//------------------------------// // Chapter Seven // Story: Detour While Delivering Binks' Sake // by LucidTech //------------------------------// Brook was sitting comfortably in Twilight’s house, it had taken a few minutes for the elements to teach him how to sit on his hindquarters. A process that was not sped up at all by his considerable mass. But eventually they had gotten it all worked out and he had managed to set himself down and wait. They had wanted to take him to the doctor to check on him, but they weren’t entirely certain if the doctor could do a check up on a skeleton. And so Brook had offered a plan B. Which sounded even less likely to work to the ponies, but lacking any other option they had given in to it. So now Brook had in front of him a glass of milk, and he sipping it slowly through a swirly straw. Twilight tried to not pay attention to the fact that he was using the straw without being able to close his mouth due to lack of lips. She failed at this, but she tried. This had led her to forcibly moving her attention elsewhere, which in turn caused another study spree. All present gave her the space she needed as Brook and Octavia started a conversation about music. Or, more specifically, the art of standing on one’s hind legs. “Well it’s simple really when you get the hang of it. The tricky matter is that because of the way equine legs are shaped they don’t support the altered center of mass very well, but with some practice I’m fairly certain you could pick up on it, especially since you said you were bipedal before.” Brook stopped drinking his glass of milk for a moment so he could respond. “Oh, so that’s what it is. For the longest time I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Ah, but, since I’m my change I don’t have fingers anymore.” Twilight and Fluttershy, the only elements who had come to the library, knew that a joke was coming, but only a split second before it left his mouth. “PONY JOKE YOHOHOHOHO.” The face hoof was audible from the assembled crowd, all except for Vinyl scratch anyway, who was laughing her head off at the terrible pun. “Good one Bones!” Brook nodded to Vinyl in recognition of the compliment, but also put on a poker face to avoid responding, in an attempt to further the joke. This is a tactic that works surprisingly well when you don’t actually have a face, more or less. Instead he took a drink of his milk and gave everyone time to recover. Fluttershy, seeing that Brook’s glass of milk was getting low, moved over. “Are you feeling better Brook? Do you need more milk?” Brook responded immediately. “I’m feeling much better Fluttershy, thank you very much for all that you’ve done. Truth be told I shouldn’t have made any of you take care of me while I’m a guest here. It’s horribly rude. Especially when I can take care of myself… most of the time.” “Oh it was no trouble.” Fluttershy assured him, her kind voice so soft even against the sound of pages turning. Octavia smiled calmly before interrupting. “Well, then, I think it’s best that me and Vinyl get going. We both have several things to attend to in Canterlot. Isn’t that right Vinyl?” “I dunno Octy, I mean we still have a day or two don’t we?” She replied lazily. “We need to prepare for that visit from my parents Vinyl.” “Well yea, but I mean we could just put it off for a few-” A loud thud echoed through the room and tears started to well in Vinyl’s eyes. Octavia continued to look completely passive. “I mean, yea, we should get going so we can set up for your parents.” The two offered some final goodbyes and left, Brook was polite enough to wait until they were outside before he broke out into laughter. A form of restraint that had no benefit as his laughter was so loud it could be heard outside the library easily anyway. Fluttershy, despite her best attempts to tell Brook it wasn’t funny or polite to laugh, couldn’t help but smile at the situation either, the humor that Brook injected into the air proving to be contagious. Twilight managed to contain her humor so that it didn’t go beyond a soft chuckle, though in light of the roaring laughter for Brook it had no effect how loudly she laughed. She glanced at brook who was now winding down in his laugh. He still continued to smile long after the laughter had ended, but now he was at least finished the milk in front of him. “So Twilight, how’s the study going?” Fluttershy asked politely. Approaching her friend. “It’s going okay. Things are being a little… frustrating as of late. I can’t seem to focus. I think I might just need to get a good night’s sleep though.” Twilight paused in contemplation. “Actually, what time is it?” She turned around to look at the window but couldn’t quite make it out with the limited view from her distance. Brook leaned forward in his chair. “It looks to be night time, though how far into it, I couldn’t say,” he said. “Oh dear, we should get going then so we can get a good night’s rest.” Fluttershy said. Already heading for the door. “Indeed.” Brook said as he stood slowly from his spot, careful not to cause a bout of dizziness. “Thank you for the help and seat Twilight. It was very kind of you.” “You’re welcome Brook.” And it without a further word that Fluttershy and Brook left the house, heading towards her home on the outskirts of the town. She had insisted on giving him a place to sleep to repay him for saving her. She was going to take the couch and let Brook sleep in her bed. But then he pointed out just how tall he was and that it wouldn’t be very comfortable. So, together they had laid out a makeshift bed on the floor of the living room that he could use. Angel had mixed feelings about this. Namely, fear and anger.