//------------------------------// // Ring your bell // Story: Tales of Another Ponyville // by Paradise Oasis //------------------------------// It's a beautiful day in morning, isn't it now? Ponyville is always wonderful this time of day, the sun coming up over the horizon, ponies out playing games in the morning light. Perfect for a mare with a pink mane and white tail to enjoy from this high up. I can see everything on the ground below from my window on the town hall's second floor, observing everything going on on the ground below. Yeah, that's right... I live in Ponyville town hall, because my special talent has to do with being up here. "Good morning, Ponyville!" I call out from my room. "I hope you're all ready to get up this morning!" Anyway,my name's Lulabelle, I'm Storybelle's sister, and the pony who takes care of town hall here when it's not in use. As you can tell from my two-bell cutie mark, my primary special talent is ringing and taking care of the town's large bronze bell. Whenever there is a town meeting, or every hour on the hour from sunrise to sunset, I pull on that rope, and send out a mighty ring from that massive bell, it's ringing spreading throughout the land. That ringing has always been a melodious sound to my ears, ever since I was a filly I loved gazing up into that bell tower when those loud pearls of thunder came rolling out of that dark and mysterious tower high above. There was a power in that crashing and cacophonous noise, and I became obsessed with the idea of an instrument that could produce such a mighty noise. I wanted to experience that power for myself, and that obsession with bells and their noise led me down the path to my current place in life. "Look out, everybody!" I cried out, climbing the ladder with my hooves, and leaping towards the thickly woven bell rope. "Here comes the thunder!" BONG! BONG! BONG! BONG! BONG! The sound of the bell tore out of the tower, ringing in my ears like a sweet song from a lover. The music of this four-ton monstrosity sends me into a sense of estacy. I never feel as alive as when I hear the sound of the great bell ringing in my ears, feel the vibrations of the great bronze beast shaking my little pony body to it's core. I've even had complaints from my boyfriend that he's tired of having to lie up here under the big bell as it rings whenever he, well... rings my bell. "Whoo hoo! Here that baby ring out!" I scream, mind mind in a euphoric state as I rode the rope up and down. "Ohhh, there is no greater sound in the world to my ears! Ring out! Ring out, baby!" There are some down sides to all of the bell's noise, though... even if I don't believe a word of it. Some ponies claim that all the loud ringing has damaged my ears. They claim I can't hear them when they call out to me, and other times I don't make out what they're saying. They also say isolating myself in this tower has affected my sanity quite a bit, and that I've gone totally loopy. But that's absolutely ridiculous, isn't it? I'm so totally not crazy, right? Ohhhh bells... ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong! BONG....BONG....BONG....BONG! Sorry, where was I? It was then, that I noticed a large twinkling hot air balloon go floating by. Purple coat and mane, flower cutie mark. As I looked over the balloon and it's mysterious occupant, I suddenly realized, with a growing horror, that it was none other than our town's beloved princess! "Princess Wysteria, is that you?!" I called out, as the balloon floated by. "What on earth are you doing out there in that balloon?" "Oh, Lulabelle, I'm so happy to see you!" She called out from the hanging basket, extending her hooves in my direction. "Oh, I just wanted to go for a ride in this balloon to get away for awhile, and I lost control! Could you give me a hoof here, and get me out of this thing?!" "Get you a pair of wings?! But you're an earth pony!" I called out, mishearing what she was saying due to my ears still ringing. "I don't know if the unicorns even have a spell for that!" "Oh no, Lula! That's not what I said at all!" She called out in a panic, trying to steer the balloon towards the bell tower. "Here, when I get close to the tower, I'll jump for it, and you help me up with your hooves!" "I'm sorry your highness, bit I still can't hear you!" I called out, backing up to get a running start. "Here, let me come over there, and then I can hear you!" "Lula, don't!" She called out, as I took off into a running gallop. "You'll only make things worse!" I jumped across the gap, flying through the air and landing in the balloon's basket. The whole balloon rocked backed and forth as I landed. "Yes, your highness?" I asked her, doing a small bow to my princess. "What were you saying to me?" "Oh no, Lulabelle! I wanted you to help me get out of here, not join me in the balloon!" She told me, burying her face in her hooves, as we floated on towards the Ponyville lake. "How are we going to get out of this mess now?" "Oh, you didn't want me in here? I'm so sorry, Wysteria!" I told her, thinking for a moment. "Here, I can fix that real quick!" As we flew over Ponyville lake, I leapt out of the basket, and dove downward towards the water below. I landed in the water with a loud splash! "Goodbye, your highness!" I called back up to her, waving my hoof as I floated in the water. "Have a good time on butterfly island!" "I don't believe it, I have a Ponyville subject even dumber than Minty...." I could've sworn I heard her mutter, as she flew under the rainbow waterfall. But why would my own princess say something like that? But anyway, I'm so happy to have helped my princess like that! Now, it's back to my tower to ring that bell, see you all later!