//------------------------------// // 10 - The Carnival // Story: Polygamy is Magic // by Ravenmane //------------------------------// The morning felt like a blur after I woke. From shower, to work, to noon, it all felt like it passed in the blink of an eye. No, it was what I wanted to feel once more. I wanted the sensation that everything had gone back to normal and it made me feel like everything in the Empire never happened. I knew it still happened, but there’s something about Ponyville that just clears the problems from your mind if you let it. It’s hard to put to words what I mean, especially after you’ve had a run-in with the Crusaders, but there’s a tranquility hidden in the mindless acts of anarchy that can crop up in such a ‘quaint town in the plains of Equestria.’ Even when the clockwork mechanism under my care obscured the rest of Ponyville from my eyes, I could sense the anticipation in the air that told me Pinkie was at work doing Luna knows what and that Cheerilee was still shaping young minds with a smile on her face. I had remained focused on my job even though I still anticipated some strange incident to drag me into itself by the end of the day. With a job well done, I took in a deep breath and smiled. Sure, I may have just inhaled a deep breath of musty, dust-riddled air, but I felt at peace with even the mild coughing that would soon follow. ***** As I calmly cleared my throat upon exiting the clock tower, I bumped into something large and red. Something that should have told me I knew I was in for strangeness throughout the night. “Do you happen to have any nails up there Alex,” asked Big Mac. I took a moment to wrack my brain regarding the odd, unexpected question. “Sorry Mac, used my last box of them about an hour ago fixing a railing on the second floor and replacing a few of the third floor stairs. Would you be able to use screws for whatever your project is?” “I’d rather not. Not after what happened to it already.” “Wait, don’t tell me–” “Eyup.” “Did you at least lecture them?” “I wish I had the chance. You know how fast they can be.” “Yeah, be sure to lecture them if you have the chance later tonight. No doubt they’ll be at the carnival.” At the mention of the carnival, Big Mac seemed to seize up. “Wait,” I looked towards the carnival, and back from where Big Mac had come from, the wreckage where the gazeebo in the park told me what he intended to use the nails for. “You have to cut through all of that to get to the hardware store don’t you?” “’Fraid so.” I sighed and patted his shoulder. “My friend, I wish you the very best of luck.” I can’t afford to involve myself, I silently added. As he trudged gloomily towards the carnival, I felt every possible twinge of guilt anyone could ever feel strike at my heart. Concealed within that guilt though was a faint silver lining: the fact that I just evaded Ponyville being as I expected. I did my best to hold onto that sensation of dodging a bullet as I passed other ponies destined for the carnival in my awkward sidestepping of the festivities to meet up with Rainbow and Twi at the library. ***** No less than two minutes after meeting up with them in front of the library was I met with a very familiar remark… “I know you can run a clock perfectly Al, but can you please be on time in the future?” Rainbow’s remark was met with a scornful look from Twilight. “Unlike somepony I intend to go easy on my wings,” I replied, doing my best to ignore any negativity. “I’m not exactly a normal pegasus so I have to take advice for one with a less than optimistic view. For example, I don’t molt, though I do shed more than anypony else.” “But we didn’t figure that out until summer began and you were losing buckets of fur by then,” commented Twilight. “That’s why we got that heavy duty brush and dusted the vacuum off.” I nodded, a wide grin dominating my face. “I’m looking forward to fall. It’s nearly been a whole year since I came to Equestria remember?” Rainbow nudged me in the ribs. “Doesn’t feel that long to me.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Well, after acclimating to everyday life in Ponyville, not to mention a recent near-death experience, I can understand if Alex lost track of time but you Rainbow? Really, how could you forget about that?” “But do you know what fall means Twilight? It means it’s almost cider season. Nightmare Night! The Running of the Leaves!” Rainbow leaned against me. The unexpected shift of the full weight of her body, which I really should have expected, made me nearly lose my balance. “We’re gonna be so busy. Especially you Al. I’d like it if you’re in on the race this year.” The year prior, I had gone with Spike in the balloon, providing plenty of commentary. Somehow, someway Pinkie had stolen first place hopping the whole way through Whitetail Woods. I suppose you could just accept it because it’s Pinkie, but you weren’t there. In my time in Equestria I’ve seen things, strange things, indescribable things, things that make less sense than you’ve come to accept when you think of Pinkie. Many are hard to describe while others can only be summed up as ‘you had to be there.’ After successfully managing to brush Rainbow off my side, I was in a mood to focus on the conversation again. “When do we sign up for it?” “Six weeks from Monday,” replied Twilight. “More than enough time to get the training out of Rainbow’s system.” “We’ll start Monday morning,” added Rainbow. “Four-no five days a week should get you all ready in time Al. We still have most of fall to prep for the race but you’ve had plenty of endurance training so we’ll just focus on your speed and form.” We all knew what Rainbow meant when she mentioned endurance and no, I don’t mean in the bedroom. That’s a different kind of stamina.