//------------------------------//
// Exhortation 
// Story: Scarlet Mane's Diary, Entry 3: The Big Blast of Boom 
// by Madame Minty 
//------------------------------//

Moonbeam sat quietly at one of the many desks in her workshop, deep in thought.

I see things other ponies do not. Things that leave marks no pony else recognizes. Only I have memories of events I would call unforgettable. Like that freshly cut grass the other day. Why? Why only hello Moonbeam how are you what?

"What?"

"I said hello," said Jelly Joy, "are you busy?"

"No, not at all," she said, closing her diary which she insisted to call a journal and hiding it in a drawer.

"Will you be busy for the next day or so?"

"I don't think so, why—​"

"So I guess nothing stops you from going to Coltisle, right?"

"No, but... why?"

"To witness an epic event, which doesn't happen very often!"

"Okay, sure, I could use a break," said Moonbeam. "What exactly is it?"

"Well, it's mostly Blasting Boom who's making it all happen, so you could guess it's a construction thing."

"Wouldn't that be boring?"

"Boring? Have you ever been to Coltisle?!"

"Actually, I just went there and back on my ferry," Moonbeam admitted. "I wasn't sightseeing."

"Then I'm sure you'll like it! I need to go now, here's the schedule and all the details," Jelly Joy said, putting a small piece of paper on Moon's desk.

"Bye bye Joy!"

"Take care!" she said, "See you later alligator!" she added towards Chewer, Moonbeam's pet alligator.

Moonbeam thought intensely for a few second and then got up and started to look around for a crayon picture of Chewer she saw Scarlet Mane drawing. She had found it on another desk. It was a cute white cat, with a black patch shaped like some kind of lizard, surely not an alligator though. She looked at Chewer again and saw an evident alligator. Glance at the picture - cat. Chewer - cat. Picture - cat. Oh well, it kind of fits... but Scarlet won't get a cutie mark for drawing, that's for sure, she thought.

"Come here, you fwuffy wittle kitty!"


#


Melody nodded rapidly, making her black homburg hat fall off. She obviously got used to it, as without losing a beat she caught it and put it back on.

"Great, I knew you'd love to come!" said Jelly Joy.

Melody made a gesture of beating dough.

"Oh, you think Cinnamon Cream would go too?"

She nodded again, then crossed her front legs, uncrossed, clicked her hooves and pointed at herself.

"Okay, okay, I think there will be some space for them, but you should ask Boom about that, and fast. Her ferry leaves in less than an hour, next one is in six hours."

Melody repeated the dough gesture.

"Yeah, I'll go ask her, take care!"


#


Cinnamon Cream was busy, focused on experimenting with a dozen of glass beakers filled with differently colored water, milk, oils and Celestia knows what else. Without pausing for a second she answered Joy's question.

"I would really love to go, no jest, but I'm preparing to a contest," she said, "I think you should, too, for your own good."

"Don't you worry about my preparations," Joy whispered theatrically.

"I'm smart enough to worry about mine, it wouldn't be pointless if you'd care about thine," Cinny said, sticking her tongue out and grinning.

"I'll win even if I lose anyway!" Jelly Joy exclaimed loudly, "and I don't care if it doesn't make sense," she added heartrendingly after a while and slightly frowned.

"Go on then and smile, have fun in Coltisle!"

"Suit yourself, take cake... I mean care!"

And off she went, giggling at Cinnamon's silly rhymes.


#


Jelly Joy went inside the Plum house, a vividly colored, narrow but tall, 4-story red brick building covered with flowering vines and with a different set of curtains in each window. It served the Plums as not only their home, but also as a laboratory for their fruit research. Seconds later, Nuddly jumped through an open window, fortunately on the base floor, then started hopping in a circle.

"Yes, yes, yes," she yelled, "I'll finally see it! Woo!"

"Just don't be late if you want to go by the first ferry, it leaves within half an hour!"

"Woo! Yeah!"

"Okay, I see you're completely occupied by being happy, I won't disturb. Take care," Jelly Joy said quietly.