“Permanent Vacation”
Show, Don’t Tell
After everything died down yesterday, I borrowed a cart from the Apples, grabbed my barrel of cider, and hurried home to deposit it and our camping gear before rushing back to return the cart. Took a bit of time, but I wasn’t gonna keep a full blown cart around my place. Plus, it allowed me to inform Mac to meet at Vinyl’s tomorrow. On the way back to my place, I also stopped in to see Spike and Lyra to pass along the same info. And of course when I got home, I had a cup of some cider with some vodka mixed in for good measure. And since I had some, Scootaloo had to have some, minus the vodka of course. But I didn’t stay up late tonight, since tomorrow is gonna be a busy day.
After sending Scootaloo off to school, I made a beeline towards Vinyl’s. After all, I’m not sure how long it’ll take for us to discuss our tour. Arriving at her place, I see she got the front door fixed. Pushing open the door, I smile at everyone. “Glad to see you all made it.”
“Like we would miss this! We’re talking about our entire future here!”
I smirk. “I like that enthusiasm, Lyra.”
“Alright, let’s take this upstairs.” We follow Vinyl upstairs to her recording studio, where we each take a seat. She leans back in her seat. “So, we have a lot of things to go over. On your end, that includes type of music, tour length, and tour name. I can handle everything else once that’s out of the way.”
“Then why don’t we start with the type of music we’re gonna play? We just stick with the type of music we’ve been doing and everything’s set.”
I sigh. “I’m gonna argue with you on that, Spike. I was hoping we’d try something a bit more… Edgy this time around.”
Mac raises an eyebrow. “Edgy how?”
I shrug my shoulders. “Like, some swearing, maybe some different themes.”
Lyra shrugs her shoulders. “I’m all for it.”
“Now hold on. Why would we change things up now?”
“Because, Mac, I don’t why us to be pegged as a specific type of band. I want us to be able to switch between genres on the fly, never tying us down to a single one. I want to branch out a bit and maybe get some more fans.”
Vinyl lowers her shades. “While it sounds good in theory, you will likely alienate some of your fan base.”
I lean back in my chair and look up. “And that is what I don’t want to happen. I love this band too much for us to lose it all over my stupid suggestion.”
“Why don’t we just do a mix of both then? Do some edgy stuff, but then mix in some of our normal stuff?” Lyra looks between us, gauging our reactions.
I clap my hands. “I’m in if you guys are in.” While this solution was on my mind, I didn’t wanna be the one to bring it up.
Mac closes his eyes and looks down. After a bit, he looks back up and opens his eyes. “As long as we don’t get too deep into this, ah’m in.”
Spike nods his head. “I’m with Mac on this one, actually.”
I hold my hands up. “Alright, alright, it’s settled then. We mix up our songs, play a little of both sides, and we agree to what songs we play. Done, moving on to the next item on the agenda.”
Vinyl nods her head. “Based on that, what do you want the tour name to be? I gotta promote this to the right crowds.”
Everyone looks at me. “What?”
“You’re the one with the music,” Mac says.
I rub the back of my head. “Heh, right. Based on what we just said, I got some songs where the theme is rebellion, breaking out of the norm, expressing yourself. So, I propose we name the tour something along the lines of that. My original idea was to call it Equestrian Revolution. Any objections or suggestions?”
“Nope.”
“I think it fits.”
“Well, if the theme if being different and unique from everypony else, then I say it works too.”
Vinyl nods her head. “Yeah, yeah, I can see how to promote this already. Last thing on the agenda, the tour length. We could do a couple of cities, or every city in Equestria. It’s up to you guys what you want to do though.”
“Ah say we keep it short.”
I raise an eyebrow. “But more cities equals more money? And I think we all want more money.”
“Some of actually do have lives we need to get back to though,” Spike says.
I shrug my shoulders. “Alright then, we keep it short.” While I’m not strapped for cash, it never hurts to have more. “Good enough for you, Vinyl?”
She nods her head. “Yeah, I got all I need.” She jerks her head behind her. “Why don’t you four get started on practicing the songs then?”
Mac nods his head. “Sounds like a plan. Let’s get started. Ah gotta get back to the farm at some point today.”
For the next couple of hours, we practice and practice as if our lives depended on it, which it should. I expected there to be some arguments, and there were, but they were short lived and easily resolved. And as much as I hate to say it, Mac and Spike were right. Some of the stuff I wanted to play would have alienated some of our fanbase right away. And while I wish we could have spent more time practicing so we had one less worry, Mac had to call it quits after a while.
After packing up, we left Vinyl alone in her studio and headed outside. “Whenever you guys want to practice again, you know where to hit me up.”
“Likewise.”
“See ya’ll later.”
Lyra and Mac go their separate ways, leaving Spike and I alone. “So… Wanna come to the library and read some comics?”
I raise an eyebrow. “I’m surprised Twilight even lets you have them in the library,” I shake my head, “And I cannot today. I gotta go meet with Cheerilee about something. It’s probably about how Scootaloo is doing in school or something.”
“Drat. Oh well, see you around.”
I wave to him as he walks home. “You too, Spike.”
I idly check what time it is. Shit, gonna be cutting it close if I hope to catch her as school lets out. Without a moment to spare, I set out on a hearty jog towards the school, which isn’t that hard to find considering it’s one of the few taller buildings in Ponyville. You would think the school would be closer to town, but I digress. I arrive just in time to see children file out of the school in a mad stampede.
“Blake?”
I smile at the Crusaders. “Hey, girls. Ready to go out crusading?”
“You mean you’re actually going crusading with us?!” I try to avoid cringing as Sweetie’s voice cracks at the end of her yell.
I chuckle. “Not want I meant. I’m actually here to talk to Cheerilee. Is she around?”
Apple Bloom points to the school. “She’s inside grading our homework right now.”
I nod my head. “Alright. So, what are ya gonna crusade for today?”
Scootaloo shakes her head. “We don’t know yet. We’re heading to the clubhouse right now to figure out what.”
I smile. “Well, I’m not gonna waste you’re important time then. You girls have fun now.”
“Will do, Blake!” Man, they have gotta practice to be able to say that in unison.
As they head towards wherever the clubhouse is stashed in Sweet Apple Acres, I make my way to the open door. While the door is open, it’d be rude of me to not knock first. “Hello?”
Sitting at her desk is Miss Cheerilee, wearing a brown vest and a green dress adorned with sunflowers. While not noticeable at first, I do spot what looks like a hairclip in the shape of her cutie mark of three smiling sunflowers. At the sound of my knock, she looks up from her desk towards me. She smiles and stands up, walking over to me. “Blake, so nice to finally meet you.”
“Oh momma! Look at that body! She could teach us all night long!”
I must admit, everything about her is tempting, from her voice to the way she walks. But alas, her heart is destined for Mac, not me. Dispelling such thoughts from my head, I shake her hand. “And a pleasure to meet you too.”
She motions towards her desk. “Please, pull up a chair and have a seat.”
While she heads back to her desk, I glance around at the interior of the school. Overall, the entire place looks warm and inviting. Motivational, educational, and student drawn posters line the walls, about twenty or so desks, a couple of bookshelves, and a large chalkboard lining the wall behind Cheerilee, along with a projector screen rolled up. I’m assuming the two doors lead to a restroom and a supply closet. Grabbing one of the student’s chairs, I pull it up in front of her desk.
Fidgeting slightly, I lean back in the chair. “I’ve recently been informed you’ve been looking for me?”
She nods her head. “For a while now, yes. Did Scootaloo not tell you?”
I nod my head. “Yeah, seems she forgot to. Only found out through Apple Bloom telling me. Sorry for making you wait.”
She smiles. “It’s quite alright. There isn’t any hurry.” She clasps her hands together and leans forward. “I actually wanted to talk with you about something.”
I raise an eyebrow. “If it’s about Scootaloo’s grades, I’m working on it.”
She laughs. “No, nothing of the sort. Her grades are actually improving, so you’re doing just fine.”
I lean forward. “Then why call this meeting if it has nothing to do with Scootaloo?”
“Actually, I was wondering if you’d like to come in one day and speak about your world. It’s very rare we get guests from foreign lands to speak. I was planning on asking Gilda, but we know how that turned out.”
“Oh, this is gonna be fun! Or traumatic. Either way, I love it!”
“Me? Oh, there isn’t much to say about it in all honesty.”
She smiles. “Surely you must have some things to talk about to the class.”
I sigh. “Are you sure? My world is very different from yours. I don’t need to scar these kids more than they need.”
“I’m positive. As many wrongs as there are in each culture, there is always some good to be found.”
I rub my chin. Hmm… I could talk about tons of the things from Earth, but what to talk about that would be okay with Cheerilee? “Alright, alright, I’ll find something to talk about.”
“Wonderful! I’m sure the children will love it. When would you like to come in?”
I would like to make it early. The sooner this gets done, the better for all parties involved. “How about tomorrow around ten? That way we both have time to prepare.”
She glances at a couple of papers on her desk. “Yes, that would be perfect. I’ll make sure the children are ready for you.”
I nod my head and stand up. “A pleasure, Cheerilee, but I’m afraid I have other matters to attend to. I shall see you tomorrow though.” Oh, am I gonna have fun with these kids.
The next day, I stand outside the school doors with a pack full of everything I could think to bring. Maps, pictures, books, if it had anything even remotely related to what I wanted to talk about, I brought it in a backpack. I lean against the side of the building, not paying heed to the world around me. After all, I gotta pick and choose what I say and how I say it if I’m gonna keep this entire thing appropriate for the children.
“Blake?”
I turn to Cheerilee, poking her head out the door. “Hmm?”
“We’re ready for you now.”
“Wait, wait! Let me get the camera first! I wanna record this so your grandkids can see how badly you screwed up!”
I smile and nod my head. “Then please, have a seat with the children. The show’s about to begin.”
She nods her head and step back inside. “Okay class, please give a warm welcome to our guest today, Blake Quinter!”
I smirk and step inside to the sounds of the children clapping. I take a little bow up front while Cheerilee walks to the back of the class and sits down in an empty chair. “We’ll get started in a second, but let me setup my materials first.”
As I turn around to work, pulling out a map of the Earth and of the United States, I hear someone ask me, “What place is that?”
I glance over my shoulder as I tape the map to the chalkboard. “Ah, a good question that I’ll get to in a second.” Once I finish hanging up the maps, I pull out a stack of books and some pictures, setting them on the desk. I nod my head and look up at the class. “So, let’s begin with why I am here. Your wonderful teacher has asked me to come in today and speak about my previous world, Earth. As such, I am here to do just that. And who’s the one who asked about these maps?”
A beige colt raises his hand. “I did, sir.”
I smile and motion to the map of the world to my left. “Well, you’re looking at a map of Earth. As you can see, it is mostly covered in water and has seven distinct landmasses that we call continents. We have North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, and Antarctica.” I point out to each one as I say it. “Within each of these continents, we have countries, such as the United States of America,” I motion to the map on my right, “Located in North America.”
“What kind of town was…” A greyish filly squints at the map, “Washington?”
I chuckle. “Washington isn’t a town. See, each of these names on the map are actually states, different sections of land where different cultures and lifestyles live. Within each state are the cities, towns, and people that make it up.”
“What was it like in the United States?” Apple Bloom asks.
I smirk and chuckle. “You want to know what the United States is like?” The children nod their heads. “Alright, you asked for it.” I clear my throat. “Hi, I’m America, and we build monster trucks for fun!”
I notice Scootaloo’s eyes widen. “Monster trucks?!”
“Yes!” I hand her a picture of Gravedigger, “Massive, mechanical trucks, which would be the equivalent to a self-powered wagon or cart here, that can crush cars, roar with their massive engines, and jump from ramps, all in the form of entertainment!”
I watch as the picture is passed around, letting everyone get a chance to see it. “That looks awesome!”
I clap my hands. “You ain’t seen nothing yet! We also built a top fuel drag racer that can go from zero to three hundred thirty in under five seconds!” I hand out another picture.
The last kid to get the picture is Diamond Tiara. She scoffs, and then asks the question I’ve been waiting to hear. “Why would you even build something like that?”
I laugh. “Because we were bored!”
“Because you were bored?” Wow, much be really shocking to Cheerilee.
“Yes!” I shake my head. “Although, if you really want to see what we’ll build next, make us angry. Cause I’ll be honest, our society doesn’t really advance unless someone made us so upset that we as a country came together and built these amazing things, all in the name of wartime progression!” I shake my head, “But enough about that, since we’re getting to some things that you really shouldn’t hear. After all, wars are not to be taken lightly. Next question.”
Sweetie raises her hand. “What was your princess like?”
I raise an eyebrow. “Princess?” I shake my head. “We didn’t have one.”
“Then who ran your country?” Snips asks.
“The president, a man, or woman, who we as a country vote to say that we want them to lead us. Granted, we had a massive system in place to prevent them from getting too much power.” I shake my head. “I can’t tell you more than that, because I never really followed politics, and I absolutely hate learning about it.”
“What kind of people lived in the United States?” A green colt asks.
“Anyone and everyone. You see, the ideals of the United States, life, liberty, and justice for all, appealed to so many people around the world that people moved just to be in the country. As a result, many different types of people and cultures are spread across the country.”
“What’s your special talent?”
I shake my head. “Ah, we shall save that question for Family Appreciation Day. This is supposed to be about my world, not me.”
“What was it like where you lived?”
I smile. “Actually, it’s kinda like Ponyville. Small town nestled in the shadow of a larger city with about the same population size if my estimates are correct. Of course, not everyone was as friendly as here.” I chuckle. “Oh, I bet a few people are happy I’m not there anymore.”
“Why?” Sweetie asks.
I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t know, honestly. I tried being friendly to them, being a good neighbor like society tells us, but they always seemed so cold and callus towards me that I just eventually stopped trying with them. Maybe because it was because of my laid back attitude or that I was very accepting of a lot of things. Next question.”
“What was the weather like?”
I actually have to think back for this one. What was the weather like? “It was very hot, humid, and rainy in the summers, and crisp, cool, snowy winters thanks to the lake effect. And no, we couldn’t control the weather to be whatever we wanted.”
“But what about magic?” Cheerilee asks.
I shake my head. “None of that either.” At the blank, some shocked, stares of everyone, I continue, “Magic to us was a thing of fantasy and myth. Of course, it always amazed us when someone came forward claiming to be able to use magic. And I will admit, the stuff they did was impressive, but it wasn’t real magic. It was nothing more than simple parlor tricks meant to confuse the mind into believing that that person was able to wield magic.”
I think I’ve worn out my welcome by now. “Any more questions?” No hands go up, so I’m assuming we’re done. “Well, it would seem like we’re done then. Cheerilee, these books here are for you to use however you please. They contain some more info about my world, although I advise that you take the time to study them carefully.”
Cheerilee claps her hands. “Wonderful. Now class?”
“Thank you, Blake.” Ah, the sweet chorus of kids thanking you.
I smile and take a bow. “You are welcome, children.”
“Aw, I didn’t get nothing traumatic or funny.”
“You doubted me? I’m hurt, truly, I am.”
“Hey, I gotta have my fun somehow!”
“You’re a magical being in my head. Just think up a version of Pinkie or Luna or someone and go from there.”
“…You just made me the happiest being alive!”
“Now, if you’ll all excuse me, I have to go practice for our upcoming tour!” Taking down the maps, I roll them back up and stuff them in the backpack before slinging it over my shoulder. Waving to the class, I head towards the door.
“Good luck, Blake!”
“Thank, Apple Bloom!” I yell over my shoulder.
It’s good to teach the younger generation, though I don’t think I’ve done much in that department today. But that’s the least of my worries now. Time to get back to practicing for our tour.
Well, it took a couple of weeks, but we’re finally ready to tour Equestria. The dates were set, the venues booked, and the tickets sold. Our first stop on the tour, Manehatten. Nothing like starting off big, eh? Even though the concert wasn’t until three days from now, we decided to get there early and enjoy the city. As of right now, the girls and the Crusaders are seeing us off at the station. Lyra came alone, though I assume Bon-Bon gave her a suitable parting gift, if you catch my drift.
I bend to the Crusaders level. “Now, no getting those Cutie Marks till I get back, ok?”
Scootaloo smirks. “We won’t make any promises.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, yeah. You figure out who you’re staying with yet?” I can’t very well leave her home alone, so I had her find out which of the Crusaders she’s staying with. Not that I don’t trust her or anything, it’s just that I don’t need something happening.
She chuckles and rubs the back of her head. “Uh…”
I sigh. “You didn’t ask, did you?” I shake my head. “Rarity, Applejack, would one of you mind letting Scootaloo stay over till I get back?”
Rarity nods her head. “Of course. I have room for her at the Boutique.”
Applejack shrugs her shoulders. “The farm has plenty of room. Heck, she could even stay with both of us if’n she wanted to.”
“Both sounds good.”
I nod my head and stand up. I look to Big Mac and Spike, both finishing with saying their goodbyes. Mac, being the ever so silent type, nods to everyone else before heading into the train car. I’m genuinely surprised Vinyl was able to get us two private cars, but it’s not like I’m gonna complain. Lyra is quick to follow him, since it’s not like she talks to everyone else much. As for Vinyl herself, she’s already in Manehatten, preparing everything for our arrival.
Bending down slightly, I scratch Sonja behind her ears. Just like with Scoots, I can’t leave her alone either, but at least I can take her with me. “Then you better behave for both of them, cause I’m sure Applejack can find some work for you to do around the farm if you don’t.”
Scootaloo glances at Applejack to see her smirking and nodding her head. “I’ll listen.” We all share a good laugh at that.
“All aboard!” The conductor yells out, the last few people on the platform getting onto the train. Even though we had our personal cars, it wasn’t like we had the entire train to ourselves. I grab my suitcase and heft my guitar strap up so it rests somewhat comfortably slung over my back.
I tap the back of Sonja’s head. “Into the train, girl.” With a bark, she bounds in. “Spike, you ready to go?”
“Just waiting on you.” I turn around to see him climbing into the train car already.
I glance over my shoulder. “See you when I get back, everyone.” Just as I’m about to climb into the train car, someone taps my shoulder. I glance behind me to see Twilight.
“Keep an eye on Spike for me, please?”
I turn around and smile, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, he’s safe with me. It’s not like I’m gonna corrupt him… much.” Before she has a chance to process what I said, I slide the door shut and latch it. With a chuckle, I turn around and head to the left, which leads me to our personal quarters. It’s simplistic in design, with four rooms, two on the left and two on the right, just big enough for us to move around in. Seeing only one open door and hearing Sonja scratching herself from within, I head in and toss my stuff on the bed crammed into the right side of the room. Afterwards, I head to the other car that functions as our living and dining car. Along the left side of the car is a bar, cabinets, and fridge, while the right has a TV mounted on the wall with a coffee table and sofa situated in front of it. Scattered around are chairs and various decorations, such as plants and paintings.
My first stop is the bar, seeing what options I got for drinking. It’s surprisingly well rounded in selection, and I do take note of all the items needed for an Alabama Slammer. I chuckle. Vinyl must really want to party after this is all over.
“Are we gonna have some sexy fun time with our manager or bandmate? How about both of them?!”
I smirk. “You neglect to state which bandmate you’re talking about. It could be a Mac for all I—”
“Augh! Why do you gotta kill the mood?!”
Chuckling, I move over to the fridge. Again, it’s adequately stocked with simple things that can be thrown together in minutes for a quick snack. Nothing highly filling, but enough to get us to our next destination. Eh, I’ve survived with far less for longer periods of time. We haven’t started moving yet, but I assume the final preparations are being dealt with.
“Geez, we haven’t even left yet and you’re already raiding the fridge?”
I glance over my shoulder. “Like you wouldn’t be doing the same thing, Lyra.”
She shrugs her shoulders. “Eh, good point.” She flops down on the couch and fires up the TV, flipping through channels.
“Hungry already?”
I slam the fridge door and turn around. “For the love of God, I’m not hungry! I just want to see what’s available!”
Spike snickers. “Relax, I’m just messing with you.”
Mac walks in. “What’s with the yelling?” He takes one look at me and where I’m standing, nods his head, and walks over to the window facing the train station, opening it up.
I point at Mac while looking at Spike. “See? He gets—”
“Pinkie, ya got any sweets stashed around here? Blake’s already raiding the fridge.”
“God dammit!” I yell, much to everyone else’s amusement. I swear that if I don’t do anything to them during this trip, it’ll be a miracle. I trudge over to another window and open it up, poking my head out. “Applejack! Your brother might be missing all his hair by the end of this trip!"
“Blake! I got a box of donuts right here!” Pinkie hands up a pink box wrapped up with a delicate red ribbon.
I just hang my head and sigh, holding my hands out for the box which she places in my hands. “Thank you, Pinkie. I’ll see you all when we get back.” I lean back inside and shut the window, ignoring the laughter of everyone else. I set the box on the bar and head right for the door to the sleeping quarters. “You guys are assholes.” I mumble out, stepping over Spike rolling around on the floor and gasping for breath.
After spending some time plotting my revenge… I mean, calming myself down, I head back to the living car and sit on the couch beside Lyra. Mac and Spike are nowhere to be seen, so I assume they’re in their rooms doing whatever. I can’t help but notice Lyra has the box of donuts on the floor by her hooves. “And you guys got on me for eating?”
“What? I’m not gonna let perfectly baked goods from Pinkie go to waste.”
I roll my eyes and reach down for one. “Missing the point there, but whatever.” I motion towards the TV. “Would ya mind throwing on something decent now?”
She turns to me. “Anything special?”
I pause for a second. “You guys got a comedy channel or something?”
Without even looking at the screen, she scrolls through the channels before stopping. Onscreen, a portly stallion in a Hawaiian print shirt is cracking a joke in a southwestern accent. “This work?”
I raise an eyebrow. “Is this all you do all day? You didn’t even look to find the channel.”
She shrugs her shoulders. “Eh, what else is there for me to do anyway?”
I could think of a few things, but decide to keep my mouth shut. “Whatever. Let’s just watch the show.”
The train wasn’t scheduled to arrive at Manehatten till early tomorrow morning, so I decided to call it an early night. After all, I wanna be prepped and ready to explore this city. Sure, I’ll probably be coming back to it eventually, but I’d rather enjoy what time I have now. As we pull into the station, I can’t help but glance out the window. “Uh… Guys? You may want to see this…”
Lyra walks over. “What’s going…? Oh.”
Surrounding the station is a sea of fans, waving signs proclaiming our names and creating so much volume that I can hear it from inside the train. Yeah… I think my plan of exploring the city just got harder.
Mac whistles. “That’s a lot of fans.”
“What is it? I can’t see anything!” I reach down and grab Spike, setting him on my shoulder so he can look out. His eyes go wide. “Wow.”
It then occurs to me that there shouldn’t be anyone at the station, other than our carriage and Vinyl. “Hey, how’d they know when we’d be arriving if we left early?”
We all look at each other. “Vinyl.”
I shake my head. “This was bound to happen sooner or later, so let’s just get it over with.”
The train lurches to a stop, and if anything, the crowd seems to go wild. From my position at the window, I see a carriage already waiting with a path straight to it lined with cops. Setting Spike back down on the ground, we all hustle back to our rooms to grab our stuff. I bend down to Sonja’s level, trying to sooth her. “Hey, hey. Just stick close to me, okay? You’re gonna be fine.”
Mac peeks his head into the room. “Ya ready?”
I nod my head and stand up, Sonja practically clinging to my leg. As we step out onto the station proper, I wave to the crowd while making my way to Vinyl. Her mouth moves, yet I can’t hear anything. She then points to the carriage. Getting the message, I follow behind everyone else, shaking the hands of fans along the way and snapping the occasional picture. Upon reaching the carriage, I hand my stuff off to our driver, who stacks it on a rack mounted on the top of the carriage.
Being the last to climb into the carriage, I wave one more time to the crowd before shutting the door. Immediately, silence befalls us. Vinyl knocks on the interior. “Soundproofing spell. Figured you guys would want it.”
I sit down beside Spike. “We probably wouldn’t if people didn’t know we were coming.”
She chuckles. “Are you kidding? I spread the word that you guys were coming today, and merchandise sales went through the roof!”
“Would’ve been nice for a warning though,” Mac says.
Vinyl does a rolling motion with her hand. “Eh, it doesn’t matter now. You guys got here, fans got to see ya, we made some extra money, so it’s all good.”
I shrug my shoulders and lean back into the seat. “So, what hotel we staying at?”
Vinyl smiles. “One of the best in town. Nothing less for you guys.”
We travel in silence for a bit till the carriage door flings open and the sounds of screaming fans hits us again. I really should have been expecting that. Looking out, I see it’s the same setup like the station. Crowd of fans, straight path to front door, and cops lining the path. And again, I go through the usual routine of being a celebrity. Once we’re all inside, the desk clerk hands Vinyl a key.
She dangles the key from its chain. “This here is the key to the celestial suite. Highest room they offer on a private floor.”
“Don’t just keep us waiting then! I wanna see this room!” Lyra says.
Vinyl smirks. “Trust me, it’s worth it.”
I glance behind me to the lobby doors. “What about our bags?”
The desk clerk decides to answer that. “Already taken care of, honey. They’ll be sent up shortly.” Ooh, that accent. It reminds me of a southern belle.
“Thank ya kindly, sweetie. Vinyl, lead the way.” With a nod, she heads over to the elevator and presses the up button. While we wait for the elevator, I look around at the lobby, mentally whistling at how elegant this place is. The entire building architecture reminds me of the art deco era, and the darker toned colors bring about a sense of quiet, refined peace.
A ding announces the arrival of the elevator, the doors sliding open. I’m somewhat surprised to see an elevator operator, but then again, some hotels still employ them to maintain the sense of posh and elegance. The operator, a cobalt mare wearing a black suit with little gold inlays, smiles at us. “Greetings everypony. What floor?”
We all step into the elevator. Vinyl holds up the key. “Celestial suite with all haste.”
The operator nods her head and pushes a button with an engraving of the sun on it. The doors slide shut, and with a jerk, we ascend. As we ride, I can’t help but notice the mare glancing over at us and fidgeting every so often. Hmm… “Ma’am? Is something wrong?”
She shakes her head. “Absolutely nothing, sir.”
Still not buying it. I glance over at Vinyl to see her slightly nodding her head. Ah, glad to see she sees it too. “Ma’am, if you’re a fan, there’s no trouble in asking for something.”
Thanks to the reflective surface of the elevator panel, I can see the mare bit her lip. “Well… I don’t want to bother you much…”
Lyra slaps the mare’s shoulder. “Hey, it’s all good. It’s no trouble for us, really.”
“…Could I please have your autograph—”
I smile. “Of course my—”
“Macintosh?”
“Hey, looks like the ladies want a piece of the apple over you!”
“Shut it, Agent. We all know Mac has eyes for Cheerilee only.”
“Have you heard of the word harem? Of course you have, or you wouldn’t be thinking it.”
Mac, being the ever gentleman, takes it in stride. “Eeyup.”
The mare’s hardened shell finally breaks down as all her excitement bursts out. She pulls Mac into a hug, utter gibberish sputtering from her mouth. Mac just gingerly pats her back till she calms down enough to grab a notepad from her suit pocket and hand it to him. Rather than just sign his name, he actually takes the time to write her a short message. Man, he can be one suave stallion.
As he hands her the notepad back, we arrive at our floor, which is a long hallway with a few doors evenly spaced along the wall except for the double doors at the far end. He winks at her before walking into hall, with us not far behind. Once the elevator doors close behind us, signaled by a ding, he glances over his shoulder at us. “See? That’s how you keep fans.”
I roll my eyes. “Whatever. Vinyl, what room?”
She points down the hall to the double doors. Now that we’re closer, I can make out what looks like Celestia’s Cutie Mark engraved on them. “Best room in the house.” Once in front of the doors, she inserts a key into one of the locks, a click confirming they are now unlocked, before doing the same to the other. She glances over her shoulder. “You guys ever hear the term chasing the sun? Well,” She pushes the doors inward, “I think you caught it.”
“Holy shit…” I walk into the room in a trance like state. This… This is what I envisioned these types of rooms to be like. Massive amounts of space, luxurious furniture, a massive kitchen area, and giant glass doors leading out to a long balcony that overlooks a beautiful park nestled in the city. While everyone else explores the place, I head out to the balcony and lean on the railing, staring out across the city.
“Something on your mind?”
I glance over my shoulder at Vinyl. “Just taking in all this.”
She leans on the railing beside me, chuckling. “Yeah, it can be pretty overwhelming at first.”
I chuckle. “You know, I don’t think I ever properly thanked you for taking a chance on us all that time ago.”
“What’s there to say? I saw the potential in you guys, and I gave you a chance.”
“Nevertheless, we wouldn’t be here without you.”
She playfully punches my shoulder. “Alright, don’t get sappy on me now.”
I smirk. “Why? Can’t stand the sight of a big, strong man expressing emotions?”
She smirks. “No, I can’t. You see anypony like that around here?”
Now it’s my turn to punch her. “Alright, smartass, you’re the expert on these cities. What’s there to do around here?”
“Depends. What’re you in the mood for?”
That’s a good question. What do I want to do? My stomach growls, answering the question for me. “Food would be good right about now.”
She raises an eyebrow. “You’re in a city larger than Ponyville with a lot more variety. You’re gonna need to be more specific than that.”
I look down at the park. “Why don’t you decide while I take Sonja down to the park for a bit? I don’t care where, as long as I can eat the food there, preferably someplace with some meat options.”
“Sounds good, though it may not be as pleasant a trip as you think.”
I smirk. “Ye of little faith, I came prepared.” With that, I turn around and head for the door, Sonja hot on my heels after hearing me utter park. Once in the hallway, I pull out my disguise kit and scroll through my available disguises. Let’s see… Ah, Bon-Bon should be a decent disguise. Slipping the mask on, I calmly stroll down the hall. With my endless supply of disguises, I should be able to move around freely in the city without being caught. Time to see what Manehatten is made of.