Coming Attractions

by Rouis

Chapter Eight: The Ponies: An Unexpected Journey

A bump in the road shook the caravan, knocking Silver Screen from the arms of blissful sleep right into the hard forceful fists of the floor. Hoisting himself up, the forest green unicorn let his mind come back to the land of the waking. “Haul must of got an early start this morning.” The still sleepy pony said to himself. Reaching out with his magic Silver got a lock onto his usual vestments, and pulled his only piece of the clothing out of the quite unnecessary wardrobe dressing himself in the usual pinstripe black vest that always adorned him. Finally placing on his glasses, the unicorn surveyed himself in the long mirror. Same Brown mane, Same short tail, and same old inferiority complex! Silver thought to himself before he surveyed the situation inside of the caravan just to make sure everything was okay.

In a corner on Long Haul’s designated side of the caravan the shape of a unicorn mare was visible underneath a pile of bedding, her form shifted slightly in a restless tumble. Her identity was that of Lemon Drop of the Trottingham lemon family. She had been traveling with them since they had left Trottingham three days ago. A head topped with a pale yellow mane peaked out from under the sheets, and two blue eyes fluttered open looking upon Silver Screen. “Morning.” The mare said groggily.

“Oh hey Lemon Drop.” Silver Screen said as he went over a window that let one look out the front end of the caravan. With a small pop the window came open to the command of Silver Screen’s magic, and the vest clad stallion looked out the window to see what was going on outside.

Long Haul as he had been for the past three days was hitched up to the front of the caravan, and at a casual pace pulled it towards their first destination: Hoofington. His ears swiveled back at the noise of the window coming open, and came to a stop. “Morning Sleepy Screen.” He said while unhitching himself from the caravan. “I guess now is a good a time as any to take a break.” Haul added as he hoofed around to the rear of the caravan and stepped up into the innards of their literally mobile home. The crimson giant noticed Lemon Drop rising from her slumber. “Oh good morning Drop, you get any sleep?”

Lemon Drop got up onto her hooves, and made her way over to the caravans only mirror. The sight before her showed a pure disaster area, also known as any mare’s worst morning enemy: Bed-Mane. “Eep!” She shrieked before quickly snapping up a brush in her magic to comb her mane back into something socially acceptable. “Don’t look at me!” The mare yelled while furiously styling her mane. “Oh no.”

“Oh no?” Long Haul asked.

“YEAH!” Screamed a masculine voice from outside the caravan as a hulking white pegasus burst in through the door, knocking it off the hinges. The pegasus dropped a brown package on the floor of the caravan, and then just as quickly as he appeared he flew away on two tiny wings that seemed way too small to support his large frame.

“Oh Silver it seems we have mail!” Long Haul announced as he turned around to see Silver Screen lying on the floor frightened.

“Is he gone?” The semi-catatonic unicorn asked.

Lemon Drop gave a heavy sigh, and went over to help her new boss back up. “You really need to work on being just a bit braver. I think my brother has more nerve than you do sometimes.”

Silver Screen made it back onto his hooves and looked at the newly acquired parcel wrapped in a simple brown paper. “Lemon Drop, you never did tell us what you told your family. Did you say anything to your brother before you left?”

Lemon Drop made her way over to a window, and looked out at the blue skies ahead of them. “I told him that he needed to be brave. I told him that I couldn’t stay at home anymore after seeing what mom was capable of, and I told him that if he does not feel comfortable he could go stay with Short Stack and his wife for a little. Kind of selfish of me huh?” She gave a heavy sigh as a single tear left her eyes. She resumed her composure, and made her way back over to the duo who stood silent while staring at the box. “Well go on then, open it!” Lemon Drop said.

Long Haul bent down and bit on a bit of the paper. He then tore it off piece by piece until the box underneath the wrappings was made available. “Don’t go helping me now.” He sarcastically remarked to the two unicorns in the room.

“Fine I was having fun watching you bite the box, but I’ll spoil the fun and use magic.” Silver Screen opened the box and levitated out three books, a letter, and some haycakes on a plain plate.

“Sweet Celestia, they sent haycakes!” Shouted a starving Long Haul who proceeded to lunge onto the plate while shouting. “Mine!”

Silver Screen resisted the urge to separate his friend from the beloved haycakes provided from their package and opened the letter. The forest colored unicorn squinted for a moment before reading the letter out loud.

Dear Silver Screen, Long Haul, and presumably Lemon Drop,

I hope this package finds you in the best of health, and spirits. (And if my new pegasus friend was correct: quickly as well) Enclosed in this package you should find three novels I have written in my spare time at the bookstore. I do hope they make up for that piece of vam-pony garbage you had to read last time. I wish you the best of luck in your travels wherever you may go, or happen to be going at the moment.

- Page Bound

P.S. I have included my address in case you wish to let me know your feedback on my novels.

“Aww she sent us some books!” Silver happily said after he finished reading the letter.

Lemon Drop looked at Long Haul who was just about done eating the former stack of haycakes which now resembled piles of dough scattered on a plate. “That still does not account for Long Haul’s,” She paused to consider how to phrase the rest of her curious statement. “Haul.” Almost on cue a second piece of paper slid out from behind the one Silver Screen had been reading.

“Haycakes.” Long Haul happily said.

Silver Screen gently set the first letter down, and grabbed out with his magic for the newly noticed parchment. “Well this appears to answer that question.” Silver Screen said before clearing his throat and resuming narration.

Hey Silver Screen, and Long Haul!

It’s Java Chip here! Stackiekins and I just wanted to once again wish you a safe trip. Things at the diner have never been better, although we do miss having our neighbors across the way. We have used the bits you paid us with for the caravan to begin making a nursery for the little ones at home. I’m still going to hold you to your promise, and expect to see you both here in one piece soon! Please keep safe!

- Your other parents, Java Chip & Short Stack

P.S. This is Short Stack here, I hope you enjoy the enclosed haycakes. ( Page Bound has ensured us that her tiny winged friend will be able to get them to you by the end of today.) P.S.S I know how fond you two are of my haycakes ( Long Haul moreso) so as a present to my two best customers I’m going to tell you the secret to my haycakes: I add cider to mix.

Lemon Drop was surprised at the admission of Short Stack’s fabled secret ingredient. “Huh, who knew one ingredient made the difference.” She commented.

“It makes all the difference!” Long Haul shouted. “Well then, I shall leave you two to your books, and bed-mane respectively.” With that said the large pony stepped over the broken door, and outside to hitch himself back up to continue the day’s journey.

Back inside the caravan Silver Screen trotted over to his bed and sat down. He took a quill and an empty book over with him, and began to write something down within its pages. While focusing on the task at hoof he asked a favor of the other unicorn in the room. “Lemon Drop could you please set those books and the letter on the shelf? Consider it your first official task as an employee.”

Lemon simply nodded, and once she had finally finished taming the beast that was bed-mane she got to work: A task that took all of twelve seconds. The idle unicorn sat bored for a minute before she snuck up on the focused Silver Screen. “What are you writing down?” She asked.

“Little things about what has happened today, and some ideas for what to show next.” He replied while remaining focused on the task at hoof.

Lemon Drop looked let down that the answer was not something more interesting. “So what exactly will I be doing?” She asked.

Silver Screen chuckled slightly. “Pretty much you’ll be doing everything that Long Haul, or I can’t. We have gotten by on just showing the performance and charging admission, but now our expenses have doubled due to being on the road. We have just the plan to help us get by.” And then some. Silver Screen thought to himself. “It’s simple really. We already provide the entertainment, and now we will also provide the food. Concessions is our ticket to living the traveler’s lifestyle comfortably.” Silver Screen grinned at the thought of their new plan.

“Sounds interesting enough I guess.” Lemon Drop said before she got up and made her way over to the door. “I’m gonna go out and check on Long Haul.” She announced. Lemon Drop hopped out of the caravan and adjusted her speed to match that of the caravan while she made her way around to the front. “Hi Long Haul! What are you doing?”

“Pulling.” Long Haul replied.

“Anything else?” Lemon Drop asked with a hint of desperation in her voice.

“Nope.” Long Haul answered.

“Oh.” Lemon Drop said as she shifted her gaze downwards. Well, this has gone boring faster than you can say lemon meringue. She thought.

After a few minutes of silent trotting Long Haul spoke up. “Hey Drop I do have one question. Have you ever been to Hoofington?”

Lemon Drop perked up immediately at the prospect of conversation. “Well just once when I was a little filly, my Uncle Cave lives there. My mom wouldn’t let us visit him after something involving exploding lemons.” Lemon Drop tried picturing her Uncle Cave, but found the passage of time to have taken a toll on her memories of that side of her family. “It’s a nice little town although it’s smaller than Trottingham, and last I heard they were having some problem with little bugs that ate most of the food.”

Almost as if on cue, out of nowhere the sound of polka music erupted into their ears. Out from the woods on the side of the road erupted a pink earth pony mare with a poofy cotton candy like mane. Long Haul’s mouth dropped open as his internal suspicions were confirmed upon noticing the mare’s cutie mark of three balloons. Various musical instruments covered the mare’s body as she performed a one pony polka polka band routine, and then when the scene could not get any weirder a flurry of fuzzy insects erupted from the woods. The small buzzing creatures happily fluttered across the road, and into the woodlands on the other side. Once the cavalcade of insects had finished their crossing the mare gave a wink to the audience, and continued leading the creatures on their march leaving a trail of confetti in her wake.

The two ponies sat there in front of the stopped caravan for a few minutes before Silver Screen came out to look at the two flabbergasted ponies. “Did I miss something?” He asked.

Long Haul simply stood with his mouth still open, while Lemon Drop answered Silver Screen’s question. “You wouldn’t believe us if we told you.” She stated. Lemon Drop then shook her head, and went back to go inside of the caravan.

Silver Screen looked at the confetti and spied a peculiar piece which seemed to have something written on it. “Huh, that’s odd.”

Long Haul snapped out of his surprised trance, and looked at a peculiar roadsign ahead of him. “Oh Silver when did you get out here?” He asked before squinting his eyes to read the sign before them. “Hey! We are only a short bit away from town according to the sign” Long Haul announced as he noticed his companion reading something on a piece of the dropped confetti. “What does it say?” Long Haul asked.

“That’s the strangest thing. I can read it, but it does not make any sense at all.” Silver Screen levitated the confetti piece over to his friend.

Long Haul looked at the piece of confetti with an expression almost as puzzled as Silver Screen’s had been. “Huh, that is strange.” He agreed.

“Oh well, I’m gonna head back inside. Let’s get this show on the road buddy, We’ve got ponies to entertain!” Silver Screen said as he made his way back inside of the caravan. Once inside he was greeted to the sight of Lemon Drop prancing about while singing a song to herself. “Am I interrupting something?” He asked.

Lemon Drop’s eyes widened in horror at the fact that she had been seen dancing by herself. “No! Not at all!” She shouted as she went back to her bed and sat down. Lemon Drop noticed the piece of confetti floating about Silver Screen, and used this opportunity to change the subject of the conversation. “What’s that?” She asked.

Silver Screen floated the confetti over to her. “It’s the strangest thing, there is a message on it but I have no idea what it’s supposed to mean.”

Lemon Drop wracked her mind for a moment before she read the odd message out loud. She could have sworn she heard a faint feminine giggle off in the distance as she read it.