//------------------------------//
// Ep 5 - A Tour of Ponyville 
// Story: My Little Pony: Small Town Life 
// by Mythic Night 
//------------------------------//

Silver Streak trotted down the road toward home, his saddle bags full of groceries. He was glad to know his way to the market now, though he still had no idea where anything else in town was located. Ponyville wasn’t anywhere near as big as Fillydelphia, but it was still a sizable town, and he would need to explore it to learn the layout and businesses located there.

In particular, he needed to find out where the local hardware store was located to buy supplies and continue his sculpting, his only means of income. No doubt he could get a normal job in town and make a living that way, but he enjoyed all the free time that he was granted by sculpting here and there whenever he wished.

He also knew his home was in desperate need of furniture. He had no furniture at all in his family room, aside from the few arcade cabinets and a single, lonely lamp in the corner. He hadn’t worried about having much furniture when he first moved in, but now that he’s gained so many friends he knew he needed to be able to entertain guests, and that generally included having seating arrangements.

Much as he needed supplies and furniture, he wasn’t fond of the idea of wandering around for hours, trying to find the appropriate shops and getting lost along the way. There were only two real options for him to avoid that; get a map of Ponyville, or have a guided tour, and he preferred the latter option.

Fortunately for him, most of his friends were born in Ponyville, and all of them knew it like the back of their hooves.

Silver soon reached his home, and he headed inside toward the kitchen to put away his groceries. As he worked on getting everything put away, he thought about his friends and which of them would be willing and available to give him a tour. It quickly occurred to him though, that he only knew the location of one of his friends; Sunshine. He had never met any of the others outside of their social gatherings, so he had no idea where they lived. It seemed that the decision was made for him.

He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Sunny and the time they spent together. It had been a few days since they visited the local nightclub, and while he enjoyed dancing with her, they hadn’t talked since that night. He felt eager to see her again, especially after that surprise kiss she gave him, and this seemed like a good enough reason to meet up.

He finished putting away his groceries, giving a satisfied nod at a job well done, and a decision made. He took off his saddlebags and put them aside, then decided that now was as good a time as any to go visit Sunny and ask her for that favor.




= = = = = = = = = =




Silver entered Succulent Sweets with the ringing of the bell above the door, letting Sunny know she had a new customer. She glanced over to him and smiled, greeting him with a nod before turning her attention back on the customer she was already busy with.

He took the time to look around the shop, taking in the details that he missed before in his first visit. He looked upon the two-toned tile floors, creamy-white and chocolate-brown mixed in a checkerboard pattern. The walls were painted in a creamy-white as well, while the support beams were painted in chocolate-brown, making both the inside and outside appear to be made out of chocolate. This was further accentuated by the mild scent of chocolate drifting through the shop.

Silver turned toward Sunny as he heard her bid the customer farewell, and he walked over to greet her. “Hello, Sunny.”

She smiled at him. “Hi there, Silver. What brings you to my shop today?”

He looked at her with a sheepish smile. “I was hoping to ask for a favor.”

“Oh?” She looked at him curiously. “What kind of favor?”

Before he could answer her, the door behind the counter opened up, revealing a young filly carrying a drawing on one foreleg. “Hey Sunny, look what I made you!” She noticed Silver standing there, and her ears folded as she chuckled sheepishly. “Oops, you’re with a customer, huh?”

“A friend, actually,” replied Sunny, motioning the filly over. She looked over at Silver and smiled, tilting her head toward the little pony. “Silver, I’d like you to meet my sister, Crystal Waltz.” She looked over to her sister and motioned a hoof to the stallion. “Crystal, this is my new friend I told you about, Silver Streak.”

“Hi there! Nice to meet you!” Crystal greeted him. She had a teal coat, and a long purple mane and tail. Her eyes were cyan, and her cutie mark depicted a purple heart with a couple music notes inside it.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Silver replied with a smile.

She looked at him with a furrowed brow, tilting her head in thought, before she perked up with a smile. “Ohhh, Silver. He’s the stallion you went on that date with, right?”

Both Sunny and Silver were horribly embarrassed at that, their cheeks reddened as they looked at each other and the little filly. It was Sunny who spoke up, asking, “Date? What date?”

“You know,” Crystal said, confused at the reaction, “at the nightclub the other night?”

Sunny and Silver sighed and chuckled at that, thinking it was just a misunderstanding. Sunny spoke up again, telling her little sister, “That was a group activity. My friends and I all went over there together.”

She pouted at her big sister. “But YOU said that everypony else left early, and that it was just you and Silver for most of the night. That sounds like a date to me!”

“W-well it’s not!” Sunny stammered, her cheeks red from embarrassment. She gave Silver a sheepish smile as she turned and brought a foreleg around to pull her sister into a hug. “You’ll have to forgive my sister, she has such an active imagination.”

Silver could only nod awkwardly, remembering the kiss that Sunny gave him and wondering if perhaps there was some truth to Crystal’s words.

“If it wasn’t a date, then why are you two acting so funny?” Crystal asked.

“SO!” Sunny practically shouted, trying desperately to change the subject. “You were here about a favor?”

“Oh, uh, yeah,” Silver replied, remembering his reason for coming to visit. “I know my way to the market and back, but I don’t really know where anything else is. I was hoping you’d be willing to show me around on your next day off?”

“Ah, you want the grand tour, huh?” Sunny asked with a chuckle. She brought a hoof up to her chin as she gave it some thought, then she nodded and smiled at Silver. “Well, how about right now?”

His eyes widened as he asked, “Wuh-wait, now? But you’re in the middle of your workday! I couldn’t ask you to close down just for me.”

Sunny chuckled and raised a hoof to quiet him. “It’s fine, really. It’s the middle of the week, and the next few hours are usually quiet here. I don’t think I’ll miss much business if I close up shop for a little while.”

He frowned, feeling guilty as he looked away. “You really don’t have to, Sunny. I can wait a few days, honest.”

“Oh hush,” she said, coming out from behind the counter to flip the sign at the door from “Open” to “Closed,” then she turned around to face him again. “It’s either show you around or twiddle my hooves, and showing you around town seems like a lot more fun to me,” she explained.

“Oooh, that does sounds like fun!” Crystal said as she put her drawing on the counter and walked over to them.

Silver chuckled, looking between the sisters. “I guess I’ve been outvoted, huh?”

“Yep! So come on, Silver!” Sunny said, urging him and Crystal out the door before she locked it behind them. “So, where to visit first…” she wondered to herself, looking around.

“How about Sugarcube Corner?” Crystal offered.

“Sugarcube Corner?” Silver asked curiously.

Sunny nodded and explained, “It’s a bakery and confectionary run by a married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, and it’s a very popular shop here in Ponyville. Everypony gets their baked goods from there.” She smiled and shrugged, then said, “I suppose that’s a good place to start. Follow us, Silver.” She and her sister began walking toward the bakery with Silver in tow.

As they made their way along, he asked, “So, uh, you foalsit your little sister?”

Sunny smiled and nodded. “Yeah, quite often actually. On days like today, when my dad’s busy with his workshop and my mom’s out on tour, I’ll watch over Crystal until Dad gets done with work.”

Silver was curious about that. “What do you mean ‘when your mom’s out on tour’?”

“She’s the lead dancer in the Contemporary Canterlot Dance Company,” Sunny answered. “She’s quite talented, and the company goes on tour across Equestria during summer and fall.”

“So, she lives in Canterlot then?” he asked curiously.

“Oh, no, she and my father both live here in Ponyville,” she replied. “During her active months, Mom takes a short train ride up to Canterlot, does her practice and goes on her local shows, then she takes the train back home in the evening. When she goes on tour with the rest of the company, though, she’s gone for weeks, performing at every major city.”

“Sounds like she's basically gone half the year, even when she’s just doing local shows,” Silver observed.

Sunny’s ears drooped a bit, the mare looking a tad sullen as she nodded. “Yeah, I don’t get to see her all too often during summer and fall, especially when the shop keeps me so busy.” She looked over to Crystal, who also looked morose, and she lowered her head to give the filly a gentle nuzzle. “Just makes us cherish the time we get with her.”

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, feeling guilty for upsetting the pair.

“Oh, it’s fine Silver,” Sunny replied, putting on a smile again. “It kinda stinks, sure, but we deal with it.”

He nodded, then decided it was a good time to change the subject. “So, uh… What can you tell me about Sugarcube Corner?”

Crystal perked up and explained, “It’s great! They sell all kinds of things, like cookies, cakes, cupcakes, and ice cream. I go there all the time with my friends!”

“Which is good,” Sunny explained with a smirk, “because that means she’s not trying to steal all my chocolates!”

Crystal gave her big sister a scowl and blew a raspberry at her, only for Sunny to return it with a grin.

Silver chuckled at the sight of such strong sibling bonds, something he was unaccustomed to in his relationship with his own brother.

It didn’t take long for them to reach the bakery, and Sunny looked over to Silver with a grin as she said, “Here we are!”

The building was timber-framed like all the other structures in Ponyville, with tan-colored walls and pink windows. The roof looked like it was made of cookies and icing, and was topped with a structure that looked like a cupcake. All in all, it looked similar to a gingerbread house.

“Do all businesses in Ponyville resemble the items they sell?” Silver asked Sunny.

She giggled and shook her head. “Nope, just a few, including mine. It gives the town more character, you know?”

“I suppose it does,” he nodded in agreement.

The trio headed inside, and were greeted by a rounded, blue earth pony mare, who looked at Sunny with a flat gaze. “Oh, it’s you,” she said. “Come to spy on the competition? Or maybe you’ve come to throw in the towel?”

Sunny grinned. “Ha! As if! And what’s this about spying? All it takes to make your baked goods is a decent cookbook.”

The pair seemed to glare at one-another, and Silver’s ears folded as he looked between them, worried about a fight breaking out. Suddenly they both snorted and laughed, and he looked to Crystal for answers, her only response a roll of her eyes.

The shopkeeper spoke up first, “Oh Sunny, it’s good to see you again! How are you, dear?”

“I’m doing good, Mrs. Cake,” she responded. “I’m just showing Silver Streak here around town, and Crystal thought your shop was the best place to start.”

“Silver Streak?” Mrs. Cake asked, looking over to the gray unicorn.

“Oh, allow me to introduce you!” She motioned a hoof to Silver. “This is Silver Streak, the newest resident of Ponyville.” She nodded to Mrs. Cake as she looked to Silver, and said, “Silver, this is Mrs. Cake. She and her husband, Mr. Cake, own and operate Sugarcube Corner.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Silver greeted her with a smile. “I gotta say, you and Sunny had me worried for a moment there. I thought you were going to fight or something!”

Mrs. Cake giggled at that, and shook her head. “Oh no, never. We just like to tease each other, that’s all.”

“The thing is,” Sunny began to explain with a grin, “we’re technically competing against each other, both being in the sweets business, but truth be told we have different markets.” She winked at Mrs. Cake as she added, “We enjoy joking around when we get together.”

“I see,” Silver replied. “So, I heard this was the place to visit in Ponyville…”

Mrs. Cake smiled proudly. “It sure is! Everypony loves our baked goods, and you will too I’m sure.”

Suddenly a baby was heard crying nearby, and Mrs. Cake perked up and turned toward the sound. “Sounds like one of the babies needs me. Pinkie Pie, could you watch the counter please?!” she called out before giving a friendly nod and leaving to tend to her foal.

“Pinkie Pie?” he asked.

“That’s me!” She said, jumping up from behind the counter from seemingly nowhere. She giggled when the stallion jumped in surprise. “Hi there Silver Streak! I’m so glad to see you’ve finally come to visit Sugarcube Corner.”

“You work here, Pinkie?” he asked.

She giggled. “Oh, I don’t just work here, I live here too! So, what can I get you?”

Silver looked between Sunny and Crystal, before he told her, “You know what? How about you get us three chocolate cupcakes.”

“Coming right up!” Pinkie said with a grin, and she disappeared for only a few seconds before she returned with the pink-frosted treats.

He paid Pinkie for the treats, and the trio headed off to a table to enjoy them. He had to admit, it was the best cupcake he ever had, and he knew he’d have to shop there often.




= = = = = = = = = =




Silver and the girls left Sugarcube Corner with smiles on their faces, ready to continue the tour.

“So, where to next?” he asked Sunny.

She looked around and pointed to the tall building at the center of town. “I don’t suppose we need to walk over there, seeing how big it is, but Town Hall is an important location here in Ponyville,” she explained. “Many of the major gatherings and important announcements happen there.”

“I remember having to visit Town Hall to purchase my house,” Silver replied. “I’m glad it’s so big, so I can rely on it as a landmark.”

“Perhaps as we visit different locations, you should look to Town Hall to see where they are in relation to it,” she recommended. “If you get lost finding something, you can look at Town Hall and figure out where to go.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Silver said with a nod. “So, where to next?”

“I suppose we could just start walking and figure that out along the way,” Sunny replied.

He saw no issues with that, and so she led them on as they walked along the streets. It wasn’t too long before they came upon the burnt, dilapidated ruins of the local library. He stopped in front of the ruins, tilting his head curiously as he asked, “Sunny, what is this place?”

She frowned as she looked at the burnt wood before them, and sighed, “This used to be Golden Oak Library, before Tirek attacked us.”

His eyes widened as he stared at the remains. “Wait, Tirek did this?”

“Yeah,” Crystal answered. “Tirek blew it up when he went after Princess Twilight. He destroyed the school playground too,” she added sadly.

Silver felt his blood run cold as he stared at the burned remains of the tree-based library, horrified at the sight before him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was sad to learn that Ponyville currently didn’t have a local library, but most of his brain was focused on the horrifying thought that this could have been him, back in Fillydelphia.

Tirek did this? He just BLEW UP a building? he thought, his ears folding as he began to tremble. He felt weak and helpless when Tirek drained him of his magic, but never did it occur to him that he was so close to death had his attack actually angered Tirek. What made me think I could actually do anything against him? he wondered.

Sunny frowned as she looked to Silver, noticing the terrified expression on his face. “Silver?” she called to him. When it became obvious he hadn’t heard her, she reached a hoof over to touch his shoulder, and she jumped as he cried out and recoiled at the touch.

He noticed Sunny’s worried expression, and saw how Crystal cowered behind her sister, looking up at the unicorn in confusion. “W-what…?” he asked.

“Silver, are you alright? What’s the matter?” Sunny asked.

Silver cringed and blushed in embarrassment, trying to shake off the terror he felt. “I-I’m fine, it’s n-nothing, really. I’m sorry to have startled you both,” he said, a weak attempt to brush off the incident.

Sunny frowned, and said, “That didn’t look like nothing, Silver. Please, talk to me.”

He looked at the ground, his mouth opening and closing in several non-starts, before he just sighed and shook his head. He had grown comfortable with Sunny in the time he had known her, but he still didn’t want to tell anyone about his fears. “Please, can we just… move on?”

Sunny glanced over to Crystal, who shrugged in response, before she looked back to Silver and nodded. “Alright, we’ll move on. Come along, Silver, there’s plenty more to see.”

Silver nodded and followed along quietly. He felt embarrassed about the incident, and knew that Sunny would want to talk about it later. He could only hope that when the time came to explain, that she wouldn’t view him as weak or pathetic, especially when Sunny and her sister didn’t even flinch at the sight of that destruction.

He absently wondered if Luna would pay him a visit that night, or if he might somehow avoid having another nightmare about the attack.




= = = = = = = = = =




Sunny and Crystal led Silver through town, the incident nearly forgotten as they showed him several of the local shops, including the joke shop and the costume shop. Silver found himself surprised that a town like Ponyville had such specialty shops, but Sunny assured him that they each did plenty of business.

They continued along the marketplace, and Crystal stopped them as they neared a particular shop. “Oooh! Sunny, Silver, there’s the toy shop! Can we go in? Please?” She looked up at the pair of ponies with the cutest pout she could muster.

Sunny looked at her sister with a smirk, having seen that look many times before, and so she was particularly immune to it. She looked over to Silver and asked, “What do you think, Silver?”

Silver looked at Crystal, brow furrowed as he pondered for a few moments, before he broke out in a grin. “How can I say no to that face?”

Crystal cheered at that and ran into the shop, with Sunny and Silver following her inside a moment later.

The shop was of a decent size, a cash register near the front with a patient employee waiting for business, and several aisles of all manner of different toys including stuffed animals, dolls, board games, and action figures. There were several fillies and colts running around, looking at the merchandise with excited smiles, and a couple of them were begging their parents to buy one toy or another.

“Wow,” Silver said with a sense of déjà vu as childhood memories came flooding back. “It’s been years since I last visited a toy store.”

Sunny giggled. “Must feel pretty weird, huh? I’m dragged in here fairly often thanks to Crystal.” She looked over to one of the fillies shopping with her parents, and gave a dreamy sigh. “I wouldn’t mind coming here with a foal of my own someday, though.”

He stopped looking around to face her. “You know, I’ve never really thought about having a family myself.” He gave her a smile as he said, “Knowing you though, I’m sure you’ll have a beautiful family someday.”

She smiled at that. “Thank you, Silver, but I’ll need to get myself a special somepony first before I can think about foals.”

His eyes widened in surprise at that news. “W-wait, you’re telling me you don’t have a special somepony?” His feelings for Sunny grew stronger every time they were together, but he always just assumed a wonderful mare like her was already in a relationship. “But… How?”

“Huh?” she asked.

“It’s just, you’re so kind, and patient, and helpful!” he told her. “I can’t believe you don’t have stallions breaking down your door asking for a date!” He suddenly became self-conscious as he realized what he said, his ears folding while his cheeks burned red. “W-what I mean is, you’re a wonderful mare, Sunny, and I’m surprised that you don’t have a special somepony,” he said, unable to meet her gaze.

Sunny looked at him with reddened cheeks and a small smile, and she giggled softly. “I appreciate that, Silver. The thing is, my shop has kept me too busy to think about dating for a while, but maybe someday I can find someone.”

“That’s a real shame,” said Silver. “I wish you the best of luck, Sunny.”

She perked up at that, and gave him a playful smirk as she thought about what he said about her. “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in dating me, would you Silver?”

Silver’s eyes practically bulged out of his head, his heart racing as she gave him an expectant gaze. He stood there frozen as his brain frantically worked to process her question. Did… did she just ask me out? he wondered as he continued to stare at her smirking face. Was she serious? Or was she just teasing me? 

He continued to stand still as a statue as he processed the information at hoof. If she was just teasing me, and I say yes, then it’ll make things SUPER awkward! he thought to himself. But if she was serious, then that means she likes me, and she could be my special somepony!

He noticed her smirk dropping into a frown, brow starting to furrow as she tilted her head. Why is she frowning? he wondered. Wait, how long have I just been standing here? She’s waiting for an answer! Think stupid, what are you gonna say? He swallowed a lump in his throat, and slowly opened his mouth to respond, only for Crystal to come running up and waving a doll between them.

“Hey Sunny, can I get this doll? Please?” the filly asked, holding a pink unicorn doll with white button eyes, and a light-blue mane and tail made of yarn.

“What? No!” Sunny told her sister with a frustrated scowl. “You’ve got enough dolls at home.”

“I’ll buy it for her,” Silver said, grateful to the little filly for interrupting that awkward moment.

“Really?” they both asked, Crystal with a grin and Sunny with furrowed brow.

“Sure,” he replied. He smiled at Crystal and added, “Think of it as thanks for helping with my guided tour of Ponyville.”

“Yay!” the filly cheered and hugged him. “Thanks Silver, you’re the best!” She turned and walked over to the cashier, waiting for Silver to pay for her new toy.

“A cupcake AND a doll? You’re gonna spoil her,” Sunny told him with a playful smirk.

“That’s your problem, not mine,” Silver replied with a wink as he went over to the cashier to pay for the doll.

Sunny chuckled and shook her head, watching the two. She was a little upset with her sister for interrupting their conversation, especially with the way that Silver reacted to her question. Maybe it’s for the best, she thought to herself. It was probably too soon for him, anyway.

The trio left the toy shop after that, Crystal humming happily to herself as the doll rode on her back. Silver looked over to her and asked, “What are you going to name it?”

Crystal’s brow furrowed as they moved along, trying to think of a good name. “Hmm… I’m not really sure. I’ll have to give it some thought.”

He looked at the doll, and the colors, and grinned as he suggested, “How about Cotton Candy?”

The filly perked up at that and looked at her doll, giving a grin. “That’s perfect!”

Sunny smiled at that, and gave Silver a gentle nudge before she asked, “So, aside from that sudden detour, what do you think of our little town so far?”

“Little? It’s a lot bigger than I imagined it would be,” Silver said. “I’m glad I asked you to show me around, because I’m sure I’d be lost on my own.”

“Was there anything in particular you wanted to find on this tour?” she asked.

“Well, I desperately need furniture for my house, seeing as I’ve suddenly got lots of friends to entertain,” he told her with a wink. “Also, I need to know where the hardware store is, as well as the post office. I need to get supplies to start sculpting again, and be able to ship my sculptures out to Fillydelphia.”

“Well I’ll make sure to make those locations a priority on our tour, then,” Sunny replied. “I’m curious, though; why don’t you have much furniture? Surely you had some from your old house.”

“That’s because up until the move, I was living with my parents,” he answered. “The arrangement worked out well for us, seeing as I kept to myself with my studies. Mom also liked having me around to bounce ideas off of for her stories.”

Sunny perked up at that. “Your mom is a writer? Is she published? What kind of stories does she write?” Sunny, being an active reader during her quiet stints at the shop, was excited to hear all about one of the many ponies who worked hard to bring her beloved books into existence.

“Whoa, easy there!” he said, chuckling at her enthusiasm. “Yes, my mom is a writer, and she’s had several books published. She writes fantasy/adventure novels set in a distant land, starring a lady knight and her friends as they defend their kingdom and princess from monsters and neighboring kingdoms.”

Her brow furrowed as she listened to the description Silver gave her. “That sounds kind of familiar, actually. What’s your mom’s name? Maybe I’ve read her stories before.”

He smirked as he told her, “Her penname is L.S. Fable.”

Sunny pondered the name for a few moments, then her eyes widened and her jaw dropped in realization, and she quickly stopped him. “Whoa, wait a second!” She pulled him close, hooves on his shoulders as she stared at him in disbelief. “You’re telling me that your mom is L.S. Fable, author of the Scarlet Sword series? Is that what you’re telling me right now?!”

Silver grinned, unable to keep a straight face. “Oh, so you’ve heard of her then?”

She gave the stallion a playful glare. “Of course I’ve heard of her! I own all her books, and I’ve read through them all at least five times each!” Her eyebrows shot up as she remembered something he told her. “Wait, you said she’d bounce ideas off of you; are you saying that you actually helped write those stories?!”

“Sort of,” he answered. “She’d get stuck, or have a few different ideas, and we’d talk for a while to help her through it. I’m not a writer myself, but Mom always said she appreciated my input.”

“What’s the big deal?” Crystal asked, confused by her big sister’s reaction. “They’re just some books.” The little filly was far more interested in listening to music than she was in reading, so she couldn’t understand Sunny’s excitement.

Sunny gave an exasperated sigh as she took her hooves off Silver to turn and face her sister. “Alright, how about this? Let’s say you found out one of your friends was related to, oh I don’t know, Sapphire Shores? And then what if that friend told you that they helped write some of those songs you love?”

Crystal gave a cute pout as she thought about that for a few moments, before smiling and nodding as she answered, “Yeah, that would be pretty cool.” She then frowned as she thought of something, adding, “Unless they were lying, of course.”

Sunny perked up at that, and turned to look at Silver suspiciously. “She’s right. How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

Silver scoffed, a hoof going to his chest. “What? You think I’m lying about something like that?”

“Not necessarily,” she replied, raising a hoof defensively, “but if you had some proof that could back up your claim…”

He smirked, an easy answer at the ready. “You say you have all her books? She dedicates each one to my dad, my big brother Swift Wing, and myself in that order. Look in any one of those books and you’ll see I’m telling the truth.”

“I’m going to verify that later,” Sunny said with a grin. “Right now though, I think it’s about time we continued with the tour, huh?”

“Yes please,” Silver replied with a nod.

Sunny made a motion for him to follow her, and they continued on their tour. Soon enough they came upon another local business with an unusual inventory. “This is Quills and Sofas, which, as you might guess, sells quills and sofas.”

Silver looked at the shop, then at Sunny with a raised eyebrow, then back at the shop again. “So… Quills and Sofas?”

“Yep,” she said.

“And they only sell quills and sofas?” he asked.

“Also beds and sheets, oddly enough, but the shop’s primary inventory is quills and sofas,” she clarified.

“…Right,” he said in a tone that reflected his confusion. “I suppose I DO need a sofa for the family room, but I’ll look into that after the tour. What’s next?”

Sunny motioned to another nearby business, a restaurant with several outdoor mushroom-like tables and a few ponies dining. “That’s the local café, which offers both good food and good service. It can get pretty busy there during the lunch and dinner periods, as you would imagine, but I think it’s worth the wait.”

Silver smirked and told her, “I already bought you two cupcakes, I’m not buying you lunch as well!”

Sunny and Crystal giggled, the former replying, “Yeah, we shouldn’t dawdle anyway, considering I closed my shop to help you out here.” She brought a hoof to silence the unicorn as she hastily added, “Which I was happy to do, so don’t go apologizing.”

He closed his mouth and nodded, still feeling a tad guilty about that, but if she said it was fine then who was he to question her?

They continued on, and Silver was shown a few more places, such as the local bank, Ponyville Theater, and the bookshop, which Sunny said she hadn’t visited for a while. They continued on to seek out some of the places Silver was looking for, such as the local Post Office, and soon after that the hardware store.

“Oh, perfect!” Silver said, half-tempted to wander inside and look at the wares available for purchase. “I’m definitely going to be shopping here later.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask, Silver,” Sunny began, “what exactly do you sculpt? You never got back to us about photos of your work.”

“Ah, yeah, turns out those photos were left back in Fillydelphia,” he replied, remembering the conversation about his art at the party the week prior. “I do geometric shapes, mostly. You see, my sculpting wasn’t actually meant to be artistic; I created a spell by modifying an existing one to work on my endurance and precision, and my sculptures were the results of that training.”

“I see,” she replied. “If that’s the case, what made you start selling them?”

“Long story short? Winter Gust, the art dealer and family friend I mentioned at the bowling alley, saw my work, and thought it was good enough to sell,” he explained. “I painted the sculptures, and left him to figure out the price and put them on display in his gallery. Turned out that there were plenty of ponies who were interested in my work, and thus my art career took off.”

“Did the sculpting help you with your endurance and precision, as you originally planned?” she asked.

“It did,” he answered with a nod. “I found that powerful, complex spells I attempted weren’t as draining as I expected, and that simple spells were like nothing for me. I also found that I could lift more, heavier objects in my telekinesis without much trouble. I can’t wait to really cut loose and find out what I can do.”

“I hope all goes well for you then,” Sunny said with a smile. “Come on, we’re just about done with the tour,” she added, leading Silver onward with Crystal.

“Hey, Silver?” Crystal asked as they continued on.

“Yeah, Crystal?” he replied, glancing over to the little filly.

“I was wondering, since you moved here all the way from Fillydelphia, is there anything you miss back home?” she wondered.

He was quiet for a time as they walked along, thinking about everything he left behind. After a short while, he answered, “I suppose I mostly miss my parents, and the few friends I had back there. I sent my parents a couple letters, but I haven’t sent word to my friends since I left. I really should write them soon.”

“What about the city itself?” Crystal asked. “Any places there that you miss?”

Silver smiled sadly as he remembered a couple favorite locations. “There was a local arcade I would visit regularly when I took breaks from my studies. That’s actually where I met all my friends, and the usual place we’d hang out together.” He sighed at the memories. “Plenty of good times there. I didn’t know if Ponyville would have an arcade, so I bought a few arcade cabinets for my house before the move.”

The little filly grinned excitedly at that. “You have video games at home? That’s so cool! Do you think I could come over to play them sometime?”

“Crystal, I think Silver has better things to do than open his house to you as a private arcade,” Sunny chided her.

“Aww…” Crystal whined, ears folding in disappointment.

Silver chuckled at that. “I’m alright with you visiting from time to time, just don’t go telling all your friends, okay? It’s my house, not an arcade, so I don’t want fillies and colts running around all day.”

“I won’t, I promise!” Crystal said with a grin. “You know what, Silver? You’re like the cool big brother I never had!”

Sunny scoffed at that. “So what am I then?”

Crystal grinned as she answered, “My cool big sister who runs a chocolate shop!”

Sunny giggled and nodded. “Yes, I suppose that’s true.”

Suddenly they heard a voice nearby calling for Crystal, and they turned to see a filly waving to her. Crystal perked up at that and waved back, before she looked to her sister to say, “I’m gonna go play with my friend now, okay? I want to show her my new doll!”

Sunny smiled and nodded. “That’s fine, just make sure you head home before it gets too late.”

“I will!” she promised before she ran off to play with her friend.

Silver smiled at that, and he followed Sunny along as she continued to their next destination. “Your sister seems like a very nice little filly,” he said.

“She is,” Sunny agreed, “but she can be quite a hoofful at times.” She chuckled as she added, “I guess I could consider foalsitting Crystal to be practice for when I have foals of my own.”

“I suppose that’s true,” he agreed.

Soon enough they came across the local furniture store, much to Silver’s delight. “Looks like they’ve got quite a selection in there. Hopefully I’ll be able to find everything I need to entertain guests between this store and the Quills and Sofas you showed me.”

“Worst case scenario, you could always just talk with my dad,” she told him. “He actually supplies this store with some of their wares.”

His ears perked up at that. “Your dad makes furniture? Oh, you did mention something about him having a workshop, didn’t you?”

She nodded and smiled. “Yeah, Dad’s a carpenter who makes custom furniture, as well as predesigned pieces, for both customers and this local business. He’s quite talented, and he even gets orders as far out as Manehattan thanks to my aunt and uncle’s recommendations to their friends and acquaintances there.”

“Well, I’ll keep him in mind then,” said Silver. “I’ll see what this store has to offer, and if I don’t see anything I’m interested in then I’ll come to you.” He looked around a bit, then turned to the mare again to ask, “That’s everything I wanted to find, but is there anything else I should know about here in Ponyville?”

Sunny hummed thoughtfully for a moment, then stomped her hoof in realization. “Oh! I just remembered one more place I need to show you; Ponyville Hospital.”

“Oh, right, that’s definitely an important location,” he agreed, and he followed the beautiful mare as she led him to the hospital. “Come to think of it, I should probably look into getting a regular doctor there, seeing as I’m going to be spending the rest of my life here in Ponyville.”

“What, don’t want to have to go back to Fillydelphia for each and every checkup?” she teased.

He chuckled. “Not particularly, no.”

It didn’t take the pair too long to reach the hospital, and as they arrived they saw a familiar mare leaving the building. Strawberry Jewel walked out of there, her mane a bit of a mess and bags under her eyes as the exhausted mare stared at the ground absentmindedly as she started heading home.

“Hey there Jewel!” Sunny called out to her.

Jewel looked up at the voice, her ears perking up as she gave them a warm smile. “Hi there Sunny, hey Silver.”

They met halfway, and Silver looked at her with concern. “Are you okay, Jewel? You look pretty rough…”

She chuckled softly. “If you think I look bad, you should see the other mare.”

Silver was confused by that, thinking she got into a fight, but Sunny smiled as she asked, “So, am I to assume that you’ve had another successful delivery?”

Jewel smiled and nodded. “I’m proud to announce that Ponyville’s newest resident is a beautiful and healthy little filly. The mother went into labor early in the morning, and I was with her from the start, so I’ve been running on adrenaline for most of the day.” She yawned widely, and added, “Since I don’t have any appointments today, I’m going home and straight to bed.”

“Ah, I forgot that you’re a midwife,” Silver said with a smile.

“Yep, and it can be as tiring as it is rewarding,” she replied. Her expression fell and she started to blush as she remembered her drunken flirting the other night. “Uh, Silver? I just wanted to say, I’m really sorry about the other night. I was drunk, and I wasn’t thinking clearly…”

He chuckled, a mild blush on his cheeks from the memory of that night. “Ah, yeah, it’s alright Jewel. I know that was just the alcohol talking.”

She smiled at that, glad to be forgiven for that awkward moment. Her brow furrowed as she looked between the two. “So, anyway, what brings you two to the hospit—oh…” Her gaze went between them as her cheeks reddened. “Oh my…”

“What? What is it?” Sunny asked.

Jewel cleared her throat, and smirked at Sunny as she said, “Um, nothing, just… You do realize that you need to be a few weeks along before you can get real results from a pregnancy test, right?”

Sunny looked between Silver and Jewel in confusion. “What? What are you…” Her brow shot up as she looked at Silver and realized what Jewel was thinking. Her cheeks burned a deep red as her head snapped back to Jewel. “No! I’m not here for… I-I mean, we’re not even… We’re just friends! W-what kind of mare do you take me for?!”

Suddenly Silver realized what Jewel was thinking, and he cringed as his whole face turned red. He began stammering, “We haven’t—I mean we-we’re not… I-It was j-just one kiss, honest!”

Jewel gasped, a hoof brought to her mouth as she said, “Kissing already? My gosh Silver, you’re such a bad influence on poor Sunny here!”

His expression turned to one of abject horror, and somehow his face grew an even darker shade of red as he sputtered helplessly.

Jewel suddenly snorted and laughed as she watched the two squirming uncomfortably at her teasing. “Oh my gosh, you two! You… You should see your faces!” She fell over as the laughter overcame her, hugging her sides as the two could only sit there and try to regain their composure.

It was Sunny who was the first to get over her embarrassment, and she scowled at the laughing mare. “Shouldn’t you be going home right now?”

Jewel kept on laughing and nodded, slowly getting up while she brought a hoof up to stifle her laughter. She took a few deep breaths, giggling a bit, before she asked, “What about you? Shouldn’t you be at the shop right now?”

“S-Sunny was showing me around town,” Silver replied. “She decided to close the shop for a bit to give me a tour.”

“Well that was awfully nice of her,” said Jewel, a tired grin plastered on her face. “Anyway, as much fun as this has been, bed calls. See you guys later.” She nodded to them before she walked away toward home.

Silver turned to face Sunny after that, though he couldn’t look her in the eye after that little incident with Jewel. “So, uh, that’s about it, then?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I mean, there are a few other places, but for the most part you’ve seen Ponyville. We should head back now; I need to reopen the shop, and you have furniture to buy.”

“Alright,” he replied with a nod, and the two started walking back toward her shop. “Thank you again Sunny, I really appreciate you taking the time to show me around.”

Sunny smiled and said, “You’re quite welcome, Silver. Honestly, I had fun showing you around town.” She paused as she remembered the earlier incident at the remains of the Golden Oak Library, and she stopped Silver with a hoof on his shoulder. “Hey, Silver?”

He stopped, and turned to look over at her. “Yes?”

She looked thoughtful for a moment, before meeting his gaze. “I don’t really know what happened back there at the old library, but whenever you want to talk about it, I’ll be happy to listen, okay?”

He frowned and nodded slowly, remembering the library incident. “Thank you, Sunny, I’ll be sure to remember that.”

She smiled and, satisfied with his response, continued onward to her shop. After a short while, they said their goodbyes and split up, Sunny going back to Succulent Sweets while Silver headed for the Quills and Sofas.

When Sunny reached her shop, she remembered what Silver had said about his mother, and about the proof in her books. She went inside and headed upstairs to her bedroom, and when she reached the bookshelf she selected from her collection Scarlet Sword and the Changeling Infiltration, by L.S. Fable, and opened it to the dedication page.





To my husband, and my sons Swift Wing and Silver Streak. I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.





Sunny’s jaw dropped as she saw what was written, and she had to read through it a few times to get it to fully register. I don’t believe it! she thought, Silver Streak’s mother really IS L.S. Fable! 




= = = = = = = = = =




Silver sighed and flopped on his bed after a rather long day of looking at and purchasing furniture. He remembered the few times his parents dragged him along on such tedious tasks as a colt, and sadly realized that it didn’t get much more entertaining when one was a fully-grown stallion either.

After a while, he settled upon a plain blue couch from Quills and Sofas, and at the furniture store he bought a basic coffee table and a couple blue chairs that nearly matched the couch, all for the family room to entertain guests. He also picked up a couple basic wooden chairs for the dining room that he would later paint to (somewhat) match the existing table and chairs there.

By the time he got finished with all that it had gotten late, so he went to the café that Sunny showed him earlier in the day and had a nice dinner alone. By the time he was finished, it had become too late to worry about visiting the hardware store, and he would have to wait until after the delivery ponies came and dropped off his new furniture.

All of that furniture shopping certainly cut into his funds, which had already been greatly reduced by the purchase of his home, all those books, and his arcade cabinets. He knew he could still live comfortably for some time on what he had left, thanks to his prior situation in Fillydelphia, but he would have to start sculpting again soon if he wanted that to remain the case.

At any rate, there was little he could do about the situation then, not until he could purchase new supplies at the hardware store, and so there was no point in worrying about such things at the moment. He curled up under the covers, and his horn glowed as he flipped the light switch off with his telekinesis.

He lay there for a time, thinking about the day he spent exploring Ponyville with Sunny and Crystal, and his thoughts went back to the toy store and Sunny’s question. He felt his cheeks heat up as he wondered about her intent, whether it be teasing or flirting, and how he should have responded before Crystal interrupted.

“I should have just asked if she was serious…” Silver said thoughtfully, and sighed. “If she was, then I could have asked her out, or tried to anyway… And if she wasn’t, then I’d know she wasn’t interested.” He groaned in frustration and buried his head into the pillow, wishing that he hadn’t frozen up like he had.

As Silver began to doze off, one last thought calmed him and put a smile on his face. At least she’s single…