Chapter 22
“Sorry folks, but all the spots are filled for this round,” Apple Bloom announced to the ponies still in line from her position atop a nearby crate. “Everypony ready?”
Those of us around the wash basin cheered and hooted our eagerness.
“Great!” She looked over to Scootaloo, who was in charge of the timer. “Ready Scoots?”
Scootaloo nodded. “Ready!”
Apple Bloom grinned. “All right then! Three, two, one, go!”
Scootaloo rang a bell, flipped a sand timer, and the contest began.
I took half a second to pick my target and lunged for it. I thought I had chosen a small enough apple, but it was still more than I could get my teeth around. I resorted to pinning the apple to the bottom of the wash basin, pull it up, and then put it in my bucket. I had even worse luck with the next two apples.
Right before I ducked my head into the basin for another apple, Scoolaloo rang the finishing bell.
“Let’s see how everypony did!” Sweetie Belle announced to everypony. She walked over, looked into my bucket, and then announced my count, “Three!”
I had to fight the compulsion to shake my mane dry. “Three is still better than zero,” I muttered to myself.
“Four!” Sweetie Belle announced, after looking into Crystal Hoof’s bucket.
I turned to Coco. “How did you...” I trailed off as I looked into her bucket, which looked to be half full. “How in Equestria did you do that?!”
“Earth pony,” she answered and used a hoof to brush back strands of wet mane from her face. She gave me a smile and a less than innocent raise of an eyebrow. “We get lots of practice using our mouths on all sorts of things.”
“Five!” Sweetie Belle called for Star.
“Way to go!” I congratulated him, using the opportunity to break eye contact with Coco before my blush intensified.
“Thanks!” He said and grinned.
For a second, I thought I saw fangs in his mouth. After I blinked to make sure I did not have water in my eyes, they were gone.
“Five!”
“We tied!” Star said to Pinch.
Pinch gave him a knowing look. “I’ll have to sharpen my bobbing skills for the Autumn Wrap Up to beat you.”
Star’s ears folded back, and he gave her a sheepish grin. “Sorry, I got too excited.”
“Four!” Sweetie Belle called, after looking in Dinky’s bucket.
“Happens to me sometimes too,” Crystal Hoof told Star. “Just be careful and don’t forget where you are. You don’t want to get into trouble or cause problems for anypony else.”
Star gave a glum nod and looked down. “You’re right. I don’t want to mess this up for anypony.”
Pinch patted his shoulder. “You won’t.”
Sweetie finished counting Coco’s apples. “Eight!”
“We have our winner!” Apple Bloom declared.
Scootaloo walked over and presented Coco with her prize. “Here’s your certificate for one deluxe cupcake from Sugar Cube Corner!” she exclaimed with an emphasis on the name of the shop.
“Thank you,” Coco said.
“Be sure to take your apples with you,” Apple Bloom reminded us.
“I can carry those for you,” I offered to Coco.
“Thanks,” she said.
I put Coco’s and my apples into my prize bag. “Whoever thought up giving these things out was a genius,” I said.
Dinky grinned. “That was my idea.”
Royal Riff, who had been overseeing the game along with the fillies, smirked at me. “Pin, you might want to dry off a bit, before you go anywhere else.”
I sighed. “I know, my mane looks horrible when it’s wet.”
He patted me on the shoulder. “Towels are on the table over there. I’d come chat, but I’ve got to stay here to monitor things.”
Crystal Hoof and Star stepped back from the wash basin and then shook themselves like dogs, sending sprays of water everywhere.
“Ack!” Sweetie Belle said and jumped away from them.
“They’re definitely from the same kingdom,” Scootaloo said with a giggle.
“Bein’ from the same kingdom doesn’t have anythin’ to do with it,” Apple Bloom said and grinned. “They’re boys.”
“Pin didn’t do that,” Sweetie Belle said while giving Crystal Hoof and Star a look.
When Sweetie Belle looked towards me, the temptation became too much. I smiled and gave a few vigorous shakes of my mane.
“Not you too!” Sweetie Belle protested and shielded herself with a hoof.
“Pin,” Coco said in a tone that sounded like she was doing her best to act firm while trying not to laugh. She tapped my nose with a hoof. “You’re supposed to be setting a good example.”
I folded my ears down and tucked my tail. “You’re right. I’m being bad.”
“I doubt he’s sorry at all,” Crystal Hoof whispered loud enough for all to hear.
“To make up for it, I could help dry your mane,” I offered.
“If you’re going to dry her mane, then I get Crystal Hoof and Pinch gets Star, since all three of you did the same thing,” Dinky declared.
“Sounds fair to me,” Royal Riff said and chuckled.
“I like that idea too,” Coco said. “Girls, let’s go get our towels.” Coco glanced back at us guys, “Come on you trouble makers.”
Star raced around the basin and got close to Crystal Hoof and me. “We shouldn’t do this!” he whispered to us with urgency.
“Why not?” I asked.
Star looked to Crystal Hoof as if he would understand.
Crystal Hoof gave Star a supportive smile and put his hoof on the colt’s shoulder. “They have a lot of communal grooming rituals in this kingdom. If we don’t help them, it would be rude and attract attention.”
Star looked at Pinch with clear nervousness. “I-”
“I think they’re thinking about trying to get out of it,” Dinky said, looking back at us and holding her towel in her hooves.
“We’re coming,” Crystal Hoof said and gave Star a nudge to get him moving. I could just hear Crystal hoof say to Star in a soft voice, “You will disappoint her if you don’t too.”
“Is everything okay?” Coco asked as we approached.
“Everything’s fine,” I said, “Star just wanted to know if drying another pony’s mane was acceptable behavior here.”
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Dinky asked, while giving Crystal Hoof her towel.
Crystal Hoof unfolded the towel, draped it over Dinky’s head, and dried her mane with gentle motions.
“Where we’re from, being this… friendly with each other is not common,” Crystal hoof said. “He was worried it would be a faux pas.”
“That’s sad.” Pinch gave a towel to Star. “Ponies should do stuff like this for each other all the time. It helps everypony connect and keep friendships going.”
I took a towel from the table. “I agree.” I smiled at Coco. “I’m lucky; this is the second time today I’ve been able to do this.”
“You think this makes you lucky?” Coco said, turned, and sat down so I could reach her mane.
“I do,” I told her, and began drying her mane.
I glanced over at Pinch and Star. Pinch had assumed a position much like Coco had. Star met my eyes, still seeming unsure. I nodded and formed silent words telling him, “Go on.”
Star gave me a nervous nod, unfolded his towel, and dried Pinch’s mane.
Dinky poked her nose and an eye out from under her towel. “You enjoy drying Coco’s mane that much?”
“I do. I consider myself fortunate to do anything with her. Even when we’re just working in the same room together and not even talking to each other, having her close by is comforting and makes me happy.”
“Comforting?” Pinch asked, her voice muffled, from under her towel.
“Having her around reminds me I’m not facing the world alone and that life can be wonderful with the right pony around.”
Pinch gave a light, good humored snort. “So when we come over to visit we don’t count?”
“That’s not it at all. You, Berry, Piña, and Barrel, in his own odd way, have enhanced my life more than I could describe.”
“But...” Pinch prodded.
I smiled and admitted, “But Coco is special.”
Pinch turned as if trying to look towards Coco and me, and Star removed the towel from her head. “Thanks,” she told him.
“Why is she special?” Star asked.
Coco, her head still under the towel, turned towards me as if anticipating my answer.
I smiled and ducked under the towel, keeping it tented so I could see Coco’s face. “Because she’s the mare I love,” I said and kissed her.
Coco giggled against my lips. “Pin, there are foals present.”
“They can’t see what’s going on under here.” I touched my nose to hers. “I’ll say this about Rarity’s fussing, it’s made me consider the various ways I can sneak in some affection for you while in public.”
“You’re adorably horrible,” Coco said, reached up, and took the towel from me. She blushed as the others stared at us and told me, as she folded the towel, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Whoa,” Crystal Hoof said, sounding as if he was enjoying the afterglow of a good, strong drink. “I guess not having time for dessert wasn’t a bad thing.”
Pinch poked Star in the ribs. “You okay? You look kind of out of it.”
“I’m fine,” he said, snapping his attention from Coco and me and looking at Pinch. “I haven’t been this full in a long time. I think it’s putting me in a daze.”
“How can you still be full?” Dinky asked. “We ate a while ago.”
“We’ve been having a lot of snacks since then,” Crystal Hoof said as if he had the line prepared. “We didn’t give our stomachs much time to empty.”
“There you are!” Rarity called. “I’ve been looking for you.” She trotted up to our group, glanced at each of us, sighed, and shook her head. “Your poor manes.”
Dinky shrugged. “When they dry out, they’ll be fine. Besides, we don’t have to get ready for the Celebration until later.”
“I realize we will be going to an outdoor event, but still.” She clicked her tongue at Crystal Hoof and me. “There’s no helping Pin’s mane, but for a representative to attend a function with such an appearance would call our hospitality into question.”
“I just need help getting mine back up,” Crystal Hoof said, holding up the hair pins he had been wearing. “It shouldn’t take long at all.”
Dinky hopped up and down. “I can help! I can do more than just pin your mane up too! I’ve had braiding lessons and everything!”
Crystal Hoof appeared stunned by Dinky’s enthusiasm.
“Is she always giving off bursts of energy like this?” Star asked while watching Dinky continue to bounce in place.
“She takes after her dad on that,” I said. “You should see him when he goes on a tear about something.”
“You might as well agree,” Pinch advised Crystal Hoof. “If not, she’ll give you her sad puppy eyes until you give in.”
“I’d be glad for you to,” Crystal Hoof told Dinky.
“Thank you!” Dinky grabbed Crystal Hoof into a hug. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”
“You’re welcome.” Crystal hoof looked down at her as if not sure what to do. “I should be the one thanking you, though, since you’ll be helping me.”
Rarity smiled. “Dear, give her a hug back. Dinky, we don’t have time for you to give him a full braiding before the show. For the moment, you must settle for getting his mane back up in a bun.”
“Oh.” Dinky looked as if the life had been taken out of her. “If that’s all I can do, I’ll do my best.”
“Don’t feel like that!” Crystal Hoof said and hugged Dinky. “I’ll let you braid my mane, I promise.”
Dinky looked up at him, her eyes reflecting her disappointment. “But Rarity’s right; we don’t have time for me to.”
Both Crystal Hoof and Dinky looked to Rarity, who fidgeted under their expectant gazes.
“Could we include him in what we will be doing this evening?” Coco asked. “That way she could help him get his mane back in a bun now and braid his mane for the major event later.”
Rarity paused.
“Please!” Dinky pleaded. “This will be my only chance.”
Rarity let a hint of a smile show. “If you get permission from Princess Cadance and Shining Armor for us to have him, I can’t see why not.”
“Thank you!” Dinky said, her enthusiasm returned.
“I get to braid yours too,” Crystal Hoof said to Dinky. “Princess Cadance has been teaching me how as part of me getting to know the Empire’s culture.”
Dinky looked at him with surprise. “You’d do that for me?”
“That’s what friends do. Right?”
“I’m your friend?” When Crystal Hoof smiled and nodded, Dinky squealed in happiness and hugged him tighter.
Crystal Hoof chuckled. “You’re welcome.”
“Forget her day, I think you just made her week,” I said and chuckled.
“He did!” Dinky said, still holding Crystal Hoof tight.
“Is braiding manes that special?” Star asked.
“It can be,” I told him. “It helps if you have somepony as enthusiastic as she is about it too.””
“I could braid yours,” Pinch said offered with a blush. “That way you could see.”
Star’s jaw worked, but no words came from him.
Rarity encouraged, “Just nod for her, dear.”
Star gave a dutiful, eager nod.
“Dinky!” Amethyst called out, as she trotted towards us. “What are you doing?!”
Dinky turned her head toward her sister. “I’m hugging Crystal Hoof.”
“I can see that,” Amethyst said, sighed, and stopped to stand by Rarity. “Why are you hugging Crystal Hoof?”
“She offered to braid my mane, and I said yes,” Crystal Hoof explained.
“Then she got excited and hugged you?” Amethyst stated more than asked.
Crystal Hoof nodded. “In return, I’m going to braid hers.”
Amethyst gave an admonishing look to her sister. “Dinky, what have you been told about surprise hugging ponies?”
“They might not like it, so I should ask permission first.” Dinky looked up at Crystal Hoof. “Sorry.”
“It’s all right. You can hug me whenever you want.”
Dinky grinned. “Thanks.”
Amethyst chuckled. “Dinky, you’ll need to let him go so we can meet up with Mom and Dad.” She nodded to the rest of us. “If you guys stay right here, we’ll meet back up with you and we can all head over to the show together.”
“We can do that,” I assured.
The sisters left our group just as Sassy joined us.
Sassy glanced around at the group and raised an eyebrow. “What did I miss and why is everypony’s mane damp?”
“They went bobbing for apples, and we’ve got two more someponies joining us this afternoon for our preparations,” Rarity said.
Sassy glanced toward Pinch and Star. “I can guess who at least one of them is.”
Pinch blushed.
Star seemed more flustered by Sassy’s words than Pinch.
“Did you ask her or did she ask you?” Sassy asked and gave Star a teasing smile.
“She asked me,” Star responded.
“I thought so. Keep in mind that some mares like it when the stallion takes the initiative every now and then.”
“Miss Sassy!” Pinch protested. “We haven’t known each other long enough for him to be interested in me like that.”
“You sure?” Sassy smirked and put a hoof to her chin. “I remember him describing you as brave, kind, and understanding at lunch.”
“He told me you were caring and wonderful too,” Crystal hoof said, acting as if he were oblivious to the game that Sassy was playing.
“I don’t think those sound like things an uninterested colt talking about a filly would say,” Sassy said with a grin.
Pinch’s blush intensified, and her eyes widened as if a realization had come to her. With a slow motion, she turned her head to Star.
When Pinch’s eyes met his, Star’s ears folded, and he dropped his head in a bashful display. While he kept silent, Star’s blush and sheepish smile spoke volumes.
Rarity giggled. “You were saying, dear?”
“I… I…,” Pinch stammered.
“We’re back!” Amethyst announced as she led Crystal Hoof and her family to us.
“You two look flustered,” Muffins said to Pinch and Star. “Is everything okay?”
“Fine!” Pinch squeaked. “Just fine! We’re fine. Star and I are fine.”
Turner chuckled. “You’re acting like Dinky when we mention a certain colt.”
Dinky looked mortified. “Dad!”
Rarity giggled and shared a smile with Sassy. “It seems the conversation during our get together will be quite interesting.”
*****
“Did you like the show?” Muffins asked Crystal Hoof and Star, as we walked away from the area that had been set up for the Wonderbolts’ performance.
“That was awesome!” Star exclaimed.
“I know, right!” Dinky agreed, matching him in excitement.
“The crowd was really into it,” Crystal Hoof said, walking with unsteady steps. “They kept going from being excited to being scared in sync with the stunts. I’m dizzy and I wasn’t even flying,”
Muffins put a wing around Crystal Hoof’s shoulders. “There you go. Lean on me, if you need to.”
Pinch grinned and told Star, “Did you know that Rarity’s coltfriend is a Wonderbolt?”
“I didn’t!” Star answered and then turned to Rarity. “Which one?”
“Thunderlane,” Rarity answered.
Star gave a moving hop. “Cool! I think I met his brother, Rumble, earlier.”
“You did,” Pinch confirmed.
“Rumble is okay, but he gets an attitude sometimes,” Dinky said. “His brother is much more laid back. I like him.”
“So much that you have his poster on your wall,” Amethyst teased.
“She has good taste,” Sassy said with an approving nod to Dinky.
“Rarity!” a voice called out from behind our group.
Everypony in our group turned our heads towards the speaker.
Star Hunter, still in his Wonderbolts uniform, worked his way through the crowd towards us.
“Please no!” Star whispered in a terrified voice. His ears pinned back, his tail tucked, and he half curled to the ground.
“Hello, Hunter!” Rarity greeted. “That was a wonderful show. You have fans here I’m sure would love to meet you.”
“No! No! No!” Star bolted from us, jostling ponies in his haste to get away.
“Star?!” Pinch stared at the colt as he galloped away from us. “Wait!” she called and ran after him.
“What in the world?!” Turner said.
“Dinky, what happened?!” Rumble said as he, Piña, and Noi rushed towards us from the direction the school students and their guests had been sitting as a group. “Why did Star run off like that?”
“I don’t know,” Dinky told Rumble. “He just took off!”
“Something’s not right!” Piña said, not slowing as she ran past. “We’ve got to find them!”
“Rumble, you’re our eyes,” Noi said and pointed up.
“Got it!” Rumble launched himself into a vertical takeoff. “I’ll yell, when I see them,” he said and flew after Piña.
Noi slowed to halt and nudged Dinky with her shoulder. “Dinky, come on! We might need your magic to catch him if Pinch can’t grab him!”
“Right!” Dinky said. She and Noi sprinted off and ran alongside each other in the direction the other foals had raced off to.
“What in Equestria was that about?” Hunter asked, as he walked up to us.
“I don’t know,” Muffins said and removed her wing from Crystal Hoof’s shoulders. “I’m going after them.” Muffins took two steps and was airborne. “Take care of Crystal Hoof for me!” she called back to us.
“We will!” Turner assured. “Good luck!”
“There has to be some kind of cultural miss-understanding,” Rarity said, sounding near frantic, and then looked towards Crystal Hoof.
Crystal Hoof seemed to be in utter confusion. “What?”
“There has to be an explanation for why Star would run off like that,” Rarity said, seeming to prompt him.
A look of comprehension came to Crystal Hoof’s features. “Oh, right!” He bowed to Star Hunter. “I’m sorry, please don’t be insulted. Where Star and I are from, it’s bad luck to greet somepony after a performance if they are still in their costume. We believe the spirit of the performance will be lost from the garb and it could cause bad luck for the wearer the next time they performed.”
“That’s a neat idea, but after walking through the crowd and greeting as many ponies as I have, the ‘spirit’ of the event is long gone from this suit.” Hunter pulled out several tickets from under his wing. “I got these from Thunderlane. He was supposed to give one to Crystal Hoof and the rest of you, but he and Rainbow Dash were pulled into a post-show meeting. I volunteered to bring them to you instead.”
“That was very kind, thank you,” Rarity told him.
Hunter looked in the direction that Star had run. “Was I seeing things or did the colt that ran off look an awful lot like me?”
“There is a passing resemblance,” Rarity said in too smooth a way. “Perhaps he’s a distant cousin?”
Hunter continued to stare. “I guess it’s possible. If you didn’t take my wings into consideration, he could pass as my doppelganger.”
Ponies gathered around Hunter and our group. Some seemed to be curious what the fuss was about; others seemed focused on the Wonderbolt with us.
Hunter glanced around at the growing number of ponies and passed the tickets to Rarity. “Tell the little guy I’m sorry for me,” he told her. “I’d like to meet him and apologize for causing him to freak out, but it looks like I might be here a bit.”
A teenage crystal pony and a filly who appeared to be his little sister took nervous steps from out of the gathering and towards Hunter.
“Mr. Hunter, sir?” the crystal colt asked.
“That would be me.” Hunter gave the pair a winsome smile. “What can I do for you?”
The crystal colt maneuvered behind the filly and gave her a nudge with his nose. “Here’s your chance,” he whispered to her.
The filly swallowed, nodded, stepped forward, and then presented Hunter with a notebook with the Wonderbolts’ emblem emblazoned on it. “Mr. Hunter, sir, can I get your autograph?”
Hunter replied, “Sure!”
The filly squealed with delight, and more fans surrounded Hunter.
“This way!” Turner hissed, pointing to a gap in the crowd. He led us away from the growing mass of fans at a trot.
“I hope Star is all right,” Sassy said. “He seemed scared out of his mind.”
“I hope so too,” Coco said.
“He’ll be fine,” Turner said over his shoulder. “If I had to bet, Muffin’s has found him and is taking care of him as we speak. Wouldn’t you agree, Pin?”
“No doubt,” I agreed, keeping my answer short and doing my best to suppress any other reaction to his words.
“I hear a hint of a story here,” Sassy said.
“Muffins has some very strong nesting tendencies, and she considers Pin an honorary part of the family.” Turner told her. “When Pin passed out during a practice for the Equestria Games, Muffins was the first to get to him. She guarded him until he could be carried to hospital and wouldn’t let anypony else touch him.” Turner glanced back at me with a smirk. “Tell her what you told my wife and mother of our two daughters when you came to.”
“When you hear it, please keep in mind I was just coming back from passing out and was still loopy,” I said to the ponies around me.
“I bet it was something sweet,” Coco said.
“That’s one way to interpret it,” Turner said with clear enjoyment at making me squirm. “It made Muffins blush, that’s for sure.”
I sighed. “When I came to, I thought somepony had wrapped me in a warm blanket and given me a pillow. After a few seconds, I realized Muffins had wrapped her wings around me and had my head against her chest. Muffins noticed I had come around. She looked down at me, gave me a smile, and asked how I was doing. I, still half out of it, told her, ‘You smell delicious, like fresh muffins, and you’re soft as a cloud.’ ”
Coco laughed. “That sounds like you.”
“You commented on her smell?!” Sassy said, looking at me as if something was wrong with me.
“She had baked the team muffins that morning and still smelled like them. We had been practicing for a while, I was hungry, and it was the first thing my addled brain focused on,” I said. “Let’s change the subject to how we’re going to find Muffins and the foals, please.”
“If Muffins found Star, I’d bet I know where they will be,” Turner said. “We have a policy that if any of us get separated from each other for too long we are to meet back up at the fountain in the town square.”
We did not trot long when Turner nodded down the path. “It would seem I was right.”
“Dad!” Dinky called, as she ran towards us from the direction of the town square. “We got him!”
“Is he all right?” Turner asked.
“If Mom doesn’t smother him hugging and fussing over him, he’ll be fine.” Dinky walked alongside Turner. “Mom was right; you were on your way already.”
“You’re mother and I know each other well,” Turner said.
“How are Pinch and the others doing, after all the excitement?” Rarity asked.
“The training partners are fine, but Pinch is getting frustrated,” Dinky said, fighting a giggle.
Rarity cocked her head. “Frustrated?”
Dinky grinned. “She keeps trying to get Star from Mom, and that’s not happening.”
“Oh dear, she is having a full nesting fit,” Turner said.
“They both are,” Dinky stated. “It’s cute.”
Turner chuckled, as we rounded a corner and the town square and fountain came into view. “That is a perfect display of pony herd defensive behavior.”
Muffins had her back against the fountain’s stone basin as she held Star in her forelegs and wings. Pinch paced back and forth in front of them, pausing at intervals to stand on her hind legs to look over Muffins’ wings and check on Star. Piña and Noi were on guard behind Pinch, while Rumble was keeping watch from a hovering position not far over the height of the fountain.
“There they are!” Rumbled announced, when he saw us.
“Mister Turner, help!” Noi laughed. “We can’t get her to let him go!” she managed to say and then started laughing again.
Piña giggled. “Pinch is about to have fit, since she can’t get to Star.”
“I’m not going to have a fit!” Pinch protested.
“I’m with them, you sure are,” Rumble said, sounding less than sympathetic.
“I’m supposed to be taking care of him!” Pinch said. “I can’t let the princesses down!”
“His silent confession has nothing to do with it at all, I’m sure,” Sassy teased.
Pinch blushed, but did not respond.
“Silent confession?” Piña looked to Pinch with suspicion. “What silent confession?”
“Mister Turner, please help,” Pinch pleaded, seeming to attempt to ignore her aunt.
Turner chuckled. “Dear, you need to let him go. We’ve been given tickets to Trixe’s show and it’s starting soon. We don’t want to be late.”
“Give me a minute more to snuggle him, now he’s calmed down,” Muffins said. “I’ll be sure he’s okay then.”
Turner closed the distance between him and his wife and kissed her temple. “Did he give you much of chase?”
“No, the foals found him first.” She nuzzled the top of Star’s head. “Poor thing was shaking like a leaf, when I caught up to them.”
“Star,” Crystal Hoof said, raising up a touch so he could peek over Muffin’s wings.
Muffins shifted a wing so Star could see him unimpeded.
“I told them about the custom from our kingdom about not seeing performers still in their costumes,” Crystal Hoof told him. “Star Hunter was fine with it and everypony understands.”
For a moment, Star looked as if he were puzzling things together. His eyes lit up, and he told us in an apologetic tone, “I didn’t mean to cause anypony trouble, but I’m such a big fan of his I didn’t want to mess anything up for him.”
“We understand, but you shouldn’t have run off like that,” Rarity scolded in a light tone. “You worried us to death.”
Star’s ears folded back. “Sorry everypony.”
Muffins pulled Star in closer. “Shush now. Don’t feel bad. It was a misunderstanding and nopony got hurt.”
“Star, I have an important question for you,” Sassy said, with a look that hinted she was up to something.
Star looked up at her. “Yes?”
Sassy grinned. “Is she soft and smell like muffins?”
Star blinked. “What?”
“You told them about that?!” Muffins asked Turner, aghast.
“I did,” Turner said, unrepentant.
Muffins huffed. “The poor thing was just coming to.”
“And the first thing he did was flirt with my wife,” Turner said, giving me a mock glare.
“I thought it was sweet, but he wasn’t conscious enough for it to have been real flirting,” Muffins assured him. Besides, you’re all the stallion I can wrangle. I don’t need another one.”
“Thank you, I think.” Turner used a hoof to tickle Muffins with a practiced technique. “Dear, let Star go now, please.”
Muffins giggled and let Star loose from her wings and forelegs.
Star did not make it three steps from Muffins before Pinch grabbed him into a hug.
Rumble landed between Noi and Piña. “Yeah, not having a nesting fit my hoof.”
Blushing, Pinch let go of Star.
Piña raised an eyebrow as she looked at her aunt. “ That reminds me. What’s this about him giving a ‘confession’ to you? You never did answer me.”
Star smiled. “I couldn’t have given her a confession. I didn’t say a word to her.”
“Don’t look so smug,” Piña said, giving Star a half glare. “I know Pinch reads so many books on body posture and emotional tells she can get what ponies are thinking without them saying a word. Between her reading all that stuff and the stuff on changelings, sometimes I think she wants to be a changeling.”
Pinch went pale and gave a worried glance to Star.
Star’s expression was hard to read, but I saw pain in his eyes.
“I hope you’re wrong,” Star said in a flat tone. “No pony should ever want to be a changeling.” He swallowed, sniffed, and said with anger, “They’re horrible emotional parasites.”
Crystal Hooves stiffened as if he had been physically struck by Star‘s words.
“Star, you’re-” Pinch stopped and hugged Star as he looked towards the ground.
“You’ve been hurt by changelings,” Rarity said.
Tears ran down Star’s face as he nodded. “I can’t go home because of them,” he told her, as he returned Pinch’s hug.
Piña, her ears down, approached Star. “I’m sorry, that’s not at all what I meant when I said what I did.”
“I know.” Star said and gave her a weak smile. “You were joking around, but it still hurts, thinking about it.”
“We’ll do whatever we can to help, but you can’t cry,” Noi said. She moved to Piña’s side and gave her a comforting nuzzle. “If you cry and upset Pinch, then Piña will cry, then I’ll cry, and I’m not doing that in the middle of town.”
“No crying. Got it.” Star smiled and then sniffed. “You don’t have to do anything. I just need to toughen up.”
“Oh, sweetheart,” Muffins said, getting to her hooves.
“Mom, no,” Dinky said putting a restraining hoof on Muffin’s shoulder. “They’ve got this.”
“But!” Muffins protested.
“Why don’t you hug Dinky and Rumble instead,” Turner suggested with a mischievous grin toward Dinky. “That will help.”
“Wait!” Dinky tried to scramble out of Muffins’ reach, but Muffins snagged her into a full wing hug along with Rumble. Dinky gave a resigned sigh and snuggled into her mother’s embrace.
Peeking from under Muffin’s wing, Rumble looked up to her. “You’re fast. No wonder you were on the Ponyville flying team.”
Muffins grinned. “Thank you. Comfy?”
Rumble nodded. “I am.”
Turner sighed and smiled at his wife. “You can’t hold them for too long, though. We still have a show to go see.”
“Trixie puts on a great magic show,” Pinch said to Star. “That will help cheer you up.”
“Sounds great,” Star said.
Piña gave her niece a teasing look. “That means you have to let him go too, Pinch.”
“He’s still upset,” Pinch said.
Piña snorted. “I don’t want to hear about me or Sis ‘herding’ or ‘nesting’ from you after this.”
“It’s not the same,” Pinch argued. “You two have that reaction with every little foal and pregnant mare. He’s a special case for me.”
“We can see that,” Noi said and giggled.
Piña nodded. “She’s right. It looks like he’s quite the ‘special’ case to you.”
Pinch groaned and looked up to the sky. “That’s not how I meant it.”
“Would you like to be somepony special to her?” Piña asked Star.
Star grinned and did not say a word.
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Frankly, I'm surprised this story isn't so well-known.
You've done an amazing work writing about background characters that would otherwise be mundane or obscure when compared to the main cast. And you've written them all in a way that's gotten me to care for all of them.
I eagerly await your next chapter.
That is quite the complement. Thank you very much. I do my best to make sure that every character I introduce has a part to play in the story and has their own personality. I am glad you like them.
I hope to have the next chapter out soon. The editing process is proving touchy, and my progress has been slower than I would like. However, I want to make sure things are solid. The next chapter is going to start the end of this internal story arch and set off the ending arc for the full story too.
Hooray! A new chapter! And posted on Valentine's day, no less.
It was good. I think it's the first chapter where the main focus wasn't on Coco and Pin, but it was still good.
I'm starting to think that Star is akin to, or really is, the infamous "Kevin" foal-changeling from Cranky and Matilda's wedding. It would explain why he was invited, if Cranky and Matilda already knew him.
There were a few spots where things got alittle confusing. In the beginning, where Sweetie Belle is counting apples in buckets, and everyone is talking, it's abit confusing because the pony whose bucket she's looking in isn't the same pony talking. When she aid "four", I thought she referring to Coco's bucket, and that she had only gotten one more apple than Pin, so their banter about her being so much better didn't make much sense to me at first until I went back and re-read it.
Also, there was a point where Amethyst went off to find her mom and dad, and I thought she took Crystal Hoof with her, but then he was there talking to Star, so maybe I misunderstood?
Anyway, still a good chapter. And I really liked the interactions, especially between the Whooves family. Looking forward to Pin and Coco later though.
Also:
Naughty, naughty you! 😝
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That scene was tricky to write. I tried a couple of different approaches that were either too bare or had excessive dialog and narration that broke up the flow. I will have to go back and play with it some more.
You got it! Star Chart is Kevin. I am glad that I dropped enough hints without making it too obvious. I am going to have to be careful with how I reveal him, but I think I have an idea or two that could work.
I goofed on the scene with Amethyst. Thank you for pointing out the error. I went back and fixed it, making it just the sisters leaving the group for a couple of minutes. I rewrote that scene a couple of times, and it looks like a part of one of the edits was still there.
I had to throw in a little Valentine's innuendo. I thought the funny thing about her remark is, thanks to the world they occupy, Coco's comment could be taken as clean even though it is one of the most blatantly dirty things in the story .
Muffins’ and Turner’s family is fun to write. The mixture of Muffins’ and Turner’s personalities in their daughters gives the group a lot of flexibility. Dinky tends to be more like Muffins: sweet, outgoing, and a little on the ditzy side, but still intelligent in her own way. Amethyst is more like Turner: smart, flirtatious, and more adventurous, but still has Muffin’s heart of gold.
There is going to be one more chapter that does not focus on Coco and Pin as much, but then the rest of the chapters will center around them again. There are a couple of more things to set up, and then the end game can begin.
It has been a long time since I have been hooked to a story like this. I have to say that I think this is a masterpiece I just can't stop wanting more and more. This story is easy in my top 10 for this site old say it's probably in 6th place thankyou for sharing
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Thank you for all the comments. It makes me feel good, knowing that someone out there likes my stories enough to write something back.
I try to keep my writing fluffy and as funny as my poor comedic skills will allow. Life is far too heavy, and writing allows me the opportunity to do something I enjoy and smile.
Coco and Pin do bond quick, but I do not think it is too far out of the realm of possibility to be realistic. They are both adults and professionals that know who they are and what they want out of a partner and appreciate it when somepony demonstrates the characteristics they are looking for.
I am flattered that you would rank my story so high. There are some real gems on this website that would outperform commercially produced novels except for all the copyright issues they would run into if they were published. That you would put my story up there with them means a lot to me.