"Business or friend?"
The voice was deep, definitely male, but calm and composed. The few people I was friendly with and saw on a regular basis were either happy, suspicious, or bored. This was the kind of voice a librarian used. I thought about the question the person just asked, taking a moment before answering.
"Friend," I replied, feeling and sounding just a bit unsure.
The doorknob jiggled and the door swung inwards, causing a strong flowery scent to wash over me. Even in the light of the streetlamps, the person behind the door was still hidden in the shadows of the flower shop. His eyes glanced up and down the road before resting on me. "Come on in," he said in a hushed voice.
I walked inside, just enough so that the person behind the door could close it. I could see where the light was coming from. The person walked around me and started towards the source, so I followed him. We turned a corner and a welcoming sight met my eyes.
The room we entered was brightly lit, the bulbs shedding multicolored light for reasons I'd need to find out later. Flowers and vines hung on the walls, their scent making me the slightest bit lightheaded. The middle of the room was taken up by a round table with six chairs around it, four of them already taken up by people, all around the same age of twenty plus.
Sitting closest to where I was standing was a woman with long wavy hair. She was wearing a white dress with purple highlights and a necklace with three blue diamonds. Next to her was a man, healthy in appearance and joyful in expression, dressed in a policeman's uniform with two badge, one a standard cop's badge and the second consisting of a trio of balloons. Further down was a smaller girl wearing a cropped shirt, shorts and a cap with blue wings on the sides. Fourth, and probably who I was most pleased to see, was Daniel. He was wearing the same clothes he had on at work, but his hat now had three red apples pinned onto it. The man who opened the florists' door for me took the empty seat between Daniel and the small girl. Now that he was in the light, I could see he was wearing a bright yellow shirt with three familiar pink butterflies on it. Also, he was noticeably the tallest person in the room.
When Daniel saw me, his face split into a wide smile. "Look who decided to show up!" he said happily. "Come in, come in, sit down."
I slowly walked around the table to the remaining seat between Daniel and the girl in the white dress. She looked at me and smiled. "Hey," she said.
"Hey," I echoed, sitting down and carefully sliding my backpack between my legs, hoping Twilight wasn't too jostled as she settled in for an evening of eavesdropping. I looked around the table, but everyone was looking back at me, which was quite overwhelming as I wasn't used to such attention within a small room. I decided to say something.
"Um.... hi."
A long silence followed. Daniel watched me, his smile never wavering, but the other people just stared. Then the policeman balled up his fists and started rapping his knuckles against each other, each time creating a very sharp crack. "Nice move, bud," he praised. "It takes a lot of cupcakes to get the first words out at your first meetup."
"Aw, who're you kidding?" the girl with the cap objected, giving the cop a friendly punch. "When you first came, you pranced in like a schoolfilly, throwing confetti balloons all over the place."
The policeman made a scrunchy face. "Those were good confetti balloons."
"Guys, take it slow," the tall man scolded coolly. "We have a new arrival. Show a little control."
The girl and the cop exchanged raised eyebrows, but nodded and settled down. The big guy sighed and turned to Daniel. "Take it away, Iron."
"Thanks, Tranq," Daniel said. He laced his fingers together and looked around the table. "Well, here we are again. I actually thought we'd never get another chance to come together like this, what with the storm raging, but that incredible astonishing event is behind us. Now we can resume our gatherings and talk about that which connects us all. But before we go on, introductions."
Daniel waved a hand at me. "We have a new member. Our encounter was a fleeting one, kept secret right under the nose of our fandom's foe. But thanks to our highly-developed meme-system, we managed to understand each other through a series of signs. And now, presentations." Daniel flourished with his hat. "Welcome, everypony. My name's Iron Buck. My favorite pony is Applejack."
The tall man in the yellow shirt spoke next. "Tranquil Touch. Fluttershy is my favorite."
"Rainbow Sprint, that's me," the small girl declared. "Dashie is my favorite pony."
The policeman pulled out a long tube from under the table. "I'm Cobalt Quiche," he said with a grin, pulling on a trigger and blasting a cloud of confetti from the tube. "Pinkie Pie is the pony for me."
"I'm Pachy Sandra," the woman to my right announced, "sometimes called Pachy-san. Top of my list is Rarity."
Then all eyes were on me again, everybody watching me expectantly. I didn't know what to say. A nudge at my feet alerted me to the fact that my backpack was poking me. Twilight must have realized I was speechless and used her most subtle way of communication to encourage me. That was all I needed, so I quickly thought about what was expected of me.
They'd each recited a name, followed by that of their favorite pony. The first name must be the title they use in the fandom. My mind raced as I strove to find a name that I would've used had I ever been more involved in the community before now, but nothing came to me. Something to do with my work? No, that's stupid. And there isn't really anything I'm particularly good at or like. Well, except for Twilight.
Twilight. Of course! The one thing that made me stand out from other people. The sole reason I am who I am today. The pony who gave me something to live for. It was she who made me special. My fandom identity was clear to me now.
"Sparkle. Steven Sparkle. Twilight is my little pony."
The stares didn't stop. The assembled people still gazed at me, but Daniel, or rather Iron Buck, had let his eyebrows dive under the brim of his hat, his smile unwavering which looked strange with his surprised expression. Then the tall man, Tranquil Touch, started clapping his hands, slowly joined by Iron, Pachy Sandra and Rainbow Sprint. Cobalt Quiche also applauded, once again rapping his knuckles together.
"Well done," Tranquil commemorated, smiling gently. "I can only imagine what made you choose that name for yourself."
"I assure you," I said, "it's quite within imagination." And also, apparently, within reason.
"Welcome to the herd, Steven!" Rainbow Sprint cheered, reaching across the table, grabbing my hand and alternating between shaking and brohoofing. "When I joined up, I was so excited. I mean, finding bronies just like me is fun and nice and all, but there were already three of them in town, I couldn't believe it. Rainbow Dash is my favorite of the Mane Six so I called myself after her. Of course, 'Rainbow Sprint' isn't my real name, but it's just so much fun to use whenever I can. I was even thinking of changing the name tag I wear at work, but I'd have to ask my boss about that then—"
"Sprinty, stop!" Cobalt yelled, glaring at the ceiling. "Jabbering aimlessly is supposed to be my job."
"Doh, but you're too busy making stuff to chatterbox," Rainbow Sprint insisted, throwing herself onto Cobalt.
Iron Buck (dang, it still feels weird thinking off him like that) leaned back in his chair. "Whenever you two are ready, we'll get back to the meeting."
"It's not a meeting, it's a meetup," Rainbow and Cobalt argued in unison.
"You'll have to excuse them," Pachy whispered to me while the two bronies separated. "They try to get into character as much as possible, so much in fact that they're sometimes hard to control."
"That's okay," I replied.
When things had calmed down sufficiently, Iron spoke to me again. "Now that you know who everypony is, I guess we should tell you about ourselves."
"That would be nice, and I already know what you do, Iron. We both work on the town's construction team. That's how we first met up."
"Mm hmm," Iron said with a nod
Pachy Sandra was next. "I work right here, in this flower shop. I've been at it for quite a while, before Friendship is Magic came to my attention."
"I run a veterinary clinic," Tranquil said. "Kind of appropriate for a Fluttershy fan. Cobalt is part of the town's police force, but he makes stuff in his spare time. And Rainbow Sprint currently has a job in a department store, rushing about and jumping all over the place when off duty." He spread his arms out. "We're all living normal happy lives."
"We sure are," I agreed, feeling Twilight nudge me through the backpack.
"Those stupid internet parasprites," Cobalt grumbled suddenly. "They spend all their time sitting at their computers badmouthing us, being hypocritical smartflank plotholes. And then people wonder why we're so distant."
Cobalt had caught me by surprise with this random statement of his. Not because he was a brony after Pinkie's heart, but what struck me was him bringing it up when we were discussing our daily lives. Through the internet, bronies have been depicted as lazy slobs, human embarrassments or even pedophiles. For some bronies, this hits hard and they either turn away to mope or start rethinking their purpose in life. But the vast majority of the herd stands strong before these despicable people who would flood YouTube comment sections with barrages of insults and shoot rude remarks at every opportunity; another aspect of the fandom that inspired me.
When Cobalt had announced his thoughts, all the other bronies looked at him worriedly and started exchanging nervous glances. Cobalt just sat there, fingering his two badges and muttering under his breath. He was beginning to remind me of myself a few weeks ago. I couldn't stand seeing one of my new friends looking so down, so I thought hard for a solution.
"What we do shouldn't affect them, Cobalt. But even so, they turn to see what's so upbeat and all they see is deviation. Some people just can't accept what's different then them, so they treat us differently. They don't look for the truth and reality of things, nor do they care for it. A handful of people occasionally stepped out of the masses to ask how it really worked, but were overshadowed by the endless hail of darkness."
"But in spite of the world's hate, we've endured everything they've thrown at us, still watching, still creating, still existing. Nothing they say or do will ever wipe out the fandom. When our companions suffer, we step forward and help them. If one of our fellows is assaulted, we comfort him. If a brony hits the old artist's block and seeks inspiration, someone will always bring forth an idea. We bronies live to spread joy and happiness, wanting the whole world to see just how great life can be. We're not going to fade away just because some people don't like us. What's more, all the times we go through their attacks and bigotry only makes our will to pony stronger."
The moment I started speaking, Cobalt lifted his head and listened intently, never turning away. The other bronies listened too, nodding in agreement with each statement I made. When I had finished, Cobalt perked up and smiled. But man did he smile! Until that day, I didn't think it was humanly possible to blind someone with your smile, but Cobalt proved otherwise. I wasn't sure if it was my imagination playing tricks on me, raw talent and practice or a blessing, but that was a smile I could bask in.
"Thanks, Steven," Cobalt said warmly, upbeat as before. "This keeps happening to me. I let the intentional wrongdoing of these.... people get the better of me, and I take on one of Pinkie's aspects, one I'd rather avoid. Thanks for picking me up."
I could only smile back at this. It was so gratifying. "You're welcome, Cobalt."
"I'm glad everything's all right now," Iron said, the rest of the gang muttering in affirmation. "If no one else minds, I'd like to bring up some things that happened during the cyclone. I'm sure we all have what to share with each other after being locked up in the middle of a typhoon right at the end."
"I had some weird stuff going down at my place," Rainbow commented.
"You mean aside from the wind and rain blowing people's houses apart?" Cobalt inquired.
Rainbow looked about blankly. "That's just it. My house was in one piece. Every other building on my block was wrecked, but my home was completely intact."
I almost jumped when I heard what Rainbow Sprint said. Her house wasn't damaged by the storm? That sounded just like what happened with my place. Could it be true?
"Funny you should say that," Cobalt said, "because that's the same thing that happened to my house. That is to say, nothing."
Tranquil scratched his chin. "Strange, very strange. Both my house and my clinic were in top condition too."
"Same with my house," Iron commented.
"As you would have noticed were it not dark outside, my own little shop is perfect as the day I moved in," Pachy finished.
I looked around the table. Every one of my new acquaintances was deep in thought, and rightfully so. With this information, the events that had transpired became all the more mysterious for me. They would only know that their homes and establishments had survived the maelstrom without so much as a scratch, but I knew better. Something protected their houses, and mine too.
"Steven?"
"Hmm... uh, what?" I'd drifted off in my thoughts and almost didn't notice Iron Buck trying to get my attention.
"What about your house?" he asked. "Did it get blown away by the hurricane?"
"No."
Iron spun his hat around his head. "So all of our homes and workplaces miraculously survived the storm. As a member of the town's construction team, I can report that almost every building in town needed at least some kind of repair after the typhoon ended. Of course I'm grateful for it, as I'm sure we all are, but how can it be that only our homes made it through unscathed?"
"Maybe it had something to do with that weird light I saw," Pachy Sandra announced.
All heads, including my own, turned to face the pegasister. "What weird light?" I asked curiously.
"Right before the storm started to peter out, I saw a white light appear over my house," Pachy explained to us. "It was so bright. I wasn't used to such a glow after a week of dimly-lit overcast skies."
I could only imagine what Twilight was thinking down in her backpack and how she was reacting to it. This surprised me even more than the unscathed house news. The only thing that made it even more shocking was when Daniel said, "Well, what do you know. I had something orange glowing over my place too, about the same time."
"There was some blue stuff over my head when the typhoon died down," Rainbow Sprint informed.
"I saw a bright yellow light swirling in the air above me right about then," Tranquil said.
"Me too," Cobalt put in, "only mine was pink."
"I had a light around my place as well, a purple one," I said without missing a beat, deciding to try and head the conversation this time. "If I understood everypony correctly, then we all had a bright light appear nearby just before the end of the hurricane. Pachy might be on to something. Maybe those lights had something to do with the storm miraculously subsiding."
Iron Buck nodded, plausibly impressed by my analysis. "If so, where did they come from? I doubt they were aircraft or birds."
"Maybe they were, y'know, final flashes marking the end of the storm," Rainbow offered.
"That's just the kind of thing a youngster would say, Sprinty," Tranquil chuckled, picking Rainbow's cap off her head and ruffling the girl's hair. "But seriously now, what in this world could explain what we saw?"
Exactly, Tranquil. In this world. I knew I couldn't tell them the truth, but I had to give them something. "Maybe... just maybe... it might have been a manifestation of our friendship. A foreshadowing of our inevitable gathering. Six lights, six of us."
"Do you think the colors of the lights hold significance, Steven?" Pachy asked. "Aside from apparently representing each of our favorite characters."
I know they hold significance, I thought vigorously, but there are some things in this world that can't become common knowledge. Just yet. "Aside from our choice of best pony? I don't know, Pachy."
"Maybe we're just over-analyzing this," Tranquil decided. "Whatever the case may be, we each saw a colored light that remarkably resembled each of our favorite ponies that may or may not symbolize something. Perhaps we could shelve the light business until we better understand it on our own? So we might be able to discuss something else."
Cobalt whistled. "Tranquil!" he said in a humored tone. "Since when do you turn down a challenge?"
"I'm not turning down nothing," Tranquil promised, staring wide-eyed at Cobalt. "There are just some other things that I really, really want to talk about. Namely, ponies."
Everybody, everypony, laughed at this. I could even feel Twilight's backpack vibrating slightly, giving away that the secret seventh member had seen the humor in that last statement. "I don't know what the big hurry is," Cobalt said, leaning back in his chair. "We've got all night. It's not as though the lights are gonna go out."
Something told me he shouldn't have said that.
With a loud popping sound, all the lights in Pachy Sandra's shop went out, plunging us all into darkness. All the bright glows that made the room feel magical were extinguished. The only source of light came from the next room, where moonlight trickled in through the display window in the storefront.
"Oh, come on!" Cobalt shouted from across the table. "This never happens in real life!"
"Welcome to our world," Tranquil chuckled. Aside from Cobalt, everypony else was reacting quite calmly to the sudden blackout, although from the way the backpack was wriggling, I could tell Twilight was worried about how the night would continue.
"Has this been happening often, Pachy?" Iron asked from my left.
I felt a swath of hair brush my face. Pachy must be shaking her head. "No. In fact, that's the first time I've ever had bulbs burn out at all. They were fine when Cobalt installed them."
"Cobalt installed the colorful lights?" I inquired, mildly surprised. "They're really pretty."
"Yeah, they were one of his first inventions," Rainbow Sprint piped up opposite me. "Also, that confetti launcher you saw earlier? His work. When Cobalt's not on duty or watching the show, he makes stuff."
"It's my dream to replicate the creations of Pinkie Pie," Cobalt said wishfully. "The confetti launcher was an adaptation of the party cannon, a hand-held version of it. Among the things I want to make are Pinkie's flying machine and her Welcome Wagon, from Griffon the Brush Off and A Friend in Deed respectively."
"Sounds awesome." No, really, what else could I say?
But Cobalt wasn't finished. "Another thing I've been working on was the fandom-inspired 'friendship cannon'. It's still only an idea, but I was hoping to create a laser-based weapon that could change intensity, so that it could either shoot a pretty shaft of light or an intense beam of any color."
"If he manages to do that, he could sell his idea to the military and make a bundle off it," Rainbow Sprint said.
"I dunno, Sprint," Cobalt said with a sigh. "I don't think I want anything I make to be used as a killing device."
"If that's the case, what would be the point of a powerful laser?" I had to ask.
"You do know there are other uses for lasers," Tranquil announced. "They're used in cosmetics, surgery, construction. The list goes on."
"We don't use lasers in our construction," Iron pointed out. "We mostly use over-sized equipment for moving big things up or knocking them down."
I nodded, despite nopony being able to see me. "That we do. But I respect Cobalt's choice. If he wants to keep his inventions safe and away from the warzone, that's fine with me."
"Same here!" three voices called out in unison.
Across the table, Cobalt sniffed. "Thanks guys. I'm glad you understand."
"Me too," Pachy said, "and not that I'm not thrilled by Cobalt's creations, but in case you somehow haven't noticed, we're still in the dark."
"Literally, metaphorically or ponily?" Rainbow asked.
"Ponil..... Oh, very clever, Sprint. Really witty."
"Sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood a bit."
"Why don't you try lighting the room instead?" Tranquil suggested, the screeching of a chair giving away the fact that he'd stood up. "Then we could continue with the meetup."
"We could always go on like this," Cobalt mused. "It'd be sort of black and grim, but we could still do it."
"Nopony wants to discuss bright and colorful ponies in the dark, Cobalt," Iron Buck declared. He sounded upset. Now that I thought about it, every one of my new friends was sounding down. With the lights out, they'd find it difficult to talk about that which made their lives bright and happy. This only made me depressed too, so I did something risky: I put my head under the table and opened Twilight's backpack.
The first thing I saw was light; a strong, purple glow that filled the backpack and almost forcefully streamed out. I silently hoped none of the other bronies noticed the flash that escaped. When my eyes got used to the bright light, I looked down at the backpack's sole occupant. Twilight was stretched out on the padding, smiling up at me but with concern in her eyes.
Hey Steven! she mouthed as emphatically as she could.
Hey, Twi, I mouthed back. You've probably heard the situation.
Blackout, yeah. Twilight stroked her chin. Little adorkable thing. I could come out and light up the rest of—
"No," I whispered, momentarily forgetting to be silent. I waited a moment until I was sure the others hadn't heard. It's not time. This is only our first night with them.
Twilight's ears flopped down. You're right. But she brightened immediately. Steven, use your magic!
I don't know, Twilight, I mouthed with a frown. I'm still not sure how to work it.
Just imagine what you want to do, Twilight explained, gesturing with her hooves to help. If you think about reactivating the bulbs, that should make it work. It might also help to think about the special things in your life. That's what I sometimes do when my magic is slow to start.
I took a moment to take in what Twilight told me. Okay, I'll try that. Thanks.
See you soon!
I picked up my head and quickly zipped the bag close. I resurfaced at the table just in time to rejoin a debate in the dark. "—but that wouldn't have happened if he didn't hold the dude's arms behind his back," Cobalt was saying.
"The arrests you make just keep getting more and more interesting," Tranquil muttered.
"Mm hmm," Rainbow exclaimed.
Iron was the first to notice my return and, in extension, my respite. "Welcome back, Steven. Enjoyed your breather?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, sure. Sorry about that, I just needed some time to think."
"Understandable," Pachy said from my right. "So, do you have any idea what we should do next?"
I struggled for the right words before saying them. "Maybe. But I was thinking we should wait a while longer."
Pachy slammed the tabletop, making us all jump. "You heard the brony. Continue!"
Cobalt got right into it. "Allyouhavetodoistakeacupofflour,addittothemix!Nowjusttakealittlesomethingsweetnotsour, abitofsaltjustapinch!Bakingthesetreatsissuchacinch,addateaspoonofvanilla!Addalittlemoreandyoucounttofour,andyounevergetyourfillof...Cupcakes!Sosweetandtasty!Cupcakes!Don'tbetoohasty!Cupcakes!CupcakescupcakesCUPCAKES!"
Crash!
Rainbow and Tranquil burst out laughing before Cobalt even hit the floor. Their laughter was so intoxicating it got Pachy, Iron and Cobalt chuckling along with them. If I hadn't been so focused on Twilight's plan, I'd have fallen in with them.
Okay, Steven. You've got this. Just hone your thoughts like Twilight said. I took a deep breath, trying for the first time in my life to push out laughter, just for a while. Filling my mind with my goal, I managed to mentally push out all the sound in the room, focusing solely on the burned-out bulbs above us. Then, remembering the way they shone before, I ducked my hands under the table out of sight and curled them into fists.
The buzzing started; first soft and quiet, but slowly growing louder. Peeking under the table, I saw light glint from between my fingers. I'd managed to activate the magic again. Now all I had to do was use it. I turned my head up towards the busted bulbs and tried to direct the energy in my hands into them.
And nothing.
Dammit. What am I not doing right? I had to do this fast, preferably before the others had calmed down. I thought back to the lamppost incident, trying to remember how I'd activated the magic then. When I first got the tingling feeling earlier, I was wishing that I could lift Twilight's spirits after she'd shared her thoughts. That's when it came to me. Now I know what to do.
I relaxed, rejecting sound and focusing on my goal, but this time I thought of something else as well: who I was doing it for. In my mind, I imagined all six of us sitting together in the light of the multicolored lamps. Around the table my new friends were laughing, blissfully unaware of what I was trying to do for them. When this thought crossed my mind, I found that I preferred things this way.
Then it happened. A rush of energy flowed into my arms, causing the light at my fingertips to brighten. Before it became noticeable, I mentally jabbed the power in my hands towards the ceiling, hopefully directing it at the bulbs. I heard Cobalt say "Wuh?" but quickly forgot it as the bulbs powered up, once again filling the room with their multicolored light and revealing the awed faces of my friends staring up at the ceiling.
I too looked up. The lightbulbs above us (of which there were six) were glowing merrily, their uniquely-hued glows shining down on us. I peeked under the table at my hands. The white light had disappeared and I could feel the hum of energy fade away, but it was there and it was real. Twilight's probably ecstatic, I thought, glancing down at her backpack. My magic just became a topic for the next half week. I brought my attention back to tabletop-level, where things were livening up a bit after that grim period.
"Woohoo!" Cobalt shrieked. "This party has re-started!" He pulled out his confetti launcher and fired off a round of streamers.
Rainbow Sprint leapt onto Tranquil and threw her arms around him, much to the brony's surprise and evident awkwardness. Pachy was smiling in relief. Iron stared up at the lights, never taking his eyes off of them. "The bulbs were burned out a minute ago," he muttered dazedly. "Now they're working again. Guys, what happened?"
"I dunno," Rainbow said with a shrug.
"Me neither," Pachy commented.
"Nothing here," Cobalt added.
Tranquil looked over at me and for a second, I wondered if he knew the truth. But then he asked, "Steven, do you have any idea what this is?"
I took a breath through my nostrils. "There could be any number of reasons," I said, the words flowing smoothly out of my mouth. "Maybe they were only flickering, or even more unlikely somebody came in and replaced the bulbs with new ones, but I doubt it. Sometimes there are things in the world that just don't make sense, and we just have to roll with it."
"Unless it was a terrorist who planted the bulbs and they're set to explode the next time somepony laughs," Cobalt said, aiming his confetti launcher at the lights.
"Now now, Cobalt," Iron said soothingly as Tranquil gently poked the weapon's barrel downwards. "Be realistic. As much as that's possible," he added when he saw the hysterical look Cobalt was giving him, "a terrorist would have to be extremely bored and bored of himself to attack the likes of us."
"Yeah, " Tranquil agreed. "What would a terrorist want with a couple of fan boys and girls?"
Cobalt looked like he was about to reply, but pulled back and lowered his confetti launcher. "Guess you're right. Still, it is nice to have the lights back on."
Pachy and Rainbow nodded. "Mm hmm."
"Yep," I said. Tranquil hummed contentedly.
Iron Buck smiled. "Great. Now that everypony's back to their normal happy selves, it's time to bring out the refreshments." He got up from his chair, picked up an ice chest that was sitting in the corner and plopped it on the table. "Some bronies may have been fantasizing ever since The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 aired, but you all probably weren't that crazy about the thought. And now that this is here, you never will be."
"What, where, why, huh?" Cobalt blurted.
"C'mon, Iron!" Rainbow Sprint grumbled. "What's in the box?"
"Imported." Iron turned the cooler around and flipped the lid off. He reached inside and pulled out a large jug full of amber liquid as well as six glasses. He moved the empty ice chest off the table and sat back down. "Anypony wanna take a guess?" he asked, tapping the jug.
Nopony spoke. Probably because all five of us had our eyes trained on the single pitcher sitting on the table. Before any of us could say something, Pachy jumped out of her seat and rushed into the shop, returning moments later with a tray of—
"Cider and cupcakes!" Rainbow Sprint squealed, rocking back and forth in her seat.
Excitement gripped the rest of us. Tranquil smiled appreciatively, but Cobalt shot two more rounds of confetti before returning his attention to the food and drink. Iron took a whiff of the aroma coming off Pachy Sandra's cupcakes and chuckled. "You know us too well, Pachy. Now we've got a balanced meal."
"Wherever did you get apple cider, Iron?" Pachy asked, handing out plates to all of us.
Iron started pouring cider into the glasses and passing them around. "My relatives own a farm out in the country, and yes, it includes an apple orchard. They've been living there long before Friendship is Magic, maybe even before MLP started. I gotta ask them about it sometime."
"So are they bronies too and do they regularly send you jugs of cider?" Cobalt asked just before digging into his plate of fresh baked goods.
"Only when I ask for some. I introduced them to the show a few months ago and they've taken to the fandom heartily. A clean, beautiful addition to the herd."
"'at's goo'," Rainbow said through a mouthful of cupcakes. She downed it with a swig of cider and continued. "Maybe you could introduce us."
"Idea with merit, Sprinty. Hey Steven, what's the holdup?"
"Huh?" I looked back at Iron, realizing that I'd been staring blankly at the cupcake Pachy and placed in front of me. It was quite pretty, as far as food goes, coated with purple icing and topped with a familiar pink star. Pachy does know me too well, and I've only known her for one evening. "Just admiring Pachy's handiwork."
"Hoofiwork," Cobalt hissed to Rainbow, at which the pegasister grinned and shook her head.
"Well, admire it properly and eat it."
Shaking my head, I picked up the cupcake and took a bite. A smile pulled itself across my face. "These are amazing." But I know somepony who would enjoy it more. "Pachy, could I have some cupcakes to take home with me?"
The pegasister florist beamed. "Absolutely." She pushed several cupcakes over to me along with some plastic wrap. "You take them and enjoy them."
"Thanks." I took the cupcakes and plastic wrap and bent under the table again. After carefully wrapping all but one of the cupcakes, I opened the bag and peered inside. Hey Twilight, I mouthed, once the unicorn had noticed me.
Twilight waved. Hi Steven! Then she saw the cupcakes. Her eyes went wide with anticipation. Ooooh. Are those what I think they are?
Yep. I've got some for home and one for you right now. I lowered the cupcakes inside the backpack, one unwrapped, the others packed. Enjoy.
Eeeeeee! Twilight lifted the cupcake, which was almost as big as she was, inside a levitation field, and promptly dropped it on her head. I waited until she poked her head out of the top... bottom of the cupcake. She looked up at me gleefully. What?
I shook my head and chuckled inwardly. You silly pony. Eat up.
Yum!
I sat up and closed the bag, leaving Twilight alone to spend some quality time with her dessert. At the table, Tranquil and Rainbow were talking to Iron about the cider and Cobalt was aimlessly stacking cupcakes as Pachy threw them at him. When he saw me, Iron was quick to draw me into the conversation. "What do you think of the cider, Steven?" he asked, pushing a glass towards me.
I picked up the cold glass in my hand and took a sip. The cider was cool and sweet, the familiar apple flavor bringing back good memories. Feeling a sudden urge, I quickly drained the glass and plonked it back down on the table with a content groan.
"Good stuff, Iron," I complimented. Then I pointed a finger at Rainbow Sprint and smiled smugly. "I downed it in ten seconds flat."
Rainbow grinned back. "Don't get too excited." She tapped the side of her glass. "Non-alcoholic."
"It's the only way to go," Tranquil remarked.
"Safe and steady," Pachy added.
"Pointless comment," Cobalt finished.
Iron clapped his hands in approval, then took the floor. "Now that we're all fed and watered (several of us snorted at that), how's about we live up to our fan-names and discuss A Canterlot Wedding?"
A mix of outbursts followed Iron's innocent query, among them excited gasps, human squees and chants of 'Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes'. What followed was an amazing discussion full of likes, dislikes, opinions, theories, cider, ships, stories and fan-art concerning the last two episodes of Season 2.
I loved every minute of it.
From Iron and Cobalt arguing over Chrysalis's being the best villain to Rainbow and Pachy's fangirling over the wedding ceremony being the first of its kind in the show, I experienced the brony fandom like never before. We reviewed the episodes on Pachy's computer and traded thoughts. Fortunately, I'd gotten the real story literally from the horse's mouth. Twilight had given me a full account of the events that transpired during the period of the Season 2 finale and I presented them to the others as personal theories, which were sometimes accepted and sometimes argued over.
Aside from that, we also sang along to some of the fan-made music and Cobalt showed us his latest artwork, depicting himself in FiM style fighting the changelings alongside Pinkie Pie. As I participated in more of the action, I realized how much I enjoyed interacting and just being with other bronies. Twilight was right: having friends to spend time with is a great thing, and that was without her pompously poking me through the backpack.
Finally, after a serious but levelheaded debate over what happened to the changelings, Tranquil announced, "It's been an awesome evening, great being with you guys again, but I really gotta get home."
I checked my watch: 21:48. We'd been talking and playing and laughing for almost three hours and I was only feeling fatigued now. "Guess it's time to wrap up for tonight," I said.
"Sure is," Iron agreed, "especially since we've got to go back to the park tomorrow to finish the gazebo."
"Flowers to arrange."
"Lawbreakers to track."
"Shelves to stock."
"Patients to treat."
Once my friends had finished listing their various tasks of tomorrow, I stood up. "If we are finishing for now, I just want to tell you all how much better you just made my life in a few hours. Until now, I'd kept my pony pastimes to myself, away from the eyes of the public, which included the rest of the herd. But after tonight, I'm ready to take on full-time participation in our awesome fandom. From here on out, it's out of the closet and into the crusading for me."
Iron immediately started applauding, clapping his hands as hard as he could. Pachy and the others quickly joined in, Cobalt doing his knuckle-striking. From under the table, I felt Twilight's backpack roll into my foot as the zipper opened, giving me a bird's-eye view of the purple pony inside it clapping along with the bronies. The praise they gave me filled my heart with pleasure and satisfaction, leaving me feeling accomplished. All I could do was smile warmly in reply.
When the last of the applause had died down, my new friends all stood up and gathered their stuff. Tranquil and Cobalt helped Pachy take things through the shop and into her kitchen while Rainbow, Iron and I hung back. "It'll be nice seeing you around town sometime, Steven," Rainbow Sprint said.
"Be nice seeing you too, Sprint," I replied, carefully lifting Twilight's bag from the floor. Once everything had been tidied up, we all gathered on the shop's doorstep. Pachy Sandra stood in the doorway and we each gave her a farewell brohoof, Sprint giving her a hug. "Goodnight, everypony," Pachy said.
"May Luna protect your dreams," Tranquil wished upon us.
"Gotta gallop!" Rainbow whooped, zipping down the street, only to turn around and call out, "G'night, guys!"
Cobalt shook his head and sighed. "Better get after her, in case she hits something. Good thing my house is in the same general direction." He gave me and Iron a brohoof and set off after Rainbow.
Tranquil came forward and put a hand on my shoulder. "Be strong, Sparkle. Don't let hate consume you." He clapped Iron on the back and headed down the street, humming Find a Pet audibly.
Pachy watched as the tall brony disappeared into the darkness. "You guys have a good week, you hear?" she said to us.
"You got it, Pachy," Iron replied.
"We'll do our best," I said, adjusting Twilight's backpack.
"Tonight was great," Pachy breathed, looking up at the star-filled sky. "It's a beautiful world we live in, as long as we keep it that way. Friendship is Magic has helped me appreciate even the bad things in life, so even when disaster strikes, I can stay composed and keep up what I do."
"An achievement to be proud of," I remarked.
Iron nodded in agreement. "Quite."
"You guys are awesome." Pachy brohoofed us both. "Well, goodnight."
"Goodnight, Pachy."
The Rarity pegasister closed the door to her shop and Iron and I left. We walked through the town together, cherishing the silence of dusk. We stopped under the streetlamp that, unknown to Iron Buck, I'd magicked back into full power with Twilight's guidance. Unsurprisingly, it was still aglow.
"Some night, eh?" Iron said.
"Hmm? Oh yeah. It was really great."
"Eyuup. Maybe next time we'll be able to discuss some past pony affairs, now that the wedding's been thoroughly analyzed."
"Maybe." I looked up at the bright lightbulb above, thoughts swirling in my head like the epic hurricane that had raged across the country. Talking with Iron and the other bronies left me with less time to think my words through than I was used to. "There's just so much I missed out during the time I was hiding myself. I may have told everypony else that I'm ready to be more active, but in all honesty I don't know if I can. I feel like I'm behind."
Iron put an arm around my shoulder. "Hey. Let me tell you something, Steven. You may be behind. You may be antisocial. Heck, you might even be confused. But that's why we're here: to help you get used to spending time with others. To get you more involved in the brony community. To make you feel welcome. That's one of the responsibilities of a brony: helping fellow herdmates feel like they belong. Because they do, whether they be straight, gay, lesbian, furry or anything that doesn't come to mind right now."
I smiled. Iron's words made me proud of myself, but it was more how he said it than what it was he said. The way he spoke demonstrated a great deal of benevolence, but it was clear that he was earnest too. I wouldn't expect anything less from a dedicated Applejack brony.
"Thanks, Iron." Judging by the way Twilight was prodding my backside, I had somewhere to be. "Sorry I can't stick around any longer, but I really gotta get home."
"Alrighty then." Iron turned on his heels, then spun back around. "Oh, almost forgot!" He reached into his own backpack and produced a clear bottle of apple cider. "I want you to have this. Take it home, enjoy it for some time."
I took the bottle from him and held it in my hands. Cool and clear, just like the cider he'd served earlier. "Thanks a bunch, Iron." I know just what to do with this.
"My pleasure. Well, see you tomorrow." He held up his hand palm down and balled it up. "Brohoof?"
I raised my fist and knocked it into his, beaming proudly. "Brohoof."
Our fists clanked together. Then I remember something that had piqued my interest all during the meetup. "Iron—"
"Steven, you can still call me by my real name if it's easier for you."
I stared at my friend, feeling happy that I could think of him as nothing less than that. "Cobalt kept doing something with his knuckles. What was that?"
Daniel chuckled. "Seasons 1, episode eight, Twilight claps her hooves together in anticipation of her first slumber party. Some bronies have come to call this particular action 'clopping', which had stirred up some confusion at the time. But Cobalt doesn't care about people's twisted view of things and happily imitates the ponies' applause. But don't try it just—"
Clack! "Ooh!"
"—just yet. Yeah, Cobalt's done it so many times, his knuckles are strong and can take the impact. But the rest of us aren't nearly as immersed in it as he is so we're not quite ready."
I flapped my stinging fingers. "Yeah, I get it."
Daniel laughed and gently squeezed my hands. "You take care now. Goodnight, Steven."
"Godnight, Daniel."
Iron Buck set off down the street for his home. I watched him turn a corner, and all I could think about was the past three hours I spent with my new friends. "Make new friends," I muttered, "but keep the old."
Prod prod. "And judging by that, I'd say the 'old' friend wants to go home." I shrugged, just enough so that I was sure Twilight felt it. "Very well, we're going home. Just get yourself ready for a ton of snuggling and an intense bath. We'll have to get all that icing off of you."
The entire backpack shivered at my words, betraying Twilight's enthusiasm. Guess there's no point delaying any further. With a well-spent evening behind me, I headed on home with my little pony, happily thinking on the endless input and thoughts we'd have to trade with each other over a late-night cup of cider.