The train doors hissed open, and I stepped out onto the platform. I took a deep breath of cool, frosty air, and let out a sigh that left a puff of steam floating in front of me. It felt so good to be back in Ponyville, after the week I’d had.
“Dave!”
I knew that voice! A gray blur collided with my torso, almost knocking me back into the train as a pair of forelegs wrapped around me.
“Derpy!” I cried, reciprocating the hug as best I could. “What a welcome to come back to! I’ve missed you!”
“I missed you too, neighbor,” she said, giving me one of her ‘goggle-eyed’ smiles. “I was just finishing my shift when I saw you come in. Our little side of Ponyville isn’t quite the same without you. What have you been up to?”
“Long story. I can tell you on the way.”
“All right!”
Derpy released me and fluttered beside me as we went off out of the station. Now that I could see her fully, I could see that, not only was she wearing the scarf I’d commissioned for her, but it looked like she, like me, had put on a bit of holiday pudge. She must have noticed where my eyes strayed, because she gave me a sheepish grin and patted her protruding stomach.
“Yeah, I let myself get a little porky over the holidays.”
“Oh, I wasn’t trying to imply-” I began, hastily.
“No, no, it’s ok,” said Derpy, sincerely. “A lot of ponies get like this after Hearth’s Warming. Plus, I am like the worst of chocoholics, Dave, and I know it. Sparkler’s always trying to convince me to cut down, and I always promise I will, but...well, it’s never until it’s too late,” she added, ruefully. “I wish I had her metabolism. That girl of mine could eat Sugarcube Corner itself and still not gain a pound.”
“I’m trying to slim down as well,” I said. “At least 10 pounds before the start of spring. New Year’s resolution and all.”
“I think you can do it,” said Derpy, brightening up again. “You’re a hard worker, Dave. Just look at how you and the Crusaders stuck to putting that cart together.”
I smiled back at her, glad of her support.
“So, where’ve you been the last week?” she asked.
“In Canterlot,” I said. “It all started last Wednesday, after my trip to Cloudsdale the day before…”
***
By the time we reached our neck of the woods, I’d regaled Derpy with the events of the last week. However, I left out the bit about Lightwing and the note. I didn’t want her to fuss about a false accusation made against me. In any case, she was already agog about the Crystal Empire.
“Wow,” she breathed. “I had no idea…”
“I’m planning to deliver an official speech to Ponyville on the subject,” I said. “I just need to wait for the princesses’ approval. Just, don’t tell anyone else yet.”
She nodded to show she understood.
“This is some big stuff you’ve got going on, Dave,” she said. “To think you first arrived in Ponyville having to start from scratch. Now look at you: ready to deliver a speech on behalf of the princesses. Your noodle arms are just full of surprises.”
“Er, thanks, Derpy,” I said, hoping that was a compliment. “It’s been a heck of a time, these last several months, and I doubt I’ve seen the craziest.”
Derpy giggled.
“Well, you probably wanna settle in after your trip,” she said. “The kids are out and about right now, but they’ll be glad to know you’re home again. I know I am.”
She gave me a quick squeeze around the shoulders, then flew off toward her own house. I took a quick look about. There was no sign of activity in Moonlight’s home. Curious, I knocked on the door.
“Moonlight?”
No answer. I knocked again.
“Moonlight?”
Still no answer. Maybe she was at Sugarcube Corner. Well, once I’d settled in, I’d head down there, see her, Pinkie, and the Cakes.
As I came in through the front door, I saw a package sitting right beside it inside. Puzzled, I bent down to take a closer look, just to make sure it really was for me. When I saw that it was, I picked it up and brought it with me to the kitchen table. It was kind of heavy, and since I already had my saddlebag to deal with, I felt a little off balance. However, I managed to place it on the table. Curious as to what it could possibly be, I opened it up.
Inside was a compact brew-maker, kind of like the Keurig brand back home. Included with it was a new coffee cup and many different packs for making different kinds of teas, coffees, and hot chocolates. There was also a card, and flipping it open, the mystery of who had sent it was solved.
“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Dave!
From Carrot, Cup, Pound, and Pumpkin Cake”
Now I remembered. Mr. Cake said their gift for me had been placed on back-order. Well, I could honestly say it was well worth the wait. They’d be glad to know it had arrived safe and sound. I put it in pride of place on my kitchen counter, along with the coffee cup, then set about unpacking.
***
Ahh...it felt good to get out of those stuffy Canterlot clothes and back into more casual duds. All I had to do now was wait for the princesses to approve my speech, then I’d probably have to ask the mayor to arrange a town meeting for it. In the meantime, I’d have to catch up on what I’d missed while I was away. For one thing, I was woefully behind on my piano practicing, so I had to get back into the swing of that right away. For another, I had to finish the sign for the Brimstone Lounge. But for now, a visit to Sugarcube Corner was in order.
The streets seemed oddly quiet as I headed down. It couldn’t be because of the weather. It was no colder than any other day so far, and there was no blizzard going on. This was peculiar.
I opened the door to Sugarcube Corner, the familiar smell of at least a dozen different baked goods greeting my nostrils as I did so. Barely 3 seconds later,
“WELCOME BACK, DAVE!”
I was so glad I didn’t have a weak heart, otherwise I might have keeled over on the spot. As it was, my heart took a bit of time to calm down again, during which I took in the scene around me. It was very familiar: a lot of ponies crowding around, beaming at me, balloons and streamers decorating the place, and there, in the center of it all, was Pinkie, her toothy smile as bright as a lighthouse beacon.
“There’s the man of the hour!” she chirped, bouncing over and nuzzling right up against me. “Welcome back, Davie!”
“Pinkie!” I spluttered. “How could you possibly have known when I would be back?”
“I asked Derpy if some of her coworkers could keep an eye out for trains coming back from the frozen north, so I planned in advance for it.”
“Wow,” I said, impressed. “Really?”
Pinkie giggled so heartily that she snorted.
“Nope! Pinkie Sense!”
“Oh. Guess I should have seen that coming. You seriously threw together a party just for my returning to Ponyville?”
“Of course! You were overdue for a few occasions I missed, and everypony here missed having you around, so I thought it was perfect!”
“Thanks, everypony,” I said, a slight huskiness to my voice. “This really means a lot to me, all of you going to so much trouble.”
“You’re worth the trouble, dude,” said Lyra.
Everypony nodded or made noises of agreement. Bless them.
“All righty, everypony!” said Pinkie. “Now that Davie’s here, let’s get this party started!”
Tumultuous cheers filled the room, and before long, I was being swarmed by ponies, all asking me about what I’d been up to be away for so long. I told them I would be making a big speech about what I’d been up to soon enough, and that I’d been away in Canterlot on ‘official business’. There were some who wanted to know what this official business was, but I just said ‘wait and see’. Thankfully, that seemed good enough for them, and the party progressed more or less normally after that. It looked like Twi and the others hadn’t told anypony about the Empire, either.
The Crusaders were among the partygoers, and the first chance they got, they bounced around my legs in a circle, yelling ‘Dave’s back! Dave’s back!’, and it took a while for them to settle down. Finally, however, they stopped their dance.
“So what have you girls been up to?” I asked. “Any new Crusades?”
“Just one,” said Apple Bloom. “Cutie Mark Crusaders Snow Sculptors!”
“Really?” I asked, puzzled. “Didn’t you already do that by making Fort Hooves?”
“Oh, no-no-no,” said Dinky, with the air of one explaining a difficult math problem. “That was Cutie Mark Crusaders Fort Building. We were making snow sculptures! Totally different!”
“Totally,” agreed Scootaloo.
“Er, if you say so,” I said, deciding to play along. “And how did it go?”
“Not so well,” said Sweetie Belle, ruefully. “I was fine with making snow ponies, but the others wanted to make the world’s biggest snow pony.”
“It was gonna be the best thing ever!” said Scootaloo, with sad longing. “But when we tried to lump the snow together, it got messy and didn’t look anything like a pony.”
“But then we thought we could save it,” said Apple Bloom, “and make it into one of them ‘cereal’ works of art.”
“You mean ‘surreal’?” I asked.
“Yeah!” said Apple Bloom. “Cuz that just means art that looks weird, right?”
“Well, if you want to look at it that way,” I said. "Though I think 'abstract' is the word you're looking for."
“Well, we made it look weird, all right,” said Sweetie Belle, “but still no cutie marks.”
“Ohh,” I said, sympathetically. “Sorry, girls.”
“And then Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon went by,” said Dinky.
“Uh oh,” I muttered. “What did they do, laugh?”
“Well, yeah,” said Apple Bloom, “but…”
She tailed off. I raised an eyebrow.
“But what?” I prompted.
“Well, they laughed, but, it wasn’t like they were really laughin’ at us,” said Apple Bloom, sounding as though she couldn’t believe what she was saying.
“Just laughing at the sculpture,” said Dinky. “They didn’t even say anything to us.”
“We think they might be sick or something,” said Sweetie Belle.
“Yeah,” said Scootaloo. “When those two waste an opportunity to make fun of us, something’s gotta be up.”
Now that was unusual. From what the Crusaders had told me when we’d met, and from what I’d seen when I first met Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, it seemed like those two were determined to make their lives miserable. Now they weren’t even bothering to insult them when they’d made a mistake? Maybe…
“Well, is this necessarily a bad thing?” I asked. “Are you saying you want them to bully you?”
“No!” said the four of them, simultaneously.
“Then there’s nothing to worry about. Don’t let them bother you, even if they’re not doing it directly. Whatever’s up with them isn’t worth worrying about.”
“Ok, if you say so,” said Scootaloo, though all four of them still looked unsure.
“We do have a new Crusade in mind, Dave,” said Apple Bloom, perking up again.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yep! We’re gonna need the biggest rubber band we can find, a buncha frisbees, a bag of marbles, a golf club, and a gallon of bubble soap!”
She and her companions beamed widely at this, but I felt at a loss for what to say. After that, they rejoined the party, leaving me completely baffled. What on Earth would they need stuff like that for?
“Well, here’s the elusive Mr. Dave!”
I looked up. Bon Bon and Lyra were trotting right toward me. It might have just been me, but there was something...different about the way Lyra was carrying herself. Her belly looked as if it’d shrunken a little bit. Not a whole lot, but just noticeable. Bon Bon looked much the same as ever.
“Hi, girls,” I said.
I was glad to see them, sure enough, but I was also a bit nervous. I was behind on my piano practice, and I’d been set back slightly in my diet and exercise plan. They were sure to notice something.
“Good to see you again!” said Bon Bon. “Been keeping up with your diet and exercise while you were away?”
“As best I could,” I said. “It looks like you two have,” I added, hoping to distract from the ambiguity of my answer. “Lyra, you look great!”
“Thanks, Dave,” said Lyra, looking pleased. “I feel great, too!”
Bon Bon smiled. However, as she looked back at me, she suddenly went rigid, and her eyes narrowed. I felt a shiver go down my spine. Her expression was exactly like a parent’s when they detect evidence of a child’s wrongdoing. She took a couple of sniffs.
“What’s that I smell on you, Dave?” she asked, in a would-be casual voice.
“What are you talking about?” I asked. “I know I put deodorant on today.”
“Oh, it’s not that,” she said.
She took a long, deep sniff, as though smelling something beyond normal olfactory sensations.
“It’s…pizza,” she said, finally. “You had pizza recently, didn’t you?”
Lyra put a hoof to her mouth in shock.
“Dave!” she gasped. “Pizza? On your diet? Without me?”
“Lyra!” snapped Bon Bon.
“What?”
How in the name of Doyle had she found out? I wasn’t even wearing the same clothes from that day!
“I...I...Come on, girls, it slipped my mind!” I said, defensively. “Twilight and the girls had just come back! In the excitement, everything just kinda...You know!”
“Dave, Dave, Dave,” said Bon Bon, sadly, shaking her head. “How do you expect to get anywhere if you don’t stick to the regimen? I mean, pizza, for pony’s sake! That’s one of the worst offenders!”
“I know, I know, and I’m sorry!” I said, guiltily. “I just forgot!”
“Well, be sure not to forget again, Dave,” said Bon Bon.
She wasn’t yelling, but part of me wished she had. The cold disappointment was torturous. I felt like a bad child caught stealing from the cookie jar.
“Oh, don’t act so high and mighty on him, Bonnie,” Lyra said, suddenly.
“And what is that supposed to mean?” asked Bon Bon, raising an eyebrow.
“I caught her smuggling mini-chocolates one night, Dave,” Lyra said to me. “She can dish it out, but she can’t take it.”
Bon Bon’s face turned a brilliant shade of magenta.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Lyra!” she spluttered. “I wasn’t ‘smuggling’ them! I was moving them to a better storage container. Certain chocolates have different consistency depending on the temperature they’re kept in,” she added, in the lofty voice of a scholar.
“Oh, don’t gimme that, Bonnie,” said Lyra, unconvinced. “The proof is in the pudding. Or, in this case, the pudding belly.”
“Excuse me?” asked Bon Bon, indignantly. “I do not have a pudding belly!”
“Wanna bet?”
Before Bon Bon could do anything or speak in protest, Lyra prodded her stomach with her hoof, and I distinctly saw it sink in, as if she were poking a marshmallow. Bon Bon’s mouth scrunched up, as though trying to suppress a giggle, but she looked furious with herself.
“Well, well, well,” said Lyra, triumphantly. “You’ve been getting on my case about losing weight, and I have been. I’ve lost 5 pounds since we started! And now, here you are, still keeping a bit of pudge yourself. Oh, the irony’s thick as custard, my dear Bonnie.”
Bon Bon’s mouth worked furiously, her cheeks scarlet. For a second, she looked ready to explode. Then, she let out a very equine snort, turned, and stomped away. I watched her go, a feeling of guilt still lingering. Lyra saw my face, reared up, and put a comforting foreleg around my shoulders.
“Don’t feel bad, Dave,” she said. “Bonnie likes it when things are going the way she plans them, and she hates admitting she’s just as impulsive as anypony else. She’ll get over it. She always does.”
“You sure?” I asked.
“‘Course I’m sure,” said Lyra, putting her other hoof on her hip in a cocky way. “You’re talking to her closest friend, after all.”
“Oh, yeah.”
“And don’t worry about the pizza thing,” she said. “All diets allow for cheat days. It’s one of the things I actually got out of those diet books Bonnie kept shoving in my face. Where was it, by the way?” she added, suddenly eager.
“Err, I think it was Little Romero’s.”
“Ohh-ho-ho, good choice,” said Lyra, licking her lips. “They make the best pizza in Canterlot! ...Aw, jeez, now you’ve got me hooked. Thanks a lot, man.”
She pouted, then grinned.
“I’m just teasing. Enjoy the party, bro.”
She gave my shoulder a squeeze, then released me to go mingle. Looking around, I saw Rainbow Dash telling a story to a group of ponies, who seemed to be hanging raptly on her every word. Seeing her gave me a sudden idea, and I walked over as she finished, leaving her audience awestruck.
“Hey, Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow looked up.
“What’s up, dude?”
“Have you ever heard of a pegasus named, er, what was it...Lightwing?”
“Lightwing?”
Rainbow tapped her chin thoughtfully.
“...Nope, doesn’t ring a bell. Why?”
“Oh, it’s nothing major,” I said, trying to sound offhand. “Just some pegasus who was kind of rude to me on the train. Saw me in Cloudsdale last week.”
Rainbow snorted.
“Typical. Don’t let it bother you, man. We’ll show ‘em you’re better than the old stories.”
Somehow I doubted that. He seemed pretty set in his ways, despite Cornelius making him back off. Still, it didn’t seem appropriate to contradict Rainbow, when she had such faith in me, so I just nodded and went back to the party.
***
The party went on for 2 or 3 hours, and I was having more fun than I’d had in days. I managed to find the Cakes and thank them for the coffee brewer. They were indeed relieved that it had finally arrived, but Mr. Cake warned me about having it around when Pinkie was visiting. Apparently, my pudgy pink pal and caffeine were a bad mix, which was the reason why Sugarcube Corner didn’t serve coffee.
However, in spite of how great this party was, I couldn’t catch sight of a certain somepony who should have been there. I decided to ask Pinkie for an answer to this mystery, and found her making balloon animals, entertaining the Crusaders.
“Hey, Pinkie?”
“Hi, Davie!” said Pinkie, letting loose an orange tiger-like balloon. “Enjoying the party?”
“Yeah, of course. Just wondering, have you seen Moonlight?”
“Moonlight?”
Pinkie scanned the crowd, pursing her lips. Like me, she didn’t seem to be able to spot a combination of white and forget-me-not blue amongst the crowd of partying ponies.
“That’s weird. I’m sure I invited her.”
“Is she alright?”
I was starting to feel a little concerned with her absence.
“Well, now that you mention it, she did look kinda sleepy when we all came back. She said she’s been writing a story in between work days. It’s been on her mind for a while, and she wanted to get it down before she lost inspiration. She told me she was alright, though, so I just let her do her thing.”
“Huh,” I muttered. “Maybe that explains why she didn’t answer when I knocked at her door. I’ll go see her later.”
“Ooh! I have an idea! Take along some cake for her! That’ll grant you entry rights! Nopony can turn down a cake delivery!”
“Err, sure, I’ll do that,” I said, slightly puzzled, but not wishing to question her logic again. “Has she still been doing all right here?”
“Yep!” said Pinkie, brightly. “We’re running like clockwork, thanks to her!”
She paused, looking like a new idea had struck her.
“Come to think of it, why do they always say something works like clockwork? I mean, has anypony ever been inside a clock before? Wouldn’t it be really cramped with all those cogs and springs and stuff? But the clock tower’s big enough, so I guess-”
(And there she goes again…)
Pinkie was still going as I wondered what to do next. I decided that, after the party, I’d go and see if Moonlight was awake, and bring along the Daring Do book. It’d be a nice ‘I’m back’ surprise for the two of us to read it together. Yeah, that sounded like the proper way to go. For now, though, it was time to enjoy being back amongst my Ponyville friends-
*Splat!*
A glob of cake splattered against my face. Some ponies gasped, others laughed. A raspy laugh told me all too plainly who had been responsible: Rainbow Dash. Wiping as much as I could off of my face, I turned to face her, the pegasus giggling madly to herself. When she saw me with the handful of cake in my hand, a devious grin on my face, she stopped laughing at once, her expression sheepish.
“Er...let’s talk about this.”
“Nope.”
I tossed, Rainbow dodged, and Pinkie leaped up like a shark breaching the water to catch it in her mouth.
“Mmm! Good shot, Davie!”
Sugarcube Corner erupted with laughter, but nopony was laughing harder than me and Rainbow Dash, except maybe Pinkie. Now this was something you couldn’t get in Canterlot, unless three slapstick-happy knuckleheads instigated it.
***
It was later in the afternoon by the time the party was over. Before going to check on Moonlight, I decided to apply a new coat to the sign. Once it was dry, it should be safe to apply the letters at last. Then, I took a crack at the piano. While still not what one might call an expert, I was getting better. I could at least do ‘Chopsticks’ with only one or two errors. It was the best I could do at the moment, especially with my still-aching writing hand. I was definitely making progress, and that greatly encouraged me.
At last, I was back in front of Moonlight’s front door, a box containing a slice of cake in my hand, courtesy of Pinkie. the Daring Do book held beneath it. Once again, I knocked. Once again, no answer.
“Moonlight? You awake?”
Silence. This time, I tried the doorknob. To my surprise, it wasn’t locked. Slowly, I pushed the door open and crept inside. It was dark, except for a single light coming through her bedroom door. A lamp had been knocked over, and a mess of papers and trash lay scattered on the floor. A chill ran up my spine at this. Moonlight was not the kind of pony to leave a mess like this, let alone an upended lamp. What could have happened?
Softly, shutting the front door as quietly as I could behind me, I tiptoed into the living room. Before heading toward the light at the end, I made a stop in the kitchen and placed the boxed cake inside her fridge, then proceeded onwards. This probably wasn’t the smartest thing I’d ever done, but curiosity and worry got the better of me. The silence was oddly eerie as I inched closer and closer. My heart nearly failed when I tread on what sounded like broken glass, but it turned out to be forgotten candy. Moonlight had really let this place go…
As quietly as possible, I pushed the bedroom door open and peered inside. Moonlight was asleep, safe and sound, at a writing desk, cheek pillowed on her forelegs. A stack of papers sat beside her, stirring with her slow breathing. She looked so adorable that way, and it was a relief to see that no harm had come to her. From behind, I could see that the papers were typewritten, the typewriter itself pushed to the side so she could rest. So this must be the story she was working on. Glancing down, I read what was on the top page.
“‘This can only be the work of Professor Steelhorn and his cronies’, said Detective Dave, grimly. ‘They’re up to their old tricks.’”
‘Detective Dave’? She was writing a mystery novel, and had named a detective after me? I didn’t know what to say. Should I be flattered or embarrassed?
Moonlight suddenly stirred, making me jump, the book landing on the bed. She yawned, stretched, and rubbed her eyes, her wings ruffling lightly.
“Wow, I really needed that,” she mumbled.
Her eyes fell on the alarm clock sitting nearby, and she gasped.
“Oh no! Look at the time! I missed Pinkie’s party! I-”
She wheeled around, and finally caught sight of me.
“Eep!” she squeaked, almost falling out of her seat.
“Whoa, easy there!” I said. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”
Gradually, the shock of an intruder in her home while she slept dropped away, and once the initial panic passed, she looked pleased.
“Dave?! You’re back! I know it’s only been a week, but-”
“It felt like forever,” I finished for her, grinning.
“Exactly,” said Moonlight. “I’m so sorry I missed your party. I was just really tired, and I was only going to rest my eyes, but…”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “I’m just glad to see you now.”
“Me too,” said Moonlight, reaching up and patting my hand.
Then, her eyes strayed to the stack of papers on her desk. Her cheeks flushed.
“Err, did you see…?” she began.
“No,” I lied.
I figured it would better to make it look unassuming. I’d basically spied on her work, and she obviously didn’t want it made public yet.
“The door was open, and the living room was a mess, and I...well, I got a bit worried, so I went in to see if you were all right.”
“Ohh,” said Moonlight, comprehending. “I forgot to lock the door. And I guess I did get a bit careless about picking up...Well, don’t worry about it. It’s just a little side project I’ve been working on, and I lost track of things.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah, a story. I’ll definitely show it to you when it’s done. I just want to make sure it’s perfect first.”
“I can hardly wait,” I said, honestly.
She smiled at me, then her eyes fell on the book on the bed.
“Is that-?”
“Yep,” I said. “Daring Do and the Stone of Light. Took it with me but never read it. I thought it’d be better to wait until the two of us could read it together. I mean, if now’s a good time.”
Moonlight smiled even wider.
“Now’s a perfect time.”
And within minutes, the two of us were sitting on her bed, immersed in the next adventure of Daring Do.
***
The sun was setting by the time Moonlight and I reached the halfway point. We looked up from the book and stared at each other, mouths open in horror.
“I don’t believe it…” I muttered. “I can’t believe it…”
“Dowser,” murmured Moonlight. “How could he be…?”
I ran a hand through my hair. My forehead was damp with sweat.
“Yearling sure knows how to throw a curveball.”
“You’re telling me! A new saga, and already she’s not messing around!”
“I’ve seen series like that,” I said, grimly. “One in particular got real fourth book onwards. I’m talking huge tone-shift!”
“Wow…”
The two of us sat in silence for some time, still processing the impossibility we’d just had to swallow. At last, I said,
“Well, I guess we’ll see where this goes next time we can do this.”
“Mm-hmm,” said Moonlight, nodding. Then, as if struck by a new idea, she said, “By the way, you are looking a little skinnier.”
“Am I?” I asked, looking down at myself. “I hadn’t really noticed. You look as slim as ever.”
“I know,” said Moonlight, looking down at her own trim middle. “Pinkie’s always encouraging me to have whatever I want at Sugarcube Corner, but no matter what I eat, I don’t get any fatter.”
“Something you and Sparkler have in common, according to Derpy,” I said.
Moonlight giggled, then sighed contentedly as she nestled beside me.
“It’s good to have you back, Dave.”
Smiling, I put an arm around her and pulled her in closer for a side-hug.
“It’s good to be back, Moonlight. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Canterlot’s pretty amazing, but it’s no Ponyville.”