Burnt Orange Juice

by Mike the Red

They've Gone Home

We left the library, though Rainbow Dash took the opportunity to fly way up into the sky and kick a few stray clouds out of existence before landing on one of the few remaining clouds to watch the activities of the ponies as they made their way to and fro around town. I found myself having to slow my pace to allow Twilight, Rarity, and Sweetie Belle to trot alongside me. Truthfully, I still hadn't gotten a good grasp of the layout of Ponyville, so I decided to hang back a little and let the lavender unicorn lead the way.

"Hey, Twilight, I think I'm gonna have to spend some more time trotting around town to get the layout memorized," I offered optimistically. I glanced at her, noting a soft smile on her face. "Maybe you could give me a tour of Ponyville?" I added.

"I'd be happy to, Aurora -- but if you're so concerned about Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, that tour will have to wait," she replied softly.

"I could show you around town, Aurora!" Sweetie Belle offered brightly. "Maybe I could get my cutie mark that way!"

"What, as a tour guide? You'd have to be quite knowledgeable about just about everything and everypony in town," I commented, chuckling softly at her pouting expression. "I've lived most of my life in my hometown and still don't know everything about it."

"How big is your hometown?" Sweetie asked.

"Has about 12,000 people," I replied. "About six square miles or so." The filly let a whistle escape her lips at my mention.

"What was it called?" the filly asked, seemingly more inquisitive than I would have thought.

"Taylorville," I replied dully, the name of the place causing me to wrinkle my nose in disgust. "It's a nice enough town, but not enough to do there," I added. "If you wanted more to do, at least Decatur and Springfield were relatively close."

"Those are funny names, but Taylorville -- that sounds like ponies who made clothing named the town," Sweetie mused.

"I don't know the exact origin of the name -- my guess would be that the founder who gave the town its name carried the surname of Taylor," I mused thoughtfully. "Though given its location in my home state, many towns and cities were incorporated around the same time."

"What does that mean?" asked the filly. Rarity and Twilight were listening intently as we continued our trek to the hospital, which was now coming in to view.

"I don't know the exact process -- but I do know the town was established about a hundred years before I was born," I replied.

"I'd like to know more about your home world," Sweetie commented. "What other towns or cities are there?"

"Too many names to mention, but the biggest ones carry names like Tokyo, London, Paris, New York..." I began but let my words trail off as we reached the hospital. "Looks like we've arrived," I noted.

We entered and checked at the reception desk in the emergency room. A chubby lavender mare wearing a nurse's outfit trotted by. I called out to her to get her attention.

"Um, excuse me, nurse?" I asked loudly enough to get her attention. She trotted over to us, smiling softly.

"Can I help you? Oh, wait -- you -- you look like -- hmm. I recognize Sweetie Belle, but you," she said, pointing a hoof at me. "I recognize your cutie mark, but it's changed -- and so have you! You were not a stallion when you came in yesterday," she observed. "So -- who are you?"

"Um, my name is Aurora Belle," I replied with some hesitancy in my voice. I was still trying to decide whether or not I should continue to use that name given my transformation into a stallion. She gave me a quizzical look before trying to read the expressions on my companions' faces.

"He was looking like me yesterday," Sweetie stated. "But then we went and got ice cream, she got real fat, then woke up big, then we went to the library where we met Princess Celestia and she turned him into what he is now," she added, though she said it so fast that it came out a jumble.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that -- you said Princess Celestia changed him or her or ... Aurora, could you explain it to me?" asked the nurse.

"Sure -- but we were here to check on Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon," I commented. "I suppose I can fill you in on the details while we go to their rooms."

"You don't have to do that -- those two fillies made a complete recovery and were discharged earlier today," the nurse replied, her tone a bit more cheerful.

"You mean -- they've already gone home? Wow, I didn't think they'd recover that quickly," I mused. "They had a piano dropped on top of them!"

"They got better -- and our doctors are quite good at working healing magic on ponies," the nurse offered brightly.

"Well, if that's settled, I guess I should go pay Mr. Rich a visit," I suggested. Rarity, Twilight, and Sweetie all shook their heads in disapproval.

"Aurora, darling, I doubt Filthy Rich would recognize you like that," the fashionista averred.

"Besides, why would you want to see him? You're better, they're better, so let's just let the matter rest. Weren't you saying something about wanting a tour of Ponyville?" Twilight asked, flashing me a grin.

"Hey, I was supposed to be doing that! I wanna get my cutie mark!" Sweetie exclaimed petulantly, causing Rarity and the nurse to giggle.

"Aurora, if you don't mind, I have a bill for your health care," another nurse called out to us as she trotted up. I recognized the white mare as Nurse Redheart.

"Um, Nurse Redheart, I don't have any money to pay the bill -- and I recall Filthy Rich saying yesterday he'd address any financial matters regarding my recovery," I stated.

"Yes, well about that -- he came in earlier to pick up his daughter and stated that he wouldn't be paying any more bills for anypony," she responded.

"WHAT? But -- he said he would!" I exclaimed indignantly. A few other ponies heard my shout and turned their heads my way before returning to what they were doing before my outburst. "Am I going to have to go to his house and make a scene?"

"Don't worry about it, darling, I've got you covered," Rarity offered warmly. "So, Nurse Redheart, how much is the bill?"

The nurse hoofed Rarity the bill, causing the fashionista's jaw to drop. "Surely you must be joking, darling! This is an outrage!"

Comments

[Chrome Masquerade]

"Too many names to mention, but the biggest ones carry names like Tokyo, London, Paris, New York..." I began but let my words trail off as we reached the hospital. "Looks like we've arrived," I noted.

To say nothing of the many, many, MANY countries you'd have to go through to mention them all.

[Chrome Masquerade]

The nurse hoofed Rarity the bill, causing the fashionista's jaw to drop. "Surely you must be joking, darling! This is an outrage!"

Which reminds me of

"Oh, by the way, your fax machie wasn't working because it was out of paper."

"Oh, how silly of me."

"That'll be $100."

"WHAT?!"

[Renodil]

IT LIVES!

[Renodil]

9757332
United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru.

Republic Dominican, Cuba, Caribbean, Greenland, El Salvador too.

Ah. Nostalgia. That was my childhood.

[Chrome Masquerade]

9757402
The nostalgic and retro memories.

[Kichi]

It's alive! Waiting for the next chapter and see how they explain everything...

[ihatehaters1994]

Whooo boy its been almost 2 years. Exicted to see what you come up with bext. Its good to have you back.