//------------------------------// // 2. Catching up and a new friend // Story: Life in ponyville: Back from Manehattan // by Lightning Crystal //------------------------------// I woke up the next day and went to my kitchen to get something to eat, but when I opened my fridge it was empty. "Forgot that I have no food here, should go buy some more later." I said aloud to myself as I walked to the living room. I decided to thoroughly check the house, just to make sure that Vinyl didn't break anything, and cover it up. I looked for about an hour before my stomach growled at me for food. "Clam down, i'll go get some now." I Said to my belly I walked out of my house and headed to a restaurant, but as I was heading there I felt like I was being followed, I didn't pay much attention to it so I just kept walking. Once I got to the restaurant and ordered my food I sat and waited, it was nice being in the quiet buildings of Ponyville, in Manehattan the most quiet I got was three seconds at a time. I breathed in deeply so that I could savor the smells, the oh so delicious smells. "That looks good." I heard this random pony say, I looked around and didn't find anypony near me. I decided to just eat it and be done, but a bit after I started eating I got sick, I looked closely at my food and didn't see anything wrong with it, but then I remembered that I didn't get much sleep. I stood up and asked for a take out bag and they gave me one, so I put my food in it. I walked outside and started heading to the field that I agreed to meet up with the others, but on my way there I heard crying coming from an alley, so I checked it out. I saw this mare, she was greeenish and her mane was a dark blue, but she didn't have a cutiemark, which was odd cause she looked to be around my age. I walked up to her and tapped her. "AHHHHH!" She yelled and scooted away "w-what d-do you want?" She asked. "I want to know why you were crying." I replied. "I-i don't have anything to eat." She said. "Then why not ask your mom to get you something to eat?" I asked. "I don't have a family either." She said flatly, obviously trying to lay down some guilt. "Oh." I said. I looked at her and felt bad about what I said I didn't know she was homeless. I sighed and handed over my food that I was going to eat earlier. "here you can have this." I said while rubbing the back of my head. "now go on and take it already." She took the bag of food and looked inside it. "T-this is for me?" She asked. "Yeah, listen I got to go so if you ever see me again don't hesitate to ask for some food." I replied. She ran up to me and hugged me tightly. "Thank you, nopony's ever been this nice to me before." She said while lightly crying, but I could tell those were tears of joy. "listen my name's Shi, and i'm glad you did this for me." She sad and then she kissed my cheek. I blushed very deeply to where I could feel like I was going to get heat sickness. "Hey no problem I was just trying to help." She walked off, and I went my own direction. I then facehoofed "I didn't tell her my name." It took me about five minutes but I got to the field, but nopony was there, I looked around. "Hello!" I yelled. Nopony was there, it was kinda odd. "Hello!" I heard Lyra yell. She then came running up to me and hugged me. "Good to see you too, Lyra." I said as I hugged her back. "Lyra don't do that!" Bon Bon said as she ran up to Lyra and I. "No I don't mind it too much." I told her. Octavia came out from the tree line and walked over, she was wearing the bow tie I gave her. "Hello Lightning" She said. "Hey Tavi, I see you're wearing the bow tie I gave you." I replied. "It was a nice sentiment, and it always made me feel as though you were right on stage with me, giving me encouragement." She told me with a slight laugh. "I see you found everypony else." Vinyl said as she walked past me from behind. "Yeah, but isn't there one missing?" I asked. "Oh if you mean that mare that chased after me when I slammed you onto the ground, she actually left you a note." Vinyl said as she handed me the letter. Dear Lightning I am sorry that I can not be there to see you again, but I got this new job with the weather factory, so I need to work year round, I will try to see you when I get some vacation time, again I am deeply sorry Sincerely Silver Wing "I have a feeling that we won't talk again for longer than three months." I said with a chuckle. "Yeah you might not, but at least you have us again, ain't that right Octy?" Vinyl said. "That is correct, and I thought I told you not to call me that." Octavia said obviously pissed off. "You two never change." Lyra said. "so Lightning, do you have something to tell me?" She added. "Oh right." I patted Lyra on the head. "Yes humans exist." I said. Lyra made a sqee sound and all of us laughed. I looked at the sky and sighed remembering how I meet all of them. I made Lyra happy by telling her what she wanted to hear, I apologized to Bon Bon for saying humans existed, I found Octavia playing her cello in this field, and I meet Vinyl after she smashed a vase over my head. All of those fond memories is what kept me going when I lived in Manehattan. "oh yeah, I have something for you guys." I said. "What is it?" They all asked. I reached into my saddle bag and pulled out different articals of clothing. "Vinyl this is yours." I said as I handed her a grey hoodie with blue stripes on it. "Whoa thanks." She replied. "Octavia, this one's for you." I gave Octavia a suit it was made of elegant silk and it was very fine. "I appreciate this very much." Octavia said. "Lyra's." I got her a nice red and white hat, it had a feather in it's rim. "Nice, just like a human." Lyra said with a gleam in her eye. "and finally Bon Bon." she had a cheff's hat made to look like a candycane. "It looks like candy, I love it, did you make this?" Bon Bon asked. "I made all of them, the fashion school helped me improve my work." I replied. They all hugged me and I hugged back we were all laughing and just having a good time in general. "I'm back." I thought to myself "and i'm not leaving."