//------------------------------//
// Chapter XII 
// Story: Lessons in quirks 
// by Mike84 
//------------------------------//

	The sound of the music had changed by the time Twilight an Fluttershy with the hidden Discord reached the great hall again. While some ponies had left the hall to continue the party outside, others had opened every door and every window in the hall so the air was a lot less close than it had been before and a number of those who remained had started to dance in the less crowded hall. Given the cheerful but somewhat erratic nature of the music Twilight was not really surprised to see that Pinkie Pie had taken the lead with an accordion while Fiddly Faddle accompanied her with her fiddle. The third player was a surprise for Twilight. Frank had taken off his saddle-bags and put on a holder with a harmonica. While his play was no match for the professional musicians of Ponyville who had played before, it was certainly good enough for the lighthearted dance and party music. Frank in any case seemed to be having a good time. 
Twilight saw Applejack, Rarity and Spike at the table where she had left them. Rainbow Dash had joined them with another mug of cider she had managed to secure for herself. Moreover they had been joined by Applejack's and Rarity's younger sisters Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Most likely the kids had just arrived from school. For a moment Twilight was wondering if Spike had sent out the invitation to Pinkie's Party to every school foal in Ponyville. Then Twilight spotted Miss Cheerilee the teacher among the dancers and guessed that she would have passed on the invitation to her students at the end of her class. Avoiding the dance floor Twilight headed back to the table. Fluttershy stayed right behind her. 

Applejack seemed to enjoy the music a lot, tapping the tact with one of her hooves and bopping her head slightly to the rhythm. 
"Ah sure like this tune", she said as she saw Twilight approach who hoped not to be questioned about her previous chase after Fluttershy. 
"It is... charmingly rustic", Rarity said diplomatically. "I do hope Octavia will do us the honor later on. Her handling of the cello is just masterful."
"She sure is good", Applejack agreed, "But she an' cuz Fiddly Faddle are on the selfsame level there."
Rarity seemed to consider this for a moment but then nodded. "They are evenly matched on their respective instruments I think."
"Big surprise", Rainbow Dash blurted out over her mug of cider. "They do come with the same cutie mark, don't they? Hey Twilight, wouldn't that be interesting for Frankie's cutie mark thingy?"
"So he is 'Frankie' now?" Twilight thought to herself. It sounded like the colt had figured out which hoof to show to Rainbow Dash to get along with her. 
"Not quite the same Rainbow", Rarity pointed out. "Octavia's is a violet treble clef while Fiddly Faddle's is blue."
"Close enough", Rainbow Dash shrugged. "They come with the same music thing, don't you think that might be interesting for him, Twilight?"
She nodded. "You may be right, Rainbow."
"Cutie Mark thingy?" Apple Bloom piped up.
"What do you mean, Rainbow Dash?" Sweetie Belle asked. 
"Oh this may be interesting for you, sugarcubes", Applejack said before Rainbow could respond. "Y'all have seen that there new pony on the stage?" Applejack pointed with her head. 
"The one with with the harmonica?" Apple Bloom asked while nodding at the same time. 
"Yes, you see he is a learned pony from Canterlot—"
"Fillydelphia", Twilight corrected.
"...a learned pony from Fillydelphia who came here from Canterlot this morning."
Both fillies looked somewhat unimpressed though Sweetie Belle maintained a polite smile while Apple Bloom pulled a face, pointed at Frank on the stage and said: "He ain't look like a learned pony."
Applejack raised an eyebrow in disapproval. "An' since when do you care about looks that much, lil sis?" 
Apple Bloom didn't respond but instead asked bluntly: "An' why would a learned Canterlot pony be so interesting to us... other than you, Twilight, Ah mean." 
Apple Bloom blushed and gave Twilight an apologetic look.
Twilight chuckled at the guilty face of the filly: "He may be interesting for you and for Scootaloo too—"
"Yes, where is she anyway?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Just two of you? That's rare."
"She had to get something", Sweetie Belle said, "But she said she would join us as soon as possible."
"Now what about that learned pony?" Apple Bloom asked impatiently.
"Princess Celestia suggested he should come to Ponyville", Twilight explained. "You see, he is a student whose main field of research is cutie marks. He is quite an expert in cutie mark matters."
"An expert about cutie marks!" Apple Blooms eyes seemed to sparkle.
"Princess Celestia sent him to us?" Sweetie Belle asked, but there was a tone of dismay in her voice.
"What's the matter, Sweetie Belle?" Apple Bloom asked. "A cutie mark expert, that's awesome!"
"But if even the princess is so concerned about us still not having our cutie marks that she is sending experts now to examine us we may never ever get our cutie marks!"
"Now hold your horses!" Twilight intervened quickly. "The princess did not send him because of you and I am sure you are going to get your cutie marks. But Mr. Frank Blanket...", the eyes of both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle immediately turned to the banner which Applejack had corrected before, "...that's his name, is studying cutie marks and Princess Celestia thought that it would be interesting for him to talk to us about our experiences that had to with cutie marks. And I am quite sure that he would be interested in your stories as well."
"But we don't even have any cutie marks at all", Apple Bloom wailed.
"Yes, but I don't think I know anypony here who has been taking so many efforts and given so much thought to cutie marks as you. In a sense you may be kind of experts in cutie mark matters yourselves."
A look of delight appeared on the faces of both, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. 
"And I think you too may have a couple of questions for him", Twilight added.
"Like how we get our cutie marks!" Apple Bloom confirmed nodding eagerly. 
Twilight sighed. "I'm afraid he won't be able to just tell you something that would make cutie marks appear on you, but I think he may well know some cutie mark stories that you will find interesting or that might help you."
Rarity cleared her throat. "You know, I would prefer to talk to Mr. Blanket myself first before deciding whether or not I let him talk to my little sister!"
"That is alright", Sweetie Belle said happily, "Then I will talk to him instead!"
"Sweetie Belle!" Rarity called indignant about this insubordination while shooting an annoyed glance at Spike who chuckled at Sweetie Belle's wit. 
"Y'all know", Applejack said, "I think it's a shame to just let that music play and not dance a bit to it. Guess I'm gonna ask Big Mac—"
"Leave our brother alone", Apple Bloom called sternly at Applejack. 
Applejack looked at her utterly taken aback.
"Don't y'all see that he is dancing with Miss Cheerilee?"
Rainbow Dash burst into laughter, Rarity giggled and even Fluttershy who had stayed a little apart and kept silent during the whole time was chuckling at Apple Bloom's rebuke of her elder sister. 
Indeed Big McIntosh had given up his post at the cider barrel which had probably run dry by now and was dancing with the teacher to the tune that Applejack liked so much. 
"You didn't mix anything into their drinks again, did you?" Twilight asked jokingly. 
"No we didn't!" Sweetie Belle shouted who hadn't caught the humorous tone.
"Point taken, sis", Applejack laughed and ruffled Apple Blooms mane. "I'll leave Big Mac alone."
Applejack wouldn't have gotten much of a chance anyway, for at this moment the music slowed down until it faded into a silence that was quickly ended by applauding stomps on the hall's wooden floor.
"Where did he get that harmonica from anyway?" Twilight asked Rainbow Dash. "Pinkie didn't pester him onto the stage, did she?"
"No she didn't", Rainbow reassured her. "When Pinkie came up with that accordion Frankie himself asked if he could join her." 
"I bet Pinkie liked that."
"You bet she did. Then he picked the harmonica out of his cargo containers."
"Cargo containers?" Twilight grinned.
"I mean just look at these things", Rainbow pointed at the bulging saddle-bags which Frank was just putting on again. "Whoever carries so much stuff around all the time? By the looks of those bags I wouldn't have been surprised had he stored a pipe organ inside!"
Twilight nodded but she didn't laugh this time. "Whoever carries so much stuff around all the time?" she thought and uncomfortably remembered something Frank had said before. 
"I rarely go anywhere without all my stuff."
She shook off the question that was forming in her mind. 

As Pinkie approached the table with Frank in her wake, Apple Bloom went to meet them. Ignoring the disapproving look of her sister, Sweetie Belle followed right on Apple Bloom's heels.
"You're Mr. Frank Blanket. You're a cutie mark expert?" Apple Bloom demanded to know.
Frank looked a little taken aback, but as he looked the two little fillies who blocked his way to the table he broke into a smile of honest delight. 
"And you must be Applejack's sister? Apple Bloom? And y'all must be the Cutie Mark Crusaders! It's so great to meet you!" and he held out a hoof for a shake much like Applejack had earlier this morning. 
There was nothing contrived about Frank's display of enthusiasm, but it was Apple Bloom's and Sweetie Belle's turn to look taken aback and it took Apple Bloom a few moments before she thought of accepting the hoofshake offered. 
"You know me?" Apple Bloom asked a little insecure. 
"You know of the Cutie Mark Crusaders?" Sweetie Belle added. 
"Same as you seem to know me or my name at least. Your sister mentioned the Cutie Mark Crusaders and I was very much looking forward to meet other ponies sharing the interest in cutie mark matters on which you are kindly credit me to be an expert and I do hope to live up to so much credit but also would very much hope for your sharing your own expertise."
Frank bowed his head slightly towards Sweetie Belle: "Towards you I am at a disadvantage however. We have not been introduced I think?"
"Her name is Sweetie Belle, Mr. Blanket", Rarity approached Frank. "She is my little sister."
"I'm not that little", Sweetie Belle grumbled. 
"Pleased to make your acquaintance", Frank said with another little bow towards her. 
"Likewise, Mr. Blanket", Sweetie Belle said giving a nonchalant wave with a hoof. It was probably a fair imitation of Rarity in an introduction at some other occasion. 
"So what can you tell us about cutie marks?" Apple Bloom asked eagerly. 
"Well...", Frank said apparently trying to decide where to start answering such an all-encompassing question. 
"Please little fillies give Mr. Blanket a break", Twilight said. 
"Let him breathe please", Pinkie Pie chirped with a broad grin. 
The colt's voice had sounded somewhat hoarse and with a guilty memory to the relief provided to her by a mug of cider she recalled that Frank had not had the chance to enjoy a drink but instead had been introduced and had talked to a significant part of Ponyville followed by a harmonica concert. Not having had anything to drink since the tea in the morning Twilight was sure the colt had to be parched by now. 
"Would you like to drink something, Frank?"
"That would be really good", Frank said with a grateful look.
"Am afraid the barrel of cider is dry now though", Applejack said ruefully. "Should have offered you a taste of that one before, Frank."
For all her mixed sentiments about Frank, Rarity too shared Applejack's repentance. "Oh, dear just what kind of hosts we are!"
"I got a lot of other drinks waiting outside", Pinkie Pie said quickly. 
Twilight however cast a meaningful look at the still filled mug in Rainbow Dash's hooves. 
For a moment Rainbow Dash seemed to shrink a little trying to ignore the look, but with a resigned glimpse at Twilight she shoved the mug towards Frank at the opposite end of the table: 
"Here Frankie, you can have mine. I have had enough anyway... I think."
"Awesome!" Frank said accepting the mug. "Much obliged, Miss Dash."
"Call me Rainbow Dash, or Rainbow, or Dash, but leave the missing to others."
Frank nodded while taking a draft. 
"Awesome...", Rainbow Dash whispered to Rarity, "...now am I being generous or what?"
"Remind me, Miss Dash...", Rarity whispered back, "...was this your third or your fourth mug?"