//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Gummy's Day Out // by LordCheekbone //------------------------------// The curtains parted and the sun shot in through the window in lacy rays, landing on Gummy’s scaly face. The sudden brightness in his weary eyes made him wince a little before accepting the beams of light as his wake up call. Alike to most mornings, Pinkie Pie was bouncing around gleefully whilst humming a merry melody which seemed to hang in the air before drifting into Gummy’s small indented ears. It was another beautiful summer’s day and Gummy sensed that Pinkie was excited, even more excited than usual, and to most people that would be a cause of concern for their own health! Gummy however, had grown to love and tolerate Pinkie’s craziness, just as Pinkie had learnt to love and tolerate him. Pinkie noticed that Gummy had woken up and stopped humming her cheerful tune to greet him. “Rise and shine, Gummy!” Pinkie said, continuing her relentless bouncing, “Princess Celestia has given us another day of sunshine!” She leapt over to his wooden basket and with the force of her landing, sprung Gummy out of his basket and onto the wooden floorboards. He composed himself and flipped himself back onto his feet. As per normal, Pinkie had ran a steaming hot bath for him and he wasted no time in waddling over and diving into the blissful liquid. Pinkie laughed “Wow, you got like three feet of air that time!” Gummy was pleased with himself, and did not bother to hide it from the eccentric mare. Pinkie laughed again. Pinkie’s friends often wondered many things about her, but one of the main things was how she knew what Gummy was feeling at any given point. To the ordinary eye Gummy seemed constantly emotionless, yet somehow Pinkie could always pick up on his feelings; whether he was pleased, angry, jealous or even indifferent and that was what made Pinkie so beloved to him. After five minutes of wallowing in the water Gummy hopped out and began to play with his white ball of string, using his extended snout to roll it this way and that, before he climbed on top and performed his favorite trick. He could walk the sphere of string around the whole of Equestria if he wanted, and he often had a mind to, just to get out of Sugarcube Corner. He rarely got to leave Pinkie’s room and it was even more rare for him to step foot outside of Sugarcube Corner. He loved Pinkie with all his heart but he knew what he was; he was an alligator, and alligators weren’t meant to stay in a small room all day practising petty party tricks and taking hot baths. And he could tell that he didn’t fit in the world he currently inhabited by the way he was treated by everyone else; especially at the pet playdates. All the other pets thought he was strange, even Tank, and he was a tortoise who could fly! Gummy hadn’t noticed that Pinkie was gone whilst he rolled around his string but she soon bounded back up the stairs into her room. “You up now Gummy?” Gummy blinked. “Good! ‘Coz Twilight and Fluttershy are here and we’re gonna’ go exploring in the Everfree Forest all day!” She beamed a great big smile in delight. Again, Gummy blinked “Aww, I’m sorry Gum-Gum; I won’t be that long gone! Come on, give Pinkie a kissy-wissy!” In his disappointment at another day confined to Sugarcube Corner he hesitated for a split second, but Pinkie’s gaping grin pierced his cloak of displeasure and he snapped his jaws onto the top of Pinkie’s head. Again Pinkie smiled before flinging Gummy off her head into the bathtub that still sat there. Gummy emerged from the now-lukewarm water and blinked. Pinkie laughed and trotted off down the staircase. When Pinkie was working, out for the day, or simply ignoring Gummy; he had a range of things he liked to do. Firstly, he loved to dance. As early as he could remember Pinkie had given him dancing lessons “It’s all in the rump!” she would advise as Gummy waggled his tail to the beat of the music and Pinkie stomped the floor below her, often provoking complaints from Mr Cake below. Secondly, playing catch with his squidgy red ball had always been his favourite game, and his lack of teeth still meant the ball was in perfect condition. The most prominent feature to these frequent days however, was looking out of his window into Ponyville and the world beyond. He sometimes wondered where he’d end up in life, whether it be in a humid swamp miles away from Equestria or as a legendary reptile who prowled the rivers of the Everfree Forest invoking fear into the hearts of ponies, or as a friendly gator who told great stories to the colts and fillies of Ponyville and a respected friend of all Ponykind. He doubted the latter, but he thought that was what Pinkie probably expected of him. He was about to start his gazing onto the streets of Ponyville when he noticed that Pinkie had left the door to the stairs open. Out of sheer boredom he decided to waltz down the steps one at a time and play in the shop for a while. Mrs Cake didn’t mind Gummy frolocking around the shop, rolling a ball of dough around or biting various hanging objects but Mr Cake was a little more strict with him. When he finally reached the bottom he saw that neither Mr nor Mrs Cake were at the counter and so he lay down and waited for them before he started to play. The bright colours of the walls and the smell of thick strawberry icing that enshrouded the air in Sugarcube Corner often made Gummy quite dizzy, but that day he didn’t feel quite as suffocated. As he recognized this, he regarded the cool breeze that was coming through the front door; the open front door. I shouldn’t. Gummy thought to himself. Anyway, Mr and Mrs Cake are probably just outside and will herd me back in. He suddenly felt a tinge of awkwardness sitting there, expecting to be spotted by the Cake couple but receiving no such attention. He decided to waddle over to the door. Still inside the boundaries of Sugarcube Corner he couldn’t see either of them out in the street but at that moment felt the cool air on his underbelly. He looked up at the sun and felt its happy waves caress his scales. The sun has made this day beautiful. I owe it to the sun to enjoy every last bit of it outside! Gummy thought to himself; but still he couldn’t make that step out into the town. He imagined what Pinkie would think if she came back and found him gone; would she be worried? No, Pinkie knows I can handle myself. And anyway, they’re only ponies! I’m an alligator! Gummy opened his great jaws and let out what he imagined to be a great roar, but what was instead a small gurgling cry, before taking a slice out of Pinkie’s sayings cake and hop, skipped and jumped out onto the sun-beat road.