A soft snore echoed through the mostly empty train cart. A few scattered ponies sat in the cart, minding their own business. Although a few of them shifted their attention to the sound of the snoring. They did not like it; the unicorn had been snoring for two hours straight. The pony, on the other hoof, slept peacefully on the train. He was a rather small pony, managing to lay across the sea with ease. Only his hind hoofs stuck out in the isle, letting every other pony know where to turn their agitated glances. The pony's mane was far from short, but not long, and messy. His skin was a light grey, contrasting his multi-blue colored mane and tail. Soon after, one of the train attendants approached, suspicious. A few of the ponies on the train nodded, glad to see the snorer to be getting taken away. The attendant stopped at the seat, looking at the grey pony. However, he had not realized, the upon his approached, the snoring stopped. "Sir-" the attendant began to say.
"Oh! Have we arrived already?" asked the pony, a green paperpony's-cap on his face. The pony sat up, his hat sliding into place on his head. The attendant looked taken back for a moment. He could not help wondering if the pony had been fake sleeping. "Canterlot! I've been dying to see this town," the pony continued excitedly. " With the gala coming up no less!"
"Sir!" the attendant said, a little roughly trying to get the pony's attention.
"Oi! No need to shout, I'm right here," the grey-pony muttered. The attendant’s eyes seemed to flare for a moment. He was not used to dealing with riders who acted this strangely.
"Pardon my rudeness, sir. However, I need to see your ticket." The attendant spoke clearly, just wanting to throw the pony off the train. He was far more used to dealing with rich ponies who obviously had their tickets.
"My what?"
"Your ticket," the attendant repeated, a little more rudely.
"Why?"
"To check if you can ride the train, sir."
The grey-pony stared confused at him now. "Why would I be unable to ride?" The pony began to look around frantically. "Have I suddenly faded from existence?" The grey-pony got closer to the attendant," have I died?" The attendant found his hoof instinctively going to his face. He was not paid to put up with ponies like this. He was paid to kiss up to rich ponies.
"No. Sir," he said firmly. "You are still alive." The grey-pony relaxed visibly.
"Then why would I not be able to ride?" the grey-pony asked with a quizzical look. The attendant closed his eyes tightly for a moment, calming himself down.
"You CAN, sir. However, I need to know it you have PERMISSION to ride," the attendant said, visibly calming at a slow pace.
"Then why didn't you ask for my train-ticket?" the grey-pony asked confused, pulling a slip of paper from his hat.
"I did, sir."
"Did what?"
"Asked for it"
"For what?"
"Your ticket!" the attendant yelled at the grey-pony, attracting the attention of the other train-riders, getting a few nasty looks. "Sorry," he said to the other ponies. The grey-pony handed the attendant his paper.
"Here you go, but I recommend some anger management," the grey-pony said. The attendant examined the ticket, it coated in (something), making it impossible to read, only the word "Ticket" legible.
"Mind if I go check it's legitimacy, sir?" the attendant asked, expecting it to be fake or old.
"Of course, take your time," the grey-pony said with a bright smile at the attendant. As the attendant walked away, taking the ticket with him, the train began to slow down. The unicorn adjusted the hat on his head, the hat falling over his right eye. The train soon came to a complete stop. The attendant felt like he had won, a bit of pep in his step.
"Sit, I have a fake ticket here," the attendant said as he gave the ticket to an older pegasus. The pegasus pulled a handkerchief from his uniform, cleaning off the ticket.
This ticket is legitimate," the pegasus said, confusing the attendant. "It reads 'Raffle Ticket: Win a year's supply of free cabbages' Not a bad prize," the old pegasus said with a chuckle.
The unicorn stepped off the rain, a feint telling coming from inside. He walked through the train station, having to go up a series of stairs. He emerged, being greeted by the bright light that was Canterlot City. It was true that the city held its own glow, its own shine. The city itself was a rather beautiful one, it was designed by some of the best minds in all of the lands. Even some from lands that few ponies had heard of. However, it was still just a city, as far as the unicorn could tell. So he followed the crowd at first, wanting to see where most ponies went in the town. He would almost have blended in with them had his bright green eyes not seemed to cut through the crowd. It felt like everywhere he looked, somepony was able to see his eyes, but he wrote it off as being his imagination. He let his imagination wander as he roamed the streets, not seeming to be bothered by anypony. So lost in his thoughts was he, that he soon bumped into another pony. The small earthpony let out a soft cry of surprise as he dropped some boxes onto the ground, the pony obviously delivering them. " Sorry about that," the unicorn said, not stopping to check on the pony, too focused on getting to somewhere fun.
"Stupid rich folk and their hijinx." muttered the stallion as he stopped to gather up the boxes that he had dropped. He made sure he had them all back together before he resumed walking down the street. The earthpony was a normal sized earthpony, a little on the slim side, but not thin. His eyes were a feint blue color, deep, and looking troubled. He knew he was already a little late on his delivery, but bumping into somepony had only made it worse. Still, he kept his chin up and continued making his way to the shop in question. His tawny skin seemed to dull as a rouge cloud passed over him, making him look at the more down-trodden. The tawny-stallion made his way into a shop along the side of the street, the sign above the door reading " Michael's Miscellaneous ". The tawny-stallion moved over to the store counter, setting the boxes down next to the register. He rang a small bell at the counter, hoping a worker to respond quickly. He took the moment to examine the wears of the shop. He had been in the shop many times, almost twice a week if he could help it, whether for work or for leisure. However, now was a work time, and he knew he was late.
"Hello String, here with the usual delivery?" asked a smiling earthpony as she appeared from a room behind the counter. String blushed softly upon seeing the beautiful mare, the girl he came to see, when he got the chance. He took a moment to take in her appearance. Her usually flowing orange-mane was tied into a ponytail. Her purple eyes were glowing brightly as she looked at him. Her skin was a pale pink, smooth and almost gleaming in the bright light of the store.
"Sure am Twirl," String said, deciding not to reveal to her that he was late again.
"Well Max is in the back, just go on ahead," Twirl said, her smile still managing to melt right through String's heart. He nodded and went around the counter, bringing the boxes with him into the back of the store. He looked around slowly before spying the rather large pegasus at the back. He approached the stallion, clearing his throat to alert of his presence.
"Ah, Mr. String, late as always," the pegasus muttered, standing in front of a design table. He turned to look at String, his face disappointed. " I'm paying for that, it was supposed to be here two hours ago, I nearly missed an order." String's face fell within seconds, but he noded, understanding the situation. He set the boxes down, not able to hide his disappointment at the moment.
" Sorry about this Max, "String said to the pegasus, who in turn sighed. His old classmate took the boxes, walking along the shelves and putting them in their appropriate places.
" I know String, but you also have to realize I don't do this to be cruel," he stated as he made sure the supplies got into their appropriate slots. " I just don't understand why you are always so late; even back in school you were always late. " String said nothing, but noded to show that he understood what the pegasus was saying. Max in turn sighed and pulled out a small bag of bits, giving it to string. " I'll pay half, but String, you've got to improve," Max said.
" I know Max, thanks," String said to Max. He always admired that about Max, Max always found a way to balance being kind and being responsible so well. String then turned and left, heading back into the front of the store.
"Thanks for the delivery String. I hope to see you tomorrow night," Twirl said to him, waving at him as he headed out the store. String in turn blushed, and smiled a little, not wanting Twirl to see him disappointed. He then left, heading back down the street. Now all he had to do was go back to his boss and tell him that he had failed again.
" String, that is the third time this month," a stern looking unicorn stated, growling a little. String could only nod and shuffle his hoofs underneath the gaze of his boss. The unicorn paced around his desk for a moment, shaking his head a little. " Now String, we can't be a good delivery company if you aren't on time with your deliveries," the unicorn said, going through the usual routine. String could only respond by nodding his head, more to show that he was listening to the unicorn. " You do excellent work, you do, but you aren't on time," the unicorn said, making sure that the problem area was not being confused. " String, go home for the day, take some time to figure this out," the unicorn said to String, releasing him for the day.
" B-But sir-," String tried to say, worried about being fired.
"No String, I've already got to pull the other half of that shipment from your paycheck," there unicorn said, cutting him off. " I don't want to risk having to pull more. No go home for the day." String could only nod, knowing better than to try to argue the point any further. String walked out of his boss’ office, walking through the factory room. String worked for a business that specialized in connecting producers to producers, as well as producers to shops. They often would get shipments in and them deliver them directly to the different shops around the city. They weren't mail-ponies because they were open most hours of the day, just had multiple shifts. String was part of the mid-day shift. So he often got to come in later than the morning shift, and still leave before the night began. Unfortunately this prevented him from going to see Twirl on her lunch break. Now, String had the rest of the day to do whatever he needed, walking out into he bright sun that seemed to shine directly on Canterlot.
String began to walk through the town, his eyes seeming almost glued to the ground as he walked. He walked towards the more hyped up side of Canterlot. This was where the ponies who came into town for the parties would go to. Despite that, the area was still relatively calm, but it still held the better bars of the town. Although String did not drink much, occasionally he would stop in for the more relaxed atmosphere. He approached his favorite bar, "The Wet Whistle" a bar that always had drinks and always had a live band. He went up to the counter, waving the bar tender over. " I'll just take a cider," String said to the bar tender, who in turn noded and went to prepare the drink.
"Another round of ale over here!" said a loud voiced unicorn. The grey-skinned unicorn set his hat down on the counter, smiling brightly a glass in his hoof. He did not seem drunk, but he defiantly seemed hyper and worked up. String chose to ignore the unicorn for the moment, just waiting for his cider. After a minute, a glass was placed down before him, nodding thanks to the bar tender, giving him the money for his drink. A slight flash of blue light shined for a moment, but string paid it no mind. " Oi! This isn't ale," the unicorn muttered, before his attention locked onto String's glass. He moved swiftly, almost too fast for String's eyes to follow, and took String's glass, downing it in one gulp. " Yep, you got me drink," the unicorn said nodding, setting down the other glass, the one with the already tasted cider, in front of him.
"Sorry about that, sir," String said to the unicorn, hoping to just get to relax.
" Oh its fine, it just means you’re paying for my drinks," the unicorn said with a smirk.
"Wait! What?! " String asked, taken back by the unicorn's forwardness.
" You heard me bar tender, this kind gentle colt has agreed to make it up to my by paying for my drinks," the unicorn said before String could manage to protest. The bar tender shrugged a little, his attitude making it clear that he didn't care who paid, as long as the drinks were paid for. String stared, sighing and shaking his head at the unicorn, pulling a single coin out.
"I don't have enough to pay," String said to the unicorn, feeling like he had won for a moment. At this statement the unicorn's face fell a little, almost an "uh oh" kind of look.
" If you don't have enough to pay, then you have to work in the kitchens," the bartender said, sounding like he was used to this sort of thing by now. String tried to protest, but before he could
get a word out, a couple or buff earthponies approached.
"We'll show you to the kitchens," said one of the two ponies. The unicorn noded his head slowly, his hat tipping over his right eyes as he did so.
"Come along new friend, we must work off our debts," the unicorn said to String, standing to walk along behind the two eathponies. String could not believe that he was being dragged along into this mess. He silently wished for the day to be over once more, walking into the kitchens.
"Alright, start washing dishes, we will come get you when you're debt is paid," said the other earthpony, leaving the two stallions alone with a mountain of dishes to wash. The unicorn adjusted his hat back out of his eye, grinning. He used his magic to levitate a plate and a sponge, beginning to wash some dishes.
"I guess we better get started then," the unicorn said to string. " I'll wash, you dry," he said as he floated a washed plate over to String. String simply stared at the unicorn for a long hard moment, the unicorn simply going about washing the dishes. However, in the end String took the plate and began to dry it.
"How in Celestia's name can one day go so badly?" String asked, more thinking out loud than anything else.
"Oh cheer up, washing dishes isn't soo bad," the unicorn said, his expression never seeming to falter. String said nothing in response for a moment, simply continuing to dry the dishes with a rag as they were passed to him.
"It's not really the dishes, its my job," String stated, feeling a little relived about just having somepony to talk to. Although a part of him did wonder why he was being so honest to a strangepony who had just gotten him in trouble.
"Your job? What's the matter with it?" the unicorn asked curiously, peeking at String out of the corned of his eye. He continued to wash the dishes though, the light blue glow of his magic surrounding the sponge. String paused for a moment, looking at the plat he was holding, staring into it seeing his reflection in it. He looked at himself for a long hard moment, before putting the plate to the side, taking the next.
"With my job? Nothing, my job is perfect for me. I get great hours, great pay, and even during work I get to see the girl of my dreams," String said, smiling sadly for a moment. "However, I'm the problem." To this, the unicorn nodded, thinking for a moment as he washed a glass, making sure that it was shining as he did so. "I keep ending up late to work, and its getting me in trouble," String said, setting the next dish aside in the neat stack he was making.
"Why do you keep ending up late?" the unicorn asked thoughtfully for a moment. " Are you distracted by all the lights like I was?" he asked, sounding like the lights of the town actually did manage to slow him down.
"You get distracted by the lights?" String asked, smiling a little, chuckling into his throat for a moment. To this the unicorn nodded his head, beaming a little, almost seeming proud.
"Of course I do, this city is amazing," the unicorn said, stating it matter-of-factly. The unicorn smirked, setting down the dirty dish he had. " What do you say we sneak out of here?" the unicorn asked, turning his head to the window across the room.
"What? But they will come after us," String protested, worried about getting caught. To this, the unicorn snickered for a moment, walking over to the window and unlocking it.
"Oh come on, you said you're having a bad day," the unicorn said, "So then do something fun and dangerous to cheer up." The unicorn began to slide out the window, turning to look at String, holding out a hoof to him.
"What do we do when they realize we're gone?" String asked as he approached the strange unicorn. He watched the unicorn for a long moment, looking at his eyes. The unicorn's eyes were a bright green, feline in shape, and they seemed to be filled with a fire of life. The unicorn's expression seemed to display so much excitement, but so much determination as well. String walked over, taking the unicorn's hoof.
"Run," the unicorn said as he yanked String out the window, String's hind-hoof kicking over a plate, the plate crashing on the floor with a loud crack. The two stallions stared back inside the window, seeing the two buff eathponies from before bolting into the room. The unicorn smirked all the more when he saw the two earthponies looking at them. He yanked String along for a moment before they both began to run. They were currently in a series of connected alleyways of the large block. "Just follow me, I can get us out of here," the unciron said with a smirk, almost seeming like he had memorized the path as he bolted around corner to corner, never once seeming to be lost. After a few minutes of running, they had made it two blocks away from the bar, but the earthponies were not far behind them.
"There is where I admit I'm lost, and I don't know where to hide," the unicorn said to String, whom was panting a little from all the running they had done. String took a moment to look at the street where they were at, his job allowing him to have most of the city memorized.
"This way!" String said, leading the unicorn along passing into another set of alleyways before they reached a more suburb looking area. They ran through the alleyway until they were behind a decent sized home. String ran to the backdoor of the house, opening it and rnning inside, closing the door behind the unicorn.
"Breaking and entering, I didn't think you had it in you," the unicorn said, almost sounding impressed for a moment. To this String just rolled his eyes, pressing his ear against the door for a moment, listening as the two earthponies stomped on by, not even bothering to check any of the houses. String let out a heavy sigh, relaxing now, walking through the room and into what appeared to be a living room.
"It would be hard to break and enter into my own home." String said to the unicorn as he sat down on a chair in the living room.
"Not if you used the right rock," the unicorn responded as he looked around the house for a moment. The house was a modern style home, matching the dezign of the city around it, white walls with a few stripes of gold, and a brown carpeted floor. The living room was large, a coffe table in the center, with two couches one on a side and the other at an end, leaving an empty space which held the window, giving a good view of the front yard.
String simply shook his head at the unicorn's comment, deciding to ignore the madpony. He looked out the front window for a moment, the sun starting to set.
"So, what should I call you new friend?" the unicorn asked as he plopped down onto the other couch, laying back and looking at String.
"My name is String," he responded to the unicorn, not thinking of asking for a name in return, simply staring at the sunset. "She's probably on her way home by now," he thought aloud. The unicorn stared at him curiously before remembering that he had mentioned the specialpony. He took a moment to look around the room, finding himself wondering if anypony lived with him or if he lived alone.
"What's your poison then?" the unicorn asked String, moving over next to him at the window. String found himself staring at the unicorn, processing everything that he had just been through. He could not fathom why he trusted this unicorn. To him this was simply some madpony whom he had yet to kick out of his house. However, to him, it was somepony to talk to, so he did not complain. " Your interest in this mare I mean, why?" To this String could find a million and one answers to supply the unicorn with, but decided to start out slow.
"She is brilliant," String said to the unicorn, " she is beautiful." He could remember back to the first time he had met Twirl, his first time bumping into her. He had started out as he often did, by stammering and apologizing. He had initially expected the mare to be angry with him, but she seemed only happy and forgiving. They had stopped to chat for a few minutes, being the day of his first late delivery. However, his meetings with her did not end there.
"The way she moves," String continued, thinking back on days past. " The way her body flows with the music, flawless." String had done a delivery to one of Canterlot's many dance studious, where he saw her in the act. Twirl's movements matched the music down to the very last note, her movements flowed together well, even beyond what would ever be expected of "just some earthpony". Sometimes it was hard to tell that she was even a pony with how well she seemed to move with the music. A few ponies had even made jokes saying that she was literally made of music notes.
A loud thwang sound brought String out of his nostalgia, turning to the source of the sound. The unicorn was using his horn to levitate String's violin, testing one of the strings. " Its a little tight," the unicorn said with a soft nod, beginning to adjust the string on the violin.
"Don't play with that," String said swiftly, going over and taking his violin away from the unicorn. He clutched it to him, inspecting it to ensure that the unicorn had not done any damage to the instrument. " Its delicate, you could hurt it." To this the unicorn rolled his eyes at String.
"Oh it's fine, I know how to play," the unicorn said, holding out a hoof to String, requesting this time. To which String found himself hesitating greatly, but slowly passed the violin over to the grey skinned unicorn. The unicorn nodded in thanks as he took the violin, taking the proper stance for holding it.
"Just be careful," String said, which brought a small smirk to the unicorn's lips. The smirk, so odd, touching his eyes and seeming to make them glow brighter. However, his cap fell over his eyes, blocking them from view as he began to play. The violin began to let out as soft tune, one that was slow and calming. It took String a moment to recognize the song, but in time he found himself pinpointing the song. "Beethoofen, Fur Elise," String said aloud as he listened to the unicorn play. The unicorn soon came to a stop, doing a slight bow, almost too well, from muscle memory.
"Well, you certainly can play," String said with a nod at the unicorn, "Where did you learn?" The unicorn seemed to shrug off the question at first, almost uninterested.
"Oh, you know, one of those snooty Manehatten school's of the arts," the unicorn said as he passed the violin back to the earthpony.
"Well, at least one of us can play well," String said, sounding disappointed, simply setting the violin back down.
"Is it for that mare?" the unicorn asked String as he moved his hat back out of his eyes.
"Yes- I mean what? No, I'm just not good," String said, not liking how the unicorn seemed to already know what he was planning. " I'm just no good, every time I try to compose something, it comes out wrong," he said. String’s eyes seemed a little zoned out as he allowed his thoughts to roam back to the mare of his dreams. His mind raced with visions of standing on a stage with a hundred ponies watching, and yet the spotlight is right on her. Twirl’s eyes seemed to light up as she listened to his song, clearly enjoying it. It wasn’t until he heard the soft sound of gentle tapping that he came back out of his day dreaming. He looked before him to see the unicorn tapping his hoof. He could not imagine what the reason was, until the unicorn looked surprised.
“Aw, why did you have to stop, it was a lovely tune,” the unicorn said to String. String felt a small blush touch at his cheeks as he realized that in his day dreaming, he had actually started playing. With a bit of a huff, he set the violin back down where it had been before.
“Enough of you and your hijinx,” String said to the unicorn, just wanting to change the subject. “I don’t know who you are, and at this point, I’m not even sure you’re a normal pony,” he continued as he gave the unicorn a look up and down his body. The unicorn appeared normal enough, plenty of ponies had manes that were blue, and plenty had manes that were multicolored. Quite frankly, the only odd thing about the unicorn was his feline eyes that seemed to stare almost through him. “However, my mother always raised me to never turn away a pony in need. So if you need a place to stay, I’ve got a spare room.” To this, the unicorn’s eyes seemed to brighten, inciting a nod from the unicorn.
“Of course, you won’t even notice that I’m here,” the unicorn said with a tip of his cap.
“No, no, no!” String said for the third time in the last hour.
“Hey! I can do it. I’m doing just fine.” The unicorn responded.
“Just fine?! It’s not supposed to be red like that.”
“So I branched out of the recipe a little, so sue me.”
“A little? How do you branch out of the recipe with violet and lettuce sandwiches?!” String asked, pacing around the kitchen as he watched the unicorn try to make them dinner. He had not thought much of it when the unicorn had offered to cook them dinner. He figured that the unicorn would make them something simple that could be done quickly. However, the cooking process had somehow managed to take a whole hour. More than once during that hour, String had stopped the unicorn, trying to correct him. However, every time, the unicorn had merely given him the same response.
“I’m not going to burn your house down. I promise it will be fine,” the unicorn said once again as he began to use his magic to toss ingredients into the air. Poor String was only able to watch as violet petals and lettuce leafs levitated over head being chopped up and ground up. He was almost certain he had seen some other ingredients in the middle; ones that had no business in a sandwich as far as he could tell. However, before he could open his mouth to protest again, he found a plate nearly shoved right into his mouth. The plate levitated in front of his mouth, holding two sandwiches, neither of which he trusted. “Well, try it,” the unicorn insisted as he set his own plate down on the dining table.
“Alright, fine,” String said as he took the plate, the unicorn’s magic being released from it as he sat down at the table with it. The unicorn watched String, a bright smile on his face as String picked up a sandwich. String rolled his eyes a little, deciding the worst it could do would be make him sick. He took a bit of the sandwich, finding both a crunch and a small paste landing on his tongue as he began to chew. He found the flavor to be quite simple, yet the paste added a special mix that he had not expected; a bit of a kick. “Its, not bad,” String said with a small smile and a nod. To this the unicorn let out a sigh of relief, wiping his forehead a little as he did so.
“Oh thank Celestia, I was almost certain that I had messed up the recipe.” The unicorn said. He picked up one of his own sandwiches, taking a large bite out of it as well. He chewed it slowly, wanting to make sure that he had indeed not messed up the recipe. String watched as the unicorn’s face seemed to go through a vary of emotional reactions to the food. He could not help but be amused by the faces he saw, except for one that caught his attention. One particular face looked focused, but in a negative sense. However, almost as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone. String did not even get a chance to examine it. “Well, I think I did alright. We’ll know for sure if one of us doesn’t wake up in the morning,” the unicorn said with a chuckle.
“Right,” String responded as he continued eating his food, trying not to think about the idea that he had placed his trust poorly. The two stallions sat there for a good few minutes, silently eating. String was not sure how to speak to the unicorn, not knowing his name made it difficult. “I’m sure I should have asked this earlier, and it’s rude of me to have forgotten to do so.” He began to say, mostly wanting to end the silence. “But, what is your name?” String asked the unicorn with a curious glance.
A silence worse than the one before filled the room for a moment as String waited to hear the unicorn’s response. The unicorn’s face seemed almost frozen as he finished chewing the bit he had in his mouth. His cap fell in front of his eyes, hiding them from view for a moment as the unicorn opened his mouth. “I don’t have one.” The unicorn responded to him for a moment, baffling String.
“Don’t have a name? Surely you’re joking, everypony has a name.” String responded. The unicorn shrugged his shoulders for a moment, acting nonchalant about his answer.
“Not me.” The unicorn answered, before a smirk spread across his cheeks, lifting his cap from his eyes. String viewed those same piercing green eyes, shining, but the glow was different from before. “ ‘Fraid I’m just a few hoofs short of being a regular pony,” he continued with a chuckle, clearly joking.
“Oh, you and your hijinx. Do you act like this everywhere you go?” String asked the unicorn, rolling his eyes a little. It was odd; he couldn’t understand it in the least. For some reason, he was letting the unicorn get away with that answer. He chalked it up as just being something about the unicorn’s smile that made him trust the unicorn.
“Only to the ponies that I like, you should see what I did to some bullies up at Neighagra Falls,” the unicorn said with a smile and a laugh, remembering the day.
“Neighagra Falls?” String asked “I would love to go see them some day.”
“Well why don’t you?”
“Huh?” String asked, looking baffled and surprised by the question.
“Why don’t you go see them?”
“Oh, well, I just never have the time. Work, friends, family. You know, responsibilities.” String said with a small smile. He thought about marrying Twirl and being able to have a better job. He imagined being able to take her to wherever she wanted to go in the world. As he let his mind race with simple visions of a happy life with the mare of his dreams, another silence filled the air. As String slowly recognized the silence, he looked to see the unicorn. The unicorn’s cap covered his eyes once more, a small smile on his face.
“I suppose you’re right,” the unicorn responded, before tossing his cap into the air with a smirk. String watched the cap as it flew up, able to see the unicorn’s messy hair and his horn. The horn had a clean and neat spiral to it, a sign of strong magic. “But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t plan on it anyway.” He continued as his cap landed back on his head. “Trust me, if you ever get the chance, you should definitely go and explore the world a little.” The unicorn said with a bright smile, his eyes glowing as well. To this, String did not really have a response. However, he nodded his head all the same.
“Now, I’m going to go get cleaned up and get ready for bed.” String said to his new unicorn friend. He stood from the table, heading upstairs. His house was not a large one; it was actually quite simple for a Canterlot home. He knew it would not take him long to prepare for bed. He thought back to what the next day would hold, knowing that he was going to have an extremely busy day the next day. Still, he took as long as he could with his bath, wanting to relax and recover from the interesting day.
Once String finished his bath, he walked downstairs, drying his hair as he went. “You can go get cleaned up now,” he said as he looked around the first floor. However, the unicorn was already passed out on the couch, cap over his face. String looked at the sleeping stallion, wondering how it was that was a stallion could even get anything done. He couldn’t even understand the unicorn; much less imagine what his childhood had been like. He threw a blanket over the unicorn, letting him sleep. He watched as the unicorn took the blanket, and curled up in it. For a moment, he got a small peek at the unicorn’s face, seeing one of worry. However, the moment was so short; he assumed it only to be his imagination. He left the unicorn to sleep, heading upstairs to his own bedroom.
String gasped as he woke, the sound of his alarm clock jarring him awake. He was sweating a little, his dream having terrified him. It had been the same dream that had been plaguing him ever since he heard the prep for the Gala was starting. He was up on stage, violin in grasp, beginning to play. At first, his music began to flow smoothly and flawlessly, a beautiful symphony. Thousands of ponies were watching him, including Twirl. However, shortly after one of the strings on his violin broke and his music became terrible. At least that was the way the dream usually went, and this time it had not been much different. Ponies began to laugh, some began to boo. It was terrible, a dream that he had quite regularly. It seemed that this one going to be another night of it. That is, until out of nowhere, the lights began to fade, a spotlight appearing to his left. He turned, surprised to see the strange unicorn standing in the spotlight with his own violin. String watched as the unicorn began to continue the song where he had left off. The unicorn teleported a new violin in front of String; giving it to him. As String held the violin, hearing the cheering of the crowd, he looked to see Twirl in the audience, looking directly at him. He readied to play, until he woke. With a shake of his head, he stood slowly. A part of him wondered why his dream had suddenly changed. However, he knew he did not have long to waste. So he quickly got himself ready for the day. Knowing he needed to get to work on time that day. As he went downstairs, he called out to the unicorn. “I won’t be staying long, feel free to make yourself at home while I’m gone,” he said as he reached the couch. Instead of a unicorn, he found the blanket, folded, with a not on top of it. The note read: “Off to explore the library, be back later.” String blinked, wondering why the unicorn wanted to head out to the library so early in the morning. He paid it little mind though, knowing he needed to get to work. So he dashed out the front door, running down the street to work.
For once in a long time, String was on time to work that day, something that his employer was very happy to see. The deliveries were all over Canterlot, going from one store to the next. Some quite a number of the orders actually required him to deliver supplies for the Gala off near the castle. This was definitely an opportunity that he did not get often. However, he knew better than to slow down to admire this. He would have time to reflect on it later. To his relive, none of his deliveries required him to go see Twirl. He knew that if he had to see her today, he would find it hard to complete the rest of his deliveries. He also had a few deliveries that were for the ‘Poor Pony’s Gala’. This was a much smaller version of the Grand Galloping Gala, except it was hosted by and for the less fortunate side of Canterlot. After all, not everypony could get an invitation to the Grand Galloping Gala. Those who were not right or famous enough to get into the Grand Gala, could go to the Poor Pony’s Gala for free. String had already made plans on going. However, after his recent failures with his music, he decided that it was probably best if he did not go. He shook his head a little, reminding himself to stay focused on his work as he continued making his deliveries. Soon though, the sun began to get low in the sky, and the delivery requests began to slow down. Most businesses were shutting down to go to one of the two galas. “Excellent work today String, I’m glad to see that time alone was able to help you get your head clear,” his manager said to him. “Now, go on, go enjoy the night. The whole town is going to be a party.” His manager nodded to show that he meant what he said, preparing to lock their doors for the day. To String, it had felt like the day had passed without him even realizing that he had ever gotten out of bed. With a small frown on his face, he began to walk back towards his house, the sun seeming to only dip lower and lower in the sky.
It felt like the weight of the entire city was upon his shoulders as String slowly pushed open his door. He could hear the shouts and cheers that echoed throughout the city, a few fireworks going off in the distance. He turned to walk into his living room, a light blinding him for a moment. As the light faded, String found himself staring at the strange unicorn whom he had invited into his home. The unicorn’s hair looked nice and neat, still wearing his usual cap. He wore a simple blue bow-tie with a white collar to it, as well as a set of white cuffs with metal cufflinks; the source of the light. “Hey grumpy face. What took ya’ so long? If you aren’t careful we’re going to be late to the Gala.” The unicorn said to him, a smirk spreading across his cheeks as if he knew some secret or such.
“I’m not going.” String stated simply, walking past the unicorn. He went to the couch, laying down on it with a huff.
“Not going? Preposterous. The Gala comes only once a year. We are going.” The unicorn walked over to look at him, seeing the sad look in his eyes.
“I don’t care. I failed. I couldn’t compose a single song. And now it’s too late, by now the doors will be getting shut.” The unicorn watched him for a long silent moment, looking over at the violin a little, before back at String.
“Now what’s this attitude all about?” the unicorn asked him. “Get up. We’ve got to get there as fast as we can.”
“No. Don’t you get it? I’m not good enough for the Gala. I’m not good enough for her.” String said, his eyes slowly closing. There was a long silence after that, the only sound that could be heard was the sound of the unicorn’s breathing and the tick of the clock.
“Fine. I’lll go see Neighagra falls by myself.” The unicorn responded.
“What in Celestia’s name are you talking about?” String opened his eyes, looking up at the mad unicorn. He wanted to glare at him, and tell him to buzz off. However, he found himself not looking at some simple unicorn. He looked up to see the smirk of a pony who clearly wasn’t going to give up. “Are you completely mad?”
“No, I’m stoked. Now. Get up and cmon, we’ve got to get a move on if we want to get there on time.” The unicorn turned and headed for the front door, not even bothering to check if String would follow him.
“Why are you doing this?” The unicorn paused for a moment, silent for just a moment. However, he turned to smirk at String, one that he was sure he would not soon forget.
“Because you wanted to visit Neighagra falls.”
The two stallions ran down the street, String struggling to get his tuxedo on properly as they ran. They had left String’s house four minutes ago, running across town, the stars already high in the sky. They had dodged around a few buildings, nearly run into a few ponies walking down the roads. However, they were making it quite a good distance. “We are not going to make it,” String said simply, trying to convince the unicorn that his determination was for nothing. However, the unicorn ignored him, continuing to run down the road. The Poor Pony’s Gala was held in a large gymnasium that was used for a variety of events. Some events being sports, award ceremonies, as well as simple parties for those who paid the right amount of money. Once a year though, it was reserved and donated to be used for the Poor Pony’s Gala. It was the community’s way of making even the more poor side of Canterlot got to celebrate as well. It was on the edge of town so that they party goers could see the fireworks display for the Grand Galloping Gala. This way they would not have to disturb the Grand Gala. However, this also made it so that String and the unicorn had to run a long way to make it there. “Look, the doors are already shut!” String said to the unicorn as they approached the large building.
“We’re gonna make it, don’t worry,” the unicorn said as they made it to the front doors. With a smirk at String, he tried to open the front doors, finding that they would not budge in the least. “Well, that’s going to be a problem, let’s go around the back.” The unicorn said. String opened his mouth to protest, but before he could, the unicorn had already run around the corner. With a heavy sigh, String followed the unicorn, already wanting to kill him for even making him get dressed in the stupid suit. By the time he reached the unicorn, he found him fiddling with a lock on the outside of the door.
“See, we might as well head home right now,” String said, with a heavy sigh, his face once more falling.
“Hey String. Wanna see something unicorn’s can do?” String turned to look at the unicorn, expecting it to be something with his cap. However, he found the unicorn had removed his cap, once more giving String a chance to examine his horn. The unicorn’s horn began to glow with a light blue color, one that seemed to match his hair. The magic light soon began to grow, turning into a small sphere that surrounded his horn.
“What are you doi-“ The unicorn shot the small ball of magic at the lock, the lock exploding with a crackling sound, one that wasn’t too loud thankfully. “THAT is breaking and entering. We will get in so much trouble for this.” String said to him. The unicorn ignored him however, merely turning to smirk at him more. String found himself merely staring at the unicorn, a part of him completely baffled. There was something inside this unicorn, something that String could not explain. Something about that smirk that he had, it confused him and bewildered him.
“So, gonna just keep staring or gonna come in?” the unicorn asked, holding the door open for him.
“You and your hijinx are going to get us thrown in jail at this rate.” String walked inside with the unicorn, fixing his suit and hair as he did so, making sure that he looked nice and neat. He looked to the unicorn, watching as he closed the door back. They found themselves backstage, the room dark, scattered props lying around, able to see the curtains that stood between them and the dance itself. The unicorn began to walk forward briskly, not worrying about being caught. However, String watched as a figure came around the corner, bumping into the speedy unicorn. A small squeal was heard as the filly fell backward, bumping her head into a lead pipe, falling unconcious.
“Whoops,” the unicorn said, looking over at the unconcious, but well dressed filly. “ Well, let’s go get a shovel,” he said. However, String quickly walked over to him, glaring at him a little.
“Stop that. We can’t just leave her here.” String said with a hiss. As he reached to help pick up the filly, a gasp was heard behind them.
“What have you done?!” A young stallion asked, glaring at the two for a moment, wearing a nice vest, a flute with him. “You just knocked out our only violinist.” He said to them angrily, walking over to them.
“Now, calm down sir, I’m sure we can work this ou-“ String began to say.
“Have no fear, my friend here is a violinist, an excellent one!” the unicorn said cheerily, pushing String towards the stallion. String of course, looked completely confused, turning to look at the unicorn.
“Are you crazy, I didn’t even bring my violin” he said to the unicorn. However, before the words even left his mouth, the unicorn was beaming at him, holding his violin out to him. “How did you do that?” String asked, able to tell that is was indeed his violin.
“Well, I bumped into her and she hit the-“ the unicorn began to say.
“Enough you two! Can you play for us or not?” the stallion asked. “ Because if not I’m going to have to tell everyone we won’t have any music tonight.”
“Of course he can, just get out there and let him lead the music,” the unicorn said, pushing String out towards the Stallion, who in tow walked with him out on stage, dragging String to where he needed to stand.
String soon found himself gulping, as an announcer began to thank the band for providing the music, drawing everypony’s attention to the stage, where he stood center stage. He found the lights dimming, soon leaving only the lights on the stage turned on. He felt his legs shaking as he watched, seeing the large crowd all watching him for a moment. He felt like his dream, the faces were all watching him, waiting for him to fail, and waiting for his violin to break. He felt like he was about to throw up, until a smile caught his attention, one that looked like it could outshine the sun if it wanted to.
Twirl smiled as she looked upon the face of String, seeing him standing there center stage with his violin. She knew he liked music, but had not realized that he was a performer, much less a leading violinist. With a gulp String tried to clear his head, feeling fear begin to fill it. He was trying to shake his thoughts of the dream from the night before. He tried to think of calming things, beating wings, a babbling brook, running water, and Neighagra falls? He found himself bewildered, wondering why he thought Neighraga falls was calming. However, he then saw out of the corner of his eyes, the strange unicorn he had befriended, who smiled at him, trying to encourage him. He sighed, remembering what the unicorn had told him to, and in his mind, he went to Neighagara falls.
Then music began to come from his violin as he began to play the song that he had been working on for ages. Each note to him felt like it was its own symphony, closing his eyes as he continued to play, the other instruments soon joining in. His music was soft, yet it flowed with a power. The people in the gala soon began to dance with one another. String opened his eyes slowly, looking to see everypony dancing, all except for Twirl, who stood by herself watching him. She continued to smile at him, as he smiled back looking deep into her eyes as he played. The band continued to play softly behind him, allowing him to remain in a trance as he played.
“I bet she would like having you more down there with her,” the unicorn said to him, walking on stage next to him. “Her hoofs look like they need to groove.” String turned to look at him, continuing to play.
“Who can keep the song going though?” String asked, not wanting his master piece to end so soon. The unicorn chuckled, using his magic to take the violin from String, but keeping the tune going. A look from the unicorn told String that he wasn’t being given a choice in the matter.
String walked off the stage and passed slowly through the crowd, passing through all of the dancing couples, making his way to the center of the room. “H-Hey Twirl,” he said to her, gulping nervously once more. As he looked at her, he stared at the dress she wore, a nice beige color adorned with small stands of fabric that flowed behind her. Her hair was neatly laid across her cheeks, trailing over her shoulders a little. Her face seemed to shine almost as much as her eyes as the lights hit her just right. String found it hard to look away from her, his jaw hanging open.
With a smile and a giggle, she used a hoof to close his mouth for him. “Now now, keep that up and you won’t be able to dance with me very well,” Twirl said to him as she looked into his eyes. String gulped a little and nodded his head, walking with her for a moment to a clear space. Then, they got close to one another, beginning to dance to the flow of the music, String already knowing the tune too well to not be able to match it. Twirl however, began to master the song, the fabric flowing around past her, almost making her seem like her movements were faster and more fluid than those of anyone else in the room. It felt like an eternity, that String never wanted to end, as he danced with Twirl. “So, what was that song called anyway?”
“Oh, uh, that was nothin-“ String began to say before feeling a tug at his throat, looking down to see his suit being tugged by magic. The tug pulled him closer to Twirl, blushing a little as he looked up at the stage to see the unicorn winking at him a little. With a heavy breath, he nodded his head. “I wrote it for you Twirl,” he admitted. Twirl’s cheeks turned a slight red, String gulping, still nervous. “To be honest, I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a long time, but I think you are amazing. I wrote this song because I knew how much you loved to dance, and I wanted to give you a song that could match how beautiful you are,” String explained. “I know its not as good as-“
String felt another push, this time one from behind him, forcing him closer to Twirl. This time though, Twirl was leaning closer to him as well. Their lips met for a moment, silencing him effectively. String’s cheeks began to burn as they turned read, even reaching his hears with his blush. “It perfect, thank you String,” Twirl said to him. “But, I would like it better, if next time you would play it for me alone, this gym doesn’t do it proper justice.” String slowly nodded, the music almost completely fading into the background for him. Soon the music stopped playing, the unicorn up on the stage doing a bow as a few ponies began to clap.
“And don’t forget to thank the composure of this lovely song, Canterlot’s very own String,” the unicorn said, using his magic to move the spotlight over to String. String blushed a little more as multiple ponies began to clap for him now, a few patting his back in congratulations. String felt amazed, glad to find that his dream had not come true after all. “So, this is the lovely mare whom you have told me so much about,” the unicorn said as he approached the couple, the band beginning to go on with their own music now.
“Oh. You were the one took over for String, my name is Twirl, and who are you?” she asked the unicorn.
“Oh, well he does-“ String began to answer, hoping to make an excuse for the nameless unicorn.
“My name is Hijynx ma’am and it’s a pleasure to meet you,” the unicorn said to her, bowing a little.
“Hijynx, what a curious name, but I like it.” Twirl responded, not noticing the confused look on String’s face. String merely stared at the unicorn, wondering why he had chosen to lie to Twirl.
“But earlier you to-“ String began to say.
“As I said String, my name is Hijynx, feel free to call me Jynx for short.” Jynx said to him, winking at him. String once more found himself baffled by his new friend, not quite sure of what to make of him. He could not decide whether the unicorn was insane and dangerous, or just mad. “Anyhoof, it was a pleasure meeting you Miss Twirl, but from what I hear String has been dying to dance with you. So I’ll go get us some punch, and leave you two to dance a little more.”
“Why thank you Mr. Hijynx,” Twirl said to the unicorn. String once more found his jaw dropping, this time for the strangeness of the unicorn he now knew as Jynx. “ So, shall we continue dancing, or am I going to have to keep closing your mouth for you?” Twirl asked, using her hoof to once more close String’s mouth. This time though, she held her hoof on his cheek, stroking it gently.
“We can dance, I would love to.” String answered, taking her hoof now, and leading her into the middle of the floor. He wasn’t the most experience dancer, but he knew enough to lead her in a dance. With the music filling the room, String found himself once more sinking into that endless reality where he could dance with Twirl forever. He could watch her smile until he grew old, look into her eyes until he lost his sight, and keep by her side until they were both dead in the ground. String smiled at Twirl, moving with her, watching her as she allowed him to lead her. He smiled a little a small fire beginning to burn in his heart and started to pick up the pace. String could not tell where this fire suddenly came from, but he let it burn and he lead Twirl around the dance floor.
Twirl’s eyes went a little wide, seeing a sudden determination in String’s eyes, one she had not seen before. She watched him, feeling the emotions in his movements, almost having a little trouble keeping in beat with him. A smile curled at her lips, leaning forward and kissing String once again, this time pressing herself against him as she did so, managing to catch him off guard as they continued to dance. She knew this would defiantly not be a night that she would soon forget. She smiled as she pulled away looking into his eyes, glad to see that she was finally able to see the true String. As the music began to slowly fade, the two ponies stopped dancing, just staring into one another’s eyes. String walked with her, heading over to the punch table where Hijynx was standing, waiting for them.
“Now now, no need to stop on my account,” Jynx said to them with a smile, levitating two glasses of punch to them. String rolled his eyes at Jynx, but still smiling all the same.
“Not on your account, but we couldn’t leave you alone all night.” String said to him.
“Not alone, there are plenty of ponies here; I can always find some single mare.” Jynx said as he sipped at his punch, his hat tipping over his eyes for a moment. As String and Jynx chuckled softly, Twirl stared at the cap for a moment.
“Mr. Hijynx, mind if I see your hat?” Twirl asked. Jynx pulled the cap from out of his face, his eyes looking a little surprised.
“Suppose I don’t mind, I’ll do ya one better and let you touch it,” Jynx said, taking his cap off and passing it to Twirl. Twirl of course, nodded in thanks, examining the cap in her hooves closely, before nodding her head a little.
“Just as I suspected, tell me, where did you get this hat?” Twirl asked. This question seemed odd to bother of the stallions, looking at one another for a moment.
“This old thing, I got it from a shop in Manehatten,” Jynx said to her, “why? Wanting to get a cap yourself?” Twirl smiled and shook her head a little, passing the cap back to Jynx, letting him put it back on.
“Not quite. It’s just, the stitch work is very similar to that of my dress, if not the same.” Twirl explained, doing a Twirl to let them have a good view of her dress. At this comment, Jynx’s eyes narrowed for a moment, staring closely at her dress.
“Really? Where did you get your dress?” Jynx asked, his voice changing tone for a moment, sounding a little more serious.
“Well, a nice mare made it for me while she was visiting here in Canterlot.” Twirl explained.
“And what was her name?” Jynx asked, almost immediately after.
“Oh, um, Silk, if I’m not mistaken.” At that, a small smile began to spread across the unicorn’s face. He allowed his cap to fall back over his eyes, leaving only his smile visible.
“I see, and how long ago was she here?”
“Well, she left roughly half a year ago I think.” Twirl said. String watched as the smile slowly turned into a smirk, a small chuckle escaping Hijynx. “Why?”
“Well, it seems she’s taken up traveling then,” Jynx said, not really answering Twirl’s question. “Anyhoof, it looks like this party needs to be livened up a little more, why don’t we go help spice up the band?” Jynx lifted his cap out of his eyes, smirking at String, his eyes ablaze.
“I suppose we can, may I m’lady?” String asked Twirl, doing a bit of a bow to her.
“Of course my knight, now go show them your skills.” Twirl said, kissing his cheek.
Jynx smirked as he stood up on stage, wielding a violin, standing next to String. “ Your lead,” he said to String. String nodded in response and started out slow, playing a soft simple tune. He let his movements be steady and calm at first, making sure he hit each note precisely. Then he began to go much faster, creating a swift beat once which Jynx soon began to respond to, their two sounds mixing together. It wasn’t much longer before the band joined in, a very upbeat and peppy song playing.
Twirl smiled seeing the two stallions playing their violins in step, starting to dance to their music. The night had barely begun, and yet she had found herself amazed by everything that had happened. To say the least, whoever Hijynx was, he was definitely a good influence on their night, making it all the more memorable. When the violinist of the band came to, she started off by yelling at the unicorn that had scared her. Thankfully, the crowd and the band all defended them, saying how well they had played. So she let them continue playing, while Twirl helped her keep ice on her injury, which would be bruised for a few days. The night passed without much more hiccups after that, the three friends swapping between dancing and playing music. There were a few failed flirts on part of Hijynx, his wooing going much more effectively now that he had a name he could tell mares to call him. While String and Twirl spent time talking to one another, including discussing String’s crush on her. By the end of the night, all three of them were a little tired.
“So, I’ll see you tomorrow String?” Twirl asked him, gently kissing his cheek.
“O-Of course Twirl,” String answered, a small blush on his cheeks as he nodded.
“And you Mr. Hijynx?” String asked, turning to the unicorn.
“Me? Well, I dunno . . ,” Jynx said, trailing off. However, Twirl gave him a bit of a cute looking face, pouting. “ Oh alright, I’m sure I can stay for a few more days.” Twirl could not help but smile and nod her head. She was so happy to see that she would get to know more about this unusual pony that had come to be the friend of her new stallionfriend. “I’m going to go ahead on home, the two of you have fun,” he continued. “I bid you both a sweet farewell. I shall see you on the morrow String.”
“Um, right, see you tomorrow too,” String responded, beaming. For him, the night could not have gone any better than it already had for him so far. He watched as the strange unicorn, that still baffled him, tipped his cap and headed away, heading out the front door. “He’s such a curious pony, a madpony.”
“That he might be, but he seems so kind and caring,” Twirl responded.
“You think so?”
“I do, something about him, it just seemed off. You know what I mean?”
“I do, but I think we’re thinking of two different kinds of off Twirl,” String said, taking her in his arms.
“Perhaps, now where are we going my amazing musician?” Twirl asked, kissing his chin.
“How about we just take a nice slow walk home?”
“I would love to, lead the way.”
A small smirk toyed at the unicorn’s lips as he walked away. “Hijynx huh? I like it. Proper with a y,” Jynx said to himself as he continued on his way to the house once again. He slid a small key into his cap as he did so, whistling to himself as he walked home.