//------------------------------// // Market // Story: Red Comet // by Aragem //------------------------------// Before Twilight had a chance to set a hoof out of the library that morning, she had a visitor. Cheerilee was standing at her door, saddle bags across her back and her eyes looking tight and bleary as if she had been crying. The Red Comet forgotten in the view of a friend in need, the unicorn stepped aside motioning for her to come inside, “Cheerilee, please come inside. What’s wrong?” Cheerilee’s voice which has usually been full of, well cheer, sounded strained and weak. “I’m sorry to intrude on you like this, Twilight Sparkle, but I need to ask if you can find someone to substitute for the next week.” “Why? What’s wrong?” “It’s my mother. I just received a letter yesterday, but I so was busy, I didn’t get a chance to read until early this morning. She isn’t doing too well. . .” “And you need to go nurse her back to health?” Twilight asked. Cheerilee took a shuddering breath, her frame nearly trembling underneath the weight of sadness that was apparent in her green eyes. “She’s been sick a long time. I’m not going to be able to nurse her back to health this time.” The words hung heavy in the air and Twilight swallowed as she could only imagine Cheerilee's pain. She wrapped her forelegs around Cheerilee and hugged her tight; as if she could draw the grief away from the schoolmare and take it onto herself. “I’ll write a letter to the Princess and I’m sure she can arrange for someone to take over while you take all the time you need.” “I made up a lesson plan. It’s my desk at school. I sent the foals home for today.” They released each other and Twilight was able to see that Cheerilee had managed to compose herself. The pain was still apparent in her eyes, but the floundering despair was gone. “I have to go; my train arrives in thirty minutes.” “I’ll walk with you.” “Oh no, you don’t have to do that. It looked as if you were in a hurry to go somewhere.” Twilight thought about the red comet, that mysterious crimson streak in the night sky, but pushed it aside. This was far more important. “It can wait.” ......... “Applebloom, Ah don’t reckon that’s a good idea.” Applejack adjusted the basket of apples on the stall, making sure that it displayed the red deliciousness that was the Apple Family’s apples. The Ponyville Market carried the scents and sounds of customers and shopkeepers exchanging bits for goods and the camaraderie of ponies mingling and gossiping. “Ya do know that the Pegasi are gonna make it pour hard today, right?” “But, Ah’m s'posed to help Zecora gather herbs t'day!” Applebloom stood with her legs braced on the ground waiting for the sisterly row that was sure to happen. “Sugarcube, Ah’m sure Zecora will understand if ya don’t show up. She wouldn’t want ya out inna storm, ‘specially not in the Everfree Forest.” Applejack took up position behind the stall, her demeanor bright and engaging, ready for customers. “’sides, you can help with takin’ down limbs before the storm.” “Aw, but Applejack. . .” Applebloom’s voice carried a high pitch reserved for whining. “Sorry, lil’ sis, mebbe tomorrow if it’s not too wet.” “Shoot.” Applebloom stomped and sat down close to the stall to sulk. She had hoped that maybe gathering herbs and potion brewing would earn her cutie mark. Unfortunately, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were in the same predicament she found herself in now. Their parents wouldn’t allow them to go out due to the pegasi’s announcement for the upcoming storm. The pegasi had canceled last week’s shower in favor of the Running of the Leaves event and the ground had to be cooled down with heavy rain to prepare it for the light snow scheduled for next week. An alpine colored earth stallion with a dark mane stepped up to the apple stall with shopping bags at his sides and a very young colt on his back. On the stallion's flank was a cutie mark of a plume of smoke rising from a flame. The colt stared at Applejack from behind his father’s mane, which he shyly hid behind when she beamed at him. “Hello, there lil’ Ember.” Applejack greeted the toddler foal. “Ya been takin’ good care of yer pa?” “Oh, he’s been taking care of me alright. Ember, tell the nice mare hello.” The stallion, Smokey, coaxed his son with a nudge of a muzzle. “H’lo," a small voice replied from the depths of Smokey’s mane. The father smiled back at the farmmare, but behind his eyes, she could see the lines on his face and the strain in his eyes. It wasn't easy being a widower with a young son. “We’ve been up the last few nights with an ear ache.” “Ah’m sorry t' hear that, Smokey.” Applejack reached down behind the stall and tugged out a small bag of apple slices with her teeth. “Here ya go. Mebbe this will help.” “Thanks, I’m sure it’ll be a good treat for him. Ember, say thank you.” “Tank yoo,” said Smokey’s mane. “I’ll take five apples too.” “That’ll be five bits, no charge for the slices.” Applejack deposited five apples with the slices on the stall surface. She waited patiently while he counted out the bits and placed them on the counter, then collected his purchase. “Ya’ll take care now.” “Thanks, Miss Apple. Ember, say goodbye.” “Bi bi.” Applejack couldn’t help, but feel a wave of sympathy and sorrow for the single father. He had come from Fillydelphia shortly after his wife passed away and due to the foreclosure on his home. It must be hard to be a single father to such a young colt, but fortunately, he soon received a job here in Ponyville. And thanks to the customary welcome party Pinkie Pie gleefully threw for them, most of Ponyville got to know them and he wasn’t long without friends. Pinkie Pie even set up games that a small foal like Ember could play, such as tossing a bean bag on a mat marked with circles or matching colorful cards. However, it seemed that he was still having problems. Smokey stepped over to a cherry stall with a gruff pegasus merchant. “Hello, I’d like three cherries.” “Seven bits,’ came the stiff reply. “That’s too much. I’m not buying watermelons, just cherries.” “Take it or leave it.” “We’ll leave it.” Smokey turned away, preparing to trot to the next stall that offered tomatoes. “Fine, five bits.” “I’ll only pay five if you add two cherries.” Smokey didn’t look back, he glanced at the other stalls as if losing interest. “Gimmie a break, I gotta make a livin’ here.” The shopkeeper grunted as his ears laid back in apparent defeat. “Hey, I got a colt I’m taking care of. You give me a break.” The shopkeeper caved. “Fine, three bits for three cherries, or five bits for five cherries.” “Thank you.” The shopkeeper turned away to collect the cherries into a bag while Smokey placed the bits on the counter. He turned his head to check on his son without seeing the oblong shadow passing over the bits which were gone when the shadow passed. The shopkeeper dropped the bag on the counter and when Smokey reached for it, the gruff pegasus knocked a hoof on the counter, “Waitaminute! Ya gotta pay first, bub.” “I did. I put the money on the counter and you took it.” “No, ya ain’t paid no money yet. I told ya I’d give ya a break, not let ya rob me. So pay up or no cherries.” “I’m telling you that I did pay! I put the bits on the counter.” Smokey stomped a hoof on the ground, nearly rocking his son off his back. “I think ya need to get outa here, sir.” The pegasus hissed last word through his teeth as his eyes slanted. “Then you better give me back my money.” Smokey stepped forward, his glaring face close to the shopkeeper’s. “I ain’t got your money, hence the reason why you don’t get no cherries.” “Give. Me. Back. My. Money.” Smokey growled through gritted teeth. “Buck off.” “Whoa, nelly!” Applejack galloped up, her apron flapping against her chest and legs. She came to an abrupt halt and held her hooves out to keep them separated. She knew in her heart that she had stopped them just short of coming to blows. “Let’s jest settle down here. We’re all ponyfolk and there’s a colt here that Ah know don’t wanna see his daddy get inna fight.” “He’s tryin’ to steal from me!” The gruff shopkeeper thrust a hoof at Smokey. “Ya know as well I do how this works. The customer gives me bits and I give the customer cherries.” “He’s trying to cheat me! I paid the money and now he’s saying that I didn’t pay anything. He’s probably hiding it!” “Look, Gruffy, Ah saw ‘im put the money on yer stall.” Applejack tapped a hoof on the stall surface where she had seen the bits laid. Unfortunately, a customer had stepped up and while she had looking away she had not seen what had happened to them. “Mebbe instead of accusin’ each other of stealin’, lessee if the money fell on the ground. If we don’t find 'em, then Ah’ll pay for the cherries. Ya get your money and Smokey gets his cherries and we can all have a nice day without a fight.” “Aw, no. Miss Apple, I can’t let you do that.” Smokey shook his head, his rage dissipating into guilt. “Think nuthin’ of it, Smokey. We can call it even if ya bring Ember by the farm for a visit someday.” They didn’t find the money. They looked on the ground around the stall and even Applejack peeked under it, but the bits were gone. As promised, Applejack paid for the cherries and Gruffy handed the cherries over to Smokey with a glare and a snort. Applejack walked with Smokey back to her stall. He looked more tired than before and he hung his head, his mane tousled. “I’m sorry about what happened. If you hadn’t come along when you did . . . it would have been bad.” “It’ll be alright. If ya need somepony t' talk to or help out, ya come t' me. Save for Gruffy, Ponyville is full of ponies willin’ t' lend a helpin’ hoof.” Applejack made a mental note to have Granny Smith bake one of her pies for him tomorrow. “Thanks, Applejack. I really appreciate the help.” He said, turning his head to check on Ember. His small son had fallen asleep after the tension had defused and it was a much needed nap since the sleepless nights due to his ear ache. “We better go. I think I should take his example and take a nap myself. I need a hundred of them.” ........................ An oblong shade crossed responded to an electronic request for an atmospheric reading. The shade on the grass grew larger for a moment and then faded as the unseen sphere raised above the Ponyville buildings and ascended upward. It’s filter system drew in air samples to determine the composition of chemicals and elements. Also above Ponyville was a cyan blur followed by a brilliant flare of color. It burst through a fluffy cloud and then another, clearing the sky for the upcoming storm. Rainbow Dash felt her heart singing as she cut through the sky in a slash of brilliant spectrum. She twirl creating a spiraling rainbow behind her, and then lifted upward, catching an updraft that carried her higher. Maybe she should perform a sonic rainboom for the citizens to enjoy. Before she could tilt her wings for a downward descent, her head hit something so hard it sent stars floating across her vision. In midair, her body was stiff with her wings splayed and her teeth gritted. Against her head, a round curve of shifting light wavered as static crackle and popped in her ears. The light spread back to reveal a large sphere with a cracked lens and an indention where Rainbow Dash’s head was embedded into it. The damaged drone began running diagnostics, checking over the damages caused by the unidentified flying object that had collided in and also ran the information to determine if this was an attack to its systems. Then gravity took over. The unconscious pony and damaged drone began to plummet. ............................... Pinkie Pie was bouncing along in her usual merriment, wishing soon to be birthdays to Ponyville citizens and friends. Then she froze when she felt the twitching in her tail indicating that something was going to fall. “Uh oh. . .twitchy twitch witchy witch twitch!” She barely had time to look up when a cyan figure with a rainbow plume crashed into a stall that sold pillows and mattresses. Feathers and cotton stuffing flew in all directions as the stall owner shrieked. At exactly the same moment, not five feet away from Pinkie Pie another shape landed, but not as luckily as Rainbow Dash. The crater it made when after it landed was large enough for two or three ponies to easily lie side by side in. Whereas all the attention was on Rainbow Dash and the stall owner’s welfare, only Pinkie Pie approached the strange large metal thing. At this moment, the drone had recovered enough to finish its new round of diagnostics. Severe damage within its shell caused it to come to the directive to return to the ship for repairs and preserve the data it had collected. It activated its gravity propulsion and it hefted off the dented earth. Its collapsed optical lens made its vision distorted, but it did catch the pink object before it. It instantly came to the conclusion that this was the object that had made the attack that had caused the damages. “Well, hello there floating metal eye,” Pinkie Pie greeted as cheerfully as sunshine. “Welcome to Ponyville, my name is Pinkie Pie and. . .” “Threat Detected.” The drone began humming with energy and ribbons of electricity moved over its shell. “Initiating defense.” Pinkie Pie felt her knee go pinchy just as the sphere flared with electricity which surged into her with a loud crackle. Her body convulsed, making it pose in different silly poses as energy coarse through her, setting her nerves on fire. When the surge ended, she was lying on her back, her legs in the air, and her pink mane had lost its fluffy appearance and was now spikey, sticking out in odd angles. She was alive and conscious, but smoking. Then a ribbon of red light moved over her body as the drone scanned her. “Threat neutralized.” The tone was monotone, but there was an undercurrent of satisfaction behind it. It checked its systems and determined that its cloaking interface still functioned. The drone slipped out of sight and its shade moved in a zigzag pattern as it struggled to return to the Everfree forest. Pinkie Pie exhaled a stream of smoke and muttered in a soft voice, “And I’m sure we’ll be good. . . friends.