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// 31 - A day on the town 
// Story: A Penny for your thought 
// by Damaged 
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Another letter, this one to Moon Dancer. I sighed, it almost would be easier to travel to Canterlot and get it done myself. If it didn't take so long to ride there and back I would.

After drafting it once, I typed it up. The typewriters were… amazing. Just two keys and yet somehow, as long as I focused on what I wanted my hooves just seemed to work it. With a crisp copy produced I folded it up and melted a little wax on the thing. A careful bit of writing with a quill later and the letter was prepared.

I looked through our things for one of my shawls, picking out one of the deep purple ones that would match my coat nicely. Pulling it on and settling it just right didn't take much, I put my saddlebag over the top and cinched that under my belly. Perfect.

Humming as I trotted along, one of Pinkie Pie's tunes stuck in my head, I nodded to each guard. Sharp couldn't be seen today, but he was likely on other tasks. Soon I was out in the town, a smile on my face and a tune in my head. 

I had a few bits and today, after my letter was sent, I planned to spend them on gifts. It was a short trip to the station and I managed to find a mailmare there. "Hi, I have another letter to send."

She beamed back at me, clearly enjoying her work. The crystal pegasi had the most amazing wings and I really wished I could see them unfurled but, as yet, she kept them folded. Her deep lavender coloring seemed to lighten toward the tips of the crystal-tinted feathers. Her golden mane and tail, always seemingly curly and springy, gave her quite an exotic look.

"Oh, another? Penny are you making excuses to see more of me?" It was a jest of hers, and I knew it. It didn't stop my blush. "Silly pony, lets have it. Ah, Canterlot?" I nodded still trying to keep my blush down. "I will ensure it reaches her."

"Thank you, Long Glider." I remembered the mare's name, thankfully, and it got another big grin from her.

"Oh, and there was a mare asking about you earlier, two big stallions with her. Odd thing, they seemed more intent on the bags they carried than her." She tapped a hoof to her chin. "I told them the castle would be the best place, I heard that you and your friend had moved up there."

Then it hit me, I had found the absolute epicenter of Crystal Empire gossip. "Thanks again Long, I will head back there when I am done with my errands."

She spread a wing to wave at me and I was almost spellbound by the effect of the sun shining through. It was an absolute glory. I had a moment before I realized she was now waving the wing in front of my eyes directly. "You okay dear?"

I had to shake my head. "Sorry, you just… your wings are very pretty, when they catch the sun." Honestly, it might make me blush to say but I got a blush back from the mare.

"Oh, well! Uh, thank you!" She looked a little flustered and, realizing the offending wing was still spread, tucked it down and ruffled both.

I grinned, keeping my fangs from view. "Goodbye, I hope you have a wonderful day!"

Something seemed to tingle at my awareness as I reached the main trading square and I strained, my ears turning. Of course I was looking the wrong way just as a stallion bumped into my side, grabbing my hooves and twirling me around.

My movements were smooth, easy, he gazed into my eyes and sang of the love he had for a mare. I blushed deeply but danced back. Mine was not a singing part it seemed, but despite the awkwardness of it I couldn't help but feel even better. He danced on, leaving me spinning in place a moment. 

I don't know why, but even the slightest touch of song magic just made me feel great and I had a slight skip to my steps as I went about my shopping. A new saddlebag for myself and a much bigger, but no less cutely decorated, one for Muffins. There was an adorable deep green cloak that I got for Stick. At a book stall I found two copies of a book about crystal unicorn magic, definitely for Twilight and Moon Dancer.

After stopping and buying some sticky buns to nibble on, I was relaxing when a glint caught my eyes. I turned and saw one of the ponies from the mine I had visited, in a little ramshackle stall. They had an assortment of crystals of all patterns and shapes. There were two, however, that caught my eyes. Deep pink, they were both hearts but one fit into the other perfectly. 

I trotted over. 

"Hello there, how much for this set?"

They recognized me with a squint. "You were that mare trotting around with Book Smarts. Well, we ain't seen none of the miracles that little filly has suddenly gotten into her head, but she says you are going to do well by us. Twenty bits for both."

I reached into my saddle bag and felt a hoof on my leg.

"Oh no, this is not going to happen to a friend. That was a fake price. You are meant to try to talk me down." I blinked, a sudden overlay with something that I remembered from a movie making me giggle.

"Fifteen?"

"Eighteen if it is worth my time at all."

"Seventeen!"

The older mare's eyes twinkled and she handed them over, waiting for the bits. I giggled and handed them to her. "I have probably made a few ponies very happy, does everyone here expect buyers to haggle?"

She nodded and I sighed. "Well, I got my things, I am happy, they are too. It is too nice a day to feel down."

My exclamation was louder than I'd thought and not only was the vendor sitting a bit straighter and smiling, but I could almost feel moods lift around me. Moods were contagious, I had been told, but it seemed they spread even faster here.

"Excuse me for asking, I am a little new around these parts. But do ponies here wear jewelry in their ears?" I asked it of the mare softly.

She looked surprised. "I don't think anypony has done such things… it wouldn't work up high, they would feel odd when you twitch your ears." I may have blushed a little, remembering how Stick had ensured I remembered her for the whole day, my ear twitched a little at the thought. "Here, try these. They are meant to be used as cufflinks for formal wear, but should serve. Free for you, since you bought something already and have given me a good idea, so long as you wear them and come back to let me know how it goes."

I took them proudly, smiling at the mare. "Thank you, I planned to give one to my special somepony and wear one myself. She spends some time in court." I winked and the mare almost danced in her stall with delight at the news.

"Doubly wonderful. When you return, I will have something a little more… designed for the ear, what colors does your friend prefer?"

"Green, deep green, for myself I would love something in a pink." I thought about it and couldn't help a giggle, two months ago I would never have believed I would be buying jewelry for me and somepony I loved. Even thinking that word sent a tingle down me.

"Bring some bits, I am sure the price on these little things is going to rise." She winked at me and I bid her a good day.

Getting my ear pierced again would likely not be a problem, Stick seemed to love nibbling them, and of course I could return the favor. I trotted through a few more stalls, picked up some new shawls for myself and with high spirits trotted back to the castle.

"Penny! Good to see you again." Sharp was at the gate again today and I trotted up and blushed as I stopped myself from leaning it to give him a nuzzle. He was on duty and it probably wasn't a good idea to be quite so intimate with him. This sparked a whole new thought in me. I didn't have that problem with mares, was I a touch homophobic? It was a silly thing, since my gender was all backwards now, but I couldn't help but poke at it.

"Uh, you there Penny? You seemed a little distant." The stallion was waving a hoof in front of my face.

I shook my head. "Oh, just thinking on silly things. I am glad to say I have invited a friend from Canterlot to help in the problem you showed me." 

His ears perked. "Already? How… I shouldn't be surprised, I had heard you moved fast." It was a little cryptic, but then, it was also right. "Well it is good news, done some shopping I see?"

"Just some things for friends and special ponies." I realized I hadn't gotten him anything, but at the same time it probably wouldn't be appropriate. "Guess I am going to need more bits if I keep making friends so quickly."

This got a smile from him and the other stallion on guard. It hit me then, the guards were mostly male, that was a little odd. With a wave I trotted into the huge, colorful castle.

I reached our rooms to find a big stallion, pure white and sporting the most amazing mane and tail work, guarding the door. "I am Penny Farthing, Stick's friend?" I had a feeling like trying to get into a night-club or something. The stallion nodded.

"Go on in, they have been expecting you." He was curt but I could see he was 'on duty' as much as the guards were.

I smiled up to him and bobbed my head. "Thank you." The words were heartfelt and I saw surprise in his expression before it was schooled back to neutral.

Entering our little suite I found Stick with a mare and stallion, sitting and chatting. To one side another big pony, standing guard over five big bags in the corner.

"Here she is. Perfect Poise," Stick gestured to the mare across from her, "Articulate Equations," she gestured to the stallion who seemed to be writing furiously, "this is my partner, Penny Farthing."

Perfect's eyes narrowed and a half smile broke on her snout. Articulate, his white body refracting light in all kinds of odd ways, had his horn aglow still scribbling on paper. It was the mare that spoke first. "I finally get to meet the mare who has the elite of Canterlot buzzing with questions of finance. Fancy Pants and Princess Celestia both send their greetings, and a whole lot more. They have parted ways with some bits, and if your plans impress me, I am charged with metering them out."

She raised an eye and looked to the stallion still writing. It took a moment, with all three of us looking at him, for him to realize that the conversation had turned to include him. "Oh, uh, Penny was it?" I nodded. "Princess Cadance told me you had some ideas on how to encourage spending on charities. She wants this investigated." 

Oh, so this was a think tank type thing. I set my gifts down in a small pile and moved over to the table where Stick had presented drinks to the other ponies. "Firstly," I closed my eyes, trying to run over everything I could remember about the topics at hoof, "I warn you that if we mess this up, a lot of other ponies could do bad things. So lets not. Perfect, I will admit I know only the tip of the iceberg, but I hope it will be enough to let you build on. You see, I wasn't always a pony…"

It was going to be a long story.