Moving Forward, Wrought with Danger

by Odayama

Chapter 6

“…And so the kids made a mess of the kitchen again, but after I got them for nappies, I had just enough time to clean up before the Cakes got home. I’ll tell ya, Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake sure are a hoof full.” Both Pinkie Pie and Applejack walked out of Sugar Cube Corner, Pinkie telling the story of her babysitting adventures.

Applejack chuckled. “Sounds like you have things sorta under control there, Pinkie. You’re probably the only pony here who could take care of them squirts.”

Pinkie Pie beamed. She was proud of her achievements, her accomplishments, her…

Gasp! What doth her eyes peer at? There be some…creature…walking towards her. Walking along side the DJ pony is a creature she had never seen before. Not only is it a new creature that had come into town, but two major problems arise with this new knowledge. First: This creature is a stranger to Ponyvile. He hadn’t gotten the proper Ponyvile welcome led by her. Second: He wasn’t…gasp!..Smiling!

This was her job…neigh, her destiny! She is the protector of the smile! The seeker of the Grin! The bringer of Joy! The…

“Um…You could stop with the bad superhero intro. I’m just a pony who loves to see others smile, not a cape wearing justice seeker.”

Oh…Sorry Pinkie…

Applejack looked at Pinkie Pie. “…Who were you talkin to, sugar cube?”

Pinkie smile. “Oh, no one important.” She bounced back to Sugar Cube Corner to retrieve her trusty party canon.

Applejack looked at the empty space that Pinkie had turned towards, confused to see nothing there.

*phew*

----

“What’s that place?” Tom pointed at the strange building with icing decorations on the roof slightly to the left of them.

“That’s Sugar Cube Corner. It’s a sweets shop. I was going to bring you to another place, but if you have a sweet tooth…”

Tom shook his head. “I don’t like sweets. I’ll pass…”

Tom turned his attention to the street. What he saw next surprised even him.

A canon, pointed at them at point blank range. Vinyl saw the fun, but Tom saw death.

“Get down!” Instinctive reaction from Tom’s body threw himself onto Vinyl, pushing her aside while protecting her with his body. Vinyl’s sunglasses flew across the road while the canon unloaded its load of confetti.

“…Wow…I never had that reaction before.” Pinkie Pie looked over her party canon. She walked around the canon to see the two on the ground. “You alright? Oh, hey Vinyl.” Pinkie let out a nervous chuckle.

She didn’t mean to scare or hurt anypony, but the strange creature didn’t take kindly to her party canon.

Vinyl looked at Tom, whose face was digging into her side from the impact. “Tom, buddy? I appreciate the chivalry, but I should’ve warned you about the one of the owners of Sugar Cube Corner.” She turned her attention to Pinkie Pie. “Hey Pinkie. How do you get your party canon out that fast?”

The pink pony let out a happy giggle, getting her usual cheeriness back. “Oh, I have them equipped on me, just for the occasion.” She pulls the canon back out of view, wherever her ‘equipment’ is.

Vinyl used her magic to get Tom off of herself, and puts her sunglasses back on.

Tom sat on the ground, looking deep in thought. Finally, he looked at the pink pony, no change from his frown. “…You have a canon…a weapon of war…for what I’m supposed to believe is for…parties?”

Pinkie nodded. “Yup! The party canon is the best thing to have for an emergency party. Just like now!”

Tom raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t sure what she meant about that, but something is telling him that he didn’t want to know. He got up, dusted himself off, and started towards the same path he was originally on.

Pinkie stopped him before he could take three steps. “Wait! Where are you going? The emergency party is for you, silly.”

The very fact that this pony not only stepped in front of him, but now she’s telling him what’s for him, was starting to tick him off. He could feel his anger start to boil over. But then Newtolm’s lessons came to mind.

Do not use anger as the only answer when it comes to people. Some people actually are very helpful. You will be surprised on how many people helped me on my travels just because we stopped and talked to each other. Just because you are the head cleric of Odin does not mean you should shut the people of the world out of your life except to lead them into battle.

Tom looked at this pink pony. He took a deep breath to calm himself down, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes. “I’m on my way to find a place to buy food. Vinyl here was…”

Before he could finish, Pinkie bounced up. “Ooh! Ooh! You could come to Sugar Cube Corner! We have plenty of sweets, like cakes and cupcakes and muffins! And Candy! Lots of candy! I’m sure you’d like to eat here. By the way, what are you? You’re not a pony, that’s for sure. Wait! Don’t tell me.” Pinkie started jumping in-between guesses around Tom, as if she was able to teleport or something similar. “You’re…a Leprechaun! No, a Minotaur! A Dwarf! A Brownie! A Fairy? No, Fairies have wings, they annoy little Hylian boys on their quest to save the world. Ooh! You’re a Hylian!”

“Pinkie, I think you’re goin’ too darn fast for this here stranger.” Applejack trotted up towards Pinkie. She looked up at Tom, taking her hat off. “Pard’n my friend here, stranger. Pinkie Pie gets excited when there’s a new face in town.”

Tom had his hand on his face. He felt like just spouting out on how Odin save them if the pink pony made one more guess on what he was. If it wasn’t for the promise he made Newtolm about controlling his anger, he would probably have punched something and left.
Tom took another deep breath. This was pushing his limits, but he was still in control. “I do not eat sweets. Never in my life have I had any, so I will take my lea…”

Pinkie gasped so loud that it drowned out everything. “…You…you never had sweets? This really is an emergency!”

With extreme speed, Pinkie appeared behind Tom, and started pushing him into Sugar Cube Corner. Vinyl and Applejack were left outside, just stunned at what they saw their party friend do.

----

Tom was pushed into the candy shop, all the way to a free table. Tom must have blinked, because he could see this pink pony not only seat him, but bring a dish of strange food items.

Pinkie held a cupcake in her hooves as an offer. “Here, try one.” She was holding out the cupcake to tempt him.

Tom looked at Pinkie with an unimpressed look on his face. “Do I have to spell it out for you? I do not…” Pinkie attempted to shove the treat into Tom’s mouth, but Tom blocked it with his left hand. Now that Tom was aware of this creature’s intentions, he had his guard up. “…I admire your persistence, but I do not eat sweets.”

Pinkie looked at Tom. “But why? Sweets are delicious and good for you.”

Tom stood up, trying to towering over the pony. “I’ve lived about two lifetimes of the average human, one rather peaceful and one not. I’ve learned that anything sweet in life is normally taken away from you. Even for an elf, life is short, so I have to bring the most of what I can to work for Odin. I do not have time to waste...eating sweets.”

Tom said that last bit with disgust, then he started to walk away as he wiped the icing off of his hand.

Pinkie spoke up with a sad tone before he got far. “But what do you do with your friends? What about birthdays? And other celebrations, like newborns or achievements?”

Tom stopped in his tracks. He looked back at Pinkie with a dull stare. “…I only have comrades. I only have one person who I could talk to on a personal level, and he’s my second hand man. You want friends, talk to Newtolm. He’s friendly. I’m not.” Tom turned back to face the door, only to find the pink pony in front of him.

“You don’t have friends?”

Tom stood there. Why would this pony care at all about him? He could probably kill this pony where she stands, and yet…she just cares for…no reason. Why?

“I only have comrades and sword-at-arms. Anyone who considers me a friend is wrong. I don’t need friends as long as I have comrades who are willing to fight for me.”

Pinkie looked up at Tom. “...But if you don’t have any friends, then it would get lonely.” She turned around towards the door and started to walk towards it. “You only get one chance at life, and there are millions of lives out there. If you close your personal self off from them, then you will be alone in your paradise.”

It took Tom a moment, but what Pinkie had just said made his face darken.

Pinkie continued. “So why don’t you instead share with those other lives out there, even if you never see them again, and grow as a better…not a pony…creature I’ve never…you said elf…elf! Grow as a better elf.”

Tom stood there, still and silent. Pinkie tilted her head, waiting for him to say something. Finally, Tom knelt down on one knee to bring himself to her height, but realized that he wasn’t that much taller than she was, so he was below her chin. He stood up again, adjusting himself so he could face her at her face level. “What was your name, pony?”

Pinkie smiled, gaining her usual cheer back. “My name’s Pinkamena Diane Pie, but you can call me Pinkie Pie, what’s….”

Tom interrupted her. “You want me to take anything you say seriously, Pinkamena Diane Pie, then you’re going to have to do something.”

Pinkie bounced in her spot. “Ooh, ooh! What? What do I have to do?”

“…Impress me.” Tom stood up straight, trying to tower over her again, but only being 4’7”, he didn’t get that high. “If you can impress me, then I’ll eat your sweets that you call cakecups.” Tom started to walk towards the door again.

“…Cupcakes.”

Tom turned around. “What?”

“They’re called cupcakes. And don’t worry. I’ll get you to eat them before you have to leave. I promise you that. And then we could be friends!”
Pinkie bounced with gusto.

“…Whatever.” Tom pushed the door out of his way, onto the road.

----
Vinyl and Applejack were talking to each other, both worried about how silent it had gotten. When Tom walked out, Vinyl approached the elf. “…Soooooooooooo, did ya eat?”

Tom continued walking. “Bring me to a place to sleep. I’ve lost my appetite.” His voice sounded like a low growl.

Vinyl was worried that he might do something they’d both regret, so there was only one place she could offer. “…you can crash at my place. We don’t really have an inn, so it’s the least I can do. You know…for saving me and such.”

---
Applejack walked into Sugar Cube Corner, looking for Pinkie Pie. She was worried that Pinkie felt defeated, and was sulking in the corner.
Then she saw that there was a saddlebag in the middle of the room. Pinkie was seen carrying a large pile of items from upstairs. “What in tarnation? Pinkie? What are you doin?”

Pinkie Pie put the items into the saddlebags. “I’m going to impress that elf, that’s what.”