healthy.” “We’ve got an hour left. Why don’t you show me around town? I have a mostly empty home that needs furnishing, and I need to know where to shop.” The two ponies rose, and Colgate led them down the street. “There are a lot of distinct businesses here. A lot of ponies sell a product or two, and live in the space behind their shop. Like that one, Quills and Sofas. That’s Mr. Davenport’s shop, and the place to go if you need quills or a sofa.” “Wait. The shop sells quills and sofas? And that’s all?” “I did tell you Ponyville was unique, Dad,” Colgate said. “There’s not a lot of organization here, and there’s nothing like the Canterlot zoning restrictions, so your best bet is to just walk around. Now that’s the farmer’s market.” Gold Watch nodded and surveyed the farmer’s market. Already, ponies were setting up carts, filled with foodstuffs and various hoofcrafted goods. The market lacked the organization of the ones in Canterlot; there were no posts subdividing the open space into stalls, for example. But the ponies here made it work. “I assume you have some paperwork. Town Hall is over there. It’s the tallest building in town, well, if you don’t count the water tower. So you should be able to find it easily,” Colgate said. “Thanks. I do have something to take care of there.” “Now, for the amount you probably need to buy for your house, I’ll recommend going to Barnyard Bargains. It’s the biggest building in down, at least by area, and it’s over by the train station,” Colgate said. Gold Watch nodded. He recognized the name of the store, but there wasn’t one in Canterlot. “Maybe they sell a coffee maker.” Colgate laughed. “Dad, my earliest memories are of you and Mom, at the kitchen table. You always had a coffee cup and the morning newspaper. It just wouldn’t be right for you to go without.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Now, I need to get to the office. Some ponies still need to work, you know.” There was one thing good about a small town, Gold Watch decided. There weren’t long lines at the government offices. In fact, he was the only pony in line. And as near as he could tell, all of the government functions happened in this one building. He saw two clerks, and an older mare talking to them. One of the clerks looked up. “Can I help you?” he asked. “Yes, I just moved here, and I have the normal paperwork to file.” “I can handle that,” the clerk said. He quickly scanned the papers, and then took a stamp in his mouth, marking them in the right places. “Welcome to Ponyville, Mr. Gold Watch.” “I’d also like to go ahead and pay my property taxes while I’m here.” That comment attracted the attention of the older mare. “You’re paying your taxes early?” she asked incredulously. “Why not? It will save me another trip next month,” Gold Watch stated. “I’m far more used to hearing excuses. ‘The check’s in the mail.’ ‘There must have been a mix-up at the post office.’ ‘A monster from the Everfree Forest destroyed my cart.’ Actually, the last one sometimes happens. I’m Mayor Mare, and I’d like to echo Red Tape and welcome you to Ponyville.” “A pleasure, Madame Mayor. I must say, I like this office better than the ones in Canterlot. I swear, half of the government offices exist to keep the nobles busy.” “You’re from Canterlot? We have a fair number of guard families living here. A much better place to raise a family, I’ve heard.” “Yes, I just retired from the Canterlot police department,” Gold Watch said. “Then you’re the first police officer in town. We just have an auxiliary guard post, which can serve as a jail. But rarely do we have anything worse than somepony needing to sleep off a night’s excess.” “I’m kind of surprised. I’ve seen smaller towns with police departments,” Gold Watch observed. “We’ve experienced a lot of growth recently,” Mayor Mare explained. “Even five years ago, Ponyville was a lot smaller. To be honest, we’re going to need to establish a police station here. But I’m having trouble selling it to the ponies in town. Nopony wants to see their taxes go up.” Mayor Mare cleared her throat. “Well, enough about that. Ever think about being chief?” Gold Watch laughed. “Sorry, ma’am, but I’m retired. But if there’s ever any trouble, I’ll help in any way I can.” “Most of our troubles come from the Everfree Forest. Ponyville encourages all its adult residents to learn how to deal with the most common threats. There’s a list of classes over there, if you’re interested.” The Everfree Forest was, for all Gold Watch’s life, just some abstraction. It was all strange monsters and magical dangers, the kind of things that the unicorns of Canterlot would never deign to let near their city. But now, as a citizen of Ponyville, these threats were real. And a lifetime of service to his fellow pony wasn’t going to end just because he was retired. “I think I’ll check it out. Thank you, Madame Mayor.” Gold Watch wandered the aisles of the massive behemoth known as Rich’s Barnyard Bargains. Shelves were filled with goods, and ponies examined the competing brands. He found his way to an aisle with kitchen utensils and appliances. They ranged from simple tools to magic-powered contraptions that promised to easily handle some task in the kitchen. Pots and pans. There was a box of pots and pans somewhere in his house. They had barely seen any use since Blue Opal passed away. Alone at home, it was always easier for him to pick up dinner from a diner or a street vendor. His brief tour of Ponyville indicated he would starve if he tried that. Learning to cook better was just one change he would have to make. Overall, Gold Watch was both impressed and unimpressed by what he saw on the shelves. The appliances and pots looked simple and functional. He knew a lot of unicorns in Canterlot who would never allow themselves to be seen with some basic serving platter or tea kettle. But the prices were cheap, and finding everything in one place was convenient. Or almost everything. He couldn’t find a coffeemaker. He turned to one of the store’s workers, easily identified by their blue vests. “Do you sell coffeemakers here?” Gold Watch asked. “We don’t,” the worker replied. “As I understand it, there’s not a lot of demand in Ponyville for coffee.” “That’s too bad,” Gold Watch said. “There’s a shop in town that sells coffee and tea, I think. I would recommend looking for it.” “Okay, thanks. Looks like I’ll need to make another stop this morning.” Gold Watch asked around town, finding somepony who could direct him to the tea and coffee shop. He found it in one of the home-shop combinations, next to a florist, a candy shop, and a shop that sold tools and pencils. As soon as he entered the shop, his nose was assaulted by many aromas, including one particularly heavenly scent. He followed his nose to one side of the shop, where baskets with roasted coffee beans were arranged. It might only be a small portion of the shop, but it was honest-to-Celestia coffee. “Good morning sir. Can I help you find something?” Gold Watch turned to face the shop owner, an older earth pony mare with a yellow coat and two-tone green mane. Her cutie mark was a leaf; given her shop, he guessed it was a tea leaf. “Yes. I just moved to town, and I apparently need to learn to make my own coffee.” “I thought you might be new to town. I’m Green Tea, and welcome to my shop.” “Gold Watch. Have you lived here long? Do you know why coffee isn’t popular here?” “I’ve lived here all my life,” Green Tea said. “Ponyville is an earth pony community, with all the stubbornness that implies. The town has always prided itself on being self-sufficient, and on top of that, it was pretty isolated, even being near Canterlot. It wasn’t until thirty years ago that the railroad arrived. “Coffee and tea both had to be carried to town by traders. The town’s founders made do with herbal tea, either from what they grew on their farms, or harvested from the Whitetail Wood. Pretty much every family had their own blend. “So, by the time coffee and traditional Canterlot tea came to town, there wasn’t a lot of interest. But I’ve been seeing a bit more interest as more ponies move here, especially those ponies who lived in Canterlot.” “I think you figured me out. I lived all my life in Canterlot. It’s hard to imagine not having tea and coffee every morning.” “Please take a look around. I have a variety of coffees and teas, plus I stock some of the local herbal tea blends, if you’re interested in trying them.” “I’m a coffee stallion,” Gold Watch said. “I’d like a recommendation on a roast, preferably a dark roast, and I’ll also need a coffeemaker.” “I’ll give you a sample of four of my coffees,” Green Tea said. “As for a coffeemaker, try this one. It’s powered by magic, so it doesn’t require using your stove. Do you need a coffee grinder too?” “Yeah, I guess I do,” he replied. “I gotta tell you, this was easier when somepony else made the coffee.” “Yes, but the first cup you make will taste that much better,” Green Tea said, packing up the coffeemaker, coffee grinder, and coffee beans. “If I don’t screw it up,” Gold Watch said. He took the package. “Thanks for your help,” he said. “Please come back anytime!” Green Tea responded. “Hey, did you notice something when you came in?” Colgate’s hygienist, Snow Glimmer, asked her. “No,” Colgate said. “What am I looking for?” “The last office got rented while you were in Canterlot!” “Really?” The office at the end of the hallway had been empty the entire time Colgate had had her office in the Ponyville Professional Building. “So who’s the new tenant? What profession?” “I’m not sure. I didn’t get a good look.” Colgate noted that she had ten minutes before her first patient arrived. “I’m going to introduce myself,” she said. "I’ll be right back.” Colgate trotted down the hallway, finding a unicorn stallion trying to direct a pair of burly earth pony movers. He looked tense, and winced every time the crates on their backs shifted. Knowing that her own dental equipment cost more than she made in three years, she understood his concern. “Now gently set them down in the interior room!” the stallion said. When he heard the crates being set down without the sound of something breaking, he exhaled loudly. “Good morning,” Colgate said. “Oh, hi,” the stallion said, turning to face her. He had a pale yellow coat and purple mane, with a cutie mark of a pair of eyeglasses, but Colgate’s attention was drawn to the extremely thick eyeglasses he wore. They made his eyes appear comically large. “I’m Sharp Eye, optometrist,” he said, extending his hoof. Colgate couldn’t help but chuckle on hearing his name. She stifled her laugh and shook hooves with the newcomer. “I’m Colgate. I have the dentist office down the hall.” “Nice to meet you.”‘ “Likewise, Sharp Eye,” Colgate replied, another chuckle escaping her mouth. “I get that a lot,” he said. He levitated his glasses off his eyes and rested them in his mane, behind his horn. “But my name actually fits.” Sharp Eye slowly walked down the hall until he reached a window. He stared out the window. “See that tall building?” Colgate walked up beside him and looked. “That’s town hall,” she said. “I see seven black birds on the roof,” he commented. Colgate squinted. She could barely see some black specks. “Three are ravens and four are crows,” Sharp Eye added. Colgate’s jaw dropped. Sharp Eye levitated his glasses back into place. “I’m farsighted. My distance vision is fine, excellent actually, but I can barely see my hoof in front of my face without my glasses.” “Oh. I just always thought that, you know, glasses were glasses.” “You’re probably familiar with reading glasses. Same principle, just less powerful. Actually, I don’t mind my awful vision. Most ponies who need glasses get them when they’re still foals, and I think having a doctor with glasses makes it easier for them to accept the change.” “I wish it was that easy to make foals like visiting the dentist,” Colgate mused. “Anyway, I better get to my first appointment.” “It was nice to meet you, Colgate,” Sharp Eye said. “Likewise,” she replied. “Well, that’s it for the day,” Colgate said to her hygienist. Her last patient for the day had paid and departed, so all that was left was to clean her equipment and close the office. She discarded her mask and washed her hooves. As she was drying them, the bell above her office door rang. “Somepony looking to make an appointment?” Snow Glimmer wondered. “Could you see who that is?” Colgate asked. A few moments later, Colgate heard Snow Glimmer call, “It’s for you.” She walked out of the office to see her visitor. “Oh, hi, Dad.” “I thought you might like to talk before dinner,” Gold Watch said. “We didn’t have much time over breakfast.” “Sure,” Colgate said. “Just give me a few minutes to put away my equipment.” Once she was finished, Colgate led her father to the park. There were plenty of ponies around, enjoying the fine summer afternoon. Colgate and Gold Watch took a seat on one of the benches. “Did you get everything you needed for your house?” Colgate asked. “I picked up some things from Barnyard Bargains, found a place that sells coffee, and got some food from the farmer’s market. I’m sure I’ll realize I forgot something as soon as I get home,” he replied. Colgate laughed. “Reminds me of setting up my home here.” Gold Watch quietly watched the ponies in the park. There were foals engaged in sports, families walking around, and the occasional older pony relaxing. As he watched the foals, he sighed. “Something bothering you, Dad?” Colgate asked. “It’s nothing,” he replied. “Dad, I see you watching the foals. I don’t want to hear any hints about grandfoals from you.” “It’s not that.” “Then you’re thinking back to your job,” Colgate said. Gold Watch simply shrugged. “Dad, you promised to talk about it. And I know this is bothering you. You never talked about your job with Mom. When you got together with your co-workers and their families, I saw the way the spouses carefully talked about everything but that.” Colgate paused. “I noticed you taking to your fellow cops when you thought nopony was listening. And now you don’t have that release. Please, if something’s still bothering you, talk to me. I’m not a filly. I understand that there are bad ponies in the world; I don’t need you to shelter me.” Gold Watch sighed. “Fine, you want to know what’s bothering me? It’s an unsolved case.” “Do you have many unsolved cases?” Colgate asked. “More than we’d like to admit. But not much bothers me after forty years on the force. If some bank robber took his ill-gotten gains and fled to some Celestia-forsaken island in the Mareibbean Sea, well then, I dare say Canterlot’s a better place for it.” “You’re not answering my question, Dad.” “The one crime I investigated and couldn’t solve, the only one that really bothers me, is the Las Pegasus murder and foalnapping.” “It sounds vaguely familiar,” Colgate said. “Tell me about it.” “One day, a young couple from San Caballo took a vacation to Las Pegasus, taking their year-old foal with them. They were reported missing three days after they were supposed to return. Their foal is missing and presumed foalnapped. The parents were... found.” “I take it that’s not a good thing.” Gold Watch nodded. “Las Pegasus is one of the largest pegasus cities, but it’s built a reputation as a city welcoming of all ponies. Some areas of Las Pegasus—the Strip, downtown, the military base—are enchanted so that the clouds are solid to anypony, even without a cloudwalking spell. But it’s still a requirement that everypony visiting receive a spell, just in case. “We searched for the missing ponies, but we didn’t start soon enough. We didn’t find them in time. The parents had been killed and then buried in the clouds at the edge of town, normal pegasus surface clouds. When the cloudwalking spell wore off... well, even the most hardened cop couldn’t keep his lunch down when he saw the resulting crime scene.” Colgate blanched. “That doesn’t sound pleasant.” “You asked, kiddo.” “I asked because I care about you, Dad. If it’s still bothering you, you know, there’s a psychologist working in my building.” “The department had a shrink on staff. I never needed to talk to her. What’s bothering me is more along the line of, what did I miss?” “You investigated a crime in Las Pegasus?” Colgate wondered. “Detectives from across Equestria got involved. It was that serious a crime. But there was almost nothing to investigate. If I were planning a crime like that, there’s no better place than Las Pegasus. There are so many visitors, an unfamiliar pony is hardly an unusual sight. And then concealing the bodies so they’d fall? It destroyed any physical evidence.” Gold Watch sighed. Colgate sat quietly, watching the ponies in the park. “Maybe you do need to talk to somepony,” she finally said. “I already explained-” “You were reminded of the crime by seeing these foals, right?” Colgate observed. Gold Watch nodded slowly, a tacit admission that his daughter was onto something. “You missed your calling, Colgate. You would have made a fine detective.” Colgate chuckled. “I’m happy with my job, Dad.” “That’s good. Look, I’ll think about it. That’s all I’ll promise. As for now, I’m getting hungry. Would you care to come and make sure some old stallion doesn’t burn down his new kitchen?” “I’d be glad to, Dad.”